Update September 28, 2018: Due to popular demand, Ételek is sticking around. Stretching its stay from October till New Year's Eve, 2018, the pop-up restaurant will transition into a lighter menu in the warm months — we don't think you'll find matzo ball soup during summer. To book your visit, head to the website. Following the success of last year's stints at Bar Brosé and The Gretz, Adam Wolfers and Marc Dempsey are back with the next instalment of their pop-up restaurant Ételek. Wolfers, who is known for his work at establishments such as Monopole and Yellow, and Dempsey, a sommelier and front-of-house powerhouse who is currently manager at Cornersmith Marrickville, will come together to showcase a blend of Hungarian, Middle Eastern, and North African cuisines. The duo will takeover the site of the now-closed Antipodean restaurant in Potts Point from July 25 to October 13. Drawing on inspiration from his own Eastern European heritage — Ételek means 'food' in Hungarian — Wolfers will bring back pop-up signatures like his meat-free parsnip schnitzel and lángos (Hungarian fried bread) and will introduce newbies like nokedli (Hungarian dumplings) with sea urchin and walnut. Other dishes include everything bagel 'bites' — which we're expecting to become an Instagram favourite — and, for dessert, Jerusalem artichoke ice cream with matzo praline. Wolfers also plans on returning to his Yellow roots by featuring vegetable-focused dishes that showcase "ingredients through contemporary interpretations of the dishes [he] was raised on". While Wolfers masters the food, Dempsey will provide a fitting drinks menu. The wine list is set to focus on small "producers with heart" that work with ethical practices. "There will be wine for all palates and budgets,' Dempsey assures. While the three-month pop-up won't last nearly as long as we'd like, Wolfers hopes to create the feeling of a permanent fixture with "a regularly changing menu allowing for multiple visits". The Potts Point space has had an eye-catching makeover, too, with bright orange and pink material hanging from the ceiling and colourful tape wrapped around the seats and tables — a stark contrast to the otherwise industrial space. The duo will also collaborate with other industry favourites for one-off events, including a New York-style Sunday brunch session with Hartsyard's Gregory Llewellyn on Sunday, August 26, and a party with the talented team from Canberra's Bar Rochford on Sunday, September 16. The Ételek pop-up will be open for dinner from 5pm Wednesday to Saturday and for lunch and dinner from 2pm on Sunday from July 25 through to December 31. Images: Jun Chen
The MCA sculpture terrace is making the most of its killer harbour views again this summer, with the return of its collaboration with Future Classic. Dubbed FCxMCA, the event is a monthly series of Sunday happenings, blending music with contemporary art and inspired by the likes of MoMA PS1’s Warm Up sessions in New York City. Only Part One of the programme has been revealed so far. On November 15, check out Kenton Slash Demon, a Danish duo whose music De:Bug magazine has described as “house music as an Indian free jazz opera”. Following them is Harvey Sutherland, one of Australia’s favourite disco revivalists, who mixes lo-fi boogie with Roland house music. On December 13, two Melbourne-based producers who travel the world will be paying a visit: Roland Tings, with his Balearic influences, and Tornado Wallace, who combines house, techno and disco. For the first hour of every session, the MCA will keep its collection open exclusively for FCxMCA ticketholders. “We're excited to be partnering with the MCA again this summer to build on the series we created together last year,” says Future Classic founder Nathan McLay. “These are intimate parties with cutting edge talent in an extraordinary building that combine our love of contemporary art and music. We can't wait!" More dates and announcements for 2016 are set to be announced soon.
The UK's Gecko Theatre Company approach their performances as a collaboration of media, using theatre, dance, and stage and its props to create an environment all of their own. Their newest production Institute is a bewitching combination of stagecraft and choreography that manipulates the audience's perception of the players and their surroundings. Witty, funny, and shocking all at the same time, the performance, crafted by Artistic Director Amit Lahav, plays on your mind as it presents itself as both baffling and beautiful in equal measures. This is one of 15 next-level events to see at Sydney Festival. Check out the whole list.
Home to much of the festival's music, two Spiegeltents will be anchoring the expanding Festival Village, one of the real successes of last year and a true hub for hanging out in. Also within it will be a huge-scale art work from Ireland's answer to Banksy, street artist Maser. The maze-like, colour-splashed, two-storey-high installation, called Higher Ground, is said to be "a dream come true for those who always wished they could step inside a painting", and will be the focus of everyone's Instagramming this festival (which for the first time in two years, is Rubber Duck-less). Maser will be the artist-in-residence at the Village, though as he operates in anonymity, we don't expect to see too much of him. Read our interview with Maser and find out why he's happy for you to eat a sandwich in his art. Higher Ground is one of our top ten picks of the Sydney Festival. Check out our other favourite events over here.
Bayala means 'speak' in the tongue of Sydney's first people, and that's exactly what this series of talks, workshops and performances at Sydney Festival begs of you – to speak the language that lived here, long before we did. In 1790–91, Patyegarang, a young Aboriginal woman, taught 'First Fleet' English astronomer William Dawes the local language during frequent visits to his hut. That site is now known as Dawes' Point, under the southern pylon of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. This is where you can hear Lille Madden, a young Gadigal woman, reading the wordlists and sentences in language as spoken by Patyegarang. The installation will be open daily from 6am-11pm throughout the festival. Become immersed as Gadigal representatives read from notebooks written in 1790, or take classes with Darug and Gadigal teachers. Check out the rare collection of artefacts that preserve the language, or take your place in the massive performance of traditional songs about country, ancestors and healing. Head to the State Library to take the plunge to learn just a little more about the history that we all share. This program is one of ten Sydney Festival events happening in unexpected places. Check out the whole list.
Hot on the heels of the NGV's exciting announcement of a new gallery dedicated to contemporary art, the Melbourne gallery has launched its latest blockbuster: a collaborative exhibition with New York's revered Museum of Modern Art. MoMA at NGV: 130 Years of Modern and Contemporary Art takes a chronological look at art and design over the past century, from the late 1900s through to modern masterpieces. MoMA at NGV features more than 200 works from all six of MoMA's curatorial departments: Photography, Film, Architecture and Design, Painting and Sculpture, Drawings and Prints, and Media and Performance Art. The exhibition might be one of your only chances to see some of these works outside of New York with 127 of the showcased artworks having never left MoMA's walls before. You'll find masterful paintings that signalled a modern age with works from Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin; art based on emerging technology with Cubism pioneers Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque; collections of post-war American culture that are "bursting with energy"; as well as participatory artworks, pop-art icons, Space Invaders, and many more. The works are spread across eight expansive themed sections at NGV International, which, MoMA director Glenn Lowry calls 'mini villages'. "The spaces between them are alleyways and streets, so movement in this exhibition is always experiential," he said at the exhibition launch. "You go from one town to the next town and along the way you'll discover something." While all the works on display are must-sees, below we've selected five works that you absolutely shouldn't miss. SALVADOR DALI: THE PERSISTENCE OF MEMORY (1931) One of the most admired Salvador Dali paintings is The Persistence of Memory, which is based on the seaside landscape close to Dali's home in Catalonia, Spain. A master of warping time and space with his dream-like style, the painting can be found at the entrance to the Inner and Outer Worlds section of the exhibition. The painting is one of MoMA's most prized possessions, and even Lowry seemed surprised that it had been loaned out to the NGV's ("What? We lent that one?"). Like the Mona Lisa, The Persistence of Memory proves that sometimes artworks big in stature come in small packages — the work is only 24 by 33 centimetres big. So get in early (or make use of your elbows) to get up close and take in all the magnificent details found throughout Dali's work. EL ANATSUI: BLEEDING TAKARI II (2007) Using thousands of bottle caps that have been crushed and reshaped in many ways, Bleeding Takari II is made from materials collected by the Ghanaian artist El Anatsui. Linked together with carefully formed copper wiring, this large-scale work flexes and wrinkles in a different way each time it's installed. The work considers the trade of goods, and peoples, from West Africa to Europe. NGV director Tony Ellwood is particularly excited about this work, which demonstrates the type of diverse global works that the NGV and MoMA hope to continue to champion. "This a beautiful example of El Anatsui's work, and I think, in many ways, it heralds the future of contemporary art collecting for major institutions," says Ellwood. ANDY WARHOL: MARILYN MONROE (1967) One of the quintessential works of pop art and a distillation of American culture, the NGV showcases Andy Warhol's famed Marilyn Monroe series. Throughout his career, Warhol would create more than 800 printed images, although almost none more famous than this one. Produced five years after the famous actress's death in 1962, this collection of ten vibrant prints, while colourful in nature, peel back the complexities of fame suggesting a darker perspective on celebrity culture. JOHN BALDESSARI: WHAT IS PAINTING (1968) Displayed next to Warhol's prints, you'll find a vastly different kind of work in John Baldessari's What is painting. It's a self-referential question of genre — for this work, Baldessari hired a sign-painter to produce the lettering in careful detail. Exploring the definitions of art and painting, this 1968 work draws on a strong sense of irony as although this work fits the definition of paint on canvas, it defies our typical understanding of the format. "This fantastic Baldessari is one of my favourite works of art," says MoMA's Lowry. "The painting is about painting — and it challenges us to think about the very act of art making." ROMAN ONDÁK: MEASURING THE UNIVERSE (2007) Slovakian conceptual artist Roman Ondák is known for his large-scale works that often blur the boundaries between art and everyday life. Taking up an entire room of the NGV, Measuring the Universe is an artwork that relies on public participation to fill out what begins as an entirely blank space. Recalling parents measuring their children's height as they grow taller, participants have their height, names and the birthdate scrawled around the room. Over the three months of MoMA at NGV, these engravings will become layered, eventually forming a whirling galaxy-like mass of names. "It isn't art until you participate," explains Lowry. "In the end this work of art is about inscribing ourselves into the history of this institution." MoMA at NGV: 130 Years of Modern and Contemporary Art is on display at NGV International, St Kilda Road, Melbourne until October 7. You can grab tickets here. Images: NGV/Tom Ross.
Black and white, light and dark — as basic as these contrasting ideas are, they're concepts that have formed the backbone of Chinese art for centuries. Contemporary artists are still struggling with the idea of luminescence versus the void, and the upcoming exhibition at White Rabbit, The Dark Matters, will turn this dichotomy on its head. Expect to see a number of big names in Chinese contemporary art, including Tang Nannan, based in the Fujian Province in China, and Brooklyn-based Lin Yan. The defining characteristic of Yan's work has been described as "the way it uses elements of multiple styles to bring histories, past and present, together," and it's this manipulation of styles and media that defines The Dark Matters. It's an exhibition that endeavours to clarify the yin and yang informing Chinese art throughout time. White Rabbit Gallery is focused on contemporary Chinese art produced after 2002, and The Dark Matters looks to celebrate one of the more prevalent themes in this realm. Image: Huang Wen-Ying, Searching II, with viewer.
