Not to be confused with the pioneering hip-hop DJ, Marlon Williams aka Marley Marl aka the “Every Saturday Rap Attack, Mr. Magic, Marley Marl” referenced by Notorious B.I.G. in his classic 1994 single ‘Juicy’, Kiwi troubadour Marlon Williams is embarking on an extensive national tour throughout November and December. The ambitious run of dates will take Williams all over our wide brown land, hitting most major cities as well as some slightly off the beaten track regional centres. The prolific singer-songwriter will be unleashing his unique brand of critically acclaimed alt-country alongside his band, The Yarra Benders. Described by WOMADelaide as “the impossible lovechild of Elvis, Roy Orbison and Townes Van Zandt” and having recently starred in the ABC drama The Beautiful Lie, Williams’ star continues to rise rapidly. If you want to be able to say that you saw him before he became a household name, get tickets pronto. You can also catch Marlon Williams playing in picturesque wineries across the nation as part of A Day on the Green.
Missed Masterclass 1? It matters not. Get along to Redline Productions' Masterclass 2 and you'll still be in with a chance of following your dreams. In this satirical take on the acting masterclass, comedic duo Charlie Garber and Gareth Davies promise to teach you everything but deliver nothing. Along the way, you'll be treated to any or all of the performance arts, from dance to mime to musicals. The journey begins with Garber and Davies taking you by the hand and leading you into a dark, mysterious world, whispering encouragement as you go. Don't be afraid: drama lessons don't get any better (or funnier) than this. The original Masterclass premiered at Goodgod Small Club as part of the 2011 Imperial Panda Festival. Lamenting your absence? Catch up at one of three special reprises, to be held January 23, 24 and 30.
Film buffs, prep your saliva glands for the Sydney Film Festival entree you’ve been waiting for: the organisers have revealed their first wave of programming, featuring several of the year’s most hotly anticipated movies not named The Avengers or Star Wars. The tantalising teaser includes 27 titles, many of which have already begun generating buzz at festivals overseas. Slow West, a suspense-filled Western starring Michael Fassbender and Ben Mendelsohn, won the Dramatic Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, while post-war German thriller Phoenix was one of the most talked-about films in Toronto late last year. Other dramatic standouts include the Brian Wilson biopic Love & Mercy featuring Paul Dano and John Cusack, and a new take on the world’s most famous detective starring the great Ian McKellen as an ageing Mr Holmes. But even more impressive than the festival’s dramatic lineup is the first round slate of documentaries. Acclaimed non-fiction filmmakers Alex Gibney and Kirby Dick tackle scientology and campus sexual assaults, respectively, in Going Clear and The Hunting Ground, while How to Change the World chronicles the early years of Greenpeace. Joshua Oppenheimer also returns with The Look of Silence, a kind of sequel/spin-off to his stomach-churning masterpiece The Act of Killing that delves further into the atrocities of Indonesia’s anti-communist purges. If all that sounds a bit depressing, the programmers have also included a couple of more light-hearted films, such as the whimsical Irish animation Song of the Sea. Fans of Swedish comedy will get a kick out of the new movie from Roy Andersson, the brilliantly named A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence. And speaking of the Swedes, film criticism’s honorary dad David Stratton has put together a special retrospective on the quintessential Swedish filmmaker, the one and only Ingmar Bergman. The Sydney Film Festival will run from June 3 – 14. Check out the currently announced program on the festival website, and keep your eyes peeled for the full program, which is expected to launch on May 6. Image: Slow West
If you thought NYC was the only city proudly dominating the global bagel scene, you've overlooked Montreal. Canada's creative, culinary-minded city has a fierce bagel industry, with longtime bagel houses like St-Viateur and Fairmount waging war over 'best bagel' naming rights. Now, Sydney's going to get a piece of the action, with seasoned coffee roasters and San Fransisco-trained bakers Mark Treviranus and Dave Young gearing up to open a Montreal-style bagelry in Woolloomooloo. Set to open on Cathedral Street this May, Smoking Gun Bagels will be Sydney's first bagelry to serve authentic Montreal-style bagels. The bagels will be made onsite in what's apparently going to be Australia's largest purpose-built bagel woodfired oven — sitting at 14 tonnes, constructed by stone masons and flown in from Canada, so it's legit. Melbourne's already got a Montreal-style bagelry in Mile End, but this will be Sydney's first. So what makes Montreal-style bagels any different? "Montreal style bagels are smaller and sweeter than other bagels," says Treviranus. "We individually hand roll, boil them in water sweetened with honey, before placing them into the woodfire oven. That gives them a crispy outside and chewy inside, quite different to any other style produced in Sydney." Smoking Gun's bagels will even be Montreal-advised; Treviranus and Young developed the recipe with the St-Viateur team — one of the aforementioned top bagel houses in Montreal (the head baker is even in Australia right now helping the pair learn the tricks of the trade). They've also worked with Jo Barrett, head of pastry at Yarra Valley's Oakridge Winery to craft the menu. All bagels will be presented 'open style' and will feature local artisan products including our favourite cultured butter producers Pepe Saya. You'll be able to see your bagel rolled, boiled and woodfired at Smoking Gun, with the oven positioned to let you watch the whole process. Smoking Gun Bagels opens May 11 at 129 Cathedral Street, Woolloomooloo. Open Monday to Friday 7am – 3pm and Saturday 8am – 3pm and Sunday 8am - noon.
Beloved Austin rock band Spoon, who are playing headline shows in Sydney and Melbourne this month, have announced an addition to the schedule: intimate gigs at two of Australia's favourite record shops. Hitting Sydney's Red Eye Records on Wednesday, March 22 and Melbourne's Polyester on Friday, March 24, the band will appear in duo mode. Lead singer and guitarist Britt Daniel will be bringing you stripped-back takes on songs from Spoon's newest album, Hot Thoughts, alongside keyboardist and guitarist Alex Fischel. As you can imagine, spots at both gigs will be limited. To get your name on the guest list at Polyester, you need to pre-order Hot Thoughts — in person or online. Red Eye is a different story. Turn up as early as you can and hope for the best. It's an all-ages event, and it's first in, best dressed. Spoon's visit to Australia is a bit special — after all, the band started making the new album in a rented house in Collingwood. "I took a bunch of unfinished songs with me," Daniel said. "When I got down there, I was more excited about coming up with all new stuff. I'm not sure if it's just the AC/DC connection or what. Australia just seems like this other world. It's like this weird combination of Texas and England."
Think you know what you're seeing at this year's Sydney Film Festival? Think again. Sure, the 2016 fest kicks off in just two days, but that doesn't mean they've finished tinkering with their program. In fact, the city's premier cinema celebration has added a whole host of Cannes titles to mess with your schedule. It's enough to make #firstworldfilmfestivalproblems your new favourite hashtag, but once you see the flicks on offer, you'll be doing whatever you can to get these nine efforts in front of your eyeballs. For starters, who doesn't want to see Adam Driver play a bus driver named Paterson who lives in the New Jersey town of Paterson? Yep, Jim Jarmusch's latest feature basically sells itself. It's also called Paterson, of course, and won Cannes' coveted Palm Dog for best canine performance. That's not the only high profile movie sliding into the lineup, with Personal Shopper — a French psychological thriller, and Kristen Stewart's second collaboration with director Olivier Assayas after Clouds of Sils Maria — on the bill as well, and screening alongside new South African short film The Beast. The rest of the fresh batch of features includes silent animation The Red Turtle, which was co-produced by Studio Ghibli, Park Chan-wook's sensual thriller The Handmaiden (which also showed at Cannes), and the FIPRESCI Prize-winning German comedy Toni Erdmann, which boasts an applauded performance by actress Sandra Hüller. Plus, doco fans should flock to The Cinema Travellers, which delves into India's mobile tent theatres, and Hissien Habre, A Chadian Tragedy, which honours the victims of the titular dictator. And on the retrospective front, film buffs can take in the glory of Marlon Brando at his best in the brooding 1961 western One-Eyed Jacks. That makes 18 films heading straight from the French Riviera to Sydney Film Festival this year, aka more than most cinephiles could've ever hoped for. We've said it before, and we'll say it again: if you're looking for us from June 8 to 19, head to a cinema. The 2016 Sydney Film Festival runs from June 8 to 19. To check out the complete program and book tickets, visit the festival website.
As lockout laws push weekend revellers further outside the CBD, Newtown's King Street has long offered an alternative to areas like Kings Cross. Drinks are served until the pub shuts and the music is… well, the music is still pretty strictly policed. But the times, they are a-changing, according to Bourke St boss and new owner of the newly revamped Botany View Hotel, Paddy Coughlan, and we should be looking to the south. South King Street, that is. The Sydney Park-end of Newtown's main drag hosts a slew of pubs that have carried the 'Keep Newtown Weird' flag for years, keeping the music loud and frequent, and punters happy with a good brew, great company, and especially live music. "I think that south end of King Street represents all that used to be good about Newtown in general, and a big part of that was live music," says Coughlan. "We need to support and foster music venues." Under his ownership, the Botany View Hotel — which has just undergone a low-key revamp, including a relaunch of the dining room — will host live music every Friday and Saturday night to keep up the area's gig scene. Reviving the old vibe, for Coughlan, means maintaining the authentic edge of a pub's pub. "I like to think people come to our pubs for the authenticity of what we're doing, not because we've overthought every piece of furniture," he said. The Botany View will also aim to rehash the grub at the pub, looking to nail down a menu that the everyday punter can get behind with good quality produce and reasonably priced food. Though, with two of his other venues — The Lord Gladstone and The Lady Hampshire — serving their fair share of tacos and burgers, Coughlan has made this menu more "considered". The menu is less snacky, and leans towards knife-and-fork dining with dishes like the cauliflower tagine, a soft-shell crab spaghettini and a 'fancy' schnitzel with parsnip puree and chicken jus. They're also doing platters, including a vego one with zucchini fritters, haloumi, falafel and babaghanoush, and a $10 lunch menu Monday to Friday. The revival of King Street's south end is already underway, with Coughlan pointing out stalwarts like the Union Hotel and the Sydney Park Hotel, as well as the Botany View Hotel, as part of "our own little community" — although we're said to see the Newtown Social Club gone, which is reopening as a mini golf bar this week. With pubs like these continuing to support live music, good feeds, and cheap beers, Coughlan is confident the "that old Newtown vibe" is on its way back. "The already strong sense of community will get stronger," he says, which is something we can all raise our lighters to. The Botany View Hotel is now open at 597 King Street, Newtown. For more info, visit their Facebook page. Images: Kimberley Low.
