Obliterating your eardrums by throwing mad shapes too close to the speakers at Listen Out is one thing. Wearing a subwoofer on your own personal wrist so you can feel that bass is another. One of these things is much better for your body, and it's being funded on Kickstarter as we speak. Because 2016, the world's first wearable subwoofer is seeking crowdfunding, claiming "sound is meant to be felt, not just heard." Created by a Berlin-based startup founded by Daniel Büttner and Gwydion ap Dafydd from Ableton and Native Instruments, The Basslet is a watch-like gadget that sits on your wrist and delivers the beats directly to your body, letting you "experience powerful bass — anywhere you go." Best bit? It's 100 percent silent to the rest of the world. Y'hear that, beats-hungry commuters? SILENT. Intending to block out every other sound from the world around you, The Basslet works with music, gaming and VR, connecting to your smartphone, laptop, console, VR headset — even with your old Walkman. It doesn't need an app and promises a powerful, wholly immersive sound experience beyond headphones — with the full bass spectrum (10-250 Hz). Rather than being just a mere force to eat up hectic Hud-Mo drops, The Basslet could have some serious potential for people who are deaf or have limited hearing. Sound isn't the only way to enjoy music. Check out The Basslet's Kickstarter page. Via Protein.
Michael Hutchence died here. Bill Clinton and George Bush Senior stayed here. Elton John played the lobby piano here. Now, one of Sydney's grandest hotels (with quite the rambunctious history) is still one of the city's glitziest spots. After dwindling into disrepair, the former Ritz Carlton swept away the cobwebs and reopened as the Intercontinental Sydney Double Bay on in November 2015. One of the most talked about bits of the hotel? Aside from the hotel's own dedicated gin bar, Stillery, it was that outrageous jaw-dropper of a rooftop pool. Boasting sweeping panoramic views over Sydney Harbour and Double Bay, The Rooftop poolside bar is open officially open to both hotel guests and visitors again this summer (after a winter guest-only period), welcoming a new season from Saturday, October 1. Think blue and white striped cabana lounges and plenty of ostentatious cocktails ready for your diamond-encrusted paws. Winter's officially done. Intercontinental Sydney Double Bay's The Rooftop is open to both hotel guests and the public from Saturday, October 1. You'll find it up top at 33 Cross Street, Double Bay, with hotel bookings available from here.
The 35th incarnation of Woodford Folk Festival — a temporary village of alternative lifestyle, music, art and performance — is finally happening this December and January. Over six days and six nights, more than 2,000 performers (and many, many more attendees) will bring this festival to life in the Sunshine Coast hinterland after a two-year pandemic-induced break. The festival will feature music from all over the globe including folk, rock, blues, First Nations performances as well as children's events, comedy, cabaret and talks on everything from social justice to science and innovation. You'll be able to wander through market stalls, encounter installation artworks and take part in workshops and activities at the Bushtime camping experience on Jinibara Country as you see out the year in with thousands of other festival goers. And that's all before the mammoth closing ceremony fire display on New Year's Eve that'll help you welcome in 2023. Keen to head along? The full Woodford Folk Festival program and tickets are yet to be released. For more information, visit the website. Images: Woodford Folk Festival via Flickr.
When you're on holiday, we think it's a rule that you can't leave the city without exploring the local pub scene. But often, there are so many pub options that the whole choosing-where-to-go thing can be a little overwhelming. What you need is a go-to guide that saves you a lot of research and tells you exactly where to go depending what mood you're in or what vibe you're after. Whether you're keen for a party, a chilled beverage in a beer garden, a good quality pub feed or a drink by the water, we've got you covered. We've partnered with Hahn Brewers and come up with a few failsafe options for you to visit. Never be lost for pub options in Perth again. FOR LIVE MUSIC: THE ROSEMOUNT, NORTH PERTH The affectionately-named 'Rosie' hosts national and international bands like Spoon, The Panics and Tiny Little Houses regularly in its live music room. It's the regular venue for album launches, karaoke nights and open-mic nights where undiscovered Perth talent can often make an appearance. If you're in Perth and looking to go to a gig, this is definitely the place to be. Sometimes there are food stalls and vintage markets out in the 'backyard', which consists of the 'deck' and the 'lawn'. Both spectacular spots to grab a beer to drink outside while checking out what's happening on the day. FOR THE VIEW: OCEAN BEACH HOTEL, COTTLESLOE The Ocean Beach Hotel, opposite Cottlesloe Beach, has everything — it serves coffee and breakfast from 7am, there's a sports bar, pool tables, a dining room, accommodation and most importantly, a huge, sunny rooftop with stunning views of the beach. Famous for its Sunday sessions and rooftop beer garden, it's the perfect spot to stop for a feed and a cold beer after a swim, or the perfect place to watch the sun go down over the ocean. [caption id="attachment_605929" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Image: The Local[/caption] FOR A FEED: THE LOCAL HOTEL, SOUTH FREMANTLE The Local Hotel in South Fremantle is one of Perth's stylish and recently renovated pubs. It's the perfect place to grab a slightly fancy pub feed, with a menu that accommodates almost every meal and appetite. There are simple cheese boards and starters, more substantial mains such as the sirloin steak, beef and veggie burgers and the grilled lamb loin. At the Local there's a public bar, a casual dining area and a whisky bar. There's also the Local Garage — a drive-through bottle shop that's been converted into a pop-up garden bar, open for breakfast on weekends and hosting food trucks in the afternoon. Should you need to stay the night, The Local also has beautiful boutique accomodation options. Each of the eight rooms are styled by local designers and offer their own light and airy features. FOR THE BEER GARDEN: THE NORFOLK, FREMANTLE Much loved by locals in Fremantle, The Norfolk is a failsafe option for a beverage in Perth. On the menu are all the pub classics like pizza, pasta, parmas and steaks, but the real highlight of the place is the two outdoor beer gardens. Leafy, half-sunny and half-shaded just like a good beer garden should be, the Norfolk is famous for its huge limestone walls. They make for a great, cosy atmosphere where you can sit back and watch some live music. [caption id="attachment_605945" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Image: Raffles Hotel[/caption] FOR THE WATER: RAFFLES HOTEL, APPLECROSS The Raffles Hotel is located in the riverside suburb of Applecross. It's worth the trip from Perth to the other side of the river, because Raffles has beautiful views and a relaxed atmosphere where you can grab a drink and chill out by the water. Gourmet pizzas are on the menu alongside upscale pub classics like burgers, parmas and big plates of fresh seafood and pork belly to share. Raffles has multiple levels of outdoor seating, which means it hosts quite a few summer parties. Fashion launches, dinners, New Year's parties and Australia Day gatherings by the water. That kind of thing. FOR A BIT OF HISTORY: THE WINDSOR, SOUTH PERTH The Windsor Hotel in South Perth is an institution in the area. It's that classic, huge, old pub that everyone knows and occasionally visits. There's a sports bar, a beer garden out the back, and DJs that play on the weekends as well as all the classic events like Melbourne Cup, Australia Day and New Year's. The old building is surrounded by a historic verandah — a great place to settle down with an afternoon beer and read about one of the city's oldest pubs. FOR THE GAME: THE VIC, SUBIACO If you're in Perth and there's a game on (whether it's football, NRL, AFL, tennis, golf or anything else really), the place to watch it is at The Vic in Subiaco, one of Perth's popular inner-west suburbs. This place is as classic as an old-school sports pub gets, with parmas, burgers and cheap pints of beer served up in the beer garden and multiple dining rooms alongside local live music and trivia nights. The Vic packs out especially on big AFL days. The projector screens are rolled out and the building is filled with sports fans and footy scarfs. FOR A PARTY: BOTANICA BAR AND BISTRO, INNALOO Botanica boasts 'the best Sunday Session in Perth'. It's a big call, but if you're a regular you'll know that this Innaloo pub throws a few parties, and they tend to go off. During the day (or when there's no special event on, like the Silent Disco pictured), the outdoor beer garden is packed with people enjoying the sunshine, a brew and a pub feed. At night (and on Sundays) the DJs come out to play. There's also a sports bar attached to the Botanica — the crowd can get rowdy (in a good way) when there's a big game on the screens. Sign up to Hahn Brewers and settle down with a drink this weekend.
Planning what you're going to have for lunch tomorrow is pretty difficult, let alone planning a spectacular evening with someone you'd like to get to know a whole lot better. When it comes to dating, the pressure is on to impress — you need to pick a great activity (in a great venue) that exactly matches the mood and stage of your relationship. It's a tough task. We wanted to take a little stress out of the ordeal, so we've teamed up with QT Sydney and Perrier-Jouët to provide you with a date idea for every night of the week. Whether you're a barfly, a cinephile, or you just love a healthy dose of culture, our picks have you covered whether you're on a first date or celebrating your first anniversary. MONDAY: FREE MOVIES AT SODA FACTORY Heads can be a little fuzzy on Mondays, and moods may not be great — you've just spent your whole day at work after enjoying two days of freedom, after all. Take the edge off with a relaxed activity and take in a film with a significant other at Soda Factory. Little did you know, on Monday nights the Surry Hills bar and diner screens classic movies — Back to the Future, Grease and Ferris Bueller's Day Off are among the titles on offer. Rather than rushing dinner and heading to your standard cinema, meet your date and shout them a $5 drink (available until 7pm), then impress them with your supreme knowledge of pop film culture at 8pm when the movie kicks off. TUESDAY: PUB TRIVIA AT YOUR LOCAL Trivia, a classic Tuesday night activity whether you're on a date or not, is a great place to take someone you're interested in because you can suss out how smart they are over a beverage. There are a plethora of bars in Sydney that take part — from the Dove and Olive in Surry Hills (hosted by comedian Nick Nolan), to cocktail bar Since I Left You in the CBD, to The Rose in Chippendale and The Forresters in Surry Hills. Most bars and pubs that host trivia also have drink specials on for the night. Trivia is also great for double dates and group dates, because everyone can get involved. WEDNESDAY: ART AFTER HOURS AT THE AGNSW Art galleries are great date material. If you're just getting to know someone you'll look cultured, and if you've already gotten to know someone, this could be when you both admit you have no idea how to act in an art gallery and enjoy a nice bonding moment. The Art Gallery of NSW has one of the best art collections in the country — with permanent impressionist displays and temporary exhibitions that promote talented artists from around the world (currently: Andy Warhol and John Olsen). On Wednesday night, it's open late, for free, so you can add a little extra culture to your week by checking out the film playing downstairs or the talk in the main hall. Art is a great conversation starter, so it's an ace place to take a date, whether art is your thing or not. THURSDAY: CHAMPAGNE AND OYSTERS AT THE GILT LOUNGE Thursday is almost the weekend, so there's no excuse for not splashing out on something a little more luxe on your date. Every Thursday night from now until the end of May, QT Sydney's opulent cocktail bar Gilt Lounge is rolling out a regular evening of bubbles, beats and treats, in collaboration with Perrier-Jouët. While some local DJs play, you can grab a bottle of NV Grand Brut champagne and spoil your date with four premium freshly-shucked oysters from the bar's in-house European brasserie, Gowing's Bar and Grill, for $99 until 10:30pm each week. The getting-to-know-you conversation will flow like the crisp champagne you're sipping on. FRIDAY: DIY BREWERY TOUR IN THE INNER WEST Sydney's inner west is packed to the brim with a variety of craft breweries, each one of them dishing out unique ales and luscious lagers. If beer is something you and your date can both get behind, take yourselves on a tour of the area and check out as many venues as you can. Around Newtown, the Young Henrys bar is open until 7pm, whereupon you can take yourselves off to Wayward, Grifter, Batch, or Willie the Boatman, all of whom stay open a little later on Friday nights. Suck back a fresh ale, and discuss the hops balance on a creative date with your significant other. SATURDAY: POOL, AND POTENTIALLY KARAOKE, AT GOROS While trying something fresh and new is always a great idea for a date, there's no shame in dipping your toe in the cliche pool — they're cliches for a reason, right? Sometimes, a good date comes down to drinking a well-made cocktail in a fun bar, with activities to fill in conversation gaps when you're feeling a touch awkward. Goros, on Mary St in Surry Hills, delivers on all these aspects, with an ace selection of Japanese-inspired cocktails, beers, and a sweet range of Japanese whiskies. On top of that, there are a couple of dimly-lit karaoke rooms, a pool table, some air hockey tables and some arcade games that are sure to get a healthy (but cute) dose of competition going. If you've been with your partner for a while, this is the place to let loose, have some drinks and get competitive. SUNDAY: LUNCH AT BACCOMATTO OSTERIA Dates are something we usually relegate to the evening, when there's an air of mystery and salacious curiosity. That doesn't mean, however, that dating during sunlight hours should be written off completely. With the symptoms of Mondayitis looming in the mind, Sunday is the perfect day to take someone special out for a really, really good lunch where you can enjoy a few glasses of wine. Baccomatto Osteria in Surry Hills is the perfect place — they serve classic Italian food and incredible wine in a beautiful space. At lunchtime on Sundays, they sweeten the deal by offering a pasta dish and a glass of wine for $20, which keeps the cost down but the flavour up. Almost every staff member is Italian, so there's an air of authenticity to the whole experience — it's kind of like a quick holiday on a date. QT Sydney's champagne and oysters special in partnership with Perrier-Jouët runs every Thursday until May 25.
