Amanda Palmer (3,201 views)

[Alex61]

Amanda MacKinnon Gaiman Palmer
Vocal Range: G♯2 – E6

Significant High Notes:
E6 ("Good Day")
D6 ("Gravity")
B5 ("Creep")
B♭5 ("Purple Rain")
G♯5 ("Guitar Hero")
G5 ("Purple Rain", "Twelve Line Song")
F♯5 ("Science Fiction/Double Feature" live Rocky Horror Show Halloween Livestream 2020)
F5 ("Blurred Lines/Rape Me" live Auckland 2021, "The French Brexit Song", "Gravity" live Live at the Roundhouse, "Lost", "Ultima Esperanza")
E5 ("A Formidable Marinade" live Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under, "Girl Anachronism", "Half Jack", "The Jeep Song", "Runs in the Family", "Truce", "Twelve Line Song", "What's the Use of Wond'rin?")
E♭5 ("Dirty Business", "Guitar Hero", "Institutionalized", "Killing in the Name" live Coney Island 2016, "Mandy Goes to Med School" live Live at the Roundhouse, "Missed Me" live Live: In Paradise, "Sandy Fishnets")
D5 ("Australia" live Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under, "Blurred Lines/Rape Me" live Auckland 2021, "Delilah", "Drowning in the Sound", "Electric Blanket", "Floating in a Cocktail Glass", "From St. Kilda to Fitzroy", "Gravity", "Killing in the Name" live Coney Island 2016, "Leeds United", "Machete", "Mandy Goes to Med School", "Massachusetts Avenue", "Me & the Minibar", "My Space", "Necessary Evil", "Polly", "Raggin' on the Man", "Runs in the Family", "Sex Changes", "Smile (Pictures or It Didn't Happen)", "Sorry Bunch", "Surface Pressure", "Want It Back")
C♯5 ("Backstabber", "Bad Habit", "Berlin", "A Campaign of Shock and Awe", "Modern Moonlight", "Strength Through Music", "Ultima Esperanza")
C5 ("Ampersand", "Amsterdam" live Coney Island 2016, "The Assistant", "Astronaut: A Short History of Nearly Nothing", "Backstabber", "Blurred Lines/Rape Me" live Auckland 2021, "Bottomfeeder", "Chicken Man", "Creep", "Dear Daily Mail" live London 2013, "Dear Jenny", "Delilah", "Do It with a Rockstar", "Doctor Oz" live Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under, "The French Brexit Song", "Girl Anacrhonism", "Guitar Hero", "Hit the Road Jack" live Aotearoa 2020, "Idioteque", "The Kill", "Machete", "Makin' Whoopee" live Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under, "Me & the Minibar", "The Mess Inside", "My Space", "Polly", "Sandy Fishnets", "The Sheep Song", "Slide", "Suck It Up, Buttercup", "Trout Heart Replica", "What's the Use of Wond'rin?")
B4 ("1.1.94", "Anti-Ukulele Anthem", "Blake Says", "Bottomfeeder", "Christopher Lydon" live A Is for Accident, "Creep", "Denial Thing", "A Formidable Marinade" live Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under, "The French Brexit Song", "From St. Kilda to Fitzroy", "Good Day", "Have to Drive", "In My Mind" live Aotearoa 2020, "The Jeep Song", "The Killing Type", "The Last Day of Our Acquaintance", "Love Will Tear Us Apart", "Machete", "Makin' Whoopee" live Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under, "Mandy Goes to Med School", "Massachusetts Avenue", "Me & the Minibar", "Mrs. O.", "New England", "Olly Olly Oxen Free", "The Sheep Song", "Sing", "Smile (Pictures or It Didn't Happen)", "Suck It Up, Buttercup", "Surface Pressure", "The Thing About Things", "Ukulele Anthem")
B♭4 ("Bad Habit", "Blackstar" live BBC Proms 2016, "Boyfriend In a Coma", "Coin-Operated Boy", "Dear Jenny", "Dirty Business", "Fight for Your Right" live Sydney 2012, "Floating in a Cocktail Glass", "Gravity", "Half Jack", "I Google You" live Who Killed Amanda Palmer [pre-order edition], "The Kill", "Labyrinth", "Leeds United", "Life on Mars?", "Lonesome Organist Rapes Page-Turner", "Map of Tasmania", "Mein Herr" live Live at the Roundhouse, "Modern Moonlight", "The Mouse and the Model", "Mr. Weinstein Will See You Now", "Night Reconnaissance", "Provanity", "Purple Rain", "The Ride", "Sex Changes", "Straight", "Truce")
