King Crimson's Robert Fripp and Toyah Willcox adorably cover "Enter Sandman" in their kitchen
Aux Features King Crimson
Admit it: there’s a small, sad part of all of us that secretly believed the COVID-19 pandemic would somehow magically disappear the moment the New Year’s Eve ball dropped in a ghost-town version of Times Square. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case, and here we are—two weeks into the New Year with the coronavirus raging worse than ever. But, hey, at least that means we get some more amusing at-home content from King Crimson’s Robert Fripp and his wife, singer-songwriter and powerhouse British vocalist Toyah Willcox.
In the latest installment of their weekly Sunday Lockdown Lunch cover series, the two lovebirds—who will have been married 35 years this May—work through a surprisingly mighty rendition of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman.” Seated in the couple’s kitchen, Fripp keeps his guitar appropriately ragged and distorted, all while Wilcox manages to retain her soaring vibrato as she rides an exercise bike. They sweetly lock eyes at several points, and at the end, Fripp gives an exasperated laugh. Is he expressing joy, or a kind of punch-drunk disbelief that he and Willcox will be performing in front of their sink—and not an adoring crowd—for at least part of 2021?
Watch the whole thing below:
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72 Comments
Looks like it’s cold in that jam space: somebody’s turkeys are done.
Does look a tit bit nippley in their kitchen
Arrest this man. He just murdered me.
I thought she was going to take his eyes out.
I’m just glad I didn’t have to be the one to point it out.
Agh. Stoppit, ye wee bastard! Yer’ killin’ me!
Reminds me that I need to replace one of my car’s headlights.
Dead. Clinically.
That was a little distracting, but she’s far from the only person who’s ditched the whole bra thing this far into lockdown, I guess
I’m all for it. To steal from Creed of the Office “Swing low, sweet chariots”
she’s far from the only person who’s ditched the whole bra thing this far into lockdownI’d encourage this trend to continue indefinitely.
The weather forecast did say a cold front was moving in.
I don’t know what you’re talking about, all I could focus on was their beautiful kitchen cabinetry.
I’m not going to lie: that is genuinely really nice cabinetry. My wife wants a new Kitchen this year and I don’t think I can afford something THAT nice.
But you should be able to afford a more effective thermostat.
Better not let see that boob job, she might change her mind about where you spend your money!
Let’s not forget that fuckin’ beauty of an Aga stove you can see in the Bowie dancing video a couple of comments downthread.
Take yer fuckin’ star, ya bonny basterd!
Eh, he’s a lucky man.
Robert Fripp is low-key one of the world’s greatest living guitarists. I noticed he plays the tune in his New Standard Tuning, which was his way to get all-fifths tuning onto a standard, six-string guitar.
Robert Fripp is low-key one of the world’s greatest living guitaristsDavid Bowie approves this message.
You could argue “21st Century Schizoid Man” is more relevant than ever.
Now you’ve ruined it.
but then your comment reformed his.
The more I look at it, the more I like it…
I don’t know art, but I know what I like!
This is begging for a Dr. Rick commercial:
“We all see it… we all see it…”
“She’s not wearing a bra!”
Can we get this in 3D?
I’m glad this isn’t an entirely different notice about Fripp and the pandemic. I suppose I have little fan cred since I hadn’t actually heard of her before today.
She has a darn solid discography of her own.
Toyah made some of the worst chart pop of the early 80s, with added “I am a PUNK! I am an ARTIST!” shrieking.
When you hear the name “King Crimson,” and wonder if this is a JoJo’s reference / meme….before forcing yourself to realize JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure was referencing them, and not the other way around.
Almost all stands and many characters in JoJo are band or song references. Some of them are reeeal obscure but the big bads are usually fairly well-known. Stardust Crusaders is a bit of an exception since that uses tarot stuff instead for the stands.
(Robert Fripp is the kind of guy who makes the hardest chord possible while getting his picture taken)
Fripp? Cover a song in straight 4/4 with just an electric guitar?I at least expected some creative uses of kitchen utensils as instruments.
Fripp doesn’t need kitchen utensils. He can create any sound he wants with a guitar.
