Being that Garbage is gearing up for a new album in 2012, I figured it was good a time as any to give props to the ferocious Scottish goddess that is Shirley Manson. For whatever reason, I've always viewed Shirley and Gwen Stefani as being linked in some way. Perhaps it's because they're both frontwomen and their respective bands blew up around the same time. Either way, I've always viewed Shirley as the spice to Gwen's sugar.
While Gwen was cool in non-threatening way, at least on the surface--she can get introspective and down and dirty on occasion--Shirley displayed the flipside to Stefani's easygoing, bubbly persona. True, Gwenny Gwen could scream, mosh and curse with the best of ska boys, but Shirley was/is a whole other creature. Chile, Ms. Manson worked the stage like a panther, prowling around in her combat books or stilettos, her flaming red hair framing her alabaster skin or pulled back into a severe pony tail.
Meanwhile the dramatic, goth-inspired makeup painted across her face made her look both beautiful and tough. You didn't know whether she wanted to kiss you or rip you to shreds. This also carries over into her vocal delivery, which can wail alongside the electronic bleeps and thunderous riffs one minute, be sleek and sexy the next, or pull back the layers to display haunting vulnerability.
Here's hoping to a No Doubt/Garbage co-headlining tour, so I can get the best of both worlds. Get into a few of my fav Garbage vids/performance below.
Comments