There’s been an interesting and appreciated trend recently focusing Pink Floyd books on localised appearances, such as Pink Floyd Live Tour In Japan 1971-1988 (https://www.brain-damage.co.uk/latest/new-japanese-book-pink-floyd-live-tour-in-japan-1971-1988.html) and Pink Floyd in De Kuip ’88 (https://www.brain-damage.co.uk/latest/new-book-pink-floyd-in-de-kuip-88.html). Another such book is on its way, focused on the Floyd’s French appearances. Pink Floyd and the band’s individual members have enjoyed a long relationship with France. From their early appearances on French TV, to their eventual spectacular arena shows – not forgetting the recording of landmark albums such as The Wall – the book Pink Floyd en France, published on November 30th, 2021, now traces the band’s historic “French connection”! France embraced Pink Floyd’s music right from the very first album, The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn, in 1967. Nick Mason was quoted in Muziq Magazine in November 2016 as saying that “Pink Floyd may never have survived without the French audiences. We toured a lot in France and appeared in many TV shows. It was our home from home in a way. France responded to our music quite rapidly, as opposed to England where our fan base was not always very reliable”. The group performed on more than 60 occasions in France between 1968 until 1994. Roger Waters and David Gilmour also toured extensively in France to promote their solo albums. Nick Mason’s own band Saucerful Of Secrets has also played a few shows there. Author Patrick Ducher tells the band’s story from several different angles: firstly reviewing numerous French rock magazines of the times, including long discontinued and forgotten publications, and secondly his many personal concert recollections. Next, Patrick invited a number of fans to review essential bootlegs, one from each of the bandâs French tours, along with solo performances by individual band members in France. Finally, the author posed the simple question “Why Pink Floyd?” to almost a hundred French fans, passionate followers of the band, and interviewed musicians from several tribute bands, all devoted to keeping Pink Floyd’s music and legacy alive. “Pink Floyd en France’ is a 420 page, French-language hardback book with many rare pictures. The 250 illustrations include magazine covers, adverts, posters, and tickets. It’s now available to order direct from the publishers, at pinkfloydenfrance.com (https://pinkfloydenfrance.com) in standard or limited edition, priced at respectively at â¬45 and â¬85 plus shipping. The limited edition includes a copy of the book signed by the author, a 2-track 7” by a French Floyd cover band, 2 prints, 4 coasters, and 2 plectrums, all in a special box. The website has full details…
