What follows is a detailed, song by song account of my 1st Sparks gig, 30 Oct. 2013 ✨✨
(This is long)
31 October 2013
I SAW SPARKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was amazing, just so amazing. I’d go again in a heartbeat, if only I could. I’m still just so amazed from the show last night. I wish I’d taken photos, although they asked for no photos (or charcoal drawings — hah!). I just feel so lucky and so blessed about what I got to see last night. I do regret it was not recorded for posterity. Let me start at the very beginning (a very good place to start).
*PROLOGUE*
On the day before the show, the radiator of my car broke and all the radiator fluid leaked out. How was I going to get to Boston now? Urgently, I went on the computer to find alternative means of travelling to Boston. I considered my options, which, coming from rural NH, were slim. I’ve never driven to Boston before, and who knows what could have happened. I looked at buses; I could have taken the Greyhound out of [nearby small city], but that would cost $75 and it would take forever, because the bus would go all over the place. So no.
Then, oh miraculous, Dad offered to drive me down. He’d hang out somewhere, then drive me back! No worries! Oh yes! So that is what happened. The next day I went home, then dad and I left to pick up mom. Apparently she was coming as well. Mom was kind of disappointed that she wasn’t dressed to go out, being still in her work clothes. Mom and dad called [my uncle] and they ended up spending the evening at [my uncle]’s house [just outside Boston] to watch the game (I forgot to mention - it was the same night as the World Series game at Fenway). We listened to some Velvet Underground (White Light/White Heat), then I played mom and dad some Sparks, but they didn’t like it. So I put on New York by Lou Reed, which they did like. When we arrived in Boston we could see the glow of the floodlights at Fenway, and the Prudential Center building had lights that spelled out “Go Sox.”
*FINALLY THE INTERESTING PART*
We got to Brighton Street in Allston, where the Brighton Music Hall is, where Sparks were, at around 7:30 pm, half an hour before the doors open. We parked at a CVS across the street, and walked over. As we walked up to the venue we could hear Sparks practicing!!! They were going through the song B.C. That was wicked exciting. To pass the time we went to a middle eastern restaurant next door. Dad got an iced tea and a lamb dish with rice. We all had a bit of it, it was really good. Mom got a lemonade. At around 8, a line formed outside the window of the restaurant, so I went out.
“Is this the line for Sparks?” I asked.
“Yeah” replied some of the people right outside the door I’d just come out of.
“Wow” I replied, and got into line. I stood in line and listened to a girlfriend and boyfriend ahead of me talk excitedly about Sparks, and two women ahead of them fangirl over Ron and Russell Mael. A guy came by and checked our IDs and gave us all pink wristbands to wear so we could go out and come back if we needed to. Then around 8:09 I said “When is the line gonna move?” The young couple in front of me said “hmm yeah I don’t know.” We chatted briefly about Sparks, how awesome they are. I told them about how I heard them warm up earlier. They thought that was cool. Then we entered the hall.
On the outside of the hall were signs posted that said “Sparks kindly request that no audio, film, photography, or charcoal drawings be made of the show.” Even though I had a camera, and even though other people were taking pictures, I respected their wishes, and did not. When I first got in the hall I went to the bathroom, then I put my coat in the coat check. I went to stand over by the stage, where about fifteen people had already started to congregate. I wanted to be as close to the stage as I could. I stood there for a while, and then the woman standing next to me started talking to me. She asked me about how I got into the band, whether I’d seen them before or not. She told me she’d been to a lot of shows before, having been a fan since the 70’s. She saw all 21 shows of the 21x21 Spectacular back in 2008. I can’t imagine how awesome that must’ve been. I wish I’d seen it. She was with a group of friends. There was a tall Swede called Erik. He told me he was going to see all their shows of this tour, and follow them all the way back to Sweden, where the tour will end. There was also another woman named Virginia, she runs the Tumblr blog Voted Most Likely to Fail. We talked about Sparks for the hour(ish) before they came on.
I was standing directly behind Erik, and knew if I stayed there I wouldn’t be able to see a thing, so I kindly asked him if he could squeeze over a bit so I could stand next to him. He did, although right in front of me was one of the speakers. But I didn’t care, I wanted to see Sparks!
They had Ron’s keyboard set up, with his name on it, and on the other side of the stage was a midi console or something, I don’t actually know. The stage itself was pretty small, only maybe 10’ or 12’ across. I was sandwiched between Erik the Swede and a balding man who was very nice and a big Sparks fan. We noticed another guy, standing pressed to the stage adjacent to us with a blue shirt on with big white letters that said “Practice, man, practice.”
