Scissor Sisters – We are Scissor Sisters, and so are you (DVD)

One problem with listening to literally hundreds of albums a year is that some very choice music isn’t going to get the proper amount of time it needs to reveal itself to you. As it goes, when I heard the Scissor Sisters’ self-titled debut disc early last year, I immediately thought of them as a genuinely unique and energetic group, but at the same time I was somewhat disappointed. Having heard their single “Comfortably Numb” prior to hearing the rest of the CD, I expected and maybe even at the time actually wanted the band to be much more of a novelty group then they were. You couldn’t compare their Pink Floyd cover to anything other than actual 70’s disco, whereas the rest of their material mostly lives in the same world, an obvious worship of Elton John, Robbie Williams, and David Bowie. At the time I guess this is not what I wanted.

When their new DVD was recently released to worldwide acclaim, I took the time to go back and give their recording another chance, and I am very glad I did, as the Sisters are much more subversive and noteworthy, frankly important, to modern music than I had given them credit for the first go-round. With this new-found fandom I jumped on the chance to pick up the quite low-priced (12 dollars) DVD. It is in one word: packed.

Capturing a full 16:9 widescreen performance from Brighton, a 30 minute band documentary, and all of their music videos (except for Filthy/Gorgeous, which isn’t a big deal since that video isn’t so great), this DVD is an exceptional production. Even the DVD menus are great.

Live, the band have a distinct personality, both as individuals and as a band as a whole. This is rare these days and is great to see. Jake Shears is a hell of a frontman, queer as a three dollar bill and so fabulous you have to say it with a gay accent to really get the point across. There is an interaction and love for the the crowd that feels sincere and has earned them an excellent reputation for their shows, which comes across even through the disc, thanks to a variety of shots throughout the stadium and backstage. Unlike other music DVDs out there lately, this would never pass as a bootleg. The audience is amazingly devoted to this band. The band come across as much huger than they actually are, the show has a Big Event feel. It feels like watching a U2 show, like a Super Bowl halftime show (albeit one that would never get past the censors), everyone is so wild. The fans know all the words, sing along to everything (but thankfully, it doesn’t drown out the music at all), and during the slower numbers you can actually see audience members wiping away tears. The songs of course are top notch, blue-chip pop music. Catchy as hell, the concert just flies by with furious energy, and we are as well treated to some of the Sisters’ b-sides in the show, along with all the hits such as “Laura”, “Mary” and “Take Your Mama”. There is an encore where the stage fills with a sea of bizarrely costumed characters to match the intensity of “Music is the Victim”. You will wish you were there.

The live show is so good, the music videos seem poor in comparison, which is a feat because their videos are more creative than most. There are two versionsof “Laura”, the conceptually smart undersea disco adventure for “Comfortably Numb” and the ’so intentionally cheesy even the Darkness are jealous’vid for “Take Your Mama”.

The band documentary is 30 minutes long and good, and takes you through the band’s entire history, including each band members modest beginnings, which includes some very rare and definitely previously unseen footage of Shears, Babydaddy and Ana Matronic robot dancing – badly – in a small gay club talent show. The band members are quite likable, however Ana Matronic can be a little overbearing, although that seems to be her designated role in the band.

This DVD is even better and more essential for fans than the album, and ranks as among the best music DVDs I’ve ever seen. Recommended to watch after Hedwig and the Angry Inch for one hell of a Gay Old Time. — Goon

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