SPARKADIA.

Sparkadia

Prudence Patterson

To say I was excited is an understatement, even though I knew very little about this Australia lead band. After indulging back to my teens and listening to their songs on repeat on myspace I was ready with my lyrics revised to sing along.

Arriving early at the venue and with what should have been 90p mixers I was equipped. It all started to go wrong when we found out 90p turned into £3.40 I was not impressed, and with two supporting bands, first of which I’m sure hadn’t lost their virginity and the second a wanabe Paramore all I wanted was my Aussie studs.

They graciously took to the stage. With only a nineteen strong crowd, including the barman, to play to was going to be interesting. For them much like the beginning of my night, it started to go wrong. After their first two songs ‘Great’ and ‘Talking Like I’m falling Downstairs’ the guitarists AMP was playing up. While one of the supporting bands lent them theirs, Alex Burnett the rather dashing front man took the chance to speak to the gathering of people should I say. During a few public questions from the audience he admitted while in Australia he would get to work via crocodile. Being the optimist I am I would like to believe this is true. However I have been to Australia I’m not quite sure if the Sydney cycle paths stretch that far.

They continued much to my enjoyment with ‘Love Less Love’, ‘Too Much To Do’ and ‘Mary’. I was engrossed with every song, and I knew this because I didn’t look at my watch once to check the time, and I was able to tear myself away from my blackberry for an hour.

A personal hightlight of the night was when they performed a cover. I tend not to like bands doing covers as I feel they should be promoting their own work and not someone else’s. However when they announced they were covering Kelis, Acapella, I was in awe. Burnett showed his vocal abilities breathlessly, especially taking on a female vocal, it’s something difficult for a gent to pull off.

I’m in complete wonder of Sparkadia. I haven’t been able to stop playing their songs on repeat. When they begun ‘Hurt Me’ I instantly had a Killers vibe, and I had found it difficult to pin point what Sparkadia reminded me of. So I only hope that the UK will embrace them in the same way they did to the Hot Fuss Nevada born group.