It’s not often that you can say you heard King Crimson songs played live within two weeks of each other. I had the good fortune of seeing the David Cross band this past Friday evening, about a week and a half after seeing the incredible beat performance. Cross played selections of King Crimson material between the periods of 1972 and 1974, probably my favorite period of the band.

The band played a few originals, which I was not familiar with, but quite enjoyed. Then they hit their stride with all these Crimson classics from “Great Deceiver�, “Easy Money�, to “Red�. “Larks Tongues in Aspic pt 1 &2� were incredible. Cross stood center stage, and welcomed the small, but enthusiastic audience. He spoke with great pride about the time he spent with King Crimson, and his admiration for the music they created. The band consisted of John Mitchell (gtr,vocals), Sheila Maloney (keys,vocals), Mick Paul (bass,vocals), Jack Summerfield (drums). We all know King Crimson music is challenging, and I was very impressed with the band.

The show ended with the rousing rendition of Starless, while guitarist John Mitchell (Arena, Frost) encouraging the crowd to stand and give Cross and his mates a standing ovation. It’s been wonderful to experience these various periods of King Crimson in a live setting and done so well, again don’t miss the shows. You may never get the chance again.

Eric Porter