KT Tunstall

As a self confessed die hard KT Tunstall fan, I arrived at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre knowing what lay before me. Yet, this gig would be different. Not only was it at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, a mecca for the arts, but KT Tunstall would be playing alone. Usually accompanied by her band, Tunstall took on the RSC by herself on Sunday 19th June kicking off the 'Live at the RSC' nights.

With the beautiful surroundings of the newly refurbished Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Tunstall walked onto the stage to rapturous applause and throughout the entire set, the audience sat in silence, appreciating and lapping up what was in front of them which she completely took in her stride. Opening with 'Golden Frames' Tunstall immediately took control of her audience and kept tightening her grip on her ever adoring audience throughout.



A cleverly constructed set list including "that" song 'Black Horse And The Cherry Tree', 'Miniature Disasters', 'Fade Like A Shadow' and the sensational 'The Entertainer' easily proved why Tunstall has been successful. Nothing seems to be too much or too difficult for her. Her voice, her skills as a musician and the way she communicates with her audience creates a perfect package which, I would go as far to say, would be hard for other singer and songwriters to even come near.

Tunstall's newly created EP entitled 'The Scarlet Tulip' produced three beautifully crafted songs for the set, including 'Hidden Heart' which tells the tale of a tree being cut down, written for Bruce Parry's 'Survival Project' to try and gain land protection for indigenous people of the Amazon... "Down down cut me down so I can lie on familiar ground, Oh I've witnessed all that you ignore and I don't wanna see it no more...." The EP introduces 7 songs which are purely Tunstall's voice and finger picked guitars. She spoke of how the EP is only available through her website so "there are no barcodes... it is just artwork and music!!" - a accomplishment of which she appeared extremely proud of, and which also received a round of applause. There was an obvious excitement surrounding Tunstall's new music which was evident amongst the audience and also Tunstall herself.



Tunstall's original arrangement of the usually rocky 'Little Favours' completely stole the show. The elegance and grace in how she played the piano and how her voice fit perfectly alongside the enchanting melodies was breathtaking. Tunstall went on to say, "This is probably the most expensive song you have ever heard" after speaking of her parents paying for piano lessons for years, yet there are only two songs in which she plays the piano.

Tunstall's voice delivers every single time and the choice to perform alone gave her the chance to shine even brighter than she already does. The talent that she has, both lyrically and musically, is faultless. You find yourself waiting to see if it is feasibly possible that she could actually make a mistake! She exceeds all conceivable expectations, with every lyric, note and chord strummed. This 'stripped back' KT Tunstall showed that music does not need to be filled by drums, bass or electric guitars to be incredibly powerful. One woman, and her guitar truly epitomised what music is really all about and I felt honoured to be witnessing an artist at her peak.

FUTURE GIGS