Ah, the mysteries of the cosmos. Stargazers everywhere, both sciencey and romantic, can rejoice at this exciting time because the Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2013 competition exhibition is showing at the Royal Observatory Greenwich in London through 23 February next year. We've come an awfully long way from the first photo of the moon taken ca. 1826, what with our insanely high ISOs these days, and our tripods and our knowledge and our penchant for standing around all night while our Canons painstakingly track the path of the stars. Now in its fifth year, the competition received more than 1200 entries from 49 countries. Turns out, it's not only nerdy Hubble astronomers and National Geographic lensmen training their eyes on the skies — all manner of enchanting and mind-bending space images are being made by inspired amateurs year-round (even a 14-year-old's work has earned some laurels this year). You're sure to deeply enjoy pondering the beauty of infinity as you check out these selects. So who's been judged the ultimate astrophotography kingpin? Australia's Mark Gee with his photo 'Guiding Light to the Stars' — and we just happen to have the Concrete Playground Bluffer's Guide to Astronomy Photography on hand, featuring all the advice you could need from Mr. Gee himself. It's not so easy making sharp and correctly-lit images of the night sky (Lord knows I've tried and failed), which makes Gee's wisdom, and the shots in the exhibition, even more impressive. Soundtrack while you are shooting meteors? 'Constellations' by indie quirkster Darwin Deez. The Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2013 book is out now, and the Flickr pool has all the submissions for your viewing pleasure. Top image: Hi.Hello photographed by Ben Canales (Runner up – People and Space Category) Guiding Light to the Stars by Mark Gee, winner of the Astronomy Photographer of the Year “Snowy Range Perseid Meteor Shower” shot by David Kingham (Highly Commended – Earth & Space Category) The Waxing Crescent Moon by 14-year-old Jacob Marchio (Highly Commended – Young Astronomy Photographer Category) Green Energy by Fredrik Broms, capturing the Aurora Borealis (Runner Up – Earth & Space Category) Moon Silhouettes by Mark Gee (Winner – People and Space Category) Celestial Impasto Sh2-239 by Adam Block (Winner – Deep Space Category) Floating Metropolis – NGC 253 photographed by Michael Sidonio of Australia, showing the rare appearance of a starburst galaxy, with many stars being born at once (Highly Commended – Deep Space Category) Via Hyperallergic
Get ready to cosy up this winter at the Sydney Tea Festival. If you have a yearning for an Earl Grey or a passion for Russian Caravan, this event is sure to warm your cockles. When the festival opens at Carriageworks on Sunday, August 19, you'll find all manner of tea-related talks, workshops and tastings to extend your appreciation of the finest brew. One workshop, held by Ryan Gavin from Rockpool Group and sponsored by Archie Rose Distilling Co., will explore tea-inspired cocktails, and tell you how you can add some booze to your next tea party. In another, you'll learn all about pairing your favourite beverage with cheese. Or, take sessions on everything from blending and brewing to Japanese green tea and Taiwanese Oolong — when you're not trying four different blends of tea wine, that is. There'll also be plenty of stallholders showing their wares, a tasting table for small groups and a tea degustation dinner to celebrate the fest's fifth birthday. Tickets range from $16.50 in advance to $20 on the door, and you should book ahead for the workshops and talks. Get ready to curl those frosty hands around a warm cuppa and escape Sydney's winter chill. Images: Madeye Photography.
It's already well-known for its unique offering of fried chicken, doughnuts, Champagne and kicks, and now Butter is throwing another element into the mix — helping to make some lives a little easier by hosting a charity sneaker drive. Coinciding with National Sneaker Day, this Tuesday, October 9, the drive will see Butter collecting a heap of shoe donations for Shoes for Planet Earth — a non-profit organisation that provides recycled running shoes for those in need. Head in to either store (Surry Hills or Parramatta) between 11.30am and 10pm on the day, drop off a pair of pre-loved, hole-free sneaks, and you'll score one of Butter's hot buttered cinnamon doughnuts for your efforts. You'll be doing your tastebuds a solid, clearing out your wardrobe and helping some well-deserving folk put their best foot forward — that's winning all round.
Each year, Curryfest transforms the town of Woolgoolga into a bustling centre for celebrating the Punjabi heritage of the region. On September 23, the festival celebrates its twelve years by showcasing Indian music, dance, culture and of course, plates upon plates of curries. Head to the Woolgoolga Beach Reserve where the town's breathtaking Sikh temple is visible from its hilltop location. Apart from the Australian beachside views, you'll feel transported to the vibrant streets of India with all of its sights, sounds and smells. While a host of events take place in the lead up to the festival day, the main draw is of course the 170 food and market stalls that draw in thousands of visitors each year. The aroma of the brightly coloured curries will make for one mouthwatering day and a food coma should be expected by the end of it. The tents also include a mindfulness and meditation zone, along with a a special kids zone with rides and entertainment.
Your must-see movie list just keeps growing, but your wallet doesn't want to play ball. Call Dendy Cinemas' latest special a case of great timing, then, with the chain offering up discount tickets that'll solve your problem. From May 10–15, as long as you purchase online, you'll only pay $8 for your movie of choice at Dendy Newtown or Opera Quays. Or movies. With everything from Avengers: Infinity War to Unsane to Breath currently screening, there's plenty to watch if you're keen to spend as much time in a darkened room as possible. And if you'd like something a little more luxurious, you can nab a Dendy Lounge ticket at Newtown — aka their version of gold class — for $20 during the same period (they're usually $26).
It's no secret Chippendale has been one of the fastest growing cultural hubs of late and, for the third year running, BEAMS Arts Festival will again light up Balfour Street and seven surrounding laneways (including public park 'Chippendale Green') with all sorts of creative works sprawling across colour, light, movement and sound dimensions. The not-for-profit Chippendale Creative Precinct has invited over 350 buzzing minds to showcase their creative works and expect a 10,000-strong turnout on the night. This year's theme is (buzzword alert) 'Utopia' and is all about celebrating urban landscapes, starting up conversations looking forward to the future. For five hours, you can gawk at art and light installations and video and interactive works from established and emerging creators like VIVID Light artists John Wright and Vincent Buret. Creative workshops, dance collectives, comics, poets and other performers will keep attendees entertained, along with a never-ending stream of live music featuring Splendour performer Benjamin Bleyerveen, reggae band Frieda's Boss, MCA Art Bar regular BATTERIE and more. There's no chance of a rumbling tummy either, with culinary showcases from local faves Ester and Brickfields, as well as a host of other food trucks to satisfy all palates. Chippendale is bringing the party to your arty senses.
Since opening earlier this year, Cadenza Floral Cafe has been serving up elaborate brunches in an even more elaborate flower-filled pink space to North Sydney locals. And now it's ready to officially launch to the wider public — with three days of $1 coffees, no less. On February 12, 13 and 14, you'll be able to head into the cafe — which sits under the Skye apartments on the Pacific Highway — for a one-buck coffee made on Adore Boutique Coffee beans. The deal is just for regular coffees, so if you want something extra (say, soy milk or an extra shot) you'll need to cough up a bit more. Best part is that the cafe is open from 7am right through until 5.30pm, so you can get your gold coin cup before, during or even after work. You're only allowed one each day, though. While you're there, you can check out Cadenza's Korean-influenced brunch offering, which includes waffles, bulgogi burgers and giant bacon sandwiches.
It's going to be a spicy summer in Bondi this year with the arrival of one of the country's most beloved hot chicken chains. Belles Hot Chicken has built a passionate fanbase — and landed on our favourite Sydney fried chicken spots — through its Circular Quay, Glebe and Barangaroo eateries in Sydney, alongside multiple Melbourne venues. Now, it's heading east with an inaugural Bondi outpost set to open on Hall Street in October. The Belles team is transforming the former site of Fonda into a 70s-inspired American-style diner serving up all of the Belles hits. While the menu hasn't been locked in yet, it's safe to expect plenty of fried chook available in the signature spice levels ranging from Original to Really F**kin Hot — plus chicken sandwiches, next-level sides and top-notch bevs. The drinks selection is always a highlight at Belles, with playful cocktails, top-shelf spirits, a refreshing house lager, natty wines and boozy slushies all mainstays across the Melbourne and Sydney locations. If the pairing of spicy fried chicken sandwiches and spiked whisky slushies at the beach on a hot summer's day sounds like an absolute match made in heaven, you are not alone. "After opening the doors to our CBD flagship at Circular Quay, we pounced at the opportunity to transform Fonda's iconic location to our new home," says Managing Director Joss Jenner-Leuthart. "Belles is a place to kick back, dig in, get messy or just chill — and Bondi Beach always felt like a natural fit." [caption id="attachment_645113" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The now-closed Fonda Bondi[/caption] Belles will be the latest edition to the vibrant culinary precinct that is Hall Street, joining the likes of Da Orazio, bills and the recently-revamped China Diner, as well as nearby favourites like the Bondi outpost of Chaco Ramen and sunny brewery-bar Curly Lewis. [caption id="attachment_910913" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Belles Circular Quay, Dexter Kim[/caption] Belles Hot Chicken Bondi will open in October at 85 Hall Street, Bondi Beach.
