SPARKS

[veryoldfan]

It ain't done with smoke and mirrors. But is is done with dry ice and atmospheric lighting.
I was thinking that, because I've seen this album performed twice before at the Festival Hall, last night would be not quite as exciting as some other nights have been, and I wasn't sure how they would pull this one off in such a small venue.
Silly me. It was fantastic and came over really well in the more intimate setting. I would go so far as to say that it was the best performance of this album that I've seen and the atmosphere in the hall was just incredible.
How Russell managed not to do himself an injury doing 'My Baby's Taking Me Home' I have no idea, he is just amazing.

[scarf]

What a night, the best gig I’ve been to, so far. Incredible performance and atmosphere, the place rocked. The heartbreaking loneliness of Ron’s performance on I Married Myself, the spontaneous eruption from the crown after My Baby’s Taking Me Home, it can’t get better than this, can it. Roll on HYL tonight!

[Andy Whelan]

Not much I can add to everything that has gone before really, but as I've posted after every other show I'm not stopping now...

I too had seen this album performed quite a few times before, and as a result I didn't have quite the same level of anticipation as for some of the earlier shows. I was also uncertain as to how the Royal Festival Hall performances would translate to a much smaller venue.

Well, it was magnificent, and the highlights, as quite a few seem to agree, were My Baby's Taking Me Home and Suburban Homeboy.

As an aside, the question I get asked most often is how I've managed to convince my wife to allow me to go to 21 gigs in a month. The answer is that she's been well educated (not sure she had much choice!) and has been coming to some of them too - No 1 In Heaven, Whomp That Sucker and Gratuitous Sax And Senseless Violins before this one, and she'll be at Shepherd's Bush on Friday.

Mrs Whelan decided at the last minute to come to this one too, and I think a fair few others did the same. There was a fair queue outside the venue just before showtime with people picking up tickets or paying on the door. After the quality of the Lil' Beethoven performance there may be more doing the same for Hello Young Lovers.

[Kermit]

"Lil Beethoven" is where Sparks go in to territory completely all of their own. When I first saw it performed at the Royal Festival Hall in London on it's world premiere we knew we were gonna be in for an event of something really rather special. Performing it before it's release, hearing it blind was just such an amazing experience. Sparks stepping up things yet again into all things ....Classical and Opera..... yet still with the Rock & Dance all in there. Kitchen sink Drama if ever there was one! What a show! What an album!
I've seen it done 3 times before so it was gonna be interesting to see how it was going to convey to the smaller stage of the Carling Academy with a stand up audience. A packed out house tonight though. The sense of anticipation in the air tonight was really quite electric. When the metronome backdrop went on it was almost getting orgasmic in there, everyone was so eager for this Lil Beethoven to cum on stage!
"The Rhythm Thief" opens up with Russell looking every inch a Lil Beethoven in his silver trousers, waistcoat and black shirt. Totally in command of the performance tonight. This ain't just a band now, it's a stage show, an extravaganza! The whole place erupted with it's retorts of "Where did the groove go?". If you ever wanted to hear a Sparks army singing in tune with Russell & Tammy's glorious backing vocals, tonight was the night. Ibiza would surley have heard us all calling. Glorious!
Then "How Do I Get To Carnegie Hall?" sees Ron entering with his extended arms and evil grin. I've seen this show so many times but there were a hell of a lot of people here tonight who obviously hadn't seen this hilarious perfomance to this Sparks toon before. The place erupted with laughter and again the retorts of "practice man, practice!" from the crowd was louder than the band singing! Great stuff!! Bravo indeed!!
"What Are All These Bands So Angry About?" again had the crowd in heaps of laughter when the rudie words came up on the screens. Ronnie waving his lighter in front of Russell is such a hoot. And don't those timpany drums just go straight through you on this one?
The amusing "I Married Myself" has Ron running around the backdrops after the lady in white. The audience's collective "Arghh" in sympathy with him was really quite endearing. Such a lovely tune this one, lovely, lovely times had by all!
"Ride 'em Cowboy" had a few of us regulars waving our cowboy hats up at the band. Just getting into the spirit of things. It's all good fun. Hope they didn't spoil anyones view. Thanks to the lovely Helen for providing us all with them for the night. I think they went down well!!
Then to the hightlight of the night, the wonderful "My Baby's Taking Me Home". Doesn't this song have No 1 written all over it? I still think this could be an off the wall huge hit if it were used in an advert or something. It's so simple but just one of the best things Sparks have ever done (imo). The raptuose applause it got tonight certainly proves the point that this song is one that is firmly a favourite in the centre of Sparks fans hearts. They must do this one at the Shepherds Bush second set for even more exposure. It's a hit in the waiting you know. A lover's tune if ever there was one. It's just so beautiful and glorious and when they rocked out at the end tonight that roof of the Academy was nearly coming off I tell ya!!
Tammy has a great time with the "Your Call's Very Important To Us, Please Hold". Such a dramatic song. Russell stopping the red lights with his punched out hands and giving the come ons to the green lights is pure showmanship!
"Ugly Guys With Beautiful Girls" was gonna be an interesting one. Who was gonna be the beautiful girl tonight? Well we had a real sexy hippy chick! Ron was looking well pleased with this luscious looking lady wrapped all over him tonight. You so deserve that grin you had on your face tonight Roinnie!! The crowd were just going bananas to this one.
But then to the albums finale "Suburban Homeboy" had everyone in the house from the band, crowd, roadies, management team all going for it like it was something from "It Ain't Half Hot Mum". What a fun toon this is and again the Sparks Army were singing along with all of their love for Sparks might. Absolutely glorious stuff!!
The encore of "Wunderbar" was to be expected as it was the b-side to "Suburban Homeboy". Again with Russell doing the vocals the song came alive as a proper Sparks toon rather than a throwaway B-side. It worked so well and truly was Wunderbar!! Energetic and frenetic, Gunther Koch would be proud of this version I'm sure. Get it out as an extra bonus on a physical release of the next single please!!!!
Well it was a hot and busy night tonight but there was more fun to be had over at the Eddie after. Jim Wilson & Steve Macdonald came over for a few bevvies. What great guys. Jim still reeling on his reception tonight when we got a huge "Jim! Jim! Jim!" chant going on the introductions. You truly do deserve your own fan club Mr! Great Musician and a lovely, lovely man.
Everyone's starting to get really rather sad that this is all coming to an end but tonight's another night. There might be a few fluffy ears around in that audience tonight and you know what them bunnies get up to don't ya? Fun, Fun, Fun!!

