The Newport's executive chef, Sebastien Lutaud, has fried escargot alongside France's Oliver Elzer, prepared sashimi with Tetsuya Wakuda and headed up Felix Bar and Bistro. Now, he's bringing his 25 years of gun hospitality experience to Sydney's northern beaches. "From the minute The Newport was described to me, I thought it was going to be an amazing project," says Lutaud. "It's a one-of-a-kind in Sydney, if not Australia — an amazing venue in an amazing spot." One of the most anticipated openings of the year so far (and last year), the freshly revamped Newport has a strong focus on food. But don't expect a single service counter or a straightforward menu at this renovated pub. Instead, expect to feel a bit like you're walking through a permanent food festival. Lutaud designed the menu with input from some of Merivale's other key chefs, so you'll notice some familiar imports — and a similar stall-type layout to the Coogee Pavilion's foreshore fest. "There are little stalls and outlets, selling different types of food," says Lutaud. "So, for example, we've got Vinnie's pizzas, from Coogee [Pavilion]. We've got a burger shack, where we do six different burgers and five different salads." Given The Newport's Pittwater location, there's also a spot dedicated to fish and chips. "But I wouldn't call it your classic fish and chips, where everything's deep-fried," says Lutaud. "We do have the classic version, but we've also dishes like grilled Clarence River octopus and pan-fried snapper with simple salad." If you're travelling with mates or family and want to share, you'll be heading to The Kiosk, for small and large platters. "We have a French rotisserie, where we're doing chicken and Rangers Valley brisket and hot-smoked whole salmon, which we'll serve with rolls, salads and nice sauces. There's also a seafood section, with fresh oysters, cooked prawns and a crab omelette, with Vietnamese herbs and dressing." As for ordering, you'll have two options. The first is the old-fashioned method of heading to the stall, putting in your request and grabbing a buzzer. The second is downloading an app and doing it all from the comfort of your bar stool. The only catch is that the app is still in development – at this stage, it's good for pizzas, and other stalls will be added with time. The Newport opens on Friday, March 25. Learn a little more about the rest of the revamp here.
On Sunday, September 10, Sydney staged for a huge public rally through the city streets, flying rainbow flags (and dogs) to demand marriage equality and campaign for a 'Yes' vote. Support group Community Action Against Homophobia, who ran the rally, urged Australians to campaign for a 'Yes' postal vote. With the majority of Australians (a whopping two-thirds) supporting marriage equality, the rally was expectedly stacked — in all, organisers have estimated that a massive 30-40,000 people rocked up to show their support for all LGBTI+ Australians. The rally marked the first weekend after the High Court decided to uphold the government's (unnecessary, expensive and undeniably hurtful) postal plebiscite. Postal ballots will be sent out this week.
Australian musicians, wish you could play for more people, more often? People with houses — or rooms or sheds or backyards — wish you could see more music, more often, and closer to home? Bingo. A new online start-up platform by the name of Parlour Gigs is making your wishes come true. That’s the both of you. And indie acts like Thelma Plum, Grand Salvo and Caitlin Harnett are already taking advantage of it. Here’s how it works. (Hint, if you use Airbnb already, you’ll have some idea). Musicians, jump on the site, hit the 'I want to play' button and fill out the form. People with houses, jump on the site, hit the 'I want to host' button and fill out a form. If the Parlour folks are happy with your superior form-filling skills (i.e. you sound pretty talented or your place looks music-friendly), they’ll hook the two of you up. Tickets are then sold to the general public via the Parlour website. The man behind the initiative is Matt Walters, a singer-songwriter from Melbourne. "[Parlour's] not dissimilar to the Airbnb model; cutting out the middlemen and allowing people to negotiate and stage gigs where they like,” he told Tone Deaf. "From being signed to a major label, to touring with some incredible international artists, I've certainly experienced all the ups and downs the music business has to offer. "But for some time now, I’ve felt a change coming on. Of course, with the traditional music model well and truly behind us, there is more emphasis than ever on playing live... For most musicians — especially those up and coming — it's hardly worth it. The experience of playing a great show can be a reward unto itself, but at the end of the day artists, like all working people, need to get paid for their work." Get started on Parlour over here. Via Tone Deaf. Images: Parlour.
Renowned Sydney establishment The Grounds of Alexandria, which has been teasing us with for years with hints of expanding, is finally opening a second location in the Galeries on George Street in late 2015/early 2016. Although the primary instinct of most popular venues is to expand like a startled puffer fish, the Grounds of Alexandria have held off on doing so for years. Co-director Ramzey Choker told Good Food that The Grounds are foremost about creating memorable experiences, which explains why they've kept the focus on making the current location as magical and social media-friendly as it can be. And it’s certainly worked. The Grounds have made their mark as a bonafide Wonka factory/fairy garden for Instagram-happy adults; a suburban grotto that spans an acre and includes a coffee research and education facility, artisan bakery, florist and permaculture garden complete with a petting zoo (want to pat a pony with your morning coffee? See you there). There are also plans to expand the original Grounds to include a cider room, meat shop, children’s cinema and wood chopping area to accommodate literally all of your old-timey nostalgic needs. Choker said that the new venue isn’t aiming to mimic the Huntley Street gardens but to create a space and experience that is unique to the CBD location. Fingers crossed for another petting zoo. Via Good Food.
That Banksy. Who knows what he’s going to do next, or where she’s going to pop up, or how they stay so tricksy? In the latest unofficial edition of 'where in the world is Banksy?', the answer is Gaza. Yes, the art world’s chief enigma has visited the conflict-ravaged strip of coastline — and he’s made a video to prove it. Exit Through the Gift Shop this isn’t, though it does share the same sense of humour. Banksy’s Gaza clip might just be the darkest tourism video you’ve ever seen. With the plight of the 1.8 million Palestinians who call Gaza home clearly on his mind, Banksy walks through the streets — unseen by the camera, of course — to show the daily reality of its miles upon miles of rubble. “Make this the year YOU discover a new destination,” he tells us, before surveying the dismal sights well off the beaten track. Typical advertising catch-phrases — such as “nestled in an exclusive setting” and “plenty of scope for refurbishment” — pop up over footage of crumbling buildings. The sad facts follow, telling in no uncertain terms what life is like for Gaza residents. It’s a bleak picture. The video also features other evidence of his time there, or what may be his gloomiest residency in history. New Banksy artworks litter the bomb-damaged strip, as first seen on his Instagram account two days ago, followed by his website this morning. Yes, he’s been spray-painting up a storm all over the place, making a statement with street art. His murals call attention not only to the situation but to the disinterest displayed by most of the world in response. One, an image of a cute cat, perhaps says it all. Or maybe the accompanying text on his website does: “A local man came up and said 'Please — what does this mean?' I explained I wanted to highlight the destruction in Gaza by posting photos on my website — but on the internet people only look at pictures of kittens.”
When you've spent close to a metric fucktonne of time writing, developing and recording the individual songs of an album, sometimes you'd like people to stop and appreciate each morsel. Ahead of the release of their highly-anticipated debut album For the Company, Sydney folk trio Little May invited 11 of their favourite local artists to do just that, to create an artwork of any medium, inspired by the 11 tracks of the album. It's a highly unique way to launch an album, culminating in an exhibition dubbed #ArtForTheCompany and set to coincide with the release of the album on October 9. Set to run Friday, October 2 to Sunday, October 4, the exhibition will take over the newly opened Goodspace, upstairs at the Lord Gladstone Hotel in Chippendale. Music-wise, you'll be able to settle into little listening pods to hear Little May's album in full ahead of its official release date, while checking out each track's inspired artwork. Little May, or Liz Drummond, Hannah Field and Annie Hamilton, have seen visual art as integral to their band — all the artwork for the album and the band's promo material has been designed by Hamilton herself. So with aesthetics aplenty planned for the exhibition, this is a pretty perfect way for the three Sydneysiders to launch their debut effort into public ears, with all senses covered. So who are Little May's chosen artists? The exhibition will feature work from acclaimed photographers Mclean Stephenson and Prue Stent, Sydney-based muralist Mulga, fashion label Serpent & The Swan, illustrator Georgia Hill, Ears, Honey Long, Antwerpen, Emily Ellis, Furry Little Peach and Luschia Porter. Check out Luschia Porter's Little May-inspired creation is this pretty, pretty video: We’re so lucky to have the incredibly talented Luschia Porter - Illustration + Object Design amongst a bunch of our favourite local artists contributing to our #artfothecompany exhibition. Lusch visually interpreted our song ‘Cicadas’ and we can’t wait to see the finished product at Goodspace from next Friday <3 Posted by Little May on Wednesday, September 23, 2015 #ArtForTheCompany runs October 2 to 4 at Goodspace, above the Lord Gladstone Hotel, Chippendale. Little May's debut album For The Company is out October 9 via Dew Process and Universal Music Australia.
No cruise ship festival fun for you, Australia. Sea N Beats, the event set to be Australia’s first ever music festival at sea, was supposed to set sail March 5-8, 2016. But this morning, the crew announced the cancellation of the event, due to "challenges that could not be overcome". Posted on their website and Facebook this morning, the organisers said: "Australia’s first cruise ship Festival, Sea ‘N Beats, announces with regret the cancellation of their March 5-8, 2016 event. Whilst every possibility in the hope of proceeding with Australia’s first cruise ship festival has been looked at, ultimately all parties involved concluded that conducting a music festival at sea comes with challenges that could not be overcome." "The risk factors surrounding the event were ultimately assessed by all parties involved as too great to continue. Whilst every potential avenue to save Sea N Beats was exhausted, ultimately we have been left with no option but to cancel." All ticket buyers have been individually contacted via email and full refunds will be issued. At this stage, Sea N Beats will not be looking at another departure date for the cruise. Set to boast seven stages and a huge pool deck, Sea N Beats was set to be one huge enterprise, with the likes of Alison Wonderland, Peking Duk, Allday, SAFIA, Wave Racer, Cyril Hahn, Tkay Maidza, Hayden James and more on the lineup. Tickets also included entry to an exclusive mystery island festival on an exclusive mystery island, somewhere off the exclusive mystery Queensland coast. Looks like the anchor will stay put on Australia's first answer to S.S. Coachella. By Shannon Connellan and Jessica Surman. Image: Sea N Beats.
While long, lazy lunches enjoyed over hours can be lovely sometimes (and at other times, downright necessary), our busy schedules don't often allow for it. But now, loyalists to Sydney institution Nomad can get their fix with the launch of their new sandwich menu. As an extension of their express lunch menu, which quietly launched in July, owner Rebecca Yazbek and head chef Jacqui Challinor decided sangas were a natural progression: after all, they already bake their own bread and make their own charcuterie in-house. "We know people's schedules are busier than ever before. We want to accommodate those in need a of a short, sharp lunch and who need to be back in the office within the hour," says Yazbek. At $15 a pop, the sandwiches are produce-lead with Mediterranean influences: think crumbed smoked ham hock terrine with pickles and horseradish mayo on a brioche bun, as well as salted crispy eggplant, goats curd and pecorino also on brioche. Sounds like a Nomad version of The Dolphin's $12 'Proper Sandwiches' menu but slightly more upmarket. If a quick, seated bite is more your style, the express lunch condenses the best Nomad has to offer into a one-hour experience. A starter to share, such as zucchini flowers, followed by a choice between wood roasted market fish with sweet and sour eggplant, or steak with chargrilled baby cabbage will set you back $40. Nomad's sandwiches and express lunch menu are available Wednesday – Friday from 12–2.30pm. Bookings are encouraged and walk-ins accepted. Find Nomad at 16 Foster Street, Surry Hills
The North Face, who makes your favourite, cosiest down jackets and adventure gear, is celebrating 50 years of exploration and hosting a three-day exhibition at aMBUSH Gallery. From November 22 to 24 an immersive gallery will pop up — featuring adventure film screenings, guest speakers and live music. On the Tuesday night guest speaker Cas and Jonesy (explorers on The North Face athlete team) will take the stage, followed by a film screening of Antarctica documentary Crossing the Ice. On Wednesday you'll have the chance to meet and greet The North Face Australia and New Zealand athlete team and catch a screening of adventure film Meru. On the last night, Yosemite National Park-based film Valley Uprising will screen followed by live music from Winterbourne. The North Face opened its first store in 1966 alongside a concert from the Grateful Dead, so as a throwback, Winterbourne will open their set by covering the classic band. We've got two tickets for each night of the exhibition to give away — they include food, drinks, a movie screening and you'll get a sweet gift pack. Enter your details below to win. [competition]599076[/competition]
Fancy a fancy cuppa? Sydney’s first organic tea bar, The Rabbit Hole, has opened in Redfern, reviving the age-old cup of tea with experimental brewing techniques and eclectic tea variations — it's not everywhere you'll find chunks of real pineapple in your tea. Sitting pretty as a 50-seater bar on Abercrombie Street, The Rabbit Hole has been designed by Matt Woods (Devon on Danks, Bloodwood, Beccafico) as an ode to the humble cup of tea — from Chilean artist Valeria Burgoa's teabag sculpture to the revolutionary Steampunk crucibles used for brewing single origin teas. This isn't just any ol' flight of fancy by a casual tea drinker, the brains behind The Rabbit Hole take their tea seriously. This little labour of love has been pioneered by Corinne Smith and Amara Jarratt, co-creators of the Sydney Tea Festival at Carriageworks and founding members of the Australasian Specialty Tea Association. The Rabbit Hole has been supplying Sydney's cafes and restaurants with their own tea leaves for some time now, celebrated for their weird and wonderful additions like coconut shavings, pineapple chunks and unexpected spices. Tea-wise, there's an insane amount to choose from. The Rabbit Hole will see a seasonally-changing menu of innovative blends and single origin teas you can try in-store or take home, alongside unique creations like the Guayusa Tea Shot, a clean yet supercharged caffeine hit. Needless to say, you won't find a cup of coffee in this joint — although customers can make the signature Rabbit Hole Chai Latte ‘dirty’ with a shot of espresso. Democratic. Nosh-wise, tea seeps into every corner of the food menu, from matcha granola served with seasonal fruit and unsweetened yoghurt, to tea marbled egg with kimchi and black sesame, and beef slow-cooked in black tea. Expect plenty of tea-themed events at The Rabbit Hole over the next few months, including Bespoke Brew for Good Food Month, a hands-on single origin tea appreciation workshop on October 15. Find The Rabbit Hole at 146 Abercrombie Street, Redfern. Open Monday to Saturday 8am to 4pm, Sunday 9am to 4pm.