It’s a festival that’s taking place right at your doorstep. And there’s wine. Lots of wine! Clear your social calendar for the next couple of months Sydneysiders - the grapes are coming to you! The swirling, sniffing and sipping kicks off with Sydney Cellar Door (Feb 25-26) at Hyde Park. This a weekend-long outdoor event that brings together the best drops from 90 wineries across 14 regions in NSW. To stop you from falling over after the first lot of tastings, there’s a large array of tasty snacks on offer from 25 of Sydney’s culinary hotspots and from regional sellers. Porteno, Zushi, Almond Bar and Hunter Valley Cheese Company are just some of the stalls you can look forward to salivating over (tasting packages are available for purchase from the festival website). Once you’re done trawling, kick back on the grass and sway along to live jazz, blues and reggae in a blissful pinot noir haze. Carrying the good times forward is NSW Wine of the Month (Feb 27 – Mar 31). New to the festival, this event has got the city’s best wine bars (TBA) on board to offer patrons a glass of premium NSW wine accompanied by a scrumptious bar snack for the bargain price of $15. On top of that, restaurants featured in the SMH’s Good Food Guide will be offering set menus matched with great regional drops as part of Dine with NSW Wine. For those looking to step things up a notch, the Tour of the Region Dinners in March sees four hatted restaurants (TBA) offering a unique degustation menu to compliment the finest wines from a leading NSW region. Those lucky diners who get their act together and book will have the opportunity to meet Sydney’s top chefs and seasoned winemakers. Finally, you’ll want to circle March 3 for the SMH Growers’ Market wine tasting, where SMH wine experts pass their expertise on to market-goers who will be treated to a selection of fresh market produce. With so much wining and dining to do, there has never been a better excuse to postpone your detox. Happy quaffing!! Images: Courtesy of NSW Wine Festival
Summer is over, but you can still channel its carefree feels with a spot of outdoor cinema — especially when the flicks are free. This April marks the return of Darling Quarter's ever-popular al fresco film screenings, delivering 12 nights of outdoor movie magic for young and old (and in between). Taking over the precinct's Village Green from Thursday–Sunday each week between April 1–18, the annual Night Owls Film Festival will this year kick off at 5.45pm nightly with a special family-friendly program — think kids' entertainment and a family feature film from 6.30pm. If your inner child (or actual child) loves movies like Big Hero 6, Sonic the Hedgehog, Finding Dory, Despicable Me and The Addams Family, you'll want to head along then. But come nightfall on Fridays and Saturdays, it's the big kids' turn, with a program of grown-up movies screened from 8.30pm on select evenings. Well, mostly for adults — because Little Women, Ride Like a Girl and In My Blood It Runs are on the lineup, alongside Oddball, Go! and My Spy. Be sure to bring along your picnic rug and accompany your cinema experience with eats from one of the many nearby vendors — Thai, sushi, pizza, Brazilian barbecue and gelato are all a short stroll away.
In Mark Wahlberg's performances, men are patriotic heroes and fun-loving dads. With his Funky Bunch and Boogie Nights days long behind him, that's the image he's been cultivating on-screen of late. The actor's resume has become littered with gung-ho action and family-friendly comedies — Patriot's Day, Mile 22 and Transformers sequels on one side; a pair of Daddy's Home movies and now Instant Family on the other. As different as the two might seem, both types of film basically allow him to play the same character. He doesn't disappear into his roles or make every part feel distinctive, but simply adds to his particular portrait of masculinity. While Wahlberg might hunt down terrorists in one flick, battle shape-shifting robots in another and then face the challenges of being a father in the next, he's really just painting the same picture one movie at a time. Instant Family, Wahlberg's latest all-ages affair, slides seamlessly into his recent filmography. As for the actor, he steps into the shoes of Pete Wagner, a take-charge kind of guy who renovates and sells houses for a profit with his wife Ellie (Rose Byrne). The couple's life is comfortable and happy, but they've fallen into a rut. So, being at the age where everyone comments about their lack of kids, they start thinking about helping children in need. Approaching becoming foster parents like they're remodelling a rundown home, the pair considers their new task a spiritual and emotional revamp. And the arrival of teenager Lizzy (Isabela Moner) and her siblings Juan (Gustavo Quiroz) and Lita (Julianna Gamiz) goes smoothly at first; in fact, Pete and Ellie are initially pretty pleased with themselves. It's easy to see why Instant Family appealed to Wahlberg, who gets to play another tough but tender everyman facing a challenge, looking out for his family and doing what his type of guy does. That said, there's more to this specific story, with the film inspired by the life of director and foster parent Sean Anders. There's an evident ring of truth to many of the movie's scenes — the awkwardness of adoption fairs, where potential caregivers browse for kids like they might a new pet, coo over cute tykes and steer clear of teenagers, provides just one example. Anders hasn't come up with an offbeat scenario solely for laughs, and it shows in the script penned with his regular co-writer John Morris. Certainly, the authentic side of Instant Family shines through on occasion. It definitely shines brighter than the picture's unremarkable imagery. But Anders also wrote and directed the broad, formulaic Daddy's Home and its equally grating follow-up, and he's not giving up his by-the-numbers ways yet. As a result, Instant Family is a movie with its heart firmly in the right spot, yet it doesn't trust that audiences will buy in without the expected array of physical mishaps, kids saying the darnedest things and adults getting frustrated in the usual cliched manner. It's a film that feels caught between what it wants to say and what it needs to be — and while supporting actors Octavia Spencer and Tig Notaro bring genuine comedic chops to the more overt comic moments, the movie just can't reconcile its various parts. Think the Bad Neighbours flicks, but pitting new parents against actual children in a kid-friendly fashion. Think the aforementioned Daddy's Home duo, too, but much less stale and more sincere. Instant Family is never as entertaining as the first set of films or as excruciating as the second, and if you prefer the former to the latter, Byrne is obviously here to help. Like her co-lead, she's doing something that she's done before, however the Aussie actor never makes her character feel like a stock-standard part. That she manages such a feat while being saddled with some of the movie's most routine material — playing a thirty-something woman who suddenly gets maternal and regrets her life decisions, namely — confirms why she's one of today's great, often underrated comedic performers. When it comes to enlivening an otherwise run-of-the-mill role, Wahlberg might want to take note. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCWHr6AUxwI
Much-loved nerdy white guy and Seth Cohen-endorsed musician Ben Folds is bringing his upbeat brand of piano pop back to Australia at the end of this year. Though you might remember his music best from the battered walkman you rocked in the late '90s, rest assured that this talented US Adelaide enthusiast is still a force to be reckoned with. And nothing proves this more than the fact that his backing band will be the nation's best symphony orchestras. From mid-November, Folds will be touring all of Australia's major cities (except Brisbane, oddly enough) performing with each state's respective orchestral talents. Taking both excerpts of his new Concerto for Piano and Orchestra as well as jazzed up versions of his old pop hits, this dynamic musician will be creating an exciting and unique show in some of the nation's best venues. Of course, this is a tour Folds is familiar with. He's performed with some of the world's best orchestras over the past decade, and before he gets to our shores this year, he'll be taking the Ben Folds Orchestra Experience all around Europe. Hardcore fans might even remember that Australia was the site of his first orchestral work — this performance with the Western Australia Symphony Orchestra was immortalised on film in 2005. But you don't need to know all that to enjoy the show. Whether you have a long history with 'Brick' and the rest of his early work, or just really like that Triple J Like A Version he did of 'Such Great Heights' — this is a show not to be missed. Ben Folds tour dates: November 14 and 15 — Sydney Opera House with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra November 28 and 29 — Perth Concert Hall with the Western Australia Symphony Orchestra December 5 — Festival Theatre with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra December 10 — Wrest Point Entertainment Centre with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra December 19 and 20 — Arts Centre Melbourne with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Ticket prices range from $50-$129 and will be available through each orchestra's website from July 4 at 9am.
On the hunt for a Halloween getup that'll cement your status as a costume genius? Or maybe that wardrobe of yours just needs a little extra pizzazz going into the silly season. Whatever your needs, you'll find a veritable treasure chest of fashion gold at Opera Australia's costume clearance sale this weekend. On October 21 and 22, the company will be throwing open the doors to its Alexandria warehouse to clear out over 2000 pieces of retired stock, with prices starting at a mere $2. Items up for grabs run from the weird to the downright wacky, including outfits spattered with fake blood, suits of armour, period costumes, military garments, head-turning retro designs and a swag of everyday wardrobe pieces. Doors open at 10am but, if you're serious about this, we suggest getting there earlier than that.
