Robert Fripp's Diary

My first two mail hits

The first addresses videotaping a performance "of my choice" in the World Financial Center Winter Garden "for non-commercial, in-house, archival use only". The reply: "My experience of videotaping is of the performance being disturbed, and the performer suffering high levels of grief. So, regrettably, although I am unable to prevent you from doing what you will, I can't concur".

The second, from "the Radio 3 flagship youth programme `The Music Machine'", has the banner heading "PROGRESSIVE ROCK". Oh dear. They "would love to interview (RF) for the programme about the major groups of the period. Our presenter ... would like to talk to (RF) about (his) involvement in the beginnings of progressive rock, KC and its evolving style, and (his) collaborations with other artists such as Pete and Mike Giles and Brian Eno". They can fit around my schedule, providing it's within the next week. "There would of course be a fee". Well, that's a novelty in interviews.

The reply: "I have no interest in talking about my professional life of 25-30 years ago, & I would rather not comment on the work of other `groups of the period'!".

Last night during The Late Shift, aka The Feeble & Pitifully Witless Show, a call came in from our West Coast press office: would RF do two interviews in Nashville next week?

The first concerns a cover story for the KC 30th. Anniversary. RF: Yes, providing I don't have to present my resume of thirty years work and talk about what I was doing 25-30 years ago. We agree we can go ahead with this one; presumably the writer will summarise the historical record.

The second interview is for a Drum magazine: would RF talk about the drummers he works / has worked with? RF: Firstly, I would rather not comment on other artists and their work; secondly, if I did comment on other drummers I work with, they'd never work with me again! In that case, would RF discuss his concept of rhythm? RF: How can you talk about discrete units of eternity with a drum magazine?!! We agree, the Drum magazine interview is not going to be a starter.

I would like, with the sun shining through the window on a crisp early-autumnal mid-morning, with a sufficiency of Monster Cappucino flowing in my veins to prompt minimal sentience, to declare my view for the record that Drummer Jokes are a cruel and pernicious form of humour introduced to the world by under-humoured persons lacking in sensitivity and concern for other drummers.

A third letter from last night addresses the "licensing agreements" of nominal authenticity for CD releases in the territories of Russia and its former satellites. This is a larger issue, but briefly my position, and the formal position of DGM, is clear and straightforward:

"We have no record of these license agreements".

When I was the G4 on the G3 US tours of 1997, Steve Vai told me of an American representative of a US major sent to Russia to straighten out the company's dealings. He was assassinated.

A personal friend of mine in London, a moral businessman, had a small investment in a Russian company (early 1990s). The company was taken over: guys came in with guns and took it over.

I do not suggest that this is a representative pattern of trading in Russia. I do suggest that CDs bearing my name are not subject to any license agreements of which I am aware.

Now, to "Live Groove" ...

21.35

If any proof were needed to substantiate the renaming of The Late Shift as The David & Robert Dribbling Sentience & Wilting Psyche Show! it is the visitors to our guestbook pointing out that Robert's brain has slipped not just one day, but one month. True, true.

Upcoming Soundscape performances in NOVEMBER are:

Friday 13 November IMAC, Huntington, Long Island (TBC)
Monday 16 November Northampton, Mass. (TBC)
Wednesday & Thursday 18 & 19 November World Financial Center, NY (lunchtime & evening performances)
Saturday & Sunday 21 & 22 November Painted Bride, Philadelphia

If anyone has begun to make plans to visit, and discomfited themselves, apologies.

21.53

David & Robert are now playing through their assembly of "Live Groove". I don't know any other band that sounds like this. Also, I have no idea what their influences might be. How did this outfit come about? What ARE they doing? But, it stomps.

I ask David: "Is it a rock group? Is it a jazz group? What is it?". We don't know what it is. But an article in October's Guitar Player on ProjeKct Two included a picture of my father palying my guitar. How strange. Or was it my grandfather?

This afternoon I went through all the unsolicited tapes in a red plastic storage box on my study floor. This was a terrible, dispiriting afternoon for me: pain, misery, suffering, death, terror, unhappiness. This deserves a longer report than I am able to make now, but perhaps a few brief commments...

1. None of the tapes / CDs were suitable for DGM (or vice versa);
2. No-one was treated carelessly or without consideration;
3. There are several clear categories of submittees;
4. My life began to leave me throughout the afternoon.

On most of the letters which accompanied the tapes / CDs I wrote a few words of advice, since it was asked for / invited (NB as noted before, my advice is frequently sought and rarely wanted). On many it was this: "Why not form your own record label? - it's no crazier than what you're doing already!" (like, hoping to earn a living playing improvised music).

But why should I sense my life leaving me while listening to music? The answer to this is simple, I believe (but the implications are considerable): the music was not giving of itself TO me, but demanding something FROM me. Perhaps this was not music making the demand - it was the players of the music demanding (implicitly, explicitly) my attention.

To put this two other ways:

1. The musicians were not serving the music, but asking music to serve them.
2. The players were getting in the way of the playing.

This evening, to complete the process and send off some "advice", so dispirited was I that to fire me up I played a compilation of early Rock `n' Roll Love Songs - that bad.

There is a price to be paid for accessing sympathetic and acute ears within one of our few ethical record companies, and then feeding them bad nutrition: to survive, those ears close.

Please, unless you are a recognised professional (on whatever level) do NOT send me your tapes / CDs. DGM cannot establish an artist: the artist establishes themself. If you really need my advice, come to a Guitar Craft course - that's one of the reasons we hold them. If you're not prepared to do that, you don't really need my advice. Play live: be superb. Recording at home isn't enough if you wish to find an audience - isn't that obvious?

If you love music, be an amateur / semi-pro. We do NOT become professional because we want to, but because we HAVE to. And if you have to, prepare for grief by practising for 4 - 8 - 12 hours a day for months on end. Present yourself in public and allow the public to recognise your talents on whatever level. Otherwise, have an easier life; enjoy your hobby; be true to the music. But if you wish for a life in music, prepare for a life of service.

All these lives touched mine, and the frustrated aspirations and endeavours, whether realistic, idealistic, or not realistic and not idealistic. All touched. And Emory, I feel the pain.

23.07

We now have the order to "Live Groove", and we are gong home