In the name of its protagonist, and the pain and fury that threatens to parch her 12-year-old existence, Del Kathryn Barton's first feature scorches and sears. It burns in its own moniker, too, and in the blistering alarm it sounds against an appalling status quo: that experiencing, witnessing and living with the aftermath of violence against women is all too common, heartbreakingly so, including in Australia where one woman a week on average is killed by her current or former partner. Blaze has a perfect title, with the two-time Archibald Prize-winning artist behind it crafting a movie that's alight with anger, that flares with sorrow, and that's so astutely and empathetically observed, styled and acted that it chars. Indeed, it's frequently hard to pick which aspect of the film singes more: the story about surviving what should be unknown horrors for a girl who isn't even yet a teen, the wondrously tactile and immersive way in which Blaze brings its namesake's inner world to the screen, or the stunning performance by young actor Julia Savage (Mr Inbetween) in its central part. Savage also has a fitting moniker, impeccably capturing how ferociously she takes on her starring role. Blaze, the Sydney schoolgirl that she plays, isn't always fierce. She's curious and imaginative, happy dwelling in her own dreamy universe long before she flees there after witnessing a rape and murder, and then frightened and fraying while also fuming. In how she's portrayed by Savage, and penned by Barton with co-screenwriter Huna Amweero (also a feature first-timer), she's intricately fleshed out, too, with every reaction she has to the assault proving instantly relatable — especially to anyone whose life has been touched by trauma. We don't all see dragons made out of fabric, felt, feathers, papier-mâché and glitter, helping us through times good and bad, but everyone can understand the feelings behind that dragon, which swelter like the creature's fiery breath. Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon, Blaze isn't — although Jake (Josh Lawson, Mortal Kombat), who Blaze spots in an alleyway with Hannah (Yael Stone, Blacklight), has his lawyer (Heather Mitchell, Bosch & Rockit) claim that his accuser knows nothing. With the attack occurring mere minutes into the movie, Barton dedicates the feature's bulk to how her lead character copes, or doesn't. Being questioned about what she saw in court is just one way that the world tries to reduce her to ashes, but the embers of her hurt and determination don't and won't die. Blaze's father Luke (Simon Baker, High Ground), a single parent, understandably worries about the impact of everything blasting his daughter's way. As she retreats then acts out, cycling between both and bobbing in-between, those fears are well-founded. Blaze is a coming-age-film — a robbing-of-innocence movie as well — but it's also a firm message that there's no easy or ideal response to something as awful as its titular figure observes. The pivotal sequence, lensed by cinematographer Jeremy Rouse (The Turning) and spliced together by editor Dany Cooper (The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson) to be as jarring and unflinching for Blaze's audience as it is for Blaze, is nightmarish. Avoiding agony and anguish isn't Barton's way — and it can't be with this subject matter. While never as harrowing in the same manner again, Blaze is styled by its artist-turned-writer/director in the same expressive, impressionistic way from start to finish, so that watching its frames flicker feels like diving inside its lead character's heart and mind. That internal realm is a place where a pre-trial proceeding erupts into flames spat from Blaze herself, via a tiny white dragon figurine she places between her teeth. Unsurprisingly, that's a spectacular and gloriously cathartic sight. Barton isn't afraid of symbolism, but she's also allergic to emptiness; not a single image in her kaleidoscopic trip through her protagonist's imaginings is ever wasted. As set to a soundtrack that's soulfully moody and brooding as only Nick Cave can be one minute, then psychedelic and soaring with The Flaming Lips a short time afterwards, the contents of Blaze's brain and soul is where cogs turn — not literally, not once, but in processing everything that the pre-teen has seen and felt. It's where she glimpses a corpse turned mesh and material, then spies a tiny girl climb a ladder out of its mouth, in one of the movie's many mixed-media moments. It's where tiny kissing ceramic animal figurines morph into something more, fleshy tongues waggling, and where putting her feet in a sandbox transports her to the beach. And, it's where thoughts and emotions can better be distilled through surreal stop-motion animation and puppetry, and via that towering pink-hued dragon that any child would want as their pal and confidant, and with hallucinogenic collages that everyone who has seen Barton's other art will immediately recognise as springing from her head. If Barton took on Where the Wild Things Are, Pete's Dragon or A Monster Calls, all of which deal with sadness and tragedy through fantasy as well, it'd look like this — well, as a starting point. As brilliant and deeply affecting as all three of those films are, Blaze is always bolder and darker. It's more enraged, audacious, unsettling and astounding. It stresses that hardship is what shapes us but not what solely makes us, but it's a gut-punch rather than a heartstring-tug of a feature (by design; facts and figures about femicide are purposefully worked in). Barton emphasises that surviving is both a battle and a feat, that coping through art is a balm, and that seeing and speaking are pivotal acts. In other hands, though, Blaze might've resembled another recent feature that plunged into distress, and a headphone-wearing adolescent feeling it, that's also helmed by a big-name Aussie debuting as a director after coming to fame in a different medium. Thankfully, however, similarities with Sia's Music end are superficial. Big things deserve to await Savage, who never lets Blaze forget that it's about a living, breathing, hurting, loving person, and about the screaming, receding, dreaming, needing and steaming that characterises her response to such an ordeal. In support, Baker offers a sublimely judged mix of care, stress and uncertainty, playing a dad who knows he doesn't have all the answers, because no one can — and Stone, in her crucial and devastating part, is phenomenal. Big things have already come Barton's way in the art world, but they deserve to shower over her for this also, which comes after short films The Nightingale and the Rose and Red. Blaze is brutal and beautiful, blunt and labyrinthine, and a trip, a heartache, an escape and a release. When its namesake asks why she ends up temporarily institutionalised but Jake hasn't been, the movie makes one of its points as loudly as it can, but every inch of every frame already says everything.
There aren't many better ways to spend a day than hanging out on an island, gorging on delicious food and drinking all of the wine. That's what the aptly named Wine Island serves up, and did every year before the pandemic hit — and, after a two-year interlude since 2019, it's making an eagerly awaited comeback in March 2022. Once again, Sydney's Clark Island will play host to quite the indulgent weekend of wine tasting, this time from Friday, March 18–Sunday, March 20. As always, the well-loved food and wine festival promises a packed lineup, starting with the cocktail you'll enjoy on the boat ride over. It's hosting two sessions per day, too, so you can choose between 10am and 4pm tipples. The island itself will be set up as the ultimate boozy adult playground, with Rosabelle, Dal Zotto, Dandelion/Heirloom Vineyards, Thomas Wines, Chateau Tanunda, Silent Noise, Nepenthe and Hungerford Hill among the wineries pouring their wares. Or, for those who mightn't want to sip vino all day, 4 Pines will be hosting a beer garden, Archie Rose will sling gin drinks from its own bar, Fever-Tree will be doing spritzes, and there'll also be both punch and iced tea bars — plus drinks from Brix Distillers, Grainshaker Vodka, Ned's Whisky and more. As well as pairing top-notch vino with even better views, a swag of masterclasses are also on the program, with assistance from Silent Vino Disco! and Wine Selectors. Expect everything from music-and-wine matching sessions to 'Pinot and Picasso' alcohol-fuelled art classes — plus an Archie Rose gin masterclass, too. And, to keep you fuelled for that big day of wine appreciation, food options will span oysters, lobster, burgers, Italian eats and cheese platters, as well as sweet treats from the dessert bar. There are two Wine Island ticket packages available, starting with the $109 'five-star experience', which includes ferry transfers, a cocktail on your way over, five tastings, a souvenir tumbler and a masterclass. Then there's the $209 'seven-star experience' — with ten tastings, a meal voucher, a tote bag, access to a VIP area and unlimited tastings at the rosé garden bar. Wine Island returns to Clark Island in Sydney Harbour from Friday, March 18–Sunday, March 20, 2022. Tickets go on sale at 12pm AEDT on Wednesday, October 27, with pre-sale from the same time on Monday, October 25.
It's a familiar setup: a remote house, a family haunted by decades-old troubles, a murky history that's still leaving an imprint and tension levels rising when, naturally, strange things start to happen. As it has been for countless scary flicks before it, that's the broad overall premise of new Australian horror movie Relic; however this Sundance-premiering film has more than a few tricks up its sleeves. Emily Mortimer (Mary Poppins Returns), Robyn Nevin (Top of the Lake), and Bella Heathcote (Bloom) star as three generations of a Victorian-based family — with Mortimer's Kay called back to her family home when her widowed elderly mother Edna (Nevin) disappears. With her own daughter Sam (Heathcote) in tow, Kay first endeavours to find her missing mum. Then, when Edna reappears suddenly without any explanation for her absence, Kay and Sam try to ascertain just why Edna's house — and, increasingly, Edna too — seems so sinister. The feature directorial debut of Japanese-Australian filmmaker Natalie Erika James — who cowrote the script with fellow first-time Christian White — the instantly disturbing but still slow-burning Relic takes its creepy, eerie look and feel seriously, as the film's trailer shows. As it trifles with the supernatural and provides many a well-executed jump, bump and unnerving sensation, the smart and thoughtful movie also uses its concept and plot to ponder the physical and emotional impact of ageing, including dementia. Aussie audiences can get unsettled — including by the film's labyrinthine main setting and its nerve-rattling soundscape — when Relic hits Stan on Friday, July 10. Across the ditch, it arrives courtesy of the NZ International Film Festival. It follows this year's also excellent Aussie-made release The True History of the Kelly Gang in making the leap from international festivals to local streaming. Check out the Relic below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Atqf47wM5Gg Relic starts streaming via Stan from Friday, July 10. You can also watch it as part of the NZ International Film Festival from 25 July.
While bold lashes of colour and unique canvases (brush stroked skateboards, anyone?) no doubt demand attention, the artist’s struggle to distinguish himself is what has, in fact, inspired him. Brad Robson’s first solo exhibition, a paint work homage to New York City, is the result of everything he learned during a recent study trip and consequential month-long residency in New York. Describing his muse as “a place that’s so large and has so many people that it seems impossible to stand out from the crowd, blending in with the masses or being swallowed up by the day to day grind,” Robson’s works focus on the city’s skyline. But the rumblings of New York’s fast-paced daily life ensure his paintings are no tourist’s interpretation. Drippings and sponged dabbings, layered upon a colour wheel’s worth of tones, create frenetic, wildly imaginative scenes. Robson’s ability to convey the city’s energy through severely abstract imagery is remarkable. And each work is really just super pretty, to boot. The skateboards will obviously be a talking point. Robson has taken one of the most vivid representations of street culture and blasted his signature mural work across each deck. The Sydney-based artist has worked his magic over walls at the SBS studios, Erskinville’s Hive Bar and the Australian Museum’s fabulous educational hub, the Jurassic Lounge which often features live music and further after-hours revelry.
Mona Vale has gained its own slice of inner city artsy-ness with recently-opened venue La de Da. Stop there; the word 'venue' doesn’t quite do this project justice. It's actually an art adventure, interior design extravaganza, live music stage, occasional dance club and off-beat eatery-drinkery wrapped into one. La de Da’s expansive canvas is thanks to a huge collaboration, involving four prominent arty and musical types: tattooist and interior designer Rick Vaughan (Four Tattoos), fine artist and graphic designer Paul Brabenec, DJ Marcus King and singer-songwriter Aya Larkin, who used to front Skunkhour and also co-ran Bondi’s Canteen Bar and Diner. The team have taken a beautiful historic building, located at 1725 Pittwater Road, and turned it into a cosy and romantic, yet quirky and electric visual feast. The space's bay windows, booths and corrugated iron roof have been given a modern edge with the addition of lush live greenery, dark wood and floral fabrics. And Vaughan, who's a serious traveller, has sprinkled his crazy international collection of objects, dolls, artworks and decorations all over the place. To add to the enigmatic atmosphere, lighting is kept to a low, falling here and there in shadowy pools. Amidst this eclectic design, La de Da is passionate about showcasing original art and music. Brabenec has brought his unique touch to the front bar, giving it a bright, abstract feel, heightened by the inclusion of several of James Ettelson’s bold pieces. In one intimate corner, Caleb Reid has left his idiosyncratic signature, while Wade Burkitt’s left-of-field portraits feature in the two main dining rooms. Live music is happening on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings, as well as on Sunday afternoons, in a dedicated chamber-style room. The program spans all genres, from laidback acoustic originals and indie rock to reggae and Latin. Every now and again a local DJ will pop in to convert the primary dining room into a dancefloor, disco ball included. Plus, when there's no live performance scheduled, you'll be able to handpick your own soundtrack via jukebox. As far as the food goes, one of the most intriguing dishes on the menu is baked jalapenos stuffed with ginger cream cheese. Also tempting is the La de Da WOW burger; twice-cooked pork belly in Chinese spices; pulled pork poutine, with molten cheese curds, shallots and a light beef gravy over steak-cut fries; wood-fired pizzas and seasonal tapas plates. All in all, the emphasis is on fresh, locally-sourced produce, dressed up with international flavours. Drinks-wise, standouts at the bar look to be the Garden Martini (gin, housemade lavender syrup, yellow chartreuse), frozen slushies, cocktail jugs and a range of craft beers, including Little Creatures, White Rabbit and Newcastle Brown. Why should the inner west have all the quirky fun? La de Da, located at 1725 Pittwater Road, Mona Vale, is open for dinner and drinks Tuesday to Friday, between 5.30pm and 12am; Saturday, between 4.30pm and 12am; and Sunday, between midday and 11pm.
How'd you like to populate your Christmas feast with local, artisanal goods to make your relatives impressed and your in-laws floored? Carriageworks is bringing back their Christmas Market, where you can buy fresh seasonal produce just a couple of days before Christmas. Importantly, you can also buy gifts just days before the big day — because we know what you're like. Taking over Carriageworks' regular Saturday morning meet on December 23, the market will go all Christmas with a cornucopia of the spoils of 115 of Australia's best producers, restaurants and designers — think homemade plum puddings, succulent hams, fresh cherries, smelly cheeses and more. Expect the best from the weekly Carriageworks Farmers Market and more, including Christmas hams from Linga Longa Farm, cherries from Kurrawong Organics and gluten-free mince tarts from Kitchen Green. Plus, there'll be plenty more joining the party — expect to see Cornersmith, Flour and Stone, Pasta Emilia, Suzy Spoon's Vegetarian Butcher and Pepe Saya there too. Of course, you can grab a snack as well, with Billy Kwong, Bar Pho, Agape Organic and Bibim Bowl setting up stalls for the morning. Look at that, Carriageworks just saved Christmas. Images: Jacquie Manning.
