*22-11-2025*

just found a post on facebook(posted by adrian belew) with a king crimson discipline era ticket (the brief period where they kept the name discipline instead of king crimson) being sold for 1.75 in advance and 2 on the door (pounds). the date says 06.05.81

btw, back in the days they charged at most like 5 usd/pounds for a ticket. now? basic seats go for hundreds of dollars. why?? people will say inflation is a part of it, sure, but like 3 pounds of that time aren’t more than 15 pounds today. yet here we are, they’re asking 100+ just for the most basic concert ticket. and don’t even get me started on the “good” ones.

some will say it’s because bigger stages, complex lighting, video recording systems, engineers, allat stuff. but whenever i watch any concert dvd from the 80s, it automatically makes me feel how much more alive, wonderful, and real it feels than the newer concerts. i mean, they were mostly recorded with a ccd sensor which gives this warm, nostalgic, eerie vibe (especially concert dvds from ’84 onwards). the lighting also just hits differently.. like it actually adds to the music instead of just being flashy.

and today’s concerts? they mostly feel like a bum. also, the music was just better back then, until and unless you actually like paying tons of money for an artist who’s basically playing back tracks instead of actually playing live. lip syncing, playing just samples, or a track with minor tweaks? sooo boring. can’t think of anyone, other than niche bands (who either charge abruptly or just don’t have resources to put out a gig) playing with the same insane energy as king crimson back then. adrian belew, sweating like crazy, playing angular and synthetic guitar parts with surreal comedy while keeping everything musical, robert fripp pulling off a track in 17/16 time signature and then sliding into another with a straight face, tony levin handling bass with his left hand and synths with the right, bill bruford doing these crazy drum solos that make your head spin. it’s just unreal.

well, as i'm writing about this, i should also write about this concert dvd i've been watching repeatedly since past few days - King Crimson live at Kani Hoken Hall Tokyo 30th of April 1984 (Third Night)

the setlist here is just AMAZING!!

No Warning
Lark`s Tongues In Aspic (Part III)
Thela Hun Ginjeet
Backstage Footage
Frame By Frame
Matte Kudasai
Industry
Dig Me
Three Of A Perfect Pair
Indiscipline
Street Szene Tokyo
Sartori In Tangier
Man With An Open Heart
Waiting Man
Sleepless
Lark`s Tongues In Aspic (Part II)
Discipline
Elephant Talk
Heartbeat

my most favourite ones here were Larks' tongues in aspic pt. iii, thela hun ginjeet, frame by frame, matte kudasai, industry, three of a perfect pair, indiscipline, sartori in tangier, man with an open heart, sleepless, larks' tongues in aspic pt. ii, discipline, elephant talk...

i love how it starts with no warning then goes to larks' tongues in aspic pt. iii, i will always love that 2nd part of.. i mean- here you see a shift in the structure of the track, the tempo changes, the mood shifts.. fripp goes from this almost menacing, mechanical precision to a soaring, expressive guitar line that feels like it’s breaking apart the universe.i absolutely love how animated he becomes here, like never before!!
at the around 08:11 mark.. I LOVE THIS PART SOOOOOOOOO MUCH, DUDE!!! the way the camcorder first shows robert fripp playing his part, and then suddenly in a slow intentional way, adrian belew adds his parts and suddenly the shot is on adrian belew.. holy shit. that "thrang thrang" part he plays, the way the camcorder does that slow and subtle tracking shot, and him making those playful, mischievous expressions.. it's sooo expressive and childlike, lmfao. and again, props the the cameraman for that tracking shot, lol. i love the cinematography for the entire live show, it's minimalistic, feels super raw 1980s, and makes me super anemoia-ic.
here we see an interchange of personalities between belew and fripp - fripp who's usually silent and reserved becomes expressive and belew who's usually the energetic one gets a bit silent..
i also love the fact that tony levin in the 2nd part is playing bass with his left hand and synthesizers with his right hand simultaneously.. i can’t even imagine how much experience, musical understanding, and confidence (to play in front of so many people) it takes to pull that off..
the tension builds and builds, bruford and levin lockin' in everything while still letting themselves breathe.
and the ending.. it doesn’t just finish, it erupts. the guitars and bass and drums all collide, but it's controlled chaos. every note feels intentional.

and just when you think they’ve finished going through all that chaos, they hit you with thela hun ginjeet - heat in the jungle.
the groove locks in instantly, fripp’s serious face while playing some crazy ahh guitar part, tony levin holding it all together with his chapman stick & bass guitar, and bruford.. man, bruford is everywhere at once, driving the track forward with insane precision.

