Our thanks to Theatrice Westbrook for very kindly sharing recollections of a couple of special days in Los Angeles, California, in April 1988, when Pink Floyd played at the Memorial Coliseum as part of the A Momentary Lapse Of Reason tour:

Rehearsal for the North American leg of stadium tour, April 14:
I was living near the Coliseum, 2 blocks away. For some years I had begun to take advantage of the proximity of concert venues. I often would just seek out a scalper and find a ticket. As these were also large sports venues there was a broker across the street on Martin Luther King, Jr Blvd and I could check there for tickets also, as I did for the 1987 show I attended.

After several shows in Australia and Japan, the next leg of the “A Momentary Lapse of Reason” tour was set to open in Los Angeles on April 15, 1988. Since I had seen the concert in 1987 I figured there was no need to see them again. They were not expected to return, no one expected the initial tour to be so successful. It was somewhat of a bucket list thing to get a taste of the old stage show, with “Mr Screen”, the films, the lighting and sound effects. So I decided not to bother with the chaos of seeking out a ticket for an even larger crowd. I was even enticed by a direct ticket offer. A week or so earlier, the husband and wife owners of Record Retreat at University Village, the former record store where I had bought LPs since college, had 2 good floor seats to sell me for $44 each. Though a tiny voice told me I should have, I declined their offer.

For a couple of days we had heavy rains, which stopped in early afternoon. I was walking home and heard music from the Coliseum, which was open. Gates were open, so I snuck in through the tunnel. I thought I heard the crew testing the equipment and instruments. As I inched inside - waiting each moment to be told, or yelled at, to exit - it became evident that it was the actual band playing.

With just over a week to go until the cinema screenings start at selected cinemas, last night in London saw a special preview showing of Roger Waters This Is Not A Drill Live In Prague at Dolby's Screening Room in Soho, which Brain Damage was lucky enough to attend.

The concert originally had a live cinema broadcast around the world on May 25th, 2023, and included some footage from the preceding night (May 24th). As those behind it are keen to point out, this upcoming version is nothing like the original stream, and is a completely new entity, featuring a brand new edit from all the footage, captured by multiple 8K cameras.

From beginning to end, it looked really stunning. This is coupled with an absolutely excellent audio mix, which gave Dolby's speakers a great workout. It had an entirely suitable surround mix, giving nice involvement and positioning, and kept extreme surround effects to the appropriate places (Dark Side voices, and suchlike) without overusing them.

Interestingly, a lot of attention is given to Roger and the band, making it more focused on their performance rather than majoring on the screen imagery and messaging. For those who saw the tour, much of the attention in the venues inevitably was on the screen, so this new film gives the opportunity to get up close to the musicians throughout the show. This approach also seems to soften some of the political nature of the show, which might make it more palatable to those who aren't so keen on this aspect of Roger's presentations.

For those seeing it in the cinema (or subsequently at home), don't leave as the end titles are due to start, as they have included some amusing behind-the-scenes footage from the development and rehearsal of the tour, which is worth watching.

With such high quality capturing of the performance, it was an easy guess that it would receive a home release at some point, and that is coming on August 1st, 2025, when it will be available to buy on Blu-ray and DVD, in a special 4LP vinyl package, and on a double CD. It will also be available via the normal digital services too.

As a reminder, you have a chance to enjoy the incredible new version of the Prague performance in cinemas later this month, thanks to Trafalgar Releasing - and it really is worth capturing on the big screen with a great sound system! For information on dates, venues and tickets - which are now on sale - visit RogerWaters.film or participating cinemas.

ORDERING INFORMATION:
For ease, we've listed the various editions below. With Amazon's pre-order price guarantee, you should be automatically charged the lowest amount between the time you ordered the album, and release. All purchases made after using one of our links make a small but vital contribution toward the site running costs, at no extra cost to yourself, and we really appreciate it! This is because we participate in the Amazon Affiliate program. Some items are currently still being added so please keep trying your preferred store.

Finally, here's the trailer for Live From Prague:

The current issue of the German magazine MINT – Magazin für Vinyl-Kultur (issue 06/25) features a seven-page article dedicated to Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here. The piece is part of their long-running "Master Class" series and is titled "50 Jahre Wish You Were Here – die Master Class zum Meisterwerk von Pink Floyd" (roughly: "50 Years of Wish You Were Here – The Master Class on Pink Floyd's Masterpiece").