A4 ("1.1.94", "672", "The Assistant", "Astronaut: A Short History of Nearly Nothing", "Because the Origami", "Boston", "Christopher Lydon" live A Is for Accident, "Creep", "Dear Jenny", "Denial Thing", "Everybody Knows Somebody", "Fake Plastic Trees", "First Orgasm", "The Gardener", "Good Day", "Half Jack", "Happy Birthday" live Melbourne 2012, "Have to Drive", "I Want You, But I Don't Need You" live An Evening With Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer, "I Would for You", "Judy Blume", "Labyrinth", "The Last Day of Our Acquaintance", "Leeds United", "Lonesome Organist Rapes Page-Turner", "Lost", "Love Will Tear Us Apart", "Massachusetts Avenue", "Melody Dean", "Modern Moonlight", "Mrs. O.", "My Alcoholic Friends", "My Favorite Things", "Necessary Evil", "A Night at the Roses", "Nikola Tesla", "No Surprises", "Olly Olly Oxen Free", "Paper Planes" live Cloud Club 2010, "The Perfect Fit", "Pierre" live Live: In Paradise, "The Point of It All", "Science Fiction/Double Feature" live Rocky Horror Show Halloween Livestream 2020, "Sing", "Suck It Up, Buttercup", "The Thing About Things", "Thirty Whacks" live A Is for Accident, "Truganini", "Two-Headed Boy", "Video Games", "Want It Back", "War Pigs" live Live: In Paradise, "You May Kiss the Bride", "Zombie")
G♯4 ("...Baby One More Time" live Pittsburgh 2006, "Backstabber", "Bad Habit", "Berlin", "Do It with a Rockstar", "First Orgasm", "Glass Slipper" live A Is for Accident, "The Jeep Song", "The Kill", "Missed Me", "The Mouse and the Model", "Night Reconnaissance", "Shores of California", "Stand by Your Man" live A Is for Accident, "Straight", "Ultima Esperanza")
G4 ("1.1.94", "Amsterdam" live Coney Island 2016, "Another Year: A Short History of Almost Something", "Australia" live Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under, "...Baby One More Time" live Pittsburgh 2006, "Ballad of a Teenage Queen", "Bank of Boston Beauty Queen" live A Is for Accident, "The Bed Song","Black Boys on Mopeds", "Black Smoke", "Boston", "Bottomfeeder", "Colorblind", "Dear Daily Mail" live London 2013, "Death Thing", "Delilah", "Dirty Business", "Do You Swear to Tell the Truth, the Whole Truth & Nothing But the Truth So Help Your Black Ass", "Doctor Oz" live Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under, "Eisbär" live Vienna 2016, "Electric Blanket", "Evelyn Evelyn", "Everybody Knows", "Everybody Knows Somebody", "Exit Music (For a Film)", "Fake Plastic Trees", "Floating in a Cocktail Glass", "From St. Kilda to Fitzroy", "The Gardener", "Glacier", "Grown Man Cry", "Guitar Hero", "Have You Seen My Sister Evelyn?", "I Google You" live Who Killed Amanda Palmer [pre-order edition], "I Want You, But I Don't Need You" live An Evening With Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer, "I Will Follow You Into the Dark" live An Evening With Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer, "In My Mind", "Killing in the Name" live Coney Island 2016, "The Killing Type", "Laura", "The Living Room", "Lost", "Love Will Tear Us Apart", "Mandy Goes to Med School", "The Mess Inside", "Mother", "My Alcoholic Friends", "My Space", "A Night at the Roses", "Nikola Tesla", "No Surprises", "Olly Olly Oxen Free", "Pierre" live Live: In Paradise, "Prithee/Liquidation Day", "The Problem with Saints" live An Evening With Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer, "Provanity", "Rainbow's End", "Regional Echo", "The Ride", "Runs in the Family", "Sex Changes", "Sing", "Slide", "Smile (Pictures or It Didn't Happen)", "So Much Wine", "Solid Rock", "Sorry Bunch", "The Time Has Come" live A Is for Accident, "Trout Heart Replica", "Truce", "Truganini", "Two-Headed Boy", "Vegemite (The Black Death)" live Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under, "We're Happy Little Vegemites" live Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under, "Will" live A Is for Accident, "You Only Want Me 'Cause You Want My Sister", "Zombie")

