When well-loved Petersham stalwart Oxford Tavern reopened earlier this year, it brought an influx of quality local brews, natural wines and Aussie spirits to the neighbourhood along with it. Now the watering hole has teamed up with the best in the craft beer business — Marrickville's Bucket Boys — to open a co-op bottle shop onsite. Taken over by brothers James and Josh Thorpe, the duo behind Darlinghurst's The Taphouse and its sour ale and natural wine bar Odd Culture, the Tav now pours beers from independent breweries made within a five-kilometre radius of the pub. At the moment you can get your mitts on brews from The Grifter, Yulli's, Nomad and Wayward. If you don't want a beer, opt for an Aussie gin with tonic, a spritz or a cocktail jug made with soda from PS40 or a glass of Australian natty wine. Given the drinks list, the venue is a natural fit for a co-run bottle-o with fellow beer slingers (and lovers) Bucket Boys, offering up sought-after brews, wines and liquors for you to take home. Located in a custom-built area between the front bar and Oxford Tavern's lush beer garden, the bottle shop will feature a simple counter and display situation, decor-wise. It's the shops carefully-curated selection of neighbourhood brews, natural wines and Aussie spirits that'll be the impressive part. Like the Tav itself, the store will have a brewery focus on those within five kilometres — Batch, Young Henrys, Yulli's, Akasha, Wayward, Grifter and Wildflower will all cop a spot in the fridge, mainly available in four- and six-packs of tinnies as well as a select range of singles. In the spirit of mateship (and Australia's questionable drinking culture), the co-op shop will launch on Anzac Day — aka Thursday, April 25 — and run for at least a few months, with hopes for it to become a permanent fixture. The pub will also be celebrating the public holiday with a New Zealand versus Australia brewery tap showcase, smokey meats from the barbecue pit in the beer garden and two-up from noon, obviously. The Oxford Tavern x Bucket Boys co-op bottle shop will launch on Thursday, April 25 at 1 New Canterbury Road, Petersham and is slated to run for a few months. Keep an eye on the Bucket Boys Instagram feed for updates. Top image: Katje Ford.
Public House Petersham is going all out this ANZAC Day with a car park party outside their pub from noon on Tuesday, April 25. Two-up isn't the only highlight — they've invited some of Australia's best craft brewers along to make the day extra festive, including Batch Brewing Company, Willie the Boatman, Stone & Wood Brewing, Fixation Brewing Co. and Malt Shovel Brewery. Each brewery will set up a stall in the car park, pouring ice-cold brews to thirsty two-up players in masses. As an additional nod to the sentiment of the day, the proceeds of each brewery's first keg will support Soldier On Australia. In true Aussie style, there will also be a sausage sizzle, along with a charity bake sale by Daisy's Milkbar and the PHP kitchen will open its regular hours. Two-up will begin promptly at noon and the party will sashay into the night from there.
Unless you've spent the last two months living under a rock, it's safe to assume you'll have heard about The Lady and the Unicorn exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW. Visiting from Paris' Musèe de Cluny – Musèe National du Moyen Âge, the exquisitely beautiful, richly symbolic tapestry cycle — otherwise known as 'the Mona Lisa of the Middle Ages' — is yours to gaze at until Sunday, June 24. It's only the third time the works have left France since their creation circa 1500, so we're pretty darn lucky to have them in Sydney. And even luckier, there's an incredible accompanying program designed to complement the exhibition's themes of art and the senses. So once you've soaked up the tapestries in all their mysterious glory, you can dive into a host of events including an impressive lineup of guest speakers, tapestry weaving, live poetry performances, panel discussions and weekly sessions on mindfulness and meditation. Here are some highlights. PRACTICE MINDFULNESS Intrigued by the Coming to Our Senses series but can't commit to the four-week program? Then put Wednesday, April 25 in your calendar. As part of that evening's Art After Hours program, artist and Zen Buddhist practitioner Lindy Lee joins mindfulness educator Steve Pozel for a free talk on the power of art to engage our senses, inspired by the five senses theme running through The Lady and the Unicorn tapestry cycle. Discussing contemporary artists ranging from musician John Cage to renowned performance artist Marina Abramovic, Lee and Pozel will explore the intimacy of mindfully engaging with performance, art and music, along with the potential for meditation itself to spark the creative impulse. Wednesday, April 25 at 6.30pm. Free. ENGAGE YOUR SENSES Whether you're an old hand at meditation or newly curious about developing greater mindfulness, you might be interested in the four-week multi-disciplinary program Coming to Our Senses. Combining a sensory exploration of artistic, musical and natural elements from the tapestry cycle (and other works in the gallery), the course guides an intimate group of 25 people through mindfulness practices and meditation, aiming to help participants cultivate awareness, restore focus, heighten engagement and deepen empathy. Led by mindfulness facilitator Steve Pozel, each week you'll also get to glean wisdom from guest artists, including Chinese-Australian artist Lindy Lee; Australian composer, producer and pianist Stu Hunter; and celebrated practitioner of the Japanese tea ceremony, Yayoi Maloney. Every Saturday from May 12 to June 2 from 9am–12pm. $420–450. [caption id="attachment_663767" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'Taste' c1500, from 'The Lady and the Unicorn' series (detail) Musée de Cluny – Musée National du Moyen Âge, Paris Photo © RMN-GP / M Urtado.[/caption] BECOME A TAPESTRY EXPERT Fans of tapestry-making and textile art in general will definitely want to come along to Weaving Histories. The event takes place across an entire day and will answer everything you've ever wanted to know about the context of medieval European tapestry, including the traditions and techniques that continue to influence the medium today. Spend a Saturday having an exclusive viewing of The Lady the Unicorn exhibition, hearing a talk from US tapestry historian Laura Weigert, refreshing yourself at morning tea, followed by an afternoon at the Australian Design Centre for a panel discussion led by Art Gallery of NSW curator Jackie Dunn with tapestry artists and scholars Valerie Kirk and Cresside Collette. The day wraps up following afternoon tea with the speakers. Saturday, June 2 from 10am–3.15pm. $55–65. SEE ART AFTER HOURS There's a stellar lineup across April and May for the Wednesday Art After Hours program, where you can visit The Lady and the Unicorn exhibition as well as enjoying drinks, guided Biennale tours, talks, workshops, film screenings and live music inspired by the tapestries. Upcoming highlights include a talk from celebrated soprano, actor, composer and playwright Deborah Cheetham on April 11, who'll be reflecting on the impact the medieval tapestries have had on her. April 18 sees wine educator Aaron Basher host a talk on taste, smell and the language of wine, and on May 9 you can catch award-winning Australian author Charlotte Wood discussing her complex response to the tapestries. That's your Wednesday nights covered for the next month or so. Wednesdays from 6pm. Free entry. HEAR SOME POETRY The Lady and the Unicorn tapestries have famously intrigued artists and writers throughout time, with everyone from filmmaker-writer Jean Cocteau to novelist George Sand and poet Rilke finding them a source of inspiration. Not averse to a spot of verse yourself? Then you'll want to time your visit to coincide with Poetic Threads, a live event of poetic performances taking place as part of Sydney Writer's Festival 2018. Enter the exhibition before public hours at 9am to join a small audience as much-loved Australian poets Mirrah, Candy Royalle and Scott Sneddon (AKA Scott Wings) share their own imaginative responses to the tapestries and their mysterious, mythical world. Friday, May 4 to Sunday, May 6 from 9am. $55–65 including exhibition entry. The Lady and the Unicorn tapestries are on display at the Art Gallery of NSW until June 24.
If Frida Kahlo was famous for something besides her striking paintings, it was her ability to throw a killer party. In her bright blue house known as La Casa Azul on the southern edge of Mexico City, the hard-drinking artist fed and watered all manner of friends and celebrities. By way of contribution to World Class Cocktail Week, Playa Takeria is giving you the opportunity to feast like Frida. On Sunday, May 31, the eatery will be serving up an all-evening banquet, featuring a dishes that habitually made it onto Ms Kahlo's dinner party menu. Each course will be matched up with a cocktail, including at least one or two margaritas mixed with spirits from Don Julio. Tickets cost $95 a pop and cover both food and beverages.
At Firstdraft this month, Natalya Hughes is importing the decor of sleaze into her practice. Girls Girls Girls, taking its cue from the neon strip club slogan, presents the unlikely union of seedy nightclubs and geometric abstraction. This may be a continuation of a theme she initiated with her 2013 exhibition, Bachelor Pads, at Alaska Projects. Hughes’ works are often multilayered and almost kaleidoscopic. She disrupts binaries, such as clean and dirty or pure and impure. She reworks decorative styles of painting that sprang out of 19th-century aestheticism, bringing them into a post-human internet era. And once again, sexuality seems to be the current bubbling underneath these colourful and not-so-innocent works. Also exhibiting at Firstdraft this month is Henry Jock Walker, Justin Balmain and Sam Songailo. Join the opening party on Wednesday, June 3.
