SPARKS

Sparks Moderator UK · Site Admin Joined: 17 May 2004 Posts: 79

Ready for tonight's show.
Please remember the livestream at
www.cdpulse.com/venue/page/Carling+Academy+Islington

RODDON · Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 5:01 pm Post subject:

Big Beat has never been one of my favourite Sparks albums - probably cos it followed the unfollowable masterpiece that is Indiscreet. However, I have always thought it would be brilliant live, and boy how right I was. Once again Russell was superb - even with the faux pas during the encore. Ron was, er....well....Ron. Nothing To Do, Confusion and I Like Girls the highlights for me - but the whole thing rocked from start to finish. The band were excellent tonight as well, and the audience were in good voice. This album always evokes memories of the long hot Summer of '77 for me, and I was back there again.
Thanks for another fantastic night guys!!!

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Tvcoahran · Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 5:08 pm Post subject:

-Oh wow, what hapened with TEARING THE PLACE APART? did russell just lose his place?

-Totally awesome though. i cant understand ron on the stream except for the WHITE WOMEN disclaimer. what did he say earlier?

-Just watched that rollercoaster movie (magic mountain ad). russell went wild on that thing. i wanted ron to smash his piano bench after FILLERUP.
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sparksfanlm · Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 5:09 pm Post subject:

It certainly was a fantastic gig. But the live stream kept pausing and I missed "Throw Her Away". Still enjoyed it though, lol.

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

Tvcoahran · Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 5:19 pm Post subject:

Oh yah, & i noticed tonite how tight the backup harmonies are. well done especially to guitar player next to the drummer.

Is it weird to anybody else how long ron & russell stand motionless onstage after saying goodnite?
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Micke · Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 5:20 pm Post subject:

An absolutely impeccable performance!

"Close-ups are overrated"

rileyrempel · Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 5:27 pm Post subject:

I thought that the backup vocals on Throw Her Away were great. Love the disclaimer before White Women. Just try to visualize the reaction from the record company when they heard it for the first time.

jidlomonster · Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 5:29 pm Post subject:

Ron and Russell have tended to be unkind about Big Beat. Quite wrongly, in my opinion and I wonder if tonight's show did anything to change their minds. It should have done because the album came over really well tonight. Yes, it is inferior to the three earlier Island albums, but not by much!!

Courageous of Russell to start the encore over. In a way, that false start encapsulated the spirit of this whole enterprise. They know that in attempting something this big, mistakes are bound to happen and so they just laugh them off. We, their fans, are happy to laugh along with them.

Good to hear so much audience participation tonight. Can't wait for a week tonight when I'll be there myself!
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Alan Liddell · Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 5:37 pm Post subject:

Really enjoyed that tonight and its never been one of my favourites before. The songs are really suited to a live rock band, its probably Sparks most basic uncomplicated album. Wow 5 down already! almost a quarter of the way through them now. Cant wait to watch Introducing and No1 In Heaven over the weekend.
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MarkRae · Groupie Joined: 11 Mar 2008 Posts: 199 Location: London

Just back home...

Utterly superb! Not one of my favourite Sparks albums, but that's like saying that rubies aren't one of my favourite gems - it's still a great album!

This was by far the tightest performance to date - I wonder if they had a rehearsal or two yesterday after the Indiscreet gig...?

All of the songs were pretty much right on the money, though they're not as challenging as some of the songs from earlier albums. Russell was in superb voice, especially on Fill-er-up which was breathtaking.

As has been previously mentioned, Russell f*** up (his phrase, not mine) so bad on Tearing the Place Apart that they had to start again, but that made no difference to the overall gig.

The audience was superb too - strange how a third-full venue can sometimes sound better than a completely sold-out venue...

So, per ardua ad astra. The promoter told me after the gig that they've only sold about half as many tickets for tomorrow night, but that No. 1 In Heaven is only a few short of being completely sold out.

Can't wait!

