The late Roger ‘Syd’ Barrett, from Cambridge, was a co-founder of the 1960’s music group Pink Floyd and performed on lead guitar and vocals. He also composed many of their songs. He was responsible for inspiring an entire generation of musicians to develop their own indigenous brand of English rock music.
Syd was quintessentially English, penning idiosyncratic songs unique in style and tone. He had a hugely attractive personality and with his good looks he was difficult to ignore. He was a quick-witted clown who kept family and friends laughing at his good-natured cheekiness throughout his younger years. Always interested in experimenting with music, he played the recorder, piano, ukulele, Jew’s harp and guitar all to a good standard.
Latest News
https://www.sydbarrett.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Octopus-YouTube-1.jpg
303
492
Ginny
https://www.sydbarrett.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-300x138.png
Ginny2025-04-27 18:29:112025-05-05 17:11:22“Octopus” on YouTube
https://www.sydbarrett.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-300x138.png
0
0
Ginny
https://www.sydbarrett.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-300x138.png
Ginny2025-02-18 08:53:342025-02-18 09:02:03Be part of the spark – Syd’s Cafe crowdfunder
https://www.sydbarrett.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-300x138.png
0
0
Ginny
https://www.sydbarrett.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-300x138.png
Ginny2025-02-16 20:02:562025-02-18 08:33:03Syd’s Cafe Opening in Cambridge
This content isn't available right now ... See MoreSee Less
This content isn't available right now
When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.Comment on Facebook
Syd had a good opinion of Roger. Or he would have written " can't" instead of " can".
Syd did describe his bandmates as “rather uninteresting people.”
Shame no one's working on a major Syd Barrett retorspective
SYD UNICO SOLO SYD!
Really interesting persona.. Long Live Syd ! ✌️❤️
That may be the nicest thing anyone's ever said about Roger Waters actually
❤️
I was hoping to read letters, not just talk about them, sigh
Miss you Syd
Yet another pay wall! Not on.
View more comments
New café and arts space dedicated to Cambridge rock star opens its doors ... See MoreSee Less
New café and arts space dedicated to Cambridge rock star opens its doors
share.google
The Artyst has been a work in progress for many months but its café area has now opened. The "welcoming" space has a focus on creativity and wellbeing.Comment on Facebook
Should have been called the Madcap Cafe.
You could call the drinks after his song names. I'll have a scarecrow on the rocks lol. Would you like a flaming or an octopus?
Have you a clan of Gingerbread men ?
Just visited and it’s wonderful. Great things coming!
Love Syd, but rock star wouldn't be a description he'd have liked. Sounds interesting , though.
What's the most pricey exponat over there?
Penny Dryden 😀
Will it sell apples and oranges and serve baby lemonades and effervescing elephants?! LOL!
Kaelie Eberhart go
View more comments
A new photo of Pink Floyd from 1966
On October 15th, 1966, Pink Floyd performed at a major launch party for the International Times (IT) newspaper at The Roundhouse in London.
The event, an all-night rave, featured a lineup of influential bands and artists, including The Move, Denny Laine, Soft Machine, and Yoko Ono.
We believe this may have been taken by Adam Ritchie. If so we would like to thank him.
And many thanks to Richard Blank for the photo itself ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
Adam must have loved that roof so much, he forgot to focus on the band…
The Roundhouse at that time was really filthy. It was as though it had not been cleaned since it was a warehouse. (Gin?)
I recognized the grime of the Roundhouse at first glance.
Only Soft Machine and Pink Floyd played among rock bands.
My friend did lighting for that. Primitive compared to today. But very challenging.
So many openings of great magnitude, that you would expect TV / News, film producers etc would have documented pieces like this. So much of our music culture is sadly missing from this era.
Was he on acid when he took it?
Hearing Yoko Ono while tripping on acid had to be awful.
? This has been floating around for a few years
Yeah it sure looks like Syd playing left handed. What’s up?
This image is indeed an Adam Ritchie photograph. Actually, it's just a large portion of it. The full image shows a little bit more of the audience to the left and more of the ceiling above. Adam shot several rolls of black-and-white film that evening. The contact sheet for one of those rolls of film appears in Nick Mason's book Inside Out (page 42). The above image is exposure 9A of that contact sheet. Exposure 35A appears in the epilogue of my book on 1967 which mentions that my next book will be covering the 1965-1966 timeframe. This new book will include many more of the pictures Adam took this evening at the IT Launch Party.
Love how they precursed the reimagining of post industrial spaces into arts venues
How unfortunate there is no record of this era.
Great document
Very rare
I love the photo! Is Syd playing left-handed here?
Great! New to me!
I was there and came out covered in old soot !
This isn't new! Seen it years back
Great photo!
Roundabout 1967. 1966 was in Tottenham Court Road
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Who has held onto these photos?
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
That looks like an old photo, it's black and white.
View more comments