Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets, Symphony Hall, Birmingham - review
The one constant in the history of rock legends Pink Floyd has been the band's Birmingham-born drummer Nick Mason and on Tuesday night the 74-year-old turned back the clock to the early days of the group that went on to conquer the world with The Dark Side of the Moon.
The musicians and most of the audience at this sold-out Symphony Hall show are now of a vintage when they are more likely to dose on Sanatogen than LSD. However, the psychedelic squalls of opening numbers Interstellar Overdrive and Astronomy Domine were startlingly impressive with Mason's handpicked team of fine musicians improvising on these space rock workouts.
Mason introduced proceedings from behind his kit, joking about being effectively in his own tribute band and also taking a jolly dig at his former band mates by denying that they were The Roger Waters Experience or the Danish David Gilmour.
Named Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets, after Pink Floyd’s second album, the lineup includes Lee Harris of the Blockheads, bassist Guy Pratt (who took over from Roger Waters in Floyd), and Dom Beken, a collaborator with late Floyd keyboardist Rick Wright.Somewhat controversially, Spandau Ballet’s Gary Kemp stood in for the late Syd Barrett.Kemp turned out to be a sound choice, sharing vocals with Pratt and also showing that he is an accomplished guitarist.
Mason had not played some of this music for more than 50 years until this tour - he even admitted he had recently only scored 50 per cent on an online Pink Floyd quiz - but you couldn't tell. It was surprising how well this music, sometimes whimsical, at best mesmirising, stands the test of time.
Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun produced the first of several standing ovations, repeated for a perfect See Emily Play and magnificent set-closer One of These Days.
The band's rough edges added to a dynamism of a fuller sound that improved on the sometimes tinny production of the 60s recordings.
There were also rarities for the hardcore fans, such as the country-flavoured Green Is The Colour and the eccentric Vegetable Man.
The gig came to a suitably epic conclusion after 90 minutes with the encore of A Sauceful of Secrets followed by early Floyd at their most Beatles-like with the jaunty Point Me at the Sky and it's suitable refrain 'goodbye goodbye'.
This 'Nick Floyd' gig was certainly a revelation for anyone who thought of his band's first five albums as just stepping stones to the multi-million selling Dark Side, as these tunes from the first Summer of Love and its aftermath remain thrilling.