When Vivid Sydney kicks off winter, the city instantly gets brighter. And, come Friday, May 27–Sunday, June 18, the popular event might just beam a little stronger than usual — returning for the first time since 2019. Vivid Sydney's 2022 lineup certainly boasts plenty of highlights — and more than 200 events in total. Sticking with all that eye-catching light, to begin with, there'll be more than 50 luminous installations dazzling the city, including two particularly spectacular attractions by the water. The first, Sydney Infinity by Oracle Liquid, is a water sculpture in Darling Harbour that'll feature 12 80-metre-high water shoots, plus a Sydney-inspired soundtrack by DJ Peewee Ferris. And the second, at Walsh Bay, will see a 100-metre floating Light Walk pop up for folks to mosey along. Vivid Sydney will also host First Light, a Welcome to Country celebrating the Gadigal people and Country on Friday, May 27. And, Our Connected City by Mandylights will literally shine new light on the city's landmarks via 150 searchlights, which will illuminate the CBD with ribbons of light from the Sydney Opera House all the way to the northern pylon of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. [caption id="attachment_851810" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dan Hong and Mike Eggert, Destination NSW[/caption] In something completely new for 2022, Vivid Sydney will throw its first-ever Vivid Sydney Dinner, taking place at Merivale's Ivy Ballroom and hosted by Justine Clarke. The lineup spans Ken Done, Julia Baird, the Vivid Sydney Brass Band, James Morrison, Ngaiire, Virginia Gay and Kate Monroe, plus food by chefs Dan Hong and Mike Eggert. On the talks part of the program, American filmmaker Aaron Sorkin is headed to Sydney to discuss the intersection of politics and drama, as seen so often in his work. Also among the big names getting chatty: musician, artist and actor Troye Sivan, who'll talk with Lillian Ahenkan (AKA Flex Mami); and US journalist Gretchen Carlson — one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People (2017) — who successfully sued Fox founder and CEO Roger Ailes for sexual harassment and has since worked tirelessly to change legislation that silences the victims of sexual harassment. Meanwhile, Vivid Ideas Up Late will pop up at the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Australian Museum, the Powerhouse Museum and the National Maritime Museum, hosting free nights filled with talks, performances, fashion, music and food. Music-wise, Vivid Sydney is no slouch, either. For starters, Vivid Live at Sydney Opera House will feature Paul Kelly, Thelma Plum and Ash Naylor during a gig dubbed Time And Tide: Four Decades of Song; Sampa The Great's new show An Afro Future; and Berlin-based piano star Nils Frahm performing Music for Sydney. Over at the Carriageworks precinct, the all-female Japanese rock band Chai will be hitting the stage, as will Estonian rapper Tommy Cash. Baxter Dury is bringing a splash of London disco to the CBD, and rock 'n' roll meets psychedelia at Spiritualized's taking over Luna Park's Big Top. Vivid Sydney 2022 will run from Friday, May 27–Sunday, June 18. For further information and tickets, head to the event's website. Top images: Yarrkalpa — Hunting Ground (2021), by the Martu Artists and Curiious with soundtrack by Electric Fields and Martu Artists (inspired by Yarrkalpa — Always Walking Country, 2014), Destination NSW (first image); For Sydney With Love, by Ken Done on Customs House, Spinifex Group (fourth image); Future Natives, by Chris Daniel, Destination NSW (fifth image); Convergence, by Mandylights, Destination NSW (sixth image).
In its inaugural year, brand new Sydney festival Volumes enjoyed the kind of success that debut events long for, but is seldom achieved. As a multi-venue festival taking over several Oxford Street spaces, it was touted (by us, hello) as a mini South by Southwest-style festival featuring some of Australia's premier artists, bands, DJs and, importantly, live music venues. And thank the merciful gods, Volumes is coming back in 2016 to kick off festival season. This years' lineup is a whizzbanger, with reams of artists set to take over Oxford Art Factory, Brighton Up Bar, The Cliff Dive and The Burdekin over August 26 and 27. The first day, Friday, August 26, is a wee bit more dancey with BV, Dro Carey, Charles Murdoch, Rainbow Chan, Alba, Silent Jay x Jace XL, HTMLflowers, DEER, Milwaukee Banks, 30/70, Christopher Port, Lupa J, Jaysways, Body Promise, Sidechains DJs, Melty, Spirals and Godriguez. The second day, Saturday, August 27, is jam packed with quality: Nicholas Allbrook, Slum Sociable, Fishing, Mall Grab, Donny Benet, Mossy, Rolling Blackouts CF, You Beauty, Cliques, Marcus Whale, Habits, Zero Percent, Good Boy, Orb, Unity Floors, Terrible Truths, The Harpoons, Hubert Clarke Jr, Null, Babicka, Leo James, Scott and Charlene's Wedding, Darts, Summer Flake, Angie, Scraps, 100%, California Girls, Good Morning, Solid Effort, Us The Band, Xanga, Nite Fleit, Andy Garvey, Adi Toohey and Playful Sound. We'll also be graced the curatorial talents of a horde of DJs from I OH YOU, Strange Yonder, Thump, Noisey, Rice Is Nice and Bedroom Suck. Early bird tickets are on sale now, and at $69.90 +BF for a two day pass, it's the best value for money festival out. Grab em' here and get excited – summer is looking fine. Volumes returns to Sydney over August 26 and 27 at venues around Oxford Street. More details and tickets on the Volumes website. Image: Sam Brumby/Volumes.
Brunswick Street Mall boasts a plethora of bars, markets on weekends and a once-a-year festival, but it doesn't have a permanent indoor space where thousands of people can watch a band or show. Come mid-2019, that will change, with the folks behind The Tivoli, The Triffid and Splendour in the Grass teaming up to build a brand new live entertainment venue. 312 Brunswick Street is the address that'll be undergoing quite the revamp, in what'll be a massive $40 million project bound to change both Fortitude Valley's and Brisbane's live music scenes. The 2500-square-metre site next door to McWhirters will be repurposed to become a mid-sized venue for concerts, events and productions, with a capacity of 3300. By comparison, The Tivoli holds 1500 and The Triffid only 800. In addition to theatre and functions facilities, the space — which was first built as a Coles in 1957 and most recently known as The Optus Centre — will include retail stores, restaurants, cafes and bars. Inside, the live venue will be designed by the same acoustic and service team responsible for The Triffid. Outside, the exterior will feature a modernised '50s-style exterior that nods to the place's history. Given the city's lack of comparable places since Festival Hall was turned into apartments over a decade ago, there's certainly room for it — and if anyone would know Brissie's needs in this area, it'd be Scott Hutchinson of Hutchinson Builders, who helped rescue The Tivoli when it was slated to become units; former Powderfinger bassist John Collins; and Paul Piticco from Secret Sounds, the group behind Splendour in the Grass, Falls Festival and more. Together, they own and operate The Triffid at Newstead — so they've all already played a part in adding a new live music venue and hangout to Brissie's cultural scene. "We've learned a lot since the early days of The Triffid," explains Collins. "I guess our hunch about the potential growth of the live music scene back then has paid off in spades… I think that venues created for music by musicians add something extra to the whole experience for both audiences and performers." Image: The Triffid.
Giving two cents to your younger, wide-eyed, keen-for-life-lessons self is a luxury only those with Time Turners or Deloreans can afford. So the next best thing is asking those (a little) older and (a lot) wiser for their mad tips on how to be a bonafide boss. From directing one of Australia's best festivals to producing next-level electronica, from shooting Arcade Fire to handpicking and delivering the best music in Australia and the world right to your eardrums, these five Aussie folks have already kicked major goals in their respective creative industries. So we tugged their ears, made 'em give up the goods and lay some sweet advice on us. Disclaimer: This editor knows these five humans and is lucky to, hence why they dished out such excellent advice. [caption id="attachment_564974" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Image: Tim Da Rin.[/caption] CLARE DOWNES, SECRET GARDEN FESTIVAL DIRECTOR Some people plod on through this little ol' life of ours settling for mundane thrills and spills. But folks like Clare Downes, festival director for NSW's Secret Garden Festival, are different. They've managed to find some unfathomable way to create a career out of unpretentious, unbridled, balls-to-the-wall fun. Founding Secret Garden and running it for eight glorious years on her family's property just outside Sydney, Clare's successfully created a made-by-mates-for-mates event that gets bigger — but not a skerrick less genuine — every year. Did you go to uni/TAFE? If you did, what did you study? I did. I went to uni and studied communications journalism. What's the most random job you've had? I helped organise an elephant polo tournament in Sri Lanka. What are your top three tunes for getting shit done? I can't listen to music when I really, really need to focus. I put on my noise cancelling headphones and don't come up for air for hours. If you weren't doing what you're doing now, what'd be your alter ego job? Unicorn wrangler counts. Ha. I would love to advise on sustainable tourism, particularly in Asia. I might still do that ya know? I have many more years of living to go I hope. What advice would you give your 21-year-old-self? You're here for a good time, not a long time. So don't let fear drive any decision. Grit and kindness goes a long way in the workforce. So don't worry so much if you're not the top of the class. Don't feel like you have to wear heels, just 'cause everyone else is. RICH LUCANO, PHONDUPE Bit of a night owl with a love for crisp, atmospheric, hip hop-infused, Nicholas Jaar-meets-TV on the Radio-like electronica? You're in good company with Rich Lucano. NYC and Sydney-based, Rich is one half of Phondupe with Nathan Chan. The pair produce pretty damn unpindownable beats — check out the duo's Greenhouse EP and The Ecstasy Of single series to know what we're talking about. What's the most random job you've had? One time... I was hired to dress up in a penguin costume and cruise around the city in a hummer with four fellow penguins, cranking hip hop and drawing attention by any means possible. What are your top three tunes for getting shit done? Right now... Al Dobson Jr — 'Malful (Nebetia)' Alex Seidel — 'Quinn' OKE — 'Sundews' But I'm a big believer in a good disco breakfast. If you weren't doing what you're doing now, what'd be your alter ego job? I'd be a pizza chef that yelled at anyone who asked for a chicken topping. What advice would you give your 21-year-old-self? - Quit your band and pick up a drum machine - Learn how to DJ asap. - If you have an empty wallet and a bunch of ticket stubs, you're doing the right thing. - Listen to as much international radio as you can. - This fluoro phase will be over soon, don't worry. - Please stop wearing Rabens. Your poor feet. - Get a photo of you shaking Kanye's hand. No one will ever believe that happened. - Buy some bitcoins. - Eat more pizza. - You don't know shit but everything's going to be great. [caption id="attachment_564976" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Image: FBi Radio.[/caption] STEPHEN GOODHEW, FBi RADIO MUSIC DIRECTOR Looking for new music? How about the best new tunes out there? How about the best new Australian music? Stephen Goodhew knows his shit, ask him for tips. Go on. FBi Radio's insanely knowledgable music director steers the beloved Sydney radio station and its listeners toward damn good tunes every day — 50 percent Australian music, half of that coming from Sydney. Epic job. You can listen to Stephen present 'The Playlist' every week. Did you go to uni/TAFE? If you did, what did you study? Yeah, I went to uni, but it was done pretty half-assed. I did a three year degree over six years, just doing one or two subjects a semester. The reason being was so that I could focus on extracurricular activities (i.e my band), which was great, but also meant that I came away feeling pretty 'meh' about the whole uni experience. I studied a Bachelor of Media at Macquarie University, but here's the thing; you don't actually need a degree to do a lot of jobs in media. Don't get me wrong, it certainly helps to have on your resume, but most people I know who land jobs do so based on their work experience. I would definitely recommend doing as many internships/volunteer positions as you can while you're studying, even if it means your degree takes a little longer. What are your top three tunes for getting shit done? Deafheaven — 'Dream House': Straight up, I challenge you to listen to this song and not feel compelled to run up a mountain or swim Bass Strait. If you're looking for something of a productivity sprint, this is the song. Steve Reich — 'Music for 18 Musicians': This is the track for the medium pace long-haul. It has this wonderful hypnotic quality about it that I find helps me focus, while it's constant momentum keeps me pushing forward. The fact that it's 61 minutes in length also helps set something of a time-goal as well. Todd Terje — 'Delorean Dynamite': Whenever this song plays all I can think is that I'm creating a real life '80s style montage of inspiration and by god I better not mess it up. Great motivator. A+. What's the most random job you've had? I've never done anything super random like helping rhinos breed for the sake of conservation, but I did used to work in a tea store for a number of years, which was a slightly weird segue into alternative radio, but there you go. If you weren't doing what you're doing now, what'd be your alter ego job? I'm fascinated by people and their motivations. Chances are if we've ever had a conversation that's lasted longer than five minutes, I've probably tried to work out your Myers-Briggs personality type. So with that in mind, I'd probably say, psychologist. I guess that's probably not quite as exciting as I'd like it to sound, but it sure beats a hard day in the field helping endangered herbivores procreate. What advice would you give your 21-year-old-self? People are generally more worried about what you think of them than the other way around. Act with a quiet confidence, don't be afraid to put yourself out there and you'll be amazed at the opportunities that come your way. BRIDIE CONNELLAN, UNIVERSAL MUSIC MARKETING DIRECTOR If you've listened to Kendrick Lamar, Dr Dre, The Weeknd, Lorde, Disclosure, Jarryd James or The Preatures, chances are Bridie's had a hand in your Spotify playlist. Universal Music's Marketing Director switched course from journalism and writing for Rolling Stone, kicking goals for Sydney's TITLE store as Creative Director before moving to Universal and invading Sydney with Disclosure face paste-ups citywide. Did you go to uni/TAFE? If you did, what did you study? The brain the brain the centre of the chain. I studied a Bachelor of Arts (Media & Communications) at the University Of Sydney — biggest bunch of badasses all trying to out-do each other on cultural capital and debating Bourdieu's relevance. Occasionally we learnt things about 'the media' but mostly we drank wine and stayed in the media lab until 4am wrestling with Final Cut Pro. But seriously it was the realest. Four huge years of digging into the theoretical side make everything I do now have so much more cultural relevance to me, and I made some of the best friends of my life there. Go study kids. What are your top three tunes for getting shit done? R.L. Grime — 'Scylla': 'Cause you feel heaps good saving the world. Kanye West — 'Black Skinhead': I keep it 300, like the Romans. Gang of Youth — 'Magnolia': Play it LOUD, and imagine your mates cheering you on. What's the most random job you've had? I was Khloe Kardashian's 'Talent Escort' for the MTV Music Awards. Yeah I'm not gonna explain that further. If you weren't doing what you're doing now, what'd be your alter ego job? I'm a sucker for existential theory and questioning the shit out of everything so I'd be a white-haired monochrome-wardrobed philosophy academic probably halfway through my next book on the flaws of Descartes which will probably remain unfinished. Because #being. What advice would you give your 21-year-old-self? Stop wearing that Franz Ferdinand t-shirt, they're not very good. [caption id="attachment_564979" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Image: Hazal Alkic.[/caption] YAYA STEMPLER, PHOTOGRAPHER AND FBi RADIO PRESENTER If you've seen an impossibly epic photograph of [insert musician here] and [insert Australian music event here], it's likely Yaya Stempler snapped it. The Israel-raised, Sydney-based photographer shoots some of Australia's best music photography — she's responsible for making the likes of Blur, Arcade Fire, D'Angelo, Tame Impala, Childish Gambino, deadmau5, Phoenix and more look damn good. Keen to chat about the tunes as well as shoot them, Yaya's also a presenter on Sydney's FBi Radio. Did you go to uni/TAFE? If you did, what did you study? I studied screen media and broadcasting at St Leonard's TAFE and a fine art degree majoring in photomedia at COFA. What are your top three tunes for getting shit done? David Bowie — 'Suffragette City' Santigold — 'L.E.S Artistes' Clams Casino — 'Treetop' What's the most random job you've had? I was a fire juggler once in Mexico. If you weren't doing what you're doing now, what'd be your alter ego job? Definitely an orangutan whisperer. What advice would you give your 21-year-old-self? Don't doubt your abilities, trust your instincts, think before you speak and drink lots of water. Top image: Tim Da Rin.
