Sydney will join the likes of Tokyo, Warsaw and Vienna, when the globally acclaimed Red Bull Music Academy Weekender hits the harbour city in September. Making its first ever stop in Australia, the four-day travelling festival will welcome a collection of internationally recognised artists for a series of live shows, club nights, lectures, parties and art exhibitions at some of Sydney's best-loved venues. Sounds pretty bloody terrific to us. Set for September 8-11, the Weekender lineup remains under wraps for the time being, with the first names expected to drop on Tuesday, April 26 before tickets go on sale on Thursday, April 28. The full program will be released in June. Organisers have promised the event will celebrate "the many elements and unique counterparts to the city's musical and cultural identity." The Weekender is one of many events to have spun-off from the Red Bull Music Academy, which boasts an 18-year history fostering musical talent and collaboration around the world. In Australia they've hosted club nights featuring the likes of Onra, Romare and Taylor McFerrin, and presented stages at Laneway and Splendour in the Grass. The Red Bull Music Academy Weekender hits Sydney on September 8. Keep your eyes peeled for a first look at the program on April 26.
Ah burritos. Like hugs you can eat. And if you're lucky, you'll soon be able to get them delivered right to your door quicksmart. Danny Burrito is a Sydney-based startup currently looking to raise money via a crowdfunding campaign. Their business? Burritos on demand. How has nobody thought of this before? According to the Danny Burrito Pozible page, Sydney CBD customers will be able to order their burritos via a mobile app, at which point one of Danny's numerous satellite kitchens will get busy cooking. Your burrito will then be delivered to you via bicycle courier, arriving in a specially-made burrito canister designed to keep your food hot and intact. The process shouldn't take more than 15 minutes, and you'll be able to track the whole thing via GPS. Basically, it's Uber for burritos, and it might be the greatest idea in the history of the world. Move over, 'the wheel'. At the time of writing, Danny Burrito has raised just under $2900, leaving them with two weeks to get to their target of $10,000. A $10 donation will get you a free burrito once the business gets off the ground, while for $50 they'll let you submit your own recipe for their burrito of the month and give you the naming rights — thus fulfilling what we can only assume is everyone's lifelong goal of having a Mexican dish named after them. But the real value comes once you break into triple digits. For $100, you get free burritos for a month, and for $1000, a whole year. And while that may sound like a lot of money, it's actually less than a dollar a day — assuming you eat burritos for breakfast, lunch and dinner, which sounds like a totally reasonable proposition to us. All money raised will go to covering Danny's upfront costs, including delivery bikes, licensing, website development, branding and package manufacturing. To help make Danny's burrito dreams a reality, chuck them a few bucks via Pozible.
Co-created by Ben Jenkins and Zoe Norton Lodge in their Sydney University days, Story Club has reached greater heights in its move from Hermann's Bar and into Chaser-run comedy and performance venue Giant Dwarf. Bringing speakers that you've heard of and others that you haven't is Story Club's shtick. Each guest sits in an armchair before you, opens the heavy Story Club tome and relates a fascinating story from their lives. Both hilarious and remarkable, the event has a new theme each month. The kids behind Story Club call it "stand-up, but sitting down. Then add narrative." Australia's finest raconteurs — including our politicians, stand-up comics, novelists, journos, commentators, poets and musicians — are among the usual suspects.
The Kings Cross Hotel is about to be transformed into an immersive wonderland as part of this year's Vivid Sydney festival. As part of the truly epic Vivid Music program (which includes the world premiere of Björk's digital project), the hotel will be in full swing with a slew of live music, theatre and cabaret throughout the three weeks of the festival from May 27 until June 18. On Friday and Saturday evenings, some of Sydney's cabaret pros will be setting up shop in the Hotel's plush Red Room as part of Avant-Cabaret. Grab yourself an opulent cocktail and see some of Sydney's best take the stage, from burlesque beauties Zsa Zsa La Fine and Betty Grumble, award-winning Aussie cabaret star Tom Sharah, David Bowie Unzipped's Jeff Duff, the inimitable, unmissable and highly glittery Matt Format, tale spinners Mikelangelo & The Black Sea Gentlemen, King of Dance Moves Brendan Maclean and more. AVANT-CABARET LINEUP: May 27 — Opening night party: Jeff Duff, Bridie Doll, Zsa Zsa La Fine May 28 — Betty Grumble & Saba Saliba June 3 — Tom Sharah & Matt Format June 4 — Trevor Ashley & Sabrina D'Angelo June 10 and 11 — Cabaret Sasquatch June 17 — Mikelangelo & The Black Sea Gentlemen, The Chocolate Girl, Oh Reach June 18 — Closing night party: Brendan Maclean, Zsa La Fine, Bridie Doll and burlesque performers The Kings Cross Hotel's Vivid takeover will run for the length of the festival, from May 27 until June 18. For more information on what's happening at the Hotel, visit their website.
With a sumptuous colour palette, interwoven plot lines, and unexpected humour, writer-director Rian Johnson (Looper) has assuredly marked Star Wars, Episode VIII: The Last Jedi as his own – a new chapter in the Skywalker saga that is at once deeply familiar and unique. Part two in the sequel trilogy picks up right where The Force Awakens left off, with the orphaned heroine Rey (Daisy Ridley) attempting to lure the only remaining Jedi, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), out of self-imposed exile. Meanwhile, the last remnants of the Resistance flee a resurgent New Order. The film opens with as dramatic a sequence as the franchise has ever seen, delivering an exhilarating and poignant battle that introduces a spectacularly menacing new class of space ship known as the Dreadnaught, pits ace pilot Poe (Oscar Isaac) against his superiors, and sets in motion a race against the clock. Unable to escape without detection and with only shallow reserves of fuel remaining until the New Order catches up with them, the depleted Rebel fleet limps through space like the Orca from Jaws – a hapless, crumbling ship pursued by a killer whose only remaining hurdle is time. But as ingenious as this setup may be, it also gives rise to the film's most pointless subplot. After waking from his coma, Finn (John Boyega) contrives a means by which he can disable the New Order's tracking device, albeit one that requires him to sneak off the fleeing vessel, travel to a Monaco-styled casino planet, track down a master codebreaker and infiltrate the enemy's warship undetected. This enormous MacGuffin sees Boyega partnered with the charming Kelly Marie Tran as Rose Tico, a Resistance engineer low in status but high in pluck. The problem is that their side adventure does absolutely nothing to advance the actual story. Finn's reluctant hero arc was already covered off in The Force Awakens, while Rose's belief in (and commitment to) the righteousness of the rebel cause is perfectly encapsulated in her fantastic introductory scene but goes unchallenged thereafter. Benicio Del Toro also pops up, then shortly thereafter departs, in an entirely forgettable cameo. Ultimately they all end up right where they began, having effected no material change except to deliver a heavy-handed critique of war profiteers. The great shame is that in both Boyega and Tran you have oodles of charisma, heart and talent that deserve scenes of equal calibre. Instead, they chew up time in a movie already guilty of using far too much of it. Thankfully the rest of the cast fares better. Hamill, Ridley and Adam Driver's Kylo Ren find themselves entangled in a fascinating and emotionally-driven power struggle, with each grappling with their complicated relationships to one another and their wider place in the universe. In an appropriate analogy to the franchise itself, Skywalker wrestles with his own understanding of legend and mythos, believing himself unworthy of hero status and wracked with the guilt of failing Ren in his training. Ren, in turn, remains conflicted about his place in the First Order and his murder of his father, whilst Rey feels the growing Force within her yet lacks the knowledge or training to understand it. It's in sequences featuring this core trio that The Last Jedi hits its highest notes. The exploration of Jedi lore, too, receives the kind of treatment that will delight the franchise's most ardent fans, including a moment of outstanding visual flair, involving replicated Reys, that reminds us of Johnson's unique style and character. And, of course, there's Carrie Fisher, whose few scenes remind us how affecting and groundbreaking a character Princess Leia is, and how captivating an actor Fisher was. Her departure is treated with all the deftness, restraint and respect that audiences could hope for. Perhaps the biggest departure from tradition, though, especially in the wake of the gritty spinoff Rogue One, is Johnson's use of comedy. With more gags, one-liners and quirky moments than all the other Star Wars films combined, The Last Jedi introduces a levity to the staid franchise in the vein of Roger Moore's turn as post-Connery Bond. At times it works, even to the point of guffaws, but ultimately the humour feels misplaced. In a story where loss abounds and crushing defeat looms large at every turn, the repeated cutaways to doe-eyed porgs purring like extras from a Pixar film distract more than they entertain. So, too, does Domhnall Gleeson, whose character General Hux plays more like a parody of a Star Wars villain. As a result, both the New Order and the film itself are robbed of their most enduring menace: the Empire. After all, pare back any of the previous films in this sprawling space opera and you'll find that, for all their Sith lords and rogue assassins, what truly terrified was a galactic military-industrial complex so vast and overbearing it was capable of repressing not just people but entire planets. Darth Vaders come and go, and individuals can be destroyed, but totalitarian regimes endure for generations. When an oppressed populace has only ever known a life under the iron fist, it cannot even contemplate an alternative. It's that, more than any great, dark mysticism, that provides the Star Wars universe with its most tangible threat. Overly long and consistently clunky, The Last Jedi ultimately proves a bit of a mixed bag. Its battle scenes are nothing short of spectacular, including a five-second shot involving Laura Dern and a hyperspace jump that almost singlehandedly justifies the entire film's existence. As a chronicle of Jedi mythology, too, the film delivers in a way the George Lucas prequels never managed, offering new and engaging insights into the Force and the balance between light and dark. Too often, though, the dialogue is exposition heavy and played for easy laughs. One senses Rian Johnson has in him a greater, more exploratory story to tell, one unburdened by so much expectation and history. The good news? He's set to follow Last Jedi with an entirely new Star Wars trilogy. May the force be with him. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0CbN8sfihY
Looks like Sydney's going to get a taste of the old days; the lockout laws will be lifted for one night only on New Year's Eve. Confirmed by the state government and reported by the Daily Telegraph this morning, the laws are apparently being lifted to avoid crazy rushes to venues before 1:30am after the fireworks finish. In other words, you'll be treated like some kind of responsible adult for one glorious evening. Now, don't fuck it up. If you're venturing into the CBD on New Year's Eve (you dedicated shindig-seeker you), you'll be able to enter CBD/Kings Cross bars, pubs and clubs until 3am — so popping out for a cheeky 2am ciggie won't separate you from your bag and buddies this NYE. Last drinks at 3am, as per usual, and bars won't be changing their closing time. Seems there's been a bucketload of meetings on this one; according to the Tele, the state government was apparently advised to lift the lockouts by the City of Sydney, the police and the Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing — all three said it would improve safety for the night. According to the office of Deputy Premier and liquor and hospitality minister Troy Grant, the lockout lift is a means to avoid accidents at Sydney's wharves in particular, with fireworks watchers heading into the city and trying to beat the clock to the kick-on party. "This is a commonsense approach for what is the biggest night on the Sydney calendar," said Grant. "Sydney is the greatest city in the world to spend New Year’s Eve and I want people to have fun, be safe and look after their mates... This is about striking the right balance between common sense, industry and individual responsibility." So Sydney, keep your punches in your damn pockets and celebrate the New Year with a window into the old way of things. Or just watch the fireworks from a Newtown pub and leave your eyelids unbatted on this one. Via Daily Telegraph. Image: Hai Linh Truong cc.
