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21X21 fan reviews...Exotic creatures of the deep
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MarkRae
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Joined: 11 Mar 2008
Posts: 199
Location: London

PostPosted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 11:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Spyke wrote:
They've certainly earned a rest

They may have earned a rest, but they're not getting one yet...

This morning they flew out to Tallin, where they'll be on stage in just a few hours. Then Helsinki on Monday and Vilnius on Tuesday.

Then finally they get a few weeks rest before heading off to Japan...
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kev hook
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PostPosted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 12:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just got back from heaven. Im still numb. The best show Ive EVER been to, and probably ever will. Special thanks to Jim, Tony and Ian for turning a tremendous evening into absolute perfection. I am not worthy.

MiniPop
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rileyrempel
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Joined: 20 May 2008
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PostPosted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 12:38 pm    Post subject: Re: Mark beat me to it again... Reply with quote

Noisy Boy wrote:

He just said that it was recorded during Indiscreet with Tony Visconti and that it was never released until the recent reissue.

Oh, and in case anyone else missed it, Russell's T-shirt that he wore in the encore said 'I'm not a genius, but Ron Mael is' above a picture of Ron's head.


Thanks, Noisy Boy. That song should have been on an album, for sure. Ha - yeah. That T shirt was classic.
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kev hook
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PostPosted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 3:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Eve wrote:
The t-shirt - that was from me


Hats off to you Eve !!
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Brightonian
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Joined: 22 Mar 2003
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PostPosted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 4:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

lazysunbathers wrote:
One of the best gigs I've ever been to - despite the fact that ECOTD ain't a patch on HYL


What fact is this??? I would argue ECOTD is more consistent, though both albums have their weaker tracks. I think - can't tell yet - ECOTD is better, more sublime. Pregnant, Renaissance, Likeable, Can't Believe, all excellent.

True, ECOTD has no Dick Around, but it also has no Rock Rock Rock, Aliens, Kitty. If there's a resemblance between Let The Monkey Drive and the latter, then Monkey is far superior.

Great live performance of the album last night. Amazing visuals, even if in the stalls, fairly central, 7 or 8 rows back, it was difficult to see half of everything going on. Ron in bed at the start? Would never have known!
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Brightonian
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PostPosted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 5:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Robin Davies wrote:
T.N.K. wrote:
The sound was terrible in the venue, from the centre front, left front and right front. Someone shouted about the bass drum being too loud and it was. I'm not fussy, but it was really really bad and distorted most songs into inaudibility. Good Morning & Those Mysteries might as well have been old 78rpms playing - I'm so disappointed that such an amazing band and concert sounded this way for me, especially after the 21x21 triumph. I went to 14 of them, and nothing sounded as bad as this (maybe Number One in Heaven? Couldn't make that one).

You're right. The ECOTD show itself was marvellously inventive but was let down ONCE AGAIN by the sound crew who, in all honesty must be deaf or something. I've grumbled about the sound quality many times before and last night I asked the guy next to me what the thought of it and he said it was too bassy as well. An album that could have soared to the stratosphere was kept stubbornly earthbound by that all-pervasive bass fug.
The sound did seem to improve a lot as the encore set progressed (though I had moved back a bit by then, partly because the stage was so low it was hard to see much from anywhere that wasn't elevated) but by then a considerable amount of damage had been done.
Still, all credit to Sparks for seeing this amazing project through to the finish. I'll treasure the memories of this extravaganza, especially Indiscreet, Plagiarism and Lil' Beethoven.


