Next up, we had our main support, Mock Media, who absolutely blew me away. Introduced by a host who possessed the most vibrant energy in the whole world, they jogged on stage, exhilarated to perform their final support slot on this whirlwind of a tour. The energy within the room shifted immediately, as we were shockingly struck with rock riffs reminiscent of The Clash or The Ramones. You could even say they’re indie-rock in the same way The Strokes are, unapologetic and effortless. I also picked up on the slightly unusual aspect of vocals from all members, singing away harmoniously in a boy band fashion, with a slightly tougher appearance to the likes of One Direction.
Just 15 minutes after, DeMarco took to the stage and opened up with ‘Shining’, the opener to his recent album, a hopeful ‘Alex G’ - esque ballad reminding everyone of the beauty of DeMarco’s hits. This energy followed through on the next track, TikTok viral hit ‘For The First Time’. The volume of the room increased madly at the opening note of this track, which truly felt like the concert began.
Not too soon after, we heard ‘On The Level’ and ‘Salad Days’. This setlist seemed to be hit after hit with some deep cuts jumbled in the mix for the sake of the OG’s in the crowd, a truly versatile performance. As London always does, we got a little surprise with the live debut of ‘Baby, London’, a fresh Daryl Johns track that DeMarco sings on. Before this performance, DeMarco gave a speech about how much he truly enjoys this song, and I must agree with him. The drums are prominent on this one, yet it’s smooth and flowy and everything you’d want from a DeMarco feature.
‘Rock and Roll’ was a song that I hadn’t heard much of in the past, but has made my top five since hearing it live, in the words of DeMarco, “It’s a song about justice”, and that it is, and it’s executed with a touch of perfection. This song challenges his typical range, yet it was pulled off effortlessly. After its tour debut in Brighton the night before, Mac plays ‘One More Love Song’, and I couldn’t help but notice some gasps behind me in the crowd. I wish I had caught this track on video to have some sort of documentation of this moment in history, yet I was too immersed in this performance that exuded pure bliss.
Ever so randomly, in true DeMarco fashion, surprise guest Ryan Paris hit the stage to sing ‘Simply Paradise’, directly followed by ‘Freaking Out The Neighbourhood’, a combination that provoked all of us seated folk up out of our seats for a boogie. The atmosphere in the room throughout the entire gig was electric, and it felt like one of those concerts you’d tell people about in the future and they would scowl in jealousy.
Amy Porter
Image: Izzy Reeve