One of my favourite artists, Robyn Hitchcock, is a witty but deep english singer/songwriter/guitarist, a kind of cross between Sid Barrett, Oscar Wilde, Jimmy Hendrix and god!

Robyn Hitchcock and Minus 3 at The MAC, 24th June 2006. The three front figures are Robyn, Peter Buck and Morris Windsor

If you've never heard Robyn, you can hear/download his excellent track "Television" here %EXT% - beautiful guitar, wonderful harmonies! You can also see a lot of (old) live performances here. Try Birds in Perspex, or Madonna of the Wasps for a start.

Lyrics to Television

Television, say you love me
Television, say you care
Loneliness is my profession
Show me those who are not there

Television, murmur to me
Deep inside my room tonight
You're the devil's fishbowl, honey
I undress before your lies
Your lies...
Your lies...

Television, open to me
My remote is in my hand
I can dim you to a red light
Honey, try to understand
I'm there...
So there...

Television, I'm so sorry
If I turned you off back there
I'm so small in your dimension
My kid will look like you, I swear
I swear...
Oh, I swear...

See through me
See through me
See through me
....

Saturday 24th June 2006

Down to the MAC to see Robyn Hitchcock play with Minus 3. He kicked off with the first track of his I ever heard Uncorrected Personality Traits, and also did a number of his older tracks. This was the first time I'd been to a gig in "the round" - the MAC's outdoor venue, and the bright mackerel sky was a great accompaniment to the beautiful music.

10th October 2004

Saw Robyn Hitchcock at the Glee Club. He did a good set with some wonderful moments - of course, I liked the songs I knew well best. A tiny audience of only 35 people (maybe a few more came later) - I'm a big fan and watch out for flyers etc. and I only found out a few days before - the Glee needs to sort out it's publicity I think. The last gig there (two years ago) was packed.

Some wonderful guitar playing, nice harmonys with Morris, a couple of nice lyric variations and some nice but short stories.

Set list (aprox)

• (not dark yet but getting close - Bob Dylan?)
• I've got the hots for you
• 1974
• (wonderful instrumental)
• I feel beautiful, because you love me
• (Morris Windsor comes on stage)
• (something about "no time" - unknown)
• Good new RH song about Television, which refers to it as "the devil's fishbowl". Pre song intro along the lines of "Television isn't evil, in the same way that money isn't evil, or the church, or heroin. It just depends how you use it"
• Birds in Perspex
• ("idea of you")
• Brenda's Iron Sledge / Funky Town
• Love don't live here anymore
• ("Lets go live in the trees, Norm")
• ("American Girl")
• Chinese Bones
• Autumn is your last Chance (?)
• another couple I think...

I think Robyn mentioned two Brian Ferry covers

Gig 2nd March 2003

Saw Robyn Hitchcock at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. The concert was linked in to his 50th Birthday, which is on the 3rd. It was an all seated venue, with great aucustics, and the sound quality in the 1st half was particularly good.

Robyn was joined by about 7 others, including Morris Windsor, Kimberly Rew, Denni Bonnet and Tim Keegan. Everyone in the (sold out) audience got a copy of Robyn's latest CD "Luxor". I say latest, but there's been a rash of them in the last year or so and I've lost track!

After the 2nd half, there was the expected applause and calls for more. Then Alan Rickman appeared and read a poem by Robyn on the topic of death (and life) "You don't go through life, life goes through you." "Like bamboo through the prisoner staked in the clearing". Quite a few of the songs dealt with aging and mortality.

Robyn then re-appeared and did one track on his own, then a couple more with the full ensemble. There was a second encore which was followed by a standing ovation.

I don't have a tracklist, but tracks included: I Something You, Queen Elvis,

July 19th 2002

Saw Robyn Hitchcock at the Glee Club. Excellent gig - Robyn told some great stories, and played quite a range of songs. I'd been expecting him to be doing Dylan covers - which was how it was billed, but pleasently suprised when his stuck to his own work. Also saw Mundy a great Irish singer/songwriter, and a great choice to support RH.