SPARKS

haydn60 · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 6:21 pm Post subject:

I had no problem with the set list. "Shopping Mall" sounded & looked great.

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good cue sign
"I'm not a genius but Ron Mael is."

sin-is-quite-the-thing · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 6:22 pm Post subject:

tackydaughter · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 6:32 pm Post subject:

rainbow · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 6:36 pm Post subject:

Yeah...I did miss the very start, but was lucky enough to jump in at the end of strange animal! I raced like a madwoman on my bycicle from work, and I was lucky there was a soccer game (EK) so there was nearly no traffic.
It was soooooo good, but the ONLY thing: WHY did they skip over MOON OVER KENTUCKY??

It was most voted for! I surely expected that one, but that's the only small disappointment. We have the recordings, haven't we?
But hey, it was an AWSOME experience and I think we owe our Ron and Russ bigtime!
I liked the visual part (as an art teacher and painter, I think that is important) and the interaction between R & R. Ron is really into acting! Photoshop was hilarious for example. WOW I have to go to rehab now, will soon need some DVD's (Yes, I AM spoiled)
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Stop, there's gotta be a million girls like her, though
I can't think of one

Suburban Homeboy · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 6:51 pm Post subject:

Yeah, the burning of the albums was a powerful emotional moment.... I found it very symbolic and sad that the ECOTD intro background was used during it - I don't care if you love Sparks, just so you like them... or at least recognize the existence of all the great they've accomplished in their career.

I dunno.. about "Shopping Mall Of Love" - I understand it was probably voted on to give Ron a spotlight (I'm speculating that's "Moustache" got there too), but as much as we all deservedly worship the guy, surely there had to have been better ways to do that in song form. I just think it's one of the most musically empty and retarded songs ever done by a great band (hell, any band), and it seriously couldn't have taken them more than 5 minutes to write.

I really don't want to sound negative overall, though. Overall I think this really was a fantastic idea, and from the streams and Youtube clips I've been able to see, it sounded like it went off well with the crowd super into it. Also, I really do wonder if any other band/artist with a similar catalog size would ever attempt something like this... the only possible one I could imagine getting away with it would be uhh... David Bowie, the greatest follower of all time! Haha.. ;)

You've Got Mael · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 7:06 pm Post subject:

For those with bad memories, or if you missed any part of it, the second set:

Moustache
Looks Aren't Everything
Big Boy
Goofing Off
Katherine Hepburn
Shopping Mall Of Love
Those Mysteries
Dick Around
Get In The Swing
Looks Looks Looks
Batteries Not Included
Whippings And Apologies
Change
This Town Ain't Big Enough
_________________
Interviewer: Does your long hair make you a girl?
Frank Zappa: Does your wooden leg make you a table?

T.N.K. · Power Groupie Joined: 18 May 2008 Posts: 416

The sound was terrible in the venue, from the centre front, left front and right front. Someone shouted about the bass drum being too loud and it was. I'm not fussy, but it was really really bad and distorted most songs into inaudibility. Good Morning & Those Mysteries might as well have been old 78rpms playing - I'm so disappointed that such an amazing band and concert sounded this way for me, especially after the 21x21 triumph. I went to 14 of them, and nothing sounded as bad as this (maybe Number One in Heaven? Couldn't make that one).

I hope Sparks enjoyed it, and hope a DVD comes out without the sound a lot of us heard tonight! x
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Even
Dwarfs
Started
Small

bwren · Newbie Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 9

After the past complaining about the webcast, I think it's worth noting that the quality was outstanding for this show - at least for me. A couple of minor blips that were no more than a few seconds.

I thought I was just going to have to live all these shows vicariously through the message boards, but I actually got to view almost all of them.
For a middle aged guy in L.A. with a family and too many current responsibilities to spend a month in the U.K., this was way more than I had expected.

Still praying for that ECOTF show in L.A. though. Hoping... hoping... hoping... hoping....

Thermaland · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 7:20 pm Post subject:

I've just come back from the show and now I feel sad because I've a feeling this was not only one of the best shows I've ever attended, but possibly one of the best I will ever attend...