As a movie, it's a masterpiece. As a stage musical, it's one of the most famous there is. And, returning to Australia for the first time in almost 20 years with Sarah Brightman starring as Norma Desmond, Sunset Boulevard is going to be big. Andrew Lloyd Webber's Tony-winner, which first took the leap from the screen to the stage in 1993 — and picked up Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Book of a Musical, and awards for leading actor, leading actress and featured actor for its efforts, among more — is bringing its Hollywood story Down Under again in 2024. The production will bring its new Aussie run to the Harbour City from Wednesday, August 28, playing at the Sydney Opera House. As Desmond, Brightman will make her global debut in the part, taking on her first theatre role in over three decades. She'll also add to a spectacular career that includes originating the role of Christine in The Phantom of the Opera back in the 80s. Here, she's stepping into a part that saw Gloria Swanson nominated for an Oscar in 1951 and Glenn Close win a Tony in 1995. Debra Byrne played the part in Australia back in 1996, while Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls has done the same in West End. [caption id="attachment_921590" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Simon Fowler[/caption] As Billy Wilder's 1950 film first covered in a feature that's been influential not just in inspiring stage adaptations, but on every other movie about Tinseltown since, Sunset Boulevard follows silent star Desmond. With her career getting small with the advent of the talkies, she dreams about making a comeback. The movie famously starts with a man's body floating in a swimming pool, then flashes back to Desmond's time with screenwriter Joe Gillis, her latest attempts to reclaim her success and the events that bring about that watery end. On the stage, Sunset Boulevard will echo with tunes such as 'With One Look', 'The Perfect Year' and 'As If We Never Said Goodbye' as it tells the above tale. [caption id="attachment_956091" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ben King[/caption] Top image: Ben King.
On the lookout for a dope new denim jacket? Or do want to be rid of that weird-looking lamp taking up space in the living room? Then, by golly, you're in luck. The Garage Sale Trail works with local council partners Australia wide to get as many trash-and-treasure troves happening on the same day as possible. Last year, over 7000 garages opened their doors to bargain hunters, and they're doing it for the fourth time on October 26. Aside from the retro goodies up for grabs, the Trail is all about sustainability. Instead of ending up in landfill, unwanted clutter becomes a fantastic find. So get that tight pair of sunnies for peanuts and help the environment at the same time. The Garage Sale Trail began humbly in Bondi in 2010 and is growing bigger every year, so register online to pick up some sweet new threads, make a quick buck from your old junk and hang out with the friendly folks in your hood.
You might be back at work, but summer isn't over just yet. If you're ever in doubt, a visit to Bungalow 8 in King street Wharf should extinguish your fears. Aperol has built a dedicated games area, complete with totem tennis, giant jenga and lifesize chess. Around until the end of February, you can show off your competitive streak with one of these classic backyard games while sipping one of the venue's summery tipples. You can get the classic Aperol spritz or Aperol Elixir — a refreshing concoction of Aperol, Cinzano Rosso, raspberry tea, lemon and ginger ale — for just $12 a glass or $28 a jug. And between 4–7pm, you can pair these tipples with tapas plates for $10 each — think pork scratchings, cured meats and kingfish ceviche — or, if you just can't get enough, you can tuck into an Aperol doughnut by Shortstop. But Bungalow 8 isn't the only place you'll find cheeky Aperol deals in the city. Beach Road Hotel in Bondi has been taken over by popular Surry Hills and Randwick pizza joint Maybe Frank for summer. Alongside its tasty pizzas, it's slinging $12 Aperol spritzes and $15 negronis every day ($10 on Thursdays). See, there's still plenty of summer sippin' to be done yet.
Is Rising Sun Workshop the world's only combination ramen restaurant, motorcycle workshop and neighbourhood cafe? If not, it's surely Australia's — and it's certainly one of Sydney's most unique dining experiences. While any trip to the hidden Whateley Street spot is a delight, the Inner West favourite is turning up the dial on its usual offerings on Wednesday, April 19 with the return of its dinner party series. The idea of the Rising Sun Dinner Party is simple. Bring people together for a night where the chefs get to flex their creativity with some new dishes and showcase some top-notch wines, to boot. The series is kicking back off with a collaborative meal in tandem with Parley wine. The four-course feast will be paired with four standout wines selected by the Parley team, who will be on hand to guide you through what you're drinking. For $100 per person, diners will kick off their night with a scallop crudo served with white peach, sunrise lime, wakame and a 2022 Capitaine Chardonnay. From there, the meal will traverse glazed pork jowl with whipped mentaiko, kasuzuke or pickled duck paired with blood plumboshi and rainbow chard, and koshihikari risotto topped with fried quail. Each of these will be partnered with a wine, including Love Supreme's rosé and Light Breaks Dawn Cabernet Franc. There are two seatings available on the night, but the 8.30pm session is already fully booked up so you better hurry to nab a spot at 6.30pm. You can secure your place by purchasing a ticket online. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rising Sun Workshop (@rising_sun_workshop) Top image: Destination NSW
Griffin Theatre Company is the self-proclaimed "theatre of first chances". Championing original new works from Aussie playwrights, the Kings Cross spot makes a mission of providing creative opportunities — and has taken exceptional bodies of work to the stage in the process. To note: it world premiered the now-Aussie darlings Prima Facie and City of Gold. This month, it's bringing us Eloise Snape's one-woman show Pony. This particular one woman is Hazel (Briallen Clarke, pictured) and audiences are joining her as she lives her life before the outrageously obvious imminent arrival of her first born. Expect to split your sides as the reality tv-obsessive navigates baby showers and buckwild nights out, reality-affirming ultrasounds and midwife meetings — plus the almighty weight of the fact there's a life-altering force about to be born into her world. Shortlisted for a handful of prestigious awards (Queensland Premier's Drama Award 2022–23; Griffin Award 2022; Patrick White Playwrights Award 2022), Pony is truly not one to be missed. From an all-female team comes the main attraction for a spectacular night out, delivering a culture trip full to the brim with red-hot wit, crass vaginal innuendos and a truly authentic telling of the whirlwind of anxious anticipation that comes right before parenthood. (The inspiration behind Pony comes from Snape's own experience of becoming a mother.) So, wrangle your mates, book your tickets and plan to grab a pre-Pony bev at the theatre's Penny Cook Bar before settling in to this laugh-a-minute piece of theatre. 'Pony' takes to the stage at Griffin Theatre Company from Friday, May 12 till Saturday, June 17. For more information and to nab your tickets, head to the website. Imagery: Brett Boardman.
Time-travelling DeLoreans and phone booths may be pure fiction, sadly, but jumping back to the past is still possible right now at Powerhouse Museum. If you're a fan of 80s and 90s rock, the Ultimo venue has two events whisking you off to that very era — an exhibition and a corresponding film program. At Unpopular, attendees can peruse behind-the-scenes images, footage and items from the 90s alternative scene, which means revelling in bands like Sonic Youth, Beastie Boys, Mudhoney, Nirvana, Bikini Kill, Fugazi, Pavement and The Lemonheads. That's on display until June 2023; however, movie lineup Uncensored is here for a good time, not a long time, from Friday, December 2–Sunday, December 4. Across three nights, the Powerhouse is screening six films as part of a ticketed lineup — and peering into the 80s as well as the 90s. Kicking things off at 6pm on the Friday is Freakscene: The Story of Dinosaur Jr, about the east coast American band, with The Man From Mo'Wax, which focuses on James Lavelle and his pioneering record label, also playing at 8pm. If Saturday suits your diary better, 2013's Cosmic Psychos: Blokes You Can Trust is a must-see at 6pm, no matter how much you already know about the Aussie group. It's paired at 8pm with Instrument, the product of filmmaker Jem Cohen collaborating with Fugazi from 1987–1996. Then, on Sunday, Montage of Heck leads the bill at 2pm. Before Brett Morgen made this year's stunning David Bowie doco Moonage Daydream, this Kurt Cobain-focused film wowed music fans as well. And, on a grunge-filled afternoon, 90s lovers can then watch I'm Now: The Story of Mudhoney at 5pm. Tickets cost $20 per movie, with discounts on offer for booking sessions to multiple movies — and your purchase includes a late-night session at the exhibition. Knowing what you'll be listening to afterwards, or even now after reading this, is free. Top image: Cobain: Montage of Heck (2015). Dir. Brett Morgen.