Over the next month or so, Sydney is absolutely the place to be if you're the type of person that considers an art gallery their happy place. Not only is the Art Gallery of NSW showing the highly anticipated Japan Supernatural exhibition, featuring Takashi Murakami, but there's also a Cornelia Parker retrospective at the Museum of Contemporary Art, White Rabbit's decade retrospective Then, and Step Into Paradise at the Powerhouse Museum, which spotlights Aussie fashion legends Jenny Kee and Linda Jackson. There's a lot going on, so you better start planning how and when you're going to hit them all quick smart, you art fiend. Planning a staycation so you can condense them all into one very artsy long weekend is a no-brainer — as is reserving a luxe room at the new West Hotel on Sussex Street, part of the Curio Collection by Hilton. It's right in the heart of the CBD and close to everything you'll want or need — including all the eateries and activities we've put together below, so you can spend less time in transit and more time gazing deeply at the newest work on show in your happy place, whichever gallery it may be. [caption id="attachment_648870" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Leticia Almeida[/caption] EXPERIENCE THE WONDERS OF A MODERN JAPANESE OMAKASE MENU If you've spent the day meandering around the visual decadence of Japan Supernatural at the AGNSW, it might be time to sit down to an equally decadent meal. Since you're walking through The Domain back towards Hyde Park, you won't be far from Sasaki, a truly immersive Japanese experience that pays homage to chef Yu Sasaki's hometown of Shimane. Sasaki offers an omakase menu (the term means "I'll leave it up to the chef"), which includes dishes featuring treasured Japanese ingredients like shiso, yuzu, chawanmushi and aosa nori. Walking through those traditional noren curtains into the simple, intrinsically Japanese dining room is like being transported to another world, and it'll be hard to leave — luckily your boutique West Hotel room is just five minutes away. [caption id="attachment_746464" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Step Into Paradise, Zan Wimberley[/caption] WITNESS THE DEBUT COLLECTIONS OF AUSTRALIA'S FUTURE OF FASHION Jenny Kee and Linda Jackson, the designers spotlighted in the Powerhouse Museum's gorgeous exhibition Step Into Paradise, are two of Australia's most beloved fashion legends. Kee and Jackson's contribution to the Australian fashion landscape is so great that they've both been honoured as Officers in the Order of Australia. But we also have some unbelievable talent starting out in the industry, so after you've spent the day marvelling at the work of the greats, you can head to the Whitehouse Institute of Design's 2019 Graduate showcase, where you'll find debut pieces from the designers that represent the future of the Australian fashion industry. We're cheating a little bit here as the showcase is happening next month, on December 3, but if you love swooning over fashion, we guarantee it'll be worth the wait. [caption id="attachment_742977" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Steven Woodburn[/caption] TRY ONE OF SYDNEY'S MOST CHERISHED DISHES White Rabbit has true legacy status in Sydney, so it makes complete sense that after seeing its decade anniversary exhibition Then, you eat something that has a similar god-tier status in our harbour city. While XOPP in Darling Square is brand new, it is borne of legends — it's headed up by Billy Wong, the son of Eric and Linda Wong, who are the owners of legendary late-night joint Golden Century. The signature dish is the XO pipis (which is where the name of the new eatery comes from), a dish which is spoken about in deity-like tones throughout the city. This plate of sweet and sour goodness is so highly regarded, that even celebrity chef David Chang has called it 'the best dish in the world'. There are plenty more exquisite dishes to try on this extensive Cantonese-focussed menu, and it would be easy for your eyes to be far larger and louder than your stomach can handle. If you do make this all-too-common mistake and have to be gently rolled out of door, take solace in the knowledge that your hotel room is only six minutes away. SIP COCKTAILS AND TURN EVERYDAY OBJECTS INTO GORGEOUS ART AND CRAFT If you've spent the day at the Museum of Contemporary Art gazing in awe at all the marvellous installations, embroideries, sculptures and more by the inimitable British artist Cornelia Parker, then you might be feeling inspired to get a bit arty yourself. Parker is renowned for her ability to turn ordinary, everyday objects into an extraordinary piece of art, and you can channel that energy by attending a 'Boozy Crafternoon' at Redfern's Work-Shop. Working with a textile artist, you'll learn how to create very handy, charming mini-artworks from some everyday materials — and you'll get to enjoy some delicious cocktails while you're at it. [caption id="attachment_738437" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kimberley Low[/caption] GET YOUR UMAMI FIX WITH A BOWL OF JAPANESE PASTA Japanese interpretations of Italian pasta dishes are a delightfully muddled culinary genre of their very own, and Pasta Wafu in Sydney's newest food hall caters to all your Japanese pasta cravings. Taking classic pomodoro or bolognese sauces and making them with miso, mentaiko (spicy cod roe) soy and nori in order to majorly up the umami ante, Pasta Wafu is the perfect place for a quick but energising carbo-load lunch in keeping with your Japan-themed day, before you head to the Japan Supernatural exhibit at the Art Gallery of NSW. [caption id="attachment_653238" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Daniel Boud[/caption] SEE THE STREETS OF CHINATOWN COME ALIVE AT THE NIGHT MARKETS If you're sitting in your room at West Hotel wondering what to do on a Friday evening after an art-filled day at White Rabbit, it's highly recommended that you visit the Chinatown Night Markets which are just a 15-minute stroll down Sussex Street. Sydney's Chinatown strip on Dixon Street turns into a bustling, vibrant, somewhat magical place on Friday evenings, with stalls filled with an unbelievable amount of bewitchingly fragrant food, as well as those offering all sorts of off-kilter fashion, souvenirs and trinkets. The food is the main attraction though; you can grab an assortment of mouthwatering small plates from all different cuisines and create your own little yum cha experience on the street. It's honestly worth a visit even if you've already had dinner, simply for the energy and happiness radiating around you. The tantalising aromas floating past your nose will probably get you though, and you'll likely end up having some kind of post-dinner snack. But it'll be worth it. [caption id="attachment_693163" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Letícia Almeida.[/caption] SHOP FOR QUIRKY VINTAGE FASHION IN THE SUN The first thing you feel like doing after seeing a bold and eclectic fashion exhibition like Step Into Paradise at the Powerhouse Museum is, of course, shop. Luckily, Sydney is brimming with some absolutely incredible markets that are chock-a-block full of quirky vintage clothing and secondhand designer pieces (and plenty more, including antiques, food and drink, books — you name it). You just have to know where to look. Some no-fail options are the Surry Hills Market, held on the first Saturday of every month in Shannon Reserve on Crown Street, or the enormous and much adored Glebe Markets, which are on every Saturday on the grounds of the public school on Glebe Point Road. You'll be decked out in some gorgeously eccentric vintage pieces à la Jenny Kee in no time. [caption id="attachment_705128" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alana Dimou[/caption] VISIT SYDNEY'S MOST TRANQUIL PLACE You've had a busy weekend exploring Sydney's streets and eats, and traipsing up and down the stairs to hit all four stories of White Rabbit's Then, which is showcasing important pieces from the gallery's past decade of incredible exhibitions of contemporary Chinese art. So, it's understandable if you're in need of some R&R — and there's no place in Sydney better to do that than the Chinese Garden of Friendship. This inner-city oasis is located right near Darling Harbour, so it's just a short walk back to West Hotel on Sussex Street. The tranquil garden, designed in 1988 to adhere to the Taoist principle of 'Yin-Yang', is filled with swaying willow trees, a glittering koi pond, waterfalls, and plenty of peaceful spots to sit and properly relax. There's also The Gardens by Lotus if you want to refuel with some dumplings. LEARN KINTSUGI, THE JAPANESE ART OF FIXING BROKEN ITEMS WITH GOLD Kintsugi is a traditional Japanese practise of repairing broken pottery with gold, and the philosophy behind it focuses on the idea that something's usefulness doesn't end simply because it is broken; it can repaired, and it can be a thing of beauty. If the Japan Supernatural exhibit has left you feeling inspired for some Japanese craft (or if you've by chance broken all your plates recently), then heading to a beginner's kintsugi class from Class Bento will be a surefire success. You'll learn the new skill from Jun, who has been teaching since 2015 and will have you adding gold to your kitchen crockery soon enough. Plus, the class is just a few streets over from your hotel, so you can pop back there and drop off your new kintsugi plates home safely before heading out for the evening. [caption id="attachment_653386" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] VISIT SYDNEY'S OLDEST HOTEL FOR A PINT Cherished British pub The Lord Nelson in the historic suburb of The Rocks is a little over five minutes walk from the MCA, and it serves up some lovely pub fare as well as offering more substantial and sophisticated dinner options in the gorgeously 'ye olde worlde' restaurant upstairs. This historic pub is Sydney's oldest continually licensed hotel, and its interior still showcases much of the original design and architecture. Today, it's the home of The Lord Nelson Brewery range of ales, which you can see on taps and in shops all around the country. So, if a pint and a Ploughman's is what you need after a big afternoon walking around the survey exhibition of UK artist Cornelia Parker, then, fortunately, this beautiful historic pub is just a hop, skip and jump away. And if you try a few too many of the brewery's delicious ales, jump in a taxi and you'll be back at West Hotel in just a few minutes. Make your artsy staycation easy by booking at West Hotel to be right on the doorstep of all the city's best happenings. Top Image: THEN at White Rabbit Gallery.
Each time we experience another lockdown, we're left with a big ol' pub-sized hole in our lives. The parma nights, the midweek trivia sessions and those freshly poured pints are dearly missed while we're stuck inside. Luckily, there are a few Sydney venues serving up the next best thing — a pub fix you can enjoy from the comfort of home, socially distanced with zero cooking effort required. From takeaway pub feeds to home-delivered brews, these local joints are dishing up the pub experience, to-go. Dial in to order and transform your living room into a front bar tonight. PUB LIFE KITCHEN, ULTIMO After closing down in 2017, one of Sydney's most beloved burger joints has reopened inside The Lord Wolseley Hotel. Pub Life Kitchen has brought its fan-favourite burgers back to Ultimo alongside a whole range of pub classics. On the new-look menu, you can pick up a parmi with chips and salad, rump steak, braised eggplant with XO sauce, hot and sticky wings and of course, PLK's OG beef or TLC fried chicken burgers. The inner-city spot has also collaborated with Drnks and is delivering a fry it yourself at-home burger kits featuring OG burger patties, buns and sauce. PETERSHAM PUBLIC HOUSE, PETERSHAM This sunny neighbourhood pub is turning into a pop-up bottle shop and pizza restaurant for the duration of lockdown with natty wines, craft beers, bottled cocktails and the venue's pizza menu available for pickup. You can nab two pizzas and a bottle of wine for $59 or two pizzas and a 500ml cocktail bottle for $79. Pair a prawn and artichoke or leek and mushroom pizza with a bottle of Alpha Box and Dice wine or a margarita. COOGEE PAVILION, COOGEE The Coogee Pavilion has just about everything you need for an at-home pub feast during lockdown. Whether you're a rump steak and shoestring fries or a salt and pepper squid kind of enthusiast, you'll find it on this massive takeaway menu. Completing the pub feed, you can pick up a selection from the Pav's bottle shop which includes bottled Totti's cocktails, beers, seltzers and champagne. THE TAPHOUSE, DARLINGHURST Darlinghurst favourite The Taphouse is bringing its famous Sunday roast into your home. You can pick up pork belly, beef brisket or veggie loaf paired with veggies, gravy and Yorkshire puffing for $25 any day this week, and if you live within one kilometre of the venue you can score free delivery of your roast right to your door. Craft beer lovers can also rejoice as The Taphouse has a huge range of canned beers on offer as well as cheeky Jameson shots to enjoy with your roast. THE OXFORD TAVERN, PETERSHAM The Oxford Tavern's lockdown takeaway menu has returned to put other at-home pub menus to shame. Beef brisket, pulled pork, a selection of schnitzels and parmis, cauliflower steak, and fried chicken burgers are all on offer at this beloved Petersham spot. And of course a pub feed wouldn't be complete without an accompanying drink which here includes an endless variety of craft beers, wines, cocktails and spirits. BELLA VISTA HOTEL, BELLA VISTA Northwest Sydney stalwart Bella Vista Hotel is offering up a whole heap of at-home goodies via its new lockdown drive-through. Locals can pick up bottled cocktails pantry essentials and a whole heap of pub classics to enjoy at the dining table. On the menu you'll find at home chicken parmigiana and burger packs ready for a pub feast as well as takeaway pizzas and loaded doughnuts. You can find our updated list of Sydney restaurants doing takeaway during lockdown here.
It's the west's time to shine, and Chef Chase Kojima (Sokyo, Senpai Ramen) is ensuring that the area will become a culinary staple with the launch of Tokyo Samba. Bankstown locals have something new to get excited about, thanks to the announcement of this soon-to-come Japanese steakhouse with a Brazilian flare. Soon to be surrounded by the likes of AN Restaurant, which slings some of Sydney's best pho, and Lady Banks Rooftop, one of the city's best rooftop bars, Tokyo Samba will be setting up shop in the southwestern Sydney suburb this winter, with plans to open around late June or July. [caption id="attachment_827980" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lady Banks Rooftop, Bankstown. [/caption] Slated to open on the bustling West Terrace, the restaurant will open with a fusion-forward menu. The venue's focus is to provide a healthy alternative to the food-focused strip while highlighting a previously untapped cuisine. Expect fine cuts of steak, quality sashimi and ceviche among the newcomer's offerings. "I am super excited as this is my sweet spot in flavour, I've been planning a Japanese steakhouse for a long time and have been working with our owners (who choose to remain anonymous) for the past seven months," said Kojima. The area's demographic has been a major consideration while curating the menu, so the selection is halal-certified and the drinks list includes zero-alcohol wines and an array of mocktails. [caption id="attachment_911491" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bao buns from Bartega, Belmore.[/caption] This Western Sydney newcomer will further diversify Canterbury-Bankstown's dining options, which currently span from cult-favourite joints like El Jannah, Chebbo's Burgers and the OG Duo Duo locale to sophisticated spots like Bartega and hidden gems like Belmore Continental Bakery. "We have a lot of exciting new things coming as we roll out – I'm never shy with creativity — so watch this space," said Kojima. [caption id="attachment_577266" align="alignnone" width="1280"] The main dining room at Sokyo, Sydney. [/caption] Further details will follow in the coming months, so head to the restaurant's Instagram page for updates.
