SPARKS // ROYAL CONCERT HALL, GLASGOW
Sparks Ignite Glasgow: Mael Brothers Deliver Theatrical Pop Perfection
at Royal Concert Hall
★★★★★ (5/5)
SPARKS PERFORMING AT GLASGOW’S ROYAL CONCERT HALL
PHOTOCREDIT: SPARKS (SOCIAL MEDIA)
After over fifty years of delighting devotees, Sparks rolled into Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall with the theatrical flair and musical mischief that has made Ron and Russell Mael one of pop music's most enduring enigmas. The duo's performance was a masterclass in how to age gracefully while maintaining the playful spark that first put them on the map.
The band took to the stage to the kind of applause most band receive as they leave. Opening with So May We Start, the brothers immediately established the evening's tone – part cabaret and part rock concert. Ron Mael, perched behind his keyboard with that familiar expression and meticulously groomed moustache, while Russell bounded across the stage with the enthusiasm of someone half his age.
The setlist was a career-spanning journey, both nostalgic and surprisingly current. Early highlights included Reinforcements and Academy Award Performance, where Russell's operatic vocals soared over Ron's precise, almost militaristic keyboard work. The Glasgow audience, a mix of longtime devotees and new fans, responded with the kind of warmth typically reserved for hometown heroes.
Russell made it clear that he was delighted to be in the city. ‘Glasgow, you were the first venue on tour to sell out and you put our album at number one in the Scottish chart – Thank you!’
Beat the Clock and Please Don't Fuck Up My World showcased the band's ability to blend pop with genuinely subversive lyrics, while All You Ever Think About Is Sex had the entire hall singing along to what might be the most cheerfully frank song about desire ever written.
The brothers were backed by four great musicians, Evan Weiss and Eli Pearl on Guitars, Max Whipple on bass and Darren Weiss on drums. They were high energy, razor sharp and clearly enjoyed the night.
The middle portion of the set proved that Sparks' recent renaissance hasn't dulled their edge. JanSport Backpack and Drowned in a Sea of Tears from their 28th Album MAD! demonstrated their knack for writing quirky pop songs, while When Do I Get to Sing 'My Way' was delivered with the kind of theatrical flourish that would make Sinatra proud.
The evening's peak came with the one-two punch of The Number One Song in Heaven and This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us – songs separated by decades but united in their popularity with the passionate crowd. The former's disco-influenced groove had the staid Concert Hall audience on their feet, while the latter's glam-rock theatricality reminded everyone why Sparks influenced everyone from Queen to Björk. They were greeted with a stunning ovation, delighting Ron and Russell.
The encore proved the brothers still had surprises up their sleeves. The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte – a 2023 composition that could have been written yesterday or forty years ago – perfectly encapsulated Sparks' ability to find humour in heartbreak. They closed with All That, leaving the Glasgow crowd shouting out in their devotion for five minutes, wanting more but satisfied by their amazing experience.
What made this concert special was, of course, the music, but the love and fun that the brothers still get from sharing their music with their fans. The Mael brothers were exactly where they wanted to be.
Glasgow got a reminder that some sparks never fade; they just learn to burn brighter.