Why are French films so good even when they’re so bad? How does a mainstream drama masquerade as a classy arthouse film? Since the unlikely plot machinations of Gone Girl, there’s been much talk of preposterous thrillers; what Samba gives us is a preposterous romance. Charlotte Gainsbourg is an impossibly stylish yet under-confident social worker who falls in love with one of her clients, Senegalese immigrant Samba Cisse (Omar Sy), who’s in a detention centre and legal limbo despite ten years of work and life in France. A ridiculous scenario! So why do we buy it? And how exactly do the French do middlebrow cinema so well? Samba is co-written and directed by Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano, the team behind the 2011 feel-good hit The Intouchables that introduced the world to French-Senegalese actor Sy. I’d be surprised if Nakache and Toledano ever let him go — Sy is a super charisma bomb and genuine movie star. Gainsbourg is typically lovely and captivating, but really, it’s all about Sy. The film’s comedic beats are sprinkled evenly, the intelligent and photogenic romantic leads dance awkwardly and endearingly around each other as expected, all the loose ends are tied — and every stereotype of a French film is fulfilled. It's all pleasingly predictable. An Australian or British filmmaker might play Samba as gritty social-realist cinema, but in French hands it's closer to a rom-com with a dash of humanitarian consciousness, with a perilously close move to melodrama in the third act. The opening scene lays out the film’s more serious themes beautifully. We open on a group of Gatsby-era dancers on stage, glittering and red-lipped, a swing remix playing, and as the camera pulls back indulgently, a giddy bride and groom in punch-drunk love cut a huge cake. We follow as the cake is whisked out of the ballroom, through swinging service doors and into the sweaty, stressful kitchen, to be cut, plated and served. Across that threshold, the Luhrmann-style extravaganza immediately gives way to a hospitality class of invisible, non-white, super-stressed labourers. This one long take gives us a perfect, efficient view of how racial segregation continues in contemporary democracies — that the luxuries of the upper classes are fuelled by the sweat of migrants who renounce many basic rights for the 'privilege’ of living in the developed world. A film about the immigrant’s struggle might seem overly dry, but Samba is drenched in that amazing French cinema slickness. It’s an easy date film, a stay-in-on-Friday-with-pizza-and-wine film, the type of socially acceptable, trashy indulgence you don’t have to feel humiliated about (the anti-Fifty Shades of Grey). It’s the filmic equivalent of Cafe del Mar easy listening: it’s watchable. The direction and music and cinematography are so seamlessly invisible, and the lead performances so natural, the film appears to be directed on autopilot. Most of all, Samba is neither a good nor bad film; it’s a disturbingly competent one. Still, it’s a minor victory every time a film for grown ups that's not part of a Marvel-ised 'story world' makes it to theatres. And you get to spend a couple of hours with Charlotte Gainsbourg and Omar Sy.
In need of an after-work de-stresser? Lululemon hears you. To celebrate its 20th birthday, the athletic apparel brand is offering a free Thursday night yoga class by the beach. The hour-long class will take over The Corso in Manly on October 4 from 6.15pm and invites yogis from all over Sydney to come decked out in their finest designer athletic wear. Brand ambassadors Phoebe Collins and Eliza Giles will lead the after-work class. While it's free to attend, you'll have stop by the Mosman or Warringah stores to grab a wristband for entry. The wristband will also get you discounts on booze and food at nearby Manly venues after the yoga session — including half-price food and drinks at Sugar Lounge, $6 beer and wine at Donny's Bar and $5 drinks at Bavarian Bier Cafe. You can register for the free event here, and don't forget to bring-your-own yoga mat on the night.
So your invites to Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia got lost in the mail this year? Don't fret too much, unless one of your favourite things to do is stand in a long line getting high on complimentary San Pellegrino Aranciata. More orderly is Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival Sydney. The successive sister event is "your ticket to the trends", which means that the focus is on pretty clothes rather than finding whoever stole your second-row goodie bag and fighting them to the death. MBFF's main ambition is to showcase the Spring/Summer collections of our big-name designers and hyped newcomers to the general public. The key 'Trends' show itself offers a Marie Claire-edited wrap-up of MBFWA's runway highlights, with Ksubi’s denim-on-denim spectacular and Akira’s contemporary-Oriental prints appearing alongside visual snippets from emerging talent like Christopher Esber and Bless'ed Are the Meek. Big ticket holders will be invited behind the red rope for post-show drinks and canapes, and with satellite events ranging from a 'Fashion on Film' night by Portable to styling sessions at Warringah Mall, there will be plenty more to keep you on your well-shod toes.
When David Bowie starred in 1976's The Man Who Fell to Earth, playing an alien who crash lands on our planet, it became one of the musician's iconic on-screen roles. It's also one that he returned to nearly four decades later, in a fashion — co-writing the musical Lazarus, as inspired by the Walter Tevis novel that the sci-fi film was based on. Written with playwright Enda Walsh, and one of Bowie's final projects before his passing in January 2016, Lazarus opened off-Broadway in December 2015. The production made the jump to London in 2016, and brought its otherworldly story — and its soundtrack of 18 Bowie tracks — to Melbourne in 2019. But if you haven't seen it yet, you can now do so from your own couch. When Friday, January 8, 2021 rolls around, it would've been Bowie's 74th birthday. When Sunday, January 10, 2021 hits, it'll mark five years since his death. In honour of those two occasions, a stream of the London production of Lazarus will be available to watch. It was captured live on stage during the show's run, and stars Dexter's Michael C Hall, who followed in Bowie's footsteps by taking on the part of Thomas Jerome Newton — and it's streaming at 7pm AEDT on Friday, January 8 and Saturday, January 9, and at 3pm AEDT on Sunday, January 10. Tickets cost $28.50. Those eager for a date with this starman — and to start loving the alien, again — can expect a sequel of sorts to The Man Who Fell to Earth. The enigmatic Newton remains on earth, unable to die; however, the arrival of another lost soul might offer the solution that he's been looking for. As for the familiar songs that this story plays out to, it's basically a best-of catalogue of Bowie's greatest hits. 'Heroes', 'Changes', 'Life on Mars?', 'The Man Who Sold the World' and 'Sound and Vision' all feature — as do four of the star's final recordings, including the title track 'Lazarus'. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9iw6yoMk3I
Jazz music, perhaps more than any other genre of music, is a distinctly unruly beast. While the boundaries of musical genres are forever moulded and mashed by the whims of individual artists, no other genre has so reliably defied expectations and sent minds spinning into the musical unknown as jazz. With the 505 International Jazz Festival rolling into town on Monday, May 20, there is no better time to get your teeth stuck into jazz music's sonic unruliness. And as would be expected from Sydney's premiere jazz club, picking a favourite act is a bit like picking a favourite child. There is the jazz-rock-hip-hop fusion of Kneebody; Sting and Pat Metheny's Grammy Award-wining bass buddy Christian McBride; underground sax legends Tony Malaby and Dave Ades; and genre-hopping, multi-instrumentalist Nate Wood. With tickets starting from as little as $10, the two-week festival will be a unique opportunity to experience some of the world's finest jazz musicians.
Prancing through fields laced with the charm of provincial France? Casual summer weekendery. The ever-popular So Frenchy So Chic in the Park is waltzing back to Melbourne's Werribee Park Mansion for its sixth year running, while in Sydney it will be moving over to the Glebe waterfront at Bicentennial Park for its fourth instalment. If you haven't been before, expect an entire afternoon of French-inspired niceties — think gourmet picnic hampers, tortes and terrines, offensively good wine, furious outdoor chess, casual gypsy beats. So Frenchy hinges around a solid lineup of eclectic artists you may be yet to meet. There's '60s French pop-American art rock hybrid outfit The Limiñanas (think Serge Gainsbourg meets The Velvet Underground), Parisian funk-folk poet and musician Bertrand Berlin, and Nouvelle Vague, who are no strangers to the So Frenchy setup. Last, but in no way, shape or form least, there's six-piece ex-busker band Deluxe — they will be belting out their unique blend of pop, hip-hop, funk, soul and big band elements to get everyone up off their picnic rugs and dancing the blazes out of that lawn. If you're not the most organised of picnickers, So Frenchy is putting on the works again with their beloved picnic boxes and cheese plates from Ed Dixon in Melbourne and Simmone Logue in Sydney. Filled with buttery pastry quiches, salad jardinière and goose egg meringue, the picnic boxes are one to preorder if you don't want to miss out. But So Frenchy won't let you go hungry; there'll be a huge banquet of seafood, crepes, macarons and ice cream available on the day. And of course, there'll be plenty of Laurent Perrier Champagne, French beer, Provence rosé, Bordeaux reds and whites, and special cocktails at the SFSC vintage caravan. Don your best floral-headband-and-sundress-combo and gear up for un merveilleux après-midi. SO FRENCHY SO CHIC IN THE PARK 2017: Sunday, January 15 — Werribee Park, Melbourne Saturday, January 21 — Bicentennial Park, Sydney So Frenchy So Chic in the Park will return to Melbourne and Sydney in January 2017. Early bird tickets are on sale now until October 10 for $75. From then on, tickets will be $89 online or $99 on the door. For more info, visit sofrenchysochic.com.au.