We knew it. We knew it. They'd never leave us. They'd never just go. James Murphy is dancing himself clean and reuniting All His Friends, LCD Soundsystem, to headline this year's whizzbanger of a Coachella festival. Oh, and Guns N' Roses. Yeah, they're playing too. Take a big ol' breath and let them squeals out. Every last trilby-wearing tween celebrity, President’s daughter and your smug, smug US-based friends will be rubbing their paws together after Coachella festival lineup, tweeted today. Running over two weekends from April 15 to 24, the Californian festival has delivered their usual jaw-dropper of a lineup. Where do we start? Ready to break hearts and take names, Sufjan Stevens is hitting the big stage with the loud, loud likes of M83, Sia, A$AP Rocky, Ice Cube (!), Calvin Harris, Disclosure, Ellie Goulding, Purity Ring, Run the Jewels, RL Grime, Rae Sremmurd et al. Homegrown folks like Flume (whose name is at least three font sizes bigger than Hudson Mohawke) and Courtney Barnett will be reppin' the motherland. Anyway, let’s be honest, you haven’t truly read any of those words — you’ll be wanting this.
Sydney lost a stalwart of the Kings Cross nightclub scene when Hugos closed its doors back in 2015. But the site of former venue is slowly being brought back to life. First, the team from Double Bay's now-closed Casablanca announced they were opening a Miami-inspired lounge bar in the Bayswater Road space, and now two of Sydney's young-gun restaurateurs have revealed they'll be launching a 'concept' Mexican restaurant in the same dwelling. Fei Jai and Barrio Cellar's owners Nicole Galloway and Peter Lew have revealed grand plans for their new space — which, by coincidence, is just across the road from their former venue, Barrio Chino. Their next project, a restaurant revolving around authentic, Mexican seafood and vegetable dishes, will occupy the long-vacant premises. Reese Griffiths, founder of The Agave Cartel, has come on board to oversee the agave-heavy drinks list, and talent from Mexico City will soon be confirmed as head of kitchen. The menu will be a bit more refined than that of Barrio Cellar's, and will include authentic Latin American delights with a strong regional focus, such as ceviche, aguachile, charcoal whole fish and tostadas. There'll also be a tortilla dish with tlayuda (a traditional black bean puree) charcoal meats from Oaxaca in Mexico's south that pays homage to the building's former pizza-making resident. "Mexican is a very special culture and cuisine so we wanted to create a menu that celebrates the rich traditions and flavours, while treating it with a contemporary hand. Simple food that's seriously flavourful and visual," says Galloway. Chula's interior is styled with the Mexican countryside in mind. With tones that channel countryside and beach, along with vintage cabinets, linen, tiled murals and an agave garden, you'll feel like you're in a Mexican country cantina. The new restaurant's name, Chula, has a double meaning. In Mexican slang, it's both 'pretty' and 'hot', and both the restaurant's stunning interior and picante menu can be described using this one word. "Kings Cross is our home, we raise our children here, we've had four businesses in the area," Galloway says. "King Cross has gone through an enormous amount of change over the last few years, and the idea of it coming back to life with new residential projects, bars, eateries and retail is an incredibly exciting prospect." There's currently no confirmed open date for Chula, but if you're looking to get back into the Hugos space, Flamingo Lounge is set to open at the end of the month. Chula will be located at 33 Bayswater Road, Sydney. An opening date will be released further down the track. We'll keep you updated.
You'll have to stock up on Marina Abramovic wonderment this year at Pier 2/3 and MONA, the Museum of Contemporary Art has cancelled the performance artist's 2016 retrospective exhibition. Reported by the Sydney Morning Herald, Abramovic has attributed the opening of two other exhibitions (a retrospective solo exhibition at MONA called Private Archaeology, running June 13 to October 5, and Kaldor Projects’ Marina Abramovic: In Residence at Pier 2/3 from June 24 to July 5), along with financial reasons, for the closure of the show. "I'm so sorry," she said. "They say that it is complicated. One reason was there were two exhibitions in Australia. It was too much to make a third one. The trustees they didn't want any more." MCA spokeswoman Myriam Conrie confirmed the closure to SMH, saying, "The MCA had initial discussions with the artist and her studio, but with her other commitments in Sydney and Hobart the show was not viable. No public money was spent." Abramovic's MCA retrospective was to combine photography, video, sculpture, installation and live performance, and feature material from the artist's personal archives that has never been publicly exhibited. Abramovic's celebrated performance Nightsea Crossing was supposed to feature, with some serious face-offs in store. Enthusiasts will simply have to get along to Kaldor Public Art Project's Marina Abramovic: In Residence at Pier 2/3 or make their way to Hobart for MONA's Private Archaeology. Private Archaeology opens at MONA on June 13 and runs through October 5. Kaldor Public Art Projects’ Marina Abramovic: In Residence at Pier 2/3 Walsh Bay opens June 24 and runs through July 5. Via Sydney Morning Herald. Image: Lisson Gallery. Words: Shannon Connellan and Tom Clift.
The 2018 Alliance Française French Film Festival might be one year short of a major milestone, but the Gallic cinema showcase is still celebrating its 29th iteration in style. As always, that means a feast of films is on the agenda at the crowd-drawing and -pleasing annual event — 47 features, two documentaries and one televisions series, in fact. Touring the country from February 27, starting in Sydney before heading to Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Perth, Hobart, Adelaide, Parramatta and Casula, this year's AFFFF will bookend its program with amusement. The festival kicks off with comedy C'est la vie! from The Intouchables duo Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache, before coming to a close with rom-com 50 Is the New 30. In-between, everything from acclaimed efforts to star-studded dramas to the latest work from master directors will grace cinema screens around Australia, celebrating the best in French film from the past twelve months. Sitting high amongst the highlights are the AIDS activism-focused BPM and the Juliette Binoche-starring Let the Sunshine In, which will both receive a nation-wide run after screening at last year's Melbourne International Film Festival. In the high-profile camp, they're joined by a Marion Cotillard double, with the acclaimed actress featuring in last year's Cannes opening night pick Ismael's Ghosts and comedy Rock'n Roll; romantic drama The Return of the Hero with Mélanie Laurent and The Artist Oscar-winner Jean Dujardin; Isabelle Huppert in coming-of-age effort Reinventing Marvin; and Gael Garcia Bernal in If You Saw His Heart. Or fans of prominent French filmmakers can get their fix courtesy of François Ozon's Double Lover and Xavier Beauvois' The Guardians, marking the latest flicks from the respective directors of Frantz and Of Gods and Men. The Artist's Michel Hazanavicius tackles an icon, turning the life of Jean-Luc Godard into Redoubtable, while Laurent Cantet jumps from 2008 Palme d'Or-winner The Class to thriller The Workshop. Elsewhere, actor-director Mathieu Amalric helms and features in Barbara, about an actress starring in a biopic about a famed chanteuse AFFFF 2018 will also shine a spotlight on queer cinema for the first time, to celebrate marriage equality, and also include its usual selection of family-friendly fare for younger cinephiles. And, for those keen on catching some TV on the big screen, three episodes of Paris, Etc will whisk you away to the French capital, following the lives and loves of Parisian women. The Alliance Française French Film Festival tours Australia from February 27, screening at Sydney's Chauvel Cinema, Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona, Palace Central and Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace from February 27 to March 27; Melbourne's Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Kino Cinemas and The Astor Theatre from February 28 to March 27; and Brisbane's Palace Barracks and Palace Centro from March 8 to April 4. For more information, visit the festival website.
Anita Sarkeesian is one of the world’s bravest women. One of the key players taking aim at misogyny in the world of video games, Sarkeesian has been both applauded and attacked worldwide for her outspokenness about the gaming industry — she even explained #Gamergate to Stephen Colbert. Her blog Feminist Frequency and video series' Tropes vs. Women and Tropes vs. Women in Video Games have seen anti-feminist trolls sending serious threats her way — Sarkeesian even had to cancel a speaking appearance at Utah State University after terrorist threats. But haters be damned, the feminist critic at the forefront of gaming debates is finally coming to Sydney, one of All About Women’s most important speakers. Returning to the Sydney Opera House as part of the Ideas at the House program, All About Women returns for its third year in 2015 for one day of panels, readings and talks, celebrating, discussing and analysing women and their stories. Ideas at the House have attracted the likes of Tavi Gevinson, Yoko Ono and Alice Waters to the SOH stage over the years, and this year's AAW is one of their most ambitious programs yet. Most fittingly this year, AAW lands smack bang on International Women's Day, March 8, joining a global high-five to women worldwide. Joining Sarkeesian for this year’s festival is a powerhouse of a lineup over 19 sessions. Sarkeesian will join the ever formidable Germaine Greer — wouldn’t be AAW without her — for a panel called How to Be a Feminist, alongside ever outspoken novelist Tara Moss, feminist pop culture writer Clementine Ford, The Atlantic contributing editor Kate Bolick and kickass author, editor and English professor Roxane Gay. Ever the provocative writer, Gay will lead her own talk, Bad Feminist, focused around her controversial book of the same name which debates, “We don’t all have to believe in the same feminism.” Gay loves Sweet Valley High and blasting rap with degrading lyrics, can she still identify as a feminist? National Geographic Society Explorer-in-Residence and modern day Steve Zissou, 79-year-old Sylvia Earle, will teach us How to Save The Planet, while Eat Pray Love author Elizabeth Gilbert picks up where her straight-up killer TED talk left off (that one with the cheeky nine million views), reflecting on the handicaps of creative ‘genius’. Amazingly, Gilbert’s hairdresser is also a boss writer; Syrian-born, US-raised Rayya Elias talks ‘80s New York City, drug addiction, homelessness and the punk/performance scene. Contributing editor for The Atlantic and author of one of their most successful cover stories, 'All the Single Ladies' (with over one million readers), Kate Bolick will unpack the idea of singleness ahead of her 2015 book release, Spinster, while Washington Post staff writer and New York Times bestselling author Brigid Schulte delves into her book Overwhelmed: Work, Love, and Play When No One Has The Time. The ever convivial Annabel Crabb will unpack her book, Breaking the Wife Drought, Judith Lucy discusses her new ABC show All Woman, while author of Hideous Kinky, Esther Freud (yep, of those Freuds), talks about her own childhood — imagine growing up a Freud. Greer brings in her Emeritus Professorship in English Literature to team up with her contemporary John Bell for the talk Shakespeare’s Women, then returning after two sold-out years at AAW, the Baulkham Hills African Ladies Troupe tell stories of survival, human resilience and joy. Being a woman in 2015 has never been more discussed, with Emma Watson carving up the UN, Beyonce flashing the F word in our faces, Jennifer Lawrence sticking it to the perves and Malala Yousafzai showing us all what true bravery looks like. Let's rep it on the home front shall we? All About Women comes to Sydney Opera House on March 8, 2015. Check out the full program and the AAW festival calendar at sydneyoperahouse.com/aaw. Tickets from $25, on sale 9am Monday 15 December through SOH or 02 9250 7777. Top image: Alex Lazara.
