Robyn At Rough Trade East Review

Everybody knows that our current economic climate is one of melancholy, maudlin, doom and gloom.  I'm no banker but I see an ominous 'ribbit' meandering from the froggy mouth of my 17p Freddo.  They say the best things in life are free; love, rainbows, sunsets, all those whimsical sorts of things that curly mustache men write poems about.  But you can't pay the bills with sparkly things or kisses.  No, perhaps the best things in life are really, really cheap instead.  Like my ticket to see Robyn at Rough Trade East that cost me just £9.99, the price of her new album Body Talk Pt.1 (or 58 Freddo's). 

Rough trade are well known for their in-store gigs, many famous artists have played on the little stage at the back of the shop. (Before they got too big to grace it).  So I was surprised to see Robyn's name pop up in the in-store gig list as she has been in the music business since she was 15 (now 31) and has had a number one hit single and numerous album releases to date.

The crowd was smaller than I expected, only half the fill of the shop.  My view was as usual encumbered by a six-foot man, so I wriggled around a bit and eventually landed myself a cosy spot with a near perfect view, just as Robyn crept shyly onto the stage.  She was dressed in a tight red dress, pocketed black leather waistcoat and gold thigh high tights that twinkled every so often in the disco lights. 

With a swoosh of her lily white hair she whispered, 'thank-you for coming' then the synths and solid drum beat of Dancing on my own kicked in.

Her voice was delicate but powerful as she sang her new single, a song of heartache on the dance floor, the natural progression perhaps from With Every Heartbeat, her pop-disco track laced with anguish.  The audience was shy at first, but as the opening track slowed down then escalated to its climax with a rising drum beat and electronic percussion, the crowd awakened with claps and 'whooooooos' and a ripple of motion meandered from left to right and front to back.  Leaving time for only a quick applause between tracks, Dancehall Queen was next, with Robyn's vocals taking on a reggae tone as she bobbed up and down, the crowd mirroring her movements.  

She hardly spoke during the gig, when she did her voice was gentle and soft, almost baby-like.  She introduced her two bandmates; Paul, a skinny brown haired fellow on drums and backing vocals and Marcus, the synth singer man with ginger floppy hair and a big mustache. The two boys sat behind Robyn on either side, enthusiastic and energetic in their movements.

It was mesmerising to watch the intricacies of Robyn's songs being sewn together on stage like a patchwork, particularly in the song, Fembot, a shimmering display of impressive synths and vocal distortion behind Robyn's infectious and playful robotic lyrics.  It was met with the loudest applause yet to which she replied, 'thank-you, thanks for coming out'.

The show which up until then had been a fireworks display of complex rhythms, big beats and sophisticated electro-pop, slowed down with the penultimate track, Hang With Me, which showcased the strength of Robyn's voice, only a piano accompanying her with a gentle melody. The gig then reached its finale as Marcus grabbed an acoustic guitar from under his keyboard and began to strum the cords of hit single, With Every Heartbeat, the crowd recognising the song, cheered excitedly.  It was the perfect ending to a flawless performance, the song gently building with the repetition of the hook and a crescendo of drum beats, synthesisers and piano keys, culminating in an explosive ending and rapturous applause from the crowd. Robyn took a bow and said 'thank-you, thank-you so much' and crept off the stage, just as she had crept on some 30 minutes earlier.  Everybody continued to cheer in the hope of an encore, but as the lights came back on, a collective 'oow' floated up from the crowd and they began to disperse.  I listened in on a few conversations, all of which sang praise, there was a lot of 'she was amazing' and even an 'i well fancy her now'.  The general consensus seemed to be a positive one.  And rightly so.  Robyn was modest, almost adorable, seemingly unaware of her talent and put on a magical show of what seems to be her best work yet; more melodic, rhythmic and intricate than her previous music. 

Definitely 100% more enjoyable than 58 Freddo's.