...the DRESDEN DOLLS + Lapsus Linguae & Jo MacCafferty Band - One Off Performance...

[soundian]

Which was still something pretty special in my book and certainly worth paying the price to see.

Since you didn't pay, how do you know?

[Ross]

I thought the Momus cover was fantastic. I wish Brian had been there though.

The only thing i thought the evening was missing was a table and a bottle of wine.

She had a bottle of Red.

[Michael MacLennan]

I haven't seen the show yet, though can't wait to see it on Wed.

However, I think Lapsus would seem a more appropriate support for The Dresden Dolls if they'd the drummer had been there too, as there is that similar combination of crashing drums with intricate piano parts that works splendidly (if only I could play the piano). I think because of the drummer cancellation it made the dolls more obviously melodic in comparison.

As for the comment about personal reasons, people skip work for 'personal reasons' all the time, family issues, etc. Somebody being in a band doesn't mean they have to compromise their personal life, there are quite a few acts (such as Radiohead, for one obvious example) who manage to keep their private lives quite separate from publicity material.

Besides, if Oasis could carry on touring without Liam Gallagher, and Metallica without James Hetfield, I'm sure The Dresden Dolls can get away with a solo show from the songwriter and main performer without alienating those who've come along...

[Guest ()Papaspyrou()]

Who gives a shit?

She played basically like a pre-war cabaret, naive about the war that was obviously present and I guess thats worth about 4 of my money.......or 140 Nazi Marks

[jester1470]

Since you didn't pay' date=' how do you know?[/quote']

Actually Rachie had bought a ticket before we asked her to play, so she did pay

Cheers

Stuart

[jester1470]

Who gives a shit?

She played basically like a pre-war cabaret' date=' naive about the war that was obviously present and I guess thats worth about 4 of my money.......or 140 Nazi Marks[/quote']

You'd already decided you wouldnt like it, why did you bother coming ? As well as Amanda you got 2 supports who couldnt have been much different, surely there was something in one of them you liked.

Cheers

Stuart

[soundian]

Actually Rachie had bought a ticket before we asked her to play' date=' so she did pay

Cheers

Stuart[/quote']

Bah! Foiled.

[Ross]

Foiled.

So were the tickets!

[Stuart]

She did a Bright Eyes cover? I thought she didn't like Connor and cancelled her Amazon cd orders...

She lost alot of respect for him as a person recently, but she's not shallow enough to change her mind about his music just because she doesn't particularly like him.

Anyway, fantastic gig. 'Such Great Heights' was the greatest thing ever, I did not see that one coming but she pulled it off fantastically. She's not used to playing without Brian, which made last night even more special. Fantastic atmosphere.

Did anyone see that guy to the left of the stage, in the hat? I beleive it was during 'The Perfect Fit' when she was crying and her eyeliner went everywhere. The guy threw something on stage that landed beside Amanda but she didn't acknowledge it. A bouncer quickly approached the man and was like "Eh, what the hell are you doing?" and the man answered "It's a bottle St John's Wort" to which the bouncer just stared at him. The guy then with a strange obsessive look in his eye told the bouncer "It's for her, she's upset". The bouncer had an eye on him all night, especially after that "Churchill says sorry" comment that came from him. I saw the bouncer take the guy away and speak to him, presumably telling him to stop throwing/shouting things. Well handled by the bouncer, got in there quickly, gave the guy a calm talking to, avoiding any kind of embarrassment.

Amanda's stage banter was great too.

"He got a first from Aberdeen University"

Amanda: "Thats because he is a very clever man. Who writes very clever songs. One of which, I am about to play you" with a little smile.

[french_disko]

'Can't be arsed' isn't a very valid reason' date=' is it? From the Dresden Doll's website "Brian doesn't want to go, is going through his own thing, and I am very supportive of him" - seems to suggest to me that there are personal reasons why he didn't come.[/quote']

Or, alternatively, he just can't be arsed.

[nullmouse]

Or' date=' alternatively, he just can't be arsed.[/quote']

Well, you're obviously determined to think the worst.

Personally, I doubt Amanda could support someone's decision to 'not be arsed' so I'm prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt.

[Stuart]

Even though I'm 100% sure "can't be arsed" wasn't the reason, after 5 years of touring, rarely being at home, then having to make a cross-atlantic trip to do what I've been doing for 5 years, I would think "can't be arsed" is a perfectly valid excuse. I would have been much more annoyed if they cancelled.

[NARC]

I thought the gig was really good. For a start, that's the first time I've seen a gig in Moshulu actually, and I must say I like the layout and the atmosphere. Ok, it did read like a scene who's who, but generally it was good, not taking into consideration the poor sound issues.