Spend a day immersed in Aboriginal culture and wander around the usually tour-only Bare Island at the latest edition of Blak Markets. This single-day festival returns for its next instalment on Sunday, August 6, which will feature the works of Indigenous artists, designers and small businesses. Here, you'll find a variety of handcrafted items, alongside homemade baked goods showcasing Indigenous flavours and ingredients. The lively markets will take over the island from 10am — officially kicking off at 11am with a traditional welcome to country and a smoking ceremony. After that, you'll be treated to a cornucopia of bush tucker, dance and cultural performances. Among the stalls, there'll be a plethora of Aboriginal art and design, as well as jewellery, woodwork, woven goods — plus, Indigenous treats and spices to trial or take home. And, you can opt to get hands-on by signing up to the weaving workshop that'll run throughout the day. Access to Bare Island is usually restricted to tour groups, so this is also a special opportunity to wander around freely while supporting a great cause, shopping ethically and learning from Indigenous creators and sellers. Admission for adults sits at the low price of $2.50. And if you don't mind the cooler weather, take your snorkel — we reckon it's one of the prettiest underwater spots in Sydney.
Looks like Justin Hemmes will be staying put at the Coogee Pavilion, as the Merivale king and landlord David Kingston have reached an "in-principle settlement" today after Hemmes faced possible eviction from the property in May. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the ownership of the Pavilion will be transferred to Hemmes — but that's really all we've got to go with. "It's been satisfactorily resolved ... It's been a good day," said Hemmes after the hearing, without any elaboration on the agreement. The monarch of Merivale, Hemmes could have kicked out of his most successful venture in years when he faced possible eviction from the Coogee Pavilion by his landlord in May. According to SMH and documents lodged in the Supreme Court, Coogee Pavilion owner David Kingston, ex-managing director of investment bank Rothschild, issued termination notices after late rent and "unauthorised works", namely the Coogee Pavilion Rooftop and the barbershop downstairs. According to the SMH, Hemmes sought to buy the Coogee Pavilion (formerly the Beach Palace) from Kingston last March. The pair agreed on $37 million and Kingston required Hemmes to pay the whole sum in two years. Hemmes deposited $5 million (treated as an option fee) and the rent (a cheeky $1.5 million per year) was considered interest on the remaining $32 million. Hemmes then poured $12 million into the refurbishment of the Coogee Pavilion and launched in July 2014. But all seems to have gone pear-shaped after Hemmes was allegedly two days late with rent in January 2015. After failing to pay rent on Saturday, January 3, Kingston issued Hemmes a termination notice on January 5, on which Hemmes paid the rent. So rent was paid, albeit late. Apparently this two-day delay would have set Kingston back $85.74, which seems teeny compared to the $1.5 million rental fee, but money's money. Fairfax reports that Hemmes lodged a caveat on the Coogee Pavilion the very next day, claiming he had an "equitable interest" in the property — and after pouring $12 million and the hefty Merivale brand into the joint, we can't blame him. But Kingston wasn't just angry about late rent. Apparently the owner didn't know about "blatant and unauthorised works" happening at the Pavilion — the new and highly publicised Coogee Pavilion Rooftop, opened in December 2014. After claiming Hemmes hadn't clued him into the nature of the rooftop renovations, Kingston issued a second termination notice. Then Kingston claimed further breaches — he apparently didn't know Hemmes was operating a barbershop on the premises — and issued a third termination notice. Hemmes is biting back on this one, saying Kingston actually attended the opening of the downstairs section in July 2014 and the Rooftop in December. Someone check that security footage already. Three notices in a month is serious stuff, so Hemmes is took action in the Supreme Court. Fairfax reports Hemmes sought an injunction to prevent being kicked out of the Pavilion, and looked to reinstate the call option to buy the Pavilion from Kingston, who was refusing to refund Hemmes' $5 million deposit. It's unclear how much of Hemmes remaining $35 million he'll have to pay, but regardless, he's keeping his beloved Pavilion. To the oyster bar! Via the Sydney Morning Herald.
From the slew of wine bars popping up around Sydney to dedicated celebrations like Huge Moves and Pinot Palooza, vino is having a real moment. Wine has been receiving a tonne of local appreciation, and the love just keeps pouring in. Online wine retailer Different Drop is reaching its decade milestone and to celebrate it'll be hosting a huge wine-tasting event at Sydney's Paddington Town Hall. Wine UNLEASHED! is taking over the hall from 2–5pm on Saturday, October 14, bringing an extraordinary lineup of 200-plus artisanal wines, plenty of top-notch wine importers and over 40 local wineries pouring their best drops. Cult producers like Dr. Edge, Ravensworth, Luke Lambert, Giant Steps and Brash Higgins will all be in attendance — plus, the selection of drinks will be accompanied by some inviting snacks to enjoy as you taste your way through the afternoon. [caption id="attachment_917031" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Different Drop co-founders Tom Hollings (left) and Brett Ketelbey (right).[/caption] The event will celebrate ten years since the birth of Different Drop and the beginning of its mission to make artisan wine more accessible and easier to enjoy for all of the vino lovers of Australia. The online retailer is now referred to as a "digital wine playground" by its co-founders, offering up a massive selection of hand-crafted drinks. If you've been hoping to get in touch with some of Australia's leading producers or to discover an array of sips, new and old, this is shaping up to be the ultimate chance to do so. Wine UNLEASHED! is expecting to see upwards of 400 guests swing through the doors to sample the exclusive drops on the event's stacked program, so you'll want to secure your spot quickly. Tickets to Different Drop's tenth birthday bash are $90, which includes all of your win samples and snacks for the day. Head over to Different Drop's Wine UNLEASHED! event page to secure your spot.
Sip whisky and indulge your sweet tooth at The Singleton Whisky & Sugar Bar when it springs up in Sydney and Melbourne as part of Good Food Month 2015. The result of a partnership between whisky label Singleton Whisky and Momofuku dessert spinoff Momofuku Milk Bar, this pop-up bar and baked goods dispensary probably won't do your teeth or liver any favours — although if that's enough to keep you away, then you've got a hell of a lot more self control than we do. Booze and sweet treat enthusiasts will find the New York-inspired whisky and sugar shed smack bang in the middle of Good Food Month's Noodle Night Markets, located in Sydney's Hyde Park between October 8-25 and Melbourne's Birrarung Marr between November 12-29. Headlining the menu will be a whisky-infused maple cookie crafted by Momofuku Milk Bar's chef, owner and founder Christina Tosi. Should go down quite nicely with an array of whisky cocktails and neat tastings — although we can't help but hope they'll also be serving Momofuku's famed cereal milk. We wouldn't say no to a slice of their crack pie, either. Tosi, who spearheaded the dessert program at David Chang's Momofuku restaurant group, and who has also served as a judge on MasterChef US, said that the whisky maple cookie recipe "plays on two of the biggest culinary trends currently sweeping the globe — the whisky renaissance and the classic dessert redefined with a twist — the result is an absolute delight." Tosi will travel to Australia on October 8 to help launch the Sydney pop-up. Sorry Melbourne. Have another cookie to cheer you up. Want more Good Food Month shenanigans? Check out the whole program for Sydney here and Melbourne here.
Nailing set after set this year, tenth birthday-toting Laneway Festival should over-induldge in backpats this week, having delivered one slam dunk of a festival at Rozelle's Sydney College of the Arts on Sunday, February 1. Boasting the lineup likes of Flying Lotus, FKA twigs, Future Islands, Caribou and Mac DeMarco, Laneway chose alternative big guns over superheadliners — and it paid off. Measurable magic was eeking from the Red Bull Music Academy stage with soon-to-be-huge 18-year-old Raury kicking goals, Sydney favourites Seekae crisping up the joint with their newest album material, Vienna-based multi-instrumentalist SOHN adding tiny jigs to an epic early set, Adelaide's pocket rocket Tkay Maidza straight-up nailing it and all-round wizard Jon Hopkins cranking out the last huge set of the day. Sound was a huge issue for the RBMA stage, however, with bouncing acoustics preventing anyone further back than 20 or so metres hearing little at all. If you managed to nab floorspace in the sound pocket though, you'll be singing all the praises. Parkside, the main stages had the socials on fire. Casual face-melter Courtney Barnett delivered a predictably furious set, adding another band member to her live lineup and riding the wave of hype surrounding her recent debut album announce. New Orleans-based, Jack White-praised Benjamin Booker rewarded early festivalgoers with a hugely talked-about set, and UK modern soul collective Jungle had every last tootsie moving. But the DeMarcos undoubtedly stole the show. Super-hyped drawcard Mac DeMarco swayed, pashed and crowdsurfed through his slacker-rock set, joined onstage by about twenty of his buds (including a loveably lurking Kirin J Callinan) and introduced by his mum, Agnes — who had her own lineup billing and MCed the main stages like a straight-up boss. Major pulls FKA twigs and Future Islands split the crowd, occupying the very same timetable spot and equally pleasing crowds with their respective energies. FI lead singer Samuel T. Herring brought his chest-thumping, super-charged dance moves to the Mistletone stage, while FKA twigs pulled off mass hypnosis with powerfully can't-look-away presence and unfathomably sky-high vocals. Wrapping things up on the Mistletone, Flying Lotus delivered the goods on his Layer3 show, blowing weary minds with his 3D visuals. While ATMs broke by mid-afternoon and Mary's food lines were predictably lengthy, Laneway hit it out of the park for its tenth year running (ninth in Sydney). Lastly, a shoutout to the pair who climbed to the top of the tree at the Mistletone stage for Caribou's muted thumper of a set. You freaked the fuck out of security and probably are facing charges now, but by gum you made an entire crowd unbelievably jealous. Brave. Images: Andy Fraser Words: Shannon Connellan
Planning on doing some redecorating this spring? Looks like you've timed it just right. Coveted Swedish fashion and lifestyle brand H&M is expanding its reach down under, with the launch of Sydney's first ever H&M Home. Set to start trading in Pitt Street Mall this Saturday, October 31 — right beside the highly-anticipated H&M clothing store opening on the same day — the 5000 square metre homeware store will be selling the fashion brand's bedroom, bathroom and kitchenware products as well as items from the sustainable H&M Conscious range. The catalogue is currently available to browse via the web, although you can't yet make purchases online. H&M Australia manager Hans Andersson told Domain of confirmed plans to build an online site, given their physical sales success in the country. Laid out over three levels, the Sydney site will be the second H&M Home store in Australia, following their Melbourne CBD store. According to Domain, the Melbourne store has already brought in $65 million in just seven months — which seems to bode pretty well for their expansion plans. Turns out Australians really like international homeware (see Pottery Barn, West Elm, Zara Home). In what feels like a fairly calculated move, H&M's Sydney store will be located next door to Zara, who launched its own home decor arm earlier this year. Nothing beats a little healthy competition, right? H&M and H&M Home will open in Pitt Street Mall on Saturday, October 31. Get. There. Early. Via Domain. Images: H&M.