The Grounds of Alexandria's Christmas markets are back for 2017 with a week of artisan stalls and holiday-themed treats sure to get you in the festive spirit. Knock out your Christmas shopping at the crafty stalls, which will be set up from 10am till 7pm December 18–20, and 9am will 3.30pm December 21–24. With everything from jewellery, to natural skincare and leather monogramming, you're sure to find the perfect gift for your loved ones. There will be charity gift wrapping stations dotted throughout the market too. Plus, there'll be a plethora of festive foods on offer throughout the whole month of December at The Grounds, and you can pre-order your favourite dishes for pick up on Christmas Eve. Or you can make your own holiday treat by booking your place at a festive cake decorating masterclass on December 13 or 14. And while you're there, don't forget to grab a photo with Santa any day from December 14-24. The Grounds is somewhat magical all year-round, but this is surely its most wonderful time of the year.
Remember the heavily pregnant, naked woman in Prêt-à-Porter? No? You should rewatch it; it's better than you remembered. Said heavily pregnant, naked woman is also a chanteuse with a longer discography than the Sinatra family combined. Famous for her renditions of the songs of Kurt Weill, Ute Lemper has had an illustrious career of a modern renaissance nature. She paints (neoclassical), she acts (from Marie Antoinette to The Little Mermaid's Ariel), and she can make the rare claim of having Elvis Costello, Nick Cave, Tom Waits and Scott Walker pen songs just for her voice (2000's Punishing Kiss). A frequent treader of the boards, Lemper has won numerous prizes for her role in musical theatre, particularly in London and New York as Velma Kelly in Chicago and in Paris as Sally Bowles in Cabaret. It's more her time spent as Lola in The Blue Angel (first made famous by Marlene Dietrich) that springs to mind with her current tour, Angels Over Berlin. Exploring the past and present through story and song, Lemper dips into to the work of Weill, Brecht, Brel, Piaf and Piazzoilla — from Weimar to French chansons to Argentinian tango — in a contemporary cabaret style. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Zk6itNYV8i0
There's something alluring about the deep South of the United States. It seems a land trapped in the past, a land of swamps and evangelicals, of heat and history. Emerging from these factors is rock-revivalist band Mona. Three quarters of the band earned their musical strips in the pentecostal congregations, learning to work a crowd into a frenzy using their instruments. Although their origin story may confuse them with Kings of Leon, their music sets them firmly apart. It's a lot more raw and passionate, and far less anthemic and populist. Their music injects a heavy dose of guitar and sweat, ramping up their secular tunes with a near religious fervour. Their debut and self-titled album was recorded and mixed in a basement in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Rich Costey (who has previously worked with the Foo Fighters, the Arctic Monkeys and Muse). Heading to Australia for the first time for Splendour in the Grass, the boys are making the trip down the coast to play for Sydney audiences, and are a perfect example of the distinction between southern rock and rock from the south. https://youtube.com/watch?v=_YVY3JYgWHs
Potts Point is no stranger to Italian eateries, but its latest addition, House Bar & Bistrot, has a specific focus on ethical and sustainable produce. Opened in late 2017 and set in an old Victorian house, this corner restaurant boasts a ever-changing menu using some seriously fresh ingredients. At the helm is Mauro Forgillo (ex-Fratelli Fresh), who spent the last decade cooking for Australia hospitality giants Rockpool Dining Group and Merivale, as well as around Europe. The 27-year-old chef is now setting off on his own, bringing a seasonal Italian menu using all ethical produce, including grass-fed meat, organic veggies and freshly caught seafood. Forgillo has carefully researched the producers and farmers he buys from, most of which are located in NSW. The young chef is also turning out homemade sourdough and freshly made pasta on the daily — using organic and unrefined flours to boot — as well as making his own marinades and cured meats. On the current menu sits grass fed lamb backstrap with eggplant and chickpeas, tagliatelle with fresh clams and pesto burrata on fried bread, along with pizzas assembled atop a pumpkin dough base. Those with a sweet tooth will be glad to hear that the gelato is also homemade, using fresh organic fruits. On the drinks side, Forgillo is keeping with the Italian theme, offering Birra Menabrea on tap, along with a wine list which focuses on Italian grape varietals and hard-to-find drops from both Australian and Italian winemakers. The rotating list of cocktails are split between before, during and after meal categories. At the moment, patrons can start with a barrel-aged negroni, followed by a Venetian Sgroppino — a lemon sorbet drink topped with vodka and Prosecco. Finish off with an affogato martini, which uses that homemade gelato, no doubt. The menu can cater to vegos too, with the chef offering up an entire vegetarian menu to those who ask. Finally, for music lovers, the venue will host acoustic and DJ sets every Friday and Saturday. This newcomer is certainly setting its bar high, but it is still to be seen if the restaurant lives up to its self-appointed reputation. House Bar & Bistrot is now open at 62-64 Kellett St, Potts Point. Open Tuesday through Thursday and Saturday from 11.30am to 3pm and 5pm to 10pm; Friday from noon to 10pm; and Sunday from 10am to 4pm.
The Chippo Film Festival was started in the summer of 2012 as a way of shaking up Sydney's filmmaking community and showcasing local films in a local setting. Now into its fourth year, the festival has almost outgrown the two backyards that host it, with organisers expecting over 700 people to turn out for the event and submissions received from all around the world. Referred to by its organisers as "urban cinema's premier backyard show", the festival literally takes place across a couple of backyards in a Chippendale laneway, with all the tech stuff and presentations for the night running from a treehouse (it's legit) that sits above the audience. That's one fancy treehouse. This is the movies, so it's glamorous enough to have a 'red carpet' you're encouraged to dress up for. But it's also in a backyard, so it's BYO. This year, the very loose theme of the festival is 'satisfaction', or "the same feeling Winona Ryder has at the end of Edward Scissorhands". Get your own slice of it by going along to support local filmmakers and checking out that treehouse.
Sydney Dance Company is celebrating its 50th anniversary in style — with a 2019 season premiere that sees three of the country's best choreographers on the bill. This trio of performances will share the stage at Walsh Bay's Roslyn Packer Theatre for a limited time from Tuesday, March 26 to Saturday, April 13. The show begins with artistic director Rafael Bonachela's world premiere, Cinco. The performance combines the talents of award-winning lighting designer Damien Cooper, fashion designer Bianca Spender and Argentinian composer Alberto Ginastera. Five of the city's best dancers will take the stage for the performance, which is set to Alberto Ginastera's 'String Quartet No.2'. To follow is a premiere of Gabrielle Nankivell's Neon Aether. The immersive experience transports the audience to a celestial world 'beyond the clouds'. Completing the trio is Melanie Lane's WOOF, which first premiered for New Breed 2017 (a Sydney Dance Company and Carriageworks annual initiative showcasing emerging choreographers). It's an eerie performance that combines romantic, classical and pop dance styles with a score composed by renowned British electronic artist Clark. The Sydney Dance Company Triple Bill will run Tuesday–Saturday between March 26–April 13, before going on tour nationally. Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased here. We also have double passes to the preview night to give away. Enter your details below for a chance to win. [competition]710532[/competition]
Sydney certainly has no shortage of bottomless brunches, lunches and dinners, but here's a novel addition: all-you-can-eat oven-roasted chicken. Darling Square's Goobne has launched a new bottomless chook offering — and it's on offer every single day. Available all day from Monday–Thursday and between 3–5pm from Friday–Sunday, the 90-minute offering will see you knocking back plates of Goobne's oven-roasted chook in five different flavours. You could start with original, try the slightly sweeter galbi, get a little more adventurous with fruity soy and cheese or go hard with Volcano, a fiery Korean chilli paste. To help with the burn, Goobne will also be pouring red or white wine and beer during the 90 minutes. All of that will set you back $69. You can also purchase cocktails — quite OTT cocktails — for extra, with the likes of a blue tequila-spiked Sharknado, a Lager-Rita (a tequila on the rocks topped with a Heineken) and a Corona-Rita (tequila on the rocks topped with a Corona) on offer. With limited capacities, bookings are essential and can be made over here.
