Nick Mason

The only drummer on every Pink Floyd studio album, now leading the charge into their early psychedelic roots.

Raph_PH · via Wikipedia: Nick Mason · CC BY 2.0

Nick Mason is the only member to appear on every Pink Floyd studio album, serving as the band's drummer and co-founder since their formation in London in 1965. While Syd Barrett originally led the group with Roger Waters and Richard Wright, Mason remained the constant force through lineup changes and decades of evolution. In 2018, feeling that focusing solely on reissues made him feel like part of 'English Heritage,' he launched a new project to bring Pink Floyd's early psychedelic material to life. This initiative, Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets, aims to capture the spirit of the band's pre-Dark Side era for fans who primarily discovered them through later hits.

Quick Facts

Birth name

Nicholas Berkeley Mason

Born

27 January 1944

Birthplace

Birmingham, Warwickshire, England

Origin

Hampstead, London, England

Genre

Progressive rock, psychedelic rock

Occupation

Musician
composer
record producer
author
auto racer

Instrument

Drums, percussion

Years active

Early 1960s–present

Facts from the source article.

Lore & Background

Mason's journey began in 1965 alongside Syd Barrett, Roger Waters, and Richard Wright. By 1968, Barrett was replaced by David Gilmour, and later departures saw Waters leave in 1985 while Wright passed away in 2008. Despite these shifts, Mason continued working on Pink Floyd reissues and the 2017 museum exhibition, 'Pink Floyd: Their Mortal Remains.' He admitted that constantly discussing events from forty years prior made him feel old. In 2018, Nick Mason initiated a project and approached bassist Guy Pratt and guitarist Lee Harris to form a band to perform the early psychedelic material recorded when Barrett was bandleader. They recruited Gary Kemp of Spandau Ballet and keyboardist Dom Beken, who had previously collaborated with Wright. The group received blessings from Gilmour and Waters, ensuring they honored the music's spirit without acting as a tribute act.

Reader's Guide

Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets features a specific lineup: Nick Mason on drums, gong, bell, and percussion; Guy Pratt on vocals, bass, guitars, and percussion; Gary Kemp on vocals and guitars; Lee Harris on guitars, backing vocals, and percussion; and Dom Beken on keyboards, synthesisers, organ, piano, programming, harmonica, and backing vocals. The project focuses exclusively on early Pink Floyd material, avoiding the 'Dark Side of the Moon' era that many fans know best. Mason stressed that Kemp was not replacing Barrett but brought necessary enthusiasm. Early rehearsals revealed the music sounded good immediately due to this energy. Pratt and Beken, who previously played together in the electronic band the Transit Kings, help anchor the rhythm section. The band takes its name from Pink Floyd's second album, 'A Saucerful of Secrets' (1968).

Origins and Motivation

Nick Mason formed Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets in 2018 to perform the early music of Pink Floyd. Having assisted with the 2017 museum exhibition 'Pink Floyd: Their Mortal Remains,' Mason felt that constantly discussing events from forty years ago made him feel like he belonged to 'English Heritage.' He wanted to move beyond reissues and compilations. The band was conceived after Lee Harris, formerly of the Blockheads, approached Guy Pratt about forming a group with Mason. They aimed to bring early psychedelic material, recorded while Syd Barrett was bandleader, to a wider audience who had discovered Pink Floyd through their eighth album, 'The Dark Side of the Moon' (1973). Mason explicitly stated he did not want this to be a tribute act like the Australian Pink Floyd Show, nor similar to solo shows by Waters or Gilmour. Instead, they sought to capture the spirit of the music rather than recreate it exactly.

Lineup and Collaboration

The band comprises Nick Mason on drums, Guy Pratt on bass, Gary Kemp and Lee Harris on guitars, and Dom Beken on keyboards. Pratt and Beken had previously worked together in the electronic band the Transit Kings. Dom Beken is noted as a collaborator of Richard Wright. Guitarist Gary Kemp, known from Spandau Ballet, was selected for his enthusiasm rather than to replace Syd Barrett; Mason clarified that Kemp 'did not take the place' of Barrett but brought the necessary energy. In early rehearsals, Mason observed that 'it all sort of began to sound good straight away,' driven largely by their collective enthusiasm. The instrumentation covers a wide range: Mason plays drums, gong, bell, and percussion; Pratt handles vocals, bass, guitars, and percussion; Kemp provides vocals and guitars; Harris contributes guitars, backing vocals, and percussion; and Beken manages keyboards, synthesisers, organ, piano, programming, harmonica, and backing vocals.

Touring History and Milestones

The band debuted in May 2018 at Dingwalls in London, a sold-out test show at the 500-seat venue. They followed this with three small shows at the Half Moon in Putney. A European tour commenced in September 2018, succeeded by a North American tour in 2019. On April 18, 2019, Roger Waters surprised the audience at the New York Beacon Theatre by joining the band to perform 'Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun.' Global events disrupted their schedule: a planned 2020 European tour was postponed until April 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Similarly, a second North American tour originally scheduled for January 2022 was delayed to September 2022. The band resumed touring internationally in 2023 with dates across Australia.

Discography and Legacy

In September 2020, the group released 'Live at the Roundhouse,' a live album and film documenting their performances. They also issued special singles for Record Store Day: one in 2020 featuring live versions of 'See Emily Play' and 'Vegetable Man,' and another scheduled for 2025 containing a live version of 'Echoes.' The project's name is derived from Pink Floyd's second album, 'A Saucerful of Secrets' (1968). The band operates with the blessings of David Gilmour and Roger Waters. Their primary goal remains introducing the early catalog to fans who may only know the band from 1973's 'The Dark Side of the Moon,' ensuring the spirit of the music survives without the constraints of a strict tribute act.