Last night Housing Works and Spin Magazine joined hands to welcome former Dresden Doll Amanda Palmer and best-selling fantasy author Neil Gaiman to the stage. Starting with a long line and ending with a room filled to the brim with fans, VIPs, Spin editors, and Moby (Yes, Moby!), the event began with excited, uproarious applause. From my little corner in the back, I gleefully waited for Palmer and Gaiman to take the stage.
Gaiman, (writer of novels like American Gods, Neverwhere, Coraline, and the Sandman comics) Palmer (theater-pop singer and former Dresden Dolls vocalist) met many months ago, and decided to collaborate on a project. The thing to keep in mind about Palmer is that in addition to being a theatrical performer, she also has a thing for peeling off her clothes and being naked. Thus, Who Killed Amanda Palmer — a combination of naked Amanda photographs and text by Gaiman —was born.
Last night’s performance was more like a variety show. Gaiman opened by reading a short passage from Who Killed Amanda Palmer. Palmer sang “Astronaut,” a track off of her recently released solo album. Gaiman took the stage to read a lengthier passage involving living statues. Palmer told the audience about her stint as a living statue in Boston’s Harvard Square. Then she strummed the ukulele and sang a song about the house she grew up in. Gaiman told a story about a little girl named Amanda who drops rubies from her mouth.
It was as personal as you could hope to get, with the pair inviting audience participation to a large extent. At one point, they decided to auction off their copy of Who Killed Amanda Palmer. Bidding began at $50, but with Palmer chanting “Naked Amanda! Naked Amanda!”, quickly hit around (cringe) $1300 — an entire month’s rent for the majority of us in the back.
In another segment, Housing Works had Gaiman and Palmer face each other and ask questions from Post-It notes that audience members stuck in a shoebox prior to the show. One of the questions brazenly inquired if the two were dating, to which Neil shyly replied (while looking at Amanda), “The two of us have been dating for quite a few months.” Cue exuberant cheers and applause. The new couple was also eager to tell stories about their adventures and creative stunts. One recent collaboration involved the two artists in a bath, one naked and the other in a borrowed drunk’s suit. Guess which one of them had been naked?
In fact, one of the Post-Its tried to get to the bottom of Palmer’s proclivity for nudity. “Why do you like to be naked so much?” it asked. “I dunno,” replied Amanda, with a cheeky grin. “Naked is fun!”
Comments (20)
I would just like to say, as a great admirer of both Palmer's and Gaiman's enormous talents: SQUEEEEE
The book tie-in for the self-promoting project "Who Killed Amanda Palmer", an in-joke for the Twin Peaks crowd, is even more self-referencing than first thought: apparantly neither Amanda Palmer nor collaborater Neil Gaiman could actually find a publisher for the project and have published it themselves, with no imprint, the printing being done in Hong Kong. You'd think they could at least get the Scientologists to pay for it, but they are businessmen and know a waste of money when they see it.
neil could do better.
They're both crazy, so I think it'll work :P
I think they're a good match. Amanda is so awesome and so is Neil.
Gaiman and Palmer are CLAMS! They launched a goofy publicity campaign about their “relationship,” the minute Gaiman’s divorce was revealed. He hid the divorce too, until it was leaked onto the web. Mark Headly testifies in his book Blown for Good that Scientology reinstated David and Neil Gaiman and apologized to them for an earlier disconnect (Guardian office coup), so Gaiman is a scientologist in good standing.
Neil Gaiman is a lying, conscienceless asshole. Gaiman had affairs the whole time he was married and had a girlfriend for 15 years in Los Angeles who he disconnected in order to jump on the Scientology bandwagon with Palmer. Palmer and Gaiman are ambitious untalented jerks.
I have seen Mister Gaiman at Flag to receive Scientology services, why all the secrecy?
Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer are Scientologists who will support a dangerous cult in order to climb social ladders.
The Gaiman Family USA are Patrons with Honors of Scientology, meaning they’ve donated at least $100,000.00. The Gaiman Family USA is Neil Gaiman because both of his sisters are married and go by their married names, Claire Edwards and Lizzie Calcione. ( These two sisters are bigwig Scienos, being the respective heads of recruiting in LA and the Wealden Center in East Grinstead). In 2006, the same year Neil Gaiman donated $100,00.00, his father David Gaiman (now deceased, donated almost 400,000 pounds or $750,000.00. Gaiman’s entire family are high ranking Scientologists and Neil Gaiman is a member in VERY good standing. They also donate through G & G Foods, their family company.
