Ida Maria
Rescue Rooms, Nottingham
22/10/08
The Rescue Rooms is a little gem, hidden away from the prying public. In its sultry and sexy canopied layout , the cheery bounce of Nouvelle Vague’s ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’ set the mood for a nicely eclectic crowd of older gentlemen and a smattering of student types (oh, and a plastic parrot).
“Nottingham! What you got for me?” Ida Maria and her gorgeous band enter the poky stage. She’s distinctive, dressed in red, blue and orange and sporting her trademark bobbed hair. ‘Queen of the World’, as we are informed, is “all about drinking” and her husky, rasping vocals curl around the guitar strums and banging beats as she spins in circles on stage.
Ida Maria – arms outstretched – commands the stage. “Please can you turn up my guitar? I’d really like to hear more of it,” she screams. And this goes on throughout ‘Stella’, a song full of passion and zeal during which she places her hands to her chest so we know she means it.
‘Keep Me Warm” “is the only love song (she) has” and, although there are many microphone difficulties, it manages to show a subtler side to this lady whilst retaining that quiet determination she shows in her eyes.
With her broken-doll legs and the complimentary red and blue lights flashing, Ida Maria ends the show with an encore of ‘Better When You’re Naked.’ “That’s what I like to see,” she cries against the crowd’s manic whoops. And I would definitely like to see that again.
Adam Mallaby