Behold Their Majesties, The Wainwright-McGarrigles

By Alex Arnott

When the theme of this issue—Canadiana—was decided upon, I knew that I had to write about the Wainwrights and McGarrigles. Oh, who am I kidding? There’s another word for the Wainwright-McGarrigle clan, and I’m sure it’s already floating around inside the heads of those readers who know them. It starts with a D and ends with a Y.

Rufus Wainwright, Kate McGarrigle, and Martha Wainwright

It should be admitted upfront that the questionable patriarch in this family, Loudon Wainwright III, is not in fact a Canadian. Patriarchs aren’t everything, and I am certain that the surviving family members of this clan would agree. Anyway, there are countless articles detailing the history of those Wainwright-McGarrigles (I liked this one), but this is not one of them.
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Rufus Wainwright, All Days Are Nights: Songs For Lulu

By Alex Arnott

Listeners unfamiliar with Rufus Wainwright would probably be surprised to hear that this obliquely named, classically influenced, piano-driven album is in fact, one of his more understated works. This masterful musician, who has a penchant for impressively orchestrated pop songs, has a great deal of unusual achievements under his designer lederhosen. In the past three years, Rufus has accomplished two incredibly ambitious projects that your run-of-the-mill pop star would never dare to undertake.

First, he challenged himself to reproduce the legendary Judy Garland Concert at Carnegie Hall song for song, even recreating some of Judy’s banter. Many of the songs in Judy’s repertoire are quite dissimilar to Rufus’ usual style, yet he pulled it off with aplomb.
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Lost & Never Found Again: Badges And Plastic Babies

I had a pair of Sparks badges, Kimono My House-era, that I bought on Ebay when I first got into Sparks. (Yes, I was a latecomer). I loved them dearly and wore them on my green winter jacket. A few winters ago, I went on a trip to Amsterdam with my friend Zoe. When we got off the train from Schilpol to Amsterdam Centraal, there was naturally a huge group of people, and even as we were on the platform, I realized that I had lost my Ron badge, but it was too late. There was not going to be any searching around on the ground with such a massive hubbub. I like to think a Dutch Sparks fan found it and they lived happily ever after.
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Top Ten Holiday Tunes: By Alex Arnott

1. “Donna and Blitzen,” Badly Drawn Boy

I think it has everything. Lush orchestration, festive jangly bells, underrated reindeer, and more than a little bit of indie magic.
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Popshifter‘s Best Of Lists

Pete Best

Most publications give you their “Best Of” and “Top Ten” lists in their December issues. But what about giving props to of all the great things you embraced in the penultimate month of the year?

That’s why Popshifter has decided to provide you with our favorites now, so that you can add them to your list of “Things To Check Out In 2009.”

In addition to the lists our staff compiled, we’ve also posted the lists from some very special guest contributors.

Enjoy!
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Sparks Spectacular: Propaganda (1974)

By Noisy Boy

If I say this was the first Sparks show that was just as good as the previous night, I’d be damning it with faint praise—it was absolutely wonderful, but they’ve all been wonderful so far. Another capacity crowd were as reverential as they had been on previous nights, and the guys do seem genuinely touched by the repeated displays of love and gratitude from the crowd. And rightly so—the performances were nearly flawless, bar the odd little flub here or there (most notably the end of “Achoo” where either the band carried on too long or Russell came in too early, probably the former).

Highlights included the title track rearranged for three voices, performed impeccably, and the sheer crowd enthusiasm that greeted “B.C.,” all capped off with the “I wish that I” sing-along from the crowd at the climax of “Bon Voyage.” And, of course, when Ron did his dance during “Who Don’t Like Kids”—whether it was spontaneous or not—it brought the house down. The encore of “Lost and Found” was also a surprise (sort of—I looked at the setlist while they were being laid out for the band), but was still excellent, even if I’d have preferred “Marry Me.” Nonetheless, the guy that tried to give the bouquets of roses to Ron and Russell (thwarted by security, but successful thanks to a kindly person with a photographer’s pass who put them on the stage) had exactly the right idea.

By Alex Arnott

Tuesday 20th May was an exciting day for this Sparks fan. I had three Sparks tickets in my hot little hands for the performances this week, but for some reason Propaganda was the one that excited me the most. It certainly helped that half an hour prior to going to the N1 centre, one of my companions gave me a present: a handmade Sparks-themed passport holder embroidered with the slogan Bon Voyage!

We managed to grab a more desirable spot than we’d had for Sunday night’s Kimono My House show, which was filled to the gunnels. Directly in front of us were a couple that had decided to bring their preteen daughter to the show, a child who will hopefully be well-versed in decent music by the time she comes of age. We arrived in time for the support, which was Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip. It was apparent that the crowd was skeptical at first, but they managed to win us over with intelligent rap and the aid of props, which always help.

