Vivid LIVE 2012 Line-Up

‎Vivid LIVE in 2012 will feature:

URBANSCREEN
Karen O in STOP THE VIRGENS
Florence + the Machine with the Ceremonial Orchestra
The Temper Trap
Bryce Dessner, Nico Muhly & Sufjan Stevens
Janelle Monáe & the ArchAndroid Orchestra
Amon Tobin LIVE Beyond 3D ‘ISAM’
Efterklang & Sydney Symphony
PVT
SHUT UP AND PLAY THE HITS
My Brightest Diamond
Seekae
Nights Like This - with Danny Brown & MED with Ellesquire, Halfway Crooks DJs
Modular Night – Tom Vek, Jonathan Boulet, Kindness
FBI/Penny Drop Party – Zola Jesus, Light Asylum, Forces
Imogen Heap
GoodGod Danceteria!
Future Classic Party

Visit the Vivid LIVE website: Here to see this year’s full line-up.

Subscribe to Vivid LIVE e-news and we’ll keep you up-to-date with the festival, featuring exclusive music and special offers.

New Festival Director for Vivid Live 2012

Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House is a 10-day celebration of ambitious popular music within the city’s annual Vivid Sydney festival of light, music and ideas running from 25 May to 11 June 2012.

Embraced by the public as a unique contribution to Sydney’s cultural calendar, Vivid LIVE originally selected a guest curator each year, choosing and creating projects that spoke to their tastes and interests.

In 2012, Vivid LIVE will be overseen by Festival Director, Fergus Linehan. Together with the programming team at Sydney Opera House, the Vivid LIVE Festival Director will be responsible for cultivating artist-driven projects including unique collaborations, one-off projects and special events that take over all the venues and spaces of the House, including the iconic Lighting the Sails.

The full line-up for this year’s festival will be announced on Thursday 15 March. However, we can reveal that Vivid LIVE will include a special commission of new works created and performed by Sufjan Stevens,
Nico Muhly and Bryce Dessner.

MORE INFO

DOM

Christopher Barker – Vivid Blogger: Powered by Origin

Saturday 4 June, The Studio, Sydney Opera House

There is a bitter irony within last night’s performance by DOM, based pretty much around the fact that an over-eighteen crowd had gathered to watch a band I could only WISH I grew up with. There is an endearing honesty to the four dudes who somehow managed to take garage worldwide, converting the sleek Opera House Studio into a warehouse reminiscent of every US-based teen-film ever. A skateboard ramp, red cups and beer pong were seriously missing, but the vibe was definitely there courtesy of the attitude from these four long-haired, baggy t-shirt wearing, ‘I-don’t-give-a-f**k’ DUDES, stuck between knowing how big they are going to be, and not really giving a shit.

Their DIY meets big-room aesthetic is laced with psychedelia, surf rock nostalgia and more references to drugs than drugs themselves, enforced and encouraged by the no-holds front man. They seem to tap into their age, locking in years of the adolescent experience in short, distorted, two minute bursts, loud enough to shake the seats up top. But again, it is this repeated emotional honesty that they leave a powerful mark, with tracks like Jesus and Burning Bridges keeping a kinda-empty Opera House on energetic knees. Garage bands don’t always have musical acclaim, though from what I could see, they have enough talent to justify their coolness which unfortunately decreases after the 8pm finish. Having only arrived at the advertised 7.30, this is seriously not-dope but perhaps we missed the memo.

Anyway, there is something about seeing this band live that leaves you angry, nostalgic, happy, tired, and a whole lot of other indefinable emotions that might take a while to process. With initial skepticism, their energy on stage is contagious and proves their style as being without fashion. If this show was their introduction, I seriously look forward to an intensified return – but, next time I’ll bring the red-cups…

Sonny Rollins at 80

Christopher Barker – Vivid Blogger: Powered by Origin

Thursday 2 June, Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House

Arrrggghhh deadlines. Whilst incredibly convenient for keeping up to date with the world, they make it frustratingly difficult to process what needs to be interpreted and journalized accordingly. When it comes to the Sonny Rollins’ exclusive Sydney performance experienced tonight, this frustration is magnified as I don’t think I will be able to comprehend what just happened in any time shorter than months. A complex web of musical talent, ingenuity and overall timing which can only be achieved with years of devotion, appreciation of which requiring years of reflection. This was one special thing indeed.