[themightybishop]

just about to leave for my 20th of 20 and i can't add anything to what has already been said. except, i am so pleased to be in love with such a brilliant band.

[sparksfanlm]

[Ennui]

[Eve]

Great gigx20.

Wunderbar. How mental was that? I want to see it again!

[MarkRae]

[T.N.K.]

[T.N.K.]

[sean's sparks thing]

Hey great write up kermit!

All I can add to that, without going too 'West Coast', is what a great vibe there was in the room for this one, the energy levels were up and just got higher as the show rolled on...until we rolled out from the venue and off into the night!

Wunderbar indeed!!!

[deadcalm]

Wonder what the view on "Wunderbar" is now 5 years on.... I seem to recall the song was disliked by a lot of people at the time... Has Russells version given it some new Fans... I always Liked it and the instrumentation on it... Russell version is Hot Though...

[Eve]

DC - live it was great. I'm sure there are lots of other tracks that people were not so keen on but seeing it live will have altered their opinion on it.

[De Sade]

With due respect to those with the Golden Ticket, I could only see three shows and am feeling pretty smug as from what I read I hit the jackpot (Indiscreet/Plagarism/Lil Beethoven). I certainly find it hard to believe there could have been much better than LB which capped off three fantastic evenings for me. Now to the substance of the show - Russ was on some kind of 'I'm young again' trip tonight with him combining the showmanship you can see in the Stockholm DVD with a Sexy Rock God performance! especially MBTMH which was out of this world!!! Had I died at the end of that I would have woken up in heaven in a very good mood. Here goes the hyperbole but does any other band have the ability to rock that hard with the invention, wit and musicology of Sparks - the usual 'quirky pop duo' description usually trotted out by music journalists is totally blown out of the water by the 21 x 21 and LB especially. Yes I know the last three albums have been given good reviews but surely its time this stuff was heard by more than the die hard fans and some rock music journos - I love being part of the exclusive club but this band is now getting too good in a totally non rock/pop group way. Not just the music but the fact that they are doing it now, nearly 40 years on from debut and in studio and live. Too good for words
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Better shave half your face at a time

[Eve]

It is surprising what turns out to be a favourite night/album, so many great nights and things to remember from each of the shows.

[rainbow]

I thought it was AWSOME...!! Groundbreaking. I have the dvd, watched it a lot of times, but this was different, better! my baby, I married myself, the animations...and more. I missed Russell 's sexy moment ...
the reaction of the audience is also swell, well deserved!
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Stop, there's gotta be a million girls like her, though
I can't think of one

[Robin Davies]

[sin-is-quite-the-thing]

Can't even begin to explain how amazing this was.
My favourite of the lot!
We may have been boiling, but the crowd were just giving everything they'd got! Brilliant atmosphere!
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-Up Here In Heaven Without You.-

[T.N.K.]