Gigs A-Go-Go: Amanda Palmer at Union Chapel
Two days after Tori, I went to my first Amanda Palmer gig at the lovely Union Chapel in Islington. It was an easy venue to find. All you had to do was follow the man pedalling an upright down Upper Street. And the fans' hair. I swear I have never seen so much pink hair in a queue for a gig.
Once the piano man was done entertaining us, Amanda made an unexpected appearance to play a Dresden Dolls song. Also unexpected were the flames shooting out of the piano.
Amanda's first choice of song at the concert inside was unexpected too: an a capella version of an old Irish ballad, The Wind That Shakes The Barley. The audience was hers to do with as she pleased after that.
She cranked it up with the pounding "Astronaut", one of my favourite songs from last year's solo album, Who Killed Amanda Palmer. It was followed up by "Ampersand" which I thought was too long when I heard it on the album but which finally made a lot of sense to me here.
I've lost track of everything that went on. Someone played a great scene-setting toccata in whatever on the church's organ at the start. An artist on-stage finished a painting of Amanda during the gig. The support act, Polly Scattergood, was brought back in for a duet. Which turned to be the children's song, "Puff The Magic Dragon". Neil Gaiman was called on to sing a "hymn", apparently because he had the required gravitas. Needless to say, the audience lost any they might have had.
Her choice of encore was quite a shock though. She walked out to do another a capella song, Tori's "Me and A Gun". There was another song after that to finish, but it didn't stick the way that one did.
I'd say I look forward to her next show, but that was actually at midnight last night. :-) But, I've run out of time and caffeine so perhaps I'll cover that one tomorrow.
Once the piano man was done entertaining us, Amanda made an unexpected appearance to play a Dresden Dolls song. Also unexpected were the flames shooting out of the piano.
Amanda's first choice of song at the concert inside was unexpected too: an a capella version of an old Irish ballad, The Wind That Shakes The Barley. The audience was hers to do with as she pleased after that.
She cranked it up with the pounding "Astronaut", one of my favourite songs from last year's solo album, Who Killed Amanda Palmer. It was followed up by "Ampersand" which I thought was too long when I heard it on the album but which finally made a lot of sense to me here.
I've lost track of everything that went on. Someone played a great scene-setting toccata in whatever on the church's organ at the start. An artist on-stage finished a painting of Amanda during the gig. The support act, Polly Scattergood, was brought back in for a duet. Which turned to be the children's song, "Puff The Magic Dragon". Neil Gaiman was called on to sing a "hymn", apparently because he had the required gravitas. Needless to say, the audience lost any they might have had.
Her choice of encore was quite a shock though. She walked out to do another a capella song, Tori's "Me and A Gun". There was another song after that to finish, but it didn't stick the way that one did.
I'd say I look forward to her next show, but that was actually at midnight last night. :-) But, I've run out of time and caffeine so perhaps I'll cover that one tomorrow.