On with the show the premiere of his first opera, TICKETS ON SALE TOMORROW The death of his mother prompted Rufus Prima Donna, which debuted in Manchester in June last year. Wainwright to throw himself into writing a Rufus attended the premiere with his partner, Jorn Weisbrodt, new album, writes Sally Browne dressed as Verdi and Puccini. The details can be seen in a RUFUS Wainwright has lived a life says Rufus from Philadelphia, an- ‘‘making of’’ DVD, which has many of colour and drama on and off the other stop on a busy tour. insightful and delightful interviews stage. ‘‘Everybody was pretty much in including with his mother and From growing up in Montreal agreement that we’re dealing with father, Loudon Wainwright III, and under the care of his folk singer a legend here. Her material is really amusing footage of the young mother and often absent but some of the greatest music written Rufus and his cousins acting out always entertaining singer- in any era. She’s one of the great famous operas at home. songwriter father to coming out at songwriters, so Martha and I feel While other kids developed an age 14; from getting plenty of very fortunate to have that legacy.’’ early appetite for pop, Wainwright Ten of Australia’s fi nest and most respected adulation as a young performer to Rufus plans to release a tribute was drawn to the drama of opera almost going blind due to a crystal to his mother with his sister and records in his mother’s collection. musicians perform the Dire Straits classic meth addiction; to recreating Judy will continue to work with the While flamboyance may have in full LIVE ON STAGE followed by a set Garland’s live show on stage, to cancer charity his mum set up, the been the order of the day in recent writing his own opera, to finding Kate McGarrigle Fund. Then he times – from his guest-studded of their greatest hits including Sultans love; for his 37 years, Rufus has might find time for a break to showboat record Release the Stars lived a full live. reflect and grieve. to his lipstick and tights tribute to of Swing, Romeo & Juliet, Tunnel of This year, he was dealt a blow ‘‘I made the instinctive decision Judy Garland’s concert at Carnegie Love and Going Home. when his beloved mother, to just work my ass off immediately Hall – his latest album is a pared- Canadian folk singer Kate after she died, as much as possible,’’ back affair. McGarrigle, died from the rare he says, ‘‘in order to both move All Days Are Nights: Songs for tissue cancer sarcoma in January. on and also not think too much Lulu, his sixth album, was released Rufus’s answer was to throw about it. in March. Rather than sweeping himself into his work – he contin- ‘‘I’ve been working a lot which I orchestral arrangements, this re- ued touring, released an album, think is a good way to begin this cord features Rufus solo at the and performed a special tribute process (of grieving), but I know piano. show to his mother with family and that at a certain point I’m going to As well as the personal pieces, friends. have to stop and absorb the shock, such as Martha, a missive to his The concert in London featured and I’ve chosen to do that after sister which contains lines about artists including Nick Cave, Christmas. I’m taking a good six visiting their mother, or Zebulon, Emmylou Harris, Teddy and months off at least, but work seems which references their mum being QPAC CONCERT HALL Richard Thompson, Rufus’s sister to definitely be the order of the day in hospital, there are also adap- and fellow songwriter Martha as soon as she passed away. It was tations of Shakespearean sonnets, FRIDAY 26 NOVEMBER, 8PM Wainwright and their aunt Anna a good way to get out there and get which rose from a project during CALL 136 246 OR QPAC.COM.AU McGarrigle, Kate’s songwriting to point B basically.’’ Rufus’s stay as artist-in-residence VIP, Dining & Hotel Packages 1300 4 SHOWS partner. The event earned six five- Rufus first learnt of his mother’s at the Brecht Theatre in Berlin. All or showbiz.com.au star reviews. battle with sarcoma in 2006. He Days Are Nights is a line from a ‘‘It was just an amazing show,’’ was happy she was able to attend Shakespeare poem. ClassicAlbumsLive.com.au Page 6 THE SUNDAY MAIL, event August 15, 2010 thesundaymail.com.au FEATURE EVENT 7 CD REVIEWS POP New Zealanders do not waste time affirming their originality. Saturated in kooky melodies, wonderful Modern Day Addiction voice layering and eerie sound effects (including Clare Bowditch and breathing and birds twittering) Barb