Gig Review | Scissor Sisters | May 2025
A fantastic Scissor Sisters gig at the O2 London
Scissor Sisters delighted their fans with a show of vibrant and nostalgia. The night became even more memorable thanks to a surprise guest appearance towards the end.
Author | Sophie T
Back in 2004, the US didn’t know what to make of Scissor Sisters – an explosion of colour and sass, mixing elements of pop, glam rock and disco. The UK, on the other hand, embraced it; Scissor Sisters self-titled debut album shot to the No.1 spot, and was crowned by Attitude as the greatest gay album of all time.
There were no signs of rust from Jake Shears, Babydaddy or Del Marquis. Shears was still able to nail his trademark falsetto, meanwhile working through countless costume changes and maintaining his strutting stage presence, something that tends to fall by the wayside when frontmen reach the dreaded 40s.
Chairs are made for standing on
Initially, it seemed strange that the arena’s stalls area was filled with chairs instead of being left open for dancing, especially considering the Scissor Sisters’ reputation for their wild performances. However, any worries about a lacklustre show disappeared as soon as the lights went down, and the party atmosphere took over.
Ana Matronic, the band’s iconic co-lead, was sadly missing from the reunion, but Bridget Barkan and Amber Martin (two new additions on vocals ) stepped up to the plate, bringing bags of personality and bouncing off Shears throughout.
With it being a celebration of their debut, the band worked through near enough every track on the groundbreaking early 00s album. Laura kicked things off, Mary had the room swaying.
Take Your Mama had spontaneous dance floors being spread throughout the arena, even near the technical area. Several singles from Night Work and Ta-Dah were included. The the smash hit I Don’t Feel Like Dancing sent the atmosphere into overdrive alongside the anthemic Fire with Fire. What could possibly come next?
Things were about to get even better
The highlight of the night came near the end when the Sisters launched into Invisible Light, a single from their third album. Although this track isn't one of their most famous, it is fondly remembered for featuring a spoken word section by Sir Ian McKellen. When the moment arrived, a spotlight illuminated a specific spot on stage, and to the astonishment of everyone in attendance, the man himself appeared.
What made this special, though, was Sir Ian’s delivery. Rather than adopting the calm composure used in the recording, the legendary actor – who recently his 86th birthday, belted out the lines in a style more akin to his most famous lines in Lord of the Rings.
This made the dance drop that comes in after his lines feel even more earth-shattering. It had the O2 crowd losing their minds. Sir Ian hung around for the encore and an evening of joyful chaos eventually came to a close.
Some of the best comments from the people that were there
Aimee posted on her Instagram: "What a wonderful night. The atmosphere was electric."
Frankie delved into an interesting rumour saying: "I have heard that the band might be considering calling it a day. Only time will tell if that rumour is correct but if they are, this was an amazing way to end probably one of their last ever London gigs."
Paul told us: "The journalist in me would describe this as a performance that reaffirmed their status as enduring pop icons. The fan in me would simply say, wonderful, outstanding and joyful."
Our final thoughts
Summing up this magical night of music was always going to be difficult, Scissor Sisters delivered a joyous celebration of their 20th anniversary. The seated stalls transformed into a dancefloor as the evening gained momentum. The appearance of Sir Ian McKellen brought the arena to its feet. Overall, we're giving this gig an 8 out of 10.
Other gig reviews from the network
READ MORE | Preview of Oasis at Wembley
READ MORE | Gig Review of The Wombats
READ MORE | Gig review of Inhaler in Leeds
Comments
Post a Comment