Brisbanites, put a hold on stuffing your face with burgers and doughnuts, because there's a new food trend in town. If you've checked out any of your social media feeds over the last week, you've probably heard the term 'raindrop cake'. But what is it? And why is everyone in the city suddenly desperate to try this seeming culinary marvel? The answer to the second question is easy: Harajuku Gyoza in South Brisbane was the first place in Australia to start selling the new dessert craze, though it's also now available at their Potts Point store in Sydney too. The answer to the first question is a bit more complicated, particularly when the clear, jiggly meal everyone is craving tastes like water-flavoured jelly and looks like a giant eyeball, a breast implant or ball of goo. Raindrop cakes were invented by New York chef Darren Wong, who wanted to try his hand at making the traditional Japanese summer dish Mizu Shingen Mocha. Sparking lengthy lines at Brooklyn's Smorgasburg outdoor food markets when they were unveiled at the beginning of April, they consist of a mixture of spring water and a vegan gelatin derived from seaweed. That explains their appearance and texture, but not why everyone is raving about them. Perhaps the fact that raindrop cakes melt if they're not eaten within 30 minutes has something to do with it. Maybe their kilojoule-free status (if you don't count the accompanying powder and syrup) has everyone excited? Or, the way they're served on cute little bamboo boats? It could be Wong's revelation that he was inspired by the raindrops in A Bug's Life — because who doesn't want to eat something that looks like it comes straight from an animated movie? Whatever the reason, raindrop cakes are certain to keep food-loving Brisbane residents talking — and flocking to Harajuku Gyoza — for the foreseeable future. The dumpling house's take on the trend comes in two versions: a twist on Wong's recipe made with sesame powder and brown sugar syrup; and their own concoction complete with fresh strawberries, blueberries and raspberries inside the raindrop, and condensed milk, kinako and crushed peanuts on the side. Yes, we recommend trying both of them. Jump on board the raindrop cake bandwagon by visiting Harajuku Gyoza's South Brisbane store at 184 Grey Street or their Sydney store at 9-15 Bayswater Road, Potts Point. Check out their website and Facebook page for more information. Image: Tim Ireland for Darren Wong.
Visiting Sydney's rugged Blue Mountains region is always worth the two-hour drive from the city. There are hundreds of things to do — from bushwalks, to abseils, to waterfalls, to standing around and generally admiring the view. There's also the option to do all of that in one go — with a Blue Mountains canyoning adventure. The description on this RedBalloon adventure says you don't have to be a professional adventurer (no abseiling or canyoning experience is required). But requirements are being able to walk up steep steps for 20 minutes and swim for 25 metres, which we discovered makes it a full on adventure that even the more experienced in the group will enjoy. Dedicate one day out of your weekend to abseiling off cliffs over massive valleys, jumping over rocks in freezing water, canyoning, and swimming in waterfalls. The day starts with some beginner abseiling over the Megalong Valley (see below). Later, you'll go rock jumping through caves, and eventually abseil a 30 metre waterfall. Read this and find out what you're really in for. THE MORNING Arrive at The School of Mountaineering at 8:45am. There are two instructors per group of ten, so you're sure to get individual attention throughout the day. In the Megalong Valley you'll start off with a couple of practice runs abseiling off a cliff. The shortest is five metres, and the longest is thirty metres — they vary in difficulty and overlook the massive valley below, so if you're not too terrified you should look down and enjoy the view. You're only abseiling a minuscule portion of the distance to the ground, but you'll feel the height in your gut. These smaller trips are 'practices' because they're intended to get you ready for the tough abseil of the 30 metre Empress Falls at the end of the day. THE AFTERNOON The next part of the adventure is a twenty-minute hike down a mountain. Enjoy this trip down, because soon you'll be going the other way and you'll feel every step. Once you reach the creek at the base, change into a wet-suit and pop your clothes into a dry bag – make sure you close it properly, the water you're about to jump into is cold. Very cold. Your instructors will mention how cold the water is several times, but there is no way to properly oversell this point. You'll get used to the temperature pretty quickly, but you'll definitely want your clothes nice and warm when you're out. Your group will be instructed how to trek through the canyon you're in, which can be a dangerous activity if your head isn't screwed on straight. There are four water jumps through the canyon, at varying difficulty and at a maximum height of 5 metres. The safest option is the 'Grandma' jump, but once you get confident you can go for the more extreme 'Keanu Reeves' and 'Mission Impossible' styles. Take a breather and look up among the oasis of the temperate rainforest within this sandstone gorge. The peaceful air is unparalleled and makes it easier to forget the cold. The only way out the canyon is to abseil the Empress Waterfall. This is why the adventure is not for onlookers or the faint of heart – once you commit to the canyon, you're in it. THE WATERFALL Harnessed in, you go over the ledge of the waterfall and immediately duck into its cave. This rope is heavy duty and it's the most important time to remember your abseiling training because the waterfall crashing over your head is a major distraction (even though it's beautiful). At the end of the rock, take a final leap and land in the waters of Jamison Valley. Savour your success – a few minutes later you'll be heading back up those steep steps. Change out of your wet-suit and get going while the adrenaline is still kicking in. Book your Blue Mountains canyoning adventure (or gift it to someone else) at RedBalloon. Images: Marissa Ciampi and RedBalloon.
Sydney will join the likes of Tokyo, Warsaw and Vienna, when the globally acclaimed Red Bull Music Academy Weekender hits the harbour city in September. Making its first ever stop in Australia, the four-day travelling festival will welcome a collection of internationally recognised artists for a series of live shows, club nights, lectures, parties and art exhibitions at some of Sydney's best-loved venues. Sounds pretty bloody terrific to us. Set for September 8-11, the Weekender lineup will see the already announced (and seriously sold-out) Flight Facilities concert with Sydney Symphony Orchestra in The Domain. Today, the entire festival lineup has been announced, with plenty to look forward to over the four days. There'll be a conversation and performance by house music legend Larry Heard (aka Mr Fingers) on Sydney's newest permanent floating venue Seadeck. Ta-ku will make his directorial debut for his music doco (m)edian. There'll be an ambient set from Gigi Masin on Sydney Harbour with Young Marco and Jonny Nash as Gaussian Curve. Seminal LA label Stones Throw will take over Manning Bar to celebrate two decades of beats, with Beat Junkies founder and legendary turntablist J Rocc, alongside Mndsgn, Katalyst and Stones Throw label head Peanut Butter Wolf. There's a massive club night taking over Oxford Art Factory with Night Slugs' Bok Bok, Kilo Kish, Sydney's Marcus Whale,Cliques, Low Ton, Kllo, Kučka and Lewis Cancut. The whole festival will wrap up on Sunday with the Great Antipodean Reggae Soundsystem Carnival, which is one of the best names for an event we've seen in an age, and includes sets from Earthshaker Soundsystem, Heartical Hi Powa with Stryka D & Macky Banton World MC, K.B.I Soundsystem, Inner West Reggae Disco Machine and Gappy Ranks. The Weekender is one of many events to have spun-off from the Red Bull Music Academy, which boasts an 18-year history fostering musical talent and collaboration around the world. In Australia they've hosted club nights featuring the likes of Onra, Romare and Taylor McFerrin, and presented stages at Laneway and Splendour in the Grass. RED BULL MUSIC ACADEMY WEEKENDER FULL LINEUP András (live) Bok Bok Cliques Dan White Dopplereffekt Earthshaker Flight Facilities Frank Booker Gappy Ranks Gaussian Curve Gigi Masin Heartical Hi-fi (Melbourne) Inner West Reggae Disco Machine J-Rocc Kano Katalyst Kbi Kilo Kish Kllo Kloke Kucka Larry Heard Lewis Cancut Lorna Clarkson Low Ton Lucy Cliché Macky Banton World MC Marcus Whale Mndsgn Noise in my Head Peanut Butter Wolf Phile Simon Caldwell Stryka D Sydney Symphony Orchestra Tako & Kamie Tiller Ta-ku Xosar The Red Bull Music Academy Weekender hits Sydney on September 8. Tickets are on sale now here. By Imogen Baker and Tom Clift.
If you, like us, plan your holidays entirely around food, you're in luck. We've teamed up with Zantac and we're giving away three mini holidays in Melbourne, Hobart and the Barossa Valley in South Australia. You'll wine, dine, sleep and adventure in luxe surroundings until you simply no longer can — how does that sound? Choose Melbourne and you and a guest will spend two nights at QT Melbourne in the CBD, have lunch and attend a coffee cupping course at Collingwood's famous specialty coffee house Proud Mary, and have dinner (and dessert) at Andrew McConnell's pan-Asian restaurant Supernormal on Flinders Lane. In the Barossa, you'll stay at The Louise (an incredible hotel that's side-by-side with a vineyard), head to St Hugo for a wine tasting and delicious winery lunch, then wind up at Fino at Seppeltsfield for dinner. Head to Hobart, and you'll stay at the Henry Jones Art Hotel, visit Bruny Island for a day of food, sightseeing and lighthouses thanks to Experience Oz and then feast on a South American-style dinner at Frank. Each prize includes return flights from any Australian capital city, two nights of accommodation and two foodie experiences (lunch and dinner). All you need to do is tell us your details and where you want to go — Hobart, Melbourne or the Barossa. It breaks our heart to tell you that you can only pick one destination, and you can only enter this competition once, so think long and hard about where you really want to go. If you're available to go on your adventure between Friday, July 28 and Sunday, September 10, head here to enter. To find out more about Zantac and how it tames heartburn fast, head to the website.