Author Frank Wonneberg dives deep into the various vinyl pressings of the album, comparing editions and sharing detailed insights — it’s the 45th installment of the Master Class series and a real treat for collectors and fans alike. Here's a peak at a few of the pages to give a feel for what the article offers.

Our thanks to Michael Nickel for the information about this. The magazine can be purchased from German stores, or worldwide from MintMag.de.

Our congratulations to David Gilmour, who received the flagship O2 Silver Clef Award, celebrating outstanding contributions to music, at this year's O2 Silver Clef Awards.

The ceremony took place in London on Wednesday evening , with the awards raising funds for music therapy charity Nordoff & Robbins. Here's a video that David's team put together giving a flavour of the event:

Now announced, Pink Floyd 1967, a new book from acclaimed publishers Bee Smart (who have brought us a wide range of superb Floyd books over the past few years) which is sure to be an essential addition to your bookshelves! Written by Ed Paule, an avid Pink Floyd fan, collector and researcher since 1981, it follows the unsanitised story of Pink Floyd’s activities during 1967, the pivotal year that saw them transition from amateur to professional musicians.

The story reveals itself through this collection of virtually every known piece of paper written, photo snapped or recording taped while the year unfolds. Accompanying the text are over 500 images, most of which are not-before-published or have not been republished since their original 1967 debut.

Part chronology and part researcher’s journal, this tome is equally a reference guide and a cover-to-cover read. Hear what contemporaries are saying about Pink Floyd as the year progresses, together with perspectives from the band members themselves as quoted in papers across the globe, foreign-language and English-language papers alike. Also inside are the author’s interviews with witnesses to key events and 11 original essays on topics from Syd’s revelations from the I Ching to discovering Vic Singh’s lost photographs. Ian Barrett of the Syd Barrett Estate opens the book with an extensive foreword.

The result is a whopping 3kg (7 lbs) and 496-page tome measuring 22x28cm (8.5x11inch) that is almost 6cm thick (over 2inch). As you would expect from Bee Smart, the book is printed on 170gms heavyweight silk paper, perfectly finished and clothbound in hardcover. The book will be printed in a one-off edition of 500 and will be published and shipped mid-September.

We've been fortunate enough to have seen a digital copy of the book and it's an incredible book that's going to take us some time to properly go through. You will NOT want to miss this! Orders can now be placed through Floydstuff.com. There was a deluxe version which sold out incredibly quickly, so apologies if you were looking to purchase that one. Please note, Floydstuff is the only outlet for this book.

The historic town of Spoleto, nestled in the heart of Umbria, Italy, promises to become a pilgrimage site for Pink Floyd enthusiasts next month. Marking the 60th anniversary of the band, a special fan-led exhibition, LUNΔTICA – Pink Floyd Collectors Expo will run from 11 to 27 July 2025 at Palazzo Mauri, a historic building that houses the city’s main library.

The exhibition aims to take visitors on a visual and musical journey through the decades. On display will be rare posters, original vinyl records, concert flyers, signed memorabilia, audio tapes, photos and documents. Many of these items will be shown to the public for the first time.

The exhibition is being made possible thanks to The Lunatics, the group of Italian collectors and Pink Floyd experts who have been building their archive for decades. Their collection spans the entire history of the band - from its early days with Syd Barrett in 1965 to the later albums of the 1990s.

Visitors will be able to see some exceptional pieces, including over 30 original vintage concert posters, such as those produced for the band’s debut at the Roundhouse and Syd Barrett’s penultimate show, a red Japanese pressing of The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, rare editions of The Wall from Israel, and obscure vinyl from countries such as Kenya, Indonesia, and Jamaica.

One of the highlights will be a special event on Saturday 12 July, when Pink Floyd historian Ian Priston will visit to discuss Pink Floyd – BBC Radio 1967–1971. Ian will deliver an illustrated talk based on the highly regarded book he co-authored and his subsequent research. Tickets for this talk can be booked online at ianpriston.eventbrite.it.

The exhibition will be spread across three floors. The ground floor will focus on the band’s early years and their rise to international fame, including albums like The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, and The Wall. The first floor will highlight later works like The Final Cut, A Momentary Lapse of Reason, and The Division Bell. The top floor will feature a striking photo display with special lighting to bring the images to life.

Entry will be free, but booking in advance is advised. Reservations can be made at lunatica.eventbrite.it.