The BEAT Goes On

Adrian Belew had an itch that needed some serious scratching.

- By MIKE METTLER

The iconoclast guitarist/vocalist had a hankering to perform material from the three King Crimson albums he fronted during the proto-prog band's 1980s revivalOctober 1981's Discipline, June 1982's Beat, and March 1984's Three of a Perfect Pair-but how could he go about it in a way that pays respect to and expands upon their original intent, all at once?

First order of business: Make sure King Crimson founder and guitar visionary Robert Fripp approved, even though he would not be participating. Check. Next: Confirm that bassist Tony Levin is onboard. Check. Finally: Knowing that Fripp and drummer Bill Bruford wouldn't participate,¹ find perfect replacement bandmembers for these sure-to-be-challenging gigs. Belew and Levin enlisted two acknowledged virtuosos: guitarist Steve Vai (Frank Zappa, solo, G3) and drummer Danny Carey (Tool), and the all-caps BEAT was born.² Check.

BEAT played 65 shows in North America in 2024 followed by briefer runs in Mexico and South America in early 2025. One of the tour's best outings, in Los Angeles on November 14, 2024, was captured and released in September as BEAT LIVE on InsideOut Music/Sony. BEAT LIVE is available in multiple configurations: a three-LP set, a two-CD/one Blu-ray package including concert footage, and a limited-edition run of the Blu-ray package that adds a third, bonus CD including additional live tracks captured elsewhere on the North America tour and a 36-page artbook.

I saw BEAT a few weeks after that L.A. gig, in Buffalo in December 2024, and I can attest to how bleeping adroit they are.