KT Tunstall thrilled a packed Sub Rooms at the weekend, playing an intimate set as a warm-up to her upcoming tour with Rick Astley, writes Jonathan Duckworth.

It was great to see her performing again, after a long pandemic layoff – she had a slightly rusty start to setting up her Loop Pedal for the first song of the show “Another Place to Fall”!

Tunstall took the audience on a trip through her catalogue; delighting hardcore fans and also those not so familiar with her music – she has a lot of well-known tunes in her repertoire. She was performing without a band, using her trusty Loop Pedal “Wee Bastard” to underlay the set with rhythm.

There were many anecdotes too, such as her tale of the first-ever gig she went to, The Waterboys, (who of course played The Sub Rooms just before her). She also spoke of touring with Chrissie Hynde, and how terrifying she was! Tunstall also praised the Sub Rooms, saying what a welcoming venue is it and how great it was to play there, and promised to come back and play again.

She singled out The Sub Rooms Trust and Hugh Phillimore as having an amazing effect on the venue – imploring everyone to tell their friends about it and to use it or lose it.

Tunstall has been honest about difficulties facing her, losing hearing in one ear and scared of the same happening again, she spoke warmly of her brother, who has been teaching her sign language.

Tunstall was clearly lapping up the atmosphere of the gig as she played “Black Horse and Cherry Tree” and “Still a Weirdo”, before a more recent composition, “Little Red Thread”.  When it came to encore songs, Tunstall started with, “It took me so long to get here”, encouraging the crowd to sing along, before paying homage to Tom Petty with “I won’t back down”. Tunstall teased the audience before bringing the memorable show to a close with her anthem “Suddenly I See”.