One ring to rule them all: Pink Floyd in Kew Gardens, south-west London, 1969
Photo by STORM THORGERSON, PINK FLOYD MUSIC LTD.
Publicising Oxfam’s Christmas appeal with a bread-and-water lunch at the Albert Memorial, December 8, 1966: (back row, l–r) Syd Barrett, Barry Fantoni, Gordon Waller, Roger Waters; (front) Nick Mason, Rick Wright, Paul Jones, Peter Asher and Cat Stevens
TOMKING/MIRRORPIX/GETTYIMAGES;JILLFURMANOVSKY
LONDON’S esteemed Royal Albert Hall holds special memories for Pink Floyd. Under the tutelage of Syd Barrett, the band made their debut on December 12, 1966, as part of an Oxfam benefit evening, sharing a bill with more four-square entertainment including Jackie Trent, Peter and Gordon, Paul Jones, The Alberts, and Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds. “We were quite far down the bill, because no-one had heard of us –we just symbolised this ‘psychedelic’ music that was emerging,” says Nick Mason. “I remember Alan Price taking the piss out of us. He started banging and rocking his Hammond B3 organ until it made feedback noises. He said to the audience, ‘There you go, that’s abit of psychedelic music for you.’ He got a big laugh. Ha ha! I’ve never really forgiven him for that. We were all mortified. Our parents were in the audience…”