The Dresden Dolls, The BedroomPhilosopher @ The Tivoli,Brisbane (05/01/2012)

Mon 9th Jan, 2012 in Gig Reviews

It’s easy to buy into the ill-conceived notion that the music of the 2000’s lacks creativity. Anybody seeking reassurance needn’t look further than Amanda Palmer, the sweet, witty and undeniably eccentric lead singer of American duo The Dresden Dolls, whose charming blend of cabaret and punk rock drew a ravenous crowd to Brisbane’s Tivoli Theatre tonight.

Palmer and drummer Brian Viglione appear on stage to introduce all three support acts, immediately setting the tone for the evening. With every appearance they’re greeted with an overwhelming response, each person in attendance glowing with adoration at the mere sight of Palmer in her kimono.

First up is The Jane Austen Club Argument, a young indie cabaret act out of Melbourne featuring the equally adorable Tom Dickins and Jen Kingwell. The pair come together like magic, his ominous voice perfectly intertwined with her soft piano and darkly tinged angelic vocals. Their set shows a real flair for performance that captures the audience’s attention in a way not all opening acts can boast about.

There’s not much to say about Briefs, the all-male Brisbane burlesque comedy group that Palmer convinced to make an appearance, except that placing the right amount of tinsel on that particular body part must take a lot of practise. Let your imagination wander.

Melbourne based funny man The Bedroom Philosopher might try to convince us that he’s not used to playing to such large crowds, but his strong collection of dorky comedy tunes leads me to think otherwise. His set contains many highlights, but it’s hard to go past the beloved 2010 hipster sendup Northcote (So Hungover) which he performs by replacing the lyrics with the song’s most colourful youtube comments, read aloud in that oh-so-ironic inner-city Melbourne hipster accent (the 86 is SO mainstream now).

Having not released any new material since 2008’s No, Virginia …, or toured Australia together since 2006, fans have turned up tonight not really knowing what to expect from the main event. Despite the uncertainty, the band is welcomed with nothing but sheer, bursting joy when they finally start playing, kicking things off with a dreamy cover of T-Rex’s Cosmic Dancer. Palmer then strips down to her bra and takes to her piano, Viglione settles himself behind the drum kit, and The Dresden Dolls come to life.

Punk ridden burlesque jam Sex Changes makes an early appearance, sending the crowd into absolute chaos (and, it should be noted, interpretive dance) before Palmer announces that tonight’s set list will consist mostly of older, seldom played songs for the fans who have stuck by them throughout their career. It’s no wonder they’re still here, Palmer’s song writing is sharp as nails, showing off her darkest and most entertaining thoughts. Lonesome Organist Rapes Page Turner and Bad Habit are greeted with equally deafening sing-a-longs, though it’s undoubtedly the wonderfully weird Coin-Operated Boy that truly delivers.

The Dresden Dolls mess with so many genres it’s hard to pin them down, an amazing accomplishment considering they’re working with a drum kit, a keyboard and an occasional acoustic guitar. Punk and theatrical rock are both clear influences on their sound; Palmer’s hands fly across her keyboard faster than an Eddie Van Halen guitar solo as she keeps time with Viglione, who’s oozing as much charm as he is sweat as he hammers away on those poor, defenseless drums.

Palmer unsurprisingly ignites the imagination of everyone in the room with her understated, yet somehow still incredibly powerful stage presence. If she’d been around in the 1970’s, she probably would have befriended Joan Jett, collaborated with Lydia Lunch and today be heralded as Lady Gaga’s principle influence. She slays the crowd with her haunting ballad Botson, as well as her take on Nick Cave classic The Mercy Seat. It’s inviting to fantasize about what this band could do if they had all the money in the world to pour into their show, but dazzling props, costumes and back up dancers would do little to distract from the chemistry the pair share on stage.

It’s a chemistry that the band happily shares with their fans. Tonight’s highlight has to be their take on Beastie Boy’s Fight For Your Right, for which Palmer and Viglione switch places and Steve, a fan they found on twitter, takes centre stage to play bass. The crowd spends the rest of the evening chanting his name, desperate for a Steve encore. By the end of the night, it’s obvious the fans are The Dresden Dolls’ ubiquitous third member.