An unmistakably assorted crowd (of course it was) settled into the stunning Opera House Concert Hall to catch one of the remaining legendary jazz greats on what could possibly be his last tour to Australia. Sonny Rollins @ 80 was celebratory not only for his age, but for a lengthy career based on ideas and unspoken communication, both of which were on full show tonight.

Proceeded by a four piece band including a bass player partner of five decades, Sonny Rollins’ entered stage right with a level of octogenarian cool probably only capable by the grey-haired man himself. Battle weapon (aka Tenor Saxophone) in hand, he wasted no time in energizing the stage with the familiarly addictive chorus of ‘Patanjali’, as a natural warmth and ease with the stage is reciprocated by the Opera House’ stunning acoustic depth. In a rare announcement to the crowd, Sonny introduced his incredibly talented band mates alongside a somber number ‘Blue Gardenia’ originally by friend and fellow legend Nat King Cole (why not?).

Upping the tempo by the third number, Rollins’ set the vibe right with the improvised madness he is known for.  Unadulterated talent emanates proudly from his tenor, as an indescribable flurry of notes and surprises, dropping scales and octaves with such phenomenal speed and accuracy, its impossible to believe he is not following written cues. The occasional squeak and foghorn ensure the audience attention is not flailing, but with such a dedicated audience I don’t think it ever was.

One of the notable exclusions in advertisements for this special show was the mention of his band, four members of inexplicable talent that work together as a single piece. Sonny Rollins’ did not feel like a man with a band, it felt like five men in a band working together to take the sounds they love as far as they could. It is my bias that jazz musicians are amongst the most talented in the world (the style demands it), but this was truly validated by watching these relatively young members take each others ideas higher and higher. You could literally watch them take cues off each other and work to build (or break down) the sound.

Lacking the melodic drive of a Piano, Peter Bernstein on guitar fulfilled two roles (including some mind blowing solos) with enduring ease, driven by a stand-out drummer whose sense of rhythm could only be described as spiritually heightened. The syncopated nature of the numbers bought out the improvisation between himself and bongo player Sammy Figueroa who turned the simple stage set up into a work of non-visual art. And perhaps this was the biggest detriment to the entire show.

Rollins’ had chosen a specifically talented band for this tour, though he knew it, allowing  them to often take control of the music for a little too-long at a time. Call it restraint, musical freedom or just old age, Rollins’ played the least out of the entire band in a way that made it noticeable.

What he did play however was played phenomenally, culminating in the calypsotic final tune ‘Global Warming’ featuring an 8 minute solo and enough good vibes to leave everyone on a high. Leaving the stage amongst a crowd-pleasing rendition of ‘Waltzing Matilda’ Sonny Rollins’ received two standing ovations from an audience who remained captivated and enthralled from a two hour odyssey into a true legends mind. Despite an 80th birthday, a musical icon delivered one of the most enthralling and memorable experiences the Opera House is likely to see this year, and for many of the fans present, their lifetime. A one off, very special thing indeed.

Yo Gabba Gabba!

Christopher Barker – Vivid Blogger: Powered by Origin

Probably one of the more unexpected bookings within the Vivid Live roster, crossover children’s TV show Yo Gabba Gabba! brought their live show to a perfectly uncharacteristic Opera House, packed with the psychedelic hip-hop material and sentimentality that has led to their huge age-defiant success.

A sold out concert hall seems worryingly empty until you realize that half the patrons are 2ft tall or under, accompanied by some super-slick parents and the odd pocket of young adults, probably there for the colour (…ahem). As DJ Lance Rock makes his first on-screen appearance, the crowd was buzzing with that childlike anticipation of not knowing what the hell is going on, but being too excited to care. The orange-suited smiley dude (according to the kid next to me: “FROM THE TV”) burst from the screen with enough over-the-top enthusiasm to warrant the screams flooding the hall. Wasting no time in introducing the psychedelic Yo Gabba Gang, it is within a short minute that the stage is flooded with the wildly technicolor monsters that bring the show to life. Plex, Fofa, Muno, Brobee (who ACTUALLY has the best dance ever) and Toodee are things of colour and texture, electrifying and intoxicating the stage. The kids are losing their minds too.

