r/toriamos

Premiere Tonight!

TORI AMOS – In Times of Dragons Tour | Live in London (Royal Albert Hall, 21/04/26)

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An emotional night with Tori Amos at the Royal Albert Hall in London, as part of the In Times of Dragons Tour, joined by long-time collaborator Jon Evans on bass, Earl Harvin on drums, and three outstanding backing vocalists — Liv Gibson, Deni Hlavinka and Hadley Kennary — who added depth and soul throughout the performance.

“Fire to Your Plain” opened in a striking reinvention, darker and more atmospheric. “Shush” came with surprising ferocity — raw, questioning, with that haunting “Am I just meat?” intensity, even pausing to thank Courtney Love in a brief, human moment. “iieee” was explosive and unpredictable, one of the standout performances of the night. “Ruby” felt suspended in time, delicate and deeply moving, while “Damage” was perhaps the most heart-wrenching moment of the night — pure goosebumps from start to finish.

“Pandora” brought the backing vocalists to the forefront, their harmonies elevating the song into something almost choral. Ahead of “Poison & Wine”, originally by The Civil Wars, Tori shared stories about her long relationship with the Royal Albert Hall, adding warmth and intimacy, then delivered the cover with elegance. “Precious Things” erupted with fierce energy, completely igniting the room, and the night closed perfectly with “Cornflake Girl”, a timeless classic that brought everyone together.

A night of fire, fragility and fearless reinvention — the kind that stays with you long after the last note fades.

4/5 Stars

When I spoke to Tori Amos for this magazine in the wake of the release of her last album, “Ocean To Ocean”, the US political landscape was playing heavily on her mind, and clearly informs this, her 18th studio album, “In Times Of Dragons”; a sprawling beast that imagines her marrying a dangerous and power-hungry billionaire then narrates her escape.

This isn’t the first time Amos has dabbled with the long-form concept album, somewhat mirroring 2002’s “Scarlet’s Walk” (a road trip across American in the wake of 9/11), this chronicles a different kind of journey in the wake of political and social upheaval.

This album doesn’t so much unfold as accumulate. While the opener “Shush” sets the scene, asking where the woman who wrote “Silent All These Years” is now, second cut of this set, the title track sets the tone with a skittering, uneasy pulse as Amos introduces the lizard-like antagonist “out for blood”, immediately placing us in a world that feels both allegorical and uncomfortably close to reality.

Elsewhere, she sketches out a loose cast of allies and outsiders. “Provincetown”, laced with harpsichord, plays like a gathering point for misfits-among them a “gay witch” as Amos urges, “go on girl, grab the lifeline”, the song teetering between fight and flight.

It’s emblematic of an album that consistently rewards intentional listening; this isn’t something to let wash over you, but something to sit with, decode, and return to, discovering new characters and detail with each listen.

There are moments of softness threaded through the defiant sprawl. “St Teresa” offers quiet reassurance; “you are kissed by God”, while brief interludes like “Ode to Minnesota” and the jaunty “Fanny Faudrey” – which brings to mind “Wednesday” from Scarlet’s Walk – provide welcome breathing space between heavier chapters.

The album’s emotional core arrives with “Veins”, a clear standout that recalls the electronic textures of “To Venus And Back”. A back and forth duet with her daughter Tash, it deals with inheritance and harm; “don’t want it running through your veins”.

Even lighter moments carry weight. “Strawberry Moon” opens with studio laughter before settling into a fragile ballad, while “Pyrite”, one of the record’s late highlights bursts with energy.

By the time we reach the release of “23 Peaks”, the album has become something elemental. Wind howls, strings swell and Amos delivers one of her most haunting refrains: “Can you take this weight from me?”, before invoking “the ancient order of the dragons”. It’s a spine-tingling close to a record that often feels overwhelming in scope, but one that reveals more of itself with each return.

Ultimately, this review is redundant; you already know if you have the space in your life for a 17-track narrative album from Tori Amos. But that’s to be praised, by making something expansive that truly demands your attention for a one hour and 10 minute stretch, she’s pushing back against the idea that music should be frictionless, immediate, and easily consumed.

Just want to remind everyone that this is actually out there in the world

I know in the past you were album to request a song with the little note you can send her, but I’m not sure if that’s still able to be done because of the Angels. Has anyone tried to request a song, and has Tori played it?

Me and 3 friends were going from London. Just two going now. Have two tickets spare (in the gods) still in U.K.

Because of the ticketing system we would have to go in together. Message if interested. Traveling so might take a while to get back to you.