It's a dark and stormy night when you go and see Dark Shadows. Or at least it had better be, to bring a touch more atmosphere than the film actually provides. Tim Burton has once again collaborated with his usual gang of wife (Helena Bonham Carter) and friend (Johnny Depp) to create a weird and creepy world where everyone seems to wear just a little too much makeup. Based on the '60s television series of the same name, Dark Shadows tells the story of the Collins family, who set up a successful fishing business in America in the late 18th century. Son Barnabas (Depp) gets a little frisky with the maid but his sights are set on the beautiful Josette. Spurned by his love, the maid/witch (Eva Green) curses his family and turns Barnabas into a vampire. After being locked in the ground for 200 years, Barnabas awakes in 1972 to discover the family business going under. Depp's Barnabas is one of two characters that provide any life to this film. While there are a few laughs, his confusion at the changed world from his youth can only go so far to provide mirth. Much of the story is quite dark, so despite the upbeat trailers which would lead you to assume this a comedy, it's far more Edward Scissorhands than Corpse Bride. Eva Green's witch is aided by her extreme features but all other characters become mere caricatures as Burton struggles to give them any depth beyond their interactions with the character of Barnabas. The final battle between the family and its curse at the end of the film raises far too many plot questions and is solved far too easily. This is a disappointing effort from Burton. His last few films have done little to add to his original creations and personally, I think he'd be better sticking to animation. Although in truth, it's getting more and more hard to distinguish between his animations and his live-action creations, what with the trigger-happy costume and makeup artists he uses. Best leave this one to DVD. https://youtube.com/watch?v=WZOKn8IJlYQ
Ushered in by Whitney Houston's 'I Want to Dance with Somebody' and a low hum of industrial sounds coming from a kitschy suit of armour, it’s a world of repurposed materials at Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery. Enlisting a host of inventive young artists, Never-Never-Land (in collaboration with Utopian Slumps) is a meditation on modernism. From the clean lines of Esther Stewart's abstract paintings to Dylan Martorell's whirlwind of bric-a-brac, cultural commodities of the 20th century are dolled up, dressed down and picked apart. (Although, I should clarify that Houston's dance-pop anthem is actually part of Clark Beaumont's show, Heart to Heart, running concurrently.) Collage and cultural anthropology come together in the practice of both Sarah Contos and Dylan Martorell. Contos's soft sculptures are stitched with sequins and printed with bold graphics and advertising slogans. She digs primitivism out from under postcolonialism, adding to the mix contemporary questions of mass media and woman-as-object. Her screenprint on linen quilts are stamped with sensationalist headlines, while her women wear lavishly jewelled masks and glittery spectacles that bring to mind Salvador Dali's famed eye brooch. With her smaller sculptures saluting the motor industry and ancient artefacts alike, it as if she is building her own mythology of old and new. Probably the most attention-grabbing work is Martorell’s Negentropicalista, a costume comprising of just about everything. There’s a beaded sugar skull, a foil-covered Buddha and a hockey stick, to name a few. This eclectic mash-up of objects also includes a soundtrack, a kind of low buzzing punctuated with sharp noises. Although it’s a little disconcerting at first, the synaesthetic patterning of colour and sound seems to unify the work. Moving away from these voodoo-infused practices, Stewart revisits the hard edges of high modernism. Juggling geometric shapes, her abstract paintings are inspired by maps and architecture, seeming to mimic open-plan living spaces. Then there's Sanne Mestrom’s bronze and ceramic sculptures. Working off casts and copies, her ambiguous vessels explore the femininity of form. On their wire frame plinths, there’s an interesting play of light and shadow. And somewhere between high art and creative chaos is Jake Walker. Combining found objects and loose brushwork, he seems to playfully mimic the monochromes of the modern masters and the 'process' aesthetic of abstract expressionism. From the tribal tenor of Martorell's work to Stewart’s appropriation of maps, there’s a sense of geographical roaming. While it’s a little hard to unify this show aesthetically — leaping, as it does, from the junkyard to the art museum — perhaps it's testament to the densely packed energies of modernism. Also, if you manage to catch Clark Beaumont's live performance In The Dark, you'll be hyper-aware of how this show is curated, as they blindly grope towards fragile sculptures in an attempt to find each other.
It's the love story that has endured for more than four centuries. It's also the romantic tragedy that earns a new adaptation with every generation. Attempting to eclipse Baz Luhrmann's stylised 1996 film as the version of current record, and Franco Zeffirelli's expressive 1968 effort before that, the latest iteration of Romeo and Juliet returns to a classic interpretation. Think authentic settings, period staging, overt acting and smatterings of original dialogue. In fair Verona where the film lays its scene, the titular duo transform from the offspring of bitterly feuding families to the epitome of furtive but star-crossed lovers after a fateful masquerade ball meeting. Their pairing is strictly forbidden, but in the flourishes of affection neither can bear to even consider living without the other. Soon, their friends and relatives are immersed in an intricate web of mistruths and misdirection designed to prolong their illicit passion. With Downton Abbey's Julian Fellowes adapting William Shakespeare's celebrated play under Carlo Carlei's direction, that the film dwells in the material's melodramatic leanings is far from surprising — nor is its resounding air of politeness. Amendments and additions emphasise the tempered heartbreak, with only the scantest concern for textual fidelity. A heavy-handed score by Abel Korzeniowski graciously signposts not just each plot development but each emotional shift as well. It all plays out in handsome fashion, aided immensely by the use of the real Italian locale in shooting, but any spark or sentiment above and beyond the most routine of renderings is sorely missing. Pretty pictures and pronounced declarations aren't enough to elicit the delicacy and devastation of the original, as immersed in popular culture as it now is, especially when saddled with varying performances. The success of each presentation of Romeo and Juliet often stems from its casting, and whilst model-turned-actor Douglas Booth conjures romantic idylls as the former, and True Grit Oscar nominee Hailee Steinfeld embodies the innocence of young love as the latter, they lack the charisma needed for such a celebrated couple. They have their moments together (the balcony scene and the tearful conclusion the most convincing examples of their union); however, each fares better apart, not together. An attention-seeking supporting cast only serves to augment the leads' disappointing turns. Some relish the theatricality to wavering success, such as Damian Lewis's overacting Lord Capulet and Ed Westwick's snarling Tybalt; others provide a well-played point of difference (Kodi Smit-McPhee's helpful Benvolio, Paul Giamatti's intervening Friar Laurence and Lesley Manville's interfering Nurse astutely among them. The surrounding players should never attract more interest than the titular lovers, but here that's the outcome. Sadly, this Romeo and Juliet values the idea of its twosome more than their actuality. https://youtube.com/watch?v=aXvufMqcWQA
Fresh from Falls and ready to spring into an East Coast tour is Brisbane five-piece Art Of Sleeping. After recently releasing first single ‘Crazy’ from their forthcoming LP (expected to land sometime mid-2015), the band are keen to test out their new material. For those who have been a fan of the band for a while, or really into previous single ‘Empty Hands’, do not despair, they’ll also be playing tracks off their 2012 EP, Like A Thief. Art Of Sleeping have been lauded by some pretty reputable music folks as quite the spectacle to be seen live, and really, who are we to argue? Their engaging brand of indie rock, and strong vocals from lead singer Caleb Hodges, is perhaps why the band has managed to make such a name for themselves despite their enigmatic nature. Either way, we’re pumped. Supported by The Lulu Raes + Fade In Mona Lisa.
There is no one like Hiromi Tango. Her practice is an explosion of colour and texture — neon lights, plaited wool, knitted shapes, creatively-crafted flowers and much more. An exhibition of her work is like wandering through a garden of extraterrestrial delights. Fluorescence at Sullivan+Strumpf will see Tango delve into intergenerational relationships. Observing the deteriorating energy and passion of her father, she explores the literal and metaphorical potential of fluorescence and how it can affect our brains and emotions. Tango has a longstanding fascination with neuroscience. In thinking through light as a medical tool and the illumination of brain structures, she is interested in reclaiming a space for uncertainty — opening up the cracks between scientific data in order to investigate something more sensory and emotional.
