A year after his three-date engagement at the Olympia, King Crimson is back in Paris. The middle drummer has changed but apart from that, the approach and repertoire are roughly similar. Old classics are de-constructed and re-imagined and themes are re-thought to accommodate the new instrumentation.
The light show is kept to a minimum, and only changes during the dramatic crescendo in Starless. The emphasis is on the music: complex, stimulating but always retaining a sense of fun, even in its doomed, most apocalyptic passages. The musicianship is staggering, but never ostentatious. Compared to the previous version of the band (the ConstruKction of Light/Power to Believe quartet) the music is a lot more organic and less punishing.
This is the band that Crimson enthusiasts have been waiting for, hoping for, praying for. A new Crimson that ties together all eras of the band, playing songs from all of its career, paying tribute to the past while still looking to the future.
While you're here, you might also want to check out the review for The Crimson ProjeKct - Paris 2014.