Katy Perry at the Manchester Academy

Dec 5 2008 by Michael Green, Flintshire Chronicle

CHART-topping star Katy Perry has announced exclusive live shows in London and Manchester in February.

Ever since this summer’s hit single I Kissed A Girl, Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Katy Perry has been wowing critics and fans alike.

Perry’s debut album, One of the Boys, is filled with candid tales of neurotic ex-boyfriends (new single Hot N Cold), crazy road trips with friends (Waking Up in Vegas), and figuring out who you are along the way (I Kissed A Girl and Fingerprints).

“I think people appreciate a songwriter who shows different sides,” Perry says. “The whole angst thing is cool, but if that’s all you’ve got, it's just boring.

“Everything I write, whether it’s happy or sad, has a sense of humour to it. Someone told me the other day that I’m a bit like Lucille Ball. They said, ‘You look pretty put together on the outside, but inside there’s just something a bit wrong’.”

Though just 23, the Santa Barbara, California-born Perry has been writing songs and playing guitar for several years.

She will be performing live at Manchester Academy 3 on Wednesday, February 25. Tickets, £13.50, available from www.livenation.co.uk