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| Founding Pink Floyd drummer, Nick Mason @ the Fox Theater (Photo: Kevin Keating) |
The heartbeat of Pink Floyd, co-founder and drummer Nick Mason, returned to the Bay Area last night with his 'Saucerful of Secrets' Echoes Tour at the Fox Theater. The show was originally planned for February 24th, but out of an abundance of caution over the covid variants spreading around the U.S. and Europe at the time, the tour was pushed back several months. Friday's show was a reprise of Nick's prior visit to the Bay Area back on March 15th, 2019 when he brought the first incarnation of the 'Saucerful of Secrets' tour to the US and hit the Masonic at that time.
Like last time, the 'Saucerful of Secrets' band is comprised of Spandau Ballet guitarist Gary Kemp, longtime Pink Floyd touring bassist Guy Pratt, guitarist Lee Harris, and keyboardist Dom Beken. As Nick made a note of just before the closing of the first set, it was Lee Harris who came up with the idea of the band and presented it to Guy several years ago -- the concept being that only early, pre-Dark Side of the Moon material would be performed as an homage to the early work of Pink Floyd, including material from original founder and songwriter, Syd Barrett. Nick obviously loved the idea and hence 'Saucerful' was born. Their show at London's Roundhouse from the 2019 tour was captured for the blu-ray release Live at the Roundhouse that you can find here -- and I'm hoping they'll do another release from this tour at some point in the future.
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| Lee Harris, Nick Mason, Guy Pratt, Gary Kemp, and Dom Beken @ the Fox Theater (Photo: Kevin Keating) |
Fast forward to last night, without a show opener, fans were encouraged to get to the Fox early and as the clock got closer to 8pm, the seats within the venue began to fill up. This was a sold-out seated show for the Fox and you could feel the anticipation growing as the music played through the theater. The lights went down right around 8:10pm and the lone opening bass notes of "One of These Days" rang out. The opening track of 1971's Meddle was going to be the opening to the incredible evening ahead! Guy was first to walk onstage and as he slapped those iconic bass notes, the rest of the band joined him and took their places on stage. Lee on the far left next to Guy, then Gary at center right with Dom just slightly behind him at the far right of the stage. And of course, Nick perched on his drum riser at center-stage. The echoing bass bounced along until nearly 4 minutes into the song when the guitars and drums exploded into high gear. It was an amazing way to open the show. On the 2019 tour, they used "Interstellar Overdrive" to open their sets, while using "One of These Days" to close their first set. I have to say, opening with "One of These Days" was incredible.
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| Nick Mason @ the Fox Theater (Photo: Kevin Keating) |
After the first song, Nick took the mic to address the crowd by saying: "Good evening and welcome! It took us a long time to get here! And I've been coming here for a VERY long time. And I was thinking about it the other day, this is where Pink Floyd did their very first American tour and very first gig. And it was quite an adventure. In fact, as usual, we were late. So late in fact, due to trying to get our work visa's or whatever it was, Bill Graham had to find someone else to put on Winterland, and he found a guy named Richie Havens. So we did some good from the off really, and then we were basically on the bill supporting Big Brother and the Holding Company. So as you can see, I am the sort of closest thing to the Tower of London, a really old building that people can come and visit. Did any of you get to Winterland? <crowd cheered> Ah, most of you, so you're all over about 100. I find it hard to believe, but whatever. That's great. One little thing that I would ask is, if you if you want to video, if you want to video us. Which who would want to video us? Everyone does. Um, that's fine. But could you work out how to solve, or ask the guy next to you, how to switch off the little white light, like the one that's just gone out? Because some of the elderly members of the orchestra on stage have particularly wound up by them. It's a real distraction for all of us. Okay, we'll carry on. Thanks."
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| Guy Pratt & Nick Mason @ the Fox Theater (Photo: Kevin Keating) |
With that, the band led into Pink Floyd's very first single, "Arnold Layne" followed by 1971's "Fearless" which both featured Gary on lead vocals. The instrumental title track from 1972's Obscured by Clouds followed and featured Gary's soaring guitar playing to create the atmospheric riffs that were accentuated by Dom's quick keyboards and organs that sounded identical to the late Rick Wright's playing. A new track added to this updated tour included "Candy and a Currant Bun" which found Gary on lead vocals, with Guy supporting on back-up, but Nick then offering the vocal banter and sound effects in the breakdown of the song.
