Paloma Faith at First Direct Arena Leeds - Review
This week I've been dancing along to Paloma Faith on the first date of her The Architect Tour. We'd booked the tickets months ago, but were concerned that the whole thing might be cancelled due to the snow. Paloma made it though, as did over 98% of the audience, proving that northern grit prevails.
The stage was set with a retro sci-fi feel, seeming like a silver mountain with a matching disc in the background signifying a planet or star.
Opening with the title track of her latest album The Architect, she proceeded to sing tracks from her first two albums, and we were back to the retro, brassy tracks that bought her world-wide success.
Paloma maintained her good-girl image between songs, thanking the audience for braving the weather conditions to come see her, and imploring the audience respect their bodies in an age of narcissism and body-shaming. Another three songs, tracks from the politically charged new album mixed with her original hits, which is when things got political.
Paloma discussed with the audience her Epidemic of Kindness, which is a concept I fundamentally agree with, it's all about doing little things every day that will help others, with the idea that as the rich get richer, the kind get kinder. She told the audience that there are 9 million people in London, and if everybody pledged to donate 50p a day to make the world a better place, good causes would suddenly find another £126 million each month. Paloma's message was simple, it's easy to feel isolated in a world of social media, where it's all too easy to equate followers with friends, when it's becoming increasingly difficult to form authentic connections, we're brainwashed to feel that any selfless act may feel like a drop in the ocean, but if people come together, limits are expanded.
Having said that, execution is key. Finding inspiration for the impact one can make in the world is lacking on Paloma's website. When we're given suggestions like "Help a lady with a pram or a person in a wheelchair who is struggling", it makes me wonder how far gone we actually are, or how little Paloma's team think of us. Would anyone casually walk past a person who is struggling in a wheelchair, regardless of their follower count?
In any case, perhaps I'm being contrarian for the sake of it. The music was great, her band were expert, her voice was flawless and audience engagement went over and above other shows I've seen at the arena. If a little politics of kindness weren't thrown in by the headline act, I'd feel shortchanged.
8/10
The stage was set with a retro sci-fi feel, seeming like a silver mountain with a matching disc in the background signifying a planet or star.
Opening with the title track of her latest album The Architect, she proceeded to sing tracks from her first two albums, and we were back to the retro, brassy tracks that bought her world-wide success.
Paloma maintained her good-girl image between songs, thanking the audience for braving the weather conditions to come see her, and imploring the audience respect their bodies in an age of narcissism and body-shaming. Another three songs, tracks from the politically charged new album mixed with her original hits, which is when things got political.
Paloma discussed with the audience her Epidemic of Kindness, which is a concept I fundamentally agree with, it's all about doing little things every day that will help others, with the idea that as the rich get richer, the kind get kinder. She told the audience that there are 9 million people in London, and if everybody pledged to donate 50p a day to make the world a better place, good causes would suddenly find another £126 million each month. Paloma's message was simple, it's easy to feel isolated in a world of social media, where it's all too easy to equate followers with friends, when it's becoming increasingly difficult to form authentic connections, we're brainwashed to feel that any selfless act may feel like a drop in the ocean, but if people come together, limits are expanded.
Having said that, execution is key. Finding inspiration for the impact one can make in the world is lacking on Paloma's website. When we're given suggestions like "Help a lady with a pram or a person in a wheelchair who is struggling", it makes me wonder how far gone we actually are, or how little Paloma's team think of us. Would anyone casually walk past a person who is struggling in a wheelchair, regardless of their follower count?
In any case, perhaps I'm being contrarian for the sake of it. The music was great, her band were expert, her voice was flawless and audience engagement went over and above other shows I've seen at the arena. If a little politics of kindness weren't thrown in by the headline act, I'd feel shortchanged.
8/10
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