Nick Mason | |
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.jpg) Mason performing in 2018 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Nicholas Berkeley Mason (1944-01-27)27 January 1944 (age 82) Birmingham,Warwickshire, England |
| Origin | Hampstead, London, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1964–present |
| Member of | |
Nicholas Berkeley Mason (born 27 January 1944) is an English drummer and a founder member of the rock bandPink Floyd. He has been the only constant member since the band's formation in 1965, and the only member to appear on every Pink Floyd album. He co-wrote Pink Floyd compositions including "Echoes", "Time", "Careful with That Axe, Eugene" and "One of These Days".
In 1996, Mason was inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Pink Floyd. In 2018, he formed a new band,Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets, to perform music from Pink Floyd's early years. Mason collects classic cars and competes inmotorsport races, and has produced books and documentaries on the subject.
Nicholas Berkeley Mason was born on 27 January 1944 inBirmingham to Ailsa Sarah (née Kershaw) andBill Mason, a documentary filmmaker;[1] one of his paternal great-grandfathers wasRowland Hill Berkeley, who wasLord Mayor of Birmingham in 1904–1905.[2]
Mason was brought up inHampstead, London, and attendedthe Hall School, Hampstead, andFrensham Heights School, nearFarnham, Surrey. While studying architecture at theRegent Street Polytechnic (now the University of Westminster), he formed a band, Sigma 6, an early incarnation of Pink Floyd, withRoger Waters,Bob Klose andRichard Wright in 1964.[3] In September 1963, Waters and Mason moved into a flat nearCrouch End in London, owned by Mike Leonard, a part-time tutor at the nearbyHornsey College of Art and the Regent Street Polytechnic.[4][nb 1] Mason moved out after the 1964 academic year.[5][nb 2]
Pink Floyd released their debut album,ThePiper at the Gates of Dawn, in 1967.[6] Mason has played on every Pink Floyd album since.[7] The only Pink Floyd compositions credited solely to Mason are "The Grand Vizier's Garden Party" (fromUmmagumma) and "Speak to Me" (fromThe Dark Side of the Moon).[7] The track "Nick's Boogie" was named after him.[7]
The only occasions on which Mason's voice has been included on Pink Floyd's albums are "Corporal Clegg"; the single spoken line in "One of These Days"; and spoken parts of "Signs of Life" and "Learning to Fly" (the latter taken from an actual recording of Mason's first solo flight) fromA Momentary Lapse of Reason.[7] He sang lead vocals on two unreleased but heavily bootlegged tracks, "Scream Thy Last Scream" (1967), penned by original group leaderSyd Barrett, and "The Merry Xmas Song" (1975–76). In live performances of the song "Sheep", Mason delivered the spoken section.[7]
Despite legal conflicts over ownership of the name "Pink Floyd", which began when Waters left the group in 1985 and lasted roughly seven years, Waters and Mason reportedly remained on good terms.[7] Mason joined Waters on the last two nights ofhis 2002 world tour to play drums on the Pink Floyd song "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun", and he also played drums on some concerts of Waters'European tour in 2006, and during performances in Los Angeles and New York City in the United States.
In July 2005, Mason, Gilmour, Wright, and Waters played together on stage for the first time in 24 years at theLive 8 concert in London.[7] Mason joined Gilmour and Wright again for the encore duringGilmour's show at theRoyal Albert Hall, London, on 31 May 2006. He also stated in 2006 that Pink Floyd had not officially disbanded, but with the death of Wright in 2008, the band effectively came to an end, as confirmed by Gilmour.[8] While Gilmour and Waters continued to quarrel, Mason remained close to both.[9]
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On 12 May 2007, Mason joined Waters on stage atEarls Court to playThe Dark Side of the Moon. On 12 May 2011, Mason was featured (along with Gilmour) on the encore "Outside the Wall" at a concert by Waters, who was performingThe Wall in its entirety (Gilmour also performed on "Comfortably Numb" that night). Mason worked with musicians includingSteve Hillage (as drummer and producer),Robert Wyatt (with whom he appeared onTop of the Pops[7]),the Damned andGong.[10] He also drummed forMichael Mantler.[10]
Mason's memoir,Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd, was published in the UK in October 2004.[7] It is also available, abridged, as a 3-CD audio book, read by Mason.[7] An updated edition was published in paperback in 2011.
