Gig review: Paloma Faith

JUST days before this full-of-beans show, Paloma Faith had been in hospital on a drip, but you would never have known that from the way she and her backing singers handjived on to the stage like a latterday Tina Turner and the Ikettes.
Paloma Faith. Picture: Ian GeorgesonPaloma Faith. Picture: Ian Georgeson
Paloma Faith. Picture: Ian Georgeson

Paloma Faith

Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow

***

The pristine white stage layout of platforms and staircases had the look of a 1960s television set and Faith and her colour co-ordinated band threw themselves into that environment with an energetic cover of River Deep, Mountain High during the encore, which said as much about Faith’s have-a-go spirit as her taste in music.

Yet despite her spot-on soul voice and infectious pixie-ish eccentricity, Faith initially had trouble piercing the decorous veneer of this well-behaved venue and persuading the fans to dance with her. Eventually, she had to clamber into the crowd to break the ice and from this point on the show was more of a party than a performance.

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The slick setlist was drawn mainly from current album A Perfect Contradiction. Faith made no bones about promoting her wares but just as she can sell her album and merchandise with a sprinkling of irreverence, so can she sell a song, however streamlined and generic. Her sound is manicured retro, best exemplified here by the 60s-influenced R’n’B of Trouble With My Baby and the brassy I Just Can’t Rely On You though these were easily surpassed in soulfulness by her duet version of Van Morrison’s Crazy Love with support act Brett Dennen.

Seen on 16.11.14

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