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96-679: Electric Picnic is an annual arts-and-music festival which has been staged since 2004 at Stradbally Hall in Stradbally , County Laois , Ireland. It is organised by Pod Concerts and Festival Republic , who purchased the majority shareholding in 2009. It was voted Best Medium-Sized European Festival at the 2010 European Festival Awards, and has been voted Best Big Festival at each of the last four Irish Festival Awards since they began in 2007. The Electric Picnic won eight awards in Hot Press's 2011 Festival Awards, including 'Best Large Festival'. In 2023, it

192-521: A "half-musical" with Sparks. On October 17, 2024, Sparks received the honor of Outstanding Contribution to Music at the 2024 AIM Independent Music Awards , where they announced that they had signed to Transgressive Records for the release of their forthcoming album. Sparks is regarded as an art pop band. Their musical style has varied dramatically with Russell Mael's distinctive wide-ranging voice (in particular his far-reaching falsetto) and Ron Mael's intricate and rhythmic keyboard playing style

288-561: A 1972 Warner Brothers $ 2, 2- LP loss leader sampler included, "Biology II". After renaming themselves Sparks in 1972, a play on the Marx Brothers , the album was then re-released by Bearsville Records in 1972 as Sparks. The re-issued debut spawned the minor regional hit "Wonder Girl". Their follow-up album, A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing , led to a tour of the United Kingdom, including

384-416: A New One)". In 1976, Sparks made one of their first forays into the movie business, making a cameo appearance in the disaster-suspense film Rollercoaster , after Kiss turned down the roles. They performed the songs "Fill 'Er Up" and "Big Boy". By 1977 the brothers found themselves at a crossroads. They had cut ties with Hewlett and had grown tired of recording within a traditional rock band framework. In

480-692: A Q&A with the Maels. In June 2011, as part of the Los Angeles Film Festival , Sparks presented the World Premiere live performance of The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre in Hollywood. Canadian film director Guy Maddin provided directions based on the screenplay, with Ron and Russell reprising their recorded roles on stage. The role of Ingmar Bergman

576-530: A conversation with a German journalist, they expressed their admiration for Giorgio Moroder , a pioneer of electronic disco and pop music. Moroder happened to be a friend of the journalist, and she was able to connect the brothers with the Italian producer, who produced their next album, No. 1 in Heaven . More electronic and synthesizer-based than their previous efforts, the album would redefine Sparks' sound and challenge

672-690: A fairground and silent disco . Acii Disco DJs began the festival on the Friday at 12 p.m. in the Bodytonic Tent. Amongst others to take to the stage on Friday were Björk , Hot Chip , Scott Matthews , Manic Street Preachers and Oppenheimer whilst the unnamed band responsible for The Good, the Bad & the Queen headlined the Electric Arena tent. The Sunday night was brought to a close by Primal Scream . The festival

768-529: A further majority shareholding in Electric Picnic in March 2009. The festival was launched on 15 April 2009, with tickets going on sale two days later. The launch saw the announcement of forty-seven acts. Orbital , The Flaming Lips , Imelda May , Brian Wilson , Basement Jaxx , Madness , Klaxons , Bell X1 , Fleet Foxes and MGMT were some of the musical acts which appeared, whilst Tommy Tiernan headlined in

864-408: A microcosmic cultural experience where music is just the tip of the iceberg". The 2004 festival was a one-day event, which was headlined by 2 Many DJs . Other acts included Groove Armada , Arrested Development , Jurassic5 , Grand Master Flash , Super Furry Animals , Plump DJ's , David Kitt , Soulwax and Mylo . Despite the fact that there was no organised camping, a number of groups camped in

960-440: A more " West Coast " sound. This they achieved with producer Rupert Holmes on Big Beat and (sans Holmes) on Introducing Sparks . The band were not satisfied with the results, which they felt lacked personality, perhaps because of the reliance on session musicians . This led to the most dramatic change of style the band would attempt, when they teamed up with Giorgio Moroder , dropped the rock-group format altogether and produced

1056-721: A music video released on March 3 with actress Cate Blanchett dancing to the song. Latte was the best selling physical album in the UK on the week of release, and the tour supporting it included some remarkable firsts for the band: Two shows at the Royal Albert Hall , Glastonbury Festival (featuring Cate Blanchett), the Hollywood Bowl with They Might Be Giants , and the Sydney Opera House . Social media posts in September 2024 had

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1152-621: A national TV appearance on Don Kirshner's Rock Concert . Flo & Eddie were the supporting act. Influential 1970s progressive FM radio station powerhouse WMMS in Cleveland and its famed DJs such as Kid Leo initially championed the band in America. Sparks also performed on American Bandstand in 1975 with host Dick Clark mugging with Ron and on countless other TV shows in the US and abroad post 1977. The follow-up albums, Propaganda and Indiscreet ,

1248-449: A new direction and developing Bergman as an animated feature film with director Joseph Wallace , who created the music video for their track "Edith Piaf (Said It Better Than Me)". As of 2024 no film version of the musical has been made. In 2010, Sparks remixed Yoko Ono 's song " Give Me Something ". In July they contributed a remix of sorts to singer Katie Melua 's single, A Happy Place , calling it Sparks VS. Melua. September 2 marked

