“Hola! Good evening and welcome to the first-ever King Crimson concert here in Mexico City. We are very happy to be here with you. Thank you,” says Adrian Belew after the band has just bulldozed their way into the affections of a very enthusiastic crowd with Conundrums (or Elevens as it appears on the setlist), Thela, and Red.
You get the sense that the cheers and whoops emanating from the audience are having a significant effect on those on stage who are playing with a verve and energy that seems more heightened than usual.
How many of the 2,000 or so people in this theatre were seeing King Crimson for the very first time isn’t known. Yet it’s a reasonable assumption that the show will have been a significant experience whether newcomers or seasoned veterans of the band.
There are so many highlights to be savoured in this show but perhaps most impressive of all is the 20-seconds of silence between the players before they come back in with the final THRAK theme. It’s an impressive piece of control given the excitement abroad on the night. Also worth checking out is Gunn’s flowing solo during Three Of A Perfect Pair as he and Fripp lock horns.
