I’ve always felt that at his best, Beck live combined the choicest elements of both music and stand-up comedy. More than any musical artist I can think of, humour is a vital part of his aesthetic. This is particularly so tonight, with two puppet masters operating marionettes of Beck and his band at the back of the stage. The footage of the puppets thrashing Radiohead’s dressing room and going on stage singing ‘With Or Without You’ is not only one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen at a concert, but one of the funniest things I’ve seen in ages, period.
The set ends in predictably chaotic fashion, with Beck’s puppet (with leprechaun hat) dancing enthusiastically alongside his real life counterpart during an uproarious ‘E-Pro’. What more can I say about this man? He remains my favourite live performer. As if Beck’s brilliance wasn’t enough, Radiohead deliver an absolutely stunning set that puts the efforts of Coldplay, Keane, Muse and the million other pretenders to their throne into utterly unforgiving perspective.
Where to begin? The nuclear-powered guitar assaults of ‘Just’ and ‘My Iron Lung’; the spooky brilliance of ‘Climbing Up The Walls’ and ‘The National Anthem’; the gorgeous, otherworldly strains of ‘Karma Police’ and ‘Pyramid Song’ (which rivals ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ as my all-time favourite song). Playing in front of a set of screens built to resemble the pieces of a broken mirror (and with no advertising anywhere to be seen), Radiohead delivered a typically uncompromising performance that saw rock music being twisted in new and exhilarating shapes.
Overall, Beck and Radiohead treated us to an incredible evening’s entertainment that ranks as the best show I saw all week.