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King Crimson  

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King Crimson (formed in 1968) is a pioneering British progressive and experimental rock group. Known for their unpredictable and expansive instrumentation, King Crimson are led by Robert Fripp, originally hailing from London, UK.

From the ashes of the trio Giles, Giles & Fripp, featuring brothers Michael and Peter Giles and the Robert Fripp, came to progressive force of King Crimson. With line-up changes as variant as weather in Autumnal Britain, by 1969 the line-up consisted of guitarist Fripp, vocalist/bassist Greg Lake, guitarist Ian McDonald and drummer Michael Giles. In possibly the highest-exposing debut of the Century, the band made their debut to 650,000 people in support of the Rolling Stone at London’s Hyde Park. Shortly after King Crimson recorded their debut album “In the Court of the King Crimson”, an ambitious progressive-rock album that found favour with the sound of the times in both the UK and the U.S.

McDonald and Giles departed shortly after, as did Greg Lake after recording vocals for the band’s sophomore release. In 1970 the single “Catfood” preceded the album “In the Wake of Poseidon”, a Fripp-filled affair that marked the arrival of Fripp’s school friend Gordon Haskell. The arrival of more musicians, including Haskell, Mel Collins, Keith Tippet and Jon Anderson led to long rehearsal sessions, and ultimately the band’s third full-length “Lizard” in late 1970. The album draws strong influences from the Jazz genre, notably Miles Davis, and has long stretches of developmental instrumentation, leading some critics to praise the band’s breaking of the rock formula.

After a series of auditions including that of a young Bryan Ferry, Fripp enlisted Boz Burrell as King Crimson’s new vocalist, alongside Fripps, Collins, Burrell, and drummer Ian Wallace. The band began touring the world and released their fourth studio album “Islands” in 1971, which reached No. 30 in the UK and No. 76 in the U.S. The plague of the tumultuous line-up returned thereafter with Wallace, Collins and Burrell all moving to the band Snape, and King Crimson appearing like a thing of the past. Fans’ fears however were never actualised as in the summer of 1972 Fripp recruited Bill Bruford, John Wetton, David Cross, and Jamie Muir, and King Crimson returned to release “Larks’ Tongues in Aspic”. The album, which was Fripp’s most experimental to date, features the strongest vocals since Greg Lakes departure, and incorporates the sounds of classical and soft jazz. The new line-up made their debut in Frankfurt in October 1972, around which time “Larks’ Tongues in Aspic” had climbed to No. 20 in the UK. Becoming the first King Crimson line-up to record two albums and embark on two American tours, the band returned in 1974 to release “Starless and Bible Black”.

With a once again fractioning line-up, reduced to the trio of Fripp, Wetton and Bruford, the album “Red” was issued in the summer of 1974 after which Fripp dissolved the group. After the release of Fripp’s debut solo effort “Exposure” in April 1981, Fripp enlisted the help of Bruford, bassist Tony Levin and guitarist/singer Adrian Belew under the moniker Discipline. By October the name had reverted to King Crimson, and featuring a jolting sound unlike any of Fripp’s previous efforts, they released the subsequent albums “Beat” in 1982 and “Three of a Perfect Pair” in 1984.

An entire decade passed before the King Crimson light shone once again, with Fripp reuniting with Bruford, Levin, Belew. Alongside new members Pat Mastelotto and Trey Gunn, King Crimson release the EP “VROOM” in late 1974, and the full-length “Thrak” in 1975. The band’s subsequent album “ConstruKction of Light” was five years in the making, with band members often forming subgroups to experiment with musical ideas. The EP “Level Five” arrived in 2001, followed the year after by the 11-track EP “Happy With What You Have to Be Happy With”. The two EPs diverse instrumentation paved the way for Crimson’s 2003 album “The Power to Believe”, which received strong reviews from critics.

Live reviews

The Sept 8 show in Stuttgart was everything I had hoped for and then some. The venue was very comfortable, not crowded seating and there was not a bad seat in the house as far as seeing the band.

What can you say about a band that plays music like this? Progressive does not even remotely begin to describe it.

