What else is in the teaches of Peaches? What’s not? Since 1995 Peaches has been a pioneer of: body confidence; sexual overtness; feminism; gender fluidity and visual grotesqueness as an art form.
She’s championed the underdog in all of us; her music has inspired confidence and empowerment to both male and female form alike and tonight’s sold out show is a testament to that mantra.
The audience is swarming with Peaches disciples, skinny camp boys, disco kids, woman more close to Peaches own age (late 40’s), bearded men drinking pints and the odd patron sporting tour t-shirts that read ‘Whose cum is this?’.
Peaches glides on stage wearing a gold glitter cape, a skin coloured body suit with sequined hands stitched all over it at strategic locations, and some sort of cut out swimsuit that is sporting an angry face; it’s ostentatiously glorious and this is what the crowd have paid for.
As the opening boom of ‘Rub’, from her sixth studio album of the same name, comes on it’s not long before the eager crowd are worshiping at her feet.
Her stage presence is tenuous, for most of the show she can be found prowling back and forth on a raised desk, which seems to be housing a jumble of audio equipment; mixer, synth and effects pedals.
When she requires a change in tempo, she simply has to squat down in order to play her infamous electro-punk backing tracks; she’s like a caged animal, ferocious yet captivating.
By the third song the crowd are treated to the first of many theatrical moments during the spectacle that is the Peaches live show.
Two skinny backing dancers lope on stage sporting pink Lycra bodysuits with a very accurately sewn vagina costume to the front.
Peaches, framed by said two dancing vaginas launches into ‘Vaginoplasty’ a song, you will have guessed, that explicitly deals with labia augmentation.
With that, the tone is set for the rest of the evening, with the backing dancers sporting a number of outfit changes and hilarious dance routines that feature heavily on BDSM, pelvic thrusting, fellatio mimicking and general sexual ambiguity.
After the first electronic organ sounds of ‘Lovertits’ – from 2000’s The Teaches of Peaches, the crowed are whipped up into a frenzy and the hand waving dancing starts in earnest.
“I wanna walk on you Glasgow” when Peaches utters this at first I assume her intent was to crowd surf – however no, she literally meant walk on top of people, she does this while unflinching and rapping out ‘Burst’; an impressive feat for not only her vocal range but also her calf muscles.
Her next attempt to “walk on the crowd” is during ‘Dick in the Air’ when from the right hand side of the stage, is produced, a phallic tunnel, which inflates rapidly allowing the singer to move out above the crowd.
The seemingly last song is ‘Fuck the Pain Away’, for which she produces two magnums of champagne, which she enthusiastically sprays into the crowd.
Shortly after wheeling off stage a large bag that says ‘Peaches Tour Bag’ she reappears wearing sequined hot pants and a sequined top – with the chest area cut out.
However, it isn’t for shock value and it doesn’t cheapen the experience instead it only serves to solidify Peaches’ status as a visual artist and one who can command the room in whatever way she pleases.
She remained topless for the entirety of the encore, which is made up of; ‘Dumb Fuck’, ‘AA XXX’ and ‘Light in Places’.
A brave, vital performance from a woman who has carved out a career for herself by making her own decisions and doing things her own extravagant way.
So, what else is in the Teaches of Peaches? Probably everything.
Words/Photos: Ang Canavan
