Gig review: Scissor Sisters

Published on Thursday 17 June 2010 01:16

SCISSOR SISTERS **** BARROWLAND, GLASGOW

IN THESE days of Lady Gaga domination, it is easily forgotten that another New York club act has brought the infectious energy, theatrical flamboyance and upfront sexuality of the gay disco to a mainstream pop audience five years before Poker Face.

Scissor Sisters were the – out and proud – pop noise of the mid-Noughties before "difficult third album" syndrome struck. An entire batch of songs were recorded then shelved before they found their groove with a little help from Madonna's producer Stuart Price and a guest vocal turn by Sir Ian "shake that booty" McKellen.

Now they are ready to get the party restarted in – of all the dance floors in all the towns – Barrowland, which has been chosen by the band as the optimum location to "baptise with fire" the songs from their forthcoming album Night Work.

For all the campery and costumes, Scissor Sisters are more of a rocking live band than a choreographed pop spectacle. So the sweat box environment suited them perfectly, despite a puny sound mix that drained some of the colour from their songs.

Aside from the charismatic pincer attack of co-vocalists Jake Shears and Ana Matronic, Scissor Sisters' chief weapon is killer catchy tunes. The new tracks packed an instant hit. A sleek logo-disco number was immediately followed by something which sounded like Daft Punk covering the Bee Gees, while Running Out was powered by the same glam exuberance as Sparks and elsewhere they dipped into the cartoony prom punk of the B52s. The reference points were as blatant as ever and you have to admire such consummate gleeful thievery. And who else would have the audacity to turn Pink Floyd's heroin downer Comfortably Numb into a camp rave odyssey?

New single Fire with Fire presented another change of pace and mood with a bittersweet lyric allied to an uplifting arrangement, but it can't beat I Don't Feel Like Dancing as the ideal way to dance away the heartache.

Their latest trump card was saved for the encore. Sir Ian sadly couldn't make it along in person but thanks in part to his voice-over contribution, Invisible Light felt like an epic disco version of War of the Worlds. As Ana Matronic put it herself in the local lingo: pure dead brilliant.