Right, so who's going when?

I've been asked to review one of the first few shows of Sparks' insane
21-night, one-album-per-gig London residency, and I picked next Wednesday, cos that's when they're playing Indiscreet, which is one of my personal favourites: it's the Weimar/Charleston-influenced one from 1975 which pretty much spelt commercial suicide at the time, ending their brief spell as glam-pop pin-ups, but it's a masterpiece (and, I suspect, a big influence on people like The Dresden Dolls).

I'll try to go along to some of the others, later in the run, but I've got to be realistic about the fact that I live in Brighton now and I can't afford the train fares. But if I just get to see Indiscreet, I'll still be pretty happy.

Who else is going, and which nights?

The GLC is going to two nights but I can't remember for the life of me which ones. Not Kimono My House anyway.

They're playing Indiscreet? FUCKING HELL! I've been bothering my wife recently by insisting that 'Woofer In Tweeters Clothing' and 'Indiscreet' actually shade 'Propaganda' & 'Kimono'. 'Indiscreet' is fucking amazing aint it - Tony Visconti just leddem run riot. Wish I could be there for this.

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Blimey. I'd go to any. But from Lisbon ...


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I wonder if they might wear clothes from the period? (Of each album, not the Weimar era, that is.) That would be pretty cool, but somehow I can't see them getting away with what they wore on the cover of 'Indiscreet' now!

I think it was 'Kimono My House' last night.

I'd have loved to have been there.

Indiscreet - complete with brass quintet and string sextet at relevant points - was an absolute triumph last night.

Wonderful atmosphere (the surreal spectacle of hundreds of people chanting along about a maimed hotel manager having to live the rest of his life "without using hands" etc), and Russell looked very dapper in his prohibition pinstripes.

My favourite bit was in "Get In The Swing" where it all stops for a second, he gets out a school sports whistle from his pocket, and peeps it four times as the signal for the band to launch into the big ending.

Oh, by the way, apparently the shows can be watched live via a streaming thingy here

Ron and Russell are due to be interviewed by Simon Mayo, on BBC R5L at 2.30 pm locally today.