I was very impressed by the billboard outside. Did you have a look at that? I was so impressed. ‘Some spoken ideas on the music system by Robert Fripp.’ I came here with Paddy Spinks who manages my affairs and I said ‘Paddy take a photo of that’. My mum will be so excited. My sister will be beside herself. I’m going up to San Francisco tomorrow and my sister lives there and she has done for 17 years. My sister has a barber shop and in addition to that she’s on the speaking circuit. My sister is going to be the first woman president of the National Speakers Association. My sister accuses me of having pinched her idea. I said ‘Sister, I’m going to go and do a tour, I’m going to be speaking to people’...My sister is what they call a motivational speaker; she goes to Big Mac, IBM as well as all the breakfast clubs telling them how ‘TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR LIFE’ Of my sister it was said by Peter Gabriel ‘I didn’t think it was possible to meet anyone more Frippy than Fripp and then I met his sister!’”
AUDIO SOURCE: Official Cassette And Quarter Inch Reel
I was very impressed by the billboard outside. Did you have a look at that? I was so impressed. ‘Some spoken ideas on the music system by Robert Fripp.’ I came here with Paddy Spinks who manages my affairs and I said ‘Paddy take a photo of that’. My mum will be so excited. My sister will be beside herself. I’m going up to San Francisco tomorrow and...
I had tickets to both early and late. Andy Summers stayed for both gigs as well, as I recall.
My high school chum Ralph Verde had two pairs of tickets: early and late show. We stayed for both, and between gigs noticed only a few people who remained between lectures. Andy Summers was parked in the shadows near the wall, but it was definitely him. I advanced masked came out in the early 80's as I recall so it makes sense.
At that time I was a big ENO head so this was a particularly interesting opportunity. I had seen King Crimson twice before, as had Ralph, but Ralph also made a ...
My high school chum Ralph Verde had two pairs of tickets: early and late show. We stayed for both, and between gigs noticed only a few people who remained between lectures. Andy Summers was parked in the shadows near the wall, but it was definitely him. I advanced masked came out in the early 80's as I recall so it makes sense.
At that time I was a big ENO head so this was a particularly interesting opportunity. I had seen King Crimson twice before, as had Ralph, but Ralph also made a point of purchasing a Chapman Stick from Emmit and was working on it a lot. Ralph was a great magician and martial artist and went on to become acquainted with Robert personally during "Crafty Guitar" seminars as well as his visits to Japan to receive advanced expertise in Hakkō-ryu Jujutsu.
Back to Robert: I recall the stark simplicity of two analog reel to reel tape machines aligned for the purpose of the Frippertronics delay loop. Somehow, Robert was on the stage before anyone was aware of his entrance: he eased in with sound from the shadows in a decade of conspicuous noise. I remember Robert pointing up to the drapery on the Stage Right and him saying something to the effect of "...imagine, if you will, two perpendicular lines" he gestures with his hand "some of you might call this the cross". Robert described the "Music System" on the four points of the said cross: The apex is the MUSIC opposing the MUSICIAN, intersecting the INDUSTRY opposed the AUDIENCE. All that and Frippertronics improvisational performance hanging out with Andy Summers at the Roxy on Sunset Blvd. and just recently old enough to drink at a nightclub! It was a memorable occasion, 35 years ago!
