Pink Floyd, l'histoire selon Nick Mason, the French language version of Nick's excellent "Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd", is being released on October 16th, 2013 in a special new edition.

With a redesigned (albeit much plainer) cover, the major aspect of this which intrigues us is that this new edition, from EPA, includes three 40cm x 60cm concert poster reproductions with the book. No details are currently forthcoming as to what these posters are, but this additional incentive will surely prove an incentive to those who are yet to buy Nick's book.

The book, originally published in October 2004, was a big hit with fans and critics alike for the candid - and in places, incredibly amusing - text looking at the rise of the band. It had a revision in October 2005, to include Live8, and in July 2011, a further revision was made bringing the book further up to date. Our review of that edition can be seen here.

Pre-orders for this new French edition can be made now through this direct link at Amazon France which gives a 5% saving over the normal selling price of this book. Our thanks to Frédéric "Ddondestan" Barrès for letting us know about this new version.

Further to recent news items about the fascinating and informative 1960s Cambridge Music Scene Booklet, created by those who were there, in its new, special printed limited edition, we've heard that there are still some copies available of this to buy.

Brain Damage visitors will recall that in 2010 and 2011, we arranged special walking tours of Cambridge, highlighting the places and events of Syd Barrett's early life, run by Warren Dosanjh (manager of early Barrett band Those Without). Warren, along with Stephen Pyle, Dave Parker and Tony Middleton edit the I-Spy Syd In Cambridge website, which includes an in-depth study of the 1960s music scene in Cambridge, featuring many photos and running to some 72 pages. Earlier versions of this booklet proved a key component to these walking tours, and for those doing their own wander around the city. Another tour has been arranged due to popular demand... but more on that in a minute.

The booklet has now been made available to buy as a hi-res printed version with a ring binding - particularly useful for those prowling around the different sites in Cambridge to find out more about the Floyd's roots. Nicely printed, on decent paper, it should hold up well to the rigours of rambling around the city. Recently updated, it includes added pages on the Dawnbreakers, the Hi-Fi's, the Prowlers, Clive Welham and Johnny Cullum, as well as photos and stories of other Cambridge musical artists including Those Without, Jokers Wild, and many more. You can download it from their site, and print it at home, but the new printed edition has far higher quality graphics and pictures.

The price is £15.00, which includes a donation to the Squeaky Gate charity (supported by Rosemary Breen, the sister of Syd Barrett), and postage & packing in the UK only. Cheques should be made out to 'RCR2' and sent to 14 Greville Road, Cambridge CB1 3QL, accompanied by the name and address of the recipient. Warren Dosanjh advises that it would be helpful for orders to be collected by hand from the above address, if possible. Due to the many inquiries that they have had from outside the UK, they have now created an online system that will allow you to purchase your copy not only by cheque but now also by card using PayPal. They hope that this will simplify matters particularly for overseas purchasers. All you have to do is go to i-spysydincambridge.com/booklet. This will bring you to a new page which now allows you to pay by cheque or card and have your order sent by post. The link to read/download the booklet free is still there but of course this remains in low resolution.

2013 Cambridge Guided City Centre Tour
Many of you will remember with fondness the previous guided walks of Syd Barrett's Cambridge run by I-SpySydInCambridge in conjunction with Brain Damage. Great news - Warren has decided to run an additional tour this year, which takes place on Saturday, September 28th. The walks, tours of the city that have taken in many of the more significant sites which were connected to the life and times of Syd, and the various bands which lead to Pink Floyd, provide fascinating and illuminating looks at those early days.

The hosts of the tour - personal friends of Syd, who grew up with him - share their own memories of school days and beyond with Syd, Roger Waters, David Gilmour, and other Pink Floyd illumni who lived and worked in Cambridge. Should be a great day and not to be missed! Please This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , the chief guide, to book your place(s) on the tour. After Warren confirms your place, he will then trust you to turn up on the day and pay then. Warren said "Let's bring a little trust into this cynical world!"

The tour, which costs £12.50 per person, will meet at the front of the Guildhall, Market Square, right in the middle of Cambridge, and starts at 10.30am, so if you will be travelling to Cambridge, make sure you give yourself enough time so that you don't miss the start. The railway station is about a 10-15 minute walk from the city centre, and there are plenty of car parks if you are driving in. Alternatively, if you are driving to Cambridge, you can take advantage of one of the five Park and Ride sites situated around the edge of the city - park for free and hop on a bus into town.

The tours are meant to last about two hours but in reality it's always nearer three hours (or more), as the memories and stories start flowing from those who really knew Syd and the others. Don't miss this great opportunity to discover Syd's city guided by those who knew him well. For more information on the tours, the guides, and what to expect, visit their recently updated website at www.I-SpySydInCambridge.com.

Just opened yesterday is The Birth of Rhythm and Blues, an exhibition at the Stables Gallery in Twickenham, south-west of London, England, celebrating the fantastic musical heritage of Eel Pie Island. It features rock giants like The Rolling Stones, The Kinks and Pink Floyd via photographs, artwork, music and other memorabilia from the Island's heyday.

Curated by Michelle Whitby, a long-term resident of the island and author of the book 'Eel Pie Island', along with Twickenham's contemporary Eel Pie Club and local arts and education charity Aurora Metro, it runs until September 29th, 2013. It brings together physical remnants of the times along with accounts of the musicians and club-goers, from the vitality of the late 50s Jazz era, to the explosive energy of the R & B and Rock 'n' Roll packed 60s. The exhibition traces the story of how 'Eelpiland' came into being, the history of the hotel and the dance hall, and the political and social significance of Arthur Chisnall's music club for young people.

Many of the exhibits have never been shown in public to date, with many former musicians and club-goers coming forward with memorabilia from 'Eelpiland Passports' and gig listing cards to articles and photographs. As yet, we don't know the extent of the Pink Floyd materials on show but hope to discover this soon. It is free entry, and open from Tuesday to Saturday between 1pm to 5.30pm, and on Sundays and Bank Holidays between 2pm to 5.30pm. More information and directions to the venue here. Our thanks to Jason Pyke for the info.

On the official Roger Waters Facebook page, an open letter has just been posted by Roger, responding to criticisms over - in particular - the use of the Star of David on the pig at the recent Wall concert in Werchter, Belgium. We've had a lot of emails and comments about this, so for Roger's viewpoint, here's his letter in full:

There has been some comment on the Internet about the Wall Show in Belgium to which I feel I should respond.

One Alon Onfus Asif, an Israeli living in Belgium, came to The Wall show in Belgium last week and being an observant sort of chap Alon noticed a Star of David on the Pig that is destroyed by the audience at the end of the show. Then Alon dutifully videoed our Pig on his phone, posted this video, and alerted Israeli Daily, Yediot Ahronot. This story was duly picked up by the ever watchful Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the entirely predictable resulting rant is attached here:

www.algemeiner.com/2013/07/24/massive-pig-balloon-at-roger-waters-concert-features-star-of-david-video.

Often I can ignore these attacks but Rabbi Cooper’s accusations, are so wild and bigoted they demand a response.