Nick Murphy (formerly known as Chet Faker)
Opera House
Sydney, AU
June 1, 2017
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Nicholas "Nick" James Murphy, better known by his former stage name Chet Faker – a pseudonym he abandoned in September 2016 - is an Australian singer and songwriter. A prolific and accomplished one at that.
The evolution of shedding his previous moniker launched Murphy’s transformation into a widescreen version under his own name for an exciting new chapter of music, mixing past and present influences of what in youthful marketing speak could be classified as “heavy beats and soulful jams”.
Emphasis on soul and personality.
As part of Sydney’s VIVID festival, Murphy premiered Missing Link alongside his existing catalogue for exclusive performances in an immersive, communal 360-degree “theatre in the round” stage show, which offered the enthusiastic audience a closer intimacy with the stage and put it in direct view vis-avis of each other.
Missing Link is an intriguing collection of a mélange that pushes the boundaries of composition and melody even further than what we have come to love about Chet Faker’s previous emissions, while still being faithful to his trademarked raspy vocal range and the foundation of booming percussive elements.
The VIVID fest, Sydney’s annual outdoor lighting festival with immersive light installations and projections, proved to be an ideal context for Nick Murphy’s Opera House incarnation as his performance was framed by a subtle yet powerful light show, which accentuated t and enhanced the performance and at times even mesmerized the main protagonist.
The light square that framed the band from above complemented the experimental nature of Murphy’s oeuvre, especially when it came to carefully orchestrated ambience and synthetic elements.
Nick Murphy is a seasoned performer and the evening provided ample opportunity to not only show off his dancing skills but it was a testament to how effortlessly he is able to transition in and out of songs with a myriad of instruments, leaning at times into more experimental spaces while maintaining an air of immediacy, soul and accessibility, connecting with the audience both at a deeper level.
A centered, Zenned performance with intense moments that cemented the evolution of an artist that has left the cocoon of his previous incarnation behind and now fully inhabits and shines under his chrysalis.
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Photos by T
