Pushing the limits of modern music is what Robert Fripp has been doing for the past several decades or so. With King Crimson, he has pretty much defined progressive rock and opened up new horizons on how one can approach music. But, unfortunately, it seems that we won’t ever get to see another King Crimson tour. Unless it was “the only way to prevent World War III,” according to what he said in a recent interview with Rolling Stone.
Discussing the matter, Fripp gave a few important reasons why the reunion won’t happen:
“I think we have to view the reality of the age of the people involved. Two of us are 76, and shortly three will be. So going out for eight weeks to do performances of three hours and 20 minutes is a very big ask. It takes me six months to get ready as a player.”
“King Crimson guitar parts for me are the Olympics of guitar playing. And being asked to do athletic feats that I was doing 40 or 50 years ago, that’s also a big ask.”
Further on, Fripp describes the band’s 2021 as “logistically terrifying.” One of the problems they faced is that they had to pay $2 million in advance for all the touring equipment, transport, and hotels. He also adds that “in the time of lockdown, the people providing services were nervous, and they wanted deposits, quite reasonably.” Searches and health checks were mandatory, although no one seemed to care about masks and other precautions in Florida and Texas when they played there. He explains:
“No one gave a hoot. At the time, 40 percent of the new outbreaks were in those two states. If we had lost dates because of COVID, the King Crimson partnership would have been bankrupted. It was that much on an edge.“
Discussing what it would take for the band to tour again, Fripp said:
“If you asked what would it take for King Crimson to go on a major tour again? My quick answer would be: If I knew for certainty that King Crimson touring was the only way to prevent World War III, I’d be making phone calls.”
Photo: Sean Coon (Robert Fripp)