is the creation the New Slang of five inventive personalities, including NZ indie (Island) favourite Liam Finn, jamming in a studio for a month. From the ponderous Time to Contemplate,tothe ★★★★★★★★★ psychedelic pop vibe of Martin XII and the instrumental number Characterful, there’s an With three albums and a swag of EPs of acclaimed imaginative skill that makes this album a great one. folk under her belt, the change of musical direction Anna Rodway is slightly surprising for Clare Bowditch but makes perfect sense and is a delight from the get-go. ROCK ’N’ ROLL Modern Day Addiction takes aim squarely at the 21st century afflictions such as peer pressure, the Tin Can Trust pursuit of the unattainable quick fix and rampant Los Lobos consumerism. Inspired by a cheesy old Casio synth, (Shout) Bowditch, collaborator/partner Marty Brown and her new band, with the help of producers Mocky ★★★★★★★★ (Fiest) and Mick Harvey, have veered away from her acoustic, rootsy beginnings to embrace choppy When did Los Lobos form? If your answer is around guitars, skittering drums and some spectacular the time of La Bamba you are out by 14 years. This vocal arrangements for her three gifted back-up crew has been making music together for 37 years, singers Sal, Rach and Belle. Bowditch isn’t judging, 26 with this line-up. With that in mind, the easy rather musing from the view of a concerned parent interplay and the unfussed production is more (Lucky Life), a grateful daughter (A Little History) readily understood. While the work of producers and a spurned lover (The Most Beautiful Life). such as Joe Henry, T-Bone Burnett (who helmed Los James Wigney Lobos’s major label debut) and Rick Rubin is to be admired, Tin Can Trust has the feel of a record made INDIE in someone’s loungeroom. But the musicianship and songwriting are right out of the top drawer. Lyrics Barb provide the light and shade here. Guitarists David Barb Hidalgo and Cesar Rosas rip it up on the (Liberation) instrumental Do the Murray and the blues rock All My Bridges Burning. Hidalgo and drummer Louie ★★★★★★★★★ Perez combine to write six of the 11 tracks. Rosas contributes the two Spanish-language tracks and Barb’s self-titled debut is weird. Fantastically weird. hooks up with Robert Hunter for All My Bridges Opening with a four-year-old’s obsessive ode to Burning. ‘‘fancy actor’’ Leonardo Di Caprio, it proves these Henry Lyall Works from that album will make up but it was because the language was the first half of his performance in beautiful and so poetic and crystalline – Australia in October. it really moved me. It was a minefield in The shows will be performed in stages a way,’’ he laughs. of dark and light. For now, Rufus,will keep diving into The first half features expressive the music he loves. visuals by Douglas Gordon and a On August 28 he will be performing a costume by Rufus’s friend Zaldy Goco, special outdoor benefit show with Kylie who designs for Lady Gaga. Minogue in New York, something he is ‘‘It’s very dark, very morose, very very much looking forward to. intense, very emotional, but also some- Then, in November, he will premiere what severe,’’ says Rufus. ‘‘I request that a song cycle of five Shakespearean there’s no applause during that section; sonnets. He has been presented with it’s basically me in mourning for my offers to work on other operas, too. mother’s death. So I do that for the first ‘‘I intend to take one on at some half; it’s a real trip. point, but before then I’d like to ‘‘And the second half, I come out and concentrate a little bit more on my pop I’m in a much cheerier outfit and with career because I’ve really put that on candles and so forth and I sing all the hold and I’m still, you know, worth old fun songs and we have a party. So looking at,’’ he jokes. It’s very dark, very morose, very intense, very emotional, but also somewhat severe it’s sort of the yin and yang of my Meanwhile, his mum is never far from existence and the piano is the root of his thoughts. that. It’s the core. ‘‘I do dream about my mother,’’ he ‘‘I don’t want to be cracking jokes and says, ‘‘and you know, it was a little bit of pretending it’s a throwaway event,’’ he an eerie dream. It’s us all in the country adds. ‘‘I do take it very seriously. So together, acting as if everything’s fine. that’s the idea.’’ And Kate’s there and Martha’s there, Rufus can’t predict where the emo- and we’re all having this lovely after- tional sting might be during a noon and as the sun sets we realise Kate performance.