Robert Fripp on the future of King Crimson: “I’m committed to another band right now – Toyah and Robert”
Robert Fripp and Toyah Willcox are set to tour their Sunday Lunch rock party across the UK this Autumn.
Image: Steve Thorne / Getty
Robert Fripp has opened up on the future of King Crimson following the success of his Sunday Lunch YouTube series with his wife and fellow musician, Toyah Willcox.
The duo began performing a range of covers on Willcox’s YouTube channel during the COVID-19 lockdowns, which rose to popularity.
- READ MORE: Robert Fripp and Toyah return with cover of The Hives’ Hate to Say I Told You So for Sunday Lunch
Off the back of the success of their online covers, which are recorded using just an iPhone, the pair are even set to take their Sunday Lunch covers on the road with a UK “Rock Party” tour starting later this month (September).
In a new interview with Guitar World, Fripp was asked if King Crimson is definitely over, or if there is any hope for a tour in the future now that he’s so busy with this new project: “I’ve learned from having attempted to get away from King Crimson in 1974, 1984, 2003 and 2008 that it’s probably hard to say!
“Nowadays there are factors we have to take into account,” he explains. “I have to admit there are no current plans, but there were no plans when we went on hiatus back in the past either. We have to take into account that I’m committed to another band right now – Toyah and Robert.”
The guitarist goes on to add, “Tony Levin is on tour with Peter Gabriel. All the other members of the band are working. With me and Toyah, we’ve been doing festivals like Glastonbury, Isle of Wight and others. We’re also planning things for next year. So there’s a lot going on… and I’m 77! Age is a factor.
“Given something as complex as King Crimson, you’d have three men who would be approaching 80 for the next tour [Fripp, Levin and Mel Collins]. Is that likely? Well, I can’t really comment on that, but my focus is on this new project with Toyah.”
View the full list of Sunday Lunch tour dates on the official Toyah Willcox website.