King Crimson Elements Tour 2014

Started by shawnb, October 05, 2014, 09:14:06 AM

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shawnb

Pardon me while I gush a bit...

I've seen King Crimson live a few times, from the '80s Discipline era thru today.  Last night's concert at the Warfield in SF was, I think, the best overall performance I've seen.   Big, nasty, dissonant, crafted, ROCK...

They played a good mix from all eras of KC, with '70s-era dominant:
LTIA - LTIA, Talking Drum, LTIA II
Red - Red, One More Red Nightmare, STARLESS!!!
The Power to Believe - Level 5
Construction of Light - LTIA IV, Construction of Light
Poseidon - Pictures of a City!!!
A Scarcity of Miracles - a couple of tracks (gotta admit that's when I hit the merch table...)
I'm pretty sure Fripp's big solo towards the end was Sailor's Tale, from Islands
And more...
A drum solo + 21st Century Schizoid man for the encore

Current lineup:
Robert Fripp
Mel Collins on sax/flute
Tony Levin on bass/stick
Jakko Jakszyk on vocals/guitar
Pat Mastoletto on drumkit
Gavin Harrison on drumkit
Bill Rieflin on drumkit

I was nervous about 3 full drumkits onstage, but it worked & gave a BIG foundation for the fairly bombastic song set. 
The good thing about having Mel Collins is that they could do excellent versions of '70s songs, in particular, Starless, one of my favorites, that I've never been able to see them play live. 
Jakko did pretty good on vocals on the old John Wetton songs. 
I missed Belew, but this lineup I think was better suited for the '70s focus (and the '90s+ songs heavily influenced by the '70s trio of albums). 
Surprisingly, I did not miss Bruford with Mastoletto & Harrison on stage.   I thought I would.  I guess the way to look at it is it took 3 killer drummers to fill Bruford's shoes.   

This, **REALLY** this time, to me, felt like a farewell tour.  Fripp was silent throughout the whole show, never spoke a word.  Played brilliantly, maybe even nastier than normal.  His tones were much more overdriven than 'normal' Fripp.  At the end of the show, he gave a slight bow, a nod, & exited. 

Tony Levin's photo blog & FB page of the current tour - very interesting photo blog:
http://www.papabear.com/tours/crim14/crim14_index.htm
https://www.facebook.com/tonylevinofficial

Drummer warmup (only vid of current lineup I could find):
Address the process rather than the outcome.  Then, the outcome becomes more likely.   - Fripp

supernicd

Thanks for the rundown.  I hope it's not the farewell tour.  I've only got to catch them once and it was amazing.  I'd like to see them at least once more.
Strat w/ GK-3, Godin LGXT
VG-99, GR-55, GP-10
---------------------------------------------------------------

thebrushwithin

It sounds like you had a great experience. I heard them at the Vic, in Chicago, on their first night there. The performance was impeccable ensemble playing, although I would have preferred 1 Bruford over the combination of the 3 drummers. The sound was very poor, however, and somehow I felt like the presence of 3, full kit drummers, may have contributed to the poor mix. Since I've never been to the Vic theater, perhaps it is just a terrible room, although the atmosphere of the old theater was nice. Also, I made the mistake of listening to the outrageous accolades, from NY audiences, calling it the freshest Crimson ever( which I must disagree with). I've been a fan of theirs from the beginning, and will remain so. Like you, it felt like a farewell(best of) tour, but I truly hope that is not the case.

shawnb

In hindsight, I think I misspoke above, when I said they played pieces from all eras of KC.   Discipline, Beat & Three of a Perfect Pair were not represented.   The early '80s disappeared.
Address the process rather than the outcome.  Then, the outcome becomes more likely.   - Fripp

cell7

Gotta say that the idea of Crimson without Belew is like bread without butter... to me he is an essential part.

mojo thorne

I saw the show in Philadelphia a few weeks ago.  It was a bit of a bucket list moment for me as I never thought I would see songs from Larks' Tongues (one of my desert island albums), Wake of Poseidon, Islands and Red played live.  As already stated, every era but the 80s lineup was represented, and I took it as a nod to Belew.  Nobody can reproduce what he does.

Jakko was more than capable of covering the Greg Lake and John Wetton vocals.  The rhythm sections was tremendous!

I'll be seeing the Adrian Belew Power Trio in a couple of weeks which will round out my Crimson experience as he typically plays a good bit of the 80s Crimson stuff in his set.  If you've not seen his power trio before, I highly recommend trying to catch a show. 

vxboogie

Quote from: cell7 on October 06, 2014, 01:02:15 AM
Gotta say that the idea of Crimson without Belew is like bread without butter... to me he is an essential part.
+1000

Kevin M

Did Adrian Belew and Robert Fripp have a falling out?


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Elantric

QuoteDid Adrian Belew and Robert Fripp have a falling out?
http://ultimateclassicrock.com/adrian-belew-reunited-king-crimson/

Just days after Robert Fripp announced that he was putting together a new version of King Crimson, guitarist Adrian Belew revealed that he won't be part of it.
Belew — whose long career includes gigs with David Bowie, Talking Heads and Nine Inch Nails — said on his Facebook page that he is no longer a member of King Crimson. He set up the post in the form of a Q&A:
questions and answers.
q: are you in the new King Crimson planned for next september 2014?
a: no. after 32 years I am no longer in King Crimson.
q: were you asked to be in the new King Crimson?
a: no, I was not. robert informed me in an email that he was starting a 7-piece version of the band. he said I would not be right for what the band is doing.
Additionally, the question "So, how do you feel?" was answered with an upbeat "Happy with what I have to be happy with ... which is quite a lot." Specifically, Belew said that he's moving forward with the type of projects that have kept him busy over the past couple of decades, including a tour of South America with his Power Trio and a European tour next spring with the Crimson Project, which performs King Crimson music. "Life is great," he wrote.
Belew was one of the most popular members of King Crimson, who have turned over countless musicians since their formation in the late '60s. Fripp, who founded the group, remains the only original member. Details are slim on what the new version of the band will look like, but Fripp says it will include three drummers.
The guitarist's Facebook post ends with one final question about the King Crimson reunion: "What would you like to say to crimson fans about the new King Crimson?" Belew's diplomatic reply: "My advice is to check it out and if you like it, support it." Stay tuned on whether or not fans feel the same way.


Read More: Adrian Belew Says He Wasn't Asked to Be Part of Reunited King Crimson | http://ultimateclassicrock.com/adrian-belew-reunited-king-crimson/?trackback=tsmclip

GovernorSilver

I'm sorry I missed the tour.  Kind of sad this may be the farewell tour, but Fripp is getting up there in years.

In case nobody saw these yet, Fripp appears in some videos on the DGM Live channel like this one in which he shows a bit of his iPad Mellotron setup:



There appear to be a bunch of tour vids too.

thebrushwithin

From Tony Levin's blog:
"Two shows in San Francisco, and I'll admit feeling sad the tour will end soon, after our Seattle show.
Occasionally during interviews I've been asked if this was a 'farewell tour' for King Crimson. I have no idea where that idea came from, but we in the band are hoping very much that there will be more next year, and my guess is that it won't be too long until we start arranging schedules for that."

That is good news, and I hope it stays together. One of the most ironic things, to me, concerning the 3 drummers, is that Fripp instructed Bill Bruford to not use any cymbals. From elephant-talk.com:

"In his more than twenty-five years of leading the band, Robert Fripp has continuously challenged Crimson members to stretch their boundaries, to come up with something different from the musical norm - and he's especially targeted drumming tradition: "Why must you use a hi-hat? Why do you need a ride cymbal?" He's been a thorn in the side of every drummer who's played in the band - especially Bill Bruford, who in his long tenure with Crimson has more than met Fripp's challenges, coming up with some of the most thought-provoking parts ever to be beaten out of a drum, cymbal, or electronic pad. Classic recordings with the band from the '70s, '80s and today bear that out. (And he's done it time and time again in his solo career.) "

So now Fripp has done a 180, in regards to the use of cymbals, as it was a cymbal fest, on this Crimson tour! "..and smiles as the puppets dance, in the Court of the Crimson King"

GovernorSilver

Interesting about the cymbals.  I recall Fripp felt at the time that cymbals clashed with the frequencies of his guitar - the opposite of Pat Metheny who encouraged more cymbals, less toms from his drummers because of how he thought they would fit in the mix with his hollowbody jazz guitar.

