Interview: The Pulsing Spirit’s of Werner

Interview Werner Haider, Pulse & Spirit, 23.8.2010, von Alberto Durgante für Heyou, Pink Floyd Fanzine Nr. 17.

Heyou: Could you please shortly tell us who Werner Haider is?

Werner Haider: I was born in 1967 in Australia, and my family came to Austria in 1972. Since then, I went to school, grew up, had quite a few jobs, and worked nearly 20 years now in a Hospital as a Nurse! I married in 2003. Our first son was born in 2004, the same year we started to build our House. Our second son, was born on the 6th March 2006! Which, as we know, was David Gilmour’s 60th Birthday! What a coincidence!! His second name, of course, is David! And I wouldn’t write about me in “Heyou”, if I wouldn’t be a great Pink Floyd lover!

You’re a long time Pink Floyd fan, and in the past you’ve ran the “Pulse and Spirit” fanzine. What do you remember of those years? Why and when have you decided to transform the fanzine in a web site?

Werner: I became a Pink Floyd Fan in 1979. My first Pink Floyd concert was in 1988 in Vienna. In 1992 I founded with two other big Floyd-Collectors, one from Germany and one from Switzerland, a Fanzine called “Eclipsed”. We (I) all were maybe a bit naive, we didn’t make any kind of contract, why should we? I was happy to write about Pink Floyd. But after two years working on the fanzine, some Money came into the business, not to me, of course. The German guy had a lot more of subscribers than me in Austria, which isn’t really a surprise if you compare Austria and Germany. So, he may thought, that he was the Chief, just for that reason. We may already had a few hundred readers by then, and by surprise for me there was a bank account in Germany, but no information about the number of readers, and how much money was lying on the account and so on. And what followed was a communication breakdown! In the end, of course, I had to leave, was thrown out. A few years later, the man sold the magazine’s name “Eclipsed”, earned some Money with it, he never wrote a lot anyway, and it is now a Prog-Rock Magazine, still available in the shops. So, that was the first time that something terrible happened, in connection with Pink Floyd to me.

In 1995, I started my own Fanzine because I was still full of enthusiasm for Pink Floyd. I titled the fanzine “Pulse & Spirit”. Still a strange title I think, I could have taken “Welcome to the Machine”, but I will not change it anymore of course:-). So, why “Pulse & Spirit”? “Pulse” was by then the new Album, so it represented the PRESENT era, and “Spirit” stood for the PAST Pink Floyd era, so I put the words together and “Pulse & Spirit” was born. I had a few addresses from German and Austrian Pink Floyd Fans, so I sent postcards, and informed them about the new fanzine. Yes postcards, no emailing available at this time! I think I had about 50 Fans who subscribed for the first 4 issues!

Making a Fanzine is a lot of work, and after my experience with Eclipsed, I would rather not work with any co-partners anymore. Not that there was anyone! So, I made everything alone, of course, I got some guests in, who wrote one or the other story. My god, how much time did I spend in the copy shops around my hometown, must have been weeks:-)!

In 1999, I started the online version of “Pulse & Spirit”. So for the next 6 Years , I organized a Fanzine and a Website. In 2005, the Fanzine really was good-looking, at least in my opinion, there was one version in full color and one in black and white print. It looked very well, but cant say that there was a big demand (:-)) for the Pulse & Spirit Fanzine! I didn’t have any more than 50 paying readers, it took too much time, and maybe I lost money as well. My life changed, I was married, had a child and a house to build and couldn’t afford to lose Money on a Floyd-fanzine! I had to stop it! And the online version was so much easier to work with.

Your site is the main reference site for the “German language speaking” Pink Floyd fans in the world. Where do you find all the information and news? What about your collaborators? It also seems there are special links with Waters and Gilmour official staffs…

Werner: Time changed, really. Years ago, I had two superb connections to EMI Austria. These guys were music lovers themselves, and they knew, that Werner really likes Pink Floyd, so why not do him a favor from time to time. So, I got information’s about the “The Division Bell” Album, before it was released. Or when Pink Floyd played in Wiener Neustadt in 1994, I was invited backstage, and could meet them all. I was informed that Rick Wright will come to Vienna in October 1996 to promote his “Broken China” Album. And they asked me to organize a Fan meeting, and Wright gave autographs and took time for us. So, that was a really fantastic experience, of course! But this kind of contacts is no longer available, and, of course, Pink Floyd isn’t active anymore either.

Then I’ve got a good friend, who is a journalist, and he knows everything about what is happening in the music business, when something is going on, a tour is in the planning and so on. I’ve got absolute no contact with the management. I wrote Paul Loasby (Floyd, Gilmour Manager) once, that apart from the mayor english language Websites “Brain Damage” and “A Fleeting Glimpse”, there are a few other Websites (like mine) and Fanzines, from different countries like Germany or Italy, which also do a good job, respecting the Band, informing a lot of Fans in their areas, and if we couldn’t also get some official Information’s about Pink Floyd from time to time. But I never got an answer. But then I can’t get any mails, where they tell me, what I should write and what not!

And then one day you’ve interviewed Mr. Gilmour…

Werner: I have to admit that before, in 2005, I interviewed Nick Mason about his “Inside Out” Book! This was also wonderful! My Gilmour Interview 11.9.2008, I was a very lucky boy! My Journalist friend was asked by EMI to Interview David Gilmour about “Live in Gdansk”. But as he is a big Queen Fan as well, and they played a big concert in Poland on the day when he should talk to Gilmour, he asked me if I wanted to talk to him!

Of course, I nearly fell from the Chair. That was a Week before! And I can tell you, this week was a nightmare, I was so nervous, talking to Gilmour was of course great, but then all kinds of thoughts came to my mind, is my English good enough for a conversation on phone, will my Questions be good enough, do I want to come so close to my hero? I already talked to Mason, but I don’t know with Gilmour it was different.