Get ready to feel insecure about your age. That dynamo 17-year-old with the Grammys and the dance moves and the best friend named David Bowie is set to finally hit our shores in July. Lorde will play eight massive shows across the country including Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Sydney, Newcastle and Brisbane. After a heartbreaking cancellation and an illness postponement earlier in the year, this will be Lorde's first Australian stadium tour after playing smaller clubs and the Laneway circuit. Ever the social media savvy teenager, Lorde announced the rescheduled tour dates with a Twitter pic, sprinkled with crystal ball and lightning bolt Emojis. While we're sure to get the full Royal(s) treatment from her 2013 breakthrough album Pure Heroine, the highly-anticipated tour is said to have some big surprises in store. It's been announced there will be a large-scale light show component, but we're keeping our fingers crossed for a cameo from Ziggy Stardust. In good news for wunderkinds nationwide, every show on the tour will also be all ages. Stands to reason, really — if the main act is underage why should you have to flash ID? https://youtube.com/watch?v=f2JuxM-snGc
Is your wardrobe overflowing with clothes that you don't wear? We've all been there, and we've all been too busy to do anything about it. Through its op shops, Australian Red Cross finds a new home for your pre-loved outfits, shoes and accessories, with proceeds going towards its charity efforts — but we all know that wanting to donate your old threads is one thing and finding the time to do it is another. That's why Australian Red Cross has once again partnered with Uber for its annual Uber x Red Cross Clothing Drive. When it launched in 2018, it collected over 43,500 kilograms of clothing in that first year alone, which saw clothing items worth an estimated $800,000 donated. And you'd best take the drive part literally, as the ride-sharing service will actually drive to your house, pick up your unwanted clothes and accessories, and deliver them to Red Cross Shops. Even better: it's not only super easy to take part, but it's free as well. Sydneysiders just make sure you're ready between 10am–4pm on Saturday, November 19. Once you've bagged up all of your old bits and pieces (items you'd happily give your best friend, and no toys, books, furniture or electrical objects) into a bundle that weighs no more than 20 kilograms, it's all incredibly simple. Open the Uber app during that six-hour window, then find the 'package' option. After that, you need to click 'send a package', enter "Red Cross Clothing Drive" as the destination, and select one of the Red Cross Clothing Drive locations displayed An Uber driver will then stop outside your house, meaning that you just need to take your preloved goods out to their car. Voila, you've cleared out your closet and you've helped folks in need, all with the tap of a button.
Spend a day in the country without leaving the city when Rouse Hill House and Farm celebrates the autumn harvest. For five refreshing hours on Sunday, May 31, you’ll be able to wander around the 19th-century property, trying tasty fare from an array of producers and checking out free demos and talks. The planned stallholders reflect the produce and recipes of the time. They include Cornersmith, the Marrickville cafe and picklery where the focus is on local, seasonal produce and small batches; Bilpin Bush Honey, where the honey is sourced from flora growing in the mountains around Bilpin and the Kurrajong Valley; Feather and Bone, who’ll be roasting a sustainable pig on a spit and firing up a barbecue; Sweetness Patisserie from Epping, famous for its gourmet marshmallows in 36 flavours; Pepe Saya, fermenter and churner of Australian cultured butter; T Totaler, who’ll have its innovative tea blends on the brew; and stacks more. Admission is free and no bookings are required. You're encouraged to pull together your own picnic from the goods on offer. Alternatively, tick off your shopping list and have a cook up worthy of the lord of the manor later.
"Friends! Outcasts. Leeches. Undesirables. A blessing on you, and upon this beggars' banquet," announces Johnny 'Rooster' Byron (Nicholas Eadie), Jerusalem's comic, charismatic, trailer-dwelling, tall-tale telling protagonist. "This day we draw a line in the chalk, and push back hard against the bastard pitiless busybody council, and drive them from this place forever." Jez Butterworth's play transforms a contemporary 'citizen against the authorities' conflict into a drama of Shakespearean proportions. Rooster, once the most fearless stuntsman in Wiltshire County, Southwest England, and purported meeter of giants, now inhabits a woodland outlaw's existence. His mobile home embraces all that modern housing development doesn't: eccentricity, spontaneity, nature's vagaries, the possibility of fairies, elves and supernatural forces. However, it's not some kind of pastoral, Sound of Music wonderland. There's drug taking and a dysfunctional relationship with a nine-year-old-son. And, when Jerusalem begins, Rooster has just 24 hours to save his home, and way of life, from the Kennet and Avon Council. The day's action is packed into three acts which are over before you know it. Never laboured, Butterworth's script skips, sings and surprises with an irresistible musicality, and his characters are three-dimensional and unpredictable, commenting on all manner of topics, from the homogenising of local news outlets to how a giant might (realistically) be expected to behave. They're at once quintessentially English and undeniably individual. Under Helen Tonkin's direction, Eadie embraces Rooster's complexity with a convincing dynamism. He's no role model, but he's certainly a last bastion against the dreary homogenisation threatened by endless housing estates, lamented by Philip Larkin in 'Going, Going'. An impressive cast takes on Rooster's band of merry (and not-so-merry followers), who flock in search of pleasure, or refuge, or both, with a standout performance from Jeremy Waters in the role of Ginger, a lost soul who dreams of becoming the local pub's DJ. Tom Bannerman's beaten-up set is very much the world of the eternal morning after, with its empty beer bottles, half-empty spirits bottles (consulted frequently throughout), destroyed television and backdrop built of corrugated plastic. Blake Garner effectively traces the 24-hour arc of action with well-controlled lighting, executed particularly effectively in the closing scene. The New Theatre's production of Jerusalem is the play's Australian premiere. First performed at London's Royal Court Theatre in 2009, it moved to the West End, where audiences queued from 3am to buy tickets and gave standing ovations every night. 2011 saw a shift across the Atlantic to Broadway, with the play receiving a Tony Award nomination and lead actor Mark Rylance winning a Tony Award.
Just when you thought you'd tasted every type of margarita there is — every type that El Camino Cantina can pop on its menu, too — the Tex-Mex chain has gone and released a new line of cocktails just in time for summer. Like margs? Have a sweet tooth? Then this Take Me to The Candy Shop range is for you, given that the boozy lineup is filled with bright-hued, candy-flavoured concoctions. These margs even come with edible candy garnishes, so your sweet tooth really will be satisfied. There's seven varieties on offer, including the trusty favourite that is the grape Nerd variety. From Tuesday, November 30–Sunday, January 2, it's being joined musk, marshmallow, gummy bear, Hubba Bubba and Skittles tipples, as well Squirm and Red Ripperz as well. The kind of drinks you'd be able to see in the dark — again, the colour really does stand out — these beverages are served frozen and Cadillac-style, aka with a float of Grand Marnier. In Sydney, you'll find them livening up your next summer drinks at El Camino in The Rocks, Entertainment Quarter, Manly and Miranda.
Anyone in Sydney who considers themselves a Sider knows the The Sun-Herald City2Surf presented by Westpac. What with it being the largest event of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, attracting over 85,000 participants from elite athletes to fun-run-loving locals last year alone, this charity fundraiser/epic test of stamina and virtue is hard to miss even on the laziest of radars. Wholly owned and organised by The Sun-Herald since its humble beginnings 43 years ago, this ain't a casual saunter through the park. As the name suggests, this is 14km of walking, jogging and hardcore PB-busting running as partakers make their way from the CBD to the sands of Bondi via the winding roads and hills of the eastern suburbs. In 2012, $4,173,915 was raised for charities across Australia and the day saw six marriage proposals, 17 Spidermen and one naked dude's bits flap about to name just a few memorable moments. Followed, of course, by plenty of forgettable ones, after heaps of well-earned boozing by the beach.
If there's one thing better than eating, it's eating while talking/reading/writing/hearing about eating. That's why the Sydney Food and Words Festival is an act of sensory genius. For one delicious day at The Mint, chefs, critics, poets, bloggers, gastronomers and gourmands get together for six hours of gustatory and literary indulgence. Now in its fourth incarnation, the event is happening on Saturday, September 19. For your one-day ticket, you'll score lunch created by Michael Rantissi, Kepos Street Kitchen and Kepos & Co in collaboration with Bistro Mint; fine wine; Ovvio Organic tea; Little Marionette coffee; morning and afternoon tea; a surprise-packed gift bag; and numerous sessions tackling fun and imaginative foodie topics. Included on this year's program are a Q&A featuring Sepia's Martin Benn and Vicki Wild, along with the Australian food correspondent Anthony Huckstep; a session with colonial gastronomer Jacqui Newling, a chat with native ingredients expert and chef Jean-Paul Bruneteau, and a discussion about thistles and North Korea with poet and performer Noëlle Janaczewska. Image: Kepos Street Kitchen.
