Errors-To: admin at elephant-talk dot com Reply-To: newsletter at elephant-talk dot com Sender: moderator at elephant-talk dot com Precedence: bulk From: moderator at elephant-talk dot com To: newsletter at elephant-talk dot com Subject: Elephant Talk #708 E L E P H A N T T A L K The Internet newsletter for Robert Fripp and King Crimson enthusiasts Number 708 Friday, 7 July 2000 Today's Topics: Exiles King Crimson TV Content Fleck, Belew, Yes .... Gentle Peter Hammill Old and New King Crimson car/history Lizard, Islands remasters Shepherds Bush Concert/Flash Photography Enough is enough "un-FraKtured" London Gig... KC and Project X learning to love TCOL, screamers, ET laffs opening acts Gregg Bendian online interview (w/KC references) Re: opening acts Mexico City vs. New Computer Mastica '99 Re: Dangling genetalia? GIG REVIEW: King Crimson in London GIG REVIEW: KC in Paris June the 25th, my truth: Monster! ------------------ A D M I N I S T R I V I A --------------------- POSTS: Please send all posts to newsletter at elephant-talk dot com To UNSUBSCRIBE, or to CHANGE ADDRESS: Send a message with a body of HELP to admin at elephant-talk dot com or use the DIY list machine at http://www.elephant-talk.com/list/ To ASK FOR HELP about your ET subscription: Send a message to: help at elephant-talk dot com ET Web: http://www.elephant-talk.com/ Read the ET FAQ before you post a question at http://www.elephant-talk.com/faq.htm Current TOUR DATES info can always be found at http://www.elephant-talk.com/gigs/tourdates.htm You can read the most recent seven editions of ET at http://www.elephant-talk.com/newsletter.htm THE ET TEAM: Toby Howard (Moderator), Dan Kirkdorffer (Webmaster) Mike Dickson (List Admin), and a cast of thousands. The views expressed herein are those of the individual authors. ET is produced using John Relph's Digest system v3.7b (relph at sgi dot com). ------------------ A I V I R T S I N I M D A --------------------- Date: Wed, 5 Jul 2000 11:59:29 +0200 From: Gnad Markus Subject: Exiles Hi there! I just received a great record, Exiles from master David Cross. It's a remarkable, wonderful record I strongly recommend. It features two musicians from the record "Exposure": Peter Hammill (vox) and THIS FRIPP. BTW can't anyone out there create a special ET logo which some of us can wear as tattoo? (read: ELEPHANT PRIDE) Markus ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 7 Jun 2000 15:32:51 -0300 From: "Herman Ringer" Subject: King Crimson TV Content Hi fellow members of the court of the Crimson King! (?) For all who signed up for KCTV (which is great, by the way), you may ave had some problems getting some of the content. The webmaster told e they are working with some of the content, so you may get an error if ou try to access it. We'll have to wait 'till Thursday. That's all folKcs! )-(erman ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 05 Jul 2000 11:01:43 -0400 From: Block Dog Subject: Fleck, Belew, Yes .... New Bela Fleck and the Flecktones due July 25th. (The Robert Fripp of the Banjo ) The following was borrowed from another newgroup, credit given to the original author: I've spent the weekend absorbing an advance copy of Outbound (street date is 7/25). I swear I don't know of any other artist (except John Zorn) who can cover so much of a range of genres so effectively in a single disc. Wendell will be happy to hear this studio version of Hoedown, and in the promo sheet of comments that came with the CD, Bela cites ELP's version as the one he got to know first of this work. With Adrian Belew's and Jon Anderson's presence on the disc as well, Bela has strongly referenced three of my favorite bands from back in my early/mid'70s teens, ELP, Yes and King Crimson. Anderson is on "Moment So Close," and it sounds at times like a Yes tune from the "90125" era. Speaking of Zorn, Bela's "Lover's Leap," one of my favorites on the disc, is one that Bela says he would have shied away from doing a few years ago. The press sheet describes it as a Weill/cabaret type tune, but I hear it more as the off kilter film noir-ish type Zorn does so well. Great stuff. I also am partial to "That Old Thing," which turns up as the last full tune as well as a prelude disc-opener. I also like the horn arrangement of that opening prelude--strongly reminds me of how the classic "Monk's Music" LP began, with a passage from a spiritual arranged for horns only, before slamming into "Well You Needn't." In Bela's case, he slams into "Hoedown." Not much more time to report right now, but I can say there's something on here for everyone (it clocks in at 1 hour, incidentally). I would definitely rank it in the top half of Flecktones projects. I