NICK MASON « Nick Mason Responde », Vibraciones, July 1977.
Interviewer: « Could we talk a bit about your last tour? This is Pink Floyd's first tour in eighteen months, what were your hopes, your fears at the beginning, what was the general attitude of the band about performing again? »
Nick Mason: « I think the main thing that worried me - and I guess the others must have - was the fact that at the end of the previous tour the dominant feeling among us was boredom. We were concerned about the reasons for this loss of interest and boredom in playing. Fortunately, it didn't happen again. I think everyone had a good time playing again »
Interviewer: « What could have been the reason for the loss of interest in playing?
Nick Mason: « The fact that we were playing "Dark Side of the Moon" over and over again until it became a very organised show, with very little new stuff; it became very mechanical. It was a very good show, but it was more like a circus show than a real concert.
Interviewer: « Could it be your fault to some extent? I mean I'm no longer able to bring new elements to your music every night you play? »
Nick Mason: « Yeah, it was our fault, obviously we got bored with the material we were working with; anyway, now it would be quite easy for us to put spirit into the same thing. I mean there were a lot of problems with that tour. Every tour you try to do things better than before, on this tour we use a lot more technical equipment, which causes a lot more problems without it ever going quite right. I got bored playing "Dark Side", with such a specific show, for three years. Of course, I know you can say that it's possible to add new things to something you've been working on for three years, but basically what happened is that everybody felt like leaving it and doing something else »
Interviewer: « Do you sometimes get the impression that you are trapped by the technique, by the perfection of the show? »
Nick Mason: « No, we're not trapped by that. I mean that's what's interesting. I don't have any ambition to become a great musician, I'm not interested in becoming the best drummer in the world. What matters to me is to be able to put on a show with all its ingredients.
Interviewer: « Does everyone in the band think the same? »
Nick Mason: « No, nobody in the band has the same opinion about the same thing. Not everyone said two years ago "Oh my God, I can't take it anymore", and not everyone has gotten excited about this tour. I think, I believe, but who knows? »
Interviewer: « Listening to what you say, it seems as if there are really big communication problems within the band … »
Nick Mason: « Of course, there are always communication problems within a group »
Interviewer: « After ten years, are things getting worse or better at that level? »
Nick Mason: « Ummm. No, I don't think they are getting worse, but... in some respects they are becoming more frequent. I can't conceive of any group without communication problems, just as I can't conceive of anyone - wives, husbands or anyone living in company - who doesn't have them … »
Interviewer: « Is there democracy within the group, or is it something else? »
Nick Mason: « Dictatorship (smiling). Theoretically there is a democratic situation, everyone has an equal vote, but in reality that's not how it works. What usually happens is that not every aspect is discussed and voted on. For example, if Roger has a very strong idea about how something should be done... that's how it ends up being done, because nobody cares about how it's done. If someone is very particularly interested in something, they can always do it as long as the idea doesn't conflict badly with anyone else's. It's not about deliberately blocking what's going to be done. It's not about deliberately blocking what others are trying to do … »
Interviewer: « Let's look for an example: most of the texts come from Roger, and they are becoming more and more pessimistic and disillusioned about reality. Is the rest of the group in the same situation? »
Nick Mason: « No, that only affects Roger's lyrics. I'm on his side as far as the texts are concerned, but they don't respond to a general approach of the group, they are an exposition of Roger's feelings »
Interviewer: « So, if no one objects, everyone can do what they want »
Nick Mason: « Absolutely. I mean, there is no right to "veto". We'll never say to anyone in the band something like: "We're not going to play that because we don't like what it says". If someone writes something, the rest of the band always tries to play it. The band is not defined as a solid entity, but as a gathering of four individualities »
Interviewer: « So it must be an excellent mix of four individualities when it's still surviving after ten years, isn't it? »
Nick Mason: « It can seem that way. There are various ways of interpreting it that I'm not going to … explain now »
Interviewer: « Would it be helpful for Pink Floyd to accept a new member into the group - for example, "Snowy" White, the second guitarist? »
Nick Mason: « Not in a permanent way; I think so. It's hard enough for the four of us. The feeling on stage is already very different when we have "Snowy" or Dick playing, because there is a shift... we are all displaced in one direction or another. In Dave's case it frees him up (?), because now he plays solos like he's never played before, and he needs to have a certain backing to do that. For Roger it gives him the opportunity to be able to play rhythm guitar, which is good for him because he really enjoys doing it. It's good for me too because it gives me a chance to play with a different bass. Roger and I have been playing together for ten years, so we already know each other's way of playing. We often get to jam together, do the same kinds of breaks and move on, but it's interesting to have a fresher bass playing in a different style »
Interviewer: « And you don't dare to bring someone else into the band then? »
Nick Mason: « After ten years, everyone thinks it still works. But I think the idea of bringing more people with voting rights into the band would be... it would be impossible. With Dick we've spent about three years or so touring, but we've done things with other people that we didn't necessarily want them to carry on with us; for example, when we used a brass player or a vocal section… »
Interviewer: « And it didn't work out?
