“2-4-6-8 ain’t never too late”…. to see Tom Robinson performing live!
Today it has been announced by local promoters Love Thy Neighbour that musician and broadcaster Tom Robinson will be appearing at Lewes Con Club on Wednesday 1st November for an evening of songs and stories spanning five decades of adventures in the music industry.
Tom’s musical journey began in 1974 when his first band was discovered by Ray Davies, and included a BBC ban for being ‘Glad To be Gay’, rocking against racism alongside The Clash, headlining Glastonbury with Peter Gabriel, writing lyrics for Elton John, drug smuggling in East Germany, two nervous breakdowns and a period in tabloid hell after falling in love with a woman. Having made his peace with the BBC, he’s presented programmes on all the corporation’s national radio networks, and his broadcasting work has won two Sony Radio Academy awards.
Expect intimate versions of classics such as ‘War Baby’,’ Glad To Be Gay’ and ‘2-4-6-8 Motorway’ alongside stories from behind the scenes and a sprinkling of fan favourites from his extensive back catalogue.
The Brighton & Hove News Music Team were in Blackpool last year for the Rebellion Festival that included R-Fest on the beach. Tom Robinson was one of the acts performing and here is our summing up:
TOM ROBINSON BAND – R-FEST (6:30pm – 7:30pm)
Thirty-four minutes after the departure of Hollie Cook, it was time for the Tom Robinson Band to entertain the R-Fest faithful. The sun had come out for Hollie’s reggae tunes, but it had gotten overcast again for the following dozen song 70 minute set, which concluded 10 minutes later than showing on the programme.
Tom was on vocals and bass, and his friends took care of the guitar, drums, cowbell with acoustic guitar and keys. Radio presenter and long-time LGBT rights activist Tom has been making music since he was around 25 years old and he is still at it at the age of 72, although he doesn’t really look that old.
The audience and the music is the most sedate that I have experienced thus far at the whole festival, which might just explain why this is actually my first ever encounter with Tom et al. After opener ‘Bully For You’ they perform one of my fave tracks of his ‘Atmospherics: Listen To The Radio’ which was enjoyable. A trio of other numbers that I wasn’t overly familiar with followed: ‘Grey Cortina’, ‘Martin’ and ‘The Mighty Sword Of Justice’. Familiarity was restored with a couple of hits in the form of ‘Too Good To Be True’ and ‘War Baby’.
Former Adverts frontman and now solo artist in his own right, TV Smith, bounds onto the high stage and joins the band for a couple of numbers that includes a rendition of ‘Thin Green Line’. After which another three big hitters are unleashed in the form of the singalong anthems of ‘Glad To Be Gay’ and ‘2-4-6-8 Motorway’ as well as ‘Up Against The Wall’. The set concludes with ‘Power In The Darkness’, but I reckon ‘2-4-6-8 Motorway’ would have been a better option. Tom comes across as a really decent fellow, although maybe not the world’s foremost Boris Johnson impersonator!
Grab your Tom Robinson Lewes concert tickets HERE or HERE.
