After a wildly successful run at Melbourne's State Theatre, the work of three world class choreographers from disparate corners of the world will come together in Sydney for an electric triple bill. With just under a dozen engagements at the Opera House's Joan Sutherland Theatre, The Australian Ballet presents Vitesse, a stirring celebration of movement and sound. The performance begins with Christopher Wheeldon's DGVc: Danse à Grande Vitesse, a lightning-fast work set to music by Michael Nyman, which was composed for the inauguration of the TGV bullet train in France. Second up is Jiri Kylian's Forgotten Land, a fluid number that the Arts Centre program describes as "like an Edvard Munch painting come to life". The show will conclude with William Forsythe's In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated, a groundbreaking work widely celebrated for pushing the limits of ballet technique. Want more info? Here's three damn good reasons why you should see Vitesse.
If your boring ol' nine-to-five has you pining for something different, something fun, some kind of mid-week temporary haven of unexpected international beats, we've found just the thing. Run by Bondi Radio duo Greenie and Rich Lucano (Phondupe), On Bridges Monthly extends the lads' radio show into a regular night, transforming Chippendale's Knox Street Bar into a pumping underground oasis of global rhythms. Kicking off this Friday, May 13, On Bridges Monthly is an evening for music makers and lovers to showcase and enjoy the globe's best left-of-centre tracks in one big helping. To launch, special guest producers Freda & Jackson are set to spin an exclusive mix, alongside sets from local favourites Phondupe, Embassy and Konichiwang. Sweetening the deal, Knox Street has just launched a brand new menu, a fresh selection of eats to keep you well fuelled. The new menu promises everything from a deluxe toastie (packed with bacon, brie, pickles, mustard and honey for $13) to a pulled pork baguette (with ginger, molasses, south west slaw and smoked cheddar, for $16). With free entry all night long, this is one killer new Sydney night focused on some of the world's hidden gems. Here, have a sneak preview from Freda & Jackson:
There are few greater, more indulgent and Instagrammable weekend things to do than kicking back with a bubbly and judgementally watching dachshunds parade around in lifeguard costumes in a pub beer garden. Are there? Holler if so. But this is an actual thing you can do in Sydney, and could quite possibly be the greatest date idea you'll see this week. Back by popular demand (of course it is), the Beresford Dog Show is taking over the leafy Beresford courtyard with an afternoon of games, entertainment and a big ol' dog show. There are prizes for best dressed, best in show and — best of all — best rescued dog. Aside from pups to pat, there'll be bacon and egg rolls and coffee on offer — to complete the powerful triumvirate of requirements for a damn nec-level Sunday. Plus, there'll be a marketplace with stalls from Urban Herd, Monika's Doggie Rescue, Good Pet Food Kitchen and more serving up tasty treats, funky toys and designer accessories. Entry is free, registrations commence at 10am and the dog show officially kicks off at 12pm. If you can think of a more adorable thing to do on Sunday please let us know. No really. Comments are right there and no one is stopping you from holding a ferret festival.
The MCA's newest exhibition, Telling Tales, explores what happens when a host of international and Australian artists lock themselves in a room with narrative structure and a hammer. Spoiler: the result is not Game of Thrones. Described by curator Rachel Kent as "an unpicking of conventional storytelling approaches", the works range from paint and sculpture to shadow puppetry and projection and invite visitors to engage with 'unspoken narratives' that have given beginning, middle and ending the flick. Lee Mingwei's Sonic Blossom shrinks public operatic performance to an individual serenade, Jittish Kallat's Covering Letter forcefully implicates the viewer in the distortion of history, while Kerry Tribe's There Will Be _______ re-examines the death of oil heir Ned Doheny through various Hollywood retellings. If these aren't enough, works by Safdar Ahmed, Jumaadi and Phyllis Thomas add further weight to the argument that you should go straight home and throw both volumes of Les Miserables off a roof. Well, maybe not. But you get it. Admission is free. Free guided tours run every day from 11am.
aMBUSH Gallery's latest exhibition features second-hand vinyl records transformed into art by over 200 Australian artists, all in the name of charity. Put It On Wax has been co-curated by the Lord Street Collective, a group of Sydneysiders ranging from rappers, singers, producers and musicians to painters. Admission to the exhibition is free, but proceeds from the sale of the artworks will go to Heaps Decent, Sydney's not-for-profit arts organisation that supports young musicians from disadvantaged and marginalised communities. Just a few of the 200 artists featured include artist-illustrator Chris Yee, whose work includes the cover art for the Zeds Dead x Diplo single 'Blame', Melbourne-based street artist Phibs and multimedia artists Ears (Daniel O'Toole), Brett Chan and George Rose. Alongside the exhibition, there will a second-hand record fair, as well as a number of workshops and events dedicated to vinyl painting, music production, cutting and scratching, poetry and lyric writing, and break lessons. Put It On Wax runs August 20 to September 18. Opening night is Friday, August 19 from 6-9pm.
If the vino fiend in you likes nothing more than the emperor of German drops — Riesling — then this is for you. For one night only, United Cellars will be bringing Rieslings from all over the world to the Australian Design Centre for an event dubbed Acid Haus. And, for the price of a ticket, you'll get to sample every one. You'll be tasting your way from Australia and New Zealand to Austria and Germany, and back. You might be surprised by the variety of flavours one humble grape can produce. In fact, British wine critic Jancis Robinson once wrote, "Riesling is indisputably the greatest white wine grape in the world." As you stroll around trying to decide whether or not she's right, you'll be met with roaming tasty morsels, including oysters. Do not chase the waitstaff.
Keen for something a little more contemporary in your ballet calendar? The Australian Ballet is continuing their dedication to body-stretching modern triple bills with Faster — if you've caught the Ballet's previous tri-slam dunks like Triptych and Vanguard, you'll know how quickly you'll enrol in yoga after seeing one of these sexy, sexy works. Faster will see three of the world's leading choreographers create one diverse work, featuring an Olympics-inspired work scored by Australian composer Matthew Hindson, an Australian premiere of new work by Wayne McGregor scored by Steve Reich, and a new work by Australian Ballet resident choreographer Tim Harbour, architect Kelvin Ho and lighting designer Benjamin Cisterne.
Whether you're looking to catch up with the Oscar nominees, or just can't say no to the idea of cheap movie tickets, you might want to pay a visit to Palace Central next month. The 14-screen complex at Chippendale's Central Park centre opened for business in November, and if you haven't had the chance to catch a movie there already, the first week of February shapes up as the perfect time to do so. From February 1–7, the cinema will be offering $5 tickets to all their regular sessions. Not too shabby, especially considering how many great films are out at the moment — The Shape of Water, Call Me By Your Name and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri are just a few that spring to mind. In addition to the discount tickets, the cinema bar will also be selling $5 glasses of prosecco and bottomless tubs of popcorn. Not sure if it's actually bottomless, but there's only one way to find out.
