Cut Copy @ Sydney Opera House(29/05/11)

Fri 3rd Jun, 2011 in Gig Reviews

Ascending the Opera House stairs keen to see Cut Copy take to the Concert Hall stage for Vivid Live, I was admittedly filled with apprehension. Looking at the grand venue that stood stoic ahead of me, I anxiously contemplated whether Australia’s electronic darlings would struggle to fill the epic-ness that this Sydney landmark suggests.

Needless to say, by the time Melbourne’s synth-pop pioneers opened with Nobody Lost, Nobody Found after emerging from behind a giant door which sat centre-stage, my concerns had completely vanished. The combination of sound and visually stunning light patterns was such a distraction for senses that it made finding faults almost impossible.

Between numbers Dan Whitford voiced his intention to morph the Opera House into what resembled “the deepest darkest Amazon”. A colourful fog arose from among the jungle of wildlife which populated the stage and digital vines were projected onto the back wall concealing the venue’s prestigious grand organ.

Adding to this tribal theme, the boys were joined by a trio of Brazilian drummers who made up the percussion section for Corner of the Sky. This dip into their third studio album Zonoscope, would become a trend of the night, with the band’s most recent tunes like Where I’m Going and Take Me Over edging out songs from their earlier records to dominate the set list.

Saturdays was the only track from their first album Bright Like Neon Love to make the cut, and lucky so, because it provided one of the most memorable moments of the night. It saw Cut Copy crank up the bass in a bid to encourage their energised audience members to abandon the Concert Hall’s formal seating and bop along to the dance beats they were throwing down.

Hearts on Fire was another set highlight featuring the surprise guest appearance of a jazz tooting’ sax player on the balcony, and Lights and Music with its flashing strobe, sounded almost record-perfect while truly showcasing Whitford’s distinctive vocals and onstage charisma. Guitarist Tim Hoey was also an extraordinary presence as he writhed around on the floor and thrashed his instrument about shamelessly.

So to answer my opening concerns – the epic location only encouraged this indie dance group to stage a show that was equally as epic. Their 1.5 hour set topped off with an impressive encore featuring a choir of white-robed gospel singers supporting the band on Need You Now, was enough to transform any unconvinced Concert Hall patrons into full-blown Cut Copy fanatics.