Following the last-minute cancellation of Tom Morello's set, Beat, a quartet comprising two former members of King Crimson (KC), Adrian Belew and Tony Levin, took the stage at the Bilbao Arena. For nearly two hours, they revived the 80s repertoire of Robert Fripp's iconic band.
Morello's cancellation, due to his mother's hospitalization, prompted the festival organizers to extend Beat's performance. Despite a somewhat sparse attendance, the concert was intense, rhythmic, complex, and virtuosic, offering several standout moments.
Beat, a name derived from one of KC's early 80s albums, also features virtuoso guitarist Steve Vai and the powerful drummer Danny Carey, stepping in for Fripp and Brufford. Their repertoire, expanded for the occasion, consists of covers, but notably, the band members were involved in the original creation of many of these tracks.
The performance included tracks like 'Neurotica', 'Neal and Jack and Me', 'Hearbeat', and 'Sartori in Tangier', showcasing the musicians' technical prowess and the band's intricate arrangements. 'Neal and Jack and Me' served as a clear homage to the Beat Generation and Jack Kerouac.
After playing songs from the 'Beat' album, the band moved on to material from 'Three of a Perfect Pair', featuring 'Model Man', 'Dig Me', 'Man With An Open Heart', 'Industry', and 'Sleepless', demonstrating their instrumental mastery.
The second half of the concert kicked off with heightened excitement. They performed 'Waiting Man', paying tribute to feedback and distortion, and delved into 'Discipline', with guitars weaving cosmic effects. 'The Sheltering Sky' followed, drawing comparisons to Pink Floyd's early work.
The setlist also featured 'Elephant Talk', the ballad 'Matte Kudasai', and 'Frame by Frame', enhanced by the use of a theremin and keyboards. The audience responded enthusiastically to the quartet's radical and demanding musical proposal.
Beat's music, a blend of progressive rock, heavy solos, funk rhythms, and electronic influences, sounded as contemporary as it did 40 years ago, proving the enduring appeal of their complex and minimalist sound.
The concert concluded with an encore featuring the legendary tracks 'Red' and 'Thela Hun Ginjeet', leaving the audience with a performance to remember.
