The emerging future is emerging. This involves a restructuring of the company's operations in the US & UK. The main problem is distribution of records in Europe, where there are several distributors in several countries, all of which require almost as much work as any other single territory - like the US. Our accountancy bills on preparing royalty statements for nearly all the non-Crimson artists cost us more that we can ever send them in royalties, more than we can ever make as a record company. This means that the record company, as it is, has only a loss-making future.
David Singleton states the position very clearly: for 7 years DGM has been a charity. A charity which supports music & several of its players, and pays for the privilege. All the core personnel are underpaid for the work, time & commitment they put into DGM. David has been with me from the beginning, and without him we could not have survived to this point. We could continue, on the basis that David puts all his time & creative juices into acting as executive producer, producer, engineer, book-keeper, manager and creative director. Better he concentrate on creative direction.
I appreciate that we have not been the ideal record company for some of our artists. Our current thinking leaves us with alternative strategies & positions to present to artists, on the basis of what is possible for us to offer, and what is acceptable to them. The music industry is now another country from the place DGM began, eight years' ago.
Also discussed: the original Crim who has objected to the Hyde Park release continues to be away and has not yet approved / passed plans for the Hyde Park release. His solicitor suggests a solution is available. We also have plans for the future of the Club, based on comments offered by members and our experience over 2 years.
Peter Giles has been in touch regarding the original home recordings of Giles, Giles & Fripp. We disagree on the status of the phonographic copyrights, and Peter has deeply felt opinions on the matter. I accept his feelings are genuine, but have another view and presented one possible solution. Some 14 months ago I suggested to Peter that the Club would be a vehicle to release the tapes recorded at 93a, Brondesbury Road, but no longer feel this is appropriate.
So, the future is continuing to open.
?
Responses, Sooner Later:
RF: Because it's King Crimson.
The new album is lame. It is a rehash of the last album. The Projekcts Box was so promising, and these is just a third version of Vroom with a funny vocal on the first song. There is nothing new here.
Comment #2:
Mr. Fripp,
Is it possible for you to ask/answer a question without writing an entire thesis?
RF: Sure. Please see below.
Me: What time is it, Robert?Comment #3:
I placed a $43 order over a week ago, and nobody at DGM knows anything about it, although my money has been electronically sent to them. I never recieved an e-mail confirmation, but my money is gone, it seems forever. Not to mention the money that I wasted on that new KC "album".
So, Robert, or Guitarist, or whatever your calling yourself this week, can I have my money back?
Dan (The Webmaster) replies:RF: Brief response, as instructed:
Jon has a pissy attitude, bad manners and cloth ears. Better he keep his hard earned pay from Silken Pockets & move on.
RF: This had become a problem by 1974.
Does the recording by DGM/BTV have the same effect on you as someone in the audience taping?RF: No. It's consensual. And the audience's attention remains available to engage directly with the performance.
RF: Surely you've mistaken Fripp for John McLaughlin?
This is a classic of its kind, and has attracted several responses from other ET subscribers. It is reproduced in full here so that its inherent rhythm, logic & argument is not undermined by my interspersed commentary.
On the stage, the "fall guy" is a trained pro who sets himself up to be knocked down by the superiority and wit of the front man. In some training establishments (not only theatrical) one learns to play "roles" and adopt the characteristics (physical, emotional & mental) of characters who are not naturally resonant with who & what we are. In the literature of various traditions one finds reference to "fall guys" of high attainment. Sometimes these are referred to as "holy fools", "fools for God" and/or "idiots". We also find references to the "way of blame" where practioners of very high accomplishment attract to themselves the loathing, enmity & negativity of the world; perhaps by presenting themselves as perpetrators of unacceptable acts, perhaps by acts of "idocy" and clowning. We can have very little knowing of what this might imply, or when it is taking place.
So, when a post as breathtaking as Alain's is submitted to a public forum, it attracts my attention, admiration & astonishment.
Alain Proulx (ET)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
Laurent Masse (ET) (masse@geocean.u-bordeaux.fr)AP: 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???
LM: So you assume playing a concert is RF's "work" and he gets money out of it. I always assumed the exact contrary.
When you teach (I can speak, I do it myself as a "work"), you are obliged to do it because it's a contract between yourself and your employer. But RF? Is there a contract somewhere stating he is obliged to play whatever the conditions? Btw, if I was not contractually obliged to teach in front of uninterested students, I would leave more than often. Plus we always have the right to fire anybody not respecting the house rules, set by ourselves. Unfortunately, Robert cannot do it
AP: 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
LM: You can always choose to refuse to do something, whatever the conditions. If you do not, that's your problem. Ever asked yourself why?
AP: 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.
LM: I am sure if Robert dared to respond, he would tell that you are exactly the kind of audient he can easily do without, and that you must feel free to do so.
