Robert Fripp

Robert Fripp's Diary

Friday 09 November 2007

Starbucks, Main Drag, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.

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A Starbucks on the first-model of the company: spacious, un-pressured, room to sit & read, compute, drink coffee - and short queues! The Starbucks NPU is a mixed blessing, but most of its sonic decisions convey a sense that some choice went into the selection, and the quality of its sonic-projectors is higher than most establishments that provide forms of aural attack.

How much an added benefit to the life of the Happy Gigster, then, that Noise Cancellators & i-Pods may accompany their travelling; also computers that bring some sense of connection to a world outside Vacuums-With-A-Bed-In-It (aka el modesto hotel rooms). Technology has made touring more do-able, albeit busier.

09.25  Morning listening: Elgar violin concerti. There is an Englishness in Elgar which I access when travelling far from home. And this morning, pangs of homesickness. The Sistery Person, an American resident for 41 years, enjoys visiting England, family & old pals. But Sistery does not register homesick. And Sister is currently being pro-active in endeavouring to promote her Brother’s professional life, in ways that are impossible for me & entirely straightforward for her. This is the most recent…

An Evening with Robert and Patricia Fripp
How to Be a Hero on and off the Platform
From Beginner to Mastery in Business, Performance, and Life.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Sign In: 5:30 - 6:00pm
Event: 6:00 - 9.30pm

Location:
San Francisco Bay Area
Best Western Corte Madera Inn
56 Madera Boulevard
Corte Madera, CA 94925
http://www.cortemaderainn.com

NOTE: Robert will NOT be bringing his guitar and please do NOT take photos during the session.

Patricia says, "Brother is not like his sister! Robert is quiet, shy, unassuming, modest, not a shameless self-promoter. Many say he is a genius. When asked how he feels about that he replies, ’I know it isn’t true... so I doubt their judgment on other issues.’"

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Paying by Check or Money Order?
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Patricia Fripp
A Speaker For All Reasons
527 Hugo Street
San Francisco, CA 94122

(If your check or money order is not received within two weeks of your registration, we will charge your credit card for your registration.)

Yep! This is the debut of Fripp & Fripp Speakers.

10.25  E-flurrying done.

10.48  A half-block walk down to the hotel I…

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II…

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Looking back…

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Views from a room I…

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Lobby call at 11.00.

18.54  Park West, Chicago.

Into Chicago with Mr. Beefy in the BeefWagon. Finger of Beefy pints the way…

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On the dashboard, a vital & necessary item in returning-to-England: a roll of power-tape to hold together the Happy Gigster’s OTT Samsonite Wheelie suitcase…

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Out of Lake Geneva I…

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Into Chicago I…

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… to the Apple Store…

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The helpful sales-person announced: I grew up with you! He had seen Robin Trower & KC in 1973. I declined the opportunity to be put into his i-Photo gallery & left with new software. Onto Park West I….

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Along the way, the Director of Slow Music, Humans’ person, REM drummer & now Hellboys’ drummer Rieflin, called from Newark airport where he was awaiting a returning-to-Seattle flight; in from Woodstock-recording with The Hellboys & Hellboys’ bass player TLev.

Dressing room action…

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The GC Office & Record Company is applying itself to merchandising opportunities for innocent audients to part with even more of their hard-earned pay on individually burnt & personally autographed LCG hot waxings of wonder & delight.

Park West is a fave venue, and one I have been working for 27 years. The LCG were here in 1989 & 1990. On one of those occasions, I knew I would be hustled here by a particular character. So, for the entire LCG tour, we carried a security person to cover this one most-likely eventuality. After the performance, the hustler-person arrived in the dressing room & hustled me, as anticipated. Why, I asked the security person, accompanying us for the complete tour to provide security specifically for this one occasion, had their security-presence failed? Well, they explained, they had waited for 10 minutes after the show and as people had left, they left their post too. A security person this good requires a second security person to protect the artist against their first security person.

This is also the venue where, according to our current plans for King Crimson’s return to active-service in 2008, preparatory to the 40th. Anniversary Celebration of 2009, The Beast Of Crim will be playing a 4-night residency in August 2008 with KC’s third double-drumming formation.

The first formation: Jamie Muir & Bill Bruford (1972-73);
the second formation: Pat Mastelotto & Bill Bruford (1994-97);
the third formation: Pat Mastelotto & Gavin Harrison.

A fourth double-drumming formation, of 1981-84 (Adrian & Billy B), doesn’t quite count as Adrian’s primary focus was in the front line.

The LCG soundcheck I…

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00.31  Hotel Acceptable, Lake Geneva.

A few words before we walked onstage:

When we are faced with something we really don’t want to face, something that is nevertheless inevitable: decide to undertake the inevitable. This moves the initiative to the affirming, from the denying, and a very different action & process unfolds.

Mistakes are not important: how we deal with mistakes is important.

There may be shouting from the audience. We are aware of the audience, yes, and when someone shouts we are aware of them. But we then have the choice: to give them our attention, or keep our attention onstage.

Overall, a generous audience, and some sloppy playing, albeit with spirit.

Mr. Beefy has returned in the Beef Wagon to his home with Mrs. Beefy in Madison. My return-ride home: in the equipment van with Tour Manager Dev.

 

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