There's no way the newly revamped Imperial Hotel was going to celebrate its first New Year's without some serious fireworks. And indeed, the ever-vibrant and proudly LGBTQIA+-friendly pub is wrapping up 2018 with a bang, hosting a huge NYE fiesta for party people of all persuasions over its three levels. From midday on December 31, the super keen can get things rolling up on the Imperial Up rooftop, where the prosecco and pizzas will be flowing hard and fast all afternoon. Then, the pub's dynamic 'drag and dine' destination Priscilla's will be dishing up the ultimate New Year's food situation, with a complimentary glass of bubbly for anyone indulging in one of the kitchen's feasting menus. Best to make a booking ASAP if you want a table. And from 9pm, you'll need a ticket as the official party NYE Thing fires up. A diverse and jam-packed lineup of live tunes is planned, as hosted by legendary duo ETC ETC and Jojo Zaho. Expect to ring in the new year with help from some of the city's top queer talent, including The Magda Szubanskis, Cunningpants, Smithers, Nipslip, The Shady Ladies, Maple Behaviour and more.
If you live Camperdown, you may have noticed the stunning and speedy transformation of the suburb's dilapidated bowling club to a full blown urban farm. The space, now donned Camperdown Commons, consists of Pocket City Farms and Acre Eatery, which, with help from the Camperdown Project, turned the neglected space into a site for fresh organic produce and a farm-to-table restaurant to boot. The produce from the farm, headed by permaculturist Michael Zagoridis, will be used for the Acre menu, with enough for the community as well. Community is a major part of the PCF system — they will continue to host volunteer days, along with farm tours, slow-living workshops and a school education program. They're even starting yoga and meditation classes next week. The sustainable message doesn't just exist on the green, either, but reverberates in the restaurant. Acre is a gorgeous 350-seater, with beautiful wooden tables and Hamptons-style white chairs and booths. And while PCF hasn't yet had its first major harvest, fresh salad greens and edible flowers are already represented on the Acre menu. They're growing all seasonal produce, which, by necessity, makes the menu a truly seasonal one as well. "It's easy to say you're seasonal but we really need to follow it because people can see what's growing," says head chef Gareth Howard. "It keeps us pretty honest." Howard's background at Jamie's Italian in the UK paved the way for his interest and advocacy of farm-to-table. "The concept of Acre fit perfectly with my background, but this is on a whole new level to have [a farm] literally on your doorstep." They're going local and ethical on their protein as well, exclusively partnering with Vic's Meat Market, which guarantees full traceability of all of their meat. The menu uses some secondary cuts, like the beef cheek with oxtail and parsnip ($29) and the wagyu rump cap with garden béarnaise and pickled mushrooms ($34). Despite the delicious sounding meat, the team's favourite dish is actually the Acre garden salad ($14) – a hearty dish of winter vegetables, grains and hummus. "I know it's pretty rare for a chef to choose a salad as their favourite dish," says Howard. But co-owner Luke Heard, consultant for The Greens in North Sydney, and PCK General Manager, Emma Bowen, both agree. Both PCF and Acre are already partnering with locals as well, including using the spent grain from Young Henrys for compost — YH will also be represented on the beer taps, as well Camperdown locals Wayward Brewing. Though the restaurant has officially opened as of Monday, next week's PCF harvest will be the true test of how well this combo works – and we can only imagine how delicious that realisation will be. Find Camperdown Commons at 31A Mallet Street, Camperdown. Acre eatery is open Wednesday to Thursday from 12pm to 3pm and 5pm to 10pm and Friday to Sunday from 8am to 3pm and 5pm to 10pm.
Since opening in 2015, Precinct 75 in St Peters has become a mecca for Sydney creatives, offering various food outlets, design showrooms, monthly markets and even its own micro-brewery. Now, the precinct is playing host to a huge design-focused pop-up. From April 20-22, an immense array of businesses will hold stalls to show off their wares within Precinct 75. Popular brands such as eyewear label Bailey Nelson, luxury leather purveyors The Horse and Byron Bay Hanging Chairs will be there, alongside smaller scale companies like Turkish textile makers Atolyia and printing studio Quercus & Co. With a focus on handmade and one-off pieces, the pop-up is the perfect opportunity to purchase a thoughtful gift for a friend, or treat yourself to some unique accessories and homewares. Saturday's pop-up will coincide with Precinct 75's monthly community markets, so you can kill two birds with one stone and dedicate a whole day to designer goodies, delightful vintage clothing, antiques and artisanal wares. Precinct 75 Design Pop-Up will take place on Thursday, April 20 from 2pm - 8pm, Friday, April 20 from 10am - 6pm and Saturday, April 21 from 9am - 3pm.
Some artwork is just too spectacular to be limited to a canvas — not only to be seen, but truly experienced. Imagine walking through a Van Gogh masterpiece — Sydneysiders, you'll be able to very soon. In case you missed its previous two (very successful) runs, the globally touring multi-sensory experience Van Gogh Alive is coming back to Sydney from Thursday, December 8 until late February, 2023. After gracing the eyeballs of more than eight-million guests in 80 cities worldwide, the exhibition will be making its home in the The Entertainment Quarter's Grand Pavilion. Via 40 HD projectors, drifting fragrances and cinema-quality speakers, a visit will see you fully immersed in the colours, techniques and detail that immortalised Van Gogh in the art world. The massive 70-metre x 25-metre marquee will also boast a themed bar and cafe space to extend that immersion to your tastebuds. Walk through a multi-screen projection of Starry Night, touch real (fake) sunflowers instead of ogling painted ones in the Sunflower infinity room, and keep your eyes peeled for information on brand new spaces and experiences coming to this year's run. Kids and adults alike can appreciate the unique perspectives on the artist's inspirations via photos and videos alongside the staggering gallery. All of this come from Grande Experiences, a Melbourne-based group that owns and operates galleries and experiences as breathtaking as this one in over 150 different cities worldwide. Van Gogh Alive hits The Entertainment Quarter from Thursday, December 8 until Sunday, February 12, 2023, but could be extended later into February. For more information and to nab your tickets, visit the website.
It's one of the city's best-known landmarks, so when the Sydney Opera House illuminates its sails, it stands out. You've seen the venue lit up for Vivid, to launch Mardi Gras and to support bushfire relief — and, as part of Badu Gili, the nightly showcase of First Nations artworks that was first launched in 2017. While the harbourside spot hasn't been decking out its sails with projections every night of late, that's changing from Friday, April 23, which is when a new Badu Gili series will start gracing the Opera House's exterior each evening. This time around, it's called Badu Gili: Wonder Women, and focuses on the work and stories of six female First Nations artists. Curated by Coby Edgar, the Art Gallery of New South Wales' Curator of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art, Badu Gili: Wonder Women marks a creative collaboration between the Opera House and AGNSW to mark the latter's 150th anniversary. As the sun sets each day, the Opera House's eastern Bennelong sail will be illuminated with a projection of a vibrant six-minute animation, all depicting artworks from the AGNSW's collection. The animation will repeat three more times each night — approximately every hour, but the timing changes every evening depending on the season and whatever might be on at the Opera House's Forecourt. Badu Gili also ran in 2018; however, for its third go-around in 2021, it'll display its first all-female lineup. Sydneysiders will be able to peer up at work from Wathaurung elder Marlene Gilson, Yankunytjatjara woman Kaylene Whiskey and Luritja woman Sally Mulda, which'll feature alongside pieces by Western Arrernte women Judith Inkamala and Marlene Rubuntja, and the late Kamilaroi woman Elaine Russell. While you're looking up, you'll be taking in' pieces inspired by the artists' life stories and shared histories, which includes the Eureka Stockade and mission days, 2019-20's bushfires, an imagined world of superheroes, family encounters and ordinary life in First Nations communities. [caption id="attachment_803486" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Anna Kucera[/caption] The visual component of Badu Gili — which translates to 'water light' in the language of the site's traditional owners, the Gadigal people — will also be accompanied by a return of Badu Gili Live. The free outdoor music series will run throughout April, May and June, with further details yet to be announced. Badu Gili: Wonder Women will light up the Sydney Opera House's sails every night from Friday, April 23. Top image: render of Kaylene Whiskey's 'Dolly visits Indulkan' as part of Badu Gili: Wonder Women. Courtesy of Sydney Opera House.
Sydney dessert monarch Katherine Sabbath has teamed up with Waterloo cafe Devon on Danks for the ultimate Halloween treat. On Saturday, October 31, the high school teacher turned Instagram celeb will unveil her new dish on the Devon all-day menu: a dessert/brunch mashup with a terrifying twist. Because let's face it. We may act as though Halloween is all about ghosts and monsters. But the real appeal of the holiday has always been the sweets. Available for one month only, Sabbath's Frankenstein creation features spiced pumpkin bread, coconut foam and a pumpkin custard egg, a purple 'witch ball' of taro ice cream, and an anthill of speculus crumble and edible ants, as well as splatters of raspberry blood and green pandan slime. It's selling for $18 and will be worth every Instagram like you get. Customers will also get the chance to meet Sabbath and pick her brain at the dishes launch on Halloween day between 8am and 3pm.
If your midichlorian levels have been freaking out this week after the release of the poster and trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, hold on to your nearest wookie. Sydney's IMAX cinema, towering over Darling Harbour, will have Australia's only 2D 1570 IMAX film print (one of only 20 in the world) of the highly-anticipated Star Wars film. Director J.J. Abrams used IMAX cameras to shoot selected scenes in the new Star Wars film, so you'll want to see it on the screen it's meant for. And casually, IMAX Darling Harbour has the biggest cinema screen in the world, so if you're after X-wing/TIE fighter battles up in every corner of your nerdy, nerdy grill, this is how. IMAX Melbourne will be showing the film in IMAX 4K laser digital, but Sydney's the only one with the IMAX film print. Great, but don't get cocky. Tickets for Star Wars: The Force Awakens at IMAX Darling Harbour are on sale right now from the IMAX website — and they'll go faster than a working Millennium Falcon hyperdrive. The first session will screen at midnight on December 17 and is already sold out. Following sessions will screen every three hours across the next 24 hours. So get on it. Do get tickets. Try not. Do or do not. There is no try. Until then, join us in losing our collective sith over this new trailer:
They've made fireworks you can eat, cooked T-bone steaks with lava and served bespoke cocktails tailor made to match your DNA. But this past week in London, culinary wizards Sam Bompas and Harry Parr may have outdone themselves yet again. Hosted in a converted warehouse in partnership with deals website bespokeoffers.co.uk, The 200 Club can claim the title of the world's longest tasting menu, featuring 200 different dishes over 24 non-stop hours of service. Eight chefs toiled away in the kitchen creating the tasting plates, which ranged from truffle bubbles to coffee-compressed watermelon. A two hour sitting cost between £49 and £99 depending on the time of day, or you could attempt the entire gastronomic marathon for £2,000 per couple. Only four people have the stomach for the latter option, but we have to imagine they were happy with their decision. Of course it wouldn't be a Bompas & Parr affair without a little additional visual theatre. As such, each sitting was differentiated by the colour of the food, a move inspired by the monochromatic feasts of Emperor Nero. Check out the menu, as well as some photographic highlights, below. 200 CLUB MENU Yellow Breakfast: A morning repast that zings with citrus, caffeine and craft. This culinary explosion will hybridise flavours of the East and West in a high-energy, high-end display of homely food love. White Elevenses: A British tradition bejewelled in surreal sparkle. Expect custards, shortbread, quiches, clouds of confection sugar and a dreamy sweet vision of the classic treats. Green Lunch: This meal will be a rustic yet refined version of the garden snacking of yore. Look forward to leafy eating including the freshest greens, meats and cheeses, plus a procession of fluorescent jellies. Blue Afternoon Snack: A powerhouse of flavour for the lazy hours of the day. Taste an otherworldly array of vibrant and dusty turquoises in the form of naturally tinted roots and skilfully prepared fish. Purple Five O’Clock Tiffin: Rooted in the wild and rich darkness of summer, enjoy ingredients such as wild game and dark summer fruits. Dishes will speak to simple food traditions reinterpreted with modern culinary craft. Pink Dinner: Forget “trendy” food items like burgers or hot dogs. Your table will be buzzing with eye-popping fuchsia, cured meats, and smouldering wood smoke. Red Party Time: A sultry explosion of party vibes and hot weather flavours. You’ll see Australian and Asian influences, balancing classic spice and tropical tangs with modern style. Orange Drunchies: The extension of a great night out. Expect contradicting textures, bleeding edge techniques, and lashings of moreishness to tantalise the palate. Brown Blackout: Indulge in a meal of carnal urges – sweet, hot and savoury dishes. The chef will keep you on your toes with coffee, chocolate, black garlic, squid ink, soy sauce, and liquorice. Multicolour Final Countdown: A communal carousal of globally-inspired festival food. Mark the culmination of The 200 Club with a multinational flavour and colour explosion, using vibrant colours with grand presentations. Images by Adam Laycock via Bespoke Offers.
