ALBERT Hall is one of those venues that can make a sold out gig feel like an intimate one-on-one show, and it sure did this with KT Tunstall and her opening act Braids on Thursday (October 27) evening.

Braids came out onto the stage and took their position; this three-person band seem small but sure do pack a punch.

Rapaelle, the lead vocalist wore just a jumper and some corduroy flares and she seemed right at home on stage.

Her and her band members did a 30-minute set, that included their latest single ‘Miniskirt.’

Braids’ music is an eclectic mix of indie, electro and rock, something that seems to all blend together well with the chemistry of the band.

They all seemed so at home on stage, so relaxed and it made for good music.

The only downside to the Canadian-based band’s set was that they didn’t seem to interact much with the crowd, they went song to song with small interludes in between to explain the song but other than that, not much to really get the crowd going.

KT and her band burst on stage at just right on time.

They all came onto the stage to a fantastically loud cheer – the crowd were going wild for her and this was even before the show had properly begun.

“Manchester, I’ve missed you!” she screamed before launching into her first song, ‘If Only.’

KT was the complete opposite to her opening act, really connecting with the crowd between every song, telling them everything, from anecdotes about how she’s just moved over to the States to describing her favourite dog video on the internet.

She really made everyone inside Manchester’s Albert Hall forget that they’re in a room with hundreds of other people, and made it feel like it was just them and her.

Her set list included a mix of both old and new songs such as, ‘Hold On’, ‘The Healer’, ‘Invisible Empire’ and ‘Suddenly I See’.

She even managed to throw in some ‘Walk Like an Egyptian’ by The Bangles!

KT made time to interact with the whole audience, let them in on her life and more importantly made them laugh.

She had more guitar changes than many big name stars have outfit changes and spent the whole of the concert making it about the music and making sure everyone had a good time.

Whether it was the sing-along indie songs, the slow romantic acoustic set or the “aggressive rock ones” as she called them, it was clear that KT and her band were putting everything into the performance and the neon lighting rig just made the performance that bit better!

KT Tunstall might not be a household name for many people, but she sure knows how to put on a good show…

Who else can get a Manchester audience beatboxing along with her, calling them the ‘Albert Hall beat boxing community’?

This show was something special to witness, and it means a lot when the whole audience can tell that every person on that stage is putting in their all to make this the best show that it can be.

By Misha Solanki
@misha_solanki96

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *