Fuck the rock and roll circus, this is the punk cabaret ... is how the Dresden Dolls were selling their two night stint at the Roundhouse in Camden. And, they were not kidding. Doors opened at 7pm and the entertainment started immediately.
From the moment you walked in the door and up the stairs to the main hall, bubbles were falling down on you - being blown from people on stilts at the top of the stairs, women were dressed as harlots, men looking like outcasts from Moulin Rouge and music coming at you from the main hall - a guy on the accordion as I arrived at 7.25. I must add that many of the audience had also dressed up for the show too, and very fine many of them looked too.
Yes, when the Dolls hit town they do so with a cast of thousands (well, about 30 anyway) including weird musical turns, comedians, and performance artists. The shows in london were lead by their mistress of ceremonies, Margaret Cho.
The lay out of the venue suited the performance with a main stage and then a couple of mini stages to the right and left, which fitted in well in the circular hall. Among those performing were actually a couple of people I knew, comedian Reggie Watts and Edward Ka-Spel and The Silverman of the not that well known by many, adored by others (including Amanda) The Legendary Pink Dots (Syd Barret meets Leonard Cohen with mid 70's electronica). Very entertaining.
By 9.30 we were ready for the main course and the Amanda and Brian took the stage. How were they? Pretty bloody good. From the opening notes of Sex Changes right through to the end of the set at 11.20, they kicked arse.
Highlights included: Backstabber, Coin-operated Boy, Jeep Song, Delilah, Shores of California and Sing. They had Edward Ka-Spel, Lena Lovich, and some of the performance artists helping out at various points in the show adding to the sense of fun. The show was being filmed for a DVD, which will have to be purchased.
Essentially if you have yet to introduce yourself to Amanda and Brian, now is the time.
From the moment you walked in the door and up the stairs to the main hall, bubbles were falling down on you - being blown from people on stilts at the top of the stairs, women were dressed as harlots, men looking like outcasts from Moulin Rouge and music coming at you from the main hall - a guy on the accordion as I arrived at 7.25. I must add that many of the audience had also dressed up for the show too, and very fine many of them looked too.
Yes, when the Dolls hit town they do so with a cast of thousands (well, about 30 anyway) including weird musical turns, comedians, and performance artists. The shows in london were lead by their mistress of ceremonies, Margaret Cho.
The lay out of the venue suited the performance with a main stage and then a couple of mini stages to the right and left, which fitted in well in the circular hall. Among those performing were actually a couple of people I knew, comedian Reggie Watts and Edward Ka-Spel and The Silverman of the not that well known by many, adored by others (including Amanda) The Legendary Pink Dots (Syd Barret meets Leonard Cohen with mid 70's electronica). Very entertaining.
By 9.30 we were ready for the main course and the Amanda and Brian took the stage. How were they? Pretty bloody good. From the opening notes of Sex Changes right through to the end of the set at 11.20, they kicked arse.
Highlights included: Backstabber, Coin-operated Boy, Jeep Song, Delilah, Shores of California and Sing. They had Edward Ka-Spel, Lena Lovich, and some of the performance artists helping out at various points in the show adding to the sense of fun. The show was being filmed for a DVD, which will have to be purchased.
Essentially if you have yet to introduce yourself to Amanda and Brian, now is the time.
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