In Hastings, England, Syd Barrett performed last with Pink Floyd, but he was not forgotten
January 20, 2023 marks 55 years since the last performance of Syd Barrett as a member of pink Floyd. In 1968, in the town of Hastings, in the southeast of England, one of the founders of the influential psychedelic rock group left the band, without being aware of it yet.
As recalled by Ultimate Classic Rock, pink Floyd was on the rise. In 1967, they launched The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, the well-received debut album. the behavior of barretthowever, was seen as a problem by the band.
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Also in ’67, david gilmour joined the group to add depth to the guitars. In live performances, it was not uncommon for Syd start playing in the wrong key or just stop halfway through the songs.
This five-piece lineup didn’t last long. Bandmates got tired of dealing with barrett, and gradually let it go. In an interview given in 1995, gilmour remembered show made by pink Floyd at Southampton University in 1968. Without naming names, the guitarist revealed dialogue on the way to the venue: “A person in the car said, ‘We should get Syd?’ and someone else replied, ‘We won’t bother.'”
The situation was described as “very embarrassing” by the keyboardist Richard Wright in the biography A Very Irregular Head: The Life of Syd Barrett (2010). “I needed to come up with things like: ‘Syd, I’m going out to buy cigarettes,’ and then we’d do a show. Of course, he found out what was going on.” At the time, the musicians shared an apartment.
There was an attempt to circumvent the imminent departure of barrett with the suggestion that he stay at home, focusing only on writing songs, but the idea did not work. He struggled with drug and mental health issues. On April 6, 1968, pink Floyd officially announced that Syd would leave the group he helped found.
Since his departure, the group has paid some tributes and reflections on the collaboration and life of Syd. “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” is one such example. During the recording of the song, the band’s former guitarist appeared unrecognizably in the studio. The strange encounter influenced the final form of the track.
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
