NEWS
www.cambridge-news.co.uk
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
7
Spreading warmth, Marmite girl extraordinaire
Pictures: Matthew Power Photography
POP with a jazz vibe and a red-lipped, pouting nod to all things retro, Paloma Faith isn’t everyone’s Dry Martini. In fact, before joining the packed, creaking floors of the Corn Exchange on Sunday night, I was more fussed about what she was going to wear than whether her voice was any good. Not that she cares. The flame-haired 31-year-old, who hails from north London hipster haunts Dalston and Stoke Newington, happily yelled: “I like being thought of as Marmite,” before laughingly crying out: “I quite like being hated!” Her first album, Do You Want The Truth Or Something Beautiful?, was released in 2009 to a gentle simmer of praise and her big screen performances in St Trinians and the Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus received a similarly underwhelming response. But, whatever you think of her theatrical talents, you can’t argue that the girl knows how to make an entrance. As the opening notes of Let Your Love Walk In seeped from a grand piano she appeared, burnished bright in a floorlength, gold sequinned dress with chunks of jewellery dripping from her
‘City deal’ boost revealed by Clegg A HUGE boost for transport in Cambridge which could see plans for a network of subterranean tunnels developed has been backed by the Government. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg today announced he had agreed to negotiate a ‘city deal’ for Cambridge which will hand more powers to local authorities and allow them to keep a bigger share of tax revenues. Council leaders hope to invest the extra cash in better infrastructure for the city, particularly improved transport. The money could be used to create a network of bus and busway routes linking growing economic powerhouses such as Cambridge Science Park and the Addenbrooke’s biomedical campus – and councils have pledged to explore ideas for an
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CHRIS HAVERGAL
Local government correspondent underground travel system as part of this. Mr Clegg said it cleared the way for the next stage of the “Cambridge phenomenon”. He said: “Today is the beginning of a quiet revolution for the city – an opportunity to negotiate powers that will give Cambridge the opportunity to grow a cluster of high-tech firms that focus on biotechnology, software and electronics around the city – many of which have links with Cambridge University.” He said it would “unlock the potential of the area”. At the heart of the plans is an infrastructure fund with £220 million already committed to it, topped up with extra tax bought in by businesses boosted by the improvements it bankrolled.
Councils also hope to keep a share of corporation tax and entice private firms to invest. Other plans include relaxation of visa rules to encourage foreign researchers to turn their ideas into businesses in the city, and creation of a new economy and transport board. Cllr Nick Clarke, county council leader, said: “We have ambitious plans for growth in our area but we must have the freedoms and finances to manage this for our current and future communities. “The new powers we are seeking through the city deal would mean we can drive forward plans to further boost the local economy in the Cambridge area, create more jobs and spread the economic benefits across the whole county.” chris.havergal @cambridge-news.co.uk
Paloma Faith played Cambridge Corn Exchange on Sunday. ELLA WALKER developed a taste for the musical Marmite that is Britain’s reigning retro style queen. ears, and, as always, her trademark hair twirled into a neck-breaking tower. Art-deco arcs of black and gold concealed her arms and swung shafts of golden light high into the rafters of the Corn Exchange, and then the curtains parted to reveal a stage laden with huge swirling golden flowers, a set of super-chic backing singers and the band – magnetic in their own right – all in perfectly pressed white tuxedos. Suddenly, all my scepticism drained away. She just looked so achingly cool. And, as the last night of the tour, it was destined to be spectacular. Paloma didn’t disappoint. Funny, chatty, endlessly attention seeking and utterly blatant about it – sheer unadulterated confidence oozed from her heavily sequinned body – she was at her most magnificent when perched, 40s starlet-style, on the piano, belting out a slew of soulful tracks from
current album Fall From Grace. A whirl of old favourites, including the beautiful, angsty New York, had the Corn Exchange pulsing with adrenaline, but it wasn’t until she launched into a cover of her idol Etta James’ Something's Got A Hold On Me (It Must Be Love) that she truly made your skin tingle with awe. The size and power of her voice was just unbelievable. Her albums so often fade into the realm of background music but live, Paloma glitters, her voice pins you to the floor in shock. As we spiralled towards the end of the show, she announced there’d be no encore (“They are too pantomime!”) and no post-show meet and greet (“I want to party!”) before launching into recent single Picking Up the Pieces. It had everyone crying out the words while album track Black and Blue wrung out every last ounce of epic from her voice. She held us helplessly captivated until the last waves of blue glitter fell from the ceiling. I’ve decided, I quite like Marmite after all.
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