Why Pink Floyd Dropped 'Echoes' After the 1975 Wish You Were Here Tour

The last time Pink Floyd ever played the full 23-minute “Echoes” live was July 5, 1975 at the Knebworth Festival. That show wrapped a short European leg of the Wish You Were Here tour, and the band never brought the epic back. The biggest reason was practical: the song required a rotating spotlight and a specific lighting rig to create the famous “seagull” effect, and after 1975 the band got tired of hauling that extra gear. More importantly, their sound was changing — Animals and The Wall were built around shorter, more rigidly structured songs, and a 23-minute improvisational piece no longer fit the set.

The Knebworth performance itself wasn’t even particularly beloved by the band. It rained heavily, the sound was muddy, and a quadraphonic speaker system malfunctioned mid-show. Bootlegs capture a decent rendition, but there’s a reason they didn’t try to repeat it. After 1975, “Echoes” only resurfaced