Beck’s alt-indie style has always been slightly leftfield, his avant-garde take on popular music a stark reminder still that Mr Hansen is just that little bit different to the normal album-tour-TV performance artists out there. With his last album, 2012’s Song Reader, he went one further than most people would even think about, let alone actually dare to pull off.
In a time when music consumption is changing, Reader jettisoned actual recorded music altogether in favour of a sheet music release of the album’s 20 songs. These were then recorded and performed by fans and musicians around the world, but are still to be recorded by the man himself.
However, he’ll be arriving in London for this very special performance in which he will perform the whole album live, and he’s roped in a load of ultra-special guests to help him out, including Jarvis Cocker, Franz Ferdinand, Charlotte Gainsbourg, acoustic trio The Staves, the Guillemots, soul star Michael Kiwanuka, The Pictish Trail and more, alongside his specially put together house band of Seb Rochford (drums), Tom Herbert (bass), Dave Okumu (guitar), with music direction by Ed Harcourt and David Coulter. All of which makes this an extra-special one-off show that you just can’t afford to miss.
Barbican, EC2Y 8DS
Thur, July 4 | Doors at 7.30pm | £20+
Tube | Barbican
barbican.org.uk
Photos: Gina Ribisi
