Sparks
It's a near run thing. We squeak into a packed Union Chapel
a handy three minutes before Sparks
come onstage.
This is the third and final of a trilogy of dates at this
venue wherein Ron and Russell Mael take a wander through their vast back
catalogue of songs. As when I last saw them, this is a performance that is
pared down to bare essentials.
Ron Mael, as imperturbable and inscrutable as ever, sits
behind a keyboard as rigid as an automaton. He looks exactly the same as he did
when Sparks
emerged in the 70's.
Brother Russell is dressed for comfort in a black polo neck,
cut off pants and training shoes. His hair is a black mass that sits
precariously on his head, looking as though it may gradually slide down the
side of his face. He's armed with a microphone. This is all that we need.
Russ starts off with "You Call is Very Important to
Us", looping his voice back and forth to create a cacophony of
interrupting accents. It's actually the only vocal trickery deployed this
evening. All subsequent songs are delivered uniquely via his still-startling
falsetto and occasional faux-French accent.
Tonight's show is primarily aimed at the hardcore Sparks fan. I'm familiar
with the band's hits and have their last three or four albums too, but even so
much of what is played tonight is relatively new to me, comprising in the main
album cuts from their early career.
This is both a blessing and a pity. The lyrical
inventiveness and humour of early Sparks
is extraordinary, but the verses are so intricate that songs require multiple
listening to fully unpack and appreciate. Listening to a track like 'Big Boy', ‘Popularity’
or ‘Nicotina’ is akin to the patter of a Gilbert and Sullivan comic operetta;
you admire the sheer dexterity and cleverness as much as the music.
The brothers also perform works from their current (ish) venture,
'The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman'. This is a long-gestating film project which
they are pleased to announce has now attracted sufficient funding to finally
get made.
The highlight -among many- for me tonight is 'No 1 Song in
Heaven', a joyous clap-along that seems entirely fitting in this spectacular
setting. Russ' voice soars to all corners of the chapel and it is a wonderful
and emotional sound.
At the end of the evening Ron and Russell are so overcome
that they cannot bring themselves to leave the stage, standing dazed as parts
of the audience start to file out. Russell gets Ron to take his picture against
the backdrop of a sea of beaming faces in the pews.
It's a lovely, intimate moment for two of the nicest guys in
show business.
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