i slept 14 hours last night.
brian and i are going into the studio tomorrow to record some old dolls songs and get the shit out of our system and off my brain.
for those who have been asking or conjecturing on new recordings, since there hasn't been an official release:
we have a collection of songs from yes, virginia that weren't used on the album but that i deemed too GOOD to be relegated as "b-sides".
so they were never released.
these include The Kill, Boston & Gardener (we thought we recorded glass slipper, but now i can't seem to find it. hm.)
we also have some rarer stuff and with these new recordings, we're currently trying to decide how we want to package and release this stuff.
we might put it out on one whole album, make things available gradual-like online, or put out two EPs.
seeing as you are the audience, mofos, if you have thoughts please hit me. i'm clueless, (in dumb-ass italian voice, with glare) i just make-a-da-music.
"who killed amanda palmer" is going to most likely be released in september.
i am going to take a general apartment-and-life-and-relationship-cleaning-and-feeding break from now til june, when i will come back in full force and start doing record promo for WKAP all over the states and europa. then in september i'll be doing a full world tour (some dates with danger ensemble and hopefully some dates with estradaspehre, and some dates pure solo AP).
thank you for all the venue ideas for this spring. we'll see what i get to. it's hard. i want to go everywhere. play everywhere. i heard recently that we have a huge fanbase in kluj,
"Evelyn Evelyn: the full score musical extravaganza (or whatever they decide to call it)" is going to be finished in march (the reason i am planning a few west coast solo shows is to be in seattle with jason to finish the record with them) and we have NO IDEA when it will be released. but i'm hoping we won't have to wait too long. the twins are frail and impatient, they don't understand all this waiting around shit and i am tired of explaining things like releases schedules and promo. they want to post everything to myspace the day we record it and i'm like NO NO NO. anyway.
after WKAP my next solo record (due for relase 2011) is going to feature an all-star cast of feist, 50 cent, neil young, conor oberst, kenny g, britney spears, the klaxons, avril lavigne and peaches and the working title is
"I WAS YOUNG I NEEDED THE MONEY".
................................
more tour media..........
favorite moment of tour:
when brian invited everyone to join us onstage for "fight for your right (to party)" at the vic in chicago and the entire pit climbed onto stage and rocked out....
the club workers shit a brick, but nothing got broken (i don't think).
some clever person (iris in iowa aka PlacesParallel) captured it and edited it down for youtube.....
great new years shot....grand ballroom in NYC:
photo by Lisette M. Voytko
amanda holding the mic for Care Failure of Die Mannequin (in toronto):
photo by Brandy Alexander.
dolls, our bad-ass crew and two ton boa backstage at the norva in virginia....
(photo by lauren goldberg)
.............................
from comments:
steph g:
"I sometimes wonder if you find your fans offputting. The screams of 'I love you Amanda!'. Isn't there an important distinction between loving the work and loving the person? Does it get freaky that people declare their love for you over and over when they don't know you? Or, in doing things like self-promotion and blogging are you deliberately tearing down that wall, becoming more human and letting people know you, and so soaking in the love-fest? Don't misunderstand--I love the fans, or most of them. But the occasional one seems so rabid and insistent that I wonder if it gets creepy."
this is an excellent question.
i grapple with it a lot. i am trying to suck everybody in. i'm a performer. i need you to love me. that's how this works, to a certain extent. but love comes in all shapes and sizes. you need me to love you. for the most part, i do. really do. however...no, i never like hearing screams of "i love you amanda" when i'm trying to actually play a song. especially a quiet one. it's annoying. i think i talked about this some while back on another blog. anu difranco used to have the most irritating fans at her shows (brian and i went to several together, she's amazing live). i mean, real psychos who would just scream I LOOOOOOOOOOVVVVVVE YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU ANNNNNNNIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII again and again and not shut up. that is not love. that is something else. what do you do? she ignored it.
i usually hope that the crowd takes care of those people. a good crowd can be very effective at self-policing. when people drink it becomes more difficult, because they stop giving a shit what anyone is yelling back at them. different venues effect it. when we play sit down theater shows the crowd sometimes drops to a complete silence. there were moments on this tour, during "glass slipper", where not a single person was talking. in a crowd of almost 2000 people, you could hear a pin drop. i am amazed by that, proud of that. sometimes you know its a losing battle, especially if there's a bar in the club. forget it. sometimes it can get quiet and stay too quiet. it's a weird artform, that noise thing.
