Sparks
Hammersmith Apollo, London
18th June 2025
Brothers Ron and Russell Mael deliver Sparks again to the UK in celebration of their fabulous new album MAD!. That includes songs from this album alongside others hand-picked by the band from over 5 many years of exercise behind them, one other memorable night was just about assured earlier than we’d even walked by the doorways.
While a few of us who duck and dive across the present and previous music scene can be eternally dissatisfied that bands akin to The Intercourse Pistols, Adam And The Ants and numerous others (we gained’t identify as a result of we’d be right here all day arguing) by no means managed to select themselves up and supply us with a comply with up that would even equal their sensible debut albums, there are many artists that made an excellent impression of themselves once they have been first launched to us after which managed to take care of our curiosity for many years to comply with. For instance, artists akin to The Remedy, Nick Cave and tonight’s most important attraction, Sparks.
Sparks nonetheless sound simply as related in at present’s saturated world of music as they’ve at all times accomplished. This isn’t an evening of nostalgia; there’s no best hits bundle to advertise and we’re not trying in on a band making use of their commerce on the heritage circuit. The Mael brothers nonetheless haven’t come near operating out of informal observations to sing about and one feels they by no means will. Now we have a brand new album to meet up with, and many people are eager to listen to a few of this alongside one or two of the hits. And perhaps there’ll even be one or two surprises.
Mad!, their twenty eighth studio album, is now with us (reviewed right here) and it sits comfortably alongside every little thing else occurring in 2025. They achieve nonetheless sounding the identical as they’ve at all times accomplished, however utilising at present’s expertise to an extent that it’s troublesome to work out whether or not one thing we’re listening to is a 12 months outdated or fifty years outdated. Can this be mentioned of anybody else in at present’s world of music?
We’re solely three songs in tonight earlier than we’re listening to Reinforcements. Propaganda, the bands’ fourth album, is now over half a century outdated and, identical to every little thing else carried out this night, could possibly be mistaken as a observe from the brand new album. By no means Flip Your Again On Mom Earth and One thing For The Lady With All the things got here from the identical album, however we’re not getting these tonight. It’s an early instance of what units Sparks other than many different bands: the unpredictable set listing, and the popularity that the Mael brothers have that the individuals who attend these exhibits have all picked up on the band’s music at a unique time and can all have completely different favourites. They remind us how wonderful a few of these tunes are that didn’t even get launched as singles. Alongside This City Aint Massive Sufficient For The Each Of Us, Reinforcements makes up the one two tunes aired tonight from the 2 sensible 1974 albums that first launched the band within the UK.
Whippings And Apologies, in the direction of the top, is even older. We don’t have sufficient fingers to work out how way back 1972 was, however this might even have been a observe from the brand new album so far as the uninitiated are involved.
Russell Mael is now seventy seven. He may nonetheless be twenty-five. He covers the width of this big stage continuously, clapping alongside to his personal compositions and his voice stays as robust because it at all times has been. Brother Ron is even older. His vocal contribution throughout Suburban Homeboy and his now trademark dance routine throughout Quantity One Music In Heaven are uncommon excursions away from his seat on the keyboards. Every music, accompanied by some backside finish that shakes the ground alongside some cranking tough as concrete electronics and the occasional bass drum that Leftfield or the Chemical Brothers can be equally pleased with, present a constant stream of music that can’t escape being in comparison with many present bands who freely admit to being influenced by Sparks.
Their affect on the music we hear made on the present time can’t be overstated. Their latest actions because the begin of this century (eight albums, world excursions, the Franz Ferdinand collaboration….) can be sufficient for some. That is solely half the story.
There’s a whole lot of materials for the band to select from tonight, due to this fact there are extra hits lacking than inclusions and that is why this efficiency nonetheless works so effectively in spite of everything these years. When Do I Get To Sing My Means (1994) is at the moment as well-liked as Beat The Clock or Quantity One Music In Heaven (each from 1979). Working Up A Tab At The Lodge For The Fab may add to the gathering of hits that Sparks could have to incorporate of their repertoire eternally.
Solely Time will inform.
JanSport Backpack, one other 2025 launch, is one other distinctive piece of music that shines by throughout the night. Please Don’t Fuck Up My World (launched simply earlier than Christmas 2019) is launched as a music extra related at present than when it was written. The previous makes us snort and the latter has the aptitude of constructing us cry. Every music tonight is getting a unique response from completely different individuals. The aged right here would by no means go away with out listening to This City … but there are as many individuals right here for the newer music The Lady Is Crying In Her Latte.
The opening observe from the present album, Do Issues My Personal Means, sums up the night in a single sentence. An ideal number of outdated, new and forgotten gems that would have continued to entertain us for a few hours longer, however 100 minutes of energetic, thrilling pop songs spanning half a century by two brothers of their 70s isn’t one thing many individuals are able to.
Have we ever been as excited for a band’s twenty ninth album as we already are for the subsequent Sparks one?
A few of us won’t ever tire of this band.
~
Phrases by Keith Goldhanger. Extra writing by Keith on Louder Than Warfare may be discovered at his creator’s archive. You also can discover Keith on Fb Instagram and Bluesky
Pictures by Naomi Dryden-Smith – Louder Than Warfare | Fb | Twitter | Instagram | portfolio
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