Today marks Roger Waters’ 79th birthday. The legendary songwriter and bassist co-founded Pink Floyd in 1965 along with guitarist Syd Barrett, keyboardist Richard Wright and drummer Nick Mason, with guitarist David Gilmour joining in 1967. When Barrett left the band in 1968, Waters stepped up as Floyd’s creative leader.
Roger’s uncanny knack for seeing the big picture positioned him as a pioneer of the concept album, beginning with 1973’s groundbreaking LP, The Dark Side Of The Moon, and continuing with 1975’s Wish You Were Here, 1977’s Animals and 1979’s The Wall. But the time between Dark Side and Wish You Were Here was a particularly pivotal period for the band.
While the release of Dark Side propelled Pink Floyd to another level, that success came with a price and also brought about a disillusionment of sorts for the band about the music industry. The pressure to follow up Dark Side was also high. It was in this liminal atmosphere that Floyd took the stage at Empire Pool, Wembley in the band’s native London on November 16, 1974.
The concert kicks off with new material the band was working on, “Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I-IX).” The suite would eventually land on Wish You Were Here, with the song and album serving as a tribute to Syd Barrett, who was struggling with mental illness. Floyd continued with “Raving And Drooling” and “You Gotta Be Crazy,” both tunes that were considered for Wish You Were Here but were ultimately cut from the album. Floyd then delivers The Dark Side Of The Moon in its entirety and cap off the show with the epic, “Echoes.”
To celebrate Roger Waters’ birthday, listen to Pink Floyd performing at London’s Empire Pool, Wembley in 1974 below via TheFraKctured:
[Originally Published: September 6, 2020]
Setlist & Timings:
- Shine On You Crazy Diamond 0:09
- Raving And Drooling 26:10
- You Gotta Be Crazy 40:08
- Speak To Me 58:50
- Breathe 1:01:40
- On The Run 1:04:42
- Time 1:10:06
- The Great Gig In The Sky 1:16:52
- Money 1:24:26
- Us and Them 1:33:51
- Any Colour You Like 1:42:16
- Brain Damage 1:50:53
- Eclipse 1:54:44
- Echoes 1:56:32
