Set the Controls for the Heart of Floyd
IN 2018, after waiting nearly a quarter-century in vain for Pink Floyd to reunite, drummer Nick Mason decided to start a new Floyd of his own. He calls it Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets, and they launch their first American tour in March. Initially, Mason was unsure how to compete with the successful touring acts led by his ex-bandmates David Gilmour and Roger Waters. “I knew I couldn’t play ‘Comfortably Numb’ better than David or Roger, or indeed even the Australian Pink Floyd [tribute band],” he says. “It became a matter of finding something else that engaged us.” That turned out to be the band’s trippy pre- Dark Side of the Moon catalog, including classics such as “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun” and “Astronomy Domine.” And while Waters has told Mason he might join the band onstage at some point, a full Floyd reunion is as unlikely as ever. “The problem is that Roger doesn’t really respect David,” says Mason. “It’s very disappointing these two elderly gentlemen are still at loggerheads.” A.G.