certainly rate it well ahead of Left of Cool and 3 Flew. One thing I am excited about are the details of Bela's new contract: 5 albums, two Flecktones projects on Columbia, two Bela 'classical' projects on Sony Classical, and one Bela Jazz album. Yes, I like the Flecktones, but they have never been my favorite context for Bela, and this contract means that should be hearing an even wider range from Bela with Columbia/Sony than we did during his WB period. Dave Royko ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Jul 2000 14:01:19 -0400 From: Bob Pascarella Subject: Gentle Peter Hammill Dominick wrote: >P.S. To me, a female Gentle Giant fan is the rarest bird in the progressive >rock fan kingdom. I once met Peter Hammill (VanderGraf Generator) on a solo tour in Boston many years ago. I asked him how he felt about being part of the Exposure album. He stated that his fav bands were (at that time) KC and Gentle Giant. Also stating (if my memory serves me) that GG was a better band than VanderGraf! Since the Shulmans' did not call him..he accepted the offer from Robert. He laughed..saying he never regrets contributing to Fripp's great record..but if Gentle Giant had called at the same time..he would have had quite a decision to make. R.Pascarella ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Jul 2000 14:27:48 -0400 (EDT) From: Warren Melnick Subject: Old and New King Crimson Just to voice my opinion on the decision of KC not to play the older material in concert... If the old material and the old band are not something you want to associate yourself with, then change the name of the current lineup to something besides "King Crimson". You either are KC or you are not. If you refuse to play the material of the older bands then disassociate yourself from them by choosing to rename yourself. It would seem to me that the current lineup has chosen to keep the name in order to sell more product but then treats itself as a separate entity from the "old" KC when touring. If there are "bad" old songs then do not play them. But surely there are some songs recorded during the 60s and 70s lineups of KC that are not so awful that this band could stand to play them. Quick question on a totally different point: How many out there agree that the version of "Here Comes the Flood" that Peter Gabriel contributed to on RF's Exposure is superior to the original? :-) Warren Melnick warren at walrus dot com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Jul 2000 14:28:33 EDT From: OTotor0 at aol dot com Subject: car/history (hey, Markus!) I agree. I have consistently enjoyed 'Frying Pan' especially at ear drum-mincing levels in my poor little Saturn coupe. TCoL has proven to be whopping great driving music, and I can hardly wait to throw it in the 'player and drive down by the beach in hopes of meeting earnest, young, bespectacled bikini-clad females. (hey, Daniel! Quickly, before this discussion gets squashed!) First, I'd think that this band's history sits squarely in the middle '80s. KC seems to present itself as a vibe our boys (whichever set, and for whatever reasons) plug into when it needs plugging. Exact line-ups don't really matter (though I think I'm lucky to be around for this one, should they visit the NYC area after Japan). ToaPP has been a staple in the recent shows, as has the "Heroes" cover. Smashing, and more than enough to provide a snapshot of this band's diaper days. (I think, anyway... The Belewozoic period? Stone Age/Bronze Age/Roland Age?...) Second, "FraKctured" is a pretty good link to the (ancient) past. Want to hear some "classic" material? Attend a live show and behave, laddie. (Note: this advice is extremely self-serving, as I'd really, really like to experience that beastie live. Please help me achieve my aim. :) off to listen to MC Paul Barman, -thom soriano ------------------------------ Date: Wed Jul 05 14:45:40 2000 From: Biffyshrew at aol dot com Subject: Lizard, Islands remasters This is in response to questions about whether the remastered _Lizard_ and _Islands_ mark a significant improvement over the erstwhile "Definitive Editions." I agree that the sound quality of _Lizard_ was quite good to begin with, so there is not a huge sonic difference between the DE and the new version. I do recall that when the DEs were first released, ICE ran an article calling attention to some harmonic distortion in the bass of a few of them, including _Lizard_. This never really offended my ears, and I speak as a Crimso fan whose all-time favorite KC is this very album, which I must have listened to hundreds of times over the past 19 years, and which runs through my head almost every day. _Islands_, on the other hand, has