Your Robert Fripp Moment

Not sure if this counts as a personal encounter, but at least as more than a casual observer. He was performing solo soundscapes. This was in Buffalo at Town Ballroom, and pretty sure that there weren't many stops on the tour. Surmising that this was around 2004 or 2005.

At the beginning, he was already playing. This one guy hit the floor. It looked like he was having an epileptic seizure. 3 members of security (maybe Fripp's own detail) immediately pounced. He had been making these groaning noises. As peculiar as it sounds, it sort of went along with the music!

Trying to tune it out, it was a mistake to glance back. When security had picked him up off the floor, his pants fell halfway down. Not a welcome site. Fripp totally ignored what was going on the entire time.

So, sorry for no autograph or photograph stories, but this is a memory that will be cherished forever.

 

Can't remember the exact year, but it would have been around 1980 I guess... Fripp was doing several solo Frippertronics concerts at Madam Wong's Cantina in Los Angeles. Some friends and I went in the morning to wait in line for the first of two shows that day. Soon the line was huge. We had brought no food but didn't want to go get any for fear of losing our place in line. Besides, they promised that the kitchen and restaurant would be open during the show. Finally the doors opened and they let enough people in to fill the room for the first show and then closed them again. We didn't make it, so we waited for the second show, growing ever hungrier. Finally we get in and take our table, only to find that Robert had found the food service to be distracting and requested that the kitchen be shut down. I was famished and disappointed, and I foolishly had a couple of beers, since that's all they had. I was feeling kind of sick from hunger and alcohol and fatigue and didn't enjoy the concert very much.

Afterward we stayed at the table for a little while before we hit the road for home. Just as we were about to leave, who should emerge, but Robert Fripp carrying his guitar case. He stopped and chatted pleasantly with us and mentioned that his hotel was a few blocks away, and one of my friends offered him a ride there so he wouldn't have to call a taxi. So my friend and the guys he came with gave Robert Fripp a ride in his VW Bug to the hotel! I had come in another car, so I didn't get to ride with them. I had been annoyed at Fripp about the food situation, but this brightened my mood considerably.

 

Holy crap!
I remember that guy with the armload of records!!!
Fripp was kind of amused at the amount of records he had, the people on line behind him were not at all amused.

 

I’ve been in the same room as Mr Fripp, but nothing happened.

 

A few years back we were waiting outside the theater in Detroit to see Robert Fripp open
for Porcupine Tree (ridiculous concert). A college-aged male in front of us had a Sharpie
and a vinyl copy of the initial King Crimson album. Fripp strode out of the venue by himself
and walked by. The kid says, `hey......wasn't that Robert Fripp??!!'. A few minutes later Bob
briskly walks by back into the theater. The kid, this time, was ready. He says, `Mr. Fripp -
can I have your auto.....' Fripp grimaces and doesn't even acknowledge the young man. I
said to my buddies, `I'd forgotten what a ----- Robert Fripp is!'. We all laughed.

 

Robert Fripp’s hometown (Wimborne, Dorset.) is only about 15 miles from mine. A muso friend of mine knew someone in a local band, whom Fripp offered to produce some songs. They declined, wanting to do it themselves. Upon realising their mistake, they called Fripp, saying they’d changed their minds. He laughed, saying, “No, you’ve had your chance.” Suckers! Incidentally, Fripp used to call Wimborne the centre of the universe, so I wasn’t that far off myself .

 

The second night at the WFC offered a much better opportunity to talk with Robert Fripp following the performance... In January, 1992 Robert Fripp & King Crimson were the featured cover story for the new Goldmine Magazine. It included an interview, and a very special contest designed by Fripp himself. The contest was for a copy of the first boxed set of King Crimson: "Frame By Frame" signed by every member of the band. I had entered the contest, and some time went by.. I was fast asleep from working an all night shift, when the phone woke me up. It was Gerrard calling from Caroline Records in the U.K. telling me I had won the Crimson contest! He was calling for Robert Fripp who offered his congratulations.. Wow!! Gerrard told me to be very patient as the box had to be mailed all over Europe to each past KC member for signing, and would take some time. It finally arrived and is spectacular, the heart of the collection.

Luckily, the second night in NY offered a much better opportunity to talk with Fripp.
Again, I had nothing with me other than the evenings program. I was just another guy in line, until I told him that I was the winner of his contest.. I thanked him, and told him it was amazing. I mentioned that I had driven from Pittsburgh for the shows and to see my family. He said that was amazing, and thanked me. He then took a gold fine sharpie and signed the program :
"To Bruce- A winner! Robert Fripp" .
c., 1992.

 

My Robert Fripp moment took place about 10 years ago. I had emailed his website to ask if he was part of the "League Of Gentlemen" that recorded for the Planet label in 1966. I received a rather terse reply which went something like this:

"Mr. Fripp will have you know that he has not now, nor has he ever, been associated with the Planet label, and he resents the implication that such association ever existed. You should have known not to ask the question.

Do not ever email me again."

