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Pink Floyd  

• No longer touring
• 1105 past concerts

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Barbican Centre

Earls Court

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Pink Floyd, still giving me goose bumps 40 years later and about to release a new album.

I have patiently waited 20 years to receive news from afar that we will once again be blessed with the next chapter of music from the eternal Pink Floyd and to say that I feel a fair amount of anticipation and excitement regarding the immanent release of their new album “The Endless River” in October 2014 is an understatement of epic proportions.

Having met at college in 1965 Syd Barrett, Nick Mason, Roger Waters & Richard Wright formed Pink Floyd and thankfully adding into their mix in 1967 the ever present front man David Gilmour (who in my opinion actually is “gods own guitarist”) and whatever your views regarding the politics that led to the eventual split from the band of Roger Waters, the music that both sides have gone on to produce either solo or as Pink Floyd I for one have been left begging and pleading for more.

When my cosmic melodic intervention occurred and I was exposed for the first time to the stirring sounds of Pink Floyd I was hanging out with my best friend, it was a scorching summer day in Sydney in 1974 and I was sitting in the back of her boyfriend’s 308 Sandman Panel Van with a few other mates winding down Mona Vale Road in Sydney’s eastern suburbs on our way to Warriewood Beach. The tail gate was open and the curtains were dancing in the humid air that was wrapping around the van kissing our faces as we looked out staring at the gum trees and native flora going by that was abundant on both sides of the road leading to the beach back then.

As we drove through the summer heat the tape deck proudly displayed on the dashboard came to life and it was in that moment that I heard the first spectacular musical notes of “Dark Side of the Moon” seducing me through the speakers that had been lovingly wired in and hanging in the back of the van. I remember suddenly feeling a realisation that I was being transformed experiencing the initial dose of “Floyd” goose bumps and the ensuing release from the mind numbing ordinary and as I came to life I knew then I would never again return to how I was before tasting those first delicious musical morsels of that album that consequently stayed in the charts for a monumental 741 weeks between 1973 and 1988.

When I saw my beloved Pink Floyd in 1988 at the Sydney Entertainment Centre after lining up at 5am to get tickets weeks before, I had found myself bleary eyed and third in line from the box office window when I secured seats 16 rows back from the stage and on the night in the midst of the other unwavering fans I took my seat nervously awaiting the arrival of the musical gods and goddesses who were about to gift us with one of the most profound live musical experiences I would ever have and one that is still unmatched to this day.

As the lights dimmed the moment had finally arrived and my idols walked onto the stage in all their glorious splendour assuming their positions and composing themselves as if they knew they were about to blow us away. When those first magical notes rang out almost instantaneously the floor began vibrating and as the music made its way up through my body it exploded out of the top of my head when I jumped to my feet as the arena erupted and it was clear we were hearing the unmistakable beginning sounds of “Shine on you Crazy Diamond”.

Not knowing where to look first, I felt myself being transformed as the music washed over me holding me in a place of uncertainty and wondering once again if I would be reborn and delivered by the musical perfection that was blossoming and unfolding like a spring flower bearing its brilliant soul to the world. I made a conscious decision to drink in every single moment that night as I gazed in disbelief at the Dalek like machines rising from the stage shooting their laser beams in time with the music across the audience before disappearing again as the band bathed in the soft mist of the smoke of the psychedelic atmosphere that is the genius of Pink Floyd.

I could happily have left at the end of the first song that night satisfied that I had lived a live music experience that nothing would ever come close to or better in my life time but get better it did with each perfect note that poured out one after the other taking me to a higher plane with every glorious heavenly song that was played but those moments were fleetingly tainted with a heavy feeling in the back of my mind that I would never experience this again and I couldn’t bear the thought of it ending.

And so I have waited for news of their return and whether or not I live to see them in the flesh again in whatever form they have morphed into with the sad passing of the late great Richard Wright in 2008 remains to be seen and in the meantime I have kept the hunger at bay with my records, tapes, CD’s, DVD’s and IPod still getting those goose bumps and soon I will be drinking from the psychedelic sounds of the “Endless River” but until then rock and roll on October!!.

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Pink Floyd don’t really need introducing, do they? The Dark Side of the Moon is the second biggest-selling record in history, they pioneered progressive rock as we know it today, and are unquestionably one of the most influential musical groups in history. We are talking about a band, here, who are so big that one of their tribute acts - The Australian Pink Floyd Show - play arenas themselves. In 1994, they played their final tour dates in support of their final album to date, The Division Bell, which certainly showed no sign of them slowing down commercially; it remained on the UK charts for fifty-one weeks. Ten years after the departure of Roger Waters, though, their creativity was beginning to fizzle out. After ten years of dormancy, they were persuaded to reform - Rogers included - for Live 8, and played a stunning set that opened with ‘Breathe’ and ended on an extended version of ‘Comfortably Numb’. It would prove to be their final ever show, too, with keyboardist Richard Wright passing away in 2008. Later this year, however, they’ll release one last album, The Endless River, based on material from 1994 sessions that were tentatively known as The Big Spliff; there’s always the possibility that Dave Gilmour and Nick Mason will mark its release on stage.

It's very unlikely that they will perform live again but one can be optimistic. I saw them in 1994 and without doubt, it was one of the highlights of the year for me. They played a number of nights at Earls Court in London. Unfortunately, one night some of the seating collapsed and there were possibly some injuries, I wasn't there that night. The line up was obviously (as any fan would know) without Syd Barrett! Also, Roger Waters had already left the band. The visual aspects of the concert including the flying pigs, the aeroplane moving diagonally across the roof of the venue, the circular screen showing various films, some rather manic, were mesmorising, but without doubt it was the music and Dave Gilmour's singing that was the best part of the show.

Fans were well pleased with all the favourites that were included like Money, Comfortably Numb, etc. A truly awesome night of music.

Do you Remember the woman in white in Bournemouth july 2019, behind the church.❤️

I love your songs since i was young.

Your blues eyes...

Your smile...

Your voice....amazing to meat you this day!

God is great!

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A tour to the Dark Side: how Pink Floyd built their biggest album on the road

In early 1972 Pink Floyd were lacking direction. A year later they emerged from Abbey Road with an album that would overshadow everything they had done before

In November 1971, Pink Floyd returned from a five-week US tour and took stock before making plans for the following year. Their latest album, Meddle , had been released earlier that month. 

It was dominated by the side-long epic Echoes that they had laboriously pieced together over the course of recording sessions during the first half of the year. Starting with an accidental ‘ping’ as Rick Wright set up his keyboards in the Abbey Road studio, the piece had the less-than-optimistic working title Nothing , which had gradually progressed to Son Of Nothing and then Return Of The Son Of Nothing . 

Nonetheless, the band were satisfied with the final piece. And it had gone down well when they premiered it at the first Crystal Palace Garden Party, in May 71, an event they headlined over the Faces and Mountain. PA company WEM had supplied a 2,600-Watt sound system for the Hollywood Bowl-style stage, with new bass bins, parabolic reflectors and horn speakers that it was said had stunned and killed most of the fish in the lake that separated the stage from the audience. 

The fish had also been harassed by a 40ft inflatable octopus that rose up during the finale of A Saucerful Of Secrets , another lengthy instrumental, amid billowing clouds of coloured smoke. 

All of which served to distract from Pink Floyd’s perceived lack of personality. Which didn’t bother the faithful, who were perfectly happy to sit on the grass, roll a few and soak up the carefully constructed dynamics of Floyd’s soundscapes and whatever visual effects the band threw in for good measure. 

It bothered the rock press, though, who were in thrall to the gladiatorial excesses of bands like the Rolling Stones , Led Zeppelin , ELP , The Who , Jethro Tull and Yes as they barnstormed their way around America. In contrast, Pink Floyd’s studied anonymity, their growth by stealth out of the underground movement of the late 60s, their refusal to wave their willies around on or off stage, was almost an affront. 

But the press had to be a bit circumspect. A recent Melody Maker readers’ poll had put Floyd second behind ELP in a list of favourite British bands. It would be unwise for any hip rock journo to pour too much scorn on Floyd and risk alienating their readers. 

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Their previous album, Atom Heart Mother , featuring another side-long epic, had reached No.1, and even though the highest chart positions were currently being monopolised by the flamboyance of Zep’s Four Symbols , ELP’s Pictures At An Exhibition , Rod Stewart’s Every Picture Tells A Story , John Lennon ’s Imagine and T.Rex ’s Electric Warrior , Meddle was clearly going to sell a lot of copies.

So the music press had to suck it up and run quotes from drummer Nick Mason stating that: “One of the worst possible beliefs is that pop stars know more about life than anyone else. The thing to do is to move people, to really turn them on, to subject them to a fantastic experience and stretch their imagination.” 

He wasn’t even sure that there was definite course of progress in their music. 

“People see continuations and progressions, but it’s not apparent to us. We just get an idea for something and then we try and do it.” 

Pink Floyd’s big idea from their deliberations was to write a batch of songs ahead of a planned British tour in January 1972 so that they could be road tested and refined before they came to record them for the follow-up to Echoes. They were aware that while they were getting the big epic tracks right, the other side of the album was more hit-and-miss. They talked about developing a common theme that might link the songs together – something around the stresses and strains of modern life. 

