Award-winning playwright Jamila Main is bringing their immersive theatre piece Benched to the Darlinghurst Theatre Company for its NSW premiere. Running for four nights in May at the beloved theatre company's Eternity Playhouse, Benched was featured at Midsumma Festival earlier this year after sold-out debut seasons in South Australia in 2021. The intimate and immensely honest play is centred around Main who sits on a bench on stage alongside a ball, a frisbee and a shoe — all of which have their own unique story. Six audience members join Main on the bench throughout the show, selecting an item and engaging in a dialogue on the relationship between athleticism and disability. "I have a dynamic disability, my mobility and pain changes from day to day, hour to hour. I wanted to create an intimate show that feels epic in its emotional proportions; a chance where I can sit on the bench and share truths about disability we rarely have the opportunity to tell or hear," said Main. "I was originally commissioned to make a performance work for a couple of hundred bucks for a one-off night of experimental art in Adelaide, commissioned by FELTspace Gallery. At the time, I was going through a horrible flare-up. I made Benched in my bathtub, meditating on my true childhood memories of sport and athleticism, in contrast to my current declining mobility." There are a few different types of tickets available for Benched. Firstly, you can purchase a General Admission ticket ($32) which means you'll get to sit in the audience and enjoy the show. You can also join Main on the bench ($42) for ten minutes during the show before watching the remainder with the GA audience. Or, you can book in an intimate one-on-one session on the bench during a special session with no observers that'll be happening from 2pm on Thursday, May 26. There are also live stream tickets available for $10. Alongside the play, mixed media artist Ruby Allegra will be transforming the theatre's foyer into an exhibition space with works that compliment and reflect the themes of Benched. "I am exploring the joyful and painful moments of disabled childhood through the curation of works by disabled artists as they consider their younger self, or their inner child," said Allegra. [caption id="attachment_853749" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lily Drummond[/caption] Top image: Ren Williams
Dig out those once-a-year novelty gumboots, Groovin the Moo is back for another year of out-of-the-city footstomping. Taking the large-scale music festival out of CBDs and into regional centres for another year, GTM will kick things off on the ANZAC Day long weekend and travel through Oakbank, Bunbury, Bendigo, Canberra, Maitland, and Townsville. This year's lineup sees syper-hyped internationals like the legendary Peaches, 'Boom Clap'-per Charli XCX, A$AP Mob's A$AP Ferg US trap king RL Grime, UK indie-gazers Peace and NZ festival favourites Broods alongside one of the most Aussie-heavy lineups GTM has seen in recent years. High-fiveworthy locals like Flight Facilities, The Preatures, Sticky Fingers, Hermitude, DMAs, Tkay Maidza, Ball Park Music, Meg Mac and more will also make their way to the Moo. So enough lowing, here's that lineup you're after. GROOVIN THE MOO 2015 LINEUP: A$AP FERG (USA) BALL PARK MUSIC BROODS (NZ) CARMADA CHARLI XCX (UK) THE DELTA RIGGS DMAs FLIGHT FACILITIES HERMITUDE HILLTOP HOODS HOT DUB TIME MACHINE MEG MAC NORTHLANE ONE DAY PEACHES (CAN) PEACE (UK) THE PREATURES RL GRIME (USA) SAN CISCO SASKWATCH STICKY FINGERS TKAY MAIDZA WOLFMOTHER YOU ME AT SIX (UK) GROOVIN THE MOO 2015 DATES & VENUES: Saturday, April 25 – Oakbank Sunday, April 26 – Bunbury Saturday, May 2 – Bendigo Sunday, May 3 – Canberra Saturday, May 9 – Maitland Sunday, May 10 – Townsville For more info, head to GTM's website. Image: Joseph Mayers, GTM.
Giant of the design and art market world, Finders Keepers will blow back into Sydney the last weekend of November. Running over the Friday, Saturday and Sunday at The Cutaway in Barangaroo, Finders Keepers will bring with it over 200 stalls — and a lot of very nice things that you can splash your emergency dosh on. What's an emergency if not needing to treat yourself to some fancy new threads, jewellery or homewares, stat? It's called 'retail therapy', look it up. As well as supporting local designers, the market will house a smorgasbord of talented folk from around the country. Plus, all these artisanal wares are coming to town just in time for you to tackle your Christmas shopping list early. To avoid aimless wandering (though there are plenty of food trucks, coffee pit stops and even bars to keep you sustained during your visit), here's a handy list of the five stalls you should scope out first. FOR ETHICAL FASHION: THE SOCIAL OUTFIT The Social Outfit does more than just providing you with a snazzy Christmas Day outfit: the Newtown-based brand, which will make its Finders Keepers debut this season, provides employment and training to refugees and new migrants. Focusing on helping its employees build their skills and providing a support network, The Social Outfit is giving back to the community while also creating really cute shirts. And, those shirts are made from organic, end-of-roll and remnant fabrics donated to it, which has so far saved more than four tonnes of textile waste since the team began in 2014. FOR ARTWORK: EGGPICNIC Design studio Eggpicnic creates illustrations of birds and other wild animals that toe the line between sketch, digital art and cartoon. And the friendly little critters are all designed in the name of wildlife conservation. Set up by Camila De Gregorio and Christopher Macaluso, both designers, the illustrations are simple, colourful and meaningful. Working with not-for-profit partners, Eggpicnic supports conservation efforts through its sales — including protecting endangered species and action on climate change. Once you've seen these amazing designs, we bet you'll start spotting them everywhere, with large-scale public art pieces installed all around the city. FOR YOUR BAG: MEMOBOTTLE There's nothing more convenient than a water bottle that fits in every bag you have, right? Memobottle sees your ratty old Pump bottle and raises you its slim, flat pack-design. Available in either A5 (750 millilitre) or A6 (375 millilitre) sizes, choose whichever fits best with your daily bag situation and off you go. It's stylish and contributes to the reduction of single use plastics. The A6 is even slender enough to fit into a pocket, so dehydration is a thing of the past even if you don't generally carry bags. FOR HOMEWARES: HOME BY HARLEQUIN If you're in search of a fancy vessel to house whatever it is you like to put inside your canisters (there's something comforting and grown-up about storing your dried pasta in them, surely), then this is a go-to for you. Home by Harlequin creates many a stylish, hand-crafted vessel made from casting stone. Finished with resin and oil, they have the vibe of ceramics without the use of a kiln. Coloured oxides pepper the canisters with both bright and neutral colours, so there'll be something to please everyone and their preferred aesthetic. Started by Lauren Eaton, a Sydney-based creative and maker, she'll brighten up your house with her wares (whether they're holding flowers, pasta or your M&M stash). FOR A BITE TO EAT: MISS LILLY'S KITCHEN Fact: there's nobody in the world who hates pie. But if we're mistaken, and you do, turn away now. Sweet, savoury, shared or all to yourself, pie time is every time (breakfast, lunch and dinner are all A-plus pie opportunities). If you're catching on to the fact that we're into pie, pick up what we're putting down and swing by Miss Lilly's Kitchen: purveyors of pies and pastries all made with spelt flour, free-range eggs and meat. Those who normally stay away from pies because of wheat will be pleased to know there are gluten-free options, too. For more information about the Sydney's Finders Keepers Spring/Summer 2018 market and for the full list of vendors, head to the website. Images: Eggpicnic/Memo Bottle, Samee Lapham, Finders Keepers Sydney Autumn/Winter 2018.
Ahh, The Rocks, Sydney’s keystone of heritage, history and architecture. A bustling hub of seaside restaurants, charming sandstone pubs and colourful tourist markets. However, prior to this glossy gentrification, it was the city's seedy underbelly, rife with crime, debauchery and disease. During the 1970s, it was the heart of the Green Bans movement, a revolutionary thrust towards heritage protection and environmental activism. Curated by Janice Muller, Quay to the City is a walking tour studded with theatrical performances by The Australian Theatre for Young People engaging with the richly layered history of The Rocks. Under the direction of six acclaimed professional artists and produced together with Sydney Living Museums, it is a fun feat of site-specific theatre. From the brutal colonial origins of nationhood, this tour will resurrect the gritty working-class characters that once traversed these narrow, cobblestoned streets. Grab your ticket and a map from the starting point at the MCA and delve deeper into Sydney’s oldest and most fascinating suburb.
Each year, two of our city's most dynamic arts organisations, Carriageworks and Sydney Dance Company, join forces to give up-and-coming choreographers a platform to showcase their work. This exciting initiative, New Breed, is supported by philanthropic organisation The Balnaves Foundation. It shows an ongoing commitment from all groups to nurture the talent of the next generation of performers and artists. Now in its fifth year, it boasts a successful track record of recipients going on to do national and global tours with their work, picking up many awards along the way. This year's program features a powerhouse lineup of independent female choreographers: Prue Lang (Melbourne), Katina Olsen (Sydney/Sunshine Coast), Holly Doyle (Sydney) and Janessa Dufty (Yamba). These four dancers, who have decades of training and dozen of accolades between them already, were selected to create original works and were also given the opportunity to work at Sydney Dance Company's studios with some of Australia's best contemporary dancers to bring these creative pieces to life. And now, you get to enjoy the fruits of the labour with an evening of stunning performances. New Breed 2018 is set to run nightly at Carriageworks from Friday, November 29 to Saturday, December 12. Tickets cost $35 per person and can be purchased here.
