10 Things You Didn't Know About Amanda Palmer

10. She Was A Living Statue

Before becoming a professional musician, Amanda performed as a living statue on the streets of Boston. Dubbed the Eight Foot Bride by locals, Amanda wore a large white dress and gave out flowers to those who dropped money in her hat. She quickly found that she could make more money performing as a statue than she would earn working for minimum wage elsewhere, and the Bride soon became her primary source of income. Although the Eight Foot Bride started out in Palmer's hometown of Boston, she later performed under the same guise in Scotland, England, and Australia.

Palmer's autobiography, The Art of Asking, revealed that the Eight Foot Bride was born out of an earlier project while studying abroad in Berlin. At this time Amanda performed as a ballerina statue named Princess Roulette. She would draw a roulette circle on the pavement, spin when someone put money in her pot, and give out prizes depending on where she landed. However, Palmer abandoned the project after realising that she was spending more on props and gifts than she was earning from donations.

Contributor
Contributor

With a (nearly) useless degree in English literature and a personal trainer qualification he's never used, Freddie spends his times writing things that he hopes will somehow pay the rent. He's also a former professional singer, and plays the saxophone and ukulele. He's not really used to talking about himself in the third person, and would like to stop now, thanks.