Fripp and Eno - Madrid 1975

Date : May 21, 1975 - 9:30 PM

Venue : Teatro Monumental (Monumental Theatre)

Location : Madrid, Spain

No live recording of this show has ever surfaced.

Fripp & Eno did conduct an interview and a concert reviews has been reprinted.

Concert review in Vibraciones - June 1975 Issue 9

Reference to Madrid show in Fripp’s Diary (KCCC # 2) states it was the very first Fripp & Eno live performance. Five minutes prior to the show, they asked each other … ”What shall we do ?”. Only a very sketchy rough idea was previously formed, around cassette background loops over which Fripp would solo. Their first set was only 10 minutes long, although they had thought it was going to work out to be around 30 minutes (according to Fripp-1978 Trouser Press). They played in almost total darkness with only film loops for illumination.

Extremely polarized reactions to the performance resulted in a member of the audience reportedly hurling a tomato at the on-stage duo ! (as reported in an Enovations newsletter from 1975 by Peter Leay) Interview photographs prior to this concert are taken from the same session by Antonio Tiedra, used for the rear

sleeve of Evening Star. The pictures were taken in the offices of Ariola, Calle Breton de los Herreros

(confirmation thanks to José Manuel Costa who was in attendance !)

Although not confirmed, Fripp reported that the first show in Madrid took place in “a bullring” (see below),

however it is unknown whether Teatro Monumental ever held bullfights. He may have been describing

the show in Barcelona.

The following is a recounting of a conversation with Robert Fripp about events surrounding one of the two

Fripp & Eno shows in Spain ...

I was reminded of a story I once heard Robert Fripp relate concerning a performance he and Eno once did

in a bullring in Spain during the 70's. The whole gig had it's own special ambiance, with the spectacle of gun-toting Basque Separatists at the airport during their arrival, and playing the arena floor of this bullring.

Anyway, Fripp said they played the show and towards the end, got this loop going and then they both left the "stage" and retired to an enclosure from which they could see the crowd through some shutters.

As Eno peered out at the crowd he was noticed. The next thing that happened was that this fellow came up

and pulled aside the shutters and said in a U.S. drawl "Hey guys ! Is the show over ?" to which Eno replied "Well it is for us, but not for you"