Marina and the Diamonds

Last night saw girl -of -the-moment Marina Diamondis, aka Marina and the Diamonds, headline the third of five Levi’s Ones to Watch musical extravaganzas: gigs showcasing exciting new talent and presenting artists on the cusp of stardom.

And Marina, 24, who according to her MySpace page hails from Wales and Ancient Greece , is surely the latest female singer/ songwriter ready to steal our hearts and headlines. If you could bottle the female zeitgeist, it would be called Marina, for she’s a right now blend of lip-glossed celebrity and heady creativity. A minxy mix of playing the game and seriously questioning it, topped off with an emotive voice and songs that are captivating and compelling.

The venue, the Hoxton Bar and Kitchen in London's East End, was packed to the gunnels and fans literally climbed the walls to catch a glimpse of the grinning, bounding Marina. What a change from her early days when eight curious folk tapped their feet at the very same venue. Last night saw a member of Girls Aloud, the Indie elite, Kate Nash and her Cribs beau Ryan Jarman along with a swelling, up-for-it crowd.

First off, though was Trio Dragonette. The electro-pop Canadian/ British band dived between the grit and the glitz of Pick Up The Phone and the stomping Fixin To Thrill.

Then Guy Connelly, aka, Clock Opera astounded with his stop-start, mashed -up pop symphonies including Alouette  and  White Noise - a personal reminiscence of when Connelly was walking down London's Whitechapel Road and a riderless motorbike careered towards him and nearly sliced him in half.

Next up, Wolf Gang, aka Max McElligott ( isn’t it confusing when an act has the name of a band but is actually a person) and his ( their?)  flawless artistry influenced by David Bowie, Brian Eno and Talking Heads - we particularly loved the echoes of Psycho Killer.

But then, the new pop princess. Stalking, staring, the fierce Marina - who lets not forget, allowed photographer Rankin to stick rash-making black crystals all over her body for the video to I Am Not a Robot - flew threw  Seventeen, Hollywood and  Obesessions ( the later particularly got Kate Nash’s toes tapping.)   A cover of former Levi’s® One’s To Watch® favourites Late of the Pier’s  Space and Woods was a perfect transition for the raw, unforgiving  I Am Not A Robot before the wonderful, slightly bonkers Mowgli’s Road, which was released on Monday.

Marina has been compared to Kate Bush and Siouxsie Sioux, but we reckon that this songstress is in a class of her own.We'll have what she's having...