With a musical pedigree stretching back to the '70s with Soft Boys, Robyn Hitchcock is as prolific as he is perplexing. The man, I must point out, is a complete nutter, being the very definition of an eccentric Englishman. He could probably come back in a couple of months and just reread the transcript of his pre-song banter and have a hit show at the Sydney Comedy Festival. But luckily for all of us he played a fair few glorious tunes as well.
Robyn Hitchcock and his backing band the Venus 3 are a combination that provides a mix of music that almost shouldn't work: Hitchcock, with his lucid-limey folk is backed by a pair of guitar-pop classicists in R.E.M.'s Peter Buck and frontman of the Young Fresh Fellows Scott McCaughey, all accompanied by former Ministry drummer Bill Rieflin, who provided ample clout up back for the numerous "great rock" excursions of the evening. The end result was an alluring "show of amplified beat music" that was an utterly engaging mix of melodic jangle and deft riffing, accompanying songs and soliloquies that were nothing short of surreal.
We were eased into proceedings with a loosener as Hitchcock "unpacked his voice", before a ponderous version of 'I Often Dream of Trains'. The next romping number was self-reviewed by Hitchcock with an enthusiastic "Man, that rocks ass!" before the mood was eased with a sublime Egyptians-era 'Airspace'.
Hitchcock reveals himself to be a particularly literate cultural connoisseur and is entirely in tune with the depth and effect of his musical legacy. A simple comment about the age of an upcoming song turned into an unrestrained ramble beginning with tying tunes to particular times, and ending with being placed in stasis so your family can come up and tap on the glass at any time. Conversely, he introduced the aptly titled - well a couple of days early perhaps - 'Saturday Groovers' from his latest album with "You won't remember this one, 'cause it's new."
Some seriousness shone through in 'N.Y Doll ', an ode to the late New York Dolls bass player Arthur Kane, but we were all-too-soon thanked for "enjoying all these lights and keeping on reading" before being treated to a mournful version of 'Queen Elvis'. The night was seemingly enjoyed equally by those in front of - and on - the stage, as suggested by the final quip of "We've enjoyed this far more than men in our condition should"; then it was 'Goodnight Oslo' - and goodnight the Annandale.
Andy Ryan
|
|