Four days into their first-time tour P2 certainly are rocking out big time. On the first of two days in San Francisco, there’s a looseness to the set which makes this early P2 quite different and distinct from the later period of the group’s brief life.
Happy Hour On Zarg features a tantalisingly lyrical exposition by Fripp and long-term Thrush fans will be interested to hear the track is still in a state of flux and has yet to settle upon the uplifting and often poignant coda it would later be associated with. Whilst P2 was often noted for the playfulness of its performances, there’s also some savage soloing to be found throughout by Fripp and Gunn on Live Groove, House I and X-Chayn-Jiz.
However, as Trey Gunn makes clear, sometimes the soloing isn’t quite enough. “We probably pushed too hard in the beginning of the first set and couldn't bring the music in. So we countered this with more space in the second set and everything came to life. Improvisation is so delicate.”
The strategy worked. After a barn-storming House II, the eerie, desolate beauty of Sector Shift III gives way to the clattering rough and tumble of Deserts Of Planet Zarg (Fripp’s soloing on this track alone makes this gig more than worthwhile), which in turn produces a scorching ProjecKction. Because of the vagaries of the sound board mix, Trey is overly loud on the latter, swamping his band-mates somewhat. Putting that aside however, as Gunn notes “We ended the second set in a savage groove that reminded me more of early Clash then anything Crimson.”
