For 22 years, BIGSOUND has highlighted Australia's music industry, getting power players sharing their experience and advice, championing up-and-coming talents, fostering crucial connections, and celebrating live tunes and the folks that make them happen in general. Here's a few other handy numbers for the music conference-slash-festival's upcoming 2023 run: four days, 18 venues, 141 artists and 300-plus showcases. Brisbanites and music obsessives, take note: the Sunshine State capital will be Australia's music haven between Tuesday, September 5–Friday, September 8. Earlier this year, BIGSOUND announced its first speakers, headlined ROC Nation's Omar Grant — who was once the road manager for Destiny's Child and now shares the President role at Jay-Z's entertainment agency. Now, it has dropped the full list of musicians that'll be getting behind a microphone. More than 1300 applications to hit BIGSOUND's stages were received for the 2023 event, but it's the festival team's job to whittle them down to the standouts. Among those making the bill: Brisbane's own Full Flower Moon Band, Zheani, Felivand and Baby Prince; Sydney's Moss and Little Green; Melbourne's PANIA, Moaning Lisa and The Slingers; Perth's DICE and Siobhan Cotchin; and Adelaide's Aleksiah and The Empty Threats. From New Zealand comes Reb Fountain and SWIDT, while Casey Mowry and MF Tomlinson are heading to Queensland from the UK. [caption id="attachment_861894" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lachlan Douglas[/caption] The list goes on, complete with a significant focus on representation. Among 2023's talents, 27 percent identify as LGBTQIA+, 50 percent are female or gender non-conforming, and First Nations acts comprise 18 percent of the lineup. Indeed, 27 showcases will be devoted to Australia's Indigenous artists, including Miss Kaninna, Loren Ryan, Brady, The Merindas, J-MILLA, CLOE TERARE, Tjaka and Kobie Dee. Fancy checking out the most isolated heavy metal band in the world? That'd be Southeast Desert Metal, and they're also on the roster. [caption id="attachment_907800" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Simone Gorman-Clark[/caption] Top image: Jess Gleeson.
Philadelphia indie-rockers The War on Drugs have revealed they will play two sideshows in Sydney and Melbourne alongside their Australian debut performances at Falls Festival and Southbound. Devoted fans will no doubt be crossing their fingers that some material from their much-awaited third album will be unveiled during the tour. The War on Drugs emerged onto the scene back in 2005 as a musical collaboration between frontman and creative honcho Adam Granduciel and Kurt Vile, who has since left to pursue a solo career with his backing band The Violators. If you've never heard of them but you like your rock and roll a little bit classic (think a bit of Petty, a splash of Springsteen and, vocally, a whole lot of Dylan), then you may want to grab tickets to a show. The War on Drugs plays Melbourne's Northcote Social Club on Monday, 28 December, and the Oxford Art Factory in Sydney on Monday, 6 January. Tickets are on sale now through Handsome Tours.
Ever since Freddie Mercury teamed up with Brian May and company back in the 70s, Queen has never been out of fashion. And, thanks to Bohemian Rhapsody and the band's current members touring Down Under, the UK group has been grabbing plenty of attention again in recent years. You could call it a kind of magic. You could say that their songs must go on. Either way, if you're happy to let the British band keep rocking you, then you'll want to catch London's Queen by Candlelight when it debuts in Australia. While Queen tribute nights aren't rare — and neither are ones lit by flickering flames — this is the OG West End production, which features a live rock band and a cast of singers from London busting out the group's famous tracks. Been feeling a crazy little thing called love for Freddie and his bandmates? Then you'll clearly be in the right spot, with Queen by Candlelight playing Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth in February. If your approach to the group's music is "I want it all!", that's what you'll hear. For one night per city, the event will break free so that Queen lovers can celebrate with their fellow champions. The aim: to make you feel like you're hearing the real thing, in venues glowing with candles. In the UK, the gigs — which feature more than 20 Queen tracks — have proven sellouts. Also part of the same tour are Meatloaf by Candlelight shows, busting out the late singer's tunes — if you'd do anything for that. They'll feature the same kind of setup, but with Australia's Simon Gordon, who hits the stage after playing Strat in the Meatloaf-inspired musical Bat Out of Hell on West End and internationally. In all cities, the Queen shows play one night and the Meatloaf gigs run either one or two evenings later. QUEEN BY CANDLELIGHT AND MEATLOAF BY CANDLELIGHT 2023 AUSTRALIAN TOUR: Wednesday, February 1 (Queen) and Thursday, February 2 (Meatloaf) — Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Brisbane Sunday, February 5 (Queen) and Monday, February 6 (Meatloaf) — Darling Harbour Theatre, Sydney Wednesday, February 8 (Queen) and Thursday, February 9 (Meatloaf) — Royal Theatre, Canberra Monday, February 13 (Queen) and Wednesday, February 15 (Meatloaf) — Melbourne Town Hall and Melbourne Palais, Melbourne Friday, February 17 (Queen) and Saturday, February 18 (Meatloaf) — Festival Theatre, Adelaide Tuesday, February 21 (Queen) and Thursday, February 23 (Meatloaf) — Perth Concert Hall, Perth The Queen and Meatloaf by Candlelight shows are touring Australia in February 2023. For more information and tickets, head to the tour's website.
It's become an all-too familiar sight on the streets of suburban Australia: yellow oBikes, most likely missing a seat or pedal, lying semi-submerged in a canal, slumped against a tree or even, somehow, suspended halfway up it. The dockless bike system, which launched in Sydney in August last year, has suffered setbacks with stolen bikes and council restrictions. But love it or hate it, it looks like we're not about to see them go anytime soon. And if you thought the Singaporean-based juggernaut oBike was content to stop at just bikes, think again. 'oSkate' — a skateboard sharing platform in partnership with global deck brand EMillion — was announced last night during a swanky launch party at Sydney's Ivy Ballroom, with oBike CEO Iocus Finlayson naming Sydney as its primary test city. It will then roll out the new service across Melbourne and Adelaide in the following months. "Ease of mobility lies at the heart of our company" explained Finlayson to a gathering of the city's movers, shakers and social media influencers. "But the feedback we continue to receive is that people want greater variety in the way they get from A to B, and for many the oBike is just too cumbersome or takes up too much space on sidewalks and pedestrian thoroughfares. oSkate not only introduces a smaller, streamlined dynamic to the dockless economy, but we think a cooler one, too". Cooler? The jury's still out, but oSkate does solve a major administrative nightmare for oBike courtesy of Australia's unique mandatory helmet laws. "It's true that under Australian law you do require a helmet for bikes, but not for skateboards" confirmed Allens Linklaters Senior Associate Alex Mason. "Even so, we'd recommend one all the same if you can manage it. Safety should trump convenience, always". The company plans to roll out the first of its decks by June 1 this year, each of which will be fitted with the familiar wheel blocking mechanism that can only be unlocked via the oBike app (which itself will soon be rebranded as 'oMode' to keep in-line with the soon to be expanded transportation options). Finlayson also set out the company's rollout plan for the coming 12 months, some of which was met with more enthusiastic cheers than others. Chief among the popular announcements was 'oBoard' — a surf, boogie and stand-up paddle board service to begin operation next summer — as well as roller skates and rollerblades to supplement the oSkate program. Finally, 'oKick' will be phased in early 2019, offering unlockable running shoes to those eager to burn off a heavy night's drinking without ruining their beloved Louboutins.
June marks the beginning of Guest Chef Sundays at Casoni in Darlinghurst. Casoni head chef Lachlan Robinson will join forces with chefs from some of Sydney and Melbourne's most well-known restaurants to create a series of one-off lunch menus. Joseph Vargetto of Melbourne's Mister Bianco will be bringing his Southern Italian heritage to the kitchen on June 14. Together, he and Robinson will showcase an amazing blend of traditional and modern Italian flavours. Kiwi chef Morgan McGlone will be in the kitchen on June 28 to create a pasta degustation inspired by his time at Husk Nashville and Belle's Hot Chicken in Melbourne. Tickets include five courses with optional matching wines. Bookings are essential.
With Lost in Translation, Sofia Coppola brought everyone's secret desire to the big screen. Who hasn't wished they could roam around Tokyo with Bill Murray, sing karaoke with him, hang out in the ultra luxurious Park Hyatt Tokyo's sky-high bar with him and just generally call upon him for advice? Now, with On the Rocks, the writer/director is giving viewers a new dream. Here, Bill Murray plays a larger-than-life playboy who is still a caring dad, and who moseys around New York helping his daughter discover whether her husband is being unfaithful. Yes, swap cities and exchange Scarlett Johansson for Parks and Recreation's Rashida Jones, and On the Rocks seems to take a few cues from Lost in Translation — but the latter was such a delight, no one is going to mind. Based on the just-dropped first trailer for the Apple TV+ film, however, the mood this time around is a little less melancholy, with On the Rocks serving up a father-daughter comedy about generational differences and complicated modern families. The full setup: Laura (Jones) initially doesn't really think twice when her other half, Dean (Marlon Wayans), suddenly starts working late more often. Soon though — and after her dad Felix's (Murray) not-so-comforting words of wisdom — she begins to wonder if Dean is cheating. That suspicion demands investigating, Felix decides, which sparks an offbeat adventure around NYC, and will also clearly help the pair work through their own complex relationship. Coppola's seventh feature, On the Rocks is also her first since 2017's The Beguiled won her the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival — where she became only the second woman to win the prize. And, it's her latest excuse to team up with Murray, with the pair last working together on 2015 Netflix special A Very Murray Christmas. Also familiar in On the Rocks' trailer: the sounds of Phoenix, who provide the movie's music. The French band have also been involved in Coppola's The Virgin Suicides, Lost in Translation, Marie Antoinette, Somewhere, The Bling Ring and The Beguiled in some shape or form, too — frontman Thomas Mars is Coppola's husband, after all. Check out the trailer for On the Rocks below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn3sK4WiviA&feature=youtu.be&goal=0_745cb9c02a-6077870a17-84180621&mc_cid=6077870a17&mc_eid=30ab429929 On the Rocks hits Apple TV+ in October — we'll update you when a specific release date is announced.
