To start the day, I lined up nice and early for the 9am tour of the Sydney Opera house (it's cheaper at that time of day). A very entertaining guide who obviously loves her job and the building. We were shown one of the smaller theatres and both the main halls. I think the architectural style is 'brutalist', the concrete super-structure is left on show but I love it. All the lines are clear and crisp; there is wood cladding in some places and the whole thing flows in an angular sort of way, if that makes sense. It was chucking it down with rain for the second day so part of our journey went up a fire stairway (carpeted) rather than outside. In the main hall there was an orchestra rehearsing and we stayed to listen a little. It was magical in such a setting - the orchestra in civvies, no audience other than our little group of about 15 people watching from a corner.
I was so enchanted that I queued up after the tour to see if there were any tickets for "Tea and Symphony" at 11am. There were, so I joined the people who'd planned this as part of their day and enjoyed my coffee and biscuits before entering the main hall to see the Sydney Symphony Orchestra play two bits of Mozart and some Bernstein. I loved the Mozart. The Bernstein was more challenging but interesting to see an orchestra in action, including six percussionists and a harpist. But the whole setting was amazing, I had a pretty good seat centrally positioned in the circle. Hearing the music and being able to see who was playing which instrument to make that sound was, I don't know, such a different experience of music. There's free wifi at the SOH so I squeezed in a little chat online with the lovely daughter and also discovered that I was in the Top 10 photos of the week submitted to an Aussie twitter feed, and mine was the one that they chose of the several/many/few/hundreds that they'd received of Vivid Sydney. I didn't win but it was a strange feeling that someone somewhere thought my picture was interesting.
There's a museum right next to the hostel, called Susannah Place. I joined a tour and it was fascinating. Four houses built in the early 1800s which survived the demolition of the early 20th century following the outbreak of bubonic plague in Sydney. The conservation is sympathetic and does not pretend that new is old but makes a clear difference where new has been necessary. The guide was passionate and told us about the houses, their residents and local history. Very well worthwhile. There is a current day battle ongoing to save houses nearby in Millers Point from demolition. The Government owns the land on The Rocks as it basically took it for public health reasons (and probably some commercial foresight) in the early 1900s. It'll be interesting to see how this one plays out.
And so, to the main event of the day. The venue, Carriageworks is, as the name might suggest, an old train shed or two. It's now a multi-arts centre and home to three gigs by the Pet Shop Boys. Described as 'intimate' the capacity is 1000 and I was at the front, centre stage. No-one between me and them! The warm-up was a DJ duo playing heavy base, dancy type stuff. It was pretty good.
The Pet Shop Boys were on top form. I've seen them live before and it is a complete show. Lights, dancers, costume changes galore and the amazing voice of Neil Tennant. And Chris Lowe standing by in another outfit looking like there's a speech bubble going "Do I really have to wear this?". I'm sure I had this ridiculous grin on my face the whole way through. Plenty of material from the new, brilliant, album "Electric" as well as many classics. Neil encourages singalaong and the audience is a bit cliched so singing along as a female of an age was good fun in the midst of lots of young, and not so young, men to Go West for example, was surreal and brilliant. The light show was incredible which is pretty good going this week in Sydney! Being at the front meant that it was often like being inside the lights as they projected back into the hall. I was also totally oblivious to what must have been one of those confetti moments as it was behind me. They finished with "Vocal" from "Electric" which Neil said summed up the evening. I agree.
You'll have to google for pictures as I decided simply to go and experience it all.
Such a Perfect Day.
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