Where I was standing relative to the stage was a little left of center, facing the stage. Ron’s keyboard was right in front of me. The stage would have come up to my waist, but the speaker right in front of me came up to my armpits. I was slightly annoyed about that, but I was grateful that I got to be in the front at all.
Then the lights went dark and everybody cheered. I made sure to cheer loudly throughout. I did not want them to feel unwelcome; I wanted this show to stand out for them. I sort of felt bad that they weren’t playing in a grander venue, but I was also glad that it was a venue that allowed me to get so close.
Russell came out first. He was dressed in a black button down shirt, a black skinny tie (the type that is square at the bottom rather than pointy), what appeared to be black board shorts (but tailored) over black leggings. For shoes he wore black and white faux (I assume) snakeskin shoes with black no-show socks which left the ankle bare. He was dressed in all black, except for his shoes, which were two toned black and white. I thought that was cool, since I too was dressed all in black except for my black and white shoes.
He went over to the console stand, picked up the microphone that was there, and went “dooh dooh dooh dooh dooh dooh dooh dooh” into it. Then he pressed a button or something on the console, and for several seconds nothing happened. He looked into the audience with a slightly amused expression, as if to say “typical.” But then the machine kicked in and his “dooh dooh’s” emanated from the console. This became “Your Call is Very Important to Us - Please Hold.” During the “green light” parts he made a beckoning gesture, and for the “red light” part he put up his hand in a stop gesture.
Halfway through the song Ron appeared through the door at the back of the stage to rapturous applause and made his way to his spot behind his keyboard. He was wearing a classic white button down shirt, red striped tie tucked into too-big trousers secured tightly up around his middle by a belt.
After the first song, they pause in their set to thank us for coming. “No, thank you!” I replied. “We know you had a difficult choice to make,” he continued. He was of course talking about the World Series game happening nearby as he spoke. “We’ll let you know the score later on,” he told us. Everyone cheered again.
The next song was “How Do I Get To Carnegie Hall?” Me and the balding guy next to me pointed over towards the Practice Man Practice guy, who looked pleased with his choice of dress. Because I was right in front of the speaker, the bass was very palpable. Ron looked especially menacing during this number, or maybe it was just my imagination. He was right above me, looking directly over my head.
It was difficult to dance, as I was squished up against the stage, and squished by the two people on either side of me. I experimented with different reactions, as I knew just standing there was definitely not going to happen. At first I briefly considered reacting like Ron, and stare them down the whole time, but gave that up pretty quickly (as soon as they entered the stage). There was no way I wasn’t going to allow myself to enjoy this. I tried dancing in the only direction I had available, which was above me and in front of me, except not really because of the speaker. So I did a lot of pogoing, but not very high, it was more like exaggerated bobbing, because I didn’t want to obscure the view for anyone behind me, nor irritate the people pressed up against me on either side. I also tried dancing with my arms, but anything I did was awkward so I sort of just reached out from time to time and drummed my hands on the speaker, though I couldn’t hear myself over the music.
After “Carnegie Hall” was “BC,” the song I’d heard them practicing earlier. In a way, I felt like I got to hear this one twice, which was special. I know this song very well, since it’s on Propaganda, the album I’ve been borrowing from [my cousin] for probably a year now. I gave him The Man Who Sold The World by David Bowie in exchange for Propaganda. Then we returned albums to do a re-trade, and I gave him Combat Rock by the Clash to keep Propaganda. I’m secretly hoping that if I keep it long enough he’ll forget about it or just let me have it [2025 update: I still have it].
Russell paused in between the verses, as is BC tradition. We cheered during any moment of dead air, even though we know it's not the end of the song. It reminds me of this video I found on Youtube of them performing this song live around when it came out. Russell introduces the song saying, “This song’s called BC. You don’t know it, so what are you clapping for '' And you can tell, because the crowd cheered after the first verse, thinking it was over. “That’s the second one,” he said, after the second verse, “There’s one more, ‘cause all songs, all good songs are composed of three verses, and the middle part that’s not as good as the other parts of the song. Here’s the third verse.” In the back of my mind I sort of wished Russell made a similar comment at this show, but he did not. No problem though.
