Western Sydney's Parramasala Festival is back for another year, and it's set to be the biggest one yet. The free annual event, which celebrates and showcases Western Sydney's many cultures, will take place in Parramatta across three action-packed days. Expect a colourful combination of music, dance, food, film and theatre, all spread throughout Prince Alfred Park, the Parramatta riverbank and the Riverside Theatres. Highlights of the program include a performance by Western Sydney based hip-hop artist L-FRESH the LION at the vibrant opening night parade, cooking demonstrations by some of Sydney's top chefs and a video installation by artist Liam Benson and Parramatta Artists' Studios. The huge variety of food options from across the globe is another major drawcard and gives you an excuse to stuff yourself with curry, dumplings and gozleme for the full cultural experience. With more than 30,000 expected to attend this year's Parramasala, festival director Di Henry acknowledges its evolution over the years. "Parramasala is still an Asian arts festival at its heart, but we're also a broad church which welcomes and explores many cultures, all of which make Sydney and western Sydney in particular a rich mix of diversity to be celebrated." Image: Ali Mousawi.
In 2010's How To Train Your Dragon, the Vikings of Berk learned the virtues of embracing fears and looking beyond the surface when the plucky Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) made a friend out of one of their most fearsome foes. His fellow villagers eventually came to an accord with their fire-breathing enemies, refashioning their society to fly atop and frolic with the scaly organisms. Five years later, that lifestyle persists within the veritable dragon haven. Alas, now another challenge confronts the peaceful settlement, with not all inhabitants of the surrounding lands and territories embracing their newfound fondness for the pests turned pets. As a trapper, Eret (Kit Harington), hunts the benevolent beasts for an evil warmonger, Drago (Djimon Hounsou), and his army of controlled creatures, Hiccup is called upon to fight for their survival once again. Like its predecessor, How to Train Your Dragon 2 continues the page-to-screen journey of the 12-strong children's book series by Cressida Cowell; however, it uses its source material as little more than inspiration. Returning franchise writer/director Dean DeBlois goes it alone in bringing to life the second effort in a planned trilogy, not only in losing his co-helmers and scribes from the first feature, but also in shaping a story more indebted to family-friendly film formula than anything that happens to have the same name. Of course, the template here is obvious, with a tale of the bond between animals and humans simply expanded by medieval lore and fantastical embellishments. That doesn't make it any less affecting or endearing as Hiccup strives to save his best friend, tamed dragon Toothless — just overtly familiar. The insertion of family drama continues in the same vein, more so when competing dynamics come into play. Hiccup becomes sandwiched between his chief father (Gerard Butler), who wants to anoint him his successor, and the enigmatic Valka (Cate Blanchett), with whom he shares his against-the-odds kindness. From DreamWorks Animation, beautifully rendered visuals enliven all character interactions and their accompanying environment, but it is the sights of soaring the skies and following in Toothless's cute footsteps that fare best. Thankfully, How to Train Your Dragon 2 balances the spectacle and the intimacy, creating an effort as comfortable with its advanced action stakes as it is with its increased sweetness and sentiment. The diverse voice cast also creates just the right emotional moments, from the high-profile additions to the repeat supporting contributors of Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, T.J. Miller and Kristen Wiig offering more of the same. That's How to Train Your Dragon 2 all over — the new overlaid upon the far from original with ample warmth and wit, creating an agreeable animated offering never remarkable but always affable. https://youtube.com/watch?v=tGFUmPhVhtU
If you're the kind of beer lover who feels like they've tried every brew ever — or you've made it your mission to achieve that yeasty goal — then you're probably a big fan of the Great Australasian Beer Spectapular. For more than a decade now, since it started off as a Melbourne-only celebration of ales, lagers, ciders and more, the event has been serving up weird, wild, wonderful and inventive varieties, many of which are made exclusively for the booze-sipping shindig. In 2022, that's set to be the case once more, with the beer fest returning for a tour of Australia's east coast capitals in May. GABS is considered to be one of the best craft beer and cider festivals in the Asia Pacific region for good reason, and this year it has at least 120 of them, because that's how many brews will be on offer. Prepare to knock back beers inspired by breakfast foods, savoury snacks, desserts, cocktails and more when the event hits Sydney's ICC Darling Harbour from Friday, May 20–Saturday, May 21. Some of the foods and drinks that this year's GABS brews are taking their cues from: peanut butter, coffee, earl grey tea, chicken salt, pizza, fairy floss, bubblegum and sour gummi bears. Confirmed highlights include Brouhaha's Baked and Wasted, a sour which uses wasted baked goods; Capital Brewing Co's experimental Smooches, which pairs cocao nibs with a strawberry kick; Mismatch Brewing Co's We Love NY Cheesecake stout, in case you've ever wondered what cheesecake in a glass tastes like; and The Catchment Brewing Co's Ra Ra Raspoutine, another stout that, yes, is brewed from chips, cheese and gravy. The event surveys both Australian and New Zealand breweries, with more than 70 set to be pouring their wares in Sydney. As well as the aforementioned outfits, this year they'll also include Balter, Range, Otherside, Black Hops, Ballistic, Your Mates, Mountain Culture, One Drop and Little Creatures, as well as Colonial, Mountain Goat and Bentspoke — and NZ's Garage Project and Panhead Custom Ale. Also on the bill: other types of tipples, including non-alcoholic beers, seltzers, whiskey, gin, cocktails and wines (including by 19 Crimes Snoop Dog Cali Red). GABS is known for dishing up a hefty lineup of activities to accompanying all that sipping, too, which'll span a silent disco, roaming bands, circus and sideshow performers, games and panels with industry leaders in 2022, as well as local food trucks and vendors to line your stomach.
If you're someone who loves coffee and the odd cocktail or two, chances are you're a fan of the espresso martini. After all, they're a great way to kick off a night out. But not paying for them? Tell us we're dreaming. To make that dream a reality, we've partnered with top-notch Aussie coffee liqueur label Mr Black, so you — and your mates — can get your boozy caffeine fix without spending a cent. Who's dreaming now? Born out of the belief that good coffee should be had at any time of day, Mr Black's cold brew liqueur sure gets a party started. So, should you win this prize, you'll be going on a caffeinated bar crawl around Sydney. And, after months of at-home happy hours, we bet you're keen to hit the town. To top it off, you'll be sipping away at some of the top watering holes in Sydney. You can either wrangle the whole crew for one big boozy night, or visit the bars on seperate occasions with just your nearest and dearest. You'll be heading to a bunch of CBD bars such as the lauded PS40, 70s porn-chic Double Deuce Lounge, Circular Quay's Grain, recently opened Cedric's coffee bar, NYC-style speakeasy Employees Only, dive bar Ramblin' Rascal Tavern and the award-winning Maybe Sammy. Then, you'll be stopping in to Australiana-centric pub The Unicorn, 30s-inspired cocktail and cabaret bar Dulcie's and Redfern's fun-loving Misfits. There are ten bars all up — and you'll get $100 to spend at each. If you can't be bothered to do the maths, that's a whopping $1000 worth of coffee-fuelled cocktails. So, make like early 2000s P!nk and get the party started by entering below. [caption id="attachment_730456" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Double Deuce Lounge, Kimberley Low[/caption] To enter, see details below. [competition]774726[/competition]
Newtown isn't a suburb that can't complain that it doesn't get a lot of love. But with the Marrickville Metro now firmly on its way, there's more than a little wondering online that the suburb may lose its distinctive shops for some more oversize arrangements. Newtown local Nic Bezzina has set his own mission, photographing Newtown independent shopkeepers for a brief show that will occupy the bunker-like Chrissie Cotter gallery to see the likes of the late Bob Gould hanging next to jewellers and a laundromat. It's a small project, but one that's caught the eye of the City of Sydney Archives with its celebration of small spaces in its own small space. Opening night is Wednesday night from 6 to 8, and afterwards from 11 to 4. Image: BB Jewellers, 363 King Street Newtown by Nic Bezzina.