Never fear: the bones of this grungy pub are still the same. From the outside, it looks like the good ol' Abercrombie. Inside, there's still plenty of character but the tartan carpet is clean, the tiled walls have been nicely restored and there are quirky little touches everywhere. Homely pictures cover the walls, knick knacks that you might find in a crazy hip granny’s house hang above the bar, and there's disco lights all over the place. It’s clearly designed for the uni crowd, with prices to match, and it’s a lot of fun in here. The fun continues with the food and a crazy drinks list - look out for Camel Toe and MacGyver. As is the trend, Abercrombie specialises in comfort food meets greasy hangover, with a touch of Mexican. And there's plenty of good matches to be made, particularly with the designed-for-drinking grits menu. Try the Scotch Egg Slider ($6) with a Coopers Lagerita ($13), Chorizo and Jalapeno Tacos ($5.50) with a Berocca Colada ($13) and/or a Mac N Cheese Ball ($12) with Rave Juice ($13). Rave Juice, you say? That's Red Bull and Agwa in a glad bag, with glow stick and straw. Yes, really. The uni theme also extends into the mains. Pick from a Philly Cheese Steak ($17) or Schnitzel with Bolognaise ($16) and, for dessert, it's hard to go past a Deep Fried Golden Gaytime ($7). The Abercrombie is the uni bar we all wanted - it might even tempt you to re-enrol. Click here for full review and details
While Messina's main jam is usually crafting supremely scoffable varieties of gelato, the brand's love of food extends far beyond the freezer. The cult gelateria has often teamed up with savoury-focused culinary heroes, throwing big ol' food parties. For the next Messina Eats at the brand's expansive new Marrickville HQ, the dessert specialist is doing things a little differently, inviting a baking crew close to its heart for the weekend pop-up. Shadow Baking is the new project of three of Messina's head chefs — Tom Mitchell, Florian Fritsch and Remi Talbot. Usually, if you want to get your hands on the team's flaky creations, you'd have to head to The Cannery's monthly markets — but, to give more Sydneysiders the chance to taste the Shadow Baking treats, it's popping up for a Messina Eats party in the HQ car park. Expect macadamia and mandarin croissants, custard tart danishes, reuben croissant sandwiches, pandan and coconut brioche, and a special one-off kouign-amann custard gelato sando in collaboration with Messina. Shadow Baking is set to open a permanent outpost in Darlinghurst soon. Once it arrives, you expect all the goodies from The Cannery Markets plus plenty of regular collaborations between the baking team and Gelato Messina. If you want to get your hands on a next-level pastry to kick off your weekend, the Messina Eats: Shadow Baking collab is popping up at 1 Rich Street, Marrickville from 8am on Saturday, September 16 until sold out.
If you've been saving your money the last couple months and are wondering where to spend it, head down to the Makers and Shakers Market on April 7. Making its return to Sydney, it'll feature 60 high-quality stalls, so you'll definitely find something you like. The market provides an open platform for local makers to sell their handmade wares, gourmet foods and lifestyle products. Start your shopping at 10am with speciality kombucha served up by Mailer McGuire, then wander to Archon Designs to purchase organic products for your home, body and pets. Finish up with a visit to Tiny Paradise to add a little plant life to your home — and that's just a taste of the goodies on offer. While you're wandering the stalls, tackle your post-shop hunger with some toasted sandwiches from Mister Toast, doughnuts from Nutie and Shortstop, bagels from Smoking Gun, plus many more delicious foods. Located at Marrickville Town Hall, tickets are $2 and kids under 12 are free. Image: Alana Dimou.
If you're in need of a drink but can't think of any excuse to celebrate, you aren't looking hard enough. How about celebrating the drinks themselves? That's right, the upcoming Fluid Festival is about praising the best beer, wine and ciders that Australia has to offer. The free inaugural event includes 15-minute sessions where guests learn the tricks of the trade. Classes include: Introduction to Craft Beer with Peter Mitcham; Brewer Sessions with Dave Padden and Andy Stewart, and; Cider Sessions with Neal Cameron and Rich Coombes. For $2 each, a handful of Australia's best fluids from a range of producers — including Tasmania's Moo Brew, Victoria's Mountain Goat Beer, South Australia's Dr Pilkington's Miracle Cider, the Hunter Valley's Mistletoe Wines and Melbourne's Cavalier — will be available for sampling. Live music, children's entertainment and a selection of paired food from the bistro is also on offer for the North Ryde event. Head to the Ranch Hotel from 11am-5pm Saturday, November 9, to sink a cold one.
Nineties kids, Disney fans and everyone who's ever cried over a lion cub that just couldn't wait to be king, it's time to climb onto a rock and yell your lungs out. The circle of life has struck again, and The Lion King is back. It's in live-action form this time around, and the first full trailer for the new movie has just dropped. Releasing in July, the film will once again tell the tale of Simba, who's set to take over the pride from his father Mufasa, only for his malicious uncle Scar to get in the way. You know where it goes from there — and you'll be hearing the voices of Donald Glover as Simba, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as his childhood pal Nala, and James Earl Jones as his dad. Yes, the latter is reprising his role from the original film. Other big names attached include Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar, John Oliver as Zazu, and Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen as Timon and Pumbaa. Elton John is back working on the soundtrack with Tim Rice, as they both did on the first film. They'll reportedly have some help from Beyoncé, naturally, while The Jungle Book's Jon Favreau is in the director's chair for the entire production. If you're anxious about how it might turn out, it's worth taking Timon and Pumbaa's advice at this early stage — although this initial look should help get rid of your worries for the rest of your days. Now, grab the tissues and watch the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TavVZMewpY The Lion King hits Australian cinemas on July 17, 2019.
Rootstock Sydney, now in its third year, is a two-day celebration of sustainability and fresh produce. Winemakers, chefs, somms and writers from all over will converge on Carriageworks for a weekend to share their philosophies with you, from November 28-29. Rootstock isn't a one-trick pony, it's a multifaceted event split into a wine festival, a food market, and a series of talks. The wine festival is held over four sessions and will allow you to try over 200 natural wines from a range of international and Australian wine artisans. You can also browse the six different pavilions that make up the food markets. Each pavilion has a different focus, ranging from aboriginal agriculture and native foods to coffee and artisan cheese. If you're keen to learn something new, listen to a talk on the art of distillation or breakfast with superchef Magnus Nilsson from Sweden's Fäviken. It's all about finding your roots, learning about roots, eating roots. Are you hungry yet? Ticket prices to sessions will vary, check them here.
Start making Easter plans now: Bluesfest has just announced the first acts on its 2023 lineup. From Thursday, April 6–Monday, April 10, the iconic annual festival will return to Byron Events Farm at Tyagarah for its 34th event — with Elvis Costello, Mavis Staples and Gang of Youths leading the bill. Also heading to northern New South Wales as part of the five-day lineup: Jackson Browne, Tash Sultana, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Jimmy Barnes with The Barnestormers, and Talib Kweli, GZA and Big Freedia as special guests of The Soul Rebels. As usual, Bluesfest's roster of talent spans a hefty array of music genres — blues and roots, obviously, but also soul, rock, hip hop, R&B and more — with Beth Hart, Buddy Guy, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle and The Dukes, The Cat Empire and Xavier Rudd also set to take to the stage. Rockwiz Live will be doing its thing, too, in the perfect setting. And, would it be a Bluesfest without Michael Franti & Spearhead? In 2023, you won't need to find out. [caption id="attachment_867502" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mavis Staples by Myriam Santos[/caption] In total, 41 acts have been announced so far — with more to come, for what organisers are calling "the first original style Bluesfest since the world's borders re-opened". While the fest went ahead in 2022 after two years of pandemic cancellations (and a thwarted temporary move to October for the same reason), it showcased a primarily Australian and New Zealand lineup. With the return of international travel, Bluesfest can welcome top-notch acts from around the globe again. Season tickets are on sale now, alongside VIP tickets, with prices remaining at 2022 levels for the 2023 fest. Day and three-day tickets will follow in the near future, at a yet-to-be-announced date, along with more lineup announcements, plus news of sideshows and two special satellite Bluesfest events in Melbourne and Perth. BLUESFEST 2023 LINEUP — FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT: 19-Twenty The Barnestormers Beth Hart The Black Sorrows Bonnie Raitt Buddy Guy The Cat Empire Chain Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram Elvis Costello & The Imposters Eric Gales Femi Kuti & The Positive Force Gang of Youths Greensky Bluegrass Jackson Brown Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit Joe Bonamassa Joe Camilleri Presents: A Star-Studded Tribute to the Greats of the Blues Jon Stevens Kaleo Keb' Mo' Band King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Lachy Doley and The Horns Of Conviction Larkin Poe Lp Lucinda Williams Marcus King Mavis Staple Michael Franti & Spearhead Nikki Hill Robert Glasper Rockwiz Live The Soul Rebels & Friends with Special Guests Talib Kweli, GZA and Big Freedia Southern Avenue Spinifex Gum featuring Marliya Steve Earle & The Duke Tash Sultana Xavier Rudd Bluesfest 2023 will run from Thursday, April 6–Monday, April 10 at Byron Events Farm, Tyagarah. Season passes are on sale now. For further information, head to the Bluesfest website.
