A surprise guest at a Scissor Sisters gig at The O2 Arena sent fans into a frenzy during the much-anticipated reunion gig. The American hitmakers, responsible for anthems such as I Can’t Decide and I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’, recently reformed for a series of concerts across Britain and took the tour to London on Friday (May 23).
Fans found the performance electrifying, but it was an unexpected cameo that had attendees screaming in disbelief. Footage uploaded by concertgoers showed the moment the Hollywood heavyweight made his entrance. As the venue plunged into darkness, punctuated by strobe lights, the crowd gasped when they were greeted by none other than Sir Ian McKellen.
The distinguished actor, known for roles in blockbusters like X-Men, The Lord of the Rings films, and Flushed Away, stepped up to the microphone for a dramatic rendition of Invisible Light.
McKellen, 85, delivered the monologue he famously recorded for the track to the live audience, sparking an uproarious cheer from the audience.
Those who were in the crowd have taken to social media to share their excitement over McKellen’s show-stealing appearance, with one person writing on X: “A concert cameo like no other. Sir Ian McKellen has blown The O2 roof off at The Scissor Sisters’ 21st anniversary tour.”
WARNING: The clip below contains explicit language. Viewer discretion is advised.
One attendee couldn’t contain their excitement, sharing: “Absolute mayhem as Sir Ian McKellen does a dramatic reading of his lines from Invisible Light, one of my favourite Scissor Sisters songs of all time. Cried a little, just so blessed to see this.”
Another fan was in disbelief, exclaiming: “WHAT DO YOU MEAN SIR IAN MCKELLEN WENT ON STAGE WITH THE SCISSOR SISTERS LAST NIGHT?!”
And it wasn’t just McKellen who made a cameo onstage last night. Rebecca Lucy Taylor, known by her stage name Self Esteem, joined the band for a dance during their performance of Take Your Mama.
Fans of Self Esteem will know her album, A Complicated Woman, dropped earlier this year.
The concert has also left some fans wondering whether the band might release new music. In particular, a “haunting” rendition of one classic track made fans question whether the group might be developing a fresh sound.
One X user posted: “A quiet, haunting version of Mary by the Scissor Sisters At the O2, London. What a night, what a show and I hope this means we’re blessed with new music soon.”
These gigs mark some of the first live performances by Scissor Sisters since they went on hiatus in 2012. They made a brief comeback in 2017 with the charity single Swerlk, and in 2019 topped the Billboard dance charts with Let’s Have a Kiki.
Singer Jake Shears said this was a pivotal moment for the group. He said: “When that song came out and did what it did [hitting #1 on the Billboard dance charts], I was just like, ‘Well, there it is, I guess we did it’.”
The band are currently on tour across the UK with members Shears, Babydaddy, Del Marquis, and Randy Real. Ana Matronic’s involvement in this year’s tour “didn’t line up”, according to a previous statement.
So far they have played the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham, Glasgow’s OVO Hydro, Bournemouth’s International Centre, Cardiff’s Utilita Arena, and Manchester’s Co-op Live, before heading to London last night.
They have yet to playthe Utilita Arenain Birmingham,the SSE Arenain Belfast and 3Arena in Dublin.
