GIGS
2020 / 2021
When live venues closed, Robb moved performances online — from weekly shows in the back room at the Hove Palladium to special remotely recorded concerts and performances.
WHEN THE GIGS STOPPED
Like every other performer, Robb was affected by the disappearance of live music opportunities during the Covid pandemic.
He partially filled the gap with a weekly Sunday Zoom show, Live at the Hove Palladium, alongside a regular slot on Labour Grassroots and a number of one-off performances.
LIVE AT THE HOVE PALLADIUM
Most of the Hove Palladium shows were free to watch, with a virtual hat passed around for anyone who wished to contribute.
Occasionally there were ticketed events that went beyond the usual solo performance from Robb's back room.
SUNDAY NIGHT SHOWS
The regular Hove Palladium performances gave Robb a way to continue playing live and staying connected with listeners while conventional gigs were impossible.
Shows drew on songs from across Robb's catalogue, including themed performances and material that might otherwise rarely appear in a normal live set.
SPECIAL TICKETED EVENTS
Some performances featured a fuller band, recorded together remotely or through specially arranged studio sessions.
These events were sometimes bundled with exclusive recordings, discounted merchandise and other extras in an attempt to create something as close to the live experience as circumstances allowed.
THE HOVE PALLADIUM
Artwork and images from some of the Hove Palladium online performances.
HUMBUG
20 DECEMBER 2020
The annual Humbug show was one of the special ticketed events. It featured John Forrester on bass and double bass, Fae Simon on vocals, Tim Sanpher on electric guitar, Simon Wallace on piano, Linz Maeserosa on saxophone, and The Banderos — Lawrie Stevens, Bethan Prosser and Jon Mason.
FROM THE HOVE PALLADIUM
Two examples from Robb's Sunday-night Hove Palladium performances.
PANDEMIC SONGS
FORGOTTEN SONGS
GENTLE MEN & ORDINARY GIANTS
In August 2020, Robb performed a combination of Gentle Men and Ordinary Giants across three consecutive weeks.
Together, the songs form a family history stretching from 1890 to 2020, placing individual lives against more than a century of social and political history.
The three online performances provided a way of presenting the larger work at a time when staging it conventionally was impossible.
EXPLORE ORDINARY GIANTSPART ONE
PART TWO
PART THREE
This page is part of the Robb Johnson archive. The performances and events described above took place during 2020 and 2021 and are retained here as a record of Robb's music during the Covid period.
LOOKING FOR CURRENT GIGS?
See where Robb is playing now, or explore more from the music archive.