Interview with Roger Waters

[lotus]

Here an interesting interview with Roger Water (unfortunatelly only in German)....

http://www.wams.de/data/2006/05/28/894216.html

[PFD]

I found a rough translation:

"Wine, women and rock - we hungered after measurable success"
In the 70's Roger Waters was the musical brain of Pink Floyd. Later he seperated from his old colleagues. A discussion on Pink Floyd, the joys of the bombastic side of Pink Floyd, his adversary David Gilmour and bad solo albums.

From the conversation lead by Max Dax and Sebastian Hammelehle

The French automobile club resides in a palace equal to the Place de la Concorde in Paris. Today Roger Waters, age 62, is here as a guest. To answer questions about his new concert project: "The Dark Side OF The Moon", the notorious Pink Floyd classical album (sold 23 million copies) from the year 1973, played life in full, from first to the last song. On 8 June he also takes the show to the citizens of Berlin Wuhlheide. Waters, who reminds us of a mature Richard Gere, seems to pleased to be in the spotlight of the public again.

World on Sunday: Mr. Waters looking back on your career, one notices a tendency to megalomania. Always it had to be the largest stages and the most spectators.

Roger Waters: That is an interesting observation ... We all know that I played the Wall in Berlin in 1990, only a little while after the historical fall of the iron curtain, a gigantic show in Berlin. It concerned the unique reperformance of "The Wall". It was an enormous spectacle, which became broadcast world-wide. But since then I'm baking smaller cakes: I was again and again on tour - however in smaller venues with capacities between 15 000 and 20 000 people.

Other musicians dream of such numbers.

Waters: I admit it: I am convinced of the idea that humans let themselves be fascinated by bombastic productions. I love above all the visuals and would say that the Light-show is very important in the case of the environment of a concert. Actually I was asked in 2000, whether I wanted to perform "The Wall" again, in the Grand Canyon. And I tell you: I played with the thought to actually do it.

Isn't it very hot there?

Waters: Yes indeed. In addition: shows of such a dimension cost huge amounts of money. More, than you would imagine.

You mean: Perhaps not too many people would show up?

Waters: No. The concert would be a free concert - noone would have had to pay entrance. Crowds would stretch to the horizon, you understand? Not a problem. The thought pleased me. I even suggested, a second concert in New York on Wall street. "The Wall" in the Wall Street - I could laugh myself to death, that would have been too good. But jokes aside: That could not be done unfortunately, one can't close the businesses district for a few days.

Well, why did it not take place, if the demand was there?

Waters: The organizers suggested: Instead of performing "The Wall" in the Grand Canyon or in Wall Street, we should go to Indianapolis right after. You guessed it already: The largest racing course of the world. There hundredthousands people could attend to the concert. But then I began to think about it, what does it actually mean to give a Free Concert?: In America that means that Coca Cola and American express would have taken over the costs of the concert - and the free tickets to people would have passed, the Coca Cola on buy or with American express pay. A Free Concert is thus nothing different one than a gigantic marketing enterprise. Roger Waters can't be tempted to do that. So I pulled the plug out of the whole enterprise.

Also your old band Pink Floyd shows the samde Gigantomanie. Since your departure in 1983 Pink Floyd was led by your former collegue David Gilmour.

Waters: Yes, David Gilmour and Nick Mason, our Drummer, possess the rights of the name Pink Floyd. They may call their band Pink Floyd, I won't call my band that.

Did that pain you at that time? Nevertheless you created some of the most important songs and the last album of Pink Floyd, "The final cut", singlehandedly ...

Waters: No, I am an adult man. I knew that I had to leave Pink Floyd, in order to advance with my own work and my life.

Pink Floyd published albums steadfastly after your departure and gave at least just as spectacular concerts as you did with "The Wall" in Berlin. Among other things Pink Floyd performed before hundredthousands of people on a floating stage in Venice. Weren't you envious?