Any time is a good time for a getaway in the Hunter Valley, though that's particularly true in May and June. That's when the Hunter Valley Wine & Food Festival returns to highlight the best the region has to offer. And this year, there's more cheese than usual. Rather than focus all of their eating and drinking goodness over a few days or on a few places, HVWFF spreads the love. Keen on a fireside dinner where you'll sample 2014-vintage wines? Want to meet local producers and feast on farm-fresh meals? Or watch a wine barrel become a bonfire as part of an annual tradition? Of course you do. But if the godly trio of wine, cheese and the arts specifically take your fancy, hold on to that hat of yours. At the brand new Cheese Lovers Festival, you can try as much dairy as you can stomach for just $20 entry ($25 for early birds). This cheesy, cheesy festival will showcase over 40 cheese, wine and craft beer stalls with tasting opportunities. Tasting opportunities. There's a 'Fancy Cheesecake' competition, a three-course cheesy menu designed by chef Lyndey Milan and more. There's also the Hunter Valley Wine Festival, which showcases the beverage part of the equation. And the Lovedale Arts Festival runs for the entire two months, showcasing everything from sculpture to music. Basically, if you can't find a reason to make the trip, you're not looking hard enough. And that's just the official side of things. With more than 150 wineries in the area, taking a few detours is to be expected. The Hunter Valley Wine & Food Festival runs across May and June in various locations. For more information, check out the Hunter Valley website.
Prize Fighter caused a stir when it premiered at Brisbane's La Boite theatre in 2015. The first play of Congolese refugee Future D. Fidel, it tells the semi-autobiographical tale of a boy named Isa, himself a Congolese refugee, who uncovers a talent for boxing. Poised to win the national title, he has to overcome the horrors of his past – losing his family and being enlisted as a child soldier to the army that killed them – to beat his opponents. It received rave reviews and was nominated for Best Play and Best New Australian Work at the 2016 Helpmann Awards. This month, La Boite is bringing the production to Belvoir for the Sydney Festival. It features nearly all of the original cast, though Sophie Emberson-Bain has been replaced by Zindzi Okenyo (from Play School and OKENYO). Okenyo joins Pacharo Mzembe, who is again playing Isa and returns to Belvoir for the first time since their production of Gwen in Purgatory in 2010, Margi Brown-Ash, Gideon Mzembe and Kenneth Ransom. Image: Dylan Evans.
It's an understatement to say it's been a stressful time for Australia's beloved short film festival Tropfest. After being cancelled due to alleged financial mismanagement in November, the iconic Tropfest short film festival was been thrown a much needed lifeline in December. On the very day that the festival was originally meant to take place, Tropfest founder John Polson has announced the event will instead be held on Valentine's Day next year, after securing a last minute sponsorship deal with CGU Insurance. Back from the dead, Tropfest will triumphantly return to Sydney's Centennial Parklands on Valentine's Day. A star-studded panel of Australian screen talent will help choose the winners. Actors Simon Baker and Rebecca Gibney will join The Dressmaker director Jocelyn Moorhouse and Moulin Rouge! cinematographer Don McAlpine as judges at the world's largest short film festival. The panel of local actors and filmmakers, along with several other judges set to be announced in the coming days, will decide which of 16 short filmmakers takes home the festival's top prize, which includes $10,000 cash, a trip to Hollywood to meet with industry executives, a Nikon D800 digital camera along with $2000 worth of accessories, and a Hyundai Tuscon for a year. The festival also revealed its live music slate, featuring rock duo Winterbourne, DJ and singer KLP and The Preatures' vocalist Gideon Bensen. Last week, Polson announced that he had started a Pozible campaign to help ensure the festival remains free, although it has so far only raised a fraction of its intended $100,000 target. Tropfest will take place on February 14 in Centennial Parklands, with gates opening from 3pm. It will be broadcast around the country from 9pm AEDT.
To make the most of your Friday night, it's imperative to slip into weekend mode as soon as possible. And to do that, you need a place that's geographically close, yet feels a long way away. In other words, you need The Rocks. With its lantern-lit laneways and sandstone squares, it could be a place out of another century — or even another country — yet it's just a short walk from the CBD. Here are five places that will banish your workday week within seconds — whether you're looking for fancy dinners, happy hours dedicated to craft beer or relaxed courtyards. HIT UP THE ROCKS FRIDAY FOODIE MARKET Nothing screams weekend quite like a market, so why wait till Saturday morning? Get in on the game early — in other words, Friday lunch time — at The Rocks Foodie Market. Take your time wandering through Jack Mundey Place and the adjacent laneways, where you can sample handmade, dried, baked, whipped and roasted products from all over the city and further afield. You name it, you’ll get your hands on it – from BBQ skewers to cupcakes, gozleme and handmade chocolates. Jack Mundey Place HAPPY HOUR AT HARTS PUB Hurry into the weekend the most patriotic way possible — by sampling Harts Pub’s all-Australian craft beer menu. Harts was one of the first drinking establishments in Sydney to champion small-batch brews and has served nothing but local drops since 2009. With 12 taps on constant rotation, there’s always an adventure to be had. Plus the food menu is made for beer matching. Get there between 4.30pm and 6.30pm for happy hour, when $7.50 will buy you a pint and $7 a house wine. Corner Essex and Gloucester Streets COURTYARD BEERS AT PHILLIP’S FOOTE Phillip’s Foote’s leafy, laidback courtyard will transport you into the weekend quicker than you can say, "A pint, please". When it’s too cold for outdoor shenanigans, get cosy inside, in the heritage-listed Sydney Cove or Phillip rooms. Wherever you are, you can expect warm, friendly, old-fashioned service and, if you’re there for dinner, a decent feast. About $30 buys you your choice of meat, bread, potatoes and access to the fresh salad bar. The all-Australian wine list covers every corner of the country — from Tassie’s Pipers River to Great Southern, Western Australia. 101 George Street EAT FANCY AT SCARLETT RESTAURANT + ERIC’S BAR To segue into Saturday in style, book a table at Scarlett Restaurant for a spot of fine dining. Dishes include miso-glazed salmon with eggplant, chilli prawns and sesame crumb, and blue eye trevalla with watercress veloute, seared scallops and avruga caviar. Scarlett, which is named after the madam who once worked out of the neighbouring terrace houses, is hidden away on Nurses Walk, one of The Rocks’ most tranquil laneways. Pre- and post-dinner drinks can be had at the attached Eric’s Bar, which forms the ground level of The Harbour Rocks Hotel. 34 Harrington Street FEAST ON MEATS AT PONY LOUNGE & DINING If woodfired grilled meats or a selection of ultra-fresh seafood sounds like your ticket to a good weekend, here’s your go-to. Nestled on the corner of historic Kendall Lane, Pony's been serving up sumptuous small plates for years, focusing on Australian produce for their Argentinian woodfire grill. Pairing a carefully-crafted boutique selection of wines (alongside a playful cocktail list) with their fine cuts of Australian meat, Pony boasts one of the best grills in the city. Pony's $38 lunch menu is a pretty damn sweet deal; choose a starter and main, or main and dessert with a glass of red or white wine (available daily from 12pm to 3pm). So pull up a pew at the 50 metre dining table outdoors, or snuggle in the lounge and feast on them meats. Corner of Kendall Lane and Argyle Street
All Aussie hip hop festival Come Together is back in 2015 and is doing its very best Jekyll and Hyde impersonation. After being cancelled two weeks out from its 2014 dates due to poor tickets sales, this year the all-ages festival is going all out at Luna Park's Big Top, splitting itself over two days with two unique lineups. Announcing a solid hip hop lineup for Saturday, June 6, the festival will be headlined by Melburnian hip hop champion Seth Sentry, alongside crowdpleasers Thundamentals, and chart-topping Horrorshow, with young prodigy Remi, Coin Banks and Ivan Ooze joining the fold. For the second day of the festival, Sunday, June 7, the festival takes a sharp turn and goes all indie, all day. Festival favourites Ball Park Music will be headlining the Sunday lineup, with The Jungle Giants joining them straight off their sold-out tour. Alongside them comes electro-pop from SAFIA, the smooth beats of Elizabeth Rose as well as welcoming new kids on the block Montaigne and Ecca Vandal. Keeping those emerging Aussie artists coming, lucky triple j Unearthed winners will be making surprise appearances across both days. Adding substantial excitement for anyone whose inner child is still stubbornly kicking them, tickets will come with the added bonus of unlimited rides from 1pm to 5pm on each day; so you can make yourself thoroughly ill on the Rotor before you dive into the mosh. It's a weekend that promises to finally make you comfortable with the split personality that is your music taste. Come Together Festival understands you, Australia, you big confusing mess. Come Together Festival runs June 6 - 7, 2015 at Luna Park. Tickets and more info over here.
