Science Fiction / Double Feature
November 4, 2011 6:11 PM   Subscribe

Science Fiction / Double Feature performed by Amanda Palmer, Moby, Stephin Merritt, and Neil Gaiman, on the The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. posted by finite (65 comments total) 34 users marked this as a favorite
 
You know, I would love this if it was just Palmer. Add Gaiman in, slightly better, as collaboration is expected. But throw in Stephin Merritt and it just transcends everything and becomes my favourite thing ever.
posted by yellowbinder at 6:17 PM on November 4, 2011 [3 favorites]


don't forget craigyferg's opening!

glad this got its own post. i put it in a comment in the conan thread, but more people should see it.
posted by nadawi at 6:18 PM on November 4, 2011 [7 favorites]


oh, huh. no i didn't. i guess i posted that somewhere else on some other site.
posted by nadawi at 6:19 PM on November 4, 2011


As far as I can tell, Neil Gaiman always has that look on his face as though everything around him is patently ridiculous but there's nothing to be done about it so might as well just shrug and get on with it.

Also, fucking Youtube comments. "She should shave her pits?" "I spent the whole thing trying to figure out if Amanda Palmer was a guy or a girl?" I've met Amanda Palmer on a number of occasions and she has consistently been one of the most overwhelmingly sexy people I have ever met. The whole shaving/not shaving thing is just so totally beside the point that it makes me despair for the future of humanity.
posted by Scientist at 6:21 PM on November 4, 2011 [13 favorites]


I still can't believe Amanda Palmer and Neil Gaiman are together. It's like I'm living in fanfic or something.
posted by rivenwanderer at 6:22 PM on November 4, 2011 [22 favorites]


I sort of missed my own point there. My point was supposed to be that Amanda Palmer exists in a space which is almost totally outside conventional gender norms and she fucking rocks whatever her own crazy thing is. Carry on.
posted by Scientist at 6:23 PM on November 4, 2011 [1 favorite]


As far as I can tell, Neil Gaiman always has that look on his face as though everything around him is patently ridiculous but there's nothing to be done about it so might as well just shrug and get on with it

I admire this worldview, and should I ever achieve it I will consider myself to have won.
posted by yellowbinder at 6:27 PM on November 4, 2011 [15 favorites]


Just came from watching the clip of Neil's interview on his own blog.

He presented Craig with a vegetarian haggis on a velvet pillow.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:33 PM on November 4, 2011 [1 favorite]


when the haggis was actually being purchased and smuggled, the tweets between those two were hilarious.
posted by nadawi at 6:34 PM on November 4, 2011


Looks like Neil Gaiman's been taking piano lessons from Leonard Cohen.
posted by Lorin at 7:00 PM on November 4, 2011 [4 favorites]


Neil reminded me of that old Andy Kaufman mighty mouse bit- standing around while the tension built, and then...
posted by jenkinsEar at 7:05 PM on November 4, 2011 [4 favorites]


They were laughing to much at their own joke during the bit. It needed a couple more takes to let them just settle into it.
posted by humanfont at 7:06 PM on November 4, 2011


Neil Gaiman is a very lucky man. Amanda Palmer is a very lucky woman. Do you think there's room in their marriage for one more?
posted by ourobouros at 7:09 PM on November 4, 2011 [2 favorites]


This was unbearably precious and self-pleased. I adore Palmer, like Gaiman, won't comment on the others, but this kind of lame goofiness reminds me of Rat Pack mugging circa 1960s.
posted by twsf at 7:14 PM on November 4, 2011 [7 favorites]


I mentally did call-outs from Rocky Horror while watching that.

Dr. X...
SEX SEX SEX

See androids fighting
AND F***ING AND SUCKING ON
Brad and Janet...
posted by book 'em dano at 7:15 PM on November 4, 2011 [12 favorites]


Amanda Palmer exists in a space which is almost totally outside conventional gender norms

Surely you mean, conventional AMERICAN gender norms. If I remember my time in Germany properly, there wasn't a lot of pit (or leg) shaving going on there, and it was considered pretty standard for much of Europe at the time for women not to do such things.
posted by hippybear at 7:18 PM on November 4, 2011 [2 favorites]


