Saturday, February 19, 2005
Dresden Dolls 18/02/05 Liverpool
Last night, after much anticipation (And missing them in Hamburg), I finally saw The Dresden Dolls live, again in the Liverpool Carling Academy 2 (The Lomax 2, folks).
Didn't bother with the support band, caught he end and they didn't seem like anything worth standing up for. The bands website said they'd have local performance art acts in support, but this turned out to be untrue (As was the notice that there would be "Special tour souvenir tickets"). There was a fair (Collective term) of goths about, I observed all the stereotypes with as I proped up the bar drinking my Snakebite Black*. Most obvious (And annoying) was the overly effemitive one desperate for attention, and who probably regails his friends with anecdotes which are actually Eddie Izzard jokes (Possibly about jam or grandmas).
The Dolls are on top form, second date of a UK Tour (I.e. One in Scotland, London, and maybe another in the UK), and I think it was their first time in Liverpool. The drum sound was amazing (Proving the drummers rock credentials despite him wearing tights), right up there with the power of Jim White, but with much more comic antics involved for the crowds entertainment. Amanda was on my far left, pounding away at a keyboard, looking like she had less make-up than usual and not aiming for a few of the high notes.
They open with Good Day, move on early to Half Jack and Coin-Operated Boy (With, for the pleasure of the live audience, a lyric change go "I Can even fuck him in the ass", which would have corrupted the video beyond mention). The two of them have great stage presence, they mime like you would expect from people in mime make-up, and they give us worrying insights into their dark humor ("Field hockey is the new black").
As well as some tracks of the live album, that you can't actually get in this country, we got some covers as set fillers, great Brel sing-a-long Port of Amsterdam, first live performance of high-note less Life on Mars, PJ Harveys' Rid of Me, and their well known take on War Pigs (Which has been covered at the last two gigs I've been to, a sign of the times perhaps...).
We also got some good showbiz news from the gig, like that The Dolls are supporting Nine Inch Nails at their sold-out London dates which I mentioned last month, and that they're returning for their own tour in June or July. We also got told that their first vinyl release, "Ring of Roses" (Or perhaps "Night of Roses"), (Which they played for us, by the way) is getting released. Amazing what information I can get into this blog...
They didn't do some of my favorite songs of the album, like Bad Habits, and we only got The Jeep Song as a closer because people where shouting out for it, but it made a great finale.
End of the gig is normally end of the night, but seeing that the gig was in the venue of Evol, we got to stay for free and watch the Dresden Dolls do a DJ set, for about ten minutes (They played NIN, the swines, clearly pleased with their upcoming support slot). They kept playing records at he wrong speed and letting CD's run to the next track (Having me asking them to play Half Man Half Biscuit couldn't have been helping them), and I think their choices where a bit two heavy on the Goth, even if it did get the floor filled with two-steppers.
Even the end of the thing wasn't the end of the night, I got home to find I'd forgotten my keys so I had to sleep in the shed. A splendid ending to a splendid night.
I got some photos, but I was a bit far back (I planned to keep to the post for back support) so they didn't come out very clear, and the only up-tights shot is of the drummer. I'll clean them up a bit on photoshop and get them up here next post.
If you're interested in The Dresden Dolls you can go to their official site or their blog.
If you're not interested, or indeed you despise them, why not send them some hate mail.
*I would also like to point out that the bar staff charged me differently for each drink I bough, despiteit being the same thing. It started at £3.20, then £2.80, followed by £3.30, finally down to £2.70. They charged me 60p for cordial on one of them
Didn't bother with the support band, caught he end and they didn't seem like anything worth standing up for. The bands website said they'd have local performance art acts in support, but this turned out to be untrue (As was the notice that there would be "Special tour souvenir tickets"). There was a fair (Collective term) of goths about, I observed all the stereotypes with as I proped up the bar drinking my Snakebite Black*. Most obvious (And annoying) was the overly effemitive one desperate for attention, and who probably regails his friends with anecdotes which are actually Eddie Izzard jokes (Possibly about jam or grandmas).
The Dolls are on top form, second date of a UK Tour (I.e. One in Scotland, London, and maybe another in the UK), and I think it was their first time in Liverpool. The drum sound was amazing (Proving the drummers rock credentials despite him wearing tights), right up there with the power of Jim White, but with much more comic antics involved for the crowds entertainment. Amanda was on my far left, pounding away at a keyboard, looking like she had less make-up than usual and not aiming for a few of the high notes.
They open with Good Day, move on early to Half Jack and Coin-Operated Boy (With, for the pleasure of the live audience, a lyric change go "I Can even fuck him in the ass", which would have corrupted the video beyond mention). The two of them have great stage presence, they mime like you would expect from people in mime make-up, and they give us worrying insights into their dark humor ("Field hockey is the new black").
As well as some tracks of the live album, that you can't actually get in this country, we got some covers as set fillers, great Brel sing-a-long Port of Amsterdam, first live performance of high-note less Life on Mars, PJ Harveys' Rid of Me, and their well known take on War Pigs (Which has been covered at the last two gigs I've been to, a sign of the times perhaps...).
We also got some good showbiz news from the gig, like that The Dolls are supporting Nine Inch Nails at their sold-out London dates which I mentioned last month, and that they're returning for their own tour in June or July. We also got told that their first vinyl release, "Ring of Roses" (Or perhaps "Night of Roses"), (Which they played for us, by the way) is getting released. Amazing what information I can get into this blog...
They didn't do some of my favorite songs of the album, like Bad Habits, and we only got The Jeep Song as a closer because people where shouting out for it, but it made a great finale.
End of the gig is normally end of the night, but seeing that the gig was in the venue of Evol, we got to stay for free and watch the Dresden Dolls do a DJ set, for about ten minutes (They played NIN, the swines, clearly pleased with their upcoming support slot). They kept playing records at he wrong speed and letting CD's run to the next track (Having me asking them to play Half Man Half Biscuit couldn't have been helping them), and I think their choices where a bit two heavy on the Goth, even if it did get the floor filled with two-steppers.
Even the end of the thing wasn't the end of the night, I got home to find I'd forgotten my keys so I had to sleep in the shed. A splendid ending to a splendid night.
I got some photos, but I was a bit far back (I planned to keep to the post for back support) so they didn't come out very clear, and the only up-tights shot is of the drummer. I'll clean them up a bit on photoshop and get them up here next post.
If you're interested in The Dresden Dolls you can go to their official site or their blog.
If you're not interested, or indeed you despise them, why not send them some hate mail.
*I would also like to point out that the bar staff charged me differently for each drink I bough, despiteit being the same thing. It started at £3.20, then £2.80, followed by £3.30, finally down to £2.70. They charged me 60p for cordial on one of them
