I have lost track of the amount of times I've actually seen Tori Amos, but the experience has never been less than magical, and is more often
better described as very intense and beautiful. Tori's unfaltering track record for live performance deems a lengthy review
almost unnecessary (fans who hadn't seen her before won't be let down, and fans who
have know just how good she is). I must say, though, tonight's show at the Royal Albert Hall was, at points, closer to a word I have not used to describe her shows before: Majestic.
First, a major disappointment, but not with her. We arrived before 3.00 in the afternoon and excitedly got in line for the Meet and Greet; I was most happy that I was to get my first and only copy of
Little Earthquakes signed on the year of its 20th anniversary! Having been confirmed to definitley be seeing her and a cut-off point being decided upon, we were most disappointed and frustrated when another guy came out and drew a clearly arbitrary line on the floor in front of us (not literally, of course) and advised us that beyond this point, people would not see her due to her soundcheck. This might have been acceptable if it had been worked out with any sort of policed system, or had left more than a pitiful
ten people disappointed. Very bitter.
Gold Dust, an album of her material re-worked with orchestra arrangements works on more than that one level; not only is it interesting to hear these pieces, some of which are classics, bolstered by classical instrumentation, but much like Joni Mitchell's
Travelogue, it also gives her, and her audience, an opportunity to reflect on the themes of the songs, the meanings, and to hear them differently years and years later; a chance to consider how they have changed, for both us, and her. Tonight, we hear the whole record presented in full. We kick off, however, with a B-side track not actually on the album,
Flying Dutchman, and within the first two lines she has
"fucked it up again", as she so eloquantly announces. To some, this may seem to be a bad sign, but to the hardcore Tori fan this is par for the course, and as always, is followed by some joking on Tori's part, some healthy laughter, and then the song has begun again. That is the only (notable) error for the night; from there on it is smooth sailing.
Yes, on a personal level, there are a few down moments;
Snow Cherries From France, Jackie's Strength, and
Girl Disappearing, whilst perfectly performed, lack a certain something. Or perhaps this is just a reflection of my own taste; I have never been that in love with these songs. A quick look at the set (below), however, illustrates just how much that leaves to be described as gorgeous. In the past we have seen her give very intense, raw performances; performances that seem to reach in and tear you to pieces. Tonight is not, for the most part, one of those nights; the orchestra bring something to the songs that makes them less imposing somehow. The arrangements are written by John Philip Shenale, who actually worked on
Yes, Anastasia the first time round, and the grandiosity, whilst removing that raw edge, and removing Tori's ability to improvise and play around with things in the way she often does, also transforms the songs. Some may not be so keen on the accompaniment, but to me it is like seeing your partner with a different hairstyle, make-up and a dress you have never seen her in before; she is not less attractive, just notably different. Even the aformentioned
Yes, Anastasia, with its already familiar arrangement, has been edited, shifted about, and has had its urgency turned up.
"We'll see how brave you are, we'll see how fast you've been running" remains as powerful a refrain and mission statement as it ever was.
Cloud On My Tongue, with its building vortex of strings, sucks you in to the song anew, and along with
Baker Baker, Marianne, Silent All These Years, Winter, Flavor, and the mighty
Gold Dust, is delivered with tender beauty and that majesty I mentioned. In all cases the story driving the song is recalled, replayed in our head, and even re-assessed up to twenty years on!
Tori doesn't say much, except to address her daughter, who is here tonight with school friends, all dressed in red school uniform. The sweet moment is followed by the sweeter
Ribbons Undone, the one song performed solo tonight, and, to those of us who understand, the sentiment of the piece has never been more moving.
We see the evening out with an unusual, yet surprisingly powerful
Our New Year. Tori has been quiet, but is clearly on top of the world right now. Tonight has not been the most
intense performance I have seen from her, but it has been a tremendous set list, and she remains bold, proving herself once again to be an artist not happy with being static, treading water. She will continue to push herself, with the promise of her musical in London next year, and an album already in the works for 2014. Yes, despite dropping off the general public's radar about fifteen years ago, we see tonight a woman who is her generation's Joni Mitchell, a woman who doesn't need
Cornflake Girl or a dancefloor filling remix of
Professional Widow, who lives for what she does, and while she is doing it, I for one will be listening.
Gold Dust is out now.
Royal Albert Hall, 3rd October, 2012
FLYING DUTCHMAN
CLOUD ON MY TONGUE
BAKER BAKER
MARIANNE
SNOW CHERRIES FROM FRANCE
RIBBONS UNDONE
HEY, JUPITER
JACKIE'S STRENGTH
WINTER
YES, ANASTASIA
FLAVOR
GIRL DISAPPEARING
SILENT ALL THESE YEARS
LEATHER
EDGE OF THE MOON
GOLD DUST
PRECIOUS THINGS
STAR OF WONDER
PROGRAMMABLE SODA
OUR NEW YEAR
He takes his regular position atop the sound monitor, so he can command the love from the band's fans right from the get-go. And what a love it is; between songs the chant of his name is heard from every corner of the auditorium, its nature making it feel more like a football match than a musical performance. Through their 90 minutes on stage we see good humour, a brief, warm tribute to their still-comatose original bass player Chi Cheng, and most importantly a tight, well-rehearsed delivery of a superb song choice, representing fairly each stage of a career still going strong, loose of the shackles of the nu-metal genre they effectively made cool in the first place. This does not mean, however, that they have left those roots behind; on the contrary, along with the textured, mature later work, we get a nice selection of lifts from Around the Fur, and a nostalgic encore, consisting of the Adrenaline songs Engine #9 and 7 Words. It simply confirms they can handle all tones like masters, which their reputation dictates them to be.
