If you're of the school of thought that food often tastes better when it's paired with booze, then we have some very good news for you. Fried chicken joint/Champagne bar/sneaker store Butter is offering up the greatest Christmas present of all: an indulgent spiked menu to feast on. Executive chef Julian Cincotta has whipped up a menu that combines his trademark chicken with a pretty darn smooth booze: Hennessy cognac. Embracing the vanilla notes, hints of apple and smooth finish of the cognac, Cincotta has designed a limited edition Hennessy barbecue sauce. The sweet and spicy sauce is paired with Butter's signature fried chicken and shoestring laces (fries), plus a Hennessy ginger mule to wash everything down. The collaboration is in honour of the new Hennessy V.S Limited Edition bottle, designed in partnership with renowned Portuguese street artist Vhils. Noting that both blending Hennessy and Vhils' murals require experimentation and risk-taking, Cincotta says, "We have the same approach at Butter. I love experimenting with different ingredients...and I find spirits have traditionally been under-utilised in cooking." Get your hands on it while you can —the special combo box is only available from now until Sunday, January 6 at both the Surry Hills and Parramatta stores.
Let's face it. Shopping at this time of year can be a form of slow torture. But we have something that'll make braving the crowds worth it. From Tuesday, December 18 to Monday, December 24 (otherwise known as 'crisis shop week'), David Jones is offering up free drink and food tastings. So, if you're in either the Market Street or Bondi Junction stores, hunt down the pop-up for free sips of Mumm Grand Cordon, Chivas 18 scotch and St Hugo shiraz. Along with the tipples, there'll be food pairings to revive you for the rest of your shopping expedition. And, while you're there, you can cross a few names off the present list. The new release Mumm Grand Cordon bottle is only available at a handful of locations around Sydney, including the little pop-up you'll be stationed at. Plus, when you purchase one of the bottles of Champagne — or whisky or wine — you can get it personalised for free with a message in calligraphy, too. This might just be the solution to the yearly question you and your siblings ask each other: what should we get mum and dad? The Champagne, Whisky and Wine Tasting Station will be open from 12–3pm daily at David Jones Market Street and Bondi Junction stores, until Monday, December 24.
What's more surprising about Bondi than its reputation as a seaside utopia is its lack of reputation as a topographical anomaly. It's basically a beach built into a cliffside. Makes it a pretty interesting place to do a walking tour, in other words. Enter Guru Dudu, a laid-back gent with loud overalls and a pair of headphones that, judging by their size, may well have been nicked from a construction site. This is your tour guide – but he's not working alone. As you stroll around, filling up on Bondi's sights, he'll tag-team with some of the greatest bands of the last half-century. With your own set of headphones (supplied) you and your compatriots will have the chance to groove down Campbell Parade, belt out the lyrics you can remember and flashmob unsuspecting picnickers. Before you know it, you will have topped a few of Bondi's most picturesque rises, borne aloft by bangers and the Guru's electrifying moves. Guru Dudu's Silent Disco Walking Tours will take place between Friday, July 12–Sunday, July 14 and Friday, July 20–Sunday, July 22 as part of Bondi Feast 2019. For more information and to purchase tickets, head this way.
It has only been three short years since Call Me By Your Name first hit cinemas; however the yearning romance instantly cemented itself as an all-time great. Adapting André Aciman's novel of the same name, every element of the film hit exactly the right note — including the tender love story, charting a summer dalliance between Elio (Timothée Chalamet) and Oliver (Armie Hammer), as well as director Luca Guadagnino's gorgeous use of the story's Italian Riveria setting. Hammer's awkward dance moves, Michael Stuhlbarg playing the dad everyone wishes they had, the use of peaches — you can remember this heartwrenching movie for any or all of the above. Actually, because there's never a bad time to revisit Call Me By Your Name, you can also re-experience it all again on the big screen on Valentine's Day. The Chauvel Cinema is doing the honours, kicking off at 6.45pm on Friday, February 14. Tickets cost $15, or $10 if you're a Palace member. If you really feel like diving in, you can also purchase peach cocktails. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9AYPxH5NTM
If you like your tunes a little off-centre, extra crisp and wholly unconventional, OutsideIn is your jam. Locked in to be held over three levels at Manning Bar in the University of Sydney, the boutique music festival cooked up by Sydney touring and management agency Astral People and record label Yes Please returns for its third instalment on Saturday, November 29. Before we get all up in three levels of OutsideIn goodness this Saturday, we checked in with the Sydney crew on the lineup for a few cruisy hangouts. These homegrown legends know their hidden parks, underground jazz dens and gaming hubs like the back of their talented hands, so we nabbed some hot tips. Which underground adventure cave does Seekae blow off steam in? Where will you find Black Vanilla defying gravity of a weekend? Which underrated park do Fishing sink a few post-work tinnies in? Here's your guide to Sydney's best hidden spots, from some of Sydney's best tune-makers around. SEEKAE by George Nicholas. Outside: Clovelly Bowling Club "Ain't nothing better than knocking a jack around the green with a couple of m8s. This is where dreams are made." In: City Hunter Internet Cafe II, Haymarket "Conveniently located just a brisk five minute walk from our Sydney studio, City Hunter II offers gaming for the refined gentleman. Combining the rustic beauty of wooden floorboards with high-tech halogen light technology, the cafe's VIP room is great spot to kick back and pwn some n00bs. It should be noted that this place is probably the reason the Seekae album took three years make." FISHING by Doug Wright. Outside: Giba Park, Pyrmont (By Night) "It's a sleepy spot perched on a cliff in deep Pyrmont. You get prime views over the water towards Balmain and the Anzac and Harbour bridges, and it's a perfect place to sink a few post-work tinnies and dream of living in the lush apartments behind you." In: MGM Spices, Cleveland Street "This Indian grocery shop is a veritable treasure chest of flavours. Our lives have become one million times more fragrant and delicious since we started coming here." BLACK VANILLA by Marcus Whale. OUTSIDE: MARRICKVILLE TENNIS CLUB, HENSON PARK "A Greek bartender will greet you curtly but with accommodation and for the price of 12 dollars an hour, you can practice your awful serve and serviceable groundstrokes on these slow, low, synthetic grass courts." IN: SKYZONE TRAMPOLINE PARK, ALEXANDRIA "Yes, it's everything you've ever dreamed of: vast fields of trampolines, guaranteed to work your core muscles and make you feel superhuman. You'll hate the regular experience of gravity for days afterwards." RETIREE by Ryan Powderly. Outdoor: Angophora Reserve, Avalon "Peacocks used to roam free all around Angophora, waking up locals with their call first thing in the morning. If you were lucky, you might witness a mating display, or even find a big pretty feather on the bush track. One morning about 15 years ago, they were all gone. Nobody knows what happened. But the reserve is still home to hundreds of sulphur-crested cockatoos, koalas and a giant dead specimen of Sydney Red Gum Angophora Costata, believed to be the largest of its species. Our friend Max lives close by and reckons he once saw a rare Corroboree Frog there. Somewhere a bit off the track we shot our EP teaser video in a cave." In: Tokyo Jazz Cafe, Bondi Junction "The Junction, like Tokyo, has a few very secret, magical surprises. Some don't have signs, some are down weird dark arcades, and some only exist if you walk through a wall, like Platform 9¾. While out looking for free Wi-Fi, I stumbled across the stairwell to Tokyo Jazz Cafe. Yes, they have free Wi-Fi, but that's not why I go back again and again. Yoriko and Peter (the owners) have created something exquisitely rare. You'll just have to go and find it to see why it's our favourite place. Live Jazz on Saturdays." OutsideIn is happening at Manning Bar, University of Sydney on November 29. General admission is $80 +bf. More for info and the full lineup, head over here. Image credits: catbagan via photopin cc; Clovelly Bowling Club via Alice Main; Jordon via photopin cc; GavinBell via photopin cc; Giba Park via Jim;; Angophora Reserve by AJG Pics.
Those hobbits will go on. In JRR Tolkien's pages, they went on perilous Middle-earth adventures. On screens big and small for decades so far (and into the future, with more movies on the way), they've trekked, ate second breakfasts and attempted to project precious jewellery. Onstage in Australia in 2025, they're also marking an eleventy-first birthday, receiving a gold ring, taking a quest to Mordor and attempting to fight evil, all in The Lord of the Rings — A Musical Tale. Dating back to 2006, just after the original live-action movie trilogy, this stage musical was revived in the UK in 2023, opened in the US in July 2024 and hit New Zealand in November 2024. After that, it's taking the hobbits to Australia from January 2025. First stop: Sydney's State Theatre. The Market Street venue's season kicks off on Tuesday, January 7. Lord of the Rings fans, take note: you'll want to go there and back again to discover what happens when Middle-earth gets melodic. Your guides for the show are the hobbits, of course, as Frodo and company celebrate Bilbo Baggins, then depart The Shire upon a life-changing journey. Thanks to Tolkien, what occurs from there has enthralled audiences for 70 years now, with The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers initially hitting bookshelves in 1954. There's been no shortage of ways to indulge your Lord of the Rings love since Peter Jackson's features — including his Hobbit trilogy — helped fan the flames of pop culture's affection for Frodo, Samwise, Pippin, Merry and the franchise's many non-underground-dwelling characters. Cinema marathons, visiting the Hobbiton movie set, staying there overnight, hitting up pop-up hobbit houses, sipping hobbit-themed beer: they've all been on the agenda. Only The Lord of the Rings — A Musical Tale is combining all things LoTR with tunes and dancing, however, in a show that sports a book and lyrics by from Shaun McKenna (Maddie, La Cava) and Matthew Warchus (Matilda the Musical, Groundhog Day the Musical), plus original music by Slumdog Millionaire Oscar-winner AR Rahman, folk band Värttinä from Finland and Matilda the Musical alum Christopher Nightingale. Images: Liz Lauren.
