News: The Australian Concert Review (September 13, 2007)

Patrick Emery attended the opening night of Tori’s Australian tour in Melbourne and reviewed it favorably for The Australian. Thanks to lucy for the tip!

Sassy, but not quite Aphrodite

Patrick Emery | September 13, 2007

Tori Amos; Hamer Hall, Melbourne, September 10. Sydney Opera House tomorrow, Saturday and September 24; Canberra Theatre, Sunday; Civic Theatre, Newcastle, Tuesday; Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide, September 20; Convention Centre, Brisbane, September 22; Perth Concert Hall, September 27 and 28.

THE fact that Tori Amos’s most recent album, American Doll Posse, is based around five separate characters suggests she is comfortable embracing and exploiting her eccentricities – real and perceived – for artistic gain. For all her erratic behaviour over the years, Amos is nothing if not an intriguing artist.

She began the Australian leg of her world tour with a sell-out crowd at Melbourne’s Hamer Hall. To rapturous applause, Amos appeared in the guise of Santa, a platinum blonde character allegedly based on Aphrodite – though with her sassy looks, leg throws and striking poses, Santa seemed more cabaret star than Greek goddess.

Backed by Michael Chamberlain on drums, Jon Evans on bass and Dan Phelps on guitar, Amos opened with a deep and guttural version of Body and Soul before indulging her long-term fans with God from 1994’s Under the Pink.

After exploring the Santa character through Secret Spell, Dragon and You Can Bring Your Dog, Amos left the stage. A soundtrack of electronic noise segued into the Professional Widow remix and Amos reappeared as herself (or was it a caricature of Amos as the music world claims to see her), resplendent in long red wig and gold sequined pant-suit.

Launching into Big Wheel, Amos was all coy smiles and self-referential parody. From there she delved into her extensive back catalogue, including Bells for Her, Caught a Little Sneeze, the classic high-pitched falsetto of Cornflake Girl and the more recent Taxi Ride and Tombigbee.

The band was at home wherever Amos chose to wander, with Phelps’s excursions into swamp, space rock, blues and baroque pop being a subtle highlight of the night.

In a solo set, Amos gave personal focus to Father’s Son, Code Red and Bliss. Later on, she turned whimsical, tapping out a juvenile, but amusing, ditty on the subject of local breakfast fare – and, to her apparent chagrin, the absence of her prized Luna bars.

Amos may occasionally give the appearance of being a sandwich short of a picnic but, like David Bowie, she prides herself on artistic re-invention, sometimes to the confusion of her most loyal fans. On Monday, however, she gave her fans something to celebrate and remember.