THE DRESDEN DOLLS My Alcoholic Friends (Tailor’s Version)Single June 5th
- Desh Kapur
- Jun 9
- 4 min read
THE DRESDEN DOLLS
My Alcoholic Friends (Tailor’s Version)
Single June 5th
Yes, Virginia… (Tailor’s Version)
Album Released Aug 7th
& UK Live Shows
The Dresden Dolls – the pioneering punk cabaret duo of singer-songwriter Amanda Palmer and drummer/multi-instrumentalist Brian Viglione have shared a brand new rendition of the fan favourite, My Alcoholic Friends (Tailor’s Version), available everywhere now. The song’s original version has proven to be an enduring classic for the Dresden Dolls, amassing more than 240M worldwide streams and over 70M views on YouTube, and recently earning the band their first-ever RIAA Platinum certification, two decades after its original release. My Alcoholic Friends (Tailor’s Version) is among the standout tracks on Yes, Virginia… (Tailor’s Version), a newly re-recorded 20th anniversary celebration of the Dresden Dolls’ landmark 2006 second studio LP, arriving digitally and on CD and vinyl on Friday, August 7. Pre-orders/pre-saves are available now.
“The Dolls have been smashing out ‘My Alcoholic Friends’ on live stages for over two decades now, so re-recording it a few months ago was less of a scary challenge and more of a fun circus ride: it's so inside of our blood that the song almost plays itself at this point,” reflects Amanda Palmer.
“This song (and this band, for that matter) was never about perfection. It was supposed to hit the listener like a sonic car crash. The fact that it blew up on TikTok absolutely delighted us, and it’s been a real trip to watch a whole new generation of listeners paste their own weird and personal meanings onto the lyrics. I've always loved songwriting as a game of emotional Marco Polo between the writer and the listener, and I even found myself creating new meanings in the words of ‘My Alcoholic Friends’ as I sang them into the mic, officially, for the second time. Music is a beautiful Rorschach and emotional conversation that way, not just between the band members, but between the listeners themselves as they take the words and attach their own designs on top…and I consider us really lucky to be able to re-record this music while we’re still in our prime as players.”
Hailed upon its original release for Viglione’s genre-spanning, emotionally expressive drumming and Palmer’s percussive piano work, jagged vocals and unflinching songwriting, Yes, Virginia…(Tailor’s Version) sees The Dresden Dolls exploring sexuality, identity, Holocaust denial, addiction, capitalism and social isolation against a backdrop of defiant joy. The tracklist remains unchanged – save for a bonus track on the new physical releases – but the performances reflect two decades of Palmer and Viglione’s artistic and personal evolution, adding renewed depth, nuance, and intensity to such treasured songs as My Alcoholic Friends, Sex Changes, Backstabber, Mrs. O, Sing, Delilah, and Me and the Minibar. Having earned global applause for their blazingly visceral live performances over the past 26 years, Palmer and Viglione approached the material with a deeper musical connection and a more expansive emotional range. Their performances do not attempt to perfectly replicate the original recordings. Rather, Yes, Virginia…(Tailor’s Version) reflects a more mature interplay – subtler, more elastic, and more attuned to space and restraint – while preserving the raw theatricality that defined The Dresden Dolls’ early work.
Long known as a fiercely passionate live band, The Dresden Dolls will hit the road for a celebratory world tour beginning September 1 at Vienna, Austria’s Arena Wien Open Air and will include two shows in the United Kingdom. Further US shows will take place across October and December. Tickets are on sale now, for complete details and ticket information, please visit dresdendolls.com.
THE DRESDEN DOLLS – EUROPEAN SHOWS:
SEPTEMBER 2026
1 – Vienna, Austria – Arena Wien Open Air
2 – Warsaw, Poland – Progresja
4 – Prague, Czech Republic – ARCHA+
5 – Berlin, Germany – Huxleys Neue Welt
7 – Utrecht, Netherlands - TivoliVredenburg
8 – Paris, France – Élysée Montmartre
10 – Manchester, UK– Albert Hall
11 – London, UK – British Airways ARC
ABOUT THE DRESDEN DOLLS:
Formed in Boston in 2000 after a chance meeting at a Halloween party, Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione established The Dresden Dolls as a singular force in the underground music and art scene. Their fusion of theatricality, punk energy, and cabaret sensibility helped define the “Punk Cabaret” genre.
In 2003, The Dresden Dolls won their hometown’s prestigious WBCN Rock & Roll Rumble and released their self-titled debut album, featuring enduring songs such as Coin-Operated Boy and Girl Anachronism, the latter of which was later featured on the hit Showtime series Weeds. Two years later, a support slot with Nine Inch Nails helped propel their international profile. The years that followed saw the band touring extensively around the world, with sold-out headline shows, shared stages with such artists as Cyndi Lauper, Debbie Harry, Patti Smith, The Cure, and Panic! at the Disco, a memorable New Year’s Eve collaboration with the Boston Pops Orchestra at Boston’s Symphony Hall, and festival appearances at Lollapalooza, Coachella, Bonnaroo, Fuji Rock, and Glastonbury. Among their many accolades, The Dresden Dolls have received multiple Boston Music Awards, while artists like Billie Eilish, Doja Cat, Lady Gaga, and Jinkx Monsoon have all publicly celebrated the band and Palmer’s songwriting as influences on their own work.
The Dresden Dolls began an unofficial hiatus in 2008, pursuing wide-ranging creative paths. Viglione has performed with acts including Nine Inch Nails and Violent Femmes, while Palmer has built a multi-faceted solo career spanning theater, crowdfunding, and public speaking. Her 2014 memoir, The Art of Asking, became a New York Times bestseller while her celebrated TED Talk is currently poised to achieve a milestone 20 million views.
Now, after years of individual evolution and intermittent reunions, The Dresden Dolls’ influence continues to resonate with new audiences, as streaming platforms and social media introduce their work to a new generation drawn to dramatic, emotionally bracing songwriting.
It’s time, once again, for the Punk Cabaret.
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