Florence + The Machine are currently over in the States on their excellent Ceremonials Tour [read my review here], and so stopped over at The Voice to perform, and promote, No Light No Light, live in front of the judges.
The staging was amazing, the way Florence Welch appeared to the audience, like a ghost rising from her grave, was fittingly theatrical and atmospheric. As if by magic, the stage was then filled by other spectres, as a mob of spritely contemporary dancers bounded on to it from nowhere, and a solemn choir in black- who may as well have been hooded and robed- took to the stepped pyramid. This was as close to a pagan ritual as I've ever seen on live television. All that was missing was the sacrifice, though that might have taken place off camera...
Vocally, not one of Flo's best performances. Her head voice, wasn't sounding as full and commanding as usual, and there were pitch issues, as her voice wavered uncontrollably throughout. However, the held note, which one would think would be the hardest part of the song, was maintained so effortlessly, and on pitch, that it wouldn't have surprised me if it could have been held for twice as long without issue.
All in all, another great performance from the British collective!
Side-note: Anyone care to "read" Ms Aguilera and her facial expression at 2.50...