For this show, I took my nephew with me. It was his first concert and he has...different musical tastes than perhaps the average King Crimson fan does. The one word description he had for me was "heavy". I think that is a good one word descriptor. I told him that I thought it was symphonic, very European, angular and symmetric. He said heavy, and I like his descriptor better.

He was blown away by Fripp's guitar playing, particularly during the solo bits of augmented chord arpeggios he does during Fracture.

I told him he was quite lucky that King Crimson, at this level of power and skill with three drummers working so well in tandem together, was his first concert ever. He was completely blown away by the show.

I, being a much older fan, having starting my apprenticeship in the court in the '80s with Discipline and then working my way backwards to the Pete Sinfield days and being awestruck by Red, could not have happier with what I heard. This was mostly old school Crimson, with some of the uber difficult material from the "newest" albums included. No Belew here at all, and given the material that was chosen, he was not terribly missed, but of course being a Crimson fan I love all of the incarnations and I did miss that voice and those crazy guitar noises. It was Belew's tenure that I was most personally familiar with since I didn't know about Larks Tongue's in Aspic except as research material after I was caught by Discipline. So I did miss that. But the new inclusions made up for it in spades.

Jakko and Mel Collins were the biggest surprises of all. Mel is so good he makes you forget he's playing a flute over this serious racket and he makes it sound calming and soothing. Consequently, my nephew thought he made it sound dirty and nasty sometimes and thought he played like he imaged a satyr would. Top marks for my nephew, I should think. Jakko, on the other hand, is ridiculously good and I will seek out other things he has done before Crimson if that's how he sings and sounds and plays. He could stand toe to toe with Fripp on those blinding fast chromatic bursts of single notes and he made it sound clear and crisp.

The one thing that always struck me about Fripp was the ability to have that never-ending round single note sound almost seem like it wasn't a guitar but some other instrument, like a ondes martinet or an oboe with a dirty reed heard through a drainpipe. That was in full effect this evening. He had that going on and the other thing that I love about Fripp is that he could stay permanently in augmented scales and it would never need resolution. It's that particular scale that seems to wind it's way around your brainstem like a serpent and it can just go on and on and on and never seem to land, and Fripp exploits it not only beautifully, but powerfully and in an almost clinically cold and sterile fashion. It's very compelling.

The songlist itself was exactly what I would have expected. Standing out for me was Starless, Red and everything they did from Islands. That is a special album for me since it was one of the most "accessible" records they ever made, if you could ever call King Crimson that. I had zero complaints about anything they played.

The ONE thing I will say that I found a bit...off-putting for lack of a better word, is the drumming. It was over the top. It was very cool when they were doing the intros to all of the 3 sets, well, 2 sets and an encore. But when it came to the full band, sometimes the music was utterly drowned out by the drums. A bit better mixing would go a long way to making sure that no one in the back row was obscured by the percussion, but it never really lasted long and I think they got the mix better by the end of the night, so perhaps the mixers have a trial and error period due to each room's unique characteristics. But that was really my only gripe, and that has bugger all to do with King Crimson.

It was a magical night for me. My nephew thought it rocked. Need I say more?

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King Crimson Elements Tour - Seattle Crimson was been through more configurations than I can quickly count. This tour features yet another lineup, one that combines some past members with brand new members. Given the variables in play (this 7 person lineup is their largest ever, I believe), I didn't really know what to expect. What I got was the finest live performance I have ever seen by this or any other band. I've been watching bands big and small in all sorts of venues for nearly 40 years, so I do say this lightly. I was trying to figure out WHY it was so amazing and here's what I've come up with: The band is comprised solely of crack, veteran players. Any one of the band's members is arguably in the top level for their instrument, e.g. Robert Fripp on guitar, Tony Levin on Chapman Stick/bass, etc. The band's age was an advantage. No tussle for control, no intermural BS. These are seasoned players who want to play with other players of their ilk. Musicians who work ceaselessly at their craft in pursuit of a creative ideal that is greater than what any of them could create on their own. The inclusion of sax/flute player Mel Collins opened up a lot of the older portfolio. Tony and Robert have played together for over 30 years, so it is possible for them to lead the group in virtually any song in the library.