1344-523: A poster signed by the band and a CD single entitled "Islington N1", a reference to the postal address of the venue for the first 20 gigs. The song "Islington N1" was later made available in the box set edition of their "New Music For Amnesiacs" career-spanning box set. In 2009 the band played two consecutive nights at The Forum on 20 and 21 March. They played Exotic Creatures of the Deep in its entirety at both gigs, followed by Kimono My House in its entirety on

1440-734: A residency at the Marquee Club in London , These London appearances helped them to secure a significant cult following. Relocating to England in 1973 with a new manager, John Hewlett, founder of John's Children , and a deal from Island Records , thanks in part to the exposure garnered by their BBC Two Whistle Test performance, they placed an ad in music weekly Melody Maker ("Wanted bass player for Sparks. Must be beard free and exciting") and through this hired Martin Gordon . With Adrian Fisher on guitar and Norman "Dinky" Diamond on drums, in

1536-461: A single. February 2006 saw the release of Hello Young Lovers , their twentieth studio album. The album is regarded as carrying on where Lil' Beethoven left off, being described as "...   cynical, intelligent and very, very funny", it has met with considerable acclaim. Sparks led off the album with the striking tune that the BBC deemed too provocative in its title to play, "Dick Around". The song

1632-674: A single. In 2012 Ron and Russell collaborated with singer Gemma Ray who released a limited 12-inch single titled "Gemma Ray Sings Sparks (with Sparks)", which included Ray's covers of Sparks' "How Do I Get To Carnegie Hall" and "Eaten by the Monster of Love" . In October, Ron and Russell performed for the first time ever as a duo, with no band. The 18-city European tour titled "Two Hands One Mouth" began in Lithuania and followed in Latvia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Belgium, Ireland and finished with

1728-813: A sold-out show at the Barbican Centre in London. The tour then took the group to Japan and the US, including two performances at the Coachella Festival , with a show in Paris following in 2013 where they were joined on stage by Catherine Ringer from Les Rita Mitsouko to sing on their 1989 collaboration "Singing in The Shower" . Recordings from the tour resulted in Sparks first live album, Two Hands, One Mouth: Live in Europe , which

1824-553: A song and brief voice part to the Guy Maddin movie The Forbidden Room . 2014 marked the 40th Anniversary of Kimono My House . The landmark was celebrated with a performance the album in its entirety, along with a greatest hits set, at the Barbican Centre in London on 19 and 20 December with backing from the 35-piece Heritage Orchestra . Ron and Russell took the Kimono My House celebrations to Los Angeles as they performed

1920-436: A wrestling hold , in 1968, they soon came to the attention of producer Todd Rundgren , at whose urging Albert Grossman signed the band to his Bearsville record label. Their debut album was released on Bearsville Records in 1971 with the line-up consisting of college friend Earle Mankey on guitar, Mankey's brother James on bass, Harley Feinstein on drums and Rundgren producing. It sold poorly. The Whole Burbank Catalog ,

2016-547: Is a multi-section, multi-mood, highly layered track that many felt should have been a UK smash hit had the BBC not misinterpreted the title of the song as being other than it was. The brothers were dismissive of the latest trends in popular music at this time, seeing most contemporary bands as lacking musical ambition and experimental drive. Indeed, the predictable trends in much of modern rock served as inspiration for Hello Young Lovers . However, they have expressed admiration for Eminem and Morrissey . The pair appeared in

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2112-482: Is often accompanied by sophisticated and acerbic lyrics—often about women, and sometimes containing literary or cinematic references —and an idiosyncratic, theatrical stage presence, typified by the contrast between Russell's animated, hyperactive frontman antics and Ron's deadpan scowling. Russell Mael has a distinctive wide-ranging voice, while Ron Mael plays keyboards in an intricate and rhythmic style. Their frequently changing styles and visual presentations have kept

2208-404: Is repeated 104 times, with no other words used, other than a spoken interlude. Similarly, on the same album, "Your Call Is Very Important To Us", uses a corporation style call-hold message: "Your call is very important to us. Please hold" which is then sung with some additional words: "At first she said your call is very important to us, then she said please, please hold." The only other lyrics in

2304-586: Is the common thread throughout their fifty-year career. In its review of Kimono My House , NME described Russell's falsetto as a "stratospheric blend of Marc Bolan and Tiny Tim ". In the beginning, they attempted to emulate the sound of their English idols, such as the Who , Syd Barrett -era Pink Floyd and the Kinks , sometimes even pretending to be an English band while on the LA club circuit. They relocated to England during

2400-547: The Annette soundtrack was released on Sony. In February 2022 Sparks played two sold-out shows at the Walt Disney Concert Hall , their first full concerts since 2018 following postponements of tour dates throughout 2020 and 2021. Variety lauded the first concert as "a rousingly celebratory homecoming". North American and European spring tours followed, then festival dates in the US and Japan. The Maels performed at