City-dwelling fans of a solid Sydney brewed growler won't need to venture to the west for a tipple this winter. Masters of wild inner west brewing Young Henrys and the CBD's go-to basement danceteria Goodgod Small Club are teaming up for one hell of a pop-up — dubbed the 'Young Henrys Road House'. A monthly pop-up tasting bar themed around the American road houses you might have seen on your travels but more likely in Patrick Swayze's Road House, The Blues Brothers and Footloose — yeah, those sexy, sexy abodes where dancing is legal, bar fights abound (leave that out) and pelvic thrusting is commonplace — the Young Henrys Road House will see growlers over the bar, special Young Henrys brews on tap, peanuts errrrrrwhurrrrr and rock 'n' blues bands playing on a 'stage in a cage'. Yep, bands in cages. Kicking off Thursday, June 4, the Road House will see Melbourne's Twin Beasts in the cage while Bottled Lightning Co. launch their collaborative Young Henrys brew. Best bit? The first 100 punters through the door get their first brew on the house. Following weeks will see rock'n'blues band Los Tones, rockabilly crooner Pat Capocci and Sydney's own Jack Carty — all in the cage. Remember, Thursdays are the only day you can get Belly Bao's insane Baoger, so wins all round. Here's the vibe, just leave the bar fights out: Young Henrys Road House pops up every Thursday from 7pm, from June 4 to 18. We'd usually leave the poster out, but this one's too good to omit.
Manila and Sydney-based Australian artist David Griggs has the first major survey of his work kicking off at Campbelltown Arts Centre with Between Nature and Sin. Curated by Megan Monte, the exhibition sees a combination of portraiture, photography and film developed in Griggs' adopted home of the Philippines. Inspired by his personal experiences as an Australian artist in Manila (where he's lived and worked for 12 years), the brazenly colourful show draws on underground media, political imagery and local subcultures to illuminate the darker side of life in the city. CAC director Michael Dagostino describes the exhibition as a "poignant narrative layered with personal stories, tribulations and defining moments of adjusting to life in Manila, a city he [Griggs] says 'tests him constantly' but inspires him to keep creating." You'll see the premiere of Griggs' major feature length film COWBOY COUNTRY, which he produced with the inmates of the Manila city jail, plus 2009 project New York London Paris Rome Manila City Jail. There's also Zombie Kiss and Frat of the Obese, which draws from the symbols and stories of the Manila underground scene to highlight what Griggs sees as the unjust socio-political structures of the Philippines. In other words, it's a massive show. Don't miss it. Image: David Griggs, Zoloft Nation [cropped], 2009, courtesy of Germanos Collection.
The news has been unbearably grim lately, so whenever we hear about people doing kind things we can’t help but execute a joyful slow-mo fist bump and Billy Elliot-style heel clicking sequence. This week’s proof that humanity isn’t thoroughly rotten comes from 202 Broadway in Chippendale. This week, The Two Wolves community cantina has opened its doors and also our hearts (sorry for the cheese, we can’t help it). It's a not-for-profit establishment run almost entirely by volunteers, that pours its profits into worthy charity causes and plans to create training opportunities for long-term unemployed young people. If there were an emoji that represented a ray of pure sunshine cutting through the gloom, you can bet your butt we would be using it here. And when we say it’s run mostly by volunteers, we truly mean it. The cantina has been in the works for some time now and is the love-child of an eclectic group of dreamers including hospitality bigwig Fraser Short, Jesuit priest Father David Braithwaite, Ben Sweeten owner of the Rose Bay Diner and the Kansas City Shuffle and design guru Michael Delany. The team have all come together to work pro bono on the project for the last two years and bring the cantina into being. Father Braithwaite told us that the generosity they’ve encountered from all levels in the production has been astounding, from architects and tradesmen to the 150 volunteers who signed up to keep the cantina running and the profit margins high. Busy day at The Two Wolves. There's a lot going on behind these doors as we charge towards opening day #twowolvescantina #openingsoon #socialenterprise #sydney #countdown #doors #bar #eatery #chippendale A photo posted by The Two Wolves (@twowolvescantina) on Sep 18, 2015 at 12:14am PDT All the money raised goes to projects facilitated by the Cardoner Project, an enterprise Father Braithwaite has been running for five years. During its time, the Cardoner Project has set up volunteer projects and immersion programmes around the world and provided seed capital to worthy causes to help them become self-sufficient. One such project included setting up a small water filtration system for an orphanage in Vietnam, which they use as part of an ice-selling business in the summer, and is in line with their ‘teach a man to fish’ ethos. David says the long-term goal is to replicate the The Two Wolves cantina around the world and raise even more money to pour back into needy communities. Once established, the next phase of The Two Wolves and Cardoner Project's plan is to train long-term unemployed young people onsite, then seek to place them in employment in other venues. Faith in humanity = restored. Now get down to Chippendale and give something back. The Two Wolves Community Cantina is now open for dinner at 202 Broadway, Chippendale, Sydney. To book call (02) 8039 3595.
Sydney's reached peak burger obsession. No longer confined to the realms of American chains and RSL bistros, burgers now clock up appearances on the menus of top-tier, hatted chefs, each putting their own contemporary, fine dining spin on the longtime casual favourite. So we reckoned it was about time for a good ol' fashioned burger battle — and so did Merivale. This February, we invited 16 of Merivale's top chefs to Ivy Ballroom to hit the kitchen and cook up their ultimate burger for March Into Merivale's Between Two Buns. Some, like Mr. Wong's Dan Hong, opted for their widely celebrated, longtime burger recipes (hel-lo Lotus Burger), while others dreamed up new and strange burger possibilities —Bistrode CBD's Jeremy Strode did a chicken and eel burger (and nailed it). From dozens of entries, our enviable panel of burger experts whittled down the shortlist to six. You'll be able to try every single one of these juicy delights at March Into Merivale, at Between Two Buns on Wednesday, February 17. After you've tried 'em all comes the most important moment: vote for your favourite. The winner will not only score a spot on Merivale's pub menus for a year, and bragging rights forevermore. So, who won over the judges? Which Merivale chef makes the best burger? Try these at MiM and vote. BETWEEN TWO BUNS FINALISTS Dan Hong (Mr. Wong) — Lotus Burger Alex Lewis (The Beresford) — The ultimate lamb burger Jeremy Strode (The Fish Shop/ Bistrode CBD) — The Fish Dog (chicken and eel) Jordan Toft (Coogee Pavilion) — Aged trim beef, cheese, burger sauce, B&B pickle Paul Donelley (Ms.G's) — Beef, bacon and cheese burger Patrick Friesen and Chris Hogarth (Papi Chulo/Queen Chow) — Canadian beef and bacon burger Watch the video: Concrete Playground x March Into Merivale - Between Two Buns from Concrete Playground on Vimeo.
One of Australia's most redeeming qualities is its ability to give good afternoon sun. There's something about its familiar glow that almost demands casual drinks – whether it's cracking open a cold beer after a day out, heading to the pub after a long day of work, or deciding on a whim that your backyard is perfect for having friends over. We love summer afternoons, so we've spoken to a few of our favourite chefs, musicians and artists, to get their insights on creating the perfect balmy afternoon. And what's better than a barbecue? For advice, we asked the boys from Three Blue Ducks. Mark LaBrooy specifically — he's one of the co-founders of the restaurant-cafe hybrid that was born in Bronte but ended up being so popular it expanded to Byron Bay and, most recently, Rosebery. He and the team at Three Blue Ducks have made working with barbecue flames and smoke a priority at their venues. At their Rosebery location, there's a barbecue, a wood-fired oven and an outdoor charcoal pit. They're experts in barbecue. And more than that, they're experts in taking the standard barbecue fare you usually whip up to the next level, and LaBrooy has shared some tips so you can do the same. He's also given us some recipes, for a burrata salad, a seafood prawns main, and a charred pineapple dessert. "They're all about spring and summer flavours," he says. "Inspired by warm weather and catching up with friends." The burrata salad is a green (but hearty) vegetarian option for your barbecue friends who don't eat meat, while the prawn dish is "light, and great for entertaining because it's not rocket science to prepare". The pineapple recipe is LaBrooy wanting you to try something a little different by charring your fruit. "People should experiment more with fruit on the barbecue, vegetables too," he says. He says the first thing to think about when you're cooking is that produce is key to a good barbecue. He suggests going elsewhere than the supermarket to grab your ingredients. "Go to a real butcher, not a supermarket. Go to the fish markets to get your prawns, and a local organic growers market for your fruits and vegetables." Let the ingredients lead you — if the produce is good, just put it on the barbie and see what happens. "Like a whole bunch of Dutch carrots or something, just give them a wash, put on some good quality olive oil, salt and pepper and char it up. Don't be shy — the hotter the better." "Barbecuing is the cooking technique that fits in best with us," he says. "It's connected to the environment and there's something really intimate about using the fire — it's inconsistent, there's a real element of maintenance and care in the cooking process." When finished, all three dishes will look incredible, but don't get too caught up with perfection when you're hosting a barbecue. Part of the fun is that barbecue-ing isn't always pretty. "It's a bit ugly and charred," he says. "You can get those really aggressive, black tones in the appearance and colouration of your cooking." Follow these three recipes and transform your afternoon barbecue into one that's worthy of being on the menu at Three Blue Ducks. BURRATA WITH CHARRED ZUCCHINI AND SPRING ONIONS Ingredients: 4 pieces of burrata (about 100 grams each) ¼ bunch parsley ¼ bunch basil 1 clove garlic 100ml virgin olive oil 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 lemon zest and juice salt and pepper 1 bunch spring onion 3 zucchini cut in ¼ 100g toasted hazelnuts roughly chopped Method: Make a nice coal fire on the grill side of your barbecue. Char off the zucchini and the spring onions after giving them a good season and a splash of olive oil. When the zucchini and spring onions get some good colour, take them off the heat and start plating up. Take a food processor and place the herbs, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, zest and Dijon inside. Give it a good whizz until a bright green paste forms. Season well and set aside. Take a plate or bowl and arrange the zucchini and spring onions around the outside, making a well for your burrata to sit in. Flick in a few teaspoons of the herb puree, place the burrata in the centre and sprinkle over some hazelnuts. Season the burrata and drizzle a bit of olive oil if you feel you need it. Squeeze a bit of extra lemon juice over everything to finish off. CONFIT GARLIC AND CHILLI BBQ PRAWNS WITH BUTTERMILK AVOCADO AND RADICCHIO Ingredients: 1 bulb garlic peeled 3 long red chillies deseeded 1 cup olive oil 16 large king prawns cleaned and butterflied 3 avocados 1 lemon juice and zest 2 tablespoons olive oil 100ml buttermilk 1 large radicchio with the outer leaves pulled off and cut in ¼ Salt and pepper Method: Take the chillies and garlic and place in a small saucepan. Add the cup of olive oil and cover with foil. Bake at 160-degrees for 1-30 mins, then place in a food processor and give it a whizz. Using a pastry brush baste the prawns just before grilling on the barbecue. Take your food processor and add the avocado, olive oil, lemon juice and zest and the buttermilk, give it a whizz and set aside for when your plating up. Grill your prawns and radicchio on super high heat, season well and brush with olive oil. This should only take a few minutes. Give a good whack of buttermilk avo purée. CHARRED PINEAPPLE WITH CASHEWS, THAI BASIL AND LEMONGRASS GRANITA Ingredients: 1 pineapple skinned and cut into quarters 1 tablespoon brown sugar For the granita: 350ml water 180g sugar 3 stalks lemongrass, roughly chopped 2 chillies roughly chopped 80g ginger roughly chopped 100ml lemon juice 100g yogurt 1 vanilla bean scraped and deseeded ¼ bunch Thai basil 80g toasted and salted cashews Method: The granita needs to be made the day before and set in the freezer over night. To serve all you have to do is scrape it with a fork or give it a quick whizz in a food processor. Make sure you put the bowl in the freezer first so you don't melt the granita too much. Take a medium sized pot and add the sugar, lemongrass, chilli, and water. Bring to the boil and then set aside and let it cool down on the bench, then strain and add the lemon juice, and put in the freezer to set overnight. Sprinkle the pineapple with brown sugar and place on the grill on high heat. You're looking to get some good colour and charring on the pineapple, cooking it at the same time. Cut into chunks and set aside. Take a small bowl and add the yogurt and the vanilla give it a good mix. To plate up, arrange the pineapple on the base of the plate and a few dollops of the vanilla yogurt. Take a large spoon of granita and place in the centre, then sprinkle with cashews and Thai basil. Images: Kimberley Low.