Waters: I heard of the rumor that Venice sank 0,8 millimeters into the lagoon during the concert. I generally do not believe rumors, but it makes one think. I cannot say more about it: I did not participate. Naturally I did not participate. I don't want and should better not express myself on this.

During the live-8-festival Pink Floyd reunited for one day. For the first time for 23 years you played again side by side with David Gilmour, which you called human again in interviews, while at first you simply could not stand him ...

Waters: That is correct. We think differently, and we feel differently about many things, which concerned us and Pink Floyd. But meanwhile it should have gotten around that it was me, that called David Gilmour - and that after some contemplation he finally agreed to perform.

Was it a good idea?

Waters: To perform was absolutely a good idea. The enormous strength, that we as four musicians were able to conjure has totally amazed me! It simply sounded brilliant. You must realise: Dave and I exchanged no words with one another since 1983. The performance made it possible for us to withdraw from our extreme positions and to play some of our shared songs.

And how did the largest band of the younger Pophistory come to unite again?

Waters: At a certain point I got a call from Nick Mason. He said, that he would very much like to appear on live-8, but that Dave would not support it. You know: You can't just call David Gilmour and ask whether he would like to play. You have to unroll a diplomatic carpet before him. So I called Bob Geldof and explained to him, how he should talk with Dave. For a few weeks the conversations ran elliptically. Then there was this surreal telephone call, in which Bob told me about world peace, and how important this concert was for Africa.

What is so surreal about that?

Waters: Geldofs girlfriend celebrated her 30 th birthday on that day. He had promised her to take her to dinner. Again and again he interrupted himself talking lenghtily about Africa by calling: Take the green dress, my dear! Try the other necklace! I only wanted to know when we should perform.

Did you not know about the date, 2 july 2005?

Waters: That was not what I meant. I meant: what time should we appear on stage, in what order would bands appear and where was Pink Floyd on that list. If you play before a billion-public, This is an enormously important question. So I interrupted him talking about Ethiopia and asked: Bob, damn you! When are we to appear on stage? And he answered: directly before the final, before Paul McCartney, who will play "The Long and Winding Road". Then it was o.k. for me.

Now you perform again alone under your name - however with "The Dark Side OF The Moon" the complete Pink Floyd Album ...

Waters: An important album. A concept album about humans and human life.

You were 29, when you wrote the album. How can one write such an concept album at such an age?

Waters: Why not? I still see things like that today. Since that time I experienced high points and crises. And these experiences have confirmed to me that the basic statement of "The Dark Side OF The Moon", i.e. that there is always individual decisions, which get us going as humans is still correct. Humans must make decisions in life. And these decisions affect whether the earth becomes a brighter or a darker place. That is how it is.

Is that were the album title stems from?

Waters: Actually the album would be called "Eclipse". Then however we liked the lyric "I'll see you on the dark side of the moon" - by the way a lyric by me - from the Song "Brain Damage" so much that we changed our opinion. The problem was only that someone had already published an album with such a title. They were Medicine Head or Hawkwind, I don't remember now... Anyway, it does not matter, because their album was already long forgotten, when published ours.

"Dark Side OF The Moon" is considered as one of the most successful albums of pophistory. Did this success ever disconcert you?

Waters: No. Are you kidding me? Everyone, who creates a rock band, does this, because they want to be successful. At one time we were the most successful band of all times in music history. But you critics always forget: It took us a long time to achieve that! We were on long continuous world tours for two years, when "The Dark Side OF The Moon" conquered the American Charts. Finally we were the number one in America, and so the world. In such a situation one must decide whether one is a communist or a capitalist.

Is it actually a coincidence that you worked with the large topics of mankind again and again as a composer of the large concept albums "The Dark Side OF The Moon", "The Wall" and your opera on the French revolution?

