Pink Floyd’s 1972 concert film, Pink Floyd at Pompeii – MCMLXXII, is set to hit theaters and IMAX on April 24, but it sounds like the band almost skipped out on the whole project.
During a preview screening of the film in London, Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason revealed that the band initially wasn’t interested in making the film. He credits the director, Adrian Maben, for getting them to do it.
“Someone that should be mentioned is Adrian Maben, who actually came up with this whole idea, we were unspeakably not interested,” Mason said, according to the U.K. outlet The Standard. “Adrian worked really hard to even persuade us to come out to Italy and actually make this movie.”
He added, “The thing that worked about it, that we didn’t see, and he did, was this thing of it being a live show, but with no audience, and the fact that this amphitheatre created such a sense of moment. Even without the audience, it had the feel of a full-on gig.”
There’s been a lot of animosity between the members of Pink Floyd in recent years, especially with Roger Waters and David Gilmour, and Mason said watching the film now he sees “an innocence” with the band. He notes, “[I]t’s extraordinary to sort of watch us just going at it and arguing, but in a constructive way.”
The version hitting the screen has been newly restored for audiences to enjoy, and Mason shared, “We’re delighted with the way it turned out.”
Tickets for Pink Floyd at Pompeii – MCMLXXII are on sale now.
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