London’s Roundhouse was reknowned for hosting the wild antics of The Stones, The Who, The Doors and all forms of naked performance art and avant-theatre in the 1960’s and 70’s, but closed its doors in the early 80’s. In 2006 it re-opened as a venue and The Dresden Dolls show was recorded November 3rd & 4th.

It was a scene to behold: the cafe was covered in prints that Nick shot during illegal urban explorations of squats in Berlin, there was a bunch of half-naked Australians lurking out in the freezing cold practicing an esoteric Japanese dance form, a makeshift gypsy band hidden under the concrete stairwell, an aerialist from Montréal hanging above a pair of drunken secretaries from L.A., a beat-boxing New Yorker looping himself infinitely, a pair of British buskers with mohawks beating wildly on household objects, a collection of puppeteered Barbie dolls lip-synching to “Ace of Spades”, a roving confessional booth and a magnetic
science experiment using My Little Ponies. Oh, and then The Dolls beat the living daylights out of a piano and a drum-set while everyone sang along.

Consisting of songwriter Amanda Palmer on vocals and piano, and Brian Viglione on drums and guitar, The Dresden Dolls' authentic story-songs offer listeners the bruised intimacy of a torch singer, yet with all the fury and grit of pure rock. Palmer's thunderous and shimmering piano style continues to impress while Viglione's drumming is sophisticated yet primal, providing in turns a delicate cradle of rhythm and a piercing bed of nails onto which Palmer lays her raw, tragically comical lyrics.

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