Surprise gig gearing up for the next year's tour.
Peter Buck joined Robyn Hitchcock, Morris Windsor and Kimberley Rew on stage. Mostly an acoustic set in front of about 40 people, playing Soft Boys & Robyn Hitchcock songs. After two sets and after most people had left, Peter and Robyn came back for a third set.
Setlist incomplete and based on the reviews below.

REM guitarist Peter Buck joined Robyn Hitchcock and the original members of The Soft Boys onstage in a London pub on Sunday (August 13) for an impromptu gig in front of just 40 people.

The band's equipment set-up was basic to say the least. Buck and Hitchcock played acoustic guitars, with Morris Windsor on stand-up snare, shakers and one cymbal and Kimberley Rew on 'electric' guitar plugged into a car speaker.

The band played two sets at a pub in the East London district of Clerkenwell. The sets featured various Soft Boys and Egyptians songs such as 'Chinese Bones', 'Madonna Of The Wasps', 'Queen Of Eyes', 'Element Of Light', plus a couple of old classics like 'Blue Suede Shoes' and The Byrds' 'The Bells Of Rhymney'.

The pub's landlord introduced the band by saying, "There'll be some music tonight. You are about to be entertained. If you want a drink, get it now, as I won't be serving while there's music."

News of the gig was only confirmed at 7pm, and the acoustic guitars were tuned and ready to be strummed by 9pm.

Peter, in his Hawaiian shirt, was en route to Dublin to work on the next REM album. Asked why he took time out to play this London gig, he replied: "Hey, it's the Soft Boys - who'd pass up this opportunity?"



From an REM site:

Peter and Robyn Hitchcock, along with original Soft Boys, Morris Windsor and Kimberley Rew, performed an unannounced gig at the Three Kings Pub in the Clerkenwell District of East London on Sunday, August 13th, before a packed crowd of roughly 40 people. The band played two sets of Hitchcock tunes featuring numbers from his days with both the Egyptians and The Soft Boys, in addition to Elvis's "Blue Suede Shoes" and "The Bells of Rhymney," by the Byrds. After most of the crowd had cleared, Peter and Robyn returned for a third set which continued on into the wee hours of the evening. We had a chance to speak to Peter this week, and he described the surprise gig as, "just another night at the Three Kings Pub (a.k.a. The Feghorn) with Robyn, the Soft Boys, and yours truly."

PETER BUCK joined maverick singer-songwriter ROBYN HITCHCOCK for an impromptu show in a London pub last night (August 13).

According to reports in the UK, the pair were aided by Morris Windsor and Kimberley Rew two members of The Soft Boys - Hitchcock's late 70s post punk outfit who are said to be a seminal influence on R.E.M.

The essentially acoustic set in front of around 40 people in east London drew from Soft Boys tracks as well as a number from The Egyptians - the band Hitchcock fronted during the 80s - and old standards such as 'Blue Suede Shoes'.

Buck, a long time friend of Hitchcock , explained to Music 365: "Hey, it's The Soft Boys - who'd pass up this opportunity?"

A spokesperson for Buck could not confirm this morning how long the guitarist intended to stay in London. He is on his way to Dublin to meet up with fellow R.E.M. members Michael Stipe and Mike Mills.

The trio are understood to be staying in the Irish capital for a couple of months to work on the final sessions for their new album, due for release in Spring 2001. They have some 20 songs at various stages of completion due for inclusion due on the follow up to 1998's 'Up'.