It's that glorious time of year, that judgement-free zone in which inhaling hot cross buns for multiple meals a day is a perfectly acceptable activity. Sydney's pretty damn good at a hot cross bun — there's even a few sourdough versions in this delicious list. But there's one Sydney mainstay that let us in on their little secret to hot cross buns — beloved foodie wonderland The Grounds of Alexandria. Gearing up for their huge Easter celebrations from March 25 to 27, The Grounds handed over their own hot cross bun recipe for you to make at home. The Grounds crew love a spot of Easter indulgence — from Good Friday to Easter Sunday they're transforming their Alexandria digs into a magical storybook land. There'll be a Golden Easter Egg Hunt, a Humpty Dumpty Wall built for selfies, real-life roaming children's storybook characters, the beloved petting zoo and Australia's largest chocolate Easter egg — a three-metre-high, 300 kilogram chocolate egg which you can destroy in in the 'community cracking' on Easter Sunday. They're also using Easter as an opportunity to show off their mad culinary talents — including the delicious, delicious aforementioned hot cross buns from The Grounds' head baker. Want to have a go at making them before Sunday? Here's the recipe. THE GROUNDS' HOT CROSS BUNS Hot Cross Bun mixture Plain Flour 377g Castor Sugar 34g Butter 34g Egg 1 egg Mixed spice 9g Milk 179g Fruit mix 286g Dry yeast 60g Salt 7g Improver* 7g Citric acid** 1g Cross paste Plain flour 75g Sunflower oil 25ml Spice glaze Mixed Spice ½ tsp Castor sugar 125g To make the buns 1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degree Celsius. 2. To create your fruit mix, combine 286g of your favourite dried fruits. We suggest branching out from the ordinary sultanas, try some of the suggestions below. 3. Next, knead flour, sugar, butter (softened), egg, mixed spice, milk, yeast, salt, improver & citric acid together. 4. Once completely combined, fold in your fruit mix. Be sure to wait until the end to fold in your fruit to ensure they stay whole. 5. Roll out dough flat to 1 inch thick, cut into 12 equal portions. 6. Place into rows on an oven tray lined with baking paper. To make the paste 1. Combine flour and oil together until it forms a smooth paste. 2. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle. 3. Pipe a cross onto each ball, or long lines across the buns. 4. Bake at 180 degrees celcius for 16 mins, or until the tops are golden brown. To make the glaze 1. Place spice mix, sugar and 100ml of water in a saucepan over medium heat. 2. Bring to a simmer, stiring to ensure all sugar is dissolved. 3. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Once hot cross buns are cooked 1. Using a pastry brush, generously glaze the buns. Suggestions on fruit: - Persimmon - Hawthorn - Red date - Thai loganberry - Pickled pineapple *Can be found in the supermarket. ** If you can't find citric acid, combine in a splash of orange juice. By using measurements all in grams you will ensure you get a consistence result every time. The Grounds of Alexandria's Easter shenanigans are happening Friday, March 25 to Sunday, March 27 at 2A Huntley Street, Alexandria. Entry is free.
The Dolphin Hotel is using the most basic of meals to take your lunchtime routine to the next level. Today, Monday, March 13, the hotel launched its Proper Sandwiches menu — a five-sandwich rotating lunch offering, featuring everything from baked eggplant parma and meatball subs to smoked trout and egg salad. The $12 menu will change daily and has a solid mix of vegetarian and meaty options. From the full menu of delicious possibilities, we're most excited to try their Reuben homage, the 'Pastrami Rye', and the 'Go Getta Porchetta' — herb roasted pork topped with crackling, mustard and sage aioli. These bad boys don't just look great, either — they're made using locally sourced ingredients, giving them that 'good for you and the community edge' as well. The meats are sourced from LP's Quality Meats, the bread from Brickfields Bakery, and other deli products from from The Dolphin's Salumeria collaboration with Victor Churchill's. These insanely good looking sandwiches will be available Monday through Friday from noon until 3pm — or until sold out. Considering our mouths are watering just from looking at those photos, we have a feeling sold out will be a daily condition.
Portraits aren't all regal furs and awkward "Oh, didn't see you there," poses. Instead the genre now sees a bold, abstract lack of convention, a rebellion that runs through the Art Gallery of New South Wales' prestigious annual Archibald Prize exhibition, currently showing. Capturing a realistic, unrelentingly vulnerable likeness of your own reflection, someone you've just met or one of your oldest buds takes a fair few stories, maybe a few beers and a willingness to tackle the intimidating notion of thinking up something new after decades of Archie winners. At the risk of sounding like an HSC essay opener, the final image isn't the whole story. Here's eight of the Archibald finalists making us wake up and pay attention (whether for great or WTF reasons) to Australia's big ol' faces — as told to the Gallery in their own words. PAUL RYAN — THIRTEEN NOAHS Paul Ryan raided quite a few junk shops — and his own early work collection — to paint over these existing curiosities with Australian actor Noah Taylor's face. "I grew up watching Noah on the big and small screen. He is a similar age to me and it has been interesting to see him age and his acting skills develop, as I have also aged and developed as an artist," says Ryan. ‘With these works, I am painting Noah as a fictional character in fictional films. There is Noah the mysterious figure in Murders at the lake, Noah as a black American pimp in Hawaiian hustle, Noah in the Australian classic Death on the Murray, and Noah in Outback wanderer. "I met him through Olsen Irwin gallery who represent us both. Our relationship was born of a mutual respect for each other’s work. As I did successive studies and hung them at random on the studio wall, the idea of what to do for this year’s Archibald was born. Noah’s face is so interesting it practically paints itself. I painted more than the 13 studies that make up this piece, and spent a few days playing with different combinations." SOPHIA HEWSON — DELIVERED Paying tribute to different methods of pornography, Sophia Hewson's confronting self portrait came from one of her Melbourne public performance works. "I was using my body in this work to try to open up a dialogue on female self-objectification (when a woman intentionally sexually objectifies herself). Sometimes I think self-objectification can be constructive. It can be used to claim back ownership of the body or to assert: "I can exhibit my sexuality without it amounting to my sexual availability"." "Other times I think it can reflect the way the patriarchal value system has been internalised. But I don’t feel you can expect a woman, who has unconsciously internalised 'male' values, to see herself as a space where something has been lost. A new identity needs to be forged. I’m interested in this because I’m struggling with it myself. I have difficulty navigating the contradictions and differentiating between internal and external influences, but I see self-portraiture as a potent site for negotiating identity." JUAN FORD — A BUNGLED CLAIRVOYANCE The full title of Juan Ford’s self-portrait is: A bungled clairvoyance of William Buckley or Ludwig Leichhardt’s most intense moments (I can’t decide which, you choose). Attempted while atop a mountain. Phew. "Making straightforward portraits is something that bores me a bit," says Ford. "Sometimes boring is fine, but right now I feel adventurous. Take Ludwig Leichhardt, the Prussian explorer who disappeared mysteriously in the Australian interior. Idealistic and adventurous, he wandered off, never to be seen again. By all reports he went quite unprepared. Or William Buckley. An escaped convict, he lived for over 30 years with the Wathaurong people on the Bellarine Peninsula. He later married a woman so short she couldn’t loop her arm through his when they went for an evening stroll. What a character. "When I try to imagine such mythic men, I make a mess of it, applying my own conventions, thus misunderstanding them utterly. To do so on a mountaintop compounds the problem. But I like to get out into wilderness; it’s where many of my ideas come from. It helps me feel I’m insignificant in the grand scheme. I can’t hope to understand Australia: it’s too vast and unknowable. Buckley and Leichhardt signify this unknowability." MITCH CAIRNS — PETER POWDITCH The runner-up for the 2015 Archibald Prize, Mitch Cairn's portrait of renowned painter Peter Powditch takes the whole thing full circle — Powditch was the winner of the 1972 Sulman Prize. "I was drawn to the idea of painting Peter after attending the recent Pop to popism exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. The inclusion of Powditch’s Seascape II 1969 to my mind reaffirmed the significance of his work,’ says Cairns. ‘In general, Peter’s work is characterised by a directness of purpose, exemplary draftsmanship and an incisive approach to painting problems. He is an unapologetic image-maker. "On accepting my invitation to sit, I spent a couple of days with Peter making drawings at his home and studio on the NSW North Coast. For this portrait, I chose to paint him in his studio. It had been raining heavily during my visit so the room was quite dark. We had a great conversation about his most recent assemblages. The beauty found and pleasure taken in the discovery of shape, here in the assemblages and also reminiscent of Seascape II, were the starting point of this painting." JASON PHU — LISA HAS A MUCH MORE PLEASANT FACE THAN GLENN... With Carriageworks director Lisa Havilah the subject of this strange portrait, the full title of Jason Phu’s painting is: Lisa has a much more pleasant face than Glenn. She also doesn’t sing horribly while playing a guitar or try to put a cat up a tree while I’m painting her. "I wanted to paint Noel but he hates doing that stuff," says Phu. "Lin was too busy with his footy schedule. Guan wasn’t in the country. So I had to settle for painting [curator] Glenn Barkley. Luckily while Glenn was distracted with showing me how much his cat loved climbing trees (which it definitely didn’t), Lisa was there so I painted her instead. Anyway, Lisa is much more prestigious in the arts and is also a lovely person. "I never really wanted to become an artist. I’ve always wanted to be a cartoonist, doing the Sunday comic strips, but I’ve been too scared to pursue it. In high school I decided I’d like to do engineering. I’ve always had a penchant for building little mechanical toys, but I didn’t have the marks to do engineering. So I had to do fine arts. It’s been all right and I’ve enjoyed it but I see myself becoming a chef in the not-too-distant future." SALLY ROSS — EVA This gorgeous portrait of Academy and Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Eva Orner (Taxi to the Dark Side) wouldn't be out of place on the cover of Frankie. But there's nothing twee about this kickass human rights crusader, whose upcoming Australian-focused doco Asylum is sure to ruffle a few feathers. "I met Eva Orner through our mutual association with HAGAR Australia, an organisation working with survivors of trafficking and abuse in Afghanistan, Vietnam and Cambodia. I instinctively knew I wanted to paint her — I was struck by Eva’s sheer unselfconscious drive and her large black spectacles,’ says Ross. "In our image-saturated world I would love to see less selfies, gourmet meals, renovations and lingerie models blowing kisses, and more pictures of women, humans like Eva Orner," she says. "After an art-binge in Holland earlier this year, my head was filled with mysterious early Flemish portraiture. I wanted to work within a flat, almost dull palette and contrast a certain restraint with decorative motifs in Eva’s distinctive robe made by Afghan architect/designer Rahim Walizada.’ TIM GREGORY — SELF PORTRAIT AS ANCESTORS Putting Australia's muddled national identity on show, Tim Gregory describes this self-portrait as ‘a response to the confused, prosaic and performed nature of white Australia’. "European painting in Australia was founded by convicts who were themselves forgers, producing replicas of a landscape and life, which were facsimiles of European fantasies. In the main, this tradition continues," he says. "The combination of the redcoat and the convict is not about my own personal heritage, but more broadly about how many Australians still view themselves – as both larrikin/underdog and defender. The costumes I wear are eroticised reconstitutions of colonial history from a sexy costume store. They are in no way authentic, but held together by velcro and tassels, ready to be ripped off after the obligatory role-play of identity. "The painting is deliberately superficial: shiny, saturated, decontextualised. White painters (particularly male painters) in Australia, and the white Australian population more broadly, cannot contribute in any significant way to cultural, political or social evolution until we acknowledge that we are still a colonial country, absurdly and violently layered on top of the world’s oldest, continuous culture." PRUDENCE FLINT — BABY Writer Urszula Dawkins, who is not a mother, has been Prudence Flint's closest friend for 30 years. "When we first met she was a singer in a band. She began writing fiction in the nineties and has become a frequent lone traveller to Arctic Europe. We have supported each other in our unconventional life choices, balancing the demands of our creative lives and questioning social expectations. "The idea for the work came after seeing the late Gothic paintings of the Madonna and child in the Musée de Petit Palais, Avignon. I related to the ambivalence and the unnerving fierceness in the gestures between the mother and child," says Flint. "I wanted to paint Urszula with baby to show how the presence of motherhood is in our lives, whatever choices we make, like a parallel world. The painting began as a tiny sketch and I tried to keep it true to the tension between the monstrous and the tender. It felt like a delicate radiation area between beauty and repulsion that was tricky to paint." See the Archibald Prize at the Art Gallery of New South Wales until September 27. For more info or to book tickets, head over here.
