Posted by Danni Le Toullec on October 24, 2011
The inaugural música /TUMBALONG festival took a line-up gamble which paid off in Sydney last weekend, with a fresh crop of international and local electronic and indie acts.
With the one stage, limited capacity and most people keeping their clothes on, this boutique festival was a welcome change from what has become a stock standard festival package. A day spent running from stage to stage, crying over timetable clashes and losing your friends left, right and centre.
Bon Chat, Bon Rat, a Sydney-based trio, played tracks from their self-produced (and mixed) debut EP to a crowd that lazed on the grass in the hot afternoon sun. The trio’s hypnotic electronica complimented the atmosphere of the festival, with the lofty melody of tracks like ‘Blackbird’ carrying through the air.
Emerging artists Mitzi, a four piece hailing from Brisbane, Australia, brought their disco inspired beats and addictive grooves to the stage with stand-out tracks, “All I Heard” and “India”. More...
musica/tumbalong, sbtrkt, ghostpoet, mitzi, bon chat, bon rat, electric wire hustle, lunice, tiger and woods, sydney music festival, electronica
Posted by Danni Le Toullec on September 9, 2011
Smirnoff hosted an intimate event for Sydney's media and bloggers in a secret location in Darlinghurst tonight. The evening was to announce Australia's swap country for the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project 2011.
Following last years' eve of Brazilian themed festivities, this year Australia will be treated to a taste of Italy for one night of cultural swapsies. Junior Jack & Kid Créme and Alex Gaudino will be flown in to headline the event, while Nervo and Bang Gang Deejay’s will fly over to Italy to rep the Australian music scene.
The event is part of Smirnoff's ongoing global social experiment, which provides people all around the world with an opportunity to see how their foreign counterparts get down and dirty. Fourteen countries across the globe - including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, India, Ireland, Lebanon, Poland, South Africa, Thailand and Venezuela - exchange their local nightlife for one evening of debauchery on 12 November 2011. More...
smirnoff, eau de vie, behind bars, max greco, smirnoff nightlife exchange project
Posted by AndyRyan on August 22, 2011
Yearlings is the third release, following a previous EP and album, in the four-year existence of Sydney’s Dead Letter Chorus. It is an album that is confidently comes at you made by a band who have figured out what they are all about. They tackle the eternal quandary and elation of a newly evolving love across the ten precise songs within; with aware and insightful lyrics such as ‘you helped me lift my heart, it weighed a tonne/ because two is always better than one’ elevating it above the usual emotion blinded clichéd bluster the subject is capable of giving rise to.More...
dead letter chorus, yearlings, gabrielle huber, les cooper
Posted by KB on July 5, 2011
In line with their vision of providing Sydneysiders with a fresh take on culture, artist-run initiative Serial Space is presenting their inaugural mini-sound festival, Next Next, from July 7-9.
The festival kicks off on Thursday with a performance by The Splinter Orchestra, marking the end of their two week residency at the space. The 35 strong group are Sydney’s foremost improvisational ensemble, creating sound through creative use of traditional and experimental instruments.
If you’re still on the fence about the whole experimental music thing, then check out Friday’s Great Music Debate: That Experimental Music Is Boring - apparently based on “history’s most frequently though, but least uttered statements”.
The festival continues over the weekend with Boredom and Danger, a forum on the contemporary and historical practices in experimental music, and culminates in a live performance from electronic artist Ivan Lisyak, together with an installation from Emily Morandini.
For all the information on the program, check the Serial Space website.
Serial Space is at 33 Wellington St, Chippendale.
next next, serial space, splinter orchestra, ivan lisyak
Posted by Danni Le Toullec on June 20, 2011
After eight years of being one of Sydney’s favourite indie exports, Red Riders announced to the world that they would be disbanding.
They've racked up the miles throughout the USA and Australia alongside Franz Ferdinand, Jet, The Shins, Faker, Snow Patrol and The Living End. Their sold out final gig at Sydney’s Oxford Art Factory on Saturday night attracted a huge crowd, showing the support that they have amasssed from their hard yards on the road.
