When Paloma Faith floats across the stage at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall it's with an almost ethereal quality. It sets the tone for a very unusual - but very enjoyable - evening's entertainment.
While it's all very peculiar, everything on-stage forms part of a high-impact aesthetic. There's her Lady Gaga inspired PVC/sheer-panelled outfit, giant hat and burlesque fans (which are rapidly discarded after her grand entrance); the stage itself, where a looking glass sits atop what appears to be a giant humbug, in front of a cloudy (colour-changing!) sky; the musicians in their androgynous suit-and-tie ensembles; the backing singers in their red and black houndstooth dresses and elegant gloves. The traditional surroundings may seem juxtaposed with this carefully-constructed set, but in fact simply add to the grandeur of the spectacle.
After a breathtaking rendition of Smoke and Mirrors, Paloma jokingly welcomes everybody to "the harvest assembly". Her child-like speaking voice is a surprisingly stark contrast to her huge singing voice and when delivering her unique humour, adds yet another dimension to her performance. (Particularly amusing is her request for a "water feature" - a synchronised arm-wave from the audience.)
Serenading a lucky (and thrilled) audience member and cavorting around the stage in impossibly high shoes, Paloma is visually and vocally perfect. 'The Truth or Something Beautiful' turns into a remix while she makes a costume change, reappearing in a glittering dress with giant shoulder pads that nobody else could look quite so charming in. Full of energy she twirls, leaps and crawls around her stage, captivating her audience. Her band are very strong too - choreographed perfectly just to add to the 'cabaret' edge.
The highlight of the set for most is probably Sexy Minx, her cover of Sexy Chick which she originally performed for Radio One's Live Lounge. How she moulds a typical Friday-night club song into a heart-wrenching ballad is a mystery, but from this moment on the crowd are on the feet.
There's another cover to come - You Never Give Me Your Money, originally by The Beatles. As a lesser-known track it's an original and intelligent choice because there are no qualms about her taking the song and making it entirely her own (something Paloma demonstrates tonight she is very capable of).
For her last two songs - the deeply soulful At Last (My Love Has Come Along) and New York - Paloma sports a shiny red dress that makes her look like a giant Quality Street; never has a bigger bow adorned a woman's back!
As talented as she is wonderfully weird, her promise of playing her album as though it were an entirely different one on her next tour is both believable and entycing. It's guaranteed that most of those present tonight will buy tickets - and some giant hair accessories...
