The Wainwrights are a modern musical dynasty. Loudon began plying his trade in the late 60s, and married the late folk singer Kate McGarrigle. Their children Rufus and Martha Wainwright have become successful artists in their own right..

A third sprog, Lucy Wainwright-Roche is the support act for the evening, and shares more of her father’s musical DNA than her older siblings, being a folksy singer with a fine line in banter.

When on stage, Loudon tells the audience it is good to be in Wales before introducing a song called ‘P.O.W’ he wrote many years ago but never recorded due to events at the time. He then sings a plea for everyone to ‘take it easy on the Prince Of Wales’. Humour is essential to Wainwright’s oeuvre. Many songs are little more than humorous sketches. However, there is a melancholic side to him present in even his more comical songs, as exemplified by the bitter Unhappy Anniversary.

Wainwright says his new LP 10 Songs For The New Depression was inspired by the recent economic downturn ‘because I want to cash in on other people’s misery’. This seemed appropriate as few songwriters can make misery as much fun as Loudon Wainwright can.