Sparks live review: A joyous evening in Edinburgh with the Mael brothers
‘Do Things My Own Way’ is a track from the latest Sparks offering, Mad!, but it might as well be the manifesto of the brotherly duo. For over 50 years, Ron and Russell Mael have been operating entirely in a league of their own, refusing to pander to trends or commercial appeal, and crafting an incredibly rich discography of 28 studio albums. Each one of those albums offers something different from the last; Sparks have never been a group to stay in one place for too long. On a humid summer night in July, the historic Edinburgh Playhouse was the place the pair landed.
In the modern landscape of live music, there is no shortage of ‘legacy acts’, reunions, and anniversary tours providing audiences with the opportunity to see the bands they adored back in the 1970s or 1980s. This is one of the ever-expanding ways in which Sparks differ from the other acts of that era. Kimono My House gave the band their breakthrough back in 1974, but Ron Mael’s songwriting skills only developed from there. In fact, a Sparks show is probably one of the only gigs you can go to when the announcement of ‘Here’s a new one’ isn’t met with groans of disappointment.
That fact was laid bare inside the Edinburgh Playhouse on Friday night. Sparks devotees, both young and old, packed Scotland’s largest theatre, increasing the temperature of an already uncharacteristically warm night in the capital. A palpable sense of excitement and anticipation filled the room.
It felt particularly suitable to see Sparks in a theatre, as opposed to another run-of-the-mill concert venue. ‘So May We Start’ was the opening track of the night, and Russell Mael’s delivery has an inarguable theatrical quality, which was reflected both in the audience and the setting of the gig. That theatrical quality continued throughout the show, but it is worth noting that no theatre production I have ever experienced has boasted the same euphoric energy as a Sparks show.
You get the sense that, at a Sparks gig, a lot of the audience have been following the band around for decades, building entire friendships around a mutual love of the band. Old tour T-shirts were dusted off, and there were, no doubt, many a group chat created for the gig. Rather than feeling overly cliquey, though, these Sparks veterans seemed to welcome the newcomers and youngsters of the show with open arms – more converts to the cult of the Maels.
For those who haven’t had the pleasure of visiting the Playhouse, it is an entirely seated venue. As with virtually every seated gig, there was an anticipation in the air from the moment Sparks strolled out onto the stage, to a rapturous reception: Who will be the first to stand? A few brave souls were at their feet early on in the set, with ‘Reinforcements’ and ‘Academy Award Performances’ bringing a few of the hardcore fans to their feet.
More joined in for the Giorgio Moroder-produced classic ‘Beat The Clock’ and, by the time the brothers came to ‘Music That You Can Dance To’, the entire theatre had left their plush red velvet seats. To their credit, Sparks were able to keep that energy up for the rest of the set, with the 76-year-old Russell Mael’s voice still sounding as fresh and powerful as always.
The sheer stamina of Sparks puts other outfits of a similar generation to shame, in fact. There aren’t many musicians in the 70s – at least that I can think of – who could maintain such a high level of energy over what was a pretty extensive set, without sacrificing the quality of the performance. Ultimately, after having seen the duo in Edinburgh, I think this comes down to the simple fact that the brothers are still in love with what they do.
Throughout the performance, both Mael brothers showed a real joy in their performances, which isn’t an easy feat considering just how extensive this European tour has been for them. Virtually every song was met with a long-standing ovation at the end, and quite rightly, too. Classic tracks from back in the 1970s fit in beautifully with some of the band’s more recent material, and it was all met with deep appreciation in the crowd.
This incredible atmosphere was helped along by a truly masterful setlist. Following on from a blistering performance of ‘When Do I Get to Sing ‘My Way’’ followed by ‘The Number One Song in Heaven’, I turned to my girlfriend, “How are they going to keep this energy up?” I asked. My question was promptly answered when the duo erupted into ‘This Town Ain’t Big Enough For Both of Us’. It was impossible not to get swept up in the jubilation of that performance; strangers were dancing in the aisles of the 1920s cinema, and the track itself only seems to have gotten better with age.
After treating audiences to a whistle-stop tour of their expansive discography, Sparks returned to the stage for an encore of ‘The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte’ and ‘All That’, providing a perfect theatrical end to the show. It is difficult to beat the old favourites like ‘This Town Ain’t Big Enough’, but throughout the show, Sparks expertly demonstrated that their quality has rarely dipped in the intervening years. Some of their more modern offerings, like the tracks from Mad! or the ‘The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte’ encore, were just as strong and well-received as any of the ‘greatest hits’.
The show concluded with an extensive, emotional, and well-deserved standing ovation for the duo and their backing band, before the 3,000-strong audience emerged back into the summer sunset of Scotland’s capital. Despite running for nearly two hours, the show seemed to fly by in an instant, no doubt spurred by the energy and joy in the room. If Sparks’ track record is anything to go by, though, I won’t have to wait long to get my next fix, as they will probably return in a year or two with an entirely new album which elevates their already masterful discography further.
Long live the Maels.