If you're going to truly get to know a suburb, ask a local. Bondi's full of proud neighbours, from top restaurateur Maurice Terzini to music duo Angus Mcdonald and Connie Mitchell of Sneaky Sound System, to life saving hero and Bondi Rescue star Bruce 'Hoppo' Hopkins. Hoppo is a bonafide Bondi local, having spent 25 years as a lifeguard in the beachside suburb. He knows the difference between a tourist trap eatery and damn good brunch destination — so it makes sense he's been appointed as an experience curator and partner at QT Bondi (Bondi's newest local). We asked Hoppo to hand over his go-to spots in Sydney's most famous beachside suburb. Write 'em down for next time you're beachbound. CHAPTER ONE "I like to start the day with the Bronte to Bondi coastal walk and watch the sunrise at the beach followed by brekkie at Chapter One on Campbell Parade. It's the locals choice for coffee and I recommend the old school boiled eggs and soldiers." ICEBERGS "Bondi is a hub of activity in the mornings with many taking to Icebergs pool for an early morning swim, a run on the beach or hitting the ocean for a surf." THE BUCKET LIST "For afternoon drinks you can't go past The Bucket List, a great way to watch the sunset close to the water." BONDI HARDWARE "A couple of my favourite spots for dinner include Hardware which offers a relaxed environment and great for groups or the famous Bondi Hotel for a traditional Aussie beach pub experience. Bondi has a diverse and multicultural environment and has something for everyone." Stock up on more tasty Bondi local secrets in our Bondi Neighbourhood Guide. Top image: Ted O'Donnell.
Each year, Sydney says a big screw you to its regular programming and turns things up to 11 for Vivid Sydney. That counts for extra gigs at the Opera House, parties at galleries and talks at various institutions, but it also gives the city the opportunity to turn on every bright light it can get its hands on. And the result is always impressive. This year is no exception, of course — like last year, the trail will stretch from Kings Cross to Barangaroo and over the Bridge to Luna Park and Chatswood. There's a lot of ground to cover and — especially during the opening weekend — a lot of crowds. So put on your walking shoes and your most patient face, because here's what's happening at each precinct every night until June 15. Lights come on at 6pm (5pm at Darling Harbour and 5.30pm at Taronga and Chatswood) and turn off at 11pm. ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN The city's oldest green space is has been transformed into a lit-up wonderland yet again — and it's a great place to start your light walk. This year, it features 15 captivating installations. Peppered throughout the site will be a colourful assortment of characters, from giant bees and a field of fireflies to exotic birds. And you can expect plenty of food and drink options to fuel your after-dark adventures, including glowing gin cocktails and mulled wine served up from the old school fisherman's wharf- inspired bar. Take a stroll through the sprawling River of Light to the multicoloured satellite, KA3323, which interacts with sounds from outer space. Behind it, you'll cop a glimpse of the Sydney Opera House, which will be lit up with hypnotic images of Australian flora from LA artist and video maker Andrew Thomas Huang (who has previously created music videos for Björk). Then wander through these giant glowing green blades of grass in the Dancing Grass installation or visit the magical shimmering Firefly Field, made up of 500 individual lights, that will transport you to the Australian forests and mangroves in which they live. CIRCULAR QUAY The centrepiece of Circular Quay is always Customs House — this year, it will be illuminated with a surreal underwater projection named Under the Harbour. It's the work of Melbourne-born, LA-based designer Ben Alpass, and takes you on a rainy twilight tour of the harbour that lies mere metres away. It's worth watching in full if you can get an unobstructed view. If you're more into shooting stars, you can instead avert your eyes to the 62 lights that will be shooting out around the Harbour as part of City Sparkle. The beams are placed on top of the Harbour Bridge, as well as above the Overseas Passenger Terminal, Cahill Expressway and the Bennelong Apartments, and form part of a show each night. Other things to visit in CQ: a bubble installation, an infinity room and a hanging light installation that makes it feel like it's snowing. THE ROCKS After you've conquered the crowds at Circular Quay, join the flow of people being herded towards the MCA (you may need to be patient — lots of punters complained of bottlenecks last year). In First Fleet Park, an interactive playground for kidults has popped up with a range of light, sound and physical interactions for you to ogle, climb on and interact with. Inside, you'll find an interactive 'field' of 320 light poles, a reactive LED dance floor, a neon hula-hooping station and a custom-built 'sky walk' that will let you take selfies with the sweeping Vivid views. And that's not to mention the 6.5-metre-tall slide that you can launch yourself down if you so desire. Wander on to Argyle Cut where beloved animation studio Pixar will have a 30th-anniversary projection set up — expect all of your favourite characters to make appearances, including Finding Nemo and Toy Story (plus a sneak peek of Toy Story 4). Time your visit with The Rocks' Friday and Saturday night markets or head to this rooftop lounge to get a view over the harbour (without the crowds). BARANGAROO AND DARLING HARBOUR Yep, that's a giant puppet, and it'll be moving around on the Barangaroo esplanade every night of Vivid for the second year running. The six-metre-tall figure is named Marri Dyin and pays tribute to the Indigenous women who once called the Harbour their home (including Barangaroo herself) and is part of Winter Camp installation along Wulugul Walk. On the other side of Darling Harbour, you can walk under the Milky Way and check out a 16-metre0tall 'Ecobot', which has fictitiously been tasked with saving Earth from extinction and advancing its sustainable initiatives. If you need a drink at this point, we recommend popping into Banksii on the esplanade or Barangaroo House, and make sure you pay a visit to Gelato Messina's glowing pop-up dessert bar at Darling Square — it'll be serving all sorts of glow-in-the-dark goodies. LUNA PARK Back for a second year, the Luna Park precinct is offering heaps of over-the-bridge Vivid activations, plus harbour views aplenty. Thousands of LED lights will be strung across the ferris wheel and thrill ride Volaré, with ride passes starting at just a tenner. There will also be roving street performers in glowing costumes and Mediterranean-inspired dining at the park's restaurant, Altum. From there, the spectacular lights on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House and Circular Quay are all in view. TARONGA ZOO Once again, the famed grounds of Taronga Zoo will come alive with four brand new captivating installations. As the zoo continues its mission to raise awareness and support for endangered species in Australia and Sumatra, this year's Lights for the Wild gives zoo visitors the opportunity wander the harbourside site after dark, encountering everything from multi-coloured elephants to giant redback spiders along the way. The light show begins from the moment you hit the zoo's heritage-listed archway. This year, the giant light projection features images representative of the ten fragile species across Australia and Sumatra that the zoo has made a commitment to protect. These include the yellow and black Southern Corroboree frog, the platypus and the Asian elephant. You'll also have the chance to snap a photo alongside three glowing Sumatran tigers, created in celebration of the zoo's brand new cubs: Mawar, Tengah Malam and Pemanah. This is the only light show that is ticketed — you can buy tickets to the nightly 5.30pm and 7.30pm sessions here. CHATSWOOD Even if you don't live on the lower north shore, Chatswood Interchange is worth a visit for Vivid. This year there will be 18 installations across the precinct, including a multi-sensory floating sculpture depicting the Chinese mythical creature Qilin, a giant harp-like 'wind chime' and many different projections at Chatswood Interchange. To enjoy the latter, grab a snack from one of Chatswood's many eateries, find a spot and settle in for an hour or so. Images: Destination NSW.
Every time you enter a darkened cinema to spend a few hours gazing at the silver screen, you pay tribute to French movies. More than a century ago, the European nation was at the forefront of the medium — its filmmakers are not only responsible for the oldest surviving film in existence, but also the 46-second piece considered the first true film ever made, as well as many influential early efforts. They're still helping shower audiences in movie delights today, of course, with Australia's Alliance Francaise French Film Festival providing an annual snapshot of just how busy and bustling the French film industry remains. When you're selling more than 212 million cinema tickets to eager audiences in a single a year, as the country did in 2016, you need plenty of great flicks to show them. As far as our slice of Gallic cinema in Australia is concerned, the numbers keep coming: reaching its 28th year, the 2017 festival will screen 45 films in nine different cities and towns, and will try to exceed its 168,000 admissions from its last outing. That all adds up to a great problem for a cinema lover to have: being spoiled for choice. Should you opt for watching many a French movie star? Exploring many an intriguing tale? Or try to combine both? Let us help steer you in the right direction with our ten must-see picks of the fest. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ-y_3mquoc THE ODYSSEY When The Odyssey starts relating the tale of Jacques Cousteau, you can be forgiven for expecting to see Billy Murray's face, hear Brazilian versions of Bowie tracks and laugh at Wes Anderson's sense of humour. We all love The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, which comically paid homage to Cousteau — but, taking to the seas for a biopic of the famous French oceanographer, director Jérôme Salle favours a much more traditional approach. With Lambert Wilson playing the man in question and Audrey Tautou co-starring as his wife, expect more than a few waves to result as the film examines Cousteau's professional and personal lives. The Odyssey opens this year's Alliance Francaise French Film Festival with a splash, which is exactly how you want things to kick off. View sessions here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bu3OdZ8RJd4 BEING 17 It's okay if Being 17 sounds familiar — it has been doing the rounds of Australia's major film festivals over the past year. However, one of the great things about the AFFFF is the opportunity to catch up with movies you might've missed elsewhere. And, if you haven't put this vibrant coming-of-age flick in front of your eyeballs just yet, make sure you rectify the situation. The story itself makes a certain impact as it charts two teenage boys exploring their feelings for each other, then grappling with the uncertainty that follows, as told with sensitivity and insight by Girlhood director-turned-Being 17 screenwriter Céline Sciamma. View sessions here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAOVBV670XM DAGUERROTYPE Japanese director Kiyoshi Kurosawa is well known for dwelling in horror territory — in fact, his last movie screened at the Japanese Film Festival late last year. Here, he makes the jump to France to tell a Gothic ghost tale, enlisting the help of actors Tahar Rahim and Mathieu Amalric. At the centre of the film sits the titular form of photography, which involves capturing images on a silver surface, and requires those getting snapped to sit still for hours on end. The film moves similarly slowly; however, it doesn't take long for its Gothic charms to work their magic. View sessions here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnp0f9xoAfM IN BED WITH VICTORIA When it premiered at last year's Cannes Film Festival, In Bed With Victoria earned comparisons to Trainwreck. So if that's your kind of film, get excited. Yes, that means you should expect an account of a woman's quest for romantic success, relayed in both a frank and funny fashion. It also means you'll be falling for an engaging lead performance, with Up for Love's Virginie Efira more than handling the task of playing a Parisian lawyer and single mother trying to navigate the ups and downs of life, dating and finding happiness. View sessions here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5dh7UWbSZI IT'S ONLY THE END OF THE WORLD Prepare to question your life choices. In the last nine years, French-Canadian writer/director Xavier Dolan has made six films, five of which have screened at Cannes. He'll turn 28 this month, and he's currently working on his seventh effort, his English-language debut starring Kit Harington, Jessica Chastain, Natalie Portman, Thandie Newton, Kathy Bates, Susan Sarandon and Room's Jacob Tremblay. That's quite the accomplishment — and while his most recent movie, It's Only the End of the World, has received mixed reviews, there's still plenty of emotion-dripping French family drama and eye-catching visuals to enjoy. Gaspard Ulliel, Nathalie Baye, Léa Seydoux, Vincent Cassel and Marion Cotillard star, with the film taking out Cannes' 2016 Grand Jury Prize. View sessions here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H96Qxp-3ssc A JOURNEY THROUGH FRENCH CINEMA We've already told you that France and cinema go hand-in-hand, but there's no need to simply take our word for it. Trust the Alliance Francaise French Film Festival to screen just the movie that'll teach you everything you ever needed to know about French filmmaking, with veteran writer/director Bertrand Tavernier's A Journey Through French Cinema an informative and engaging guide. Be warned: because there's plenty to cover, you can expect to get comfy for more than three hours. And remember to clear your schedule for months afterwards, because you're going to want to spend every waking moment delving into as much French movie history as possible. View sessions here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmPTQdW79Tg PLANETARIUM With a title like Planetarium, writer/director Rebecca Zlotowski will have you thinking about stars — and seeing them as well. Expect to be dazzled not by the shining lights above or a place dedicated to them, but by the talents of Natalie Portman and Lily-Rose Depp (yes, Johnny's daughter). The two combine to bring a pair of American sisters to life on a stylish journey through pre-war Europe, complete with seances and other paranormal phenomena, as well as the process of bringing supernatural magic to the movies. View sessions here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elM9HxIlDnQ THINGS TO COME Come on, admit it: we were all hoping that Isabelle Huppert's name would be read out at the Oscars this year. Alas, there was no envelope mix-up in the best actress category. Elle wasn't the only astonishing performance that the French actress gave in 2016 though, with her work in Things to Come just as moving and revelatory. Under the affectionate direction of Eden's Mia Hansen-Løve, Huppert is once again at her best as a philosophy professor forced to reassess her life. And, if you can't get enough of all things Isabelle, she also pops up in fellow festival effort Souvenir. Double feature, anyone? View sessions here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRgjsnadqOA THE INNOCENTS Cinema has made a habit of following those in habits, pondering faith and exploring the space where religious beliefs and the realities of life meet. Add The Innocents to the contemplative pile, as a young French doctor visits a Benedictine convent to tackle the one scenario that's not supposed to happen: several pregnancies. Set at the end of the Second World War, Anne Fontaine's film proves all the more compelling by taking its tale from a true story. No wonder it got audiences talking when it screened at last year's Sundance, and no doubt it'll do the same again at the Alliance Francaise French Film Festival. View sessions here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=FWaf830692s TOMORROW After wowing audiences as one of film's most memorable cinema owners in Inglourious Basterds, Mélanie Laurent hasn't just continued to pop up on-screen — she has stepped behind the lens as well. In fact, the Alliance Francaise French Film Festival gifted Australian audiences with the chance to see her last fictional feature, Breathe, and they're coming through again. This time, Laurent turns documentarian with co-director Cyril Dion to dive into today's environmental issues, and just what they might mean for tomorrow. If that sounds powerful, it should. It also won the duo the Cesar award for best documentary at France's top film awards. View sessions here. The Alliance Française French Film Festival will visit Sydney from March 7 to 30; Melbourne from March 8 to 30, and Brisbane from March 16 to April 9.
