Sparks – Live Review – York Barbican
By David Schuster, August 2026
Sparks are a band with charisma. It’s that rare blend of wit, charm and style which singles them out in a crowd, and makes it impossible to imagine them doing anything else other than standing in the spotlight. That’s clear from the moment that they step on stage. As if to prove that point, the title of the opening number, ‘So May We Start’ is wryly appropriate in itself. The song’s actually about the first screening of Leos Carax’s 2021 film Annette, which the duo wrote the script for. However, the lyrics sum up the nervousness before any new performance perfectly: “They hope that it goes the way it’s supposed to go / There’s fear in them all, but they can’t let it show.”
They needn’t have worried, the band and the first track are both greeted with noisy enthusiasm by the capacity crowd. Indeed, tonight’s concert at the Barbican in York has been sold out for weeks. Unsurprising really, as this is one of only three UK gigs on the current tour. In response, the venue have done their best to accommodate as many people as possible, by the clever expedient of removing the seats in the stalls. So, this evening there’s almost 2,000 voices cheering, whooping and, (in a triumph of optimism over the likelihood of being heard), shouting the names of random songs they’d like to hear played.
“Infectious”
That said, they cover a lot of ground, getting through a set list of no less than 19 tracks. It’s just that their back catalogue is so vast. In the almost 60 years that Ron and Russell Mael have been creating music together, they’ve produced no less than 26 studio releases. It’s something that vocalist Russell makes a typically tongue-in-cheek reference to when introducing ‘Micky Mouse’. “As you know, Sparks have made about 700 records. So here’s one from one of our early albums.” They’re playing it on this tour, but have otherwise rarely performed it since it first came out in 1983.
As well as such rare gems, there’s also room for all the brothers’ greatest hits. These include the infectious rhythm of ‘Beat the Clock’, and ‘This Town Ain’t Big Enough for Both of Us’. The latter reached number two in the UK singles charts, being denied the top spot by the Rubettes’ ‘Sugar Baby Love’. As you’d expect, both of these are greeted ecstatically, and accompanied by much crowd participation, clapping and singing along.
If you are at all familiar with Sparks, you’ll know that the duo have very distinctive, and different, stage personas. Russell is lively and energetic, dressed in a polka-dot two-piece suit, with contrasting pink shirt and shoes. He’s constantly on the move. Conversely, Ron’s black suit, slicked back hair and round glasses give him the stern demeanour of a 1940’s headmaster as he sits, almost unmoving, at the keyboard. However, at one point we are offered a tiny break in the fourth wall. It comes during the climax of the evening, a stunning performance of ‘The Number One Song in Heaven’.
“Memorable”
Of itself, this is a great tune. On the album from which it originates, No. 1 in Heaven, the brothers collaborated with the great Italian disco producer Giorgio Moroder. It was this happy union which delivered their most iconic sound, high energy disco beats overlain with Russell’s distinctive operatic, falsetto vocals. But, tonight’s rendition was extra special: in the middle, there’s an interlude of solo drum beats, and the veteran musician stands up (this in itself gets a round of applause), shuffles to the front of the stage and visibly starts counting the beats on his fingers. Then the most extraordinary thing happens: Ron breaks into a dance! Granted it’s only for a short time, and he obviously does it for comedic effect, but it’s a lovely, charming moment, underlining the fact that they don’t take themselves too seriously.
They round off a truly memorable show with three encores, the ironic country and western themed ‘(Baby, Baby) Can I Invade Your Country’, the electro beats of ‘The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte’ and finally the melodic ‘All That’, which has the entire audience clapping along. If you are one of the lucky few who get to see Sparks perform live this year, you’ll know that when they formed the band way back in 1968, they made the perfect career choice.
images: Ernesto Rogata
David Schuster describes himself as an “adventurer, collector, musician and writer. Not necessarily in that order.” Growing up west of the Pennine hills of the UK and living his adult life east of them, he’s inclined to think that the Wars of the Roses were a mistake. David loves discovering new bands and musicians and is happiest listening to live music. He has travelled extensively in the UK and is fascinated by the variety, history and landscapes of the thousands of islands that comprise the British Isles. David is always reassured when online shops confirm that he’s not a robot.
