Sparks at the Palais Theatre, Photograph by Bevan Triebels
Sparks’ performance at Melbourne’s Palais Theatre was like a Reader’s Digest of the Mael brothers’ long and discursive career, with a few unexpected picks.
I recently spoke to Sparks keyboardist and songwriter, Ron Mael, who is now 80 years old. I asked him whether he and his brother, vocalist Russell Mael, 77, had any plans to retire.
“I try to not even think about that,” Ron said. “It sounds cliché, but I try to just consider and appreciate the present because we realise we’re in a unique position to be a band that has so many albums, but to be able to do shows like this and shows that we feel are really modern, and to be able to continue to do music like that.”
Sparks released their 28th album, MAD!, last year, which reached #2 on the UK charts. A few months after its release, they appeared on the Gorillaz song, “The Happy Dictator,” and in June they’ll support Gorillaz at the 60,000-capacity Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. They are also working on a new musical film with director John Woo.
The Maels’ return to Melbourne was further evidence of this late-career purple patch. My friends Caitlin and Angela were there lapping it up, and taking notes.
- No support act, which meant plenty of time to mill around in the foyer looking at all the people who, like me, turned up at 7pm sharp like we were going to the opera.
- Got not one but TWO Ron-dancing sessions. They really fired everyone up, including me.
- It was mostly an 80s-onwards affair, but we got a song from A Woofer in Tweeter’s Clothing of all albums (“Whippings and Apologies”). It was so unexpected, I didn’t even realise I’d heard it until after the gig.
- It felt like an eternity before everyone collectively stood up to dance. Over halfway through the set. Really struggled to stay down during “Reinforcements,” and Russell was smiling and clapping above his head in an everyone-get-the-fuck-up kind of way. Tried to make peace by dancing with my arms.
- “Sherlock Holmes” was the second best moment, and “The Number One Song in Heaven” made me very unbelievably pleased.
- I still like “When Do I Get to Sing My Way?” more than “Do Things My Own Way.”
- Russell is sounding excellent. “This Town Ain’t Big Enough for Both of Us” made me feel like I was at the BBC studio for Top of the Pops half a century ago.
- Ron said he liked being back around the clown mouth or something to that effect, which was very nice, but probably means Melbourne is just St Kilda to them.
- Encore got a tiny bit political… they did “(Baby, Baby) Can I Invade Your Country.” Didn’t think I’d ever see them sing words that sound like they’re meant to be interpreted seriously. The band that mostly writes lyrics like joke film scripts about marrying themselves.
- You know what, “JanSport Backpack” is actually a great song. Sue me.
- I LOVE THEM.
- Russell professed his admiration for cockatoos and their crests, and chastised them for their vandalistic nature, finishing with, “enough about me.”
- Sparks make music for musical theatre apologists, dorks, and people in the know. The lyrics repeat themselves like liturgical call and responses that appeal to the obsessive and devout.
- At one point, the mixture of spicy chilaquiles in my tummy and high intensity cardio dancing elicited a deep rumbling burp right as they were addressing the crowd. About a dozen people in my vicinity spun round in shock, disgust and awe. I cannot always physically contain my ardour. Such is life!
Sparks performed at the Palais Theatres on the stolen land of the Bunurong people of the Kulin Nation, on Thursday 28 May.
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