Interview with Tom Monger - Fan Club Exclusive

Tom Monger at Orange Warsaw Festival 2014, by Marek Wilczyński

We were extremely fortunate to be able to conduct a fan question and answer session with Florence + the Machine harpist, Tom Monger. We asked you for questions, and this was his reply…

After we played “Dog Days” the crowd cheered so loudly I had to cover my ears. Our sound guy told us afterwards that the cheering had sent the decibel level machine off the scale...

Luana Thomas, Ronda Jenae Anderson, Patty Groom: You are an exceptional part of the band, and without you they wouldn’t be anything. The harp makes the difference!

Tom Monger: Thank you so much. It means a lot. When I was growing up, music gave me a lot of joy, excitement, comfort and support and I always hoped that, as a musician myself, I’d have the opportunity to do the same for others. I’m really grateful to have been a part of something that means a lot to so many people, and grateful for the support you give us which enables us to keep going :-)

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The Florence + the Machine Fan Club: We asked Florence to answer this when we interviewed her too: summarise the Florence + the Machine fans in one word/phrase.

Tom: “Extraordinary”

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Emma Sluyter: What do you think your life/career will look like in 10 years?

Tom: Mmmmm...well...going on the last ten years it would be difficult to predict! It was only 7 ½ years ago that I met Isa for the first time, and that was purely a chance meeting. I still have to pinch myself sometimes. I just hope I’ll still be doing this, and hope I’ll have the experience of working with as many people as possible and do something new and exciting. In terms of my life, obviously becoming a parent changes your whole perspective. I’m still kinda getting used to that... I’ve given up trying to predict what life has in store for me because it doesn’t work like that ;-)

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Amelia Lord, Krista Aasen, Lucy Smith, Emma Goffe, Natalie Jayade: Which is your favourite Florence + the Machine song to play, and your favourite song you’ve covered with the band?

Tom: It changes from time to time, but I guess “What the Water Gave Me” is probably my most consistent favourite. I also really enjoyed it when we did “Strangeness & Charm” and “Seven Devils”, but we don’t do those ones as frequently.

My favourite cover would be when we did “Fairytale Of New York” with Billy Bragg...partly because I think it’s a great song, partly because Billy Bragg is one of my all-time favourite musicians (and I urge every single one of you to check out his album “Don’t Try This At Home” because it’s one of the greatest albums of all time) and partly because I thought we made a pretty good job of it!

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Plinio Morais, Nicolás Valiente, Joel (@ShakenByAStorm): What song was the most difficult to learn and to play?

Tom: “Breath Of Life” was probably the most complicated one to learn as there were so many different sections...I remember having to have a crib sheet with the chords written out on the floor the first few times we played it live.

“Rabbit Heart” is probably the trickiest…there were about three different harp parts going on, on the record, so having to play all three at the same time when we do it live is a bit of an operation, but I’m beginning to get the hang of it ;-) It was even more complicated when we did it on the “Lungs” tour, as I was also triggering the “raise it up” [pre-recorded] backing samples, which meant there was something else I had to concentrate on. We’ve got better technology now, so I don’t need to worry about that any more. I used to have to do the same for “Strangeness & Charm” and there were a few nights when I wished I had an extra set of arms.

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Tessa Lucas:  Coconut or watermelon?

Tom: Watermelon...my daughter’s allergic to coconut so we don’t have any in the house.

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Aphrodite Strigou:  The harp is maybe one of the band's trademarks among with Florence's powerful voice... How do you feel when people recognise Florence and the machine as a solo artist when you are a very important part of the band?

Tom: Well, it’s OK as long as I get my credit on the album sleeve for the songs I play on.

There have been some occasions when someone else unrelated to the band has tried to claim that they were the harpist with FATM, which annoyed me a bit. Also, an item in a certain leading UK-based music paper said something like “Florence was backed up on stage by her band and a harpist”, as if, despite having toured with this line-up for the previous 4 years or so, I was a separate entity to the other guys. It just goes to show how much notice some people take.

And of course there was the time when all the reviews of “Dog Days” commented on the “ukulele” or “mandolin” at the beginning, but I think that’s been covered before...

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Katie Scrivener:  What were your career intentions before Florence and the machine?

Tom: To be part of the best rock band on the earth.

I actually had several ambitions: to play on a number one record, to play Brixton Academy, to have a platinum disc on my wall, to play Top Of The Pops and Jools Holland...the only one I’ve yet to achieve is to play on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury, but maybe that will happen one day...who knows. Then I can die happy.

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Gill Santos:  how involved are you in the producing and making of the songs and album? Do you make an input as a member of the band or do you just play Florence's vision?

Tom: It depends on a number of things. We all have some level of input into what each of us does individually, certainly in the live versions. Flo has definite ideas, and sometimes one or two members of the band will have suggestions for someone else. We’re all very creative and we’re really good together both professionally and personally. Sometimes it can be challenging to create a version of a song for live performances. For example, ”Breath of Life” has an orchestra and a choir on the record, so we had to find a way of recreating the drama with just the band. Everyone was very involved with that, but obviously Flo and Isa took the lead as it was their song.

Working on “Ceremonials” was very band-oriented. We all got together in a rehearsal studio for about three weeks with the demos and worked solidly on the parts and the overall sound of the band, so by the time we went into record we’d pretty much worked out what we were going to do. Some bits got tidied up in the studio, but the foundations were there.

I guess a lot of it depends on how far developed the song is too. For example, the main harp riff on “Dog Days” was there on the original demo that Flo and Isa sent to me, except it was played on a synth. I just transferred it, and added the little melody that comes in on the third verse. Some of the “Rabbit Heart” parts were suggested by Flo and Paul Epworth when we were recording it, and the melody at the end of “No Light” was written by Isa when she originally wrote the music.

But then you have something like “Cosmic Love” which was a very new song when we first started performing it live, and I kinda developed my part over the course of the UK tour. I remember doing the part for “I’m Not Calling You a Liar”; I was working in an office just around the corner from where I lived, and Isa sent me a demo one morning. I loved it so much, I ran home on my lunch hour, worked out a part and sent it straight back to her (no one seemed to notice when I got back to my desk in the office over an hour late). I think that one and “Cosmic Love” are the ones I’m personally most proud of.

