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Subject: Elephant Talk #1114
E L E P H A N T T A L K
The Internet newsletter for Robert Fripp
and King Crimson enthusiasts
Number 1114
Wednesday, 9 April 2003
Today's Topics:
My Vote for Peter Gabriel Summer Tour Warm-Up Band...
Adrian Belew interview by Shawn Perry
where are the discs made?
Re: One More Red Nightmare
Love those kids
King Crimson ticket Prices
Cancelled Denver shows
SARS and KC Japan Tour
History
Interview/Touring
Re: Denver blizzard, SCI ticketing
"Facts of Life", audience appreciation (Santa Rosa vs. SF), and poem
Selling Music By the Pound
Ticket prices in OZ
King Crimson Newsgroup
Re: that new David Sylvian and Derek Bailey release
Re: Mike Giles drums on the incredible "Confessions of Dr. Dream"
park west
GIG REVIEW: SF 3/28/03
GIG REVIEW: Portland, OR Roseland Theatre March 25
GIG REVIEW: Bill Bruford's Earthworks at Ronnie Scott's, April 5
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------------------ A I V I R T S I N I M D A ---------------------
Date: Wed, 2 Apr 2003 02:58:23 EST
From: MikeTEACHR at aol dot com
Subject: My Vote for Peter Gabriel Summer Tour Warm-Up Band...
--part1_11a.20c30149.2bbbf21f_boundary
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Well,
PG is touring the states again this summer and someone on a PG newsgroup
asked if there would be a warm-up act. hmmmm.....
I've seen PG since 1980 with Random Hold, The Fixx, Youssou N'Dour, Blind
Boys, etc... Given the totally random nature of the above; oh why the hell
not; let's just not really think about it and throw this name in the hat for
PG's summer tour.....
King Crimson.
1. OK; so its too obvious and stupid and futile and what happens when tony
tries to sneak up behind trey and boot him, but the fripp/pg history is
there, as well as many crossing twines in the family trees of these two...
2. Well ya want new music? Ya got it with KC these days. I know the KC
moniker carries a certain 'inertia' to it, but hey....
3. Speaking of new music; believe it or not, there do exist a large segment
of the PG population who know him from music released during MTV/PG years and
"In Your Eyes". And to many of them, its "Robert WHAT?!"
4. PG has been opening shows with 'Here Comes The Flood'. OK; KC performs;
leaves the stage [except fripp]; PG enters solo and we have a Fripp/PG duo;
and the heavens open up and we all fly away die happy.
Well; of course I'm sure there are at least a dozen reasons why this is
impossible, stupid, futile, trite, and a waste. Even with the image of Trey
and Tony fencing with grand sticks for control of the KC stage.
Wow; and I could have been doing real Work...
Mike Black [screwing up Guitar Craft courses since 1986]
Miketeachr at aol dot com
www.miketheteacher.com
PS: Not to use this forum for to plug my site; but I have a collection of a
few dozen concert ticket stubs; and many from bands mentioned on ET. The
scans of the tickets are there; and you can do see the evolution of tickets
prices over time [there's a PG stub in there from 23 years ago]; and in
places ranging in size from clubs to football arenas. A few KC stubs too. Do
your own "Ticket Price Debate Research"!
--part1_11a.20c30149.2bbbf21f_boundary
Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Well,
PG is touring the states again this summer and someone on a PG newsgroup ask=
ed if there would be a warm-up act. hmmmm.....
I've seen PG since 1980 with Random Hold, The Fixx, Youssou N'Dour, Blind Bo=
ys, etc... Given the totally random nature of the above; oh why the hell not=
; let's just not really think about it and throw this name in the hat for PG=
's summer tour.....
King Crimson.
1. OK; so its too obvious and stupid and futile and what happens when tony t=
ries to sneak up behind trey and boot him, but the fripp/pg history is there=
, as well as many crossing twines in the family trees of these two...
2. Well ya want new music? Ya got it with KC these days. I know the KC monik=
er carries a certain 'inertia' to it, but hey....
3. Speaking of new music; believe it or not, there do exist a large segment=20=
of the PG population who know him from music released during MTV/PG years an=
d "In Your Eyes". And to many of them, its "Robert WHAT?!"
4. PG has been opening shows with 'Here Comes The Flood'. OK; KC performs; l=
eaves the stage [except fripp]; PG enters solo and we have a Fripp/PG duo; a=
nd the heavens open up and we all fly away die happy.
Well; of course I'm sure there are at least a dozen reasons why this is impo=
ssible, stupid, futile, trite, and a waste. Even with the image of Trey and=20=
Tony fencing with grand sticks for control of the KC stage.
Wow; and I could have been doing real Work...