this very distracting and disturbing thing happened on the last night of tour at the norva in virginia. i was among the crowd, singing from my wireless microphone, on the balcony facing the crowd beneath during "the gardener". someone came up behind me and literally grabbed my ass, with two hands, and didn't let go. i kept singing and tried to ignore it, thinking it was a quick prank. then the person (mind you, i couldn't see them, so i had no idea what i was dealing with, man or woman, football player or fairy?) grabbed my right tit. i sort of donkey-kicked them with my boot, hoping to get them to lay off. and i kept singing. i turned around and in that moment, i saw this person and i just couldn't be angry. i was just confused. it was a girl, maybe in her twenties. i just left, kept singing, used it, felt a little violated, let the song bring me close to tears. i was emotional anyway, it was our last night of tour.
the thing about moments like this, and they are few and far between, is that it breaks this implicit faith that i have in our audience...that i'm always totally safe out there, that i can crowd-surf without anybody pulling my pants off, that nobody would ever do something stupid, that i don't need security (sometimes the club provides it but i never ask for it)...i just feel safe. people ask me if i have any truly crazy insane stalker fans and i can proudly say no. our fans are the most loving and civilized bunch of people i've ever met. they're all amazing humans....they're artists, they're thinkers, they are intelligent, they are respectful, they are kind to one another, they love music. i don't have to believe this, i see it because i meet them and i know them. and when i come across someone not fitting that description, i feel upset. and almost guilty, like: what did we do to attract this sort of shit? no, no, no.
so this event. it preoccupied my brain for the next 3-4 songs of the set because i kept replaying it in my head and finding myself unable to let it go. i finally just got fed up and told the audience what happened and started talking a little bit about how odd it felt. you're out there and you're in a totally different context. these are the people who are supposed to respect you, be with you, on your side, and they're objectifying you and doing something they would never dare do to a total stranger (lest they get punched in the fucking face).
it made things even more difficult to find out that this person turned out to be a real fan, someone who posts on the board and is part of our community. she emailed me an apology.
things like that are easier to take if you think it's some random friend-of-a-boyfriends-sister who came to the show and was just acting like a drunk dick. i wrote back, no hard feelings. truly. i related how unpleasant it was and i feared for her safety because she's headed for a possibly very icky experience of getting smacked by someone less non-violent if she goes around doing that to other people in virginia.
what can you do other than just be with it?
that's this life. didn't tori amos get raped by some crazy fan on the way home from a show? didn't eddie vedder have some crazy chick drive her car into his living room?
i had lots of these interesting encounters when i was a living statue on the street (i really need to write a book about that someday). people would literally treat me like an object, even when they knew i was real. throw things at me. poke me. grab me. i stood still through it all, never blinking. it gave me nerves of steel. and excellent peripheral vision (both of which, i may point out, came in serious handy for my stage career with the dresden dolls). i trusted that the general public would protect me from anybody truly crazy. and a few times, they did. i was literally laying my fate down at the feet of humanity, every day. my feet literally bound, relying only on the goodwill of others to keep some random asshole from toppling my delicately constructed self. i really miss my old job sometimes.
when people ask about the stalker thing, i say: i think i don't attract actual stalkers because there is NOTHNG MYSTERIOUS about me, and nothing to find out. i air out my dirty laundry with a frequency that makes it impossible for someone to want to root through my garbage. what are you going to find that you can't find out anyway? not very much.
does that make sense? it's just a theory. i think that people who actually cultivate mystique (whether deliberately or not) are easier to target.
i feel like i'm really cursing myself here, maybe it's time to shut up.
so we're done, for a while. brian is off to tour with other bands and i am off to get my life together and start work on this new solo record.
we talked a lot on this tour about how wonderful these last years have been despite the hardships.
our community, our slowly built land of punks, thespians, nerds, jocks, geeks, moms, kids, queers and whatever else you can imagine is a testament to the worthwhileness of all of it.
to see all these people actually in a room together, rocking out, getting it, loving each other, loving the experience.
you can't buy that in a store, you cannot download it from the internet, you cannot feel it unless you are there.
it's simple, it's REAL, and it's why live music will never die, ever.
the final hug ( rock love ).
(photo by lauren goldberg)
love (your mom),
amanda
p.s. mad props to the awesome person who brought me this shirt on the
last night of tour, excellent touch with the blackberry.
(self-portait with nice new shirt, 2:43 am. january 16, 2008)
Posts
42 comments:
FIRST COMMENT!
I think I can come off a bit stalkerish sometimes. I'm always going up to artists after shows and asking for hugs but sometimes it feels a little hollow. I think some of them are a little freaked out by it. I'm just trying to spread some love and good-will because I've gotten so much of it from them, I think some people need a hug every now and then anyway.
Or maybe I'm just weird. I don't mind being thought of that way though.
The ass grabbing thing is strange though I'll admit.
