PATRICK WOLFWith Eva Eden
18th February 2007
Manchester Academy 3
Manchester University
There's something about watching Patrick Wolf live that always makes me wish I'd learnt to play the violin. This happens often. Listening to IAMX makes me long for keyboard skills. The Ukulele Orchestra Of Great Britain make me ashamed of my rudimentary uke skills. The only instrument this doesn't happen with is my other instrument of choice, the guitar. You see, in my social circle of indie-loving Media students, a gig without guitars is like The Stig without a helmet, Bill Bailey without a beard, or a fish with feet. Just plain disturbing. Luckily, I do have a group of friends who look beyond crappy, David Platt-reminiscent indie haircuts, and songs built on simple chord structures with Brief Harmonica Interlude. And it is these people I lovingly name The Gang O'Wolf. The Gang O'Wolf comprises primarily of myself, our ever cynical pop junkie Sam, master of the ginger emo cut Ben, and the seamonkey herself, Katy. Not joining us this time was Fiona: Ticket Supplier, and The Girl With The Eyebrows. Instead, we were joined by star of next week's Shameless, Ellie, and Natalia, who likes bands whose names she can't pronounce.
Now, the last time I went to see Patrick Wolf (in October), his support was Phoebe Buffay on a ukulele, with a whale sound and child choir backing track. She was also known as Rio En Medio. We'd heard that the wonderful Emily Haines was to support this time around. We were wrong. This one was even stranger. We were greeted with an excellent harpist playing a classical piece, and everyone was staring at the stage door, waiting for Ms Haines. Instead, we got a fat Czech named Eva Eden, who couldn't speak English, wearing a see-through top, singing about seamonkeys and generally being rubbishly hilarious. I bought her EP, because she was so bad.
Patrick's band were on stage 10 minutes before he was. There was more of them than last time (Victoria on violin, a double bassist and Jo Apps on electronics). This time, Victoria had been replaced, we had double bass, electronics and drums. The new violinist, who was very pretty, had to put up with a number of Patrick fanboys whistling at her, before the rumbling drum intro of Overture began, and the man himself bounded onto the stage. I’ve heard that at the Liverpool show, he came on stage with a toy chicken and watched it lay eggs for two minutes, but in Manchester, it was straight to business. Overture was a blinding introduction, with half the fans both male and female dancing like loons, a quarter, like myself, taking photographs, and the rest drooling over Patrick’s outfit. And Ellie and Ben sucking each other’s lips off. It was quite sweet. Electronics Man was grinning at them.
NB: I don't remember the exact order of the setlist, I'm just talking about songs as I remember them.
Get Lost was an absolute corker. Only two songs in, the audience were radiating the Dancing Glow Of Sparkly Joy, also known as a combination of glitter and sweat. What I really loved about the whole gig was the sudden change in dynamics between an absolute mess of electronics and body popping, and a nice, slow violin number. As I remember, from Get Lost onwards, it went To The Lighthouse, Jacob's Ladder, and then Tristan, an absolute tour de force of floor-writhing, screaming, pop joy. By this point, I was practically clinging to Sam with delight. But my highlight of the night was the next song. Bloodbeat completely stole the show for me. Firstly, when he got out the theremin, 6 people, myself included, squealed "HE IS BILL BAILEY!" The song had so much energy and passion. It's been a while since I've listened to Lycanthropy, but in that moment, I remembered why I fell in love with that album, and the reason is Bloodbeat.
PATRICK: I just found out as I was coming on stage, a friend of mine, I don't know how he got my number. But he rang the venue, and my flat's flooded. So straight after this, I need to go back home with 20,000 towels and rescue all my worldly possessions. So please, be nice to me. Anyway, this one's called Bluebells.
So, following Bluebells, Patrick decided to cover a song by "my husband. I'm sure he won't mind, he's been dead for 30 years." I can't remember the name of the song, but it led directly into Accident and Emergency. Now Patrick was just as sweaty as the audience, several people had started crying, two girls and one boy had yelled for Mr Wolf to get his kit off and Patrick himself was astonished at how long he'd been on stage for. He wanted to stay on for hours, and he said that on his next tour, he's having a giant neon clock hanging over his audience. Following Accident and Emergency was Pigeon Song, in which he replaced 'London' with 'Manchester', at which everyone cheered. Except us, as we are from Oldham and proud! Kind of. But I digress.