Everyone has had the James Bond fantasy. No, not that fantasy. We're talking about imagining you're a secret agent who thwarts global plots and has a pen that doubles as a parachute (or something). It's a job we've all wished we had — but our intelligence services never seem to be advertising vacancies. Fortunately, cabaret matriarch Anya Anastasia is launching a public campaign for the position in Cabaret Star for Hire. In her new show, Anastasia announces she is calling time on her wildly successful career as a performer, setting out her prospects for the future and cataloguing in detail the abject failures in her past. Billed as 'part performance art, part Aussie opera, part physical and musical comedy extravaganza', Anastasia's swansong takes a hammer to the façade she created on social media before stepping us through her plans to take the espionage world by storm. Cynics might consider a public cabaret extravaganza an ill-judged medium for announcing one's entry into the spy game. But Anastasia's too damn good — this was never going to stay secret for long. Anya Anastasia: Cabaret Star for Hire is showing on Friday, July 12 and Saturday, July 13 as part of Bondi Feast 2019. For more information and to purchase tickets, head this way.
Forget what your eight-year-old self knows about collages and abandon your trusty Clag glue pot. The newest exhibition at the Anna Schwartz Gallery gives sleek insight into the art form using images from Hollywood's golden era. British artist John Stezaker has been making collages and photomontages for decades but has only very recently turned heads in the art sphere. In some collages, Stezaker creates interesting and often creepy contrasts by cutting and reassembling mid-20th century cinema memorabilia and agency head-shots of unknown actors. In others, the artist cleverly and purposefully places picturesque postcards over the expressions of failed movie stars, to unsettling effect. Although recognition was belated, Stezaker is certainly receiving attention for his artwork now; he won the 2012 Deutsche Börse Photography Prize (even though he is technically not a photographer) and held an exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art as part of the 19th Biennale of Sydney earlier this year. If you think all collages are the same, be prepared to be proven wrong.
Because it’s kind of a big deal, you’ve probably already heard about artist Tatzu Nishi’s (alias Tazro Niscino alias Tatsurou Bashi alias Tatzu Oozu) War and peace and in between. You have right? The Kaldor project enclosing Gilbert Bayes’ two equestrian sculptures outside the Art Gallery of New South Wales? Yeh, cool, thought so. Awesome.Nishi has a habit of altering public monuments. Using the addition of domestic spaces, he re-contextualises the familiar and in doing so affects the way we look at objects and spaces we’ve encountered so many times before that their details have become no longer apparent – street light for a reading lamp anyone? Nishi’s work cuts through the apathetic haze that comes with over-familiarity. So it’s a little bit exciting to find out he actually has two Sydney projects opening in October. In addition to War and peace and in between, Nishi has a self-titled show at Roslyn Oxley9 from October 3. Double yes.But wait there's more ... you can also hear the artist discuss his work at a free public talk at the AGNSW on October 2 from 1-2.30pm.
While in lockdown, you've probably been battling with your hairstyle a little. Should you attempt to trim your bangs? Shave your head? Dye it blue a la Hilary Duff? Well, if you decide to cut yourself a mullet, you'll score some free beer courtesy of the folk over at Melbourne's Moon Dog Craft Brewery. The team behind Abbotsford's OG Moon Dog and Preston's OTT Moon Dog World is celebrating the launch of its new strawberry sour ale, Jean-Strawb Van Damme, by giving away four-packs of the brew to everyone who takes on the mullet challenge. To prove you've gotten your new 'do in iso, you'll need to post a before and after photo and tag both @moondogbrewing and @beefsbarbers. And not only will you score yourself a four-pack, you'll also go into the running to win a year's supply of beer. The 365 days of brews — plus and epic prize pack — will go to the best/worst mullet, so go all out. https://www.instagram.com/p/B_EcsWFjDXs/ If you need some inspo, we suggest heading on over to the Mulletfest website. Held every year in the regional NSW town of Kurri Kurri, the festival awards prizes to the best mullet hairstyle in a heap of categories, from 'grubby' to 'extreme' and 'everyday'. Those who don't want to look like Patrick Swayze in Point Break (or Road House), can still try the tasty sour ale. Moon Dog is delivering it across Australia ($20 a four-pack or $100 a 24-pack) and it's available at select bottle-os across the country, too. To score yourself a free four-pack of Jean-Strawb Van Damme — and go into the running to win a year's supply of beer — you'll need to post a before and after photo and tag both @moondogbrewing and @beefsbarbers. To buy the beer, head to the Moon Dog website.
Lights-out, judgement-free dance party No Lights No Lycra is turning ten this month and celebrating with its biggest bash yet. What started out as a low key Melbourne dance sesh has become a worldwide phenomenon — and, a decade on, its still as popular as ever. The birthday festivities will span eight cities across Australia, including right here in Sydney. And it's absolutely free. The party will take over the St Stephen's Main Hall in Newtown on Saturday, July 27 from 7–8pm. Expect one full hour of eat-your-heart out dancing to go down. And, when all that grooving in the dark makes you hungry, there will be plenty of free eats to snack on. Birthday giveaways are on the docket, too. All fitness levels are welcome, whether you move like a pro or like you have two left feet. So go on, get loose and really dance like no one is watching. While tickets are free, you will need to register.
Back when streaming platforms and digital television were just a futuristic dream, and when every Australian TV network only had one channel, SBS was an Aussie cinephile's go-to source for free international cinema. The public broadcaster has continued to uphold that role over the past decade or so, especially via its online service SBS On Demand. But now it's giving movie buffs what we've always wanted: a new, free-to-air, 24-hour world movies channel. SBS World Movies will launch on Monday, July 1 on channel 32, playing flicks from around the globe all day, every day. Prepare for quite the movie marathon, as more than 700 films will be broadcast each year. The channel will also become the network's third in HD — a far cry from the days when folks at home would record the station's international movies on grainy VHS tapes to watch again later. While the full launch slate hasn't been revealed, a selection of recent high-profile titles will be heading SBS World Movies' way, including Yorgos Lanthimos' dark and twisty The Killing of a Sacred Deer with Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman; moving French drama Amanda, which just screened at this year's Alliance Française French Film Festival; and applauded 2018 festival hit Ash is the Purest White, the latest film by acclaimed auteur Jia Zhangke. Norwegian historical drama The 12th Man, French thriller Just A Breath Away and Belgian Cannes winner Girl round out the just-announced first movies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=QT3KlMWHfzw The channel will also showcase women in film via a weekly double focusing on female filmmakers and lead actors, highlight favourites from the international film festival circuit, delve into up-and-coming cinema from far-flung corners of the world, and curate seasons around events like Diwali, Lunar New Year, International Women's Day and Mardi Gras. Along with programming world movies on its existing channels, as well as on SBS On Demand, SBS is no stranger to the dedicated film channel game. For nearly a quarter of a century up until January 2018, World Movies was available via subscription TV services such as Foxtel. When SBS World Movies joins the network's lineup, it'll sit alongside existing channels SBS, SBS VICELAND, SBS Food and NITV. SBS World Movies launches on Monday, July 1 on channel 32.
In summer, a refreshing gin and tonic on a rooftop bar is often a weekend go-to. But bringing the heat to the classic drink this chilly season is The Rook Rooftop Bar and Restaurant, with its bottomless G&Tea parties. Located in the CBD, The Rook is helping you warm up this July and August by inviting you to perhaps the most fun tea party you'll ever attend. The shindig involves endless rounds of warm cocktails served in teapots and all fired by London's Sipsmith gin. Sip your way from the Berry Fruitea, a concoction of Sipsmith London dry gin, hibiscus berry tea, mint, grapefruit and ginger, to the Tea Time, a steamy mix of Sipsmith London dry gin, Sipsmith London cup punch, french earl grey, star anise, cinnamon and orange. A few chilled tea-inspired gin cocktails are also available. Matching your piping hot brews will be a selection of tasty plates — think chicken katsu finger sandwiches with wasabi mayonnaise and wagyu beef sliders. There'll also be wild berry cheesecake, flourless chocolate brownies and mini sweet potato pies topped with coffee cream for dessert. After a recent revamp, The Rook is looking mighty slick now too. You can expect plush new furnishings and blankets to rug up under to complement your G&Tea drinking. Kicking off on Saturday, July 13, The Rook's bottomless G&Tea parties are taking place at midday and 3pm every Saturday this winter. For just $69 a pop, you'll enjoy two hours of snacks and bottomless booziness. Bookings for The Rook's bottomless G&Tea parties are recommended and can be made here.
