Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason recalled the first time he met future bandmates Roger Waters and Rick Wright – and how their relationship began with Waters asking both for favors and being refused.

The trio first encountered each other at college in London in 1964, and even though the moment seemed to lack promise, it led to a world-class collaboration.

“Regent Street Polytechnic – that’s where I met Roger Waters and Rick Wright,” Mason told AC/DC singer Brian Johnson in the latest episode of his Life on the Road TV series, which airs on AXS TV. “We were all training to be architects. It was architecture’s loss when the music took off – or not!”

He recalled that they "met because Roger knew that I had a car. I’m not sure he knew what the car was. … Actually it was an Austin 7 Chummy with a top speed of 20 mph and [it] had no brakes. But when he asked if I might lend it to him, I said no. … He also tried to get a cigarette off Rick and famously Rick went no – which sort of set the pattern really for the next 50 years.”

However, Mason reflected, “It was an important moment because if it hadn’t been for that, we might not be sitting here now.”

The second season of Life on the Road runs until Dec. 1, with guests including Billy Joel, Joe Walsh and Paul Rodgers. “To sit and chat with my friends and heroes while filming On the Road was ridiculous fun," Johnson said. "And with no professional journalists around, you can feel the trust."

 

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