Nick Mason: « No, it was great. But only for Dark Side, it doesn't necessarily have to be positive for some of the other stuff we're doing now. And to be able to change some things it's much better to be able to make decisions like that »
Interviewer: « That means that maybe in ten years Pink Floyd will still be made up of the same four people as they are now.
Nick Mason: « Fuck! I have no idea about that. Nothing is certain »
Interviewer: « Do you discuss plans for the future and other projects within the band?
Nick Mason: « Sometimes we talk about what we can do after the summer, but we don't make long term plans »
Interviewer: « Is this positive or negative? »
Nick Mason: « Positive. I think it would be terrible to make long-term plans. The band will stay together only as long as there is interest in working on new material; as long as there is interest, it will go on. You can't make plans for what you're going to do, because then you only do it if you feel like doing it when the time comes »
Interviewer: « What about the solo projects you're supposed to have? »
Nick Mason: « I think everyone in the band has projects, either making solo albums or working outside of the band. Because obviously that's something you lose when you're in a band... where you lose your identity more and more, your individuality »
Interviewer: « Only in terms of music or also on other levels? »
Nick Mason: « Well, we live very far apart from each other, so I don't think we really... But it's almost schizophrenic, you become two different people: one when you're in the band and one when you're out of the band. That's why I think we're all interested.... I'm sure Roger wants to do a solo album, I know Rick does too. I think when the two of them do it, Dave will probably do it too, and if Dave does it, I'll do it too »
Interviewer: « Is that the normal process by which decisions are made, from Roger to you? »
Nick Mason: « No, it's not a bounded thing like that »
Interviewer: « But why hasn't anyone wanted to do a solo album before? »
Nick Mason: « Because we have always been very busy with other things. There was a lot of talk about it in the past. There was a time when we were about to take a year off to do solo stuff, because we got so fed up with each other. Then something came along that we wanted to do together. It was actually the music for "Dunes" - it never really transcended, but there was a moment when we got together and said, "We'd really like to work together on 'Dunes' instead of getting into solo albums »
Interviewer: « Are you going to work on those solo projects after the American tour is over? »
Nick Mason: « Well, we're going to do that American tour and then we'll see how everyone feels about it. My guess is that nobody is going to do anything for a long time. »
Interviewer: « Do you have any idea how Dave and Roger's solo albums will turn out, for example? »
Nick Mason: « Ummm, no. I have some ideas in mind but don't even dream of me telling you. I could be proved wrong within a year »
Interviewer: « And do you have any idea what your own solo album might be like? »
Nick Mason: « No, but I have a very good idea of how I would take it. But, as I was saying, the reason I'm doing it is because other people are doing it too; it's not so much a real need to do it, at the moment »
Interviewer: « But isn't it necessary to have the need and the personal drive that it takes, when you want to get into an album? »
Nick Mason: « Yes, and it's better if that push comes from yourself than if others have to push you »
Interviewer: « But, somehow, I get the impression that deep down you want someone to push you … »
Nick Mason: « No … »
Interviewer: « Or is it that you need to be pushed?
Nick Mason: « Yes, sometimes I really need to be pushed, but I prefer it to come from myself »
Interviewer: « Why does it take Pink Floyd so long to release a new album? You need almost two years for each LP »
Nick Mason: « Because we're very successful and we don't need to make records to move forward or anything like that. And also, we're very lazy. And when we finish one album we don't start working on another one immediately. If we do another album, it's easy for it not to come out for another couple of years, because it's going to take us a year to start again »
Interviewer: « Apart from that possible solo project, do you have any other plans as a producer or … ? »
Nick Mason: « Yes, I'd certainly like to do something of a production type. I'd like to do something with Robert Wyatt. He plays keyboards now and writes really nice songs. But he's an extremely lazy guy »
Interviewer: « Why do Pink Floyd have such bad relations with the press and the media in general? »
Nick Mason: « Basically, we're all very shy. We thought and still think we've lost our patience, that interviews are generally not very satisfying. You try to spend your time on things that you hope will make you feel better. And I think we all share the view that interviews only serve to make us feel much, much worse. I accept that this shouldn't affect us too much, but it's starting to become impossible, re-reading the interviews... we discover that they don't put the things we said in them »