Because of all that, the concert included songs from the 1st and 2nd albums all the way up to a couple new compositions and virtually every iteration of KC inbetween. The only parts that were skipped were the early 80's incarnation. That would normally have disappointed me, but not last night. The playlist was both familiar and fresh in its reimagining of older classics alongside newere pieces. The concert opened with Lark's Tongues in Aspic, Part 1. But instead of the light percussion/violin opening, Pat Mastolletto and Gavin layed a marimba/gamelan duet. Absolutely mesmerizing. When the guitars, bass and full drum kit came on, it literally blew the tops off everyone's heads. The show was heavy, really heavy. Red heavy. In fact, 3 of Red's tracks were in the set list. The non-Red tracks had a distinct Red makeover.

The triple drum assault is impossible to convey in words - the combined percussive impact was felt as well as heard and drove the entire show to be played at a very high volume. The level of musicianship on offer was staggering. My girlfriend remarked that she didn't know where to look - with 7 top rate players doing complicated shit ALL the time, it was hard to know what to focus on.

The sound quality was sterling. Fantastic mix. The sax was occassionally buried in the mix, but the three drum kits were distinct, Tony's bass/stick/double bass was prominent without being overbearing. Given the technical challenge of mixing for 7 musicians, I have to tip my hat to the folks manning the soundboard. There were not big FX, light shows, etc. For most of the show, the stage was just lit - plain white light. At the end, the switched to redlight illumination and it was quite dramatic after no real lighting FX till then. Did I mention these guys were astonishingly adept musicians with fantastic feel for each piece?

I could go on, but really the only thing that I regret is that the tour is done and there is no way to see them again. For now.

KING CRIMSON CONCERT - ORPHEUM THEATRE - LOS ANGELES OCT/02/2014.

Finally I have the opportunity to see this band live! I have to travel from Tijuana, Mexico to Los Angeles only to listen and presence these guys!

As expected on a King Crimson concert, no photos or videos were allowed during the performance of the band, and actually, there was a recorded audio intro of the band members providing their opinions about being in a concert and recording with a cellular device; obviously, talking no good things about this activity.

Anyway, I didn't complain about that, since it is actually TRUE. When you see this band live, it is a total joy to contemplate what are they doing in their respective instruments... it is just very impressive. In the musical side, they are true masters of their instruments, with an amazing biography each one of them.

Something that I was very impressed, is that the actual line up of King Crimson consists of three drummers! Each drums were microphoned so well, that even a little sound on a tom, snare or cymbal, was audible, making it more incredible for the audience how precise and accurate are the drummers in their playing.

Another interesting feature on this new line up, is the inclusion of wind instruments, played by Mel Collins. I consider myself not a fan of this instrument at all, but I have to admit that most of the arrangements on the songs sounded amazing.

Most of the material played were from their 2000 albums and 1970s albums... and that is not a complaint at all. With a band like King Crimson, you don't have place to lose, all their music from whatever era is just fantastic and well crafted.

The most pleasant surprise of the night was that the encore featured their famous song 21st Century Schizoid Man! Just so exciting to listen it live!

This performance reached the level I had in mind... and actually surpassed it.

Long live the King Crimson!

By Pea Trayer

A night of spiritual and technical magic set in a place of acoustic perfection. The King Crimson show was one of the five best shows I have ever seen and I have seen hundreds of shows in multiple countries. When I got home after the show I sat in silence for an hour because I could not imagine hearing anything else after the show.To see and hear masters at their craft coming together with such precision was hypnotic. Their catalogue of music is so vast and they managed to pick gems such Larks Tongues in Aspic parts 1 and 2, Pictures of a City and others that covered so many great albums.. I almost jumped out of my seat at the wonder of Red. The confluence of three drummers was something I had never seen before. To all be playing something different and then snap into syncopation for a few notes and then return back to their previous drumming was impressive. Fripp of course tried to fade into the back ground. Sitting on his stool, body still but fingers flying. It is astounding that the person you notice least is the mastermind behind this life altering music. I saw Crimson in 1984 and 1995 during the Belew era and they were brilliant but this was something on another level. To play this kind of music and not have it come out as noise takes a deep understanding and trust amongst the musicians. King Crimson truly is the creator of complex symphonic industrial sound. So many bands owe their sound to King Crimson. I will treasure this night of perfection that took me out of myself, gave me renewed energy and brought so much joy that my eyes were moist when the show ended.

