While the United States was celebrating its Independence Day on July 4, Beck was in London liberating his Song Reader material from a format with a much longer history. He performed his sheet-music album live in full for the first time, joined for a concert at the Barbican by Jarvis Cocker, Franz Ferdinand, and Beth Orton. Also on hand were Charlotte Gainsbourg, Joan as Police Woman, Villagers’ Conor J O’Brien, the Staves, the Guillemots, Michael Kiwanuka, James Yorkston, and the Pictish Trail. Ed Harcourt and David Coulter provided musical direction. Fireworks!
Watch the full ensemble perform finger-snapping, playfully sinister finale “Rough on Rats” above, and check out several other clips below. For more, visit video uploader LondonRocks2008’s YouTube page.
Beck has recently unveiled two new non-album singles, “Defriended” and “I Won’t Be Long.” Although the London gig marked the sheet-music album’s first full live performance, Beck performed Song Reader‘s “Sorry” and “Heaven’s Ladder” earlier this year in Santa Cruz, California. There’s a Beck acoustic record on the way, and also reportedly an official studio follow-up to 2008’s Danger Mouse-produced Modern Guilt.
Check out: Beck Fields Ridiculous and Probing Questions at L.A. ‘Song Reader’ Event
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“Don’t Act Like Your Heart Isn’t Hard”
https://youtube.com/watch?v=NzmpEpO6NRI%3Fwmode%3Dtransparent
“I’m Down”
https://youtube.com/watch?v=n_fWVdPIP8o%3Fwmode%3Dtransparent
“Do We? We Do” (feat. Joan Wasser, Conor J. O’Brien)
https://youtube.com/watch?v=BUgoc3xspyM%3Fwmode%3Dtransparent
“Why Did You Make Me Care?” (feat. Jarvis Cocker)
https://youtube.com/watch?v=fpLFJPnu-pU%3Fwmode%3Dtransparent
“Just Noise” (feat. Charlotte Gainsbourg)
https://youtube.com/watch?v=7HbhLrd6HgA%3Fwmode%3Dtransparent
“Rough on Rats” (feat. full ensemble)
https://youtube.com/watch?v=Y_4jkIfBg-0%3Ffeature%3Dplayer_embedded