Two young lovers meet on the Mexican-Guatemalan border, where they negotiate their affair amidst white slavery, drug trafficking and the army. Two out-of-work actors are offered a high-paying gig, only to discover that they've been framed by a high-ranking military officer. An overweight wrestler collaborates with zombies in an attempt to fight depression. Hola! The Mexican Film Festival is coming to Sydney (as well as Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide) for its eighth incarnation. From the 70 films now coming out of Mexico annually, festival director Samuel Douek and his team handpick a special selection, representing the best in comedy, drama, independent filmmaking, documentary and "everything in between". Opening night will see the festival's renowned fiesta, featuring Mexican food by Los Amates, Sol beer, tequila and live music, and the Australian premiere of comedy blockbuster Nosotros los Nobles (We Are the Nobles). Released earlier this year, it broke box office records, selling 6.8 million tickets and becoming the highest grossing film in Mexican history. Don't miss the Hola Sol Festival Cantina, bringing in Mexican culture beyond what you see on screen. https://youtube.com/watch?v=O-8n670F53w
Australian Fashion Week is, like probably more than a few of the models who'll be a part of it, turning 16 this year — and it's being thrown a monster birthday party that's also kind of a parent-teacher night. In typically immersive style, the Powerhouse Museum's Frock Stars: Inside Australian Fashion Week project is designed so visitors get to see the people and the work spaces on as hands-on a basis as can happen without fabric scissors. Such a setup is particularly interesting in terms of something so contemporary — there's a 'backstage pass' concept to the show that is similar to media coverage of the event it investigates. It makes for a sort of aspiring-insidery vibe to acquiring the sort of history that has formerly served gossip and glossy pages and serves up the sort of practical understanding that could be useful to someone talking their way into an internship. Divided into Backstage, Catwalk, Front Row and Studio sections, Frock Stars can come across a little bit case study. There are interviews and anecdotes and outfits, curated as social history in terms of business as well as design and celebrity, and visitors are up close with the industry as much as the fashion. Image by Ian Waldie.
To watch mother! is to watch Jennifer Lawrence's housewife protagonist, and to see the world through her eyes. As she remains confined to her sprawling country abode, which she's restoring for her poet husband (Javier Bardem), the camera remains largely fixed on either her face or her perspective. When she awakens to an empty bed, the film looks on. When outward politeness masks internal horror following the arrival of an unexpected guest (Ed Harris), viewers switch between witnessing her dismay and sharing her cautious gaze. Her despair heightens further when the man's wife (Michelle Pfeiffer) arrives, followed by their feuding adult sons (Brian and Domhnall Gleeson). And as her sense of anxiety grows, so too does writer-director Darren Aronofsky dive deeper and deeper into the character's inner turmoil. The idea of a woman not quite coping with a change to her home life might sound fairly standard, even old-fashioned. Run-of-the-mill dramas, clichéd comedies and scary flicks have been there and done that before. But mother! doesn't fit into those categories. It's not your usual unwanted visitor tale. Nor is it the Rosemary's Baby riff that's hinted at during its ominous first half. Never one to colour within the filmmaking lines (see Black Swan, Noah and Requiem for a Dream), with mother! Aronofsky serves up his boldest work to date – an ambitious, unnerving, immersive exercise that defies all sense of expectation. From walls that beat like a heart when they're touched, to a freewheeling third act that has to be seen to be believed, mother! is a movie driven by emotions and experiences. Lawrence's unnamed figure reacts to the ups and downs of her existence, and the film responds in turn. As destruction grows, life-changing decisions are made, and one woman's wants and needs are routinely ignored, it's not so much what happens that really matters. Rather, what's crucial is how it all makes the protagonist feel, and how Aronofsky aligns the audience with her mindset. Disgust, fear, frustration and sadness provide the film its palette, layered on top of its distinctive grey-hued colour scheme. Likewise, in a movie without music, the silence of hurt, confusion, neglect, betrayal and disappointment takes the place of a conventional soundtrack. There's no evading anything that Aronofsky throws at his viewers, as he makes it almost impossible to hold onto one's bearings. With the lens trained on Lawrence in close up for more than half of the movie's running time, the sense that you can't grasp onto anything else is clearly by design. She's the fraying canvas that all these swirling sensations converge upon — and, amidst the inescapable chaos, she plays her part to near-perfection And still the question remains: what exactly is mother!? Ultimately, there are many answers. At its most basic level, it's a tense psychological thriller built on domestic and social unease, spiralling into the disorder caused by humanity's worst urges, and touching upon everything from biblical parallels to a savage reflection of our current cutthroat society. It's also an exploration of a woman forced to ponder her place and purpose, with Lawrence's central character saddled with the duties of the caring, supportive, devoted spouse as Bardem's writer gets increasingly enamoured with his own fame. Indeed, in a movie that stays intimate in its focus but universal in its escalating mayhem, Aronofsky applies that line of thinking to all women subjected to the control and demands of men – a thematic fascination seen in many of his earlier films. On top of all of that, mother! is a fever dream of a cinema experience, audacious and utterly unique. Be warned: you'll either love it or hate it. We fall gleefully into the first category. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXy6aD_m-gk Image: Paramount Pictures
How do you watch the most anticipated movie of the year? With the same level of expectation you have of any other blockbuster action flick? Or with the level of expectation built by Ridley Scott's return to sci-fi for the first time in 30 years, by a setting that is shared by a true classic of the genre, and by the steady release of some 26 trailers that were spread feverishly online? It's kind of a big question; it inflects what you think of the Alien 'prequel' Prometheus, which is good, beautiful in many ways, transcendentally horrific, but probably isn't the great film it was hyped to be. In the foreseeable future, 2089, archaeologists Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green) have uncovered a specific star map repeated in the cave art of disparate ancient cultures. Shaw believes that the messages were left by the extraterrestrial creators of the human race, which is just the kind of wacky hypothesis a wealthy industrialist — in this case, Peter Weyland (a very wizened Guy Pearce) of the Weyland Corporation — would philanthropise. With a ragtag crew including Idris Elba as ship captain, Charlize Theron as the icy mission director, and Michael Fassbender as the resident android, they board the vessel Prometheus and head for the one habitable moon in the star map's radius. Once out of their snooze-optimising stasis pods, they explore the rock. Through the framework of an archaeological expedition, a number of creepy clues consistent with the Alien aesthetic are dug up: what looks like an alien wine cellar, a temple, black sludge, corpses, and some mandatory, though primitive, face-hugging critters. What does it all mean? The most frustrating thing is that you're waiting on the edge of your seat for these things to be properly woven together, and they're not (much like in Lost, cowriter Damon Lindelof's previous project). The potted plot spills over into underdeveloped characters who are saddled with a fair few cliches. Prometheus's attempts to address the mystical over the mechanical, political, and social seem a net detriment. Prometheus remains a cut above, combining an ambitious story, strong sense of conviction, and some excellent performances, particularly from Fassbender. The film also looks amazing, the classic, sinewy gothic of original designer HR Giger having been passed through a nouveau filter of Apple iOS and Scandinavian clean lines that really works. It's one of the richest, most vividly coloured 3D experiences around. When we look back on Alien, it is with eyes that have seen film history bend around it, that can spot the break in design trends, and that deify Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) as not just a rare strong female character but a rare strong character full stop. We won't have the benefit of hindsight on Prometheus for some time. Perhaps it will be similarly loved and respected, but at this point that's not written in the stars. https://youtube.com/watch?v=nmJOO6D5RvA