always been a problem CD. The DE had a number of mastering problems, not just the boo-boo of leaving off the orchestra rehearsal snippet. (These problems were not unique to the CDs; later vinyl and tape pressings also were flawed.) I'm delighted to be able to say that the new edition fixes all of the audio problems (and restores the rehearsal). I've owned nine different pressings of _Islands_ in various formats over the years, and this is the first well-mastered edition I've heard since the original vinyl release. In short, I've found all of the new KC remasters superb in both packaging and sound, and well worth the expense of replacing old copies. Biffy the Elephant Shrew http://members.aol.com/biffyshrew/biffy.html ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Jul 2000 19:51:50 +0100 From: "c & m bartlett" Subject: Shepherds Bush Concert/Flash Photography A quick post concerning the short burst of flash photography at Shepherds Bush Empire on Monday (Matt Nolan's gig review in ET 707). I'm sure you will all be amused to know that the culprit was in the "guests" area. If Robert had taken umbrage and stormed off it would have been thanks to someone who hadn't paid! Other "guests" (who did not misbehave) included John Paul Jones, Ian " Mott the Hoople"Hunter, Mike Giles and for a short time, William Bruford. Michael Bartlett ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 05 Jul 2000 14:55:45 +0604 From: Alain Proulx Subject: Enough is enough I read what Fripp said about the fact he doesn't play Frakctured during a photo session and also that he feels the show compromised cause he is sure the concert is recorded. Oh my god, what the hell is that? I am a teacher and I teach despite the fact my students don't listen at all. Me, like almost the rest of the world, have to work in conditions we don't like. What is that Prima Dona attitude??? I am A long lasting and Die Hard Crimson fan since 1972. For me Fripp is one of the greatest. But I can't admit this way to do things. I played american football and we had to perform in any situations, rain, snow, dirt....... no place for complains. Anyway the artistic respect I have for Fripp, as a musician I could not share the stage with someone who refuse to play for such a reason. Belew played sick, what a man he is......a real one. Mr Fripp, for 2 or 3 non-respectful people who take photos, you accept to punish 1,000 and more people. I don't know, but we don't seem to have the same definition of respect. Just do that once to me Robert and no more I will accept to spend my so precious money to hear you. Respect is a two ways deal. You have to assume the fact that a crowd is not only a whole. It is made of people who deserve respect at least as you do yourself. And most of all, they are the reason why you could live from your music all these years. They pay for the albums, they pay for a concert. You take all the cash, play ALL the concert. If you want to cut it, be honest till the end and pay them back for the unplayed part. A frustrated fan, but still a fan anyway ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 05 Jul 2000 15:25:17 -0400 From: Michael McGrath Subject: "un-FraKtured" Just read Fripp's diary of June 30th at DGM, where he decided not to perform FraKtured due to photos taken. Now, I don't know if Toby will let this fly (tho I don't believe it fits the realm of his 'dead threads') but I have a comment on that diary entry. I appreciate and understand Fripp's displeasure at photos being taken while performing. I do think, however, there is a more mature way of handling the situation than taking it out on fans by omitting certain numbers due to photography. What about a LARGE post at the door "ABSOLUTELY NO RECORDING OR PHOTOGRAPHY EQUIPMENT ALLOWED. VIOLATORS WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE BUILDING". I have been to countless venues where this was the rule, and with that have seen countless people escorted out. I don't know why this is not done at Fripp/KC shows. I am a huge fan of Robert Fripp, but I believe this would work and would stop this immature bickering going on, seemingly without end. