To be perfectly honest, I wasn’t overly looking forward to seeing Paolo Nutini at the Odyssey Arena last Sunday night. He’s just a guy with a guitar, and the Odyssey seems like the completely wrong venue for him. I thought it would be far too big to get the intimate feel that you’d want from a gig like this. I was wrong.

As it nears the time for the gig to begin, the Arena isn’t too full at all, I begin to think that my premonitions may come true, but how wrong I was. It hit 8pm the scheduled start time, and the people pour in. I guess that’s the difference with a show like this; Paolo appeals to the masses – you get a few of the younger die-hard all day queuers, but for the older crowd, it’s far too cold and far more practical to arrive just on time. By the time the lights go down, the entire room is heaving and it’s crystal clear that this Paisley born singer can compete with the superstars of the music scene today.

Paolo Nutini BelfastSupport band Vaults warm the crowd up sufficiently with their magical, floaty sound that builds and builds while front woman Blythe rhythmically moves around the stage like a pleasant mix between Florence (of Florence and the Machine fame) and Julie Andrews.

Now, onto the main event. After a few cancelled shows and what was being described as ‘severe tonsillitis’, I was unsure whether or not Paolo could deliver those raw, throaty vocals, but as he belts out the opening lines of Scream (Funk My Life Up), the doubts fade away. Backed up by a ten-piece live band, complete with brass section, Paolo puts on a great show. The screens at the back of the stage show live images of Paolo with added effects which gives his whole performance a much grander feel.

In just a plain white t-shirt and jeans, Paolo lazily delivers a slightly ’80s version of Jenny Don’t Be Hasty which quickly turns into New Shoes. My only gripe about this is that these are two of his more well-known songs, and not only completely changing the style, but not singing either in their entirety is a bit disappointing.
Paolo Nutini Belfast
In between songs, Paolo’s thick Scottish brogue is barely understandable, but it’s clear that the audience don’t care one bit as he croons his way through These Streets, Diana and Cherryblossom with his powerful rasp; each with a sultry, but funky style that can’t help but just work in this live setting.

For the encore, the more sombre Tricks of the Trade was followed by a fantastic and unexpected cover of MGMT’s Time to Pretend, and hit songs Candy and Last Resort finished the night. All in all, this show surpassed my expectations, the live band, the graphics and the song selection was outstanding, and of course, Paolo Nutini was on top form, making this an unforgettable night.

Laura Caldwell

Author: Laura Caldwell

Hi, I'm Laura. I'm 30 years old and have a degree in Journalism with Photo-Imaging at the University of Ulster. I have an undying love for Belfast and all that it has to offer, an undying love for sleeping, Tegan and Sara, trashy tv shows, foreign snack-foods and being irresponsible with money. I also quite like origami, reading, jazz, hip-hop, dubstep, anything acoustic and Food Network TV. I've written for The Big List, Culture NI, Chatterbox and The Echo, as well as writing for BBC Across the Line.

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