Live Review: Amanda Fucking Palmer @ Heaven, 2 September

*****

Amanda Fucking Palmer, former frontwoman of The Dresden Dolls, has long been hailed the Queen of Punk Cabaret. Her songs strike a chord with the wallowing teenager in us all, harnessing the angst of punk rock within a bold and often theatrical framework.

Recently though, it struck me that perhaps the “Punk” in Amanda’s title had gradually been effaced. She announced a string of “rock shows”, but I wasn’t convinced that the dates would fit such a description. Her last two solo releases comprised mostly stripped-down covers and sensitive ditties, while her most recent London gigs had seen her perform with just keys and the humble ukulele. Although raw and emotionally charged, these renditions could never recreate the richness of her epic debut, Who Killed Amanda Palmer. Moreover, hits from The Dresden Dolls’ back-catalogue were always missing the rolling drums and crashing cymbals that gave them their brash intensity.

Shortly, I discovered that Amanda was touring with a backing band known as The Grand Theft Orchestra. This line-up finally offered the potential for well-loved numbers to be fully realised, but the possessive fangirl in me was apprehensive about the change. As the set was laid out, with the keyboard to one side rather than centre-stage, it was instantly clear that this would not be “The Amanda Show” we were all accustomed to. But from the opening, slammed staccato chords of ‘Astronaut’, bolstered by electric guitar, violin and drums, it was unequivocally confirmed: change is good.

To the screaming crowd’s delight, the band drops sharply into ‘Girl Anachronism’ – a frenzied favourite from The Dresden Dolls’ eponymous debut. As on the album, this leads seamlessly into ‘Missed Me’ – a deliciously twisted tale that subverts the power relations between a vulnerable girl and her perverse suitor. The band comically exaggerates the lumbering melody. They toy with its tempo, setting traps with pregnant pauses that trick the audience into singing along too soon. Amanda wildly alternates between a vicious growl and a tender coo: “Hope you’re happy in the county penitentiary. It serves you right for kissing little girls – but I’ll visit, if you miss me!” Una Palliser embellishes the tune with a fiery violin solo, almost calling to mind ‘El Tango de Roxanne’ from Moulin Rouge.

Later in the set, Amanda breaks into ‘Oasis’ – a catchy yet controversial pop number which interrogates our attitudes towards date rape and abortion. As the crowd dance and chirp along, knowing every vulgar word off by heart, it becomes quite clear that this venue is the closest any of us will get to Heaven… Halfway through, the song unexpectedly morphs into ‘Twist and Shout’ – a phenomenal mash-up lapped up by giddy, shape-throwing fans.

In a ‘game of extreme musical chairs’, Amanda Palmer welcomes Bitter Ruin to the stage – an unsigned, Brighton-based duo who floored the audience with their supporting set earlier in the evening. Ben Richards takes Amanda’s place at the keyboard, while Georgia Train joins her centre-stage for a superbly credible and poignant rendition of ‘Delilah’. Wild-eyed, Amanda clutches Georgia by the hair as she belts her cautionary words at close-range: “If you take him back, you get what you deserve.” In delicate soprano tones that counter her husky vocals, Georgia echoes the looping refrain like a soft yodel.

This is the first of a whole box full of tricks up Amanda’s sleeve. The Jane Austen Argument are next in a long line of special guests, clutching pink roses as they perform an exquisite cover of Regina Spektor’s ‘The Flowers’. Unquestionably though, the biggest surprise of the evening comes in the shape of Aussie jester Tim Minchin, who bewitches the swaying crowd with his unorthodox love ballad, ‘You Grew On Me (Like a Tumour)’.

Complete with a brass section perched in the balconies, the anthemic ‘Leeds United’ brings the evening to its explosive finale. Fans chatter excitedly as they filter out of the sweltering venue, and the verdict is unanimous: “This is the best we’ve seen Amanda in years.” It isn’t that she necessarily needed the frills of tonight’s show: a bellydancer, a band and a truckload of celebrity pals. There’s a good reason that the same faces have reappeared at her more modest shows over the years. The difference is that tonight, Amanda switched gears and hosted a party rather than a gig. Dancing through the enamoured crowd to the synth-heavy beats of her latest material, she prised the life out of fans who may have taken themselves too seriously in the past. Inhibitions fell to the wayside, and in the true spirit of Punk Cabaret, the rock show ensued – long live the Queen!