Patrick Wolf: An Exotic Creature

Patrick Wolf isn’t your run-of-the-mill singer/songwriter. Though he describes this as his vocation, he brims with the exuberance and charisma of a man of the forefront of his craft; always a visual delight- as been his trademark since he first hit the scene in 2003 with debut album Lycanthropy- Patrick Wolf is bringing his multi-instrumental indie-electronica to Australia this December. But for now, he’s out on the town: “I’m just walking home from a show in Angel-Islington, I haven’t been to shows for a while, been working, working, working”

Wolf has become an unofficial poster boy for a new wave of flamboyant, devil-may-care artists that push gender and sexual boundaries as well as creative ones. But Wolf does not want the real issues to become eclipsed: “It’s bullshit [laughs]; what’s an important issue in this generation is the gay/ straight issue"

"All people are the same, they just happen to love different people and different things. I suffered from the ignorance of that issue when I was younger and was somewhat traumatised by the experience. It’s something that I take responsibility for as I get older; I’m not a promoter for an cause or charity or anything, it doesn’t overshadow what I do, but there’s lots of creatures in the world and I’m happy to be an exotic creature"

"At the end of the day, I know I will live and die a musician and songwriter. I copped such flack on my first album, even just wearing three- quarter- length trousers, everyone was laughing at me and I could only hear laughing and not applause. There weren’t that many colourful characters when I was around. I’ve been the clown; now I wanna be the king [laughs]”

“You have to consider the family tree of music” Wolf explains. “I was and am hugely influenced by Kate Bush and she was influenced by Ziggy Stardust, David Bowie, and he was influenced by Josephine Baker and cabaret performance...you forget things that came before. I’m not just a new artist, I’ve been around and influencing people for a while, I’m just part of a long line of musicians. This thing of androgyny has been done before”

What Wolf promises is not just a ‘gig’ but a real live experience, as he brings us the Bachelor album show; a record he will sign off on on our very own shores.

“I feel a little like I have closed on Bachelor and want to focus on new record, but I very much want to experience Australia and Japan; I guess I’m finishing off Bachelor in Australia. These will be my last shows for the album; I won’t be repeating these performances ever again. I try to make all my shows a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I have no scripts. I’ve got to know the audience and the city I’m in"

"I’m not a travelling businessman, I’m a travelling singer and songwriter and I take influence from the places I’m in”

PATRICK WOLF plays:

9 Dec- The Metro - Sydney
10 Dec- The Zoo - Brisbane
11 Dec- Meredith Festival- Victoria
12 Dec- The Capitol - Perth
14 Dec- Prince of Wales - Melbourne

The Bachelor is out now on Speak and Spell.

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