2496-730: The BBC 's flagship music show Top of the Pops . Russell's hyperactive movements were in sharp contrast to the keyboard-bound, soberly dressed Ron's expressionless squint and Charlie Chaplin -esque moustache. Gordon and Fisher were later replaced by Trevor White and Ian Hampton. In 1975, the revised band returned to the US to tour supporting the Kimono and Propaganda albums which had gained strong cult attention in New York City , Cleveland , Chicago , San Francisco and Los Angeles primarily from FM radio play and

2592-828: The Leos Carax musical film Annette for which they wrote all songs (winning the César Award for Best Original Music ), and the Edgar Wright documentary The Sparks Brothers recounting the history of the band. The band's latest album, The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte , was released on May 26, 2023, via Island Records , and again entered the UK Albums Chart at no. 7. Brothers Ron and Russell Mael grew up in Pacific Palisades , in west Los Angeles County, California , during

2688-517: The Russian language , performed the role of interpreter in the Persian Gulf . Mrs Cosby remained at Stradbally Hall to tend to the couple's children for the duration of the war. She opened a girls school in the house during the 1950s, allowing the girls to board and to tend to their ponies on the estate. Three governesses were responsible for their education. The British Prime Minister Edward Heath

2784-417: The disco record No.   1 in Heaven which relied on synthesizers. This album is regarded as a landmark in the development of electronic music and greatly influenced bands which would emerge in the following years. They soon returned to a more traditional line-up, which remained until 1988's Interior Design . There then followed a long hiatus until 1994's Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins , which

2880-507: The folk music scene, which they considered "cerebral and sedate and we had no time for that", they developed a particular taste in English bands of the time such as the Who , Syd Barrett 's Pink Floyd , the Kinks and the Move , which led to their description of themselves as "Anglophiles" . Their very first recordings were made under the name of "Urban Renewal Project", on January 14, 1967, at

2976-509: The glam rock era where, despite cutting an odd figure on this scene, they found success with their polished brand of intricate pop tunes and convoluted lyrics. Early albums such as Kimono My House combined glam rock with elements of bubblegum pop and baroque music . By the second half of the decade, they were concerned that the sound they had developed while based in England was in danger of becoming stale; they returned to LA, determined to adopt

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3072-569: The plantations of Laois and Offaly , Queen Elizabeth I took possession of the Franciscan religious house in Stradbally, which she then gave to Francis Cosby as a reward for his role in the Tudor conquest . The family rebuilt large parts of the estate and landscaped it to their tastes and desires, including the addition of a hermitage . Encountering financial difficulties, the family left Ireland for

3168-824: The "Golden Age" of the L.A. club scene , when the Doors , the Standells , and Love played the Whisky a Go Go on Sunset Strip and the Beach Boys played in the late afternoon at Teen-Age Fair at Pickwick Recreation Center in Burbank, California. Both Ron and Russell Mael are seen in the audience during the Ronettes ' section of the concert film The Big T.N.T. Show , filmed in 1965. Both attended UCLA , Ron studying cinema and graphic art and Russell, theatre arts and filmmaking. Detesting

3264-518: The 1983 movie Valley Girl ) and In Outer Space . They broke into the US singles chart once more, reaching No. 49 with " Cool Places " from 1983's In Outer Space . The track was a collaboration with the Go-Go's rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist Jane Wiedlin (a dedicated fan of the band who at one time ran her own Sparks fan club ), and its success was in part thanks to Los Angeles' KROQ-FM radio station, which hailed them as local heroes. In 1984,

3360-578: The 1988 album Interior Design . The song was produced by the Scottish dance band Finitribe . In 1994, the Maels released Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins , providing the hit singles " When Do I Get to Sing 'My Way' " and "When I Kiss You (I Hear Charlie Parker Playing)". In Germany, "When Do I Get to Sing 'My Way ' " was the No. 1 airplay song for 1994 as well as being hailed critically for its poignant lyrics and touching melody. The band toured in support of

3456-482: The 2007 festival went on sale between Monday 11 December 2006, and Saturday 24 February 2007, costing €199, taking into account the VAT that must now be paid on all outdoor events. Full price tickets went on sale on Tuesday 3 April at a price of €220. The first acts were officially announced on Monday 2 April. Besides the music other attractions included an inflatable church offering mock weddings, luxury tents, massage chambers,

3552-606: The 2022 Césars , France's national film award ceremony, and received a César for best original music for Annette . In November 2022, Focus Features announced they would be producing a new musical titled 'X-Crucior' to be written and produced by the Mael brothers. Their next studio album, titled The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte , and a world tour were confirmed for 2023. Sparks re-signed to Island Records in January 2023. The album's lead single, "The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte", features

3648-651: The 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with a singalong of " Happy Birthday " on the Sunday night. Main Stage: Main Stage: Main Stage: Electric Arena: Electric Arena: Electric Arena: Electric Picnic 2009 took place at Stradbally from 4–6 September. The British promoter Festival Republic bought out the share of Aiken Promotions as well as

