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Expect The Unexpected

There's only one thing to expect at an Amanda Palmer show: the unexpected. It's evident from as early as the queue, snaking down the length of Lothian Road from outside Edinburgh's new Picture House venue. There are spectacular outfits, fabulous hats, a tall man with a zombie puppet bearing a "Who Killed Amanda Palmer" t-shirt and a girl dressed as a Russian peasant peeling onions in some bizarre form of performance art. There's a brief glimpse of a certain tousel-haired famous fantasy author dashing by and then - yes, the lady herself, stopping traffic with her ukulele as the queue shuffled forward.

The Indelicates were a worthy choice of support: while the band don't cross over into the cabaret side of things they are just as passionate about they do, just as independent and just as wickedly funny. If anything, the wicked cynicism that punctuates their recorded material is even more intense live; what with you being close enough to see the flecks of spittle from Simon's lips as he sneers his way through another "song that got us into trouble on the internet. From the giggles from those members of the audience unfamiliar with the set's punchlines ("Waiting For Pete Doherty To Die" the most notable example), they certainly won a whole new host of fans.

With the Fringe running this month it's fair to say that a half-naked Butoh-inspired dance troupe, clad in tutus and white body paint, certainly isn't the strangest thing most people have seen in Edinburgh recently, but Zen Zen Zo was new to me. Intense, provocative and hard to describe, their dramatic physical theatre meant the usual pause between band sets passed pretty quickly.

Still by this time the crowd was well and truly warmed up and we didn't have long to wait as, accompanied by local brass band Horndogs belting out the opening to 'Missed Me' the incomparable Amanda Expletive Deleted Palmer descended the gallery stairs and made her way onto the stage. Looking fabulous in purple star-patterned thigh-highs and a dress that looked as if it had been thrown together by an arts student on a vision quest, she straddled her trusty electric piano and whispered, thrashed and shrieked. On stage, Amanda is a performer in the truest sense of the word and it is worth getting as close to the front as possible to watch her act her way through the songs - although, with such an adoring fanbase, it isn't always easy.

A particular highlight of the evening was a short reading from 'Who Killed Amanda Palmer' the book; a collaboration between Amanda and various photographers with short stories by now-partner Neil Gaiman. Gaiman can now add "roadie" to his already considerable skill set, as he kept his other half topped up with red wine through the early part of her performance before being encouraged onstage himself to read aloud from the book.

There's not much that could have dragged me all the way to Edinburgh while suffering a massive cold, but although I had to leave early to avoid the post-Festival train rush this was one evening I was very glad not to miss.