Brechtian Punk Cabaret and why not?!
The Dresden Dolls feature Brian Viglione on drums and Amanda Palmer on keyboards and vocal duties. All I knew of them beforehand was that they play Brechtian Punk Cabaret?! This was going to be interesting.
To an eerie childlike intro the duo arrive on stage holding hands and proceed to take a bow before assuming their positions. Brian is dressed in bowler hat with his face painted white whilst Amanda sports stripy stockings with suspenders and too has her face painted; they look like a cross between Clockwork Orange and Liza Minelli in Cabaret! They have drawn a good crowd into the Napster tent and receive an excellent reception. To look at the set up of keyboards and drums you can't imagine how this is going to work but work it does as they begin to play. Amanda has a fantastic voice and she uses it with great passion, injecting both venom and beauty at the same time whilst Brian provides percussive accompaniment with some very tight drumming.
Amanda has got such good stage presence that whilst some leave as the band come on, many more are drawn in and are held captivated. Their songs are difficult to define, beautifully frail in places but wild and aggressive in others but always impressive. The highlight of the set however belongs to a cover version and if I hadn't seen this in the flesh I would never have believed it, they only did a cover of Black Sabbath's 'War Pigs'! Yes that's right, 'War Pigs' on a piano and I have to say it was absolutely brilliant! Amanda demonstrated what an excellent keyboard player she is and managed to transpose most of the guitar parts to the piano with ease.
The Dresden Dolls set has been a nice break from the much louder bands that came before and after and they really have impressed. Those of the crowd already familiar with the band cheer and applaud wildly throughout whilst the newcomers are almost as enthusiastic. Penultimate track 'Half Jack' goes on a little too long but is forgotten when they finish with a rousing, fast paced song which has many quickly delivered lyrics. The Dresden Dolls are good. Very good.