Robyn and Emma's house
Details
- Date
- April 07, 2021
- Venue
- Robyn and Emma's house London, England
- Billed As
- Robyn Hitchcock & Emma Swift
- Gig Type
- Online
Set List
- Point it at Gran Robyn solo
- Erasing Your Life Robyn solo
- A Globe of Frogs Robyn solo
- The Fat Angel Donovan Robyn solo
- Antwoman
- Chelsea Hotel #2 Leonard Cohen Emma vocals
- Sally Was a Legend
- Let's Go Thundering Robyn solo
- Strawberries Dress Robyn solo
- Chinese Bones
- Brenda's Iron Sledge
Reviews
Review by Adrienne Meddock from Zub Records
Welcome welcome to April! Tonight I scoot in a wee bit late; RH enters my screen adorned in a top hat and playing’ Erasing Your Life’ from the Tromso, Kaptein record, followed by what Robyn introduces ”one of my fertility songs especially for Easter,” ‘Globe Of Frogs.’ In wanders Tubby, who Robyn declares “ a great copilot tonight.”
RH is in a good mood. a small frog trinket from an adventure in Exeter appears and is briefly placed on RH's top hat brim. It's on to ‘Fat Angel,’ the Jefferson Airplane cover of a Donovan tune. The Scotsman gets a little kinder look in the halls of the Zub, probably more than most places, and this is an excellent choice of cover. Go Donovan!
Ringo and Emma enter. RH announces that is haircut is set for him for the 18th -- a startling return to civility and civilization that we hardcore lock-downers share. My last haircut was March 5, 2020, in the before-days, so imagining getting a haircut makes me feel ... wistful? Someone remarks they've been in a glamorous psychedelic prison. They share Sid Jones recollections about his ever-growing nose, leading into a duet on the next song. RH claims his song to be very like him, adding “you're bound to have favorites,’ It's ‘Antwoman’ from Jewels for Sophia.
It’s time for banter. They explain that when they have a question they ask Perry the Lobster who “lobsplains” responses to their questions after he's Googled them.
Emma sings ‘Chelsea Hotel Number 2,’ the Leonard Cohen song, RH providing the accompaniment. Robyn calls the Chelsea Hotel a flophouse, having been there during the so-called heyday and mincing no words.
Next up Robyn plays request by himself, but first the Saga of the Elaborate Gluten-free Donut, the “Gordon Jamsey” must be told. We hear of the yellow pinky disc, and somehow the discourse goes to religious rites and transubstantiation. Back to the music, and we’re treated to ‘Sally was a Legend,’ Emma adding inventive backing vocals on another Jewels for Sophia track.
Emma left to find Ringo. RH plays a request for “a song performed on Storefront Me but not performed elsewhere, ’Let's Go Thundering.” Then the capo comes out for a request, ‘Strawberries Dress’ from Love from London.
Tubs, Emma, and Perry the Lobster enter with Kristoff the Frog. Tubs high-fives. We are reminded that Perry has pincers so he can't high five.
RH and ES launch into ‘Chinese Bones.’ They tell us the Dead and Suzanne Vega performed the song in 1988. Emma asked who's who as between them, that is who represents the Dead and who's playing Suzanne. Robyn replies “I think of us as Simon and Garfunkel.”
They tell us that Dave Rawlings and Gillian Welch perform the song perfectly. They don't have email, though, they joke you have to contact them by pigeon. Robyn improvises that “ Norm the messenger pigeon went to work with some other pigeons…” as he spins the tale of the Rawlings-Welch pigeon service.
The next song has a glitch and Emma chides him “why practice when you can tweet?” as she steers him into playing their final song for the night ‘Brenda's Iron Sledge.’ Thinking of Robyn's comment at another show about his lack of commercial acumen, I am left to wonder if Andrew Ridgeley's presence could have made the tune the ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go’ of the surreal.
--Adrienne Meddock, I want to hit that high...
Welcome welcome to April! Tonight I scoot in a wee bit late; RH enters my screen adorned in a top hat and playing’ Erasing Your Life’ from the Tromso, Kaptein record, followed by what Robyn introduces ”one of my fertility songs especially for Easter,” ‘Globe Of Frogs.’ In wanders Tubby, who Robyn declares “ a great copilot tonight.”
RH is in a good mood. a small frog trinket from an adventure in Exeter appears and is briefly placed on RH's top hat brim. It's on to ‘Fat Angel,’ the Jefferson Airplane cover of a Donovan tune. The Scotsman gets a little kinder look in the halls of the Zub, probably more than most places, and this is an excellent choice of cover. Go Donovan!
Ringo and Emma enter. RH announces that is haircut is set for him for the 18th -- a startling return to civility and civilization that we hardcore lock-downers share. My last haircut was March 5, 2020, in the before-days, so imagining getting a haircut makes me feel ... wistful? Someone remarks they've been in a glamorous psychedelic prison. They share Sid Jones recollections about his ever-growing nose, leading into a duet on the next song. RH claims his song to be very like him, adding “you're bound to have favorites,’ It's ‘Antwoman’ from Jewels for Sophia.
It’s time for banter. They explain that when they have a question they ask Perry the Lobster who “lobsplains” responses to their questions after he's Googled them.
Emma sings ‘Chelsea Hotel Number 2,’ the Leonard Cohen song, RH providing the accompaniment. Robyn calls the Chelsea Hotel a flophouse, having been there during the so-called heyday and mincing no words.
Next up Robyn plays request by himself, but first the Saga of the Elaborate Gluten-free Donut, the “Gordon Jamsey” must be told. We hear of the yellow pinky disc, and somehow the discourse goes to religious rites and transubstantiation. Back to the music, and we’re treated to ‘Sally was a Legend,’ Emma adding inventive backing vocals on another Jewels for Sophia track.
Emma left to find Ringo. RH plays a request for “a song performed on Storefront Me but not performed elsewhere, ’Let's Go Thundering.” Then the capo comes out for a request, ‘Strawberries Dress’ from Love from London.
Tubs, Emma, and Perry the Lobster enter with Kristoff the Frog. Tubs high-fives. We are reminded that Perry has pincers so he can't high five.
RH and ES launch into ‘Chinese Bones.’ They tell us the Dead and Suzanne Vega performed the song in 1988. Emma asked who's who as between them, that is who represents the Dead and who's playing Suzanne. Robyn replies “I think of us as Simon and Garfunkel.”
They tell us that Dave Rawlings and Gillian Welch perform the song perfectly. They don't have email, though, they joke you have to contact them by pigeon. Robyn improvises that “ Norm the messenger pigeon went to work with some other pigeons…” as he spins the tale of the Rawlings-Welch pigeon service.
The next song has a glitch and Emma chides him “why practice when you can tweet?” as she steers him into playing their final song for the night ‘Brenda's Iron Sledge.’ Thinking of Robyn's comment at another show about his lack of commercial acumen, I am left to wonder if Andrew Ridgeley's presence could have made the tune the ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go’ of the surreal.
--Adrienne Meddock, I want to hit that high...