When did Syd leave?
[Thanks to Jon Rosenberg and Ray O’Hara]: Shortly after New Years, 1968 (probably the 5th or 6th of January) David Gilmour was asked to join Pink Floyd. The original intent was for Dave to “shadow” Syd on stage, stepping in to cover for him whenever necessary. This didn’t last very long, though. The band played as a five-piece for about four shows before deciding that they could do well enough without Syd. So one night, on the way to a gig, they simply didn’t pick him up. The band’s first performance as a five-piece was Aston University, on January 12th.
