Music / Reviews
Review: Martha Wainwright at St George’s
There were empty seats for this Martha Wainwright gig, which seemed a little baffling to many – until the Canadian singer broke down in tears at the end of her set, saying: “There’s been a lot said on the Internet about something I did, so thank you all so much for being here – it means so much to me.” Cue clueless expressions from half the audience. A quick Internet search revealed calls from pro-Palestine groups to boycott her shows in the UK as she’d played a gig in Israel, with a Yorkshire venue speaking out against her saying they’d have dropped her show if they weren’t bound by a contract. Thankfully St George’s did not follow suit.
For what followed was a beautiful selection of songs, performed by a passionate and emotion-fuelled singer in one of Bristol’s most beautiful venues. Opening with her late mother Kate McGarrigle’s song I Am A Diamond made for the perfect introduction to material off her recent album Come Home To Mama, which is about both losing her mother and becoming a mum herself. Her family (including brother Rufus) provided the focus for much of the evening’s entertainment, from the tunes themselves to the anecdotes between the songs. She told us how her husband Brad was meant to be playing piano tonight, but was looking after their poorly son in the hotel.
Her voice is pretty incredible, taking you on a roller coaster journey from deep, rich Tracy Chapman style tones through to high pitched vocal dances a la Kate Bush and powerful wavering vibratos not dissimilar to that of Antony Hegarty’s. At times it was firmly in vocal showboating territory, but for the most part it sent shivers down your spine. The faces she pulled as she did this reflecting the raw emotion and energy behind each and every word.
is needed now More than ever
The highlight comes in the form of a Woody Guthrie lullaby, Hobo’s Lullaby, which she executed with such beautiful restraint, it almost sent the entire audience to sleep – in a good way. It forms part of an album she’s releasing with her step sister Lucy Wainwright Roche. Keeping it in the family, she followed this up with a cover of their dad Loudon’s Pretty Good Day.
The piece de resistance came in the encore, as the tears run down her face – a mighty rendition of the track Come Home To Mama. Compelling and unforgettable.
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