Grab your midnight blue dinner jacket and holster your Walther PPK: the team at Hijinks are heading back to Madame Tussauds for a James Bond-themed party in September. The after dark pop-up specialists will channel their inner secret agent for a night of sophistication and intrigue, complete with roulette table, costume competitions and complimentary vodka martinis. Best start practicing your worst puns now. The Hijinks Casino Royale Party takes over Madame Tussauds on the evening of Friday September 25. Entry into the wax museum normally costs $40, but tickets to the Hijinks event will run you just $25 and come with a free beer or Stoli cocktail on arrival. Activities for the night will include Bond trivia, a best costume competition and a roulette table where you can gamble with chocolate chips (put it all on black, trust us). There'll also be live performances, including burlesque star Diesel Darling as Goldfinger's ill-fated Bond Girl Jill Masterson, as well as no less than five separate pop-up bars. And if you forget your bowtie, don't worry: you can always make a new one at the crafts table. You'll also be able to take photos with all the museum's famous faces, from Barrack Obama to Albert Einstein to The Queen. There'll even be a crocodile, ala Live and Let Die, although to be honest we're not entirely sure whether he'll be real or wax. If nothing else, this should be a hell of a lead in for Spectre, which opens in November. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujmoYyEyDP8 For more information about The Hijinks Casino Royale Party and to secure tickets, visit www.hijinkssydney.com
If you threw the best nosh in Newtown together, scrambled things 'round a bit, and served up the quintessential Newtown dish, what would it taste like? That's what Newtown Locals are about to find out, a relatively newish collective of Newtown foodies started by Jake Smyth and Kenny Graham of Mary's (of course). Doubling in size this year with new additions from the last twelve months, Newtown Locals are about to see their culinary powers combined with a collaborative menu specially made for Newtown Festival. So who's involved in this escapade of deliciously epic proportions? Take a breath... Mary's, Young Henry's, Bloodwood, Oscillate Wildly, Earls Juke Joint, Rising Sun Workshop, The Stinking Bishops, Oldtown In Newtown, 212 Blu, Black Star Pastry, Hartsyard, Brewtown Newtown, Continental Deli, The Bach Eatery, N2 Extreme Gelato, The Courthouse. Sweet mother of Tim Freedman that's a hefty Newtown pedigree. Aw, just look at 'em: There's so many different types of cuisine on the table here, we don't even know where to start imagining what this menu will look like. A Black Star Pastry Ginger Ninja crossed with a Mary's burger? Rising Sun ramen extreme gelato? Hartsyard buttermilk fried chicken natural lagers? Good god, the possibilities. All will be revealed this Friday, October 9, when the collaborative dishes are announced at a free public launch party for Newtown Locals — yep, you're invited. You'll be able to taste the whole Frankenmenu at Young Henrys Brewery in Newtown between 4-7pm, hosted by Mary's, Young Henrys and Bloodwood. There'll be free YH beer between 4-5.30pm, so you'll want to get there early. They'll also be announcing the winner of the new edition official Newtown Locals t-shirt design comp. Apparently there'll be some kind of pool. If you can't make it on Friday, you'll be able to taste the dishes when they're on sale at Newtown Festival on November 8. All proceeds go to charity, ain't that lovely? Newtown Locals launch party is happening this Friday, October 9 from 4-7pm at Young Henrys Brewery, 76 Wilford Street, Newtown. Free entry for everyone. Images: Kate Disher-Quill.
Western Sydney will has a new rooftop bar, complete with pool, sun lounges, cabanas and panoramas of 300 acres of greenery. It's called The Chiltern and you'll find it atop the five-star William Inglis Hotel in Warwick Farm, which is this week opened to the public. In between taking dips and gazing out at the view, you can also order cocktails and light bites. Should you work up an appetite, head downstairs to the Newmarket Room, a paddock-to-plate restaurant headed by chef Samuel Bull (The Stables, North Bondi Italian). If you have any whisky-swilling mates, you'll probably notice them heading straight for the mezzanine level, where the 1867 Lounge serves up high-end spirits, Champagne, fancy cocktails and boutique wines. The $140 million hotel precinct is named after the founder of William Inglis and Sons, one of Australia's best-known thoroughbred companies, and has been funded through thoroughbred horse sales. It's located across from the Warwick Farm racecourse. Anyone who happens to have too good a time in the whisky bar will be able to sleep over in one of 144 uniquely-designed rooms. The hotel is an MGallery by Sofitel, so it's fairly decadent, including über-comfy beds, luxe bathrooms, picture windows, racing memorabilia, a state-of-the-art 24-hour gym and a day spa. The property has also refurbished existing structures — 'The Big Barn' can be booked out for large conferences and weddings and the stables are more suitable for smaller functions. The William Inglis Hotel is now open at 155 Governor Macquarie Drive, Warwick Farm. For more information or to book a room, visit williaminglis.com.au.
A Saturday tradition for beachbound residents, the Bondi Farmers’ Markets may be a fashionable place to shop but its popularity isn’t a superficial evolution. Consumers are increasingly more interested in where their food comes from and how it’s grown, as well as buying local produce to support farmers and reduce their carbon footprint. The Bondi Farmers’ Markets are your go-to spot for fresh, locally-made produce every Saturday morning in Bondi Beach Public School. With artisan bread, smokey salt, honey, fruit and veg, home-made ice blocks, macaroons, yoghurt, cheese and coffee only some of the produce on offer, not to mention the pleasure of doing the grocery shop in the sunshine, Bondi Farmers’ Markets is a very pleasant way to spend a Saturday morning. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
Winter has come to an end, so you can pack away the mittens and embrace the warm mornings with sunrise yoga on the Sydney Opera House steps. The ten-week program kicks off on October 10 with classes running three days a week. Yoga will be led by Crawf Weir (of Barefoot Yoga in Paddington) on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Following the popularity of last season's yoga, additional classes have been added on Wed and Sat — if you're not a morning person, you'll be happy to know they're later on, too. Tickets are a little steep at $25 each, but there's surely no better way to start your day than by saluting the sun as it shimmers over the harbour and those legendary white sails as your backdrop. If the weather's not brilliant, yoga will be held inside the Concert Hall Northern Foyer instead. Sunrise on the Steps will run from October 10–December 15 with classes held at 7am and 8.30am on Wednesdays, 7am Fridays, and 7.30am and 9am on Saturdays. Images: Ken Leanfore.
The Museum of Contemporary Art's Artbar has become a firm fixture on Sydney's after-dark cultural calendar. For the uninitiated, Artbar combines art, music, design and performance for a huge adults-only art party on the last Friday of every month, curated by a different artist each time. This month, the event will be held a week early, and comes under the direction of Melbourne-based artist Kate Beynon. Beynon draws on cultural identities — including her own upbringing in Hong Kong and the UK — to tell stories through paintings and soft sculptures. For Artbar, Beynon has chosen the theme of 'mixture' to run the proceedings, curating a night that explores multiculturalism and hybridity through fantastical installations, performances and, of course, a dance party on the MCA rooftop. Your ARTBAR ticket also includes free entry to Pipilotti Rist's Sip My Ocean.
Fresh off their epic car park screening of Fight Club featuring Ikea furniture, group therapy sessions and stuntmen beating the crap out of each other, clandestine cinema specialists Curious Cartel are back for their second top-secret event. The location? A mystery. The movie? Who knows. The dress code? High school formal. Curious Cartel's 'Prom Night' is scheduled for Saturday, September 19, and is expected to run from 6pm through to midnight. While the specifics are being kept under wraps, we do know that there'll be music, food and a fully licensed bar as well as interactive activities and performers. Screenings take place in unique and unexpected spots and cult films feature in this creatively crafted immersive cinema experience. Tickets for Popcorn Therapy are not cheap, at $60, but this is a much, much bigger event than your last Netflix marathon. The event is strictly 18+.
On the last Friday of each month, the Museum of Contemporary Art transforms into a stylish, after-dark art experience. Supported by Audi and curated by prominent Australian artists, Artbar fills the four levels of MCA with pop-up exhibitions, live acts, music and chic Sydneysiders sipping sparkly beverages. If you haven't already danced away in the foyer, this month's Artbar makes for an excellent debut. First, it's in the midst of Vivid, so you'll already be down in Circular Quay screaming at light installations. Second, the MCA facade features Mechanised Colour Assemblage, Perth artist Rebecca Baumann's audiovisual collaboration with French projectionists Danny Rose. Baumann is the May curator for Artbar, so you'll be wholly in her creative world for the night, inside and out. As a clue for how this may look, Baumann's works heighten our experience of colour, transforming spaces with shimmering reflections, coloured smoke and raining glitter. Add an optional ticket bundle with MCA's Light Show exhibition, and you'll be aglow all night long.
After surprisingly agreeing to take Kylie to new heights on her Kiss Me Once Australian tour, Giorgio Moroder has since announced a trio of his very own shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland. If you're not familiar with this multi-syllabic name, then you mustn’t have watched The Never Ending Story, Cat People, American Gigolo or Scarface. Because Moroder wrote the soundtracks to all of them, as well as to a long list of other films. And when he wasn't busy making good movies even better in the '70s and '80s, he was casually earning his title as the godfather of disco and transforming electronica into a mainstream thing. Moroder and Donna Summers famously worked together on ‘Love To Love You Baby’, ‘Hot Stuff’ and ‘I Feel Love’. Get the picture? Since then, loads and loads of artists have called on Moroder’s grooves, including Freddie Mercury, David Bowie, Cher, Cheap Trick, Pat Benatar and Daft Punk. But the really cracking news is that, in January, he revealed that he’ll be releasing a solo studio album later this year — the first in thirty years. Titled 74 is the New 24, the album features Kylie, as well as Sia, Mikky Ekko, Britney Spears, Charli XCX and Matthew Koma. The title track's been filling dance floors all over the world, while second single 'Right Here, Right Now', has been hitting the Top Ten in Europe and Australian radio left right and centre. Image: Brad Elterman.
