2012 Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House 2012 program announced!

KAREN O IN ‘STOP THE VIRGENS’/ FLORENCE + THE MACHINE / THE TEMPER TRAP / BRYCE DESSNER, NICO MUHLY, SUFJAN STEVENS / JANELLE MONAE & THE ARCHANDROID ORCHESTRA / AMON TOBIN LIVE BEYOND 3D ‘ISAM’ / EFTERKLANG & SYDNEY SYMPHONY / PVT / SHUT UP AND PLAY THE HITS / MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND / SEEKAE / DANNY BROWN / MED/ ELLESQUIRE / HALFWAY CROOKS DJS / ZOLA JESUS/ LIGHT ASYLUM / FORCES/ MODULAR / FUTURE CLASSIC / GOODGOD DANCETERIA / URBANSCREEN

What a line-up! Sydney Opera House today announced a stunning program for Vivid LIVE 2012, including Karen O, Florence and The Temper Trap. Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House (May 25 – June 3) is part of Vivid Sydney (May 25 – June 11), the city’s annual festival of light, music and ideas. Now in its fourth year, Vivid Sydney has become Australia’s major festival in winter and is one of five signature events on the NSW Events Calendar developed by Destination NSW on behalf of the NSW Government.

From May 25 – June 3, Vivid LIVE will take over the Sydney Opera House with an extraordinary series of performances including exclusive concerts, unique collaborations and one-off projects. With over 22 events including 11 Australian premieres, 2 world premieres and many artists exclusive to Sydney, Vivid LIVE 2012 reinforces Sydney Opera House as the ultimate winter destination for music fans across Australia. As the centrepiece to Vivid Sydney, each year a Vivid LIVE artist is invited to transform the sails of Sydney Opera House with digital mapping technology. In 2012, Vivid LIVE has commissioned multi-award winning German design collective, URBANSCREEN to create a new artwork that will explore both the iconic sculptural form of Sydney Opera House, as well as its place as a home for music, dance and drama.

There is so much good shit going down at the festival that we can't possibly tell you about it all here, so visit the Vivid website for full deets. Tickets go on sale to the General Public Thursday 22 March, 9am (Insiders: 19 March, Vivid LIVE subscribers: 20 March) 

Bobbysix.com's End of Year Review 2011 - Andy James

Continuing our series of End of Year Reviews from our contributors, culminating in a grand announcement of overall winners later in the week, Andy James gives us his top albums, song, tv shows and gigs:

1. The Whole Love - WILCO
The Whole Love weaves together great pop songs and alt-country in a real return to form for Wilco. From the opening electronic beats of Art of Almost to the 12-minute acoustic closer One Sunday Morning it’s a belter.
2. Let it Beard - BOSTON SPACESHIPS
A double album with little in the way of fat - a testament to Robert Pollard’s knack for never letting a song overstay its welcome. A guest appearance from J. Mascis is just the icing on the cake as the Boston Spaceships checked out on a real high.

3. Ashes & Fire - RYAN ADAMS

Having ditched the Cardinals somewhere on route, the lovely and restrained Ashes & Fire features some of Ryan Adams’ best material since Heartbreaker and The Suicide Handbook - and that voice just gets better and better with age.

4. Lord of the Birdcage - ROBERT POLLARD
Like much of Robert Pollard’s vast back catalogue, Lord of the Birdcage isn't immediate but grows on you with every listen. As his 4,537^th release is unlikely to win over hipsters or mountains of new fans - but like the Boston Spaceships’ effort it's a fine record nonetheless.

5. Smoke Ring For My Halo - KURT VILE
Philadelphia singer-songwriter Kurt Vile returned with a beautifully layered record which touches on slacker rock, Americana and psychedelic folk. A bourbon-drinking, Marlboro red-smoking gem.

