Hate the lockouts? We're with you. Keen to really, actually, physically do something to show your discontent with the Sydney lockout laws? Lobby group Keep Sydney Open are holding a huge rally on February 21 to protest the State Government's controversial laws and the affect they're having on Sydney. Starting at Belmore Park in Central at 12.30pm, the rally will then make its way into the CBD. The crowd will stop by the soon-to-close George Street staple Bar Century for a mock funeral for all businesses and venues closed, and jobs lost since the lockouts were instated. Legendary Sydneysiders and nightlife supporters will be joining the rally for speeches, including Dave Faulkner (Hoodoo Gurus), Isabella Manfredi (The Preatures), Bernard Keane (political editor of Crikey and author of A Short History of Stupid) and Keep Sydney Open founder Tyson Koh. There'll also be performances from Sydney favourites Royal Headache — who wore Keep Sydney Open shirts at their Flaming Lips support set for Sydney Festival — and Art vs Science — who recently released a song in protest of the lockouts. More speakers will be announced during the week. There will be t-shirts on sale at Belmore Park before the rally proceeds on. The Keep Sydney Open rally is pushing certain actions on the Sunday, including: - lockout exemptions for licensed premises that are predominantly live music venues - an end to the new licence freeze for predominantly live music venues and small bars - the lifting of restrictions on retail hours - late-night public transport, like in Melbourne - the introduction of a Night Mayor, like in Amsterdam and Berlin - an invitation from government to discuss next steps in partnership with those whose livelihoods depend on the music and cultural industries thriving in Sydney - police to work with not against the responsible venues who provide safe nights out in a global city Keep Sydney Open's rally starts at 12.30pm at Belmore Park, Central on February 21. Head to the Facebook event page for more info. Image: Andy Fraser, Laneway Festival (who support Keep Sydney Open).
You don't have to travel to Venice for a kickass biennale, or wait for the annual Biennale of Sydney to roll around. There's a more localised, outdoor version happening right in your own urban backyard this weekend — the 2015 Redfern Biennale. There's no Council approval, all works are by local artists from Redfern's NSW Housing Commission and entry is free; so expect anything and everything. After a successful year in 2014, with over 50 local artists showing their installations, paintings, sculptures and performances, Redfern Biennale is back as part of this year's Art Month. Like last year, all works are by local artists from Redfern's housing commission, and if 2014's result is anything to go by, expect works to be destroyed, thrown in bins and all-round applauded by visitors and residents alike. It's the nature of the anarchic biennale game. Expect nihilistic readymades and found object art around corners, new sculpture in the streets, multimedia, new media and painting on the fences, footpaths and facades of Walker Street, bound by Cooper and Redfern Streets. With no Council approval for the show, local artists are just invited to place artworks on the streets for the seven hours of Biennale time. Badass. "In its democratising gesture of a free-for-all pile of stuff on stuff, Redfern Biennale is a shot across the bow of government sanctioned social sculpture for the greater good," said contemporary curator Yellan Nre of the 2014 Redfern Biennale. "It places public art back in the hands of the public, where they are free to ‘engage’ with it as they wish." The whole Biennale was inspired by the now-closed Damien Minton Gallery's social media chronicling of Redfern's under-appreciated 'readymades', objects and clusters left on the streets to be picked up by the gallery's blog and glorified online. Taking this idea to an entire, democratic exhibition is a whole next level, and one you should clear your calendar for. There's plenty more Art Month adventuring where that came from. Check our list of the ten best things to see at Art Month 2015. Images: Damien Minton Gallery.
Get your wallets ready. London cult clothing label, Lazy Oaf, are bringing their signature graphic prints and colourful designs to Sydney for the first time. For three short weeks, Sydneysiders will be privy to Lazy Oaf's own pop-up store, housed alongside good company in the Paddington stretch of Oxford Street. Both men and women's clothing and accessories will be available at the store, including this year's bestselling 'Space Oddity' and SS14 collections, as well as pieces from Lazy Oaf's exclusive collaboration with Garfield and forthcoming Xmas Accessories line. Launched in 2001 by illustrator Gemma Shiel, Lazy Oaf has since become a fixture in the street fashion scene, with the likes of Lily Allen, Charlie XCX and Odd Future caught wearing their cool threads. What started originally as a market stall selling screenprinted tees is now an internationally stocked brand, with collaborations from Warner Bros. to Underground shoes keeping their line continually fresh and inventive. Opening hours: Monday - Wednesday: 10am - 6pm Thurs: 10am - 9pm Friday: 10am - 7pm Saturday - Sunday: 10am - 4pm
If you're already squealing, this is the gig you've been waiting for. Bright Eyes frontman and bonafide dreamboat of your formative years Conor Oberst is returning to Australia to play some very special shows for your fast-beating heart. Since the early '90s, Oberst has spun tales of heartbreak, love, joy, life and serious depression, gradually moving from Bright Eyes to the Mystic Valley Band and Monsters of Folk in recent years. Now he's heading back to Sydney, armed with tracks from his most recent album, 2014's Upside Down Mountain as well as those tunes that made you weep, fall in love and appreciate the little things. Fingers crossed for 'Lua', 'First Day of My Life'; you know the drill. This isn't your regular giggin' in pavilions tour though. As well as hitting up Brisbane's Triffid, Melbourne's Corner Hotel and Sydney's Metro's Theatre, Oberst is set to play a series of unconventional gigs among the giraffes, hitting Sydney's Taronga Zoo and Melbourne Zoo Twilights. Bet even the bilbies have a bit of a tear-up. Conor Oberst will play two Sydney shows, March 4 at the Metro Theatre and March 6 at Taronga Zoo. Supported by The Felice Brothers.
Already a fan of SBTRKT, thanks to his remixes of Radiohead, M.I.A., Mark Ronson and Basement Jaxx? You haven't heard the best of the mask-wearing mystery man yet. It's on his studio albums that he shifts into top gear. Lead by mastermind Aaron Jerome Foulds, SBTRKT first solo-sashayed into public consciousness around June 2011, with the release of his eponymous debut. By spring 2014, another dose had been delivered, with full-lengther Wonder Where We Land, released in October. If you scored yourself a ticket to Falls Festival or Field Day this New Year's, you would have already seen how SBTRKT's latest creations manifest live. But there'll still a chance to kick off 2015 in his company. He'll be playing sideshows at Melbourne's Forum Theatre on Wednesday, January 7 (sold out) and at Sydney's Enmore Theatre on Thursday, January 8. Given that he'll be arriving on the heels of extensive US and European tours, we're expecting to catch a couple of seriously polished performances, complete with epic visuals. Supported by Movement.
Just as the mid-week blues rears its ugly head, Goodgod delivers once again with its trademark pop culture trivia tournaments. Starting the New Year off with a bang, 2015 marks the bar's first ever (that's right, never before seen, folks) Music Trivia night. Prepare for the clashing of Sydney's musical minds, things could get tense (don't say we didn't warn you). Featuring FBi Radio's Shag and Al Grigg of Palms and Straight Arrows playing hosts, these two will be your go-to gurus overseeing every score and stumble during the evening's festivities. Fancy yourself a bit of a musical aficionado? Try your hand and challenge your mates to see who comes out on top, or team up against rival music nerds. Keeping all competitors at their fighting best, Goodgod will be dishing up a brand spanking new menu of tasty dishes too. With whispers of some sweet prizes also up for grabs, your Wednesdays won't be looking too shabby for the next weeks to come.
This week has more Australian '80s-style synth pop, unforgettable dance moves and enviable hairstylin' than usual, with Sydney duo Client Liaison rolling into town for their national Pretty Lovers tour. Renowned for their infectious '80s synth and '90s pop influences, this pair continues to pack a punch with the release of their debut EP, Queen, last year. If their sold-out Spiegeltent shows at Sydney Festival this year, or their recent confetti cannon-finale at Secret Garden Festival are anything to go by, Oxford Art Factory better fortify their floorboards — furious dancing is mandatory. Extravagant and over-the-top in every way, Harvey Miller and Monte Morgan are well worth checking out, revisiting or continuing your straight-up superfandom for. If a high-energy end-of-week dance party sounds like your jam, check out Client Liaison on Friday, March 13 and Saturday, March 14. Words by Lucinda Starr and Shannon Connellan.
