Following on from the Rockin' For Robin tribute show this was another slightly lower key tribute to Robin Guy with Will Crewsdon and David Ryder Prangley playing two sets as a duo in the Cart & Horses in Maryland Point East London.
The show opened with I Wanna Be Your Doll totally stripped back to its essence with Will playing an electric guitar turned down to 2 instead of up to 11 and David picking and strumming his acoustic guitar. David told us Pink Skab was about his growing up in Wales, somehow it sounded more poignant played like this, he is still of course nailed to your bedroom wall mind. Black Tambourine was quite sleek with the sparse arrangement allowing the words to carry more meaning.
David did his best to explain the story behind the first song they wrote together as Rachel Stamp being to do with an overheard conversation on a train, or was it bus in Wales, how the person had fallen in love with a Dead Girl, obviously no live girls would go near this person. David then announced we'd reached the swing section of the show that kicked off with a jazzy take on I Got The Worm that most of the audience joined in with, it morphed through a tricky breakdown into Spank that really did swing like a good cane should.
Hearing them play Be Bop A Lula was unexpected and quite brilliant, before David introduced Rabin Guys favourite Rachel Stamp song Stealing Clothes From Shelley Barratt he claimed this might have been because the first part had no drumming, allowing Robin a break live, either way it sounded great played like this.
We then got to hear one of the lost Rachel Stamp songs from the embargoed never to be released major label album, thanks to WEA Heroine was never properly released sadly, it was great to hear it played live. The first set closed with Monsters Of The New Wave that had Will giving it his all at minimum volume, everyone sang the chorus.
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The second set opened with the first song they recorded with Robin Guy in the band the top 30 single My Sweet Rose that was gorgeous like always. David then took us to one of his other bands for a version of T-Rex's Laser Love that had some good banter before and after about the boppin elf and the bassline on this song.
Victory was introduced as the album closer for Oceans Of Venus and worked a treat stripped to its bare bones. Take A Hold Of Yourself was another sing along classic that they played up to a good bit.
David then paid tribute to his childhood friend Michael Bradshaw by telling us the story behind the bands classic single Hey Hey Michael You're Really Fantastic, he was apparently the prettiest boy in the village.
They then turned into Stamp Regard before our very eyes by David putting down his acoustic guitar and Will firing up his drum machines, so they could blast through Ladies & Gents with David moving round the stage a lot more. Je Suis Maisee worked a treat like this, with the drum machine a good foil for Will's guitar , David led us all in shouting the chorus. Although we all shouted the chorus of N.A.U.S.E.A. a lot louder.
The show then finished with a great version of Black Cherry that easily made clear that there needs to be more of these shows in the future, this was loads of fun like Rachel Stamp shows have always been.
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