Pink Floydian

Pink Floydian bring their fantastic tribute show to Whittles on Saturday May 11th. We’re so excited to have them, we’ve made them our first “Band Of The Month”

A Pink Floydian show is much more than a gig. It is a faithful recreation of Floyd at their finest. Shut your eyes and Pink Floydian will take you back.

The 2+ hour show sees them performing classic moments from Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall, Piper at the Gates of Dawn, Obscured By Clouds, A Saucerful of Secrets, More, Meddle, Animals, Wish You Were Here, The Final Cut, Momentary Lapse of Reason and The Division Bell.

From the lush landscapes of Shine On You Crazy Diamond to the universally loved anthems Comfortably Numb and Wish You Were Here, Pink Floydian will take you on a magical journey through the illustrious recording career of the world’s most successful progressive rock band.

Check out our exclusive interview with Pink Floydian below.

Pink Floydian features brothers Ian and Phil Runciman on lead and bass guitar, along with local legend Andy Williams on drums. Jon Vatikiotis on guitar and keyboard Maestro Jon Comish complete the lineup.

We caught up with Ian for a quick chat:

Whittles: Thanks for talking to us guys. Could you start by taking us through what inspired you to start a Pink Floyd tribute band?

Me and my brother Phil were in a rock band called Macleod and we played a support gig to a Pink Floyd tribute band at Piece Hall in Halifax.

After the show we thought we could do a better job of it as they were pretty poor really. However they still managed to pull a  big crowd and charged a lot of money. So we answered an advert someone had placed who was trying to form a Pink Floyd tribute band. Our first band PInked Floyd was born.

After a few months it was becoming really difficult to work with some of the members for various reasons, So we advertised for members and set up our own band and “Pink Floydian” was the result. Phil came up with the name and tells me it was because my name is Ian, hence “Pink FloydIAN” But I think he might be winding me up.

We have gone through a few changes since then although the core of the band (myself, Phil, Jon Vatikiotis and drummer Andy Williams have remained Constant.

We almost split last year due to a mixture of ill health and failed attempts to find a settled keyboard player (they always seem to be a bit flaky) However we hung on in there and made a few changes and we are back now stronger than ever and looking forward to some great shows around the country including The Beat Herder open air festival and some shows in some great new venues for us in Colne, Stockport and Chester. And of course we make a return to Whittles which we haven’t played for about 3 years now.

Whittles: Cool. And what’s been your favourite moment or biggest achievement with the band?

I think personally mine was playing a show in Shaw Oldham 4 days after coming out of hospital after having 3 strokes. I wasn’t sure at the time if I would be able to do it anymore. Thankfully it all went well and things got easier over time and I am back to myself now. For the band in general I suppose it would have been selling out Shaw Playhouse 2 in a matter of a couple of days.

Whittles: If money and equipment were no object, which Pink Floyd performance would you most like to recreate?

Without doubt “Live at Pompeii”. “Echoes” and “one of these days” still send shovers down my spine.

Whittles: What’s your favourite album artwork?

Wish you were here, full of iconic imagery.

Whittles: What do you make of Nick Mason’s comments that tribute bands are often better than the real thing?

I understand what he means in the way that using modern technology allows the bands to create much more precise live versions of the albums. But lets be honest no tribute band is ever as good as the real thing and no matter what sound Pink Floyd produced on stage it will always be Pink Floyd so it can never be wrong. Tribute bands are just that, paying homage to the great body of work left to us by the original band.

Whittles: If you could add one piece of equipment or a prop to your show, what would it be?

Roger Waters armchair from The Wall show so I could have a nice sit down and a rest mid set!

Whittles: Apart from Pink Floyd, who else inspires you?

We could be here all day with this one so I’ll just reel off some of our faves. Mine would be Richie Blackmore and Ronnie Dio, Michael Shenker, Stankey Clarke and George Benson. Phil’s would be The Beatles, Barclay James Harvest, Rainbow and Deep purple. Jon’s would most definitely be The Beatles, The Who and Frank Zappa.

Whittles: What about current music? Do you have any recommendations for our readers?

To be honest I don’t really listen to current music. I have no doubt there are some great bands out there but I fear I am too long in the tooth and set in my ways now. It all sounds like the same old same old being rehashed. I am not even sure if there could be anything original anymore that hasn’t been done before. Although I am always willing to give anything a listen on.

Whittles: Finally, do you have a message for the gig-goers of Oldham?

Yes, buy a ticket please. And try to remember Whittles is a treasure, make the most of it because not everywhere has a great thriving venue and quality live music. They become more scarce every day.