MAC DEMARCO TOUR 2026: THE RETURN OF THE OLD DOG
Mac Demarco - Getty Images
Mac DeMarco’s last club gig in Barcelona was back in 2015 at Sala Apolo (that’s 11 years for those of you who refused to pay the Primavera Sound toll). Returning to a venue like Razzmatazz felt like picking up right where that sweaty, intimate energy left off.
The room was buzzing. You could spot plenty of fans who had missed out on his Primavera set earlier this year when the storms rolled in. That same weather almost seemed determined to hunt him down inside Razzmatazz; emergency alerts blasted through phones mid-set, prompting Mac to joke and deliver the line: “Rain ain’t going to get me twice.”
The band kicked things off with a bang on “For the First Time”, before settling into a set that drifted generously through his back catalogue. Salad Days, This Old Dog, and Another One were the clear heavy hitters, familiar ground where both band and crowd found their stride.
Tender tracks like “Sweeter” and “20191009 I Like Her” offered a breath of fresh air, keeping the emotional core intact before staples like “My Kind of Woman” and “Ode to Viceroy” ignited massive singalongs. The absolute peak arrived the second the opening riff of “Freaking Out the Neighborhood” hit, instantly turning the venue into an ondulating sea of bouncing bodies.
For the encore, Mac closed the loop in classic, unhinged fashion: delivering an evocative rendition of “Chamber of Reflection” before surprising everyone with a topless cover of Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature”.
Throughout the night, his joy was palpable. He spent half his time having a laugh with the front rows, joking about the rain warnings, bringing up mates onto the stage (including touring photographer Yuki Kikuchi taking over the mic for a tune) and generally dancing and jumping about like nobody was watching.
More than just another tour stop, the night felt like a proper argument for Mac belonging in venues like this. Away from festival sprawl and distant stages, the intimacy brought back the loose, communal spirit that made people fall in love with his gigs in the first place.
Words by @whtvr_frvr_
