Fun,
Joy, Love. Highlights of Sparks’ Mad! tour in Europe, June-July 2025
After four big shows in Japan (in Kyoto, Osaka and two
in Tokyo), Sparks moved on to the European leg of the tour, beginning with two
nights, 18th and 19th June, in London and a further
sixteen dates in Manchester, Glasgow, Haarlem in the Netherlands, Brussels,
Paris, Cologne, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Milan, Bilbao, Dublin, Edinburgh
and Wolverhampton. It was astonishing that with such a tough schedule over
twenty-four days, the incredible energy and excellence of the performance was
maintained throughout, despite having to contend with a severe heatwave that
reached degrees into the 30s in some places.
The
Band
The band was essentially the same musicians as for the
Latte tour in 2023, with the exception of the new drummer, Darren Weiss,
the brother of longstanding guitarist Evan Weiss. (As with the first band in
the early 1970s, which included brothers Earle and James Mankey, the Sparks band
once again has two sets of brothers.) As before, Evan Weiss and Eli
Pearl were on guitars and Max Whipple on bass. A number of reviews commented on
the superb work of the band and their energy, precision and commitment,
praising their evident embracing of the range of music displayed in the set
list. The French magazine Benzine remarked on the obviously proud
collaboration of the young musicians with the (slightly older but forever young)
Maels and the clear enjoyment they were deriving from the tour.
The
Outfits
The band were in dark casual wear, while the stage was
lit up by Russell’s eye-popping three- piece suits, in four different bright
colours and designs. The flamboyant outfits, in bright or dark blue, red and
yellow, featured Japanese images, many symbolising good luck, peace, longevity
and happiness: peonies, red carp, cranes, stylised waves and dragons, and
flowers like chrysanthemums and cherry blossom. The jacket was removed
after a few numbers (unsurprisingly, given the temperatures) to reveal the patterned
waistcoat over a black shirt. Ron, in contrast, wore a dark high-necked
loose Japanese style jacket with dark baggy pants, except in Edinburgh where he
donned his usual white shirt and a tartan tie (naturally). For some encores, he
added a dark sweatshirt featuring an image of Mount Fuji, probably acquired in
a recent souvenir shopping spree. The
odd hat appeared too - notably the baseball cap Ron assumed for his spoken
version of ‘Suburban Homeboy’, bearing the legend ‘F**k the sun’ and the black
Basque beret he flaunted at the concert in Bilbao. Always topical. In Haarlem
(Netherlands), Sparks proudly showed off gifts from two inventive fans:
baseball jerseys with Sparks on the front and the numbers 45 and 48 on the
backs. Yes, it seems that there is a local baseball team called Sparks!
The
Set List
For this tour, the set list was another inspired
combination of material from the new album, Mad! (already obviously
familiar to many in the audience), the inevitable classic numbers and songs
from seminal moments in Sparks’ career. It began, as was (and probably will
always be) expected with ‘So May We Start’ from their movie musical Annette
(2021) and, as in 2023, finished with ‘All That’ (A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip,
2020). There was a distinct 1970s vibe,
as seven of the songs on the list came from that decade, some of them rarely
performed live: the stomping ‘Reinforcements’ (Propaganda, 1974),
‘Goofing Off’ (Introducing Sparks, 1977), ‘Academy Award Performance’
and ‘Beat The Clock’ (No 1 In Heaven, 1979), and the biggest surprise of
them all, an extraordinary rendering of ‘Whippings And Apologies’ ( A Woofer
In Tweeter’s Clothing, 1972). At the
Wolverhampton concert Russell looked slightly overwhelmed by the lengthy
standing ovation received by ‘Goofing Off’, so early in the show. Two songs
represented the ‘80s, ‘All You Ever Think About Is Sex’ (In Outer Space, 1983) and ‘Music
That You Can Dance To’ (Music That You Can Dance To, 1986), which proved
to be such a popular choice on the Latte tour. Once again, despite the band being on a
platform in semi-darkness at the back of the stage, much praise from fans has
been lavished on Eli’s snake-hipped dance moves, especially in ‘Music That You
Can Dance To’. For some reason, which
may or may not have been because of an imposed curfew, ‘All You Ever Think
About Is Sex’ was omitted from the show in Cologne. (It was ‘all right with us’,
though.)