Usually, getting hold of a top-shelf whisky is a matter of having enough money to spend. But that's not the case with Craigellachie 51. There are just 51 bottles in the world and only one way to taste it — by winning free entry to Bar 51, a pop-up bar dedicated to the dram. And, to make the experience even more special, there are just four bars planned, in four cities across the planet. Luckily for the people of Sydney, one will be popping up right here. You'll find it within the Duke of Clarence, from Wednesday, October 23 through Friday, October 25. For your chance to get inside, you'll need to be quick to enter the lottery via the Craigellachie website by Friday, October 11. Only 80 tickets are up for grabs. Should you be one of them, you'll be spending an evening in the company of Craigellachie Global Ambassador Georgie Bell. Your adventure will begin with a private tasting of Craigellachie's 13-, 17- and 23-year-old whiskies, before the magnificent finale — a tasting of the Craigellachie 51, which will have spent 51 years resting in oak before getting to your lips. Best of all? You'll be sipping one of the world's best, most limited whiskies for free. Craigellachie's Bar 51 is popping up in Sydney from Wednesday, October 23 through Friday, October 25. To enter the ballot to try the distillery's limited whisky, head here. Venue image: Kitti Gould.
For one magnificent day on Sunday, November 8, Newtown will transform into Newtopia for the annual Newtown Festival. And, for the week before that, you'll be warmed up with a series of fun events, gigs, workshops and specials. As always, the festival will celebrate the eccentricity, rebelliousness, creativity and colour that gives Newtown its unique feel. Live music will sound all day across multiple stages, with the lineup including Jinja Safari, Steve Smyth, The Cops and Betty & Oswald. For roving performers and surprises, head to Newtopia Village. Meanwhile, the Writer's Tent has a literary extravaganza in store, bridging the hilarious, the bizarre and the tragic, with talks and debates featuring the likes of Andrew Hansen, Li Feng, Humans of Newtown and Thomas Keneally. Check out the rest of the program, which includes a bike boulevard, live art hub and, of course, the legendary dog show, over at the Newtown Festival website.
For most of 2021, residents of the Greater Sydney area haven't been able to venture far, with state borders around Australia closing to the area due to the city's most recent COVID-19 clusters. But, slowly, that's changing across the country — with South Australia the latest state to announce that it'll reopen to Sydneysiders. At the moment, residents from Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory are all allowed to enter SA without restriction — and, from 12.01am on Sunday, January 31, the Greater Sydney area in New South Wales will also join that list. In a press conference held today, Thursday, January 28, Premier Steven Marshall revealed that SA will allow travellers from Greater Sydney in from Sunday without having to quarantine for 14 days first — if there are no new cases of community transmission identified in NSW before then. Travellers from the area, plus Wollongong and the Central Coast, will still need to undertake COVID-19 tests, though, which will need to be take on day one, five and 12 of their time in SA. They'll also need to isolate until the first test result comes back — but, as long as it returns a negative result, that's the only quarantining that'll be required. If you're heading to SA from outside of Sydney, Wollongong or the Central Coast, you won't need to get a COVID-19 test. [caption id="attachment_783246" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] d'Arenberg Cube[/caption] The news comes on the same day that Queensland also announced that it was reopening its borders to Greater Sydney — which will come into effect on Monday, February 1, the day after SA. Victoria reopened to all but one Greater Sydney local government area last week, too, so border rules have been changing thick and fast to close out January. If you're now eager to start planning an SA getaway, we have suggestions — whether you're eager to hit up Adelaide, or sip and sightsee your way around the Fleurieu Peninsula, the Limestone Coast or the Clare Valley. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in South Australia, and the state's corresponding restrictions, visit its online COVID-19 hub. Top image: Barossa Valley, Tourism Australia.
Life doesn't imitate art, it imitates bad television. Hey, don't knock masturbation. It's sex with someone I love. To you, I'm an atheist; to God, I'm the loyal opposition. I had a great evening; it was like the Nuremberg Trials. Ok, so no guesses who wrote these brilliant lines, but can you pick the films? Either way, you're in for a treat! If you can't name the films, then the Chauvel's Classic Woody Allen retrospective is just what you'll need to swot up on one of cinema's greats. And if you can (impressive!), then surely you're a big enough Allen fan to be champing at the bit to revisit his classics on the silver screen. Win win! Each Friday night from December 3 to January 14 the Chauvel will host a series of spectacular double billings, with pairings including Manhattan + Hannah and her Sisters; Zelig + Purple Rose of Cairo; Love and Death + Stardust Memories. So, no excuses. It's time to get your New York, "teleological, existential agnostic" angst on and celebrate the wonderfully prolific Allen in his groundbreaking, hilarious heyday. https://youtube.com/watch?v=XChUYE1fIGI
Every picnic has its staples. You need a blanket and a basket, plus plenty of nibble-type snacks like cheese, crackers, charcuterie and grapes. And, you obviously need something to drink. Because Australians not only like wine, but like it in bulk and in easy-to-carry containers, that's where casks can come in — and The Dolphin has something far more classy than your average box of fruity lexia on offer. As part of the Icebergs Group's premium cask range, The Dolphin Wine Room is selling ten-litre casks it's calling the Big Orange. No prizes for guessing what colour it is. Made by Owen Latta of Latta wines, it's a casked natural vino which blends a range of grapes into an amber-hued tipple. Initially available at the beginning of 2019, it's now back for the summer thanks to a new batch. Sourcing most of its fruit from the Pyrenees in Victoria, Owen's 2019 Owen's Big Orange features viognier, sauvignon blanc, merlot, chardonnay mixed with a bit of pinot noir, and syrah with a touch of nebbiolo. They're combined in roughly equal parts, with some riesling grapes from central Victoria also added in. As well as being sustainably farmed, the grapes are all sourced from low-impact vineyards. If you're keen on a cask — for a picnic, for your cupboard, for Christmas lunch or for a gift — you can buy one to takeaway from The Dolphin Wine Room. It doesn't come cheap, though, with this big beauty setting vino-lovers back $250. If you're just eager for a taste, the Big Orange is also on the menu in-house at The Dolphin, Icebergs Terrace and CicciaBella. Grab a glass for $9 or a one-litre carafe for $50. The Big Orange is available for takeaway from The Dolphin Wine Room, or by the glass or carafe at The Dolphin, Icebergs Terrace and CicciaBella.
That's right, REMI and Sampa the Great are getting back together and touring the nation. Titled Fire Sign, their adventure will bring tunes, hip hop and poetry to big cities all over the country, where every show will see a set from each artist, followed by a joint finale. If you've been keeping an eye on the collaborations between REMI's Remi Kolawole and Sensible J, and Sampa The Great, you'll know that last year they joined forces to create 'For Good', a single that appeared on Divas and Demons, REMI's second album. Featuring a bunch of other special guests, the album took REMI to sold out gigs and several festivals, including Splendour, Field Day and Falls. Meanwhile, Sampa The Great has been going great guns since releasing The Great Mixtape, her debut album in 2015. You might've caught her at WOMAD, Laneway, Sugar Mountain or Golden Plains. From Sydney to Melbourne, Perth to Darwin, expect epic shows from the artists, plus surprises in the form of unannounced performers and a variety of support acts.
There’s something disarming about 'irishness'. It has a geniality to it that speaks of the salt-of-the-earth everyman that every other man wants to have a pint of Guinness with. From the moment the first lilting, colloquial sample of dialogue is delivered in The Beauty Queen of Leenane, you’re instantly poised for a rollicking good time. And certainly, that’s what you start off getting; it’s only as the play progresses through the first act that sinister undertones begin to germinate and a compelling psychological dimension reveals itself. Set in 1989 in a small village in Galway County, Ireland, the play zooms in on the dysfunctional relationship between Maureen (Mandy McElhinney), a sexually frustrated sole care-giver with a history of mental illness, and Mag (Judi Farr), her cantankerous elderly mother. Written by renowned Irish playwright Martin McDonagh (who was actually born in London) at the ripe old age of 25, The Beauty Queen of Leenane has played to audiences around the globe since it was first performed in 1996. The writing is both subtle and bold in style. The brash, hearty Irishness of it tempered with tense, loaded stillness. McDonagh toys with our sympathies and inverts our notions of victim, villain and hero as the psychological interplay between Maureen and Mag becomes all the more disturbing and complex. In the Sydney Theatre Company’s production, director Cristabel Sved has taken an understated but gutsy approach, handling McDonagh’s nuanced material with expert finesse, allowing moments of comedy and tragedy to fluidly interlace. It certainly helps having a stellar cast, who each carry the material and the weight of a thick, drawling rural Irish accent with authentic ease. The two leads (Farr and McElhinney) deliver particularly strong performances, drawing you into their claustrophobic little world and not letting you out until the lights come up. The two male supporting actors (Darren Gilshenan and Eamon Farren) also deliver noteworthy performances, especially Farren who wears his character like a second skin, inhabiting entirely the adolescent affectation of Rae Dooley, the reluctant messenger. A quiet but integral player in the production is the detailed set design by William Bobbie Stewart, which effectively represents the stuffy, stagnant, insular world of Mag and Maureen — the ideal breeding ground for disease and dysfunction. The Beauty Queen of Leenane promises to be “hilarious, cruel, irreverent, abandoned, constrained, horrific and, sometimes, all of these at once rubbing furiously together” and, without a moment's lapse, delivers in spades. Image by Tracey Schramm.