I’m also a statue, in New York. And I’ve on occasion needed protecting from a crowd of strangers who realize that, though I’m doing a good imitation, I’m not an object. They’ve saved me from people who’ll try, mostly to show off in front of each other, to see how far they can push me, push themselves. From poking and hair pulling and spontaneous additions to my costume. Once a girl turned to the guy yelling about how I blinked and said, “Of course he blinked. He’s HUMAN!” (I actually hadn’t blinked—why do they make it up?). When two girls robbed me, the crowd was there. They kept the girls in sight and got the police. I got the cash back. The crowd cheered. I went back to work. So did the crowd. And the girls probably went to The Manhattan Mall and talked shit and stole make-up to make up for being caught earlier. But usually no one comes to my aid, and I feel that, too. I wonder why they just watch it happen, and if, even to the ones who see me as a human who’s performing, they still objectify me so much they don’t feel the need to get involved. Sometimes it hurts, badly. Sometimes I just think what a good job I must be doing. Or that it says more about them than me. Regardless, I never blink.
I don’t know how some of the people walking past see me but I know that I keep going back even after a bad day. Like you said, the bad moments are few and far between. I’m just happy you don’t feel any need for security. And that you keep going back.
I was sad to read of this incident, and glad that you talked to the audience about what happened.
After seeing you guys on New Years Eve I posted the following to teh internets which I will now share:
I slepted all day monday when I was not working and I drank apple cider vineger and ate raw garlic (oh yes, did I ever) utilized my neti pot like a fiend and somehow willed myself into a semblance of being on the mend so I could go out on motherfucking New Years Eve to go to the Dresden Dolls show which was quite a moving experience. Very fun, an excellent New Year's activity, but also quite emotional in a number of ways. One of the most striking series of moment occurred when Amanda Palmer walked into the audience and performed almost an entire song slowing weaving through the entranced and shockingly restrained crowd. A few people hugged her towards the end, in a manner more ecstatic than remotely lecherous, but waves of people simply parted and respectfully let her pass through. When do you see rock audience behave that way, and out of love rather than indifference?
Amanda Palmer engages the audience in a more dramatic and hands-on way than almost any female rock musician I've seen playing shows of this size, and we hopefully all understand the reasons for that. I thought of Courtney Love's subversive and confrontational interactions with the audience, and how the electricity there came so much from her refusal to be cowed by of indulge audience misogyny, and what an impression that made on me as a young teenager when I'd watch her "antics" on the TV. How revolutionary it felt, and how it gave me a model of some ways to cope with a fucked up world through art. What was revolutionary to me about the performance last night was that it gave me back some of my hope that has slipped away, it gave me a model of some of the ways that the world could be. It was quite powerful.
See, I'm hoping that by talking about what happened with the audience, you helped lay ground work towards making such thing unacceptable in the community of your fandom. Sometimes people act in creepy ways and don't know it--some misguided girl might think that her gender precludes her from violating someone by groping them, which is sad for a good number of reasons. Good to edumacate those that actually want to be good, uncreepy people. Its a little piece of transforming the entire fucking world. Cheers.
I've never really interacted with an artist at all like that, and I'm somewhat amazed that you do all that. The closest I got was having Emily Haines from the canadian band METRIC signing my ticket and thanking me for keeping live music alive when they played Dublin in November 2006.
Metric are pretty awesome, I'd suggest anyone to check them out to see if they like them.
Lol. I absolutely love that shirt. And I laughed out loud in real life when I read that line in the last blog, because I had actually said it to someone in real life about a month before then.
(It was this guy I was pretty into, but he turned out to be a total prude) So it was the last thing I said to him, he DID have my number after all.
-Conor
ps. And when I mean interacted with I mean, connect on a personal level to an extent, not grope. Which is how that sounds when you read it immediately after the previous post. Haha.
-Conor
OK, so the groping story is rather awful and shitty, but I glad it doesn't seem to happen to you often. For someone who is so awfully cool about sharing the love and hanging out with your fans, it must be really great to be able to (largely) trust your audience when you're letting them get all close. (And sorry again for all of the drunken excitement at the Tent... Now I feel kind of bad... Sorry!)
Man, I'm looking forward to 'Who Killed Amanda Palmer?'. And I reckon releasing all of the Dolls stuff on an album would be excellent, but I'm going to get my hands on it whichever way you end up getting it out there, so go crazy.
Oh, and that video of Fight For Your Right? 'Like LEMMINGS! LIKE LEMMINGS OFF THE EDGE!' Aahahaha.
Enjoy your break! You damn well deserve one after all of your hard work!
