The End of King Crimson?
So, this caught a lot of people by surprise… It looks like King Crimson is done and over with after 53 years of performing.
…Or is it?
On December 8, 2021, Robert Fripp wrote:
King Crimson at the Shibuya Bunkamara Orchard Hall, Tokyo; Wednesday 8th. December 2021…
Onstage at 18.40, doors held for ten minutes to allow the audience to enter. A full house.
King Crimson’s final note of Starless, the last note of this Completion Tour in Japan, moved from sound to silence at 21.04.
What is this supposed to mean?
His recent Facebook posts (that aren’t responding to social media insults or “burning questions”) have been about living well and without fear. He quotes the Guitar Craft aphorism “completion is a new beginning,” and has been writing with a tone of sentimentality and moving onward. Furthermore, the tour in Japan has repeatedly been called the “completion tour” on the King Crimson website.
Consider these other aphorisms:
An end may be a finish, a conclusion, or a completion.
Not even death can end the process of our becoming.
Robert’s statement about moving “from sound to silence” is pretty ambiguous, but this seems typical of how Robert shares information with the world. He says something and a bunch of people surrounding him offer clarification.
Well, that same day, Crimson biographer Sid Smith posted:
On this day in 1972, my life was transformed after seeing King Crimson in concert.
On this day in 2021, King Crimson played their final note onstage.
It’s been an incredible journey.
Profound thanks to all those who’ve taken part in the adventure & made it so special.
Tony Levin’s road diary is also particularly reminiscent, discussing the “ghosts” of Crimson’s past being with them, and paying tribute to them. He even says, “Tonight is the final concert of the tour, and quite possibly the final King Crimson concert.”
Let’s also remember the physiological realities. Both Tony Levin and Robert are 75 years old and Mel Collins is 74. This is half the band. The rest of the guys have plenty of steam left, but regardless of age, I think touring in a COVID-riddled world would be unbelievably exhausting.
This may be the end of King Crimson, but it is not the end of Robert’s touring life. He’s said on more than one occasion:
There are no plans for KC to tour beyond Japan this December. However, given the seeming endlessness of questions, at varying degrees of temperature, David Singleton and myself are discussing a form of Royal Package with Q&A, perhaps along the lines of “An Evening With That Awful Man & His Manager,” to visit the US during the second half of 2022.
It’s also not the end of King Crimson music. Not only is it timeless and will become repertoire for bands around the world, but we are likely to see more music released in the coming years. At my Royal Package show in August, David Singleton mentioned there’s still a ton of material left in the vault and they’re going to release a new Frippertronics box set. It would not surprise me to see more recordings from recent years.
So, rumors and news aside, this is an incredibly bittersweet moment. King Crimson is a game-changing musical act. They found many ways of expressing creativity, innovation, beauty, challenge, discipline, joy, and frustration. I am particularly grateful that the band did not end with a key member’s death or some other ill-fated demise. Rather, the band members are in great health and sound better than ever—depending on your tastes, of course.
Robert has been at the center of the KC universe, I like to wonder what would the world have been without the band and its music?
Just think of who it brought to our ears: Bill Bruford. Greg Lake. Guitar Craft. Tony Levin. Adrian Belew. Pat Mastelotto. The League of Crafty Guitarists. Trey Gunn. Jakko Jakszyk. Mel Collins. The League of Gentlemen. John Wetton. Jamie Muir. Michael and Peter Giles. The California Guitar Trio. David Singleton. Alex Anthony Faide. Steve Ball. Curt Golden. And honorary musician Sid Smith.
Think of all the artists who’ve been heavily influenced by Crimson. Tool, Mike Keneally, every “prog” band ever, Primus, Opeth, Steven Wilson, Between the Buried and Me. And let’s not forget all the amazing vocal covers by Petra Haden!
Just go on YouTube and search “King Crimson” covers. There’s a hundred fantastic, unknown musicians across the planet rethinking songs from a 50-year catalog. This music is repertoire!
Of course we would likely have come across these wonderful musicians in some way or other because greatness is in their DNA. But for many of us, myself especially included, we would likely have missed out on the talent showcased by the Mighty Crim.
In 1968, they rocked the world with In the Court of the Crimson King. In 2021, they defied a pandemic with performances on two continents, including many sold-out shows and packed venues. Music needed to be heard.
Though I foolishly did not go to see them tour in the early 2000s, I did get to see Crimson in LA in 2014, attended the Guitar Craft introductory course in 2015, flew from Germany to Seattle for a friends and family concert in 2017, and saw them one final time in 2021. Fracture (and FraKctured) occupied a significant portion of my mental, physical, and musical energy over 22 years.
Here at Make Weird Music, we are planning a simple tribute video that will hopefully include your participation. If you’d like to participate and be included, please make sure you’re subscribed so you catch the announcement. We want this to be special and express gratitude for the music and members of this influential band.