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Roman Hallows:  Where do you feel like the band is musically at this point since we've seen the more organic side to the band and then a more orchestrated, more instrumentally heavy mix?

Tom: It’s important to never stay still...well, you can I suppose and some people do, and go for 10-20 years making the same album over and over again…but that’s just uninspiring in my opinion. It’s supposed to be an adventure as far as I’m concerned, so anything could happen. Maybe we’ll make a smooth-acid-funk-jazz house album one day...

I’m really grateful to have been a part of something that means a lot to so many people, and grateful for the support you give us

Margaret Shelega:  What’s your favourite place in the world?

Tom: Whilst I type this I am recovering from an 11 hour flight back home from San Francisco and feeling very jetlagged and dopey...so right now my favourite place in the world would be my bed.

It’s hard to say though because, although we’ve been to a fair few places on tour, we don’t always get much of a chance to actually “see” them. We’re either travelling on the bus, or in airports, or working. I always enjoy New York and Sydney, and I miss them if we don’t go there for a while, but they are both places that we’ve actually spent a decent amount of time in and have been able to actually experience properly. I’m sure there will be other places to add to that list once I get to know them better.

I was recently reading a book called “America Unchained” by Dave Gorman, which documents a trip he took driving across America from coast to coast. There were passages in the book which I found very evocative of when we’ve been travelling a long distance through America and it made me want to experience that again. It’s such a vast country and has so many different terrains and cultures; it’s such a great thing to have been able to do and I’m very glad that I’ve had that opportunity.

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Malcolm Calder, Elisia Crowther-Missen:  I remember during the encore at the O2, Florence quipping something about 'the harp has lost its mind', and that the harp had gone out of tune. How difficult is it to tune a harp? I would have thought with the number of strings it would be quite difficult, and not an easy thing to do mid-show!

Tom: Yes, I remember that gig well. what actually happened was, I have my harp going through a laptop which contains all the effects I use, so basically instead of having about 40 guitar effects pedals, I have the effects on the laptop and I only need 4 pedals to control it. Anyway, at the beginning of “Dog Days” I use a delay effect, and I’d set it up, and just as we started, my laptop crashed.

At the beginning of one of the best known songs.

In front of 30,000 people.

Thanks, laptop!

It is pretty difficult to keep in tune, especially under the lights, and transporting it...some harps keep their tuning better than others. There was one tour when we hired a harp that just refused to stay in tune and I spent the whole tour with my right ear clamped to the sound-box when I was playing so I could sort it out if it got too bad. What’s REALLY annoying is when you break a string halfway through a gig, because it’s usually a string that you use all the time...and it usually decides to break just before “Cosmic Love” or “Rabbit Heart”, or one of the other songs when the harp is quite prominent

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Donald Lucas Lorance:  If you had to pinpoint your single greatest achievement, what would it be?

Tom: Leaving home and managing to survive and build up a lifestyle in a different part of the country. Don’t get me wrong, I love where I grew up, but I’ve seen so many people I grew up with who have either stayed there, or moved away and then gone back later. They’ll probably never leave and that’s probably fine for them, but it wouldn’t have worked for me.

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Michael Kayaerts:  If you had to choose one major hit from the moment to cover with FATM, which would it be?

Tom: Hah...oh dear. I’ve got no idea, my listening habits right now are either 90s techno or crazy-ass-head-mash music. I don’t suppose “minipops67” by Aphex Twin counts does it? Actually, my favourite song of the year has been “Red Eyes” by War On Drugs...wouldn’t mind covering that one.

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Holly Davis:  What has been the most memorable moment for you during the time you’ve been part of Florence + the Machine?

Tom: So many memories and stories, I don’t know where to begin. This weekend we played The Bridge School Benefit in San Francisco, and it was such a great experience (and quite emotional too) that it’s going to stay with me forever as a treasured memory.

To answer your question though, I would probably say the time we played the John Peel Stage at Glastonbury in 2009. “Rabbit Heart” had been released at the beginning of that week, and “Lungs” was coming out just over a week later, so everything was still quite new. We walked on stage and the crowd was HUGE...they stretched out beyond the tent and up the hill behind. After we played “Dog Days” the crowd cheered so loudly I had to cover my ears. Our sound guy told us afterwards that the cheering had sent the decibel level machine off the scale...truly a memorable event.

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Leah Moloney:  What’s the best part of being a daddy?

Tom: Just being with that beautiful little girl; watching her develop and discover new things, hearing her little voice... It’s truly fascinating to see her learn new skills. She’s just started walking so we’ve had to start baby-proofing the house! It’s just so overwhelming how much love I have for her...I can’t put it into words.

Interview with Florence Welch - Fan Club Exclusive

We were lucky enough to be given the opportunity to conduct an exclusive question and answer session with none other than Florence Welch herself! We asked you back in April 2013 to send in your questions, which we then put to Flo. Here are her answers:

Hannah Mcgregor, Ankit Kapoor – How does it feel when people say that you are their idol and that you inspire them (i.e. people getting tattoos like Emily above?)

Usually I feel quite protective over them because I almost feel a little responsible for their head space. I know my head can be quite a dark place and I know I’ve been quite conflicted when I’m writing songs, so when someone is very connected with a song they may have gone through something similar so that makes me feel protective.

But it’s also weird because in your own head when you’re walking around you don’t feel very inspiring.

Terri Robbins – What was your last dream? 
It was a bad one, it was about all my ex boyfriends

Aisling Devery, Kate Litman, @WeAreShining_ – What Hogwarts house would you put yourself and the other band members in? 
The people in this room think I’d be a Hufflepuff

Rob and Chris - Griffindor

Isa - Ravenclaw
Tom - Slytherin,  because he’s an evil genius

Mark - Hufflepuff, with me

Rusty - Ravenclaw

Federica Calzolaio – What’s the strangest thing a fan’s ever told you/done?

People send me lots of things to make spells with, haven’t quite figured out how to use them yet...

Cheyenne Rose Gentry – What’s your favourite meal/food?  

Sushi

Shannon Lafferty, Michael Kayaerts, Liza Gayduk, Katie Simpson, Miranda Lorance – Where do gifts you get at concerts/stuff you are sent end up? 

I keep them in my tour case and then my mum archives everything. 