Some stories just can't stay away from the screen, and Cinderella is one of them. Filmmakers have been drawn to the fairy tale since the silent era, resulting in beloved animated flicks, playful takes on the tale such as Ever After and Ella Enchanted, and Disney's 2015 live-action adaptation. Arriving next: a new musical that combines glass slippers and pining for a better life with singing, dancing and a fairy godparent named Fab G — with the latter played by Pose's Billy Porter. This version of Cinderella stars singer Camila Cabello as the titular character, while The Craft: Legacy's Nicholas Galitzine plays Prince Robert. Also popping up: Idina Menzel (Frozen II) as Cinders' stepmother, Minnie Driver (Starstruck) and Pierce Brosnan (Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga) as the king and queen, and Romesh Ranganathan (Staged) and James Corden (The Prom) as both footmen and mice. The latter is a producer, too, and came up with the idea for the film, while Pitch Perfect writer and Blockers helmer Kay Cannon sits in the director's chair. Clearly, if a new version of Cinderella doesn't hit the screen every few years, Hollywood must turn into a pumpkin. While musical takes on the tale aren't new — see also: the stage version that's about to hit Australia — this one is set to feature pop songs. So, you'll be seeing Cabello, Menzel and company singing tracks you know, as well as crooning their own new original tunes. Just how that'll turn out will be revealed on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, September 3, with the film originally slated for a cinema release, but then snapped up by the streaming platform instead. In the just-dropped first trailer, there's plenty of songs, colour and also humour. "Do you want to go to that ball?" asks Fab G at the end of the clip, to which Cinders replies: "yes, I was just crying and singing about it like two minutes ago". Check out the Cinderella trailer below: Cinderella will be available to stream via Amazon Prime Video from Friday, September 3. Top image: Christopher Raphael
It's considered one of the greatest whodunnits of all time. Or rather, one of the greatest whodidn'ts. Penned by Agatha Christie back in 1934, and first adapted into a film in 1974, Murder on the Orient Express takes a train full of passengers, kills one of them off, then asks "probably the greatest detective in the world" to find the person responsible. Naturally, everyone's a suspect, especially to the famous Hercule Poirot. He's soon slinging questions and making deductions, in a story full of mystery and suspense. At least, that's how it played out both in the book and the initial film. But try as it might, Kenneth Branagh's new version doesn't quite manage the same feat. The British actor and filmmaker stars, directs and fills his locomotive with high-profile performers including Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Michelle Pfeiffer, Josh Gad and Daisy Ridley. And yet despite their efforts — and the fine work of Pfeiffer and Ridley in particular — the end result is far from an engaging or intriguing journey, or even one worth taking. We first meet Branagh's arrogant (and ludicrously moustachioed) Belgian investigator as he's fussing over eggs at the Wailing Wall, before showing off his prowess in a case that involves a priest, a rabbi and an imam. Once the job is done, Poirot is eager for a break, but duty calls even when he's mid-railway trip. After the discovery of a body with a dozen stab wounds, our hero sets to work. Among the potential culprits caught in his gaze: a princess and her servant, a count and a countess, a nun, a doctor, a governess, a professor, a car dealer, a divorcee, a butler and a secretary. Working with cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos (Denial, Cinderella), Branagh approaches the tale with aesthetic flair — shot with the same 65mm cameras used on Dunkirk, Murder on the Orient Express is a feast of roaming shots, inventive angles and visual detail, with the production and costume design teams also putting on a show. There's little sign of the same texture or care in the rest of the movie, however, with the director himself the main offender. As depicted on the screen by everyone from Orson Welles to Alfred Molina, Poirot has always been a bundle of quirks, but here he's as pompous and self-satisfied as he is eccentric — while also being presented as a genius and a source of laughs. Christie herself grew tired of the character after he appeared in more than 80 of her stories. Watching Branagh's performance, you probably will as well. Perhaps we've just seen too many brilliant masterminds of late, considering the number of Sherlock Holmes adaptations we've all sat through. Or perhaps there's simply more to portraying a famous character than wearing ridiculous facial hair, acting smug and leaning on an accent. Also hindering the film is the obvious and easy way that Poirot pieces everything together, and Branagh's failure to properly utilise his ensemble cast. If the film's protagonist can join the dots faster than he can brush his moustache, audiences aren't likely to be enthralled. And sticking a heap of well-known faces in the same frame isn't the same as giving them all something to do. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFDGjNdRqTk
Many a great album has been penned during an extensive period of self-imposed isolation. Joni Mitchell famously composed Blue while travelling alone in Europe, on the heels of a tough break-up. More recently, Justin Vernon emerged from three months spent "hibernating" in the Wisconsin woods with For Emma, Forever Ago under his arm. In a move at odds with their name, Adelaide-based band City Riots spent the summer before last in a remote shack in the South Australian countryside. The seclusion inspired no fewer than 40 new songs, the best of which made their way onto the group's debut LP, Sea of Bright Lights. "It was really important ... that we set time aside to work on honing our craft," vocalist/guitarist Ricky Kradolfer told the Brag. Continuing the group's indie-pop, nostalgia-sprinkled feel, the album introduces a more sophisticated aesthetic, with thoughtfully layered guitar textures and rich dashes of reverb.
The oyster offers a unique taste and texture, and until you embrace this tender and aphrodisiacal snot of the sea, you're just not the refined cosmopolitan you might claim to be. Who could forget the first time they took a fortifying gulp of champers and then allowed the silky grey flesh to slide down their throat, fresh and lemony? And what about those ladies and gentlemen who know how to shuck oysters without severing their own fingers? This is the very height of urban sophistication. You now have the opportunity to join their shining ranks with some help from The Morrison's Vio Pramano at August's Shuck Me Silly: Oyster Shucking Classes. As part of the Oyster Festival 2013, Pramano will show you how to extract the suckers without drawing blood. The best part? You can eat the spoils of your labour directly after, enjoying a dozen oysters paired up with their ideal liquid partners: cocktail, champagne, oyster stout and wine. Tuesday 6 and 20 August, 6.30-8.30pm. 12 oysters and matched drinks for $69 per person. Thanks to The Morrison, we have a double pass to the Shuck Me Silly Oyster Shucking Classes to give away to one lucky winner. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email hello@concreteplayground.com.au with your name and address.
Ever since Freddie Mercury teamed up with Brian May and company back in the 70s, Queen has never been out of fashion. And, thanks to Bohemian Rhapsody and the band's current members touring Down Under, the UK group has been grabbing plenty of attention again in recent years. You could call it a kind of magic. You could say that their songs must go on. Either way, if you're happy to let the British band keep rocking you, then you'll want to catch London's Queen by Candlelight when it debuts in Australia. While Queen tribute nights aren't rare — and neither are ones lit by flickering flames — this is the OG West End production, which features a live rock band and a cast of singers from London busting out the group's famous tracks. Been feeling a crazy little thing called love for Freddie and his bandmates? Then you'll clearly be in the right spot, with Queen by Candlelight playing the ICC Sydney at 7.30pm on Sunday, February 5. If your approach to the group's music is "I want it all!", that's what you'll hear. For one night, the event will break free so that Queen lovers can celebrate with their fellow champions. The aim: to make you feel like you're hearing the real thing, in a venue glowing with candles. In the UK, the gigs — which feature more than 20 Queen tracks — have proven sellouts.
Snakadaktal are one of those bands that pop their head out occasionally to remind us of how incredibly talented they are. They won Triple J Unearthed High in 2011 and debuted on the Hottest 100 for that year at number 22 with 'Air', no easy feat for a band fresh out of high school. They then went into the studio bunker for most of 2012, only releasing the dance-friendly wonder 'Dance Bear', which also snuck onto the Hottest 100 despite the band hibernating most of the year on the production front. This time, though, they are set to keep their pleasurable pop where everybody can see it, with their solo nationwide tour. It comes on the back of releasing their debut LP Sleep in the Water, which if lead teaser track 'Ghost' is anything to go by, will certainly feature many claims for entry into a third consecutive Hottest 100. The dream-inducing wizards will be playing at the Metro theatre on August 30 and they will be supported by Fishing and Moon Holiday. This should not be missed. https://youtube.com/watch?v=MNN1JWnXzyQ
Musical theatre fans just keep getting more reasons to celebrate Jonathan Larson. In the past few years, none other than Hamilton's Lin-Manuel Miranda took one of the composer, lyricist and playwright's works and turned it into a movie. After tick, tick…BOOM! hit screens, a stage production toured Australia as well. Next, Aussie audiences can catch the show that made him an icon: Rent. In 2024, it too will do the rounds Down Under, including a New South Wales stop in Newcastle. Larson created and composed the smash-hit production. Also, his Rent journey comes with quite the heartbreaking behind-the-scenes story. In the 90s, Larson passed away at the age of 35 on the day that that now-huge show premiered its first off-Broadway preview performance. So, he didn't get to see the Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning phenomenon that it would become. Plenty of other people have — when it first hit Broadway, Rent ran for 12 years, making it one of the famed theatre district's longest-running shows. And among those prizes is the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer for Drama, all for a tale about seizing the moment, facing adversity and finding one's community. [caption id="attachment_918480" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Team Dustizeff via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Loosely based on Puccini's La Boheme, and written to include real-life locations and events, the rock musical will bring tunes including 'Seasons of Love', 'Take Me or Leave Me' and 'La Vie Bohème' to Newcastle's Civic Theatre from Friday, March 15–Sunday, March 17. If you need a refresher on the story — or you're coming to Rent for the first time, having missed past performances and the 2005 film version — then prepare to step back to New York in 1991. Over the course of the year, as their neighbourhood is being gentrified and HIV/AIDS casts a shadow, a group of friends chase their dreams and strive for their place in the world. Top image: Wendell Teodoro.
With active COVID-19 cases decreasing in New South Wales over the past couple of weeks — including two new cases reported in the past 24 hours — the state has been relaxing a number of coronavirus-related restrictions. Already, NSW residents can visit friends and family in their homes in groups of two. And, in the next week, a number of other limitations will also be lifted. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian revealed the state's next stage of eased COVID-19 restrictions today, Sunday, May 10, following a similar announcement at the federal level on Friday. While Prime Minister Scott Morrison unveiled the nation's three-step plan to lift lockdown limitations between now and July before the weekend, that country-wide framework needs to be implemented at the state level individually by each state — with NSW already flagging last week that it'd take a few days to explain what's to come. From Friday, May 15, NSW will ease a number of limits. A selection of normal, everyday activities that have been off the cards since March will be permissible once again, with the following allowed: Up to five visitors in your home (which includes children). Outdoor gatherings of up to ten people, including leaving the house for recreational purposes — at parks and for personal training sessions, for example. The reopening of outdoor gym equipment and playgrounds "with caution". The reopening of outdoor pools "with restrictions". Dining in at cafes and restaurants, with up to ten people allowed inside at any one time. Weddings with up to ten guests. Funerals with up to 20 mourners indoors and 30 outdoors. Church gatherings of up to ten worshippers. As the Premier noted, this is the first time that NSW residents will be allowed to gather outside for recreational purposes since COVID-19 restrictions were implemented. But, she still stressed the need to "exercise extreme caution", advising that people should "walk out the door assuming you have the virus, or someone you come into contact with does". https://twitter.com/GladysB/status/1259291456482627585 When discussing the fact that cafes and restaurants will be able to open for up to ten dine-in customers, the Premier also recognised that this number mightn't be considered viable by many eateries — so, while they are allowed to open, some owners may still choose to remain closed. Unlike Queensland's easing of restrictions, which also come into effect on Friday, May 15, folks in NSW won't be able to travel regionally for recreational purposes. "Unlike other states, NSW is not yet ready," the Premier explained. If all goes well with this first stage of reduced limits, the NSW Government will explore the next stages — but it isn't outlining what'll happen next at this point. Both at the press conference and in a statement, the Premier advised that "the NSW Government will consider steps two and three of the plan in due course". In person, she provided further detail: "if there is evidence or if there is data that shows either a huge spike, then we have to go backwards. Similarly, if the data shows us that we're doing better than expected, we can move forward a bit faster." When the eased restrictions come into effect on Friday, May 15, standard social-distancing requirements will still apply. That means sticking with physical distancing, maintaining four square metres per person indoors, hand and cough hygiene, and frequent cleaning and disinfection. For more information about NSW's eased restrictions, read the Premier's press release. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. Top image: Kitti Gould
If you haven't yet had a chance to check out Gelato Messina's Creative Department — its Darlinghurst restaurant serving up gelato-led degustations — then this November is the perfect time to do so. The gelato fiends are adding caviar to all their dishes for a series of special, seasonal dinners. Under the guidance of head chef Remi Talbot, Messina's Creative Department is crafting a special eight-course gelato-meets-salt-cured degustation running for just three days between Friday, November 2 and Sunday, November 4. So what kind of caviar-gelato goodness have the masterminds come up with this time around? Expect Thai basil and lime granita with lime caviar, picked strawberry and red shiso sorbet with strawberry gum cream and caviar, and roasted almond gelato with potato and brown butter foam. Scampi tarts, lemon myrtle sherbet, soy-cured egg yolk and white garlic gelato are among the other ingredients. Tickets are $150 per person and, based off how quick these things sell out around the country, you'll want to grab your tickets ASAP.
