Every time a band tries to do something avant-garde and experimental, listeners may become initially divided. Even though their legacy may one day be revered, early responses are frequently ones of rejection and skepticism. For many, Pink Floyd’s music was too avant-garde when they started releasing massive concept albums and experimenting with different tones. It’s interesting to note that David Gilmour, a member of the band, was among those who weren’t sure about their direction at first because he thought it was too experimental.
Gilmour opened for them at a local London show before he joined the group. Another group had Gilmour, and Pink Floyd’s early lineup also had scheduled live performances. Contrary to popular belief, Gilmour didn’t decide to join the band after seeing them perform; on the contrary.
Looking back on the performance, he remarked, “I have to say, I felt pretty superior.” He felt that his band was the best playing at the time. While Rick was a skilled musician and Sid was undoubtedly gifted, Nick and Roger were comparatively unremarkable at the time. They were perhaps, definitely a little more inventive than what we were doing, but we were much slicker.”
If you’re a first-time band watcher, you’re usually more interested in a group that plays something straightforward and brilliantly done than in one that plays something intricate and innovative but not as well. Pink Floyd took some time to perfect their sound. During those early performances, they may have still encountered challenges in translating their ideas into practice. Gilmour claims his previous bands were a little simpler to understand.
“It would be fair to say they were trying to do something slightly different, and we were a pretty good local colors band. We could do all sorts of Beatles and Beach Boys things in wonderful harmonies and stuff,” he remarked.
When Gilmour did eventually join Pink Floyd, the band underwent a significant upheaval. He has always demonstrated a remarkable ability to control the tone of his guitar and shape the sound to suit his mood. This meant that he could give Pink Floyd’s sound more substance and give the band’s improvisational ideas some structure.
It’s never easy to put together a band with a completely original sound, and getting people to like you at first can be difficult. This was Pink Floyd’s problem, to the extent that David Gilmour believed his previous band was better. He had no idea that he was the one the group was missing.
