It must feel a little strange for Martha Wainwright to be a headliner. Her early beginnings as a backing singer to big brother Rufus saw her planted firmly in the proverbial wings – but if it was a role she was uncomfortable in, it was hard to tell. Previous Dublin gigs saw her easily pack venues like The Village and The Button Factory; but tonight, she’s entertaining a comfortably-full Vicar St., and it’s possible that she’s slightly unnerved by her biggest Irish crowd to date.
Drawing largely from new album I Know You’re Married But I’ve Got Feelings Too, she clambers over her setlist (almost literally, if her endearing ‘leg-hitch’ habit is anything to go by) with a delicious warbled croon that hits the spot 90% of the time, and ‘Bleeding All Over You’, ‘Hearts Club Band’ and ‘Jimi’ are all delivered effectively, even if they lack the intimate production afforded by their album versions. Droll banter is at a premium, too – bemoaning/apologising for her “three-sizes-too-small” mini-skirt, she cattily offers her politically-charged effort ‘Tower’ to Barack Obama as a campaign song (“Well, either this or ‘Gay Messiah’”).
Still, there’s the niggling feeling that a voice powerful enough to send your pulse racing just hasn’t been fully utilised this evening. Maybe she’s still a little wary of the limelight; she’d best get used to it.