Mac DeMarco – Festival Hall
Mac DeMarco played a sold-out show at Festival Hall with special guests Pond and CHAI. We headed out on a Saturday night to catch the incredible line-up at one of Melbourne’s most iconic music venues.
The first band up for the night was CHAI, an adorable four-member, all-female band from Nagoya, Japan. Fresh off the success of their sophomore album Punk in 2019, and debut album Pink in 2017, the band played a series of their best hits to the enthusiastic and packed out audience. The band, consisting of Mana, Kana, Yuuki and Yuna brought Japanese punk rock to Melbourne, performing their kawaii songs for all to dance to. The band were extremely well received, echos of cries from patrons yelling for more CHAI. The stand out performance included the tracks Fashionista, THIS IS CHAI, N.E.O and Future. When the four-piece finished their set, the band told the audience, ‘We love Australia, we want to come back again!’. We would love to see that show organised as soon as humanely possible.
Next up on the list was Pond, the psychedelic rock group from Western Australia. No strangers to a Melbourne audience, vocalist Nick Allbrook and band wasted no time in rolling out their hits from albums Tasmania, The Weather and Psychedelic Mango. Despite having seen Pond a number of times before, the band remain an enigma, in that each show is unique and entertaining in an exciting new way. From opening song Hand Mouth Dancer with a flute solo, through to the fun dancing and wild energy from their frontman, the band performed a range of new and old hits to the crowds delight.
The highlights in the set from our view were old song Don’t Look At The Sun Or You’ll Go Blind, a cover of Madonna’s Ray Of Light which does her justice, and Burnt Out Star – bringing back the flute and wandering into the crowd to get the party going. As the band finish up, they deliver on the final tracks including Paint Me Silver, Daisy and The Weather. Pond, as always, proved themselves worthy of their acclaim and we can’t wait to see the boys play again soon.
Before we know it, it is time for the man to take the stage. As the smoke clears, Mac DeMarco and band emerge and the crowd erupts at Festival Hall as the screaming amplifies in every direction. The anticipation is significant, and it’s clear to see that Mac has returned to a second home, here in Melbourne. Knowing the expectations are high, the band launches straight into On The Level and Salad Days to set the tone early that it’s going to be a big night. As the concert begins, Mac addresses the crowd, exclaiming, ‘Let’s sing a show!’.
It does not take long for the festivities to become a sing-a-long; an almost mandatory and frequent occurrence at his shows. From having everyone in the venue sing along to Nobody, through to asking people to shake their asses to The Stars Keep On Calling My Name, Mac has (and demands) total control of the vibe, and ensures that the crowd get on his level to enjoy their Saturday night. Finally Alone, Preoccupied and My Old Man are played, as we see the crowd captivated from every word – with parts of the audience moshing to the tunes and the others hugging it out. The concert runs like clockwork, and Mac decides to change the song order because, ‘Who gives a fuck?’. Cue a sing-a-long to the track Here Comes The Cowboy.
Next, we hear Ode To Viceroy and Another One, as we are told to expect a ‘big, sexy light show’ – the crowd asked to light up their phones or use their lighters as the house lights are dimmed. Some premium banter comes out during the set and Mac decides to define his songs as either quiet or ‘kill your parents punk rock’. Oedipus complex is discussed, and that’s all you really need to know. One of the highlights of the night comes from unreleased track, I Like Her, which is beautiful and fits perfectly into the set as things wind down for a brief moment. Freaking Out The Neighborhood and Rock and Roll Night Club speed things up and we are back into party mode with Mac and crew.
Before playing My Kind Of Woman, Mac asks a patron at the back of the venue if he wants the quiet version or full throttle, teasing Ave Maria and having Andy from the band give it his all. With a burp into the microphone, the band play the song flawlessly to an eager crowd. It wouldn’t be an Australian show without someone throwing their shoe up on stage; so with a quick shoey and a no nonsense approach, he begins playing an extended version of Choo Choo. With two songs left, we finish strong with Chamber of Reflection and Still Together. When Mac briefly drops the mic, we get to see him do a handstand, stick out his belly and yell into the mic, ‘What happened to my body?’.
We know Mac likes to party, and the encore was extremely on brand. Swapping places with drummer Joe McMurray, who took to vocals for a medley of classic hits – Undone (The Sweater Song), Smells Like Teen Spirit, Heart-Shaped Box, and Thunderstruck – offering the best from Weezer, Nirvana and AC/DC. Mac found himself yelling out for some Cold Chisel. The first encore finished with a reprise of Still Together and the crowd was left satisfied they had seen it all. When Mac returned with Alec Meen on stage for the final encore, cigarette in mouth and tongue in cheek, they performed Watching Him Fade Away before ending the show.
Seeing Mac DeMarco is always an experience and something everyone should do, as often as possible. There’s music, comedy and a whole lot of fun – what more could you want?