Roger Waters is infamous for his angry comments towards authority figures and anyone else he disagrees with. During an interview with Northern Transmissions, Nick Mason shared a story about Waters spitting on the audience during a concert because he felt a barrier between the band and the fans.
Mason believes that this incident was instrumental in inspiring the creation of Pink Floyd’s album ‘The Wall.’ While Mason cannot recall any specific memorable performances, he often gets asked about the incident involving Waters and the fans in 1977. In the interview, Mason also discussed his past and future solo projects.
“Not particularly,” Mason didn’t mention any specific shows that he found memorable. “But everyone always asks about Roger spitting at the crowd at Olympic Stadium in 1977. I sort of feel that night was about the disconnect between Roger and the fans, and it could have happened really anywhere on that tour.”
After that, Mason highlighted the significance of the event in the development of ‘The Wall.’
“It just happened to come to a head on that particular night. My view is always to look on the positive side because if not for that disconnect, ‘The Wall’ would never have been written.”
Mason was asked if he remembered Roger discussing the incident in the aftermath.
“No, not really. Sometimes audiences get overly excited, and they just want to shout and holler. It does feel a bit as though they’re missing the point, which is what Roger was reacting to.”
He added:
“I don’t actually remember at what moment in the show or during which song the thing occurred… there was a lot of shouting going on. It’s a little bit vague, but that disconnect between an audience and a performer is the significant aspect that I retain from it.”
Roger Waters’ confrontation with the fans had a positive outcome, as it inspired the creation of ‘The Wall’ and allowed Waters to contribute to the album from a personal perspective. As a result, the album became one of the greatest works of rock music in history.