Laura Van Meel, Georgia Barlow – What’s your favourite song to perform live and why? 
It usually correlates directly to whatever I’m going through at the time, if I’ve been having a tough time I find Shake It Out really cathartic. It’s weird though sometimes half way through singing or performing, a different meaning will come to me or I’ll see the song in a different way.

Maggie Nguyen, April Thompson – What’s been the most embarrassing moment in your career? 

There have been loads, my whole life is just a whirlwind of embarrassment!

Janna (@jannamayy) – What’s your favourite thing to have on toast? 

Really good question – peanut butter, or I did just buy some amazing fig jam.

@Sariya_97, Emilio Rodriguez – What one word would you use to describe us (the Flows)? 

I guess I’m always really inspired by everyone's creativity,  so I’d say creative but that one word wouldn’t some you guys up.

Annika Bonde – How did you and Isa meet? 

At various wowow squat parties and she used to baby sit my cousin. There’s an exhibition going on right now called from wowow to nownow at the movie museme, where you can see lost of pics of Isa

Ada Polcyn, SADling – Why is your instagram name “Ouhoh”? 

I asked my lovely PA Hannah to set it up for me because I can’t use the internet, but she’s also dyslexic so between the two of us we couldn’t spell uhoh properly and it ended up Ouhoh

@GirlWithOneEye9 – What thing is always in your fridge? 

Coconut water, pesto, yogurt

Jimena (@glitterwelch/@unnamedcried) – If you could name your fan-base anything other than the “Flows”, what would it be? 
Friends

@han_machinee – What’s been your favourite stage/red carpet outfit? 
The Givenchy dinosaur dress

@Jannamayy – What colour best represents your personality and why? 

Sea green because that’s the colour of my eyes and I’m obsessed with the ocean for some unknown reason

@flawkward – What was your favourite music video to make?  

What the water gave me because I didn’t have to do that much

Aleksandra Mielec – What does the line 'up against the wall on the Wednesday afternoon' (Heartlines) mean?

That’s a secret!!

Florence Welch at the MET Gala 2019 [Gallery]

This year’s theme at the MET Gala was ‘CAMP’, and who better to put on a stunning spectacle than Florence Welch of Florence + the Machine?

The Gucci-favourite wore a custom bird-inspired blue dress complete with huge winged shoulders, designed by Alessandro Michele. You can check out some of the best photos from the night below:

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MELT Festival - the Fan Club perspective

It has been just over a month since we attended the vibrant, other-worldly Melt Festival in Germany. Whilst the whole festival was amazing, we are obviously still reeling from the performance delivered by a certain red-haired sorceress – Florence + the Machine.

Our day started with the very easy commute to Ferropolis from our rented flat in nearby Dessau. Of course, we blasted songs from all her albums whilst loudly chanting to them, so that passers-by knew we were unmistakably on our way to see Florence + the Machine. In true hardcore Florence + the Machine fan fashion, we decided to wait at the front row of the main stage from the opening time until the end of their set. The eight hour wait, in which we also witnessed some other incredible acts, was whole-heartedly worth it.

The first act was ‘The Internet’, and since the day I have been listening to their music, as I’m sure other attendees have been too. Then came a band called ‘Superorganism’, and they gave one of the most captivating and strangest concerts I've ever seen. Three members came onstage with bells in raincoats on a very hot summers day. Their lead singer had one of the largest personalities I've ever seen, and I have since bought their new album. We then saw an Austrian act called ‘Yung Hurn’, and although I could not understand the German he was rapping in, it was clear to see he was loved as the crowd was wild. I have been intrigued since I saw him and have been watching his great music videos. Then came the rap artist ‘Tyler, The Creator’, delivering another amazing performance. He stood onstage alone with no band, and just a very bright screen behind him which was all he needed. The crowd loved him and for good reason. After Tyler, we knew what was coming next. Florence + the Machine’s crew began to bring out her set. The brand new pink drum set, Rob’s new era guitars, and Isa’s infamous keyboard which she can just about see over. With Flo’s microphone-stand stood tall at the front, if the crowd didn’t know already, the set made it obvious who was coming next. 

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After the long wait, the band walked out to the explosion of enthusiastic cheering,, and opened with a fan-favourite: ‘Between Two Lungs’, perhaps due to the fact their debut album ‘Lungs’ was released 10 years ago this year. Whilst a great opener, the previous ‘What The Water Gave Me’ seemed to be sorely missed by many fans, as the energy really did set you up for the rest of the gig. This was followed by the massive song ‘Queen Of Peace’, and any Florence fan reading knows the pure energy that comes with this song. After a few more

songs, she played the lead single from the new album ‘High As Hope’ called ‘Hunger’. The live energy was palpable, with a hard hitting opening line, and it was amazing to hear the crowd chanting ‘WE ALL HAVE A HUNGER’. ‘Hunger’ was followed by a few more songs that are now classics in the setlist, then another new song ‘Patricia’ was played; a love song for Patti Smith, where Florence confesses her love for the artist over a constant driving drum beat. “I drink too much coffee and think of you often”; perhaps many Flows can relate to this statement, if the crowd is anything to go by. 'Patricia' was followed by 100 Years, another new song, which has an epic mid-interlude, where Flo shows off her dance moves she had been practicing throughout the hiatus. After the classic 'Ship To Wreck', she chanted the most epic break-up song ever written, ‘What Kind of Man’, and jumped down into the audience, where of course everyone in the crowd wanted to touch Flo or just be close to her. Luckily, perhaps due to the energy our part of the crowd was exuding, she ran to us and practically put her entire body into the crowd to give and take in energy. My friend Dominic was lucky enough to be chosen by Florence as the infamous ‘man’ during the song; a moment where Florence touches heads with a man in the audience and aggressively sings to him.

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She stayed in the crowd for 'Delilah', and held onto fans to help her walk along the front row, then darted onstage again to sing her arguably best-known song ‘You've Got The Love’, a cover of Candi Staton. Her encore was 'Big God', of which you can find a live stream on our Facebook page. It was the second time it had ever been performed live and the fans were very keen to hear it. We were amazed that Florence actually sang gurgling outro; the part we refer to as ‘The Grudge Part’ of the song. She finished the concert with Shake It Out, a fan favourite where everyone lets go of their troubles and joins the communal exorcism of fear, pain and regret. It is fair to say that everyone who attended Florence + the Machine’s set thoroughly enjoyed themselves. It’s rare to see even the crowd at the back so engaged with the music and the performance, but Florence and her band have the ability to command a stage with such grace and assertiveness, that it’s hard to not get involved. Being one of the few concerts the band have done in 2018, it was this performance that truly marked the band’s return.

