I went to see Tori Amos last night in the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre. Her voice has dropped, each of her songs is in a different key because of it. She played long intros to each song and I realised after the second one that I couldn’t guess which song would be next because she would put flourishes of her old hits into each intro, then change them, and change them again. So I let go of my expectations and enjoyed the twists and turns in the music for what it was in the moment, instead of anticipating what each song might be.
I was at her very first concert here in Dublin at the National Stadium in the early 90’s. She wore a white teeshirt, a denim jumpsuit and no shoes. I’ve been to see her every time she came here - to the Olympia, the Iveagh Gardens, wherever she was playing I was there. At the concert before this one, it was apparent she couldn’t hit the high notes anymore. I wasn’t sure if I would go to this one because I knew it wouldn’t be the same. But I love her work and have followed her for so long my heart said I should be there.
Last night with her new arrangements, her new backing singers, and the new keys for her songs, at times It felt like the audience was cheering her on more than cheering for the music. The whole experience was beautiful. Her last song of the night was “Cornflake Girl”, one of her greatest hits of all time. It was a wonderful way to end the show.
Here are some photos/videos of the night. We weren’t stopped from taking them. She displayed the tricolour - you’ll have to take my word for it as it didn’t translate due to the lighting!
I hope you all make the effort to go out and see live artists, live music and art exhibitions. It fills you with life force and reminds you of the beauty we are all capable of.