When the Easter bunny from FasterLouder called to tell me I’d won the Sigur Ros competition I had to contain myself, ”Yeh, really? Well that sounds ok, I think I can make it”.... actually I had no plans for the Easter long weekend…. but now I did. Who to take? Two return flights to Sydney, accommodation and tickets to the sold out Sigur Ros concert, my little sis will love this, and it’ll save me buying her a birthday present for next weekend, perfect. Touching down in Sydney the night of the gig, I notice Molly Meldrum and I are sharing the same flight, poor bugger has to sit through the MTV awards, your loss Molly, there’s no way I’m swapping seats.
Ambling our way down Newtown’s King Street towards the Enmore, the resonance of Sigur’s support act Amiina could be felt before it was heard. These Icelandic beauties in matching red dresses walked the stage with mechanical poise from instrument to instrument, their performance seemingly rehearsed to the footstep. In anticipation of the main act our eardrums were treated to an xylophone ménage a’ trois while the fourth member of the quartet held the piece together with an almost comically sized miniature piano, the appreciative audience stood in rapture. An awesome performance in their own right, Amiina would be back on stage soon enough, as the second layer to the Sigur Ros four piece.
As Sigur’s roadies took centre stage to tune the plethora of instruments we were about to be hypnotised by, I ducked out for a smoke and admired the audience, splendored in all their peacock attire, rock star haircuts, fisherman’s pants and dog tags, the Sydney Uni set, enamored by what just might be an opportunity for musical enlightenment, a religious experience. It is no coincidence that Sigur’s album cover is shaped in such a recalcitrant way as to defy my CD holder, it sits alone beside my cd collection, divergent in shape and in genre.
With the instruments tuned, the lights dimmed and the audience ruptured, only to have been lead on by an over zealous lighting tech. Minutes later the silhouettes of Sigur Ros appeared behind a shear white curtain, this time the audience remained motionless. The band maneuvered to their places on the stage while the audience breathed silent. The meditative sounds of Takk (meaning Thank You), the namesake of Sigur’s fourth and latest album, sent an ethereal cloud throughout the dress circle and the two thousand seat capacity crowd.
The Icelandic magicians (Jonsi, Kjarri, Orri & Goggi) had formed a line across the front of the stage, the drummer Orri, sitting side on to the crowd, Amiina collected at the back. As the click clock of Glosoli built I could hear Doreen Virtue calm my mind, soothing chakras filling me with white light. Finally the sheer cloth parted, revealing the portrayers of our spellbound mindset. Lead singer Jonsi Birgisson carving his six string majestically as threads from his cello bow fell to the floor.
The theatrics continued, Jonsi’s shadow was cast to the walls of the Enmore as his voice parodied itself with the now meditating crowd. Not even the disco balls could shake us from our awestruck state, the gentle flow of the smoke machine validating our semi-slumber. We were devoured by the instruments of Sigur’s euphoric grasp, released momentarily, only to be reeled back in again, like a cat toying with a captured budgie.
By the sixth song in the set, Hoppipolla, I had completely lost my perspective of time, mesmerised, I floated down to the stage for a better look, the entranced audience was easy to break through having assumed their positions as statues much earlier.
Sigur’s encore concluded with Smaskifa, the audience at full attention, the historic Enmore’s seats creaking wearily for the standing ovation, like a theatrical performance, the group bowed in appreciation & walked from the stage returning only when their two thousand fans begged for more, we were treated to a second bow and lights out.
Gradually, after collecting time, I dragged my little sis out onto the streets of Newtown, leaving behind her new favorite band and a birthday present she’ll always remember. Not a rock show but a musical experience.
