REVIEW: The Scissor Sisters
- Posted on July 27, 2007 3:06 PM
- 7 comments
Scissor Sisters
The O2 Arena
July 14th 2007
Review by Katie Spain
The O2 Centre played host to Babs, The Simpsons Movie premiere and Joss Stone last tonight. Colourful stuff when you consider the bright yellow hue of the cartoon characters and their not-so-red carpet. Tonight however, we're in for colour splashing of an entirely different variety. No one puts on a show like the Scissor Sisters - I dare you to disagree.
My companions and I are excited - the glamour puss inside is clawing at my skin... begging for release. After a day in the office and a tube ride out to Greenwich it's going to take a little more than the small pot of glitter I have in my pocket. Despite the sparkle, I feel under-dressed. Around me, ladies prance past wearing pink feather boas and sparkly top hats. It's like hen night heaven - without the brides to be.
Suddenly I'm overwhelmed by glistening spandex stretched tight over taught muscles. The camp fans have arrived. There's a mix of people here - young children grip their parent's hands with excitement (surely not spandex fear) and the number of middle-aged women is overwhelming. Age, race, sexual preference and outfits aside, they all have one thing in common - they're beaming. We are all united in the knowledge that a Scissor Sisters experience is always a spectacle. Not even the ridiculous line-ups for food and drink can pull a good sister down.
I'm not sure why they're so late to hit the stage; it's pushing nine-thirty by the time the lights dim but the O2 has boredom methods in place (aka loud pumping music, wandering human booze vendors and a mass of inflatable beach balls). Like the Mexican wave pulsating its way around the upper levels, these only entertain for so long. The neon scissors emblazoned on the stage backdrop are eye-catching enough but we want the real thing. Now.
I've seen the New Yorkers twice now. Once in the middle of Trafalgar Square amidst thousands of competition winners decked in red, and another time at Brixton Academy for their fancy dress Halloween affair. Both blew the memorable scale to extreme. It'll take a big O2 bash to top them.
As the lights finally dip, the letters S-C-I-S-S-O-R S-I-S-T-E-R-S flash before our eyes. We're encouraged to spell along but the crowd is impatient now, we just want to sing damn it. As the flashing letters get faster, so too do the outstretched hands before us. As Babydaddy, Ana Matronic, Del Marquis and Jake Shears hit the stage any feelings of 'seat' envy vanish... I'm glad I'm in the thick of it. You can't dance in the space between two chairs.
Jake's voice cuts through the venue like a razor sharp knife through soft Edam. He's decked in tight silver trousers, silver waistcoat and ruffles. Fabulous daaahling! Ana stuns in a tasselled dress and finely sculpted red curls. What a pair - they ooze sex and the chemistry is electric. It's a pity Jake would be more likely to hook up with the muscled bods in the band's stage-side 'crotch pit'.
I'm going to get gushy with the descriptions but this is the Scissor Sisters so humour me, please. I'm by no means bias - if the band put on a poor performance I'd string them up by their sequin endowed necks. Luckily, there's no need. It doesn't rival the Trafalgar Square set, but the colossal venue is full of light. Green lasers cut through the air, white light-globes hand like strings of beads across the audience and disco lights bounce above our heads. It's one giant disco party and the dance-floor is heaving.
"London is the second home of the Scissor Sisters" drawls Ana. "It ain't a party ‘til the t**s come out!" It's true, you can't say "T**s on the Radio" but I hear Jo Whiley said the 'F' word live on BBC One this morning. I guess every DJ has their day. We're treated to 'Laura' next - the crowd's clapping fills the room and thousands of voices join Jake's own American twang. We're given a mix of the old and the new; their latest album 'Ta-Dah' gets a healthy work-out.
Ana's mid song banter is plentiful. There's none of the teleprompt nonsense seen at the Barbra Streisand concert. Ana even tells us about her brush with Jesus at a recent tour of the Vatican. She asked Jesus three questions...
"The higher the hair, the closer to heaven". Is that true?"
He answered - "Yes true".
"I then said Jesus... homosexuals?"
He said "Can't get enough - love 'em"
I then had one more question... "Do you roll your own?"
"Yeah - but not as good as my Dad".
Speaking of the aforementioned Babs, Jake was at last night's concert. His review? "She came on stage ten minutes late, then she sang for ten minutes... and then she went off stage. It was the show that should have been called 'Barbra Streisand - watch me leave the stage'. Then four gay men came up an elevator and started to sing some of her hits."
Ana chips in - "So ladies and gentleman, the moral of the story is... the San Francisco Gay Men's Choir will come out and sing the rest of our show. Thank you, goodnight."
