The vibes are good but the only moment of magic comes when the roles are reversed between the two members of Shakespears Sister
Shakespears Sister
London Palladium Touring until November 20
The early Nineties are coming round again. George Michael has a new single, posthumous but pulsating with life. There is a Now boxset of forgotten Nineties music.
And Shakespears Sister have reunited after a falling- out that was impressive even by the high standards of feuding pop stars. ‘Yes,’ says Marcella Detroit, ‘we’re back from a 26-year hiatus.’
The Palladium is packed. Detroit, now 67, and Siobhan Fahey, 61, are both wearing rhinestone suits, one purple, the other white.
Shakespears Sister have reunited after a falling- out that was impressive. Siobhan Fahey (above), fortified by her Bananarama fame, runs the show here
It’s their party and they’ll come as Prince and Elvis if they want to.
There’s just one problem: the music. Shakespears Sister have only one classic, the melodramatic ballad Stay, which spent eight weeks at No 1 in 1992 and still pops up on talent shows.
Their lesser hits, faster and more formulaic, are candidates for Forgotten 90s.
It’s not hard to see why they fell out. Marcella Detroit (above), the career musician, is under-used, mostly adding fluttery harmonies
The five new tracks maintain this pattern, although one brings an elegant cameo from Richard Hawley. ‘Thanks for being so receptive to the new songs,’ says Fahey. Well, it helps when you can barely remember the old ones.
It’s not hard to see why they fell out. Marcella, the career musician, is under-used, mostly adding fluttery harmonies; Siobhan, fortified by her Bananarama fame, runs the show here.
The vibes are good but the only moment of magic comes when the roles are reversed, Marcella sings Stay, and Siobhan gives her a delighted hug.
shakespearssisterofficial.com
THIS WEEK’S CD RELEASE
By Adam Woods
George Michael and Wham! Last Christmas soundtrack Out now
Rating: 
To hear Emma Thompson tell it, her Christmas movie owes not only its title but its very soul to the songs of George Michael, who apparently gave Thompson his blessing before he died. The soundtrack works as a ‘greatest hits’, from the title track to the unreleased This Is How (We Want You To Get High). If the film can’t make something joyous out of that lot, something’s gone wrong