I was introduced to King Crimson by a schoolfriend playing The Young Person’s Guide to King Crimson in 1978. It has taken me 40 years to see them live.

By way of explanation, every time I wanted to see them live (and the opportunity, of course, did not come around very often), something else, important, in life turned up.

For this tour, Uncertain Times (and, boy, are they uncertain), nothing was going to stop me. My wife, son, and I duly pitched up in Cardiff (just over an hour drive from where I live) yesterday afternoon, went for a couple of drinkies by way of a livener, had the most fantastic Brazilian meal, and arrived in St. David’s Hall about an hour before kick-off to enjoy a couple more liveners.

The PA told us on more than a couple of occasions that the band would not tolerate any live pictures or filming on phones, something those who have followed the band for years know only too well. Upon going into the hall, which is a favourite venue of mine, far better than the massive shed which is the Motorpoint Arena, there were two bloody massive signs at either end of the stage welcoming us also warning against taking any pictures & etc. Toyah’s other half was, it seemed, keen to get this message across.

I support them in this. YouTube is full of crap quality videos, which can barely be watched. Further, my experience at gigs in recent years has been very much diminished by trying to look past punters holding both their arms and their bloody electronic contraptions up in the air recording or taking pictures. I like to immerse myself in a live environment and listen and watch with my full attention. Fripp allows us to do this, and good luck to him, too.

Fripp has attracted a bit of negative comment, certainly on Prog Ears (a site he actively dislikes, even going to the trouble of posting said dislike on his blog), by describing this present eight-man line-up as one of the definitive versions of the band over the decades. On last night’s evidence, it would be difficult to disagree with him. I will say straightaway that I am a big fan of Jakko Jakszyk. He has huge boots to fill in the likes of sadly departed giants such as Lake, Burrell, Wetton, and the shadow which still hangs over him of Belew. This show featured music from across the spectrum of Crimson’s exalted history, and the vocalist did a mighty fine job in my opinion.

Sonically, this was one of the finest shows I have ever heard. The sound production was simply staggering in its clarity. Visually, the stage setup was simple, and served its purpose, which was to bring the audience’s attention to the show. The three drummers are stage front, whilst the remainder are on a raised dais behind, with Fripp, as ever, sat down on his chair throughout.

I know my wife & son were looking forward to the experience of seeing a band with three drummers. They were not disappointed. Messrs Mastelotto, Harrison, and newish recruit, Stacey (originally recruited to replace Bill Rieflin, who returned for this tour, but as the band’s first full-time keyboardist) were incredible. The musicianship required to synchronise the way they did with each other is of the top drawer. Both opening pieces of the two sets was opened with Drumsons pieces, and mighty impressive they were, too. Gig encore, 21^st Century Schizoid Man, also featured a fine solo piece by Gavin Harrison.

So, the highlights. The memory of the first set closer, Islands, will live in my memory for many years to come. In fact, it will stay with me to the day I depart this mortal coil, because it was just so beautiful. I mean that. There is no other way to describe the performance of that song as anything other than a thing of beauty.

When the opening bars of Starless came on, I let out a huge whoop, which attracted a few disapproving stares from some of the more miserable punters. I thought instantly of my best man, Chris “Nashy” Nash, who left us far too early owing to cancer. Every drunken night out we had would culminate with music blasting out of his sitting room stereo, and, inevitably, the last track played, at ear splitting volume, would be Starless, the ultimate ”mellotron moment”. I lived and breathed every single note of a peerless version, and I know that Chris was up there somewhere looking down approvingly, with arms raised high at the denouement.

I have always had a deep love of Epitaph, and I was impressed by the Easy Money performance. What did surprise me, though, was just how much I enjoyed the Belew era tracks. The intensity of Indiscipline was a particular highlight.

Given the musical pedigree of this line-up, it would be a tad unfair to pick out any particular performer, but I will say that I am so glad that Mel Collins got back together creatively with Fripp in the 2011 album, A Scarcity of Miracles, because his contribution to this show was incredible in the range of instruments and virtuosity. But, as I say, all band members were faultless, and, more to the point, this was very clearly a band thoroughly enjoying themselves.

This was not a concert of show offs. Jakko did not make one announcement to the audience the entire night. In fact, the only announcement was a recorded contribution by Mr Fripp prior to the start exhorting us to party! This was not a concert of old timers milking the last few dollars out of a glittering career lost in the eons and ravages of time. This was not a concert of musicians going through the motions of recreating old favourites. This was a concert of a group of exceptional musicians providing a musical feast of joy to a deeply appreciative audience, a group who love to change arrangements around, and a group at the top of their game.

If this is this venerable act’s last hoorah as a performing group, then they will have gone out on a huge high. I will also be able to meet my Maker happy, having ticked off the last of my “bucket list” gigs.

Incredible.

Setlist:

First set

1.       Drumsons 1

2.       The ConstrucKtion of Light

3.       Neurotica

4.       Moonchild

5.       Bass & Piano Cadenzas

6.       In the Court of the Crimson King

7.       Larks’ Tongues in Aspic (Part IV)

8.       Cirkus

9.       Lizard

10.   Indiscipline

11.   Islands

Second set

12.   Drumsons 2

13.   Radical Action (To Unseat the Hold of Monkey Mind)

14.   Radical Action II

15.   Meltdown

16.   Radical Action III

17.   Level Five

18.   Epitaph

19.   Easy Money

20.   Discipline

21.   Starless

Encore

22.   21^st Century Schizoid Man