During the beats in between the lyrics he did these punches in the air with his microphone. It was really exciting. I tried dancing along, but was too squished so I did weird hand gestures and tapped along. And of course sang along. I couldn’t hear myself anyway. I briefly considered moving back so I could dance, but I knew that if I did that not only would I not be able to see anything, but I wouldn’t get my spot back either. So I stayed put.
The next song was “Here in Heaven.” This was so exciting, since I was just singing this song to myself the other day! So I felt prepared to sing along to this one, which I did. For this one, I tried some acting. I sang along with my hands in a prayer position, imagining myself a member of an angelic choir or something. I think Russell looked at me at one point during this song. I gave Ron a smile, but he never moved his gaze from straight over my head.
The next song was “Academy Award Performance,” and I gave up the shtick or whatever I was doing and just acted like the excited Sparks fan I was coming to terms with that I am (sorry for the jumbled sentence structure). It was really exciting to hear this song, it being one of their I suppose lesser knowns, it not being a single. I thought it was appropriate, because of their upcoming plan to turn their radio play “The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman” into a movie. Wouldn’t it be awesome if it won an academy award?! The performance was great, Russell was animated as ever.
The next song was “Those Mysteries.” It is a really beautiful song. I didn’t remember this song, but it was on the album “Introducing Sparks” which I did listen to once so I know I’ve heard it, but hearing it live really brought out its beauty. I have since gotten more into that album, it’s really excellent. The song is really nice and touching, and not trite or overbearing. It is honest. This was a lovely part of the concert.
And then things got lively again with “Good Morning!” Everyone was clapping along, myself obviously included. It is from “Exotic Creatures from the Deep,” and this song is the reason I got that album. Russell did a lot of skipping around on this one, skipping circles around Ron, which was entertaining. There was a microphone sort of in his way on the far side of Ron (like I said, the stage was small), and every time he passed it he had to put his hand up and duck around it so he wouldn’t bump into it. It was charming to see. So agile, he did not bump it once. I sort of felt bad they came here to such a small stage and venue, but also this made me tenfold grateful that they came at all, so it was a wonderful time. I tried to dance along, did more hand dancing and bounced.
The next song was “Falling in Love with Myself Again” which was also exciting. When Russell sang the chorus, “Yes I think I’m falling in love with myself again,” I punched the air and shouted “yes!” I sang along to the whole song and fell in love with Sparks (platonically) again.
The next song was “Big Boy.” It was surprising to hear this one, from Big Beat. I’d listened to that album only a few times, but this song had been a highlight on that album for me. Hearing it live made me appreciate it more. I really like it; it's silly, but wants to be taken seriously. Like a little boy wanting to be big. When he sang the chorus “big boy, big boy” Russell pounded the air with his fist. He really got into that one.
The next song, “What Would Katherine Hepburn Say,” I hadn’t heard before. I found out later this was because it’s not on any of their albums: they wrote it for their friend (and former drummer) Christi Haydon to record, which she did. It fits in with their cinematic theme, with the Ingmar Bergman project happening, as well as the title of the tour, using the old “revenge” movie sequel trope. I really liked this song, it was really touching. I like Katherine Hepburn.
Then they took a quick break while Russell told us about Sparks’ newest project, “The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman, and how they are going to make it into a movie with help from Canadian film director Guy Madden. There was a bit of cheering for this. I am excited about this; I’ve heard of his films and his style seems perfect for this. Also, apparently he is a big Sparks fan, which is cool.
So then Ron donned a beret and they played some songs and a monologue from the album which was also originally a Swedish radio drama they made for Swedish radio. It was very exciting to hear this new material. (well, not actually new, the radio show was broadcast in 2009 and the album was released not long afterwards, but new to me as I hadn’t listened to it yet), and also cool because Ron got a chance at the microphone! He didn’t sing (although he does on the album), but he did have a lengthy speaking part! This was a nice diversion from the rest of the set actually, because it gave me a chance to watch Ron without worrying I’d miss something from Russell in the meanwhile.
In the end I guess I watched Russell more. I frequently felt like I didn’t know where to look. I knew Russell would be exceedingly entertaining to watch, as always, but I also knew Ron would be sure to add in his own little subtle theatrics in the form of eye rolls, eyebrow waggles, and faint mouthing along to the words.
