Capacity: 1,700

Concert starts: 8pm

Address of venue: Giebenacherstrasse 17, 4302 Augst, Switzerland. MAP

Website: www.augustaraurica.ch

COMMENTS

Due to the critical success of the four initial shows in May 2018, held in tiny venues in London's Camden and Putney, Nick Mason's Saucerful Of Secrets announced a full European tour for September last year. The expanded shows for the full tour were even more highly acclaimed, and it came as no surprise when further dates for 2019 were announced!

Nick Mason's Saucerful Of Secrets brings together some familiar names, all great musicians: joining Nick are Gary Kemp and Lee Harris on guitars, Guy Pratt on bass, and Dom Beken on keyboards. Kemp is best known for his work with Spandau Ballet, Harris as having played guitar with The Blockheads (Ian Dury's band), Pratt needs no introduction, and Beken is principally known for his work with The Orb, and Transit Kings (with Pratt). The band will be playing early Pink Floyd songs.

This is a unique opportunity to experience Pink Floyd's celebrated and significant early body of work played live including songs from albums 'The Piper At The Gates of Dawn' and 'A Saucerful Of Secrets'.

Dating from 44BC, Augusta Raurica is a Roman archaeological site and an open-air museum in Switzerland located on the south bank of the Rhine river about 20 km east of Basel near the villages of Augst and Kaiseraugst. It is the site of the oldest known Roman colony on the Rhine.

The regular sale of tickets started on WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19th, via z-7.ch.

Our thanks to Chris Wills for the ticket picture to the right. Click it to see it in greater detail...it's a lovely ticket, and a shame we don't see designs like this on tickets more often! Chris's review (with pictures) of the show can be read below.

WARNING - SPOILERS AHEAD!

Do not read on if you don't want surprises to be spoilt, regarding what the band played!

The first of the Roman amphitheatres that the Saucers are performing at, during their July tour of Europe, and a classic semi-circular, banked seating area for the audience. The picture above gives an indication of what a concert experience at Augusta Raurica is like... we hear the show went really well, the audience loving it, and the band enjoying it too.

Tomorrow, the band arrive in, and perform at, another Roman amphitheatre - the best preserved of all those still standing - in Nimes, France, an area which is feeling the heat at the moment. Eminently suitable for the hottest band around at the moment!

We'd love to know from those attending how they felt the concert went. How was the show for you, if you were one of the fortunate ones to attend? Let us know what YOU thought!

CONCERT REVIEW and PICTURES by BD CONTRIBUTOR, Chris Wills

This was a really excellent show in a lovely Roman amphitheatre (built 44 BC) on a warm summer evening. Body searches dictated use of the mobile phone for the photos (so view small!).

Gary Kemp and Guy Pratt did a fine job taking up the main vocals and guitars and Nick played with beautiful timing, beaming with joy in the second half of the show and afterwards. ‘Fearless’, 'Emily' and ‘One of these Days’ were really outstanding for me. Nick seemed genuinely moved by the feedback saying thank you for coming several times and showing some reluctance to leave the stage of what he called a 'truly beautiful venue'.

He joked: "No auditions were needed for the band. They all came to me. Actually they may have had an audition for another drummer while I wasn't looking."

A sound/lighting technician told me The Roundhouse concerts were recorded and will be released as a DVD/BluRay.