PHOTOS: James Blake + Mark Pritchard Live in Sydney

The magnificent James Blake was in town this week to perform a headline set at Splendour in the Grass, as well as a series of shows across the country. Touring his stunning new album The Colour in Anything, his incredible voice and immense talent as a live performer brought a genuine kind of musical magic to the stage. Last night (July 26, 2016) he performed at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion. Backed by a percussionist and multi-instrumentalist, they delivered a phenomenal, rich, utterly captivating performance – one that, as he noted toward the end of the set, employed no laptops or pre-recorded material. Indeed, he could be seen and heard creating loops and sounds as the set progressed, building harmonies and counter-melodies using his own voice and playing. Predominantly performing music from his new album, he also played a number of favourites from his previous releases, including his cover of Feist’s Limit To Your Love, and a breathtaking rendition of Retrograde, from his 2013 record Overgrown.

The audience was captivated from start to end by his incredible voice; it’s rare that someone who sounds so amazing on record can sound even more beautiful live, but this rings so true for James Blake. It was incredible to see how he managed to manipulate the audience’s energy throughout; from his most intimate, raw moments, during which little but his voice rang out across the room, to the intense, overwhelmingly jarring synths that added a remarkably heavy, industrial element to the set, it was more special, and more memorable than we could have imagined.

Joining Blake on the night was special guest Mark Pritchard, who received a one hour opening slot. His set began with ambient sounds and experimental phrases slowly, slowly building upon one another, and gradually developed to include heavier bass sounds and increasingly frantic rhythms. Pritchard has also recently released a new album, Under The Sun, which includes a collaboration withRadiohead‘s Thom Yorke. While some in the audience were unsure of how to interpret Pritchard’s slow moving sounds at first, those who were drawn in were hypnotised by the unique way he creates soundscapes, and the atmosphere which continued to build and strengthen throughout.