3744-555: The Bad Seeds , Kraftwerk , The Flaming Lips , Röyksopp , Mercury Rev and The Human League . The premiere of "Electric Picnic: The Documentary" took place at the Irish Film Institute on Tuesday 4 July 2006 at 19:00. The critically acclaimed documentary directed by Nick Ryan , was filmed by a small camera crew who recorded the events of Electric Picnic 2005. Narrated by musician Nick Seymour and economist David McWilliams ,

3840-485: The Comedy Tent (curated by Gerry Mallon) and a silent disco . In 2008, Amnesty International attended the festival to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights , whilst renowned American Burning Man artist, David Best constructed a Temple of Truth on site. Electric Picnic has been described as an "enormously successful, award-winning, established brand" which "attempts to bring to life

3936-536: The Fidelity Recording Studios in Hollywood. Four tracks were recorded with married couple Fred and Ronna Frank, who were close friends of the Maels at the time. Other members of the band were 16-year old drummer Raymond Clayton and 22-year old Harold Zellman on bass guitar. Ron was considered the lead guitarist and Russell was the singer. He also played the tambourine and harmonica. The songs were pressed on two acetates and have never been released, apart from

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4032-890: The Irish Festival Awards, winning seven gongs, including Best Large Festival, Best Line up and Best Toilets. Artists who performed at the 2012 festival included The Cure , The Killers , Elbow , Sigur Rós , Christy Moore , Orbital , Hot Chip , The xx , Wild Beasts , Of Monsters and Men , Patti Smith , The Roots , Crystal Castles , Grandaddy , SBTRKT , Mmoths , Metronomy , Bat for Lashes , The Maccabees , The Horrors , Richard Hawley , Azealia Banks , Ed Sheeran , The Jezabels , Michael Kiwanuka , Gavin Friday , Ryan Sheridan , Róisín O , Van Dyke Parks , Roots Manuva , Bell X1 , Dublin Gospel Choir , Glen Hansard , Grizzly Bear , Willis Earl Beal , Alabama Shakes , Tindersticks , Fatoumata Diawara , Land Lovers, Eagle and

4128-591: The Japanese manga Mai, the Psychic Girl into a musical, with interest from Tim Burton and Carolco Pictures , who purchased the film rights in August 1991. Carolco hoped Burton would start production in 1992, but he chose to work on The Nightmare Before Christmas and Ed Wood for Touchstone Pictures . The option on the film rights eventually expired, and Burton dropped out. Francis Ford Coppola later developed

4224-509: The Maels wrote and performed several original songs on the soundtrack for the black comedy teen film Bad Manners (aka: Growing Pains ), including the film's title song, "Bad Manners". In 1989, they scored a hit single in France and in Europe with "Singing in the Shower", sung in duet with Rita Mitsouko : the single was produced by Tony Visconti. Beginning in the late 1980s, Sparks attempted to make

4320-706: The Maytals , Lykke Li , Midlake , The Rubberbandits , Death in Vegas , The Go! Team , Big Audio Dynamite , Boys Noize, Paul Kalkbrenner , Dave Clarke , Twin Shadow , Willy Mason , Trentemøller , Killing Joke , Health , Mundy , Gavin Friday , The Walkmen , Adam Beyer , Sharon Shannon , Ivan St. John, The Cast of Cheers , Micah P. Hinson , Caitlin Rose , The Potbelleez , Adebisi Shank , The Danger Is, Codes , And So I Watch You From Afar , and O Emperor . The festival triumphed at

4416-409: The Psychic Girl produced. The album generated new interest, and gained a "second wind", vocalist Russell Mael explained. "The music is all ready and we are hoping that this still might see the light of day." On May 18, 2010, Burton expressed renewed interest in adapting the property. In 1993, Ron and Russell returned with the non-album single "National Crime Awareness Week", their first release since

4512-635: The Top 20 in Australia, reaching No.   14. In 1981, Belgian synth pop group Telex enlisted Sparks to help write the lyrics for their third album, Sex . Finding the electronic equipment that they had adopted for their new sound too cumbersome for touring, the band returned to the more conventional band format for their next three releases, although they did not eschew synthesizers entirely: Whomp That Sucker , Angst in My Pants , (two tracks from which appear later in

4608-502: The UK Albums Chart at number 7 and garnered universal critical acclaim. Coinciding with the physical release of the album, an official music video for the song "The Existential Threat" premiered on YouTube, the animation created by English freelance animator and composer Cyriak Harris . The band then collaborated with Todd Rundgren on the single "Your Fandango", 50 years after he produced their debut album. Sparks were involved in two 2021 film releases, as screenwriters and composers for

4704-521: The Worm, Solar Bears , Staff Benda Bilili , Little Roy , Lanterns on the Lake , Jonathan Wilson , Baxter Dury , Cranes , Milagres , In Tua Nua , Codes, Conor Linnie, Ocho and more to be announced. The announcement of the 2013 festival was delayed significantly owing to a legal dispute regarding ownership of the festival between the festival's founder POD Concerts and its majority shareholder Festival Republic Dublin (FRD) . Despite fears that Electric Picnic would not return in 2013, Electric Picnic

