Sparks

If you want to forget the hassles of everyday life and a less than cheerful geopolitical climate, the world of Sparks is the perfect refuge, a veritable shield against anything that might threaten joy and carefree abandon. And it’s been that way since the early 1970s. Deeply attached to their hometown of Los Angeles, the Mael brothers are Ron on keyboards and Russell on vocals, the energy they bring to the stage belies their age: they are living quirky pop legends, purveyors of innumerable timeless hits. It’s impossible to sum up such a wildly eccentric career in just a few lines, marked by a string of collaborations with the likes of Les Rita Mitsouko and Franz Ferdinand, as well as film work with Leos Carax and John Woo. They are serious and professional in their pursuit of the perfect melody, with humour and genuine warmth at all times: they are absolute class and in a class of their own.