T’was the infamous night before BDO and all through Sydney music-lovers were making their way to a variety of high-profile gigs. The always controversial Peaches was to take the stage at Home Nightclub’s Rebel Rebel, complete with her first backing band, Hermes, comprised of guitarist Radio Sloan, ‘keytar’ and sequencing master JD Samson (of Le Tigre) and drummer Samantha Maloney (ex-Hole).

First support was Brisbane three-piece I Heart Hiroshima. Their style is best described as a kind of indie/punk with a strong beat. They don’t have a bass player, so their sound is quite raw and slightly discordant. They put in a solid set, drummer vocalist Susie Pallen pounding away from the centre of the stage, guitars winding in and out of each other like twisted steel wool. The tomboyish vocals of Pallen were an interesting counterpoint to guitarist/vocalist Matthew Somer’s frayed yowl. All up, a fun band.

Rap artist Macromantics was next, her rhymes supported by a single DJ. Although she displayed great attitude and enthusiasm, I felt she fell a little flat. It seemed there was something missing from her performance I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Perhaps a live drummer? Whatever it was, she still managed to shine in her freestyle, eliciting a healthy amount of applause from the crowd.A sci-fi soundtrack blaring from the stage, Peaches and Hermes entered the stage like deformed Jedi nights, masked, robed and brandishing glowing lightsabres. They then disappeared behind a large sheet, which dropped to reveal the lady herself standing atop Samantha Maloney’s drum kit, the rousing opening to Fuck or Kill booming out of the speakers. With the lyrics ‘I’d rather fuck who I want, then kill who I’m told to,’ she drew the crowd in immediately. Peaches was resplendent in leotard, several bras, boxing boots and knee guards, which she took off every couple songs until she had nothing on but a shiny silver bra and undies (eventually replaced by Barbie-pink leotard).

Latest single Boys Wanna Be Her, with its cutting guitar, managed to assist many to reach a state of electronic bliss. Soon after, the big, ballsy Rock Show kicked the show up a gear, adding a rough edge to her electro-clash sass. The crowd went mad as the opening to the iconic Fuck the Pain Away sounded, becoming a great gyrating mass of bodies, riddled with a bass line that you could feel in your chest. The room’s energy reached its height during I U She, the simple lyrics taking on the quality of a mantra-like ode to threesomes. Peaches sleazy yet humorously upbeat tunes were a perfect match for the nightclub-cum-rock-club vibe of Home. Supported by a strong backing band, she triumphed in style over the packed room. That and her magnetic performance got everyone moving. You would have had to be six feet under to not have had a boogie!

Click here to see the pics from the gig