Mike Black [screwing up Guitar Craft courses since 1986]
Miketeachr at aol dot com
www.miketheteacher.com
PS: Not to use this forum for to plug my site; but I have a collection of a=20=
few dozen concert ticket stubs; and many from bands mentioned on ET. The sca=
ns of the tickets are there; and you can do see the evolution of tickets pri=
ces over time [there's a PG stub in there from 23 years ago]; and in places=20=
ranging in size from clubs to football arenas. A few KC stubs too. Do your o=
wn "Ticket Price Debate Research"!
--part1_11a.20c30149.2bbbf21f_boundary--
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 7 Apr 2003 22:31:36 -0500
From: "Gerardo Liedo"
Subject: Adrian Belew interview by Shawn Perry
>From Patti Williams' Classic Rock
A report by special correspondent Shawn Perry
It's a sunny Saturday afternoon and I'm scheduled to meet with Adrian
Belew at his Beverly Hills hotel. Just as I enter the lobby I immediately
catch him in the corner of my eye -- looking dapper, almost resplendent in
cotton khakis and a light-colored pullover, along with his hair in a mild
state of disarray. Belew is chatting it up with Robert Fripp, the de facto
leader of King Crimson, who flashes me his iniquitous, demure smile and
hightails it out of the lobby before I can get any closer. I would expect
nothing less. Once I announce who I am, I'm told that things are running a
little behind. Can I come back later, around a half-hour or so? Not a
problem. Before I leave, Adrian says: "You know there used to be a
Haagen-Dazs right across the street. That's one of the reasons I wanted to
stay here. But they closed it. If it were still open, you could wait
there." Right off the bat, I see the attention to detail, the unmistakable
thought process he must pour into his music. I can be thankful that Adrian
Belew is looking out for me.
An hour later, I sit down with the man and I know I'm in for a treat.
Adrian Belew has covered a lot of ground in his 25 years as a musician.
Jumping in head first with none other than Frank Zappa, Belew went on to
log time with David Bowie and Talking Heads before he ran into Fripp and
reactivated King Crimson. Since then, it's been one long, crazy journey.
The guy even played on Paul Simon's Graceland, for crying out loud. As
passionate of a musician as you could possibly be, Belew maintains a wild
pace that's well-matched with his desire to experiment and tinker with
ideas, concepts and meanderings of any sort -- sitting in here, playing on
that session, painting, writing, recording -- and being the front man for
King Crimson, one of the most eclectic group of musicians to ever roam the
earth. It's a full time job and Belew is scrupulously good at it.
The first portion of our conversation focuses on the new Crimson album,
The Power To Believe, their first full-length effort in over two years.
According to Belew, that's roughly the amount of time the group always
needs to complete an album. "It's weeks to make a King Crimson record," he
says. "It's maybe two years to write one." It was a process of "writing
it, rewriting it, refining it, redefining it" before the band even stepped
inside a studio.
Like much of Crimson's music, the key to The Power To Believe is an
unspoken sense of balance, a benevolent bow to loose interpretation and a
degree of improvisation based largely on syncopated chord structures and
nifty little surprises around every corner. "The Power To Believe" is a
four-part cycle that surrounds six other songs. Belew says it all came
together in the final stages. "After two years of work, we knew we had all
the major pieces. But only at the end of the record did we realize there
was still something missing that could thread this all together."
Within the thematic framework are some truly amazing moments between the
four present members of King Crimson: Belew, Fripp, Trey Gunn and Pat
Mastelotto. As a second outing by this particular combination, it's been
an adjustment to say the least, especially for Belew who had felt a strong
kinship with Tony Levin and Bill Bruford with whom he had been in the band
with since 1981. Without much explanation, the two disappeared from the
Crimson fold after 1999's Projeckts, a four disc box set of
improvisational music played by various combinations (Fripp called them
"fractals") of the six member, mid 90s line-up. This fractalisation of
King Crimson led to 2000's The ConstruKction Of Light, which was met with
some confusion by Crimson's loyal followers and casual fans alike. For
one, the absence of Levin and Bruford altered the make-up of the band's
unique chemistry. But as Belew sees it, internal differences between Fripp
and Bruford had been brewing for a while and a change had to be made.
"Even though I love being around both Robert and Bill, I'm glad to see
that tension gone. Sometimes a tension can drive something, but I felt
like that part of it was gone and now there was just tension," he laughs.
"It's just two guys who don't really see music in the same way and
probably shouldn't be working together. I'm sure they're still good
friends, but it's a relief to me that I'm not stuck between the two of
them. I respect them so much that I felt a lot of times I was in between
these two guys who had their gloves on. And I was taking a lot of the
punches."
