For a band that’s been making hit records for over 50 years, Sparks still feel a little bit underrated.
In their first New Zealand shows, the cult legends showed why they’re so often described as “your favourite band’s favourite band.” You can find their fingerprints in the sounds of everyone from Queen to Björk to the Pet Shop Boys.
They’re not British, although many people mistake them for that. They are actually brothers, raised in sunny southern California. And they get along, unlike the famously battling brothers of Oasis or the Kinks.
Brothers Ron and Russell Mael have been dishing up perfect pop songs since the early 1970s, but unlike a lot of other surviving bands of that era, they’ve also been constantly changing, growing and experimenting with their sound.
They hit Christchurch and Auckland with their top-notch band for shows this week that drew out their extremely dedicated fanbase.
“Better later than never,” Russell told the audience Saturday night.
For their Auckland gig at Dame Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Sparks ripped through nearly two hours of classics and still vital new songs – and even though Russell is 77 and big brother Ron is now 80, they felt as energetic as ever. Their quirky stage presence has always been a big part of their charm – Russell’s bouncy good cheer and immense vocal range combined with Ron’s deadpan, ramrod-straight presence at the keyboards.
The very second song they played – the newer ‘Do Things My Own Way,’ anchored with a moodily insistent keyboard hook, feels like it sums up Sparks’ whole aesthetic. “Not a phase / All my days / Gonna do things my own way,” Russell chanted over a driving beat. While they’ve got an accessible sound, Sparks’ musical invention and deconstruction of stale songwriting cliches is as punk rock as it gets.
Their vast catalog of nearly 30 albums span from their 1974 proto-punk breakthrough Kimono My House to 2025’s vibrant Mad! Even now, the eruptive chaos of their first hit ‘This Town Ain’t Big Enough For The Both Of Us’ doesn’t quite sound like anything else.
Director Edgar Wright’s terrific must-see 2021 documentary The Sparks Brothers served to introduce them to a whole new audience, as did Cate Blanchett’s silly-slash-sexy dance routine in the video for 2023’s earworm ‘The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte.’
Russell’s soaring falsetto and Ron’s swooping keyboards add up to a legacy that still feels utterly unique in the rock world. Sparks have dabbled in guitar rock, disco, electronica, operatic excess, pure pop and baroque concept albums, always with a dash of wry observational humour and a heaping helping of killer riffs.
The very first song I ever heard by Sparks, long ago on a mix tape a friend gave me (remember those?), is called ‘Eaten By The Monster of Love.’ It’s a title only Sparks would use. Their songs are frequently hilarious – they can take in everything from the pleasure of using your lawnmower to the benefits of eating pineapple – but they’re not a comedy act. Instead, they’re kind of joyful observers of this weird old world.
When 1982’s swoony love song ‘Sherlock Holmes’ started up, a woman in front of me let out a loud yelp of sheer glee. “They’re playing my favourite song,” she yelled. Sparks tend to get that reaction. The night included their best-known hits and relative obscurities like ‘Let’s Get Funky,’ spoke-sung in a hilarious duet by the brothers as they swayed across the stage. The proto-techno 1980 tune ‘Beat The Clock’ sat comfortably next to the pummeling thump of 2025’s ‘Running Up A Tab At The Hotel For The Fab.’ I bet each of them was someone’s favourite song.
Sparks worked hard to overcome the somewhat stiff initial vibe of the cavernous Aotea Centre theatre, but it wasn’t until the insanely catchy bop of ‘Music That You Can Dance To’ that the seated crowd took entirely to their feet and the energy in the room felt fully equal to the music.
It kicked off a banger four-song run of some their absolute best songs – the yearning, gorgeous ‘When Do I Get To Sing ‘My Way,’’ the utopian disco bliss of ‘The Number One Song In Heaven’ and of course, the still-startling whip crack of ‘This Town Ain’t Big Enough For The Both Of Us.’ By the time an expressionless Ron shuffled to centre stage and broke out in a big grin and a few quick dance moves, the crowd was won over for good.
Ron’s keyboard work – played with his trademark staring-straight ahead intensity – anchors Sparks songs, while Russell – who was, amazingly, still able to hit an awful lot of those high falsetto notes of their classic era – acted the antic cheerleader, clad in a dot-filled suit and repeatedly urging the crowd to clap their hands and get to their feet.
At the end, before a rousing singalong of their anthem ‘All That,’ Russell promised repeatedly that Sparks would try to come back to New Zealand again sometime. It was a little disappointing to see the Dame Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre wasn’t filled to the brim for this still essential band’s first time in Auckland – the upper levels were mostly empty (blame the footy final, perhaps?).
But if they do make it here again, Sparks are a must-see. They may still not quite be the household name that they deserve to be, but you know, I hear they’re your favourite band’s favourite band.
Nik Dirga 