I went to a King Crimson concert a couple years ago. They aren’t my usual corner of the prog rock universe, but it was an absolutely incredible show — top-notch musicianship. Three massive drum kits at the front of the stage, and Mel Collins back on saxophone after a 30-year gap…It was also great to see Jakko Jakszyk, as a connection to The Tangent and that whole side of the prog thing.(Unlike a lot of shows with elaborate lighting choreography, they had one light change for the whole show — needless to say, it left an impact.)
Ironically about 20 years ago I had a friend in high school whose dad dragged him to a King Crimson show, and he had exactly the same response. Sounds like they’re consistent.
I saw this tour too! They were unbelievable. They played “Islands” and it had tears in everyone’s eyes. They also posed for photos at the end of the show but made everyone keep their phones in pockets for the duration while they played (and the event staff was making sure people did).
Fripp is the man!
Man, I listened to the hell out of that album in college. Definitely my favorite incarnation of the group.Fripp, Belew, Bruford and Levin? How can you go wrong?
Hell of a collection of talent right there. I just found this the other day if you’re in the mood for more Levin:
Great stuff. Thanks! I’m so in the mood for Levin, I bought a chapman Stick…
You’re welcome!Haha awesome! I once saw the dude who tours with Carl Palmer play Roundabout on one of them, amazing instrument.
Keeping eye contact… he’s a better man than me.
They’ve been married for decades.
Proves my point.
True – but by all accounts they have lived their lives very separately. Lockdown must have been a real novelty for them.
I wanna be a goofy old man someday 🙂 I’ve got half of it done already
Got to admit, some of their videos are kind of cute. I mean, I never thought I would see Robert Fripp dance!
That’s got nothing on his Swan Lake.
Just as well they weren’t dancing to Beauty and the Beast instead. I remember seeing Fripp on a Bowie documentary suggesting that it was impossible to listen to that without getting an erection.
Who knew that metal and cheesecake went so well together?Fripp might be the coolest human on the planet.
They worked together on an album in 1991, Kneeling at the Shrine. (The band was Sunday All Over The World, but that was their only album. From Wikipedia: “The members were Toyah Willcox (vocals), Robert Fripp (guitar), Trey Gunn (stick, vocals) and Paul Beavis (drums, percussion).”)First track:
Every so often, I check in on their channel because, you know, it’s Fripp and he’s a prog rock guitar God.But Toyah is just a weird delightfully daffy Brit chick in all the best possible ways. (Robert needs to turn the heat up in their kitchen. Or…not)
Hmmm…With the sound off I could have sworn they were doing “Two of a Perfect Pair”.
One of my New Year’s resolutions is to finally sit down and listen to King Crimson. Not because “Ha ha, they were referenced in that anime I like, and also in Venture Bros.,” but because I like other prog rock bands (YES, Rush, Moody Blues, The Mars Volta, Coheed & Cambria, and if you consider them prog, King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard), and because their members eventually reached other bands I appreciate.
start here.
Dammit, that didn’t imbed. Start with “The Night Watch”
Enjoy. You get many “King Crimsons” for your money – the weird psychedelic one, the cruel proto-djent one and the aggrieved Talking Heads one.
I’d start with Discipline, but whatever you do, don’t stop.
Give a listen to In the Court of the Crimson King, Larks Tongue in Aspic, and Red. If you end up digging The Mars Volta and Rush and dislike those albums, I would like to hear more of your musical opinions because that seems inexplicable to me. If you want to expand from there, listen to any KC album that Bill Bruford played on.
I would suggest starting with either “Three of a Perferct Pair” or “Discipline”.
Jeez, a clothes horse hanging from the ceiling. Had one of those when I was a kid, which now seems some centuries ago….
It’s not “adorable” – have you ever HEARD Toyah’s records??
Fripp has finally gone mad.
They’ve got to have a sex tap3, right??
This *is* their sex tape.
xD I mean, I’ve seen her boobs when she was younger, but they look better now!
Damn, I had no idea Robert Fripp was capable of having fun! Nice.
Unpopular opinion: this is super charming and all but this isn’t musically ‘good’ y’all. Do we really think this sounds good? yikes.
I love my braille monitor!
I’m glad Fripp has gotten weirder and found a sense of humor in his old age.