First they housed a gaol, then an art school, and now, for the first time ever, Forbes Street's legendary sandstone walls will be surrounding an outdoor summer dance club. Over several Sundays between January 11 and February 22, Astral People will be bringing a serious dose of electronic talent — both local and international — to the National Art School for extended afternoon-evening sessions. So, if you've been holed up all winter partying in warehouses and underground caves, it's time to salute the sun. Each event will feature at least three DJs on the bill. From the US, there's the outspoken Moodymann (a.k.a. Kenny Dixon Jr.), Detroit-based techno and house producer Omar-S, leader of Motown resurgence House Shoes and weekend-mischief creators Mister Saturday Night. Meanwhile, DJ EZ will be bringing his combo of old skool and new skool garage, bass and underground house from the UK, while Ukrainian DJ Vakula will be taking care of the deep house and experimental side of things. Thirteen more locally-sourced acts, including Tornado Wallace, Andras Fox, Simon Caldwell and Otologic, round out the lineup. Head here for the program breakdown and to lock in your tickets to one of our picks for the summer's best parties.
The future of Sydney's nightlife in the face of the NSW Government's infamous lockout laws might still be in a state of polarising uncertainty, but the perseverant bunch at nightlife lobby group Keep Sydney Open are attempting to reinvigorate one of Sydney's legendary night spots. Kings Cross has undeniably seen significant change since the introduction of the laws, including a well-covered (and debated) string of venue closures — for a discussion on whether the closures are directly linked to the lockout laws, meet every interested Sydneysider at the pub later. But now, KSO, alongside local collective Eastside Sydney, will take over seven of Kings Cross's nightlife venues for a full precinct festival, dubbed Meet Me in the Cross, on Saturday, July 1 from 9pm. Pick up a $30 ticket and it'll give you access to parties and nosh deals inside Kings Cross Hotel, The World Bar, Candy's Apartment, Potts Point Hotel, Crane Bar, Jangling Jack's and Sweethearts Rooftop. You can hop between bars until 3am. Who will you find having a mad boogie within these venues? Party-starved revellers and live performances from some of Sydney's best record labels and party crews like Future Classic, Astral People, Elefant Traks, Heaps Gay, Lovebombs and more. "Kings Cross is the heart and soul of Sydney nightlife," says KSO campaign director Tyson Koh. "We all know it has suffered in recent times, but the truth is venues are still kicking in the Cross — you can still see great local live bands and dance to amazing music ... Now it's time to support the venues and artists that make this city great in the best way possible: by having a party!"
Winter schminter, let's party on the roof. There's a new weekly rooftop shindig in town, brought to you every Saturday night by the crew behind Aussie electronic label etcetc (repping the likes of Kilter, Paces and Set Mo). After their sold-out slam dunk of a Vivid showcase, etcetc have found themselves a nice little CBD rooftop, Taylor's Social, atop the 1865 heritage listed Republic Hotel on Bridge Street — accessible from a laneway entrance on Tank Stream Way. And it's going to be pretty; there's going to be a commissioned installation from Australian-born artist Anthony Lister making a modern party spot of the heritage-listed building, handpicked for their weekly DANCEetc. party. The music policy? All things house. Featuring a solid roster of up-and-coming talent, DANCEetc. will launch on July 18 with the likes of Set Mo, POOLCLVB, Acaddamy, LO’99 and Frames locked in for the first couple of weeks. Pair your deep house with fancy wines picked out by the crew's sommelier and botanical cocktails aplenty. DANCEetc will kick off at 8pm on July 18 atop the Republic Hotel, corner of Bridge Street and Tank Stream Way. For more info, visit etcetc. Image: POOLCLVB.
We all know Hyde Park is much better when conceived as a kind of Midsummer Night's Dream: a magical, atmospheric hub bounded by strings of lights. For another year, Sydney Festival is setting up the beloved Festival Village in Hyde Park, stretching along College Street past the Archibald Fountain and housing the Spiegeltent, Magic Mirror Spiegeltent and all your festival food and drink needs. The Village's free activities, music and nommy nomz will take you from day to night with the laidback, buzzy vibe that's unique to Sydney in January. Food vendors have your voracious stomach's needs completely covered from 12pm (check out these ridiculous Messina creations). But this is not just about slobbering gluttony, you barbarian. It's also about playtime. City of Sydney's Lawn Library offers books and workshops by day, and you can enjoy the creative surrounds of SydFest's 2016 artists-in-residence Province (aka Laura Pike and Anne-Louise Dadak). Festival Village is open January 7-26 (closed Mondays). Food from 12pm, licensed bars open from 4pm. Visit the Sydney Festival website for more info. Image by Prudence Upton.
Sydney's rockstars will go head to head with the bigwigs of community radio, at the seventh annual Reclink Community Cup. In a dance as old as time — otherwise known as the mid 90s — muso team the Western Wailers will take on local media and radio royalty, aka the Sydney Sailors, in a highly entertaining and heckleworthy game of amateur charity football with a year's worth of bragging rights on the line. Played at Henson Park in Marrickville, proceeds from the Sunday, August 19 match will be donated to Reclink Australia and used to improve the lives of people suffering from disability, homelessness, substance abuse and economic hardship through participation in sport and the arts. Reigning champs the Wailers will be looking to keep the cup, while the Sailors will try to snatch it back. Your local MP Albo will be tossing the coin, and the match will be bookended by a series of live performances by the likes of Scabz and Bachelor Pad — all of whose musical credentials are a lot more impressive than their footballing ones. Hey, if you want to see professional athletes, go to the SCG.
You might have missed the moving party for Surry Hills' newest resident, Fat Angel, a Mediterranean-inspired joint which quietly opened at the end of October. Sitting on Elizabeth Street, Fat Angel has all the hallmarks of an on-trend Sydney bar — exposed brick walls, plenty of dark wood tones and polished concrete floors — alongside huge porthole-like lights made from sawn-off rustic wine barrels. The bar has a decidedly Mediterranean menu with share dishes like Greek lamb skewers with tzatziki, a mean-lookin' cheese plate, and a grilled seafood plate (thyme and lemon octopus, paprika marinated calamari and garlic prawns). But we're in Sydney, that means burgers found their way into this Mediterranean menu. Fat Angel does their own namesake burger, a delicious-sounding combination of bacon, beef, grilled onion, mayo and cheddar, alongside a grilled peri-peri chicken burger and a vege option. How about a side of rosemary polenta chips with that? Of course, one of the best ways to judge a bar is by its signature drinks. Cocktails are a big player here; there's the cutely-named Pink Power (vodka, lychee liqueur, fresh raspberry and rose petal) and just in case you've forgotten what 'hood you're in, there's the Surry Hill Side (Sailor Jerry spiced rum, coconut water, coconut liqueur, lime and fresh pineapple juice). Rounding out the list is a selection of classic cocktails because negronis. If you're not a mixed drinks person, there is a selection of imported beers and fine wines for you to choose from. Enjoy a Czech lager from the tap or pick from the modest wine menu, largely from Victoria and New Zealand. Fat Angel is now open at 512 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills. Image: Fat Angel.
They've taken you back to the skating days of Dogtown, knotted up the ascots at a pop-up Hunting Lodge and even travelled into space. Now, Sydney's experts in pop-up immersive parties, LOST Events, are delving into the underbelly of society with their next party — themed Sin City. Locked in for Saturday, October 31 (yep, Halloween), the next LOST party will take cues from crime, horror and noir films this time around. Location? The party will place in a "plush mystery crib", ten minutes from Oxford Street "that you can bank on being First Class". Here's the breakdown from the team, to give you a bit of a clue: "LOST Events lure invite the bloodied, bad and beautiful to hitch a ride to the corrosive core of Sin City. Take a trenchant trip to a time when life is loose, love came cheap and the Demon Dog LOST Boys ran this town and kept it looking goooood." Uh-huh. The most important detail of all — what should you wear? LOST are reminding punters they're entering the "chilling, ultraviolent and sleazy world of the hard-boiled", so think flawed antiheroes (Dirty Harry, Punisher), dirty cops (Training Day, The Departed), twisted weirdos (Zed in Pulp Fiction, 8MM), hard-drinking private investigators, tormented heroines, vengeful detectives, murderous billionaires and so on. LOST have even created a Sin City style guide on Pinterest, because they're great like that. As always with LOST events, there'll be more precise instructions sent to guests personally on the day. The doors only open three times on the day — "when you come in, once you've served your time, or when you're dead". What the hell this means, we have no idea, so expect everything and anything. LOST in Sin City is happening on Saturday, October 31 from 3-10pm. Tickets are $105, on sale Monday, August 24 from midday from LOST Events.
Crucial to doing brunch properly is not having to think about time. After all, it's its occupation of the not-breakfast, not-lunch never-never land that makes it so deliciously languid. You can't be early. You can't be late. And it's impossible to stay too long. Practically, though, Sydney brunches, especially when combined with views, can't always offer such temporal escapism. Too many people want in on them. Until now, that is. The Watsons Bay Hotel is bringing an all-you-can-eat buffet brunch our way. For hours on end, you'll be able to indulge while soaking up waterfront views and recovering from whatever shindiggery you've been up to the evening before. Whipped up by executive chef John Pye, the menu is no ordinary buffet production but features the likes of house-made granola trifles layered with summer berries and vanilla yoghurt; hand-carved, glazed Kurobuta ham and cranberry sauce sliders; Belgian waffles with crispy American-style bacon and maple syrup; and banana flapjack pancakes with salted caramel sauce and Chantilly cream. For drinks, a bespoke Bloody Mary bar will have you covered, and there's also the option of bubbles, fresh mimosas and home-made watermelon lemonade. The Bay Brunch is back for September 27, October 4 and October 18.
