Ash Clouds can't stop Cloud Computing (or rock gigs).

Gig reviews aren’t usually what I use this blog for – but I’ll make an exception this time. Regular readers (if there are any, hello?) may think I have an unhealthy obsession with musician Amanda Palmer. She has f

eatured several times on this blog – she even twittered me after reading my dissertation, which is posted below (@amandapalmer @akidfromkibble Great paper.). But she has appeared her for good reason – her acceptance and innovative use of the Internet.

Evelyn & Evelyn are conjoined twin sisters who recently released their debut album “Evelyn Evelyn” under the band name Evelyn Evelyn.

Except they are not. They are actually Amanda Palmer and Jason Webley (right hand and left hand respectively) and were set to embark on their first European tour as the sisters.

And then Iceland exploded.

Amanda Palmer had landed in Iceland on a 45 minute stopover just as the volcano erupted. You can read about Amanda’s adventures in Volcanoland here: http://blog.amandapalmer.net/

The rest of the tour team were stuck in the US, including Evelyn Jason. Through a series of serendipitous events Amanda made it to Glasgow alone where they were due to play a gig in Oran Mor.

So myself, Lynsey and our friend Ruaraidh arrived, expecting a solo Amanda Palmer show or there abouts. We got something quite different.

Clearly making it up as they went along, but in

the most enjoyable way ever, Jason appeared to us via Skype on a MacBook, held up by a fan. The whole show was webcast by another fan holding Amanda’s MacBook, which was eventually crowd surfed through the front row for the best view. Jason was at Amanda’s apartment in Boston and they attempted to play the entire set/cabaret event transatlanticly! Jason was heard to say “Um… Amanda… I’m worried they wont believe we are conjoined sisters now…”

Jason’s sound was hooked up through the Mac’s headphone output to a PA and wasn’t the greatest I’ve ever heard. It worked pretty damn well if Jason played first and Amanda followed (due to the time delay!) There was a puppet show – provided by the drawing skills of another fan. Interlude music was played by Bitter Ruin – the band who had Twittered to fill in as support and come up from Newcastle. Other items such as kazoos, ukeleles and piano stands were Twittered from fans. Cowboy hats, feathers and a gun were all borrowed from the crowd. It was fantastically unorganised but some how just about worked. We all agreed that maybe it would have been better had she only played a few songs with Jason and then played a solo set – which is what she did in Dublin the next night. But I’m grateful that we were the experiment because I’ll never forget the sight of watching conjoined twin sisters playing on each side of the Atlantic.

“I just want to go where nobody knows my
name,


And no one notices or cares whether I came.


I just want my friends altogether in one place.


I just want control over the way they see my
face.


I just want to friend the entire human race.


I just want my space.”

Lyrics from Evelyn Evelyn’s My Space