Tori Amos – Waterfront Hall, Belfast – 18/04/26 – Live Review
by Cathy Brown

Tori Amos returned to Belfast’s Waterfront Hall on Saturday night and delivered a masterclass. It was an atmospheric, deeply personal performance that reminded everyone why she remains one of the most compelling artists of her generation, thirty-five years on from her first release.

Opening with a striking rendition of ‘God’, from 1994’s Under The Pink, Amos immediately set the tone for the evening. It was a bold, pleasing start delivered with raw power and theatrical flair that immediately won the packed Waterfront Hall over. Backed by a tight, sympathetic band of drums, bass guitar and a trio of talented backing singers (introduced as her ‘angel-witches’), the atmosphere throughout the night felt darker, more textured, and at times almost theatrical, and it was evident that Amos was loving playing with a band. The arrangements gave space for her voice, no longer as pristine as in her early years, but still expressive and commanding.

This wasn’t a setlist designed for casual fans. Amos largely sidestepped both obvious hits and her most recent material, instead curating a selection of gems spanning her three-decade-plus output and treating the audience to a rich, if occasionally challenging, musical journey. For devoted listeners, it felt like a reward: songs like ‘Witness,’ ‘Bliss,’ and the crowd-pleasing ‘A Sorta Fairytale’ stood out as highlights, each delivered with emotional depth and musical precision. Her piano work remains a central marvel — fluid, intricate, and at times astonishing, particularly when she moved seamlessly between three keyboards within a single piece.

She performed two songs from her forthcoming new album, In Times of Dragons; ‘Stronger Together,’ co-written with her daughter, felt warm and immediate, while ‘Shush’ echoed the quiet feminist anger of her breakout hit ‘Silent All These Years.’ The middle section of the evening dipped slightly in energy as she ventured into lesser-known album tracks. While the hardcore fans hung on every note, some of the audience’s attention drifted as the more obscure material stretched on. It was a brave choice, and one that perhaps tested the casual fans a little; just one song from her smash debut Little Earthquakes would have gone a long way to getting the audience back on side.

Any lull was quickly forgotten by the time the encore arrived. ‘Big Wheel’ roared back with swagger and attitude, followed by a glorious, cathartic ‘Cornflake Girl’ that brought the house down and the seated Waterfront audience racing to the front of the stage. It was a triumphant close, reminding the audience of her enduring ability to captivate.

Musically, the show was superb. While time has inevitably changed the texture of her voice, Amos’s presence remains, and her sheer stage presence more than compensates for any minor vocal wear. She commands the room like few others can. This wasn’t the easiest or most accessible Tori Amos show, but for those willing to go on the ride, it was a rich, rewarding, and often beautiful evening from one of rock’s true originals.

Setlist: 

God
Shush
Bliss
Honey
Putting the Damage On
Pandora’s Aquarium
Stronger Together
Give
Addition of Light Divided
Mother Revolution
A Sorta Fairytale
Witness

Encore:
Big Wheel
Cornflake Girl