An extremely rare silkscreened poster advertising Pink Floyd’s 1966 performance at the Roundhouse in London, as part of the launch of the legendary underground newspaper International Times. This was probably The Pink Floyd’s fifth show under that name, and took place nearly five months prior to the release of their debut single, “Arnold Layne”.

Prior to this event the Floyd had played only at small clubs and a church hall. While this wasn’t a proper “concert” (it was more of a “happening”) this was the Floyd’s first show in front of a large audience. Sharing the bill for this “Strip-Trips-Happening-Movie-Pop-Op-Costume Masque-Drag Ball” was Soft Machine. This event has been cited as the beginning of the psychedelic period in the UK.

The Syd Barrett biography Lost In The Woods notes ‘As the Soft Machine finished, the Pink Floyd began their set on the stage set up on the opposite side of the Roundhouse. With the house lights off and their light show on, Barrett & Co. began with the low, ominous rumble of ‘Astronomy Domine’. Their light show, though appallingly primitive, made quite an impression of the assembled crowd, not least of all Paul McCartney, who made his approval plain’.  The Sunday Times wrote ‘At the launching of the new magazine IT the other night a pop group called the Pink Floyd played throbbing music while a series of bizarre coloured shapes flashed on a huge screen behind them. Someone had made a mountain of jelly which people ate at midnight and another person had parked his motorbike in the middle of the room. All apparently very psychedelic.’

This poster was designed by International Times co-founder and Indica Gallery co-owner Barry Miles, and it was silkscreened by a printer of Church posters. Fewer than 50 examples were made, and we know of only two other copies to have survived, both in far lesser condition.   Excellent, with some minor creasing.  20″ x 30″.