Regular users of this site would be aware that since 1998 we have been completely independent.
That is, we do not receive any funding from outside sources (Unlike some other sites).
The truth of the matter is that the site is run by fans for the fans, For our entire existence we have funded site fees from our own pockets, with the occasional appeal to fans to help contribute.
Now we find ourselves in somewhat of a dilemma ….
In recent times the site has suffered a series of outages, so much so that we have decided to move the site on to a new server.
This is going to happen in late March 2021 but it’s going to come at a cost.
The cost of moving and having the site hosted for thenext 3 yearsis going to be about $640 (AUS)/£356 GBP / $488 (USA)
Because of the circumstances, we have decided to launch an appeal to try to raise the required funds. We will be keeping a public running tally of donations received in the interest of transparency.
This is where you come in.
If you can possibly afford a small donation (or a large one!) then please click below to donate via our official account on our chosen Go Fund Me platform.
From all the team at AFG we thank you in anticipation!
THANK YOU!!!!! It only took a few days to reach our target. We raised $1055 (AUS) / £590 / $815 (USA) from PayPal and the Go Fund Me platform (After fees.) This is more than enough to keep the site going for the next 3 years. Again, thanks to all who contributed.
Jon Carin a Grammy Award winning musician, singer, songwriter and producer who has been a longtime collaborator with Pink Floyd and the solo careers of David Gilmour and Roger Waters has been incredibly busy these last few months,
He has been putting in preperations for the upcoming Roger Waters : This Is Not A Drill Tour which was originally planned for July 2020 and has now been pushed back until further notice with new dates still to be announced.
With the unexpected global lockdown due to the current Covid 19 situation Jon has found himself in his studio writing and creating music and we are very excited that a number of songs that have circulated from this have been released online in digital form.
The First single to be released back on May 2020 is entitled : Fear Of Everything written with the intention that it felt related to what the world is going through at the moment and keeping in mind that the greatest way to overcome fear is to acknowledge it.
The 3rd Single released in October 2020 is Celebration of the late Jon Lennon’s 80th Birthday With a Beautiful Version Of his 1971 Song “Gimme Some Truth”
You can read and listen to Jon’s Version Of “Gimme Some Truth ” release in our previous news article by Clicking Here
Pandemic time allows this if you’re not binge watching, amusing yourself to death, it can open up some portals.
I’ve been writing, here is some.
Blind Horse & The Peaceful Transfer of Power, Hopefulness pervades me on this happiest & historical of days including an extremely smart woman Vice President, which is hundreds of years overdue, and an experienced president, who knows loss deeply and has the empathy to work hard to help us unite & heal.
But it’s only more than half the story.
70 million people led by a blind horse off the cliff of their common sense who told them “this is the key to kingdom”, but were instead baked in a pie. Dreams gone awry, bills unpaid, fear in the hearts of so many, too late to learn. And the river went dry. Sadness & disappointment turned to anger turned to resentment of those with opportunity fueled by the fans of the media who profits from the discord.
The promise of upward mobility, up in smoke like the red skies of California, who were told by the man in the moon “someday, little girl, everything for you is going to be new”, feel the deceit in their hearts, but don’t know who to blame, so they lash out, blindly, at those they don’t understand.
A nod is as good as a wink to a blind horse.
You may not ask why I covered this lesser known song out of all of the hundreds of Bob Dylan songs.
Well, I’ll tell you anyway.
A nursery rhyme, so overly simple, like an indecipherable code that only he knows what it means ?
I don’t look at it like that.
The verses read like mythology.
Who is the man in the moon ?
Is he a friend, a guiding light ?
Germanic cultures thought he was a woodcutter, some Christians said he was Cain, Mediaeval Jews said he was Jacob, the Norse said he was Mani, the Chinese said it is Chang’e, the Vietnamese say his name is Cuội.
Nonetheless, human beings have obviously poured a lot of thought into this, staring up into the night sky.
Some Christians said he was a criminal, and that’s where this story seems to live.
The trickster. Woody Guthrie wrote nursery rhyme songs. Maybe those are an inspiration.
