Well, what a belter! Although the set-list remains largely the same, there are some gigs that just have an extra-special vibe and six days into the The Power To Believe tour, this concert is one them. Despite a wobbly start on The ConstruKction of Light (sadly missing it’s opening bars) Crimson soon get to grips with the material. After a spirited rendition of ProzaKc Blues, ElectriKc suffers from a momentary lapse of steadiness but it rises up as the track progress into something monstrous and extremely powerful.
Following on from a stomping version of FaKcts of Life, either fingers or feet lied to the players as they embarked upon One Time, which demonstrates the ability of seasoned pros to be able to accommodate such unexpected mishaps in their stride. Whilst Adrian sounds like he’s still getting over the flu-like cold that laid him low at the start of the tour, he provides heroic vocals and positively shines when it comes to his guitar solos on a storming Level Five and the roller-coaster ride that is Oyster Soup.
Elsewhere, Fripp’s solo on TPTBIII is nothing short of stellar, spiralling off into the stratosphere. Kick-ass is a word beginning with K at this time to describe Dangerous Curves - boy oh boy, Pat makes it swing like the clappers!
The ensemble playing on LTIA ptIV is devastating, plain and simple, knocking those fast lines into the ground like so many tent pegs. Although it’s easy to point to Belew’s solo as a rare treat, here everyone shines: it’s an astonishing example of how potent Crimson can be in concert. Encore-wise an otherwise splendid Vrooom threatens to come apart near the end and is followed by a frankly riotous version of Potato Pie which rounds off a marvellous evening in Quebec.
