Sparks' 21 nights

Mael brothers launch London residency

16 May 08 - Sparks 21-night residency is underway this weekend with the first night at Islington Academy (16 May).

The operatic synth-pop duo will play their previous 20 albums at the venue in the weeks ahead, followed by the world premiere of their new album Exotic Creatures Of The Deep at Shepherds Bush Empire on 13 June. Their 21st album is released on 12 May.

Brothers Ron and Russell Mael released their debut Halfneslson in 1971. Their biggest hit was This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us which reached number two in the UK in 1974.

Singer Russell Mael explained why they decided to do the residency.

He said: "This being the 21st album we thought, well what is it that we can do that perhaps other bands, if any, can do and that's to do all 21, all 20 albums that have preceded the new album live in concert one a night and all building up to the premiere of the new album."

Ron Mael admitted the four months of rehearsals has been tough.

"Half the songs I didn't even remember," he said. "It could have been by anybody else, it didn't even have to be a Sparks song, I just didn't remember them, and it's not completele senility, it's partially just that a lot of the things we recorded once and then that was it, the next day it was kind of on to something else so to kind of treat 250 songs as equals in that kind of way it was a really difficult, really difficult task."

"Half the songs I didn't even remember"
Ron Mael

Although they are from California, Sparks have had more hits in the UK and Europe so decided to play the shows over here.

"We've just found through the years that the fans here have been more devoted to what we've been doing than London," said Ron Mael.

A Sparks exhibition will also be staged at the Bodhi Gallery in London's Brick Lane from 19 May.

Andre Paine