UPDATE, November 23, 2020: Human Flow is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. Like the renowned artist he is, Ai Weiwei opens Human Flow with a splash of painterly beauty, one of many that'll be seen over the course of the film's 140 minutes. An aerial shot of the sea fills the screen, its texture glistening, its colour shimmering, and a lone white seagull soaring over its scenic expanse. Even when the movie cuts to its next image — of a vessel filled with refugees powering through the gentle waves — it looks like something from a nature documentary. In a way, that's exactly what Human Flow is: a visually striking exploration of the planet's inhabitants migrating en masse across its surface. Of course, the film is also much, much more than that. Ai has never been one to shy away from politics, and is presently exiled from his Chinese homeland as a result. Returning to a topic he has contemplated repeatedly across his particular blend of art and activism (as also seen in his studio in Lesbos, recent series of New York fences and the 60-metre-long inflatable boat now on display in Sydney), he doesn't hide the documentary's strong viewpoint on the subject at hand. Moving between more than 40 refugee camps in 23 countries in total — from Afghanistan and Israel to Germany and the US — Human Flow both depicts and denounces the reality experienced by the 65 million people currently considered displaced. As the movie informs the audience, that's a level last seen during the Second World War. Interviews pop up throughout, flitting between experts, those trying to assist and a number of the displaced themselves. Lines from poets, writers and thinkers also frequently feature on-screen, speaking of humanity's overwhelming desire to simply be treated with dignity. Further slabs of text provide facts about and add context to the film's geographical segments, while a newsfeed intermittently scrolls across the bottom of the frame. Occasionally, Ai himself makes an appearance, chatting to refugees, bearing witness and trying to grapple with the enormity of the struggles before him. He helps people onto the shore from boats, and at one point swaps his own passport with a Syrian asylum seeker. At a wedding, he even dances. As rousing and resonant as all of the above proves, it's the documentary's main imagery, and the cinematography that goes with it, that makes Human Flow such a stunning achievement. Some shots offer breathtaking bird's-eye views of the masses moving across different landscapes. Others are grainy, urgent and shot on mobile phones, immersing viewers in the daily existence of refugees everywhere. The juxtaposition tells its own story: about the ease of seeing things from afar versus the difficulties of truly diving into the details, and the vastness of the problem at hand versus the personal toll for those trying to find a better life. This film is clearly an emphatic condemnation of the refugee crisis. It's also one that knows that reading headlines is one thing, but that seeing it up close — on the ground, all around the world — is something else entirely. The end result is a moving documentary that's mammoth yet intimate in both its scope and impact. Crucially, it's also heartfelt without overtly tugging at the heartstrings. Again, Ai is well aware that his observational, unhurried images (shot with the assistance of 11 other credited cinematographers) speak for themselves. Forget a picture just being worth a thousand words – Human Flow convincingly and compellingly advocates for millions of lives, for action in a world of apathy, and for not only the free movement of people in need, but the flow of humanity towards them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP5F7-RwVgM
If you’re not familiar with Vivian Girls, get acquainted. When the Brooklyn band released their debut album last year, a combination of 60’s girl-group harmonies, scuzzy garage guitar riffs and shoegaze and surf-punk sounds, the music industry went a little berserk. The vinyl-only LP sold out in weeks, leading to a CD reissue through In The Red later in the year and a heap of support slots and festival appearances. Earlier this month the all-girl trio released their new album Everything Goes Wrong through Inertia on September 8th and are celebrating by coming to Australian for the first time with a show at Spectrum. I’ll be there, front-row centre.
One of the most outrageous events on Sydney's cultural calendar is the Sydney Comedy Festival Gala, which returns this April. Selling out for the previous six years, the 14th Gala will surely be no different with another surprise comedic lineup set to feature many of the 2018 festival's headline acts. While those performing at the 2018 Gala remains a tightly held secret, last year's event saw 15 comic talents take to the stage and serve up their best bits in five minutes of rapid-fire laughs. A riotous hit, the night featured some great local talent punctuating a lineup of standout international acts — including Stephen K Amos, Mae Martin and Jason Byrne. This year's event kicks off the 2018 Sydney Comedy Festival in style, with two special nights at the Sydney Opera House. With galas also being held at the Enmore Theatre, the Riverside Theatre and The Concourse, there's really no excuse to miss out. Once the Gala is over, don't forget about the 210-plus comedy shows that are part of the full Sydney Comedy Festival. Being held across Sydney, from April 23 until May 20, the festival will be headlined by Ross Noble (UK), David O'Doherty (IRE) and Australia's own Kitty Flanagan just to name a few. To celebrate the return of the Sydney Comedy Festival Gala, we're giving away two double passes to the Sydney Opera House event on Tuesday, April 24 at 8pm. To enter, see details below. [competition]663265[/competition]
The Shangri-La is no stranger to high tea. Whether it's a weekly sky-high affair or an OTT festive high tea with a gingerbread carousel, the luxurious Sydney hotel is a fan of impressive daytime spreads. Come July, it's pulling out all the stops for the most magical iteration yet with the Wizardry High Tea Buffet. The Shangri-La Grand Ballroom will be fitted out to resemble a wizard's lair with gilded thrones, candelabras, magical spell books, potion jars, broomsticks and wands scattered throughout to create an immersive space for the high tea. Both the sweet and savoury treats on offer will also be themed. Expect raspberry and chocolate eclairs; chocolate cups with blueberry mousse; and sandwiches filled with turkey and brie, broccolini and pesto, or ham and Swiss cheese — all decked out to look straight out of an enchanted tavern. The spellbinding tea is on offer on the first three weekends in July, with two seating times available on each of the applicable days — 11am–1pm and 2.30–4.30pm. Tickets are $79 or $59 for kids aged 4–11. If you want to really take the experience up a notch, you can book the Magical Wizardry Escape which bundles together a stay at the Shangri-La Sydney with two tickets for the high tea.
If you've spent the past year with your nose buried in a book, that's about to pay off beyond the everyday joys and thrills of reading. Sydney Writers' Festival returns for 2023 with another hefty catalogue of thought-provoking events — 226 of them, with almost 300 writers and thinkers involved. Every writers' festival converges around an annual theme, with Sydney's focusing on 'Stories for the Future' for its 2023 iteration from Monday, May 22–Sunday, May 28 at various venues around the city — and also beamed digitally. Today's most current Booker Prize-winner, plus three from past years as well, top the lineup: Shehan Karunatilaka, who won in 2022 for The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida; The Luminaries' Eleanor Catton; The Narrow Road to The Deep North's Richard Flanagan and Girl Woman Other's Bernardine Evaristo. Still on highly applauded attendees, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist Colson Whitehead — for The Underground Railroad, which was then adapted into a TV series, and for The Nickel Boys — also leads the bill, arriving between Harlem Shuffle's 2021 publication and sequel Crook Manifesto's arrival this July. Among the international names at the Sydney Writers' Festival, the above headliners have ample company. When Trinidad-born UK musician Anthony Joseph isn't talking poetry — he is 2022's TS Eliot Prize for Poetry winner — London restauranteur Asma Khan from Darjeeling Express, and also seen on Chef's Table, will chat about comfort food; Daniel Lavery from Slate, who penned the Dear Prudence column from 2016–21, will run through his best advice; and Vietnamese author Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai will introduce her new novel Dust Child. On the local front, get ready for two iconic pairings: former Prime Minister Julia Gillard being interviewed by Indira Naidoo, plus Jurassic Park favourite Sam Neill discussing work, life and writing with his Sweet Country, Dean Spanley, Dirty Deeds and Palm Beach co-star Bryan Brown. Also on the must-attend list: Grace Tame chatting about The Ninth Life of a Diamond Miner: A Memoir, Heartbreak High's Chloé Hayden doing the same with Different, Not Less: A neurodivergent's guide to embracing your true self and finding your happily ever after, and Stan Grant on The Queen Is Dead. Also, on Monday, May 15 before the main festival, Tim Winton will discuss writing the ABC TV documentary Love Letter to Ningaloo. And, if your main relationship with the printed word is through recipe books, the 2023 festival is going all in on the topic for one day at Carriageworks Farmers Market. Stephanie Alexander and Maggie Beer will talk with Adam Liaw, while fixing the food system and family recipes will also nab chats by culinary talent. Capping off the bill will be foodie gala The Dinner That Changed My Life, with everyone from Nat's What I Reckon and Jennifer Wong to Alice Zaslavsky and Colombo Social's Shaun Christie-David involved. As always, free events are a big part of the program as well, with more than 80 on this year. And, also in the same category, the spread of venues is hefty — including Carriageworks, Town Hall, and 25 suburban venues and libraries across Sydney. [caption id="attachment_893385" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Grace Tame by Kishka Jensen[/caption] Images: Prudence Upton.
There are loads of bands popping up on the DIY indie-music scene who can be described as 'young heretics', but there's only one band, who hail from Melbourne’s DIY indie-scene, that you can actually call Young Heretics. The dramatic pop duo are Kitty Hart (she brings the drama) and Matthew Wright (he works on the pop), and although some might label them 'emo', their epic rants and brooding melodies are no different to a Kate Bush classic — and everyone loves those. Hart and Wright live up to their title (somewhat an affirmation) and are traipsing around the country to launch their self-produced and self-released LP, We Are the Lost Loves, which caused a kerfuffle when it was released as a free download for the first month. The album that caused a stir in the industry will cause a stir in your soul with its emotionally charged and a-little-bit eerie lyrics (take 'Bones of a Rabbit' for example: "I deceived the lonely/And in the dark I've grown/I now clench the fists of hands/To limbs that aren’t my own") but their powerful melodies will have you singing along as if you were Kate Bush — and nothing will make you stop.
