Where Fans Post About Their Favorite Performances, Shows & Matches in Great Britain
Brighton-based quintet Canned Pineapple are back with a bang, delivering their latest infectious single, ‘She Says’ blending elements of early Rolling Stones with The Strokes to great effect. Led by the dynamic duo of Irish vocalist Seán Drury and his songwriting partner Oakley Gardiner, the band’s lineup is rounded out by the talents of multi-instrumentalist […]
Today is Marianne Faithfull’s birthday, and it is an occasion for looking back on her career that started almost 60 years ago in 1966. From there it was a bumpy road for her for several years. But after a dark … Continue reading
Just published is the latest issue (March 2023, issue 542) of the UK’s Record Collector magazine, which as you might guess from the eye-catching cover, has a whopping eighteen page article looking at various aspects of Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side Of The Moon, tying in with the upcoming 50th Anniversary of the album, and the associated releases. The magazine, in UK stores now and selected stores internationally, and available to purchase online through this link (https://shop.recordcollectormag.com/issue/view/issue/RC542), often includes material of interest to Floyd fans and on occasion, there’s major coverage within its pages. The main article takes a look at the 1972-74 live shows, from presenting the early version of the album through the changes and finessing to the final iteration that we all know and love. They chat with photographer Jill Furmanovsky, who took a number of atmospheric and unique pictures of the band at that time (and of course, is still doing so, having recently focused her lenses on Nick Mason’s Saucerful Of Secrets). They also take a look at reviews of the album from the time of its release, which is an interesting trip back in time. There’s a small section sharing the thoughts of Guy Pratt, vocalist Durga McBroom, and saxophonist Theo Travis about their experiences discovering and learning the songs from the album, for their respective roles on the road. Finally, and tying in with the release of the new book Pink Floyd – Any Colour You Like: The Dark Side Of The Moon on Vinyl (https://www.brain-damage.co.uk/latest/pink-floyds-the-dark-side-of-the-moon-collectors-book-anno.html) which details the 700 currently known variations of the album, there’s an interview with author Stefano Tarquini and publisher Charles Beterams about this mammoth undertaking (identifying and collecting these variations, and putting the book together). This sits alongside a guide to some of the editions worth tracking down, and a guide to 50 collectable variants for people to keep an eye out for. There’s also a selected UK discography, with rough valuations, a competition to win a Pink Floyd print, and an offer of a limited edition (just 100 will be made) A3 print of the magazine cover signed by Furmanovsky. Elsewhere in the magazine – and in addition to the eighteen pages focused on the Floyd – is an interview with Alan Parsons, talking about his life in music, a look at occasional Floyd vocalist Sam Brown’s new album, and a wide range of non-Floyd related features taking in artists from The Jam to the Rolling Stones. There are also obituaries for Jeff Beck and David Crosby.
The following article was kindly written by Charles Beterams, a self-confessed Pink Floyd addict and owner of FloydStuff.com (https://www.floydstuff.com), an online store stuffed full of PF goodies. Charles supplied the pictures (below) from the opening event as well. He’s also the man behind a range of excellent books about the band, with the latest book – Any Colour You Like: The Dark Side Of The Moon On Vinyl (https://www.floydstuff.com/product/8818296/pink-floyd-any-colour-you-like-the-dark-side-of-the-moon-on-vinyl) – the result of Stefano Tarquini’s lifelong quest and gathers together the 700 currently known variations of Pink Floyd’s masterpiece on record. The Groninger Museum in the northern city of Groningen has become somewhat of a centre for interesting musical exhibitions. Following on from the highly successful David Bowie exhibition and a recent one on the Rolling Stones (which will see a reprise later this year) the museum – lead by director Andreas Blühm – was nominated for hosting the Their Mortal Remains exhibition. Despite the museum’s spacious rooms the exhibit didn’t fit in terms of size and especially height. Following discussions with Aubrey ‘Po’ Powell who curated the Pink Floyd Exhibition: Their Mortal Remains in London and subsequent cities across the globe, a plan was raised to focus on the visual side of things and create a new exhibition on Hipgnosis. The result of that can be seen (or absorbed) until 14 May in no less than eight rooms in the Mendini Pavillion of the museum. The opening event to place in the presence of Aubrey Powell, Peter Curzon and Pink Floyd’s curator Paula Webb Stainton and also attracted people like photographer Claude Vanheye who took the famous 1968 shots of the band during their visit to Amsterdam. Director Andreas Blühm introduced Aubrey Powell who discussed the hard work it was to get all those sleeves done in an pre-digital era but with enormous budgets on the other hand. With the close connection between the band and Hipgnosis showed in the large presence of Pink Floyd in the exhibition with the largest room fully dedicated to The Dark Side Of The Moon, but also highlighting Wish You Were Here, Animals and two beautiful walls with front of house and backstage photos. Other artists featured in the exhibition include Paul McCartney, Genesis, Led Zeppelin, Peter Gabriel and 10CC. Both the city of Groningen and the exhibition are well worth a visit. Details and directions can be found at groningermuseum.nl (https://www.groningermuseum.nl/en/art/exhibitions/hipgnosis)