If anything, The Power To Believe shows how the group, as it always has in
the face of continual shifts in personnel, has forged ahead and made the
appropriate adjustments. This is especially evident now that Gunn and
Mastelotto have begun to come into their own, demonstrating the sort of
diligence to the Crimson cause that Belew admits was lacking. "I consider
them the next-generation of King Crimson," he muses. "It's been intriguing
to watch them follow in the footsteps and take over for Tony and Bill. I
know it's been very difficult for them because they admire those guys. But
they're different from Tony and Bill. They bring a younger and more
adventurous mentality to the group. Pat is really involved in listening to
all the hip-hop, loop music and all the stuff that I don't know much
about. Trey plays a similar instrument to the one that Tony uses, the
touch-sensitive bass, but he attacks it more from a guitar angle. He uses
guitar effects and he's more apt to play something with a guitar
mentality."
Breaking it down, The Power To Believe evolves organic, each stride worthy
of examination. "Level Five" is a hard-hitting instrumental that showcases
the group's extraordinary prowess as a highly functional ball of energy
with a style that instantly interlocks and fires away. Belew tells me
about one of the more evocative pieces on the album -- "Eyes Wide Open," a
kinder and gentler Crimson number in the grand tradition of "Heartbeat"
and "Matte Kudasei." He cites it as another example of the symmetry that
exists within the band.
"There's a necessity for the softer side, the melodic side," he says,
pausing slightly. "'Eyes Wide Open' is funny to me. One day, Robert and I
were sitting quietly in my studio trying to invent some more ideas and we
started playing in the same way that we used to play in the '81 band, that
sort of interlocking guitar stuff that makes up songs like 'Discipline' or
'Neal And Jack And Me.' We hadn't played that way together for a long
time -- 20 years, I guess. And we looked at each other and said, 'You know
what -- we kind of invented this; it's ours to use if we want to.' And
once that door was open, I felt like this is cool. It inspired me."
Lyrically, Belew has always walked a fine line between being acerbically
poetic and utterly absurd. He's an avid reader, with a penchant to
incorporate various influences and ideas into the mix. "Wordplay or global
meaning or romanticism or spontaneous prose." He reels them off. "It just
depends on the material. If we're writing a song and it comes out to be,
you know, like neurotica, then I'm going to probably say, 'You know this
needs the hip jazz, fast-paced, spontaneous prose, go nuts kind of
wordplay.'"
One new song in particular stands out for its truly unique brand of
banter: "Happy With What You Have To Be Happy With." As it turns out, the
working lyrics, if you can call them that, were merely set up around the
time signature of the song, never meant to stick. "We had this thing we
were doing musically, where the band is playing in distant time signatures
based around eleven. I thought this is going to end up on the cutting
floor, unless I can formulate something to sing over it. Once I find
something to sing over it, it legitimizes the idea somehow.
One new song in particular stands out for its truly unique brand of
banter: "Happy With What You Have To Be Happy With." As it turns out, the
working lyrics, if you can call them that, were merely set up around the
time signature of the song, never meant to stick. "We had this thing we
were doing musically, where the band is playing in distant time signatures
based around eleven. I thought this is going to end up on the cutting
floor, unless I can formulate something to sing over it. Once I find
something to sing over it, it legitimizes the idea somehow.
"So I worked for three or four days trying to come up with exactly the
right phrase to sing against it. It ended up in a phrase eleven syllables
long: happy with what you have to be happy with. Once I played that for
the guys, it became a song. Suddenly, we're strapping to see what ideas
would go with it. We put together a lot of different arrangements and
finally came up with one that everyone agreed on. Then they asked, 'Now,
what would you sing over this?' And I said, 'I haven't had time to write
the lyrics, but I know what I would do melodically.' And they said, 'Well,
why don't you send us a tape of what you think the melody would be,
because we're not sure of what to play until you develop the melody.' So
they went away and I quickly wrote down this sort of funny thing. (sings)
'Well, if I had some words, I'd sing them here and I'd sing them like this
and this would probably be the chorus.' I did it in a joking manner for
them to learn the melody. And everybody liked it so much that we kept it
that way."
I inquire as to how on earth Belew has developed into the songwriter and
musician he has become today. He smiles at me in such a way that says I
should know the answer. "I don't know if I'd be able to write for King
Crimson if I hadn't had a year of schooling from Frank Zappa. Especially
in odd time signatures. Before I joined Frank's band, I didn't know
anything about odd time signatures. He sat me down and said to me, 'I
don't usually play in 4/4, so you're gonna have to play in 7/8.' He taught
me from day one. Without that real understanding, I don't think I could
have been a writer of 'Three Of A Prefect Pair' or something like that.
"So I owe Frank a direct debt in that way; but moreover, I think Frank was
the person who showed me the ropes on how to be a touring professional,
recording musician. The daily nuts and bolts that you need to know. And he
imparted it to me in such a way that was hilarious, but it was also
extremely educational and valuable. I don't know how I would have fared if
I hadn't had his tutoring for that year. His music was so complicated that
anything that followed it seemed easy. It really put me in the right frame
of mind, to be ready to take on things like playing with David Bowie or
being in King Crimson or making my own records."