Time to update your reading list: it's time for the latest edition of the Sydney Writers' Festival. One year shy of its 20th anniversary, this year's festival will run from Monday, May 16 through to Sunday, May 22, and will welcome more than 450 authors to Sydney to discuss their work and ideas in panels, lectures and workshops around the city. Standout guests from abroad include feminist icon Gloria Steinem, critically acclaimed author Jonathan Franzen (Purity), novelist, rapper and poet Kate Tempest (Brand New Ancient), and North Korean defector Park Yeon-mi (In Order to Live). They'll be joined by Man Booker Prize winners Marlon James (A Brief History of Seven Killings) and Julian Barnes (The Sense of an Ending), and overnight success story Paula Hawkins (Girl on the Train). The local contingent, meanwhile, includes numerous recognisable names, including Tim Flannery, Anna Funder, Magda Szubanski, Kerry O'Brien, Andrew Denton, Peter Garrett, Stan Grant, Sarah Ferguson and Annabel Crabb. The theme of this year's festival is bibliotherapy, with a focus on reading for its therapeutic effect. "I very much like the idea of bibliotherapy and its premise that you can improve your life," said festival Artistic Director Jemma Birrell in a statement that accompanied the launch of the program. "A good literary festival, like a good book, should bring real life benefits — joy, solace and a new understanding of the world."
Ukulele manufacturers must be pretty stoked at the resurgence of the uke, heralded by the likes of Dent May, who sings melodic and whimsical tunes in keeping with the traditions laid down by dork/genius troubadours like Jonathan Richman and Jens Lekmann. Dent was outed from obscurity by Animal Collective when they signed the Mississippi local to their Paw Tracks label. His debut The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele is a collection of super sweet, heartfelt tunes with barber shop harmonies and witty, tongue in cheek lyrics. Go check out the songsmith at Spectrum; it could be the perfect twangy soundtrack to your summer.
Vivid Ideas brings interesting speakers from Sydney and across the world to talk about how they do what they do in their creative field. Previous years have brought speakers like (now) McSweeney's Lucky Peach editor Chris Ying, author Cory Doctorow and local star, Red Rattler's Penelope Benton. One thing every year has in common (bridging the name shift from Creative Sydney to Vivid Ideas) is a dense program threaded with interesting creative speakers. To help you unpick those threads, Concrete Playground has picked out these 10 best ideas that this year's Vivid has to offer. 1. Digital City Cutting up our city creatively is one of the points of Vivid Ideas. For their two Digital City sessions they've pulled together a bunch of speakers who have atomised Sydney with their cameras and keyboards. We Blog the City pairs dissector of Sydney and the world, 52 Suburbs' Louise Hawson with the library-cataloguing, city-parsing Vanessa Berry. The Digital Layer of the City, brings together geo game-maker Richard Fox, unseen artist Warren Armstrong and Nicole Gardener, who will talk about getting a good layer of digital nous laid alongside the city's physical footprint. 2. FEEDBACK Been meaning to get down to the FBi Music Open Day? Working the next step in your musical career? Rueing the last one? FEEDBACK is a youth-aimed (read 18-25 year old) music conference aimed at connecting aspiring musicians with advice from the musical establishment. And if that seems like some creative advice that's too basic for your needs, step up to advanced lessons in the Making of … a Hit Song and hear a YouTube insiders' guide to Biebering yourself to stardom. 3. The Incredibly Short Film Festival With Twitter jumping on the micro film band-wagon and launching Vine, the short, looped motion-making of the animated GIF is having a pretty good year. The Incredibly Short Film Festival collects looping GIF films from around the world for an evening's celebration of this cyclical art. After its MCA screening, the festival moves on to the World Bar to see it all again, this time laid out in oversized projection on the buildings around World Bar. If you fancy your hand at making your own GIFs, the Apple Store will also be running courses in the build-up to the festival. 4. Evenings in the Lounge If your version of creativity runs in more of the relaxing and drink-mulling variety, Evenings in the Lounge is a (mostly) free series of evening hangouts and conversations (mostly) on the MCA balconies. The evenings cover green themes, printed chocolate, creativity at work, creative advice, passion, graffiti, a bit of mixing, co-working and some brainstorming, too. 5. Reportage Photography Festival Australia’s leading documentary photography festival, Reportage, have joined forces with Vivid Sydney this year. Developed from impromptu snapshot exchanges in a Bondi apartment, Reportage is now gaining exposure as a national and global photography event worthy of focus. In a flash, it seems, the depth of the photographers fielded at the festival has zoomed to dizzying heights. Shutterbugs such as distinguished Magnum photographer Alex Webb (USA), Contact Press co-founder David Burnett (USA) and Italian camera-king Franceso Zizola (co-founder of NOOR Agency in Amsterdam and 10B Photography in Rome) will grace Sydney with their pictorial prestige for the duration of the snapfest around Sydney from May 25 to June 13. 6. Women on Screen Sydney has been satisfyingly packed with female focuses events these last couple months. All About Women isn't long past, and a World of Women recently put women's contributions to the silver screen under the spotlight as well. Vivid takes its own look at where women stand in the film biz with Somersault-directing Cate Shortland and Buffy (the movie)-supervising Susan Cartsonis on stage at Let's Talk About the F-Word — Female Storytellers. Forward Thinking: Screen Trends also takes a closer look at women on the silver screen, this time inviting Saudi Arabia's first female filmmaker Haifaa Al Mansour on stage as part of a panel discussing the change afoot in film across the world. 7. Indie Magazines: High End Content, Low End Budgets Chris Ying was a highlight of the second year of Creative Sydney, and he returns this year at Indie Magazines: High End Content, Low End Budgets to talk about how he puts together McSweeney's food magazine, Lucky Peach, on a staff of four. He's joined on stage by photo editor of the image-heavy Colors magazine, Mauro Bedoni. It was a magazine originally set up in the '90s as a Benetton-backed concern. And, while Benetton continues to fund the publication, it's gone through any number of incarnations in since then in its ongoing mission "to show the world to the world." Both men will talk about how they make publishing work around their webs of international contributors. 8. The Ten Creative Commandments There are actually 613 commandments, but most of the time the more religious among us get by remembering just ten. Vivid Idea's website, similarly, lists only eight sessions of Ten Creative Commandments. But even eight seem like plenty when your being mandated to check out changing cities, commercial collaboration, science communication, better living through design, social networking, open sourcing, government policy makers and the internet of things. In every day life, even religious people can find they need to pick and choose. So, one or eight, you're sure to find the creative direction that works for you. 9. The Heart of Redfern Redfern's getting ready to play host to another mix of light, performance and drama as the suburb gears up to film another series of Redfern Now. Around the same time that the shooting gets going, the Media and Entertainment Arts Alliance — the union that bravely mixes entertainers and journalists — throws open the doors to its Redfern digs for the Heart of Redfern. It's a night light, dance and music focused on the history of the suburb. It's a rare chance to see inside the building without joining up and an excuse for another night out around this already-these-days bustling suburb. The night is free, but you'll need to RSVP first. 10. Making of … Vivid Ideas is a festival that likes to take you behind the scenes. And the Making of… series is its strongest foray into the world behind the creative curtain. Six evenings explains the ins and outs of things we take for granted as consumers, but which complicate the head when they move from something to consume to a thing needing to be made. See behind the scenes of putting together some animation, a little song production, both mobile and blockbuster games, a bit of transformative theatre and even futuristic sensor-based performance. And then try to make it all yourself after. Reportage festival section by Nishan David. Digital City image by Warren Armstrong. Guitar image by Feliciano Guimaraes. Reportage image by David Burnett (Contact Press Images), from his work, ‘44 Days: Iran and the Remaking of the World'.
The late BBC DJ legend John Peel famously summed up The Fall in this succinct remark: "They are always different, they are always the same." Seminal post-punk trailblazers who carved a niche out of surreality, lo-fi guitars and copious speed use, The Fall have a dedicated cult following of disgruntled blighters, punks and would-be writers. Their 28 studio albums are truly wonderful and frightening releases with their ragged guitar riffs, slangy slapback lyrics and impenitent use of hooky repetition. Mark E. Smith formed The Fall with friends after reading too much Albert Camus and dropping out of university. It's quite possible the 'E' in Mark's name stands for "eliminate" as he kicks people out of his band constantly for spurious reasons. Even during a show, he berates both band members and audience. Mark's cited The Velvet Underground, Raymond Chandler, unemployment, football, time travel and the supernatural as musical influences, and his rampant, unrepentant cynicism carries The Fall's uncompromising, raw sound. This event is surefire guaranteed to be a jauntily bilious, unforgettable experience.
You’ll laugh and you’ll cry at Tracey Moffatt’s filmic collage, Mother. It is a predictable, somewhat maudlin homage to the mother figure, and makes for a very satisfying 20 minutes of celluloid absorption. Emerging from the dark focus room at Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery (with inward vows to call your own mother) you excuse yourself to one of Michael Parekowhai’s The Brothers Grimm figures for almost bumping into him. He doesn’t seem to mind; he’s unassuming and impenetrable, like all his brothers who fill the main gallery space. The three antelope figures, a buck and two doe, make an elegant and complete addition but they also seem to care little for our intrusion into their space, looking downward and beyond us. The overall feeling of Parekowhai’s Seldom is Herd is one of slick surfaces and misleading guises, with an inkling that if you spend a bit of time with them, they may just follow you home.Image: Michael Parekowhai, The Brothers Grimm, 2009, automotive paint on fibreglass, 163 x 52 x 49 cm each, courtesy the artist and Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney.
Usually, IKEA's food game is as unmistakably Scandinavian as its hard-to-pronounce furniture names — headlined, of course, by those iconic Swedish meatballs. But come Wednesday, January 22, the retailer's Tempe store is shaking things up and taking a jaunt to the other side of the globe, dishing up a Chinese street food buffet in celebration of the Lunar New Year. Alongside a program of cultural entertainment and traditional workshops, the all-you-can-eat dinner is set to run from 5.30–7.30pm, transforming the store's restaurant space into a colourful Asian feasting hall. On the menu, you'll find classic dishes like steamed dumplings, sweet and sour pork, and sweet potatoes in a teriyaki glaze. There's both combination and vegetarian hot pot soup, hoisin slow-roasted pork shoulder, and even sweet offerings like fruit platters and mango rice pudding. [caption id="attachment_757260" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Maksym Kozlenko via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Adult tickets to the buffet feast are $29.95, though IKEA Family members can nab theirs for just $25.95. And since the store's open until 9pm each night, you could even squeeze in a spot of post-dinner flatpack shopping while you're there. Images: Maksym Kozlenko via Wikimedia Commons.