Easter is creeping up once again, and that means that Bad Friday block party is on its way as well. From their humble beginnings at the Annandale Hotel in 2010, the crew behind one of the best celebrations of local talent in the calendar year have ramped it up, year after year, and this year — the event's huge tenth year — won't change that winning formula. The festival will take over Fraser Park in Marrickville from 1pm on Friday, April 19, and it boasts quite the lineup. Indeed, while it's still just over two months away at the time of writing, this shindig is selling tickets quickly. The first two early releases have been snapped up, so if you're keen to attend, you'll want to nab one from the full-price last batch. Back to the bill. The roster of talent meanders through 19 artists, including 14 homegrown Sydney outfits. Prepare to party to the sounds of Jungle, The Avalanches doing a DJ set, DMA's, DZ Deathrays, The Jezabels, Tropical Fuck Storm and more — and party like you've got three days off afterwards, too.
If your midichlorian levels have been freaking out this week after the release of the poster and trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, hold on to your nearest wookie. Sydney's IMAX cinema, towering over Darling Harbour, will have Australia's only 2D 1570 IMAX film print (one of only 20 in the world) of the highly-anticipated Star Wars film. Director J.J. Abrams used IMAX cameras to shoot selected scenes in the new Star Wars film, so you'll want to see it on the screen it's meant for. And casually, IMAX Darling Harbour has the biggest cinema screen in the world, so if you're after X-wing/TIE fighter battles up in every corner of your nerdy, nerdy grill, this is how. IMAX Melbourne will be showing the film in IMAX 4K laser digital, but Sydney's the only one with the IMAX film print. Great, but don't get cocky. Tickets for Star Wars: The Force Awakens at IMAX Darling Harbour are on sale right now from the IMAX website — and they'll go faster than a working Millennium Falcon hyperdrive. The first session will screen at midnight on December 17 and is already sold out. Following sessions will screen every three hours across the next 24 hours. So get on it. Do get tickets. Try not. Do or do not. There is no try. Until then, join us in losing our collective sith over this new trailer:
Some people would travel a long way to visit cult West Village piano bar Marie's Crisis — well known for its mass singalongs and made extra famous when Jimmy Fallon paid a raucous, impromptu visit — but Sydneysiders don't have to this March. After a wildly popular run in 2015, the Marie's crew are bringing the whole experience back to Sydney as part of the second Spectrum Now Festival. Recreating the dive bar in QT Parlour Lane Roasters from March 1-10, Marie's Crisis are bringing their whole showtune-lovin' team all the way from NYC to gather round the piano for everything from Fiddler on the Roof to Phantom. The MC crew are also teaming up with Sydney's Hayes Theatre Company for a huge outdoor singalong in The Domain on March 7, so brush up on your Sondheim. Spectrum Now runs March 1-16 Sydneywide. To check out the entire program and book yourself into Spectrum Now, head over here.
Stop downloading Bridget Jones's Diary and switch off Adele. You got moves to learn. Dear Pluto and Groove Therapy have united with one aim in mind: to mend your poor broken heart with a killer '90s hip hop dance lesson. Yep, they're inviting you to get down to Wellington Street Projects on Wednesday night and jerk that jerk away. If you've met Groove Therapy before, you'll know they're all about teaching hip hop in a friendly space. There's no stressing about getting the moves right or looking like Beyonce — they're too busy making sure you're having a damn fine time. Dancers of all levels are welcome, including total newbies. Leading the Heartbreak Therapy Dance Class will be Vanessa Marian, who's taught street dance all over the world — from New York City to London to Paris to Berlin to Tokyo.
While Messina's main jam is crafting supremely scoffable varieties of gelato, the brand's love of food extends far beyond the freezer, as proven through a series of pop-ups it's dubbed Messina Eats. Every couple of months, the cult gelateria teams up with a savoury-focused culinary hero and throws a big ol' food party in the carpark at its Rosebery headquarters. On March 18, however, Messina's flying solo for its Pie Country pop-up, plating up both sweet and savoury iterations of that flaky favourite: the pie. On the menu, executive head chef Tom flaunts his passion for pies with a range that includes a nacho-style combo of chilli con carne, guacamole, corn chips, sour cream, and jalapenos. There's also one filled with slow-cooked Nepalese chicken curry and topped with mushy peas and mashed potato. Of course, the dessert game will be as strong as ever, with deep-fried apple pie, vanilla soft serve, and a salted caramel and coffee version of Messina Milk, all on offer. Messina Eats: Pie Country kicks off at 12pm this Saturday, March 18, and runs until all those pies have sold out.
Looking for that perfect something-something for your one and only? Valentine's Day has us all mushy and wanting to share the love. Luckily we've got a big ol' crush on Secret Garden festival, NSW's favourite made-for-mates-by-mates festival. How would you like to stay in your own Honeymoon Suite at the festival? You'll win a pair of two-day tickets to Secret Garden, and you'll be staying in the festival's very special Honeymoon Suite — a very, very fancy bell tent dressed up and made all romantic-like by the Secret Garden creative team (package worth $900). It's the ultimate date for adventure seekers. We're talking choccies on the pillow, bubbles on arrival, rose petals — the whole nine yards. Enter the comp here. Here's a lovely little romance-fuelled movie from Secret Garden, in which 'Farmer Henry Wants a Wife' on the SG festival site. Love is truly in the air. Farmer Henry Wants a WifeThis is the full story on Farmer Henry, who wants a wife.Competitors, please meet 4:30pm 27th FEB, Main Stage, Secret Garden. HAPPY VALENTINES DAY xGet amongst it! >>> http://bit.ly/SG_Tickets Posted by The Secret Garden on Saturday, February 13, 2016
Ever wanted to get into the Guinness Book of Records? Here's your chance. Stoney Roads is hoping to host the biggest, longest ever back-to-back DJ relay for MoVement Sydney. So, on Friday, October 21, more than 150 DJs will be gathering at 107 Projects to add their tunes to the marathon. The aim is to keep the music going, non-stop, for a minimum of ten hours straight — and, chances are, much, much longer. The good news is the event will be kicking off from 10.30am, so, even if you're not a night owl, you'll still be able to get in on the action. For DJs who'd like to get involved, it's not too late to register. RSVP online for a free ticket.
Believe it or not, it was a year ago that the club formerly known as Goodgod found itself in new ambitious hands. Rebranded as Hudson Ballroom in October, it's continued to supply Sydney with a reliable stream of music, trivia, signature cocktails and, most importantly, bun bao by Belly Bao. So, on Saturday, December 17, you're invited to celebrate at a shindig of epic proportions. From 9pm until late, across two rooms, there'll be music, music, music — and it's all gloriously free. You can expect a good serving of acts from Hudson Ballroom's regular club nights, including Flex Mami (Rhythm of the Night), Jessie Tank (Slime Saturdays), DJ Levins (Halfway Crooks), Denzel Sterling (Sidechains), John Wineberg (Step On), Shantan Wantan Ichiban (Players Haters Ball), Nick Toth (Dutty Dancing), Helena Ellis (Ellis Island), Nic Kelly (Dirty Word) and DJ Adverse (Groove Dealers).
