All four members of Pink Floyd were present at the Barbican Centre in London last night to pay tribute to the man who named the band, Syd Barrett. Barrett’s relentless hallucinogenic drug abuse forced his dismissal as Pink Floyd were on the brink of success after only one record, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Guitarist David Gilmour replaced him.
Despite the full band being present, a reunion did not occur, as bassist Roger Waters and guitarist David Gilmour, whose acrimonious relationship bitterly ended the band in 1983, chose to play separately. This seems so petty and absurd. Get over your bullshit. Imagine how annoyed everyone in the audience was to have all four members of Pink Floyd present and refuse to play together.
Also on hand to pay tribute to Barrett were Blur/Gorillaz/The Good The Bad and The Queen frontman Damon Albarn, The Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde, and Robyn Hitchcock.
For the finale, everyone, except Waters (of course), joined in a version of Barrett’s classic “Bike.”