FGM Saturday July 14 2012 | the Times We Ekend Coverstory ‘Wecouldn’Tlookafter Ourselves
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40 FGM Saturday July 14 2012 | the times We ekend coverstory ‘Wecouldn’tlookafter ourselves. Nowweknowhow to stay sane’ TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER, CHRISTOPHER LANE ScissorSisters areback, andbringingtheir fessedinhis blog to fallinginlovewith a man in the summer of 2007: “Itholds up a sexed-upglampop to theTower of London. mirrortoblack culture and homophobia,” Marquis says,“which is almostadisease Summer of music They tell Tim Teeman howtheypullitoff within itself.”Shears, one of Cooper’s close friends, defends him from criticism that he LatitudeFestivaltonightandtomorrow should have come out sooner:“We’d love Superiorbloke-rockontheSuffolk coast, more high-profile people to come out,but courtesyofElbow,Paul Wellerand it’s their decision,notours,”Hoffmansays. RichardHawley (seepage38) “The great thingabout Obama washim sayinghis daughters changedhis mind,” HardRockCalling tonightandtomorrow Lynchsays.Wouldshelikechildren?“Ilike IfHydeParkhasrecoveredfrom its theidea:terrifyingbutinteresting.” mudbath,BruceSpringsteenandPaul Hoffman is the only single member of Simonwillbringtheir greatAmerican theband. Shears has beenwith his partner, songbookstoKensington ChrisMoukarbel, foreightyears. Will they getmarried?“Idon’tknowifI’mthemarry- BTRiverofMusic July21-22 ingkind.Maybe someday.” Fivestages,oneforeachcontinent,line There have been significant gaps theThames,hostingbands includingthe between albums: ScissorSisters wasre- ScissorSisters,theNoisettesandStaff leasedin2004, Ta-Dah in 2006, Night BendaBilili,plusthejazzlegendWynton Work,2010andMagicHourinMay. “We’re Marsalis workingand writingall the time,”insists sister act Main picture, left to right: Shears. “The second album wasustrying Jamaica50FestivalJuly25 -Aug6 Del Marquis, Scott Hoffman (aka to be conscious of where we stood in the JimmyCliff,Toots andtheMaytals,Lee Babydaddy), Jake Shears,Ana Lynch pop world,”Marquis says,“and that didn’t ScratchPerry,DamianMarley andothers (akaAna Matronic).Left, Lynchand do us anyfavours apartfromsellingafew celebratethe50thanniversaryof Shears on stageinNew Yo rk; above, records.”Hoffman adds: “The world ex- Jamaicanindependenceat the Shears coolsoff backstage pects youtobefront and centre, but we felt LondonO2 t’snot astretch to imagine the The Scissors grew out of the queer elec- but who Iwill care foruntil the dayIdie.”Is it wasimportant forusand the audience 11-year-oldJakeShears perform- troclashscene in NewYork in the early sheinthe band forher dad? “In away,I that they should have abreak from us.” BTLondon LiveJuly27-Aug12 ing Groove is in the Heart,as 2000s, which masheduppunk, industrial, think. Idon’t think Iwould be here had I Shears is more relaxed than his “edgy” old SnowPatrolandDuranDuran kickoffthe Deee-lite’sLadyMissKier,forhis disco,New Wave and anythingelse notgonethroughthatexperience.” self, compulsively checking chartposi- Olympics;BlurandNew Orderclose them parents’dinnerguests.In adress- around. Shears and Hoffman, oldfriends, As ateenager shewas aGoth and tions and record saleswhile on the road. —inbetweentherearefree gigsat Hyde ingroom at Terminal 5, aNew worked on music forShears’s career as a mocked,“but they were stupid rednecks so He hasn’t been depressed“forawhile”: for Park(youcanregisterforguaranteed I go-goboy;hewas also astripper at atiny Italked back at them”. Herinspirations allitsstompingbrio,the2006singleIDon’t entryonline)fromTomJones, Saint York concertvenue, Shears laughs: “If they didn’t know Iwas goingto East Village gay bar,I.C. Guys. Shears and were Siouxsie and the Banshees, Blondie, Feel LikeDancin’ reflects aperiod the band Etienne,AlexandraBurkeandmanymore turnout to be aqueen and ahalf, they Hoffman, 35, met Lynch when sheinvited AnnieLennox,BoyGeorgeandDuranDu- felt it didn’t want to makeupbeat music.“It really weren’t seeingthings forwhat they them to perform at avenue sheran, the ran. Sheloved film noir:“My mother was wasconnectedtobeingonthe road and MeltdownAug1-12 were.”The 33-year-old lead singer of the Knockoff.Marquis,34,joinedlater.“We al- bornin1935, my grandmother 1904, so my not knowinghow to takecare of our- AntonyofAntonyandtheJohnsonstakes Scissor Sisters —bornJason Sellards — ways had ambitions, but never took any- frame of reference wasmuch olderand selves,” Hoffmansays.“Nowweknowhow overSouthbankwithaline-up which has always“lovedreceiving attention”, thingfor granted,” Shears says.