As Iltc‘ guitarist c'nttlllttlc‘\ In tlc‘sct‘iltc‘ Iltc‘ iiiemhei's nl' tltis my sterinus nutlit's IIII‘IIIL'I‘ pursuits
Matrnnic as the hnstess (it a decadent cahai'et slinw in the l.nw er liast Side w hn'd learned her magic nit the San l-raiiciscn scene and Shears as a lictinn writing itiainr it's hardly a shnck In hear they w ei'en’t the types w ltn sat arnund in their rnnms playing alnng tn .limi llendri\ and dreaming nl~ l.eniinnesque sniigwriting ahilities. 'l'hei'e's iintliiiig pale skinned nr angst ahnut the Scissnr Sisters: this hand are hased nit a lny e nli mclndy. a passinn l'nr hednnism and an undeniahle talent l'ni‘ perlni‘mance.
"All nl' its always had music in ntii' li\es. htit l’addy is really the nnly liai'dcni’e musician.‘ Marquis explains. ‘\\'e all did nthei' things and nnce we gnt tngether it made sense hut l‘m nnt sure that well he in any nthei' hands it we hadn‘t met each ntliei'. .lake and Bahydaddy nnly started writing Ingetlter hecause .lttkc‘ ltitd it tlc‘slt'c‘ In [)c‘l'linl‘ltt and wanted In dn snmething ntlter than dress tip in nutlandisli clnthes and mime passages l‘rnm 'l'lit' lt’m'lty l/nrmr I’it'lm‘t' .S'limi'.‘
Despite their undeniahle theatrical and yisual appeal. it‘s the snngs that haye united such a tll\'c‘l'sc‘ gi'nup nl~ lians. The Sisters. ahility In make hankei's sing alnitg with lyrics ahnut ‘queers nn piers' and 'hlack haired Irannies‘. celehrating "l‘its nn the Radin‘ and inspiring l'aux- hawk dnnning lashinnistas In lilail arnund In a snund that clearly i'el'erences Ihe incredihly tincnnl liltnii .lnhn and the Bee (iees is a sheer strnke nl‘ genius. Marquis. hnwey‘ei'. is quick In write it till as pure cltance. ‘()ur sntiiid is a familiar nne that we just weren‘t hearing any mnre in mndern pnp and rnck. It was in nui‘ recnrd cnllectinns and nn the radin statinns that I grew tip witlt where l wnuld hear tlte ('ure‘s ‘l.et‘s (in In Bed‘ next In l)nlly l’at‘Inn‘s '9 In 5' next In Michael .lacks‘nn‘s ’0“. the Wall'. The statinns were really diy'erse tlten. htit ynu just dnn‘t get that now. especially nnt in the States. sn the alhum really just rel'lects tlte time we grew tip in. We‘re alsn really happy that it appeals In all types (it penple and that we can pull anyhndy in twin all walks nl' lil‘e.‘ Sn with their prnyncatiy'e lyrics and npenly gay rel'erences (the hands name cnmes l‘rnm New ank slang littl‘ leshians) are they hnping In npen a I‘ew ignnrant mainstream minds alnng the way'.’
‘lt‘s tint like a pnlitical agenda nr anything. We dn what we want In dn and l hnpe penple get inspired hy that. We‘re tint nut there trying In hrainwash penple intn taking their clnthes nt‘l‘ and quitting their jnhs nr accepting gay rnck hands. It‘s
‘WE'RE NOT OUT THERE TRYING TO BRAINWASH PEOPLE INTO TAKING THEIR CLOTHES OFF AND OUI'I'I'ING THEIR JOBS'
really ahnut gnnd sniigs in the end and l tliiitk that‘s \\lt;Il penple lIlIII\ litll'f
Serinus issues quickly dismissed. and cniiihiiied with the cnlntti'ttil trnupe's tinahashed lnyc nl decadent entertainment and iiniisensical lyrics. theie will iney itahly he penple eager In write them till as a nnyelty act and qttestinn their ahility tn stand the test nt time. 'l'he pnp industry is a tickle htismess. 'l‘his was nnwhere mnre apparent that at this years I in the Park where hnth the l)ai‘kness and New \‘nrk‘s nne-time kings nl' cnnl the Strnkes. whn laltei'ingly ltl'tttlg‘ltl llIL‘ l-L'\ll\;ll In ;I L‘litsc‘ ntt lllc‘ ltttc‘ls til. it [tnnt‘ly i‘eceiy ed secnnd el't'nrt. alter a hugely hyped t’ii‘sI. l‘c‘c‘c‘hc‘d it snntcwhat ltttllc‘tl i'espnnsc. ili\\n ltaltds hi'nught dnwn as quickly as they ‘i'e heen prnpelled In lame. .\ pnnr t'nllnw-up alhum will simply tint he tnlei'ated t'i‘nm an act sn successtul. It's a tlintiglit that wnuld send shi\ers tip the spines nl' mnst musicians. htit iint ntii' calm and cnllecIed guitarist. whn shrugs till all nntinns nl' pressure as snnn as it is meiitiniied.
