In pictures: Paloma Faith kicks off Newmarket Nights series of concerts
BRIT Award-winning singer-songwriter Paloma Faith appeared at Newmarkets July Course on Friday, June 17, the first in the 2022 series of concerts, which will include performances by the likes of The Script, Anne-Marie, and The Wombats.
The gig got off to a fantastic start, thanks to the stunning single Gold, off the hardworking star’s latest album, 2020’s Infinite Things - what a tune! At the end of the song, Paloma - looking gorgeous and glamorous in a long black dress, though slightly dominatrix-y thanks to her long, red rubber gloves - mentioned that there were some technical issues.
“I’m not supposed to speak at this point,” she noted, “I’m supposed to maintain an air of mystique but that’s gone now.” The fun-loving Londoner’s down-to-earth attitude is one of her appealing qualities and she made similar, self-deprecating - and often funny - comments throughout the evening. “It’s weird these things,” she said of the racecourse ambience, “because none of my songs are horse-related.”
Last Night on Earth was another top tune - and impressive vocal performance - and Picking Up the Pieces offered the first (very welcome) trip down memory lane. Going back even further, Paloma sang some of her earliest hits from her 2009 debut album, Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful? and her second studio effort, Fall to Grace (2012).
She delivered soulful, stripped-down versions of Just Be, Stone Cold Sober, Black & Blue and the jaunty Upside Down - on which she also got the crowd singing. “Thank you for singing so beautifully,” she said.
An amusing moment came when Paloma removed her “marigolds” - the sweat that poured out of them was visible for all to see, causing many audience members to humorously express their disgust. She wiped her arms on a towel and then threw the towel to a couple of grateful audience members. “That’s real Paloma Faith sweat,” she joked, adding that it could probably be sold online.
Earlier she also playfully thanked the fans who had wolf-whistled her, noting that when she was in her 20s that would have made her angry. “But now I’m 40, I love it!” she exclaimed.
Paloma paid heartfelt tribute to her recently deceased bandmate, Kevin Banks, in the form of two songs, and also did a couple of covers, including Janis Joplin’s Piece of My Heart - unnecessary, I felt, as she has so many great tracks of her own.
This lull in the proceedings was followed by the singer asking, “Would you all like to hear something you know the words to?” perhaps sensing that we were drifting from crowd-pleasing territory. I was certainly ready to hear something I knew as I, and others, yelled back “Yes!”
Thankfully things then got back on track with Lullaby, Paloma’s memorable 2018 duet with Sigala, and then the even better Can’t Rely on You, which I had been looking forward to all evening. Both featured enjoyable dance routines courtesy of Paloma and her two talented backing singers.
A powerful rendition of Only Love Can Hurt Like This was another highlight and a fitting end to the night’s entertainment.
For more on Paloma Faith, go to palomafaith.com. To see which other acts are scheduled to play Newmarket Nights this summer, visit thejockeyclub.co.uk/newmarket/events-tickets/newmarket-nights/.
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