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| Nick Mason, Guy Pratt, and Gary Kemp @ the Fox Theater (Photo: Kevin Keating) |
After "Vegetable Man", Nick took the mic again to address the audience by saying: "Thank you very much. As some of you will know a number of those songs were written by the man who really got Pink Floyd off the ground, and to whom we owe a debt of gratitude, and that of course is Syd Barrett. And for any of those unfamiliar with some of the earlier stuff, "Arnold Layne" was a song that was thought to be going to take Pink Floyd to very top of the charts, which it might have done if the BBC had been banned it. Because they thought the lyrics were really unsuitable for young people. And we did some research and we worked out that most of you are old enough now to listen to it without damaging ones self. If there is a problem, please don't bother me with it. Ask someone else on the way out. And then there's "Candy and a Currant Bun" which also suffered a bit from titling, since its real title was "Lets Roll Another One." We used that to enter two Beat competitions, that seemed like another way of breaking into the pop music world. But we lost both of them quite badly. So I think Roger's still looking for the judges. But it was some 50 years ago, it seems like we're getting over it. And then a particular favorite "Vegetable Man" which is a wonderful portrait of Syd from that period. Now Syd never really finished writing the song, So inevitably, we never finished recording it, and EMI never actually officially released it. And Pink Floyd never played it live, nor did Roger Waters, or David Gilmour, or the Australian Pink Floyd, or the Brit Floyd, of the Finlandish Pink Floyd, or the Estonian Pink Floyd, or the New Zealand Pink Floyd, or indeed any of the other Pink Floyds that exist. So, we'd rather like to think that we are the purveyors. The only ones to play it. So on that triumphant note, we'll carry on."
The next group of songs included a medley of 1970's "If" and "Atom Heart Mother", and 1968's "Remember a Day" from the album Saucerful of Secrets.
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| Guy Pratt, Nick Mason, and Gary Kemp @ the Fox Theater (Photo: Kevin Keating) |
Next up, Nick took another break from the music to speak again with the crowd. Nick went on to say: "Thank you very much, we've now come to a moment which you'd think would be very straight forward where I introduce the band. The problem is, the man introducing the band is a man who was persuaded to do the online Pink Floyd quiz by one of his kids. The score was I'm afraid to say was 56% percent. It was a pass, I guess, but only just. So obviously with new faces, having known some of them for 35 years, you'd think it should be possible, so we're gonna have a go anyway. I'm going to start with the man who came up with the idea for this band, he plays guitar and vocals, and that is Mr. Lee Harris. And then, from Great Missenden, in fact Great Missenden's favorite son as he's known, which is a small village outside London that just happens to be absolutely stuffed with keyboard players, and we're fortunate having the, well, 'Liberace' of Great Missenden with us tonight, in the shape of Mr. Dom Beken. Keyboards, vocals, and brings the coffee machine and carry's the title of 'sound creator' for us. Then a man that I've worked with for over 35 years, a man who's worked on at least six Pink Floyd albums and any number of renditions of "One of These Days," yes explain it..." Guy then said, "There are six live versions of "One of these Days" out, four of them are me and Nick together, the fifth and sixth are me and Nick separately, but both recorded at Pompeii!" Nick then says, "So that is Mr. Guy Pratt on bass and vocals. And then we have our own version of a 'Star is Born', a man who went from being a new romantic to prog rock god and a star overnight. He's not actually one of the Cray brothers, it is actually Mr. Gary Kemp." Gary then says, "Thank you, Thank you. Yes, I am very honored to be on this stage, very lucky. 50 years ago you and I bought records we thought were the greatest things we'd ever heard. 50 years later, we now know they were the greatest records every made. And someone who helped change our lives for the better is on stage. He's on drugs, no he's not on drugs, he's on drums! Give it up for Mr. Nick Mason!" Nick replied, "thank you very much, you're very kind. OK, right. Before I get hopelessly overcome with emotion, we'd like to do one more number and then we'll take a short break. But this one number is something I'm particularly fond of, because for many years, I had to watch Roger knocking the hell out of the gong, and I was never allowed to play it. I didn't even audition for it, it was just hopeless. But tonight I have my own gong, which I shall now play for you! Thank you!"
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| Nick Mason & Guy Pratt @ the Fox Theater (Photo: Kevin Keating) |
With that, Nick replaced the mic for a mallet and began to lightly rap on the gong positioned behind his drum kit, the reverberation growing until the spacey keyboards took over and then that mesmerizing bass line and the lyrics "little by little, the night turns around" -- the opening of "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" from 1968's Saucerful. It was a masterful way to close out the first set.
