SPARKS

Crabby · Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2025 4:13 am Post subject:

Wow Kaelmael, l think the highlight of any concert should be hanging onto the guitarists ankle! I bought their last cd which l really like but l shall listen in future with a whole new appreciation of your bravery.. Well done for surviving!

KaelMael · Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2025 4:37 am Post subject:

Buckeye Randy · Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2025 1:43 pm Post subject:

J. Prufrock · Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2025 9:25 pm Post subject:

My worst (and last) mosh pit experience was actually at a They Might Be Giants concert. Good show from the band, but security really should have tossed that one probably drunk and definitely disorderly guy. It was decades ago and I suspect security's more proactive nowadays; nonetheless, by now I'm Too Old For The Pit.

Crabby · Posted: Wed Jan 29, 2025 2:41 am Post subject:

How times have changed.... I was at a They Might be Giants concert in November and it was all rather genteel (great gig though).... 😂

KaelMael · Posted: Wed Jan 29, 2025 7:46 am Post subject:

Crabby · Posted: Wed Jan 29, 2025 8:11 am Post subject:

I wonder how unruly a Sparks gig gets?????

Buckeye Randy · Posted: Wed Jan 29, 2025 11:55 am Post subject:

The 2022 show at Royal Oak (outside Detroit) had GA standing in front of the stage. Other than some rude people trying to muscle their way up front without paying the premium for early admission or waiting in line in frigid conditions for a few hours...it was pretty well behaved.

There was no moshing per say, just bopping.
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

KaelMael · Posted: Thu Jan 30, 2025 7:33 am Post subject:

What Buckeye Randy said applies to all the Sparks concerts I attended. I always have a good time dancing and singing along. No rowdy crowd.

I guess the most unruly audience they ever had were those girls trying to pull Russell off the stage.
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My resume is dull and it's gray

Alex Robertson · Posted: Thu Jan 30, 2025 11:48 am Post subject:

J. Prufrock · Posted: Thu Jan 30, 2025 12:47 pm Post subject:

Crabby · Posted: Thu Jan 30, 2025 1:19 pm Post subject:

Oh no,now I'm sorry l asked.....l had a feeling a Sparks concert would ooze friendliness and good humour so now I'm even more sad that l probably won't make it to any of the 2025 concerts.......

Never mind..love the single and waiting for the summer!

Toughest Girl In Town · Sparks Guru Joined: 15 Feb 2022 Posts: 5120

Buckeye Randy · Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2025 2:41 am Post subject:

Some brand new versions of old songs...

Def Lep is no stranger to doing covers but this actually seems like an odd choice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9ZghanmmF4

Popa Chubby and Joe Bonamassa covering the Jeff Beck Group...what can go wrong? Nothing at all!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFA6TjPpIH0

A band I never heard of doing a great Elvis song with a twist. I love the horns!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Al01RuLOdg

This one is two years old but I'll be seeing the band next month, C'mon, C'mon...play some Cheap Trick!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Iur4qzCfjs
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

Buckeye Randy · Posted: Sun Feb 09, 2025 10:33 am Post subject:

Record Store Day 2025, April 12.

Here is a list of releases for Record Store Day.

https://recordstoreday.com/SpecialReleases

Several of interest for me; The Dictators, Jethro Tull, Nick Lowe, Queen, Todd Rundgren, Teenage Bottlerocket, Sweet.
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

Buckeye Randy · Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2025 1:54 pm Post subject:

I scored 7th row tickets for Alice Cooper's 'Too Close for Comfort!' tour which passes through my neck of the woods in May. Glad to hear that guitar goddess Nita Strauss will be back in the fold by then. Woohoo!

Sad news about David Johansen. Get well soon
https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/new-york-dolls-singer-david-johansen-stage-4-cancer-brain-tumor-daughter-asks-help
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

Toughest Girl In Town · Sparks Guru Joined: 15 Feb 2022 Posts: 5120

Buckeye Randy · Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2025 3:35 am Post subject:

Toughest Girl In Town · Sparks Guru Joined: 15 Feb 2022 Posts: 5120

KaelMael · Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2025 7:58 am Post subject:

Todd Rundgren

Billboard Live Tokyo, Roppongi, Tokyo
March 3, 2025

My second gig this year was VERY different from the first one. Billboard Live Tokyo is located in the midst of the hustle and bustle of Roppongi, aka "the city that never sleeps". This place is basically a posh restaurant with a stage, and you can see your favorite artists while enjoying fine dining or drinking a nice glass of wine. It's worth noting that the stage is very low, and if you get the front row seats, you will be sure to have the best evening of your life. Yes, there I was, sipping Shirly Temple, watching Todd Rundgren towering over me.

The band members were all Australian musicians including Davey Lane from the band You Am I, as well as Angus Leslie from Sex On Toast which supported last year's Australian tour. Davey was busying himself sound checking the guitars before the show. Angus was on the backing vocals along with Talei Wolfgramm. Anthony Featherstone was on keyboard, Luke Hodgson on bass, and Marcus Ryan on drums. I was not happy about the absence of Kasim Sulton and Prairie Prince, but boy, they were great! They seemed relaxed and performed like they were playing together for a quite a long time. Todd and this band will be touring Australia until mid-March.

The setlist was basically a shorter version of last year's ME/WE Tour, which he played more recent songs. He didn't tour Japan in 2024, so this was a big plus for me. "Liars"(2004) is one of my favourite albums and he did 3 songs from it and they sounded superb, a perfect match for the venue's chic atmosphere. When I told a man across the table that I like Todd's newer songs, he showed a mixed expression on his face.

The songs were mostly from '90s and '00s, but classics like "Open My Eyes" ("I wasn't crazy about the guitar riff but we had no time to change it...", Todd said) and "Love In Action" also had their place. While performing "Love In Action", a little accident happened. When he tried to jump to finish the song, he couldn't land preperly, stumbled backwards and fell lightly on his butt before the drum set. For a moment, I thought he did it on purpose. But he laughed rather awkwardly and so did everyone, in an affectionate way, of course. Davey helped him getting up. He cursed, "Small stage!" afterwards. A strong reminder of what happened to Ron Mael in Tokyo, back in 2022.

It was apparent that he had used up all of his energy during the first set, partly due to the heavy lighting that made him soaked with sweat ("It's freaking hot in here! Why is it so hot in here!?"), and not long after the second set started he did admit it by saying, "you lucky guys... you're gonna witness a potential train wreck". Sure enough, his voice started to break from time to time. He is not the owner of stable tone, but despite that, I could tell that the audience were all very impressed. His singing was as powerful as ever.

I was really disappointed that was that there were no merch stand whatsoever. No T-shirts, no posters. Only three CDs at the Billboard shop near the cashier. Therefore, I coudn't buy his T or hoodie or other cotton goodies.
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My resume is dull and it's gray