Pink Floyd European Tour 1968

infobox concert tour
concert_tour_name = Pink Floyd European Tour 1968


image_caption =
artist = Pink Floyd
start_date = 17 February 1968
end_date = 28 December 1968The Pink Floyd 1968 European Tour was a concert tour in The Netherlands, France, and the U.K which took place intermittently between February and December 1968.

History

The tour began with difficulty as the band's lead guitarist, vocalist and primary song writer Syd Barrett had officially left the band in late January (although this was not officially announced until April). Barrett was replaced by the technically more competent guitarist David Gilmour, and briefly Pink Floyd performed as a five piece. As the main frontman, Barrett had initially been a central part of live performances, although crucially the bands leader and 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 U.K. In these venues, the band were greeted with a silent respect and during performances the audience would remain silent until the very last note was played.

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

The recent departure of lead guitarist Syd Barrett, would continue to haunt the bands live performances during 1968. Although many of his songs were dropped, the longer compositions performed by the band with Barrett continued to be a major part of their live performances up until 1971, with Interstellar Overdrive and Astronomy Domine the most popular. The latter track was doubled in length, with additional organ and verses included. Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun had been performed in late 1967 with Barrett, but increasingly the song was becoming extended, featuring more guitar and organ work. This song would be played at almost every concert until 1973. 1968 also marks the moment that the band introduced a gong, which became a characteristic part of their live set up.

The Waters led Careful With That Axe, Eugene, which at this time was known as Muderistic women and Keep Smiling people, would become a major part of the bands live performances up until 1973. The song was gradually extended as the year progressed, with original performances only lasting four minutes and then growing to around 8 minutes. At the latter end of 1968, Waters characteristic loud scream also started to emerge prominently.

Another increasingly regular addition to live performances was The Massed Gadgets of Hercules, and early, shorter version of A Saucerful of Secrets. Like Eugene, the song was gradually extended from 6 minutes up until around 11 minutes. Gilmour also took over vocal duties on the closing 'celestial voices' section of the song.

Band members

*David Gilmour - guitar, vocals
*Roger Waters - bass, vocals
*Rick Wright - keyboards, vocals
*Nick Mason- drums

Additional musicians

*Roy Harper - cymbals on "A Saucerful of Secrets" at Hyde Park 29th June

Set list

A typical set list would include some of the following:
*Astronomy Domine
*Interstellar Overdrive
*Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun
*Pow R. Toc H.
*Let There Be More Light
*The Massed Gadgets of Hercules (first performed on the 23 May 1968 Renamed A Saucerful of Secrets )
*Flaming
*Keep Smiling People (a prototype version of Careful with that Axe, Eugene)

Other Songs

*Remember a Day (played only once on the 6th May 1968)
*It Would Be So Nice (played only once on the 11 May 1968)
*Matilda Mother (played only once on 26th July 1968)