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 We are excited to see what their tours will bring us. We want to take this opportunity to thank Melt Festival for being so accommodating to us, and taking us seriously even though we are a fan-run site. We loved having the opportunity to attend Melt Festival as press, and we greatly appreciate it. Melt Festival as a whole is amazing and brings so many people, from all backgrounds and tastes of music, together. The campsite atmosphere electric, and on-par with the likes of Glastonbury without the mud and claustrophobia. We're even thinking of attending next year, even if Florence + the Machine aren't playing!

Thank you all for reading.

Charlotte (FATM Fan Club Admin)

Christopher Lloyd Hayden leaves Florence + the Machine

The original drummer of Florence + the Machine, Christopher Lloyd Hayden, posted an emotional message to fans yesterday (28/02/18) announcing his departure from the band after 10 years of performing with them. 

Fans were universally distraught, but also thankful for his massive contribution to the band, and we wish him well with all future endeavours.

The official statement read:

Well.. Hello everyone, Chris here… After 10 Amazing years, I’ve decided to come off the road and to return to my first love of working with new bands, and so I will no longer be drumming with Florence & The Machine.@florence all those years ago touring in your Dads Sundance Campervan - 3 incredible albums - all the way to headlining Glastonbury and Hyde Park - thank you for the Amazing journey!! What a TRIP!!.. @9billionnamesofgod @markinthegreen @tom.moth @isamachine @rusty_bradshaw thank you all for the countless memories!! I love all you guys with all my heart, and I will never ever forget!!.. and finally thank you to all the fans for being the best fans in the world!.. Until next time!..xx 

Florence + the Machine's Musical Thrill Ride - Live Review (Xfinity Center, Mansfield)

Guest-author Lori D Wright presents an exclusive review of Florence + the Machine's roaring concert at Mansfield's Xfinity Center (Massachusetts), 7th June 2016.

Photography exclusively shot for us by Matthew Shelter (Stage Light Photography)

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(C) Matthew Shelter

The day was finally here. And could it be any more fitting that on this springy/summer day, the evening forecast had the possibility of thunderstorms and hail? This is not surprising when I know Florence is the goddess of the earthy elements; the signs of air and water adorn How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful's cover and all its merchandise. I had waited all year for the particular tour, and I had concerns the set would be cut short. Magically, as if Flo herself had smiled upon the venue, a double rainbow appeared as the sun dropped in the sky. Fittingly that night, she wore the yellow gown to declare there would be no rain that night, only sun and love.

As the smoke blew across the stage, the band began to take their places and the anticipation was palpable. My heart was racing knowing our Goddess would be walking out. Cue screams as she slowly walks out of the fog barefoot onto the stage.  She walked out slowly, with a deliberate stride, approached the microphone, leaned over, hair over her face, arms outreached and with a subtle flick of her finger HERE WE GO! Time it took us…The song starts with only her voice escalating into the sky building up to the bass thumping crescendo until she gets to the chorus, voice thundering as if she were the daughter of Zeus himself. LAY ME DOWN…

Her voice was spectacular. I had worried the humidity would take its toll but it didn’t. Her voice, crystal clear, rang out true. Soft when it needed to be, then full out hurricane force when she asked for it. A couple of times I thought she would blow out the speakers and truly believed she could. Some artists don't sound as well live but not this band. It was exquisite, whether soft and low or full force. Flo’s voice never wavered, never cracked. It was beyond beauty. Yes, I cried.

The stage seemed so small, I kept looking at it, thinking Flo needed room to run free, that the small space couldn't contain her as she ran, leapt, spun, and thrashed about. The band rocked and rocked HARD! Chris looked like a man possessed. A figure hunched over the drums, sticks flying, hair plastered to his head - did I mention it was humid? Especially during Spectrum, he pounded the heck out of them! Rob’s guitar sounded so rich - I didn't know a guitar could produce such a deep, luscious sound. There are no words to tell you how much I love the two backup singers - their voices lift Flo and support her voice in ways I didn't know were possible. I love the blending of their voices. The 3-piece female horn section too… my God, I love them - the 3 horns transcend the set list into another world.

When the first beats of Rabbit Heart started my heart began to race again because I knew Flo would take off through the audience. I was able to position myself at the top of the aisle she had to run past on her return to the stage. I watched as she jumped on the sound table as the song closed out. I caught a quick glimpse of her running back to the stage. The more important part of this moment is a mother and daughter (perhaps 9, 10 years old?) were right there with me. Burned into my mind and heart is the mother pointing Flo out to the daughter, followed by the security person putting the little one on his shoulders so she could see Flo as she sings “this is a gift”. Truly a gift indeed.

As she began to sing Cosmic Love I noticed the backup singers and the drummer had exited the stage leaving Flo alone to sing. She toned back to showcase the simple beauty of the song and her voice without the big flourish of the drums and the lights. I actually prefer the full band on this song like she did during the Glastonbury set. It seems more emotional to me - I love the horns, bass, and drums in that version.

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She acknowledged the crowd, asking who has been with her since Lungs, then welcomes the new fans describing the difference in the albums - the early ones with more screaming compared to HBHBHB, in which she sings a bit more.

Delilah was intense – she ran throughout the song as if running to something or from someone, yellow gown flowing/rippling as she ran. It looks chaotic but Flo FEELS the music, the brass section arrangements, the drums, the bass, the background singing, every nuance of the music. What could be seen as frenetic dance movements are really just her mind, body and soul in tune with each movement of the song.

She slows it down a bit - going into an acoustic Sweet Nothing. There is just her and the harp but you can see her hands moving as if she’s conducting an invisible, internal orchestra while she sings.