The distance between Spooky Action and you is about to get a little smaller. Concrete Playground’s editor Amelia Groom has curated an exhibition of video works from Japanese artists to coincide with the first event for the Ksubi/Kirin Big in Japan initiative.Artists include Daito Manabe, who seems to be inching ever closer to cyborgism, and Kiiiiiii, who seem to be inching ever closer to exploding in a cloud of cute. Manabe uses his face to give and receive musical electrical impulses, and designs large-scale interactive sound and light installations. In his spare time, he is also a programmer, composer, hacker and DJ. Kiiiiiii perform songs with names like Hot But Milky Like Hot Milk and Aussie O's Bomb, with the help of hand-clap rhythms, screams and children's instruments. As Amelia found out when they cooked her dinner in Tokyo, they are infatuated with Australia because they're completely obsessed with the Hooley Dooleys, Bananas in Pajamas and the Wiggles.For something more restrained there’s Yukihiro Taguchi, who works with household objects and everyday materials to create complex performative installations and time-lapse video art. He contrasts the pleasingly familiar with strategic configuration and non-linear time, and the effect is both humorous and dramatic. Also look out for Ine wo Ueru hito's vacuuming lady, the vomit, rat, garbage, and explosion antics of the Chimâ†'Pom collective and video works from the anonymous dance ensemble KATHY, who perform to classical music with stockings covering their faces, in a coordinated and creepily doll-like manner. Spooky? Maybe, but distant they ain't.Dorkbot will be hosting a presentation with Daito Manabe live in the gallery from 5.30pm on Friday December 4. The exhibition opening then goes from 6.30-8pm.Image:「One day, I meet…ã€by Ine wo Ueru hito (2007)https://youtube.com/watch?v=YxdlYFCp5Ic
Surry Hills has scored itself a new specialty coffee destination, with Melbourne-born coffee roaster Veneziano launching its first Sydney operation. With cafes in Adelaide and Brisbane, and a roastery and headquarters in Melbourne's Richmond, Veneziano's latest project comes backed by almost two decades of experience and a reputation for some pretty top-notch coffee. The sleek Surry Hills espresso bar serves a rotation of the brand's favourite creations, from house blends to featured microlots sourced from one small area of a plot. They're available to take away or enjoy in, perhaps teamed with a sweet treat from Shortstop Donuts. In even more exciting for local caffeine fiends, the cafe also includes a state-of-the-art training studio, which'll play host to a range of specialty coffee events and training courses, catering to everyone from novices to professionals. "We want to bring our love of specialty coffee to Surry Hills, and share our story and the stories of our growers and roasters with a community who appreciates coffee as much as we do," explains Veneziano managing director Craig Dickson. Find Veneziano's new Surry Hills espresso bar at 352 Bourke Street, Surry Hills.
The Jewish Film Festival is turning 21. Cue the tuxedos, heartfelt, wine-soaked speeches and atmosphere of soon-to-be-oppressive expectancy. You're all grown up now, ya hear? Or you could just cue the cinema: 25 films representing the most exciting crop of contemporary Jewish filmmaking, kicking off with a crowd pleaser from Cannes The Names of Love. This bubbly satire sees an Algerian beauty seduce a Jewish-French scientist, only to have all manner of Arab-Jewish, politically incorrect hilarity ensue. Another cross-cultural comedy comes by way of Denmark with Ulrick Gutkin's autographical documentary Me and That Jewish Thing. The film follows Gutkin and his non-Jewish girlfriend as they negotiate the tricky, religious ramifications of their first-born child. An intriguing array of modern tales, historical dramas and keen documentaries round out the programme, coming from as far a field as the US and the Netherlands. Or both, in the case of Holy Rollers, which premiered at Sundance and follows a young Hasid Sam (played by The Social Network's Jesse Eisenberg) seeking to earn an extra buck by transporting medicine from Amsterdam to Brooklyn. Alongside this raft of Australian premieres, cinephiles who may have missed seeing the black comedy Nora's Will at the Spanish Film Festival, or the historical sporting film Berlin '36 at the German Film Festival, can happily catch up on both here, plus a whole lot more besides. https://youtube.com/watch?v=9OrjeUDYIc4
At a speed that’d give Usain Bolt a run for his money, traditional forms of information dissemination — and knowledge storage — are slipping through our fingers. Album cover art has been all but resigned to museum relic status. Kindle has more or less stolen the fire from the print press. Newspapers are dropping off like flies. Don’t get me wrong. There are zillions of things to love about the internet. Like downloading every single one of Hitchcock’s films, being able to Google Shakespeare’s entire oeuvre and writing this in my pyjamas. But, should cinema ever be cast into the digitally dictated funeral pyre, I’ll cry a Pacific Ocean of cyber tears. So, thank god that the film creatives of this world keep on keeping up ways to keep it relevant. Exotic festivals, underground shenanigans and immersive experiences have been inspiring us to unplug and jump off the couch in droves. And thankfully, World Movies Secret Cinema is back. In fact, it’s triple back. Given that previous sessions have sold out in 15 minutes, 2014 will see five screenings over three days (April 11-13) — in a venue that’s never been used before for anything. Needless to say, the event’s classified nature means that there’s not much else we can tell you. But we do remember last October. In response to a last-minute clue sent by text, guests gathered at King Street Wharf. After boarding a boat — destination unknown — they were handed backpacks containing maps, water and weapons, which, they were told, might be necessary to survival. No wild beasts were encountered on Goat Island, but filmgoers did get to watch performances from TaikOz and burlesque artists, show off their Bruce Lee-esque moves in a martial arts lesson, eat and drink harbourside and, finally, watch the director’s cut of Battle Royale at their very own private island cinema. Oh, and witness a real-life, blood-soaked, dramatic death scene. Unfortunately, ticket prices have nearly doubled since last time to $63.15 (including booking fee), but that should mean the production values are equally increased. Tickets go on sale on Wednesday, March 12, at 9am via Oztix. They include a complimentary beverage and snack from Salt Meats Cheese. Session times are Friday, April 11, at 7pm; Saturday, April 12, at 12.30pm and 7pm; and Sunday, April 13, at 12:30pm and 7pm.
If a day spent hanging out with furry friends sounds like your ultimate Saturday session, you're going to love this new beachside festival, Bondi Dog Day. Taking over dog-friendly bar The Bucket List on Saturday, May 18, this pup-filled fiesta promises a big day of fun for furbabies and humans alike. On the day, you'll catch 20 market stalls, slinging products and information to help your pet live their best life. Sign them up for a massage or order them a puppi-cino, stock up on healthy dog treats, or maybe even make a new forever friend at one of the animal adoption stalls. The bar will also be serving up its usual spritzes and snacks — including burrata, caramelised brussels sprouts and fish tacos — for humans. But the day's main events are the Best Bondi Hipster Costume (for dogs and their humans), Best Dog Trick and Bondi Doggie Lifeguard Challenge competitions. There'll also be a Rescue Dog Adoption parade, where a heap of dogs that need forever homes will be strutting their stuff. Held in conjunction with Aussie charity Pound Paws, the event will help raise awareness about the importance of adoption and responsible pet ownership.
