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Robyn Hitchcock & Heavy Friends
Concert appearance: Sat., 7 Aug. 2004
Three Kings
Clerkenwell, England UK
benefit show: performing the entire Beatles White Album
Set list:
Back in the U.S.S.R. (The Beatles) We are the White Album let's go!
Dear Prudence (The Beatles)
Glass Onion (The Beatles)
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (The Beatles)
Wild Honey Pie (The Beatles)
Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill (The Beatles)
While My Guitar Gently Weeps (The Beatles)
Happiness Is a Warm Gun (The Beatles)
Martha My Dear (The Beatles) Ed Harcourt/Terry Edwards vocals
I'm So Tired (The Beatles)
Blackbird (The Beatles) Kimberley Rew, vocals
Piggies (The Beatles)
Rocky Raccoon (The Beatles)
Don't Pass Me By (The Beatles) Morris Windsor, vocals
Why Don't We Do It in the Road? (The Beatles) Adam Buxton, rapper
I Will (The Beatles) Ed Harcourt, vocals
Julia (The Beatles) Robyn & Romeo, vocals
Birthday (The Beatles)
Yer Blues (The Beatles)
Mother Nature's Son (The Beatles)
Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except (The Beatles)
Sexy Sadie (The Beatles)
Helter Skelter (The Beatles)
Long, Long, Long (The Beatles)
Revolution 1 (The Beatles)
Honey Pie (The Beatles)
Savoy Truffle (The Beatles)
Cry Baby Cry (The Beatles)
Revolution 9 (The Beatles)
Good Night (The Beatles)
The Saturday night White Album Against War gig was f*cking
phenomenal. The pub was tiny, there was no stage (as such), just an
area about 20ft x 10ft where 3-quarters of the Soft Boys plus various
other special guests did a, quite frankly astonishing live version
of 'The Beatles' album. Robyn wore a polka dot b&w shirt and bright
green cords. Between song banter was kept to a minimum but he did go
off at a tangent occasionally. He also sang some of the songs in a
hilarious/frightening (delete as applicable) Viv Stanshall baritone.
Morris sang on 'Don't Pass Me By', Barry Wom stylee. Kimberley's
playing (and grinning) was awesome. The whole thing was so good I can
hardly believe I was there.
Highlights for me were 'Happiness Is A Warm Gun', 'Piggies'
and 'Savoy Truffle' and 'Long, Long, Long' although I am a bit of a
Harrison freak. Revolution No. 9 was an absolute scream, with about
10 people on stage (+ a laptop) and Robyn attempting to conduct via a
cue sheet of all the required sounds and at what point they should be
heard. It was actually quite disturbing, as was Adam Buxton's Ali G
impersonation at half time, but we won't go into that...
You can work the set list out yourselves.
DP03.
I went to the White Album gig on the Saturday night too. No pics or
recordings I'm afraid
does the evening justice. The special guests were Terry Edwards (various
brass instruments), Paul Noble (bass, and wearing a great hat!), Ed Harcourt
(vocals - I think this is the guy with whom Robyn played in Mallorca earlier
this year), a keyboard player whose name I've forgotten, and Adam Buxton
doing a rap at one point (very bizarre).
Robyn introduced the band saying "Hi, we're the White Album." They were on
excellent form. Revolution #9, as the review below says, was amazing: they
had a digital counter running on a laptop at the back and everyone was doing
their bit at the correct time. The audience loved it, mostly for the sheer
amount of research and practice that must have gone into getting it right.
The highlight for me was While My Guitar Gently Weeps: Kimberley's playing
was incredible, as it was throughout the evening. It was a joy to be there.
Thoroughly entertaining and all in a good cause too, as we were reminded
after the end of 'Side Two' by a lady from Medecins Sans Frontihres who told
us about the charity's work. There was an auction at the end, with various
memorabilia being auctioned off (mainly signed Robyn things) in aid of the
charity. I hope this sort of gig becomes an annual event at the Three
Kings, which is the only pub I've ever been to which puts out FREE jugs of
water for the very hot audience (small space, lots of people, no air con!)
Long live the Three Kings!
Charlotte
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