Coffin Bay Oysters, charcoal pork neck and baklava with quince ice cream. These are just a few of the creatively decadent items you'll find on the menu at Marrickville's new Mediterranean joint, Barzaari. Set to open on Addison Road in mid-July, the restaurant and bar is a brand new venture from chef Darryl Martin, whose resume includes the casually high-flying likes of Quay, Foveaux, and 3 Weeds. In other words, our expectations are pretty damn high. Co-owned by Martin along with friend Andrew Jordanou, the look and feel of the restaurant is inspired by — you guessed it — a bazaar, complete with exposed brick walls, charcoal pit and wood-fire oven. Diners will be greeted with artwork by local artist Jack Egan, along with the scent of Cypriot coffee cooked in heated sand. Once seated, visitors will have their run of the menu, most of which is designed to be shared. Start with snacks such as lamb's breast with cracked spices, sheep's yoghurt and black olive oil, before moving onto small plates like loukaniko (pork sausage) with silverbeet, mustard, fennel and roasted grapes. The mains are similarly appetising, and range from swordfish served in vine leaf to Spencer Gulf woodfired prawns. And for dessert — assuming you're somehow not tempted by the aforementioned baklava — try buttermilk custard with aniseed and apple tea granita. At the bar, meanwhile, you'll find a healthy selection of cocktails, along with a wine list curated by sommelier Dennis Roman. Three words: bring it on. Find Barzaari at 65-69 Addison Road, Marrickville from Tuesday, July 12. For more information visit www.barzaari.com.au.
Whether it's your life, your heart or your wardrobe that's a mess, let self-described 'dedicated absurdist' Geoff Sobelle help you explore it in this surprising, saddening show. Part-installation, part-storytelling session, The Object Lesson begins by inviting you into a vast room, filled with cardboard boxes. Inside them, you discover pile after chaotic pile of objects, trinkets and souvenirs. They're an imagining of what you might collect over the course of a lifetime — were you to keep each and every object that crosses your path. Using these items as a springboard and adopting a clown-like character, Sobelle relates a series of enchanting, thing-inspired tales. Drawing on humour, heartbreak and even a little bit of magic, his stories compel us to consider our relationship with objects — both past and present. The Object Lesson scored the 2014 Carol Tambor Best of Edinburgh Award, which is the Edinburgh Fringe Festival's most prestigious award.
For the first time ever, the Sydney Opera House is scoring a pop-up bar for Vivid LIVE. And the last thing you can expect is chicken sandwiches and regulation sparkling. Because the duo making it happen is Jeremy Blackmore and Alex Dowd — whose work you already know if you've ever knocked back a tequila or two at Tio's or a tiki cocktail at The Cliff Dive. The bar, to be known as the Deep Purple Pool Hall (what a name), will be found inside the Concert Hall's northern foyer, where you can get cosy and warm while still taking in those epic harbour views. Expect a crafty menu, featuring what Blackmore and Dowd have dubbed 'downtown favourites', as well as live DJs and free pool. "I have wanted to set up a cool bar in this space for five years, ever since I arrived at the Opera House," said Ben Marshall, curator of Vivid Live. "Overlooking the harbour, it has the best view in Sydney and people will be absolutely blown away that this jewel in the crown of the Opera House hasn’t been used for this before. Whether you’re up for a pre or post-gig drink or on the look-out for the neon eight-ball outside, you can sneak up the back stairs of the Opera House to the Deep Purple Pool Hall and settle into an incredible secret space in the heart of the city, in the middle of this incredible festival." The Deep Purple Pool Hall will open in the Concert Hall Northern Foyer from 6pm till late every night of Vivid LIVE, which runs between May 22 and 31. Look for the neon eight ball on the Western Boardwalk and head up the back stairs.
Master of all smooth tunes and poster child of Melbourne's enduring obsession with beards, Chet Faker is on his way around the country with a huge arena tour for 2015. And we really do mean huge — this local legend is returning from a string of massively successful European and American shows to play Sydney's Hordern Pavilion, Melbourne's Palais and the freakin' Brisbane Convention Centre. His shows are officially pulling the same numbers as the G20. This is no doubt welcome news for those that missed out on his national tour in 2014. With Hordern Pavilion holding roughly 4,000 more people than the Enmore where he played in June last year, tickets will be much easier to come by. Maybe. In Brisbane that difference will be even more pronounced. The Brisbane Convention Centre can host a whopping 8,000 rampant Chet lovers. All this hype comes after a stellar run of critical acclaim for the Melbourne musician. Faker took out five ARIA Awards last year, including best male artist and best independent release for his debut album Built on Glass (after a casual nine nominations) and his super single 'Talk is Cheap' took out the top spot in triple j's Hottest 100 this January, beating Peking Duk's tipped-to-win 'High'. Faker's arena setting is sure to affect the show itself too. Specialising in croony electronic ballads and music that makes you feel all warm and gooey inside, it's hard to see how Chet will translate well to the big stage. How are we supposed to snug up and get a little intimate around the stage where Barack Obama talked just a few months prior? Melbourne, on the other hand, may get treated to a rare glimpse of this intimacy. His show at the Palais — assuming it's still standing by then — will actually be smaller than when he played the Forum earlier in 2014. Get ready for some homeland lovin'; this will be one of the last tours Faker will likely embark upon in Australia for a while. Chet Faker will play February 13 and March 3 at Hordern Pavilion. Supported by GL + Roland Tings. To find out more about about Chet Faker and his killer debut album check out our interview a while back.
A who's who of Sydney's culinary scene will descend on Carriageworks for one night in June as part of this year's Vivid Food lineup. The Carriageworks Night Market is back on Friday, June 16, bringing a hefty lineup of food and drink stalls curated by the one and only Matt Stone to the expansive Eveleigh space during the yearly winter festival's first-ever dedicated food program. So, what impressive eats are in store for the one-night pop-up? There will be more than 45 stalls celebrating sustainable hospitality practices and tasty creations from around Sydney. A few choice selections include a native-heavy menu from Bush, a one-off selection of tacos from Ricos Tacos centred around sustainable wild game, and a Messina stall serving apple galette made from rescued apples. That is truly just scratching the surface of this impressive bill that also includes stalls and limited-edition menus from OzHarvest, Rockpool, Porcine, Queen Chow, Spice Temple, Sake, Three Blue Ducks, Jimmy's Falafel, Colombo Social, Anason, Kepos St Kitchen and Rising Sun Workshop. Wow. If all of that wasn't enough, there will be producers on site showcasing their wares including LP's Quality Meats, Bondi Oysters and La Bastide. And if you want to get a little boozy, you're in luck, with pop-up bars from Brix Distillers, Cantina OK!, Re-, Jacoby's, Archie Rose, Atomic Beer Project, Yulli's Brews, Wildflower, Grifter and P&V all taking part in the market. "We hope visitors will come away with a renewed understanding of the wider environmental impact of their food choices and an appreciation for the small positive changes that contribute to a more sustainable future," says Stone. Entry is $15 — a small price to pay for access to so many of Sydney's top restaurants and bars in the one spot.
Birds chirp, rainbows form and the sun shines a little brighter over Moore Park — the award-winning Sydney Dog Lovers Show is returning to the Royal Hall of Industries and Hordern Pavilion for a second year of pats, licks and parades. And yes, the dedicated puppy cuddle zone is returning. Bounding into Moore Park's two biggest venues on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 August, the Sydney Dog Lovers Show will see thousands of dedicated pooch fans celebrating the noble four-legged monarch of human companionship. There'll be dozens of furry friends available for adoption from rescue groups across NSW in the CANIDAE Rescue Dog Zone, where you can learn up on what's actually involved with adoption. Champion canines, including Dr Katrina Warren’s admittedly kickass Wonderdogs, will throw down their mad skills in live doggy demonstrations including agility, flygility (whatever that means) and frisbee shows. Plus, there's going to be an Explosive Detective Dog (EDD) demo presented by the Australian Defence Force simulating a mock checkpoint in a war scenario, alongside a special tribute to Australian military working dogs over the decades. Dogs, amiright? But hold up, you came here to cuddle pooches. We're getting there. Punters can make their way to the Pat-A-Pooch zone, where you can cuddle up to over 30 of Australia’s most lovable and popular breeds from puppy to adult dogs — we're talking uppity Dachshunds to fluffball Samoyeds, all up in your grill. This was undeniably the main attraction of last year's event, and gives kitten cafes a run for their money. There's plenty more happening over the two days of furry friended fun. Not sure which type of schnoochie is perfect for you? Sign up for a Perfect Match session where you'll be paired with your ultimate dog breed. Already found your tail-waggin' soulmate? Get some expert tips on training, behaviour, first-aid and nutrition in seminars by some of Australia's big name vets: James and Anthony from Village Vets Australia on Foxtel’s The LifeStyle Channel, Bondi Vet Dr Lisa Chimes, LauraVissaritis and Dr Katrina Warren. Plus, there's going to be a doggie kissing booth. Yep, pucker up. Sydney Dog Lovers Show returns for the second time at the Royal Hall of Industries and Hordern Pavilion in Moore Park on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 August. Open both days from 10am - 5pm. Tickets are $20 online or $25 on-site (Adult, ages 16 and over), $9 online or $12 onsite (ages 5 to 16, kids under 5 FREE). Everything is free (including cuddles) once you have purchased your ticket, obviously excepting food and drink. To book tickets or for more info and adorable dog pictures, head to the website.
"Who the hell is Luis Tans?" It's been a big ol' question on the lips of Bondi residents, and after teaser posters popped up relentlessly around the eastern suburb, it's finally been answered. Luis Tans is the newest restaurant to grace Bondi Beach and it’s set to open on July 7; a den of Latin American and Asian fusion between Campbell Parade and Gould Street. After their extensive PR campaign featuring colourful "Who is Luis Tans?" posters, the team can finally reveal the truth about their leading lad. He's a fictional character fashioned to embody the tastes and values of the upcoming restaurant — he just happens to be a 'notorious and wealthy Peruvian hustler from the 1960s who married the daughter of one of Japans biggest crime leaders'. Mmmm strangely appetising. As you may have guessed from his backstory, Luis Tans serves up a Latin American and Asian fusion menu which is ideal for sharing. But he's not just one dude. He's five. These five: Just look at them brood. The five heads of the beast include Raul Gonzales, Shane Moran, Amazing Race Australia 2011 winner Nathan Joliffe and 2014 Big Brother winner Ryan Ginns (yep, you read both of those last two right), while the establishment comes fronted by Venezuelan chef Alejandro Franco Lancini (so you know you’re getting the authentic Latin American dining experience). The team is a melting pot of entrepreneurship, design and culinary skills; Moran is perhaps best known for the now-closed Ruby Rabbit and Bondi's White Revolver while Gonzales is renowned for the also-closed Backroom (Potts Point) and Surry Hills' Brooklyn Social. Ginns spent 18 months as design coordinator at The Grounds of Alexandria, so expect prettiness aplenty. And there's plenty more friends where those came from; the five have recruited ex-China Diner bar manager Quynh Nguyen to create the cocktail list for the open bar, well-stocked with South American rum, pisco, sake and Japanese whisky. Looks like Luis Tans has quite the crew already. Luis Tans opens on July 7 between Campbell Parade and Gould Street, Bondi Beach. They'll be serving lunch, dinner and drinks from Tuesday to Sunday. To book, call (02) 8021 8091.
