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6 KING CRIMSON: LIVE IN CHICAGO (June 28th. 2017) Q: Why another King Crimson official bootleg? A: A report from the front line, of continuing engagement with audience; in the form of a roughly-scribed love letter. I Inevitably, a recording fails to convey the experience of being present in a room with others when, for the first time, or as if for the first time, Music leans over and takes us into its confidence. (Thank you, dear Muse, for innocent ears). It is impossible to convey how Music wishes to be heard, accepted, embraced: closer to us than we are to ourselves. And quietly heart-breaking to experience, yet again, the efforts we make to close our ears to what is available. What to do? We persist. Even were a gentle audient to have been in person at the Chicago Theatre on June 28th. 2017, our current translation, from sound into sound, will not replicate their in-person experience. But perhaps it will serve as an aide memoire for someone in the clinches. For those who were present within the event, participating and contributing by their presence, their experience continues available to them: it may be accessed, re-entered, re-engaged. The t-shirt doesn t quite do the same job, although a highly recommended adjunct to the CD. Here, the whole is greater than the parts: during a performance, individual pieces may have clunkers, be outstanding, honourable while not revelatory, breathtakingly audacious; but the overall performance is what attracts my interest. So, here we are: a sonic report from a few of Music s friends, doing the best they can for the first time, once again.

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8 II Q: Where is this Formation in the series of King Crimson incarnations? A: This sonic report is presented by King Crimson Formation 8.3. My perspective on the wider context, of forty-eight years active KC service, needs a greater level of detailed commentary and argument than available on this Friday afternoon; when I have not yet strapped on a guitar in preparation for KC s return to the US this Autumn; and hey! the sun is shining and the garden is waiting! Few former Crims are likely to hold views close to my own, which does not obviate the rightness of their views and perspectives. There are four Definitive Formations of King Crimson: The First Definitive Formation: The Second Definitive Formation: 1974 at the last live performance in NYC and the recording of Red. The Third Definitive Formation: The Double Trio ( ) was a special band, while not a defining band, and the whole greater than the sum of its parts. The Double Duo ( ): the whole was not greater than sum of the parts. The King Crimson Quintet (2008): the sum of the parts was greater than the whole. The Double Trio was not able to fulfil its promise, for many good and valid reasons, and a few not so good. Overall, my sense of KC , and , was of dis-satisfaction. Something was not quite realised. This was not how I wished to let go of Crimson. So, in 2013, in a flash before my mind s eye, a picture of the Seven Headed Beast and its onstage configuration presented itself (July 22nd. 2013).

9 1 The Seven-Headed Beast (2014) may be considered KC Formation 8.1; Jeremy replacing Bill (2016) as Formation 8.2; Bill returning (2017) as Formation 8.3. But please read on My two prime aims in the re-formation on KC in 2013 were Redemption and Completion. Acts of redemption took place during 2014, 2015 and 2016; at which point completion was realised. A completion is a new beginning, and the eight-piece KC of 2017 constitutes a new beginning in the process of King Crimson. This beginning-again may be called Formation 8.3, a formation becoming realised in Chicago on June 28th. 2017; at which point the process continued in motion. The beginning-again-again of KC 8.3 as Formation Nine took place at the Teatro Metropolitan, Mexico City on the evening of Friday, 14th. July The wonderful, exceptional, generous audience enabled the transition to take place. At the completion of our performances in Mexico City, on the evening of Wednesday 19th. July, 2017, the band joined in champagne with manager/minister David Singleton and tour manager Dave Salt. I proposed a toast: to King Crimson Formation Nine. The present formation, returning to the US in Autumn 2017, is King Crimson v. 9.1, the Fourth Definitive Formation. Q: What is a Definitive Formation? A: Nothing is quite the same afterwards. III Robert Fripp Friday 25th. August, 2017 Bredonborough, Middle England.

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16 It wasn t meant to be like this. Chris Porter, Robert Fripp and I spent several weeks this spring mixing Live in Vienna, a stand-out show from the 2016 European tour, ready for release this autumn. And then came the new 8-piece incarnation and the 2017 tour of North America, including this show in Chicago on 28th June. Writing in his online blog that night, Tony Levin described the show simply as one of our best, while Robert Fripp sent me an saying IF WE ARE LOOKING FOR A KC LIVE; CHICAGO WAS EXCEPTIONAL. The new band had raised the bar to such a level that the proposed Live in Vienna, excellent though it remains (and it will be made available all over the world in the coming months), now felt like an archive release, not a snapshot of the current eight-headed beast.

17 This band in full flight has been aptly described as having THE PRECISION OF AN ORCHESTRA, THE FREEDOM OF A JAZZ BAND, AND THE POWER OF A ROCK BAND something no live recording will ever completely capture: a problem compounded by the fact that the two halves of the concert do not neatly divide between the two discs (the first set closed with Islands and the second opened with Pictures of a City). Hopefully, however, this official bootleg based on the live board recording with no more than a few necessary edits conveys much of the magic. In 2013, when Robert told me that he was re-forming the band, I predicted (with one small proviso) that this would be the most popular incarnation ever. Having seen this band night after night, it is difficult not to agree with Jordan Zivitz, writing in the Montreal Gazette, that Crimson has never sounded more complete or more joyous on stage than it does now. David Singleton DGMHQ Bredonborough 22 Aug 2017

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21 Hand me the heart that rules my tongue Deflate the air that fills my lungs Point out the joke that I ve become And clarify / The error of my ways Count the convictions one by one Criticise the line that I just sung Why not place the bullet in my gun And clarify / The error of my ways (Again) So there s no need for metaphor Now truth is becoming the last thing on our minds Now in a room full of ignorance And the debris of consequence Eden redesigned Hate or just post modern irony? Thinly veiling the jealousy Failure left behind Praised as you play to the gallery Hailed as the saviour of losers deaf and blind

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24 THE BAND Mel Collins-Saxes & Flutes Robert Fripp-Guitar & Keyboards Gavin Harrison-Drums Jakko Jakszyk-Guitar, Flute & Voice Tony Levin-Basses, Stick & Voice Pat Mastelotto-Drums Bill Rieflin-Keyboards Jeremy Stacey-Drums & Keyboards MANAGEMENT Dave Singleton-DGM Ltd. THE CREW Dave Salt-Tour Manager Renee Adams-Production assistant Jason Birnie-Stage Manager/Drums Chris Porter-Sound Engineer Russ Wilson-Monitor Engineer John Armitage-Guitars Biff Blumfumgagnge-Sax & Flute Michele Russotto-Bass/Drums Adrian Holmes-Merchendise David Taylor-Audio Tech/Cameras Iona Singleton-Royal Package

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26 Live Mixing Engineer CHRIS PORTER Production & mastering DAVID SINGLETON ON BEHALF OF KING CRIMSON DGM Logo STEVE BALL Artwork BEARHAND DESIGN The Errors Lyrics JAKKO JAKSZYK Photography TONY LEVIN Except pages 8, DAVID SINGLETON

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29 RADICAL ACTION TOUR 2017

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