News

Nick Mason category

Nick Mason drums for peace in Sudan

Posted September 22, 2010 by Floydian Slip

Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason was one of many who participated in a new video to promote peace in Sudan.

The 4-minute “Beat For Peace” clip is part of a campaign focused on a meeting of world leaders about to be held at the United Nations this Friday.


Posted in Nick Mason, Personnel | 1 comment

Nick Mason: Floyd anthology in the works

Posted September 1, 2010 by Floydian Slip

Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason has indicated a Pink Floyd anthology and catalog reissue might be in the works.

His comments appear in an interview published in the recent issue of Rhythm magazine.

“We’ve been developing the idea of a Pink Floyd anthology for a long time. I’ve spent quite a lot of time trying to find the material. I really enjoy that, but it’s time consuming,” he says.

“We’re talking about doing a big reissue of the Pink Floyd catalogue because there is the belief that there eventually will be the point that there simply won’t be enough market to generate those sort of packages. That would be a tragedy, so it’s a good time to do it.”

Read the full interview online.

Thanks to Eduardo Lopez-Reyes. Have a tip to share? Email us.


Posted in Merchandise, Nick Mason, Personnel, Recordings | 2 comments

Nick Mason’s garage burglarized

Posted May 21, 2010 by Floydian Slip

Nick Mason‘s garage was broken into recently.

The U.K.’s Daily Mirror newspaper reports the Pink Floyd drummer arrived at his Hampstead, North London, home to find the garage unlocked and several crash helmets missing, including a pink one.

“It’s quite distinctive so the number of people who had a helmet that color would be limited,” he said. “It would be nice to get them back.”

Mason is nearly as famous for his love of motor sports as he is for being a member of Floyd.

Oddly, the thief or thieves left his Harley Davidson motorcycle untouched.


Posted in Nick Mason, Personnel | Comments Off on Nick Mason’s garage burglarized

Nick Masons joins campaign against Sudan violence

Posted January 11, 2010 by Floydian Slip

Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason has joined Beat for Peace, a movement calling for renewed diplomatic efforts to prevent violence in the African nation of Sudan.

Mason appears in a video of drummers (below) across the globe lending their support to the cause.

Stewart Copeland (The Police), Phil Selway (Radiohead), Jonny Quinn (Snow Patrol) and many others also appear in the video.

The civil war between North and South Sudan was Africa’s longest-running civil war, killing more than 2 million people. With violence on the increase in southern Sudan, activists are trying to prevent the return of mass human rights violations to that area.

More information about Sudan and Beat for Peace is available at the Beat for Peace Web site.


Posted in Nick Mason, Personnel | 1 comment

Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason cooks

Posted December 17, 2009 by Floydian Slip

Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason offers up his recipe for bouillabaisse in a new charity cookbook.

“A Salute to Cooking” from Bene Factum Publishing Ltd. benefits the Royal Hospital Chelsea‘s Chelsea Pensioners’ Appeal fund.

Mason is one of many celebrities who contributed more than 100 recipes for the book.

Illustrator Gerald Scarfe, best-known to Floyd fans for his work on Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” album and film, illustrated the book’s cover.

Founded in 1702, Royal Chelsea Hospital is home to 300 aging or disabled veterans who served in the British Army.

Buy “A Salute to Cooking” for £14.99 ($24.30 at time of writing) online. The title’s also available for purchase in-person at the hospital shop in Chelsea, London.


Posted in Books, Merchandise, Nick Mason, Personnel | Comments Off on Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason cooks

Nick Mason lends voice to charity single

Posted October 19, 2009 by Floydian Slip

Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason will be heard on a new track to be released Nov. 1 to benefit a children’s charity.

Nick will drum — and sing! — on a cover of The Beatles’ “All You Need Is Love.” The track will appear on “Bandaged Together,” a double-album to benefit the BBC’s Children in Need charity.

The track, which also features Bryan Ferry, Peter Gabriel, and Bill Wyman, was recorded last month at EMI’s Abbey Road studio.