Sydneysiders are serious about their bar culture, so it's no surprise that Sydney Bar Week is a thing. A glorious, glorious thing. With a program ranging from industry-oriented events like the Bartender of the Year Award to the more casual Global Whisk(e)y Expedition, you'll find something to interest to you. The festival starts off with a bang. Nine veteran bartenders (with over 200 years of combined experience) will be pouring vintage cocktails at a one-off event at The Barber Shop. And why not engage in an Indie Tasting? More than 50 boutique brands will be exhibiting their spirits and you'll also get nine short seminars about different spirits from American gin to craft rum. If none of those sound fun enough to you, we'd suggest the Pool Competition and Handball Tournament at the Oxford Tavern. Show up, and show them who's the school (or bar) yard champ.
Faces. Faces and fields. They don't always spring straight to mind when you're talking about great art. But they're stomped all over the history of art, obsessed as it was with the human body and the unreal rustic idyll. These are also the ingredients of the Archibald, and Wynne prizes, about to go on show with the Sulman at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. The Archibald entrants compete in portrait, the Wynne in landscapes, and the Sulman in paint both big and small. This collection of collections will judged by the non-artist Trustees and the general public, already having been judged by a benign autocracy of art storeman. This year's Archibald finalists include the stunning Klimt-like family portrait of previous winner Kathryn del Barton, a Love and Rockets-styled self portrait by Kate Beynon and Ben Quilty's fine-cut Margaret Olley. The exhibition also has a flm program, featuring Basiquat and The Lady Eve by epic O Brother Where Art Thou influence Preston Sturges. The weighty Archibald is orbited by satirical Bald Archies and more elevated Salon de Refuses exhibitions, too. So there's lots of fodder for you to indulge in an epic day of art, and of judging for yourself. Image: Nicholas Harding, Hugo at Home
Returning for its seventh year, Sydney Beer Week — which has this year dropped the 'craft' from its name — celebrates beer in all its golden greatness this October. Running from Friday, October 20 till Sunday, October 29, the ten-day celebration is packed full of events and activities that will grasp the interest of beer novices and connoisseurs alike. These will take place in several locations all over Sydney — and there's quite the list to choose from. One notable event is the Hair of the Dog Breakfast, where the Rocks Brewing Company will throw a mighty six-course breakfast paired with eight beers. It promises to be one of the best hangover cures we've heard of. You'll need it if you're heading to any of the other events, like the kick-off party full of brews and food trucks at the Australian Maritime Museum. Or The Grifter Brewing Co.'s dog-friendly event at their Marrickville brewery — there'll be brews from The Grifter and NZ's Parrot Dog brewery, food from LP's Quality Meats, pups and pints, canines and cans, fluffballs and frothies and so on. There's no doubt SBW will leave you better quenched, better fed and better educated in beer related matters than it found you.
The annual Improv Everywhere mp3 experiment proves we've come a long way since the Napster debacle of the early noughties. Interestingly, the New York-based prank collective started in 2001, around the same time Napster was given a court injunction to stop the distribution of copyrighted music on its network. But the eighth installment of the annual prank has made good use of mp3 downloads, casting aside any former copyright stigmas for the convergence of thousands of people in one picturesque setting. This year's prank took place along New York's Hudson River with over 3,500 participants downloading two types of mp3s, each with instructions that culminated in a mass 'silent disco' at Nelson Rockefeller Park during sundown. The participants of this year's prank began as two groups and were asked to wear two different coloured shirts, representing the theme of two tribes coming together. Once the two groups were instructed to meet at Nelson Rockefeller Park, on-the-spot jumping, indiscriminate high-fives to random passers-by, handshaking, slow dancing and linking of the arms took place. The Improv Everywhere prank collective has orchestrated over 100 pranks since 2001, and are behind the now iconic Frozen Grand Central flashmob which has been viewed by 27,513,992 people since 2008. https://youtube.com/watch?v=lrCnh9sT_mc
Last week saw the 135th and final space shuttle mission end when Atlantis touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. For the past 30 years, the shuttle has been the flagship plane for NASA's sometimes controversial, always captivating space program. The decommissioning of the shuttle will undoubtedly make space travel cheaper and safer for the American government, who will continue their program in 1960s-style manned capsules made in Russia, before taking off in American-built vehicles. Every time the shuttle took off, it cost American taxpayers $1.5 billion. Choosing to either abandon the space shuttle or avoid it entirely, the Soviets and China have progressed by using rockets and capsules for manned spaceflights. For now, the space race is back on. National Geographic has compiled a photographic retrospective to mark the occasion, showcasing the most vivid photographs from the shuttle's colourful history. Here are some of our favourites. A huge crowd—many driving recreational vehicles—gathers to watch the space shuttle Columbia land on July 4, 1982, at Edwards Air Force Base in California at the end of STS-4. Sitting on a rolling platform, the space shuttle Challenger emerges from the mist at Kennedy Space Center in Florida as it heads toward the launch pad, just visible in the distance, in November 1982. Curling like bizarre sigils in the sky, plume remnants from the June 8, 2007, launch of the space shuttle Atlantis glow with the light of the setting sun. Earth seems ready for loading into the space shuttle Endeavour's open payload bay in a picture taken in December 1998 using an onboard IMAX camera. Riding piggyback on a Boeing 747, the test shuttle Enterprise glides over the New York City skyline in June 1983. Astronaut Dale Gardner enjoys a moment of levity as he completes a spacewalk to recover two broken communications satellites from orbit on November 14, 1984. Astronaut Joseph P. Allen IV is seen reflected in Gardner's helmet visor. Star Trek cast members from the science-fiction show attend the shuttle's rollout ceremony in Palmdale, California, on September 17, 1976. Atlantis is lifted high inside the Vehicle Assembly Building on May 18, 2011, so it can be attached to the "stack"—the combination of the large external fuel tank and twin solid rocket boosters. A cloud of debris spreads in the sky over coastal Florida as the space shuttleChallenger breaks apart on January 28, 1986. A charred astronaut helmet lying in the grass near Norwood, Texas, was among the debris found after the space shuttle Columbia broke apart during reentry on February 1, 2003. Suspended above the planet, the space shuttle Endeavour is silhouetted against the layers of Earth's atmosphere in a picture taken by an ISS crew member on February 9, 2010. [Via National Geographic]
The super-adorable Finders Keepers Markets have been home to Sydney's most creative (and quirky) designers for almost five years. Now the independent hip-fest is all grown up and bursting forth from the confines of Carriageworks to invade their new home at Eveleigh's Australian Technology Park in 2013. The biannual, designer-centric, come-one-come-all mini-festival has managed to bridge the gap between local market and exclusive exhibition, creating a space for independent designers to engage with the wider community. You'll be able to nab some marvellous treats difficult to find anywhere else. From bespoke leather goods to bespoke stationary, upcycled journals to upcycled bicycle reflectors, every stall will be a unique shopping experience that combines innovative design with grassroots feel-goodery. As usual, there will be live music, a cafe, a bar and thousands of other Sydneysiders celebrating independent art and design. However, because of the move to the bigger venue (three times bigger, to be exact), look out for the $2 entry fee this time around. Finder Keepers is open 6-10pm on Friday, 10-5pm on Saturday.
Guys, we did it. We helped art happen in the face of corporate suckiness. You may remember how last month Lego refused to fulfil Chinese artist and political commentator Ai Weiwei's order for bulk bricks on the grounds that they “cannot approve the use of Legos for political works”. This bizarre and freedom of speech denying move — one that should shock nobody who’s ever stood barefoot on a tiny plastic brick — came just two months before Weiwei's huge blockbuster summer exhibition at Melbourne's National Gallery of Victoria, Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei, which will kick off on December 11. When news broke of Lego's tyrannical response, it wasn’t long before the good people of the internet were offering up their own Legos for Weiwei’s use instead. So what did Weiwei do? He announced that he would be collecting donated Lego in different cities to create the exhibition anyway. A collection point was set up in in the NGV sculpture garden in Melbourne as a repository for the Lego blocks. Donors were encouraged to bring in their Lego blocks and drop them through the sunroof of a car parked in the garden. And it worked. In the wee hours of this morning, Weiwei started posting images of his new artworks to Instagram. The portraits are of activists who fight for human rights and free speech, and so far include privacy activist Edward Snowden and the Republic of The Gambia's opposition treasurer, Amadou Sanneh. A photo posted by Ai Weiwei (@aiww) on Nov 19, 2015 at 8:11am PST A photo posted by Ai Weiwei (@aiww) on Nov 19, 2015 at 8:26am PST A photo posted by Ai Weiwei (@aiww) on Nov 19, 2015 at 8:11am PST We love you Weiwei. Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei comes to the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne from December 11 to April 24, in collaboration with The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh. For info and tickets, head to the NGV website. Words: Imogen Baker and Lauren Vadnjal
Since 2006, Kino Sydney has been providing a platform for amateur auteurs to strut their stuff in front of a real audience of real people. Creators of short films are invited monthly to premiere their new masterpiece, and the general public are invited to get themselves along, witness this genius, have a beer and eat some pizza. Win-win. The 79th event is Monday, February 3 at the Justice and Police Museum in Circular Quay, and tickets are on sale now. The whole deal comes with the opportunity to meet the cool cats involved in the making of the film, and a Q&A session will ensue — you never know which director will end up with the prowess of Quentin Tarantino or the creative genius of Lena Dunham. Kino are devoted to showing off the new generation of filmmakers, and hooking them up with their future fans. Cutting-edge film? Pizza? Beer? See you there.
