Mac De Marco

A venue I wasn’t convinced would capture the intimacy and softness that define his sound. But then again… where else in Bristol are you going to put 3,500 adoring fans?
Outside, a relentless downpour soaked the queue, though no one seemed deterred; this was not a night to bail.
Mac was finally in town again to show case a very anticipated album along side some hopeful fan favourites.
After a couple of local Bristol beers, we swam our way inside eager to try and find a spot in the already settled big crowd. Almost immediately we are met by the opening notes of “Shining”, from his latest album Guitar.
Light burst across the room via expansive back screen visuals, and the sound rolled through every corner.
This was some of the best gig acoustics I’ve heard in years, so maybe this venue was the right choice after all.

Mac walked onstage with his trademark offbeat charm, but with something new too: a sense of ease and confidence that radiated across the room. The crowd was locked in from the first moment.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve been in Brigh… Bbbrristol!” A beautifully botched recovery.
“What can I say, you have so many cities that start with Bri!” He’s not wrong, but distinctions matter especially to West Country audiences.

From the outset, Mac made it clear this show wasn’t a solo act. He introduced the band immediately, a gesture that felt intentional. This ensemble, most of whom have been with him through the later years anchored the evening, expanding his stripped back songs with depth and texture while still leaving space for Mac to take centre stage.
One of the set’s early highlights was “Baby London,” performed in bassist Daryl Johns’ interpretation. Johns, also signed to Mac’s independent label, brought a warm, groovy presence that underscored the collaborative energy of the night.

This tour marks the beginning of Mac’s 2025–2026 run in support of Guitar, his sixth studio album and the crowd’s reaction confirmed just how deeply this new era has landed. Tracks like “Sweeter,” “Home,” and the opener “Shining” turned the industrial hall into a gentle, swaying chorus. Fans came ready for his laid-back, minimalist direction, and they sang every word.
The softness continued with heartfelt renditions of earlier material: “Still Beating” (This Old Dog, 2017) “Heart to Heart” (Here Comes the Cowboy, 2019) “My Kind of Woman” (2, 2012). His second album 2, also delivered some of the night’s biggest cheers “Ode to Viceroy” and “Freaking Out the Neighborhood” felt like reunions with old friends.

Though playful and unpredictable as ever, Mac's energy carried a tenderness: fun yet gentle, bright yet slightly enigmatic. Two songs in particular hit me straight in the heartstrings: the aching “One More Love Song” (This Old Dog, 2017) and “Another One” (Another One, 2015) . In those moments, the cavernous warehouse shrank around us, becoming something small, still, and almost private.
It was the kind of magic that sets Mac apart, his ability to turn a massive room into an intimate pocket of sound.
He closed the night with “Nobody" (Here Comes the Cowboy, 2019), a perfect final stroke of vulnerability and quiet confidence.
As the last notes faded, the room held that unmistakable Mac DeMarco afterglow: something open, tender, and quietly self-assured.

A return worth waiting seven years for.