A long-time purveyor of natural wines online, Drnks has finally opened its first bricks-and-mortar store. Tucked away inside the newly renovated George Hotel, it's stocked to the brim with everything from salty white peach beer from NZ's Garage Project to coveted magnums of wine by Gabrio Bini. The bottle-o's labels are available for both takeaway or dine in, with an additional $20 charged for the latter. And if you don't feel like dropping $35 on a bottle pét-nat, cheaper cases of beer are available for takeaway, too. It's also open till 11pm, Monday–Saturday, so you can swing by after dinner. It's run by Drnks founder and The George co-owner Joel Amos, who you'll often find working in the shop himself — giving out handy tips on what new bottle to buy if you're a full-on wine nerd or have just decided to dip your toe into the weird and wonderful world of natural wine. If you have just decided to test the waters, you'll be happy to know that the bottle shop regularly hosts tastings — and, best of all, they're free. Keep an eye on the Drnks Instagram to catch the latest. As well as tastings, it'll also be hosting regular, bigger wine events, such as Loose Lips, which'll see over 30 winemakers and distributors from all over Australia descend on the Waterloo bottle-o — and the rest of the pub — for a wine-filled party. You will need to snag tix for this one. Next time you're hankering for a drop with a bit more funk than your local can offer, make tracks to Drnks — and stop to enjoy a taco or two in the George while you're there. Images: Kimberley Low.
If seasonal change has left you in a dizzy headspin of new colours and fabrics and prints and jackets — or if, y'know, you just like some fancy new clothes now and then — you'll be pretty pleased to know that the Big Fashion Sale is back. Usually, it's a physical affair that takes place in Sydney; however like plenty of other events at the moment, the shopping extravaganza is going online for its next outing. The name pretty much says it all. This thing is big. You'll find a hefty array of lush items from past collections, samples and one-offs from a huge lineup of cult Australian and international designers, both well-known and emerging — including Romance Was Born, Alexander McQueen, Isabel Marant, The Row, Dion Lee, Dries Van Noten and more. With discounts from 40–80 percent off, this is one way to up your count of designer threads while leaving your bank balance sitting pretty, too — whether you're keen on clothes, shoes, swimwear or accessories. The Big Fashion Sale's online edition kicks off at 9am on Wednesday, July 15 on the event's website.
The Sydney Architecture Festival is back for its 11th incarnation and, this time, the event is focusing on the west. Between Friday, September 29 and Monday, October 2, you'll be treated to talks, tours, exhibitions and parties celebrating the city's most beautiful, unusual and controversial buildings — from Punchbowl's new contemporary mosque to The Rocks' Sirius, which was recently saved from demolition. To be among the first Sydneysiders to learn about the former, head to Punchbowl, on Saturday, September 30 at 11am. There, Harry Seidler Award-winning architect Angelo Candalepas, who designed the building, will be launching it to the public. He'll also be chatting about the "Aussie mosque" and the role of architecture in increasing cross-cultural understanding with a panel of commentators. Tickets, which include lunch, are free, but online bookings are essential. "We're inviting Sydneysiders to join the community of Sydney's newest mosque to experience this modern concrete masterpiece," said Tim Horton, festival director. "The festival is also embracing Sydney's love affair with concrete: not only as a brutalist material, but as one that is found in every building we make." It's difficult to imagine modern-day Sydney without the influence of brutalism, the concrete-driven movement that dominated architecture in the 1960s and '70s. To help you find out more about it, the festival is running brutalist history tours, starting at the festival hub — in the new Peter Shergold Building at Western Sydney University in Parramatta — and finishing at Millers Point. Along the way, you'll be led by architect Glenn Harper and comedian Tim Ross, as you take in Sirius, the Surry Hills Police Centre and the Masonic Centre, among other buildings. Tickets are $25 and can be booked online. Meanwhile, if you're wondering what Sydney might look like in another two decades, when another 1.7 million people have joined the multitude, then check out Missing Middle, an exhibition happening at the hub, where you'll see a bunch of solutions to population growth dreamed up by various architects. It's free and open every day during the festival. The festival's biggest party though, is the launch. Hosted in partnership with The Fifth Estate, it's a river cruise, departing King Street Wharf on Friday, September 29 at 430pm, and landing in Parramatta. Between drinks, you'll be invited to partake in a forum about sustainable and affordable development in Sydney's west, featuring experts in planning, government, community and design. Tix are available here. And closing proceedings on Monday, October 2 will be the World Architecture Day Oration, delivered by Kristien Ring, a Pittsburgh-born architect, curator and author now living in Berlin, who'll be discussing a citizen-led housing model, which has the potential to reduce Sydney's housing prices by 15-30 percent. If you're curious, tickets are $25 and include lunch provided by OzHarvest. The Sydney Architecture Festival will run from September 29 until October 2 at various locations across Sydney. For more info and to buy tickets, visit sydneyarchitecturefestival.org. Images: Steven Siewert.
The more niche the pop-up bar, the more squealing it usually incurs. This one's going to invoke some pretty intolerable decibels, as Sydney's king of macarons brings something sweet and Sicilian to Bondi this May. On Sunday, May 3, Adriano Zumbo is opening a one-afternoon-only pop-up cannoli bar. Yep, cannoli bar. Take a moment to find a good quality jacket to squeal into, you've got coworkers. Setting up shop at Bondi Icebergs in South Bondi, Zumbo's pop-up will serve up sweet, sweet cannoli pastries to nibble on while taking in that ever-postcard perfect, panoramic view. This filled-pastry-shell-extravaganza marks a departure from the usual moneymakers for Zumbo, leaving the macarons, croquemboche and hamburger pies behind for an afternoon of dessert burritos. Let's be honest here, cannolis are messy as fuck — maybe avoid as a date option unless you're ready to break down barriers. The Zumbo pop-up's only open from 3-6pm, so you're going to want to get there early to smoosh a Zumboli (not an official term) in your face. Bondi Icebergs seem to be enjoying quite the series of pop-ups of late; Zumbo's follows temporary food shindigs from the likes of Melbourne favourites like Belle's Hot Chicken and Supernormal. Find Adriano Zumbo’s Cannoli Pop-Up Bar on Sunday, May 3 at Icebergs Dining Room and Bar, 1 Notts Avenue, Bondi Beach. Open from 3pm to 6pm.
Although saying goodbye to Pei Modern's ricotta dumplings and cracking Chardonnay selection has been one of the toughest calls of 2017, we do, at last, have a replacement. From mid-July, Francesco Mannelli (ex-est., Balla, and Uccello) will be settling into the space on the ground floor of the Four Seasons Hotel as head chef of Mode Kitchen & Bar. Like Pei Modern, the restaurant will fall somewhere between bistro and fine dining. On the menu are simple dishes based on Mannelli's favourite produce, such as swordfish with citrus, pistachio and radicchio, risotto with fresh Tasmanian truffle and mushrooms, and oven-baked whole perch with fennel, orange and black olive salad. Match your choice with a pick from the 200-strong wine list or go for a cocktail, like the Hemmingway Daiquiri or Rhubarb Fizz. ACME designer Luchetti Krelle — who is also behind the fit-outs for Bar Brosé, Banksii, The Butler and Barrio Cellar — has taken care of the interior for the 200-seater with a glamorous, 1920s art deco-inspired revamp. Expect splashes of velvet, dashes of brass, marble and leather, as well as a variety of seating options, including bar stools, lounges, banquettes and semi-private spaces. What's more, the entire restaurant is now encircled by fluted glass, giving it an intimate feel and separating it from the hotel foyer. Mode Kitchen & Bar will open on the ground floor of the Four Seasons, 199 George Street, Sydney on Thursday, July 20. It will be open lunch and dinner seven days a week. For more info, visit modekitchenandbar.com.au.
As part of their 2017 program, Carriageworks with Room 40 are bringing back the biannual Open Frame festival. Featuring artists Xiu Xiu, Alessandro Cortini and more, Room 40 dedicates itself to curating the best in electronic, improvised and experimental-pop music as well as noise art. On Thursday, June 29, Xiu Xiu will perform their David Lynch-inspired 2016 album Plays the Music of Twin Peaks. The Californian-based group draws on a range of music traditions — such as British post punk, 20th century classical and queer dance pop — as well as sounds like industrial noise and field recordings to create their multifaceted sound which has been described as both "self flagellating" and "luminous". Recently, they have also been involved in visual arts and film. They will be joined by Elysia Crampton, an electronic musician whose debut album American Drift explores the history of Virginia as well as issues of identity related to her Bolivian heritage and life in America. On Friday, June 30, Italian musician Alessandro Cortini — whom you may know from his involvement with Nine Inch Nails — will present his audio-visual show Avanti. He will be joined by Swedish composer Klara Lewis. Image: Klara Lewis, shot by Irma Collin.
