Scissor Sisters: Live in Victoria Park London 2011

It's difficult to listen to the Scissor Sisters without getting up and dancing. Watching them is even harder. From the moment lead singers Jake Shears and Ana Matronic jog onstage at London's Lovebox Festival clad in colourful latex outfits and ear-to-ear grins, you can tell this is going to be a show filled with positive energy. The first two songs are solid, but by the time the band launch into "Laura," the opening track from their debut album, you'll be bouncing around the living room, even if you're hanging out alone in a pair of basketball shorts and an old sweatshirt. Somehow, this feels entirely appropriate. During an interview around the midway point of the DVD, Matronic describes Scissor Sisters fans as anyone that likes to "dance around in their bedroom like a total twat." The best moments on the DVD are also the most obvious ones, as the power in songs like "Take Your Mama" and "I Don't Feel Like Dancing" is impossible to ignore. Other standouts include delightfully debauched anthem "Filthy/Gorgeous," the Pink Floyd-meets-Bee Gees cover of "Comfortably Numb" and thrilling closer "Invisible Light." For this finale, Matronic strikes impressive poses draped in yellow wings as Shears leaps across the stage in a leather dog mask. As much as these antics might be reminiscent of Madonna's voguing phase, it all seems natural and unpretentious from such an exuberant band. To be fair, there are some drawbacks to the DVD. For one, it's short. The running time of the film clocks in at under an hour, and the interviews are sparse. On the other hand, it was produced by Blink TV and is obviously designed for home viewing rather than a feature film. Also, from a promotional perspective, the release doesn't make much sense. The concert took place in 2011 and was in support of 2010's Night Work. Meanwhile, the DVD wasn't released until 2013, well after 2012's Magic Hour. Finally, an outdoor festival isn't necessarily the best venue to catch the Scissor Sisters at, and on a rainy London afternoon it's even less so. With all of that in mind, Scissor Sisters are still a great band that bring a great performance to the screen.