We know that the vast majority of our readership are fully aware of what Roger's Us + Them Tour consisted of, and how it was presented. He combined selections from the Floyd's back catalogue (such as Pigs, Money and Us and Them) with songs from his recent album, Is This The Life We Really Want? as a plea for humanity, a call to action to the audiences. The film's aim was to highlight this, whilst providing a stunning and unforgettable cinematic experience. Rolling Stone notes that the film "overwhelms both in subject matter and presentation — the theater shakes with the bass in the Dolby Atmos mix — and you can see how the show affected the audiences that came to see the tour. Us + Them, which contains footage from the tour’s stop in Amsterdam last year, will screen around the world this week." Here's a taster of the film...
In their extensive interview with Roger, he expresses his relief that the film turned out so well, and was struck by the emotions and reactions from those captured on camera in the audience. "I'm glad the film turned out to have a humane and political message. I'm proud of [the audience members]. I'm proud of anybody who allows themselves to be moved by the idea that human beings acting collectively to make each other's lives more full of love is something worth fighting for."
Talking more generally about his live production, and his thoughts on touring, he discusses the importance to him of making the event a compelling experience, a piece of theatre. He also reveals that "I've been talking today with Sean [Evans] about this tour that we're going to do next summer, and I was saying, I've been thinking about a title and which songs to do. There's a song in a demo for a piece that I'm recording, and it's, "Time keeps slipping away." I think it's because we're all dying under the attack from the homicidal sociopaths who have all the money and all the power and run the media and the propaganda system and lie to us constantly and try to keep us at each other's throats so they can maintain the system."
He then expanded on the plans for next summer. "I think the plan is to do 30 or 40 gigs in North America in election year, and also a few gigs probably only in Mexico City. If we're playing in the States, I really want to go to Mexico because audiences are stunning. I love the people. It'll be Canada, the U.S.A., and maybe three gigs in Mexico City. And that's all. I can't go off around the world, and I don't really want to either. And I'm not doing any outdoor shows; I'm just doing arenas, so there's only one thing to produce. But it'll be a new show. It will be no-holds-barred. It will be even more political than Us + Them was — political and humane. We were listening to songs and looking at set lists today. We were talking about, what should we call it? I shouldn't be giving this away, but I don't give a shit because it will probably all change, but imagine the iconic helicopter that normally comes before Happiest Days and Brick 2 — that noise that we all know and love — and imagine a megaphone, somebody abused this device before, I know — but, "This is not a drill." I thought that could be a good title for the show: This Is Not a Drill. The ruling class is killing us."
Obviously as and when the dates, venues and other details are revealed, we'll let you all know. In the meantime, visit RollingStone.com for the full, fascinating interview where Roger talks touring, climate change, David Gilmour and Nick Mason's Saucerful Of Secrets, as well as his new film, which hopefully will have a domestic release announced soon too.
To be published this month is Have a Cigar!, the memoir of music impresario Bryan Morrison, a fascinating insight into the highs and lows of his life in music and sport.
When Morrison died aged 66 in 2008, after two years in a coma following a polo accident at The Royal Berkshire Polo Club of which he was a founder, he left behind his unpublished memoir. As a music publisher, manager and agent, Morrison had represented the Pretty Things, Pink Floyd, Elton John, the Bee Gees, T. Rex, The Jam, Wham! and many others. He was also the founder and owner of the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club.
In the sixties, he formed the Bryan Morrison Agency, a management and booking agency, who looked after Floyd (amongst others) in their early days, taking over the management of the band from Blackhill Enterprises in 1968. The late Steve O'Rourke and Tony Howard were also part of the team.
In this candid and outspoken book, titled Have a Cigar!, which he was looking to publish before his untimely death, Morrison reveals the true stories behind why Syd Barrett once bit his finger to the bone, the Pretty Things were banned for life from New Zealand, and he became involved with the Kray Twins. He also tells how Elvis Presley had heard - and seen - the Floyd in action, and how Roger Waters sacked Morrison in the corridors of the Royal Albert Hall after a very successful show at the London venue. Spanning the golden age of British rock ’n’ roll from the 60s to the 80s, this is the extraordinary story of a cigar-chomping, East End entrepreneur, with a passion for art and design, fashion, music and polo.
The book proves a truly absorbing read, with Morrison exhibiting a flowing, conversational style that almost feels like he is regaling you with tales from his past over a glass of Scotch. For me, the stories of the rise of his music publishing business, via various money making schemes, fascinate, with great - and poor - decisions taking him in different directions. His later love of polo, and the detail within the book of this, is less interesting, although of course this book will inevitably have different audiences who will thrive on the candid nature of his narrative.