Overall, it was a good show, with songs ranging from the early Crimson (great version of the "21st Century Schizoid Man" on the encore), to the very latest ("Meltdown"). The insertion of saxophone and flute works better in some segments (like "Starless and Bible Black") than in others ("Red"). Jakko Jakszyk's vocals are fine for this set up, although he seems to have struggled a bit with the "Epitaph." Or maybe it was just the last leg of this part of the European tour.

Performance was exceptional, with the spectacular input of three drummers (perhaps not used as much as they could be -- they need new songs), very solid Mel Collins, spectacular Tony Levin, and Robert Fripp... well, being just himself. This was a celebration for every Crimson fan.

On the down side, the huge placards on the stage before the beginning of the concert asking people not to film or record the show (followed by the live announcements in both German and English) were a bit excessive. Also, while performance was technically brilliant, there was no real passion, there was a spark missing that would ignite a very welcoming audience.

To conclude, this was a very fine concert by a band that has the strength and the quality to constantly re-invent itself. Or it was the ultimate cover band for the early King Crimson. The choice is yours.

Nov 3rd London Palladium. I’ll start with my wife’s opinion. “I can’t understand why any band would want to make that sound, and indeed, why anyone would want to pay to listen to it!”

Now I enjoyed it a lot more than that, but this isn’t the Crimson I personally wanted to hear. The KC I love is the one where they are moving forward, experimenting with sound and progressing. For me, Adrian Belew was a big driver of that. Here we have a band playing 2 types of music. What I consider middle of the road stuff from the 60s and 70s, then industrial numbers mainly from Mr Belew’s tenure. Level 5 for example, was stunning.

The older tracks are songs that KC would never generally play in the 80s/90s/00s because they were moving forward. There is such a stark difference between those tracks that I either sit and hope the song will finish soon, or I love it. Nothing in between. In addition songs like indiscipline in particular miss Mr Belews psychotic fguitar style. Three drummers makes for quite a spectacle, but I’m not sure it adds to the music. Pat Mastalloto used to manage perfectly well on his own (and with Bruford). Music appreciation is subjective so I understand that others may entirely disagree with me, and fair enough. But this KC incarnation isn’t a touch on the last one.

It was fine. A die hard fan would say it was the best show of all time. For me, who is "just a fan" and has most of their studio work and has seen them several times, it was fine.

Given that it was billed as the 50th anniversary tour of 21st Century, I expected if not that album end to end, at least more of it. Alas, they are the height of a band that refuses to pander to the fans who love their old "hits".

The musicianship was stellar, incredibly tight performance. Absolutely no stage show, no interaction with audience. Ridiculously over the top ban on the use of phones with in your face reminders by the band and ushers running around the venue shining lights in faces and leaping across seats to stop people from taking a picture. Crazy distracting and just stupidly unnecessary. I heard "huge fans" defending it, but really, it was just stupid. They just shouldn't tour if they can't put up with people posting pics and saying how much they love the band!

And as always, the Budweiser stage is just a horrible venue. Terrible logistics, poor sound, insanely overpriced food and beverage and just too much security and police constantly in your face. I think if the show had of been in Sony Center or some other small venue I'd have given it a "great" instead of an OK.

Bill Bruford, a man who played with Genesis, Yes and, at points, King Crimson, once said this about that third band: “everything you’ve heard about King Crimson is true. It’s an absolutely terrifying place.” What Bruford’s comments - tongue-in-cheek or otherwise - really represent is the fact that fear so often lies in uncertainty, because during their initial run, between 1968 and 1974, nobody on the planet had heard anything quite like King Crimson. For all intents and purposes, they invented progressive rock, and fused styles in such an avant-garde manner that it was just the sheer range of possibilities that was frightening, more than anything else; on their iconic 1969 debut, In the Court of the Crimson King, they broke just about every rule in the book, and in doing so, became one of the most influential bands of all time. With varying lineups, they’ve continued to reform and then disband again over the years; currently, the band is officially active, having reconvened again last year. Bandleader Robert Fripp led the reunion, despite no prior indications that he’d be involved, and the plan is to bring their famously complex live show to the U.S. late this year and then likely the UK at some point in 2015; keep your eyes peeled for dates.

