Yes, it's winter and, yes, it's cold, but Sydney has so much to offer that the cooler weather is not an excuse to hibernate. To coax you off the couch, the harbour city's new seasonal program, Sydney Solstice, is bringing a stacked lineup of food- and art-filled events across the CBD, Darling Harbour, Oxford Street, Newtown and beyond. And, if you love listening to music IRL, you'll be pleased to know that Sydney Solstice's music program is massive, too. In partnership with NSW Government via Destination NSW, we've cherry-picked some of the finest gigs from our world-class music industry that you won't want to miss — from dazzling audio-visual experiences to gay anthem-fuelled raves. So, bust out your dancing shoes (and your warmest coat), it's time to hit the pavement.
Both a store and a gallery space, Somedays brings together an array of talented designers and artists. With a serious nod to the Nordic, the second storey retail space stocks a wide mix of labels such as Handsom, Dr Denim, The Horse and Carly Hunter. No matter how many times you've been there, we guarantee you will be startled by the entrance frog that croaks on your arrival.
Sydney's annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras festival is back for 2020, and it's bigger and more glamorous than ever — with even more glitter, too. The program is so jam-packed that it's hard to know where to start, especially if you're trying to do it all on a budget. Fear not, there are heaps of free events happening across the city, and that isn't counting the legendary parade on Saturday, February 29. Here are our picks for the top seven free Mardi Gras events to check out this month — think live gigs at dusk, queer-focused art exhibitions and all-night raves. BROADWAY SYDNEY'S MARDI GRAS FESTIVITIES This year, Broadway Shopping Centre is putting on heaps of free events, installations and specials to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community. Throughout the next few weeks, you can expect 'Bingay' bingo nights, with prizes like Sephora beauty hauls and vouchers from Hoyts, Kmart, Broadway Sydney and more, plus iconic 'mega-drag' performances by the likes of Hannah Conda, Minnie Cooper, Decoda Secret and Tora Hymen. There will also be two nights dedicated to Broadway-inspired show tunes on February 19 and 26. It'll all culminate on parade day — Saturday, February 29 — with a big ol' DJ bash and roaming 'queens'. While you're here, check out the rainbow travellator and don't miss the massive 20-metre streamer and disco ball installation hanging from the ceiling. To check out the entire program and events happening, head here. MARDI GRAS COURTYARD SESSIONS A lineup of free gigs is also on offer at The Seymour Centre. Its courtyard sessions are a regular facet of Sydney Mardi Gras and a favourite among inner west locals. The performances will take place at dusk across the weekend of February 21–23 and again on February 28, with a high energy program of LGBTQIA+ artists taking the stage — those include Queer Trailblazers featuring Gussy, Moonsign and MEER; Queer As Fvck featuring Gaia Rising, Lauren Neko and DJ Scruffamudda; and Not Just Grrrls by Sad Grrrls Club. There'll be an outdoor bar with ice-cold drinks and vintage games to enjoy with these performances, too. And it's all dog-friendly. To check out the full schedule and details on each act, head here. [caption id="attachment_761650" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jamie James[/caption] KOORI KICK ON CLUB NIGHT The Seymour Centre is hosting quite a few parties for Mardi Gras, and many of them are free. Celebrating the queer First Nations community is the Koori Kick On Club Night, which is happening on Saturday, February 22. It's kicking off from 10pm and going till the wee hours. It's the official afterparty for the Sissy Ball (at Enmore Theatre) and will see both established and emerging performers take the stage. DJs Wiradjuri Platinum Mixerz, Dyan Tai and curator Felicia Foxx will keep you dancing all night. And it's all absolutely free with no booking necessary. [caption id="attachment_758453" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jeffrey Feng[/caption] AGNSW: QUEER ART AFTER HOURS Another staple in the Mardi Gras lineup, AGNSW's Queer Art After Hours is an annual celebration of the LGBTQIA+ art community — and is now in its fourth year. The powerful presentation of art and culture follows this year's festival theme, 'What Matters', and includes performances, music, talks and installations. This year, you can delve into 20 years' worth of the gallery's film program with showings of queer shorts, and explore the archives of queer art history. Interactive workshops, tours and pop-up bars are on the docket, too. The full program will be announced soon, so keep an eye on the website. OXTRAVAGANZA Oxtravaganza also returns to Darlinghurst for its fourth installation this Mardi Gras on Saturday, February 22. The massive event brings together over 100 local businesses, which each put on its own curated lineup of cabaret, DJs, outdoor music and exhibitions, plus food and drink deals and retail promotions. Don't miss the Glittering Mile exhibition, which includes historical posters and photos of Oxford Street during Mardi Gras in the 70s and 80s. And, this year, the venues will be collecting for the charity partner, ACON — the state's leading HIV and gender diverse health organisation — so you can have fun and do some good at the same time. MISPLACED AND DANGLING EUPHEMISMS The inner west suburb of Camperdown is getting in on the action this year, too, thanks to Artsite Galleries and its presentation of the exhibition Misplaced and Dangling Euphemisms, which is on show until Sunday, March 1. The display is themed around euphemisms and visual linguistics and the way these inform rhetoric, politics, stigma and change. Artists on display include locals Jamie Cole — his artworks are titled State of Stigma (series 2020) and Men I've undressed (series 2019) — and Murat Urlali, who embraces kitsch and camp and draws on ancient Persian enamel techniques. The exhibition is open every Thursday to Sunday from 11am–5pm and is a must-see this Mardi Gras. [caption id="attachment_698938" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kitti Gould[/caption] THE TOXTETH MARDI GRAS TRIVIA Glebe stalwart The Toxteth loves to champion the LGBTQIA+ community, too, and this year that includes a special trivia night on Monday, February 24. It'll be themed around historic queer icons, from Judy Garland to Lady Gaga, and will put your knowledge to the test. It starts at 7pm and will feature heaps of prizes, plus food and drink specials — with $15 steak frites, $5 house drinks (between 4–6pm) and $15 jugs of Young Henrys Newtowner all night long. Make sure to book over here and secure a table for you and your mates now. Round up your mates and head to Broadway Sydney for dinner and a free show. Plus, if you're a student and attend a show, you can nab a $10 voucher to Broadway Sydney. Head here for more details.
When you're celebrating Korean cinema for three months, as the Art Gallery of New South Wales is from July–October, how many Bong Joon-ho movies do you program? Every film curator would love to show every title that the Oscar-winning director has made, but that'd only showcase a fraction of the stunning flicks that the nation has gifted viewers. So, at Flowers in Hell: A Korean Cinema Retrospective, three of Bong's works have made the cut: Parasite, of course, alongside 2003's exceptional murder-mystery Memories of Murder and 2009's maternal portrait Mother. Because this film season is unfurling its wares in chronological order, Bong's trio of inclusions come at the end. Before then, as the showcase runs from Wednesday, July 19–Sunday, October 22, awaits a treasure trove of standout films. Movies from seven-plus decades of cinema are on the lineup, with more than 20 getting a-flickering — each one free to attend. 1949's A Hometown in Heart kicks off the program, giving audiences a rare glimpse of a surviving film from the era. Next comes 1958's The Flower in Hell, starring Choi Eun-hee and directed by her husband Shin Sang-ok. When the lineup hits the 60s, don't miss lusty thriller The Housemaid — it's a masterpiece in its own right, and also influenced Parasite. Other must-sees include Lee Chang-dong's Peppermint Candy from 1999, decades before recent hit Burning; two Hong Sang-soo titles, with the prolific filmmaker's In Another Country and Claire's Camera both starring incomparable French actor Isabelle Huppert (EO); and a Park Chan-wook triple. If you haven't seen the Decision to Leave director's Sympathy for Mr Vengeance, Oldboy and Lady Vengeance, aka The Vengeance Trilogy, on a big screen, this is your hammer-swinging chance. Films screen at 2pm on Wednesdays and Sundays, and also at 7.15pm on Wednesday evenings — and some have multiple sessions, while others only pop up once.
Within an hour of walking around Bondi: you'll notice that residents (and wannabe residents) have a few things in common. First, they're uncannily fit. Second, they're clothed like they just stepped off a catwalk. Third, their hair screams I-just-got-out-of-bed-took-a-quick-dip-in-the-surf-oh-and-what-do-you-know-my-locks-are-now-perfectly-tousled. What you might be missing is that these effortlessly elegant beach-haired peeps probably stopped by Hair Cartel. As one of Bondi's hippest hair salons, this place has the Bondi blow-wave mastered. By that we mean, they know how to make your hair look like you've just stepped out of the surf — even if you arrived on the morning train from Dubbo. Along with this mystical ability, they also take a good deal of care with treating each and every client like an individual. Expect to meet smart, friendly stylists who'll put you at ease while turning you into a model. Brand new clients score a 20% discount and there's a bunch of products in stock from L’Oreal Professionnel and Mr Smith.
