“The exception”: Nick Mason discusses the only musician who could improvise with Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd may be celebrated as one of the ultimate recording artists—pioneering the concept album and pushing the studio’s creative potential to new heights—but at their core, they were always a jam band. When they emerged in the late 1960s as a key act at London’s UFO Club, their energetic and improvised performances, which added a unique twist to the psychedelic movement of their era, were crucial in establishing them as pioneers of the genre.
In their early years, Pink Floyd were led by original frontman Syd Barrett, whose frenetic energy and vivid imagination were the band’s driving force. After Barrett’s departure in 1968, the group continued to champion improvisational jams both live and in the studio. This is evident in their expansive classics like ‘Echoes’ and the nine-part ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’. Their ability to explore deep emotions and profound sentiments through lengthy yet powerful compositions became one of the defining features of their golden era.
One of Pink Floyd’s greatest achievements was their ability to take the raw, improvisational jams of their early days and refine them into something more accessible to a broader audience. They fused this creative spirit with Roger Waters’ growing interest in dissecting human nature and politics, allowing his introspective and poignant lyrics to be supported by the band’s expressive and expansive compositions. This blend provided a powerful musical framework that amplified the depth and scope of Waters’ ideas.
As Pink Floyd transitioned from Syd Barrett’s whimsical psychedelia to their more mature, progressive sound—epitomised by 1973’s cerebral masterpiece The Dark Side of the Moon—they remained devoted to electrifying live jams. These performances showcased their boundless creativity beyond the confines of the studio. One of the most remarkable and unexpected moments, especially for modern fans, was their live collaboration with Frank Zappa, a convergence that highlighted their improvisational prowess and willingness to explore new musical frontiers.
While Zappa’s avant-garde stylings were distinct from Pink Floyd’s music, with him also an open hippie-hater, his live jam with the band would have been one to remember. The session occurred at The Actuel Rock Festival, billed as France’s first-ever rock festival and the European answer to Woodstock, sponsored by the Parisian publication Actuel. However, with France embroiled in political turmoil and the violent riots of May 1968 still fresh in memory, the authorities banned the festival. As a result, it was relocated just a few miles across the border to a turnip field in Amougies, Belgium.
The event occurred in a big-top circus tent over five freezing and damp days in late October 1969. Amassing around 20,000 fans, the lineup was stacked, featuring the likes of Pink Floyd, Yes, Pharoah Sanders, The Soft Machine, Captain Beefheart, The Nice, and many others. It is also rumoured to be where Zappa met his longtime drummer, Aynsley Dunbar.
Zappa, known for being one of rock’s most unpredictable figures, attended the festival for two reasons: serving as Captain Beefheart’s road manager and acting as the MC alongside influential radio DJ Pierre Lattès, who was also the editor of Actuel. However, Zappa’s limited French made his role as MC challenging, despite his naturally vibrant personality seeming perfect for the job. He eventually stepped down from hosting and embraced a role the audience could fully appreciate: guest guitarist.
He played with many acts on the bill, including Dunbar, but the most remarkable was the jam with Pink Floyd on an extensive version of their epic ‘Interstellar Overdrive’. What’s a tragedy for those who weren’t there is that the festival was filmed for a movie called Music Power, but the footage was never officially released due to objections from bands and issues with permission.
Zappa later claimed he couldn’t remember jamming with Pink Floyd, despite a photograph confirming it. Furthermore, according to the band’s drummer Nick Mason, it not only happened, but the American was “the exception” to the norm that people struggled to improvise with them.
In 1973, he said: “Frank Zappa is really one of those rare musicians that can play with us. The little he did in Amougies was terribly correct. But he’s the exception. Our music and the way we behave on stage, makes it very hard to improvise with us.”
There are many classic instances of prominent acts improvising with each other in the heady spirit of the countercultural age, but Pink Floyd and Zappa’s link-up would surely have been one of the most iconic if the film had only come to light. I wonder if it ever will.
