KT Tunstall, Germein Sisters @ The Gov, Adelaide 27/5/2026
This was just one of those shows that was just perfect – two class acts in KT Tunstall and the Germein Sisters, great crowd and great venue. It was a big Wednesday night crowd on hand to celebrate the twentieth anniversary plus some of KT Tunstall’s iconic debut album Eye To The Telescope. It was one of those albums whose trajectory was influenced by global hit film The Devil Wears Prada in 2006 and appearing on Later… With Jools in 2004 and as they say the rest is history.
Germein Sisters are a class act and arguably don’t get the recognition they deserve but it did seem fitting that the last show of the tour was in their hometown Adelaide. Their songs are filled with infectious and catchy pop-rock hooks treating fans to a taste of their new album with new single It’s A Shame. They have some great songs to draw on with Red Rover, Good For A Girl and Distance.
When KT Tunstall took the stage you could feel in the energy in The Gov lift ten fold. “Hello Radelaide, this is what 2004 feels like” KT stated before opening with Other Side Of The World. There were no real surprises early playing the album in order but heck this was good. Even KT acknowledged that when she landed in Australia and hit the rehearsal room with Kathleen Halloran (guitar), Jackie Barnes (drums) and Joel Gottschalk that the chemistry was there only rehearsing the songs once even suggesting that we “got to doit again with my brand new family.” The band were on powering through the “vibey but lyrically super bitchy” Another Place To Fall.
With a quick poll of how many Scots there were in the crowd she spoke of the weather in Australia suggesting it wasn’t much different to home right now which led in to Under The Weather adding a touch of irony. Miniature Disasters was for those have a bad week but to ashamed to admit it also adding that the crowd was too well behaved with no crash barrier at the front and the tables in cabaret mode for “those knees that have found the last twenty years harder”. I think I could list to KT talk all day, absolute gem. Silent Sea offered a subtle contrast with a more softer moment before talking about going to gigs and that being a cosmic experience making the astute observation that this group of people will never be in the same room again, appreciating the wonder in it all with that “finger print in time”.
Universe & U and False Alarm were great moment with KT then pointing out the problem with playing the record start to end with smash Suddenly I See up next when normally it would be last also saying “don’t leave yet!” Phones were out capturing this one in all its splendour, simply a brilliant song and the crowd loved it. Pointing out that was “outrageous fun and downhill from here” KT pulled out the title track which was not on the album but added twenty years later on the re-issue. Setting up another big song perfectly with the back story behind getting to number one on the VH1 Country Chart and performing on Jools Holland after rapper Nas pulled out, being a hit with middle aged ladies on “Jazzerise” she had introduced the wrong song saving that intro and playing Heal Over instead of Black Horse And The Cherry Tree. That too was a stand out featuring a teaser of Jackie’s dad Jimmy hit song Ride The Night Away.
Opting to “forget the bullshit and get on with the music” there was more to come talking about second album failures despite selling a million copies and adulation from Foo Fighters Dave Grohl her stories were just as entertaining as the music. Little Favours was tops but so to was Kathleen getting the spotlight to play one of her own songs Wolves Like You. I really liked the sequel to Suddenly I See in Look At Me Now which was intended for The Devil Wears Prada 2 but not used suggesting to imagine the start of the movie. Canyons was killer then introducing a rave dance move “The Bounce” to get the crowd in to it on the 90s dance rave banger Push The Knot Away to close out the show”. This was a great night celebrating this much loved album, look forward to doing it all again next time.
Live Review By Rob Lyon