Significant Low Notes:
G3 ("1.1.94", "All I Could Do", "Ampersand", "Another Year: A Short History of Almost Something", "The Assistant", "Australia" live Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under, "Bad Habit", "Ballad of a Teenage Queen", "The Bed Song", "Bigger on the Inside", "Black Smoke", "Bottomfeeder", "A Campaign of Shock and Awe", "Christopher Lydon" live A Is for Accident, "City Hall", "Coin-Operated Boy", "Colorblind", "Dear Old House" live An Evening With Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer, "Death Thing", "Denial Thing", "Dirty Business", "Do You Swear to Tell the Truth, the Whole Truth & Nothing But the Truth So Help Your Black Ass", "Doctor Oz" live Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under, "The Drover's Boy", "Drowning in the Sound", "Eisbär" live Vienna 2016, "Elephant Elephant", "Evelyn Evelyn", "Everybody Knows Somebody", "Exit Music (For a Film)", "Fake Plastic Trees", "Floating in a Cocktail Glass", "Gaga, Palmer, Madonna; A Polemic" live An Evening With Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer, "Girl Anachronism", "Glacier", "Guitar Hero", "Happy Birthday" live Melbourne 2012, "Have You Seen My Sister Evelyn?", "House of Eternal Return", "I Google You" live Who Killed Amanda Palmer [pre-order edition], "I Love You So Much", "I Would for You", "Idioteque", "In My Mind", "In the Heat of the Summer", "The Jack of Hands", "Judy Blume", "The Kill", "The Killing Type", "Laura", "The Living Room", "Machete", "Makin' Whoopee" live Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under, "Massachusetts Avenue", "The Mess Inside", "Mrs. O.", "My Alcoholic Friends", "My Space", "Necessary Evil", "A Night at the Roses", "Nikola Tesla", "Oasis", "Olly Olly Oxen Free", "On an Unknown Beach", "Paper Planes" live Cloud Club 2010, "Pierre" live Live: In Paradise, "The Problem with Saints" live An Evening With Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer, "Provanity", "The Ride", "Sandy Fishnets", "Sex Changes", "The Sheep Song", "The Ship Song" live Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under, "Slide", "Small Hands, Small Heart", "So Much Wine", "Sorry Bunch", "Star of Wonder", "Suck It Up, Buttercup", "The Thing About Things", "You Only Want Me 'Cause You Want My Sister")
F♯3 ("Again", "Another Year: A Short History of Almost Something", "Because the Origami", "Black Boys on Mopeds", "Blackstar" live BBC Proms 2016, "Dear Daily Mail" live London 2013, "Electric Blanket", "Everybody Knows Somebody", "High and Dry", "I Love You So Much", "In Harm's Way", "The Jeep Song", "The Kill", "The Last Day of Our Acquaintance", "Makin' Whoopee" live Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under, "Missed Me", "My Alcoholic Friends", "No Need to Argue", "Olly Olly Oxen Free", "Science Fiction/Double Feature" live Rocky Horror Show Halloween Livestream 2020, "The Sheep Song", "Sing", "Strength Through Music", "Subway", "Truganini", "Ukulele Anthem", "Vegemite (The Black Death)" live Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under, "Zombie")
F3 ("672", "The Angel Gabriel", "Australia" live Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under, "...Baby One More Time" live Pittsburgh 2006, "Bad Habit", "Bank of Boston Beauty Queen" live A Is for Accident, "Blurred Lines/Rape Me" live Auckland 2021, "Boyfriend In a Coma", "The Clock at the Back of the Cage", "Dear Jenny", "Dear Old House" live An Evening With Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer, "Evelyn Evelyn", "The French Brexit Song", "Glass Slipper" live A Is for Accident, "Gravity", "I Don't Care Much" live An Evening With Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer, "I Want You, But I Don't Need You" live An Evening With Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer, "I Will Follow You Into the Dark", "Killing in the Name" live Coney Island 2016, "Later You Told Me", "Life on Mars?", "The Living Room", "Lonesome Organist Rapes Page-Turner", "Louise Was Not Half Bad", "Mad World" live Live at the Roundhouse, "Melody Dean", "A Mother's Confession", "Mr. Weinstein Will See You Now", "Night Reconnaissance", "Not Mine", "Pulp Fiction", "Purple Rain", "The Ride", "Shores of California", "Skye Boat Song", "Small Hands, Small Heart", "Solid Rock", "Star of Wonder", "Straight", "Strength Through Music", "Truce", "Ultima Esperanza", "Voicemail for Jill", "Want It Back", "Will" live A Is for Accident, "Wynken, Blynken and Nod")
