Once again, Perth Festival has delivered a vibrant series of shows at East Perth Power Station, culminating in a stellar performance from Sudan Archives.
Stepping into the venue, I immediately noticed how happy and comfortable the crowd was, eating food, having a drink, kids dancing to the DJs on the Casa Musica stage… It was really lovely to see how the community has gotten on board and made the most of the festival.
Over on the main stage, our show’s opener, Kayps, got the crowd jumping. He brought a warmth and energy to the stage that had the growing crowd hooked.
As the night went on, it was amazing to see the audience fill out the space. They were buzzing with excitement for the evening’s headliner.
And when Brittney Parks AKA Sudan Archives made her way to the stage, it was easy to see why.
The main stage became a dreamspace.
She kicked off the show by playing a killer violin solo set to dancey electronica, proving her creativity is endless.
Wearing a futuristic body suit, she commanded the stage; singing, rapping, playing violin as well as percussion and production elements… How can one person be so talented?
Although the stage was relatively bare, the energy and movement Sudan Archives brought to the stage made it feel right, giving her room to run, dance and play violin across the stage. It also gave the audience plenty of moments to really engage with her. Hands were always in the air, moving to her music. She seemed genuinely excited to be there with us, saying she flew all the way over from LA to be on our Perth stage.
I’ve seen countless gigs and shows over the last 15 years and I can truly say I’ve never seen anything like Sudan Archive’s performance. Her music is unique, authentic and so much fun to listen to. Seeing them brought to life in such a unique venue was nothing short of amazing.