Pink Floyd World Tour 1968

Pink Floyd World Tour 1968 was a Pink Floyd world tour spanning February to December 1968 in which the group visited Europe and North America.

Pink Floyd World Tour 1968
Tour by Pink Floyd
Associated albumThe Piper at the Gates of Dawn, A Saucerful of Secrets
Start date17 February 1968
End date28 December 1968
Legs3
No. of shows116 (130 scheduled)
Pink Floyd concert chronology

History

The tour began with difficulty as the band's lead guitarist, vocalist and primary songwriter Syd Barrett left the band in April 1968.[1] Despite leaving in April, Barrett had only played in the band in January this year, when they were briefly a five-piece with the addition of guitarist David Gilmour, but he soon replaced Barrett entirely.[2] As the main frontman, Barrett had initially been a central part of live performances, although bassist Roger Waters was able to steer the band through a potentially difficult series of live concerts based mainly on the European mainland. Many of these performances took place at multi-artist music festivals in Europe, although the band were starting to establish a successful university circuit around the UK. In these venues, the band were greeted with respect and during some performances the audience would remain silent until the last note was played.

The tour began on 17 February at the Patronaatsgebouw, Netherlands and ran until a final performance in the Netherlands on 28 December. The tour was fitted in and around recording commitments and the band did not perform consistently during this period.

After Barrett's departure, many of his songs were gradually dropped from the band's set lists, but some compositions that the band had performed with Barrett remained in their repertoire until 1971, notably "Interstellar Overdrive" and "Astronomy Domine". The latter track was doubled in length with an additional organ solo and repeated verses.[3] "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" had been performed in late 1967 with Barrett, but the band increasingly extended it to feature more guitar and organ work. This song would be played at almost every Pink Floyd concert until 1972.[4] In 1968, a large gong also became a characteristic part of the band's live show following its introduction at the "Games for May" concert in 1967.

"Careful with That Axe, Eugene", which was introduced in early 1968 under the titles "Murderistic Women"[5] and "Keep Smiling People",[6] would develop into a major part of the band's live shows up until 1973. The song was gradually extended as the year progressed, with initial performances lasting only four minutes and then growing to reach 8 minutes and more. At the latter end of 1968, Waters' vocalizations and climactic screams became a focal point of this piece.

Another increasingly regular addition to Pink Floyd performances was "The Massed Gadgets of Hercules": an early, shorter version of "A Saucerful of Secrets". Like "Eugene", the song was gradually extended from 6 minutes up until around 11 minutes as Gilmour took the wordless vocal on the closing "Celestial Voices" section of the song.

