Ms. Lauryn Hill, St Vincent, The Avalanches Tribute Lead Final Vivid LIVE Announcement

24 March 2014 | 7:00 am | Staff Writer

A huge announcement to cap off an amazing bill.

The final line up for Sydney's acclaimed Vivid LIVE program in 2014 has been released this morning, bolstering what is already looking like a very, very alluring program.

A couple of weeks ago it was revealed that the mighty Pixies, Giorgio Moroder and a teaming up of The Presets and the Australian Chamber Orchestra would lead the official program, while the iconic Pet Shop Boys would headline the Modular curated program at Carriageworks during the festival.

Today a stack of new acts have been announced, with some incredibly exciting, boundary pushing acts on the bill. They are as follows:

Ms. Lauryn Hill, St. Vincent, James Vincent McMorrow, Anna Calvi, Nils Frahm, Since I Left You – A Celebration Of The Avalanches With Jonti & The Astral Kids, Goodgod, Tin Pan Alley, Astral People, R.I.P Society 5th Birthday – 10 Band Revue, Siberian Nights, Future Classic

MS. LAURYN HILL:

Thanks to her single, solitary solo record, 1998's The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill, and her two records with mid-90s hip hop chartbusters Fugees, Ms. Lauryn Hill is considered by her many dedicated fans to be the queen of hip hop. She has never toured Australia, but that's all going to change when Vivid LIVE rolls around and she makes her first trip to play us some of the most well-loved hip hop, R&B and neo-soul of our time.

ST. VINCENT:

Her recently-released self-titled album is almost certainly going to end up at the pointy end of many, many end of year best albums lists and rightly so; St. Vincent has never not been brilliant, but this latest record, her fourth (not including the collaborative album with David Byrne), has her in better form than ever. It's an exciting time to be able to see her and we're psyched that Vivid LIVE have asked her to be a part of their event once again this year.

ANNA CALVI:

She blew audiences away when she was here for Laneway a couple of years back and Anna Calvi is an even hotter commodity at this point in time, thanks to the release of her excellent second LP One Breath late last year. Her live performances are intense affairs, Calvi's guitar playing is pretty mindblowing and she makes a hell of a lot of amazing noise. A captivating performer that will make your jaw drop.

JAMES VINCENT MCMORROW:

Irishman James Vincent McMorrow makes his return to Australia this year as a part of Vivid LIVE, following on from very well received headline shows as well as a great showing at Bluesfest a couple of years ago. A stunning lyricist, McMorrow has been the recipient of some pretty huge acclaim over the years; his Early In The Morning debut was a huge success and his recently-released new record Post Tropical has proved he's growing as an artist as well.

NILS FRAHM:

This German composer is nothing if not prolific; he's released ten solo recordings over the past nine years, as well as another five collaborative pieces with the likes of Ólafur Arnalds and Anne Müller. Nils Frahm is not your average pianist, his approach to the instrument is utterly unique and embraces experimentation as much as traditional playing.

R.I.P. SOCIETY 5TH BIRTHDAY:

Sydney DIY label showcases ten incredible bands – some old, some new – including The Dead C, feedtime, Bed Wettin' Bad Boys, Woollen Kits, Native Cats, Rat Columns, Cured Pink, Holy Balm, Ghastly Spats, Constant Mongrel, Half High and Wallaby Beat DJs.

ASTRAL PEOPLE:

Londoners L-Vis 1990 and Bok Bok join exciting local acts Rainbow Chan, Andras Fox, Ben Fester and Preacha in a massive party thrown by the fast-rising Sydney collective.

SYBERIA RECORDS:

This showcase will feature the world premiere of Midnight Juggernauts' immersive experience AERIALS, the first Australian performance of Modern Love mainstay Andy Stott, as well as sets from Black Vanilla, Forces, Cassius Select, DCM and Four Door.

Goodgod Small Club will be throwing a party headlined by South Africa's Penny Penny and his seven-piece band, while the line up for the Future Classic party is still to be announced.

Vivid LIVE takes place throughout Sydney from Friday 23 May to Monday 9 June.