Sparks

On 18 June 2026 at Bristol Beacon, Bristol, Sparks — brothers Ron and Russell Mael — take the stage with the distinctive pop they have shaped since late‑60s Los Angeles. First known as Halfnelson before adopting the Sparks name in 1972, the duo moved from art‑pop and glam to electronics and more orchestral, repetitive forms. Their UK breakthrough came with Kimono My House in 1974 and the track This Town Ain’t Big Enough for Both of Us, where Russell’s high register meets Ron’s structured keyboards. In 1979 they turned toward synth‑pop with Giorgio Moroder on No. 1 in Heaven, a pivot that fed into the constant shifts of the decades that followed.

In the 2000s they explored a quasi‑theatrical writing style on Lil’ Beethoven, joined forces with Franz Ferdinand for FFS in 2015, and wrote the songs for Annette in 2021, the year a documentary retraced their journey. Recent albums The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte (2023) and Mad! (2025) broaden the palette again. On stage, expect a set that scans this long trajectory, from glam and disco pulses to electronic and orchestral textures, carried by the Maels’ signatures: Russell’s voice and Ron’s keys.