Portishead’s iconic vocalist Beth Gibbons returned nearly 15 years after her band last performed in Australia—her singular voice as intense as ever— her Australian solo debut part of Vivid LIVE 2025. Few voices were as instantly recognisable, as spooky and seductive, as that of Portishead’s Beth Gibbons. The English singer-songwriter rose to fame as the voice of that trip-hop trio, a group whose slinky, sinister beats and jazz-infused vocals set them apart from the chill-out sounds of the 90s.

Gibbons returned for her solo show, performing tracks from her critically acclaimed new album Lives Outgrown and a selection of classics from across her career. Following the era-defining sound of Portishead’s debut Dummy (1994) and their self-titled 1997 sequel, Gibbons spent the band’s extended hiatus recording Out of Season (2002), an eerie chamber-folk album alongside Talk Talk’s Paul Webb. She also worked with Annie Lennox, French icon Jane Birkin, and contributed to film soundtracks.