The Museum of Contemporary Art's ARTBAR has become a firm fixture on Sydney's after-dark cultural calendar. For the uninitiated, ARTBAR combines art, music, design and performance for a huge art party on the last Friday of every month, curated by a different artist each time. This month, the event comes under the direction of interdisciplinary artist Reko Rennie. Perhaps best known for his public art installation Always was, always will be at Taylor Square in Darlinghurst, Rennie's work combines Indigenous iconography with street art to explore notions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identity in an urban environment. For ARTBAR, Rennie has chosen the theme 'Maverick' to run the night, curating a night focused on praising nonconformity and independence. Australian and international artists will showcase "unexpected art forms" and transform the MCA into a "space of experimentation". "I show my work where I want and where I can," says Rennie. "I'm not affiliated with the dominant commercial galleries and their curators. For this I've been called a maverick artist… I like it. This night is for all those who are mavericks. Each of the artists I have selected have forged independent careers in creating and making art.' Your ARTBAR ticket also includes free entry to Tatsuo Miyajima: Connect with Everything.
If you're one to simultaneously munch a durrie and schnittie combo, we've got some bad news for you. Smoking in all outdoor dining areas in New South Wales is banned from today, thanks to the implementation of the Smoke-free Environment Act 2000. From July 6, 2015, all commercial outdoor dining areas in licensed venues (including clubs and hotels), restaurants and cafes must be smoke-free. Basically, if food is being served, there's no smoking. There's going to be some serious penalties (we're talking fines up to $5500) for venues who don't comply with the new smoking bans, enforced by NSW Health Authorised Inspectors — so you can rule out a cheeky smoke, even if you 'know the owner'. Plus, you could land yourself a $300 fine for gettin' y'puff on. It's not just courtyards and beer gardens that are about to clear the air; areas within four metres of a pedestrian entrance to or exit from a licensed venue, restaurant or cafe must be smoke-free (so on-street dining and footpath areas too). But venues are allowed to create designated smoking areas — so beer gardens are still allowed to section off glamorous shame corners or build blue-lit miscreant booths (lookin' at you Beach Road). From today, venues will have to put up 'no smoking' signs of approved size and staff will be trained to deal with the new laws. Let's be honest, this was always coming. The 2013 NSW Smoking and Health Survey showed 75 percent of surveyed folks approved banning smoking in all outdoor areas in hotels, restaurants and cafes. And really, trying to enjoy a burg with cigarette smoke in your face isn't the best. But we're pretty sure this one's going to stir up some furious pub debate. Via NSW Health.
It's an accepted truth that the best things in life are free. But when it comes to the dating game, the best things are actually kinda pricey. Now, we're all keen to impress that Tinder hottie with seafood buffets, bottles of Moët and sweeping romantic gestures, but they're not what all dates are made of. Even those on a beer drinker's budget can take a lucky someone out on a sweet date. In fact, a cheap, activity-based date could be the best way to get to know your potential new lover without the pressure of trying to elegantly eat crab without splattering some on your face. Dating doesn't have to be all low-lit wine bars and fancy restaurants. It can be outdoors, in art galleries or at the pub — and it can be, you know, actually fun. [caption id="attachment_577886" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Anita Peeples.[/caption] GO BUSH(WALKING) Now, you may not want your potential new bae to see you sweating like a pig, dragging your failing body through the scrub and panting like a baboon in heat. But hear us out: it's free. Completely free! And if you can keep a lid on the sweating and moaning (save it for later *winks*), hiking through the lush bush or along a craggy cliff and quoting Walt Whitman poems (that you memorised that morning) could be a pretty cute date. Sydney has some stunning walks through the bush, along the beach and up mountains, while Melbourne boasts some sweet city hikes that'll keep your heart rate down. [caption id="attachment_578074" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Meghan Yabsley.[/caption] GO FOR A LONG BIKE RIDE Again, the idea of exercising with a new friend might gross you out, but, again, it's very free. You'll get to show off your activewear in a legitimate setting, fooling your new love into thinking you're sporty. Plus, bike riding is pretty easy if you have a bike with many, many gears and choose a path devoid of large vehicles and hills. Take your pick from our best bike tracks in Melbourne and Sydney. If you keep the speed down in order to chat and pack a cute, protein-heavy picnic, you'll be telling your grandkids about this date one day. Or your friends at the pub later. Either way. [caption id="attachment_577854" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Adrianna Calvo[/caption] CHECK OUT SOME LOCAL GALLERY OPENINGS If your new boo is an art fanatic, puff yourself up (while keeping your wallet plump) by taking them to an art show. The best thing about local art events is that they're usually cheap (or even free) and serve up equally cheap or free booze, leaving most of your date budget for a bohemian night of shenanigans. Nothing will put your date in the mood for a bottle of red wine on a rooftop or sharing Pez while strolling along the beach than a night of rebellious art — a reminder than you're only young and foolish once. IMPRESS THEM WITH USELESS KNOWLEDGE AT TRIVIA As mid-week trivia nights are generally populated by poor students and bohemian grown-ups, the getting is good (but cheap). It's a smooth idea for the group date, to introduce your date to your friends or — if you want to create a little us-against-the-world division — go it alone in a team of two. Perhaps one of the most romantic features of a trivia night is the standard 'phones away' rule which should, frankly, be a rule at all social occasions. Make sure you've got some conversation topics up your sleeve though because you won't be able to hide behind your phone if the chat dries up. (But don't worry, you're gonna do just fine.) SET UP A CUTE PICNIC This is a classic first date idea — and even though you're being a cheapskate, you can pass it off as sweet. The trick is to put some pre-planning into the park selection (a Melbourne secret garden is always a safe bet). If you want a talking point and potential puppy pats, woo them at one of Sydney's best dog parks. A few more tips: avoid playgrounds (which are often riddled with children), plan for the weather (no one likes a soggy sandwich) and learn the scientific names of the surrounding plants so you can really impress. And as the location is free, you can drop all your funds into a lush picnic basket stuffed full of cheese, bikkies and wine.
They streaked in their Birkenstocks, now they're headed our way. Portlandians Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks are touring Australia this March, hitting Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Hobart, Adelaide and Wollongong, with guest appearances at Perth International Arts Festival and Melbourne Zoo Twilights and Golden Plains. The band describes their 2015 tour plans to be "a rambunctious and raucous bunch of shows", so gear up for one humdinger of a shindig. Fresh off the back of their most recent (and wonderfully-named) album, Wig Out at Jagbags, the Oregon-based crew are bringing their playful, intelligent rock-pop to your town. Jeff Rosenstock from Alternative Press rated the Wig Out album four stars, stating "this album is full of so much life and melody that it stands as a refreshing alternative to the increasingly homogeneous state of indie rock." Letterman thought they were "lovely" after their debut performance. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks will play two Sydney shows before jetting off to Victoria for Golden Plains — Tuesday, March 3 at Newtown Social Club (SOLD OUT), then Wednesday March 4 at Goodgod Small Club.
Looking to escape the city for an afternoon? This might be one of the best ways to do it. The Central Coast's newest restaurant boasts fresh flaky pastries, dishes made with local produce and a deck that lets you enjoy the two in a seriously serene bush setting. Set on the site of a former nursery on a 28-acre Mount White estate, Saddles is a project of John Singleton — known for reinventing Icebergs in the 90s — and Andrew Dickson Architects. From the outset it replicates an Australian homestead setting, particularly with the sprawling deck that sits over the property's glassy dam. These sensibilities are carried on inside by Michelle Leslie of MLD and some stunning features from local craftsman Heath Harris. He designed the brass-scalloped bar provided his master saddler artistry for the bespoke saddle bar stools — which is where the restaurant gets its name. Other components of the Saddles property include a dining area overlooking a waterfall feature, a sandstone fireplace, a piano bar and indoor Moreton Bay fig plants to green the interior. The venue is run by chef Cameron Cansdell alongside his business partner and wine Hayley, who together own Avoca's Bombini. Cameron pulls from Saddles' on-site kitchen garden, committing to a "simple and ethical" menu, featuring a reasonably priced menu of things like barbecue sand whiting and Little Hill Farm chicken with pickled cumquats. And when it comes to drinks, the list consists of exclusively Australian wine and spirits. Saddles is also a bakehouse — so even if you don't want to do a full sit-down lunch, you can stop in for breakfast or a coffee and some fresh sourdough, beef and mushroom pies, pork and fennel sausage rolls, honey cream rolls, custard tarts and lamingtons served with raspberry cream. In the future, the restaurant hopes to increase its activities for visitors to enjoy, and it plans to open a garden centre by 2018. When everything is in full swing, it'll make for the perfect Sunday activity — especially as it's only about an hour from the city. Saddles is now open daily from 8am–5pm (and until 8pm on Fridays) at 20 Ashbrookes Road, Mount White. You can book at saddlesmtwhite.com.au.
Grab your midnight blue dinner jacket and holster your Walther PPK: the team at Hijinks are heading back to Madame Tussauds for a James Bond-themed party in September. The after dark pop-up specialists will channel their inner secret agent for a night of sophistication and intrigue, complete with roulette table, costume competitions and complimentary vodka martinis. Best start practicing your worst puns now. The Hijinks Casino Royale Party takes over Madame Tussauds on the evening of Friday September 25. Entry into the wax museum normally costs $40, but tickets to the Hijinks event will run you just $25 and come with a free beer or Stoli cocktail on arrival. Activities for the night will include Bond trivia, a best costume competition and a roulette table where you can gamble with chocolate chips (put it all on black, trust us). There'll also be live performances, including burlesque star Diesel Darling as Goldfinger's ill-fated Bond Girl Jill Masterson, as well as no less than five separate pop-up bars. And if you forget your bowtie, don't worry: you can always make a new one at the crafts table. You'll also be able to take photos with all the museum's famous faces, from Barrack Obama to Albert Einstein to The Queen. There'll even be a crocodile, ala Live and Let Die, although to be honest we're not entirely sure whether he'll be real or wax. If nothing else, this should be a hell of a lead in for Spectre, which opens in November. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujmoYyEyDP8 For more information about The Hijinks Casino Royale Party and to secure tickets, visit www.hijinkssydney.com
Sometimes words just won't cut it. For photographer Tobi Wilkinson, explaining the everyday lives of the Gyuto Monks was only viable through her camera lens. This fiercely devoted bunch of Buddhist monks captured Tobi's attention at a five-day teaching of His Holiness the Dalai Lama back in Homebush in 2008. Since then, she's made four visits to their northern Indian monastery, and now brings her fourth exhibition Mindful Practice — The Gyuto Monks Summer Retreat to Bondi Pavilion this April. What sets this monastery apart is their undivided devotion to spirituality, and living it in all aspects of their lives. Home to tantric monks, who act out rather than simply study the scriptures of Buddha, this monastery exists as one of the toughest to belong to. "The Dalai Lama uses them as his ritual monks of choice when he holds teachings which require a high level of ritual detail," says Tobi. "Fewer than one in ten of every monk that joins the monastery lasts the distance." Historically, things haven't been easy for the Gyuto monks either, forced to flee from the Chinese army in 1959 (with only 90 of their original 900 men surviving the shift). Now, the monks are based in Dharamsala, India. Tobi sought to capture their fascinating way of life by absorbing herself in their monastery over numerous trips. "I'm both a woman and a Westerner and living with 500 monks was initially a daunting thought for me… Of course, they are shy and having a camera pointed at them all day takes some getting used to. But I've learned to be very discreet and slowly they have come to accept my presence there," she says. Putting in the hard yards proved crucial to getting a true insight into their everyday lives. "Regular days at the monastery require the monks to be at temple by 5.30am, but if I'm photographing either the morning bread being made or the preparation of the temple and disciplinarian, then I need to be up with those monks at 4.30am." Early starts aside, Tobi's respect for their monastic rituals allowed her privileged access to many of their most intimate ceremonies, such as the Summer Retreat (a period of closure and contemplation for the monastery to allows for uninterrupted spiritual practice). From shots of young monks caught in a 'line of shame' after failing an exam, to intimate moments between their oldest members, Tobi's latest exhibition provides a fascinating peek into this humble way of life. To provide further insight, the two-week program at Bondi Pavilion will include public chants, meditations, talks and personal pujas. The monks will also create a huge mandala over the two weeks, which will be tipped into Bondi Beach after its completion. "Merely by being with them you gain this sense of what life can be like if spirituality was something you could embody and live every day," she says. "I wanted to know more about this, I was hungry for it and I felt a strong need to try to show that to other people through my photos." Tobi Wilkinson's Mindful Practice will be exhibiting from April 11-24 at Bondi Pavilion Gallery, open 9.30am to 5pm daily. For more info, visit the website.
There's the parade, yes. But before that, nearly a month of cultural and celebratory events of all stripes makes up the festival of Sydney Mardi Gras, and there's something for everybody, even Straighty McStraight-Straight. Who relates absolutely and 100 percent to the social expectations of their gender and sexuality? Nobody, probably. And that's something to love, savour, and take away from this most iconic of Sydney events. This year, there's a fair day, art you can dance to, an intergalactic gay wizard and some steamy literary readings, among all the parties between February 20 and March 8. With gay marriage rights firmly on the agenda again this year, 2015's Mardi Gras will definitely be one that's remembered.
Hospitality, as we all know, is much, much more than solely food and drink. Entertainment, interior design, theming, culinary direction and partnerships all need to be carefully considered. It takes a while to master these skills, but hospitality dream team Jaime Doom (also known as Jaime Wirth) and Mike Delany (the duo formerly behind the Drink'n'Dine empire) have fine tuned 'em after years in the business. So this week, naturally, they've launched their own hospitality consultation business, dubbed International Worldwide. Doom and Delany have been partners in hospitality since 1996 and have no shortage of projects under their belts including reinvigorations of The Abercrombie, Forresters and a few of the Fratelli Fresh locales. One of their most recent projects included the rethink of Sydney's infamous Club 77 from the late-night rave cave of our misguided youth to a somewhat more grown-up, eastern European-inspired cocktail bar (still with slight rave). It's this skill of turning a 'has-been' venue into an energised contemporary space that Doom and Delaney want to explore further with International Worldwide. Doom says that the project came about during the sale of the Drink'n'Dine group earlier in 2016, the company that included The Oxford Tavern in Petersham and The Norfolk in Redfern among others. The sale of the company allowed the pair to focus their skills on shorter term projects, with the duo currently working on the Belly Bao fitout in Barangaroo and The Observer Hotel in The Rocks. International Worldwide's website states that the company will specialise in "creative, interior design, food and beverage, music, branding and design and everything in between". It's no secret that these guys know what's hot and what's not, but for the moment we'll just have to wait and see what else they have in store for us. Image: Andy Fraser.
