Nick Mason Spills His Secrets In Philly
by Alex Lloyd Gross
September 25, 2022
Nick Mason is the drummer for a band called Pink Floyd. For those that don’t know, this band sold out 90000 tickets at JFK Stadium in September 1987. While the Floyd is not recording or touring anymore, Nick Mason is. On Friday night, September 23, 2022 he brought his show to the Miller Theater on South Broad Street. WOW, is all that could be said. If we wrote that as the review it would suffice, but not tell you anything, so here it goes.
The show actually starts a bit before 8:00 PM, the familiar rock songs played before the show stop and a different kind of music is played., It’s like space music, it’s all instrumental. This happens as the crowd files in. At 8:00 PM the band takes the stage and starts playing. The song is “One Of These Days”, It’s from the Meddle record that came out in the early 1970’s. Just before Dark Side Of the Moon. All of the material played was from before that iconic break through album.
Songs like “See Emily Play” and “Arnold Layne” . Played live, “Emily” is a rocker. It is played at an encore. The show runs about two hours and does not change from show to show. In fact,the band is selling t shirts with the set list on the back of one of them. They would have been bigger quicker, mason said if it were not for the BBC. They released a song called “Candy and the Current Bun”. It’s a catchy classic but it was banned in the UK because of the lyrics. “Get high, Let’s Roll Another One”. You betcha that song was played, and with the censored lyrics too. In this day and age, if it was played on commercial radio, someone would be offended. The song is great.
Fans this was billed a Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets. This band plays the early songs, that may have been played on college radio stations and maybe an independent station here and there. The songs are not as popular as say, stuff off Animals or The Wall. “You are only five meters away from a Pink Floyd tribute band”, Mason said during an interview with this publication, in advance of the show.
During the show, Nick Mason talked about some of the shows they played in Philly, and he vividly remembers the JFK show. It was 10 years after Animals was released and Pink Floyd had not been in this area since 1987. For those that do not know, this was an open air stadium, with bench seats on the sides. This show, it was general admission. It was a cold night, it was heavily overcast and the rain held off until the end. “Comfortably Numb” and “Run Like Hell” is when the Heavens opened up and it poured. “At least, tonight, we won’t be upstaged by a thunderstorm”, Mason joked when referencing that show.
The Miller Theater is on South Broad Street. It used to be called the Merriam Theater. It’s not known for having rock shows, features plays and maybe classical music. This show fit the venue. For Pink Floyd and the members of this band who have ventured out on solo tours, there is no opening act. Since COVID, rock shows have come back but differently, for example, there was no meet and greet,. But at least bands are back out on the road. The next time Nick Mason comes anywhere near this area, you would be wise to check it out.