Have you ever wondered what it would be like to attend a show where the crowd didn’t applaud, didn’t sing along, didn’t dance, didn’t talk, or didn’t film? Kimbra has – and for her headlining show at Sydney Opera House for VIVID LIVE, she asked the audience to do just that. Explaining it as an experiment, the New Zealand born and New York based artist wanted to see what it would be like for everyone to sit in silence together and soak in everything without distraction. She wanted everyone to be able to hear the sound particles falling from the ceiling at the end of each song, and to experience what just sitting in the Sydney Opera House sounds and feels like. And it made for the most unique live music experience I’ve ever had. It was captivating but awkward. It was breathtaking but anxiety provoking. And every time a song finished you could feel the tension in the room, but in some ways it was beautifully poetic. 

The level of intimacy you felt during that show because of the experimental conditions make it weird to write about because you feel like you’re cheating on the ideology, and I’m not sure if she would even want a detailed review to be written about the show because of that too. So I’m going to keep it about our individual experience, and reveal some of the key moments that left me covered in goosebumps and holding back a vicerial feeling to applaud. 

Most of the show acted as a showcase to her recently released fourth studio album “A Reckoning” which she described as one of the inspirations to actually do this experiment. Opening with “save me”, she went straight into “replay!”, “gun”, “foolish thinking” and the clear standout “the way we were” which felt like a kaleidoscopic exploration of sound live. Other album tracks “new habit” and “GLT” also felt like standout moments with their experimental nature, and were incredibly hard to not singalong to. Touching on some older tracks, “Past Love”, “Top of The World”, “Love In Hight Places” and “Version Of Me” found their way perfectly in-between the new album to give a different perspective. After saying good night to the crowd, she returned to the stage and gave everyone permission to sing along and applaud for the trio of songs that made up the encore. “Cameo Lover” and “Settle Down” were the expected go-to homage to her “Vows” era, but then she did something she hasn’t done since 2012 and she performed “Wandering Limbs” with Sam Lawrence as a special treat which the long-term fans ate-up. 

Kimbra’s headlining date at VIVID LIVE was more than just a show, it was an experience. It was a night I will never forget, and one that I know no-one else in that venue will ever forget. It was a one-off type show that so many artists would struggle pulling off, but Kimbra made seamless. While it felt awkward and unnatural to not applaud and “be in the moment” the way we usually are, she guided the crowd carefully and welcomed them into the world of “A Reckoning”.