Patrick Wolf/YACHT, London Electric Ballroom

Patrick Wolf

June 1, 2009

YACHT, comprising Jona Bechtolt (formerly of The Blow) and Claire L. Evans, from Portland, Oregon, are tomato soup-esque. Playing the Electric Ballroom, they make for a toe-tapping, arm-waving, powerpoint presentation-esque starter for the delightful Patrick Wolf (I would say a nice beef Wellington).

Powerpoint presentation-esque?! Not a phrase I have used in a review before (or elsewhere as a matter of fact), but after this set I am hoping it will start a sort of multimedia Renaissance. If you can’t make ‘em listen, make ‘em watch – and boy we are.

Taking a while to warm up the crowd, it’s not long before we’re all joining in the robotic knee-falling jerky dancing favoured by the Hot Chip-inspired duo. Going from Metronomy-ish electro beats through M.I.A.-stylee repetition, there’s something most to love.

‘Waste of Time’ is poppy, kids-TV fun. Getting the crowd swaying with no more musical nous than someone pressing the buttons on a variety of whimsical music boxes is a smart move, leaving more time for That dancing; ‘Psychic City (Voodoo City)’ ought to be a summer breakthrough hit.

Suitably filled from this banterous and entertaining starter, it’s onto Patrick Wolf – YUM. Ever the gracious gentleman and performer, he wastes no time debuting material from his new album, out today. After waiting two years, the anticipation from one of the most loyal followings in electro-folk is palpable. It’s not going to be a quiet night and with all the recent press, the Electric Ballroom is packed.

The biggest question of the night though is answered when to a deafening entrance, Mr. Wolf reveals he has gone for bleached blonde hair, very 1980s Madonna-esque. And with the outfit changes and stripping layers on stage, I almost feel I’m ‘Like A Virgin’ (again). What an interesting thought; if for this feeling alone, make sure you don’t miss another Patrick Wolf show.

‘Oblivion’ is the debut of choice, and it doesn’t slow down from here, with the exception of ‘Damarius’,  one of the weakest tracks on The Bachelor. A mixture of the old and the new, Wolf is an artist who knows how to stir up a crowd; in this gloomy, student-infested venue, the lyrics are even more striking.

If you don’t know Patty like I do, its all a case of the mystical, the old folk tale and a good dose of S&M-infused electro. An infallible recipe if you’re that way inclined. Having left the dreariness of corporate music behind, this is a comeback tour that flies the flag for independent music. After this being spat out into the nightlife of Camden on a balmy summer Monday evening, it takes a while to reorientate.

Patrick seems to have lost the awkwardness that came last year with The Magic Position and emerged as an artist comfortable in both his extroversion (whilst singing) and quiet ruminations (whilst addressing the crowd).

A crowd pleaser he is, and who’s arguing when everyone in the room knows the words to ‘Tristan’, ‘Accident and Emergency’ and ‘The Libertine’. ‘Vulture’, the debut from The Bachelor, is sex (note: ‘sex’ really needs to become an adjective, bear with me – adjective: wonderful; first-rate; very good: “Look at the coffee I just made you!”/”Thanks, that’s sex”) – and with outings for ‘Battle’ and ‘Hard Times’, it’s worth its collector’s points for sure.

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