Tuesday 29/05/07 Rufus Wainwright @ The Old Vic, London

No, this isn’t auditions for the next series of How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? and no, this isn’t a tribute to Hair. This is Rufus Wainwright and yes he is wearing tight fitting lederhosen “Thank god these pants are tight, it gives you something to think about” Rufus proudly proclaims in all his glory; and yes his band are dressed in thrift shop chic and look they’ve just emerged from a Woodstock induced hallucinogenic hibernation, only to walk straight into another one. A centrally positioned grand piano is framed by giant stars and stripes flag backdrop and contrasts with yet compliments The Old Vic’s sheer magnificence. Opulent to say the least with lavish chandeliers ornate fixtures and acoustics to die for, this is the perfect venue to host the second of a five night residency for the Canadian / American musician at the peak of his career.

It’s also rare to hear such crystal clear sound quality that would be hard enough to produce and replicate in a studio environment, performed live and with seeming ease. This is however not the case and with eight musicians sharing a stage it’s anything but easy to pull off. This fact is not lost on the eclectic crowd who, be it wearing jeans and trainers, shirt and cravat or the latest NME fashions, love every minute of this very special evening. ‘Harvester Of Hearts’ and ‘Do I Disappoint You’ are executed with professional precision and the appreciation is two fold and replicated, not always through Wainwright’s own material but through the likes of Gershwin’s ‘Foggy Day’, (more a personal tribute to Judy Garland and good old London town than Gershwin).

Wainwright’s performance mixes music hall grandeur with cabaret aesthetics, musical sincerity with dedication and creativity. It’s quite rare to see a performer as flexible as Wainwright who can seemingly adapt and adjust to any given situation with comparative effortlessness. This is not a gig, this is a show and the mise en scene and lighting reflect and refract this…imagine DNA meets Windows Media Player and you’re almost but not nearly enough there. Lyrically monumental, tonight explores the relationship between visual and aural art and Wainwright’s back catalogue goes a long way in ticking a lot of these boxes in the form of ‘Savannah’, ‘Going To A Town’, ‘Nobody’s Off The Hook’ and ‘I’m Not Ready To Love’ to name but a few.