Start prepping your prank calls: Moe’s Tavern is coming to town. From May 23-30, the first floor of the Woolloomooloo Bay Hotel will turn into Homer Simpson's favourite drinking den. And, of course, the go-to destination for Krusty Burgers, Duffalo Wings, Lard Lad Donuts and Duff Beer. The pop-up is in honour of the fact that Australia is about to add Duff Beer — the official version — to its bottle shop shelves. You may well have seen fakes masquerading about the place, but this is the real thing. It’s being described as “superbly crafted with a perfect balance of flavour and refreshment featuring a deep golden colour with caramel aromatics and a hint of fruit”. It’s perhaps a more poetic description than Homer might have conjured up. His song of praise went something along the lines of, “I enjoy the great taste of Duff; Yes, Duff is the only beer for me; Smooth, creamy Duff ... Zzzzzzzz.” From May 28, you’ll be able to take it home (and write your own verse), for $17 a six-pack of 355ml cans and/or $45 a case. You’ll find it at BWS or Dan Murphy's. Via 2Day FM.
If there's one thing we grew up hearing from our mothers, it's "don't follow strange men you've just met in Mexico into abandoned churches in the middle of nowhere". Or something like that. In any case, you'll be shaking your head just like your mum within the first half hour of Truth or Dare, as you follow the sordid activities of a group of teenagers on spring break as they become embroiled in a ~deadly~ game. Regardless of how your mother phrased her advice, we're sure it was much more sensible and well-intended than this waste of time of a film. Somehow earning the stripe of being from Jason Blum's Blumhouse Productions team (who brought you Get Out, Insidious and Whiplash), we have a feeling this is one movie Blum deigns to forget pretty quickly – as will most people who watch it. The film follows a group of teenagers on spring break (ugh) who, after the standard montage of tequila and bars and hook-ups (uuugh), find themselves playing a game of truth or dare with a stranger who soon gets weird and jumps ship. That leaves Olivia (Lucy Hale) and a bunch of her friends to finish the game, only to realise that the game isn't finished with them. Yeah, that's right – another movie where pretty young people are killed off one by one. This time it would seem a demon curse is the culprit. Unsurprisingly, Truth or Dare is extraordinarily silly, from the setup all the way down to the ridiculous facial effects that look as though they're the result of too many pingers and one of those carnival fun mirrors. It's meant to be scary, and to indicate how dark and terrifying a demon it is we're dealing with here (spoiler alert: not very). More disturbing is how little the characters seem to care when their mates start kicking the bucket. Teens these days, huh? The only semi-interesting story element relates to one character's struggle with how to come out to his strict father. Unfortunately, most everyone is dead before it can really develop into anything worthwhile. Thin in plot, thick in bad acting and dialogue, we dare you to turn your back on this limp sponge of a film. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cgnk3MLw9TM
It's safe to say Aussies love Nutella. They have days, high teas and food trucks dedicated to the chocolate-hazelnut spread — and no shortage of frankencreations inspired by it. While a gelateria in Melbourne is serving up Nutella ravioli, a Sydney chain has decided to launch Nutella spring rolls. Available at P'Nut Street Noodles stores across the city, the spring rolls are filled with lots of the sweet spread and covered in a golden, crisp exterior. And they're going for just $3.95 a pop. As they are just pastry and Nutella, you could argue that they are fried Nutella-filled pancakes or Nutella cigars, but spring rolls certainly fits with the Thai flavours of P'Nut. The noodle chain has seven stores across the city — including in The Rocks, Baulkam Hills, Balmain, Rouse Hill, Sydney Olympic Park, Zetland and Dee Why — and is serving the dessert spring rolls as part of its new Nuts About Taste menu, which also features popcorn chicken and roti bread with peanut sauce. To find your closest store, head over to the website.
These days, plenty of events have been putting the 'fun' in fun run. Some take you jogging through a winery, then let you sip wine. Others ask you to dress up like your favourite Star Wars character, or as Batman. And, you can can decked out with colour while you put one foot after another, too. They're all well and good — but if you're eager to sprint through foam, tumble down waterslides and make your way through mud pits across a five-kilometre obstacle course, you'll want to head to the 5K Foam Fest. Hitting up the Sydney International Equestrian Centre on Saturday, December 14 and Sunday, December 15, this event will get you running, sliding, climbing, crawling, bouncing, hurdling, hopping through tyres and slipping over tubes. In total, you'll need to conquer more than 20 obstacles. And, although this should be obvious, you can expect to get wet, muddy and foamy while you're doing so. There's a reason that we keep stressing the foam, with 2.5 million cubic feet of it used across the course. Plus, there'll be some on your beer when you have a few cold ones in the beer garden once you're done. Tickets are on sale for both days for this family-friendly affair. If you'd like to have your entry fee reimbursed, you also have the option of using the event to raise money for the Make A Wish Foundation. Image: 5K Foam Fest.
There's something in the water over in Western Australia, with the state producing a myriad of quality bands of the psych-rock genre over the past couple of years. Hailing from Perth, Pond are the latest outfit to make waves in the Australian music landscape. The five-piece are currently touring off the back of their fourth album, Beard, Wives, Denim, and have gradually made a name for themselves nationally and internationally, playing Austin's SXSW and touring extensively around Europe. NME even named them the "hottest new band in the world". Pond began as a collaborative project between musicians from Tame Impala, The Silents, Mink Mussel Creek and more. Led by the charismatic and Jagger-esque frontman, Nick Allbrook, their live shows are notably looser and a little more inebriated than your usual psych-rock show, performing with more people on stage and with a more electrifying presence. Sydney solo artist Melodie Nelson and indie-pop outfit Day Ravies will be taking on supporting duties for the evening. https://youtube.com/watch?v=xNZA9w4gTis
All the secrets have been revealed. Modular and FBi Radio have teamed up for a stellar night of music, as part of the All Our Friends birthday series for the community radio station's 10th year celebrations. Happening at the Oxford Art Factory on Saturday, July 27, What We Do Is Secret will take over both the main room and Gallery Bar with a smorgasbord of international and local live acts and DJs. Headlining the main room is British indie-dance outfit Klaxons (DJ set) — this show will be their only performance outside of Splendour in the Grass. They'll be joined by new Modular signing Movement, plus Softwar, wordlife, Slow Blow, Otologic and Club Mod DJs. The Gallery Bar line-up rounds off the event with local music legends Kilter, Moonbase Commander and Meare, plus DJs Mike Who, Kato, Kali (Picnic) and Max Gosford. The evening doubles as a fundraiser for FBi Radio, to raise funds for the station's 10th year on air.
If you're looking to dip into a few fresh literary delights, why not opt for a deep-dive into some of the world's oldest storytelling traditions? That's what you can expect to enjoy when this week's Blak & Bright First Nations Literary Festival serves up a celebration of First Nations stories and writers, fusing tradition and innovation. Running from Thursday, March 17 until Sunday, March 20, the festival will spotlight over 67 talented storytellers — both emerging and familiar — across a program of conversations, workshops, readings and performances. Most events will be held at Melbourne's Wheeler Centre, with many also streamed online. The festival's launch night kicks off with a Welcome to Country and multi-disciplinary performance piece Solace, as traditional owners and artists Philly, Bryan Andy, James Henry and Steven Rhall explore ideas around men's mental health. During Borrow a Living Book, you'll have the chance to sit down with an elder at Indigenous-owned eatery Big Esso and immerse yourself in the stories of their lived experiences. With Kimmy Lovegrove as MC, Gammon (Aboriginal slang for 'joking' or 'kidding') delivers a serve of Blak comedy, while The Monologues showcases words from celebrated First Nations playwrights including Kodie Bedford, Anita Heiss and Jane Harrison. Elsewhere, you'll catch a series of ten-minute talks by social justice activists, an in-depth exploration of Aboriginal aesthetic within the Australian design landscape, and a group poetry read featuring writers like Jazz Money and Charmaine Papertalk Green. Can't make it in person? A stack of the events will also be available to enjoy streamed online, with various ticketing options on offer. [caption id="attachment_846280" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Maurial Spearim, by Tiffany Garvie[/caption] Top Image: Richard Frankland and Stan Yarramunua, by Tiffany Garvie
British singer/producer Ghostpoet, aka Obaro Ejimiwe, is coming Down Under to tour his latest record Some Say I So I Say Light. A record that mystifies listeners with its post-genre electronic production featuring loose and stretched out raps (in his sunken British accent). He captures a dark moodiness that brews amongst contagious hip hop beats. It's a treat to listen to, and hard to compare to anything else, really. Ejimiwe has a way of creating forward-thinking music. His distinct and uncategorised style puts him on his own pedestal. The unique artistry present in his latest record follows on from his debut Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam, which received a Mercury Music Prize nomination in 2011. He'll be bringing all these sounds and more as he takes a spin around Australia in September. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ABkQ96dh0eQ
A new three-week celebration and showcase of cutting-edge, genre-bending theatre and performance is coming to Sydney's Stables Theatre this April. Griffin Theatre Company's inaugural Batch Festival fuses spoken word, comedy, visual arts and music with immersive theatre and cabaret to create a veritable feast of powerful, provocative performance. The festival celebrates an incredible crew of talents, from poets and lyrical storytellers like Omar Musa to comedians and cabaret artists like Mama Alto and Betty Grumble. Expect to see out-of-the-box performances with the world premiere of Cassie Workman, Giantess, which combines music, comedy, storytelling and illustration, as well as at Brown Skin Girl, which brings together visual art, music, spoken word and movement. Festival curator Phil Spencer explains this decision to feature a multitude of arts and performance genres, "this next wave of artists doesn't necessarily write plays, they make hip hop, perform stand-up, write songs, improvise stories, invite audiences to help them make the work and experiment with the theatrical form in vital and important ways." During the festival, guests can also book into special late-night performances, showcasing the funny, the awkward and the fabulous. For those who seek something a bit more interactive, head outside with the Exclusion Zone: Walking Tour on an hour-long 'tour' of Kings Cross. You'll set out to investigate 'recent unaccountable crypto-cartographic activity', but under the guise of a walking tour. Pre- or post-show, visit Glimpse, an ethereal hidden garden where theatregoers can kick off their shoes and explore this otherworldly land in the heart of the city. And there to support your nights of innovative and immersive theatre, Batch Brewing Co. will be slinging craft beers in the foyer of the Stables. The inaugural Batch Festival runs from April 11–28. Discover the full program and purchase tickets here.