“Istill get more sophisticated than my friends.” to stay sane.”The band knows they can’t includesLaurieAnderson,Elizabeth which is obvious when yousee him work- emotionalonstage.We neverphoneitin.” SingingatTrannyshack, aSan Francisco “control everything”,hesays. He felt most FraserandLouReed ingthe crowdatagig. Backstage, dressed Lynch and Marquis describe the band as venue, honedher voice and style: “Youhad uneasy with the band’sthird album, “when intank-top andshorts,he says of songwrit- “family”; Marquis defining“that queer to do something different everyweek. If we were pushingforward without an idea Formore onRiverofMusicandourfull ing: “I’vesaid my piece, especially with this trait of findingafamily that isn’t your own, you‘brought it’, youwere asked back.” of what we were doing—youcan’t force summerfestivalsguide visit lastalbum [Magic Hour,the band’sfourth]. your tribe. We keep goingbecause we have When shemet Marquis, shesaid: “You like it”. thetimes.co.uk/festivals Idon’t want to makeany more albums somethingspecial. It’s not justfour dudes theCure?Great,Iknowwhoyouare.”Mar- Howhavethey surviveddifficult peri- unless there is something else to be said. who wanna rock, with wivesthat bicker.” quis, who “stalked”RobertSmith foryears, ods? “Good oldDrJackDaniels,”laughs RightnowIdon’tfeelthere is.” Lynch, the only heterosexual member (she “hangingaround gettingposters and gui- Lynch.“Mar-iju-ana,”Marquis enunciates becomingaDJ: “People think I’ll be play- There’salustobjectfor everyone in the marriedher husband Seth in 2010) of the tars signed”,recalls: “I walked intothis theatrically.Shears smokedpot foryears. ingweddingtunes, but Itakeitseriously.I band: the statuesque Ana Matronic’s (Ana four,was “a weirdofromthe get-go”,grow- groupofextrovertsandIwasaclosetextro- “StartinginhighschoolIwasabigstoner,” listentoatonofdance music.” (The Lynch) fans are called“nuns”: apansexual ingupinPortland, Oregon. “I wasreally vert.They liberatedme.” he says, “but as the responsibilitiesofthe Gossip,the Canadian band Trustand the grouping whocall themselves“anasexual”. strange, asmartnerd who wasintodiffer- Shearscameouttohisparentsat16,Mar- band startedpilingupIstopped.”What London-basedThe 2Bears are favourites.) “The best giftthey ever bought me wasa ent things than most of my peers.”While quisat 15: “Iworemy colours onmy sleeves about ecstasy and cocaine? “I mean He wants to play festivals nextsummer star in the constellation of LeoMinor, shewent to gay clubs, “myconnection to to find my identity. Youfind ause forthe ...you know ...this ain’t my firstday at and is lookingtorelease twosongs namedAna Matronic,” shereveals. “Baby- the gay communityisthrough my father baggage. My younger sisteris14and came the rodeo,”Shears deadpans. “I’m afairly beforehand. “I’d love to do aparticular daddy”(ScottHoffman) and Del Marquis who wasgay and losinghim to Aids in out twomonths ago. No one calls her moderateperson, Ilovegoingclubbing, moviescore, but the producers don’t (bornDerek Gruen), both gay, bearded 1990,” shesays. “I couldn’t be honest about names, shehas no bad associations with I’veneverbeenafanofsnortingthings.I’m know,” he adds. Hoffman reveals their and handsome, keep the “bear”and “cub” who he wasand what he wasgoing beinggay.Iwonder if Ihad what shehas not even abig drinker,although Ihave record company“would liketoput out a lovers happy. AScissors gig, with their full- through: there wasareal stigma. Afew now,would Ihavethe fire Ihavewithin really been enjoying vodkalately.Some greatesthits, but it feels narcissistic”. bodiedpop and electroclash-streaked people knew,but Ikeptitonthe down-low me? Iwouldn’t change anything, but recreational drug use is fantastic,but I Instead they mayrelease a“collectedsin- songs such as IDon’t Feel likeDancin’ and andsaid hehadterminalcancer.” through my sisterIsee what’s different for thinkmoderationisreallyimportant.” gles” album, or curate“acollection of Take Your Mama,and new songs such as Lynch had known from the age of 6that thenextgeneration.” Lynch says the band has weathered songs that were toogood to be B-sides,” Let’sHaveaKiki and Only theHorses,isa her fatherwasgay.“Ididn’t get thehonesty Shears and Hoffman met in Kentucky, pressure by “realisingyou are partof Shearssays. highly-sexedaffair—Shearsloves“check- and supportIneededfrommypeers. I sharingalove of “video games, horror somethingbigger than you. To see people Thebandhascollaboratedwithartistsin- ingouttheeyecandy”fromthestage. found it in Paris is Burning [a documentary films,ValleyoftheDollsandthegym”.Hoff- screaming, smilingand singingyour songs cludingKylie Minogue. Who else is on The band, which formed in 2001, will about black and Hispanic gay “ball cul- man liked rock while Shears wasinspired negates anybullshit goingon.”She thinks their wishlist? Shears: “Cher would be representtheAmericasonJuly21attheBT ture” in NewYork]. That wasareally by Chicks on Speed, Peachesand Fischer- Shears’s “clarity” wassharpenedbywrit- really good. Shetoldmeshe wanted to RiverofMusic,when artists from the 204 hopeful depiction of marginalisedpeople spooner:“EverythingCasey [Spooner,one ingthe