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A review from 5D Music & Theatre writer Maria Robertson.
Photos by Dod Morrison Photography: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100031192597676
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Much as we love KT Tunstall this tour should maybe be called the Stu and Andy show, for reasons I shall explain.
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The evening began with Amy Papiransky. She saw KT Tunstall perform when she was about 14 and became obsessed with her. She went home and asked her parents for a keyboard, guitar and other musical equipment and set about teaching herself to play. She has a lovely singing voice and was so happy to be supporting KT Tunstall, her inspiration, but also in her hometown where she can speak heard local dialect of Doric. She is now music teacher in Glasgow and has to be careful of her accent, when teaching recently one child asked if she was speaking Gaelic! Amy played a set of very lovely songs including Still and Dear Amy.
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Next up with Andy Burrows who is supported by a guitarist (or was that a mandolin?) called Stuart who we were informed would appear several times later and indeed one of Andy’s songs turned into the Legend of Stu. Apparently he does everything on the tour: cooks, cleans, sets up the stage and packs up the equipment afterwards. He appears playing guitar for Andy and the headliner – who introduces his guitar solos with a chant of “Stu, Stu, Stu”!
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Andy played a great mix of good songs including Barcelona (a song he did with Matt Haig the author). He’s a wonderful guitarist and singer, but then when it was time for KT Tunstall he made the long walk over to the drum set as he is also her drummer! Indeed he is best known as the drummer for Razorlight and he ended his set with their song: Before I Fall To Pieces.
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KT Tunstall came onto the stage in the dark and the build up of anticipation in the room was palatable. When the lights did come up she was there in a splendid white kilt and top and her musicians were in beach wear. Andy had his hair up and trousers for his own set with his guitar, but had his hair down (and blowing in the wind) and shorts as KT’s drummer.
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They played the whole of the new album Nut intertwined with some of her old classics which obviously we wanted to hear too. Her new material is funky and fun with her authentic twist to the tunes. She did a lovely thing at the start of the set when she said that on this tour they had been making up what might be the next single with a wonderful game. Basically if they can see empty seats down the front they point them out, there are two sets of three and a set of two in the Music Hall, and then invite people that were behind pillers up the back to come down and fill those seats rather than them sitting empty. Meanwhile they played a song of Changing Seats. Perhaps this will not really be a single but it is certainly a wonderful gesture and made some people’s night that bit more special.
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Next up she said that if we paid the penance of waving our phone torches she would play us an old song. Obviously we all scrambled to oblige and in return were treated to Other Side Of The World. KT Tunstall has finally experienced the rumoured sparkle of Aberdeen’s granite – it was only for 27 seconds and she failed to get her phone out in time to capture it, but at least she has now experienced the sparkle that keeps some of us here! The stage emptied for Under The Weather, there was just KT Tunstall, her guitar and some glorious spot lights, it was really quite magical. Unlike her suggestions for Fife bumper stickers, ah the banter from that gal!!
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As mentioned Stu and Andy were playing with KT Tunstall but she was also joined by the bass guitarist from the Gorillaz, Seye Adelekan. She explained that she had done some work with him previously but then he had gone off to be with the Gorillaz and 10 years later she’s finally managed to attain his services again as the band are now taking a break. What a wonderful treat that was for us as he is a fantastic bass player, with amazing dreadlocks that were a joy to watch in themselves. The trio had a great on stage chemistry, playing together well and interacting beautifully. They did a song which was from the current album, the third in a trilogy, of Mind, Heart and Soul. Just three marvellous musicians on the stage making magic as part of this wonderful evening. As KT herself said at one point it was “joy on a stick.”
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Further information: https://www.kttunstall.com/
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Maria Robertson is the Chief Music & Theatre Writer for the 5D Pop Culture Website and provides reviews & coverage of local Aberdeen music & theatre gigs. She’s an experienced writer for numerous sources and is a self-confessed live gig addict ever since seeing The Counting Crows at the Barrowlands in 1994.
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