Is Fripp playing a Gibson ES-175 too now?   ;)

thebrushwithin

No, still uses LP style w/sustainer, live.

Elantric

#13
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=19.msg47891#msg47891
http://crimsonguitars.com/gallery/robert-fripp-slim/



Also worth knowing

http://www.guitarcircleofnorthamerica.com/introduction-to-the-guitar-circle/

Introduction to the Guitar Circle

Tuesday, February 3, 2015   to Monday, February 9, 2015 · Cuernavaca, Mexico

Directed by Robert Fripp.
Assisted by experienced members of the North American Federation of Guitar Circles.

Arrivals: Tuesday Feb 3rd, morning to early afternoon.
Departures: Monday February 9.

This course is open to anyone, even those without any prior experience on the guitar. The Guitar Craft Tuning and a number of basic guitar practices and Guitar Circle techniques will be presented. This is the course for anyone who wishes to make a beginning in the Guitar Circle.

Sandra Bain Cushman and Rodrigo Suárez Hoffman (certified AT teachers) will introduce the Alexander Technique.
A team of experienced Crafties will run the kitchen and the house.
Application letters are necessary, and often telephone interviews as well. The minimum age to apply is eighteen.

Please submit your application letter, including full name and telephone number, to the course's registrar at intro@cge.mx. Focus on the following questions:

Who are you?
Why do you wish to attend?
What is your Aim?

If accepted to attend, you'll receive detailed info about exact location, transportation, what you need to bring, form of payment, and other practicalities.

Fee: $950

Discounts: East Europeans and Latin Americans please ask for special terms.

For further information please contact the course's registrar at intro@cge.mx.


GovernorSilver

Quote from: GovernorSilver on October 07, 2014, 11:27:37 AM
Is Fripp playing a Gibson ES-175 too now?   ;)

I guess nobody noticed the little thing to the right of the "?"

thebrushwithin

Hard for older eyes to see the wink! ;)

GovernorSilver

Lol, I was half hoping he'd really gotten a 175 just for the mild amusement factor.

Al Di Meola went much further down the Metheny train - put away the Les Paul for a big-box jazz guitar, hired a pianist who sounded like Lyle Mays, got a vocalist, got a Synclavier guitar, etc.  The music he made during that brief era was pretty good, though.

Rhcole

Love the Crimson Tide!  :)
Took a friend to see 'em about 15 years ago. He'd never heard them. His comment was that they sounded like "The Melodic Armies of Satan".

A friend saw them way, way back in 1973. He told me that every time the spotlight hit Fripp that he moved out of it. He thought they were the weirdest band he'd ever seen.

My semi-prog band when I was 19 had a not-bad version of Court of the Crimson King worked up. We played it at a high school dance in Colorado when they asked us to play a polka. Also at a Country bar and a disco.

You're right, we WERE pretentious A**holes.
Kids.  ::)


maan108

Quote from: GovernorSilver on October 08, 2014, 01:28:18 PM
I guess nobody noticed the little thing to the right of the "?"
I saw Fripp 3 or 4 years ago  in a duo with a winds player , and how can be seen in some DVD or photos he use a Fernandes guitar (les paul like + sustainer).
I dont know how much his model can be compared with the others in Fernades list !
Here (in Italy) old japan Gibson copy are well evaluated.
I've seen also Steve Hackett using Burny (another Japanes Les paul with Fernades sustainer.

;)