Fast cars, pulse-pounding action and plot holes bigger than the veins in Dwayne Johnson’s biceps: the seventh entry in the Fast and/or Furious franchise delivers everything fans have come to expect. And yes, to be clear, we mean that as a compliment. In an age where most Hollywood blockbusters do everything they can to seem dark and gritty, this souped-up seven-part soap opera drives straight in the other direction, delivering delightfully silly, self-aware thrills at every possible turn. The most over-the-top film in the franchise so far, Fast & Furious 7 doesn’t just jump the shark; it sails over the shark’s head at 245mph, in a $3.5 million Lykan Hypersport, in slow motion, while half a dozen strippers dance to a Wiz Khalifa song playing in the background. The 'plot' of the film sees Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his hetero life partner Brian O’Connor (Paul Walker) back on the streets of Los Angeles after earning a pardon for six movies’ worth of crimes. Unfortunately for them, their newfound tranquillity is short-lived, as Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham playing the same character he always does, only evil) shows up to avenge his brother Luke, aka the bad guy from Fast & Furious 6. Dom and Brian’s only option is to team up with Agent Frank Petty (franchise newbie Kurt Russell), who promises to help them deal with Shaw in exchange for rescuing a computer hacker (Nathalie Emmanuel) from a group of international terrorists. Of course, in order to manage such a mission, they’ll need their regular crew, including Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), Roman (Tyrese Gibson) and Tej (Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges). Think of them as being kind of like the Avengers, only more racially diverse, and marginally less bound by the laws of physics or common sense. If they’ve got time, they might even be able to solve the mystery of who keeps stealing the sleeves off Vin Diesel’s shirts. Australian director James Wan takes over from four-time franchise helmsman Justin Lin, and manages to capture the film’s many, many action scenes with similarly explosive aplomb. Silliness aside, one of the great things about this series is how it opts for actual stunt-work and stunt driving instead of just relying on digital effects. That said, we kind of suspect the scene in which a car is driven out the side of a skyscraper and through the side of another probably benefited from a little bit of computer-generated magic. To say that that sequence isn’t even the most ridiculous thing about Fast & Furious 7 should really drive home just how absurd this movie is. To their credit though, the cast still play it 100% straight, and in doing so have managed to get this franchise to that sweet spot where even its legitimately terrible moments — including maybe the most blatant moment of product placement in the history of modern cinema — still manage to be kind of entertaining. Well, almost. We’ve gotta say that Wan’s use of the Michael Bay ass-cam on any and all female extras gets creepy pretty fast. It doesn’t help that the once gender-balanced cast of heroes has basically been reduced to a bunch of bros plus Michelle Rodriguez. Definitely something they should correct in Fast & Furious 8. Apparently Helen Mirren has already put her hand up to play the villain. Now that would be amazing.
In bars, theatres and festivals around Sydney, one woman has been educating Sydneysiders in a new version of an old sound. Lanie Lane bills herself as a lovechild of Muddy Waters and Doris Day. Singing solo on stage with her big blues guitar Betty, Lane pulls chanteuses from the fifties, and further, together into the present, focusing them live into a sound both antique and contemporary. Watching her live, her distant frame doesn't prepare you for the sheer vocal force about to unleash itself on your ears. Some singers borrow their sound from jazz or blues, or other earthy music from earlier times. Lanie Lane really just is that music. Lane will perform three nights at the Shady Pines Saloon — a new sly-grog inspired, western-styled bar at the edge of Surry Hills. Small but powerful, Lane has supported Eliza Doolittle, was the voice of Sydney Festival's Trocadero and is soon to support Justin Townes Earle in a national tour. While it's not too dangerous yet not to know her sound, Lanie Lane gets around. Check her out before she's famous.