Ordering a scotch at your local is your one way ticket to mad steeze with your mates, right? But what do we know about Scottish whisky, really? Every good whisky bar has an arsenal of scotch, but do you really know what you're ordering? In order to dispel the air of mystery surrounding scotch (and just so we can stop pretending we know what we're talking about), we've called upon Auchentoshan's head distiller Rachel Barrie to set us straight about this long-loved spirit. Rachel became the first female Master Blender 13 years ago (after 12 years working in the industry), making a few waves in the industry as a result. Suffice to say, she's the perfect person to answer all our Scotch questions. Learn up. [caption id="attachment_576038" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Lindores Abbey, Nathan Baker.[/caption] Where and when did Scotch whisky originate? The earliest recorded evidence of distilling in Scotland goes back to 1494 at Lindores Abbey in the Lowlands, where Father John Cor distilled 800 gallons of aqua vitae ('water of life') from eight bolls of barley (48 Scottish bushels), on the order of King James IV of Scotland. What were the original techniques used to distil Scotch whisky? How have things changed? Prior to the Industrial Revolution, distilling was conducted on a much smaller scale (and was often illicit) using small copper pot stills. During the Industrial Revolution, sometime between 1760 and 1840, malt distilleries were granted a license to distil by government, and industrial grain distilleries were set up primarily in the Lowlands, based on the steel continuous still design using grain (wheat or maize) to provide alcohol rather than malted barley. The grain distillation process was disputed at the time, and took decades to be accepted as Scotch whisky. Around 1860, blending grain and malt whisky commenced, creating blended Scotch whisky, which heralded the growth of the spirit in the 19th and 20th centuries. The Scotch Whisky Order of 1990 defines how Scotch whisky is made. Over the years, the law has been more tightly defined, and now every distillery in Scotland must be verified for Geographical Indication (GI) to ensure the highest standards of production quality and integrity. How does Scotch whisky differ to other whiskies like Irish whiskey, Japanese whisky or American whiskey? Scotch whisky has evolved over many centuries to create the greatest diversity of style of any whisky. Scotland grows high quality barley in the east, has peat in the north and west, and a year round supply of water in deep lochs, flowing rivers, and natural springs. Microclimate shapes maturation in oak casks (mainly ex-bourbon American oak and ex-sherry Spanish oak), and seasonal weather and local microflora help unlock balanced complexity, enriching the spirit with vitality and depth from youth to a ripe old age. Scotch whisky is unique in the rich complexity of flavours unlocked from the 115+ malt distilleries. Single malts are united by malt sweetness that harmonises fruit, floral, salt and smoke flavours from each distillery. AMERICAN WHISKEY American whiskeys are mainly distilled from corn and rye, and matured in American oak for a relatively short time (mostly five years or less). Grain produces a spicy/oily spirit combining with intense vanilla and caramel sweetness from the oak. IRISH WHISKEY Irish whiskeys are distilled mostly from unmalted barley and corn (with a small amount of malt), and pot and continuous stills are employed. Most Irish whiskeys are blends that are light, sweet, smooth and grassy. There are a small number of single pot still Irish whiskeys (made primarily from unmalted barley), and even fewer (for example Connemara) made from peated malt. JAPANESE WHISKY The handful of Japanese distilleries in existence were built less than a century ago, based on Scotch whisky production methods. In this short time, Japanese whisky has moved to design different styles, from light, clean and precise through to smoky and oily. [caption id="attachment_576044" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Gary Crawford.[/caption] How does taste differ between regions within Scotland? Each distillery's character is highly individual, however similarities in style can be found between regions. The Highland region is the largest, with Speyside having the most distinct style united by malt and fruit, much of which is blended with grain to make the heart of high volume blends. Islay malts have the dominant taste of smoke (from peat) and salt, with all other tastes woven in. Although very few distilleries exist in the Lowlands, the style is vibrant and refined with predominantly grassy, sweet and floral characters. What does it mean when you define a Scottish whisky as 'single malt' and 'single grain'? Both single malt and single grain whiskies are the product of only one distillery. Single malt whisky is made 100 percent from malted barley and distilled in copper pot stills at a single distillery. Single grain whisky is made from grain (wheat or maize), distilled in a continuous still (Coffey still) distillery. Feel like you've got a handle on scotch now? If you're a bartender, bar owner or know someone in the bar industry, listen up. Auchentoshan is looking for talented bar teams to come up with a brand new scotch-based cocktail for their 'Distilled Different' competition across Australia. More details on Auchentoshan's website.
Spending his time spontaneously bartending with RZA, doing the dishes at Scottish student golf mixers, and becoming "one of the most prolific party crashers of his generation", Bill Murray is now indisputably legendary. But aside from sporadically making peoples lives by simply showing up, Murray's film career runs rings around his moments of internet implosion. So, in a one-off marathon of long-overdue worship, the Golden Age are throwing their very own Bill Murra-thon. Coinciding with the actual date of Groundhog Day, Tuesday, February 3 and running through to Sunday, February 8, the Bill Murra-thon includes all your favourite classic Murray moments and his latest Golden Globe-nomination. Anchoring the Murray-love in the present day, watch the man growl and grumble through one of his most unflatteringly kickass roles yet, the misunderstood next-door neighbour in St Vincent (just don't watch the trailer, all the good bits are in the trailer). Then it's time to head back to golden era Murray, with the ironically ever-rewatchable Groundhog Day, the immortal Ghostbusters, and Wes Anderson heart-huggers Rushmore and Moonrise Kingdom. Finally, the red beanie on top — a screening of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou complete with salted popcorn, Campari and sodas and your ticket to Team Zissou: that gem of a red beanie. And while they're not screening, it's best if we all remember that time Murray totally saved the day in Space Jam and helped you talk to girls in Meatballs. Neva4get.
There's never a bad time for a piece of cake, particularly when it's made by one of the best dessert chefs in Sydney. We're talking about Andy Bowdy, of course — and as of 8am this morning, the online operation run by the former Hartsyard pastry chef has expanded his knee-weakening range, both in terms of the types of delicious morsels available and just where the hungry masses can get them. Andrew Bowden has officially opened his very first bakery cafe, called Saga, much to the delight of Sydney cake fiends and Bowden's ever-growing number of Instagram followers. If you like decadent, delectable sweet treats like pineapple tarts with salted coconut cream and coconut praline, or pecan pie Paris-Brest with caramel chantilly and brown sugar salted pecans, or cinnamon buns with maple pecans and fried papitas, you should hotfoot it to Enmore. Not convinced? How about White chocolate and mascarpone mousse with coffee and tequila soaked savoiardi biscuits, choc-hazelnut crumb, Nutella crémeux, hazelnut praline, Kahlúa jelly — available in two sizes "enough" and "fat fuck". And we haven't even started on his cakes — Bowden's cakes are the main event after all. He's got tiny versions of his cylindrical wonders on offer, like the Mini Matt's — vanilla butter cake, milk crumb, matcha mousse, toasted coconut cream, coconut chew, yuzu curd, caramel and "a teaspoon of torched meringue love". Bowden's new offering isn't just a cake shop though, serving food fare for all occasions — and all times of the day too. Bowden and his partner — and current Hartsyard manager — Maddison Howes have dubbed this Saga, we're guessing because opening your own cafe is indeed that. Given how creative their cakes are, we're sure this saga will be a long and delightful one. Find Andy Bowdy's Saga at 178 Enmore Road, Enmore. By Sarah Ward and Shannon Connellan.
The UK's Gecko Theatre Company approach their performances as a collaboration of media, using theatre, dance, and stage and its props to create an environment all of their own. Their newest production Institute is a bewitching combination of stagecraft and choreography that manipulates the audience's perception of the players and their surroundings. Witty, funny, and shocking all at the same time, the performance, crafted by Artistic Director Amit Lahav, plays on your mind as it presents itself as both baffling and beautiful in equal measures. This is one of 15 next-level events to see at Sydney Festival. Check out the whole list.
Black and white, light and dark — as basic as these contrasting ideas are, they're concepts that have formed the backbone of Chinese art for centuries. Contemporary artists are still struggling with the idea of luminescence versus the void, and the upcoming exhibition at White Rabbit, The Dark Matters, will turn this dichotomy on its head. Expect to see a number of big names in Chinese contemporary art, including Tang Nannan, based in the Fujian Province in China, and Brooklyn-based Lin Yan. The defining characteristic of Yan's work has been described as "the way it uses elements of multiple styles to bring histories, past and present, together," and it's this manipulation of styles and media that defines The Dark Matters. It's an exhibition that endeavours to clarify the yin and yang informing Chinese art throughout time. White Rabbit Gallery is focused on contemporary Chinese art produced after 2002, and The Dark Matters looks to celebrate one of the more prevalent themes in this realm. Image: Huang Wen-Ying, Searching II, with viewer.
The 2018 Alliance Française French Film Festival might be one year short of a major milestone, but the Gallic cinema showcase is still celebrating its 29th iteration in style. As always, that means a feast of films is on the agenda at the crowd-drawing and -pleasing annual event — 47 features, two documentaries and one televisions series, in fact. Touring the country from February 27, starting in Sydney before heading to Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Perth, Hobart, Adelaide, Parramatta and Casula, this year's AFFFF will bookend its program with amusement. The festival kicks off with comedy C'est la vie! from The Intouchables duo Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache, before coming to a close with rom-com 50 Is the New 30. In-between, everything from acclaimed efforts to star-studded dramas to the latest work from master directors will grace cinema screens around Australia, celebrating the best in French film from the past twelve months. Sitting high amongst the highlights are the AIDS activism-focused BPM and the Juliette Binoche-starring Let the Sunshine In, which will both receive a nation-wide run after screening at last year's Melbourne International Film Festival. In the high-profile camp, they're joined by a Marion Cotillard double, with the acclaimed actress featuring in last year's Cannes opening night pick Ismael's Ghosts and comedy Rock'n Roll; romantic drama The Return of the Hero with Mélanie Laurent and The Artist Oscar-winner Jean Dujardin; Isabelle Huppert in coming-of-age effort Reinventing Marvin; and Gael Garcia Bernal in If You Saw His Heart. Or fans of prominent French filmmakers can get their fix courtesy of François Ozon's Double Lover and Xavier Beauvois' The Guardians, marking the latest flicks from the respective directors of Frantz and Of Gods and Men. The Artist's Michel Hazanavicius tackles an icon, turning the life of Jean-Luc Godard into Redoubtable, while Laurent Cantet jumps from 2008 Palme d'Or-winner The Class to thriller The Workshop. Elsewhere, actor-director Mathieu Amalric helms and features in Barbara, about an actress starring in a biopic about a famed chanteuse AFFFF 2018 will also shine a spotlight on queer cinema for the first time, to celebrate marriage equality, and also include its usual selection of family-friendly fare for younger cinephiles. And, for those keen on catching some TV on the big screen, three episodes of Paris, Etc will whisk you away to the French capital, following the lives and loves of Parisian women. The Alliance Française French Film Festival tours Australia from February 27, screening at Sydney's Chauvel Cinema, Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona, Palace Central and Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace from February 27 to March 27; Melbourne's Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Kino Cinemas and The Astor Theatre from February 28 to March 27; and Brisbane's Palace Barracks and Palace Centro from March 8 to April 4. For more information, visit the festival website.
