BASSIST Babydaddy, lead guitarist Del Marquis, drummer Randy Real and the flame-headed backing vocalists entered a darkened stage to deafening cheers that would have rocked even the ticket touts outside the sold-out Manchester Apollo last night.

Any grumbles the heavy June downpour may have caused the crowd on the way to the venue were swept away when the house lights lit up on the first guitar chord and the dynamic lead duo of Jake Shears (dressed in suitably risque outfit of ripped jeans and duct tape) and Ana Matronic appeared.

From the first song the Scissor Sisters owned their performance space. The accessible disco synth-laden pop proving as popular now, as it did when they shot to fame at the release of their self-titled first album.

The crowd was much like their musical style - a suitably eclectic and appealing mix - and just couldn't resist the lure of dancing to popular favourites as well as tracks from new album Night Work, which had been officially released only hours before.

The Apollo shook as the lead singers returned from a theatrical exit to perform a dazzling encore.

Ticker tape canons were detonated and lasers were activated as the venue sparkled with visual and musical energy to a performance of the band's stand-out track Comfortably Numb.

The Scissor Sisters showed Manchester last night that they're not only still at the cutting edge of camp-pop, but also that they ain’t half sharp.