Rather than a wasted day of woe, Sundays are meant for nourishment, for homecooked meals, meaningful chats and creative beverages. We’re here to help. Secret Garden Festival and Concrete Playground — keen weekenders and lovers of good food, new friends and general tomfoolery — have teamed up with The Guardian to create the ultimate Sunday fortress of fun, Cubby House. Taking over the rolling lawns of Vaucluse’s historic Strickland House on Sunday, October 25, Cubby House is a temporary hidden haven of local food and drink, lawn games and talks, created purely for you to reclaim the weekend and stand you in good stead for the week to come. Eat a hearty Sunday roast from Newtowners Raven’s Eye, catch up on the news with talks curated by The Guardian, find comfort in a Golden Age Cinema cocktail, chuckle over comedy from Giant Dwarf, play your favourite lawn games, pop into a workshop or two and learn a few mad skills, then we’ll even help you sort out your errands in time for Monday. “We are celebrating Sunday by nourishing brains, playing games, learning new things, having a big belly laugh and making new mates,” says Secret Garden festival director Clare Downes. “People can kick off their shoes, drink a Bloody Mary, learn to fish, and complete some Sunday errands — all across Strickland House and its beautiful gardens. "Secret Garden and Concrete Playground are doing this because we believe it’s something that’s missing from our Sundays and we figure there are others who probably need Cubby House too." There’s nothing like a Sunday spent relishing local, damn good, nourishing food, so we’ve invited the weekend-happy crew from Raven’s Eye, Newtown’s first Italo-American diner, to do one heck of a sit-down Sunday roast. We’re talking slow-cooked meats and roasted veggies by head chef Matt Ouwerkerk, the whole shebang. Instead of filling your Sunday brain with the Blade trilogy and soulless junk food, find a spot on the lawn and listen to talks from Australia’s top journalists and funniest comedians, handpicked by our mates at The Guardian and Giant Dwarf. No time to read the paper this week? Settle in for our news wrap-up. Triple j’s Tom Tilley will unpack the headlines with some of Australia’s best journos, including Michael Safi (Guardian, previously Global Mail, SMH, ABC Radio National), Adam Brereton (editor of The Guardian's 'Comment is free' section) and Bridie Jabour (Guardian, previously NewsCorp, Fairfax). Take in comedy from The Bear Pack, then pull up a pew for an in-depth In Conversation talk, with some of Australia’s brightest minds. “Cubby House represents a meeting of likeminded people and businesses. The event will give our collective audiences a chance to connect with Concrete Playground and the Guardian in real life, designed with the sense of humour and fun that Secret Garden is so known and loved for,” says Concrete Playground founder and director, Rich Fogarty. "The Guardian is thrilled to be part of this special Sunday and supporting the speakers series. Instead of reading the news in bed, you can hear the latest stories live and dissected by leading journalists,” says Tory Loudon, Head of Events and Programs at The Guardian. “Get a taste of the news behind the headlines and hear how stories are put together, how the media works and snag a little gossip, all with a glass of wine in your hand and good food in your stomach — the perfect Sunday." Nourished your belly and your mind? It’s time to fill your ears with Sunday sounds. We’ve invited some very special guests over for sessions on the Cubby House lawn, Sydney's country-lovin' foursome All Our Exes Live in Texas. The Cubby House music has been handpicked by Sydney music guru, FBi Radio broadcaster and board member and Secret Garden music programmer Adam Lewis, responsible for introducing you to your new favourite bands at Goodgod Small Club and Solotel venues like Opera Bar and Goros. Sundays spent lazing on the lawn wouldn’t be complete without one thing: games. Find all your favourite lawns games waiting for you at Strickland House, probably the prettiest place to play croquet in Sydney. And if you’re going to spend Sunday lazing about, you might as well learn a bloody thing or two. Take a DIY workshop, from fishing tips to drawing classes. Feeling a bit all over the shop pre-Monday? Don’t get the Sunday guilts; get your boots polished, get your holey jeans mended, send a postcard to your Grandma, then visit Concrete Playground’s Event Concierge, to help you book a fun-filled, jam-packed week ahead. Don’t you feel more organised already? Cubby House will take over Strickland House, Vaucluse Road, Vaucluse on Sunday, October 25 from 12-5pm. Tickets are $85.20 (inc. BF) and unfortunately, it’s over 18s only, sorry kids. For more details and tickets, head to cubbyhou.se. Follow Cubby House on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for updates.
If you want a healthy dose of British indie rock this winter, the double bill of The Vaccines with Palma Violets could be just the ticket. Both bands were last here in 2013, and we’re certainly happy to see them again to shake our winter blues loose. The Vaccines released their third album English Graffiti in May this year, with songs such as 'Handsome' and 'Dream Lover' working their way into our subconscious. Coincidentally, Palma Violets have also released a new album in May, entitled Danger In The Club. Two great bands with plenty of new material, this is what we like to see.
The latest slate of films from the chilly Nordic north is headed to a Palace Cinema near you. Returning for just its second year, the Scandinavian Film Festival will showcase 22 movies from Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Finland and Norway. Expect kitchen-sink dramas, edge-of-your-seat crime stories and a road movie about a struggling furniture salesman who hatches a plan to kidnap the founder of Ikea. That last one is actually Norwegian, not Swedish, but should make for a fun watch on opening night. Other comedies in the lineup include oddball Icelandic film Rams, which won the Un Certain Regard Prize at Cannes earlier this year; as well as the middle-aged rom-com Hello Hello, which proved an audience favourite at festivals in its native Sweden. Those after something a little bit more serious can check out Danish police procedural The Absent One or drug-fuelled Finnish thriller They Have Escaped, among numerous others. The festival comes to a close with a documentary about Ingrid Bergman, the Swedish actress who went on to become one of Hollywood’s brightest stars. Image: Young Sophie Bell.
Kings of the Sydney gig scene, Palms never fail for a debaucherous night of fuzzy garage pop. Palms have teamed up with FBi Radio to put on a free gig at the Gladstone Hotel this Thursday to celebrate their new catchy single, 'Bad Apple'. The new track is pretty much exactly what you would expect from Palms — plenty of fuzzy guitars, lyrics about generally hanging around (“talking shit and ripping on You Am I”) and a nonsense chorus fit for a good singalong (“badap badap badap…”). With the Black Zeros supporting, it’s first-in-best-dressed so get in early. Get ready to dance your arse off and have those songs stuck in your head for days.
Turning a novel into a play is no easy feat — the laws of written fiction can be very different to those of onstage drama. But Andrew Bovell's adaptation of Kate Grenville's hit novel, The Secret River, was so popular when it debuted in 2013 that it's back for an encore. Not only did the production sell out, it won a slew of awards, including six Helpmanns — Best Play, Best Direction and Best New Australian Work among them. With Neil Armfield in the director's chair, the play tells the story of two families and one landscape. The first is that of William Thornhill. A convict from the dark, crowded, desperately poor slums of London, he thinks he has found a home for himself and his family on the Hawkesbury River. And he can't believe his luck. The other family is one of the Dharug people, who have lived in the area for thousands of years and whose survival — physical and spiritual — depends on their surroundings. Unable or unwilling to relinquish his hold on the land, Thornhill makes a horrific decision, which he carries with him for the rest of his life.
If you didn't make it to Sculpture by the Sea last year, you not only missed out on some killer sculpture, but slurpees served from a treehouse and a grass-covered Hobbit-like structure. But don't curse yourself. It's a new year, and The Grounds of Alexandria are resurrecting their fantastical pop-up cafe for the summer — this time in the Showring at the Entertainment Quarter. Taking inspiration from the literary endeavours of English authors J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, the Grounds House has been designed to blend in with its natural surroundings. It's made from 100% recycled timber and the roof is covered with grass grown specifically for the purpose. “Blending into its natural surroundings, The Grounds House has transformed from its beachside setting and nestled itself beautifully into the open space of greenery on the Showring," says Ramzey Choker, co-director and creative head of The Grounds. There will be all your Grounds favourites, like their all-day breaky burger, smashed avo on toast and fresh fish of the day. So you can enjoy a little outdoor eating time before you catch a movie, head to Circus Oz or, say, take your "nephew" to Water World Central. The Grounds of Alexandria pop-up will run until Sunday, January 24 at the Entertainment Quarter in Moore Park. It's open 11am - 11pm Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, and 11am - 8pm Thursday and Sunday. Find out more here.
