Palais D'Hiver

Roll up, roll up for the Krimson karaoke! Taken from a half-inch 8-track reel and mixed for this release by Alex Mundy Crimson is hot to trot tonight. Sadly for us, the feed for the vocal microphone failed to make it to the tape. Every now and then you hear Adrian picked up by the overhead microphones but that’s as close as you get. On the plus side, the absence of vocals means that you can sing along to your heart's content with the added bonus of not having to play ornery chords, motifs, and tricky metres on guitar at the same time.

The band is nearing the end of the tour so there's no hiding the fact that they are tired. That said there’s more than enough juice in the tank to keep the show on the road. It’s always fascinating listening to these gigs in the cold light of hindsight and obviously without experiencing firsthand the heat generated on the night in question. All the moving parts of the band are well-oiled and hitting the mark. However, here and there, there are small slips in concentration. During Frame By Frame for example Adrian loses his place and the tight structure becomes a little loose around the edges they part company from the usual plan. Don’t worry. It’s the sound of the band thinking on their feet and coming up smiling. And of course, the audience, even if they had noticed, wouldn't have cared. The star of the show award goes to a smoking version of Neal And Jack And Me. Phew!