Speaking of which, when it comes to making his own records, Belew
certainly hasn't held back. Since 1982, he has issued over a dozen solo
albums, along with oodles of collaborations and one-off projects.
Recently, his first three solo albums originally released on Island
Records have been polished off and re- issued on CD for the very first
time. According to Belew, when Crimson inked a deal with a new company in
Japan, they realized they owned the masters to Lone Rhino, Twang Bar King
and Desire Caught By The Tail and decided it was high time to re-release
them in the preferred format. Belew couldn't have been more pleased. "They
did such a great job. The music sounds fantastic. The artwork is
incredible. When I got those records in the mail, I just cried over them,"
he laughs. "I was so happy they were available and done right. I must
admit that they meant a lot of to me. They still stand the test of time. I
think people will really be surprised. I was because I don't have a record
player anymore and I hadn't heard them in years."
With his back catalog in full bloom, Belew is gearing up for a new solo
project he's been working on in between breaks from Crimson and his other
group, the Bears. "I have done a lot of my own material, which I work on,
a little bit here and a little bit there. Now, it's compiled itself to the
point that I have more than 20 tracks and I'm real excited about all of
them. I'm hoping I'll get one big space where I can finish them off." I
scratch my head, finding this interesting in light of the fact that
Crimson is in full swing and just about to mount a full-scale tour that's
taking them through the States and over to Japan.
Unabated, Belew continues: "What I'm going to do is put together a record
that is sort of two different musical mentalities. One is the kind of
current beat box, drum loop type thinking that people have in a lot of
their records now. I feel I can take it to a different place. I've written
ten pieces that are like that. They're all in various states of
completion. The second part of the record is a power trio, in the true
sense of the word, bass, drums, guitar...maybe one or two guys singing ...
playing really muscular, aggressive music, not unlike King Crimson, but in
a trio format.
"For this, I've chosen to have Les Claypool and Danny Carey the drummer
from Tool. So after I finish this weekend's promo, I'm flying to San
Francisco and we're going to record there for 10 days with the three of
us. It's possible that Danny, Les and I will gather enough material to do
a project apart from my solo record. So on this beat box kind of album
with loops you'll hear a door open up and suddenly you're in a room with a
live power trio."
As if that isn't enough on his plate, Belew confirms that an anthology
he's supposedly been working on for years is right on track and being
prepared for release. "Dust is a huge compilation. It's over a 100 tracks
long and includes everything from my earliest work till now. It's a
20-year retrospective, a box set." Then he laughs before adding, "we'll
also put out a single CD called Particles..."
Amazingly, with so many extracurricular activities at hand, Belew says
Crimson is still a top priority. "I've stayed in and been involved in King
Crimson and in its various incarnations mainly because it challenges me.
Every time King Crimson does something, you're put on the spot to really
do the best you can do. And do things maybe you didn't know you could do.
So it's all about challenging and working at a high level of integrity. It
has nothing to do with the normal machinations of a rock band. You're not
worrying about being on television or videos or anything like that. The
whole idea of the game is to play something remarkable together. And
that's the tradition of the band. So, I'm really proud of being a part of
that. I was a huge fan of King Crimson before I was in the band, and
that's how I thought of them -- as being sort of a cut above your normal
band. So now I look back 21, 22 years of being able to get in there and
battle it out with one another. And it's still great."
A report by special correspondent Shawn Perry
------
http://classicrock.about.com/library/weekly/aa031903a.htm
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 01 Apr 2003 13:29:02 -0500
From: "Brian Cameron"
Subject: where are the discs made?
Okay, so this might appear to be a strange question. Does anyone know in
what country or countries DGM discs are manufactured?
I am referring to the discs that do not carry the Virgin or EG or whatever
label (these ones clearly state where they are made). In other words,
where are the discs with only the DGM logo manufactured. These include
releases like Heavy Construction, Vroom Vroom, Absent Lovers, and a pile of
others. Are they all made in the UK?
Just curious.
Brian
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 1 Apr 2003 17:04:34 -0800 (PST)
From: Robert Zeien
Subject: Re: One More Red Nightmare
> I'm thinking about the great songs on Red I'd like someone to explain how
> out of all their songs anyone thinks One More Red Nightmare is a good song?
I'll sum it up in one word: Bruford.
