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. Relive the glory days of Sydney's late-night culture with the legendary '90s Sydney party night Sounds of Seduction returning for a special four-week run in the Kings' Cross Hotel's Dive Bar. This iconic Sydney party was started 20 years ago by beloved Sydneysiders Jay Katz and Miss Death as a Saturday night institution for much of the '90s. Think go-go dancers, rare images projected on walls, full d-floor. There'll be guest selectors, cabaret and more at this uniquely Sydney lounge revival. Sounds of Seduction is happening May 28, June 4, June 11 and June 18 from 9pm-3am. 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.
Truth be told, I’ve never relished the idea of attending the opera. A night trying to decipher what on earth these dolled-up stage performers are singing about has never made it onto my weekend’s agenda. But if you can put those instinctive judgments aside, you’ll be in for a treat. Rewriting all expectations, Sydney Chamber Opera is a young company committed to bringing this artform into the 21st century. And to wrap up their 2015 season, they’re putting on a world-first performance of love and heartbreak with their latest Carriageworks show, An Index of Metals. Anyone left battered by the breakdown of a relationship, this one’s for you. Brooding with angst and anguish, An Index of Metals presents the music of iconic Italian composer Fausto Romitelli like you’ve never heard it before. At the direction of celebrated Sydney director Kip Williams, this opera explores the psyche of a nameless singer and her unrequited affection for an ex-lover. Be warned, things are going to get a little dark here. For any opera newbies like myself, this show is the perfect place to start. Flipping the bird to the boundaries of traditional performance, Williams and SCO have toiled over Romitelli’s compositions for the past twelve months to birth an unsettling and evocative theatrical experience. “We’ve focused the work around a single character who is at a place of paralysis as a result of the end of a relationship,” says Williams. “She constantly seeks to latch on and connect to this person and he continues to defy that desire within her.” Fresh off the back of casually scoring the 2015 Helpmann Award for Best Director for Sydney Theatre Company's Suddenly Last Summer, Williams has jumped into An Index of Metals with gusto and a determination to produce something profoundly unique at Carriageworks. “Artistically, it was a process of reduction and distilling; crystallising our thoughts into the most simple evolution of ideas that an audience would be able to visually latch on to,” he explains. And if you weren’t intrigued already, there’s an additional spanner in the works with the male character Ben appearing on stage at his most raw — completely nude. Far from a raunchy trip down memory lane, Williams has woven this startling image cleverly into the emotional fabric of the opera. "Nudity is something that you never choose to do lightly," he says. "If done effectively it can be very frightening for an audience.” So, what’s Williams' final tip for those taking the plunge into their first operatic experience? “I would give over to the sensory experience of the work, and allow it to wash over you.” An Index of Metals will run across four nights from November 16 to 19, with tickets just $35. To book, head over to the Carriageworks website. Want more operatic goodness? Read our interview with Sydney Chamber Opera co-founder Pierce Wilcox. Images: Samuel Hodge, Carriageworks.
Carriageworks is teaming up with the Sydney Chamber Orchestra and Ensemble Offspring to bring Fausto Romitelli’s An Index of Metals to Australia for the first time. The cult Italian composer, who completed the work just before he died in 2004 (aged 41), described it as an “electric poem”. The ambitious piece draws on a huge range of influences, from rave parties to ancient initiation rites. Running the show is Helpmann Award-winning director Kip Williams, (STC’s Suddenly Last Summer and Macbeth, SCO’s The Lighthouse), known for his brave, creative aesthetics, while Australian-American soprano Jane Sheldon (Exil) is taking the lead. “Designer Elizabeth Gadsby and I have responded to the complex emotional tapestry of the score and libretto by depicting a simple portrait of a woman processing the demise of a relationship,” says Williams. “Romitelli's composition and [libretto writer Kenka] Lekovich's poetry offer a sense of descent into paralysis. Our staging explores the protagonist's break down as she struggles to reconcile her bliss-filled desire with the pain of her reality.” Want more operatic goodness? Read our interview with Sydney Chamber Opera co-founder Pierce Wilcox.
Every day, worldwide, McDonald's feeds approximately 1% of the earth's population. Like a partially-digested chicken nugget entering your bloodstream, we'll just let that sink in for a moment. The Founder, by writer Robert D. Siegel (The Wrestler) and director John Lee Hancock (Saving Mr. Banks) tells the true story of Ray Kroc, a milkshake mixer salesman from Illinois who in 1954 stumbled across an innovative hamburger joint run by the McDonald brothers (Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch) and convinced them to franchise it into the 92nd largest economy in the world. Again, just let it siiiiink on in. Played magnificently by Michael Keaton, Kroc presents as a ruthless and relentless businessman for whom 'no' is just a soft yes waiting to be solidified. "Contracts are like hearts" he explains at one stage to the brothers, "…they're meant to be broken". And so it was that the McDonalds empire began to form, with or without the support of the two men to which everything was owed. It's a fascinating, heartbreaking story to behold. Offerman and Carroll Lynch are perfectly cast as a pair of brothers whose steadfast belief in the importance of authenticity and quality seems at once admirable and naive - not to mention antithetical to the very ideas that would eventually turn each of them into multi-millionaires. Of course, the fact that they only make millions, and not billions, is what forms the bulk of the film's story, as it catalogues the means by which Kroc manoeuvred himself into a position of unmatchable power over the pair via manipulative and underhanded yet entirely legal means. By the time "gentleman's handshakes" are being proposed, you already know how things are going to end, just as you lament the feeling that there's nothing else the brothers could have done to stop it. This is a slick production from top to bottom, beginning with Siegel's superb script and its equal measure of laughs and wince-inducing severity. The direction, too, is impressively restrained, allowing the performers and script to shine without embellishment. As in the recent Birdman, Keaton is the standout in a field of outstanding actors, bringing similar levels of narcissism to the role. His serpentine smile and darting eyes betray much of the Kroc personality before he ever opens his mouth. Do not be surprised to see Keaton's name appear on the nomination roll for next year's awards season. In all, The Founder is an admirable piece of cinema that's at once a character study and a history lesson, just as its lead offers an uncomfortable mix of bastardy and astounding foresight. You won't like much about Ray Kroc by the end of this film, but you'll be hard-pressed to deny his determination, business acumen or impact upon a world in which 62 million customers eat at McDonalds every day. 62 million customers. That's more than the population of Great Britain. So yeah…just let that sink in. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AX2uz2XYkbo
Though the world is obviously crying out for a play about a mausoleum brimming with leftover Christmas meat or a family grieving the death of a terrible actor, Australia's only Nobel laureate for literature did not see fit to furnish us with such a literally-titled masterpiece. It doesn't make the final product any less weird, though. Written in 1948, White's work traces the story of a young poet and the increasingly odd relationship he shares with his landlady, Mrs. Lusty after her husband dies suddenly. The result is a spirited, if unsettling pursuit of a young man by a grief-stricken, libidinous retiree, through a lavish post-funeral feast. The play was apparently inspired by a painting called The Dead Landlord, which William Dobell painted shortly after helping his own landlady heft her husband's corpse onto a bed. Infamously rejected by the Adelaide Festival in 1962, Griffin theatre and director and producer Kate Gaul have no such qualms.
Summer is officially over. We know that not just because it's colder, but because Vivid Sydney is gearing up for 2018. Get ready to be ensconced in projections once again — the festival of light, music and ideas is returning for 23 days from May 25 to June 16. The first tidbit from this year's program was the announcement that Solange will do four shows at the Sydney Opera House from June 1–4 — her only Australian shows this time round. Tickets have already been allocated via ballot, so we hope you jumped on that already. The most overt (and unavoidable) aspect of the program is the lights, and this year their glow will extend across the bridge to light up Luna Park for the first time. A new precinct for 2018, it will extend the reach of the CBD's Light Walk from Circular Quay, Darling Harbour and Barangaroo with a collection of large-scale projections and a new light fit-out for the Ferris wheel. Should make good viewing from the ferry. The Sydney Opera House's sails will this year be lit up with hyperreal images of Australian flora, fauna and natural elements from artist (and former Flume collaborator) Jonathan Zawada, and Customs House will be home to an adorable projection of May Gibbs' Snugglepot and Cuddlepie. Fans of Sir David Attenborough will be able to head down to the Maritime Museum to watch scenes from Blue Planet II projected onto the building's roof, and interactive light installation Aqueous will head to the Royal Botanic Garden via Burning Man. Vivid light hotspots, Circular Quay, the MCA, Chatswood, Taronga Zoo and Martin Place will all be lit up as well. Vivid Music is once again in fine form. Joining Solange for the Vivid Live component of the program at the Opera House will be hip hop legend Ice Cube, 90s favourite Cat Power and Mazzy Star, who will come to Australia for the very first time since forming in 1989 (if you don't know the band by name, you probably know the song 'Fade Into You'). Dreams — a new project from Silverchair's Daniel Johns and Empire of the Sun's Luke Steele — and performances from Iron and Wine, Neil Finn and Middle Kids around also on the Opera House's 20-night Vivid lineup. Another big one is a one-off performance from St Vincent at Carriageworks, and the City Recital Hall has a solid program this year, including a musical comedy show from Orange Is the New Black's Lea Delaria. Vivid Ideas is, of course, back for those keen to delve into creativity, science and technology — and this year it's scored James Cameron as its big-ticket speaker. Cameron will be in town to open his new exhibition at the Maritime Museum and do an in conversation with comedian Adam Spencer. There's plenty more where that came from, check the Vivid Sydney website for more details.
Sydney’s food and drink scene isn’t slowing down any time soon. We’re spoilt for choice at every turn, with new top-notch eateries cropping up faster than ever before. If you’re struggling to keep up — and who isn't? — never fear Taste of Sydney 2016 is the four-day foodie festival to get to up to speed on the cream of the culinary crop. Setting up residence in Centennial Park from March 10 to 13, Taste of Sydney in partnership with Electrolux is all about bringing diners and chefs together. Ticketholders will be treated with nosh from some of Sydney’s top restaurants, including Biota Dining’s sustainable modern Australian dishes, fire-cooked noms from Firedoor, nel.'s fine dining dishes, plus Middle Eastern street food from the crew at Glebe’s Thievery. Also joining the deliciousness will be Porteño, Kitchen by Mike, MoVida, Sake, and the newly opened Kensington Street Social, among others. Sounds like a lot to stomach in one sitting? Thanks to the festival’s bite-size portions, you’ll be able to try a sampling from all on show — and maybe go back for seconds too. There'll be six sessions over the four-day program, so all you have to do is choose one and you’ll have four hours to experience Sydney's best selection of signature dishes. Aside from stuffing your face, there are also plenty of masterclasses and demonstrations from Australia’s leading chefs, and even the Taste of Sydney Artisan Market, jam-packed with over 60 food and drink exhibitors. For the first time, guests will have the opportunity to cook like a professional chef at Electrolux Chefs’ Secrets. This intimate masterclass experience will allow visitors to cook alongside renowned chefs including Peter Gilmore (Quay) and Colin Fassnidge (4Fourteen), before sitting down at a communal table together to enjoy the meal with matched wines. You can also see your favourite chefs in the Electrolux Taste Theatre hosted by food writer Kate Gibbs, experience world class food and wine at the South African Garden with MasterChef South Africa judge Benny Masekwameng, get creative with Lurpak, plus many more. Let the food comas commence. [competition]560861[/competition]
If you want to know what it feels like to have Siri laugh at you, ask them to search for "small garden hideaway with excellent food, drink, music in Sydney's CBD". Once you've done that, head back here so we can give you what you want. Since I Left You, the 21st-century city speakeasy nestled in a heritage-listed storehouse in the centre of Sydney, has announced another chapter of The SILY Sessions. The once-monthly sessions are live gigs, but not as you know them. This month, you'll catch the immensely talented Kaloune who heads to Sydney all the way from La Reunion Island, plus local talent Maia Marsh and SILY Sessions alumni Jannah Beth. But rather than spending the day being elbowed in the face at varying intensities, the performance is small — 50 people max — generally acoustic and includes antipasti and special cocktail offers. The gig takes place in SILY's courtyard which is transformed into a 'tropical oasis' for the occasion. With only 50 tickets to each session, you'll need to clamour for seats. Once you're there, though, relaxation, fine food and great music are all that need concern you. For those left out in the cold, each performance is recorded and available for purchase. Plus there's always next month. Take that, Siri.