Dunno, it all sounded pretty good to me, from where I was. Certainly not too bassy. I like a bit of bass. Sparks songs could be argued as being a bit too bass-thin on occasion. The Grat Sax album could have been improved still further with a bit more of a bass thump to it, Balls and Plagiarism too. Perhaps also even the classic mid-70s recordings.
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flamingkitties
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Joined: 24 Mar 2003
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PostPosted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 5:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here are some photos I took.
Video to come (Monday probably)

All of them: http://www.flickr.com/photos/theuntrainedeye/sets/72157605615095509/

(PLus if you look back, some from Number One in Heaven AND HLY from 2006)







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Kermit
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PostPosted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 6:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well what a night! Being back at the bigger and grander Shepherds Bush Empire felt really strange after having had so many wonderful nights at the more intimate Carling Academy in Islington. We knew we were going to be in for something special tonight though for the premiere of “Exotic Creatures Of the Deep” but I wasn’t expecting this extravaganza. Even the barstaff were buzzing with excitement cos they knew something special was being set up during the day which wasn’t going to be just like a normal gig.
When the curtains went back and we saw the entire band placed in their golden picture frames with the big screen frame too there was obviously gonna be fun to be had. I loved the ladies with the shopping trolleys at the intro obviously coming on to do some shopping at this glorious shopping mall of love. Great start! Then head on into “Good Morning”, such a great song. Catchy, funny, dancey and a happy, happy toon. Russell using that wonderful falsetto to the max that for me is what lured me into Sparks in the first place when I heard “This Town” on the radio way back in ’74 when I was just a young teenager. It’s had a lot of radio play the past few weeks and it was nice to keep catching Sparks again back on the radio. For the life of me I don’t understand why there was no physical release of the single though. With all the dedicated Sparks fans in town from all over the world in for the spectacular who would have bought just about anything going the opportunity for a chart hit has just vanished in to thin air. Which is what a download only single is…thin air! I know budgets must have been tight but this missed opportunity of a chart hit was in my opinion the biggest mistake of the whole spectacular. Such a shame. But I love the slight electro touch of this song and seeing it done live at last was still fantastic. Russell bounding on stage as if the past month had never happened. Just where does this man get his energy? But I love this song and more like it in the future please Ronnie, happy toon!!!
“Strange Animal” was just fabulous! Seeing Ronnie falling about laughing when the start of “I Can’t Believe That You Would For All The Crap In This Song” was just priceless. I thought something had happened down at the front of the audience at first but I soon got it. I love the retro glam sound of this one though. A little bit of gittermania going on down in the pit with the retorts of “only you and only you my love”. Gary Glitter could do this one justice too if he wasn’t in other far off places. Ms Goldfrapp would’ve made a good duet though. Great stuff!
The pacey “Let The Monkey Drive” is great fun too. Potential single deffo! Great sing a long and driving song this one and a thumping good remix would be great for the dance floors. The backdrop of the monkey at the piano was causing multiple laughs and it is a great fun toon. Does he have a name that cheeky little chimp?
“I’ve Never Been High” starts getting the drama back in to the album. I doubt many in the audience could agree with the sentiments of this song though. The amusing “She got me Pregnant” was just so outstanding. When those pregnant ladies came on strutting their stuff I nearly choked on my saliva! This was grand stuff. What a show we were getting tonight and well done to the girls for performing such a great strut around the stage. The hilarious choreography was wonderful and a real extra added essence to a tune that I will never ever forget in my mind whenever I play this song again forever!! Classic stuff! Thank you Sparks for this performance, it was just the BEST!!!
Then we get the silhouette of a certain Mr Morrissey on the backdrop to “Lighten Up Morrissey”. Was he here tonight? He should have cancelled anything to get here for this one the bugger. Gotta be the next PHYSICAL single!! Russell was having real great fun jumping around to this one and it is a great crowd pleaser.
“This Is The Renaissance” sees us all transported into the Sparks Gallery of Love. All the ladies back on stage looking utterly scrumptious in the frames like paintings hanging in Le Louvre! These ladies were looking truly exotic and if I’d had a paintbrush I’d have given them each a bunch of grapes to feed each other…. or Ron & Russ of course.
“The Director Never Yelled Cut” sees Sparks going back into movie territory again. A little film all of it’s own. It’s my least favourite track on the album though I must say; it just goes on a bit without getting anywhere although I do love the harmonies.
“Photoshop” sees Ronnie chasing pianos all over the screen and getting a few laughs going again and was fun to watch. “Likeable” sees the big smiles on sticks coming out. Great performance but quite a sad feeling to this song to end with. Especially when it carries on in to the burning of the albums. Seeing all those albums go up in flames one by one was just heart wrenching. I don’t know if anyone watched the amazing US TV series “6 Feet Under”, but the last episode of that wonderful series made me sob my heart out and I nearly felt the same tonight. So many memories that go with each album through my life just flashed before me and it was just too intense. Great theatre but it made me feel so sad. I’ve had such happy times at all of the previous concerts but this was really emotional stuff for me.
