An Evening With Rufus

It's very hard to write about what I experienced last Friday from seeing Rufus Wainwright in concert. The day after the gig, I really felt like writing about it but I still have a lack of faith in my blogging skills. Then I read the amazing blog of my good friend Sian and decided to give it a bash.

I'm a big fan of Rufus, he's been a strong prescence in my playlist for a number of years now but I'm now listening to him in a totally different way.

As we entered the auditorium we were told there was to be no applause in the first half. Having worked in a concert hall for years, I'm always sceptical about such requests as they rarely have an impact and ignored most of the time anyway. However, when Rufus started playing all my preconceptions flew out of the window. He proceeded to give a rendition of his new album, All Days Are Nights: Songs For Lulu. This is where it gets difficult for me, how do I fully describe how beautiful it was? There were maybe 1000 people in the audience, but I felt like the only one there. His music and performance drew me in completely, it felt like it was entirely for me. I had my eyes closed for a lot of the time, letting everything flow over me and trying to absorb every last note that was played so it would remain in my head forever. I regained some faith in concert-goers as we all collectively remained silent for the whole set, each being drawn in and having our own wonderful experience. The lack of applause reinforced the continuity of the album and the importance of silence in music. Silence is music. His dramatic exit only enhanced the entire experience and once it was over and the harsh house lights thrust us back into reality, I felt bereft and wanted to go back immediately!

The second half was lighter and Rufus performed some of his popular songs from previous albums. It was so comfortable and he played with such style and swagger I found it hard not to grin constantly. His ease with the audience and our total devotion to everything he said and played were truly heartwarming, it's not hard to see why he has such a dedicated following. Listening to CDs, you never quite realise what an incredible musician Rufus is. Without wanting to sound snooty, being a musician means I'm often surrounded by seriously talented players and I take this for granted a lot of the time - it's easy to lose sight of the real craft and beauty of it. The combination of beautiful songs, delicate artistry and that velvety voice that envelops your whole being reminds me what music is all about (this is where I want to rant about the importance of music in education. That's for another entry).

I am happy to say that the concert was one of the most wonderful gigs I've ever seen and am now a fully fledged Rufus convert!