Björk’s opening concert as the headline act in the 2023 Perth Festival was by turns exhilarating, thought-provoking, achingly beautiful, grotesque, disturbing and euphoric.
I can only describe it as Art, but “Art” without pretension or gimmick. It made me think. It challenged me. It wasn’t always immediately easy to understand.
In an over-saturated market of modern commercialised music, Björk defies categorisation. She seems to be the only artist who has succeeded in both the commercial world while effectively maintaining the purest sense of her own creative vision. Hers is a distinct and worthy voice in a world of profit-focused noise.
Björk at Langley Park, Perth. Photo © Santiago Felipe.
Cornucopia features astounding digital imagery (by media artist Tobias Gremmler) which at times reacts to sound stimuli, and at others morphs and throbs on enormous screens surrounding the purpose-built stage. It creates a digital theatre-cum-sci-fi world pulsating with strange and unusual visuals, sometimes resembling human-like creatures (with fins, spikes and branches), plants, fungi, body parts, flowers and Björk-like figures.
Its visual parentage lies in her Utopia album, in which a kind of post-apocalyptic future is envisioned where human forms morph with plant and animal...
Unfortunately for those of us towards the back, and not even right up the back, I’m talking 5 rows up the grandstand, we were nowhere near the back actually, we did not have the same experience. We could not see her outfit and had no idea she had a mask on, nor did we have any idea what that ring was that came down that she seemed to be standing inside. We could not see any of the details of the the other performers costumes nor make out most of the set and design.
The visuals on the screen of course were in clear view however screens to magnify Bjork and her ensemble would have given us a feeling of inclusion and not been left as feeling bored outsiders. Our tickets were $180 I wonder how much the people who were close to the front, who got to see Bjork and not just hear her, paid?
The done was of course amazing but not practical with out screens, yes unfortunately they really are necessary in large venues. I know she probably wanted to make sure the crowd is watching her and not the screen, to enjoy the show ‘live’ but a screen would of given us a much better experience. We didn’t enjoy the show at all. Didn’t like the song choices at all, except for Isobel, and unfortunately were deprived of the trip-hop crowd pleasing songs of the 90’s. ‘It’s Oh So Quiet’ would have blown the roof off that dome!
I saw Bjork at the Big Day Out in 2008 and was blown away, amazing.. captivating. unfortunately we were really disappointed in the show last night. A completely different experience as a spectator to see her headline the Festival of Perth.