Online review and photos by gig-blog, translated to English below
You have to look at it soberly. This blogging is a very selfish thing. This task actually forces you to deal at least a little more intensively with artists you don't know. In this way you can actually plug some huge, almost unforgivable knowledge holes in your own musical universe. Example tonight: the legendary Robyn Hitchcock, who is practically ritually revered in tasteful circles. In the factory, of course.

It's not packed, but in the end there are around 50-60 people who found their way to the Rems metropolis on this Wednesday with a lot of competition. At a quarter to nine, Emma Swift enters the stage. Equipped with only one acoustic guitar, there are calm songs from the folky country corner. But not this nasty country, which she hates herself, as she later explains in an announcement, but simple, melancholy songs that sound a little bit like A Camp and Skeeter Davis for folk and country total laypeople. The songs do not impress with the very manageable guitar playing of the Australian, but with her really excellent voice. No pathetic tremolo, just a nice sounding song without frills. You have to imagine the sound as if Zooey Deschanel could sing really well.

Where their love for this music comes from can be clearly seen in the half hour of their set. She lived in Nashville for two years, and the names Rowland S. Howard, Townes Van Zandt and Gram Parsons (“He is the reason why I love country music!”) Also appear in her set, including cover versions of their songs. In the end, I am surprised by myself that I liked this reduced music so much.

Then at nine thirty Mr. Hitchcock comes . With the first song “ Mexican God ” there is a foretaste of what makes this man's music so special. Unusual lyrics, as well as voice, melodies and harmonies sound so thoroughly British that you inevitably feel reminded of Syd Barrett. " The Cheese Alarm " continues that.

Roquefort and gruyere and slippery Brie
All of these cheeses they happen to me

Allmusic.com says that Hitchock “… having been persistedly branded as eccentric and quirky…”. His first announcement in a Monty Pythonese, but easily understandable German-Italian mishmash (including “One loves God because God is always dead”) underscores this. But it is not the uncomfortable eccentricity of a psychopath, but simply the very sympathetic and absurd manner of a humorous British musician.

The guitar playing is very special. From filigree fingerpicking passages to rock patterns, what comes out of the acoustic guitar is never boring and banal. And to make the Syd Barret comparison a little more precise: the sound of his voice and this "loopy" way of singing, coupled with the ability to find logical-sounding melodies through chord progressions that actually don't seem to go together, make up this unmistakable, very British sounding sound .

There is another nice interlude when a spectator brings the artist a glass of water on stage and someone else notices “he paid for it.”. Robyn Hitchcock replies with “He shouldn't pay for it. Everything is free now, since the revolution. ”And there is a lot of praise for Emma Swift from the master himself:“ Emma has the most beautiful voice! ”. But before Miss Swift is allowed to come back on stage, there is a piece called “ Saturday Groovers ” that I particularly like. Besides “ Full Moon In My Soul ” my personal favorite of the evening. How I like the faster, more poppy things more than the slower, more ballad-like things. Clear research assignment to myself, myself with Mr. Hitchcock's former band “ The Soft Boys“ To keep busy the next few days.

Now Emma is allowed to come back on stage and sing along with various songs in a duet. In addition to the joint single with the track “Follow Your Money” and the very beautiful Neil Young cover “Motion Pictures”, also a song with the enchanting title “Queen Elvis” and the beautifully nostalgic “Trams Of Old London”.

After an hour, the regular set would be over, but there are still almost half an hour of encores. The last piece is even intoned at the request of the audience, and the choice is really well made. “San Francisco Patrol” is such a beautiful, melancholy love song that it lingers the entire way home, despite punk music in the photographer's car.