Last month we reported on Tori Amos’ brilliant cover of Conchita Wurst’s “Rise Like A Phoenix”. At the time it appeared to be just a crowd pleaser for the fans at her Austrian concerts. But it has since transpired to be much more than a mere token gesture. Days later she performed in Moscow, and as part of her set list she gave her own take on t.A.T.u’s “Not Gonna Get Us”.
As y’all know, t.A.T.u were one of the biggest Russian acts of the early noughties and represented the country at Eurovision 2003. However, they were perhaps best known for their faux lesbian antics. Given the current anti-LGBT climate in Russia, Amos’ cover of the song could be seen as a bold move, and a clear indication of the singer’s support for gay people in the region. Amos confirmed as much in an interview today with an Australian news site.
Q. Other covers you’ve tackled during your European shows, of songs by Conchita Wurst and t.A.T.u, could be interpreted as a show of support for your gay fans in those regions …
A. Well, you can’t not do those songs without knowing what it can mean. I mean I’m 50, I’m not completely naive! You can’t be coy about it. To play a t.A.T.u. song, a lesbian anthem, in Moscow — you’ve gotta grab it with both hands, because if you don’t, it’s not going to work.
The Russian audiences suggested it and I thought OK, that’s a really good idea. Little did I know, Putin was the next person to take that stage. He was going to be giving a speech there the next morning. His security showed up at the end of my show to start scoping the place, not knowing I’d just sung a lesbian anthem on stage.
With an attitude like that the Grammy nominee would fit right in at Eurovision. Now if only she could do like Katrina and the Waves or Hannah Mancini and take part. And since she’s seems to be such a fan, what Eurovision related song do you think she should cover next? Let us know below.
Here’s the original version of “Not Gonna Get Us” and click here to listen to Tori’s “Rise Like A Phoenix” cover.