Having hosted numerous sold out pop-ups in Adelaide and Melbourne since 2013, the Urban Winery Project is now on its way to Sydney. The crew will be teaming up with Three Blue Ducks to host a four-course dinner and grape stomping session (yep, involving your bare feet) at the Ducks' Rosebery warehouse. "After three years in Adelaide and two in Melbourne, we couldn't ignore that a huge number of our followers were calling for us to come to Sydney," says David Bowley, founder and winemaker at Vinteloper, the Adelaide Hills-based winery behind the Urban Winery Project. "The distance means it's the hardest UWP we've attempted, but at Vinteloper we're never afraid to put it all on the line." UWP decided to team up with Three Blue Ducks for their "amazing chefs", as well as their "values and philosophies". Bowley says, "They sit by side with our own. Plus, they have the amazing Rosebery venue, perfect for a winery pop-up. How could we choose anywhere else?" There'll be two events, held on Wednesday, March 8 and Thursday, March 9. Each will be a free-flowing type of evening, combining drinking, eating and wine-making. On arrival, you'll be sipping on wine and sampling from roaming plates. When you're ready, you'll be invited to partake in various stages of wine making. "Our team are on hand to explain people through each activity, starting with some plucking of grapes off the stems. Then, we remind everyone that fortune favours the brave," says Bowley. "After a nibble on an entree and some more wine, we invite people to roll up those cuffs and jump in, to immerse themselves in the world of winemaking ... It's that Lucille Ball moment that we've all been waiting for." The point is to show you that winemaking is a whole lot of fun. So, you'll be spared too many rules and long, monotonous speeches, in favour of good, old-fashioned, hands-on experience. "As the hours roll on, it's a full sensory overload, with the wafts of our accompanying feast filling the air, sounds of glasses clinking and grapes popping, as you see, first-hand, the basket pressing creating the juice that will be turned into next year's wine to accompany next year's feast." The four-course dinner is a slightly more formal, sit-down affair. That said, food will be served on share plates around a long table, so it's still an inclusive experience. You're encouraged to "talk, share and ask questions". Bowley set up the Urban Wine Project in 2012 to give city-dwelling people the chance to experience wine making. "Loads of people drink wine, but a tiny percentage know anything about how the beverage they love ends up in their glass," Bowley says. "We rip back that curtain and expose the craft in its raw state, in the hope that, by seeing inside and participating in making wine, every glass of wine they drink for the rest of their lives will taste a little bit better." Urban Winery Project and Three Blue Ducks' pop-up is happening March 8 and 9 at 6.30pm for a 7pm start. Bookings (02) 93 890 010 or via UWP's website.
And just like that, The Cure are 40. What's more surprising is that they haven't been to Australia since 2007. This year, Robert Smith and the gang are back on tour and reports coming out of the US are that the performances are not only as far off the wall as it's possible to get, but that they're also thoroughly fantastic. Sure the hits are there, but it's the emergence of rarer gems that have fans excited. As well as a smattering of new material, the band have mined their back catalogue, blowing the dust off songs like 'Screw', 'The Exploding Boy' and 'Bloodflowers', that haven't been performed live in a couple of decades. If you're just hanging out for 'Friday I'm in Love' or 'Let's Go to Bed', you're not going to be denied. But with a two-hour run-time and no aversion to encores, The Cure's Splendour sideshow also promises a glimpse of lesser-known wonders. Resale tickets are available now. There's more Splendour sideshow action where this came from. Check out our list of sideshows with tickets still available.
Redfern/Darlington's Saturday hub of fresh bread, fresh flowers, and freshly washed pooches, the newly-named Carriageworks Farmers Market is about to takes things next level. Acclaimed Australian chef and brains behind Kitchen By Mike Mike McEnearney, has been appointed as creative director of the markets (formerly known as Eveleigh Markets). Intending to turn the markets into an internationally-renowned foodie paradise akin to London's Borough Markets, McEnearney knows a thing or two about creating a lauded, must-visit food location. One of Australia's top chefs, he's earned his stripes working at big gun restaurants; before opening his wildly popular Rosebery eatery Kitchen By Mike, he'd already worked at the likes of Neil Perry’s Rockpool, London's Michelin-starred Pied a Terre and Sir Terence Conran's Mezzo. “I want to put Carriageworks Farmers Market on the world stage, promoting NSW produce and with a goal of creating an internationally-acclaimed food and arts precinct in Sydney’s Redfern," says McEnearney. "I am passionate about produce and have always supported and promoted the local and smaller producers in my work. We’re aspiring to grow the Carriageworks Farmers Markets to the same international scale and acclaim as London’s Borough Markets.” Working closely with the Carriageworks team, the 70+ stallholders and NSW producers, McEnearney is intending to expand the markets' already-flourishing smorgasbord, offering more information about the produce's origins and potential uses, recipes and demonstrations. Carriageworks Farmers Market is held weekly on Saturdays from 8am until 1pm at Carriageworks.
Spring is in the air, bringing with it that niggling sense that we should probably embrace that balmy outdoor air and get healthy. But why go to the gym when you can hit up the MCA, who'll be hosting free evening Vinyasa yoga sessions under the sky. Starting October 15 and running through to January 28, the daily yoga sessions are the result of a partnership between the MCA and mighty athletic apparel company and apparent craft brewery lululemon athletica (no, seriously, they actually made their own beer). The free 45-minute sessions will start at 5.30pm sharp in the museum's rooftop Sculpture Terrace, providing panoramic views of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge while you're finding your centre. The classes will cater to both beginner and experienced yogis, and will be taught by a number of acclaimed guest instructors from around the country and the world. Although the sessions are free, bookings are highly recommended, and can be made via the MCA website. MCA's Spring Yoga Series is part of the Lights on Later initiative, which will see the museum host an after-dark program of performances, talks, workshops and live music on Thursday evenings throughout the warmer months. For more information, go here.
One of Mardi Gras' most anticipated theatrical offerings, the Old Fitz Theatre’s production of Samuel D Hunter’s The Whale is an occasionally harrowing, fiercely funny, and ultimately touching tale of a man’s last chance at redemption. Set deep in Mormon country in Idaho, Charlie, a six-hundred pound (three-hundred kilo) homosexual recluse, hides away in his apartment as he slowly eats himself to death. However, before he gives into gustatory suicide Charlie decides to reconnect with his estranged daughter and the play follows their fraught attempts to reconcile their past. Perhaps not one for the faint of heart this excellent production provides pathos in spades.
The ever-cheeky crew behind Japanese street food eatery Daniel San like to keep diners on their toes, and they've just made Sundays a whole lot spicier. Taking Japanese bar dining to an intense level of novelty, SAKE SAKE Sundays could just be the perfect way to obliterate that Sunday afternoon slump with a little gamble. Set against that sparkling Manly backdrop, Daniel San's Rooftop Dojo will play host to eatable games of roulette, sushi-style (a concept pretty much popularised in Australia by the Wagaya group). Round up your bravest buds and settle in for an all-day eating adventure (with the possibility of tear-inducing quantities of wasabi at every mouthful). For just $39 per person, you'll each be dished up 24 delectable bites of handmade sushi goodness. That's pretty great value. But don't be fooled, wasabi-filled pieces are hidden, ready and waiting to strike. For those unlucky enough to chow down on these uber-spicy morsels, never fear. A sake-based cocktail or two will do the trick to soothe even the most scorched tongues. Spin the wheel, take your pick and brace yourself; these bite-sized pieces pack a serious punch. Find Daniel San at 55 North Steyne, Manly.
Forget your morning coffee: tea is having a big ol' moment. Having had major success in Redfern since opening on Abercrombie Street late last year, specialty tea brewers The Rabbit Hole are set to launch a second venue in Barangaroo South. Due to start service in June, their spinoff will build upon the popularity of their first, bringing the same eclectic selection of teas, along with sweet and savoury food, to the bustling harbourside precinct. The Rabbit Hole is owned and operated by Amara Jarratt and Corinne Smith. The co-creators of the Sydney and Melbourne Tea Festivals, and founding members of the Australasian Specialty Tea Association, these two certainly know their stuff, and are all too happy to share their expertise. Visitors can expect an extensive menu of original and seasonal teas, as well as tea lattes, tea-infused hot chocolate, and tea sodas on tap. "We really want to redefine what tea's about," Smith told Concrete Playground. "It's about infusing food with tea in other ways, and presenting a good combination of sweet and savoury, but not in a traditional format." Indeed, the tea extends well beyond the drinks list, with a food menu featuring everything from black tea-infused beef and pickle sandwiches, to green tea noodle soup, to earl grey chocolate cake. "Take everything you thought you knew about tea, and start again with us," says Smith. Smith also says that business at Redfern has been "going gangbusters," and believes that attitudes towards tea are finally beginning to change. "There are actually people who like tea and don't drink coffee, shock horror," she says with a laugh. "You can get amazing chocolate, amazing wine bars, go to cafes that serve single-estate coffee, but tea has really missed out and been relegated to the backseat up until late." "I think that traditionally tea has been in the feminine realm," she continues. "Our experience in the wholesale business is that a lot of cafe owners a male... I think that a lot of the guys who have gone into coffee are just starting to realise that there's a lot of cool stuff about tea, and that it's not all doilies and fancy vintage teacups as they once might have thought." The Rabbit Hole is set to open in June at Shop 1, 23 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo South. Their Redfern location can be found at 146 Abercrombie Street, Redfern. For more information follow them on Facebook or visit www.therabbithole.com.au.
Victoria's answer to Dark Mofo, WinterWild, is returning to Apollo Bay for two weekends this August. While last year's after-dark winter arts festival was structured around the death and birth, this year's theme is 'visions and ecstasies'. Creeping into the coastal shire on the eastern side of Cape Otway, the festival will take place on the weekends of August 16–18 and August 30–September 1. Each weekend will begin with braziers on the beach, before unleashing a vivid program of music, performances, feasting and workshops — all focused on the idea of peering into the darkness for inspiration, revelations and surprises. Standout events on the program for the first weekend, running from August 16–18, include Visions of Excess, which combines kaleidoscopic visuals with the music of Black Heart Death Cult and Flyying Colours; a suitably psychedelic tribute to Jimi Hendrix; and, following on from last year, another immersive (and haunting) blend of projections, lights and sounds in the quarry. Two weekends later, across August 30–September 1, WinterWild will celebrate the music of David Bowie; pair a definitely-not vegan-meal with burlesque and puppetry at the decadent Feastiality; and make shapes outside, by the water and in the cold evening air, at Moon Garden. For those eager to make the trip twice, The Redemption unfurls across both weekends — with the theatrical production playing for free in two parts, involving the citizens of Apollo Bay, and happening by the harbour. Or, if you're keen to completely dive in, you can opt for the two workshop programs, dubbed 'The Left Hand Path' and 'The Right Hand Path'. WinterWild will run across two weekends, Death from August 10–12 and Birth from August 24–26. To see the full lineup and purchase tickets, head to winterwildapollobay.com.au.
After another long, lazy, humid January, it's time to kick-start the year proper with some visits to Sydney's galleries. Whatever your medium — be it photography, landscape art or tapestry — February 2018 is looking like another month of exhibitions you won't want to miss. See the "Mona Lisa of the Middle Ages" at the AGNSW before heading to the Australian Centre for Photography to see Gerwyn Davies' aptly titled exhibition FUR. And remember, the exhibitions won't be around forever so run, don't walk.
