We saw the Scissor Sisters at what I think was their last UK tour date at the end of November 2006 in Sheffield.
For those who have never been to the Hallam stadium – don’t. The sound is bad beyond belief. We saw Def Leppard there in the early 1990’s and the acoustics were so bad would could not even recognise which songs they were playing. We said we would never go there again, but it is a lesson we will not forget a second time.
Anyway back to the Scissor Sisters and their performance. They came on at around 9.00pm and played for about 1 hour and 50 minutes. The show opens with a crassy but good intro involving their (second after the scissors motif) logo, the old style elevator. The elevator is center stage and has lights and pinging sounds as the floor counter goes up. As the final light glows the doors open and out come the Scissor Sisters to start the show.
I was initially excited about seeing the Scissor Sisters, but as the night in question grew closer I was less enthusiastic on two counts. Firstly, as a 45 year old I was worried that I would be the oldest person there and secondly (and way down the importance scale) I did wonder if they were a “gay only” band and that we might be out of place there as well.
I was way off base on both counts and truly staggered to see that the average age of the fans must have been thirty something. The 50 plus year olds were there in significant numbers and the male to female ratio was around 70% in favour of the ladies.
The Scissor Sisters really were amazing and, having seen a lot of bands over 25 years, I have to say that they rank at 2 or 3 on my best live performance list. Performance wise the stars are Jake and AnaMatronic who, aside from singing and dancing, double up as a great comedy act with adlibs, stories and rebuffs between every song. The entertainment is on every level and I have no doubt that, despite the appalling acoustics of the Hallam stadium, their musicianship will have been perfect. The over the top outfits and personas were also intact and the camp showmanship is never out of place. How the Scissor Sisters have not made it in their native America is beyond me. All the hits are played plus more and audience participation is not just requested but insisted upon. Those who do not get off their seats are chastised!
I won’t go through a song listing, but the mix included ballads as well as the dance stuff and the only minor disappointment for me was the exclusion of Return to Oz – a small blemish.
Would I see the Scissor Sisters again? Tomorrow if they were playing. This is one band not to miss and if you have not bought Tah Da, you are missing out on the best CD of 2006.
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