Sparks
Royal Chelsea Hospital, London
12th June 2026
Sparks play a special Live At Chelsea show at the Royal Chelsea Hospital in London. Naomi Dryden-Smith takes photos and reviews.
One of the things that’s always striking about Sparks concerts is the inextricable sense of family – unlike other infamous squabbling brothers, these two have been a solid musical unit for over five decades without issue (at least between themselves – let’s not mention Morrissey for now..). Their brotherly affection shines through their shows – Russell Mael always proud to recognise “my big brother”. Coupled with an audience of long-serving, dedicated fans, seeing their shows is always a warm and life-affirming event.
Tonight’s no exception. Currently a European tour, with a stadium show at Tottenham Hotspur this weekend in their sights, it’s a privilege to experience this more intimate show in the impressive surrounds of the Royal Chelsea Hospital. It’s the first balmy night for a few weeks, a sky full of contrails instead of relentless rain clouds – Sparks have brought summer back with them.
Chelsea Pensioners © Projoe Photography
Regrettably late due to personal events, I completely missed the Chelsea Pensioners Choir, made up of British Army veterans who live in this special retirement home that was built in 1692 with a Great Hall designed by Sir Christopher Wren. Most people know it better for housing the Chelsea Flower Show, although it’s been hosting Live At Chelsea concerts for around ten years now. After their set, the Pensioners are easy to spot milling around the grounds in their bright red coats, medals on display. Sorry that we missed them.
Back to Sparks. The setlist stretches right across their career, with early tracks Whippings And Apologies (1972) and massive glam hit This Town Ain’t Big Enough For The Both Of Us (1974) sitting comfortably alongside 2025’s Porcupine and My Devotion. It’s a pleasure to hear My Devotion again – we first heard it last year at Hammersmith Apollo and it’s textbook Ron Mael satire, a comment on modern society’s addiction to branding, masquerading as a love song. This level of songwriting is exactly what makes him such a legend – the more you listen to his songs, the more you discover.
There’s a power outage during Beat The Clock and for a moment we all wonder whether the clock has won, but after a humour-filled interlude (“see, this is why we came to a hospital” etc) it’s shortlived and they start the song over. The rest of the show passes without a hitch.
As the light fades and the lasers flash, Russell continues to bound around the stage with his usual level of energy, fully engaged with the audience – and his vocal range never seems to lessen, the falsetto strong as ever. He’s incredibly youthful in his polka dot suit and alternating nail polish. Meanwhile, Ron is deadpan throughout, his entire body perfectly still apart from his hands, which are flying across his keyboard creating sounds with a life of their own. And that twinkle is always there. Watching them, it’s hard to believe that they are seriously 80 and 77. Mad. Madder.
Once you fall in love with The Number One Song In Heaven you can’t get enough of hearing it live, and it’s different every time. Out in the open on a summer night, with a sky reddened from the sunset, it’s another level. Does it get any better? And they go on to achieve that same level with the sign off, All That – the jewel in the crown of 2020’s A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip. It’s quintessentially Sparks, glorious in its simplicity, drawing you in, wrapping its arms around you, part of the family.
At showdown, the brothers take ages to leave the stage, chatting with audience and allowing photos. On exiting, a woman of older years, whose bucket hat is more Sparks badges than fabric, is heading home to Birmingham limping but smiling, after an enthusiastic fan knocked her over while dancing. Walking nearby is a young goth girl with ripped tights and shaved hair, also wearing Sparks badges. Both of them testament to the sheer breadth of the Sparks family. Excellent band, can’t wait to see them next time.
“And I see you and I’m in awe
And look outside it’s very nearly dawn”
~
Words and photos of Sparks by Naomi Dryden-Smith: Louder Than War | Facebook |Twitter | Instagram | portfolio
Chelsea Pensioners by Projoe Photography
All photos copyright, please do not use without permission – contact Naomi at naomi@louderthanwar.com
A Plea From Louder Than War
Louder Than War is run by a small but dedicated independent team, and we rely on the small amount of money we generate to keep the site running smoothly. Any money we do get is not lining the pockets of oligarchs or mad-cap billionaires dictating what our journalists are allowed to think and write, or hungry shareholders. We know times are tough, and we want to continue bringing you news on the most interesting releases, the latest gigs and anything else that tickles our fancy. We are not driven by profit, just pure enthusiasm for a scene that each and every one of us is passionate about.
To us, music and culture are eveything, without them, our very souls shrivel and die. We do not charge artists for the exposure we give them and to many, what we do is absolutely vital. Subscribing to one of our paid tiers takes just a minute, and each sign-up makes a huge impact, helping to keep the flame of independent music burning! Please click the button below to help.
John Robb – Editor in Chief