I was on the stage at The Vic in Chicago and it was fucking fantastic. (I'm in that video a little bit, I'm the guy in the fedora and suit jacket on the very top left of the frame some of the time.) Anyways, your music has been inspiring to me ever since I first heard it on your myspace, and that was the first Dolls concert I went to. It couldn't have been any more awesome! It was definitely one of the best Christmas presents I ever got.
there is a thin line between admiration style love- the love that makes people feel a bit better about themselves, make art inspired by art, feel truly connected to the music, the style, the message- and obsessive creepy love. i often wonder whether it is in fact creepy or mad that i am so artistically inspired by the dresden dolls, but then i remember that art is art, once it's out there it demands respect, it longs to be inspirational.
shouting and groping are not creative.
but they are human.
from what i've seen of the dolls fan-base online there is a weirdly wonderful amount of respect for the art and for one another. too many people use the internet as a place to spew unintelligent abuse coz they know they can get away with it.
you amanda should be incredibly proud that you have founded a punk cabaret land in which so many people are just artistically bouncing off each other with nothing but beautiful love for beautiful things. and even when there is a tit grabbing incident they at least have the decency to apologise.
I think the reason that I love a band that much is because it really touches a very deep part of you that no one can touch or even know that exist, the love, the passion, the vibrance, that is a really rare gift that few things in life can inspire, few things can provoque this to you. I understand the confussion of this girl, like really really summerged into her love and her feelings, the effusion of the momentum, sometimes, when you have all your energy on your heart there's nothing more for your head, I think this is what happened to her, hahaha I know it's not your fault, but what you do is so full of force and magic and creativeness that is difficult to not let oneself go with the feeling. Hahaha fans can be really scary many many times, there are so many stories about this. I think is the negative part of being the author of that magical strong feelings on so many people.
Personally I would say put out good b-sides. Otherwise there's no reason for people who already have the album to buy singles (if they just want to give you money they could post you a cheque).
Then you can collect them together for a b-sides collection.
For every 1 person who will act inappropriately there are 500 more who won't. As a fan, this makes me feel guilty and it shouldn't. That's not something I would do. Ever. But we are seen, sometimes, as this mass group who represent one another. Sometimes when I'm waiting in line for shows and I see people SCREAMING, professing their love for a band, and making a spectacle of themselves, carrying on in a disrespectful, gratuitous fashion, it's sometimes unsettling and off-puting. Not that it is necessarily bad, they are usually the younger fans, and so it's somewhat expected, but I still think to myself, "I was never like that". They are the ones I imagine doing the groping and the inappropriate shout outs during emotional, slow songs. Maybe I'm stereotyping. Maybe they are just really excited and can't control it. Whatever the reason, the groping was uncalled for but there is always an explanation for things and I'm sure she explained hers and as you said, no hard feelings. I would hate for someones actions to make you think twice on the kind of interaction and close connections you have with fans. It's one of the best things about this band, aside from the great music of course =).
I was having a conversation the other day with some people about how accessible music is. I mean, sometimes you can't even go to the bathroom without hearing music. It's playing everywhere. In restaurants, elevators, doctor's offices, public transportation, grocery stores -all kinds of music. And this is a great thing that it is so readily available. However, I think the oversaturation makes us stop really listening to the music. I think back to a time when music wasn't such an accessible luxury. If the average person heard music it was either being played for them live at home or they happened upon an opportunity to attend a musical event. They might never know when they would hear that music again, and if they were a music lover, then they would really listen, and hear, and pay attention.
My point: I think most people, myself included, fall into the category of being so surrounded by music that we don't always listen anymore. But then there are bands that come along and change that and demand that you LISTEN, like you guys, for me anyways. When I hear you play I listen. I listen for every note, every inflection of voice, I try to hear and capture it all. To come out and experience a concert, to be with people who you know you have at least one thing in common with, to feel a connection to the band and to the people there around you, it's something that music playing in the bathroom can't make you feel or experience. So yes, live music will never die.
I look forward to the future and what you'll bring with it. I'm ready.
All my love,
Andrea
i would text but i don't have your number.
yet.
similar situation w/ Ryan Adams where the fans really get off on pissing him off by yelling out things and such.
i heard a fun story about his last tour where he was getting some guff and reminded the crowd that he was the artist, and he was going to play whatever the fuck he wanted to, whenever he wanted to.
the whole dynamic between fan / artist is really unique and really only applies to musicians and comedians.
sure, people yell at movie stars and such but not WHILE they are working, not WHILE they are entertaining them. i think the intimacy that makes music (and comedy) such a powerful artform also gives people the "courage" to be part of the show. especially when they weren't invited.
maybe if you get sick of ignoring them some time you can go GG on 'em?
P.S.
Before I forget, whatever happened to the Cyndi Lauper karaoke verité? I was flipping through my music, saw her, and was reminded.