Saying that M. Night Shyamalan's latest film offers an improvement over his most recent efforts isn't really saying much. After impressing with The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable, and a little less so with Signs and The Village, the likes of Lady in the Water, The Happening, The Last Airbender and After Earth won the writer/director few kind words. The Visit seems to fall somewhere in the middle; however, in plodding towards his usual twist and doing so with a clumsy blend of shocks and laughs, it soon proves closer to his latter work than his former. Fifteen-year-old Becca (Olivia DeJonge) and her thirteen-year-old younger brother Tyler (Ed Oxenbould) take the trip of the movie's title, leaving their single mother (Kathryn Hahn) for a week with the estranged grandparents they've never before met. Upon arriving at the remote farm their Nana (Deanna Dunagan) and Pop Pop (Peter McRobbie) call home, the siblings find their elders a little odd, but are reassured that their eccentricities stem from their advanced age. When even stranger occurrences start happening at night, Becca and Tyler are convinced that something else is going on. To complicate what becomes little more than kids simply being spooked by creepy old people, pseudo fairytale-style, Shyamalan throws the current horror movie trend — found footage — into the mix. Accordingly, The Visit is presented as a documentary being shot by wannabe filmmaker Becca, with Tyler assisting with the camerawork when he's not rapping in front of the lens. Shyamalan's found footage effort is not a slapdash attempt to capitalise upon the current fondness for a certain subgenre of film — at least as far as the actual found footage conceit is concerned. The director never abandons his approach, and even weaves the consequences of a constantly rolling camera into the story. Expect bit players performing because they know they're being watched, just as Tyler does. Don't expect shots from angles that can't be justified in the narrative, just because they look cool. Alas, around the well-executed and committed stylistic gimmick sits cliche and a veering tone that colours everything that happens. Attempted frights are easily foreseen in the shadowy Hansel and Gretel-like offering, though thankfully Shyamalan's love of the supernatural never rears its head. The predictability of the script certainly inspires much of the guffawing that will echo around the cinema, though many of the feature's gags are intentional. Making a good horror-comedy is as difficult a feat as mastering found footage, but The Visit doesn't succeed in the first instance. Giggling at, not with, the film, feels like the more frequent outcome as bodily functions are mined for humour alongside the naked elderly form. And with the jump scares few and far between, comic moments aren't quite being used to diffuse tension. Australians DeJonge and Oxenbould try hard to wade through the wavering mood, turning in playful performances that brighten up the standard story, but being asked to spout dialogue about filmmaking technique doesn't do their characters any favours. Still, to say that the duo ranks alongside Shyamalan's handling of found footage as the feature's highlights is accurate — although, in the context of the complete movie, that's once again not saying much.
We ain't afraid of no ghosts, but you should be afraid of missing out on this fun movie-themed affair at Shangri-La Sydney: a Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire-themed high tea. The concept is only available from March 16 to April 7 — right in time for the release of the anticipated latest addition to the Ghostbusters' film franchise. Taking place in The Lobby Lounge, the limited-time high tea keeps with the New York setting of the iconic film franchise with mini NYC wagyu beef cheeseburgers on brioche buns, classic bagels with house-smoked salmon, cream cheese and capers and mini hot dogs with sauerkraut and crispy onions. On the sweeter side, guests will enjoy apple pie macarons, mini Stay Puft marshmallow profiteroles, New York-style baked cheesecakes, scones (it is high tea, after all), and to really hammer home the theme, the ectoplasmic lime delights — caramel crumble with coconut cream and lime slime jelly. The high tea also brings the theme into its drinks offering. Adults can enjoy the zesty Slimer Sour or The Death Chill cocktail — a mix of tequila, coconut and lemon — and kids can choose from a selection of themed milkshakes. If you want to explore more Ghostbusters-themed cocktails, head to Blu Bar on 36 — Shangri-La's sky-high cocktail bar with epic views across the harbour. The next flick in the supernatural movie series sees most of the original cast and newcomers returning to New York City to battle an ancient force that's trying to unleash a second Ice Age. See it for yourselves when the film hits theatres on March 21. 'The Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' High Tea is available for a limited time only in the Lobby Lounge from March 16 – April 7, 2024, with two seating times: 11.00am–1.00pm and 2.00pm–4.00pm. Bookings are essential and can be made on the website, priced at $79 per adult (aged 12 and above) and $74 per child (aged 11 and under). 'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' is exclusively in cinemas on March 21, 2024.
Fulfil your food and cinema cravings in one go with this Moroccan-themed Good Food Month event from Surry Hills favourites Nomad and Golden Age Cinema. The two venues are coming together to offer a night packed with tasty food and a classic film. An Evening in Morocco will involve a next-level multi-course meal from the team behind Nomad and a showing of iconic Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman-starring drama Casablanca. Popping up at Nomad on Thursday, January 20, it will take place across two sessions, each of which will feature dinner and a screening of the movie. Highlights of the night's menu include barbecue prawns, baked chilli and honeycomb feta, lamb neck b'stilla and smoked eggplant. Classic starters like woodfired bread and olive tapenade will be on hand to ease you into the night, and a mille feuille with caramelised milk, dates and orange will round things out for dessert. The cherry on top of the evening will be a themed cocktail created by the Golden Age team for you to sip while you enjoy Casablanca. Top image: Nikki To
Let's put it on the record — Disney ruined fairy tales for everyone. The world does not need happy endings, or at least it doesn't require the sickly sweet endings that only a cartoon mouse force-fed a diet of high-fructose corn syrup can crap out. Someone needs to dig up the Brothers Grimm (and Angela Carter, for that matter) and get them pumping out stories that make children dream of darkness as much as they do of light. High on the list of potential gravediggers is the Cornish company, Kneehigh Theatre, who are exploding onto the York Theatre stage with their adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's The Red Shoes. More ghastly than Elvis' blue suedes, these crimson pumps have the magical ability to make a person dance in perpetuity. So, if there's one thing this production guarantees, it's a knee-blasting dance track with some sweat-milking flesh thrashing. Grab any child you can find and bring them to this show. If you don't, then the world will belong to Mickey and his censors forever more. https://youtube.com/watch?v=oK4h7gDqo5A
Art plus bar. This almost universal gallery opening deal is a pretty tasty mix already. But the MCA adds extras to this time-honoured tradition with its now SMAC-winning series ARTBAR. They’re evenings of strange and interesting things at play among the art, recurring monthly and curated by a rotating cast of local artists. This month, outsider art lover Tully Arnot takes the reins at this multi-storey, late night gallery romp. Silent opera, strange sculpture and unusual visual and aural manifestations are all said to be on the agenda.