AP: 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
LM: The problem is that, from the stage, you never see individuals, but a crowd, (RF interjection: not strictly so) which always is the lowest common denominator, no matter how good and well behaved the individuals in it may be. Taking place in a crowd implies you are aware of this and accept the responsibilities. The problem is that most people taking place in a crowd 1) always assume they are better than the others 2) want to be individually acknowledged and do everyting to have the energy drawn onto them and 3) do not understand that their behaviour changes the very nature of the crowd.
As a teacher, have you ever noticed how the working atmosphere within a group of students is a subtle balance, and how the apparently invisible skepticism and non acceptance of the rules of one individual totally fucks up the group and makes it impossible for the teacher to reach his aim?
AP: 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.
LM: I always assumed buying a ticket for a mass event is taking a big risk. Anything can happen, and you must be prepared for it. So this last statement is really very difficult to understand for me. And, BTW, assuming RF takes ALL THE CASH is incredibly naive.
Peter Clinch (ET)PC: In ET 708, Alain Proulx bemoaned:
AP: 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.
PC: I do some teaching. I do a much better job of it when the students are fully engaged with what I'm trying to communicate. Difficult concepts cannot be usefully imparted to students who don't have full engagement, partly because they're not paying enough attention, partly because my ability to impart it has gone down because of their (lack of) engagement (which might be my fault, of course, but whoever's to blame, the conditions aren't in place for anything hard).
Compare and contrast with FraKctured, described as a *very* difficult piece indeed to play. Might it be the case that a player requires to be truly in top form in order to do a decent job of trying to play it, and that form is impossible without a fully engaged audience?
(RF interjection: I don't need a fully engaged audience, even an engaged audience. But I have to duck when members of the audience fire arrows into my heart).
AP: I played american football and we had to perform in any situations, rain, snow, dirt....... no place for complains.PC: Not what I consider a great metaphor here, but say you had a sprained ankle and were thus partly incapacitated. if you show up on the field, hobble and all, you're not necessarily doing your team any favours. You can only perform what you can perform, be it on guitar or running for passes and tackles Sometimes "the best under the circumstances" simply isn't good enough for the job in hand.
AP: Mr Fripp, for 2 or 3 non-respectful people who take photos, you accept to punish 1,000 and more people
PC: Surely it's the "2 or 3 non-respectful people who take photos" who are accepting a punishment for the 1,000 and more others? They are the primary cause, the effect is known in advance and a matter of record. Otherwise it's like blaming gravity if you push someone downstairs.
AP: 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.
PC: I think it's a matter of public record that a fan complaining he couldn't see Fripp for 55% of a show was sent a 55% refund and asked not to come back. If you find that missing FraKctured, even a very poor rendition, removes a percentage of the effective show, I'm sure a similar arrangement could probably be made for you...
(RF interjection: It's true, I sent a refund for Sylvian Fripp at the Royal Albert Hall; on the basis that the complainer would never come to another show of which I was a part. I believe I suggested that 45% was more accurate than 55%).
Alain Proulx (ET)RF: Not Enough Is Much Too Much
AP: 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?RF: The reportage of an experienced professional player whose performance was being consistently prejudiced & undermined during a European tour by members of audiences; whose presence of absence compromised the subtleties of performance; and whose behaviour spoilt the show for everyone - even if they were unaware of the opportunities which had been lost.
AP: I am a teacher and I teach despite the fact my students don't listen at all.RF: How is this relevant? Alain has a tough life, so everyone should have a tough life? Alain's working conditions are hard, so everyone else's working conditions should be hard?
AP: Me, like almost the rest of the world, have to work in conditions we don't like.RF: I'm not looking for working conditions which I like, but for conditions where my work is possible.
AP: What is that Prima Dona attitude???RF: This is assumption & projection. Alain provides no sign of insight into how I work, nor why, nor what my aims might be. If he is seeking to establish the nature of my feelings on having my contribution to Crimson & Crimson performances abbreviated, limited, constrained or spoilt by inappropriate behaviour, then here are some words which are applicable:
heartbreak frustration disappointment righteous anger violation a sense of failure a sense of impotence a sense of futility AP: I am A long lasting and Die Hard Crimson fan since 1972. For me Fripp is one of the greatest.
RF: Then this is a great pity, for both of us. But if Fripp were "one of the greatest", why is his opinion so valueless?
AP: But I can't admit this way to do things.RF: A healthy scepticism & loving criticism is encouraged, welcomed & invited.
AP: I played american football and we had to perform in any situations, rain, snow, dirt....... no place for complains.RF: Fripp / Crimson perform in inappropriate & discouraging situations on a regular basis. Performance places are rarely built for performances, playing or listening.
AP: 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.RF: I guess that's my loss, then. Adrian can keep his job.
AP: Belew played sick, what a man he is......a real one.RF: That's put me in my place. And Adrian deserves to keep his job.