What young couple from such humble surroundings ever gets to meet the man in the moon, who then goes on to promise them that everything will be new ? And riches.And who tricks them into fighting his battle, then ends up baking them in a pie…
Who does that ???
Who does that sound like ?
Anyone we know ?
A grifter off to lick his wounds in the Florida sun.
This song was recorded in the spirit of a Dylan recording but instead of men on the floor, it’s only quarantined me.
So I layed down some rules that only I’d know I broke, Each instrument is only allowed to be played once.
You mess up, it stays messed up.
No fix-its.
One take.
First a 1964 Gibson J-50, then a vocal, then another J-50, then a 1961 Epiphone Rivoli Bass with some ancient Pyramid flat wounds, then a piano, then a very old double neck Lap Steel guitar I bought from a woman in a parking lot outside Dallas through a cocktail of celestial events, then some drums, then a great Gibson SG with P-90’s through a drip edge Vibro-Champ on lead guitar, a shaker, a tambourine, a Moog, a few Prophet 10 tracks, stirred, not shaken, and served boiling hot on a cold winter’s day. And Bob’s your uncle.
And it is what it is.
Play it through some nice headphones,
Here’s to all of us embracing the bigger picture together in our fresh start.”
” Last night I watched the 2013 documentary film “The Man Who Saved The World” The man’s name is Stanislav Petrov. The year before Stanislav saved the World In the year 1982 I wrote a song “The Gunner’s Dream”,
It’s weird to think that had Stanislav not been In the right place at the right time None of us would be alive No one under the age of 37 Would have have been born at all.
It is acknowledged by all but the cretins amongst us That nuclear arms have no value It is also acknowledged that They are a ticking bomb And we ignore them at our peril Accidents happen The Stanislavs of this world are a rare breed.
We’ve been extraordinarily lucky. If I ruled the world, I would heed the words of the wise I would get rid of nuclear weapons First thing tomorrow morning.
On Dr. King’s name day. Of course no-one can rule the world The world cannot be ruled It can only be loved and respected and shared.
If we’re still here in the morning So here is a new recording and video of “The Gunner’s Dream” As a gift from me and my lovely band and our friends to you,
Gilmour’s legendary D-35 sold at auction for $1.2 million, but this might be your chance to nab the next best thing.
NAMM 2021 isn’t taking place in the physical realm this year, but you’ll find all the hottest January gear launches in our guide to the biggest guitar, amp and pedal releases of 2021 so far.
Martin has joined forces with David Gilmour for a pair of signature D-35 acoustic guitars.
The new models – a six- and a 12-string – are based on the Pink Floyd guitarist’s own 1969 D-35, which he bought outside New York City’s Manny’s Music Shop in the early ’70s, and which later became the primary acoustic on both his Pink Floyd and solo recordings for over four decades.
Gilmour’s actual acoustic was sold at a 2019 Christie’s Auction for a cool $1.2 million, but Martin has now revived its design, allowing fans to wield a faithful replica of the legendary instrument for the first time.
The six- and 12-string version each boast a sinker mahogany neck, back and sides, vintage gloss finish, a David Gilmour headstamp on the back of the headstock – a first for a Martin signature guitar – and a label signed by Gilmour himself.
It also marks the first time Martin has built a three-piece back ’35’ with sinker mahogany, where the company would usually opt for rosewood.
The top material used is different for each model; the six-string features an Adirondack spruce top – torrefied using Martin’s Vintage Tone System – while the 12-string sports a Carpathian spruce top.
There’s also a custom neck shape – more rounded than a low oval and slightly fuller below the 5th fret – while the six-string also adds a carbon fiber bridge plate for increased volume and clarity. “I was so excited when Westside, our UK distributor, contacted us about the opportunity to build a signature model for David,” says Fred Greene, Vice President of Product Development at Martin.
“He is one of my all-time favorite guitar players, and having the chance to collaborate with him on an instrument was truly a bucket list moment for me. The collaboration is also a perfect fit for Martin Guitar, a company that shares David’s hope for a more sustainable world that we can leave in good conscience for generations to come.”
