Fuck The Rock And Roll Circus - This Is The Punk Cabaret

The Dresden Dolls have taken over the Roundhouse and sprinkled their cabaret glitter over it, growing joy and delight from barren concrete. Walking into the Roundhouse to be greeted by stilt-people blowing bubbles over the punters, ballerinas twirling and menacing ringmasters prowling. No dancing bears but various camera-men were filming the 'happening'.

The 'Main Space' includes two stages (one large, one small) plus a small cinema showing arty short films in between acts on the other stages with Margaret Cho MC-ing. There were half a dozen acts doing short sets including The Red Paintings singing and painting punters on stage, Baby Dee with the wildest corkscrew hair and a harp and Zen Zen Zo, a performance art troupe from Oz on the small stage doing dance, mime and song. Margaret did an interesting strip act before the Dresdens appeared, revealing a realistic flaccid willy and pendulous bollocks which she proclaimed as being a grower rather than a shower.

And then they appeared in all their magnificence. Amanda's piano was naked of the flowers that traditionally decorate the front but instead it was a mini-stable for her toy horses and ponies that featured in the video with Panic! at the Disco. And she was wearing her 'The Who maximum R&B' tee shirt. Brian soon took his shirt off but was well bowlered. Every now and then some of the performance artists joined them on stage for particular songs, such as two pregnant men illustrating 'Mandy Goes To Med School' (about abortion) by hammering away at each other's bump. An acrobat appeared during one song to dangle above the stage while the Dolls did their thing down below. It kept us all guessing what might happen next.

They played everything you could possibly want them to, opening with 'Sex Changes' and then working their way through all our favourites. It's easier to note what they didn't play, particularly 'Good Day', 'Amsterdam' and 'War Pigs'. Highlights for me were 'Mrs O', 'Girl Anachronism', 'The Jeep Song', 'Backstabber', 'Lonesome Organist', 'My Alcoholic Friends' (luckily I was wearing a belt) and the glorious 'Sing'. They closed the set with 'Sing', during which the performance artistes all went on stage to reflect the crowd scene in the video as well as share in the applause.

Then back they came for an enchore that included a stonking version of 'Mad World' with the singer from The Red Paintings. They also did an excellent version of 'Mein Herr' from 'Cabaret' with Amanda wearing very little and Brian on guitar. They played for about 2 hours (I think, I wasn't clock watching) and looked like they enjoyed every minute of it. I certainly did.

I have been in the presence of greatness, joy and beauty. And I'm going back for more tomorrow! More photos are here.

PUNK CABARET IS FREEDOM!