Marrickville could become Sydney's new late night destination, after the local council revealed an ambitious proposal for a brand new live music and creative arts precinct. The plans for the Sydenham Station Creative Hub would see the industrial area around Sydenham Station rezoned, opening it up for a swathe of potential new bars, restaurants and music venues. And best of all? No lockouts. The proposal is appealing for a number of reasons. With punters fleeing Kings Cross and the CBD in droves, Sydney is crying out for a new after-hours music hub. The area around Sydenham Station is already home to a number of popular venues, including Red Rattler, Gasoline Pony and The Factory, while easy access via the train line is another big tick in its favour. "If anyone had a dream to set up a live music venue, small bar, or creative business right on a major transport interchange between the city and significant suburban renewal along adjacent railway corridors, I'd be looking very, very closely at the Sydenham Station Creative Hub," Live Music Office Policy Director John Wardle told The Music. Marrickville Mayor Sam Iskandar also weighed in on the plans, saying that "with the fantastic transport links the area has, we believe a Sydenham Station Creative Hub could easily become a must-visit destination for all of Sydney." Marrickville Council is currently seeking public feedback on the proposal, which you can provide via a survey on their website. The council will meet to discuss the project on June 7 before deciding whether to move forward. Via The Music. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
The Palisade Hotel was once the highest building in Sydney. It's true, back in 1915 it was built as a pub for port workers and the residents of Millers Point; a feat of modern commercial development. After many long and hearty years as a Millers staple pub, hotel and prized Brian Sudek/Annie Parmentier restaurant, it closed in 2008. But now, the Palisade is finding new life in its 100th year, quietly reopening its ground floor bar this week. Quite the prime real estate spot, the Palisade has been snapped up for about $20 million by entrepreneur Richard Sapsford, according to Good Food. The pub is aiming to fuse boutique hotel accommodation with a brand new penthouse eatery and bar, under the direction businessman of Greg Walker. With the ground floor bar now open for business — serving hearty pub grub like soup and toasties alongside lighter fare like lentil and beetroot salads — the Palisade's fancier upper levels are tipped for a September opening. Owner of The Society Inc and interior stylist for the likes of Palings, Mr Wong, Palmer & Co, El Loco, 30 Knots, Upstairs at The Beresford, MsG’s and more Sibella Court is steering the revamp — one she 's claiming to have a "Soho House feel", nodding to the New York City Meatpacking District institution. The Palisade's ground floor bar is now open at 35 Bettington Street, Millers Point. Watch this space for more details on the upper levels. Via Good Food. Images: Mick Stanic and Newtown Grafitti (Flickr CC)
Any time is a good time for a getaway in the Hunter Valley, though that's particularly true in May and June. That's when the Hunter Valley Wine & Food Festival returns to highlight the best the region has to offer. And this year, there's more cheese than usual. Rather than focus all of their eating and drinking goodness over a few days or on a few places, HVWFF spreads the love. Keen on a fireside dinner where you'll sample 2014-vintage wines? Want to meet local producers and feast on farm-fresh meals? Or watch a wine barrel become a bonfire as part of an annual tradition? Of course you do. But if the godly trio of wine, cheese and the arts specifically take your fancy, hold on to that hat of yours. At the brand new Cheese Lovers Festival, you can try as much dairy as you can stomach for just $20 entry ($25 for early birds). This cheesy, cheesy festival will showcase over 40 cheese, wine and craft beer stalls with tasting opportunities. Tasting opportunities. There's a 'Fancy Cheesecake' competition, a three-course cheesy menu designed by chef Lyndey Milan and more. There's also the Hunter Valley Wine Festival, which showcases the beverage part of the equation. And the Lovedale Arts Festival runs for the entire two months, showcasing everything from sculpture to music. Basically, if you can't find a reason to make the trip, you're not looking hard enough. And that's just the official side of things. With more than 150 wineries in the area, taking a few detours is to be expected. The Hunter Valley Wine & Food Festival runs across May and June in various locations. For more information, check out the Hunter Valley website.
Chippendale’s mysterious, once-seedy alleyways will be getting the BEAMS treatment again on Saturday, September 19. Now in its fourth year, BEAMS Arts Festival delivers a feast of light, video, animation, sculpture, music, dance, theatre and food for five action-packed hours between 5pm and 10pm. And every minute of it is gloriously free. Festival director Nicky Ginsberg says we can expect “live music featuring Australia’s best and brightest talent co-curated by King Sound Studios and including the elite of Triple J Unearthed and the Australian Institute of Music in this year’s stellar line-up". Meanwhile, local eateries will be “showcasing their finest wares”. And the festival’s creative participants will be responding to the theme 'phenomena'. They’ve been asked to reflect on Chippendale’s evolution from its industrial origins to its contemporary manifestation, while exploring what Sydney’s future might hold through imaginative collaboration. BEAMS will take place along on Balfour, Little Queen and Kensington Streets, as well as in nearby laneways and on Chippendale Green (within One Central Park).
Newtown is about to get a brand new deli and bistro with some serious gourmet pedigree to back it up. Set to start operations later this month, Continental is the latest culinary venture from Elvis Abrahanowicz and Joe Valore, the same dynamic duo behind Porteno and Bodega in Surry Hills and LP's Quality Meats in Chippendale. Take a few minutes to drool, and then get to work on your shopping list. Located at 210 Australia Street, Newtown, just up the road from Black Star Pastry and Oscillate Wildly, Continental's launch will be split into two parts, with the deli section opening on September 28 and the upstairs bistro beginning service a month later. The deli will operate daily from 10am, while the bistro will be open for dinner Wednesdays through Saturdays, plus lunch on Sundays. Speaking to The Daily Telegraph earlier in the year, Abrahanowicz described the downstairs portion as a "classic deli" that would stock cured meats, vegetables and seafood. "We are going more for quality rather than quantity," he said. "Everything will be on rotation. Rather than stocking 80 cheeses, we will stock what’s ripe and ready to eat at the moment." The pair have even purchased a canning machine, so they can can their goods right there on site. The dining menu will consist mostly of European-style share food, while the duo's long time collaborator Mikey Nicolian will take care of things behind the bar. The space is expected to seat around about 50 people in total. The upstairs area will consist of two rooms, one of which will feature a large communal table with room for around a dozen diners. Via The Daily Telegraph and Gourmet Traveller. Image: Porteno.
Australia's wild, native food is starting to get the attention it deserves — from high-end restaurants like NOMA Australia and Adelaide restaurant Orana among other venues. To showcase the use of Australian produce in food and wine, Indigiearth are putting on a feast of foraged ingredients at Handpicked Wines. A discussion and taste testing of wild harvesting and the sustainable food movement will be accompanied by an Aussie wine workshop. Indigiearth owner Sharon Winsor is an award-winning pioneer of native food brands in New South Wales, this is a rare opportunity to join her and better understand why these ingredients deserve their spot in the limelight.
A FREE concert by The Flaming Lips, a cardboard city with a FREE flying fox, a Birdman screening live scored by the film's drummer Antonio Sanchez, and a steamy story session with Sydney’s sexiest senior citizens are all happening in Sydney this January, when the Sydney Festival turns forty. Yep, as of 2016, the city’s biggest and best-loved arts shindig will be over the hill. And, by way of celebration, we’re being treated to a program of truly epic proportions. The organisers have spilled the beans on the 157 events (including 89 free ones!), 383 performances, 34 venues, 902 artists and 22 nations that will be coming together from January 7 to 26. Let’s start with The Flaming Lips. Oklahoma’s most famous psychedelic alternative rock outfit will be hitting The Domain to headline the festival’s legendary Summer Sounds concert, hopefully with clothes and without Miley Cyrus, and definitely pumping out their cult tunes alongside their chart triumphs. And it'll cost you zero dollars. Meanwhile, SydFest is expanding to a bunch of new spots, including Barangaroo Reserve and Vaucluse House. Barangaroo’s new cultural space, The Cutaway, is gearing up to host one of the festival’s biggest free events for the people. French artist Olivier Grossetête is inviting you to help build The Ephemeral City, an enormous, temporary urban development made of cardboard. Afterwards, you’ll be able to get a damn good view of your work, thanks to free flying fox rides on a mammoth 165 metre zip line. A strong sense of community spirit also informs the theatrical elements of the festival’s programming. Bursting onto new storytelling territory is a show titled All the Sex I’ve Ever Had, which sees a slew of Sydneysiders aged over 65 bring their experience and insight to personal stories of romance and sex. Then there’s The Object Lesson, an installation/performance inviting you to join illusionist Geoff Sobelle on a journey through an absolutely enormous pile of objects. You'll contemplate every "thing that ever passed through your hands — a massive, meaningful, meaningless pile of junk that describes in debris your tiny human history". On the music front, we’re excited about Cut the Sky, a powerful indigenous performance work meditating on a dystopian future and featuring songs by Nick Cave and Ngaiire. As we mentioned, quadruple Grammy Award-winning jazz drummer Antonio Sanchez will be improvising a live score to a screening of Birdman (he improvised the actual score, so this will be the first and only time this SydFest score is played). And, for the first time ever, FBi is presenting its SMAC Awards as a huge festival, open to the general public. Other gigs on the schedule include the inimitable Joanna Newsom at the Sydney Opera House launching new album Divers, underground rock trio The Dirty Three and Mexrissey — a Mariachi-style revamping of songs by Morissey and The Smiths. There's also a new folk series happening amongst the gorgeous acoustics of St Stephens Uniting Church. As usual, Hyde Park's Meriton Festival Village is delivering a whizz-bang array of music, comedy, cabaret and circus acts, while About an Hour is heading back to Carriageworks for another season of 60-minute, $35 events featuring theatre, dance, music and storytelling. Clear your calendar, this is going to be a busy summer. Dive into the entire Sydney Festival program at the festival website. Image: Todd Spoth.