The best meal of the day is the source of many an office debate. But truth be told, we all know that it's brunch. Done right, brunch combines all of a Sydneysider's favourite things: good drinks, delicious food, entertainment (yes, people-watching counts) and a top-notch setting that lets us soak up the fine Sydney weather. In fact, it sounds so good that we've decided to get in on the action. In partnership with Henkell, purveyors of quality bubbles, we're hosting our very own luxe brunch, featuring all of the above in bountiful supply. This special event is set to take place on Saturday, January 19 and, the best part is, you're invited. Upon arrival at 11am, you'll receive a welcome cocktail to sip as you wander through an inner-city oasis filled with greenery, fairy lights, candles and a doughnut wall — but more on the location later. A DJ will be on-site to keep things lively as you enjoy Henkell sparkling wine and tuck into a selection of sweet and savoury bites. Brunch towers will be scattered along the decadent tables, holding mini granola cups, cheese and seasonal fruit platters and a selection of petit fours — think earl grey tea cakes, mini strawberry and watermelon cakes and choc-raspberry brownies. Be careful not to fill up on those yummy bites though, as gourmet finger sandwiches, mini bagels and quiches and brunch sliders (bacon and egg rolls, meatball subs and felafel burgers) will also be making their way around. And let's not forget that Henkell bubbly — did we mention it'll be free-flowing? Plus, you'll get a bottle each to take home with you and a calligrapher will be there to scribe a personalised message on it for you. It's safe to say we've thought of every detail to ensure this will be a brunch to remember. But there's one thing that we're keeping to ourselves for now: the venue. Don't worry — all will be revealed soon. So, if you'd like to nab a spot for you and a mate at our luxe 'Bubbles and Brunch' event, just enter with your details below and, if you're chosen, we'll sling a text or email your way a few days before with directions. [competition]702610[/competition]
If you've been around Darling Harbour and Tumbalong Park of late, you've probably noticed Sydney's huge new $1.5 billion business and entertainment precinct, International Convention Centre Sydney, set to open in December 2016. This looming structure boasts three new theatres, an entertainment precinct, an open-air event deck and more (detailed in our handy breakdown), but it's not just design that's getting people talking about ICC Sydney. Focused on changing the game for average convention centre cuisine, the ICC Sydney is opening with a very specific angle on their food offerings, with a philosophy called 'Feeding Your Performance'. It's the brainchild of ICC Sydney's big name culinary team headed by director of culinary services, Lynell Peck and executive chef Tony Panetta, and they're focused on improving the alertness, concentration and overall health and wellbeing of guests. DON'T EXPECT BORING OLD FUNCTION FOOD HERE Corporate workshop, boutique event and ballroom dinner guests will be choosing from dishes that are "high in protein, low in saturated fats to boost the overall health of delegates and visitors," says executive sous chef Constantin Kautz. "We've also increased the ratio of plant based proteins to aid digestion and concentration." We even spy chia seeds and almond milk on the menu. Perhaps this is an indication that the health movement has moved from yogi fad territory into the world of Big Corporate — and there's nothing bad about that, come on. This appears to be an Australian, even potentially a world first, and Panetta says they've been fielding inquiries from around the globe. "We might be at the forefront now, but we also believe this philosophy will become business as usual in the future." LOCAL SUPPLIERS WILL RULE AN INTERNATIONAL VENUE While in other hands (or with less financial investment) this way of feeding huge crowds of people could feel trite and temporary, Panetta and the team are walking the walk when it comes to the food. Kautz says they're committed to working with local and regional farmers and producers who practice ethical and sustainable farming techniques. Among them are Martin Boetz from the Cooks Co-op, Old Salty's Oysters in Pambula River, Willowbrae Chevre Cheese Farm at the Hawkesbury river, Archie Rose distillery in Rosebery and Westview Limes from Kempsey. THERE'S A DIVERSE TEAM OF CULINARY EXPERTS BEHIND EACH DISH Panetta is enthused about this new way of cooking, saying it's a "completely different approach to anything I have ever worked with before." Along with the team including Kautz who was previously the executive chef at Sydney's Intercontinental, executive pastry chef Michael Belcher, executive sous chef Jack Astin and chef de cuisine Dylan Sanding, Panetta says the environment is one where "people are encouraged to flourish, challenging one another to keep upping the ante." He says the fact that they have such different backgrounds provides a unique jumping off point for the kitchen. "From convention centres to boutique hotels and five-star restaurants, everyone can bring something different to the table." There's also collaboration with a well-respected team of nutritionists including Dr Joanna MacMillan, who is reviewing the nutritional value of the menus and aiming to "drive physical and mental performance," says Panetta. He also says they're constantly aiming to "unlock the science behind ingredients" making sure they tick boxes in both flavour and health benefits. The focus is on locality, fruit, vegetables, whole grains and seasonal food. AND NOW A LITTLE PEEK AT THE MENU One of Panetta's favourite dishes is Australian king prawns with lemon verbena, carrot, kohlrabi and porky wild rice. "It's a zesty, seasonal dish that plays into all our philosophies." He says it's high in "protein, vitamins and minerals to actively drive mental ability." Kautz likes the slow braised beef cheek, pureed sweet potato and broccoli with pancetta and crispy white anchovies as "the beef is sourced locally from Rangers Valley and the broccoli leaves zero waste — all parts of the vegetable are included," he says. We also like the look of the Hawkesbury tomato salad, the Cowra C-boosted lamb salad with freekeh, kale, pomegranate and wild rice and the blue eye with beetroot, cucumber and sesame.
A heap of Sydney stalwarts are set to receive permanent protection, with the Inner West Council voting unanimously to begin the process of heritage listing 27 of the area's pubs. Known for its pub culture, the Inner West is home to some of the city's most beloved drinking spots, with 31 of its venues already heritage listed. Now, that number is set to nearly double, with longstanding venues across Balmain, Leichardt, Newtown, Petersham, Marrickville, Rozelle, Annandale, Enmore and Lewisham all earmarked for the same designation. "Our pubs are community institutions, many of which have been serving local patrons for more than a century," Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne said in a statement. "It's time for new heritage protections to make sure that our Inner West pub culture is still here for another 100 years to come." Now that the council has voted to commence the project, it will conduct community engagement with pub owners, patrons and other locals to work towards the heritage listings. If that's successful, the buildings will be granted a range of privileges, including protecting their facades and interiors, and preventing bars from being removed. It does not, however, prevent the premises from being converted for non-pub uses, as long as those heritage elements are maintained. Each pub was chosen based on its architectural, historical and social significance. The 27 buildings include two Annandale venues, six in Balmain, two in Marrickville, four in Newtown, six in Rozelle, three in Enmore, and one in each of Balmain East, Leichardt, Petersham and Lewisham. You can view the full list at the Inner West Council website, but popular spots include Cricketers Arms Hotel, Vic on the Park, Kelly's on King, Carlisle Castle Hotel, Bridge Hotel, 3 Weeds, Warren View Hotel, Duke of Enmore and Websters Bar. They will join the previously heritage-listed sites across the Inner West like Courthouse Hotel, The Henson, Salisbury Hotel and White Cockatoo Hotel. "It's important that we protect these pubs which contribute to the famous pub culture of the area," said Councillor Jessica D'Arienzo. [caption id="attachment_828769" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Vic on the Park's beer garden[/caption] For further details about the process of adding these Inner West pubs to the heritage list, head to the Inner West Council website.
One of Sydney's oldest hotels has undergone a lavish refurbishment — so the next time you head over to The Strand Hotel, it'll look a little different. Following a revamp in September, the heritage pub now boasts a brand-new look and a refreshed menu. At the helm of its revival is culinary talent Clayton Wells — Automata's previous Head Chef and co-owner and now PUBLIC Group's Creative Culinary Director, with Leigh McDivitt on Head Chef duties. The ground floor, now know as the Strand Bistrothèque, has undergone a contemporary design update with reflective black ceiling paired with eccentric art prints and pops of colour with inviting green velvet couches placed throughout the space. As for the menu, the relaxed French cuisine now takes a less-is-more approach while pairing unexpected flavour combinations. Highlights include the chicken liver parfait eclair accompanied by maraschino cherry and cacao, as well as a soufflé heroing gruyere cheese. "The food is a combination of my own cooking style of traditional French techniques and a nose-to-tail approach. When you find the quality produce that our farmers are passionate about sharing, you need very little interference from chefs to make the dish sing," said Leigh McDivitt. [caption id="attachment_922027" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The wonderful chicken liver parfait eclairs[/caption] For sips, the ground floor offers a cocktail menu from the globally-renowned Maybe Sammy crew and a wine list that has been carefully curated by P&V's Mike Bennie. To top it off, the Strand Bistrothèque hosts weekly live music gigs. [caption id="attachment_922023" align="alignnone" width="1920"] (The Strand Hotel's Head Chef Leigh McDivitt & PUBLIC Group's Creative Culinary Director Clayton Wells.)[/caption] As for the rooftop bar, the openair space has been relaunched as a French and Mediterranean fusion called Kasbah. Balearic tunes accompany the cosy terracotta lounges, luxe Persian rugs and vibrant patterned tiling, which draw inspiration from Marrakesh's pastel tones. For bites, Kasbah serves French and Moroccan-inspired fusion cuisine in the form of grazing plates to the tune of ginger, turmeric and coriander spiced tiger prawns. To pair, there's an array of Mediterranean-leaning cocktails like The Silk Road and Ficus and a short offering of natural wines. "Leigh and the team have the expertise to provide a renewed experience in food and service across Strand Bistrothèque and Kasbah upstairs on the rooftop," said Wells."You'll be able to make your day or night whatever you want it to be at The Strand." Head to 99 William Street, Darlinghurst, to check out the new and improved pub. For further information and operating hours, head to The Strand Hotel's website. Image credit: Parker Blain
Apologies to your couch, your favourite streaming platform and that pile of old DVDs sitting on your shelves, but when it comes to watching a movie, there's nothing like seeing it on the big screen. And while heading out to the flicks is a year-round activity, it's even better when summer hits, when outdoor cinema season is in full swing. Getting comfy on a beanbag, sipping brews and bubbles in the open air, staring up at the silver screen as the sun goes down — that's what catching a summer film is all about. In fact, that's exactly what's on the agenda at IMB Bank Sunset Cinema, which returns to North Sydney from Thursday, January 17 to Saturday, March 30. Taking over North Sydney Oval for more than two months of movies under the stars, this year's season is made for cosy summer date nights and stress-free hangouts with your mates. And if you're wondering what to watch, here are five blockbusters to feast your eyeballs upon. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dKzet0o4i0 AQUAMAN Back in 2016, the DC Comics Extended Universe pitted Batman and Superman against each other to see who'd emerge victorious; however, the film series was clearly asking the wrong question. If a battle between Justice League superheroes did arise, Aquaman would obviously come out on top. He has at the global box office, at least, with the Australian-shot blockbuster now the highest grossing flick in the franchise. It's easy to see why, with Aussie director James Wan (The Conjuring, Fast & Furious 7) helming a comic book effort that isn't afraid to be over-the-top — in its eye-popping visuals, its action both above and below the water and its use of charming star Jason Momoa. Showing: Thursday, January 31 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95ghQs5AmNk GLASS Back in 2000, fresh from the success of The Sixth Sense, M. Night Shyamalan gave the world one of the best superhero movies ever made. Now Unbreakable has a follow-up, but Glass doesn't just add a second chapter to that tale. It's also a sequel to the director's last film, Split. Capping off a trilogy that no one saw coming, the film spins a story involving Bruce Willis' indestructible hero David Dunn, all 23 personalities inhabiting James McAvoy's Kevin Wendell Crumb and Samuel L. Jackson's fragile comic-book lover Elijah Price. To say more is to say too much, although it does directly follow the events of its immediate predecessor. With Shyamalan writing and directing, it's safe to expect plenty of twists, of course. Showing: Wednesday, February 27 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6S9c5nnDd_s BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY Fresh from rocking the Golden Globes, where it picked up Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama for Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody is here to rock Sunset Cinema. And if you've already seen this immensely popular Freddie Mercury biopic and had to stop yourself from singing along, you're in luck — that's on the agenda here. The sounds of Queen will echo through the outdoor screening, charting the band's formation, its rise to fame, Mercury's private life and the group's memorable music. Just remember to stay in your seats during the fantastic Live Aid concert scenes — you'll be tempted to jump up, sing and scream, but you won't want to block the view of the fellow film fans behind you. Showing: Wednesday, February 20 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5i_iDqkQqtI VICE A child interred in a Second World War camp. A glam rock groupie in the 70s. A psychopathic investment banker. Batman. John Connor. Christian Bale has played many roles since becoming an actor at the age of 13, and now he steps into the shoes of former US Vice President Dick Cheney in Vice. It's a powerhouse performance in a movie that spins its true tale with a sense of humour. The Big Short's Adam McKay is in the director's chair, adopting the same kind of tone as he did in that satirical banking industry flick, while Sam Rockwell plays President George W. Bush, Steve Carell plays Donald Rumsfeld and Amy Adams plays Cheney's wife, Lynne. Showing: Friday, January 25 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLuFxzUC5UI HOLMES & WATSON When Sir Arthur Conan Doyle first put pen to paper, scribbled down a crime mystery and conjured up an intrepid sleuth, he couldn't have known just what he'd done. That was back in 1887, and Sherlock Holmes is still going strong 142 years later — although, you can surely put Holmes & Watson on the list of things that Doyle could never have anticipated. This time around, Will Ferrell dons the detective's deerstalker, while his Step Brothers and Talladega Nights co-star John C. Reilly steps into John Watson's shoes. The game is afoot as the famous pair try to protect Queen Victoria (Pam Ferris) from the notorious Professor Moriarty (Ralph Fiennes). As you'd expect, this isn't your usual take on the idiosyncratic sleuth. Showing: Saturday, February 2 and Friday, February 8 Sunset Cinema will take over North Sydney Oval from Thursday, January 17 to Saturday, March 30. Check out the full film program and book tickets here.