Having hosted numerous sold out pop-ups in Adelaide and Melbourne since 2013, the Urban Winery Project is now on its way to Sydney. The crew will be teaming up with Three Blue Ducks to host a four-course dinner and grape stomping session (yep, involving your bare feet) at the Ducks' Rosebery warehouse. "After three years in Adelaide and two in Melbourne, we couldn't ignore that a huge number of our followers were calling for us to come to Sydney," says David Bowley, founder and winemaker at Vinteloper, the Adelaide Hills-based winery behind the Urban Winery Project. "The distance means it's the hardest UWP we've attempted, but at Vinteloper we're never afraid to put it all on the line." UWP decided to team up with Three Blue Ducks for their "amazing chefs", as well as their "values and philosophies". Bowley says, "They sit by side with our own. Plus, they have the amazing Rosebery venue, perfect for a winery pop-up. How could we choose anywhere else?" There'll be two events, held on Wednesday, March 8 and Thursday, March 9. Each will be a free-flowing type of evening, combining drinking, eating and wine-making. On arrival, you'll be sipping on wine and sampling from roaming plates. When you're ready, you'll be invited to partake in various stages of wine making. "Our team are on hand to explain people through each activity, starting with some plucking of grapes off the stems. Then, we remind everyone that fortune favours the brave," says Bowley. "After a nibble on an entree and some more wine, we invite people to roll up those cuffs and jump in, to immerse themselves in the world of winemaking ... It's that Lucille Ball moment that we've all been waiting for." The point is to show you that winemaking is a whole lot of fun. So, you'll be spared too many rules and long, monotonous speeches, in favour of good, old-fashioned, hands-on experience. "As the hours roll on, it's a full sensory overload, with the wafts of our accompanying feast filling the air, sounds of glasses clinking and grapes popping, as you see, first-hand, the basket pressing creating the juice that will be turned into next year's wine to accompany next year's feast." The four-course dinner is a slightly more formal, sit-down affair. That said, food will be served on share plates around a long table, so it's still an inclusive experience. You're encouraged to "talk, share and ask questions". Bowley set up the Urban Wine Project in 2012 to give city-dwelling people the chance to experience wine making. "Loads of people drink wine, but a tiny percentage know anything about how the beverage they love ends up in their glass," Bowley says. "We rip back that curtain and expose the craft in its raw state, in the hope that, by seeing inside and participating in making wine, every glass of wine they drink for the rest of their lives will taste a little bit better." Urban Winery Project and Three Blue Ducks' pop-up is happening March 8 and 9 at 6.30pm for a 7pm start. Bookings (02) 93 890 010 or via UWP's website.
It's been 11 years since Danny Rogers and Jerome Borazio decided to fill a Melbourne alleyway with tunes in 2005. Heading back to their collection of unconventional venues for another year, Laneway Festival has returned. Returning to Singapore, Auckland and the five established Australian Laneway go-to cities, Laneway will raise a plastic cup to the middle of summer with one heck of a killer lineup — and Kirin J Callinan as MC. Following the previously leaked Hudson Mohawke and Purity Ring headliner announces, Laneway will see one heck of a crew on their unconventional stages. Odd Future's super outfit The Internet will be here, alongside Ninja Tune's bass monarch Thundercat and the return of Grimes (start losing your collective shit). Epic Scottish electronic crew CHVRCHES are headed back to Australia, with a few fellow return trippers — Baltimore dreamboats Beach House, American math rockers Battles are back with their new album, as well as Brooklyn's atmospheric foursome DIIV. Plenty of love for the onstage return of Big Scary after Tom Isanek finished up with #1 Dads, and there's sure to be a big ol' ruckus for Sydney wonderkid Flume back on stage. You'll be hard pressed to find a spot at Las Vegas hypecard Shamir's set, watching young Washington rapper GoldLink or the pretty, pretty Beatles-y Tobias Jesso Jr. Odd Future's Vince Staples is headed here too, following his OFWGKTA bud Tyler the Creator's ban from Australia. With beloved local artists like Hermitude, Violent Soho, The Smith Street Band and DMA's, this year's lineup is more eclectic than a Jenny Kee jumper. Enough talk, here 'tis. LANEWAY FESTIVAL 2016 LINEUP: Ali Barter* Banoffee Battles Beach House Big Scary Blank Realm** Chvrhces DIIV DMA’s East India Youth FIDLAR Flume GoldLink Grimes Health Hermitude High Tension Hudson Mohawke Japanese Wallpaper Majical Cloudz Methyl Ethel METZ Purity Ring QT Shamir Silicon Slum Sociable** Sophie The Goon Sax*** The Internet The Smith Street Band Thundercat Tobias Jesso Jr. Vince Staples Violent Soho * Exclusive to Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne only ** not playing Fremantle *** Exclusive to Brisbane only ST JEROME'S LANEWAY FESTIVAL DATES AND VENUES FOR 2016: Saturday, January 30 — SINGAPORE (THE MEADOW, GARDENS BY THE BAY) Monday, February 1 — AUCKLAND (SILO PARK) Friday, February 5 — ADELAIDE (HARTS MILL, PORT ADELAIDE, 16+) Saturday, February 6 — BRISBANE (BRISBANE SHOWGROUNDS, BOWEN HILLS, 16+) Sunday, February 7 — SYDNEY (SYDNEY COLLEGE OF THE ARTS, ROZELLE) Saturday, February 13 — MELBOURNE (FOOTSCRAY COMMUNITY ARTS CENTRE (FCAC) + THE RIVER’S EDGE) Sunday, February 14 — FREMANTLE (ESPLANADE RESERVE AND WEST END) Tickets on sale September 30 at 9am from Laneway Festival. Image: Andy Fraser. Here's one for getting psyched up.
And just like that, The Cure are 40. What's more surprising is that they haven't been to Australia since 2007. This year, Robert Smith and the gang are back on tour and reports coming out of the US are that the performances are not only as far off the wall as it's possible to get, but that they're also thoroughly fantastic. Sure the hits are there, but it's the emergence of rarer gems that have fans excited. As well as a smattering of new material, the band have mined their back catalogue, blowing the dust off songs like 'Screw', 'The Exploding Boy' and 'Bloodflowers', that haven't been performed live in a couple of decades. If you're just hanging out for 'Friday I'm in Love' or 'Let's Go to Bed', you're not going to be denied. But with a two-hour run-time and no aversion to encores, The Cure's Splendour sideshow also promises a glimpse of lesser-known wonders. Resale tickets are available now. There's more Splendour sideshow action where this came from. Check out our list of sideshows with tickets still available.
Redfern/Darlington's Saturday hub of fresh bread, fresh flowers, and freshly washed pooches, the newly-named Carriageworks Farmers Market is about to takes things next level. Acclaimed Australian chef and brains behind Kitchen By Mike Mike McEnearney, has been appointed as creative director of the markets (formerly known as Eveleigh Markets). Intending to turn the markets into an internationally-renowned foodie paradise akin to London's Borough Markets, McEnearney knows a thing or two about creating a lauded, must-visit food location. One of Australia's top chefs, he's earned his stripes working at big gun restaurants; before opening his wildly popular Rosebery eatery Kitchen By Mike, he'd already worked at the likes of Neil Perry’s Rockpool, London's Michelin-starred Pied a Terre and Sir Terence Conran's Mezzo. “I want to put Carriageworks Farmers Market on the world stage, promoting NSW produce and with a goal of creating an internationally-acclaimed food and arts precinct in Sydney’s Redfern," says McEnearney. "I am passionate about produce and have always supported and promoted the local and smaller producers in my work. We’re aspiring to grow the Carriageworks Farmers Markets to the same international scale and acclaim as London’s Borough Markets.” Working closely with the Carriageworks team, the 70+ stallholders and NSW producers, McEnearney is intending to expand the markets' already-flourishing smorgasbord, offering more information about the produce's origins and potential uses, recipes and demonstrations. Carriageworks Farmers Market is held weekly on Saturdays from 8am until 1pm at Carriageworks.
City-dwelling foodies, Mike McEnearney has plans for the CBD. After saying farewell to his celebrated eatery Kitchen by Mike, the beloved Sydney chef has been pretty damn busy, announced last month as the new creative director for Carriageworks Farmers Markets. But next year, he's got a more city-centric project on the books, a 100-seater restaurant called No.1 Bent Street — by Mike. Set to open in early 2016 on the Bent Street side of retail/food centre, The Wintergarden, the new eatery will be a natural evolution of the wildly popular Kitchen by Mike canteen, with a more formal set-up. Open for lunch and dinner six days a week, McEnearney's new restaurant will see a daily-changing menu filled with the chef's love for simple but generous food, using seasonal, local and housemade ingredients. "I'm so pleased to be opening in the city," says McEnearney. "The food in the CBD just gets better and better and we are looking forward to being part of that. Ours will be a small, daily-changing menu and the focus will be on the produce much as it was at Kitchen by Mike. Although the setting may be more formal, I hope it will feel familiar to those who have come to love Kitchen by Mike. No.1 Bent Street will not be modeled on the canteen style everyone is used to at Kitchen By Mike but the principles and spirit behind the food will remain the same." Meanwhile, McEnearney and his team are looking for new locations for their long-loved Rosebery canteen, Kitchen by Mike, so stay tuned for more details on this. No.1 Bent Street — by Mike will open at The Wintergarden, Sydney CBD in 2016.
Spring is in the air, bringing with it that niggling sense that we should probably embrace that balmy outdoor air and get healthy. But why go to the gym when you can hit up the MCA, who'll be hosting free evening Vinyasa yoga sessions under the sky. Starting October 15 and running through to January 28, the daily yoga sessions are the result of a partnership between the MCA and mighty athletic apparel company and apparent craft brewery lululemon athletica (no, seriously, they actually made their own beer). The free 45-minute sessions will start at 5.30pm sharp in the museum's rooftop Sculpture Terrace, providing panoramic views of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge while you're finding your centre. The classes will cater to both beginner and experienced yogis, and will be taught by a number of acclaimed guest instructors from around the country and the world. Although the sessions are free, bookings are highly recommended, and can be made via the MCA website. MCA's Spring Yoga Series is part of the Lights on Later initiative, which will see the museum host an after-dark program of performances, talks, workshops and live music on Thursday evenings throughout the warmer months. For more information, go here.