There's never a bad time to explore the centre of Australia, but if you're keen on a trip this Easter, you've got quite the dazzling motivation. While plenty of Australian cities boast radiant arts and culture festivals that brighten up their streets and spaces, Alice Springs' Parrtjima - A Festival In Light takes the whole concept to several different levels. It celebrates Indigenous arts, culture, music and storytelling, including via an eye-catching array of light installations, and also takes place against a 2.5-kilometre stretch of the majestic, 300-million-year-old MacDonnell Ranges. It's the type of event to add to your travel bucket list, and it has brought its luminous presence back in 2022 — with the event currently running until Sunday, April 17. And, if you're wondering exactly what's brightening up the already-striking Red Centre and how it looks, Parrtjima has unveiled images from its first weekend that just might get you planning a last-minute Easter holiday. As always, the event has taken over the Alice Springs CBD's Alice Springs Todd Mall, plus tourism and conservation facility Alice Springs Desert Park Precinct just out of town — and the festival's main annual attraction, aka a huge artwork that showers the MacDonnell Ranges with light each night of the festival, looks as glorious as ever. When it comes to staring at the stunning natural landmark, this is a 'desert of light experience, as Parrtjima has dubbed it. And yes, from the images, that description is accurate. Also on the lineup: Grounded, which turns traditional and contemporary stories into a projected animation — complete with an immersive soundscape — and consistently proves a crowd favourite. There's Water Tree, too, with the piece inspired by the artwork of Karen Napaljarri Barnes, using acrylic glass to replicate the sight of thousands of budgerigars flocking together, and strung across four archways. Or, attendees can check out Flight, which similarly goes with budgies, this time featuring artwork by Farron Jampitjinpa Furber printed on sheer fabric spears to represent the birds' journey along the Lander River. Another must-see is Eagle's Eye, which takes inspiration from irretye (the wedge-tailed eagle) constellation, and brings a tunnel to life with animation of works by Jeannie Nungarrayi Egan — as well as Wild Wind, by Raelene Ngala Williams, which uses her artwork to celebrate the stories of the whirly whirly through a series of floating and moving structures. There's also the Bindi Mwerre Anthurre Artists' Energy, comprised of eight static bikes and wheelchairs, which attendees jump on and spin the pedals to illuminate and revolve the artworks. And, the 15-metre-high Night Sky, as created in collaboration with artist Carmen Glynn-Braun and Common Ground, is filled with 1200 glowing orbs that are suspended to look like a blanket of stars. Although the ten-night event has been underway since Friday, April 8, Parrtjima's full lineup also includes live tunes, talks, and the films of Sweet Country, The Beach, Firebite and Samson and Delilah director Warwick Thornton. Of course, Parrtjima is just one of Northern Territory's two glowing attractions in 2022, with Australia's Red Centre lighting up in multiple ways. The festival is a nice supplement to Bruce Munro's Field of Light installation, which — after multiple extensions — is now on display indefinitely. Parrtjima – A Festival in Light runs until Sunday, April 17 around Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. For more information or to book tickets, visit the festival website. Images: Parrtjima 2022.
In 2020, Brisbane made history, becoming the only city outside of Melbourne to ever host an AFL Grand Final. This year, the Queensland capital looks poised to land another huge sporting event — although it won't happen for another 11 years. That'd be the 2032 Olympic Games, with Brisbane named the preferred host for the Games of the XXXV Olympiad back in February. Now, overnight, that quest has progressed. Following a meeting on Thursday, June 10, the International Olympic Committee Executive Board has announced that it is recommending that the Queensland capital gets the official nod. The IOC Executive Board's proposal now moves to the broader International Olympic Committee itself, which will vote on the matter at its next session on Wednesday, July 21. So, in just over a month, Brisbane will likely be named as the actual host of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games — not just the preferred host. The move follows a recommendation by the Future Host Commission for the Games of the Olympiad, as happened when Brisbane was named the preferred 2032 host earlier this year. This time, the commission has put together a detailed report, which just earned the Executive Board's unanimous support. Announcing the news and outlining why the city has won its endorsement, the Executive Board listed eight core strengths identified in Brisbane's bid. They include the fact that Australia is apparently a "sports-loving nation"; the use of either existing or temporary venues to cover 84 percent of the Games; the support of the government, the public and the private sector; a commitment to sustainability; and the social and economic benefits — US$6.1 billion in value to Queensland and US$13.4 billion to Australia, according to commission's impact study. https://twitter.com/iocmedia/status/1403007957424611328 If Brisbane is officially named next month, the 2032 Games will be the first held in Oceania since 2000 — when Sydney did the honours — and will mark just a 32-year gap between Australia's most recent hosting slots. The Games were first held on our shores back in 1956, in Melbourne. It'll also mean that southeast Queensland will host the Olympics just 14 years after hosting the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast. Brisbane has staged the Commonwealth Games, too, back in 1982. Brisbane's bid includes three clusters of venues — in Brisbane itself, on the Gold Coast and on the Sunshine Coast — and proposes that the Games take place between July 23–August 8, 2032. As revealed in April, the Gabba will also undergo a huge revamp if the city hosts the Games, which'll basically involve tearing the stadium down and rebuilding it again. After Tokyo holds the postponed 2020 Games in July and August — without overseas spectators — Paris is on hosting duties in 2024. Then, in 2028, Los Angeles will take the torch. For further details about the International Olympic Committee's announcement, and about Brisbane's bid for the 2032 Olympics, head to the Games' website. Top image: Tokyo 2020 and TMG.
Art & About may be all about art in public spaces, but when the festival returns in September, it will include one usually off-limits venue that's very private: your house. In an event dubbed Armchair Apocalypse, the Rock Surfers Theatre Company is letting you 'order in' a performance work, which you can then watch in your living room in a leisurely manner, not unlike your old friend television. “This year, Art & About Sydney explores the endangered — the ‘at risk’, the threatened, the exposed and the risky from all perspectives,” said Art & About creative director Gill Minervini. Three Sydney writers will work the theme into their domestically destined Armchair Apocalypses, which you can secure for your place by jumping a few hoops here (you need to be happy to have 20 or 30 people over, and you need to own the place even though there's a housing crisis so you most likely don't). It'll be a great chance to see theatre that is intimate, unconventional and quite literally close to home. Other highlights from the first festival program announcement include adorable kid-guided tours of Redfern and Kings Cross (The Walking Neighbourhood), a group of people squishing themselves into the CBD's nooks and crannies (Willi Dorner's Bodies in Urban Spaces), a dance/ballet with shopping trolleys (from Spillers Shaun Parker and Company), James Dive and The Glue Society's nostalgic photo studio (Us) and popular Hyde Park photography exhibition Australian Life (expanded this year from 'Sydney Life'). Kicking off Art & About on September 19, their Friday Night Live event will see Martin Place transformed from business corridor to Quarter Acre Block Party, marrying your precious remnants of the Australian Dream with the fleeting hope you still have of getting along with your neighbours. Expect an Aussie backyard vibe channelled through barbecues, Hills Hoists, back fences, lawn cricket, garage bands, garden furniture, vinyl records, beer and sausage sangas. Image: Art & About 2013.
Attention all wannabe heroes: something big is coming. This March, much-loved comic company Marvel will bring its world-class Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. exhibition to Melbourne. The immersive exhibition, held at Federation Square, will give would-be caped crusaders the chance to delve into the history, engineering, genetics and technology behind Captain America, Hulk, Thor, Iron Man and the rest of their superhero team. Visitors will also undergo training, as if they were learning to become agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and can explore bespoke equipment and costumes including the Hulkbuster suit, Captain America's uniform and shield, Iron Man's MK armor and Thor's hammer, Mjölnir. Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. combines complex science and technology, developed by Marvel to help bring the successful film franchise to life. Space agency NASA have also contributed to the interactive experience, helping to enhance its scientific authenticity. After successful stints in cities including New York, Seoul and Paris, the exhibition will now head down under for the very first time. Organisers hope it will be an epic fan experience as well as a way to pique visitor interest in real-world science and technology. Earlier this year Marvel broke records when it brought its Creating the Cinematic Universe exhibition to Brisbane, drawing in close to 270,000 fans. Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. is expected to be even bigger. Marvel's Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. will open at Federation Square in March 2018. More information on ticketing will roll out in the coming months – you can sign up for updates here.
'Do one thing and do it well' used to be a mantra of many successful businesses. Google did search. Car makers made cars. Hotels gave you a place to sleep. But now, following the diversification model others have set, Vibe Hotels are releasing music. Vibe: The Chillout Suite is the fourth in the series featuring local talents such as Angus & Julia Stone, Lior and Washington, as well as international acts like Florence + The Machine and Gomez. There's even room for a few classics like Mazzy Star's Fade Into You and Jeff Buckley's Last Goodbye. To celebrate the launch of the album, Vibe are offering one lucky Concrete Playground reader a chillout accommodation package valued at $490 including a one night stay for two people at any of their hotels in Sydney, Melbourne or the Gold Coast, including buffet breakfast, a copy of Chillout Suite, and a late check-out so you can really relax. To enter, just make sure you're a CP subscriber then email us at hello@concreteplayground.com.au by 5pm on Friday, July 8.
'The mormons are coming', posters popping up all around Sydney started promising this week. Come February, they'll officially be here. If you thought you were going to have to head down to Melbourne to catch The Book of Mormon, think again, because Trey Parker and Matt Stone's hit musical is bringing its hilariously irreverent self to the Sydney Lyric Theatre. After playing most of the year down south, with the show's Victorian run due to end in November, the multi-award-winning production will settle in for a Sydney season from February 28, 2018. Tickets go on sale on September 5 for its second Australian stint, and given that all of its 250-plus performances have sold out in Melbourne, it's certain to prove a hot ticket. Written by South Park and Team America's notoriously puerile creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, together with Robert Lopez of genius grown-up muppet show Avenue Q, The Book of Mormon is probably one of the most lauded comedies ever to have centred on the Church of Latter Day Saints, African missions, AIDS, bum jokes and super ironic racism. If it wasn't so smart and so funny, few would forgive it. But since it is, The Book of Morman has picked up nine Tonys, four Olivier Awards, a Grammy and two Helpmanns since it debuted in 2011, and has been called "one of the most joyously acidic bundles Broadway has unwrapped in years". If you've been envious of the throngs seeing the musical in New York, Chicago or London, then you'll be plenty excited that you'll now get the chance to go learn all the idiosyncratic details of Mormonism, meet war criminal General Butt-Fucking Naked and know the true meaning of the hakuna matata-like saying 'Hasa Diga Eebowai'. The Book of Mormon plays the Sydney Lyric Theatre from February 28, 2018. Tickets go on sale on September 5, with the waitlist now open at BookOfMormonMusical.com.au. Image: Ryan Bondy, Zahra Newman, Nyk Bielak and company in The Book of Mormon, AUS 1411. (c) Jeff Busby. By Sarah Ward and Libby Curran.