Seasonal change is finally settling into Melbourne and with it comes one of the NGV's best annual exhibitions: the Winter Masterpieces series. This year, it's no secret they've snagged a true master, Vincent Van Gogh, the poster boy for post-impressionism and dramatic self-mutilation. Set to open on April 28 and running until July 19, blockbuster exhibition Van Gogh and the Seasons has been years in the making, and is expected by NGV to draw one of the gallery's biggest audiences yet. Curator Sjraar Van Heugten has fine tuned a thematic exhibition after Van Gogh's own heart, an exploration of the seasons in over 60 works. "In the seasons, he [Van Gogh] has perceived infinity, something larger than humanity. The seasons represent ongoing life," he says. Inside the exhibition, you'll find a fascinating investigation into Van Gogh's life, alongside some of his best naturalist pieces. The artist's character, and his fluctuating mental health, often receive as much attention as his best works. The story of his life, and his death, are expounded wonderfully (and sensitively, snaps for not stigmatising mental health) through quotes, correspondence and essays. Although the collection itself doesn't feature his most famous works, you'll leave with a window into the artist's true persona and an understanding of the sheer breadth of his talent. Structurally, Van Gogh and the Seasons is broken into (you guessed it) the four seasons, that masterfully weave a narrative through the artist's life. The NGV has produced a short accompanying film, narrated by David Stratton and David Wenham, that's worth a watch before you proceed through the exhibition, as it explains the structure of the exhibition and sets the mood. We'll let you experience the exhibition for yourself, but in case you'd like a little guidance in your visit, here are five works you shouldn't miss. A WHEATFIELD WITH CYPRESSES, 1889 This painting is perhaps one of the exhibition's best known pieces. You'll see it emblazoned on all the NGV's marketing collateral and once you're standing in front of it, you can feel why. The vibrant colours and rolling cloud banks are euphoric. There's nothing more to say except this painting is worth the ticket price alone. TREE TRUNKS IN THE GRASS, 1890 The composition of this painting is a departure from the Van Gogh tradition. It's an awkward close-up of a tree trunk and surrounding vegetation but it stands out for the detail, the peaceful atmosphere, and the perfectly balanced colours. Van Gogh painted this in the spring (April) of 1890, just after a period of severe mental illness and only months before taking his own life. VIEW OF SAINTES-MARIES-DE-LA-MER, 1888 Love a good Cezanne town landscape? Don't miss this work. Painstakingly composed and one Van Gogh's more structured pieces, View of Saintes-Maries-de-la-mer will catch you off-guard. While his style was overwhelmingly more fluid and impressionist, this scene is clearly defined and an interesting counterpoint to the rest of the spring and summer pieces. ORCHARD IN BLOSSOM, 1889 This is part of a series in the 'spring' section that is collectively stunning. The delicate pastels used in this season represent Van Gogh's time in Paris, living with his doting brother Theo in Montmartre, where his style lightened and evolved into what we know today as his best works. As a lover of nature, the fertile spring inspired some of his most beautiful pieces. SELF PORTRAIT, 1887 And at the very end of the exhibition, we get a final glimpse of the man who had previously remained faceless. A small but articulate self portrait of a weary looking artist, rendered three years before he died. Van Gogh's final words, spoken to his brother Theo, were famously, "The sadness will last forever". There's a lot of sadness in this exhibition. If you can, we recommend you walk through alone and take it all in. Van Gogh and the Seasons runs April 28 to July 19 at NGV. Installation images: Tom Ross.
A spiralling, futuristic community library is in store for Darling Square. Across its two floors, you'll find not only tens of thousands of books, but also a bunch of extra facilities, including a 'makerspace' and an 'Innovation Exchange Program' for creative startups. Designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma and proposed by Lendlease, the building will have six storeys altogether, with another two floors occupied by a commercially-run childcare centre — as long as all plans get the green light. "I am very pleased that the City [of Sydney] has reached an in-principle agreement with Lendlease for two floors of the fabulous Kengo Kuma building," said Lord Mayor Clover Moore. "The contemporary library will include a flexible space for seminars and workshops, with technology to support entrepreneurs and innovators." The agreement means that the City of Sydney will lease the 2225 square metre space for 99 years. The rest of the terms are confidential at this stage, but we're expecting them to be ready to go by the end of 2016. And, if everything runs according to plan, the library will open in 2018. "The redevelopment at Darling Harbour includes a new residential and commercial area with 4200 new residents and 2500 new workers," the Lord Mayor said. "High-density living is an important part of our city's future, but to be a success it must be supported by great community facilities, which is why we're so pleased to see a project like this that meets the city's standards of design excellence." Find out more about Darling Square's new library and creative space on the City of Sydney's website.
All hail the sausage queen, long may she rein! The brains behind Chrissy's Cuts, Chrissy Flanagan has been serving snags to Sydney eateries and independent supermarkets since 2015. Now, the meat monarch finally has a keep to call her own, with the opening of what she's dubbed Australia's very first sausage cellar door. Located on New Canterbury Road in Dulwich Hill, The Sausage Factory will be Chrissy's Cuts' new permanent home. Flanagan and her partner Jim have added a cozy bistro-bar to the front of their butcher shop home base, which will be open from 6pm until 10pm, Thursday to Sunday. "We've loved seeing what chefs have done with our sausages over the past year and we've tried a lot of things on the Sausage Dogs at our pop-up events – but now we want to give it a proper crack," said Jim. Standout sausages include lamb shoulder with sumac and mint, and chicken with lemon and honey, plus a vegetarian option made with scarmorza, zucchini, almost and currant. Each banger comes with lemon garlic yoghurt with capers, house-made beer mustard with tarragon, pink and orange pickles, and apple in Poor Tom's Gin. Alternatively, you can get it as a 'dog' in bread with green onion and Handsome Devils Co tomato sauce. With the liquor licence still pending, punters can BYO or visit the bottle shop around the corner. They'll also be able to take home a little something for their pantries — be it Eat Me Chutney, Westmont Pickles or even Chunky Dave's Peanut Butter. And naturally, Chrissy's Cuts will be available by the kilo. Find The Sausage Factory at 380 New Canterbury Road, Dulwich Hill. For more information visit www.thesausagefactory.com.au.
Park City, Utah is getting a hit of Australian coffee culture, with the tourist hotspot set to become home to the first international cafe by home-grown coffee roasters Campos Coffee. The Sydney-born coffee shop has announced that it will open its first US store in Park City in mid-December, ensuring locals can finally enjoy a halfway decent flat white. Sorry not sorry, Starbucks. "We've considered the US market for more than ten years, but never found the right fit for us," said Campos founder and president Will Young in announcing the brand's stateside expansion. "As soon as we visited Park City, we knew it would be a perfect extension of the Campos Coffee brand." Park City is known for its tourist economy, driven by multiple ski resorts as well as the annual Sundance Film Festival. "Walking around, you can see the whole town has an active, inclusive and diverse community that cares about the environment," said Young. "Add to this a significant dedication to the arts, such as the Sundance Film Festival, and the decision was made." Campos, which currently has seven stores across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, is following in the footsteps a number of Australian coffee brands who have set up shop in the United States. Most recently Paramount Coffee Project opened up a base in Los Angeles. Look for Campos Coffee in Park City, Utah from mid-December.
As if the furore generated by the Vivid Sydney lineup announcement wasn't enough to stir your loins, Fuzzy Events have announced a banging lineup for their new electronic music event, Curve Ball, taking over Carriageworks on June 11. The partnership between Vivid Sydney, Carriageworks and Fuzzy has wrought a tight little lineup across two stages with a hefty side of visual arts. The lineup is fronted by enigmatic producer Zhu, who'll be joined by Sydney favourites Cosmo's Midnight, Basenji and Nicole Millar, as well as hyped-up newcomers JOY, Elk Road, Cleopold and Yuma X. It's a who's who of up-and-coming electronic artists and they've even hinted at adding a few more names to the already stellar bill, so best to start stretching now and break in your dancing shoes. Carriageworks is bringing the fire with an immersive audio and visual experience to accompany the tunes as well as large scale art installations. It's just one part of Carriageworks' program for Vivid Sydney which also includes the world premiere of Bjork's VR project BJORK DIGITAL (which you know is going to get weird and wonderful). Image: Carriageworks.
The inaugural Sydney Solstice is going out with a bang — a bang that's not only delicious, but that's helping raise money for those in need, too. Third I Fest will see some of the inner west's best restaurants and bars open their doors, so you can go on a globe-hopping culinary adventure — without the plane ticket. You'll be able to buy a 'passport' that'll let you eat at restaurants, such as Colombo Social, with all money raised going to employment and career opportunities for asylum seekers and Indigenous Australians doing it tough. The three-day event will also feature pop-up art galleries, food and cocktail masterclasses, and an all-day music festival showcasing international, Indigenous and inner west artists (representing the event's three 'i's) on its final day. The music festival will take over the CBD's Metro Theatre with performances from boundary-pushing hip-hop artists Ziggy Ramo and L Fresh the Lion, alongside Kobie Dee, Thandi Phoenix and Becca Hatch. The festival will also give you the chance to catch exciting new East Arnhem Land band King Stingray in one of their first Sydney shows. The surf-rock band has released two critically acclaimed singles and are related to members of the legendary First Nation's group Yothu Yindi. Image: Colombo Social
Calling all late-night Tour watchers, cycling enthusiasts and anyone who wants to know what a 'peloton' is. The NSW Government has today announced the first ever Tour de France event to be held in Australia, locked in for 2016. Dubbed L’Etape Australia and locked in for the next three years, the upcoming race is an official offshoot of the Tour de France — the oldest and most prestigious road cycling event to rival all road cycling events. It's not the first Tour side quest, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Chile and Argentina have all seen their own stages. Destination NSW and the NSW Government have recruited SBS to broadcast the race, who've been your late night Tour broadcaster pal for 25 years. So where's the race going to be held? (Read: where can we place a huge CP logo on someone's rural property for sick helicopter coverage?) Designed to replicate the infamous Tour mountain stages, L’Etape Australia will weave through Jindabyne, Perisher and Thredbo. Rather than Alps and Pyrenees, riders will pump those legs through the beautifully formidable Snowy Mountains, where the Ultimate Snowy Challenge breaks people. These pretty, pretty NSW locations will inevitably boost the tourist dollar for the state; Minister for Sport Stuart Ayres said he anticipated the race to deliver in excess of $4 million in visitor expenditure across the three years. So you're a bit of a mad cyclist? Get up every morning at sparrow's fart just to beat the tradies to the tar? Want to see how you'd fare in the Tour? An expected 10,000 riders of varying levels are up to compete for the legendary Tour de France yellow, green, polka dot and white jerseys, and the waitlist is now open at the official L’Etape Australia website. Riders can register for updates, pick their level of difficulty (The Race is the big one, The Ride is slightly shorter for seasoned riders, and The Ramble is the fun, easier course) and reserve their place on the start line. L’Etape Australia by Tour de France is happening in December 2016. To register or for more info, visit the website. Images: Dollar Photo Club and NSW National Parks.
