Sparks Spectacular: Lil’ Beethoven (2002)

By Noisy Boy

Wow. Just wow. Unquestionably the best show yet, and one of the best gigs I’ve ever been to. Just stunning in every respect: from the crowd who were just as entertaining as the band (props to the folk waving cowboy hats during the choruses of “Ride Em Cowboy”), to the backdrop (which was faithful to the DVD), to the return of Tammy Glover (who looks a bit like Becky from Coronation Street if you squint a bit).

Positioning myself towards the back rather than the front made for a great sound, as on came the band and into “The Rhythm Thief” they went, with all the band on vocals, Steven Nistor and Tammy Glover on timpanis. . . just breathtaking. Enter Ron and his long arms for “Carnegie Hall,” to much applause. This was easily the most enthusiastic crowd I’ve yet seen.

I think what made this so excellent for me (and what made it so damn annoying that I couldn’t see the next night’s show) is that this wasn’t an attempt at creating a facsimile of a vintage work, as the past shows have been; this was real and current and still vibrant. It also helps that most of the band who played on the album (and live shows) were still there (though Dean did appear in spirit as one of the on-screen animations taking a bow at the end). It showed up best in the younger crowd, and in “My Baby’s Taking Me Home,” possibly the best performance of anything they’ve done so far, and a response so rapturous I didn’t think it would end. Seriously, people didn’t stop cheering after it had finished!

The other facet was that this is very much a performance piece rather than just an album rendition. The whole multimedia presentation is definitely Sparks’ most adventurous work in that realm (so far), and Ron is as much of a star as Russell (who said very little during the set). He’s not just the deadpan keyboard player, but a key stage element, and a very funny physical comedian. I very much dug his amusing facial expressions in “Ugly Guys With Beautiful Girls,” whilst he paraded his beautiful girl around, as well as his “Ride Em Cowboy” actions.

What was also a joy, and what you may not have been able to see on the webcast was the sheer camaraderie between the rest of the band. During “Suburban Homeboy,” when Steve McDonald came back out (sporting a rather ill-advised moustache) to sing backing vocals, all the band looked like they were having a whale of a time, which was really infectious. They could’ve ended right there and I’d have gone home happy. And while I was expecting “The Mandalay Song” as the encore, “Wunderbar” was a good choice, with Russell doing a fine impersonation of Günther Koch’s exasperated commentary skills.

Thus ended my experience of Sparks at Islington Academy; one of the most unique things I’ve experienced in my life, and probably twice as unique for those who’ve been attending every show.