And...it's snowing.
I'm going to eat a sandwich and watch a movie.
andrea
This is why you make such a great "stalkee" - you're so open I can feel like I'm stalking you and really just be reading the blog thinking, "Wow, that's interesting," or "Hey, I never thought of that," or "Damn, just reading that makes me tired," and I feel like I get a deep appreciation of the music because what you/The Dolls make (what any artist makes, morelike) at the root of it is deeply personal.
I really appreciate your taking time to communicate with us. And mad props to brutal honesty over social niceties any day.
Plus... I'm too lazy and squeamish to be a proper stalker. ;)
ugh, i'm so sorry about the whole assgrabbing incident. the worst crowd moment i've experienced at one of your shows was at the middle east back in may or june last year. wait, it was memorial day weekend -- the show with hypernova. so many people were drunk that, from where my husband and i were standing, it was hard to focus on the music. people were talking (loudly, i might add) during the entire show, quiet songs and all. i remember you even introducing yourself at one point because it seemed there were so few fans there. what's sad is that when i think back to that show - all the beautiful songs and the wonderful night we had - i always think about how distracting the crowd was. that was a unique experience, though, because you were playing a benefit show and it was memorial day weekend.
on a higher note, man, the providence solo show was amazing. great night, great people. even though jared and i are ridiculously awkward, we were talking to people whom we had never met before. it's a feeling in the air. at most of your shows, the whole audience seems to open up to one another and just be in the moment, experiencing the music and themselves and one another fully. and that's probably my favorite thing about you (the thing that could almost make me yell, "i love you amanda!" until i get a grip on myself) -- how you can bring that out of people.
lots of (not physical, not one-sided) love,
michelle
hej hej
i made this and it was sooooo tasty!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2040/2197456664_ba8a58e709.jpg?v=0
I'm not sure if I'm supposend to feel O.K. or guilty now.
I love you. You're my favorite musician. I first knew the music and loved that. Then I found the blog and loved the person (or your image in my mind).
There was so much I was going to say to the last post, but that all seems pretty meek now.
I don't like the people shouting or laughing during the songs, when there is nothing to laugh at (like one live version of "will", I allways get the feeling they don't listen).
But I have something to admit: when you were here the last time, playing a concert where I live, I had to leave in the middle of "half jack", because my legs were hurting. And you don't like touring far away from home. I still feel guilty. It seemed you did not enjoy the concert much. I watched all you played. I love the way you sound live.
Even to me this sound rather crazy because I know you are playing in front of thousands of people and play so many live shows that you surely don't remember. But you care so much.
And so do I.
I care.
I may be crazy but I wanted to say sorry for such a long time.
Sorry.
I'll be happy to have more songs.
"glas slipper" is on "A is for accident".
oh I do hope you post while you are relaxing.
J
Ps: enjoy your time off.
Oh, Amanda.
I met you and Brian in the autograph line after the show in Tampa, and the entire way up, I kept repeating to myself, "Do NOT say anything lame, do NOT say anything stupid", and of course, the minute I get up there, it takes me all of fifteen seconds to blurt out "Youmightbethemostbeautifulgirlintheworldpleasedon'ttellmygirlfriend." (You may remember this, blue hair, bickering with the guy with me which I assure you is our affection in motion).
What did you do? Rolled right with it.
You have restored my faith in artists. I had begun to think that every musician was a self-righteous, self-important black hole of ego that did not want to be touched in any verbal human way. You didn't do that "Oh, thank you SOOO much" coo-ing thing that oozes of false sincerity that I've had so many other musicians pull on me. You acted, hokey as this may sound, like you already knew everyone in that line, myself included.
Every freaking musician on the planet should aspire to interact with their fans the way you and Brian do. He may have been quiet (flu-ridden, I assume), but he still smiled and seemed genuinely happy that we were all there. THAT is what I meant to say, not objectify you for the fact that you're so damned beautiful it's borderline stomach-turning. I swear, that's a compliment.
By the by, you two have knocked Flogging Molly out of my number one slot of best live acts ever, although Ani DiFranco is coming up on your heels in March. She is possibly the only artist I love more than your band, and that's debatable.
And thank you SO much for bringing Two Ton Boa into my life. I woke up singing "Bleeding Heart" the morning after the gig in a hotel in the middle of nowhere and haven't stopped since.
OH, and naturally, I forget the real point of that whole comment, which was...
The thing I meant to say to you at the table all along was, in case you weren't aware, Debbie Harry was on a Fuse program wearing a Dresden Dolls shirt a few months ago. Nearly choked on my tea in suprise/happiness.