“LOVE YOU – a tribute to SYD BARRETT” celebrates 50 years since the release of “The Madcap Laughs” and “Barrett”. The double CD box will be released by the prestigious English label Gonzo Multimedia on the 6th of January, 2021. 75 years exactly from Syd’s birth. “LOVE YOU” is a song recorded by Syd in 1970. It’s included in “Barrett”, the second solo album of his.
The new tribute also includes two particularly significant bonus tracks too: “Astronomy Dominé” and “Vegetable Man” characterizing the beginning and the end of Syd’s Floydian era.
Every single note in these two CD’s has been expressed with love. Love shown by the artists who took part by arranging Syd’s music in their own way.
The aim is to collect, for the first time, all the songs Syd Barrett recorded after his experience with Pink Floyd. To realize it many artists from various parts of the world have come together – Italy, Mexico, France, Ireland, UK, USA, Sweden, Japan, Belgium Germany, The Netherlands – and collaborated to choose one song and rearrange it in their own way.
Among them and without detracting from the others, notable mentions include:
Luca Ferrari : journalist and writer; one of the first in the world to publish fanzines, articles and books about Syd.
Dave Harris : former lead singer of “Fashion” he is well known to Pink Floyd fans thanks to ZEE:IDENTITY, the album he released in 1984 – and recently reprinted – together with Pink Floyd’s keyboard player Richard Wright.
John Cavanagh : Voiceover artist, broadcaster, musician, record producer, writer and performer. He is the author of the book “The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn” about the making of the first Pink Floyd album. The book was published in 2003 in the UK and then translated in many languages; Italian and Chinese among them.
Men On The Border : Swedish band devoted to Syd’s repertoire. In 2016 they took part in “Syd Barrett – A Celebration Concert” at the Corn Exchange in Cambridge.
Boris Savoldelli : a gifted vocal performer who is always challenging his “vocal instrument” with new and original ways of singing.
Dario Antonetti : musician from 1984 to today with Kryptästhesie, Gli Acidi Tonanti, Effetto Doppler, Inossidabile Orchestra Valsecchi, La Svolta Psichedelica, La Forma delle Nuvole. Producer of The Vegetable Man Project (a tribute to Syd Barrett focused on the song “Vegetable Man.” Lots of artists from all over the world took part and rearranged the song in their own way. 6 CD’s and a 10” vinyl EP were released between 2002 and 2009).
Nino Gatti : for 40 years historian, expert, biographer and collector of Pink Floyd. He has published fanzines and collaborated with various publications both in Italy and abroad. Author of several books about Pink Floyd and their members, both in his own name and together with The Lunatics. His activity also covers many websites devoted to the band.
On the artwork side:
Ian Barrett : Syd’s nephew; he is a fine visual artist and Jewellery designer. He creates unique jewels using meteorites, fossils and other rare materials.
Matteo Regattin : author of the beautiful graphic novel “Syd Barrett Jugband Blues. A graphic trip on the tracks of Syd Barrett”.
