One Man Stands Alone

Review: Rufus Wainwright @ Sheffield City Hall, 17.04.10

It’s hard to imagine the emotions that a person must go through when someone they are very close to passes away. If an artist were to create a piece of art about that difficult period in their life, would you feel intrusive looking at the art? Would you feel insensitive?

The art could be a stripped back, sombre and emotionally intense album about personal experiences to be performed in its entirety in front of a packed City Hall; the music brought to life with only evocative imagery, a single white spotlight and a grand piano. One man and his voice caining it all out in front of everyone.

After a request was read to City Hall asking that no one applaud or take pictures until the end of Rufus’ first set, I immediately thought ‘Uh-oh’. Suspicions were nearly confirmed when, walking along a single beam of light across a dark stage wearing a long and sequined blue cape, Rufus appeared in silent and dramatic form.

But as soon as it occurred to me that I was listening to him play the whole of new album All Days Are Nights: Songs for Lulu (which in itself is a beautifully conceived and poignant record) set to the stunning visuals of an opening and closing eye, my heart was set aflutter at the treat that lay ahead.

The album isn’t just about the recent loss of his mother, Kate McGarrigle, to cancer it is also about love, family and even surrealism – a sonic landscape of sometimes fluttering, sometimes pounding piano keys and all soaring voice. I cannot commend Rufus Wainwright enough for having the sincerity and guts to come on to the stage and belt out these songs with such force and emotion (not to mention technical skill) that it brought tears to the eyes and chills down the spine even in a very hot auditorium.

Rufus took the idea of a live musical performance and turned the whole thing into an experience. A voyage through moods and experiences that somehow seemed to avoid the pigeon-hole of self-indulgence. I felt like I was looking down on someone at their most vulnerable (as if I was not actually there and they were playing to themselves alone in a darkened room) or as if I was watching a piece of dance, a Swansong. The performances of ‘Martha’ ‘True Loves’ ‘The Dream’ and ‘Zebulon’ were particularly moving and the set rightly garnered a standing ovation at the end.

After a brief intermission, the second set was by far a much more traditional affair (excluding the sweet little candles that surrounded the grand piano on the stage) involving classic on-stage banter such as ‘Oh the boys in Sheffield are so cute!’. Particular highlights include the moving ‘Memphis Skyline’, ‘Little Sister’ and the upbeat and quirky ‘Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk’; it’s clear that Mr Wainwright is a born performer. The encore included a raw and intimate tribute to his mother, which clearly left Wainwright in tears. The closing song was a cover of the McGarrigle Sister’s track ‘Walking Song’ – penned by his mother for his father during their brief period of marital bliss before their children were born. Tonight, I think he can rest assured knowing that he did both of them proud.

‘Who Are You New York?’: (streaming only)