But a great performance of the 21st album nonetheless. Bravo and hats off to Sparks for such a wonderful premiere of it. Just amazing!!
So then to the second half of the show and it was going to be interesting to see what made it on to the final top tunes voted for over the last few weeks on the forum. “Moustache” & “Looks Aren’t Everything” were firm favourites for starters but I was happily surprised to hear the pounding drums of “Big Boy” for the next one seeing as it didn’t get any votes at all. Don’t know what made them do it but I love this song so for me that was just the best. “Big Beat” works so well live and that was one of the best nights at the Academy so to hear this one again was a real joy.
Then we got the top favourite of “Goofing Off”. It went down a storm in Islington and it rocked again tonight. All we needed was a fiddler playing gypsy woman on stage to make it match perfect but Russell jumped around like a lunatic enough to make this frenzy of a song into a joy to behold. This frantic song is crazy and I just love it, love it, love it!
Another great performance of “Katherine Hepburn” was just as good as it sounded at the Academy a few nights before. Russell singing it really makes it into a proper Sparks toon and I just love the way they rock it out at the end.
“Shopping Mall Of Love” was a great surprise too cos it didn’t get any votes. I wasn’t expecting this one by any means but I love this track. It gets Ronnie centre stage and that can’t be a bad thing. Thanks for doing this one Sparks!!!
“Those Mysteries” went down well at the Academy and it is such a great sing-along song. Such a warm song. And my does it make you think. Hands waving in the air and the Sparks chorus in the pit were doing their best to go with you Russell. Gorgeous song.
Hey and then we got the full version of “Dick Around”!! Yeah!!! Fab!! Kermit was a happy man indeed and it quite deservedly sits in the second set even without any votes on the forum. Went down a storm!! Such a rollicking song and Sparks at their very, very Rock Opera best!!! It just leaves you exhausted and that’s what I like in a Sparks toon…that complete bombardment of energy & madness. Fabulous!!!
I’m glad “Get In The Swing” got another airing. It raised the roof at the Academy and I shall never forget that night in the Eddie on Keith’s last night of concerts before he had to go back to LA and they let us play Sparks songs downstairs cos it was a quiet night after the concert. We had the place dancing like New Years Eve and it was one of those nights I shall treasure for the rest of my life. A pub full of Sparks fans singing “Get In The Swing” with all their might was just one of the best moments of this whole affair.
“Looks, Looks, Looks” was great as always and throwing in “Batteries Not Included” was a great intro to the fabulously mental “Whippings & Apologies”. It didn’t get any votes and I’d be interested to know why it was included but I’m not complaining because anything from the first two albums is always welcome. I’m just so surprised that “Moon Over Kentucky” wasn’t chosen though seeing as it was one of the most requested. It should have had an airing but there’s always next time. “Change” had to be in there I guess and a great performance to a tune that still is not one of my favourites but tonight it didn’t matter, I was having too much fun. Russell's T-shirt that he wore for the encore saying “I'm not a genius, but Ron Mael is” was a great one! Well done Eve for that one!! But Russell is genius too to be able to sing like he does!!
So to the final encore of “This Town Ain’t Big Enough For Both Of Us” and I suppose they had to do it even though it had no votes. We can’t have a Sparks concert without it and without that song we wouldn’t have had the success of Sparks in this country so it does justify finishing the whole thing off.
Bravo Sparks! You did it! You did what no band has ever done and you did it good. You gave so many people the time of their lives and I for one will cherish this past month of my life from the very bottom of my heart. So many wonderful memories of so many things packed in to a few weeks which has sometimes half killed me but I wouldn’t have missed all this much fun, love and joy for the world. Sparks I salute you! Thank you for it all.
Leaving the Empire was very sad saying goodbye to so many new friends. There were a few tears all round and it’s been exhausting but it’s been a blast and I know we’ll all meet again somewhere at another gig somewhere. Special, special times!!!
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You've Got Mael
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PostPosted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 7:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Another thing I'm going to miss is Kermit's brilliant reviews! They really captured the essence of the shows in great detail. How about sending me a review of the Grace Jones show you're going to next week?
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Billy Stevens
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PostPosted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 7:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Kermit You have said it all!
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Billy Stevens
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PostPosted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 7:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Keith, pull up to the bumper baby!
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Deano
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 5:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Emotional,joyful,tearful,triumphant-Thanks Sparks and all connected to this wonderful band.
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Kermit
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 5:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well I did them more for me as I want a memory of all this and I don't want them all just to blend in to one big blur of a memory. Too much fun was had!!
I will send you a review of Grace YGM!!....If she turns up of course!!
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Marky
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Joined: 19 May 2008
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 9:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