AP: Mr Fripp, for 2 or 3 non-respectful people who take photos,RF: Alain confuses the quantitative with the qualitative dimension. Surely, as a teacher, this distinction is established in his life?
AP: you accept to punish 1,000 and more people.RF: How does Alain arrive at "punish"? I though the group was being "punished" by photography, and the audience as a whole "punished" by several of their number?
AP: I don't know, but we don't seem to have the same definition of respect.RF: Alain now moves to sure ground.
AP: Just do that once to me Robert and no more I will accept to spend my so precious money to hear you.RF: This is an easy one: Alain should not spend his precious money to hear me. No problem here: Silken Pockets are unworthy of further lining by Alain's precious dosh, hard-earned in front of uncaring students.
But I am intrigued by Alain's assumption that his money has power over my behaviour; and that it might make me accept his demands on how I respond in a performance context. Why would he make that assumption?
AP: Respect is a two ways deal.RF: No it's not.
AP: 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.RF: We each deserve respect as a member of our common humanity. This I accept & support. It is a very high state.
But in any world lower than the world where we are the same person, recognise and know each other as the same person, we earn the respect of others by our being, presence & conduct in the world. A demand for "automatic" respect, on the basis that we have bought a ticket to a show & regardless of how we conduct ourselves within it, is dopiness to the point of delusion.
AP: 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.RF: But not enough. Not enough is not enough. And certainly not enough to destroy what is on offer.
As a point of fact, my personal wealth is based on the movement of UK property prices.
AP: 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.RF: Firstly, a pitiful proportion of "all the cash" reaches the group.
Secondly, no performance was "unplayed" to any degree, although several shows had more on offer - were the audience as a whole to have been present for it. Significantly, this "more on offer" had little to do with performance time as in clock time.
AP: A frustrated fan, but still a fan anywayRF: Thank you for your interest. It is misplaced.
This is the kind of support by which the lover kills the object of adoration through ignorance, ill-considered demands, self-proclaimed rights, assumption & one-dimensional mechanical logic.
May I suggest Alain moves on, and allows Crimson / Fripp to do so as well?
Alain pointed out that when playing (American) footbal, you play regardless of the weather conditions, and that is true, however, the weather is taken into account when you decide what plays to run. If the rain is pouring down, you don't throw the ball alot because throwing a slippery ball, catching a slippery ball and running at top speed in the mud are very difficult. It makes performance "inherently unlikely". Is there any reason for Crimson to play tunes that they don't think they could do properly due to adverse conditions?
RF: The Nashville shows demonstrate that Crimson has no fear of flying - and falling. The "FraKctured" train wrecks were a feature of the shows. But attempting to fly with arrows being fired at your heart is a very different matter.
But tonight we have an even more incredible feat in store. Mr. Kneivel will attempt the nearly impossible leap over FraKCtured canyon! For this jump to be even remotely possible, the motorcycle must be perfectly tuned, the driver must be perfectly in sync with his motorcycle, and the ramp must be completely dry. Luckily for us all, those conditions are true tonight, so after a short break, we will see this amazing attempt.
Audient 1: Cool!
Audient 2: Hey look, some dude just threw a bucket of grease on the ramp! Why would he do that?
Audient 1: He's got a video camera! I bet he plans to sell the film to FOX's "World's Worst Motorcycle Accidents" show!
Announcer. Ladies and Gentleman, due to the condition of the ramp, Mr. Kneivel will not be attempting the FraKCtured Canyon leap. Thank you for attending the show. I hope you enjoyed all the amazing feats you witnessed. Good Night!
Audient 1: No leap?! What a ripoff. Why don't they just kick out the guy who spilled the grease and go ahead with the leap?
Audient 2: Yeah, he could at least try to steer around the grease and make the jump anyway! Why should the rest of us be punished for the actions of the jerk with the grease bucket?
(They exit).
RF: This comes very close to describing the situation.
RF: I suppose it is.
RF: No, it's not strange at all.
I wish Ade was writing his feelings.RF: Adrian has enough intelligence to know better than attempt to engage a fan base in reasoned dialogue.
He appears to just blast through anything except his band mates' discomfort.RF: Ade can blast through just about anything - except massive dopiness, ongoing negativity & a debate as to whether he's good enough to be in King Crimson.
I fear the reality is that Fripp beleives he is in the right and will take an uncompromising but unattainable position in how he interacts with his audience. The audience is, for better or worse, a group.RF: No, it's not. A group is an intentional formation which comes into existence to serve a common aim. When this aim has been achieved, or becomes impossible, the group disbands. It is almost impossible for an ongoing group to have more than 20 members.
An audience may acquire some semblance of a team, perhaps a group
"The necessary is possible.
The optional is expensive.
The unnecessary is unlikely."
