The U.S. could see more of King Crimson in 2019 after leader Robert Fripp said Brexit had made it impossible to mark the band’s 50th anniversary with a European and U.K. tour, adding that he’d turned his attention to “other places in the world.”

He argued that confusion over new rules governing the relationship between the U.K. and the European Union, and the resulting complex paperwork, meant it was too difficult to take the steps necessary to arrange permits for the multinational band and their crew.

“Brexit has impacted KC’s Fiftieth Anniversary touring plans,” Fripp wrote on the website of his record label, DGM. “Currently there is no foreseeable exit arrangement for the U.K., no clear plans for migrant workers, e.g. the Brothers Crim and their pals, whether work visas will be necessary for anyone other than our American members.

"The technicalities and bureaucracy of arranging visa for all eight members of the Beast plus c. twelve support team persons, in each different country, is impracticable," he continued. "This without even dealing with the withholding tax for each jurisdiction.”

Fripp noted that "compliance with E.U. tax and individual arrangements for each country is already close to unworkable for small organisations. KC/DGM is a good example of the margin between too small/sufficiently large, to be proportionately overloaded with stuff. I wonder how many, of those good persons that plan and implement a seemingly endless proliferation of forms, have gone out into the world and directed a small company.”

As a result, he stated that plans for a “celebration EuroTour” had been “abandoned.” “There is one possibility of performing in England, but this is contingent on a most-unlikely arising," he added. "Our attention is therefore being directed to other places in the world.”

King Crimson last toured the U.S. at the end of 2017. Their current schedule includes a European run from June 20 to July 28, U.K. dates from Oct. 29 to Nov. 17 and Japanese shows from Nov. 27 to Dec. 21.

 

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