Gig review: Paloma Faith

Published on Tuesday 15 September 2009 18:59

PALOMA FAITH **** KING TUT'S, GLASGOW

DANCER, actress, magician's assistant – Paloma Faith has done the lot. And for her next trick she has decided to transform herself into a singer. How does she do it? Well, natural talent might have some part to play.

Faith's forthcoming debut album, Do You Want The Truth Or Something Beautiful?, is a credible though slightly airbrushed stab at producing the follow-up to Back To Black with which Amy Winehouse has yet to oblige us. But live, this Hackney imp makes much more sense – provided your idea of "sense" involves a pocket powerhouse dressed in basque and hot pants, long PVC gloves, a white hat and cape, wearing a bunch of balloons as a bracelet.

In this case, her theatrical garb did not overshadow her performance but enhanced it. For all the post-Duffy associations of her current Radio 2 patronage, Faith has more in common with the redoubtable Roisin Murphy – both are formidable, flawless singers with a love of outrageous outfits who rope their bands into giving a total performance. Murphy's musical arena is the cutting-edge dance scene; Faith's is retro bubblegum such as Romance Is Dead or epic torch songs such as requiem-for-a-friend My Legs Are Weak and her overwrought, lighter-waving closer Play On.

Whether playing cute, cheeky or melodramatic, Faith threw herself into each interpretation with the commitment of an old-school cabaret performer, wringing as much dramatic potential as she could (at least on this small stage) from the moment.

If she breaks through with her current single New York (prefaced at this show with a quick burst of that song that names it twice), you can be sure that Faith will make the most of a bigger arena and a bigger budget. The Brits should book her now.