Pink Floyd used to be one of the most active bands around, continuously working on new music and pushing one another to reach higher levels of creativity. They are now largely dormant. This energy included the band frequently touring to bring their whirling sounds to the public. They crossed paths with some of the other most well-known figures of their day while on tour. Pink Floyd were not like other bands, if that wasn’t already obvious from the peculiar sound of their music.
The band, aside from former leader Syd Barrett, weren’t your standard rock stars. Instead of trashing everything in their near proximity like so many of their contemporaries, they preferred to relax by the pool and take in the views that a place had to offer. Pink Floyd always had a certain flare about them, whether it was in their music or their extra-musical pursuits, regardless of the time period in issue.
When the interviewer asked if they had ever destroyed hotels or engaged in similar antics, they answered emphatically in the negative. The two were then questioned about how they “combat the boredom” when traveling across America. They then discussed their interests, with Waters jokingly stating that they aren’t “heavily into crumpet”—a British slang expression that objectifies women—as they proceeded to give examples of what they are into. Mason further added that although none of them were “smashers” like the traditional rockstar, they all enjoyed playing a board game. They also presented a close-knit picture of the gang at that time, which was a sharp contrast to what would happen later.
We don’t eat a lot of crumpets on the road, unlike most other bands, according to Waters. Swimming pools and excursions to see or do things are what we enjoy doing the most. We would all be interested in any activity that we might organize. We participate in football and watch American football games.
“And we have fads like Monopoly and Backgammon,” Mason continued. We also prefer to work virtually every day, which is crucial since else, it would be tedious, but none of us are particularly talented.
After that, the interviewer probed the duo about their early touring experiences with other bands. Here, Waters reflected on his time spent touring with The Who, one of the other major acts of the time. He claimed that because of their personalities were similar, The Who was his “favorite band to meet on the road.” However, he did add that Keith Moon, the drummer for The Who, was in fact a “smasher”.
We don’t really know any other bands, Mason added. The Who, with whom we performed at around three shows, was the closest thing we came to that. A significant portion of social life has been lost to us.
“I think The Who are still my favorite band to meet on the road, because they’re the same kind of people as we are, really,” Waters said, referring to the drummer. Not all of them are smashers. Moony smashes, but he does so in a really refined way—it’s an art form in his hands. He is really funny when he isn’t smashing.
Mason remarked of Keith Moon: “He’s quite pleasant company to have a drink with. Many folks are just inebriated maniacs who wander around boringly. Learn more about Keith Moon’s indiscretions with alcohol here.
The conversation then took an odd turn when Roger Waters remarked, “The Who like a good chat, except for Roger Daltrey.” Mason responded to this assertion with a humorous anecdote about The Who’s vocalist mistaking former Cream guitarist Eric Clapton for Pink Floyd keyboardist Rick Wright at the Fillmore.
He mistook Rick [Wright] for Eric Clapton once, and you’ve never fully recovered. Mason remembered that it was somewhere in a band room. “He approached Rick and greeted him with a “Hello, man, wonderful to see you.” Then Rick said, “Shit, that’s funny.”
“And when he realized, he slunk off, and we haven’t seen him since,” Waters said in his conclusion.
