To Coincide with the release of Chris Hewitt’s : The Development Of Large Rock Sound Systems Volume 2 Book. Chris has very generously donated a copy for one of you lucky visitors at home.

Chris Hewitt’s second volume of “The Development of Large Rock Sound Systems” is a lavishly illustrated, 500 photograph strong opus which charts the rise of big PA systems in rock music. It further incorporates the evolution of the 70’s band van companies that hired the equipment and some of the biggest equipment manufacturers.

And while it doesn’t make for a very snappy title and draws generously from the same sources and stories found in volume one, the selling point here is his focus on the 50^th anniversary of Pink Floyd in Pompeii – then and now.

The role of both Pink Floyd and fellow WEM stack users Led Zeppelin is contextualised alongside bands like The Who and ELP etc, who invested in themselves to adapt to the burgeoning transatlantic rock market.

Pink Floyd at Pompeii is seen through the eyes of Scottish/French film director Adrian Maben, who shares some significant memories and summarises the Pompeii event as “A visual scrapbook of music and trivial conversation. A record of the passing of time.”

In recreating the events 50 years later, Hewitt imbues the Pompeii show with extra significant that stretches generations. And the fact that this book will sell on the back of that speaks volumes about his grasp of a niche market.

There are also some significant recollections from the late Peter Watts, Floyd’s then road manager who was an audio innovator before falling victim to rock and roll excess.

But the book is really as much about the author Chris Hewitt himself, a man whose obsession is pin pointed as having starting in 1971 when he first saw the WEM gear shot on Floyd’s ‘Ummagumma’ album.

He subsequently worked at the 1972 Bickershaw Festival, and much later the celebrated Deeply Vale Festivals.

Mark Radcliff best summarises both the man and the project thus: “Chris has a reality. He wanted to build this system and he has done it and I admire him. Those WEM stack are totemic.”

Hewitt himself says: “I built up vintage WEM equipment to be able to recreate the whole Isle of Wight and Pompeii PA’s.”

In a surreal update, he organized the recreation of Pink Floyd in Pompeii in his own Cheshire field, inviting The Australian Pink Floyd to play 4 numbers from the Pompeii set, which actually took 6 hours so they could get the correct camera angles.

He gives a generous 12 pages to this event, but as Australian Pink Floyd’s Stephen McElroy says about the experience; “The particular combination of vintage equipment has a certain sound about it. It’s different to any other system I’ve ever played through or heard.”

To be in with a chance to win a copy of this fantastic book simply answer the following.

What is the name of the dog featured on the song titled Mademoiselle Nobs from Pink Floyd’s 1971 film Live At Pompeii ?

Simply email your answer to Liam@pinkfloydz.com by Clicking Here.

Entries are subject to one entry per person only, Correct entries will be put into a hat and chosen at random.

Closing date for entries is 13th February 2022

As part of the master plan to redevelop certain areas of the core site, we took the ultimate decision in late 2021 to close our highly visited Orphans section and replace it with a portal designed to showcase the various items and collections that some of the “super-fans” have curated over the years.

Designed in collaboration with the Pink Floyd Collectors social media group, A Fleeting Glimpse has been working tirelessly to create the ‘Collectors Hub‘

A collaboration to showcase a glimpse of the various ticket stubs, posters, adverts, promotional displays, t-shirts, and other memorabilia that have been accumulated by fans since the band’s inception in 1964.

With extensive galleries covering almost 60 years, we have very painstakingly organized every piece of material into the relevant categories to make it accessible for you the visitors, to navigate through.

Simply click the image above or the collectors tab from the menu navigation bar.

Unlike our previously launched Tour Book exhibition, this is something that we are sure will have continuous additions due to the sheer amount of items that are available in the public domain.

Throughout the years many people have been involved in our various projects and for the small majority these people often get overlooked, There’s one person in particular that has been a complete asset to our work here at A Fleeting Glimpse and we are delighted to say that she has kindly accepted our invitation to launch the A Fleeting Glimpse – Collectors Hub.

” There are many types of Pink Floyd collector. Some buy every studio, live, compilation and solo album on CD, and then stop there, content with their small but perfectly formed, hi-fidelity shrine. Others take it a step further, and amass a drawer of t-shirts, ranging from Primark crop-tops to authentic 1970s original concert t-shirts they’ve frantically bid on at 3am on eBay.

Then there are the Floyd collectors who devour shelves of books and stacks of magazines, scouring each page for minuscule details that might give them some insight into their elusive heroes. Others wallpaper their house with concert posters old and new. Some arrange ticket stubs of the dozens of gigs they’ve attended in an aesthetically pleasing way. Many fall down the rabbit hole of vinyl, and find themselves staring at a battered Mexican pressing of Dark Side of the Moon in an overpriced record store and thinking to themselves, “Yes, I need another copy of an album I already own 84 copies of, in eight different formats.” That’s part of the sheer joy of being a Pink Floyd collector. It can go as far as you want it to go, in whatever direction you want to take it. It may culminate in a pair of Wish You Were Here socks, or in the Pink Floyd branded VW Golf. It might even end with David Gilmour’s Black Strat hanging on your bedroom wall.

A Fleeting Glimpse is proud to present their ongoing collaboration with Pink Floyd Collectors group. Feast your eyes on a cornucopia of Pink Floyd goodies that will showcase the far reaches of uber-nerd collecting!

Delve deep in to the peculiar and beautiful artifacts that have been amassed for your viewing pleasure! And wonder to yourself, “Whose idea was it to release a promotional Dark Side of the Moon cherry flavored lollipop and where can I buy one? ” – Natalie Lyons (Long Serving AFG Associate)

Sadly due to the effects of the UK’s Current Storm Corrie, Our headquarters in the UK was without power for a few days this week.

We just wanted to send our belated wishes to Phil Manzanera who celebrated his 71st birthday earlier this week (31st January)

Starting with the song ‘One Slip‘ from the Pink Floyd’s 1987 A Momentary Lapse Of Reason album, Phil was a key person behind Pink Floyd’s The Endless River, as well as being a long-term collaborator with David Gilmour on his On An Island and Rattle That Lock albums.

Rockonteurs is a podcast all about the real stories behind real music.

Presented by Spandau Ballet’s Gary Kemp, who wrote and performed megahits like ‘Gold’ and ‘True’, and Guy Pratt, a bass player who shaped songs for the likes of Madonna and Pink Floyd, you’ll hear exclusive stories of life on the road, in the studio and what really happened behind the scenes from artists who wrote, performed and produced the some of the biggest classic rock and pop tracks of all time.

Rockonteurs is a podcast all about the real stories behind real music.

This weeks upcoming episode is Number 69 and features guest Miles Kane

Available from 30th January 2022 on Itunes, Spotify and all other Listening Platforms. Click Here to be taken to Apple Musics Listening Page