Garage pop band Hinds are making the trip to Australia for the very first time. For a super young band (the youngest member is only 18), they've already had a run of successes that would strike envy in many. They've played at Primavera Sound, opened for The Libertines and have toured with The Black Keys. Perhaps the only run of bad luck they've received is being legally obliged to change their name from their previous moniker 'Deers'. It's hard not to love the girls' breezy and unfiltered take on young love and teenage fun, a charm that also translates to their live shows — known for their unpretentious, no barriers performance and oft heard outbursts of giggling. Mac DeMarco is a self-professed fan, and maybe after this run, you'll be convinced to join the club too.
When all seven chapters of S-Town were released in one mighty swoop on March 28 this year, podcasting entered a new realm. Ten million episodes were downloaded in four days, obliterating records. And now, series creator Brian Reed is coming to Australia to talk about how he did it. At an evening titled 'We Need to Talk About S-Town', he'll be chatting about telling stories, combining reporting with literariness, leaving things unsaid and, of course, John B. McLemore, the podcast's eccentric, obsessive, unforgettable protagonist. Along the way, you're likely to hear him touching on all the big themes that found their way into S-Town: greed, poverty, mental health issues and prejudice. And, if you've been plagued by questions of journalistic ethics, this would be the time to dig them out. Tickets on sale Monday, May 29 from the Sydney Opera House website. Image: Andrea Morales.
The Gretz is turning two, and they're celebrating with happy hour for all — three days in a row. Enmore's sister restaurant to the ever-popular Hartsyard offers some of the best cocktails and bar snacks in the city and both will be on special for their birthday weekend. Happy hour will run from 9pm-11pm on Friday, March 31 and Saturday, April 1, and from 7pm-9pm on Sunday, April 2 — this means schooners for five bucks and cocktails for ten dollarydoos, as well snacks on the house. We're hoping this means they'll be passing around their addictive oyster po' boys (and if not, order 'em anyway). Customers can also go in the draw to win one of three seafood trays supplied by Joto Fresh Fish. This award-winning venue has become one of the go-to bars for walk-in snacking and classy boozing in the area — especially when Hartsyard is predictably full up — and we'll happily raise a happy hour glass to another year in the biz.
The Art Gallery of NSW has a lot going on at the moment, from Australia's favourite art prize to the most comprehensive Marcel Duchamp exhibition to ever reach the Asia Pacific. For those who don't quite recognise the name, he's the dude who decided a bicycle wheel on top of a wooden stool and a urinal could both be art. The groundbreaking and, at times, controversial French artist expanded the possibilities of what art can and should be. But did you know he was also a chess champion? And an incredibly witty wordsmith? To celebrate this landmark exhibition, we've teamed up with the gallery to bring you three free Art After Hours events that explore the more intimate details of Duchamp's personal life, as well as his 60-year, convention-defying career. Other than being an artistic maverick with his readymades, did you know he was a chess champion? A playful humorist? An incredibly witty wordsmith? Well, at each Art After Hours host Carlo Ritchie, one half of the Aussie improv comedy team The Bear Pack, will lead you through a playful world of Duchampian hijinks across three Wednesday nights. Over the course of this immersive and irreverent series, you'll get to assemble your own readymade while DJ Klasik spins tunes on June 19, challenge yourself and check your mate in a game of chess on June 26 and try your tongue at slippery wordplay with punny pick-up lines and improv games on July 3. There'll be a pop-up bar, too, if you're in need of liquid courage. After, be sure to check out the 125-strong retrospective of art and documentary materials, marking the 50th anniversary of Duchamp's death, which will be open late during the Art After Hours events. The workshops are free and require no booking, but you can register your interest via Facebook. Meanwhile, the exhibition itself is ticketed. To purchase, head to the Art Gallery of NSW's website. Duchamp's Playground will take place on Wednesday, June 19 from 6–9pm, Wednesday, June 26 from 7–9pm and Wednesday, July 3, from 6–9pm. The Essential Duchamp exhibition will run until Sunday, August 11. Image: Jenni Carter, 'Carlo Ritchie in The essential Duchamp exhibition', 2019.
Leave everything up to the chef at this intimate harbourside omakase restaurant. Make your evening even more special with a complimentary Haku martini paired with the eight or 11-course meal. Bay Nine is located along the heritage Campbell's Stores waterfront precinct and operates under the steady stewardship of master sushi chef Yul Kim — we sat down with Chef Kim to discuss bringing his menu to life with passion, precision and experimentation. The intimate Japanese eatery has a smattering of tables and a ten-seater counter. This makes it easy for guests to see the chef's skills up close and personal — omakase is, after all, one part dining, one part performance. Bay Nine's menu changes daily, depending on what's in season and what fish is available at the seafood market. You can pair your eight or 11-course meal with Bay Nine's Icon Collection wines, your choice of sake from a 40-strong menu and a solid range of craft Japanese spirits. However, if you want to level up your omakase experience, from Friday, September 15, till Friday, October 15, all seatings at Bay Nine will begin with a complimentary Haku martini. Restaurant manager Anthony Sin created Bay Nine's Haku martini as the opener of the omakase drinks experience. It will be on the menu exclusively during the first months of spring. The cocktail, topped with herbaceous foam, marries fruity notes and the nuttiness of brown rice, setting a high bar for the pairings to follow. "There are two stages to our Haku martini," starts Sin. "Infusing the vodka with our genmaicha tea blend at room temperature for earthiness and a very mellow tone, and brewing the sencha green tea with syrup. Then, add the juices, shaking heavily and straining. That's it." Make your booking on Bay Nine's website now and enjoy a complimentary martini with your first course. Haku Vodka's signature serve is the Haku martini — a drink that showcases the craftsmanship, nuanced flavour and exceptional quality of the premium Japanese liquid. To learn more, head to the House of Suntory website. Images: Declan Blackall
Art experimenters and experiencers, prepare yourself. Performance Space is bringing experimental art to Carriageworks this month with an epic new festival. The Liveworks Festival of Experimental Art will deliver 18 new works, spanning visual arts, theatre, dance and digital media, from artists all over the Asia-Pacific region. Not a single nook or cranny within the monumental building will escape art-ification. Topping the program is the world premiere of Wade Marynowsky’s Robot Opera. Yep, as you might have guessed, it’s a music-infused show performed by bona fide, custom-built automatons. Julian Knowles will be taking care of the live electronic score, while Branch Nebula will be responsible for the whizz-bang lighting and robot choreography. And you’ll get a chance to interact with the 'performers'. Meanwhile, Sydney-based Wiradjuri and Kamilaroi man Jonathan Jones will be offering a specially commissioned new exhibition guguma guriin | black stump, which examines the place of Indigenous culture in contemporary Australia, drawing on a range of techniques, from the repurposing of found objects to the revival of the Wiradjuri language. And art collective Hissy Fit will be inspiring mass hysteria with new live art piece, I might blow up someday, which reclaims the 'hysterical woman' trope through ‘80s and ‘90s all-female punk and metal music and culture. No spare cash for tickets? There are plenty of free shows to keep you busy. They’ll be occupying Carriageworks’ large public spaces, as well as its many corridors and passageways. Highlights include Starrs and Cmielewski’s Dancing With Drones, Ghenoa Gela’s Mura Buai, and Garth Knight’s Nemeton. If you want to get involved, check out the public program in the festival. Attend an exclusive dance workshop with the incredible Ross McCormack, get stuck into pre-show sessions with creators, watch films that respond to the works programmed by Golden Age Cinema or simply hang out in the Liveworks Lounge, where you’ll be treated to live performances, interactive experiences and weekly blowout parties, curated by FBi Radio. Liveworks will run October 22 to November 7 Carriageworks. For the full program, see the Performance Space website.
