Beck Plays Intimate London Show

...and it's incredible

Beck started his career playing tiny venues, small dives that doubled as arts hubs. It’s what formed him; more than two decades on, there remains a sense of whimsical daring in his work, a sense that anything is possible.

In town to perform at the Barbican’s Station To Station event – fellow cast members include five cowboys and Thurston Moore – Beck was invited to perform at central London’s rather petite venue the Social.

Remarkably, he accepted. Held by Faber Social, it’s little more than a get together – truly, this is as if Beck were playing in your front room. Utterly un-phased by the event, the American artist seems as though he’s in his element – batting off requests, fumbling around for instruments and forgetting the words to his own songs.

It’s a deep cut fuelled set, one that draws prominently on recent album ‘Morning Phase’ and its decade-old counterpart ‘Sea Change’. Acoustic guitar is the order of the day, but while the performance is frequently moving it’s never maudlin. Always keen to crack a joke – usually at his own expense – Beck seems in a playful, almost coy mood.

Fumbling with his nearby synth, the songwriter conjures a faltering yet funky rhythm – and starts playing ‘Raspberry Beret’. A sweet, wholesome cover of the Prince original, it sits amidst delta blues stompers, harmonica driven hoedowns and the odd country lament.

A remarkable event, Beck even took the time to go over his Song Reader project. Grasping the finished article, the singer mused on the lackadaisical way he approached its gestation, leaving the bulk of the work until the final hours before going to print.

Watching Beck veer from topic to topic, clutching at instruments and attempting to conjure half-remembered songs, it’s almost as if we’re being allowed into something rather private – a glimpse into his working methods, perhaps, or a rehearsal thereof.

Finishing with a perfunctory, celebratory ‘Loser’ this is a special, special show. Off the cuff, foot loose and fancy free, Beck nods towards his past, filters through his catalogue and leaves the packed crowd spellbound.

Photo Credit: Carolina Faruolo

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Beck's new single 'Dreams' is out now.

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