Jamie Williams Photography

So there you have it. Seemingly in the blink of a weary, bloodshot, festival-going eye, the final performances of Sydney Festival 2012 have been played out, albeit under gloomy instead of the usual sun-soaked skies. In what must be the wettest summer in living memory, locals and visitors alike have braved La Nina’s wicked ways and, with ponchos and brollies in hand, enjoyed a smorgasbord of music, theatre, song and dance in a festival that you’ll find hard to beat anywhere on this talented planet of ours.

Kicking off week three’s proceedings in style was the wonderful 41 Strings by Nick Zinner and IIII, treating the Opera House’s Concert Hall sell-out crowd to a feast of rhythm and rumbling, stirring the primal beast within. At the helm as part composer, part performer, Zinner paced the stage with an eagle eye, engaging his ensemble of violins, electric guitar and bass, synthesisers and drums to make music quite unlike any we’ve heard before. Many hailed it a festival triumph.

41 Strings by Nick Zinner

The smaller in scale but equally enthralling Amiina charmed their audience with whimsical, minimalist compositions and awkward, cheeky conversation. Featuring a multitude of instruments including the piano accordion, violin, xylophone, glockenspiel, vocal loops, a common saw and even a collection of ring-if-counter-unattended-style bells, the quintet from Iceland evoked sparse but beautiful scenes from their northern hemisphere origins.

Amiina

If you enjoy your folk music interrupted by a banshee howl or two, your banjo solos flying off on wild, dischordant tangents and your musicians “dropping to give you 20″, then Vermont’s “not particularly athletic looking but with a tenor voice as smooth as silk” Sam Amidon was right up your alley.

Sam Amidon

From the warm, dry confines of the Famous Spiegeltent I travelled to the soggy, saturated surrounds of Balmain Shipyard on the aptly named Waterview St., where the ferries were undergoing their makeover ahead of the Ferrython.

Having a whale of a time

Not even the traditionally hot and summery Australia Day was immune from the rain. After a shower-free morning the ponchos were called upon barely ten minutes into the race as a squall greeted the fleet on its way to Shark Island. In a contest containing more jockeying for position than an ocean classic, China Southern Airlines eventually took line honours after reaching the Sydney Harbour Bridge ahead of Zip Industries.

Batten down the hatches during the Ferrython

Back at the Opera House the crowds turned out to take sides in the Jets vs Sharks musical classic West Side Story, complete with live soundtrack courtesy of the glorious Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

West Side Story

Let me hear you say “Yeah!”. Vintage Trouble’s Ty Taylor

Looking like they’d stepped off the pitch from the the Australia Day test, all-white wearing The Stepkids got down with their special blend of 70’s inpsired pop, before DJs Prins Tomas and Koze ensured the Keystone Bar went down in a blaze of house-soaked glory, partying to the very end.

DJ Prins Tomas in da house

And so it is now with a tear in that weary, bloodshot eye that we farewell Sydney Festival for 2012, along with festival director Lindy Hume, who, along with her incredible team, has given us an amazing 3 years full of memorable festival moments - Hamlet, The Manganiyar Seduction, Al Green, A.R. Rhaman, The Trocadero Dance Palace, Smoke and Mirrors, to name just a few. I hope you can tick at least some of those off yourself.

And it would be remiss of me not to introduce new Sydney Festival director Lieven Bertels. Fresh from directing the Holland Festival, we look forward to the exciting program Lieven has in store for our city next summer. And to seeing what influence he has over the weather patterns. Click on Lieven to see the full image gallery on my website, and to see images from fellow Sydney Festival 2012 photographers Pru Upton, Dan Boud, Dave Cheng and Catherine McElhone go here. Now go and enjoy what’s left of summer.

Lieven Bertels. See you in 2013!

If, like me, you’re a believer in the yin and yang of life then it should have come as no surprise that after being blessed with the best day of Sydney’s summer so far on Festival First Night, things were going to get ugly for Sydney Festival, meteorologically speaking. And they did.

While the Faith No More faithful battled a mini typhoon during the second song of Mondo Cane’s Domain show, Sydney’s other CBD, Parramatta, copped its fair share of precipitation as it hosted its own First Night, part of the festival’s extended program in the west. But what’s a bit of water when you’ve got the chance to feast your senses on, and shake your groove thing to, a whole bunch of great artists for free!

