Pink Floyd Plaque

Not just another brick in the wall, this Regent Street plaque marks the spot where architecture students Nick Mason, Roger Waters, and Richard Wright first met and played music together. With the later addition of original frontman Syd Barrett, this awesome foursome would evolve into the iconic Pink Floyd, one of the most successful British rock bands of all time.

Surviving founding members Mason and Waters unveiled this black heritage plate on May 28, 2015, to celebrate the band’s 50th anniversary. Permanently affixed to the wall of London’s University of Westminster (formerly Regent Street Polytechnic), it marks the place where the pair, together with the late Wright, formed the group.

Mason, Waters and Wright, playing drums, bass guitar and keyboards respectively, first performed together in 1963 as Sigma 6. The group also performed under the name the Meggadeaths. The band rehearsed in the basement common room at the polytechnic and performed at student parties.

In September 1963, they were joined by Barrett, an art student/singer/song-writer/guitarist. After several further name changes, the band finally settled on the name the Tea Set. However, during 1965, having discovered a second band shared the same name, they became known as Pink Floyd Sound, which was abbreviated down to Pink Floyd in early 1966. It is commonly believed that Barrett named the band after Pink Anderson and Floyd Council, two of his favorite Carolina Blues musicians. Guitarist and vocalist David Gilmour joined the band in 1967, with Barrett departing  in 1968 due to his deteriorating mental health.

During a 2015 interview, Waters said he and Mason were “enormously privileged” to have this plaque erected in their honor. When asked about their student days, Mason reminisced about spending his student grant on curry while Waters remarked he spent his on bass guitars.