In 2010, director Matthew Vaughn gave us his tongue-in-cheek take on the superhero genre with the hyperactive action-comedy, Kick-Ass. Five years later, he turns his attention to the spy movie, with similarly electrifying results. Adapted, as was Kick-Ass, from a graphic novel by Mark Millar, Kingsman: The Secret Service is popcorn entertainment at its finest: funny, exciting and immaculately paced, never once bogged down by grit or self-importance. Colin Firth crackles as Agent Harry Hart, a gentleman spy for a privately run espionage agency operating “at the highest levels of discretion”. After the death of a colleague, Hart finds himself on the trail of nefarious billionaire Richmond Valentine (a lisping Samuel L. Jackson), whose plan to save the planet may come at the expense of the people living on it. At the same time, Hart also finds himself mentoring teenaged hoodlum Eggsy (Taron Egerton), in whose defiant eyes he sees a glimmer of Kingsman potential. Vaughn shoots the film with the giddiness of a 12-year-old, one who just stepped out of his very first spy movie with dreams of saving the world. The antithesis of the Craig-era Bond flicks, Kingsman never tries to justify its own absurdity, but rather rockets along with such irreverent energy that you can’t help but get caught up in all the fun. Explosions of over-the-top violence dominate the second half, although it’s all far too cartoonish to cause any serious offence. The action is propelled by a rousing orchestral score, courtesy of regular Vaughn collaborators Matthew Margeson and Henry Jackman. The movie’s cast is excellent across the board. Firth could play a suit-clad toff in his sleep, but he also makes for a surprisingly convincing action hero — and listening to him drop F-bombs while dispatching thugs with his umbrella is a singular pleasure no other film can provide. Jackson is a job as the villain of the piece, while young Egerton has the makings of a star. Mark Strong and Michael Caine round out the ranks of the secret service, although it’s a shame that the latter isn’t given a little bit more to do. After a January packed with high-minded Oscar films, Kingsman: The Secret Service is a much needed blast of fresh air. If you’re looking for a fun night out at the movies, don’t hesitate to pick up a ticket.
Looking for something romantic and unapologetically meaty to do on Valentine's Day? It would appear that you're in luck. Rolling into the Sydney Showgrounds for the very first time, Meatstock is a brand new two-day barnburner for all things barbecue. We're talking meat, beer, bourbon, meat, music, meat, beards, meat and of course, meat. Because nothing says 'I love you' like a plate of pork ribs bigger than your partners head. Part expo, part music festival and part gladiator-style cook-off, Meatstock will welcome the prime cuts of the local barbecuing fraternity to showcase their skills behind the grill. Headlining the event will be the A&E Sydney Barbecue Wars, in which 40 teams from all around the country serve up their best pork, beef, chicken, lamb and seafood for their chance to win more than $8000 in cash and prizes. They'll also be on the lookout for Australia's best butcher and its best barber — the latter in a competition called the Cutthroat Barber Wars, which doesn't sound terrifying at all. Meatstock will also welcome a number of special guest speakers and chefs, including Carnivores Ball creator Jess Pryles, Fancy Hanks' head honcho Mike Patrick and Bovine & Swine Barbecue Co. founder Hillbilly Wes. But the biggest get would have to be Tuffy 'The Professor' Stone, one of the most celebrated names in American competition barbecue and a judge on the reality TV show BBQ Pitmasters. Stone will be hosting a day-long cooking school on the Thursday before Meatstock begins. Of course, no one goes to an event called Meatstock just to learn about cooking barbecue. Let's face it: if you're there, you're there to eat. Catering will be handled by a range of carnivorous cooks, including The Smoking Brothers, Parilla Argenchino and Rangers Texas BBQ. And once you've eaten yourself into a stupor, you can waddle over and check out the live music offerings — a rip-roaring lineup of new bluegrass, rock and roll, country and everything in between: think The Snowdroppers, Henry Wagons, The Buffalo Grass Boys and The Beards. For more information about Meatstock, visit their website.
A Purity Ring gig is not just a concert, but an experience. This is due to three factors. One: their unrestrained dedication to deep, deep bass. Two: their hypnotising light show, which they've created themselves. And three: Megan James's extraordinary, soaring vocals. And their sci-fi costumes are pretty damn impressive, too. Hailing from Canada, the duo — who is made up of James and producer Corin Roddick — have been mesmerising crowds at festivals and clubs all over the planet. Following their breakthrough album, Shrines, they've since collaborated with the likes of Danny Brown and Jon Hopkins. Coming our way to play St Jerome's Laneway Festival in Melbourne and Perth, Purity Ring will make two headline appearances while they're here — one at the Sydney Opera House on February 9 and at Melbourne's Forum Theatre on February 11. Then they're off to the States to play a bunch of festivals, including Coachella.
Five sites along the future light rail line in Kensington and Kingsford will play host to public artworks by acclaimed local artists, as part of Transport for NSW and Randwick Council's ArtMoves program. The works will be gradually installed along the route from July, and will remain there until February 2018. At Southern Cross Close, the non-profit humanitarian organisation Ondru will install an enormous photographic mural featuring members of the Kingsford Community, while artists Sarah Barns and Michael Killalea, known collectively as Esem Projects, will celebrate music with their large gramophone sculpture. Meanwhile, Elliot Routledge, aka Numskull, will transform the site at Strachan Street with a brightly coloured mural; Nuha Saad will pay tribute to Todman Avenue's period architecture with a series of sculpted columns; and Adrienn Lord, aka Mandylights, will offer his very unique take on a park bench on Duke Street. Rounding things out, Borrodale road will benefit from the Chinese enamelware floral painting of Mimi Tong, as well as a new installation from Hand to Land Studios, the intriguingly named Surprise Dumplings. Construction on the light rail line has been dogged by long delays. On the plus side, at least now Sydneysiders will have something nice to look at.
Sydney, prepare to say ciao to Italian cinema throughout September and October, because the annual showcase of films from or about the European nation is back for another round. The Lavazza Italian Film Festival is back for its 17th year — and if the program is anything to go by, it's going to be another good one. Not only will the 2016 fest kick off with Italian box office hit Perfect Strangers and close with the digital restoration of the Audrey Hepburn-starring classic Roman Holiday, but it also boasts a world premiere. Local audiences will be the first on the planet to see the first-ever Australian-Italian feature co-production, The Space Between. Charting the intersection of an Italian ex-chef and a spirited Aussie in the scenic Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, it has been described as "a celebration of the Italian spirit of la dolce vita". All up, the program boasts 30 films. Because you probably won't have time to see them all, check out our list of the five must-see films of this year's Italian Film Festival. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sYLibWZrRs THE SPACE BETWEEN The feature filmmaking debut of Melbourne director Ruth Borgobello, The Space Between marks the first ever co-production between Italy and Australia — and will fittingly make its world premiere at this year's Lavazza Italian Film Festival. A romantic drama, the film follows an ex-chef, Marco (Flavio Parenti) who falls for an Australian woman named Olivia (Maeve Dermody) after a chance encounter in the picturesque town of Udine in Northern Italy. Dermody and Borgobello are guests of the festival, and will take part in Q&A sessions following selection screenings in Sydney and Melbourne. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBpVt7SiLVM FIORE Straight from the Directors' Fortnight section at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival back in May, the third feature effort from Claudio Giovannesi shapes up as one of the most intriguing titles in this year's IFF program. Fiore concerns a young woman, played by newcomer Daphne Scoccia, who must adjust to life in juvenile prison after being convicted of robbery. Giovannesi cast a number of non-professional actors, including several who had previously served time behind bars. The decision clear paid off, with the film — and Scoccia's performance in particular — scoring strong reviews from critics. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tg9avYV3FPs ONE KISS Best known for penning the Tilda Swinton vehicle I Am Love, writer-director Ivan Cotroneo here adapts his own novel, about a trio of unlikely friends living in a small Italian town. High school students Blu, Lorenzo and Antonio might not have much in common, but their shared outsider status soon brings them together. A coming of age drama, One Kiss scored a gong for Best Screenwriting at Italy's annual film awards, and is described in the festival program as a story about "friendship, the limits of imagination, and the consequence of honesty". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3al1PBx09A WHERE AM I GOING? The new comedy from Gennaro Nunziante broke box office records in Italy, to the point that it even gave Star Wars: The Force Awakens a serious run for its money. Where Am I Going? stars Luca Medici as Checco Zalone, a lazy, middle-aged bureaucrat willing to go to enormous lengths to keep his cushy government job and benefits package. A scathing critique of the Italian public service, the film also reportedly thumbs its nose of the concept of political correctness. Whether its sense of humour will be embraced by Australian audiences, we'll have to wait and see. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twi3lQIDkiU ROMAN HOLIDAY Of course, we had to include at least one retro title on this list — and, honestly, who could look past this Audrey Hepburn classic? William Wyler's 1953 romantic comedy, one of the greatest and most iconic of all time, has recently undergone a brand new digital restoration, and will no doubt look amazing when it lights up the big screen on closing night. Join Hepburn and Gregory Peck on a Vespa ride around the Italian capital and fall in love with the city all over again. The Italian Film Festival will run from September 13 until October 9 at Palace Norton Street, Chauvel Cinema and Palace Verona. See the full program at italianfilmfestival.com.au.
The brains behind The Butler, Bondi Hardware, The Botanist and SoCal, Applejack Hospitality is opening one grand, grand new bar, Della Hyde. Headed for the Hyde Park end of Oxford Street, Darlinghurst from November 25, this brand new 150-seat bar will take inspiration from the "luxe lobby bars of the grand hotels of the past", according to the Applejack team. With opulent interiors, brick columns, Chesterfield banquettes, period feature lighting and a focus on old world, glamorous cocktails, Della Hyde ain't no speakeasy. Think more Grand Budapest Hotel meets the decadent palaces of Rajasthan, India. Owners Ben Carroll and Hamish Watts have even given this fancy new character a sort of backstory — just for fun. “We like the idea that the Della Hyde site was ‘apparently’ once a grand hotel situated on Hyde Park and named after the famous American actress Della Pringle," says Watts. "We’ve taken design inspiration and a bit of artistic license from that — we reckon it would have had a touch of opulence based on the Hawa Mahal or 'Pink Palace' in Jaipur, India and that maybe it was a member of the revered 'Society of Crossed Keys'. That’s our story and we’re sticking to it!" Shall we check in and have a tipple? Cocktail-wise, Della Hyde’s general manager Joe Worthington (ex-SoCal Neutral Bay) and Applejack Group bars manager Lachy Sturrock have created a super sophisticated menu. We're pretty keen to try the cold-drip espresso aperitif-styled cocktails served over ice. There's nibbles afoot too — and the kitchen'll be open late (the bar's inspired by grand hotels after all). Executive chef James Privett has crafted a menu of European and North African influences, mainly share plates and bar food. Think spinach and labna pizza, paprika chicken skewers or pea and pancetta croquettes. This new bar will be Applejack's fifth venue to open in four years. Look out, Drink N Dine, Merivale et al. Della Hyde will open at 34 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst on November 25. It'll be open 5pm until late, seven nights a week. Images: The Butler.
