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Rufus has the Wright stuff
REVIEW: RUFUS WAINWRIGHT
Kenwood House
AS the last tinkling chords of Rufus Wainwright’s song America drifted out over the slopes of Kenwood, it became obvious to the audience they were in the presence of a musician who does not demand your attention, merely politely suggests it would be good for the soul to take in what he is up to.
Until that point, a fair minority of a well-heeled crowd seemed to be as interested in the contents of their neighbours’ picnics and quaffing free samples of an “orchard fruits cider” being generously doled out than the dapperly dressed boy on stage.
But Going to A Town, with Rufus’s refrain “I’m so tired of America”, and the passion with which it was sung, was greeted with the clamour it deserved; he responded by raising a fist and mumbling he might be a little less irritated if Obama wins the November election.
From then on in, as he rattled through his back catalogue and found space for an unharmonious ukulele-backed rendition of the Andy Rogers classic King of the Road, Rufus began to enjoy himself, and bring the crowd with him.
The Canadian-American folkie has often let his sister Martha and his old man Loudon fly the family flag: five celebrated albums have yet to shake him out of an almost surprised response to the fact his audience might have paid to see him.
It was not so much a low-key performance – rather, his attraction is that he is a low-key performer. It makes for a deadpan show, but his talent – he relies on no backing band, and wanders from the grand piano to the guitar stand and back again, as the mood fits him – means he can hold an audience.
He is a camp folkie, a busker on the sidewalk of Main Street, Nowheresville USA, who adds operatic frills to his hobo melodies. It was nowhere better demonstrated than with his finale, a rendition of the Leonard Cohen song Hallelujah – a fitting end to a civilised night on the Heath.
A word about the switch of stages: I always found there something nice about gazing out over the pond. But in terms of sound quality the new stage, at the foot of the hill boasting the Henry Moore, is clearer and does not need to be so loud.
DAN CARRIER |
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