It's the show you'd all been waiting for. More than any Led Zeppelin or Monkees or Oasis reunion. Yet, it involved no reunion. The always feisty Siobhan Fahey had brought Shakespears Sister back to life - albeit without Marcella Detroit who was Fahey's musical sparring partner at the height of the band's popularity - and it came time to visit Glasgow.
Opening the evening's festivities was Nadine Shah. Had she never outed herself as a Geordie, not many would've guessed. In the spirit of a Dresden Doll offshoot, Nadine ghosted through a half-hour set of heart-addressing alt-pop, with some fine vocal and lyrical flashes. Seeming positively disturbed by her own words while maintaining complete control of her instrument - a keyboard, in this case - is either a personal quality to be admired or one to be afraid of. I'm not sure of the latter but this girl has great appeal.
Putting artists half her age to shame, Siobhan Fahey hit the ABC2 stage with angelic menace, intent on reminding all in attendance - if they didn't know already - that SS was and is her project. Adorned in warped showgirl attire, long-time fans were immediately put at ease with a number of songs from the glory years. However, new songs such as "Hot Room" and "It's A Trip" were quick to ignite excitement in the audience.
Ever the luminous character, Ms Fahey's facial expressions alone were indicative of her utter thrill at being onstage again. Evidently, the audience were in full agreement. The absence of "Stay" - on which Marcella sang lead - was generally accepted, while old favourites such as "Heroine" and "I Don't Care" went down a storm. This was no journey of nostalgic intentions.Most significantly was the fact that the crowd seemed to have - like Ms Fahey - adjusted to the times. Here we are in 2010, and Shakespears Sister are back in town. Be happy.