We Got Beat and Loved Every Minute Of It

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Back in 1981 a four-piece band released their debut album, under an established name but with a brand new sound. It was the third version of the British-based band, King Crimson. Master guitarist and innovator Robert Fripp was at the helm, with his long-time percussionist Bill Bruford. The other two were bassist/stickman Tony Levin and guitarist Adrian Belew. In July 2021 I did an interview with Levin, which you can read here.

The 1981 Crimson did what very few bands have done: they created a second groundbreaking album, Discipline, to go with the band’s first — In the Court of the Crimson King. They turned the minimalist style on its head, creating music that continued the King Crimson trait of very technical music that delved into world rhythms and pop song sensibilities — but we could hardly call it pop music.

Late in 2023 former King Crimson guitarist Adrian Belew announced he and stickman Tony Levin were putting a band together to play the music of that 1980’s version of the band. They couldn’t call it King Crimson because Robert Fripp isn’t a performing part of the band, although he is well represented in the music. So the name of the band is Beat, named after the second album of the 80s Crimson.

Sitting in for percussionist Bill Bruford is Tool drummer Danny Carey, a creative powerhouse of a percussionist. Taking on the crucial Robert Fripp parts is legendary shredder Steve Vai. Considered one of the planet’s top guitar slingers, Vai got the approval and assistance of Fripp when this band first came together.

Vai played one of his Ibanez Gem guitars, but it looked and sounded like it was tricked out for the Beat gig. Carey has a large kit that he played very well. The percussion parts lost nothing with Carey. His drum solos were powerful and technically amazing.

As a whole, the crowd that filled Humphreys Concert’s By the Bay lost nothing in the 40-plus years since the music was first released. Some of the highlights for me — in a concert that was a highlight — included “Sartori in Tangier,” “Larks’ Tongue in Aspic III,” “The Sheltering Sky,” “Frame by Frame” — Looking at the set list I could add a bunch more highlights. Like I said, the entire concert was a highlight.

One wonderful part of the show was Vai playing the blistering fast intro to “Larks’ Tongue in Aspic III.” If you listen to the live recording Absent Lovers, King Crimson begins with “Entry of the Crims” which was segued into “Larks’ Tongue” by that incredible intro and Steve Vai nailed it, although that’s hardly a surprise. He has had that fantastic technical skill and dexterity for more than 40 years.

Adrian Belew and Tony Levin did their Crimson stuff as well as they did in the 1980s. This says a lot. When I interviewed Levin in 2021 he told me they had to play every song perfectly because there are spots where if someone makes a mistake, the band can’t just go on, they would have to stop and restart the song — and he was quite serious when he said it.

If your first introduction to this version of King Crimson was the song “Elephant Talk,” you will love the Beat performance of Crimson’s signature song. Another of KC’s signature songs is “Discipline,” from the first album by the 1980s band, Discipline. Why Beat didn’t play this song is unknown, but it was my only disappointment with the show.

One more great highlight was their performance of “Red,” one of the heaviest rock songs ever performed.

This was a great concert despite my one little disappointment. I used to scoff at “nostalgia” tours by bands that are long past their heyday. But this show, I realized, was nostalgic. I was reliving moments of my younger days when it was exciting to hear — and then see — that quartet perform.

All of that music was created in such a way it could be reproduced on stage without adding pre-recorded over dubs to a song. In this interview Steve Vai said this music wasn’t technical for the sake of being technical, it is very accessible and musical and it is. This is why their tour is mostly sold out. If you should have a chance to attend this show, I strongly suggest doing so.

My ticket was courtesy of my friend Dave, who gets a big shout out here. I’m sure he and I will attend more progressive rock concerts in the future. Yep, it’s nostalgic, but I make no apologies. I enjoyed the  … heck … out of it. Can’t drop an F-bomb here, but during the show you could hear me shouting “Here we go! F**K yeah!” Yelling it often. I smiled the entire show.

For a look at the set lists — it was a two-part show — click here.

Tim Forkes

Tim Forkes started as a writer on a small alternative newspaper in Milwaukee called the Crazy Shepherd. Writing about entertainment, he had the opportunity to speak with many people in show business, from the very famous to the people struggling to find an audience. In 1992 Tim moved to San Diego, CA and pursued other interests, but remained a freelance writer. Upon arrival in Southern California he was struck by how the elected government officials and business were so intertwined, far more so than he had witnessed in Wisconsin. His interest in entertainment began to wane and the business of politics took its place. He had always been interested in politics, his mother had been a Democratic Party official in Milwaukee, WI, so he sat down to dinner with many of Wisconsin’s greatest political names of the 20th Century: William Proxmire and Clem Zablocki chief among them. As a Marine Corps veteran, Tim has a great interest in veteran affairs, primarily as they relate to the men and women serving and their families. As far as Tim is concerned, the military-industrial complex has enough support. How the men and women who serve are treated is reprehensible, while in the military and especially once they become veterans. Tim would like to help change that.