R|C
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 2 Apr 2003 08:29:35 -0600
From: "Brothers, Michael (IA)"
Subject: Love those kids
Hi All:
I really enjoyed the post a few issues ago from the gentleman who took his
children to see King Crimson. His kids' comments were so honest and
insightful. I wish I could have done the same, but Park West would not
allow anyone under 21. Oh well, my kids have been content listening to The
Power To Believe with me in the car as we drive about to our many and
varied obligations. Last night coming home from a Cub Scout meeting we are
listening to 'Level 5'. When it's over, my 7 year-old said "That is so
cool." Then 'Eyes Wide Open' plays, and I'm singing along with this
fabulous pop song, thinking about some of the posts here, wondering how
anybody could question why King Crimson could make songs like this, or
'Facts of Life', or 'Happy...', when he pipes up, "I don't think King
Crimson should make songs you can sing along to." It took me a few seconds
to recover and ask him, "Why do you say that?!", to which he replied, "I
just like the songs about the design of music."
So all you who think King Crimson has no business making songs "you can sing
along to" now have my son in your corner. I still disagree with you and him,
mind you, but I have a better appreciation of where you're coming from.
Take Care,
mike
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 2 Apr 2003 16:31:26 -0500
From: "Walker Watson"
Subject: King Crimson ticket Prices
Would you guys stop comparing crimson to phish. These are two different
bands that just happened tours around the same time. So what Crimson is a
much better band than phish and in my opinion the ticket price was
justified. It also kinda helps that i was in atlanta and only had to pay
25 bucks but I would have gladly payed up to 75 to see them.
Walker
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 5 Apr 2003 18:04:42 -0700
From: Matt Sottile
Subject: Cancelled Denver shows
Has anyone heard whether or not SCI Ticketing, KC, or anyone plans to
at least give refunds for the KC show that was cancelled at the
Fillmore? Very disappointing to miss, although I wouldn't have been
able to make it up anyways - that blizzard closed the road between me
(northern New Mexico) and Denver. *sigh*
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 05 Apr 2003 17:46:20 -0800
From: 8-Stringer <8strngr at lusk3 dot net>
Subject: SARS and KC Japan Tour
Does anyone know if the KC tour of Japan has been
impacted/cancelled/postponed by the 'severe acute respiratory
syndrome'(SARS) situation?
Regards,
Billy
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 6 Apr 2003 19:16:38 +0100
From: Antonio_Cebola
Subject: History
For a little bit of history go to
http://wnyc.org/music/articles/13077
Program n.o 852 and 862.
and enjoy.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 6 Apr 2003 21:08:50 -0700 (PDT)
From: David Alston
Subject: Interview/Touring
If anybody hasn't listened to the Fripp interviews on the
www.king-crimson.com website, they're definitely a hoot. One of them,
maybe #6 or #7 features Fripp taking up the whole segment explaining why he
doesn't like to sign autographs. We're all aware of this but to hear him
explain it to a stupid reporter is quite entertaining. I recommend
listening to all segments.
Does anybody know if the Feb 28-Mar 30 is all Crimson is planning to do in
terms of North American touring? I was very surprised to see them skip
Dallas as it would have been a sellout. Crimson should have no problem
selling out any city with more than 1 million inhabitants. Perhaps the
brevity of the North American touring has to do with the lack of time each
member has available to promote this record worldwide.
=====
~ ACCEPT NOTHING LESS THAN WHAT IS RIGHT ~
"Fear is a preparation for failure." -- unknown author
"People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents." -- Andrew Carnegie
"If we wish to know, breathe the air around someone who knows." -- Robert Fripp
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 07 Apr 2003 12:24:51 -0700
From: Matthew Sottile
Subject: Re: Denver blizzard, SCI ticketing
Funny you should send that message about the KC/SCI show in Denver. I also
missed it and received the same content-free note from SCI ticketing. I
followed it up after KC cancelled saying "OK - the band I *wanted* to see
cancelled." -- with no response.
Sigh.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 7 Apr 2003 13:06:36 -0700
From: "Ellendea Thor"
Subject: "Facts of Life", audience appreciation (Santa Rosa vs. SF), and
poem
Hi Folks.
:::dips big toe into cyber waters:::
This is my first post here, so please bear with me. I'll try not to break
netiquette as I wipe off the Fripp vomit from my "I'm a friend of Bill B"
T-Shirt. Lucky for me, I don't have a favorite KC line-up :-)
So anyway, I was tickled to read here that Adrian quotes Lennon after
performing "The Facts of Life". The first time I heard this song, I
remarked to myself that Belew sounded a LOT like John and I wondered if it
was on purpose. The song certainly has some Lennon-like qualities to it
even outside of the vocals. If ghosts exist, then I think John was there.
