Beck, Roundhouse, London

iTunes Festival gigs are funny things. Admission by price of only a ticket lottery and lengthy queue outside, there’s every chance what’s broadcast worldwide will be confused competition winners’ faces as the artist in question decides to play material only from their week-old release – or worse, songs that aren’t yet recorded. That’s no issue tonight, as Beck’s opening gambit sees him leap theatrically from ‘Devil’s Haircut’ to ‘Loser’ via ‘Black Tambourine’; ‘Hell Yes’, ‘The New Pollution’, a clever twist on ‘I Feel Love’ tacked on to his own ‘I Think I’m In Love’. Tonight’s gig – his first full-band show in London since 2008 – could have ostensibly been him touring latest album, ‘Morning Phase’. Instead, he’s brought his festival-headlining game, and it’s mesmerising.

He darts around the stage a man possessed, whether it’s contorting himself like Rob Tyner of the MC5, punching the air as if he’s a Beastie Boy, or twirling like Michael Jackson – all the while spewing out favourite after favourite – it’s a Greatest Hits set nailed on.

Only two songs feature from this year’s release. ‘Blue Moon’ and ‘Heart is A Drum’ sandwich ‘Sea Change”s ‘Lost Cause’ and together provide a natural lull – it’s the only time Beck is nailed to his mic stand all night.

He’s also brought his long-serving band with him – helmed by bassist (and super-producer) Justin Meldal-Johnsen and drummer Joey Waronker. They’ve not been with Beck in London since 1998, he tells us, and their capers – falling over themselves, each other, and forming boyband style dance routines – are the knowing wink needed that all on stage know how brilliantly absurd the whole thing is.

Case in point: ‘E-Pro’ ends with them play-fighting, feigning injury, while Beck himself seals off the stage with yellow crime scene tape. It’s performance art – it’s also a clever segue in to a pseudo-encore. “What laws do you want to break?” asks Meldal-Johnsen, animatedly.

So it’s ‘Sexx Laws’, an extended play on fellow ‘Midnite Vultures’ cut ‘Debra’ – with added quip to R Kelly’s ‘Trapped in the Closet’ as if the switch between sublime and ridiculous needed pointing out, and quicker than it’s possible to wonder what he’s actually left out by this point – ‘Where It’s At’. Drawn out, with crowd interaction, plus a band introduction that cuts to the Rolling Stones, Chic, and the tiniest slither of Rod Stewart’s ‘Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?’, if any proof were ever needed that Beck can, and will do anything he wants – and do it spectacularly well - it’s somewhere here tonight.

Photo: iTunes Festival

Tags: Beck, News