RUFUS WAINWRIGHT & HOT CHIP
(Review and photos by Chaffinch Cabal)
Okay this was a line up that was always going to be sketchy at best. Entering the venue early in the evening that was ever threatening (but thankfully non delivering) to drench us all in a gloomy downpour in a somewhat vain attempt to dampen the spirits of tonights enthusiastic crowd we proceeded the long journey down to what promised to be the live music event of the summer.
First on the bill were Hot Chip, an odd choice for support act to the most flamboyant mainstream star in music today, however things became even stranger when I learned from "an insider" that lots of the tickets for the nights events were bought by fans wishing to see only the support act! As an avid Wainwright fan I found this to be a shocking if not a little typical notion given Wainwright’s relative anonymity in the region.
Hot Chip were aurally adequate if visually uninspiring in their stage presence. A five piece unit with four members hidden behind keyboards and synthesisers and a fifth on an electric guitar, Hot Chip’s presence was about as engaging as dry toast, however as I say they had an adequate sound (and many in the crowd seemed to rejoice as though they were at Global Gathering, unsurprisingly I didn’t see those guys around during Wainwright’s set.) All in all they were musically sufficient but you would have gotten the same effect from a CD.
Then came the main event, to the sound of thrilled fans cheering for joy, Wainwright’s band entered the stage and began to play an instrumental version of the title track from Wainwright’s new album "Release the Stars." But, where was the man himself? After a couple of minutes of playing from his SUBERB backing band he emerged onto the stage smiling sheepishly and dressed in LADERHOSEN, what else? He then proceeded to give a stunning performance of "Release the Stars" before turning to the thrilled crowd and enquiring "Where the hell am I? I like to think of it as Teletubbieland!"
Playing a set of tracks predominantly from the latest album plus a few old favourites, Wainwright showed amazing vocal ability and incredible showmanship, with a power present either with his band or without.
After a blinding hour and fifteen minute set Wainwright and co returned to stage for an encore this time dressed in a nondescript white bathrobe. After two encore songs including a breathtaking performance of Leonard Cohen’s "Hallelujah" Rufus sat in a chair front and centre and slowly applied ear rings, lipstick and a set of high heels and then removed the chair and stood just in front of the drum kit, at which point his band re-emerged flooding the stage in a set of classy tuxedo’s shielding Wainwright from any onlookers eyes. A backing track for Judy Garland’s "Get Happy" came over the speakers and the band bounced away from their singer who had cast his robe aside to reveal a short black dress and trilby hat and started a lip synched dance number ala the original diva herself which was a great moment of playful homage and tomfoolery.
In my opinion it’s going to be hard for any other act at this years Eden sessions to surpass the sheer greatness of Wainwright and Co’s performance, pulling it off with the greatest of ease and skill and brilliant showmanship backed with absolutely thrilling songs. Highlights of the evening included "Release the Stars," "Between My Legs," "Beautiful Child," and so-quiet-you-could-hear-a-pin-drop (Which is quite an achievement given we’re outside) performances of "Nobody’s off the Hook" and "Hallelujah."
A master at work, DO NOT MISS!
