Live Review: Scissor Sisters

The Sydney Opera House may initially have seemed like a strange choice of venue, but Scissor Sisters transformed the all-seated concert hall into the sort of club environment that they are more used to in next to no time. With the doors opening an hour later than advertised (and only the band's own tweets offering 'technical difficulties' by way of an explanation) the warm up DJ did a great job in initiating that vibe as he got a very patient crowd hyped up. From the moment the band came on stage and launched into the high energy Any Which Way though they immediately had everyone on their feet and created an atmosphere more akin to a Mardi Gras after party than a concert hall.

Their pumping set drew most heavily on their recent Magic Hour album as the tribal beat of Let's Have A Kiki, the anthemic Only The Horses and the eruptive Shady Love kept their momentum going. Year Of Living Dangerously was perfectly placed midway through the set and proved to be a highlight in the way it provided a break in pace and allowed a degree of emotion to be displayed in delivery, which is never as apparent in a dance track. Not surprisingly though it was the older material that received the biggest reaction. Take Your Mama had a party feeling with its mass sing-along whilst they seem to have taken the injection of a dose of dance to extreme levels for their live cover of Pink Floyd's Comfortably Numb.

Despite those obvious dancey beats and biases, other elements still seeped into their music with some perfectly blended musicianship from the band. I Don't Feel Like Dancin' had a clear guitar edge running through it, whilst set closer Music Is The Victim took them even closer to a rock band sound. So much so that frontman Jake Shears broke the mic stand in rock star fashion at the end. He and frontwoman Ana Matronic exuded charisma throughout without a drop of egomania, with Shears being more than happy to join the backing singers whilst Matronic held the limelight in the power pop of Kiss You Off. There is no doubt the close relationship and respect the two of them display is the driving force of the band and their enthusiasm for what they do was clearly on display. Whilst Matronic remarked playing the Sydney Opera House was even more than a dream for her, Shears added that he genuinely thought they were going to be playing a basement in the venue, not the main hall. Tonight they made it all theirs, in inimitable style.