If you can hear 'Greensleeves' on the wind, you'd better chase the ice cream truck down to Chippendale today. Hartsyard's king of ridiculous layer cakes, mad scientist of insane desserts and recent Gelato Messina teamster Andy Bowdy will be giving out free soft serve today. Parking the truck at Central Park on Tuesday, August 25 from midday t0 1pm (yep, it's a tiny window of sweet, sweet glory, so get there early), Bowdy will be handing over the goods to the first 200 people to show up. It's all to celebrate the announcement of this year's Good Food Month program today — and you can pick up a copy while you're there, or have a sneaky peek at our breakdown over here. If you can't get down to Central Park today, never fear. Andy Bowdy will be serving up the goods at Sweetfest at GFM, a dessert-only festival featuring Katherine Sabbath, Dan Lepard, Brickfields, Flour and Stone and more at Chippendale's aMBUSH Gallery on October 17-18. Andy Bowdy will be giving out free soft serve from midday to 1pm on Tuesday, August 25 at Central Park, Chippendale. For more information about Good Food Month's 2015 program, head over here. Via Good Food. Image: Andy Bowdy.
Forever Young was the track that launched Youth Group into stardom. A decade and a bit later, frontman Toby Martin has matured, both in the inevitable physical sense and in his song writing. At Carriageworks on April 29, he'll be launching his newest album, Songs From Northam Avenue — a collection of collaborative tunes that form a poetic narrative story of Sydney's west. The album was written a few years back as part of a songwriting residency commissioned by Urban Theatre Projects. Martin spent his days in a front yard, and out the front of a local cafe in Bankstown, crafting his tunes to reflect his interactions with his new neighbours and surroundings. The people he met influenced the songs so much that they even began to collaborate with Martin, adding influences from Vietnam and the Middle East. The result is an honest, effusive album, by and for the community. At the all-ages album launch at Carriageworks, a number of the collaborators on the album will be joining Martin onstage for the live debut of their joint creation. Earlier in the day, Martin will also host a workshop for 30 people, where he'll chat about how he went about creating his latest LP — you can register here.
Explore Australia's largest botanic garden with champagne flute and canapés in hand. As the sun goes down on the evening of Saturday May 21, the Australian Botanic Gardens are hosting an enormous night time dinner, complete with music, dancing and bush-themed tucker. The gardens are located in Mount Annan, about an hour drive from the centre of Sydney. Ticketholders will begin the evening with sunset drinks, before embarking on a moonlight stroll to another section of the garden where chef Adam Williams will serve up dinner. The food, including dessert, will be inspired by the traditions and history of the area, while a didgeridoo performance will tap into local Indigenous culture. "This will not just be a night of good food and great sights, but also a night to experience the Indigenous stories and histories of the area through story-telling and dance," said Kim Ellis, executive director at Sydney's Botanic Gardens & Centennial Parklands. "It is special enough to see the Garden at night, but this new Garden Dinner Trail lets us unlock the door to the traditions of our past." Dinner in the Secret Garden begins at 5:30pm on Saturday May 21. Tickets cost $120 per person and can be booked online. For more information visit www.australianbotanicgarden.com.au/dinner.
If binge-watching David Attenborough's Planet Earth series is your idea of a good time — we don't blame you, it's enthralling — we've found the nature-filled exhibition of your dreams. This spring and summer, the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year exhibition will take over the Australian Museum with a display that'll transport you directly into the wild. And, good news wilderness lovers, we've managed to get our hands on ten double passes. The exhibition, which boasts more than 100 photographs, showcases incredibly diverse plant and animal life and gives you a chance to see nature at its most dramatic. Come eye-to-eye with Australian sea lions — yep, they're super cute — New Holland honeyeaters and green sea turtles, then bask in the stunning scenery from around Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica and New Guinea. The exhibition is utterly mesmerising and, the best part is, you can enjoy it on us. To go in the running, enter your details below. [competition]691930[/competition] Image: Matthew Smith.
Take a trip to Los Angeles in the year 2019, where acid rain falls on crowded streets lit up by neon lights. As part of Art & About Sydney, Golden Age Cinema are hosting a special experiential screening of Ridley Scott's sci-fi masterpiece Blade Runner, complete with music, art, food and a futuristic night market in an inner city carpark. Taking place on February 20, More Human Than Human: Blade Runner will transform the Goulburn Street car park into a dystopian installation space. Local artists and performers will present works inspired by Scott's groundbreaking Philip K. Dick adaptation, immersing visitors in the sights, sounds and themes of the film while pondering its ultimate question: what does it mean to be human? The evening will conclude with a rooftop screening of the movie itself, making this a night that film lovers can't afford to miss. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_9rhPDLHWk
When predicting what trends would dominate food and drink this year, eateries going vegan was on our list. After all, within Newtown alone, 2015 saw the opening of new joints Superfood Sushi and Bliss ‘n’ Chips, as well as the vegan-ification of Gigi Pizzeria. Now, Potts Point is taking on the animal-friendly mantle. Yellow has announced it’s going 100 percent vegetarian. That’s right, next time you drop by for brunch or a degustation, you won’t find any flesh on the menu. Yellow frequenters will know already that the restaurant has always had a big focus on vegetables. Owners Brent Savage and Nick Hildebrandt, who also run Bentley and Monopole, have long had a reputation for taking care of their vego diners, in all venues, with loads of options. Savage said, “I’ve always loved cooking with vegetables and having a solely vegetable driven menu gives me the opportunity to focus on interesting and heirloom varietals, grown by local suppliers. By treating vegetables with the same consideration as protein we hope to show that vegetarian dishes are just as delicious as any other menu item." Yellow’s menu will keep its share-ability, but veggies will get more love and creative treatment than ever before. Dishes to look forward to include yellow beans, pickled brassica and maple; raw radish, Japanese turnips and fennel butter; kohlrabi, fermented apple and enoki mushroom; salted carrot, quinoa and kale; and parsnip pappardelle with yolk and pine mushrooms. On the dessert list, you’ll find fennel pollen ice cream and plum broth, as well as citrus curd, carrot sorbet and brown butter. And you can rest assured that cruelty to fruit and veggies is being kept to a minimum. Rather than going through long, arduous flights or truck rides, they’re being grown and picked as close to diners’ plates as possible. Savage has close relationships with several local producers, including First Farm Organics in the Blue Mountains, who supply brassica leaves, turnips and squash, as well as Champion Organics, who take care of while beetroots, herbs and mustard flowers. Meanwhile, Zavaglia Produce is delivering all the Mexican cucumbers, heirloom zucchini and padron peppers, and Epicurean Harvest is responsible for the almighty radishes. There is one proviso on the all-vegetarian move — the brunch menu will remain the same with grilled licorice bread and poached eggs with charred corn and ham hock consommé still on the menu. You can get your vegetarian on at Yellow seven nights a week and from 8am on weekends. You’ll find it at 57-59 Macleay Street, Potts Point.