I remember sitting in front of the phone waiting for David Gilmour to call! Yes, he had my number. A day before Claire Singers, Phil Manzanera´s Wife and Gilmour’s personnel “Press-Lady”) called just to clear if everything is fine, and gave the latest information’s. But I wasn’t at home, so my Wife talked to her. She was in shock because she thought, oh my god Werner is at work, and now Gilmour wants to talk to him. But she just wanted to tell her that the interview will be on the next day at 14:00 o’clock, and that David will call himself! And then at 14:16 he rang up! We talked for about 26 minutes! It was great, fantastic, he even laughed once! He was very relaxed and very friendly! And my English got better from minute to minute. I think he recognized, that the person on the other side of the line really knows a lot more about his latest activities, then any normal journalist would ever be able to know! I saw 11 Shows in 2006 from his “On an Island” tour, and loved every single one! Most of my Questions where about his present career, and I just asked 2 or 3 times about Pink Floyd. At the end, I asked him if he will work again with Rick Wright in the future. And after a few seconds pause, Gilmour said, yes, of course I will. Surely, Gilmour already knew about Rick Wright’s serious health situation. A few days after my big adventure, Rick Wright died! A very sad Day!

Do you have some hidden projects or unexpressed dreams for your future and the future of the site?

Werner: Hidden Projects? If I would have any then I couldn’t mention them now! Yes, there are maybe a few things which I would like to do, but of course, will never happen. Maybe a Pink Floyd Book? Perhaps a Book with all the Pulse & Spirit Issues collected together. But where should I take time from? And of course, I have ideas for a new Website. I am working with a friend from Germany on a new Website, but it will take months until we will be finished!

Which is the Pink Floyd “era” that you personally prefer and why? Are you a collector too?

Werner: I started with collecting all the official Records and after that, I began collecting Live-Tapes, must have hundreds of tapes at home. Then I got interested into everything else Posters, Vinyl, CDs, and Videos. So, I’ve got a nice little collection of all kinds of Pink Floyd Memorabilia. I stopped with collecting 10 Years ago, Vinyl or Posters got so expensive! And of course, the internet changed a lot.

My favorite Pink Floyd era? Good Question. I love the time from 1969 to 1972 a lot!! I like “Careful with that Axe” and the all the other “Space-tunes” from “Embryo” to “Set the Controls…”! And I love the “In the Flesh” Tour 1977! What a big and loud Rock show! And they played fantastic Version of: Pigs, Dogs, Shine On 6-9 and so on …! A Fantastic Tour! Why didn’t they film professionally any of these Concerts?

I think you have seen a lot of Pink Floyd, Waters and Gilmour shows during the past years; what do you think about them respectively? Are you going to see some Roger Waters “new wall tour” shows?

Werner: Because of my age, I sadly didn’t saw Pink Floyd in the 70ties, so my first one was in Vienna 1988. I was already into Floyd a lot, but I went to the show without any deeper information’s! I didn’t know what exactly they will play and so on. And that was great because everything was a surprise, nowadays with the internet, you know everything afterwards, or even during the show, you have pictures, you have videos, everything is available. In 1988, you didn’t have anything, and that was great in some way! On the other side, that was the reason why I missed the 3 shows in 1989 in the wonderful Arena of Verona!!  I really liked the “Momentary” Shows, I saw 3 more in 1989. The Momentary Album live was a lot better than the record itself for me. Pink Floyd I saw as well in Knebworth 1990 and 5 Concerts in 1994. I saw them then 2005 at Live 8, and if you like as well 2007 when they played at the Barbican Hall.

I saw Roger Waters for the first time in 1990 playing The Wall in Berlin, which I didn’t really enjoy. And to see him in 1999, when he returned to the stages again, was great! I spent a lot of money and went for the first time to the USA and Canada! Saw him 7 times over there, a really great tour! I admire his “Amused to Death” Album, and it was great to hear some Songs from this Album live! It was a good mixture of Pink Floyd and Solo songs until 2002. His latest “Dark Side of the Moon” Tours, from 2006-08, he played for me to many of Pink Floyd, no changes at all. So, I must say that I found it a bit boring! David Gilmour’s “On an Island” Tour 2006 was like a dream come true!! The Songs, The Band, The Venues everything he did, was like he had read my secret wish list! For me, David Gilmour is the Sound of Pink Floyd. Every time he hits a Solo it sounds like Pink Floyd, that’s his luck, maybe. I became a Floyd Fan in the first place because of the sound, the atmosphere, and not so much because of the words.

The Wall 2011? Yes, of course I will be there when The Wall comes to Europe in 2011!! The first time I will see The Wall in Milan 1. + 2. April! I really would like to meet the “Heyou” staff there somewhere?! After Milan, I will see The Wall in Prague, Zagreb, and the two shows in Berlin in June. And I will be in London on the 14. + 15. May, hopefully, to catch David playing Comfortably Numb on the top of The Wall. Unbelievably, what happened on 10th July 2010.

Any idea for some new forms of collaboration between “Pulse and Spirit” and “Heyou”?

Werner: We could organize a Pink Floyd Fan Festival somewhere near the borders between our countries, or maybe something which happens every Year again. Where fans meet each other, talk, trade, and where Tributbands could play and so on!

You’ve regularly received the issues of HEYOU Pink Floyd fanzine. What do you think about it and what do you think about the idea of still making a fanzine about Pink Floyd today?

Werner: Surely it is getting better and better. I, personally, prefer reading something that I can hold in my hands. Don’t want to read long stories on the Monitor. So getting the Heyou Fanzine remains me on my Fanzine, and how great it is lying around at home, taking yourself time and reading all the Pink Floyd Stories from the past and the present.