It’s always interesting to observe the way a set can build up, peak, and reset itself. That’s very much the case here where Matte Kudasai brings the pace down and The Sheltering Sky begins the climb back up. The brilliance of Indiscipline rests in its control of a five-note motif that refuses to be derailed or distracted by the explosive fusillades launched from the drum kit by Bill Bruford. Like a box of fireworks flying and spiraling off into the sky, the track brings a wow factor that’s quite unlike any other number in the set, pulling the audience onto the seesawing white knuckle ride. If Elephant Talk seems overly familiar to Crimheads in the 21st Century, it’s worth remembering just how strange and different it would have seemed to appear in the early months of 1981. Interesting from a structural point of view is that it contains two ‘squeaking mouse’ solos from Fripp at this time. The formal end of the show is brought to fruition with a storming Larks’ Tongues In Aspic Part 2, and the second rendition of Red of the evening, this time with the ascending lead theme on the opening bars of the introduction which had been absent when played earlier.