Let's be real: too many aspects of our locky-d can make us feel like we're living in Groundhog Day. But, we ask you, why should drinking — that great lockdown pastime — feel the same? Of the many things we're missing these days, right up the top of the list is enjoying a perfectly crafted cocktail while perched at a lovely bar. And sure, we can try our hand at making our own, but, in these trying times, why not leave it to the professionals? Not only will it taste better, but you'll also be supporting our hospo industry, especially as many of our favourite venues are doing it tough right now. With that in mind, we've teamed up with Patrón to highlight six city venues — and two regional ones — delivering the good times to your door. We're talking litres — literally — of ready-made margaritas, as well as DIY taco kits, seafood feasts and more. Here's where to place an order for your next big night in. TEQUILA MOCKINGBIRD, PADDINGTON: TACO KITS AND DIY MARGS Paddington agave den Tequila Mockingbird is not messing around this lockdown, with single serves, batch pours and even DIY marg kits available to be delivered straight to your door. The eponymous Tequila Mockingbird Margarita is always a winner here, a house signature which features Patrón Silver, St Germain, jalapeño-infused agave, cucumber and lemon. This lockdown, it's available in bottles for one, four, six or eight (at least in theory — because, these days, who's counting?). The same pours are also available for a selection of the bar's other classics or you could even try your hand at shaking your own drink with a DIY kit featuring all the ingredients as well as a jigger, shaker, strainer and a Patrón agave cup to pour it into. Hot tip: complete your order with an eight-serve DIY taco kit, or a hearty winter warmer like a slow-roasted lamb shoulder served with chimichurri rojo. Discover Tequila Mockingbird's full takeaway offer and place your order at its website. [caption id="attachment_822949" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alana Dimou[/caption] PS40, CBD: CUSTOM COCKTAIL BOXES CBD cocktail den PS40 was among the first venues in town to pivot to cocktail delivery last year, and, thankfully, the service is still going strong now. You can customise a box of three bottled cocktails with multi-serve bottles of signatures like the Breakfast Negroni, which includes hints of banana bread, coffee and tonka beans, and the Spicy Verdita Margarita, in which the verdita is made from ripened pineapple, jalapeño, parsley and mint. If you're looking for something a little more hands-on, the Watermelon Margarita Fun Pack is just the ticket. The airtight pouch contains a delicious combo of tequila, sake, cold-pressed watermelon and bergamot — all you need to do is cut it open, pop it in your blender and blitz away for those summer holiday vibes (BYO paper umbrella). The pouch serves two and has a three-month shelf-life in the freezer. Discover PS40's full delivery offer and place and order at the website. Delivery is available Sydney-wide from Tuesday to Saturday. THE BOATSHED, LA PEROUSE: SEAFOOD FEASTS AND $10 MARGS While it's not quite the same as sipping a marg from the sunny outdoor bar overlooking Frenchmans Bay, you can bring a bit of The Boatshed to your place thanks to its excellent takeaway deal. Every day, the La Perouse waterfront hangout is slinging a huge selection of cocktails — including three types of marg — for just $10. They're all served in fun-sized Patrón glass bottles, which you can return empty for ten percent off your next takeaway cocktail order (as if we needed an extra excuse). Pair your drinks with one of the kitchen's fresh seafood dishes to really make a night of it. Discover The Boatshed's full takeaway offer over on its Instagram. You can order via Uber Eats or call ahead on 9661 1817. LOW AND LOFTY'S, CRONULLA: INDONESIAN BITES AND SMOKY MARGS An order from Shire fave Low and Lofty's will take your lockdown night in from low to lofty. Every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday night, the Cronulla restaurant and bar is delivering mouthwatering Indonesian dishes as well as a number of its excellent cocktails Shire-wide. Pair a chicken satay or full-bodied beef rendang with a mini Patrón bottle filled with a classic marg or a smoked jalapeño variety finished with cinnamon smoke. Discover Low & Lofty's full takeaway offer and place your order at its website. ROXY'S, DOUBLE BAY: MIDDLE EASTERN BITES AND MARGS Double Bay newcomer Roxy's has made a name for itself since opening earlier this year for its creative interpretations of classic Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavours — and this is an influence that extends, naturally, to its bar program. This lockdown, the all-day eastside spot is offering a heap of takeaway goodies every Wednesday through Sunday, with an offer that ranges from freshly baked pastries to flavour-packed pita pockets. You can also pick up a margarita or five — opt for either a single serve or a 500ml bottle of the house marg which features Marionette dry curaçao, lime and hints of sumac. Discover Roxy's full takeaway offer and place your order at its website. CHECHO'S, PENRITH: FOUR-COURSE FEASTS AND ONE-LITRE MARGS Buzzy Penrith diner Checho's is hoping to bring the (socially distanced) fiesta to yours this lockdown. You can choose your own adventure, too, with the restaurant cooking up its ready-made favourites like charcoal corn ribs, patatas bravas and DIY taco kits; or, if you prefer to take matters into your own hands, opt for a cheekily named Hola Fresh box featuring a stack of fresh ingredients and instructions on how to make a four-course meal perfect for two, with dishes like beef brisket tacos and watermelon salad. Whichever you choose, you'd be remiss not to add a one-litre margarita bottle. There are five varieties to choose from, including charred pineapple and mango — if you want to work your way through all five, that is perfectly acceptable, too. Find out about Checho's takeaway offer and place your order at its website. Takeaway is available Wednesday–Sunday evenings. TOWRADGI BEACH HOTEL, WOLLONGONG: CANDY-INSPIRED MARGS The folks at Wollongong's Towradgi Beach Hotel know how to bring the good vibes, whether at the bar or in your home. As well as its indulgent $70 Netflix and