Sydneysiders have seen the contours of the Opera House sails a thousand times. They're a truly iconic strand of the city's DNA, but as familiar as the building's exterior is, plenty of spaces within the architectural marvel remain hidden. Like winning a golden ticket, Nooks and Crannies unlocks these secret spaces. In a series of intimate gigs, musicians are placed in lesser-known spots within the Opera House and respond accordingly, with their music.
Featuring indie music big hitters of the calibre of Courtney Barnett, Camp Cope and The National, you can binge all this gold on the Opera House's Stream platform. Think of it like a special edition of Rage with site-specific music videos filmed in hidden corners of a famous Sydney landmark.
The first volume features Swedish guitar whisperer José González and Melbourne future-soul quartet Hiatus Kaiyote.
Round two features hypnotic soul-folk artist Moses Sumney in the orchestra pit of the Joan Sutherland Theatre, playing his enchanting hit ‘Don't Bother Calling’. Next singer-songwriter and producer Kelsey Lu plays a stripped back, minimal version of her pulsating, Jamie xx co-produced track ‘Foreign Car’ under the laser lights of the Studio in the belly of the Opera House. US cult rockers The National play 'Hard To Find' from their Grammy Award winning album, Sleep Well Beast, under the Opera House sails in the Utzon Room. Melbourne trio Camp Cope bring forth their scathing critique of indie rock’s virtue signalling issues with a performance of 'The Opener', the scathing opening track from their album How To Socialize & Make Friends, under the Utzon Room’s concrete beams.
Aussie singer songwriter Courtney Barnett dresses up her instantly recognisable hearty drawl for a solo rendition of ‘Sunday Roast’ in the stunning Bennelong Restaurant. Two of indie folk's finest, Kevin Morby and Waxahatchee, team up in the northern foyer of the Joan Sutherland Theatre to deliver a spine-tingling cover of the Bob Dylan classic ballad, 'It Ain’t Me Babe'. And finally, drummer and saxophonist duo Party Dozen perform their brooding track 'Play The Truth' in the echoing empty Drama Theatre.
You can listen to volume two here.
Love exploring what lies below the famous sails? Try this free virtual escape room.