Robyn Hitchcock and Emma Swift: Sweet Home Quarantine-the 1980's Show, Part 2

A screenshot from Robyn Hitchcock and Emma Swift's "Sweet Home Quarantine: the 1980's" show, June 12, 2020.

The setlist for Robyn Hitchcock and Emma Swift’s second 1980’s show was very similar to the first show. If you’re a subscriber to Robyn’s Patreon page, you can watch the video of the second 1980’s show, and I’d highly recommend you do so. There are a lot of excellent songs.

Robyn started the show with Roxy Music’s “More Than This,” which he covered long ago on the “Madonna of the Wasps” CD-single. I always like it when Robyn sings Roxy Music/Bryan Ferry, and he did a great job on “More Than This.” Robyn told a story about being in Oslo in 1982, the year “More Than This” came out, and feeling quite hopeless until he met the members of R.E.M. Robyn’s story reminded me of his 2009 song “Goodnight Oslo,” and I think he was talking about the dark time described in the song. Robyn then sang R.E.M.’s “You Are the Everything.” Next up was Robyn’s terrific version of Don Henley’s hit “The Boys of Summer,” with excellent guitar work.

Emma Swift joined Robyn for the unlikely choice of “Funkytown,” the one hit from Lipps Inc. (They were from Minneapolis!) Robyn worked a bit of his song “Brenda’s Iron Sledge” into “Funkytown,” so that was a fun detour. 

Emma got her solo spot with “I Drove All Night,” and rocked it, just like she did on Wednesday’s show. Emma really has a fantastic voice, and a song like “I Drove All Night” just shows it off so well. “Charlotte Ann” reappeared, with great guitar work, as did “Handle with Care,” which featured great vocals from Robyn and Emma. Emma also reprised her other solo spot from Wednesday, the Smiths’ “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out,” which she really needs to record. Her vocals on the song are absolutely amazing, and with Robyn’s guitar, it’s a superb combination. 

“Love My Way” and “Walking on Sunshine” made appearances, and both songs sounded great. Robyn then said that he was leaving us in a “Bryan Ferry sandwich,” a phrase that sent Emma into laughter. Emma was wearing a very cool vintage 1988 Bryan Ferry tour t-shirt. They sang a great version of Roxy Music’s “Oh Yeah,” which was a great way to end the show. I’d love if it if Robyn and Emma did an all Bryan Ferry/Roxy Music “Sweet Home Quarantine” show in the future. We really need to hear Robyn sing/speak “In Every Dream Home a Heartache.”