She's been around a block or three, but there's something about the perceived myth of Marianne Faithfull that has some semblance of reality. She begins with Broken English and ends the encore with Why D'ja Do It? In between she lays waste to a qualitative selection of songs from her back and present catalogue in a voice that can kindly be described as both weary and commanding.
The partisan Vicar Street audience (which included visiting celebrities such as Neil Jordan, Robbie Robertson, Daniel Lanois, Paul Brady, John Rocha, Jim Sheridan and Michael Mortell; where was VIP when it was needed the most?) lapped up every gesture, movement and utterance of Faithfull's.
It didn't seem to matter that her stage presence was stilted or that she appeared to be overly self-conscious. Not surprisingly, it was only when she stopped attempts at self-deprecating banter and launched into song that any sense of the real artist emerged.
With a set list that focused primarily on the two best albums of her career - 1979's Broken English and this year's Vagabond Ways - Faithfull might not have been breaking any new ground, but the sheer strength and durability of the material was enough to offset both over-familiarity and blatant plugging of the latest product.
Surprise renditions of As Tears Go By and Come And Stay With Me (both terrific and not at all steeped in nostalgia) only added to the cracked charm.
By doing what was effectively a "best of . . ." set, Marianne Faithfull captured the sense of survival that is, perhaps, her best known public and personal quality. This was validation enough of her as an individual. The fact that the gig was excellent, though ragged, was a bonus.