In other news, I was at the show in Santa Rosa and it was the most surreal
concert experience I've ever had. Every single person remained seated
throughout the entire performance and I counted 6 people actually moving
around, ever so slightly, in their seats! How bizarre is that? I mean, I
don't expect moshing, but these folks barely applauded (the couple next to
me did not let their hands make a sound all night). I know it was a
Thursday night. I know that lots of us are bummed about the war. I know
that Fripp likes a well behaved audience, but I have never been to a show
where the audience was so, dare I say, lazy. At one point, my husband
shouted out, "woo-hoo!" after a song and he got some weird stares as if to
say, "how dare you joyously exclaim your appreciation of a song at a rock
concert". Weird, eh? I think that the band felt the lack of enthusiasm as
well because I felt a strange vibe from them. Oh and the sound was pretty
bad...way too loud and clipping. I'm a musician myself and can handle loud
music, but this time I actually had to wear earplugs (a first for me).
Before you flame me as not understanding KC, let me add that I was at the
following night's show at the Warfield in SF and it was awesome. The
audience was actually into the music and the sound was a lot better. The
energy flowed from audience to band/ band to audience quite nicely. I left
the venue feel well satiated, unlike the night before (whose weirdness I
blame on the audience, not the band).
I love the new album, it just might be my favorite KC release to date, and
am grateful to have been given the opportunity to see this tour. I hope that
there are more shows in the future and that audiences then realize,
encourage, and not take for granted, the brilliance that is before them.
Namaste,
Ellendea Thor
"Riding the notes on a San Frankcisco evening"
by Ellendea Thor (after seeing KC on their CoL tour)
Dancing in 7/8 time,
I hopped on a note,
held tight for life,
and kcoursed through the sonic wild
tamed only by choice.
Fractured,
with scar tissue.
Entranced beyond a state of mind,
I fell between grooves,
slid through all kcracks,
and let myself become a layer
of some constant voice.
Fractured,
I'm stronger for it.
Captured,
to break again.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 7 Apr 2003 17:09:54 -0400
From: "josh chasin"
Subject: Selling Music By the Pound
For the love of all that is good and decent, enough already about concert
ticket prices. You don't buy music by the bushel, the pound, the hour, the
note. They (whoever "they" is) charge what they charge, play where they
want to play. If you want to buy a ticket, you do. If you think it isn't
worth the money (as I did this past January, with the Stones at the garden
at $300 a throw) you don't.
If the band isn't selling their tickets, they cancel shows (as Paul Weller
had to do here in the states) or lower prices. If they sell out, obviously
the price is "worth it." Supply and demand and all that.
Please, and I direct this at no one in particular, refrain from whining
about the justification for concert ticket prices until you have taken a
basic economics course.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 08 Apr 2003 10:03:57 +1000
From: "prof. Dawid"
Subject: Ticket prices in OZ
Hi
I've been reading quite a lot about ticket pricing in the US and I think I
have to tell you about Santana's concert which I attended a week ago. It
was outdoor, in the park and you could watch the entire concert from behind
the fence. What is more, they provided 4 big screens for you to see
better. There were approx. 18,000 people. The show was excellent and lasted
for 160 minutes! Photography was allowed. The set consisted of songs from
the last two commercial LPs as well as the old stuff from the '70s. You
wonder how much I paid? Well, AUD$146.50 which is roughly US$70. I don't
complain. Never do...
Dave
PS. The Yes show in September costs the same.
--
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 8 Apr 2003 10:29:28 +1000
From: "Polli, Brian"
Subject: King Crimson Newsgroup
Hi Everyone,
Is there a King Crimson Usenet User group?
I've looked for one without success...
If there isn't one, perhaps it's time there is...
Cheers!
Brian
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 07 Apr 2003 21:50:44 -0500
From: Craig
Subject: Re: that new David Sylvian and Derek Bailey release
>David Sylvian and Derek Bailey got together in February and improvised
three
>pieces of music which make up the bulk of Sylvian's upcoming release,
>"Blemish"...due in April.
Of a marginal connection to KC, but thanks......... that`s strange news.
Bailey w/ Ruins (kinda makes sense),..... but Sylvian? Good grief!
I`m a bit behind, & have yet to hear "Camphor". Do I need it? 8^D
~C
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 07 Apr 2003 21:44:57 -0500
From: Craig
Subject: Re: Mike Giles drums on the incredible "Confessions of Dr. Dream"
>>You may wish to check out Kevin Ayers-"Yes, We Have No Mananas".
>MG plays drums on all tracks.
>Not on the copy I have he doesn't. Perhaps on another Ayers LP he
does, but
>not this one.
Thanks for the correction. (I was working from memory,... should`ve
checked).
I meant "Confessions of Dr. Dream", (which is, BTW, infinitely better).
*Awesome* record! Kevin & Nico share vocals on the (nearly) side long
title track.
M.Giles plays drums on all tracks.