The British Film Festival might only be six years old, but this year's event comes with a considerable sense of history. It's there in the fest's opening night film, Collette, which stars Keira Knightley as 19th-century French novelist Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette. It's evident in a four-movie tribute that'll blow the bloody cinema doors off, showcasing the work and career of Michael Caine. And, it's obvious in closing night's Stan & Ollie, with Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly as one of cinema's greatest double acts: British comedian Stan Laurel and his American counterpart Oliver Hardy. Dramatic true tales about Oscar Wilde, Virginia Woolf and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart all keep the theme going, as do real-life spy thriller Red Joan with Judi Dench and the Idris Elba-directed, 70s and 80s-set Jamaican gangster movie Yardie. There's also a retrospective dedicated to Brit flicks from the swinging sixties, plus Peterloo — the latest effort from seven-time Oscar nominated writer/director Mike Leigh, which focuses on a working-class demonstration in Manchester in 1819. Screening at Sydney's Palace Norton Street, Palace Central, Palace Verona and Chauvel Cinema between Tuesday, October 23 and Wednesday, November 14 (with a few extra days always tacked on at the end to replay the most popular titles), the 2018 BFF boasts plenty of other highlights — and genres and stars as well. Catch a Scottish Christmas-themed teen-zombie-musical-comedy courtesy of Anna and the Apocalypse, and watch Rob Brydon go synchronised swimming (yes, really) in Swimming with Men. Or, see Star Wars' Daisy Ridley, Harry Potter's Tom Felton and Clive Owen take on Shakespeare in Ophelia, a reworking of Hamlet.
Are you still, still recovering from The Red Viper versus The Mountain? Are you feeling a little nostalgic for the days when Tyrion could lay around boozing on vino? Perhaps you should be drinking your sorrows away with some like-minded Thrones fanatics. Confused? We’ll lay it down for you. Game of Rhones is a wine-tasting event that's been touring Australia since 2014. Featuring over 40 producers and 100 wines, it's a one-day, all-out trial by combat to determine the best offering of the grape varieties from the Rhone Valley in France — Shiraz, Grenache, and Viognier among others. But this isn't just a run-of-the-mill wine tasting set-up. To keep that theme solid, the Rhone Bar is where you can taste wines from ‘Beyond the Wall’ (ie: the Rhone Valley). Then, you can sign up for a blindfolded tasting in the 'torture chamber' (a highlight of previous Game of Rhones events). Suffice to say, after a few of these Rhone Valley wines, we'd probably confess to a secret or two. Of course, it wouldn't be Thrones-worthy if there weren't a few extra kickers. To accompany your wine, there will be a selection of feast-able treats available such as suckling pig and venison pie — if you’re a vego or a vegan, you've probably already guessed this is a highly meaty affair.
Is this low-budget, low-key production Joss Whedon's post-Avengers campaign for cred as a Legit Indie Filmmaker? Much Ado About Nothing is Shakespeare's 1598 version of a rom-com, hauled mercilessly into 2013 with cocktails, cupcakes and a sensibility that's both verbose and slapstick. Our two lovers, Beatrice (Amy Acker) and Benedick (Alexis Denisof), are cluelessly star-crossed, blinded by their own pride and ego. Whether you find what plays out a tedious, self-financed pet project or an endearing contemporary translation will depend on your familiarity with the almost untouched original text and your appreciation/tolerance of Whedon universe in-jokes (like the Dollhouse set prop). The project was shot in 12 days at the end of Avengers production with a cast of usual Whedon suspects. It's a somewhat grinding change of gears from the Marvel machine, but in an age of relentless threequels, 3D fantasies and franchisable remakes, it's admirable to see a big-shot director get back to basics. Whedon does everything from writing the slightly cheesy score to staging the entire production in his LA mansion. It's shot in black and white, which seems to be an easy shorthand for self-declared serious independent directors lately, but Whedon makes it work. Just. Across all his various projects, this director's trademark is self-assuredness, and every frame of Much Ado About Nothing bounces with energy. It's as slick as you'd expect, if not a little forgettable, and definitely not daring. Then again, it's not meant to be: it's for Whedon's maniacal audience and for himself. The Elizabethan speech rarely totally flows, the modern setting jars and not all the actors convince. But the director's fondness for the typical Shakespearean preoccupations of hidden identity, destined love and thwarted revenge can't help but seep through. A frothy labour of love. https://youtube.com/watch?v=NZB5EBdKaMw
Like socialising, gallery-hopping is better at night. Three must-do precinct parties will be be activated over the course of the month: East Sydney (March 12), Paddington/Woollahra (March 26) and Chippendale/Redfern (March 19). Gallery doors will be wide open, ready for your keen insights and witty comments. If you’re new to the whole art party scene, these DIY tours are the perfect induction. Grab a group of friends and head off on a local adventure before settling into the precinct’s ArtBar for some sweet tunes and performances. Although each night is good, the Chippendale/Redfern circuit will be particularly crammed with top-notch exhibitions. You can expect some spectacle at White Rabbit Gallery’s State of Play, wander down to 107 Projects for long-time collaborators Alexandra Clapham and Penelope Benton’s new exhibition United Walls then cap off your night at Wellington St Projects with Deb Mansfield’s poetically titled Some Rocky Socket. This event is one of our top ten picks of Art Month. Check out the other nine here.
Fancy yourself a bit of Aladdin and Jasmine action this Valentine's Day? Zeta Bar at Sydney's Hilton has got you covered. Launching its new Arabian Nights concept on February 14, Zeta is set to transform into an exotic palace, offering an experience both luxurious and flavoursome. Gorge the senses with an array of Arabian-inspired cocktails, a spice market bar and hookah pipes aplenty (just ask the sheesha sommelier about your smoking options). There's a loved-up couples package on offer for the evening (get four cocktails, along with a middle eastern tasting plate for $150), as well as singles deals for those boldly living up their singledom.
Kate Nash won fans with her piano-driven pop songs and cockney-accented lyrics on her first album, the platinum-selling Made of Bricks, and now she's back with a new album, a new look and a nostalgic 60s sound. If her first album won acclaim (and a Brit Award) for its keen observation of confusing romances and what Pitchfork calls a 'just-a-girl power-pop blast', then her second album, My Best Friend Is You delivers plenty of Motown-inflected brass and handclaps, jangly surf-guitar and coordinated girl group dance moves alongside the usual key-thwacking intensity. Making an appearance at the Metro Theatre just before playing at Playground Weekender, you can expect grungy pop, catchy hooks and humorous lyrical narrative delivered with typical aplomb. And, fingers crossed, maybe something a little like the video below. https://youtube.com/watch?v=OqV-embx_tA
You'll be able to take a trip around Tassie, without the actual travelling part, when a CBD laneway transforms into a cellar door for an evening. The Laneway Cellar Door will take over the outdoor space at Bulletin Place on Thursday, March 7 to help launch this year's state-hopping Taste of Australia series. Head along to get acquainted with goodies from some of Tasmania's most lauded producers, as you quaff, nibble and graze your way through the evening. There'll be live oyster shucking, cheese stations, an assortment of meat and seafood stalls, and roving food trays, courtesy of Silvester's Restaurant chef Raphael Szurek and some top Tassie produce. And of course, the matching wine offering is set to be a banger, with the likes of Janz, Josef Chromy, Pooley, Clover Hill and Priory Ridge just some of the names who'll be showing off their drops. To sample the goods, you'll just need to grab a $25 ticket, which scores you four tokens and a tasting glass. Drinks are available for one token each and you'll need two for each food dish — so you could get two drinks and a snack for your money, or just four drinks. Of course, you can purchase more tokens at the event.
