Got to the station just in time for the train. There's some guy singing away to himself. Sounds like show tunes. He's wearing pinstripe trousers and silver shoes. An omen, perhaps? The joys of being the last minute replacement reviewer. You sometimes think you'll have nothing to write about but The Lord works in mysterious ways.
It's off to King Tuts to see Amanda Palmer tonight. A sold out gig it would seem, which is not that common these days for that somewhat jaded venue. Once more it will be Guinness in a plastic glass time. Not something to look forward to either but there's a job to be done.
Zoe Keating is on stage first. She gets a good reception. It's hard not to pull out the Michael Nyman references when you hear a classically styled cello and it is equally hard not to be impressed by the precision and emotion of her playing.
Then there was Jason Webley. The joys of not having time to do some research. Why did I not know about this guy? He's got stagecraft, he's got a hat that walks about his head and then the stage as his set progresses and he's got Russian drinking songs (just the thing to induce audience participation in Glasgow!). Cabaret around a gypsy campfire might describe him adequately. So would fantastic.
Most headline acts would quite rightly give up at the thought of following someone like Jason Webley but not when your name is Amanda Palmer. Despite an injured leg, she delivered what was the best live performance I have seen this year. She could have bathed in audience adoration tonight but instead she never stopped working for their attention. Moving effortlessly between art house and mainstream, she was faultless. "Guitar Hero", for example, was pure chart topping theatre that would make the Goddess Kylie green with jealousy. That was perhaps the most impressive thing about her performance - and it was a performance - was the ease with which she shifted between intense emotional and political subjects and anthems. In fact, for the encore, she even turned in the room into an insane karaoke for a full speed ahead sing along version of "Living on a Prayer"!
Empress Amanda conquers all before her. The end.