Where will you get your scares and candy this Halloween week? Here are some of Sydney's bloody best happenings. Karnevil It might not technically be on October 31, but that just means you don't have to worry about being hungover at work the next day, right? This October 26, the Big Top at Luna Park will be transformed into a haunted house. Well, a haunted house with live music and circus acts roaming around. There'll be DJ sets by Bombs Away, Nina Las Vegas and What So Not. Ego are also set for a multisensory, audiovisual Halloween-themed performance/DJ set. There's prizes for the best dressed and most terrifying, and the ticket price also gets you free rides from 6-8pm. Jesse Willesee's Haunted Hotel Why didn't the skeleton cross the road? He didn't have the guts! If jokes like that make you laugh instead of cringe, then Jesse Willesee's Haunted Hotel has got you covered this October 31. The man behind interactive photo shoot 700 Photos at Darlo Bar is back with a brand-new interactive project. This Halloween, he's turning all five levels of the Kings Cross Hotel into an 'American-style' haunted house, complete with live photo shoots, art installations and even Halloween Joke Booths, where you can sit down and be told bad Halloween jokes all night. There's plenty on offer for music lovers as well, with performances from Teenage Mothers, Black Zeroes, Bang! Bang! Rock N Roll andK ill City Creeps, as well as the Handgames Mixtape Launch at FBI Social. Lady Killers at The Standard The only thing scary about these female-fronted bands is how scary awesome they are. This year, The Standard is celebrating Halloween with four of the best rock acts the Sydney music scene has to offer, with She Rex, The Fabergettes, The Dark Hawks and Lily So each bringing their own unique sounds to the event. The Preatures at Newtown Hotel Halloween isn't the only thing the Newtown Hotel's got to celebrate this year — it's also their first birthday. To celebrate, they've got gospel soul rockers The Preatures on board, with Tokyo Denmark Sweden as support, for a free Halloween/birthday party, with free Bulmers and Carlton Draught from 6.30pm. With free music and free beer cider, this event's bound to reach capacity pretty quick, so we suggest getting in early. El Loco Day of the Dead Party Want to keep your Halloween festivities running a little way past the 31st? Thanks to our Mexican amigos at El Loco you can — with the annual Del Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) festivities going down on November 2. With free face painting and DJs playing all night long, this traditional Day of the Dead celebration looks even bigger and better then previous years. There's free entry all evening and $5 drinks from 5-7pm, while the kitchen stays open till 3am (late-night tacos whattup!). Prizes will also be awarded for best dressed, judged by special guest, local artist Skullavera. Dendy Cinemas Halloween Feeling like you might want to avoid those adorable (*cough* annoying) trick-or-treaters knocking on your door on Halloween eve? Dendy Cinemas have got you covered. Join them for an evening of classic horror flicks, as they screen Army of Darkness and The Evil Dead at the Dendy Newtown. With special screenings also available in the comfort of the Dendy Lounge, this is the cultural alternative to Halloween; still with just the right amount of fear. See the Dendy website for session times and tickets. Frankie's Pizza High Carb Halloween Ain't no party like a Frankie's party. Seriously though, these dudes know how to get down. And with the excuse of All Hallows Eve on the cards, Frankie's team Anton Forte and Jason Scott were not going to pass up an opportunity to get freaky. Frankie's High Carb Halloween Party comes to you on October 31 in the first of what is sure to become an annual event of haunting proportions. With music from Massive (coming especially from Melbourne for the event), Twin Beats and DJ Dedderz — along with Frankie’s World Famous (and extremely severed) House Band — this is set to be one bloody good evening. Dress up, have a frozen margarita (or several) and of course, eat pizza. Bands are on from 9pm and entry is free! Jurassic Lounge: Halloween Calling Sydney’s grooviest guys, gals and goulz. The coolest weekly party for freaks and geeks may be coming to a close within the next month, but that is no reason for Jurassic Lounge to chicken out on some pretty epic Halloween celebrations. Jurassic Lounge: Halloween may be a couple of days premature, but it will be a no less scary night. Feel like getting spooky a couple of days early? Or perhaps hoping to road test your costume before the big day? Here's your chance to freak out in the creepy cave, turn plastic milk containers into spooky lanterns with Reverse Garbage, take part in a (witch)craft workshop or get your fortune told by Diana Calleja. Fun Machine will bring the party with their alternative pop tunes, and DJ Dusty Fingers is on the decks for the silent disco. The second last Jurassic Lounge before it becomes extinct; this is the Halloween shindig not to be missed. Head here for tickets. Live Fast Die Young at the Soda Factory James Dean once said: "Live fast, die young. And leave a beautiful corpse." And The Soda Factory wholeheartedly agrees, embracing the spirit of All Hallows Eve and putting on the party to end all parties. Gear up for trick-or-treats on arrival, apple-bobbing competitions, candied-beers/cocktails and The Uppercut Deluxe Pop-Up Barbershop, all for one night only. However, most notable will be the star-studded line-up for the evening: performers resurrected for your Halloween listening pleasure. Expect 'live' beats from the likes of James Brown, Nirvana and Marvin Gaye — the evening later culminating into a headline set from, yep, Michael Jackson. Oh and there's also a $200 bar tab to be won for the best costume on the night. Need we say more? Party kicks off at 5pm, Thursday 31st. New Orleans Halloween Voodoo Festival For 14 years, the Voodoo Festival has possessed New Orleans' Halloween with some of the world's most sought-after live music acts, from Pearl Jam to The Cure to Nine Inch Nails. This year, Sydneysiders will have the chance to experience a little of the magic, with The Bourbon getting their ghoul on in preparation for the city's first ever Voodoo. At 6pm on October 31, doors will open to reveal a scarily transformed venue, complete with evil twins. Headline acts are Australian rockabilly band Pat Capocci and the Two-Timing Playboys and urban party outfit Pocketful of Soul, while award-winning chef James Metcalfe is conjuring up a Halloween-inspired menu. By the Concrete Playground team. Top image: Bahman. via photopin cc.
On Sunday night, March 22, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that all non-essential indoor venues had to close the following day at midday. Gyms, cinemas, casinos, and places of worship were some of the venues on that list, as were pubs, club, bars, restaurants and cafes. While restaurants and cafes were allowed to continue offering takeaway and delivery food, bars without a separate off-premise liquor licence didn't have a way of continuing to make an income. To help fix this, Liquor & Gaming NSW has temporarily lifted its restrictions on takeaway and home-delivery alcohol. In a statement released on Monday, March 23, the regulatory body said that due to the "unprecedented pressures on industry" during the COVID-19 pandemic, it would take a "supportive and educative approach" to licensed venues — such as small bars, cafes and restaurants — selling alcohol for consumption at home without the appropriate licence. [caption id="attachment_758605" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Big Poppa's by Kitti Gould[/caption] "The COVID-19 pandemic has created an exceptional set of circumstances and will have significant impacts on the businesses we regulate," Liquor & Gaming NSW said in the statement. "Not all licensed premises are authorised to sell alcohol for consumption off the premise. In these circumstances, Liquor & Gaming NSW will take a common-sense and pragmatic approach to enforcing the liquor and gaming laws. In particular, it is recognised that the risk profile of certain venues has changed and measures put in place to manage these risks are, in the current environment, largely redundant." It has said it'll step in "in cases of significant risks to patrons or the community" and says venues offering takeaway and delivery should have a system in place to ensure alcohol is not sold to minors or intoxicated people. The lifted restrictions are expected to remain in place until the non-essential indoor venues are allowed to reopen, which, according to the Prime Minister, could be another six months. Top image: Arcadia by Kitti Gould
Manchester Warehouse is home to much more than linen — it's more than equipped to give your home a complete makeover. Specialising in soft furnishings, Manchester Warehouse offers a range of textiles influenced by cultures all over the world, so you can liven up your home with a bit of Moroccan red or Irish green. The Warehouse is family-owned and operated, and the friendly staff are more than equipped to help you find what you're looking for — sometimes before you even know what you're actually looking for. Images: Trent van der Jagt.
The Lord Gladstone is no stranger to a rebrand. In 2021, it renamed itself The Lord Jabstone and gave out free beers to encourage Sydneysiders to get vaccinated. And earlier this year, the beloved pub pushed against the NSW Government's policing of live music compared to religious congregations, rebranding as a church and naming itself The Gladsong Hotel. The latest iteration of the Chippendale stalwart takes inspiration from Tasmania's Dark Mofo festival, slapping the name Dark Gladfo onto the venue for a free three-day music and art festival across the venue's many spaces. Between Friday, July 15 and Sunday, July 17, an array of events and activations will be popping up at different spaces of The Glady in collaboration with the likes of Goodspace Gallery, Atomic Brewing and Doom Juice Wines. The Goodspace Gallery will be running a full-venue takeover throughout the festival. Each day the pub will take on a new theme and will be given a fresh artistic transformation complete with light installations from Teresa Mackay. On Friday night, live music will be the centrepiece of the activation, with bands and DJs performing across the ground and upper floor. A secret headliner has been locked in to perform in the front bar which The Lord Gladstone bills as "a globally renowned act [performing] for an intimate crowd for the first and last time in a long time". As the weekend unfolds there will be a pub rave from Doom Juice with music, burlesque performances, projections and, possibly best of all, $6.66 glasses of natural wine. And, those that are looking for a more refined experience can attend the Dark Arts live drawing class, sketch comedy performances or the Glady Jazz Fest which will be closing out the festival on the Sunday. Redfern's Atomic Brewing is also chipping in by creating a limited edition Dark Gladfo Ale that's being brewed just down the road. Beer-lovers can head to the venues at any point throughout the weekend to try the one-off beer.
You're probably familiar with Jurassic Lounge, the beloved after-hours mainstay that transforms the iconic halls and arches of the Australian Museum into a bustling extravaganza year by year – and always with a different theme. Past themes have included Heroes, Halloween and Robots vs Dinosaurs. Now, in 2023, the Australian Museum will join Sydney WorldPride celebrations with Jurassic Lounge: Pride Edition, an evening of inclusive celebrations for all. If you're unfamiliar with Jurassic Lounge and the after-dark metamorphosis of the museum, here's a taste of what to expect. The galleries and exhibits you know and love will be transformed with lights, music and entertainment. The main stage will be hosted by queer nightlife fixture Aunty Jonny, keeping an upbeat playlist of tunes that have underscored the LGBTQIA+ community for decades, plus best-dressed awards and a choreographed dance hosted by Sydney Drag Royalty. [caption id="attachment_884900" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Lyndal Irons[/caption] There'll be a celebration of all things queer science hosted by the legendary Dr Alice Motion and scientific minds from across the LQBTQIA+ world, comedy-trained scientists from Scary Strangers taking you through everything from a T. Rex Autopsy to the science of spider orgies. On top of that, you can join drop-in drawing classes, anatomically-complex games of pin the tail on the donkey, a silent disco and drag show in the Wild Planet gallery, and participate in a beginner's guide to scientific experimentation hosted by the hilarious Nat Caro and AM's Martha Johnson. Jurassic Lounge: Pride Edition is on Saturday, February 18, from 6.30pm to 10pm. Tickets are $36 per person for members and $45 for non-members. To purchase tickets and find out more about the event, head to the website. Images: Diabolique Photography and Sarah Wilson
What could be more iconic in the prolific landscape of Aussie fashion than the ubiquitous trackie (except maybe a pair of ugg’s and a T-shirt that says ‘The Big Banana Down Under’)? In his debut exhibition, renowned fashion photographer Harold David showcases the comfiest of all apparel as seen on the real life folk of St Marys in Sydney’s western suburbs. The collection of 70 images titled Tracksuits of St Marys is an authentic yet understated portrayal of a very raw and real suburban landscape. Set to open at CarriageWorks in August, Tracksuits of St Marys is a chronicle of the everyman, a barefaced portrait of suburbia and an ode to the beloved trackie in all it’s renditions.Join the artist Harold David and the curator of Tracksuits of St Marys for a free tour and talk on Saturday 15 August at 11am or Saturday 29 August at 11am. No need to book, just turn up. Tour participants should gather near the info desk in the CarriageWorks foyer.
Some days you wake up, go for a quick run, make yourself a cheeky bowl of Cornflakes. Others, you rise knowing today's the day, the glorious moment when you can shape squid ink-coloured cuttlefish into a ball, painstakingly sculpt it to look like a penguin and viciously mount it on a kebab stick for the masses to enjoy. This is that day for Hong Kong gamechangers The Drunken Pot, who have created one heck of an adorable offering for the Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival, now running on HK's Central Harbourfront until October 30. Dubbed the 'Happy Penguin Cuttlefish Ball', this little Instagrammable delight is one of the festival's so-called 'Adorable Eats', which is legitimately a series of highly cute dishes on offer at the event. While jumping a flight across to Honkers to inhale these staked Pengus isn't on the cards for everyone, sitting back and marvelling at them from your chair and knowing you won't have to eat cuttlefish should suffice. Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival runs until October 30.
