Sister is sympathetic about the striking of Devil Disease, and we are looking forward to next weekend.
Toyah, two shows down and one more to go for today, asked: "When are you coming home?". Two weeks. How I miss this wonderful & thrilling little creature.
News announcement: King Crimson will play 3 shows at 12th. & Porter in Nashville on Friday / Saturday / Sunday 19 / 20 / 21st. of May. These are play-in shows, standing only, for the debut of the Double Duo. Then we fly to Copenhagen and begin the European tour.
Current offers for England are 25-50% of the fees available in Europe. My own view is that I'd rather play 5-7 dates rather than only London, which strikes me as derisory if not actually insulting. But politics are involved here: the record company & national press are based in London. The Albert Hall is a superb place for an event, but not a musical event. Shepherds Bush is by far the best venue available (for me): standing, sitting, relatively informal.
Any London gig, particularly if it's the only show in England, is impressively pressured. Not only does every music industry person who's ever had any relationship with Crimson (like, standing by a pole when a poster was stuck to it); anyone who's ever known Robert (or any other member of the group) and is a real good friend to all of them (whether I know their name or not); any former member of the group, or friend of theirs; call/s up and demands free tickets & Backstage Access.
In my (long & painful) experience, most of these people don't actually like King Crimson, or the current form of it. Doesn't matter: Backstage Access gives them the opportunity to vent, demand attention for their own projects & interests, & maybe get free food and/or (better) drink. In sum, the arrangements are designed to remove any concern for music from a nominally musical event. At least, divert the player's attention from playing. How many times have I waited, looking through a window or chink of curtain, at Life Suckers who have turned up in London to get me (often traveling long distances). I peek out from hiding, hoping they might depart & leave open the only exit available to me.
If this is not sufficient to turn a possible celebration into a wretched & dismal evening, then add aggressive autography & photography by the stage door; even better, wait at possible entrances and leap upon artists emerging from their car. We all know by now, fans have "rights": they've handed over their hard-earned pay, and clearly the performance of music isn't enough. Perhaps, this is an opportunity for a good suck upon someone's life essence. Or, almost as good, insult the victim publicly on the net if they decline to accept vampiric & egotistical demands.
12.51
Adrian has poked his head around the door of Basement Belew: we're on call for 14.00 at the studio.
