With February’s announcement that electronic music forefathers Kraftwerk would be headlining this year’s Vivid LIVE, gracing the Sydney Opera House with a series of full album performances in a live 3D visual extravaganza, it was clear that the full lineup for the annual Sydney Festival wasn’t far off.
Lo and behold, the full Vivid LIVE 2013 lineup is here, and following on from last year’s successful edition, its a suitably eclectic and exciting mix of artists.
Joining Kraftwerk on the festival bill will be Empire Of The Sun premiering their long-awaited second studio album Ice On The Dune, following on from cryptically announcing its arrival with a JJ Abrams-directed teaser.
Soul survivor and Gorillaz associate Bobby Womack will be playing his first Australian shows since touring as part of the cartoon band’s Plastic Beach entourage, and his first since releasing his Damon Albarn/Richard Russell produced album The Bravest Man In The Universe, which our Tone Deaf reviewer named “powerful and touching… his best album in over a decade.”
Karly Hyde, one of iconic British electronic duo Underworld, is also arriving on the waves of a new release, his solo debut titled Edgeland, concerned with his love of cityscapes, or has his press release puts it: “The beauty of decay, tyre marks, crude graffiti, industrial noise, overheard conversations, epidemics of coffee bars and nights on the back seat being driven through cities by drivers who never sleep.”
Also on the Vivid LIVE lineup is the 45-strong Heritage Orchestra, performing the classic Vangelis score to Ridley Scott’s sci-if film par excellence, Blade Runner. In collaboration with Scanner and Live_Transmission, The Heritage Orchestra will also be reworking the music of Joy Division in a unique performance.“This year’s Vivid LIVE has been a real pleasure to program – from Empire of the Sun to Kraftwerk, from Karl Hyde to Sunnyboys…” – Fergus Linehan, Vivid LIVE Festival Director
Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon will also be making the trip to Sydney, as part of Sounds of the South, a folk-rock show with a mix of musicians paying tribute to American artist Alan Lomax.
There’s also a visit from American luminary (and Spacebomb Records founder) Matthew E. White, and ‘Bish Bosch Ambisymphonic’ a world premiere audio installation of Scott Walker’s latest album, last year’s experimental and excellent Bisch Bosch.
Rounding out the lineup is an impressive list of Australian names, including the newly-revived Sunnyboys, famed indigenous singer Gurrumul, Blue Mountains band Cloud Control, Australian Blues singer-songwriter C.W. Stoneking.
Vivid LIVE Festival Director, Fergus Linehan, showed his enthusiasm for this year’s lineup in a press release; saying: “This year’s Vivid LIVE has been a real pleasure to program – from Empire of the Sun to Kraftwerk, from Karl Hyde to Sunnyboys, it will be a time to be inspired and elated in equal measure. We look forward to welcoming people from all over Australia and overseas to the Opera House.”
One of Vivid LIVE 2013’s major drawcards, as already mentioned, is the KRAFTWERK – THE CATALOGUE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 concert series from Germany’s electronic music pioneers, who will be performing eight albums from their influential discography at the Sydney Opera House with the aid of 3D enhanced visuals. Kraftwerk singer Ralf Hutter describing it as a “Gesamtkunstwerk”, which translates to ‘synthesis of the arts.”
The 10-day celebration of art and popular music will also feature the light projections of the Spinifex Group, who will be projecting interactive 3D images onto the the iconic sails of the Sydney Opera House, as well as providing listening posts scattered around the surrounding Circular Quay area.
For the first time ever, Vivid LIVE will be stretching beyond the Sydney Opera House to external venues, including the Terminal Projekt which features a host of international electronic acts and DJS playing the Overseas Passenger Terminal in June, and Seymour Centre New Wave: Sound, a program of 11 events presenting exploratory innovative music on 7 and 8 June.
More Vivid Music events will be announced, including shows at other venues, in the coming weeks, you can view the full lineup, dates, and programme details below.
Vivid Live 2013 lineup
Kraftwerk
Empire of the Sun – world premiere of Ice On The Dune
Bobby Womack
Karl Hyde from Underworld (Australian premiere)
Heritage Orchestra performing Vangelis’ original Blade Runner score
Sounds of the South ft. Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), Megafaun, Fight the Big Bull & Matthew E. White
Live Transmission: Joy Division reworked
Sunnyboys
Cloud Control
C.W. Stone King
Gurrumul
Scott Walker
Future Classic Party
Goodgod Dancetera
Vivid Live 2013 Dates & Programme
May 24th – June 10th.