Imagine that you could spend an entire week or so at an overseas film festival. If time and money wasn't a concern, and you could put your everyday life on hold, which movie bonanza would you go to? Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Toronto: they're all good choices. If you're after new indie flicks, you're probably already thinking about packing your bags for Sundance. Of course, Robert Redford's annual Utah event isn't the only early-in-the-year American film festival worth dreaming about. Come March in Texas, there's another fest making movie buffs envious. Since 1987, South by Southwest has proven a launching pad for music and technology — and, from 1994, for indie flicks, too. On the film front, SXSW's 2016 program keeps the good stuff coming with 137 features, including 89 world premieres and 52 efforts by first-time filmmakers. Alas, here at Concrete Playground we're watching from afar between March 11 to 20, rather than hopping on a plane to Austin. To soothe our jealousy, we've put together a list of the ten films from SXSW we're hoping will come to Australia. If we can't go to them, fingers crossed that they can come to us. DON'T THINK TWICE If you saw Sleepwalk With Me back in 2012, you're probably a fan of Mike Birbiglia. The comedian's first directorial effort, based on his one-man off-Broadway show and accompanying book of the same name, offered a breezy but insightful look at the problems of relationships, careers and planning for the future. His next film effort sounds just as subtly charming, with an improv troupe at its centre. Birbiglia stars again, joined by Keegan-Michael Key and Gillian Jacobs, should you need any more reasons to get excited. COLLECTIVE:UNCONSCIOUS Five filmmakers. Five dreams. Five attempts by the former to make movies out of the latter. Cinema is often called dreamlike, but collective:unconscious takes that description to another level. In stories involving the Grim Reaper hosting a television show and a sports class taking place inside of a volcano, among others, the group of indie directors doesn't just bring their own nocturnal imaginings to their screen. Instead, Lily Baldwin, Frances Bodomo, Daniel Patrick Carbone, Josephine Decker and Lauren Wolkstein attempt to make movies out of each other's unconscious musings. BEWARE THE SLENDERMAN You might've heard of the Slenderman. The very thin, very tall creature started popping up online in 2009, and was rumoured to stalk, abduct and generally terrorise and terrify people, particularly children. Slenderman was actually the creation of an online forum user, who created the figure as part of a Photoshop contest. That didn't stop two 12-year-old girls from killing their best friend in the hopes of meeting the faceless man, with documentarian Irene Taylor Brodsky dissecting their story, the impact of the darker side of cyber space, and how an internet meme inspired a murder. UNDER THE SHADOW We might've left Under the Shadow off of our Sundance list, but we won't make the same mistake twice. There's a reason that the Farsi-language film from Jordan, Qatar and the United Kingdom is playing a US festival again so soon after its world premiere in January, after all. Compared to The Babadook, Babak Anvari’s feature debut tells of a mother and daughter who begin to suspect that they’ve been targeted by evil spirits. Netflix has the rights to the frightening flick, but this sounds like something that really needs to be seen on the big screen. MY BLIND BROTHER Admit it: even the most serious film fans out there can't resist the lure of an impressive cast. Getting a group of great actors together doesn't always pay off, but when it does, it's magic. Here's hoping that's the end result for My Blind Brother, which stars Adam Scott, Nick Kroll and Jenny Slate. Yes, the fact that they've all either starred or popped up on TV sitcom Parks and Recreation is part of their appeal, but they're not the movie's only drawcards. Director Sophie Goodhart might be a first-time feature filmmaker; however she's adapting her own short film of the same name, which screened in competition at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival. TOWER Sadly, mass shootings in US schools are a much-too-common occurrence — but it wasn't always this way. In 1966, when an ex-Marine sniper turned University of Texas engineering student started gunning down people from a tower looming over the tertiary institution's campus, no one had ever contemplated the possibility of such horrors occurring at a place dedicated to learning and education. Keith Maitland's documentary explores this bleak chapter in American history, albeit in an unusual fashion. Telling the previously untold stories of the witnesses, heroes and survivors, he not only delves into archival footage, but combines it with surreal, animated recreations. THE TRUST Two words: Nicolas Cage. We have more words to share about The Trust than that, of course — but we'd be lying if we didn't confess that the man who can be either the world's best or worst actor, depending on the film, wasn't the main attraction. With Elijah Wood, he plays a cop who stumbles upon a mysterious bank vault. If the combination of Cage and the storyline doesn't pique your curiosity, this might: writer/directors Alex and Ben Brewer are better known for their music video work, including winning an MTV Video Music Award for working with Justin Bieber. Yes, really. KARAOKE CRAZIES Karaoke and cinema go hand in hand. Plenty of movies feature everyone's favourite form of amateur singing; however surprisingly few make it their main focus (and yes, we're ignoring Gwyneth Paltrow vehicle Duets for a reason). In Karaoke Crazies, Korean filmmaker Kim Sang-Chan sets his feature in a karaoke bar, lets a serial killer loose, and makes the latter obsessed with the former. If that's not an ingenious idea for a movie, well, we don't know what is. IN A VALLEY OF VIOLENCE Ti West has played with satanic panic in The House of the Devil, and toyed with found footage and religious fanaticism in The Sacrament. He also charmed Aussie audiences in person when he visited the Melbourne International Film Festival in 2011 to present his haunted hotel effort, The Innkeepers. In his next film, In A Valley of Violence, West swaps scares for revenge and horror for the western genre. Ethan Hawke and John Travolta tag along for the ride, stalking through a small town in the 1890s, and playing a drifter and marshal, respectively. EVERYBODY WANTS SOME Okay, okay, so Richard Linklater's latest film — and his first after the awarded and applauded Boyhood — is one of the titles we know for certain will grace Australian cinema screens. That doesn't make us any less enthused about Everybody Wants Some, which has the honour of opening SXSW's film lineup, and has been called a spiritual sequel to his 1996 effort Dazed and Confused. Don't expect a sleazy Matthew McConaughey trying to hit on high school girls, this time around. Do expect another wild series of events, this time set over a weekend in college in the '80s.
One of Sydney's favourite art events will turn 23 this year as Sculpture by the Sea returns for 2019. Kicking off on Thursday, October 24, two clicks of Sydney's most picturesque coastline will be even more breathtaking as it's transformed into a living, breathing artscape once again. Over 100 epic pieces from both Australian and international artists will be on show on the two-kilometre coastal track linking Bondi and Tamarama beaches. While the full list of works is yet to be revealed, you can expect one piece from NSW sculptor Dave Horton, whose work Yesternight reflected won the Sculpture by the Sea top prize in 2007. Use this handy map to plan your meander and keep your fingers crossed for good weather — the whole thing runs until November 10. There's also the chance for a chinwag with the artists themselves at the Aqualand Artist Talks series, which will take place each Saturday and Sunday of the exhibition. Plus, it coincides with this year's Sydney Sculpture Conference to be held at the Art Gallery of NSW if you can't get enough of the art form. This could be the last year Bondi hosts the event — Sculpture by the Sea has been at loggerheads with Waverley Council over the design of a new path that will 'greatly compromise' the exhibition. In July, organisers said they were actively looking for a new home, calling for expressions of interest from other coastal councils in Sydney and around Australia. Images: Trent van der Jagt.
Multisensory cooking, auto suggestion and a robotic desserts trolley: these are just a few of the things diners can expect when famed chef Heston Blumenthal restarts service at his three-Michelin Star restaurant The Fat Duck later in the year. After undergoing extensive renovations — during which time Blumenthal popped up in Melbourne's Crown Casino — the original Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire, England is set to reopen this October. Interviewed by The Observer restaurant critic Jay Rayner, Blumenthal dropped a number of tasty tidbits as to what has changed. "The move to Australia was a great opportunity to question what the Fat Duck is," Blumenthal told Rayner. "In the sense that we cook food and it’s served to people, we’re a restaurant. But that’s not much, is it? The fact is the Fat Duck is about storytelling. I wanted to think about the whole approach of what we do in those terms." In addition to consulting with Billy Elliot writer Lee Hall on the idea of turning the menu into a story — complete with introduction and chapter headings — one of the most intriguing/terrifying things Blumenthal mentioned in the interview was that he had spoken with mentalist Derren Brown, star of Derren Brown: Mind Control, about ways of extracting information about his customers "without them being too aware", and using auto suggestive techniques in order to convince diners they're getting what they most desire. Yeah, that doesn’t sound sinister at all. The Fat Duck (along with other destination restaurants) has apparently long been in the habit of Googling guests in advance, but such prosaic sleuthing is no longer enough to sate Blumenthal. Other features of the "maturing" Fat Duck include a £150,000 robotic sweetshop shaped like a dollhouse and a new online booking system to help sort through the more than 30,000 table requests per day. You can, naturally, expect the prices to go up too — although considering the tasting menu was £220 a head before the renovations, that might keep you, and your suggestive mind, out of Blumenthal's orbit. Via The Observer..
Fire up the cornballer and bust out your best chicken dance, because it would appear Arrested Development is on the verge of making a return. Almost two years after our last excursion into the lives of the dysfunctional Bluth family, executive producer Bill Glazer has confirmed 17 new episodes of the cult comedy, although he neglected to mention where and when they’ll be released. But they're coming. Glazer made the casual announcement while speaking to Grantland founder Bill Simmons on an episode of the B.S. Report Podcast. “I love Arrested Development, but it was never a huge thing,” said Grazer, referring to the show's less than stellar ratings during its initial three season run between 2003 and 2006. “But people are loyal to it. We're going to do another 17 episodes, so stay tuned.” Rumours of additional episodes are nothing new to Arrested Development fans, who suffered seven years in the wilderness before the show was resurrected by Netflix for 15 episodes in 2013. The streaming service has always maintained that a fifth season was likely, but Glazer’s comments seem to be the most concrete confirmation so far. That said, he did leave out a few important details, most notably an air date. Clearly, he never learnt to always leave a note. Netflix declined to comment on Glazer's announcement, but given the busy schedules of the show’s ensemble cast, it’s safe to assume that a trip back to the Bluth model homestead is still a ways away yet. Until then, take 15 minutes for this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWcsIMKAvUw Via A.V. Club
If playing with sweet fluffy kitties while sipping a latte isn't enough to ease these stressful times, Catmosphere is taking it to the next level this holiday season. The geniuses behind the space-themed cat cafe are bringing you cat yoga — every Thursday from 5-6pm, you can spend an hour in the cat room and indulge in the furriest yoga class yet. For a mere $25, participants get 45 minutes of yoga and 15 minutes of cat cuddle time. Forget downward facing dog — poses to expect include the cat/meow and child's purr. The class caters to all experience levels, especially those who want their yoga session interrupted by the curious 'Castronauts' — rescues from the Sydney area who'd love to interrupt your zen with loud, adorable purring. Check the website for the next available booking. And meet the cats before you go. Catmosphere is located at 66 Foveaux Street, Surry Hills. For more information, opening hours visit the website. Image: Andy Fraser.
As the year winds up, and party season enters into full swing, it’s time to give yourself a little treat. Aced that job interview? Nailed a new dinner party recipe? Or maybe it’s just been one of those weeks you’d rather forget? Whatever the reason, a spot of retail therapy is sure to be in order. Buyers remorse be gone, iconic Aussie designer Alice McCall is throwing a sample sale like never before. And this year’s edition is made for the bargain hunters among us, with items starting at just $10. Yes, we’re hyperventilating too. Since the debut of the label back at the 2004 Australian Fashion Week, Alice has channeled her stylish London-bred sensibilities into creating garments that are equal parts feminine and cool. Snatch up a playsuit or two from McCall’s stellar selection, or pick up the perfect frock for those looming office Christmas parties. You can thank us later. Open Thursday, November 19 (8am to 7pm) and Friday, November 20 (8am to 4pm).
Strolls around the city have been much brighter in recent weeks, all thanks to the addition of some unexpected blooms. The CBD's grey, concrete streets have had a makeover as a part of the City of Sydney's twice-yearly 'Living Colour' floral display project, taking over Martin Place, Green Square, Town Hall, Alfred Street and the forecourt outside St Mary’s cathedral. But as the plants have been blooming since September, these flowers need a new home. Want some more snapdragons, celosia, golden marjoram and bromeliads in your life? On Sunday, November 8 from 8am, St Mary's Cathedral will be the spot to snag some cut-price botanical beauties. For just a gold coin donation, you'll be able to take home everything from petunias to curly parsley. Best of all, all funds raised will be heading directly to the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation. Add some colour to your own space and feel good about it too. Who could resist adopting these little blooms that've seen it all? People can pick up plants from St Marys Cathedral forecourt on College Street from 8am on Sunday, November 8 while stocks last.
Sydney’s food and drink scene isn’t slowing down any time soon. We’re spoilt for choice at every turn, with new top-notch eateries cropping up faster than ever before. If you’re struggling to keep up — and who isn't? — never fear Taste of Sydney 2016 is the four-day foodie festival to get to up to speed on the cream of the culinary crop. Setting up residence in Centennial Park from March 10 to 13, Taste of Sydney in partnership with Electrolux is all about bringing diners and chefs together. Ticketholders will be treated with nosh from some of Sydney’s top restaurants, including Biota Dining’s sustainable modern Australian dishes, fire-cooked noms from Firedoor, nel.'s fine dining dishes, plus Middle Eastern street food from the crew at Glebe’s Thievery. Also joining the deliciousness will be Porteño, Kitchen by Mike, MoVida, Sake, and the newly opened Kensington Street Social, among others. Sounds like a lot to stomach in one sitting? Thanks to the festival’s bite-size portions, you’ll be able to try a sampling from all on show — and maybe go back for seconds too. There'll be six sessions over the four-day program, so all you have to do is choose one and you’ll have four hours to experience Sydney's best selection of signature dishes. Aside from stuffing your face, there are also plenty of masterclasses and demonstrations from Australia’s leading chefs, and even the Taste of Sydney Artisan Market, jam-packed with over 60 food and drink exhibitors. For the first time, guests will have the opportunity to cook like a professional chef at Electrolux Chefs’ Secrets. This intimate masterclass experience will allow visitors to cook alongside renowned chefs including Peter Gilmore (Quay) and Colin Fassnidge (4Fourteen), before sitting down at a communal table together to enjoy the meal with matched wines. You can also see your favourite chefs in the Electrolux Taste Theatre hosted by food writer Kate Gibbs, experience world class food and wine at the South African Garden with MasterChef South Africa judge Benny Masekwameng, get creative with Lurpak, plus many more. Let the food comas commence. [competition]560861[/competition]
Electronica megastar Omar Souleyman is on his way to engulf you in Arabic techno beats with a national tour this January. Souleyman has reached cult status internationally for his patented sound of insanely fast synths adapted to Syrian folk music and his "epitome-of-cool" persona, with Bjork herself labelling him as one of her favourites. Never seen without a pair of aviators and his red and white kaffiyeh, Souleyman has long been famous in his homeland of Syria, with, believe it or not, a rumoured 500 separate bootleg cassette releases recorded straight from his many performances at weddings around the country. His 2013 album, Wenu Wenu, was his first recorded outside Syria, and its blending of Western electronica beats and traditional dabke music (an Arabic form of folk dancing) promises live performances filled with electric sax solos, super high-tempo synths and vocals given alternatively in the tone of commanding pronouncements and trance-inducing chants. You can catch Omar Souleyman at The Aurora as part of Sydney Festival on January 16, Melbourne's Corner Hotel January 19 and The Brightside in Brisbane January 21.