Waking up daily and not really knowing 'how to live'? Yep, we're kicking off Friday with some sweet, sweet deep thinking. Often we don't have the answer to this ourselves, so we look to the advice of others to get the glorious tips. And who better than writers, authors, novelists, essayists, journalists, critics and experts to clue our meandering minds in? Taking the theme of 'how to live?' this year, Sydney Writers' Festival has announced its 2015 program lineup. This year, Sydney Writers' Festival has booked more than 400 Australian and 45 international writers to appear, chat and have a few drinks with us in the festival lounge from May 18 - 24. Kicking off the SWF with the opening address is The Reluctant Fundamentalist novelist and acclaimed essayist Mohsin Hamid, author of the book NPR can't stop talking about (H is for Hawk) Helen Macdonald (who'll give the closing address). British actor Alan Cumming is coming (couldn't help myself), who's released novels and opinion pieces over the years — most recently his candid autobiography Not My Father's Son. Fellow British actor David Walliams will be here, who's drummed up quite the Roald Dahlian children's book career after Little Britain. The world's biggest selling author for the last 13 years and inventor of Detective Alex Cross — yep, James Patterson will be here. Then there's crime writer Michael Connelly, journalist Nick Davies (who uncovered the hacking scandal), and the one you can blame for the term 'Generation X', Douglas Coupland. Local legend and 2014 Man Booker Prize winner, Richard Flanagan, is on the bill, along with Miles Franklin Award-winning writer Evie Wyld. Two former Prime Ministers, Julia Gillard and John Howard, and former Queensland Premier turned Sydneysider Anna Bligh are locked in. Podcaster Starlee Kine will be here, alongside happiness expert Paul Dolan and happiness advocate Leigh Ann Henion, war correspondents Christina Lamb and Åsne Seierstad, celebrity critic Daniel Mendelsohn. Medically assessing how to live will be doctors who write, Atul Gawande and Norman Doidge and mortician Caitlin Doughty. Novelists aplenty this year with renowned writers like Amy Bloom, Micheal Frayn, Ben Okri, David Mitchell, Anthony Horowitz, Emily St John Mandel, Jonathan Lethem, debut novelists Zia Haider Rahman and Mitchell S Jackson, and Australia’s bestselling authors Kate Grenville, David Malouf, Liane Moriarty, Graeme Simsion, Helen Garner, Robert Dessaix, Joan London, Steve Toltz, Sonya Hartnett, Nick Earls, Don Watson and Brooke Davis all leaving their pages for a second to come chat. Sydney Writers' Festival runs May 18 to 24. For more info and tickets head over here.
The team at pop-up restaurant space IconPark have announced their latest temporary tenant: a European-style canteen with a different menu every day. Headed by executive chef Naomi Lowry, formerly of Biota Dining and Pilu, the canteen will occupy IconPark’s Stanley Street location from now until the end of March, when the space’s permanent leaseholders are expected to be revealed. Open 7am to 4pm Monday through Friday, the restaurant will focus on rustic, wholesome foods, with diners picking one of two proteins and selecting veggies or salads to go with it. Dishes announced so far include white wine juniper braised lamb shoulder with cumin yogurt, lemon pepper leaf and thyme roast chicken, and cocoa salt-crusted slow roast beef. Sides? So far we've seen balsamic roast beets and roast carrots with almonds and fetta. The IconPark space has previously been the home to Matt Stone’s Stanley Street Merchants and barbecue joint Rupert & Ruby. Tenants are selected through crowdfunding campaigns; whichever restaurant concept raises the most amount of capital gets the keys to the fully licensed kitchen. In December, IconPark revealed that the winners of their latest contest would be awarded a permanent lease. So if you’re keen on the sound of the European Canteen, head down to Stanley Street ASAP. Icon Park's pop-up canteen is open 7am to 4pm, Monday to Friday at 78 Stanley Street, Darlinghurst. Menus change daily.
Some people would travel a long way to visit cult West Village piano bar Marie's Crisis — well known for its mass singalongs and made extra famous when Jimmy Fallon paid a raucous, impromptu visit recently — but Sydneysiders soon won't have to. The Marie's crew are bringing the whole experience to Sydney as part of Spectrum's upcoming festival, Spectrum Now. Recreating the dive bar in QT Parlour Lane Roasters from March 19-29, Marie's Crisis are bringing their whole showtune-lovin' team all the way from NYC to gather round the piano for everything from Fiddler on the Roof to Phantom. A word to the wise — brush up on your Sondheim. Functioning as one of the best ideas for a festival bar we've heard in many moons, Marie's Crisis heads quite the festival lineup for Spectrum Now, announced this weekend. No longer just a Saturday brekkie read, Sydney Morning Herald‘s Spectrum section is about to be realised in festival form — casually directed by Rake actor, professional dreamboat and total legend Richard Roxburgh. Kicking off on March 11, Spectrum Now will be centred around the Spectrum Playground (thanks for the mad shout out guys, woo! Yeah!). For two weeks from March 11–22, the Domain will be transformed into what the team is calling a "creative pleasure garden", which sounds so overtly erotic we’re signing up on the spot. There'll be bars, outdoor sculptures and pop-up exhibitions (including the SMH Portraiture Exhibition), alongside a bunch of tasty treats and live music. And the one we're really look forward to: Golden Age Cinema is presenting Hollywood Nights — an outdoor cinema and cocktail garden that will travel through seven decades of movies, food and drinks over 12 nights, showcasing some of Golden Age's favourite "classics, cults, creepies and cheapies", with live music performances, and special menus by fellow cinephiles The Nighthawk Diner. One of the most anticipated events in the lineup, SN will see the Australian premiere of Del Kathryn Barton's short animation film of Oscar Wilde’s classic story The Nightingale and the Rose. The two-time Archibald-winning artist has collaborated with acclaimed filmmaker Brendan Fletcher (Mad Bastards) and the vocal talents of Mia Wasikowska, Geoffrey Rush and David Wenham to create her very first animation film — not to mention multi-ARIA Award winner Sarah Blasko has whipped up the score. The film saw its world premiere at the 2015 Berlin International Film Festival, opening to significant snaps. Cinephiles really clean up for Spectrum Now. UK great Alan Rickman is making his way to Sydney to present a screening of A Little Chaos, ol' Ricko's directorial effort in which he plays King Louis XIV alongside Kate Winslet — whose character Sabine has a little romantic dalliance with the Sun King. Yes, there'll be post-film Q&A with the man himself. Then you can pop over to the Chauvel for the Sydney premiere of the Academy Award-nominted, Golden Globe-winning film Leviathan. If you're keen for something completely different, Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice is your go-to for SN. A site-specific, three-woman opera set through the chambers of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Shannon Murphy-directed, immersive performance stars Silvia Colloca, features the work of florist, artist and academic Dr Lisa Cooper, photo media artist Murray Fredericks and the food of Matt Moran. It'll give you plenty to talk about, and if you're keen to keep the conversation flowing check out '=The Full Spectrum series, a program of arts talks, panels and performances curated by the Spectrum team. For the creatively hungry, art and food combine for the On the Table series — Brad Dobson is taking over Redfern cafe Three Williams with installations, Opera in the Pub brings high art to the Dove and Olive and The Roxbury pubs, and Rock Surfers are stepping out of their Bondi theatre to present a pop-up production of Shabbat Dinner at the old Bel Mondo restaurant in The Rocks. And if you're wanting to continue to eat your way through the festival, check out the Quick Bites program linking you with some of Sydney's best eats. Spectrum Now runs March 11-22 Sydneywide. To check out the entire program and book yourself into Spectrum Now, head over here. Marie's Crisis image: Fogandfireflies.
Out in the middle of the California desert lies the city of Palm Springs. A long-time hangout of film stars known for its lavish hotels and mid-century modern architecture, it's the kind of quintessentially American locale that wouldn't look out of place on a postcard. But as picturesque as Palm Springs may look by day, it's even more incredible by night. After a wildly successful showing in 2016, Midnight Modern is back by popular demand at Darlinghurst's Black Eye Gallery. It's an ongoing project by Melbourne-based photographer Tom Blachford, who has travelled to Palm Springs five times over the past two years to shoot the city as it shines in the moonlight. Capturing bungalows, palm trees and vintage Cadillacs, Blachford's work offers a uniquely cinematic look at a place that is both lavish and desolate – a manicured slice of comfort in the wild.
Sometimes it seems like every second person you meet at the pub is a small business owner. The democratisation of absolutely everything by the internet means you no longer need a corner office in a skyscraper and a salmon tie to be a kickass business person. But it also means that, before long, you might find yourself wading into the unfamiliar territory of ABNs and being your own boss. It’s a lot to learn and most unstable, fledgling businesses don’t give you the luxury of time to figure it all out. Thankfully, there’s now a one-stop shop where all business babies can learn to walk. The New Beginnings Fair is on from February 26 to 27 to inspire you with talks, workshops and networking as well as answer all the tough questions like ‘When you’re self-employed, how often can you knock off early?’ The fair is tailored specifically to young people in creative and challenging fields and covers all the nitty gritty details you didn’t even realise are involved in running your own business. An array of speakers will school you on bizniz (that’s ‘business’ in street slang. First lesson: know your market) including Lisa Messenger from the dreamy monthly publication The Collective, the geniuses behind coffee body scrub Frank Body and copywriting agency Willow & Blake, and Kaylene O’Brien from Startup Creative, a startup that helps other startups start up. Neato. They’ll also be running masterclasses in design, PR, business planning, social media, marketing and branding and bookkeeping — all the stuff you need to know to keep your business healthy and ensure you never go back to your boring office job. And best of all, it won’t break the bank. A general admission pass starts at $35 for one day or $70 for the whole weekend, while a VIP pass for two days is $90 (and hey, consider that a tax write off). New Beginnings is happening in Sydney right now, but Melbourne can expect their own fair later in the year.
