If you wandered past the O2 Academy Brixton during the last two days of May you would have noticed that the jangle-pop-indie-super-star Mac Demarco was performing not one but two sold out shows. As the line of fans began to congregate on the second night, it was clear why Mac had added an extra date and manage to sell out what was to be one of his biggest show (or two shall I say) in the UK, given that it appeared to be a pilgrimage for anyone who owns a beaten up pair of vans or seen-better-days dungarees.
As the electricity and garish shirts filled the 5,000 person capacity space, the excitement to see the gap-tooth Canadian with rolled up jeans began to grow. Before, however, the crowd was greeted with support act Kirin J Callinan: an Australian 80's day dream in tight leather pants and a stiff red beret. Starting the show on his own with just his guitar and striking codpiece, Kirin performed as if he was the Aussie baby of David Bowie and Jarvis Cocker who grew up on a diet of rave music. After performing the first song solo, he was then joined by his "two little brothers", Tex and Mahne, a pair of skin heads in aviators and looked as if they could nut you whilst playing the accordion. Once this weird but wonderful silhouette of the trio had been formed they pump out a set that sounded as if they made the music from 90's show Twin Peaks kinky. Both tongue-in-cheek and a little sexy Kirin provides music that takes the piss whilst withholding a deeper meaning, hes a truly sardonic artist with a backwards mullet. He ended the show, that was full of guitar throwing tricks and attempts to flog his t-shirt, with a performance of a song that required the crowd "use their imagination" as he pranced across the stage with just an air guitar and singing about how he's not a baby and not yet a man, a toddler.
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| Man with the band |
After a sweaty interval, the 'beast' entered the stage to the theme tune of the
God Father bearing a bottle of wine and couple of beers. Kicking off a mighty 18 tune setlist, Mac and his motley crew knocked out
Salad Days for their first number. This was met with an excited caterwaul from a crowd whose anticipation for the band had come to a climax. Jumping straight into the rest of the set, with
No Other Heart,
Rock and Roll Nightclub and
On a Level (to name a few) Mac showed that after three albums this guy knows how to pace a show. This was reflected by the unceasing of the movement of the crowd, who didn't seem to know when exactly to mosh so just did it all the way through.
As he ploughed through the set, the crowd were met with two of the band's recent canine themed tunes, Kirin's sweaty bare chest riding the crowd during
Freaking Out the Neighbourhood, and a tender moment of lighter swaying love as not only an ode to viceroy but to Mac himself. However, the music wasn't all the crowd came to see, clearly the intermittent chat from Mac was too a spectacle, discussing the best place to get a salt beef bagel and his fellow band member's wedding anniversary were just some of the stand out moments. The show went exactly how it was meant to, a fun mix of sweating and song whilst watching a goofball of a musician peform the old and the new with impeccable artistry. He ended the show with what must have been a 30 minute long jam, inviting not only his family to the stage but the band's friends too, performing an amalgamation of tunes and tricks with guitars. With a final good-bye crowd surf, as expected, this old dog left the stage the same way he entered it: like he was born to be shoeless and shirtless upon it.
Check the strange pair out:
Kirin J Callinan /
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Mac Demarco /
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