This is a show that asks you to be complicit with it. Right there in the title, see? Kind of like having a giggle about doing something a bit mischievous, but with a sense that it's still important to be nice. Nanna might not want to see her granddaughter's tights stretched over a board, or embroidery lessons used to put Pulp slogans on pretty hankies. All the works in the show play with ideas of the feminine and the domestic in their imagery, materials and techniques. There's a real sense that this stuff "for girls" is being used by the artists to express personal identity at the same time as being very obviously conscious of the connotations of their repertoire. It's a little bit like a sleepover, really: there are in-jokes, secrets being whispered about, music, dressing-up and sequins. But there are also political undercurrents and things going on that might just help you to grow up. Oh and instead of going to school together, the artists all work at the MCA. Ella Condon, Bridie Connell, Sarah Contos, Micaela Gifney, Leahlani Johnson, Be Jones and Nicola Walkerden are talking about girls in the way that girls so often do, and the show lets you overhear and become part of the discussion. So long as you don't tell. Image: Sarah Contos
Laneway seems like an odd place for the Australian debut of Manchester producer Holy Other, who prefers to play in near-complete darkness. I found that out via Google but it’s difficult to see why you’d want to experience his music in any other way. Combining sexy slow grooves with disarming club-suited vocals that sound halfway between a dream and a nightmare, these tunes don’t need a veil of darkness to make them more mysterious, but a cloudy room full of jerky strobed bodies would certainly intensify things in a really cool way. Having just released his debut album Held, the follow up to last year’s vehemently received With U EP, Holy Other has recently toured with the likes of Beach House, Amon Tobin and Thom Yorke & Nigel Godrich’s Atoms for Peace. Performing in Goodgod’s smoky Danceteria for his only Sydney Laneway sideshow, this is a chance to hear his more recent vocal-heavy tracks alongside the five pieces of moody atmospherics that were not unfoundedly heralded as contemporary masterpieces. Take someone who hates house music or RNB so you can grin smugly in the darkness with the knowledge that their perceptions will be forever changed for the better.
The minds behind Barossa Grape & Wine Association and vinous event organisers Revel have another specialised wine exploration to add to your calendar, this time devoted to the famed South Australian wine region of the Barossa Valley. On Saturday, July 13, Barossa. Be Consumed returns to Eveleigh's Carriageworks. Expect a one-day celebration of the Barossa's finest, showcasing over 220 wines from more than 45 of the region's wineries. The lineup features Cirillo Estate, Peter Lehmann and First Drop Wines, alongside award-winners like Yelland and Papps, home to 2018 Young Gun of Wine finalist Michael Papps, and Turkey Flat Vineyards, winner of the 2017 Jimmy Watson Trophy. You'll have the chance to meet producers while you sample their best creations, and then have bottles of your favourite wines shipped straight to your door. Seppeltsfield Road Distillers rounds out the liquid offerings with its small-batch gin, too. There'll be live music playing as you sample various drops and wander through the fair. Plus, regional food and produce will also be available to taste (and line your stomach). Meanwhile, four Meet the Maker sessions will run for those wanting to sink their teeth in deeper and will be hosted by leading wine personalities Samantha Payne and Clare Burder. Ranging from a sommelier's view on dining with Barossa vino to an in-depth look at Barossa grenache, these sessions are available for an additional cost ($35–50).
The buzz around Steam Mill Lane may have died down a bit, but the foodie precinct has just the thing to keep people coming — a massive, laneway-wide happy hour four times per week. Dubbed Steam Sessions, the offering runs every Wednesday through Saturday from 4–7pm, with deals on booze, coffee, food and even discounted pharmacy items — because no one said you can't combine a little boozing with your humdrum errands. The best of include $10 spritzes and $5 draft beers/house wines from Belles Hot Chicken; $10 poke bowls from Fishbowl; and $15 coffee and dessert from Edition Coffee Roasters (3–5pm). Marrickville Pork Roll and Ricefields also have free drink with purchase deals, and, if you happen to get to the area early, Toby's Estate is slinging a $5 coffee and pastry combo from 2–4pm. Plus, on Friday evenings they've got live acts and DJs taking over the laneway too, so you can add a little free entertainment to your cheap knock off drinks.
Hijacked III is the third in a series connecting photographers from Australia and overseas. This offering focuses on a link between our shores and the UK. Christian Thompson’s *Untitled #7 * shows a giant figure wrapped in soft fabric except for painted white hands. A powerful gaze projects out from under the hood of patternd fabric. The figure seems to be regarding visitors from a wiser place and offering them illumination in the cut plastic water bottle it offers to the viewer. Sarah Pickering’s Landmine and Artillery from her Explosion series each show one instant pop of army explosives during training exercises. The images spark (one literally) with energy and the beautiful swirl of particulate matter, beautiful to watch. But these are killing machines. Tracey Moffat’s series of plantation Dyptichs show a rural Australia washed in orange as though on fire. In some, actually aflame. For Inside the View, Helen Sear scratches away one photograph to reveal another landscape beneath. The overlaid images are each portraits of backs of heads, and inside them the scratching reveals their dreams of forests or fiery moments in the night sky. Melinda Gibson’s The Photograph as Contemporary Art follows a similar path, but with sharp cuts taking the place of Sear’s scratchings. Seba Kurtis’ A Few Days More series explores migration in the Americas from South- to North-, but his photos of horses and urban moments are in love with the blown out lights of the american cityscape. Maciej Dakowicz lights on the kisses, dresses and near misses of a night out on Cardiff’s St Mary St. Tony Greaves’ Radical Love series shows nuns at play and Laura Pannack has a stunning sad, alluring and intimate portrait of first love with her uncanny Graham. In this exhibition the hijacking of nationality takes second place to the actual hijacking going on: great photographers taking over ordinary moments and bringing them to shimmering life. Image from Maciej Dakowicz's Cardiff After Dark.
More than 60 people have been injured and 19 hospitalised after a stampede at Falls Festival's Lorne leg on Friday evening. The incident occurred after DMA's finished their set on the Grand Theatre Stage, when many in the crowd tried to make their way to see London Grammar on the Valley Stage. The Age reports that a number of patrons slipped and lost their footing during the move, resulting in leg, rib, hip, pelvic, head, facial and spinal injuries and fractures, as well as cuts and bruises. "It was quite a chaotic scene and required a major response," said Ambulance Victoria state health commander Paul Holman. Punters took to social media to post about the traumatic and chaotic experience, including reports of broken bones, panic attacks, people passing out, trampling and many fearing for their lives. "This was the most scariest thing ever! I will never forget what I saw last night," wrote one Falls attendee. "It's hectic and she said it was the worst thing she has ever experienced in her life," posted the sister of another. https://twitter.com/kewesting/status/814859083740102656 Festival organisers also took to social media to issue a statement, reflecting the fact that entertainment in the Grand Theatre was suspended for the remainder of the evening, but noting that normal programming will resume on Saturday. Many responses to their post have been rightfully critical of the setup that allowed the incident to occur in the first place — this isn't their first time hosting a popular event of this size, with a mass migration between stages and sets a common occurrence not just at Falls, but at every other music festival. The Lorne crowd crush occurs just days after a 21-year-old woman was struck and killed by a falling tree branch at the Lost Paradise festival on the NSW Central Coast. With plenty of festivals in full swing over New Year's — and the peak festival period upon us during summer — here's hoping for a safe rest of the season. If you're attending a fest, look after each other. Image: Falls Festival.