Go to http://www.truthaboutscientology.com/ to see the big picture.
2003: THE GAIMAN FAMILY USA Impact magazine #105 Patrons ($100,000.00) You will find them listed in CAPS because they are Patrons with Honors ($100,000.00)
2004: Impact #109 G & G Foods Patrons ($40,000.00)
2004: THE GAIMAN FAMILY USA Impact Magazine #109 Founding Patrons ($100,000.00)[circa September 2004 ]:Founding Patrons are those who became Patrons by the IAS 20th Anniversary (October/November 2004).
The following list appears in Impact 114 [ circa September 2006 ]:
2006: Impact #114 G & G Food Supplies Patrons ($40,000.00)
2006: THE GAIMAN FAMILY USA Impact magazine #114 Patrons ($100,000.00) You will find them listed in CAPS because they are Patrons with Honors ($100,000.00)
2006: Impact magazine #114 DAVID & SHEILA GAIMAN UK Silver Meritorious ($750,000.00)
allegiance
Neil Gaiman’s 2009 contributions to the CULT of Scientology are listed in Cornerstone Newsletter (circa November 2009)
$142 million plus given to Super Power Scam – Ex Scientologist Message Board
http://www.forum.exscn.net/showthread.php?t=16197
Under
CORNERSTONE CLUB MEMBERS [1315] [$35,000.00]
You’ll find:
Mary & Neil Gaiman
And as the ex Scientologists state: “Also, this list does not include donations made by people who have since left the Church and been declared SP’s or “ethics bait”. The Church deletes those people’s names from the lists.”
This probably reflects the $30,000.00 Neil Gaiman gave to the cult, and an additional $5000.00 to bring him up to Cornerstone Club member. Neil Gaiman is a Scientologist in good standing.
They are both awesome, but why do divorced men never date women within their decade?
Gaiman and Palmer are a pair of ugly turds.
Neil Gaiman just donated another $500,000.00 to Scientology in 2010 through his business partner Mary Gaiman who received a “Gold Humanitarian Award.” Gaiman is a Scientologist and so is Amanda “I can’t play a fucking note” Palmer.
Neil Gaiman is an ugly turd and Amanda Palmer is an fat transvestite. What a grotesque couple.
Neil Gaiman is a genius as well as Amanda Palmer. Who cares how Gaiman spends his money – why don’t you people write some best sellers and then donate to where you please? Also, Amanda Palmer has a ridiculous amount of musical talent. So, in the words of Amanda herself – “Those who can’t do, comment.”
Shut up Gaiman, you pathetic idiot. Most of the comments on the web are you commenting on yourself or your idiot scientology servants writng comments for you. You don’t know who is commenting or what they do, you prick. Amanda Palmer is a useless wanna be no one listens to. She is a crap artist. Her songs are junk, she was dropped from her record contract and now she does cover songs. Amanda Palmer mocks the disabled, strips in public and makes racist remarks about the KKK. Amanda Palmer isn’t interesting, just a desperate joke. Why don’t you go chuck some more money at Scientology and see if they buy you out of your failing careers.
Ugly is as ugly does. And a number of the above comments are from some of the ugliest people I can imagine. Hypocrites. Turn the mirror on yourselves.
Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer are liars and betrayers, they’ve left a trail of victims behind them and now they’re going to suck at the teat of Scientology. Stop spamming the web with your stupid trash.
Look in your own mirror, Kate and see the ugly face of an indifferent lemming who goes along with whatever these two assholes are peddling.
I don’t give a shit if Gaiman or Palmer are Scientologists. In my opinion, they are both excellent artists, and I will continue to enjoy their work. I have not seen any damaging or subversive messages in their work, and their work is all that concerns me. Their money is their own affair.
Gaiman and Palmer are awful, self involved scumbags who donate millions to a cult that enslaves children, Darren. Gaiman and Palmer are liars and lack integrity.
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