Monday 5 September 2016

Bengal, Burtons, Lizards and Heroes: another King Crimson review

Kevin was very disparaging about Hemel Hempstead, but he had overlooked two things:
  • It is en route from Aylesbury (see below) to Luton Airport. Aylesbury comes from the Old English Æglesburgh, while Domesday has Luton as Loitone, although the name is Saxon, sure as Eier are oeufs.
  • It sports a very little-known Burton with beautiful window lights.
    The building is seriously negelected, but the side door and entrance tiling are wholly original!
Hemel [sic] as a name is probably Anglo-Saxon in origin, but Domesday has it as Hemel-Amstede.

Spike and I attended Aylesbury as Mr Fripp had chosen to repeat last year's success with two more gigs - the only ones in the UK for 2016. For a review of the gig, you can usefully just read last year's, but of special note this year:

  1. As part of my ongoing peace-keeping mission, we visited the Golden Bengal Indian Restaurant, which is the most sexist food outlet in Aylesbury, and probably the world. The first floor topography is a dream.
  2. The outstanding Waterside Theatre had put tickets on sale to locals 4 hours before Internet availability: thus Lorna (reportedly the only woman in the queue) got us tickets one row from the stage. Yes, he still uses the same 3 drummers, positioned stage-front.
  3. The set-list had evolved, and we got many acres of Lizard: I never expected to hear Night: her sable dome scattered with diamonds, ... sung live again.
  4. I should have seen this coming, but Mr Jacszyk sang Heroes as part of the encore, a tune which Mr Fripp of course knows quite well. I believe I saw his somewhat wizened face crack into a small smile during this, but I could be wrong. The reworked C21 S.M. concluded an exciting evening.
Still no Cat Food or Ladies of the Road (maybe next year?), but I did find a surprise Burton!

From Luton to Duibhlind, Ériu, to conduct one of my periodic labours for the Irish Research Council. There are several Burton buildings in Dublin, and known examples in Waterford and Cork. Dublin also has an interesting factory built for Burton but never used, now sporting the Mercedes Benz crest. It's right next to the tramway!

Further pictorial evidence is available.