ROSEMARY MAC CABE

For music lovers, there is no such thing as too much hype when it comes to a new artist; if you find a new artist you like, who you feel is doing something at least slightly different, obsession is not too far off. You listen, you re-listen. You watch on YouTube, you Google, you listen again. For me the feeling is a little like that of getting a new pet; there is an all-consuming enjoyment to be gained from watching, listening, observing. You  have discovered something new, which is, in itself, an amazing thing.

So when your something new comes to your fine shores, you don’t miss the chance to be there. The first time Marina Diamandis brought her show to Ireland was for the summer of 2009’s Electric Picnic. She played to a full tent on a wet, muddy evening in September. The crowd was enthralled, although not overwhelmed; the set was short, although not dull.

The second time Diamandis played here was last night, on a wet, muddy evening in November in Dublin’s Academy on Middle Abbey St. The 23 year old wore leather; she had one earring, a large gold M, hanging from her left ear. Her hair, at least for the first three-quarters of her set, was tied loosely atop of her head. She could have been a bondage D4 girl, but lacking the Uggs and orange foundation. To say that Diamandis was enthralling might be an understatement, but again, we were not overwhelmed. (”Can you ever just be whelmed?”)

The problem, if you could call it that, is that I Am Not a Robot had us all believing that Marina and the Diamonds’ show was going to be a dance-athon. It is not. Diamandis’ songs have a rhythm, it’s true, but they are heartfelt, they are thoughtful. Some are slow, accompanied only by piano chords and the occasional drumbeat. Last night, Diamandis played through her set with an infectious enthusiasm. She called out to the crowd: her Emeralds (coined by Joey Kavanagh, she tells us).

It was a great show. And the encore – oh, what an encore. Mowgli’s Road played loudly, brashly, wantonly – signs of Kate Bush and of a newer, brighter, more unusual sound. Her Emeralds? We loved it.

Today? Back to The Academy, and La Roux.

Related posts:

1. Diamonds are forever, but not if you drop them down the drain
2. A voyage of discovery
3. And another plug – whaddup, homes?