With the first of three nights at O2 Brixton Academy under his belt, Mac DeMarco learns the crucial lessons of the venue. It’s a venue seemingly built at a focus point for the sun. It is never not gruesomely sweaty inside, be it for LCD Soundsystem during a heatwave or The Vaccines on a murky February evening. Whatever the case, it is worth braving the warmth of such a venue to see DeMarco in his usual fine form. The Canadian singer-songwriter, in between riffing around and rifling through his back catalogue (deeper than a passing listener may realise before seeing him live), is keen to fill the quiet with odd impressions and the occasional glimpse into what his music means to him. Anyone can share what a song has done for them, but to hear the writer themselves talk of it is a real treat. DeMarco notes he is getting older, but at 36, he obviously shows no sign of slowing down.
If anything, he takes it up a notch or two with this Brixton Academy show. Freaking Out the Neighbourhood is the song he will be remembered for, and he plays around with it just enough to make it sound as fresh and exhilarating as it did in the studio all those years ago. Elongating the ending, that one too many encores feeling captured in just a song, that is where the magic happens. A bit like when Pixies perform Where is My Mind?, the change-up is minor and the song still represents what it always has, but the mood has shifted slightly. DeMarco is in exceptional form the whole way through, and so too is his magnificent band. Not a dud note to be heard from the balcony, where padded seats and the VIP bar await snotty press pass holders. What a place to watch from, though. Brixton Academy can be taken in fully from such a height, seeing the sea of people below swaying, shouting, and totally seduced by DeMarco’s stylish guitar work.
He has a great deal of excellent songs under his belt and is keen to showcase them here. My Kind of Woman and Holy are tremendously well-performed, and he makes the time for a few cuttings from One Wayne G, his clearout album which holds within it a fascinating volume of truly great moments from noodling, abandoned riffs, and half-baked ideas, and Another One. Nothing feels half-baked on the stage tonight, though there is an element of playing the hits in DeMarco’s set. He hints at playing “a new one” here or there, though his underrated masterpiece, Guitar, is the bulk of the set. Rightly so. What this set benefits from is the brevity of many of the songs, particularly the hits. Two to three minute thrill rides, which DeMarco commands well between handstands, calling King Charles a dog, and swinging the microphone around with such style it makes Roger Daltrey look the fool.
This is a chance for DeMarco and the band to explore their discography without being tethered to touring this song or expected to play that track. Guitar may dominate the setlist but This Old Dog gets a fair showing too, and the hits from 2 and Here Comes the Cowboy are present also. This Brixton Academy show often feels like a celebration of what DeMarco has done, rather than what he is doing, but it sounds strong all the same. An always entertaining piece of work from DeMarco which does set the standard for the rest of his tour. The first of any three-night stop-off at one venue is always a test of the waters, and instead of dipping a finger in to check the temperature, DeMarco and the band cannonball into the deep end and come out, sweating, satisfied, and sure of their qualities as a live outfit.
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