Shooting Off Sparks
By Skylaire Alfvegren
LA Weekly: Tuesday, November 3, 1998 - 11:00 pm
(...continued)
A few Yank fans traveled to England to catch last year's appearances; the same fans are flying to Los Angeles to catch Sparks' upcoming as-of-yet only U.S. appearance (as are others from England and Germany). Ron and Russell would be pleased with a reaction like they've received in Europe, but they want to test the waters before investing in an Airstream.
The brothers promise an eclectic live mix. "It's just a question of emphasis, really," Ron says. "There's been something of a time gap, and since Plagiarism is a retrospective of sorts, we don't mind mixing the really old with the really new."
The Maels believe idle hands are the devil's playthings. During the year it took Virgin to decide not to release Plagiarism here, the brothers completed a score for Hong Kong director Tsui Hark's summer escapade Knock Off (TriStar) and recorded an entirely new album.
So, in their own peculiar way, Sparks are everywhere. Besides their considerable influence on plenty of new music, there's a forthcoming biography, A Song That Sings Itself. Russell has just finished a duet with up 'n' coming U.K. duo Mulu, and the orchestral version of "This Town" can be heard in a sports utility vehicle commercial in the U.K.
But they're putting all that aside. Sparks are here and now, armed and dangerous. Show some respect - and don't mistake them for an English band.
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