Track Listing:
CD 1
1 – TERRAPIN – ANDREA ACHILLI (Italy)
2 – NO GOOD TRYING – LUNA PARK (France)
3 – LOVE YOU – EUGENE (Italy)
4 – NO MAN’S LAND – HUMUS (Mexico)
5 – DARK GLOBE – BLUEMOSAIKO (Italy)
6 – HERE I GO – MAX ZARUCCHI (Italy)
7 – OCTOPUS – SHERPA (Italy)
8 – GOLDEN HAIR – IN THE LABYRINTH (Sweden)
9 – LONG GONE – BARYOGENESIS (Italy)
10 – SHE TOOK A LONG COLD LOOK – ALANJEMAAL (Italy)
11 – FEEL – HIS MAJESTY THE BABY (Italy)
12 – IF IT’S IN YOU – HENRIETTA AND THE FIVES (Italy)
13 – LATE NIGHT – DUNCAN MAITLAND (Ireland)
14 – OPEL – GALERIE 65 (USA)
15 – DOLLY ROCKER – THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE (Italy)
16 – WORD SONG – QUARTO STATO DELLA MATERIA (Italy)
17 – SWAN LEE – HIBUSHIBIRE (Japan)
18 – LET’S SPLIT – MICHELE GENTILE (Italy)
19 – TWO OF A KIND – DAVE HARRIS & ZEUS B HELD (UK)
20 – ASTRONOMY DOMINE – BORIS SAVOLDELLI & UMBERTO PETRIN (Italy)
CD 2:
1 – BABY LEMONADE – ST 37 (USA)
2 – LOVE SONG – LA FORMA DELLE NUVOLE (Italy)
3 – DOMINOES – SULA BASSANA (Germany)
4 – IT IS OBVIOUS – STEREOKIMONO (Italy)
5 – RATS – PHOSPHENE (UK)
6 – MAISIE – THEEUNFORESEEN (Belgium)
7 – GIGOLO AUNT – THE AIRWAVES (Sweden)
8 – WAVING MY ARMS IN THE AIR / I NEVER LIED TO YOU – LUCA RAIO (Italy)
9 – WINED AND DINED – KABLE (USA)
10 – WOLFPACK – KEEPER OF ATLANTIS (USA)
11 – EFFERVESCING ELEPHANT – BOTTI & PAVONI from GREENWALL (Italy)
12 – BIRDIE HOP – TRESPASSERS W (The Netherlands)
13 – LANKY PART 1 – ALFREDO LONGO feat. SEBA PAVIA
14 – MILKY WAY – MEN ON THE BORDER (Sweden)
15 – BOB DYLAN BLUES – JOSS COPE (UK)
16 – RHAMADAN – MORNING SCALES THE MOUNTAIN (USA)
17 – VEGETABLE MAN – NICK BENSEN (USA)
Recently Announced is a new book featuring an analysis of all works by the late Syd Barret.
Despite just a three-year tenure with the band, co-founder Syd Barrett’s influence on Pink Floyd was profound and long-lasting. If his guitar gave the early Pink Floyd a distinctive hallucinatory sound, his often obscure and surreal lyrics were perhaps even more intoxicating.
The complete lyrics of Syd Barrett – 52 songs written for Pink Floyd and during his subsequent solo career – are presented together for the first time, along with rare photos and artwork, to form this beautifully illustrated 99 page book.
Compiled in collaboration with the Syd Barrett estate, and featuring a foreword from former Pink Floyd manager Peter Jenner and a comprehensive introduction by biographer Rob Chapman, The Lyrics of Syd Barrett delves deep into one of rock’n’roll’s most imaginative and searing minds.
The book will be published and available on the 18th February 2021, In Conjuction with The Flood Gallery who happen to be the first retailer to feature this book, are offering an exclusive print bundle, Featuring a Syd Barrett (Cream-Main Edition) poster.
Recently announced by Polly Samson & David Gilmour is another addition to the Von Trapped Family Live streams.
This time its a celebration of the US and Canada publication of Charlie Gilmours Featherhood book, fans of the previous streams will see story telling from Polly Samson, Charlie Gilmour, and Occasionally David with his stories of growing up with the late Syd Barrett.
These live streams also feature David Gilmour playing some numbers acoustically in front of family in a very intimate setting, these streams have featured a duet with David and Polly’s daughter Romany who is featured on the latest “Yes, I Have Ghosts” Single.
Regular users of this site would be aware that since 1998 we have been completely independent. 
Jon Carin a Grammy Award winning musician, singer, songwriter and producer who has been a longtime collaborator with Pink Floyd and the solo careers of David Gilmour and Roger Waters has been incredibly busy these last few months,
NAMM 2021 isn’t taking place in the physical realm this year, but you’ll find all the hottest January gear launches in our guide to the biggest guitar, amp and pedal releases of 2021 so far.
“
“LOVE YOU – a tribute to SYD BARRETT” celebrates 50 years since the release of “The Madcap Laughs” and “Barrett”. The double CD box will be released by the prestigious English label Gonzo Multimedia on the 6th of January, 2021. 75 years exactly from Syd’s birth. “LOVE YOU” is a song recorded by Syd in 1970. It’s included in “Barrett”, the second solo album of his.
Recently Announced is a new book featuring an analysis of all works by the late Syd Barret.
