Opening night of the Scissor Sisters’ latest assault on Sydney played like a dazzling and irreverent musical circus. The sell-out crowd at the Entertainment Centre was fondled, stroked and buffed in all the right places. The group’s intoxicating fusion of disco, glam rock and camp pop came to life in all its gregarious glory – brash and bold, inspired and joyous.
Front man Jake Shears performed with a startling and prodigious energy. It was as though he had been wound up backstage and released with the retraction of the curtain. He propelled himself around the stage like a cabaret caricature – hips gyrating and limbs flying. His voice is fresh and distinctive, accented by a sharp, almost metallic, sting that compliments his brazen and deliberately suggestive physical expression. He’s as cute as a button and knows it, a master at exploiting the affections of the drooling front row diehards with splashes of toned, sweaty flesh.
Ana Matronic is a delightfully outrageous chanteuse and so much more than just Shears’ backing vocalist. She owned her place on the stage and engaged the crowd skilfully between songs with witty banter and rousing monologues. Her gritty and explicit sexuality interacted spontaneously with Shears’ antics and together they created a potent, almost militant, union that blazed with innuendo and simulation.
Never missing an opportunity, the Scissor Sisters gave the receptive crowd a healthy dose of their newies, but it took favourites such as Laura, Take Your Mama and Comfortably Numb to really crack the rafters. The sound was heavy and almost lo-fi, ideally suited to the group’s raw and anarchic delivery. The set design and lighting were generic and generally disappointing. The rich artistic palette the Scissor Sisters convey should have been supported more aptly by these dynamics, as there was so much more room to move in terms of giving the show the extra silver lining it deserved.
However the night was more than just an ode to flashy disco tracks and glittery outfits. It was a celebration of diversity, pride and tolerance. Peel away the spandex and you have five people who understand deeply the power of music – not just to evoke pleasure, but also to evoke passion and unity. Behind the jokes and vulgarity is a seriousness that adds complexity and perspective. The show was a triumph.
Sydney based dance collective Sneaky Sound System supported. The guys continue to develop a strong groundswell of support and will hit the Good Vibrations Festival in February.
Check out the photos from the gig, here
