StrangeLittleTour
Paris, France
November 27, 2001

Updated January 7, 2002

Tori performed in Paris, France on November 27, 2001 at the L'Olympia during the 2001 StrangeLittleTour.

Set List

Thanks to Tristan Alzial & Jeremy Unruh for being the first to email me with the set list. Thanks to Valérie Le Pouésard for also sending me the set list. Finally, thanks to Sylvain who called me later that evening with the details!

'97 Bonnie and Clyde
Little Amsterdam
Sugar
China
Take to the Sky
Improv (Mr. Joel get me a present...)
Concertina
Beauty Queen
Horses
Winter
This Old Man
Josephine
Crucify
Rattlesnakes
Me and a Gun
Pretty Good Year

1st Encore:
Etienne
Playboy Mommy

2nd Encore:
Leather
Doughnut Song
Time

Reviews

Latest reviews are added to the bottom of the page.

Be sure to check the Tori Concert Reviews Forum for reviews as well!

From Tristan Alzial & Jeremy Unruh

Added November 27, 2001 - Here is the setlist for the concert. We will give you a review and more info later because we are tired after driving back from Paris.

Ben Christophers opened for Tori at the Olympia. He played alone, 6 songs several with recorded background and several with just guitar. He played from 8:10 till 8:40.

Tori began playing at 9:12.

'97 Bonnie and Clyde
Little Amsterdam -- piano and keyboards
Sugar -- piano
China -- piano
Take to the Sky -- piano
Improv (Mr. Joe get me a present...) -- piano /Concertina -- keyboards and piano
Beauty Queen/Horses -- piano
Winter -- piano
This Old Man/Josephine -- piano
Intro (Chains, feels like we're in again)/Crucify -- Wurlitzer
Rattlesnakes -- piano and keyboards
Me and a Gun
Pretty Good Year -- piano

First Encore:
Etienne -- piano and keyboards
Playboy Mommy -- Wurlitzer

Second Encore:
Leather -- piano
Doughnut Song -- piano
Time -- piano

She finished at 10:59 making her total time 1 hour 47

Look below for their more formal review, sent in later!

From Ryan O'Connell-Elston

Added November 27, 2001 - What a night! Here we go . . .

This was my fourth Tori show (and the first show since I moved to Paris), and I must say it was probably the best. Tori had a lot of energy and a great rapport with the audience. She said that after a long tour of the U.S., where everyone is heartbroken because of Sept. 11th, it was nice to feel the warmth and the magick here. In my opinion, the set was constructed with the purpose of interchanging themes of war/soldiers with songs about healing and the power of love. Forgive me if this review's a bit trite and no doubt filled to the brink with superlatives . . . my exhaustion currently outweighs my powers of more accurately describing this wonderful experience.

So the set list was (hope these are in order):

FIRST SET

'97 Bonnie and Clyde- Disturbing . . . quite a way to start the show. The shock effect worked, and the way she enunciated the story was particularly horrifying.

Little Amsterdam- I'm not normally a big fan of this song, but it was fantastic tonight, a strong way to begin after Bonnie and Clyde. She emphasized the line, "Girls you've got know these days (which side you're on)," while switching back and forth from piano to keyboard.

Sugar- A personal favorite - Tori was fierce on this one, pounding the piano several times.

China- Gorgeous. The piano was perfect, and each time she said "New York" with genuine sadness, barely getting the words out.

Take to the Sky- My favorite song of all time!!! I was SO overjoyed when she played this one. She was really into it too, with a nice improv in the middle and the audience clapping along in all the right parts.

Concertina- A wonderful surprise. Her voice was PERFECT here. And complete with a beautiful intro (sorry, can't remember the words right now).

Beauty Queen- Much darker than the album version. Seemed agrier too.

Horses- Excellent as always . . . it flows so naturally out of Beauty Queen and into . . .

Winter- I love this song, and it was the first time I've had the privilege to hear it live. I actually thought I was going to faint it was so good . . . gave me goosebumps, my hair stood on end, and I shed a few tears at the end. So did Tori - she choked up in a couple parts, emotions just pouring out of her.

This Old Man- Loved it! Who ever thought the piano could be so amazing on such a silly song?

