Marina and the Diamonds @ Other Rooms

Reviewed by Adam Williams

Marina and the Diamonds arrived in Newcastle for an intimate gig at Digital’s Other Rooms. Hotly tipped as a star of 2010, her recent single Hollywood stormed into top 20 and she’s become something of a Radio 1 favourite in recent months, no doubt boosting her popularity.

Early in the gig she admits that only 12 people showed up to her gig in the city last year, this time the venue is packed full. Romping through her debut album, she demonstrated her cultured vocals and quirky lyrics to an adoring crowd, kicking off with one of her stronger album tracks, Girls.

Performances of I Am Not A Robot and Shampain also impressed while a break in the middle of the set gave her a chance to truly show her vocal talents with an acoustic performance of Numb. The backing band returned as she zipped through the rest of her EP, and left stage leaving the audience wanting more. Sadly there wasn’t even time for an encore, merely the impression that the venue owners wanted the crowd to move on as quickly as possible.

Her eccentricity is often reminiscent of Kate Nash but her more varied themes set her apart from the pack. Unlike Nash and the often compared Florence and the Machine she has the likeable personality to match. No doubt her next visit to the city will be in a much bigger venue.

4/5