Five years ago today, the almost intimate concert for a little over a hundred people by Nick Mason at The Half Moon pub in London.
About four months before embarking on his first tour with the Nick Mason's Saucerful Of Secrets tour, the Pink Floyd drummer performed in two London pubs, Dingwalls and The Half Moon, on the one hand to remember his beginnings performing in small venues and on the other another to support a law to protect live premises in London, from which he participated in a demonstration outside the British Parliament.
Sitting in a normal pub quietly sipping a pint and listening to Nick Mason rehearsing next door a few yards away, with Pink Floyd and David Gilmour tour security Barrie Knight standing next to you, is a feeling of strangeness and comfort at the same time, used to seeing these artists performing in large capacity.
And after a couple of pints we entered the small area next to the pub where we stood up at the closest thing to the tiny stage, practically in the front row, from where we could perfectly observe all the band's equipment, pedals, microphones, etc.
After more than half an hour, Nick Mason appeared with his group, made up of Gary Kemp (Spandau Ballet) and Guy Pratt, among others, who need no introduction.
And starting to hear the first chords of Interstellar Overdrive, a song that I never thought any member of Pink Floyd would perform live, in such a small capacity, with a group that you could almost touch with your fingers, was transporting me to those concerts of the years 70 that I have only heard mention of them.
And after this song, I already give way to others that were also unimaginable until then to be able to listen to, such as Lucifer Sam, Green Is The Color and The Nile Song.
It is not necessary to mention much about the concert, since the setlist is almost the same as the one he offered in his concerts, except for Echoes.
I will never remember this concert not for its quality and its staging, but for having been in something so personal, punctual and special, which is why I considered it among my top three concerts.
After the gig we went back out to the pub for a last pint and it was very nice as most of the musicians were sitting around having a drink, taking pictures with us and with the door open being Nick Mason, matter-of-factly ordering the in charge of the material where to keep it and place it, since it would act the following two days.
BAND
Nick Mason - Drums and Percussion
Guy Pratt - Bass and Vocals
Gary Kemp - Bass and Vocals
Lee Harris - Guitar
Dom Beken - Keyboards
SETLIST
Interstellar Overdrive / Astronomy Domine / Lucifer Sam / Fearless / Obscured By Clouds / When You're In / Arnold Layne / The Nile Song / Green Is The Colour / Let There Be More Light / Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun / See Emily Play / Bike / One Of These Days / A Saucerful Of Secrets / Point Me At The Sky
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