This show is from the second performance of the seventh gig on this short Frippertronics jaunt which the guitarist embarked upon as King Crimson pondered on the fate of their yet-to-be third album.
That sense of other-worldliness is further reinforced by the inclusion of the solos from bootleg sources which have been painstakingly matched up to the original reels by Alex ‘Stormy’ Mundy. The difference in the audio quality makes it sound as though the room was tuning into a radio station broadcasting from the past or perhaps another dimension altogether.
Loop II and Solo is a ravishing slow-burning piece that all but steals the show. Against the radiant ebb and flow of chords Fripp adds urgent trumpet-like notes that hit the spot.
As well as taking the audience through the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) interactions between music, musicians, audiences and the industry, we hear about buying ‘off the bone’ underpants from Fred Miller in Wimborne and what to do when your hired-in Revox is late or catches fire! There’s one or two slightly test elements in the audience in the latter part of the lecture section, and perhaps referring to some of the musical tricks he mentioned during his talk, the guitarist finishes off the evening with some remarkably scary-sounding honks and howls alongside his bleeps and drones. Fiery stuff for sure!
