Syd Barrett: LSD, Legends, and the Birth of Pink Floyd | Rock N Doc

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Syd to Gilmour: The Psychedelic Shift of Pink Floyd

About The Show

Dive into the psychedelic world of Syd Barrett, the creative genius who launched Pink Floyd into stardom. From his formative years strumming in Cambridge to becoming the poster boy for the 60s LSD culture, Syd's story is as colorful as his music.

Early Life Snapshot:

• Born Roger Keith Barrett in 1946, Syd was musically gifted from the start, with a knack for poetry and a quirky sense of humor.
• His nickname "Syd" was inspired by comedian Sid James, setting the stage for his later stage persona.

The LSD Myth:

• Ever heard of using Vaseline and LSD as hair care? While Syd was indeed a pioneer in many ways, this particular tale might be more myth than method. But hey, when you're the face of psychedelic rock, who cares about hair care?

Musical Influence:

• Influenced by the blues and The Beatles, Syd's early experiments with sound and lyrics were nothing short of revolutionary, leading to Pink Floyd's first album, "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn."

Legacy:

• Syd's use of LSD was instrumental to his art but also his undoing, contributing to his eventual exit from the band.
• His life is a testament to the fine line between artistic brilliance and the pitfalls of substance experimentation.

Join us as we explore how Syd Barrett became a legend, one drop of LSD at a time (allegedly). Remember, this trip through Syd’s life is purely educational; leave the hair experiments to the professionals—or not, if you're aiming for your own psychedelic sound.

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From Syd to Gilmour: The Psychedelic Shift of Pink Floyd

Further Reading:

Syd Barrett, the enigmatic force behind the early Pink Floyd, a man whose life reads like a script for a rock 'n' roll detective story, minus the detective and plus a lot of LSD.

Early Life:

• Birth and Childhood: Syd Barrett was born Roger Keith Barrett on January 6, 1946, in Cambridge, England. He was one of five children in a middle-class family, with his mother, Winifred, being a teacher, and his father, Arthur, a pathologist. Young Syd was musically inclined from the get-go, learning the piano at age seven and picking up the ukulele, banjo, and guitar as he grew.
• School Days: Syd attended Morley Memorial Junior School, where his mother taught, and later Cambridgeshire High School for Boys. He was known for his artistic flair, winning awards for poetry, and for his quirky sense of humor. His nickname "Syd" came from his impersonation of the British comedian Sid James, later tweaking the spelling to avoid confusion with a local jazz musician named Sid Barrett.
• Musical Beginnings: He formed bands in his youth like Geoff Mott and the Mottoes and began writing his own songs. Syd's early musical influences included the blues, but he was particularly inspired by The Beatles, which you could say was his gateway band into songwriting.

The LSD Myth:

Now, about that Vaseline and LSD tale:

• The Legend: The story goes that Syd used to shampoo his hair with Vaseline mixed with LSD, so the drug would drip down onto him throughout the day. This tale has achieved almost urban myth status. However, while it's a colorful and fitting story for the psychedelic era, the reality might have been less... sticky.
• The Reality: It's widely acknowledged that Syd was heavily into LSD, and there are anecdotes about him using various unconventional methods to ingest it. Still, the Vaseline shampoo story might be more folklore than fact. He did, however, engage in the kind of behavior that would make any health and safety officer throw their clipboard into the nearest lava lamp.
• Impact of LSD: What is known is that Syd's LSD use had a profound impact on him. It fueled his creativity, leading to imaginative lyrics and experimental music with Pink Floyd. However, it's also often cited as a contributing factor to his later mental health struggles, which eventually led to his departure from the band in 1968.

Syd Barrett's early years were marked by a blend of artistic talent, a pioneering spirit in music, and a penchant for the psychedelic that would define both his career and his legacy. His story serves as a reminder of the thin line between genius and madness, or in this case, between a groundbreaking musician and someone who made their hair a literal drip-feed for LSD. Remember, kids, don't try this at home unless you're aiming to write the next "Piper at the Gates of Dawn."