Josephine- An appropriate song for the Paris show, performed flawlessly, ending with her body collapsing in a dramatic slump.

Crucify- Interesting . . . I like this version on that new contraption of hers, which she was proud to tell us was at Woodstock (and recently given "a new pair of heels"). She started by repeating "here" several times, with a section in that emphasized being in chains, and ended by really hammering out the line "NEVER GOING BACK AGAIN, NO."

Rattlesnakes- Glad she played this . . . it's excellent live. She smiled and winked at the audience each time she said the "Simone de Beauvoir" line.

Me and a Gun- This was *almost* ruined at the beginning by the HORRIBLE man behind me who felt the need to utter something crude and derogatory (which I'd rather not repeat), causing his trashy girlfriend to start laughing. I glared at them and they stopped. What's wrong with people? I cursed them both and hope the Furies will plague them . . . anyway, the song itself was incredibly moving and powerful. Tori is so brave to perform it every night.

Pretty Good Year- Amazing - seemed to sum up the evening's performance for me. She really went wild during the part that's normally accompanied by electric guitars. Also, at a couple points she said "Pretty she is" instead of "Pretty Good Year."

FIRST ENCORE

Etienne- Wow she played it! I was hoping she'd play this tonight, being in France and all. It was long, evocative, and just maybe my favorite song of the whole night. She really blew me away on this one . . .

Playboy Mommy- Started with a story . . . said she was in Champagne (the place) drinking champagne with a couple girlfriends who got in a catfight. She didn't know she was carrying. Drunk and trying to smooth out the skirmish, she tripped down a spiral staircase and . . . then she started the song. Wasn't expecting it, since the story was funny and the song is so sad. I loved it on the "whirly".

SECOND ENCORE

Leather- Sassy and sexy and fun. Lots of hissing and growling.

Doughnut Song- Oh . . . my . . . gods. Her entire heart and soul were in every second of this (and it wasn't even on the original setlist!). There was a long improv in the middle. She seemed intimately connected to the crowd, alchemically transmuting our feedback into the spiritual gold she transmitted back to us. I know that makes litlte sense, but I think its the only way I can describe it at 2 in the morning. Now that I think about, this was probably my favorite song of the night (if I had to choose).

Time- Perfect ending. It echoed right off of a line about time she emphasized in Doughnut Song. She was still completely tuned into the audience, bestowing us all with one more gem of wisdom and beauty before her departure.

And that was that. I'm still in shock . . . as this performance was everything I had hoped it would be and more. My boyfriend was highly impressed (this was his first Tori concert), as were all of our French friends. It was also nice meeting some other Toriphiles ( hi Mike, Matt, Shelley, Amy) - may you all enjoy the rest of the European tour!

Gods bless,
Ryan T. O'Connell-Elston

p.s. Tori looked fab in her red dress.

p.p.s. I liked the tourbook's pan-denominational calendar and Neil Gaiman's prose portraits of the girls.

p.p.p.s. I'm going to sleep now . . .

From Laymooneh 7amda

Added November 27, 2001 - Although I am just a teeeeeeeeny-tiny disappointed I wasn't the first guy to send you the setlist, I must beone the happiest people alive right now.

Yes, I saw her, at last, at long last!!! I flew to Paris last week, and had 2nd row tickets at l'Olympia.

I am totally mesmerized.

I saw her at the meet-n-greet where she signed me stuff and I had pics taken with her. She was so sweet to everyone, and was extremely patient. I asked her what had happened to the Jay Leno outfit and she said "ooh loads of stuff, it must be somewhere..." I also requested Way Down, but as she gave me a weird cute look, she said "Don't know where that one's been"

Anyway, the concert, my first!!!

I couldnt breathe during Bonnie and Clyde. It was like : "this is it!" The curtain came down, and she came on stage (very small and intimate by the way) She wore a kind of sari/geisha-dress cross and sat on the piano.

Little Amsterdam was amazing. It looked as if we were in for a great show!

I couldnt believe when I heard the opening notes of Sugar. The song was so fucking powerful, with of course the pussy boy part.

China is not really a favorite, but hearing her live was great.

