Lily Allen

UEA LCR, Norwich

With her chavette appearance, bittersweet melodies and reputation for saying exactly what she's thinking, Lily Allen is a performer with attitude.

While her saccharine voice often disguises the spiteful nature of her lyrics, there is no disguising the depth of her repertoire.

As she swaggered around the Lower Common Room stage in one of her now-customary A-line frocks, she at times displayed all the confidence and subtlety of a boxer while at others she showed genuine tenderness and even fragility - either way stage presence was never going to be an issue.

The bubble-gum pop of her summer number one hit Smile and LDN were predictable crowd pleasers at the completely sold-out gig but they do not represent Allen at her inspired best.

It is the truly defiant Not Big and the menacingly foul-mouthed Friday Night which best showcase the power of her voice and the ferocity of her character.

But that is only one side of the coin.

New single Littlest Things, although sung in the same detached eye-rolling manner, slowed the pace and showed the side of Allen she will have to nurture if she is to prolong her career beyond the initial impact of her debut album.

It is on tracks like these that the 21-year-old singer-songwriter displays emotion beyond the impertinence and petulance which so brilliantly fuels much of her set.

Even so, she still comes across as a girl you wouldn't want to cross.