Also, book 'm dano, we're all adults here. It's okay to say "fucking".
posted by hippybear at 7:19 PM on November 4, 2011 [1 favorite]


amanda's palmer whole look goes beyond just not shaving though. i agree that, even though she wears a lot of skirts and corsets, she does buck traditional gender norms. the way she puts it all together and the lack of eyebrows and all of it is outside the mainstream, at the very least.
posted by nadawi at 7:22 PM on November 4, 2011


Is that Denis or Penis?
posted by Reverend John at 7:30 PM on November 4, 2011 [1 favorite]


And I really got hot, when I saw JANET'S TWAT...
posted by mikelieman at 7:31 PM on November 4, 2011 [2 favorites]


Craig talks to Tony Head (ASH aka Giles aka Headmaster Finch)

An awesome interview between old friends. Also mentions that they once did the London production of RHPS, Craig as Brad, ASH as Dr. Frank-N-Furter.

Can't find any clips of Craig as Brad, but there's several to be found of ASH:
2006 RHPS Tribute Show
25th Anniversary Special (First half is Amber Benson as Janet)
posted by kmz at 7:34 PM on November 4, 2011 [2 favorites]


Does what it says on the tin. Cheers.
posted by LMGM at 7:40 PM on November 4, 2011


22 comments in, and no love for Moby?
posted by crunchland at 7:43 PM on November 4, 2011


i thought poor moby was underrepresented in the video as well. you gotta belt it out to be heard over ms. palmer and mr. merritt.
posted by nadawi at 7:44 PM on November 4, 2011


No, never. l have no love for moby.
posted by Cold Lurkey at 7:45 PM on November 4, 2011 [3 favorites]


i think i might be the only person in the world that wishes he'd put down the synths and pick up the guitar and give us another album like animal rights.
posted by nadawi at 7:48 PM on November 4, 2011 [2 favorites]


I would have liked it the best if it was Stephin Merritt on his own, or with Amanda as a duet.
Neil Gaiman is great but this was kind of a dumb gag.
Moby *shudder* should not be anywhere near them, pretending to play a Martin or not.
posted by chococat at 7:52 PM on November 4, 2011 [1 favorite]


Aw. I like Moby, but I'm biased. I went to high school with him. He was a year behind me, and we were both geeks in the AV room at Darien High School in suburban Connecticut. It was the early 80's and I distinctly remember him playing with loops of magnetic tape and an ancient reel-to-reel tape recorder.
posted by crunchland at 7:54 PM on November 4, 2011 [3 favorites]


crunchland: "22 comments in, and no love for Moby?"

Oh, all right if we must...

Then at a deadly pace...
I CAME ON MOBY'S FACE!
posted by Reverend John at 8:14 PM on November 4, 2011 [8 favorites]


It's not easy having a good time. Even smiling makes my face ache.
posted by stubby phillips at 8:22 PM on November 4, 2011 [7 favorites]


Who could ever ever ask for more?
posted by stubby phillips at 8:31 PM on November 4, 2011


Oh, man... the old Rocky instincts are still there... I was out of my seat shouting the improvised lines.

"In the beginning, God said, let there be lips!"
"...in DIRTY underwear..."
"What the fucks's a triffid?" - "It spits poison and kills!" - "Oh."
"X-RAY!"
"oooooh-oooooh-oooooh-WAHHH-WAHHH-WAHHH!"

It's pretty clear Amanda Palmer is the only one who knows what the hell's going on, the other three are playing along because it's Amanda Palmer.

This brings me to the story of how I became the last professionally trained reel-to-reel carbon arc projectionist in the United States. The local RHPS "Company" (in the non-financial sense) was held at a beautiful old theater house in downtown Newport, RI. We lovingly referred to the projectionist as "Shithead" as he would leave out whole reels, because he hated us and wanted to go home.

One night, after he swapped reel three for reel five and didn't give a fuck, I chased him down a dark alley, and he refused to do anymore midnight shows.

The kindly old man who ran the theater loved us, as we drew a big crowd and cleaned up after ourselves. He hired me on as an assistant projectionist, with the promise that if Shithead didn't come back and run the movie right, I'd flat out have his job. I worked every Thursday night and the weekend matinees, and I was taught by the last of the Union-certified projectionists, who was by then semi-retired and only worked Thursdays and Fridays. I could field strip a Century in a minute flat. The man put a deep respect of the art and craft of showing motion pictures into me. Showbiz... the real magic isn't in front of the camera or on the stage. Once you're admitted to the places and spaces where the audience doesn't go, or even know about, it's addictive and wonderful. An entire secret world you belong to.

