To say it’s been a challenging few years for Lucy Rose would be an understatement.

After giving birth to her first child in 2021, the Brighton-based singer-songwriter was diagnosed with a rare form of pregnancy-associated osteoporosis (PAO), a condition that weakens the bones and can cause fractures.

Having failed to be taken seriously by the NHS, and with the agony and concern intensifying, her husband paid for a private MRI scan which revealed something was indeed very wrong: she had broken her back in eight places.

As all adept songwriters do, Rose was able to channel her suffering into music, which turned out to be some of her finest yet. She released her sensational fifth studio album, This Ain’t The Way You Go Out, earlier this month to widespread acclaim.

And tonight (April 25) she's showcasing tracks from it at Roundhouse, alongside other material from her glittering 12-year back catalogue, in her biggest live show in years.

Ham & High:

Playing somewhere as iconic as the Camden venue is a momentous occasion for any artist, but given the turmoil Rose has had to endure over the past five years, it is a particularly emotional night for the 34-year-old and it is clear how much it means to her from the off.

“I can’t begin to tell you how special this is – this is something I never thought I’d be able to do again just a few years ago,” she says after opening with Dusty Frames, one of the new album’s standout tracks, having almost been moved to tears by the reception she is given by the crowd upon taking to the stage.

Given the lengthy hiatus from the stage, there must have been a few nerves backstage but there’s no evidence of such a thing in her voice, which is as pitch perfect and pure as it has always been. Her delicate vocals are perfectly complemented by nine backing musicians, including a string section, with Rose traversing between piano and guitar.

Clever lighting also enhances the performance, with eight lampshades of varying height dotted around the stage which illuminate and dim in unison throughout the set, making it feel like we have been invited into Rose’s living room, adding to the intimacy of the evening.

Rose is witty and engaging between songs, using her self-deprecating humour to good effect. “Well done, you’re through it; you’re out the other side,” she says after completing what she calls the “sad section” of the set.

Then, halfway through the performance, she asks for a woman named Sarah to identify herself. After a few seconds' delay, Sarah – or someone sitting next to her – reveals her location.

With the crowd slightly confused, Rose explains who Sarah is: she is the physiotherapist who offered daily support to the singer through the toughest period of her life when others wouldn’t listen. She had texted Rose before the gig to let her know she was in attendance with her daughters. “I couldn’t thank you enough,” Rose tells Sarah, as the crowd shows its appreciation too by clapping and cheering.

Ham & High:

Later, Rose dedicates old fan favourite Middle of The Bed from debut album Like I Used To to her nephews, aged five and nine, who are also in the crowd. She did this, she says, because they discovered on a recent family holiday to Spain that they know all the lyrics to it. The sight of the two boys beaming from ear to ear and singing along with their aunty is truly wonderful.

During the title track of the new album, which is preceded by Rose detailing the extent of her postnatal battles, she momentarily pauses halfway through after choking up, before apologising to the crowd and continuing. If anything, the visible, raw emotion only adds to the performance. She isn't the only one in Roundhouse dabbing tears away from their eyes.

The Racket, which shows off a rockier side to Rose, ensures the set finishes on a high and it is no surprise when the whole crowd rises to its feet in unison to show its appreciation and call for more. Rose and her band oblige, returning to the stage for a three-song encore which finishes with Interlude II, which features the warbled vocals of son Otis over faint piano.

It is a fitting way to round off a faultless performance from Rose, whose return to both the studio and live setting was sensational. As the crowd gets to its feet again for the second standing ovation of the night, Rose and her band take centre stage to show their appreciation and lap up the applause, which couldn't be more deserved.