Basically a one-hour live version of the television show itself, DJ Lance (a pricelessly funny leading man) and the gang worked their way through the most popular segments with some super-dope guests to help. Sydney party-starters Art vs. Science played the role of Super-Music friends, using lead track ‘Flippers’ to an audience I think even they found weird to be playing to. Triple J’s Tom and Alex showed us their own dancey-dance, the Peanut Butter Stomp, with enough energy to make the kids go gangbusters from front to back. Coolest moment of the show however belongs to rap legend Biz Markie, showing us Biz’s Beat for the Day live at the hall. Whilst his beatboxing kinda sucked, it was Biz Markie playing live with Yo Gabba Gabba!, and I think that counts as cool enough. He got the crowd involved with sounds, taking a break for the relentlessly cool beats driving the show.

This soundtrack is surely worth mentioning, a bottom-heavy blend of booty bass, breaks and hip hop instrumentals which wouldn’t seem out of place in a club gig. It’s almost comical how the show manages to mix themes of human-rights and the importance of friendship with bass-heavy beats and songs like ‘There’s a Party in my Tummy’ but that’s probably why its so popular. It’s also probably why there were so many stoners there.

Rapping up the hour-or-so performance with a goodbye song, children theatre wide seemed satisfied and exhausted as Yo Gabba Gabba’s six shows prove why their colours and energy make it the best on television. Sure it only went for an hour, didn’t have a real plot and kept the stage design minimal, it is for under 4’s so With awesome guests, a completely dope soundtrack and probably the coolest looking leading-DJ ever, Yo Gabba Gabba ticks all the boxes for the perfect children’s show.  An unexpected booking for Vivid Live, but a worthwhile one.

 

Music, light shows and sustainability: strange bedfellows?

Ryan O’Connell – Vivid Blogger: Powered by Origin

Origin Energy is an odd choice of sponsor for the Vivid LIVE.

One party is publicly dedicated to saving the earth by reducing energy expenditure; the other has worked very hard to arrange for two-weeks of non-stop energy expenditure.

Vivid LIVE seems like the sort of thing green-organisations would picket, not promote. So what’s with the strange bedfellows?

Shelly Rowe, the Opera house’s sustainability manager, tells me the group’s motives aren’t as antithetical as they first seem.

‘A lot of people think that, if you’re pursuing environmental values, then you have to trade off on economic and social. I don’t believe that’s true.’

She believes the opera house is proof that it’s possible to deliver on environmental, social, cultural and economic sustainability, simultaneously.

‘We put in a huge effort to find every tiny little aspect of this place that we can make more energy efficient without impacting on the quality of the shows, or the building itself.’

And just how huge is italics-worthy ‘huge’?  Shelly quickly rattles off a number of impressively nitpickety ways the Opera House is cutting its carbon footprint:

• Using energy-efficient pumps, seawater is used throughout the building’s air conditioning systems, saving up to 15 Olympic swimming pools of water per year.

• Replacing lights all over the building with energy-efficient LEDs . (They’ve even designed custom bulbs to fit the untouchable, heritage-listed light fittings. That is dedication).

• Installing automatic lights-off timers, ensuring none can be left of all night

• Establishing a robust metering system to measure energy expenditure around the massive complex

The last (and perhaps most impressive) example is a direct result of the Origin partnership: a tool to calculate the myriad of greenhouse-gas producing factors involved in Vivid.

Knowledge is power, and the information reaped from this tool allows the Shelly and co. to begin making up for the festival’s carbon footprint with offset projects.

‘There’s no such thing as ‘being green’, Shelly cautions­. ‘We are going to be greener. We are going to continually improve – and being partnered a like-minded organisation like Origin makes a big difference.’

