"Once again, a superb & supportive audience …The Circus Krone is a great venue for circuses, and a good atmospheric for groups. But not sound. [endtease]All the same, we enjoyed playing” observed the Robert. Trey Gunn agreed. “(the sound) wasn't as bad as last night in Stuttgard, but it was still pretty crappy. However, the audience really redeemed it, tonight.” Belew responds particularly well the crowd, showering them with the sploog on a lethal LTIA IV; a great vocal on Frying Pan and a particularly convincing Oyster Soup. A wild soundboard mix lifts Gunn right up during TCOL with some stabbing chord work that gives an insight into how these three guitarists worked so well together. “There were some very hot moments in the show tonight: Siezure; Sex; Cage; and FraKCtured were real high points for me” offers Trey “Heroes was a complete limp…I don't know if the tempo was too slow, or if Sex was so hot just before it.” Hmm. Answers on a postcard please.
"Once again, a superb & supportive audience …The Circus Krone is a great venue for circuses, and a good atmospheric for groups. But not sound. [endtease]All the same, we enjoyed playing” observed the Robert. Trey Gunn agreed. “(the sound) wasn't as bad as last night in Stuttgard, but it was still pretty crappy. However, the audience really redee...
My immediate allure to this show was the chance of hearing another live version of FraKctured. There is some exceptional playing to be found throughout this show, particularly by Belew: his solo on Oyster Soup sprays sonic shrillings all over the place, taking the song to a higher level than usual. He also sounds quite good on ProzaKc Blues, which, while not one of my favorites, is performed very well on this particular evening. Cage remains a personal favorite d...
My immediate allure to this show was the chance of hearing another live version of FraKctured. There is some exceptional playing to be found throughout this show, particularly by Belew: his solo on Oyster Soup sprays sonic shrillings all over the place, taking the song to a higher level than usual. He also sounds quite good on ProzaKc Blues, which, while not one of my favorites, is performed very well on this particular evening. Cage remains a personal favorite during this era of touring, which was reworked and performed in a unique way...it was a great addition to the setlist. At the same time, there are a fair number of obvious mistakes made throughout the gig. FraKctured comes close to falling apart once or twice, but is ultimately redeemed, and misplaced notes can be heard during many pieces. I was never overly fond of how the double duo performed double trio material on this tour; to my ears, only One Time impressed me on the 2000 tour, though it rose to heavenly heights by the time of the 2003 tour. Part of my dislike for THRAK-era songs by this lineup was that Pat was solely using electronic drums. They lacked dynamics, thereby lending a more flat sound to the overall band. I suppose this deficit sounds more apparent on the double trio material; since it was used on The ConstruKction Of Light, it camoflages with that material better onstage. I’m glad that he later switched to an acoustic/electronic hybrid. With that being said, I still find this a very enjoyable show to listen to. The improvisation recalls elements of the ProjeKct favorite Seizure, while also allowing for Fripp to play the opening chords to Frying Pan. It’s a very cohesive improv, elements of which can be found on Heavy ConstruKction. Here, however, we get the full piece, with no edits nor intrusions. Larks’ is performed like the monster it is (with another brilliant Ade solo), Three Of A Perfect Pair is flawlessly executed once again, and the Thrush continues to Thrush. I recommend this show to fans of TCOL period; it doesn’t disappoint. I DO hope, however, that some US gigs from this tour will surface. The setlist was a bit different (Thela and Frame were added, if memory serves), but the shows I attended were performed with a greater intensity than any of the European shows I’ve had the pleasure of listening and purchasing.
