1967 1967 RCH J – MA JANUARYANUARY-W

— MELODY MAKER MAKER JANUARY IANUARY 14 14 — _ HOWOW PSYCHEDELIC ISIS youryour pop?pop? This isis the the demanding demanding questionquestion posed to many groups today, struggling for acceptance.acceptance. It'sIt’s no longer any goodgood to to say, say, "Well,“Well, mate, we can play Wilson Pickett, HJames Brown andand all thatthat gear,"gear,” toto anybodyanybody contemplating booking booking aa band. One has to explainexplain whether oneone isis likely toto setset firefire to to the the auditorium, auditorium, or batter the audience’saudience's senses with flame, light and fiendish noises. Once it isis proved proved these these capabilitiescapabilities are available, and in vast quantities, the the road road to to success success is is open. For example, one of the leading lights ofof the freakfreak-out -out brigade, The PinkPink Floyd,Floyd, were were completely completelyunheard unheard of onlyonly aa few fewweeks weeks ago,ago, but but have have already already nettednetted a residency at London’sLondon's Marquee Club, Club, while remaining semi semi-pro. -pro. The MoveMove have have been been building building up up their their reputation reputation in a maelstrommaelstrom ofofviolent violent “happenings”"happenings" forfor some monthsmonths and have just brokenbroken intointo thethe MMMMPop Pop ChartChart withwith . 4 * "Night“Night Of Fear”,Fear", theirtheir first single. Leading lightslightsof of “the"the But howhow seriouslys eriously do do these these groupsgroups take their work? freak-outfreak -out brigade”:brigade": The From our inquiries, a new patternpattern emerges –- MoveMovewiththeirviolent with their violent "Schizophrenic“Schizophrenic Psychedelic Psychedelic Pop". Pop”. TheThe Floyd areare “happenings”"happenings" andand TheThe PinkPink . Floyd (Syd(Syd Barrett, Barrett,inset), inset), serious, while ...Move… well, now readread on. whowhofavour favour “interstellar”"interstellar" This is where our story bbegins. egins. audio-visual experimentsexperiments Originally an R&B blues-typeblues -type group,group, The PinkPink Floyd firstfirst gotgot involved involved with with experimentation experimentation rrerefreshing freshing honestyhonesty pervadespervades thisthis hard-hittinghard-hitting in lightlight andand soundsound when theythey providedprovided thethe musicmusic bbubunchunch of extroverts who havehave upsetupset asas manymany for thethe Hornsey CollegeCollege OfArtOf Art LightLight-Sound -Sound mmanagersanagers and promoters promoters as as they they have have fans. workshop. This startedstarted an interest in thethe ““P"PsychedelicPsychedelic music music is is a a load load of of ****," ****,” said said their their relationship between light and soundsound and theythey ssisinger nger , with cheercheery y gleeglee this week.week. continued small small experimentsexperiments but but never never hadhad the ““A"AndAnd we we get get quite quite nasty nasty to to anybody anybodywho who calls money to do anythinganything beyond flashingf lashing a few uuss psychedelic!psychedelic!"” footlights. Said Said drummerdrummer Nick Nick Mas Mason: on: "We “We were Smoke bombs,bombs, H-bombs,H-bombs, sitars,sitars, banjars,banjars, riots very disorganiseddisorganised then until our managersmanagers aandnd rebellions have all played a partpart in making materialised and and we we started started looking looking for for a a guy to TThehe Move the the mostmost talkedtalked aboutabout group in do the lights full time.time. TheThe lightinglighting manman literally mmonths.onths. They have chopped up stages, wrecked has to be one of thethe group. WWhen hen we were in our ccarsars and assaulted televisiontelevision sets. They have early stages, we didn’tdidn't play play a lot of ourour electronicelectronic bbeeneen warned, barred and and suppress suppressed. ed. Among Among "interstellar"“interstellar” music music andand the the slides slides were still ratherrather tthehe guests who havehave witnessed witnessed theirtheir amateurish. However However this has developed now andand pperformanceserformances havehave been sections of thethe our “take-off”"take -off" intointo thethe mainlymainly improvised Metropolitan police police forceforce and London fire electronic scenes are much longerlonger- – and, of brigade, who watchedwatched fascinatedfascinated and made course, in my opinion,opinion, the