King Crimson has shown once again their impressive musical talent and legacy. They have under their belts 30+ years of accumulated hits and they still sound fresh and highly inspiring. One can appreciate how they pay attention to detail in reproducing every song as if it was orchestrated and written down in music sheets (it probably is). This show in Massey Hall, Toronto, featured an 8 piece band, 3 of them being drummers whom shared the work as one brain.

King Crimson music can be described as being inspired by cold sweat dreams or plain nightmares, with some moments of extreme peace to be broken down again to a state of mental illness. I was really impressed at how they create an atmosphere without rushing, without trying too hard; for example when Jakko Jakszyk is playing only one note on two different strings and the lights slowly turn from blue to intense red I could only think on the simplicity of the performance but how much of an effect is causing. That was probably my favourite part of the show. It takes magic and expertise to create such an intense effect with so little and to sink a whole audience in a nightmarish feeling, and it's not about how hard you beat the drum or how loud the speaker system is.

This is the first live tour by the band since the 80s.

Those who love the music of King Crimson will certainly want to attend one of the shows. Therefore in this review I will deliberately avoid spoiling the surprise by revealing the specifics of the set list etc.

However first and foremost aficionados will NOT be disappointed! This was an amazing show with top ranking musical performances. The lineup with 3 drummers is utilised brilliantly. The set list will leave no one disappointed and the audience members with whom I shared a lift in the nearby car park were in a stunned silence...until I broke the spell by saying : "Well. That was Good!" Followed by an excited chorus of agreement.

One tip:If your local venue has 2 nights booked if you possibly can try to go to both as the idea is that the shows each night will be different!

In short this was a memorable return to a live existence in stunning form. Do not miss it!

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“We were trying to get to that level of the music we really loved… It’s always slightly out of reach, but my God, you can have fun trying to get there”: Tears For Fears on their mystical purpose

A King Crimson show in 1981 kickstarted the duo’s partnership, powered by all kinds of prog and never completely destroyed by their battles

Once darlings of the 80s pop scene but always powered by prog, Tears For Fears made a bold return with 2022’s The Tipping Point , their first new album in 18 years. At the time of its launch, Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith told Prog about the ambition that kept them going – and how their difficult reunion led to a rediscovery.

Curt Smith has a framed picture of King Crimson on his bathroom wall. It’s not just any old photo. The occasion is April 30, 1981, in the confines of Bath’s Moles club, where a fresh iteration of the band – tentatively called Discipline – is returning to the stage for the first time in seven years. Bassist Tony Levin dominates the foreground, while the 19-year-old Smith stands directly in front of him, utterly transfixed.

“A friend of mine got Tony Levin to send that picture to me,” explains Smith, who went on to form Tears For Fears with Roland Orzabal later in ’81. “Apparently, Tony used to have this side-stage camera that he’d take pictures with during a gig, using a footswitch. So it’s taken from slightly behind him, with me watching him play a Chapman stick. In the picture I’m like, ‘What is that?’”

To the uninitiated, it may come as a surprise to discover that Tears For Fears are big prog fans. After all, they became synonymous with the new breed of British synthpop with 1983 debut, The Hurting , before conquering the rest of the 80s with platinum-selling monsters Songs From The Big Chair and The Seeds Of Love . But there was always something much deeper going on.

The Hurting was a concept album about childhood dysfunction and trauma, with allusions to Arthur Janov’s primal scream therapy – dark themes cloaked in mainstream pop. The title track was an inventive mini-suite, while songs like Memories Fade boasted the forceful complexity of the best prog. Even King Crimson veteran Mel Collins popped up on sax.

And while 1985’s Songs From The Big Chair yielded the mega-hits Shout and Everybody Wants To Rule The World , its sense of ambition was far more attuned to the world of prog. There’s a clear Crimson feel to the knotty precision of Broken ; the fragile I Believe betrays the influence of Robert Wyatt (to whom it’s dedicated); and Listen is nearly seven minutes of gorgeous futurist abstraction.

