Pink Floyd (1967)
Pink Floyd's ground-breaking gig which took place on London's cultural Southbank in the spring of 1967
In many respects, this was a landmark concert. The first-ever to use surround sound where the band debuted its custom-made quadraphonic speaker system. It was also multi-media and multi-performance, combining light-display and bubble machines, as well as Roger Walter throwing potatoes at a gong and Nick Mason sawing through a log with a saw attached to it. As Waters put it
"We always felt right from the beginning that there could be more to rock and roll than standing on stage playing 'Johnny B. Goode,'"
This was a gig which truly raised the expectations of what a Pop band could do live and what the audience would grow to expect from live performances
Show’s aspirations synched with the band’s own expectations. By May 1967 they had just signed for EMI, released their first single ‘Arnold Layne’ and were putting together their debut album ‘Piper at the Gates of Dawn,’ which would be released to critical acclaim in August 1967.
They were tipped for big things, so the show a manifestation of two things. Firstly, an articulation of many of the ideas associated with the Psychedelic Underground and Counter-Culture. Secondly, the show’s novelty and uniqueness would also prove to be a skilful piece of promotion in helping to commercially establish this new band in the public’s imagination.
In choosing The Queen Elizabeth Hall, the promoter Christopher Hunt made a conscious decision to stage the gig in an environment not generally associated with Pop music. Opened in 1951 as part of The Festival of Britain, the Queen Elizabeth acoustics and plush upholstery were designed for audiences of Classical music, rather than that of the Counter Culture.
Pink Floyd, after being seen as trashing the venue, were in no uncertain terms told they would not be welcome at the venue again.
Set List
Dawn (tape recording)
"Matilda Mother"
"Flaming"
"The Scarecrow"
"Games for May"
"Bike"
"Arnold Layne"
"Candy and a Currant Bun"
"Pow R. Toc H."
"Interstellar Overdrive"
Bubbles (tape recording)
Ending (tape recording)
Printed on Reclaimed Textured Card
67cm X 48cm
Sound Map Collection
Charting the story of music in both Peckham and South London, Peckham Soul continues to excavate the deep mine of Social and Cultural History which music unearths. It is London’s unique story of migration, diversity and innovations. It is also a history which places not Rich elites at its centre, but instead tells the extraordinary tales of extra-ordinary Londoners.
Pink Floyd's ground-breaking gig which took place on London's cultural Southbank in the spring of 1967
In many respects, this was a landmark concert. The first-ever to use surround sound where the band debuted its custom-made quadraphonic speaker system. It was also multi-media and multi-performance, combining light-display and bubble machines, as well as Roger Walter throwing potatoes at a gong and Nick Mason sawing through a log with a saw attached to it. As Waters put it
"We always felt right from the beginning that there could be more to rock and roll than standing on stage playing 'Johnny B. Goode,'"
This was a gig which truly raised the expectations of what a Pop band could do live and what the audience would grow to expect from live performances
Show’s aspirations synched with the band’s own expectations. By May 1967 they had just signed for EMI, released their first single ‘Arnold Layne’ and were putting together their debut album ‘Piper at the Gates of Dawn,’ which would be released to critical acclaim in August 1967.
They were tipped for big things, so the show a manifestation of two things. Firstly, an articulation of many of the ideas associated with the Psychedelic Underground and Counter-Culture. Secondly, the show’s novelty and uniqueness would also prove to be a skilful piece of promotion in helping to commercially establish this new band in the public’s imagination.
In choosing The Queen Elizabeth Hall, the promoter Christopher Hunt made a conscious decision to stage the gig in an environment not generally associated with Pop music. Opened in 1951 as part of The Festival of Britain, the Queen Elizabeth acoustics and plush upholstery were designed for audiences of Classical music, rather than that of the Counter Culture.
Pink Floyd, after being seen as trashing the venue, were in no uncertain terms told they would not be welcome at the venue again.
Set List
Dawn (tape recording)
"Matilda Mother"
"Flaming"
"The Scarecrow"
"Games for May"
"Bike"
"Arnold Layne"
"Candy and a Currant Bun"
"Pow R. Toc H."
"Interstellar Overdrive"
Bubbles (tape recording)
Ending (tape recording)
Printed on Reclaimed Textured Card
67cm X 48cm
Sound Map Collection
Charting the story of music in both Peckham and South London, Peckham Soul continues to excavate the deep mine of Social and Cultural History which music unearths. It is London’s unique story of migration, diversity and innovations. It is also a history which places not Rich elites at its centre, but instead tells the extraordinary tales of extra-ordinary Londoners.
