The Magnetic Fields @ Eventim Apollo "my ex was a fucking liar. This is his song."

Last night Stuart and I went to see The Magnetic Fields (i.e. the musical vehicle for the ever-inventive songwriter-producer-instrumentalist Stephin Merritt) perform at the Eventim Apollo in London's glitzy Hammersmith.

 

Merritt, who lives and records in New York City, is a highly talented and adept musical artist who records his own albums and plays almost everything on them. He also has a very deep singing voice (basso profundo?). And he's fucking funny.

 

Although the show was a little laid back at times - perhaps due to that classic New York ennui we've come to recognise and adore - I found all the songs were truly magnificent. And judging by the the level of applause and whooping that welcomed them by the devoted crowd around us, I was not alone in this assessment. 

 

Thankfuly nine songs of the songs performed were plucked from the fabulous triple album 69 Love Songs, six songs from the excellent Quickies, and three from my person favouite 50 Song Memoir. Each were utter earworms. Luckily only a few came from less successful albums i, The Charm of the Highway Strip, and The House of Tomorrow. 

 

Also, sadly there were only a few of the in-between song little stories we had got used to in previous gigs. His gems were; "this was written for Kiki and Herb the year those religious fanatics tried to blow up our city", "this was written for a musical I tried to write in San Francisco which everyone thought was dreadful but I liked this one song", "my ex was a fucking liar. This is his song."

 

Joyous.

 

Setlist

 

Castles of America

I Don't Believe in the Sun

Love Goes Home to Paris in the Spring

Kraftwerk in a Blackout

Born on a Train

Come Back From San Francisco

Desert Island

Andrew in Drag

The Flowers She Sent and the Flowers She Said She Sent

The Day the Politicians Died

(I Want to Join A) Biker Gang (Live debut)

Drive On, Driver

The Book of Love

The Biggest Tits in History

Quick!

'01 Have You Seen It in the Snow? (false start)

Smoke and Mirrors

Papa Was a Rodeo

All My Little Words

I've Got a Date With Jesus

The Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side (First performance since 2010, sung by guitarist)

Death Pact (Let's Make A)

No One Will Ever Love You

Grand Canyon

All the Umbrellas in London

'02 Be True to Your Bar

Take Ecstasy With Me

'14 I Wish I Had Pictures

 

Encore:

A Chicken With Its Head Cut Off

100,000 Fireflies

It's Only Time