Christmas Day is primarily reserved for family debates and half-assed cricketry, but the nights before Christmas have long dominated the realms of rummy cocktails with your buds. And there's plenty of merriment for you and your favourites to find behind King Street's favourite hidden-behind-a-butcher-shop-facade bar, Earl's Juke Joint. The annual Christmas Eve eve get-together returns to Earl's, with dim lighting, ol' New Orleans jazz and $10 daiquiris all night. Deck the halls with a few rummy tipples, don reindeer-dotted sweaters and tell Christmas cracker-level terrible festive jokes (here, have this one: How did Scrooge win the football game?? The ghost of Christmas passed. You're so welcome).
The gang at Work-Shop are heading off on safari, and they're inviting all of you to come along. The latest project run by the DIY specialists will see a group of hungry guests off on a day-long foodie adventure, sampling tasty treats and beverages in picturesque surrounds. First up? A trawl along the Hawkesbury River with lunch cooked by former Longrain chef Martin Boetz. Participants in th will gather outside Work-Shop's Redfern location at 7am sharp on Sunday, November 22. From there you'll be bussed an hour out of the city to Boetz's Cook's Co-Op, where you'll pick vegetables (so dress appropriately) and learn about the history of farming in the region. You'll also spend some time on the water with local fisherman Gary Howard, who'll discuss the importance of sustainable fishing practices and serve up freshly cooked Hawkesbury River prawns. Once you've worked up a proper appetite you'll sit down for a lunch, cooked by Boetz using the freshest local ingredients. He'll also take you through various cooking techniques, so you can attempt to replicate his methods back home. After that it's back on the bus and back to Sydney by 4pm — giving you plenty of time to upload your photos to Instagram and brag to all your friends. Tickets to Work-Shop's Hawkesbury River Food Safari cost $190 plus a $5.74 booking fee. There are only 30 spaces available, so best get in quick. Images: Luisa Brimble.
Gallery-hopping after hours? Talk about a perfect Sydney date idea. Art Month Sydney's beloved Precinct Nights are back, offering you the golden opportunity to enjoy a spate of art venues open late, transforming your art viewing into an adventure trail after closing time. Art at Night | Paddington & Woollahra in partnership with Concrete Playground and Cake Wines is the ultimate artventure, with over fifteen galleries in Paddington, Woollahra and Rushcutters Bay open from 6-8pm on Thursday, March 10. Galleries on the trail include Arthouse Gallery, Australian Galleries Sydney, Barometer, Dominik Mersch Gallery, Janet Clayton Gallery, Jensen Gallery, .M Contemporary, Olsen Irwin, Palmer Art Projects, Piermarq, Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sabbia Gallery, SAINT CLOCHE, Sarah Cottier Gallery and Stills Gallery, who all have pretty damn great Art Month programs in store. But every great trail walk needs a solid watering hole at the end. Once you've perused enough art, make your way to the lush Cake Wines Art Bar at Bonython Courtyard at 120B Underwood Street, Paddington (open from 7.30-10.30pm). There'll be plenty going on at the pop-up, including performances from Noula Diamantopoulos and Caroline Garcia, and a DJ set from FBi Radio's Sweetie. Download the map here.
At just 20 years old, LA's R&B disco-pop gamechanger Shamir is kicking some pretty massive goals. Fresh off the release of his first LP Ratchet, following his widely acclaimed 2014 EP Northtown, Shamir hits Australia this summer for a string of debut performances at venues across the country. But if you didn’t get along to Sydney’s Laneway Festival this past weekend, all hope is not lost. Shamir has shaken up the music world with his insanely catchy, soulful, dance-pop tracks. If you haven't heard 'On the Regular' or 'Call It Off' or 'Make a Scene', get on it. With wickedly catching beats and melodies that demand to be danced to, his live shows are renowned for their untamed sense of fun. Burning up the stage as a standout performing at SXSW 2015, Shamir is bringing the full band to Sydney for one night only at Oxford Art Factory. Trust us, you’ll regret skipping this one.
If there's one show at Sydney Festival that's going to boost your positive vibes and make dancing down the street irresistible for weeks afterward, it's Karol Conka's. In a recent Rolling Stone interview, she explained, "I situate myself in a position where I sing about joy; my protest is against sadness." Born in Brazil, Conka is one of the country's few female rappers to have risen out the underground, and her mixing of hip hop with Afro grooves promises to do more for your positive thinking than a sesh with Tony Robbins. Karol Conka is one of our top ten picks of the Sydney Festival. Check out our other favourite events over here.
Sometimes the grimmest of subjects can inspire the most profound and important works of art. Certainly that's the case with the films featured in this year’s Holocaust Film Series. Returning in 2015 after its positive reception last year, this offshoot of the Jewish International Film Festival will showcase 35 features, documentaries and shorts from around the world; shining a light on stories of life, courage and resilience. This year's program consists entirely of Australian premieres, and boasts several significant titles worthy of special attention. Lessons of Survival: Conversations with Simon Wiesenthal takes audiences inside the life story of its eponymous Nazi-hunting subject, while Forbidden Films uncovers the history of propaganda cinema under the Nazi regime. Another standout is Farewell Herr Schwarz, which won the documentary prize at the Haifa International Film Festival, and tells the story of a granddaughter looking to uncover what happened to her deceased grandfather during WWII.
Casual face-melter Courtney Barnett is finally about to have a debut album under her already trophy-laden belt. So naturally, the Melbourne-based shredder has announced her Australian debut album tour for May 2015. This one's going to sell fast. Marking the release of her first ever LP, Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit (out Friday, March 20 via Barnett's own Milk! Records and Remote Control), this tour follows Barnett's epic performances at Laneway festival around the country over the last few weeks. Having already proved herself one of Australia's brightest sparks over the last few years with her 2013 EP release The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas, Barnett's spins one hell of a live show — having nailed sets at Lollapalooza, South by Southwest and New York City's CMJ. Barnett will cruise from Adelaide's The Gov on Friday, May 1 to Perth's Bakery on Saturday, May 2. Then it's over to Sydney's The Metro on Friday, May 8 and Brisbane's Hi-Fi on Saturday, May 9. In classic Australian artist form, Barnett will wrap things up in her hometown of Melbourne on Friday, May 15 at The Forum.
You've probably got a whole bunch of beard jokes, banjo bashing and eye-rolling up your sleeve already. But put your four-part harmony rant aside for a second, there's special edition Young Henrys beer afoot. London's folk-pop foursome Mumford and Sons are releasing their brand new album Wilder Mind on May 4, and to launch the whole stadium-ready thing they've opened a pop-up bar inside Newtown Hotel for two weeks from Monday 27 April to Sunday 10 May. This isn't the first time Mumford and Sons have had a Sydney pop-up bar, their 2012 album Babel saw a pop-up whisky bar on Oxford Street with film screenings and tastings aplenty. This time around, the Newtown Hotel pop-up will trade whisky for Young Henrys' special edition Wilder Mind ale, with DJ sets, live music and mural painting locked in for the duration of the activation. Plus, you'll be able to hang around and listen to the new album if you're a Mumfordian. While you're waiting, let's remember this straight-up chuckler of a video. Fine holiday fun.