Sip upper-crust cocktails in swanky surrounds at the latest lavish venture from the teams at The Island and Lobo Plantation. Now open in Darlinghurst, Darlo Country Club is inspired by the glamour of old Hollywood — and if it's anything like the groups' previous collaboration, it seems like we've got good reason to get excited. The new bar is located in the old Victoria Room space, the same spot where The Lobo Plantation's Michael Hwang and Eddie Levy, and Adam Abrams and Julian Tobias of The Island held their temporary bar-cum-ski lodge, The Chalet, over winter. Swapping the snow machine and the fondue station for linen panelling and a six-foot chandelier, Darlo Country Club is intended as a permanent replacement for the pop-up winter wonderland. The decor has been completely transformed, and draws its inspiration from the exclusive social clubs of LA, incorporating brass elements, plant life and a pastel pink entranceway. Banquettes fitted with call buttons should make table service a breeze, while they also have a function space for up to 250 people. The bar team will be headed by The Lobo Plantation's Julius Yates, who has crafted a number of theatrical cocktails for guests to imbibe. The Bubbarita mixes bubble-gum infused tequila and Blue Curacao with grape citrus foam, lime juice and an orange blossom flame, The Don combines Pampero Especial rum, cherry puree, pineapple juice, passionfruit puree, lemon juice, ginger syrup and mint, while the Eton Fizz offers a liquid alternative to the Eton Mess with Tanqueray, strawberry shrub, lemon juice, thyme syrup, egg white and soda. Darlo Country Club also offers a brasserie style dining menu. Dishes include kingfish ceviche and sliced scotch fillet, confit duck leg spring rolls, and a chimichurri and bitter leaf salad. Plus. there's their signature offering: lobster and truffle mac 'n' cheese. The Darlo Country Club can be found at 235 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst. They are open Wednesdays 5pm - midnight, and 5pm – 2am Thursday through Saturday. For more information, visit www.darlocountryclub.com.au.
At first glance, mid-week raving and healthy living don’t seem to go hand in hand. The energetic people behind Morning Gloryville turned that preconception on its head with their breakfast raves in Paddington Uniting Church last year. Now, Sydney's dawn party experts are back with a brand new venue — an Alexandria warehouse. Taking over All Sorts Indoor Sports Factory from March 18, the London-founded breakfast bash will ring in its first Sydney pop-up event for 2015 with a huge warehouse party. An early, early 6.30am warehouse party. Lockouts, consider yourselves excluded from this shindig. "Anything goes really," says co-organiser Max Becker. "The benefit of having a rave at 6.30am is that the lockouts are irrelevant, plus rather than ensuring people get home safely it’s actually trying to make them go to work that becomes the problem." So first-timers, what can you expect from this breakfast rave? The Morning Glory rave started in London’s Shoreditch — where else — by Sam Moyo and Nico Thoemmes. Like last time around, music will be pumping from 6.30am, with sets from some of Sydney DJ favourites Levins and Max Attack. You’re encouraged to jump around and shake those cobwebs loose before heading to work — there's even a few furiously energetic dancers around to show you some moves. To keep your energy up and legitimately kickstart your day, MG offer up a bunch of tasty breakfast options and juices, as well as free yoga and massages. The recommended dress code is simply 'dress to sweat', but loads of colour and festivalwear is also encouraged — anything to help you seize the day. The only real rule is sobriety; let your inner dance monster show the world what it’s made of unimpeded by plonk. It's all ages, just ten beans if you get tickets early, and probably the most fun you'll ever have early on a Wednesday morning. Words by Hannah Valmadre and Shannon Connellan.
He took home this year's best director Oscar thanks to his enchanting monster romance, and now he's in the spotlight at the Spanish Film Festival. That'd be The Shape of Water's Guillermo del Toro, with the fest celebrating his 2006 Academy Award-winner Pan's Labyrinth as its closing night selection. Of course, on its tour of Australia between April 17 and May 16, the country's long-running celebration of Spanish-language filmmaking has plenty of other delights amongst its 25-film program. Marking its 21st year in 2018, that includes opening night's The Tribe, a street-dancing musical comedy inspired by real-life Spain's Got Talent winners, plus No Filter, this year's Spanish box office smash about a woman who can't stop speaking her mind. Other high-profile highlights range from screenings of Pixar's gorgeous Coco, in case you missed it in cinemas late last year; to a who's who of Spanish talent in historical epic Gold; to Loving Pablo, which features Javier Bardem as Pablo Escobar and Penélope Cruz as the journalist who falls for him. Fans of both actors can also catch them in Jamón Jamón — which, released back in 1992, was actually Cruz's first film. It plays as part of a four-feature retrospective dedicated to filmmaker Bigas Luna, alongside his fellow hits Golden Balls and The Tit and The Moon. A documentary compiled from the late director's video diaries, Bigas x Bigas, will enjoy its Australian premiere to round out the program strand. Plus, in the kind of curation that every film festival could benefit from, the Spanish Film Festival will also showcase the work of emerging Spanish female directors. While Summer 1993 actually played at last year's fest as well, the charming delight is getting another spin, with Málaga Film Festival hit Julia Is, Spanish Civil War-focused The Bastard's Fig Tree and the Goya-nominated The Open Door also on the bill. In addition, Melburnians get an extra pick thanks to doco Singled [Out], which was partially shot in Australia by the Melbourne-based Mariona Guiu and Barcelona-based Ariadna Relea. The Spanish Film Festival tours Australia from April 17, screening at Sydney's Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona and Palace Central from April 17 to May 6; Melbourne's Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Palace Brighton Bay, Kino Cinemas and The Astor Theatre from April 19 to May 6, and Brisbane's Palace Barracks and Palace Centro from April 26 to May 13. For more information, visit the festival website.
Amongst all the big-name acts hitting stages for Vivid 2015, a few talented up-and-comers are beginning to make waves. To celebrate the launch of new Sydney-based label Personal Best Records, five industry newbies will be hitting up the Oxford Art Factory this June. Proving independent music is still very much alive and kicking, this showcase offers a first live glimpse at Personal Best's fresh crop of talent. Founding member of Sydney act Van She, Matt Van Schie heads the lineup with his latest project Tear Council (who'll play the live debut of recent single release 'My Car').With appearances by MLHLND, Personal Best Orchestra, PhysiQue and Pretty Mess, this is your chance to catch these relative unknowns before they really hit the big time. Image: MLHLND.
Zip lines, bungee jumping and treetop obstacles are just the start of Australia's newest destination for adventure seekers. Set along the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Live Wire Park is Australia's first outdoor adventure park that is completely powered by nature. Located within The Great Otway National Park, it's family-owned and designed with the environmental in mind, which means the park is completely off-grid, fully solar powered and all water is collected on-site — both reducing waste and taking advantage of the natural resources available. Apart from its minimal environmental impact, the park sounds like it packs in some serious fun, too. Set just 900 metres from the Lorne coastline, the elevated park is set among the treetops and boasts a 5250-metre-long zip line, a suspended 120-metre walking circuit among the native blue gums and even a "super circuit" of 53 physical and mental activities that test park-goers while suspended in mid-air. You'll scale trees, swing on ropes and plunge down a bungee jump, all while solving a few puzzles and problems. For kids, the short circuit is a milder version with only 26 obstacles. Plus, you can expect plenty of wildlife sightings among the pristine rainforest and waterfalls. Live Wire Park is now open seven days a week at 180 Erskine Falls Road, Lorne. For more information and to book tickets, head to livewirepark.com.au.
If you had to choose one drink that captures the essence of Sydney, what would it be? How about a handcrafted gin, made using a selection of botanicals picked from our own Royal Botanic Garden? Well, that's exactly what the folks at award-winning Distillery Botanica Gin have created with their just-released limited-edition Rather Royal Gin. In developing this one-off creation, master distiller Phillip Moore teamed up with the Botanic Garden's director of horticulture, Jimmy Turner, to pick out the most gin-worthy botanical haul this verdant, 220-year-old site had to offer. Botanicals from all over the Garden have leant their unique flavour qualities to the spirit, including mandarin leaf, lemon verbena, lovage, chamomile, and even Pope John Paul roses. An age-old technique called enfleurage was used to cold-extract the various perfumes and refine the gin to its final product — effectively, a trek through the Botanic Garden, in boozy liquid form. What's more, Rather Royal Gin will have you drinking for an excellent cause, with sale proceeds earmarked for the Garden's many conservation programs; from seed collection and banking, to research, training, and awareness. Plus, the bartenders are Bulletin Place are offering up a special limited edition cocktail using the gin. Just 1000 bottles of Rather Royal Gin have been crafted, so if you're keen to snap one up, you'd best get in quick. They're priced at $129 and are available from selected stockists, Distillery Botanica Gin's website, and over the bar at The Botanic Garden Restaurant.
Taco King at The George Hotel may be no more, with the Waterloo pub reopening in 2019 under the direction of new operators, but the Taco King himself Toby Wilson has been pressing on with a new tortilla venture: Ricos Tacos. The Taco King is dead, long live the Taco King. The taco truck has popped up around town in a few guises over the past year, including in the car park of Gelato Messina's Rosebery HQ and at Rocker Bondi. It also spent some time at the Grifter Brewing Co, before making the brewery its permeant home. You can head to the Marrickville brewery every weekend to try some of Wilson's tasty taco creations. Each Saturday and Sunday, the cart is open from 12.30pm until sold out, for walk-ins only — and yes, pairing those tacos with beer is obviously on the menu. If you didn't try Wilson's tacos at The George, you may've encountered them at the various guises of Ghostboy Cantina (including at Dixon House and inside Tio's Cerveceria). Missed those, too? We suggest you make a beeline to Grifter once the weekend hits.
