King Crimson - 1984-06-22 Hoffman Estates, IL (2007)

Here’s King Crimson in fine fettle near the half-way point of what would be their last American tour for eleven years.

Entry of the Crims is a particular robust affair. The sonic brutality perpetrated in this track evokes memories of Beat’s Requiem. Uncompromisingly fierce, it segues into a better than usual LTIA Pt III (full of vim and vigour) which in turn gives way to a thrashingly savage Thela, with Tony Levin providing VFM entertainment. Fifteen minutes of pure Crim mayhem and an astonishingly bold start to a gig.

Other aural highlights include a progtastic-sounding Industry (courtesy of a way-cool Bruford backbeat) and a frenzied Indiscipline wherein Adrian, even more gregarious than ever, demonstrates his command of his instrument (including its attendant hands-free technology) and crowd control.

The set here is broadly the same as Absent Lovers although this show boasts a really belting version of The Sheltering Sky, with Fripp hitting all kinds of sky-high inspirational octaves and whatnot.

One possible reason for the lack of variation in the running order might be due to the fact that KC were by this stage in their career using a click track in order to keep strict tempo on several numbers.

The concert presented here has been taken from two separate but incomplete bootlegs and nicely stitched together by DGM engineer, Alex “Stormy” Mundy, in order to recreate what the punters would have heard that night. What it lacks in sonic fidelity, it more than makes up for with its tremendous atmosphere.

Truly, this is one of the great KC take-no-prisoners shows.