It's not every festival feels like a country weekend fete that just happens to be headlined by say, The Shins. Fairgrounds, Australia's country boutique camping festival descends on the small NSW town of Berry each December. Taking over the local Berry Showgrounds, Fairgrounds boasts all the trimmings of a major music festival with the essence of a local fair. And this December, it's back for another two-day round. Running over December 8 and 9, the two-day festival is making a triumphant return. In a huge coup for the small festival in its third year, they've secured big time festival favourites The Shins and Future Islands to headline, alongside local legends Client Liaison, D.D Dumbo, Holly Throsby, Jen Cloher, Royal Headache's Shogun and more. Oh, and casual founding Pavement member Spiral Stairs. With a strong focus on the local NSW South Coast area, Fairgrounds isn't just about the tunes. Last year local nosh, market stalls and the local swimming pool played equally starring roles at this multifaceted festival — something we're sure made Berry residents pretty happy. Between dips in Berry's local pool (within the festival grounds), punters feasted on local delights, including fresh rock oysters harvested less than half an hour from the festival site. Here's the full lineup. FAIRGROUNDS 2017 LINEUP: Aldous Harding Client Liaison D.D Dumbo Future Islands Hockey Dad Holly Throsby Japanese Breakfast Jen Cloher Marlon Williams Noname The Shins The Teskey Brothers You Am I Jess Locke Leah Senior Press Club Shogun (Royal Headache) Spiral Stairs (Pavement) Fairgrounds runs December 8–9 at Berry Showgrounds, NSW. Tickets on sale from Moshtix at 9am, Tuesday, August 22 (presale Thursday, August 18 — sign up to the newsletter for this). Festival entry is $160, with camping $220, with shuttle $198. Kids under 12 attend free with an adult. Image: Andy Fraser.
Allergic to the multiplex? Couldn't care less if the latest superhero film is any good? Keen to get your cinema kicks watching flicks that won't turn up anywhere else in Sydney? If you answered yes to any of the above, then you probably already know that the 2016 Sydney Underground Film Festival is just around the corner. What you mightn't know just yet is just what dark and delicious film delights its 10th anniversary program holds. The short answer: plenty. The slightly longer answer: where do we start? Whether you're after sequels to cult hits, remastered trash, docos about critical filmmakers or just a whole lot of movie mayhem and madness in between, you'll find it at The Factory in Marrickville from September 15 to 18 — as well as Sydney's first chance to experience a Saturday Morning All-You-Can-Eat Cereal Cartoon Party. Of course, SUFF wouldn't be the weird and wonderful alternative cinema celebration that cinephiles know and love without kicking off with something that'll get tongues wagging — or tails, actually. Whether you're a fan of Todd Solondz's 1995 effort Welcome to the Dollhouse, an aficionado of sausage-like pooches or fond of Greta Gerwig, you'll want to check out Sundance hit Wiener-Dog. Just remember that there'll be dachshunds and dark comedy. At the other end of the fest, SUFF closes in the only way it can courtesy of none other than John Waters. When festival directors Katherine Berger and Stefan Popescu heard that Multiple Maniacs had been restored and re-released, they couldn't resist. A camp comedy of extreme perversions set in a travelling sideshow — now that's how you close an underground film fest. Speaking of seminal filmmakers, Waters isn't the only great auteur in SUFF's sights. Check out the Noah Baumbach-directed documentary De Palma, as well as a 40th anniversary screening of his horror classic Carrie. Or, if Richard Linklater is more your style, Dream is Destiny will step you through his career. A 25th anniversary session of David Cronenberg's Naked Lunch keeps the big names coming, as does Sion Sono's latest over-the-top effort, The Virgin Psychics. As far as the latter's concerned, we're guessing the title says it all. Elsewhere, eager viewers can indulge their love of out-there fare courtesy of Turkey's Baskin, meme-focused docBeware the Slenderman, and the Christopher Lloyd-starring I Am Not A Serial Killer, just to name a few. British monster comedy Aaaaaaaah! features The Mighty Boosh's Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding, while Anti-Birth follows the hard-partying Natasha Lyonne and Chloë Sevigny as they cope with a mysterious pregnancy. Or, enjoy the brightest-coloured witch movie you'll ever see, aka The Love Witch, or throw cutlery at the screen duringThe Room-focused tribute Room Full of Spoons. And yes, there's more in store across the complete four-day lineup. You know where to find us come mid-September. The Sydney Underground Film Festival runs from September 15 to 18. To view the full SUFF 2015 program, or to buy tickets, visit the festival website.
An outback shearing shed meets Manhattan's Lower East Side at a new espresso, craft beer and whiskey bar on Manly's Market Lane. It's not exactly a traditional combination, but with the right liquid incentive we reckon it might just work. Opened this week, The Woolshed is the latest addition to northern beaches hotspot Donny's Bar. The bar's unique decor takes its inspiration from owner Matt Clifton, who grew up on a farm in rural NSW before spending time living in New York. Notable features include low-hanging woven lights, upholstered hessian seating and a bar top made from Jarrah wood. According to Clifton, "Most of the materials are straight off the farm; corrugated iron off the woolshed roof, sleeper wood off an old railway track and wood paneling off the side of our early 1900s shearers' quarters." Open from 7am seven days a week, The Woolshed will operate as a cafe during daylight hours, slinging caffeinated beverages courtesy of local coffee roasters Roseberry Street. At night they'll serve a number of craft beer varieties from boutique breweries, alongside a selection of whiskeys. Should go nicely with Donny's live music lineup, which focuses on up-and-coming local artists. In conjunction with the opening of The Woolshed, Donny's Bar are also launching a brand new menu. Tapas options such as grilled haloumi, paprika popcorn calamari and pork shoulder pale ale hotpot will be available at the bar. Alternatively, you can head to the loft restaurant for mains including twelve-hour slow roasted lamb shoulder and crispy skin salmon with herbed potato. The Woolshed is located at Donny's Bar, 7 Market Lane, Manly. For more information visit www.donnys.com.au
Pasture-fed lamb shoulder from Cowra, Sydney rock oysters, Warrigal greens and Tasmanian vodka are all on the menu at the lower north shore's newest restaurant and bar, Apera. As you can tell, the 114-seat Castlecrag venue is devoted to Aussie growers, producers, wine makers and distillers. This is evident as soon as you arrive. Look out for the outdoor picnic tables surrounded by edible and native local plants. Inside, the blue, grey and green colour scheme takes its inspiration from eucalypts, with splashes of leather that looks like it could have been transplanted from an old Holden. Designer Josh Clapp (Steel and Stitch) used a stack of recycled objects, including wood from a 19th century terrace and pendant lights from a disused sugar mill. Overseeing the kitchen are Jenny Shaw (who opened Surry Hills cafe Suzie Q) and Ryan Blagrove. Their menu is short, ever-changing and big on share plates. Start with Sydney rock oysters with finger lime and Tassie pepper, followed by Cowra lamb shoulder with warrigal greens and chimichurri. Come dessert, go for red gum-fired pear with lavender crumble, vanilla ice cream and iron bark honey. The drinks list, created by bar manager Jordan Blackman, is equally home-grown. His signature cocktail is the Apera negroni, made with house-made woodfired beetroot vermouth, Adelaide Hills bitter orange aperitif and sugar snap pea gin. Among the many other drops on the menu are handcrafted sodas from PS40, sheep's whey vodka from Hartshorn Distillery in Tasmania and amaro from Applewood Distillery. Apera is owned by new hospitality group Table Manors, and is located in the Castlecrag Quadrangle Shopping Village, which is currently being redeveloped into a food precinct. It's already home to Holy Duck! and Bistro Mekong. Apera is now open at Castlecrag Quadrangle Shopping Village, 100 Edinburgh Road, Castlecrag. It's open Wednesday to Saturday from 11am to midnight, and Sunday from 11am to 10pm. For more info, visit apera.com.au.