Throughout his career spanning twenty plus years, Queensland based artist Ray Cook has consistently returned to discussions of queer theory and the changing role of the gay community. Threaded throughout his body of work is the visual language of the circus or carnival (stars, stripes and red noses abound), and the suggestion that being part of a community so long considered to be a freakish and perverse 'sideshow' to mainstream society, is more of a blessing than some might think. Having opened in the weeks following Mardi Gras, the world's most visible display of queer culture, Cook's most recent body of work, Money Up Front and No Kissing, throws out a number of complex, nigh unanswerable questions: is assimilation really that desirable? What stands to be lost by throwing your lot in with the moral majority? Is political correctness really all it's cracked up to be? What happens to those who aren't so willing to give up the sharper edges of a lifestyle lived previously on the fringe? While the carnival or sideshow motifs remain, this series has a far more sensual and sombre mood than Cook's earlier work, which is aesthetically more direct and contains a thinly veiled lasciviousness and a wicked sense of humour. Money Up Front and No Kissing's combination of Cook's signature symbolism with a darker, more pictorial visual style hints at the complex nature of the ideas behind his work. While this particular reviewer may feel totally unqualified to make a determination on any of the questions put forward, the encroaching darkness that shrouds the subjects seems to suggests that, while it's all good and well to talk of equality, Cook himself isn't totally convinced. Image: Pauly, Ray Cook 2009
It's rare that a performer dressed in 160 pounds of false eyelashes and ostentatiously frothy tulle will be remembered primarily for mesmerising human stories rendered in an exquisite baritone voice, but Le Gateau Chocolat isn't your average larger-than-life operatic diva with a penchant for glittery lycra. This Fringe Festival Sydney will be treated to a generous slice of Gateau when the operatic star of La Soiree returns to Sydney for his solo debut. Delivering moving renditions of songs branching everything from pop-rock and jazz to classical opera and fusing them with his own story, Le Gateau Chocolat manages to make the fact that he is a big Nigerian dude (one with a law degree, no less) dressed as a woman seem almost beside the point. That isn't to say that the show will be without its share of unadulterated hilarity and kaleidoscopic visuals. With his incredible voice encased within a protean candy-coloured shell, Le Gateau Chocolat is as exquisitely beautiful on the outside as it is in spirit. https://youtube.com/watch?v=-7cXUka8ap4
Eye roll-inducingly terrible bumper stickers be damned; no one honks if they're horny in Titane. Revving when aroused is more this petrol-doused body-horror film's style, spanning characters both flesh and chrome. When she's seen writhing in fishnets atop a flame-adorned vintage Cadillac, the stony-gazed Alexia (debutant Agathe Rousselle) is working. She's titillating a Fast and Furious-style car crowd with her sexed-up display, but the car model still seems to hum with every gyration. After wrapping up, murdering a grab-happy fan with the metal chopstick keeping her hair up and then showering off the gooey, gory evidence, she's soon purring rhythmically inside that gleaming vehicle. Yes, in a plot detail that spilled the instant Titane premiered at this year's Cannes Film Festival, where it won the prestigious Palme d'Or, this is the French car sex flick. How does someone fornicate with an automobile? Not inside or on the waxed hood, but copulating with the vehicle itself? That's one of this pumping piston of a movie's least interesting questions, although Titane does go there. In her sophomore effort after the also-phenomenal teen cannibal film Raw, writer/director Julia Ducournau isn't too interested in those specifics. She splashes the bouncy sex scene across the screen with lights flashing, human and motor pulsating as one, and pleasure seeping like exhaust fumes, but it's hardly the picture's only point of interest. Titane isn't the first feature to flirt with carnality and cars — Ridley Scott's The Counsellor had a gas-fuelled rendezvous less than a decade ago; Crash, from body-horror godfather David Cronenberg, is also steeped in automotive eroticism. But Ducournau's addition to the parking lot shrewdly links mechanophilia with agency and control, particularly over one's feelings and body. First, before cylinders start lustily thrusting, Titane finds the initial growls of Alexia's four-wheeled fascination via a quick race through her childhood. As a seven-year-old (fellow first-timer Adèle Guigue), she enjoys audibly rumbling along with the engine. She also likes kicking the chair in front of her, exasperating her dad (French filmmaker Bertrand Bonello, director of Nocturama and Zombi Child) into an accident. For her troubles, she gets a plate of the titular element inserted in her cracked skull. That steely stare matches the alloy in her head even then. From the outset, Ducournau pairs blood and metal, reshaping her central figure while laying bare her vulnerabilities. She kicks her film into a gear it'll keep shifting into again and again, too, because this is a movie about modifications: physically, emotionally and while trying to claim one's own sense of self. Titane isn't just the French car sex film, clearly. It isn't merely a car sex movie about a woman partly forged from titanium, and with a penchant for piercing her way through those who block her road. Nor is it simply the French car pregnancy flick, with Alexia and the Caddy's tryst bearing fruit — a condition she tries to conceal, especially after more deaths lead her to Vincent (Vincent Lindon, At War), a fire chief who takes her in as his long-missing son. If Ducournau had made her script out of metal, she'd be moulding it in its molten form. She'd be letting it bubble; key to Titane's blistering appeal is its eagerness to let things boil, then brim over, because the feelings and ideas it works with are that scorching. If her feature was a car instead, it'd be that libidinous, fire-emblazoned Cadillac, which arrives with a bang, lures Alexia in and then lets loose. Actually, perhaps Titane would be the oily belly of the hulking vehicle that gets its biggest fan in the family way. Watching here resembles peeking under the bonnet with the engine running, seeing pulleys and belts in action, and feeling heat and energy radiate. That doesn't solely stem from the mechanical imagery, or the savage first half — where fluidly executed killing sprees, broken bodies and a watch-behind-your-hands incident of self-mutilation take on a mechanised air, too. And, it doesn't just emanate from Alexia's swelling stomach, the motor oil oozing from her breasts or, after binding down all signs of femininity in her new life, her scars. As set to both an eerie score and pitch-perfect needle drops, Titane evokes a sensation of witnessing moving parts grind, whirr, interlock and spark. The movie thrums, and it's intoxicating. It isn't always pretty, even with a neon-drenched look that'd do Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn proud, but popping the hood rarely is. As all filmmakers aim to, that's what Ducournau does with her car porn/serial killer/secret identity/gender-bending blend. She opens up her characters, exposes what makes them run and spies what lubricates their gears. Thanks to Rousselle's stunningly physical, near-silent performance, Titane lays bare the workings of a woman who has confronted the hyper-sexualised expectations of her gender by leaning in, and by stabbing. Alexia then grasps comfort by eschewing boundaries, and gaining a surrogate dad who's similarly trapped in his own way. As lensed with an exacting yet empathetic eye by Raw's Ruben Impens — even with its lurid blue and purple hues — Titane sees Vincent's battle to meet the macho standard, too. Shots of him injecting steroids to keep up with the younger firefighters are just as brutal as glimpses of Alexia's distended, strapped-down midsection, if not her bursts of violence. Titane is a ferocious and unflinching thriller, and also beautiful, tender and compassionate. Amid its visceral shocks, it gleans possibilities — in embracing connections, accepting change, breaking free of everything that the world throws at you and, crucially, in seeking power in transformation. Lindon's impact, and that of his soulful, sorrowful eyes, can't be underestimated; if Rousselle is the movie's fuel, he's its oxygen. Ducournau is always in the driver's seat, though. The second woman to ever win Cannes' highly coveted top prize, she packs the film's absurdities into the boot, straps her Raw-established fascination with bodies and identity into the passenger side, puts her pedal to the metal and speeds towards her own cinematic horizon. She veers, swerves and spins along the way, but never crashes — and takes her audience on one helluva ride.
If you're in need of a few chuckles after the year that was 2020, then you're in the right place this month. The Sydney Comedy Festival has a bumper edition on offer in 2021, delivering non-stop laughs from a roll-call of local and international comedic talent. From Monday, April 19, to Sunday, May 16, venues across the city will play host to a program of side-splitting stand-up, improv, theatre, magic and more. Returning favourites include the always huge Sydney Comedy Festival Gala, which hits the State Theatre, The Concourse and the Enmore Theatre to kick things off on April 19, 20 and 21. Whichever date and venue you choose, expect an outrageous night of on-stage antics from a star-studded cast of festival greats and emerging stars. Across the month-long gest, you'll also be able to catch solo shows from legends like Ross Noble, Tom Gleeson, Alice Tovey, Joel Creasey, Tom Ballard, Geraldine Hickey, Tommy Little, Akmal, Arj Barker and stacks more. Or, you can sink your teeth into a full comedic feast, with festival showcase sessions at the likes of The Comedy Store and The Grounds of Alexandria. Elsewhere, Unplanned Melodies delivers a hilarious improv cabaret show, award-winning act Tahir fuses stand-up with some amateur magic to amusing effect, and you'll even find a satirical musical production based on the life of Schapelle Corby.
What better way to welcome the cooler months than ditching the spritz and cosying up to some whisky? Between Thursday, April 28 and Sunday, May 1, you'll be able to do just that at the Whisk(e)y on The Rocks festival. As you may have guessed, this fest is taking place in The Rocks, where you'll wander your way between three festival zones across approximately 2.5 hours. Where you start is up to you, with each space offering something different as part of your $35 ticket — that price also includes nine tokens for drinks. Plus, you can use your NSW Discover vouchers. At Whisky Park, located at First Fleet Park, you'll find the Glenfiddich 'Whisky Wanderer' bus — once a 1972 doubledecker bus, now a luxury whisky lounge. Then make your way to the Fever-Tree Highball Garden and learn how to best harness a mixer to complement your whisky and Monkey Shoulder's pop-up bar for free samples. And, if you are feeling a bit more on the experimental side, try Sheep Dog's peanut butter whisky. Next, Campbell's Cove will be transformed into Whisky Cove with a Johnnie Walker Highball Food Truck and Talisker Boat House. Enjoy a blood orange and lemon highball with paired snacks and the salted smoke taste of Talisker's Single Malt Scotch Whisky, served with freshly shucked oysters. Then, wander down to Sip Street on Playfair Street. Mr Black will be hosting a Coffee Cocktail Carnival where you can sample delicious coffee and whisky cocktails. Once you've sipped your way through each zone, you can mosey through The Rocks Whisk(e)y Trail and explore the whisky pop-ups at a collection of top restaurants and bars — the new Hickson House Distilling Co is hosting a bunch of Aussie craft distilleries, while The Doss House is running a series masterclasses with Head Distiller of Westward Whiskey, Miles Munroe, from Oregon, USA. Get your crew organised and be sure to get tickets to Whisk(e)y on The Rocks before they sell out. You'll need to pick your day and your session, with time slots at 5–7.30pm and 7.45–10.15pm most nights, plus extra daytime sessions on Saturday and Sunday.