4800-551: The age of ninety-three in 2008. In 1934 at the age of nineteen, she married into the Cosby family when she took Maj Errold Ashworth Sidney Cosby as her husband. At her death, The Irish Times remembered her as "a strikingly beautiful figure" whilst attending the Laois Hunt Ball at the Hall dressed in emeralds owned by the family. She was also known for organising parties during the Christmas season and bred and also judged Welsh ponies. During World War II , Maj Errold Ashworth Sidney Cosby rejoined his regiment and, being fluent in

4896-543: The album Gratuitous Sax and Senseless Violins ). Balls , released in 2000, again put the band in a context of electronic instrumentation with some of Ron's most striking and perceptive lyrics. With the release of Balls the band toured the UK, Germany, Japan and Australia. After Balls , the band resurfaced in 2002 with the release of an album described of what they called their "genre-defining opus" – Lil' Beethoven , featuring quasi-classical arrangements of strings and choirs. Lil' Beethoven led to renewed interest in

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4992-556: The album on two consecutive nights with a 38-piece orchestra at the United Artists Theatre at Ace Hotel Los Angeles on 14 and 15 February 2015. Both shows sold out and they received glowing reviews. Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand joined them on stage for duet with Russell on the song "When Do I Get to Sing 'My Way ' " on both nights. Before Kapranos's appearance in Los Angeles, Sparks and Franz Ferdinand had been collaborating and in late 2014 had recorded an album together, produced by John Congleton . The supergroup, named FFS ,

5088-405: The album was recorded by Tony Visconti in London with the other half recorded by the brothers in their own purpose-built studio in LA, surrounded by busts of Elvis . In 1998 they recorded the soundtrack for the action film Knock Off , starring Jean-Claude Van Damme , directed by the acclaimed Hong Kong-based producer/director Tsui Hark (who had appeared on his own tribute song by the band on

5184-409: The album with percussionist Christi Haydon playing drums. Haydon also appeared in the videos for " When Do I Get to Sing 'My Way' " and "When I Kiss You (I Hear Charlie Parker Playing)", which were both directed by Sophie Muller . 1997 saw the release of Plagiarism , an album of cover versions of their own songs featuring collaborations with Faith No More , Erasure and Jimmy Somerville . Half of

5280-443: The band at the forefront of modern, artful pop music. Career highlights include " This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us ", which reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart in 1974; the disco hit " The Number One Song in Heaven " in 1979, resulting from a collaboration with Giorgio Moroder and marking a stylistic shift towards new wave / synth-pop ; " When I'm with You ", which made the Australian and French Singles Charts in 1980;

5376-410: The band released an album with Scottish indie rock band Franz Ferdinand , as the supergroup FFS , titled FFS . In 2017, returning to a rock-group format, Sparks released Hippopotamus , which entered the UK Albums Chart at no. 7, as did their next album, A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip , released in 2020, bringing their tally of UK Top 10 albums to four. In 2021, Sparks were involved in two films:

5472-403: The band's style has been described as coming from "the school of Cole Porter , favouring caustic wit over trivial personal problems,   ... achingly clever lyrics seesaw between superficial gloss, profound sentiment and the incomprehensibly bizarre". Repeated lyrical motifs have become a distinct feature on recent albums. On "My Baby's Taking Me Home" of Lil' Beethoven (2002), the song title

5568-412: The band. Record Collector magazine named the album as one of its "Best New Albums of 2002", describing it as "...   possibly the most exciting and interesting release ever from such a long-established act" and later in 2003 saying "...   it really does feel like one of the best albums ever recorded." A UK and European tour had the band playing the entire album each night in the first half of

5664-446: The brothers posing with John Woo , teasing a collaboration with the hashtag #xcrucior. John Woo's official Instagram account also posted the photo with hints at a "new project" and commented "maybe not action" (the genre he is most famous for working in). Woo has wanted to direct a musical for a long time, and shares a love of French cinema with the Maels (particularly The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg ). On September 9th he confirmed working on

5760-432: The city of Bristol , England in the early eighteenth century. An account written at the time described how the family returned rather quickly to Stradbally "not all of us liking England." Stradbally Hall has been rebuilt several times, most recently in 1860 by Charles Lanyon , who rebuilt it in an Italianate style complete with a ballroom. Enid Elizabeth Cosby lived in the house for seventy years until her death at

5856-844: The comedy tent. Early bird tickets for Electric Picnic 2010 went on sale on 4 December 2009. The festival was launched on 24 March 2010, with Leftfield , Roxy Music , Public Image Ltd. , LCD Soundsystem , Massive Attack , Modest Mouse , Mumford & Sons , Jón Þór Birgisson , Paul Brady , Imelda May and The Frames among the first acts to be confirmed. Artists who played in 2011 included Arcade Fire , Pulp , The Chemical Brothers , Interpol , PJ Harvey , Beirut , Blonde Redhead , Zola Jesus , The Drums , Santigold , The Family Stone , Joan As Policewoman , Best Coast , 3epkano , Power of Dreams , Yuck , Foster The People , Alexandra Stan , The Undertones , Public Enemy , Jimmy Cliff , DJ Shadow , Flying Lotus , The Charlatans , Mogwai , Sinéad O'Connor , White Lies , OMD , Toots &

