The Dresden Dolls: A Faux-tographer's Recount

With the many opportunities I've had to interview and photograph some great bands, I'm not one to be star struck. Not even on a cold, February afternoon in 2005 when I had the Dresden Dolls on the receiving end of a borrowed camera. The band was in town for a sold-out show at the Theater of Living Arts in Philadelphia.

Arriving in a mini-van, drummer Brian Viglione emerged first, and then vocalist/pianist Amanda Palmer- complete with the sniffles. They were worn from the road and looked exhausted. Their handler excused them for a moment while they went inside to put their faces on.

About fifteen minutes later, the two ragamuffins from Boston returned as the theatrically charged art-rock duo, The Dresden Dolls.

My introduction to the band came only a month prior when a package arrived at my office. It was from Roadrunner Records and contained the bands re-released self-titled album. The unconventional approach in presentation and songwriting by Palmer and Viglione immediately launched this album into my "personal favorites" pile. An honor shared among other such artists as Material Issue, Hed PE and Dada. I quickly fired off an email to the PR man at Roadrunner to arrange an interview and photoshoot.

Standing in the cold, exactly what Viglione had requested we not be doing for Amanda's sake, it was here that my understanding of all things Dresden would quickly fall apart. For a band like this, it was very important to do the research since they go beyond what we hear on the album. I didn't do the research. And, I must admit, my experience in conducting a photoshoot had been limited to local bands.

We took off, headed for what I thought would make for a great location. It was colorful and aesthetically interesting.... for any other band except the Dresden Dolls. The location was a women's clothing store called Guacamole.

"Shoes." says Viglione "You want us to stand by shoes?"

He was annoyed and confused. His voice inflections questioned my seriousness while Amanda stood by- sometimes looking beautiful, sometimes looking snotty. Fortunately, he also recalled an antique shop about a block away. Surely a more appropriate background would be found here.

As we walked up the street, some people couldn't help but stare. All they saw were a couple of lost mimes.

We arrived at the antique shop and made our way to the second floor. Amanda and Brian arranged some chairs among the heirlooms and posed just as they do.

By this time I was definitely uncomfortable with what I'd gotten myself into. What the hell was I doing here? Surely there were plenty of well-qualified photographers who would have killed to be in my position. I could barely operate the camera to its full potential. That clearly annoyed Amanda.

After the chairs session, the band utilized the knick-knacks that sat quietly on shelves on the first floor. Since the lighting was better I felt more comfortable and confident in grabbing some usable images.

We ended the shoot behind the venue where an artist had covered the walls with broken tiles and other material, forming patterns and waves. Amanda and Brian seemed pleased at my suggestion.

At one point Brian was sitting on the ground, leaning against the wall. Amanda had her head in his lap as he comforted her. They looked homeless and helpless, all bundled up among the remnants of a previous snow. This pose was different than any other I'd seen by them in the past. Or maybe it was just that they were truly miserable. Either way, I was very happy with how these particular photos came out.

"Your ass is hanging out, Amanda." I said, but she was ok with that. She looked beautiful.

After the shoot we adjourned inside for an interview. Since the band was in such demand and we'd spent so much time taking photos, my time was limited to only about 10 minutes. I felt a bit rushed, but at least I had the opportunity to redeem myself.

We talked about interviewers who aren't really fans of the band, ironically. I admitted to being in that very position at times, and most recently with their labelmate, Machinehead. Amanda was quick to ask what my favorite Dresden Dolls song was. I answered, "The last song on the album.... I don't know the name."

Amanda was not convinced, but it was true. I really didn't know the names. I still don't.

Eventually the interview ran in the July 2005 issue of Origivation Magazine. I used a photo from the antique shop.