The Great Pink Floyd Mystery

[The Piper]

Melody Maker
August 5, 1967
p. 7
by Chris Welsh

THE GREAT PINK FLOYD MYSTERY

As thousands in ballrooms and assorted hell-holes across the
country are deafened and blinded nightly by the Pink Floyd, the
well-known psychedelic group, thousands might be forgiven for
thinking: "What the 'ell's it all about ?"
Are the Pink Floyd being quite honest when they make coy and
attractive records like "See Emily Play" then proceed to make the
night hideous with a thunderous, incomprehensible, screaming,
sonic torture that five American doctors agree could permanently
damage the senses ?

FRUSTRATED

The Floyd do not wish to appear dishonest, but they are
worried. They appreciate the contrast between their records and
live performances, agree the latter might not be all that they
should be, and are taking steps to rectify the situation.
Roger Waters, bass player, with rather aesthetic good looks,
and a taste for frequent pints of bitter, grappled frankly with
Floyd problems this week.
"We're being frustrated at the moment by the fact that to
stay alive we have to play lots and lots of places and venues
that are not really suitable. This can't last obviously and
we're hoping to create our own venues."
Roger accepted a government-approved cigarette and warmed to
his theme: "We all like our music. That's the only driving force
behind us. All the trappings of becoming vaguely successful -
like being able to buy bigger amplifiers - none of that stuff is
really important.

STAR

"We've got a name of sorts now among the public so everybody
comes to have a look at us, and we get full houses. But the
atmosphere in these places is very stale. There is no feeling of
occasion.
"There is no nastiness about it, but we don't get rebooked
on the club or ballroom circuit. What I'm trying to say is that
the sort of thing we are trying to do doesn't fit into the sort
of environment we are playing in. The supporting bands play
'Midnight Hour' and the records are all soul, then we come on.
"I've got nothing against the people who come, and I'm not
putting down our audiences. But they have to compare everybody.
So-and-so's group is better than everybody else. It's like
marking exercise books. Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich get
a gold star in the margin, or 'Tick - Very Good.'
"On the club scene we rate about two out of ten and 'Must
try harder.'
"We've had problems with our equipment and we can't get the
P.A. to work because we play extremely loudly. It's a pity
because Syd (singer Syd Barrett) writes great lyrics and nobody
ever hears them.

STAGE

"Maybe it's our fault because we are trying too hard. After
all the human voice can't compete with Fender Telecasters and
double drum kits. We're a very young group, not in age, but in
experience. We're trying to solve problems that haven't existed
before. Perhaps we should stop trying to do our singles on
stage. Even the Beatles, when they worked live, sounded like
their records. But the sort of records we make today are
impossible to reproduce on stage so there is no point in trying."
Isn't this being dishonest ?
"This is the point: We don't think so. We still do 'Arnold
Layne' and struggle through 'Emily' occasionally. We don't think
it's dishonest because we can't play live what we play on
records. It's a perfectly ok scene. Can you imagine somebody
trying to play 'A Day In The Life'? Yet that's one of the
greatest tracks ever made. A lot of stuff on our LP is
completely impossible to do live. We've got the recording side
together and not the playing side."
"So what we've got to do now is get together a stage act
that has nothing to do with our records, things like
'Interstellar Overdrive' which is beautiful, and instrumentals
that are much easier to play."
Are the group depressed when they fail to communicate with
an audience ? "It's sometimes depressing and becomes a drag.
There are various things you can do. You can close your mind to
the fact you're not happening with the audience and play for
yourself. When the music clicks, even if it's only with ten or
twelve people, it's such a gas.
"We're trying to play music of which it can be said that it
has freedom of feeling. That sounds very corny, but it is very
free."
What is the future of the Floyd ? "We can't go on doing
clubs and ballrooms. We want a brand new environment, and we've
hit on the idea of using a big top. We'll have a huge tent and
go around like a travelling circus. We'll have a huge screen 120
feet wide and 40 feet high inside and project films and slides.

CIRCUS

"We'll play the big cities, or anywhere and become an
occasion, just like a circus. It'll be a beautiful scene. It
could even be the salvation of the circus!
"The thing is, I don't think we can go on doing what we are
doing now. If we do, we'll all be on the dole."