~C
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 8 Apr 2003 02:11:39 EDT
From: Jjvince1 at aol dot com
Subject: park west
the saturday nite show at park west was incredible the absolute greatest
show i have ever seen, and i have seen everyone. i am a 20 yr krim fan and
this was the first time i ever had the chance to see them .drove from stl mo
to chi had a great time st pats day weekend and the person that said the park
west crowd was rude was probably some boring old suit and tie guy the crowd
was enthusiastic and excited to see kc back in the us please come back robert
for a longer tour of the states this time and does anyone have the song list
for the second park west show sat nite
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2003 15:23:58 -0800
From: "Eric Heinitz"
Subject: GIG REVIEW: SF 3/28/03
Anti-war demonstrators, a three-block long procession of principled
bicyclists, and the orange glow of the Market Streetlamps greeted me as I
escalated up to street level from the BART subway. I got my forty dollar
tour box at the schwag stand and went up to the balcony to see where my
twenty-five dollar plus five dollar and eighty cent inconvenience fee seat
was. Dead center, seventh row up. Not bad. Out to the second floor lobby
bar for a pale ale and to watch the crowd. I talked to a couple of Tool
converts and ogled t-shirts amid the bordello-like splendor of this former
movie palace which opened in 1922. I even saw a Yes Fragile shirt! When I
say bordello, I mean that in a nice way. I don't know enough architecture
to call it art deco or art nouveau, but it is splendorous to be sure.
Fripp came on stage with the house lights still on and Soundscaped for ten
minutes to the delight and relatively silent joy of most everyone. Then
the lights dimmed and The Show Proper began. This band rocked. I don't
mean in general but specifically. The August 2001 show with Tool in
Berkeley was nicely grinding but spacey, the November 2001 Level Five show
I saw seemed to be more of a chore for the band than a joy. But Friday was
a rock band rocking hard yet seemingly effortlessly. Admittedly, I was too
far away to see sweat quantities, but I saw no trace of whatever illness
had sidelined Adrian a few weeks ago, nor body language battles between
bandmates about who wanted to go where. Nor did I see any camera flashes,
laser pointers, or beach balls, and smelled just the bare minimum of weed
smoke--it IS Northern California after all--and heard no audience
buffoonery but a barely audible "Cat Food."
"Eyes Wide Open" seemed to be the bathroom song, for what that is worth,
but from my perch the audience was either spellbound, raising happy fists
of joy, or roaring at the appropriate roaring times. Adrian smiled a lot.
Robert left his murky stool and applauded the audience at the end--after 4
encores by my count. On the Tour Box CD Robert says that this is a live
band. While I thought the Level Five CD was better than that show I saw,
Friday's San Francisco thrillfest left the Happy To Be Happy CD in the
dust.
There's your unscientific gig review from someone who saw 3 1981 shows, a
1982, a 1984, 2 1995's, a 1996 (Berkeley, with Schizoid), two different
ProjeKCts, and the aforementioned 2001 Tool and Level Five King Crimson
concerts; and to quote that Nazi chick in Indiana Jones And The Last
Crusade, I was "giddy as a schoolgirl."
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2003 13:58:33 -0800
From: "Joseph A. DeGregorio"
Subject: GIG REVIEW: Portland, OR Roseland Theatre March 25
This is my first post to your most enjoyable newsletter. I have learned a
great deal about other related bands and am particularly gratified to have
found other lovers of the music of KC.
The Roseland Theatre is a small venue which can barely hold 1,000 people.
As a result the concert was conducted in a warm and relaxed atmosphere. I
was seated in the balcony close to the stage with my wife, whose musical
tastes range from world to traditional country and western(!!!). Although
KC's music is most definitely out of her experience, by the end of the show
she was whistling, standing and yelling. My my.
What a concert!! I had seen Crimson when I lived in New York at the Savoy,
Pier 84, the Beacon Theatre and Stony Brook University, all during their
Discipline, Beat and TOAPP phase and have followed them since 1972. But
none of this prepared me for this fantastic show. Words fail me though I
am considered an articulate person, but all I can say is that as soon as
the band launched into Level Five, I was floored, in a trance. I could do
little but move my feet to the beat and follow the oft-changing rhythmic
patterns that are of course found in most of the songs/pieces.
The show started with TPTB Part 1, and there were technical problems.
Adrian's voice echoed too much as he sang "She carries me...", and he had
to stop, and with a look of mild frustration, made some adjustments on a
pad to his right and finished singing the "haiku." There were still audio
problems with his vocals but he let it go, and they moved right into Level
Five. The awesome power of the song could be heard cleanly and
distortion-free through the PA system. Indeed every little nuance and
banging from Pat was clear and resonant.
I sat in direct view to Robert who played the Mach 1 lead in "Facts of
Life" as if he were focusing on something entirely different during the
solo. So effortless was his playing that he barely moved and he rarely
looked down at the strings to see what he was doing. If was almost as if
he was exercising a forced restraint, compelling himself to show no outward
sign of emotion. His playing throughout the show was, of course,
breathtaking.