Tour dates

Date City Country Venue
Europe
17 February 1968TerneuzenNetherlandsPatronage Hall
Vlissingen Vlissingen Concert Hall
18 February 1968 Brussels Belgium RTB TV Studios (Vibrato)
19 February 1968 RTB TV Studios (Tienerklanen)
20 February 1968 Paris France ORTF TV Studios (Bouton Rouge)
21 February 1968 ORTF TV Studios (Discorama)
22 February 1968Leuven BelgiumRijschool
23 February 1968AntwerpPannenhuis
24 February 1968BrusselsCheetah Club
25 February 1968BussumNetherlandsDe Engh
26 February 1968CambridgeEnglandLion Hotel
4 March 1968 Isleworth Isleworth Film Studios
9 March 1968ManchesterManchester Technical College
14 March 1968BelfastNorthern IrelandWhitla Hall
2 shows
15 March 1968OxfordEnglandStage Club, Clardendon Restaurant
16 March 1968LondonCasino Hotel, Tagg's Island
Middle Earth
17 March 1968 Ertvelde Belgium Club '67
20 March 1968Liverpool EnglandNew Grafton Rooms
22 March 1968LondonWoolwich Polytechnic
24 March 1968 Frankfurt West Germany Volksbildungsheim
25 March 1968 Zürich Switzerland Unknown
26 March 1968 London England Barnes Common
28 March 1968 East Stratford Abbey Mills Pumping Station
31 March 1968 Groningen Netherlands Concertzaal De Jong
11 April 1968 White City England BBC TV Centre (All My Loving)
12 April 1968 Brussels Belgium RTB TV Studios
13 April 1968
14 April 1968
18 April 1968RomeItalyPiper Club
19 April 1968
20 April 1968RAF WaddingtonEnglandRaven Club
30 April 1968 Zaandam Netherlands VARA TV Studios (Moef Ga Ga)
3 May 1968London EnglandWestfield College
4 May 1968 Brussels Belgium Theater 140
5 May 1968
6 May 1968RomeItalyPalazzo dello Sport EUR
11 May 1968FalmerEnglandUniversity of Sussex
17 May 1968LondonMiddle Earth Club
22 May 1968 Antwerp Belgium Hotel Billiard Palace
23 May 1968AmsterdamNetherlandsParadiso
2 shows
24 May 1968LapworthEnglandThe Punchbowl Hotel
25 May 1968WishawThe Belfry Hotel
26 May 1968LondonPF Middle Earth (OZ Magazine benefit)
31 May 1968AmsterdamNetherlandsParadiso
Fantasio
1 June 1968Lijn 3
BussumDe Engh
Apeldoorn Eurobeurs
2 June 1968VlissingenConcertgebouw
3 June 1968HeeschDe Pas
Weesp Weesp Centrum
8 June 1968HaverfordwestWalesMarket Hall
12 June 1968CambridgeEnglandMay Ball - King's College
14 June 1968LondonUniversity College London
15 June 1968ManchesterMagic Village
21 June 1968OxfordCommemoration Ball - Balliol College
22 June 1968The HagueNetherlandsHoutrusthallen
25 June 1968 London England BBC Piccadilly Studios (Top Gear)
26 June 1968SheffieldSheffield University
28 June 1968ShrewsburyMusic Hall
29 June 1968LondonHyde Park Free Concert - Hyde Park
North America
8 July 1968ChicagoUnited StatesKinetic Playground
12 July 1968DetroitGrande Ballroom
13 July 1968Ann ArborFifth Dimension
15 July 1968New York CityThe Scene
16 July 1968
17 July 1968
18 July 1968BostonBoston Tea Party
19 July 1968
20 July 1968
23 July 1968 Philadelphia WKBS-TV Studios (The Hy-Lit Show)
24 July 1968Philadelphia Music Festival
26 July 1968Los AngelesShrine Exposition Hall
27 July 1968
2 August 1968San FranciscoAvalon Ballroom
3 August 1968
4 August 1968
9 August 1968SeattleEagles Auditorium
10 August 1968
11 August 1968
16 August 1968SacramentoSound Factory
17 August 1968
23 August 1968TorranceThe Bank
24 August 1968
Europe
24 August 1968PrestatynWalesThe Royal Lido, Central Beach
31 August 1968KasterleeBelgiumKastival 68 Festival
1 September 1968 AmsterdamNetherlandsParadiso
4 September 1968RichmondEnglandRichmond Athletic Club
6 September 1968 Paris France ORTF TV Studios (Samedi Et Comagnie)
7 September 1968 Le Bilboquet
8 September 1968 Chatelet Belgium Chatelet Teenage Festival
13 September 1968Erdington EnglandMothers
14 September 1968 Leeuwarden Netherlands Fuq Festival
20 September 1968Bristol EnglandVictoria Rooms
26 September 1968 Newcastle Mayfair Ballroom
27 September 1968DunoonScotlandQueens Hall
28 September 1968 Essen West Germany Grugahalle
1 October 1968Glasgow ScotlandThe Maryland Ballroom
4 October 1968ErdingtonEnglandMothers
6 October 1968LondonThe Country Club - Belsize Park
16 October 1968LyonFranceThéâtre du Huitième
18 October 1968 Norwich England The Industrial Club
19 October 1968BrusselsBelgiumThéâtre 140
20 October 1968Théâtre 140
2 shows
25 October 1968LondonEnglandThe Boat House - Kew
26 October 1968Imperial College London
1 November 1968 Portsmouth Highbury Technical College
2 November 1968 London London College Of Printing
7 November 1968Porchester Hall - Bayswater
8 November 1968Fishmonger's Arms - Wood Green
15 November 1968 Munich West Germany Blow Up Club
16 November 1968OltenSwitzerlandRestaurant Olten-Hammer
17 November 1968ZürichKongresshaus
22 November 1968RichmondEnglandRichmond Athletic Club
23 November 1968LondonRegent Street Polytechnic
24 November 1968Country Club - Belsize Park
27 November 1968Newcastle-under-LymeKeele University
29 November 1968LondonBedford College
2 December 1968 Maida Vale Studios (Top Gear)
5 December 1968BournemouthRoyal Arcade Ballrooms
7 December 1968 Liverpool Liverpool Stadium
8 December 1968 Merthyr Tydfil Wales ABC Cinema
12 December 1968 Dundee Scotland College Of Art
13 December 1968 Leeds England Marquee Club
14 December 1968 Slough Slough College of Technology
15 December 1968Newcastle upon TyneNewcastle City Hall
20 December 1968 London BBC Paris Cinema (Radio One Club)
27 December 1968RotterdamNetherlandsDe Doelen
28 December 1968UtrechtMargriethal-Jaarbeurs

Set list

A typical set list would include some of the following:

  1. "Astronomy Domine"
  2. "Interstellar Overdrive"
  3. "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun"
  4. "Pow R. Toc H."
  5. "Let There Be More Light"
  6. "The Massed Gadgets of Hercules" (first performed on 23 May 1968, early title for "A Saucerful of Secrets")
  7. "Flaming"
  8. "Keep Smiling People" (an embryonic version of "Careful with That Axe, Eugene")

Other songs

  1. "Remember a Day" (played only once on 6 May 1968)
  2. "It Would Be So Nice" (played only once on 11 May 1968)
  3. "Matilda Mother" (played only once on 26 July 1968)

Tour band

Additional musicians

  • Roy Harper – cymbals on "A Saucerful of Secrets" at Hyde Park 29 June

References

  1. Schaffner, Nicholas (2005). "Prologue – Wish You Were Here". Saucerful of Secrets: The Pink Floyd Odyssey (New ed.). London: Helter Skelter. p. 15. ISBN 1-905139-09-8.
  2. Manning, Toby (2006). "The Underground". The Rough Guide to Pink Floyd (1st ed.). London: Rough Guides. p. 45. ISBN 1-84353-575-0.
  3. Manning, Toby (2006). "The Albums". The Rough Guide to Pink Floyd (1st ed.). London: Rough Guides. p. 160. ISBN 1-84353-575-0.
  4. Mabbett, Andy (1995). The Complete Guide to the Music of Pink Floyd. London: Omnibus. ISBN 0-7119-4301-X.
  5. Hodges, Nick and Priston, Ian (1999), Embryo: A Pink Floyd Chronology 1966–1971. Cherry Red Books, p. 126.
  6. "RoIO CD: Keep Smiling People". Pf-roio.de. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
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