Nerina Pallot (Buxton)

There’s something of the 1960s about Nerina Pallot. Following her unsuccessful debut album ‘Dear Frustrated Superstar’, she reintroduced herself to the music scene with protest single ‘Everybody’s Gone To War’ in 2006.

One of the few contemporary releases to address such a burning issue as The War On Terror™, it stuck out like Joni Mitchell at the Brit Awards. Sophomore album ‘Fires’ went a (barefoot) step further, mixing a hippy call for peace with literary references and heartbreaking vocals. Bafflingly, her catchy hooks have yet to attract the large audience she so deserves.

Perhaps the upcoming third album will finish the job. For, performing in front of an appreciate throng at Buxton Opera House on Valentine’s Day (and her anniversary, of all dates), Nerina certainly played to her strengths: wit, charm, “celebrity, Wikipedia and uncertain parentage.” Switching effortlessly between her striking piano dexterity to the acoustic guitar one normally associates with protest songs and heartbreak, the Brixton-based - via India and Jersey - singer-songwriter covered tried and tested ground (‘Idaho’, ‘Mr King’, the aforementioned single) as well as brand new tracks (‘Bloom’, ‘The Right Side’, ‘When Did I Become Such A Bitch?’). Amongst all this was a joke about being the lovechild of Elton John and Kiki Dee, followed by a staggering rendition of ‘Your Song’ and a track written in its vein: ‘It Starts’, from the sweet and sublime tour-only EP ‘Buckminster Fuller’.

‘Sophia’ encore over, Nerina set up camp atop the glittering opera house staircase for a meet-and-greet, chatting with fans for minutes and signing their Pallot goods. As someone with whom conversations about William Faulkner, George Orwell and Girls Aloud flow easily, Nerina is that rare combination of show-woman and personality. To think that a huge increase in popularity might jeopardise such encounters (or at the very least, limit them) is unsettling. Perhaps she’s best kept a fan secret.

Having said that, do your best to catch her live at any opportunity. She’ll make you laugh, cry and contemplate the link between post-colonial literature and ‘Something Kinda Ooooh’.



Buxton Opera House, Buxton, 14th February 2009.

Written by Polis Loizou.