Ep.30 - Steve Anderson: 50 Years of Floyd: Bootlegs, Barrett, and Beyond

In this episode of Fingal’s Cave, host Ian Priston talks with Steve Anderson - creator of the iconic Floydboots website, visited over a million times by collectors, and author of the 2024 book Wizardo: Stories of a Bootlegger.

Steve reflects on five decades of Pink Floyd: from being a 12-year-old at Wembley Empire Pool in November 1974 and the heartbreak of his prized Stoke bootleg being broken - to the challenge of hunting down and thrill of listening to rare titles. He recalls leaving home at 3am from Knebworth 1975, the ferocity and spectacle of the Animals tour, the monumental experience of The Wall shows, and meeting the band at the premiere of The Wall film.

Steve also shares two extraordinary encounters with Syd Barrett in the 1990s - fleeting but unforgettable glimpses of the band’s elusive founding genius. Along the way, he discusses Barrett superfan the late Bernard White, the legacy of John Wizardo, his adventures as a record dealer, and the time he was offered Roger Waters’ Live at Pompeii bass. It is a fascinating story of how a lifetime can be shaped by music, soundtracked by Pink Floyd.

This episode is in stereo - because, well, it just had to be. And if you think you hear a fly buzzing, dogs wanting attention, or even church bells chiming in the distance… you are not imagining things. Consider them accidental Pink Floyd–style sound effects.

Subscribe to Fingal’s Cave for more journeys to the edges of Pink Floyd music history.