Chill packs, which feature a pizza, pasta, garlic bread and a large margarita jar (or bottle of vino), the bottle shop is slinging over ten varieties of margs. You can choose to keep things classic or opt for a fruit-fulled one, including strawberry, mango and passionfruit flavours. Feeling adventurous? Then sample one of the limited-edition candy-inspired margaritas. The rotation changes weekly — previous flavours include Nerds Grape and Wizz Fizz — so keep an eye on the venue's Facebook page to see the latest selection. Find out about Towradgi Beach Hotel's takeaway and delivery offer and place your order at its website. Food is available for takeaway Friday—Sunday evenings; the bottle shop is open daily. [caption id="attachment_823880" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Pop'd Shop (Unsplash)[/caption] POCKET BAR, TERRIGAL: WEEKEND SESSIONS Central Coast favourite Pocket Bar is helping you indulge over the weekends — even in lockdown. Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening, the Terrigal hangout is offering next-level dinner packs (which can serve up to six people) for pick-up and delivery. Food-wise, expect dishes like 60-day dry-aged scotch fillet, heirloom tomato burrata salad and potato gratin.If you're seeking a little libation, be sure to add its pre-batched cocktails, such as a strawberry negroni or classic marg, to your order. All cocktails are available in three different sizes, too, meaning there'll be plenty to go around. Find out about Pocket Bar's takeaway and delivery offer and place your order at its website. For more cocktail inspo, head to the Patron website. Top image: Alana Dimou
Carriageworks, Eveleigh's multifaceted arts precinct, has just announced its lineup for 2018. All our favourites — Biennale, Fashion Week, Night Markets — are returning for another year and there's a host of new artists, food initiatives and festivals added to the program, too. The season will kick off with 8000 metres of vibrant material suspended within the public space. Renowned German artist Katharina Grosse will spend a month creating the immersive artwork entitled The Horse Trotted Another Couple Of Metres, Then It Stopped. In February, there'll be plenty of rainbows and glitter when The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras celebrates its 40th anniversary. Resident company, Moogahlin Performing Arts will present Koori Gras, which includes BlackNulla Cabaret and a series of talks exploring the Indigenous queer experience. Also in February is The Backstories: Moya Dodd, a solo performance by an ex-Matilda and one of the first women on FIFA's Executive Committee. Another highlight is The Howling Girls, a world premiere presented by the Sydney Chamber Opera. The performance, based on real-life events, is a curious story of panic attacks and shared trauma in the wake of the September 11 attacks. Five teenage girls present separately to hospitals, unable to swallow and believing debris from the attack is stuck in their throats. Japanese artist Ryoji Ikeda will use sound and light to lead audiences to the point at which art and quantum physics meet in micro macro. American visual artist Nick Cave (no, not that one) will transform the public space into a sea of millions of beads and found objects for Until — the largest scale exhibition Carriageworks has presented to date. Open Frame — an experimental music festival — will return for the 2018 season with a lineup of local and international artists curated by composer Lawrence English. Sydney Writers' Festival will call Carriageworks home for the first time in 2018. There'll also be a rich food program with the continuation of Mike McEnearney's Farmers Markets and the popular Night Markets. A new series, Sydney Mad Mondays — hosted together with René Redzepi's (of Copenhagen's Noma) MAD — will bring together experts from across the food industry to discuss the future of food — think eating insects, test tube meat patties and feeding the world's homeless. To view the full lineup and buy tickets head to carriageworks.com.au.
It's one of the most famous lines in cinema history, and it just keeps proving true. When Arnold Schwarzenegger said "I'll be back" in 1984's The Terminator, he clearly meant it — and so did James Cameron's franchise. Like Skynet-controlled robot killing machines trying to exterminate humanity and take over the world, this series just keeps coming, with 1991's Terminator 2: Judgement Day, 2003's Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, 2009's Terminator Salvation, 2015's Terminator Genisys, TV's short-lived Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and animated show Terminator Salvation: The Machinima Series to its name. The saga's fortunes have been varied, to say the least, with the last few films hardly leaving anyone clamouring for more. But, no matter how Terminator: Dark Fate turns out, it does have one big trick up its sleeves. While Arnie has been a part of every Terminator movie except Salvation, which was made while he was the Governor of California, Linda Hamilton's Sarah Connor hasn't had a significant part in the franchise since T2. The character has still popped up on-screen, played by everyone's favourite duelling Game of Thrones queens — that is, by Lena Headey in The Sarah Connor Chronicles and by Emilia Clarke in Genisys — but now the kick-ass Hamilton is making a proper comeback. Timeline-wise, Dark Fate actually takes place after T2, ignoring all of the other sequels. If it's a success, it'll start a new trilogy, although the same was expected of Salvation and Genisys, too. As well as the return of Hamilton as Connor — and Arnie as the T-800, of course — the movie stars Halt and Catch Fire's Mackenzie Davis as a new terminator-human hybrid sent from the future. She's charged with protecting Birds of Passage's Natalia Reyes from the deadly ways of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Gabriel Luna, who plays their not-so-kindly cyborg assassin foe. After writing and directing the series' first two flicks, Cameron returns as a producer, while Deadpool's Tim Miller is in the director's chair. Catch the trailer below — yes, the saga is back: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCyEX6u-Yhs Terminator: Dark Fate releases in Australian cinemas on October 31, 2019.
