Yesterday was very exciting for the following reasons. 1. The network at work went down and try and they might IT couldn’t fix it so they sent us home (albeit with work to do). 2. I got to see Patrick Wolf at the Zodiac (yes I know technically its the O2 but to me it has and always will be the Zodiac). What can I say? The man is awesome. I’ve been a fan of his stuff for quite a long time, but live it works even better. Plus (and I have to say this) the guy is a superfox.
I arrived really early as I had an e ticket to pick up, but the weather in Oxfordshire is still being really schizophrenic so I narrowly escaped a good soaking. The support band were called yacht, they were I think a husband and wife combo who sang/shouted over electronic backing whilst throwing shapes. The part of their set I enjoyed most was where they showed us where they lived on a projector before giving out their phone no & address & insisting we all went to stay. I’m sure some people would really like them but alas I’m not in their number, although if I’m ever in their neighbourhood I might take them biscuits and pop in for a cup of tea…
The soundcheck before the main band took hours, I guess just because there were so may instruments to line check. I positioned myself behind a young girl (who I think was about 12, that being said most of the audience looked about 15) and her dad (my parents never came to any gigs with me, so I think this guy deserves major recognition). When the band took to the stage they dived straight in with a bass heavy number from the new album and there was pretty much no let up. The set comprised of a good mix of stuff from the Magic position, Lycanthropy and Wind in the Wires, as well as showcasing some new tracks off his new album The Bachelor. Patrick switched between keyboard/piano, violin, mandolin, dulcimer and guitar (ohh to be THAT talented) and looked amazing with glitter over one eye and an asylum type jacket with acres of black underneath. Pretty early on he confessed to the audience that he had split his eyewateringly tight black trousers. For the encore he appeared in a skin coloured playsuit, I’m pretty sure with nothing underneath (steady girls, steady). He then came & crowdsurfed right in front of me. Yes the very hand that is writing this now has touched Patrick Wolf (there are no photos of this bit, I was way too excited to get anywhere near a camera, I might try and find some on another blog that I can link to). I could swear never to wash again but alas in the interest of keeping my job I thought it best to jump in the shower last night. The band ended with a stomping rendition of the magic position and all the mini Patrick’s and strange elfin princesses processed off into the night. It was awesome, I’m so glad I went and I now have this awesome drinking vessel to remind me of it.
Unfortunately today they’ve fixed the network…
