For his debut program last year, Melbourne Festival Director Johnathan Holloway drew inspiration from art on an intimate scale. This year, he’s spun the dial to the opposite end of the scale spectrum.
From 24-hours of musical history and European grand spectacles, to an entire life told through song and an ode to pleasure itself, 2017’s festival is no less than a salute to life, the universe, and everything, celebrating the incredible compassion, creativity and eccentricity of humanity.
Check out our selection of the 15 must-see shows of this year's Melbourne Festival program
The centre piece of 2017’s selection is an audacious work that will not only showcases one of the most individual and unique artists alive today, the indefatigable New York performance artist Taylor Mac, but also champion local artists invited to contribute to the project. A 24-Decade History of Popular Music offers a decade-per-hour look at 240-years of American musical history, reimagined and remade through a radical queer lens. This epic show, described by the New York Times as a “sublime masterpiece,” will take place over four nights at the Forum Theatre, with each performance lasting six-hours.
“Taylor is in my view one of the greatest living artists. When Taylor deals with a subject, it’s about an exchange. And that’s because Taylor has a level of openness, a level of humanity, and a level of humility and positivity that is incredibly rare,” Jonathan Holloway says of Mac. “These shows also reflect an absolute certainty about the importance of diversity in our modern world. It’s a vision that engages and excites you, but it also amplifies our empathy to a level that is, quite frankly, unparalleled.”
Holloway believes these world-class events will be a once in a lifetime experience for Melbourne’s arts lovers. “You just have to marvel at the ambition of this show. 240 years of popular music, from Yankee Doodle Dandy and The World Turned Upside Down to The Mikado to David Bowie. It was the most audacious idea I’d ever heard, and if I ever hear another, just one more, idea that big in my lifetime, I’ll be a very happy man.”
Another hot ticket from the festival’s music offering comes from Stephin Merritt, the front man of indie pop legends The Magnetic Fields. To mark his half-century, Merritt penned 50 songs chronicling each year of his life, from his childhood, to his first musical breakthrough and his rise to the top. He’ll be performing the full set over two nights, each encompassing 25-years of experience.
Nashville icons Lambchop will also be headed to Melbourne for the first time since 2005 for a one night only showcase of ‘90s alt-country goodness, helmed by Kurt Wagner. Other international highlights include a rare acoustic set by Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor, who’ll be ditching the synths in favour of the ivories. Pared back to just piano and vocals, he’ll be offering up tracks from his recent solo release Piano.
Closer to home, In Between Two will see trailblazing Aussie hip-hop stars Joelistics and James Mongohig, harnessing their musical skills to share personal experiences growing-up mixed-race in Australia, folding in elements from traditional Asian song. Melbourne based songstress Ella Thompson will be joining forces with fellow Victorians to make the ultimate indie supergroup. Like Running Water will see musicians Clio Renner and Sui Zhen, along with visual artists Prue Stent and Honey Long, collaborating on a dynamic new performance piece underpinned by Thompson’s infectious pop vocals and synth-heavy soundworld.
There will also be some new discoveries on offer. Self-made Spotify star, Joep Beving, gave up his day job after his home-made tracks streamed online more than 85-million times. The composer, pianist and online star will make his Australian debut during the festival at the Melbourne Recital Centre. Dirty Three drummer Jim White is joining forces with Portuguese dancer Claudia De Serpa Soares for More Up A Tree, a groundbreaking work of avant garde music theatre. Locked in a giant mirrored glass box, designed by American multi-media artists Eve Sussman, they will deliver a raging exploration at how percussive forces can be interpreted by the human body.
Closing the festival, Our Place Our Home will be a triumphant celebration of Melbourne’s incredible multicultural diversity. Featuring performances from Australia’s refugee and indigenous communities, alongside artists including Mojo Juju and the Pasifeka Vitoria Choir, this Melbourne-made event offers a powerful statement about the importance of multiculturalism in our modern society.
Full details of the Melbourne Festival's 2017 program are available now.
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