RUFUS WAINWRIGHT
What can I say about Rufus Wainwright that I haven’t said already? Probably not much, but as anyone who knows me will know, I’m always happy to give it a try. Anyway, the Islington Academy sees a rather different style of show from those full-band affairs back at the end of last year - at times almost a return to those old days of just Rufus, a piano, a guitar, and lots of random comments. Tonight’s show is to launch the new album, “Want 2″, finally due to be released in the UK on Monday 7th March, although I sincerely doubt, in this internet age, that any member of tonight’s audience doesn’t have his or her precious copy already. Still, we’re greeted with what Rufus calls a “very impromptu affair”, which happily means he wheels out a number of songs that didn’t make it onto the band tour, new and old.
Always liking to start off with something in another language, Rufus begins the show in Latin with the haunting “Agnus Dei”, before upping the ante a bit with the cheerful “Hometown Waltz”. “I started this routine”, He tells us cheerfully, in a happy return to those mid-set anecdotes that were so rare during last year’s tour, “Where I decided to work out every day when I was on the road. And at home just eat chocolate.” Something to make everyone present warm to him instantly, as he transgresses into a sad tale of killer viruses meaning, “It’s great to be here. I stay in a town and I can’t have any contact with people!” Ah well. He should be safe from our germs onstage, at least.
“The Art Teacher” is, as always, one of the set’s highlights, a beautiful yet simplistic tale (which, nonetheless, today has me glancing up in some jealousy at the Turner print on my wall, wishing it was a real painting), and its soft melancholy contrasts nicely with the upbeat pop of “The One You Love”. Apparently, even though it’s his current single, this is the first time Rufus has played the latter live. We are certainly blessed.
“Peach Trees”, “Crumb By Crumb” and “Little Sister” follow on the new album theme, the latter being stopped at random for Rufus to declare, “Rufus for Pope!” Well, a suitable career change if he ever gets bored of being Rufus the Baptist. “I’ve been misquoted in the press,” He says sadly in introduction to “Gay Messiah”, “I am not the Gay Messiah!”. He is, however, apparently wearing “very expensive and therefore very slippery” trousers. “Why does everything expensive have to be slippery?” Indeed.
There’s two encores tonight but, as ever, this isn’t quite enough - which bodes well for Rufus’s full tour in April! Although we do get a nice run-through the album “Poses”, most of which was missing from those October and November dates - “Grey Gardens”, “Poses” (which remains one of Rufus’s most incredible songs) and “Rebel Prince” all put in an appearance. “I heard that Eminem played here or something.” Rufus comments. “My nemesis!” Well, every hero has to have one…
Set-list: Agnus Dei/Hometown Waltz/This Love Affair/The Art Teacher/The One You Love/Peach Trees/California/Crumb By Crumb/Little Sister/Memphis Skyline/Hallelujah/Vibrate/Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk/Beautiful Child/Gay Messiah Encore 1: Grey Gardens/Poses Encore 2: Rebel Prince/Want/Greek Song
