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Home arrow Older News Archive arrow Q104.3FM's "Intimate Evening with Pink Floyd's Nick Mason" New York, Sept 28th
Q104.3FM's "Intimate Evening with Pink Floyd's Nick Mason" New York, Sept 28th Print E-mail
Written by Elliot Tayman   
Friday, 30 September 2011

Nick Mason, New York CityThis past Wednesday evening (September 28th) another noteworthy New York City Pink Floyd event took place during Nick Mason's week-long stay here. Nick is in NYC on a mini-promotional tour in support of the extensive catalogue reissue, remastered and rarities programme, titled Why Pink Floyd? And, as we've all been reading, he seems to be having a rather good time with it! Nick is in full campaign mode making himself readily available to the press, radio stations, and late-night TV talk shows for interviews and Q & A sessions.

Q104.3 FM (WAXQ), New York City's premiere classic rock radio station, hosted what was billed as "An Intimate Evening With Pink Floyd's Nick Mason, Featuring Highlights From The Brand-New The Dark Side Of The Moon Immersion Box Set", at the P.C. Richard & Son Theater located in Tribeca. Included in the evening's festivities was a Q&A session with Mason followed by the screening of the Immersion set's unearthed footage.

The P.C. Richard & Son Theater is the new live performance home for Clear Channel Radio NY stations Z100, Q104.3, 106.7 Lite FM, Power 105.1 and 103.5 KTU – in partnership with the leading electronics/appliance dealer in the tri-state area, P.C. Richard & Son. The 5,500 square foot street level performance space plays host to today's top recording artists as they perform at ultra-exclusive private events for station listeners and P.C. Richard & Son customers. The venue will also be the home base for Clear Channel to capture content, like the highly-acclaimed Stripped series, for national distribution. These events will be open only to those who win tickets through P.C. Richard & Son or Z100, Q104.3, 106.7 Lite FM, Power 105.1 and 103.5 KTU radio stations.

Nick Mason at Q104.3 event - arrival
Nick Mason at Q104.3 event
Nick Mason at Q104.3 event
Nick Mason at Q104.3 event
Elliot at PC Richard & son theater

I received an invitation in the form of a phone call from Clear Channel Radio NY. I was given explicit instructions that the doors opened at 5pm and the event would begin promptly at 6pm. I arrived 30 minutes early and noticed a few fans had already begun lining-up at the entrance way. The event's attendees consisted of both invited guests and radio station contest winners. At the end of the evening one of these lucky contest winners will win a copy of The Dark Side Of The Moon Immersion 6-disc box set!

There were approximately 60 people in the venue spead-out across ten rows in two sections. My aisle seat was in the first row directly in front of the stage. Prior to the arrival of Nick Mason, and the commencement of the programme, several Q104.3 employees asked a few of the guests to state their question for the Q & A round which would then be read aloud to Nick by the host Jim Kerr. Unfortunately we weren't going to have the opportunity of asking these questions ourselves. Jim Kerr is Q104.3's 'Morning Show' DJ. Back in 2005 Jim hosted Nick's NYC book signing event at a Manhattan Barnes & Noble book store.

Jim took the stage just a few minutes past 6pm and received a warm welcome. He then entered into a discussion on Pink Floyd history, facts and figures, and the newly reissued remastered catalogue containing many rarities which, before this week's release, were never made available on any previous official issue of a Pink Floyd record or CD. Once Jim completed his opening remarks as host of the evening's programme, he welcomed Nick Mason to the stage. Of course he (Nick) received a heartfelt round of applause. Nick saw me in the first row and gave me a hello nod. Jim and Nick then took their appropriate seats. There were two chairs on both sides of a small table. On that table stood The Dark Side Of The Moon Immersion box set facing outwards towards the audience.

Over the next 28 minutes Jim and Nick engaged in a discussion of various Pink Floyd topics including, of course, the newly released catalogue. They talked about The Hot Rods, and Nick's passion for exotic cars. Nick recalled an instance where Roger Waters was angry with him for not lending him his car. They discussed the group's previous names such as Sigma 6, The Meggadeaths, The Screaming (Architectural) Abdabs, The Tea Set, and The Pink Floyd Sound, eventually settling on The Pink Floyd.

Jim brought-up the infamous 1967 Pat Boone TV show appearance and the 1977 Animals album cover shoot at Battersea Power Station when the inflatable pink pig broke his tethered lines and got loose over southern England. From here they began a short discussion on the first phase of the Why Pink Floyd? catalogue reissue campaign. Even though the second phase (Wish You Were Here) isn't due for release until November, Nick spoke of the lost, and previously unreleased, Wish You Were Here track featuring Stephane Grappelli on violin - saying that it's a “lovely piece of music.” Nick moved-on to talk about all the various editions of the new reissues. He closed-out this portion of the evening’s agenda by talking about Roger Waters' 30th anniversary 'Wall' tour and his appearance with David Gilmour at one of the London concerts. It was during this moment that someone in the audience barked-out “Why aren't you performing on it?” Nick was very kind for responding to this unplanned guest's question. He explained to the audience that he wouldn't fit-in properly with Waters' current band.

We were now at the point where the Q & A session was to begin. Jim stood-up and began reading cue cards which contained the questions presented to him by some of the guests. Questions such as:

  • When is the 'Delicate Sound Of Thunder' video going to be released on DVD?
  • How important was Syd Barrett in the history of PF?
  • What is your favorite time period for PF?
  • Have you ever attended a concert by a PF tribute band?
  • What was the 1967 Pat Boone show performance like?
and several other questions which Nick gave his best possible answers to. The entire Q&A session lasted for some 15 minutes. Not nearly long enough. Unfortunately the question I had submitted was never reached. Nick stood-up, shook hands with Jim, and both received another round of applause. They departed the stage together. During the entire time Nick was on stage, he kept looking at me while I was taking notes. He knows I'm with the Brain Damage web site.

 

The next scheduled part of the programme was to commence in a few minutes. We were going to be enchanted by the playing of several of the unearthed videos from The Dark Side Of The Moon Immersion box set. In addition we would be shown the 2003 Capitol Records The Dark Side Of The Moon 30th anniversary SACD EPK (Electronic Press Kit). A large white screen was lowered, the house lights were dimmed, and the first video began. In the following order, this is what we watched:

  • Careful With That Axe Eugene Live In Brighton 1972
  • Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun Live In Brighton 1972
  • Time, The Great Gig In The Sky, Money, Us And Them, Brain Damage, and Eclipse all With original concert screen films and additional new films.

Another round of applause and the house lights were turned on to signify the close of the evening's programme. Now it was time to pick the winner for The Dark Side Of The Moon Immersion6-disc box set! Marc Rivieccio, Clear Channel’s Director Of Promotions, took to the stage with a raffle box. He drew a sheet of paper with a name on it and read it aloud. Gloria Libby of Northvale-NJ was the lucky winner of this plush box set. I personally congratulated her and informed her of the Brain Damage web site. Hopefully she's reading this report right now. All the other contest winners received a copy of The Dark Side Of The Moon single CD Discovery Edition upon exiting the venue.

I wish to express my sincerest thanks to Marc Rivieccio and his assistant Marissa Mollica of Clear Channel Radio NY for inviting me to this select occasion.

 
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