The Museum of Contemporary Art's ARTBAR has become a firm fixture on Sydney's after-dark cultural calendar. For the uninitiated, ARTBAR combines art, music, design and performance for a huge art party on the last Friday of every month, curated by a different artist each time. This month it's Sydney-based artist Jason Wing — and with his theme of United Nations, he's asking the question: what would a country without borders mean? An artist with Chinese and Aboriginal ancestry, Wing will invite both Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists to respond to the question. There'll be a range of different mediums and art forms for you to peruse; a video work by Latai Taumoepeau and a paste-up installation by Alison Alder are both excellent places to start. Once you get into the swing of things you can have a shot at contributing yourself — go sit in Alex Wisser's staring booth with a stranger, join Keren Ruki's Creative Native craft session, or try your hand at flag making with Deborah Kelly. Not really the art-making sort? That's okay too, as there will be performances by ALPHAMAMA, Tribade Marinade, Ginger and the Ghost and even meditation classes if you need to unwind after a long week. You'll also be able to check out the MCA's two current exhibitions for free; chuck on a VR headset at the Primavera 2016: Young Australian Artists exhibition and gaze at 2016 Archibald Prize winner Louise Hearman's surreal paintings. Plus, there'll be wine and the added bonus of panoramic views of the harbour from the Sculpture Terrace.
After 1000 piled into Mojo by Luke Mangan for the very first Sensasian party, the team have decided to give it another run. A showcase of Asian-inspired creations conjured by Mangan, Sensasian is like a warehouse party with an Asian street market vibe, cocktails and great food — and it's coming back on Thursday, November 19. One of the main events at Sens-Asian is dessert — and Sydney's got some hectic sweet tooths. This time around, expect goodies from gelato connoisseurs N2 gelato, watermelon cake legends Black Star Pastry, 17-year-old Instagram sensation Sweet High Desserts, Instagram cake wizard Cakes by Cliff and MAKMAK Macarons. On the savoury side, Mangan and MOJO head chef Wayne Lee will be doing mashups — think mini hot dogs with kim chi, 'salt 'n' pepa' prawns, Peking duck rolls, Taiwanese fried chicken. Food starts at $15. Wash it all down with a few Singapore Slings and Asahi beer and you're home and hosed.
Growing up, like me, you may have been well into Japanese culture, with no idea it was Japanese. Whether it was Astroboy, Pokemon, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Mobile Suit Gundam or Hello Kitty, some kind of Japanese culture permeated your subconscious. And that was before we finding out what otaku meant as an adult. At the end of a nondescript, curved food court near the Conservatorium, The Japan Foundation has put together Japan: Kingdom of Characters. The exhibition aims to survey the heroes, villains, memes and icons from Japanese culture which have swept across the world. Which it does, quietly collecting a bevy of personal mythologies and dreams. If all this culture isn't enough by itself, the Japan Foundation is also offering you a series of talks covering character design, cult pilgrimages to fictional characters and more. These talks will alternate with the Foundation's already running Anime film series, screening biweekly. If you like giant robots, jumpsuits or oversize cats, the Japanese Foundation anticipates your need. The Japan Foundation Gallery is open 11-4, Monday to Friday and every second Saturday. (16 and 30 April, 14 and 28 May during the exhibition.) It opens late Wednesday nights, to 8.30pm.
When the New South Wales Government last tightened Greater Sydney's lockdown measures back on Saturday, July 17, it introduced stricter conditions in three specific Local Government Areas where COVID-19 case numbers have been particularly high. Since then, residents of Fairfield, Canterbury-Bankstown and Liverpool LGAs have no longer been able to leave their LGA for work — unless they work in emergency services, healthcare, or the aged care and disability care fields. That rule is now being expanded, with folks in the Cumberland and Blacktown LGAs coming under the same conditions. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced the change today, Friday, July 23, advising that "unless people are critical workers from the Blacktown local government area and the Cumberland local government area, who we do not want any workers living in those LGAs to leave unless they are regarded as critical workers." Accordingly, if that's you, you obviously still need to abide by all the other rules that are currently in place across Greater Sydney; however, your ability to leave your LGA for work is now limited as well. For workers in the emergency services, healthcare, or the aged care and disability care fields, if you do need to leave your LGA for work, you'll have to get a mandatory COVID-19 test every three days — even you don't have any coronavirus symptoms. https://twitter.com/NSWHealth/status/1418376212662030341 The Premier hasn't announced how long this requirement will be in place in the Cumberland and Blacktown LGAs; however, in revealing today's new COVID-19 case numbers for the entire state — with 136 cases of local transmission reported up to 8pm last night, Thursday, July 22 — she advised that it's unlikely the Greater Sydney lockdown will end on Friday, July 30 as last outlined. "Unfortunately, 53 of those cases were infectious in the community," the Premier said. "There is no doubt that the numbers are not going in the direction we were hoping they would at this stage. It is fairly apparent that we will not be close to that next Friday," she continued. At the moment, in terms of general restrictions, people in Greater Sydney, Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour can only leave their houses for four specific essential reasons anyway: to work and study if you can't do it from home; for essential shopping; for exercise outdoors in groups of two; and for compassionate reasons, which includes medical treatment, getting a COVID-19 test and getting vaccinated. And, since last weekend, only