Sydney Festival program lands

Wed 5th Nov, 2008 in Local News

It’s fair to say January is the month the Harbour City shines brightest. The days lingers that little bit longer, the nights are fresh and balmy – and the Sydney Festival ensures you’re always up past bedtime.

In 2009, there’s an absolute smorgasbord of musical alchemy on offer. Between the awesome-overload of All Tomorrow’s Parties, Festival First Night, the Beck’s Festival Bar and various theatre shows, you won’t be without options. Here’s what FasterLouder has earmarked…

FESTIVAL FIRST NIGHT
On Saturday 10 January, Festival First Night returns after its smashing debut this year. So how do you top Brian Wilson, Spank Rock, Paul Kelly and Chromeo? The 2009 edition features free performances from queen of camp Grace Jones, live dynamos Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Brooklyn’s It girl Santogold, turntable rocker A-Trak and The Cat Empire. Just as it did in ‘08, Festival First Night will take over the city’s streets and squares usually reserved for 9-5 drudgery. The price is right too.

BECK’S FESTIVAL BAR
Across 14 nights at the Hyde Park Barrack, the Beck’s Festival Bar is looking enticing in 2009. Full line-ups are yet to be announced, but you can expect to see art-pop collective Metronomy and DFA good things Holy Ghost!, plus trendsetters aplenty in the form of Z-Trip, Four Tet, Throwing Muses, Buraka Som Sistema and Java. The full rundown won’t be revealed till late-November, but we know where we’ll be making some (hazy) memories this summer…

Jan 14 – Java (France)
Jan 15 – Popfrenzy Party feat. Metronomy (UK), Pivot and Totally Michael (US)
Jan 16 – Throwing Muses (US) & Dappled Cities
Jan 22 – Z-Trip (US) & Tzu
Jan 23 – Disco Nouveau pres. Holy Ghost! (US), Idjut Boys (UK), Theatre of Disco, Nathan McLay & Canyons
Jan 24 – Hyper-Dub pres. The Bug feat. Warrior Queen, Rhythm & Sounds (Ger), Maurizio & Tikiman, Mark Pritchard, Sub Bass Snarl, Victim, Garage Pressure, Ozi Battla & Steve Spacek
Jan 28 – FBi Night pres. Buraka Som Sistema (Por)
Jan 31 – Mad Racket pres Daedelus (US), Simon Caldwell, Jimmi James, Ken Cloud & Zootie

ALL TOMORROW’S PARTIES
You may have heard of this one? The coolest festival brand on the planet is setting up camp on Cockatoo Island, with a line-up handpicked by indomitable troubadour Nick Cave. We know you’re excited already, so find out all you need to know here.

CONCERTS GALORE
She mightn’t have made a great Bond girl, but we’re damn sure Grace Jones will put on a dazzling live show. She’s doing three nights at the Enmore Theatre.

Over at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, the talent will be first-rate. Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová and The Frames will perform songs from the – œmusical for people who hate musicals’ Once. UK electronic icon Matthew Herbert is also set to lead his jazz big band through a night of “live sampling, electronics and vocals”. Exciting, that one.

The City Recital Hall is hosting three sure-to-be-coveted concerts, too. Parisian kook Camille will present her off-kilter take on pop music, while indie-folk hero Bon Iver sweetly serenades us and Ninja Tunes flag-bearers The Cinematic Orchestra do their full audio-visual show.

THERE’S A WHOLE LOT MORE ON OFFER AT SYDNEY FESTIVAL 2009, SO STAY TUNED TO FASTERLOUDER FOR FULL DATES AND VENUES.