Since opening in 2015, Precinct 75 in St Peters has become a mecca for Sydney creatives, offering various food outlets, design showrooms, monthly markets and even its own micro-brewery. Now, the precinct is playing host to a huge design-focused pop-up. From April 20-22, an immense array of businesses will hold stalls to show off their wares within Precinct 75. Popular brands such as eyewear label Bailey Nelson, luxury leather purveyors The Horse and Byron Bay Hanging Chairs will be there, alongside smaller scale companies like Turkish textile makers Atolyia and printing studio Quercus & Co. With a focus on handmade and one-off pieces, the pop-up is the perfect opportunity to purchase a thoughtful gift for a friend, or treat yourself to some unique accessories and homewares. Saturday's pop-up will coincide with Precinct 75's monthly community markets, so you can kill two birds with one stone and dedicate a whole day to designer goodies, delightful vintage clothing, antiques and artisanal wares. Precinct 75 Design Pop-Up will take place on Thursday, April 20 from 2pm - 8pm, Friday, April 20 from 10am - 6pm and Saturday, April 21 from 9am - 3pm.
Winter's almost done with its chilly bullshit, but before you can pack away your woolies just yet, Sydney's cooking up some serious comfort food that's much better enjoyed in the crisp, colder weather. There's a handful of deliciously food-focused events happening this week, so we thought we'd put them all on one table for you. Pick one course, or make a degustation of them all. Or you could just go and inhale some popcorn watching Sausage Party. Your choice. By the Concrete Playground team.
Allergic to the multiplex? Couldn't care less if the latest superhero film is any good? Keen to get your cinema kicks watching flicks that won't turn up anywhere else in Sydney? If you answered yes to any of the above, then you probably already know that the 2016 Sydney Underground Film Festival is just around the corner. What you mightn't know just yet is just what dark and delicious film delights its 10th anniversary program holds. The short answer: plenty. The slightly longer answer: where do we start? Whether you're after sequels to cult hits, remastered trash, docos about critical filmmakers or just a whole lot of movie mayhem and madness in between, you'll find it at The Factory in Marrickville from September 15 to 18 — as well as Sydney's first chance to experience a Saturday Morning All-You-Can-Eat Cereal Cartoon Party. Of course, SUFF wouldn't be the weird and wonderful alternative cinema celebration that cinephiles know and love without kicking off with something that'll get tongues wagging — or tails, actually. Whether you're a fan of Todd Solondz's 1995 effort Welcome to the Dollhouse, an aficionado of sausage-like pooches or fond of Greta Gerwig, you'll want to check out Sundance hit Wiener-Dog. Just remember that there'll be dachshunds and dark comedy. At the other end of the fest, SUFF closes in the only way it can courtesy of none other than John Waters. When festival directors Katherine Berger and Stefan Popescu heard that Multiple Maniacs had been restored and re-released, they couldn't resist. A camp comedy of extreme perversions set in a travelling sideshow — now that's how you close an underground film fest. Speaking of seminal filmmakers, Waters isn't the only great auteur in SUFF's sights. Check out the Noah Baumbach-directed documentary De Palma, as well as a 40th anniversary screening of his horror classic Carrie. Or, if Richard Linklater is more your style, Dream is Destiny will step you through his career. A 25th anniversary session of David Cronenberg's Naked Lunch keeps the big names coming, as does Sion Sono's latest over-the-top effort, The Virgin Psychics. As far as the latter's concerned, we're guessing the title says it all. Elsewhere, eager viewers can indulge their love of out-there fare courtesy of Turkey's Baskin, meme-focused doc Beware the Slenderman, and the Christopher Lloyd-starring I Am Not A Serial Killer, just to name a few. British monster comedy Aaaaaaaah! features The Mighty Boosh's Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding, while Anti-Birth follows the hard-partying Natasha Lyonne and Chloë Sevigny as they cope with a mysterious pregnancy. Or, enjoy the brightest-coloured witch movie you'll ever see, aka The Love Witch, or throw cutlery at the screen during The Room-focused tribute Room Full of Spoons. And yes, there's more in store across the complete four-day lineup. You know where to find us come mid-September. The Sydney Underground Film Festival runs from September 15 to 18. To view the full SUFF 2015 program, or to buy tickets, visit the festival website.
Hot fried chicken has been walking out the door down at Barangaroo since Belles Hot Chicken set up their wildly popular pop-up in November 2015 — 1000 kilograms of chicken weekly, apparently. And now, hot on the heels of opening their 130-seat permanent eatery in South Barangaroo, Belles will today open their second Sydney venue at the brand new Tramsheds Harold Park. If you haven't been to Tramsheds yet, here's a handy rundown of everything you can eat there. It's a lot. And, just to add more indecision to the overwhelming gastronomic offering, from today — Friday, October 14 — Belles will also operate at the Forest Lodge foodie precinct. While most vendors — which includes Butcher and the Farmer, Garçon by The Little Marionette guys, Tokyo Bird's Osaka Trading Co., Messina and Bodega, amongst others — opened last month, Belles needed a little more time to get set up. From midday Belles will serve up their signature hot chicken in a new 85-seat eatery. Co-owners Morgan McGlone and Miranda Campbell have expanded the menu to include their hot chicken sandwich and hot fish sandwich. You might have already snacked on Belles' fried Portobello mushrooms, crinkle cut chips, three bean salad, and you've probably dug into a personal serving of their signature chicken wings, lovingly laden with different levels of spiciness: southern, medium, hot, really hot, or really f**kin hot (and don't forget All The Sauces, from peach barbecue to the Mississippi Comeback). Picked the really f**kin hot wings? Put out the fire with a glass of natural wine, something Belles has championed since opening in Melbourne. Or just move along to one of the other bars in the Tramsheds space — we recommend Garçon for an espresso martini or Osaka Trading Co. for a gin yuzu cocktail. Belles Hot Chicken Tramsheds will open at noon on Friday, October 14 at Tramsheds Harold Park. For more info, visit belleshotchicken.com. By Lauren Vadnjal and Shannon Connellan.
November across Sydney galleries is all about iconic contemporary artists — from the Robert Mapplethorpe show at AGNSW, to 17 years of Tracey Moffatt's video montages at Casula Powerhouse, to the hotly anticipated Pipilotti Rist exhibition finally bursting into the MCA. Photography fans should prepare for a busy month — aside from the epic Mapplethorpe retrospective you've got Project Banaba at Carriageworks and Barbara McGrady at ACP. Punters can also step back into 17th century Netherlands with Rembrandt and the Dutch Golden Age. And, for those more interested in the artistic icons of the future, NAS unleashes their emerging talent-to-watch at this month's postgraduate exhibition. Image: Pipilotti Rist, 4th Floor to Mildness, 2016, installation view, MCA, 2017 © the artist, photo: Ken Leanfore.
Sydney dessert monarch Katherine Sabbath has teamed up with Waterloo cafe Devon on Danks for the ultimate Halloween treat. On Saturday, October 31, the high school teacher turned Instagram celeb will unveil her new dish on the Devon all-day menu: a dessert/brunch mashup with a terrifying twist. Because let's face it. We may act as though Halloween is all about ghosts and monsters. But the real appeal of the holiday has always been the sweets. Available for one month only, Sabbath's Frankenstein creation features spiced pumpkin bread, coconut foam and a pumpkin custard egg, a purple 'witch ball' of taro ice cream, and an anthill of speculus crumble and edible ants, as well as splatters of raspberry blood and green pandan slime. It's selling for $18 and will be worth every Instagram like you get. Customers will also get the chance to meet Sabbath and pick her brain at the dishes launch on Halloween day between 8am and 3pm.
Marrickville ceramics studio Clay Sydney has brought its super-popular classes online, so you can stay entertained (and get a little creative) while you're spending more time inside. The studio's resident ceramicists are running a host of classes virtually, including wine and cheese nights on Fridays and Saturdays (BYO wine and cheese), planter party and mugs and mimosas classes on Saturdays at 1.30pm, and jewellery making on Wednesday nights. There are also a heap of classes for littl'uns, too. Online classes work like this: sign up and the studio will courier you clay and tools within 48 hours; watch the webinar at the scheduled time, chat to the tutors and make your creation; drop your work off at the no-contact spot outside the Marrickville studio; the team will fire it; and you'll be able to pick it up from the no-contact pick-up point. If you aren't able to attend the interactive class at the scheduled time, no stress. You can watch the webinar at a later date (as many times as you want) or follow along using one of the cheat sheets. Classes will set you back just $55, which includes all the gear you need and firing.