You probably already know about TED. Influential invitees pay to listen, question and chat to interesting speakers from science, theoretical physics, technology, the humanities ... anything. If it has a cutting edge, people talk about it at TED. The talks are engaging and addictive. In 2006, TED began to open up its conferences to outsiders. First making streamed and podcast videos available of the main California event, then acting as a bright, forward thinking umbrella for satellite TEDx conferences around the world. TEDx Sydney itself got going last year. In the small hours of the morning, TEDx Sydney is screening the second day of the main California conference live at TED live for free in the Bondi Pavillion Theatre. Speakers include Supersize Me's Morgan Spurlock, often richest person in the world Bill Gates and director of Frida and a new effects-heavy version of the Tempest, Julie Taymor. Also speaking are Sydney local and big historian David Christian and Nigerian development worker Amina Az-Zubair. And in the middle of it all we are promised a surprise guest. So if you can do your deep thinking at three in the morning — or wish you could — watching TED by the beach is the place to be. Image by Los Cardinalos.
First it was The Guardian. Then came The Huffington Post. And now The New York Times is the latest international publication to launch in Australia. After vague affirmations that the daily newspaper was looking to expand into Australia in August last year, the Times has today — Tuesday, May 2 — officially launched a Sydney bureau and, with it, extended coverage of news and issues that affect Australians. Unlike The Guardian and HuffPost, the The New York Times' Australian coverage will not have its own edition, but will be integrated into its global site. The addition of an Australian newsroom — which is being led by Damien Cave, who was the publication's deputy national editor in the US — will serve to insert Australian issues into the global agenda. This new coverage, which kicks off today, will include news, investigations, opinion pieces and cultural coverage. The New York Times Australia coverage can be found under the world section of the site. Though the Times works on a subscription model, Australians have unlimited access the site for free until May 8.
You are about to hear one of the most beautiful combinations of three words in history: Australian Beer Festival. That's right ladies and gentlemen, The Australian Heritage Hotel's celebration of all things beer is back, taking over the pub's section of Cumberland Street in The Rocks to give you three glorious days of beer connoisseuring that only comes around once a year. Returning for its ninth rendition, the festival will kick off at 4pm on Friday, October 18, and serve until 8pm. It will then reopen from noon-8pm on Saturday and noon-6 on Sunday. Featuring 24 Australian brewers serving more than 100 well-established and lesser-known boutique brews, the festival comes with no shortage of choice. Brewers have been challenged to make beers unique to the festival, so expect to try something different. Whilst beer is the drink of the day, a host of ciders will also be on offer to taste, catering for those of us who prefer a fruitier tinge to our alcoholic beverages. There will also be live entertainment and education sessions throughout the festival, including Meet the Brewer, allowing you to learn how your favourite delicious drinks are made. Whilst entry to the Australian Beer Festival is free, drinks can only be purchased with vouchers. We strongly advise pre-purchasing tickets so that you do not have to spend any of your precious tasting time in the queue. Ten vouchers cost only $15 and are available through Stickytickets. PS If you are worried about food, The Australian will be serving their famous gourmet pizzas.
Any Questions for Ben? and House of Lies' Josh Lawson writes, directs and stars in an effort destined to be labelled a sex-fuelled Love Actually. Sex Actually? Different types of fetish, kink and between-the-sheets behaviour are explored through the relationships of four couples. Maeve (Bojana Novakovic) wants Paul (Lawson) to fulfil her rape fantasies. Rowena (Kate Box) finds herself aroused whenever husband Richard (Patrick Brammall) cries. Phil (Alan Dukes) finds Maureen (Lisa McCune) at her most attractive when she is sleeping. Dan (Damon Herriman) and Evie (Kate Mulvany) make a foray into roleplaying that backfires. There's laughs both out loud and cringey to be had as the adventurous comedy unfurls. The Little Death is in cinemas on September 25, and thanks to Entertainment One, we have ten double in-season passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=BnnhesQ8Rxc
When Jetstar launched a hefty domestic flight sale last June, it sold 70,000 seats in just five hours, with Australians keen to travel when and where they can in these pandemic-afflicted times. Unsurprisingly, discounted airline tickets have become a common occurrence since travel around Australia restarted — and the airline has just kicked off another sale. The latest Return for Free sale is already running, with discounted fares available until 11.59pm AEDT on Sunday, March 7 — if it doesn't sell out prior. In the sale, you'll find cheap flights across a heap routes from destinations right across the country. And, as the name suggests, it's doing return flights for free. So, you buy your ticket to your destination and then Jetstar will cover your trip home. There are a few caveats, as there always is. You have to depart and leave from the same airports and, if you need to make changes down the line to your flight dates, you will have to pay change fees and any difference in fare. The discounted flights don't include checked baggage, either — so you'll need to travel super light, or pay extra to take a suitcase. [caption id="attachment_785574" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Tourism Australia[/caption] Now that you know some of the things you'll need to take into consideration, here's where you can go. Sydneysiders can snag return tickets to Victoria for $65, Launceston for $89, Brisbane from $92, the Sunshine Coast for $96 and Hamilton Island for $151. Melburnians can book trips to Uluru for $185 and Darwin for $184, and to Hobart from $84, the Gold Coast from $107, and Ballina and Byron Bay from $116. And Brisbanites can head to the Whitsundays for $91, Cairns from $115 and Adelaide from $141. Yes, the list goes on. Tickets in the sale are for trips from April–December 2021, with exact dates varying in each region. If you're keen to get away, book some now and start planning. And, as always, keeping an eye on interstate border requirements is recommended. Jetstar's Return for Free sale runs until 11.59pm AEDT on Sunday, March 7, or until sold out.
Sydney Craft Beer Week is back, and even craftier (and, uh, beerier) than ever. The weeklong celebration of the city’s favourite brews runs from October 19 to October 26, connecting craft beer connoisseurs and amateurs alike with Sydney’s best brewers, chefs and craft beer aficionados in venues all over the region. With over 60 events on the calendar — from speed dating to smackdowns — here are a few of our select picks to better improve your life through beer. Sydney Craft Beer Week Launch Party Clearly, there’s no better way to start a week-long celebration of the nation’s beverage than with a launch party. To help kick things off, this year’s Sydney Craft Beer Week Launch Party is being held in the carpark at The Vic on the Park in Marrickville. It boasts over 15 beer stalls, each pouring unique and rare beers, live music and, to quote the organisers, "maybe a slam dunk contest if you feel so inclined". This one’s free to get in, so clear a spot in your calendar and get down to The Vic. Vic On the Park, 2 Addison Road, Marrickville; October 19, 11am-7pm; Food and drinks to be purchased on the night. Birra Italiana Presents Beers from Across the World This will be the worldwide adventure you’ve didn’t even know you were needing to accomplish — and you won’t even have to leave the city limits. Bloodwood is hosting this continental crusade, where six beers from six nations will be matched with their home specialty course. Bloodwood Restaurant, 416 King Street, Newtown; October 25, 6-10pm; $95 The Growler Newtown Pub 'Claw' Party animals unite — Young Henry's and local bike fiends The Spokes People are holding The Growler — the first annual Pub ‘Claw’ through Newtown. If you’re ready to let your spirit animal manifest in human form, get into your best party animal ensemble and be ready to claw — either on wheel or on paw — through the streets of Newtown on a treasure hunt that will see you hoofing through the best bars and pubs that the Inner West has to offer. Once you’ve pawed your way through to the end of the hunt, you’ll be able to throw some shapes around until the cows come home at the after Claw party. Victoria Park, Parramatta Road, Camperdown; October 19, 4-9pm; Food and drinks to be purchased on the night. Beer Mimics Food There’s much more to beer than meets the amber-glazed eye. It’s a magical drink — like David Blaine, I-can’t-believe-this-is-happening-to-my-tastebuds levels of magic. Really. Beer isn’t just beer anymore. It’s basically another food group — well, it’s able to transform and mimic the tastes of the other food groups, which makes it a super-food group, really. Don’t believe me? Well, sceptic, head to The Welcome Hotel in Rozelle and prepare to eat (and drink) your words. Some of Australia’s best chefs (Poh Ling Yeow, Ben O’Donoghue, Myffy Rygby, Michael Ryan, Hadleigh Troy and more) and brewers have teamed up to respond to a challenge: conjure up a brew that tastes like a well-known food. Can they do it? You’ll have to head to Rozelle to find out. The Welcome Hotel, 91 Evans Street, Rozelle; October 20, 3pm-10pm; Food and drinks to be purchased on the night. Tweet Up Event - Brewery Smack Down I can’t put my finger on why, but craft beer and social media just go so well together. Luckily, I’m not alone in that sentiment. At the Brewery Smack Down, you’ll have the opportunity to come along and get up-close and personal with some of the most awarded brewing companies in Australia. Each brewer will be bringing a special beer just for the event. They’re competing with each other via Twitter to win the title of crowd favourite, so get hashtagging and #votetowin at the #craftbeer #smackdown. Duck Inn Pub Kitchen, 74 Rose Street, Chippendale; October 21, 1-4pm; Food and drinks to be purchased on the night. Women of Beer Ladies, leave your man at home (or don’t — all genders are welcome). If you’ve ever wanted to taste some of the most exciting craft brews and rub shoulders with some of the best producers and collaborators in today’s industry, you’re reading the right post. Join top birds Jayne Lewis and Danielle Allen from Two Birds Brewing, Karen Golding from Red Hill Brewery and Beth Williams of Hargreaves Hill at Flat Rock Brew Cafe in Naremburn for a night of beer chats and tasting (with matched food!), without the stereotypes that the craft beer industry carries. Flat Rock Brew Cafe, 290 Willoughby Road, Naremburn; October 21, 5- 8pm; $50. Beer and the Art of Cocktails Cocktails are great. Craft beer is great. Combine the two and you have a winning combination, but no — a bit of grenadine in your beer or cider does not a cocktail make. You’ll be set on the straight and narrow by the experts at Firefly, who will be exploring the many great ways craft beer can be incorporated into cocktails and teaching you along the way. If mere knowledge and power isn’t enough to get you to Neutral Bay, Firefly's chefs will also be serving canapes inspired by craft beer throughout the evening. Firefly Neutral Bay; 24 Young St, Neutral Bay; October 24, 5pm-8pm; $50 Brewers & Chewers Craft beer fans and foodies: if you missed last year’s Brewers & Chewers, fear not. It’s back! If this is the first time you’re hearing of Brewers & Chewers, allow me to fill you in: it’s essentially a speed dating dinner and drinks night for brewers and fans of the brew. This year’s line-up features international and local guests, giving you a chance to get to know the faces behind the ale while enjoying a delicious four-course dinner and consuming exclusive craft beers. The Local Taphouse, 122 Flinders Street, Darlinghurst; October 24, 5.30-9pm; $90. Handmade by Little Creatures For this year's SCBW, Little Creatures and Waterloo's aMBUSH Gallery are combining their powers of beer and art to form Handmade — a “renaissance of hand-crafted art and design”. Featuring beer by Little Creatures and art by Springles, Flourish, Jane Gillings, HIT+RUN Australia, Numskull and music sets by Pilarties and Bad Jeep, the exhibition invites you to view the works and interact with the custom-built Handmade installation that, in the words of aMBUSH, "turns the disappointment of an empty beer bottle into the delight of playful collaboration". aMBUSH Gallery, 4 James Street, Waterloo; October 25, 6-9pm; Free. Two Birds / The Grifter Brewing Co. Finish the week off with a final showdown with Geelong’s Two Birds Brewing and our very own Grifter Brewing Co going head to head at Yulli's in Surry Hills. Both brewers will have their usual lineup of beers available, as well as The Grifter’s first-ever collaboration brew. Chat to each brewer, taste each beer (maybe more than once if you need help deciding) and vote for your favourite to take home the crown. Yulli’s, 417 Crown Street, Surry Hills; October 26, 4-10pm; Food and drinks to be purchased on the night.
