Behind the Meaning of “Games for May” by Pink Floyd

On May 12, 1967, the then little-known Pink Floyd put on a groundbreaking show called “Games for May” at Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. It was the first big rock concert to feature a lighting show, projections, quad sound, and other multimedia effects. This pioneering fusion of music, lights, and art planted seeds for the psychedelic light shows that became fixtures of 1960s rock. While not hugely attended, the innovative concert established Pink Floyd as forward-thinking creative forces in the burgeoning progressive rock scene.

Why “Games for May” was Revolutionary

While Pink Floyd had played smaller gigs before, this was their first big solo show on a major stage. And they were determined to make it something fans had never experienced. How? By fusing music, lights, projections, and even bubbles to overwhelm the audience’s senses! Some of the crazy things they did include:

• Building a wild quadraphonic sound system – way before surround sound home theaters! It used special speakers to make melodies and guitar riffs swirl around the room.
• Creating an ultra trippy light show swirling color wheels, slides projected on the band, and a huge overhead screen flashing wild patterns.
• Blowing bubbles from machines onto the crowd for a magical effect. Little did they know the bubbles would stain all the venue’s chairs!
• Doing bizarre avant-garde “acts” on stage like chopping wood and wandering around handing people flowers.

It sounds chaotic but it all came together with Pink Floyd’s spaced out songs for a mind-altering experience never seen before at a rock show. These pioneering tricks would lay the blueprint for pretty much every cool concert visual effect bands use today.

The Debut of the Classic “See Emily Play”

A big reason “Games for May” is legendary is it marked the first ever performance of one of Pink Floyd’s signature songs – “See Emily Play.” However, it wasn’t called that yet. The early version unveiled at this concert was titled “Games for May.”

The lyrics told the story of a mysterious girl named Emily who loved to play games and have fun. Obviously, that really resonated with a 12-year-old! According to the band’s manager Peter Jenner, who organized the whole spectacle, this catchy track was written by guitarist Syd Barrett as a perfect theme song for the far-out show.

While slightly altered and re-titled later as “See Emily Play,” the heart of the song remained the same when it became a top 10 hit on the UK charts that summer. Barrett’s infectious, playful melody matched by trippy noises was the ultimate showcase of Pink Floyd’s new musical direction. And it might never have happened without Games for May!

Why “Games for May” Was Significant

You’re probably wondering why this random, wacky concert from 55 years ago still matters today? Well, Games for May represented a turning point for what audiences could expect from a live rock performance.

It showed that concerts could be more than just listening to songs on stage under normal lights. They could transport you into a fantasy world! Pink Floyd realized people didn’t just want to hear the music – they wanted to feel like they were inside the music.

The band’s fully artistic fusion of sound, stage design and trippy visuals blazed the trail for what became staples of nearly every modern concert experience from flashy lasers to giant video screens to surround sound. All were on display first at Games for May.

Hard to believe a relatively unknown band in 1967 could produce a small venue show that contained the DNA of everything fans love about live music today! It just goes to show the genius and innovation Pink Floyd displayed right from the start.

Pretty cool how a bunch of crazy ideas came together one spring day in London to change the course of rock history, huh? It just took the right band – Pink Floyd – doing things their own epic way with Games for May! So next time you’re at a concert feeling the music pulse through massive speakers while wild light shows dazzle your eyes, you’ll know who pioneered it all.