Robyn Hitchcock Live Firestation Arts Centre Windsor June 02nd 2011

This was a great opportunity to catch an intimate solo acoustic show from Robyn Hitchcock in an excellent small Arts Centre Venue. The Firestation in Windsor is a great little place with auditorium style seating looking down onto a well lit stage area and the sound throughout was top quality.  After a well received support set from Terry Edwards (see separate review below) Robyn Hitchcock takes the stage in customary "loud" shirt and is straight into "Queen Elvis". 

Robyn Hitchcock with cellist Jenny Adejayan - Photo by Steve Worrall

An old Soft Boys number "Only The Stones Remain" is up next and then a wonderful version of "I Often Dream Of Trains" and I'm reminded that Hitchcock is an underated, although maybe slightly unorthodox, guitarist. He is then joined by the superb cellist Jenny Adejayan who fills the songs with inventive playing, and The Egyptians track "Wreck Of The Arthur Lee" is a real highlight.

Terry Edwards joins Robyn Hitchcock and Jenny Adejayan on stage - Photo by Steve Worrall

His between song banter is something to behold, psychedelic shaggy dog stories that at one point managed to place Dave, the Landlord from Minder's Winchester Club into a Jean Cocteau Movie, it's a trip!

"The Museum Of Sex" from one of his albums with Peter Buck as The Venus 3 is followed by a song I hadn't heard before called "Old Man Weather", one of two from latest album "Tromso, Kaptein". Then "Sinister But She Was Happy" really showcased Jenny's cello well, but it was "Dismal City" from "Tromso, Kaptein" that proved to be the high point of the gig for me."Sounds Great When You're Dead" closes the set and then Robyn returns for a nice cover of The Doors' "Crystal Ship". Jenny and Terry Edwards take the stage for another cover, this time Captain Beefheart's "My Head Is My Only House" and it all ends with a spirited run through of the Venus 3's "Ole Tarantula".

Terry Edwards, Robyn Hitchcock and Jenny Adejayan - Photo by Steve Worrall