Bastard Bar
Details
- Date
- April 30, 2011
- Venue
- Bastard Bar Tromsø, Norway
- Billed As
- Robyn Hitchcock
- Gig Type
- Concert
Reviews
Online review by Groove.no (translated to English below
Robyn Hitchcock has been one of England's most prominent songwriters and artists since the late 70s. The start was with the punk/new wave band The Soft Boys, who released two classic albums on the eve of the first punk wave in England. Then follows an extensive solo career with around 30 albums, which extends up to this year's fresh release, Tromsø, Kaptein. The latter has been released on Norwegian Hype City, and is another brilliant record from the English cult hero who in the early eighties was an important inspiration for, among others, REM
That Hitchcock pays tribute to Tromsø should make the city proud. It should also have led to interest from the local press in Tromsø, but at the time it didn't. The culture editors in the city's two newspapers appear more and more like empty shell hides, only interested in writing about festivals, mindless reality celebrities and little else. The silence prevails and makes it difficult for small organizers in the city. This is probably part of the reason why there was a concert where barely 20 people turned up to hear Hitchcock. Which is of course downright embarrassing for the so-called cultural city of Tromsø.
Robyn Hitchcock was probably disappointed by such a small audience, but did not allow herself to be put off by that reason. On the contrary. With a devil-may-care attitude, an exceptionally fine voice and a singing chest of a caliber not very many match, the British veteran delivered an exquisite concert experience for the few who made their way down to the basement of Bastard Bar this Saturday evening.
The main focus was of course directed towards fresh Tromsø, Kaptein - an album where the cover shows the mountains around the Arctic city. Songs like Light Blue Afternoon, Dismal City, Everything About You, Godnatt Oslo (here in English) and The Abyss worked perfectly well in the naked live version, largely because Hitchcock's distinct guitar and harmonica seemed like a small orchestra on their own. Bring a voice that ranges from naked sadness to powerful outbursts straight away, all the way with a sensitivity that both impresses and moves.
Robyn Hitchcock delved into his well-stocked catalogue, and also gave us a taste of his sources of inspiration. The Brit interpreted The Doors anno '67 with the greatest of course, and if anyone had any doubts about the greatness of this concert, it probably disappeared like dew before the sun when the evening ended with a hair-raising and tear-dropping fine version of Nick Drake's River Man.
The British veteran is a true cult hero. He may never have been a household name for the masses, but for many - including names such as Gillian Welch, John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) and Peter Buck (REM) - he is one of the biggest and best songwriters ever to walk around in the British Isles for the past 30 years. Welch, Jones and Buck are also the band backing Hitchcock in The Venus 3, a project which, according to the songwriter, will do things together again next year.
But now it is Tromsø, Captain, that is in focus. Robyn Hitchcock plays at Folken in Stavanger tomorrow (Tuesday 3 May) and at Mono in Oslo on Wednesday 4 May. Recommended!
PS! In an interview we did with Hitchcock a few weeks ago, the artist told us that he wanted to play at Buktafestivalen, among other things, because he wanted to see the midnight sun. We thought it was a good idea then, and after the concert experience on Saturday there should be no doubt. Robyn Hitchcock's wonderful musical universe, in which Tromsø has strangely become a part of it all, deserves a much larger audience than the one the songwriter met at her very first concert in the Arctic city.
Bukta, do you read me?
Robyn Hitchcock has been one of England's most prominent songwriters and artists since the late 70s. The start was with the punk/new wave band The Soft Boys, who released two classic albums on the eve of the first punk wave in England. Then follows an extensive solo career with around 30 albums, which extends up to this year's fresh release, Tromsø, Kaptein. The latter has been released on Norwegian Hype City, and is another brilliant record from the English cult hero who in the early eighties was an important inspiration for, among others, REM
That Hitchcock pays tribute to Tromsø should make the city proud. It should also have led to interest from the local press in Tromsø, but at the time it didn't. The culture editors in the city's two newspapers appear more and more like empty shell hides, only interested in writing about festivals, mindless reality celebrities and little else. The silence prevails and makes it difficult for small organizers in the city. This is probably part of the reason why there was a concert where barely 20 people turned up to hear Hitchcock. Which is of course downright embarrassing for the so-called cultural city of Tromsø.
Robyn Hitchcock was probably disappointed by such a small audience, but did not allow herself to be put off by that reason. On the contrary. With a devil-may-care attitude, an exceptionally fine voice and a singing chest of a caliber not very many match, the British veteran delivered an exquisite concert experience for the few who made their way down to the basement of Bastard Bar this Saturday evening.
The main focus was of course directed towards fresh Tromsø, Kaptein - an album where the cover shows the mountains around the Arctic city. Songs like Light Blue Afternoon, Dismal City, Everything About You, Godnatt Oslo (here in English) and The Abyss worked perfectly well in the naked live version, largely because Hitchcock's distinct guitar and harmonica seemed like a small orchestra on their own. Bring a voice that ranges from naked sadness to powerful outbursts straight away, all the way with a sensitivity that both impresses and moves.
Robyn Hitchcock delved into his well-stocked catalogue, and also gave us a taste of his sources of inspiration. The Brit interpreted The Doors anno '67 with the greatest of course, and if anyone had any doubts about the greatness of this concert, it probably disappeared like dew before the sun when the evening ended with a hair-raising and tear-dropping fine version of Nick Drake's River Man.
The British veteran is a true cult hero. He may never have been a household name for the masses, but for many - including names such as Gillian Welch, John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) and Peter Buck (REM) - he is one of the biggest and best songwriters ever to walk around in the British Isles for the past 30 years. Welch, Jones and Buck are also the band backing Hitchcock in The Venus 3, a project which, according to the songwriter, will do things together again next year.
But now it is Tromsø, Captain, that is in focus. Robyn Hitchcock plays at Folken in Stavanger tomorrow (Tuesday 3 May) and at Mono in Oslo on Wednesday 4 May. Recommended!
PS! In an interview we did with Hitchcock a few weeks ago, the artist told us that he wanted to play at Buktafestivalen, among other things, because he wanted to see the midnight sun. We thought it was a good idea then, and after the concert experience on Saturday there should be no doubt. Robyn Hitchcock's wonderful musical universe, in which Tromsø has strangely become a part of it all, deserves a much larger audience than the one the songwriter met at her very first concert in the Arctic city.
Bukta, do you read me?