Vivid Live

Vivid LIVE
Genre Indie rock, hip-hop, electronic, disco, folk, pop, classical[1]
Dates Late May - early June
Location(s) Sydney Opera House
Years active 2009-present
Attendance 37,000+[2]
Website
http://vividlive.sydneyoperahouse.com/

Vivid LIVE is an annual contemporary music festival held by Sydney Opera House as part of Vivid Sydney. Taking place across all six venues at the House, it features a bill of local and international artists, specially commissioned works and the hallmark Lighting of the Sails. It stands as the centrepiece of the Music at the House programme.

At the forefront of each lineup are influential artists performing their most impactful works. Over the years this has included The Cure’s Reflections (2011); Kraftwerk’s retrospective, The Catalogue 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 in 3D (2013); Brian Eno’s Pure Scenius (2009); Lou Reed & Laurie Anderson (2010) and the Pixies (2014).

Unique projects have ranged from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Karen O in Stop The Virgens (2012); Sufjan Stevens, Bryce Dessner & Nico Muhly in Planetarium (2012) to Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, Megafaun and Fight the Big Bull in Sounds of the South (2013).

Vivid LIVE has also seen Australian premieres and exclusive performances from the likes of Ms. Lauryn Hill (2014); Amon Tobin’s ISAM (2012); Chris Cunningham (2011); Bat For Lashes (2011); The Gurrumul Project (2013) and the late Bobby Womack (2013). Most notably, it has showcased a series of emerging artists who have since established themselves at the forefront of contemporary music—including Nils Frahm (2014), St Vincent (2014), Danny Brown (2013), Flume (2009) and Jon Hopkins (2009).

History

In its inaugural incarnation, Luminous, the festival was curated by Brian Eno whose aim was to produce a truly eclectic lineup: "people who work in the new territories, the places in between, the places out at the edges."[3] Acts included New York city's experimental rock group Battles, trumpet player and composer Jon Hassell, and comedian/musician Reggie Watts.

In 2010, the late Lou Reed and his wife Laurie Anderson realised their artistic vision by performing works of their own, with Reed's Metal Machine Trio and Anderson's Transitory Life.[4]

2011 saw the Sydney-based music promoter and founder of Modular Recordings Steve Pavlovic program the likes of The Cure, video artist Chris Cunningham and psychedelic rock project Tame Impala. The Studio venue was also transformed into a club space for the first time with parties curated by The Avalanches, Mad Racket featuring Gavin Russom’s The Crystal Ark and 2manydjs.[5]

In 2012, Sydney Opera House took the programming of the festival into its own hands, reflecting the rising status of contemporary music at the performing arts centre. Fergus Lineham, the Head of Contemporary Music at the time, said the change was necessary to facilitate the ambitious nature of the festival: "there was such a time commitment and a geographical challenge that it meant we ended up with a lot of people who would have loved to do something but wouldn't do the whole thing."[6] The lineup included Sufjan Stevens, Florence + the Machine and the Ceremonial Orchestra, and the Australian premiere of Shut Up and Play the Hits—a documentary recounting the lead up to LCD Soundsystem's final performance. Karen O also appeared in the Australian debut of her "psycho-opera" Stop the Virgens.[7]

In 2015, it was announced that Ben Marshall, Head of Contemporary Music at Sydney Opera House, would be presenting his first Vivid LIVE as curator in a lineup he describes to be "a celebration of unique individuals' voices".[8] In a first for contemporary music at the House, Sydney label Future Classic will present two shows on the Northern Broadwalk.

Artist lineups by year

2009

Curated by Brian Eno

2010

Curated by Laurie Anderson and Lou Reed

2011

Curated by Steve Pavlovic

2012

2013

2014

2015

References

  1. ↑ "VIVID LIVE 2014" (PDF). Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  2. ↑ "Vivid Sydney breaks record as festivalgoers exceed population of Adelaide". Destination NSW. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  3. ↑ "Vivid presents Luminous Festival @ Sydney Opera House". Live Guide. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  4. ↑ "Laurie Anderson and Lou Reed reveal the first part of their Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House program". Sydney Opera House. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  5. ↑ Divola, Barry. "Bright light". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  6. ↑ Zuel, Bernard. "Time to face the music: changes leave Vivid confident of bright future". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  7. ↑ Purcell, Andrew (20 May 2012). "The evolution of Karen O". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  8. ↑ "Vivid LIVE - Curator". Sydney Opera House.
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