Before breaking into HBHBHB - she asked we put away our phones to enjoy the moment and be present. To basically fall in love with the moment as she had fallen in love with everything around her inspiring HBHBHB. She pointed out that there is always one guy in the crowd that doesn’t put away their phone. She asked that no-one be that guy, and telling us she would know. From my vantage point 3 rows behind the GA mosh pit from what I could see the crowd complied. During the song the set was a luscious shimmering blue behind her as she twirls during the song. She looks over the audience as she sings the last few notes of the song. The lights dim. the backdrop is washed in blue and the spotlight silhouettes her from behind a she does the HBHBHB dance. After the song ended she admitted she was dizzy from hitting herself in the face; hard I could hear the smack of her fist in her hand all the way to my seat in the crowd! Her poor feet; they must also be tired after running up and down the venue for 2 hours!

For her prior tour dates up until tonight, Flo has included Various Storms & Saints. She tells us how personal it is to her, that it took a lot of persuading to add it to the record. She tells us she is ready to share it now. She sings alone, eyes closed throughout most of the song. It was very moving.

Then she returns to rock on with Mother, Queen of Peace, and Spectrum - at one point asking us if we are ready to dance. You know we were! One girl at the front gave Flo a flower crown which she wore. When the song was over she ran back to return it. It was so cute - the girl saying no, it’s for you and Flo saying it looks better on the girl. Of course Flo got her way and the girl was left with one heck of a souvenir!

During the beginning strains of You Got The Love - she implores us to take the love we have out into the world. To spread it to others. And again, when the first notes of Dog Days hit, the audience erupted - at this point she commanded that the audience turn to one another and embrace each other, touch each other’s faces. The older gentleman (had to be in his 60s), turned to my friend – smiled, threw up his hands, shrugged then hugged her! Flo asked the audience to take off an article of clothing and wave it over their heads for love and peace. The audience happily complied with many at the front of the stage showering her with clothes. She had a bunch of shirts in her arms and started waving them as she ran back and forth on the stage.

Too quickly we are at the encore: What Kind of Man followed by Drumming Song. Flo violently commits to this song with body and soul. Throwing herself backwards across the stage as the backup singers sing “back, back, back against the wall”. I don't know how she stayed on her feet. At the end of WKOM she collapses on the stage with such force one worries that she may have broken another bone, but as the stage turns a brilliant red she rises like a phoenix as the first beats of Drumming Song shake the theater. With each thump of the drum the lights flash a blood crimson red as the lighting turns the entire theater into a deep luscious red, pounding out a heartbeat as a background to Flo’s voice. At the end she runs and lunges toward the crowd with such intensity, she looked as though she would fall in.

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I was worried that the crowd were not true FATM fans and wouldn't know the words. I didn’t want Flo to be disappointed by the US crowds. But they knew most of the words and sang along during the night. The biggest response was for Dog Days – a huge roar of recognition rose. I wish it had been that way for every song! I am disappointed I did not buy a general admission ticket to stand in the pit. I’m 5’2 and have a hard time seeing over people but the mosh pit group seemed very orderly and I think I would have been okay in there. The venue could improve upon the large video screens; they were very grainy. In this day of HD I don't think there is any excuse for not having those updated.

I knew I had to see this tour because of the lighting and how it interacts with the 3 foot mirrors that dangle behind the band. Renowned lighting designer, Rob Sinclair designed a 48ft by 28ft ‘kinetic wall’ that shimmers and is in constant motion. Words can’t describe the effect the lights have when they hit them - gives me shivers with every song. The set designer and lighting director really designed a beauty of a concert with the lighting matching the beat of the music, the crescendos, and Chris’ driving drum beats. I honestly don't think there has ever been a more potent combination of performer, band, songs, stage, lighting - I think this is a perfect storm of elements making this the perfect concert - just plain perfection.

Watching Flo and her command of the stage, it’s hard to believe this is only the 3rd album. She rules the stage (reminds me of Elvis back in the early 70’s). I could watch this particular set over and over. The crowd watches her every move, responding to her stage direction - soften our voices then build up as the tension of the music increase to a deafening crescendo. Watching this connection between the crowd and Florence, one sees the parallel to Florence’s song Conductor. From the Xfinity Center at least, we know that she is truly the conductor of this musical thrill ride.

Setlist

What The Water Gave Me

Ship To Wreck

Rabbit Heart

Shake It Out

Delilah

Sweet Nothing

How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful

Cosmic Love

Various Storms & Saints

Mother

Queen of Peace

Spectrum

You've Got The Love

Dog Days Are Over

What Kind of Man

Drumming Song

The Odyssey (Florence + the Machine) - Full Analysis

The Odyssey

Florence + the Machine

The Full Analysis

This is our final analysis from the How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful era; the full ‘The Odyssey’ film. We won’t be going into depth as we’ve done that already in previous analyses; this is an overview of the full cohesive film, although we do go into depth for ‘Third Eye’ as it is the newest and yet to receive an analysis.

“Between a crucifix and the Hollywood sign we decided to get hurt”. Florence has mentioned many times that How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful was the first song she wrote for this album, but also the last that she finished. It was the song that began Florence’s ordeal, and the opening scene to the Odyssey reflects that. A slow zoom into the crucifix that looms over the whole Odyssey (and LA) highlights the start of the descent into chaos, but also an isolating calm that Florence experienced during her year break. 

CHAPTER 1 - WHAT KIND OF MAN

Everything is rosy: Florence is driving in a car with her boyfriend, when suddenly, the car-crash happens. This is the start of Florence’s destructive year. The What Kind of Man sequence plays, which provides the feeling of sudden chaos that Florence is thrown into with this relationship. The storm of a relationship that will turn her life upside-down looms (in the air on the balcony - a nod to ‘Various Storm and Saints’ - and on the TV). She’s trying hard to fight the men that haunt her; that pull her down. It’s futile. She’s never had this experience before so she remains weak compared to this coming storm. 

CHAPTER 2 - HOW BIG HOW BLUE HOW BEAUTIFUL

Florence crawls out of the car-crash. She’s lost; she’s knocked down. She wonders in the street looking for somewhere to go, and instead finds herself led to the bridge that forces her to cross from freedom to purgatory, under the guise of the crucifix. She’s decided to get hurt. 

