PATRICK WOLF at The Sugar Club.

Last night I went to see Patrick Wolf play at The Sugar Club, Leeson Street, Dublin.  I wrote this article for The University Times, so I'm just gonna go ahead and put it up here too!

Despite the fact that the doors of The Sugar Club were scheduled to open at 8pm, it was at least nine by the time anyone stepped foot inside. The queue was gargantuan considering the restricting size of the venue, and by the time we actually did get to go inside, it had extended around the corner of Leeson Street and I could no longer see the end. Apparently there had been some sort of mishap with Wolf’s monitor and a replacement had had to be shipped down from Belfast (when they discovered at 7pm that it wasn’t working).

A man of many talents

The pacifying promise which was hastily made to us by the management was fulfilled however, and the minute we entered, the rather…er…flamboyant support act took to the stage. Complete with pink war paint, sequin trousers and clean-shaven armpits, Rowdy Superstar and his “Hype Girls” were certainly a sight for sore eyes. Dominating the club’s miniature stage, which was already chock-a-block with Patrick Wolf’s abundance of musical paraphernalia, Superstar broke into his tune “Tick-Tock”, which is how he claims he met Patrick Wolf in the first place. With his array of interesting props (at one stage The Hype Girls were “playing” some sort of silver Styrofoam object) and choreographed dance routines, Rowdy Superstar certainly did what he was there to do: entertain.

For those of you who have never attended an event in The Sugar Club (I hadn’t before last night), it’s quite an intimate setting, with tiered seats reminiscent of a 1920’s cabaret—I later discovered that the venue is used for burlesque performances on a weekly basis. Last night though, it was absolutely jammed, and everyone was here to see the somewhat intriguing Patrick Wolf. Now 28 years old, Wolf was born in South London to what is described as a “creative family.” Using his natural talent to escape the harsh realities of the bullying he faced at school, Wolf began experimenting with his own compositions as early as eleven years-old, and by age fourteen he was performing with pop-art collective Minty. He filled up book upon book with poems, lyrics and short stories before eventually dropping out of school and leaving home to pursue his dreams at the tender age of sixteen. About to release his fifth album on the May 30th of this year, Patrick Wolf is no novice in the music industry, and his romantic-folk and electronic music is definitely unique.

After quite an acceptable wait, which was complimented by an accessible bar and the laid-back atmosphere of the venue, Wolf’s musicians emerged, followed by Patrick himself in what appeared to be a crimson three-piece suit (one would later discover that it was actually a jumpsuit and blazer). Backed by a black curtain, his name etched across it in a font which for some reason reminded me of the Roald Dahl books I read as a child, Wolf’s 6”4 frame towered above his band. As an orchestra member, I found the sheer amount of instruments in use to be astounding. There was a flute, a clarinet, a saxophone and an alto saxophone, a drum kit, a keyboard, various synthesizers, a guitar and a bass guitar, an electric violin and viola and a harp. In a haze of smoke and light, Wolf opened the gig with his track “Armistice”, accompanied by keyboard, before moving on to “Bluebells” on the harp.

"his shock of burgundy hair"

From the beginning, there was absolutely no ambiguity surrounding his talent. His beautiful, clear vocals resonated around the room, accompanied by intricate melodies on various instruments as he switched fluidly between keyboard, viola, harp and ukulele. Next came “Time of My Life”, as Wolf went on to prove his status as a charismatic performer. One of his more popular tracks, “Tristan” was probably the climax of the performance, as the crowd erupted into cheers and wholeheartedly joined in, not missing a beat. Mid-performance, Wolf decided it was time to vacate the stage in favour of some crowd immersion, and in between landing in a girl’s lap and flirting with an unsuspecting bald man, Wolf introduced us to his Irish family, who had all come along to the show to support him- how endearing. The set-list came in the form of a jumble of the older tracks, integrated with some brand new ones. Interrupted momentarily by a mishap with the batteries in his viola, Wolf came back with crowd favourite “Damaris”, to which, once again, nobody wasted any time throwing themselves into.

As Wolf thanked us all for being there, he pranced off the stage to tones of the typical Irish “one more tune, one more tune,”- some things never change. Soon though, the stage was once again occupied by a green-suited Patrick Wolf, martini glass in tow, as he launched into a lively encore encompassing “The City” and last but certainly not least, “The Magic Position”, exiting the stage on a positive note. Though I was not quite sure whether or not I enjoyed some of the newer tracks, I was glad I had made the effort to come out and see Patrick Wolf live, as with his shock of burgundy hair and genuine musical prowess, he really is one of a kind.

Rating: 3.5/5

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