It's a fine line you walk writing magic realist plays. You want to stay in the blazing fires of poignancy, but one stumble away lies the empty desert of twee. Playwright Lally Katz has quite consistently been scorching, adding grunt to whimsy for some dozen years and 20 works. Best known in Sydney for the moving play she purpose-built for Robyn Nevin, Neighbourhood Watch, as well as this year's energetic un-commission Stories I Want to Tell You in Person, her work is surreally plotted yet emotionally resonant — and always, always original. There was a chance her recent play, Return to Earth wouldn't make the grade, however, after its initial Melbourne Theatre Company outing became one of the most panned plays of last year. And that's where things get interesting. Because that show was derided for its hollow cuteness, but there's no trace of it in this Sydney production, directed by Paige Rattray with local indie company Arthur. Their Return to Earth is an odd but balanced little world beautifully riven with melancholy. It follows what happens when the missing Alice (The Sapphires' Shari Sebbens) returns to her family in small-town Tathra. Her lost years are a mystery no one will directly address, and the new Alice acts completely disconnected from reality and social convention — she has to relearn how to chew, treat houseguests, everything. She even, it turns out, has her own name wrong. In these difficult circumstances, some embrace her with enthusiasm, while others are slower to accept. Her mother (Wendy Strehlow) and father (Laurence Coy) are enthusiastic to the point of alienating, and the effect is only heightened by their American accents. Her brother, Tom (Ben Barber), and former best friend, Jeanie (Catherine Terracini), have rather less patience with the guileless prodigal daughter, while the new friendship offered by Theo (Yure Covich) is a welcoming blank slate. However, it's Ben's seven-year-old daughter, Catta (Scarlett Waters), to whom Alice is perhaps most strongly tied. The implication, from the title on down, is that Alice has been in outer space. More likely is the metaphor that Alice is a traveller with irrepressibly itchy feet that cannot be soothed in sleepy Tathra. As strong as her inability to feel bound to her kin is her need for adventure. It causes ache on all sides. This is not unlike the story of every Doctor Who companion, but given a far deeper reading. A lot rests with Sebbens' performance as Alice, and she's excellent. Wide-eyed but not overly childish, Sebbens makes it easy for us to empathise with and care about what could easily be an ethereal character. She has a great supporting cast around her, and special mention must go to young Waters, who comes off as the coolest kid around. This is a team that can make barnacles growing on backs and sing-alongs to 'Eternal Flame' seem if not natural, then at least not confected. The piece is served well by Tom Hogan's subtle, echoing sound design, which wraps innocent moments in a gauze of darkness. There's an indecisiveness to the set design — the first half of the play is spent filling the blank stage with a clutter of bright objects, which are then cleared and replaced with a solid, realistic dining table for the second half — but it's also not intrusive. The ultimate reward is that, for something abstract, Return to Earth just feels so real.
Flow Athletica's super-popular silent disco yoga classes have, in the past, seen up to 800 yogis shavasana-ing together. This time, it's aiming for 10,000. Obviously, in the current COVID-19 climate, this won't feature people in one physical room, but thousands of people all logging on together for a virtual version of the class. First up, taking place at 7pm AEST on Thursday, April 9, the 90-minute all-level vinyasa class will be hosted by Flow Athletic co-founder Kate Kendall — and beamed across the world to Hong Kong, London, Singapore and New York. In true Flow style, there'll be beats from Sydney DJ James Mack. And lots of neon. Then, at 7pm AEST on Wednesday, May 6, there'll be a slower vinyasa class, focusing more on relieving stress and tension and accompanied by mellow tunes. Expect 40 minutes of flowing movement, followed by 20 minutes guided rest. Tickets are only $10, which is a bargain considering physical classes usually set you back $50. You will, however, need to BYO yoga mat.
Bill & Toni's is one of Sydney's longest-running eateries. Other places come and go, but this classic has stayed in the game since 1965. Its trick is to keep things simple, unpretentious and affordable. Think Italian family-sized portions of pasta, complimentary cordial, down-to-earth waiters and red-and-white gingham table cloths. The restaurant on East Sydney's Stanley Street — home to Little Italy back in the '50s and '60s — started out as a cafe, run by Guglielmo "Bill" Chiappini, before mates Toni and Adolfo added a second floor — and a restaurant — in the 1970s. Take the whole family on a Monday night and dig in without obliterating your bank account. Image: Kimberly Low.
Before 2020 rolled around, Sydneysiders were already quite fond of watching a movie outdoors, with the city playing host to many an openair cinema each and every year. But if ever there was a time to take advantage of the whole concept — the fresh air and the outside location, particularly — it's this pandemic-stricken period. Enter the Ritz Laneway Cinema, which first kicked off back in 2019, and has now returned for its 2020–21 season. Unlike other openair movie-watching sites, this is an addition to the Randwick complex's usual program. That means that the outdoor cinema is here for the long haul — whenever it's warm enough to catch a film under the stars, really — and updates its lineup regularly alongside the Ritz's usual indoor session times. Running on select nights — as subject to the weather, obviously, and kicking off at sundown each evening — this excuse to watch both retro and new movies by moonlight has had a bit of a makeover since last year. Movie buffs will spot a new mural on the laneway's floor and walls, a new pasted poster wall and some super-sparkling fairy lights. For snacks and drinks, the dedicated laneway bar has returned from last time, too. As for what you'll be watching, it's an eclectic range . At the time of writing, that includes double the Seth Rogen in An American Pickle, Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense (aka one of the greatest concert films ever made) and Stranger Things' Joe Keery going to extreme lengths to go viral in Spree. Top image: Kimberley Low
Located 91 metres above sea level within the breathtaking Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Barrenjoey Lighthouse boasts unbroken views over (the ironically named) Broken Bay, the park and the Central Coast. Thanks to its height, the site is one of the most popular whale watching spots in NSW, which you can reach via a leisurely one-kilometre hike. If you're looking for a tougher trek, the short Smugglers Track will have you heavily breathing in the panoramic views when you reach the top. The lighthouse is a sight to behold in itself and retains its original sandstone finish from the 1800s — and if you like that, check out these ten lighthouses near Sydney.
Tacos Muchchos burst onto the scene as a pop-up boasting flavour-packed quesabirria tacos and takeaway margaritas during lockdown. Now at a permanent residence in Redfern, the Muchachos team is adding salsa sessions to its weekly repertoire. Every Thursday, the Cleveland Street restaurant clears the tables and brings in a DJ and a salsa instructor. From 8pm, the instructor will be on hand running beginners through the basics. Once everyone is in the swing of things, they'll step back and leave things up to you, with music continuing all the way until 11.30pm. Some weeks, there's even a live band soundtracking your time on the dance floor. Attendees of all salsa experience levels are encouraged to attend, and entry is $10 to cover the cost of the instructor and DJ. Throughout the night you can, of course, charge up with selections from Tacos Muchachos menu, whether you're on the hunt for a taco set, a burrito, quesadillas, a spiked agua fresca, or a selection from the restaurant's tequila and mezcal collection. You can also expect regular food and drink specials available on Thursdays, making Salsa Night a little bit more special.
UPDATE, August 9, 2020: Kusama: Infinity is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube and iTunes. Early in Kusama: Infinity, a series of black-and-white drawings and paintings take pride of place. Unsurprisingly given the documentary's subject, they're filled with dots. The artworks rank among Yayoi Kusama's earliest creations, with the Japanese icon starting her love affair with the medium — and with the circles that she repeatedly wields as a motif — when she was ten years old. Nearly eight decades later, she's still following those passions in pieces littered with dots and pumpkins, and in infinity rooms filled with orbs too. Of course, now the entire world gets to share in the eye-catching results. The path from creatively curious child to international superstar hasn't been quick or smooth for Kusama, which is the crux of Heather Lenz's film. As a kid, Kusama's mother would snatch away her paper while she was still drawing — and even as a twenty-something, it was only writing to American artist Georgia O'Keeffe that gave her the confidence to move to the US. Virtually ignored in conservative post-war Japan, she was hardly the toast of New York when she arrived in the late 1950s. That's the reality of an artist considered a sensation in her eighties: all of that fame and acclaim only came after a lifetime of hard work. Directing, writing, producing and editing her first full-length documentary, Lenz explores the inescapable truth at the heart of Kusama's story. In the process, she also gives viewers a Kusama 101 lesson. The dots, dilemmas and dramas flicker across the screen, furnishing a tale that's as much about the doors that wouldn't open to the young artist as it is about the boundaries that she dared to push. In Japan, she was a woman who defied convention by refusing to become a dutiful housewife. In America, she was both a woman in a male-dominated realm and a foreigner in an unwelcoming land. Everything about Kusama's story is vital and essential — as important and affecting as staring into one of her mirrored cubes, or seeing her dots completely envelop a room. But while Kusama: Infinity clearly recognises that fact, the movie remains happy to chronicle its subject in the usual art doco manner. Experts impart explanatory narration, sometimes as talking heads. Clips showcase a feast of different pieces, spanning paintings, sculptures, installations, videos and even America's first queer wedding ceremonies. Kusama herself lends her thoughts, which are relayed as interviews as well as voiceover. There's gorgeous sights and biographical insights aplenty, but the film never quite breaks the mould in the same fashion as the artist at its core. Thankfully, Kusama: Infinity's array of artwork works its charms. How could it not? If Kusama's pieces feel more than a little otherworldly just as they are, seeing them blown up on a big screen makes them larger than life. Colour, shape, movement, an intoxicating sense of repetition — they all dance through her creations, and through the movie as a result. As they do, one of the picture's opening remarks lingers: "I convert the energy of life into dots of the universe," Kusama offers. "And that energy, along with love, flies into the sky." Kusama herself proves the film's other highlight, for devotees and newcomers alike. Her work may tell a thousand stories — tales that the doco's well-selected archival photographs of the artist only enhance — however there's nothing like hearing about Kusama's life, motivations and roadblocks in her own words. There's nothing like seeing her chat to the camera either, with her bobbed red hair a-blazing. First spied wearing a vibrant crimson dress peppered with white polka dots while standing in front of one of her monochrome circle-filled drawings, she provides an instant visual reminder of why her art strikes a chord. It might be impossible to capture the enigma that is Kusama in one 85-minute documentary, but her inimitable allure is evident every time the artist herself brightens up the screen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRqxWNn3iQU
Flowers, stars and wine will collide when astronomy comes to The Calyx in the Royal Botanic Garden. The event — which is running over single nights in January, March and April — invites you to kick back, relax and learn about the night skies. In April and June, Dr Angel Lopez-Sanchez will chat to the group — he's an astronomy research fellow and a science communicator at the Australian Astronomical Observatory and Macquarie University. In March and May, Professor Fred Watson AM, a well-known astronomer and author, will lead the proceedings. On all nights, Bundjulung man and storyteller Drew Roberts will chat about Aboriginal interpretations of the night sky. Surrounded by the garden's botanic surrounds, you'll gain a whole new perspective on familiar constellations and learn how to find those that are not-so-familiar. Learn to locate the Jewel Box within the Southern Cross, bright nebulae within Sagittarius and Omega Centauri, a globular cluster. Tickets are a reasonable $35 and include a glass of wine upon arrival. But tickets always book out well in advance — and have already done so for March and April — so get in quick. Updated: January 31, 2019.