Prefer to make up your own mind about whether an artwork is awesome or awful? Disruptive revolutionary Stefan Simchowitz is leaving the art critiquing entirely up to the viewer when he takes over Sorry Thanks I Love You (STILY) this month. That Simchowitz has been dubbed 'the Patron Satan' of the art world by The New York Times should give you some idea of what to expect — or what not to, more accurately — when his in-store art project pops up at the concept retail space. Kicking off with a thought-provoking launch event on Thursday, July 19, the exhibition sees Simchowitz showcase large-scale oil paintings from LA-based post-internet artist Marc Horowitz, all in a format that's far from traditional. You might love it. You might hate it. Either way, the neutral setting and minimal media noise means you'll be free to decide either way. Grab tickets to the launch event to be among the first to pass judgement — you'll enjoy complimentary bubbly as you browse the works, soak up the art vibes and shop STILY's diverse mash-up of wares. Image Credit: Andy Braithwaite
Winter may be nearly over, but that doesn't mean we're ready to stop treating ourselves to delicious comfort food just yet. And, of all the belly-warming bites available, melted cheese has to be up there as one of the best. The alpine-inspired Swissôtel Sydney has been dishing up the perfect solution to our cheesy dreams this season: Swiss fondue. The hotel's take on the retro meal features emmental and gruyere (and gorgonzola if you so wish) melted together with white wine and garlic. The mix is delivered to your table in a steaming pot, ready for you to dip into with the bite-sized selection of sides including bread, meatballs and vegetables. To help you enjoy the very last few days of winter, we've teamed up with Swissôtel to give you and three mates access to this delectable fondue experience — for free. Tradition says that whoever loses their bread in the dip has to buy the group drinks but, luckily, your prize also includes a carafe of mulled wine. We'd still recommend dipping responsibly though — your mates might hold you to it the next time you're out. To enter, see below. [competition]684148[/competition] Images: Jesse Jaco.
Think Bondi Beach, and you're instantly thinking about sun, sand and surf; however, once the middle of winter hits, it's all about the ice ice baby. For the entire month of July, the Bondi Winter Magic program is back with an avalanche of frosty fun — including turning its famous beachside area into a ice skating rink. This year's event isn't just about sliding across a frozen surface, though. Prepare to scale great heights and wander through a feast of entertainment. For the first time, the former comes courtesy of the Bondi Eye, a 32-metre high ferris wheel serving up the best views in town (and keeping you safe from the chilly sea air in fully enclosed rotating gondolas). The latter arrives in the form of Bondi Feast, a pop-up winter festival of comedy, music, theatre, storytelling, visual arts, hot foods and — of course — mulled cider. If that's not enough fun, there'll be history walks, free art and music on the streets, and markets every Sunday. Or, experience something different courtesy of Books by the Beach. Yep, it's a pop-up outdoor library, and it's a great way to take a break from the action.
Owner of Barrel and Beast Jared Ingersoll is somewhat of a commitment-phobe. At least, he is when it comes to choosing a location of his much-loved eatery. Opting to go down a non-traditional path, Ingersoll is all about the pop-up business model. As the name implies, Barrel and Beast is known for it's barrel-stored alcohol, and the use of the whole animal in the cooking process. The restaurant takes pride in creating a cosy atmosphere complete with shared tables, as well as locally and sustainably sourced ingredients. For the entirety of winter, Barrel and Beast has found a home on Foveaux Street, Surry Hills. Prior to this it was in Pyrmont. Come spring, Ingersoll has hinted at a new location for the restaurant across the bridge. Barrel and Beast pop up will run until the end of August at 65-67 Foveaux Street (past the red door). Bookings can be made by emailing contact@bottleandbeast.com.au.
Art on the Streets is, yep, art on the streets. And not just any streets. It'll be on the streets of Bondi, harking back to what those Impressionists did with the whole 'en plein air' thing. But rather than creating it outside, this time they're just selling it outside. Art on the Streets will see emerging visual artists selling their works out in the open at the Roscoe Street Mall. Handily, on the same day at the Bondi markets. The aim is to make the works affordable and easy to view. And why not make a Bondi day out of it? On the day you'll also be able to get your hands all dirty (in a chalky way) by chalking up the streets with your own pavement piece. And before you head there, measure up that wall you've always been wanting to buy something for. You just never know what you might find.
Having established itself as a summer favourite in Adelaide, Brisbane, and Melbourne over the last few years, The Royal Croquet Club is finally gearing up for its Sydney debut. After a false start last year — in which the event was cancelled at the last minute — the outdoor festival is set to take over Bondi Beach next month. Gracing the shoreline from November 24 to December 4, the ten-day event promises all the fun and flavour of its interstate incarnations, offering up a buffet of live entertainment, experiential arts, food, drink, and — of course — more than a few games of croquet. The al fresco festival will see revellers of all ages and skill levels hitting the central croquet pitch, with some of Sydney's best food on hand for refuelling in between games. And the fun continues away from the mallets too, with a lineup of local and international artists dishing up live tunes, and an assortment of unique pop-up food stalls and bars for further indulging in that summertime spirit. Dining-wise, prepare for a feast of flavours on the shores of Bondi, with some of the city's favourite eateries serving up their best wares. That includes Milky Lane's first-ever fish-and-chips burger (named The Frying Nemo), Hoy Pinoy's Filipino street food, Mamak's Malaysian meals, Bao Stop's fluffy, filled, steamed buns, and Old City Kitchen & Bar's Middle Eastern delights. And if you're after something sweet, yes, Gelato Messina will be serving up their indulgent desserts. Previous Royal Croquet Clubs have been treated to their ice cream creations in Campbell's Soup-like tins, so we've got pretty high expectations. Of course, all of that mallet-swinging is bound to work up a thirst, which is where a number of watering holes come in. Prepare to sip and swig your beverages of choice at the Pol Roger Champagne Garden, Captains Tavern, Yalumba Vine Room and Pimms Garden Shed. Fashion stalls, markets, and an array of health and wellness events will round out the RCC experience, which is expected to pull a 60,000-strong crowd for its first Sydney stint. The Royal Croquet Club Sydney will come to Bondi Beach from Thursday, November 24 to Sunday, December 4. For more information as they announce it, check back here or visit royalcroquetclub.com.au. By Libby Curran and Sarah Ward.