If you love classic cocktails, you probably enjoy knowing a bit about the intriguing stories behind them. And one cocktail with a long, star-studded history is the martini. To honour the legacy of this iconic drink, Sydney cocktail bar Eau de Vie is launching a bespoke martini service — that doubles as an alcohol-fuelled history lesson. The Star of Bombay Martini Trolley combines the classic martini service — a tradition in old-school ritzy hotel bars — storytelling of the cocktail's history and the dramatic crafting of drinks using liquid nitrogen. The four martinis from the new Star of Bombay menu will be made theatrically on the trolley in front of you, and include the sweet-noted Edwardian, a twist on the hanky panky from the Savoy Hotel in 1903, a James Bond-inspired Magda Martini (we'll assume it's shaken) and the Captain Ritz — an ode to the Ritz Paris's famed side car cocktail. You'll also have the chance to experiment with bitters, brines and garnishes to create your own personalised martini. The Star of Bombay Martini Trolley is located inside Eau de Vie, Sydney and is open 6pm–midnight, Monday to Sunday. One martini costs $24 and a sample board of all four costs $50. To make a reservation, head to the website.
For a gig that switches from heat to heat faster than Marty McFly into Johnny B. Goode, there ain't nothing like a Hot Dub Time Machine party. Busting out all your favourites from 1954 through to today, Hot Dub is 'powered' by the energy of the crowd, all of whom are nothing short of ecstatic to hear the classics belted out by Sydney's own DJ Tom Loud. And he's bringing the extravaganza to a city near you on a nationwide tour. Bursting onto the scene at the Sydney Fringe Festival in 2011, the Hot Dub concept is simple. The Time Machine runs on the energy of the crowd as it makes its way from the '50s to the modern day. If the energy at the show slows down to anything under extreme, you're literally stuck in time, listening to the tunes of whatever era you crashed in, until you can get crazy enough for lift-off. Coming off the back of a sold-out run across the festival circuit last year, including the Sydney Festival, Hot Dub is more than guaranteed to get your feet, legs, torso, arms and everything else moving to the beat. With balloon drops, glitter bombs and a two-storey-high visual accompaniment, Hot Dub is sure to be a spectacle for the ages. Full tour dates below. SUN 16 MAR – SYDNEY @ TBA (Secret Show) SAT 22 MAR – BRISBANE @ Chalk Hotel SAT 29 MAR – QUEENSTOWN @ World Bar FRI 4 APRIL – FREMANTLE @ Metropolis SAT 5 APRIL – PERTH @ Capitol FRI 11 APRIL – MELBOURNE @ Northcote Social Club. Tickets from northcotesocialclub.com THURS 17 APRIL – CANBERRA @ Academy SAT 19 APRIL – SYDNEY @ Metro Theatre. Tickets from www.metrotheatre.com.au THURS 24 APRIL – BALLARAT @ Karova SAT 3 MAY – BYRON BAY @ Beach Hotel SUN 4 MAY – DARWIN @ Discovery SAT 10 MAY – NEWCASTLE @ Argyle House SAT 17 MAY – COFFS HARBOUR @ Plantation For more info, head to the Hot Dub website. https://youtube.com/watch?v=iIVVvtWSBZo
While Sydney is not exactly short on options for midweek fun and frivolity, a surprising new entrant has joined the city's lineup of hump day deal masters, tempting you off the couch and out of the house. Announced today, the Sydney Opera House has kickstarted a new Wednesday night offering, featuring a weekly changing swag of two-for-one ticket deals, and some tidy food and drink specials to match. Each week's theatre and event deals will remain under wraps until the Tuesday night, riffing on similar last-minute ticket programs offered by the likes of London's West End theatre set and on Broadway in New York. There'll be specials on shows presented by the Sydney Opera House and its resident companies, eats and drinks from onsite venues like Opera Kitchen and Portside Sydney, and even cheap parking at the Sydney Opera House Wilson Carpark. To give you a hint of what to expect, this Wednesday's lineup could see you score two-for-one tickets to Sydney Theatre Company's hilarious political farce Accidental Death of an Anarchist, for example, or a production of Molière's comedy of manners The Misanthrope. There will also be two-for-one specials on Opera Kitchen's crispy chicken, matched with a wine or Sydney Lager. While the deal itself is great, the accompanying campaign name and video are a little cringeworthy. The Sydney Opera House has dubbed it Make Wednesday Great Again, a 'satirical' riff on Donald Trump's 2016 campaign slogan (which was used by Ronald Reagan in 1980, too). It feels a little too soon to turn the presidential campaign into a marketing exercise — but, still, if it means feasting on theatre for less, this hump day treat is sure to find its fair share of fans. The two-for-one Wednesday deals will be made available to email subscribers each Tuesday night at 5pm. To sign up, head to the Sydney Opera House website. Image: Letícia Almeida
Public art festival Art & About is usually laid out across town in order, not unlike stations of the cross. You follow its trail from one neat alleyway to the next, watching the best of local and overseas art laid out in an orderly fashion from the CBD down to the harbour's edge. This year's festival, though, is spread out more like a series of quiet hollows, tempting you to slow down and notice nooks and crannies of the CBD you hadn't chanced to chance upon before. With so many things on, and with so much of the city covered in newly applied art, it can be a little intimidating working out which work to check out, and in what order to do it. To help you, Concrete Playground has put together this list of the ten best things to start with as you go about checking out this year's offerings at Sydney's best spring festival of creativity. 1. Laneway Art To be an alley you need to be a narrow street surrounded by buildings, but to be a lane just narrow will do. There's no specific word for a narrow space packed with weather-proof art, but Sydney may need one soon. With today's internet all about bringing a mix of curation and serendipity to the cascade of interesting stuff in life, Laneway Art takes this same aesthetic to the streets, gathering art from around Sydney and beyond, compressing it into an angular mix of narrow streets. This year's selection includes a whole staircase covered in the guerrilla knitting from the 'mother' of yarn-bombing, Magda Sayeg, urban periscopes with mirrors that look further across the city than you'd imagine and a series of mobile film screenings descending on a series of Sydney streets Thursday nights, using the side of a rickshaw as its screen. Where: Skittle Lane, Bridge Lane, Mullins Street & Market Row, Tank Stream Way, Bulletin Place and on a rickshaw. 2. Acts of Kindness Michael Landy's latest artwork is a puzzle. Behind the cenotaph in Martin Place, Landy has laid out a giant map of Sydney's CBD, seemingly hand drawn on a giant white jigsaw. Each piece owns a counterpart somewhere around the city that has a story stuck onto it. The stories are about moments where kindness barged itself small or large into sombody's life. Most of the stories happened where the pieces sit, so you have the choice of replicating them in a chain of life imitating art, borrowing from life. Landy spent months recceing his urban canvas by collecting stories from Sydney to fix to the pieces. He'd taken the same approach to London's Underground, joining Tube art like the antiquities plastered on Holbourn Station and mosiacs by Sir Eduardo Paolozzi. His approach is as crowd-sourced as Wikipedia's editing system, but with his last dramatic step from abstract geocoordinates to tangible places, he steps from the aesthetic into a connection with a city you'd thought you already known. Where: Martin Place and Sydney's streets. 3. Sydney Life Dominating Hyde Park's Central Walkway like a series of errant movie-screens strung through the foliage, the canvases of Sydney Life take a high-contrast lens to the ins and outs of the city. Each glossy image tells a story of the city, filtered by the lens of one of the 22 finalists' piercing eye for detail. Fluttering ethereally in mid-air, their choices give you an unreal window onto the everyday. Julie Sundberg found hat headed TAFE students, Peter Morgan captured cabbies dining streetlit out of the back of a cab and John Fryz posed a life-size gnome. These are pictures of the everyday, but caught at rare moments. Where: Central Walkway, Hyde Park (Image: Australia Square by Brent M V Wintstone). 4. Little Sydney Lives The circular rotunda of Sandrigham Gardens is a royal memorial dating to the fifties, and hosts Sydney Life's younger counterpart Little Sydney Lives. The younger photographers have competed in two categories, their ages ranging from 3-11. The pictures they've taken are often as good or better than their adult counterparts. What they lack in complex post processing and well-chosen captions, they make up with the starkness of their images and the way their clear focus brings their subjects front and centre. Where adults find the clarity of a moment, children find focus in simple things themselves. Where: Sandringham Gardens, Hyde Park (Image: Seal by Amy Skinstad). 5. What If? When Sydney's street banners first went in they seemed very plush and high-rent. And while they're still very trim, familiarity seems to breed forgetfulness. What If? brings a sense ownership back for the banners, having sought out bon mots from across Sydney to fill the banners with ideas, suggestions and meditation. Anyone was able to get their ideas up there, with the threaded mottos artfully assembled by talented designer Suzanne Boccalatte. Getting concrete-walking pedestrians' words up into the first floor gives a good sense of writing it big across the storied streetscape in crayon. The banners are spread out across the CBD, so to get a look at this outdoor gallery the main thing to do in most places is look skyward. Where: George Street, Alfred Street, College Street, Elizabeth Street, Park Street, Oxford Street, William Street, Redfern Street and Glebe Point Road. 6. Happy Talk The Sydney Festival has its now annual Spiegeltent in the corner of Hyde Park. Heidi Dokulil and Liane Rossler took inspiration from the Pacific to compete with it in the same location by raising the roof of the Happy Talk House. The house itself is sustainable, recycled and recyclable and decorated by Cook Island artistry, but its main appeal lies in the workshops to be hosted inside it. Throughout September and October, the hut will be hosting a knot of workshops on age old crafts — like weaving or bookmaking — where you can make yourself something brand new. Attendance takes careful attention to their calendar, but between organised moments you can drop in to their materials draped long-table to put together a something of your own design. If the feeling of making things in the deft mesh of your own two hands is what takes you to your happy place, Happy Talk is for you. Where: Sandringham Gardens, Hyde Park. 7. Unguarded Moments Back in 2008, Sarah Barns helped the ABC put together a tour of the Sydney that was called Sidetracks using the then cutting-edge technology of putting a tour on your mobile phone. Though phone technology has moved on somewhat, Barns has returned to offer another glimpse into the city's earlier lives. Unguarded Moments takes old images and returns them to Miller's Point and Walsh Bay, with a string of projectors around the area shooting original photos up onto the walls of the neighbourhood they were once taken in. And if you find the faces of the past grabbing you, you can look up their stories online as you walk around with your now ubiquitous, modern smartphone. Where: Around Miller's Point and Walsh Bay (Map). 