Marina and the Diamonds, Manchester Deaf Institute, February 22nd
Marina and the Diamonds played at Manchester's Deaf Institute on February 22nd
Also In The News
|
By inthenews. |  |
Tuesday, 23, Feb 2010 08:21
With a poster campaign infiltrating every spare piece of city centre wall space recently and an infectious new single seemingly everywhere, few can have failed to notice the face and voice of Marina Diamandis.
In fact, as the 24-year-old takes to a stage so expertly warmed by incredibly talented support act Alan Pownall, it becomes abundantly clear this is most definitely the case in this particular room. For the lucky 200-or-so gathered here in Manchester's coolest small venue, this is an opportunity to catch a rapidly rising star the day before the launch of her debut album - and many will make the absolute most of it.
Opening with energetic stomp-along Girls, Marina exudes the kind of enthusiasm one would expect from a young girl being talked up as the next big thing. Yet at the same time, she manages to retain a certain level of grace and elegance - no mean feat when faced with a crowd peppered with 'Diamonds' eagerly barking her as-yet-unreleased songs back at her.
I Am Not a Robot, The Outsider and Obsessions are among the tracks that provide ample opportunity for such overenthusiastic silliness, which unfortunately detracts from what would otherwise be a perfect show. Luckily, the overwhelmingly dramatic Rootless and frenetic pop pace of Oh No! carry enough respective weight to temporarily quell the faux devotion and remind the rest of us - ahem - paying punters the reason why this is the hottest ticket in town. Marina's odd yet soulful voice frequently fills the room and delivers just the right amount of quirk with a more than a fair share of class.
Although new single Hollywood is, perhaps ironically, lacking the sheen of its studio incarnation, it does helps round out an explosive close to a great set. The night ends on potential future hit Shampain followed by an encore of Mowgli's Road and at this point I leave The Deaf Institute in a contented - and slightly besotted - mood. Ms Diamandis is every bit as precious as her current marketing campaign would suggest and - although not entirely flawless - I have to say this was a gem of an evening.
Noel Mellor