“At the start we only had vague ideas about madness being a theme,” Rick Wright told one interviewer. “We rehearsed a lot, just putting down ideas. And then in the next rehearsal we used them. It flowed really well. There was a strong thing in it that made it easier to do.” 

“As a concept it was pretty loose,” Mason recalls. “It grew out of group discussions about the pressures of real life like travel or money. But then Roger [Waters] broadened it out into a meditation on the causes of insanity.” 

The band set up in a dingy warehouse in South Bermondsey in London owned by the Rolling Stones , before relocating to a friendlier rehearsal space in West Hampstead, and spent three weeks knocking the songs into shape. They reached back to previous albums to find ideas that had been overlooked or rejected for whatever reason. 

Breathe was taken from an unused idea for a soundtrack Waters had worked on with avant garde composer Ron Geesin for a film called The Body ; Brain Damage was left over from Meddle ; Us And Them was salvaged from recording sessions for the soundtrack to the film Zabriskie Point ; On The Run grew out of a jam by Wright and David Gilmour; The Great Gig In The Sky was a Wright piano solo to which they added some pre-recorded tapes of The Lord’s Prayer and of philosopher Malcolm Muggeridge in full rant. 

Money , on the other hand, was a brand new song. And according to Mason, “when Roger wrote it, it more or less came together on the first day."

Waters took charge of writing the lyrics for the songs, describing them as “more literal in concept, not as abstract as the things we’ve done before”. The band even came up with a collective title, Dark Side Of The Moon , before discovering that British blues-rock band Medicine Head had just released an album with that title. Instead they retitled the songs Eclipse , although ironically the song of that title did not emerge until later.

Three days before the tour was due to start, the band transferred to London’s Rainbow Theatre where they worked up a full show using the nine tons of sound and lighting equipment that they were now carrying around with them. Significantly, they had a new lighting director, Arthur Max, who they had lured over from the New York venue the Fillmore East. 

Most major bands were now using lights and a little dry ice to enhance their shows. But Pink Floyd were operating in a different league. Their lighting was more innovative, and they used special effects like magnesium flares and mirror-balls to highlight the more dramatic moments, all of which required careful co-ordination. 

The Eclipse suite of songs made up the first half of the show, while the second half featured Echoes, Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun and One Of These Days , with Careful With That Axe, Eugene for an encore. But it was apparent from the technical glitches on the first date of the tour, in Brighton, that they hadn’t given themselves enough time to get the show up to scratch. This included setting up a row of speakers at the back of the hall and creating a quadraphonic sound system that could literally send sounds spinning round the venue. 

It was taking the road crew six hours to set up all the equipment and another four hours to take it all down afterwards. A power cut after half an hour meant that the Manchester show a few days later had to be abandoned and rescheduled. It wasn’t as if Pink Floyd weren’t giving their road crew plenty of respect. Promoters booking the band were confronted by a six-page rider to the contract, starting with the specifications for the stage in order for it to carry the weight of the equipment. 

The venue had to be available from 8am on the day of the show and there had to be two separate power sources for the sound and the lights to prevent any interference that could send the keyboards out of tune. The promoter also had to supply 16 ‘humpers’ to help move the equipment in and out of the venue, and a threecourse meal would be served to the crew at an agreed time – “a sit-down meal with waitress service”. Coffee, tea and soft drinks should be available throughout the day. 

In contrast, the band’s own requirements were pretty modest. By the time the band returned to the Rainbow for a four-night set of shows at the end of the tour they felt emboldened to invite the press along. The Sunday Times reported: “It looks like hell. The set is dominated by three silver towers of light that hiccough eerie shades of red, green and blue across the stage. Smoke haze from flares that have erupted and died drifts everywhere. A harsh white light bleaches the faces of the musicians to bone. 

“If all this sounds like The Inferno, you would be partly right. The ambition of the Floyd’s artistic intention is now vast. Yet at the heart of all the multi-media intensity they have an uncanny feeling for the melancholy of our times. In their own terms, Floyd strikingly succeed. They are dramatists supreme.” 

The Financial Times weighed in with: “If anyone else attempted such a visual and aural assault it would be a disaster. The Floyd have the furthest frontiers of pop music to themselves.”

The new songs were performed roughly in the order that they would eventually appear on the new album. Breathe was largely complete. On The Run was driven along by a driving, bluesy riff from Gilmour, but while Wright supplied an approximation of the ‘whirring helicopter’ sound effect, aided and abetted by Mason’s rapid tom-tom beats, there were none of the more potent sounds that Wright would create on the EMS Synthi-A synthesiser once they got the song into the studio, this time enhanced by Mason’s heavily treated hi-hat. 

Time was played considerably slower than it would eventually be on the record, and without the distinctive sound of the Rototoms (metal-rimmed drums with no shell, tuned by rotation) that Mason found lying around the studio. And The Great Gig In The Sky was a meditative piano solo from Wright with some contrasting synthesiser sounds added in the middle along with the pre-recorded voices, but none of Clare Torry’s histrionic vocals that would transform the track when she was brought into the studio to wail and howl her legendary contribution near the end of the recording sessions. 

The suite of songs originally ended with Brain Damage and its allusion to Pink Floyd’s missing person: founder member Syd Barrett – ‘ The lunatic is on the grass ’ and the final line ‘ I’ll see you on the dark side of the Moon ’ which explains why they were so pissed off with Medicine Head for beating then to the album title. But Waters always felt that it needed another ending, and eventually came up with Eclipse which completed the whole thing.

In an interview around the time of the tour, Mason was asked why the band hadn’t toured Britain in more than a year, and he confessed that he felt embarrassed to be on stage still playing Set The Controls and Careful With That Axe, Eugene four years on. 

“The audience are more likely to trap us in a morass of old numbers,” he said. “They are divided between getting bored with old numbers and reliving their childhood or reliving their golden era of psychedelia or even just wanting to hear what it was all about. These are okay reasons for wanting to hear something, but they’re not very valid for us. At the moment we are writing some great new stuff, so I’m happy.” 

He was also convinced that performing the songs live before recording them had a lot going for it: “It’s a hell of a good way to develop a record. You get really familiar with it. You learn what you like about the pieces and what you don’t like. And it’s quite interesting for the audience to hear a piece developed. If people saw the show four times it would have been very different each time."

Rick Wright felt that playing new songs was sometimes preferable to trying to play some of their earlier songs live: “We have had difficulties,” he confessed, “for example with Alan’s Psychedelic Breakfast . We tried playing it on a British tour and it didn’t work at all so we had to give it up. None of us really liked doing it anyway. It’s rather pretentious and it doesn’t really do anything. We did a similar thing at the Roundhouse that was spontaneous and worked much better – frying bacon on stage and Roger throwing potatoes about. Maybe Alan’s Psychedelic Breakfast is just a weak number.” 

When the tour was finished, rather than taking a break the band had a prearranged project to record a soundtrack album for a film by director Barbet Schroeder called La Vallee , aka Obscured By Clouds , and spent two weeks recording at the ‘Honky Chateau’ outside Paris. They then loaded up their gear and flew to Japan where they played a series of shows, followed by one in Australia. After that it was back to America in April for a three-week tour up the EastCoast. 

The schedule included two nights at New York’s prestigious if somewhat staid Carnegie Hall, and a couple of critics took a similarly stodgy point of view, complaining that the music was being swamped by the extravagant stage effects and light show. Others went too far in the opposite direction, hailing the return of psychedelia and the spirit of 1967. Pink Floyd shrugged; they could have sold out a week at the Carnegie Hall.

By now the new songs were sounding settled, and they entered EMI’s Abbey Road Studios at the beginning of June 1972 to begin recording them. Their familiarity with the songs meant they got the basic tracks down within a month, but the overdubs and mixing would take longer as they inched their way slowly towards perfection. 

They took July and August off, not having had a proper break for a year and a half, and in September were back on another US tour, this time on the West Coast, which gave them the chance to impress the chic Hollywood Bowl audience with an array of mirror-ball tricks, a battery of searchlights scouring the night sky, flames rising from cauldrons at the back of the stage, and a flaming gong. 

Now that the recording process was under way there were fewer changes to the songs as they toured. Wright confirmed that “at the beginning the songs changed quite a lot, but once they’d been recorded they pretty much stayed the same”. The band were already starting to think about how to present The Dark Side Of The Moon (they had reappropriated the title after the Medicine Head album had disappeared without trace) once it became the main part of their show.

In October they were back in the studio. But they were back out on the road for some European shows the following month, and were then distracted by being invited to write some music for French choreographer Roland Petit’s ballet company. It was a typically fuzzy early-70s artistic endeavour, with the ballet being based on Marcel Proust’s novel Remembrance Of Thing Past . Then it was going to be based on Aladdin . Then A Thousand And One Nights . 