Andy · Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 6:31 pm Post subject:

Lost the will to live half way through it, bloody streaming kept stuttering and stammering, Christ!!!!!! I'd rather not watch it than watch it stopping and starting every 10 seconds or so........................ still, for what I saw of it, (about the first half hour) it was bloody fantastic. Good on yer R & R.
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themightybishop · Certified Fan Joined: 04 Dec 2007 Posts: 73

i was looking forward to this one. 3 hours after indiscreet i was in agony with food poisoning but it wasn't going to stop me tonight! as a previous poster said, it's an uncomplicated album. it made less demands on russell's voice. ron really seems to be enjoying himself (as much as ron can!). it was nice to get a little intro to a couple of the songs with the ramones (johnny) getting a mention ahead of nothing to do. the audience participation gets better each night with everyone somehow knowing the bits to join in with. all those people in all those bedsits and living rooms thirty years ago joining in with the same bits.
it felt more like a private party tonight and i suspect tomorrow night will feel even more "select". the only downside is missing eurovision for the first time in my memory...

TommyGun · Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 7:05 pm Post subject:

I really dont like Big Beat I think the whole thing doesnt sound good, its awfully produced..

BUT

this show rocked.
it was fantastic, they should do a re-recording of Big Beat it would be a great Easy-To-Listen-Sparks-Album

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Kermit · Guest

I was so looking forward to this one. "Big Beat" live in all it's glory. Sparks stripped down. The storming entry of "Big Boy" was thunderous! I remember going to see "Rollercoaster" three times when I was a teenager just to see Sparks on the big screen and in sensurround too! We didn't have videos back then to repeat the experience. What a joy. It really felt like there was a rumbling rollercoaster going on tonight for sure. Such a great song and we had the audience singing along again word perfect to Russells "Big Boy". Top Toon and Jim Wilson on that guitar tonight? Top one!! Audience chanting "Big Boy" back at Russell was electric!!!
"I wanna be like every body else" was a real stormer. "Nothing To Do" had Russell spinning around and there were plenty thumbs a twiddling back at him. Excellent!
Then my favourite track of this album "I bought the Mississippi River". Should have been the single of the album in my opinion. I just love it. It's mine all mine!!!!
Then back to "Rollercoaster" for the frantic "Fill 'er up". Sparks most Hi energy song ever gotta be. Just madness! Was Ron gonna wreck the set tonight like in the film? He kept his cool. Oh well.
"Throw Her away and get a new one" was fun too. Really going for it in the pit and i threw her away, I'm sorry, she did come back though! Love that toon!
The explanation to "Confusion" was quite endearing. I'm sure Monsiuer Tati was looking down tonight with full approval. Rocking up there in heaven somewhere on a rollercoaster in the clouds I'm sure! Classique!
"Screwed Up" is another great song. You almost want another verse to bring us up to date with what's going on in the eighties, nineties and naughties!! Great guitar again Jimbo!!
Then an apolgitec intro to "White Women". I guess he really had to but damn it. A strippers song if ever there was one! I love the haunting ending to this one. Could have gone on much longer jamming and talking about white women...just love it!
Finish off with "I like Girls" and those thundering drums had us all raising our hands high and la la las. And it's abrubt end ...I don't want it to end.
"Big Beat" is a stunner of a Sparks album, shame the UK didn't appreciate it at the time but tonight it did and it never ceases to amaze me how Sparks songs just never sound old. Yes they are of an era but they are still fresh and full of life as tonights performance surley must have converted a few doubters.
The fluffed up "Tearing The Place Apart" was charming. Don't worry Russell, we ain't sure of all the words on this one either. I love it when things go wrong. It shows the humanity in it all. We are all not perfect in a very unperfect world but Russell always handles these little foibles in such a humourous manner it just so doesn't matter.
Not a packed house tonight but more room to have fun in and appreciate "Big Beat" properly. It sounded great!! Smiling faces over to the Eddie again for a few hours of Sparks stories and we nearly had a wedding in honolulu....maybe another time. Great night!!!

sjadey · Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 1:11 am Post subject:

I hadn't listened to Big Beat for years, so I played the CD in the car on the way to the gig. I was surprised that I could still remember most of the lyrics, so I was singing along tonight even to the encore, which is on that CD even though it's from the Indsicreet sessions. It was a great show, so thanks guys. Looking forward to Introducing tomorrow. I hadn't heard that for years either as I only had it on vinyl until I bought the CD at the Halfnelson gig last Friday.