All my love-
Brianne
Oh my goodness! I'm the "clever person" you refer to who filmed the "Fight For Your Right" performance at The Vic. I saw this morning that you had linked it up but I've been at a loss for words on how to say THANK YOU and I'm humbled that you even watched it. I really wish I could say that I had edited down to what you see on YouTube but that's really all I got of it (and really why would anyone want to cut short your performance? It was brilliant!) But...like some big dummy...I hadn't cleared off all the old pictures on my memory card so I kept running out of space. During the segments of the song I missed I was madly deleting everything that hadn't already been saved to my hard drive at home.
Like everyone else here I’m sorry to hear about the groping incident. Norfolk used to be my stomping grounds for a while and my husband and I have seen many shows at the Norva. It really is a neat, intimate little venue. I got to meet Shirley Manson and the rest of Garbage there which was just fantastic since Shirley is another one of my idols. I was really kind of bummed when I found out you guys would be playing there and I couldn’t go. I was fortunate to meet you guys once in Grand Rapids, MI back in ’06. I doubt you remember me but I had a custom made Dresden Dolls shirt (who didn’t) and you guys liked it.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/64048197@N00/189929447/in/photostream/
Anyhow hubby told me afterwards that I grabbed hold of Brian’s hand for just a little too long while I was saying how much I love your band and how great the show was (even though we drove 8 hours to see you and it turned out you were just the opening act and not the main act) but my point here is I know how easy it is to get carried away in the moment. But I do NOT condone T & A groping during a song or at any other time. It’s just uncalled for. I’m glad the girl apologized and I’m even happier to hear there are no hard feelings and sincerely hope it won’t be affecting your crowd wading tendencies. Like everyone else has mentioned here today, you guys have the most insane and intense interaction with your fans and it’s wonderful!
Can’t wait to see you guys again after your well deserved rest. And B-sides, A-sides, double flip over the old fogie sides...I don’t care what you call it, I just can’t wait to hear it!
:D
Iris
I'm strapping on the war helmet for this next one:
I think Conor Oberst is a fucking douchebag. Sorry, mates. But bring it. He seems pompous and his fans act like snobby pricks because of that. AND he treats his fans like shit.
I seem to base how much I can enjoy a band on knowing how they interact with their fan base, and how their fans act because of that. Not only towards the artist, but towards eachother.
Too many times with other bands, it seems, you have to fit some sort of mold. And until you DO fit into it, whatever it is, you're just some damn fan n00b that's fodder for the old school folks. That's fucking lame.
One of the first things I noticed about Dresden Dolls shows is that, not only are the audience members really, really nice people, but they're...HOLY SHIT DOING THEIR OWN THINGS. Wow. Yes, a lot of people like to dress like you or Brian but eventually, they mix their own touches into it, and start making their own little creations. And it's not just one type of group; it's not just some goth kids or some punks or whatever. Different people! It was refreshing to hang out with interesting people who are into the same things you're into but don't try to play some fucking popularity contest because of it.
Oh, bondage. Up yours. (Hey, it just came on. T'is fitting!)
I guess some fans mistake your openness about your sexuality as a bit of an invitation to...access certain VIP areas. Plus, I read that the girl was a bit intoxicated, so her judgment must not have been the keenest. Still though. Any chick with a pair of tits should realize how awkward that situation is. Drunk or not. I think the public humiliation might've learned her enough, though.
...
I don't profess my love for the band when they're performing. I'm more of the 'Woo!' variety at the end of a song.
...
So while there isn't necessarily anything mysterious about you, there's plenty to be interested in. There's a reason why so many people pay such close attention to this thing, you know.
Not enough to drive to stalking or attempted rape, I'd hope. Though I think you could probably fuck up a day or two. Just sayin'.
I heard that about Tori a while ago, I think. I'm still on the fence about her, though.
There's a DJ at my station who's big into Tori. On or around April Fool's, I'd like to take clips from her show and splice them together with sound clips of Maude from "The Big Lebowski" to see if anyone can detect a hint of difference in how they speak. Funny? I hope so.
...
That shirt is bad-ass.
I like EPs, personally.
B. B. King (during a concert circa 1989) to a fan who would not stop screaming that she loved him:
"I love you too. But I love you better when you're quiet."
At the Boston show, some girls who I believe where from NH by the way that when Brian asked if anyone was from NH they started going crazy where sitting right in front of me. Right when the first song was starting a very hyped fan of both yours and the Floyd song you where covering began to excitingly start throwing his long hair about and screaming in absolute delight, a usual sight at a Dresden Doll show. I noticed, while he was freaking out in his own excitement, that the girl in front of me started making hand gestures of "what the fuck" to her friend. Even from behind, I could tell by her head movements and such that she was being a dumb bitch about this. I wanted to so badly say soemthing to the effect of "Hello, your at a Dresden Dolls show. Get used to it" but she seemed like the kind to hold a grudge throughout the show, so I kept my mouth shut. Naturally, during the show, I noticed her singing along to Coin Op Boy.
