On the day of the release of their 26th studio album, the Sparks brothers take to the Armadillo stage to captivate and confound in the way only they truly can.
Ron and Russel Mael aka Sparks hold perhaps one of the most singular and admirable positions in the pop music canon, one they have carved out for themselves on their own set of rules and desires for over 50 years. In this time, they have repeatedly seen dizzying success followed by the banishment of obscurity. They’ve struck commercial gold in one move only for their next to be so utterly dumbfounding it leaves the masses appearing to be played for fools, like a clown inviting you to smell his flower only to squirt you in the face with water.
This unique style of bait and switch is only one feature of what seems to be Sparks’ single mission: to create only what feels special to them in their universe, the everchanging rules of which only Ron and Russel are privy to. This fearless and unwavering commitment to a vision is something I find to be truly inspiring and brave, and this approach has earned them tremendous respect across multiple decades as well as their status as the most famous band you have never heard of.
This being said, everyone here tonight has most certainly heard of the Sparks brothers, and the anticipation in the room is extremely palpable. As a playlist of classical music preludes the show, I was giddy in my seat and couldn’t quite believe I was about to witness the spectacle of Sparks live in the flesh. As the lights dim and the backing band take their places, the anticipation in the crowd is already white hot. As the Maels themselves take their places front of stage, Ron at his keys and Russel centre stage with dual spotlights illuminating the pair, the room is delighted to be greeted with instantaneous Sparks bombast.
They open on a tune from their soundtrack to the 2021 musical ‘Annette’, ‘So May We Start’, which makes for a magnificent start to the show. The breadth of this setlist becomes apparent in only the first few numbers as after this opener we see ‘The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte’, the title track of their brand-new album, paired up with one if their 80s stompers ‘Eaten By The Monster of Love’. The triple threat of ‘Angst In My Pants’, early hit ‘Beaver O’Lindy,’ and the splendidly anthemic ‘When I’m With You’ show that Sparks know just when to indulge their audience and whip up excitement.
The brothers then turn our attention to a couple of their newest offerings, including a classically Sparksian narrative in the form of ‘Nothing Is As Good As They Say It Is’ which tells the story of a 22-hour old baby who, in their short time on earth, has already decided they’d rather retreat into their mother’s womb. Sparks’ command of their subjects remains masterful, expertly blending both whimsy and cynicism to tease at the human condition and the world we’ve made for ourselves, a theme that runs through a lot of their new album as well as many of their previous work.
I’d be remiss not to mention the incredible energy of Russel Mael as he struts and bounds across the stage, punctuating every punchline with leaps and karate kicks. All while remaining in perfect pitch and performing every number from across their catalogue in its original key. His vocal dexterity remains, after all these years, truly something to behold. As for Ron, well, he hasn’t looked at his hands once and maintains his famous oddball straight-man persona. Save of course for when he arises from his keys to treat us all to the legendary ‘Ron Shuffle’ during ‘Number One Song In Heaven’.
In the final third of the set Sparks truly let her rip. The powerful glam-rock ‘Bon Voyage’ opens an absolute onslaught run of classics, including their biggest 20th century hits ‘When Do I Get To Sing “My Way”’ and ‘The Number One Song In Heaven’ which sends the stalls into a state of absolute rapture. I don’t believe a single member of the audience remained in their seat for these, and security personnel were sent into a flurry to keep them contained as the band capped off this run with what is arguably their defining number ‘This Town Ain’t Big Enough For The Both Of Us’.
After knowingly closing with ‘Gee, That Was Fun’, the band briefly depart before returning for their triple-pronged encore of ‘A Love Story’, the gargantuan live spectacle of ‘My Baby’s Taking Me Home’, and a heart-rendering finale of ‘All That’.
This show was yet another reminder of a fact that has been true from their very conception: There’s nothing else quite like Sparks. I absolutely bloody love them, and I won’t bother flowering up that point to any degree. The fact that they have gone for as long as they have, overcoming all they have, and culminating the love and respect they now deservedly enjoy, is a hope-inspiring testament to pure creativity and unapologetic individualism. Nobody has done it quite like them. However, I hope that in this world, full of people crying into their lattes, it’s possible that others will try.
Words by Jack Martin @jickus_
Pictures by Rosie Sco @rosie.sco