Scissor Sisters – Live Review – Leeds Arena
By Graham Clark, June 2025
When the Scissor Sisters burst onto the music scene in 2004, their debut became the best-selling album of the year in Britain. The New York band found a natural home here, with their often quirky yet melodic brand of pop music seeming to resonate more strongly in the UK than in their native America.
Like many of their peers, the band has discovered a huge appetite for nostalgia. Their original fans – along with plenty of new ones – are happy to rediscover past glories on this arena tour across the country.
The reformed line-up includes original members Jake Shears on vocals, Del Marquis on guitar, and Babydaddy, the multi-instrumentalist. Missing from the current incarnation is vocalist Ana Matronic, whose chemistry and vocal interplay with Shears was a big part of what made Scissor Sisters so appealing.
The group’s arrival on stage at Leeds Arena was preceded by a dancing gorilla, before the curtain dropped to reveal a stage set that included an old army vehicle, a telephone box, a broken highway, and a massive pair of scissors – as eclectic a mix as their back catalogue.
As Laura kicked off the evening in fine style, it felt like the band had never been away. Shears was as flamboyant as ever; Marquis delivered punchy guitar lines, while Babydaddy switched between instruments with ease.
“Full swing”
Rather than replace Matronic directly, the band introduced two new members – Bridget Barkan and Amber Martin. Subtlety has never been a strong point with Scissor Sisters, and the new vocalists’ extravagant and excessive stage presence fitted in with ease. Vocally, however, it occasionally felt like they were competing with Shears rather than complementing his style.
‘Mary’ – a track about a friend who used to wait outside New York bars to check Shears was safe after his night shifts – stood out. Performed by the three original members inside the on-stage army vehicle, this quiet interlude allowed Shears’ vocals to shine amid an otherwise high-energy show.
Their cover of the Pink Floyd classic ‘Comfortably Numb’ sounded as regal as ever, with Shears’ falsetto still as powerful as fans will remember, accompanied by a laser show lighting up the arena. Sir Ian McKellen even appeared on the video screens during Invisible Light, from the Night Work album.
By contrast, ‘I Don’t Feel Like Dancing’ had everyone on their feet. If there’s one song synonymous with Scissor Sisters, it’s this one.
By the time the band encored with ‘Filthy/Gorgeous’, the party was in full swing – the dancing gorilla returned to the stage, accompanied by two monsters and the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz, making the finale feel like a cross between a good pantomime and an end-of-the-pier show.
Like eating too much chocolate in one sitting, tonight may have been an excessive yet thoroughly enjoyable occasion – but one that proved the Sisters are still doing it for themselves.
The band next appear in the North at Hardwick Festival on Friday 15 August
images: Graham Clark
Graham was born and raised in Keighley. A dedicated live music enthusiast, he has attended hundreds of concerts across the North and feels fortunate to have Bradford, Leeds, Sheffield and Manchester within easy reach — all key stops on major touring circuits. He has also supported Bradford Live, the upcoming 4,000-capacity venue opening in autumn 2025, helping to secure backing from some of the biggest names in live entertainment. Passionate about food, Graham draws on his background in hospitality to offer honest, experience-led insights in his reviews. He’s also a keen traveller, having explored extensively throughout Europe, America and Asia.
