As Chuck D recently put it, the current trend for bands to perform their classic albums live is "a dream for promoters, a fantasy for fans and a challenge for the artist”. However, only a band as ambitious, singular and downright reckless as Sparks could take the challenge to the extreme and re-learn their entire four-decade back catalogue. These records include more than 250 songs, many of which have never been played live.
For the fans who don’t rave about such albums as Propaganda or Indiscreet, the highlight of Sparks’ career to date is the 1973 glam-tinged Kimono My House LP. It spawned their best-known single, This Town Ain’t Big Enough For The Both Of Us.
It’s a raucous version of this LP that opens the third night of the month-long series, with wide-eyed frontman Russell Mael visibly overwhelmed by the reception from the sell-out crowd. His keyboardist brother Ron is clearly determined to stick to his surly headmaster routine, despite the exceptional circumstances. What follows is an energetic, passionate and note-perfect rendering of the record. Quirky, nuanced baroque-pop masterpieces such as ‘Here In Heaven’ and ‘Thanks God It’s Not Christmas’ are punctuated with enthusiastic between-song chat.
For those with a coveted ‘golden ticket’ (all 21 nights, yours for £350) there’s still much to look forward to – the chunky disco of No 1 In Heaven, the self-mimicry of Plagiarism and the classical tinges of Lil’ Beethoven. But Kimono My House is going to be difficult to beat.
For more on the Sparks concerts, see Parsley’s Column
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