LIVE WIRE – Sydney Live Music Guide 27th Jan

Producer, singer and drummer Wally de Backer, a.k.a. Gotye, plays City Recital Hall at Angel Place on Thursday 27^th, new material in tow. The prolific, ambitious and always surprising Sufjan Stevens plays a sold-out show at Sydney Opera House as part of Sydney Festival. Those lucky enough to grab tickets will see epically orchestrated pieces from Stevens’ latest album, The Age of Adz, taken to the stage. Friday 28^th finds pub-rock icon Jimmy Barnes tear up Newcastle Panthers, while the frankly very good Hungry Kids From Hungary play Mona Vale Hotel. Closer to the centre of town, Aloe Blacc performs his smooth soul at Beck’s Festival Bar, while enigmatic instrumental producer duo Ratatat play University of Sydney’s Manning Bar and Brooklyn twelve piece Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros play The Forum with special guests. At the other end of the spectrum, Polish jazz trumpeter Tomasz Stanko brings his quintet to City Recital Hall – a true star of the modern international jazz scene. Also on Friday, local psychedelic rockers The MoMos launch their debut album No No No at the infamous Annandale Hotel, with Gilbert Gantry Union and Suite Nonchalant in support. Saturday 29^th sees The Metro on George St host Scottish rockers Primal Scream for their “Screamadelica” Live show, where they recreate their career-defining album. Minimal U.K. electronic duo Booka Shade play The Forum, while local rising rockstars Birds of Tokyo play down south at Towradgi Beach’s Waves Nightclub. Anyone up for some live quality Aussie metal can find it at the Annandale Hotel on Sunday 30^th, where Resist The Thought and Buried In Verona continue their I Wanna Give It tour. Also on Sunday, the ever-reliable Diesel plays solo and acoustic at Cronulla’s intimate Brass Monkey. Stellar Aussie expat and ARIA Award-winning pop star Sia returns home briefly for her Big Day Out performances, with her Sydney side show taking place at Enmore Theatre on Wednesday 2^nd of February. Blue Mountains blues and roots outfit The Widow Birds are playing the very suave Raval on Thursday the 3^rd, with locals Cats Are Black in support A few doors down, local six-piece live hip hop band The Dyno Mics launch their Look Good single at Tone, with supports by songman Jack Carty and DJ Gabriel Clouston. Long-standing Kiwi rockers Shihad are back for an Australian tour, including Waves Nightclub in Towradgi on Thursday 3^rd and Bondi’s Beach Rd Hotel on Saturday 5^th. Local reggae crew King Tide can be found simmering down at the Brass Monkey on Friday 4^th, and Sydney Festival continues to offer international gems with Dublin troubadour Conor O’Brien (aka Villagers) playing The Famous Spiegeltent that same night. Saturday 5^th sees eight-piece Afrocolombian party-starters Watussi launch their latest single and video clip with an official party and performance at Camelot in Marrickville, with Killaqueenz’ DJ K-Note in support. Also on the 5^th, Sydney hip hop act Spit Syndicate feature for SOSUEME at Oxford Arts Factory with special guests, with vintage lunatics and t-shirt faves The Misfits providing a potentially dangerous alternative at Manning Bar. Sunday 6^th sees this year’s St Jerome’s Laneway Festival visit Sydney once again, with highlights including !!! (Chk Chk Chk), Two Door Cinema Club, Foals, Yeasayer, Deerhunter and Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti to name but a few.