Martha Wainwright in Whelan’s on 3rd November 2014

It’s nights like this where Whelan’s comes into its own. People gently slot themselves into the limited seating on offer and settle in for a night of abrasive folk from the younger Wainwright. People arrive early and intend to be home early. It’s that kind of show. This bodes well for opening act, one man band Elephant (Shane Clarke) as he takes to the stage to an almost full house.

Powered by clever looping of vocal harmonies and guitars, Elephant’s music is expansive and intimate all at once. The material exudes a quiet confidence and authority that easily wins over the audience. Throwing a downbeat cover of Thin Lizzy’s Dancing In The Moonlight into the mix is always going to be welcome in the heart of Dublin, but it’s the strength of his own songs that impresses tonight. He leaves the stage to warm applause leaving the impression that we’ll see more of him soon.

Martha Wainwright arrives onstage unceremoniously, alone and displaying a mischievous comfort with her own stage presence in a way that only a Wainwright can. With no band she presents the bare bones of her music with simple acoustic guitar and her powerful voice. In the intimate setting it almost seems a more appropriate approach as the lyrics get pushed to the fore. Every emotive sentiment is clocked by the crowd in a way that would possibly be lost in a bigger setting coupled with a full band. The interludes of characteristic honesty and spontaneous musings on her life make her instantly endearing and make for an apt bridge between her music and the woman herself. Covers of her mother and father’s work also ensure that the Wainwright’s are well represented.

The set ends with the powerful factory and a delicate Bleeding All Over You, perhaps as a reminder of how effective Martha can be at her most direct. She even engages with the audience in a way that is rarely possible even in such a private setting. Much like her brother, people feel they know Martha. With music so forthright it’s easy to see why. Performances like this only add to that impression. While the music may be stripped back tonight it’s in no way safe. At times it’s more powerful in its minimalism that any band can convey. As with most evenings of folk musings, people leave instantly when the show is over and are home early, full of enthusiasm for the terrific gig they just witnessed. It was that kind of show.