Lucy Spraggan's Magical Tour

Anyone watching Lucy Spraggan's audition for The X Factor could immediately see that she stood out from her contemporaries. Armed with her own composition, Last Night, she had a decent voice and a playfully intelligent way with words. Unsurprisingly, she became the first ever contestant to score a Top 40 single and album with her independently released record off the back of the auditions. While her The X Factor ride was rather traumatic and a record deal with Columbia Records was rather short-lived, she has since proved that the independent route ensured that not only has she maintained her initial fan base but also built a wider reach as her career has grown over the last 13 years.

As she arrives at Nantwich Civic Hall for her Acoustic Duo tour, which coincides with the release of her eighth studio album, it's evident that this is a highly anticipated night of the Nantwich Jazz Festival, as evidenced by the long line forming to secure a decent standing space once the doors open.

Before Spraggan takes to the stage, there are two artists to tease her audience. Opening the night is Belfast-based, Cork-born Nathan O'Regan, whose stories of adapting to parenthood are beautifully delivered with his rich voice. Maddox Jones, formerly of Strangers, took to the stage to highlight his second solo album, (Still) Waiting For The World To Turn, prompting his audience to sing along and really impressing on the notable 21.

With only a short break between acts, the audience are delighted as, without pomp or ceremony, Spraggan arrives centre stage. It is immediately apparent that Spraggan is without ego and boasts a genuine connection with her fan base and quickly builds one with those newer to the fold. With just her and her friend Joe on keys, she works her way through notable highlights of her back catalogue, rather than indulgently playing songs people did not know yet from her future release.

Armed with tales, Spraggan is a truly humble human who manages to offer honest and real insight into who she is and how she writes. The set twists and turns from the playful Beer Fear to the poignant Sober, with each new song prompting an epic sing-along from her loving audience.

While there is not a lull in the set, there are a few notable highlights. In 2023's Balance, Spraggan made peace with her journey. Two songs from that record showcased the depth of her lyrical ability. Her faultlessly honest delivery ensures these songs will live in the hearts of her audience for years to come. Bodies and Balance are very different songs, but both are truly beautiful. Equally, a reworking of one of her signature early 'hits', Tea and Toast, which will appear on her eighth studio album, is hugely poignant. Yet, it is in the only unreleased song of the show, The Lesson, that Spraggan really shows how her vulnerability is her core strength. As she confronts the challenge of loss, she powerfully delivers a song that is destined to become her biggest to date. Devastatingly beautiful.

As she playfully closes her set with winks, she returns for just one more song, the riotous sing-along Lightning, which prompts one final, fully joyous sing-along and leaves the audience leaving on a real high.

13 years ago, Spraggan entered a competition to show she has The X Factor. Tonight's stripped-back set showed that not only does she have The X Factor, but she has more than that. A truly magical evening.

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