Please allow us to introduce Australia's next big pop culture exhibition: Exhibitionism: The Rolling Stones Exhibit. Firmly focused on the British rockers that are still starting things up 56 years after first forming, the touring showcase makes its Aussie debut at the Sydney International Convention Centre. After premiering in London, then heading to New York and Nashville, it'll bring more than 500 Stones items to our shores between November 17, 2018 to February 3, 2019. Attendees will be able to get some satisfaction thanks to an enormous array of objects and memorabilia, including a vintage guitar gallery, a number of rare instruments, the band's lyric books, plus all kinds of backstage and touring paraphernalia, album art. If you've ever wanted to read Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and company's personal diaries and letters, they'll feature as well, alongside Stones photography and examples of their stage design. Given the group's considerable longevity, one section of the exhibition will focus on five decades of their outfits — and yes, you can expect more than just Jagger's leather pants. On display will be articles from designers such as Alexander McQueen, Prada, Dior, Gucci, Hedi Slimane, Ossie Clark and L'Wren Scott, not only charting Stones history but fashion over the same period. Exhibitionism: The Rolling Stones Exhibit also includes 190 original artworks, with everyone from Andy Warhol to Shepard Fairey to Robert Frank involved with or taking inspiration from the band over the years — and doing more than just painting things black. Because no huge music exhibition is complete unless it makes you feel like you're at a gig in some way, Stones aficionados will get what they want (and what they need as well) thanks to interactive sound mixing decks and a recording studio, videos throughout the displays and a screening cinema with narration by Martin Scorsese. Also featured is an immersive backstage recreation, which leads visitors to a 3D concert finale. If you're a fan of the band, wild horses probably wouldn't drag you away from a showcase that Jagger describes as both an event and an experience. "It's about a sense of The Rolling Stones — it's something we want people to go away talking about it," he explains. For Richards, "while this is about The Rolling Stones, it's not necessarily only just about us. It's also about all the paraphernalia and technology associated with a group like us". Exhibitionism: The Rolling Stones Exhibit displays at the Sydney International Convention Centre (ICC) from November 17, 2018 to February 3, 2019. For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.stonesexhibitionism.com.
Nazi. Zombies. Those two words alone were probably enough to secure the support of executive producer J.J. Abrams and have him green-light Overlord, the new horror/war flick by Australian director Julius Avery (Son of a Gun). Set on the eve of the D-Day invasion of Normandy, the film sees a small troupe of American soldiers parachute into France tasked with destroying a Nazi radar station, only for them to discover a series of sinister, zombie-crafting experiments taking place deep beneath the facility's walls. In terms of the premise, gamers will immediately recognise similarities to both the Wolfenstein and Call of Duty franchises (the latter literally had a title called WWII Nazi Zombies – The Darkest Shore). At times the film tracks so closely to these games both in style and story that you expect the Xbox logo to appear on screen instead of the Paramount one. To the film's credit, though, for every example of borrowed content or tired cliche, Overlord surprises you with nifty subversions of horror-genre tropes and delights in its consistent, sumptuous cinematography. Much of the film's success actually lies in its pacing, and it's a testament to screenwriters Billy Ray and Mark L. Smith that they're willing to be so patient with their eventual zombie reveal. Indeed, it's so long before the first encounter with the undead that the film's trailer borders on misleading and deceptive marketing. Just like the shark in Jaws, we see the monsters in Overlord only after we've seen clues to their existence and their horrific, destructive power. And when at last they do arrive, the wait is (mostly) justified. Immensely strong and grotesquely twisted with sharpened bones protruding through burnt or shredded flesh, the fiends look and feel appropriately terrifying. If there's a complaint to be made, it's that – once revealed – they're deployed far too sparingly. Intentional or not, it's the mortal Nazis and not their flesh-eating compatriots who feel the most sinister in Overlord, and since the peril in the zombie genre traditionally comes from their unstoppable swarm dimension, removing that dynamic feels like a significant misstep. Overlord's characters aren't much for groundbreaking, coming straight from the stock WWII movie playbook. On the Allied side there's wise-cracking Italian-American Tibbet (John Magaro), timid war photographer Chase (Iain De Caestecker), grizzled loner Ford (Wyatt Russell) and pure-of-heart rookie Boyce (Jovan Adepo). On the Axis side, we're given an unapologetically evil commander named Wafner (Pilou Asbaek) who, to his credit, goes all-out in the performance. Also in the mix is French actress Mathilde Ollivier as Chloe, a civilian from the nearby town who helps hide the Americans from the Nazis and whose work is probably the film's standout. Given the film spends so much time in the company of these characters, it's disappointing that it rarely evolves their personalities or digs into their back stories. Still, the performances are above average for a B-movie, and while the film sometimes feels as though it's being pulled between two very different genres, it still has enough going for it to be worth your time and your money. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USPd0vX2sdc
Reckon you know everything there is to know about the mighty martini? Had it dirty, dry, perfect, shaken, stirred? Get down to Eau de Vie during World Class Cocktail Week to find out that you don’t know what you don’t know. At a masterclass to be hosted on May 27, the secretive bar’s martini experts will carry you through the cocktail’s long and wicked history — from the myths surrounding its origins (did it evolve from a cocktail served up at San Francisco’s Occidental Hotel in the 1860s? Or was it invented 50 years later in New York City?) to Dorothy Parker’s versification “I like to have a martini, two at the very most; after three I’m under the table; after four, I’m under the host.” Along the way, there’ll be sterling silver martini syringes, Tiffany vermouth dispensers and martini scales. There’s no end to the lengths mixologists have gone to in search of the dream martini.
For the 29th time, the Mardi Gras Film Festival is back — and just like in 2021, that's great news for more than just cinema-going Sydneysiders. If you feel more comfortable watching from home during the current Omicron outbreak, attending a film festival isn't always accessible to you for health or work reasons or you're a fan of LGBTQIA+ movies located elsewhere in Australia, you'll also be able to enjoy this year's MGFF digitally as well. Yes, that means if you're in Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide or elsewhere across the country, you now have a feast of queer cinema coming your way. More titles are available at the fest's in-person event compared to its digital lineup, but more than half of the program will be screening online for those playing along at home and interstate. You'll want to watch from Thursday, February 17–Thursday, March 3, and highlights include horror film The Retreat, which combines a cabin-in-the-woods setup with planning a queer wedding; Cannes-selected Taiwanese drama Moneyboys; the relationship-focused Ma Belle, My Beauty, about a long-term couple living in a scenic villa in the south of France; and Estonia's Firebird, which charts a romance against the backdrop of the Cold War. There's also documentary Coming to You, following two mothers fighting for LGBTQ+ rights in Korea; and As We Like It, an all-female version of Shakespeare's comedy As You Like It.
After the recent deluge of much-needed rain, the spring sun has peaked out from behind the clouds, promising warm breezes and blue skies, and ushering in dreams of beach days and road trips out of town. Thankfully, even if you can't quite find the time to make it out of the city, Sydney is brimming with ways to soak up every last drop of springtime fun. As its Spring Carnival continues, we've teamed up with Australian Turf Club to bring you five top-notch ways to celebrate the season this week. ENJOY A STROLL (AND SNAP A PIC) AMONG THE TULIPS When? Tuesday, September 24–Monday, October 7 It doesn't get much more spring than this — the 59th annual Tulip Time festival sees more than 75,000 tulips bloom throughout Bowral's Corbett Gardens and surrounds. A 90-minute drive southwest of Sydney, the gardens will come alive with colour, set to light up hearts and Instagram feeds for two weeks of live entertainment, market stalls and flowers. Mary Poppins fans will be delighted to know the festival kicks off with the Tulip Time Twilight Procession — on Tuesday, September 24, the community will gather in Glebe Park to turn a statue commemorating the birthplace of Mary Poppins (writer P.L. Travers is said to have come up with the iconic character while living in the town) from east to west to mark the spring equinox, before an umbrella lantern parade heads to Corbett Gardens. SAMPLE A COUPLE OF LOCALLY MADE CRAFT BEERS FOR FREE When? Thursday, September 26–Friday, September 27 Dust off the working day with free craft beer tastings at Chippendale's Central Park, poured for you from a pimped out, beer keg-filled kombi. As part of a country-wide road trip from hotel chain Four Points by Sheraton, the kombi will roll into town this week and give out free samples from 4–6pm on Thursday, September 26 and Friday, September 27. While relaxing with a cold one, you can also chat to local brewers, throw your hat in the ring to win a trip to New Zealand, and score a beer and wings deal at Four Points by Sheraton Sydney afterwards. SIP BUBBLES AT GOLDEN ROSE RACE DAY When? Saturday, September 28 Sydney's spring racing season continues, with Everest Carnival's De Bortoli Wines Golden Rose Race Day at Rosehill Gardens, one of seven events running on consecutive Saturdays until November 2. Gather your friends, get frocked up and experience all of the food, fashion and entertainment of the day. The festivities include the soothing sounds of a live music duo, the 2019 AFL Grand Final playing on the big screen (so you can fittingly cheer on GWS while in their heartland), a DJ spinning beats all day at the main stage bar, signature cocktails and plenty of food trucks. If you're having too much fun to call it a day as the sun sets, the nearby Rosehill Bowling Club will host the official after-party, and Everest Carnival continues the following Saturday. EAT YOUR WAY AROUND BELLA VISTA FARM When? Saturday, September 28–Sunday, September 29 There's nothing quite like getting your mates together, throwing down a picnic rug on a sunny patch of grass, and enjoying a delicious lunch. At the annual Park Feast, all the picnic fare you could wish for will be at your fingertips with 30 of Sydney's best food trucks and dessert stations on hand. With rides for the kids (and grown-ups), live music performances and a pets-are-welcome attitude, the two-day food truck festival is a great way to unwind, catch up and enjoy the water views at Bella Vista Farm. The hardest part of the day will be choosing what to eat, with big-name vendors on the bill including Halloumi Me, Bao Brothers, Smoking Grill BBQ, Chur Burger, Pimp My Chimney and The Cannoli Truck. CATCH A SHOW AT SYDNEY FRINGE FESTIVAL When? Any day After a packed few weeks of art and performances, the 2019 Sydney Fringe Festival is almost at its end. If your heart breaks at the thought of all the fun ending for another year, never fear, as the final week of programming is a big one. Highlights include live art piece Say Something Nice, gritty feminist cabaret Feminah, 24-hour dance and music performance piece All (H)Ours, shameless comedy homage Speed: The Movie: The Play and, of course, the raucous Dance All Night closing party. The festivities don't end there, so make sure to check out the huge Sydney Fringe Festival program to find all the kids activities, pop-up bars, performances and workshops. Everest Carnival runs until November 2 at Rosehill Gardens and Royal Randwick. For more information, head this way. Top Image: Felipe Neves.
