Who Killed Amanda Palmer

Even I couldn’t quite figure out exactly where Club Academy was. The ticket didn’t say Academy 2, where The Dresden Dolls performed last time, just Club Academy. A couple of strolls around the building didn’t help all that much. The campus signs, the ones that say “You are here, or here!”, didn’t help at all. After the third circuit I had decided that the queue at the front was THE queue, so joined the tail end of it. Those black and white striped tights are a sure indication of a Dresden Dolls fan.

The inside of the venue has been modernised since my last visit back in May 2006 and Club Academy is exactly as you would expect, underground with a low ceiling. I managed to secure a vantage point about 10 foot from the stage in front of a large pillar. The stage can only have been about 2 foot high, with a 2 foot high riser holding aloft Miss Palmer’s piano and stool.

Jason Webley was first on with just about the loudest accordion that I’ve ever heard, and I’ve heard two, and a hat that spent most of it’s time either over his eyes or on the floor. He was really entertaining and funny. I mean how many times have you been instructed to hold your finger in the air and spin around 12 times. Obviously I didn’t… I like to stay in control. He looks like a younger, thinner, Chris Cornell, so it came as no surprise to hear that he hails from Seattle.

Zoë Keating was on next with a new cello. It makes a great, rich, sound which is then repeated and doubled with the aid of a MacBook pro and a bank of foot pedals. I wish I had been closer to the stage to see what pedals Zoë hits as she plays. I was also a little curious as to why she had to click her fingers into the microphone before she started.

Oooo ahhh!! And so to the recently departed Amanda Palmer. Draped in a veil and carried, for obvious reasons, by The Danger Ensemble across the front of the stage and then onto the piano stool. The veil removed Amanda started to play Astronaut from the new album Who Killed Amanda Palmer. The rest of the evening just flew by in a blur. Ampersand and Guitar Hero were other tracks from the new record as well as the one that name checks Google. Coin-Operated Boy, Mrs. O and Half Jack were the Dresden Dolls songs that I remember. A Smiths and a Regina Spektor cover, then Oasis, the rather contradictory Livin’ On A Prayer with Jason, Zoë and Lyndon, the violinist, all joining in. Then back to the piano stool for the last song Leeds United.

Considering, by her own admission, Amanda had had a pretty crummy day I think that by the end of it she had cheered up considerably. We certainly made enough noise to turn her mood around.

Amanda Palmer Rest In Peace.

Related Links
Amanda Palmer photos by Man Alive! on flickr
Astronaut on YouTube
Ampersand on YouTube
Let Me Get What I Want on YouTube

So Apple have taken steps to limit app reviews to just the people who have downloaded or purchased it, according to Matt Gemmell.

I, for one, hope that this will filter out to the movie reviews (or film reviews, as they are called here in the UK). How many times have you seen one star reviews of good films that start with, ‘Welcome to rip off Britain’, which are just a tirade against the purchase price and not about the film? If you don’t want to pay £6.99 for a film then don’t buy from the iTunes store. When do you ever see someone storming down the baked bean aisle in Sainsbury’s saying that you can buy them cheaper in Tesco. You don’t.

Lets hope that this restraint filters out to other online stores like Amazon. As I said last November the reviews on certain items can become absurd especially on pre-release items like video games and music.

I received a letter from Pipex in the post today.

This letter is in response to the registered letter that I sent to them on the 3rd of July. Apart from my name and the date of my letter it is just a standard reply letter. I haven’t even bothered to read it all, it does run to one and a half sides of A4, but it is just waffle saying how I would have to prove that any fault with my, then, internet connection was due to Pipex.

It just goes to show that customer care is not high on their list of priorities, if at all. Remember they managed to send two payment reminder letters to me every month between March and August after I had left them for O2. If they want something, they shoot letters out at high-speed, if you want anything from them be prepared to wait 83 days.

iPod touch 2g

Well, it didn’t take me long after the Stevenote to order an iPod touch second generation from the online Apple store. It has been a long hard struggle… but it’s been worth it.

I did originally think about buying an iPhone, even before the 3g model came out, because it would save me having to carry a phone and an iPod nano. With the phone I’d get phone calls, text messages, the built-in camera and internet access on the go for £35 a month minimum. I even waited for the 3g release and news that O2 may have a pay as you go plan for the phone. That news was released the other week and really didn’t seem like a good deal. Available from September 16 it would cost £399.99 for the 16GB version, unlimited browsing and Wi-Fi for 12 months, after that £10 per month. Then there is a minimum top-up of £10, even if you don’t use the phone.

Besides, I don’t use the phone. I’ve been with Virgin Mobile since 2000 and have only topped up the phone twice. So when Steve Jobs announced the new iPod touch with 16GB for £219 I decided to get one. Even then I was undecided about getting the 32GB, but my iPod nano, which has 8GB, is only half full with podcasts so I couldn’t see myself filling it to capacity.

This new iPod touch is really nice, reassuringly hefty in the palm, thanks to the solid metal back and the glass touch screen. The interface design really is just a joy to behold. Everything just zooms, spins and scrolls with ease. Remarkable how they have managed to get everything to work with the minimum amount of buttons.

Naturally I’ve installed a few applications :- Air Sharing, BubbleWrap, Cro-Mag Rally, Dactyl, Enigmo, Hanoi, Instapaper Pro, iWik, Koi Pond, NetNewsWire, OmniFocus, Remote, Tap Tap Revenge and Twitterrific. I’ve had a little dabble with all of them but NetNewsWire, for reading my news feeds and syncing with my iMac, was a must and Instapaper Pro was a no brainer for reading the web pages away from my desk.

That’s really all I’m going to use it for, surfing the web, checking emails, news feeds and reading web pages. I have put some TV shows, music, podcasts, photos, music videos, even PDFs on it but I’ll still use my nano for listening to podcasts when I’m walking, cleaning or cooking because it’s just the right size for my top pocket.

After all the trouble of last Tuesday I phoned Pipex on Friday to check that all was well with the payment of £24.99. I was told that the finance department still hadn’t ‘okayed’ the money. I asked that I have the confirmation of the payment in writing and was told that this would be noted against my account. To be honest I don’t hold out any hope of receiving this confirmation as it’s been almost a week and I’ve heard nothing from Pipex. They’re really quick to send out 2 ‘pay up or we’ll cut you off’ letters per month for 6 months, but slow to send out letters that an ex-customer requests.

On Friday I received a letter from S C Gray Solicitors Limited (now they are quick at sending letters out) saying that I need to pay £99.96 by 09/09/2008. They must be working for ScotCall as Commercial Credit Services have passed on my details. The letter was sent out on 27th August, the day after I had paid £24.99 to Pipex.

This morning I received a very red letter from ScotCall Debt Collecting Services with a heading of DOORSTEP COLLECTION NOTICE - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY. This was sent on the 28th August and basically says that I should pay £99.96 within 7 days or else they’ll send the boys ’round. Great, 2 letters from everyone else but Pipex.

I keep thinking that this is the end but until I receive a letter from Pipex themselves confirming the fact then I won’t believe it.