Sydney’s top Italian restaurateurs are bringing their own brand of Euro disco to Carriageworks during Vivid Sydney's Modulations. Combining a love for music, food and the motherland, the Italo Dining and Disco Club is a collaboration between the guys from Icebergs Dining Room and Bar, Da Orazio Pizza + Porchetta, Fratelli Paradiso and 10 William St. They promise to transport you to a different time and place with an immersive dining and dance experience. “We know how to throw a great party,” says Giovanni Paradiso, co-owner and manager of 10 William St and Fratelli Paradiso. “We all have a great vibe in our restaurants, you just don’t want to leave ... we want to get people's conceptions of dining and entertainment to change. You don’t need to go to seven venues to have a good night out, you can just go to one all-rounder.” With exclusive performances from Grace Jones, Pharoah Sanders and Bill Drummond (plus a Kooky party) running concurrently with the disco at Carriageworks, you'll be able to take a holistic approach to your night and get dinner at the club, go see Grace Jones, and head back to Italo to continue to party the night away under the influence of for-real European disco legends like Beppe Loda. Which is good, considering you'll probably have consumed a fair few carbs from the Italian menu. Paradiso's partner in this project is Maurice Terzini from Icebergs and Da Orazio, whose spit-roasted pig and 48-hour pizza dough are often on our minds. Terzini grew up in Pescara on the Adriatic coast, so has a very firsthand reference point for the kind of party they want to create. “We’re doing natural wine out of barrels," says Paradiso. "You’ll be able to order it by the glass, by the half litre ... Maurice will be doing some of his Ciroc things with paired cocktails, and there will obviously be jugs of spritzers. "Food-wise it is going to be pretty much our favourites from Fratelli Paradiso, 10 William St, Icebergs Dining Room and Bar and Da Orazio.” He boasts of a festival vibe and street food set to tempt. Paradiso encourages people to bring their families along early on in the night for a great Italian dining experience. "We know there’s going to be great food and great music,” he says, cheekily adding, “and pretty much you do the rest. You bring the fun.” With the success of the similar food-culture fusion Wild Porteno at Vivid Festival last year, Italo Dining and Disco Club certainly has some big shoes to fill; however, by taking a snapshot of Italy in its disco heyday and putting their own spin on it, Paradiso is confident they will transport club-goers into a simpler time when discos were more about a combination of great food and dance in the one location. "[What’s important is to] take a bit from a great movement, the '70s and '80s, and turn it into something pretty cool and pretty modern,” he says The Italo Dining and Disco Club runs from 5pm till late on May 31 to June 2 and June 5–7. Entry is free and all ages are welcome.
Housed in the iconic Zetland space once owned and renovated by Ken Done, a selection of works by some of Australia’s most exciting emerging and established contemporary artists is on show. The exhibition celebrates the tenth anniversary of this successful local gallery, featuring works by Sydney Ball, Matthew Allen, Tony Albert, Karen Black, Joanna Lamb, Alex Seton and at least 20 more. Image: Swimming Pool with Reflection by Joanna Lamb.
It's only May but so far 2015 has dealt Melbourne indie rock four-piece British India a pretty good hand. The lads released their fifth album Nothing Touches Me in March, triple j has had their singles (like the makes-you-want-to-move 'Suddenly') on high rotation ever since, and they put in a stellar big-shoe-filling performance at Bluesfest, when they stepped in for The Black Keys. In support of the new record, the band is currently travelling the country on a mammoth tour, selling out shows, adding some more and then selling them out again. Basically, they aim to play wherever ABC broadcasts. Catch them at The Basement on May 24 with Grenadiers and Tired Lion. Expect a solid dose of material from Nothing Touches Me, as well as all the old favourites, and get ready to bring back 2008 with the inevitable 'I Said I'm Sorry' belt-out sesh. Quick sticks, snap up your tickets first here — word on the street is they won't last much longer.
The One Day crew just keep hitting their stride. A far cry from their humble 2013 pub beginnings as One Day Sundays, Sydney's favourite hip hop crew are getting bigger and bigger crowds with every event, throwing over 100 events across Australia in the last three years and blowing the roof of their monthly Factory mini-festivals, not to mention their biggest Sydney day party yet, One Day Only. For Vivid, they're back to their roots, with a huge One Day Sundays party at the Factory Theatre. Of course, One Day themselves will be leading the pack at this edition, with Adit and Nick Lupi to be joined by guests Aslan, Levins, Klasik and Liz Bird. In true One Day-style, there'll be live art aplenty on the day, with some of the country's best graffiti artists creating a live mural. It'll be a long day of dancing, so there'll be plenty of delicious food and drink to keep you fuelled.
Vivid Sydney is officially upon us, ready to light up the night for another year. From May 26 through to June 17, the city will be flooded with colour and sound – along with a couple of million punters. Every bloody year, we're paralysed with indecision as to where the hell to start chasing the Vivid lights. We put together a handy guide to this year's light precincts, from Taronga Zoo to Darling Harbour. Consider it a highlights package. Literally. By Tom Clift and Jasmine Crittenden. ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN Sydney's Royal Botanic Garden is taking its Vivid participation to a whole new level this year. For a start, there's Electric Forest, a tableau created by a collaboration between art, design, animation and music students. If you don't get lost there, prepare for the shock of five massive eyeballs staring straight at you and, beyond that, the more joyful Sunflowers, which, unlike the eyeballs, are kind enough to bow when you pass by. You'll also get to meet Rowi, a rare species of kiwi, and her baby, who are made of light globes and wear night-goggles. Yep, this is probably Vivid's whackiest site. TARONGA ZOO At Taronga Zoo, take a stroll among a bunch of over-sized, illuminated sculptures of animals. Think Jurassic Park, but less scary. You'll be given a wristband that powers interaction: prepare to be eaten by a Port Jackson Shark, get to know a Sumatran Tiger, see life from a turtle's perspective and find yourself surrounded by a swarm of bees. On top of that, a small number of tickets will be sold for the cable car experience. It's pretty awesome at the best of times and takes on a whole new dimension during Vivid. The only catch is that, unlike most of the festival's light events, the zoo's isn't free. Your best bet is to buy a ticket online in advance. THE ROCKS You'll scarcely be able to move in The Rocks this Vivid without stumbling across one installation or another. Visitors can hop, skip and jump their way across an LED hopscotch grid (Electric Hopscotch), peer through mysterious windows into worlds heretofore unknown (Portholes), send a letter to a stranger via a light-up postbox (MailboX), and make beautiful music using a 3D projected keyboard (MUSIC|box). Cap off your night with a visit to MCA, where the façade will come to life courtesy of Organic Vibrations, a major new projection work created by local artist Julia Gorman and French art-collective Danny Rose. CHATSWOOD In Chatswood, you'll find yourself wandering through a futuristic city, where Blade Runner meets steampunk. Head to the Interchange to feel small again, staring up at Voxelscape, an epic, spacey installation made up of 9000 glowing spheres, and to let off some steam at Gear Shift, an interactive projection that imitates a 19th century engine. You'll also find yourself looking heavenwards in Chatswood Mall, where a sparkling canopy leads you to Crossword, which sends out mysterious messages. If you're visiting during the day, check out Light Bounce, a refractive forest at Chatswood Chase. Meanwhile, The Concourse is hosting Future City/Smart City, a utopian community that's both airborne and sustainable; and, beneath it, you'll discover Steampunk Waterworld, a kind of industrial Atlantis. MARTIN PLACE Creative legends Motti+Smith are taking care of Martin Place this year. And, with the help of Stagekings and Paper Moose, they've turned it into DeepForest, an enchanting oasis that combines light with food. Hovering above the whole scene is Atmos, an extraordinary display of ribbons inspired by Aurora Australis. UrbanTree, which was a hit last time, is back with version 2.0, this time promising to carry you into a exotic ecosystem, where you'll meet a massive glowing frog. Lux Populi is a tree of a different kind, assembled out of a kilometre-long piece of neon rope, with branches ten metres above the ground. Meanwhile, expect to see Lloyd Rees Fountain transformed into a glittering, refractive wonder. BARANGAROO Watch where you're walking at Barangaroo this Vivid, lest the earth suddenly open up and swallow you whole. Illusory floor projection Trapdoor 'reveals' a cavernous world beneath Sydney's newest harbourside destination, with animations that pay tribute to the precinct's industrial history. Other standouts include A Day in the Light, a synaesthetic light and sound experience that recreates the various different phases of light that occur over the course of a day, as well as You-niverse, an inverted floating pyramid at Exchange Place where projections correspond to a number of Spotify playlists. DARLING HARBOUR A 60m x 40m wall of water provides the canvas for what will surely be one of the most spectacular projections at Vivid Sydney this year. Devised by Ignatius Jones and Peewee Ferris, Magicians of the Mist incorporates fireballs, lasers, music and LEDs, along with 12 massive pumps throwing 28 tonnes of water per minute into the air above Cockle Bay. At nearby Tumbalong Green, 32 beams of light will paint patterns in the sky, while animated waves crash down on the room of the Australian National Maritime Museum. CIRCULAR QUAY Last Vivid, Circular Quay was home to the to the world's largest interactive light display. This year, they're breaking their own record. In Dreamscape, visitors will use a touch-sensitive 3D model to control lights and projections on buildings around the Quay, as well as a one kilometer stretch of the Cahill Expressway and the eastern face of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Then of course there's the Opera House, which this year will be illuminated Audio Creatures, an audio-visual tableaux featuring images of pulsating sea creatures, vibrant bird plumage and iridescent plant-life.
Have you found yourself standing in the Australian breeze lately and thought, "Do I feel in this breeze a touch of whimsy; whimsy and the slight lilt of literary references spoken in Glaswegian accents?" You have? Sure sign that Belle and Sebastian are on their way. After four years the ever-enduring Glaswegian collective, who have long held the title of indie-pop royalty, have released their ninth studio album just in time for an Australian tour. Belle and Sebastian are never a band to ignore their roots, so longtime fans can look forward to performances that celebrate everything from indie-pop classics from early albums Tigermilk and If You're Feeling Sinister to their newest dance-y ventures 'The Party Line' and 'Enter Sylvia Plath' off the new album Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance. Sydneysiders can catch a special performance at Taronga Zoo as part of the Twilight sessions, where you can pair the sweet as honey vocals and pensive lyrics of frontman Stuart Murdoch with the sounds of the animal kingdom. Belle and Sebastian are playing two Sydney dates for 2015: January 29 — Enmore Theatre (Supported by Twerps) January 31 — Twilight at Taronga (Supported by Darren Hanlon) We caught up with Stuart Murdoch for a chat about B&S's stylistic changes, having cocktails created in one’s honour and putting politics in pop. Check out the interview right here.
