Teatro Coliseo Podesta La Plata Argentina

It’s probably that a couple of the opening numbers weren’t captured on the board tapes as SSEDD cuts in mid-track. Nevertheless, we still get a pretty good picture of what was going on that night in Teatro Coliseo Podesta. Thrak assumes an especially guttural rasp as it snips and clips away like a hedge-trimmer gone haywire. Initially carried by Bruford’s incipiently funky beat before Mastelotto takes over the groove, Gunn flies around the bass end of his instrument and the whole piece sticks to beat during the improv section. Out of the Two Sticks workout flies a hugely buoyant Elephant Talk. As familiar as this track has become, the version has a real spring in its step; it’s clear the team are enjoying themselves and responding to encouragement. Indiscipline also blisters with a determined ferocity though comes momentarily unstuck being the “I Repeat Myself” verse, as though they were having so much fun they’d forgotten where they were. Nearly four minutes into The Talking Drum and there’s a wonderful point of convergence for Fripp, Gunn and Belew, whose notes swirl and dance in breath-taking formation. It’s moments like this that make being a Crimhead more than worthwhile. At the end of a barn-storming LTIA Pt2, Bill Bruford can just be heard off-mic saying “That was good!” He’s not wrong.