Martha Wainwright and Dan Kelly on 'RockWiz'

This is an oldie, but a goodie. Those of you who keep even half an eye on my on-line profile will be aware that I have referenced this clip of Martha Wainwright duetting with Dan Kelly before - but hey, I'm working on the premise that one can never have too much of a good thing! This appeared on an episode of Australian musical quiz show 'RockWiz' back in 2005, and it's a fantastic performance from Martha, back in the day before her image got 'Delta Goodremed' (ie generically sexified) for her current album release.

I actually think Martha, while not being the best of songwriters, is unequalled among current young female music artists in her ability to perform and interpret the songs of others on stage. I agree completely with comments I saw Rockwiz host Julia Zemiro make about seeing Martha in this act - I am paraphrasing heavily here, but she remarked that we are now SO used to seeing young women in music being packaged and heavily choreographed in a way that sells an image of looking sexy. Martha, however, is apparently wearing a vintage frock that few other women could pull off, doesn't seem to be wearing a bra, has fluffy Marianne Faithfull-style hair happening, and she is one of the most draw-droppingly sexual creatures I've ever seen. The way she moves her body is incredibly free and un-prescribed, and yet her magnetism is so complete that watching her is enough to make me want to climb through my TV screen and touch her. I can only imagine what it was like for those who were lucky enough to actually be in the audience that night.

Martha vs The Pussycat Dolls? Give me Ms Wainwright over the whole lot of them!