Sparks Spectacular: No. 1 in Heaven
Posted in Concert Reviews, Music, Reviews, Sparks Spectacular |By Noisy Boy
Magnificent. The best gig of the series so far, and nearly perfect in every respect. From Sparks’ twisted concept of introducing an era-defining disco album with a lullaby-singing David Lynch lounge band (Gamine) and Charles Aznavour, to Portishead’s new album on the PA, to Ron’s magnificent “homage” asymmetrical hairdo, this was Sparks in their element.
Photo © Louise Lee
Maybe it was due to the fact that there’s so many sequenced bits on the album, or that it’s just shorter than the others, but everything was impeccably performed, and any worries my accompanying “Sparks Army” may have had were unfounded. From the opening bit of “Tryouts For The Human Race,” through the end, everything was just about faultless
When they finally reached the pinnacle of “Number One Song In Heaven,” everybody around me went absolutely apeshit. I even got a laugh out of the Bob-Dylan-cognizant portion of the crowd by yelling “JUDAS!” when Russell was talking about accusations of selling out when the album was first released.
The finale of “Dancing Is Dangerous” was something that had crossed my mind as a potential choice, but it turned out to be a revelation. If the album’s not been released on CD, someone should take the bull by the horns and get it out quickly!
As an aside, how good is Steve Nistor? His work tonight was absolutely sterling. From his sequenced pads to his strict disco rhythms, the guy is untouchable.
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