then out of nowhere, it cuts to some backstage footage.. totally random, handheld looking, like you’re sneaking a peek behind the curtain. there’s this short clip of adrian, acting like he’s in some cheesy horror flick, all wide eyed like a spirit’s about to jump out at him, idk it's like a blair witch project scene with a vhs camera in the backrooms(that mid 80s vhs camera's not a late 90s digital8/mini dv home camcorder). it’s so unpolished, sooo real. and just when you’re laughing at that little moment, it snaps back into the music with frame by frame. instantly, the energy flips.. the initial interlocking guitar parts of adrian belew & robert fripp are just sooo profound, bruford’s druming, levin’s wondrous chapman stick playing. it's just soo tight and precise, but still carrying that live, sweaty, just rolled off stage feeling that makes it all hit harder.

alright, after the intensity of frame by frame, the set takes this beautiful turn with matte kudasai. the shift is subtle but striking.. fripp’s guitar tone softens, clean and melodic, letting the space between all those crazy tight notes breathe. adrian’s voice floats effortlessly over it, warm but precise, carrying this melancholic, masculine yet fragile voice, yearning vibe that cuts through the technical complexity of the previous tracks. levin holds it all together, his bass patient and melodic, perfectly complementing bruford’s understated drumming, which now focuses more on texture than power. it’s almost like the band collectively exhales here.. a serene, reflective moment that feels intimate even in a big hall, showing that king crimson isn’t just about chaos and precision; they know how to make the silence between the notes speak as loudly as the notes themselves. i mean- i love this track SOOO MUCH!! it's so melancholic, yearning and just soo amazing!!

and then we crash into industry, where the energy pivots completely. tony levin is back at his dual setup.. left hand on the bass, right hand on the synth.. and the soundscape instantly transforms. the track feels like a bridge between worlds: like it's some sort of post-rock song or better say pre-rock, part industrial experimentation. it’s polished enough that every note, every rhythm hits with intention, yet unpolished enough to retain this raw, like a niche, underground post rock band capturing lightning in a bottle. bruford’s drums cut jagged, mechanical patterns, adrian belew’s guitar adds metallic, industrial and eerie sounds, and fripp’s guitar makes ambient sounds...

i'm gonna skip dig me and talk about three of a perfect pair - the energy shifts again. the interplay between fripp and belew is razor sharp, tony levin’s grooves hold everything together... it’s angular, it’s jagged

then it goes into indiscipline.. and i absolutely love how they play it so differently than the studio version. they literally reinvent it every time with every single concert/live performance, but this performance adds its own flavor. bill bruford goes full experimental, throwing in all sorts of textures and sounds, and for a brief moment, adrian even jumps in on the drum part. meanwhile, tony levin is holding everything together with those intitial 2-3 notes before the chaos of indiscipline unfolds completely. the tension just keeps building until the entire band erupts into organized madness. i absolutely love this track, also the lyrics -


I do remember one thing.
It took hours and hours but..
by the time I was done with it,
I was so involved, I didn't know what to think.
I carried it around with me for days and days..
playing little games
like not looking at it for a whole day
and then.. looking at it.
to see if I still liked it.
I did.

I repeat myself when under stress.
I repeat myself when under stress.
I repeat myself when under stress.
I repeat myself when under stress.
I repeat..
The more I look at it,
the more I like it.
I do think it's good.
The fact is..
no matter how closely I study it,
no matter how I take it apart,
no matter how I break it down,
It remains consistant.
I wish you were here to see it.

I like it.


after indiscipline, it moves into street szene tokyo. here, the track three of a perfect pair plays in the background while the band members just hang out.. laughing, having fun, meeting fans, small chaotic gestures.. and it’s all captured in that candid, mid 80s magic. the footage was shot on early ccd sensors, probably 1/2" or 2/3" vidicon style chips, which were interlaced at 50 fields per second, i guess🤔. compared to later formats like mini-dv (which appeared around '95 and used smaller 1/6" or 1/4" ccd sensors with higher resolution and less noise), these early ccds had lower resolution and more limited dynamic range. the highlights bloom softly, shadows compress, and you get this slight glow with subtle color bleeding.
these "limitations" are exactly what give the footage that nostalgic, eerie warmth. the mid 80s sensor characteristics.. soft edges, light smearing, a little video noise.. combine with the band just being themselves to make it feel authentic and humane.

after the playful chaos of street szene tokyo, we’re back on stage with sartori in tangier. the band is tight but loose, hitting those jagged rhythms that only king crimson can pull off live. bruford's drumming's crisp, fripp playing those interlocking patterns, and adrian is riding around the sonic space with his guitar. it’s raw, it’s precise.. it feels like it’s breathing.

next up, man with an open heart. the tension here is cinematic. fripp’s guitar subtly builds layers, adrian adds his haunting vocal lines and occasional guitar squawks and those weird ahh noises..

i’m gonna skip waiting man and hop straight into sleepless. oh man, this track is a treat.. tony levin’s bass in the opening riff is absolutely wild. that weird, looping, almost hypnotic line gives the track its push, and his phrasing and timing make it feel simultaneously complex and effortless. the rest of the band rides on top of it perfectly, giving sleepless this dynamic tension that pulls you in.