Tour dates

*17/02/1968 flagicon|Netherlands Patronaatsgebouw - Terneuzen, Netherlands
*22/02/1968 flagicon|Belgium Rijschool - Leuven, Belgium
*23/02/1968 flagicon|Belgium Annenhuis - Antwerp, Belgium
*24/02/1968 flagicon|Belgium Cheetah Club - Brussels, Belgium
*25/02/1968 flagicon|Netherlands De Engh - Bussum, Netherlands
*26/02/1968 flagicon|England Lion Hotel - Cambridge, England
*09/03/1968 flagicon|England Manchester Technical College - Manchester, England
*14/03/1968 flagicon|UK Whitla Hall - Belfast, Northern Ireland (2 shows)
*15/03/1968 flagicon|England Stage Club, Clardendon Restaurant, Oxford, England
*16/03/1968 flagicon|England Casino Hotel, Tagg's Island, England
*20/03/1968 flagicon|England New Grafton Rooms - Liverpool, England
*22/03/1968 flagicon|England Woolwich Polytechnic, London, England
*18/04/1968 flagicon|Italy Piper Club - Rome, Italy
*19/04/1968 flagicon|Italy Piper Club - Rome, Italy
*20/04/1968 flagicon|England Raven Club - RAF Waddington, England
*03/05/1968 flagicon|England Westfield College - London, England
*06/05/1968 flagicon|Italy Palazzo dello Sport EUR - Rome, Italy
*11/05/1968 flagicon|England University of Sussex - Falmer, England
*17/05/1968 flagicon|England Middle Earth Club - London, England
*23/05/1968 flagicon|Netherlands Paradiso - Amsterdam, Netherlands (2 shows)
*24/05/1968 flagicon|England The Punchbowl Hotel - Lapworth, England
*25/05/1968 flagicon|England The Belfry Hotel - Wishaw, England
*26/05/1968 flagicon|England PF Middle Earth Club - London, England (OZ Magazine benefit)
*31/05/1968 flagicon|Netherlands Lijn 3 - Amsterdam, Netherlands
*01/06/1968 flagicon|Netherlands Lijn 3 - Amsterdam, Netherlands
*01/06/1968 flagicon|Netherlands De Engh - Bussum, Netherlands
*02/06/1968 flagicon|Netherlands Concertgebouw - Vlissingen, Netherlands
*03/06/1968 flagicon|Netherlands De Pas - Heesch, Netherlands
*08/06/1968 flagicon|Wales Market Hall - Haverfordwest, Wales
*12/06/1968 flagicon|England May Ball - Kings College, Cambridge, England
*14/06/1968 flagicon|England University College, London, England
*15/06/1968 flagicon|England Magic Village - Manchester, England
*21/06/1968 flagicon|England Commemoration Ball - Balliol College, Oxford, England
*22/06/1968 flagicon|Netherlands Houtrusthallen - The Hague, Netherlands
*26/06/1968 flagicon|England Sheffield University - Sheffield, England
*28/06/1968 flagicon|England Music Hall, Shrewsbury, England
*29/06/1968 flagicon|England Hyde Park Free Concert - Hyde Park, London
*31/08/1968 flagicon|Belgium Kastival 68 Festival - Kasterlee, Belgium
*04/09/1968 flagicon|England Richmond Athletic Club - Richmond, England
*13/09/1968 flagicon|England Mothers - Erdington, England
*20/09/1968 flagicon|England Victoria Rooms - Bristol, England
*27/09/1968 flagicon|Scotland Queens Hall - Dunoon, Scotland
*01/10/1968 flagicon|Scotland The Maryland Ballroom - Glasgow, Scotland
*04/10/1968 flagicon|England Mothers - Erdington, England
*06/10/1968 flagicon|England The Country Club - Belsize Park, London, England
*16/10/1968 flagicon|France Theatre du Huitieme - Lyon, France
*19/10/1968 flagicon|Belgium Theatre 140, Brussels, Belgium
*20/10/1968 flagicon|Belgium Theatre 140, Brussels, Belgium (2 shows)
*05/10/1968 flagicon|England The Boat House - Kew, London, England
*26/10/1968 flagicon|England Imperial College - London, England
*07/11/1968 flagicon|England Porchester Hall - Bayswater, London, England
*08/11/1968 flagicon|England Fishmonger's Arms - Wood Green, London, England
*16/11/1968 flagicon|Switzerland Restaurant Olten-Hammer - Olten, Switzerland
*17/11/1968 flagicon|Switzerland Kongresshaus, Zurich, Switzerland
*22/11/1968 flagicon|England Richmond Athletic Club - Richmond, England
*23/11/1968 flagicon|England Regent Street Polytechnic - London, England
*24/11/1968 flagicon|England Country Club - Belsize Park, London, England
*27/11/1968 flagicon|England University of Keele - Newcastle under Lyme, England
*29/11/1968 flagicon|England Bedford College - London, England
*05/12/1968 flagicon|England Royal Arcade Ballrooms - Bournemouth, England
*15/12/1968 flagicon|England City Hall - Newcastle upon Tyne, England
*27/12/1968 flagicon|Netherlands De Doelen - Rotterdam, Netherlands
*28/12/1968 flagicon|Netherlands Margriethal-Jaarbeurs - Utrecht, Netherlands

References

* [http://www.brain-damage.co.uk/concert-dates/1968-tour-dates-concerts.html Brain Damage.co.uk]