Entering the Koko’s stage through darkness, Patrick Wolf emerges with a vampire-esque demeanour. Clad in tight leather trousers, colossal boots and an ominous cape, only his bright blond hair impedes the count Dracula effect. As soon as the cape is shed, a feather like shirt is revealed, fluttering with his erratic movements. It is clear from the start this is going to be a theatrical affair.
Tonight Patrick is testing the water with some new material, although you wouldn’t guess it, each new song is delivered as if it’s been part of his set list for years. His stage presence is monumental, aided by the adoption of a head microphone leaving him free to roam the stage at will. It doesn’t take long for him to get up on the barrier and in the faces of those in the front row, and its moments like these that justify why he’s got such a cult following.
With three albums already firmly tucked under his belt, its nice to see Patrick hasn’t forgotten some of their gems with each album represented in the set list. Songs such as the defiant ‘Tristan’ or the uplifting ‘Magic Position’ would have been criminal to omit.
Naturally after finishing it doesn’t take long for Patrick to be summoned back to the stage for an encore by the expectant crowd. He does disappoint, entering with an even more outlandish new outfit and glitter coated face before breaking into forthcoming single ‘The Vulture’ and finishing with an old favourite in ‘Bloodbeat’.
Overall Patrick seems to have everything. He is a very talented songwriter and musician, and looks as if he were born to perform. His music is pop influenced enough to be easily accessible yet retaining complexity through varied instrumentation and arrangements that songs don’t become tiresome. Some might take his eccentric costumes to be pretentious or simply a gimmick, but when they are backed up by such quality in the music these arguments simply don’t matter.
http://patrickwolf.com/
http://www.myspace.com/officialpatrickwolf
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