So here we are at the final date of Crimson’s 2000’s long, hard Euro-slog. Filmed by the Bootleg TV crew and included on the Eyes Wide Open dvd, the band work hard at a show that doesn’t always catch alight. Struggling with sound problems on the night, it takes a little while for the team to warm up. The first improvisation of the evening has a tentative feel where the band individually dip their toes in the water from time to time but don’t quite push the boat out.
A sprightly trot through Dinosaur and a barn-storming Oyster Soup feels like the coming together point, possibly accounting for a more success improv, C Blasticum. Containing some rare moments such as Adrian’s staccato guitar jabs that he would later recycle for Dangerous Curves, the Seizure bass beat (complete with samples from Easy Money), a feisty Fripp blast and Ade’s strangulated string-pulling. When combined together, they offer a compelling glimpse of the beast in action.
LTIA Pt V also has its fair share of thrills and spills with Fripp and Gunn’s unison work being especially noteworthy. Belew’s solo spot really gets the Empire crowd going, shining a well-deserved spotlight on this vintage number.
