OFF: KC & Curly's Airships (read even if you're not a Frippophile )

[Chris Warburton]

OK folx... two part post:

1.)Crimso - Doug nailed the Bowie/HW connections nicely, so I'll do the
rest.  It is indeed a Warr guitar that Trey Gunn uses, it's a (more
expensive) cousin of the Chapman Stick.  The acoustic "3 of a Perfect Pair"
was one of the highlights of the London show, with the audience actually
managing to clap in time!  Were you lucky enough to get FraKctured? At
Shepherds Bush, some tw*t let off a flashgun at the crucial moment, so RF
got put off and they didn't play it 8-{(>  If you want more, the 3CD "Heavy
ConstruKction" live set from the European tour is out -
http://www.disciplineglobalmobile.com for mailorder.  One of the discs has
some live video on (which Ihaven't watched yet).  The first two are the
"live album" and the thirs disc is an assemblage of Improv material from the
tour (kinda like Thrakattak!)... Guess what's top of my listening list
tonight.

2.) The reason I haven't played it yet is due to the arrival of "Curly's
Airships" by Chris "Judge" Smith, once of VdGG.  I found the website,
http://www.curlysairships.com by accident about 3 or 4 years ago.  It's an
extraordinary "songstory" (CJS's term) about the R.101 airship disaster and
the story leading up to it, as seen through the eyes of Curly, an imaginary
3rd officer.  The website alone is a wonderful piece of work, and the CD set
is wonderfully presented...  Get out there guys & support a maverick and
true independent - he spent seven years putting it together.  The music is
difficult to describe, with a variety of styles used to illustrate the
libretto:  I guess it loosely falls into the prog genre.  CJS's vocals are
delivered in a "sprechstimme" fashion. It's not really like VdGG, but you
can hear the connection: not surprising with Hugh Banton on organ and Dave
Jackson on saxes and anybody who is/was a fan should like it.  Guest voices
include Arthur Brown; some ambient sounds were recorded in the great airship
hangar at Cardington (yes, it's still standing) and some of the organ parts
were recorded in Beauvais Cathedral - Beauvais is where the stricken craft
finally flew into a hillside in a terrible storm.

I'll shurrup now,
ChrisW

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Johnny Firic [mailto:johnnybravo5858 at HOTMAIL.COM]
> Sent: Wednesday, November 22, 2000 1:48 PM
> Subject: OFF: King Cirimson @ Berklee last night
>
>
> well, all I can say is AAAAARGH! That was the most amazing
> concert I've ever been to!!! Setlist included "Frame by
> frame", a brilliant jam introducing "Oyster soup" (note
> Oyster), an acoustic "3 of a perfect pair" for the 1st
> encore - out of 4, others including "Red" and "Heroes" (I was
> told R. Fripp played the guitar on the original Bowie
> recording). trey Gunn was playing something weird which I
> think was a Warr guitar and in the the mix it was
> perfect, crystal clear. Excellent mood throughout the
> night... can't wait
> for the next tour (or perhaps me moving back to Europe, one
> never knows...)