Swathed in silver sashes, corseted to the nines and with bra on full display (all chosen by her Twitter groupies), Amanda Fucking Palmer opens with a few big licks on the keyboard before launching into a set that surpassed all expectations.

A denizen of the Edinburgh Fringe, AFP blew her devoted audience away.

The last time I witnessed Amanda on stage was when I was about 14 years old, painted in white make up and wearing ill-fitting bondage gear, in the Cathouse in Glasgow. Sweaty teen fan girls and freshly out gay boys jostled for position in front of The Dresden Dolls, screaming out the angsty lyrics together because, they like, MEANT something to all us precocious misfits. This performance, now, seven years down the line and all pretensions of becoming Queen of the Night abandoned, was a stark contrast to those earlier days. Fizzing with energy and adrenalin, Amanda and her make shift band brought the house down, and this time I don’t mean into a pit of self-pity.

The atmosphere in the Picture House was near electric with anticipation for the night’s performance, and no one could have been disappointed. With a heady mixture of Dresden Dolls classics and her solo material, the music was given a new lease of life with a distinctly Eighties-style rewrite, creating a sense of energy and vitality that was not only invigorating but also brilliant to dance to. There cannot have been a single person in that audience who wasn’t moving to the music blasting out from the stage. Amanda herself performed with a depth of spirit that almost bordered on ferocity, demonstrating her true and contagious passion for her unique music.

Amanda Palmer has a knack of sourcing excellent temporary backing bands, and her support tonight consisted of an excellent drummer and guitarist kitted out in incredible sequined shirts and made up to look like Adam Ant. Alongside this pair, was a highly talented violinist purloined from the Shakira tour, a belly dancer who led the crowd in a mass aerobics routine (as if the night couldn’t get more 80s…), an Edinburgh based horn band called The Horn Dogs, and, last but by no means least, her husband Neil Gaiman. The author of the cult classic graphic novel, The Sandman, Gaiman and Amanda together is like a goth geek’s dream come true. To have both on stage, singing about Joan of Arc’s megalomaniac tendencies getting in the way of a good friendship, was both a privilege to witness and an incredible performance. Gaiman’s gravelly voice lends itself well to the tongue-in-cheek song, reminiscent of a younger Leonard Cohen perhaps. It is possible I am being a little romantic in my description here, but I was pleasantly surprised about Gaiman’s hidden talent for laconic singing.

Aside from Gaiman’s surprise guest performance, other highlights of the set included a rendition of Radiohead on the ukele from the recent release of an album of Radiohead covers, and the bold and brassy ‘Leeds United’. Part of an uproarious encore, the crowd went into a frenzy of yelling and whooping with what can only be described as joy.

Although Amanda is not set to release any new material for some time as a solo musician, I believe she is releasing some of the songs recorded by herself, Jason Webley and Neil Gaiman in the near future. AFP is one of these fabulous dark horse musicians: only recently has the world sat up and listened to her ever-changing, always innovative and edgy music. The progression she has made as a musician in the past few years as a solo artist is phenomenal, and I cannot wait to see what she does next. All I can guarantee is that it will surprise you and bring a massive grin to your face. A highly recommended artist, and an incredible and charismatic performer.