Following the October long weekend, tolerance for ill-conceived built environments will suffer another crushing blow. Like it or lump it, architecture shapes every space we inhabit. Advocating the dictum ‘good architecture, good life’, the annual Architecture Festival takes place on World Architecture Day, Monday 5 October, in the some say ill-conceived hub of Customs House, Circular Quay and the Sydney Opera House. Festival organisers have programmed a stellar line-up of events including talks, walks, a gigantic Lego play station and a narrated harbour cruise to take in the architectural prowess of Sydney’s foreshore. One of the more tempting programs on offer is the Powerhouse Museum self-guided walking tour around Pyrmont and Ultimo. Able festival goers can pick-up a recorded guide by Curator Anni Turnbull and wander the surrounding neighbourhood. The highlight of the festival will be the much anticipated tète-à -tète between Pritzker prize-winning architect Glenn Murcutt AO, novelist David Malouf and academic Julianne Schultz. This trio of exceptionally well-informed minds will vouch for the value of good architecture as vital to the betterment of humans the world over, while also dabbling in a smidge of back-catalogue style discussions around their lives and work. Anne Watson will also lead a lecture on the blight of Australia’s architectural history – the replacement of Jorn Utzon by Peter Hall as the completing architect of the Sydney Opera House.Image: Angelo Candalepas, All Saints Primary School, winner of the Sulman Award this year
In March last year, within four days of announcing its doomsday-themed lineup, Sydney Writers' Festival cancelled its 2020 event due to the pandemic. This year, the beloved annual literary showcase is back and taking inspiration from the past 12 months, with the 2021 festival skewing local around the theme 'Within Reach'. More than 400 Australian-based speakers are on this year's program, which'll run from Monday, April 26–Sunday, May 2. As new Artistic Director Michael Williams explains, "we have gathered the many diverse and exciting writers who are right here, within our reach — asking questions, raising their voices and defining this culture". And, you'll largely be seeing them in-person at 231 live events; however, in keeping in line with how we've all been living over the past year, 15 guests from the small international contingent — which spans Australians based abroad and overseas authors — will join the fest via video. On opening night, for instance, Miles Franklin winners Melissa Lucashenko (Too Much Lip) and Tara June Winch (The Yield) and debut poet Evelyn Araluen (Dropbear) will chat about their experiences, influences and hopes for the future, with Winch appearing via video from France. Fellow Aussies such as True History of the Kelly Gang author Peter Carey, The Secret Chord's Geraldine Brooks and Axios reporter Jonathan Swan — who conducted that extremely viral interview with then-US President Donald Trump in 2020 — will stream in over the week, too, as will international writers such as Judy Blume, Isabel Wilkerson, Kazuo Ishiguro and Behrouz Boochani. Other highlights include Paul Kelly chatting about the words and lyrics that've shaped his career (gravy will probably be one of them); an all-star gala featuring the likes of Brooks, Tony Birch (The White Girl), Trent Dalton (All Our Shimmering Skies), Ceridwen Dovey (Life After Truth), Adam Goodes and Michael O'Loughlin (Kicking Goals), and Alison Lester (Magic Beach); and SWF's first Actors Poetry Gala, complete with performances and readings by Mia Wasikowska (Judy & Punch), Ewen Leslie (Operation Buffalo), Tim Minchin (Upright), Remy Hii (Crazy Rich Asians), Bryan Brown (Hungry Ghosts), Justine Clarke (Hungry Ghosts), Alex Lee (Single Asian Female) and Yael Stone (Orange Is the New Black). Or, you can watch local political commentators and thinkers such as Benjamin Law, Annabel Crabb and Nakkiah Lui debate the topic 'how good is Australia?'; head to Carriageworks for a heap of interesting pairings; attend the debutante ball for writers whose first books were impacted by COVID-19 last year; and listen to novelist and poet David Malouf close out the fest. SWF will be spreading the literary love around town, with events at Carriageworks, City Recital Hall, Sydney Town Hall, Riverside Theatres and Chatswood Concourse, and across 17 suburban and regional library networks via live broadcasts from the State Library of NSW. For folks outside the city — and state — the festival's main stage events at Carriageworks will also be broadcast to more than 40 community centres and libraries across the country. And, if you're watching your budget, 50-plus events will be free — but, also in line with the times, you'll need to book in for everything you're planning to attend. Sydney Writers' Festival runs at various venues across the city from Monday, April 26–Sunday, May 2. Tickets go on sale at 9am on Friday, March 12 via www.swf.org.au. Images: Prudence Upton.
Saké Restaurant & Bar may have only just opened but that's not stopping it from throwing its hat into the ring for silly season. And the Japanese diner has quite the list of New Year's shenanigans in store for you. It's starting things off on the right foot for New Year's Eve, with a special seven-course meal ($199–219 per person). The menu kicks off with a glass of Veuve Clicquot and oysters, then continues the seafood-centric theme — think bug tail tempura, tuna tartare and sashimi. You'll get a ringside seat for the fireworks of the night, and there'll be DJs to get you in the mood for ringing in the new year. After seeing 2018 out in style, you can return for the New Year's Day event. This beach party will roll on for five hours from 12pm on Tuesday, January 1, and there's an all-inclusive food and beverage package on offer for $250 per person. With Veuve and Belvedere vodka cocktails flowing freely, this is one post-NYE party you'll want to be in fine form for. Yolanda Be Cool, Frankie Romano and Martini Club will be providing the tunes too, so make sure you get that rest in between Christmas and New Year's — you'll need it. To reserve your NYE and NYD party tickets, visit Saké's website.
If a mysterious night away from the world you currently inhabit is what you're after, it's one you'll get with Underground Cinema. Known for throwing its participants terrifyingly head first into a live immersive experience, the purveyors of immersive cinema have 40 different temporary worlds under their belts. And their latest effort is themed 'Delirium'. Hints and rumours are all you'll get before you go, with the actual film screening always kept a secret – participants are meant to figure it out as they go, taking part in the interactive experience and collating all the clues. But what we do know is that Delirium will involve stepping back in time to the 1950s, into a mystery-thriller, and — as always — being taken to a location that remains secret until just before the event. In the past, Underground Cinema has put its audiences through a zombie apocalypse (28 Days Later), a medieval court (The Princess Bride) and a WWII throwback (Casablanca). What exactly you'll be doing in the 1950s remains to be seen but if past events are anything to judge by, you'll be fully plunged into the world from the get-go. As with all its events, there'll be hot food available and a full bar, so don't worry about getting stranded and hungry. You might just need that drink, too. The night will be sinister, judging by the description: "Walk the path of the condemned. Face the hidden insanity. Strive for the unspeakable truth, because when you see a monster you must stop it." Wear some sensible shoes and you'd better keep your wits about you as best you can — looks like there'll be a fight to be fought. The cinema will run over three nights at a secret Sydney location, from May 10–12.
Turning 30 is a big occasion — for people, and for entertainment groups. And while reaching 31 doesn't normally get as much love, celebrations or parties, Ministry of Sound has never been one for sticking to expectations. Behold, its huge 31st birthday party, aka the return of Ministry of Sound: Testament — A Warehouse Experience at this year's Vivid. If cutting loose in a warehouse in The Rocks for three nights sounds is your ideal way to mark absolutely anything, this returning event is just the solution. As it did in 2021, Ministry of Sound has also found just the right way to celebrate the June long weekend, thanks to this 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 between Friday, June 10–Sunday, June 12 — 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. Nik Fish vs Jumping Jack, Sugar Ray, Jade, Ming D, Abel, Lorna are among the 90s highlights, while Plump DJs, Krafty Kuts, Kid Kenobi, Bang Gang Deejays, Hoops, Midnight Juggernauts, Riot in Belgium, Kate Monroe are on the decks on Saturday night — before Anna Lunoe, Northeast Party House, Oliver Huntemann and Hydraulix head things up on Sunday. Each evening runs from 7pm–2am — and, ticket-wise, you'll need to book per night.
It has been a couple of years since The Jungle Collective first started taking over Australian warehouses and slinging plenty of plants, all thanks to its huge sales in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney. These leafy excuses to fill your home with greenery always have a bit of a celebratory vibe, and they just keep coming, with the outfit's next Sydney outing happening across the weekend of Saturday, March 21 and Sunday, March 22. Gorgeous green babies are the main attraction — and more than 170 varieties of them, too. You'll pick up everything from fiddle leafs and monsteras to giant birds of paradise and rubber trees, as well as oh-so-many ferns and hanging plants. This particular sale will be paying extra attention to calathea plants, so prepare to add them to your indoor garden. You'll also be able to shop for designer pots and get expert advice from the horticulturalists onsite. Oh, and if you dress in stripes or dots head-to-toe, you'll receive $5 off your purchase. It's all happening at Precinct 75, at 75 Mary Street, St Peters, with sessions held at 8am, 10am, 12pm and 2pm on Saturday, plus 10am and 12pm on Sunday. Entry is free, but you'll need to register for a ticket — which you can do from 12pm on Monday, March 16.
