Marina & The Diamonds // Norwich Arts Centre - 14.02.10
Ahh the blessed 14th of February! The day of love! The day none of your friends can/will go to a gig with you because they’re all, literally, busy with their loved ones buying into the capitalist shite that is St. Valentines (excuse the bitterness!) The day I sucked it up and invited my mother, who has an aversion to music that isn’t Take That or Tina Turner, to a Marina and the Diamonds gig. It don’t get much better than this kids…
After my mum got all the obvious comments out of the way, “I can’t understand what he’s saying…”, “I can’t see through the pillar…” she made way for the less obvious ones including “He looks like a terrorist” (the lead singer of the support band, Clock Opera) and “Oooh he’s showing the love a bit i’nt he?!” She continued to observe and enquire as to how a church had been turned into a bar and gig venue, and how on earth they got the licensing for that stating that it was “a bit like a cult”. I stood there, wondering what crime against humanity I must have committed in a past life to deserve this, when Marina skipped on stage. Surprisingly, once Marina opened her mouth, my Mum shut hers. Move aside Tina, Linny’s got a new favourite…
Fresh faced and full of the joys of spring, Marina is no less stunning in the flesh than she is on the glossy pages of magazines- she looks like a superstar. She muttered “Hello diamonds” into the microphone (still not sure about this, referring to her fans as diamonds business… it’s a bit cheesy isn’t it?) and opened with the track “Girls”, which blew me away. Marina prides herself on writing honest lyrics and this opening track gave those new to being “a diamond”, a real taste of her style. I stood there in shock. I knew she was going to sound good, but I was amazed by her stage presence. Simply incredible…
Her set was a perfect mix of tracks that Marina fans would have heard before and a few introductions from her debut album released on the 22nd of February 2010. She sold “The Outsider”, taken from her upcoming album, to the audience within seconds, which left the audience excited about what else the album has in store. Moving around the stage like a diva, equipped with over-the-top arm gestures, she consumed the room with “I Am Not A Robot”. It wasn’t all shiny pop numbers though. Half way through the gig the band left the stage and we were left with Marina and her piano and a beautiful, simple acoustic rendition of “Obsessions”. She closed with her latest single “Hollywood”, which she performed as perfectly as she does in the music video proving that she doesn’t need any special effects or help with her vocals. Returning to the stage for the routine encore, she crept up to the mic. stating “Cuckoo!” at which point the band joined in with the fantastic “Mowgli’s Road”. The gig had felt like a mini, love filled, anti valentine’s party and we were all left wanting much, much more.
When hiding behind her weapon of choice, her vocals, she is confident and brilliant. Her face is animated, her hands expressive, her voice and body theatrical. Performing comes as second nature to her and it all seems effortless. But between songs, she seemed uncomfortable and unsure what to do. Her banter with the crowd was limited and needs some work- it’s an important part of the show. However, her first gig on her first tour, and she already seems too big for this venue. It’s almost like the big man upstairs is making her wait a little bit longer and work a little bit harder, before he gives her what she knows she’s going to get – international fame and fortune. You can see in her eyes that she knows she’s going to get it.
There is something special about this woman and, already signed to a major record label, the only way for her is up. Marina returns to the waterfront in May and is quickly selling out across the country. If you want to bask in her glory, then move fast and snap up some tickets, because this will likely be your last chance to see her at a small venue before she hits the big time.
Gemma Dietrich
