A boomy but very listenable audience recording, complete with a little coating of fairy dusting courtesy of Mister Stormy, provides a pretty comprehensive account of the Crims in Rome.
With every track of the recently released Larks’ Tongues In Aspic being performed live, the real surprises come from the inclusion of Peace and Cat Food in the setlist. A particular favourite of John Wetton, who was the prime advocate of resurrecting the 1970 track, there can’t have been many people during this tour expecting to hear it performed live.
As if that wasn’t enough the set also finds the Crims road testing The Night Watch, Lament, and Fracture, the latter being particularly well-received despite its unfamiliarity.
The first mid-set improv occupies a sonic space that’s cut from cloth similar to We’ll Let You Know performed 13 days earlier in Glasgow while the second improv, preceding The Talking Drum, amasses scary strings and the blunt trauma from bass and percussion.
A powerful gig from King Crimson ending with a high-octane performance of 21st Century Schizoid Man. Containing some hair-raising soloing from Fripp, there’s and chordal duet with Wetton prior to the final verse in which he gives the guitarist a run for his money.
