:: Tori Amos - Live at Hamer Hall, Melbourne - May 2005

By: Joseph Crofts

“Wooh, hooo the time is getting closer, woohooo…..” I was singing Tori Amos lyrics in anticipation as I walked down Swanston Street to Hamer Hall. After all it had been ten years since her last visit, so there was a certain build-up to the ethereal chanteuse’s performance.

Hamer Hall was resplendent. A gauzy mist hung in the air and soft lights filtered down from the enormously high ceilings. It was as almost as though we Tori devotees were being ushered into the bowels of an ancient, hollowed-out monolith. The occasional cry of ‘We love you Tori’ echoed acoustically around the lofty balconies, the words caressing one’s ears as though somebody from another dimension was speaking them.

When Ms Amos finally graced the stage the audience’s rapture sounded almost musically eloquent. A single light followed her on stage. She paused, raised her hands in a form of tai-chi like greeting, and sat down at her Rosendorfer. Her autumnal silk tulle and satin dress cascaded over the piano stool and one jade-coloured heeled shoe worked the pedal.

She played many songs from her new album ‘The Beekeeper,’ the title track of which had many of the audience members in tears. There were a few old favourites, such as ‘Baker Baker,’ ‘Cooling,’ ‘Amber Waves,’ and a cover of ‘Let It Be.’ As well as a song ‘for a sister:’ Kylie Minogue’s ‘Can’t Get You Out Of My Head’ which sounded positively eerie and obsessive as Tori’s mournful falsetto lalala’s and “set me free’s” bounced gently of the walls and ceilings. Jazz-influenced number ‘Sweet the Sting’ was the highlight of her two encores and then after two hours of solo piano playing she was gone as graciously as she arrived.

As we filtered out into the cool May night, awe-inspired and forever moved, it felt as though a fairytale had ended. The neon lights outside were bright and harsh and as we walked back to the workaday week Tori took off her make up and started thinking about white horses or something.

However, what lingered after the show was the awareness of Amos’s skill as a performer: Her ability to play the huge pipe organ and Rosendorfer piano simultaneously. Being able to entertain a crowd of several thousand people whilst concentrating on difficult arrangements, and interacting sexually and spiritually with her instruments and with maternal warmth with her adoring fans.

If anything, seeing Tori Amos live made me realise that her musicianship shames most other mainstream music performers. Popular music is lucky to have someone who could so easily have used her talent elsewhere.