It seems entirely fitting that King Missile's 'Detachable Penis' is played over the PA ahead of Peaches' sexually charged and, at times, explicit performance – a show of various states of undress, topically and thematically NSFW.
It's not for lack of a good reason security was checking identification upon entry. If you were in attendance (1 March), then you may not be able to discuss this with someone who wasn't; and if you weren't there then you probably shouldn't tell anyone you have read this.Peaches carefully walks on stage with the use of a walking frame appearing as a grotesque caricature granny wearing a vulva headpiece, a bra poorly fitted above her exposed breasts.
She elicits a fart noise from her Rowland MC-505 sequencer and remarks: "I'm just f...ing with you," before launching into 'Set It Off'.
For 'Hot Rod', she's joined onstage by the imposing, statuesque Bláthin on guitar, somewhat frightening in platform boots, ripped fishnet stockings like spider-webbing, and a haircut stylistically on par with that of The Prodigy's late Keith Flint.
While Bláthin's appearance and manner may have been initially alienating, by the end of the show, seated at a keyboard beaming with delight, we have embraced her individuality as we have the rest of the 'band': Tiff on drums, plus dancers Natasha and Federica, all joining Peaches onstage soon after.
This show is part of 'The Teaches Of Peaches' 20th anniversary tour; although the album's entire tracklist is performed across the evening, it's out of sequence but paired with other songs from her back catalogue which adds a welcome element of surprise.
The show is a virtual retrospective Peaches fashion parade and among the older outfits, there are a couple of new ones including a jacket made of pink hotpants and the prolapse costume that could be worn by three people at the same time, and from which the dancers are later birthed.
Although Adelaide doesn't get the giant inflatable condom within which Peaches usually 'walks' over the audience, tonight she traverses the audience, bareback so to speak, her feet and legs supported effectively by a sea of hands.
After this incursion, back on the stage the performance goes all rock with Peaches picking up a Flying V guitar for 'Sucker' and the self-referential generalisation of 'Rock Show'.
Things slow down a little for the pairing of 'Suck And Let Go' and a cover of Berlin's 'Sex (I'm A...)'. Paced industrial beats soundtrack an erotic dance sequence before an about-face and the call and response of 'AA XXX', during which Peaches does the splits while Bláthin performs a stylised dance seemingly somewhat possessed.
Peaches dons a Rapunzel braid outfit like a boa for 'Lovertits' and after 'Felix Partz', she announces there's only one more song from the album. That last song is still a third of the set away which includes the inciting 'Shake Your Dix' and classics 'Boys Wanna Be Her' and 'Talk To Me'.
Between the back to back 'Pussy Mask' and 'Vaginoplasty', Peaches states: "You're in the middle of a pussy duo."
'Dick In The Air' completes the set with Peaches suggestively spraying the audience with silly string.
For the encore, the ersatz title song 'F... The Pain Away' completes the performance of songs from 'The Teaches Of Peaches'. The performers leave and the audience then cheer, satisfied, but Bláthin and Tiff soon return to set up a keyboard in front of the drums, the audience starting a chant: "Plug it in."
The final song is worth the wait, a surprise to some but most knew the words, or at least the words to Celine Dion's ubiquitous version of the Jim Steinman written ballad 'It's All Coming Back To Me Now'.
Peaches' version is something else altogether, an extended performance that she stops and starts, punctuated by audience screams and cheers, and inexplicable silent arm-waving.
Dressed in a silicone tit ensemble, Peaches displays an angelic vocal ability heretofore unheralded this evening, transcending her usually aggressive, occasionally rapped vocal delivery.
Flanked only by Tiff on drums and Bláthin on keys, this was a beautiful performance not withstanding Peaches' lyrical transpositions that surprised and entertained her bandmates and the audience in equal measure.
This experience could be deemed sacrilegious in that although we didn't get a repeat of Peaches baptism by breastmilk that occurred during her last Adelaide show in 2016, there was some 'walking on water' as the dancers poured communion wine directly into the mouths of the audience late in the show.
Although it might not be entirely appropriate, if there was ever a time fitting to exclaim "Oh God!" it was at the climax of this show.