In 2016, the burg remains king in Sydney and there are few more dedicated local servants to our Royal Meaty Highness than Bar Luca. As well as consistently trotting out a delicious/grotesque/highly Instagrammable array of burgs, you might have noticed they've just started opening a chain of takeaway spinoffs named BL Burgers. The first opened in Darlinghurst in March 2016 and has been so successful they've just announced a second opening at Bondi Beach, on the first floor of the Beach Road Hotel. It's slated to open towards the end of May and ensure the cholesterol of Bondi residents stays nice and high with takeaway Bar Luca standards such as the famous Blame Canada burger: a Wagyu beef pattie, cheddar, house smoked duck bacon, sweet potato poutine and smoked maple aioli. And in news that, at this point, surprises no one (they did once put chipotle, bacon and Nutella together on a burger), Bar Luca and Paper Street Ice Cream Company jointly announced the birth of another unholy creature to join their brood – Blame Canada ice cream. It's made of vanilla bean ice cream, smokey beefy caramel swirl (beefy caramel? Has science gone too far?), maple marshmallow fluff, parmesan, maple bacon and dark chocolate covered potato chips. It's currently available at Bar Luca and BL Burgers Darlinghurst and we can only hope it'll be made available at the new BL Burgers location as well (we really can't live without it now we know it exists). BL Burgers Bondi will open on May 25 at 71 Beach Rd, Bondi Beach. Via Good Food.
Sydney's club scene was once awash with world-renown DJs popping up for secret sets across the city. While these appearances are a little scarcer these days, one of Australia's biggest names behind the decks is coming to Club 77 tonight for a last-minute set. Local producer, songwriter, DJ and bestie to Silverchair's Daniel Johns — What So Not — will be heading to the freshly revamped Darlinghurst club for a drum and bass-oriented set. What So Not announced the show on Instagram this afternoon telling local fans: "I just landed in Aus & fiending for a club sesh. Please spread the good word." If you want to catch the set you'll have to head down early with tickets only available on the door for $20 a pop. A longstanding titan of Sydney's clubbing scene, Club 77 recently underwent a major facelift which included a fresh drinks menu from the Odd Culture team, two new happy hours and an overhaul of the opening hours seeing it open until 4am seven days a week. View this post on Instagram A post shared by What So Not (@whatsonot) Top image: What So Not, Yours and Owls, Ruby Boland
There are moments, certain descriptions and attitudes in Emerald City that make it seem like a work of speculative fiction, paying dividends as it comes to pass decades later. Of course, it is not. The work, by David Williamson, does not reside in the future, and its business is not prediction. Rather, it is a brutal satire which sits undeniably in the time period it was conceived. Consequently, enjoyment is tempered by disappointment during this savaging of Sydney and its occupants, mainly because of how little it seems we’ve changed in the intervening years. Despite, or perhaps because of, how well the text has aged, Lewis has decided against changing the setting; a poppy and synth-laden sound design by Kelly Ryall, a patchy backdrop of Sydney Harbour painted by Ken Done and more than one deafening shirt combine to celebrate the play’s status as a child of the '80s. The characters, too, evoke the period, displaying bastardry and avarice of a calibre that places them firmly at the dawn of the ‘greed is good’ era. Possibly the best part about Emerald City is that there is absolutely no one to root for: not Colin (Mitchell Butel), a power-hungry screenwriter whose star is not so much fading as sputtering; not Kate (Lucy Bell), his wife, whose stringent morality stretches only as far as the front door; not Elaine (Jennifer Hagan), Colin’s producer, descending a bottomless ladder in order to work her way out of a dry patch; and not Mike (Ben Winspear), an up-and-comer who’s figured out that art is a numbers game and is intent on selling his soul in lieu of creativity and talent. By the time the play begins, redemption is out of the question for any of them, and all that’s left is to watch the hubris pendulum on the backswing. Curiously, it is Helen (Kelly Paterniti), Mike’s girlfriend, and Malcolm (Gareth Yuen), a merchant banker, who come off as the most honest of the bunch. The openness with which they pursue their particular objectives allows them to seem marginally less despicable than their duplicitous counterparts. The ensemble is tight and the pace is relentless in this latest production of Emerald City. Despite the new millennium, Williamson’s skewering of Sydneysiders continues to ring true. Judging by conversation overheard just outside the theatre, though — snippets of ‘new diet’, ‘quinoa’ and ‘kale’, outrageous schmoozings and career-based pissing contests disguised as polite conversation — one wonders, after all this time, whether many of Williamson’s targets even know they’ve been hit.
Famed consultant chef Tomislav Martinovic (Five Points Burgers) is at it again, this time opening a 'burgers around the world' restaurant in Wolli Creek. A collaboration with owners Sergio Spagnuola and Coco Liang, Concept Burger is the end result — now open for weekend lunch, plus dinner six nights a week. Martinovic has become the go-to man in the restaurant consultancy business for good reason, having earned three hats at his namesake restaurant, Tomislav, and worked under Heston Blumenthal at The Fat Duck. If his beloved Five Points Burgers is anything to judge by, this new space will be worth the train ride for city dwellers. "When Sergio and Coco came to me they were pretty stubborn on the name and the concept," says Martinovic. "I think they started with 15 to 20 different burgers, and my role was to meet them somewhere halfway with a realistic number, narrowing it down to only the seven favourite cuisines." That meant Italian for Spagnuola and Chinese for Liang, which then saw the menu take on a decidedly Asian flare. Other burgers include the Vietnamese — a grilled chicken burger with raw enoki mushroom and coriander, topped with sweet soy and chilli glaze — and a Japanese burger of tempura fish, karashi mustard and yuzu kosho paste. In burger-obsessed Sydney, where a new joint seems to open every day, it's crucial to set your eatery apart — and that's exactly what Martinovic aims to do. "Everyone is trying to do an adaptation or interpretation of the American burger lately, but we don't have an American burger, or even an Aussie burger, on our menu," explains Martinovic. "We're getting away from your plain old average cheese — it wasn't easy since as soon as you take out American cheese, there's almost this message to your brain that this isn't a burger anymore." Somehow, Martinovic prevailed, and American cheese only features in the Canadian burger, with a preference for provolone on the Italian and gruyère on the French (which is a particularly tasty-sounding mushroom and truffle paste concoction). Concept Burger also makes their own tomato chutney instead of using ketchup, again making this burger experience a bit more of a fancy one. "We tried to fit a burger into a cuisine instead of take a patty and slice of cheese and building a burger out of it — essentially we've gone the complete opposite direction," says Martinovic. "There's a fine line between a burger and a sandwich, so it was a challenging process but a lot of fun." Spagnuola took charge of the fitout, which includes polished concrete floors, black tiling and a big mural of the world in letters. Martinovic assisted with the kitchen, and the shiny new space includes beautiful heat lamps, with the open plan allowing for guests to enjoy the theatre of it all. "It's a pretty funky, slick looking restaurant, and while we'll have a takeaway option, we definitely see it as more of a dining destination," notes Martinovic. The liquor license will help with this vibe, with Concept Burger offering up wine and beer, including local Aussie and international Asian brews. Find Concept Burger at 9-11 Arncliffe Road, Wolli Creek; open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday, and lunch Saturday and Sunday.
Level up the irreverent camp this Mardis Gras at The Winery's Bottomless Drag Brunch. With two 90-minute sessions held every Saturday until March 8, there's no shortage of opportunities to get down with your pals for fun-loving drag performances alongside bottomless drinks and a tantalising shared brunch menu. With a different pair of queens leading the laughs each week, a host of familiar names like Kalin Klein, Dammit Janet, Dominique Topp, Jacqui St Hyde and Sia Tequila will make sure each session is as raucous as you'd expect. Plus, if you're looking to celebrate on Parade Day, the venue will feature a jam-packed schedule with five sessions kicking off from 11.30am. Priced at $99 per person, the leafy surrounds of The Winery are the ideal spot for this audacious bash. Just sashay your way along Crown Street's rainbow road to make your arrival.
We all know by now that pastry chef Anna Polyviou doesn't do things by halves — and will use any excuse to create something OTT and sugar-filled. Last year, she created a four-metre gingerbread train. This festive season, she proves this once again, but with a massive gingerbread carousel. The merry-go-round combines 750 kilos of gingerbread, 300 kilos of lollies and 100 kilos of icing. Yep, this gives sugar high a whole new meaning. On the carousel, you'll spot vintage horses, rotating bauble towers, giant striped candy canes, sparkling reindeer, colourful lights and a jolly Santa sitting on top of a chimney, too. You'll find this fantastical creation in the Lobby Lounge of the Shangri-La Hotel, Sydney. That's not the only festive thing happening there throughout the silly season. The Lobby Lounge will also be home to a festive high tea. Designed by Polyviou, this feast will feature three tiers of decadent bites for $65 a head (and $35 for kids). You'll start with savoury bites like honey-glazed ham sandwiches, roast turkey croquettes and rolls with poached crayfish and slaw. Then, you'll move on to the sweet treats — scones, mango lamington trifle, golden honeycomb macarons and Santa's Cherry Pie with chocolate crémeux, cherry jam and pistachio chantilly. Plus, you can opt to sip glasses of bubbly for an additional cost — 'tis the season, after all. And, if those sugar cravings aren't yet curbed, be sure to check out the festive candy store in The Lobby Lounge, too. The perfect spot to pick up gifts for the sweet tooths in your life, the pop-up sells mini gingerbread houses ($65), Christmas puddings ($48), fruit mince tarts ($14 for six), caramelised Christmas logs ($65) and berry trifles ($95). The gingerbread carousel and pop-up store are open every day from Friday, November 29, 2019 to Sunday, January 5, 2019, from 7am. And the festive high tea is available daily from 11am–1pm, 1.30–3.30pm and 4–6pm. You can make a reservation for the high tea here.
Despite being one of the first businesses to snap up space at Tramsheds, Mama's Buoi has only just opened to customers. It's the Vietnamese eatery's third Sydney store — and fifth one in Australia. This one's been spearheaded by Vietnam-born Mama Hoang, who's the soul of the business. She works closely with her son Bao and food director Jonathan Alston to bring her culinary skills to the masses. "We're serving the food that Mama Hoang has been giving friends and family for decades," says Alston. "Everything is prepared in a strictly traditional manner and it's meant to be shared." If you've tried Mama's Buoi in Crows Nest or Surry Hills you'll be familiar with the clean, light cooking style they go for, which is, according to Alston, what authentic Vietnamese food should look like. He brings a wealth of management experience to the business — he has over 30 years of chef and management experience internationally, including in a couple of three Michelin-starred restaurants (under chefs Marco Pierre White and Michel Guérard). As a result, everything from food to decor is presented with meticulous detail. Mama's Buoi is certainly not cutting any corners. "Today, customers are incredibly discerning and well-travelled," says Alston. "They have excellent food knowledge and can often tell when something is not authentic." Try the rice paper rolls filled with soft-shell crab and avocado — it's a great starter with fruity flavours. The calamari is a memorable dish and it's clear that there's a lot more in the citrusy secret seasoning than salt and pepper. For vegetarians, the eggplant with aniseed basil and chilli is a strong choice. Then there's the pho, a filling house classic, which uses a traditional brand of Vietnamese noodles. There's also a colourful selection of drinks including the kombucha pink lemonade frozen cocktail and the Miss Saigon with gin, mint, strawberries and lime. Despite its stationing at bustling Tramsheds, Mama's Buoi is a more intimate space than other locations. In addition to being one of just a few Asian eateries at the heritage-listed site, the bright pastel colours, floral seats and hanging foliage make the eatery hard to miss. And a wall mural of Mama Hoang in her younger years watches over customers eating the dishes she's served to her friends and family for decades. Mama's Buoi is now open at Tramsheds, 1 Dalgal Way, Forest Lodge. For more info, visit mamasbuoi.com.au.
Nine of Sydney's favourite craft breweries are coming together on Saturday, May 20 for a celebration of all things hops at Frenchies Bistro and Brewery in Rosebery. The Fresh Harvest Beer Festival will feature a cracking lineup of 2Halfs, Beer Fontaine, Bracket Brewing, One Drop Brewing Co, Rocks Brewing Co, Slow Lane Brewing, The Bondi Brewing Co., The Social Brewers and of course the day's host Frenchies Brewery, all sampling their best brews for Sydney's beer enthusiasts. The Frenchies Bistro team has created a menu specifically designed to pair well with craft beers — easy-to-handle classics like burgers, hot dogs and fries. Plus, there will be prizes to be won on the day, with each ticket holder getting entered in a raffle to win beer and merch courtesy of the breweries. Entry is $20 and the festivities will kick off at midday. Once inside, the individual breweries will set the price of your pints and you can purchase your favourites for takeaway.
Within the El Toro Hotel, the rich aromatic flavours of authentic Middle Eastern cuisine invites Sydneysiders to dine on kebabs, falafel, tabouleh and more. This new eatery founded by hospitality experts Parras Hospitality Group — the same team behind Ambarvale Hotel and the Shaws Bay Hotel — has brought the vibrant tastes of Middle Eastern and Turkish street food to South West Sydney along with a special giveaway to celebrate the grand opening. The El Toro Hotel, located in the heart of Warwick Farm, is a dynamic hub of culinary and entertainment experiences, offering a taste of international flavours within a vibrant atmosphere. Alongside the newly established Kebab Boys, the hotel features its signature Mexican bar and restaurant El Topo Cantina, along with a lively sports bar perfect for cheering on your favourite teams. On top of its hospitality and entertainment offering, El Toro offers its newly refurbished hotel accommodations, complete with 50 rooms for a peaceful retreat after a night of culinary exploration. Step through the hotel doors of El Toro and instantly be transported to the lively street markets of Beirut, with the tantalising scents of spices and freshly grilled meats drifting through the air. The menu is a showcase of time-honoured traditions and middle eastern cooking techniques, offering perfectly charred juicy kebabs, indulgent halal snack packs, creamy hummus, zesty tabbouleh, golden falafel and more. To celebrate the grand opening of Kebab Boys, the eatery will be giving away 200 kebabs for free on Wednesday, November 27. Be sure to arrive early to be first in line for this mouthwatering offer you won't want to miss. This new go-to for soul-satisfying Middle Eastern cuisine within the dynamic setting of the El Toro Hotel is sure to be a community favourite whether you're feeling a quick meal, lunch with friends or a late-night craving. Kebab Boys Grand Opening Giveaway will begin at 12pm Wednesday, November 27. Find the El Toro Hotel at 6 Homepride Ave, Warwick Farm.
