The Heartstorm Tour

Promotional poster for the tour

## Aurora concert chronology

**The Heartstorm Tour** was the debut concert tour by Australian singer, songwriter, rapper, and producer Aurora, embarked on in support of her debut and second studio albums, *Platinum Heart* (2015) and *Silhouettes* (2015), as well as her debut extended play, *Heartstorm* (2015). The tour began on May 6, 2016, in Platvian City, Platvia, at the Platvian City Arena, concluding on August 27, 2016 in Aurora's hometown of Melbourne, Victoria, at Rod Laver Arena, after five legs. The Heartstorm Tour grossed $11.5 million from 16 shows, with a total attendance of 175,000.

## Background and development

Aurora first teased the tour during the finale of the eighth season of popular singing reality competition series Platinum Voice in February 2016. Following the winner's single performance by Team Aurora contestant Temporal, Aurora praised the season's victor by claiming she hoped to, "express energy of equal calibre during [her] own tour." Directly following the conclusion of Platinum Voice, Aurora announced plans to embark on her first concert tour, The Heartstorm Tour, in support of her albums *Platinum Heart* and *Silhouettes*, via Twitter. Early access to ticket sales was granted to fans who had purchased either *Platinum Heart* or *Silhouettes* via Aurora's official web store.

In a promotional radio interview for the tour, Aurora confirmed the concert had been in development for over a year, revealing, "Even before *Platinum Heart* was completed, I had performance concepts for most of its tracks in mind. Of course, not everything made the final cut, some being infeasible due to various logistical factors, but I have a very holistic approach to songwriting—there's *always* a visual element." Aurora continued to conceptualise the tour throughout the creation process of her second studio album, *Silhouettes*, and between episodes of Platinum Voice. In its official press release, the tour was described as, "A celebration of Aurora's biggest hits, deep cuts, and most beloved tracks to date, taking concertgoers on a journey through pleasure, peace, pain, pressure, and progress."

## Concert synopsis

The show begins with an ashen landscape on a large screen behind the stage, as "Little Birds" builds. Aurora's vocals echo during the song's verse, then she emerges from the ashes during its climactic chorus. Wearing a phoenix-inspired garment equipped with large wings and a harness, Aurora rises above the stage. Soaring off to a bright blue sky, Aurora begins "Whirlwind". Dancers wearing cloud-inspired costumes appear as Aurora floats above performing acrobatic acts, eventually touching down. Aurora sings "Celestial" while laying on a cloud-shaped platform, as the screen changes to a twilight sky. As Aurora disappears behind the platform, the screen shows the cloud falling outside a nightclub. Aurora emerges, having changed into a sequenced dress apt for dancing. "Forget You Got a Girlfriend" fades in as she enters the club, with the dancers wearing similar attire. After some choreography, the song transitions into "Chloroform Kisses", as pairs of dancers slowly disappear from the stage, leaving one dancer left with Aurora. The song fades back into "Forget You Got a Girlfriend" for the final chorus, as Aurora drops the dancer's phone in a drink before leaving the club. As they emerge, "Italian Nights" begins, and Aurora serenades her new love interest during an al fresco dining experience under the stars. The act concludes with Aurora bidding her new lover farewell as she belts the song's final chorus, exiting beneath the stage as the instrumental rises to a crescendo before its end.

The second act begins with a storm on the screen, as a pre-recorded spoken rendition of the bridge from "Frightening Nights and Lightning Strikes" plays. Aurora emerges on stage in a beautiful floral garment with a flower crown atop her head, singing the song's final chorus as the stormy landscape changes into a striking sunset paradise. "Remember When" fades in, and dancers enter the stage wearing summery attire. Aurora's love interest from the first act returns, as the pair hop in a convertible and drive into the sunset, while she sings its final chorus. The screen shows Aurora lying back in the convertible as her lover drives, closing her eyes, allowing the audience to enter her mind. As "My Paradise" begins, the lights dim, and Aurora and her dancers appear to be wearing glow-in-the-dark attire and body paint. They perform choreography together throughout the song, before the dancers fall to the ground as the lights brighten. Each now holds a different floral prop as Aurora sings "Flowers", picking each dancer's prop and throwing it to the audience. Upon picking the final rose, it unravels into a piece of red string as the screen transitions into complete darkness, and "Red Thread" begins. Aurora's dancers, dressed in black bodysuits with a single red stripe running horizontally, emerge to tug her from either direction. Following some artistic choreography by the dancers, Aurora concludes the act by gradually fading out the song with each repetition of its outro as she exits beneath the stage.

