Those who have been following the DGM archives, the King Crimson Collectors Club, or even those who were there at the time, will know that Orlando hosted one of the great King Crimson shows in 1972 - superlative playing by Robert and Mel. And here they both were, some 49 years later, still laying into 21st Century Schizoid Man "as if for the first time".
The Covid restrictions and the need for the audience to be separated into pods ("slightly resembling a cattle market" as someone commented at soundcheck) meant that this did not seem like the totally triumphant return that we all might have hoped - but to my ears it was definitely Mel Collins' best night of the tour so far, so there must be something in the Orlando air (or lack of it). The humidity was wicked during the day, but thankfully it dropped in the evening. Another great night.
Michele, Tony's bass tech, was finally able to join us from Sicily, so we now have a full roster as we climb back aboard our three battle buses and head to Atlanta and Nashville. The seasoned campaigners promise me that after a few nights I will acclimatise to sleeping on the move...