Jo McCafferty or whatever bored me stiff, but I wasn't there for her, so I'll gloss over that before people start her defence.

I like Lapsus Linguae from what I have heard, but as Yousef said to me they appear to be going in a rather new and bizarre direction. Songs like "Parade!" and "Are We Really Dancing?" are very good and really quite accessible, but now it seems they are going down a somewhat pointless road. As for the performance, it was a let down considering all the build-up given to their stage show. Granted, they looked rather cool but the attempted comedy was dreadful.

I really liked Amanda's performance. Obviously it was going to be quite intimate, and she really tried hard considering she admitted she was damn nervous. As Larsen B pointed out, she really pushed her somewhat limited tools to the ragged edge and for that she should be commended. I'd have liked to have seen the whole set-up including Brian etc, but I bought the live album so that will suffice for just now.

[Ross]

Due to the crowd responce etc I think there may be a possibility of a return to Aberdeen in February next year.

Depends on the usual $ and also whether they can fit in an Aberdeen date.

[mmd040]

Glorious for some, utter pish to others. And guess what? Everyone is correct. That's what I love about the wonderful dispoable world that is popular musi c.

[Lawy Lawson:Attorney]

Seems a few people liked Lapsus or Amanda.

I'm quite obviously a total mark for the Dresden Dolls, so who I prefered is a no-brainer, but I was genuinely disappointed by Lapsus.

The Lapsus Lingaue stuff I've heard on CD had been fine, but live they were nothing but a pretentious dirge. I thought that was a damn shame.

[Edgar Graham]

She lost alot of respect for him as a person recently' date=' but she's not shallow enough to change her mind about his music just because she doesn't particularly like him.[/quote']

Well that's thing, she apparently is. As she said she cancelled the cds she had ordered because of the incident.

[broken_doll]

man.........this thread is quite snippy 0_o

i have too many things to say so i'll try to condense it . . .

what gives a clearer picture......if you compare Monday night performance to secret mini Tuesday night performance.....to.........Wednesday night Edinburgh performance at the Exchange (not the corn).....

Monday she was intensely nervous......which she mentioned herself when i said i saw the progression.....i still think monday night was a decent set and the Momas cover was excellant.....Tuesday was a fun thing...........we went to see Regina Spektor.....(who i have to say was astonishingly good ...one of the greatest gigs i've ever been to) Amanda came on to do a song with her as they be friends from touring together before.......they then both became part of this Vaudeville Caberet night thingy at the Bongo club..........(which by the way had this hilarious comedian called Tony Carter ^_^ and these fantastic funny and sleek puppet guys called Caberet Decadence) ........it was all quite last minute and Amanda had to play this cruddy little keyboard (Regina was too scared of it......Regina is possibly the most adorable woman alive).....it was still decent though and the fun part was that Amanda had made friends with a double bass player ....who also played trumpet and pretended to be coin-operated boy while tap dancing girl poked him around......there was also the guitarist 'Mr 'Than' who had a fun song which they all played together.........the atmosphere at the caberet night was brilliant........lots of good acts.........the host was pretty fun too and sang Amsterdam with Amanda.......(and i think they'd all only had one run through)

......so by Wednesday Amanda was in full swing at her Edinburgh gig...........comprable to the first time i saw the Dresden Dolls...........fully made up energetic and expressive with a breathtakingly powerful edge to her voice............and later (also fully made up) her new found friends joined her for some songs.........it was an excellant set................i think not only was she getting her confidence back but she seemed to have had time to fall in love with Edinburgh .....and feel really at ease........also the stage was a lot higher up........making for the best perspective of everyone...........(although Regina was great Caberet Voltaire stage made for difficult viewing at times......and Moshulu is great it that you can pretty much see from anywhere due to the raised part around the dancefloor..... but as Amanda was quite far back and isolated and low down it affected the atmosphere a little - (not a dig.......a lot of venues are like this.......posssibly due to certain practicalities i would assume....like maybe the roof isn't high enough)

anyway......it's still just an opinion.......but i think the comparison is important.............i'm probably biased because the first time i saw them they were amazing........and i can't say how i would have felt if that was the first set i had ever seen.......i also think that Brian IS exhausted........they have been touring constantly and Brian is a fenominal and energetic drummer.........and i also think monday was Amanda's first solo gig since way before the Dresden Dolls and i think it speaks volumes that although scared about it she didn't cancel the dates.....

ps..........i think Lapsus have great stage prescence and rock star style..............i also think there are some good hooks and melodies hiding under there but i think at both venues it was difficult to hear the piano and vocals enough.........so i'm waiting to hear what the cd sounds like........