"Black people. I love you. I love us. Our lives matter." One Facebook post and Alicia Garza made history, a call to action that would gain traction and spark the founding of #BlackLivesMatter in the wake of the violent deaths of African Americans Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner and many others. It's one of the world's most important international activist movements, campaigning against violence toward black people, and Garza will bring it front and centre at this year's Festival of Dangerous Ideas. Set to return to the Sydney Opera House over September 3 and 4 for its eighth year, FODI is bringing one of its most serious, enlightening programs yet as part of Sydney Opera House Talks & Ideas. Delivering the opening address with none other than Stan Grant, Garza leads a host of colossal thinkers and strong minds not afraid to question the problematic way things are — over 50 speakers across 24 solo sessions, 12 panels and one free workshop. This year, FODI has four major themes: 'Disappearing Countries', 'Dealing in Death', 'Disruptive Behaviour' and 'Dirty Politics'. One sure to provoke is apparently repentant author of The Game Neil Strauss in his sure-to-be-debated talk 'Cheaters, Sex Addicts and Pick-Up Artists'. UK comedian and The Young Ones legend Alexei Sayle dives into his ratbag past with 'Thatcher Made Me Laugh' — a perfect pairing for anarchists locked in for Henry Rollins' already-announced 'Blood Sport' talk about US politics. In fact, politics in Australia and abroad feature prominently in FODI's response to current 'World is fukt' times. Favourites Annabel Crabb and David Marr will pull apart the recent (and by-FODI, it'll be solved) federal election in 'The Government We Deserve?' — both have written biographies on Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten respectively, so this one's going to be a humdinger. Marr's also hosting an epic two-hour forum titled 'Can We Solve The Asylum Seeker Crisis?'. Perpetual WTF-generator and controversial commentator Andrew Bolt will lead a talk dubbed 'How Many Dangerous Ideas Can One Person Have?', so expect Twitter to be all over that one. Climate change and social justice feature prominently on this year's bill, with Canadian activist Sheila Watt-Cloutier's 'The Right To Be Cold' set to be a highlight — she sees the failure of the world to act on climate change a gross violation of Inuit human rights — and The Economist's Environment Correspondent Miranda Johnson wants fishing the high seas stopped. Arts and sport will both get their turn on the chopping block this year. Sport nuts should jump on tickets to see journalist Tracey Holmes, sports scientist Stephen Dank (yep, that guy), former Olympic swimmer Lisa Forrest, academic Jason Mazanov and former IOC boss Kevan Gosper will be deciding whether drugs in sport should be legalised. Visual artist, activist and Drawing Blood author Molly Crabapple (who designed this year's 'FODI-land' concept on the festival website) will take you from Syria to Guantanamo Bay and back to Occupy Wall Street. We Need To Talk About Kevin author Lionel Shriver wants you to break a rule a day, while author of The Magicians trilogy and TIME's book critic Lev Grossman will argue that 'There Are No Good Books'. But we haven't even scratched the surface on FODI 2016, from former Kevin Rudd staffer Jennifer Rayner standing up for millennials in 'Generation Less', to the incredibly important panel 'Not Worth Living' delving into the specific, tragic epidemic of suicide in Indigenous people. Plus, co-founder of The Maintainers Lee Vinsel wants people to stop worshipping innovation and start focusing on maintenance of technology — something we can't wait to argue with him on. Sydney Opera House Talks & Ideas team of Ann Mossop and Danielle Harvey have curated this seriously epic program, with Simon Longstaff from The Ethics Centre as curatorial adviser . The 2016 Festival of Dangerous Ideas is coming to the Sydney Opera House on September 3 and 4. Multipacks are on sale from July 11 at 9am, single tickets on July 14 from 9am, all from the FODI website — where you'll find the full FODI program alongside Molly Crabapple's web design.
Camperdown is really coming into itself of late. As Newtown's quieter sister suburb, it's always seemed to slightly live in the shadows when it comes to openings — it's pretty geographically dominated by the University of Sydney and RPA. But in 2016, Camperdown is like Cady Heron ala Mean Girls Act Two (that is, after she gets a big ol' makeover, and is still sassy and sabotaging the Plastics, but before she becomes a mean girl for real). Go with it. Camperdown is fetch. We're not the only ones to hold this opinion though, as a whole murder of cafe openings have cropped up recently (yes, the collective noun for cafe openings is murder, sure). First up, we've got Boss Lady Food & Co on Purkis Street — which already has our allegiance for the name alone. The menu is a mixture of Greek and Egyptian influences with an Aussie twist, and dishes are named after the boss ladies themselves. Because they're boss ladies. For something a little more retro, Little Lord Cafe has also just opened on Salisbury Road, and it's definitely pushing the grandma and grandpa's house nostalgia vibes. Their menu is a simple affair of coffee, cakes and sandwiches, all plucked from a few generations ago. Think pineapple upside-down cake and scotch eggs, and all served in cosy, living room-style surrounds. Little Lord took over the space that once housed the adorable Pigeon Ground Records, and we're stoked to see the continuation of twee-ness. And we’re expecting a few more exciting openings in the next few months too, after the unfortunate closure of Mo’s Pantry on Purkis Street. And so the impending gentrification of the inner west continues. But in the meantime: Camperdown, you're lookin' mighty fine. Image: Boss Lady.
Members of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra will surround their instruments with vats, drums and miscellaneous brewing gear on Thursday, September 10, when Young Henrys turns into a classical stage for the night. The unconventional gig is the fourth instalment of Vanguard, a concert series that sees SSO musicians playing experimental, informal shows in unusual locations. So far, they've appeared at a carpark in Kings Cross, a warehouse in Chippendale and the Mortuary Railway Station. “We got involved in Vanguard through a mutual friend,” said Oscar McMahon, co-founder of Young Henrys. “It’s a collective of musicians, who are trying to change the way that people see symphony music and extend it to people who wouldn’t necessarily buy a subscription and go to the Opera House. I love the idea of music being for everybody.” Vanguard performers have the freedom to perform pieces of their choice — in the way that they choose to perform them. “So far, they’ve played avant garde pieces and New Orleans jazz, and there was even a rendition of ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ at one stage,” said McMahon. Audience members don’t know what’s in store until the show starts. In Vanguard, Young Henrys has found a great match. “We’re interested in people who are genuinely interested,” he said. “All the people who make up Vanguard are great people. They’re passionate. They love what they do. They’re inspired it. Vanguard is extracurricular for the musicians — it’s their passion project; it’s them having fun. And Young Henrys is a business built on passion and fun, as well as a bit of doing what people don’t expect us to do.” To attend Vanguard concerts, you need to become a member, which you can pay for monthly or annually. Vanguard is a philanthropic programme, with proceeds supporting the chair of Leah Lynn, Assistant Principal Cello in the SSO. Vanguard is coming to Young Henrys on Thursday, September 10. More info over here.
Australia’s leading food rescue organisation is getting in on the pop-up trend. Opening in Pyrmont on Tuesday, May 12, harvested will serve up high-quality meals made entirely from ingredients destined for landfill — and they're calling on you to help generate buzz. Ready to spend the next three months making you rethink your lunch, the cafe is the brainchild of Travis Harvey; a chef with more than ten years experience in restaurants around the world. He's also the man behind OzHarvest's Cooking for a Cause program, which each year helps prepare thousands of meals using surplus food collected from supermarkets, cafes, restaurants and catering companies, and delivers them to people in need. "The idea behind harvested is simple," says Harvey. "It takes a challenge that OzHarvest and our food recipients have to face every day... what to do with surplus food that society has rejected because of its appearance, discolouration or slight imperfections? We wanted the public to experience this too, and see how good it can be." In order to help spread the message, the pop-up cafe will be giving away free lunches (free lunches!) on opening day, in exchange to photos shared on social media using the hashtag #mealforameal. Seems like a pretty good deal, especially since you'd probably have Instagrammmed your deliciously newsworthy lunch anyway. Harvested will be open for lunch on Wednesdays and Thursdays until the end of July, operating out of a restaurant space donated by City West Housing located at 56 Harris St, Pyrmont. The menu will change daily depending on available ingredients, although they've already teased the likes of slow cooked lamb with vine leaf, house dried fig and walnut sauce, pumpkin quinoa burger with beetroot relish and chilli macadamia butter, double roasted spiced pork with rustic potato and house pickled cues, and spice crust chook with carrot puree and labneh. And to think, this was food people were throwing out. Meals will cost a flat $15, money that OzHarvest can use to feed up to 30 people. Thursday through Sunday evenings, the temporary space is also home to Baraka, a pop-up Middle Eastern restaurant run by Fouad Kassab, which also donates a portion of its proceeds to OzHarvest. It goes without saying, this is probably the most worthy pop-up of your time this week. Harvested opens on Tuesday, May 12 at 56 Harris St, Pyrmont. The pop-up will be open every Tuesday and Wednesday for lunch only from 11.30am – 2.30pm (until end July). For more information, visit www.ozharvest.org.
Sydney's poké explosion continues, this time with Hooked on Poké opening its doors along Bondi Beach. Owned by the former manager of North Bondi Italian, Marcus Lalak, the joint focuses on locally and sustainably sourced fish in fresh-to-order dishes that boast sauces made from secret recipes. The menu at Hooked on Poké may have been inspired by the traditional Hawaiian mainstay but it also takes direction from the Los Angeles version and has adopted Japanese and Korean flavours. Customers can create their own bowl or order from five 'HOP Faves' with recommended ingredient combinations — among these is the signature tuna poké bowl, made with line-caught and sashimi-grade yellow fin which has been cubed and coated in a house-made, spicy soy sauce. Apart from the tuna, they're offering up salmon and snapper, as well as poached chicken and tofu options. If you're creating your own, you can choose from a base of soba noodles, iceberg lettuce and brown or white rice, along with a wide range of toppings, including wasabi peas, grated beetroot, spicy kimchi, wakame, house-made pickles and dashi daikon. For something significantly on-trend locally, you can pick toppings of sweet potato crisps and roasted miso cauliflower. Lalak brings two decades in the hospitality industry to this new venture, which is jumping on the poké train a bit late in the game. What could set Hooked on Poké apart from the competition, though, is its series of sauces and dressings that were specially developed for the restaurant and use ingredients including yuzu kosho, miso and sriracha. These 'secret recipes' took over one-hundred hours to perfect and are meant to give each bowl a signature flavour that you can't get anywhere else. Hooked On Poké is now open for lunch and dinner at 145 Glenayr Street, Bondi Beach. Images: Alana Dimou.