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5952-490: The concept of what is meant by a band, and it also became a major influence on emerging electronic pop artists. It spawned two singles in the top-fifteen UK chart: " The Number One Song in Heaven " and " Beat The Clock ". The follow-up album in 1980, Terminal Jive , had a hit single in France, " When I'm with You " ,which led to the Maels staying in the country for a year promoting the album, during which Russell became conversationally fluent in French. The single also hit

6048-403: The debut of the new theme songs that Ron and Russell had composed and recorded for NPR radio's Bookworm show, broadcast in Los Angeles on station KCRW . The two songs, titled "Where Would We Be Without Books?" and "I Am A Bookworm", were commissioned by show host and Sparks fan Michael Silverblatt as the first new theme songs for the programme in 21 years. For the encore of what may have been

6144-515: The documentary includes footage from Kraftwerk's first recorded live performance in twelve years plus interviews with the performing bands and comedians, with a few festival-goers and with the locals of Stradbally Village, who claimed: "We get more trouble at the Vintage Steam Rally". In 2006 the festival gained momentum, with all 30,000 tickets (each costing €175 including camping) selling out more than seven weeks in advance. Presale tickets went on sale on Monday 28 November 2005. The event took place on

6240-399: The duo appeared in the music video for the Darkness ' Justin Hawkins 's cover of "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us", in which Ron and Russell play the referee and MC at a darts match between Hawkins and darts champion Phil Taylor . This version of "This Town" reached No.   6 in the UK charts. Sparks would later release Lil' Beethoven ' s closing track "Suburban Homeboy" as

6336-486: The early 1980s in Confusion , a proposed Jacques Tati movie for which a screenplay was written but never shot (due to Tati's death). The band premiered the radio musical The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman , in August 2009. Commissioned by the Swedish public radio (SR) it featured the Mael brothers themselves along with Swedish actors Elin Klinga and Jonas Malmsjö , both of whom worked with Bergman in his lifetime. The musical, partly in English, partly in Swedish , tells

6432-418: The estate on to his eldest son, Adrian. Adrian farmed the estate before passing it on to his son, Thomas. Thomas initiated the annual Electric Picnic music festival which began in 2004. Sparks (band) Sparks is an American pop and rock duo formed by brothers Ron (keyboards) and Russell Mael (vocals) in Los Angeles. The duo is noted for their quirky approach to songwriting; their music

6528-447: The field designated as the car park overnight and stayed up talking and exploring the (then pristine and nettle-free) woods. Thus, the relaxed and friendly vibe of the earlier Electric Picnic festivals was established. The 2005 festival took place on Saturday 3 September and Sunday 4 September. It is best remembered for Arcade Fire 's performance which came before their subsequent mainstream success. Headlining acts included Nick Cave and

6624-399: The final live date ever in America for Faith No More on December 1 at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, Ron and Russell Mael were invited by Mike Patton and Co. to perform the Sparks' classic hit "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us". They reprised the song that also appears as a collaboration with Faith No More on Sparks' 1997 album Plagiarism and had also been released as

6720-479: The first night and No.   1 in Heaven in its entirety on the second night. Valentine's Day evening 2009 saw Sparks perform the same show featuring their Exotic Creatures of the Deep and Kimono My House albums played in their entirety before a sold-out hometown crowd at Royce Hall at the Mael Bros. alma mater in Los Angeles, UCLA. Ron and Russell appeared as interview subjects in the 2009 documentary The Magnificent Tati , discussing their involvement during

6816-647: The latter produced by Tony Visconti , were similarly successful and produced the hit singles "Looks, Looks, Looks", " Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth " and "Something for the Girl with Everything". The Maels returned home to Los Angeles in 1976. Concerned that their music may have become stale, they adopted a more "American" sound and recorded Big Beat with Rupert Holmes and Jeffrey Lesser on production, which they followed with Introducing Sparks ; both albums were mostly recorded with session musicians. This new "West Coast" sound yielded such songs as "Nothing to Do", "Everybody's Stupid", and "Throw Her Away (and Get

6912-501: The midst of power cuts and a threatened vinyl shortage, they recorded their breakthrough Kimono My House in 1974, scoring a No. 2 hit with the single " This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us ". Sparks became a UK teen sensation appearing on the cover of Melody Maker , Record Mirror and countless other pop magazines in the UK and Europe. Hits such as "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us", " Amateur Hour " and " Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth " led to many appearances on

7008-516: The musical Annette , directed by Leos Carax and starring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard , and in The Sparks Brothers , a documentary about their career directed by Edgar Wright . Annette premiered at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival and was in competition for the Palme d'Or . The leading track "So May We Start" was accompanied by a video featuring the band with Driver and Cotillard, and

