Robyn Hitchcock

The only Southern Italy date of Robyn Hitchcock's tour, the concert at MEET in Atripalda (Avellino) is a pleasant opportunity to appreciate the commitment and courage of certain promoters, determined to take risks and invest in contexts and venues that aren't exactly easy.

The first event of a partnership between Godot, City Hollers Records and MEET, the evening offers good vibes right from the start, beginning with the opening act entrusted to G.B. Husband And The Ungrateful Sons, a band from Avellino who already delivered an enjoyable debut, "Full Of Love".

The band confirms all the roots of its sound: 70s rock with crumbs of folk and roots music, given extra muscle by a shot of hard rock. Too bad the acoustic rendering isn't up to par: the live sound comes across slightly undefined and a bit rough, failing to do justice to the musicians' preparation and enthusiasm - fortunately, the variety of the songs and the band's solid structure still guarantee a decent dose of emotion.

Emma Swift is given the difficult task of opening for Robyn Hitchcock with a short acoustic set that reveals an interesting talent, a penetrating, crystalline voice that's at times pleasantly melancholic, but entrusted to a repertoire that's not entirely focused or original enough. Just enough time to appreciate MEET for its good sound quality and ample space for the audience and venue-goers, before the eccentric and brilliant English musician appears after a few technical checks - the man who gave psychedelia the trappings of punk and made them fit perfectly, the twenty-one-year-old who embarked on an ill-fated journey in search of his idol and psychological alter ego Syd Barrett.

It's no secret that the live dimension is one of the best suited to appreciating Hitchcock's talent: the album with the Egyptians, "Gotta Let This Hen Out", and the splendid acoustic creature that is "I Often Dream Of Trains" (revisited in a series of thrilling concerts a few years back) are prime examples of his skill as a performer.

Robyn Hitchcock confirms all his qualities as a shrewd songwriter full of irreverent humour, almost a Captain Beefheart lent to the cause of psychedelic folk, or a Syd Barrett sneaking into the backstage of the Sex Pistols: his songs hold up to the acoustic, minimal treatment of the live reinterpretation, highlighting a harmonic and technical complexity that are the defining elements of his music.

A harmonica solo opens the set; his remarkable guitar technique and ever-scratchy, almost surreal voice instantly seduce the audience, even the most distracted members. The musician seeks out a playful, ironic dialogue, mangling Italian terms and English slang with subtle wit.

Few in attendance miss the absolute class of the former Soft Boys frontman, who pulls gems at random from his vast and varied repertoire. Seductive and unexpected is the lovely two-voice version (with Emma Swift) of "Queen Elvis", intense and gripping is "Airscape", and almost cathartic is the reworking of "Raymond Chandler Evening"; finally, it's the folk-psych soul that emerges from the lively rendition of "Full Moon In My Soul", taken from "Spooked", the album made with Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, built around captivating acoustic songs about love and death.

What must be stressed once again is the excellent performance of the English musician as a guitarist: folk, blues and psychedelia merge into a unique style rich in complex compositional architecture that deepens the charm of his songs. For a musician who has never chased success (no album of his has ever charted), celebrating 40 years of artistic career while preserving such intense honesty and stylistic integrity is one of the most satisfying artistic achievements. Witnessing his artistic good health was, for us, a source of great pleasure.

Ride the wave of great music

Add OndaRock to your favorite sources on Google Discover. Don't miss our reviews, milestones and latest news straight in your feed.

Follow on Google