Storytelling is a lost art. Point in case: the last story that you were told by your creepy uncle at that family barbeque, and that ended in you giving your least convincing laugh and excusing yourself to quietly throw up. That’s where Penguin Plays Rough comes in. Headed by Pip Smith, Penguin Plays Rough is a revival of storytelling (formerly) in a St Peters warehouse, of listeners leaning in to hear what comes next, of writers in a red velvet armchair unleashing the raw, untamed energy of a great story read out loud. This is Not a Lecture sees the gathering of Sydney’s sharpest young minds, featuring zinester Vanessa Berry, The Lifted Brow editor Sam Cooney, Westside Publications editor Michael Mohammed Ahmed, poet and sound designer Scott Sandwich, and typography fanatic Gemma O'Brien. Each PPR night is bursting with spontaneity, so it’s hard to know exactly what’s going to happen, whether you laugh, cry, or rethink your life thus far. Regardless, you should know that it’s going to be the greatest lecture of your life - but it’s not a lecture. Don't miss it.
Drinkers and diners of Darlinghurst, if you've been debating the future of the East Village Hotel, put your doubts to rest. The folks at Goodtime Hospitality Group have announced they're taking over, with a promise to revamp all four storeys of the much-adored, 100-year-old drinking spot. Unfamiliar with the name? Chances are you haven't travelled to the inner west lately. Goodtime, which is co-owned by young entrepreneurs James Bodel and Locky Paech, rocked onto the Sydney hospitality scene in November 2015, with their purchase of Petersham's White Cockatoo Pub. Renaming it the West Village, they installed a fresh, organic menu and, within weeks, were attracting the local hungry hordes. We're guessing the East Village will keep its current name. And Goodtime has told us they'll be hiring Nathan Holowell (ex-Catalina) as head chef, who's busy designing a modern Australian menu. Meanwhile, Alexander and Co. (Busby, The Village Inn, Surly's, Daniel San, The Morrison, Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel) will be taking care of design matters, given that their job on the West Village was ace. We can't wait to see what they do with the pub's little known yet seriously appealing rooftop space. "There's so much potential in the East Village and it's a great opportunity to revive this beloved pub," says Paech said. The makeover should be complete by September 2016 — just in time for spring. Love a good pub revamp? Check out our favourites from 2015.
If the thought of faux snow, garish mistletoe and other un-Aussie Christmas ornaments leaves you colder than Santa reading the naughty kid’s list in the North Pole, take heart. The folk at 107 Projects – a new hybrid arts space in Redfern – are hosting a distinctly Australian Christmas Show just in time to get you into the festive spirit. Taking their inspiration from the Australian landscape, 30 local artists will showcase a gorgeous array of decorations, handmade trinkets and gifts that are certain to brighten up the home, or put a smile on a friend’s face on Christmas day. With the opening night slated to include musical performances as well as sound art pieces inspired by the Australian bush, it’ll only be a matter of time before you’re guzzling a glass of vino and ‘waltzing Matilda’ down the aisles. Two artworks, donated by renowned lighting designer Roger Foley-Fogg, will also be presented on the night. Opening night Thursday 13th December 6-9pm. Exhibition continues Thursday – Sunday, from noon - 5pm, until Sunday 23rd December. 107 Redfern Street, Redfern.
Taste Tuesdays is back this May for its second instalment. This time, the new monthly dinner series will see renowned Aussie chef Mark Best (of the now-closed Marque and Pei Modern) team up with Acme's head chef Mitch Orr for an epic showcase of culinary talent. Both chefs are winners of the esteemed Josephine Pignolet Young Chef of the Year award — Best in 1995 and Orr in 2010 — so guests can expect one seriously impressive meal to be placed in front of them. The duo will cook up a menu prepared especially for the event, starting with snacks by Orr and followed by a five-course extravaganza by Best. Tickets to the event also include a welcome aperitif and an after-dinner digestif cocktail, with the option of an additional wine pairing also available on the night. Taste Tuesdays is a global initiative by Taste Festivals, with monthly dinners happening across Sydney, London, Paris and Hong Kong. The dinner series will continue on the second Tuesday of every month and each one will be held at a different Sydney restaurant — so keep an eye on the website for the next dinner announcement. Tickets for this one-off dinner flew out the door like hot cakes (or, should we say, like baloney sandwiches) but, luckily, we've got our hands on some. And we're giving them away to you. One lucky reader will get two tickets to the sold out dinner, with seats at the pass — in the thick of the action — and complimentary wine pairings for each guest thrown in, too. To enter, see details below. [competition]665548[/competition] Images: Nikki To
Fly down the M5 all the way to the moon with this expansive exhibition at the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing, Giant Leap is a massive program of arts, events, performances and exhibitions that will take over CPAC from July 20 through September 8 — and most of it is free. Within the exhibition space is Memories of the Moon Landing, which captures the 1969 moon landing with NASA photographs, video footage and memorabilia. Also installed in the museum is High Loom by artist Lisa Sammut, which reflects the 'movement and interaction of celestial bodies in space'. Then, Astronaut sees several artists join forces to create a series of works inspired by 'the impact of space travel on the body', 'the sounds of space' and the 'colonisation of new lands'. Another collab piece Future examines 1950s and 1960s artworks to imagine futuristic cities. A panel discussion will take place alongside this exhibition on August 3, with scientists, architects and health and infrastructure professionals speaking on what the future could look like. Finally, Under the Same Moon features work by local community groups and reviews beliefs and legends about the moon — including astrology, celestial events and UFOs. On August 11, you'll be able to tour the exhibition with local poets and storytellers, including Hedar Abadi and Jamal Al Hallaq. Alongside Giant Leap, the Liverpool Regional Museum is presenting One Small Step from June 22–September 7. It's an interactive recreation of the Hilton Space Lounge from Stanley Kubrick's cult classic 2001: A Space Odyssey. While some of the program is currently open to the public, it'll officially launch on Saturday, July 20 with a day of experimental live performances, astrology readings and a nighttime moon gazing. For the full program lineup and to book tickets, head to the CPAC website. Images: High Loom by Lisa Sammut and Space Couch Family by Adam Norton
If you haven’t been down to The Tit yet, this place is the perfect combination of art and free-spirited fun. Unveiling a new array of bodily parts, GROT(TO) comprises the work of Ramesh Marion Nithiyendran, Beth Dillon, James Gatt and Mahny Names. This sprawling and circus-like exhibition aims to interrogate the connection between cleanliness and godliness, beauty and the grotesque. Using collage, ceramics and performance, each artist will dismantle the human form, scattering and rearranging the parts. Keeping things topped up, there will also be performances from satirical showgirl Betty Grumble and DJ Matt Format over the course of the month. This event is one of our top ten picks of Art Month. Check out the other nine here. Image: Betty Grumble, Aussie Pride, 2013.
What is it about burgers that makes them so damn irresistible? The sheen on the top of the bun? The drip of that special sauce? The cheese melting all over the patty? Whatever it is, it's got a real hold over Sydney — over the weekend, a crowd of 10,000 foodies flocked to burger festival Burgapalooza to eat the city's best buns. Ten vendors presented their most famous and Frankenstein-ish, creations — Ume Burger was there, Down N' Out was there, and vegan spot Soul Burger was there, too. But if you weren't there, all is not lost. For this week only, a handful of the Burgapalooza vendors will be slinging their limited-edition creations across town. We're talking Soul Burger's vegan burger with a 'beast' patty and sriracha, a loaded fried chicken monster from Down N' Out, Ume Burger's Japanese-style cheeseburger and a dry-aged beef bun from Superior Burger. They're available for delivery only through Menulog from now up until Sunday, September 30. If you start now, maybe you can fit them all in before the end of the week. Here's the list. BURGAPALOOZA BURGER MENU SOUL BURGER — Glebe, Newtown, Parramatta, Randwick Vegan Steven: sriracha aioli, pickles, vegan cheese, vegan 'beast' patty, veggie slaw and tomato relish. DOWN N' OUT — CBD and Top Ryde Ol' Bae: Ol' Bae fried chicken, swiss cheese, jalapeño mayo, buffalo pickles, oak lettuce on a toasted milk bun. Tofu Bae: Ol' Bae tofu, swiss cheese, jalapeño mayo, buffalo pickles, oak lettuce on a toasted milk bun. UME BURGER — Barangaroo and Darlinghurst Ume Cheeseburger: beef patty, smokehouse bacon, American cheese, rice vinegar pickles, lettuce, tomato, onion, and Ume special sauce. SUPERIOR BURGER — Abbotsbury Simple Pleasures: dry-aged beef, bacon butter, cheese, sexy sauce on a malted buttermilk bun.
