Robert Fripp's Diary

The Basement Belewbeloid.

09.22

A grey, cold morning at Mount Juliet. Most of the snow has melted. Cable access is down, as it is very often the case here. The server is not reliable.

11.00

Adrian is upstairs, doing interviews. I am downstairs and have constructed a running order for tonight, to present to the Team for their comments. The tempo of Time's Arrow is accelerating as we reach the end of this particular part of our overall touring process.

22.45

Immense problems getting online via Comcast today.

On the way to Soundcheck rehearsal studios, a cellphone conversation with David Singleton at DGM HQ regarding Europe. David is returned from yesterday's meeting in London with Charlie Hewitt & our agent. The quick view: the tour is possible, but not perfectly so, and likely.

Essentially, David suggests, the proposed tour is a completion of a particular cycle for Crimson. It represents the old world way of doing things, touring with the release of an album (this is also true, to a degree, of the current US tour). The practicalities of getting KC to Europe are immense, and may be summed up in one word - expensive. The band is now American based, with 80% American members (including T-Lev, the Fifth Man). David Singleton is the Sixth Man, but he doesn't count because he doesn't get paid. And he doesn't get on stage.

Expensive means fees, this means inappropriate venues & hard traveling. So, to quote an aside of The Vicar while visiting DGM HQ, "a Crimson tour of Europe is where art & commerce meet". Thank you, Vicar.

This amounts to smelly compromises & pain. An example of this for me: the Congresshall in Warsaw. A horrible venue with bad memories, it is the only venue available in Warsaw on the only night that we can play there, traveling from Moscow to Southern Europe via Poland. But if we don't play this venue, probably we don't do Europe.

Overall, there is an inclination in favour of visiting Europe, if possible.

This evening at 20.00: a Dress Rehearsal at Soundcheck for invited guests. It was honourable, with clunkers. The band was getting a handle on the sound, monitoring, equipment, etc. The equipment load-in on Monday set us back the extra day that we needed.

Now, back to the Basement to get some packing underway.