Marina And The Diamonds – Vicar Street – October 27th 2010
Review by James Hendicott
Photos by Abraham Tarrush
Marina & The Diamonds vs. Lady Gaga. With both gracing Dublin venues this evening, pop fans are faced with a genuine dilemma: Marina might be some way behind the New Yorker in terms of global superstardom, but you wouldn’t know it on walking into Vicar Street tonight. The pop starlet and her four-piece band have the rafters well and truly packed, and best of all, they’re packed with that same multi-generation audience that’s often said to be the marker of a truly stellar artist. This, folks, is mass-market appeal.
To kick things off, we’re treated to a solo performance from the lovely Lisa O’Neill, a local charmer whose powerful vocals are so full-blooded and heartfelt they can sometimes feel a little like a Disney characterization of a folk-pop song. Her topics delve into real life melodrama: heading to parties just to see an indifferent guest, calling the local studmuffin a clown and generally turning life’s moments of turmoil into catchy witticisms. Lisa’s going places in the Dublin scene, and though tonight’s audience greets her with a ‘we’re here for Marina’ indifference, there’s more than enough to keep the neutral observer interested.
There’s no doubting Marina is the focus, though, and when she does hop, skip and jump her way to centre stage she’s clad in what looks curiously like a fashionable funeral suit. It’s replaced later by two outfits that look like pairs of pajamas, and an all American cheerleader suit. The singer’s already developed into a real enigma. Her vocals – especially at the higher end of her pitch range – are immaculate, yet still backed throughout the night with her own songs creeping through the sound system. Throughout each pop gem, you’ll find the singer striking dramatic poses, strutting and singing her heart out. Between songs, however, she’s curiously childlike. At times there are noticeable cringes amongst the crowd, particularly when she brings out the sappy ‘Emeralds’ line in reference to her fans (perhaps the ‘Diamonds’ thing was for back when she didn’t actually have any?), or adopts a real teenage-younger-sister persona.
Still, every artist deserves to be judged on her music, and being at the more edgy end of the pop scale and throwing down some
more outspoken lyrics makes Marina a far more interesting proposition than most A-list radio acts. Live, her sound is a touch more operatic, less tight and less produced than on the album, and carried heavily by her stunning, soaring melodies. At times – like on the magnificent ‘Satisfied’, or an emotional ‘Numb’ – Marina and her keyboard go it alone, producing simple but memorable pop styling. During the more lively moments her four-piece backing band help out with belting renditions of the likes of superb early indie hit ‘I Am Not A Robot’ and the pop-psychedelica vibe of ‘Mowgli’s Road’.
In fact, as much as most of the crowd is focused on the smashes, tonight proves that Marina has plenty of depth, too. ‘Oh No!’, ‘Obsessions’ and the slow-appeal of ‘Ruthless’ all stand up to closer scrutiny, as do ‘Shampain’ (dedicated to her Irish audience), and ‘Seventeen’ from her earlier ‘Mermaid vs. Sailor’ EP. Sadly, we’re spared the ‘forbidden pleasures’ of the less well-known ‘Porn Is Good For The Soul’ and ‘Philosopher My Arse’, but the signs of an edginess surpassing that of a typical radio play artist are all there, particularly in several lyrical references to post-coital cigarettes.
Put aside the childishness and a crowd-focused gratitude that seems strangely false given the arrogance of some of her lyrics (“I was pulling out my hair the day I cut the deal, chemically calm, was I meant to feel happy that my life was just about to change?” – Are You Satisfied?), and tonight’s show is all the evidence anyone could need that Marina’s on her way. A new track on show this evening – ‘Jealously’ – suggests that there’s plenty more to come, and the sheer enthusiasm greeting the moves, vibes and towering vocals on offer tonight is astounding. And that’s before we get to the confetti-launching, cheerleader-backed stab at American culture that is closer ‘Hollywood’. Marina’s not quite there, but if she can carry her singing persona over into her between-song chat, she soon will be. Lady Gaga’d best watch her back.
