“How’s dinner tonight?” asks a wry Belew on the second night of KC’s 4-date sojourn at the Old Waldorf. Not for nothing did the SF Chronicle cite these shows as a highlight of the venue’s existence when it closed down in 1983. Crimhead Phil Toudic has cause to remember the Old Waldorf well “It was a 300 or 400 seat club in an office complex in the fringes of the financial district. The band, billed as King Crimson Discipline, played four sets on Thursday and Friday of the Thanksgiving holiday. I had tickets to all four.
The level of anticipation in the audience was off the charts - and was rewarded with a series of scorching, blistering performances for the ages. Indiscipline and Thela were so powerful they threatened to upend the tables and chairs. When the band launched into Red, though, the place came apart. We didn't know in advance if they would play older material, and to hear Red performed live for the first time caused near delirium. The band's intensity had more than hinted at the presence of the Beast Crim, but Red confirmed it.
Other highlights were the new pieces, a fully-realized Neal & Jack & Me, Manhattan, and Sartori in Tangier. During the last piece, which I recall they only played at the end of the late sets, Mr. Fripp kindly sprayed the hall with gouts of burning guitar. It was a fitting end to a fiery residency.
I left out the story of nearly running headlong into Robert on my way to the men's room. He seemed slightly alarmed...” Phil’s assessment is bang on the money. This is a punchy, in-yer-face audience recording, which to these ears, is of a slightly better quality than the previous evening.