Top 10 Songs
1.Tourist UFO - BOSTON SPACESHIPS
2. Art of Almost - WILCO
3. Defeatist - CAMERAS
4. Curtailed Dream - NICK WEBB
5. In a Circle - ROBERT POLLARD
6. Calgary - BON IVER

7. It's Real - REAL ESTATE
8. Runner Ups - KURT VILE
9. Benediction - THURSTON MOORE
10. Taken for a Fool - THE STROKES

Top 5 TV Shows
1. This is England '88
The second spin-off series from the 2006 film This Is England seemed more relevant than ever. Shit-awful Tory-led government running the show? Check. Disaffected youth? Check. Over-hyped England football team? Check.
2. The Killing
Far-fetched plot twists aside, when it comes to Danish-language police dramas with added knitwear, The Killing was in a league of its own. 
3. Match of the Day
More metrosexual banter and perma-tan tension than the average Channel 5 reality show. Not even a 0-0 at the Britannia or Lawrenson's gloom could take the shine off Shearer's shirts. 
4. PMQs
At times it seemed like Ed would never land a blow, but at least Cameron's own backbenches gave him the occasional kicking.
5. Treme
You don't have to be a lover of jazz to enjoy David Simon's Treme. The Wire creator's drama explored the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina on the working-class residents of New Orleans.

Top 5 Gigs
SUFJAN STEVENS - The Dome, Brighton
GARY PAGE - The Lamb, Eastbourne
EELS - The Dome, Brighton
NICK WEBB - The Lamb, Eastbourne
STOP THINKING RECORDS X-MAS SHOWCASE - Bibendum, Eastbourne

2011 in Words
Geopolitical turmoil and economic meltdown aside, on a personal level 2011 didn't feel all that remarkable and certainly wasn't a vintage for new music. Going back through my most listened to albums and tracks of the year it was amazing how few of them were released in the last 12 months. 2012 is already shaping up to be a better one - the first three months of the year see releases from Craig Finn, Guided By Voices, Nada Surf and Lambchop, plus there's the fourth season of In The Loop to look forward to. What else? Well, getting kicked into touch was the catalyst for living like a student again and I've spent more hours sitting around in my pants watching football than is healthy for any thirty-something. I didn't do enough travelling either - although crossing over the Bosphorus from Europe into Asia felt special (albeit with a driver determined to play Bruno Mars on loop). Lots of other high points though, not least spending a lot more time with close friends and family, and an office crush which saw me through the last few months. All in all, life's pretty good.


Andy James - Contributor
Englishman Andy has an impressive knowledge of indie bands that you have probably never heard of and can tell you quite a bit about football too.

Sufjan Stevens at The Great Escape, Brighton

Undoubtedly one of the main draws of the Great Escape this year, Sufjan Stevens played to a long-since sold out Dome on the final night of the festival. Andy James went along for the crazy ride:

SUFJAN STEVENS
Brighton Dome, May 14th 2011

Stevens used American artist Royal Robertson as his muse for 2010’s Age of Adz and live it makes a lot more sense than the first time you put the LP on. Relatively unknown in mainstream circles, Robertson was a paranoid schizophrenic and self-proclaimed prophet to boot. He died near penniless back in 1997 but left behind a mountain of drawings - many of which have since been animated and are used as the visual backdrop for the tour.

Robertson’s work is well worth a Google of anyone’s time. A good reference point would be the child-like doodling of Bobby Six favourite Daniel Johnston - albeit with three-eyed monsters, spaceships, and laser guns ramped up several notches.

Clad in a day-glo space outfit Sufjan channels Robertson’s apocalyptic visions through the performance which he describes as a battle between inner and outer space. It’s in danger of all ending up a bit Spinal Tap - but the gig is superb. Seriously. If L. Ron Hubbard wandered in sporting a Great Escape wristband he’d probably say "fuck it" and chuck in the towel on the spot.

Stevens and his ten-piece backing band play Age of Adz pretty much in its entirety - without resorting to any material from breakthrough albums Illinois or Michigan in the main set.

Think prime Flaming Lips - but with an even greater audio-visual assault on the senses. No one in the audience is moving an inch for two-and-a-half hours - not even for the excellent Dark Star ale on tap in the Dome’s bar.

The set is packed with highlights but album title track Age of Adz stands out along with closer Impossible Soul. The latter is pure pop opera with multiple twists and turns taking you from electronica to stripped-back folk via a healthy slab of disco. Weighing in at 25 minutes it doesn’t overstay its welcome by a second.

Highly recommended - catch this tour if you can.

Review and photographs by Andy James