Emilie Autumn, Bristol, April 2008

The screechy music started and the Bloody Crumpets began to waft on to stage. I say 'waft' because that is the most appropriate word for a group of ethereal, unsmiling Victorian Wayward Girls coming on stage. I think it started with 'Four O' Clock' with Emilie appearing in silhouette and singing from behind a white cloth before coming out to a chorus of shrill screams. The gig was amazing and I think she played: 'Four O' Clock', 'Opheliac', 'Misery Loves Company', 'Swallow', 'Dead Is The New Alive', a couple of violin pieces and something else plus an encore of 'Girls Just Want To Have Fun' by Cyndi Lauper, which was rather ace. Emilie was just wonderful and SO beautiful. The Bloody Crumpets were impossibly glamorous in a way that the average WGW goer can only dream of and just wow to it all.

I wasn't sure what I was expecting to be honest - some sort of 'show' certainly but nothing quite like the gig last night which involved bizarre vaudeville pantomime and weird chat between the crowd and the Crumpets. It was a spectacle - sprawling, messy, at times a bit unhinged but wonderful nonetheless.

The atheist really didn't want to go and was looking distinctly mutinous during the support acts and then came unwillingly to the stage with me when Emilie came on, saying that he wouldn't stay long but he actually stayed there throughout and took loads of amazing photographs. I think he enjoyed himself, even if he was entirely confused and bemused by the whole thing.

When the gig was over we lurked about a bit on the off chance that Emilie might come out and then when she emerged from backstage we joined the crowd around the merchandise stall. I ended up squashed behind some guy who must have been at least seven foot tall. It was pretty scary actually as I don't like feeling enclosed but well worth it when I found myself face to face with Emilie herself, who was very lovely and friendly to everyone and happily signing literally anything that was presented to her. I apologised for not having anythng to sign so she asked to paint in one of my fingernails with her marker pen instead. I can't remember what else was said other than we talked about how I am listening to 'Opheliac' on repeat while writing my book and she thought this was ace and said she hoped that Marie Antoinette would end up crazy with pink hair or something. We then mourned the loss of her bear Sorrow who someone stole from a gig in Rome last year and then she hugged me and it was ACE. Oh and she told me I was beautiful! :)

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