This was my second Nick Mason experience, having previously seen Nick and his band Saucerful of Secrets at Newcastle City Hall a couple of years earlier. Nick is, of course, drummer of Pink Floyd fame, and has assembled a band of fine musicians to go out on the road and play a wonderful set of early Pink Floyd classic songs, many from the Syd Barrett era. This time the tour was entitled the Set the Controls Tour, indicating that the band had moved forward from the Syd Barrett era, from which they previously drew their repertoire.
“Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets are an English rock band formed in 2018 to perform the early music of Pink Floyd. The band comprises Pink Floyd drummer and co-founder Nick Mason, bassist Guy Pratt, guitarists Gary Kemp and Lee Harris, and keyboardist Dom Beken. As many fans had discovered Pink Floyd with their bestselling 1973 album The Dark Side of the Moon, Mason wanted to bring their earlier material to a wider audience.” (From Wikipedia). Bassist Guy Pratt was a member of a later incarnation of Pink Floyd and Gary Karen was, of course, a founder member of 1980s band Spandau Ballet.
As before, the stage was set out with Nick Mason in the centre (very much the star of the show and the evening), surrounded by his band of musicians. Behind, and around them, was a very appropriate backdrop of psychedelic liquid lens images, setting the scene for an evening of early psychedelic rock.
The first half opened by taking us right back to the start with the classic guitar-based tune “Astronomy Domine”, one of my favourite early Pink Floyd tracks. We were then treated to more Syd Barrett era songs including my favourite “See Emily Play”. I loved that tune so much in the early 1970s when it was played constantly at Sunderland Locarno (with everyone running onto the dancefloor, except me, to do crazy hippy dances). “Remember a Day” is also a favourite song of mine.
The closing song of the first set was, as promised by the tour title “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun” a song written by Roger Waters, taking lyrics from a Chinese poetry book, and features a wonderful drum part by Nick Mason played with timpani mallets. “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun” is a standout track from A Saucerful of Secrets, the Floyd’s second studio album, released in1968. The mental health of Syd Barrett deteriorated during recording, so guitarist David Gilmour was recruited. Barrett left the band before the album’s completion.
During the interval I purchased a T-shirt and a pint of Guinness. Soon it was time for the second set which returned to Barrett era songs: “The Scarecrow” and “Lucifer Sam”. The concert ended with “Echoes” a lengthy haunting tune which comprises the entire second side from later period Floyd album Meddle.
But that is not the end. The audience gave the band a standing ovation and they return to play “One of These Days”, a throbbing, rhythmic classic song which opens the afore mentioned Meddle. The final song is the title track from A Saucerful of Secrets. Many of these songs feature the drums of Mason at the heart of their rhythmic structure.
So, we have been treated to a mix of early Pink Floyd music, performed by the drummer whose percussion, use of timpani and gongs lay at the heart of their rhythm.
Happy days. Many thanks to Jackie for the photographs and Chris for manipulating the site.
Setlist: Set One: Astronomy Domine; Arnold Layne; See Emily Play; Remember Me; Obscured by Clouds; When You’re In; Remember a Day; If; Atom Heart Mother; If (Reprise); The Nile Song; Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun.
Set Two: The Scarecrow; Fearless; Childhood’s End; Lucifer Sam; Echoes.
Encore: One of These Days; A Saucerful of Secrets.
Nick Mason, drummer of 
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song “Arnold Layne”. The band did a great job of recreating the music, ethos and atmosphere of these early classics. Gary Kemp in particular, is to be applauded for his tremendous guitar work and vocals. Indeed, each member of the band is clearly an accomplished musician and together they stunned the crowd with a concert which was authentic to the original Pink Floyd musical textures. The rest of the first set comprised a mixture of songs from early Floyd albums including less well-known tracks such as “Obscured by Clouds” and the wonderful “Remember a Day”. The first half of the show concluded with an uplifting, mesmerising version of “Set the Controls for the Heart of the sun”, complete with drum rhythms and gongs. Another song which I remember Floyd performing at that 1972 concert which now seems eons away in the distant past. The instrumentals were particularly well performed. A short interval followed during which I had time to partake in a pint of Hobgoblin (no Guinness, sadly).
The second half opened by taking us right back to the start with classic guitar-based tunes “Interstellar Overdrive” and “Astronomy Domine”, two of my favourite early Pink Floyd tracks. We were then treated to a few less known, at least by me, songs and the second set ended with Barrett’s “Lucifer Sam” and Meddle’s standout track, Pink Floyd favourite, “Echoes”. A very appropriate closer for an excellent selection of songs.
I treated myself to a signed drum skin and a T-shirt (sadly no programme). Many thanks to David for his expert photography and to Elaine and Chris for placing me safely into my bed at the end of a great evening. Thank you Nick for putting together a band worthy of the songs, their leader and the band name. Classic. Happy days.
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