According to comedian John Hodgman, the Occupy movement is "equal parts inspiring, troublesome, invigorating, and embarrassing." This mixture of liberty, disorder and remonstration is far from universally loved, or disliked, but even its local Sydney encampment got a lot of curious peeks from the unwary. Cross Art Gallery is taking its turn to gaze on Occupy Sydney, meditating on art and activism for the purposes of its latest show, Occupy the Future. Four artists — each clearly in the pro-occupy camp — offer work that takes its cue from the spirit of the movement, and in some cases borrow more directly as well. Outpost alumnus Mini Graff's screen prints paint EGA coloured houses and roadside distractions. Though buzzing with a sunny-day optimism, each curbside edifice is billboarded with a reworked coporate logo that culture-jams slogans into anti-corporate sarcasm. Fiona McDonald's watercolours pick out the shadows of Sydney's encampment, echoing the objects and of the protesters like a smooth-elbowed Michael Fitzjames. Her shadowy paintings lend a gentleness to the protesters and their accoutrements. If you visited Occupy Sydney's original incarnation, what probably most grabbed you were the wild variety of handmade carboard signs laid out on the pavement. Deborah Kelly focuses on these, with portraits of protesters and their placards. Her work is at its best when it focuses on individual protesters on a smaller scale inside. Outside, in the gallery's window, a larger collage of protesters project their distinctiveness with less force. Aritst Sarah Goffman copied out a wall full of the signs, lettering them again onto cardboard to cover the back of the gallery. Smoothing out the rough typographic edges of these sign's earlier incarnations, what could have been merely archival ends up witty and engaging. This simple juxtaposition is a fantastic survey, and Goffman's presence at rallies of any stripe should be made mandatory from here on out. Cross Art Projects is open 11-6 Thursday-Sunday. Image of occupy installation by Sarah Goffman.
The Great Australasian Beer SpecTAPular, better known as GABS, returns to the Sydney Showground for the fifth year running on Saturday, June 1. After humble beginnings in Melbourne nine years ago, it has now expanded to cover three cities, two countries, and is rightfully considered by most as the best craft beer and cider festival in the Asia Pacific region. Creators Steve Jeffares and Guy Greenstone (The Local Taphouse, Stomping Ground Brewing Co.) have again wrangled up the best breweries from the region and are offering up hundreds of brews, including 100+ exclusive festival beers and ciders. These exclusive and often wacky specialty brews are created just for the event and are generally the festival's main draw, giving attendees the rare chance to try brand-spanking new beers while meeting the brewers behind them. This year's festival brews include collaborations with coffee roasters, tea houses, gin and whisky distillers, biscuit makers and even an American barbecue smokehouse — so expect plenty of experimental tastes. Apart from beer, the event will also play host to mini golf, a giant beer can piñata, a roller racing derby, a silent disco and a competitive scavenger hunt. The much loved 18-metre-high beer Ferris wheel will make its return, as will the usual wandering performances and local food stalls. The single day event is categorised in two sessions, with session one from 11.30am–4.30pm and session two from 6–11pm. If you're a super keen craft drinker, you can purchase tickets to both sessions from Friday, March 29— we wish those ticket holders the best of luck.
The world's best water polo players are converging on Bondi to compete in this year's Water Polo by the Sea. Taking over Icebergs on Thursday, March 9, the event will see the Aussie Sharks go head-to-head against the International All Stars, whose members hail from Europe and the US. Given that stacks of people want to be in the front row for this mighty match, the organisers are offering a few VIP options. To match your viewing with an Aperol Spritz and Maurice Terzini-designed canapés, grab a spot on the Icebergs Dining Room and Bar's top-floor balcony. Or, to get poolside, go for the Aspen Snowmass Birdcage experience, which involves Nexba-infused cocktails, Peroni and Latin street food, including tapas and tacos, from Contrabando. Either way, you'll be invited to join the players at the official after party, to be held at Hotel Ravesis from 8pm. And, if all that sounds like it's going to blow your budget to smithereens, the General Admission tickets are much more wallet-friendly at $63 each.
Exploring a city while staring at your phone might seem counter-intuitive, but it's how most of us wander through the world these days. If you're a Melburnian looking to play tourist in your own town or a visitor to the Victorian capital trying to find your way around, you'll soon have an excuse to keep checking the screen that's always glued your hand: a guide to the city that's also a game. Announced this week by the Victorian Government, 64 Ways of Being is an app that helps users see the sights of Melbourne, with a focus not only on the CBD, but on the surrounding suburbs out to Braybrook in the west to Elwood in the south. While you're spotting things around you, the free app will combine augmented reality, public art and games design to show exclusively commissioned artworks on your screen. Expect rotating live theatre performances, street art and digital AR elements to pop up on your phone. More than that, 64 Ways of Being has a playable component. It's not just about letting users spy special artworks via the app — it's about encouraging you to catch 'em all. If you've long had enough of Pokemon Go, consider this the touristy alternative. The aim is to get everyone exploring as much of the city as possible, obviously, but we all know that the lure to keep upping your tally will be hard to ignore. https://www.instagram.com/p/BrW3lMLF3Hx/ The Victoria Government will invest $950,000 in the app, which is expected to launch in 2020. A collaborative effort by Dr Troy Innocent, a Victorian artist, educator and coder; games studio Millipede; and 'one step at a time like this', a performance collective, 64 Ways of Being will be designed to allow new artworks and locations to be added in the future — including the possibility of rolling out the app to other cities. For further information about 64 Ways of Being, check out the project's Instagram feed. Images: Visit Victoria, Roberto Seba / 64 Ways of Being.
It's an unlikely combination, but one we can totally get behind. Ken Done, the master of pre-school chic, and Scott Ludlam, the champion of all parliamentary smackdowns, are among the killer names lined up for the next Men of Letters event in Sydney. Writing about the women that changed their lives, these exceptional specimens will be dishing out some serious wisdom at The Basement on Sunday, October 19. An offshoot of Marieke Hardy and Michaela McGuire's hugely successful Women of Letters, this event will mark the fourth time men have been invited to the stage. Always writing on the same subject, previous readers at these events include Shaun Micallef, Julian Burnside, Hamish Blake, and George Negus. But this lineup may be the most diverse one yet. Alongside Done and Ludlam will be TV personalities Andrew O'Keefe and Ian 'Dicko' Dickson. Hip hop artist Buck 65 and Queensland poet and rapper Omar Musa will be keeping things smooth and lyrical. The stage will feel like home to Director of the Sydney Theatre Company, Patrick McIntyre and writer, director and performer Nick Coyle. Even sports stars get a look in, with Brett Kirk of the Sydney Swans also be penning a letter for the event. Though you may not have heard of the final speaker, you would definitely familiar with his work. Neil Lawrence was the brains behind the 'Kevin 07' campaign. Let's hope he brings some of that creative genius to play on the day. For those that haven't yet been to a Women (or Men) of Letters event before, it's a lot more than just storytelling. With a DJ set by Zan Rowe, flowing wine, and letter writing by everyone involved, this could be the perfect time to pen your secret love letter to Scott Ludlam... or Ken Done, if squiggly pictures of the Opera House are more your thing. Tickets to Men of Letters are available now for $25 plus booking fee via Moshtix. All funds raised will go to farm sanctuary and home of adorable teacup pigs, Edgar's Mission.
It's possible that after directing the pastoral idyll that was the Olympic Opening Ceremony, Danny Boyle felt the need to dirty things up. That would explain Trance (view trailer), a gangster/heist movie that takes a turn into the unexplored psychosexual corridors of Inception. James McAvoy stars as a young art auctioneer, Simon, who gets mixed up in some bad business. Charged with hiding the most valuable artwork on the auction block in the event of a heist, Simon cops a severe bump on the head after Franck (Vincent Cassel) and his men breach the building. He now has amnesia and doesn't know what's what. It's soon made clear to him, however, that this was an inside job of his orchestration, and that he's the only one who knows — knew? — where the painting is hidden. In an attempt to retrieve the buried information, Franck sends Simon to a hypnotherapist, Elizabeth (Rosario Dawson), who soon inserts herself into the gang. Things get crazy from here on in. Concrete Playground has teamed up with 20th Century Fox to present a private screening of Trance at 7pm on Wednesday, April 10 at the newly renovated Dendy Newtown. To go in the running to win one of 100 double passes, you just need to complete the Concrete Playground reader survey below and register your email address at the end. Loading... Read our interview with Danny Boyle and the cast of Trance here and our full review here. Trance is in cinemas this Thursday.
You've crooned your way through sing-along screenings of Spice World, wished you could visit the huge memorabilia exhibition in Britain and just generally been following Spice Girls news since the English pop stars unleashed their brand of girl power on the world back in the 90s. Now, come 2020, Australians just might be able to spice up their lives with the group itself — according to Melanie Brown, aka Mel B, they're coming our way. As part of their Spice World reunion tour, Mel B and her bandmates Melanie Chisholm, Emma Bunton and Geri Halliwell have been playing gigs across the British Isles, bringing their zigazig-ah back to stadiums. They just played their last concert in London on Saturday, June 15 UK time, during which Mel B concluded the proceedings by saying "we'll see you in February in Australia". https://twitter.com/HalinaWatts86/status/1140009527129137152 No further details have been revealed, and nor has an official tour announcement at this stage — but here's hoping that if anyone is in the know about the Spice Girls' plans, it's one of the Spice Girls themselves while the group is on stage. If you're a fan, you'll wannabe hollering about the chance to see Scary, Sporty, Baby and Ginger perform in Australia for the first time — in a huge light and costume-filled performance, no less. Victoria Beckham, aka Posh, isn't part of the current shows, so this won't be the full Spice experience. Still, four out of five Spice Girls is better than none. It has been a big week for Spice news, with an animated Spice Girls movie also just announced, targeting a 2020 release. Unlike the live shows, it'll feature the whole Spice gang, according to The Hollywood Reporter. And, it'll include both new and old songs as well. The Spice Girls look set to tour Australia in February 2020, with dates and venues yet to be revealed. We'll keep you posted with further details as they come to hand.
The element setting B&M apart from other florists is the immeasurable passion the family-run business has for its craft. Thirty years ago, the shop was a simple corner store selling groceries and the occasional bouquet of flowers. As the supermarket giants began taking over, the groceries on the shelves gradually began to disappear, making way for more and more flowers — until one day, there was no more groceries. From there came the vast range of plants, gifts and homewares, alongside flower-arranging classes and decorations for weddings and events. The team here is very talented — it has a slew of awards to prove it — so no matter the occasion or budget, you'll find a bloom that's right for you. Images: Trent van der Jagt.
Bottomless brunch is a well-worn Sydney tradition and King Street Wharf's new Moroccan restaurant Mecca Bah is throwing its hat in the ring with a hefty Middle Eastern spread and free-flowing cocktails every weekend. Located right by the water in Darling Harbour, the venue opened in 2021 with an array of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern eats for lunch and dinner. Now, you can book a food and drink-filled two-hour feast at the inner-city eatery. Available 11.30am–3pm Friday–Saturday, the brunch begins with a trio of dips (hummus, labneh and baba ghanoush) before moving on to lamb sigara borek, tangy chicken wings, crispy cauliflower with Moroccan spices and pine nuts and falafel. As for the drinks, you'll be able to take your choice of the restaurant's signature Turkish delight martini, gin or Aperol spritzes, a vodka berry cocktail, mimosas, house wine and beer across the two hours of bottomless drinks. The brunch is available for groups of six or more and will set you back $105pp.
Have you ever promised yourself an ice-cold beer at the pub as motivation to workout? Well, the minds behind The Beer Run are on the same wavelength. They are quite literally combining brews with a five-kilometre fun run that stops at five inner west breweries along the way. And, because they're doing it in October, they're theming it after Oktoberfest. The run will kick off at noon on Sunday, October 6, making its way between yet-to-be-announced Sydney breweries. Punters will enjoy a beer at each location before running on to the next, with the whole event expected to take around two to three hours. The $55 ticket price includes the five brews, a novelty medal and a numbered bib for the run. Tickets are on sale now — and given that the Melbourne events usually sell out rather quickly, you'd be best to get in quick.
Formerly known as the Toowoon Bay Pie Shop, Flour & Co is a family-run bakery and coffee house that knows what it takes to create quality baked goods. The business has been in the family for the last 30 years, so locals — and visitors familiar with Toowoon Bay — are well acquainted with this little spot. As well as having some of the area's best pies, cakes, breads, toasties and raw treats (like its signature raw 'Snickers' slice), Flour & Co also serves up top-notch brews made on No Label Coffee. This sustainable, ethical and organic label imports beans from Tanna Island, Vanuatu, which make for a clean and smooth coffee with lots of chocolate and nut flavours.
If you're watching a film in a darkened theatre without some sort of snack in your hand, are you really at the cinema? Lovers of popcorn and choc tops certainly don't think so. And while whipping up a bowl of popped corn kernels in the microwave is a rather easy way to help recreate that movie magic at home at the moment, enjoying a choc top — a proper cinema-quality choc top, not just your own attempt — isn't quite that simple while Australian picture palaces are temporarily closed. To help satisfy Australia's choc top cravings during the COVID-19 pandemic, Hoyts has been delivering them (and popcorn and other movie snacks as well). Other cinemas have been selling the desserts, too, such as Melbourne's Cinema Nova and Sydney's Golden Age Cinema and Bar. But if you'd just like to grab a few from the supermarket, you'll now find Bulla's choc tops in Coles' freezer aisle for a limited period. It's the first time that Bulla's choc tops have been available outside of movie theatres, with different flavours on offer in different states. Ice cream fiends in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania can lick their way through mint, vanilla, salted caramel, and cookies and cream varieties, while Queenslanders, Western Australians and South Australians can opt for mint, vanilla, choc fudge and boysenberry. https://www.instagram.com/p/CArIHWhgWUg/ Bulla and Coles haven't revealed just how long the choc tops will be on the freezer shelves; however the fact that the majority of cinemas aren't aiming to reopen in Australia until mid-July might be a good guide. Find Bulla's choc tops in the Coles freezer aisle for a limited time. For further details, visit the Bulla or Coles websites.
For those still lusting after a Euro summer, QT Sydney is bringing a slice of Paris to Sydney with Parlour — an all-day neo-French bistro housed in the hotel's renaissance-inspired building. Helmed by notable chef Sean Connolly (whose other venues include Sean's Kitchen in Adelaide and Esther in QT Auckland) and head chef Kenny Radegonde from Felix, the eatery will serve seasonal French dishes such as a twice-backed cheese soufflé, escargot with smoked ham and pea puree, wagyu brisket with fries, fried egg and pepper sauce and a coffee crème brûlée. Open until 2am on Friday and Saturday, the restaurant's late-night menu includes a confit duck jaffle and raclette cheese. Whether you're after coffee or cocktails, the drinks list is equally impressive. Head sommelier Samantha Belt and her all-female team can guide you through a 350-strong wine list, or you can go for Parlour's take on classic cocktails like a Kir Royale, Green Fairy with absinthe or crème brûlée martini. Parlour is open from 6.30am every day until 10pm on Sunday and Monday, midnight on Tuesday to Friday and 2am on Friday and Saturday. Find out more and book a table at the website.
This is the start of White Rabbit gallery's fourth year. Its directive is Chinese art produced since 2000. It's a private collection — stuff that Kerr and Judith Neilson literally can't fit in their house. The tectonic cultural, political, and economic shifts in China have prompted a new renaissance of contemporary art. Hundreds of new museums open there every year, and cash-rich Beijing and Hong Kong dominate the global art market in volume of sales. White Rabbit's latest show is called Double Take. A double take is a second glance, a delayed response to something that initially seems within easy comprehension. The works start with simple, singular premises that turn an assumed convention on its head. The show partly consists of a re-hang of previously exhibited works, taking the Double Take theme to another level. Despite the limited opening up, China remains repressive, and a gulf of inequality between the new generation of capitalists and the masses of poor is widening. As such, the themes of brutality and quiet violence hidden within many of the Double Take's works provide a counter-melody to their surface beauty. To walk into Tu Wei-Cheng's room-sized installation Happy Valentine's Day (2011) — a replica chocolate shop — is to be greeted with the overwhelming aroma of cocoa butter and strawberry liquor. To look deeper is to realise that you are in a kind of saccharine war room: the confections are actually miniature tanks and militia men, posed to attack each other. The work is a comment on the increasingly militarised relations between China and Taiwan, and the artist installed it with a team of 14 assistants, something that gives you a sense of the scale that many Chinese artists are working on. Shen Liang's This is a Book (2007) hijacks Cultural Revolution-era propaganda comics aimed at illiterate and semiliterate peasants, by reinterpreting them in a rough, painterly style, with almost imperceptible graffiti and visual subversions. It's accompanied by the original comics, so you can spot the difference between the vandalised and the authentic images. Dai Hua's I Love Beijing's Tiananmen (2006) is an alternative history of the city, a pixel-art digital print in the style of ancient scroll. It contains an incredibly detailed, self-made language of rebellious symbols, the kind of language the Chinese government would otherwise censor. Look closely and you'll see a Microsoft pop-up dialogue box that asks, "Would you like to delete this file? Yes/No." White Rabbit is the art world's equivalent of wide-eyed, out-and-out pop music. The kind of grown-up pop that Prince makes, that Madonna used to make. Their latest show has that holy grail of synchronous clarity and complexity that all contemporary artists search for — it's broad and accessible without ever sacrificing intelligence and depth. Double Take is smart and political, inspiring and unsettling, all at once. We recommend taking a guided tour — they're educational but not in a high school-ish way, because the White Rabbit staff are engaging, informed professionals who really know their stuff. And our last tip: There's a tiny library on the top floor where art geeks can spend a few hours pouring over beautiful, shiny art books, or join in on their Sunday book club. Image: Artist Tu Wei-Cheng as proprietor of his chocolate shop in Happy Valentine's Day, 2011, mixed media.
On TV screens over the past eight years, the residents of the Seven Kingdoms have fought many a fight over a single piece of furniture. But just as Game of Thrones isn't any old fantasy series, the Iron Throne isn't any old chair. As fans of the epic HBO show know — and readers of George RR Martin's books, too — it's the seat reserved for the realm's ruler. It's also the term used to refer to GoT's monarchy overall. Plenty of folks have sat on the Iron Throne. Plenty have died trying. Dragons, zombies and giants have all been used in the ongoing battle for the famous seat, and that's before the popular series airs its eighth and final season. Just who'll end up perched upon the grey, pointy item won't be unveiled until GoT returns in April; however GoT aficionados can plonk themselves down on one first thanks to HBO's For the Throne scavenger hunt. Since March 19, the US network has been scattering Iron Thrones at various locations around the world and asking the general public to find them. There's six in total, but other than enticing GoT diehards to discover the chairs' whereabouts, details about the overall quest are being kept suitably secret. Indeed, whether the winners receive anything other than the glory of sitting in the iron throne — and a shiny crown, as based on social media photos — is yet to be revealed. https://twitter.com/GameOfThrones/status/1107642891252436993 At the time of writing, the hunt runs for another 11 days, wrapping up on Wednesday, April 3 unless all of the Iron Thrones have been found before then. Clues for the Throne of the Forest, Throne of the North, Throne of Joy and Throne of Valyria have been revealed so far, comprised of hour-long 360-degree YouTube videos of each in their current surroundings at different times of the day. Three have been located — one in the forest at Puzzlewood in England, another surrounded by snow in Björkliden in Sweden and the third near the Castle of Atienza in Spain. If you've been counting down the days until the series airs its final episodes — starting on Monday, April 15, Australian time — this could be just what you need to fill your time. The new season arrives nearly two years after its predecessor, which premiered in July 2017. And, let's be honest, you've probably already rewatched the first seven seasons so often over that period that you can now recite every line. You've probably also watched and rewatched season eight's full trailer, which only dropped earlier this month. And the other season eight teasers — yes, there's more than one — as well. Check out one of the scavenger hunt clues below, and keep an eye on the For the Throne website and the Game of Thrones YouTube channel for further details: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keFHw-VhTjg The first episode of Game of Thrones Season 8 will air on HBO on Monday, April 15, AEST.