Ron unexpectedly took centre stage for a spoken
version of ‘Suburban Homeboy’ (Lil’ Beethoven, 2002), his idiosyncratic
delivery as entertaining as in 2023’s ‘Shopping Mall Of Love’. The concert
built to its climax with the classic ‘When Do I Get To Sing My Way’ which
marked the renaissance of Sparks in the mid-1990s (Gratuitous Sax and
Senseless Violins,1994) followed by ‘The Number One Song in Heaven’ (No
1 In Heaven, 1979) and ‘This Town Aint Big Enough For Both Of Us’ (Kimono
My House, 1974), by which time, as reviewers remarked, the audience were
beside themselves with delight.
The new songs from Mad! chosen for inclusion
were ‘Do Things My Own Way’, which set out Sparks’ long held mission right at
the start of the concert, ‘Drowned In A Sea Of Tears’, ‘JanSport Backpack’,
‘Running Up A Tab At The Hotel For The Fab’, and the anthemic ‘Lord Have Mercy’
which was the final song of the set. These
sounded even better live than on the album, although this fan at least would
have liked to hear ‘A Little Bit Of Light Banter’ too. The heartfelt plea for
the environment of ‘Please Don’t F**k My World’’ (A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip,
2020) provided a quieter interlude between high powered energetic numbers. Russell
explained that they had thought this song appropriate for the times in 2020,
and that things could hardly get worse – ‘Boy, were we wrong’, he added. As
with ‘Lord Have Mercy’, the inclusion of this song was a subtle suggestion of
the rage at the state of the world informing the title of the new album. The
encore further highlighted this idea with ‘The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte’
(from the album of the same name, 2023) which was followed by the sublime, ultra
moving ‘All That’ (A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip, 2020). It is fair to say that the reception of most
numbers was ecstatic at all the concerts, often with standing ovations at
various points and even at the beginning, with loud cheers when Ron and Russell
entered the stage.
Russell's voice seemed undiminished by age and unaffected by the heat, his singing as strong, energetic and expressive as ever. His repetition of his 1972 rendering of 'Whippings and Apologies' was extraordinary, and not a little unnerving!
The
Venues
The venues were very varied, ranging from the historic to the modern. The
Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith, London and the O2 Apollo in Manchester, are both
Grade 2 listed buildings built in the 1930s in Art Deco style as cinemas and are
notable for their white terracotta façades. Edgar Wright, director of The Sparks Brothers film,
made a surprise appearance in Hammersmith to take the end of show ‘selfie’ for
the band. The Salle Pleyel in Paris, a former classical music venue with
balconies along three sides and a new one for Sparks, dates back to 1927. The
Edinburgh Playhouse, first opened in 1929, is the largest concert hall in
Scotland, while the Civic at The Halls in Wolverhampton (1938), with its balconies
on three sides, has seen many of popular music’s greats on its stage. A more
familiar venue for the band was the Cirque Royal in Brussels, with its circular
auditorium reflecting its original purpose in the nineteenth century. Sparks have played there before - in 2023 and 1975!
The variety in styles of the more modern venues was striking too: the
ultra-modern block of the Uber Eats Music Hall in Berlin, and, by contrast, the
grand stone steps and colonnades of the curved Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow.
The Konserthuset in Copenhagen, home to the National Symphony Orchestra, is
a spectacular example of Scandinavian design both inside, with its wood panels,
and outside – lit at night it resembles a large blue cube. The concert in
Cologne was moved to the Live Music Hall, where, at the height of the heatwave,
the temperature in the building was estimated by fans to be c.45 degrees, but
despite anxieties about Sparks performing in the conditions, the show went on
as usual. At the end, Russell introduced the band members as ‘sweaty number 1’
etc. For the first time, Sparks played
in Italy, at the Teatro degli Arcimboldi in Milan, which was built in
anticipation of the closure for renovation of the famous La Scala opera
house in 2002.
Many of these venues were fully seated, although,
despite the largely vain restraining efforts of the security teams, large parts
of the audience were on their feet dancing from early on. Although for numbers
like ‘Music That You Can Dance To’, it would almost seem rude not to, such
enthusiasm can, of course, be a bit of a problem because it is not always fair
to people who want or need to remain seated, as comments on various fan sites
shows.
There were two outdoor venues in Europe: the BBK Festival in Kobetamendi,
Bilbao, which also featured artists like Pulp and Kylie Minogue, and at Gruna
Lund in Stockholm. At the latter amusement park, Sparks performed on a stage with
a rollercoaster noticeable in the background, a fitting reminder of their cameo
in the film of the same name that fans either like or hate. Unfortunately,
there were technical problems here, with the sound system going down three
times, including (ironically) during ‘When Do I Get To Sing My Way’, but the
audience gamely sang along to fill in.
