Who are the legendary musicians behind the supergroup BEAT, which revives the sound of King Crimson from the 80s “In the period from 1981 to 1984, King Crimson created music that is completely unique, timeless, beautiful, complex and wild. Our goal is to revive it again for the fans who experienced it then and to present it to those who did not have this opportunity.” This is what Adrian Belew, the former vocalist and guitarist of the legendary progressive band King Crimson, says about the upcoming tour of the super project BEAT, which brings together four influential artists on one stage. It includes the magnificent Tony Levin, Steve Vai and Danny Carey. The Bulgarian audience will hear them live for the first time at their concert on July 9 in Hall 1 of the National Palace of Culture. Their participation in our King Crimson Celebrating Show is part of their summer tour in Europe. With it, the supergroup will “celebrate” some of its most iconic albums – Discipline (1981), Beat (1982) and Three of a Perfect Pair (1984). These are the records that mark the period in which the group expanded the boundaries of progressive rock, and the songs in them – became classics.

The idea for the project is Belew, who became the frontman of King Crimson in 1981. BEAT appeared even before the pandemic, as his desire was to revive the energy of the group from the 80s. Initially, he shared his intention with Robert Fripp, the co-founder of Crimson. Due to the many commitments already made at the time, Fripp refused to participate, but gave his blessing for the project to develop. He even chose the name BEAT as a sign of continuity and respect for the original spirit of the music.
Adrian Belew turns to another world-class performer – virtuoso guitarist Steve Vai. “We had to find a replacement for Robert. The only person I could think of was Steve Vai, and that was because I read an interview with him years ago, in which he said that he loved Robert’s work and that he loved those three albums,” the former King Crimson frontman said in an interview with Sweetwater. Thus, Belew and Tony Levin, the former bassist of the legendary band, are joined by Vai. He himself admits that King Crimson’s music has captivated him since he was 21. A little later, Danny Carey, whom many people adore and respect as the drummer of Tool, joined them.

“Hello everyone, BEAT is coming to Europe in 2026. We are very excited and can’t wait to play for you. We know you’ve been waiting for it for a long time, so we’ll see you in the summer of 2026,” said Adrian Belew, Steve Vai, Tony Levin and Danny Carey in a special greeting to the Bulgarian audience, with which the supergroup promises a big show on July 9.

All four performers have a rich musical biography. In addition to King Crimson, Adrian Belew has worked with legendary bands and artists such as Talking Heads, Nine Inch Nails, David Bowie and Frank Zappa.

Tony Levin is the other recognizable name from King Crimson. As the band’s bassist, he participated in the creation of three of the most influential albums – Discipline, Beat and Three of a Perfect Pair. Over the years, he has partnered on stage with Peter Gabriel, Yes and Liquid Tension Experiment.

The Bulgarian audience will once again have the opportunity to hear the unique riffs that Steve Vai makes live. Last year, the three-time Grammy winner gave a big show together with Joe Satriani. This summer, Vai, taking the place of Robert Fripp, will perform some of the classics of King Crimson. And he, like Tony Levin, fell under the reach of Frank Zappa in his early years, initially making transcriptions for Zappa, and then becoming a permanent member of his group. In addition to his solo albums, Vai has played with bands and artists such as Alcatrazz, David Lee Roth and Whitesnake.

Fans of the American progressive rock band Tool will have the opportunity to hear and see the famous drummer Danny Carey live for the first time in our country. His playing is very atypical, based on the principles of geometry, science and metaphysics and is inspired by jazz. For him, the definition of “extraterrestrial” is not an exaggeration.

The four legendary artists will immerse the audience in the spirit of the 80s, with their only meeting on the Bulgarian stage being on July 9 in Hall 1 of the National Palace of Culture.
Tickets for their concert are on sale at ticketstation.bg at prices of 44 euros. For the most ardent fans, exclusive VIP packages are also available, which can be purchased on the Ticket Station network.