7104-898: The picnic once or twice previously. Tickets then increased to €194.50 until 4 July and, €229.50 after that date. Sunday tickets were priced at €90. Sunday tickets had sold out by 13 June. Full weekend tickets sold out on 31 July Main Stage: Main Stage: Main Stage: Electric Arena: Electric Arena: Electric Arena: Body & Soul (Main Stage): Body & Soul (Main Stage): Body & Soul (Main Stage): Rankin's Wood stage: Rankin's Wood stage: Rankin's Wood stage: Cosby Tent: Cosby Tent: Cosby Tent: Little Big Tent: Little Big Tent: Little Big Tent: Stradbally Hall During

7200-421: The property in the late 1990s. In June 2000, Sony Pictures Entertainment started on a different project with Kirk Wong attached to direct. By February 2001, a script had been written by Lisa Addario and Joey Syracuse for Sony's Columbia Pictures . The release of The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman , a radio musical by Sparks, in August 2009, was informed by the six years the band spent trying to get their Mai,

7296-448: The season 6 finale of the US TV show Gilmore Girls , performing "Perfume" from the album Hello Young Lovers . They released a live DVD of a September 2006 show at The Forum as well as a long-awaited CD release of their previously unavailable 1977 album Introducing Sparks . The track "Perfume" was featured in a Dolce & Gabbana TV commercial in 2009. On May 12, 2008, Sparks released

7392-406: The show, with fan favourites making up the second. The line-up now included former Faith No More guitarist Dean Menta in addition to Tammy Glover on drums. Long-time fan Morrissey invited Sparks to perform at the 2004 Meltdown Festival , of which he was curator. They performed their breakthrough Kimono My House album, followed by Lil Beethoven , both in their entirety. Also in this period,

7488-676: The single " I Predict ", which provided Sparks' first appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 , reaching No. 60 in May 1982; the 1983 single " Cool Places " with the Go-Go's rhythm guitarist and vocalist Jane Wiedlin , and " When Do I Get to Sing 'My Way' " , which was the top airplay record in Germany for 1994. The 2002 release of Lil' Beethoven , the duo's self-proclaimed "genre-defining opus", fused repetitive song structures with orchestral arrangements, and brought them renewed critical success. In 2015,

7584-416: The single "Good Morning", taken from the album Exotic Creatures of the Deep . May and June 2008 saw the 21-night " Sparks Spectacular " in London, where they played each of their albums in chronological order during the first twenty nights and premiered their new album on the twenty-first concert on June 13, 2008. Each night, they performed an album in its entirety followed by a rare track   – many of

7680-436: The songs had never been performed live before. The band asked their fans to visit their website and vote for the track that they'd most like to hear the band perform during the second half of the 21st concert after the premiere of Exotic Creatures of the Deep , though Russell admitted that he and Ron would probably influence the poll a little. Fans who bought a "Golden Ticket" (which allowed entry into all 21 gigs) also received

7776-464: The story of Bergman's relocation to Hollywood after his breakthrough with Smiles of a Summer Night (1956), and the surreal and discomforting encounter with the movie capital. The UK's BBC Radio 6 Music held a similar event in London two months later whereby the musical was played in its entirety before a live audience at the BBC Broadcasting House in London and later to be broadcast with

7872-467: The track "Computer Girl", which was featured on a CD included with the Japanese semi-biography from 2006 and more widely released on the Past Tense greatest hits album in 2019. The other three tracks were titled "The Windmill", "A Quick Thought" and "As You Like It". Of all four songs, "Computer Girl" was the least traditional. Russell plays pan flute on "A Quick Thought". Forming Halfnelson , named after

7968-856: The various sites opening at 9 a.m. on Friday 29 August. Tickets had sold out by 17 June. Sigur Rós , George Clinton and Sex Pistols headlined. Other musicians appearing included Franz Ferdinand , My Bloody Valentine , German rockers Faust , Tindersticks , The Breeders , Grinderman , Goldfrapp , Gossip , CSS , Duffy , Foals , Hadouken! , Wilco , The Roots , Turin Brakes , Carbon/Silicon , Conor Oberst and New Young Pony Club . Irish acts to appear included Kíla , The Stunning , Sinéad O'Connor , Christy Moore , Liam Ó Maonlaí , Boss Volenti , The Waterboys , The Flaws , Ham Sandwich , Fred , Super Extra Bonus Party , Jape , Lisa Hannigan , Le Galaxie, Cathy Davey , Gemma Hayes and Mark Geary . Also attending were Amnesty International , which celebrated

8064-400: The weekend of 1–3 September 2006, with the line-up being revealed on Friday 24 March. Artists who performed across the seven stages included Sparks , New Order , Pet Shop Boys , Basement Jaxx , Rufus Wainwright , Bloc Party , Yeah Yeah Yeahs , Gary Numan , François Kevorkian , Groove Armada , Damien Rice and The Frames . The Blue Nile 's appearance was their only live performance of

8160-410: The year. The festival's biggest casualty was Gnarls Barkley who had to cancel their appearance after rapper/singer Cee-Lo strained his vocal cords. David McWilliams made an appearance as a celebrity. RTÉ Two televised the festival, with a special RTÉ Two Green Room being set up at Stradbally Hall Estate for presenters Tom Dunne and Jenny Huston . Journalist and television presenter Joe O'Shea