then it jumps into larks’ tongues in aspic pt. ii. it’s pre-discipline material, but you can already hear the seeds of what’s coming. it’s both aggressive and meticulous.

after that, we move into discipline. this track is interlocking perfection. the polyrhythms, the counterpoint between instruments.. it’s staggering how cohesive it all is. the influence of this track is massive: you can hear echoes of it in math rock and even mainstream acts like tool. every time they play it live, it feels like a masterclass in rhythmic precision.

then comes elephant talk. tony levin’s iconic opening riff on the chapman stick is just SOOOO iconic!! it practically defines the track. the way it grooves while remaining angular is insane, and it’s impossible not to hear its influence on later players, like jerry was a racecar driver by primus. adrian’s vocals and guitar interject with that perfect mix of surreal absurdity and precision, while bruford drives the rhythm forward in a way that’s chaotic but still locked in.

and finally, the show winds down with heartbeat. idk if it’s the perfect closer but whatever.
anyways the real thing is, when the final parts of the show.. after heartbeat ends and the last notes die down, the band finally steps forward to bid adieu. and the japanese audience, man.. they start clapping in this perfect rhythm, like 1-2, 1-2, 1-2, just steady and unwavering, almost as if the whole hall itself is breathing in sync with the band. it’s not just applause, it’s a pulse. the camera finally pans over the crowd, and you can see the 80s embedded all over their faces.. the haircuts, the clothing, the expressions, the sheer amazement and joy frozen in time. there's this almost tangible energy like everyone is sharing a single moment of collective amazement.

and i swear, i would FREAKIN' die to just experience this in real life. like, being there back in '84, listening to odd time signatures, interlocking guitars, chapman stick, weird industrial animal noises straight up from guitar, a new version of progressive rock that has been diluted with a mix of mathematical art rock.. and then you don't have mobile phones or social media, and you won't have the urge to record this shit and post it on your story or whatever for the scout. it must have been SOO much better than today like living in the moment. reminds me of guy debord's society of spectacles, lol. regardless, you would feel every ounce of human, raw, unfiltered prog magic. it’s that kind of moment that makes time stop, where you’re not just watching a show, you’re inside it, part of it, and every little detail.. from the sweat on their brows to the faint rustle of the audience shifting.. hits you like a tidal wave. i would just freakin' lose myself, utterly, completely, in that one living, breathing moment. human.
i would like to daydream thinking about being in a king crimson concert back in '84, and entering the arena while geek-ed - best way of listening to these kind of artists. slowly everything numbs and all you can think about is the music, not the problems, not the future, not the past...
i mean- just imagine, dude!! your chest is buzzing, your brain’s already mapping out every track, every riff, every time signature, pattern before you even hit your seat. you can feel the energy of the place before the band even plays a note. as the lights dim, you in your geeked state start spiraling - not in a negative way but in a positive and profound manner. you’re not thinking about the future, the past, or anything outside the arena anymore.. you are the music in that moment.
you can literally feel the interlocking layers of fripp, belew, levin, bruford building in real time. you notice everything.. how tony Levin’s fingers on bass and synth, how adrian’s riffs twist and loop like some insane shi, how bruford experiments and gets surprised at his own stuff. but it’s not just noticing, it’s feeling, it’s being fully immersed
and the crazy part is that being geeked doesnt make you detached. it makes you hyper alive. your senses are on fire. you’re completely present, completely in it, riding the chaos and beauty of the band’s sound like it’s the most natural, most essential thing in the universe.. it would be just SOOOO euphoric!! it’s why being geeked at a king crimson show in '84 wouldnt just be fun.. it would be transcendence.


4:00 PM

so it's around 4pm and i kinda loved today's sudden shift in weather soo much, lol. it was freakin' at 4pm in the big 22.11.25 while the sun was setting in.. i absolutely loved that yellow-ish feel.. almost felt as if it came from some sort of 1/4" 3CCD sensor film. and like, the whole thing went from the afternoon winter sun blaze to cloudy atmosphere with the sun setting in.. the light got all soft and hazy, almost like someone slapped a super warm filter on my eyes, lol. even the air felt different, kinda thicker and a bit more muddy. i've got a lot of trees and flora around my house and i loved lookin' at 'em. like the leaves suddenly had this extra layer of depth, yk? almost like someone cranked the saturation but only on the greens. dampness gave everything this soft sheen, too.. even the tiny plants on the ground looked weirdly or maybe surreal-y dramatic, as if they were posing for some sort of accidental nature documentary.

i was so involved, i didn't exactly know what to think..
no matter how closely i study it,
no matter how i take it apart, no matter how i break it down-
it remains consistent.
i wish you were here to see it(king crimson ahh reference)

it's kinda unusual to experience rain during the winters, so yea.. i wish i had some sort of 3CCD prosumer camcorder so i could record this, hahah!!