The long weekend is here. And, as Monday is a public holiday, some of your regular spots will be shut. So, if you're on the hunt for a caffeine hit, long lunch or a few more beers, we've put together an extensive list of all the bars, cafes and restaurants that'll be open on Monday, January 28. There is something for everybody on this list, too — from Chin Chin's refined Thai fare to A1 Canteen's famed muffuletta and Continental Deli's tinned martinis. And if you're looking for further inspiration on how to spend your days off, head this way for our pick of the best long weekend happenings. [caption id="attachment_700692" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Neptunes, Brighton Le Sands[/caption] RESTAURANTS Belles Hot Chicken, Tramsheds, Barangaroo, Steam Mill Lane: 12pm–10pm Chin Chin, Surry Hills: 11.30am–11pm The Grounds of Alexandria, Alexandria: 7.30am–9pm The Grounds of the City, CBD: 9am–5pm Bennelong, CBD: 5.30pm–late Milky Lane, Bondi, Coogee, Cronulla, Parramatta: 12pm–late Mjølner, Redfern: 5pm–late Caffè Bartolo, Surry Hills: 10am–late El Camino, Manly and The Rocks: 12pm–late The Pacific Club, Bondi: 7am–late Salt Meats Cheese, Circular Quay, Cronulla, Broadway and Drummoyne: 11am–late Yulli's, Surry Hills: 5pm–late Neptunes, Brighton Le Sands: 7am–10pm Vecino, Canterbury: 7am–10pm General Chao, Chatswood: 12pm–10pm Da Orazio, Bondi: 5pm–late Cirrus, Barangaroo: 12–6pm Yellow, Potts Point: 5pm–late Monopole, Potts Point: 5pm–late Mister Percy, The Rocks: 5pm–late North Bondi Fish, Bondi: 12–6pm Chiswick, Woollahra: 12pm–late Chiswick at the Gallery, CBD: 12pm–3pm New Shanghai, Westfield Sydney and Chatswood: 11am–9pm [caption id="attachment_691774" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Edition Coffee Roasters, Haymarket. Image: Trent van der Jagt.[/caption] CAFES Nutie Donuts, Surry Hills and Balmain: 8am–5pm Matinee Coffee, Marrickville: 7am–4pm Edition Coffee Roasters, Haymarket: 9am–12pm Devon Cafe, Barangaroo and Surry Hills: 8am–3.30pm A1 Canteen, Chippendale: 7am–3pm Three Blue Ducks, Bronte: 7am–2.30pm Paramount Coffee Project, Surry Hills: 7am–3pm Brewtown Newtown, Newtown: 8am–4pm Reuben Hills, Surry Hills: 8am–3.30pm Sando Bar, Surry Hills: 8am–3.30pm Bourke Street Bakery, all stores except North Sydney: 7am–4pm Bills, Bondi, Darlinghurst and Surry Hills: 8am–10pm [caption id="attachment_684208" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mary's, Newtown[/caption] BARS Mary's, Newtown: 4pm–late Continental Deli, Newtown: 12pm–late The Toxteth, Glebe: 10am–late The Bucket List, Bondi: 11am–12am The Royal Hotel, Paddington: 11am–late Sauce Brewing Co., Marrickville: 12pm-late The Dolphin Hotel, Surry Hills: 11.30am–10pm Bondi Beach Public Bar, Bondi: 11am–late Icebergs Dining Room and Bar, Bondi: 12pm–12am Harpoon Harry, Surry Hills: 11am–3am Handpicked Wines Urban Cellar Door: 11am–10pm Barangaroo House: 11am–12am The Glenmore Hotel, The Rocks: 11.30am–late Botany View Hotel, Newtown: 12pm–late Top image: Three Blue Ducks Bronte, Nikki To.
Georges Bataille, French writer, librarian and the 'metaphysician of evil' once wrote, "pleasure only starts once the worm has gotten into the fruit". But couldn't we safely say, with all the porny flotsam and jetsam floating around online, that all the worms in all the fruit have already been seen, grazed over, or digested? Not so according Brenda May Gallery, whose current exhibition Lust brings together a parcel of artists all focusing on the inner-catacoumbs of desire, sexuality, taboo, libidinous longing and any other synonyms you can think of. Featuring: Crispin Akerman, Julie Bartholomew, Bernice Davies, Leah Emery, Todd Fuller, Dan Gladden, James Guppy, Klaus Gutowski, Garth Knight, Daniel Linnet, Julian Meagher, Sarah O'Sullivan, Morgan Shimeld, Jane Siddall and Terry Stringer.
This month, Three Blue Ducks is expanding on its passion for sustainability, kicking off a welcome initiative that's a win for both the planet and for your wallet. On the last Friday of each month, the group's Bronte outpost is shouting free coffee to anyone who brings in their own reusable cup. This will start tomorrow — Friday, May 25 — and the deal's on offer all day too, from 6.30am until 3pm. If you haven't yet jumped onto the reusable cups train, this is the perfect opportunity. During each of these free coffee Fridays, Three Blue Ducks will be selling its own KeepCups at a discounted rate of $15 a pop, instead of the usual $25. Score yourself a free cuppa and reduce your plastic footprint? There is seriously no losing there. Free Cup Fridays will take place on the last Friday of every month between 6.30am and 3pm at Three Blue Ducks Bronte at 143 Macpherson Street, Bronte. Image: Nikki To.
Actors are sometimes accused of narcissism, attention-seeking behaviour and daftness. The Lunch Hour by Chris Aronsten at Darlinghurst Theatre, directed by Kate Gaul, is not helping. The play is a self-referential, singing, dancing farce about actors employed at a theatre box office, where they surreptitiously work on grant applications and project ideas whilst being hounded by their ineffectual washed-up boss, Martin, a playwright. Theatre about theatre can be plagued by in-jokes and narrowness, but it doesn't have to be a sentence to irrelevance. The Sydney Theatre Company's The Histrionic was about theatre as well as (among other things) the xenophobia of Austria and, by extension, Australia. The Lunch Hour, by comparison, is theatre about only theatre. It reveals some extreme narcissism on the part of Aronsten and a poor programming decision by Darlinghurst Theatre. What seems to have been intended as a cathartic group hug for struggling artists is more like an embarrassing 'overshare', to use an ugly word. These details of actors' lives are neither interesting nor dramatic. Often when plot is missing there are at least some remarkable relationships to hone in on, which in this case are also not forthcoming. Some of the cast have moments of triumph over the text. For example, Branden Christine playing a grouchy Fran has some smooth dance moves and very funny rapping. Similarly, Briallen Clarke playing a dopey Felicity and Bali Padda playing the cleaner, Ali, were comic standouts. The problem with this play is not so much its tiny scope but its complete lack of breadth. David Williamson and Joanna Murray-Smith may be prime examples of Australian parochialism, but they at least attempt to tell relevant stories, after a fashion. The Lunch Hour is not only provincial; it is also about absolutely nothing. Thankfully, this sort of infantile storytelling is an exception to Sydney's otherwise stimulating theatre community.