By the time they returned with The Seeds Of Love in 1989, Tears For Fears had assimilated prog, pop, jazz and post-psychedelia into a richly organic vision, the questing spirit of late-60s rock dressed in late-80s luxuriance. Even the guests – Phil Collins , Simon Clark, Jon Hassell and Simon Phillips among them – had serious prog credentials.

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“We’ve always been drawn to a certain kind of music,” says Orzabal. “Complicated music, if you like; whether it’s My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts by David Byrne and Brian Eno , Peter Gabriel 3 [aka Melt ], or whatever. In the days when everyone would go to school with the name of a band on their rucksacks, mine was Uriah Heep . I was absolutely obsessed with them. And then Foxtrot and Genesis Live. And Led Zeppelin ’s Houses Of The Holy . ”

“I was always more of a Peter Gabriel fan than Genesis,” adds Smith. “ Renaissance was another one: Scheherazade And Other Stories . When I look back at the albums I listened to, they were all very lyrically intense and musically a little weird. Pink Floyd ’s Wish You Were Here and Animals were two albums that I loved. Wish You Were Here , particularly, was just so daring and different. Floyd were a huge influence for me.”

Back then, as teenagers in Bath, school friends Smith and Orzabal were inspired to form a band of their own. Mod-leaning quintet Graduate were duly founded in 1978, but ground to a halt three years later, after a solitary album that didn’t sell. Undeterred, Smith and Orzabal pressed ahead as a duo.

We went out for lunch and reconnected, then we got together with a couple of acoustic guitars. It was the first time since we were 18 Roland Orzabal

“Curt and I were almost like students, trying to get to that fucking level of the music we really loved,” Orzabal recalls. “But you never can; it’s always slightly out of reach. My God, you can have a lot of fun trying to get there, though. So we had that sort of united quest for the gold bars coming out of the speakers.” 

Adds Smith: “We listened intently to other records. We knew we could never be that good, but at least we could aspire to get closer. I think we’ll always be in a position where we feel like that. And I think that’s a good place to be in, because then you continue to strive.”

Intriguingly, Tears For Fears returned to their teenage selves to kickstart their new album. The Tipping Point , their first for 18 years, had a troubled and lengthy gestation. Their management team had initially suggested that Smith and Orzabal write and produce with younger artists in order to snag a more commercial, more youthful demographic. What the duo now dismissively refer to as “speed dating” was a failure, the upshot being a set of recordings devoid of Tears For Fears’ core identity. Not for the first time in their career, it also led to tension between Smith and Orzabal.

They decided to change management, scrap the collaborative album and switch labels. Just before the pandemic hit, the pair got together in Smith’s adopted city of Los Angeles for a crisis meeting. “When we’d come off the last tour in 2019, I’d gone into my second rehab and Curt had gone off into the sunset,” Orzabal explains. 

“We tend to be at loggerheads when we go on tour a lot, because touring is very stressful. And like a marriage, if something goes wrong, you immediately blame your partner. So we went out for lunch in early 2020 and sort of reconnected. Then we got together in Curt’s house with a couple of acoustic guitars.

“It was the first time we’d really done that since we were about 18. And I became aware, probably from sobering up, that something occurs between the two of us, like a third force. And that third presence is very creative. Curt had a riff and we came up with a piece of music that was really unusual. Then I took it away and just ramped the whole thing up.”

Roland went home after that writing session and sent back a song that was completely different… I was like, ‘Yes, that’s what we do!’ Curt Smith

The result was No Small Thing , the opening track on The Tipping Point . Smith says: “Roland went back to England after that writing session and sent me this song that was just completely different. It went from an acoustic guitar thing into this grandiose track. And I was like, ‘Yes, that’s what we do!’ Initially, I was wondering whether this project was ever going to work or not. But that song led us on the way. That was the point where I realised we could make this record.”

The Tipping Point is a majestic and fittingly mature work. Prog-pop songs soar, borne up by strings. Acoustic hymns glow amid layers of quivering synths, while guitars churn and ballads stir. It’s also deeply affecting. Tears For Fears have been through a lot to get here, particularly Orzabal. The album is heavily informed by grief, loss, mental anguish and healing, among other things. 

Some of its most moving moments – the title track and Please Be Happy – were written about Caroline, Orzabal’s wife of 35 years, who died in 2017. Already on medication for depression, the onset of alcohol-related dementia meant that Orzabal spent five years as her prime carer.