Sydney Contemporary, Carriageworks fourth annual celebration of all things art, will return from September 13–16 — and the fair lineup is so jam-packed that it's bursting at the finely-designed seams. Held during Sydney Art Week, the lineup is over-flowing with performances, exhibitions, tours, talks and openings that celebrate both homegrown and international art. The program will not only take place in Carriageworks, but also in partner venues across the city — most notably during the return of its night cap series at venues like the Bearded Tit, The Old Fitzroy and Artspace. We even have our hand in the after-hours happenings, with the opening night afterparty presented by Concrete Playground. We've teamed up with Melbourne-based creative duo Prue Stent and Honey Long to take over The Royal Hotel from 9pm through midnight and bring you one helluva lineup of live performances, installations and DJs. Back at Carriageworks, the program features artist Patricia Piccinini, who will take over the Elston Room with her other-worldly survey show, The Field — which has been developed from its time at Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art. On the performance art side, they've got Taipei-born Parisian artist River Lin, vanishing art act Emily Parsons-Lord and sonic impulse explorer Michaela Davis. Installations range from Abdul Abdullah's emoji-scrawled portraits to the modern clay figures by the Girringun Aboriginal Art Centre, along with the interactive sound sculptures from Megan Cope. Plus, a moving image program directed by Melbourne-based Kelly Gellatly (Ian Potter Museum of Art) and tonnes of tours and artist talks are also scheduled. These include a free talk series for all ticket holders, following leading figures as they consider the controversial crossroads between contemporary art and culture — including with a panel of artists discussing the #MeToo movement's effect on the creative industries. The program will also extend once again as far as Barangaroo, where three large-scale commissions will take over the precinct from August 27 through September 24. This year, the installations will include an artistic shelter by Canadian-born Callum Morton, a movement based performance by Mel O'Callaghan and a wind-powered exhibition by Cameron Robbins. The food at Carriageworks will be nothing to scoff at either; though the full lineup of eats has not yet been announced, previous years have seen such Sydney heavy-hitters as Longrain, Billy Kwong and Kitchen by Mike run stalls. Other foodie events include a champagne and canapes brekkie with the artists in residence at Paddington's Sabbia Gallery. The main Sydney Contemporary event is ticketed at $25 and will be open from 12–5pm on Thursday, 12–8pm on Friday, and 11am–6pm on Saturday and Sunday. Images: Jacquie Manning.
One of Mardi Gras' most anticipated theatrical offerings, the Old Fitz Theatre’s production of Samuel D Hunter’s The Whale is an occasionally harrowing, fiercely funny, and ultimately touching tale of a man’s last chance at redemption. Set deep in Mormon country in Idaho, Charlie, a six-hundred pound (three-hundred kilo) homosexual recluse, hides away in his apartment as he slowly eats himself to death. However, before he gives into gustatory suicide Charlie decides to reconnect with his estranged daughter and the play follows their fraught attempts to reconcile their past. Perhaps not one for the faint of heart this excellent production provides pathos in spades.
This article is part of our series on the 17 most unique things to have come out of Japan. Check out the other 16. In Japan, the Kit Kat is a whole new beast. Never would you imagine that four bars of wafer and chocolate could take on such a multiplicity of weird and wonderful identities. Leading the charge is undoubtedly the edamame soybean Kit Kat. Yes, it’s green. One reviewer described it as tasting like a “not pleasant nutty” but reported that his wife found it “refreshing”. If you prefer your soy fermented rather than fresh, you can always go for the soy sauce Kit Kat. One writer reckons was extremely disappointed to discover it tastes like “maple syrup”. Also in the savoury spectrum of flavours are the wasabi, the purple sweet potato and the hot Japanese chilli. At the same time, there’s a stack of sweet, fruity options, from citrus golden blend to pear to shinshu apple. And, if you want to save yourself boiling the jug, you can opt for a tea-flavoured Kit Kat. So far, hojicha-roasted tea and matcha-green tea are available. All in all, there are 19 flavours of Kit Kat on the go in Japan. They’re all limited edition and not very easy to find outside of their home country. Image: Bodo, Flickr CC.
The ever-cheeky crew behind Japanese street food eatery Daniel San like to keep diners on their toes, and they've just made Sundays a whole lot spicier. Taking Japanese bar dining to an intense level of novelty, SAKE SAKE Sundays could just be the perfect way to obliterate that Sunday afternoon slump with a little gamble. Set against that sparkling Manly backdrop, Daniel San's Rooftop Dojo will play host to eatable games of roulette, sushi-style (a concept pretty much popularised in Australia by the Wagaya group). Round up your bravest buds and settle in for an all-day eating adventure (with the possibility of tear-inducing quantities of wasabi at every mouthful). For just $39 per person, you'll each be dished up 24 delectable bites of handmade sushi goodness. That's pretty great value. But don't be fooled, wasabi-filled pieces are hidden, ready and waiting to strike. For those unlucky enough to chow down on these uber-spicy morsels, never fear. A sake-based cocktail or two will do the trick to soothe even the most scorched tongues. Spin the wheel, take your pick and brace yourself; these bite-sized pieces pack a serious punch. Find Daniel San at 55 North Steyne, Manly.
"Joey, there's no living with...with a killing" explains Alan Ladd's character in the 1953 cowboy epic Shane. "There's no going back from it. Right or wrong, it's a brand, a brand that sticks. There's no going back. Now you run on home to your mother and tell her...tell her everything's alright, and there aren't any more guns in the valley". Twice in Logan we hear this same passage, and it sets the theme for the entire film. Hugh Jackman's Logan, aka Wolverine, is one of modern cinema's greatest tortured souls: a near-invincible soldier of fortune forever seeking memories of better days lost to amnesia, whilst drinking to forget the ones even amnesia refuses to ensnare. Time has been no friend to the man unburdened by it, with lovers long since dead and buried, friends gone the same way, and no new mutants, we learn, born for the past twenty five years. Even his own body is at last breaking down, like an old turbine with grinding parts and blunt, malfunctioning blades. The immortal man is somehow dying, and he can't welcome it quickly enough. If it's not already obvious, Logan represents something of a seismic shift for the X-Men franchise – a billion dollar film series that has, until now, consisted largely of family-friendly crowd-pleasers. Ultra-violent and with Scorsese level foul language, Logan at long last unleashes the true, brutal fury of the eponymous beast whose gruesome deeds have, for the past seventeen years, only ever been teased out or implied. Limbs are severed and skulls are skewered with bloody repetition, yet neither the frequency nor the intensity of the violence ever feels gratuitous. This is a dark, gritty and yet soulful production that finally honours the character behind so much of the X-Men saga's enduring popularity. In the lead roll, Jackman imbues Logan with all the rage, self-loathing and pain befitting a man who's literally seen it all. With greying hair and a weathered face hidden beneath a wild, bushy beard, the actor limps and heaves his way through every scene with palpable discomfort. Alongside him, Patrick Stewart returns as the wheelchair-bound Professor Charles Xavier, now a prisoner to his own failing (yet terrifyingly powerful) mind, the implications of which are brilliantly woven into the script. Stephen Merchant, too, joins the franchise in a wonderfully soulful turn, whilst the film's villains are this time embodied by Narcos' Boyd Holbrook and the ever-reliable Richard E Grant. Then, finally, there's newcomer Dafne Keen as a young mutant named Laura, and if you've seen the film's trailer you'll likely have already guessed her connection to both this story and its key characters. In the interest of preserving what surprises we can, the less said about Keen the better, except to note that her performance is outstanding and her scenes with Jackman ground the film in a deeply personal way. This is a bold offering from director James Mangold and an extraordinary conclusion to an otherwise ho-hum trilogy of Wolverine-centric spinoffs (see also: X-Men Origins: Wolverine and The Wolverine). In an age of unending sequels and computer-generated chaos, Logan is a timely reminder that for all of their spectacle, the best superhero films can begin and end with human-driven stories. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RH3OxVFvTeg
Forget your morning coffee: tea is having a big ol' moment. Having had major success in Redfern since opening on Abercrombie Street late last year, specialty tea brewers The Rabbit Hole are set to launch a second venue in Barangaroo South. Due to start service in June, their spinoff will build upon the popularity of their first, bringing the same eclectic selection of teas, along with sweet and savoury food, to the bustling harbourside precinct. The Rabbit Hole is owned and operated by Amara Jarratt and Corinne Smith. The co-creators of the Sydney and Melbourne Tea Festivals, and founding members of the Australasian Specialty Tea Association, these two certainly know their stuff, and are all too happy to share their expertise. Visitors can expect an extensive menu of original and seasonal teas, as well as tea lattes, tea-infused hot chocolate, and tea sodas on tap. "We really want to redefine what tea's about," Smith told Concrete Playground. "It's about infusing food with tea in other ways, and presenting a good combination of sweet and savoury, but not in a traditional format." Indeed, the tea extends well beyond the drinks list, with a food menu featuring everything from black tea-infused beef and pickle sandwiches, to green tea noodle soup, to earl grey chocolate cake. "Take everything you thought you knew about tea, and start again with us," says Smith. Smith also says that business at Redfern has been "going gangbusters," and believes that attitudes towards tea are finally beginning to change. "There are actually people who like tea and don't drink coffee, shock horror," she says with a laugh. "You can get amazing chocolate, amazing wine bars, go to cafes that serve single-estate coffee, but tea has really missed out and been relegated to the backseat up until late." "I think that traditionally tea has been in the feminine realm," she continues. "Our experience in the wholesale business is that a lot of cafe owners a male... I think that a lot of the guys who have gone into coffee are just starting to realise that there's a lot of cool stuff about tea, and that it's not all doilies and fancy vintage teacups as they once might have thought." The Rabbit Hole is set to open in June at Shop 1, 23 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo South. Their Redfern location can be found at 146 Abercrombie Street, Redfern. For more information follow them on Facebook or visit www.therabbithole.com.au.
Victoria's answer to Dark Mofo, WinterWild, is returning to Apollo Bay for two weekends this August. While last year's after-dark winter arts festival was structured around the death and birth, this year's theme is 'visions and ecstasies'. Creeping into the coastal shire on the eastern side of Cape Otway, the festival will take place on the weekends of August 16–18 and August 30–September 1. Each weekend will begin with braziers on the beach, before unleashing a vivid program of music, performances, feasting and workshops — all focused on the idea of peering into the darkness for inspiration, revelations and surprises. Standout events on the program for the first weekend, running from August 16–18, include Visions of Excess, which combines kaleidoscopic visuals with the music of Black Heart Death Cult and Flyying Colours; a suitably psychedelic tribute to Jimi Hendrix; and, following on from last year, another immersive (and haunting) blend of projections, lights and sounds in the quarry. Two weekends later, across August 30–September 1, WinterWild will celebrate the music of David Bowie; pair a definitely-not vegan-meal with burlesque and puppetry at the decadent Feastiality; and make shapes outside, by the water and in the cold evening air, at Moon Garden. For those eager to make the trip twice, The Redemption unfurls across both weekends — with the theatrical production playing for free in two parts, involving the citizens of Apollo Bay, and happening by the harbour. Or, if you're keen to completely dive in, you can opt for the two workshop programs, dubbed 'The Left Hand Path' and 'The Right Hand Path'. WinterWild will run across two weekends, Death from August 10–12 and Birth from August 24–26. To see the full lineup and purchase tickets, head to winterwildapollobay.com.au.
Overcoming systemic discrimination, both in the music industry and society more broadly, Indigenous hip hop artists are the vanguard of an exciting new era of Aussie hip hop. In the words of politically-conscious rapper Briggs, star of the ABC's Cleverman and Black Comedy: They're growing up fast, they're growing up tough, They're giving back everything they never got as a pup, And if they want something, you're giving it up, If they want something, you're giving it up. It's tempting to say that Indigenous hip hop is undergoing a renaissance of late, but it wouldn't be entirely accurate — the scene has been strong for years, it's just that now it's finally starting to get the attention it deserves. One initiative responsible for this greater recognition is Klub Koori, a regular showcase of emerging and established Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander musicians produced by Koori Radio. This year's lineup includes hip hop producer/MC Jimblah, alongside Nooky, Lady Lash, Tasman Keith and first-ever performances by Young Black & Deadly [YBD] artists. Australian hip hop icons Izzy and MunkiMuk will be hosting the whole thing. So, before they storm the stage on Thursday, July 7 at Carriageworks and with NAIDOC Week in full swing, we thought we'd introduce you to some Indigenous artists who are coming up fast and coming up tough. Read up.