Goodgod wants to take you back to Year 5, add booze and show you just how much fun the chicken dance really is. Especially when the Green Mohair Suits, one of Sydney's tip-toppest country bands, are showing you the moves. Yep, the never-failing-to-surprise club is truly, actually throwing an old-school bush dance. Just like the ones your primary teachers thought were a great reward for making it through another year. There'll be no diluting affairs. You can expect heel 'n' toe, complete with instructions, the hokey pokey and the rest. Just no pashing in the shadowy corners, all right? There's dancing to be done, partners to be swung. If you're not familiar with the Green Mohair Suits, you ain't genuine country. The quartet has been bluegrassing and folk-ing its way about the traps, combining four-part harmonies with drunken good times. Singer Brian Campeau reckons their sound is "like having an orgasm on a mountain top".
Start coordinating your crew's dress-ups — one of Australia's best and most beloved festivals, Secret Garden Festival, is back for another year. Returning to the festival's hallowed and not-so-secret-anymore location outside of Sydney, Secret Garden is celebrating its eighth year over February 26 and 27. The full lineup, as SG tradition goes, has remained under lock and key until the festival sells out — and they just did. So this morning, they've finally dropped that highly anticipated 2016 lineup. The crew gave us a sneak peek into what to expect, when they released the first ten artists in early February — from Melbourne's Grammy-nominated neo-soul powerhouse Haitus Kaiyote to Sydney's synthy dance duke Hayden James, the unstoppable hip hop/R&B force that is Sampa The Great, Adelaide raw garage outfit Bad // Dreems, absolute Australian party legends Stereogamus and more. And now? They've finally unleashed the whole bloody thing. Here's what you were waiting for. You'll be partying on the farm with ARIA Award-nominees Gang of Youths and Tuka, soul/hip hop hypecard Raury, folktronica singer-songrwiter Gordi, Sydney favourite Jonathan Boulet, hectic Melbourne six-piece Saskwatch, grind-inducing Sydney duo Black Vanilla, no-holds-barred Western Sydney hip hop artist L-Fresh the Lion and more — including ARIA Award winning surprise guest. BEHOLD. SECRET GARDEN FESTIVAL 2016 LINEUP: Starring, in alphabetical order: Adi Toohey Ariane Bad//Dreems Black Vanilla BUOY CC:DISCO! Cruisin’ Deuces Dorsal Fins Elizabeth Rose (DJ) Ella Thompson Gang of Youths GG Magree Gordi Green Buzzard Hayden James Jess Kent Jody Jonathan Boulet L-Fresh The Lion Levins Love Bombs Luen Mansionair Money For Nothing DJs Montaigne Moonbase Commander Motorik Vibe Council Palms Planéte Purple Sneakers & Friends Raury Roland Tings Saskwatch Sampa The Great Sex on Toast Shagm& Friends Shantan Wantan Ichiban SPORTS Stereogamous The Completely Boys The Lulu Raes The Meeting Tree Tuka World Champion As for the rest of the lineup? Secret Garden's lips are sealed, but they're promising "over 50 bands and DJs, 30 actors, dancers and comedians, 18 pop-up performances, 10 drag queens, 8 dance floors, 6 stages, 1 very busy kissing booth and many, many more secrets to be discovered in our adult play land synonymous with dress ups, sequins, glitter and good times." Secret Garden runs February 26 to 28 in a secret location outside of Sydney. Tickets are sold out. More info over here. Image: Anna Warr.
From Stripes to Ghostbusters to Groundhog Day to Zombieland, Bill Murray has been entertaining us for decades. He’s also apparently the world’s greatest party crasher, although whether half those stories are true we’ll probably never know. Murray’s most recent role is as the titular character in St. Vincent, a comedy about a bitter old New Yorker who becomes the reluctant babysitter to his 11-year-old next-door neighbour. It may sound a little cutesy, but it’s actually one of our favourite films of the summer. In fact we like it so much that we’re presenting a screening of it at Ben & Jerry’s Openair Cinema. So head down to Bondi on Friday, February 6, to celebrate everybody’s favourite movie curmudgeon. Gates open at 6pm. There'll also be a live set by local DJ MK-1, and because it’s a Friday, everyone above the legal drinking age gets a complimentary Aperol Spritz. Thanks to Ben & Jerry's Openair Cinema, we have ten double passes to the Concrete Playground presents: St Vincent screening to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter and then email win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au with your name and address.
Considering the Soda Factory's famed Tuesday Dollar Dawgs, you might already be engaged in your own personal weekly hot dog eating competition. But now everybody's favourite secret bar is taking the ritual public, and they're taking it professional. Their Hot Dog Eating Contest, returning for its second year on September 2, will pit the mightiest scoffers and speediest peristalsis practitioners head to head in a tournament as old as time (or at least 1916). Five limited edition gourmet hot dogs will be available for eaters competitive and recreational, as well as the usual Wednesday deals of $10 buckets of fried chicken and $1 hot wings. The comp will be hosted by Colonel Mustard, and if you're the last glutton standing, you'll bag a $200 dinner and drinks tab. Second and third place-getters will also get a little something. And this year, the Soda Factory will be donating $10 for every hot dog eaten in the contest to Oz Harvest. The more you eat, the more they'll donate. To enter or spectate, register at competitions@sodafactory.com.au with your full name or chosen fighting alias (or just sign up at the venue on the night). There'll be separate heats for men and woman, and entry is free. Potentially, it will be the largest free meal you've ever had. The inaugural Soda Factory contest coincides with the USA's 'National Hot Dog Day', though that seems entirely unnecessary. Who needs more reason to stuff their face with snags? The Soda Factory's annual Hot Dog Eating Contest is happening on September 2 from 5pm.
Tributes, YouTube clips, interviews, songs, quotes, articles, feelings and memories all started flowing yesterday when the world heard of the unexpected death of the legendary David Bowie. Mourning the 69-year-old friend to Major Tom, the cumulative howl of loss from the on-and-offline community hasn't stopped since. It’s a testament to Bowie’s influence that our fickle collective consciousness is so saturated with grief that we can talk about nothing else. But it can feel very impotent and hollow to sit alone in Starman sadness, so if you want to do something, go somewhere, be with people, share grief and celebrate life, Sydney Festival have you covered. There’s a David Bowie tribute happening tomorrow night at the Sydney Festival Village in Hyde Park from 6.15pm. Wear the accoutrements of The Thin White Duke, don your best Aladdin Sane facepaint, wear whatever you feel and get down to the DJ lineup that pays tribute to Bowie's life in music. The event is free and an impromptu part of Sydney Festival running from January 7-26. This will no doubt be the first of many emotional David Bowie tributes and celebratory parties worldwide, make sure you pour one out for Bowie if you're at one. Vale, Starman, waiting' in the sky.
No longer just the realms of Monica Trapaga yazz residencies and kiddie-aimed pantomimes, the after-hours Twilight at Taronga series took it up a huge, cred-worthy notch last year. This summer, they'll be aiming even higher, returning with a new, eclectic lineup every weekend from Thursday, January 28 through Saturday, March 12. With the 2016 lineup set to be announced on Thursday, October 22, there's some pretty big expectations for this year's program. Taking over the lawns of Taronga Zoo's fully-licensed natural amphitheater last summer, Twilight at Taronga saw one heck of a lineup including Bright Eyes' soul-searching dreamboat Conor Oberst, twee monarchs Belle and Sebastian, the one and only Rufus Wainwright, Powderfinger's legendary nice guy Bernard Fanning, Paul Kelly presenting Merri Soul Sessions, You Am I, Sarah Blasko, Dan Sultan, Something For Kate, Little May, Jack Ladder and the Dreamlanders, Hiatus Kaiyote and more. After one of the most contemporary changes the Twilight at Taronga series has seen in its 20 years running, the feathered, furred and finned will inevitably have plenty to choose from this summer. Start preparing your picnics and designating your hummus-bringers, this is one summer gig you should lock down tickets for. Twilight at Taronga 2016 is happening January 28 to March 12. The lineup will be announced Thursday, October 22. Tickets for Twilight at Taronga's full program go on sale 9am, Thursday, October 29 right here. Image: Maclay Heriot.