Tap tap, tap tap tap, tap tap tap, tap, tap, and here came Take to the sky with the tapping on the piano. It rocked! The crowd was applauding along to the taps, but did not stop on the bridge and stuff, which was kind of annoying. There was an amzing part when she stood up and made belly gestues along to the lines of " how you take it boys" or something, my heart just stopped!

Then came the amazing improv. The melody was lovely, the lyics sounded like "Mr. Joe, Mr. Joe get me a present....maybe two..." I'm so frustrated coz I cant remeber it. It was just wonderful! Any mp3s of that?

Launched into Concertina. Lovely! I know BfP is definitely the album of my life, but Venus is one amazing piece of art!

Beauty Queen...different than the one in live in NY...amazing, played more than just one note, and prolongated the sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee's a BQ Horses was amazing...not like live in NY, but great.

Winter followed. Needless to say everyone was silent and the performance was mind-blowing.

This Old Man was so raw and intense, unlike the album version. I loved it! Into Josephine. Hearing it in Paris surely added a lot to this already beautiful song.

Then she walked to the Fender Rhodes and introduced it, saying it was from Woodstock and wasnt repainted, and that it always makes old songs come out. I screamed to her that I wanted to see her shoes, becoz i couldnt do it in between songs, and i kind of interrupted her, so she gave me a little frown, i was traumatized!!! :) She sang Crucify...the version on the fender is out of this world...in the end she says : never going back again to...after what i've seen...no way...never going back again to crucify myself ..."

Rattlesnakes followed. I loved it. how she play the chorus on the piano and hums

Me and a gun was scary. I think she was giving me a lot of eye contact, especially on that song. The crowd was very quiet.

Pretty Good Year! How i wanted to listen to that one! It was gorgeous! but she did not sing the end like in live in NY as i hoped she would.

She leaves and we go wild, she comes back and launches into a song i did not know. It turned out to be Etienne. i dont know Y kant tori read, and i loved the song! theres a moment where she smiled a big cute smile while singing the chorus. lovely

then she told the champagne/playboy mommy story, stressing on how she liked one of the persons who were having the argument but that it wasnt the issue. so cute! the song was awesome.

Leaves again...comes back again...leather! she so enjoys playing this one live!

Doughnut song....everything from BfP is a bless.

Final song...Time...Gorgeous! I cried all through it, i love this song, i do not want to comment becoz words would spoil the emotions that ran through me.

Thank you Tori...hope to see you again one day...

From Philip Bakstad

Added November 28, 2001 - thanks for all your hard work with The Dent - what would we do without you? not much probably..... Anyway, here is my version of events from yesterday.

So, I've been living in Paris for 2 months now and have had my ticket for all that time. Row 11, right on the end of the main block - perfect view of Tori at all times. I was very lucky.

The afternoon meet n' greet was a bit of a shambles, but not through any fault of Tori's security guys or anything. I've never seen anything like it at Tori shows before - people were being scary: pushing, shoving, climbing and shouting, which sort of ruined the atmosphere. Tori was sweet, though, and noticed me and my friend Kate squashed up against the side and took time to say hi and sign something for my friend cos I explained that he's having a real hard time coming out right now and it was his birthday back home yesterday. She said to give him her love and a big kiss, which I will at Xmas. She was gorgeous and so sweet, as always, but having my entire left-hand side squashed flat sort of ruined it. Still cool though...

Anyway, the show itself. Ben Christophers was quite nice - his songs did all sound a bit similar though apart from when he used the backing tracks, which added more depth to the sound. He has a beautiful voice, however.

As for Tori herself...... I've seen her several times before, sometimes at quite intimate gigs like London festival hall in 1999 and the Union Chapel in London this year, but this show just blew me out of my fucking seat!