For chef Kylie Kwong, it’s artworks. For artist William Yang, it’s Chinese scrolls. For director Will Edwards, it’s marbles. The ancient, eccentric art of collecting continues. Despite virtualisation, there’s no substitute for an object with history. To celebrate this, Carriageworks and BresicWhitney have commissioned renowned photographer Daniel Boud to photograph ten notable Sydneysiders with the things they love. Between November 4 and December 7, the resulting artworks will appear on Instagram, hashtagged #TheThingsILove (with a heart emoji). We see Kwong in her Potts Point-based restaurant, Billy Kwong, holding a Tibetan yak’s skull, surrounded by statues and blown glass. “It was important to me that the space was filled with energy and soulfulness," she says. "[These artworks] are especially close to my heart because they remind me of how important the spiritual dimension is in life.” Meanwhile, Boud depicts artist Abdul Abdullah masked with the Australian flag. “I collect and use nationalist memorabilia in my work as signifiers of difference," says Abdullah. "The Southern Cross and Union Jack in recent contexts has become as much about what and who it doesn’t represent, as much as what it does … These symbols have become signifiers of rejection for large sections of the Australian community.” And a collection of resin and plastics back drops a close-up of artist Louise Zhang. “I collect [these] from my artworks because each piece is accidental and unique – bits that have fallen off, spills that solidified, hiccups in the way they've set," she says. "They remind me of fake gemstones, precious, but as plastic, and cheap as half the stock in the $2 shop. Perhaps it's the novelty of the unexpected.” The other five Sydneysiders depicted are architect Penelope Seidler with miniature building models from all over the world, fashion designers Deborah Sams and Mary Lou Ryan (Bassike) with vintage kimonos and Levi’s, TEES front woman Elizabeth Tillman with pewter goblets, actor Rarriwuy Hick with badges and ABC Classic FM host Julian Day with books. Carriageworks and BresicWhitney invites you to join the Instagram exhibition, by posting a photograph of yourself with your unique collection tagged with @carriageworks and @bresicwhitney and the hashtag #TheThingsILove. The best photo will win a ten-year Carriageworks Friends Membership worth $1000 and a Daniel Boud print. Keep an ear out on Friday, December 11 for the announcement of the winner. Images: Daniel Boud.
When you first hear it described to you, Tangerine doesn't exactly scream 'comedy'. Set on the streets of Los Angeles one day before Christmas, the breakout feature at this year's Sundance Film Festival follows a poor transgender sex worker who has just gotten out of prison, only to discover that her pimp/boyfriend has been cheating on her. Sounds pretty grim, right? That's where you'd be wrong. Working closely with transgender actors Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor, neither of whom had any prior screen experience, writer-director Sean Baker and his co-writer Chris Bergoch have crafted one of the boldest, funniest and most memorable independent features we've seen in quite some time — one that puts transgender issues front and centre without ever becoming preachy or resorting to cliche. As if that weren't impressive enough, there's also the story of how they physically made the movie, using little more than a pair of iPhone 5s. Originally a budgetary decision, it ends up being Baker's ace in the hole, lending the film a brash, in-your-face aesthetic that could hardly be more fitting. We spoke with Baker about what it's like to make a movie on your mobile, as well as the importance of giving narratives like these the spotlight they deserve. Tell us a little bit about how this project came about? I live about a half a mile from the intersection of Santa Monica and Highland, which is sort of an unofficial red light district. It's known, especially as of late, for transgender sex workers. That intersection in particular was always known for its drama, and I would pass it and wonder why there haven't been more films that have taken place there. I was also in a situation where I was trying to get money for a much bigger film, but it never happened. The industry is really upside-down right now, and I was waiting and waiting and waiting, and I knew that if I waited any longer I wasn't ever going to make a film again. So I turned to Mark Duplass and said, "hey, a couple of years ago you offered me a micro-budget. I think I'm in the position where I'm going to have to take it." So does that mean the decision to shoot on the iPhone was primarily a budgetary one? Yes. Or at least, it started off that way, and then of course it became an aesthetic. Were there other films that influenced you, in terms of the way the movie looks? No, that was the cool part about it — that it seemed to me to be a pretty original aesthetic. We combined a bunch of tools. This anamorphic adapter that we used allowed us to shoot in true scope; true widescreen cinema. Then there was an app called FiLMic Pro that has a bunch of bells and whistles and allows you to shoot at 24 frames per second. And then we used the Smothee, which is a handheld stabiliser that stabilises the iPhone. Then in post production we ended up pumping the colours through the roof, which really enhanced the LA sun. So all of a sudden you have these four tools working together creating this look that I'm really happy with. When you're on location, what are some of the advantages and/or challenges of shooting on a phone? What it did was that it allowed us to basically work clandestinely. If you saw us shooting from across the street, you'd never know we were shooting anything professional, except for the fact that we had a boom pole. We got permits, but we didn't have to announce that we were shooting, so we were able to capture real street life. Of course, then we had to ask them for their releases after I yelled 'cut', which is a risk because you then have to chase people down and beg. But for the most part people are pretty nice. From what we've read elsewhere, it sounds like a lot of research went into the film. How important was it that you immerse yourself in this world? I think it's the only way. I think it's best to allow the world to speak to you, as opposed to you speaking to a world that you're not a part of. That's just an irresponsible way of storytelling. Chris and I, we're cisgender white males who are not from that world whatsoever. So we needed to do a lot of research. We had to find a collaborator and put the time in. And the collaborators in this case were our leads. Mya especially. She was the first person we met who gave us the enthusiasm we were looking for. On its face, the film's subject matter sounds fairly grim. Was there ever a version of the script without the comedic elements that played like a more straightforward drama? It's funny that you mention that, especially with you being from Australia, because the cinema coming out of Australia has been incredibly influential on me. Snowtown is such an amazing masterpiece, and that's what I thought the film was going to be originally. Not the murders, but that social realist style with that really desaturated look. So then what changed your mind? Getting to know the women, and hanging out with them regularly, I saw that even though they were dealing with incredible hardships, they used humour to cope. And I knew that the film would be dishonest if I didn't incorporate that humour. It was actually part of Mya's request as well. She said to me point blank, "I've seen your other films and I trust you, and I want to make this movie with you, but you've got to promise me that it will be funny. You've got to make a film that is entertaining for the people out here. We don't want a 'plight of' film that's all drama, hitting people over the head and leaving the audience feeling terrible." And I'm really glad she sent me down that road. On that point, how has the transgender community reacted to the film? It's been really positive. I thought this film was going to divide audiences, but so far there's been a really nice amount of love given to us across the board. One of our first reviews from a transperson came from Australia, at the Sydney Film Festival, and she was very, very positive about it. And having travelled with the film a little bit already, I've been able to see how members of trans communities react in different countries. I was in Columbia, in Bogotá, and members of the local trans community came to the premiere, and they said to me afterwards through a translator that while there are lots of cultural differences, they really connected and indentified with the sisterhood between the two main characters, which was a real nice thing to hear. With television shows like Transparent and Orange Is the New Black, as well as all the recent media coverage surrounding Caitlyn Jenner, it feels as though transgender stories are finally getting attention in mainstream culture. How important is this, and are you pleased to be part of the trend? Most definitely. Setting down this road two and a half years ago, we had no idea it was going to be as much a part of the zeitgeist as it is now. Any time visibility and awareness is increased it's a positive thing. The unfortunate part of all of this is that the murder rate here in the United State has almost doubled from last year, assuming it stays at this rate. It's hard to get up-to-date statistics because of the fact that a lot of these murders aren't investigated correctly. But we're already up to 15 murders of transpeople here in the United States in 2015, and we're only at the end of August. The hope is that increased awareness and visibility will eventually lead to acceptance, but we still have a long way to go. I also think we need a number of these types of narratives. I'm making a film about a microcosm — about transwomen of colour who happen to work as sex workers in a very small area of Los Angeles. So this is only representative of a tiny, tiny portion of the transgender community. This has to be one of many, many different narratives that are being told. Tangerine is in cinemas in Sydney and Melbourne now.
Want to stick it to the Man with a bunch of Lego? The Man being Lego itself? After National Gallery of Victoria was been announced as the first international Lego collection point for the Ai Weiwei project in conjunction with the Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei exhibition coming to the NGV, Sydney's got its own collection point, announced today. Confirmed this afternoon, the Art Gallery of New South Wales will become the first Lego collection spot for New South Wales. From Friday, November 20, a red BMW will be parked out the front of the AGNSW and visitors are encouraged to bring in their Lego blocks and drop them through the sunroof of the vehicle. Postal donations can also be sent to the gallery via Ai Weiwei LEGO Project, Art Gallery Road, The Domain, Sydney NSW 2000. "We thought it important to be involved in the project as part of our role to support the broader artistic community and especially our art museum partners such as the NGV," says the AGNSW team." This comes just hours after the artist posted images of his first completed works on Instagram. Check them out over here.
An enthusiastic clan of Sydney art lovers wants to bring you closer to contemporary art and the people who make it. They're organising pop-up exhibitions in unusual locations, private showings in artists' homes, exclusive talks and wine tasting weekends away. Best bit? Anyone can become a member. It's called Contemporaries, organised by Sydney art engagement company 10Group (responsible for producing the likes of Art Month and the City of Sydney's interest-free art loan initiative Art Money). Membership isn't cheap — $300 per year for single or $450 for doubles (the latter is transferrable, so you can bring various guests to various events) — but will give you access to some pretty awesome 'money can't buy' art experiences in Sydney. Contemporaries launched on October 29 with a party in Surry Hills' old Paramount building. Guests wandered through a four-dimensional landscape created by photographer Tamara Dean, watched Dr Lisa Cooper create a floral sculpture and drank courtesy of Lisa McGuigan Wines and Sydney Breweries Beer. So what's up ahead? 10Group have announced their first annual Contemporaries program. On November 19, creative couple Liane Rossler and Sam Marshall will host Contemporaries in their home in Queen's Park, with a poolside drink and seasonal catering. On February 18, Tamara Dean will present an exclusive preview of her latest series in a secret spot, discussing her career change from Fairfax photographer to full-time artist, as well as what inspires her. Winemaker Lisa McGuigan will run April's event, leading a gallery tour of Rushcutters Bay, taking in STILLS, the Art House stockroom and Dominik Mersch. At every stop, Contemporaries will meet artists and sample premium wines with matching canapés. On May 18, painters Neil Frazer and Joanna Braithwaite will open their studio, showing works in progress and discussing how they managed to combine art with love. Rounding out the program is an art and film evening at Golden Age Cinema in June and an Orange weekender in September, including a local gallery tour, a winery visit, a behind-the-scenes session at Bathurst Regional Gallery and a growers' lunch at the historic home of artist David Serisier and writer Gillian Serisier. To find out more about Contemporaries or to join, head to the website.
Casula Powerhouse is hosting two exhibitions during the citywide Head On Photo Festival. First up is Platforms by Natan Dvir, a photo series that takes the New York underground, its architecture and its people as a subject. Dvir is interested in the way subway platforms, divided as they are by columns and pillars, often resemble a roll of photographic film, as well as the voyeuristic opportunities and subtle interaction — or studious avoidance of it — that commuting involves. Also showing is Spy/Spy, a series of portraits and candid/street photography by Julien Mignot and Fred Stucin shot during the 2015 and 2016 Cannes Film Festivals. Mignot and Stucin were there working for various magazine publications and the exhibition explores the private, less polished parts of the festival that didn't end up in glossy print. Think candid shots of models en route to red carpets, snaps of fans coordinating along the Croisette and reflective, shy portraits of celebrities normally known for their rambunctiousness. Both exhibitions open May 5 with Platforms ending on May 28 and Spy/Spy staying on till June 18. Image: Natan Dvir, Platforms (2014).
