I'll be slowly archiving bits and bobs from old blogs, tentatively titled "from the archives" for now. All photographs taken by me unless stated otherwise!
VIVID SYDNEY, 2023
I recently spent a weekend in Sydney for VIVID Live doing nothing but attending back-to-back concerts and perusing the many light installations. Who knew I could pack so much in to a short trip?
If youāre not familiar with VIVID, it is hands down the best time to visit Sydney. VIVID is a large, multi-art form festival which runs every year from the end of may through June, with a focus on celebrating Light, Music, Ideas and Food. It still blows my mind how much VIVID has evolved over the years, and each year, multi-media storytelling only seems to get bolder - and brighter, for that matter.
Yes, some locals whinge about the Opera House and Harbour Bridge lighting up like the sun every night, but fuck them, I love it! Those boring white sails may as well be utilised to their full potential and transformed into a dynamic art canvas. Itās also during winter, so the weather is just right to walk around the Barangaroo and Circular Quay visiting installations, or even venturing through the Botanical Gardens situated right near Sydney Opera House. Truly no better time to get those steps up, or else you'll freeze from that crisp Winter harbour breeze!
There's nothing like seeing artists you like at the Opera House. My most fond memory was seeing Prince perform there, mere weeks before he passed away. The Concert Hall had opted for a strict no-phones policy at Prince's behest and the stage was minimal, with nothing but a purple spotlight on him at his piano.
It is honestly quite surprising how intimate each room is. I managed to nab last minute tickets to Ethel Cain for her debut Australian show after furiously refreshing Tixel for four hours straight. That was super intimate, and quite fun! I was especially amused by how the crowd looked like a mixture of gothic cowboys and Catholic teens who are forced to go to Church on Sundays but are a little rebellious about it. I also caught the ethereal Weyes Blood in the Joan Sutherland Theatre and enigmatic Thundercat in the Concert Hall - whose amp caught on fire during his previous visit. No fires this time, but the concert still packed a lot of heat!
The main draw of the weekend for me, though, was Danish indie powerhouse label, Posh Isolation, which held two-night showcase at the Sydney Opera House. This was probably one of the most well-curated, yet super niche events. I donāt know how or why this little Danish label had such a grip on regional Australia in the early 2010s, but their impact - at least, in my coastal regional city I was living in at the time - was huge. I got to talk about it with a few people in the crowd and it was nice to know that some of them, like me, travelled interstate because they couldnāt believe such an event was happening.
Posh Isolation Showcase, Night One
This was essentially a dream come true for me. The show opened with an avante-garde DJ set by YL Hooi, which incorporated the use of live brass instruments. It wasn't my first time seeing Yl Hooi perform, but this setup was far different from previous gigs, and I really like that she always has something new to demonstrate.
Next was a transcendant DJ set by Croatian Amor, Loke Rahbek's solo project. I'd wanted to see Croatian Amor for a long time but never thought it would be possible unless I forked out a four-thousand dollar trip to Denmark. Loke is the founder of Posh Isolation, and former member of Lust For Youth and Sexdrome, he's also performed under the moniker Damian Dubrovnik, and collaborated with queen of freaks and noise, Puce Mary. It's tough to describe his sound, but as someone who has followed his career from the early days to present, Croatian Amor symbolises his journey as an artist.
Long gone are his days of brutal terror and anguish. The man I saw perform at the Opera House was a stark contrast to his younger self - so joyful and happy...he's a father now, with a beautiful little life, and I hope that happiness continues for him. His albums feel like journeys through space and time, they're life-affirming, ambient experiences, often including samples of spoken word poetry, or interviews. If you need something to listen to at night-time, put on some Croatian Amor. He had so much fun performing his songs he went over his planned run-time, and the staff did not have the heart to kick him off stage. I'd never seen Loke smile before - and it was wonderful to see.
