1 hour ago, John Slayne said:

Okay so here are some of my loosely organised thoughts on the show I saw last night in Bristol.

As excited as I was for Fire To Your Plain, Iieee is obviously the superior song and opener. I knew we were in for a great show, and the backing singers did an amazing job on this one. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for Bliss. I absolutely love that song, but the live version from yesterday just did not work for me. Both Tori and her singers just refused to do the high note (the I've said it all part) and I thought what's the point of bringing the extra singers if they don't hit the notes Tori can't hit anymore? The song just fell apart for me because of that.

She sang 5 Scarlet's Walk songs, which I do appreciate as a SW lover but two of those being songs I don't care for as much. Vegas is cute, but I would've gladly taken anything from Scarlet's Hidden Treasures over it. Crazy, on the other hand...

One of my favs from Diving Deep, I was in heaven. I'll confess, I was not familiar with Honey at all and I had to google the song after the show. It was one of the highlights for me though, I was mesmerised from start to finish and was shocked to find out the song did not make the cut for UTP when it's easily better than at least half of the songs that did make it. Instantly a new favourite of mine

Song of Sorrow instrumental debut was cute, not much else to say about it. I'll wait for the whole album version. Before she sang Your Cloud she said the song was requested by a 14 year old girl in the audience and I thought, who requests Your Cloud when you could ask for anything? But I guess that is the beauty of being a Torinator, the fandom is very diverse in taste levels. The request probably came from an aging gay man pretending to be a little girl anyway, I was the youngest person in the room I could see lol.

Sweet Sangria, Bells For Her, Give - all great, no notes. A Sorta Fairytale is one of the greatest, most beautiful songs of all time and I feel blessed that I got to hear it live.

If I had to be critical, I would say that the show suffered from Tori's over-reliance on the band and the background singers. When I saw her in 2022, she did several songs on her own with just her pianos and those were lowkey the highlights, and it's where she's at her best. Yesterday it felt like she couldn't say a word without her band playing behind her, all we got was about 10 seconds during Crucify when all music and background singing stopped and it was just her singing and playing the piano. And the gag is... she actually sounded fine. She could've easily done at least 2-3 songs + a cover on her own, having to rehearse everything with her band means that she probably won't do any covers anymore, which is a shame.

Btw, my partner does not care for Tori at all and his favourite song was... Big Wheel A future GP classic I guess

Thank you for the write up! At my gig in 2023 she played Smells Like Teen Spirit alone on the piano and it was my favourite moment of that concert, so I get what you mean. I hope she still realizes there is a magic to solely her and a piano and she doesn't avoid it altogether just because it won't sound perfect every time. But I suspect it will be a while before she completely figures out how to deal with it all. And in the clips I've seen I also sense a similar respect to the backings as she has for her musicians (i.e. letting them do their thing as well) so I think she probably wants to include them more than strictly necessary. And yes, I think she sounds mostly great so far. Not pushing her voice to where it cannot go anymore is really all she needed to do. She is just as compelling in that lower register too.

1 hour ago, Haze said:

Thank you for the write up! At my gig in 2023 she played Smells Like Teen Spirit alone on the piano and it was my favourite moment of that concert, so I get what you mean. I hope she still realizes there is a magic to solely her and a piano and she doesn't avoid it altogether just because it won't sound perfect every time. But I suspect it will be a while before she completely figures out how to deal with it all. And in the clips I've seen I also sense a similar respect to the backings as she has for her musicians (i.e. letting them do their thing as well) so I think she probably wants to include them more than strictly necessary. And yes, I think she sounds mostly great so far. Not pushing her voice to where it cannot go anymore is really all she needed to do. She is just as compelling in that lower register too.

I hope she gets more confident as the tour goes on because I believe she still has a lot to offer as a pianist and as a singer!

Thank you @John Slayne !!! I am hunting for a video of the Iieee performance but no luck.

Also, I have a theory that her voice has changed a bit more since the last tour, but not as much as people think. She's probably trying to adapt and harmonize with the singers using her lower register, which is making it sound like the range is even narrower than it is. Thoroughly hoping she does eventually add a solo moment later on.

6 hours ago, John Slayne said:

The request probably came from an aging gay man pretending to be a little girl anyway, I was the youngest person in the room I could see lol.

Btw, my partner does not care for Tori at all and his favourite song was... Big Wheel A future GP classic I guess

Screaming at these

M-I-L-F!!!

There are several points in my life I would've requested Your Cloud if given the opportunity btw

9 hours ago, HonourableVomit said:

M-I-L-F!!!

all the gays rushing to the stage during encore to sing this. you're no milf!!!

I think that's the first time she references the voice change (?)

4 minutes ago, Démodé said:

I think that's the first time she references the voice change (?)

'Coinky dink' I love/hate her She has in written interviews before, but she has become more candid about it. And she's talked a lot about the struggle with aging.