Like a mini me version of Festival First Night, Parramatta’s party had something for everyone - the kids got to brush up on their hoola hoop and breakdance skills while the adults splish splashed along to the vibes of Afro Nomad, Norman Jay’s Good Times Bus, DJ Meem, The Barefoot Divas and Taraf de Haidouks’ Band of Gypsies, before everything stopped for an encore performance of As The World Tipped. Festival favourites Shangaan Electro capped off a memorable night with more of their zany 186-beats-per-minute fun in the Idolize Spiegeltent (yes, apparently there is more than one Spiegeltent).

Smiles on wet dials in Parramatta

Afro Nomad

The Cope Street Parade and friends

Briefs brave the weather on Church St.

Shangaan Electro inspired more audience participation inside the Idolize Spiegeltent

As The World Tipped

Meanwhile, back in postcode 2000, Mike Patton’s Mondo Cane retreated indoors, lifting the roof of the State Theatre. The musical and age generation-spanning crowd were treated to a Jekyll and Hyde performance by Patton - at times channelling crooners of a bygone era as he and his 25 piece orchestra performed mid-twentieth century Italian songs of love and loss, lulling the audience into a false sense of aural security before unleashing his Mr. Bungle-esque inner beast on them - ably assisted by an air raid siren and megaphone. A Festival highlight for me, and many others given that a good portion of the crowd sprang from their seats to rush the stage for the final encore.

Mike Patton in Mondo Cane

In what was a stellar week for music fans of all denominations, Beth Orton and PJ Harvey entranced their respective audiences with what must be two of music’s sweetest voices, while the festival bar underwent a cheeky french transformation courtesy of the silky smooth Asa, Fefe’s funky hip-hop, Moriarty’s swooning folk and Nouvelle Vague’s chic and sassy covers. I particularly enjoyed their rendition of the Dead Kennedy’s Too Drunk to F*@k!

PJ Harvey

Asa

Flying the flag for the US ‘o’ A, Tune Yards stepped up to the plate and delivered sold out shows at the Bar and Spiegeltent, with feisty frontwoman Merrill Garbus even managing a solo set at the Jaegermeister Hunting Lodge in between. Not to be outdone, all ’round country dude Kurt Wagner wore different hats, literally more than musically, donning the stetson alongside fellow Nashvillian Courtney Tidwell in the excellent KORT before fronting his legendary Lambchop with his customary trucker cap on top. The Yeah Yeah Yeah’s guitarist Nick Zinner offered up a glimpse of his Sydney Opera House 41 Strings show, a suitably fitting end to my week in music.

KORT

Nick Zinner

If you like your theatre on the dark, disturbing and down-right dirty side then this week’s offerings would have had you salivating. Thyestes got the ball rolling, with Melbourne’s Hayloft Project’s contemporary staging of the Greek mythological tale of revenge, deceit and, ultimately, human consumption. As with Haneke’s 1997 thrilling masterpiece Funny Games, the audience never sees the acts of horror, just the consequences, leaving them to fill in the gory blanks.

Thyestes (let me get that belly button fluff for you)

Continuing in the gory vein, ‘Tis Pity She’s A Whore, 17th century playwright John Ford’s controversial tale of incest between brother and sister Giovanni and Annabella, was brought to life with dark wit and strong performances from the UK’s Cheek By Jowl Co. and Declan Donellan’s cast.

‘Tis Pity Shes’s a Whore

But the week’s knockout punch came from Beautiful Burnout, the Frantic Assembly and National Theatre of Scotland’s sweaty, noisy story of life in leather gloves that left me feeling like I’d gone 10 rounds myself.

Beautiful Burnout

And so we turn the corner on the 2012 Sydney Festival. Stay tuned for the final instalment of our city in summer, complete with symphonic sounds, frantic ferries and a musical classic, amongst others. Just don’t count on seeing the sun. Click below to see more images (in lovely fullscreen size!) on my website and for more coverage from other festival photographers head over here.

Go on - hop to it! Shangaan Electro

And so it begins, the 2012 Sydney Festival. I confess to not knowing very much at all about many of the performers and acts gracing the multitude of stages during our city in summer, so my expectations were somewhat cloudy, but after the first week I can wholeheartedly say that I have some new favourites on my lists.

Festival First Night got the ball rolling, converting the CBD into a playground the likes of which your wildest dreams would have trouble conjuring up. Kids and adults alike made the most of an absolutely beautiful Sydney summer’s day, with more music, dancing, theatrics and fun than you could poke a fairy-floss-covered stick at, including Manu Chao, Gurumul, Norman Jay’s Good Times Bus, The Jolly Boys, Holly Throsby and Nigel Jamieson’s extraordinary As The World Tipped, just too mention just a few.