A Sydney institution has closed its doors. While Redfern Continental (and its cocktail bar GDR) are no more, we're happy to announce that a new venue is already set to take its place, with Golden Gully owners Daniel McBride and Dynn Smulewicz poised to open a sister venue to their Leichhardt small bar this month. The Sunshine Inn, as the new restaurant will be called, is set to open its Redfern doors on Thursday, September 24, with a casual bar facing the street and a degustation-only dining room — dubbed DD's — taking over the old GDR space. "We always thought it would be cool to do a concept in a bit more of a high traffic area," says McBride. "But Redfern still has that neighbourhood vibe that our venues are all about." Gully's Executive Chef Emma Evans (Alibi) will be in the kitchen serving up elevated gastropub eats up front and a three-to-five course degustation menu out back — all of which will be vegetarian and focus on locally sourced produce. Think jalapeño poppers, burnt garlic hummus and salt and vinegar potato scallops for snacks, plus New South Wales cheese and olive plates. For larger dishes, there'll be a vego 'meatball' sub, vegan scallops (made with mushroom) and a seasonal pasta dish that won't break the bank. "It'll be cheap eats that you can make a meal of or just have a few snacks with drinks," says McBride. "I'm a big fan of getting a $17 or $18 pasta dish and just having a glass of wine by myself, so Sunshine Inn will accommodate for that." [caption id="attachment_782298" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hugh McDonnell[/caption] While the front bar will be bright and airy with a minimalist fit-out — think white walls with navy accents and natural timber furnishings — the back restaurant will be dark and moody. "I loved the moodiness of GDR, so we've gone even further with that," says McBride. "We've painted the ceiling a deep blue, reupholstered all of the booths and chairs in velvet and added in a chandelier." The intimate space will host two dinner sittings per night (with bookings essential), then turn into a cocktail lounge once the kitchen is done. It's looking to be one of Sydney's best priced degustation menus, too, ranging from a very reasonable $40–60 (for three-to-five courses, respectively). Expect more refined fare here that's reminiscent of Gully's set menu. It will change regularly, but a dish that may make the cut is the cider-glazed brussels sprouts with miso and rice paper crackling. [caption id="attachment_782295" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hugh McDonnell[/caption] Also similar to the one at Gully, the cocktail menu will focus on Aussie spirits and native flavours — but The Sunshine Inn's list will include international booze, too. "I found with the Gully that, though I love doing Australian-only spirits, it's a bit restrictive if, say, someone wants a margarita," says McBride. "What we're doing instead is focusing on different approaches to classic cocktails, while getting extra creative with our house-made syrups so all of those native flavours will still shine through." The 20-strong cocktail list will include The Cure All (a tequila and mezcal take on the penicillin, made with jalapeño and ginger syrup), an amaro spritz (made using Poor Toms' Imbroglio, strawberry gum syrup and prosecco) and the Aussie Amari Sour, which McBride described as "a grown-up version of an amaretto sour". The wine list takes cues from the Gully as well, focusing on Aussie drops while balancing the natural with the accessible. Local winemakers M&J Becker, Balmy Nights and Yetti and the Kokonut will all represent, and brews from Sydney's Wildflower, Akasha and Grifter will be pouring as well. Find The Sunshine Inn and DD's at 180 Redfern Street, Redfern from Thursday, September 24. Opening hours will be 3pm–midnight Wednesday–Sunday at The Sunshine Inn and 6pm–midnight Wednesday–Saturday at DD's. Images: Hugh McDonnell
We're a nation of laid back folk. Some of us can get away with wearing thongs to work, boardies and bathers are a Monday-to-Friday staple for others, and words longer than two syllables don't have a place in our vocab (arvo, bev, sanga — sounds like a good day to us). And though we do love our rosé, a few espresso martinis and definitely a negroni or two, when it comes down to it an ice cold beer is simply a classic. So, why not pair our favourite brew with the best that our chefs have to offer? Beer and fine dining, once a sommelier's nightmare, the pairing is now de rigeur with the rise of craft breweries and the multitude of flavours available. But if you're stuck on the idea of swapping your sauvignon blanc for a stout, read on to hear from three chefs behind the upcoming The Dining Table pop-up restaurant on how you can navigate this culinary trend. Across ten nights, The Dining Table will see a different chef take over the pop-up to serve a delicious three course meal, with each course paired with a different beer. We sat down to chat with Adam Wolfers from Bar Brose, Jemma Whiteman and Nick Eggert from Good Luck Pinbone and Joel Humphreys from Bodega 1904 to find out why, when and how they're pairing beer with the delectable genius pouring out of their kitchens. WHAT MAKES BEER SO IDEAL TO PAIR WITH FINE FOOD? Pop-up aficionados Jemma Whiteman and Mike Eggert from Good Luck Pinbone say that new beer production methods and the availability of more complex beer flavours make today's beers more suited for fine dining than ever before. "You're looking at a much larger spectrum of beers, all with their own voice, their own taste and flavour profile, and that has opened the door to people using beer in food and pairing beer with fine foods," says Mike Eggert. "For example, with some beers you can get salty, creamy flavours, or deep malty tones that work so well with a range of foods — you just can't get that with wine." [caption id="attachment_634354" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Joel Humphreys from Bodega 1904.[/caption] Joel Humphreys, head chef at tapas bar Bodega 1904, says the explosion of craft beers means there are also more options for discerning diners when it comes to pairing beer and fine food. "There's such a vast array of different beers in Australia right now that you're not just looking at the imported lagers as you were in the past. There are new craft beers with diverse flavours, for example lighter, fruitier and hoppier beers that pair well with different types of food. These just weren't available before." Adam Wolfer from mod-Hungarian diner Bar Brose adds that diners today are more open to new ideas and less concerned by rigid rules around food and beverage pairing than they were in the past. "It's exciting to see that people who thought that wine was the only thing you should pair with fine food are now more open to having a beer. There's definitely more scope for beers in fine dining today." HOW TO APPROACH PAIRING BEER WITH FINE FOOD While there are no hard and fast rules to pairing beer and fine food, the chefs have offered a few tips to get the most from your food and beer pairing journey. [caption id="attachment_633713" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mike Eggert from Good Luck Pinbone.[/caption] Take the Time to Understand Beer Profiles and Flavours Mike Eggert suggests familiarising yourself with what you like by getting a mixed pack of beers and hosting your own tasting night. With beers only a fraction of the cost of a good bottle of wine, it's a suggestion that won't break the bank either. "Beer has variations between the styles; from the pale ales to the lagers to the stouts, they all have a strong flavour profile. And with any pairing, start with what the beer tastes like and what you're getting from the beer. Is it malty? Does it taste like coffee? Does it taste like mushrooms on a forest floor? Is it fruity? Smoky? Then I'd work backwards and find the profile that I like in that beer, and work towards that in a dish." In fact Mike and Jemma employed this same process to develop the Pinbone menu for The Dining Table series. The results speak for themselves with pairings including creamy Kilkenny ale matched with a stout-roasted lamb shoulder, and the smooth flavours of XXXX GOLD teamed with a handmade burrata curd, wood roasted fennel and bottarga. Use Wine Pairings as a Loose Guideline According to Joel Humphreys, beer makers today are approaching the brewing process like winemakers by considering flavour profiles to create even more complex, delicious brews. So, if in doubt, stick with tried and true basics: lighter beers likes ales for light meats and seafoods, and darker, maltier stouts for meats like beef and lamb. "For seafood, I'd suggest something that's refreshing and easy to drink. Something that complements its lighter style." He's paired the crisp, clean flavours of Toohey's Extra Dry with his smoked bonito pate entree. "The creaminess of the duck eggs and the savoury notes of the smoked bonito pate are rounded out by the [freshness of the beer]," says Joel. But don't be afraid to deviate from these guidelines either. For his main, Joel pairs a crispy pork belly cooked over ironbark with James Squire Orchard Crush. "I didn't want anything too complex, just something quite refreshing," he says. [caption id="attachment_633712" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Adam Wolfers from Bar Brose.[/caption] Above All, Pick a Beer You Like "There are no hard rules when it comes to food and beer pairing, and it's best to select a beer you like," Adam Wolfers says. "I look at the style of beer to give me steer on how it will work with food. For example, I'd serve a lighter beer like a pale ale with fish so it's not overpowering, and a heavier beer, like a malt, with meats," says Adam. Drawing on his Romanian-Hungarian heritage in developing the menu for the Bar Brose pop up, the dishes are a spin on the classics — there's a parsnip schnitzel and self-brined pastrami served with kohlrabi and muntriess (native berries) paired with James Squire The Chancer and White Rabbit Pale Ale, respectively. But it's in his dessert that Adam has gone out on a pairing limb, matching a refreshing Kirin Apple Cider with a fennel parfait, mandarin and toasted matzo. "If you enjoy a certain type of beer, then go with that," says Mike Eggert. "Some people want opposing matchings, not everyone wants sweet with sweet, or sour with sour. The truth about matchings is that if you believe it, then it's true. If you enjoy drinking something, you'll enjoy drinking that with the food you're eating." Try your hand at pairing beers with fine dining. Enter our competition to win a VIP dining experience at Bar Brose (including a meet and greet with Adam Wolfers), plus $500 to spend on some top-notch beers from MoCU, so you can do some pairing trials of your own at home. Images: Letícia Almeida.
After making his way from one of the most densely populated places on earth to one of the least, Australian-Bangladeshi artist Omar Chowdhury currently has two solo exhibitions running in Sydney, each shedding light on how spirituality is revealed through physical and cultural landscapes. Ways at 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art is a collection of video works, weaving together slices of everyday life from urban and rural Bangladesh. With a patient eye, Chowdhury turns his lens towards different religions and the daily behaviours of their members. From mass worship to individual prayer, the fact that he is able to untangle moments of quiet contemplation from the cacophony of collective existence seems like an achievement in itself. Means at Alaska Projects, on the other hand, has a very different feel. Experimenting with a slew of new mediums, Chowdhury delves deep into the Australian bushland, turning over bushfire blackened stones and wandering through quiet pockets of suburbia. In addition to a video work, there is a pair of smoke-stained canvases, a galvanised steel wire stretching across the exhibition space, some brush photographs coiled like tree trunks, a thick piece of charred bark, and three neatly framed extracts from different sources. Cumulatively, these enigmatic works have a strange, elliptic quality. There is a quiet dialogue between them, like viewing sections of a broken narrative, each charged with a totemic significance. In contrast to Ways which hovers over landscapes that are heavily populated and culturally tilled, this exhibition conveys a sense of eerie vacancy and unfamiliarity — it is more absence than presence. Speaking of broken narratives, the three extracts are quite interesting. With their yellowed pages and old-fashioned font, there is an instinctive pleasure to be derived here. Two passages reflect on being subsumed by the quietness and darkness of the bush, corresponding to the mysterious atmosphere set up; however, given Chowdhury's practice of playing with fact and fiction, there is a hint of doubt as to whether these are from real publications or if they're simply 'out of context'. Abstracted from the whole, their cultural properties become magnified, fluid and able to acquire new meanings. Playing to his cinematic strengths, the untitled video work in Means is imbued with a kind of curiosity played out from a distance. Tending to focus on isolated phenomena, there is a 'blank stare' style of camera work as we watch the slow movement of a snake and cattle crowded at a gate, patiently expectant. There is a gentle rhythm that is continued by the set pace of retirees shuffling around a local pub. But then there's a prolonged shot of a burning tree, evoking a kind of ritual significance, particularly as its corpse hangs nearby. The impression is of ethereal spirituality that hasn't been distilled down to a formal ceremony. Full of rich detail and thoughtful compositions, Chowdry's presence as artist is often unintrusive. With these companion exhibitions, he has produced a suite of works that oscillates between ritual and routine, holiness and banality.