I'm not an aspiring actor or screenwriter or director in my heart. I'm a projectionist. I show movies. If I do my job with skill and diligence, the audience will never think of me even once, but enjoy their beautiful idols, larger than life, bright and clear as day, the smell of buttered popcorn and woodsoap and wool upholstery, the warm glow of the house lights as they dim and call to an end quiet conversations, hands held in the dark... a memory, pleasant and lasting. That was once my job, and I was good at it.

I only got to show Rocky once, much later, but before I turned my back on the movies for computers. What I do now? It's important and interesting and challenging. But it's not what I am. It ain't showbiz.
posted by Slap*Happy at 8:42 PM on November 4, 2011 [47 favorites]


stubby phillips: "It's not easy having a good time. Even smiling makes my face ache."

It's from all the blow jobs.
posted by Reverend John at 8:44 PM on November 4, 2011 [2 favorites]


MetaFilter: Once you're admitted to the places and spaces where the audience doesn't go, or even know about, it's addictive and wonderful.
posted by hippybear at 8:54 PM on November 4, 2011 [1 favorite]


Where was where? I had to do it myself

...deadly pace it came from ... wheeeeere? ... outer space...

The gaps ... they have ... purpose.
posted by hexatron at 8:55 PM on November 4, 2011 [1 favorite]


Further background from the blog of the person who smuggled in the haggis. (geez, that sounds dirty) He didn't admit what he was delivering, but Gaiman exposed him as the "haggis mule". (geez, that sounds even dirtier)
posted by oneswellfoop at 9:06 PM on November 4, 2011


I mentally did call-outs from Rocky Horror while watching that.

Yeah, I think we can re-do this post. Let's try this:

Science Fiction / Double Feature performed by Amanda Palmer ("SLUT!"), Neil Gaiman ("ASSHOLE!"), Moby ("A VIRGIN!"), and Stephin Merritt ("PREGNANT!"), on the The Late Late ("EARLY MORNING!") Show with Craig Ferguson ("BULLWINKLE!").
posted by Parasite Unseen at 9:15 PM on November 4, 2011 [7 favorites]


Can someone please tell me what the FUCK is a domestic?
posted by book 'em dano at 9:17 PM on November 4, 2011


FRONT ROW!!!
posted by Curious Artificer at 9:20 PM on November 4, 2011


BACK ROW SUCKS!
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 9:24 PM on November 4, 2011


I stage managed a production of the Rocky Horror Show in Louisville a number of years ago. This show is good. It is so good. I can't believe I don't listen to the soundtrack every year. Well done, Craig.
posted by lholladay at 9:44 PM on November 4, 2011


That was out of control. That is a bad, bad lady.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 10:41 PM on November 4, 2011 [1 favorite]


....Mommy, why was Giles wearing makeup and earrings?....
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:20 PM on November 4, 2011




Do you think there's room in their marriage for one more?

See, when they got engaged, I thought: There are threesomes in this man's future. And he will be too much of a gentleman to ever say so.

The whole shaving/not shaving thing is just so totally beside the point that it makes me despair for the future of humanity.

You do know she has addressed this directly, no?

This was unbearably precious and self-pleased.

I dunno. I think the basic problem is that the song is, itself, unbearably precious and self-pleased with its own campiness. Amanda attacks that by playing it straight and giving it a level of art it nearly doesn't deserve.

My college did a great live production of the musical with a spare (four-piece? five?), haunting rockabilly score, which this in many ways resembled. There is room for other interpretations than the etched-in-amber movie version, especially given it began as live theatre.
posted by dhartung at 11:33 PM on November 4, 2011 [1 favorite]


Personally, I'm a fan of Joan Jett's punk version of Science Fiction
posted by KingEdRa at 11:48 PM on November 4, 2011 [2 favorites]


I wasn't entirely prepared for the image of Giles as Frank... or for him to be seducing Eddie Hitler, of all people. Thanks for that.
posted by Kaleidolia at 1:17 AM on November 5, 2011


I dunno. I don't get the Amanda Palmer hype. And Neil Gaiman needs to do something different for a change.
posted by New England Cultist at 4:26 AM on November 5, 2011 [3 favorites]


