Paloma Faith reveals Norfolk roots in Thetford Forest gig

Having seen Paloma Faith perform at Glastonbury in 2010 I knew the flame-haired star would not disappoint in Thetford Forest, Norfolk, with her quirky stage presence and ability to belt out every note perfectly.

On Saturday she danced onto the stage in Thetford Forest in a geometric pattered dress and sky-high white patent platforms.

Opening with Take Me the crowds were quickly singing along to a set of more soulful songs from her album A Perfect Contradiction.

The quirky star captivated the audience with her eccentric patter and had everyone screaming in delight when she revealed her Norfolk roots – all in a near-perfect Norfolk twang.

She explained: 'I'm half Norfolk, my mum is from Banham. I saw my grandma today which was nice.'

Before belting out a cover of Purple Haze by Jimi Hendrix the star told fans: 'This is what I've been listening to while writing my fourth album.'

The star followed up her call to arms at Glastonbury last month - when she asked for everyone to be nicer to each other, by saying: 'I do believe it is possible to live in a world with no arguments. There should be equality for everybody.'

Before leaving the stage at the end of her performance the star told the dancing audience: 'When I come back for my encore, that's when the party will start.'

And start the party did. The encore to the 80 minute set was rounded off with some of her biggest hits including Picking Up the Pieces, Can't Rely On You and Only Love Can Hurt Like This.

She thanked Liam Bailey who opened the show for her, the band and backing singers before singling out bass player Andrea Goldsworthy from Lowestoft - in her, by now, endearing Norfolk accent.

The star closed the night by saying: 'I'm Paloma Faith and I'm very proud to be a perfect imperfection.'

Kate Royall