A dip in the memory full of excitement was experienced by Roger Waters at Anzio in Italy between 17th and 18th February, on the occasion of the initiatives organized for the 70 years since the Allied Landings, which took the title "If you want peace, prepare the Peace."

On Monday afternoon, away from prying eyes, the former Pink Floyd bassist went to the ditch of Moletta, the place where his father Eric Fletcher was victim of the Germans that famous morning of 18 February 1944. Waters inaugurated a monument of circular shape, in whose center he placed a young olive tree. Along with him stood the mayor of Aprilia and some Italian and foreign military authorities, and notably his two "angels", the veteran Harry Shindler and publisher Emidio Giovannozzi, who, through their research, have shed light on the last hours of life of his father, Eric Fletcher Waters.

Shindler, although now more than ninety, has a firm step but especially so many lucid memories and a firm and resolute voice; the tenacity with which he carried out the research about the battle in which he survived in 1944, allowed the former leader of Pink Floyd to permanently close the grief over the loss of his father when he was just 5 months old, indelibly marking his human and artistic growth. Waters also had a private meeting with the local authorities at the site of the Municipality of Aprilia, where he has proved helpful and friendly with everyone present, impressed by his personality and undeniable charisma, intact despite his seventy candles.

Venice, the band which includes vocalists Kipp, Mark and Pat Lennon, who made a huge contribution to the overall sound of The Wall Live tour, have now - with time to devote to their own music again - announced a tour of the Netherlands and a show in the French capital, to perform (amongst other things) their very enjoyable new double album. "What Summer Brings" isn't typical of what you heard during the Roger Waters tour, musically, but still features their great voices and harmonisation, along with some cracking tunes.

A preview of the album can be heard at their official webpage, www.venicecentral.com, which also has their upcoming Netherlands dates at the end of March and start of April. These are bookended by some shows in California on various dates.

Also, Venice have booked their first ever show in Paris, France, on April 5th, at the Divan Du Monde, which is close to Saint Germain Des Pres and Notre Dame. More details and how to arrange a reduced rate at a local hotel at their website. Here's a quick promo video the guys made to announce this show and the Dutch theatre tour:

Further to our story last month regarding Roger Waters visiting Aprillia in Italy, to be granted honorary citizenship and more importantly, to unveil a marble monument to his father, and all other fallen who were not able to be marked with a conventional gravestone, the ceremony took place yesterday.

Yesterday Roger laid wreaths as he unveiled the monument at the Roselli Institute in the Italian town, south of Rome, near the site of his father's death. "I'm very happy to be here," Roger said in Italian, before switching to English. "I'm extremely moved...and I'm very proud of my father. I learnt from my father the example of standing by your principles and beliefs. He thought he was fighting a necessary fight against the Nazis. I think he was too. He paid the ultimate price. [Signing up to fight] cost my father his life but secured for him a place among all the other heroes who stand up for what they know to be right."

The moving ceremony resulted in worldwide media coverage, and here is the report by Italian news organisation La Repubblica:

Here's another news report, which includes Roger's speech at the citizenship ceremony:

On April 23rd, 2014, three Syd Barrett albums are being released on the enhanced SHM-CD format. SHM-CD refers to Super High Material CD, an enhanced audio CD format developed by JVC and Universal Music Japan. A SHM-CD is made of an enhanced transparency polycarbonate material developed for use in LCD screens, which allows for better manufacturing quality and more accurate reading of the CD surface by a CD player laser, so promise better sound and audio resolution. SHM-CDs are compatible with standard CD players.

The three Syd Barrett albums - debut album The Madcap Laughs, the follow-up Barrett, and the compilation Opel (which featured previously unreleased material and alternate takes) - are being released in a limited pressing. They all come in cardboard sleeves, replicas of the original vinyl releases, and benefit from 2014 remastering, so should sound particularly good.

They can all be pre-ordered through Amazon Japan for worldwide shipping. Other Japanese CD retailers will also have these on offer. Our thanks to Kees Nijpels for tipping us off about these new, limited releases.