Aid worker Jo Dunlop travelled to Freetown, Sierra Leone in 2011 in the aftermath of a bloody civil war. Unexpectedly, she found herself walking through streets of people oozing unique personal style, or, in her words, "Teeming with some of the most resourceful, brave and outrageous fashion decisions ever made." Dunlop began a fashion blog called Freetown Fashpack and it gained international attention, later sparking an eight-part web series filmed by ABC Arts. In this touring exhibition from Bega Valley Regional Gallery, footage from the web series will sit alongside 15 larger-than-life photographic portraits from Dunlop's collection. Exploring the connection between communication, fashion and the delightfulness of individual expression, Dunlop's photography exudes a sensitivity that allows her sitters to revel in their own personal brand of style. There's always plenty on at Casula Powerhouse during April, so you could make an afternoon of it.
Vegan sweet tooths tired of choosing between sorbet and fruit salad, get yourself and your sugar cravings to North Bondi. Long-time vegan and cake-maker extraordinaire Grace Watson has opened her 100 percent animal product-free Zeitgeist Mylk Bar, bringing you apple pie and custard mylkshakes, cinnamon doughnuts and peanut butter cookies, among other delightful, delightful treats. "As a vegan, dairy milk can be a problem," says Grace. "It's really pervasive, so it's hard for vegans to find creamy, indulgent desserts." Not so at Zeitgeist. Grace is busy turning house-made almond mylk and coconut ice-cream into all kinds of deliciousness. You've a choice of three mylkshakes — the aforementioned apple pie and custard, as well as red velvet and znickers. Match yours with a piece of passionfruit, a cinnamon doughnut made with a mix of soy milk and apple cider vinegar (instead of egg white) or a raw znickers bar, layered with nougat, dates and caramel and covered in hand-tempered, 100 percent organic chocolate. And they're just beginning of the menu. With treats in-hand, you can take a seat inside or outside — or head for nearby Sam Fiszman Park or the beach. "It's a milk bar set-up, with seating inside and outside, for about twelve people at once," Grace says. "The design is old-school, taken to a new, modern level. So, there are pastel colours and running writing, but we've also used polycarbonate and carbon-coated black steel. My partner and I worked on the interior together, with help from Liam Nugazin, who's creating a huge chandelier." North Bondi provides some solid vegan company, including Sadhana Kitchen, Bondi Wholefoods and Orchard Road. "North Bondi's really taking off as a vegan hub," Grace says. "Like Newtown, it's an awesome place for vegans to visit and a really supportive community." Despite opening just two days ago — on Saturday, April 9 — Zeitgeist has already been inundated. "It's been super busy," Grace says. "Much busier than we expected". Find Zeitgeist at 43 Gould Street, North Bondi.
The Plot is back. And this time, it’s heading for Parramatta Park. For those unfamiliar with the name, The Plot is a new music festival that first happened back in 2013 – in Sydney at Luna Park’s Big Top and in Melbourne at the Palace Theatre and Ding Dong Lounge. The lineup is yet to be announced. But we can give you a date and place to engrave in your diaries: Saturday, December 5 at Parramatta Park. So it’ll be an epic, summery, outdoor affair, with gorgeous Old Government House at its centre, and the beautifully revived Parramatta River alongside. We can also tell you there’ll be three stages, an abundance of locally-made food featuring local produce, craft beers, boutique wines and an eclectic mix of music from both Australia and overseas. What’s more, The Plot is promising to celebrate the diversity and community spirit associated with Sydney’s Greater West. To make sure you’re first to hear the programme, tune into triple j’s Lunch with Lewi on Wednesday, September 30. Tickets will go on sale to the general public at 9am on Thursday, October 8 at $69 (+bf). But if you’re a Past Plotter, you’ll score the 2013 price of $45 (+BF). Just keep an eye on your inbox for a unique link that’ll allow you to take advantage of this bargain — it’ll arrive around 9am on Thursday, October 1 and will remain valid until midnight, Wednesday, October 7. After that, you’ll be paying full price. Image: Aleksandar Jason.
In the week leading up to Splendour in the Grass 2016, we dared to dream of blue skies and mild weather. The Bureau of Meteorology warned us the weather in coastal regions can be changeable but in the end we proved that if people want it enough, we can influence the weather with our thoughts alone. In the middle of winter (and after last year's Splendour in the Mud disaster) the last thing we planned for was balmy, 26 degree days and pleasantly crisp nights, but that's what we got (cue frantically buying up sunscreen, bucket hats and water vessels from highway petrol stations). Australia's biggest winter festival (and one of the country's biggest festivals in general) has become a well-oiled machine in recent years (for the most part, but we'll get to that). This year's lineup, from legends The Cure, Sigur Ros and The Avalanches to newcomers Kllo, Sampa the Great and Jess Kent, was more varied than ever — with a strong local flavour and something for every age group. This seemed to solve a lot of the timetabling problems as well as they produced one of the least clashy schedules we've had yet (praise be). But the weekend wasn't without incident. On Friday night, and to a much lesser degree on Saturday and Sunday night, long bus delays and general anarchy at the bus rally points saw off-site punters waiting for hours in the cold to get home and they were not happy about it. After social media erupted on Friday night and Saturday morning, Splendour released a statement the next day saying, "We had a significant change in the number of people getting dropped off and collected ... which threw our traffic plan into disarray." And they did fix it, eventually. Monday morning wasn't much better, thanks to a few bungles on the freeway. Camping punters waited in car lines for up to seven hours trying to get out of the campsite when they would really rather have been in bed. We only hope they sort it out for next year. Luckily, everyone was pretty well-behaved — and the po-po were pleased with our collective behaviour, citing only 323 drug related arrests (less than one percent of attendees) across the entire festival. Snaps all round, everyone. So what of the nosh and mosh scene for this year? We chomped and stomped our way through Splendour 2016, here's a little snippet of the best bits. EATS Like many festivals, the food lineup at Splendour is getting better each year and truly deserves a heading of its very own. Gone are the days spent subsisting on stale chips and soggy hot-dog buns, the SITG food offering is gourmet AF. Sydneysiders were suprised to see a recreation of The Unicorn pub right in the middle of the festival, from the brains behind Mary's, Porteno and Young Henrys. This pop-up pub would mark the entrance to The Very Small Suburb, with fellow locals Gelato Messina, Doughnut Time and Bourke Street Bakery peddling their wares to hungry punters. Single O, coffee roasters from Surry Hills, enjoyed lines around the (makeshift) block because if there's one thing hungover folk need, it's real coffee and lots of it. They were joined by Noosa's ever popular Nimo's Schnitzels, Sydney's Tsuru food truck serving up their fluffy pork belly bao buns, Govindas famous vegetarian fare (kofta balls will bring you back to life after a big one), best-in-show winners Brazza BBQ from the Gold Coast with their Brazillian chow and French fry cones, and everyone's favourite Hungarian festival treat, langos. And for dessert? Australia's insanely popular Doughnut Time even got their holey mitts on a Splendour stand — and it was bloody popular. Or you could have stood in line at the giant pink inflatable poo emoji (hilariously titled Mr Poopie by Cool Shit artists Hungry Castle) and grab a toilet ice cream. You heard me. But the real MVPs? Get Toasted, Byron Bay's OG toasted sandwich food truck, cranking out their insane mac and cheese toasties. The GT team served up their crispy, buttery life-saving sandies with more chirpiness and kind words than anyone has a right to expect at midnight on the third day of a festival. Hot tip for next Splendour, don't waste time with supermarket snacks — save up and ready yourself for a culinary tour of the festival grounds. [caption id="attachment_582301" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Dro Carey[/caption] BEATS THE CURE What can be said about the Cure apart from lines of love-heart eye emojis? They're a band almost beyond critique and their tenure as the most relevant, long-serving players in rock is still deserved. Their physical vessels may have aged, but Robert Smith's voice has not and they're still as tight as a drum. They casually slayed a 2.5-hour set, breaking only occasionally and briefly to suck down essence of youth (and water, maybe). Tears flowed freely and 'Friday I'm in Love' was screamed to the stars. THE STROKES The Strokes played their only Australian show at Splendour and rounded out the first day of the festival with the veteran ease you'd expect, mixing fan service with some of their newer cuts and of course, encoring with 'Last Night'. If there is a better way to fall asleep than with Julian Casablancas' voice reverberating around your head, we haven't yet found it. THE AVALANCHES The Avalanches were the legendary wildcard of the lineup — and one of the most anticipated sets of the whole event. They haven't played a festival in over a decade and while the group has rocketed back into prominence recently thanks to their huge comeback album, Wildflower, they're as yet untested in the modern context. The result was little bit thrown together — including, y'know, lyrics read from an iPhone for 'Frankie Sinatra' — and there's something a wee bit unsatisfying about a sample-based show amongst a sea of live music. But we still loved it. Depending on how close you stood to the sound desk could have affected your experience, and we hope more intimate shows are ahead for this iconic crew. SIGUR ROS Icelandic angels Sigur Ros may have been the quiet hero of the whole festival. They didn't perform at the amphitheatre (which is a slight, in our opinion), but the Mix Up tent was more intimate and, thanks to a well-timed clash with Flume, the crowd was slightly older (imagine a lot of actual lighters in the air, coffees clutched to sensible skivvies and wet eyes). They brought their technical prowess to bear alongside their dramatic showmanship (there was a spine tingly-dingly moment when main man Jonsi held a sweet note for an inhumanly long time) and it was spectacular. They played a medley of their well-knowns and not-so-well-knowns to a backdrop of captivating, trippy visuals — quite possibly some of the best visuals of the festival, or were we just exhausted and emotional? We'll never know. JAMES BLAKE James Blake's music was made for festivals, not necessarily for the headbangers or kids who just want to see Flume, but for everyone who was after some texture in the lineup. Blake packed out the amphitheatre and from behind a synth, delivered his brand of crisp, complex, emotional music. His live show was impeccably timed, building in rhythm and intensity before unloading goosebumps on the crowd with feels-heavy hits 'Limit to Your Love' and 'Retrograde'. [caption id="attachment_582304" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Kllo at the Tiny Dancer Stage[/caption] UP AND COMERS The SITG lineup always delivers some quality (and we mean quality) local talent. In fact, the pointy end of the lineup, usually housed at the Tiny Dancer stage, proved some of the most enjoyable surprises of the weekend. Melbourne cherubim Kllo destroyed the Tiny Dancer stage with their tight beats and clear vocals (their catchy AF single 'Bollide' sent shivers up collective spines). Brisbane boy and electronic muso Feki delivered a banging, dancey set, very different from his usual chill, and had the TD crowd frenetic at dusk on Sunday (check out his souped-up remix of James Blake's 'Retrograde' here). Melbourne producer Paces was joined by Guy Sebastian (can people stop robbing Shannon Noll of his due already?) to perform their Like A Version cover of LDRU's 'Keeping Score' (check out this vid of LDRU getting into it side of stage). While it's a disappointing to see only one woman and one female guest vocalist (Santigold and Avalanches guest vocalist Eliza Wolfgramm) in the first dozen acts on the lineup, the women who did make it absolutely nailed it. Big, official props to Melbourne's Sui Zhen and Banoffee, the OG babes Tegan and Sara, Courtney Barnett, Sampa the Great, Little May, Brisbane darling Emma Louise, Ngaiire, Kacy Hill, Lucy Cliché, Montaigne, Jess Kent, Wafia and all the other women grinding to make it in the music industry — you were splendid. Images: Luke Dalton.
Whatever your plans are for Thursday nights in March, you might want to scrap them because Art Month Sydney is back. The city will be pulsing with exhibitions, talks, tours, workshops and the return of Art Month Precinct Nights. If you're a first-timer, basically for every Thursday (and the last Friday) in March, a cluster of close-enough-to-walk-between galleries will throw their doors open late, so you can hop between exhibitions after-hours then finish up with an Art at Night Party. Think of it as an art adventure trail — with a bar waiting for you at the end. For Art at Night in Waterloo and Green Square on March 22, the increasingly rich arts precinct will host a collection of awesome exhibitions, including Present Exhibition at Darren Knight Gallery (showcasing exciting emerging artists working in Sydney without gallery representation) and the infamous Collectors' Space exhibition at MAY SPACE, where viewers get to have a sticky beak at works from the personal collection of artists, curators and cultural leaders (think Daniel Mudie Cunningham, Emma Price, Tony Albert and Abdul Abdullah) in a show exploring the relationship each collector has to both the works and the artists who created them. Other galleries involved include Home@735 Gallery, The Bearded Tit and Sullivan+Strumpf. And once you've had your fill of gallery hopping, end the night rubbing shoulders with movers and shakers at the opening of The Other Art Fair 2018 from 6pm. Art Month Sydney runs March 1-25, 2018. Find out more information and download a precinct map here. Photo: Artists Martin Claydon and Katrina Garcia, featured in The Other Art Fair Sydney 2018.
Fresh from freaking people out at Tasmania's Dark Mofo festival, the House of Mirrors arrives in Sydney to mess with our minds. Far from your average house of mirrors, this bad boy alters your perspective — literally and figuratively — by altering dimensions among thousands of optical illusions, and promises to baffle the brain. Take on this epic labyrinth and discover the true art in getting yourself out of a maze. The House of Mirrors will be open from 4.30-11pm each day. House of Mirrors is open from 4.30-11pm from January 6 to 29. This is one of 15 next-level events to see at Sydney Festival. Check out the whole list.
