Saw Robyn Hitchcock and the Venus 3 at the Cat's Cradle last night. This was the (1,2,3,4,5...6?) sixth time I've seen him, and the fourth time I've seen him at the Cat's Cradle. I suppose that means I'm one creepy smile away from getting a restraining order. It was another great show.
The Venus 3 are Scott McCaughey, Bill Rieflin and Peter Buck - all of whom play, in various capacities, with some band called R.E.M., and another called The Minus 5. There were a surprising number of people in line who had only a passing familiarity with Hitchcock, and were there to mostly see Peter Buck. Nothing wrong with that of course; Buck's kind of a legend, and I was all gushy over seeing him last time they came to town.
And Robyn Hitchcock remains Robyn Hitchcock: still as funny and clever and musically interesting as ever. Who else could make a crowd sing along and pump their fists to a line like "Fuck me baby, I'm a trolley bus!" ? (OK, maybe Malkmus)
This time around, they played mostly songs from the two R.H. & V3 albums, with a few from Robyn's Egyptians-period (including an acoustic "Lady Waters", by request, which he said he hadn't played since the mid 80s), a couple of Soft Boys' songs, and just a couple from Robyn's many solo-acoustic albums (typically my favorite). But, they're a good enough band that it all sounded great. The new stuff I especially liked live - the songs seem a little too polished in the studio.
They played Matt Pond PA's "Last Light" album on a loop, before the opening band came on. I'll just go ahead and assume that the Cat's Cradle staff reads this blog. Kidding, of course. Matt Pond PA played there last year. And I didn't go, because I'm lame.
There was a silent auction for miniature traffic cones that Robyn had doodled all over. My $50 bid was immediately trumped. I'm not sure how much they eventually went for. Instead, I bought a giant print of a double-decker bus with "Goodnight Oslo" (title of their current album) printed on its side. They were numbered prints, and I got number "200/200". I don't know if that means I got the last one they had, or just the last one printed, or if it doesn't mean anything. Anyway, Buck and Hitchcock signed it for me.
Robyn and Scott McCaughey were both playing these funky-lookin Airline guitars. Retro-hipsters!
The opening band, Durham's Erie Choir was quite good, too. It was the first time I'd seen anyone play a wooden box, live.
Saw Neko Case the night before, and I left the Cat's Cradle last night at 12:45AM, with a 40 minute drive home - in a car reeking of BBQ. Fuck I'm tired.
That third photograph down? Just spectacular.
Sounds like a great show. I would love to hear him play “Lady Waters”, that was a favorite song of mine for a while.
Just spectacular.
heh. thanks :)
was happy i got the camera up in time to catch that.
Nice. I KNEW I should have brought my Nikon D200 with me. My Canon G9 shoots for crap in low light, and the lights were so under-done anyway that I got not too much good. I’ll have my shots up tonight on my Flickr, but I think they are… bleah compared to your shots above. Very nice work. FYI: I am the guy who came up to you outside the show and asked about your camera. I think you’re the guy, anyway, since I know you were using a Nikon and the angle of these shots is where I saw you standing.
I KNEW I should have brought my Nikon D200 with me. My Canon G9 shoots for crap in low light, and the lights were so under-done anyway that I got not too much good.
i took about 100 shots. but most are red and blurry, even with my D90 cranked up as fast as it can go, and with a VR lens.
I am the guy who came up to you outside the show and asked about your camera. I think you’re the guy, anyway, since I know you were using a Nikon and the angle of these shots is where I saw you standing.
yep, that was probably me – nobody around me had an SLR, that I saw. a lot of point-n-shoots, but no big iron (that thing really gets heavy, having on your neck for three hours!)
let me know when you post your pics!
I shouldn’t have clicked on the BBQ link.
I used a Canon G9 last year in Japan . . . the ISO set to max during a late night outing in Shinjuku.
When converted to B&W in Photoshop looks fine to me.
I shouldn’t have clicked on the BBQ link.
heh.
that Q-shack in Carrboro NC happens to be in the same plaza as the Cat’s Cradle. too convenient to pass up. there’s one of those in CA. are you anywhere near Woodland?
i’ve got some decent concert shots out of my little Canon SD630 (the last RH & V3 show, for ex.). but it takes a lot of bracing and leaning against things (stage monitors are great for that) to get rid of camera shake.
Cool as fuel man.
Robyn Hitchcock guests on the forthcoming Graham Coxon album (her of Blur and one of my favourite guitarists).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_Coxon
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lymang/sets/72157616583410506/
I also have full videos of Saturday Groovers and I’m Falling but they’re too big for Flickr.
Lyman, thanks!
that one of McCaughey’s face is really nice!
i was trying hard to get one like that… but never got it. he kept bouncing around when i tried :)
full videos of Saturday Groovers and I’m Falling
Ooh, want to share them on my box.net account? I would love to see these.
i’ll put up the video i took, on YouTube.
it’s of “Beautiful Queen” (i think), and the sound is utterly horrible, but the video is pretty good.