businesses deemed "critical retail" are permitted to remain open. Hospitality and retail venues can only do takeaways, home deliveries, and click and collect orders, and residents in the locked-down areas also aren't allowed to carpool, unless you're in a vehicle with members of your own household. Also, the rules around working from home changed earlier this week. At the moment, employers must allow employees to work from home if the employee is able to do so — or they can face a fine of up to $10,000. You can still only exercise in groups of two outdoors — or as a household. You can also only get sweaty within your local government area, or within ten kilometres of where you live. If you need supplies, only one person from each household can go out shopping each day to buy essential items — and browsing is prohibited, too. No one can have anyone over to their house, either — other than for care purposes, which includes intimate partners. As always, Sydneysiders are also asked to continue to frequently check NSW Health's long list of locations and venues that positive coronavirus cases have visited. If you've been to anywhere listed on the specific dates and times, you'll need to get tested immediately and follow NSW Health's self-isolation instructions. In terms of symptoms, you should be looking out for coughs, fever, sore or scratchy throat, shortness of breath, or loss of smell or taste — and getting tested at a clinic if you have any. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website.
Looking for a free lunch tomorrow? There is such a thing. If you can get to Martin Place on your lunch break, you'll be able to score a free burger. Deliveroo will be giving out over 2000 of them from midday on Thursday, April 4. They're not just any burgers, either. The burgs on offer will come from the delivery service's top-selling burger vendors, including Mary's, Ume Burger, Belles Hot Chicken, BL Burgers, KFC, Betty's Burgers, 8bit and Neil Perry's Burger Project. From the locally famed Mary's Burger and BL's classic cheeseburger to all things fried chicken from Belles, you'll be able to take your pick from a six-by-four-metre 'billboard' stacked with burgers. Vego options will be available as well. [caption id="attachment_642395" align="alignnone" width="1920"] BL Burgers by Kimberley Low.[/caption] The extensive giveaway is to celebrate Deliveroo selling five million burgers since launching in Australia three years ago. So, whether you're a CBD worker, a Deliveroo devotee or an average punter walking through the city streets, you should probably make a detour to Martin Place. It's first come, first self-served — so you'll want to get there sooner rather than later. The Deliveroo burger giveaway is happening on Wednesday, April 4 at Martin Place, Sydney from 12–6pm, or until sold out.
Maybe you love checking out live bands, especially today's up and comers that'll become tomorrow's huge stars. Perhaps you like hearing the inside word from folks in the music business who've been there, done that and seen everything. For 22 years, BIGSOUND has offered both, operating as both a music festival and a conference — and its 2023 run just nabbed a few more impressive speakers. Back in April, the Brisbane event revealed the first folks that'd be chatting this year, with its initial speaker lineup headlined by 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, the fest has added talents with experience managing Wham! and composing the score for Avatar: The Way of Water. Meet BIGSOUND 2023's two Simons: Simon Napier-Bell and Simon Franglen. The first also managed George Michael and Boney M, wrote music alongside Dusty Springfield, and made a documentary about Michael — and also one about Frank Sinatra. The second is a Grammy-winning composer with experience working with Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Madonna and Barbra Streisand. Plus, among Franglen's screen credits also sits music roles on Titanic, Moulin Rouge!, Skyfall, SPECTRE, Space Jam, Cool Runnings and Se7en. Both will discuss their hefty careers on a conference bill that's just added Clockenflap Festival promoter Cora Chan and South by Southwest's Senior Music Programmer Dev Sherlock, among others, as well. Over the past two-plus decades, BIGSOUND has highlighted Australia's music industry, getting power players sharing their experience and advice, championing emerging talents, fostering crucial connections, and celebrating live tunes and the folks that make them happen in general. In 2023, it'll do so across four days, at 18 venues, with 141 artists getting behind the microphone and via 300-plus showcases, all from Tuesday, September 5–Friday, September 8. The music lineup was announced in early July, as chosen from more than 1300 applications. 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_907796" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dave Kan[/caption] BIGSOUND 2023 SPEAKER LINEUP: First conference announcement: Ash Stahl (Flightless) Cabrea Casey (Downtown Music) Hazel Savage (Soundcloud) Michele Ronzon (Interscope) Omar Grant (ROC Nation) Scott Cohen (JKBX) Vanessa Palmer (Paramount) Second conference announcement: Chloe Pean (AEG Presents) Chris Brearley (Greyline Touring / School Night) Chris Duncan (The Orchard) Christiaan Kröner (FUGA / Downtown) Cora Chan (Clockenflap Festival) David Telfer (DMT Law Firm) Dev Sherlock (SXSW) Ed Lilo (Festival Republic) Eli Gelernter (Wasserman) Hallie Anderson (Rareform) Hannah Sklonick (Secretly Group) Jackie Palazzolo (Riot Games) Jaclyn Ulman (Grandstand Media) Jacob Daneman (Pitch Perfect PR) Jamie Shaughnessy (CAA) Jule Konrad (FMLY) Kate English (Parallel Lines) Louisa Robinson (Form Presents) Matt Hanner (Runaway Artists) Patrick Daniel (Reeperbahn) Seth Hubbard (Polyvinyl) Seth Kallen (This Faction) Silke Westera (FKP Scorpio) Simon Franglen (Composer/Producer) Simon Napier-Bell (Manager) Steve Zapp (ITB) Tony Kiewel (Sub Pop) BIGSOUND 2023 will take place between Tuesday, September 5–Friday, September 8 in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane. For more information, visit bigsound.org.au. Check out BIGSOUND's 2023 artist lineup. Top image: courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2022 20th Century Studios.
