story / Gina Tron
When I met Paloma Faith on Monday at a nail salon in midtown Manhattan, I was intimidated. Not like she was scary or anything. Quite the opposite. She was absolutely beautiful, charismatic, sweet, not to mention witty as hell. I think it was her fancy clothes and makeup that made her intimidating. I mean a blue Dolce and Gabbana dress, frilly socks and high, high heels, big hair  and perfect makeup can be intimidating to someone who put on her first dress in weeks just to meet her.
“Its like armor. Its going out to battle. When I don’t get dressed up I don’t behave in the same way. I get more quiet and introverted. You gotta do it [get dressed up] so that you don’t feel inferior to everybody.” Paloma told me.
Oh, the fine fucking line between being extroverted and being introverted! It certainly made her seem a little hard to talk to. But when she got her toe nails done red with a fun decal on the big toes she giggled like a child when the pedicurist accidentally tickled her feet. I wondered why I was ever so nervous, as she was really quite charming.
She sure charmed the hell out of the audience at her showcase at Edison Ballroom last night. I attended with Koko and along with everyone else in the crowd, we were blown away by her larger than life voice and larger than life personality. Â Her adorable voice transformed into one of power chords and range and her vocal range clearly impressed the room.
photos /Â Santiago Felipe
Her song “Black & Blue” was very moving, and she had told me at the nail salon it was her most personal song and the most difficult for her to perform. It was quite moving indeed, prompting Koko to tears and although it didn’t prompt my jaded eyes to any moisture, maybe something close to it. Her performance of tracks “30 Second Love Affair” and “Picking Up The Pieces” from her new album Fall to Grace did prompt my heart to jump a little, but like I said I am completely jaded. She ended the set with an announced encore that she made the crowd beg for. The song that was not off any album was her ode to all the “jiggly bits” a song about loving your cellulite which she  sang while shaking her svelte dancer body on stage. It was all quite hypnotizing watching her in her  in a blue ankle length gown with a revealing back and  a blue feathered hair piece perched in top of her head like a very vintage starlet. It was very Blue Velvet. That is because it and the lighting of her show were inspired by the David Lynch Film.
After everyone got their fill of tacos and alcohol, we all went on a journey to a more jazzy time at Fat Cat to enjoy some live  music. En route, Paloma took her red heels off and walked barefoot, carrying them and her giant red dice purse. The image of her doing this perfectly represented her. She’s magical and down to earth at the same time. Her voice and lyrics have possess the ability to bring people to tears. Real people too, her talent proving that she has surpassed the type of pop song that believes everyone is living in worlds were you fall in and out of love every three weeks and drive a white Mercedes convertible with your friends name T. Her success will no doubt be guaranteed in the states if her popularity in the UK and her million range voice have any indication of what is yet to come.
Check out her feature in our upcoming Fantasy Issue. Its gonna be fantastic.