But they sing on... and on... 'Take Your Mama Out', 'Everybody Wants the Same Thing' and the cover of Pink Floyd's 'Comfortably Numb' and 'Kiss You Off' are highlights. There are a few complaints about the sound... but they come from two miserable looking sods that don't move an inch the entire concert. Some people just can't appreciate fun when it hits them in the face. We're all singing along and the sound still cuts through our warbling. No complaints from this corner.
Ana Matronic makes people feel beautiful. It's in the way she moves, in the way she struts her curvy stuff and in the way she doesn't give a flying hoot what people think. She doesn't do it in a Beth Ditto kind of way - think Marilyn (burlesque style) and you'll hit the fiery redhead mark. As she rips into the first few lines of 'Filthy Gorgeous' the oestrogen starts pumping. The breasts bouncing about on the big screen make us all bounce along with them. In an impromptu display of curve-appreciation, my pal and I pull our tops down lower. Weight Watchers leaders worldwide would be ever so proud of this mass display of 'gorgeousness'.
I lose myself now... and this, my dears is what this band is all about. Love them or hate them, it’s happy music. For two hours I think of nothing but the music; of the pounding feet, of the shapes that I'm throwing and of the moment. For a high-strung London lass like me, this doesn't happen often. It's a gym workout, musical massage and stress buster in one.
It's at this point Jake acknowledges the absence of Paddy. His mum died recently and he hasn't been able to make it. Mary is dedicated to them. Beside me, my friend turns on the waterworks - the few sad moments and a couple of slowies give us time to breathe and show us the softer Scissor side.
When Jake peels off most of his clothes and they close with 'I Don't Feel Like Dancin' the mood soars amongst the lasers above. It's obvious why this song was the fourth best selling single in the UK in 2006; this band is formed of born performers, talented exhibitionists and masters of mass good vibes. It's been the concert of my year - I’d happily do it all again tomorrow.
They are indeed our Scissor Sisters - and we wouldn't have them any other way. I'm sure Ana's new mate Jesus would agree.
And for the memories...
The Scissor Sisters live - Seatwave
Posted 1 Minute AgoThe Final song by the Scissor Sisters as they perform live in London at the O2 Arena. July 2007
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Comments (7)
Jon
Great review, Katie. We were there too and you nailed the atmosphere perfectly! What a great band. And what a great night!
Posted on July 28, 2007 2:49 PM
JESSICA
DOES ANYONE KNOW WHO SINGS THE SONG WHICH WAS PLAYED JUST BEFORE THE SCISSOR SISTERS CAME ON STAGE? CAN'T TAKE MY EYES OFF OF YOU BY???
Posted on July 29, 2007 9:37 PM
alan
The band were amazing, but the whole experience WAS spoilt by the terrible sound. We were not the "miserable looking sods", as we danced for a lot of the show, BUT I have heard better sound in a village hall. The problems could be the O2 not resonating well, the equipment or a terrible sound man.
All I can say is that the reviewer must have been one of those that kept on getting up and going to the bar every five minutes, annoying everyone else.
Posted on July 29, 2007 11:13 PM
Sam
Absolutely awesome, what a party atmosphere! At one point during the show the whole arena lit up, it was packed to the rafters with everyone up on their feet, clapping and dancing to the music, it was a wonderful sight....and what a finale!!
Posted on July 30, 2007 11:56 AM
Kay
Hi - The Scissor Sisters were just fantastic - but my original seat was level 4 row q - it was so high I had a complete panic attack! I went to Customer Services who reseated me in row e and that was fine - it was my first time in the O2 and probably not my last but I will make sure I get tickets for level 1!
Who was the support band?
Posted on July 30, 2007 1:24 PM
Julie
I went to the Friday 27th gig with my fiance who is the Scissor Sisters fan. I must admit although I thought they were ok, I much prefer the likes of Bon Jovi, Nickelback etc..., after having been to the gig I was thoroughly entertained and couldn't help but dance. I love 'Kiss You Off' as it is a very "punchy" kind of song. You won't hear any complaints from me about going to future gigs.
Posted on July 30, 2007 3:37 PM
Katie
As the reviewer, I can 100% say I did not go to the bar ONCE. Let alone every 5 minutes. I did have one loo break - but you can't blame a girl and her bladder now can you?
Most bands would fail miserably beneath poor sound support. Full marks for the Scissor Sisters for entertaining 100% regardless. Third place after 3 Scissor gigs but wouldn't hestitate to get tickets for the fourth... wherever they turn up next.
Posted on August 1, 2007 3:52 PM
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