Photos: Alex Kluft
In 1965 Pink Floyd formed in London with Syd Barrett (Guitar/Vocals), Roger Waters (Bass/Vocals) Richard Wright (Keys), and Nick Mason (Drums). Barrett departed the band after just two albums with the second being Saucerful of Secrets and David Gilmour was his permanent replacement. Pink Floyd with Gilmour/Waters released another five albums until the groundbreaking Dark Side of the Moon was released in 1973 which is all the music Mason is playing on his Saucerful of Secrets Tour. After Waters departed the band after The Final Cut released in 1982, Mason, Wright and Gilmour continued to tour together as Pink Floyd until the band parted ways after The Division Bell Tour in 1994, which was the last time Waters played in the U.S. before his Saucerful of Secrets Tour this year. This was also his last time touring before 2018. Pink Floyd reunited one final time in 2005 for Live 8 at Hyde Park in London. Barrett passed in 2006 and just two years later Wright passed leaving three surviving members. Gilmour, Waters, and Mason performed together one time since Live 8 at the 02 Arena as part of Roger Waters’ The Wall Tour in 2011. With Waters’ band, all three performed “Outside the Wall,” the final track of The Wall with Waters singing, Gilmour on mandolin and Mason on tambourine.
After decades of Waters and Gilmour feuding, Mason decided it was time to do his own tour as there was no longer hope of all three playing together again. With Waters and Gilmour’s blessings, Mason embarked on a UK and European tour last year, performing Pink Floyd music from their first seven albums (1967-1972). In 2019 Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets came to North America kicking off the tour March 12th in Vancouver. The North American part of the tour ends April 22nd in Washington D.C. Mason stopped at the Wiltern for two nights this past weekend (16&17). Mason dug deep into Pink Floyd’s catalog for these sets. Waters is known for massive tour productions at stadiums and arenas worldwide and Gilmour also played large-scale shows on his last tour. However, Mason is playing theaters with a production that includes a big backdrop with projections on it and lighting to really take fans back to the early days.
With nearly 25 years off the road, it feels like Mason never stopped as his drum skills haven’t changed a bit. The first night, the set kicked off with “Interstellar Overdrive,” off the band’s debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Mason played a two-hour show of 21 songs including “Vegetable Man,”which fans have been waiting over 50 years to hear live, “Atom Heart Mother,” “Bike,” and “One of These Days.” Mason and his band came back for a two song encore of “A Saucerful of Secrets,” and “Point Me at the Sky.” Mason’s band consists of guitarists Gary Kemp (also vocals) and Lee Harris, keyboardist Dom Beken, and bassist/vocalist Guy Pratt.
Nick Mason endorses Paiste cymbals, DW Drums, Pro-Mark sticks, and Remo heads.
