Robert Fripp's Diary

Jetlag continues to hover Getting

The weather: exceptionally damp to the extent that the South West has a series of flood alerts. Returning home along the A30, the road from Fovant to Sherborne (Dorset) was flooded in many places. I have never seen anything like this before. In this village, the inn & next house of the street front have sandbags to prevent water pouring in their front doors. Presently, clouds scurry over a blue sky, sun emerges.

19.37
A day of paper flurry at home, with calls to David Singleton in World Central. The seismic shifts in DGM continue apace.

Two posts from a pal who was at the Theatre of The Living (But We'll Do What We Can To Limit Their Vitality) Arts in Philadelphia

Post No. 1:

In your DGM diary you wrote:

"Terrible! When the group climbed in the van to set off this morning, Trey told us that a friend of his had seen us being viddied from the balcony at the TLA last night. Why hadn't they said something, or alerted security? My heart sank. I feel so violated."

Ahh, the whole story:

Here's a series of violations from a members of the audience. I was one of the guys who potted the man with the video camera (who ironically was standing right next to someone wearing a 'No Taping' sweatshirt !!). More one this later.

My lovely wife and I attended both shows in Philly. The first evening we stood down stairs by the counter next to the bar. When the bar maid approached us to order drinks, we graciously declined and asked for bottled water (we didn't drink since we were driving to / from our home in Princeton NJ, about 100 miles round trip). The bar maid commented that we shouldn't be there in the club. My response was we came for the music - she made a face and told us we should place ourselves elsewhere in the club! During the show, a man approached us who asked us to leave the bar area. Why, I asked? Because we were taking up seats for "paying customers." Go figure!

The second evening, we decided to perch ourselves up in the balcony of the TLA. As we were entering the space I ran into some other crafties. Just as the show is starting and Lark's IV is launched a man with a long overcoat steps on my wife's foot and spills his beer on her coat. She says "excuse me, you just spilled beer on my coat" and the near drunk says "Oh, too bad, my loss" What can we do? "Let it go" I said to her. This man goes up to railing of the balcony, and a second guy (younger) approaches. He moves up to the railing. During your "Fairy Fingers of Fate" section in Lark's IV, out comes a small video camera. Now, this performance is out of reach for the players and some of the audience. What to do. I go the bar in the balcony area - tell the person that someone is taping the show and please get someone from security. I go back to my seat. I tap the guy shooting the film on the back and he doesn't turn around. I do this again and finally, he acknowledges me. I ask him to stop, he asks me if I want a copy. No! Still no security. Now, others, his friends (and the guy who spilled the beer on my wife) arrive and circle him and finally they move elsewhere. Still no security. I again go to get someone, this time downstairs. They ask where is this guy, I point him out, but they do nothing. Toward the end of the show the guy with the video returns and continues to shoot film. I see JB and mention to her what's been going on and I point the guy out. She too takes off looking for security. As the people are filing out of the balcony, a security guard approaches us and asks us to leave. We explain what happened and that we were waiting for security (him?) to do something. He states "Well, I didn't see anything, sorry, but I must clear this area and you have to leave, now!". On our way out, again, we bump into PW and his wife. They have a gift (homemade baked goodies) for RF, Trey, et al. Can they give them to someone so they make it to the directed persons? The Security guards are asking everyone to leave now. I quickly ask a guy behind the mixing desk to give this gift from PW to the band - he takes it and says he would deliver the item for P (thank you, who every you are). Then again, the security guy is on us in no time flat. Where was he when we needed him during the video robbery!

So, you weren't the only one violated. My apologies, but I tried.

Post No. 2:

Further thought re: what happened last Friday at the TLA, I conclude that the venue was "in on it." Keep in mind:

1) Everyone was "frisked" at the door for tape/camera equipment (at least from what we saw, ourselves included). How did this video operator and camera get in?
2) No security assisted once notified (from the venue).
3) Friends of the guy "doing the deed" (video) circled the culprit for protection.
4) The TLA is located on South Street in Phila., a place known as a hot bed for the underworld in America (read Mafia). Historically, South Philly has been known for pirating anything and everything that moves - there's been more stories on the local police busting bootleg record/CD operations in the basements of many small stores in the district Money spoke, not common decency.
5) Hey, this is the way of the music business - a story you already know all too well.

I feel sick that I wasn't able to stop this, that I missed a potential show available to us due to the unfolding performance in the balcony that evening and that the performers, who gave their all, were ripped off (yet again). When will the madness stop?

Fully violated. Regards, R.

23.44
My pals Michael & Polly Legg from Dorchester accompanied me to a Villagers' Night at the inn opposite - a buffet of tastinesses awaiting & a wonderful social evening of and for local people.