Last week I went for a first (and possibly only) visit to the Anvil in Basingstoke where I saw Toyah Wilcox and Robert Fripp's Sunday Lunch Rock Party.
Some here will be aware of the eccentric Sunday Lunch videos the pair have released on youtube, starting during lockdown. As well as some clowning around they usually include cover versions. It's the latter that form the basis of this tour they're doing. I wasn't sure what to expect and avoided all reviews etc as far as possible. What I got was one of the most enjoyable shows I've seen.
They have a decent band with them and cover a good range of classic songs. Here's the setlist I saw, which seems fairly standard for the tour. They were all performed really well. The only slight down points for me were the ZZ Top and Billy Idol ones but that's mainly because of the songs themselves. The high points were seeing Fripp playing Fashion and Heroes, two iconic guitar parts embedded in my cultural life, and here was the guy who actually played them, playing them. Heroes was actually quite emotional.
Toyah is a brilliant performer, a stage natural full of energy and warmth and terrific with the audience. The show plays a lot on the contrast between her lively persona and her husband who largely maintains his impassive seated persona, but unlike in 50+ years of King Crimson shows he actually speaks during this show, usually to impatiently correct something she's just said or express comedic weariness at her playful ribbing of him. They've been married for nearly 40 years and the strength of that seemingly unlikely union comes across clearly with obvious affection.
A nice touch is that some of the merchandise, including all the tour brochures, is signed by them both. Meaning that 43 years after the 14yo me approached him before a PG gig at Hammersmith Odeon and was refused an autograph, I finally have it.
This show joins 10cc and Maggie Rogers as being one of three truly joyous gigs I've seen in the last year. And all about as different from each other as can be.