A
concert review like this cannot possibly convey the special magnitude
that lies within a King Crimson live performance. It is not that
it sports the captivating visuals that a Pink Floyd concert would
have, nor does it feature the mesmerizing nostalgia of a Yes gig,
or the fierce pressure of a Dream Theater performance. It's just…
different.
For starters,
a King Crimson live show is always apt to leave quite a few questions
unanswered. For example: why on earth do the schedule just a single
gig in Germany, which is no doubt one of their biggest markets?
And why is it that they let their audience wait for them to come
out for more than one hour? I suspect they just have the guts
to. However, on one occasion during that hour, Mr. Robert Fripp
appeared on stage. And when I say 'appear', I should add that
he was actually in a constant state of disappearing: no light
would ever touch his figure during the entire show. Anyway, Mr
Fripp came out, was instantly engulfed in applause, but didn't
seem to take notice. He sat down with his guitar, and what followed
- a stretched-out carpet of floating sounds - was again posing
a question: did Fripp actually play or was he just tuning his
instrument? Well, I understand he did play, and the music is aptly
referred to as Soundscape.
After a pause,
the lights dimmed and the whole band lined up to launch into The
Power To Believe I, which lead directly to the musical onslaught
of Level Five. The set that followed included all that
a King Crimson aficionado craves for: the stomping ProzaKc
Blues, the extraordinarily brilliant The ConstruKction
Of Light, the frightening Facts of Life, the multi-layered
Elektrik, the comparatively calm The Power To Believe
II, the catchy Dinosaur, the soaring One Time,
the heavy Happy With What You Have To Be Happy With, the
swelling Dangerous Curves, and the knotty Larks' Tongues
In Aspic Part IV/Coda. All of the tracks were culled from
Crimson's latest three releases, but as a matter of fact, one
does not really miss older material.
As for the
musicians, little is left to be said. Each of them clearly is
a top-notch craftsman and artist, contributing to the King Crimson
experience with a precision that leaves your mouth open. Trey
Gunn's work on his Warr guitar is nothing short of magic. Mastelotto's
drumming marries power and subtlety in an astonishing way. Adrian
Belew's guitar play left nothing to be desired either, while his
huge stature and his open attitude made him a worthwhile centre
of attention. The control, however, lay with the man in the shadow.
Mr Robert
Fripp kept leading his unobtrusive stage life, and to figure out
whether he or Belew was playing the lead at a given time proved
to be an enjoyable task throughout the show. His silhouette sometimes
revealed the most frantic playing. At the end of the main set,
when Belew & Co. enjoyed applause and approval, Fripp withdrew
to the back of his side of the stage. His hands folded in his
lap, he stood there waiting in the dark - and after a while, left.
But naturally,
as the audience demanded more, the band came back to perform Deception
of the Thrush, which was followed by Elephant Talk,
a track that I personally adore. Then Robert Fripp, apparently
encouraged by the thundering applause, surprised his band by not
leaving the stage but returning to his stool once again, thus
signalling that yet another encore was due - a terrific rendition
of Red. And although some may not believe it- at gig's
end Robert Fripp approached the front of the stage, smiled and
applauded to the audience. Wonders never cease.
Unlike other
'dinosaur bands', King Crimson have always managed to make their
output sound fresh and contemporary. At the same time, it was
always different enough from the rest to appeal to the critics,
it appeared to be sophisticated enough to be associated with the
idea of 'art'. The masterful manners and eccentric attitudes of
Crimson's core figure Fripp did the rest to solidify King Crimson
as a quality brand name in music. And it is perhaps this awe-inspiring
background which, in a live setting, dwarfs the actual concept
of just a few musicians playing their stuff. The experience cannot
adequately be put down in words, and as a consequence, the disadvantage
of this review reveals itself: it's only talk.
Soundscape I
Soundscape II
The Power To Believe I
Level Five
ProzaKc Blues
The ConstruKction Of Light
Facts of Life
Elektrik
The Power To Believe II
Dinosaur
One Time
Happy With What You Have To Be Happy With
Dangerous Curves
Larks' Tongues In Aspic Part IV/Coda
Deception
of the Thrush
Elephant Talk
Red
