SPARKS

E-Clect-Eddy · Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 7:01 am Post subject:

From the three gigs i've seen so far i was looking forward to this one the most. I loved Big Beat & Introducing why those albums never got that much attention as the threesome is beyond me.

I was so lucky to get in just as my 3 fellow ticketsless fans. Two of us got to buy one at the last moment and me and this guy from Guilfest got in for free! Thanx a million to the annonimous giver, i still own you a very big drink.

I got mixed feelings: from the place i was standing, leftside near to the speakers. The drums were mixed in fine, Russel could have needed a little more volume and the synth were most of the time to low mixed in. So say that an album that depend on that so heavy has this problem live. I do hope it will be better for the next nights. Although every night something small does seems to go wrong but this was really bad and i do want to stand somewhere else next time to see/hear if it gets better.

I did hope for a rare track from Lio, Telex or Noel and was so pleased they did that. Even had Russell waving at me when i called out Au Revoir i guess he missed the link to the song ;-)
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Andy Whelan · Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 7:08 am Post subject:

Totally astounding. This is the first Sparks album that I bought at the time (too young for the previous ones!), and was totally formative for me. Even so, I was too young to go to gigs then, and I certainly never thought that I would ever get to see the entire album performed live.

I love the way that they make the effort to reproduce the albums as they actually sounded, and I thought this worked extremely well, although as others have said Ron's keyboards were too low in the mix at first.

By the time we got to side two, the sound was much better, and Beat The Clock and No 1 Song In Heaven were magnificent. As was Ron's hair.

It was packed again, surely a sell-out, and this was also the first gig that I didn't go to on my own. The others I went with were equally impressed, and there was talk of picking up tickets for future shows.

Spyke · Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 7:59 am Post subject:

Can anyone upload any pics of Ron's hair? I missed the gig, which I regret, especially as it might have been my only chance to see 'My Other Voice' live.
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straightlookingenie · Groupie Joined: 18 Jul 2006 Posts: 128 Location: Pluto

straightlookingenie · Groupie Joined: 18 Jul 2006 Posts: 128 Location: Pluto

straightlookingenie · Groupie Joined: 18 Jul 2006 Posts: 128 Location: Pluto

Another amazing night! Wow, the light show and the energy. It was fantastic. My Other Voice was stunning. I was really looking forward to this one and they didn't disappoint!

The next few shows will be interesting for me since I don't have the albums, only the tracks from Profile (although I know plenty more of the songs from Angst thanks to YouTube clips).
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Introducing Leo · Certified Fan Joined: 12 Aug 2007 Posts: 60

Very short clip of Academy Award Performance
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=76tqlFezShs

straightlookingenie · Groupie Joined: 18 Jul 2006 Posts: 128 Location: Pluto

Introducing Leo · Certified Fan Joined: 12 Aug 2007 Posts: 60

straightlookingenie · Groupie Joined: 18 Jul 2006 Posts: 128 Location: Pluto

Annika · Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 10:26 am Post subject:

Thanks guys for replying to my question about Steve M.
I am no good to hear the difference who is playing guitar and who is playing bass. I know Steve is playing bass but in the songs I don't know who is plaing what, I only know is sounds great.
Even though Steven Nistor is grear I wonder if Tammy is playing for a show or 2!!!!!!
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electric elver · Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 10:49 am Post subject:

After a wilfully twee joke-support-band, the type that you clap with clenched teeth as you would a relative's posturing six-year-old, it was WAY past time! Thank f*** for a superfast stage reshuffle (well, superfast as these things generally go!) before Ron appeared like the Ghost of Summers Past!!! And Russell - from a motionless gleam of shirt buttons in the shadows to a shape shifting cannonball into the light in 2.5 seconds! Possibly less! It was a brilliant break-neck rendition of the album, which I've absolutely no desire to dissect song by song, and seemed scarily timeless and gone in a flash. Guess the sound quality depended on exactly where you were standing, but I felt those deep driven rhythms were perfectly balanced with the soaring poignance of THOSE melodies. Russell's energy was otherworldly and he's a one-man heavenly choir. A loaded shot of joy!! Thank you.

Deano · Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 11:13 am Post subject:

A bad day watching my favourite football team play badly at Wembley stadium and paying a tout silly money for 2 tickets to do so,ended up with a better end to the day.Great night and Ron you have to don that hair again-its as cool as you like.My only gripe is when a Sparks audience gets treat to support bands the vast majority alienate them.That 3 piece last night i thought were enchanting.The singer was gorgeous too.For Heaven's sake it costs nothing to clap.The most embarrasing thing is the claps appear along with loud cheers for the end of the last song.Jesus....

sean's sparks thing · Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 11:52 am Post subject: E.N.E.R.G.Y

Well, that certainly had the power, I love the tracks, tone, melodies and lyrics of No.1 and that was a superb set that wizzed by in a flurry of hand claps and sing-alongs.

Can't wait for more, keep it up everyone!

ed · Newbie Joined: 21 May 2008 Posts: 3

Another ripper of a gig! Agreed that Ron's synths were way too low in the mix for most of the time but I was really impressed by the translation to the stage, especially the live drumming integrated with electronic percussion- eg the backwards hi hats on 'My Other Voice'.

I don't think they seemed quite as into it as 'Propaganda' but it was still a great performance and I imagine it must have been a bit of a nightmare to bring to the stage. THAT drum roll at the start of N1SIH was the defining moment for me. Quality.

Noisy Boy · Power Groupie Joined: 20 Feb 2006 Posts: 292

Deano · Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 12:53 pm Post subject:

Noisy boy thanks-we don't seem to be able to perform in these games.At least Sparks performed a lot better yesterday than Super Leeds.Best leave your old man and brother to sulk a little longer i reckon-about a year should do it.

kraftwerkdave · Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 1:41 pm Post subject:

Finally got in after a nightmare journey home from that London.

My 4 friends and I managed to get a spot fairly near the front dead ahead of the speaker stack. I thought the lady in the support band had an amazing voice, but their style of music was probably not best suited as a warm up for an electronic disco album. A small gripe, I still thought they were excellent for what they do.

As for No. 1. Astounding. The sound mix was iffy from halfway through Tryouts until My Other Voice. I think Ron was shouting to a techie during Beat The Clock that the feed from the laptop with the prerecorded sequences needed to be turned up, as it did seen to be drum and vocal heavy for a while.

As for dancing, my mates and I managed quite a lot, including a lot of pogoing and clapping along. We were all singing along (badly) and having a great time. Apologies to the bloke behind me for stomping on his foot a few times while jumping!

As or Dancing Is Dangerous: fan-bloody-tastic and cheers to the poster some way above for providing links to the album,. It's downloading now :)