respect for Peaches her costume switches, glossy bitches, filthy rhymes & good times

If someone had asked me before Friday what Ether 09 was, I wouldn't have had a clue. I would have guessed something about chemistry but no; Ether 09 is an ongoing festival at the Royal Festival Hall that brings together modern artwork, film and music over April, with a heavy emphasis on experimentation. Case in point: an interactive installation of a projected face draws you in from the entrance, crossing the boundaries of weird and cool and sets us up for what's in store.

So it's to this background on the opening weekend that Peaches joined several other artists in the Every Little Defect Gets Respect show to headline the event and kick off the festival proper. I have to be honest in that I skipped all the other acts in favour of a beer and a strange taxi-humps-street-cleaner sculpture/installation outside the venue but I digress; they promised an incredible live show of her unique brand of unashamedly sexy electro-clash. In her own words, "we are going to kill you all, slowly."

And what a show, a riot of rock guitars, edgy synth basslines, and tight live drumming together with typically filthy lyrics: loud and large, with plenty of attitude. If a Yamaha keyboard pulled a Gibson guitar, added cocaine, a porn mag and a hotel room, then this gig would probably be the result. Peaches and her backing group are a tight and capable bunch who are not afraid to improvise and played a fantastic set's worth of electronic and rock-inspired material both old and new that got the hall buzzing and out of their seats.

The set list had a great selection, with firm old favourites 'Fuck The Pain Away', 'Set If Off', Fatherfucker', 'Boys Wanna Be Her' and 'Lovertits' mixed with new material from forthcoming album I Feel Cream, which sees Peaches heading to a more disco feel (a testament to the production influence of both Simian Mobile Disco's James Ford and Soulwax) but retaining the edge fans have come to know and love. Tracks to note are dirty dance title track 'I Feel Cream' and electro-clash favourite 'Talk To Me' - If this is any indication of what's coming up on her tour, Peaches is going from strength to strength.

Let's get one thing out in the open: if I had to think of a venue that would suit Peaches, I don't think a theatre environment, with rows of seats, would have come to mind, especially as security insisted we stay glued to our spots for the entirety of the show. However this meant that we didn't miss out on the stage antics and Peaches made the Royal Festival Hall into her own personal playground. Unafraid to play up to the audience, she struts amongst the aisles and clambers on top of speakers during songs, or uses her clothes to project images on for tricky light shows and, half way through the gig, she emerges on sky hooks and takes to the air like some kind of dirty valkyrie, setting the crowd alight.

I don't think the review would be complete without a word about the costumes. It didn't seem to go one record without a change (or strip), from a Goldfrapp-parody balloon top to all manner of sparkly leotards, draping gauntlets and OTT bling, flanked by backing band wearing glittery bondage leather and intricate goth lace. The highlight has to be the flashing crotch LED though - it's not just the music, it's the whole provocative ensemble that Peaches slaps in your face for your enjoyment.

Oh, and did she mention that her parents were in the royal enclosure? GOOD TIMES!

Do you really need a conclusion to this from me? Let's sum it up: leotards and keytars, costume switches and glossy bitches, filthy rhymes and good times. In short: a fantastic live set that lives up to Peaches' reputation and a gig that made Good Friday into a Dirty Great Friday.

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