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It was a triple-bill for the final night of The Awards - The Gigs at HMV Forum, Kentish Town, London.

Having been caught up backstage trying procure interviews from busy musicians it was a case of being slightly late to our own party in that this reviewer missed most of Mumford and Sons' set due to being backstage with Danielle Perry from Q Radio having a natter with Mr Hudson (interview to follow). The tail-end that we did catch however was brilliant and the audience reaction much merited, with overwhelming applause that the band seemed almost too modest to fully acknowledge. The same foursome were equally modest straight after off-stage when informed debut album Sigh No More has hit number four in the Australian charts this week, "Oh, really, great!" - something that will surely mean a warm welcome when they manage to visit Oz for the first time (the interview with Mumford and Sons will be posted shortly too).

Leaving behind the genial Mumfords and wandering out into a buoyant HMV Forum we caught Mr Hudson, mid-set, warmly thanking the audience. Seeming genuinely contemplative about his meteoric rise since composing most of his set's material in a nearby bedsit. Living nearby, he explained, he had walked past daily for years dreaming of playing here. It was easy to feel happy for him on reaching a milestone which once must've felt pretty distant.

So, with Stiff Upper Lip and Supernova still ringing in our ears, we prepared for Paloma Faith whose arrival was preceded by the stage being adorned with large dominoes, white chairs and a plethora of white balloons, anyone not up for the theatrical best leave now. As the opening chords of Stone Cold Sober rang out she sashayed on stage supporting above her a giant balloon that almost matched the pint-sized provocauteur in height. An entrance that Wayne Coyne would commend for it's showmanship. That's where any Flaming Lips similarities start and end though as Paloma's show is more sultry, a meld of cabaret and burlesque via glossy pop that still hints at her earthier jazz and blues beginnings whilst her drama and theatre background are given an outlet in the on-stage visual riot.

By the time she was half way into Broken Doll the balloon had been batted around the audience several times, with security perhaps more used to maneuvering people, assisting it on it's way until it's untimely demise towards the end of the song caused her to chime "I gave you something beautiful and you destroyed it", not so much chiding the audience as politely pointing out the mini-tragedy before launching into her album's title track "Do You Want The Truth or Something Beautiful?", a track that summed up the dilemma (as well as her opinions on twitter and blogging vs. being mysterious, more on that in our interview).

The diminuitive master of ceremonies was now in her element rolling around the floor, climbing on top the chairs in frankly the tallest and glitteriest pair of heels I've possibly ever seen. Romance Is Dead and Upside Down sounded every bit as good as on record, ably supported by her trio of female backing singers (The Paloma-ettes?), including the departing Lianne Le Havas whom Paloma thanked warmly towards the end.

Encore time, and there was one song everybody was expecting, her second single New York. Paloma , ever the playful show-woman bounced back on to give a powerful rendition - first teasing with a few bars of New York, New York - the standard most of us first heard via Frank Sinatra before segueing into her own quite different take on the Big Apple, a rumination on a loved one lost to the City as opposed a homage. She thanked the audience, scooped her rosy red hat off the floor and bounded off to whatever might lay ahead...

Words: Andy Thomson

New To Q: Mumford and Sons, Mr Hudson and Paloma Faith gig photos.

A full review of The Awards - The Gigs shows will appear in Q282, out November 27.

Related:
Reviews and photos of the other gigs at the Awards 2009 with Russian Standard Vodka micro-site.

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6:39 PM | 25/10/2009