Good and bad, you generally know what you’re in for when you rock up to a music festival in 2019: multiple stages, amazing international and local music makers, a beautiful zone of artistic debauchery, exxy drinks and suffocating portaloos. But at the Now Now, you’ll need to map out a new game plan. The plan is: forget the plan.
Now prepared for an 18th year of progressive music programming, the grassroots Sydney collective of musicians, artists and improvisers behind this surreal event are maintaining organised chaos. While they’ve got a confirmed venue and line-up of performers, the Now Now is all about spontaneity and experience over expected photo opportunities.
The festival will run from January 24-27, with audiences experiencing intimate solo and collaborative performances by local and international artists, exploring large scale sound and art installations, and getting involved in participatory works. Most of the action is going down at 107 Projects in Redfern, with a brief relocation to Redfern Park on the Saturday for an acknowledgement of country, smoking ceremony and interactive sound and movement experience to help connect those involved to country.
In the music department, expect otherworldly long-form performative installations like that of solo artist Adam Pultz Melbye who’ll make resonating sounds using feedback bass with internal sound-reactive LED lights. There’ll also be lengthy synthesizer sound sessions and free musical flows by groups like the Astronomical Unit from Berlin and ever-evolving Sydney-based ensemble the Splinter Orchestra.
You can purchase tickets to one day of the sound experience or the full four-day bundle.