Everyone's favourite whimsical seaside house is back for another year. Master of whimsy, The Grounds of Alexandria is returning to Bondi's Sculpture by the Sea for a third year, relaunching their pop-up cafe along the scenic walk at Tamarama from October 20 to November 6. The styling this year has moved away from last year's Hobbiton (so long Sackville-Bagginses, you fools!) to gallop full pace towards a Western desert theme. After a recent trip to America's southwest, Ramzey Choker and Therese Moussa (co-founder and creative developer, respectively) have decided that 2016 will be the year of Arizonian architecture and arid vegetation. The traditional hacienda (made with insulating adobe, so popular in warmer climates) is the structural inspiration this year. You can expect bountiful succulents and cacti, as well as textured floral rooftop of seaside daisies. The Hobbit-style house from last year will be remade into an American southwest oasis, popping with terracotta peach, coral and salmon — so make sure you bring your selfie stick. The outside will be treated with a green patina (like an oxidised copper) to give it a weathered look. It's an interior decorating dream come to life. "We want to create a house that blends in with the sunrise; we've designed it to be in harmony with its surroundings in Bondi and want it to feel like it's been sitting on the hill for years," said Moussa. Chef Paul McGrath will be serving up a selection of the Grounds fare, including brekkie bowls, seafood platters and signature burgers with some Arizonian flavours (which are, for the record, lime, chilli and coconut) thrown in for good measure. The pop-up will be open from 7am until 7pm each day.
If your pockets are feeling a little lighter after Christmas shopping and many end-of-year celebrations, you're in luck. Sydney Festival has today announced it's offering $31 tickets to 34 of its shows — so you don't need to forgo your culture and art fix come January. And you don't need to lineup for these cheap tickets, either. Sydney Festival has teamed up with TodayTix, an app aiming to make theatre affordable for all, for its 2020 Tix For Next to Nix program, which lets you snag two $26 tickets (plus $5 booking fee per ticket) to a same-day performance. A limited number of cheap tickets are available from 9am–midday (or until sold out) on the morning of the show via the TodayTix app. This means, you can snag the cheap tix on your phone — from the comfort of your bed. The cheap tickets will be available every day throughout the festival — which runs from January 8–26 — for cabaret shows, circus, live music and theatre. Highlights from the Tix For Next to Nix program include Joan Didion's The White Album, which sees the author's 79 essays brought to life on the stage; a comedy by First Nations theatre companies Ilbijerri and Te Rēhia called Black Ties; a 30-year revival of Aboriginal stage musical Bran Nue Dae; a futuristic performance by avant-garde musician Holly Herndon; and family-oriented circus piece Air Play. [caption id="attachment_748193" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Betty Blokk-Buster Reimagined[/caption] Discounted shows also include a reboot of seminal 70s Aussie cabaret Betty Blokk-Buster Reimagined and supernatural theatre Night Parade of One Hundred Goblins, which leads you through the AGNSW's new Japan Supernatural exhibition. The catch is that to 'unlock' the Tix For Next to Nix tickets, you'll need to share a post about TodayTix on your social media. But, with some of these tickets going for upwards of $100, it's a share we're more than willing to make. Set your alarm. TodayTix is offering $26 tickets (plus $5 booking fee each) to Sydney Festival shows every day from 9am January 8–26. You can download the app for iOS and Android. To find out more about Tix For Next to Nix, head to the Sydney Festival website. Image: Air Play by Florence Montmare.
When you're a child it seems everyone is older than you: there's the nosey neighbour, the doting pseudo-grandma, the spiteful widow and the grumpy old man who sits on the patio, finger shaking erratically. Whether they like it or not each of them bear witness to your messy childhood: the bloody noses, the scraped knees and the broken windows. All the while your throwing arm gets stronger, your running strides get longer and your teeth, well they aren't really sure what they're doing. Fast-forward 20 years and look who you bump into. It's old Mr Shakes-his-finger: "Oh you haven't changed a bit,” he says. “You're still that scrappy little boy struggling to grow into his frames." You stare blankly, brow furrowed. Minutes later you’re rummaging through the old family albums only to realise the old bleeder is right. You're the spitting image of your former self. Just ask Buenos Aires artist Irina Werning whose ongoing photography series is all about going 'Back to the Future'. Through this modern-day venture Werning indulges her love for photos from the past by asking today's adult to recreate yesterday's child. The side-by-side visuals are an amazing insight into the magic of time, youth and the joys of trying to recapture it. Irina Werner
Now that you've seen how many cafes, bars and restaurants have popped up in the Hills region, you shouldn't be surprised by the fact that Castle Towers shopping centre is running a new program called The Cooking School over April and May—a series of food-focused events, workshops and cooking classes. Part of the range of food culture workshops is the Wine and Cheese Matching class, hosted by Sabino Matera—an Italian born Australian immigrant whose family were regional farmers with strong ties to the land. His family grew their own fruits and vegetables, and made their own wine to accompany their meals. A constant staple on the table was wine and cheese. Matera will teach you to tune into your senses—vision, smell and taste—in order to produce perfect cheese and wine pairings. In this hands-on workshop, you'll be given a background into the different varietals of wine and cheese (with tastings as you go), while enjoying a glass of wine and some delicious artisanal cheeses. By the end of the class you'll have the confidence to match cheese and wine in your own home. Get your tickets here.
As any Sydney seafood aficionado should know by now, The Morrison has a constant focus on the not-so-humble oyster. While its annual Oyster Festival is over for the year, the CBD bar is keeping the festive feels going with an oyster and bottomless bubbles deal — available all weekend, every weekend. On offer all day Saturday and Sunday, the deal features a dozen oysters and two hours of bottomless sparkling wine for just $55. If you're feeling extra fancy — and extra flush — you can upgrade to Piper-Heidsieck champagne for an additional $60 a head (a casual $115 each, in total). As this offer is available all day, it means you can rock up at midday for a luxe brunch, at 3pm for a boozy arvo session or at 8pm for a post-dinner snack (and sip). Bookings are recommended, though, and can be made over at The Morrison website.
If the Biennale's photographic offerings haven't quite quenched your thirst, have a look into Head On Photo Festival, starting with this black-and-white series by influential American photographer Mary Ellen Mark. Spying into the rituals of different cultures, micro-communities and quirky individuals, her work is imbued with both humour and sadness. Mark's global roaming photography typically depicts people living on the margins of society. From the outskirts of Los Angeles to the back streets of Redfern, these searing images are poignant reminders of the vast gulf between prosperity and poverty. Hosted by Stills Gallery, this is Mark’s Australian debut. However, the collection includes a few Sydney-based photographs, dating back to the 1980s. One work portrays a boxer stamped with prison tattoos with a hardened-looking manager hovering behind. It’s a rare glimpse into a working-class scene teeming with booze, blokes and boxing. Another photograph is closer to a studio sitting, revealing an almost identical pair of Greek bridesmaids solemnly positioned side-by-side. With fluffy perms and gaudy gowns, they are a comical vision of '80s excess. It seems Mark is mapping Australia’s growing multiculturalism. In most of these photographs, the intent gaze of the camera is met by the unflinching gaze of the subject. Mark also turns her lens toward a variety of US locales. Here we have another spread of battlers. For instance, there’s The Damm Family in their Car, depicting a Los Angeles tribe huddled together in a self-conscious tableaux. The staging is more transparent in this image, the downward perspective intensifying their isolation and vulnerability. There’s also a young South Carolina girl standing in a paddle pool, cigarette in hand. Exhaling smoke towards the camera, she looks like a pageant queen with a bit of rough sass. With her smudged make-up and shiny swimwear, there is an air of premature sexuality. It is portraits such as these that verge on the bizarre, exposing a social underbelly that presents itself otherwise. Behind the closed doors of suburbia, Mark captures a host of eccentric characters. Some of which are quite amusing and life-affirming. For example, there’s the joyous image of senior citizens in flapper dresses caught mid-Samba at a club in Miami. Further afield, there are a number of portraits revolving around an Indian circus troupe, featuring contortionists and animal tamers, on and off duty. It seems that for Mark, eye contact is the reservoir of emotional affect. The penetrating gaze held by these subjects often seems to reveal information beyond the image itself. Importantly, the level perspective between camera and subject creates an egalitarian relationship that prevents the series from tipping into cliched sympathies.
