For Nick Mason, Friday night’s stop in Wallingford was only his third ever in the Nutmeg state as Saucerful of Secrets performed its first of two New England shows on their current tour. New England, known for its overcast skies and foggy autumns, probably has much more in common with Nick Mason’s Birmingham and Hampstead, and Pink Floyd’s Cambridge and London, than any other parts of North America the Saucers have visited on this tour, which begged the question of how the surrounding environment and culture would play into this evening’s vibe. Time and modern amenities betray these cultural elements though, and so the band played in a venue that is a far better fit for a modern country concert in Alabama than a classic rock show in historic New England. In many ways, this was a gig better destined for Hartford’s Bushnell Performing Arts Center – but that didn’t stop the band from putting on a great show. As the lights dimmed you could sense the crowd’s anticipation on this rainy New England night – but the band’s Interstellar Overdrive was a slow burn of an opener, a reminder that Saucerful of Secrets was not intended to stir up the populist Pink Floyd fandom but to transport you to something deeper. It was during the band’s second track, Astronomy Domine, that the full audience stood up, soaking in the echoes of Pink Floyd’s last tour in the United States, The Division Bell tour – the last time (and the first time) many in the audience had seen Mason play Astronomy Domine live.