I'm only here for the call-outs. Seriously, if there's ever a meet-up for a RHPS night, I am SO THERE. (bf did RHPS for years in the Bay Area and I never get tired of hearing the stories)
posted by Wuggie Norple at 6:12 AM on November 5, 2011 [2 favorites]


Why is it that Neil Gaiman looks like a rock star while Moby and Stephin Merritt look like science fiction writers?
posted by Drab_Parts at 6:38 AM on November 5, 2011 [10 favorites]


I'm so sick of "Amanda Fucking Palmer." I have followed Gaiman's blog for years, and these days it feels like an extended plug for how ~edgy~ his wife is. I am sure she's a lovely woman, and I hope they are very happy, but I am tired of her and her carefully-crafted schtick.

Haters gonna hate, I know.
posted by Windigo at 6:40 AM on November 5, 2011 [7 favorites]


Well after a bit of a google, it looks like Amanda Palmer is an interesting sort. Added to my playlist.

Though I'm disappointed that the song "Leeds United" doesn't reference either Billy Bremner, Don Revie or Gordon Strachan.
posted by seanyboy at 8:19 AM on November 5, 2011 [1 favorite]


I love that Stephin Merritt put on his robe and wizard hat for this.
posted by speicus at 9:59 AM on November 5, 2011 [2 favorites]


And as usual, Moby is the most irrelevant person in the room.
posted by speicus at 10:00 AM on November 5, 2011 [1 favorite]


"Fuck the back row!"
"Fuck the front row!"
"We fucked you first!"
"I came first!"

Oh, this *so* makes me want to go again. It's been what, 10 years? Though that time was memorable because Patricia Quinn was in the audience. :)
posted by luckynerd at 10:09 AM on November 5, 2011 [1 favorite]


Also, fucking Youtube comments. "She should shave her pits?"

I say grow that shit like a jungle.
posted by homunculus at 10:12 AM on November 5, 2011 [1 favorite]


Don't care what she does in her life, but the pits were pitch perfect for the bit. And she knew it.
posted by Trochanter at 11:46 AM on November 5, 2011


Windigo I followed both Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer on twitter and had to stop the Neil Gaiman for the same reason. Amanda Palmer on the other hand continues to be entertaining which leads me to believe that maybe you should be sick of Neil Gaiman? Just sayin'.
posted by merocet at 12:38 PM on November 5, 2011


I dunno. I think the basic problem is that the song is, itself, unbearably precious and self-pleased with its own campiness. Amanda attacks that by playing it straight and giving it a level of art it nearly doesn't deserve.

I . . . what? The song is so good.

I don't know that this performance of it is, though. I think Palmer's delivery is way too close to the original, and it overshadows the other three (admittedly, I like both Moby and Merritt more as performers).
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 12:44 PM on November 5, 2011


She's FABULOUS! I shall have to buy some Dresden Dolls.
posted by alasdair at 3:33 PM on November 5, 2011


here's a youtube playlist i made a while ago - post dresdan dolls amanda palmer - some of the obvious ones are left out (leeds united, for instance), but it's the 10 songs by her i most often throw into my larger playlists. some of it live, some of it webcam, some from "who killed amanda palmer" some from the australia EP.
posted by nadawi at 4:34 PM on November 5, 2011


From nadawi's list I would like to strongly recommend Do You Swear To Tell The Truth...
posted by yellowbinder at 6:17 PM on November 5, 2011 [1 favorite]


Amanda Palmer on the other hand continues to be entertaining which leads me to believe that maybe you should be sick of Neil Gaiman? Just sayin'.

No, It's Amanda Palmer.

(I enjoyed The Dresden Dolls debut album a lot, BTW. It was fantastic. I tried to like her after that...but when you're at the point when you have to manufacture a conjoined-twins fantasy as a gimmick for your music, maybe you need to step back and focus more on your actual music and less on your precious, twee, Hot Topic persona).
posted by Windigo at 11:13 AM on November 6, 2011 [2 favorites]


Ugh, not her.
posted by Vrai at 1:06 PM on November 6, 2011


i loved the elephant elephant stuff. she's very theater - very bohemian busker. it's not everyone's taste - but i think some people take too cynical a view and miss the whole point.
posted by nadawi at 3:44 PM on November 6, 2011


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