E3 ("1.1.94", "1952 Vincent Black Lightning", "Amsterdam" live Coney Island 2016, "Astronaut: A Short History of Nearly Nothing", "Backstabber", "Bad Wine and Lemon Cake" live Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under, "Because the Origami", "Berlin", "Beyond the Beach", "Bigger on the Inside", "Boston", "Christopher Lydon" live A Is for Accident, "Coin-Operated Boy", "Colorblind", "Dear Daily Mail" live London 2013, "Death Thing", "From St. Kilda to Fitzroy", "Gaga, Palmer, Madonna; A Polemic" live An Evening With Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer, "Good Day", "Grown Man Cry", "Half Jack", "Have to Drive", "I Would for You", "I'll Be Your Mirror" live Seattle 2011, "In My Mind", "The Jeep Song", "Judy Blume", "The Killing Type", "The Last Day of Our Acquaintance", "Laura", "Machete", "Mandy Goes to Med School", "Massachusetts Avenue", "Me & the Minibar", "Mein Herr" live Live at the Roundhouse, "Modern Moonlight", "A Mother's Confession", "My Favorite Things", "New England", "No Need to Argue", "Not Mine", "Polly", "Pretty in Pink", "Rainbow's End", "Science Fiction/Double Feature" live Rocky Horror Show Halloween Livestream 2020, "The Shock of Kontakt", "Sing", "Smile (Pictures or It Didn't Happen)", "Sorry Bunch", "Stand by Your Man" live A Is for Accident, "Surface Pressure", "The Thing About Things", "Thirty Whacks" live A Is for Accident, "The Time Has Come" live A Is for Accident, "Trout Heart Replica", "Truganini", "Two-Headed Boy", "War Pigs" live Live: In Paradise, "You Got Me Singing", "You May Kiss the Bride", "You Only Want Me 'Cause You Want My Sister", "Zombie")
E♭3 ("Bad Habit", "Beautiful Plastik/The Mall", "Berlin", "A Campaign of Shock and Awe", The Changing Room", "Dear Jenny", "Dirty Business", "Doctor Oz" live Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under, "Guitar Hero", "Institutionalized", The Jack of Hands", "Missed Me", "The Mouse and the Model", "Mr. Weinstein Will See You Now", "New Zealand" live Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under, "Nikola Tesla", "Sex Changes", "Shores of California", "Slide", "Stand by Your Man" live A Is for Accident, "Ultima Esperanza", "Will" live A Is for Accident, "You May Kiss the Bride")
D3 ("All I Could Do", "The Assistant", "Backstabber", "Bank of Boston Beauty Queen" live A Is for Accident, "The Bed Song", "Black Boys on Mopeds", "Blake Says", "Boston", "Bottomfeeder", "Chicken Man", "Christopher Lydon" live A Is for Accident, "Coin-Operated Boy", "Dear Daily Mail" live London 2013, "Dear Jenny", "Dear Old House" live An Evening With Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer, "Delilah", "Denial Thing", "Do It with a Rockstar", "Do You Swear to Tell the Truth, the Whole Truth & Nothing But the Truth So Help Your Black Ass", "The Drover's Boy", "Elephant Elephant", "Evelyn Evelyn", "Everybody Knows", "Fake Plastic Trees", "Floating in a Cocktail Glass", "From St. Kilda to Fitzroy", "The Gardener", "Gravity", "Grown Man Cry", "High and Dry", "I Don't Care Much" live An Evening With Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer, "I Want You, But I Don't Need You" live An Evening With Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer, "I'll Be My Mirror", "I'll Be Your Mirror" live Seattle 2011, "I'm Going to Go Back There Someday", "Idioteque", "In My Mind" live Aotearoa 2020, "In the Heat of the Summer", "Killing in the Name" live Coney Island 2016, "Labyrinth", "Later You Told Me", "Leeds United", "Look Mummy, No Hands", "Mandy Goes to Med School", "Missed Me" live Live: In Paradise, "Mother", "Mrs. O.", "No Surprises", "Oasis", "On an Unknown Beach", "The Perfect Fit", "The Point of It All", "Polly", "Prithee/Liquidation Day", "Regional Echo", "The Ship Song" live Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under, "Skye Boat Song", "Smile (Pictures or It Didn't Happen)", "So Much Wine", "Three Men Hanging" live 7 Series (Part 3, "Trout Heart Replica", "Truce", "Vegemite (The Black Death)" live Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under, "Will" live A Is for Accident, "Wynken, Blynken and Nod", "You Got Me Singing")
C♯3 ("1952 Vincent Black Lightning", "Blake Says", "First Orgasm", "Glass Slipper" live A Is for Accident, "Half Jack", "Have to Drive", "Labyrinth", "Leeds United" lounge version, "Modern Moonlight", "The Mouse and the Model", "No Need to Argue", "The Point of It All", "The Shock of Kontakt", "Two-Headed Boy")
C3 ("Bank of Boston Beauty Queen" live A Is for Accident, "Beautiful Plastik/The Mall", "Black Boys on Mopeds", "The Changing Room", "Delilah", "Elephant Elephant", "Exit Music (For a Film)", "Fake Plastic Trees", "Glacier", "Guitar Hero", "I Will Follow You Into the Dark", "I'm Going to Go Back There Someday", "Laura", "Louise Was Not Half Bad", "Machete", "Me & the Minibar", "The Mess Inside", "Mother", "A Mother's Confession", "New Zealand" live Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under, "No Surprises", "The Perfect Fit", "Prithee/Liquidation Day", "Solid Rock", "Space Oddity", "Suck It Up, Buttercup", "The Thing About Things", "Trout Heart Replica", "Ultima Esperanza")
B2 ("Electric Blanket", "Judy Blume", "Labyrinth", "On the Door", "The Perfect Fit", "Space Oddity", "Surface Pressure", "Truce")
B♭2 ("The Changing Room", "Pulp Fiction", "Subway")
A2 ("Beyond the Beach", "Everybody Knows", "Mother", "Prithee/Liquidation Day", "Rainbow's End", "Regional Echo", "Solid Rock")
G♯2 ("The Shock of Kontakt")
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• Bold marks notes or passages that are particularly outstanding (relative to the singer).
• Italics mark non-melodic notes.
• Underlines mark notes that are obscured in the song mix.