The Kaldor Public Art Projects series is getting down and dirty for its latest edition, as it unveils Asad Raza's newest work: Absorption. The first Aussie exhibition for the New York-based artist, this unique installation sees the Clothing Store at Carriageworks transformed into a dynamic soil processing site. Watch as a team of 'cultivators' works through almost 300 tonnes of materials sourced from the region, including sand, clay, spent grain, silt, coffee and green waste, to whip up a whole new earthy concoction, or neosoil. You can even take some home for yourself. Backing up the dirty stuff, Raza has also invited a bunch of other artists to lend their own talents to the installation. The cultivators are decked out in wearable art designs by Agatha Gothe-Snape, a captivating light display comes courtesy of Daniel Boyd, and a turf creation by Khaled Sabsabi lies buried beneath the soil. Megan Alice Clune has also crafted a soundscape to complement the soil's ever-changing nature and a performance piece by Brian Fuata adds an eerie element to the whole space. Featured alongside is a broad-ranging public program of extras, including a reading hosted by feminist reading group Composting (Tuesday, May 7 from 6pm) and a synthy pop performances by singer-producer Chun Yin Rainbow Chan (Thursday, May 9 at 7pm). While all the after-hours events are free, you will need to sign-up via the website. Asad Raza's Absorption is open daily from 10am–6pm. Images: Kaldor Public Art Project 34: Asad Raza, Absorption. Photo: Pedro Greig.
Last month it was announced Sydney would play home to the first edition of SXSW outside of Texas, but if you can't wait until 2023, you're going to have another chance to head along to a huge tech and music festival as part of next month's SOUND WEST festival. The new event was announced last year and is coming to Parramatta for nine days between Saturday, August 20 and Sunday, August 28. Networking, workshops, mentoring, big tech brands and music industry leaders, performances by local, national and international talent — that's all on the bill. And more than 15 live music events and programs will pop up across Parramatta venues throughout the festival. Kicking off SOUND WEST on Saturday, August 20 will be viral Australian rap sensation Masked Wolf performing at CommBank Stadium for the Saturday Sounds concert followed by a clash between Western Sydney rivals the Parramatta Eels and the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in the NRL. Come Thursday, August 25, a massive marquee event will be heading to CommBank Stadium. This one-day conference will feature over 30 different keynote talks, sessions and workshops from music industry leaders and mentors. Headlining the day will be Masked Wolf returning to talk with local favorite B Wise. Also on the lineup: musicians L-FRESH the Lion, A.GIRL, Nardean; NFT artists Serwah Attafuah and Bianca Beers; and songwriters Styalz Fuego and Khaled Rohaim — the latter of which has been nominated for six Grammys and has worked with the likes of Doja Cat, The Kid Laroi and Ariana Grande. [caption id="attachment_831234" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Khaled Rohaim[/caption] The conference will also feature appearances from Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott and music and tech leaders from the likes of Finder, Shopify and Culture Kings. Plus organisations like Triple J Unearthed, TikTok, Music NSW First Nations Meet Up and The Area Movement will all be hosting workshops. "SOUND WEST is held in the heart of Greater Western Sydney, a region loaded with diverse and incredibly talented artists and creatives," said Alcott. "I'm a massive music fan and love a good festival so I'm excited to be here with NEC Australia to share with the industry the vision we have for an inclusive festival with AbilityFest." Other events include free gigs at the Albion Hotel and Novatel, while the Xaddy's Out with My Bestie Party will be popping up at a secret location on Saturday, August 27. A queer, trans-BIPOC club night highlighting LGBTQIA+ talent from across Western Sydney, the dance party will feature performances from Jamaica Moana, Kilimi and Tyra Bankstown. Head to the SOUND WEST website to catch all the events as they're announced as well as more details on the conference. [caption id="attachment_861223" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dylan Alcott[/caption] Sound West Technology and Music Festival will run from Saturday, August 20 and Sunday, August 28, in Parramatta. Tickets for the conference on Thursday, August 25 are on sale now.
Dancing is back in Sydney, again — and if cutting loose in a warehouse in The Rocks for three nights sounds like your ideal way to celebrate, Ministry of Sound has just the solution. The entertainment group has found just the right way to mark the June long weekend and celebrate its 30th birthday, too, thanks to a huge multi-room event that'll have you making shapes to 90s, 00s and recent bangers. More than 70 DJs will be hitting the decks at Ministry of Sound: Testament — A Warehouse Experience between Friday, June 11–Sunday, June 13 — and enticing you to hit the Campbell's Stores dance floor, obviously. It's a choose-your-own-adventure type of party, so fans of old-school tunes can dance to 90s house, rave, trance and garage tracks on Friday, and lovers of 00s electro and breaks can head along on Saturday. Finishing things up on the Sunday night: all the recent techno and house songs — and EDM anthems — that've been getting a spin lately. As a result, each evening will see different DJs working their magic, with big names on the bill across the entire lineup. Groove Terminator, Pee Wee Ferris, Nick Law and Robbie Lowe are among the 90s highlights, while Bag Raiders and K.I.M. from The Presets will do DJ sets on Saturday night — before PNAU, Anna Lunoe, Crooked Colours and Yolanda Be Cool head things up on Sunday. The warehouse party forms part of this year's new Sydney Solstice festival, which is slotting into Vivid's usual June slot to help liven up the city's nightlife when winter hits. It's an apt event, given the fest's broader purpose. As well as helping to mark Sydney's return to normal, it'll have you feeling nostalgic not just about retro tunes, but about the days when banning dancing was relegated to Footloose, not reality. [caption id="attachment_812356" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] PNAU. Image: Pat Stevenson[/caption] Ministry of Sound: Testament — A Warehouse Experience will take over the Campbell's Stores warehouse in The Rocks from Friday, June 11–Sunday, June 13. For further details, and to buy tickets — with pre-sales available from 9am on Tuesday, May 18 and general sales starting at 9am, Wednesday, May 19 — head to the event website.
Lunar New Year is about much more than red envelopes and lion dances. Bring your family and friends together to celebrate the Year of the Dragon with the Chippendale Collective's range of special events this month, as part of the Chippendale Spice Festival. From Thursday, February 8 to Saturday, February 24, Chippendale will come alive with free live music, workshops, bespoke set menus and art exhibits across the inner-city hub. Treat the family to a fortuitous meal at Holy Duck! with the Lucky 88 Menu for $88, or opt for a tableside spectacle with Olio's salt-baked fish, derived from a recipe that dates back 800 years. Afterwards, purchase a Money Bag Cake or Golden Hongbao Cake at beloved KOI Dessert Bar for a chance to win a gift voucher, or try the limited edition chilli mango gelato at Anita Gelato. For some liquid luck, tag along for an entertaining cocktail class at Fortress Sydney, or try your hand at a drawing class paired with spicy margs at one of Sydney's best pubs, The Lord Gladstone. Then, burn it all off with DanceKool Studio's TikTok dance workshops and Asian pop party at Central Park Mall on Saturday, February 24. Culture vultures can drop in for free Chinese contemporary art at White Rabbit Gallery or discover Chinese ornaments at the free Chau Chak Wing Museum. There's also free live music with drinks and food at the Sneaky Possum on Saturday, February 17, and free live gigs by the likes of cellist James Morley, rap star Mulalo and more at the stunning Phoenix Central Park. [caption id="attachment_837008" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jordan Munns[/caption] And of course, there'll be lion dances and family-friendly activities including giveaways, fortune tellers, fairy floss, an eating competition and face-painting at the Kensington Street Lunar New Year Festival on Sunday, February 18. The event is presented by the Chippendale Collective and proudly supported by the City of Sydney. Check out the lineup of events at the Chippendale Spice Festival website.
When a film leaves you standing outside the cinema afterwards gasping for air, you know it has made a deep impact. The discomfort which Pedro Almodovar's latest film, The Skin I Live In, has imparted upon me is one I will be feeling for some time. The story follows the rather sinister Dr Ledgard (Antonio Banderas), an eminent plastic surgeon who has been developing an artificial skin in his own laboratory for the last 12 years — a skin which is sensitive to touch and yet resistant to external damage and which could have saved his wife, who was horribly burned in a car accident 12 years earlier. In his idyllic mansion near Toledo in Spain, Ledgard has been experimenting on his own human guinea pig, the enigmatic and elusive Vera (Elena Anaya). With the collusion of Marilia (Marisa Paredes), who has looked after Ledgard since he was a child, Vera is kept prisoner in an upstairs bedroom, wearing nothing but a flesh-coloured body suit to protect her new skin. As the movie jumps back and forth through time, the story begins to unfold. There is stunning mise en scene and camerawork, paying homage to cinema of the '40s and '50s, particularly to masters of the film noir genre such as Hitchcock, and a masterfully evocative music score. These provide the audience with various signs, clues and premonitions, gradually revealing the true nature of Dr Ledgard's most unethical experiment and the motives behind it. Questions of perception and external impressions are central to the film's theme. If you change someone on the outside by giving them a new skin, or a new body even, what happens to their identity underneath? As we come to realise that Vera ressembles Ledgard's dead wife, Gal, we wonder, could this be her? Or is it someone who Dr Ledgard has refashioned to look like her? Almodovar has always been one to question identity, but this time round he has gone much further. Moreover, with the generous dose of humour usually found in his work distinctly lacking here, this is possibly the darkest film he has ever made. The Skin I Live In feels much more a psychological thriller and marks a different direction for the director, yet his spirit still pervades. Almodovar has a talent for revealing humanity at its rawest and most preposterous in a way which, far from alienating the audience, usually tells us a great deal about ourselves, albeit it on a subconscious level. In this sense, it is still the same Almodovar at work here, but his investigations into the human condition have delved much deeper to produce a film that will get right under your skin. https://youtube.com/watch?v=EolQSTTTpI4
Sydney sugar fiends can finally prepare their tastebuds for the return of one of Australia's biggest doughnut chains. Since closing down its 30 stores in 2018 during the well-documented collapse of then-owner Damien Griffith's hospitality empire, Doughnut Time has returned to Brisbane under new owners and managers, and to Melbourne, too. Now, it's Sydney's turn — but only for a six-day pop-up. From 10am–4pm between Tuesday, December 8–Sunday, December 13, you'll find Doughnut Time at Macquarie Centre — on level three on the corner of Herring and Waterloo roads in North Ryde, that is — serving up six-doughnut ($38) and four-doughnut ($26) packs. The difference between the two, other than the price? The smaller pack features all-vegan doughnuts. You'll need to pre-order in advance, though, rather than just stop by to pick up a circular dessert. Only a set number of packs are available each day — and you don't want to disappoint your tastebuds. Flavours include 'Love At First Bite' (filled with Nutella and dusted with cinnamon sugar), 'It's Always A Gaytime' (a milk chocolate glazed doughy filled with honeycomb custard, topped with crushed biscuits and caramelised crepes) and the all-vegan 'Liam Hemsworthy' (a red velvet doughnut frosted with cookies and cream, crushed chocolate ripple biscuits and a chocolate glaze drizzle). With the chain now overseen by Queensland entrepreneur Peter Andros, Doughnut Time is eager to put the brand's past behind it — a situation that not only saw its previous stores shuttered without warning, but left many of its staff unpaid. "We think what happened to past employees is unacceptable," the company wrote on Facebook. [caption id="attachment_619757" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Doughnut Time's original Surry Hills store.[/caption]
In a case of common sense prevailing — and, a cinema realising that charging more during peak times wasn't going to lure movie-goers in — Village Cinemas has cancelled their surge pricing trial on movie tickets. The theatre chain issued news.com.au with a statement, advising "we were running pricing variation trials over the summer period which we appreciate may have caused angst and concern to our customers." The company continues, "we can now confirm that all pricing variation trials have been stopped effective immediately... Our goal is to ensure movie going remains as an affordable entertainment choice for our guests." As first reported on Reddit, Village had been increasing ticket costs after 5pm on Fridays and Saturdays, to the tune of between 50 cents and $1 more per movie — and ramping up candy bar prices by between 30 cents and $1 per item as well. Yes, it's the same concept that Uber users hate during busy periods, on trial at multiplexes including Crown, Fountain Gate, Doncaster, Jam Factory, Southland and Werribee during the summer school holidays. While the idea of variable movie ticket prices isn't new — student discounts, cheap Tuesdays and the like — charging more during peak cinema-going slots was never going to be well-received given that Aussie ticket costs rose 31 percent in the decade to 2016. And though Village Cinemas was ramping up the cost in popular periods, it wasn't decreasing them for slow sessions and times. Via news.com.au
Sydney Festival is back with a massive 2022 lineup, so clear your diaries because summer is going to be very very busy (in a very very good way). The annual arts, music and culture festival is bringing 133 events to spaces all around the city for 25 days. That includes performances, shows, gigs, installations and more across Sydney's stages, screens, parks, ferry rides, the Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool and at a new 1000-seat pop-up site in Cathedral Square — because a major citywide arts festival should sprawl absolutely everywhere it can around town. Festival highlights iclude Airship Orchestra shines brightest — literally. Already a hit in both Adelaide and Brisbane, the installation from ENESS is all about towering, luminous, bulbous shapes that come complete with a choir score. If you're after jaw-dropping displays that make a statement, however, you'll find that at THAW by Legs On the Wall. It'll lift a 2.7-tonne sculpted block of ice a whopping 20 metres above Sydney Harbour — at the foot of Sydney Opera House, no less — and tasks one daring performer with standing atop it for ten hours a day, all as the ice melts. Also among the standouts is Floors of Heaven: Submersive Study, a soundscape — or 'sonic tapestry', as Sydney Festival calls it — that's designed by UK producer Leon Vynehall. It'll echo across the Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool and yes, you'll listen to it while you're splashing around. Musical Girl From the North Country was initially announced back in October, but is still one of Sydney Festival's major theatre billings. If you only take one trip into the history of Sydney's queer nightlife, too, make it the dance party-meets-theatre show that is Qween Lear at Hordern Pavilion. Other Sydney Festival must-sees include the entire lineup at Cathedral Square, at the 1000-seat pop-up dubbed Speakers Corner. That's where you'll be able to enjoy gigs by Amyl and The Sniffers, Gordi, King Stingray, Jaguar Jonze, Tropical Fuck Storm, Washington and more — plus a Radiohead for Solo Piano performance by Josh Cohen. There's a contemporary corroboree by Bangarra Dance Theatre and Sydney Theatre Company; Nat Randall and Anna Brecko's Set Piece, a theatre-film experiment that unpacks queer relationships; Darlinghurst Theatre Company's new production of iconic musical A Chorus Line; and a race-conscious Australian reimagining of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by First Nations director and actor Margaret Harvey. Hoo boy. Now it's just a matter of deciding what to fit in. Godspeed! [caption id="attachment_832872" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Shane Rozario[/caption]
Get your skates on, Sydneysiders — and you'd best don your brightest, most retro threads, too. It isn't every day that Darling Harbour becomes home to a pop-up roller rink that's hosting a month-long rollerskating festival, so you'll definitely want to dress to fit the part (and to live out your Whip It and Xanadu dreams, obviously). Meet Darling Harbour Rollerama, aka the place to be from Friday, March 25–Sunday, April 24 for anyone with rollerskates or blades strapped to their feet. Open daily across its five-weekend, four-week run, it's bringing all of the essentials. Disco ball? Tick. DJs spinning tunes? Tick again. Roller derby demonstration sessions and Rollerfit classes? Just keep on ticking. Different events will happen on different days, although you'll be gliding around to DJs on most nights. On Saturdays, Rollerfit takes over, serving up rollerskating-based exercise classes that are both fun and great for your fitness. On Thursday evenings, you'll be dressing to a theme other than just retro — with 70s, 80s and 90s-focused nights happening across the program. And, on Tuesdays, skating will cost you less across all sessions. Also, because Darling Square is currently home to Hello Kitty Town, that's being worked into Rollerama as well. So, Monday nights will be Hello Kitty nights — with dressing accordingly encouraged. If you're wondering why Rollerama is gracing Darling Harbour, the usual answer applies: why not? Also, it's to give folks who popped on some wheels during lockdowns somewhere else to skate now that stay-at-home conditions have eased — and it's obviously timed to run over the Easter holidays as well. As well as setting up the rink, which'll be located at the Pier Street Underpass near Darling Square, Rollerama is teaming up with Pumphouse Sydney Forecourt to house three separate bars. One will be a roll-up spot serving barbecue wings, smoked gouda cheeseburger, waffle stacks, and peanut butter and jelly thickshakes — and, on Friday and Saturday nights, as well as Sunday afternoons, you won't even need to undo your skates to order as staff will be zipping around to do just that. As for the others, there'll be a shipping container bar with a Rollerama-themed menu, and a Mr Black bar as well. The latter will be located in a vintage airstream trainer, and will pour espresso martinis, but only from Friday, March 25–Tuesday, March 29 and Thursday, April 21–Sunday, April 24. Eateries around Darling Harbour will also be doing specials, so you'll have other food and drink options. Rollerama tickets start from $20 most days, and $15 on Tuesdays — or $25 / $18.75 including skate hire. You can also pay extra for a coaching session if you're a roller newbie. Darling Harbour Rollerama is popping up at the Pier Street Underpass near Darling Square from Friday, March 25–Sunday, April 24. Head to the event's website for further information and to buy tickets.