You already have the set-list and blow by blow accounts so I won't re-hash these now. Gotta say though, "Sugar" never sounded more vital and just made tears come to my eyes. She smacked her hand flat against the Bosendorfer, giving a huge "crack" sound when her ring hit the wood, quite in the spirit of the performance but a bit suprising! The little crotch-thrust during "Take to the sky" was very cool, very very sexy, too. 'Twas nice to hear "Etienne" and she just gave this little grin at one point, with her head tilted a certain way which just made me go....... ah. "This Old Man" got quite vicious at one point, but sounded amazing, she was really on top vocal form for the entire night. "Doughnut Song" was NOT on the official set list (Putting the Damage On got bumped) but it was beautiful to hear this and even moreso cos I'd mentioned it to her that day! Thanks tori. "Time" just capped it off nicely and brought the evening to a close the only suitable way - reminding everyone of the passion and fire we'd been a part of during the night, but allowing us to return to a more stable place, to relax us and say goodbye.

Wasn't going to hang around afterwards, but it was my friend Danniella's first Tori show and she'd missed the afternoon meet n greet so we decided to wait. Me, her and Kate ended up right on the barrier and Tori spent some real good time chatting to us while signing stuff for other people - she sort of knew that we were being totally squashed and were only there to say thank you - she made quite a fuss of us as obviously we'd seen her in the afternoon (i got a big "hey!" and two kisses without even asking - yay!) and thanked us for being helpful with the crowd situation. She seemed to give the impression that all the craziness going on behind us wasn't too pleasant for her but, as always, she managed to carry it off and make everyone feel special. Steve and Joel were lovely too and made sure we were ok, too - thanks, you guys! After about 15 minutes, Tori said goodbye, squeezed my hand, shot me that little grin she always does and said "thanks, babe" which just made me go....... ;-)

All three of us had a great day and I would say that this performance was my favourite from all the shows I've seen. Perhaps not all of my fave songs (no Siren and i would've liked Jupiter and Damage, maybe a little Spring Haze, too, hey maybe even Little Eartquakes....) but that didnt matter. Tori was in her element ("we had fun tonight, yeah?" she asked me) and that came right back from the audience.

If you're in Europe near any of the cities she's visiting - sell your car, your house, your mother - get a ticket now. PS hope my friends in Manchester enjoy the gig!

cool

From Mona Chéhab

Added November 28, 2001 - This was my first tori's concert. a dream come true. we were a bunch of people who all traveled just to see her on stage, it was the first time we had this opportunity. repeating everything everybody said would be stupid. A vision. thank you tori for being so close to the public. for giving us something to cherish all our lives.

From Tristan Alzial & Jeremy Unruh

Added November 28, 2001 - Here is our review and description of the concert.

The Olympia didnt start letting people in the gates until 15 minutes before the show was to begin and then were extremely slow in how they let people come through to be seated. Ben Christophers started playing at 8:10. There was no bell or announcment of any kind for all the people just outside the auditorium and then they were sitting people throughout his entire preformance and even after.

We had never heard of Ben Christophers before. He played alone with a number of machines around him. His first number he played on a hand drum machine with a recorded background. Then he did two songs with the acoustic guitar alone and then one with the electric jazz guitar. And then the last two were with the electric guitar and a recorded background. He was difficult to even hear when he spoke between the songs and his lyrics were often difficult to understand. We both found the music interesting and a good intro to Tori. In the pieces with recorded background, we thought it sounded a lot like Radiohead. He had a nice tenor voice.

Tori began playing at 9:12

1. '97 Bonnie and Clyde

It was just the usual number for this tour. Behind the poster of the character for B&C and a curtain with a lot of holes in it and light coming through it.

After the number, the curtain dropped to the floor, and she walked on stage to huge applause and wearing a red dress/pantsuit. We found it very beautiful and classy. The outfit was a vivid red with some gold highlights on the front. The legs of the pants (if it wasnt a dress) were slit all the way up the sides. The whole lower part of the outfit was really flowing and baggy, that is why we can't agree whether it was a dress or pants. On her right arm she had a short sleeve and bare arm and on the left she had a piece of armor, or thats how we described it. There was a large piece over her shoulder that looked like metal with some sort of straps that came down over her arm.

2. Little Amsterdam
Piano and electric piano

She improvised a bit on the "round and a round and a round I go" part in the middle.

3. Sugar
Piano

She added the following lyrics near the end:
"Girls just think what they do
When they find you
What they do to you
My guy, my sweet boy
You're just not mad enough for them
Sweet, but still not enough for them"

Then she talked a bit between the songs, something like:
"It's so warm being in Paris. After the american tour where we went from Florida to New York and California and Boston. Especially with the 11th of September when people... had their hearts broken. We come here and feel the warmth of your magic."

