- "We're running off VHS tonight," said Severed Heads frontman Tom Ellard in the middle of the band's set. Grainy visuals buzzed behind the duo: rows of animated crucifixes, and in the foreground, a man in a suit, writhing incongruously. 30 years on from their heyday, the Australian electronic act were performing outside the iconic Sydney Opera House as part of this year's Vivid Festival, delivering big retro-futuristic sounds undercut by dark Ballardian sensibilities.
Ellard's attitude ran deep throughout the show's lineup, which was curated by Sydney store Repressed Records. In their 15 years, the local institution has built up a reverence in the scene, credited with maintaining a DIY ethos despite the tirade of economic and government pressures that have seen comparable local music shops topple. The historical weight of Thursday night's anniversary drew musical talent from around Australia and across generations and styles.
Severed Heads' '80s throwback set thrilled the band's longtime devotees, playing classics such as "Big Car" and "A Million Angels." The nostalgic showcase proved almost absurd against the fluorescent lights of the Harbour Bridge and glass tour boats floating by, but it worked. Despite the group's unashamed tendency to be garish, musically they still feel fresh.
The evening had started on a quieter note with new Sydney duo Skyline. Their synth soundscapes beautifully aligned with the expansive surrounds of an after-dark harbour. So, too, did the pared back piano-led performance of Angie, who sang songs from her third LP, Shyness. Between Angie and the punk ferocity of the preceding all-female band Miss Destiny, it was pleasing to see an evolving definition of rock music in a mainstream arena beyond simplistic guitar-based tunes or testosterone-fuelled lyrics.
The electronic acts delivered the evening's most rousing moments. Fake, the one-man hip-hop side project of Cassius Select, was contagious with convulsive energy. Many of the audience members, however, didn't quite catch on. Later, Lucy Cliche whipped a divided crowd to attention with a pummelling of industrial-tinged techno, which, given headliners Total Control were up next, was well timed.
By now, the crowd was growing restless and volatile. In front of me, a punch-up threatened to erupt over a dispute about personal space. Beer cans were thrown in retaliation. Onstage, the band brought the night to an exhilarating climax with their 2014 hit, "Flesh War." Ultimately, though, the 10:30 PM curfew meant their set was short-lived. "One more song," chanted the audience, but the security guards were already pointing to the exits.
Who would have thought the so-called underground would have its moment by the Opera House while million dollar yachts bopped across the water? However inexplicable, the music clearly speaks to the enduring relevance of the intimate community of artists that Repressed has helped foster in the past decade and a half. The good news is they aren't likely to stop soon.
Photo credit /
Daniel Boud