During the show's third act, Aurora opens with "Happy", as fireflies illuminate the screen. Emerging from a giant bottle after rising onto the stage, Aurora wears a shimmery outfit comprised of various metallic, reflective, and iridescent shards. Gradually building into "Platinum Heart", the fireflies combine into a colossal, silvery replica of a human heart, synchronised to Aurora's own heartbeat as detected by the dress. Aurora pretends to collapse toward the end of the performance, causing the heart to stop beating. This signals a flatline sound effect before blending into the instrumental of "Feels like a Dream". Aurora performs the haunting ballad as the screen displays a twisted, psychedelic dreamscape. Aurora faux collapses once again, symbolising her return to reality, as the screen appears to become mirrored, utilising cameras situated above the stage as she sings "One-way Mirror". Dancers wearing reflective outfits enter the stage for the first time during the act as Aurora attempts to break through her reflection. Eventually, it shatters before the song's outro with a dramatic sound effect, and Aurora seamlessly transitions into "Without You Now". Following the shattering of the mirror, the screen now depicts a relentless rainfall. Aurora dances through her pain until pyrotechnics ignite during the song's final chorus, ceasing the rainfall and illuminating the screen once more. Amid the captivating pyrotechnic display, Aurora is lifted by her dancers and carried off stage, concluding the act.

The fourth act commences with "A Devil Always Wins", as a pentacle rotates on the screen. Aurora appears possessed as she sings the tune, wearing a blood red nun's habit, while joined on stage by dancers wearing demonic masks. During the song's spoken outro, Aurora removes the habit, revealing a gladiator-inspired outfit, and begins defeating the demonic dancers with a sword during an instrumental transition into "Surrender". Aurora continues to battle the beasts as she sings, dragging them into the centre of the stage. Toward the end of the performance, Aurora rises above them on a concealed platform, posing with the sword over her shoulder. Aurora then transitions into the chorus of "Easy", rising further into the air as a spotlight shines on her, allowing the dancers to exit the stage. During the second verse, Aurora is lowered as hate tweets and negative news headlines are displayed on screen. Now joined on stage by dancers in troll masks, Aurora ignores these dancers' choreographed attempts at attacking her, watching as they flee the stage. By the song's end, the lights dim as Aurora's shadow is projected on the screen and "Silhouettes" fades in. A mysterious figure joins Aurora, and the two perform a beautifully choreographed pas de deux. The lights begin to flicker, revealing Aurora's dance partner as one of the masked demons. Eventually, Aurora defeats the demonic dance partner with her sword, walking off stage as the lights go out, signifying the end of the fourth act.

Following a wave of applause, the lights brighten one last time as the screen depicts treacherous waters. An island platform now appears in the stage's centre, with wind and smoke machines off to the side of the stage. Aurora rises from beneath the stage onto the island platform, as the instrumental of her most successful single at the time, "Set Sail", fills the arena. Aurora wears a gorgeous mermaid-inspired ensemble, complete with a multi-coloured pastel wig, a pearlescent seashell bra, and an elaborate tail with hand-sewn holographic sequins. During the performance, dancers dressed in various costumes, including a pirate, a sailor, and a deep sea diver, all attempt to lure Aurora away from the island under the pretence of love. Per the titular lyric, Aurora instructs them all to set sail, seeing through their façades, as the waters on screen become more and more tempestuous with each failed suitor, utilising the wind and smoke machines. At the song's climax in the bridge, Aurora channels "Part of Your World (Reprise)" from *The Little Mermaid* (1989), as the waters on screen appear to crash into the island, causing ocean-coloured confetti to decorate both the stage and audience. Aurora concludes the performance by shedding her mermaid tail and standing on her own two feet, as the waters on screen and ocean-coloured confetti eventually subside. Aurora descends beneath the stage one final time, thanking her fans, and encouraging all concertgoers to tame their own Heartstorm.

## Critical reception

The tour received generally favourable reviews by Platvian music critics, while international publications were considerably more critical of the concert. Eddie Torenchiev of *Mode* magazine awarded the tour four and a half out of five stars, describing it as, "A Masterpiece of Musical Brilliance," elaborating that, "From the moment the lights dimmed and the first notes of 'Little Birds' echoed through the arena, I knew we were in for a night of pure magic." Similarly, Rita Overstone of *Spinning Rock* acclaimed the tour with a perfect score of five stars, considering it, "A Sensational Spectacle of Musical Artistry." Overstone also drew comparisons with tours of international megastars, claiming, "As a music critic who has witnessed the likes of Katy Perry's 'Prismatic World Tour' and Lady Gaga's 'The Monster Ball Tour,' I can confidently say that 'The Heartstorm Tour' stands tall among these legendary spectacles." Journalist Ari Viste-Parvenu of *PTV News* was less enamoured with the tour's spectacle, naming it, "An Ambitious Journey with Moments of Brilliance," and awarded it a modest three and a half stars out of a possible five. Renowned *Trident* columnist Ellie Tyst was not enthralled, instead labelling the tour, "A Disjointed and Confusing Concert Experience," that, "had potential, but the execution fell flat in many ways," rating it two and a half stars out of five.