CHAPTER 3 - ST JUDE

Set in Mexico, this is no longer reality. This video jumps inside Florence’s head and soul, looking from the inside, hence the back-dated 1950s look and different setting. The storm that the meteorologists and that Florence saw coming on the balcony has arrived, and it has soaked her. She’s fragile; she can only be supported by her boyfriend at this point. The car crash has also caused a split to become apparent in Florence; on one hand she’s strong enough to walk by herself, and to see all this pain, but on the other, she physically sees her lifeless self being carried by her boyfriend, and is powerless to stop it. She wonders around, lost. 

CHAPTER 4 - SHIP TO WRECK

Back to reality, looking at Florence from the outside again. Florence has come from LA to London, just as she did on her year off. The two sides to Florence diverge even further. One half wants calm, the other is destructive. They are at odds with one another, fighting for different things, and hence fighting each other. Florence goes from on the floor in her bedroom, and ends up back in the same spot at the end, symbolising the repetitive nature of destruction that she just could not stop. 

CHAPTER 5 & 6 - QUEEN OF PEACE / LONG AND LOST

We jump back to inside Florence’s mind. This time, it’s set in Scotland; Florence’s ancestral home, when they were younger. These videos mirror the youth within Florence wanting peace and calm, but is unable to establish it because everything around her is not allowing it. It also highlights how her family and friends are trying to protect her from this man that is destroying her, but she’s blind to it. Eventually, they pull her away and force her to leave him behind. It destroys her. 

CHAPTER 7 - MOTHER

Back to real-life, Florence is trapped on this bridge still. Notice that this time, she’s physically imprisoned on it; she can reach out to freedom (the hole in the fencing), but she can’t quite get it. She’s told by her friend to leave, and she tells him she wants to stay. Her friend knows this can’t happen though: she can’t live in purgatory her whole life. 

CHAPTER 8 - DELILAH

Florence realises that it’s time to leave, or at least try. Throughout this video, she’s supported by those around her that help her leave. The man who told her to leave even offers to have his hair cut to give her the strength to do so, just as Delilah cuts Samson’s powerful hair in the biblical story. Together, her friends help her finally see that the other side to Florence is simply not her. They help her escape, and by the end of the video, she’s finally reached freedom, surfing on top of the car. This is ironic, considering her problems started with a car-crash. She’s learnt to control and make sense of the car-crash, and now she’s literally above it.

CHAPTER 9 - THIRD EYE (full analysis)

Florence has finally managed to burn away her problems; burn the storm within which she was trapped. This directly mirrors the hurricane symbol in “St Jude”, and the lyric “now there’s a few things we have to burn”. She’s finally managed exactly that, highlighting the full-circle that Florence has completed on this Odyssey. Instead of being passed on from man to man as in “What Kind of Man”, the man carrying Florence puts her down and leaves her. Florence is finally able to stand by herself. The men still surround her, but she’s able to lead them. They follow her this time, rather than her being carried by them. She’s able to walk through the purgatory of men carrying the weight of their stones/sins. She is no longer that person. The men around her come back, and try to bring her down, but with her saviours looking on, she is not strong and experienced enough to know how to control them. Through dance, she overcomes her torments. Florence said this herself, stating that within her year off, dance was her anchor whilst she was out at sea. The music fades, and Rob Ackroyd appears, showing us that Florence has truly come full-circle. Her band support her back onto stage, and she finally appears on stage. This is the final and ultimate level of freedom. Singing these songs that describe such an isolating time in her life to millions of people is literally the highest level of projection/freedom anyone can achieve. She’s returned to where she belongs; she’s returned to her true whole self. 

Florence + the Machine Stun at War Child 2016 [Review]

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(c) Antony Zacharias

Florence + the Machine and churches have become somewhat synonymous; religious symbols feature heavily throughout their music and videos alike. Thus, when I discovered I'd be attending the  intimate gig for charity War Child, hosted by O2 at St John's at Hackney, the offer was impossible to turn down. Ever since discovering her music in 2008, I've longed to see her perform in a church, and I'm glad I picked this one. 

We arrived shortly after 4:30pm, which was disappointing because we quickly learnt that Florence had actually emerged to meet fans ten minutes before our arrival. We told ourselves it was for the best because one of us probably would've fainted (...I'm still not sure I believe myself), but the fans that did meet her did so deservedly. Some had been camping outside since 12pm, and it was a bitterly cold day. The first things that struck me were actually the shortness of the queue, and the fluffy white duvets that the first few people in the queue were snuggling under - it did make me quite envious!

The sun began to dissolve (casual Queen of Peace reference), and the queue grew longer and longer. We mingled with other fans, who chatted excitedly about everything from the last time they saw Florence + the Machine, to shared admiration for each others Paisley waistcoats; yep, this was definitely a Florence gig...but Florence + the Machine fans are definitely the nicest people to queue with.

Then suddenly, our of nowhere, the "O2 Angels", in an act of divinity, descended upon the crowds with the holy elixir that is commonly known as water, and pizza. Yes, freshly made pizza! The crowds attacked it like something from the Walking Dead (more of this later), and it tasted exceptionally good. Then, the huge doors to the magnificent church flew open, and we were allowed to trickle through to the main hall. 

The hall itself was beautiful; an impressive organ stood at the back (I won't lie, I almost expected Isabella Summers to float down and kick off the show blasting the organ to the intro of Shake It Out but alas), and a bright "War Child" symbol was projected onto the ceiling. We secured a left-front position at the barrier and held on tightly. Before long, Florence and the band emerged from the side of the stage to an enormous roar, took their spots, and thus started the twinkling of the harp to cue Cosmic Love.

From the outset, people were screaming requests, from Hospital Beds, to Which Witch. "Which Witch?!" Florence exclaimed, "that's literally nothing but drums and trumpet. It would sound really, really weird acoustic...". In fact, the whole set was acoustic (or at least if you count drums too, although paradoxically Drumming Song was without), and it made the atmosphere twinkle with even more magic. It also allowed the sheer power of those lungs to shine brighter than ever before. The setlist was as follows:

Cosmic Love

St Jude

Drumming Song

Queen of Peace

Third Eye

Only if For a Night

Heartlines

Silver Springs [Fleetwood Mac Cover]

Long and Lost

Sweet Nothing

What Kind of Man

Ship to Wreck

Caught

Shake it Out

Dog Days are Over

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(C) Antony Zacharias

Florence's voice was the best it has ever sounded, with soaring highs in Long and Lost, belts lasting fifteen seconds during Drumming Song, and flittering vocals for Caught. Heartlines and Only if For a Night made a welcome return to the setlist (I even was serenaded at one point during the former song, with Florence pointing right at me singing "in some way I'm there with you, up against the wall on a Wednesday afternoon". It was a Friday but I was willing to let that one go), and Ship to Wreck was by far the most energetic song of the night. It was slightly ruined by one girl screaming "TO WREEEECK" directly in my ear but I don't particularly blame her. 