Spending more time at home is much easier to stomach with a hefty rage of desserts on hand, or at least that seems to be Gelato Messina's pandemic motto. Over the past few months, the gelato fiends have served up plenty of tasty specials, including cookie pies in choc chip, red velvet, choc-hazelnut, and peanut butter and jelly varieties, as well as 40 of its best gelato flavours. Up next: a gelato version of everyone's childhood-favourite biscuit. If you've been baking your own coconut-topped Iced VoVos at home since Arnott's released the recipe a few months back, consider your tastebuds primed for this frosty, creamy version. Messina initially whipped it up in collaboration with Sydney eatery Firedoor and, unsurprisingly, it proved mighty popular. So the gelato chain is now making tubs of the flavour available at all its stores for a limited period. Wondering what exactly Iced VoVo gelato entails? It combines toasted coconut gelato with pieces of shortbread biscuit, then tops it with marshmallow, raspberry puree and desiccated coconut. And yes, the end result looks like the bikkies you know and love — but in a scoopable form. Available as part of Messina's new 'Hot Tub' series, the Iced VoVo gelato can only be ordered online on Monday, July 20, with a one-litre tub setting you back $30. You can then go into your chosen Messina store to pick up your tub between Friday, July 24–Sunday July 26. Gelato Messina's Iced VoVo gelato tubs will be available to order on Monday, July 20, for pick up between Friday, July 24–Sunday July 26 — keep an eye on the Messina website for further details. If and when you do decide to head out to pick up food, remember to follow the Australian Government Department of Health's social distancing guidelines.
Danny Harley, the alternative electronic producer and performer better known as The Kite String Tangle, has just released his debut EP Vessel, which debuted at #8 on the ARIA charts and #2 on the iTunes charts. That's not a bad effort for your first solo release, not bad at all. TKST rampaged onto the Australian music scene last year with 'Given The Chance', which landed an impressive place at #19 on last year's Hottest 100. Second single 'Arcadia' — a tale of a relationship that is trying to go back to 'the way things were' with little success — was met with an overwhelmingly positive response. With his ethereal electronic sound and subtle but emotional lyrics, Harley creates a world that we're more than happy to get lost in. As of this week, Harley embarks on a massive national tour; with most of his shows sold out already. We had a chat with the super talented young man about songwriting, his musical influences and his favourite track from Vessel. Your music bas been described as emotionally-driven pop music. What comes first, the lyrics or the beats? Definitely the beats. I guess people wouldn't really expect that but it feels so natural to me to write beats and melodies on synths before writing lyrics. Lyrics almost always come last, which is kind of strange. You have been touring incessantly this year, where do you write music? At home or on the road? Pretty much wherever I can really. I try to write as often as I can on my laptop, which is obviously pretty portable so you can write in hotel rooms or at soundchecks. Whenever I get a big stint at home I try to translate those to the studio and fill them out a bit. That's probably another reason why I write beats first. Your EP debuted at #2 on the iTunes charts, and #8 on the ARIA charts, congrats! How do you feel? It's pretty awesome! I didn't really know what to expect, I haven't had a release like this. I had done one song and it gradually built over six months, so for this it was more like 'Today's the day!' I mean, it's just absurd; I didn't know that could happen. Before now you were in the band Pigeon, but before that, how did you get your start in music? I started playing bass in a band when I was twelve and we lived in the UK. We did Green Day covers and played songs, just generally being rad. I've pretty much been trying to do music ever since. https://youtube.com/watch?v=oMP-X1USOFE 'Given the Chance' was a hugely popular debut, was that reaffirming for you and your musical direction? Yes and no. I didn't exactly know what it was about it that people liked. I troubled myself with that for a little while, then I decided that I don't need to know that; I should just write music I like — if they like it, they like it. It's one of those weird things, it's unpredictable. Previously I had been in high energy bands, and then this one was my chill zone musically. Everything I write is more chilled out down-tempo stuff. In that respect, then yeah, for sure it was reaffirming that it was the right direction. Vessel is an extremely strong, considered EP. Any tracks that you are particularly fond/proud of? There's a track called 'What If' — it's actually one that I did start off with the melody and lyrics first, which I never do. Three months later I translated it into a song that was more stylistically appropriate for the project. It's one that has stuck with me and I still like it now, which usually means it has a bit of longevity. I'm waiting to see what other people think. It's probably more like what the album will sound like as well. Wait, have you already started working on your album? You just released your EP! I know! (laughs). I kind of finished the EP two months ago. I figured the sooner I get started on the album the more songs I'll have to choose from and it can be the best that it can possibly be. You're the triple threat, singer, songwriter and producer. Any plans for collaboration in the future? Yeah for sure, I love collaborating. I think it's really cool because you end up with something you wouldn't have if you were doing it on your own, even if you tried really hard. I'm always open to writing with other artists if it's the right fit, and I'm definitely teeing up a few right now, I want to approach it like 'If it's good, it's good.' Then we'll work out what we'll use it for. You do some cracking remixes, How do you chose what to remix? One or two that I've done I chose the song, and then I've done three or four because people approached me asking if I'll do it. I said 'Hells yeah. I'll do it!' I haven't done a remix in a while and I'm trying to make it more of a thing that I do, but I'll balance it with my original output. I don't want to release too many and I want to choose the right people to work with and to remix. You did a fantastic playlist for Indie Shuffle 'Music for people with feelings'. Would you include those artists as musical influences? Yes, all of those people are hugely influential on my music. I'm a big fan of all of them. For that playlist I tried to throw in a few Australian ones as well. I'm definitely influenced by the beatsy kind of dudes like Bonobo, Jamie XX, Four Tet and John Hopkins. Then from a songwriting point of view I love The xx, London Grammar, James Blake, SBTRKT; they're very song-based, less beatsy and have a really strong foundation of a song — good lyrics, good melody. Finally you're about to embark on a huge national tour next week, what are you plans for the rest of the year? At the end of the tour, which wraps up around September 20, we're just locking in USA tour dates and then hopefully UK tour dates shortly after that. Around mid-November I'll come back here; I have a DJ set in Fiji, then it's writing album time after that. The Kite String Tangle Tour Dates: Sep 6 — The Corner Hotel, Melbourne (SOLD OUT) Sep 7 —The Corner Hotel, Melbourne (SOLD OUT) Sep 12 —Manning Bar, Sydney (SOLD OUT) Sep 17 — Telstra Spiegeltent, Brisbane (SOLD OUT) Sep 18 —Telstra Spiegeltent, Brisbane (SOLD OUT)
Questions flow freely in She Said, the powerful and methodical All the President's Men and Spotlight-style newspaper drama that tells the story behind the past decade's biggest entertainment story. On-screen, Zoe Kazan (Clickbait) and Carey Mulligan (The Dig) tend to be doing the asking, playing now Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalists Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey. They query Harvey Weinstein's actions, including his treatment of women. They gently and respectfully press actors and Miramax employees about their traumatic dealings with the Hollywood honcho, and they politely see if some — if any — will go on the record about their experiences. And, they question Weinstein and others at his studio about accusations that'll lead to this famous headline: "Harvey Weinstein Paid Off Sexual Harassment Accusers for Decades". As the entire world read at the time, those nine words were published on October 5, 2017, along with the distressing article that detailed some — but definitely not all — of Weinstein's behaviour. Everyone has witnessed the fallout, too, with Kantor and Twohey's story helping spark the #MeToo movement, electrifying the ongoing fight against sexual assault and gender inequality in the entertainment industry, and shining a spotlight on the gross misuses of authority that have long plagued Tinseltown. The piece also brought about Weinstein's swift downfall. As well as being sentenced to 23 years in prison in New York in 2020, he's currently standing trial for further charges in Los Angeles. Watching She Said, however, more questions spring for the audience. Here's the biggest heartbreaker: how easily could Kantor and Twohey's article never have come to fruition at all, leaving Weinstein free to continue his predatory harassment? In a female-driven movie on- and off-screen — including director Maria Schrader (I'm Your Man), screenwriter Rebecca Lenkiewicz (Small Axe) and cinematographer Natasha Braier (Honey Boy) — She Said details all the moments where the pivotal piece of reporting could've been forced to take no for an answer, something that Weinstein wasn't known for. At the NYT, assistant managing editor Rebecca Corbett (Patricia Clarkson, Sharp Objects) and executive editor Dean Baquet (Andre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-Nine) are always supportive, starting when Kantor picks up the story, and continuing when she brings in Twohey fresh off an investigative article into Donald Trump's sexual misconduct. But, unsurprisingly, the women made victims by Weinstein are wary. Many also signed non-disclosure agreements. Kantor and Twohey's pitch: by speaking out and ideally going on the record, they can assist in ensuring that what they endured doesn't happen to anyone else. Knowing the end result, and the whole reason that She Said exists, doesn't dampen the film's potency or tension. Instead, it heightens the appreciation for the bravery of those who spoke out — at first and afterwards — and the care with which Kantor and Twohey handled their task. The two reporters knew that they were asking women to revisit their darkest traumas, make their worst ordeals public and take on a man who'd been untouchable for decades (with the spate of NDAs and settlements with many of his targets to prove it). Even Rose McGowan (voiced by The Plot Against America's Keilly McQuail) is hesitant; she's mentioned but not quoted in the final piece. Persevering to bring Weinstein's crimes to attention, Kantor and Twohey keep digging, and keep trying to persuade their potential interviewees — and She Said doubles as a lesson in compassionately and respectfully doing just that. Some of the women approached are household names, with Ashley Judd appearing as herself and Gwyneth Paltrow referenced but not seen. Others worked in less visible roles in Weinstein's orbit — and She Said's moments with Samantha Morton (The Serpent Queen), Jennifer Ehle (Saint Maud) and Angela Yeoh (The Batman) as ex-Miramax employees Zelda Perkins, Laura Madden and Rowena Chiu, helping the feature explore why they agreed to talk, are electrifying and heartbreaking at the same time. In a blistering scene set in a London cafe, Morton plays someone toughened by and determined because of her 90s efforts to stand up for a colleague, her anger radiating from the screen. Ehle is the face of sorrowful regret, with the pain she conveys about being accosted as a young woman — a flashback to which opens the movie — just as palpable. And Chiu is devastating as someone who hasn't even told her husband about what happened, such was is misplaced shame and lingering fear. Great procedurals, of which She Said is one, know the importance of three things: diligently putting pieces together, charting the dedicated efforts making that happen and showing the impact of a job well done. Not all such films get as satisfying an IRL ending — Zodiac is an all-timer and the serial killer it focuses on has never been caught — but conveying why the work matters is one of the genre's key aims. No one needs a movie to stress that fact here, obviously. The results of Kantor and Twohey's efforts have garnered headlines for five years now and will continue to. Still, consider She Said a testament to that hard work, and a film eager to ensure that toiling gets its due. It isn't a self-congratulatory flick, but a solidly compelling, sensitive and astute one. It never even lets Weinstein's face be sighted. And, it tells its tale with naturalistic, lived-in visuals, including in the NYT's offices and cafeteria, always emphasising that its details are real and tangible. Where 2019's chilling and exceptional The Assistant fictionalised a film production company led by a Weinstein type and the culture of sexual harassment it enabled, She Said always dwells in fact. Both movies are gripping, engaging, moving and essential, however, as well as attentively directed and outstandingly cast. For the second time in the past few years, Mulligan confronts the abhorrent treatment of women by men, and strikes back — and while this feature couldn't be more different tonally from Promising Young Woman, she's a firmly committed presence in both. Quiet strength emanates from Mulligan and Kazan alike, while their characters are doing their jobs and as they're balancing home lives. That juggling act is never the point of She Said, which seamlessly works in the pair's respective children, plus Twohey's pregnancy and post-natal depression. Nonetheless, including it helps reinforce the variety of ways that this is a women-centric story — crucially so — and what that means on an array of levels.
