King Crimson Tickets

King Crimson heralded the era of progressive rock. Formed in 1986, the London-based group laid down the foundation for the then completely new genre progressive rock. Although the band has avoided being labeled as the founding artists, but their efforts and experimental music has paved way for others. They're one of the most influential bands in their genre. King Crimson set the trend with their music style when they experimented with classical and experimental, gamelan, new wave, electronica and drum and bass.

During a career that spans five decades, the band has instilled a variety of influences in their music. Over the years, they have given well structured and harmonized compositions as well as added completely abstract improvisation segments and elements of pop. Being an avant-garde, in their early years the band earned a cult-following instead of worldwide fame. The band has one of the biggest fan following despite not having as much air-time or radio airplay.

Originating from the remnants of the band Giles, Giles and Fripp, the King Crimson evolved through hit and trial. The debut line-up included the guitarist Robert Fripp and the brothers Michael Giles on drums and Peter Giles on bass. The trio was not popular and failed in garnering proper media attention or even a fan-following. Fripp then added the multi-instrumentalist, Ian McDonald who worked on reeds, windpipe and keyboards. With McDonald came the renowned lyricist Peter Sinfield. He has written many of the famous songs by King Crimson. His collaboration with McDonald introduced the world to their first hit single “The Court of the Crimson King”. After just a year, Peter Giles stepped down from the line-up and let Greg Lake take his place as the new singer, bass-player and front-man. At this point, the five-person band had taken the name King Crimson.

The British rock band released its debut album In the Court of the Crimson King in 1969. The album peaked at number five on the UK charts and number twenty eight on the Billboard 200. It went on to receive a gold certification in the US. The 'uncanny masterpiece' is one of the albums that built progressive rock and is also one of the most influential albums of the genre. King Crimson replaced their musical foundation from the blues influences of the time to fusion of classical symphonic and jazz elements instead. Their live debut breakthrough came when they played The Rolling Stones free concert at Hyde Park. They performed to a jam-packed audience of over six hundred thousand. This brilliant performance later materialized into their aforementioned debut album.

King Crimson has seen over seven different line-ups through the decades with the eighth one being the latest. The only consistent member throughout has been the founder and the guitarist, Robert Fripp. Each line-up brought a new influence and an improved approach to the diverse music that King Crimson produced. There have been more than a dozen guest artists that have collaborated with the band for various albums and singles. Some of the more consistent members include John Wetton, Adrian Belew, Pat Mastelotto and Bill Bruford.

During its five-decade run, the band was on hiatus at four different times with the longest one going from '85 to '93. The band has finally emerged from its last four-year hiatus that ended in 2013. The current line-up constitutes a seven-piece band with three drummers, two guitarists, one bass guitarist, a saxophonist and a vocalist with two other backing vocals.

The band has released over a dozen studio albums with the latest album being Starless. They have also released fifteen live albums. Their discography also includes thirteen compilation albums, three extended plays and more than twelve singles. Quite a few of their albums have reached the gold status worldwide especially their home-country UK and the US.

King Crimson has been influential and inspirational for many bands and artists over the years. Many of the first-wave progressive rock bands have cited King Crimson to be their strongest musical inspiration. The original short-lived line-up of the band has been credited for their adventurous and innovative style by bands such as Genesis, Yes, Tool, Dream Theater, Nirvana, Bad Religion and Iron Maiden among many others. Most ex-members branched out and created their own progressive rock bands.

For five decades, King Crimson has developed a cult-following and a fan-base ranging from lovers of progressive rock, punk rock, alternative rock and others. As their fourth hiatus ends, the band is ready to rock again with millions of their fans. So grab King Crimson tickets and watch their exhilarating performances.