Review
Review
Paris Paloma at KOKO, 20/11/24
The indie-folk artist creates community out of Cacophony
Upon entering KOKO, it was clear that this was not an average gig. A small bookshelf sat to the side of the merch table; a little free library where fans lined up to exchange books. Attendees wore long dresses, flower crowns and red ribbons. Paris Paloma had given instructions for both clothing and the library in a “tour guide” uploaded to Instagram, along with suggestions for writing and folding “fairy messages.”
Paloma walked on stage barefoot, in a long lilac dress beneath a giant, pulsing moon surrounded by illustrated banners. The fantastic and otherworldly atmosphere was fitting for her debut album, Cacophony, which came out at the end of August, heavily inspired by mythology.
Paloma had a calm and comfortable presence, complete with crystal-clear, ethereal vocals from the start. But the magic really happened a few songs in. ‘The Warmth’ was suitably dramatic. ‘Escape Pod’ got a chilling performance, before Paloma seamlessly transitioned into the faster-paced ‘Notre Dame.’ They began ‘Last Woman On Earth’ with just her voice and guitar, adding more instrumentation as it went, building to a cathartic crescendo.
Paloma revealed that the first song they performed on guitar was Ed Sheeran’s ‘I See Fire,’ from The Hobbit movie. “This tour is the second time ever that I’m playing a Lord Of The Rings song… and it’s mine!” she said onstage. “It’s such a childhood dream.” They then gave a formidable performance of ‘The Rider,’ from the upcoming The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim film while cast member Gaia Wise watched. The track, which came out just last week, proved to be a highlight of the show.
Paloma’s voice has the quality of being both gentle and powerful, but they saved her strongest and most emotive singing for ‘Hunter,’ giving an impressive vocal performance towards the end of the set.
TikTok favourites ‘The Fruits’ and ‘Labour’ got huge responses, the crowd shouting ‘Labour’s’ viral middle-eight and raising their fingers at the “so that he never lifts a finger” line. But even after Paloma and her band had left the stage, audience members remained, dancing to The Oh Hello’s ‘Soldier, Poet, King.’ It’s clear that Paloma’s aiming beyond just releasing a stellar album or putting on an excellent live show, but also building a real sense of community – all of which she’s done.
Paris Paloma continues their tour until 28 November. Find tickets here
