Fingal's Cave - A Podcast for all dedicated Pink Floyd Fans

In this episode of the Fingal’s Cave Podcast, Kyle Viveiros hosts a conversation with Jay Stapley, the lead guitarist of Roger Waters and The Bleeding Heart Band from 1985 to 1987.

Starting with Jay’s most recent projects & tours, the conversation moves from the origin point of his love for music and guitar playing, to the philosophical aspects of being a working guitarist in the increasingly digital age of the 1980s.

His recollections of meeting with Roger Waters in 1985, then working with him into 1987, are interwoven with personal insights on what playing guitar means to him, as well as reflections on having spent his life doing exactly what he wanted to do from the age of 15.

With stories ranging from his time working with nearly every Floyd Tribute band, to tales from The Bahamas in October of 1987, this episode is one not to miss. Not just for Roger Waters enthusiasts, but to learn from an industry professional about the art of creating, not recreating.​

In this episode of the Fingal’s Cave Podcast, we take a deeper look into the third and final part of the live and studio career of Roger Waters, beginning in 2010 with Waters unleashing The Wall on audiences around the world for the album’s 30th anniversary.

Guests Mike McCartney, Nils Zehnpfennig and Adam S. recount their experiences attending several Roger Waters shows between 2010 to 2023, as well as provide insights to what it was like being a fan in the Pink Floyd community at the time.

Roger’s appearance at several charity shows between 2013 to 2016, is where he finally found inspiration to create a full album in the studio after a 24 year absence. His live performances would also be heavily influenced by this period, so much so that it has been his core focus as a musician ever since.

This period, although fraught with tension and controversy amongst the community (and even the guests discussing it), there are aspects worth mentioning to paint this period in a more positive light. You won't want to miss this discussion of the final frontier of Roger's solo career.

In this episode of the Fingal’s Cave Podcast, we take a deeper look into the second part of the live and studio career of Roger Waters, beginning in 1999 with his return to touring “In The Flesh” after a 12 year hiatus.

Guests Mike McCartney, Nils Zehnpfennig and Adam S. recount their experiences attending several Roger Waters shows between 1999 & 2008, as well as provide insights to what it was like being a fan in the Pink Floyd community at the time. It was fans taping soundchecks and holding up banners to "play the new song" which encouraged him to premiere a brand new track, Each Small Candle, at the last show on his 1999 tour; a song regarded as one of his finest works.

Roger's creative output between 1999 to 2008 doesn't often correlate with his large scale tours, but many of these smaller gigs or studio tracks demonstrate Roger's continued prowess as a lyricist and musician, always employing the use of his touring or studio players in effective ways. You won't want to miss these insights into Roger's solo career during this period.

In this latest edition of the podcast, Mick The Hat continues recounting his remarkable journey with Pink Floyd, continuing from where he left off with the final Wall show on June 17th, 1981 at Earl’s Court.

Beginning in 1984 with The Pros & Cons Of Hitchhiking tour, Mick’s recollections as a Pink Floyd enthusiast and concert taper cover the early solo careers of Roger Waters and David Gilmour, continuing into Pink Floyd’s final tour in 1994.

Mick talks about how the desire for more Pink Floyd related records was at a peak in the mid 1980’s, when many outside artists collaborated with members of the band before the “Dry Floyd” formed. Most notable is how a tape of David Gilmour playing Cliff Richard almost made it onto a bootleg vinyl, and currently has yet to be released.

From accidentally flushing his contacts in a hotel room outside of Sweden, to running a Taxi Driver’s toll fare up in New Jersey, finding himself in the sea of empty faces in Berlin, and witnessing after-gig road crew jams in Paris, Mick’s stored and well-travelled recollections of this period is a story not to be missed.

In the final part of our detailed conversation with Greg Taylor, he reflects on the last Pink Floyd concerts he attended during the post-Barrett years, spanning 1969 to 1971.

From the early days of the band's pioneering surround sound system at The Dome in Brighton in 1969, Greg takes us through a vivid period of cultural change and personal creative growth. As an emerging avant-garde artist, Greg became increasingly driven to document what he was witnessing, recording live performances, taking photographs, and even capturing footage of Hyde Park 1970 on Super 8 film.

Greg's resourcefulness placed him closer to the action than most. Whether blending in with a makeshift press pass or positioning recording equipment on stage, Greg experienced key moments in Pink Floyd's evolution with rare immediacy. One standout memory comes from a bold decision to head backstage during an interval, leading to an unexpected encounter when Richard Wright answered the dressing room door.

This concluding episode offers a fascinating, first-hand perspective on a transitional era for Pink Floyd, as they moved through experimentation towards the defining successes that would follow.

Subscribe for more episodes, and we would love to read your own memories or questions in the comments. Part 2 of The Legend of Mick The Hat arrives next month.