Nick Mason, the rhythmic backbone of Pink Floyd, isn’t one to rest on laurels—or dwell on the feuds that made the band infamous. Instead, he’s been embracing a different kind of energy with Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets, his live project reviving Pink Floyd’s pre-Dark Side catalog. And when I say “reviving,” I mean digging into the archives, dusting off tracks, and giving them a fresh edge.
“We started cautiously, just dipping our toes in the water,” Mason reflects on the band’s origins. “But once we started playing together, we realized how much fun we were having. It felt like 1967 all over again.”
Fun might be an understatement. After years of pandemic delays, the Echoes tour is back, and Mason sounds like a man revitalized. Performing early Floyd staples like “Interstellar Overdrive” and “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun” not only reintroduces fans to the band’s experimental beginnings, but also reignites Mason’s own connection to the music.
“When I sat down to relearn some of these songs, I realized how much more complex they are than I remembered,” he laughs. “I had to actually go back and learn them properly. My memory bank was completely empty!”
What stands out about Mason’s retelling of these early days is the eclecticism of Syd Barrett’s songwriting. “One moment it’s almost pastoral English folk, the next it’s completely off the wall. ‘Interstellar Overdrive’ doesn’t belong in the same universe as a blues band covering ‘Crossroads,’” he says.
As for the evolution of Pink Floyd, Mason sees Metal as the turning point. “It’s the album where we started to sound like the Pink Floyd that would make Dark Side of the Moon,” he explains. Tracks like “Echoes” clearly set the groundwork for epics like “Shine On You Crazy Diamond,” while albums like Atom Heart Mother and Ummagumma remain fascinating but experimental detours.
But don’t expect Saucerful of Secrets to suddenly shift into writing new music anytime soon. “The real joy of this project is playing live,” Mason says. “I’m not sure there’s a massive audience for new material from us, but there’s still a lot to explore in this catalog. People underestimated how much material there is from those early years, including tracks from More and Obscured by Clouds that were never played live in Floyd’s heyday.”
Mason’s enthusiasm for the current band is infectious, even as he fields questions about Pink Floyd’s legacy and the occasional drama. “Someone asked me if it was hard work being in Floyd because of all the arguments,” he says with a grin. “But honestly, most of it was a wonderful way to spend your life. This band might have less drama, but I loved being part of Floyd.”
And while there’s no full-fledged Floyd reunion on the horizon, Mason acknowledges the magic of their one-off 2022 single, “Hey Hey Rise Up.” Created in support of Ukraine, the track surprised even the most devoted fans. “Technically, it was fascinating because we had to construct a backing track around an acapella vocal. It was completely backward to how we usually worked,” Mason recalls. “But it was a good thing to do. I don’t know if it’s the final statement for Pink Floyd, but it doesn’t mean we’re suddenly going back on the road.”
Mason may not be putting Pink Floyd back together, but his passion for the music they created—and the joy he finds in playing it live—proves he’s still on the pulse of what fans love most. Whether you’re a diehard from the Syd Barrett days or someone discovering “Lucifer Sam” for the first time, Saucerful of Secrets is a trip worth taking.
Watch the interview above and then check out the video below.
