Janine Schaults

Sitting in a London hotel room surveying the remains of swag left over from his gift bag courtesy of the Brit Awards, Scissor Sisters drummer Paddy Boom (Patrick Seacor) can't believe the thousands of dollars worth of merchandise just literally stuffed into a suitcase. But, as Boom says over the phone, "one man's junk is another man's treasure," which would explain why he handed over the coveted Nintendo Wii system included in the trove of toys to his drum tech. "A tambourine would be more valuable to me than a video game right now. Something like Pong is good for me. The idea of reading a manual for anything right now is just like a low priority," Boom says.

These outrageous gift bags are old hat to Boom and the other members of the flamboyant New York-based band. "I probably have eight cell phones now [and] about just as many watches," Boom jokes.

As true blue rock stars in the UK (actually, Brad Pitt-like fame follows the five-piece everywhere except the States), Scissor Sisters are treated to many luxuries, and Boom doesn't apologize for any of it. "We got the Willy Wonka Golden Ticket," he says of the band's unexpected success. "There's people working real hard every day in far off places for like a dollar a day and we get paid ridiculous amounts of money to put on concerts, so it's not right, but life isn't fair so I kind of relinquish the guilt and just accept it."

Scissor Sisters opened the Brit Awards with a leg-splitting performance of their infectious hit single "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'," from their sophomore album "Ta-Dah," before losing to The Killers for Best International Group. Despite the loss, the band has much to dance about. Their self-titled first album was the best-selling album of 2004 in the UK and "Dancin'" (co-written with Elton John) hit number one last fall for four weeks straight.

"There's a million sort of broken dreams for every success story and we have not just made it, we've made it internationally and we've sold millions of records," Boom says. "It's luck partly, it's also hard work and it's also skill. We're a really talented band and luckily we're recognized for it. It's not just a fluke."

Frontman Jake Shears (Jason Sellards), singer Ana Matronic (Ana Lynch), multi-instrumentalist Babydaddy (Scott Hoffman), guitarist Del Marquis (Derek Gruen) and Boom recently appeared on NBC's soon-to-be defunct soap opera "Passions," in two episodes, at the behest of a young witch. For fans of the supernatural daytime series, the band's appearance is nothing but apropos since Scissor Sisters' campy reputation matches "Passions'" outlandish antics. Remember Timmy the human doll?

"Jake, I think, was the first `Passions' fan. It's a really oddball soap opera. I couldn't see us being on `Days Of Our Lives' but `Passions' is so kooky and so oddball, it seemed to be a fit," Boom says.

While Shears and Matronic became "obsessed" with the show, Boom hasn't watched TV in years. The last time he saw a soap opera he was home sick from school and his mother had one on. "My mother is still pretty obsessed with soap operas," Boom says. "Now I know more about the show than I did."

Despite his lack of knowledge, Boom says the experience of filming a televison show was a "classic L.A. moment." Just another day in the life of a rock star. "It's another sort of chapter of the wild ride we've experienced. One of these days I'll be able to digest it all."

Boom and crew will don feather boas, short shorts and other glam-inspired accessories, bunny ears on a few occasions--that have become synonymous with the band, named after a lesbian sexual position--for a quick four-week jaunt of the States, where they'll be greeted by an eclectic bunch of fans, albeit a smaller group.

"The difference between the UK and the U.S. is that we're household faces there. People have to work harder to be aware of Scissor Sisters in the States versus the UK, where we've blanketed every possible media outlet," Boom says.

The difference in the number of ticket holders doesn't mean a thing to the band. Whether home or abroad, Boom says the feeling and emotion while performing carries over no matter where they are.

"The bottom line is that we attract...like-minded individuals who are witnessing something that's unique," Boom says. "It doesn't matter if we're in Russia or if we're in Kansas, people love the band and that is what the air is in the audience. We're lucky; people are really mad for it and we'll deliver the goods as long as people want to come to see us."

Scissor Sisters play March 9 at the Riviera Theatre, 4746 North Racine, (773)275-6800, at 7pm. $30.

(2007-03-06)

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