SHAKESPEAR SISTER // ROYAL CONCERT HALL, GLASGOW
SHAKESPEARS SISTER ARE ON THE ROAD AGAIN WITH NEW SHOW AND NEW RECORDINGS
SHAKESPEAR SISTER PERFORMING AT GLASGOW’S ROYAL CONCERT HALL - 08.11.2019
PICTURE BY: | STEPHEN WILSON PHOTOGRAPHY
★★★★☆ (4/5)
Once a third of the hit girl group Bananarama, Siobhan Fahey formed Shakespears Sister in 1988 after leaving the chart topping trio, disillusioned with the direction the bands music was taking. Taking the new bands name from a song by The Smiths, it was initailly intended to be a solo project but developed into a duo with the addition of the American musician Marcella Detroit a year later. They would be a regular on the UK music scene until the band took a hiatus in 1993, and the pair went their seperate ways. In 2018 they set their differences aside and began working again, bringing us to this tour and the new recordings entitled Ride Again EP, with first release ‘All The Queens Horses’ the bands first new material in 9 years.
Opening with ‘Goodbye Cruel World’, ‘Heroine’ and ‘Dangerous Game’, the band received a fabulous reception as they took to the stage. Fahey’s outfit had a country and western feel, set off with the Stetson hat, with many members of the audience dressed as flamboyantly, clearly everyones came to enjoy themselves. Maybe the last year or so treading the boards again with Bananarama has given Fahey a new lease of life and a feel for live music once more.
The alternative pop rock music on offer tonight can change from a ‘poppy dance’ feel to dark, sinister and melancholy in the change of a chord, and this is what gave them their own sound. ‘My 16th Apology’, ‘Emotional Thing’, and new tunes ‘C U Next Tuesday’ and ‘Time To Say Goodbye’ takes the crowd on an emotional rollercoaster, but the music hitting the mark and keeping the crowd going. Fahey remarked between songs that ‘you should always be careful what you write, ‘cos it usually comes true!’. I guess she’s poured her heart into more than one lyric recently.
Biggest cheers of the night tho came for the bands most recognised numbers, ‘Stay’ and ‘Youre History’. ‘Stay’ sees Detroit take over the main vocals for the 1992 chart topper, which remained at the top for 8 weeks. Closing the first part of the set, ‘Youre History’ was the bands first entry into the charts, peaking at number 7 in 1989, and provided another big karaoke for the Glasgow audience, and the band left for a well deserved break, before returning with the final 2 tracks of the evening, ‘Catwoman’ and ‘Hello (Turn Your Radio On)’’.
After more than 25 years apart, Detroit and Fahey still gel well together. Great music and harmonies, Detroit showing her talents on a few instruments and Fahey strutting around the stage adoring the spotlight. The older lesser known songs may slow things at times but the fresh approach breathes some life back into the music. The newer songs are high quality, with deep personal lyrics, and would like to hear more of the same. All in, the fans who made their way to see the show wouldnt be leaving disappointed, and its great to see Detroit and Fahey back together again. How long for tho, time will tell, but a decent night out all the same.