# King Crimson live in Philadelphia, 9/13/14



## EdwardBast (Nov 25, 2013)

Just saw the new incarnation of King Crimson, a septet, at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia. The lineup is:

Mel Collins - saxes, flute
Robert Fripp - guitar, soundscapes, keyboard 
Jakko Jakszyk - guitar, vocals
Tony Levin - upright and electric bass, backing vocals
Gavin Harrison - drums, percussion
Pat Mastellato - drums, percussion
Bill Rieflin - drums, percussion, keyboard

Stage setup, audience left to right:

Back - Collins, Levin, Jakszyk, Fripp
Front - Mastellato, Rieflin, Harrison

The repertoire was primarily from the 1970s (set-list below), which is unsurprising given the presence and prominent role of Mel Collins. (Crimson hadn't used winds since 1974.) They played for two hours without break.

Review: 
As one might expect, the band was awesomely powerful and played with great precision and clarity. The biggest surprise for me was the energy and imagination of Mel Collins's playing on saxes — definitely the standout soloist of the night. In addition to the eight tunes originally scored with saxes, Collins also soloed where David Cross (violin) would have in Larks' Tongues Part one (flute) The Talking Drum (soprano), Larks' Tongues Part Two (alto), and where Belew did in Level Five. He fearlessly rode the unhinged, ragged edge in all of his solos, leaving it all on the stage. His flute sound was not up to 1970s snuff, but still effective where used. Fripp played all of the old material with aplomb while matching the tone-quality of the original guitar sounds with great precision. He even played a truncated version of the original tremolo solo in Sailor's Tale. 

The standout new work was Light of Day (originally recorded by Collins, Jakszyk, Fripp), which ranks with the best of KC's creative output over the years. Its vocal harmonies (Jakszyk, Levin) are gorgeous and left me wishing the band had used that resource more. I won't go through a song-by-song review, but will just say that the power and effectiveness of this material is undiminished and the approaches and arrangements of the songs are fresh and well-adapted to the new lineup. 

Recommendation, especially if you have never heard Crimson live: Hear this band! 

Set List:
1. Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Part One
2. Level Five
3. A Scarcity of Miracles
4. Pictures of a City
5. One More Red Nightmare
6. Hell Bells
7. The Letters
8. Sailor's Tale
9. Hell-Hounds of Krim
10. Vroom
11. Coda: Marine 475
12. Light of Day
13. The Talking Drum
14. Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Part Two
15. Red
16. Starless

Encores:
17. HooDoo
18. 21st-Century Schizoid Man


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Sounds like an excellent gig, Ed - thanks for the review. I'm glad Mel Collins is involved especially as he didn't have that easy a time of it when he first joined, what with band needing to be reconstituted once Greg Lake and Mike Giles had worked their notice with recording In The Wake of Poseidon. I hope live recordings from this tour will be available before too long as this looks like a dream setlist. Just two questions: what are Jakko's vocals like compared to previous KC vocalists, and do you think in time they'll incorporate any material from the Discipline line-up (or is the soundscape too different)?


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## EdwardBast (Nov 25, 2013)

elgars ghost said:


> Sounds like an excellent gig, Ed - thanks for the review. I'm glad Mel Collins is involved especially as he didn't have that easy a time of it when he first joined, what with band needing to be reconstituted once Greg Lake and Mike Giles had worked their notice with recording In The Wake of Poseidon. I hope live recordings from this tour will be available before too long as this looks like a dream setlist. Just two questions: what are Jakko's vocals like compared to previous KC vocalists, and do you think in time they'll incorporate any material from the Discipline line-up (or is the soundscape too different)?


Jakko's vocals are clean and in tune. The timbre of his voice isn't particularly distinctive (unlike Wetton or Lake or Belew). Nothing wrong with it and pleasant enough; To my ears it's just not unique or inherently interesting.

Given that they filled out the 80s quartet arrangements for sextet in the 90s, I guess there is no impediment to incorporating some of that material. But that band relied on a lot of equal interaction and interlocking parts between Fripp and Belew. Not sure how Jakko would adapt to that role as I don't really know his capabilities on guitar.

What I wonder is if this band is even planning to do any studio recording or if this is a one-off thing. They certainly aren't developing new material on stage as earlier incarnations did. But the quality of the last two tunes on A Scarcity of Miracles shows that they are capable of composing and developing material at a high level. Guess time will tell.


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## Guest (Sep 16, 2014)

Good grief.

I thought two drummers was cluttered and missing mr Bruford.

Never thought they'd be doing such old songs again.

I'd be interested in hearing new stuff.

Thanks for posting.


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## EdwardBast (Nov 25, 2013)

gog said:


> Good grief.
> 
> I thought two drummers was cluttered and missing mr Bruford.
> 
> ...


Re drummers: Surprisingly, the multiple drummers didn't result in clutter - lots of dialogue and division of timbre and labor. A few of the new titles were pieces for three percussionists. And finally someone, Mastellato, did some percussion as "out" as Muir's on LTA 1 & 2. Gavin Harrison is nothing short of amazing.

Yeah, I agree, the dearth of new material marks this debut as much different than any of the others. KC never went the nostalgia route before. And if Crimson is a way of doing things, I'm not sure they are doing it. Hence my wondering whether this band is even destined for the studio.


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## Guest (Sep 16, 2014)

Here was the birth!

http://www.dgmlive.com/diaries.htm?artist=&show=&member=3&entry=24091


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

They don't have Adrian Belew around to write new material for them. Why are they playing Hells Bells? Isn't that a Bruford Band tune?


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## Guest (Sep 17, 2014)

starthrower said:


> They don't have Adrian Belew around to write new material for them. Why are they playing Hells Bells? Isn't that a Bruford Band tune?


Well spotted! I believe this would have been performed by his band when I saw them at Manchester Polytechnic.

Now I feel old...


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## Guest (Sep 17, 2014)

Further random thoughts....

Bill Reiflin was one of the dual drummers in Murder Inc. an offshoot from Ministry.

mmmm.... saw Ministry on the Psalm 69 tour. Er....can't remember how many drummers they had then...
definitely two on the live DVD...


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## EdwardBast (Nov 25, 2013)

starthrower said:


> They don't have Adrian Belew around to write new material for them. Why are they playing Hells Bells? Isn't that a Bruford Band tune?


They aren't playing Hell's Bells. They are playing Hell Bells. Different piece.

From your statement, I am assuming you know whom to attribute the composition of particular pieces in the recent incarnations of Crimson. Could you please share? Who composed what on The Construction of Light? On The Power to Believe?


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