Irrespective of his early involvement with Pink Floyd, then separately Syd Barrett, the book is a must read, "warts and all" look at how someone like Morrison becomes such a key person in the music industry, via photography and fashion. Credit must also go to Bryan's son, Jamie, who arranged with Quiller Publishing to tidy up his father's manuscript that had been kept in a drawer, following the death of Greta, Bryan's wife.
Ordering links: To add this book to your Floydian bookshelves, please use these direct links to help support the running of Brain Damage: Amazon UK, Amazon.com, Amazon Canada, Amazon France, Amazon Germany, Amazon Spain and Amazon Italy. Amazon ships books worldwide so if you are not in one of the locations listing Have a Cigar for order, please try another 'branch' of Amazon.
As we head toward the final quarter of 2019, it's that time of year again...now available to buy is the Official Pink Floyd 2020 Calendar.
It's a perennial Floyd fan favourite - particularly as a gift at Christmas time - is this annual official wall calendar. An item which has been produced for many years now, the standardised format is roughly the same size as a vinyl album - roughly 12" (or 30cm) square, with the calendar opening up to have a double page spread per month.
The calendar this year is a celebration of the band in the late sixties through to 1977's Animals album release, via various images, record sleeves, and suchlike. The images to the left (click the thumbnails to see them in greater detail) shows all twelve monthly images, along with what the double-page layout looks like on a typical month.
The calendar each year is often squirrelled away as a collectable for the years to come, and earlier examples are now quite sought after.
Some great news for many of you: Nick Mason's Saucerful Of Secrets are clearly loving life on the road, and this morning have announced a tour of Ireland and the UK visiting thirteen locations, playing a show in each, and on the whole taking the production to venues which they've not been to before.
For those yet to check them out (and if so, where have you been?!), Nick Mason's Saucerful Of Secrets brings together some familiar names, all great musicians: joining Nick are Gary Kemp and Lee Harris on guitar, Guy Pratt on bass, and Dom Beken on keyboards. Before coming together to form Nick Mason's Saucerful Of Secrets, Kemp was best known for his work with Spandau Ballet, Harris as having played guitar with The Blockheads (Ian Dury's band), Pratt needs no introduction, and Beken was principally known for his work with The Orb, and Transit Kings (with Pratt). The band play early Pink Floyd songs, concentrated on the period of 1967-1972.
Tickets for the thirteen concerts, which are really not to be missed, go on sale at 10am UK time, on Thursday 19th September, via this direct link at www.ticketmaster.ie for Dublin, and this direct link at SeeTickets.com for the UK dates, as well as other normal agents. The dates and venues are as follows:
Each date above links off to its individual show page, which should build into a record of each concert, a home for your reviews, pictures, and more!
This is a very special opportunity to experience Pink Floyd's celebrated and significant early body of work played live including songs from albums 'The Piper At The Gates of Dawn' and 'A Saucerful Of Secrets', through to 'Obscured By Clouds'. The band have been very highly praised by fans and the media alike for the quality and uniqueness of each performance - the Saucers clearly have a wonderful time performing together, and that comes across clearly in the music.
Last night, the 2019 Progressive Music Awards took place at the Underglobe in London (literally, under the Globe Theatre!). These annual awards, instigated by Prog Magazine, honour newcomers and established acts alike, along with other key individuals.
There were two key, Floyd-related awards given out last night - the first of these was Industry VIP, that was presented to Tony Smith. With a roster of top acts (including Genesis, and the various individuals/offshoot projects) he has also been Nick Mason's manager for some time, and Nick's Saucerful Of Secrets are under his wing too.
Talking of Nick, it was last night that he received his trophy as Prog God. This had been previously announced that he was due to be given the award at this year's ceremony, so all due preparation had been made. At the time the news broke, almost a month ago, Nick said: "I'm all in favour of recognition for drummers – particularly when it’s me – so I'm really delighted to be recognised as Prog God. It's hard to believe that it was over 50 years ago that the music we know as prog rock was born, and it's still being celebrated, played and developed in the 21st century. Long may it continue!"
As part of the Prog God announcement last night, a video was shown collecting highlights of his career to date, and included some of the recently shot live footage of the Saucers at London's Roundhouse (which looked great!). Nick did joke about hoping that he'd be winning "Best Newcomer" as well as "Lifetime Achievement" on the same evening!
The picture here is Nick during his acceptance speech, with comedian and host for the evening Al Murray (left) and Rory Bremner, which was posted on the Prog social media channels. The live stream they had running will hopefully be available to view on demand in due course; pictorial coverage and the full list of winners from the Progressive Music Awards 2019 will be printed in their special souvenir issue, which goes on sale from October 25 and will also be available to purchase, worldwide, online.
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