Vivid Sydney is really cranking it up this year. Announcing a kaleidoscopic festival program of light, music and ideas this morning, Vivid's 2015 plans will have you squealing over social and locking in dates. Now staged in four new precincts (Chatswood, Central Park, Pyrmont and expansion in Sydney University), as well as the usual harbourside suspects, Vivid is back for another year of technicolour merriment and reignited appreciation of your city. So what's in store? LIGHT Alongside the predictably mindblowing projections on the Sydney Opera House sails (Universal Everything), the Museum of Contemporary Art (Danny Rose and Rebecca Baumann this time), and Cadman's Cottage (a 20 multiplayer game this year, just casually), Vivid has some pretty talkworthy surprises in store. Chatswood will be turned into an aquatic wonderland with giant 3D sea creature projections, you'll be able to 'paint' the skyscrapers in Circular Quay, and the ever-popular Light Walk will feature glow swings, an interactive game of duck, duck goose, musical 'beat dice', playable piano stairs, floating fibre optic dresses from Korean artist Taegon Kim and the obligatory selfie stage (with a 'You Are Here' arrow sign). At Central Park, artists Rekko Rennie and Beastman will project on to the Carlton and United Brewery Facade, and there'll be silent discos on the lawn every Friday and Saturday night. Martin Place will once again be a super pretty illuminated food precinct, and Pyrmont Park will let you let off 'digital fireworks' and project yourself on the casino singing karaoke. Plus, the BBC's Life Story projected on the Argyle Cut sounds just about as beautiful as a weeknight gets. MUSIC Music-wise, this year's Vivid program is equal parts supersuperstars in supersupervenues to loved and local party nights around the city. For Vivid LIVE, the big names came tumbling out of today's announcement. Joining the already announced king gloomsayer Morrissey, eclectic folk dreamboat Sufjan Stevens, immortal art rockers TV on the Radio, Aussie legends Hoodoo Gurus, gravelly folkster Bill Callahan, new album-touter Daniel Johns, longtime shredders The Drones, Sydney hypecards The Preatures, garage go-tos Royal Headache and electronic powerhouse Mad Racket. Red Bull Music Academy are throwing The Studio's opening night, where Future Classic are set to celebrate their tenth anniversary with Flight Facilities, Seekae, Hayden James, Touch Sensitive, George Maple and Flume's only Australian concert for the year; alongside all the Astral People, Elefant Traks label Studio parties we love. We're a little disappointed to see only super male headliners and about three female artists in the entire Vivid LIVE lineup (Preatures, Drones, George Maple), but here's hoping for a more balanced Music at the House summer lineup. Around the city, there's a whole bunch of luminous shindiggery to be had, with Vivid Music this year curated by Sydney radio host, DJ and all-round legend Stephen Ferris. Modular's hugely successful Modulations mini-festival is coming back to Carriageworks after a huge Pet Shop Boys year in 2014. This time around, the crew are bringing together Sydney club nights Kooky, Motorik and Pelvis and inviting headliner American jazz saxophonist Pharaoh Sanders to make good use of those Carriageworks acoustics. Freda's will see the return of Sydney's favourite twist-happy party Jingle Jangle and the special performance of Andras Fox under his New Age alter ego A.R.T. Wilson. Goodgod Small Club will see newcomer Oh Reach's debut concert alongside Terry Serio's Ministry of Truth and Spookyland, while Oxford Art Factory showcases brand new Sydney label Personal Best Records (including the Personal Best Orchestra, a ten-piece all live disco electro orchestra with vintage sythesisers). One of the biggest Sydney parties around, Heaps Gay will hold an epic bash at Marrickville's Factory Theatre with the likes of KIM from The Presets, Black Vanilla DJs, Catlips and The Magda Subanskis, and Soul of Sydney are set to hold a huge block party just for Vivid (more details to come). IDEAS Switching on your brain as well as the lights, Vivid Ideas has a chockers program of talks, seminars and conferences to get you right into the global creative conersation. 'The Game-Changers' series will see Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner, Monocle and Wallpaper founder Tyler Brule and Rolling Stones/HBO designer Stefan Sagmeister chatting about their wildly overachieving existence. There's going to be a huge one-day conference at Carriageworks to examine the key factors needed to create a 'Southern Hemisphere Silicon Valley'. And the ever-popular Vivid Ideas Exchange is back, with Cool Hunting founders chatting about connecting creatively with consumers, Auxilio Venture Lab talking about the ethics of data usage for Australian business and government (timely), Junkee teaching you 'How to Survive Without a Real Job' and MTV asking if boredom fosters creativity. Phew. There's plenty more to Vivid Sydney's 2015 program than we can fit here, running May 22 - June 8. For the full schtick, head to the Vivid website.
After another long, lazy, humid January, it's time to kick-start the year proper with some visits to Sydney's galleries. Whatever your medium — be it photography, landscape art or tapestry — February 2018 is looking like another month of exhibitions you won't want to miss. See the "Mona Lisa of the Middle Ages" at the AGNSW before heading to the Australian Centre for Photography to see Gerwyn Davies' aptly titled exhibition FUR. And remember, the exhibitions won't be around forever so run, don't walk.
Flinders. Hugo's. The Imperial. Q Bar. The Lansdowne. Spice. And, perhaps most devastating of all: Bar Century. These are the names of once-great venues forced to close — and they ring out through dark abandoned inner-city streets, sounding the death knell of Sydney’s late-night culture. The Baird government has extended its ban on awarding new liquor licences in the city, dragging its stranglehold on Sydney’s nightlife into its third miserable year. But as lockout laws continue to decimate the nightclub industry, somehow, against the seemingly unstoppable tide of forced closures and the steady decay of our city's nighttime economy, one bar has risen, phoenix-like from the ashes of its contemporaries: 77. Better known to 2000s club rats as Club 77 — the erstwhile home of infamous club nights Starfuckers, Trashbags and Hellfire — the Darlinghurst nightclub is being resurrected by the team that revamped The Oxford Tavern, The Norfolk, and, until its fiery demise, The Abercrombie. Having set their sights on transforming one of Sydney’s most notorious and most loved venues, business partners Mike Delany and Jaime Wirth (aka Jaime Doom of Gang Bang DJs) sat down with Concrete Playground to discuss their latest venture. 77'S NEW FIT-OUT Having made their name in turning rundown inner-city pubs into trendy gastro venues, 77 — they’ve dropped the ‘Club’ — marks a departure from their tried and true business model. "It’s not a pub and, being a venue with such a club history, that side of it needs to be acknowledged," says Wirth. "It is basically going to be a bar that ends up with people dancing in it." In contrast to their previous watering holes, which were distinctly influenced by American dive bars, 77 will instead turn to the Eastern Bloc for culinary and design inspiration. "We are steering away from the Americana feel of some of our previous venues and heading into an imaginary eastern European 1973 territory for 77," he says. This is played out in the design of the room and the food, as well as the drinks list. The cocktails will feature a lot of European spirits, Delany tells us, from absinthe to Kirsch to Becherovka (a Czech herbal bitters) to Slivovice, a plum brandy. On the other hand, the wine list has been curated by Chiara Previati from Cafe Nice and will focus on European wines at very reasonable prices. 77'S NEW MENU If, after one too many wines, you start to feel peckish, don’t be demoralised at the recent moratorium on post-midnight kebab sales, as 77 will offer food into the wee hours. "The food is drinking food, shareable and heavy on the cheeses," says Wirth. "Our signature dish will be the baked to order pretzel served with hot parmesan and artichoke fondue.” We've personally never heard of a better combo than pretzels and hot cheese, however lactose intolerants need not to despair (and James Bond wannabes can rejoice as well) as no self-respecting Soviet-inspired bar would be complete without caviar. Obviously. [caption id="attachment_498348" align="alignnone" width="1288"] Image: Wiki.[/caption] 77 & THE LOCKOUTS While the menu sounds well thought out and innovative — and their track record is undeniably successful — 77’s proximity to what the NSW Government has designated the ‘Kings Cross Precinct’ would surely give even the most audacious entrepreneur pause for thought. Well, not Wirth and Delany who, despite the multitude of evidence to the contrary, insist "it’s a great time to be opening a late night venue in Sydney". Their enthusiasm seems genuine, and with 77, they plan to counteract the impact of the lockout laws by acknowledging them. By meeting the lockouts head-on, the "unfortunate climate" the hospitality industry finds itself in in Sydney 2016, the pair plan to “drag the venue into adulthood”. And rather than honour the legacy of the venue and attempt to recreate the dark, dank nightclub of yore, they're aiming to make a new classic. Inspired by the now-defunct Kings Cross lounge Barons, the bar will be a place where people of all kinds could hang out together, Delany says. While this reimagining of Club 77 could be seen as tacit approval of Sydney’s new, more restrained (and arguably more mundane) nightlife culture, Delany says they are intent on showing that staying up late is not a crime. "We are aiming to show that late night fun is totally normal.” Rather than focusing on the restrictions that have beset Sydney’s late-night economy, they are trying to expand on the venue's positives and overcoming any shortcomings. "In the end, we are always trying to create a venue that we would like and one that feels good,” says Wirth. And what kind of venue would they like? Well, Wirth only needs three words and a penchant for sibilance to answer: “sinister, simple, sexy.” Delany expands on this, explaining that “everyone knows the history of the place and it will still be wild — but adult wild." Does this mean we can expect Starfuckers to return to its rightful home? “Not a chance.” 77 is set to re-open February 18. So, do they feel confident that despite the manifold challenges they face that the launch of the venue will be a success? “Who knows? Maybe we’ll be closed by Friday.” Find 77 at 77 William Street from Feb 18. Long live 77. Images: Andy Fraser.