Sat in the middle of Sydney Harbour, Me-Mel isn't just one of the city's many scenic sites surrounded by glistening water. Also known as Goat Island, it's a pivotal part of New South Wales' Indigenous history, and was inhabited by Eora leaders Bennelong and Barangaroo in the late 18th and early 19th century. It's on the New South Wales State Heritage Register, but the NSW Government is now going a step further to recognise its past — reverting ownership of Me-Mel back to the Aboriginal community. NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet announced on Sunday, May 29, that the iconic island will be transferred back to its Traditional Owners. It'll also receive $43 million in funding for its restoration. "Returning Me-Mel to the Aboriginal community is the right thing to do, and it helps deliver on my commitment of improving outcomes and opportunities for Aboriginal people across all parts of government," said Perrottet. "A big part of my commitment is ensuring the island is remediated before it's transferred to the Aboriginal community," the Premier continued. "Through the NSW Budget 2022–23, we're delivering $42.9 million to regenerate and restore Me-Mel, and ultimately pave the way for the transfer back to the Aboriginal community." [caption id="attachment_855820" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Views over Sydney Harbour from Goat Island, Sydney.[/caption] That cash will cover restoration work over four years, including "repairing seawalls and buildings, improving the wharf and access, upgrading services such as water and sewers, and removing contaminants like asbestos," advised NSW Treasurer Matt Kean. After those upgrades and maintenance work — so, likely in 2026 — the transfer will take place. Expressions of interest are now open for members of the Indigenous community to join the Me-Mel Transfer Committee, which will fall under the National Parks and Wildlife Service, to oversee the process, make recommendations about the transfer to Aboriginal ownership, and also assist with determining how Me-Mel will be managed and used afterwards. The island's history also features 30 buildings and other structures that are still onsite, dating from the 1830s through to the 1960s. Until the transfer occurs, Me-Mel will still be managed by NPWS — and will remain open to the public both before and after the change of ownership. For more information about the transfer of Me-Mel (Goat Island) back to the Indigenous community, read the NSW Government press release or visit the NSW Department of Planning and Environment website. Images: Destination NSW.
UPDATE, December 23, 2021: Pig is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Nicolas Cage plays a truffle hunter. That's it, that's the pitch. When securing funding, those six words should've been enough to ensure that Pig made it to cinemas. Or, perhaps another high-concept summary helped. Maybe debut feature writer/director Michael Sarnoski went with these seven words: Nicolas Cage tracks down his stolen pet. Here's a final possibility that could've done the trick, too: Nicolas Cage does a moodier John Wick with a pig. Whichever logline hit the spot, or even if none did, Pig isn't merely the movie these descriptions intimate. It's better. It's weightier. It's exceptional. It always snuffles out its own trail, it takes joy in subverting almost every expectation and savouring the moment, and it constantly unearths surprises. Cage has spent much of his recent on-screen time fighting things — ninja aliens in the terrible Jiu Jitsu and possessed animatronics in the average Willy's Wonderland, for example — in movies that were clearly only made because that was the case. But, when he's at his absolute best, he plays characters whose biggest demons are internal. Here, he broods and soul-searches as a man willing to do whatever it takes to find his beloved porcine pal, punish everyone involved in her kidnapping and come to terms with his longstanding, spirit-crushing woes. Sarnoski keeps things sparse when Pig begins; for the film and its protagonist, less is more. Rob Feld (Cage) lives a stripped-back existence in a cabin in the woods, with just his cherished truffle pig for company — plus occasional visits from Amir (Alex Wolff, Hereditary), the restaurant supplier who buys the highly sought-after wares Rob and his swine forage for on their walks through the trees. He's taken this life by choice, after the kind of heartbreak that stops him from listening to tapes of the woman he loved. He's found the solace he can in the quiet, the isolation and the unconditional bond with the animal he dotes on. (He's tampered down the full strength of his pain in the process, obviously.) But then, because bad things can happen in cabins in the woods even beyond horror flicks, Rob's pig is abducted in the dark of the night. Now, he's a man on a mission. He has a glare and a stare, too. As the swine's distressed squeals echo in his head, Rob stalks towards Portland to get her back. He needs Amir to chauffeur him around the city, but he has an idea of where to look and who to chase. When the big pig kidnapping comes, and early, Pig initially resembles not only John Wick but Mandy. That 2018 film cast Cage as a lumberjack seeking his abducted girlfriend — also taken by intruders in the deep of night — and it proved his best movie in at least 15 years. Thankfully, Sarnoski and co-scribe/producer Vanessa Block haven't just taken Mandy and made a blatant swap. They haven't done the same with John Wick, either. And, performance-wise, Pig doesn't ask Cage to revisit a recent standout or follow in someone else's career-refreshing footsteps. The actor does soulful and yearning heartbreakingly well, as Bringing Out the Dead so potently established over two decades ago. Even in his most cartoonish fare (the type that isn't actually animated, because he's dabbled in voice work, too), he's masterful at conveying anger. Both longing and fury filter through here, because every Cage performance tugs and pulls at his past portrayals; however, this particular role calls for tenderness, despair and resolve all at once, and also contemplation, mystery, being wearied by too much grief and appreciating the little things and kindnesses. One of the delights of his efforts in Pig is how he keeps breaking down layer after layer, then piling on more, then stewing and simmering in them as well. Cage's over-the-top turns are entertaining to watch, but this is a measured gem of a portrayal, and a versatile, touching, deeply empathetic and haunting one that's up there with his finest ever. Compassion bubbles through Pig from the outset, in fact, and isn't just directed at Rob. As viewers discover more about him, his past life, why he knows about Portland's underground network of chefs and other hospitality industry figures, and how he can whip up a meal that brings someone to tears, we also learn about Amir. Pig isn't a star vehicle, but a double act. It knows how to deploy Cage at the height of his caged-in skills, and how well he can bounce off the right co-star. So, the film also dives into everything that's made Amir who he is — aka a truffle seller who is trying to get a jump in the food business, caught in a bigger shadow, hasn't matched his own or anyone else's expectations, but keeps bustling and hustling forward. He's self-aware about his struggles, and also trying to do something about them. He's wily and resourceful, and neurotic and jumpy at the same time. Wolff is just as brilliant as getting under his character's skin as Cage is, and just as compelling to watch as well. They're at their finest when they're together, unpacking what it means to navigate tragedy, fear, loss, regret, uncertainty, an uncaring world and a complicated industry, all in Rob and Amir's own ways — and attempting to free themselves of their own histories, embrace their own niches, and seek meaning and value. In scene after scene, Cage and Wolff captivate, drawing viewers into their meaty performances. Sarnoski's directorial choices achieve the same feat, managing to favour simplicity and complexity in tandem — like cooking a dish with a variety of easy ingredients, then unlocking a world of flavours as they're combined. As lensed by Patrick Scola (Monsters and Men), Pig finds beauty in the everyday, including when Rob and the titular animal could've trotted straight out of documentary The Truffle Hunters. It lingers on walking, talking, kneading, sipping and eating, and sometimes on people overtly appreciating those things. Filling its frames with detail, including in streams of sunlight or the act of preparing a meal, it also acknowledges that nothing that comes with existing is ever straightforward — and that hurt, cruelty and darkness are inescapable. To let these notions swirl and sink in, editor Brett W Bachman (Werewolves Within, and also a Mandy alum) finds a stately, thoughtful rhythm. As set to a stirring score, too, the film muses, meditates and steeps. It's unmistakably a movie where Cage plays a truffle hunter on a quest for revenge after his adored pet pig is stolen, but this moving and humanistic picture is also welcomely and entrancingly so much more than that.
New South Wales residents, it's holiday time. After almost two years largely spent staring at your own four walls, you probably don't need much motivation to head absolutely anywhere else, but the State Government is giving you some anyway. In an effort to encourage everyone to take a vacation across NSW — including a staycation in the city, Sydneysiders — it's handing out $50 vouchers for accommodation. Every adult in the state will receive a voucher, which'll fall under the NSW Government's Stay & Rediscover scheme — to the tune of $250 million all up. You'll need to apply, however, and the initiative won't open until March 2022. But, you'll be able to redeem your voucher at accommodation premises throughout the state. Details are still fairly scarce for now otherwise, although the government has revealed that you'll only be able to use the vouchers at registered accommodation providers. Businesses with a physical location in the City of Sydney Local Government Area can sign up now, ahead of a pilot run in the area. Businesses elsewhere across the state will then be able to register from late January 2022. Also, you'll need to be over 18 to get a voucher, and you'll only be able to redeem it for room bookings — not other products and services at hotels. That said, you can combine your own vouchers with your partner's or friends', to get more cash off your reservation. And, access-wise, you'll have multiple options — including via the Service NSW app, printed vouchers, PDFs and text messages. [caption id="attachment_676653" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Crystalbrook Albion[/caption] If this sounds familiar, that's because former Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced something similar in March. Back then, 200,000 vouchers worth $100 each were set to be handed out on a first come, first served basis around June, for use in Sydney's inner city. Then Sydney went into lockdown, followed the rest of the rest of the state. Now resurrected just as Sydney has come out of an almost four-month-long period of stay-at-home conditions, the accommodation voucher program has two obvious aims: enticing folks in NSW to go venturing throughout the state, and helping support local businesses. Victoria and Queensland have also run similar schemes, too, because throwing some love towards the Aussie tourism industry has understandably been a big focus during the pandemic. Announcing the news today, Wednesday, October 20, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said that "millions of people around the world dream of visiting Sydney and our regional areas. This package not only ensures they can, but that they'll experience the very best of what we have to offer." He continued: "it's also great news for people right across our state, reviving events and businesses and bringing our major drawcards back to life. Importantly, more than 300,000 people rely on our tourism industry and our aim is to reclaim our position as one of the world's favourite destinations." As well as confirming the Stay & Rediscover vouchers, the Premier also announced a broader tourism and events support package — offering $530 million in total, including the $250 million for the accommodation scheme. The announcement only covers the broad strokes for now, with the minutiae set to be revealed at a later date; however, $150 million will go to major events, including $50 million for events in regional NSW; $60 million is earmarked to give international airlines an incentive to restart flights to Sydney; and $6 million will be put towards bringing business events back to the city. Also, $50 million will go towards supporting events and activations in CBDs across Greater Sydney and surrounding areas, $25 million is targeted at relaunching festivals and $10 million will be put into a marketing campaign — and an event saver fund will also be set up for organisers, for use if events are cancelled or disrupted by restrictions and lockdowns over this coming summer. Some of this funding overlaps with cash already announced earlier this week, on Sunday, October 17, which focused on supporting the arts industry as it reopens after lockdown. The NSW Government's Stay & Rediscover scheme will kick off sometime in March 2022. We'll update you when further details are announced — and you can check out additional information via the Stay & Rediscover website.