Cinephiles, fans of on-screen dreams outside the norm and those with all-round offbeat tastes, it's time for your mosey through the movies that exist far beyond the mainstream. You know the ones — they won't be coming soon to a multiplex near you, and you wouldn't want them to. They're strange and sublime, odd and eccentric, and weird and wonderful. They're also the kind of fare that the Sydney Underground Film Festival lives, breathes, champions and screens, and has done for nine years now. And with efforts about a Finnish bunny with a genital fetish and the space where concepts become crimes in their 2015 lineup, there's no doubting that this year's SUFF is overflowing with off-kilter sensibilities. Accordingly, expect brain-exploding big-screen brilliance, raucous parties, a mind-expanding masterclass program and more, jam-packed into four days of film fun from September 17–20 at The Factory Theatre, Marrickville. Here are ten SUFF movies you won't want to miss. LOVE Say what you will about the films of Gaspar Noé, director of Irreversible and Enter the Void — they inspire a reaction. Perhaps his latest will make you mirror the emotion of its title. Perhaps it'll make you bubble over something completely different. Either way, the graphic, 3D, 134-minute exploration of the interplay between emotion and intercourse that is Love isn't something you'll walk out of not wanting to talk about. Whether you're immersed in the artistry of the real-life sex scenes, or finding fun in playing spot the reference to Noé's previous efforts, or itching to debate whether the porn-level bad acting is on purpose or not, prepare for your tongue to be wagging. CALL ME LUCKY In Call Me Lucky, comedian David Cross describes Barry Crimmins as "a guy you who you heard about before you actually saw". He's not a household name, so many are yet to even get to hear about him, but Bobcat Goldthwait's documentary will make you wish you had — and cause you to want to find out more. The Police Academy star turned filmmaker shines the spotlight on a comic legend who had more than a small impact upon his own career, as well as upon others who came to fame during the '80s. Making people laugh and mentoring other amusing folks comprise only part of Crimmins' story, though, with the funnyman morphing into a politically charged dynamo. ONE ON ONE Last time South Korean auteur and provocateur Kim Ki-duk made a movie, 2013's squirm-inducing Moebius, people reportedly fainted. Whether reactions to his next and 20th effort, One on One, will be as extreme is yet to be seen — but either way, you should always want to experience Kim's bold brand of filmmaking for yourself. That he's serving up another brutal, blood-soaked revenge classic this time around could be telling. That there's a statement lingering behind the twisted darkness and rampant ultra-violence could be as well. NINA FOREVER Admitting that you like your cinema-going with a hint of romance isn't really the done thing in movie-worshipping circles — but wanting your amorous on-screen affairs steeped in scarier stuff just might be. Nina Forever certainly tries to bridge that divide, offering a love story best described as morbid. When Rob falls for Holly, he's trying to get over the sudden death of his previous girlfriend, but the dearly departed Nina comes between them. In Chris and Ben Blaine's mischievous yet moving film, expect to take that rather literally. REALITY Showcasing the work of filmmakers that don't quite fall from the Hollywood mould is one of the things that underground film festivals do best. Quentin Dupieux certainly fits that bill, as anyone who has seen his 2010 cult effort Rubber — yep, the one about the people-killing tire with psychic powers — can attest. With Reality, he's playing with humans rather than objects, but that doesn't mean his latest offering makes more sense. It starts out telling the tale of a cameraman trying to craft his first horror movie, then charts the 48 hours he's given to find the best scream in the history of cinema — and that's just the beginning. REMAKE REMIX RIP-OFF In Turkey in the 1970s and 1980s, creating copies of Hollywood hits was big business. The nation's film industry, Yesilçam, survived by aping and appropriating all the well-known wares it could, including Star Wars, Rambo, The Wizard of Oz and The Exorcist, plus bizarre versions of the likes of Superman, Zorro, Tarzan, Dracula and James Bond. Given that his childhood and resulting cinema fandom was defined by such efforts, director happily Cem Kaya spent seven years watching thousands of movies, researching many more and cataloguing the phenomenon as an adult. If you think the love letter to unlikely films that results sounds like the kind of documentary tailor-made for an underground film festival, you'd be right. BACK IN TIME Delorean lovers, Marty McFly fans and everyone who ever dreamed that hoverboards would become a real thing, prepare to say "great Scott!". That's the only appropriate reaction to a documentary that dives into the 30 years of fandom spawned by one of the most beloved films of the 20th century. Packed with interviews and abundant in adoration, Back in Time celebrates everything that made Back to the Future great, and still inspires feverish love three decades later. What better way to commemorate the original movie's 30th anniversary, and to prepare for October 21, 2015, aka Back to the Future day. THEY LOOK LIKE PEOPLE If one of the joys of attending film festivals is to discover future classics — and it is, of course — then pencil in They Look Like People as a possible candidate for such a status at SUFF. When it premiered at the 2015 Slamdance Film Festival, it garnered plenty of positive words and other praise; however, that's not the only thing giving the genre-bending effort some buzz. Comparisons to Darren Aronofsky’s Pi and Rian Johnson’s Brick certainly help, as do mentions of It Follows and They Live. Even if its apocalyptic tale of shape-shifting doesn't meet the hype, the ultra low-budget effort still promises something that's becoming all too rare: an horror movie based on an original concept. DEEP WEB Once upon a time — or back in 1989, to be exact — Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves teamed up to time travel their way through acing a high school history test. That wasn't their only stint as Bill & Ted, nor their only time working together. While rumours of a third excellent or bogus instalment persist, the on-screen BFFs have joined forces on Winter's latest offering as a filmmaker. Reeves lends his vocal tones to a documentary that delves into the Dark Web, the Silk Road and all the associated perils, problems and politics, and to an effort that deserves attention for much more than its famous talent. KNOCK KNOCK He's apprehended surfing bank robbers, learned kung fu in a sea of ones and zeros, and avenged the death of his pet puppy. As well as voicing a look at the underside of the internet, Keanu Reeves' next task is to survive the seductive thrills coming his way in Eli Roth's Knock Knock, which pits his suburban dad against two femme fatales in a throwback to the sexploitation genre. Roth's big screen efforts might be a bit hit and miss; however, his teaming up with Reeves is ample cause for enthusiasm. You can try to tell us that you're not excited about seeing the K man on screen again more often — or about it being socially acceptable to profess your enjoyment of his films once more — but we won't believe you. SUFF 2015 runs from September 17–20 at the Factory Theatre, Marrickville. Check out the festival website for the full program.
Plan those half-hearted New Years Resolutions, the 2015 Falls Music and Arts Festival lineup is here, announced by triple j this morning. Returning to Lorne, Marion Bay and Byron for another bout of end-of-year scullduggery, Falls is back with the likes of Foals and Disclosure at the top of the bill (both with shiny new albums to boot). Expect those beloved Brits Bloc Party on the bill as well, alongside a killer collection of international gems — we're talking Gary Clark Jr, Mac DeMarco, Kurt Vile and The Violaters, Toro Y Moi, Django Django, Young Fathers and The Maccabees to start with. Even Weird Al' Yankovic will headline the opening Boogie Nights party. Random. Australia's contingent deserves two thumbs way up, from international goakicker Courtney Barnett to dancefloor dominators RUFUS and the likes of the legendary Paul Kelly (with his Merri Soul Sessions), Hilltop Hoods, Meg Mac, Gang of Youths, Hiatus Kaiyote, Little May, Alpine, Birds of Tokyo, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Seth Sentry, Halsey, BØRNS and more. Enough chatskies, here's that lineup you're after: FALLS FESTIVAL 2015 LINEUP: Alpine The Avener Birds of Tokyo Bloc Party BØRNS Courtney Barnett Disclosure Django Django Foals Gang of Youths Gary Clark Jr Halsey Hiatus Kaiyote Hilltop Hoods King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Kurt Vile & The Violators Little May The Maccabees Mac DeMarco Meg Mac Oh Wonder Paul Kelly & Merri Soul Sessions feat. Clairy Browne, Dan Sultan, Kira Puru, Vika & Linda Bull RÜFÜS Seth Sentry Toro Y Moi Young Fathers and more BOOGIE NIGHTS LINEUP Art vs Science El Vez Fleetmac Wood 'Weird Al' Yankovic and more Lorne, Victoria (18+) December 28, 2015 – January 1, 2016 Marion Bay, Tasmania (all ages) December 29, 2015 – January 1, 2016 Byron Bay, New South Wales December 31, 2015 – January 3, 2016 Via triple j. Image: Falls Festival.
Anthony Albanese, Tim 'Rosso' Ross and Lord Mayor Clover Moore are among the public figures who'll be making their way to Customs House on Saturday, 17 September, to lead a massive public rally to save The Rocks' Sirius Apartments. Get there at 11.30am to show your support. The Sirius building, which was designed by architect Tao Gofers, is not only an important part of '70s history, a great example of Brutalist architecture and it is also public housing. For years and years, it has helped to even the score in this expensive, property-obsessed city of ours, but allowing people on low incomes to live in the centre, with harbour views. But now, the NSW Liberal Government under Premier Mike Baird wants to smash Sirius up and replace it with luxury apartments. That's why Albo, Rosso and the Lord Mayor are getting together to put up a serious fight."By selling out our communities and our history to make a quick buck, the State Government is undoing the very reason heritage legislation exists," said the Lord Mayor. "Selling off social housing in Millers Point and now demolishing Sirius shows the NSW Government doesn't think public housing tenants deserve to live in the heart of our city." They'll be joined by Alex Greenwich MP, Jamie Parker MP and the legendary Jack Mundey, a union and environmental activist who led the famous Green Bans movement, which saved Sydney from loads of unnecessary and environmentally damaging development in the '70s. In fact, his work might prove crucial to the saving of Sirius, for Brad Parker, the national assistant secretary of the CFMEU (the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union) will be announcing an interim Green Ban on the building at the rally. This ban prohibits all unionised work forces from working on the site, regardless of the State Government's instructions. "The government appears to have made no attempt to weigh the financial gains of a sell-off against the social losses involved in the devastation of a community," said Albanese. The rally will start at 11.30am outside Customs House, where Albo and Rosso will kick off proceedings. It'll then travel through The Rocks and along the harbour foreshore to Sirius. There'll be speeches from the back of the CMFEU truck, a performance by Sydney band The Cooks and a sausage sizzle. Images: Katherine Lu and Barton Taylor.
It’s Sydney Festival's 40th anniversary this year and to celebrate, the team are bringing us two masterful works — a special season of Shakespeare’s Desdemona and festival centrepiece, Georg Büchner’s eponymous Woyzeck reinterpreted as a dark musical. Both performances have critics frothing at the mouth and audiences champing at the bit and everyone in general acting like very sick horses (in a good way). For the first time in its long history, the festivities will extend beyond the summertime. Showing at the Roslyn Packer Theatre in October is Desdemona, the spinoff that posthumously reanalyses Shakespeare’s Othello and the character of Desdemona. The play was written by the Nobel and Pulitzer prize-winning American author Toni Morrison, scored by Malian singer-songwriter Rokia Traore and directed by Peter Sellars. Working in tandem, the three have created an original perspective of the fiery character Desdemona; part-play, part-concert. The LA Times says of it, "In a ritual of spellbinding beauty, staged by Sellars, these two women, of different generations and continents, stand up to Shakespeare." The official piece headlining the festival, Büchner’s Woyzeck, will show in January. The stage play, originally written and left unfinished in 1837, has been completed and interpreted by a multitude of writers; dealing with the universally empathetic themes of obsession madness and murder. This iteration has been penned by musicians Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan as a 21st century musical. The basic plot goes something like this: Woyzeck, the archetypal outsider and solider, agrees to allow a questionable doctor to perform bizarre medical experiments on him and when the girl he loves starts to have feelings for another, he starts to spiral quickly in violent madness. The intrigue of Woyzeck is in the interpretation of the writers and they seem to have done something original with this one because critics are raving. “So beautiful, so devastating, so visually striking and of such visionary power, that we barely dare to breathe,” says Die Welt. These world-class offerings are just the first taste of what Sydney Festival will bring, with the whole 2015/16 program set to be announced soon. The 40th Anniversary Sydney Festival presents Desdemona, showing at the Roslyn Packer Theatre, Walsh Bay from October 23-24 at 8pm and October 25 at 2pm. To book, call Sydney Festival on 1300 856 876. Woyzeck is showing at Carriageworks Bay 17 from January 7-12, 8pm (no performance on Sunday). To book, call Sydney Festival on 1300 856 87. If you get in early, you can book tickets to both Desdemona and Woyzeck for $170 at sydneyfestival.org.au/early.
