PALOMA FAITH | LIVE REVIEW
Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Sat 17 Mar
When she shines, in her glittery gold and white jumpsuit, the gathered masses blink. And when she talks, preaching her message of peace and kindness, they listen. Calmly. Kindly. (#epidemicofkindness if you want to know more.)
But when she sings, oh when she sings…
When Paloma Faith bangs out a tune there isn’t a human within 100 yards that can resist the temptation to bang their foot. There isn’t a tongue or a tonsil that can keep itself still. There isn’t an arse in the venue that can glue itself down. And on Saturday night in Cardiff, Miss Faith certainly didn’t disappoint, even though she had to face the daunting task of walking on stage following a Welsh rugby win.
Two of the night’s standout tracks were the duets that she sang without the significant other – Warrior (minus Sia) got hearts pounding early on, and I’ll Be Gentle (with her talented guitarist standing in for John Legend) slowed things back down to a satisfying sway. And, of course, the belters she’s become known for (Crybaby, Only Love Can Hurt Like This, Can’t Rely On You) built to a dramatic climax as the show rocked on, even whilst her glimmering set, her energetic dancers and her cheeky smile reminded the audience it was OK to have fun.
But Paloma identified most with the crowd when she took things down a personal route, talking with genuine emotion about her life, past and present. My Body came after a comical monologue about her physical changes since becoming a mother, Kings And Queens after a story about seeing her high school boyfriend getting arrested in the street as she happened to pass by with her new man. Love Me As I Am brought the show to a close after a heartfelt love note to her current boyfriend and baby daddy.
Could Paloma have taken the easy route to stardom, recording empty lyrics about vacuous nonsense? Probably. She certainly has the pipes and the personality. But let’s be thankful she didn’t – because without her passion, her soul and her sense of humour shining brightly across charts and arenas alike, we’d have very little else to make us stop and smile from time to time.
words JONATHAN SUTTON photos KEVIN PICK