Nestled in the heart of Chelsea lies the Royal Hospital, a home to veterans of the British Army, a grand collection of decadent buildings and gardens. This is perhaps the last place you would think to host a rock concert; Sparks have always loved a challenge. Taking to the courtyard of the Hospital on June 12th, the American cult heroes delivered polka-dotted pop excellence, turning the quiet grounds into a disco under the pink Chelsea sunset.
The whole affair felt as if one had been transported to a delightful village fete. Tucked away from the hustle and bustle of central London, games, food and the all-important ice cream van provided a peaceful oasis for the swarm of Sparks fans. Polka dots punctuated the park as excitement built, and fans dressed to match the sharp suit singer Russell Mael would later be spotted in. T-shirts from every possible era of the band's career were paraded around, the breadth of the fandom congregating in one place. There is a tremendous sense of community among Sparks fans, people of all generations meeting and sharing stories about their memories of the band. There is a kindness and a warmth to the connection shared between disciples of the Mael brothers that can't quite be replicated, a bond between pop outsiders that only seems to grow stronger year by year. The lawn of the hospital saw reunion after reunion, old touring pals and new friends meeting once again.
The stage sat nestled in the courtyard amongst residential buildings, facing a laughably ornate statue of young Charles II depicted as Julius Caesar or some other Roman emperor - very him. The first to take the stage and face the all-seeing golden statue were the Chelsea Pensioner Singers, a band formed of residents of the hospital. The performance was incredibly sweet from the get-go, immediately winning over the audience by starting with ‘It’s A Sparks Show’. It was impossible not to smile as they launched enthusiastically into covers of songs by The Who and The Beatles. Another Sparks cover came in the form of ‘A Little Bit of Light Banter’ from the latest album ‘Mad!’, banter being something which “we live off of at the Royal Hospital”, according to their conductor. As the crowd sang along, the pensioners on stage ramped up their performance, ending with ‘Proud Mary’ and delivering some killer dance moves to boot. It was delightful seeing faces pop up in balconies and windows around the courtyard, residents attempting to catch a glimpse of their peers on stage.
Due to the unfortunate case of the beautiful June weather, the lights couldn't necessarily go down onstage, but the presence of an ambient drone signalled to the crowd that the Sparks show was about to begin, and as their backing band ran onto the stage, a surge of adrenaline hit the crowd with the force of a tidal wave. A Sparks crowd is nothing if entirely devoted to having as much fun as possible from the moment the band takes to the stage until the moment the band leaves. Ron and Russell Male then appeared to an immediate standing ovation soundtracked to the first song of the night, ‘So May We Start’ from Leos Carax’s Mael-penned musical ‘Annette’. After receiving a resounding “yes” to their question, the band continued into their sonic takeover of the summer air.
Pausing to talk to the crowd, Russell Mael began to quiz his audience. “What happened in 1979”, he asks, teasing fans who knew all too well that they released the pioneering synth-pop album ‘No.1 in Heaven’ in collaboration with Giorgio Moroder. Mael goes on to tell the story of the album as the rapid synths of ‘Beat The Clock’ begin to chime. No seat was sat in, dust rose as feet danced, disturbing the gravel beneath them. As the song erupts into the chorus a sudden silence cuts though the noise - there has been a slight power cut. Although there is no need to worry, despite being slightly flustered Russell Mael takes to a little bit of light banter with the crowd, his older brother Ron Mael making the crowd laugh as he sat down, swinging his legs off of the stage in defeat. “Damn, I knew we shouldn’t have played at a hospital,” the frontman joked. Within no time the music was back up and running, the singer making the audience laugh as he repeated himself, travelling backwards in time by three minutes; “What happened in 1979?”.
As the sky began to turn as pink as Russell Mael’s neon trainers, Sparks continued to reach into the Mary Poppins handbag of their catalogue. With 28 albums to choose from, putting together a 20-song setlist is no easy feat. With the crowd constantly beside themselves with joy as each new song began, everyone seemed catered to. The audience was treated to ‘Angst in my Pants’ character-based classics ‘Sherlock Holmes’ and ‘Mickey Mouse’, as well as deep cuts from underrated gems like ‘Interior Design’, all the way through to the hits and new songs like the infectious ‘Porcupine’.
A highlight of every Sparks show is the moment keyboard player Ron Mael steps out from behind his instrument and steals the spotlight from his younger brother to perform a spoken-word rendition of one of their songs. This tour sees ‘Let’s Get Funky’ get the Ron treatment. Chants of “RON! RON! RON!” were frequent throughout the night, but his doting audience was silenced by his stoic reading. All of a sudden, the brothers break into a steady choreography to the disjointed synth, much to the elation of the crowd. Stepping side to side, the roar of their audience seems to outweigh the act that caused it. This energy is exactly what makes a Sparks show so addicting, the crowd playing such a vital role in the organised chaos. It is infectious. “Let’s get funky / Let’s get funky / Let’s get funky”, the younger brother chants, a call to arms to a crowd already reaching levels of funky never before seen.
Moving towards the end of the set, as the sun began to fully sink, the band broke into the glam cacophony of their big hit ‘This Town Ain’t Big Enough For Both Of Us’. The song's cartoonish gunshots rang off into the night, the band showed no signs of slowing down, Russell Mael leading the crowd in an intense clap-along at every available opportunity, Ron Mael serving his signature evil genius stare. It would be remiss to not mention the musicians that play alongside the Mael brothers. Guitarist Eli Pearl, bassist Max Whipple and drummer Darren Weiss are a strong unit that are clearly madly in love with the music they play. It is a joy to watch them in and amongst the magic of the well-oiled machine that is Sparks. “It’s cool playing in a hospital”, Russell Mael exclaims, rescinding his previous doubts.
After the sun had set, it was time for the encore; the force of the crowd begging for just one more song was so strong you could have sworn the statue of Charles II had sprouted a mouth and joined in. Jumping back into action, the band played their cards wisely, opting for the in-your-face wit of ‘(Baby, Baby) Can I Invade Your Country?’ The irony of this being played in a home for veterans was not lost, a cheeky mockery of American imperialism that made for a ferocious hospital-wide disco as twilight gleamed over Chelsea.
Ending on the tearjerker ‘All That’, the band and their audience shared a beautiful farewell. Everyone was then reminded that we were, in fact, at a concert in the courtyard of a residential building, the sound slowly fading out as the band continued to play. Goodbyes were said into dead microphones as the band and crowd laughed together at the misfortune. It was somehow a perfect end to an extravagant night of devious synth and gratuitous glam. The audience waved goodbye to their icons, who seemed as if they did not want to leave the stage at all, hanging on to the final moments and taking their time to give as much of themselves to the crowd as possible.
Still in a daze, the droves of Sparks fans began to make their way home, turning and discussing the show with strangers as they left. Sparks is not a band one can simply enjoy normally; the majority of people in attendance have at one point or another thrown themselves into complete and total fandom with no escape, and this shared obsession means that no matter who you speak to at a Sparks show, they are a friend. As the crowd sprawled out onto the Chelsea streets, the show had already become mythologised in the hearts and minds of the fan club.
Sparks are touring the UK extensively this summer with gigs and festival appearances, offering ample opportunity to get funky with the Mael brothers. Tickets are available here.
Eylem Boz
Images: Rachel Lipsitz (@littletrousers)