Mojo Magazine (cover date February 2023, issue number 351) (https://www.greatmagazines.co.uk/mojo-february-2023) features an absorbing, 13-page “50th Anniversary Special” focused on Pink Floyd’s 1973 masterpiece, The Dark Side Of The Moon. The magazine invites you to ‘join writers and musicians on a voyage inside its songs and stories: “It’s stood the test of time because of the spirit and emotion which went into it”. They hint at ‘New revelations! Myths explained! Kraftwerk implications!’ Articles within include PP Arnold talking about Clare Torry’s vocal performance on Great Gig In The Sky, Alan Parsons looking at his work on the album, former Kraftwerk member Kart Bartos giving a particularly interesting analysis of On The Run (with reference to their own Autobahn), and much more. There’s also an exclusive extract, looking at the story of the iconic sleeve design and the band during that era, from Mark Blake’s superb new book, Us And Them: The Authorised Story of Hipgnosis (https://www.brain-damage.co.uk/latest/us-and-them-the-authorised-story-of-hipgnosis-new-book-c.html) which is published at the start of February. It should give you a taste of Blake’s book which we’re reading an early version of – it really will be an essential for your bookshelves! If you’re in the UK, a subscriber or ordering direct from them, there’s a suitably designed and wide-ranging Pink Floyd companion CD, featuring artists as diverse as Ron Geesin, Miles Davis, Love, The Butterfield Blues Band, Chuck Berry, Doris Troy (one of the vocalists on the album) and much more. Elsewhere in the magazine are features on Iggy Pop, Blur, some unseen pictures of Rolling Stones, a look at the 50 best buried treasures of 1972, and 2023 comprehensively previewed, amongst many other things. Always a great read, the magazine is due to arrive in UK stores around now, and will be available in selected locations worldwide as an import, in due course. Alternatively, you can order (worldwide) online through the Great Magazines website (https://www.greatmagazines.co.uk/mojo-february-2023) which is owned and run by the publishers of Mojo (and will secure you the cover-mounted CD as well!).
Now in German stores is the new issue of that country’s edition of Classic Rock magazine (cover date September 2022), with their cover story: “Pink Floyd – the journey to the dark side”. In the article, ’50 Years: The Songs – The Tour – The Myth’, they look at what lead to what is probably the band’s best known album. The publishers say: “In early 1972, Pink Floyd were toying with ideas for their next record without any real direction in mind. Only one thing was certain: songs were to be written before a planned UK tour, so that they could then be tested and worked out live. A year later, they came out of Abbey Road studios with an album that would overshadow everything they had done before. CLASSIC ROCK tells the story of their journey to THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON – and why this milestone nearly
a different, far less associative title. Elsewhere in the magazine are articles on Kate Bush’s Hounds Of Love, ZZ Top, The Rolling Stones and more. The magazine is in German stores now, and can be ordered from ClassicRock.net (https://classicrock.net/aktuelle-ausgabe-das-erwartet-euch-im-neuen-classic-rock-magazin-112/). Our thanks to Michael Nickel for the information!
Just opened (on September 11th) at the Museum for Architectural Drawing, Berlin, Germany, is a new exhibition – Mark Fisher: Drawing Entertainment – which runs until January 16th 2022. If the name isn’t familiar, his work certainly will be. Fisher (1947â2013) was the greatest entertainment architect of rock sets and spectaculars. He created dazzling and innovative shows for the tours of the most famous singers and groups of our time including Elton John, The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Pink Floyd, Lady Gaga, Janet Jackson and Jean-Michel Jarre, as well as creating outdoor extravaganzas for Walt Disney World and Cirque du Soleil. Before Fisher, audiences watched bands play on a bare stage with a few flashing lights and perhaps a bit of film flickering behind them. After Fisher, audiences participated in wild electronic sensory theatrical experiences. In Germany, and for the world, Mark Fisher is celebrated as the designer of that great historical moment watched live by nearly half a million people, and millions more on global television, where nine months after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, amidst the ruins of the former no-manâs land between Potsdamer Platz and Pariser Platz, he constructed the legendary The Wall â Live in Berlin concert for Roger Waters and guest artists. Mark Fisherâs drawings rock. He was an exquisite and beautiful draughtsman. Trained at the Architectural Association school of architecture in London in the 1960s, Fisher was taught by members of the famously influential Archigram Group who revolutionised futuristic design through their drawings of a high-tech world. Fisher started to explore the new pop architecture, and especially lightweight pneumatic structures which legendarily he put into practice with the giant articulated inflatable characters in his Pink Floyd and The Wall shows. As a stage designer, his drawings could be technical as well as dazzling: swirling rich pastels of radiant psychedelic light effects streaking across the night sky of velvet black paper. He was also of the generation who transitioned to computer-aided design (CAD) while never leaving behind his sense of drawing brilliance. The exhibition on Mark Fisher will explore his career as an entertainment architect through nearly one hundred of his drawings, as well as sketchbooks, photographs and videos of his live concerts. Since the exhibition takes place in Berlin, one of the focal points that they highlight is the Roger Waters ‘Live In Berlin 1990’ show staging. A catalogue accompanies the exhibition, which can be bought online, and ships worldwide (https://tchoban-foundation-shop.de/en/p/mark-fisher-drawing-entertainment). More information about the exhibition and venue can be found at tchoban-foundation.de (http://www.tchoban-foundation.de/10-1-Exhibitions.html) and www.museumsportal-berlin.de (https://www.museumsportal-berlin.de/en/exhibitions/mark-fisher-gezeichnete-show/). It is open Monday – Friday each week, between 2pm – 7pm, with Saturday – Sunday hours being 1pm – 5pm. Admission is an extremely reasonable â¬5 (or â¬3 for concessions). Our thanks to good friend Martin Geyer for the information and picture of this exhibition.