“That song is really about clinical depression, where the person you love can’t get off the sofa,” he says. “They don’t want to go out for a meal. In fact, they don’t actually want to eat. With Caroline, her depression and anxiety was off the scale. Like The Tipping Point , it came from a long period of time. We’re talking many, many years of decline. I wrote more songs about that whole scenario, but those were the two that made it onto the album.”

Orzabal developed his own related problems at the same time. “I was also in the grip of addiction,” he explains. “And my first instinct was denial. We were on tour in the States when Caroline passed away. I flew back, arranged the funeral, did the wake, got back on a plane and continued with the tour. Even towards the end of that year, we were still working. It was only when we stopped that the wheels came off for me. 

“My first Christmas without her, at our family home with our sons, I was absolutely done in. And then I had my own health issues, where I ended up in hospital four times. I ended up on the same fucking psychoactive drugs as she did. So I know exactly what happens if you drink with them and suddenly stop. Thankfully, I had the support and wisdom to put myself into rehab. Caroline tried so many times, but she just couldn’t do it.”

I had a sense there was something important we had to do – a sense of mystical purpose Roland Orzabal

Despite the profoundly personal nature of parts of The Tipping Point , the songs also work on a universal level. Smith and Orzabal examine love, devotion, loss, sorrow and redemption throughout. Anger and compassion too. The ruling patriarchy is lambasted on Break The Man , while the sublime Rivers Of Mercy addresses Black Lives Matter and societal unrest. 

“We care a lot about what’s going on in the world,” Orzabal says. “Especially in this day and age, where the myths we’re being sold by governments are so powerful. Within that, someone’s got to step forward and start speaking about the reality. That’s what we’re trying to do. Not libertarian, but more sort of social commentary.”

The Tipping Point is way better than anyone might have expected from two 60-year-old men who’ve been together (on and off) since they were kids. Tears For Fears have their own unique, sometimes combustible chemistry – and an intensity and sense of adventurism that continues to align Smith and Orzabal to the artists they adored in their formative years.

With a stack of live dates coming up in 2022 they’re in a very good moment right now. Past experience, however, has taught them not to get too far ahead of themselves. “Going on tour will be step one,” says Smith. “If there’s a step two, that will either present itself or not. Roland and I are old enough and wise enough to realise that. Anytime we make plans further ahead, they tend to never materialise.”

Orzabal, meanwhile, seems to be reawakened. “At the end of 2019, I had kind of a shift, personally and emotionally,” he concludes. “Partly being with my new wife [writer and photographer Emily Rath] and being in a far better place, mentally. And I had a sense that there was something important that Curt and I had to do. A sense of mystical purpose, if you like, to ring in a new era for Tears For Fears. 

“And for us – as people who’ve known each other since the age of 14 – to turn 60 together, and to be still working together, is really something. This has been a bit of a dream, to be honest.”

Freelance writer for Classic Rock since 2008, and sister title Prog since its inception in 2009. Regular contributor to Uncut magazine for over 20 years. Other clients include Word magazine, Record Collector, The Guardian, Sunday Times, The Telegraph and When Saturday Comes . Alongside Marc Riley, co-presenter of long-running A-Z Of David Bowie podcast. Also appears twice a week on Riley’s BBC6 radio show, rifling through old copies of the NME and Melody Maker in the Parallel Universe slot. Designed Aston Villa’s kit during a previous life as a sportswear designer. Geezer Butler told him he loved the all-black away strip.

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Average setlist for year: 1981

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Belew, Levin, Vai and Carey Expand King Crimson BEAT Tour

Adrian Belew , Tony Levin , Steve Vai and Danny Carey have expanded their upcoming BEAT tour , adding 21 new dates to the ’80s King Crimson -focused trek.

The new string of dates begins on Nov. 18 in Thousand Oaks, California, and concludes on Dec. 18 in Highland, California. The expansion brings the trek up to 65 dates in total, with several shows already sold out.

Tickets for the new shows go on sale to the general public on Friday. You can see the full list of dates below.