Saw the Exotic Creatures set from the right-hand bar and quite near the back as I came in shortly before stage time. I couldn't see all that well - I'm short - so for instance I only saw the pregnant chorus or the director half-way through the songs. Still it was amazing. The burning of the albums bit was incredible. Everyone was screaming louder for their favourite albums, so Woofer, Propaganda, Whomp that Sucker and Lil Beethoven for me. Loved the gilded picture frames, and the increasingly sophisticated animation.

I managed to get closer for the second set, and to the left. I didn't think the sound was so bad to be honest - I've certainly heard worse. A live sound is only ever going to be so good. I was so happy they played Whippings and Apologies, a personal favourite. Most of the other encore tunes weren't what I would have chosen, but hey the people have spoken... And the atmosphere was incredible, even more so than at the Academy shows because the venue is much more inspiring.

What an album, what a show, what a band!

soupcrusher · Newbie Joined: 03 Jun 2008 Posts: 12 Location: Atlanta, GA

another incredible show! just can't believe that it's over :(

i have to send out a big THANK YOU once again to everyone involved in managing the live stream. there's no way i could've made it to any of these shows so this meant the world to me. all I know is if they plan on doing ECOTD in the states, anywhere, i'm going to do everything short of selling my sweet booty on the corner to get there.

cheers!
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life's short. enjoy sparks.

MarkRae · Groupie Joined: 11 Mar 2008 Posts: 199 Location: London

Just back home...

Superb, superb gig. I was pretty near the centre front, and the sound was fine. ECOTD was a wonderful show and the second half was a brilliant gig, if you know what I mean...

Difficult to pick out a highlight - Those Mysteries, I suppose...

Well that's that, then...

DeeDee · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 7:41 pm Post subject:

BigManRestless · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 7:44 pm Post subject:

It's all over :(

I cried during the album burnings - that was the past month flashing before my eyes again - all those memories from Wonder Girl to Likeable.

I've said it elsewhere before but I'll say it again - thank you to everyone involved in this for making it the most enjoyable month of my life.

binaryRooster · Fan-in-Training Joined: 10 Jun 2008 Posts: 23 Location: UK

Superb. Not sure why the Shepherds Bush Empire stage is so low but when your only criticism of a gig is based on architecture then you know you've had an amazing night. Totally agree with the comments about the poignancy of the burning album sleeves - i did have this momentary fear that they may be calling it a day but i don't think they could stop writing songs if they tried.

Awesome second set! Made me even sadder to have missed some of those Islington gigs and really brought home what an achievement it was for them to have played all those songs.

Big thanks to the webcasters and the MP3 folk!

MarkRae · Groupie Joined: 11 Mar 2008 Posts: 199 Location: London

lazysunbathers · Groupie Joined: 29 Mar 2006 Posts: 181

One of the best gigs I've ever been to - despite the fact that ECOTD ain't a patch on HYL (everything past Lighten Up, Morrissey was redundant imo - even Photoshop is a much better performance than it is a song). What was so amazing about tonight was the sense of conclusion to the great nights we've had in Islington; it's amazing what Ron & Russell have achieved - not just the 21 fabulous albums, the constant change, experimentation and desire to bush boundaries, but the fact that they chose to play their entire back catalogue here in London and succeeded with such characteristic panache.

Highlights? Russell quipping "We must do it again some time", Ron saying that Russell's vocals "improve with whatever age he's admitting to"; Ron beaming with delight at the end of Looks, Looks, Looks; that opening image of Ron in bed; the Photoshop animation; the entire second half (although I did think it slightly odd that both Those Mysteries and Change were played - they always feel to me like very similar songs in rhythm and sentiment).

If Sparks don't win every serious music magazine's Godlike Genius/Lifetime Achievement-type award this year, there is something seriously amiss...

Thank you R&R and your wonderful band and management!

Billy Stevens · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 8:35 pm Post subject:

Mark Rae, Yes!
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Don't let it get me!

