Robyn and Emma's house Set List Notes Reviews

Details

Date
March 17, 2021
Venue
Robyn and Emma's house London, England
Billed As
Robyn Hitchcock & Emma Swift
Gig Type
Online

Notes

'Sweet Home Quarantine' online show on StageIt.com

Set List

  1. Bass Robyn solo
  2. Strawberry Mind Robyn solo
  3. You've Got Robyn solo
  4. The Feathery Serpent God Robyn solo
  5. Flesh Number One (Beatle Dennis)
  6. Going, Going, Gone Bob Dylan Emma vocals
  7. The Cat That Gets Things Done Improvised improv
  8. The Devil's Coachman
  9. Beautiful Girl Robyn solo
  10. Rock 'n' Roll Toilet
  11. Nothing Compares 2 U Sinéad O'Connor Emma vocals
  12. Cynthia Mask

Reviews

Review by Adrienne Meddock from Zub Records
The landmark show opens with ‘Bass’ from Element of Light, which RH remarks at the conclusion “it just stops, for some reason.” I love how his songs have minds of their own. On to another personal favorite, ‘Strawberry Mind,’ which he admits he “had to look this one up.” What follows is an upbeat, exuberant, carefully picked version of the great song.

He chats afterward with Perry the Lobster, RH, replying to his “whispered” inquiry, “No, no strawberries were harmed, this is a show where nothing is damaged.” A lovely commentary of why we’ve followed for scores of shows.

The next song he introduces as being “designed for a bank of synthesizers, but it never got that far.” It’s ‘You’ve Got’ from You & Oblivion, sans synthesizer one, but great nonetheless. Then, in response to a request for something from the forthcoming album, RH introduces “something in the same key as ”a song from that record,” ‘Feathery Serpent God.’

Emma enters with Ringo, who is high on a gifted catnip pillow, sent by a Groover. E Swift notes it is “the ultimate vibe improver.” The confession comes that Perry keeps the set list, but Groover Marcus keeps the reliable list, according to Emma, but RH wonders about his qualifications, it seems, “Does he have pincers?”

On that note, Emma joins in on ‘Flesh Number One (Beatle Dennis)’ from Globe of Frogs. Then it is time for an Emma feature from Blonde on the Tracks, ‘Going, Going, Gone.’ “Planet Waves” notes a Groover in the StageIt comments. RH replies “Yes, and it waves back.” Someone suggested the mashup ‘Simple Twist of Balloon Man,’ and RH notes they were both highly played. Maybe they are onto something. It does lead to RH riffing on the line “a cat who gets things done.” These little improvised songs could form the backbone of their own SHQ compilation.

They sing ‘The Devil’s Coachman’ from Queen Elvis, and then Emma’s off to “find a bottle of Perry.” RH plays ‘I’m in Love with a Beautiful Girl,” ending it with a nice “proto-rager” flourish.

Em enters with an unusually chill Tubs, blissed out on catnip. Em notes the house “smells like a hippie den,” and remarks that she misses “the smell of clubs: stale tobacco, beer..” RH notes that a graffito in the Hope & Anchor reads “police smoke cocks heavily,” an apt introduction to their “Rock n’ Roll Toilet,” a Soft Boys treat and SHQ Groovers favorite. With an eye toward the upcoming Nick Lowe song, RH suggests that Nick would be more likely to be found in a Rock n’ Roll spa. Having read Will Birch’s excellent Nick biography, Cruel to be Kind, (our interview with the author is at tinyurl.com/zubcruel) I had the feeling Nick is a bit posh around the edges.

Emma, putting on her “gravitas face,” sings the requested Prince classic ‘Nothing Compares 2 U.’ Emma wonders if they shouldn’t do a 70’s Theme show. RH replies “they felt dismal at the time, but now seem…” A global pandemic puts the yucky excesses of the 70s in their place, I think. But Emma is undaunted. “Can I get you in one of my onesies? Who’d you be in ABBA?” RH speculates he’d be “the darker haired woman or the least beardy man.”

The show closes with the two of them singing ‘Cynthia Mask.’ Next week, it’s Nick Night for we Groovers.

--Adrienne Meddock, guest Groover