Get waxed and grab your flares. GiggedIn has announced a huge week of shows on offer as well as its first-ever members-exclusive show — an indie-surf and psychedelic rock affair. Taking over two rooms at the Oxford Art Factory, Lime Cordiale, Wax Witches, Ocean Alley, Mesa Cosa and more top one slam dunk of lineup. We introduced you to GiggedIn back in January. It’s a new service that gives members unlimited access to gigs, for one neat price — kind of like Spotify for live music. Every day, at midday, new shows appear on the website and you decide which you’re going to attend. What’s more, you get access to special events and festivals, like Mountain Sounds Festival, headlined by Art vs Science and Violent Soho this week. Then there's Raury and JOY at Oxford Art Factory, Illy at the Metro Theatre, Radio Moscow at Newtown Social and more. With GiggedIn’s premiere exclusive shindig coming up, now is a good time to sign up. The show will be happening at on Sunday, February 21. If you’ve been hanging out at any of Sydney’s staple live music venues during the past year, there’s every chance you’ve caught Lime Cordiale. They’ve sold out Newtown Social Club, The Standard, Oxford Art Factory and the Metro Lair, and have shared stages with The Delta Riggs, Ball Park Music, The Griswolds, Dispatch and Cosmo Jarvis. Meanwhile, Wax Witches, fronted by Alex Wall, will be delivering a massive dose of garage punk. If you’re tired of saccharine, smoothed-over pop and rock, you’ll get your antidote here. Mesa Cosa, garage punk legends from Melbourne will be there. Rounding out the night are Ocean Alley, a reggae psych-rock six-piece from the Northern Beaches; The Vanns, indie-poppers from Kiama; and The Ruminaters, who describe their music as “hillbilly-folk-psychedelic-garage-yiddish-rock”, among a slew of other acts. For a full list of more shows this week, see below: Mon Feb 15 — Radio Moscow (USA) at Newtown Social Club Tues Feb 16 — Raury with JOY. at Oxford Art Factory Wed Feb 17 — Waxahatchee at Oxford Art Factory Thurs Feb 18 — Juju Wings at Brighton Up Bar Fri Feb 19 — Black Aces at Brighton Up Bar Sat Feb 20 — Mountain Sounds Festival on the Central Coast Sat Feb 20 — Illy at the Metro Theatre Sat Feb 20 — Lunatics on Pogosticks at Brighton Up Bar Sun Feb 21 — Lime Cordiale, Wax Witches, Mesa Cosa, Ocean Alley + more at Oxford Art Factory And more to be announced. Find out more about GiggedIn here.
Sure, we might be begrudgingly closing in on the final days of summer, but at new pop-up, The Shuckery Oyster Bar, indulgent holiday vibes are fervently persevering. Taking over the plush surrounds of the InterContinental Sydney Double Bay's Stillery bar, The Shuckery will be open for oyster devouring every Thursday and Friday night. Bivalve buffs can indulge in oysters from the likes of Port Macquarie, Clyde River, Hastings River, and Nambucca, freshly shucked before their eyes. The best part? This chic little feast needn't break the bank — three oysters teamed with a flute of Perrier-Jouët Champagne will set you back a neat $20, while a share-friendly arrangement of 12 oysters and a bottle of the bubbly is just $95. Keep this one in mind for date night, we reckon. The Shuckery is open from 5-7pm, every Thursday and Friday night at Stillery, InterContinental Sydney Double Bay.
Handpicking some of the globe's best new artists for yet another glorious year (their seventh, to be exact), Sugar Mountain has one heck of a lineup this year, with UK rapper Joey Bada$$, experimental Berlin-based producer Laurel Halo and Australia's Cut Copy headlining. Returning to Melbourne's Victorian College of the Arts on Saturday, January 20, Sugar Mountain has again balanced international drawcards with local talent this year, from Melbourne's all-female five-piece Beaches to UK producer Actress. Other Aussies converging on Mebourne for the fest include Body Type, Stella Donnelly and Indigenous collective Kardajala Kirridarra. As always though, music isn't the only thing on the menu for Sugar Mountain. There'll also be a load artists on the bill, including a collaboration between American artist and dancer Khalif Diouf and Bangarra Dance Theatre's dancer and choreographer Waangenga Blanco and work by Amrita Hepi and Japanese artists Hiroyasu Tsuri and Jun Inoue. The nosh is yet to be announced, but here's hoping Sugar Mountain's immersive on-site restaurant Sensory will be back. Enough chatskies, here's that lineup you're after. SUGAR MOUNTAIN 2018 LINEUP Actress (UK) Ara Koufax Beaches Body Type Cut Copy Dan Shake (UK) Eclair Fifi (UK) Fantastic Man Gerd Janson (GER) Honey Dijon (USA) J Hus (UK) Jamila Woods (USA) Joey Bada$$ (USA) Kardajala Kirridarra Laurel Halo (USA) Love Deluxe Project Pablo (CAN) Sevdaliza (NED) Shanti Celeste (UK) Stella Donnelly ARTISTS VIA ALICE featuring Waangenga Blanco x Khalif Diouf (USA) Amrita Hepi x Pasefika Victoria Choir Justin Shoulder x CORIN x Tristan Jalleh Hiroyasu Tsuri (JPN) x Jun Inoue (JPN) Marcus Whale x Athena Thebus
Eeeep. Looks like Spotify playlisters for Splendour in the Grass jumped the gun, and it appears that the 2015 Splendour lineup has been leaked as a result. Set to be announced by Matt and Alex on triple j next Wednesday as usual, the Splendour lineup could possibly have been revealed by a playlist called 'Splendour 2015 Line-up' which appeared earlier today. Noticed by eagle-eyed Geelong Advertiser reporter Paddy Naughtin, the now-deleted playlist contained some huge, we-hope-it's-real names. We're talking Blur, Mark Ronson, Florence + The Machine, Death Cab For Cutie, The Wombats, Tame Impala and Of Monsters And Men, alongside Pond, Royal Blood and the Dandy Warhols. WAHOOLIE. Here's the screengrab posted by Naughtin on Twitter — he also posted on Splendour's Facebook page to confirm and they deleted the post. So there's a little confirmation for you. Yeesh. Probably going to be some stern words between Splendour and triple j. Here's hoping it's the real thing. Via triple j.
Won't be rolling in the grass this July? Missed out on yesterday's ticket blitz? Never fear, there's plenty of Splendour in the Grass shindiggery to be had in your own city. Splendour has announced its official 2015 sideshows this morning (as have many unofficial venues). From Blur's epic arena shows to the rowdy British garage pop team-up of The Vaccines and Palma Violets, to more niche hypecard gigs like MØ and Elliphant or Years and Years, here's your rundown of the official Splendour sideshows. Exclusive Secret Sounds presale tickets are on sale 10am local time on Tuesday, April 28, while general public tickets on sale 10am local time, Wednesday, April 29. But if you're keen to nab tickets to the Blur sideshows, tickets are on sale 10am local venue time on Friday, May 1. Visit secret-sounds.com.au for more details. SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS OFFICIAL 2015 SIDESHOWS: BLUR With Jamie T Presented by Secret Sounds, supported by Spotify, Rolling Stone, The Music, Fasterlouder All tickets on sale 10am local venue time, Friday May 1 Sat 25 Jul — Qantas Credit Union Arena, Sydney Sun 26 Jul — Splendour In the Grass (SOLD OUT), Byron Bay Tue 28 Jul — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Thu 30 Jul — Perth Arena, Perth THE WOMBATS With Circa Waves *exc Perth Presented by triple J, The Music, Channel [V], Spotify Thu Jul 23 — Metro City*, Perth Mon Jul 27 — Enmore Theatre, Sydney Tue Jul 28 — Palais Theatre, Melbourne Thu Jul 30 — Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide (*Circa Waves not supporting in Perth) THE VACCINES With Palma Violets Presented by Tone Deaf, The Music, Spotify Mon Jul 27 — Corner Hotel, Melbourne Tue Jul 28 — Metro Theatre, Sydney PORTER ROBINSON [live] With Wave Racer and Cosmo's Midnight Presented by triple j, Channel [V], inthemix, Spotify Wed 22 July — Enmore Theatre, Sydney Thu 23 July — The Forum, Melbourne AZEALIA BANKS Presented by Channel [V], Music Feeds, Beat & Brag, Spotify Fri 24 July — Metro Theatre, Sydney Sun 26 July — Prince Bandroom, Melbourne EVERYTHING EVERYTHING With Urban Cone Presented by triple j, Channel [V], Fasterlouder, The Music, Spotify Thu 23 July — Metro Theatre, Sydney Sat 25 July — The Corner, Melbourne KITTY DAISY & LEWIS Presented by Fasterlouder, The Music, Spotify Sat 1 Aug — Metro Theatre, Sydney Sun 2 Aug — 170 Russell, Melbourne Tue 4 Aug — Governor Hotel, Adelaide Wed 5 Aug — Rosemount Hotel, Perth MØ & ELLIPHANT Presented by triple j, Channel [V], Oyster, Spotify Tue 28 July — The Corner, Melbourne Wed 29 July — Oxford Art Factory, Sydney MARMOZETS Presented by Musicfeeds, Blunt Magazine, Beat, Brag, Spotify Thu 23 July — Newtown Social Club, Sydney Sat 25 July — Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne MS MR Presented by triple j, Channel [V], Spotify, Pages Digital Wed Jul 22 — 170 Russell, Melbourne Sat Jul 25 — Metro Theatre, Sydney YEARS & YEARS Presented by Channel [V], The Brag, Beat, Spotify, Pages Digital Sun Jul 26 — Oxford Art Factory, Sydney Thu Jul 30 — Howler, Melbourne WOLF ALICE Presented by triple j, Tone Deaf, The Brag, Beat, Spotify Thu Jul 23 — Corner Hotel, Melbourne Fri Jul 24 — Oxford Art Factory, Sydney THE DISTRICTS Presented by Music Feeds, Spotify, The Music Mon Jul 27 — Northcote Social Club, Melbourne Tue Jul 28 — Newtown Social Club, Sydney Visit Secret Sounds for more details. Image: Linda Brownlee.
