People of all ages, backgrounds and musical tastes streamed into His Majesty’s Theatre on Friday 28th September to celebrate an iconic album and one of history’s most influential bands, Nirvana. At the close of the last number, the orchestra was met with a full standing ovation, with some audience members even standing on their chairs! PSO has certainly lived up to its reputation as “the orchestra that breaks rules”!.

Here’s what reviewers are saying:

Ryan Ellis, Xpress Mag – 9/10 stars – Read the full review here.

“What made the night so special was that it wasn’t just an orchestra playing Nirvana covers, it was something totally different and new… A complete recreation of Unplugged that encapsulated the vibe of and emotion behind the original, while still paying homage to the legacy of Cobain and Nirvana.

PSO are the rebels of the orchestral world…..The year isn’t over yet but what the PSO and Burford put on tonight will be hard to beat. It was hands down one of the best performances of the year, and definitely the most creative thing this writer has seen.”

Melanie D Griffiths, Amnplify – 3.5 stars. Read the full review here.

“It takes a lot of chutzpah to tackle one of the greatest bands that ever were, led by the figurehead of an entire generation. And wildly, the Perth Symphony Orchestra and Justin Burford’s Unplugged: Nirvana Reimagined worked, rather spectacularly at challenging our preconceived ideas of an iconic performance to offer something fresh and colourful.

…Burford made it clear he is a worthy artist to deliver Cobain’s material. Burford, of indie-pop band End Of Fashion, delivered a very worth homage to his hero in appearance, mannerism, and vocally.”

Robert Housley, Noted. Read the full review here.

“…Justin Burford channelled the role and gravelly voice to near perfection. His uncanny physical resemblance to the dishevelled Cobain, coupled with his superlative West Coast US accent, made it feel like the man himself was there. The cardie, chain smoking and nervous movements on a swivel chair took you right back to MTV Unplugged.

What set this concert aside was the casual interplay between him and lithe PSO chief conductor/artistic director Jessica Gethin. She said very little but was a potent and lively conduit between the grunge front man and the sea of black-bedecked players.

This triumvirate were as one throughout arranger Ash Gibson Greig’s beautifully realised versions of the MTV Unplugged song list including gems such as Come As You Are and All Apologies.”

Sasha Cambrie from Scenstr. Read the full review here.

“From the sounds of violins and trumpet delightfully messing with my expectations during ‘The Man Who Sold The World’, to the tuba and harp features during ‘Plateau’ and ‘Oh Me’ respectively, it was a performance to be respected for its alluring complexity.”