‘Twas the night before Christmas Festival First Night, when all through the city…road closures were being put into effect.

Today outgoing Sydney Festival director, the fabulous Lindy Hume, revealed her 3rd and final (and the Festival’s 5th) Festival First Night program. Suffice to say it’s gonna be huge! Too many to mention, so go here for the full run down. Highlights include Gurrumul, Manu Chao and everyone’s new favourite band The Jolly Boys. More on them in a bit. If you’re in Sydney do yourself a favour and get along to one of the events of the year when the roads are closed and no matter which way you turn you’ll be entertained.

With the formalities over, we were treated to a taste of tomorrow’s lineup. Lindy described him as the voice of Australia and I can’t imagine too many disagreeing with her. Gurrumul graced The Famous Spiegeltent ( the hippest pop-up venue there is) and treated the media contingent to the soul-stirring Djilawurr, a song that captures the calling and crying of two orange footed scrubfowls as they return to their mound. It drew tears from some in the audience. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing/hearing/photographing Gurrumul on several occasions and he never fails to impress. Under the stars and the Domain canopy tomorrow night he will be sublime.

From the dim, cosy confines of The Famous Spiegeltent we emerged into the Honda Festival Garden for a taste of Jamaica. With a history that dates nearly 60 years, The Jolly Boys are nothing short of Caribbean legends. This from their website - “The Jolly Boys quickly rose to local prominence in the 1950s as the house band for the Rat Pack’s Jamaica chapter, chaired by the swashbuckling enfant terrible, Errol Flynn”. Not a bad start as a band and good to see an Australian connection from the get go. Since then they have been spreading their special brand of music, mento, across the globe in what must be one of the longest running outfits in musical history. There have been numerous lineup changes along the way, but the current touring group consists of original members Albert Minott (lead vocals), Joseph “Powda” Bennett (vocals, maracas), Derrick “Johnny” Henry (rumba box), supported by Dale Dizzle Virgo on drums & percussions, Lenford “Brutus” Richards on banjo and Harold Dawkins “Jah T” on guitar. These guys are consumate performers (especially Albert, who certainly enjoys the attention) and my must see tip for tomorrow night.

Then, seemingly from out of nowhere, Manu Chao appeared, momentarily stealing the Jolly Boys’ thunder (although Albert managed to hold his own). This is his first visit to Australia and he was visibly excited to be here. I confess to knowing next to nothing about him but that’s all about to change. He is going to rock The Domain with his crazy multi-lingual fusion of rock, reggae, punk and ska. I’m exhausted just writing about it, so time for some shut eye.

See you tomorrow for the start of Our City in Summer!

Sydney Festival director Lindy Hume

Premier O’Farrell added his two cents worth (along with the substantially larger amount his government contributes)

Gurrumul

Gurrumul

Brook Andrew’s Travelling Colony caravan and guests

The Jolly Boys’ Albert Minott

Albert gives some last minute interview tips

The Jolly Boys

Albert and Manu Chao

Pulgar hacia arriba Manu!

And I’m not just talkin’ ’bout the weather. In a nice synergy, the meteorological and festival synoptic charts have aligned to kick start Sydney’s summer, with the mercury on the rise for the start of Sydney Festival 2012. While Festival First Night is still a couple of days away, today I got a sneak preview of The Barefoot Divas’ “Walk a Mile in My Shoes” , playing at Carriageworks this Sunday. Comprising six indigenous women from Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, TBD combine spoken word and song in a performance that is as funny and insightful as it is uplifting and soulful. I got goosebumps listening to them. And they are backed by a great band. Go see them.

I’ll be posting regularly over the next 3 weeks so check back for more from Sydney Festival 2012. You can stay up to date by following me on twitter @jamiehasspoken (all the other names i wanted were taken..). Better still go and see some shows.

The Barefoot Divas

Ngaiire in full song

Ursula, Maisey and Ngaiire

Emma

Ngaiire

Merenia, Whirimako Black

Ursula says hi

Emma

Emma, Ursula

Ngaiire

The Barefoot Divas

Happy New Year everyone. Hope you all score in 2012…

Hoop dreams Jamie Williams Photography 2012

Here’s a really beautiful piece from Aghanistan by film makers Lukas and Salome Augustin

Three men stand above a scale model of the Sydney central business district, December 06, 2011

Sydney’s favourite harbour playground, Cockatoo Island, is playing host to Outpost, a festival that celebrates street art and culture, showcasing work from local and international artists. Definitely worth a visit. Finishes December 11.

kick flip, cockatoo island, 2011 jamie williams photography