It was with great sadness that we learnt today (Sept 15th) of the death of Richard Wright, founder member of Pink Floyd. Everyone at Escape Artists and The City Wakes production sends their condolences to Richard's family and friends.
(FROM AP) Wright met Pink Floyd members Roger Waters and Nick Mason in college and joined their early band, Sigma 6. Along with the late Syd Barrett, the four formed Pink Floyd in 1965.
The group's jazz-infused rock and drug-laced multimedia "happenings" made them darlings of the London psychedelic scene, and their 1967 album, "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn," was a hit.
In the early days of Pink Floyd, Wright, along with Barrett, was seen as the group's dominant musical force. The London-born musician and son of a biochemist wrote songs and sang.
The band released a series of commercially and critically successful albums including 1973's "Dark Side of the Moon," which has sold more than 40 million copies. Wright wrote "The Great Gig In The Sky" and "Us And Them" for that album, and later worked on the group's epic compositions such as "Atom Heart Mother," "Echoes" and "Shine On You Crazy Diamond." Meera Selva - Associated Press
Rosie Marteau, writer in residence on The City Wakes project, is putting together our own tribute to Richard Wright. This will appearing on the website in the near future.
David Gilmour's tribute to Richard Wright on Later with Jools Holland
City Wakes Posters Now Available
New poster designs based on Mick Rock's iconic photograph of Syd and City Wakes logos from Storm Studios can now be purchased from this website. More...
'Syd Barrett Tried to Set us Free' by Joe Boyd
Joe Boyd, producer of Pink Floyd's first hit, Arnold Layne, has very kindly given us permission to publish his tribute to Syd Barrett on this website.
"So many things are impossible to imagine without Syd. The year of our Glorious Psychedelic Revolution began in August of 1966, with Pink Floyd playing those London Free School benefits in Powis Square..."More
Mojo Magazine - Mad About the Boy
There's a great article about The City Wakes in this month's (October) Mojo magazine by Rob Chapman. Rob will be discussing his forthcoming book about Syd Barrett, A Very Irregular Head, at Borders bookshop in Cambridge on Friday, October 31st.
Like Black Holes in the Sky - Syd Barrett Tribute Album
Have you created a video, written a poem or painted a picture that you would like to share with visitors to this website? Take a look at the brand new Gallery Page and write a review of the first video contribution (thanks to Bea for this one).
The Madcap by Malcolm Boyle
There's a new addition to the programme: for one night only, October 30th at 9.45, Malcolm Boyle will be presenting The Madcap, A play about Syd Barrett, psychedelia and the 60s.
In this critically-acclaimed solo show, award-winning performer and musician Malcolm Boyle combines tragicomic performance, hallucinatory film and slide projections with his own 21st Century interpretations of Barrett's songs. More...
Iggy
A previously unseen video of Syd Barrett's girlfriend Iggy, with its original soundtrack See Emily Play. Made by Anthony Stern, the video has never before been publicly available.
The full version of this film, shot in 1968, will be shown at The City Wakes concert performances
David Gale Talks About Syd Barrett's Cambridge on Anglia TV
You can also see this video at www.itvlocal.com/anglia/ (wait for the ad to finish - you can't fast forward it).
There's an article on the tours, accompanied by a short video interview with David Gale, on the Cambridge Evening News website.
STOP PRESS: David Gale, a friend of Syd's from his youth in Cambridge, will be running a couple of special tours of Syd Barrett's Cambridge during The City Wakes. More details soon.
How many references to songs by Syd Barrett can you spot in this painting by Paul F Workman? The painting is actually based on a work by a Renaissance master. Tell us the names of all the songs referenced in the painting, and the title of the painting and the artist on which it's based, and we'll give a prize to the person who sends in the first correct answer. Entry Form.
A limited edition print of this painting will be available from this website soon.
The Syd Barrett Trust - Supporting Arts in Mental Health
The City Wakes project is raising funds in support of the Syd Barrett Trust for Arts in Mental Health. Watch this video to see how the BBC reported on the sale of Syd's belongings that raised the funds to bring the Trust into being.
Classic Rock Magazine votes Piper at the Gates of Dawn as the No.1 Psychedelic Album of all Time
Classic Rock Magazine describes Piper at the Gates of Dawn as Pink Floyd's most inspirational album and Syd Barrett's defining masterpiece. Many tracks from the album are currently being rehearsed for the concert performances at The Centre at St Paul's and for the Gala Night in the wonderful setting of Trinity College Chapel. Classic Rock Magazine will shortly be interviewing Storm Thorgerson about his memories of Syd and his involvement in The City Wakes.
Rosemary Breen Shares Memories of her Brother and her Hopes for The City Wakes
When enigmatic Pink Floyd founding member Syd Barrett died in July 2006, his sister Rosemary could not believe the reaction the news received all over the world. But to coincide with the second anniversary of his death, today she is helping to launch an official tribute to the life and work of the 60’s icon, who sowed the seeds of the sixties psychedelic musical revolution, with the mental health charity Escape Artists. Here she shares memories of her brother and her hopes for ‘The City Wakes’ with Ben Titchmarsh. More...
David Gale's Peachy Coochy Nite
Cooching with St Paul - an audiovisual collision involving eyewatering imaginative freedom countered by massive constraint.
David Gale grew up with Syd Barrett then lived with him in London. In addition to delivering a talk at Borders and conducting guided tours of Syd's Cambridge, David will present a special edition of the image and text work he is currently both making and curating in London. More...
T-shirt designs from Storm Studios
New City Wakes T-shirt designs from Storm Studios (Storm Thorgerson/Peter Curzon/Rupert Truman/Dan Abbott). More...
Rare Items to be Shown at The Ruskin Gallery Exhibition
This signed poster is from Syd's penultimate gig with Pink Floyd in 1968. Rather bizarrely the show was put on in support of Lewes Town Football Club. David Gilmour had joined the band by this time and his name, but not his image, appears on the photograph, which was also signed at the gig.
Both these items, along with many other Syd era Pink Floyd pieces of memorabilia, will be shown at The Ruskin Gallery as part of The Other Room.
With many thanks to Norman Ashdown for lending us these fascinating artefacts.
It was with great sadness that we learnt today (Sept 15th) of the death of Richard Wright, founder member of Pink Floyd. Everyone at Escape Artists and The City Wakes production sends their condolences to Richard's family and friends. 
