The Dresden Dolls [rank: 257] based on users subscribed

"The Dresden Dolls are a popular music duo from Boston, Massachusetts, formed mid-2001 and made up of singer/pianist/songwriter Amanda Palmer and drummer/occasional guitarist/vocalist Brian Viglione. They describe their style as 'Brechtian punk cabaret', and have exposed an underground dark cabaret movement that started gaining momentum in the early 90's with artists like Salon Betty and Gavin Friday. The duo formed shortly after Brian Viglione witnessed Amanda Palmer performing a solo at a Halloween party. Their live performances soon gained them a cult following. During these performances the two band members often wear dramatic make-up and fancy clothing which push their cabaret/theater aesthetic. They encourage fans to become involved at their shows, with the fan' own performance art, varying from stilt walking, living statues, fire breathers, et al. The Dirty Business Brigade coordinates the fan's performances. The duo has secured a loyal fanbase.

The name, according to Palmer, was 'inspired by a combination of things', including the firebombing of Dresden, Germany and the porcelain dolls which were a hallmark of pre-war Dresden industry; an early song of the same name by The Fall; and a reference to the V.C. Andrews novel Flowers in the Attic where the classically blond and blue-eyed protagonists are called 'the Dresden dolls.' The name also evokes Weimar Germany and its cabaret culture. Additionally, she 'liked the parallel between Dresden (destruction) and Dolls (innocence, delicacy), because it is very much in keeping with the dynamics of the music, which sometimes goes from a childlike whisper to a banshee scream within a few seconds.'"

[reproduced or excerpted from the Wikipedia article "The Dresden Dolls" and its use is thus licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License]

Bandega Interview with Amanda Palmer of The Dresden Dolls (December 2007)

Beware the snake and scissors-wielding chick.

Q: How have your shows changed over the years? Has your perspective on performing live changed?
A: Our shows have actually remained very true to a formula over the years. We have no stage budget, very little stage dressing, and simple lighting. We've never added any production to our shows. But we play hard, and we rely on the local talent and local artists and friends to bring extra color to the stage. I think we've gotten more and more comfortable over the years. When you're playing 200 shows a year, it doesn't matter as much if you fuck up.

Q: Describe the most memorable live show you've played.
A: Hmmmmmmmmm. It's hard to say. Shows really do tend to blur together. I remember trying to play a show with a huge fever and a really, really stuffy nose one Fall a few years ago. I was full of Sudafed and barely remember what happened, but there you are in front of a few thousand people just trying to entertain them. In situations like that it's best to just tell them what's going on, get everybody on your side, and hope for the best. It was actually a fantastic show.

Q: What venue do you consider to be your "home", where you feel most comfortable, with the crowd and the place itself?
A: I feel pretty at home at the venues where we keep returning and where the staff knows us by name. As far as our fans our concerned, they tend to make us feel at home almost everywhere. But especially in the UK, in the States, and in Australia. When we're in certain countries on the continent in Europe I feel like we still really need to try to prove ourselves.

Q: Describe the most enjoyable show you've ever experienced as a fan.
A: The most sublime experiences I've had have definitely been watching The Legendary Pink Dots, my favorite band of many years. The first time I saw them in a club in Boston I was probably 16 or 17 and remember feeling like I was completely whole. I also had a sublime experience of huge proportions when I saw The Cure on the Disintigration tour in 1989. They played the first few notes of "Plainsong" at the start of the show and I felt my entire body melt.

Q: You have been known to encourage fan participation at shows. Describe an occasion on which this has gotten out of hand (in other words, what's the craziest shit audience members have pulled?).
A: Oh boy. We did a show in LA once and this one scissors-wielding chick rushed the stage with a bead-stuffed snake and splattered the shit all over the stage. Brian had to throw her off stage back into the crowd, scissors and all. Thank God nobody got sliced. That one was a bit freaky. Our fans are usually incredibly civilized.

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