They couldn't stay away could they? Melbourne's cult southern-style fried chicken joint, specialising in "really fucking hot" chicken, Belle's Hot Chicken, popped up in Sydney at Harpoon Harry, Bondi Icebergs, then back to Harpoon Harry with Bondi Icebergs. Now, they're opening a nine-month-long pop-up at Barangaroo, opening Wednesday, November 25. If you yet haven't experienced Belle's Nashville-style hot chicken, or you've wolfed it down at a previous pop-up, this time you won't have to squeeze your chickening into a couple of hours. The nine-month residency will see BHC pop up at the south end of Barangaroo‘s lifestyle hub, Wulugul Pop Up, alongside a bunch of casual eateries. They'll be showcasing a smaller version of their Fitzroy menu to Sydneysiders, featuring of course, dat hot chicken, alongside housemade lemonade, iced teas, kombucha and natural wine. “After witnessing an overwhelming positive response since opening Belle’s in Melbourne, and giving Sydneysiders a taste with the small pop ups over the last year, we knew it was only fair to bring some of the fried chicken goodness up to Sydney permanently, and the Barangaroo precinct felt like the perfect location,” says BHC founder Morgan McGlone. The brainchild of renowned Australian chef and former Nashville resident McGlone, Belle's has been combining spicy, spicy fried chicken with cool, cool natural wine and a bunch of hip hop since opening on Gertrude Street. They've since opened their own award-winning wine bar next door, Bar Clarine, because they know what they like, and a second Melbourne store. All hail BHC. Belle’s Hot Chicken pop-up opens on Saturday, November 20 at Wulugul Pop-Up, Wulugul Walk, Barangaroo and will be open seven days a week, eat in and takeaway. Mondays to Thursdays, 11am to 10pm; Fridays and Saturdays, 11am to 11pm; and Sundays, 11am to 6pm.
Think enjoying a pint and making a difference are mutually exclusive activities? Think again. Thanks to The Good Beer Co., the next drink you knock back could help save the world — or at least the Great Barrier Reef. The Good Beer Co. is Australia’s first social enterprise beer company, with a mission to match nice drinks with nice deeds. The company aims to pair the nation's top craft brewers with worthy causes — as their maiden beverage demonstrates. That'd be the aptly named Great Barrier Beer, as brewed in Bundaberg by the local legends at the Bargara Brewing Company. Once it hits the shelves, they'll donate 50% of the profits to the Australian Marine Conservation Society. To get to that point, though, The Good Beer Co. needs your help, which is why they're launching a crowdfunding campaign. You can assist them with brewing, distributing and promoting the Great Barrier Beer, and with startup costs to get established and roll out the idea to other great causes. Backers will enjoy the warm and fuzzy feeling of supporting something good, as well as the chance to taste the tipple before anybody else. You'll also get the opportunity to have a say in future recipes, labels and causes. So if you like beer and are keen to help the planet, it really is a win-win situation. After all, who doesn't want to put their beverage consumption to good use? For more information about The Good Beer Co, visit their website. Image via Dollar Photo Club.
It's time to air out the tent and throw those novelty gumboots in your backpack, Bluesfest is here for another music-filled Easter long weekend. While The Black Keys, Ben Howard and Lenny Kravitz are no longer heading to Byron this year, Bluesfesters can placate their blues (ugh) with Alabama Shakes, Jurassic 5, the Zac Brown Band, Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, Sticky Fingers, Boy and Bear, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Paolo Nutini, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Angus and Julia Stone, Steve Smyth, The Black Keys' replacement British India and more. There’s more of an emphasis than usual on young blood and recent charttoppers this year. That said, the legendary George Clinton with his Parliament/Funkadelic will be delivering an ample dose of '70s psychedelic, roller-skating-worthy funk and Paul Kelly (who seems perpetually both classic and contemporary) will be serving up some Merri Soul Sessions, in the star-studded company of Dan Sultan, Kira Puru and Vika and Linda Bull. Then there’s Train, Xavier Rudd and the United Nations, Trombone Shorty and New Orleans Avenue, Rebelution, Soja, The Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Beth Hart, Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls, Mariachi El Bronx, G. Love and Special Sauce, Pokey Lafarge, Band of Skulls and Rockwiz Live. The only difficult news in all of this is that ticket prices have crept up (you can’t say you weren’t warned!). BYRON BAY BLUESFEST 2015 LINEUP: The Black Keys Angus & Julia Stone Boy & Bear Sticky Fingers Frank Yamma Delta Rae Wagons Skipping Girl Vinegar Marlon Williams & The Yarra Benders Kristy Lee Genevieve Chadwick Dewayne Everettsmith The Bella Reunion Luluc James T. Matt Andersen Shaun Kirk Eddie Boyd & The Phatapillars Hozier The Waterboys Switchfoot Hunter Hayes Fly My Pretties Music Maker Presents Super Chikan And Vasti Jackson Diesel Jeff Lang Phil Wiggins & Dom Turner Watussi (Final Performances) Nikki Hill The Rumjacks Lenny Kravitz The Gipsy Kings (feat. Nicolas Reyes & Tonino Baliardo) Rodrigo Y Gabriela Jurassic 5 (Now also performing on Thursday night) John Mayall Keb Mo Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin with the Guilty Ones JJ Grey & Mofro Tony Joe White Jon Cleary Trevor Hal Serena Ryder Jake Shimabukuro Music Maker Foundation (feat. Cool John Ferguson, Little Freddie King, Alabama Slim, George Stancell) Michael Franti's Soulshine Ben Harper and The Innocent Criminals Paolo Nutini David Gray Ben Howard Counting Crows Jimmy Cliff Mavis Staples Gary Clark Jr Dispatch Ruthie Foster The Beat Keziah Jones Playing For Change The Black Keys Zac Brown Band Alabama Shakes Train Michael Franti & Spearhead George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic Paul Kelly Presents The Merri Soul Sessions feat Dan Sultan, Kira Puru, & Vika And Linda Bull Xavier Rudd and The United Nations Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue Rebelution Soja The Chris Robinson Brotherhood Beth Hart Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls Mariachi El Bronx G. Love & Special Sauce Pokey Lafarge Band Of Skulls Rockwiz Live Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires Augie March Donavon Frankenreiter Melbourne Ska Orchestra Justin Townes Earle Declan Kelly Presents Diesel n’Dub (Featuring Emma Donovan, Alex Lloyd, Pat Powell, Radical Son, Tony Hughes) Ash Grunwald Blue King Brown The Beautiful Girls Steve Smyth Karl S. Williams British India Bluesfest 2015 will run April 2 – 6 2015 at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, Byron Bay. More details and ticket info here. Image: Bluesfest.
Whether you're staying put or travelling interstate this summer, one thing's for sure: you won't be bored from a lack of art. A fine contingent of blockbuster exhibitions has hit the country for the warmer months, sweeping into temperature controlled galleries from Brisbane to Melbourne and all the way across to Perth. You can step into the dotty world of legendary Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama GOMA, curl up in bed at the MCA to watch some of Pipilotti Rist's work go by and remember gone-too-soon talents Amy Winehouse and Heath Ledger (at the Jewish Museum of Australia and Art Gallery of WA, respectively). And that's not even mentioning the NGV's huge new NGV Triennial, which features a giant buddha and 100 oversized resin skulls. If you're someone who travels for art, you might want to book those domestic flights now. This is probably one of the most impressive summer lineups we've seen — and, come March, most of them will be gone. Hop to it.
Recently the Vic on the Park Hotel made the shock announcement that beloved monthly event One Day Sundays was cancelled in reaction to complaints from local residents. This isn’t entirely true, or entirely isn’t true, or both. One Day Entertainment will be proudly presenting their biggest party ever, featuring Halfway Crooks and Nina Las Vegas, at its new home, The Factory Theatre, on January 25. Monthly ODS parties at The Vic have become an institution to the local music scene, and the organisers are saddened to be moving on from the establishment at which the party was born. ODS organiser and Jackie Onassis producer Raph admits that after sharing such a loyal relationship with The Vic, he was upset with how the management team dealt with the event's cancellation, informing the ODS crew via email and taking it upon themselves to cancel the event on social media. Attempts at negotiation went nowhere. “People keep asking me, why are you moving?" says Raph. "We didn’t just bail on you. It wasn’t our choice.” Raph explains that the move to The Factory Theatre was a last-minute decision, but one that's ultimately for the best. “One Day Sundays requires a very specific venue criteria — an outdoor area, a convenient Marrickville location and a space to paint. The Factory Theatre is allowing the ODS crew to eventually redecorate the whole outside area with murals, authorising us to put our stamp on the venue permanently.” The space will feature illustrations from some “fairly prominent street artists” whose names will remain a secret for now. Raph continued to mention a list of other positive outcomes that have eventuated from the relocation of the party. “Four bars is better than two, and at ODS we have heaps of girls that come to our parties. We don’t want girls not coming because there were only two toilets. There are more toilets at The Factory Theatre. So that’s a thing now.” One of the most important improvements that the new location provides is space. There are more rooms that can be opened as required and capacity is an extra 500 people above The Vic. “Last ODS we had a line of 400 people out the front, and we don’t want to turn people away," says Raph. "We want to party with all of y'all. We want you to spend less time lining up and more time turning up.” “The response we have had from the community has been really supportive, and as long as our long-term people who come every month understand, we are happy. It will be the same party, but The Vic finished at 9pm. We can move inside at The Factory and party as late as we want.” As always, One Day Sundays on February 25 will be free entry and will feature One Day DJs, Halfway Crooks and Nina Las Vegas, with more to be announced. Raph told us exclusively that we can look forward to Blue Mountains-based Elefant Traks legends Hermitude being involved with the ODS party in February. The Vic is still a beautiful place that we love lots. Images by Cole Bennetts.
March can often arrive with a pang of seasonal realisation — summer's done. But there are some who resist the change, especially those intent on creating an entire beach festival in Coogee. You'll quickly forget any farewells to the sunnier months at the Coogee Foreshore Festival, a seaside celebration transforming Coogee Pavilion's ground floor into a burgeoning marketplace. It's just one tasty, beachy adventure amongst five weeks of March into Merivale. The new Coogee Foreshore Festival arrives on Sunday, March 15, running 11am to 4pm at one of our favourite openings from 2014. The $45-a-head festival will see Merivale pop-ups such as Papi Chulo, Mr Wong, El Loco and sushi e all taking their spot along the promenade, while roaming entertainment, a Deus surfboard-shaping stand and face painting bubbles inside. Summer might be done according to the calendar, but there's no reason to dwell in melted daiquiris and uneaten Christmas chocolate. Forward march to autumn.
Sydney Fringe Festival has unveiled its tenth anniversary program, which promises over 342 shows (including 120 world premieres) across 21 postcodes. Running from September 1–30, the festival includes a few major firsts, too, such as a precinct in The Rocks, a touring hub sponsored by Innocent Bystander, a comedy on a vintage bus and an Archie Rose Cabaret Club. There are also a whole heap of immersive and interactive events going down this year, including an eerie theatre show inspired by Wolf Creek, intimate long-table dinners and talks, a Kevin Bacon-themed flashmob and a night of eats, drinks and music that'll transport you to Babylon. All of this is going down at five hubs located across the city: The Rocks, Paddington, Newtown, Lilyfield's Legs on the Wall and the CBD's 124-year-old City Tattersalls Club. Plus, a three-night Fringeville will come to Hurstville — with pop-up food trucks, light installations and shows — and an immersive Babylon-inspired world at Chippendale's Kensington Street. The inner-city food destination will transform with live music, snacks, drinks and soundscapes for one decadent evening. Of course, the program keeps going (and going). To check out all the events, head to the Sydney Fringe Festival website.
