Overview
One of Sydney's most visually and sonically impressive venues, the City Recital Hall is always looking to complement its stunning acoustics with an equally exciting program. While its bread and butter are orchestral performances, the venue will often go on a streak of booking more contemporary performers, pushing the boundaries of the type of music you might expect to see in such a classy environment.
That's exactly the case with the hall's new contemporary music series 02 | 23, which is not only pulling together a diverse group of musicians ranging from hip-hop legends to upcoming singer-songwriters but will also include the venue's first-ever standing gigs. Following the installation of removable seating in the hall, the inner-city music hub can now accommodate general-admission standing gigs for those that need to move their feet when they're catching live music.
Director of Programming at City Recital Hall Stuart Rogers said: "Great music sounds better in a great venue, and as musicians create new ways of presenting new sounds, venues must improve and grow with the culture and technology they're built on. By increasing City Recital Hall's capabilities as a performing arts centre to allow for standing shows, we look to open the venue up to an infinite variety of expanding genres along with a whole new segment of Sydney's live music scene and cultural fabric. More music for the people. Come dance with us."
The three shows that will claim the title of the prestigious venue's first standing shows come from three very different musical worlds. On Thursday, June 8 you can catch French disco pioneer Cerrone bringing the inaugural dance floor to the hall. The next night, Friday, June 9, one of the most influential hip-hop duos in the history of the genre, The Pharcyde will be taking to the stage with Masta Ace and Marco Polo in support. And, on Saturday, June 10, local legends Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever will be arriving with their signature indie rock tunes.
The Pharcyde
They'll all be joining an eclectic cast of characters on the 02 | 23 program that will run throughout June. The lineup includes breathtaking Icelandic folk singer Ásgeir, breakout Nigerian pop musician Obongjayar, plus Cash Savage and the Last Drinks, Ichiko Aoba, Laura Jean, Yazmin Lacey and Amanda Brown.
Alongside the removable seating, the City Recital Hall also recently installed a 360-degree spatial audio system, so you can expect these gigs to sound crisp and all-encompassing. It's the same sound system that Bjork used for her Cornucopia shows which she called "the most gorgeous sound I have ever heard in a room".
If you're looking to grab a bite to eat after the show, you're also in luck, with the hall sitting directly next to one of the best restaurants in Sydney, Ragazzi.
Destination NSW
Head to the City Recital Hall website to check out the full program of June gigs — including the venue's first-ever general admission standing shows — and to purchase tickets to the shows.
Top image: Keith Saunders