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The Soft Boys and Peter Buck
Concert appearance: Sun., 13 Aug. 2000
Three Kings
Clerkenwell, England UK
gearing up for the next year's tour
No set list available.
REM guitarist Peter Buck joined Robyn Hitchcock and the original members
of The Soft Boys onstage in a London pub on Sunday (August 13) for an
impromtu gig in front of just 40 people.
The band's equipment set-up was basic to say the least. Buck and Hitchcock
played acoustic guitars, with Morris Windsor on stand-up snare, shakers
and one cymbal and Kimberley Rew on 'electric' guitar plugged into a car
speaker.
The band played two sets at a pub in the East London district of
Clerkenwell. The sets featured various Soft Boys and Egyptians songs such
as 'Chinese Bones', 'Madonna Of The Wasps', 'Queen Of Eyes', 'Element Of
Light', plus a couple of old classics like 'Blue Suede Shoes' and The
Byrds' 'The Bells Of Rhymney'.
The pub's landlord introduced the band by saying, "There'll be some music
tonight. You are about to be entertained. If you want a drink, get it now,
as I won't be serving while there's music."
News of the gig was only confirmed at 7pm, and the acoustic guitars were
tuned and ready to be strummed by 9pm.
Peter, in his Hawaiian shirt, was en route to Dublin to work on the next
REM album. Asked why he took time out to play this London gig, he replied:
"Hey, it's the Soft Boys - who'd pass up this opportunity?"
From an REM site:
Peter and Robyn Hitchcock, along with original Soft Boys, Morris Windsor
and Kimberley Rew, performed an unannounced gig at the Three Kings Pub in
the Clerkenwell District of East London on Sunday, August 13th, before a
packed crowd of roughly 40 people. The band played two sets of Hitchcock
tunes featuring numbers from his days with both the Egyptians and The Soft
Boys, in addition to Elvis's "Blue Suede Shoes" and "The Bells of
Rhymney," by the Byrds. After most of the crowd had cleared, Peter and
Robyn returned for a third set which continued on into the wee hours of
the evening. We had a chance to speak to Peter this week, and he described
the surprise gig as, "just another night at the Three Kings Pub (a.k.a.
The Feghorn) with Robyn, the Soft Boys, and yours truly."
PETER BUCK joined maverick singer-songwriter ROBYN HITCHCOCK for an
impromptu show in a London pub last night (August 13).
According to reports in the UK, the pair were aided by Morris Windsor and
Kimberley Rew two members of The Soft Boys - Hitchcock's late 70s post
punk outfit who are said to be a seminal influence on R.E.M.
The essentially acoustic set in front of around 40 people in east London
drew from Soft Boys tracks as well as a number from The Egyptians - the
band Hitchcock fronted during the 80s - and old standards such as 'Blue
Suede Shoes'.
Buck, a long time friend of Hitchcock , explained to Music 365: "Hey, it's
The Soft Boys - who'd pass up this opportunity?"
A spokesperson for Buck could not confirm this morning how long the
guitarist intended to stay in London. He is on his way to Dublin to meet
up with fellow R.E.M. members Michael Stipe and Mike Mills.
The trio are understood to be staying in the Irish capital for a couple of
months to work on the final sessions for their new album, due for release
in Spring 2001. They have some 20 songs at various stages of completion
due for inclusion due on the follow up to 1998's 'Up'.
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