Status Quo’s Francis Rossi Calls Pink Floyd ‘Boring’

During a recent conversation with Classic Album Review, Status Quo lead vocalist Francis Rossi talked about Pink Floyd‘s stage performances and Syd Barrett, recalling the era he worked with them. He stated that the band used their incredible shows to cover their ‘boring’ sound.

Pink Floyd has made massive contributions to the rock scene since their first appearance in the music industry in 1965. The band was considered one of the foundation stones of the progressive rock genre when it was first established. They initially gained recognition with their debut studio album ‘The Piper at the Gates of Dawn’ following the early success with the singles ‘Arnold Layne’ and ‘See Emily Play.’

Besides their distinctive sound, the band has also impressed the audience with their live performances. They were accepted as the pioneers of live music experience with their unique and elaborate visual shows using lights, pyrotechnics, props, and special effects. The way Pink Floyd combined sound with intense visual experiences has significantly influenced the rock scene.

Status Quo’s Francis Rossi, who had a chance to work with Pink Floyd, recently talked about Syd Barrett and the band in an interview. As the vocalist revealed, he found Syd Barrett weird while working with him. Also, according to him, someone must have told Pink Floyd members that they sounded boring; thus, they realized they had to do something else to be more impressive. Rossi claims that this is probably how their incredible light shows emerged. The singer added in his words that he found these shows very clever.

Francis Rossi said the following when the interviewer mentioned Syd Barrett:

“Syd Barrett. I found him a bit weird because he was a spaceman. And I think that someone must have said the Floyds, ‘Look, guys, you’re really great and all that. But you’re f*cking boring. You better do something. So, the visual side of that thing now is still phenomenal. We watched this thing on the bus recently. It is really phenomenal, and it’s still very clever and manipulative. So, that’s very clever from Roger Waters. But you basically never see anyone from the f*cking band, do you? It’s all about the show.”

You can watch the conversation below.