Cut Copy

Sunday 29 May,  Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House

Ryan O’Connell – Vivid Blogger: Powered by Origin

The Opera House was born of outrageous ambition, and Cut Copy did their level best to convene with the building’s spirit tonight.

Emerging from a giant white door, the Melbourne synthjockeys settle in among scattered green foliage and vines creeping from the ceiling. Fittingly, they break into a jungle-drum beat which unravels into curtain-raiser ‘Corner of the Sky’.

It doesn’t take long to register that the lads have a penchant for the theatrical. After tearing their way through ‘Where I’m Going’ and ‘Nobody Lost, Nobody Found,’ the stage is blanketed in darkness. A lone spotlight finds guitarist Tim Hoey who, keeping his back to the audience, delivers a ratchety, distortion-riddled solo before the band ceremoniously rejoin for ‘So Haunted.’

Frontman Dan Whitford has always boasted a unique sonic signature, and his hazy, otherworldly vocals are even more impressive live. He’s clearly enjoying himself, flittering around the stage like an electronic hummingbird. The level of sweat on his shirt doubles as a gig-progress bar. It’s half-soaked: we’ve come a long way, but we’re not done yet.

The spellbinding one-two combo of ‘Lights and Music’ and ‘Take Me Home’  marks the zenith of the performance as cheering approaches critical mass.

With half the audience utterly spent and the other half dancing for more, the band ‘finishes’ with the kind of an epic extended jam session a venue like this calls for. Dan hoists his guitar roofwards in tribute to whoknowswhat, while Tim grinds his along the curb of the stage, trying to make a sound, any sound, to contribute to the frenetic din. The remaining half of Cut Copy take their cue, bashing anything in reach to pave sonic bricks into the mounting wall of sound.

After the obligatory moment of absence they’re back with a robed gospel-choir, who help put a harmonious stamp on encore numbers ‘Need you Now’ and the coup de grace ‘Hearts On Fire’ before the band departs, for real. We file out – two hours and hundreds of dancing-kilojoules poorer – satiated.

Architecture in Helsinki

 

Sunday 29 May

Opera Theatre, Sydney Opera House

Ryan O’Connell

An opera house tour guide recently described the Vivid festival as a method of rousing Sydney from an early hibernation.

This, I’m convinced, is the exact reason Architecture in Helsinki are on the bill – their brand of kaleidoscopic, synthsoaked circa-80s pop is jubilant enough to draw out Sydney’s most reclusive residents.

On Sunday night, the electropop collective relayed their special pop mania to the masses for an hour, and we ate it up. Channeling Gary Numan with one song (‘Hold Music’) and off-the-wall era Michael Jackson the next, Helsinki are nimble on their feet – no burst of performance lasts a microsecond longer than it needs to.

‘Desert Song’ is a cheery round-trip to a happier headspace, while the ominous ‘B43D’ is strangely moving, proving the band can operate just as smoothly outside of their up-tempo comfort zone.

Having thoroughly won us over from the first wub-wub-wub of tickled keyboard, co-frontpeople Cameron Bird and Kellie Sutherland survey the crowd constantly, harvesting smiles from the field of swaying bodies. ‘Heart it Races’ yields a bumper crop.

Kellie soon comes to the fore for ‘W.O.W’, decked out in electric blue sequins like an adorable sapphire playing a keyboard.

The band plays instrument musical-chairs throughout the night, with members hopping from keyboard to guitar to piano and back again – but nothing gets the crowd going more than the joyous clashing of their palms and snapping of their digits. That is, unless you count the impromptu choreographed dance sequence.

The encore finally addresses the question I’ve been pondering all night; will ‘Contact High’ live up to its name? Affirmative – the band are high on their own melody, and it’s contagious.

The Crystal Ark

The Studio, Saturday 28 May

Ryan O’Connell

Kitted out in an all-white nautical ensemble, Gavin Russom takes to the stage at the Sydney Opera House’s ‘Studio’ with an amiable grin.

The Crystal Ark frontman begins mashing a comically small keyboard and calling for each of his 10-strong collective to assemble. As they arrive, Russom casually hypes up what’s about to go down.

