Sparks, Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. 24th May 2023

I’m rattling through the new venues this week. New to me that is. I suspect the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall might’ve been here a while. Inside tonight we find, Sparks! Another new one for me. Again they’ve been around a while, but this is my first time seeing them live. I’m not what you’d call a super fan, of which there are a few in here tonight. In fact I’d sort of dismissed them until I watched the Edgar Wright documentary (review of that here - https://www.taketworeviews.com/post/the-sparks-brothers-2021-9-10). Watching that film I realised my error, I fell in love and was expecting to see them last year in Manchester, but life got in the way, so tonight in Liverpool I’m finally losing my Sparks virginity. The Philharmonic Hall is rather lovely. Clearly not designed for pop acts, but it’s not stuffy. They’re playing Bernard Herrmann’s score from North by Northwest as I take me seat with a beer and it’s all rather pleasant. As Sparks take to the stage, it’s as theatrical as you’d imagine. The band taking their places first, before Ron and Russel join them. They start aptly with ‘So May We Start’. As I say it’s very theatrical and this space all of a sudden feels very intimate. It’s not a large room, but the sound certainly is. They’re plugging a forthcoming new album on this tour and the bizarre banger title track ‘The Girl is Crying in Her Latte’ provides a wall of bass notes and synth slabs, along with the obligatory honest and quirky lyrics. There are a lot of songs from the new record, which upset the bloke moaning in the toilet after the gig, but it sounds like it’s going to be a great record and to be fair they do pick and play something from nearly all 20 plus albums in their arsenal. Russel is doing most of the work visually. Working the stage, whilst Ron is of course sat stock still with his keyboard of course and the rest of the band pretty much following suit. I feel for Russel a bit. We’re all sat down, but these are dance songs, we really should be up and bouncing around. A guy in front of me is punching the air and clearly wants to be up on his feet for ‘Eaten By The Monster of Love’. As if to tease him further they follow with ‘Angst in My Pants’! Even the older songs are new to me, but you can almost age the tracks by the instrumentation. The cheaper sounding keyboard intros of the 70s stuff like ‘Beaver O’Lindy’ unleashing a glam rock stomp. Russel’s vocals are bloody impressive. He’s got quite a range and he looks fantastic too. As does Ron. In his way. In an age where lots of alternative bands don’t really bother with a look, it’s great to see bands like Sparks sticking to their guns. ‘Nothing is As Good as They Say It Is’ is another new one and it’s an absolute stomper. I’m guessing a lot of the room haven’t heard it before either but it’s difficult to tell. I don’t think I’ve ever been in a more civilised crowd. They cheer loud enough but more signs of life during the songs would be nice. Anything really. I’m liking pretty much everything, but there are a couple of songs that lose me. Like ‘It Doesn’t Have to Be That Way’. I start to look around the room and catch the eye of another bloke doing the same. I wonder if he’s thinking the same as me, why aren’t this crowd more lively? ‘Balls’ wakes me up. “All you need are BALLS!!” We should all be screaming this and punching the air but it’s still brilliant and although I’m not sure what it says about me, it’s definitely my fave so far. Ron gets up a duets on ‘Shoping Mall of Love’ with its sparse, quirky comedy, it’s wonderfully funny. I’ve no idea what it sounds like on record, but live it’s fantastic. This is a rich vein of the set with ‘The Toughest Girl in Town’ following. The lad on bass unpinning a glorious cinematic opus, as Russel grabs a tambourine and the lighting guy finds some new switches. ‘Escalator’ and ‘We Go Dancing’ are both new, but totally different, such is the scope of Sparks. They’re impossible to pin down. I guess that’s the point. It’s a creative melting pot. The later is operatic with key changes that throw in power chords. It’s brilliantly nuts and we of course should be doing what it says! ‘Bon Voyage’ makes sense played in a port city and the crowd are warming up, slowly. Swaying arms in the air. Maybe Sparks sense my seated frustration, but they’re taking the piss now with ‘Music You Can Dance To’. I mean come on, let’s go Liverpool!! It’s an anthemic banger and I can see I’m not the only one who can’t keep my feet still. We don’t get up though and I’m starting to think it’s not going to happen. Then ‘When Do I Get to Ding ‘My Way’ finally cracks it. First one stands, then a few more. The ripple effect sets in and people are up. Some people anyway. Most are still being stubborn. I don’t like this song much, but sod it, it’s getting things going. ‘The Number One Song in Heaven’ sees everyone finally give in get up and shake what god gave them. This gig has been screaming out for this for an hour and the touch paper is finally lit. Even Ron’s up dancing!! It’s party time as the ‘This Town Isn’t Big Enough For the Both of Us’ piano lines start and the crowd clap along, the ones who don’t have their phones out that is. Yes it’s their calling card, but it’s testament to Sparks that it’s not the best song in the set. I really can’t help but feel they’re under appreciated and people don’t dig deeper than this cult cut. I’ve certainly have made that mistake in the past, but no longer. They break things down to finish with ‘Gee, That Was Fun’ and it really was! I could happy be done there, but they return for the encore with ‘My Baby’s Taking Me Home’, it’s mantra burying so deep into my brain, I find myself singing it all the way home back to Manchester. They finally send us back out into the crisp evening air with the celebratory ‘All That’ ringing in our ears, after the longest most awkward bowing goodbye I’ve ever seen, but even that feels uniquely them. I wasn’t sure what to expect but I really enjoyed my first evening with Sparks. I suspect it might not be the last. Hopefully next time with more dancing!