By now, you must've scanned the Sydney Festival program at least twenty times, working out how to best spend your hard-earned cash. You probably should just go to everything. But, just in case your wallet isn't bottomless, here's a cure for your option anxiety. Check out one — or all — of these ten and you'll score some major bang for your buck, from Mexican Morissey cover bands to Cambodian psychedelia, unlikely hip hop stars and Icelandic indie fun. And, by the way, there's also that FREE FLAMING LIPS CONCERT IN THE DOMAIN. Just quietly.
Somehow, entirely inexplicably, we're already into the second half of the year; soon we'll be thinking about Christmas. This year, skip the typical department stores and instead pick out unique gifts for your family and friends at The Big Design Market. Coming to Sydney for the second time this November, the three-day independent designer extravaganza features over 230 stallholders selling furniture, fashion, homewares, textiles, and much more. With such a wide range of products, you're sure to find something for even the pickiest people on your list. The Big Design Market also offers a series of creative workshops (learn about indoor plants with The Plant Society and how to do your own nails with Kester Black and Trophy Wife), a beautifully-designed outback-themed kids play area, and a smorgasbord of food options from local favourites like Fishbowl, Gelato Messina, Welcome Dose Specialty Coffee, Archie Rose, Mary's, Porteño, Shortstop and Smoking Gun Bagels. You'll also have the chance to catch a specially-commissioned floral installation of five-metre-high flowers in giant gold vases by designer and illustrator Pete Cromer. Each year the market also puts together a showbag of goodies from some of Melbourne and Sydney's best designers, including Georgia Perry, Champ Co., Leif, Kester Black, Kleins Perfumery and Little Veggie Patch Co. A limited number will be available to purchase for $15 ($95 value). So prepare your bank account, and get ready to have your Christmas shopping done earlier than you ever have before. The market will be open from 10am till 8pm on Friday, 10am till 7pm on Saturday and 10am till 5pm on Sunday.
Here at Concrete Playground, we love playgrounds. Even the non-concrete ones. Which is why we whooped with delight upon discovering The Digital Playground, the photography jungle gym at VIVID Sydney's festival of ideas. A space for camera-wielders to learn, share and be inspired, The Digital Playground will feature pop-up photography events and exhibitions at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, Circular Quay. With presentations by award-winning talents such as Chris Bray (Australian Geographic), Peter Eastway (Lonely Planet) and Rachel Devine (Sesame Ellis), the harbourside venue will be transformed into a giant darkroom designed to develop your creative potential. All the exhibitions will be free to the public, and they'll even be some free presentations and workshops thrown into the mix. If you're serious about your camera clickery, they'll be a handful of advanced talks which require a nominal fee and pre-registration. The Digital Playground is for everyone who loves a good snap, whether you're an aspiring acolyte or a seasoned professional. Don't forget to remove your lens cap.