Meanwhile, two figures draped under gossamer sheets sit meditating on either side of the stage. I assumed they were statues until, 15-minutes into the set, they rose, cast off their translucent coverings and began shimmying lithely. It’s distracting, to say the least.

Not that there’s that much to be distracted from: while each component of The Crystal Ark is does his or her thing admirably, they build momentum at a snail’s pace. Russom and his drummer establish a cruisy groove, and I’m poised waiting for the next layer to drop….but it doesn’t come. Every time the extra bassline or egg-shaker finally arrives, it’s too little and way too late to satisfy. Overall, this is somewhat understimulating. Which is weird for a show featuring a giant psychedelic screen projection, writhing half-naked people, and three Arabian dancing/singing girls – I also couldn’t help but feel that the lacklustre visuals were somewhat undermined by the knowledge that, just outside, Vivid is putting on a phenomenal light show all over Circular Quay.

The crowd seems equally underwhelmed, except for a select few who are loving it. I have my hopes pinned on them – maybe they know something I don’t? Maybe they’re hardcore fans, and have secret knowledge that their favourite band saves the best ‘til last? It wasn’t to be: the Ark sank, (along with my hopes) when they concluded a full half-hour short of their scheduled 90-minute set. No encore. I guess they weren’t really feeling their sound either?

Ladies and Gentlemen, that was incredible

Spiritualized – Opera Theatre, Friday 28 May

Ryan O’Connell

I have to admit – I’ve never really listened to Radiohead. Like the The Godfather trilogy or The Office, its one of those glaring omissions in my pop-culture palette that is somehow never filled by muttering, “I really should watch/hear that sometime.”

So when I learned that a band called ‘Spiritualized’ would be performing what was apparently a lesser-known but no less-revered rival to OK Computer ( ‘Ladies and Gentlemen, We Are Floating In Space’ ) and I had to review the gig, I thought, well shit.

I just got back to my hotel room after the show and now I’m thinking oh shit. If you experience any wooziness or Déjà vu in the next couple of days, don’t fret – that’s just me, breaking the time-barrier to slap my younger self for not listening to Spiritualised sooner.

Although, on second thought hearing this material for the first time as a live performance was something else.

When the house-lights go down, frontman Jason Pierce saunters on stage, a walking anticlimax – this was not what I was expecting. He’s hunched, pallid, and appears from a mild-distance to be a gangly teenager. He sits on a computer chair. I can’t help but worry, for the rest of the set, that he could roll offstage at any moment, taking his glorious 35-strong orchestra/gospel-choir/band with him.

What follows is, as promised, an hour and a half of Spiritualized’s magnum opus. In my pocket is a crumpled piece of paper bearing the ‘Ladies and Gentlemen’ tracklisting, because I’m trying to be organised (I realise this is the lamest thing anyone has ever brought a rock gig. Iggy Pop’s original body is probably spinning in its grave). My list may as well be written in wingdings, because Pierce isn’t having a bar of it. The album is a sprawling, genre-hopping beast, and there’s no way I can discern between tracks in this sublime carousel of time signatures and mood-swings.

I did manage, however, to pin down the common characteristics of the piece; any given song sees Jason waxing miserable* with an effortless, almost bored Damon Albarn-y quality. A tidy, noddable riff picks up the momentum before handballing to the horn section. Its unrelenting brass blasts raise the choruses to otherwise unreachable heights, before the white-robed, shimmying gospel singers harmonise to gently bring it back to Jason’s capable hands.

The whole piece had a way of feeling precision-guided and unhinged at the same time, like a smart missile – cacophonic, but intentionally so. It’s the kind of balancing act reserved for madmen and geniuses – Spiritualised smear the line into an alkaloid blur, and it’s awesome.

Was it a bit overindulgent at times? Yes.  Did the performance’s quality suffer for it? Not really. Am I too smitten with this band after what I’ve heard so far to judge objectively anymore? No comment.

*I have since learned that this album was written in the wake of Pierce’s girlfriend leaving him for Richard Ashcroft. This explains a lot.