After a short 20-minute break, the band returned and opened their second set with "Astronomy Domine," the opening song of the Floyd's very first album, 1967's The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. This was also how Pink Floyd opened each night on The Division Bell tour back in 1994, and my first experience seeing the Floyd, so each time I hear this track, I'm reminded of that experience from my youth.
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| Guy Pratt @ the Fox Theater (Photo: Kevin Keating) |
"The Nile Song" from 1969's soundtrack to the movie More followed, and Guy spoke afterward about getting together with Nick and David Gilmour a few months ago to record the Ukrainian tribute "Hey, Hey, Rise Up" before launching into "Burning Bridges", another track from 72's Obscured by Clouds.
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| Nick Mason @ the Fox Theater (Photo: Kevin Keating) |
Guy again took to the mic after "Burning" by saying: "Hello good evening! Oakland, it's great to be back in the Bay Area. I just remembered the first time I ever played on this stage, The Fox Theater, was back in 2006 with David Gimour, and Rick Wright, which means we've now had all of Pink Floyd on this stage. And talk of which we're going to take a minute now to remember the late great Richard Wright. And this is a song of his, all about looking back to when you were a child and how easy and simple and innocent everything was. It was always very poignant for me to sing because Richard was my son's grandfather."
Unfortunately, Guy was thinking of the Paramount Theater -- another art deco theater in Oakland and only a block away from the Fox. It's a show that I attended and reviewed here. In all honestly, I often get the Fox and Paramount confused too -- and I live here! -- so although it's a nice thought to say all of Pink Floyd (conveniently excluding Roger Waters) were on the same stage there in Oakland, I don't think it's actually true.
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| Lee Harris of Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets @ the Fox Theater (Photo: Kevin Keating) |
Gary took the mic after "Childhood's End" and said: "Hello! Bay Area, San Francisco, Oakland, all of you and more wonderful names! Ha! It's so fantastic to be here. Because the inspiration of so much music came from this place. So much music. I think it's fair to say there were two capitols of psychedelia, London and San Francisco, right? I mean, you pretty much invented it. And it's a good inspiration for Guy and I because we both have a podcast that we do every week. It's worth listening to, I promise. It's not a self-help podcast, I mean there's not much help for us, is there Guy?" 'Helpless.' replied Guy. "Both of us talk to a different person in rock music every week and it's been going on for two years now, and in the UK it's been #1 in the music section of Apple and Spotify. And if you haven't heard it, tune in, it's called the Rockonteurs. So we've lots of different people, we've had David Coverdale, he's really worth listening to. We've had Jon Bon Jovi, Noel Gallagher, Johnny Marr, Sheryl Crow, Thomas Dolby, and Nick Mason... twice! So it's great to come here. The bands from here are numerous. I mean, Jeff Saneri(?). How many? I'd love for Grace(?) to come on. And of course, when we see people arrive in different t-shirts that always gives us ideas, there's always an AC/DC guy -- we had Brian Johnson on -- And there's a Genesis t-shirt I saw earlier -- We had Mike Rutherford on... What I don't see are any fucking Spandau Ballet t-shirts... it hurts! There's a guy here with one on! I know you're all wearing them spiritually! Don't worry! Someone we would have loved to have on our podcast was Syd Barrett, but what we can do is play one of his songs now."
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| Dom Beken of Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets @ the Fox Theater (Photo: Kevin Keating) |
That led the way for "Lucifer Sam" again from the bands' debut album, 1967's The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Then, I'd argue the highlight of the night -- at least for me -- was the 20-minute "Echoes" from 1971's Meddle -- another new addition to this tour and it was simply amazing! I'm literally getting chills thinking about the performance last night. And as I mentioned earlier how this was a seated show at the Fox, the (largely) older crowd finally got up out of their seats for this one. That closed out the second set and gave way to the band's 3-song encore that featured "See Emily Play", "A Saucerful of Secrets", and the closing number, "Bike."
I can confidently say that this second outing of Nick's Saucerful of Secrets band was better than the first. Maybe it's the time they've spent playing these songs together over the past 3-4 years? Or maybe it was the change in venue from the Masonic to the Fox? Either way, I completely recognize that the days of catching any member of the Floyd perform live are quickly escaping. Nick's 78 now, Gilmour's only 76, but he hasn't toured in years. And Roger Waters just turned 79 in September. He's already announced his 'final' tour throughout Europe next year, so if you're a Floyd fan, you absolutely must catch Nick's tour if/when he comes to your town. Check out the remaining tour dates here and keep your fingers crossed for another blu-ray release if they're not coming to a town near you!
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