The Hall Of The Not So Famous (Part 3)

Inductee No. 3: Scissor Sisters

Hello, and now I will take you on a little journey into the world of the Scissor Sisters. It may be strange but also pleasurable, like watching Boohbah after doing mushrooms. The Sisters are indeed very psychedelic, and who would’ve thought that a camp, disco funk rock band would have the biggest selling album of 2004 in the UK? Well, no-one did but the Scissor Sisters have hypnotised the Great British public into a state of getting up shaking their arses to songs about drag queens (filthy/gorgeous) and swaying along to songs about the heartbreaking effect that crystal meth is having on the New York gay community (album finisher Return To Oz)

Firstly, anyone who knows me will know what kind of Scissor Sisters fangirl I am. I am obsessed, to be quite honest. My user name is “ScissorSister” on just about every messageboard I visit (I haven’t had that many people asking if I am an actual “scissor sister” [explanation later] Just to clarify, I’m not) and even my last.fm account (go on, laugh at my music taste) I love the Scissors and the Scissors love me! (I wish)

The SS released their first single in 2003 after a long hunt to build up a proper band. It all started as Jason Sellards, his friend Scott Hoffman and dream. When they decided they needed a girl they decided to ask friend Ana Lynch to join on a whim. She was a fellow freak who had seen them perform one of their oddest tracks (the weird but wonderful “Bicycling With The Devil”) as a two-piece earlier in the year and had bags of attitude so fit perfectly into the equation.

The group began to play small New York clubs miming along to songs and dancing to Scott’s choreography, not exactly his strongpoint may I add. After deciding they had to get a guitarist to be a proper rock band, they asked Derek Gruen, who had originally walked out on one of the band’s performances at a seedy gay bar because he thought it was so awful. Strangely enough, he was a member of this band he had hated a few months. A willing Patrick Seacor completed the lineup after Jason tired of using a silly little drum machine on their stomping tracks.

Of course, these names were far too boring to be a cool band! No! So Jake Shears (Scissors, Shears, get it!?!?) , Babydaddy, Ana Matronic (after her love of robots and the Bionic Woman), Del Marquis and Paddy Boom were born. And after a change of name from “Dead Lesbian and the Fibrillating Scissor Sisters” to just “Scissor Sisters” (cutting it down to just the a euphemism for lesbians) the band were on track. They recorded a fantastic demo album (available all over soulseek and worth the download, even if just for Ana’s speech on Filthy/Gorgeous, cruelly cut from the final edit) and were signed on dance label “A Touch Of Class.” They didn’t receive much interest when signed with them apart from Bicycling With The Devil being used on the "Party Monster" soundtrack and the first release of Laura reaching number 54 in the UK charts (there is alternative video for this version as well, it’s fabulous.)

The Sisters were eventually signed to Polydor. This is the label on which they released their smash hit debut album "Scissor Sisters" Things were all on the up from then on. Playing Glastonbury, T in the Park and V Festival 2004 and “Scissor Sisters” shooting up the charts. They released a DVD last year as well which features one of their famous live performances, this one being at the Brighton Dome. The next year the band were greeted with three Brits, every single one they have been nominated for. Then the band seemed to disappear until Live 8 and then V Festival 2005 where they completely stole the show. They are currently away in New York recording their much-awaited second album which according to Jake, is to be available in Spring 2006 and will definitely be one to look out for. Don’t stay away for too long Scissor Sisters, we will all miss truly the most original band to come out of 2004.

And we are good to you. Aren't we? We really are, as here is a little snippet of Scissor Sisters during the demo years. This is Filthy/Gorgeous featuring Ana's speech and more general aceness. Download here.