4. China
Piano

5. Take to the Sky
Piano

She just played with her left hand, pounding the front of the piano with her right and the audience all clapped along through the song.

"We love you!!!" "I love you back!!!"

6. Improv / Concertina
Piano / Piano and electric piano
The words from the improvisation:
"Mr. Joe get me a present
Two of them in my pocket
Maybe in (stitch?) boy
Mr. Joe get me a present
For my head now
Mr. Joe get me a present
It's been a very long time"

7. Beauty Queen / Horses
Piano

Beauty Qeen was much heavier than the single note she uses on the album.

8. Winter
Piano

9. This Old Man / Josephine
Piano

People cheered a lot for this song. We suspect that may have been because the Tuileries were just behind the Olympia.

The she walked over and sat down at the Wurlitzer, which was "there at Woodstock and has been repainted. And the inside has some new stuff going on inside it, like high heels, and she likes to play some of the old songs."

10. Intro / Crucify
Wurlitzer
Intro is:
"Chains... feels like we're in again"
Improvs in Crucify:
"Don't cross me down boy"
"Take these chains away"
And she replaced "I've got enough guilt to start my own religion" with
"Where are those angels when you need them"

11. Rattlesnake
Piano and electric piano

12. Me and a Gun
She did this one very slow, 7 minutes. Her voice was cracking in some parts of the song.

13. Pretty Good Year
Piano

Impro at the second chorus:

"Pretty sh..." We disagree what she said here. Tristan thinks it sounded something like "Shieks" whereas Jeremy thought she said "Shoes".

First Encore

14. Etienne
Piano and electric piano

She sat at the Wurlitzer again and told a story about being Champagne and drinking lots of champagne and being with some girl friends and two of them were having a cat fight. And she was running around in platform shoes giving everone drinks and went down a circular staircase forgetting she was wearing platform shoes and...

15. Playboy Mommy
Wurlitzer

Second Encore

16. Leather
Piano

She was quite flirty during this song, crossing her bare leg and looking very sexy.

17. Doughnut Song
Piano

18. Time
Piano

The concert ended at 10:59

This was Jeremy's second Tori concert and Tristan's first ever. It was truly a magically evening for both of us. We had yet to go to any concert together and Tori being our first made the whole evening incredibly special. Tori's voice was fantastic and the emotion that she spilled out during her songs was incredible. The use of the lighting and curtains for background was wonderful, especially the lighting.

The French audience was extremely enthusiastic, even though there has not been any promotion of Tori and her latest album in France.

From Sylvain

Added November 28, 2001 - Sylvain called me after the show and told me the set list. He also said that this one of Tori's best concerts ever in Paris and that the show was very magical. Here are his comments in an email he sent later the following day:

This was my third show (after Do Drop In 96 and Plugged 98, both in Paris). Though it was fantastic, it didn't top for me the 96 show which was so intense. The highlights for me were 97 B&C, Little Amsterdam and Sugar (so fierce and powerful, she really perfectly masters her art), Concertina, This Old Man, Josephine, Rattlesnakes. I wasn't even sad that she didn't play Not The Red Baron because all she played was so good.

Some details now :

When Tori introduced the wurlitzer, she said "obviously it hasn't been repainted" with a funny grin, while it obviously had been ! The stars and stripes have been replaced by flowers ! Made me laugh, remembering her saying her crew wouldn't let her do that...

The improv before Concertina was pretty. I didn't get it all butðhere are the lines thatðI understood : "Mr Joel gave me a present, Mr Joel gave me a present for my head, Maybe I'll switch it back, It's been a very long time"

The differing line from Pretty Good Year was, as in San Diego : "Pretty shitty year". No doubt about that.

I'm sorry to say the following : people clapping all the time was very disturbing for me, and I felt Tori was unsettled several times, especially at the beginning of Leather. So when she sang this line from Doughnut Song, "and if I'm wasting all your time this time, maybe you've never learned to take", I got this weird feeling that she was adressing us... Maybe I'm paranoied, but that could explain the change from the original setlist. (She also messed up the beginning of Crucify because of the clapping when people recognized the song).

