More about: Beck

"It's been a while since we've been in Brixton," smiles Beck, treading the iconic Academy stage like a preacher man, "if you're ready to let the spirit move you, say 'Hell Yes'."

As if he needed to ask. He's been touring around the UK for much of the last week's events, he's measured the mood, and knows exactly what London needs right now. The crowd is largely still weary from Glastonbury, despondent as the fabric of the nation continues to unfold on the streets from Brexit, or a numbing combination of the two (count me in the latter camp). 

"We got here when the vote came in," he sighs before deafening boos erupt around the venue, "then we were at Pride," with a restbite of cheers,"then came Glastonbury - it's been an eventful week but a mixed business affair." 

Firing on all the cylinders from the very beginning with a relentless barrage of classics from 'Devil's Haircut' into 'Black Tambourine' before a religious reception for slacker anthem 'Loser' and the twisted-funk of 'Ghettochip Malfunction (Hell Yes)', as hip-hop meets pop, Mexicana, folk, alt-rock and everything in between - it's clear that all Beck wants to do is distract the capital with his idiosyncratic carnival of music - music that celebrates unity throught fusion.

We come together through dance on the Hispanic bounce of 'Qué Onda Güero' and the old school radio psych-jam of 'The New Pollution', all while Beck effortless conducts the Academy with the confidence of a man who knows he's beloved, but ultimately just wants you to be having as much of a good time as he is. 

"We're gonna play a little bit longer tonight, we're gonna play a few we don't get to play too often," he smiles, semi-apologetically before a glorious rendition of the beautiful 'Modern Guilt' and a section of more esoteric and soulful cuts from Sea Change and Morning Phase - allowing his true flexibility to shine. Here's an artist to who can touch your heart as well as sway your hips, who can make you feel and break as well as dance.

He does it all, and he's still got more to give - as we learn when last year's one-off single 'Dreams' lands as a modern classic. From thereon, it's all pure abandon as we shimmy to 'Girl', lose ourselves to 'Sexxlaws' and headbang to 'E-Pro'. When you think he couldn't possibly do much more, there's a wardrobe change before 'Where It's At' is fused with an all-round jam with each individual band member with a medley of David Bowie, Chic, Kraftwerk and Prince. It makes for a pretty perfect party closer before we go back into the cold uncertainty of London's streets. But just for a moment, we were all together, and Beck made it all feel better. 

Beck played: 
Devil's Haircut
Black Tambourine
Loser
Ghettochip Malfunction (Hell Yes)
Mixed Bizness
Qué Onda Güero
The New Pollution
Go It Alone
Think I'm in Love
Modern Guilt
Soul of a Man
Paper Tiger
Lost Cause
Say Goodbye
Heart Is a Drum
Wave
Blue Moon
Dreams
Girl
Sexx Laws
E-Pro
Encore:
Where It's At / One Foot in the Grave (with Chic - Good Times, David Bowie - China Girl, Kraftwerk - Home Computer, Prince - 1999 snippet)

More about: Beck