Favouring the dark and the occult, Sydney's newest nocturnal arts event Caldera showcases many of Australia's leading experimental artists within the industrial, turn-of-the-century surrounds of Eveleigh Locomotive Workshops. Running from November 29 to December 2, a visceral and provocative program will bring the historic site to life with eight sessions held across four special nights. The remains of Eveleigh Locomotive Workshops' steam hammers, cranes and furnaces will serve as the evocative setting for Caldera as the performances utilise the dynamic space. Taking place in a seemingly spontaneous fashion, the audience will be enveloped by the evenings' events, while also getting a chance to explore the reinvigorated factory. As Caldera Director Laurence Rosier Staines explained in statement, "[Caldera] is in a spectacular and mysterious site, and the show will reflect that. In a way we're hoping to provide Sydney's boutique answer to Dark Mofo, neither predictable nor sanitised." Headlining the inaugural Caldera, is renowned burlesque artist Zelia Rose, who'll perform alongside the dazzling vocals of Tanzer and a compelling percussive piece by Marcus Whale and Bree van Reyk. Plus, there'll be an innovative drumming performance by Alon Ilsar, featuring AirSticks – a futuristic instrument that Alon invented alongside collaborator Mark Havryliv. With more performances yet to be announced, Caldera is one mind-bending creative experience you shouldn't miss. Two 'Caldera' sessions are held each night, at 8pm and 10pm, and tickets include a complimentary Four Pillars gin drink on arrival.
The first thing you notice about the 14-year-old Amy Winehouse is her smile. Captured on her best friend’s home movie, it's enormous, almost all-consuming, a porthole to an as yet undiscovered virtuosity. With jagged and uneven teeth, the smile — like her accent — is imperfect and unrefined, as though everything had been hastily thrown together at the last minute. But it's also unmistakably real and a permanent fixture on the young girl's face. Over the next 90 minutes of Asif Kapadia's remarkable documentary Amy, what most stands out is not the prodigious talent, nor the substance abuse and self-destruction, but simply the steady fade of that perfect imperfect smile. Just like Kapadia’s previous documentary, Senna, Amy is an extraordinarily moving tribute to a prodigious talent whose life seemed somehow unavoidably foredoomed. With its remarkable catalogue of personal videos, voicemails and recording sessions, Kapadia lets Winehouse and her closest friends narrate her own tragic spiral in real time, taking us from the "gobby north London Jewish girl with a lot of attitude" to the death of a full-blown celebrity in 2011. It’s a masterful device, insulating the film from the inevitable accusations of bias and blame apportionment made by the very individuals who constantly comment and appear throughout. To be clear: Amy isn’t a whodunnit. Winehouse drank herself to death despite countless warning from doctors, friends and colleagues. Instead, the film reveals the extent to which almost everybody in her life failed to convert their concern into real action so long as the money continued to flow their way. "They tried to make me go to rehab,” she sang, and it’s true, but they didn’t try nearly hard enough. What’s abundantly clear from the archival footage is how well Winehouse understood her own predicament and disposition. “I’ve depression,” she explains at one point, “but so do a lot of other people. I’m just lucky because not many people can pick up a guitar for an hour or two and make themselves feel better.” True to the adage, Winehouse really was all about the music, and had she been left alone to sing jazz in small clubs, things may have played out very differently. The only person who seemed to fully grasp that was her idol, Tony Bennett, with whom she recorded a duets album shortly before her death. “True jazz performers don’t like crowds of 50,000 in front of them,” he explains, before adding in a heart-wrenching postscript, “If she were still here, I’d say ‘slow down … you’re too important’”. It’s moments like this that make Amy an overwhelmingly tragic and absorbing portrait piece, steeped in disquiet because, just as it was with Senna, you know it ends in a crash. There is, in fact, one last glimpse of a smile, right before the film ends. During her infamous concert disaster in Belgrade just weeks prior to her death, Winehouse sits down on stage, drunk and disoriented, amidst a chorus of boos from the crowd. While the band tries to get her to sing, an almost imperceptible grin flashes across her face, as though she’d suddenly heard the punchline to a joke nobody else could hear.
Recently the Vic on the Park Hotel made the shock announcement that beloved monthly event One Day Sundays was cancelled in reaction to complaints from local residents. This isn’t entirely true, or entirely isn’t true, or both. One Day Entertainment will be proudly presenting their biggest party ever, featuring Halfway Crooks and Nina Las Vegas, at its new home, The Factory Theatre, on January 25. Monthly ODS parties at The Vic have become an institution to the local music scene, and the organisers are saddened to be moving on from the establishment at which the party was born. ODS organiser and Jackie Onassis producer Raph admits that after sharing such a loyal relationship with The Vic, he was upset with how the management team dealt with the event's cancellation, informing the ODS crew via email and taking it upon themselves to cancel the event on social media. Attempts at negotiation went nowhere. “People keep asking me, why are you moving?" says Raph. "We didn’t just bail on you. It wasn’t our choice.” Raph explains that the move to The Factory Theatre was a last-minute decision, but one that's ultimately for the best. “One Day Sundays requires a very specific venue criteria — an outdoor area, a convenient Marrickville location and a space to paint. The Factory Theatre is allowing the ODS crew to eventually redecorate the whole outside area with murals, authorising us to put our stamp on the venue permanently.” The space will feature illustrations from some “fairly prominent street artists” whose names will remain a secret for now. Raph continued to mention a list of other positive outcomes that have eventuated from the relocation of the party. “Four bars is better than two, and at ODS we have heaps of girls that come to our parties. We don’t want girls not coming because there were only two toilets. There are more toilets at The Factory Theatre. So that’s a thing now.” One of the most important improvements that the new location provides is space. There are more rooms that can be opened as required and capacity is an extra 500 people above The Vic. “Last ODS we had a line of 400 people out the front, and we don’t want to turn people away," says Raph. "We want to party with all of y'all. We want you to spend less time lining up and more time turning up.” “The response we have had from the community has been really supportive, and as long as our long-term people who come every month understand, we are happy. It will be the same party, but The Vic finished at 9pm. We can move inside at The Factory and party as late as we want.” As always, One Day Sundays on February 25 will be free entry and will feature One Day DJs, Halfway Crooks and Nina Las Vegas, with more to be announced. Raph told us exclusively that we can look forward to Blue Mountains-based Elefant Traks legends Hermitude being involved with the ODS party in February. The Vic is still a beautiful place that we love lots. Images by Cole Bennetts.
If you've always wanted to climb the Harbour Bridge but thought it was a little too touristy, or that it'll always be there and there's no point in rushing, now's your chance to do it a little differently. Between January 21 and March 6 this year you can not only don the famous BridgeClimb suit and hike up the stairs, pose for a cheesy photo and enjoy the view — you can do karaoke while you're up there. Your karaoke sesh will happen at the peak of the Harbour Bridge, 134m above Sydney Harbour, in a custom-made karaoke suite. The views of Sydney Harbour, the city and the Opera House will be breathtaking, the tunes, not so much. After belting out your favourite song solo (or in a group if you're a little shy), you can climb down the Bridge and relive the experience by watching an eight-second video of your performance. We've got one double pass to give away — tickets include one BridgeClimb that runs for around two to three hours, a group photo, one of those blue BridgeClimb caps and a free pass to the Pylon Lookout. Enter your details below and you're in the running to smash out a tune. [competition]605692[/competition]
Marrickville ceramics studio Clay Sydney has brought its super-popular classes online, so you can stay entertained (and get a little creative) while you're spending more time inside. The studio's resident ceramicists are running a host of classes virtually, including wine and cheese nights on Fridays and Saturdays (BYO wine and cheese), planter party and mugs and mimosas classes on Saturdays at 1.30pm, and jewellery making on Wednesday nights. There are also a heap of classes for littl'uns, too. Online classes work like this: sign up and the studio will courier you clay and tools within 48 hours; watch the webinar at the scheduled time, chat to the tutors and make your creation; drop your work off at the no-contact spot outside the Marrickville studio; the team will fire it; and you'll be able to pick it up from the no-contact pick-up point. If you aren't able to attend the interactive class at the scheduled time, no stress. You can watch the webinar at a later date (as many times as you want) or follow along using one of the cheat sheets. Classes will set you back just $55, which includes all the gear you need and firing.
With Kings Cross bearing more 'For Lease' signs than an estate agent's front window, the area's future as a nightlife hotspot has been looking bleak. So bleak, in fact, that two doco makers have taken it upon themselves to investigate the fallout from the lockout laws. But it's not all doom and gloom. Places are opening as well as closing — and a few savvy hospitality figures are even looking at the changes as an opportunity for reinvention. Among them are artist Orlan Erin Raleigh and her partner Jon Ruttan, founder and former owner of Mojo Record Bar. Along with consultant Nikita Ward, they've opened Jangling Jack's Bar & Grill at 175 Victoria Street, the spot formerly occupied by Bootleg Bar and Italian Food. Despite the lockouts, the couple believe quality operators will eventually revolutionise Potts Point. "Jon and I passionately believe that the main street of Kings Cross could be like Bourbon Street in New Orleans, with music and old cinemas," she says. "It's such a strong community vibe up here and the demographic is much older than people realise. It's not an 18-year-old nightclubbing haven anymore. So we set up Jangling Jack's to be a local, calm and mellow place, for people to enjoy dinner and phenomenal drinks." Starting from scratch, Raleigh and Ruttan built what she describes as their 'dream bar'. "All the design elements are based on our fantasy — where we would want to sit and drink," she days. "There's no theme. It’s more about classic elements. When you step inside, it's that feeling of being transported in time, like in Midnight in Paris. To some people it looks like Louisiana; to others, it looks like Chicago...[or] like Kings Cross in the '30s." The bar top is made of 120-year-old Australian spotted gum. The stunning lampshades, designed by Raleigh herself, were custom-made in Arkansas. The walls, which look like emerald pressed tin, are dotted with original, 1930s posters of blues musicians. Seating is a mix of booths and high stools, and an eclectic assortment of rugs cover the floor. The drinks menu doesn't follow a theme, either. This decision was to ensure that Jangling Jack's was an 'everyman's bar', says Raleigh. "We don’t specialise in any particular booze. It's the best of absolutely everything: curated gins, phenomenal scotches and blends, great vodkas." Expect the likes of Four Pillars Gin, the Melbourne Gin Company and West Winds, but don't be surprised if big names like Bombay are missing. Bar manager Adam Cork (ex-The Hazy Rose) is turning these spirits into classic cocktails with a twist. Take the Tiki's Hummingbird, for example; it's like a margarita, but has a homemade sherbet rim and a touch of orange blossom. Others are tributes to legendary local historical figures, like the Witch of Kings Cross — artist and occultist Rosaleen Norton — and the Juanita Nielsen, named after the publisher and anti-development campaigner who mysteriously disappeared in 1975, never to be found. Meanwhile, Canadian-born, Creole-trained chef David Ferreira (ex-Fat Rupert's) keeps the kitchen open as late as the bar, with a menu delivering moreish, value-for-money small and medium share plates. There's some delicious gluten-free fried chicken, drizzled in honey butter (for $16), and a hearty lamb roast, as well as a rotating weekly special. "The idea is that people can come in on a date, have a drink and a snack, and get away for about $50," Raleigh says. "We want it to be the sort of place where you come more than once a week." You'll find Jangling Jack's at 175 Victoria Street, Potts Point. They're open 4-11pm Tuesday and Wednesday, 4pm-1am Thursday to Saturday, and noon-11pm on Sunday. For more info, visit their Instagram. Images: Diana Scalfati
There's no missing the iconic Sirius building, with its Brutalist, box-like design standing tall by the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Alas, despite public rallies and crowdfunding campaigns to save the building, and even court intervention against the New South Wales government's plan to sell it off, it was put up for sale in December. For the city, that means farewelling the distinctive structure as we know it. What Sirius' future holds is uncertain — though, sadly, it's likely to be bought by developers, and then demolished to make room for new apartments — but on Saturday, January 13 Sydneysiders were invited to take one last wander through the building as it currently stands before it closes next month. Sirius architect Tao Gofers, aka the man behind the design, lead us through the 79-unit tower, up to the top floor still inhabited by the final remaining resident, 91-year-old Myra Demetriou. It was a historic chance to take a last tour of a historic site, which not only proves an important part of 70s history and a great example of Brutalist architecture, but has also provided public housing for decades — allowing people on low incomes to live in the centre of this expensive city and enjoy harbour views. Images: Kimberley Low. Words: Jasmine Crittenden.