CBD foodies are in for a treat, with the imminent launch of Lotus Dining spinoff Papa Bo Min. Now open in Grosvenor Place, Lotus' little brother is a slightly more laidback affair, serving casual Chinese and cocktails. But as with its sibling, Papa's real drawcard is its eye-popping selection of desserts. Standout sweets at the 50-seat eatery include the macaron ice cream sandwich featuring lemongrass ice cream and burnt vanilla pineapple jelly, as well as an Asian-inspired lamington made from a flourless chocolate cake with black sesame, chocolate mousse and raspberry and hibiscus jam. They've also got a lime number with white beer mousse (which is shaped to look like an actual lime — similar to their passionfruit dessert at Barangaroo), and deep-fried mini ice cream cones in three different flavours. Chose from banana caramel, peanut butter chocolate, and passionfruit with salted vanilla marshmallow. Or, y'know, you could just get all three. Assuming you don't want to just gorge yourself on dessert, savoury dishes include BBQ duck with pancake and sweet and sour plum sauce, and vegetable san choy bao. "My take on san choy bao is made with zucchini, green apple, shiitake mushroom and water chestnut to create a lighter, healthier version of the popular dish," said Head Chef John Leong, who joins Papa Bo Min on the back of his tenure at Billy Kwong. On the beverage front, Papa Bo Min serves cocktails courtesy of cocktail artist Kate McGraw. A frozen rosé with orange blossom and rhubarb seems like an obvious choice for summer, although it'll be hard to say no to the Smokin' Coco made with coconut washed mescal, native flora, passionfruit and lavender bitters. Groups of four or more might also want to try one of Papa's cocktails to share. Kate's Hard Lemonade, for example, more than lives up to its name, blending gin, lemonade, lemon aspen, milk oolong and Prosecco. Papa Bo Min is the fourth restaurant to be added to Lotus' portfolio after their Mediterranean venture The Resident suddenly closed after just five months — they currently have Lotus outposts at The Galeries, Walsh Bay and Barangaroo. At Grosvenor Place they join Sake Restaurant's Sake Jr, who have also opened a casual spinoff for lunches and takeaway. Papa Bo Min is now open for lunch and dinner at Shop 3, Grosvenor Place, 225 George Street, Sydney. For more information, visit their website. Images: Alana Dimou. Updated: February 1, 2017.
He's hung out in Nevada brothels, suburban swingers' clubs and high-security gaols in Miami. Does Louis Theroux have what it takes to survive Q and As across Australia? We'll find out when the fearless filmmaker, journo and social commentator heads our way this September for a national speaking tour. In his first visit to the Great Southern Land, Theroux will be joining ABC's Julia Zemiro for big chats in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth. You'll be hearing all about how he's survived dens of iniquity all over the planet without losing his sanity or moral sense. He'll also be reminiscing about time spent with a nasty neo-Nazi gang in the United States and recounting his brief stint as a rap god on New Orleans radio. "For me, making my programs is quite a private process," Theroux said. "They are about forging a human connection with people whose lives are at the outermost edge of what we as people experience: the most forbidden impulses, the most frightening lifestyles, the most traumatic turns of events. To get inside the lives of those people — criminals, sex workers, people with mental illness, ultra-committed religious believers — is a kind of high-wire act." Theroux is looking forward to sharing the ins and outs of the filmmaking process with his listeners, while telling all the bizarre stories that didn't make the cuts. In between talking, he'll be screening footage from Weird Weekends, his famous series of one-off investigations and encounters with various celebrities and power brokers. When he and Zemiro are done, you'll have loads of time to ask questions of your own. "In his documentaries, Louis Theroux finds the extraordinary in the ordinary," says Zemiro. "Through patience, stillness and rigour, he reveals so much about human nature. I'm delighted to be hosting this tour and intend to pick up as many tips as possible in the art of interviewing." Image: Carsen Windhorst.
UPDATE, January 7, 2021: Lady Bird is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. As an actor, Greta Gerwig has mastered the portrayal of quarter-life malaise, with Frances Ha, Mistress America and Maggie's Plan on her resume to prove it. But though she might fit the part in her performances, you certainly couldn't accuse her of the same lack of direction in real life. Not only did she co-write Frances Ha and Mistress America with director Noah Baumbach, but she has now made history with Lady Bird, her five-time Oscar-nominated debut feature as a solo filmmaker. She's just the fifth woman ever to score a Best Director nod, and you just know her hapless yet charming array of on-screen alter egos would be proud. Hell, Frances Halliday would probably rank Gerwig among her idols. As impressive a list of plaudits as Lady Bird has amassed, they pale in comparison to the movie itself. While it can seem like high school coming-of-age films are more common than actual high schoolers, Gerwig gets everything right with her entry into the genre. Here, the minutiae matters, whether it's the sounds of Alanis Morissette's 'One Hand In My Pocket' playing on a car radio, or casually slinging the term "hella tight" into conversation. Specific yet always relatable, Gerwig stitches it all together like she's borrowing from shared memories. Swap in a song and slang phrase relevant to your own teen years, and she very well could be. Stepping through Christine 'Lady Bird' McPherson's 2002 senior year, Lady Bird demonstrates its strength, intelligence and realism from its very first line. "Do you think I look like I'm from Sacramento?" the teenager (Saoirse Ronan) asks her mother Marion (Laurie Metcalf), her recognisable desperation for a different life evident in every word. Like most folks so close to college, she wants to fly far away from her quiet patch of suburban California – to finally figure out who she is and start down a path of her own. "I wish I could live through something," she complains. The last thing she's interested in is exactly what she's facing for the next 12 months: more of what she's always known. Shot with a naturalistic glow and paced to mimic the urgency of just wanting adulthood to begin, every frame of the film feels familiar, even as the story dives into distinctive arenas, such as Catholic schooling and lower middle-class family life, as well as the struggles and class divisions that come with it. As Sacramento native Gerwig has described, "the more particular you make something, the more universal it becomes." Accordingly, though it's easy to pick where the narrative is headed, it proves authentic and lived-in rather than generic and derivative. Lady Bird chases vastly different boys (Manchester By the Sea's Lucas Hedges and Call Me By Your Name's Timothée Chalamet), auditions for school plays with her BFF (an excellent Beanie Feldstein), secretly applies to out-of-state universities, flits between groups of friends, and argues with her overworked mum. For all of the astute ways that Lady Bird captures what it's like to be a 17-year-old, it's the mother-daughter relationship that truly sits at the centre of the film. That's thanks not only to Gerwig's perceptive script and multi-layered characters, but also to Ronan and Metcalf's unaffected, emotionally complex performances. Take another of the movie's pivotal scenes as an example, with Lady Bird and Marion rifling through op shop clothes racks looking for an appropriate Thanksgiving dress. They bicker, ooze passive aggression, and actually fight about being passive aggressive — until they find the right frock, and the tension instantly dissipates. It's a scene that everyone watching has lived through in some shape or form, even if the precise details differ. Capturing the feeling of wanting to break free of your parents' control, while loving them all the same, it's a perfect encapsulation of this funny, heartfelt and wonderfully honest film. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzgTHyEv5Ng
Next week marks the beginning of Art Basel Hong Kong, one of the biggest art fairs in Asia. Painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, video and installation will all be on display, in an event designed to showcase the work of thousands of artists from all around the world. But the work of one man in particular appears to be in particularly good taste (geddit?). Uwe Opocensky, the German chef at the Michelin-starred Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, has put together a menu that blurs the line between food and art. The aptly named Art Menu at the Mandarin Grill + Bar begins with an entree inspired by the most iconic artwork of Englishman Damien Hirst. The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living features a 14-foot shark suspended in a tank of formaldehyde. Opocensky's version consists of a mackerel floating in horseradish-flavoured cucumber jelly. The main course is modelled after a box of paints, with different coloured purees including mashed sweet potato, brown truffles, black garlic paste and red peppers, as well as a slice of beef covered in edible flowers. And for dessert, an ice cream filled chocolate mountain on a bed of popping candy, inspired by the mountaineering photography of Chinese artist Xu Zhen. As with many things in the world of high art, Oponcensky's elaborate dinner doesn't come cheap: $HK1888 ($AU320) a head. Pretty pricey, especially when you won't have anything to show for it at the end of the night. "What we make has a very short life span," Opocensky said to Quartz. "It is very exciting though. I cannot draw to save my life, but I can put things on a plate, and I love that we can be associated with art as a movement" Via Quartz.
Each September, as the weather warms up and spring begins to truly blossom, music fiends head to Brisbane and spend some time in, well, dark rooms. Over a few days, the Queensland capital becomes the centre of the Australian music universe, with artists and industry practitioners doing what they do best — rocking out, discovering new talent, partying and discussing the future of Australian music. First appearing in 2002, BIGSOUND is a conference, festival and celebration of Australia's best musical talent. Each year, it takes over the inner city Fortitude Valley area, attracting 1300 delegates and more than 6000 music fans. The festival's previous lineups read like a dream: Flume, Rufus, Courtney Barnett, Megan Washington, The Temper Trap, A.B. Original, REMI and Gang of Youths have all graced its stages, while Nick Cave, Neil Finn, Kim Gordon, Billy Bragg and Amanda Palmer have shared their knowledge, experience and wisdom. The event itself isn't the only source of fun, however. At this time of year, the sun is shining, the vibe is buzzing and Brisbane is truly jumping. In fact, with a vibrant cultural scene and an array of delicious dining options on offer, it's the perfect time to discover just why Australia's third-largest city is one of the country's gems. Some Australian events (like this one) are worthy of a road trip, and aside from casual laziness and a little lack of inspiration, there's really nothing stopping you from squeezing BIGSOUND into your schedule. We've teamed up with Mazda3 to help you plan your out-of-the-city trips ahead of time, so you can detour from your regular routine and inject a little adventure into your life. Here's how to spend your days before, during and after your trip to Brisbane — where to stay, what to do, and what to eat and drink from September 5 to 8. [caption id="attachment_498758" align="alignnone" width="1127"] Limes Hotel Rooftop.[/caption] STAY Over the past decade, Brisbane has become a boutique hotel wonderland — the Fortitude Valley area in particular. If you have some cash to spare, the Emporium leads the pack with their rock star-like indulgence — think dark interiors, a rooftop pool and a killer view of the Valley. Still staying central, the nearby Limes Hotel remains a favourite for its plush rooms and rooftop bar, as well as its proximity to beloved local haunts like Alfredo's Pizzeria and Alfred and Constance. Looking for something a little bit different (or cheaper)? For the artistically inclined, TRYP Fortitude Valley wears its love of street art on its walls — once a warehouse, it's now an affordable option that's appealing to both the eyes and the wallet. Or, look to resident budget option, the Snooze Inn, to save as many pennies as possible for having fun rather than hitting the hay. It's cosy rather than fancy, and is located literally just down the road from the Valley — meaning you'll remain close to everything BIGSOUND, as well as neighbourhood arcade-game bar, Netherworld. [caption id="attachment_622127" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tkay Maizda at BIGSOUND.[/caption] DO This year at BIGSOUND, Aussie icons Archie Roach and Tina Arena will lead the speaker program, as well as Quentin Tarantino's regular music supervisor Mary Ramos, aka the woman responsible for all of those ace tunes on the Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown and Kill Bill soundtracks. As far as the band schedule is concerned, prepare to hop around faster than a rabbit on Easter, with every bar, space, nook and cranny around Fortitude Valley boasting a gig or party. The official program will include over 150 acts at more than 15 venues, and the unofficial parties — which have included backyard blowouts and ping pong showdowns in previous years — will likely double that number. When you're not experiencing sonic wonders, you should spend your time wandering around Australia's only designated special entertainment precinct, and venturing further afield. In the Valley, keep indulging your love of music with a record store crawl — starting at Foundry Records and ending at Tym's Guitars, where you can scope out a hefty range of instruments. And while you're strolling and perusing, drop by some of the many galleries in the area — Artisan, the Institute of Modern Art and Heiser Gallery are all worth a visit (keep your eyes peeled for street art as well). [caption id="attachment_622138" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Institute of Modern Art.[/caption] If spending time inside during BIGSOUND has you hankering for some fresh air, sneak a trip to New Farm Park. Enjoy a picnic by the river, laze around on the grass, or just go for a walk through one of the city's best nature-filled spots. You could also stop by the neighbouring Brisbane Powerhouse — more often than not, there'll be an event on that's worth checking out. If the itch to keep exploring hits, jump on a CityCat and see the sights from the river. Go one way, and you can continue soaking in parklands at Northshore Riverside Park. Go the other, and you'll cruise right through the city. Disembark for a walk through South Bank, and go for a dip in the free, beach-like pools, before moseying around the Gallery of Modern Art. [caption id="attachment_581014" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Gerard's Bistro.[/caption] EAT Spending four days listening to chatter about music is enough to work up an appetite. Thankfully, you're in the right spot. Heading down to Chinatown, which runs adjacent to the Brunswick Street Mall, is the best way to get the classic Fortitude Valley experience. You can easily pick a place at random, or opt for one of the mainstays. For Chinese and yum cha, that's King of Kings, and for Vietnamese, the appropriately-named The Vietnamese Restaurant will treat your tastebuds to an explosion of flavour. Try the salt and pepper quail, and thank us later. In the opposite direction, you'll find a few Brisbane faves. If you like burgers — and this is a burger town, believe us — then Ben's Burgers on Winn Lane will satisfy your cravings with their simple, delicious menu. Or, leap over the road to Bakery Lane, where newcomer Johnny's Pizzeria combines Italian staples with a disco theme, and I Heart Brownies will have you doing just that with their jaffa, salted caramel and cherry-coconut baked goods. Sticking with the area's laneways, wander down to New Farm and off James Street to Gerard's Bistro for a relaxed, award-winning sit-down lunch or dinner from Tuesday to Sunday. Expect a blend of modern Australian and Middle Eastern dishes, including the adventurous likes of lamb's tongue toast, the meaty goodness of slow-roasted wagyu brisket for two, and sheep's yoghurt sorbet with honeycomb, milk and orange blossom for dessert. [caption id="attachment_619623" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Newstead Brewing Co.[/caption] DRINK Think beer in Queensland, and everyone immediately thinks XXXX. Think breweries, though, and it's a trip to the inner north that's recently started topping booze-loving Brisbane visitors' wish lists. Newstead Brewing have spread their wings and opened a new Milton headquarters, but their original Doggett Street birthplace is always pouring something yeasty from their 12 taps. Green Beacon's multi-award-winning 3 Bolt Pale will ensure you know exactly where you are thanks to notes of fresh mango — and other fruits — in its fresh, golden ale. And a post-gig hang out over a few beverages in The Triffid's beer garden, owned by Powderfinger bassist John Collins, will do you well. Fans of spirits can get their fix at tequila bar Alquimia and whisky haven Nant, and if you like the bubbly stuff, even champagne gets its time to sparkle at Baedeker. As for every other bar in the area, you'll probably end up at most of them anyway, thanks to BIGSOUND's huge gig lineup. BIGSOUND 2017 takes place in various venues across Brisbane and Fortitude Valley from September 5 to 8. Personalise your next adventure via The Playmaker, driven by Mazda3.
