[...music...]: emilie autumn @ le studio

2009-10-12

on saturday, i went to the emilie autumn show, on a whim. when i passed by the venue in the afternoon to get my ticket, i noticed some people already in the line-up. by the time i arrived twenty minutes before the doors time, the line-up had already gone around the block. oh my, i didn't realize she had such a following. i had gone to the show alone. while waiting in the line-up, i met a brother-sister duo who were nice enough to let me hang out with them during the show.

emilie performed with the bloody crumpets, a group composed of: aprella, the blonde doll; captain maggots, the crazy pirate; contessa, the cannibal; veronica, the raven-haired seductress.

the show started 45 minutes late, and lasted for about two hours. it felt more like watching a play or a musical rather than a concert. there was a set on stage: a clock-like screen in the middle, an elaborate tea set and candles on the right, more candles on the left, trinkets hanging from above.

each woman played a character, and many songs were introduced by a little skit. of those that i remember (and captured on video by various people in attendance; none of these vids are mine):

contessa introduced each of the bloody crumpets, with their reason for being in the asylum. veronica told us about the canadian welcome they got at the border: drug-sniffing dogs, which they did not appreciate. as an intro to "shalott", emilie autumn asked the audience for a voice warm-up, and chanted "fuck youtube". at a certain point, things got a little crazy, where muffins and cookies, with "tea" was thrown at the audience. before "unlaced", emilie autumn was upset at veronica for not practicing the harpsichord. after playing "unlaced" with supposedly only two mistakes, veronica was allowed to play "the rat game", where she chose a girl from the audience to go on stage and give her a kiss (a girl with angel wings got picked). veronica also explained that it is okay for a lady to swear if she adds "indeed" at the end of the sentence. as an intro to "god help me", contessa invited the audience for a prayer. captain maggots performed the spongebob squarepants song before "misery loves company".

each of the bloody crumpets also demonstrated her special skill during the talent portions of the show: veronica did a feather dance during "dominant". during "unlaced", maggots performed on stilts while aprella did some pointework. on another song, maggots also did some neat tricks with a hoola hoop. during "306", contessa did some aerial acrobatics with rope/fabric hanging from the ceiling.

songs that i remember:
4 o'clock
opheliac
liar
the art of suicide
i want my innocence back
shalott
dominant
unlaced
god help me
misery loves company
i know where you sleep
306
face the wall
bohemian rhapsody
thank god i'm pretty

there are more videos on youtube.

i am usually into shows that are more "authentic". but every once in a while, it's fun to go to a show for entertainment purposes. this was definitely such a show, with a set on stage, the many skits, the various performances, the characters, the costumes (colourful hair, feathers, hats, and other hair accessories, doll makeup, corsets, stockings, lots and lots of sequins and glitter, etc). even if, at times, it felt a little gimmicky, on the verge of being almost cheezy, it was still a fun show, different from the typical indie shows i've attended with blasé hipsters.

at least, there was one song where emilie showed her musical talent, the instrumental track "face the wall". she even said: "the truth is, this is what i really do", just to remind us that she is a musician, after all. i really liked that piece, and the way she played her instrument, with a crazy intense look in her eyes. it made me realize that as much fun as all the extra performance stuff is, it would have been really nice to see a solo music show as well.

~~~

Labels: emilie autumn, le studio, shows

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