Vivd LIVE 2015 is just days away from descending upon the Sydney Opera House and we couldn’t be more excited. Soon, one of Australia’s most iconic venues will be awash in gorgeous lights and music fans who’ve come from around Australia will be treated to a range of world-class performances.
This year, organisers put together a sterling bill of local and international talent, with the lineup featuring performances from the likes of legends like Morrissey, veterans like Sufjan Stevens and Daniel Johns, superstars like Flume, and critically acclaimed favourites, such as TV On the Radio.
If you’ve left your Vivid LIVE planning till the last second, there’s no need to panic. There’s still some shows that haven’t sold out, but you better make sure you get in quick. To give you an extra helping hand, we’ve gone ahead and put together some of the Vivid LIVE 2015 shows you can still get tickets to. For a full list of the festival program visit vividlive.sydneyoperahouse.com.
Squarepusher’s Only Aus Show
22 May, 7pm
Squarepusher has been a revered name in the world of electronic music for more than two decades. Alongside fellow UK electronic pioneers like Aphex Twin, Squarepusher has carved out a unique, consistently boundary-pushing electronic aesthetic that has influenced generations of producers. Now, “the bass maximalist and pure tech-overlord” returns to Sydney after 14 years to debut his new album and audio-visual show, Damogen Furies, which comes off the heels of his mind-melting, all-LED masterpiece, Ufabulum. Do not miss this performance.
Tickets here
The Drones Anniversary & Album Preview
24 May, 7pm
The Drones have long been one of Australia’s most respected musical exponents, as well as one of its most consistently acclaimed outfits, both for their recorded output and their scintillating live shows. They were awarded the first Australian Music Prize and received Triple J’s greatest Australian song nod for ‘Shark Fin Blues’. Now, the band will celebrate 10 years of their beloved album, Wait Long by the River and the Bodies of Your Enemies Will Float By, as well as offering fans an exclusive preview of their forthcoming seventh album, during a very special performance for Vivid LIVE.
Tickets here.
Sufjan Stevens Only Aus Shows
22 May – 25 May, 8pm 
Singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens has been one of the most consistently acclaimed artists of the modern era since he first came on the scene with his 2000 album, A Sun Came. Since then, the multi-instrumentalist has unleashed album after album of deftly written, ambitious songs that have seen him garner countless accolades. Now, a decade on from his flashpoint release, Illinois, Steven has returned with Carrie & Lowell, poised to be his most accomplished effort to date, and he’s set to give this unique song set it’s Australian debut at the Sydney Opera House this month.
Tickets here.
Bill Callahan’s Intimate Theatre Performances
28 & 29 May, 7pm
Bill Callahan is a music fan’s musician. Over the course of 14 albums and 25 years of sublime music, he’s never held anything back. He offers listeners confessional, diary-like insight into his mind through his contradictory brand of laconic, penetrating songwriting. His songs drift from the incisive, to the outright absurd, characterised by wry lyrics, like: “The only words I said today are beer. And thank you. Beer. Thank you. Beer. Thank you.” He’ll be making a rare Sydney appearance this month for two evenings alongside his Dream River band.
Tickets here.
New York Legends TV On The Radio
8 & 9 June, 9pm
Emerging from the same scene that gave us generation defining groups like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Interpol, and The Strokes, Brooklyn’s favourite sons, TV On The Radio have been on the forefront of 21st Century indie music since dropping their universally acclaimed Young Liars EP in 2003. Dynamic, political, vital, and insightful, the band’s latest effort, Seeds, has been widely touted as one of their best yet and now they’re bringing it to their Australian fans for Vivid LIVE, alongside cuts from their incredible catalog, such as ‘Staring at the Sun’ and ‘Wolf Like Me’.
Tickets here.
Daniel Johns’ Solo Debut
28 & 29 May, 8pm
As the frontman of one of our biggest rock bands, Daniel Johns is the definition of a household musical name in Australia. But while he’s best known for his work with Silvechair, Johns’ projects outside of the band he started in high-school and took to arenas around the country has revealed a chameleonic artist capable of making nuanced music in a range of genres, from electronic noise, to minimal soul. Now he’ll be actualising his solo vision for Vivid LIVE as part of a short series of performances eight years in the making.
Tickets here.
Garage Punk Legends Royal Headache
23 May, 7pm
Sydney garage punk favourites Royal Headache will be hitting up Vivid LIVE for their first hometown performance in nearly two years. The “shambolically stately” local legends will be leading a a high-octane takeover of the Joan Sutherland Theatre, joined by a handful of Repressed favourites, including Brisbane’s Blank Realm, Melbourne psych favourites Exhaustion, who’ll perform with free jazz veteran Kris Wanders, dream pop duo Superstar, Al Montfort (Total Control, Dick Diver) as Snake, with very special guests, and solo pianist Monica Brooks.
Tickets here.
Elefant Traks Showcase Local Hip Hop Talent
31 May, 6pm
Red Bull Music Academy is set to return to the Sydney Opera House this month for a five-day Studio takeover featuring some of Sydney’s favourite labels, venues, collectives, and international selectors, all taking place in the nicest basement in town. One of the most highly-anticipated events on the roster will be a takeover by Elefant Traks, one of Australia’s most respected houses of hip-hop, who’ll be invading with an army comprised of Joyride, L-FRESH The LION, Jayteehazard, DJ Mk-1, Adit, and Dggz.
Tickets here.
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