Ballet superstar Rudolf Nureyev was going to dance in it, and Roman Polanski was going to film it. But it fell apart after a boozy lunch when Polanski suggested making a pornographic ballet and Nureyev nervously pulled out. In the end Petit agreed to use some existing Pink Floyd music, and Pink Floyd agreed to perform it live in Paris in January, just as they were finishing the (inevitably fraught) mixing sessions for The Dark Side Of The Moon . After that they went back to the Rainbow Theatre to prepare for another US tour, this time with The Dark Side Of The Moon as the main attraction. 

The week that the album was released, Pink Floyd played New York’s illustrious Radio City Music Hall, and pulled out all the stops. One reviewer wrote: “The midnight show had a real buzz. The audience consisted of Summer Of Love survivors, new rock glitterati and Andy Warhol. The lights dimmed at 1.30am and clouds of pink steam came through the vents as Floyd emerged on a platform elevator through the floor at the rear of the stage playing Obscured By Clouds . A trio of lighting towers with a reflecting dish on the central one bathed the band in shades of red light as the elevated platform attained its full height before sliding forward towards the cheering audience – all the work of Arthur Max, the band’s lighting designer and self-proclaimed ‘fifth Floyd’. 

“ Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun was performed in a firestorm as yellow and orange smoke rose and strobe sparks showered off the drum kit. At the climax of the song Roger lunged into a giant gong that burst into flame. 

“After the intermission the house lights dimmed as a huge, floodlit balloon moon hovered overhead and the hall reverberated to the throb of a heartbeat. At the end of On The Run an aircraft was launched from the back of the hall, crashing on to the stage in an explosion of smoke. The hall was then transformed into a panorama of clocks and watches for Time. The band added sax player Dick Parry and a female duo of backing singers to recreate the album."

Pink Floyd had given themselves a tough act to follow, and they had a couple of shows lined up at London’s Earls Court in May. The omens were not good; a David Bowie concert there earlier that month had been roundly castigated for its poor sound and cold atmosphere. 

Floyd began with Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun and Careful With That Axe, Eugene . One review described dry ice “tumbling down like a waterfall” during Echoes . After the interval they played The Dark Side Of The Moon . “It started with the stage littered with landing beacons and searchlights looking for an aircraft which eventually appeared and flew slowly over the audience, crashing onto the stage in a fireball. Later on they fired a salvo of rockets from the stage which flew up wires and into the audience. 

"After ten minutes of wild applause at the end another half a dozen rockets signalled the return of the band who played One Of These Days as an encore. As the audience emptied into the night, searchlights positioned on the roof of Earls Court scanned the night sky.” 

In June ’73 they were back in the US, this time focusing on the Midwest, which was a new market for them. But it was not a particularly happy experience. They were used to being heard in relative quiet as the audience absorbed the spectacle, but here the audiences greeted them as conquering rock heroes and came to whoop and holler. As David Gilmour put it: “We were used to all these reverent fans who’d come and you could hear a pin drop. We’d try to get really quiet, particularly at the beginning of Echoes that has these tinkling notes, trying to create a beautiful atmosphere, and these kids would just be shouting for Money . And Roger didn’t like it one bit.” 

They took a break for the summer, returning for European shows in October and then playing a London show at the Rainbow Theatre in early November as a benefit for Robert Wyatt , the former Soft Machine drummer who’d been paralysed by a fall. They crammed as many of their special effects as they could into the theatre. The reviews noted the “huge balloon suspended over the audience with pictures of the moon projected on it. The concert ended with a ball of mirrors hanging over the stage reflecting thousands of needles of light into the audience and emitting coloured fog at suitable times.” 

And that was the last anyone saw or heard from Pink Floyd for nearly a year. Not that they were idle in the meantime. They’d begun the near-impossible task of following up The Dark Side Of The Moon with the madcap idea of recording an album using only non-musical instruments – wine bottles, rubber bands, sellotape, whatever.

When they came to their senses, they set about writing some new songs that they could hone into shape live, just like they had before. They lined up their first British tour for two and a half years, and bought a huge circular screen to set up behind the band and made some films to project on to it while they played The Dark Side Of The Moon . 

The six-week UK tour started in early November, with the first half of the shows consisting of three lengthy new songs: Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Raving And Drooling and You’ve Gotta Be Crazy . (The latter two would not make the next album, Wish You Were Here , but would surface on the one after, Animals , as Sheep and Dogs .) The entire The Dark Side Of The Moon took up the second half of the shows, with Echoes as a more than generous encore. 

Promoters and hall managers noted how well-behaved the fans were. It took them awhile to cotton on to the fact that a stoned audience is generally more peaceable than a drunken crowd. What most people expected would be the last full live performance of The Dark Side Of The Moon took place at the Knebworth festival in July 1975. Pink Floyd had already played two US tours that year, and their road crew had arrived back frazzled and with scarcely a week to repair and revive the equipment before the show. 

The band had arranged for two Spitfires to buzz the 100,000 or so spectators at the beginning of the show. But a communication breakdown resulted in the aircraft approaching the festival site early, as the road crew were still tinkering with the equipment and the ambitious outdoor quadraphonic sound system, and the band had to run on stage to be ready to play the opening chords of Shine On You Crazy Diamond as the noise from the Spitfires died away. 

They played the rest of the Wish You Were Here album, which would be released in a couple of months, before playing the whole of The Dark Side Of The Moon , complete with films of cash registers, tumbling coins and piled-up copies of the album, along with just about every special effect they had at their disposal. They encored with Echoes . 

But of course it wasn’t the last performance of Dark Side . Floyd revived the complete album for their 1994 tour, which produced the live album Pulse released the following year. Roger Waters played it on tour in 2006. And if you fancy blasting it out of your window one balmy evening this summer you’ll probably find half a dozen people outside nodding along. It doesn’t look like its ever going to go away. 

David Gilmour remains adamant that playing the songs live before recording them was a vital factor in Dark Side ’s success. “You couldn’t do that now, of course,” he says, “you’d be bootlegged out of existence. But when we went into the studio we all knew the material. The playing was very good, the music, the cover and the concept all came together. And it was the first time we’d had great lyrics. I thought it was a very complicated album when we made it, but when you listen to it now it’s really very simple."

Hugh Fielder has been writing about music for 47 years. Actually 58 if you include the essay he wrote about the Rolling Stones in exchange for taking time off school to see them at the Ipswich Gaumont in 1964. He was news editor of Sounds magazine from 1975 to 1992 and editor of Tower Records Top magazine from 1992 to 2001. Since then he has been freelance. He has interviewed the great, the good and the not so good and written books about some of them. His favourite possession is a piece of columnar basalt he brought back from Iceland.

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Tour Information

Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets United Kingdom and Europe dates have been rescheduled to 2022.

The Roger Waters This Is Not a Drill tour has been rescheduled to 2022 .

Tickets are available at the websites linked above.

Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets

• Apr 16, 2022 May 1, 2022 : York (Barbican Theatre)
• Apr 18, 2022 May 8, 2022 : Liverpool (Philharmonic)
• Apr 19, 2022 April 25, 2022 : Oxford (New Theatre)
• Apr 20, 2022 April 23, 2022 : Guildford (G Live)
• Apr 22, 2022 May 11, 2022 : Birmingham (Symphony Hall)
• Apr 23, 2022 May 7, 2022 : London (Royal Albert Hall)
• Apr 24, 2022 April 27, 2022 : Ipswich (Regent Theatre)
• Apr 26, 2022 April 24, 2022 : Brighton (Brighton Dome)
• Apr 27, 2022 May 5, 2022 : Cardiff (St. David's Hall)
• Apr 28, 2022: Nottingham (Royal Concert Hall)
• Apr 30, 2022 May 9, 2022 : Sheffield (City Hall)
• May 1, 2022 May 2, 2022 : Leicester (De Montfort Hall)
• May 3, 2022: Newcastle (O2 City Hall)
• May 4, 2022 May 16, 2022 : Edinburgh (Usher Hall)
• May 6, 2022 May 15, 2022 : Manchester (O2 Apollo)
• May 7, 2022 May 12, 2022 : Bath (Forum)
• May 8, 2022: Plymouth (Plymouth Pavilions)
• May 10, 2022: Portsmouth (Guildhall)
• May 11, 2022: Croydon (Fairfield Halls)
• May 4, 2022 June 5, 2020 : Randers (Vaerket)
• May 19, 2022 Jun 8, 2021 : Helsinki (House of Culture)
• May 21, 2022 Jun 7, 2021 : Tallinn (Alexela Hall)
• May 23, 2022 Jun 10, 2021 : St. Petersburg (Oktyabrskiy Big Concert Hall (BKZ))
• May 25, 2022 Jun 11, 2021 : Moscow (Kremlin)
• May 28, 2022: Lódz (Klub Wytwórnia)
• May 30, 2022 Jun 22, 2021 : Budapest (Budapest Park)
• Jun 8, 2022 Jun 18, 2021 : Sofia (National Palace of Culture (NDK))
• Jun 9, 2022 Jun 16, 2021 : Bucharest (Arenele Romane)
• Jun 11, 2022 May 26, 2020 : Vienna (Gasometer)
• Jun 12, 2022 May 27, 2020 : Prague (Forum)
• Jun 13, 2022 June 3, 2020 : Berlin (Tempodrom)
• Jun 15, 2022 May 19, 2020 : Luxembourg (Den Atelier)
• Jun 16, 2022 May 31, 2020 : Eindhoven (Muziekgebouw)
• Jun 17, 2022 May 18, 2020 : Brussels (Cirque Royale)
• Jun 19, 2022 May 24, 2020 : Nürnberg (Meistersinger Halle)
• Jun 20, 2022 May 28, 2020 : Frankfurt (Jahrunderhalle)
• Jun 22, 2022 May 22, 2020 : Paris (Grand Rex)
• Jun 24, 2022 May 23, 2020 : Lucerne (KKL)
• Jun 25, 2022 Jun 25, 2021 : Lucca (Piazza Napoleone Lucca Sumer Festival )
• Jun 26, 2022 Jun 27, 2021 : Turin (Stupinigi Sonic Park)

