THE PIPER AT THE GATES OF ...ROME
Pink Floyd at the Piper Club '68: the true story!
Some time ago a friend asked me an interesting question relating to the Italian dates of the Floyd: did Pink Floyd play at the mythical Piper Club in Rome on 1968?
Studying some bootleg lists and also the main books circulating about the band, this possibility seems doubtful. Also many doubts exist about the real venue that is supposed to have hosted the first show in Italy.
I contacted my old friend Nino Gatti, with whom we already had collected the live dates of the group in our 1989 work called "Scacco Matto". In October of 2004, we began a complete investigation to solve this Roma '68 matter. We examined everything: from several sites and books, to anything that came from those that made up the Italian Beat scene at the time and also, collectors' bootleg-Recordings and audio lists. Several fans have also lent a hand so that we've been able to find documents, audio and video material that shed some light on the fact. Some material also came from Italian newspapers writing about other bands who were performing then in Roma together with the Floyd at the First European International Pop Festival on May, 1968.
All the research led us to the only possible conclusion that they played at the Palazzo dello Sport and not at the Piper Club on the May 6, 1968! Further proof was provided by looking at the only video clip available of the Pink Floyd's performance at the First European International Pop Festival, since the stands of the Palazzo dello Sport together with other noticeable features of the venue are clearly visible. Further evidence was found that Pink Floyd played there but, as yet, no date can be confirmed 100%
This research actually raised a point related to the Pink Floyd 1968 Italian appearances. If nothing but (alas perhaps unreliable) oral and written testimonies can state the Floyd performed live concerts at the Piper, there's certainly concrete evidence they shot at least a promo there: "It Would Be So Nice"; indeed the promo video discloses the unmistakable balcony of the Piper Club!
This full report of 8 pages (now translated into English) – a more detailed report than you could imagine, is available for your enjoyment and curiosity at this site, with the title "The Piper at the Gates of Rome".
Our report squashes nearly all the doubts and gives a true and impartial interpretation of the facts, which we assume is as close to the truth as possible.
Let's read it!
SHINE ON!
Stefano
Tarquini
THE PIPER AT THE GATES OF ROME
Search edited by Stefano Tarquini and Nino Gatti (October 2004 -
March 2005).
Late adds by Stefano Tarquini (September 2005).
Many thanks to Giancarlo Tabacchi (Cymbaline, March 2005) and Danilo Steffanina (February 2005) for theirs appreciate aid.
A great special thanks to Terry John Mackenzie and Sara Guidoni-Vidoni for their translation of this following pages. And a special thanks to Gerhard Den Hollander fro his wonderful translation of the "WitHeek" magazine's article from dutch language.
They have participated - directly or indirectly - to the search and thanks them for the aid: Filippo Bianchi, Alessandro Cospite (Floyd Channel), Vernon Fitch (The Pink Floyd Archives), Carla Giarč, Sara Guidoni-Vidoni (YGBC), John K. Hiett, Pino Imparato, Matt Johns (Brain Damage), Giancarlo John Flores, Paolo Montevecchi, Carlo Maucioni (Cymbaline), Filippo Neri, Stefano Pilia, Tito Schipa Jr., Claudio Pescetelli, Shuki Sen & mr. Nick Mason, The Bear (Echoes), Andre Terhorst, Theo Tieman, Alberto Truffi (Musica e Memoria).
Thanks to the sites: Piper Club (www.piper.it), Orange Maze (www.orangemaze.com), Frostbrent (http://www.home.no/frostbrent/), Roboti (http://home.wanadoo.nl/v.rancic/roboti.htm), John C. Alder (The Pretty Things) (http://members.tripod.com/pink_fairies/), Eddie Ponti (Nuovo Sound) (http://www.sopi.it/Anni60/), Soft Machine (http://perso.club-internet.fr/calyx/softmachine/), Jimi Hendrix (http://digital.uncg.edu/webpages/undergrads/huffine/indexp.html), John Flores Graphics (http://www.johnfloresgraphics.com/piper.html), The Slenders (http://www.infol.it/theslenders/), The Who (http://www.whocollection.com/), http://tinpan.fortunecity.com/ebony/546/rome.html, Theo Tieman (www.freewebs.com/teejo), Gio Sani (http://www.gioiosani.it/ospitate/carlos/musica/), The Move (http://www.marmalade-skies.co.uk/), The Pink Floyd Sound (http://www.pinkfloydsound.it/), Cymbaline (www.cymbaline.it), Roger Waters Online (www.rogerwatersonline.com), The Who Collection (http://www.whocollection.com/1967-1969.htm).
Also thanks to: "Pink Floyd: In The Flesh. The Complete Performance History" (Glenn Povey, Ian Russell), “Pink Floyd: Un Sogno In Technicolor” (Glenn Povey, Ian Russell, Giunti Editori, 1998), Melody Maker del 1968, Ciao 2001 del gennaio 1974, "Inside Out A Personal History Of Pink Floyd" (Nick Mason, Rizzoli, 2005), "Echoes" (n. 12), "Witheek" (n. 32 e n. 35), "Underground Italiana - Interviste ai Beautiful Loosers" (Matteo Guarnaccia, Malatempora 2000), "Pink Floyd" (Fratelli Gallo Editori, 1983, testo originale di Miles), "Le livre du Pink Floyd" (Alain Dister, Jacques Leblanc, Udo Woehrle), "Pink Floyd" (Hans Rombeck e Frank Konig), "Pink Floyd" (J.M.Leduc), "Pink Floyd Story" (Giancarlo Radice), "Embryo - A Pink Floyd Chronology 1966-71" (Nick Hodges, Ian Priston), "Pink Floyd" (Rick Sanders), "The Making of The Madcap Laughs" (Malcom Jones), "Get on down - Decade of Rock and Roll posters" (Mick Farren), "Pink Floyd. Manuali Rock 4" (Luca Ferrari, Arcana, 1985), "A Journey Through Time And Space With Pink Floyd" (Jon Rosenberg), "Pink Floyd. Musiqa 5" (Riccardo Bertoncelli, Arcana, 1981), "Pink Floyd. The Press Report" (Vernon Fitch, Collector's Guide Publishing Inc.), "Pink Floyd Story" (Giancarlo Radice, Gammalibri, 1984).
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