If you've ever wished for your own personal sommelier, you're in some serious luck. The Wine Gallery is an Australian-based, online wine store that delivers wine curated by one of the best wine sommeliers in Australia right to your front door. And when The Wine Gallery say "one of the best wine sommeliers", they mean it — for this project, Australian entrepreneur Tom Walenkamp has teamed up with three-time Sommelier of the Year Banjo Harris Plane, whose resume also boasts former head sommelier at Attica and co-owner of Fitzroy's Bar Liberty. The idea originated when Walenkamp was studying abroad in France. "My European classmates already knew so much about wine from their culture and I thought the Australian market would really benefit from this type of knowledge," says Walenkamp. "I love drinking wine but always felt a bit on the outside — I call it playing wine roulette because you never know what you're going to get." Not so with The Wine Gallery. The deal is simple: subscribers take a palate quiz and receive three recommend bottles each month based on personal preferences. The bottles on offer are hand-selected by Plane's wine team and each bottle comes with tasting notes, detailed information on the grapes and stories behind the wine makers, along with recipes and food pairings. If you aren't happy with a bottle they'll replace it without a fuss and there's also no lock-in so you can pause, skip or cancel your membership whenever you like. "It's a fully interactive site, with ratings and feedback systems, so after two months no two people will have the same recommendations," says Walenkamp. "You don't have to go with our recommendations, either — you can always swap bottles, add more, or decide to go with all reds for colder months, for example." They've also just rolled out a new, 'state of the art' rewards program — thanks to third co-founder and expert coder Humberto Moreira — which keeps track of the different wine types, production methods and wine regions of each bottle you receive. This allows members to log in and track their wine journey in a visual way, with a few free bottles of plonk as you earn 'badges'. The three bottles are reasonably priced at a uniform $69 and The Wine Gallery will ship anywhere in Australia for a flat rate of $9 (they offer complimentary shipping for orders over $150). Morning orders will even be dispatched same day, so you don't have to wait long to crack one open. "The site is an access point for people that don't really know where to start exploring, and being an independent, online store mean can share our love and knowledge of wine with a much broader part of the Australian population," says Walenkamp. The Wine Gallery will ship anywhere in Australia. To sign up or for more info, visit thewinegallery.com.au.
Get ready rock fans, for the Arctic Monkeys will be returning to Australia and New Zealand next year. The British band will embark on their biggest down under tour to date this autumn for their latest album, AM. The album, which was released this past September, is the band's fifth consecutive number 1 in the UK and also debuted at the top spot in the ARIA Albums Chart. So, Aussie and Kiwi fans, get stoked because you'll soon have the chance to hear their awesome collection of new jams, including chart toppers such as 'R U Mine?' and 'Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?' Original fans needn't worry, because the Monkeys never forget to pay tribute to their old school favourites. You'll probably still get your chance to belt out 'Fluorescent Adolescent's, "Oh the boy's a slag / The best you ever had / The best you ever had." Arctic Monkeys 2014 Tour Dates: Auckland: May 2, Vector Arena Wellington: TSB Arena Sydney: May 6, Entertainment Centre Brisbane: May, Entertainment Centre Melbourne: May 9, Rod Laver Arena Adelaide: May 10, AEC Theatre Perth: May 13, Perth Arena Tickets go on sale December 11 https://youtube.com/watch?v=6366dxFf-Os
Our city's nightlife may be doing it tough, but it's just been thrown a bit of a bone. The City of Sydney has just announced the latest recipients of its late-night grant program, and it looks like we've got a load of new after-dark cultural events and gigs to look forward to. Following a similar grant given to 18 small businesses earlier this year, the new funds will be used to help kick-start new nighttime programming, or to make improvements to acoustics, staging and equipment, at a diverse array of popular haunts including Pocket Bar, The Cliff Dive, Waterloo's Commune, The Cross Arts Projects Gallery and Leadbelly in Newtown. The latest financial injection to Sydney's nightlife scene follows more than $850,000 in previous funding through the City of Sydney's night-time diversification, and live music and performance grants. "Earlier this year, more than 10,000 Sydneysiders, visitors and city workers told us they wanted more and diverse options after dark," said Lord Mayor Clover Moore in a statement. "These grants support live music at a vintage clothes store, a vegan brewery, writers' talks at an art gallery and all-ages gigs at 107 Projects." Newtown's Marlborough Hotel and the Green Park Hotel in Darlinghurst will use their funding to upgrade sound equipment in an effort to improve audience experience, while at Kings Cross recycled and reused goods store Grand Days, the money will help launch a program of after-dark activities, including film screenings, live music and vintage fashion events. Grant funding will also help spawn a new series of monthly all-ages gigs at Redfern's 107 Projects, enable new sound and lighting equipment and staging, to create a live music venue at Yulli's Brews, and see Darlinghurst's Oxford Hotel and Club 77 launch a program of monthly events featuring international DJs on Saturday nights. Projects included in this latest round of funding will kick off from January 2019 and must be completed within 12 months — look out for the new events in our calendar. If you own a small business in the City of Sydney, you'll be able to apply for the next round of funding in early 2019. Image: Leadbelly by Steven Woodburn.
