sparks - l'il beethoven
Jun. 11th, 2008 03:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shewhoi've seen sparks before. once. long, long ago in the heady days of britpop, when they were supporting blur at mile end stadium. which always seemed weird.
i can't really remember what they did, due to excessive blur-mania in the air. i do know it was generally crowd pleasing stuff; beat the clock and this town ain't big enough for both of us definitely both got an airing. i remember enjoying it.
and then i forgot all about sparks.
until driving back from whitby a couple of years back in the gathering dusk, slightly broken and tired, when ruthy put on l'il beethoven, and we were all entranced. it was perfect for then, and it's pretty perfect as an album anyway, all deceptively repetitive and orchestral, and completely beautiful.
and last night, at theislington carling academy, they played it from beginning to end. it was simply superb. i had forgotten how intimate the academy can feel, especially with such a performance. russell has more energy than i've EVER had. ron simply repeatedly steals the show. with his super long arms. with his floozy chick. the possee of chaps in the crowd raising stetsons in the air in time with every chorus during ride 'em cowboy is almost, ALMOST as good as ron's dancing.
it was all completely wonderful. and looking around, there wasn't a single face that wasn't grinning with the fun of it all.
more of this sort of gig!
***
the support was from a band called mustachioed widow (?) who were very bizarre indeed. they're a japanese 2 -piece, sedate keyboard player and dancing around singer. (oh really?) they were intriguing. i'm not sure they were good, but they were quite mesmerising. they had pretty visuals and subtitles, and the singer chap was dressed in funeral dress and pearls. mostly they just looked like they were having the time of their lives, so chuffed to be there. so we all watched and clapped, politely bemused. they even cover i married myself. bless.
***
and it was superb to catch up with folk i either don't see often or haven't seen in a Very Long Time. sparks clearly bring out the best in audiences....!
i can't really remember what they did, due to excessive blur-mania in the air. i do know it was generally crowd pleasing stuff; beat the clock and this town ain't big enough for both of us definitely both got an airing. i remember enjoying it.
and then i forgot all about sparks.
until driving back from whitby a couple of years back in the gathering dusk, slightly broken and tired, when ruthy put on l'il beethoven, and we were all entranced. it was perfect for then, and it's pretty perfect as an album anyway, all deceptively repetitive and orchestral, and completely beautiful.
and last night, at the
it was all completely wonderful. and looking around, there wasn't a single face that wasn't grinning with the fun of it all.
more of this sort of gig!
***
the support was from a band called mustachioed widow (?) who were very bizarre indeed. they're a japanese 2 -piece, sedate keyboard player and dancing around singer. (oh really?) they were intriguing. i'm not sure they were good, but they were quite mesmerising. they had pretty visuals and subtitles, and the singer chap was dressed in funeral dress and pearls. mostly they just looked like they were having the time of their lives, so chuffed to be there. so we all watched and clapped, politely bemused. they even cover i married myself. bless.
***
and it was superb to catch up with folk i either don't see often or haven't seen in a Very Long Time. sparks clearly bring out the best in audiences....!