The main attraction loomed and the suspense was absolutely palpable. The guys were a little bit later than they’d been on Sunday night for Kimono, which heightened the anticipation further. Soon enough the band entered the stage, clad in their phenomenal, now-trademark album art T-shirts. A huge cheer as Ron walked on, another massive cheer for Russell. After a few moments, they started to indulge us. Just like on the album, “Propaganda” the song is over almost as soon as it’s begun. I’d hoped with futility for the longer version, but we’ll have to wait for Plagiarism for that. The band did a valiant job with the a cappella backing vocals. This led seamlessly into “At Home, At Work, At Play” where Russell got to start flexing his vocals a little more and generally get the crowd excited.

Naturally, “Reinforcements” followed. “Reinforcements” always makes me think of Blackadder IV. With lyrical motifs such as “I’m on guard again but unprepared to fend for myself in a battle,” I can’t help but be reminded of Stephen Fry’s character General Melchett! Whether anyone else shares this comparison with me is a different story, but it was clear that this song is a true sing-along, really giving me the feeling of being in the Sparks Army. Even Russell counting along in the break of this song was a privilege to view. At the end of the song there was a powerful combination of band and audience singing “re-in-force-ments, re-in-force-ments,” which was nothing short of a joy.

“Here’s a little song now, it’s about a happy little family whose names were Aaron, Betty and Charlie. . . the song is called ‘B.C.'” declared Russell at the request of the drummer Steven Nistor, self-referencing an old performance of the song on German TV. I’m sure you know the one: Russell’s wearing a long red scarf, and the audience clap after the first verse and he says “Not yet!” “B.C.” went past in a frenetic flash with some quality Ron faces illustrating once more the vast differences between the Mael personalities. “Thanks But No Thanks” allowed more audience participation with the opening la’s, and Russell got more active running around the stage, claiming, “My orders come from high above me” with real credibility, gesticulating at the viewers in the balcony.

At this point, I saddened a touch knowing we were about halfway through, which is a curse that is also the key ingredient to the magic of these shows. In a way you know exactly what you’re getting, which is why you’re there, but all the time you’re wishing that the albums were at least three times longer! Soon enough the pounding introduction of “Don’t Leave Me Alone With Her” was upon us, and Russell was tackling one of the more difficult songs on this opus, and tackle it he did, with relish. Rushing to the front of the stage while imploring us not to leave him alone with her, it seemed for a moment that he was contemplating a stage dive! Ron surveyed his adoring minions in his disparaging manner all the while, despite uncharacteristic (but welcome!) grinning towards the start of the show. The end of the song was a chaotic, yet perfectly organized falsetto.

Just as we were recovering from the wonder of their performance, they stunned us once more with a beautiful rendition of “Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth” with a projected large image of the earth on the screen behind them. Even the oft-tuneless roars of the crowd couldn’t spoil this song. I have always loved watching live videos of this song, wherein Russell magnanimously waves his arms at the crowd during the line “Hang on to anything that brings a quick return to my friends, to my friends!” and was delighted to finally be a part of it. My personal favorite part of the song however, is “Well, I’ll admit I was unfaithful, but from now I’ll be more faithful”, a promise that would be very hard to believe if sung from any other lips.

Ron tinkled out the final phrase and then they burst into an extremely energetic “Something For The Girl With Everything,” which got us all grooving again. A personal highlight of this song for me was yet more audience participation, with Russell whispering, “something for the girl who has got everything is. . . ” and us all yelling back, “EVERYTHING!” We were rendered speechless by Russell succeeding at the very challenging ending to the song, and heartened knowing that “Achoo” will be easily achievable, too.

Ron’s gentle keyboard opening to “Achoo” belies the true energy of this ode to sneezing, which must in fact be the catchiest and best song with sneezing as a subject matter that anyone will hear. We all joined in with the sneezing in the chorus, and the final sneezing fit was pulled off with the aid of the band working as backing singers (sneezers?). At this point, the gig was drawing achingly close to a close. For “Who Don’t Like Kids,” the album art was flanked by two animated mice marching in time to the song, mice who look suspiciously like Jerry of Tom and Jerry fame. At this point, our beloved Ron could not suppress himself any longer, and launched into what seemed to be a spontaneous performance of the Ron shuffle, after which my friend announced that now she could die happy, having seen it live! After his dance, he apologized sheepishly and said that he would never do it again, to disappointed cries from us, who would gladly watch him dance again and again.

Then came “Bon Voyage,” and this being the last of the shows my friends would be attending, it was an absolutely perfect farewell for them. This is one of the songs that my crafty friend (who made the passport holder) favors, so she was delighted to get to see it live. “Goodbye to my lucky friends and foes, glad that we could know you” is as good a sentiment as any on which to finish the album proper. After the introductions of the mightily able band, thanks and presentations of bouquets to the Maels, they quit the stage, but having attended the gig the night before, we knew that there would be a small encore. I was hoping for “Marry Me” but we inexplicably got “Lost and Found” instead, which was triumphant and left us craving yet more.

Opening act Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip’s most successful song to date is called “Thou Shalt Always Kill.” In it there is a section wherein they reel off a list of influential bands, followed by the phrase “just a band.” At the end of this section, they threw in “Sparks—just a band” and got booed by all of us devoted fans. It was a valiant effort, boys, but this is one musical act that is most certainly not “just a band.” Just a band would never be able to treat their fans to such an extravaganza and succeed so triumphantly.