sin-is-quite-the-thing wrote:
They've done 3 we asked for.
Why did we bother, should have known they'd go for their favourites.

Shopping Mall Of Love and Big Boy didn't get a single vote!

those Maels.
Still good though obviously!


I thought that it was always the case that the second half would be a combination of fans' choices, some of their faves and some "hits". I was so gald to hear Dick Around on the final night. It had everybody near me headbanging away.
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Marky
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 9:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

iloverussell wrote:
Well... its the morning after.. Im sitting here reading the posts on this thread and I feel I might come to tears.

WHAT A SHOW!!!!!

WOOOOOOWW

Im pretty much speechless.... What a spectacular month!

Great meeting people at the venue.

Was worth a 7 and a half hour wait to be front row!

xxxxxx

p.s. just gutted they didnt do plagiarism version of Propaganda!


Good meet you as well. Yes, what an absolutely fantastic show it was. Hope you enjoy the DeeVeeDee DVD. And let's hope that a DVD of the final night is gonna be released.
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T.N.K.
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 11:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Didn't Ron look so powerful, suave & stylish in his Chinese (?) clothes and elegant spectacles for the first set. So wonderful to see him on stage like that in contrast to the usual white shirt and tie "uniform".
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Aled
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 1:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Absolutely phenomenal show!
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Polish Steve
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 2:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I didn't think Shepherds Bush in 1994 would be topped but this did it...a staggering show. ECOTD was superb like all the other albums it is so much bette rin alive environment while the second half was something else. Okay it wasn't necessarily a set I would have picked but it doesn't matter. It was a priviledge to be there and experience it and indeed all the shows and in the company of so many other wonderful people.
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No Tony Perkins
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 3:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just got back from London, and all I can say is WOW ! This was the best musical performance I've ever attended. As soon as the curtains opened to reveal Ron in bed, this was going to be special, and boy it didn't disappoint. From start to finish, a breathtaking performance - it was an honour to witness the first live performance of ECOTD. This has GOT to tour.
I could have gone home happy after part one, but of course we were treated to a magnificent second half with numerous highlights - the reaction to Get in the Swing was amazing. The gig endeed with a feeling of euphoria, as it seemed the whole of the audience was up on its feet, clapping, cheering, stamping and hollering. I've never seen such a reaction, and Ron and Russell were visibly moved.
I thoroughly enjoyed the venue - I was sat in Level 1 and had a great view, the sound quality was excellent, and the musicianship of the group shone through - what a fabulous band!
So, thanks Sparks for a magnificent show - it was a privilege to have been there, and memories I'll treasure for ever.
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Private Pike
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 5:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

{edit: sorry - posted the same thing twice}

Last edited by Private Pike on Sun Jun 15, 2008 5:07 pm; edited 1 time in total
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