What was nice was that, despite it being a charity gig, lots of fans were present. People were singing along to almost every song, clapping to every beat, and even without the usual strip-request during Dog Days, people were still throwing flowers and coats at Florence. 
Objects weren't the only things being thrown to the band; exclamations of "I LOVE YOU", "MARRY ME" and "HOW DO YOU SCREAM SO GOOD?!" were flying from all around the hall. After Sweet Nothing, the guy next to me caught Florence's attention for the third time that night by shouting "IT SOUNDS BETTER WITHOUT CALVIN". Florence shied behind her hand before replying "I won't tell!" 

Florence's friends and family were also present (her dad's bright white hair shining like a beacon from the balcony above), with Florence stopping before "What Kind of Man" to explain that her dad has always wanted her to write happy songs, of which she has about 3 - "funnily enough, this next one is sad...like, REALLY sad". Nonetheless, it was beautiful to hear it acoustically. Oh, and this one's sad...and this one...and this one" was an interlude between each song, until finally "AH the one at the end is happy!"

Queen of Peace stole the show, however, with the ending blowing the audience - but not driving them - away. To much delight, Florence also covered Fleetwood Mac for the second time ever. "This is one we've never played live before", to which she added "it's not a new song...it's actually quite old" when fans started cheering at the prospect of new material. And I think that's the other aspect of this gig that was so special; despite Florence stating how intimidating small venues are, she was so interactive. She even threw a fan her water bottle when she shouted that she was really thirsty - "gotta stay hydrated to sing!" Another interaction came as a surprise, when a fan asked about a new tattoo he spotted. "OH, this!" she said, looking nervously at her wrist "it says "How Beautiful" - I got it to remind me that although I went through a really tough time, it all meant something, and it all turned out to be beautiful in a different way". 

And that's exactly what this gig was, beautiful. As the energy of Dog Days faded with the last crashes of the drums, no one moved towards the door as the lights flicked on. "We want more, we want more...Florence, Florence, Florence" chanted the audience, holding position for 10 minutes longer, until there was a collective realisation that goodness can't last forever. Then returned the second The Walking Dead moment, as hands stretched like possessed zombies across the barriers to secure a setlist, a flower, or a guitar pick. When the crowd died down and the extent of the clear-up became apparent (a lot of people were drinking coca-cola...), we managed to catch Vladis the lone trumpet player, who was extremely lovely to us. I ended up following Rusty out of the venue (Isa was also there but wasn't performing on stage), and made my way home, reeling from the thought of how Florence + the Machine can turn such a mundane week into magic. Until next time...

Delilah - Music Video Analysis (The Odyssey Chapter 8)

Delilah

The Odyssey, Chapter 8 Analysis

“Delilah” marks the end of Florence’s state in purgatory. For all the other music videos since the crash in “What Kind of Man”, Florence has been tormented by her boyfriend.

This video starts with the same hand-in-the-air as “Long & Lost” ended. Remember, Long & Lost ended with Florence being pulled away from her love, and now she’s without him, being told by a man that her faith can be restored if she loves herself (a hint to Third Eye?) now that she’s apart from her love. Florence #2 is seen walking away from this room, as if Florence #2 is the only one mourning, and the man is exorcising that Florence out of her body.

Florence #1 is then seen walking down a landing, with Florence #2 following her behind, tormenting her thoughts. Florence #1 is then seen cutting her love’s hair; just as in the biblical story of Sampson and Delilah, Delilah cuts Sampson’s hair since it is his power. Florence cutting her love’s hair may be suggesting Florence is cutting the chains and power that he has over her. This is reiterated when he is seen slumped on the bed, lifeless. The other women in bed with her could be a symbol of all the strong women Florence has drawn on into her own life to gain strength whilst her love has lost his. They support her as she is about to fall off the edge of the bed; when she’s seeing life upside-down literally.

The scene cuts to Florence hugging Florence #2, showing that she’s not quite ready to let the pitiful side of her go yet. They’re both mourning together.
Florence’s love is seen to cover her eyes, emphasising the lyric “and I’m going blind”, that her love blinded her from reality. In contrast to the women, the men around Florence are just lying there, unempathetic.

Florence beats her head against a chair, as if trying to eliminate her pain and sorrow of what she’s done on her own as well as a sort of prayer. The daemon on the bed is a reference to Florence’s sleep paralysis, which is said to give sufferers delusions of a shadow figure over you, stopping you moving. This could reference the sorrowful Florence #2 again - when awake, Florence #2 is seen as harmless to #1, but when asleep (metaphorically speaking, Florence has her eyes closed to reality in this relationship), #1 realises this “harmless” side to her is stopping her from moving on, just like the daemon stops sleepers from moving.

Florence suddenly wakes up from this. She goes outside and searches out/retraces all the men that were bullying her, as they were in “What Kind of Man”. She’s got total control over them now, until she goes too far and they start winning her over again. However, her woman friend (Comfort Fedoke) comes out and although Florence sees her as an obstacle at first, she takes Florence away from the situation, maybe a metaphor for her real friends helping her get over the loss of her boyfriend. Comfort Fedoke is then seen repeating the head-banging moves that Florence did earlier, emphasising that Comfort was helping Florence because she has been through the same situation before.

Then, the turning point comes. Thanks to the support of these women, Florence finally sees herself (#2) struggling with this man, and realises it’s not healthy. The disguise of it all is revealed, and Florence doesn’t want to believe it. Florence #2 tells Florence to run; to leave her old sorrowful self behind, and Florence #1 struggles with this. “I’m not you” mouths Florence #2

Florence #2, seen with all her torments (the men) behind her, ushers Florence away, and is also seen embracing Florence #1 by the pool in acceptance that this is the reality of things. The scene cuts to Florence #1 in the pool with her man. This highlights the fact that Florence was barely above water, solely dependent on this one man to save her before. Florence #2 is then shown face-down in the water; Florence has said goodbye to that destructive side of her, and now she's been killed off.