Cinco De Mayo, literally translated, means the fifth of May. It's not entirely surprising then that the Cinco De Mayo annual celebration is on May 5 each and every year (wild, we know), as a nod to the Mexican Army's victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. To coincide with the event, hospitality giant Merivale is hosting a weeklong margarita fiesta starting from Monday, May 3 until Saturday, May 8 at a range of their restaurants and bars. All margaritas will be $12 at select venues for the week, while El Loco at Slip Inn will have an extended celebration with $12 margaritas throughout all of May. There are 28 venues all up involved in this giant fiesta, from the sun-soaked Beresford Hotel, the waterfront Newport Hotel, beachfront Coogee Pavillion and updated Royal Bondi. MARGARITA WEEK VENUES Bar Topa Bar Totti's Coogee Pavilion Ground Coogee Pavilion Rooftop El Loco Excelsior El Loco Slip Inn Queen Chow Manly Queens Hotel The Royal Bondi The Vic on the Park The Collaroy The Newport The Beresford Pool Club Ms. Gs Establishment Main Bar Tank Stream Bar Jimmy's Falafel The Paddington The Royal George The Grand Hotel Hotel CBD Wynyard Hotel York 75 Work In Progress The Dog Tennyson Hotel Allawah Hotel
When it comes to art-form, life-form, or any form for that matter, the illusory juxtaposition of macro versus micro is really just a matter of perspective. In a collaborative offering of visual delights, a dozen talented artists will present their striking exploration of this theme through the medium of jewellery. From computer-aided design to hand-forged pieces, all have been crafted by certified jewellers working with a range of materials including wood, glass, diamonds, and gold. This is a multi-modal exhibition of jewellery related creative expressions featuring everything from the jewellery itself to video footage and interactive installations by musicians, street artists and stylists (for Lady Gaga no less). This is no stuffy, glass-encased, crown jewels type of exhibition, it's an exciting, fresh, edge-cutting expression of creative energy through jewellery as art. Videos of the artists giving brief insights into their creations and inspirations will also be shown, offering punters a rare glimpse into the purpose and meaning behind the pieces and works on display. The exhibition kicks off on July 6 the Art Gallery of NSW and will feature guest speakers Ben Frost, Sebastian Moody and Andrew Mathers. Cocktails and canapés from 6pm followed by introduction, documentary video and artist presentations. Image: Bridge Stehli
Located in a terrace house on Bourke Street, Home@735 allows art aficionados to get up close and personal with the exhibitions. The gallery, curated by Madeleine Preston, focuses on promoting Australian artists and supporting emerging talent. The art is displayed throughout Anthony Bautovich's terrace home creating a more intimate experience than that of a commercial gallery. Visitors can visualise how pieces could look in their own home, building a stronger appreciation for the practice of art collection. Image: Ashley Barber
Astral People's Summer Dance series is taking place once again within the sandstone walls of the National Art School. Like previous years, big names in EDM will descend upon the Darlinghurst courtyard over several weekends. Expect international and local record spinners providing the perfect backdrop to your summer Sunday. For the first one, on Sunday, November 18, Astral People has secured dance party-legend, DJ and producer Gilles Peterson to headline, along with South London jazz and garage artist Henry Wu and Sydney native Maia Bilyk, an FBi Radio regular known for her funk, soul and house tunes. On Sunday, January 20, the second iteration will take place, featuring Melbourne club scene staple CC:Disco!, Chicago DJ Jamie 3:26 and local radio host and dance floor music maker Tom Studdy. Three weeks later, the art school courtyard will once again transform for a seven-hour party when UK DJ Floating Points, who's known for his dance-meets-jazz tunes, Sydney electronic legend Adi Toohey and local duo Andy & Oscar takeover the decks. Irish electro duo Brame & Hamo, NZ dance guru Frank Booker and genre-bending DJ Lex Deluxe will round out the series, leading the final party on Sunday, March 24. These parties will all take place in a historic location, surrounded by lush gardens, electronic beats and plenty of people on the same mission: to spend a Sunday letting loose on the dance floor. The shows have sold out for the past two years, so don't delay snagging your ticket. Updated March 6, 2019.
Govinda's is going all The Artist on us with its latest cinematic lineup. As part of Australia's Silent Film Festival, they're presenting two six-week programmes of restored silent classics, with each film accompanied by a musical soundtrack. Master Directors of the Silent Era, running on Tuesday nights, kicks off with Abel Gance's moving WWII saga J'accuse, though if you find it difficult to sit through 166 minutes of war film even when (a) there is dialogue and (b) you're not lapsing into a vegetarian-buffet-induced food coma, then the rest of the lineup might be more appealing. It includes film noir pioneer Fritz Lang's hauntingly beautiful tale of fantasy and gothic horror Destiny, the 1920s Soviet silent By the Law, and a film that was believed to have been lost since 1936 until a nearly complete print was unearthed in France six years ago. On Sundays get your jollies from underrated pleasures like slippery banana peels and airborne cream pies with Golden Comedy Era of Silent Cinema. Crazy stunts come courtesy of Douglas Fairbanks Sr. in Wild and Woolly, and delightfully deadpan facial expressions abound in a Buster Keaton-fest of four shorts celebrating the most recognised face of silent comedy besides Charlie Chaplin. For a more enlightening cinematic experience, escape to late 19th-century France in The Italian Straw Hat. A horse munching on someone's fancy headwear has never appeared so elegant. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ywWoeswCDc4
Their name is a play on the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers cult comic character 'Fat Freddy' and each of their album covers features some rather excellent animation, but Fat Freddy's Drop are taking the cartoon thing a big step further for Graphic 2012. As a specially commissioned collaboration with celebrated NZ street artist Otis Frizzell — son of kitsch Kiwiana expressionist Dick Frizzell — the nine times platinum genre flouters will present the worldwide premiere of their fourth album Blackbird with immersive animated visuals to complement their larger-than-life sound. An indefatigable concoction of dub, reggae, soul, jazz, blues and techno garnished with signature grooves, Fat Freddy's have sold half a million records worldwide. These two shows will be the only chance to preview Blackbird before its release next year. https://youtube.com/watch?v=eCJg63SziL4
Given that the relationship between art and alcohol probably goes back to cave paintings, it’s pretty dumb that conventional gallery spaces look at you funny when you stumble in, seeking visual enlightenment under a slight Reschs-induced daze. So thank God for places like Lo-Fi Collective, who really do make art accessible to all. The guys behind Lo-Fi have now breathed new life into the formerly unassuming Toxteth Hotel on Glebe Point Road. But instead of the draw card being $5.50 tacos, it’s a feast for the eyes presented by emerging local artists. (Okay so it’s pulled duck and chip butty sliders too, but let’s focus on the art for now.) As part of a plan to bridge the gap between Sydney’s arts education system and the art industry, the top level has been turned into five rent-free studio spaces plus a gallery called The Tate, where burgeoning young talent can be harnessed and put on show. Downstairs is where culinary innovation is cultivated, in the form of fried chicken burgers and a Coopers Pale Ale pie. The first exhibition to take place will be There Goes the Neighbourhood. This group show by friends of co-curators Marty Routledge and Christopher Loutfy includes such visual spectacles as street art by Numskull, typographic delights by Luca Lunesca and advanced galactic space monsters by six-year-old Max Treffkorn — with all works serving as invitations to reclaim ownership of the once-bohemian surburb of Glebe. New openings will take place weekly, so keep an eye on their website and try to coincide your visit with $4 sliders night.
UPDATE, May 17, 2021: Shoplifters is available to stream via SBS On Demand, Google Play and YouTube Movies. Quantity and quality, as alike as the two words sound, have long been pitted as opposites. To be prolific is to be imperfect, or so the thinking goes, although Hirokazu Kore-eda just keeps blowing that idea out of the water. The writer-director's latest release is his eleventh since the turn of the century and, in a hefty collection of intimate, moving movies that includes Nobody Knows, Like Father, Like Son and Our Little Sister, the Palme d'Or-winning Shoplifters is one of the best. There's really no such thing as a bad Kore-eda film, even when he steps into slightly different territory, as with last year's less-acclaimed crime flick The Third Murder. But his rich and poignant new family drama is almost disarmingly affecting (and effective), showcasing the height of the Japanese filmmaker's prowess. The family that steals together, stays together in Shoplifters. Daily pilfering — and other petty crimes and grifts, as well as regular pension cheques — enable father Osamu (Lily Franky), mother Nobuyo (Sakura Andô), grandmother Hatsue (Kirin Kiki), aunt Aki (Mayu Matsuoka) and son Shota (Jyo Kairi) to survive in their tiny, overpacked cottage on the outskirts of Tokyo. On the way home one winter evening after giving their light fingers a workout, Osamu and Shota spy a slip of a girl cold and shivering on an apartment balcony, and soon young Yuri (Miyu Sasaki) is in their care too. While Osamu and Nobuyo's choice to keep the bruised and starving child could be construed as kidnapping, she's just so happy with them. In time, Yuri also proves rather skilled in the family business. 'Family drama' is a loaded way to describe Shoplifters. It's accurate — more accurate than can be conveyed without giving too much away — but the two words barely scratch the surface of Kore-eda's film. Seemingly straightforward in its narrative and themes, but thoroughly complex in the depths it reaches in both its story and sentiments, Shoplifters doesn't simply ponder one family's tough but loving existence. Rather, it contemplates exactly what makes a family. On more than one occasion, a character wonders whether blood or choice forge a stronger bond, a notion that couldn't be more important as the movie's ups and downs play out. Integral to that train of thought is Kore-eda's clear-eyed exploration of an oft-ignored aspect of Japanese society, at least on screen: the realities of life on the country's margins. As embodied by the film's central clan, the poor and the struggling aren't ignored here. They're literally stealing to get by, and they're never denigrated for it. Nor does the movie judge them for their decision to unofficially adopt someone else's child. The cast, which includes some of Japan's great acting talents, deserve a wealth of credit for building textured, layered characters that cannot be pigeonholed — people who feel like they could've walked off of the street and into Kore-eda's naturalistically shot picture. It's not just financial stress that drives Franky's patriarch, for example, but a desperation to connect that's evident every time that Shota steadfastly refuses to call him dad. And it's not just caring for one's elders that cements Kiki's grandma at the head of the family, a truth that's always apparent on the now-late actor's face. Of course, Franky, Kiki and the rest of the movie's stars have the good fortune to be performing for Kore-eda, one of the most empathetic and humanistic directors in the business both in Japan and around the world. Tissues should come with tickets to his films, not because he overtly pulls at the heartstrings, but because he peers so generously at everyone within his frames. Indeed, the kindness that he shows, and the space that he gives his characters, has a quietly overwhelming impact. Here, the filmmaker is at his best when he's cramming Shoplifters' family into their cramped villa, and observing their interactions, emotions and motivations in such close quarters. Every moment of their lives is tainted by hardship and harshness, but every moment is also a tender revelation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOOcpb48Oyo
The drive towards collaboration and connectivity is one of the biggest shifts in social and professional spheres over the last few decades. Nowhere is it seen more strongly than in the creative industries, with designers daily working side by side to reinvent the way the world looks and works. Object Gallery, the Australian Centre for Craft and Design, is hosting a season of local design talent to spread the word on how companies are shaping our lives in new, imaginative ways. Exhibitions and workshops are on offer to the public, featuring the know-how of Dinosaur Designs, DesignByThem, Cloth, Malcolm Greenwood, Oliver Smith, Mud and a score of others. Workshops take the form of industry insights, showing craft skills, through to pow-wows on how to reboot life through the senses.
