Nick Mason Saves His Old Music Shop

Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason is ensuring the London music shop he knew as a child, Foote's, will continue to operate. The establishment was where Mason purchased his very first drum kit.

"After 40 something years of playing, I still have great affection for a real drum shop," Mason said. "And Foote's has a special significance for me."

Mason recalled going to the store in London's West End back in 1958 where "a kindly man called Sid, in a white coat (maybe that's significant as well) sold me my original kit for £7.50.

"Armed with this devastating kit I joined my friends to form 'The Hotrods,'" Mason said. "The fact that none of us could actually play our instruments seemed a minor problem on our road to stardom."

Both Mason and the store's sales director Rob Wilson are purchasing the business from the family who owned it since the 1930s. Wilson said Mason's assistance was invaluable after a bank turned down a business loan.

"It was a major blow to our plans, but Nick came to our rescue," Wilson said. "Without him, and our collective of generous investors, Foote's would be no more."

The store will relocate to London's Bloomsbury area from its current location in Soho. It will also open in mid-December.