Local author Pete Darby is to launch book on his friend and Pink Floyd founder Syd Barrett: Both Sides of the Moon.
Occasionally you may see a flat-capped figure getting up to play harmonica at a musical gathering in Dimbola or some other West Wight venue. You’d never know that this unassuming character was once at the heart of the UK counterculture, rubbing shoulders with future legends.
In his new book, Pete Darby uses his painting and his poetry to express his memories of Cambridge and London in the 60s, exploring the unknown territories of LSD, the blues, psychedelia and alternative lifestyles.
Pete was in exactly the right place at the right time to get to meet a young Syd Barrett and forge a friendship that would continue through to the Pink Floyd founder’s sad demise.
Local author Dr Brian Hinton says of the book:
“It will be of huge interest to anyone who loves the music of Pink Floyd, the artwork of Hipgnosis, or the photographs of Mick Rock.
“Here is a road map of how this bunch of ne’er do wells, visionary dreamers, and space cowboys left the tranquillity of the Cam for first London and then the world.”
Pete will be launching his tribute to Syd ‘Both Sides Of The Moon’ at Medina Bookshop in Cowes on Tuesday 27th June at 18:30.
The event is free and open to all and will feature music from harpist Merlynna Johnson.
A great talent destroyed by drugs. A sad tale indeed.
That is too simplistic an assessment. Syd was hardly ever mentally stable and whilst the drugs probably didn’t help it is unlikely they were the main or contributary cause of his demise.