Martha Wainwright live at the Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms :: Wessex Scene Online

Martha Wainwright live at the Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms

14th December 2005
Hannah Dudley

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Nov 04 - Rufus Wainwright soton guildhall review
Nov 05 - KT Tunstall
Oct 07 - Gigs: Stephanie McIntosh at Southampton University
Mar 05 - KT Tunstall - Southampton Joiners
Oct 07 - Gigs: Tegan & Sara, Komedia, Brighton

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Having been a fan of Rufus for many years, I bought Martha Wainwright’s debut major release earlier this year and to put it simply, was BLOWN AWAY. This girl’s voice is gut-wrenchingly, achingly impressive and so when I heard she would be playing in Portsmouth, I hurriedly bought my ticket and began to get very, very excited! Martha’s vocals were on top form as she performed to a sell-out crowd in the wonderfully intimate Wedgewood Rooms. ‘Ball and Chain’ was particularly strong, with its furiously bitter lyrics and Martha’s voice reaching incredible heights. She’s certainly not one of those artists who hit the high notes once in the studio and then ‘cheat’ in future live performances by ad-libbing a different melody to avoid messing up – Martha seriously went for it and succeeded exasperatingly every time.

‘This Life’ also sounded amazing, another true stand-out track, as did the new bonus tracks (and Martha kindly noted that for those of us who already have the original album, these new songs will be available for download). One is a duet with Rufus, who unfortunately didn’t make it to Portsmouth, so Martha performed it with her cousin – there seem to be no end to the Wainwrights’ talents. Of course, everyone was waiting for the best song on the album, ‘Bloody Mother F***ing A**hole’, which she played in the encore. Again, the passion and rage of the lyrics were flawlessly conveyed. We were also treated to a number of covers, including ‘I Was In The House’ by Warren Zevon and a beautiful Cole Porter number. The final track, one of the bonuses, ‘Dis Quand Reviendras Tu’ was sung entirely in French and perfectly demonstrated Martha’s flexibility, intelligence and performance power. She provided anecdotes throughout and her immeasurable guitar picking skills were consistent.

As if this woman couldn’t get any more perfect, she patiently signed autographs and chatted to fans after the gig – she was wonderfully approachable and genuine. If you EVER get a chance to see Martha live, seize it with both hands, as she has that rare ability to capture every shred of your attention and transport you into a world of melancholy, a**holes, boredom and passion that will remain utterly unforgettable…what more could you want?