Jimmy Hurlston, the burger fiend you know and love from Jimmy's Burgers and Collingwood's famous tram car nosh spot Easey's, is poised to take down Sydney and win hearts with his burgers. Hurlston has announced that come late April, his new venture, Guilty, will be opening in Darlinghurst. As well as bringing his Insta-famous burgs with him, Hurlston has suggested the new eatery, located in the Republic 2 complex, will encompass a broader American/South American-themed menu as well, including hot dogs and champagne. Guilty will be repping its hometown and showing off a range of Melbourne brewed beers on tap. No word yet on whether there'll include a genuine Melbourne tram car set up though. Sydney better ready itself because Hurlston has some ambitious ideas about burgers. An Easey's speciality, for the uninitiated, is the addition of creamy mac and cheese to an already towering burger. And the vegetarian option? Forget eggplant and grilled giant mushrooms, your burger pattie will be replaced with a crunchy potato cake. Jimmy Hurlston's burger creations are not for the weak of heart. Via Good Food. Images: Easey's. Guilty is slated to open late April on Burton Street in Darlinghurst.
On the morning of the launch of Vivid 2018, Fratelli Fresh is opening an emporium at Darling Harbour. The epic space will offer, well, everything — from Mecca coffee and Sonoma baked treats, to Neapolitan pizza and tiramasu, to masterclasses and $5 happy hour negronis. If you've time to hang around, claim a table in the waterfront beer garden that's dotted with citrus and olive trees. If not, grab some pasta and run. There'll be room for more than 550 diners and drinkers in the light-filled 1100-square-metre venue, which you'll find opposite the Chinese Gardens. It's split into a bunch of spaces, each of which is dedicated to various dining styles, cooking stations and bars. There's also an adult-friendly games corner, where you can play ping pong, jenga, shuffleboard and foosball. As usual, Fratelli's classic red and white Italian aesthetics apply. The menu features both Aussie producers, including Vannella Cheese and Salumi Australia, and world-famous Italian brands, like Baci chocolate and Campari. Feast your way through pizzas, pastas, salads and rotisserie meats before hitting the dessert bar, loaded with tiramisu, tortas, panna cotta, biscotti, sfogliatella (a filled pastry from Campania), hand-made truffles, chocolate bars, cannoli and gelato. On Tuesdays, it's time for all-you-can-eat pizza and, on Thursdays, for $20 endless antipasti boards. In the on-site vinoteca you can explore more than 80 Australian and Italian drops. Otherwise, choose from the by-the-glass wine list or from a bunch of Goose Island (US) craft beers. There's also an entire bar devoted to Campari, which will offer a whopping seven spritzes and six negronis on-tap. To celebrate the opening, Fratelli is giving away KeepCups to the first 2500 coffee customers, which will then get you $1 coffees for the following 30 days and $2.50 coffees thereafter. Useful if you work in the area. Moreover, anyone buying brekkie during the first 30 days will also score one-buck coffee (the blend used is roasted specifically for Fratelli by Mecca). The emporium opens tomorrow morning with a bunch of launch weekend happenings, including live music and free tastings by Mecca, Sonoma, Vannella Cheese, Ross Hill Wines, Campari and Goose Island. After that, keep an eye on the calendar for masterclasses, workshops and gastronomic adventures. This new opening is Sydney's eighth Fratelli Fresh, and follows Rockpool Dining Group's announcement that it will open a new outpost at Manly Wharf in August this year. The group has certainly made good on its promise of rapid expansion. Fratelli Fresh will open at 7am on Friday, May 25 at 2/14 Darling Drive, Darling Harbour. It will be open from 7am till midnight, seven days a week. For more info, visit the website.
Sydney's newest urban playground will host its first major shindig as part of the 2015 Sydney Architecture Festival. Opening to the public at the end of last month, The Goods Line is a 500m pedestrian walkway that connects Central Station with Darling Harbour that has been touted as Sydney's answer to New York City's High Line. Now it's time to see if it's worthy of the comparison. Set to take place on Saturday, October 3, the unfortunately named #TheGoods will be a daylong activation within this year's Architecture Festival, and will see The Goods Line come to life with a wide range of free and ticketed events. Things begin at 8am with yoga and tai-chi sessions on The Goods Green, followed by drawing and photography classes led by prominent Sydney architects and artists. The program also features a number of talks and panel discussions, culminating with a symposium on architectural innovation. Those of you with home renovation plans, meanwhile, can take advantage of a Meet an Architect session and nab 15 minutes of face time with a leading local architect. Other notable events throughout the day include a Zine Fair featuring independent publications from local students and creatives, a self-sustaining garden designed by engineers from the University of Sydney, and an after-dark showcase of architecturally-themed short films at The Goods Line Amphitheatre on Mary Ann Street. There will also be a Pressed Juice pop-up to keep visitors refreshed, while some of Sydney's leading food trucks will fire up their engines in time for lunch. #TheGoods is the flagship event of this year's Sydney Architecture Festival, which will run for four days from October 2-5 at various locations around the inner city. For the full festival program visit their website.
Things are about to get a little livelier at Cockatoo Island, as the historic site prepares to play host to a multi-faceted shipping container summer pop-up. Contained will see the island temporarily score a bar, a restaurant and a hotel from this Thursday, February 8. The brainchild of Anatoly Mezhov and Irene Polo and originally erected in Perth, Contained features a whole swag of offerings to tempt Sydneysiders onto the island right through to June. Most excitingly, pop-up restaurant Don Tapa will be dishing up a creative mix of South American and indigenous Australian flavours, starring ingredients picked fresh from the on-site urban farm. Head to the bar to enjoy even more local goodness. Urban Winery's Alex Retief has pulled together a wine selection celebrating some of NSW's most underrated regions, to sit alongside a Young Henrys beer rotation and a range of Archie Rose's artisan spirits. And, if you fancy making a proper stay of it, there's the Contained boutique hotel, where guests can stay right by the water, in luxury digs made from repurposed shipping containers. You'll get waterfront views and the ability to order food right to your room. This isn't cheap, of course, with rates at $305–385 a night. A program of one-off Contained events will also be held over the coming months, including a six-course Valentine's Day degustation and a series of guest chef dinners. And the 21st Biennale of Sydney will run from March till June — which would be the prime time to check it out. Contained will be set up on Cockatoo Island from February 8 until June. For more info or to book a room, visit contained.sydney.
The world's most famous scientist and the alleged inventor of gravity, Stephen Hawking will deliver his first ever Australian lecture at the Sydney Opera House in April. Addressing audiences from the University of Cambridge via video conference, the internationally renowned cosmologist and theoretical physicist will discuss both his life and the big questions of science. Whether he has any theories about the new season of The X-Files still remains to be seen. Hawking's contributions to modern and popular science are unparalleled. His research into black holes and the Big Bang Theory helped deepen our understanding of the universe, while his book A Brief History of Time has sold more than ten million copies. He's also kind of a boss, as seen most recently in his interview with John Oliver on Last Week Tonight. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8y5EXFMD4s The physicist’s life was recently immortalised in the film The Theory of Everything, for which lead actor Eddie Redmayne won an Academy Award. Of course, the most noteworthy thing about that movie for most people was the revelation that, despite the accent of his computerised voice, Hawking is actually British. The Sydney lecture is part of the Ideas at the House series, the Opera House’s ongoing program of talks, panels and presentations. The 73-year-old Hawking will be introduced by his journalist daughter Lucy and fellow theoretical physicist Paul Davies. An Evening with Stephen Hawking takes place on Sunday, April 26 at 8pm. Tickets start at $69 from here. Image: Lwp Kommunikáció CC.
