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During the early portion of his career, the late Syd Barrett, who named and led Pink Floyd, generally maintained his equilibrium while treading the fine line between genius and madness — but he couldn’t keep up this balancing act indefinitely. His slow-motion tumble into mental illness, and the strange, beautiful music he left behind, is well documented in The Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett Story, which is featured in a free screening tonight to promote its release as a two-disc DVD. The film, which was completed prior to Barrett’s 2006 death, features commentary from all four surviving bandmembers: Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Rick Wright. Their earnest, muted memories — enhanced by vintage clips, photographs and plenty of original Barrett and Pink Floyd music — make it clear that each of them was deeply affected by having witnessed the gradual extinguishing of Barrett’s creative light, and underscore his impact on pieces forged in his memory, including “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” and The Wall. Although the film is brief (less than an hour), its melancholy lingers.
The Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett Story begins at 7 p.m. at Quixote’s True Blue, 2637 Welton Street. Learn more at 303-297-1772 or www.quixotes.com.
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