Roger Waters: This Is Not a Drill

• Jul 6, 2022: Pittsburgh, PA (PPG Paints Arena)
• Jul 8, 2022: Toronto, ON (Scotiabank Arena)
• Jul 9, 2022: Toronto, ON (Scotiabank Arena)
• Jul 12, 2022: Boston, MA (TD Garden)
• Jul 15, 2022: Montreal, QC (Bell Centre)
• Jul 17, 2022: Quebec City, QC (Videotron Centre)
• Jul 20, 2022: Albany, NY (Times Union Center)
• Jul 23, 2022: Detroit, MI (Little Caesar's Arena)
• Jul 26, 2022: Chicago, IL (United Center)
• Jul 28, 2022: Milwaukee, WI (Fiserv Forum)
• Jul 30, 2022: Minneapolis, MN (Target Center)
• Aug 2, 2022: Cincinnati, OH (Heritage Bank Center)
• Aug 5, 2022: Philadelphia, PA (Wells Fargo Center)
• Aug 6, 2022: Philadelphia, PA (Wells Fargo Center)
• Aug 16, 2022: Washington, DC (Capital One Arena)
• Aug 18, 2022: Raleigh, NC (PNC Arena)
• Aug 20, 2022: Atlanta, GA (State Farm Arena)
• Aug 23, 2022: Miami, FL (AmericanAirlines Arena)
• Aug 25, 2022: Orlando, FL (Amway Center)
• Aug 27, 2022: Nashville, TN (Bridgestone Arena)
• Aug 30, 2022: New York, NY (Madison Square Garden)
• Aug 31, 2022: New York, NY (Madison Square Garden)
• Sep 3, 2022: Kansas City, MO (T-Mobile Center)
• Sep 6, 2022: Denver, CO (Ball Arena)
• Sep 8, 2022: Salt Lake City, UT (Vivint Smart Home Arena)
• Sep 10, 2022: Portland, OR (Moda Center)
• Sep 13, 2022: Edmonton, AB (Rogers Place)
• Sep 15, 2022: Vancouver, BC (Rogers Arena)
• Sep 17, 2022: Tacoma, WA (Tacoma Dome)
• Sep 20, 2022: Sacramento, CA (Golden 1 Center)
• Sep 23, 2022: San Francisco, CA (Chase Center)
• Sep 24, 2022: San Francisco, CA (Chase Center)
• Sep 27, 2022: Los Angeles, CA (STAPLES Center)
• Sep 28, 2022: Los Angeles, CA (STAPLES Center)
• Oct 1, 2022: Las Vegas, NV (T-Mobile Arena)
• Oct 8, 2022: Dallas, TX (American Airlines Center)

Past Concert Information

"in the flesh" reviews.

• Chicago, IL - Jul 24, 1999 (by Mike Markley)
• Tampa, FL - Jun 2, 2000 (by Hernan Azula)
• West Palm Beach, FL - Jun 3, 2000 (by Alejandro Troconis)
• Minneapolis, MN - Jun 6, 2000 (by James Wisker)
• Charlotte, NC - Jun 7, 2000 (by Nik Riviera)
• San Diego, CA - Jun 19, 2000 (by Ted Eckmann)
• Los Angeles, CA - Jun 22, 2000 (by Antonio Varlesi)
• San Francisco, CA - Jun 25, 2000 (by Mike Markley)
• Seattle, WA - Jun 30, 2000 (by Adler Floyd)

"In the Flesh" Setlists

• Chicago, IL - Jun 24, 1999
• Cleveland, OH - Jul 27, 1999
• Baltimore, MD - Aug 20, 1999
• Charlotte, NC - Jun 7, 2000
• San Diego, CA - Jun 19, 2000

Other Setlists

• London, England (Meltdown Festival) - Jun 22, 2001

Bios, band histories for the greatest in rock.

Pink Floyd Band History

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• Pink Floyd's Original Lineup and Changes
• Pink Floyd's Discography
• The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967)
• Meddle (1971)
• The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)
• Wish You Were Here (1975)
• Animals (1977)
• The Wall (1979)

Dark Side of the Moon Tour

The wall tour, live 8 concert, live at pompeii, david gilmour, roger waters, richard wright, syd barrett.

• FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions About Pink Floyd

Closing Considerations about Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd is without a doubt one of the most important, influential, and iconic bands ever, with a vibrant and interesting history. Formed in 1965 in London by Syd Barrett, Nick Mason, Roger Waters, and Richard Wright, this band went on to record some of the best-selling progressive rock records of all time, such as The Dark Side of the Moon  (1973) , Animals (1977) and The Wall (1979).

Pink Floyd went through several phases in which their sound changed significantly, such as when Syd Barret left the band in 1968. He was replaced by David Gilmour, who was already part of the band as a guitarist but stepped in to fill the roles of lead guitar and vocals alongside Roger Waters. During their long career, there were many other changes in the lineup, which consequently shifted the direction and overall concept of their albums.

Sadly, they have had several periods of inactivity, which would be interrupted on a few occasions, such as the “Live 8” event in 2005. Every member reunited (except for Syd Barrett, who passed away the next year). Richard Wright died two years later, in 2008.

Throughout this article, you will find the most important points and aspects about this amazing band that you just can’t miss! Use it as a launchpad to explore everything else there is to know about them.

Pink Floyd’s Original Lineup and Changes

Pink Floyd’s original lineup featured the following musicians:

• Syd Barrett (guitar, vocals)
• Roger Waters (bass)
• Nick Mason (drums)
• Richard Wright (keyboards)

There was a musician named Bob Klose (lead guitar) who was playing with the aforementioned band members before they started calling themselves Pink Floyd, but he left before they made that decision.

Throughout the band’s career, there were several changes to this lineup. The most notable was Syd Barrett leaving the band in 1968 due to his deteriorating mental health and the incorporation of David Gilmour as a guitarist and vocalist in 1967.

He was initially meant to replace Syd while he stayed behind the scenes, working mainly as a songwriter, which proved to be impossible shortly after due to his unstable condition.

Other changes in the lineup were brought about by personal and creative differences, as well as less pleasant occurrences, which ended with members being kicked out of the band.

For instance, Richard Wright was fired from the band while the record The Wall (1979) was being produced. However, he came back during the corresponding tour as a hired musician. He would then be a part of the official lineup again after Roger Waters left the band.

Unfortunately, Pink Floyd’s story has its fair share of conflict and turmoil. Despite the fantastic reception of their 2005 reunion for the Live 8 concert, they turned down the opportunity of playing a reunion tour in which they would have been paid a very large amount of money.

Their past history and relationships were too complicated to go through with it, leaving their fans disappointed about not being able to see them again in the future.

Pink Floyd’s Discography

Pink Floyd released a total of 15 studio albums between 1967 and 2014. Some of their members, such as David Gilmour and Roger Waters, also have accomplished solo careers and still play regularly.

They have sold over 250 million records since the band’s first release, making them one of the best-selling bands of all time, with other legendary groups such as Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones .

Other notable achievements and awards include their induction into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996, the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005, and the Polar Music Prize in 2008, awarded by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.

Check their full discography below:

The Piper at the Gates of Dawn  (1967)

• A Saucerful of Secrets  (1968)
• More  (1969)
• Ummagumma  (1969)
• Atom Heart Mother  (1970)

Meddle  (1971)

• Obscured by Clouds  (1972)

The Dark Side of the Moon  (1973)

Wish you were here  (1975), animals  (1977), the wall  (1979).

• The Final Cut  (1983)
• A Momentary Lapse of Reason  (1987)
• The Division Bell  (1994)
• The Endless River  (2014)

Pink Floyd has also released a total of 4 live albums, which you can check below:

• Delicate Sound of Thunder  (1988)
• Pulse  (1995)
• Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live 1980-1981  (2000)
• Live at Knebworth 1990  (2021)

Apart from these releases, Pink Floyd has also released 9 compilation albums, 6 EPs, 27 singles, and 5 Box sets.

Their last album,  The Endless River , came out in 2014. More recently, David Gilmour and Nick Mason teamed up with other musicians and the Veryovka Ukrainian Folk Choir to record “ Hey, Hey, Rise Up! “, a song recorded and released in support of Ukraine due to the Russian invasion of 2022.

It features vocals by Andriy Khlyvnyuk, a Ukrainian musician. It was the first piece of entirely original music released by Pink Floyd since 1994. The album The Endless River was based on unreleased material from their 14th album, The Division Bell .