It just made me really angry that his excitement put her off so much. Its something you dnt usually see a your shows and I did not like it. Although, she did later tell me she liked how loud I screamed, so that somewhat very slightly made up for it. I was almost afraid to scream with her infront of me too, worrying that shed get on her horse and start bitching about me too.
This comment really makes little to no sense with what your saying but I really wanted to share that moment of her wanting to suppress his freedom of enjoyment.
I think you should put out an album of songs, kinda like "A is for..." with all of the old hits. For your true fans who know you songs such as Kill, Bston, Gardner, Ultima, Mouse + Model, Glass Slipper, 30 Whacks, Kalendrina, etc. it would be so so so great! I guess being someone who knows and loves them so much it would be so fabulous to finally have them in my collection.
We have to wait until September for your solo!!! Can we have a taste??? U have been dying to hear Guitar Hero again. Waiting is excrutiating!
Just make sure to let us know when and how we can get these collections of rarities.
Have a nice 6 months off. If your home and ever find yourself over on Memorial Drive for some reason, stop into the Starbucks thats there where Strawberries used to be. You have a really rediculously dedicated fanboy/fellow artist who has your logo tattooed to his ankle and wrote a book around Delilah who would love to see you again working 40 hours a week. Hes also been teaching his self keyboard for two years thanks to you and now his a redicuous concept album based off of the poetry in his book based off of Delilah in the works.
Thats if you can even deal with the fact that it's a corp based coffee comp. Naturally, if he's here, anything you want would be on the house.
Hope to see you there sometime :)
Oh, I forgot!
I am trying to get into art school a the SMFA. I wrote an essay about what my life has been like over the past years and how art saves me. I talk about the Dresden Dolls and there insperation in it. Hope thats okay.
If you got a second, its at http://bdan32.blogsot.com I would LOVE to here what you think of the essay and the philosophy behind it if you would like to read it.
:)
I think the fact you're unable to create any sort of persona other than you is amazing, endearing and...dare I say it? Loveable.
It's an awful risk putting yourself out there like you do. But it speaks volumes of your integrity as an artist and I thank you for that. Patiently awaiting your coming tracks, I congratulate you on completing your tour and wish you the best in your peaceful times at home. Gather yourself in girl and you will exhale new music.
Amanda, for the record, I want that arm photo I took at the Norva to be the new album cover for I Was Young. :)
1) Great shots of you and Brian hugging and of the whole crew.
2) A quick response to bdan about "suppressing the freedom of enjoyment of fellow fans": I haven't been to a Dolls show yet (damn my luck - I found out about the Dolls and instantly fell in love with them exactly one week after they played my town 18 months ago). So I can't really compare this to any of the other numerous gigs I went to in the last couple of years. But I certainly can understand the way the girl felt. I've been to quite a number of shows where fans were yelling and screaming because they seemed to like the music and the show (or the artis in general) so much. But quite often they forget about their fellow people in the audience. To me, they often (often - not always!) come off as very self-centered and just out there for their own enjoyment, ignoring the other people in the audience who may have a "quieter" connection with the music. And they can "suppress the enjoyment" of quite a number of fans who want to listen to the music. That doesn't mean they want to stand still and not make a peep but are still mostly concentrated on the music and the moment. At times I was seriously pissed off at fans who thought it would be cool to yell during slow songs, swing around wildly without any thought of their fellow music lovers or scream reqeusts at the top of their lungs (especially during quiet songs).
But maybe that's just me. Quite often I actually feel very alone with that view.
I never quite expected to get my question answered so, but cool. Your shows are incredible, and I get the whole fervor of getting into the music and the atmosphere and the club of freakishness vibe you craft. It's not just easy to get caught up in, it's inviting. There was just one asshole--I mean, isn't there always one asshole?--who was so busy screaming her love that she was infringing on everyone around her's enjoyment. And that's no good.
I hope you enjoy regrouping. And release the music however you want--it's going to get snatched up either way, methinks.
Also--thank you. For your Art. For the songs that fill voids, for your words that touch souls. Just...thanks. It's not often you get to say that to someone who creates something that makes your world feel like a better and more beautiful place. And so, I suppose, thank you for that, as well.
To Mike: I understand all that, being one who doesnt go completely hay wild the majority of the time (actually cant stand a lot of shananigans people do), but the way the encounter happened had was he was quietly being strange in his wn world I she was prosecuting him for that to her friend. Sorry if I told the story a little off.