8. Contested Lanscapes Gallery, meeting place and occasional bakery, Contested Landscapes brings ideas from the world of art and science together under its canvas. Setting itself up as a walk-in space in front of the Customs House Library, it's flush with paintings on the walls, plush furniture and visiting speakers eager to get their ideas on art and environment out to the public. For the week of September 26 through 29 the series will walk you through topics like Urban Sydney and Food Security. Where: Customs House Forecourt, Circular Quay (Painting: A View of the Artist's Garden by Leo Robba). 9. Streetware 2011 A sideline to the Laneway Art program, Streetware is mostly centred around the old Mark Foys building off Hyde Park. The show is in its second year of getting emerging street artists to put their work on walls, operating under legal detente with the City's governing authorities. Wandering around alleys south of Hyde Park you find yourself twisting around right-angles covered in fresh paint and new stencils. Penelope Cain's Cubicle Farm posters urban wildlife in its natural environment, while Beastman's nearby organic mosaic style will be familiar to most Sydneysiders, even if they weren't able to put a name to it before. The art is well slotted into the minutae of South Sydney's laneways, so if you're not working off Art & About's iPhone-sized app you might want to print out a map to help you navigate its nooks and crannies. Where: South Sydney alleys. 10. Primavera Sheltering under the umbrella of Art & About's 'associated events', Primavera's calendar overlapping the festival's gives you the unique opportunity to explore Art & About, Primavera and the Rocks Pop-Up Project all in the one epic, foot-wearying afternoon. With the MCA in the throes of renovation, it's put its annual spring show out on the Rocks' stone streets. With this last station of the journey, for one strange month there really is art all over the streets on Sydney. Where: The Rocks (Images: Brown Council and Tom O'Hern).
UPDATE, October 23, 2020: On the Rocks is available to stream via Apple TV+. Not once, not twice, but three times now, Sofia Coppola has given the Bill Murray-loving world exactly what it wants. One of the great comedic talents of the past half-century, the Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day star is also a greatly charismatic talent — and, understandably, viewers want to spend more time in his inimitable company. In Lost in Translation, Coppola found a way to take this idea literally, in a fashion. With Scarlett Johansson's unhappy twenty-something doubling as the audience's on-screen surrogate, everyone watching was able to vicariously pal around with Murray's character, a high-profile actor, while taking in quite the tour of Tokyo. In 2015 Netflix special A Very Murray Christmas, the filmmaker let Murray play himself, get jovial and ooze charm. And now in On the Rocks, he steps into the shoes of a debonair playboy art dealer who is determined to help his New York-dwelling adult daughter discover if her husband is being unfaithful. On the Rocks' premise really isn't far removed from Lost in Translation. The film's female protagonist is a decade older this time, her romantic troubles are complicated by both marriage and children, and another bustling city provides the backdrop, but the basic idea remains mostly the same. With Murray as the lively Felix and Rashida Jones as his overstressed offspring Laura, the movie takes them hopping around NYC as they endeavour to ascertain if the latter's workaholic other half, Dean (Marlon Wayans), is cosying up to his attractive young colleague (Jessica Henwick) while Laura is raising their two young daughters. In the process, Felix and Laura chat about anything and everything, covering topics both important and trivial. They eat and drink, and do so in luxe spaces while Felix naturally captivates everyone in his orbit and turns everything into an adventure. Over the course of their investigative escapade, Felix helps Laura work through her struggles, too — although here, their own complicated relationship is actually one of them. There's an immense sense of joy to Murray and Jones' pairing, and not just for Parks and Recreation fans pleased to see the sitcom's Ann Perkins and Mayor Gunderson share screentime (Jones also featured in A Very Murray Christmas as well). Felix and Laura's father-daughter bond has endured years of ups and downs, and nothing between them is perfect, but the actors' rapport makes every warm exchange and awkward moment feel authentic. That's one of the key aspects of On the Rocks, a film that serves up an instant-classic Murray performance on a platter, but never forgets that its story actually belongs to its female protagonist. Viewers spend time with Felix, and therefore Murray, because the movie's main character does — and enjoying the ebbs and flows of the duo's time together, whether cracking open caviar on a stakeout in a convertible or downing cocktails where Humphrey Bogart once proposed to Lauren Bacall, is all the more engaging because it's a back-and-forth tête-à-tête rather than a one-man show. Another way to describe the central dynamic here: lived-in. As proved the case with Lost in Translation, that's as much a credit to Coppola as not only a screenwriter, but as a perceptive creative willing to strip bare her own life experiences, fictionalise them, and create something both thoughtful and moving. The daughter of The Godfather and Apocalypse Now's Francis Ford Coppola, she clearly knows a thing or two about flitting around town with a father with the world at his feet, and it shows — and she's not afraid to admit that she's been cast in her own dad's shadow. When Laura watches on as Felix is pulled over by the police, sweet-talks his way out of a ticket and even enlists their help giving his vintage Alfa Romeo a push-start, in fact, it's easy to imagine the real-life Coppola family equivalent. Of course, this isn't the first time that the younger Coppola has drawn upon what she knows. Lost in Translation took ample cues from her experiences, including time spent feeling listless in Japan, plus the strain with her then-husband Spike Jonze. And, the Los Angeles-set Somewhere's focus on a Hollywood star and his pre-teen daughter found inspiration in her own childhood. Accordingly, On the Rocks follows their lead by tapping into rich personal depths. It may initially seem to tell a slight story, but that appearance is deceptive. The filmmaker is famously fond of relaying tales about comfortable lives and their corresponding problems — see also: Marie Antoinette and The Bling Ring — but she has always been savvy to the ways that women are forced to respond to the men and the world around them. The Virgin Suicides and The Beguiled make this point more forcefully; however, even with a wavering ending, it still lingers here as well. On the Rocks is a film with layers of resonance and insight, but it is also a caper — and a sparkling, banter-filled, often screwball one at that. In other words, it's a delight that blends intimate truths with entertaining moments, and finds poignancy and comedy in daily routines, idle chats with other mothers (including with fellow Parks and Rec alum Jenny Slate), low-key spy antics and sudden getaways to Mexico alike. Murray's general Bill Murray-ness and all-round presence is crucial, obviously. So is the affectionate, glimmering lensing by Philippe Le Sourd (The Beguiled) that makes New York seem like a playground, and the upbeat but still contemplative soundtrack by Phoenix. Indeed, combine all of the above, and this is a Sofia Coppola movie through and through. It's a big call, but if she was ever going to remake the great German father-daughter film Toni Erdmann, this just might be the end result. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4p0vjj_C8s
Missed out on a Euro summer trip this year? Don't drown your sorrows in sangria just yet — Spanish car brand CUPRA is bringing Barcelona to Sydney with the fiery Obsession event series. Inspired by the brand's ethos of style, performance and passion — which will see creative collaborators take over the CUPRA Sydney City Garage in the CBD to showcase their "obsessions." In the second event of this obsessive series, Brisbane-born musician, beatboxer and human lyrebird Tom Thum is taking to CUPRA's Sydney City Garage on Thursday, November 28 for an evening of musical obsession. Since the early 2000s, Thum has been making a name for himself with the power of his voice — rising to internet stardom with a viral 15-minute performance at TEDx Sydney in 2013. He's sold out shows with Gordon Hamilton and the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and worked with Disney and Audi, but he's bringing his talents to this far more personal experience here. As well as a performance on the night, Thum will talk about obsession in his obscure medium and encourage some audience interaction if anyone is brave enough to beatbox with the master. Want to win a double pass to attend? You can head to the CUPRA website and share your obsession in 25 words or less to claim a ticket. The CUPRA Sydney City Garage is located at 68 Pitt Street, Sydney. For more information about CUPRA or to get behind the wheel on a test drive, visit the website.
smart ARTS has had its season, but its not going to shuffle off without a party. The Red Rattler is opening its arms, stage and roller door to a bevy of artists, performers and musicians to lure you out onto Marrickville's murky streets one last time before the festival slips away into next year. smart ARTS is run out of the City of Sydney's Pine Street Creative Arts Studio, which ordinarily manufactures artists young and old. Its festival shows off the talent of young people in music, art and performance, and there's no shortage of that at the closing night party at the Rattler Friday night. The Divine Knights will show off their synth-pop, while the Looks Good cover post-punk poppiness and Alice Spacedoll brings her distant psychadelia to the stage. Defender Sound System DJs, and Melbourne-based Vancouver escapee UN-1 hosts for the night. As well as the music on show, Christina Bou will be showing her collection and Punk Monk Propaganda will be performing liquid projections live on screen. You're smart, you're arty, you may even by young. Why aren't you there? The Closing Party is an all-ages, alcohol-free event. Image by Divine Knights.
