Amanda Palmer / Melissa Auf der Maur / Robots in Disguise / Bitter Ruin

The volcanic ash is a recurring theme tonight and is actually responsible for scuppering the first few dates on this Evelyn Evelyn tour. The idea was to review them this evening but one half of the mysterious "conjoined twins" is missing – Jason Webley is stuck in the USA. His "sister" Amanda Palmer has made it here and intends to put on a riot of a show anyhow. So Evelyn Evelyn has mutated into an Amanda Palmer solo show with a couple of special guests helping her out – Robots in Disguise who are based in London, and Melissa Auf der Maur, another ash victim, who, happily for us, is stuck in the capital when she should be in North America.



The first support act is Bitter Ruin, a male/female alt-folk duo from Brighton, who play a short but bittersweet set with beautiful vocals from both and some Spanish-style guitar playing to accompany the dramatic songs. Palmer mentions later that she's not seen a support band shift as many CDs from the merch stall since Regina Spektor toured with her. I missed their introduction by Palmer who rushes on stage in various degrees of getting dressed to introduce each act. She's in her bra and trousers by the time it gets to the next support act.



Robots in Disguise seem an unlikely acoustic punk trio, with Dee Plume and Sue Denim in matching blue outfits, and a third female on percussion, but it sounds great. They only play five songs and cheekily repeat the first one 'Wake Up!' at the end as it's their current single. The songs sandwiched in the middle are 'Chains', 'Girl' and 'Turn It Up'.



Next up, ex-bassist for The Smashing Pumpkins and Hole Melissa Auf der Maur, plays a rocking acoustic set with her band and some borrowed equipment. They made it from Finland to London over land in five days so that they could play at the Jazz Café last night where Palmer guested with them.



Amanda Palmer is on stage quickly after their set and, indeed, it seems it's difficult to keep her off the stage – she exudes masses of enthusiasm for her music, as well as her friends' music, and for interaction with the audience. She stands to pound the keys and sings, in her powerful voice, a mixture of her former band Dresden Doll's material, her solo stuff and a few Evelyn Evelyn numbers. Through the magic of technology, her “twin”, Jason Webley, is projected on to the screen at the back of the stage, ostensibly a video clip taped mid-flight. They play two Evelyn Evelyn songs, the first 'You Only Want Me, 'Cause You Want My Sister' with Webley on guitar, and the second 'Elephant Elephant' with Webley playing accordion. It works beautifully, much to the audience's delight, and the spectacle, as well as the lyrics cause lots of laughter.



Palmer takes requests and plays some crowd favourites, including 'Leeds United' and 'Coin Operated Boy', and a song that had been created especially for the Dublin gig the other night called 'Fuck the Ash Cloud', which Bitter Ruin help her out on, as well as a brand new song which she's made available for download on her website - she's celebrating the fact that she's been released from her recording contract. A high proportion of the crowd are carrying ukuleles and Palmer borrows one from a lady who is invited to stay on stage for the song - a lovely, quiet cover of a Radiohead's, 'Fake Plastic Trees'. Other highlights are when Georgia from Bitter Ruin returns to sing an entrancing duet of 'Delilah' and, for the first encore, Auf der Maur plays bass on a cover of Jane's Addiction's 'I Would For You'.

The audience are reluctant to let Palmer go and she returns to sing the popular 'Girl Anachronism'. The show finishes with some crowd surfing by Palmer and a crowd karaoke singalong of the Sex Pistols' 'Anarchy in the UK', in honour of Malcolm McLaren, whose funeral cortege Palmer had watched pass through Camden earlier today.



Tonight has been one of those unexpected, spontaneous evenings where everyone involved has been winging it a bit, which gives the show a unique energy. Webley is due to appear for the rest of the Evelyn Evelyn tour now which includes three sold out dates at Bush Hall over the next three nights. The original intended Evelyn Evelyn review will follow shortly!

FUTURE GIGS

sorry, we currently have no gigs listed for this act.