BREVIEW: Paloma Faith @ Genting Arena 21.03.18

Paloma Faith @ Genting Arena 21.03.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe

Words & pics by Eleanor Sutcliffe

I never thought I’d witness a Genting Arena steward dance. Yet here I was, an hour into Paloma Faith’s show, watching a red-haired stewardess shimmy down the central aisle to the bemusement of the surrounding crowd.

Call it cliché, but it was unavoidable – the atmosphere of the evening was intoxicating, and it was all down to Paloma Faith’s incredible performance.

As the lights went down and the stage glowed an ominous red, Faith appeared and strode down the opposite staircase to where the four other photographers and I had been placed.Paloma Faith @ Genting Arena 21.03.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe Cue an awkward minute or so of camera clutching as we waited for Faith to safely descend in a pair of mammoth white heels, microphone in hand, as she sang the title track from her latest album The Architect. The stage resembled something out of a post-apocalyptic Sci Fi film, with holographic geometric platforms housing her band whom she referred to as “the dream team”.

Paloma Faith @ Genting Arena 21.03.18 / Eleanor SutcliffeOne thing I was taken aback by was just how fond I grew of Paloma Faith as the performance went on. Between songs, she touched on numerous subjects such as childbirth, self-love, politics and war, with the charm and finesse only the Hackney-born singer could possess. Not pedantic or patronising (as some artists can be on these subjects) but delivered heartfelt and in all honesty, even hilarious at times.

Faith is not one to skirt around details either, as she recounted her hopes for a relaxed home birth before “it all went to shit, and I became a well of pus – Beyoncé didn’t have that, surely”.Paloma Faith @ Genting Arena 21.03.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe These witty anecdotes grounded the evening’s performance, leaving the audience cheering for more.

And what a performance it was. Faith’s set list contained a whole host of tracks, both old and new. Songs such as ‘Crybaby’ and ‘My Body’ proved to be hits with the crowd, who were beginning to rise from their seats and dance along. Watching two women leap up and run down the main aisle whilst being chased by security, during ‘Warrior’, was a true highlight to the evening, especially when Faith actively encouraged their behaviour.

Paloma Faith @ Genting Arena 21.03.18 / Eleanor SutcliffeHer slower songs proved to hit a poignant note with the crowd too. Faith’s duet of ‘I’ll Be Gentle’ with her guitarist, BB Bones, left my jaw slack in awe, as did her rendition of ‘Picking up the Pieces’.

Although Faith is working hard to craft herself a new niche in today’s music scene, she hasn’t strayed too far from her former work – a refreshing change from the numerous artists that attempt to reinvent themselves every few years.

But that’s the beauty of a Paloma Faith show, the dynamic is simply ever changing – from clambering onto a grand piano to mournfully sing ‘Just Be’, to knee sliding along the stage during Sigala’s hit single ‘Changing’, you never quite know what you’re going to get. Apart from a bloody good show; that’s a given.

For more on Paloma Faith, visit www.palomafaith.com

For more from SJM Concerts/Gigs and Tours, visit www.gigsandtours.com

For more form the Genting Arena, including full event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.gentingarena.co.uk

BPREVIEW: Paloma Faith @ Genting Arena 21.03.18

Paloma Faith @ Genting Arena 21.03.18

Words by Ed King

On Wednesday 21st March, Paloma Faith performs at the Genting Arena – with support from the Liverpool based jazz and soul artist, XamVolo.

Doors open at the Genting Arena from 5pm (Forum) and 6pm (Arena), with XamVolo performing at 7:30pm followed by Paloma Faith’s headline set at 8:30pm. Tickets are priced at £40.45 / £51.75 depending on your position within the arena, as presented by SJM Concerts/Gigs and Tours.

For direct show information, including full venue details and online ticket sales, click here.

Paloma Faith is out on tour with her fourth studio album, The Architect – coming to the Genting Arena to play one of her final England based shows, before heading out for two dates in Ireland and two dates in Australia. Paloma Faith has further UK dates planned for June, July and August, including the inevitable appearances across the festival season. For direct information on all the Paloma Faith shows announced for 2018, click here. 

The Architect was released in November 2017, entering the UK charts at No1. No small achievement. Mind you, Paloma Faith’s previous three albums all hit the double platinum markers in the UK albums charts. So no small achievement times three, times 600k, and counting. And to think Epic Records wanted to wait a while…

Championed by Radio 2, Paloma Faith was invited to headline one of a series of special concerts from the broadcaster as part of The Architect’s introduction in last year. And despite a somewhat overzealous smoke machine, the show introduced a breadth of new content to Faith’s already fervent fanbase.

Inspired by the call to arms of common concerns and compassion that Marvin Gaye presented with What’s Going On, Paloma Faith’s fourth album moved away from the tropes of relationships, heartbreak, love and loss – exploring a more socio-political landscape and the issues we all face within it.

The album’s opening track, ‘Evolution’, features a soliloquy from Samuel L Jackson about the dichotomy of masculinity, with writer and political/social activist Owen Jones offering a reminder of the basic human rights much of society had to fight for (and our responsibilities to honour those who fought for them) in ‘Politics of Hope’.

But love is always at the heart, and even if it embraces socio-political thoughts, ambitions and endeavour, The Architect is not an outright political record. It’s a human record.

Plus, a Paloma Faith show is just that, a show. And the arena tour that’s supporting her latest LP is set to be packed with all the soul and spectacle the world has come to expect from this unique artist and performer. 

‘Til I’m Done’ Paloma Faith (live session) 

Paloma Faith performs at the Genting Arena on Wednesday 21st March, with support from XamVolo – as presented by SJM Concerts/Gigs and Tours. For direct gig information, including venue details and online ticket sales, visit www.gentingarena.co.uk/whats-on/paloma-faith 

For more on Paloma Faith, visit www.palomafaith.com

For more on XamVolo, visit www.xamvolo.com 

For more from SJM Concerts/Gigs and Tours, visit www.gigsandtours.com

For more from the Genting Arena, including full event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.gentingarena.co.uk