Perched on a traffic island between Falcon Street and Military Road in Neutral Bay, this delightful gallery features works by both emerging and established contemporary artists from Australia and abroad. Step inside the four-level NYC-style loft to find vibrant creations like singing men in a rowboat and vintage armchairs plastered in psychedelic street art. With a constantly changing series of exhibitions, there's something new to discover on every visit. Art aficionados will want to attend at least a few of the galleries' special events, which include artist dinners, talks, and a diverse array of pop-ups.
South Carolina's favourite pullers of heartstrings Band of Horses will play a private show at craft beer haven Wayward Brewery in Sydney, and tickets are currently up for grabs. It's beer and Band of Horses live. Get on it. The Seattle-formed rock group are touring Australia this July to promote their latest slam dunk of an album Why Are You OK. They'll play Splendour in the Grass on July 22, Melbourne's Forum Theatre on July 24, and the Sydney Opera House on July 25, before wrapping up their visit with an intimate, invite-only acoustic gig for a specially selected audience at Camperdown's beloved Wayward Brewery. Want to be part of it? You just have to gush over your favourite fivesome. The private show is being sponsored by Optus, who are running an online competition for fans to score tickets. To enter, you simply have to explain in 25 words or less what your favourite track off the band's new album is, and why. Winners will receive a double pass to the show, which is set to take place at the brewery on July 27. Entries close on July 18. For now, here's a 'Casual Party' for you: Image: Andrew Stuart. UPDATE JULY 7, 2016: Band of Horses' secret brewery gig has moved from Grifter to Wayward Brewery in Camperdown. Our story's copy has been changed to reflect this.
In its inaugural year, brand new Sydney festival Volumes enjoyed the kind of success that debut events long for, but is seldom achieved. As a multi-venue festival taking over several Oxford Street spaces, it was touted (by us, hello) as a mini South by Southwest-style festival featuring some of Australia's premier artists, bands, DJs and, importantly, live music venues. And thank the merciful gods, Volumes is coming back in 2016 to kick off festival season. This years' first lineup announcement is a whizzbanger, with reams of artists set to take over Oxford Art Factory, Brighton Up Bar, The Cliff Dive and The Burdekin over August 26 and 27. Bear in mind this is only the first announcement and just look at it. The first day, Friday, August 26, is a wee bit more dancey with BV, Dro Carey, Charles Murdoch, Rainbow Chan, Alba, Silent Jay x Jace XL, HTMLflowers, DEER, Milwaukee Banks, 30/70, Christopher Port, Lupa J, Jaysways, Body Promise, Sidechains DJs, Melty, Spirals and Godriguez. The second day, Saturday, August 27, is jam packed with quality: Nicholas Allbrook, Slum Sociable, Fishing, Mall Grab, Donny Benet, Mossy, Rolling Blackouts CF, You Beauty, Cliques, Marcus Whale, Habits, Zero Percent, Good Boy, Orb, Unity Floors, Terrible Truths, The Harpoons, Hubert Clarke Jr, Null, Babicka, Leo James, Scott and Charlene's Wedding, Darts, Summer Flake, Angie, Scraps, 100%, California Girls, Good Morning, Solid Effort, Us The Band, Xanga, Nite Fleit, Andy Garvey, Adi Toohey and Playful Sound. We'll also be graced the curatorial talents of a horde of DJs from I OH YOU, Strange Yonder, Thump, Noisey, Rice Is Nice and Bedroom Suck. Early bird tickets are on sale now, and at $69.90 +BF for a two day pass, it's the best value for money festival out. Grab em' here and get excited – summer is looking fine. Volumes returns to Sydney over August 26 and 27 at venues around Oxford Street. More details and tickets on the Volumes website. Image: Sam Brumby/Volumes.
Flap your wings and fly into Cake Wines' new cellar door in Redfern, where they're celebrating not one, but two of our all-time favourite things in life: fried chicken and wine. Sydney is home to a tonne of top-notch poultry chefs, whose hot 'n' greasy bits of bird would make Colonel Sanders embarrassed. Now they're flocking together at Cake's urban cellar door for Sydney's first-ever fried chicken and wine festival. Set for Sunday, July 24, Birds of Redfern has been curated by the Cake Wines team along with food writer, DJ and podcaster Andrew Levins. The lineup features some of the biggest cluckers in town, including several nicked straight from our list of Sydney fried chicken favourites. These include Hartsyard — home to Southern-style fried chicken with hot sauce, ranch and pickles — and Moon Park, whose Korean-style shrimp-brined fried chicken comes with soy and sweet pickled daikon. Also on the menu are chicken burgers from the gang at the The Lord Gladstone, chicken sangas from recent addition Henry Lee's, and a selection of wings served extra crispy or buffalo-style courtesy of Levins and his podcast co-host Mitch Orr from ACME. Of course, you'll probably want a little liquid refreshment to wash down all that chook. Good thing this is all happening at a wine cellar. Cake will pop the cork on a number of their locally-made wines, including their 2016 Pinot Gris, their NV Adelaide Hills sparkling and their small batch natural Pinot Noir. There'll also be beer available from White Rabbit and Little Creatures. Tickets to Birds of Redfern cost $10 and are available through Eventbrite, but don't include the cost of food or drink. For more information, visit the Facebook event.
Sydney CBD's go-to spot for pork-fuelled splendour, Swine & Co, is packing up shop. Currently residing in the former Bank of New South Wales on O'Connell Street, the house that pork built is planning to cease trading in early May; currently in development for a new expanded location in Surry Hills later this year. Joining the already well-attended meat temples of Surry Hills is an interesting move for the Urban Purveyor Group (who also own Sydney CBD staples like Ananas Bar and Brasserie, The Cut Bar and Grill and Saké). Leaving the suit-heavy realms of Sydney's CBD for the more laidback casual dining scene of Surry, Swine & Co. will continue cranking out its established, pig-focused menu — including those infamous house pork crackling chips. But they'll also be adding US-style barbecue and over 150 whiskies and a huge craft beer list to the menu. That's one big ol' 'when in Rome' huh? Whether Surry Hills has room for one more meat lovin', whisky-guzzlin' American-style joint remains to be seen — the suburb's not exactly wanting for pulled pork and Knob Creek. But since Swine & Co. opened in February 2014, the restaurant has generated quite the carnivorous following. Perhaps it's time for a new crowd. "We are thrilled to be introducing our highly successful and newly expanded Swine & Co. concept to the buzzing Surry Hills food scene," says UPG CEO Thomas Pash. "The new location will offer seriously great food in a laid back, fun and comfortable atmosphere. We’re working on amazing food and beverage menus for our customers and look forward to welcoming some new faces when we open in a few months." Trading at Swine & Co.'s CBD location will cease in May, with the new Surry Hills location to open later this year.