Smoky Sue's – Neutral Bay's new American-style barbecue joint – is gearing up for an epic giveaway. Be one of the first 500 people to swing by at midday on Sunday, May 27, and a mighty brisket burger will be placed in your hands — for free. Every smoky creation features a toasted milk bun packed with high-marble Black Onyx brisket, slaw, pickles and sauce. The brisket boasts a 3+ score, which means it's about as melty and oozy as it gets. If you don't make the cut, then don't panic: the selfsame burgers will cost just 5 bucks each for the rest of the day. Plus, while you're waiting, you'll be able to kick back and listen to live music, courtesy of singer-songwriter Ashton Tremain from The Desert Sea, who've lately supported the likes of Ash Grunwald, Jebediah and The Fumes with their earthy riffs and powerful rhythms. While you're there (and if you have the stomach space) order a round of wings with a side of brisket beans, fries and mac 'n' cheese balls, and pair it all with a pint (or two) of Young Henrys. Or organise a return trip to check out the rest of the menu, including a gigantic beef short rib, fries loaded with cheese and pulled pork or the Big Bertha — a hefty burger stuffed with brisket, lamb and pork. Smoky Sue's giveaway will take place on the eve of International Burger Day and Brisket Day. The action launches at midday and winds down around 9pm. We're guessing there'll be queues, so roll up early, should you have your heart set on a free feast. Smoky Sue's will be slinging 500 free brisket burgers from midday on Sunday, May 27. For more information about the new barbecue joint, head to the website.
Ferris wheels, friendly lambs and fairy floss ODs — the Sydney Royal Easter Show, as you've always known and loved it, is back. But, this year, Australia's biggest ticketed event is taking its culinary side up a notch. In between rummaging through showbags, you'll be feasting at food truck parks and pop-up restaurants that'll be serving everything from refined Italian fare to Korean fried chicken and burgers. There'll also be plenty of bars to discover — including The Stables which will be swilling the signature Sydney Royal Easter Show Showstopper Australian Pale Ale. It's a far cry from the dagwood dogs and chips-on-a-stick that we remember (though they'll be there, too). To help you make the most of this food extravaganza, we're giving away a VIP package. The prize includes four general admission entry tickets to the Sydney Royal Easter Show (usually 43 bucks each), plus food and drinks galore. You'll get to enjoy a decadent Italian lunch at The Loft Restaurant and Bar ($200 value), drink 50 bucks' worth of booze at the Sydney Royal Beer and Wine Bar and finish up with decadent frozen custard treats from Taylors ($36 value). If you're not lucky enough to score the major win, hang in there for a runner-up prize — we've also got five double entry passes to the Show to give away, too. Enter your details below for a chance to win. [competition]710795[/competition]
When Skyfall initially hit cinemas back in 2012, it did so in a big way. The 23rd film in the Bond franchise — and handily releasing on the 50th anniversary of the series' first movie — the flick not only became the first in the saga to make more than a billion dollars at the box office, but ranked as the second highest-grossing title of the year after The Avengers. It also picked up two Oscars, two BAFTAs, a Golden Globe, two Grammys and a wealth of critical acclaim. The response was understandable. As well as the usual espionage antics, shaken-not-stirred martinis, suits and new standout theme song — all Bond trademarks — Skyfall ranked among the long-running franchise's best films so far. And if you've been hankering to revisit it again on the silver screen, it's returning to Sydney and Melbourne with a live score. Following in the footsteps of the Star Wars and Harry Potter films, as well as Bond's own Casino Royale, Skyfall will grace the Sydney Opera House and Melbourne's Hamer Hall, with help from both the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Audiences will relive Daniel Craig's third stint as 007, as well as Javier Bardem's memorable turn as the resident villain, all while hearing the music behind the movie as they've never heard it before. For those in need of a bigger refresher on the flick, it steps into Bond's backstory as he battles Bardem's ex-MI6 operative-turned-cyberterrorist. After the disappointing Quantum of Solace, the film welcomed director Sam Mendes to the series, who would also helm Spectre. And, given its billion-dollar-plus haul, it became the biggest Bond film, box office-wise, ever released. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozgZvg3cggE Both the SSO and MSO will perform composer Thomas Newman's award-winning score — the former across two shows this November, and the latter in a duo of screenings in April 2020. Obviously, the classic theme track that's served the franchise so well for more than half a century now also features. And, for folks in Melbourne, the timing couldn't be better, with the latest Bond flick due to hit regular cinemas in early April as well. Skyfall in Concert plays the Sydney Opera House on Friday, November 22 and Saturday, November 23 in 2019, then heads to Melbourne's Hamer Hall on Friday, April 3 and Saturday, April 4 in 2020. Tickets for the Sydney shows go on sale on Monday, July 29, with pre-sales from Monday, July 22, with further details available via the SSO website. Tickets for Melbourne are on sale now via the MSO website.
Melbourne's bubble tea franchise Gotcha Fresh Tea is rapidly expanding. Having not only opened its fifth Melbourne store earlier this year, but adding a sixth one too and planning at least five more, the chain now has its sights set on Sydney — with plans to launch three new stores here, and soon. Its first NSW store will open on China Town's Dixon Street on Monday, May 20, with a second store at World Square launching on Friday, May 24. They'll be closely followed by a third near Broadway's UTS campus at a yet-to-be disclosed date. While no more NSW spots are confirmed just yet, take a peek at the website and you'll see that stores for Town Hall, Martin Place, Macquarie Centre, Burwood, Chatswood, Parramatta and Strathfield could also be on the cards. Gotcha stands out from the pack thanks to its teas, which are all exclusively grown and hand-picked on the Gotcha plantation in Taiwan — the country where bubble tea originated, mind you. The extensive menu goes deeper than your average bubble tea shop, too. Milk teas come in red bean, bamboo charcoal, taro and durian flavours. Fruit teas come with sliced fresh fruit, including lychee, passionfruit, cumquat and mango. They all range from $5.20–18. There are also teas available with cheese, salted egg or tiramisu foams; a range of 'healthy' collagen teas in bamboo, aloe vera and mulberry flavours; and a menu of macchiatos, lattes, health teas and smoothies to choose from. Of course, you can add pearls and jelly to any and all flavour combinations. Gotcha's expansion is no where near slowing, either, with over 15 stores slated to open in 2019. Five additional stores across Victoria are currently in the works, as well as many more around the country. Images: Gotcha Tea, Elizabeth Street, Melbourne.
Not a company to stick strictly to the confines of the theatre, Urban Theatre Projects has launched a new immersive arts event that takes you on an adventure through Blacktown. Dubbed Right Here. Right Now., the unique experience is set to run from 6pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from November 1 to 17, delivering a smorgasbord of art, performance, film, music and food in the spirit of sharing contemporary Australian stories. The 'show' goes for 3.5 hours and will take you on a roving showcase of this dynamic pocket of Sydney, enjoying various local works and performances displayed across restaurants, arcades and public spaces throughout Blacktown's colourful Main Street. As part of the experience, you'll sit down to a communal feast, enjoyed side by side with a table full of strangers — or new friends, depending how you look at it — at some of the strip's best-loved eateries. Persian restaurant Dark Blue plates up a parade of Irani favourites, Abyssina Ethiopian Restaurant promises to impress with its authentic coffee ceremony, and Pameer Afghan Restaurant and Bakery delivers signature Afghani dishes against a backdrop of classic Afghani art. Tickets are $59 and include both show and dinner.
Liveworks is returning in 2023 with an amplified program dubbed 'OF THE TIME'. Carriageworks has been the home of Liveworks since its inception in 2015 and this year it's back at the expansive venue with yet another line-up of free and ticketed ground-breaking new art and performance to discover from 19–29 October. Across ten days, Liveworks will feature more than 60 artists presenting live performances, dance, visual art, installation, screen events, conversation and music by influential artists including new works by Rainbow Chan 陳雋然, Brooke Stamp, Latai Taumoepeau and Rosanna Raymond. Liveworks 2023 will include a major blast to Performance Space's past in honour of this significant anniversary. The legendary cLUB bENT, the OG queer club night that had everyone talking from '95 to '98, is making a fierce comeback. Get ready for one night of unadulterated fun, a glorious celebration of the queer community, and a showcase of talents that'll blow your mind. The original stars are teaming up with fresh faces, all ready to bring down the house in a spectacular fusion of nostalgia and new beginnings. [caption id="attachment_915736" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Steve Sar, Liveworks. Credit: Joseph Meyers.[/caption] Other returning programs are reimagined for the present, such as Antistatic reborn as Antistatic Redux which features a suite of works – new and from the archives. Nighttime Righttime reimagines Nighttime with new and legendary work from iconic artists The Fondue Set, Post, Julie-Anne Long, Kaz Therese, Tei Kim Pok, Wart and Tina Havelock Stevens. Liveworks 2023 Opening Night on Thursday, October 19 is a free event that will feature a DJ set by Stereogamous as well as some nibbles and tipples. After the festivities, visitors can explore the rest of Carriageworks for the first round of Liveworks performances and installations. The full program for Liveworks will be announced in the coming weeks. The full program and artist lineup are available on the Performance Space website. Tickets go on sale on Thursday, August 31, at 12pm, AEDT. Top Image: The Bridal Lament by Rainbow Chan. Photograph by Capsule48.
