A rather beautiful and mysterious soundscape greeted the punters for the first night of the Crims two-gig run at the venerable Keswick theatre. There’s a fascinating convergence between the scape and the entrance of Pat and Gavin when they take to the stage and just for a second or two we get a glimpse of soundscapes and dreamscapes creating a unique space all its own. Pat also triggers a sample from Easy Money and so John Wetton twinkling by in moccasin sneakers also makes a fleeting appearance as does Tony Levin’s Schizoid Barbershop quartet.
It takes the team a few numbers to bed down but by the time Larks Tongues In Aspic II rumbles to a conclusion they’ve all pretty much got to where they need to be. That said problems with Ade’s monitoring has him marching slightly out of step with the rest of the band during One Time - a recurring problem throughout the tour in fact. The diaphanous middle section to this piece is always a gift, however. Very much another song within a song, against the soundscape backdrop Fripp’s yearning solo is simply exquisite.
Once again it’s the double drumming of Mastelotto and Harrison that steals the show. A stunning B’Boom pushes deeper and further than anything managed when the piece was on the Double Trio’s setlist. Throughout Dinosaur their work is a joy as they not only supporting the beat but accent and embellish as they go and to a certain degree carrying the weight of this mighty beast of a track. Once again on a riotous version of Level Five, the skittering back and forth between the electronic and acoustic drumming is an endlessly fascinating stream of musical information that demands and rewards your attention. After a sprightly rendition of Vrooom and its extended soundscapes playout, the two drummers provide yet more percussive thrills and spills in the piece that would ultimately come to full fruition with the arrival of the 2014 incarnation of King Crimson.
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