Committed to the Feeling: Florence + The Machine’s Ethereal Rebellion
With her signature siren call reaching the rafters in Madison Square Garden, Florence Welch’s voice floats over a sea of fringe and flow, guiding the audience through an otherworldly experience where individual self-expression intertwines with a sense of community and acceptance. Perhaps one of the biggest draws to the band since their debut in 2009, Florence + The Machine has empowered their fanbase to free themselves from the confines of conformity. As they readied themselves to embark on another world tour for their latest album, Dance Fever, in an interview with Jimmy Fallon, Welch stated, “The Florence + The Machine show is like a fully immersive experience…It’s nice for me because I play a show but I also get to watch a show,” as the audience reflects Welch’s eccentric fashion as her influence inspires them to embrace their own power and divinity.
As someone who has seen nearly every Florence + The Machine tour since their debut, the energy for the Dance Fever tour was unmatched. The fashion was outrageous, often combining chiffon and silk with corsets and combat boots. I ask one fan, who wishes to remain anonymous, about their choice to dress “like a woodland creature going to prom,” with their hair tied back in a braid with a thread of flowers flowing through it, an orange chiffon maxi dress, cinched at the waist with a black corset. They told me it was simple: COVID-19 and Florence + The Machine’s song “Daffodil.”
“It was so interesting,” they said, “I spent nearly my entire life trying to fit myself into any box I could find. I was facing the onset of a nearly-fatal breakdown as COVID-19 ravaged through Italy. Once it reached the United States, I began working remotely, and in my solitude, I realized what a disservice I was doing to myself by trying to be ‘normal’. Nothing was normal anymore, and that was freeing. So this outfit is really reflective of the line ‘there is no bad/there is no good…made myself mythical/tried to be real’ because it’s like this all-encompassing feeling of being everything at once.”
As I made my way down to the pit, I mulled over the concept of freedom. In light of COVID-19, the United States has faced an incredible divide as each citizen came face-to-face with their own mortality. The unpredictability of this novel coronavirus created a perfect storm, with the contentiousness of the country’s politics combined with an unprecedented restlessness, leading to a search for answers, self, and higher meaning on all sides of the political spectrum.
Music has a powerful impact on the world in the way it unites communities. As Welch spoke openly about her anxieties, she spoke about how her heart, mind, and deepest desires are in conflict with one another. A collective agreement rippled through the crowd. Welch then politely asked the audience to dance, scream, and cry out what is burdening them throughout their set. It was a collective upheaval and healing, powerfully committing us all to our own personal sense of freedom.