Cinephiles, picnic-lovers and everyone in between, rejoice — the annual combination of movies, outdoor eating and park hangouts that is Moonlight Cinema is back for another round. After locking in their dates back in September, Australia's biggest outdoor cinema has confirmed their full 2026-17 summer program — and it's a goodie. Kicking off on the first day of summer (how fitting) in Sydney's Centennial Park, this year's setup boasts all the regular features that make this one of the country's most popular summer events. Big screen shimmering beneath the stars? Check. Food trucks serving the ultimate movie munchies? Check. Letting super-organised patrons BYO their own snacks? Check. A huge lineup of new releases and cult classics? You betcha. Expect all the big summer releases, like sci-fi thriller Passengers, the much-anticipated La La Land with Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, and Lion, based on the true story of Saroo Brierley who found his birth mother in India via Google Earth after 25 years of separation. Naturally, they'll also be playing Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (which was released today) as well as the yet-to-be-released Star Wars: Rogue One and game-turned-film Assassins Creed. As always, they'll also throw in a few cult favourites — this year it's Grease and Back to the Future — and some Doggie Nights, which will kick off with The Secret Life of Pets. Of course, heading to Moonlight isn't just about the movies shown, as fun as getting a sneak peek of upcoming flicks or sharing the joyous glow of watching iconic favourites on a big screen is. It's also about the experience, which is why you're allowed to start getting excited without knowing which films you'll be watching — and why you should be blocking out December through to April in your calendar. Tickets are on sale now. UPDATE JANUARY 17, 2017: Moonlight Cinema have just announced their February program, which includes new new releases such as the much anticipated T2 Trainspotting, Australian book adaptation Jasper Jones, Cannes favourite Loving, and Hidden Figures, which tells the story of three brilliant African-American women at NASA. You can buy tickets for Feb here. UPDATE FEBRUARY 15, 2017: Moonlight Cinema have now announced their March program, which includes awaited Japanese manga adaptation Ghost in the Shell starring Scarlett Johansson, the live-action remake of Beauty and The Beast starring Emma Watson, haunting thriller A Cure for Wellness, WW2 Bill Nighy jaunt Their Finest, plus Aussie films like the sequel to the worldwide success A Few Best Men, A Few Less Men. Plus, cult films like Point Break and Ferris Bueller's Day Off roll out on Thursdays. Tickets for March are available here.
Sip upper-crust cocktails in swanky surrounds at the latest lavish venture from the teams at The Island and Lobo Plantation. Now open in Darlinghurst, Darlo Country Club is inspired by the glamour of old Hollywood — and if it's anything like the groups' previous collaboration, it seems like we've got good reason to get excited. The new bar is located in the old Victoria Room space, the same spot where The Lobo Plantation's Michael Hwang and Eddie Levy, and Adam Abrams and Julian Tobias of The Island held their temporary bar-cum-ski lodge, The Chalet, over winter. Swapping the snow machine and the fondue station for linen panelling and a six-foot chandelier, Darlo Country Club is intended as a permanent replacement for the pop-up winter wonderland. The decor has been completely transformed, and draws its inspiration from the exclusive social clubs of LA, incorporating brass elements, plant life and a pastel pink entranceway. Banquettes fitted with call buttons should make table service a breeze, while they also have a function space for up to 250 people. The bar team will be headed by The Lobo Plantation's Julius Yates, who has crafted a number of theatrical cocktails for guests to imbibe. The Bubbarita mixes bubble-gum infused tequila and Blue Curacao with grape citrus foam, lime juice and an orange blossom flame, The Don combines Pampero Especial rum, cherry puree, pineapple juice, passionfruit puree, lemon juice, ginger syrup and mint, while the Eton Fizz offers a liquid alternative to the Eton Mess with Tanqueray, strawberry shrub, lemon juice, thyme syrup, egg white and soda. Darlo Country Club also offers a brasserie style dining menu. Dishes include kingfish ceviche and sliced scotch fillet, confit duck leg spring rolls, and a chimichurri and bitter leaf salad. Plus. there's their signature offering: lobster and truffle mac 'n' cheese. The Darlo Country Club can be found at 235 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst. They are open Wednesdays 5pm - midnight, and 5pm – 2am Thursday through Saturday. For more information, visit www.darlocountryclub.com.au.
At first glance, mid-week raving and healthy living don’t seem to go hand in hand. The energetic people behind Morning Gloryville turned that preconception on its head with their breakfast raves in Paddington Uniting Church last year. Now, Sydney's dawn party experts are back with a brand new venue — an Alexandria warehouse. Taking over All Sorts Indoor Sports Factory from March 18, the London-founded breakfast bash will ring in its first Sydney pop-up event for 2015 with a huge warehouse party. An early, early 6.30am warehouse party. Lockouts, consider yourselves excluded from this shindig. "Anything goes really," says co-organiser Max Becker. "The benefit of having a rave at 6.30am is that the lockouts are irrelevant, plus rather than ensuring people get home safely it’s actually trying to make them go to work that becomes the problem." So first-timers, what can you expect from this breakfast rave? The Morning Glory rave started in London’s Shoreditch — where else — by Sam Moyo and Nico Thoemmes. Like last time around, music will be pumping from 6.30am, with sets from some of Sydney DJ favourites Levins and Max Attack. You’re encouraged to jump around and shake those cobwebs loose before heading to work — there's even a few furiously energetic dancers around to show you some moves. To keep your energy up and legitimately kickstart your day, MG offer up a bunch of tasty breakfast options and juices, as well as free yoga and massages. The recommended dress code is simply 'dress to sweat', but loads of colour and festivalwear is also encouraged — anything to help you seize the day. The only real rule is sobriety; let your inner dance monster show the world what it’s made of unimpeded by plonk. It's all ages, just ten beans if you get tickets early, and probably the most fun you'll ever have early on a Wednesday morning. Words by Hannah Valmadre and Shannon Connellan.
Fancy a mid-week bao and beer session in the city? Open from Monday, August 14, Bing's Bao & Beer is Barangaroo's latest casual eatery from the team behind Lotus Dining. Operated by Lotus head chef Chris Yan, Bao & Beer is offering up quick bites and beverages five days a week — dine-in or grab-and-go. This casual 48-seat retro-style eatery is a significantly casual move from the Lotus group, who've just recently opened casual bar Papa Bo Min and sophisticated restaurant Madame Shanghai in Sydney's CBD. Expect a different vibe to other Lotus venues, with the the bao being the star of the menu in this new venture. Chow down on a range of meaty fillings from Shanghai red braised pork belly topped with pickled Chinese cabbage to soft shell crab and a slather of sriracha mayo. Plus, there's also a vegetarian option. Although 'bao' sits centre stage at this newcomer, the menu has much more on offer. Big bowls of noodles are available, and come in three different options: fried pork cutlet marinated in lemongrass, red braised beef shin with chilli and Chinese spices or prawn and calamari with chicken broth and mushrooms. Food may be the focal point at Bing's, yet their drinks menu is no less impressive with house-made sodas and bubble tea currently available, and an alcohol license coming into effect from September. Bing's will serve their own range of pale ales brewed in collaboration with Brookvale brewery Nomad, wines from Clare Valley's KT Wines and Kate Mcgraw's innovative bottled cocktails — perfect to wash down a personal plate of bao of a weeknight. Find Bing's Bao & Beer at Scotch Row, Barangaroo (near corner of Watermans Quay) from Monday, August 14. Open Monday to Friday 11am–8.30pm.
The brains behind Sydney's experimental wonderland of in-progress art, Underbelly Arts, are marking the start of their 2015 festival season with a brand new supper club. Straightforwardly dubbed SUPPER, the crew's brand new event is being pitched as a 'fete of food, art and conversation' in Redfern this May. Inspired by the sparkling, idea-generating conversations that come from sharing food with top notch folks, Underbelly Arts are inviting keen beans to head along to Redfern Town Hall on May 15 for a specially-programmed supper by Sydney chefs, artists and collectives. ACME owner/co-founder/head chef Mitch Orr will be creating some predictably delicious noms, while Newtonians Young Henrys will provide the brewskis. But it's not all nourishment for the belly. It'll be the first time you'll get to meet the artists participating in the 2015 Underbelly Arts Festival and Lab. Beth Dillon, Kieran Bryant and Lachlan Herd (otherwise known as performance collective 110%) will be there, playing with the concepts of art and leisure. Also suppering will be The Guerilla Museum, a live art production house working in experimental, immersive theatre; large-scale spatial intervention artist Biljana Jancic; and Megan Alice Clune, artist and founder of World's Only magazine (hinging around contemporary art and music). It's not every day you get to dine next to an artist. Come up with something outlandish to start the conversation off with and go from there. Underbelly Arts' SUPPER is happening at 8pm on Friday, May 15 at Redfern Town Hall. Tickets are $30 (including all food and drink), available over here.
He took home this year's best director Oscar thanks to his enchanting monster romance, and now he's in the spotlight at the Spanish Film Festival. That'd be The Shape of Water's Guillermo del Toro, with the fest celebrating his 2006 Academy Award-winner Pan's Labyrinth as its closing night selection. Of course, on its tour of Australia between April 17 and May 16, the country's long-running celebration of Spanish-language filmmaking has plenty of other delights amongst its 25-film program. Marking its 21st year in 2018, that includes opening night's The Tribe, a street-dancing musical comedy inspired by real-life Spain's Got Talent winners, plus No Filter, this year's Spanish box office smash about a woman who can't stop speaking her mind. Other high-profile highlights range from screenings of Pixar's gorgeous Coco, in case you missed it in cinemas late last year; to a who's who of Spanish talent in historical epic Gold; to Loving Pablo, which features Javier Bardem as Pablo Escobar and Penélope Cruz as the journalist who falls for him. Fans of both actors can also catch them in Jamón Jamón — which, released back in 1992, was actually Cruz's first film. It plays as part of a four-feature retrospective dedicated to filmmaker Bigas Luna, alongside his fellow hits Golden Balls and The Tit and The Moon. A documentary compiled from the late director's video diaries, Bigas x Bigas, will enjoy its Australian premiere to round out the program strand. Plus, in the kind of curation that every film festival could benefit from, the Spanish Film Festival will also showcase the work of emerging Spanish female directors. While Summer 1993 actually played at last year's fest as well, the charming delight is getting another spin, with Málaga Film Festival hit Julia Is, Spanish Civil War-focused The Bastard's Fig Tree and the Goya-nominated The Open Door also on the bill. In addition, Melburnians get an extra pick thanks to doco Singled [Out], which was partially shot in Australia by the Melbourne-based Mariona Guiu and Barcelona-based Ariadna Relea. The Spanish Film Festival tours Australia from April 17, screening at Sydney's Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona and Palace Central from April 17 to May 6; Melbourne's Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Palace Brighton Bay, Kino Cinemas and The Astor Theatre from April 19 to May 6, and Brisbane's Palace Barracks and Palace Centro from April 26 to May 13. For more information, visit the festival website.
Calling all mathletes, design nerds and lovers of witty tea towels. New Orleans-based artist Craig Damrauer has teamed up with wholesale art merch crew Third Drawer Down Studio to create the most adorably tongue-in-cheek design collection you'll want to immediately and proudly display on your desk — much to the dismay of your jealous, regular mug-wielding coworkers. Dubbed 'New Math', Damrauer's collection features tea towels, mugs and keychains boasting cheekily simplified equations of real life complexities — an approach that has seen the artist show at institutions like MCA Denver and LA Contemporary Editions. After creating the popular tea towels boasting the equation "Modern Art = I could do that + Yeah, but you didn’t." tea towels a few years ago, Damrauer and TDDS have now created a few more equations like "Chef = Cook + Authority” and “Staring = Looking - Not Looking”. The 'New Math' collection is due for release in May 2015 from TDD, and could be the perfect gift for that life mathemaddict in your crew.
