Just published is an absorbing new book, The Night Of Wonders: Pink Floyd a Venezia, from the Italian organisation, Floydseum.org.

As with the exhibition which ran from July until October last year in the Italian municipality which was the site of the original concert, the book was clearly put together as a real labour of love.

With perhaps also some interest for Venetian historians, the main audience for The Night Of Wonders is the more committed Floyd fan. Presented unexpectedly in landscape format, entirely suitable for the photos chiefly in the same format, it will of course not sit on Floydian bookshelves so traditionally. It is also presented in Italian, but you really shouldn't let that put you off.

The very nature of this concert, held on July 15th 1989, as part of the Another Lapse tour - in front of an audience there of at least 300,000, along with an estimated global audience of 100 million via the live television broadcast - elevated it to an unique experience for fans, crew, management and band. The story of the show is well told elsewhere so I won't repeat it here. However, visually, coverage of the event as a whole - particularly from around the concert viewing area - has been pretty sketchy, until now.

The authors have gathered together a wonderful array of shots from professional and amateur sources, covering all aspects of the event - pre, during and post concert, with a particular focus from the fan's point of view. These pictures are coupled with recollection of those there, including the concert promoter, Fran Tomasi, along with various of the band members. Finally, there's a small section looking at the aforementioned exhibition held in 2014, which was also focused on the event.

The book is now available in all good Italian bookshops. It can also be ordered across the world via this direct link at Amazon.it (their Italian site, who ship books internationally), or if you have difficulties, you can also write to the publishers direct at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Update: you can now also purchase the book from the Floydseum online store.

Next week, on January 26th, 2015, a special 10th anniversary edition of Back Against The Wall is released. In 2005, Purple Pyramid Records released the ambitious and very well received gathering of progressive rock superstars including members of King Crimson, ELP, The Doors , Jethro Tull, Yes, Toto, Styx and others who came together to recreate Pink Floyd's epic, The Wall. The musicians included such talents as Tony Levin, Steve Howe, John Wetton, Chris Squire, Rick Wakeman, Vinnie Coliauta and Robby Krieger.

Produced by the multi-talented Billy Sherwood and titled Back Against The Wall, the project garnered tremendous praise and earned its place among discerning fans of both Pink Floyd and the prog rock genre as a whole. Now, 10 years later, Purple Pyramid has put together an expanded 10th anniversary re-issue of the CD set featuring all new artwork and 5 bonus remixes. Plus, for the first time, this recording will be available on vinyl in a deluxe gatefold jacket 2LP set.

We took a good look (listen) to the album on its original release, ten years ago. Certainly, the musicians talent and experience comes through clearly, none of them holding back, in a dynamic and powerful rendition of Waters' 1979 opus. Having heard a number of cover versions of Floyd's material, we weren't expecting this to be as interesting as it has turned out to be.

From Ian Anderson's delicate flute work, underpinning The Thin Ice, through Robby Krieger's eastern tinged guitar work in Empty Spaces, and the powerful readings of tracks such as Another Brick 2, Young Lust, Hey You and the trio of In The Flesh/Run Like Hell/Waiting For The Worms, there are delights to be found around every corner.

You can order the album through the following direct links:

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With much thanks to BD reader Jeff Mahaffey, our Facebook page has a nice large set of pictures of the (now removed) Nick Mason designed statue of Paddington Bear, which was on display at London's O2 Arena until the end of December 2014.

The bears went on display in November, and regulars to Brain Damage will know we've covered it in some detail previously. Nick had designed one of 50 Paddington Bear statues, giving the children's book (and now film) character a smart suit and briefcase - as seen on Pink Floyd's 1975 album Wish You Were Here.

Nick's bear statue was situated at the O2 Arena, in Greenwich, London, and as with the other 49 statues was commissioned to help raise funds for the UK charity, the NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children). Despite the fact that it is now gone, if you visit the Brain Damage Facebook page, you can take a closer look at the design, and some of the interesting, custom stickers which were used on the briefcase. The pictures here are joined by a number more, showing the design from all angles...

Pink Floyd academic, composer, and pianist Gilad Cohen's studies of the band, along with performances of Cohen's compositions, will be featured in events held in Illinois, at the University of Chicago, and Northwestern University, in early February.

Cohen [right] will be giving two lectures, titled "Large-Scale Structure in the music of Pink Floyd: 'Dogs' and 'Shine On'" and "Large-Scale Structure in the music of Pink Floyd: 'Dogs'". They will each offer insight on a variety of subjects related to these songs as well as two unique opportunities for discussion.

Northwestern University's lecture will consist of an expansive analysis of 'Dogs' and 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' followed by a discussion with Cohen. The lecture at University of Chicago will concentrate on 'Dogs' but will consist of a fuller discussion, including speakers from that institution's music department. "That being said, both events will probably be modified according to the amount and interest of the audience attending, so the format and content are pretty open along those lines," stated Cohen. "All lectures are about my Ph.D. dissertation, which analyzes three large-scale pieces by Pink Floyd: 'Echoes,' 'Shine On,' and 'Dogs.'"