The
Lighting effects
As in 2023, the lighting effects
for this concert were original but relatively restrained. Behind the band, the
lights surrounding square shapes changed to the beat and there were the
obligatory moments of flashing lights from the centre of the squares. For this fan
at least, the haze over the stage at the concerts I attended was rather too
dark, which sometimes rendered the band at the back of the stage, and even Ron
at his Ronald keyboard, almost invisible.
Support
Acts – no support acts!
Except in Paris, where the young
French singer/songwriter Sam Sauvage performed a handful of his songs. With his
blending of French chanson and pop influences (Bob Dylan, Les Rita Mitsouko and
….. Sparks!)) his observational and sometimes ironic lyrics, and the contrast
between his formal attire and wild dance moves, he seems a good fit for Sparks.
In an interview on BBC6 Music, Russell speaks of his discovery of Sam through
his video for ‘Les Gens qui Dansent (J’Adore’)’ and his charming, cool and
slightly rebellious performance. (Check him out.)
What
the hell is it this time? Happenings and hitches
It would not be a Sparks’ concert without some amusing happenings. Although
not amusing for Sparks themselves, a number of technical hitches occurred which
caused some merriment for the audience. In Stockholm, Russell had to ad lib
about the heat. On the second night in Manchester, Ron abruptly got up and left
the stage, to the audience’s consternation, leaving Russell to ad lib once
again. At one point, Ron’s arm could be seen waving at Russell from the wings,
seemingly urging him to fill in while a problem was sorted. Russell obliged
with a guessing game of ‘Where’s Ron gone?’, his suggestions of shopping,
visiting the sights of Manchester or to the bathroom greeted with varying
degrees of approval from the audience. This was followed with a Georgio Moroder
‘joke’ in which the producer goes into a bar and says ‘We need a hit, boys!’
(presumably something Sparks heard from him all those years ago). When Ron
eventually returned, the problem with his earpiece rectified, he proclaimed sternly
that rumours that he had gone to the bathroom were false, before resuming his
customary calm seat at the keyboard.
In Brussels, Russell messed up the
song order. He was describing ‘Please Don’t F**k Up My World’, when Ron again
left his position and advanced to tap Russell on the shoulder and gestured him
back to show him the set list on his keyboard. After peering closely, Russell
laughed and said ‘there’s always something’, and announced they would do ‘Beat
the Clock’ instead. One of the amusing
aspects of these small happenings is the audience reaction when Ron stands up
unexpectedly, as though something momentous is about to happen. Of course,
during ‘The Number One Song In Heaven’, it does – cheers resounded as Ron rose
to do his famous ‘dance’, grinning madly and fanning himself afterwards. It was
far too hot for this to last long though, and astonishing hat he did it at all.
The
Speeches
When introducing the members of the band, Russell played his usual game
of pretending to forget about Ron, causing prolonged chanting of ‘Ron, Ron, Ron’
from the audience. At Wolverhampton, he (finally) introduced Ron as ‘on keyboard,
composition and lyrics: that’s about all he does’. In Milan, he was presented
as ‘il signore Mael, di Napoli’, which might have confused anyone new to the Mael
world. At the final show of the European leg of the tour in Wolverhampton,
Russell also read out the names of all the crew and their jobs, and thanked
them warmly for making the shows so successful. He also included their manager
Sue Harris, who had, apparently, even exceeded her responsibilities by picking
them up from the train station!
As usual, at the end, both Ron and Russell spoke
briefly, emphasising their gratitude at the heartwarming reception of their
work and how this continued to inspire them to greater heights. Reviewers
commented that they seemed reluctant to leave the stage as they soaked up the
lengthy applause, and, indeed, they both seemed very moved by the audience
reaction.
The
Reviews
Without exception, reviews of concerts everywhere
praised the exceptional and passionate energy of the performances (especially
in the face of the heatwave), the inspired set list and the evident adoration
of the audience. Classic Rock expressed this as ‘a hugely thrilling injection
of joy and power’ describing Russell’s exuberant performance as that of
a man half a century younger. The
longevity and yet sustained contemporary relevance of the band was admired
repeatedly: ‘they have no business being so extraordinary’, concluded Classic
Rock. The emphasis on joy and fun and the desire to create happiness was widely
recognised.
And
Finally…
Sparks left us with the promise that they would be back soon and we all
fervently hope that this will be the case. In the meantime, we hope that the US
fans will love the shows as much as we have when the tour resumes there in
September and that they will keep the photos, videos and comments coming so
that we can relive and compare our memories.
Thank
you, Sparks, for your sensational concerts, and thank you to the many fans for
their views and photos on the fan sites that helped in compiling this piece.
Penny
Brown
July
2025
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