Sparks Spectacular: Halfnelson
Posted in Concert Reviews, Music, Reviews, Sparks Spectacular |By Tim Collins
“One song down. 255 to go.”
Photo © Daniel Gray @Dead By Sunrise
Now that’s a phrase that can’t have been used much in the history of live music. It’s possible that Wire or Napalm Death might have got through a few hundred songs in a couple of hours back in the day, but if that happened it went unrecorded.
Approaching the rock concert medium with the inventiveness and work ethic they’ve applied in the studio over the years, Sparks decided to play all twenty-one of their albums in over twenty nights at Islington Academy and one at Shepherd’s Bush Empire.
So when he finished opener “Wonder Girl,” Russell Mael didn’t really need to remind us how unusual this whole undertaking is. Anyone who’s ever been involved in live music will appreciate the scale of the task here—the months of rehearsal, the endless possibility for fluffs.
Will Ron’s poker face crack under the pressure? Will Russell be reduced to staggering around on stage with crumpled lyric sheets like a vintage Shaun Ryder?
Nope. Sparks pounded through their wonderful 1971 debut as though this was their current set. In fact this rendition of a record that’s almost four decades old proves how much of the Sparks idiosyncrasy was there right out of the box—the falsetto, the keyboards, the arch lyrics, the eclectic stylings.
Russell hit the high notes with ease although there were a few noticeable mistakes from the band. Ron’s keyboards were slightly too low in the mix, which robbed songs like “Fa La Fa Lee”’ and “Roger” of some of their charm.
Not that this mattered to the audience, who sang along to “Slowboat” and “Fletcher Honorama” with all the enthusiasm you’d expect from a fanbase finally getting to share their private obsession.
Their energy wasn’t lost on the group and by the closer “No More Mr. Nice Guys” and surprise encore “England,” the atmosphere is celebratory as it dawns on band and fans that this whole improbable project is actually going to work.
One album down. Twenty to go. I could make a habit of this.
Click to read. . .
Craig Irving’s review
Albert Resonox’s review