Robyn Hitchcock And The Egyptians
Kentish Town
Town And Country Club

by Chris Roberts

The greatest story ever told could well be "Lady Waters And The Hooded One". Tonight it's the encore and time is tight, so Robyn Hitchcock recites it in the manner beloved of racing commentators. This is something I cannot imagine Placido Domingo doing.

The other greatest story ever told is definitely the a capella one about personality traits and disorders, the title of which evades me for the 37th time in succession. It says a lot about men and women, this one, and what they want, and what they get, and how so much stems from childhood. It goes down a storm.

This is interesting, because Robyn Hitchcock's sprawlingly varied audience has expanded and mutated. The Alice In Wonderland motley crew are out in flowery force, having found a new old messiah who -- and this must be a revelation to those weaned on Dr. & The Medics -- has a mind and a heart and the most fabulous wavy arms in Pop history.

Thus trusted twirls such as "Brenda's Iron Sledge" mingle with chewy slices from the new Element Of Light offering. "Raymond Chandler Evening" is merely dutifully odd, but "The President" is nothing short of beautiful. No, really. All uplifting guitar crescendos, without pomp, and a recurring streak of apropos intensity disguised as absurdity: "When I hear the word 'security', I reach for my shotgun".

For the jingoistic classic "Listening To The Higsons", Andy Metcalfe and Morris Windsor swap instruments and deal in mild mayhem. Another throng of inquisitive humanoids are converted to fascination and delight, and Robyn looks kind of...nonplussed. Well, yes, it is all quite implausible sometimes. Especially when things go right.