Lulu James was supposed to be one of the big hits of The Great Escape festival. She featured on the cover of the programme and her take on the electronic soul that has seen Jessie Ware rise to the top of both critic’s choice lists and album sale charts is undoubtedly strong.

Her set at Digital on Saturday night was marred by poor sound and an initial sense of self-consciousness from the Tanzanian-born Geordie. Performing her first track under the cover of a towel she was barely audible and technically it didn’t get much better.

Throughout her set there was constant adjustment to the levels to her microphone and she appeared nervous. With her control stretching from her onstage appearance to her band’s matching outfits, being unable to get the sound exactly how she wanted obviously threw her.

It was only in her final song, Closer, when she literally and figuratively let her hair down that she showed the talent evident on her two EP releases. Finally singing with abandon and demonstrating her powerful and smooth voice, she brought the track together. Her vocals gave life to the previously limp instrumentation and engaged the crowd who had been in a state of indifference, partially rescuing her performance.