Patrick Wolf
The Relentless Garage, London
20/06/2011

Patrick Wolf has dressed down on the night of an intimate launch party for his fourth album ‘Lupercalia’. Tonight he chooses a plain bow tie and white shirt – markedly more reserved get up than the hot pants, face paints and rollerskates of gigs past.

The beautifully arranged music from his latest record is perhaps more befitting a black tie party – Wolf‘s 2011 sound is (slightly) less frenzied, frenetic and fearless (but no less dramatic) than such breakthrough tunes as ‘Tristan’ and ‘The Libertine’. Although, it’s not long before the latter makes it into the set list, much to the delight of his army of passionately devoted fans. Uninhibited joy is a rare sight at London gigs, so to see a large chunk of the audience jumping around deliriously within 15 minutes is quite special. It’s not lost on Mr Wolf either, who gushes his thanks over a slightly muffled microphone. Even those not decked out in sparkly brooches, eccentric shirts and Wolf-aping haircuts find it hard not to be affected by the elation that fills the room when the mass band of violas, harps, double basses, synths and clarinets combine in a marvellous explosion of joy.

When new single ‘This City’ drops, with all its youthful love of London life, the whole room is smiling, including the band of backing musicians supporting Wolf (who still finds time to multi-task his way through most of the 20-or-so instruments on the stage). It’s brilliantly followed by ‘The Magic Position’ and as the singer’s shirt is flamboyantly unbuttoned and his hair is flicked sharply to the side, the stamping feet of the audience take over the percussion and Patrick Wolf has never sounded so splendid. Clearly born to perform he has mastered the special art of mixing clichéd boyband hip curls and sashays with a unique blend of theatrical pop.

He appears for an encore clad in a red jumpsuit and face smeared with red ink, to reel off an electro-cum-ska version of ‘Tristan’ before strutting across the stage to straddle a harp and close the show with ‘Together’. And with the pace picking up for the final few bars, Patrick Wolf exits the stage, marches to the middle of the dancefloor and joins in with the semi-classical disco he has created. Just superb.

Sharon Kean