Nigel & The Crosses
Charing Cross Road Borderline

by Ralph Traitor

Robyn Hitchcock has a thing about Nigel Cross, the original editor of esteemed fanzine Bucketful Of Brains -- so much that he confided to me a desire to edit a fanzine about Nigel himself. Cross himself, a somewhat cranky cult-hound, would doubtless be flattered.

Similarly, to have this gala event staged in his name will bring a glow to the old guru's heart. Onstage, looking casual in the way off-duty stars can, stood not only Robyn and his band, but also Peter Buck and Peter Holsapple (former dB and honorary R.E.M. keyboard player).

And so the games commenced, with Hitchcock and Co. calling forth a random selection of the host's repertoire -- stretching back to The Soft Boys -- all delivered with cursory affection and discipline wanting in the extreme.

A sterling, notably deferential rendition of The Beatles' "Rain" heightened the tone briefly, but soon we were plunged into a ragged series of numbers criss-crossing Hitchcock's career and Rock history equally. Buck, resisting the inevitable appeals for a star turn, kept to himself (except when R.E.M. bassist Mike Mills augmented the band on a hilarious "Listening To The Higsons").

Just when things were getting predictable, Hitchcock summoned Glen Tilbrook to the stage. He returned several times, not least for a wacky solo in the Hendrix sub-medly Hitchcock lovingly, histrionically laid on as a sacrament. Billy Bragg pitched in for "Revolution", adding colourful harmonies to a scrum of "I Saw Her Standing There".

Satisfactory evening indeed, with the trio of Beatles covers undeniably the highlight. Which, conceptually speaking, may possibly have been the point.