In 2022, the annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade won't march down Oxford Street, with the pandemic altering the event's plans for the second year in a row. After the 2021 parade took over the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) as part of a significant COVID-safe change, organisers have announced that it'll be making the same move again next year. "Our priority with planning for next year's parade was ensuring we can once again deliver a safe event," said Mardi Gras CEO Albert Kruger. "There's still uncertainty of what March is going to look like for us. Mardi Gras can't guarantee that in the next few months things will be back to normal and we can safely have hundreds of thousands spectators on the streets." "The parade is too important to the community to risk having to cancel. So right now, when decisions need to be made, the SCG is the best option for us to guarantee that we can come together to keep the spirit of Mardi Gras' history of protest and celebration shining bright in 2022," Kruger continued. "What we do know is that we can stage an incredible and safe parade in the SCG." The move means that Mardi Gras organisers can adjust to whatever restrictions will be in place come Saturday, March 5, 2022 — scaling up or down depending on the permitted crowd capacity. At present, exactly how many people will be able to attend the parade hasn't been announced, but it'll be in the thousands. For those who can't make it along in person, the entire event will also be broadcast live. Just like this year, Mardi Gras' famed signature festivities will be a ticketed affair — so prepare to sit down, watch a pageant of costumes, puppetry and props, and just generally celebrate queer art and culture once again. Tickets go on sale on Monday, November 15; however, there'll also be a hardship ballot opening on the same date. It'll provide 3000 free parade tickets to those who can't afford a ticket to the parade due to experiencing financial strain. The entire Mardi Gras Festival will run from Friday, February 18–Sunday, March 6, celebrating the theme 'United We Shine' — which is "a call to stand united against the inequalities LGBTQI+ people continue to face, and empowers us with the strength that our history shows: that we have the power to create a more equitable society," Kruger explains. Mardi Gras is working towards taking to the streets as normal again in 2023, which'll mark the parade's 45th anniversary. And, that planned return to Oxford Street will also fall under Sydney World Pride, with the World Pride festival being held in the Southern Hemisphere for the first time ever. The 2022 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade will take place at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday, March 5, with tickets on sale from Monday, November 15. For more information, head to the Mardi Gras website. Top images: Anna Kucera.
Sydney fine-diner nel doesn't do anything by halves. When it shows its love for Disney, Moulin Rouge!, Australian native ingredients or KFC on its plates, Nelly Robinson's restaurant goes all in with decadent multi-course degustations. The same applies to Christmas, with the eatery's festive end-of-year spreads a seasonal culinary highlight. But who wants to get jolly just once a year? Not most of us, and not this Wentworth Avenue spot. In 2023, nel is jumping on the Christmas in July trend with feasts every Sunday. Of course, nel's take on anything it sets its ingredients to is never like anyone else's. So, your winter lunches can now include a nel roast with all the trimmings, plus Christmas pudding and winter bombs — and, before all of that, five snacks and a bread course. This is a five-time-only affair for this year, because there are five Sundays this July, with the festive offering kicking off on Sunday, July 2. You'll pay $95 for your taste of merriment, and you'll also need your wallet for any beverages on top. Bookings are essential. Christmas jumpers are optional (but you know that you want to wear one anyway).
Three Darlinghurst venues are coming together to celebrate everyone's favourite tequila- and mezcal-based cocktail: the margarita. The inaugural Darlinghurst Margarita Festival will be taking over Stanley Street venues La Farmacia, Wings + Tins and Mrs Palmer Sandwich on Sunday, February 19. The team behind the festival has curated an epic 12-hour day of margarita-related activities, starting with a complimentary marg on arrival — so from the jump you'll already be in the green from the $15 ticket price. From there, the lineup of activities will span workshops, entertainment, tastings and special menu items. Master the art of the perfect tequila-to-lime ratio at the margarita-making class, catch performances from a live mariachi band and DJ sets throughout the day, challenge your palate at the tequila and mezcal tasting stands, and snack your way through Mexican street food-style al pastor, beef brisket and pork belly tacos. If all of this wasn't enough, the festival has promised there's more to be announced soon. You can find out all the details and buy your tickets to the first ever Darlinghurst Margarita Festival at the La Farmacia website.
Butter Ramen Club is back with an incredibly stacked lineup. Officially relaunching for a 2024 season when May arrived, the beloved event slings inventive versions of the eatery's famed ramen, as created by top culinary talent. The annual tradition returns for its eighth consecutive run, which began to receive significant popularity back in 2021 and now is one of Butter's biggest drawcards. The menu returns just in time for winter, starring hearty bowls of ramen goodness by guest chefs across a six-month-long program. Plus, Butter's Executive Chef Julian Cincotta is officially resurrecting the Butter fried chicken ramen. [caption id="attachment_953533" align="alignnone" width="1920"] @yungnat[/caption] Kicking off the epic program is an aromatic tonkotsu ramen with thick noodles, courtesy of Applejack Group's Patrick Friesen (ex-Bopp & Tone, June's Shoppe, Hester's, The Butler, SoCal, Forrester's; currently RAFI and Taphouse Sydney). The dish will be topped by RAFI's popular yellowfin tuna paired with chilli oil, toasted nori, tomato and sesame, and is available for $28 from Wednesday, May 1–Tuesday, May 28. To pair, the special will also star a boozy iced maple green tea spiked Chivas Regal and containing aloe jelly for $14, which is available in a combo deal with the ramen for $40. Next up is a truly special one, and a dish that's close to Cincotta's heart. Honouring the loss of his dear friend Kerby Craig (Ume Burger), the Ume-inspired ramen is making a return to pay homage to the hospo great. The bowl will star a tori miso ramen with Butter's chicken broth base, corn, black onion and nori, and is available from Wednesday, May 29–Monday, June 24. The third dish on the program is Cincotta's own brainchild, the world-famous fried chicken ramen, which will be available from Tuesday, June 25–Monday, July 29. [caption id="attachment_808127" align="alignnone" width="1920"] W Sean Alcantra[/caption] As for the rest of the lineup, details have yet to be released about the dishes that'll be on offer, but Luke Powell (ex-Bella Brutta, LP's Quality Meats) will be hitting up Butter with his creation from Tuesday, July 30–Monday, August 26, Nick Smith (Rising Sun Workshop) will sling bowls from Tuesday, August 27–Monday, September 23 and Matt Lindsey (Ester/Poly) will take over the menu for the final run from Tuesday, September 24–Monday, October 21. You'll want to get in quick — the event runs on a first-in, first-serve basis with a limited amount of bowls dished up daily. All of these limited-edition creations are only available in-store, so you'll need to head into the Surry Hills venue to get your hands on one — or more. [caption id="attachment_953532" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cole Bennetts[/caption] Butter Ramen Club 2024 runs at Butter, 6 Hunt Street, Surry Hills, until Monday, October 21. Head to the Butter Ramen Club's page for further details. Top image: W Sean Alcantra.
If all you wanted for an early Christmas gift this year was for the Matildas to put on a spectacular show at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, Australia's national women's soccer team didn't disappoint. If all you're now hoping for this actual festive season is to hear three of the squad's stars chat about their experiences — and their careers in general, as well as what's brought them to this point — then the first-ever Open Air Live event is going to deliver there, too. Taking place at 7pm on Thursday, December 21 at Sydney's Commbank Stadium, Open Air Live will feature Matildas goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold, forward Caitlin Foord and defender Alanna Kennedy, who'll be back in Australia to get talking. All three impressed on the pitch in July and August, and cemented their place as Aussie sporting heroes, even if the semi-final loss to England meant that the Matildas didn't end up with the ultimate prize. On offer as well: a live masterclass where Arnold, Foord and Kennedy will show off their skills; and a match-day vibe thanks to four stages and ample use of the stadium screens. There's obviously plenty for the three Matildas players to discuss. Their Women's World Cup efforts enraptured the entire nation, including breaking viewing records to become the most-watched program on Aussie TV since 2001 when current records began, and likely ever. They had Nikki Webster sing to them in Brisbane afterwards, and are getting a team statue in the Queensland capital. And, of course, the campaign was the result of years of hard work both as a squad and on the individual level to get the Tillies to this point. Arnold, Foord and Kennedy will be back in Australia for the event from the UK, where all the trio play in the Women's Super League. Arnold is West Ham United's captain, while Foord plays for Arsenal and Kennedy for Manchester City. Top image: Tiff Williams.
They've dished out french fries inside toasted sandwiches at Bondi's Neighbourhood. They've shaken up all your late night tipples and Royales with cheese at Darlinghurst's Henrietta Supper Club. Now Simon McGoram, Eddie de Souza, Keith Hodgson and Joshua Evans (or the newly established Idle Group) are about to open two new Sydney spots; Newtown bar Raven's Eye and Chippendale pub New Britannia. First cab off the rank is Raven's Eye, set to open next week and named after the 1997 Al Pacino/Johnny Depp film Donnie Brasco. The team told Australian Bartender the bar will try to steer clear of mafia references and instead channel a mid-20th century American-Italian theme. Set to open on June 4 at 127 King Street, Newtown, Raven's Eye will truly test the Bondi/Darlinghurst lads in inner west waters. Next up, the team touch base with the monarchy to open their very first pub: New Britannia. The lads have found themselves a particularly old, heritage-listed Chippendale pub, built in 1879 by none other than William Chippendale. Obviously this one took a little more negotiation to lock down, as de Souza told AB the whole thing took a year to work around heritage requirements, pick out interior design schemes, the lot. There'll be plenty of craft beer on tap and in the fridge, there are whispers of slushies and the existing pizza facilities inside the pub will be revamped and renamed Fast Eddie’s Pizza & Liquor. Find Raven's Eye at 127 King Street Newtown from Thursday, June 4. Then in July, find New Britannia at 103 Cleveland Street, Chippendale. Via Australian Bartender.
