Mason revives Floyd songs of old

Oct. 21—GRAND PRAIRIE — It's probable that at least a few audience members at Monday night's Texas Trust CU Theatre show felt as though they'd somehow time tumbled from 2022 to 1970. Others no doubt likely scratched their heads in puzzlement wondering when Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets planned to play "Money," "Another Brick in the Wall Part 2" and the rest of Pink Floyd's bigger known hits. The answer to the last being that they didn't. The result of all of the above culminated in one of the most surprisingly wonderful concert performances of recent memory.

Because here's the thing: Pink Floyd, although well known and popular in England and Europe early on, remained mostly a cult band stateside until 1973's game changing iconic "Dark Side of the Moon" catapulted them to superstardom and arena-filled sell outs. Everything changed. Going forward, the band's subsequent tours consisted of numbers from the big-fame releases of "Dark Side," "Wish You Were Here," "Animals" and "The Wall," with the '67 to '72 output all but forgotten. The other thing though is that, during their pre megawatt-fame days, Pink Floyd created some of the strangest, most sublime and affecting music ever committed to vinyl. Music at times in turn awe inspiring but also almost surely rendering the band, let alone the listeners, flummoxed as to what exactly they were on to.

Blame it on Syd Barrett, the band's original madcap genius, lead guitarist and principle songwriter. Barrett's star shone brightly if only briefly, resulting in a handful of stunning early 45s and the band's totally delightful 1967 debut album, "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn," a swirling dark and light concoction of childlike whimsy second only to the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper" in terms of British Summer of Love psychedelia.

Drugs and mental problems preexisting cut Barrett's run sadly short. He wrote one song and played on a handful of others on the band's second release before exiting stage left and fading into the stuff of legend. David Gilmour jumped on board replacing Barrett on guitar and the band somehow held it together through a stretch of albums at times brilliant, others confounding and many times both until bassist Roger Waters blossomed as the main songwriter, "Dark Side" came out and the rest was history.

By the time punk and new wave came along, Pink Floyd were positively passe, purveyors of dinosaur rock, in the eyes of many — as witnessed by Johnny Rotten's "I hate Pink Floyd" ripped T-shirt — though those same upstarts retained much love for Barrett and the band's free wheeling pre "Dark Side" days.

Time and common sense has, of course, made clear that wonders abound throughout the band's catalog before and after "Dark Side." Shame it was though that so many, not the least of which the band at times themselves, seemed to pretty much forget — or in the case of many American fans, never have known of — those early year songs and LPs of wonderment once the airplanes, flying pigs and walls constructed brick by brick entered the scene.

Fans of the band's entire output were left with few options other than to daydream of what it must have been like to have caught the band live in London's UFO Club in 1967.

Thanks to Pink Floyd co-founding member and drummer Nick Mason — the only member to have played on every album and every iteration of the band— we now kind of know. The band member's gray hair and paunch aside, one could close their eyes and be convinced they were catching these guys in their 20s rather than 60s and 70s.

Surprising too that the idea originated from Mason given that, well, as the drummer he stayed largely in the background throughout Pink Floyd's career. The band's catalog boasts one sole Mason songwriting credit and a scant few co-writes. Mason only sang and/or spoke on a handful of Floyd songs, a couple of which have never commercially been released. He could've gathered a back up band and hit the big arena circuit and stuck with the big songs from the band's big albums. Instead, and fortunately, he decided to revisit the band's earlier days of songs just as good, sometimes better, than the radio overplayed mainstays.

Joining in are bassist Guy Pratt, who played with Pink Floyd's touring band after Waters left, and Gary Kemp, formerly of Spandau Ballet. Fellow '80s kids no doubt remember Spandau's "True" being all over the radio and MTV back in the good old days. Keyboardist and former Orb member Dom Beken and guitarist and former Blockheads member Lee Harris fill out the quintet.

From the Floyd's Barrett-penned debut single "Arnold Layne" to the psych gem "See Emily Play" to a words can't even begin to describe how great half hour run through of "Echoes." Saucerful revisited all aspects of Pink Floyd's early days. (The band's name derives from the title of Pink Floyd's second album and song of the same name.)

And loud. Let me tell you. Some of the legendary bands of old still tour with most content to function as genteel elder statesmen recycling tamed takes of their once fire-breathing hits. Not so with Saucerful. I haven't experienced a concert this loud since I stood sardine packed in front of the speakers on the Cotton Bowl floor during the Who's 1982 Dallas stop. Volume and vibrations from the bass and organ Monday night often caused the audience member's bones to hum and thrum. Although equally impressive moments of tender light and delicate sounds also emanated from the stage all lending to the night's phantasmagoria of breathtaking and accomplished music.

Mason —who now resembles more a British school headmaster or BBC TV announcer than a Day-Glo garbed '60s hippie requesting pie without crust — proved an engaging host for the night. Several times during the concert Mason rose from his drum stool to to discuss the origins of the songs just played. Remarking at one point that Pink Floyd first played the Dallas area in 1972, Mason asked if anyone in the audience attended that show. After four people raised their hands, Mason joked that some others probably were there as well but no longer remember it.

Kemp at one point called out the various band T-shirts dotting the audience and seemed especially pleased to spot a husband and wife sporting Spandau Ballet tees.

After Saucerful's performance of the "Nile Song," arguably Floyd's most raucous number, Kemp shared that it was the first Pink Floyd song he ever heard leading him to initially think the group were a heavy metal band.

Credit Saucerful too with remaining faithful to the originals while also adding of their own spin and fun so as not to come off merely stock cover or tribute band.

Saucerful may not be exactly the same as having witnessed Pink Floyd in their Barrett-fueled '67-'68 heyday but they far exceed expectations and get as close to those long gone days as any of us will ever experience in this lifetime. Either way, Mason and company delivered a night of music resplendent, soul filling sounds that left attendees glad to be alive at least for a night.

Catch them if they ever come back. In the meantime, check out those early Pink Floyd albums if you haven't already. You might be a bit confused and amused early on but in the end glad all over that you did.

Set list:

"One of These Days"

"Arnold Layne"

"Fearless"

"Obscured By Clouds."

"When You're In"

"Candy and a Currant Bun"

"Vegetable Man"

"If"

"Atom Heart Mother"

"If (reprise)"

"Remember A Day"

"Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun"

"Astronomy Domine"

"The Nile Song"

"Burning Bridges"

"Childhood's End"

"Lucifer Sam"

"Echoes"

"See Emily Play"

"A Saucerful of Secrets"

"Bike"