This is King Crimson’s first performance in front of a crowd since they had wowed the punters at Le Spectrum (documented on Absent Lovers) back in 1984. [endtease]Essentially a dress rehearsal in front of invited guests and the South American press, the tickets that had been made available sold out in two hours flat.
You can hear the first night nerves on tracks such as Vrooom and a slightly unsteady Discipline, though after an absence of ten years from the frontline such wobbles can easily be forgiven. . A brisk One Time and an exceptionally good Sleepless shows Adrian in fine voice, whilst the opening sections B’Boom has a hair-standing menacing edge. Elsewhere, Funky Jam makes it’s short-lived mark on the set-list for the first time – there’s a cutesy disco feel to the track which is appropriate considering that the venue used to be a premier dancing hotspot.
We’re used to hearing Vrooom Vrooom taken at an energetic sometimes breakneck speed but here it’s gone through in something akin to slow motion replay. Overall, this is a performance where a somewhat tired Crimso leaps and sometimes makes it to the other side.
