Yesterday, November 29th, Roger Waters, speaking on behalf of the Russell Tribunal, delivered a speech in front of delegates on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. You can view his speech here:

Fifty years after he first enrolled on the Architecture course at the Regent Street Polytechnic, now known as the University of Westminster, Nick Mason has returned to collect the degree he never got to complete. The University of Westminster has awarded Mason an Honorary Doctor of Letters in recognition of his significant contribution to the music industry over the last fifty years.

Nick Mason joined the Regent Street Polytechnic, the forerunner to the University of Westminster, in 1962 to study Architecture. While there he met fellow band members Roger Waters and Richard Wright and as the band went on to achieve international acclaim, the demands increased and Mason was forced to drop out of his course before he could complete his final year studies.

Reliving his student days, Nick Mason said: "Studying at the Regent Street Polytechnic introduced me to some of the key people and biggest collaborators in my career, many of whom I have been lucky enough to work with over the last 40 years.

"Three of Pink Floyd met there so in essence we were formed under the roof of the Polytechnic; we rehearsed in the common room in the basement and made some of our first performances there. Not only did studying architecture teach us some useful stuff, but it also gave us an opportunity to develop and put us in touch with some fantastic mentors and industry contacts that have helped us along the way."

Alan Fisher, Head of Music and Interim Dean of School of Media, Arts and Design at the University of Westminster, said: "Nick Mason has been at the forefront of the music industry for nearly fifty years. He helped found Pink Floyd, a band which is internationally renowned for innovation, both musically and in terms of stage design and production, aspects of which were undoubtedly influenced by the band members' architectural education at the University. Other alumni would argue that Pink Floyd's presence at the Regent Street Polytechnic really helped to shape the atmosphere and influenced the experience of student life for those who attended at the same time."

Our congratulations to Nick for his award today.

Guy Pratt has lined up a few things for our friends in Sweden, over the next week or so. He is principally there to participate in a musical collaboration event called IB Expo, which takes place on December 1st in Halmstad, Sweden. IB Expo 12 is a unique event where musicians who have never met before get together and play music they have never heard before. This year, the line-up will include Guy as well as Phil Manzanera, despite the fact that they've performed together on many occasions, not least on David Gilmour's 2006 On An Island tour, so we're not sure how that fits in with the description of the event!

Tickets for this event are sold out, but there will be an open dress rehearsal between 3 pm and 4 pm. More information can be found at the Facebook page for the event.

During the week of rehearsals for the concert, Pratt will also perform his stand-up act in Malmö, Sweden at a club called Debaser on November 29th. Those who have seen his stand-up show will know that it is a hilarous and revealing look at life in the studio and on the road with the likes of Pink Floyd, Madonna, Michael Jackson, David Coverdale and many more. Not to be missed. More information and ticket information here, and he is also doing a clinic in Halmstad on November 27th - details here. Our thanks to Thomas Olsson for the info...

Further to our story one week ago, concerning 12.12.12, The Concert for Sandy Relief which features a range of artists including Roger Waters, The Who, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, more details have been announced.

The concert is being televised on US television, with the full four-hour show being aired across the nation. As far as we know, there are no plans to air it outside of the US. For the concert, each of the headlining acts (including Roger) will perform 45-minute sets. In addition, Billy Joel, Jon Bon Jovi and Alicia Keys will sit in with the headliners onstage. The producers have said other artists will be added to the overall bill, and an invitation to the Rolling Stones has been made for their participation as well.

More information on the event can be found at www.121212concert.org.