Glorious Tori

(picture by Steve Asenjo)

On the 3rd of October 2012, we returned to the Royal Albert Hall to see Tori Amos perform, this time, the quartet of her previous tour having morphed into a 52 piece Dutch orchestra: The Metropole Orkest.

On the 3rd of October 2012, Tori Amos did what most casual fans beg their favourite artists to do: a Greatest Hits tour. For a lot of artists it wouldn't work. For most artists it would come off tacky and desperate, a last attempt to grapple at relevancy by shamelessly revisiting past glories. But most artists wouldn't choose to revisit their back catalogue via lush and exhilarating orchestral rearrangements.

The setting for the concert was typical Tori: bare stage, only embellished with a colourful lighting design (and 52 Dutch musicians). But the music was anything but predictable. Every song was not just souped up or given added colour or arch lushness, but was rearranged rhythmically - an extra bar here or there, a haunting introduction, a rippling countermelody. Even the most hardened Tori fan couldn't help but sit up straight and pay attention to these new mature versions.

Of course, the meat of the gig was made up with cuts from her recent orchestral reworks album, Gold Dust, but Tori loves to throw in rare surprises and this time we were treated to a tender, piano-only "Ribbons Undone" - especially poignant and touching considering her daughter, Tasha, was in attendance - and an orchestral rearrangement of personal favourite and mostly-forgotten early album track "Baker Baker" as well as a jaunty rendition of fan favourite "Leather".

Perhaps most scintillating of all was an orchestral "Edge of the Moon" from her recent western art music-inspired Night of Hunters album. The bubbling and rippling middle section was a joy.

Of course a Tori concert isn't complete without this here writer shedding a few tears, and this time it was to the eponymous "Gold Dust". Tori's knack for moving from one key signature to another to evoke certain emotions is in full effect in this song: "and the sun on your face" being the line to get us weeping.

On the 3rd of October 2012 at the Royal Albert Hall, Tori played:

1. "Flying Dutchman"
2. "Cloud on My Tongue"
3. "Baker Baker"
4. "Marianne"
5. "Snow Cherries from France"
6. "The Fairy Song"
7. "Ribbons Undone"
8. "Hey Jupiter"
9. "Jackie's Strength"
10. "Winter"

Interval

1. "Yes, Anastasia"
2. "Flavor"
3. "Girl Disappearing"
4. "Silent All These Years"
5. "Leather"
6. "Edge of the Moon"
7. "Gold Dust
8. "Precious Things"

Encore

1. "Star of Wonder"
2. "Programmable Soda"
3. "Our New Year"