Studio Albums by Pink Floyd You Should Check Out

Out of their extensive discography, some of Pink Floyd’s records were massive hits, setting a new standard in the progressive rock genre and influencing thousands of musicians that came after them. Some of these records sold millions of copies and are still considered some of the most influential albums ever released.

Here are some of my favorite choices from Pink Floyd’s discography. If you are just starting out, I highly recommend that you start by listening to these and then explore the rest of their discography.

The Piper at the Gates of Dawn was Pink Floyd’s debut album, which was released in 1967 by EMI Columbia. At the time, Syd Barrett was the lead singer and the band’s leader, so you won’t listen to David Gilmour (who was not present at the time) or Roger Waters as much as you do in the later records, which came out after Barrett left the group due to his mental condition.

It is essential to mention this album because it was the first contact that the world had with a band that would later attain a legendary status as one of the leading psychedelic groups in the world. Even though Syd left shortly after The Piper at the Gates of Dawn was released, his influence was significant and cannot be underestimated.

The two most iconic songs from this record are “Astronomy Domine,” the opening track, and “Interstellar Overdrive,” the first track of its B side. Pink Floyd would still play these two songs frequently later in their career, unlike the rest of the songs featured on this record. It has been considered one of Rolling Stone magazine’s greatest albums of all time. Its release was a pivotal moment for psychedelic and progressive music.

Meddle was Pink Floyd’s 6 th studio album, released in 1971 by Harvest Records. It came right before one of their most famous releases, The Dark Side of the Moon , which would be released two years later. It was recorded between January and August of the same year, and it came out in October. The band did not record it all in the same studio – recordings took place in AIR, Abbey Road, and Morgan Studios, all in London.

The name is a play on words, meaning both “medal” and “interfere,” as the word “meddle” suggests. The cover is a close-up shot of a human ear, supposedly underwater.

It features a total of 6 tracks; being that 5 of them are on the A-side, and the B side is entirely occupied by “Echoes,” one of Pink Floyd’s most famous compositions. However, due to its long duration, this record’s singles were “One of These Days” and “Fearless.”

In this record, David Gilmour is further consolidated as a fantastic guitarist who is not only good at songwriting and singing but also at playing guitar solos that would be listened to and hailed countless times throughout the decades. His work on “Echoes” is truly something to appreciate.

The Dark Side of the Moon is Pink Floyd’s most successful studio release, and it is one of the albums with the highest number of sales worldwide. Recorded between 1972-1973 at the Abbey Road Studios and released in 1973 by Harvest Records, their 8th record catapulted Pink Floyd to international fame. It solidified their place in the history of music.

This concept album is divided into two sides containing 5 songs each, but they are two continuous pieces of music. They represent the various phases of human life, express several sensations and circumstances of people’s journeys, and mock feelings such as greed, hate, and selfishness.

Some of the most famous tracks include “Money,” a song written in 7/4 time, “Time,” and “The Great Gig in the Sky,” featuring an amazing vocal solo by the invited singer Clare Torry.

Throughout this record, there are many highlights that justify an entire discussion about it. Still, some of the most memorable ones for me are David Gilmour’s beautiful guitar solos on “Time” and “Money” and Dick Parry’s saxophone solos on “Us and Them” and “Money.”

The iconic artwork was created by Storm Thorgerson, a graphic designer who was working with the band. It is one of the most recognizable album covers of all time.

Wish You Were Here was Pink Floyd’s 9th release by Harvest Records in the UK and Columbia Records in the USA. They recorded and released it in 1975 and contained one of their most famous music pieces – “Shine On You Crazy Diamond,” with parts I-V on the first side of the record and parts VI-IX on the second.

“Wish You Were Here” is also one of the most notably known songs from this album. It was written by Roger Waters and David Gilmour, who also sings and plays guitar in this song.

The album Animals  came out in 1977, two years after Pink Floyd’s latest release at the time. It followed the same path in regards to being a concept album, this time talking about different classes in a society and creating an analogy in which they are represented by animals such as dogs, pigs, and sheep.

While this is not Pink Floyd’s most popular release by far, I think it is still worth listening to. Several highlights deserve to be mentioned, such as David Gilmour’s excellent vocals and guitar work on “Dogs,” Richard Wright’s synth playing, and a memorable bass solo by Roger Waters on “Pigs (Three Different Ones).”

The Wall was released in 1979 and was one of the band’s most successful records, selling over 30 million copies worldwide, second to  Dark Side of the Moon  only. It was recorded between December 1978 and November 1979 in various studios.

During this period, the band struggled with tensions between them due to financial issues, personal conflicts, and other difficult circumstances, which made the process more complicated to pull off successfully.

Richard Wright was even fired during the production stage. Still, he came back as a hired musician when they started touring after recording.

This album had 3 singles issued from it, “Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2”, “Run Like Hell,” and “Comfortably Numb.” These are some of the band’s best-known songs in which you can hear unique displays of musicianship by every member of the group.

Notable Live Performances and Tours by Pink Floyd

While it is complicated to summarize Pink Floyd’s most essential and successful live performances and tours, there are certainly a few that can be highlighted as some of the most memorable of their career.

Pink Floyd was one of the first bands to create an immersive live show that combined several visual and sound elements that turned them into unforgettable experiences that went much further than their compositions.

Here are a few examples that I think you should check out.

Pink Floyd played the Dark Side of the Moon tour between 1972 and 1973, playing a total of 128 shows between two separate legs in the UK, US, Europe, and Japan.

This tour was characterized by intense and impressive visual effects and a quadrophonic sound system that further enhanced the sonic experience of their shows.

The setlist included the full album, as well as other songs from other records that would vary between shows, such as “One of These Days,” “Careful With That Axe, Eugene,” “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun,” “Atom Heart Mother” and “Echoes.”

This tour was one of the most iconic of all tours by Pink Floyd. There weren’t a lot of shows, but the production was revolutionary and set a new standard for rock live shows.

It started in February 1980 and ended in June 1981, with 31 shows, a very low number compared to other tours such as the one supporting Dark Side of the Moon, which had 128 shows. They played in Los Angeles, Uniondale, Dortmund, and London.

In the show, a giant wall would be built on the stage, gradually separating the audience from the band, which symbolizes the feelings of loneliness and alienation conveyed by Roger Waters throughout the record itself.

This tour was also marked by a high tension between the band members. These were the last concerts of Roger Waters with Pink Floyd until their Live 8 reunion in 2005.

Richard Wright had also been recently fired from the band, but he played as a hired musician on this tour. This ended up causing an ironic situation: the cost of this tour was so high that it lost money, but Wright was being paid a fixed amount per show, just like the rest of the crew members, which made him the only band element to actually profit from this tour.

Live 8 was a series of concerts that were held on July 2nd, 2005, in several locations around the world. These were benefit concerts in support of organizations against poverty.

Pink Floyd’s concert was in London, and this was the first time in 24 years Roger Waters played with Pink Floyd after leaving the band following their The Wall tour.

It was also the last concert featuring their full lineup since Richard Wright passed away from cancer 3 years later.

During this show, the band played “Speak to Me,” “Breathe,” “Money,” “Wish You Were Here,” and “Comfortably Numb.” They dedicated “Wish You Were Here” to their former bandmate and Pink Floyd founder Syd Barrett, who passed away the next year.

Even though this is not a traditional live performance, I still wanted to include it here because this is something that can’t be missed by any Pink Floyd fan.

Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii is a documentary film from 1972 featuring the legendary band playing at an ancient Roman amphitheater in Pompeii, Italy. This city was devastated by a volcanic eruption in the past.

They filmed part of this documentary in Pompeii in 1971 and another part in a television studio in Paris. In the original film from 1972, the tracklist of this concert with no audience is the following:

• “Pompeii”
• “Echoes, Part 1”
• “Careful with That Axe, Eugene”
• “A Saucerful of Secrets”
• “One of These Days”
• “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun”
• “Mademoiselle Nobs”
• “Echoes, Part 2”

Solo Careers by Pink Floyd Members

Out of all of Pink Floyd’s members who pursued a solo career, David Gilmour is one of the most accomplished. He released his debut album  David Gilmour in 1978 and has a total of 4 studio albums, 6 singles, and 2 live albums.

David Gilmour has also worked as a producer, sideman, and sound engineer for various famous artists such as Paul McCartney , Tom Jones, Eric Clapton , and Alan Parsons.

Roger Waters released his first album, The Pros, and Cons of Hitch Hiking, in 1984 after leaving Pink Floyd. His discography features a total of 4 studio albums. He has also composed the soundtrack for a documentary, an opera, and an album of music by Igor Stravinsky.

Roger Waters has also played several successful tours in which he plays music from Pink Floyd and some of his own records. The shows are known for their elaborate visuals, impressive props, and amazing sound design.

Richard Wright released two albums under his own name.  Wet Dream was the first, which came out in 1978, just before Pink Floyd started to prepare for their next release,  The Wall .

His second and last release,  Broken China , was released in 1996. All of the music is written by Wright, with a few collaborations on some of the songs.

