The Scissor Sisters cut it fine

It’s not such a daring thing anymore for a pop performer to proclaim his or her gayness. But to the extent that gay music fans remain marginalized by the record business, the gesture still carries some weight and is usually welcomed by an audience whose world is rarely addressed by mainstream artists.

The Scissor Sisters are the latest rock act to play that card, and the goodwill generated by its stance goes a long way toward explaining the appeal of its show on Tuesday at the Troubadour -- a triumph of spirit and attitude over musical limitations.

Of course, it doesn’t explain why the New York band has become a mini-sensation in England. Maybe it’s because of all the British pop figures the band recycles in its new, self-titled album -- Elton John, David Bowie, Wham!, the Bee Gees, Frankie Goes to Hollywood. The group also got some early attention with an irreverent disco remake of Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb” from “The Wall” album.

It’s pretty slim and clearly derivative, with the fleeting appeal of a novelty record, but at the Troubadour the group wore down any reservations with its relentlessly engaging manner. Instead of campy flamboyance, the Scissor Sisters came on with pep-squad enthusiasm.

Singer Jake Shears’ bubbly good cheer was hard to resist. Singer Ana Matronic handled the more arch, gender-bender patter, while the three instrumentalists acted as deadpan foils. (The band plays the Avalon in Hollywood Sept. 29.)

A high tolerance for chirping falsetto is advised, but it helped that the band was playing for a room of dancing fools. The show flew by at its fast tempos, but a couple of shifts to ballads were jarring and unconvincing. For an hourlong party, sometimes one dimension is all you need.