Live Review: Lady Gaga

Mother Monster sure knows how to make a fashionably late entrance.

But while Lady Starlight spins some tunes there are certainly enough fashion victims (poorly applied make-up, wacky wigs, towering heels, leotards - sometimes all together!) parading around to keep us entertained in the interim.

Lady Gaga's artRAVE: The ARTPOP Ball is an instant rave when 'ARTPOP' opens. There's an icy igloo wonderland onstage and transparent catwalks curve around to meet up at the back of the GA section. Gaga reps individualism like no one else and isn't afraid to flash her imperfections right up in yo' face. She wears a gorgeous sequinned shell bikini for Venus, which borders on tasteful, and promises us a show that is, "The ultimate experience". In keeping with the Gaga philosophy, her dancers come in all shapes and sizes - although we do miss Mark Kanemura, her longtime lead dancer and former So You Think You Can Dance (US) finalist (2008). There's some pretty cheesy chorey: travelling step ball changes?

Must Gaga wear a butt-flashing leotard all night?

As always, the production value on display here is next level. Giant props inflate and deflate, instantly creating patches of magical forest around the catwalk. Even Lady Gaga songs with innocent titles like MANiCURE (although the creative capitalisation is important here) contain racy lyrics: "Touch me in the dark/Put your hands all over my body parts". Early material such as Just Dance and Poker Face prove monster crowd favourites, but must Gaga wear a butt-flashing leotard all night? She's been in better condition physically during previous tours and breathes really heavily into the mic, knackered, in between songs. "Put your fucking cell phones away," Gaga demands by way of Telephone intro.

She then dedicates Dope to the Perth reviewer who accused her of miming, adding, "What the fuck is that, asshole?"

At one point Lady Gaga materialises as a Dalmatian jellyfish (for Paparazzi) and dancers deliver a hand-shaped seat for her to perch on for Do What U Want. There's a piano surrounded by stalagmites placed on the catwalk way out in GA and Gaga claims she's from purgatory, which she defines as, "Somewhere between sober and a mess". She then dedicates Dope to the Perth reviewer who accused her of miming, adding, "What the fuck is that, asshole?" Her voice is stronger than it's ever been and a punter yells out, "I love you, bitch!" While solo at the piano, Gaga becomes reflective: "I'm kind of known as the fucked-up popstar, but I wouldn't have it any other way." She then pulls a pair of twins plus friend onstage for Born This Way and they score their few minutes of fame. Some of the fan letters Lady Gaga reads out are exceptional - articulate and inspirational. "Art isn't a hierarchy, there's room for everyone," she tells us. Gaga's Judas intro is filled with vitriol, her spit aimed squarely at an ex.

Whatever you think of Lady Gaga, she is an excellent role model and advocates unconventional beauty. There's a brave/genius onstage costume change before Bad Romance, the resulting costume made of clear plastic with fluoro yellow criss-crossed tape covering her nipples. Applause is always deserved. Beanie babies are fired out of canons. A unicorn hits this scribe on the forehead, but is quickly snatched up by a neighbour in the crowd. He later informs that this soft toy has a name: Wishful.

There's some solo action on the piano during Lady Gaga's encore (Gypsy) and when a camera pans the crowd we witness many enamoured little monsters who simply ache for and need Gaga in their lives. Plus one labels Gaga " an Italian psycho", but there are a lot of artists who are worse influences out there. And of COURSE she was later sighted dancing, partially clad, on the bar at Cherry Bar.