Auckland's Clap Clap Riot have a tendency to whip up a raucous, good-vibin' crowd; the dudes can't help it. Armed with catchy-as-blazes hooks, singalong singles and loud, loud amps, the foursome are rampaging across the Tasman for a short run of Australian dates down the east coast; stopping at Melbourne's Shebeen, The Brightside in Brisbane and Sydney's FBi Social for a genuine humdinger of a mini-tour. Showcasing their second album Nobody / Everybody released in February, the foursome have moved away from the more rock-steady sound of their wildly successful debut Counting Spins (which casually debuted at #1 on the Official NZ Album Chart). Produced and mixed by Kody Nielson (The Mint Chicks / Opossom) and engineered and mastered by Olly Harmer (The Naked and Famous), their second release is peppered with handclap-worthy singalongs and '60s throwbacks; a cleaner, catchier package all round. Hitting FBi Social with applauded singles 'Everybody' and 'Cold As Ice' and brand newie 'All About The Weather', Clap Clap Riot are a surefire live shindig for your Saturday. Supported by The Upskirts + special guest. https://youtube.com/watch?v=h6Yk0jyoIlY
If a Hollywood screenwriter devised a story about an elderly French filmmaker, a younger street artist and their rural travels to plaster eye-catching, over-sized portraits on crumbling buildings, it probably wouldn't get very far. Even for a buddy comedy, the concept seems a little too unlikely, doesn't it? That's the beauty of real life, and of the movies that depict it. The above situation did occur, it has been captured on film, and it drives one of the best documentaries of the year. From the gorgeous, heartwarming effort that is Face Places, to an exploration of the treatment of rats, to an astonishingly intimate dance documentary, that's what the Antenna Documentary Film Festival is all about: telling truthful tales, including those that seem stranger than fiction. The 2017 program features more than 50 shorts and features, giving Sydney cinephiles plenty to watch between October 10 and 15 — including these five must-sees. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRSteoTFx9U FACES PLACES If everyone in the world looked at strangers in the same manner as Belgian-born filmmaker and French New Wave icon Agnes Varda, we'd be living in a much, much happier and kinder society. The almost 90-year-old's empathy, enthusiasm and understanding drives Faces Places in two ways: in the photographs that she takes with street artist JR, and in the film that chronicles their snapping — which is then followed by printing out giant versions of their pics, and plastering them on the walls of rustic, historic buildings. In fact, her attitude towers over the film in the same way her artworks loom over villagers below, and the impact is just as enchanting. Accordingly, love, life, creativity, connection, accepting others and acknowledging that nothing is permanent are all a part of this charming documentary. Oh, and goats as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36iHKZmeH60 BRIMSTONE & GLORY It's human nature to stare at the sky whenever fireworks ascend to the heavens. We hear the popping sound, spy the bright flashes of light and simply can't help ourselves. Set in the tiny town at the heart of Mexico's fireworks industry, Brimstone & Glory captures that feeling more effectively than anyone could've expected. Indeed, the gorgeous and immersive documentary commits the vibrance of watching colourful explosions twinkling above to film as it charts the locale's National Pyrotechnic Festival, explores the lives of those both working and watching, and proves as spellbinding as the substance at its centre. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9xQrdMAfhE PHOTON No big deal, but Photon endeavours to encapsulate everything we know about life and evolution. Actually, the experimental documentary by Polish video artist Norman Leto is a huge deal. Time, space, stars, humans, the big picture, the small details: expect them all, in an effort loosely based by physicist David Deutsch's The Fabric of Reality. Blowing up microscopic images, adding animation and chatting about the universe, it's the surrealist science lesson you didn't take in high school, as well as the out-there nature doco you won't see on the nature channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7oITFo7rHg SPETTACOLO Think Tuscan life sounds like bliss? With its scenic sights and laid-back vibe, it likely comes close; however, no matter where you reside, daily living always has its struggles. So, the inhabitants of the 136-person town of Monticchiello found a way to work through their issues and try to maintain their relaxed atmosphere: each year, they get together, turn their lives into a play and perform it in their piazza. The results of one particular effort, which might be their last, informs Spettacolo — which sees Marwencol's Jeff Malmberg evolve from documenting miniature battlefields as a way to work through anxieties to turning an entire village into a stage production. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Glv_kh07Ew VENUS Let's talk about sex might've been quite the fitting title for Venus, if it didn't immediately get Salt-N-Pepa's 1991 hit stuck in everyone's head (although we're not sorry about that). Regardless of the documentary's moniker, discussing sexuality is exactly what the women in Mea Glob and Mette Carla Albrechtsen's film do — honestly, intimately and candidly. The filmmakers placed an ad for subjects, received 100 responses and recorded the auditions. Little did they know that those astonishing to-camera chats would become the actual movie. The Antenna Documentary Film Festival screens at Palace Verona, Chauvel Cinema, Palace Norton St and the Museum of Contemporary Art from October 10 to 15. For the full program, head to the festival website.
Gallery-hopping is always more exciting in the romantic half-light of evening, wouldn't you agree? Similar to Art at Night last year, Precinct Nights offer you the golden opportunity to enjoy a spate of art venues open late, transforming your art viewing into an after-hours adventure trail. Participating precincts include Paddington/Woollahra, Alexandria/Waterloo, Surry Hills, Chippendale/Redfern, Rozelle, and East/Darlinghurst. Rozelle's night also features some performance events that have caught our eye: for example, dLux MediaArts presents DTV, an outdoor screening of single channel artworks in the Artereal Gallery car park. Precinct Nights is part of Art Month 2013. Check out our guide to the festival's ten best events here
At this year's Sculptures By the Sea, you needn't content yourself with merely spectating. Thanks to the chipper folk at Suntory Whisky and Neighourhood Bondi, there'll be an opportunity to create your own masterpiece. And not only will it provide you with artistic satisfaction, it'll come with a top-notch single malt. Every Thursday evening during the exhibition, Suntory Whisky ambassadors will be heading to Neighourhood Bondi to host ice carving classes. For just 25 bucks, you'll get to shape your very own, perfect, hand-carved ice ball before covering it in a nip of Suntory Whisky Japanese Harmony and sampling your work. Simultaneously, you'll be served with canapes and a Suntory Kakubin Highball. There'll be just three classes all up — 22 and 27 October and 5 November, from 6.30pm. Tickets are strictly limited, so book a spot by emailing bookings@neighbourhoodbondi.com.au.
It's safe to say Gami Chicken and Beer has secured its status as one of Melbourne's go-to fried chicken joints, slinging its signature, Korean-style chook from 12 locations across the city. After opening first Sydney only last month, it's about to launch its second, opening in Castle Hill in early August. And, to celebrate, Gami is giving Sydneysiders a few very good reasons to jump on board, handing out a whopping 1000 pieces of its boneless fried chicken — for free. These fried chicken morsels — RSPCA-approved and rocking Gami's signature blend of 17 herbs and spices — will be up for grabs from noon–12.30pm and again from 5.30–6pm, on both Thursday, August 2 and Friday, August 3 at the new location. The chain has yet to mention any restrictions, such as one piece per person, so we suggest heading in with an empty stomach. Once you're hooked, you're probably going to want to schedule a return visit pretty quick, to try other Gami favourites like the chicken spare ribs, the vegetarian chicken and the aptly named Potato Heaven, featuring three layers of cheesy potato goodness. Gami's fried chicken giveaway will run from noon–12.30pm and again from 5.30–6pm on both Thursday, August 2, and Friday, August 3, at Shop 16, Castle Towers Shopping Centre, Castle Hill.
"I've never wanted to look young; I want to look great". Great is an understatement: Joyce Carpati's ensemble is unashamedly chic. Dressed in head-to-toe black, the octogenarian sports a classic braided up-do, flashes a statement lip and is positively dripping in pearls. Pearls, feathers and fur aplenty — not mention many an outrageous hat — make Advanced Style a visual feast. Based on the blog of the same name by Ari Seth Cohen, the documentary flies in the face of today's youth-obsessed fashion culture, exploring the eclectic flair of seven New Yorkers aged between 62 and 95. Cohen teamed up with Lithuanian-born filmmaker Lina Plioplyte to spend four years shooting the low-budget documentary with the help of a Kickstarter campaign. The small scale of the production comes through in the intimacy of the finished feature. The documentary give us insight into the lives of these unique New Yorkers, weaving together vignettes of their personal stories in a structure that is at times rambling yet nevertheless engaging. You simply can't help but be captivated by the bright red eyelashes of Ilona Royce Smithkin, a 93-year-old art teacher whose falsies are cut from her own flame-coloured hair. Or take Tziporah Salamon, the 64-year-old who spends seven years perfecting a single ensemble and refuses to cycle with a helmet because "every outfit has a hat". The documentary skilfully portrays the diversity of these seven women. They range in age, taste and socioeconomic background; one has a penchant for Chanel handbags, while another worries about rent and (somehow) manages to create striking jewellery from used toilet paper rolls. At the same time, however, the film doesn't shy away from the shared reality of ageing. Concerns over lost loved ones, responsibilities as carers and missing out on motherhood arise, as well as the difficulties of physical disabilities that come with getting older — ex-dancer Jacquie Tajah Murdock is legally blind and still looks fabulous. These more serious moments lend real humanity to the individual women and depth to the film as a bold and refreshing celebration of ageing. These seven women are a testament to a future the rest of us can all look forward to — an age when we'll also have the self-confidence to team bright red eyelashes with look-at-me lipstick and a giant feather boa. https://youtube.com/watch?v=9g5FOEG99yo
Piecing together Ron Howard's petrol-headed extravaganza Rush is a bit like piecing together one of the F1 racers that this film is so in love with. It begins as little more than a mishmash of scrap metal. A love interest here, a chiselled six-pack there, but nothing quite manages to gel together to create a cohesive whole. Once the various touchstones and expectations of the biopic genre have been ticked off, a more fully formed picture begins to take shape. When the film finally does take off, somewhere near the hour mark, it has all the power and explosive energy of a supercharged engine. Well, it almost does. For anyone with even a smidgen of gasoline running through their veins, the 1976 Formula One season is the stuff of sporting folklore. For the rest of us, Rush is your classic tale of warring rivals: McLaren's loveable British rogue, James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) versus Ferrari's reigning world champ, and the biggest "asshole" in racing (this is not my judgment, this is the film's recurring insult-of-choice), Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl). If the trailers are anything to go by, then Rush is targeting two groups of movie-goers: (1) those who like their movies filled with vintage cars whooshing across pretty landscapes and (2) those who like their movies filled with porny shots of a shirtless (and often pants-less) Hemsworth. While the film includes plenty of both, these are perhaps Rush's weakest points. The early race scenes look more like well-funded car ads then the work of the guy that made A Beautiful Mind, and Hemsworth, while perfectly adept at shouting expletives and glaring angrily, ain't no Marlon Brando. His attempts at bad boy charm are consistently wooden and occasionally quite laughable. Because Hollywood has inundated us with so many films about fast cars, filmmakers cannot simply show a couple shots of burning rubber and shifting gears and expect audiences to get a rise out of it. The stakes need to be higher. When Rush does set the bar higher, the film is quite irresistible. Once Howard shows us what makes these two racers click, we begin to care about them, with every race becoming a thrilling, heart-in-mouth experience. We feel their fear when the film puts us in the driver's seat and when the camera cuts to the reaction shots of loved ones. These shots do not simply instruct our emotions but actually reflect them. Much of this emotional engagement is thanks to Brühl's star-making turn as Lauda (for those playing spot the actor, he's the Nazi soldier in Inglourious Basterds). Apart from his uncanny resemblance to the real Lauda, the loveable German makes a delightful prick. His single-mindedness modulates from callous to hilarious to downright heartbreaking over the course of the film. And while Rush is, at times, a bit of a mixed bag, Brühl's engrossing performance provides the picture with the sort of poignancy that would put the kazillionaires at Marvel to shame. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZKqB987FpMI
Kill Devil Hills are a folk-tinged five piece from Western Australia who have a heart-and-ball-rending sound. Variously described as swamp-rock, jungle-punk, country-rock and the blues, their songs are a ragged susurration of sorrow; a raw acknowledgement of the unsettling and inexplicable sadness that lurks within the human heart. That’s not to say their music is melancholic or dreary; it’s rousing and incendiary, and serves the soul well when you’ve been drinking too much. Their story-telling ballads first secured them Triple J radio airplay in 2005 with the release of Heathen Songs, and they are renowned for their stomping performances both in the studio and on stage. They have just returned from an all-encompassing 40-date odyssey through Europe with an arsenal of tantalisingly troubled new tracks in tow for their fourth album. On Thursday August 18, Kill Devil Hills are offering punters a preview of tracks from their forthcoming album at the Annandale Hotel. Get down to see music that has – at its soul – excitement, anger, and sadness; ennobled by courage and sincerity. This is music that will surge magnificently through your brains and your blood from the soles of your feet.