One of the highlights of the show for me was The Power to Believe-Part 2.
It was so beautiful, something akin to a profound religious awakening. I
was deeply moved; the band played with such a dedication and a love for the
music, and yet with a lightness and a learned self-confidence.
Other songs played were Happy, TCOL, Elektrik, Eyes Wide Open (slightly
different from the album where Pat hit the snare right on the downbeat
instead of the off-beat), Dinosaur, Dangerous Curves and so on. Adrian,
surprisingly had virtually no conversation with the audience, except when
he said, "Good evening. I'm Robert Fripp and that (pointing to Robert) is
Brian Eno."
The band took several bows at the end, did two encores and seemed to
genuinely appreciate the audiences' exuberance. I waved at Pat (who waved
back) and gave a thumbs up to Robert, who gave it right back.
What else is there to say? A great disc, a fantastic concert. I have
every KC record, vinyl and otherwise. In my life I've been to literally
hundreds of concerts and can confidently state that this is one of the best
show I've ever been to in my 43 years.
Take care, Joe
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 7 Apr 2003 13:21:11 +0100
From: "Russell Whitworth"
Subject: GIG REVIEW: Bill Bruford's Earthworks at Ronnie Scott's, April 5
If I've counted correctly, this is my 9th Earthworks gig - and the most
enjoyable yet.
The atmosphere in Ronnie Scott's is something special, with all those black
& white photographs of jazz legends - Ellington, Davis, Mingus, etc. It's
not just fashionable interior decorating... they've all played there.
Bill Bruford clearly appreciates the historical aspect, too - in one of his
chats to the audience he claimed to have learnt jazz "slumped somewhere at
the back" of Ronnie Scott's.
The audience is also very close to the stage here, in true jazz club style
with tables in a semicircle around the front. The sound is superb; well
balanced and easy to listen to. Comfortable volume. All of which helps
communication in both directions - the audience can hear and see every
detail the performance, and the perfomers benefit from an enthusiastic
audience response.
Sheena Davis came on first at around 10 pm. Excellent vocal jazz, mostly
classics ranging from the 30s to the 70s. The music is not really the sort
of thing I would go out and buy, but her voice is superb as are her backing
musicians, and I enjoyed the performance. Enthusiastic audience, and she
clearly had her own supporters in attendance. A good choice of warm-up.
Bill came on at about 11:30, opening with "Revel without a Pause". The new
boy in the band - Tim Garland - has actually been with them for 18 months
now, and has really made the Earthworks repertoire his own. To my ear his
timing is more fluid and flowing with looser timing than Patrick Clahar,
which I find more interesting to listen to. He also has a rather stronger
stage presence - perhaps heightened by the atmosphere of Ronnie Scott's.
Tim now seems to have taken over most of the writing from Bill, and we heard
a couple of new pieces (actually not that new - one has been in the set for
a year, to my knowledge). He's a bit of a multi-instrumentalist, and we got
to hear saxophone, tenor sax, bass clarinet (excellent fun!), flute, and a
little bit of percussion. Not only that, but there was some use of
electronic effects (what? Bill is allowing electronics again), producing a
cool chordal flute sound. He also got to do one of the announcements...
which I took as a sign of trust in the new front-man! Tim's solo towards
the end of "Come To Dust" was outstanding - I would really like to hear that
again - and got the best applause of the set. "The Wooden Man Sings and the
Stone Woman Dances" also had some excellent solos.
Bill was doing his thing, of course, on his now familiar trimmed-down
acoustic kit. Flawless, and fascinating to watch. Not too many drum solos
these days - but there were two beauties in there. A new piece in 11
(working title: "White Knuckle Wedding") starts and finishes using the
wood-block percussion instrument - reminiscent of The Sheltering Sky.
Mark Hodgson's bass was supportive as ever, and it was nice to be able to
hear him clearly for a change. Steve Hamilton's piano seemed less involving
than usual, perhaps because he was over the far side of the stage from me,
and also the pieces in the first set didn't really highlight his work.
Perhaps he got to shine a bit more in the second set.
The set finished with a quick blast of "Beelzebub" - good to hear that one
back in the repertoire.
It was almost 1 a.m. by the end of Bill's first set, and we decided to leave
as Sheena Davis came back on stage. I would have loved to stay for the
second set, but I'm afraid there are limits as to how late us middle-aged
folk are able to stay out on a Saturday night!
Conclusion: Tim Garland has brought a new dynamic to Earthworks, and they
are really well worth seeing at the moment. I hope they manage to capture
the atmosphere on CD in the not too distant future.
------------------------------
End of Elephant Talk Digest #1114
*********************************