Lust For Youth @ VIVD 2023, photo by me
If you weren't already crying in the club to Croatian Amor, then his former band Lust For Youth certainly started cutting onions in the crowd. I never thought I would ever see LFY on my home soil, and it was as utterly magical. I often call them "the band of my life", I've followed them since their early days, when it began as a broody, post-punk/avante garde solo project by Hannes Norrvide, which eventually grew into a euro-pop trio with producer Malthe Fischer and Loke Rahbek.
It was fascinating to hear LFY's crisp and modern production in a live capacity. Melancholic pop reflecting on love and politics, with a cheeky sampling of Darude Sandstorm filtered through absolute filthy distorted guitar, not a single person wasn't dancing along to Hannes' signature broody vocals.
Closing out the night into the early morning, was Australian cult legends HTRK which felt like coming down from a high This was my first time seeing the duo live, and it was exactly as others had described to me: like being punched me in the throat and forced to reconcile your past mistakes. Standing front-row and centre was too much, under the direct gaze of the lovely Jonnine, I ended up moving to the back in sheer awe. What an absolutely hauntingly beautiful performance. I'm ashamed it has taken me that long to see HTRK live. I cannot wait to see them again.
Posh Isolation Showcase, Night Two
This was the punk side of things, and of course, it was the same crowd as the previous night. There's nothing like running into the same people at the same gigs and sharing that nod of recognition.
Whilst the first night of Posh Isolation was like a wonderful night of crying and dancing away your troubles in the club, the second night was about screaming and letting out your frustrations. Thereās just something so fucking special about punk shows at the Sydney Opera House, arguably the most intimate and prestigious venue in the country, hosting a bunch of piss-loving punks.
It was incredibly nice to see Aussie punk legend Daniel "DX" Stewart from Total Control and Straitjacket Nation as a frontman again. If you're even remotely interested in Sydney's music scene, or Australian punk music, you've heard one of DX's many projects. The man is an absolute beast of a vocalist. The way he performed under this new project was almost like he was a caged animal that could break loose any minute, but chose to refrain. Great opener.
Lowlife are now Opera House regulars, perhaps replacing the spot Total Control once held. They certainly need no introduction. Rwa, honest, cheeky punk music. Crowd surfing, stage diving, moshing, you name it. There has never once been a bad Lowlife gig.
Danish punks Iceage, charming and magnetic as ever. I have a long and sentimental history with these guys. This is one of those bands people either love, or love to hate, but that has always been the sentiment where Elias Ronnenfelt is concerned. The setlist felt like a good "all rounder" from their entire catalogue and certainly longer than any previous gig I've ever been to; a mix of loved b-sides, popular singles and an unreleased track.
I believe they were meant to debut a new single as well, but swapped it out at the last minute for fan favourite White Rune, since the crowd was so riled up from Lowlife's set. Canāt complain though, White Rune still goes hard even if they don't perform it as loose as they used to.
Lastly, you can tune into a Voice Memo Bootleg of this show here:
Til next time!
If you're interested in checking out any of the aforementioned artists, here are my personal recommendations below:
Thundercat
Weyes Blood
Ethel Cain
Yl Hooi
Croatian Amor
Lust For Youth
LFY & CROATIAN AMOR
HTRK
DX
At this point in writing, the songs performed at DX's set are not released, so here's a small selection of his various projects
Lowlife
Iceage
SEPTEMBER 2025
I thought it was worth mentioning that Lust For Youth & Croatian Amor released a collaborative album, thanks to their reunion at VIVID Live. This was the most wonderful surprise for long term fans of the band who've always longed for a trio reunion. From their bandcamp:
Drawing inspiration from the Golden Record sent into space as humanity's message to the unknown, All Worlds mirrors this longing for connection and understanding. Each track captures a fragment of emotion, culture, or memory, offering a kaleidoscopic view of the human experience.
Lastly, thank you, Posh Isolation for everything over these last 16 years. There is not a single music label that I haven't loved more. My teenage tumblr hobby consisted of archiving their artists, and anyone else related to them in the Copenhagen music scene. Posh Isolation's catalogue consists of hundreds of songs and so many wonderful artists, so if anyone dares to take the plunge, reach out to me.