1993
Robyn Hitchcock And The Egyptians
The Concorde, Brigthon
by Victoria Segal
"I want to see the guy, no make love to him," I hear someone protest as an eager freind drags them even closer to the front. However, the latter option is probably desirable for many of those here. The bulk of the auidence are in The Concorde because tonight there is nowhere in the world they would rather be -- they love Robyn and his band. Hell, they've even managed to emulate his height. I know the singer is tall because all I can see from my ant-on-the-paving-stone vantage point is his disembodied head.
In a contrived -- yet sincere -- paragraph link, I will now say that Robyn is not only great in physical stature. His songs spark with energy and verbal sorcery. It's tempting just to quote the edgy, arch lyrics in full -- they swim with imagery that veers from the beautifully melancholy to the bizarrely comic. "When I Was Dead" jangles like a whole bag of nerves while a glorious rendition of "Kingdom Of Love" makes me feel as if I've suddenly been hoisted up on a rope and can see clearly. As it sings, Robyn's floating head blinks and flinches, only loosening up when it free-associates between songs.
However, during "Wafflehead", the wonderfully oozy food/sex metaphor, Robyn is possessed by the spirit of Maurice Chevalier and sings in a salacious Gallic drawl. Adding to the effect are fiendish eyebrow movements and a dance Carmen Miranda could only have dreamed of.
"All I want to do is be your creature", sings Robyn. Everyone should be one of Robyn's creatures.
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