READ MORE: How Adrian Belew Put Together His ’80s King Crimson Celebration

Details on the Upcoming BEAT Tour

The highly anticipated BEAT tour will focus on three King Crimson albums: 1981’s Discipline , 1982’s Beat and 1984’s Three of a Perfect Pair . The first of those albums marked Belew’s debut with the band, and the guitarist expressed his enthusiasm for that era in a statement.

“The 1981 through 1984 King Crimson created a music all its own,” Belew said. “Timeless. Beautiful. Complex. Fierce. For the fans who lived through it then, and the ones who never got to witness it, our aim is to bring it to life again. A monumental task but we’re going for it! There are not enough exclamation points to express my excitement!”

BEAT 2024 Tour – New Dates

11/18 – Thousand Oaks, CA @ B of A PAC

11/20 – San Jose, CA @ San Jose Civic

11/21 – Reno, NV @ Grand Theatre at The Grand Sierra Resort

11/22 – Portland, OR @ Keller Auditorium

11/23 – Eugene, OR @ McDonald Theatre

11/25 – Vancouver, BC @ Orpheum Theatre

11/26 – Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre

11/30 – Hammond, IN @ The Venue at Horseshoe

12/02 – Buffalo, NY @ UB Center for the Arts

12/03 – Hartford, CT @ Mortensen Hall at the Bushnell Center

12/04 – Wilkes-Barre, PA @ F.M. Kirby Center

12/06 – Lynn, MA @ Lynn Auditorium

12/07 – Atlantic City, NJ @ Tropicana Showroom

12/08 – Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre

12/10 – Louisville, KY @ Brown Theatre

12/11 – St. Louis, MO @ The Factory

12/13 – Oklahoma City, OK @ The Criterion

12/14 – San Antonio, TX @ Majestic Theatre

12/16 – Albuquerque, NM @ Revel

12/17 – Tucson, AZ @ Fox Tucson Theatre

12/18 – Highland, CA @ Yaamava’ Theater

Previously Announced Shows

9/12 – San Jose, CA @ San Jose Civic

9/13 – Napa, CA @ Blue Note Napa Summer Sessions at Meritage Resort

9/14 – Los Angeles, CA @ The United Theater on Broadway

9/15 – Anaheim, CA @ City National Grove of Anaheim

9/17 – San Diego, CA @ Humphrey’s Concerts

9/18 – Phoenix, AZ @ Celebrity Theatre

9/20 – Austin, TX @ The Paramount Theatre

9/21 – Houston, TX @ Bayou Music Centre

9/22 – Dallas, TX @ Majestic Theatre

9/24 – Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern

9/26 – Fort Lauderdale, FL @ The Parker

9/27 – Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live

9/28 – Clearwater, FL @ Ruth Eckerd Hall

9/29 – Charleston, SC @ Charleston Music Hall

10/01 – Charlotte, NC @ Knight Theater

10/02 – Durham, NC @ Carolina Theatre of Durham

10/04 -Washington, DC @ Warner Theatre

10/05 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre

10/06 – Glenside, PA @ Keswick Theatre

10/08 – Richmond, VA @ Carpenter Theater in Dominion Energy Center

10/09 – Red Bank, NJ @ Count Basie Center

10/11 – Boston, MA @ Shubert Theatre

10/12 – Hampton Beach, NH @ Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom

10/14 – Halifax, NS @ Rebecca Cohen Auditorium

10/15 – Moncton, NB @ Casino New Brunswick

10/17 – Montreal, QC @ Theatre Maisonneuve

10/18 – Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall

10/19 – Rochester, NY @ Kodak Center

10/21 – Albany, NY @ The Egg

10/22 – Greensburg, PA @ Palace Theatre

10/23 – Reading, PA @ Santander Performing Arts Center

10/25 – Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre

10/26 – Cincinnati, OH @ Taft Theatre

10/27 – Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre

10/28 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium

10/30 – Indianapolis, IN @ Murat Theatre

11/01 – Chicago, IL @ Copernicus Center

11/02 – Milwaukee, WI @ Pabst Theatre

11/03 – Madison, WI @ Orpheum Theater

11/04 – Minneapolis, MN @ State Theatre

11/06 – Denver, CO @ Paramount Theatre

11/08 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Theater at Virgin Hotels

Next: The Best Song From Every King Crimson Album