 

My wife and I went to a show at a record store in Dallas in '79. It was very entertaining. I had kind of lost interest in Fripp at the time, but his recent work with the Roches and this show re-primed the pump of my interest for quite a while.

 

I went to both HMV signings for the 69 and 74 live albums. My brother brought The Cheerful insanity album for Fripp and Mike Giles to sign and they were both excited to see the album.
Also I took some buddies of mine to see Crimson in NY in 2008 and Fripp spent time the whole show behind his amp and all we could see was the tip of his guitar once in a while.

 

No, it was completely unreal.. he had probably twenty (20) LP's and was standing in front of me!

 

"This term is taken from the Latin word procurare meaning “to take care of.” Now, when signing on someone else's behalf, the signature is preceded by p.p. standing for per procurationem. The p.p. is a signal to the reader that someone signed the letter on behalf of another."

 

Of course I don't know him personally so this is just conjecture on my part...both his approach to music well as the music itself always gave off an attitude of no B.S. seriousness. I get the sense that he's the type of guy who doesn't go in for all the idolatry stuff (signing autographs and such, being a part of it) and in fact get's actively turned off by it. Another artist who comes off that way (to me) is Ian Anderson. But then again, who really knows...these guys have daily-life stories just like anyone else...you may have just caught him at bad moment. And as I think about it and relate it to other things going on in my little life at the time, I think you're right...it *was* more like '77 or '78.

 

Back story??

 

Robert Fripp's Diary
31 January 2017
Bredonborough.
20.06

Waking c. 01.38 and unable to go back to sleep for two or three hours. John Wetton was very much on my mind, having spoken to Lisa yesterday afternoon and who continued to keep me up to date. Thank you.

Rising at 09.00, from a NightWorld series of adventures from I’m not sure where, to an e-mail from Lisa Wetton sent at 08.49: John… died very peacefully, without pain. Gratitude for this. Martin Darvill, John’s manager for the past twelve years, was also in touch and we spoke: John flew away at 05.25.

John was a pal over almost forty-two years, beginning at Bournemouth College in 1965, two teenage students and local gigsters. We continued in touch during our early professional lives in London, speaking from time to time, before John joined King Crimson in 1972-74 with David Cross, Jamie Muir and Billy B. JW was, for me, the leading bass player of his generation, a player of international class, before John moved increasingly to the front as singer and songwriter: Asia’s debut album was the world’s biggest seller in 1982. We continued as chums, working together when John lived in LA in 1992; and increasingly met for coffee and cakes after John moved back to Bournemouth in the Noughties.

During the past decade, JW became a hero of mine, courageous and exemplary in dealing and speaking frankly of his alcoholismCRR Interview - John Wetton: Making The Most Of Now . Visiting John during not-so-good times, and then good times, we became closer than in the three previous decades; John’s conversation was wonderfully clear, honest, positive, encouraging. And then Lisa. Hooray! to whom thank you for making my friend a happy man.

Our last correspondence…

 

That was John Wetton's last Christmas, Robert Fripp came to their home for one last visit.. John died about five weeks later. Fripp shared their last emails they had been sending each other.. they really had put it all together and were close again. They're probably available on DGM somewhere. Well worth looking up..

 

I met him in 1993, when he was touring with David Sylvian. He was quiet, but friendly enough; happy to sign my programme and pose for a photo. I wouldn’t say he was brusque. Certainly not rude.

 

This is the funniest. Very droll. Very telling.

 

Fripp comes across as mercurial. It seems he’s more receptive in situations where the interaction is not the typical fan asking for an autograph or picture situation, but even then it’s difficult to predict his response.

His friendship with Wetton lasted for decades and he was always effusive in his praise for John’s bass playing. Considering him the leading player of his generation is high praise indeed coming from Robert. Those email exchanges between them and Fripp’s rememberences are very moving.

 

My fav Fripp moment?........... This one

 

And this.......

 

Attending a Roches concert at The Venue in June 1980 and failing to spot Messrs. Fripp and Bowie sitting at one of the other tables (and only finding out in the following week’s Melody Maker). Oh well.

 

Fripp was terse with me at the NYC HMV signing for the Epitaph boxset. 1. I didn't see or hear announcements asking for no photography. 2. Being somewhat starstruck I got tongue tied when it was my turn for signing and asked a stupid question about playing Schizoid Man live ( I had missed the last KC tour). As a consolation I did get a picture taken with Greg Lake since he and Giles and McDonald were there to sign too.

 

Oh, IDK... I think it's just how he is. It's OK, it's his time, his right to decide to sign, have photos taken, etc. At the time it was a little disappointing but what the hey. I don't hold it against him and still enjoy his music. He's one of those musicians where, say, you turn on the radio and they're in the middle of a track he's on, you instantly know it's him. He was very successful in finding a sound that characterizes him and doesn't sound like anyone else.

I agree that RF doesn't seem to chase adulation or get off on it much. I suspect his attitudes about signing, etc., may have something to do with the esoteric teachings of J.G. Bennett but I could be off on that.