The slam-dunkers in Sydney's arts, music, food and culture realms are about to get a shiny assembly award for their awesomeness — FBi Radio have announced their nominees for the 2015 SMAC Awards. Celebrating the top tier of Sydney Music Art and Culture (SMAC), the awards have been running since 2008 and have given ups to young whippersnappers like Flume, Seeake, The Preatures, Hermitude, artists Beastman and Tony Albert and more, who've obviously gone on to be bigwigs. This year, the SMACs have a new bunch of go-getters on the table, all vying for the shiny SMAC in January. Across 11 categories, Sydney artists, restaurants, bars, musicians, performers, event planners and producers have been handpicked by the FBi team and their industry mates. Public voting opens today (November 10) and runs until 5pm December 18. Winners will be announced at a schwanko ceremony on January 12, broadcast broadcast live on FBi 94.5FM — and remember, you can celebrate the history of the SMACs at the giant festival FBi are putting together for Sydney Festival on January 10. Enough chatskies, here's the nominees. FBi RADIO 2015 SMAC AWARD NOMINEES: RECORD OF THE YEAR Hermitude - Dark Night Sweet Light Little May - For The Company Sampa The Great - The Great Mixtape Royal Headache - High Tuka - Life Death Time Eternal Gang of Youths - The Positions NEXT BIG THING B Wise Gordi Sampa The Great Vallis Alps World Champion REMIX THE CITY Bankstown Live Lovebombs Motion Pictures Perfect Match Raising the Bar Sydney BEST ON STAGE The Battle of Waterloo - Sydney Theatre Company The Bleeding Tree - Griffin Theatre Nothing to Lose - Force Majeure The Wizard of Oz - Belvoir Tangi Wai - Performance Space BEST LIVE ACT – presented by Coopers Alex Cameron Flowertruck George Maple Jack Ladder and The Dreamlanders Royal Headache FBi CLICK BEST PRODUCER – presented by V MoVement Alba Cassius Select Corin Moonbase Commander Wave Racer BEST MUSIC EVENT FCX: 10 Years of Future Classic House of Mince Mates Repressed Records at Vivid LIVE Volumes 2015 BEST SONG – presented by APRA AMCOS Angie - Down For The Count Shining Bird - River Mouth Gordi - Taken Blame Cosmo’s Midnight ft Kucka - Walk With Me Big White - You Know I Love You BEST ARTS PROGRAM 48HR Incident Little Baghdad Marina Ambramovic: In Residence Underbelly Arts 2015 Yellamundie BEST ARTIST – presented by the Keir Foundation Abdul Abdullah Bhenji Ra Haines and Hinterding Latai Taumpoepeau Rosie Deacon BEST EATS – presented by Cake Wines ACME Andy Bowdy Pastry Automata Dead Ringer Scout’s Honour Vote at FBi Radio's website. Image: Andy Bowdy.
There's something special about escaping to the country for the weekend. We're talking fresh air, a slow pace and loads of delicious local produce to sample. This year, however, it's been a bit trickier to achieve the booze and food-fuelled weekend of our dreams. So if you, like us, are craving a weekend getaway, we've got just the thing to fill the mini break-shaped hole in your heart. This spring, the high country is coming to your home thanks to our pals at Reed & Co Distillery — a family-owned gin distillery based in the Victorian Alpine region town of Bright. Across two Thursdays in September, you and your mates could experience the interactive at-home gin tasting class High Spirits with head distiller and owner of Reed & Co Distillery, Hamish Nugent. Throughout the class, Nugent will guide you through a gin tasting session, teach you how to make the perfect gin and tonic and even take you on a virtual tour of where the magic happens in the distillery. Sound like something you want to sign up to? You can. Just make sure you register at least a week before the session date so the tasting kit will get to you in time. There's nothing sadder than a gin tasting session without gin. Inside the kit you'll find five 100ml spirits, 200ml of Fever-Tree tonic water, a gorgeous garnish pack, creative recipe cards and helpful tasting notes. High Spirits by Reed & Co Distillery will kick off at 7pm on Thursday, September 9 and Thursday, September 16. To get yourself all set for a big night in sampling gin and to book, visit the website.
As the weather gets chillier, one of the nicest night time options is to settle yourself in a cosy bar with some loved ones and simply relax over a glass of wine. Since Sydney's small bar revolution began, we've seen a wave of establishments open which are perfect for the once-maligned activities of chardonnay-sipping in intimate and relaxed surrounds. Now, not only do we have some of the loveliest wine bars around, but we also have a wealth of options. We've whittled down a list of what we think are the best places to grab a glass of wine in this fine city. From the most seasoned connoisseurs to first-time wine drinkers, there is something for everybody, and the onset of winter is the perfect time to get to know all of these cosy establishments. 1. Love, Tilly Devine Address: 91 Crown St, Darlinghurst The people at Love, Tilly Devine are excited about their wine, about the future of their neighbourhood, and about their food. The bar is tucked away in a Darlinghurst alley, with open windows and exposed brick walls, cosy and endlessly welcoming. Don't come to Love, Tilly Devine if you want to get drunk. There are other places to do that. The staff are happy to help out if you feel a bit befuddled by the seemingly limitless selection (the wine list currently sits at just under 300 varieties), and suggest the perfect seasonal food to accompany your drinks. For review and details click here 2. The Wine Library Address: 18 Oxford St, Woollahra Tucked in between the boutiques at the Woollahra end of Oxford Street, The Wine Library melds a high end bar at the front with a trim courtyard in the middle and nookish intimacy out the back. At 7pm you'd be hard pressed to swing a kitten - there's a queue that snakes out the door as locals and blow-ins from across the bridge cram in for their share of prosecco and a board of prosciutto. At lunch they get it just right. There's plenty of room to breathe and time to ponder the clipboarded menu which takes a jolly tour around some of the best of Europe. All of the food is matched up impeccably with the wine list, because after all that's what The Wine Library is all about. For review and details click here 3. 10 William Street Address: 10 William St, Paddington From the people that brought Sydney Fratelli Paradiso, 10 William Street sits inside a converted storefront in the most boutique of boutique shopping strips in Paddington. Given that Paddington has declined since its hey-day back in the '90s as Sydney's groundbreaking dining and drinking scene, 10 William Street is proof that there's still life in Paddington yet, and gives you a very welcome reason to pay a visit. Stripped back and simple, 10 William Street is blessedly free of pretention - there are white walls, naked lightbulbs, a wooden counter and a big chalkboard advertising the entire wine list. While the selection of drinks is vast enough to satisfy the most seasoned connoisseurs, those who feel at a loss when it comes to swilling and sniffing bouquets will also be at home in this comfortable bar. For review and details click here 4. 121Bc Address: 4/50 Holt St, Surry Hills (enter via Gladstone St) With a focus on regional Italian flavours, 121BC's wine list changes monthly, and is complemented by the menu of fresh, seasonal food which is uniformly delicious. If you have trouble picking precisely what it is you want to drink from the prolific wine list, the staff are enthusiastic, knowledgeable and happy to help you out and explain the ins and outs of your drink like an over-zealous chemistry teacher. The long bar around which stools are clustered makes the most of the slick, narrow inner-city space, seating about twenty five people in the sultry, intimate room. The seating arrangement means 121BC works best if there's just the two of you, as you'll be seated beside one another at optimum footsy-playing distance. For review and details click here 5. Timbah Address: 375 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe For a relaxed atmosphere, a guy on the piano in the corner, and a feeling of being very sophisticated for a Sunday afternoon without having to hoof it to the Eastern Suburbs, Timbah is well worth visiting Timbah has introduced an interesting new concept. The first six people to order wine on any night choose the six bottles that will be served by the glass for that night, taking that horrible 'oh dear which wine shall I choose' feeling out of the equation. When those six run out, another lot are chosen. For review and details click here 6. Shop & Wine Bar Address: 78 Curlewis St, Bondi Beach A cafe by day, the Shop & Wine Bar transforms Cinderella-style into one of the best wine bars in town come sundown. The Shop & Wine Bar has nailed the kind of relaxed, Melbourne-esque local wine bar schtick to the ground. Catering to the people of Bondi since 2004, The Shop & Wine Bar is one of the best places to go to if you want a cool, casual place to simply chill with a glass of wine and a few close friends. The wine is the focus here, with a good but carefully curated selection hovering around the $30 mark, mostly sold by the bottle rather than by the glass. You can also get the odd sharing plate if you want something to line your stomach with. For review and details click here 7. Bentley Bar Address: 320 Crown St, Surry Hills While Bentley is an award-winning restaurant, nothing stops you from stopping in just to experience their extraordinary wine bar. With a makeover from Melbourne architect Pascale Gomes-McNabb, the space has been transformed in recent years from the seedy pub of the '90s to a chic, understated dining and drinking space. The Bentley has one of the most comprehensive wine lists in Australia, with over 600 local and overseas bottles on their ever-evolving wine list, curated by award-winning sommelier and Bentley co-owner Nick Hildebrandt. For review and details click here 8. Berkelouw Wine Bar Address: Level 1, 70 Norton St, Leichhardt Wine has to feature pretty heavily on everyone’s winter craving list, when a cosy chair and a glass of red seem to be all that can shake the winter blues. So if you want all that, and to be surrounded by the comforting smell of bound paper, Norton Street’s Berkelouw Wine Bar is your place. Not for the rollicking weekend crowds that inhabit other pubs nearby, this is more the place you could visit for an afternoon aperitif after browsing through the bookstore below. It turns out the grand piano taking pride of place in the centre of the room isn't just for show. Small ensembles, pianists and singers will croon away your troubles as you sit looking down on to busy Norton Street below. For review and details click here 9. Vini Address: 3/118 Devonshire St, Surry Hills If you’ve ever wanted to travel to Italy for the food but haven’t had the chance, Vini brings an authentic taste of regional Italy direct to Sydney. Yet Vini is not just a place for foodies. As the name suggests, wine lovers are well catered for. After a few glasses, however, you might find your memory of the meal becomes a little hazy. The intimate, cosy atmosphere of Vini makes you feel as if you're dropping into your local. With consistently good service and food that satisfies all your senses, a wait in the pub is well worthwhile. For review and details click here 10. The Passage Address: 231a Victoria St, Darlinghurst There's something a little ol' timey about The Passage. It's intimate without being cute, antique without being themed. This long, slim space - decked out with brown leather, marble tables, and crisp black and white artworks by local designers Babëkuhl - is a truly unique offering on the Sydney scene. While their tailor made cocktail menu shines in and of itself, The Passage has an enviable hand picked wine list which alone is worth the visit. Serving mostly by the bottle, their small and curated wine list is predominantly Australian and offers several biodynamic and organic options alongside the more traditional choices. For review and details click here
The seventh season of Brooklyn Nine-Nine is currently dropping new episodes weekly via SBS Viceland and SBS On Demand — which means you're either eagerly catching each fresh instalment every Friday, or you've got some catch-up binging to do. Either way, if you've been watching and rewatching the hit cop sitcom since it first premiered back in 2013, then you also have something else to pop in your calendar: Isolation Trivia's upcoming B99-themed online quiz evening. How long did Charles Boyle spend dreaming of Jake Peralta and Amy Santiago's wedding? What did Rosa Diaz do before she was a cop? Who keeps swooping in and taking the Nine-Nine crew's cases? Which one is Scully and which is Hitchcock? And which one of the latter duo has a twin? If you can answer all of the above — and name Captain Holt's dog, Terry's kids, Gina's dance troupe and Jake's favourite movie — then you're set for this trivia night. And, because these fictional TV cops wouldn't want you breaking Australia's current social-distancing guidelines, it's all taking place virtually. Live-streaming from 6.30pm AEST (7.30pm AEDT) on Thursday, April 2, this online trivia contest is completely devoted to the show that was cancelled and then resurrected in the space of 36 hours, then was renewed for an eighth season before its seventh one even aired, and features more Die Hard references than you'd think possible in one sitcom. We'd keep asking Brooklyn Nine-Nine questions and dropping tidbits, but we'll save some for the big night. If you're as keen to take part as Terry is about a tub of yoghurt, you just need to head to the Isolation Trivia Facebook page, click 'get reminder' and clear out your Thursday night. That'll be your time to shine (and that can also be the title of your sex tape if you'd like). Images: SBS
A spooky murder mystery is one thing, but take it to the high seas, make it interactive and you've got a whole new level of bone-chilling fun. So, we're betting you'll want some pretty strong nerves to tackle the Australian National Maritime Museum's upcoming Murder Mystery at Sea experience. Launching Friday, January 18 for a limited six-date run, this one's an immersive 'whodunnit' adventure, unfolding creepily aboard the aptly named Navy Destroyer HMAS Vampire. At night. Audiences will find themselves transported back to the Cold War era, somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, deciphering spooky SOS messages and cracking a series of clues to solve the mysterious murder of their ship's crew and captain. Thankfully, everyone gets a welcome drink on arrival to help calm those frazzled nerves.
