ACO Underground

Overview

Last week it was Thom Yorke giving other people’s songs a spin over in the sweaty Danceteria of Goodgod, and now the Australian Chamber Orchestra will be giving some Radiohead a go on the beer-stained stage of The Standard.

Tacking “Underground” onto the end of their name as part of their transformation into what Time Out New York has recognised as one “badass classical band”, the ACO will flex their artistic muscles performing a set-list that stretches from Radiohead, David Bowie and REM to Paganini, Bach and Vivaldi. The musical metamorphosis will be overseen by founder, curator and front-woman Satu Vanska, who will be demonstrating her own prowess on the strings of the $2 million Stradivarius violin she was gifted last year.

Surf cinematographer and visual artist Jon Frank has assembled an audio-visual installation to be projected onto The Standard’s walls before the gig. It might not imbue this space with the majestic cathedral-like ambience of the Opera House Concert Hall, but should be pretty enthralling in its own right.