If you're one to simultaneously munch a durrie and schnittie combo, we've got some bad news for you. Smoking in all outdoor dining areas in New South Wales is about to be banned, thanks to the Smoke-free Environment Act 2000. From July 6, 2015, all commercial outdoor dining areas in licensed venues (including clubs and hotels), restaurants and cafes must be smoke-free. Basically, if food is being served, there's no smoking. There's going to be some serious penalties (we're talking fines up to $5500) for venues who don't comply with the new smoking bans, enforced by NSW Health Authorised Inspectors — so you can rule out a cheeky smoke, even if you 'know the owner'. Plus, you could land yourself a $300 fine for gettin' y'puff on. It's not just courtyards and beer gardens that are about to clear the air; areas within 4 metres of a pedestrian entrance to or exit from a licensed venue, restaurant or cafe must be smoke-free (so on-street dining and footpath areas too). But venues are allowed to create designated smoking areas — so beer gardens are still allowed to section off glamorous shame corners or build blue-lit miscreant booths (lookin' at you Beach Road). Venues will have to put up 'no smoking' signs of approved size and staff will be trained to deal with the new laws. NSW Health will undertake a public notice campaign in the lead-up to the smoking ban, so expect to see something pleasant along the lines of all the unbranded cigarette packaging the NSW government has rolled out. Let's be honest, this was always coming. The 2013 NSW Smoking and Health Survey showed 75 percent of surveyed folks approved banning smoking in all outdoor areas in hotels, restaurants and cafes. And really, trying to enjoy a burg with cigarette smoke in your face isn't the best. So suck 'em down while you can, guys. Via NSW Health.
If you think you're walking out of this dance class squeaky clean and bereft of the mad sweats, you've got another thing coming. Kickass choreographer and song-of-the-moment enthusiast Amrita Hepi is back with another dance class to make you work-work-work-work-work. Amrita showed you the moves to Beyonce's 'Formation' and Justin Bieber's 'Sorry', now don the most sheer, possibly crocheted, babe-o thing in your wardrobe for Rihanna's 'Work'. Don't just come to Drake it up standing all awkward and idle-like on the side of the room. Pick one of two classes — 6pm and 7.15pm — and get ready to work everything with a hinge.
Life is all about the simple pleasures. A smile from a loved one. The warmth of the summer sun. The satisfying feeling that comes with helping a fellow human being. Also, free sandwiches. Actually, especially free sandwiches. In fact, you can keep all that other stuff. Just get us a free sandwich. Luckily, the folks at Reuben Republic are doing exactly that. From now until November 11, Marrickville residents who sign up via this link right here will be entitled to a free sandwich at the Marrickville deli cafe. Because why bother with convoluted promotions when you can win customer loyalty forever by just handing them free food? There are six different sandwiches on offer as part of the giveaway: the Classic (pastrami and American mustard on light rye), the East Coast Reuben (pastrami, kraut, swiss cheese and Russian dressing on light rye), the West Coast Reuben (pastrami, slaw, swiss cheese and Russian dressing on dark rye) and the Pork Special (pork shoulder, cream cheese, sundried tomato, wild rocket, slaw, barbecue sauce, Russian dressing and sriracha on light rye), as well as vegetarian options Veggie One (swiss cheese, wild rocket, balsamic glaze, Russian dressing and deli-style potato salad on dark rye) and Veggie Two (cream cheese, sundried tomato, slaw, pickles, wild rocket, barbecue sauce and Russian dressing on light rye). Now before you start planning a whole week's worth of lunches around this, you should be warned that there's a limit of one per customer. After all, they're not saints. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stC2SNax6kI Find Reuben Republic at 266 Marrickville Road, Marrickville. To sign up for your free sandwich, go here. AMENDMENT, NOVEMBER 7, 2015: We were just last night notified that the giveaway was intended for the members of a closed Facebook group, Marrickville 2020. When we first heard about the giveaway on Wednesday, November 4, no mention was made in the terms and conditions (cached version of the page available here) on the Reuben Republic website where the promotion appeared that this was a closed Facebook group deal only. The link was accessible to the general public, and until Friday night, when we were contacted by the restaurant, we thought the promotion was merely that; a general marketing activation/promotion for the business, which they conduct regularly. We double checked the giveaway's published terms and conditions, they being (and still appearing, copied and pasted, on Oz Bargain): Limit of one sandwich per person Valid until 11th of NOV 2015 (hurry be quick!) Redemption by sign-up only and providing proof of your redemption voucher (will be emailed to you) at the store We removed the article this morning until we had had a chance to review all information as a Concrete Playground team. We've popped it back up again to explain that this issue appears to be one unfortunately created by Reuben Republic, not Concrete Playground, by (a) publishing what, at the time of publication, appeared to be a general promotion on an open link accessible to anyone, (b) not capping their maximum number of redemptions at a level that was manageable for the business. As lovers and huge supporters of independent Sydney businesses, we would never knowingly mess around a Sydney eatery. We've always supported Reuben Republic, writing very positive (and well deserved) articles about them on numerous occasions, and would never intentionally bring harm to them or any business. Championing Sydney legends like Reuben Republic is the reason we get up in the morning and we genuinely thought we were promoting something awesome that both our audience and Reuben Republic would be interested in. Some key facts: The publication of the article in question (Wednesday afternoon at 3.45pm) The promotion conducted by Reuben Republic came to the attention of one of our editors via a link which appeared in their Facebook feed on Wednesday. The promotion appeared on the restaurant’s website on an open link (accessible to anyone). None of the three Concrete Playground editors that worked on the story saw in the terms and conditions any mention that the promotion was only available to a closed Facebook group called 'Marrickville 2020’ (which were also copied and published on Oz Bargain), although that is now mentioned in the header. There was no mechanism in place to verify that people entering the competition were members of the group. Reuben Republic claimed to us ‘almost 3000 vouchers signed-up (sic)' Reuben Republic targeted the Marrickville 2020 Facebook group, promoting the offer to its 6,931 members. The post in question has only had 2,207 page views on Concrete Playground. The issue brought to our attention (Friday night at 7.18pm) Concrete Playground became aware of the issue on Friday night when the restaurant’s owner, John Bogiatzis, contacted us demanding that the article in question be removed, as the promotion was only intended for the members of closed Facebook group Marrickville 2020. We promptly responded (8.01pm) saying that we would add mention of the new terms on our article. We did not receive any further response or request from anyone at Reuben Republic, so assumed that this was acceptable. We took the article down this morning until we had a chance to review as a team and write an amendment to bring to the attention of our readers that there were further terms to the promotion. We have now done this. Reuben Republic has the names, phone numbers and email addresses for everyone who signed up to receive a free sandwich (it was a term of the promotion). It is within Reuben Republic’s power to communicate with these people and clarify that proof of their membership of the closed Marrickville 2020 Facebook group would be required for redemption at the restaurant.
You like gin. You drink G&Ts on a regular basis. But how well do you know the botanicals you're drinking? Bombay Sapphire has teamed up with a group of artists, chefs and bartenders to take you on a sensory adventure of where its botanicals are sourced. During the two-hour experience, aptly named Project Botanicals, guests will be given the global botanical tour — just pretend you're sampling coriander in Morocco and picking cubeb berries in Java. An important part of the sensory experience is the food and drink. Four dishes, cooked by Studio Neon chef Aaron Teece, will be paired with four cocktails created by some of Sydney's favourite bars. It's not just a standard food and drink pairing, though — the tasting experience will be interactive. You'll pick lemons, which are actually lemon cheesecakes, under a grove of trees in Spain while sipping on a drink created by Sydney's Mjolner. Next, wander down backstreets in China drinking Bar Moncur's liquorice-laced Jasmine Bloom and eating duck pancakes. You'll then travel across the globe some more before ending in Morocco with a lamb tagine and a vibrant cocktail from Union Electric. Throughout the immersive journey a 360-degree audio-visual artwork, created by Australian musician and producer Ta-ku together with award-winning animator Sam Price, will be playing around you. The multi-dimensional artwork, composed of music made exclusively for the event and a vivid light installation, will shift with each jump to a new location and hopes to alter perceptions of taste. Each session will run for two hours at the following times: 8pm on Thursday, 5.30pm and 8pm on Friday, 1.30pm, 4.30pm and 7.30pm on Saturday and 1.30pm, 4.30pm and 7.30pm on Sunday. UPDATE NOVEMBER 9, 2017: Project Botanicals will now be held at 225 Euston Road in Alexandria. All currently allocated tickets remain valid and ticketholders can use their original confirmation email to gain entry. Should you have any questions, please email info@projectbotanicals.com.au or call 02 8249 0341.