Music festival fans, it's time to take your horse to the old town road — hat down, cross-town, livin' like a rock star. New South Wales end-of-year staple Lost Paradise has announced its return for 2022, and it's making a comeback with two huge headliners: Lil Nas X, clearly, as well as Arctic Monkeys. Since first unleashing its specific flavour of festival fun back in 2014, Lost Paradise has become an end-of-year staple — and the Glenworth Valley event returns from Wednesday, December 28–Sunday, January 1 for another packed year. Joining Lil Nas X and Arctic Monkeys will be a massive lineup of genre-diverse artists ranging from local up-and-coming bands, powerhouse international DJs, Tik Tok sensations and festival favourites. Across the festival's four stages you can catch the likes of Jamie xx, Ocean Alley, Spacey Jane, Ben Bohmer, G Flip, PinkPantheress, Cub Sport and Genesis Owusu performing live, as well as Peggy Gou, Mall Grab, Folamour, DJ Boring, HAAi, TSHA, Ebony Boadu, CC:Disco!, Dameeeela and Latifa Tee jumping on the decks. [caption id="attachment_687549" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jordan Munns[/caption] Also on the lineup: Young Franco, The Vanns, May-A, KiNK, Furnace and the Fundamentals, King Stingray, 1300, Big Twisty & the Funknasty, Elsy Wameyo, Heidi, X Club, Flava D, Telanova, Lazywax, and Wongo DJing back-to-back with Little Fritter. Outside of the music, there will be talks from Dr Karl and Dancewize, DJing workshops with Luen, a full yoga program, hula hooping sessions, and a whole lot more — all as part of a four-day camping festival. So, there's plenty to get excited about and to tempt you to make the journey an hour out of Sydney. Lost Paradise 2022 will introduce a ban on single-use plastics, too — which'll mean that you'll need to acknowledge the 'Paradisian Pledge' to minimise pollution and leave the campsite with no waste in order to purchase tickets. Also, this year's event will only use building materials built from 100-percent recyclable materials, and produce zero landfill. [caption id="attachment_687550" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jordan Munns[/caption] LOST PARADISE 2022 LINEUP Music: Arctic Monkeys Lil Nas X Jamie xx Ocean Alley Spacey Jane G Flip Pinkpantheress Cub Sport Genesis Owusu Young Franco The Vanns MAY-A Furnace & The Fundamentals King Stingray Pacific Avenue Telenova 1300 Stumps Big Twisty & The Funknasty Egoism Yung Mtyr Lazywax Elsy Wamayo Eagle Eye Jones Abby Bella May Greatest Hits Sweetie Liyah Knight Coconut Cream Liquid Time Casual Fan Peggy Gou Mall Grab Ben Böhmer Folamour DJ Boring KiNK HAAi TSHA CC:DISCO! Heidi X Club. Flava D Shanti Celeste Moxie Loods Wax'o Paradiso Wongo Little Fritter Merve Luen Ebony Boadu Ayebatonye Crush3d James Pepper Elijah Something Latifa Tee Willo Dameeeela Mincy Conspiracy Crew Luke Alessi Troy Beman Mintox Waxlily Uncle Ru Girlthing Dj's Cleo Clutch 4 Love Roxy Lotz Madami Shambhala Fields: Yoga Sharing Loving Energy with Simon Borg-olivier Restorative Yin Acro Yoga Laughter Yoga Primal Flow Intro to Vedic Meditation Mindfulness Mastering the Handstand Workshops Move & Manifest with Mimi DJing 101 With Luen Effigies & Idols Pottery Hula Hooping Re-Wilding Women and the Feminime Soul Drumming Foraging & Bushcraft Skills Breathwork Cacao Love Ritual Samba Reggae Belly & Bootydance Love Out Loud Movement Talks Messages of Good Hope With Dr Karl A Human's Guide to the Future Party Safe with Dancewize Nsw Transformational Mindsets & Rites Of Passage Ai And the Future of Humanity Open Up With One Eighty Culture Weaving Workshop Wyappa Wurk: Aboriginal Yoga & Movement Seeds Of Peace with Uncle Phil Indigenous Dance Moving Beyond Sustainability Yidaki (Didgeridoo) Sound Of Moon & Healing Healing Haven Remedial Massage Tarot & Astrology Reiki Healing Energetic Healing Ambience After Dark Baran Yildiz Dave Leha AKA Radical Son Billsbry Luminous Sounds With Sati Delojaan: Sydney Sufi Ensemble Nye Cacao Ceremony Top images: Ruby Boland
UPDATE, December 23, 2022: Barbarian is available to stream via Disney+ from January 4, 2023. "Safe as houses" isn't a term that applies much in horror. It isn't difficult to glean why. Even if scary movies routinely followed folks worrying about their investments — one meaning of the phrase — it's always going to be tricky for the sentiment to stick when such flicks love plaguing homes, lodges and other dwellings with bumps, jumps and bone-chilling terror. Barbarian, however, could break out the expression and mean it, in a way. At its centre sits a spruced-up Detroit cottage listed on Airbnb and earning its owner a trusty income. In the film's setup, the house in question is actually doing double duty, with two guests booked for clashing stays over the same dates. It's hardly a spoiler to say that their time in the spot, the nicest-looking residence in a rundown neighbourhood, leaves them feeling anything but safe. Late on a gloomy, rainy, horror-movie-101 kind of night — an eerie and tense evening from the moment that writer/director Zach Cregger's first feature as a solo director begins — Tess Marshall (Georgina Campbell, Suspicion) arrives at Barbarian's pivotal Michigan property. She's in town for a job interview, but discovers the lockbox empty, keys nowhere to be found. Also, the home already has an occupant in Keith Toshko (Bill Skarsgård, Eternals), who made his reservation via a different website. With a medical convention filling the city's hotels, sharing the cottage seems the only option, even if Tess is understandably cautious about cohabitating with a man she's literally just met. Ambiguity is part of Barbarian from the get-go, spanning whether Keith can be trusted, what's behind their double booking and, when things start moving overnight, what's going on in the abode. That's only the start of Barbarian's hellish story. Canny casting plays a considerable part in Barbarian's early unease; if you rocked up to a place that's meant to be yours alone for the evening only for Pennywise from the recent big-screen version of IT and its sequel lurking within — sans red balloon, luckily — you'd be creeped out. Skarsgård's involvement isn't the only reason that the movie's first act drips with dread and uncertainty, but it's a devastatingly clever use of him as a horror-film talent, and the Swedish star leans into the slippery and shifty possibilities. Still, after taking a photo of his ID and being wary of drinking beverages he's made, Tess warms to Keith over wine and conversation. He's having a loud nightmare on the couch, too, when her bedroom door opens mysteriously. When she gets stuck in the locked basement the next day, he's out at meetings. Then he returns, and they'll wish that a reservation mixup really was the worst of their troubles. Clearly made with affection for old-school horror, especially films by genre great Wes Craven, Barbarian feels like a well-crafted take on a familiar premise while it's laying its groundwork. Foolish is the viewer who thinks that they know where the movie is heading from there, though — or who ignores the instant bubblings of potential to zig and zag, plus the lingering inkling that something beyond the easily expected might stalk its frames. Indeed, watching Barbarian recalls watching scary flicks from four and five decades back for the first time, a rite of passage for every horror-loving teen no matter the generation, and being gripped by their surprises. Cregger bundles in twists, but he also establishes a vibe where almost anything can shift and change. Two cases in point: when Justin Long (Giri/Haji) shows up as a smug and obnoxious Hollywood player with #MeToo problems, and when the 80s isn't just an influence in scenes lensed in a tighter aspect ratio. Keeping audiences guessing is chief among Barbarian's games, and one it plays with glee and skill on Cregger's part. That's true when the film is nodding to other horror greats, as also seen in its Psycho nudges (side note: Skarsgård would make a great Norman Bates if anyone was to try remaking Alfred Hitchcock's classic again). It's also accurate when Barbarian is going all in on unnerving frights and inducing fear — the moment you think you know where the plot sits, it careens sharply, and the moment you think you know when the next shock or source of apprehension will arrive, and how, it flips just as boldly. He's co-helmed Miss March and The Civil War on Drugs before, but it's the filmmaker's background in sketch comedy (as a cofounder of New York-based troupe The Whitest Kids U' Know, in fact) that might underline his ability and willingness to turn wildly, and to make each pivot and leap pay off. Jordan Peele took a similar jump and that's going swimmingly, as Get Out, Us and Nope attest. But Cregger opts for what might seem an unusual choice in these elevated horror times: he flirts with topical subjects and helms a movie with things to say, but layers in his many points rather than makes any one the main focus. It isn't by accident that Barbarian is set in Detroit, or in its Brightmoor area. The way suburbia can boom, change and falter under capitalism is firmly in the film's sights, as are the inequities in income in general, and at the heart of the short-term rental market — plus the fact that such services can virtually snap up entire neighbourhoods, price plenty of folks out of them, and see homes turned into cash cows at the expense of any sense of community. Cregger also muses just as savvily and bitingly on toxic masculinity and the roles it forces women into, such as victims, villains and simply constantly being on high alert, as Tess always is. Splashing around an eagerness to keep challenging itself — including visually, with cinematographer Zach Kuperstein (The Eyes of My Mother) rarely using the obvious shot, and also ensuring every frame is taut and precise — Barbarian is deeply, gloriously and entertainingly sinister. It's meticulously and impressively executed, and also innately unsettling. It knows all the tropes and horror conventions that've filled films both spectacular and terrible before, and it knows how to toy with and subvert them, when to let them run their course, and how to make a movie that feels fresh no matter which of the above it's doing. And, in the process, it deserves to boost not only Cregger's career, but also the excellent Campbell's. Playing a memorable potential final girl takes fortitude (see: Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode again and again), and playing a character that's smart, determined, resourceful but keeps making questionable horror-movie decisions for understandable reasons requires commitment. Believing in Campbell as Tess, and in the attention-grabber of a flick she's in: now that's a move that's safe as houses.
Sure, you've flown in a seaplane. And there was that time you jumped out of a plane for a dare. But have you ever skimmed past the clouds in a two-person light aircraft with an open cockpit and minimal controls? Microlighting is probably not as terrifying as it sounds, and in an intimate 15-minute flight ($100 for groups) you could be spotting whales from an impressive height, while also catching glimpses of national parks and surfers in the distance. Taking off from Somersby Airfield, Microlight Adventures operates flights over Central Coast's 42 beaches every week. And to make the most of it, opt for the $250 flight and you'll join a qualified flying instructor for a full hour of soaring above the sights.
Film festivals seem to be coming thick and fast at the moment, and the 2013 Spanish Film Festival is joining the party this June. In its 16th year, it will fill 23 days with more than 20 films. In true festival style, you can expect a little from column A and a little from column B: comedy, romance, horror, political tales, triller and coming-of-age stories. Some of the highlights include the winner of 10 Argentinian Academy Awards, Clandestine Childhood, a tale of a boy finding his place in the world; A Gun in Each Hand, a witty look at gender roles and growing up; and the Spanish box office hit I Want You, a love story filled with new beginnings and a rocking soundtrack. The Spanish Film Festival is set to entertain and get you thinking. The question is, how many will you see?
Sydney is a city made for sparkling wine. There's no better beverage to match summery climes, dreamy harbour vistas and pretty beaches. Whether you're shaking off a long day at work or dissolving into the evening after a leisurely Saturday, the best time to drink it is at sundown. Now that the warmer months are here, Chandon S is popping up in venues all over the place with dedicated outdoor spaces, lounges and bar carts. This summery drop is a blend of Yarra Valley sparkling wine and orange bitters — an aromatic combination of blood and navel oranges, fresh ginger, gentian root, vanilla pods, cinnamon quills and cardamom. Here's where to find this refreshing tipple and soak up every drop of the sunny season.
Mooncakes, ramen, fried ice cream, taiyaki, DJs and a live acrobatic lion dance performance. These are all part of the Darling Square Moon Festival that's taking over the Haymarket precinct from Friday, September 15, until Sunday, October 1. The traditional Mid-Autumn or Moon Festival will be celebrated over two weeks of festivities, with a huge program of Darling Square's beloved restaurants and bars whipping up special celebrations for the festival. From Friday, September 15, mooncakes will be all the rage at this fest. The Gong Grocer mooncake stall will pop up outside Maker's Dozen, boasting special mooncake flavours like peach oolong, jasmine, pandan, mango pomelo, and the famed custard lava series. Golden Century's XOPP will also be rolling out an array of its popular mooncakes, including its golden egg custard and red bean lotus root flavours, alongside its famous XO sauce. Region-specific flavours, including Teochew flakey pastry variants, Vietnamese mooncakes, and mochi-adjacent ice-cream 'snow skin' mooncakes, will be available. Elsewhere, IIKO Mazesoba is offering its Tsukimi Mazesoba ramen, mochi taiyaki, milk pudding with peach puree, and a snow skin bunny mooncake. Dopa by Devon will be offering chicken teriyaki, chicken karaage and veggie mini dons for $10, Ume Burger is doing crispy Moon Festival lotus chips, and Chinta Ria has crafted three celebratory set menus dubbed Love, Peace and Happiness. To accompany the various eats on offer, Hello Auntie will be serving up two specially-curated cocktails for the festival period. Sip on Moon Light (a pandan rum with green Chartreuse, pineapple and mango puree) or the 15-08 (gin, dragon fruit, and St. Germain). The Hello Auntie crew will also be slinging an XO tiger prawn dish paired with thyme, XO sauce, lime gel, shiso and nori. Along with the wide variety of eats, there will be a bunch of live music from the likes of Flygirl Tee and Mark Matthews through to DJ Aycuz spinning tracks every weekend. Rounding out the massive program of festivities is an exclusive live acrobatic lion dance performance from Jin Wu Koon on Friday, September 29, as well as an on-site calligraphy bar and lantern retailers — so you can personalise your glowing lanterns with a special message in English or Chinese. There will also be traditional Chinese makeup and face painting artists popping up from Friday, September 29, to Sunday, October 1. Check out the full program at the Darling Square website.
Continuing its (highly successful) quest to separate the world of art from elitism, The Other Art Fair is back in Sydney for 2022. The boundary-pushing multi-day exhibit is bringing the works of 120 artists to the staggering sandstone-walled Barangaroo venue The Cutaway. From Thursday, July 21 till Sunday, July 24, you can expect accessible art (read: affordable, starting at just $100) and good-time vibes (courtesy of live DJs, diverse street eats and a fully stocked bar), all in service of delivering the fruits of our creative outputs differently. Whether your love of art is long-held and you've curated a collection to rival the best, or you simply appreciate artistic expression and are looking to discover emerging and independent artists (and perhaps procure your first forever-piece), The Other Art Fair will have thousands (literally) of impressive pieces for you to discover. Taking it one step further, the creative collective is giving away an arty night out — the perfect prize for anyone looking for another way to enjoy a Thursday evening. The winner will score a double pass to opening night on July 21, two drinks to sip on arrival and a $250 voucher to spend on artwork (bought directly from the artist) to take home (and make all your friends jealous). Not loving your odds? The Other Art Fair is keeping another 40 people happy, too, with 20 double passes up for grabs for entry to the Fair from Friday, July 22 to Sunday, July 24. Ready to raise a glass to curious encounters? Enter your details below. [competition]859590[/competition]
Since TAFE NSW announced three weeks ago it was offering 21 free online short courses to help Sydneysiders upskill during COVID-19, a whopping 85,000 people have enrolled. As a result, some of the courses are full — the medical administration course alone has 10,000 participants — but if you were keen to enrol, and just hadn't gotten around to it yet, you haven't missed out: new courses have just been unveiled. Announced by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian this morning, Thursday, April 30, the 13 new fee-free short courses replace the oversubscribed courses and are now available to complete online via TAFE NSW. The 21 total fee-free accredited courses are open to people over 17 who live or work in NSW and are an Australia or NZ citizen, permanent resident or humanitarian visa holder. You can also only enrol in a maximum of two courses. If you tick those boxes, you can now grow your digital skills with an introductory course to coding or cyber security, increase your medical knowledge with an introduction to infection prevention (with a focus on hand washing, PPE equipment and temperature control) or up your management nous with a Statement of Attainment in Leading Teams. Courses range in commitment from 3–11 hours a week for up to 26 weeks. These new courses add to TAFE NSW's existing fee-free short courses, which are available to those impacted by this season's devastating bushfires and women looking to launch a small business. Early last year, NSW Government also announced it was subsidising up to 100,000 TAFE courses and apprenticeships under its Smart and Skilled program. TAFE NSW has paused face-to-face courses. You can find out more about its COVID-19 response over here. To find out more about and enrol in one of TAFE NSW's fee-free online short courses, head to the TAFE NSW website.
If summer always leaves you reminiscing about the balmy school holidays of your youth, you're going to be all about the latest line of frosty creations from Gelatissimo. The gelato chain is throwing back hard and digging up plenty of fond memories with its newly launched Aussie Favourites range — a trio of flavours that includes chocolate crackle, fairy bread and Weet-Bix with honey and banana. They're scooping now at all Gelatissimo stores nationwide, up for grabs until the end of January 2020. Sure to transport you straight back to some childhood birthday party, the fairy bread flavour pays homage to a true Aussie icon. Expect buttery vanilla gelato — made with real butter, mind you — scattered with 100s and 1000s, and crunchy pieces of lightly toasted fairy bread. Cleverly blurring that line between breakfast and dessert, the Weet-Bix concoction is another riff on a favourite, though one you're probably less inclined to scoff a bowl of before netball practice. It teams real Weet-Bix chunks with creamy banana gelato and a splash of Australian wildflower honey. And the nostalgia runs extra deep with the chocolate crackle creation, a sweet tribute to one of the most recognisable party treats in all of Australian history. It boasts rich chocolate gelato infused with chunks of real chocolate crackle, crafted just like Mum used to make, with rice puffs, cocoa powder, desiccated coconut and plenty of chocolate sauce. Of course, Gelatissimo's no stranger to dreaming up wild and innovative new creations. In the past year alone, the brand's launched a dog-friendly peanut butter gelato, a boozy frosé sorbet and even a frozen take on the iconic Bundaberg Ginger Beer. Gelatissimo's Aussie Favourites range is available from all stores nationwide, from Friday, November 29, until the end of January.