Remember the days when Sunday roasts at the folks' house were made sweeter due to Sunday night movies? When an 8.30pm screening of Jerry Maguire or Batman Returns or some cheeseball rom-com provided a nostalgic sense of home? Belvoir St Theatre, for one, have been craving that type of Sunday night community, and so they've gone about restoring it. And in typical Belvoir style, it's being delivered to us in the edgiest way possible. Introducing B Street, a series of Sunday night performances Belvoir have tagged "a soapie". Penned by acclaimed Aussie actor/writers Charlie Garber and Rita Kalnejais, as well as Belvoir's writer-in-residence, Tommy Murphy, the six 'episodes' will feature ongoing characters and continuing plot lines to ensure that us theatregoers can pick up from where a performance has left off the week prior. Expect all your typical soap-like elements: love, paternal cover-ups and even an academic who "arrives puffed", according to Belvoir's teaser synopsis. Sounds like a scream to us. The shows will start at around 8pm every week.
If paying $500 to live like a sardine just ain't your thang (we feel you), try out The Vanguard this New Year's. Because the resident movie buffs are chucking an Animal House-themed do, togas and all. To keep us and our garlands entertained, The Vanguard have curated an all-star soul band that includes Mojo Juju, Jeremy Davidson of The Snowdroppers and three of the guys from Gay Paris. Image via University of Wisconsin Archives. See more events in our guide to NYE and NYD in Sydney.
If views are what you're after when seeing out another year, then The Glenmore is the place to be on New Year's Eve. The Rocks' famed rooftop bar looks over Sydney Harbour, with uninterrupted views of the Opera House and a prime position next to the Harbour Bridge. So, here, you can expect fireworks and good times aplenty when the end of 2019 turns into 2020. What's better than partying on a harbourside rooftop on the night before New Year's Day? Doing it without having to pay a dime, that's what. To help you ring in the new year right, we're giving away four tickets (worth $385 a pop) to The Glenmore's NYE Party. You and three mates will be ushering in 2020 while kicking back on the rooftop and wandering around the cocktail lounge. Your ticket includes a four-hour deluxe beverages package, which includes select wine, beer and spirits. The evening is sponsored by Stella Artois, Cîroc and Mumm, so expect plenty of vodka sodas, top-notch beers and celebratory glasses of Mumm at midnight. In between sipping, you'll be feasting on top-quality canapés, plus there'll be a gourmet buffet on arrival should you need to line the stomach early. And, of course, it's New Year's Eve, so there'll be live tunes playing all night long, with Emily of One Stop DJs kicking things off, followed by the dreamy (and dance-worthy) harmonies of Thousand Rivers. If you're keen to treat your best mates to a decadent New Year's Eve party — which obviously you are — enter your details below to be in the running. [competition]740052[/competition]
There are a million ways to meet someone in 2023. The options range across physical and digital, making it easier than ever to find the right someone. One of the fastest ways to find the right person is the classic choice of speed dating. It's a great way to speed up the process if you want to cut out the endless swiping and waiting for a match. That's what Cheeky Events Australia is here for with its weekly speed dating series. Running in Sydney and Melbourne and about to launch in Brisbane, the events cater to anyone aged 25-35, 30-45 or 35-49 — Cheeky Events Australia aims to open it up to more age groups and cater to LGBTQIA+ customers in 2024. [caption id="attachment_922332" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] millann via iStock[/caption] How does it work? Simply book your spot for one of the many regular events via Eventbrite or the Cheeky Events Australia app (and use code PLAYGROUND15 to get 15% off ). Once you arrive, your hosts (who are also former speed dating guests) will greet you and supply you with a complimentary beverage to enjoy while mingling with fellow daters before the action begins. Women will stay seated while the men rotate around, with a brief mingling break at the halfway point of the night. Once the time is up, participants will open the app to input their likes, and matches will be finalised via the app later that night. Any matches will be able to find each other's contact details in the app. The odds are in your favour — on average, everyone has one or two matches per night, with many finding a long-term partner by their third event. Keep an eye out for more than just the weekly series — there could be themed boat parties on your dating horizon. To get started with Cheeky Events Australia, follow them on Instagram, download the app or find the next event on Eventbrite. For more information, visit the website.
At almost three hours long, Peter Jackson's The Hobbit is the perfect film for those who find the cracking pace of the Boxing Day test a little too hectic. Taking place some 60 years before the events of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, it chronicles the adventures of the young hobbit Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), who's recruited by the wizard Gandalf (Sir Ian McKellan) to help a gang of rowdy dwarves reclaim their mountain home. The whole film has a much lighter feel to it than the trilogy, with the first 45 minutes in particular veering awfully close to 'kids movie', and no matter how stunning the visuals (they really are breathtaking), it's difficult to escape the sense that we've all 'been here, done that' before. On the plus side, there is a pleasant familiarity to the Shire, and as we walk back through Bilbo’s house alongside Gandalf, it does feel a touch like revisiting old friends whom we've dearly missed. One notable distinction to the 'samey' vibe of The Hobbit, however, is the way it was filmed. There are, in fact, three different viewing options available to audiences: normal 2D, 3D or HFR 3D (High Frame Rate), and it's that last one that's garnering all the attention, both good and bad. At 48 frames per second, HFR is twice the rate of conventional cinema, making the on-screen action extraordinarily smooth and adding remarkable definition to every detail, especially in 3D. The technique delivers an incredibly immersive experience within the world of Middle Earth, particularly in the more elaborate kingdoms and set pieces like the dwarf realm and the trolls' cave. However, and that's a BIG 'however', HFR is far from perfect. More specifically, it's terrible. Somehow with the exception of the vistas mentioned above, every other aspect of the film is severely let down by the enhanced clarity of the device. The lighting looks amateurish, the action almost appears sped up, the make-up and costumes look like make-up and costumes, and — overall — the whole piece more closely resembles a behind-the-scenes DVD extra rather than 'the most anticipated movie event of 2012'. Take nothing away from Jackson for pushing new boundaries and offering some of the most stunning 3D footage ever seen, but it's an experiment best left unrepeated. Jackson's also been criticised for his decision to split the story into three parts; a seemingly commercial extravagance that may test the patience of even the most die-hard fans. That said, Tolkien's (and Jackson's) ability to enrapture one's imagination and tell compelling human tales in a most-inhuman world cannot be overstated, and coupled with the sumptuous cinematography and cutting-edge special effects, The Hobbit remains a worthwhile Boxing Day treat despite its shortcomings.
Hop to it — you've got another must-do activity to add to your school holiday plans. This mobile inflatable obstacle course is popping up inside the Entertainment Quarter for a week during the school holidays, and it's here so both you and the family can enjoy the break you truly deserve. Head over to the EQ's Showring with the family from 10am – 4pm starting Saturday, September 28, and you'll be met with a wide-spanning 280 metres of inflatable fun dubbed Monster Jump. You'll be able to venture your way through over 30 types of family-friendly obstacles where you'll tackle climbing walls and slides, jump over hurdles, and also duck in, under and around inflated barriers. Plus, the fun isn't limited to kids. If spectating is too far from the action, you can channel your inner kidult and take on the course yourself. This run of the course features a brand-new inflatable addition that's sure to get your blood pumping: Monster Sports Jam. Here, you'll be doing more than running, jumping, and climbing. This installation features basketball, a jousting station, a wrecking ball and much more. While tickets will be available at the gate upon arrival, pre-booking your spot online via the Monster Jump website is recommended to ensure you don't miss out. Each ticket guarantees that you'll be working your way through the course for two-hour-long slots. This monster-themed course will be available until Sunday, October 6, so you'll have plenty of time to secure a session — or multiple if the crew is keen. Monster Jump Sydney is open from September 28 until October 6. It is open from 10am until 4pm except on October 6, when it will close at 2pm. Additional information and tickets are available now via the website.
With a wardrobe consisting mainly of cute little dresses, ballet flats and tailored cropped jackets, I always look really out of place at punk and hardcore shows. I love going to them, but often catch people eyeing me off with “what is she doing here†looks. But as unsuited to my surrounds as I may appear, I love watching people thrash, shred, sweat, and scream music that is hard and fast and loud. The Flip Out Festival collects all the best new Australian talent and some gems from overseas and throws them together for a day-long music festival at the Manning Bar in Sydney University, complete with BBQ (vegan-friendly), record fair, and merch market. Get there early and grab one of the free Flip Out 2009 CDs with rare and/or unreleased material from every band playing.Featuring AMP winners EDDY CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING, PINK REASON (USA), GOODNIGHT LOVING (USA), JAMES ARTHUR’S MANHUNT (USA), OOGA BOOGAS, NAKED ON THE VAGUE, THE STABS, SUPER WILD HORSES, ROYAL HEADACHE, ZOND and more.
