Love, Poetry and Revolution - Tuesday 2nd July 2024

Clichés.

Slipping into cliché mode is effortless, almost unconscious. My first instinct was to begin by writing 'I can't believe it's already July'. I pulled back from that by reminding myself that life is lived in seconds, minutes, hours and days.  The calendar is a human construct, though a very convenient one, especially if you want to ensure you and others arrive in the same place and at the same time.  Seasons, night and day are the true basis of everything we experience. That's how we live.

What's my point? Do I have one? It simply boils down to another cliché: be present in the moment.  Life is now, not tomorrow next week or next year.  This is it.  This needs further exploration, and I need to think more deeply before I write more on the subject.

Back down to earth (!)

On Saturday I attended my first gig at the Royal Albert Hall. Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets.  Nick Mason, as I'm sure you know, was the drummer in all incarnations of the band Pink Floyd. 

I think it would be fair to say that the original idea of the band was to play music from the Syd Barrett era of Pink Floyd - hence the band name - but this was extended to music from albums up to and including 'Meddle', a very pivotal album in their evolution.

Originally I was very sceptical about the premiss for the band, my scepticism increased by the involvement of Gary Kemp of Spandau Ballet fame. Of course, my prejudices were unjustified, as early reviews and then the 'Live At The Roundhouse' film and album proved.

Their performances were always characterised by fun: the band loved playing these songs, and it was obvious. Though they stuck close to the original recordings, they added words and played around with solos etc. 

This led to me finding myself at the Albert Hall watching a great live performance from the band.  All the band members enjoyed performing these songs, and Gary Kemp was a vital part of this. As Nick said of Gary at one point, 'he's gone from New Romantic to Prog Rock God'.

The setlist:

Set 1:

Astronomy Domine

Arnold Layne (Lights issue during the 1st half of the song, band played in almost complete obscurity)

See Emily Play

Remember Me (With Original Syd Barrett vocal on playback)

Obscured by Clouds

When You're In

Remember a Day

If

Atom Heart Mother

If  (second half)

The Nile Song

Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun

Set 2:

The Scarecrow

Fearless

Childhood's End

Lucifer Sam

Echoes

Encore:

One of These Days

A Saucerful of Secrets

Highlights for me were the full 20-minute version of 'Echoes', 'Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun',  'Astronomy Domine', 'One Of These Days' and 'Lucifer Sam'.

Nick paid a tribute to Syd Barrett, as an intro to 'new' track 'Remember Me', saying that 'without Syd, none of us would be here tonight', and the song was accompanied by photos of Syd.  Brilliant.

Life is entering a busy phase now as I seem to be cramming a year's worth of activity into a month, subject to the usual risks.  All quiet on the Western front. 

I had planned to share my video of the first two minutes of 'One of These Days' from the gig, but it's too big to upload. Instead, and breaking with tradition, the video below is from Nick Mason's Saucerful Of Secrets at the Roundhouse.  The light show was way better at the Albert Hall, but this video gives a good idea of what it was like musically.

Nick Mason's Saucerful Of Secrets /  'One Of These Days'  / 'Live At The Roundhouse'

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