Think Nick Mason, think Pink Floyd. However, there is much more to the man than five decades as the only constant member of the band. Although his eminence in the music scene was sealed with a CBE earlier this year, he is showing no signs of laying down his drumsticks, with a new band on tour and a passion for fast cars and flying to keep him sharp too.
In the beginning though, it was all about Pink Floyd. Formed by Nick in 1965, he was the drummer on every one of their progressive rock albums, with Dark Side of the Moon being hailed as one of the greatest albums of all time. Pink Floyd were inducted into the American Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005. These facts make it an honour to include Nick as one of our Herring ambassadors.
Away from the drumkit and the breaks between reunions and tours, Nick found an extra injection of adrenalin from motor-racing and flying. Fast cars are in his blood; his father Bill was an amateur racing driver. A long-term member of the British Racing Drivers` Club, Nick has a fine fleet of rather speedy cars at his disposal. Both classic and new, he bought then to race and then kept hold of them.
For the petrolheads among you…you better take a seat. Nick`s car collection includes his father`s VdP Bentley 4.5-litre, a Bugatti Type 35, Jaguar D-Type, Ferrari BB LM, Maserati Tipo 61, McLaren F1 GTR and a Ferrari 250 GTO. We made Nick one of our Heritage Racing Red Bags with 22 on it to match the GTO.
Nick`s racing prowess is typified by his five appearances in the Le Mans 24-hour race and other notable sports car endurance championship races, including Nurburgring’s Nordschleife, Monza and the ultra, high-speed circuit of Spa Francorchamps. More recently, he beat The Police`s Stewart Copeland for the title of “fastest rock drummer from a band that begins with a P” on TV`s The Grand Tour. All wins are satisfying!
Not content with speedy race circuits, Nick also flies fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. His wife Annette also flies their Eurocopter AS350B3 Squirrel. Despite an initial fear of flying, Nick threw himself into this passion too…and since getting his pilot`s licence in 1983, he has collected a few planes along the way. There seems to be a theme here! In the 1990s, he took his helicopter pilot licence…again swiftly followed by his wife.
In spite of the joy created by the roar of an engine, whether in the air or on the ground, this father-of-four remains a musician. Most recently, he has formed another band, Nick Mason`s Saucerful of Secrets along with Spandau Ballet`s Gary Kemp, The Blockheads` Lee Harris, fellow Pink Floyd member Guy Pratt and producer/composer Dom Bekon. Their homage to psychedelic rock is illustrated with a website home page that will make your eyes water!
What strikes us about Nick is his longevity. Now in his 70s, he is still going strong…and fast at times! He is a welcome addition to our Look Who`s Wearing club.
Wearing our Silverstone II rubber-soled trainers (of course), Nick said: “It was a real pleasure to receive the racing bag from Herring. Anything in Ferrari red works for me!”
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