OneWave is a non-profit surf community tackling mental health issues with a simple recipe: salt-water, surfing, good mates and Fluro Fridays. Since March 2013, every Friday has become Fluro Friday. At 6.30am the crew dress up in the brightest fluro outfits they can find and surf/swim/do yoga at sunrise to raise awareness for mental health. OneWave was founded by Grant Trebilco, along with mates Sam Schumacher and Joel Pilgrim. "After a week partying at the Australian Surf Open three years ago I ended up in hospital and was diagnosed with bipolar," says Trebilco. "When I got out of hospital I moved back home to Mount Maunganui and it was surfing with my family and mates that helped me the most. I remember getting this one good wave and it was the first time I had smiled in so long. Sometimes OneWave really is all it takes. "The ocean was also the first place I told my friends about having bipolar. The support and understanding they showed me was unreal and I will never forget it. This was the inspiration behind launching OneWave. I wanted to share this recipe of saltwater therapy and start as many conversations as I could about mental health to help any one stuck in a funk. When I moved back to Australia, we were not sure how to launch OneWave and then on Friday, March 22, 2013 I randomly decided to get up at sunrise, throw on a shirt and tie and go surfing solo at Bondi to get people asking questions about mental health. That was OneWave's first 'Board Meeting' which 4 weeks later became 'Fluro Friday' and 2 1/2 years later there has been Fluro Friday's at more than 60 beaches Worldwide, run by locals who are passionate about the ocean and raising awareness of mental health in their community." Find OneWave at Bondi and Manly every Friday at 6.30am. You can't miss them.
After years of gigging and tireless campaigning from the likes of FBi Radio, Sydney-based foursome Gang of Youths are nationally-appreciated hot stuff right now. They’ve played sold-out shows alongside Vampire Weekend, Frightened Rabbit and Foster the People, done the Aussie festival circuit, toured the States, and been compared to Arcade Fire and Bruce Springsteen — and that was all before their debut album The Position was released last month. Now they’re setting off on a national tour, and the GOY-hungry public can’t seem to get enough of them; lapping up tickets faster than the band can announce new shows. GOY play rock that’s big on catharsis. Frontman David Leaupepe’s inspiration for the band’s raw, guitar-heavy debut was the emotional rollercoaster of his four-year long-distance relationship with a girl who had been diagnosed with stage four cancer. It makes for a sound that seems bound to fill stadiums one day — so consider yourself lucky if you manage to bag a ticket to one of these more intimate gigs. Supported by ECCA VANDAL + Big White.
Having completely sold out tickets, beloved two-day camping festival Secret Garden Festival boasts one of its biggest music lineups to date. With over sixty bands and DJs across four stages, Secret Garden is cranking things to 11 — without losing that intimate Secret Magic magic. Headlined by two huge international slam dunks — New York City's brutally honest story-weaver Sharon Van Etten and punk-as-fuck Parquet Courts — the Secret Garden lineup has gone next level this year under returning festival programmer Adam Lewis (Opera Bar, formerly Goodgod Small Club). Loyal fans of synth, beats and glitches have a lot to look forward to, with Client Liaison, Donny Benet, Hot Dub Time Machine, Fishing, Japanese Wallpaper, LUCIANBLOMKAMP, Willow Beats, UV Boi, Stereogamous ft. Shaun J. Wright (AUS/USA), NO ZU, San Holo (NL), Holiday Sidewinder, Frames, Juan Du Sol, Luen, Oisima, RY4, Total Giovanni, Yon Yonson, Tees, Softwar B2B Slow Blow. Gear up for spontaneous dance-offs with Shantan Wantan Ichiban, Levins, Shag, Mike Who, Ariane, Love Bombs, I Oh You DJs, Purple Sneakers DJs, Le Fruit DJs, Yo Grito! DJs and Heartbeat DJs. If you're down for tossing the feathers to a different type of harmony, the folk, roots and country element of the lineup is top notch. Sharon Van Etten is joined by Sydney's harmonic trio Little May, the likes of Pepa Knight, Heather Woods Broderick (USA), Steve Smyth, Jeremy Neale, The Morrisons, Wintercoats, Stolen Violin and Luluc. Hip hop-wise, Secret Garden have handpicked some of Australia's best; the names changing the game for Aussie hip hop — Remi, Baro and Milwaukee Banks, alongside Canadian producer Lunice. Garage, punk, psych, indie and alt-rock blares thick and fast at this year's festival, with those cheeky Parquet Courts heading Gooch Palms, Oh Mercy, Jack Ladder & The Dreamlanders, Lake Street Dive (USA), Gang of Youths, The Griswolds, Devotional, Little Bastard, Joseph Liddy and the Skeleton Horse, Spookyland and Rolls Bayce. And if you thought call-and-response wasn't going to make an appearance at Secret Garden this year, Peter Combe and the Bellyflop in a Pizza Band are locked in to dredge up that nostalgia and have you washing your face with orange juice before you can clean your teeth with bubblegum. Secret Garden takes place 27 - 28 February on a 3,000 acre 'garden' on Sydney's fringe. Tickets are currently sold out. As always, the festival will be donating all proceeds to those who need it most, with all proceeds from ticketing and bar sales going to a range of charities. For more info on this year's festival, head to secretgardenfestival.com.au. SECRET GARDEN 2015 LINEUP (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER): Ariane Baro Client Liaison Devotional Donny Benet (Solo) Fishing Frames Gang of Youths Gooch Palms Grace Heartbeat DJs Heather Woods Broderick (USA) Holiday Sidewinder Hot Dub Time Machine I Oh You DJs Jack Ladder & The Dreamlanders Japanese Wallpaper Jeremy Neale Joe Liddy & The Skeleton Horse JU?AN DU SOL Lake Street Dive (USA) Le Fruit DJs Levins Little Bastard Little May Love Bombs LUCIANBLOMKAMP Luen Luluc Lunice (CAN) Mike Who Milwaukee Banks No Zu Oh Mercy Oisima Parquet Courts (USA) Pepa Knight Peter Combe Purple Sneakers DJs Remi Rolls Bayce RY4 San Holo (NL) Shag Shantan Wantan Ichiban Sharon Van Etten (USA) Softwar B2B Slow Blow Spookyland Stereogamous ft. Shaun J. Wright (AUS/USA) Steve Smyth Stolen Violin Tees The Griswolds The Morrisons Total Giovanni UV Boi Velociraptor Willow Beats Wintercoats Yo Grito! DJs Yon Yonson
When we take that first sip of our barista-brewed coffee on a workday morning, a lot of us can't actually imagine living without coffee. But what about living without a roof over your head or a guaranteed meal? Unfortunately, this is what many homeless people around Australia face each day, but on Friday, August 7, you can help your fellow Aussies out simply by buying a coffee as part of CafeSmart. CafeSmart is an annual event from StreetSmart that raises money and awareness for the homeless and is back for its third year running. Last year, 415 cafes and 20 coffee roasters raised $120,000 to fund 91 community projects. Not too shabby. So how does it work? From every coffee purchased on August 7 at a participating cafe around Australia, $1 will be donated towards local projects. So if your go-to local isn't participating, shake things up for a day and head to one that is. Prefer a hot chocolate? You can also donate at the counter. Simply by aiming for a bighearted cafe, you'll be helping some of our country's most in-need humans, so treat yourself to a third or fourth coffee guilt-free. CafeSmart is happening around the country on Friday, August 7. Check the website for participating cafes near you. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
Frosted tips, mood rings, cargo pants — you know you owned 'em. Fish your best '90s gear out of the back of your parent's closet and head for a rather '90s New Year's Eve at The Bearded Tit. There'll be sets by Lorna Clarkson, Charlie Villas and the Tit's own Fleetwood Crack, alongside performances by Renny Kodgers and Captain Pipe, so expect this to be one eclectic affair. There'll be prizes for best dressed, so think big — you and five friends could easily pull a solid Spice Girl effort. There's no cover charge (which makes this a wildly affordable type of Sydney NYE), and there'll be '90s cocktails on the night.
Fromage friends, there's a new cheese in town. It's a semi-soft, washed-rind cheese that's landed behind the counter of Newtown resident cheese experts, The Stinking Bishops. And it's called Stinking Bishop. But rather than being the Sydney cheese shop's own product, it's actually the cheese that gave our favourite Friday night cheese spot its name. Earning the name Stinking Bishop with gumption, this highly-prized cheese's pinkish rind and pungent smell comes from being immersed in perry, a pear-based alcohol, periodically while it matures. If you're a budding cheese buff, you'll be glad to know that Stinking Bishop is allowed to mature traditionally in humid cave-like conditions. The cheese reportedly doesn't taste as strong as it smells, but we'll let you be the judge of that. As with all the cheeses at The Stinking Bishops, it's available on their cheese boards and retail, to take home with you. The cheese is produced in very limited quantities and The Stinking Bishops are hoping to make it a regular cheese on their menu, but this time they've only managed to get their hands on 10kg. So it goes without saying, you might want to put some pep in your step and get in on it. Remember to put down your cheese knife before running out the door though. Stinking Bishop is available at The Stinking Bishops, 5/63-71 Enmore Road, Newtown, while stocks last.
Jameson, the legendary distillers of one of Ireland's most famous whiskeys, are calling on eager filmmakers from around the world to pick up a pen and finally write out that short film script they've been thinking about. Now in its sixth year, Jameson First Shot is fostering the creative endeavours of young filmmakers — giving those who may find it difficult to break into the film industry a shot at the big time. It's a stepping stone for filmmakers who don't quite have their foot in the door yet — for those who want to break into the industry, but haven't had the chance to. It's a platform that gives talented individuals an opportunity to realise their ambition and potential, and a way for them to tell their stories. If you're an aspiring filmmaker, head to the First Shot website and submit a seven-page short film script. If your script is chosen as the winner, your film will be produced by a team of professionals that includes Dana Brunetti — he's the man responsible for Captain Phillips and The Social Network, and the brains behind getting House of Cards onto Netflix, something the world should be endlessly grateful for. Dominic West (best known for his role as Detective McNulty in The Wire) will also be the star of your film, taking the lead acting role. Winning First Shot gives filmmakers an opportunity to work with some of the biggest names in show business. Last year's winner, Jason Perini, had the opportunity to direct and work with Maggie Gyllenhaal. "The most exciting part of the filmmaking process was just watching Maggie act — her face was a special effect," he says. "What had the biggest impact on me was the result of really creative and collaborative people working together. All the crew and cast were so dedicated to making the film I had envisioned in my head. I don't think I will ever experience such ease and dedication again." Since filming wrapped, Perini has gone on to direct his debut feature film, Chasing Comets. "I never anticipated that within less than a year of winning, I'd be directing my own feature film," he says. [caption id="attachment_568922" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Image: Trigger productions.[/caption] To enter the competition, write an original piece of work, with the final draft being no more than seven pages in length. Base your script around the great, unexpected things that can happen when you get rid of your fear and invite life in. For a complete set of guidelines and a script template, head here. It isn't everyday you get the chance to have your passion project turned into a reality, so sit yourself down with a delicious whiskey and get writing. Entries close at 5pm on Monday, June 1.