Beneath its glory and grandeur, Paris offers adventures a-plenty at ground level. For every 16th-century art gallery crowded with tourist snappers, there's a neglected street art masterpiece on a corner somewhere; for every ritzy hotel foregrounded with limousines, there's a quirky hideaway concealed behind a secret door; for every Michelin-starred restaurant, there's a laneway shopfront peddling regional produce. Thanks to the city's spiralling, snail-like arrangement, a diverse array of neighbourhoods is easily accessible from the centre. With only a week to dig up the picks of the Paris underground, I asked a few of the locals to show me around. DRINKING Unlike Australian wines, which are labelled according to grape variety, French ones are classified based on region. If you've been to neither Burgundy nor Bordeaux, ordering can be confusing and, occasionally, intimidating. One express way to get your head around this is at a tasting session. I found Alexis, a Parisian-born wine expert, through Localers, a company that organises left-of-field activities led by locals, from like-a-local crash courses, to macaroon classes, to games of petanque. His father started teaching him the difference between a decent drop and a dud when he was in his early teens. I met Alexis at Le Pharamond (24, Rue de la Grande Truanderie), one-time preferred eatery of Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Tucked away in a side street amid the cocktail bars of the first arrondissement, it's a direct link to the Belle Epoque, with its gilded mirrors, glazed tiles, high ceilings and hardcore traditional cuisine: offal, pigeon, escargot and tripe served up at boiling point. While these delicacies are available to anyone with a dinner reservation, Le Pharamond's shadowy, candle-lit wine cellar, dug out in the Middle Ages, is accessible only in the company of a guide – via secret hatch behind the bar and a series of steep staircases and ladders. This was where our class began. Filling our glasses with champagne, Alexis started explaining the rules of French wine, "Under no circumstances can champagne be referred to as champagne, unless it comes from Champagne." Then, whipping out a map, he pointed out which varieties grew where. Ask for a Burgundy red, and you'll be drinking a pinot noir; request a Chablis and you can expect a chardonnay. If you're in Bordeaux, don't even think about requesting a bottle from Burgundy, or anywhere else for that matter. Keeping things local is a pretty new trend in Australia, but the French have been fiercely defending their regionalism for centuries. After that we were ushered to a private dining room on the Pharamond's third floor, with a view to the street below. We sampled five more wines, representing a north to south journey through France, and matched with several premium cheeses and cured meats. "When you cut cheese in France," Alexis explained, "you must do it from the centre outwards, so that everyone ends up with an equal share of the rind." Armed with my new working knowledge of French wine and cheese etiquette, I was ready to brave Paris's culinary specialties. If not the tripe. EATING It's not difficult to find the city's renowned high-end restaurants, but scoping out the mid-range gems is tougher. The sheer volume of visitors has pushed up prices, especially on the major thoroughfares. So I enlisted the help of Lisa, a Canadian who's been living in Paris for two years. She runs her own small tour business, Flavors of Paris, which promises to take travellers "off the eaten path". We gathered at Les Deux Magots (6, Place Saint-Germain-des-Prés), where the likes of Simone de Beauvoir, Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus and Ernest Hemingway penned masterpieces in between coffees and cocktails. These days, Lisa told us, the Saint Germain area is quite "shi shi", but, despite the trendy stores, it's still bustling with students and writers. On a circuitous journey down cobbled alleyways and through courtyards, we visited independent boutiques where we sampled olives, olive oils, pastries, breads, cheeses, charcuterie, chocolates, jams, spreads and wines. On my own, I'd have had little chance of finding them. At chocolate concept store Un Dimanche à Paris (4, Cours du Commerce Saint-André) we indulged in the must-try creations of Pierre Cluizel, whose lifelong dedication to chocolate began when he was six; at Ma Collection Marchande de Saveurs (33, Rue Mazarine), we sampled a curated collection of local gourmet products; at the Marché Saint-Germain (14, Rue Lobineau), we bought direct from farmers; and at Bacchus et Ariane (4, Rue Lobineau), we tasted wine sourced from propriétaires récoltants (winemakers who grow their own grapes). ARTING Despite the crowds, the Louvre is always a magnificent experience. But if you prefer your art with some personal space, Paris's smaller galleries are worth a visit. Head to the Marais district, which is like Sydney's Paddington in its emphasis on independent design, but more intense. For new, challenging work, check out La Maison Rouge (10, Boulevard de la Bastille) a converted factory that's been exhibiting since 2004. Or for an element of surprise, step through the heavy, green doors of the Passage de Retz (9 Rue Charlot), whose maze of rooms started life in the 17th century as a hotel and now hosts temporary shows. Alternatively, take to the streets. Numerous corners, archways and parks act as canvases for street art, accessible 24 hours a day. Having spied various space invaders and OBEY references, I decided to get some context via a walking tour with Underground Paris. Beginning at the'70s-inspired Café Place Verte (105, Rue Oberkampf), the journey took us on a three-hour long saunter through the Oberkampf and Belleville, where low rents and warehouse spaces have been drawing Paris's art community since the '80s. We learned what inspired Space Invader's obsession, found out more about 'photograffeur' and TED-prize winner JR and discovered works by numerous lesser-known local artists. Using individual stories as a springboard, our guide carved out a broader history of street art, from graffiti tagging to multi-million dollar successes. We ended up in Parc de Belleville (47, Rue des Couronnes), one of the few places in Paris where you can picnic with panoramic city views minus the crowds. SLEEPING (ON THE RIGHT BANK) Wandering around the Madeleine district, on Paris's Right Bank, felt like walking through the set of a Baz Luhrmann film. Everything was grander, more beautiful and more decadent than real-life, from the golden Gucci dog collars, to the glittering macaroon sculptures, to the gilded statues atop the Palais Garnier. It's also a really visitor-friendly location, with the Champs Elysées within walking distance. The Hotel Chavanel (22 Rue Tronchet) is hidden behind an unobtrusive sliding door, just a few hundred metres from the spectacular Corinthian columns of the Madeleine Church. Sophie Charlet took over as hotelier in 2013, intent on turning the hotel into a bit of an artwork. Each of the 27 rooms has been designed individually, but they're linked by an aesthetic that combines traditional haute couture with bold, fun, contemporary concepts. It looks like what might have emerged out of a Christian Dior and Pierre Paulin collaboration. I stayed in the junior suite, on the sixth floor. It was furnished like the guest room of some cutting-edge interior designer: an enormous oval bed draped with cashmere, mushroom and tulip stools, a recliner shaped like a cloud, lamps made of silkworm cocoons from Thailand and lace-curtained windows affording district views. I wasn't surprised to learn that Sophie had overseen the placement of every single object and that she's big on ethical supply chains and supporting independent artists. The lobby's street-facing window is dedicated to exhibiting locally-made creations, from jewellery to sculptures, while breakfast comes in the form of a 100 per cent organic buffet. SLEEPING (ON THE LEFT BANK) Not far from where my Flavors of Paris tour started, and just around the corner from the Luxembourg Gardens, the Villa Madame (44, Rue Madame) inhabits a quiet street. On first impressions, it feels more like a welcoming private mansion owned by an arts philanthropist than a hotel. Sculptures and drawings dot the lobby-bar-restaurant, leading through to a secluded, leafy courtyard. Monthly live shows feature local artists, from musicians to storytellers to magicians. Owners Giles Delfau and Thérèse Tafanel employed specialist boutique hotel designer Michael Jounnat to create the Villa's artsy yet luxurious feel. His passion is restoring 'identity' and 'soul' to places, rather than following trends; some of his other projects include St Petersburg's Grand Hotel Europe, Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana Palace and Oran's Royal Hotel. The atmosphere established from the outset extends seamlessly into the rooms. I stayed in a suite, made up of a courtyard-facing ground-floor room, a loft-style lounge room and an oversized bathroom. It was a classically Parisian experience - and a warm, cosy hideaway at the end of the day. Jasmine travelled as a guest of Localers, Flavors of Paris, Underground Paris, Hotel Chavanel and Villa Madame.
Redfern is getting its very own cellar door courtesy of the team at contemporary winery Cake Wines. Located in a renovated warehouse on Eveleigh Street, this inner-city venture from Cake Wines founders Glen Cassidy, Sarah Burvill and Mike Smith will host tastings, workshops and a number of other cultural events all built around the love of a good glass of wine. Opening Thursday, March 10, the cellar door will, according to the Cake Wines team, "be an absolute representation of everything we're about, bringing people together to enjoy great wine in a relaxed and unintimidating environment". Aside from the cellar door at Nomad, it looks to be the only one located in the confines of the inner-city. There are plans to run casual wine education classes, tasting, talks, low-key Thursdays, Friday dance parties and Saturday afternoon gigs, as well as various other events, with the view to incorporate other ideas across a number of different disciplines. They've already partnered with March's Art Month, and you can expect more collaborations with major cultural festivals, including Vivid in May. Visitors will be able to sample Cake Wines' 2014 and 2015 wines by the glass or the bottle, along with a number of other local small-batch wines. They'll also have a range of locally-made beers, ciders and spirits, along with a selection of meats and cheeses. For opening week, there's a big ol' lineup of beats, tastings and general tomfoolery locked in. Here's the rundown: Thursday, March 10 Opening night, 5pm till late Residents Adi Toohey and BoogieMonster Friday, March 11 Acid / Tannins / Dance, 5pm - late Residents Mike Who / Anno / Preacha Saturday, March 12 Doors at 12pm, kicks off 1.30pm Retiree DJ's / James McInnes / + guests Sunday, March 13 Tastings, doors at 12pm Tasting on the hour, every hour For more information visit cakewines.com/cellardoor.
Wine lovers, raise your glasses: one of the best wine shops in Sydney is getting its very own bar. Prince Wine Store opened in Zetland a little over a year ago, and has been keeping the neighbourhood lubricated ever since. Cutting out the journey home and letting you knock back a few on site really was the next logical step. This won't be the first time Prince has stepped into the hospitality game, with their flagship store in South Melbourne operating the adjacent Bellota Wine Bar since April 2013. That venue's head chef, Danielle Rensonnet, will oversee the menu in Sydney, although manager Jacq Turner told Gourmet Traveller that the Zetland site would eschew the bistro-style dining of its Melbourne counterpart. Instead, you can expect "classic wine bar food," such as oysters and charcuterie, as well as a small selection of heartier meals that will rotate on a daily basis, with the chefs taking full advantage of quality NSW produce. The yet-to-be-named bar, which is expected to open in June, will also expand on the wine store's schedule of tastings and masterclasses, hosting regular wine dinners focused on different regions around the world. Prince Wine Store is located at 40 Hansard Street, Zetland. Via Gourmet Traveller. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
If the words bubbly and antipasto are your requirements for a damn good time, read on. Sydney's first ever Italian sparkling wine festival, Bolle Italia is coming to the recently opened Bar Machiavelli in Rushcutters Bay this October. This brand new festival will give wine enthusiasts and people who just really like the sound of a popping cork the chance to taste a glass (or a bottle) of some of the world's best sparkling wines — in particular paying tribute to world-class Italian sparkling wines from Friuli to Sicily and Piedmont to Sardinia. Festival founders and Italian sparkling wine importers Heath Felton and Marco Zaccariotto created the festival after they noticed the increased demand for quality sparkling wines in Australia over the past few years. "The Bolle Italia wine festival will give Australians the rare opportunity to taste quality Italian sparkling wines coming into the market, and learn how to recognise the difference," said Felton. For those wanting to improve their dinner party chit chat, sommeliers will be running masterclasses, so you can drop comments like 'creamy' or 'nuanced flavours of brioche and lemon zest' and actually know what you are talking about. If pairing your bubbly with a meal is more your thing than swilling the cheapest sparkling from a plastic flute at the races, be sure to nab a ticket to the Bolle Italia Degustazione — a six-course degustation with an exclusive menu designed by Bar Machiavelli's owner and chef, Paola Toppi, for 2016's Good Food Month. Bolle Italia will be happening on October 9 and 10 at Bar Machiavelli. More information about the festival and tickets are available at bolleitalia.com.
If Cards Against Humanity's dark sense of humour appealed to the evil troll that lies dormant inside us all, you're going to flip your wicked lid over their new venture. OK Cookie Co. might sounds wholesome and sweet but the concept is devilish — send your friends (or your enemies) fortune cookies with brutal truths hidden inside. If there's anything more devastating than hopefully cracking a fortune cookie open only to have it tell you it's too late to stop climate change, we've never heard of it. OK Cookie taps into that market of assholes who love cruel jokes (which is frankly all of us). For US$10 plus shipping (or free shipping for two of more boxes), you can send a pack of 15 assorted misfortune cookies to anyone. Fortunes include gems such as "You will probably die of a heart attack or something" and "Your wildest dreams will come true, assuming those dreams are about the extinction of honeybees". It reminds us of the whole 'Send Your Enemies Glitter' win and the send your enemies a bag of gummy dicks thing of 2015 — people are apparently really on board with sending mean, anonymous gifts in the mail and we're delighted by it. May this be the first wave in a long, long line of novelty mail gifts.
Sydney Fringe Festival has unveiled its tenth anniversary program, which promises over 342 shows (including 120 world premieres) across 21 postcodes. Running from September 1–30, the festival includes a few major firsts, too, such as a precinct in The Rocks, a touring hub sponsored by Innocent Bystander, a comedy on a vintage bus and an Archie Rose Cabaret Club. There are also a whole heap of immersive and interactive events going down this year, including an eerie theatre show inspired by Wolf Creek, intimate long-table dinners and talks, a Kevin Bacon-themed flashmob and a night of eats, drinks and music that'll transport you to Babylon. All of this is going down at five hubs located across the city: The Rocks, Paddington, Newtown, Lilyfield's Legs on the Wall and the CBD's 124-year-old City Tattersalls Club. Plus, a three-night Fringeville will come to Hurstville — with pop-up food trucks, light installations and shows — and an immersive Babylon-inspired world at Chippendale's Kensington Street. The inner-city food destination will transform with live music, snacks, drinks and soundscapes for one decadent evening. Of course, the program keeps going (and going). To check out all the events, head to the Sydney Fringe Festival website.