## Commercial performance

Being the first global concert tour by a Platvian-based artist, local demand for tickets was extremely high. Within hours of the pre-sale period's launch, tickets for the tour's first two of then four Platvian shows had sold out. An influx of online traffic caused Aurora's official web store to crash, following a surge in sales of her studio albums *Platinum Heart* and *Silhouettes* due to fans desperately trying to gain early access to tickets. Aurora made an official statement on her Instagram in an attempt to pacify the masses: "Aurorites! My heart is tempestuous with emotion following the overwhelming response to The Heartstorm Tour. As soon as my web store is back online, more NEW Platvian dates will be announced!" Despite this reassurance, any remaining tickets ultimately sold out during the pre-sale period alone. Three days after what media journalists began to dub "Ticketgate", Aurora officially announced four additional Platvian shows via her revamped website, succeeding each already announced show. "These dates will not be available until general sale," Aurora promised fans, "it was never my intention for purchasing my album to become a prerequisite for attendance." After one tumultuous week, tickets for the additional Platvian shows were released for general sale. Despite increased supply, demand for tickets still proved unprecedented, with the May 7 show allegedly selling out in just 43 seconds, while the final tickets for the tour's Platvian leg sold within three hours of going on the market.

Internationally, ticket sales fared far less chaotically, albeit still selling out prior to each show's commencement. The first international dates to sell out were those in Aurora's home country of Australia, inciting rumours that additional Australian shows may also be added. Aurora dispelled these rumours in a promotional radio interview for the tour's Oceanian leg: "I'll always consider Australia home, which is why I'm ending the tour in Melbourne... I'm looking forward to reconnecting with the motherland, and finding my centre again." The European dates were the next to sell out, partly due to the underground popularity of Aurora's 2014 single "Italian Nights". The North American shows soon followed, aided by the novelty of Americanesque summertime anthem "Remember When" and the Aurora-penned Cat Venti track, "Forever in a Moment". Finally, the Asian leg sold out after reduced ticket costs and inexpensive airfares enticed many Platvian and Australian fans who had missed out on securing tickets in their home countries to attend the last available shows.

The Heartstorm Tour grossed $11.5 million in revenue from 16 shows based on average ticket sale values, performing for 175,000 concertgoers globally. Over $7 million of this staggering sum was generated by the tour's Platvian leg, which almost topped 100,000 attendees. Days after the tour's final bow, when approached for comment about the tour's landmark success, Red Rose Records' A&R, Alistair Theodore "A.T." Arelle, lamented: "We could have done another Platvian leg, easily. While this end result is obviously beyond satisfactory, it's something we will be sure to take into account during Aurora's next world tour." The remaining four legs of the tour collectively grossed over $4 million in revenue, with approximately one third of this revenue coming from Aurora's native Australia. North America proved to be Aurora's third strongest market, with 22,000 concertgoers bringing in over $1.3 million in revenue. According to *Platstar*, the tour remained the most successful tour by a Platvian-based artist until Aurora's own The Diamine Tour (2018–2019).

## Shows

**List of concerts, showing date, city, country, venue, opening act, tickets sold, number of available tickets and amount of gross revenue**

## References

1. ↑ Torenchiev, Eddie (May 7, 2016). "The Heartstorm Tour: A Masterpiece of Musical Brilliance". *Mode*. Retrieved August 13, 2023.
2. ↑ Overstone, Rita (May 8, 2016). "The Heartstorm Tour: A Sensational Spectacle of Musical Artistry". *Spinning Rock*. Retrieved August 13, 2023.
3. ↑ Viste-Parvenu, Ari (May 14, 2016). "The Heartstorm Tour: An Ambitious Journey with Moments of Brilliance". *PTV News*. Retrieved August 13, 2023.
4. ↑ Tyst, Ellie (June 26, 2016). "The Heartstorm Tour: A Disjointed and Confusing Concert Experience". *Trident*. Retrieved August 13, 2023.