Lush, evocative, poignant. Writers have been trying to distill Sigur Ros’ otherworldly music into neat adjectives for years, but there’s always been something missing. There’s an indescribable quality to Jonsi’s wails, so pregnant with emotion, sorrow and joy, lifted by world-class musicians who flitter between sublime, modest dips and chaotic, violent peaks.
It’s beautiful music. Let’s keep it simple. Because simplicity is really where Sigur Ros shines. Not in the intensity of those beautiful bursts of leave-this-earth rock & roll, showcased so brilliantly last time they were in Sydney (at the ICC Theatre), but those fragile moments where Jonsi’s one-of-one vocals flicker with ache with palpable passion. When you can hear those fractured nuances that place him in a league entirely of his own, that’s when Sigur Ros’ music starts to penetrate deep into the soul and move your memories to places you’ve never been.
Many things Iceland make its musicians so unique. Bjork and Jonsi the most obvious. The dramatic, lonely environment has given birth to some of the most ethereal music of our time, carving out its own sonic identity in a way that speaks to the environment, much like the different flavours of hip hop scattered around the US or the caricature-driven colour of K-Pop.
It’s dreamy music. And so long-time Vivid LIVE curator Ben Marshall made the right choice – he always does – when he grabbed a touring Sigur Ros for three nights, giving them a short Sydney Opera House residency as the headline act for this year’s Vivid Sydney music program. The theme of Vivid Sydney this year is “dream”. There couldn’t be a band more perfectly suited.
And to make it extra special, Jonsi, Georg Holm and Kjartan Sveinsson immersed themselves with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, to the point where you could no longer tell where one entity ended and the other began. This wasn’t a “Sigur Ros featuring SSO” concert; this was an impossibly large amount of world-class musicians all putting in equal work to lift some of the band’s more tender moments.
And tender was really the theme of the night. Quiet and evocative took precedence over drum-heavy numbers like “Festival” and fan-favourites like “Svefn-g-englar.” You had numerous, numbered “Untitled” tracks barely recognisable to the more casual Sigur Ros fan. A night of “deep cuts”, as you will, with Sigur Ros taking the chance on this new format by playing songs that rarely squeeze into their set lists.
The beauty of seeing Sigur Ros live is that you don’t really need to be familiar with their music at all. My concert buddy for the night would qualify as a “casual fan.” I asked her before the concert if she’s listened to much of Sigur Ros’ music before. “No, but I trust you,” she replied. Just an hour later she’d turn to me and say, “Chris, this is some of the most beautiful music I’ve ever heard.”
And yeah, same.
I’ve seen Sigur Ros many times. They are one of the few bands I’d always go out of my way for, a testament to how magnetic the pull of their music can be when it’s witnessed on stage. But I’ve never seen them like this, nor heard the curtain of ostentatious, world-build rock peeled back so completely as to really expose what’s going on behind the scenes. Jonsi’s voice is a weapon, wielded so effectively to conjure people’s deepest memories.
Highlights? There are many throughout this flawless showing, but I let out an audible gasp as soon as I heard the very first string of “Starfalfur,” a song I’ve never seen them perform before. Those gasps continued, to the point where the man next to me kept looking at me disapprovingly. “Von,” the title track of Sigur Ros’ debut album, took on a new life with the full string section that sat to the right of the audience. “All Alright”, “Untitled #3”, “Hoppipolla”. I was far from the only one mopping up tears by the end of the over-two-hour set, which was split by a short intermission.
Sydney Opera House’s always-impressive Concert Hall is no small venue, but the sense of closeness conferred by Sigur Ros’ more intimate stylings would have made each and everyone feel like the show was for them, and them only.
FIVE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Reviewer attended 23rd May, 2025
Sigur Ros perform one final time with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra tonight for Vivid LIVE. All tickets are now sold out.
Photo: Daniel Boud / Sydney Opera House.