I've been to all the shows so far except Kimono and Propaganda which I watched online but it keep stopping and jumping, which was very annoying.

I missed several songs completely. It seemed ok in between songs and then about 10-15 seconds into each song, it would stop again. I assumed the fault was with my PC or internet connection but from what I've read on this forum, everyone seems to be having the same trouble.

After tonight's show I spoke to Peter who is looking after the web cast at the show. There is one camcorder on a tripod next to the mixing desk at the back and two cameras attached to a lighting rig hanging from the ceiling of the bar area (ie. closer to the stage). All three are connected to a laptop by the tripod and Peter is controlling what goes out on the web. I told him about the problems that everyone has been having. The software he is using shows the direct output from the cameras and also what is being seen from CDpulse.com and apart from it looking a little pixelated sometimes, the picture was the same. He was interested to know but there doesn't seem to be anything he can do to improve how it appears to the rest of the world. The shows are being taped on the camcorder, but he hasn't been told whether there are any plans for a DVD. Still, if there's a tape, then there's potential for a DVD. Maybe there will be a DVD of the Exotic Creatures show?

PS. Where is this Eddie's that everyone seems to be meeting at? Are they playing Sparks albums there? Are there Eddie's in the space-time continuum?

dafom · Junior Groupie Joined: 23 Feb 2006 Posts: 41

Watched parts of the webcast, and it looked like a fun show. Someone was commenting on one of the previous shows, about how so many Sparks albums have great closing tracks -- this one, no exception, I guess. I'm not that familiar with Big Beat but "I Like Girls" really rocked the house.

Now come some of the tough shows, with smaller crowds... best of luck to the boys, i hope it's still a blast for them.

Brightonian · Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 3:54 am Post subject:

Another great show - and one that, like Woofer, exceeded the original album where, in the case of Big Beat, the guitars had been too low in the mix for it to really rock. It sure rocked here!

The sound was excellent throughout and the quality and consistency of song-writing shone like a beacon. As such, it's hard to pick out favourites, it was just all so good - but obviously White Women and I Like Girls at the end; also most definitely Mississipi River, Nothing to Do, but it's so difficult to choose.

Russell's 'f***up' over the encore track, Tearing The Place Apart, was the first time they had to restart a song in all the shows so far. As someone pointed out already, these kind of things add to the character of the event: reminding us Ron/Russell/band are human. What's surprising is that it took 6 shows for this to happen. When it does, it all adds to the fun of the occasion. (Anyone who'se seen the Rufus Wainwright live, well, as great as Rufus can be, a f***up & restart is guaranteed almost every show and is likewise all the more entertaining for it!)

themightybishop · Certified Fan Joined: 04 Dec 2007 Posts: 73

sjadey
the "eddie" is a pub with the sign EDVI. I missed it myself for the first 2 nights. There are 2 pathways into the actual venue. If you come from the shopping bit, then go straight on past the venue entrance and the EDVI is on your left. If you come from the Hilton / N1 car park side, then the EDVI is on your right before you reach the venue entrance.
I got to the pub at 8pm for Indiscreet and didn't see another Sparks fan in there - so get there early. Mind you, in the pub, it was the first time I've been called "darling" by another bloke and, instead of watching the Champions League final, an old episode of The Vicar of Dibley was being shown on the tv. Must be a gay thing!!!!

Raoul · Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 8:08 am Post subject:

Loved the show,missed the wreckage,but thought the encore was well treated after the false start.