15/05/05
13Rufus Wainwright
Leigh and I don’t get out to gigs as much as we used to. Apart from the rigmarole (and cost) of finding babysitters, Oxford, with the exception of the Zodiac in Cowley Road, isn’t gig central. There’s a thriving local scene for sure, out of which bands like Ride, Supergrass and Radiohead all came, but you really have to go London to see the majority of acts. Also, when you do manage to get out, there’s a heightened pressure to have a really good time – you don’t want to go through all that hassle and cost, just to see a bad movie do you?
So, giggling like teenagers let out for the night, we went to see Rufus Wainwright play at the New Theatre Oxford. No worries about a wasted night out, Rufus was engaging, compelling and moving. Somehow, he manages to keep going for hours, with his voice still as powerful at the 3rd encore as it was when he started. And what a voice.
The performance came to a real peak during ‘Oh what a world’ when the band strips down to lingerie or codpieces and don witches’ hats and cloaks. Some members looked more comfortable with this than others though. The contrast between Rufus (who also had a shiny pair of bright red high heels) and the blonde backing singer was very distinct.
I ‘really enjoyed’ listening to Rufus before – now I would count myself as a fan. Huzzah!
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Anders said 1212 days ago:
I don’t know if you’ve ever indulged but you might apreciate Bonnie “prince” Billy (Will Oldham). He has alot in common with the likes of Wainwright in this dark folky kind of way. Though BPB tends to take his music to the extreme ends of the spectrum managing to be remorseful and depressing while at the same time uplifting in a really strange way.I highly recommend his albums “I See a Darkness” and “Superwolf (2005)”
anyways, if you take the time to give him a shot, I think you’ll enjoy it.
~Anders
Virginia said 1212 days ago:
I saw Rufus in Melbourne a few months ago – he was on his own, and slightly pissed – and he was glorious. He’s got this kind of camp, louche confidence that’s incredibly appealing. Glad to know there’s another fan out there.Junap said 1212 days ago:
I’d back the Will Oldham plug. Disturbing yet brilliant. Must check out Superwolf, haven’t heard it yet.Todd Dominey said 1212 days ago:
Rufus’ voice live is pretty incredible. I saw him a few years ago on the Poses tour and was as surprised by the tone, volume, and clarity of his voice as I was seeing David Byrne in the mid 90s. Both sound unnaturally good live.Kyle Jones said 1212 days ago:
Who cant get enough of “O What a World” with that bouncing bass. First time I heard it, I couldn’t stop whistling it for a week.Neil said 1212 days ago:
The witch act is hilarious, though I’m surprised he’s still trotting it out – I think he’s been doing it for a couple of years now. It cracked me up to see a bunch of cool-as-ice session musicians put on witch costumes and gallivant about, however.One neat thing for me was realizing that Joan Wassar was his violinist / backup singer – she used to play in a band from Hawaii called The Dambuilders back in the 90’s.
One other singer whose voice is incredible live (in a different but equally cool way) is James Mercer from The Shins. I just saw them a month ago and was completely floored.
chris glass said 1212 days ago:
Thank you for this post… it reminded me to check out his upcoming dates on his site. He’s coming to Ohio. Yay.Feaverish said 1211 days ago:
I saw him play in a bar here in Portland years ago, before his second album came out. He was with his sister Martha and only a few musicians, and it was a great show. I saw him again in a much larger venue with a full band and everything and it just wasn’t as good as that little bar show.Gabriel said 1211 days ago:
I’m certainly looking forward to seeing Rufus here in Ottawa for Bluesfest. This year’s lineup has a little for everyone and leaves nothing to be desired.Mat Harden said 1209 days ago:
Glad to see you put Ride first on the list. I’m a huge fan. Now a fan of Rufus, who I’m yet to see live. Wouldn’t have expected that though. Does anyone remember his Christmas time GAP advert from about 5 years ago?Jon Hicks said 1208 days ago:
Mat – I sort of had to. I know Andy Bell and felt obliged! ;o)Paul Turnbull said 1207 days ago:
I’ve only seen Rufus once but then he was performing with Kate and Anna McGarrigle (Kate is his mother), Loudon Wainwright (his father), and Martha Wainwright (his sister). It was a hell of performance.Christoph Studer said 1205 days ago:
I was at his concert in Zurich, Switzerland!And I was very impressed bi his strong voice, which lasted until the very last song!
Seeing him live makes you realize that he doesn’t write his songs (only) to be recorded on CD… although there very few instruments on the stage, his songs unfolded their whole depth and beauty.
Here’s my Rufus Wainwright Konzertbericht (in German). You’ll find some Rufus Wainwright live pictures in my gallery.