In 2008, Red Riders went through some changes when Adrian Deutsch left the band and was shortly replaced by Brad Heald (guitar) of The Vines. As a proper salute to their time together, Adrian came onstage to rejoin his original bandmates Alex Grigg (vocals & guitar), Tom Wallace (drums) and Mathew Chapman (bass) for some of their earlier tunes off their debut Replica Replica (2006) including the stand out tracks “My Love Is Stronger Than Your Love” and “Slide In Next To Me”. More...
red riders, oxford art factory, alex grigg, adrian deutsch, brad heald, tom wallace, mathew chapman, drown in colour, replica replica
Posted by kluster on June 7, 2011
The Chris Cunningham shows at Vivid Live last Sunday seem to have courted more controversy than the Ash King video, Scene & Not Heard – Ep 1 SURRY HILLS, NSW. Then again, it makes sense. After all, Cunningham’s videos have ranged in shock value from the robotically romantic All Is Full of Love (low) to the wholly unnerving Rubber Johnny (really, really high). And, there have been many. So it’s understandable that not all viewers would be across his back catalogue enough to expect images of drug-snorting paraplegics with expanded craniums complimenting small girls with bloody, exploding chest cavities.
The hour-long performance – not to be confused with the three hours advertised on the event website – was quite the assault. Drum & bass beats, lasers and a solid layering of past clips meshed together to create an event that, while strangely void of Cunningham himself – he was there, on stage, but more as the grand controller than a performer – was still whole and complete.
Cunningham is a consummate filmmaker and the opportunity to watch his works, as currated and controlled by him, at the Sydney Opera House was one we’ll not soon forget. Heck, we couldn’t if we tried; some of those images have burned themselves onto the back of our retinas and now populate the blackness that appears every time we close our eyes.
Oh, the horror!
chris cunningham, sydney opera house, vivid live, all is full of live, rubber johnny
Posted by Danni Le Toullec on June 2, 2011
Walking into one of Odd Future’s three sold out gigs at Sydney Opera House’s Studio, I spotted a few elderly patrons and I couldn’t help but cringe for what they were about to witness.
Offensive, degrading, sexist, violent. These are a few words that have been used to describe a group that came out of relative obscurity in early 2010. In their first Australian appearance as part of the Modular programmed Vivid LIVE line-up, the massively hyped group are indeed pushing many buttons.
Following months of free releases, mixtapes, videos and Tyler’s self-released Bastard in 2010, the group is almost making Eminem look like Sesame Street. But the funny thing is as much as people complain about the shocking content of their lyrics, it is clear that the profanities have little to no meaning. After all the spitting, swearing, the umpteenth chant of “Suck My Dick” and the countless middle fingers thrown up to the crowd, it barely warrants a mention. All of this slamming against a relentless bassline that was so loud it could have (and very well may have) ruptured a few eardrums.
The hyped up swarm in the moshpit absolutely loved it. From the second Tyler the Creator exploded onto stage in his green goblin mask, the crowd was his. Chants of “Wolf Gang” and “Free Earl” pulsed repetitively as hands were raised in salute. More...
odd future, tyler the creator, ofwgkta, vivid live, vivid sydney, sydney opera house, halfway crookes
Posted by Danni Le Toullec on May 31, 2011
It was somewhat surprising to find that WU LYF (World Unite/Lucifer Youth Foundation), a band that has firmly (if unintentionally) shrouded itself in mystery, play a very organised and structured set. Exactly on time, with no supporting act and one neat encore. As a band that recorded their debut in an abandoned church, this rigidness was most likely due to the structured timings of the organisers, Vivid Sydney, than the English lads themselves.
With LYF stitched into his denim jacket and a rough Mohawk shaved into his hair, Ellery Roberts' intense vocals were erratic and passionate; each note ripped out of his lungs in short bursts and scattered against a backdrop of Tom McClung’s effortless bass riffs. Although the lyrics were hard to understand, each band member obviously believes in every single word. Eyes squeezed shut, guitarist Evans Kati mouthed the words and drummer Joseph Manning was so into it, he lost his shirt only two songs in.
There may not have been tears, but blood and sweat definitely went into this performance. Halfway through their set, Roberts pointed out to McClung that he was bleeding above his temple. Looking bewildered, McClung said, “You made me bleed Sydney... but I like it!” More...
wu lyf, vivid live, vivid sydney, sydney opera house
Posted by Danni Le Toullec on May 30, 2011
The smell of hot buttered popcorn filled the air of Sydney’s Oxford Art Factory for Sosueme’s 4th Birthday on Saturday eve. Party hats adorned most heads and the fairy floss lady spun her delicious orbs of sugar all night long.
Proudly 99% genre free, Sosueme is the cultural conglomerate that regularly provides Sydney with artistic and musical stimulation. The self-proclaimed “tear in the space/time fabric of PARTY” combines behind-the-scenes action - the producers, designers and promoters - with the spotlight queens, a.k.a the bands, DJ’s and fashion superstars.