slides have developed copiouscopious notes as smokesmoke andand fire billowedbillowed to somethingsomething outout of allall proportion.proportion. They’reThey're justjust “I’“"I'veI’ve cchopped hhoppe dd aroundaround them.them. fantastic."fantastic.” But therethere is nono nonsensenonsense from the group The PinkPink FloydFloyd-Nick – Nick on drums; Syd BarrettBarrett up aboutabout 1515 aboutabout reading any deep,deep, “mystical"mystical on lead guitar andandvocals; vocals; Roger Roger Waters, bass significance”significance" into their activities on stage. guitar; and Rick Wright,Wright, the the organist organist-have – have been Far fromfrom indulgingindulging inin “mind"mind expansion”,expansion", quickly labelledlab elled asas aa psychedelic psychedelic group.group. TheirTheir stages soso far.far. they are simply making an art formform of opinions were were fairly fairly definite. definite. "You “You have to be gimmickry. But But as Carl explains, while they are careful when you start on this psychedelic We enjoy beingbeing busymakingbusy making violent violent visual impact on the thing,"thing,” saidsaid Nickwarily.Nick warily. "We“We don’tdon't call ourselves nation, they bback ack up up their their combustion combustion and a psychedelic group oror say that we play mayhem with with a a great deal of worthwhileworthwhile music. psychedelic pop music. It’sIt's justjust thatthat peoplepeople outrageous”outrageous" Carl waswas sleepingsleeping off aa recording recording session when I associate usus with this and we we get employed woke himhim at hishis BirminghamBirmingham home. all the time at the various freakfreak-outs -outs and “The"The session was great,"great,” he revealed. "We “We happenings in in London. London. Let's Let’s face face it, it, there isn't isn’t re really ally a definitiondefinition for the were doing our next A A-side -side writtenwritten by our lead guitarist Roy . Wood. It'sIt’s word ‘psychedelic’.'psychedelic'. It’sIt's somethingsomething thatthat has allall takentaken placeplace around around usus – -not not called “I"I CanCan HearHear TheThe Grass Grass Grow”. Grow". Our Our photographer photographer thought thought upup thethe within us."us.” title. He justjust thinksthinks up titles and RoyRoy goesgoes out,out, writes,writes, andand comes back Bassist Roger chipped chipped in:in: “I"I think think thethe reasonreason isis thatthat we’vewe've been been with great songs. We’reWe're happy happy about about the the chart chart positionposition ofof our our current current employed by sos o many many of of these these freak-out freak -out merchants. merchants. I Isometimes sometimes think think single, “Night"Night OfOf Fear”, Fear", but but we’re we're not not enthusiastic enthusiastic about about thethe number.number. It’sIt's that it'sit’s only becauseb ecause wewe havehave lotslots of of equipment equipment andand lighting, and itit saves served its purpose, I I suppose. I'm I’m instructed instructed to to say say it's it’s all all about about LSD, LSD, but the promoters from from having having to to hire hire lighting lighting for for the the group. group. A A frefreak-out, ak-out, to telltell youyou thethe truth,truth, II haven’thaven't aa bloody clue what it'sit’s all about! anyway, should be relaxed, informal andand spontaneous. spontaneous. The The best best fre freak- ak- “We’re"We're muchmuch moremore enthusiasticenthusiastic about the next one. It’sIt's completecomplete lunacylunacy out you’llyou'll ever getget is is at at a a party partywith with aboutabout aa hundredhundred people.Apeople. A freakfreak-out -out –-a a kindkind of Russian instrumentalinstrumental with with Beatle Beatle harmonies. harmonies. Roy Roy isis writing shouldn'tshouldn’t be be savagesavage mobs of geezersgeezers throwingthrowing bottles.”bottles." some greatgreat stuff.”stuff" 0 Outrageous, troublemaking and and riotous-you riotous – you can can call call The The Move Move all of How longlong hashas itit taken taken TheThe MoveMove to to work work out out their their incredible incredible stage act?

REX, GETTY REX, these things andand more. more. ButBut you can’tcan't callcall themthem phoney.phoney. AnAn incredible incredible andand “We’ve"We've beenb een working working onon itit from from the the word word go. go. It’s It's a a year year this this month month sincesince

16 |I HISTORY OF ROCK 196719651967