A FREE concert by The Flaming Lips, a cardboard city with a FREE flying fox, a Birdman screening live scored by the film's drummer Antonio Sanchez, and a steamy story session with Sydney’s sexiest senior citizens are all happening in Sydney this January, when the Sydney Festival turns forty. Yep, as of 2016, the city’s biggest and best-loved arts shindig will be over the hill. And, by way of celebration, we’re being treated to a program of truly epic proportions. Today, the organisers spilled the beans on the 157 events (including 89 free ones!), 383 performances, 34 venues, 902 artists and 22 nations that will be coming together from January 7 to 26. Let’s start with The Flaming Lips. Oklahoma’s most famous psychedelic alternative rock outfit will be hitting The Domain to headline the festival’s legendary Summer Sounds concert, hopefully with clothes and without Miley Cyrus, and definitely pumping out their cult tunes alongside their chart triumphs. And it'll cost you zero dollars. Meanwhile, SydFest is expanding to a bunch of new spots, including Barangaroo Reserve and Vaucluse House. Barangaroo’s new cultural space, The Cutaway, is gearing up to host one of the festival’s biggest free events for the people. French artist Olivier Grossetête is inviting you to help build The Ephemeral City, an enormous, temporary urban development made of cardboard. Afterwards, you’ll be able to get a damn good view of your work, thanks to free flying fox rides on a mammoth 165 metre zip line. A strong sense of community spirit also informs the theatrical elements of the festival’s programming. Bursting onto new storytelling territory is a show titled All the Sex I’ve Ever Had, which sees a slew of Sydneysiders aged over 65 bring their experience and insight to personal stories of romance and sex. Then there’s The Object Lesson, an installation/performance inviting you to join illusionist Geoff Sobelle on a journey through an absolutely enormous pile of objects. You'll contemplate every "thing that ever passed through your hands — a massive, meaningful, meaningless pile of junk that describes in debris your tiny human history". On the music front, we’re excited about Cut the Sky, a powerful indigenous performance work meditating on a dystopian future and featuring songs by Nick Cave and Ngaiire. As we mentioned, quadruple Grammy Award-winning jazz drummer Antonio Sanchez will be improvising a live score to a screening of Birdman (he improvised the actual score, so this will be the first and only time this SydFest score is played). And, for the first time ever, FBi is presenting its SMAC Awards as a huge festival, open to the general public. Other gigs on the schedule include the inimitable Joanna Newsom at the Sydney Opera House launching new album Divers, underground rock trio The Dirty Three and Mexrissey — a Mariachi-style revamping of songs by Morissey and The Smiths. There's also a new folk series happening amongst the gorgeous acoustics of St Stephens Uniting Church. As usual, Hyde Park's Meriton Festival Village is delivering a whizz-bang array of music, comedy, cabaret and circus acts, while About an Hour is heading back to Carriageworks for another season of 60-minute, $35 events featuring theatre, dance, music and storytelling. Clear your calendar, this is going to be a busy summer. Dive into the entire Sydney Festival program at the festival website. Check out our picks for the best 'bang for your buck' events and best gigs at Sydney Festival. Image: Todd Spoth.
A good martini is all in the detail — it relies on the skill of the bartender, the quality of the booze and the beauty of the glass itself — rarely will two ever be the same. Informed, friendly service, and an ambiance that matches the luxury of a martini is an added bonus. Sydney is spoilt for martini choice. Whether you like it shaken or stirred, above or below ground, loud and loose or classy and personal, someone around town is making your perfect martini. We've partnered with Grey Goose, one of the most luxurious brands of vodka you can get, for our series of guides that are helping you discover the luxury in your city. This one is for martinis — it's the most decadent cocktail you can sip on. Start ticking off the martinis at these ten bars, or if you're on a budget, grab a bottle of Grey Goose and take it home to make your own. ARCHIE ROSE DISTILLERY If you like getting up close and personal with the contents of your martini glass, go visit Archie Rose. The bespoke distillery in Rosebery provides a unique experience of creating your own vodka or gin on-site, with tastings and tours available for the interested. The glamorous old-world bar is also the perfect setting to sit down and taste test Archie Rose's four on-menu martinis. There's a dry option, a strong, option, an espresso martini and one made with a twist of orange. THE ROOSEVELT The Roosevelt is hailed by many martini snobs to have the best martini in town. It's next-level luxury at this Potts Point bar, with its cosy leather booths and tables that come complete with a hole in the middle for your champagne bucket. One part glam, one part retro and one part mixologist's fantasy, The Roosevelt is an irresistible mix that has almost immediately become one of Sydney's best cocktail destinations. One of their martinis is made with Grey Goose vodka and served with liquid nitrogen, but you should just order the classic here. BULLETIN PLACE The award-winning bartenders at this cosy joint can mix up a classic martini with the best of them. Industry favourite and much lauded Bulletin Place is pint sized but full of candle-lit character and quality drink making. These guys take their drinks, but not themselves, pretty seriously. SINCE I LEFT YOU Tucked down an alleyway, Since I Left You has one of the city's most coveted venue features - a courtyard. The whole bar is art deco themed, which makes it's the perfect old-school spot to sit in luxurious surroundings and sip on one of their martinis. The courtyard is decorated with fairy lights, and the cocktail list is impressive and creative. DEAD RINGER This unassuming but stylish casual bar in Surry Hills is doing some excellent work for the drinks category in Sydney. From the team that opened Bulletin Place, Dead Ringer is quietly setting an impressive benchmark for cocktails and bar food. Come for a martini, order some snacks, and then stay for dinner. ICEBERGS DINING ROOM AND BAR At some point everyone needs to sit with what is possibly the most Instagrammed pool in the world, at Icebergs. All the better to do it with a luxurious martini in hand, which will have been delivered to you by suited waiters, while perving on the fashionable crowd that generally occupies the elegantly understated bar. It's class all the way here, folks. Take a date, take an overseas visitor, and definitely take your credit card — don't forget to take a photo. THE BAXTER INN There might be a queue and it might be hard to find but The Baxter Inn is definitely worth seeking out when you've hit with martini cravings. This small cave-like, romping bar is all drinks and loud music. Bartenders use sliding ladders to scale a two meter wall stacked with beautiful bottles of booze and give every patron the personalised service that drinks this good require — even if you do have to lean over the bar and yell your martini order at times — you'll be glad you did. EAU DE VIE One of the most experimental and celebrated bars in town, Eau De Vie is also one of the original game changers in the scene. There's smoke, there's spherical ice, there's showmanship and Grey Goose vodka as well as an extremely high level of skill and care going into your drinks. If you like your martini ice cold — head to EDV, where the bartenders glove-up to mix your vodka of choice with liquid nitrogen and personalise every step to your preference. Trust us, your martini is in safe hands here. STITCH BAR In Sydney's inner city Stitch is known for their burgers, hotdogs and tacos as well as their stellar drinks menu. With luxuriously low lighting and bluesy tunes, this is a popular after-work drink spot for all the right reasons. Grab a martini made with Grey Goose and take a seat at the bar among the luxuriously casual setting. THE ROOK One word: Rooftop. Another word: Drinks. That's pretty much all you need to know about The Rook. One of the very few rooftop bars in Sydney, the view is mostly of the business district's skyscrapers, but being perched above the cars and noise below does invoke a sense of special occasion. Head here on a Sunday afternoon and sip on a martini to finish off your weekend in style. BUTTON BAR The leather booths, long timber bar and warm lighting makes Button Bar a favourite haunt for the hip crowd of the innermost part of Surry Hills. It's cosy, and hidden behind an unmarked doorway. Drinks are the focus here, with knowledgable staff taking the time to make a classic the way you want it — that means your martini will be personalised, and delicious. Not keen on a martini? Answer four simple questions and Grey Goose Vodka's discover function will tell you which cocktail you're perfectly suited for. Discover the luxury in your city with our Luxe Guide. Top Image: Steven Woodburn.
Darling Square's new food precinct is continuing to expand in advance of its April grand opening, with an additional five eateries joining the ranks in the newly formed Steam Mill Lane. The district — which will occupy the previously dead space between UTS and the ICC — has now signed on a Japanese izakaya, a Greek gyro shop, a sandwich eatery, a matcha cafe and a Sichuan rice house. First up is BangBang, which will attempt to bring a bit of Tokyo's Shinjuku district to the laneway. With ex-Nobu Tokyo chef Kokubo Yuji at the helm, the restaurant will offer up ramen and curry alongside a Kabukicho-style whisky and craft beer bar. It will also have a soundproof neon-lit karaoke room. It will be joined by Bexley's much-loved Gyradiko, which will be serving up legit Greek pork gyros — and only pork gyros. This means no lamb, beef or even hummus and tabouleh. It's mainly a takeaway joint, though there will be a few tables for dine-in. Also pleasing the takeaway lunch crowd will be Surry Hills' The Sandwich Shop, which will open its second location here. It'll be turning out its usual quality sandwiches using organic sourdough, house-made sauces and meats roasted in-store. Diners can also sit-in for breakfast, salads and coffee. Matcha-Ya will provide an alternative to coffee — it'll be sourcing their matcha powder from Japan, so you can expect some serious green tea brews, along with a full matcha menu including lattes, fondue, parfait and soft serve. This matcha-mania will be accompanied by savoury dishes, served for lunch and dinner. And to round out the bunch, the teams behind Two Sticks, Bun Gallery and Kobe Wagyu Yakiniku are bringing you Ricefields, a Sichuan rice eatery. It's of course based around the cuisine's numbing chilli, with a specific focus on preserved ingredients through pickling, salting and drying. The five eateries will open in April alongside Melbourne's 8Bit and Sydney's Fishbowl, Belles Hot Chicken, Edition Coffee Roasters and Marrickville Pork Roll. They'll join Toby's Estate, which has been operating at Darling Square since July 2017. These ten eateries will sit within the precinct's 8000 square metres of new retail space, which will eventually house approximately 80 new restaurants, cafes and shops. Darling Square has direct access to to Darling Harbour via The Goods Line and is part of Lendlease's 20-hectare development around the area — along with ICC Sydney and Sofitel Darling Harbour. The precinct has already locked in some pretty big names — but even though Darling Square will house around 2500 CommBank employees, 3000 residents and 1300 students, it will be interesting to see how the new area flourishes, especially considering its proximity to Barangaroo. Of course, there are plenty of top-notch eateries operating in Haymarket — use our handy day and night guide to check them out. Steam Mill Lane is set to open to the public in April 2018. We'll keep you updated on an exact opening date and further details.
Move over, Dark Mofo. Victoria's Apollo Bay is getting an after dark arts festival of its very own. Creeping into the coastal shire on the eastern side of Cape Otway, WinterWild will take place on select Saturday nights in July and early August. Each evening will begin with a ceremonial bonfire on the beach, before branching out to the Mechanics Hall and beyond. Standout events on the program include a performance of Tosca by local opera company Cut Opera, a screening of the '90s cult surf film Litmus, sets by Sand Pebbles and Dirty Three's Mick Turner, and talks by Michael Leunig, Clementine Ford and Arnold Zable. Local cafes and restaurants will also get involved with the festival. Steve Earl's acclaimed La Bimba will devise a special festival menu, and provide a place for revellers to recover as the sun rises on Sunday morning. "This festival won't be for the faint-hearted," said festival director Roderick Poole. "It is very much aimed at adventurous spirits ready to take on a challenge; to embrace the harsh environment and celebrate the beauty of the elements at their extremes. WINTERWILD 2017 DATES: Water (July 1-2): Mick Turner (Dirty Three), Sand Pebbles, screening of Litmus with soundtrack performance by director Andrew Kidman. Earth (July 15-16): Butoh performer Yumi Umiumare, Tek Tek Ensemble, Tosca by Cut Opera. Air (July 29-30): Programmed by the Apollo Bay Writer's Festival, including Michael Leunig, Clementine Ford, Arnold Zable and Emilie Zoey Baker. Fire (Aug 12-13): Massed choir of 100 singers, ritual burning of festival sculpture, live music. WinterWild information and tickets at www.winterwild.com.au.
You don't have to travel to Venice for a kickass biennale, or wait for the annual Biennale of Sydney to roll around. There's a more localised, outdoor version happening right in your own urban backyard this weekend — the 2015 Redfern Biennale. There's no Council approval, all works are by local artists from Redfern's NSW Housing Commission and entry is free; so expect anything and everything. After a successful year in 2014, with over 50 local artists showing their installations, paintings, sculptures and performances, Redfern Biennale is back as part of this year's Art Month. Like last year, all works are by local artists from Redfern's housing commission, and if 2014's result is anything to go by, expect works to be destroyed, thrown in bins and all-round applauded by visitors and residents alike. It's the nature of the anarchic biennale game. Expect nihilistic readymades and found object art around corners, new sculpture in the streets, multimedia, new media and painting on the fences, footpaths and facades of Walker Street, bound by Cooper and Redfern Streets. With no Council approval for the show, local artists are just invited to place artworks on the streets for the seven hours of Biennale time. Badass. "In its democratising gesture of a free-for-all pile of stuff on stuff, Redfern Biennale is a shot across the bow of government sanctioned social sculpture for the greater good," said contemporary curator Yellan Nre of the 2014 Redfern Biennale. "It places public art back in the hands of the public, where they are free to ‘engage’ with it as they wish." The whole Biennale was inspired by the now-closed Damien Minton Gallery's social media chronicling of Redfern's under-appreciated 'readymades', objects and clusters left on the streets to be picked up by the gallery's blog and glorified online. Taking this idea to an entire, democratic exhibition is a whole next level, and one you should clear your calendar for. There's plenty more Art Month adventuring where that came from. Check our list of the ten best things to see at Art Month 2015. Images: Damien Minton Gallery.
If you're ready to share a deep, dark, dirty secret that you've been harbouring your entire life, there's only one way to do it: on a stage, in front of a crowd. Well, that's the idea behind Confession Booth, anyway. After three years of dishing the dirt at Giant Dwarf and World Bar, Sydney's most debauched storytelling night has found a permanent home at Goodgod Small Club. Confession Booth sees writers, musos, actors, comedians and all-round creative types spill the beans on their most embarrassing, outrageous and top-secret moments — all facilitated by ever charming hosts A.H. Cayley and Matt Roden. Spilling their guts on April 29 will be triple j's Lewis Hobba, actor and playwright Nakkiah Lui (ABC's Black Comedy, Belvoir's Kill the Messenger), award-winning author of the forthcoming novel Lion Attack! Oliver Mol, writer and queer activist Annaliese Constable, Cameron James (Jekyll x James, triple j's Chatback). Previous confessors include Brendan Cowell, Tracey Spicer, Sarah Blasko, Osher Günsberg (Andrew G), Yumi Stynes, Benjamin Law, Nahji Chu, Rhys Muldoon, Gen Fricker, Catcall, Rainbow Chan, Marcus Whale, Michael Hing, Levins, SPOD, Nick Coyle and more. But it's not just a passive sharefest. If you've got a story you're dying to share, you can divulge during the audience confession segment — dig deep enough and you might find yourself carrying home a prize (probably booze and a significant weight off your shoulders). By Jasmine Crittenden and Shannon Connellan.