Surry Hills restaurant Nomad has just as much street cred for its wine as it does for its next-level Middle Eastern cuisine. As well as having an extensive wine list and an in-house cellar door, the restaurant also has a monthly wine delivery service. And now its adding another notch to its vinous belt, launching its very own wine school. From July, the restaurant will run a series of monthly weeknight classes, hosted upstairs at neighbouring China Heights Gallery by Nomad's Director of Wine Simon Howland. The Monday and Tuesday night classes will clock in at a tidy 90 minutes and include a guided tasting of six wines, with cheese and charcuterie. They'll hone in on a particular theme, like What is Natural Wine? and Festive Wines. A spot at the table will cost you $150. Those wanting to really get into the specifics can join one of the Saturday classes, which run for 5.5 hours one Saturday a month for $250. These sessions include more wines and lunch at Nomad. NOMAD WINE SCHOOL WEEKDAY SCHEDULE Tuesday, July 24: Nomad Winter Wines Tuesday, August 14: What is Natural Wine? Monday, September 3: Nomad Spring Selection Tuesday, October 9: Winemaker or Vineyard, Who Really Makes the Wine? Tuesday, November 13: Nomad Festive Wines
It's safe to say Gami Chicken and Beer has secured its status as one of Australia's go-to fried chicken joints, slinging its signature Korean-style chook from a growing number of locations across the country. To celebrate the opening of its latest outpost in Edmondson Square, Gami is giving Sydneysiders a very good reasons to jump on board, handing out a whopping 1000 boxes of fried chicken — for free. These fried chicken morsels — RSPCA-approved and rocking Gami's signature blend of 17 herbs and spices — will be up for grabs from 12–12.30pm and again from 5.30–6pm on both Thursday, April 29 and Friday, April 30at the new location. There will only be 250 free boxes available at each session — so you should head in early if you want a freebie. Once you're hooked, you're probably going to want to schedule a return visit pretty quick, to try other Gami favourites like the chicken spare ribs or the aptly named Potato Heaven, featuring three layers of cheesy potato goodness, as well as chilled Gun:bae lagers from Brunswick's Thunder Road Brewery. And if you can't make it down for a free piece, the Edmondson Square store is already open for lunch and dinner daily.
Having released their debut full-length studio album Eyelid Movies five years ago, New York duo Phantogram has slowly and steadily built a loyal following in dream-pop/street beat circles. In that sense, they're an antidote to an Internet-fuelled culture that has so many artists gambling on viral sensations. Mind you, teaming up with Outkast's Big Boi and The Flaming Lips has certainly helped to keep them well out of the shadows they so often sing about. "We gravitate towards sad art in general," Sarah Barthel (Phantogram's vocal half) told Indie Shuffle in a recent interview. "Whether it's songs or movies, I guess we gravitate towards emotional art. We always want to write emotional music." New album Voices continues on this melancholic trajectory, but it's too texturally complex to become dull, too melodic to become maudlin. Before taking their elegant grooves to the Grass, Phantogram will give themselves an Antipodean warm-up with side shows at Sydney's Metro Theatre on July 24 and Melbourne's Prince Bandroom on July 25.
Camperdown's Grumpy Donuts is slinging a special treat this week when it joins forces with cult-favourite low-cal ice creamery Halo Top on Wednesday, February 13. The duo has created two ice cream doughnut sandwiches, dubbed 'fronuts', and are giving away a whopping 500 of 'em. The one-day pop-up is to celebrate the launch of two new Halo Top flavours: peaches and cream and dairy-free chocolate chip cookie dough. And, on the day, you'll be able to taste them (for free) sandwiched inside Grumpy Donuts favourites. Up for grabs is a scoop of peaches and cream in a brown sugar-glazed buttermilk doughnut, or the cookie dough in a maple-glazed cinnamon doughnut — the latter is completely vegan, too. This freebie runs from 8am until sold out, so swinging by before work may be a necessity. And, in the spirit of this unofficial Parks and Recreation holiday — Galentine's Day — you should bring your best mate along, too. Image: Grumpy Donuts.
Everyone's favourite rail yard turned arts centre, Carriageworks, has announced a vibrant program for 2013 that includes work from local and international heroes including Chinese artist Song Dong, New York cabaret icon Mx Justin Vivian Bond, famed choreographer Martin Del Amo, Melbourne kooks The Black Lung Theatre and Whaling Firm, and Ireland's Pan Pan Theatre. This is only the second comprehensive annual program for the still young institution, which boasted doubled attendance figures in 2012, projected to be 220,000 visitors. Now 2013 might be marked as the year where Carriageworks truly carved out its place in Sydney, by further embracing its Redfern home while making new connections with our broader neighbours, the Asia-Pacific. Kicking off the year is the visually flooring large-scale art installation Waste Not by Song Dong. A transformative representation of his mother’s mourning process following the death of his father, the work will involve laying out the entire contents of her house to fill the Carriageworks foyer. Cross-cultural colabs with the Asia-Pacific continue throughout the year as Carriageworks brings out the Black Lung Theatre and Whaling Firm's thrillingly unexpected project with East Timorese rockers Galaxy and LiuraiFo'er, Doku Rai (You, dead man, I don't believe you); Pan Pan Theatre (Ireland) and Square Moon Culture (Beijing)'s vividly absurdist card game Fight the Landlord; and Samoan choreographer Lemi Ponifasio soaringly elegiac Birds with Skymirrors, a depiction of the tiny island of Tarawa in the time of climate change. Carriageworks' commitment to supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts and culture will be very visible this year with the Australia Day Yabun concert in Victoria Park, to be headlined by Archie Roach. Kicking off the next day is the two-week Yellamundie playwriting festival, which will bring together Indigenous writers, dramaturgs, directors, and actors to develop six new plays. Mid-year, catch the free LIVE and DEADLY exhibition, which recalls iconic moments from the streets of Redfern — including Keating's speech, the Apology, and the riots. Other highlights include a newbie from documentary theatre whizzes Version 1.0, Vehicle Failed to Stop, which looks at private contractors working in Iraq. Martin del Amo shows off 12 choreographic portraits in Slow Dances for Fast Times, and FBi Radio's Marty Doyle hosts a one-day record fair dubbed At First Sight. Carriageworks is also looking to the future; a new three-year strategy will see them commission 18 Australian and six international artists to create 24 new works that play at the boundaries of choreography, visual arts, and film. The initiative comes complete with a great title — 24 Frames Per Second.