‘.\'n. we're nnI wnri'ied at all. \Ve‘ll dn the ne\t alhum iii nttr nwii time. 'l‘here's a cntiple nl' new snngs and ideas l'lnatiiig ai'ntind htit we hayen't had time In get intn the sttidin yet. 'l'hat's scheduled l'nr .\'n\'einher and we alsn plan In write thrnugh the w inter and the spriiig.‘
Bel‘ni'e that. hnweyer. there's the littleWllltlll matter til at l‘nrthcnming l'ls' headlining [Illll' which saw the hands twn ScnIIish daIcs scll nttI iii time. ‘lt‘s the hel‘ni'e—ynu-get—sick nl—us tnur.‘ quips Marquis. clearly excited at the Ihnught nl unyeiling the hands higgest and hest slinws sn l'ar In British audiences. 'lI‘s gniitg In he great. we‘re gning tn pull nut all the stnps and it‘s gning tn he cnmpletely dill‘erent In anything w e\ e dnne hel'nre. This will he the mnst tully realised Scissni' Sisters tnur yet. htit that‘s all I’m saying. I dnn‘t want In giy‘e tnn much inlnrmatinn. When we play iii the l'ls' it l‘eels a lnl mnre like lamin and l'i'iends than ninst til. the ['8 dates and that is really special In us.‘ he adds. ‘()I‘ cnurse. we‘re particularly excited ahnut Scntland hecause it‘s always mental sn we‘ll he very eagerly anticipating thnse datesf
And with that Marquis heads nl‘l‘ tn l'ultill mnre Sisterly duties. His hand may iint he made tip nl the must serinus musicians. htit I’nr the mnmeiit their highly humnrnus hlend nt‘ discn stnmp. glam. tank and nperatic rnck are quite simply pnp's innst exciting prnpnsitinn and a liar mnre ci'eatiye alternative In the y'acunus puppets that clng tip the rest til the mp 40. Write them nt't‘ at ynui’ peril.
i'ecni'd
Corn Exchange, Edinburgh, 24 Oct; Barrowland, Glasgow, 25 Oct.
THE BETA BAND
Anti ta, it (:ll’lf). NIL-t Iltill‘tzltrtl‘w’
<1<>§$ltllt¥3f$ itttt’a sprint: till-“t ‘-l‘tt':ll ivy-v . ;)tlll|litlitil ti‘t:iit:<>i‘. tau a" I ' *tra' ‘.'.’I)lltlt:tllll till):llll5} It)ftt’: ’li .'.“ntr,tt 3.21:; " tili‘nttt‘ git alh arm a r;t.r,<,<:s‘;.mn ,t’ 153’)» f'xa' It‘.(:tt".fl(3tt’r(l l)(;l.‘.(:(:l‘i t‘aiilrms; 'r‘rit.i';~':"w: a." : tllltd IDI'Illlttlltitr.lll(;ll‘(2fs1ll. Shritttsn t, ~; «,- annntintmi lllt’nt sii‘it in Atitllf‘d. 'l"": Unfit Band apple nas; f)‘.t}t*"l)(:l‘€:fl a": - riddled .'."ll‘t n‘aqgntsfl («gunmen Para“: Greening; 'lt nttist ta: frat" 1W: thy-o;- .:' 1 ~“:' see-(is It'l'tiltl to qitxiitri‘.’ Far ':."t’ .i t" luv" taiti‘.'.'r:!i tnttr ljiigllifs stt Glzis:y:.'..
.Cdt'sI/‘fi,t1c1€,.7w. C7I<Is>}( ... c1.
We've got live gigs coming out of every orifice this autumn and we present them here as a canny chronology; Doug
Johnstone runs t ough 50 shows you really shouldn‘t miss, even if your doctor recommends otherwise.
I Maroon 5 [‘7 itin'myz't I “ti-ms it Writ Still “Will “in 'iit'nt. 'l‘ttirtr;’.tr-.t'tt MCI. t' .titltft; 'tt It l it
I Ian McCulloch (in: w Ynng Gltisfit ‘1 I“ ‘t ttntlntilittyrants,1mm”: t‘ It til“
I Idlewild lt‘mxi‘ H il‘ l .iltsiik. (-1475? Scotland“, t_t‘_t Lillit‘ :‘t‘mt in”. 'M} ttint’ési‘t'tns n:'. Tlrw antral lt-Al'.
I Cowboy Junkies l Jstwt Ha
I' tlintitivq'i, 5‘! I I”. Hauntinq .in'l ‘titti hams (:(ttint ‘. and it lli\ I'ITI“ (l’iixtata't ntitt’it
I The Delgados ar 2 Sons and Daughters I’Itilll‘t‘.‘.lti'lll (ilgtsti.i.‘.. ‘t Oct D'Cttt'i [(ELII‘I n? t.-.rn t‘iw:tt>r'itit "is of tilt: ltltttfs’l (ilttii‘fitltalltlll :ritltt; cnt ~i‘ town
I Katie Melua (Jl‘,(l(: Atltltlttitl'l‘. Glasgrw. l 7 Oct Mtilti intlli tit :.t:llinq teen .‘Stfll‘.tlllf;tt tltX‘f) lIttt Harlin .l’
cum lyti'it-.i‘.ii In
lllBlltIl‘,’ thité‘.’ llfslt‘lllll’l.
I Lloyd Cole & the Commotions Barinwland. Chisgnu, I? Ont l‘.’(?lt)tt3t:tt smart Scottish lltltl‘sltzl‘s in
Ultra rt’ttt? li'Jr‘: ntitiitq
I Goldie Lookin’ Chain Garaqta. Glasgow. 0 Oct SUI l) ()lll (Inniwl‘y Welsh hip hop collective (it) tnr rap what Int:- Darkness (Ilt’l for rock
I Glasgow Blues Festival Rtntlltflfi.’ Ferry. Glasgrm. 15 Oct. 1 ()MII and international acts in a day or line bluesy entertainment
I The Finn Brothers USIIQ' llall. Edinburgh. 16 Oct: Royal Concert Hall. Glasgow. 17 Oct. CI'OV‘JIlrjtl HOUSC central pairing on a softer. aCOtisI:<; IIO.
IDON'TMISS
I Franz Ferdinand Barrowland, Glasgow, 15 & 16 Oct. SOLD OUT. Mercury-winning kings of the world return for no doubt chaotic art rock hometown show.
'- THE LIST 19