FraKctured - live performances - audient report

25/06/00 - Olympia, Paris

From Trey Gunn's diary at www.treygunn.com

June 25, 2000 -- Paris, France / The Olympia

I had a bit of a revelation this morning. We were discussing last night about the 'sound' of this band. What DO we sound like? How are we getting that sound? Is it working? Is it the sound that we want? Can we improve it? How do we deal with our 'sound' in a shitty venue? and so forth..... And then the discussion moved on to how, no matter how bad the venue (or us?!?!?) sounds, the audience still gets it. They still receive the music. And, generally, no matter how bad the band plays, as well. Now who could ask for a better musical situation? I think no one. For this we are terribly fortunate.

Well, this morning it dawned on me what we were circling around in our talk: that the 'sound' is not the Music. Of course the sound is what your ears hear, and it is terribly important. But, it is not the Music. It is not why we are there. And that is what the audience is receiving

The Paris show, tonight, was a true winner. The audience gets a nine out of ten in my book. (Nobody gets a ten, so be happy Paris.) They were fantastic. They came purely to listen and receive. And that is a true treasure for a musician.

The band also played very well. I couldn't say if it was our best played show. But, overall it was great.

The BootlegTV folks were very happy with the show as well. Jamie and Bridger were mounted up in turrets hanging right off of the front of balcony. So, they got some fantastic shots. Alex took some footage for me with her hand-held camera. It looks fantastic. I can't wait to edit it together for my KC mini movies project.

 

From Robert Fripp's Diary at DGM Live

June 25, 2000 -- Paris, France / The Olympia

This audience was, for me, the best audience of the tour: supportive, considerate, sophisticated, responsive, engaged, active; but not "we come to worship so do anything you like". We had freedom, but not license (to quote Neill of Summerhill). Overall, this was of the kind of performance which I kinda take as a working norm: the people come to listen & watch. This is the beginning point from which something of value becomes possible. This was not a photo session. This was not a crowd assembled arbitrarily or accidentally in a town square. This was not a meeting of consumers with rights. It was an audience.

In response to their support & demand, we gave a good performance. Not perfect, but when you take a shot, sometimes you miss. Somehow, that doesn’t always matter & tonight it didn’t. Sometimes it’s taking the shot which hits the mark, not the arrow. This is what an audience (in the proper sense of the word) makes possible: "Go on! Well, nice try anyway! Now try again!".