The team at Gelato Messina are tipping their hats to molecular gastronomy, with a brand new range of limited edition desserts designed to tantalise the senses. The result of months of experimentation by the intrepid Messina chefs, who worked closely with leading academic food scientist Patrick Spicer, the Edible Life Scents range is being described as a "multi-sensory dessert," and will be experienced by a lucky few in Sydney later this month. Believe it or not, the desserts are actually part of a partnership between Messina and Air Wick. Yes, that Air Wick. Ice cream and air freshener: the pairing you never knew you needed, and probably don't but will anyway because Messina. Air Wick have commissioned Messina to create a dessert degustation with flavours inspired by their Air Wick Life Scents line. Mystical Garden combines marshmallow, rose and raspberry, Lush Hideaway mixes mint, fresh berries and coconut water, while Winter Moments consists of baked pear, pie crust and vanilla. "We’re suckers for a challenge," said Messina's Declan Lee. "We were intrigued by the science behind Life Scents and the opportunity it could give us to create an evolving dessert experience. Hopefully we’ve pulled it off and have been able to create something completely different: an evolving multi-sensory culinary experience. We think it’s pretty cool." While ice cream and air freshener might not seem like the most obvious of pairings, this isn't the first time that Messina has teamed up with unusual collaborators. Last year, for example, they created a food scrap flavour in partnership with OzHarvest, in order to raise awareness about food wastage. Still, it's a pretty ballsy move associating your gelato with a product whose primary function is covering up the odours from your toilet. Messina's latest creations will be available to sample at the invite-only Air Wick Life Scents Lab, which will pop-up in Sydney for three days starting on Thursday November 19. To get yourself on the guest list, you'll need to come up with an answer to the following ridiculous question: what does your favourite Air Wick Life Scents fragrance remind you of? Sigh. The things we do for free dessert. For more details on how to score tickets to the pop-up, visit Air Wick Australia on Facebook.
Slurp down seafood in view of the ocean at Cronulla's new hip hop oyster hut. Located on Gerrale Street just opposite South Cronulla Beach, Shucked Oyster Bar opened for business earlier this month, serving shellfish, burgers and booze to the clamouring masses. Get it? Clamouring? See what we did there? Shucked is the brainchild of chef Luke Collins, who previously owned Luke Benchmark Restaurant & Oyster Bar in Sylvania. This new venture promises to be a more laid-back affair, with the chef telling Good Food that "people here want quality in a simpler, more relaxed setting." As you might have guessed, the main drawcard on the menu is the oysters. You can get them with a dash of lemon, or served with more extravagant toppings such as wasabi and pickled ginger. There's also a 'posh takeaway' section that offers burgers, calamari, battered fish and spicy fried chicken, as well as side options including fries, potato scallops and a gourmet cheese plate for one. On the beverage front they've got beer, wine and cocktails – basically everything you need for watching the sun go down over the ocean. The walls of the bar are decorated with graffiti portraits of famous musicians, including Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder, Amy Winehouse and Biggie Smalls. Starting Thursday, Shucked will also play host to a number of live music acts as part of Australian Music Week. For the full lineup, go here. Shucked Oyster Bar is located on Gerrale Street, Cronulla opposite South Cronulla Beach. Their opening hours are noon until late Tuesday through Sunday. For more information, check them out on Facebook. Via Good Food.
Looking for a new hobby? We've got just the thing. A Slovenian company has created the world's first self-inflating stand-up paddleboard, after their runaway crowdfunding campaign rose more than $175,000 USD. The SipaBoard Air is the latest innovation in one of the world's fastest growing sports (and one of our favourite ways to get on the water in Sydney, mind you), and comes with an inbuilt pump capable of fully inflating the board in under five minutes. The initial Kickstarter campaign has closed, but units can still be ordered via Indiegogo, with the most basic model, the SipaBoard NEO, selling for $640 USD plus shipping. Each board comes with a rechargeable battery, a streamlined fin box, a board bag and a carry leash. You can also order a collapsible paddle, although that'll cost you extra. According to the Indiegogo page, production on the boards has already begun, with orders expected to ship sometime in August — perfect timing for those of us in the Southern Hemisphere. But why take our word for anything when you can watch the SipaBoard Air promotional video? Seriously, it might be the most endearingly cheesy thing we've ever seen.
Not everyone has the coin to be flitting off to Scotland, London or Rome to see a European masterwork, but luckily the new exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales is bringing the art to you. Botticelli, Titian, Rembrandt, Monet, Gaugin, Boucher, Watteau — they're the stuff art history exams are made of, but unless you've made a trip to the National Galleries of Scotland, the Uffizi or the Louvre, you mightn't have seen one up close. Luckily, the Scots are lending a handful of their very best artworks to Sydney's AGNSW for The Greats: Masterpieces from the National Galleries of Scotland. Sure, Leonardo da Vinci sketches and Titian nudes sell themselves, but there's a handful of works you shouldn't miss — they've got some pretty damn awesome stories behind them if you look close enough (please do not actually look behind the paintings). JOHN SINGER SARGENT — LADY AGNEW OF LOCHNAW At first glance, American artist John Singer Sargent's 1892 work could be mistaken for the dreaded label: 'lovely'. But this work has a far more interesting story behind it, beyond being a beautiful portrait of Lady Gertrude Agnew, the wife of Sir Andrew Agnew, 9th Baronet. For the subject, the painting launched her as a society beauty. After the work received widespread praise, Lady Agnew would later establish her own private salon in London. Ironically, the costs of sustaining such fine style led Lady Agnew to sell her own portrait to the Scottish National Gallery in 1925. Mink ain't cheap. SIR HENRY RAEBURN — THE SKATING MINISTER Considered the 'Scottish Mona Lisa' and listed in a recent publication as one of the 1000 paintings you must see before you die, Sir Henry Raeburn's The Skating Minister is already one of the most Instagrammed paintings of the exhibition. Reverend Robert Walker is the subject in question, and received a whole lot of social thumbs ups for this stunning painting at the time. Minister of the Canongate Kirk and member of the world's first ever figure skating club, the Edinburgh Skating Club, Rev. Walker is pictured on Duddingston Loch. Best PR ever. JEAN-BAPTISTE GREUZE — A GIRL WITH A DEAD CANARY Full disclosure, this editor has a love/hate relationship with Jean-Baptiste Greuze. Constantly bringing his 'moralistic' paintings to the Salon from the 1750s onwards, Greuze was a strong believer in 'educational' paintings, hoping to make observers more 'virtuous' after viewing his paintings. It's 18th century, patriarchal France — you can probably see where we're going here. Many of Greuze's genre paintings and portraits meant to 'educate' young women in ways of behaving (classic), especially in the age ol' male-determined realms of promiscuity and sex. This painting in particular was praised at the time for being a metaphorical representation of lost virginity, with a young girl looking forlorn after the fact. In case you didn't get it, Greuze has painted a dead bird in the centre, to sledgehammer the point home. Greuze would repeat this lost virginity metaphor in multiple paintings, interspersed with broken eggs, broken mirrors, broken pitchers. GET IT? DO YOU GET IT? As stunning and technically beautiful as this work of pure realism is, the man and metaphor behind it make this writer want to use a Tardis simply to deliver a firm backhand. DIEGO VELAZQUEZ — OLD WOMAN COOKING EGGS Seeing a Velazquez is its own reward, but this one's a doozy. Painted in 1618 when the artist was just eighteen or nineteen years old, Old woman cooking eggs is one of the artist's earlier works, using striking chiaroscuro and figurative realism to illuminate a woman frying up a couple of eggs in a murky darkness. The detail is next-level in this work, from the cutlery to the egg whites. No Velázquez of comparable importance has been seen before in Australia, so you'd better pay it a visit. FREDERIC CHURCH — NIAGARA FALLS (AMERICAN SIDE) If you never thought looking at a painting could be compared to watching a whole film, get ready for a cinematic experience with Frederic Church's epic, epic, epic landscape painting. Before the advent of cinema, Church's spectacular paintings did the same job. He would organise one-work shows that travelled throughout the States and display the work in a darkened room with the painting spot-lit. The space where this painting is now hung in the Gallery has been designed to evoke this experience, where audiences can sit, stare and get lost in the drama of the painting. GERRIT DOU — AN INTERIOR WITH A YOUNG VIOLA PLAYER You'll have to watch your nose when you get up close to Gerrit Dou's tiny work, this is some serious detail. The father of the so-called fijnschilders (fine painters), Dou was committed to the little things, the tiniest elements ditched in later art movements. According to the AGNSW, this painting is rendered so precisely that you can identify the open book in the painting as popular Dutch songbook at the time De Friesche Lust-Hof (The Frisian Pleasure Garden). The Greats: Masterpieces from the National Galleries of Scotland runs October 24 to February 14. Tickets are $22 adult, $18 concession and available from the Gallery or the website.
Did you have a childhood dream of visiting the gingerbread house in Hansel & Gretel (sans witch)? It's about to become a reality. From December 2, the Shangri-La Hotel Sydney's lobby will be home to a life-size gingerbread house — Sydney's largest ever gingerbread house, in fact — complete with so much icing and lollies that we'll probably cry. Who else could be behind this creation but Anna Polyviou? The mad scientist of the pastry world and her team will be using 1500kg of gingerbread bricks to construct the house of your childhood dreams this Christmas. Polyviou is inviting Sydneysiders to "take a mad trip through the gingerbread house" but not only that, there will be plenty of treats to buy and try not to gobble up before you get home. Her mini gingerbread lolly bag houses, ginger ninjas and Connect Four macaron packs will have you squealing like a kid in a candy shop. Literally. You might as well buy a couple of gifts there too. Fruit mince tubes, white Christmas nougat and Christmas puddings should be enough to put your loved ones in a jolly mood. If you can't decide on a single item, why not make a day of it and enjoy Polyviou's Festive High Tea, running all throughout December. The three tiers of scones, sweets and savouries will set you back $55 per person. The menu features something called 'Christmas in a Jar'. How much more festive could it get? "BUILDING LOLLI-BAG HOUSE" thank you to my photographer Nikki To for capturing the making... Posted by Anna Polyviou on Wednesday, November 18, 2015 Anna Polyviou's gingerbread house will be open to the public daily from 7am on Wednesday, December 2 in the lobby of the Shangri-La Hotel, 176 Cumberland Street, The Rocks. Festive High Tea will be running daily from 1pm – 5pm from December 1-30. Bookings essential, call (02) 9250 6000.