If you've been dreaming about a new set of wheels to help you gracefully glide into the sunny season, the legends at Amsterdam-born bike label Lekker can help you out. This weekend, the company's Sydney store will host another edition of its ever-popular 'garage sale' filled with bikes, bargains, eats and beats. The party starts pedalling at 10am on Saturday, April 13 and Sunday, April 14 at Lekker's cheery Surry Hills store (conveniently located on the Bourke Street bike path). Those in the market for new wheels will be able to test ride a few different designs, and, if all goes well, buy one — all bikes, accessories and parts will be discounted, some by up to 50 percent. Backing up the fun and embracing those sweet autumn vibes, there'll be a soundtrack of groovy tunes, plus free pancakes and beer. Don't risk a sleep-in, though — Lekker's past sales have seen pretty hefty lines of punters keen for those bicycle bargains and you don't want to miss out. Lekker Bikes Garage sale will run from 10am–5pm.
Alice Osborne is determined to reclaim her identity. The performance artist is rebelling against the archetype of the 'fallen woman' — the woman who has sinned, the woman who has lost her innocence, and the woman who has betrayed society. Combining video installation, theatre and text, Falling Woman paints a surreal portrait of survival and self-determination within the wide landscapes of rural NSW. For Osborne, the 'falling woman' is a woman who stands her ground and faces up to the obstacles thrown her way — in this case, under the watchful eye of the Witness, a strange figure in gold shoes. As part of Performance Space's BURAWAN (Island) program, which aims to showcase the subterranean moments of Australian history, Falling Woman is the product of a collaboration between Osborne, performer Regina Heilman, director/writer Halcyon Macleod of My Darling Patricia and film artist Sam James.
Dating. There's no such thing as talking too much about it. And, thanks to creative groups like Conscious Dating, there's no shortage of ways to do it. If dating apps and singles parties haven't been producing the goods, Conscious Dating could be your new Tinder — they organise events where you can meet like-minded people for informal chats. This Wednesday night, Conscious Dating is hosting a panel discussion dedicated to race and dating. Three whizzbang speakers will be getting together to discuss all the tricky stuff — from the impact of racial bias on attraction to the trials and tribulations of being fetishised because of your background. They'll also be taking a look at how you can identify your racial biases and increase your dating pool. The panelists include award-winning journo and host of SBS's Date My Race Santilla Chingaipe, Andy Quan — writer, editor and co-founder of the Sexual Racism Sux campaign — and Dr sociologist Zuleyka Zevallos.
Two years ago, Melbourne's famed burger joint Royal Stacks arrived on the lower north shore. To celebrate its second birthday — and the 130,000 burgers and 3000 litres of frozen custard it has served during those two short years — it's giving away free burgers this Saturday, October 27. One thousand free burgers, to be exact. From 11.30am, the good people at Westfield Chatswood's Royal Stacks will give away 1000 of the eatery's signature Single Stack — that's an Aussie beef patty topped with tomato, lettuce, American cheddar, secret sauce and pickles. They're limited to one per-person, however, so if you're super hungry you'll have to pay up for a second. You could, alternatively, order one of the eatery's other signature dishes: it's concrete mixers. The super-thick frozen custard is available in a slew of flavours like Ferrero Rocher, cookie dough, Nutella and the new Twix and biscotti.
It may sound a little bit like a hipster's wet dream, but this cultural bombshell is actually for real. Picture this: an uber-trendy Surry Hills venue has decided to expand its creative wings by converting an adjoining garage into a boutique art gallery currently showcasing some truly awesome international pop art. While it may sound too good to be true, that's exactly what the good people of Black Penny have done, showcasing local and international artists (with no commission) every Tuesday at Blacklisted. Starting tonight are the gothic stylings of street artist, Phoenix Empire a.k.a Ky Pamenter. The display entitled The Darkness in Beauty is a collection of twelve hand drawn illustrations and aerosol canvases that combine the artist's love of anime and tattoo design with his fascination for the more horrific and gory side of life. Image by Phoenix Empire.
In great news for sweet tooths (and possibly dentists) the Cake Bake & Sweets Show will return to Sydney from November 23–25. The three-day weekend festival will gather the best sweet treats in our city under one roof for a baking and cake decorating extravaganza. It'll feature celebrity demonstrations, baking classes and interactive workshops, hosted by the industry's finest. This year, three international heavy-hitters have joined the lineup. Two hail from the UK — that's French-trained master pâtissier Eric Lanlard (owner of Cake Boy) and chef and food writer Lorraine Pascale, who has worked in some of London's best kitchens under the tutelage of Gordon Ramsay, Marcus Waring and Tom Aikens. Alongside the Brits is South African celebrity chef Siba Mtongana, who hosts Food Network's Siba's Table and has over a decade in the food business. They'll stand alongside local talent including pastry chef and chocolatier Kirsten Tibballs (founder of Melbourne's Savour Chocolate and Patisserie School), Instagram dessert queen Katherine Sabbath, and Shangri-La Sydney's award-winning pastry chef Anna Polyviou. The inspired can also upskill in cake-decorating with a number of masterclasses slated to take place across the weekend. And if you need a break from the sweet stuff, TV chef Miguel Maestre will also be joining the fun with a pop-up restaurant serving up tasty savoury bites including paella, tapas and jaffles. The Cake Bake & Sweets Show will run from 10am–5pm between Friday, November 23 and Sunday, November 25. Tickets can be purchased here and, since sweets are always better when shared, we've also managed to nab you a two-for-one deal on all single-day tickets purchased before November 22 — just enter the code 18CONCRETEPLAYGROUND at checkout. Plus, we've also got some double Flexi Day passes to give away — which means you and a mate can enjoy all those sweet, sweet desserts, without spending a dime. Enter with your details below. [competition]696611[/competition]
Ditch the booze and get drunk instead on life, good vibes and great tunes, when the country's biggest sober dance party kicks off later this week. Crashing onto Shark Island this Saturday, April 6, the inaugural Xstatic Sunsets will deliver a huge alcohol- and drug-free celebration, as organisers set out to shake up social habits and inspire a new sort of party culture. With room for a whopping 800 partygoers, the all-ages event is all about that natural high. And, with a jam-packed lineup of DJs and producers, matched to some sweet harbour views, we're sure there'll be plenty of that on the cards. At a time when nearly one in 20 deaths is attributed to drugs and alcohol, Xstatic Sunsets is offering a healthier way of hangover-free partying, while raising awareness for mental health issues. For the launch event, expect a six-hour musical journey that trips through the ages, with DJs Phil Smart, Hayley Melrose, Tommy Franklin and Burning Man veteran Shane SOS hitting the decks. Dressing up as your favourite musical era or pop icon is also encouraged. To ensure you keep that dance floor stamina right through until the all-important sunset finale, there'll be a selection of food and drink, along with a program of workshops and wellness talks. What's more, you'll be partying for an excellent cause, with 10 percent of ticket proceeds going to support local mental health charities. Ticket includes boat transfers to and from the island, which leave from Rose Bay starting at 12.30pm.
