On Independence Day, alt-rock journeyman Beck could be found across the pond, at the Barbican in London, performing live for the first time his 2012 songbook Song Reader to a teched-up crowd whose shakey footage captured the event for YouTube posterity.
It’s been a busy week for Beck, who three days ago disseminated his second one-off single of the year, “I Won’t Be Long,” via QR Code during his appearance at Paris’ Days Off festival. To top it all off, the Barbican show featured an all-star roster, putting Beck on stage with Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker, Franz Ferdinand, Beth Orton, Charlotte Gainsbourg, The Mighty Boosh, and others. His tour resumes at New York’s Americanarama Festival on July 27th, after some surely much needed respite.
In the meantime, enjoy these clips from the Barbican:
“Don’t Act Like Your Heart Isn’t Hard”
“I’m Down”
“Do We We Do” with Joan Wasser, Conor J O’Brien
“Why Did You Make Me Care?” with Jarvis Cocker
“Just Noise” w/ Charlotte Gainsbourg
“Rough on Rats” with the whole gang