Tori Amos - Spring Haze (Live in New York, Dec 2011)
So, she followed ‘Hey Jupiter’ which I posted earlier today with this at the show. This section of the show ran ‘Snow Cherries From France’ > ‘Hey Jupiter’ > ‘Spring Haze’ > ‘Cruel’. I’m a huge fan of using songs to create a narrative arc, both on LPs and in a live context (especially in a live context where you can re-order at will, and augment with back catalogue tracks). When I saw this being live tweeted, I kind of lost it a little and stopped calling it the “Night of Hunters” tour, and (thanks to Shags) started calling it the “Night of Haters” tour, because I couldn’t be there (and don’t get me started on her second LA show that tour).
Also, ‘Spring Haze’ is one of my all time favourite songs of hers - the first time I heard it live (in 2005) I was the embarrassing screamer ruining the hypothetical bootleg. The quartet arrangement here does it absolute justice. Sometimes listening to a live recording isn’t interesting unless you were there. This is absolutely not the case here.
Tori Amos - Hey Jupiter (Live in New York, Dec 2011)
I was going to write about the evolution of this song as it has been performed live, but really, the only important thing is that it has reached this point, where it is being performed on the original piano, with the additional ‘Dakota Version’ lyrics, accompanied by a string quartet.
2010 - Live Shows Review
I did one of these last year too and, having just completed putting together my photobook from shows I went to in 2010, it’s all fresh in my mind, so I thought I’d give this another whirl.
Top 6 shows of the year?
- Tomorrow, In A Year
- Andrew Bird
- Jane Siberry (my living room)
- Slow Music Night
- Joanna Newsom (Thirroul)
- The Universal Thump (Notes)
Total number of shows?
46 (including the 3 performances of “Tomorrow, In A Year”)
First show of the year?
Andrew Bird
Last show of the year?
Leonard Cohen
Most surprising show?
Andrew Bird. I only had one of his records prior to going to the show, I wasn’t expecting to come away completely sold on absolutely everything, and feeling so emotionally and creatively full.
Most disappointing?
The “Rogue’s Gallery” night, from the Sydney Festival. It was ramshackle and thoroughly unengaging. I left early.
Farthest traveled? States attended shows in?
Melbourne to see “Tomorrow, In A Year” and Angie Hart
Venue most visited?
Sydney Opera House
Worst injury?
Nothing more than aching legs.
Most expensive ticket?
Probably one of the shows at the Opera House. I know I didn’t pay more than $100 for anything this year, so probably around $80-$90.
Band seen the most?
Angie Hart, Clare Bowditch and “Tomorrow, In A Year” all tie with three apiece.
Best new discovery?
Colin Stetson, the saxophonist performing with Laurie Anderson and Shara Worden at the Vivid Festival.
Bands seen this year that also broke up this year?
None that I’m aware of!
Friends made at shows?
Nah.
Band members met?
Joanna Newsom, briefly, at Thirroul. Amanda Palmer, at her Ninja Gig (and yoga session), Jane Siberry (she played in my house). I don’t count members of Fourplay or The Universal Thump.
Best souvenir from a show?
Other than Jane Siberry I don’t think I even got an autograph. I did get Colin Stetson’s setlist from the My Brightest Diamond show, but I can’t find where I stashed it, which is annoying. And I never finish a year without at least one of Angie’s filed away. I got the Melbourne one this year.
Longest time in line?
I didn’t line up for anything this year that I can recall. I did get to The Decemberists early, but it didn’t feel like a crazy long wait.
Shows seen from the barricade [front row]:
From the barricade? Frightened Rabbit, Silversun Pickups, Angie Hart, Clare Bowditch. From front row (or table)? “Tomorrow, In A Year”.
Most shows in one month?
8 each for January, June, October
Most shows in one week?
6 (thank you Vivid Festival)
Biggest crowd?
Anything in the Concert Hall at the Opera House
Top 5 best 2009 show moments:
1- Jane Siberry performing “Barkis Is Willing” and “Love Is Everything” on my piano.
2- Joanna Newsom’s new arrangement of “Peach, Plum, Pear”.
3- Colin Stetson and Shara Worden performing together.
4- John Darnielle’s (The Mountain Goats) stage banter between songs.
5- Discovering Andrew Bird’s “Sweetmatter”.
Runner up - Amanda Palmer and guest musician on Mariba interrupting a performance of “Oasis” to perform the theme from “Clue”. Also, Sarah McLachlan being too jetlagged and missing her cue on “Fallen”, claiming she needs a drink and nicking Melissa McClelland’s glass of wine and downing it all in one hit.
Top 5 worst 2009 show moments:
1- The woman sitting at the front at the other Jane Siberry show not stopping snapping away with her camera despite Jane staring straight down the barrel, frowning, and shaking her head.
2- Sarah McLachlan performing anything from her latest album (ooh, harsh).
3- Marianne Faithfull forgetting the words when they were written on a sheet in front of her when performing at ‘Rogue’s Gallery’.
4- Amanda Palmer asking people to turn on their phones while she performed “4’33”“, which just seemed to encourage people to scream stuff at her, which to me ruined the intent of the piece entirely.
That’s it really. I was going to complain about Emily Haines performing for only 45 minutes, but really, the performance was so beautiful it feels a bit like complaining that you haven’t won enough in the lottery.
Clare Bowditch & The New Slang, Live at Melt Bar
Sydney 18th August 2010
Incidentally, this photo was taken during the performance of ‘Prinz Willy’ that evening.
Owen Pallett, Live at The Famous Spiegeltent
Sydney 19th January 2011
Lou Reed - Vanishing Act (Live at Vivid Festival)
I need to disclaim something first - a lot of my love for this I have no doubt comes from being there. Lou was sitting at the far left of the stage. Laurie was standing at the far right. The guy from Doveman was on the piano, which Lou was sitting in front of. There would have been at least 10 metres between Lou and Laurie.
This was one of those few moments you get at a live show where the whole room - the whole Opera House Concert Hall - was just in the same moment. As Laurie, delicately at first, began to play the violin, you could feel something begin, and then build until the end where it verges on cacophony, albeit a beautiful one. About halfway through I realised this wasn’t Lou singing just accompanied by Laurie. This was a duet.
You could feel the connection between the two across the stage. It was almost physically palpable, and hugely emotional, to see the two perform together, having just curated the entire festival, to have the whole week of varied, exciting shows completely overarched by this performance and a clear expression of whatever relationship they have together.
It feels weird to say this out loud, but it wasn’t one of those performative moments that was unique or rare regardless of quality, as seems to be so lauded in the live music world. It was one of those live music moments that it felt an absolute privilege to be a part of, because it was so real, the internal made external and spreading out across everything, successfully filling the whole room.
I’d take another five minutes of that alone over any amount of technical performance bravado or charismatic stage swagger.
How nice it is to disappear.
Float into a mist.
With a young lady on your arm.
Looking for a kiss.
Looking for a kiss.