Unfortunately, Richard Wright passed away unexpectedly in 2008. He was known to be working on his next solo album at the time.

Although Syd Barrett did not stay with Pink Floyd for a very long time, he was one of the founding members, heavily influencing their style and direction, even after leaving the group.

His solo career started in 1969 with the release of the single “Octopus.” He released two studio albums in the year 1970: The Madcap Laughs and  Barrett . He decided to stop his music activities in 1972 and lived a private life until he passed away in 2006.

Nick Mason is arguably the Pink Floyd member with the least known solo materials, but it is still worth checking out his work. He has released one studio album, Nick Mason’s Fictitious Spots, in 1981 and a live album, Nick Mason’s Saucerful Of Secrets, in 2020.

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions About Pink Floyd

Answer: At the time of its creation, the band Pink Floyd featured the following lineup: • Syd Barrett (guitar, vocals) • Roger Waters (bass) • Nick Mason (drums) • Richard Wright (keyboards)

Answer: Out of their extensive and impressive discography, some albums from Pink Floyd have earned a distinctive place among the rest. Dark Side of the Moon  was their highest-selling album, and The Wall  was the second. Other notable releases include  Meddle, Wish You Were Here, and  Animals .

Answer: During their long career, Pink Floyd released many songs that became huge commercial hits and several songs with unique elements that solidified this band’s place as one of the most influential progressive rock groups of all time. Here are a few examples: • Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2 • Money • Comfortably Numb • Dogs • Wish You Were Here • Shine On You Crazy Diamond • Echoes • Time • Hey You • Us And Them

Answer: The name “Pink Floyd” was an idea from Syd Barrett. It is a combination of the names of two blues artists that he knew and had in his record collection: Pink Anderson and Floyd Council. Before the final version, the name went through a few changes, such as “Pink Floyd Sound” and “The Pink Floyd.”

Answer: Since Pink Floyd has a very vast and varied discography, it is difficult, if not impossible, to categorize them under a single music genre. Throughout their work, you can hear examples of progressive rock, psychedelic rock, space rock, and many blues influences, among others.

If you are a fan of rock, progressive rock, and blues-influenced music, Pink Floyd is one of those bands you can’t skip. Their vast and varied discography should keep your hands full for a long time, and you will certainly enjoy hearing the band’s evolution through the years.

There is something in their albums for everyone. Even if you can’t see them live anymore, the recordings of their live performances can be mind-blowing to witness due to the fantastic visuals and overall production of the shows.

Many of their records are now collector’s items. You might want to add some of them to your collection sometime, as they are a great addition to any music enthusiast’s shelf!

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• Remember When

Remember When: The Spitting Incident that Inspired Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’

by Jim Beviglia April 11, 2024, 4:30 pm

When Roger Waters created The Wall for Pink Floyd , he drew on his own life, the issues faced by former band member Syd Barrett, and the state of human nature as he saw it. But it was one specific incident that launched Waters, one in which he spit on a fan at a Floyd concert.

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What brought Waters to that point? And how did he use that moment of frustration as the basis for an album that, for all its dark moments, ultimately makes a plea for empathy and human connection. To fully understand that eventful night in 1977, you have to know the context of where Pink Floyd stood at that momentous point in their career.

A Changed Band

In January 1977, Pink Floyd released the album Animals . Longtime fans of the band couldn’t help but notice a drastically changed band. Largely absent were the dreamy musical textures that characterized records like Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here . In their place stood aggressive guitars and drums. Many people thought the album was Floyd’s answer to punk (although the band had actually been fooling around with the musical pieces that comprised Animals for several years before recording them).

In addition, Waters’ lyrics had taken a more strident, in-your-face turn as well, as he worked through an allegorical tale about different animal classes, all in a mad scramble to outdo the others instead of coming together in any kind of harmony. The album polarized fans and critics, but Floyd used it as the basis for a six-month tour beginning in January 1977.

The tour brought the band to the biggest audiences of their careers with a stage show that was massive in scale and ornate in detail. (One of those details: the inflatable pig that would become a legend in its own right.) Unfortunately, Waters immediately flinched at the way the crowds seemed to be there to party and cause a ruckus rather than actually listen to the music.

By the time the tour rolled to a close on July 6, 1977, in Montreal, Waters was spoiling for a fight. He spent much of the performance complaining about the behavior of the audience and staring directly at a young man in one of the first couple rows. (Some reports claim this fan was setting off fireworks during the show). As the concert neared its conclusion, Waters spit on the young man. During the encore, disgusted Floyd guitarist David Gilmour left the stage, and Waters refused to play any old songs, instead leading the other members in a bluesy improv as the show ended.

Construction Begins

To his credit, the album Waters wrote based on this incident didn’t turn out to be some kind of diatribe against obnoxious rock fans. Instead, it caused him to look both inward at his own demons and backward at the events in his life that formed those demons in the first place. The Wall , when it arrived in 1979, blossomed into a complex meditation on humanity as a whole. The character Pink stood in for anyone who gets so battered about by life that they can no longer locate who they are and what’s truly important.

But the spitting incident certainly begat the concept of a band performing behind a wall, as Waters had felt a figurative barrier between himself and his audience on that tour. It’s not for nothing that there are two songs on the album called “In the Flesh,” which was also the name of the Animals tour.

One can only wonder if the young man who took the brunt of that expectoration had any inkling what he wrought that evening. Perhaps he was even too inebriated to remember. Whatever the case, he played a small role in one of the most hallowed albums in rock history.

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Kenny Loggins and Huey Lewis Talk Taking Over Prince’s Lines in “We Are the World,” the 40th Anniversary of ‘Footloose,’ and More

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More From Forbes

Taylor swift didn’t need lucrative side hustles to become a billionaire.

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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 05: Taylor Swift attends the 65th GRAMMY Awards on February 05, ... [+] 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

Taylor Swift officially landed on Forbes’ billionaires list on Tuesday, April 2. But what distinguishes the 34-year-old singer-songwriter from other wealthy artists is how she accumulated her billion-dollar fortune.

The Miss Americana star ranked No. 2,545 on Forbes’ World’s Billionaires List . According to Forbes , there are more billionaires than ever before (141 more than last year and 26 more than the 2021 record), with their collective worth reaching $14.2 trillion. Swift’s inclusion comes after Forbes declared the singer a billionaire in October 2023 and reported her net worth at $1.1 billion.

In a rare feat, Swift is the first musician to reach the milestone solely from songwriting and performing. Her fortune doesn’t largely derive from profitable side hustles (think: beauty brands, fashion lines, alcohol investments, etc.), which have been typical avenues for entertainers to become billionaires in recent years. This puts her in a unique category with artists like Bruce Springsteen, who earned $1 billion from on the road touring.

More than $500 million of Swift’s fortune is from music royalties and touring. She made an estimated $190 million after taxes from the first leg of the Eras tour and another $35 million from the first two weeks of screenings of the corresponding concert film, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour , which became the highest-grossing concert movie in history.

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Meanwhile, another $500 million of her earnings came from the increasing value of her music catalog. Her masters (Swift’s first six albums) were infamously purchased in 2019 by Scooter Braun and eventually sold to Shamrock Capital for $300 million in 2020.

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - MAY 06: EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO BOOK COVERS. Taylor Swift performs onstage ... [+] during night two of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at Nissan Stadium on May 06, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by John Shearer/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management)

“This is my worst case scenario. This is what happens when you sign a deal at fifteen to someone for whom the term ‘loyalty’ is clearly just a contractual concept,” Swift penned on Tumblr in 2019 when she learned that Braun had bought her masters. “Now Scooter has stripped me of my life’s work, that I wasn’t given an opportunity to buy. Essentially, my musical legacy is about to lie in the hands of someone who tried to dismantle it.”

At the time, Swift also parted ways with her long-time home, Big Machine Label Group, to join Universal Music Group’s Republic Records, a deal that would give the superstar complete ownership over songwriting and the recordings, ultimately boosting her earnings in the long run.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 11: Taylor Swift attends "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" Concert ... [+] Movie World Premiere at AMC The Grove 14 on October 11, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)

"I'm ecstatic to announce that my musical home will be Republic Records and Universal Music Group," Swift wrote on Instagram about the news. "Over the years, [UMG chief] Sir Lucian Grainge and [Republic chief] Monte Lipman have been such incredible partners. It's so thrilling to me that they, and the UMG team, will be my label family moving forward. It's also incredibly exciting to know that I'll own all of my master recordings that I make from now on."

Since switching labels, Swift has released four new albums, Lover, Folklore, Evermore and Midnights, and re-recorded Fearless (Taylor’s Version), Red (Taylor’s Version), Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) and 1989 (Taylor’s Version ). Swift’s the sole writer on over one-fourth of her top 50 Billboard chart hits, although she frequently shares writing credits with collaborators like Jack Antonoff and Max Martin, who also get a portion of a record sale.

On April 19, the pop star will release her 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department, which will also add to her massive earnings. Swift announced the new record during her Album of the Year win acceptance speech at the 2024 Grammy Awards in February.