A season of Serbian cinema will light up the silver screen at the latest edition of Australia's Serbian Film Festival. On offer at select Hoyts Cinemas around the country until early November, this year's program includes a quartet of contemporary Serbian productions that between them showcase the versatility of the nation's under-seen cinematic output. Selected as this year's opening night film, A Stinking Fairytale tells the story of the unlikely romance between Ema and Moma, who live homeless on the streets of Belgrade. Another standout title is Nikola Ljuca's Humidity, which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival earlier this year and has been described by The Hollywood Reporter as "a cryptic thriller about the morally vacant lifestyles of the rich and shameless". On a lighter note, Double Trouble is a comedy about a pair of estranged brothers who find themselves on a collision course. Rounding out the program is The Black Pin, a dark comedy about a misanthropic priest at odds with his superstitious parishioners.
Classic flicks just keep making the leap to the stage, turning their big-screen tales into song-filled musical adaptations in the process. From 9 to 5 and Muriel's Wedding to Moulin Rouge! and Shrek, a hefty number of beloved movies have done just that — and now Adam Sandler's smash-hit film The Wedding Singer is joining them. The Wedding Singer: The Musical Comedy was originally due to hit Melbourne in June last year but, as we all know, the pandemic hit. Now, it's also heading to Sydney, playing the State Theatre from Thursday, July 1. When it does finally hit the stage locally, The Wedding Singer: The Musical Comedy will deliver an all-singing, all-dancing stage show based on its hilarious namesake 90s flick. And it's from the same crew that propelled it to sell-out success on Broadway and across the UK, including the writer of the original movie, Tim Herlihy. This one promises to yank you right into The Wedding Singer's 80s world of big hair and classic wedding bangers, thanks to a toe-tapping score that's sure to prompt a few hearty crowd singalongs. It retells the story of party-loving wedding singer and wannabe rock star Robbie Hart, who's left stranded at the altar at his own nuptials. Heartbroken, he sets out to destroy every other wedding he's a part of, until a chance encounter with a waitress: Drew Barrymore's character Julia. Now, he just has to win over the girl... and somehow put a stop to her own upcoming marriage along the way. If you need a refresher, you can watch the OG nostalgic film trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yjOXMTa6vA
Minimalist Aussie clothing designer Assembly Label opened up a permanent surplus store in Beaconsfield earlier this year where you can nab discounted threads on the reg. Thankfully, it still hosts regular warehouse sales there, too, and its next one is happening just in time to stock up on threads for summer. The four-day warehouse sale is running this weekend, from Thursday, December 13 through to Sunday, December 16. This means the warehouse's samples and pieces from past seasons will be going at up to 70 percent off. That includes much needed swimwear, dresses and basic tees for the coming summer months, plus denim, shorts, jackets and accessories in both men's and women's designs. The label is known for its linen basics and relaxed coastal vibes that makes up the wardrobe of many a Sydneysider. The surplus store will be open this weekend from 9am–9pm on Thursday, 9am–7pm on Friday, 9am–5pm on Saturday, and 10am–5pm on Sunday. Once the sale is finished, the surplus store will return to its daily trade of discounted signature basics and seasonal releases, with styles restocked weekly.
If you do a little gurge in your mouth when you hear the phrase “arts and crafts," then listen up. This isn’t your usual collection of handmade bits and bobs, purchased to make you feel better about not calling your nana enough. Sure, there’s a bit of felt. And maybe some knitting (that’s on the up and up, anyway). But you’ll also stumble across born-again books, futuristic tea-towels, organic coffee, trendy locals with new millennium haircuts, stylish scraps of silver plus heaps more. So put the spew away, you snob, and head down to CarriageWorks in Redfern the first Sunday of every month. Oh, and call your nana.
In Spider-Man: No Way Home, everyone's favourite friendly neighbourhood web-slinger still does whatever a spider can. (Don't expect the catchy cartoon theme song, though.) To be precise, Spidey's latest outing — starring Tom Holland (Chaos Walking), as every live-action film in the ever-sprawling Marvel Cinematic Universe that's featured the superhero has — sees him do whatever spider-men have for decades. The masked crusader shoots webs, flings them about New York and swings around the city. He helps people, battles crime, literally hangs out with his girlfriend MJ (Zendaya, Dune) and saves the world, too. As the movie's trailers revealed, Spider-Man also fights whoever his on-screen predecessors fought. The twist that isn't a twist because it's part of the flick's marketing: that villains from Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield's stints as Spidey show up here. Those familiar faces, including Willem Dafoe (The Card Counter) as the Green Goblin, Alfred Molina (Promising Young Woman) as Doctor Octopus and Jamie Foxx (Soul) as Electro, aren't Peter Parker's initial problem, as viewers of 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming and 2019's Spider-Man: Far From Home will already know. No Way Home picks up immediately after the latter, after Spidey's secret identity has been blasted across the internet by online conspiracist J Jonah Jameson (JK Simmons, Ride the Eagle). The media swiftly make Peter "the most famous person in the world", the public get hostile and his college prospects — and MJ and Ned's (Jacob Batalon, Let It Snow) as well — take a hit. The only solution he can see: asking Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog) to cast a spell to make everyone forget who he is. With drastic magic comes drastic consequences, hence those recognisable nefarious folks who know Spidey — and definitely know that he's Peter Parker — yet don't recognise the MCU's version. Marvel's next flick after this one is Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, so the franchise is about to go big on alternate worlds, but No Way Home still doesn't actually jump into that domain first. It's a curious choice on the whole huge saga's part to take cues from the animated delight that is Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which relished having multiple spider-realms, got inventive with both its concept and visuals, won an Oscar and is easily the best spider-flick to-date, all without sitting within the MCU itself. Indeed, the live-action franchise's third stand-alone Spider-Man movie can't shake the feeling that it's playing catch-up. Directed by Jon Watts, as all three recent web-slinging films have been, No Way Home does more than give flesh, blood and spandex to an ace idea already brought to the screen a mere three years back. It also delivers the heftiest helping of fan service that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has ever dished up. The franchise has long enjoyed hitting all the obvious crowd-pleasing notes, but Martin Scorsese's 2019 comment that compared MCU fare to theme parks rings particularly true here — unsurprisingly given this Spider-Man outing wants to elicit the loudest of screams and shouts from its audience. Buy the ticket, take the cinematic ride, ooh and aah over every clear spin and foreseeable twirl: amid the stock-standard CGI-packed action scenes and triple-layered Spidey nods to iterations past, not all that long ago and present, that's what No Way Home seeks from its viewers. And, it takes the rollercoaster approach to evoking that reaction, rolling its story down the most glaring of tracks. You can anticipate each jolt and shake on any given amusement ride, see every up and down coming, and still relish the experience — and that's what No Way Home is hoping for. It wants to be the fun flick that gleefully makes Spidey fans' dreams come true, and to coast on the buzz of all those fantasies fulfilled. That's all busy and nostalgic and undemandingly entertaining but, even though No Way Home isn't short on twists that haven't been laid out in the trailers, this is one of the least surprising MCU films yet. Three-time Spider-Man screenwriters Erik Sommers and Chris McKenna make every expected move they can with this greatest hits package, both within the usual Marvel formula and with the parts of their script that are meant to startle and astonish. As a result, No Way Home's best moments swing in one of two directions: weighty or silly. Much of the movie hovers in the middle, resembling the empty space between an arachnid's silky threads, but when it either burrows deep or keeps things goofy, there's enough that sticks. Pondering the cost of being Spider-Man, the film doesn't fling itself into new territory — and yet it manages to add extra strands to the 'being a superhero is tough' scenario by recognising how such woes keep recurring. Finding laughs in the whole situation isn't unique either, and No Way Home isn't as funny or as loose as Homecoming or Far From Home. Still, that's the vibe that suits Holland; in his stretch in the red-and-blue suit, he's always played Peter like an excited, awkward and overwhelmed teen who's daffily grappling with what it all means, which is particularly pivotal here. There is one brief glorious moment during No Way Home's climax — a trio of shots, all edited together rapidly and framed to match each other — that perfects what Watts is aiming for overall. It's astute, amusing, enjoyable and, although still undeniably obvious, thoughtfully taps into the existential Spidey struggle while simultaneously proving loving and playful. It's the full web, even spanning just seconds, but that term doesn't fit the bulk of the feature that sprawls around it. No Way Home isn't without its charms — Holland and Zendaya's chemistry still sparkles, it's a definite treat to see Dafoe and Molina back in the fold, and, as blasts from the pasts keep popping up, Watts cleverly juggles the varying tones of all three different web-slinging franchises — but this spider-sequel is always happiest when it's trying to catch the audience's claps and cheers just like flies.
Not many people, let alone many 19-year-olds, can say they've spent four months immersed in a Catholic community of transsexual prostitutes. But Australian photographer Billy Maynard isn't your average teenager — he caught the isolated peoples on camera during a trip to East Timor last year, and is now shedding light on them in his debut exhibition Trans/Tender at the Damien Minton Gallery's Annex Space. Shot entirely in darkness on black and white film, Maynard's gritty photographs depict undeniably human moments that are the rare product of a remarkable amount of trust between artist and subject. In this case gaining that trust meant a complete, almost naive immersion into this impoverished community. Indeed Maynard admits to finding unlooked-for friends amidst the mud, rain, heat and sex of the tiny island — most notably a woman called Peppe, whom he admires for her ability to turn the straightest men in uniform into salivating animals. The candidness and sexual ambiguity that Peppe epitomises are evident in each of Maynard's 17 photographs — whether a moonlit face, a naked body, or a pile of crumpled bedding. It's almost as if there's only one wall separating the Damien Minton gallery from the anxiety-ridden East Timor island, and you’ve just poked a hole through it — though actually, a 19-year-old did that for you.
So someone’s trying to tell you that you don’t know the meaning of art. Don’t get mad, get Even Books! The debaucherous book club parties started as a “real-world offshoot of an online magazine,†according to co-founder Angela, “but Even Books grew little baby legs of its own and took off.†The thinking person’s rave takes an esoteric turn this month with the literally and morally ambiguous theme “Mountain Dream Tarot & Jean Dubuffetâ€. Expect freeform art criticism, a zine and book stall, a tarot reader, a photo-booth and a whole bunch of paint cans (BYO paint). Plus, there will be performances from the Sydney three-piece that may or may not be taking over the world, No Art, and a DJ set from the brains and brawn behind Jingle Jangle, Smokey La Beef and Exercise Mike. Kind of like hosting an artist-in-residence– in your brain.Photo by Will Reichelt