8256-429: Was a foray into the techno dance world, which they had helped to spawn back in the late 1970s. In 2002, the band switched to a classically influenced art pop style with the release of their album Lil' Beethoven , replacing the beat-driven synth-pop of their previous albums with complex orchestral arrangements. The band acknowledged this change in style on the album's opening track "The Rhythm Thief". Lyrically,

8352-425: Was arrested for driving in an intoxicated state on his way home from the event. The Comedy Tent in 2006 featured PJ Gallagher , Des Bishop , Neil Delamere , and Eric Lalor. Electric Picnic 2007 was once again a three-day event and ran from 31 August until 2 September. The festival maintained its current size of 32,500 festival goers and kept all the same elements plus some new additions. "Early-bird" tickets for

8448-546: Was awarded 'Festival of the Year' in the Ticketmaster Awards. The Picnic has been described as "Ireland's version of Glastonbury " and "a great inspiration to Latitude " by one of its business partners, Laois. US magazine Billboard called it "a magnificent rock n roll circus, a textbook example of everything a festival should be" and Rolling Stone described it as "one of the best festivals we've ever been to". The 2008 event

8544-460: Was described by The Irish Times as "the best Electric Picnic yet". There is also an emphasis on eco-friendly initiatives. Electric Picnic began as a one-day event in 2004, before growing to a weekend-long festival within a year. The festival incorporates attractions such as the 24-hour cinema tent, the Body and Soul arena (offering an ambient lounge with beanbags, massages and tarot card readings) and

8640-507: Was invited to address a conference of young members of his country's Conservative Party at Stradbally Hall on one occasion. This was later cancelled at short notice. In the latter decades of the twentieth century, a financial struggle ensued over the maintenance of Stradbally Hall. Buckets were positioned under leaks to prevent rainwater damaging the main reception rooms. Paintings and emeralds were sold off to raise much needed funds. Maj Errod Ashworth Sidney Cosby died in 1984 and passed

8736-663: Was marred by the death of a 23-year-old fan. The incident occurred as The Chemical Brothers came to a climax at 2 a.m. early on the Sunday morning. Organiser John Reynolds extended his sympathies and said: "A young man took ill at the festival, was treated at the medical centre, removed to Portlaoise Hospital and was later pronounced dead." Gardaí said they were not treating the death as suspicious. Electric Picnic 2008 took place at Stradbally from 29 to 31 August, attended by 35,000 people. Presale tickets went on sale on 9 November 2007 and full price tickets went on sale on Friday 28 March at 9 p.m., costing €240 including camping, with

8832-497: Was performed by Finnish movie actor Peter Franzén and American actress Ann Magnuson portrayed the role of Greta Garbo. The group showcased at the film festival in an attempt to raise funding for a feature film version. Since 2011, the band have been pursuing the idea of turning The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman into a feature film. Originally envisaged as a live-action film, in 2017, the Mael Brothers announced they were taking

8928-576: Was released later in 2013. Ron and Russell continued touring in the duo format for a second round, titling the tour "The Revenge of Two Hands One Mouth", taking in dates in both North America and Europe, including Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin, Texas , and three nights at Union Chapel in London, where Thurston Moore joined them to play guitar on "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us". Both "Two Hands One Mouth" and "The Revenge of Two Hands One Mouth" tours were critically well received. In 2013 they contributed

9024-888: Was subsequently scheduled to take place between 30 August and 1 September. The initial line-up for the festival was announced on 25 April 2013 to much fanfare. The line-up included Björk , Fatboy Slim , Robert Plant , My Bloody Valentine , Arctic Monkeys , Franz Ferdinand , Wu-Tang Clan , David Byrne & St Vincent , Eels , Noah & The Whale , Johnny Marr , Disclosure , Ocean Colour Scene , Hurts , Mick Flannery , The Walkmen , Baauer , Tiga , Warpaint , Savages , The Strypes , Poliça, Chvrches, Parquet Courts , Clinic , Deap Vally and Soak. Electric Picnic 2014 took place at Stradbally from 29 to 31 August, attended by 41,000 people. Early bird tickets went on sale on 19 March 2014. A Full weekend ticket cost €154.50 for purchasers who could prove they had been to three or more picnics, €174.50 for those who could prove they had been to

9120-629: Was undertaken to support the record. In 2019, Sparks collaborated with and were featured on French artist Sebastian 's album, Thirst on the track, "Handcuffed to a Parking Meter". The band's first album of the 2020s, A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip , was released in digital form in May 2020, with the physical release pushed back to July due to the COVID-19 pandemic . The album was preceded by singles "Self-Effacing", and "I'm Toast" in February and March, respectively. Like its predecessor, Hippopotamus , it entered

9216-616: Was unveiled in March 2015 with a short teaser video of song "The Power Couple". An eponymous album was released in June 2015. The album was promoted with appearances on BBC programme Later with Jools Holland , and the Glastonbury Festival . Sparks's 23rd studio album , Hippopotamus , was released in September 2017 to critical and commercial success, peaking at number 7 in the UK Albums Chart. A full band tour, starting in Copenhagen,

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