Everything about Amanda Palmer seems to deliberately go against the grain. From her unapologetically theatrical stage presence to her darkly comic lyrics littered with expletives, Amanda has been relentless and uncompromising across her career in regards to both her songwriting and her public persona. Her career having started in dark cabaret duo The Dresden Dolls, Amanda has since branched off to forge her own solo career, her unique discography still polarising critics but gaining a cult following.

As far as her singing goes, Amanda's voice is anything but technical. Her distinctly rough-around-the-edges style is especially evident in her vocal performances, which are powerfully emotive yet unpolished and pitchy. Her lower register is actually an extremely solid one, sounding comfortable in the lower third octave, though her upper register is far less consistent, mostly comprised of raw fourth octave belts and random exclamations. Though Amanda's distinctive style may not be conventionally appealing, one cannot deny how individual and powerful her vocal performances are.

SPOILER: Click to show

{A Few Examples of Her Voice}
A nice display of how raw and impassioned she gets live.


Some surprisingly solid belting and head voice high notes!


Showcases how effortless her lower register is.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Questionable Notes}
G♯6 ("Girl Anachronism"^[1])
E♭6 ("Bank of Boston Beauty Queen" live A Is for Accident^[1], "Sex Changes"^[1])
D6 ("Lonesome Organist Rapes Page-Turner"^[1])
F♯5 ("Glass Slipper" live A Is for Accident^[1])
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1. Questionable exclamations and slides.
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Questionable notes are any notes of questionable significance. In short, this spoiler acknowledges notes that I am aware exist, but do not want to contribute to the singer's range. These involve (but are not limited to) notes of questionable identity, notes of questionable legitimacy and notes of significantly poor quality.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Notewatching Credits & Other Info}
Alex61
Solo:
Who Killed Amanda Palmer (2008): C3 – G♯5
Amanda Palmer Performs the Popular Hits of Radiohead on Her Magical Ukulele EP (2010): C3 – B5
Theatre Is Evil (2012): C3 – F5
You Got Me Singing (2016): C3 – G4^[1a]
I Can Spin a Rainbow (2017): G♯2 – G4^[1b]
There Will Be No Intermission (2019): B2 – D5
Amanda Palmer & Friends Present Forty-Five Degrees: Bushfire Flash Record (2020): A2 – C5^[1c]

The Dresden Dolls:
The Dresden Dolls (2003): B2 – E6
Yes, Virginia... (2006): C3 – E♭5

Evelyn Evelyn:
Evelyn Evelyn (2010): C3 – E♭5

8in8:
Nighty Night EP (2011): D3 – G5
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1. Collaboration album.

1. Collaboration with Jack Palmer.
2. Collaboration with Edward Ka-Spel.
3. Collaboration with Brian Viglione, Clare Bowditch, Fred Leone, Missy Higgins, Jherek Bischoff, and Montaigne.

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Notewatching of other performances not listed above done by Alex61

[Alex61]

THREAD IS NOW FINISHED - only posting so I can call attention to the fact that I have experimentally removed "live" tags and instead just put the location/date/album title of live performances after the idea was tossed around a bit, it might end up being something we endorse and encourage in the future :P