Mason performed in the closing ceremony of the2012 Olympic Games on 12 August 2012. He produced and played on the charity single "Save the Children (Look Into Your Heart)", which also featuredBeverley Knight,Mick Jagger andRonnie Wood and which was released in May 2015 in aid ofSave the Children'sNepal Earthquake Appeal.[11] On 17 October 2012, Mason was presented with aBASCA Gold Badge Award in recognition of his contributions to music.[12] Mason said in 2018 that, while he remained close to Gilmour and Waters, the two remained "at loggerheads".[13]
In 2018, Mason formed a new band, Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets, to perform Pink Floyd's earlypsychedelic material.[14] Along with Mason, the band comprises guitarist Lee Harris, formerly ofthe Blockheads, bassist and Pink Floyd collaboratorGuy Pratt, vocalist and guitaristGary Kemp ofSpandau Ballet, andthe Orb keyboardist Dom Beken.[15] As many fans had discovered Pink Floyd withThe Dark Side of the Moon, Mason wanted to bring their earlier material to a wider audience.[15] The band toured Europe and North America in 2018 and 2019, with a third tour postponed to 2021 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[16] In September 2020, they released a live album and film,Live at the Roundhouse.[17]
Influenced byjazz andbig band music, Mason embraced acoustic drums (both single- and double-headed), tuned percussion, electronic drums and Rototoms, melding all of these into a melodic whole. His snare drum sound shifted from harsh demarcation of beats 2 and 4 ("Careful with that Axe, Eugene") to a fatter and gentler timbre ("Echoes") — a change that reflected growing studio skills.[18]
Mason's style was gentler and more laid back than that of other progressive rock drummers of the time. He soloed on a few Pink Floyd compositions including "Nick's Boogie", "A Saucerful of Secrets", "The Grand Vizier's Garden Party", "Up The Khyber", "Skins", and "Time". Due to the dynamic live performances of Pink Floyd, Mason's style was more energetic and complex live, and can be heard on such albums asUmmagumma andLive at Pompeii.
Mason began usingPremier drums but changed toLudwig drums after seeingGinger Baker use them. He also briefly usedFibes Drums.[19] He currently usesDrum Workshop (DW) drums, pedals and hardware. His kit is a DW double bass kit with theDark Side of the Moon logo on the drums. He has also usedPaiste cymbals during his entire career with Pink Floyd and currently uses a mixture of Paiste Traditional, Signature and 2002 cymbals. He also endorsesRemo drumheads,Latin Percussion andPro-Mark sticks.
 Mason in 1981 | |
| Nationality |  British |
|---|---|
| 24 Hours of Le Mans career | |
| Years | 1979–80, 1982–84 |
| Teams | Dorset Racing Associates EMKA Productions Dome Racing GTi Engineering |
| Best finish | 18th(1979) |
| Class wins | 0 |
As Pink Floyd's recording and touring schedule grew more sporadic, Mason had more time to pursue his favourite hobby,motor racing. This interest was documented in the 1986 short filmLife Could Be a Dream.[20] He owns (through his company Ten Tenths[21][22]) and races severalclassic cars, and has competed at the24 Hours of Le Mans.[23] His racing cars include:
In 1998, Mason published a book,Into the Red, in which he documents his experience with his cars, along with some histories.[28] It was followed in 2010 by a second book,Passion for Speed: Twenty-four Classic Cars that Shaped a Century of Motor Sport.[29]
Mason is associated with the Italian manufacturerFerrari, and estimates he has owned 40 Ferrari cars.[25] His first purchase in the early 1970s was aFerrari 275 GTB/4, which he comments would regularly wet-plug (when spark plugs are coated with unburned fuel).[25] His most notable purchase was in 1977 from his proceeds from the sale of the Pink Floyd albumDark Side Of The Moon, when he paid £37,000 (equivalent to £290,360 in 2023) for one of only 36Ferrari 250 GTOs. He still owns the car, valued now in excess of £30 million.[27] Mason and Gilmour drove the first twoFerrari F40s back to the UK from Maranello.[25]
Mason was invited by Ferrari to purchase one of the 399 originalEnzo cars. He appeared in an episode of the BBC motoring programmeTop Gear in which he allowedJeremy Clarkson to borrow it for a review, on the condition Clarkson promote the release of the bookInside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd.[30] Skirting BBC advertising rules prohibiting product endorsements, Clarkson referenced Pink Floyd songs and album titles in the review of the Enzo andthe Stig drove around the Top Gear test track with "Another Brick in the Wall" playing, despite the fact that the Enzo does not come equipped with a stereo.[31] Mason later sold the Enzo,[32] and replaced it with a Blu Scozia-colouredLaFerrari.[33]