Edited April 13Apr 13 by Haze

I love how she talks about being the composer and is there to service the song. Anyone with a bigger ego would've struggled with those decisions

Little Amsterdam sounded GREAT in Manchester

I still haven't been able to find a video of Give

Boys for Pele you will always be a masterpiece

A few quick thoughts:

1. She came out in the ugliest kit known to man

2. The front row die hards are cringe

3. Her voice sounded so good, better than in 2023

4. She made me cry during Putting the Damage On

1 hour ago, Haze said:

A few quick thoughts:

1. She came out in the ugliest kit known to man

2. The front row die hards are cringe

3. Her voice sounded so good, better than in 2023

4. She made me cry during Putting the Damage On

Honey, Damage & Pandora back to back would kill me I think

AND YOU GOT GIVE

Can't wait for the full review

Shush is genuinely so incredible I think it's her best song of the last 20 years

@John Slayne actually kinda won with AATS being among her faves

In Times Of Dragons tour by album tracks (after her "35 rehearsed songs" tease, she's now played all of those it seems)

Little Earthquakes (2) +1 for Mary

Under The Pink (3) + 1 for Honey

Boys for Pele (4)

Choirgirl (3)

Venus (2)

Scarlet's Walk (5) +1 for Ruby Through The Looking Glass

Beekeeper (2)

Doll Posse (3)

Abnormally (2)

Ocean To Ocean (2)

Night of Hunters, Native Invader, Strange Little Girls, Midwinter Graces, Unrepentant Geraldines: 0

Edited April 19Apr 19 by HonourableVomit

Okay, so I have recovered a bit from my hang over so I'll try to write something a bit more substantial.

She opened with God and there was a bit there in her mid range where she really went for it and it sounded like she rolled back the years. She's still a really powerful and expressive vocalist when the songs allow her to, so I agree with @John Slayne that the backings were a bit overbearing and unneccessary at points. But in other songs they completely lift it and they sounded fantastic. Pandora was basically a showcase for their vocal talents, and I got A Sorta Fairytale back in 2023, but the version last night was infinitely superior: warm, lush, just a perfect way to translate that song to a live setting. Tori is also still improvising a lot, which means the backings need to be able to follow her whenever, so I think it's a very delicate balancing act that mostly really succeeds. Witness was also a lot of fun!

But the highlight for me was Putting the Damage On, with that gorgeous piano introduction and the focus solely on her. Spellbinding really.

Re: her die hards, when the last note of witness played they absolutely stormed to the front of the stage. It was like a bomb had gone off and people were really flummoxed at what was happening. It kind of destroyed the lovely atmosphere she had created (I was in row six going up into the music and suddenly there was noone in front of me). And then for the last two tracks they just pushed their phones into her face and blocked most of the ground area from seeing her. And like, these are the people that have seen her like a 100 times. I just know Tori secretly wants to tell them to get a life. It's ok queen, I'll do it for you!

Edited April 19Apr 19 by Haze

waaaiitt.... fucking hell

Apollo's frock was always as beautiful

As the saddest rainstorm

Apollo, your frock was always as beautiful

As your sister's, that your light shined on

Cooling into Pandora and they both never sounded better omg

Her Legend X serve

Kinda random place to start, but @blade bird suggested I listen to Scarlet's Hidden Treasures right away, so I did! Loved it! I just left some quick comments, not a full blown analysis or anything. Maybe one day I can learn to write like @Haze.

Scarlet's Hidden Treasures

1. Ruby Through the Looking-Glass
Holy ****, what a way to start off this release... Amazing lyrics: really haunting, but also hopeful. Interesting musical combination of piano and country.

2. Seaside
What a tragic backstory, but it's a gorgeous song.

3. Bug a Martini
Was NOT expecting a shift to this sound after those first two harrowing songs nnn. Don't get the lyrics, oop.

4. Apollo's Frock
Prettiest piano so far ❤️

5. tombigbee
Fantastic imagery in the lyrics, really vivid and colorful without even mentioning colors. MARINA should take note!

6. Indian Summer
Ummm this one's my favorite so far; this is gorgeous...!!

7. Operation Peter Pan
Oh wow, I would never have gotten what this song was about without that context/quotation on toriphoria. Nice song.

8. Mountain
I gave this one a 9 in the rate. Love it!

Boyfriend has been listening to pretty much nothing but Tori (Choirgirl specifically) for days now. He's even reached the point of doing vocal impersonations and telling me his favourite moments of each song

Officially a convert I fear

8 hours ago, Kabrona said:

Her Legend X serve

oh Concertina

I listened to Scarlet's Walk 3 times today

Just getting familiar with the sound before I sit down with the lyrics, but I already think it's a 10/10 anyway

Scarlet's Walk is legit the best album ever to listen to while driving for long distances: Amber Waves, the title track, Carbon, Crazy! And let's not talk about Gold Dust as the closer, WHEW

It deserved to be awarded as her second best album I fear

2 hours ago, Curaga said:

I listened to Scarlet's Walk 3 times today

Just getting familiar with the sound before I sit down with the lyrics, but I already think it's a 10/10 anyway

Now you see Florence didn't even include the mega smash hits Amber Waves, Scarlet's Walk, Sweet Sangria, Gold Dust

Just now, HonourableVomit said:

Now you see Florence didn't even include the mega smash hits Amber Waves, Scarlet's Walk, Sweet Sangria, Gold Dust

Or Carbon, Pancake, mrs. jesus, or Virginia

But I forgive her