Live Review: Elvis Costello, Liverpool Philharmonic 10th June 2013
As Sly Stone sang, it’s a family affair for the Wizards this evening. All 3 Wizards were at the gig and so were all 3 of the Mrs Wizardses. Rebel Rikkit even brought a long a couple of Junior Rikkits for the occasion.
Before the gig, we were busy Tweeting what songs we wanted to see up on the wheel.
Quite a few of those were played, nearly all of them in fact. The only request we had that was on the wheel but didn’t get played was “Alibi”.
We’re not going to write a full review of this gig because there’s just too much to say really. We were all too busy watching the gig to make any notes so we can’t even give you the full setlist! Instead we’re just going to give you a couple of bullet-pointed lists. Who doesn’t love a bullet-pointed list, eh?
So here are some of the things we particularly enjoyed:
• opening song, Lipstick Vogue. Don’t even give poor old Pete Thomas a chance to warm up with a gentler song, just chuck him straight at the deep end!
• matching polka dot shirts (Pete and Elvis).
• The “Girl” Jackpot: This Year’s Girl, Girls Talk and especially Party Girl
• Elvis’ neon flash shoes
• his wandering scouse accent
• a wonderfully sung Good Year for the Roses, dedicated to the late George Jones of course.
• In Another Room, brilliant!
• Tony and Denise from Ormskirk
• Lip Service!
• Elvis going on a trek up into the balcony to sing Almost Blue
• singing Happy Birthday to Carol and great dancing in the go-go cage from Carol and her friends
• Strict Time followed by Man Out of Time (pity there’s was no It’s Time or Clowntime is Over to follow it though!)
• Steve Nieve’s piano playing, especially on Invisible Man
• the number of cups of tea Elvis drank without a loo break
• King Horse!
• the bits where he sang off mike
• it’s stating the obvious I know but The Imposters are just amazing
• Pump It Up / Peace Love & Understanding. The same last 2 songs as usual but why change it when it’s so great.
There were also some things that we had different opinions on:
• The National Ransom songs in the encore. Some of us like Elvis doing his 1920s music hall vaudevillian schtick. Some of us think it’s a tedious low point in the gig. But at least all of us agree that we like the whistling bits.
• Tramp the Dirt Down. Again this divided opinion amongst the Wizards. Some of us wondered is this a song that still needs to be sung? Others thought it was a highlight.
• She! I don’t think there is any other song that Elvis does that splits opinion like this one. Show stopper or a load of schmaltzy old bollocks? Nobody can say that Steve & Elvis don’t play / sing the hell out of it though!
• Pity that nobody spun the “Imperial Chocolate” option but that’s the luck of the draw I suppose.
• At least one of the Wizards is disappointed they didn’t get picked out to dance in the go-go cage!
• One of the Wizards thought Elvis “messed around” with the arrangements of the songs a bit too much.
• Junior Rikkit said it was “boring”. [cue others shaking heads, tutting and mumbling about "today's youth"]
• Those of us sitting near the front in Row D thought the sound was pretty good but some of us were back in Row K and couldn’t really make out what Elvis was talking about between the songs.
• Last point is not really the fault of the band but it’s a big one. I think we’ve stated on this blog before how much we love Steve Nieve! From row D you couldn’t really see him! Occasionally we saw his head bobbing around and maybe a stray arm flailing around near the theremin but most of the time he was hidden by the cocktail bar prop thing. Next tour, put Steve and all his paraphernalia on a big riser so we can watch the Professor at work.
On the way out, a crew member was on stage clearing up and he threw a few cups into the crowd. Chorizo was lucky enough to catch one so he’s made up about that. There’s only one thing the Wizards like more than gig merch and that’s FREE gig merch.
Two of the Wizards, Chorizo and Rebel, are currently blogging on this site about their various live Costello experiences over the years. See links below and come back soon for further chapters.
