Klavs.net - Amanda Palmer - Concorde 2, Brighton - England - Live - 2011-09-01 [concert review] [Rating: 6/6]

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KP says:

Amanda Palmer - Concorde 2, Brighton - England - Live - 2011-09-01

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Updated:

2011-10-08 16:37:26

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concert review

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Amanda Palmer - Concorde 2, Brighton - England - Live - 2011-09-01 (concert review)

...walking along the Brighton seaside until you meet the Brighton Pier - and then shortly after to your left the Concorde 2, looking mighty fine on a sunny afternoon.

No problems pressing an ear against the window to hear the soundcheck nor to buy a beer at a nearby beach café, since the Concorders weren't that skilled in profit maximization: Rock fans + Beer = Money. Well, Amanda had placed/hired/found/hidden/thrown a couple of musicians outside the venue. I never figured out if they actually played music or if they just drank beer. If the latter is the case, then I want to be hired next time! (actually I think they did play for the late arrivers...)

We were let in after being waiting for what felt like 2 beers, but could have been a lifetime, had we not all been abducted by horny aliens and sent back to play the ukulele in a siamese twin band, which happens all the time in Brighton. The girls - no no, not the Evelyn Evelyn sisters unfortunately, unless they came out of Wales - the girls that I met outside the venue I mean, had kept me entertained after the alien abduction. We had a good chat about everything siamese twins and everything Amanda.

I had to leave my best friend/employee outside, the Komodo Dragon special agent: Judge Fido. Just one bite...a bit of infected spit...and your rottening corpse will piss away slowly... Think about that deer/dear...

Once inside, I started figuring out how to get the best near-by-stage position for my camera and beer support. The Concorde 2 is a very small venue (500+ ?), and Amanda Palmer obviously loves it (she talked a lot about this being one of her favourite cities/venues ever.) She was on fire and so was her brand new band. If it all didn't work out totally perfect, the audience and the intimate venue did well enough to glue it all together! To be honest, if I ever get a chance to see a great band again at the C2, then I am ready! Excellent venue/sound/audience! Fuck off, London - compared to Brighton!! Seriously!!

The support acts were Super Kate (dancer) and Bitter Ruin (vocal, piano.)

Amanda Palmer (out of the infamous and this-earth-not-worthy-for The Dresden Dolls) was on fire here. She switched between piano, ukulele and/or vocal as her songs or the audience or the other bandmembers/guests demanded. Her two man band did a lot of weird shit too, switching between drums, bass, guitar, keyboards, ukulele... Una on the violin was a really great addition, especially on the wonderful songs from the "Who Killed Amanda Palmer?" album.

...I am not sure if this really happened, but I think at one point a mad scientist jumped up on stage and constructed a beautiful human centipede. What I do know happened is that "Bitter Ruin" came back on stage with Ben playing the Piano instead of Amanda. Amanda and Georgia went "psycho" vocally and Chad and Michael swapped drums and bass. A challenging band to be in or to watch. It rocked in all formations. "Delilah" performed and sung this way is an awesome experience. They repeated it the day after in London, and since their rendition in Brighton was unbelievably cool, it only makes it even greater that they even managed to top it - if only slightly - in London. Georgia has a fantastic voice. Now, if only she sang Amanda's wonderful songs all the time. A duet sublime. I kinda sorta dropped my jaw there. :)

Amanda performed 3 new songs (which I can't share on video though, because Amanda demanded they must be kept secret.) She also played a few cover songs. The setlist was very "happy" and designed for a party. We got Dresden Dolls songs and we got songs from "Who killed Amanda Palmer?" (I did.) She also played some ukulele songs from her "Down Under" and "Radiohead" albums.

I even got to request and hear "Mrs. O". A Dresden Dolls song penned by Mrs. Palmer. It is one of my all time favourite songs! That she played in on demand, will forever be a concert highlight for me. Fortunately I got the chance to thank her at the signing session after the show. It was NOT possible to get a KP with Amanda photo, but she signed my Evelyn Evelyn + Ukulele cd (the entire band did), and happy I was.

...at this very moment, two gigant security dudes out of Villy Sleep Valley's KGB grabs KP and throws him in the back of a big red communist BMW. Driving fast for many hours, most of them on bumpy roads, KP gets very bored and he bites off half of his own body to escape. He hammers thru the roof and then slides down between the two persons in the car, to start a little chat. Funnily enuff one of them is now sitting some 500 meters behind, having been thrown out the roof and now being eaten by Motörway Piranhas and people from the North Korean Motörway cleaning company. The other one is being taped to the seat, bound to become a slave forced to listen to "awesome" stuff written by Hanne-Vibeke Holst for all eternity. Day in Day out. 24 hours a day. The toughest punishment imaginable.

Ahemm, I've also written about the London gig at "Heaven", but I already warn you: Brighton wins everytime. Every fucking time.

The Musicians:
Amanda Palmer - voice/keyboards/ukulele

The Grand Theft Orchestra:
Chad - bass/guitar/keyboards/drums
Michael - drums/ukulele/bass

Una Palliser - violin

Support:
Super Kate - dancer
Bitter Ruin (Ben and Georgia)

Setlist:
Astronaut, Girl Anachronism, Missed Me, Idioteque (Radiohead cover), Gravity, Guitar Hero, Warrior Within (video game theme), Delilah (with Bitter Ruin), dance warm-up, Deceptacon (Le Tigre cover), Want It Back (new song), Lost (new song), Olly Olly Oxen Free (new song), Never Tear Us Apart (INXS cover), Runs in the Family, Oasis / Twist and Shout (The Isley Brothers cover).

Encore:
Map of Tasmania, In My Mind, Mrs. O, Leeds United.

My videos: (yes, I've got the new songs as well, but Amanda did not want them online, and so be it. It's her songs!)

Astronaut:

Girl Anachronism:

Guitar Hero:

Warrior Within (Commodore video game theme):

Delilah (with Bitter Ruin):

Deceptacon (Le Tigre cover):

In My Mind:

Mrs. O (requested by yours truly, thanks again Amanda):