The mercurial Robert Fripp and his ever-changing band of prog-fathers will be the subject of In the Court of the Crimson King, a new documentary by director Toby Amies premiering at the 2022 SXSW film fest.
Named after King Crimson’s earthshaking 1969 debut disc, the 86-minute documentary aims to be the definitive celluloid document on the band’s 50-year history – charting the many ensembles and evolutions in style via interviews with Fripp and collaborators like Adrian Belew, Bill Bruford, Mel Collins, Ian McDonald, Woodstock’s own Tony Levin and many more. Amies produced the documentary by following the band on its recent 50th anniversary tour and securing the rights to some wonderful and rarely-seen archival footage.
According to notes provided by filmmaker Amies:
“What began as a traditional documentary about the legendary band King Crimson as it turned 50 mutated into an exploration of time, death, family and the transcendent power of music to change lives.
In the Court of the Crimson King is a dark, comic film for anyone who wonders whether it is worth sacrificing everything for just a single moment of transcendence. It explores the unique creative environment of King Crimson, one in which freedom and responsibility conspire to place extraordinary demands on the band’s members – only alleviated by the applause of an audience whose adoration threatens to make their lives even harder. It’s a rewarding and perilous space in which the extraordinary is possible, nothing is certain, and not everyone survives intact.”
Amies’ documentary comes on the heels of a successful summer 2021 tour by Fripp and his latest (and perhaps last according to the prog grapevine?) iteration of this legendary band. This especially powerful music is featured on the new 2 CD live set, Music Is Our Friend, one capturing the band’s final performances in Washington D.C. and at The Egg in Albany.
The Covid-19 Quarantine gave the ever-intense and oft misunderstood Fripp the chance to reveal his lighter side in a weekly series of “Sunday Lunch” videos made with his singer wife Toya Wilcox. The couple first took to YouTube on Easter Sunday 2020 to share some sonic cheer and comedy. In these vids, they don costumes to perform spirited and sometimes very goofy covers of tunes like “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer,” “Blitzkrieg Bop,” “Goldfinger,” “Sharp-Dressed Man,” “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and the like. More than 60 videos can be found here.
Fans who can’t wait for the film but want the truly definite facts on all things Crimson should also check out Sid Smith’s wonderful comprehensive book, In the Court of the Crimson King: An Observation over Fifty Years.
At over 600 pages of very small type, it has everything a fan could ever want – interviews with all the key players, critiques of their many albums and recaps of every gig the band performed, from its 1969 debut through 2003. The book was originally published in 2001 and out of print for many years, until it was updated and republished in 2019. When it comes to all things prog and Crimson, Smith is a true expert. He’s an intimate who has worked directly with the band in recent years, and a freelance writer whose articles are regularly featured in Record Collector, Prog, Uncut, Classic Rock, BBC Music and many others.
In anticipation of the premiere, Amies has released a trailer that can be seen below.
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