While becoming a billionaire, the singer made a huge monetary impact on the NFL. Swift created a brand value equivalent of $331.5 million for the Chiefs and the league, according to data from Apex Marketing Group . That number comes from print, digital, radio, TV, highlights, and social media mentioning Swift from her first game on Sept. 24 to Jan. 22.

One of Swift’s many accomplishments from last year also includes being named Time Magazine’s 2023 Person of the Year. In her interview with journalist Sam Lansky, Swift told the magazine that “this is the proudest and happiest I’ve ever felt, and the most creatively fulfilled and free I’ve ever been.”

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Loeb Stadium adds two new acts to summer lineup: Lee Brice concert and Taylor Shines show

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Loeb Stadium is adding two new music events to this year’s summer lineup: the Taylor Shines laser show and a concert by country artist Lee Brice.

Taylor Shines will be a two-hour long non-stop light show featuring Taylor Swift hits and spectacle. The show is produced by the creators of the successful “The Pink Floyd Laser Spectacular.”

Taylor Shines will be held on July 27, at 8 p.m. and general admission tickets will go on sale on April 12. Tickets are $15 and $20 and can be purchased at longpac.org or the box office at 765-742-5664.

An online presale starts Wednesday, April 10, just use promo code LOEB to access tickets at www.longpac.org. Group sales are available by calling the box office.

The Taylor Shines: The Laser Spectacular show is presented by IU Health.

Country artist Lee Brice, a Grammy nominee and a CMA and ACM award winner, will bring his solo tour to Loeb Stadium on Sept. 20 at 7:30 p.m.

He’s well-known for his hits like “A Woman Like You,” “Hard to Love,” “I Drive Your Truck,” “I Don’t Dance,” “Drinking Class,” “Rumor,” “I Hope You’re Happy Now,” “One of Them Girls,” and “Memory I Don’t Mess With.”

Seating tickets are $35, $60, $85, and go on sale at 10 a.m. April 12. Tickets can be purchased on the Long Center for the Performing Arts website at www.longpac.org or at the box office at 765-742-5664.

An online presale starts Wednesday, April 10, just use promo code LOEB to access tickets at www.longpac.org .

Group sales are available by calling the box office.

This year’s summer concerts series at Loeb Stadium will also have performances from classic rock band 38 Special presented by Old National Bank on Thursday, June 27, and the country group Parmalee presented by Real Journeyman and Quality Connection Contractors Friday, July 26.

For concert information and tickets, visit www.longpac.org .

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Eclipse & Earthquake Songs From Soundgarden, Bonnie Tyler, Carole King & More Way Up in Streams After Wild Week

This week's Trending Up looks at all sun-and-moon-themed songs seeing streaming spikes this week, along with an Olivia Rodrigo opener taking off and more.

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Chappell Roan

Beyoncé's 'cowboy carter' legendary inspirations & new collaborators all up in streams: linda…, total eclipse of the streams: sun & moon songs by pink floyd, soundgarden, bonnie tyler & more all way up.

Trending on Billboard

Among the most notable beneficiaries from the eclipse enhancement on Monday were LEN’s “Steal My Sunshine” (up 194% in on-demand U.S. audio streams from the previous Monday to 169,000, according to early reports from Luminate), Pink Floyd’s “Eclipse” (up a whopping 1472% to 541,000), Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Bad Moon Rising” (up 48% to 559,000), The Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun” (up 58% to 656,000 – but actually sorta inappropriate for the occasion, no?), Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine” (up 87% to 772,000) and Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun” (up 123% to 806,000). And for those jokers on social media during the event, don’t worry, everyone saw your Clipse puns – as evidenced by the rap duo’s catalog also being up 21% to 66,000 for the day. 

And that’s not all the freak phenomenon-related listening folks were doing in America the past week, of course – plenty of tri-state folks affected by the 4.8 magnitude earthquake on Friday (Apr. 5) were motivated to process their feelings on the core-shaking incident via streams of songs like Carole King’s “I Feel the Earth Move” (up 25% from the previous Friday to 65,000) and Tyler, the Creator’s “Earfquake” (up 13% to 459,000). Together, it was all enough to music listeners feeling downright apocalyptic – at least, as indicated by the Monday bump for R.E.M.’s end-times classic “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” (up 66% to 100,000). – ANDREW UNTERBERGER

Chappell Roan Goes “Supernova” Following Opening Run on Guts World Tour

One of the biggest tours of 2024 so far has been Olivia Rodrigo ’s debut global arena trek, which recently wrapped its opening North American leg with four dates at New York’s Madison Square Garden before Rodrigo heads overseas for the first time. While ‘90s alt-rock vets The Breeders were tabbed by Rodrigo for leading those NY shows, her dates prior to that point were opened by rising alt-pop phenom Chappell Roan – a longtime cult favorite among critics and pop obsessives who had yet to cross over to the kind of mainstream stardom the ambitious pop singer-songwriter was clearly aiming for.

Following her stretch of dates on the Guts World Tour, that last part may now be on its way. Roan’s streams have increased throughout her weeks touring with Rodrigo – also helped by a well-received performance on NPR’s Tiny Desk series on Mar. 21 –  with her attention-grabbing opening set exposing new audiences to the songs from her acclaimed 2023 debut full-length The Rise and Fall of a Midwestern Princess (released on Amusement Records, the imprint launched by regular Rodrigo collaborator Dan Nigro). The album has even made its first appearance on the Billboard 200 as a result, debuting at No. 127 on the chart dated Apr. 6. 

It would seem like Roan may be on track to be graduating from opener to headliner status in due time – and certainly, pop watchers will have their eyes on the numbers for fellow acclaimed up-and-comers Remi Wolf and PinkPantheress as they take their turns kicking off the remaining Guts World Tour dates from here. – AU

Lay Bankz Nets Another Streaming Smash With Bubbly “Tell Ur Girlfriend”

Just a few months after Lay Bankz first landed on Trending Up with “Ick” — which peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard TikTok Top 50 (chart dated Oct. 7, 2023) — the Artist Partner-signed Philly rapper is back with a new joint titled “Tell Ur Girlfriend.” 

Another bouncy dance track, “Tell Ur Girlfriend” pulls from ’90s R&B and synthpop, marking a departure from the stronger Jersey club bent of “Ick.” While the latter benefited from organic virality, “Tell Ur Girlfriend” is making impressive gains with a formal promotional campaign. During the period of March 29-April 4, “Tell Ur Girlfriend” collected over 2.9 million official on-demand U.S. streams, according to Luminate. That’s an eye-popping 587% increase from three weeks prior (March 8-14) when it pulled just under 425,000 streams. 

“Tell Ur Girlfriend” owes a significant chunk of its traction to a dance trend sparked by a post shared by user @laurieluna13 on March 19. Choreographed by @who.is.ga6y , the trend has sparked tens of thousands of clips, including one from Lay Bankz herself on April 8, which earned 1.3 million views. The official “Tell Ur Girlfriend” sound boasts 10,200 posts, while a pair of unofficial sounds houses an additional 36,8000 and 81,700 posts, respectively. On YouTube, the official “Tell Ur Girlfriend” audio clip has pulled in nearly a million hits in less than two months, and a live “From the Block” performance video brought in nearly a quarter million views in a month. 

“Aurbley” Bags Surprise Hit With Help From Tay-K, Jay-Z & Anime  

The thing about Aurbley is that Aurbley doesn’t actually seem to exist. There isn’t much available on the internet about the artist, save for an auto-generated YouTube topic page that houses just three audio clips and a Spotify bio that links to an Instagram account that’s been inactive since Nov. 2022. 

During the period of March 29-April 4, Aurbley’s “Get Wid Lemonade” garnered just over 990,000 official on-demand U.S. streams, marking a 123% increase from the 445,000 streams it pulled the week prior (March 22-28). 

“Get Wid Lemonade” is an unofficial mashup of Tay-K’s “Lemonade” and Jay-Z ‘s “Who You Wit II.” Kyle Davis, a Brooklyn DJ and producer, created the mashup in 2022, and uploaded it to streaming services on March 24, 2024, under the title “Lemonade.” Somewhat inexplicably, a version of the mashup titled “Get Wid Lemonade” was uploaded to Spotify by Aurbley on Feb. 15. This version – which has already earned over three million streams on the platform – cuts the Derrick Rose buzzer-beater intro from Davis’ upload. 

Of course, years of built-in hype and grassroots love for the mashup have resulted in its major streaming gains since landing on Spotify, but the TikTok anime community has also embraced the mashup. Just one post using “Get Wid Lemonade” to soundtrack a fancam of Samurai Champloo garnered over 1.3 million views and nearly 290,000 likes. 

Although it’s been several years since Jay-Z’s last album and Tay-K is currently awaiting trial in his ongoing murder case, both rappers have a surprise hit on their hands thanks to the dexterity of their catalogs and the bright mind of a Dallas-bred DJ. – KD

Q&A: Matt McLernon, Senior Manager of YouTube Artist Partnerships, on What’s Trending Up in His World

In 2023, Coachella on YouTube took a huge step forward expanding to six livestream feeds across both weekends. With so many more shows to see, it created a new opportunity for us to help people easily find who’s playing right now and show people even more of the festival. This year, we are taking another big step forward where you can watch up to 4 stages live at the same time in multiview on your TV. 