The four songs they did were “I am Ingmar Bergman,” — the one Ron spoke for — “The Studio Commissary,” “Limo Driver (Welcome to Hollywood),” and lastly, “Oh My God.” The Studio Commisary amazing, it was almost an out of body experience to see Russell laugh-sing like that a yard from my face. The last one, “Oh My God” was really beautiful. It was the first time I’d heard this song, having not listened to the Seduction of Ingmar Bergman yet, but I feel so fortunate to have the memory of this performance now every time I listen to it since. The “real” version is sung by the Bergman character, so it was really special to hear it being sung by Russell. This song seemed to really sum up Bergman, from what little I have seen of his films, which always seem to have some sort of existentialist view. In the storyline, this inner crisis is brought into Bergman’s life. The repeated refrain, “Oh my God, do you exist” was really haunting. I was really moved. I am really looking forward to this new movie project, and see more Bergman films.
Then they returned to the straight concert mode and did “Nicotina.” Yeah, an Angst in my Pants song! I really like that album. During the intro Russell was drinking some much needed water and wiping his brow, and only just made his cue. Good showmanship. This was a good foot-stomper. It is interesting they have a song about a feminised cigarette when it is well known that neither of them smoke or even drink. I like this about them. Not only does it mean they won't die from their life choices, but also it is nice to have cool people as role models for that type of lifestyle, since I also don’t smoke nor do I like to drink. This seems rare for rock stars who were big in the ‘70s. It’s cool.
The next song was “Popularity,” from In Outer Space. I really like this song. As soon as I recognised it I broke out into a wide grin, which I think Russell noticed. It is an innocent song about carefree days. It is really lovely.
The next song was “This Town Ain’t Big Enough For the Both of Us.” Of course, they played this song, their biggest hit! As soon as Ron began that unmistakable opening piano riff, the crowd went wild. I wholeheartedly joined the fray. The crowd was louder than ever for this one, and everyone clapped, filling in the spaces where the guitars and gun shots would be. I made especially weird faces for this one, mostly out of sheer exhilaration than anything else. I really bounced to this one. Russell looked at me for another second, during one of my weirder faces, but I didn’t care, because he was dancing strangely, sort of shaking his whole body, as if there was too much energy in him and he was going to explode or something. He bounced and skipped around a lot. It was really fun to witness and experience.
Next was (When I Kiss You) I Hear Charlie Parker Playing. I really like this one. Russell sort of does his version of rapping during the verses and sings the chorus in his angelic voice. It's a great song to jump up and down to, with great lyrics.
Next was “Suburban Homeboy.” They played this song during their last tour, the one I saw streamed live on Youtube. I’m so glad I got to hear it in person on this tour. It is such an interesting song. It's about people who are middle class and act like they’re gangster or inner city or whatever. But they’re fake. This performativity is furthered by the show tune style of the music. It's pretty great. Russell got everyone to clap on this one, everyone got really into it. Everyone in the front row was waving their hands out. Russell made like he was going to do one of those wave high fives, but didn’t.
Then they did “When Do I Get To Sing My Way?” I was so glad they did this one! I sang along all the way. When DO I get to sing my way? And then the main part of the show came to an end. I was sad to see them go. So soon! Too soon! Everyone kept cheering after they had said their thank yous and exited through the door at the back of the stage. I was shouting more, more, and “come back”, but I didn’t get any chant going, which was slightly disappointing.
After a few minutes though, they came back, to my (at least) relief. And Russell was wearing a Red Sox shirt! Such a crowd pleaser. Everyone cheered even louder as he showed it off. Then, as he said he would, he gave us the score, as it was then: “It’s the sixth inning and the score,” he said, pausing for suspense, we all waited silently with bated breath, “is Red Sox 6, St. Louis zerooo!” and held up his hand in an o shape. Everyone cheered, but only quickly because we’re here for Sparks, not baseball.
And with that they launched into the first song of their encore, Tryouts for the Human Race. Boy was I happy to hear this, another song from No. 1 in Heaven! I really like the music video for this song, where they turn into werewolves. It's so great to see Russell bouncing around in that Red Sox shirt! At this point of the show I was getting a little cramped, so I bounced along with Russell and took inspiration from Ron, and I got used to it.
Next was the No. 1 Song in Heaven, well, just the fast part. The No. 1 Song in Heaven really is the number one song in heaven. At one point during this song Russell walked over to Ron at the keyboard and placed his hand on the keyboard, looking at Ron impishly. He then pushed Ron away and took over his position at the keyboard. Ron stood there for a second staring at Russell and sulking like a little kid who had his ice cream cone stolen. Then he went out to the center of the stage, Russell’s domain. Revenge. Everyone knows what he’s about to do, so we all cheered with anticipation. He stood there alone in the center of the stage for a few seconds before breaking into a maniacal grin as he danced his trademark sort of speed skater style shuffle. The crowd went wild! Then he went back to his original post, his keyboard, miming disgust at Russell’s having taken it over momentarily. Russell mimes not caring in the first place whether he gives the keyboard back or not, and goes back to the center of the stage for the end of the song. It was glorious.
