Roger Waters

Roger Waters, the lyrical mastermind behind most of Pink Floyd’s work in the 1970s, was the band’s bassist, vocalist and, at one point, its front man. He solidified himself as one of music’s greatest poets with Animals, a picture of modern society metaphorised as animals, and The Wall, an epic rock opera that follows a rockstar’s declining mental state and disillusionment with the world around him.

After leaving Pink Floyd, he went on to create even more works that geared towards geopolitical themes, with the electrifying Radio K.A.O.S. and the provoking Amused to Death.

Roger Waters has proved a controversial figure. His current world tour has been disrupted by cancellations – for example in Poland – because of his support for Russia in its war against Ukraine, and because of anti-Semitic rants on social media and fascist displays at his concerts. He has been criticised for wearing a coat similar to a Nazi SS uniform, displaying an inflatable floating pig marked with the Star of David, and mimicking firing a mock rifle at the audience. However, this has not resulted in cancellations in the UK and US.