Still listening and watching surprise guest Kim “Vermillion” Boekbinder [link broken, 2016-03-10] opening the set, there was another sound that made people turn their heads by 100°.

It’s been surely bizarre: Imagine the almost naked architecture of an industrial building’s hall from 75 years ago, and a vaudeville figurine in lingerie playing her ukulele right below the ceiling up on an open stair.

With a quiet yet growing voice she started. No mic at all. Not that she was in need of one.

“I’m a creep… I’m a weirdo…”

This has to be the most haunting and emotional interpretation of Radiohead’s “Creep” I ever heard. While playing, singing, and feeling the song Amanda slowly climbed downstairs with the grace of walking on a huge show stairway and went over to the stage.
Throughout the evening it was just her and the e-piano (borrowed as always) – occasionally, with support from Kim on guitar. I rarely saw anybody expressing emotions that pure & powerful and directly at a piano. She outdid Tori.

There’s no pretending. She’s true to her herself. And to her fans. That’s what leaves all of us in awe – fans as well as people coming by to enjoy a concert.

Right in the middle of her set, Amanda Palmer introduced her book “Who Killed Amanda Palmer?” with a gesture that let’s you forget about marketing. She handed the book – that she borrowed by a fan – to Neil Gaiman. He read a short story he wrote himself. Gaiman, script author and producer of “Beowulf” and “Stardust” as well as a legend in comic writing and collaborator of Tori Amos. It wasn’t a real surprise appearance since both, Amanda and Neil twittered about it. Even more special than having Neil Gaiman at this event at all was Amanda’s reaction during the reading.

As Dori Doreau, another German blogger put it: “you could almost hear her purr” [access protected, 2016-03-11].

Yes, she’s a weirdo. A bizarre exception in music (term “business” intentionally omitted). You want to get to know the real Amanda Palmer? Read her blog, speak to her after one of her concerts. She’s weird because she’s for real. The session on DIY marketing at all2gethernow earlier on had been even more proof to this (the video to that will soon be online – watch out this place for an update).

If you are more into setlists… unfortunately, besides “Creep” it’s only “Missed Me” I remember and – “Eisbär”. Yes, the 80s German new wave classic by Grauzone, written by Martin & Stephan Eicher. Brilliant.

While still writing, I just found the non-sorted set list on Dori’s blog [access protected, 2016-03-11] as posted by Konsumkind [link broken, 2016-03-10]: Creep, Sex Changes, Runs in the Family, Missed Me, Oasis, Mrs O., Eisbär, Coin-Operated Boy, Astronaut und Ampersand, und Such Great Heights (The Postal Service) plus two songs by Kim “Vermillion” Boekbinder in the beginning.

Needless to say, I ordered Amanda’s solo release when I arrived right back at home. But, I also added her new DVD, plus all Dresden Dolls’ albums. And I took the time to order it at her site to at least avoid the middle men’s margin.

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