Apart from this last note, that was a real great concert that made me (and everyone obviously) feel real good. She was really with us tonight, more than she had ever been in France.That was worth the 41 months wait since her last show in Paris and the what, 12 ?, till the next !

From Matt Page, Stacy and Michael Cannon

Added November 28, 2001 - The official set list from [Paris] was somewhat different from what she actually played. Here you go in case you wish to put this info up too

'97 Bonnie & Clyde
Little Amsterdam
Sugar
China
Take To The Sky
Concertina
Beauty Queen/Horses
Winter
Caught A Lite Sneeze
Josephine
Crucify
Rattlesnakes
Me & A Gun
Pretty Good Year

Encore one
Etienne
Playboy Mommy

Encore two
Putting The Damage On
Here In My Hear
Leather

From Carine Kleinen (Mother Lucifer)

Added November 30, 2001 - We are from Metz (4 hours by car from Paris and we arrived about 14:30 pm!! there were already a few people in front of the "entree des artistes" and some of them were americains! I was amazed to see them in France, sa far away from their country for a concert. It was my fisrt concert of Tori although I am a fan since 1992!! So I was really nervous. I almost thirty years old and we were the oldest people to waited for Tori, the others were younger!! But no matter!!!

I had a card that a friend of mine prepared for me, with picture of Tori and she wrote: Tori Amos, Paris Olympia, 27 Novembre, so I was succesful to obtain a signature, everything will be perfect!!

We have waited for Tori until 16 pm and the bodugurads arrive, put some barrier, so everyone became more and more nervous.. and suddenly a bus arrived and she was inside!! They put the barrier between us and the bus and she came out of it and come to see us. We take picture and she wrote on my card Carine and David from Tori Amos (David is my husband and he's a fan too). It was amazing!!!

After she was gone we have waited for the beginning of the concert.

I was at the 14th row. The first part was Ben Christopher and I found him a really good musicians and a good singer but it was hard to be focused on him!!

Then, at least, the light turn off, and .. off and we heard the music from 97 Bonni and Clyde! Anne, who was nex to me, took my hand and we were like little girls!!! The song was long because I was waiting for her! and when the song was over, she was there!!! she was in a red dress absolutly beautiful!!! She was so different that the little person we just met the afternoon! She was a diva, she was.. a goddes!!!!!

And she beginn on the piano, with Little Amsterdam, and I was off for hours!! I was like a dream!! Tears came in my eyes in the beginning because it had been so long for me before met her!!

And I cried while Me and a Gun because this song is so full of pain and fear!!!!

The version of Crucify make my hairs on my harm go up!!!! she was on a little keyboard wich came from Woodstock she told us!!

All the show was very very incredible and I was like in a dream!!! I just could'nt talk!!!! Although in a normal time I always talking!!!

After that, Anne and I realised that we will never be the same again! Because we met God herself!!!!!!!

From Valerie Le Pouesard

Added December 8, 2001 - I just wanna say one thing or too about this concert.... (sorry my english always sucks)

It was so incredible.... But i was so disapointed cause I coudn't see her :(((((

the later meet and greet was a disaster. Security didn't make a good job. GRRRR.

I organised a big meeting between fewf (french ears with feet), they came from all the France. So I didn't have many time for me ... But it was a great evening.

I was on the 6th grade so I saw Tori very well.

When she began to sang Me and a Gun, something really strong came trought the air, between her and me. She lookked at me with such intensity... Oh my God. Friend of mine confirmed that. All the show was.... I can't find my words !

She made mle cry many times. I was destroyed and at the sams time, she gave life again to me. Sorry I can't explain that with good words.

And just one last thing.... Girl who shouted "we love yoy girl" afer Take To the Sky... It was me :))))))) And she replied, so sweet, so quiet, : "I love you back"......

YES !!!

The reviews below were taken from the concert reviews section of The Dent Forum and added here on January 7, 2002

Go Back To ToriNews

Go Back To The StrangeLittleTour Schedule & Reviews Page

Please give me feedback, comments, or suggestions about A Dent In The Tori Amos Net Universe. Email me (Mikewhy) at mikewhy@iglou.com