News location:

Canberra Today 14°/16° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Amanda Palmer plays Carillon

International punk cabaret queen Amanda Palmer took to the streets of Canberra yesterday evening with local anarchist bicycle collective the Rat Patrol and a crowd of adoring fans, riding from Lyneham to the Carillon at Lake Burley Griffin to stage a “ninja gig”.

Palmer, famous for her free impromptu performances in cities around the world, put on a memorable show with 150 odd spectators cramming into the tiny space below the British bell tower on Aspen Island as an electrical storm hit the capital about 8pm.

Before the clouds gave way to pour, circus tunes chimed from the Carillon as a motley mob of young picnicers with hula hoops, cupcakes,  giant bikes with flags and bottles of beer gathered on the lawn, black sky and lightning bolts rolling in across the lake.

Beginning proceedings with a Carillon rendition of her hit “Coin Operated Boy”, Palmer broke into support act Mr Fibby’s set, causing local carnies to cry out in mock rage.

But you can’t really get mad when Amanda F*cking Palmer interrupts your show playing a bell tower.

When the storm struck and the kids moved into the Carillon, Palmer stood on Fibby’s piano stool and played an all sorted mix of songs from her latest album, “Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under”, the promotion of which she’d been in town to do the previous night at the National Art Gallery.

Plucking away at her ukulele as the storm raged around the tower, flashes of lightning and gale force winds pounding on the walls, drenching the hipster congregation, Palmer led a loud and boisterous “Happy Birthday” for a 21-year-old fan who’d requested a song at the Gallery show.

“If lightning hits this tower, the Liberals will win the next election,” a skinny-jeaned groupie quipped.

The former Dresden Dolls singer was forced to wrap things up fast thanks to the weather, leaving centre stage Carillon to Mr Fibby, who’s performance begs the question: Why do cabaret artists always have such dreadful fake Eastern European accents?

Amanda Palmer is currently harassing Centenary of Canberra organisers to let her perform in the capital’s 100th birthday celebrations in 2013.

Who can be trusted?

In a world of spin and confusion, there’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in Canberra.

If you trust our work online and want to enforce the power of independent voices, I invite you to make a small contribution.

Every dollar of support is invested back into our journalism to help keep citynews.com.au strong and free.

Become a supporter

Thank you,

Ian Meikle, editor

Share this

5 Responses to Amanda Palmer plays Carillon

Skyring says: 3 February 2011 at 3:22 pm

I don't think there's any doubt about who will win the next election. Not if competence is an issue.

I had a minor part in the evening – see my link – and I'm so glad that it turned out well. As the rain pelted down, I imagined that drenching and despair would be the twin watchwords of the night.

Reply
Chris says: 4 February 2011 at 3:16 am

I liked this article up until the last few lines regarding Mr Fibby.

I’d like to think that if the Author of this piece put as much effort into it as Mr Fibby does in Entertaining people, it wouldn’t be littered with Grammar and Spelling errors.

I'd learn how to spell Local suburb names "Lynham(?)" and basic grammar "who's (who is?) performance begs the question"
"allsorted?"
"lightening?"

You need some Enlightening!

Also, the band is called DresdEn Dolls. It’s named after a place in Germany.

Back to school with your SUPER-FAIL, take your Editor with you!

Or just be nicer to Mr Fibby!

Reply
Noimporant Fibby says: 4 February 2011 at 6:12 am

Yes, as the spoken person of the Mr. Fibby, must ask why do you not take much more care with your grammarcy as we in Mr. Fibby instead do have fabulous grammar which we are to work on most decided hard, yes. What? Jesus, I may think I may have had stroke again. Someone get to the abulancing! Make sure they are to give me all the morphine!

Also the accent is real, it is the rest of me is fake.

ONE LOVE
Noimporant Fibby
Official Speakperson
Mr. Fibby

Reply
Rat Patrol Oz says: 2 March 2011 at 10:13 am

Oh, and one other thing. Rat Patrol Oz are in no way "anarchists". "Anarchic", sure – we are leaderless and chaotic. However, we do not seek to overturn governments through violence, as an anarchist would. What a subtle difference a few letters can make. Afterall, without the governements of Britain and Australia, we would not have such a wonderful bell tower with which to create much joy.

Oh, and Fibby is uber rad. It is debatable as to whether the term "uber" is of eastern or western european origin. Damn that wall.

Reply

Leave a Reply

Related Posts

Follow us on Instagram @canberracitynews