Noisy Boy · Power Groupie Joined: 20 Feb 2006 Posts: 292

Setlist:
Intro
Good Morning
Strange Animal
I Can’t Believe That You Would Fall For All The Crap In This Song
Let The Monkey Drive
I’ve Never Been High
(She Got Me) Pregnant
This Is The Renaissance
Lighten Up, Morrissey
The Director Never Yelled Cut
Photoshop
Likeable

Moustache
Looks Aren’t Everything
Big Boy
Goofing Off
What Would Katherine Hepburn Say
The Shopping Mall Of Love
Those Mysteries
Dick Around
Get In The Swing
Looks Looks Looks

Batteries Not Included
Whippings & Apologies
Change

This Town

Band:
Ron
Russell
Steven Nistor (Drums, Backing Vocals)
Steve McDonald (Bass, Backing Vocals, Guitar on Goofing Off, What Would Katherine Hepburn Say, The Shopping Mall Of Love, Those Mysteries)
Jim Wilson (Guitar, Backing Vocals)
Marcus Blake (Guitar, Backing Vocals, Bass on Looks Aren’t Everything, Goofing Off, What Would Katherine Hepburn Say, The Shopping Mall Of Love, Those Mysteries, Change)

Support:
None

What can I say that you don’t already know? Nothing really. The album performance was excellent, and for a first attempt just about flawless. Less multimedia than the previous two but what there was really stood out, especially Ron’s reprise of the Notre Dame organ gag on Photoshop. Same goes for the use of backing dancers/ models as ‘The Angels’ on the Intro, and as pregnant dancers in (She Got Me) Pregnant. All we needed was to quiff them up for Lighten Up, and that would’ve been superb!

Nonetheless, it was obvious that were rightly revelling in the action and lapping up the feverish worship from all corners of the Empire (Shepherd’s Bush and beyond!), and were seemingly very sad to have ended their spectacular run, Ron symbolically burning all 21 album covers on screen during the end of Likeable.

The second half was equally fabulous- every song that I’d seen them perform before was ten times better than previously, with special mention to Looks Looks Looks, which I thought was pretty poor at the Indiscreet gig, but absolutely on the money tonight – all lean, no wastage, no losing their way. Maybe they learned from last time. On top of that, apart from The Decline And Fall Of Me, I got to hear all the songs from my wishlist that I missed from the gigs I didn’t see – Dick Around was fabulous (I wonder what Ron & Russell’s disagreement was before that one started?), Big Boy was monstrously heavy, and Goofing Off, well it should’ve been a single. Superb! By the time it got round to Get In The Swing, I was looking at my watch, willing time to slow down, to get in ten, fifteen more songs. And then, after Change, I left, and waited for friends outside, only to realise I’d missed the final encore. Ah well, I’ve seen them do This Town thrice before, so I wasn’t too bothered, but it would’ve been nice to share the love that I could hear directed towards the band. Ah well.

No complaints about the sound tonight, from the three or four vantage points I had, it was all fabulous, barring Ron’s way-too-high keys at the start of the second half. The only complaint was the over-zealous jobsworths on security. Not impressed with their heavy-handed manner, but it certainly didn’t ruin a great night. The only question now is, what am I going to do with myself every evening? Bravo to the Mael brothers and their fabulous band for doing the full thing, and allowing us to see all those songs (bringing my total up to 126 songs in this run), and let’s look forward to the same thing happening again with album 22…oh well, we can dream eh?

P.S. Does Intro (Reprise) now hold the crown for the only album track never played live?

powpowpow · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 11:57 pm Post subject:

rileyrempel · Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 1:11 am Post subject:

What can I say that could possibly express how great this was? I didn't think it was possible to respect them any more than I already do, but this was incredible. Thank you so much for the live stream - I was paranoid that it wouldn't work on my sister's computer but it was fine.
Only problem was that her stereo is a bit boomy, so I totally missed what Russell said about Looks Aren't Everything...could someone tell me?
That song actually sounded stunning the second time round - I thought Katherine sounded better too. Better mix - Russell's voice came through more clearly. Thrilled to hear Whippings - I missed the first couple webcasts. Great guitar on that one.
I could go on about this forever - there were so many amazing things about that show. I just want to say thank you, thank you, thank you for this. Best. Band. Ever.