Do you like to eat unlimited bowls of noodle soup? Of course you do. Head down to Café Mix at Shangri-La in Sydney, because the hotel is celebrating the flavours of Malaysia with a week-long food festival at the end of May. Menu creators Anis Rusydan Bin Amran and Azman Bin Mat Hasan, fresh from Kuala Lumpur, will create a series of elaborate, Malaysian buffets. Malay street food meets fine dining with a feast that includes fragrant coconut beef sambal, laksa (everybody's favourite comfort dish) and tender satay chicken. As succulent as that beef rendang is, you'll want to leave room for the decadent dessert offering of sweet tapioca, sago and the devilishly soft screwpine and herb cakes. With Café Mix's regular menu of innovative and playful twists on Asian street eats, plus 2016 Gault&Millau Pastry Chef of the Year Anna Polyviou curating the sweet offering, the food standards are sure to be high. The festival will take place at Shangri-La's Café Mix from Friday, May 26 to Thursday, June 1. The buffet lunch is available from 12pm to 2.30pm, and the buffet dinner is available from 6pm to 10.30pm. Book now to snag your seat — your tastebuds will thank you.
If you're going to drink craft beer, why not do so at the zoo? Australia's beer festival craze comes in all shapes and sizes and next on the list is the inaugural Zoo Brew Festival, coming to the Taronga Centre, adjacent to Taronga Zoo, on Friday, July 21 through Sunday, July 23. Among the 25-brewery lineup are Canberra's BentSpoke Brewing Co., New Zealand's Monteith's Brewing Company, Gold Coast's Balter Brewing Company, Melbourne's Two Birds Brewery and Byron's Stone & Wood, along with local favourites Young Henrys and Lord Nelson. There will also be plenty of local food providores in tow to balance all that beer. The three-day festival will kick off with a beer degustation dinner on Friday, July 21 with tickets at $150 per person and the menu under lock and key for now. Saturday and Sunday will offer two sessions per day at $40 per session, with a portion of proceeds going to support Taronga Conservation Society Australia's wildlife conservation activities. Waste reduction is a prime focus too, so the tasting cups are reusable glass and the tastings tickets, along with all food packaging, are recyclable. Zoo Brew is the first in Taronga's new Taste the Wild event series, which focuses on sustainable and ethical sourcing of quality products.
Not travelling up to Splendour in the Grass this year? Just let the headliners come to you. Following Mark Ronson's star-studded sideshow lineup announcement yesterday, Florence and the Machine have announced two headlining dates for Melbourne and Sydney. And if the group's recent Coachella slam dunk is anything to go by, you'll want to lock these tickets down. Otherworldly powerhouse Florence Welch and her sizeable crew are set to showcase music from their soon-to-be-released third album How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful; locking in Melbourne's Palais Theatre on July 22 and Sydney's State Theatre on July 23 before they headline Splendour's Saturday night. Having just nailed it at Coachella despite breaking her foot, Welch assures fans she'll be back on her tootsies in time for Splendour and these shows — and if you've seen Welch jig around a stage before, you'll know why a broken foot isn't surprising. You're going to have to be lucky to catch Florence though, tickets will only be available through a ballot system. All ballot entries must be received before 12 noon (AEST) on Thursday, May 28. Successful ticket applicants will receive an email after the ballot's closed, then will be able to buy tickets between 2pm (AEST) on Friday, May 29 and 2pm (AEST) on Saturday, May 30. FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE SPLENDOUR 2015 SIDESHOWS: Wednesday, July 22 — Palais Theatre, Melbourne. Thursday, July 23 — State Theatre, Sydney. Enter the Florence Splendour Ballot here.
A celestial choir of sequin-bedecked seraphim appear, flanked by burly androgynous bikers, singing in unison. Mardi Gras comes but once a year, Now it's here, now it's here, Bringing lots of joy and cheer, Tra la la la la That’s right people Mardi Gras is back for another glorious, glamorous, glittery year! Grab your rainbow flag, finish decorating that float, and start planning your costume because Australia’s largest pride event starts this week. That said, a mere week is not a lot of lead time to prepare for the southern hemisphere’s most fabulous fortnight, so we've taken it upon ourselves to handpick the best things to do at the 38th annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.
There might be a film festival on somewhere in Sydney almost every weekend, but only one promises a four-day explosion of the dark, the deviant, the wild and the wacky. That mantle falls to the Sydney Underground Film Festival, aka the mischievous movie bonanza cinephiles should know, love and treasure. They're back for their ninth outing from September 17 to 20, and as usual, their program is both devilish and delicious. Unearthing treasures the mainstream cinema scene might like to see buried is SUFF's foray, and in 2015 they're starting that task with a bang. We mean that literally and graphically, given that Gaspar Noe's explicit Love is the festival's opening night film. With many an unsimulated sex scene, and more than a few up-close-and-personal shots, the controversial writer/director attempts to demonstrate sentimental sexuality in all its thrusting, grinding, 3D glory. The vibe remains thrilling at the other end of the event, though this time gleeful sexploitation is on offer. Supporting the Keanussance that we had to have, SUFF comes to a close with the man otherwise known as Neo and Johnny Utah fending off some unwanted female attention — and ending up in a raunchy game of cat and mouse — in Eli Roth's Knock Knock. This is the festival that screened Roth's blood-soaked, limbs-a-flailing cannibal nasty The Green Inferno in 2014, after all. That's not the only Keanu goodness on offer either, courtesy of the Alex Winter-directed documentary Deep Web. The Bill S. Preston to Reeves' Ted 'Theodore' Logan delves into the darker side of our online activities, calling in his most excellent pal for narrating duties. In between the big-name movie bookends and all-round Keanu love, SUFF directors Katherine Berger and Stefan Popescu serve up everything from an undead Henry Rollins in He Never Died to Australian on-the-run romance What Lola Wants, plus darkly comic love story Nina Forever as well. On the factual side of things, expect explorations of the funniest comedian you've never heard of and the remake-heavy Turkish film industry you weren't aware of, among others, because this is a festival fond of variety. Elsewhere, fans of seminal underground fare can celebrate the 50th anniversary of Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! and the 20th anniversary of Kids, or indulge in their Back to the Future and Raiders of the Lost Ark love through affectionate docos Back in Time and Raiders. The big film names don't stop there, with the latest efforts from notable directors Takashi Miike, Kim Ki-Duk and Quentin Dupieux also on the bill in a frenzy of yakuza vampires, blood-soaked revenge and brain-meltingly surreal multiple realities. The end result is a program that boasts something for everyone, as long as your tastes are adventurous, eclectic and way, way outside the norm. And if they are, prepare for a weekend of weird and wonderful cinema truly like no other. The Sydney Underground Film Festival runs from September 17 to 20. To view the full SUFF 2015 program, or to buy tickets, visit the festival website.