Sydney abounds in whiskey bars, gin joints and wine libraries. But, until now, vermouth – that ancient potion of mystical, medical qualities – hasn't received its own shrine. Enter Banksii, a brand new bar-bistro, run by Bar H's cracking team and soon to open along the sparkling, harbour-side Streets of Barangaroo. On sommelier Rebecca Lines's drinks list, you'll find no fewer than 40 vermouth options. Drink 'em straight, drink 'em on ice, drink 'em while howling at the full moon and drink 'em in cocktails. In short, drink 'em anyway you like. "Vermouth has an exceptionally long history and by the 17th Century was incredibly popular in Europe and England as an aperitif," says Lines. "There has been a recent rediscovery of vermouth and we'll be focusing on it being served straight as an aperitif and in a tight cocktail list, focusing on classics such as martinis and negronis." What's more, she's organising a bespoke drop by the name of Maidenii, which you'll find on Banskii's taps, but nowhere else. Vermouth not your thing? Get into the 100-strong wine menu, emphasising both homegrown and Mediterranean wines. Meanwhile, chef Hamish Ingham — ex-Bar H, Pier, Becasse, Flying Fish and Billy Kwong, and 2004 Josephine Pignolet Young Chef of the Year — has been busy coming up with contemporary dishes that combine Mediterranean influences with Australian botanicals. By the way, in case you're wondering, the name Banskii is not in homage to the homonym-nal street artist, but to Sir Joseph Banks, Australia's first European botanist. Ingham will be serving up his creations morning, noon and night. For breakfast, you'll be getting stuck into rosemary sheep's milk yoghurt with fresh honeycomb and brioche, or grilled Cumberland sausage, fried egg, organic chickpeas and tomatoes cooked in vermouth. Lunch and dinner will be all about keeping things light and fresh, with star dishes including vegetable crudité with sesame yoghurt and mountain leaf oil; and roast spatchcock, botanicals, fried bread and agro dolce. And, for sweet tooths, there's banksia flower trifle with banksia syrup, sweet vermouth, rosella jelly and burnt vanilla custard. Yep. Banksia flower trifle. "I can't wait to get into the kitchen at Banksii," said Ingram. "I'm really happy with how the menu is coming together. The Streets of Barangaroo is going to be one of the most exciting dining precincts in Sydney, with the likes of Belles [Hot Chicken] and Bentley as our neighbours, we're in extremely good company." Luchetti Krelle is taking care of design matters, incorporating indoor-outdoor seating for 200 people and drawing from 18th century ideas (because that's when Sir Banks was around). If you've ever hung out at ACME, Momofuku Seiobo or The Butler, you've luxuriated Luchetti Krelle's excellence. Banksii will open on The Streets of Barangaroo in September 2016.
Cybershaming and cybersexism, drug addiction and neurology, the 'extreme centre' of politics, climate change and capitalism, robots and unemployment, and sugar. They're all on the programme for the seventh incarnation of the Festival of Dangerous Ideas. Coming to the Sydney Opera House over September 5–6, this year's event will be bringing us a stack of Damn the Man activists, provocative authors and controversial intellectuals from all over the world, including Jon Ronson, Naomi Klein, Peter Greste, Tariq Ali, Dr Marc Lewis, Gabriella Coleman, Sarai Walker and AC Grayling. And that's just a smattering. September's a while away, you still have plenty of time to arm yourself with knowledge. Many of FODI's 2015 guests have launched some pretty brave, important and confrontational books during the past few years. Get through these between now and the end of August and you'll be racing to the mic with your questions. SO YOU'VE BEEN PUBLICLY SHAMED BY JON RONSON Another day, another weird or ill-informed or not-clearly-ironic-enough or plain-stupid tweet, another social media frenzy, another sacking, another life in tatters. Welsh journo, author, filmmaker and radio presenter Jon Ronson has delved into the phenomenon of cybershaming and come up with the insightful, honest, hilarious yet frightening book, So You've Been Publicly Shamed. He travels around the world, interviewing high-profile shamees, and exploring the dangers of the democratisation of judgement and justice. FODI TALK: Jon Ronson's 'Shame Culture' is on September 5 at 3.30pm. THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING: CAPITALISM VERSUS THE CLIMATE BY NAOMI KLEIN Reckon you've heard everything there is to know about climate change? Let's face it, it's not until Naomi Klein has put her pen to a topic that we can really say it's had a thorough going-over. In 1999, she gave globalisation a serious shake-up with No Logo, and in 2007, challenged the so-called success of the 'free market' with The Shock Doctrine. In This Changes Everything, Klein argues that climate change isn't so much about carbon as it is about capitalism. If we're planning on the market saving us, we'd better make new plans quicksmart. FODI TALK: Naomi Klein's 'Capitalism and the Climate' is on September 5 at 11.30am. THE EXTREME CENTRE: A WARNING BY TARIQ ALI If the similarity of major political parties has been disillusioning your faith in the political system, Tariq Ali's your man. In his latest book, The Extreme Centre: A Warning, Ali argues that, in way too many countries, politics have been same-same since 1989; with world leaders continually promoting the market's needs at the cost of all else. He examines corruption in Westminster, the EU, NATO and the dominance of the American empire. But it's not all doom and gloom — Ali finds hope in the formation of new, visionary parties in Scotland, Greece and Spain, and in Latin America's Bolivarian Revolutions. FODI TALK: Tariq Ali's 'The Twilight of Democracy' is on September 5 at 12.30pm. DIETLAND BY SARAI WALKER Once you've made your way through all this heavy nonfiction here, you may well be ready for a little escape. You'll find it in Sarai Walker's debut novel, Dietland. That said, this imaginative, funny book doesn't come without a message. It tells the story of Plum Kettle, a girl who tries her hardest to be invisible, because she believes that the fact that she's 'too fat' means that any attention is bad attention. Then, one day, she falls down a rabbit hole, into an underground community of women, where everyone approaches their own body — and their life — on their own terms. FODI TALK: Sarai Walker's 'Radical Fat Acceptance' is on September 6 at 2pm. UNSPEAKABLE THINGS: SEX, LIES AND REVOLUTION BY LAURIE PENNY Laurie Penny is just 28, but her CV reads like that of someone much older. Right now, she's working as a contributing editor at The New Statesman, writing an Orwell Prize shortlisted blog and touring the world talking about her fourth book, Unspeakable Things: Sex, Lies and Revolution. In it, Penny defends her version of feminism, which is fundamentally about everyone's freedom to choose. In the process, she traverses poverty, prejudice, online dating, eating disorders and riots. FODI TALK: Laurie Penny's 'Lost Boys' is on September 6 at 3.30pm. HACKER, HOAXER, WHISTLEBLOWER, SPY: THE MANY FACES OF ANONYMOUS BY GABRIELLA COLEMAN Anthropologist Gabriella Coleman has spent six years delving into the deep, dark world of Anonymous. Hacker, Hoaxer, Whistleblower, Spy is the product of her adventures and an incredibly detailed look at the world of hackers, pranksters and digital activists. Coleman reveals her chats with numerous of the subculture's best-known figures, from Topiary to Tflow to Jeremy Hammond, while recounting their roles in major events, including Occupy Wall Street, the Arab Spring and WikiLeaks. FODI TALK: Gabriella Coleman's 'Inside Anonymous' is on September 5 at 12pm. WITHOUT YOU, THERE IS NO US BY SUKI KIM Since 2002, Seoul-born, New York-living writer Suki Kim has travelled back and forth to North Korea, returning with essays and articles covering major events — from Kim Jong-il's 60th birthday party, to his death in 2011 at the age of 69. During that year, she spent six months teaching English to the sons of the North Korean elite at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST). In Without You, There Is No Us, she gives us a detailed, intimate account of her experiences, providing a window into the education system of a nation we know so little about. FODI TALK: Suki Kim joins Michael Kirby and Anna Broinowski for the 'Inside North Korea' panel on September 6 at 2pm. COMMAND AND CONTROL: NUCLEAR WEAPONS, THE DAMASCUS INCIDENT AND THE ILLUSION OF SAFETY BY ERIC SCHLOSSER Eric Schlosser, author of 2000's Fast Food Nation, has turned his legendary investigative journalism skills to nuclear weapons. Like its predecessor, Command Control aims to make us feel very, very uncomfortable. We're not as safe as we like to think we are. Two plot lines drive the book's structure — the first is the 70-year history of America's nuclear arsenal. The second is the story of the 1980 Titan II missile explosion in Damascus, Arkansas — a 'mishap' that could well have led to a detonation. According to Schlosser, far too many of these types of incidents occur and it's only good luck, really, that's keeping us from a disaster. FODI TALK: Eric Schlosser's 'Nuclear Delusions' is on September 5 at 3pm. MEMOIRS OF AN ADDICTED BRAIN BY DR MARC LEWIS Neuroscientist Dr Marc Lewis first sought escape through drugs as a lonely, bullied boarding school student in New England. Starting with cough medicine, booze and pot, he made his way through the works; taking LSD, speed and heroin in California, nitrous oxide in Malaysia and opium in Calcutta. However, unlike many drug-addicted people, he eventually quit, and went on to become a neuroscientist and developmental psychologist. In Memoirs of an Addicted Brain, Dr Lewis recounts his experiences, focalising his drug-taking through its impact on his neurology. FODI TALK: Marc Lewis's 'Learning Addiction' is on September 6 at 2pm. RISE OF THE ROBOTS: TECHNOLOGY AND THE THREAT OF A JOBLESS FUTURE BY MARTIN FORD Fancy yourself as indispensable to your employer? Believe that, even if your job becomes obsolete, you'll be able to side step into another? Martin Ford thinks you should think again. The robots are coming. And they're going to be cleverer than most of us imagine. In his second book, Rise of the Robots, Ford argues that, unlike other technological developments, the advancement of artificial intelligence promises to leave numerous of us completely, utterly jobless, thereby causing a massive leap in economic inequality. FODI TALK: Martin Ford's 'Hello Robots' is happening on September 5 at 3pm. Learn more about this year's Festival of Dangerous Ideas program, running September 5-6 at the Sydney Opera House, over here. Top image: Dollar Photo Club.
Slip into a world of gangsters and glamour at a shindig inspired by one of Sydney's most notorious nightclubs. For two nights in October, The Festivalists will transform Sydney's Police and Justice Museum into a hive of shady activity, complete with go-go dancers, paparazzi and a backroom roulette table. Throw on your best '60s garb and leave your inhibitions at the door – they're not calling it Mayhem for nothing. Taking their cues from Chequers circa 1969, when the club famously hosted a party with Chicago mobster Joseph Testa in attendance, The Festivalists have teamed up with Sydney Living Museums on what promises to be the most scandalous ticket in town. On Thursday October 8 and Friday October 9, guests dressed to the nines will breeze past the photographers into a pop-up cabaret and bar, where Memphis Mae will take the stage for a 60s-style burlesque show. Maeve Marsden will emcee regular cabaret performances, while retired showgirl Elizabeth Burton spills her guts about life during Sydney's seedy hey-day. Venture a little deeper into the shadows and you'll find plenty more to get up to, including liquid light painting with Zender Bender, immersive theatre by The Jetback Collective, and pole-dancing 101 with Cody Cabana. There'll be prizes for best dressed – and if you're really feeling lucky, try your hand at the roulette wheel, or have a go at cracking open the club safe. In the meantime, The Festivalists' latest Hijinks event, a 007-themed cocktail party, is happening next Friday night at Madame Tussauds. Tickets to Mayhem: Chequers Club can be booked online or over the phone on 1300 488 849. $75 gets you in, and also covers food and your first drink of the night. Image by Brent Lederitz.
