In a pre-internet age, the first Crimson fans knew about the inclusion of Peace and Cat Food was on the night of the gig. You can hear the surprised reaction to hearing the quiet introduction of the Peace theme. After they go into Cat Food there’s something that distracts Bruford albeit briefly as he misses some of the accents on the turnaround, and Wetton fluffs the lyrics in the third verse. All part of the live experience.
There’s a lovely reading of The Night Watch, which by now in the tour is bedding down well and Fracture creates its own special space that rarely fails to draw an audience in. The moto perpetuo section is dispatched with exacting precision, while the subsequent rock-out blows the doors off the place. Given the mention of distractions earlier, it’s interesting that after a few bars, Book Of Saturday is halted. It’s not clear why at this remove, but when it restarts, it’s about as perfect a reading of the song as you could possibly wish for.
Fripp’s solo on a rather magical version of Easy Money is probably worth the entrance fee alone; inquisitive, unorthodox, and forceful, and when the moment arrives, going for the jugular. It’s not often you get an audience clapping along with an improv but this Saarbrücken crowd is game upon hearing Fripp’s rhythmic comping. Once Bruford puts a groove underneath it all the transformation from something quirky to a terrifying gaze into the maw of Hell is as rapid as it is surprise. Even the band seemed a bit baffled by it as they come to a sudden halt and slide almost seamlessly into a gorgeous version of Exiles.
After the shrill, frantic rush of The Talking Drum and a caustic blast of LTIA Pt 2, set to maximum rearrangement of internal organs, the old warhorse of Schizoid Man brings a rather superb gig to a giddy conclusion.
