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Robyn Hitchcock with Scott McCaughney & Kurt Bloch
Concert appearance: Sun., 31 Aug. 1997
Two Bells
Seattle, Washington US
"The Princess Di Memorial Gig"
Set list:
I Something You
Cheese Alarm
I Grew Some Hair
Gene Hackman
Odds and Ends (Bob Dylan)
Chinese Bones
Clothesline Saga (Bob Dylan) audience helps finish the song
Viva Sea-Tac
All Shook Up (Elvis Presley/Otis Blackwell)
Queen of Eyes
Length: 38
We were enjoying Seattle and wondering if we should go to
Bumbershoot again. We'd had tons of Bumbershoot fun the day before and
were also wondering if there would be another small gig with the sea-tac
boys. Robyn had promised a Sea-Tac 2.5 but the Croc was closed (we walked
by and I nearly jumped the chair propping the door open to accost the
janitor and find out the real deal.) Cynthia had heard someone mutter
something about the Two Bells Tavern so we went there and were told "No.
We don't have musicians. We have *artists*." We ended up eating and
drinking there anyway. As we were settling the bill and about to leave,
Robyn walked in, wearing [of all things] a www.firefly.com t-shirt. A
t-shirt. with an internet site on it. is that weird or what?
Cynthia asked him if he'd be playing anywhere that night, and explained
we'd been waiting for him. He replied "Yes, I'm playing here, only they
don't know it yet." He seemed a bit surprised that we'd known where to
find him. We really do know what he's going to do before he does it. He
told us who would be coming along to play with him, but spoke quietly and
Jeme and I thought he said "Barrett". {Later that evening a woman handed
RH a videotape that had "Opel" written on it, but I think it was footage
of a new band, not long-lost Barrett stock.}
I didn't catch much more of what he said... he quickly excused himself and
said he'd be back at ten. Around eleven the place began to fill up with
friends of RH and the Sea-Tac boys, then RH and the boys arrived. RH
started out solo, playing his acoustic without amplification. He dubbed
the gig the princess Di memorial gig, and said he was British too, but
would shortly be joined by a couple of real americans. "This is an
English song," he said, and launched into "I Something You". Aside from
"Gene Hackman", the rest of the selections were off the beaten track and
similar to those from Robyn at Sea... All Shook Up, Cheese Alarm (not to
be confused with direct me to the cheese), etc. Sort of the opposite from
the Bumbershoot greatest hits showcase. There was one song that seemed
to be either a Dylan song he and Scott couldn't remember, or something
they were working on and hadn't finished. RH seemed happy and
comfortable. He/they played a little under 40 minutes. It was great. We
didn't talk to RH afterwards.. he seemed occupied with this and that...
but I did feel he was looking at us funny. Perhaps wondering, "Who are
these fiends? And how do they always know where to find me?"
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