English singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock, whose surrealist rock style has been influenced by the likes of Syd Barrett (Pink Floyd), John Lennon and Bob Dylan, is headed to Australia for a number of solo shows around the country.
First forging his career in the the 1970s with The Soft Boys, Robyn's solo career has seen him release 11 artist albums along with further releases with the groups The Egyptians and The Venus 3.
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Robyn indulges his inner-British love of the weather listing his favourite types of conditions and the time of day they occur.
1. Still mist in the morning that clears away about noon. In this chilly cocoon I feel incredibly excited. Usually in autumn or at altitude, everything you see looks significant. Most likely you'll see a priest or a llama. Always makes me fancy a minestrone.
2. The sky before it rains. Thick bars of grey cloud poured one upon another, with a purple-grey centre that's almost edible. Then the first fat drops fall... time for a cup of tea, on a balcony.
3. Cloudy drizzle, especially in the Norwegian fjords where the rain seems to fall upwards from the ground. Works well in the endless Scandinavian twilight with a bottle of expensively imported wine.
4. The late rays of afternoon/ evening sun striking the walls of a red-brick cottage or a skyscraper. The shadows are vivid and sharply defined, especially your own. Good with cheese.
5. Right after sunset, when the sky is clear and the evening star appears. Flowers become luminescent in the dusk and have a sombre glow of their own. Now is the time that ghosts appear, before it gets too dark to see them. Listen to Bob Dylan sing 'Sad-Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands', light a stick of incense and don't swallow anything.
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Robyn Hitchcock Shows
Sun 11 Dec - Newtown Social Club (Sydney)Thu 15 Dec - Grace Emily Hotel (Adelaide)
Fri 16 Dec - New Globe Theatreb (Brisbane)
Sun 18 Dec - Northcote Social Club (Melbourne)
Tue 20 Dec - The Tote (Melbourne, Soft Boys material)
