A Pensive Frank Zappa Jams Onstage With Pink Floyd at a Belgian Music Festival in 1969

During the 1969 Festival Actuel in Mont-de-l’Enclus, Belgium, a very pensive, straight-faced Frank Zappa joined Pink Floyd onstage to perform a loose, somewhat directionless version of “Interstellar Overdrive”.

Years later, Zappa told a reporter that he didn’t know what he was getting into with this gig at the time.

“That was after the Mothers [of Invention] had broken up, and y’know, I had time on my hands..These people contacted me. They offered me $10,000 to be an emcee at a festival, all expenses paid, and go over there, and, y’know, whatever I wanted to do, and I said, ‘Fine.’ So, I get there, and they neglected to tell me that nobody spoke English.”

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.