Steph said: "Also--thank you. For your Art. For the songs that fill voids, for your words that touch souls. Just...thanks. It's not often you get to say that to someone who creates something that makes your world feel like a better and more beautiful place. And so, I suppose, thank you for that, as well."
I say: Amen to that sister! :)
I am sorry that you had you experience the whole ass-grabbing bit at your last show. I know that it really did affect you. I mean how could it not? It was even shocking to be in the audience when I noticed a third hand creep up onto the rail. I was hoping that it was a friend of yours and when I found out otherwise, I was kinda let down. Oh well, she apologized and you were encountered with another life experience.
Besides that, the Norva show was fan-fucking-tastic! You guys need to rock out with your crew more often! I mean the rock was so strong that the fire alarm went off. It just couldn't handle the pure heat of the power of rock. Rad. It was just amazing to see you in Virginia. You gave a very emotional performance especially during half-jack. I hadn't heard that live for a while and it was the most moving performance of the evening.
I felt that it was really wonderful that you gave us the whole story to the sheep song. I personally always like it when an artist explains their work. I mean it doesn't change your interpretation of the piece and what it means to you. It is just wonderful to hear the history of the work and, I feel, that it gives it more meaning.
Goddamn I love you guys live.
I don't know anything about what method is best to put out the music. I know that I would not like them to be just put out online because I love the work that you always do with the album packaging. A new whole album might be nice but two EPs could come up with more incredible art instead of just the one big release. I am not a good person for advice on this so maybe it is just best that I shut up.
I just really can't wait to have studio recording of The Kill, Boston, and Gardener cause goddamn it those aren't some of my favorite live songs. Especially Boston. It makes me feel better when missing MA.
Had a dream last night that, during the summer, you played a show in P-town. Do it. Or at least pop down for carnival.
I've got a book recommendation for you, if you haven't already - check out The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall.
Is awesome... inventive... plays with concepts, realities and communication. I haven't read anything like it for a long time.
I don't think I come off as stalkerish. Er, I hope not, anyway. I tend to go to the concerts of artists that are what I like to call "serially affectionate", where the artists make an effort, even when they're not performing and are just, ya know, living, to make connections with their fans, like you do here on the blog. My other favorite band, Girlyman, also blogs periodically, and one of the members also just created a Podcast part of his personal website, which is very cool, I think.
I am always amazed that you are able to take all of this stress that you undoubtedly accumulate as a performing and recording musician and make it into something generally constructive. I hope that I can use you as an example and try to make my way of thinking and dealing with shit more like yours.
A+B
thank you for existing.
you have helped me more than you can ever know.
we talked a lot on this tour about how wonderful these last years have been despite the hardships.
our community, our slowly built land of punks, thespians, nerds, jocks, geeks, moms, kids, queers and whatever else you can imagine is a testament to the worthwhileness of all of it.
to see all these people actually in a room together, rocking out, getting it, loving each other, loving the experience.
you can't buy that in a store, you cannot download it from the internet, you cannot feel it unless you are there.
it's simple, it's REAL, and it's why live music will never die, ever.
*wipes proud tear from eye*
This is what it's all about baby. I was there at the NORVA with my sister, a mom of two who's also a proud geek, nerd, and freak. It was so great to experience that show with her. Keep doing what you're doing kids, and we'll keep spreading the love.
BTW...your mom keeps spreading the love! ;)
--possible offensive content--
For the record, I would grab you, if given permission.
I don't love you for your art, baby *winks*
--/end creepiness--
Oh dear. How many times have I met you and/or brian, and I still get very excited. I probably act really stupid in front of you guys, and sometimes that tends to leave me blushing when I think about the aftermath...
but it sort of makes me feel better that I was no ass-tit-body-part-grabber.
You're not mysterious and yet you are. It's so hard to explain. I think it's because you're a normal human being, but WAIT you're also semi-famous and have a shit load of fans. This is not so normal and like the rest of us...
I would say this has a lot to do with your look as a self-confident woman and all the smart-know-hows of your job. It's all relative, and I'm glad I can experience some things in life through you.
snipping in to say: yes - Tori Amos was kidnapped and assaulted by a fan many many years ago; glad you've found a way to deal with that kind of thing. I'd think most fans of the Dolls would be pretty decent people, considering they must have some level of awareness to appreciate your songs. intelligent people are less likely to be berks.
(P.S. speaking of Tori Amos, I think I remember reading about your somewhat disappointed reaction towards her live stuff? may I recommend you youtube her performances "Sessions @ West 54th" in 1998? she goes off on Trent Reznor a bit... ;))
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