There's something about food trucks that will never go out of style. It's quality food, but instead of being artfully plated up on ceramics, the chefs lean down and hand you your meal in a paper tray. Sydney-based Eat Art Truck was one of the first to really take off, with its American barbecue street food infused with fine dining and bright, colourful trucks that feature the work of local artists. Specialities on the menu are the eight-hour smoked pulled pork bun, the slow-roasted beef brisket bun and the crispy fried chicken bun. There are nachos, salads, fancier dishes like the kingfish entrée, and desserts like flourless chocolate cake. Once a month an artist will paint a piece on the side of the truck, and at the end of the month the piece is auctioned off for charity — so folks get a serving of culture along with their fries. To celebrate the launch of the KitchenAid Mini in Australia, we created a Mini Dinners video series, asking two of our favourite Australian chefs to throw a dinner party. Brenton Balicki, one of Eat Art Truck's founding chefs, cooked us up a feast. He has a fine dining background, having spent years working at the iconic Japanese restaurant Tetsuya before moving on to Quay. When Eat Art Truck owner Mo Moubayed came to Brenton with the idea for the truck, it sounded like a challenge, so he got on board. He likes the relaxed nature of the truck in contrast to the precision of fine dining. "Fine dining is something you have to put in your calendar," he says. "But at the truck you can get the same quality food and we can share that fine dining experience without needing the fine dining environment." Brenton's professional background instilled in him the importance of good produce, so when he cooks at home he regularly takes trips down to the Sydney Fish Markets, where Australia is lucky enough to have some of the best produce in the world. "It's difficult to come up with the right outcome without the correct equipment — that includes the right produce." For his dinner party, Brenton rode down to the Sydney Fish Markets and picked up some kingfish, fresh vegetables and beef from the nearby Vic's Meat Market. It's a one-stop shop. Playing to his strengths, Brenton decided to cook up some of his specialities. All three of these dishes have appeared in some form on the Eat Art Truck menu. For entrée, beetroot-cured hiramasa kingfish, served on a plate that was given to him by Tetsuya Wakuda for his 19th birthday. It's his favourite thing to cook with. "The name really says it all — it's the best fish you can get. It's farmed in South Australia on a strict diet and grown in cold water, which is what gives it a high fat content." For the main course, a classic Eat Art Truck burger. "Everyone claims their burger recipe is the best. That's because when you make it yourself you can decide exactly what goes in there, you have more control over the flavour that you like." For dessert, he kept it simple with a flourless, sugarless chocolate cake made with almond meal. It's an easy dessert that anyone can whip up. Take a few minutes and watch Brenton plate up his Eat Art Truck food — and get inspired, his recipes are coming soon. Watch our Mini Dinner with Liam O'Driscoll, head chef at Sydney's Big Poppa's. He cooked up three courses of the rustic Italian food his Oxford Street restaurant is famous for. Images: Samantha Hawker.
Aspiring artists and functioning alcoholics will both feel right at home, in this brand new BYO art studio in Surry Hills. Located on Holt Street around the corner from Central Station, Cork & Chroma is a 'paint and sip' studio that embraces one of life's universal truths: everyone is more creative when they've had a little bit to drink. Open evenings Wednesdays through Saturdays as well as Sunday afternoon, the studio is run by artist Hillary Wall along with her husband B.J. A visit costs $60 for a three hour session, during which time an artist will run you through the basics of acrylics on canvas, before you're let lose to create a masterpiece of your own. They also host private functions and parties, if you're looking to make a mess with your friends. You don't need to bring anything to our sessions, except your favourite bottle of wine to share with your mates while painting! We have everything you need for your creative night out, just pick your session and book online at corkandchroma.com.au 🎨🖌🍷✌️ #sydney #corkandchromasydney #surryhills #sydneylife #corkandchroma #creativesydney #sydneycreatives #whatsonsydney A photo posted by Cork & Chroma Sydney (@corkandchromasydney) on Apr 14, 2016 at 11:13pm PDT Canvas, paints, brushes, easels and glassware all come provided, while they also have a selection of nibbles for purchase, including cheese, chilli spiced nuts and Dello Mano chocolate brownies. All you need to bring is the liquid inspiration. Cork and Chroma is located at 55 Holt Street, Surry Hills. For more information visit www.corkandchroma.com.au.
Dance music: it's a damn boys club behind the decks. Forbes World’s Highest-Paid DJs of 2014 List? Unsurprisingly, 15/15 are dudes. When it comes to the Australian dance music industry, things aren't too different. Don't get us wrong, there's plenty of straight-up excellent lady talent out there amongst the bros — think Aussie powerhouses like Alison Wonderland, Nina Las Vegas, Anna Lunoe, Luen, Chiara Kickdrum, J'Nett, YO! MAFIA, Bad Ezzy et al. And the She Can DJ crew are doing great things. But from EDM to house, drum and bass to psy-trance, dance music is generally dominated by dudes. Just look at Zac Efron's new thingo. But there are some who'd see things change. Sydney's beloved community radio station and general bunch of legends FBi Radio have had enough of this lad-heavy industry and have teamed up with V's MoVement to launch a brand new initiative called Dance Class, a means to get more female talent behind the decks. "It's been well established that there is a gender imbalance when it comes to female representation in electronic music," says FBi's managing director Clare Holland. "We see an underrepresentation of women as DJs and producers and it reinforces the false idea that men are more qualified to do this. It means that a young female music lover may not even consider the option of making this a career. "For those who do, it doesn't stop here. A number of high profile artists who have achieved major international success (Grimes, Anna Lunoe, Bjork) have publicly opened up about how their abilities have been doubted or they have received highly gendered criticism. This is not by any means limited to dance music." Running through October and November, five bright young trainees will start workshops covering basic DJ skills, radio presenting, how to navigate the industry and more handy DJ tips. Trainees will be paired with an FBi mentor (Andy Garvey, Adi Toohey, Kali (Picnic) and more) and join them on air for a month. Then, they'll get the chance to spin at their debut live gig and put those new skills into practice. Don't have a DJ skill in the world? No worries at all, Dance Class is open for grassroots, square one beginners — no previous skills needed to apply, just a damn fine taste in new dance music and the drive to be one heck of a DJ. "This is about breaking down barriers to entry," says Holland. "We just want people with great taste and real passion. We'll give them a solid grounding in DJ skills as well as some business know-how and radio presenting. Beyond learning skills we also think it's important to give them connections in the industry which is why we've chosen some of our favourite female DJs to mentor them." Music industry, take note. "How we achieve more equal gender representation in the music industry is something we often discuss at FBi," says Holland. "Ultimately we feel that as programmers we have a responsibility to take positive action. This needs to happen across the board from radio stations to festivals, venues, labels and media." Applications are now open for FBi Radio's Dance Class. For information on how to apply, head over here. Applications close September 27. To celebrate the launch of FBi’s Dance Class, there will be a free, all-ages party at the station with Catlips on Thursday October 22 as part of MoVement Sydney. More details on how to RSVP will be announced soon. Images: Hoops (Goodgod Small Club), Alison Wonderland, Anna Lunoe (FBi Radio), YO! MAFIA.
Melbourne-based artist Adnate was just a kid when his obsession with graffiti took over. "I had my first tag when I was eight years old," he says. "So, it's something I've always been into." Since then, his obsession has grown into a full-time occupation. He spends his days on the road, painting mural after mural around Australia and overseas, and has become famous for his enormous, realistic portraits, which are influenced by the great Renaissance artists, like Caravaggio. Just outside Sydney's Chinese Gardens, on Harbour and Goulburn Streets, you'll find his epic impression of Jenny Munro, who founded Redfern's Aboriginal Tent Embassy. In partnership with Sonos, we visited Adnate's colourful North Melbourne studio to find out a little more about his work. Explore the multi-room space where he finds inspiration and gets in the zone by playing his music loud and clear. GRAFFITI, STREET ART, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? "Once I was a teenager and started visiting friend's houses, I saw the huge amount of amazing work being done on Melbourne's train lines, especially the Hurstbridge line. I discovered people like WCA [Wild Child Artists]," he said. Ten years of feverish graffiti art followed, until Adnate reached a point where "he wasn't feeling stimulated anymore". So, he thought he'd try his hand at portraiture. As it turned out, it wasn't as far removed from graffiti as you might think. "With lettering, you try and put a lot of expression, style and subconscious emotions into what you do. It wasn't too hard to transition to portraiture because, in some ways, it's easier to put expression into a face than into letters." In 2012, he painted his first Indigenous portrait in Fitzroy. And the public reaction was a "big turning point". "I wasn't sure about it, but as soon as I painted it, it created a massive dialogue," Adnate says. "I started seeing it on the Internet, people were coming down and taking photos, and it was creating excitement and pride in Indigenous communities in Victoria. It was then I realised I'd done something really powerful." ON PAINTING INDIGENOUS CULTURE RESPECTFULLY Today, you'll find Adnate's portraits as far afield as the Frog Hollow in the East Kimberley, Singapore and New York City. Among his subjects have been Adam Goodes and the 14th Dalai Lama. "Every year, I have more incredible experiences, make stronger connections and travel to more amazing places. Half the fun of my work is getting to meet the people I paint … It has been a really powerful journey and I feel very much inspired by it." Along the way, Adnate is learning more and more about Indigenous history and culture. "You don't learn much at school, so when I started out, I didn't have much knowledge … I met a cultural advisor in Melbourne, Kimba Thompson, and she quickly and strongly told me what was right and wrong … It's important to be culturally sensitive, follow protocols and be respectful to local communities. Many people think that Indigenous culture is very similar – from Melbourne to the Top End – but it's massively different. We're talking about a distance that's as far as from Spain to Germany." THE MUSIC THAT INSPIRES HIM Right now, Adnate is in Dubbo, working on a 15-metre by 8-metre high mural. Even though he works both outdoors and indoors, he has long favoured painting in the streets, with the sun on his back and music blaring in his ears. "I can't paint without music," he says. "It puts me in the zone — in a meditative state — and helps me block out everything else. My music tastes are very eclectic. I grew up listening to all forms of electronic music and hip hop." At the moment, he's listening to Kiasmos, a minimal, experimental techno duo based in Iceland. When he's at home in his studio, music is even more important. His Sonos speakers tune themselves to the environment of his spacious studio, so whether he's painting in his garage or sitting at his desk doing admin, the sound is loud and clear. He plays his music loudly for inspiration — it's integral to his artistic work. WHEN HE'S OUTSIDE THE STUDIO Adnate's next stop is Townsville and then Tahiti. Even though he occasionally misses having "his own space", having spent just three weeks in Melbourne since June, he is living the dream. He said, "It's always been a great dream of mine, to travel and paint." And for anyone who aspires to the same, here's his advice. "Don't stop. Keep painting. Everything's worth doing – whether you're painting a chicken for a chicken shop or graffiti letters for yourself. Everything teaches you something different. Nothing's not going to benefit you, as long as you have a pencil or paint brush in your hand … Eventually, it all starts making sense, though, at the same time, it doesn't always make sense to me. I'm still learning." Get studio-level sound in your home with multi-room speakers by Sonos. You can walk from one room to another and hear the same song in perfect quality. Powered by wifi, easy to tune, controlled by the Sonos app — in two steps you're ready to go. Images: Olga Rozenbajgier.