In celebration of Sosueme’s day of conception, a bunch of up and coming bands dropped by to say Happy Birthday. Melbournites Stonefield and Redcoats joined Parades, Guineafowl, Pluto Jonze, Alison Wonderland, Joyride & the Accidents, Mrs Bishop, Bon Chat Bon Rat and Furnace & the Fundamentals in the Live Art Space and the Gallery Bar. More...
sosueme, oxford art factory, parades, pluto jonze, guineafowl, stonefield, splendour in the grass, alison wonderland, pedestrian DJs, falcona
Posted by Danni Le Toullec on May 27, 2011
As light projections sprawl over the normally grey buildings that surround Circular Quay tonight, do not be alarmed. This isn’t a guerilla colour-obsessed artist working by night, it is in fact part of the exciting third annual Vivid Sydney 2011 festival which will be splashing light, music and colour all over the streets of Sydney from 27 May – 13 June 2011.
There are countless activities, performances and interactive light sculptures to fill your nights as well as a range of public talks and debates from leading creative thinkers around the world. Acclaimed French design collective SUPERBIEN have designed beautiful light projections which will be illuminating the Sydney Opera House.
As part of Vivid Sydney, Vivid LIVE invites a different curator to organize a program of events in the iconic Sydney Opera House each year.
This year, Stephen Pavlovic, founder of Modular Records, has gotten his hands on the line-up and done sweet sweet things to it. We have him to thank for bringing the likes of The Cure, Chris Cunningham, OFWGTA, Tame Impala, Bat For Lashes, The Avalanches, WU LYF, and Spiritualized to our shores. Following in the footsteps of Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson and Brian Eno, it is the first time ever than an Australian has curated the event.
There is also the The Sony Lounge, Vivid Sydney's own pop- up bar, which is set up along the Western foyers of Sydney Opera House. A rotating lineup of DJs will play each night until June 5. After sipping some mulled wine, you can wander around and check out more than 40 light installations or drop in to see the Fire Dance.
So, as the mercury goes down in Sydney, you have no excuse to be a couch potato! Get out there and nourish your cultural soul.
vivid sydney, vivid live, sydney opera house, Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson, Brian Eno, The Cure, Chris Cunningham, OFWGTA, Tame Impala, Bat For Lashes, The Avalanches, WU LYF, Spiritualized
Posted by Danni Le Toullec on April 10, 2011
Fresh from their March tour of the US and appearance at SXSW, The Jezabels played to yet another packed crowd at Sydney's Metro Theatre on Friday night.
The band has been pumping the touring circuit of late and fans are lapping it up. Following a busy Summer festival season that saw them tear up the stages at Falls Festival and Peats Ridge Festival and sell out eleven shows on their national Dark Storm tour, lead singer Hayley Mary, Sam Lockwood (guitar), Nik Kaloper (drums) and Heather Shannon (keys) are noticeably more in tune with each other and their sound than ever before.
Not too long ago, I saw them perform in a paddock under a canopy of stars in the Glenworth Valley. This time around Hayley's lofty voice nestled into the more intimate setting and the emotion in "Hurt me" and "Easy to Love" was more tangible, although those high-reaching notes were not easily mimicked by punters attempting to sing along. Sheathed in black, Hayley stalked the stage, her lithe body and liquid movements creating a distinct feline quality. More...
the jezabels, ernest ellis, metro theatre, groovin the moo
Posted by kluster on April 4, 2011
How much slack should you cut a band for the behaviour of its audience?
Its hard to know if Brooklyn’s Crystal Stilts lack of stage presence can be blamed on the beer - thrown by a rowdy French lass - that lead singer Brad Hargett was forced to wear, or not. He swayed and droned on track after track with an expression that read nonchalant at best or, “I‘d rather be anywhere but here” at worst.
The set was a tight mix of Joy Division meets The Doors, with a healthy dose of The Jesus and Mary Chain. Shoe gazey synths and distorted garage rock seemed to be just what the crowd had poured in for and a few bounced happily along here and there. The highlight was an impromptu on-stage dance performance by an inebriated friend of the aforementioned French girl. Keyboardist Kyle Forester did his best to have her removed after she spilt her beer in his equipment.
There’s no question Crystal Stilts make fun post punk pop music you want to dance along to, it was just a shame they didn’t look they were enjoying it at all.
Check out the rest of the photos from the night (+ more) on the Kluster gallery.
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crystal stilts, cargo, london, beer, brad hargett