Robert Fripp's Diary

Hotel Acceptable, Stuttgart.

14.47

A 2 hour drive from a city to which I could respond, to here. I don't know what this town holds, but the hotel might be placed anywhere on a highway. That is, because it is placed on a highway somewhere. That said, there is a club room where I have refreshed my spirits with Jason Elliot & a kannchen or two of coffee.

The corps from Riverdance were leaving as we were arriving.

What to do on a drive? I have attempted exercises in the past but accept that, when travelling, it is (so far at least) impossible for me to exert my active intelligence. When flying, I read. When being driven on tour, there are only two activities I find available to me: sleeping & praying.

Not much sleep last night: the performance unsettled me. This is always the case when a show is less than it might have been, for reasons that need not have been. Nowadays, I am better at accepting that this is the condition of the world; at least, the basement world. As a younger player, it would take 3 days for me to recover from a needlessly spoilt (sometimes ruined) show. In the fullness of time, I hope that this ongoing experience - of how fiercely we defend our right to undermine the quality of what is available to us - is somehow useful. Years after the event, I sometimes discovered the value of a particular Crimson gig which seemed (shall we say?) without strategic value at the time. Hope springs eternal, but so does stupidity.

And, moving associationally along, that brings me to Arnie Schulberg.

Mr. Schulberg has contributed to Elephant Talk this gem of insight to the operations of the basement. Mr. Schulberg makes more of himself available than I believe he is aware. Since this particular post, Mr. Schulberg has subsequently sent off two more postings to ET.

Date: Mon, 29 May 2000 19:08:53 EDT
From: [email protected]
Subject: Bootlegging and Concert Enjoyment

AS: First of all, not every concert is going to be available
RF: How does Mr. Schulberg know this? And, if every show were available, would that in any way change his opinion?

AS: and maybe, just maybe, you want an aural souvenir that commemorates an event you attended. By the way, how does Fripp draw the distinction that it's okay for the band to tape the show but not the audience members?
RF: The distinction is between a volitional act (undertaken by the band for their own purposes, which does not impinge upon the audience) and a non-consensual act (undertaken by a nominal audient which does impinge upon the performer & the performance).

AS: Isn't that as disruptive of the experience of the moment?
RF: No. Not unless Mr. Schulberg is able to equate a volitional with a non-consensual act.

AS: If the answer is that the audience isn't aware of it, then wouldn't it be okay if the taping were done without the band being aware of it?
RF: No.
i) I have suggested that the band, or at least one of its members, is often aware of it. Certainly, in extreme cases.
ii) The recording audient is behaving in the knowledge that their act is non-consensual. Their action is therefore in bad faith & surreptitious. This has an impact upon the "atmosphere" of the show.

AS: Or, in the alternative, maybe you've decided to not immerse yourself in the experience
RF: Why would Mr. Schulberg "not immerse" himself in (I interpret this as "not contribute to") the experience? Passivity? Lassitude? Laziness? A parsimony of the spirit?

AS: but just make the bootleg (for whatever reason).
RF: And "whatever reason" does Mr. Schulberg have in mind, please?

AS: That's your choice too.
RF: Yes it is. If anyone is not prepared to honourably accept declared & given conditions, they have the choice to stay away.

AS: Must all who attend a concert be of pure mind and spirit, participatory audients?
RF: Let's not be too dopey, even in the basement. This is the "Impossibly Perfect" excuse which seeks to validate poor conduct. It goes like this:

Perfection is impossible.
Therefore no-one is perfect.
Therefore imperfection is inevitable.
Therefore everyone behaves imperfectly.
Therefore it's acceptable for me to behave like a jerk.

Another approach is this:

Perfection is impossible.
But I may choose to serve perfection, rather than surrender to my frailties.
Therefore it is unacceptable for me to behave like a jerk.

Better to go to a show in good faith; otherwise a benevolent neutrality. A non-participatory audient is deaf; so they're not properly an audient.

AS: We all have our own reasons for attending
RF: What are Mr. Shulberg's reasons?

AS: and enjoying the show.
RF: How can Mr. Schulberg enjoy a show that he's not properly part of? How does Mr. Schulberg get enjoyment from an activity that he holds back from, to which he makes no contribution?

AS: Some may want to have more than their memory to rely on for re-experiencing it.
RF: Who is "some"? May I assume Mr. Schulberg is speaking for himself?

If you weren't "there" to experience the show in the first place, how can a recording allow you to "re-experience" it? And if you didn't contribute, you don't have a memory of the event either.

The overall impression I get from Mr. Schulberg's post is that he's not a full-participant full-commitment kind of guy; & he isn't overly concerned about poncing off what belongs to others. Not quite a player, Mr. Schulberg is passive while claiming the rights of those who are active. Like, to suck on the energy of a show that he's not putting anything into, & carrying it home to feed on later.

Regrettably, Mr. Schulberg is not a man I feel able to invite into my home. Even, to my place of working.

If Mr. Schulberg wishes to engage with these questions, I'll be interested to read his answers. Particularly, his equatation of a volitional & a non-consensual act. Even for the basement, that's a hard one.

23.45
The venue tonight was a symphonic hall. Probably superb for an orchestra but utterly inappropriate for a rock group. The reverberation was to forever. So, technically, a very hard evening for the players onstage. But the audience were superb: enthusiastic & supportive. This revived my spirits after last night.

Once again, we note an increase in the female Crim audience.