I adore Florence Welch. I adore Florence +The Machine. I have her albums on Vinyl and now I have her verses on paper in this book; Useless Magic. I was at the 02 London last month when Florence broke her foot on stage. It was a concert for the ages. She put on an amazing show. She crowd surfed, she danced with utter abandon. She left it all on the stage- blood included. Her dress is something that myself and my friend have made a pact to recreate. It was the beginning of the UK leg of the Dance Fever tour. Florence’s first London performance since pre-Covid. Florence knows she is indie rock soul gospel for the modern woman and she plays up to the image. Her stage design included an alter strewn with candles and Liberace style candelabra. It gave off a distinctively witchy vibe.

Useless Magic is beautiful. I gobbled it in one sitting. Although it is mostly a songbook in a sense that it’s the collected lyrics to Florence’s songs- It differentiates itself as it contains Florence’s hand written drafts. Florence also shares a list of favourite songs I will definitely make into a playlist. It’s so emotive. Handwritten lyrics are always deeply poignant. Florence is generous is sharing her feelings and clear struggles with depression and self-worth. Her doodle for What Kind of Man is very raw. Equally raw is her self deprecating doodle Florence the coffee machine. Florence Welch feels the world acutely. She is able to articulate this sensitivity in a profound way. Some of my favourite poems from this collection include titles such as; Moderation, Haunted House, Rage, I Guess I won’t write poetry, This poem is not good enough… and last but not least the cheerful I had the best day.

Quiet, sensitive and profound. Rage is a poem about the current state of the world I am worried we are entering an age of rage, where only anger will be considered an asset and that the gentle will be mocked and then eaten Reflects on how it is difficult to live in a world that values toughness and machismo. But it also feels like a commentary on how the world has become so divided. This Poem isn’t Good Enough is a biting critique of the standards women are held against. My favourite verse is the second; this poem is not good enough because…other women have also written poems…and as everyone knows…there can only be one woman…above all the others… who had to claw and kill to get there…but maybe she doesn’t have children…so… she’s not good enough either… Points out how women are pitted against each other and forced into a scarcity mentality in a world that tells us who we should be. Clearly Florence is who she should be- vulnerably and effortlessly herself.