The last song of the night is a special one made exclusively for this tour, titled “The Revenge of Two Hands One Mouth.” It is beautiful.
And then, the show was over. Ron and Russell thanked us for the show. There was one guy who had his fist raised during almost the whole show. He clearly was looking for either a high five or a fist bump. Russell finally gave it to him. Ron smiled and tried to stop (he tried to pull it down with his hands). Someone gave him an orange tie that he had thrown off into the audience during his I Predict striptease act back in 1983, the last time they were in Boston, which he put on, so momentarily he was wearing two ties. Then he gave it back to the guy.
I really hope they come back to Boston soon, because I missed them the moment they stopped playing. We all cheered and cheered and cheered. And then they slipped behind the door at the back of the stage and they were gone. Everyone kept cheering. I stared longingly at the door. The house lights came up . I stayed there, wishing they’d come back. Everyone else began milling about.
*EPILOGUE*
Suddenly someone came up to me. It was a guy, about a head taller than me with glasses, and carrying a big white cardboard tube. “How old are you?” He said.
“21”
”Oh good,” he replied, “I was afraid I was the youngest one here.”
“Okay” I said.
“I’m 23” he continued.
I nodded.
“I was watching you during the show, you seemed to know all the words, “ he told me.
I shrugged.
“How many Sparks albums do you have? I have Angst in My Pants, Sparks in Outer Space and Music That You Can Dance To.”
“Umm,” I say, a bunch…”
“Which ones? “
“Propaganda, No. 1 in Heaven, Angst in my Pants…” I say.
“Oh cool! I love the cover of Angst in My Pants”
“Yeah,” I say, “with the marriage photo.”
“Yeah” he says, “I got a poster made of the back cover of the album, that’s what’s inside this,” he gestured to the cardboard tube, “Do you know it?”
“Yeah,” I say, with all the band members heads on Russell’s body”
“Yeah!” he says, sounding excited that I know this. He opened the tube and showed me the poster. “I want to get it signed” he tells me, “but I don’t think they’ll be coming out.”
“Yeah I guess not,” I add, looking around the hall which now had significantly fewer people.
“There isn’t even a merch table,'' he laments.
“I know.” I say sadly, I had hoped there would be one as well, I’d brought cash with me specifically for that.
“I’m Joey by the way” and Joey shakes my hand. I introduce myself to him. We discussed how we got into Sparks. His first and favourite album is In Outer Space.
We ask a roadie if Sparks will come out to sign stuff or not. He (kiddingly) scoffs at being called a roadie, then tells us maybe. Well, they didn’t. We retrieve our jackets from the coat check which was closing, and chatted some more.
He asked me what other bands I was into. I didn’t want to think of any other bands. He kept asking me, so I told him Lou Reed, since we’d listened to him on the way down and since he’d died that week. He told me he didn’t know much of his stuff except Metal Machine Music (weird place to start), so he asked me for some recommendations. I told him I didn’t want to think about anything but Sparks, so he told me to friend him on Facebook and then tell him. I did later find him, but I still haven’t recommended any Lou Reed albums to him.
Then mom texted me to say they’d be there soon, so I said I had to go and walked over to the CVS parking lot. One of the guys standing in the bus shelter in front of the parking lot I recognised from the concert. He looked a bit like Steven Tyler but with thinner lips. He told me he’d been a fan of Sparks since 1976. He showed me some footage he filmed of the show on his camcorder in 3D. I told him he should put it on Youtube. He told me his Youtube channel is called Cathode Roy. His name is Roy. I subscribed to his channel, but he still hasn’t posted the footage. I really hope he does, it was really good quality. I sent him a message over Youtube, but no response.
Anyway, then mom and dad arrived and I said goodbye to Cathode Roy. I got in the car, where mom and dad were listening to the tail end of the world series game. The Red Sox won it as we drove out of Boston. I told them how amazing the show was, then snoozed the rest of the ride home. It was fantastic.