Florence changes out of her old clothes; literally, she is changing. She drags her man out of her life like he dragged her into it. Now, highlighted by Florence cruising on the car, she is truly free. Remember, that hand-gesture to the sky in Long & Lost / Queen of Peace was a symbol of freedom, but unlike in those two videos, now Florence is actually moving. She’s not statically hoping for freedom, but now she has it.

The video ends with cut-scenes from “What Kind of Man”, and what looks like “How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful”. The “WKOM” scenes highlight how things have come full-circle. Florence is now out of hell, and is at a stage before the car-crash again. Now we’ve seen Florence go through everything after the crash, if it does happen again, we as the audience know how to deal with it. The greens may also be signifying a “grass is greener on the other side” mentality.

As with the shots of the trees resembling HBHBHB, we speculate that the whole Odyssey will come full-circle and end with the full video, especially since in the short version, there is an obvious scene cut when Florence goes into the cave and comes back out.

Queen of Peace / Long & Lost - Music Video Analysis (The Odyssey Chapters 5 & 6

Queen of Peace

The Odyssey, Chapters 5 & 6 Analysis

And so continues the odyssey of “How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful”. “Queen of Peace” dropped today at 3pm BST, along with “Long and Lost” which features in the same video.

There are two families in this video – Florence’s, and the man’s that she falls in love with. These families dislike each other, and often fights occur.
The start of the video sees crashing waves against the coastline. It gives the impression of entrapment on this island. The waves are violent, just like the war between these two families that feature in it. If you try and escape from the violence, it only pushes you back in to the rocky shore. This theme runs throughout the video.
Young Florence is then seen walking to the edge of a cliff, stretching out her arm to symbolise the freedom from it all that she longs for. The scene then cuts to present Florence using the same gesture but towards her love, showing how her idea of freedom is being with her man, since her family forbids it. Her love sits with her in a field, and Florence steps over to her younger self, as if forcing herself to remember how this all started.

We then see that Florence first meets her love when the boy was fighting with a member of Florence’s family. Young Flo pulls the boy away from the fight, acting as the peace-maker. The scene jumps to older Florence, still trying to mediate the fight between the two families, but this time she’s on the outside of it all, unable to get it. All she can do is try and show affection to each member; she tries to remind them that they don’t need to fight if they show a little love.
Florence is then seen with her older man, except even though her love was the one fighting, it’s Florence that appears weak, as if the fighting is making her tired, and mentally hurting her more than the physical hurt being inflicted on her lover.

Throughout the video, Florence’s family keeps pulling her away from her love, leading her back home and keeping her there, away from him. Florence runs her hand over the walls of the house, once again highlighting her sense of no escape. Florence appears to be pleading with her family for escape through her movements, showing them affection throughout (although pushing her brother’s face, probably to show the stereotypical sibling feuds in a normal family).
Florence then appears on the cliff edge with her father (the symbol of freedom), again pleading with him. They both look tearful, and we’re not sure why, until the camera pans out and we then see that Florence has asked her father about being with the man from the other family, and he agrees to allow it. The father holds the man’s hand in acceptance, although the man is on his knees, showing how there is still a level of dominance between the families.

Now that Florence and her man are together, we see that their relationship is still strained because of the background dislike between the two families. A family photo is then set up during the (insinuated) marriage of the couple. None of the family members are smiling – the family has been forced together by the love of their children, but they are clearly still bitter about the situation.
Florence can’t keep up the façade of appearing normal for a photograph, just as she can’t keep up the lie that she feels comfortable in a relationship strained by feud. She bows her head to show this. Florence, and young Florence hiding in the background in the photo, are both holding daffodils, which are commonly used to symbolise new beginnings but also unrequited love – it’s as if young Florence knew the relationship wouldn’t hold, but went along with it in the hope that it would.

The scene cuts to young Florence and her love running away. Their families chase them, hunting them down to tear them apart. Notice how they are running away towards the cliff edge, once again alluding to the idea of the cliff edge meaning escape and freedom. Meanwhile, present day Florence is trying to stop another night-time fight from happening between her brother than her love.

The next scenes get even sadder. Florence is being locked out of her home, allowing her and her love to be swarmed by the mob and attack them. The scene where Florence’s dad accepts her lover on the cliff edge turns into her dad attacking him, in a scene that should symbolise freedom.

The narrator (presumably Florence’s love) says how the only thing they wanted from the love was to be accepted by each other, but not owned, since ownership means love so intense, that you can’t live. “Salt water’s no drink” explains this further – all water, just like love, looks safe to drink. Drink the wrong type, and instead of being given hydrated (living), the opposite can happen and you can dehydrate (not live), just as the wrong type of love can trap you from living your life.

Long and Lost begins. Florence’s family have decided to take her away from the island. Florence wanted freedom from the fighting, but now she has it, she wants to return. “Is it too late to come on home” back to the island. Unlike when she was trying to fix her family’s relationship with love, now that there’s nothing more to fix, she shows anger at them for taking her away. Once again, she touches the barriers, just like she touched the walls of her house, to highlight the constraint that still exists, even away from the island that was her prison. She feels as though her cause is lost. Her family try to hold her on their side, but she breaks free and moves to the complete opposite side of the boat’s deck. Two families with a divide have now become one family, still with a divide. One island that was once her prison has now become the boat to freedom, which is still her prison. That same “freedom” hand gesture at the beginning of the video appears again to emphasise this. No matter where she goes, whether she’s with or away from her love, she will be trapped. Nothing can make her truly free, since being in love is just as trapping as being out of it.

This fact really gives us an insight into how Florence felt in her 2013 relationship, and we can now begin to empathise with her during her year off, where she was constantly being reunited and then withdrawn from her man. The narration again at the end talks of waves crashing on shore; water and love are drawn together again, and both are used to explain how Florence felt that her love was just crashing her back into the coast that was her prison. When she tried to swim away, she’d get even more hurt when the waves pushed her back.