Prepare yourselves for the sweetest two words in the English vocabulary: massive giveaway (yasss). We’ve got our hands on some Vanfest booty to distribute amongst y’all, so you can enjoy the weekend's camping festival with all the creature comforts you could ask for — and it means you won't have to wait in festival lines to pee. Rolling into Forbes in central west NSW on December 4 and 5, Vanfest means to bring the country and city together with a two-day humdinger of a festival. The lineup is fierce, including Birds of Tokyo, John Butler Trio, Sticky Fingers, Illy, Rudimental, Peking Duck, Kilter, Sheppard, to name but a few. One lucky winner is up for a huge Vanfest VIP package for four, including two VIP double passes. Live the weekend like damn-hell-ass kings with four complimentary drinks and catering for the whole festival, access to the VIP bar, private bathrooms (the only way to experience a festival) and grandstand viewing. You’ll also score a powered camping site (book your Gran’s campervan for that weekend, or bring All The Powerboards for your tent if you know what’s cool). It’ll make those muddy, messy, sunburnt festival weekends spent waiting to pee seem brutal by comparison. We’ve also got a few more cheeky prizes up our sleeves. Nab one of five general admission weekend double passes (including entry to Friday and Saturday for two — camping not included). You’ll need to be above the age of 18 to claim the VIP prize (or 16 for the GA tickets) and, in doing so, you will become a living legend in your friendship group. Vanfest is coming to Forbes, NSW December 4 and 5, and thanks to the team, we have one VIP package (two double passes with powered camping site) and five general admission tickets to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter and then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au
There are few places in Sydney offering the culinary diversity of Auburn. On the main drag alone, you can try bread from four Middle Eastern nations, sample Ethiopian dishes and dig into Chinese dumplings. To celebrate, Auburn and its surrounding communities are hosting a month-long Flavours festival, happily coinciding with Sydney's Good Food Month. Travel backwards in time to 1930s Shanghai over a three-course dinner, while dressed in Qipao costumes, learning traditional dance moves and taking part in a spring roll-making workshop. Spend a couple of hours tasting your way around Africa to the sounds and sights of live performers. Or settle into a four-course high tea, showcasing sweet treats and hot beverages from Ethiopia, Southern China, Iraq and Afghanistan. And don't miss the grand finale: an epic feast called African Nights Meets Prince of Persia. It's hosted by the House of Welcome, an independent organisation which has been helping people seeking asylum since 2001. Also on the programme are loads of cooking classes and food tours. Get amongst it.
Now a lot of us are spending so much time at home, it's important to be as comfy as possible. Melbourne-designed Eva Mattress is here to help up your comfort level with its biggest annual sale yet. Think half-price sheets and hundreds of dollars off mattresses — and that's just the start. For its 19-day sale, running from Wednesday, June 17 till 11.59pm on Sunday, July 5, the local Aussie retailer is offering big end-of-year discounts. Expect $150 off its Eva mattress, $50 off the Eva pillow and a whopping 50 percent off the Eva sheets, which brings the latter down to just $120 for a set. And these aren't your run-of-the-mill bedding products, either. The award-winning mattress-in-a-box has been engineered as a hybrid, which means it combines the comfort of memory foam with the support of pocket springs. The memory foam pillow uses activated charcoal to keep you cool and dry throughout the night. The 400-thread count sheets and duvet sets are made from eucalyptus fibres — making them soft, cool and completely biodegradable. If you do spring for the mattress, sheets or pillow, they come with a 120-night free trial, so you can be sure they'll help you get a good night sleep before you commit. All mattress orders come with free next-day delivery to metro areas, too. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
It's been a couple of years since Sydney last enjoyed a live performance from Courtney Barnett, but this August, the acclaimed singer-songwriter will return to the harbour city for a show at a little venue called the Sydney Opera House. She'll play her first headline show in the iconic venue's biggest space: the Concert Hall. Off the back of her second album Tell Me How You Really Feel, Barnett's set to tear up the stage with her signature indie-rock energy and a full band in tow. She'll perform all the hits from this forthcoming record, including 'Need A Little Time', 'Nameless, Faceless', and the just-released 'City Looks Pretty'. Lauded as one of this century's most unique Aussie voices, Barnett's set a new tone with her latest work, following collaborations with the likes of Kurt Vile, The Breeders and long-term partner Jen Cloher. The past few years have seen the musician absolutely killing it internationally, nominated for both a Grammy Award and a BRIT Award, and scooping up a bunch of other top honours, including the Australian Music Prize 2016, APRA's Songwriter of the Year, and four ARIA awards. She'll perform on Saturday, August 25 as part of the year-round Sydney Opera House Contemporary Music Program. Tickets range from $54–74, with $20 standing room tickets available if you have a concession card or aged 20 or under. Image: Pooneh Ghana.
Once is never enough. For fans of ARIA-winning musician Megan Washington, this is certainly the case. Back by popular demand after a huge 2014 national tour, Washington's marching her There There album tour into the New Year — with a string of 2015 dates to satisfy bigtime Washo fans. Backed by rave reviews, Washington's #5 ARIA album There There will be amplified through venues nationwide by the beloved singer/songwriter. And the Melburnian's newest offering doesn't disappoint; There There teams with tracks so personal and raw you'll feel like you've snuck a glimpse at Washington's post break-up journal. But these aren't any old love-lost ballads. Washington's buttery vocals share some of her most candid experiences, paired with haunting harmonies that are hard to forget. And she doesn’t hold back, throwing in high energy, bare-all pop hits like 'Limitless' and 'My Heart is a Wheel' alongside stripped-back piano melodies. If you missed Washo last year, you're in serious luck. But get in quick, tickets to these shows are set to be tough to get your hands on. Supported by Montaigne + Greg Chiapello.
Now in its sixth year, Aussie Wine Month returns in May to showcase the diversity of the Australian wine scene and celebrate the world class producers that our 65 wine regions have to offer. A huge range of events will take place across the country — highlighting the rich, volcanic soil of the Kangaroo Valley, the diverse varietals of the Mudgee region and the award-winning Semillion and Shiraz from the Hunter Valley among many, many other wine-related things. In partnership with Wine Australia, we're helping you narrow down your options — here are nine of the best things to do. Top image: Sam Venn.
Coffin Bay Oysters, charcoal pork neck and baklava with quince ice cream. These are just a few of the creatively decadent items you'll find on the menu at Marrickville's new Mediterranean joint, Barzaari. Having opened yesterday, Tuesday, July 13, on Addison Road, the restaurant and bar is a brand new venture from chef Darryl Martin, whose resume includes the casually high-flying likes of Quay, Foveaux, and 3 Weeds. In other words, our expectations are pretty damn high. Co-owned by Martin along with friend Andrew Jordanou, the look and feel of the restaurant is inspired by — you guessed it — a bazaar, complete with exposed brick walls, charcoal pit and wood-fire oven. Diners will be greeted with artwork by local artist Jack Egan, along with the scent of Cypriot coffee cooked in heated sand. Once seated, visitors will have their run of the menu, most of which is designed to be shared. Start with snacks such as lamb's breast with cracked spices, sheep's yoghurt and black olive oil, before moving onto small plates like loukaniko (pork sausage) with silverbeet, mustard, fennel and roasted grapes. The mains are similarly appetising, and range from swordfish served in vine leaf to Spencer Gulf woodfired prawns. And for dessert — assuming you're somehow not tempted by the aforementioned baklava — try buttermilk custard with aniseed and apple tea granita. At the bar, meanwhile, you'll find a healthy selection of cocktails, along with a wine list curated by sommelier Dennis Roman. Three words: bring it on. Barzaari is located at 65-69 Addison Road, Marrickville. For more information visit barzaari.com.au.