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Jul 2000 20:42:57 -0700 From: "d.copley" Subject: London Gig... KC and Project X Just a brief note.... The Shepherds Bush gig was my first time at a Crimson event, and well worth the wait.....the musicianship was of the standard I had expected, and although I was a little disappointed not to see any of the old stuff, the quality of the new more than made up for it ( I like TCoL!). The friend I went with was a KC cynic to say the least, but she actually enjoyed it! For me, as an isolated KC fan, I realised that I am far from alone!! I won't go into detail about the gig, as I'm sure alot of other people will....... I brought the Projeckt X CD on the night and have just finished listening to it.....wow!! I might have missed threads that have run through ET over the last few months, but at the risk of asking perhaps obvious (to some) questions, does anyone know why it wasn't released as a KC CD? In many ways it sounds like a natural progression from the KC sound of a few years back, and the musicians are the current KC, so why Projekct X? I liked the Projekct stuff, but this is King Crimson through and through. I just hope we get more of the same. I would go as far as to say that a combination of TCoL and Projekct X would make an excellent double KC album. Anyway, to all the other fans at Shepherds Bush...thanks for making my first KC gig so memorable ( I was the big hairy guy at the back with the slightly bemused looking blonde :-) ) Dave Copley ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 05 Jul 2000 21:54:06 +0200 From: Sidney Wiener Subject: learning to love TCOL, screamers, ET laffs Some echoes and reverberations: It took me several listenings to appreciate TCOL (as it did for previous Crim/Frippsolo creations as well as most of my favorite music, classical, jazz, rock, ..). Like a good Oriental rug, i suspect that each time it is examined something new can be discovered. The criterion for me is that an uvre (music, painting, dance). transforms me in some way, perhaps inducing catharsis, moves me, shows me something new, promotes evolution. While the musical technicalities of time signatures and novel guitar tunings are beyond my understanding, it seems that TCOL is denser and more profound than some work of previous decades, and LTIA and Red, my all time favorites, doesnt sound the same any more. Our local retailer (147 francs, or about 20 US dollars for TCOL) had TCOL on headphones for several weeks, and played it on the store speakers (no, everyone didnt run for the door) permitting it to grow on me. Thanks to the 20 percent value added tax here, the government is making more than any of the musicians on the sale. It is already available here in the used CD bins for about 12 US dollars, but, (perhaps thanks to disappointed one-time listeners), I may hold out for when it is available for 8. Thanks to the ETer suggesting the www.absound.ca site - got a significant markdown on the Great Deceiver box there Screaming at concerts : In jazz, rock and blues, applause and whistles after solos or particularly moving lines within a song are part of the tradition. In gospel and R&B, if the audience doesnt answer back, something is wrong. So if KC titles a song Prozakc Blues, they might be signalling that answering back the singer is a sign that the song works. And the title of Prozakc Blues labels it as a joke- an antidepressant that gives you the blues. Thanks to all, especially Webmaster, the ET posters with information on links, concert, reviews of potentially interesting music, and the outraged (and outrageous) posters for their unintended (and intentional) humor. Sid Wiener ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Jul 2000 18:47:21 EDT From: Jdmack01 at aol dot com Subject: opening acts In a message dated 7/5/00 1:20:11 PM Eastern Daylight Time, et at blackcat dot demon dot co dot uk writes: >> In ET 706 Some Comments Were Made About An Opening Act For The US Tour: >I've never heard of the band you suggest, but I'd be interested in >hearing them. I've had the band Primus in my mind, specifically Les >Claypool WITH the former drummer, Herb as my dream opening act for King >Crimson If King Crimson has to have an opening act for their U.S. tour, I truly hope they get to pick it themselves. I shudder to think of an audience turning up primarily for the opening act (as they would for Primus) and then doing all the things Robert hates during the Krim show out of simple ignorance. J. D. Mack dc-et #19 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 05 Jul 2000 19:46:45 -0500 From: Steve Smith Subject: Gregg Bendian online interview (w/KC references) Greetings, all. Reheating the brief discussion of the percussionist Gregg Bendian, who played with guitarist Richard Leo Johnson at the KC warmup shows in Nashville, I wanted to mention that I've just been read a really good new interview with Gregg in an online magazine, "L'Inentendu/Unheard," and that he briefly talks about the KC connection in this interview. If you'd like to read the entire interview it's located at HTTP://INENTENDU.CTW.NET/interviews/bendian.html On the other hand, if you're only interested in the KC-related content, here it is: ===== FC : Incidentally, how was it to tour with King Crimson and what do you think of their latest CD, The Construktion of Light? GB : It was a blast! We actually started the tour opening for Tony Levin's new quartet with Larry Fast, Jerry Marotta and Jesse Gress [featured on Levin's new CD Waters of Eden]. I remember those guys from the early eighties when I was a big fan of Peter Gabriel's music. Jesse, I have seen perform with Todd Rundgren. Being a big fan of music in general, I always have a lot of questions for musicians who have created music that I admire. They have some great stories and there is so much to learn from their unique experience. Richard and I jumped from the Levin dates to the Crimson dates. That was exciting! Robert Fripp was I think, fairly dubious about us at first, while Adrian Belew, Pat Mastelotto and Trey Gunn were into what we were doing. I grew up listening to KC, literally from the first album when I was about nine years old. You can imagine what a thrill and an honor it was for me to share a stage with that band! I had some great talks with Pat, who plays drums on one of my favorite songwriting albums, XTC's Oranges and Lemons. I had a lot of questions and he was happy to tell me a lot of amazing stories. He also had some incredible Chuck Berry tales! I wish I could have heard Pat on real drums. I'm not a big fan of the electronic ones. Regarding the new Crimson stuff, I enjoyed it. I have to say I was really blown away by Adrian Belew. This guy's musical abilities are actually quite staggering. I challenge you to come up with another person that can sing expressively (and in tune) while playing those intricate guitar patterns, then rip out a burning solo and come right back to singing and playing. He's writing some interesting lyrics (I was completely floored by the words on the song, "The Construktion of Light"). In many ways, hearing them live again made me even more excited about Interzone because not too many of us these days dare to go out and play challenging, intricate music for people. To their credit, the Crimson audience is made up entirely of serious listeners. You can be as creative and dynamic as you like because they will follow you with their ears. That was a pleasure. It was dead silent between our tunes- the sound of curiosity. That really tells you something. I was sorry I didn't get a chance to speak with Robert about my friend, Jamie Muir. Lark's Tongues [in Aspic, KC's LP from 1973] was a particularly interesting period in KC's music for me. Jamie was a big influence on me, and apparently Bill Bruford as well. To sum up the Crimson experience, it is heartening to know that progressive music is being kept alive by a few people in the face of overwhelming odds. Steve Smith ssmith36 at sprynet dot com NP - Happy Apple, "Wishing Book," 'Body Popping-Moon Walking-Top Rocking' (No Alternative) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 05 Jul 2000 22:43:37 -0400 From: Brian Preston Subject: Re: opening acts Neal M. mentioned 'godspeed you black emp...' as an opening act for Crim (???!!??) and I heard of them some time back on a prog list... went out and bought it and must say- it is really an awful, awful, even not worth mentioning item... what is that shit? If anyone wants my copy... I'll sell it for $2 just to get rid of it... it has absoultely nothing in common with the musicality of any progressive music... and that's considering everything from Eugene Chadbourne to Debussy, Glass or KC... enough of that - I will not let the thought of it enter my consciousness again... not even good noise So, I certainly have some ideas but I shall not put in a shameless plug for Smokin'Granny (oops I did it anyway). Nor shall I provide the URL to link to mp3 or RA files, ugly pics or thick reviews from around the globe... www.davido42.home.mindspring.com/smokingranny (oops I did it again...{?}) nor shall I mention that we'd love to do it and Ade's got it in his hands... guys (Fripp,Belew et al) we wouldnt let ya down. bkp mmp sg/fh/onomata/etal Brian K. Preston (BKP) basses/arrangements/production Smokin' Granny/Onomata/Freehand Metaphoric Music Productions www.davido42.home.mindspring.com/smokingranny ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 Jul 2000 07:57:36 -0500 From: "Phil Ciskowski" Subject: Mexico City vs. New Computer Hello everyone, I recently purchased a new computer, and I tried to move the Mexico City file from my old one. I also moved everything in the Windows/All Users/DRM directory. Now when I try to open the file it says the file is not found, even though I can see it in Windows Explorer. Can anyone help? Please respond by private email to pciskowski at hotmail dot com. Thanks! ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 06 Jul 2000 12:50:07 +0100 From: Iain Robertson Subject: Mastica '99 At the Shepherd's Bush Empire Gig on Monday, the low price of #7 induced me to buy the Mastica '99 CD from the merchandising stand. I don't recall reading much about this CD in ET, but just wanted to say how pleasantly surprised I am with it. It's not really KC-like (no polyrythms, whole tone or diminished melodic or harmonic forms, etc.), but nonetheless has something unique to offer. The grooves are loose, and the instrumentation includes both sax and strings as well as guitar and bass, along with both male and female vocal. Pat's percussion is all over it too, but that's no bad thing. He was really very impressive at the KC show. Don't dismiss this as another 'drummer's album' - it's really far too good for that. -- Iain Robertson SMTS (mailto:i-robertson at ti dot com) UK Design Centre, Texas Instruments, Northampton, UK Phone: 3412; Fax: 3456; Prefix: +44 1604 66 (Speed: +8 447) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 Jul 2000 20:34:51 +0200 From: Anne Kwik Subject: Re: Dangling genetalia? Should I really reply to it this time? Well, maybe only a few comments: Dominick wrote: > Although I've never subscribed to this "dangling >genitalia & KC fandom theory", it does seem to >be a popular trait among the majority of Crimson fans. It's just a fact of >nature. No, it's not nature, it's a great pity! >But I also see a common trait among the uncommon female fans of the band's >music. "Musicianship". I know only one female >Crimson fan in my group of friends and she is also a skilled musician. The >other few female fans I have come across in clubs and >chatrooms on the internet are also musicians or have some knowledge of >music. I was also trained in music from age 4-15, >but unfortunately I stopped pursuing it. I wonder, indeed. I was also trained in music from age 4.... >B.T.W. To address your first exposure to Crimson's music, I was one album >ahead of you when I was enlightened at 16 years old. >"Beat" was my first exposure to the band followed by "The Young Person's >Guide to King Crimson". I heard and saw King Crimson for the first time when they were opening act of Genesis in 1981 in Hamburg, Germany. I was 13, then (!!!) ;-)) >P.S. To me, a female Gentle Giant fan is the rarest bird in the progressive >rock fan kingdom. Thank you! Regards, Anne ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Jul 2000 21:36:15 +0100 From: "Paul Parkinson" Subject: GIG REVIEW: King Crimson in London Well. Having read a few reviews of the London gig I thought I would put in my ha'porth. I've seen KC several times now. I'm no "old timer", but I am a KCCC member (and very good it is too!) and collector of KC stuff - even including the Projeckt stuff. So I suspect I can give praise and provide criticism with a good portion of fairness and balance (I hope). I've seen KC in Los Angeles and London. I saw ProjecKt 2 at the Jazz Cafe and that was Lovely. I Loved every Last Loud Lump of the Leaden and the Light but Last night - well sorry guys but I thought it was Lousy. Last nights improvs (so that's what they were) just didn't move me. The Liberal blend of Improvs and new album material and the Lack of old material disappointed me and my friends. Dinosaur, Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream and the acoustic version of Three of a Perfect Pair were wonderful - as I think the roar of the crowd confirmed. The emotion was there for those tracks and only those tracks. Maybe the band was tired, maybe something happened backstage - I don't know. But it didn't float my boat and the entrance fee would probably been better spent at www.disciplineglobalmobile.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 05 Jul 2000 23:26:20 +0100 From: "Bernard A. Dardinier" Subject: GIG REVIEW: KC in Paris June the 25th, my truth: Monster! I know I am a bit late, but... Set list : Soundscape 1 (15'), etheral, dark. My title: Olympia Hell Soundcheck Soundscape 2 (10'), more classically musical, less concrete, lighter and stronger. My title: Audience Warmup + Into the frying pan The ConstruKction of light ProzaKc blues Improvisations Dinosaur One time Sex, sleep, eat, drink, dream FraKctured The World's my oyster soup kitchen floor wax museum Cage Larks' tongues in aspic, part IV Coda: I have a dream Three of a perfect pair Deception of the thrush Vrooom Heroes Reactions and commentaries (mine of course): 1. Sound I disagree with the bad sound statement : maybe it depends on where your seat was in the room. We (my wife and I) have seats in the rank 22, near the center, and we didn't suffer from the sound, which was clear, and, yes, very loud (but it was rock music...). Maybe the seats near the walls or too close to the loudspeakers are cursed... 