News: Birmingham Post Concert Review (September 10, 2009)

Tony Collins reviewed last week’s Birmingham concert for the Birmingham Post, giving the performance three out of five stars and calling the concert “absorbing.”

Thanks to Rob for catching this article!

---

Review: Tori Amos at Symphony Hall

Sep 10 2009 By Tony Collins

You can take the girl out of America, but seemingly you can’t take America out of the girl.

Singer Tori Amos was always going to stand out from the crowd with her long, flame-red hair, notwithstanding her expressive lyrics and accomplished piano playing.

But all thoughts that living the life of an English country wife and mother in a remote farmhouse in Cornwall with her husband and eight-year-old daughter had somehow diminished her, were quickly dispelled with her first ever appearance at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall.

While the red hair and wonderful, distinctive voice have not changed, Tori now performs simultaneously on piano and keyboards which, she plays, Rick Wakeman-style, by swiveling repeatedly on her stool between the two.

Fortunately, as the female of the species, she comes well-prepared for such a potentially exhibitionist display by wearing leggings beneath a specially designed dress with a huge ‘gate’ cut out at the front that allows free movement while protecting her modesty.

The bold, some might say brash, nature of her performance also consisted of repeated poses, almost as if on cue for some mystery photographer, with frequent Cheshire cat-style grins thrown in for good measure.

While this proved occasionally distracting, it did not detract from an absorbing two-hour display as part of the UK tour marking the release of her new album, Abnormally Attracted To Sin.

Tori, who had previously made only one Birmingham appearance when an errant driver caused her to arrive late for a Marc Cohn support gig in 1992, opened with Give from her new album, but then went on to offer a taste of most of her previous releases over the years.

The Choirgirl Hotel was represented by the excellent Playboy Mommy and Pandora’s Aquarium, while other offerings ranged from Concertina and Little Earthquakes to Cloud On My Tongue and the inevitable Cornflake Girl.

Rating: 3/5