No festival is complete without sweet beats, and Sydney Festival's program at St. Stephen's Uniting Church has most definitely got the tunes covered. In a program that runs over two weeks, musicians from the USA, the UK and Australia are calling the church home, bringing an eclectic mix of electronica, folk, jazz and a bit of Appalachian dust to the festival. From new wave sensation Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, to the folk drawl of Dori Freeman, the aural feast begins on January 12. MUSIC PROGRAM Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith — January 12 Szun Waves — January 13 Moses Sumney — January 14 Circuit Des Yeux — January 15 Wafia — January 27 Dori Freeman — January 28 This program is one of ten Sydney Festival events happening in unexpected places. Check out the whole list.
Sydney Contemporary is back, once again taking over Carriageworks for an annual celebration of all things art from September 8–11. This year, more than 90 leading galleries are pulling together four days' worth of art, performances, panel discussions, talks and events. The opening night on Thursday, September 8 will feature a range of art, music, performance, food and drinks, including a new work by acclaimed artist Justene Williams and performances from contemporary artists WeiZen Ho and Rakini Devi. The art fair will feature works from more than 450 artists hailing from 34 countries. Highlights from the festival include Vincent Namatjira's new solo exhibition This Is No Fantasy, Utopia Art Sydney's retrospective celebrating 50 years of Papunya Tula Artists, works from new graduates from The National Art School, and Talk Contemporary, a curated program of live talks that will be popping up across the four days. [caption id="attachment_868124" align="alignnone" width="1920"] WeiZen Ho, Every Breath, performance. 2020[/caption] Day two of the festival will feature Friday Night Art Night. This post-work party will be headlined by a discussion of NFTs, performances by Salote Tawale, Alli Sebastian Wolf and Rakini Devi, and a DJ set from legendary Sydney dance floor-filler Jonny Seymour. Once you need a break from all that art, head to one of four bars — featuring champagne from Duperrey, Campari and Four Pillars cocktails and Yalumba wines — or to the pop-up cafes and restaurants for snack breaks. You can check out the fair at your leisure across the four days for $36 while tickets to the opening night will set you back $67.50 and access to Friday Night's festivities costs $57.50. The fair is open from 11am–5pm Thursday, midday–5pm Friday, 11am–6pm, Saturday and 11am–5pm Sunday. Check out the full program over here, and be sure to nab tickets while you still can. [caption id="attachment_868120" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jacquie Manning[/caption] Top image: Jacquie Manning
Lovers of cinema and hummus-fuelled picnics rejoice: this year's Moonlight Cinema season has finally arrived and it’s looking mighty good. The lineup features some of this year’s biggest new Hollywood releases alongside more demure titles, family favourites and age-old classics, so you can guarantee you’ll find something that piques your interest. Let’s start with the bigwigs. What better way to see the big releases of summer than outdoors on a balmy night? Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part Two and SPECTRE are all showing and (we’d imagine) best viewed under the stars. We’re also thrilled to see a fair whack of female-centric films in the lineup too, as well as an array of movies that cover hitherto taboo topics in the popular cinema circuit. Joy, starring everyone’s favourite human Jennifer Lawrence, follows the unconventional story of a mother of three as she builds a business empire in the ’90s; Suffragette is an important historical period drama about women’s fight for the vote in pre-war Britain and appropriately features a dreamy cast of unique and unapologetic women including Meryl Streep, Carey Mulligan and Helena Bonham Carter. We’ve also got The Danish Girl, featuring Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander, which explores the life of transgender artist Lili Elbe. Closer to home on Australia Day, we’ve got The Dressmaker, a montage of Kate Winslet looking hot and Liam Hemsworth looking filthy hot (maybe other things happen in the plot too but why would they bother?). And at the other end of the spectrum is the lighthearted comedy Sisters, featuring unstoppable duo Amy Poehler and Tina Fey. But don’t think the gentlemen miss out. The Revenant, Leonardo DiCaprio’s latest Oscar bid, was directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu (of Birdman fame) so you can guarantee it’ll be equally beautiful, dramatic and weird. And if you miss The Martian or missed Jurassic World in cinemas, you can catch them at Moonlight sessions too. As always Moonlight Cinema will be throwing back to classics: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Top Gun, Dirty Dancing andGrease. Tickets are on sale now for the summer sessions so get booking lest you get stuck in front of Dirty Grandpa(yes, a film where you can see Robert Deniro making out with April Ludgate while Zac Efron wears a vast array of golfing sweaters — that is apparently showing too :/).
Australian cinephiles, meet the cure to your yearly bout of Sundance and SXSW envy. Palace Cinemas has announced a brand new film festival dedicated to the American indie scene — i.e. the closest you can get to heading to Park City, Utah or Austin, Texas without actually heading overseas. Debuting in May 2016, and running two-week-long seasons in Palace's Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra venues, Essential Independents: American Cinema, Now will showcase the past, present and future of US independent filmmaking. In a dedicated screen event, audiences will be treated to a snapshot of current creative directions in America, as well as an exploration of their impact throughout international cinema. Accordingly, expect new features, documentaries and shorts, retrospectives on important figures from both behind and in front of the camera, talks and masterclasses, and a few special guests, too. Basically, in a program overseen by former Australian Centre for the Moving Image Head of Film Programs and current Revelation Perth International Film Festival director Richard Sowada, expect American indie heaven in Australian movie theatres. Considering the wealth of talent that has emerged from the US indie realm — think Inherent Vice's Paul Thomas Anderson, Boyhood's Richard Linklater, Mistress America's Noah Baumbach, Selma's Ava DuVernay, Night Moves' Kelly Reichardt and Sleeping With Other People's Leslye Headland, just to name a few — there are plenty of reasons to be excited about an annual trip through the kinds of flicks that don't always make it to local screens outside of Sydney and Melbourne's major film fests. Indeed, while there seems to be an Australian festival dedicated to every other culture, style and theme, until now non-Hollywood US productions have proven an overlooked niche. Essential Independents: American Cinema, Now will tour Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra in May 2016. For more information, keep an eye on the Palace Cinemas website.
The office cubicle. Its powers have been known to reduce any nine-to-fiver to a groaning, listless puddle by the end of the day. Thankfully, its tenure as a mainstay in our working lives might soon be over, with a revolutionary office pitched by interior designers Sean Cassidy and Joe Wilson, whose entry won top gong in the Workplace of the Future 2.0 Competition. Cassidy and Wilson's vision of the future workplace is one where the employees' needs always come first. In their aptly named plan, Organic Grid+, workers can seek respite from long hours staring at computer screens in the form of a high-rise sky garden, right in the office. The space itself is designed to be flexible, with customisable walls, desks and meetings rooms to whatever suits the employees' best. The balance of sustainability and ergonomics is ultimately a move to encourage higher productivity and morale at work. And if you're feeling peckish, you can say goodbye to trips down to the local cafe; instead you'll be able to harvest and grow your own food right in the heart of the office. However, on a more freaky note, the duo have dreamed up the idea of 'health-conscious plug-ins', that is, wearable technology that will monitor your well-being and be the voice of reason when you're hankering for that afternoon pick-me-up. And there's indoor abseiling, why not. We spend on average one-third of our lives at work, so it's all the better Cassidy and Wilson are leading the charge to turn our working space into an environment that repackages the comforts of nature and the home. There's already been similar constructions incorporating greenery into the corporate world: New York's office garden terrace, and in London, a three-storey indoor public park. The only downside? After this, we'll probably never leave our offices ever again. Via Fast Company. Images: Organic Grid+.
Bingo. Rave. Two ends of the spectrum of fine holiday fun and finally — finally — together as one. Bongo's Bingo is a games night like you've never seen before. Part club, part rave, and, of course, part bingo night, this unlikely fusion event has been wildly popular in the UK since 2015. Now, they're taking the show on the road and launching in Australia this June. In partnership with Wats On Events, Bongo's Bingo Down Under is throwing a massive bingo rave in Sydney's Paddington Town Hall on June 23, then launching a national tour the following week on June 29 in Melbourne's Collingwood Town Hall. Patrons can expect all of the debauchery of the original British version of Bongo's Bingo, including rave intervals, dancing on tables and a loose kind of bingo that you definitely never played with your nan (well, maybe you have). The victorious players can win everything from big cash prizes to a Hills Hoist, with a range of some absolutely ridiculous surprises on offer. If you're not sure what you're in for, check out this video for a better sense of this crazy night out: The Sydney launch event will be presided over by founder and comic ringleader Jonny Bongo who, as one would expect, is a character in the truest sense of the word and even holds the world record for the biggest ever pub quiz. Australia is the second international location for Bongo's Bingo, which recently launched in Dubai as well and, based on popularity, we imagine the event will continue to expand around the globe. This blowout party will certainly be a different kind of night out and is especially welcomed in Sydney where the lockout law ridden nightlife has taken such a hit in recent years. Venues, guest lineup and DJ hosts will be announced in coming weeks, and tickets will go on sale at 6pm on Wednesday, May 17. Keep an eye on this space for further updates and brush up on those bingo-break down skills in the meantime. Bongo's Bingo will hit Melbourne and Sydney in June. For more information and to buy tickets, visit bongosbingodownunder.com.au. Updated: Monday, May 15, 2017.
Misschu is back. Well, almost. Queen of rice paper rolls Nahji Chu, with a big leg-up from the Mawson Group, has rescued misschu from administration. "I've got a small equity share, which is better than nothing," Ms Chu told Good Food. Dealing as MissChu Holdings, Chu and the Mawson Group plan to open fifty misschu stores across Australia over the next five years. Yep, fifty. Meanwhile, all six eateries currently operating in New South Wales will stay on track, meaning 110 employees will hang onto their jobs. Win. While Mawson will provide expertise in business admin and expansion, Chu will take care of creative direction and continue to work full-time as catering manager. According to Good Food, there have also been initial chats about expanding beyond tuck shops. For a start, Sydney might be gaining a misschu Vietnamese restaurant that caters to the mid-range market. "Relieved and exhausted are two understatements running through my veins as I deliver this news," Chu announced on the MissChu Facebook page. "Quality control of the products and getting back to the heart of the business is my main focus. It's important to me that misschu has consistency across the brand. "I will continue misschu as a platform for public discussion about the real issues that confront our collective future; the plight of the world’s dispossessed, the delivery of affordable nutritious food, creativity and innovation — because without it we will not socially, economically or politically evolve in a progressive way. I stride, a little wiser, into the second chapter of the misschu story with honest and professional help in tow." MissChu, which, at its most profitable, turned over $20 million a year, went into voluntary administration in December 2014, with Rahul Goyal and Janna Robertson of Korda Mentha taking charge of the books. In January 2015, the London tuck shop closed and sixty workers lost their jobs. "In hindsight, I wouldn’t have opened in London," MissChu told Good Food. Ms Chu fought passionately to save her business, gaining traction with a #weneedchu campaign across social media. More than sixty expressions of interest were received. Looks like Chu's out of the woods. Via Good Food and Smart Company.