2. Venue The Olympia is clearly not designed to be a heavy rock venue, but, on the other hand, this leads to some advantages : every ticket with a seat number (no crowd, no rush, no brawling for the front rank...). The seats are not very large, and XXL audients (American middle weight?) could have problem to fit on just one seat... For me, the Olympia was a good choice for historical reasons, about new and old things : it is the place where I attended my first rock (?) concert, Fripp and Eno, in 1975 (a few weeks ago...). The fact is that the Olympia of 1975 has been demolished and rebuilt 2 or 3 years ago at approximately the same place. Tradition and innovation in one place ! What a perfect KC mix ! The staff surely was a bit in the mist : they let the lights on during the soundscape first part of the concert (i.e. soundscapes). Maybe they thought it was a sort of soundcheck, or something... 3. Audience Maybe 30-40 years old in majority, 1 woman for 6 men (?). I didn't notice anybody leaving during the show, but, of course, I was concentrating on the scene... A lot of applauses, a few during the silences of certain songs, as always (dinosaur is a good example), but it is the sign of the presence of new audients and not only old fans like me... What surprised me is the natural good rhythm the audience produced during the Adrian Belew's solo acoustic 3OAPP. It is the first time I hear a good audience beat other than pure binary. Maybe french (good) food and wines educates better audiences than hamburgers and sodas ;-). 4. Music I said it in the title, Monster ! It is difficult to see any weak part in this show. Maybe "One time" was a bit out of place in the middle of such sonic assaults, but, it was also a quiet moment to breath more slowly. Adrian Belew seemed to have some vocal problems (still recovering from illness ?) : his voice was not so clear than usual. He did a great performance in "ProzaKc blues", with a natural "bluesy" treatment instead of the electronic one of the CD. Alas (no Yorick intended), in certain songs, his voice was a bit "forced" and a bit too loud in the mix. The V-drums had a far better sound than in the CD, much louder and clearer. Pat Mastelotto won his athletic contest again the little pads. Good fight ! In a completely different style (than BB's), he was great. A new standard for KC drumming, heavyer. During the long improv, a 3 (?) sections development, which ended with a heavy riff (as in some PX pieces), Adrian Belew played the little (rubber ?) bass. During "Cage", Adrian Belew played acoustic and Trey Gunn (great player) played the little bass. On another song, Robert Fripp played the bass line with his guitar. Some songs were better played by the half octet. An example : "SSEDD", a song I didn't like very much played in the studio, that I found better live, is now a monster, with some great humouristic splashes by Adrian Belew at the guitar. Another humouristic snapshot : during the "racing section" of "FraKctured", Robert Fripp stopped playing a few seconds, shaking his fingers, like saying "Uhh, it hurts ! ". This piece was one of the highlights of the show, with "Larks" IV", "Oyster soup" with its incredible piano frippering, and... many others... like I said : Monster ! I can't figure they will play heavyer or more agressive or "destroy" in the future : KC 2000 is a killer. The old songs, "One time" and maybe "Dinosaur" (no need) excepted, were given a complete new arrangement which made them stronger ("Cage" (great !), "Vrooom", "SSEDD" (killer !)). Conclusion : we don't regret our hard-earned money for the show. Again, Crims, thank you for the music ! Bernard A. Dardinier P.S. 1 (not an old IBM ad !) : I have missed a few days in the Robert Fripp's diary. I will be very pleased if somebody could email me these days I missed (from the 4th to the 10th of June). Thank you in advance. P.S. 2 (in french, sorry Adrian, you had to pay much more attention in school, like you said during the concert...) : n'ayant qu'un vieux Mac, un modem lent et des problemes de connexion, et, surtout, pas de graveur de CD, ce serait sympa qu'un ETien de notre beau pays puisse me procurer sur CD les concerts qui ne sont plus ou ne seront plus disponibles plus tard. Pour les suivants, DGM semble avoir tout prevu prevu, video y compris. Je veux parler bien sur de Mexico City et des "echauffements" texans. Merci de me contacter. P.S. 3 : sorry for my bad english... ------------------------------ End of Elephant Talk Digest #708 ********************************