A proliferation of pink fluffy cowboy hats gave Scarborough Open Air Theatre an air of hen do when Scissor Sisters came to town but look more closely and you saw people of all stripes in the crowd.

By Graeme Smith

Photos Courtesy of Cuffe & Taylor

Most were of a certain vintage for sure, including yours truly, but many of those who knew the band from their early ‘00s origins were introducing the next generation to the group. “Some of you wouldn’t have been born when these songs were created,” lead singer Jake Shears says at one point.

Before we get to the headliners, some mentions of the support. Solo act Joel Gibb aka The Hidden Cameras was on first. The Canadian had the unenviable task of attempting to warm up the already quite full arena on his own.

His set was an interesting one – one-part pulsating dance ballads, one-part acoustic folk. The man had an intensity for sure, but I doubt an admission that he hates Eurovision helped his cause in front of a queer friendly audience. Still, there were no hard feelings and his attempt at an entry into the song competition proved a barnstorming close.

Then Bimini took the stage. Sex Pistols were at Scarborough last weekend sans John Lydon, but his spirit was very much alive in Bimini. The RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star channelled the anarchic energy of ‘70s punk, raging against the machine and delivering high-tempo songs that certainly weren’t suitable for before the watershed.

Drag queens aren’t known for their subtlety. During Headbanger Bimini declare “this song is about blowj*bs” as if there were any doubt. As well as their original “electro c*nt pop” they delivered some covers with a distinctive British theme. We had The Prodigy’s Breathe, Tinie Tempah’s Pass Out, New Order’s Blue Monday and even some Oasis.

I’m not sure everyone who had come for the headliners were fully prepared, but the set went down a storm.

I last saw Scissor Sisters in 2004 at Staffordshire’s now defunct V Festival, and I remember coming away a little disappointed. I now understand that was because of the festival setting.

On their own stage, the band put on a real spectacle. The stage was set with narrative built in and before the show one wonders why there is a phone box and a highway off ramp on stage (though the giant pair of scissors needs no explanation.)

But the real show comes from the performers who have not lost any energy in the intervening decades. Scissor Sisters have a unique flair aided by an unbridled approach to sexuality. Age, gender, kinks – it’s all irrelevant when it comes to the group and their non-stop party.

They opened the set with I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’ and Laura and you start to think they’ve peaked too soon. Then the other hits start coming, and even the lesser-known tracks are delivered with such spirit that you can enjoy them without knowing all the words.

The set built to a truly bonkers encore which includes the rambunctious Filthy/Gorgeous and Scarborough walked away having been entertained.

The Hidden Camera, Bimini, and Scissor Sisters played Scarborough Open Air Theatre on Saturday 8 August 2026.