FraKctured - live performances - audient report

27/05/00 - Amager Bio, Copenhagen

I saw FraKctured played live here in Copenhagen on May 27, 2000. The version I saw is, in fact, the very one that appears on Heavy ConstruKction (at least part of it). In a concert full of highlights, that was probably the highest. I distinctly remember during this song staring and Fripp with my jaw literally hanging open and thinking over and over "madness... madness... madness..." and actually laughing out loud with the insanity of the performance. They played every song from TCOL and managed to make every one of them sound better and with extra energy (even though there were occasional mistakes). I think being able to watch them play live helped me to untangle the very dense sound of the new material. I came away with a whole new appreciation for TCOL; in fact, the new songs were the best parts of the show.

The venue was on old movie house with the seats removed. A somewhat ornate balcony curved around the back of the hall. The band had set up a video camera up there under the "bootleg TV" banner. I assume it was this same type of arrangement that captured the concert in Rome for the video on the live album. With everyone standing, I was amused to note that many times during the show, the whole audience was bobbing their heads and bodies--practically dancing--with the complex rhythms of the band. Dancing to King Crimson--whoda thought!

Trey Gunn really impressed me at that show. I could never pick him out in the double trio, but here with him all alone on the bottom end, I could really see what he was up to. An important part of the much improved sound of the live performance (compared to TCOL, at least on my home stereo) was the crisp, punchy and expressive bass sound that came out of his Warr guitar. Also being able to watch him play it, I suppose, made it easier to follow the bass lines. Especially on the new songs, the improved sound and ability to follow visually gave a more definite anchor; a vantage point from which to enjoy the rest of the band.

- Karl

 

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

May 27, 2000 -- Copenhagen, Denmark / Amager Bio -- show #1

I'm sitting here in my hotel, with all of my bags. Finally they have arrived. And with them is my brand new Warr Guitar. I've just finished practicing for the last 45 minutes with it. This is, hands down, the most spectacular instrument I have ever played. It is, also, the easiest instrument to play that I have ever owned by Mark. It feels like sliding across ice. It is everything that I have dreamed of. Because Mark Warr always answers my call for developing a new instrument, I usually get the first one of each design. This means that I end up with a string of proto-types. Very, very good proto-types, but still proto-types. This also means that every player that has an instrument made after me, gets a further developed design. I had one of the first 12-strings. I had the two first 8-strings. I had one of the first midi instruments, and I had the first 10-string. But, no more! Now I am reaping the rewards of waiting, and have a fully developed piece of craftsmanship in my hands.

It is a paddock 10-string neck-through, with incredibly bright red coloring. Padouk seems to be my favorite wood preference. There's something about the dark, richness of the tone that just gets to me. It has an, almost, distorted growl in the low-end. It's certainly not for everyone, but I love it. Having owned a maple 10-string for about a year and having just played a swamp ash 10-string a few weeks ago, I am absolutely convinced about the variations in tone from the different woods. You can't imagine how different the swamp ash sounds from the padouk. And the two instruments were identical designs.

This is not to say that I have an instrument without any experimentation on it. It is the first of a kind in one way. It has the RMC piezo pick-ups and double midi (midi on both sides of the stereo set-up) not unlike Jim Wright's instrument. However, it is the first one with the RMC internal pre-amp. Mark and Richard McClish (of RMC) worked together to fine-tune several of the variables inside the pre-amp to make it totally compatible with my other Warr Guitars. The result: fantastic!

One interesting thing about playing a guitar for the first time. When Mark sent me the first 10-string (maple, bolt-on neck) and I first played it, I didn't have an immediate "Yes". I didn't have an immediate "No" either, but it was mostly a "Hmmmmm...." Which led to believe that I should be feeling a "No" about the instrument. It is a beautiful and fine instrument but, personally, I was hoping for something more. That said, I have used it for several tours (my own band and the Eric Johnson shows) and several records (Projekct records and the two new King Crimson records.) So, it is a great instrument and does work fine for me. However, my immediate impression still lingered.

Now with this new padouk instrument I didn't even have to plug it in to feel an immediate "Yes!" I just played one note on the bass side and could hear and feel instantly that this was the instrument for me. Fantastic!

Great audience tonight! Really good! I'm still amazed how much people enjoy the music. I see people in the front row who, by all rights, should hate what they're hearing. I have to admit it. They look just like the kind of people who, at previous Crimson shows, simply endured the sonic terror we were unleashing. But, these people are eating it up. What a joy!

I used the new padouk Warr Guitar at sound-check. I was uncertain how the level compared to my older 10-string, so I leaned over to pull it out. George, our sound man, ran over and said: "Don't even touch that case!" He thought the new guitar sounded so amazing that he didn't want me to even consider using the older one. He also sais that it sounded like a tiger. Yes! And, I was very happy with my sound, as well, tonight.

The only thing hard about the show was how loud we were. I don't know if the monitor levels changed from the soundcheck or not, but my ears were killing me. We all had the same experience: it was incredibly loud on-stage.

The audience simply wouldn't leave after we finished the show. They kept on yelling and yelling for more. Tomorrow we may prepare ourselves for a second encore, but tonight we just don't have it.