The dedicated feeds for each stage also give Coachella the chance to use stage turnovers to keep fans entertained with custom artist content, archived performances and more.

How will the YouTube team be coordinating behind-the-scenes content in the middle of the chaos?

With this as our 12th Coachella livestream we have a healthy momentum going into navigating the backstage energy, but every year brings its own magic. This time we have a content studio both weekends where artists film for Shorts and socials, Highsnobiety curating a portrait studio, a lounge to catch some shade between sets and of course our surprise popsicle drops. We’ll also be hosting incredible content creators onsite to give fans on YouTube all kinds of looks into the experience. Come through if you’re at the festival!

Festivals have taken varying approaches to livestreaming over the past decade. What is it about the Coachella brand that elevates interest and viewership each year?

Coachella’s decision to film the festival from the very beginning was as progressive of a move as their choice to start livestreaming on YouTube in 2011. Now we work year-round to keep that progressive vibe going with new features, more music and of course supporting the special moments. 

Coachella has a super clear vision and is always open to considering new ideas, which is why our partnership is so unique. We’re also focused on the long game, so we have new things launching this year that have been in the works for a while and already have ideas in development for next year.

Fill in the blank: one non-headliner that you think will draw a ton of livestream interest is ____.

Peso Pluma. Last year, during his first appearance at the festival, Peso Pluma was also the very first artist to come through our YouTube content studio. It was a sign of things to come for him as he became the #1 most viewed artist on YouTube in 2023 , and another example of the expanding global presence of Coachella. I’ll either see you there or on the livestream. – JASON LIPSHUTZ

Season’s Gainings: ‘Sometimes It Snows in April’ – Or It’s Just Rainy and Miserable

Happens every March: The clouds part, the sun comes out, the temperature rises and those of us in medium-climate areas declare winter to be at long last dead and buried. Then, the clouds return, the temperatures plummet, the skies dump all sorts of messiness on us and we realize how foolishly premature we were in our celebrations (again). In such cases, at least we have the perfect song to turn to on streaming: Prince ’s eternally wise “Sometimes It Snows in April,” which soundtracked the lousy first few days of the month for many fans, as it collected 22,000 official on-demand U.S. streams from Apr. 2-5 – a gain of 119% from the prior four-day period, according to Luminate. – AU

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Eclipse-Themed Songs Surge Up Charts Following Solar Eclipse Event—Pink Floyd, Bonnie Tyler, & More

M onday (April 8) marked the first total solar eclipse since 2017, and music lovers are sending eclipse-themed songs up the charts again. Songs like Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and Pink Floyd’s aptly named “Eclipse” are rising on various charts for the first time in a long while.

“Total Eclipse of the Heart” debuted in 1983 and peaked at No 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, spending 29 weeks on the chart. Now, it soared to No. 2 on the Apple Music charts and went up 50% in Spotify searches as eclipse-viewers hoped to set the right mood for the occasion.

Additionally, Pink Floyd’s “Eclipse” hit No. 8 on the U.S. iTunes chart. While the song wasn’t originally a hit in 1973, when it was the final track on Dark Side of the Moon , “Eclipse” often hits the charts again when celestial events roll around and interest piques.

Organizations and Astronomy Fans Make Playlists for Watching the Total Solar Eclipse

Other songs that saw some spikes in searches on streaming platforms were “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles, “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers, “Bad Moon Rising” by Creedence Clearwater Revival, and “Black Hole Sun” by Soundgarden.

A cursory search on Spotify reveals a host of eclipse-themed playlists by users and even an official one by Spotify, which is tailored to individual tastes through recommendations. The Spotify-made playlist , titled sonder—which is the realization that everyone on the planet is living a life as full and rich as yours—features many instrumental songs to get one in the mood for a total solar eclipse. Songs like “Time” from the Inception soundtrack and “Cornfield Chase” from Interstellar , both Hans Zimmer compositions. It also includes Radiohead, Disasterpeace, and music by composer Dmitri Shostakovich.

In a similar vein but featuring more contemporary songs, Space.com also made their own playlist . The first two songs are, of course, “Eclipse” and “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” However, it also includes “Moonshadow” by Yusuf/Cat Stevens, “Blinded By The Light” by Bruce Springsteen, and “Don’t Look Back Into the Sun” by The Libertines. St. Louis Public Radio almost made a playlist of cool jams like “Supernova” by Liz Phair and “Staring at the Sun” by TV On The Radio.

The post Eclipse-Themed Songs Surge Up Charts Following Solar Eclipse Event—Pink Floyd, Bonnie Tyler, & More appeared first on American Songwriter .

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Pink Floyd goes dark side and chooses AI video for Dark Side Of The Moon anniversary competition

3d artist damián gaume's ai-generated video for "any colour you like" was one of 10 winners in a video creation contest for the album's 50th anniversary.

Pink Floyd’s classic 1973 album, The   Dark Side Of The Moon , was basically milkshake-ducked in 48 hours this week, which is an impressive way to spend a 51st birthday. Yesterday, album closer “Eclipse” proudly rang out amongst the sick-of-Bonnie-Tyler crowd in parks and Instagram stories across the nation (for obvious reasons). Today, the band is in the news for selecting an AI-generated video as one of the ten winners of the album’s 50th-anniversary animation contest. Hello, Pink Floyd’s conscience and sense of artistic preservation... is there anybody in there?

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The offending video comes from Argentinian-Australian artist Damián Gaume, which he created for the song “Any Colour You Like.” Guame’s winning entry was one of ten videos selected—one for each of the album’s tracks—by a panel of nine judges, including Pink Floyd’s drummer, Nick Mason. “Pink Floyd has had a history of collaborating with up and coming filmmakers since our early days. In many cases, the visuals that accompany the songs have become synonymous with the music itself,” Mason said in a video introducing the challenge, which is undoubtedly true and just makes this whole thing that much more disappointing.

Independent animators and other “up and coming filmmakers” around the world are currently staring down the barrel of a gun, wondering when their services are going to be rendered officially obsolete by much more powerful artists and studios continuing to embrace the growing influence of soulless artificial intelligence. Indie horror film Late Night With The Devil drew intense backlash from some of those artists for their use of the anti-human technology, and now Pink Floyd is attracting the same , especially considering how many hand-crafted videos weren’t chosen by the esteemed panel of judges. (A selection of those entries , which also includes original Monty Python illustrator Terry Gilliam and The Lorax and Minions director, Kyle Balda, was compiled by Twitter/X user @skymightdie, and they’re definitely worth a watch.) While the continued proliferation of AI is unfortunately inevitable, it’s consistently frustrating to watch people with actual power to stand up for art refuse to do so.

In a behind-the-scenes look at his video , Gaume announced that the “technique that I used for creating my animation is AI.” “As a 3D artist myself, I tried to go a completely different way and try something new,” he continued, explaining that he used Stable Diffusion and Blender to create some trigger images and used prompts to “get some fresh ideas from the AI.” Actually watching the video, however, those ideas clearly aren’t that fresh at all. Not even lingering the fact that AI is always just regurgitating someone else’s work, the whole thing has the alien sheen we’ve all grown accustomed to at this point, and the guitars have way too many pickups. (That seems to be the point of the video, but it still looks stupid!)

It seems like Pink Floyd themselves might be just another brick in the wall now. You can watch Gaume’s video below. Or, you can watch a few of the winning entries that were actually created by humans instead. The full selection of winners is available on Pink Floyd’s YouTube channel .

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AI-generated entry wins Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon video competition

Argentinian-Australian 3D artist Damián Gaume used artificial intelligence to create a video for the band’s song “Any Colour You Like.”

Pink Floyd has awarded Damián Gaume for a great gig in AI.

A panel of judges, including the classic rock band’s drummer Nick Mason, selected the Argentinian-Australian 3D artist as one of 10 winners of an animated music video competition celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Dark Side of the Moon . The move has generated significant controversy online due to Gaume’s use of generative artificial intelligence in his video for “Any Colour You Like.”

MJ Kim/Getty

Gaume explained his process in a behind-the-scenes video on the band’s YouTube channel. “The technique that I used for creating animation is AI,” he revealed. “As a 3D artist myself, I tried to go a completely different way and try something new. So I used Stable Diffusion installed locally, so I didn’t use it online. I trained my own models and I used Blender to create some trigger images so I could get some fresh ideas from the AI. I used prompts. It was a lot of fun, and now I’m getting more into it and creating more and more AI content.”

Gaume and a representative for Pink Floyd did not immediately respond to EW’s request for comment.

The Dark Side of the Moon competition selected one winner for each of the album’s 10 songs. “We’ve been overwhelmed by the response with over 900 entries,” Mason said in a video . “Each one was carefully vetted, and a selection made for the nine judges to make their choices. The films came from all over the world and covered almost every genre of animation. The skill and time taken throughout was enormously impressive, and on behalf of the band, I want to say thank you to all those who participated.”

Viewers online expressed disappointment in Gaume’s entry winning due to his use of AI when numerous other entries were created by hand. However, Gaume was not among the top three winners that took home a cash prize.

Watch Gaume’s full video for “Any Colour You Like” above.

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