MAC DEMARCO - AVIVA STUDIOS
Written by Anisa Bhana.
On Friday night, indie-rock artist Mac Demarco took to the stage at the Aviva Studios in Manchester, for the first of two sold-out nights, on the European leg of his exceptional 2025 tour, following the release of his newest album “Guitar”
The album, since its release in August, accumulated thousands of streams with its successful debut and takes more of a stripped-down approach than his previous albums but highlights his versatility with the emotionally open and mature sound which is flawlessly executed. Over the course of his music career, Mac Demarco has consistently proved himself as a creative artist and vulnerable lyricist which has kept fans always waiting for more.
The Aviva Studios, located in the heart of Manchester, swiftly filled with fans with a vivacious buzz echoing through the room as the ambient stage lights lit the room. The Australian band and openers ‘Tex Crick' provided an outstanding melancholic performance with jazz-style songs such as ’Silly Little Things’ being played which instantly set the atmosphere for the night as eager fans enjoyed the opening of the show.
Finally, after six long awaited years, Mac Demarco, strolled onto stage as comfortably as one would enter their home, as the lights centred around him opening with track ‘Shining’ followed by popular fan favourite ‘For The First Time’ to which the crowd absolutely belted with passion and joy. As many people have seen online, Mac’s performances are filled with a hint of ‘weirdness’, however, the way I perceive it is that he is much more an artist that stays true to himself and maintains his typical personality whilst delivering a one of a kind ethereal performance which continuously captivates and enthrals fans, bridging a unique connection between the artist and fans.
As he floated through the setlist, performing tracks such as ‘Phantom’, ‘Salad Days’ and ‘Still Beating’ (which catered to both long-term and new fans) the energy in the room was overwhelmingly refreshing with strangers being able to bond and form connections through the emotive and invigorating music. It is an often rare occurrence to see an artist so full of enthusiasm and passion fuelled into each and every performance and making every show feel like a one-off, yet Mac has never failed to not make it feel that way but rather does it with ease and profession with immense grace.
Throughout the 2-hour set, each song was sung with an unfaltering delicacy with his band flowing in sync and soaking up the atmosphere. Towards the end of the set, fan favourites ‘Heart to Heart’ ,‘Freaking Out The Neighbourhood’ and ‘Holy’ were played which gained much traction on social media platforms like TikTok, which opened up the indie-genre and Mac’s music to a whole new audience.
Bringing the show and outstanding evening to an end, the set was closed with his definitively most successful and memorable songs ‘My Kind of Woman’ and ‘Chamber of Reflection’. The Canadian singer's vocals and melancholic sound brought out various emotions in the crowd who swayed as they sang back the lyrics with a burst of energy and vulnerability. This show intently proved Mac to be arguably one of the best Indie artists of our time, his unique sound is unlike anything on the scene currently and his performance each night is one full of fervour and truly one of a kind, something all music-lovers should experience.