It's no secret that we live in a beautiful country. Our rugged coastlines, tropical rainforests and sweeping desert plains give us plenty to brag about. But, to keep it looking so damn gorgeous, we all have to play a part in looking after the environment. And now, one way to do that is by sipping on a delicious drink. Enter C.A.N — a fresh new vodka and soda pre-mix that is committed to quenching your thirst while donating 10% of its profits to supporting conservation efforts in Australia. How good is that? C.A.N — which stands for Create Action Now — has linked up with Wild Ark and Conservation Volunteers Australia to ensure it's doing its bit to aid land, water and air conservation efforts while keeping you refreshed. To put its money where its mouth is, C.A.N has already donated $5000 to support the #SeatoSource project run by Conservation Volunteers Australia. There are two tasty flavours to try — ruby grapefruit and pineapple passionfruit — both of which are low in sugar but high in deliciousness. Want to add a lil feel good moment to the next time you crack a tin? Well, now you C.A.N. To celebrate its launch, C.A.N is giving away a prize pack to one lucky CP reader consisting of some tasty C.A.Ns and $500 cash. Plus, you'll get to choose one of C.A.N's conservation partners to cop an additional $500. Sound like something you want to support? To be in the running, tell us in 25 words or less what you're doing to help the environment during lockdown. For more information on C.A,N's initiatives, visit the website. Then, grab yourself some C.A.Ns via BoozeBud or at your local bottle shop. [competition]822930[/competition]
The reinvention of one's persona is a pop tradition; Bowie had the Thin White Duke and Ziggy Stardust, Madonna has made a career out of it and Prince renamed himself so many times we weren't sure what to call him. Alex Ebert was down and out after his band, Probot, split — he was in rehab, his girlfriend left him — so he decided a reinvention was in order. He created Edward Sharpe, a freewheeling, love-filled, messianic troubadour, who would lead his band of minstrels, the Magnetic Zeros. The band exists as a throwback to the 60s with their hippie aesthetic and way of life, but their sound is a pastiche of Ennio Morricone–style cowboy atmospheres, whistle solos and big anthemic singalongs, all taking root in grand stories of their love and adventures. Home became a staple on FBi radio before becoming a full blown hit on Triple J, making it to 15 on the Hottest 100. Their album Up From Below is full of reverb-soaked folky pop tunes, which are good, but I imagine they will translate better live. Their stuff on YouTube looks like a cross between a hoedown and a love-in. Put on your beads and hemp shirts, maybe some feathers, and get on down to their Factory Theatre show — but make it snappy as the Metro date has already sold out.
From hosting the massive Shore Thing on New Year's Eve, festival promoters Fuzzy get straight back to business on New Year's Day with Field Day. Fuzzy will bring Sydney the biggest and best party to kickstart the mainstream festival circuit in 2012. This line-up sees the return of French electro giants Justice, who will bring a live show on the back of their new album, Audio Video, Disco. Indie kids will be treated to a set from Australian favourite Gotye and experimental electronic act Crystal Castles. Returning from recent visits Down Under will be Example, Skream and Benga. Those looking for a little more chilled occasion will be treated to the ambience of Moby's signature production. Also performing is Young MC. Remember that guy? Throw on a retro neon windbreaker and a chunky gold chain for his set. Kick on from New Year's Eve and get yourself to The Domain bright and early for a fun-filled day.
The "frustrated creatives" who started new Australian writing launchpad Seizure four years ago are gearing up to host their first ever prom. Since 2010, they've been providing a home for high-quality, original literature — from flash fiction to poetry to reviews — both in print and online. Now they're ready to take over Giant Dwarf for the night and you're invited. You'll get the chance to hang out with the Seizure lit crowd and get some classic prom shots taken (time to drag out that year 12 dress/tux and hairdo to match). This time you'll want the photographic evidence; with the organisers taking inspiration from the Under the Sea Dance in Back to the Future, it'll be a fine-looking affair. Live music will be provided by Sydney-based indie-pop band Why We Run, who played their Goodgod debut a few weeks ago and have since been cooking up some special prom covers, and folksy singer-songwriter Hazzy Bee, who launched his new single 'Flyscreen' at Hibernian House at the end of May and more recently supported Tin Sparrow at their 'Echoes in the Dark' launch at FBi Social.
Heads up, Mother's Day is just around the corner. (It's happening on Sunday, May 12, in case you temporarily forgot.) You can frantically message your siblings later, there's pressie planning afoot, and we've found quite the showstopper for your dear ol' mumsie this year thanks to Gelato Messina. Never one to miss an opportunity to experiment with new ways to inhale gelato, Messina has been cooking up quite the delicate novelty dessert for Mum: a Italian-inspired chocolate box of gelato-filled nibbles. These brownie point-winners launched in 2015 — and selling out every year since — are sure to bring it home again this year. Each box comes with nine handmade, handpainted chocolate and gelato bon bons — best enjoyed with opera blaring in the background, with a strong, black cup of coffee and a shoulder massage. Go on, your mum put up with you through puberty, you owe her one massage. So which crazy tell-your-friends flavours have Messina come up with for their bitty bon bons? There are nine in total, each more decadent than the last. Ready? There's lamington, black forest, dark choc honey, banoffee pie, cremino — with Italian meringe, amaretti and that salted caramel gelato — tequila sunrise, strawberry and cream, and tea and bikkies. Yep. If you can find us something that says 'perfect Mother's Day gift' better than fragrant earl grey tea gelato and shortbread crammed into a fragile little choc-house of caramel, we'll eat this empty bon bon box. The Messina gelato bon bon boxes are going for $49 a box, and are available to order from Wednesday, April 17. They're available for collection from Bondi, Newtown, Tramsheds, Darlinghurst, Rosebery, Miranda, Parramatta and Penrith in NSW; Fitzroy in Victoria; and South Brisbane and Fortitude Valley in Queensland. Gelato Messina's Mother's Day Bon Bons area available to pre-order from Wednesday, April 17 and to pick-up between Friday, May 10 and Sunday, May 12 (Mother's Day).
Seven days ago, 3 Kensington Street was home to British celebrity chef Jason Atherton's Kensington Street Social. Now, it has a new tenant: Barzaari. Opening its doors today, it's the second outpost of Marrickville's Barzaari, and it's serving up a menu of eastern Mediterranean share plates, focusing on the cuisines of Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt. The 120-seat dining room and private mezzanine has been swiftly transformed in the one-week gap between tenants thanks to award-winning architects Neri & Hu and designer Matt Darwon (Automata). Elements of the brand's Marrickville digs have make its way to Chippendale, including the signature sandpit coffee, market place vibes and The Four Seasons mural by Giuseppe Arcimboldo. Owners Andrew Jordanou and chef Darryl Martin (ex-Three Weeds and Quay) have teamed up with hotelier Loh Lik Peng (owner of The Old Clare's parent company Unlisted Collection) to bring the restaurant to Kensington Street. The restaurant is named after a Cypriot market place where Jordanou's grandfather sold his produce, and the story makes its way onto the plate with a focus on seasonal veggies — think barbecued broccolini with spicy muhamarra capsicum dip, carrot juice and tomato ($23), and woodfired green beans, with mograbieh pasta and chilli ($15). Dishes are made for sharing, and many of them come straight from the woodfired oven. Start by swiping freshly baked koulouri ($5) — circular sesame bread, kinda like Greek bagels — through hummus ($4) or pile pickled WA octopus ($14) atop charred pita ($5) with lashings of smoked eggplant ($4). Heartier dishes include stuffed pickled eggplant ($25), beef short rib with chermoula ($40) and lamb rump with harissa and currants ($37), and desserts feature Barzaari's signature baklava, with safflower and whole almond ice-cream ($18). For something slightly more left-of-centre, look to the carob-glazed mulberries with salted caramel ($16) or blistered buttermilk ricotta ($17). It's suggested you pair one of these sweets with a theatrical sandpit coffee ($11), which is exactly what it sounds like: strong Middle Eastern coffee heated in a cezve over an impressively large pan of hot sand. Guests of the hotel are lucky enough to be able to order Barzaari for room service, too — it sure beats that late-night kebab. Barzaari Chippendale is now open at 3 Kensington Street, Chippendale. Opening hours are noon–3pm and 5.30pm–late, Tuesday–Saturday; and 11am–3pm Sunday.
