Robert Fripp

Robert Fripp's Diary

Thursday 21 August 2003

DGM HQ Broad accents of

09.15

DGM HQ.

Broad accents of the Broad Chalke variety began punctually at 08.30 in the Village Shop & Butchery, immediately below my office, followed by thumping and shaking as large parts of dead animals were reduced to smaller parts of animals equally without life. A truck with attached trailer parked outside as its driver visited the Shop. The cargo: very many chickens, of the living variety, packed into crates & unknowing of the words Free Range. Perhaps they were having a day out, an exeat, from the battery farm up the road.

17.19 Death! Pain! Horror! Terror! Suffering! Misery! The G4 hard-drive is irreparably damaged and the August Diary is corrupted. A lot of work is lost, mucho reporting of exciting, interesting & important arisings in DGM HQ & SoundWorld, matters Crim, and commentary on the commentary of several online commentators discussing The King Crimson Farewell Tour Of Europe (2003). A young man, who drove here from his firm in Poole, spent over 4 hours doing what he could to find the fault. Eventually, after 3+ hours, he came to the conclusion: a damaged HD. He thinks this might have happened if the computer had been moved while the HD was in active mode. Pooey pooey.

This morning: a call to Richard Chadwick, current manager of David Sylvian, former manager of King Crimson. The figures don't add up for a joint KC/DS tour this autumn. That tour now looks unlikely to go ahead, a great personal disappointment to this Sylvian fan.

This afternoon: a visit to the chiropractor in Salisbury. The three smallest toes in my left foot remain numb-ish, although there is overall improvement.

Small but significant: I have set up a Zoom 9002 on my desk here, plugged it into a JVC hi-fi, and have been working through several ideas for Crimson with a Fernandes Bunny guitar in hands. Now, to remember them. A few months ago I wrote a dual-key 24-bar blues for Crim and forgot it.

Backtracking --

Wednesday 20th. August: a gentle morning in Bredonborough. To DGM HQ late morning to continue mixes for the double-DVD. A call to Charlie Hewitt in the US suggests that the figures don't add up for a David Sylvian/KC tour of the US this Autumn. Charlie is looking at various options. Then a call to catch up with Ade: a new desk has arrived in StudioBelew & Kengineer is a happy boy!

18.27 DGM SoundWorld.

One Time from Shepherd's Bush, the final concert of the KC Eurotour 2000, is werning away. On the G4, I am working from the External Memory Beast. An 80-gig hard-drive is on order asap.

21.55 Heroes. What a song. Another triumph from Shepherd's Bush.

In the West the DVD will be a double release: KC in Japan this April 2003 - Eyes Wide Open - and KC at Shepherd's Bush Empire 2000 - Heavy ConstruKtion: The Movie. In Japan these will be released separately. Shepherd's Bush, filmed by BootlegTV, is the Vicar's preferred viewing of the two. The professionally filmed & produced Tokyo show is professional. The young BTV camera-persons wore punter-eyes and penetrated the nature of Crimson to a greater degree. It's honest says the Vicar on the outcome of their efforts.

22.33 Many reports on this mixing & the DVDs, over the past two weeks, have been lost with the corruption of the August diary.

22.57 Machine has called from New York. A surround-sound mix is currently downloading. David & I have taken a short break & are now back on The Late Shift.

23.31 Another G4 seizure.

The Raging Crim disregards my computer problems and powers its improvising way through Barcelona. The Crimson of 2000 & 2003 are different Beasts. Both have distinct qualities. Crim 2000 is an adolescent creature, blasting unapologetically forwards. Crim 2003 is a mature animal, considered, architectural & more vulnerable. It is also, on occasion, more dangerous.

00.07 The Late Shift is late. Now time to hit the floor. We have a day of mastering tomorrow.

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