Hey y'all, Sparks have at arrived in Asheville, North Carolina for tomorrow's Mountain Oasis Electronic Music Summit. Hope to see you there! Sparks are on at 10:30pm at Diana Wortham Theatre.
The Revenge Of Two Hands One Mouth (2013) - video master post
1. Your Call's Very Important to Us. Please Hold. [Asheville] [Montreal] [Montreal - soundcheck (0:19)] [Toronto] [Chicago first night] [London first night] [Glasgow] [Bristol] [London second night]
2. How Do I Get to Carnegie Hall? [Chicago second night] [Glasgow]
3. B.C. [New York] [Montreal - soundcheck (0:00) & live (0:34)] [Toronto] [Chicago first night] [Austin] [Austin] [Los Angeles] [London first night] [Glasgow] [Stockholm]
4. Here in Heaven [London first night (2:37)] [Paris]
5. Academy Award Performance [Montreal (0:51)] [London first night]
6. Those Mysteries - no online videos
7. Good Morning [Atlanta] [Montreal (1:03)] [Chicago first night] [London first night] [Stockholm]
8. Falling in Love With Myself Again [Asheville] [Montreal (1:26)] [London first night] [Glasgow] [Paris (1:23)] [Stockholm]
9. Big Boy [Los Angeles] [London first night]
10. Katharine Hepburn [Glasgow]
Excerpts From The Seduction Of Ingmar Bergman [Chicago first night]
11. “I Am Ingmar Bergman” [Glasgow]
12. The Studio Commissary [Montreal (1:39)]
13. Limo Driver (Welcome to Hollywood) [Glasgow]
14. “Oh My God” [Asheville] [Glasgow (0:33)]
15. Nicotina - no video exists to my knowledge
16. Popularity - no online videos
17. This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us [New York (1:10)] [Montreal (2:00)] [Toronto] [London first night w. Thurston Moore] [Glasgow] [Glasgow] [Barcelona]
18. U.S.: (When I Kiss You) I Hear Charlie Parker Playing [New York (1:39)]
18. Europe: How Are You Getting Home? [London first night] [Glasgow]
19. Suburban Homeboy [New York] [Montreal (2:31)] [Chicago first night] [London first night] [Glasgow (0:53)]
20. When Do I Get to Sing "My Way" - no online videos
Encore:
21. Tryouts for the Human Race [New York (2:24)] [Toronto] [Toronto] [Chicago 2nd night] [Los Angeles - soundcheck] [London first night] [Glasgow] [London third night] [Barcelona]
22. The Number One Song in Heaven [Toronto] [Chicago 2nd night] [Austin] [London first night] [Glasgow] [Glasgow] [Glasgow] [Madrid - edit without live audio]
Ron’s shuffle: [New York (3:02)] [New York] [Montreal (2:45)] [London first night] [Glasgow] [Paris] [Stockholm]
23. The Revenge of Two Hands, One Mouth [New York] [Chicago 2nd night]
Other videos:
[Chicago 2nd night: Ron’s speech] [London first night: Russell speech + applause] [London first night: Ron speech + applause] [London third night: Ron & Russell thank the audience]
Revenge tour posting is about to begin! Be prepared for a different setlist with new arrangements, and different tour outfits! I will be sharing everything that I have been able to find that I can trace back to a source. I'm very excited for this to start as this is the Sparks tour shrouded in the most mystery. (...and I say that while having been at one of the shows.) Why is that, you ask?
For this tour Sparks requested there'd be no recording of any kind.
We were all very careful about potential spoilers for the shows so most people (and there were only few of us to begin with) didn't share anything that would give anything away.
Late 2013 Sparksblr existed largely of photos of closed venue doors and non-descript after-show descriptions that contained not a single detail about the show. Such was the mystery of The Revenge Tour. (As it should have been. And it was excellent.👌🏻)
...However, now that some time has passed, the line between "mysterious" and "lost to the ages" gets very thin. So I hope I can be forgiven for gathering and preserving all that's still to be found out there a little over 11 years after the fact.
Disclaimer: not every venue communicated and enforced Sparks' request for no footage as clearly and as strictly, which will explain why some fan-footage exists in the first place and why for certain shows there's more of it. There were professional photographers at a couple of shows as well though, so that's a big win ♡
L.A.!! What a monumental night!! Hollywood was hoppin' with a thunderous reception for Sparks on their final show of the North American tour. Amongst Sparks fans celebrating this special occasion were musician friends [], Roddy Bottum (Faith No More), and Josh Klinghoffer (RHCP).