Melbourne is back in lockdown, so Melbourne's Sea Life Aquarium is back live-streaming playtime and feeding time with some of its cutest and scariest sea critters. At 5pm AEST on Friday, June 4, you can get up close and personal with the gentoo and king penguins as they slide around their icy home and gobble many fish. From there, the streams will return daily at the same time, running until Friday, June 11. Also on the bill: sneaking a peek at the aquarium's swarms of jellyfish, so you can learn the ins and outs of their luminous lives. As for which other critters will turn up, being surprised each day is part of the fun. To tune in, head head to Sea Life Melbourne's Facebook page. And, because this isn't the aquarium's only dive into digital content, you can also check out soothing watery sights aplenty via its mindfulness and slow TV hub.
UPDATE, April 9, 2021: Ready or Not is available to stream via Disney+, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. "In-laws". It's such an ordinary, everyday term, and yet it's usually uttered with such exasperation. Embodying the flipside of deciding to spend your life with someone, it's a reminder that even the happiest of romances always come with considerable baggage. It also sums up Ready or Not perfectly. At its most basic, this twisty and gory horror flick rests on one simple idea: having in-laws is hell. Of course, there's the minor annoyance that arises when your parents-in-law have too many opinions, or your siblings-in-law are obnoxious, or your uncle-in-law gets embarrassingly drunk at Christmas — and then there's discovering that your new family is plotting to kill you on your wedding night. First seen dressed for her big day, smoking a cigarette and pondering taking the plunge, Grace (Samara Weaving) is initially worried that her soon-to-be husband's family won't accept her. Alex Le Domas (Mark O'Brien) been estranged from his parents for years, but the couple is getting married on their sprawling estate anyway — it's tradition — and unease lingers in the air. While matriarch Becky (Andie MacDowell) is welcoming, she's more concerned about bringing Alex back into the fold. Grace's new brother-in-law Daniel (Adam Brody) seems like he's joking when he says she doesn't belong; however his tone has a clear edge. Other relatives, such as Alex's dad Tony (Henry Czerny), are barely polite. As for eccentric Aunt Helene (Nicky Guadagni), her permanent scowl says everything. So far, so standard. That's how tales of regular folks marrying into obscenely rich dynasties often go. But, as an ex-foster kid who's never had much of a family, Grace is determined to win over the Le Domas brood. Accordingly, when she's told they all have to play a game at midnight, she goes along with it. The family made their money in board games, so it's another tradition. It's not what most couples do after they've just gotten hitched, but there are worse ways to spend an evening than playing hide and seek in a lavish mansion — unless weapons, murder and devilish secrets are involved. Arrows start flying, guns keep firing and avoiding the dumbwaiter is plain common sense, with Grace forced to battle for her life while still wearing her wedding dress. Working with a witty script by Guy Busick (Stan Against Evil) and Ryan Murphy, directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (Devil's Due) ramp up the chaos and layer in plenty of commentary — and, yes, Ready or Not has much to say. As steeped as the movie is in oh-so-relatable family stresses, it also finds a wealth of subversive and perceptive material in gender roles and class warfare. When Grace's willingness to please and desire to belong sees her treated like prey, the film revels in her transformation from eager and accommodating to plucky and fearsome. And while there's no missing the many digs at the well-off, privileged and entitled, they're no less astute or accurate just because they're obvious. The result: a horror-comedy with bumps, jumps, laughs and vicious satire all in one gleefully manic slash 'n' stalk package. The concept of hunting humans is hardly new (see: The Most Dangerous Game, Turkey Shoot, Series 7 and Bacurau), and neither are family dysfunction nor just-married jitters (see: too many pictures to mention), but it makes a smart and amusing combination. Ready or Not's setting helps immensely, with the film trading on the mystery and intrigue that bubbles in all whodunnits and horror flicks in a stately home — and making ample use of secret corridors and endless rooms as well. Also assisting nicely is the playful You're Next-style vibe and Heathers-esque attitude; if can't have some ferocious fun with this premise, when can you? While Ready or Not holds nearly a full deck of winning cards, two other elements stand out. As the cast flings axes and slings snappy dialogue, Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett always ensure that Grace's actions and choices feel realistic, rather than convenient, exaggerated or implausible; she's trying to fight, flee and survive, after all, and the situation is over-the-top enough as it is. Led by Australian talent Weaving, the film's cast is also excellent in general. MacDowell rarely dallies with her dark side, and she's a delight to watch in villainous mode. Brody, when he toys with his usual nice-guy image, is in sparkling form too. Naturally, though, Ready or Not belongs to its fierce bride and the actor behind her. After working her way from Home and Away to Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri to this, Weaving is a formidable and engaging presence — and, as this savagely entertaining flick demands, she's also one hell of a horror movie hero. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtYTwUxhAoI
UPDATE, March 19, 2021: Assassins is available to stream via Docplay. If a Hollywood screenwriter had cooked up the story at the centre of Assassins, they would've been told that it's too far-fetched. The plot likely wouldn't have even made it into the many direct-to-streaming action flicks that wear their over-the-top narratives as a badge of honour, and probably only would've reached screens in an Armando Iannucci-style satire. Indeed, this is the type of tale that can only be true. Not that the world needs any additional reminders, but it's yet more proof that real life really is far stranger than fiction. And, while this exceptional documentary from filmmaker Ryan White (The Keepers) won't be the only movie to bring the story to the big screen — dramatised versions are guaranteed to follow, and other flicks are certain to mine its minutiae as well — it'll always remain one of the best. On February 13, 2017, at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, a man was assassinated in broad daylight. While standing by the self check-in kiosks at around 9am, he was approached from behind by two women. After they each rubbed their hands across his face, he was dead within the hour. For a plethora of reasons, the attack garnered global news headlines. Such a brazen murder, carried out not only in public but also in full view of the Malaysian airport's security cameras, was always going to receive worldwide attention. The use of extremely deadly chemical weapon VX obviously demanded scrutiny — and so did the fact that the victim was Kim Jong-nam, the estranged elder half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. But, despite the onslaught of newsprint, pixels and airtime devoted to the incident when it happened, the full details behind it took time to unfurl. As Assassins explores, those facts are fascinating, gripping and distressing in equal measure. Across 104 minutes, White asks the question that was on everyone's lips four years ago: why? That query has many layers. It starts with wondering why two women in their 20s — one from Indonesia, the other from Vietnam — with no clear political affiliations would kill an exiled North Korean who was once expected to lead his nation. From there, it expands to contemplate why Malaysian law enforcement officers and prosecutors were so content to believe that culprits Siti Aisyah and Doan Thi Huong acted without any involvement from North Korea, and why a number of the latter country's citizens were interviewed, but then released and allowed to return home without facing any legal repercussions. Aisyah and Huong certainly weren't afforded the same treatment. Charged with Kim Jong-nam's murder, they were put through a long trial, and faced the death penalty if convicted. The pair, who didn't know each other beforehand, pled their innocence from the outset. Both women were adamant that they had each been hired to make prank videos for a YouTube show and, as far as they knew, their efforts in Kuala Lumpur were part of their latest production. For those who haven't followed the case in the media, Assassins meticulously steps through the ins and outs. Even if you are familiar with the specifics, the film provides an exhaustive summary. Via interviews with Aisyah and Huong's attorneys shot as the trial was unfolding, it offers an evolving perspective on the two women's situation. For additional detail, it checks in with local Bloomberg reporter Hadi Azmi as he's covering the case. In chats that look back rather than happened as the legal proceedings occurred, it gets the Washington Post's former Beijing bureau chief Anna Fifield to fill in the gaps, including about North Korea's political history, how Kim Jong-nam came to be the black sheep of his family and the hopes some had that he could one day be installed as an alternate leader. Assassins also features discussions with Aisyah and Huong's friends and families, the prank show clips that were central to the duo's defence and audio from their time in court. Returning again and again to CCTV footage of the attack, it turns two well-worn true-crime doco staples — security vision and animated re-enactments — into must-see viewing. From its opening moments, the documentary couldn't be more methodical; however, its tone is just as important as its wealth of material. Assassins tells an unmistakably and inescapably wild tale. As the film works through the attack and its aftermath, White knows that he's in prime thriller territory, too. But, even though this story has more genuine twists, turns and conspiracies than the best works of fiction, it's compiled in an edge-of-the-seat yet never sensationalistic fashion. That's essential not only to accurately survey all the relevant details, but to treat Aisyah and Huong with empathy — and, as the movie explains, no other approach would be suitable. In fact, as remarkable a job as Assassins does in examining the incident in its spotlight, it's even more exceptional at showing how disturbingly easy it was to lay the blame upon a single mother and a cocktail waitress. Accordingly, what starts as a jaw-dropping murder tale becomes a globe-hopping account of exploitation, manipulation and gaslighting — and an equally chilling and infuriating one in the process. Assassins doesn't shout its sense of outrage, but the film is both thorough and incensed, as it needs to be. Given the troubling overall picture that it convincingly paints, nothing else would've sufficed. After all, this is a documentary about a world where a country's agents might've gotten away with murder, all because too many people were willing to buy a flimsy cover story that pointed the finger at two vulnerable women. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNkmnVd9wHM