Nick’s track will be available as a download beginning Nov. 1. “Bandaged Together” will go on sale Nov. 9. You’ll be able to place your order online.

This will be the second “Bandaged Together” album. The first raised £250,000 for the charity.


Posted in Merchandise, Nick Mason, Personnel, Recordings | 1 comment

Mason wins at Goodwood Revival

Posted September 22, 2009 by Floydian Slip

Pink Floyd drummer and auto enthusiast Nick Mason took the prize in his race Sunday at the Goodwood Revival, a nostalgic three-day auto event.

Mason pushed his 1930s Aston Martin Ulster (pictured) to an average speed of 77.25 MPH to come in first in the Brooklands Trophy race.

Twenty-three drivers competed in the race.

Goodwood Revival is held each year in West Sussex, 60 miles outside London, 30 miles from Southampton.


Posted in Nick Mason, Personnel | Comments Off on Mason wins at Goodwood Revival

Lily Allen takes a poke at the Floyd

Posted September 15, 2009 by Floydian Slip

London’s Metro newspaper reports 24-year-old singer/songwriter Lily Allen has spoken out against file sharing.

Her comments, posted on her MySpace page, are in response to a recent Times story quoting Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason suggesting prosecuting those who illegally share music files is misguided and shortsighted.

“I think music piracy is having a dangerous effect on British music, but some really rich and successful artists like Nick Mason from Pink Floyd and Ed O’Brien from Radiohead don’t seem to think so,” she wrote.

“These guys from huge bands said file-sharing music is fine. It probably is fine for them. They do sell-out arena tours and have the biggest Ferrari collections in the world.

“For new talent though, file-sharing is a disaster as it’s making it harder and harder for new acts to emerge.

“You don’t start out in music with the Ferraris. Instead you get a huge debt from your record company, which you spend years working your arse off to repay.”

The Ferrari reference would seem to be a jab at Mason’s impressive auto collection.


Posted in Misc, Nick Mason | 2 comments

Nick Mason speaks out against file sharing penalty

Posted September 10, 2009 by Floydian Slip

Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason (left) is one of many professional musicians lending a voice to the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC), a group encouraging the British government to rethink its stance toward illegal file sharers.

“The last thing we want to be doing is going to war with our fanbase. File sharing means a new generation of fans for us,” Mason said.

“It’s a great thing to have another generation discovering your music and thinking you’re rather good. File sharing plays a part in that, because that generation don’t do it any other way.”

His comments are a reaction to British Business Secretary Lord Mandelson‘s plan to suspend the Internet accounts of those caught sharing digital music files.

FAC has drafted a resolution that calls on the government to innovate new business models that help fans obtain music legally.

That plan has received backing by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, and the Music Producers’ Guild.

Pictured, from left: Mason and other FAC members — Ed O’Brien (Radiohead), Dave Rowntree (Blur) and Billy Bragg. (David Bebber/The Times)


Posted in Misc, Nick Mason, Personnel | 3 comments

Nick Mason won’t rule out Floyd video game

Posted September 8, 2009 by Floydian Slip

Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason has told the BBC his band might consider a Floyd-themed video game along the lines of Guitar Hero or Rock Band.

“Everyone’s looking at new ways of selling the music because the business of selling records has almost disappeared,” he said.

“We’re all still interested in the catalog and trying to make the most of it, re-mastering when necessary, and looking at other things that we could do with it.”

His comments came on the eve of the release of “The Beatles: Rock Band” by MTV Games.

Mason and Bill Wyman (Rolling Stones) took the opportunity to question those games’ effect on budding musicians.

“It irritates me having watched my kids do it,” Mason said. “If they spent as much time practicing the guitar as learning how to press the buttons they’d be damn good by now.”

Wyman was more direct: “It encourages kids not to learn, that’s the trouble. … It makes less and less people dedicated to really get down and learn an instrument.”


Posted in Nick Mason, Personnel | 2 comments