Waters: Some the big topics yes. Perhaps I will add a few. However I remember my miniatures gladly, for instance the Song "Towers OF Faith", which I wrote more than 20 years ago for the soundtrack of the film "When The wind Blows" on the end of mankind after the nuclear war. This almost prophetic song concerns itself with the negative power of religious dogmas. Because the religions stop humans to worry about the fundamental problems of the earth and thus for questions of global health , poverty and the wars (Waters is suddenly moved by his own poetry and quotes the mentioned song)

"And in New York City
The business man in his mohair suit
In the world trade center
Puffs on his cheroot
And he said,
Well I don't care who owns the desert sands
My brief
Is with the hydrocarbons underneath
And the sea of battle rages
Around the ancient tombs
And mother nature licks her wounds
And the lonely boys locked in their towers of faith
Who are nervous in the park
When the gates are closed after dark"

Unfortunately my song is available on CD only on that soundtrack to the film.

The song means much to you.

Waters: If I should ever create a record again, it could be that I write over exactly this topic: thus the connection between religion, world economy and oil.

So a concept album again?

Waters: It would inevitably become a concept album. I am not interested anymore in albums, which consist only of a lining up of Songs.

Why does it always have have to be synthesis of the arts with you?

Waters: There must be something in me, which thinks in large relationships. Every now and then I simply only write songs.

Is it correct that Pink Floyd was offered 250 million dollar, for a reunion?

Waters: That is correct. But would have to tour for that.

That would be a lot of money, even for a man as rich as you.

Waters: If you ask me: for everyone. I still remember how the contract was submitted to me so that I could put my signature under it.

And? Did you sign?

Waters: No. What did you think?

Why not? Wasn't it enough money for your taste?

Waters: But, I believe that Mr. Gilmour would have felt very uncomfortable on this tour. He got accustomed so much to the thought that he is Pink Floyd that he cannot handle, even for all money in the world, to bear someone like me beside himself. One cannot demand from Dave to do more than the four Songs on live-8.

So if a reunion would not come to pass, for what should we remember Pink Floyd?

Waters: Particularly for three albums: "Dark Side OF The Moon", "The wall" and "Wish You Were Here". Perhaps alsol "Animals".

So, the big successes. Critics appreciate (almost in unison) your early albums higher: Works like "Ummagumma" or "Saucerful OF Secrets" ...

Waters: Those are masterpieces as well, no question. It makes me happy to hear that our largest successes are not the only ones that are remembered. But without poor Syd Barret leaving we would never have achieved the huge success of later years.

One can imagine, why Syd left the band: As an introverted human next to megalomaniacs like you or David Gilmour ...

Waters: I would not describe Syd as introverted. I can insure you that Syd, before he became ill was just as ambitious as the remainder of the band. We were close friends. We wanted wine, women and rock. That was our drive and our goal. Perhaps not in that order, but that was it, it propelled Pink Floyd in the first years: hunger after measurable success.

As soloist you could however never achieve the successes of Pink Floyd. Were you disappointed that your album "radio Kaos" remained lying like lead in the shops?

Waters: I am above all disappointed about myself. "radio Kaos" is an album, which could have done much better. This whole electronic doodling ... I actually think now and then: I would have to record this album again, so that the world can see, how good the songs actually are.

Would the album have had more success, if Pink Floyd was mentioned on the cover?

Waters: If I had made it together with Dave, then his influence would have been audible. Dave has a good voice and is a very good guitarist. Perhaps it would have sold much more copies.

The question was however another.

Waters: Surely the label name Pink Floyd is immeasurably valuable. If on my solo album "Amused tons of Death" had stood the name Pink Floyd, it would have been a multi-million seller. Completely sure about that. Once I performed in the evening in Cincinatti, and Pink Floyd after that. I played before 4000 people in one venue, which was built for 8000 humans. It was a tragedy. In the next evening Dave played with Pink Floyd in a football stadium before 80 000 people.

How are you, if you remember that David Gilmour plays your Songs?

Waters: I do not believe that Dave ever understood my Songs. But those are nuances, which are noticeable possibly only to me. If I look at Pink Floyd today, I feel, as if I would look at a Pink Floyd Cover band. But its clear as well: We live in a free world. Everybody may play each song at will.