Over the past few months, many Australians have been working from home, which means many of us are have been leaning on our bar carts a little more than usual. This has lead to a level of experimentation — whether that's ordering in cocktails, trying our hand at making our own fancy drinks or getting some fun wines delivered. Another way you could get creative is by ordering a bottle of Unico Zelo's yuzu vermouth. The tasty child of Adelaide Hills winery Unico Zelo and sister distillery Applewood, this second batch of untraditional (but ever-so-tasty) vermouth is made from a combination of Adelaide Hills merlot grapes, some native Australian botanicals (usually used to make Applewood's Okar bitter amaro) and yuzu from Mountain Yuzu — a 20-acre farm located in northeast Victoria, on the foothills of the Australian Alps. As you can see, its an all-Australian affair, unlike a lot of traditional vermouths, which are made in Italy and France. Eco-minded founders and winemakers Laura and Brendan Carter are committed to using native botanicals and sustainably produced grapes in their entire range of wines and spirits, aiming to create products that truly taste Aussie as. As it's not a traditional sweet vermouth — it's really quite far from it — we forgive you for not knowing exactly how to drink it. But, thankfully, we've done some testing for you. On the rocks? Yep. Instead of sweet vermouth in a negroni? Do it. With a splash of soda? Definitely. If you want something a little fancier, the Unico team has a couple of cocktail suggestions for you. Try your hand at the Natty-Cano, a spin on an americano, but with pét-nat instead of soda water. To make it, mix 45-millilitres of Unico Yuzu, 15-millilitres of Økar Island Bitter (or Campari) and 120-millilitres of pét-nat in a highball glass and garnish with an orange twist. Unico (the parent company of Unico Zelo and Applewood) has also been steadily dropping a heap of other exciting spirits throughout the year, too, including a pretty-in-pink coral gin. All of Unico's limited releases only available in very small batches, so if you want it, don't wait on it. Unico's Yuzu Vermouth is available to purchase via the website from Friday, July 17. Priced at $34.99 per bottle.
Three Blue Ducks' popular Sunday barbecue banquets have returned, offering a feast of epic proportions. Head down to the farm-to-table eatery's Rosebery outpost each Sunday and you'll be treated to roasted meats and veggies as well as live music and a few drinks. Each week the $50 per person menu is slightly different, but you can always expect a tasty entree, a drink on arrival and a succulent barbecued main that is sure to have you on the couch nursing a food baby come Sunday night. For example, on Sunday, November 28, guests will be treated to salt-baked beetroot with goats cheese cream to start, before choosing between a spit roast pig (crackling and hot sauce included, of course) or butter-roasted celeriac. Both dishes will be accompanied by a baked jacket potato fitted out with all the trimmings and celeriac remoulade. Bonus goodies like fresh sourdough with chicken skin butter, Sydney rock oysters and Skull Island prawns can be added on for an additional charge, and kids can enjoy a pint-sized barbecue meal for just $15.
Electronic music has been getting a big shove into the spotlight recently thanks to good people doing things like this. In fact we’re so all over the genre that we’re being given a conference about it, and helping cultivate this ambient surge for two years now have been the guys in charge of putting stuff on at Goodgod. The freshest endeavor of Sydney’s inner-city dance oasis is this thing called Hi-Beams, which sees the decks pulled out to the middle of the front bar’s d-floor for a free weekly documentation of producers and DJs pushing raw and interesting electronic sounds. Last week it was the sonically intrepid Prize, Gardland and Cliques, the last of which have been on our radar for a while now despite having only two tracks due for release. Each 30-minute set will be broadcast and recorded live via Hi-Beams.tumblr.com, but you know what they say about being there. Hint: It’s more fun and the snacks are better.
If you didn't miss a single chapter of S-Town and you spend more time on Audible than you do with your friends, then this extravaganza is for you. Meet Audiocraft Podcast Festival, a three-day happening dedicated to podcasts. Whether you make them, listen to them or obsess over them, there are talks, panel discussions and workshops for you. Headlining the program is a bunch of hit creators from Audible, namely Jesse Baker, Collin Campbell and Eric Nuzum, who, between them, have worked on West Cork, The Butterfly Effect with Jon Ronson and Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel. Other names to look out for include Eleanor McDowall of Short Cuts (BBC), Beverley Wang of It's Not A Race (RN) and Joel Werner of Sum of All Parts. The action will kick off on Friday 1 June, with an opening night listening party at 107 Projects, Redfern. The centrepiece will be Radio Atlas, an audio project made up of sounds from all over the world, curated by MacDowell. There'll also be a host of workshops happening across the three days, for those keen on creating their own audible series. And, for those who are really keen, there's a two-day content development retreat happening from June 6–7 — you can apply to attend here. Image: Bryce Thomas.
Modern-day man-love is strange and complex new territory indeed. Since hunting rituals fell out of vogue all those years ago, there’s no longer a clear-cut way of navigating the sticky terrain of platonic male bonding. In the age of self-help saturation, men are being called on to express their feelings, get in touch with their feminine side and take an active interest in weird foreign concepts like communication, where previous generations got away with slapping each other on the back after a hole-in-one. Ours is a generation that coined the term ‘bromance’ — a concept that has provided endless material for comedy in contemporary pop-culture. How long do you think our forefathers would have put up with Two and a Half Men? In Bromance, choreographers Alisdair Macindoe and Adam Synnott invite you to explore the nuanced labyrinth that is the male relationship. As part of the You Are Here season of performance, dance and installation at Performance Space, the two seasoned performers draw on their personal experiences to present a full-length dance work that examines the interplay between two young men entering adulthood. Utilising space and movement, Macindoe and Synnott delve into the psychology of brotherhood and the rivalry, trust, respect, responsibility and genuine love that shapes the experience of intimacy between men.
The old Clare Hotel is about to be reborn. Singapore-based hotel-restaurant entrepreneur Loh Lik Peng of Unlisted Collection has taken over the heritage-listed Chippendale building, intending to turn Broadway's beloved former pub into a boutique hotel — due to open this July as part of Central Park's brand new $2 billion Kensington Street laneway precinct. As the first Australian venture for the group, the Old Clare Hotel sees Loh intending to replicate company's successful London/Shanghai/Singapore boutique hotel model in Sydney. Already announced, the hotel will feature three high profile restaurants including Automata (from former Momofuku sous chef, Clayton Wells) as part of the hotel on the Old Clare/Carlton United Brewery site. Wells is refurbishing the heritage-listed Chippendale building as a 60-seater, industrially-inspired eatery with Sydney architect and motorcycle expert Matt Machine. UK chef Jason Atherton will open the 120-seater Kensington Street Social, and Briton Sam Miller (former executive sous chef at Copenhagen's Noma) will also open his first solo restaurant, Silvereye, on the second floor. Hotel-wise, the Old Clare venture will feature 62 guest rooms. Unlisted have worked with the award-winning Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects (Carriageworks) on the design, creating a blend of historic and modern aesthetic — high ceilings, heritage timber paneling, exposed brick (from the original foundation), all brought together amongst a contemporary, semi-industrial design. The Old Clare's reception — located within the original pub area — is set to become a bar for both locals and guests, with coffee, cocktails and beers poured day and night. So you'll be able to revisit the Clare without shelling out for accommodation. Guests get the special treatment though, with a 14-metre rooftop pool and bar on the top of the Carlton United Brewery administration building. There's apparently going to be a 'cultural program' in place, and guests will be able to partake in a spot of sunrise poolside yoga. The hotel's also set to feature a private gym and day spa, alongside a heritage-restored meeting space. The Old Clare Hotel will open July 2015 at 1 Kensington Street, Chippendale.