Mason appeared on Season 2, Episode 8 ofThe Grand Tour. He won againstthe Police drummerStewart Copeland for the title of "fastest rock drummer from a band that begins with a P" (driving not drumming) in the Celebrity Face Off segment.[34]
| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Dorset Racing Associates | Brian Joscelyne Tony Birchenhough Richard Jenvey | Lola T297Ford-Cosworth | S 2.0 | 260 | 18th | 2nd |
| 1980 | Dorset Racing Associates | Peter Clarke Martin Birrane | Lola T297Ford-Cosworth | S 2.0 | 263 | 22nd | 3rd |
| 1982 | EMKA Productions | Steve O'Rourke Richard Down | BMW M1 Gr.5 | IMSA GTX | 266 | DNF | DNF |
| 1983 |  Dome Racing | Chris Craft Eliseo Salazar | Dome RC82Ford-Cosworth | C | 75 | DNF | DNF |
| 1984 | GTi Engineering | Richard Lloyd René Metge | Porsche 956 | C1 | 139 | DSQ | DSQ |
Mason's first marriage was to Lindy Rutter in 1969, with whom he has two daughters. During this time, she contributed uncredited tin whistle and flute parts to two Pink Floyd albums,More andUmmagumma.[37] The couple divorced in 1988,[citation needed] and in 1990, Mason married Annette (Nettie) Lynton, an actress. They live inHampstead, London with their two sons. Since 1995, the family has also ownedMiddlewick House, theGrade II listed former home ofAndrew andCamilla Parker Bowles, just outside theWiltshire town ofCorsham.[38]
Mason is anatheist.[39] According to theSunday Times Rich List 2015–2016, he had a wealth of £75 million.[40] In addition to vintage car collecting, Mason is a qualified helicopter pilot and flies anAerospatiale AS 350 Squirrelhelicopter in specially painted colours.[41]
Mason is part of Football Ventures, a consortium that boughtBolton Wanderers Football Club out of administration in August 2019.[42] He is a supporter ofArsenal F.C.[43] In December 2021, Mason's portrait was painted by semi-finalists on an episode ofPortrait Artist of the Year.[44]
Like Roger Waters, Mason has played concerts to raise funds for theCountryside Alliance, a group which campaigned against the ban onfox hunting with theHunting Act 2004.[45] In 2007 they both performed atHighclere Castle in Hampshire in support of the group.[46]
Mason is a board member and co-chairman of theFeatured Artists' Coalition.[47][48] As a spokesman for the organisation, he has voiced his support for musicians' rights and offered advice to younger artists in a rapidly changing music industry.[49]
In 2014, Mason joined Waters in expressing support for theBoycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign against Israel over theIsraeli–Palestinian conflict and urgedthe Rolling Stones not to play in Israel.[50] That November, Mason designed a "Wish You Were Here"-themedPaddington Bear statue, exhibited outsidethe O2 Arena in London (one of 50 placed around the city). The statues were auctioned to raise funds for theNational Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC).[51]
Mason and his wife have been supporters ofWiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance Charity for many years,[52] including opening the gardens of their home,Middlewick House, to raise money for the charity.[53]
On 26 November 2012, Mason received the Honorary title ofDoctor of Letters from theUniversity of Westminster at the presentation ceremony of the School of Architecture and Built Environment (he had studied architecture at the university's predecessor,Regent Street Polytechnic, 1962–1967).[54]
Mason was appointed aCommander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the2019 New Year Honours, "for services to music",[55] and was presented with the award byPrince William, Duke of Cambridge atBuckingham Palace on 2 May 2019.[citation needed] On 24 July 2023, ahead of his Pompeii concert with his band Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets, Mason was awarded the honorary citizenship of the Italian city of Pompeii.[56]
Box set
my grandfather was lord mayor of Birmingham
Further to the postponement of their 2020 tour, Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets 'Live at the Roundhouse' concert video and audio releases have also been delayed. Owing to the worldwide Coronavirus pandemic, the release has been pushed from April, and will now hit store shelves on September 18th 2020.
a future episode [...] will see Nick Mason and Stewart Copeland competing for the title of fastest rock drummer.
Media related toNick Mason at Wikimedia Commons
Quotations related toNick Mason at Wikiquote