Extinction isn’t permanent, apparently. Sydney’s Night at the Museum-like party, Jurassic Lounge is being resurrected for a one-off after-hours event to celebrate Halloween. Returning to the Australian Museum for one night only, following their last Halloween Dia de los Muertos event and highly successful Mardi Gras party, The Festivalists’ beloved after-hours event will once again take over the entire museum on Friday, October 30. Creating a playground for grown-ups in the hallowed museum halls, Jurassic Lounge’s Halloween edition plans to transform the Australian Museum into the freaky, freaky establishment we always knew it could be. The one-night-only resurrection of Jurassic Lounge is most excellent news from The Festivalists, the Sydney-based, non-profit company who just took over Madame Tussauds again with their after-hours night, Hijinks. On Halloween night, there'll be plenty of creepy critters scuttling around the Australian Museum, with live taxidermy (oh god), big old bats at the specimen table, live reptiles, and Creepy Crawlies micro-talks by Australian Museum scientists. Between beers, avoid zombies in the Surviving Australia gallery, curse your enemies at the Misfortune Cookie crafts table, DIY gashes and wounds with The Makeup Wardrobe, watch comedians recreate cult horror films from memory, then learn how to actually do the Monster Mash with Diesel Darling's giant dance lesson. Of course, the ever-popular Jurassic Lounge staple Silent Disco will be there for all your scarily quiet shuffling. But in true Festivalists style, there’s sure to be plenty of happenings and Easter Eggs planned for the night. Just be careful if you're thinking of unlocking the secret Trick or Treat room. Be warned.
The year of the tiger is almost upon us (goodbye year of the ox, go sleep it off), and the festivities are starting to pick up. And what's the best way to partake in the celebration? We've got it right here — and it'll make you happier than a hungry big cat. From Monday, January 24, dumpling master Din Tai Fung is offering new limited edition chocolate and biscoff tiger buns and, like the chain's usual annual Lunar New Year special, they're ridiculously cute. They're buns with little tiger faces — how could they be anything other than adorable?. Din Tai Fung is famous for its dumplings, and is known to release eye-catching novelty varieties for special occasions (check out these adorable little monkey buns from 2016, pig bao from 2019 and masked ox buns from last year). The new tiger buns are stuffed with a sweet filling of molten chocolate, which oozes out when you squeeze them, and the cookie crumb spread that is biscoff. The tiger buns are available for $8.80 for two at Din Tai Fung restaurants and food court outlets in Sydney, so you'll want to hit up its World Square, Westfield Chatswood, Westfield Miranda, Westfield Sydney, Broadway Shopping Centre, Gateway Sydney, The Star, Greenwood Plaza, Martin Place and Marrickville venues. In Melbourne, you have one spot to head to, with the buns on offer at Emporium Melbourne. They're also available for delivery both separately (for $12 for three) and in the chain's big frozen Lunar New Year hampers (for $108) — also from Monday, January 24. The only problem we can foresee with the cute Din Tai Fung dish? Eating those sweet little tiger faces may be hard… but we're sure you'll manage it. Chocolate and biscoff tiger buns are available from Din Tai Fung's stores in Sydney and Melbourne, and also via delivery, from Monday, January 24. Head to the chain's website for further details or to order.
You should cut down on your porklife and get to the Sydney Opera House this summer, Damon Albarn is coming to Sydney. Celebrating the recent release of his critically-acclaimed first solo venture Everyday Roots, the legendary Blur frontman will bring early Christmas presents to Sydneysiders with an intimate performance on Monday, December 15. Alongside his Blur/Gorillaz escapades, the 46-year-old has casually worked with Everyone Ever — including the late Bobby Womack, buds Brian Eno, Natasha Khan (Bat For Lashes), Paul Simonon (The Clash), master drummer Tony Allen, Snoop Dogg and Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers). For his Sydney show he'll be joined onstage with his shiny new live crew, The Heavy Seas, plus a cheeky string quartet and onstage choir. Epic. "Damon Albarn is one of the great figures in modern music and we're incredibly proud to present his debut solo performance in Australia," said Ben Marshall, head of contemporary music at Sydney Opera House. "His restless inventiveness, inquisitiveness and taste across all his projects have been an inspiration to me and this will be an amazing summer evening in the Opera House Concert Hall." While the setlist will undoubtedly focus on Albarn's solo material, fingers are crossed for a Boys and Girls Easter Egg or two. Albarn's Melbourne show will be announced soon. Damon Albarn will play Sydney Opera House's Concert Hall at 8pm, Monday 15 December. Tickets on sale to the general public Friday, July 11 at 9am via SOH. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ODG3VRkncBc
Five days, more than 100 features, documentaries and shorts, and all of the weird and wonderful cinema delights a movie buff could ask for. Add them together, and that's the 2017 Sydney Underground Film Festival in a twisted nutshell. Celebrating its 11th year from September 14 to 17, this alternative film fest knows how to venture beyond the mainstream. It's the perfect follow-up to Sydney Film Festival. Take this year's opening and closing efforts, for example. When SUFF kicks off, it'll be with a treasure trove of unearthed VHS finds that you literally won't see anywhere else — and to close things off, it'll bring a flick that sparked walkouts at Sundance to its long-term home at Marrickville's Factory Theatre. The former comes courtesy of the Australian debut of the live comedy and commentary-filled Found Footage Festival, while the latter is the post-apocalyptic, stomach-churning, Hannibal Buress and Tim Heidecker-starring Kuso, and they're set to provide quite the festival bookends. In between, SUFF will venture from the mind-bending cult thrills of The Endless — a destined-to-be cult movie about a cult — to one-take Aussie effort Watch the Sunset and the maternal mayhem of Prevenge, where being pregnant brings murderous messages from the unborn. Michael Cera pops up in Lemon and Nick Offerman in Infinity Baby, two American indies demonstrating humanity's social deficiencies in very different ways. Slasher satire Tragedy Girls, ultra-violent Japanese cyberpunk comedy Meatball Machine Kodoko and a tribute screening of George A. Romero's The Crazies help up the horror quota. From the documentary slate, the festival goes heavy on music thanks to factual explorations of L7, The Melvins, ambient house pioneers The Orb, British DIY duo Sleaford Mods and the family members of late American extreme punk musician GG Allins, and also gives cinephiles an extra thrill via Dawson City: Frozen Time, which journeys through a once-lost nitrate film collection. Real-life exorcisms in Liberami also prove a highlight, as does docu-fiction consumerism takedown Drib and the search for a fake rock in Where is Rocky II? If that's not enough, SUFF will also host a soiree dedicated to 16mm cinema, the return of the breakfast cereal cartoon party (and a new late-night session as well). The 2017 Sydney Underground Film Festival runs from September 14 to 17 at The Factory Theatre, Marrickville. For more information or to buy tickets, visit the festival website.
Darlinghurst's Forbes and Burton is under fire after the cafe's owner denied a Brazilian-born Australian man a barista job, telling him his customers wouldn't want their "coffee made by black people," according to the Daily Mail. Yep, WHAT. Although Nilson Dos Santos is an Australian citizen and has worked as a barista in Australia for nine years, the owner (who would only give the Daily Mail his name as 'Steven'), told the 39-year-old he "only wanted locals" for the job. A recent migrant from Shanghai, Steven is taking some furious heat for his hypocritical and outrageously racist actions. "There are a lot of white customers at the cafe and I think the clients here want local people, not African people," Steven said after this weekend's events. "We need to offer good service at this cafe and I think the coffee culture is more about white people." He keeps going. "I prefer the barista to be local, not from Italy or other countries ... In some people's opinions African people can’t make good coffee." Dos Santos saw the ad on Gumtree and rang Steven on Saturday, telling the owner he was from Brazil on the phone. When Dos Santos arrived at the cafe the next day for his interview, Steven pulled an incredibly racist (and geographically ignorant) switch. "When I came to the cafe for the interview today, he looked at me and looked surprised. He didn’t like what he saw," Dos Santos said. "We sat down and he said, 'But you’re black?' I said yes and he told me, 'But my customers are white. I don’t think they’d like to have their coffee made by black people. That’s not part of the coffee culture. You’re African.' I said to him, 'I’m sorry.' But he said I was not able to do the job because I am black." Dos Santos kept a cool head for someone who's just been point-blank discriminated against. "I thought to myself, what do I do? I wanted to punch him but I thought that if I reacted badly, that wouldn’t be the right thing either. But I thought that if I just left and closed the door, he’ll do that over and over again to everybody else that comes. So I felt I had to do something, to show him that he needs to learn his lessons and that's not the way to treat people." According to DM, Dos Santos stood up and addressed the Darlinghurst cafe, informing customers why he'd missed out on the job and asked if they'd have any problem having a coffee made by a black man. In a moment of pure high-fivery, many customers ditched the cafe in a walk-out, a bunch hit up Facebook and a staff member quit right then and there. Forbes and Burton are truly taking a hit on Facebook, with reams of angry posters shaking fists at owner Steven and calling for a boycott (although some are being outright racist in return about Steven's Chinese heritage, not cool): "I have never experienced anything like that in Australia," Dos Santos said. "I love it here, I am free here, that’s why I chose to stay. I’ve always felt welcomed and accepted. For me, it was never a problem that I am black until today." According to the Daily Mail, Steven needs to run Forbes and Burton for two years to nab his Australian visa. Good luck with that. Via Daily Mail.