Aspiring artists and functioning alcoholics will both feel right at home, in this brand new BYO art studio in Surry Hills. Located on Holt Street around the corner from Central Station, Cork & Chroma is a 'paint and sip' studio that embraces one of life's universal truths: everyone is more creative when they've had a little bit to drink. Open evenings Wednesdays through Saturdays as well as Sunday afternoon, the studio is run by artist Hillary Wall along with her husband B.J. A visit costs $60 for a three hour session, during which time an artist will run you through the basics of acrylics on canvas, before you're let lose to create a masterpiece of your own. They also host private functions and parties, if you're looking to make a mess with your friends. You don't need to bring anything to our sessions, except your favourite bottle of wine to share with your mates while painting! We have everything you need for your creative night out, just pick your session and book online at corkandchroma.com.au 🎨🖌🍷✌️ #sydney #corkandchromasydney #surryhills #sydneylife #corkandchroma #creativesydney #sydneycreatives #whatsonsydney A photo posted by Cork & Chroma Sydney (@corkandchromasydney) on Apr 14, 2016 at 11:13pm PDT Canvas, paints, brushes, easels and glassware all come provided, while they also have a selection of nibbles for purchase, including cheese, chilli spiced nuts and Dello Mano chocolate brownies. All you need to bring is the liquid inspiration. Cork and Chroma is located at 55 Holt Street, Surry Hills. For more information visit www.corkandchroma.com.au.
Sometimes words just won't cut it. For photographer Tobi Wilkinson, explaining the everyday lives of the Gyuto Monks was only viable through her camera lens. This fiercely devoted bunch of Buddhist monks captured Tobi's attention at a five-day teaching of His Holiness the Dalai Lama back in Homebush in 2008. Since then, she's made four visits to their northern Indian monastery, and now brings her fourth exhibition Mindful Practice — The Gyuto Monks Summer Retreat to Bondi Pavilion this April. What sets this monastery apart is their undivided devotion to spirituality, and living it in all aspects of their lives. Home to tantric monks, who act out rather than simply study the scriptures of Buddha, this monastery exists as one of the toughest to belong to. "The Dalai Lama uses them as his ritual monks of choice when he holds teachings which require a high level of ritual detail," says Tobi. "Fewer than one in ten of every monk that joins the monastery lasts the distance." Historically, things haven't been easy for the Gyuto monks either, forced to flee from the Chinese army in 1959 (with only 90 of their original 900 men surviving the shift). Now, the monks are based in Dharamsala, India. Tobi sought to capture their fascinating way of life by absorbing herself in their monastery over numerous trips. "I'm both a woman and a Westerner and living with 500 monks was initially a daunting thought for me… Of course, they are shy and having a camera pointed at them all day takes some getting used to. But I've learned to be very discreet and slowly they have come to accept my presence there," she says. Putting in the hard yards proved crucial to getting a true insight into their everyday lives. "Regular days at the monastery require the monks to be at temple by 5.30am, but if I'm photographing either the morning bread being made or the preparation of the temple and disciplinarian, then I need to be up with those monks at 4.30am." Early starts aside, Tobi's respect for their monastic rituals allowed her privileged access to many of their most intimate ceremonies, such as the Summer Retreat (a period of closure and contemplation for the monastery to allows for uninterrupted spiritual practice). From shots of young monks caught in a 'line of shame' after failing an exam, to intimate moments between their oldest members, Tobi's latest exhibition provides a fascinating peek into this humble way of life. To provide further insight, the two-week program at Bondi Pavilion will include public chants, meditations, talks and personal pujas. The monks will also create a huge mandala over the two weeks, which will be tipped into Bondi Beach after its completion. "Merely by being with them you gain this sense of what life can be like if spirituality was something you could embody and live every day," she says. "I wanted to know more about this, I was hungry for it and I felt a strong need to try to show that to other people through my photos." Tobi Wilkinson's Mindful Practice will be exhibiting from April 11-24 at Bondi Pavilion Gallery, open 9.30am to 5pm daily. For more info, visit the website.
If seasonal change has left you in a dizzy headspin of brand new colours and fabrics and prints and jackets — or if, y'know, you just like some fancy new clothes now and then — you'll be pretty pleased to know that the Big Fashion Sale is coming back to Sydney for four days this March. The name pretty much says it all. This thing is big. You'll find lush items from past collections, samples and one-offs from over 40 cult Australian and international designers, both well-known and emerging, including Marni, Kenzo, Stella McCartney, Alexander Wang, Helmut Lang, Karla Spetic, Christopher Kane, Elke Jewellery and more. With discounts of up to 80 percent off and items for as little as $20, this is one way of upping your street cred with designer threads that'll leave your bank balance sitting pretty too. Prices this low tend to inspire a certain level of ruthlessness in all of us, though, so practise that grabbing reflex in advance. This is every man and lady for themselves. The Big Fashion Sale opening hours: Thursday, March 31 — 8am - 7pm Friday, April 1 — 8am - 6pm Saturday, April 2 — 10am - 6pm Sunday, April 3 — 10am - 5pm
First performed at PACT Centre for Emerging Artists in 2013, Nick Coyle’s Blue Wizard has been restaged at Belvoir with dramaturgy from Adena Jacobs especially for this year’s Mardi Gras. Coyle graces the downstairs stage at Belvoir like a gay, wizard version of Lally Katz in Stories I Want to Tell You in Person, dressed ready to party and full of the truth and grit of human (or wizardly) experience. Coyle’s premise is thrilling and absurd. A blue wizard from another planet "where everyone’s gay" wins a competition to travel to earth. Upon arrival he offers a spectacular, sparkly song and dance inviting us to celebrate his arrival with an orgy. Belvoir’s Sunday audience responded on this occasion with friendly reticence. On Coyle’s planet, each wizard is gifted with superpowers according to their colour. He is a blue wizard, which basically signifies that he is a benign floozy, ill equipped to survive the dull scene on earth lacking the three things he needs in life to survive: “diamonds, cocaine and jizz”. For all its adult content, this one-man extravaganza is like watching a child at play in the backyard. Coyle flits from one flight of fancy to the next and seems genuinely surprised that we’re not joining him on stage. This isn’t just Coyle shooting the breeze in sequined hot pants though; it’s an intergalactic epic that addresses one of the great questions of our age — time travel. Call it plagiarism, call it the zeitgeist, but Blue Wizard showed that love is the answer to time travel before Interstellar did. And for the record, Coyle is every bit as dashing as McConaughey, and the special effects are just as good. Lighting designer Damien Cooper’s exuberant use of strobes and lasers elevates the show from stand-up comedy to a full-blown theatrical experience. All the show needs now is a guest appearance from Lally Katz’s perfectly gay Hope Dolphin.
Few documentarians have the same taste for hot button issues as Academy Award winner Alex Gibney. From Julian Assange (We Steal Secrets) to Lance Armstrong (The Armstrong Lie), enhanced interrogation (Taxi to the Darkside) and sexual abuse in the Catholic Church (Mea Maxima Culpa), the New York filmmaker certainly isn’t afraid of controversy, as his latest film once again proves. Going Clear is a revealing and often disturbing look at the history, tenets and purportedly shady practices of one of the most divisive religious organisations in the world. If even half of what is alleged in it is true, then it’s not just an incredible doco, but a first-rate horror movie as well. Early sections of the film concern the early days of Scientology, and in particular the life of its creator, L. Ron Hubbard. Throughout the ‘30s and ‘40s Hubbard worked as a struggling science-fiction and fantasy writer, during which time his then wife claims he often remarked that “the only way to make any real money was to have a religion”. It was in the early '50s that Hubbard released Dianetics, a self-help book that would form the basis for Scientology. Yet as the movement grew, so too did its founder’s neurosis. The latter half of the film concerns Scientology under David Miscavige, who became head of the church after Hubbard’s death. This section leans heavily on a number of interviews with ex-Scientologists, including Oscar-winning Hollywood director Paul Haggis, as well as the head of the shadowy Office of Special Affairs — a kind of church secret service charged with running smear campaigns against members who dared to speak out. “People will judge me as really stupid,” says Haggis ruefully. “But then, I was really stupid.” With these chilling testimonials, Gibney dismisses the idea that the church is simply a group of harmless eccentrics. Stories of intimidation, brainwashing and emotional and physical abuse are but the tip of the iceberg — and the agony doesn’t always end once you leave. Many members who abandoned the church have found themselves cut off from their friends and family, while others have been targeted for ongoing public harassment. But perhaps the most telling thing about the film has been the way the church has reacted to it. Almost every person involved in the production of the documentary has had their character viciously attacked; the organisation has even gone after film critics who published positive reviews. So, at the risk of opening ourselves up to unwanted confrontation: go and see this movie as soon as you possibly can.
George Miller has done the near-impossible and made car chases interesting again. Not just interesting, mind you. Sensational. Mad Max: Fury Road is electrifying, breathtaking, white-knuckle cinema at its masterful best, and — given the entire film is a car chase — that’s no mean feat. Consider the problem. Chase sequences become interminably dull as soon as you recognise they are restricted by just two possible outcomes: ‘pursuer catches’ or ‘pursued evades’. Subject to a few notable exceptions (French Connection and Ronin being the standouts), these scenes merely interrupt the narrative and contribute little or nothing to the character arcs or overall plot. The difference is the road movie. Miller, who practically invented the genre 35 years ago, understands that everything changes when the chase is the story. It's cinematic inverted spectrum, where action is transformed from interruption to character defining narrative — an extension of the their very lives and personalities. Traditional distinctions like age and gender become irrelevant, and how a person drives, fights, shoots and stares becomes more important than what they say. Demonstrating an astonishing paucity of dialogue, the action of Mad Max: Fury Road doesn’t just speak more loudly than words — it positively deafens. In a post-apocalyptic nuclear wasteland, earth’s survivors now exist in a collection of militarised tribes fighting over the remaining reserves of gasoline and subject to the tyrannical rule of self-appointed demigods like ‘Immortan Joe’ (Hugh Keays-Byrne). The chase begins almost immediately when a one-armed big-rig driver named Furiosa (Charlize Theron), attempts to liberate Joe's young wives from their servitude as ‘breeders’ and Joe goes all out to recover them. Caught up in the action is Max (Tom Hardy), a wasteland loner captured by Joe’s minions and being used as a living blood bank for one of Furiosa’s pursuers, Nux (an almost unrecognisable Nicholas Hoult). Plot wise, it’s far from innovative; effectively Waterworld on sand with the design aesthetic of Fallout. Cinematically, however, Mad Max: Fury Road is unparalleled. The action is choreographed to mesmerising perfection, offering a balletic pageant of destruction with a refreshing absence of CGI. The sound, too, is staggering, with the menacing roar of V8 engines mirroring the Inception-like ‘BRAMMM’ that seems an almost constant fixture throughout. The combined effect is ferocious and irresistible, encapsulating all that makes cinema a uniquely immersive and transportive experience. Miller has crafted something extraordinary here, a modern masterpiece that could very well redefine the action standard. Don't wait for DVD on this one. See it where it's meant to be seen, and see it now.
In the art world, getting your work seen is often half the battle. Competing with household names for gallery spaces can feel like a lost cause, leaving many to throw in the towel altogether. But what if there was an event designed specifically with emerging talent in mind? Imagine a festival open exclusively to the undiscovered, the hidden gems of the creative world, that promises to connect artists directly with buyers. Good news, The Other Art Fair is making this all come true. Established in the UK nearly five years ago and launched in Sydney last year, The Other Art Fair offers a one-of-a-kind experience, focused on demystifying the art buying process for all involved. Creating a direct link between artists and buyers, art industry experts hand-pick a top notch lineup of emerging talent to showcase to visitors across four days. Now in its second year, the Fair returns to Sydney in October to bring a fresh selection of contemporary works to art lovers, critics and collectors. And in 2016, the Fair promises an entirely new vision led by the new soon-to-be-announced International Fair Director. Plus, the Selection Committee director is none other than Tracey Emin — yep, the Tracey Emin. After the overwhelming success of last year's debut, the fair is currently on the hunt for a new crop of emerging artists to get involved. Think you might be the next big thing? Head to theotherartfair.com.au/applications and enter before submissions close Monday, July 11. For further information, contact Fair Manager, Zoe Edema (zoe@theotherartfair.com).