Tickets on sale to the general public on Wednesday 27 March, 9am – sydneyoperahouse.com/vividLIVE
For more details head to http://www.vividsydney.com/
Vivid Sydney runs from 24 May to 10 June. See here for more details.
LIGHTING THE SAILS
THE SPINIFEX GROUP
DATE: 24 May – 10 June
TIME: 6pm – Midnight
TICKET PRICE: FREE
KRAFTWERK – (GERMANY)
THE CATALOGUE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 (3D SHOWS)
DATE: 24 May – 27 May
TIME: 7pm & 9.30pm
VENUE: Joan Sutherland Theatre
TICKET PRICE: Tickets have been allocated via an online application process
EMPIRE OF THE SUN – (AUS)
WORLD EXCLUSIVE ALBUM PREMIERE SHOW
DATE: 30 & 31 May
TIME: 8pm
VENUE: Concert Hall
TICKET PRICE: From $59
BOBBY WOMACK – (USA)
AUSTRALIAN DEBUT
Presented in association with FBi Radio
DATE: 24 & 25 May
TIME: 9pm
VENUE: Concert Hall
TICKET PRICE: From $59
SOUNDS OF THE SOUTH – (USA)
FEAT. JUSTIN VERNON & MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE, SYDNEY EXCLUSIVE
Presented in association with FBi Radio
DATE: 1 & 2 June
TIME: 9pm & 4pm
VENUE: Concert Hall
TICKET PRICE: From $59
GURRUMUL – (AUS)
THE GURRUMUL PROJECT – WORLD PREMIERE
DATE: 28 & 29 May
TIME: 8pm
VENUE: Concert Hall
TICKET PRICE: From $69
VANGELIS – MUSIC FROM BLADE RUNNER – (UK)
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE, SYDNEY EXCLUSIVE
DATE: 26 May
TIME: 9pm
VENUE: Concert Hall
TICKET PRICE: From $59
BISH BOSCH AMBISYMPHONIC
AUDIO INSTALLATION OF SCOTT WALKER’S ‘BISH BOSCH’ (UK)
WORLD PREMIERE, SYDNEY EXCLUSIVE
DATE: 24 May – 2 June
TIME: Daily from 5pm
VENUE: Playhouse
TICKET PRICE: FREE
KARL HYDE (UNDERWORLD) – (UK)
DATE: 27 May
TIME: 9pm
VENUE: Concert Hall
TICKET PRICE: From $59
SUNNYBOYS IN CONCERT – (AUS)
DATE: 2 June
TIME: 9pm
VENUE: Concert Hall
SHOW NAME: as above
TICKET PRICE: From $59
Show & Film Package – Purchase a ticket to the Sunnyboys and receive a $9 discount to the World Premiere screening of the Sunnyboy! (Discount only applies when concert and film are purchased in one transaction)
LIVE_TRANSMISSION – JOY DIVISION REWORKED (UK)
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE, SYDNEY EXCLUSIVE
DATE: 29 May
TIME: 7pm
VENUE: Joan Sutherland Theatre
TICKET PRICE: From $59
‘THE SUNNYBOY’ (FILM) (AUS) – WORLD PREMIERE
Presented in association with Sydney Film Festival.
DATE: 2 June
TIME: 5.30pm
VENUE: Joan Sutherland Theatre
TICKET PRICE: $25
CLOUD CONTROL – (AUS)
ALBUM PREMIERE
Presented in association with FBi Radio
DATE: 31 May
TIME: 8.30pm
VENUE: Joan Sutherland Theatre
TICKET PRICE: $35
C.W. STONEKING (AUS)
DATE: 1 June
TIME: 7.30pm
VENUE: Joan Sutherland Theatre
TICKET PRICE: $45
MATTHEW E. WHITE – (USA)
AUSTRALIAN DEBUT
DATE: 2 June
TIME: 8.30pm
VENUE: Joan Sutherland Theatre
TICKET PRICE: $35
