“I would think it dishonours that brand”: Why Adrian Belew never contemplated using the King Crimson name for his tribute tour with Steve Vai
Adrian Belew is currently on the road with Stev Vai, Tony Levin and Danny Carey as Beat – a supergroup honouring the music of King Crimson – but not once did he think about using the original band name.
The outfit are currently playing shows within the US, where they’re performing “a creative reinterpretation” of three iconic 80s Crimson albums – Discipline, Beat, and Three Of A Perfect Pair. Robert Fripp, guitarist and founder, even gave his blessing for the tour to go ahead, and although both Belew and Levin are members of the original band, they felt it was wrong to continue under its name without him involved.
READ MORE: “We need someone who can cover Robert Fripp’s parts, which is pretty impossible to do”: Adrian Belew on why chose Steve Vai to be in his new King Crimson tribute band
Speaking in the new holiday print edition of Guitar World, Belew explains, “I don’t think I even thought about trying to [use the name]. I know Robert very, very well, and he thinks of King Crimson as being his, and rightly so. And it took me years to realise that, no, it truly is not King Crimson without Robert involved.
“If you think about all of the things he brought to the picture in terms of his leadership and his vision, along with what he added musically with the soundscapes and the fast picking and the gamelan guitar and all the explosive solo sounds… He’s such a big part of it,” he continues. “I wouldn’t even attempt to do that. I would think it dishonours that brand a little bit to say, ‘Now we’re King Crimson.’ But we have the ability to say, ‘Look, this is legitimate because half of the band is onstage here.’”
The launch of Beat was announced back in March. At the time, Fripp shared the news via his Facebook page writing, “This is the project that Adrian Belew called me about last Autumn, a project which I support and fully encourage, and discussed with Steve Vai recently at McCabes in Santa Monica (3 March 2024). Even, I suggested the name.”
In another post shared after the announcement, Fripp – who now performs music with his wife, Toyah Willcox – also added: “At the recent Englishmen Abroad presentation, McCabes of Santa Monica (3 March 2024), Steve Vai asked me what I thought when Adrian Belew told me Steve would be the guitarist. My reply: Steve Vai is the only guitarist who could play my parts.”
You can catch Beat on tour until 18 December. Tickets are still available.
The post “I would think it dishonours that brand”: Why Adrian Belew never contemplated using the King Crimson name for his tribute tour with Steve Vai appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Source: www.guitar-bass.net