At the heart of any great gig is the feeling that you're "in the moment". Generally this is not a feeling that can be replicated by sitting in front of a screen watching an event that has already transpired, but Don't Think is not your average music video. Shot in 2011 at the Fuji Rock Festival in Japan, where British electronica legends The Chemical Brothers played a headline set in front of 50,000 fans, Don't Think aims to capture the experience in an unconventional manner. Here that means some clowns, some exploding teapots, some dancers in bolt hats and a frenetic barrage of sound, film and light, all caught on 21 cameras by the band's long-time collaborator Adam Smith. Replicating the delirium of a live gig through film actually makes perfect sense for these Superstar DJs, famous for their audiovisual shows and for pioneering a style of music (later termed "big beat") that avoided losing energy as it moved from the dance floor to the radio. The Chemical Brothers unique fusion of dance, rock and rap fosters not so much collections of songs but transformative journeys, uniting a multifarious legion of fans bearing anything from Ecstasy pills to blinged out knuckle dusters. Join them on Wednesday for an exclusive digital screening, plus the rare chance to chat with Smith. https://youtube.com/watch?v=21UItm9UCr0
“Lecture” must be one of dullest words ever. It’s worse than words like “turgid” or “ullage”, which, though they also sound like giant pendulums moving in slow motion, don’t make you think of falling asleep on your desk at uni or getting reprimanded for drawing Crayola dinosaurs on your bedroom walls. The word “performance lecture”, however, sounds very interesting indeed. In 2012, Serial Space will present a rolling series of these unique orations to explore the relationship between the structure and the guts of a lecture, how the performer assumes authority and what the audience takes away from it. First off the bat will be Nick Key’s Becoming Otherwise Occupied, going down in Martin Place where him and his mates were occupied by a bottle of whisky only a few months earlier. Art collective Soda Jerk's The Carousel is next in line, with other topics ranging from capitalism and the ghosts of cinema to giant earthworms, Facebook robots and the Garden of Eden. Keep a close eye on the line-up, because if you miss one due to a hangover, they won’t be posted online for you to download later and deface with highlighters. Image by Max Braun.
Big, brash, boozy, beautiful — Sydney is many things, but it’s mainly its beauty that the Damien Minton Gallery is seeking to highlight in Five Bells. Using a passage from Kenneth Slessor's poem of the same name as a starting reference, this group exhibition hopes to raise discussion by visually exploring the elements that make up our harbour city. Along with the photos, sketches and paintings there will be a range of readings and talks given by prominent local authors. To Gail Jones Sydney is a brilliant summer’s day around the on the iconic tourist hub of Circular Quay, which provides the introduction to her character-driven meditation on the city Five Bells. To Martin Edmond (Dark Night: Walking with McCahon) it’s the starting point of artist Colin McMahon’s mysterious midnight pilgrimage through the Sydney Botanic Gardens, and to Fiona McGregor the contrast between the affluent suburb of Mossman and a gritty Kings Cross tattoo parlour. Whether it's blooming jacarandas or Oxford Street eccentrics, you'll rediscover something to add your own impressions of the city.
This year, one of the biggest events on the Sydney calendar is a joint birthday party for an 18-year-old and a 40-year-old. Homebake has announced their 2013 lineup, and while there's plenty of bands to get excited about, the biggest changes are to the festival itself: to celebrate their 18th birthday, the festival's been expanded to three days instead of one, and the location's moved from The Domain to the forecourt of the Opera House, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary around the same time. As usual, the lineup celebrates the best of Australian music, both past and present. The 2013 lineup includes The Presets, Paul Kelly, Eskimo Joe, Beasts of Bourbon, Gurrumul, Architecture in Helsinki, Birds of Tokyo, Bernard Fanning and The Rubens. Tickets go on sale at 9am Wednesday, 26 September (so prepare to set your alarm for 8.50am and press F5 repeatedly until you see that 'Buy Tickets' link), and they're expected to go fast. While the smaller space will definitely make for a more intimate festival experience, it does mean that tickets for each day will be strictly limited due to capacity. You can check out the full lineup here.
Beware, child. Beyond the village walls lies the Forest of the Strange. Its weaving paths pass tree roots and the shadows sing queer tunes, the whispers of which will bewitch the ordinary and whisk poor fools away. This is the eternal home of the Bohemian Masquerade Ball. In a society saturated with spectacle, to the point where we have no option but to be a voyeur everyday, the fey children of the BMB offer a vision with some soul. Blending burlesque, gypsy, circus, jazz and trip-hop — amongst many other varied forms — the mad travellers from Bohemia bring disparate cultures together to find a unity in the moment of performance. Now touring in its third year, the BMB is more than a sumptuous excuse to revel in debauchery; it is a lifestyle choice. The members of the company embrace certain practices, from environmental sustainability to a fervent humanism buoyed by a quest for the spiritual. Any guest to their Ball, therefore, will have the opportunity to step beyond the everyday and into the in-between, the place of dreams and memories from before the womb. Wear a mask. Become someone else. Dance to great music. Make love with every sense. And then bring a slice of the bizarre back to your village, to cherish forevermore. Video by Being Films. https://youtube.com/watch?v=rYz570m2o_Q
Something you've probably figured out about us at Concrete Playground is that we love to eat. And, when it comes to Sydney Lunar Festival, we really are spoilt for choice when it comes to incredible dining options. If you're feeling overwhelmed by the seemingly endless excellent options for eating and drinking around town, we're here to help. Loads of restaurants and bars will serving up special Lunar New Year-themed dishes and drinks to ring in the upcoming Year of the Tiger. So, to make things easier for you, we've scoured many menus to bring you our top picks. Thankfully, the festival runs from Friday, January 29–Sunday, February 13, so you've got plenty of time to eat your way through this list.
Watch this video. A young woman is walking through a park, purposefully. Slowing down, she sees a white note tagged on a sandstone monument. She pauses to detach the card, and peers down carefully at it. Her back slumps a little, she laughs to herself. She turns around suddenly, looking for the prankster responsible for the card. She continues turning then strides toward a man sitting on a bench nearby and introduces herself as Batman. Had she picked up a different card, she might have spoken in a robot voice or started the conversation with a line from a movie. It's the old game of Truth or Dare. The new incarnation started in New York City as a way to break down the barriers between people in public places. Those opting for the 'truth' side of the card these days tweet their responses using the appropriate hashtag. Now Truth or Dare is coming to Sydney, holding its first game at Jurassic Lounge, the nights that transform the Australian Museum into a grown-up playground of live music, drinks, games, comedy and performance. It's a great concept and an experiment in courage and goofiness. Here's hoping enough people have the guts to hug a stranger or quack loudly for 10 seconds or work the lyrics of Rick Astley's 'Never Gonna Give You Up' into their next conversation.
Second-hand shopping can be a total pain in the glutes sometimes, especially if you’re searching for designer gold. It’s a process – you have to size up the kilometres of clothing racks or, if you’re not so lucky, dive into mountains of material, 99.99% of which is overpriced crapola. It makes finding that rusted, falling apart Yves Saint Laurent belt buckle feel like the biggest triumph in the world, but hey - it’s going to fall apart within a couple of hours, which is only half the time it took you to find it in the first place. Wow, I’m bitter. But really, is there no hope…? Wait, what? There is light at the end of the tunnel? Yes, there is hope/light, and it comes in the form of The Diva’s Wardrobe. It’s a genius concept really – a one-day sale where ALL of the clothing, shoes and accessories on sale are sourced by Brisbane’s top fashion insiders – this means stylists, boutique owners and the like will be pelting their vintage and designer wares on the day. Actual vintage, actual designer! There’s an entry fee, but I think ten bucks is a light price to pay for a day of shopping that doesn’t involve you getting in a fight with the clothing rack.
If you haven't heard, Manly's Wharf Bar got a fresh facelift just in time for summer. Better yet, in January it's joined forces with seltzer giant White Claw for a lineup of events packed with live music and the go-to drink of summer. You deserve a bit of VIP treatment after the past year, so we've got a plan for you. We're inviting you and five mates to the White Claw Weekend x Manly Wharf Bar party on Sunday, January 30. For starters, you'll make your way to the event in style. A 28-foot Italian-style timber charter boat will pick your crew up at Circular Quay for a two-hour cruise around the harbour, before dropping you to the Wharf Bar's front door. On board, you can expect a luxe vibe with cosy cushions, a White Claw-themed playlist, a cheese platter and buckets of White Claw. Once you arrive at Wharf Bar, the afternoon will be soundtracked by local electronic music producer Poolclvb, who'll be playing silky beats as you kick back by the water. We'll cover the cost of a water taxi back to Circular Quay once the shindig things wrap up at Wharf Bar, too. Keen to kick it with your crew this summer? Enter details below to go in the running. [competition]836848[/competition] Top image: Katje Ford