Also:

Please read Mike Bennett’s review at Hablo Ennui.

Sparks Spectacular: 21 Miracles of the Modern Age

From May 16 through June 11 of 2008, Sparks played all 20 of their albums in a row, one per night, at Carling Academy Islington in London. This astounding series of shows, from a band who’s been around for 37 years, was followed by the live premiere of their twenty-first studio release, Exotic Creatures of the Deep, on June 13 at Shepherd’s Bush Empire. Fans from around the world submitted reviews for each night of the show to Popshifter, and we have published them in this issue.

Click on the album art to read reviews for each live performance.

And scroll down to read a review of the entire concert series.

Thanks to all the writers and photographers who contributed to this feature or graciously allowed us to use their words and photos: a-anne, Nick Barber, Mike Bennett @Hablo Ennui, Noisy Boy, Tim Collins, Daniel Gray @Dead By Sunrise, Alex Gabriel-Bayston, Alex J. Geairns @Cult TV, Timothy Hall, Here Kitty, Angie Holmes, Craig Irving, Janina, Louise Lee, Rachel Lipsitz @littlepants, Elizabeth McCarthy, Musicalsushi, DP Nixon @Playlouder, Michael Pearson, Albert Resonox, Michael Row, Miss Missy Tannenbaum, and Will Vigar

Popshifter would also like to thank the following for their help and support in producing this feature: Alex Robertson and everyone at the AllSparks.com forum, Ned Raggett and everyone at the Mael List, and Sue Harris at Republic Media

And extra special thanks go out to Ron and Russell Mael for continuing to inspire music fans everywhere.

By Tim Collins

Looking at the price information at the bottom of the live ad I see the option to buy a “Golden Ticket” that gets you into all 21 shows for £350.

“What kind of person buys that?” I think.

That person ends up being me. I don’t plan to see Sparks play all their albums in order. I just get caught up in the whole thing. It’s a bit like one of those nights when you go out for a quick pint and end up staying out until two, except that it happens over the course of a month.

I have tickets for the first few shows, including the albums from the band’s mid-seventies commercial peak, which sell out fast and are attended by celebrities such as TV host Jonathan Ross and Joe Elliot from Def Leppard (a man who seems to have puzzlingly good musical taste given his output).

I mean to return to normal life after 1979’s Giorgio Moroder collaboration No. 1 in Heaven, but I can’t stop. I’m hooked on the narrative of the Sparks discography as it moves through glam to disco, through eighties synthpop to nineties dance, to arrive at the band’s exquisite late period.

Plus, as I explore deeper into the Sparks back catalogue I begin to realize how good their quality control has been. Some of their eighties output is blighted by brash production, but the songs themselves have been consistently great—loaded with counter-intuitive ideas and sly double meanings.

I buy one ticket from a tout and one on the door before finally giving in, getting a Golden Ticket and accepting the Maels as part of my nightly routine.

Five nights a week I arrive at Islington Academy just before nine, buy a lager from the bar, and push my way to the front. Sparks then play that night’s album in full, followed by a rare track that may or may not be from the same era.

Later on, I get on the tube and listen to the album they’re doing next on my iPod.

It starts to feel more like one long show with 23-hour breaks between encores than a series of gigs. The atmosphere inside the shows is unusual, too. More like a fan convention than a typical gig, especially at the shows for the less well-known albums.

It can’t be easy to play a totally different set every night. I start to wonder why Sparks are putting themselves through this.

Partly, I think, they want to do something PR-worthy to draw attention to new album Exotic Creatures of the Deep. And that’s fair enough. The album completes a trilogy of lush orchestral pop that began with 2002’s Lil’ Beethoven and continued with 2006’s Hello Young Lovers. Although subject to a cult following and a critical reputation, especially here in the UK, these innovative works still got a little lost in the modern rock clutter. And if this London marathon helps to push the new one, then so much the better.

Or maybe this is just the Maels applying their studio work ethic to their live shows. The brothers are apparently driven to mammoth sessions while crafting their meticulous pop. So maybe playing every single one of their albums live is the only way they can make their rehearsal schedule as grueling as their studio routine. I wonder if they’re losing money on all of this. When I put this query to David, a Canadian fan who’s taken a month off work to come to the shows, he responds, “They’re not doing it for money. They’re doing it for art.”

So is that it? Are we all part of some conceptual piece here, a commentary on the nature of modern rock fandom, or an effort to destroy the tendency for nostalgia in modern music by taking it to its logical conclusion?

Possibly. But I think the real reason Sparks want to do this is the same reason they’ve done a lot of things throughout their career—because it shouldn’t work, but it does. Over the past four decades Sparks have been drawn to unusual creative choices through a mix of contrariness and inventiveness, and here they’re applying the same spirit to live performance.

And it’s this brilliantly perverse spirit we all have to thank as we file out of the final show at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire after three hours and three encores and slowly admit to ourselves that this time the show really is over