It was at this point that Patrick sat down for a breather. Asking us if we wanted a happy or a dark song, he remarked "Judging from the haircuts, I'm gonna guess dark." before asking for requests. Through the squeals of "Augustine!" "Teignmouth!" "GET NAKED!", Patrick took one girl's request for Ghost Song, and forgot the chords for the chorus. And yes, he blushed. It was quite a spectacle. But then something REALLY special happened.
Everyone knows that The Childcatcher is a pretty mental song, and even more so live. It's one of those songs that everyone dances to, and Patrick really throws himself into, screaming on the floor, and at the October gig, looking like he was going to have a seizure, but then people remember the subject matter, and descend into an awkward, sort of dad-at-a-party dance. Not this time. This time, Patrick removed his scarf, tied himself to the mic stand, and gyrated both on it, and on the floor. Spontaneous orgasms all round. At the end of the song, Wolf was in hysterics. "Sorry...I've taken a lot of vitamins on this tour...did I...never mind."
Following on from The Childcatcher was The Libertine. This was the second Patrick Wolf song I ever heard (after Tristan) and he didn't perform it in October, so I was suitably excited. However, Sam had told me that when he went to the first gig Wolf did in Manchester, The Libertine wasn't very good live. It was certainly...different. I don't think I can judge on the quality of the song performance, because all of it was forgotten with the sense of euphoria felt when the ENTIRE audience screamed "BOW DOWN, BOW DOWN, BOW DOWN TO YOUR GOD!"
PATRICK: I'd like to sing you an Austrian song now. I hope you don't mind. I don't know how racialist you are in Manchester. (Cue laughter, and some people going "Racialist? WTF?") Anyway, yes, this is an Austrian song, so I'll get my ukulele here. This is called Augustin.
Augustin, an Austrian version of Augustine was one of the single most hilarious songs I've ever heard. Patrick stood proudly centre-stage, hands on hips, just singing this genius song, and that boy has DEFINATELY missed a calling as a comedian. Augustin blended seamlessly into Augustine, and only a handful of people in the audience weren't kissing/crying/dancing. These were the group I belonged to, the photographers. And Sam, because he's too cool to cry. Ellie and Ben had been glued together, it seemed. Katy had entered this otherworldly state of bliss, Sam was actually smiling, and this means a lot when discussing music. Natalia, on the other hand, was throwing shapes like Mick Jagger being electrocuted.
One song, when at a Patrick Wolf gig, indicates the end more than any other. The Magic Position was so full of absolute squee, I don't even think I can write about it. It's all there in the song.
Patrick left the stage, and the poor double bassist had only just put his instrument away when he had to take it out again for the encore. Again, the band were on stage for about 10 minutes, and people were chanting "PADDY!" in Irish accents. Patrick Wolf is not Irish. Neither were the audience. It was still great. Ben and Ellie started off the typical clap build-up, and managed to keep it going with the whole audience for a few minutes until Patrick came back on stage in THE MOST AMAZING GOLD PANTS I HAVE EVER SEEN! The encore was The Stars, and it was everyone's favourite performance (except mine, as it was Bloodbeat for me). Those people who doubt The Magic Position as an album, you are WRONG! Of course, this is my own opinion. But it seems that most people who aren't keen on the album are judging it against Lycanthropy and Wind In The Wires, rather than judging it as an album on it's own. It's very different, and so unashamedly POP. I love it. Granted, this is in hindsight of the gig. Before it, the album was "quite good". But when Patrick played The Stars, I was mesmerised, and I am in love with this album. I went off on a little tangent there. Anyway, he played an amazing version of The Stars. Apparently he meant to finish with A Boy Like Me, but he REALLY had to get back to his flooded flat. All in all, an amazing gig.
Finally, a quote:
PATRICK: I've played Academy 3 three times now, so thank you all for coming back. Each time I play, the shoes get higher, and the pants get shorter.
Judging by the length of his shorts, by his fifth album, Patrick Wolf will be performing in a thong.
Photograph: Hayley Charlesworth
