It Was 45 Years Ago Today...

Posted by Sid Smith
13 Jan 2014

King Crimson formally entered the world playing for the first time in the basement of the cafe on the Fullham Palace Road on January 13th 1969.

According to Ian McDonald's diary at around 7.30pm, Dik, Pete, Bob and Greg called round to his flat to come and shift the 'tron to the new rehearsal rooms on the Fulham Palace Road. Once they'd set everything up, McDonald's diary also reveals the band had a blow until just after 10.00 p.m.

In the next few weeks there would be all kinds of visitors making their way to this basement including various journalists, record company executives and one or two rock stars, all interested to hear what was coming out of this cramped and fairly unremarkable space.

Crimso were to stay there for two and half years.

As previously reported on this website a couple of years ago, in 2011 Mark Ferraro, from Ozone Park, New York came over to London to make a pilgrimage to lots of buildings tinged with a bit of Crimson history. "I walked in the present day restaurant and went right downstairs without anyone questioning me and took some photos of this tiny space that once contained the sounds of ITCOTCK rehearsals. How the walls were able to take such thunder I can only wonder. Think of those lucky "invited guests" that were able to witness these young musicians and what was coming out of them in this tiny basement."

Here's some of Mark's photographs...














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