UPDATE: September 24, 2020: The Dead Don't Die is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Binge, Foxtel Now, Google Play and YouTube Movies. What's left to say about zombies? We've had the genre-defining (Night of the Living Dead), the satirical (Dawn of the Dead), the comedic (Shaun of the Dead) and the fast (28 Days Later), plus the slow and romantic (Warm Bodies), the televised (The Walking Dead), and the animated and child-friendly (ParaNorman). We've even had undead Nazis (Dead Snow). In cinema alone, there's been 500-plus zombie films since Victor Halperin's White Zombie way back in 1932, so it's fair to say that genre's brains and heart have been sucked dry. It's almost as if, were the dead actually to rise in 2019, we'd be borderline blasé about it — which brings us to The Dead Don't Die. Written and directed by Jim Jarmusch, it's a predictably deadpan (ahem) take on zombie films from the opening scene to the last — a story so laconic that it consistently flirts with tedium (but only really lapses into that territory in its final stages). It also boasts a phenomenal cast of Jarmusch regulars, including Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Tilda Swinton, Chloe Sevigny and Steve Buscemi. Joined by Danny Glover, Rosie Perez, Iggy Pop, Sara Driver, RZA, Selena Gomez and Tom Waits, they almost all play larger-than-life characters within the sleepy nowhere town of Centreville. Jarmusch has always given his characters both time and room to breathe, and The Dead Don't Die provides perhaps the best example. The slow, breezy and downright folksy interactions of his townspeople are a patient delight, often with pauses so long between replies it's like the entire cast of Fargo took sedatives. Be it Glover's kindly hardware store owner, Buscemi's racist farmer or Caleb Landry Jones's film-obsessed petrol attendant, they're a quirky yet homogenous community of oddballs and outsiders, around whom the story takes its time to form. The standouts are Murray and Driver as Cliff and Ronnie — two-thirds of Centreville's police force and the intermittent Greek chorus of the film. Driver puts in one of his best performances to date, at once shrewd enough to identify zombies as the likely culprits behind some recent killings, while still oblivious to most human sensitivities around him. Murray is in endearing grandfather-esque territory, even if he's not as funny as usual. Together, they hold the threadbare conceit in place when few others could've (polar fracking has knocked the earth off its axis, so... zombies). Where the film falters, however, is in its self-referential tone. Periodically shattering the fourth wall, Cliff and Ronnie reference The Dead Don't Die's theme song, screenplay and director without any clear reason as to why. The first time is amusing enough, with Murray wondering why the tune on the radio sounds so familiar (answer: it just played during the film's titles), but from that point onwards, the device offers little more than a distraction. The movie's deadpan approach also suffers because of its one clear exception — Chloe Sevigny's Mindy, the third cop in the trio. Oscillating between fear, horror and confusion, her reaction to the zombie uprising is far more appropriate, but cast against Murray and Driver's apathy, it feels hysterical and out of place. Then there's Tilda Swinton's character. We won't spoil it, but her arc is so bonkers, it's a wonder that it was allowed to occur at all. Overall, this is a tough one to reconcile. The comedy is great, as are the performances, but the story is obtuse at best — and only weakens the longer it goes on. As a genre piece, it's definitely a Jarmusch-directed zombie film, but it isn't distinctive enough in any one respect to stand out from the other hundreds of undead offerings. Mellow for some, underwhelming for others, The Dead Don't Die will split audiences like its ghouls split spleens. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brxU_Qi1eOM
No one has been travelling far over the past year — for a holiday, at least — with the international travel industry changing dramatically as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. If and when things start returning to normal, however, one airline has added another reason for you to book a ticket, get comfy on its seats and fly to somewhere other than the city you live in. That'd be Qantas. Since 2014, the Australian carrier has begun each year by being named the safest airline to travel on for that upcoming year — and, while little has turned out as anyone planned over the past 12 months, Qantas has once again picked up the highly sought-after accolade. By winning in 2021, the Aussie carrier has now topped AirlineRatings.com's list for eight years in a row. Entering its 101st year of operation, the airline emerged victorious from a pool of 385 carriers from around the world, with Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand also making the site's top 20. In order, the other 17 airlines span Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Emirates, EVA Air, Etihad Airways, Alaska Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways, British Airways, Hawaiian Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, SAS, Finnair, Lufthansa, KLM and United Airlines. If you're a budget-conscious flyer, the website also outlined the ten safest low-cost airlines. Jetstar made the list — which it also did back in 2019, but missed out in 2020 — with Air Arabia, Allegiant, easyjet, Frontier, Jetblue, Ryanair, Vietjet, Westjet and Wizz also featuring. Factors that influence a carrier's placement on the two lists include crash and incident records, safety initiatives, fleet age, profitability, and audits by aviation governing bodies, industry bodies and governments. No one needs any extra encouragement to dream about overseas holidays at the moment — or even local ones in some places — but this just might be it. For the full AirlineRatings.com list, visit the airline safety and product rating review outfit's website.
That's right, folks, Banksy's been at it again. The infamous camera-shy street artist sure knows how to draw a crowd, all without showing his face. Back in October 2013, Banksy took over the Big Apple for a month-long stint of pop-up installations and ol' fashioned street art. Now, you can watch the best bits in Chris Moukarbel's doco Banksy Does New York. From the Central Park stand where priceless originals were anonymously sold for $60 to the livestock delivery truck carrying bleating stuffed animals, Banksy's 'New York residency' was designed to shock, inspire and amuse. Eager fans followed Banksy's daily social media updates for hints to his location. What ensued can only be described as the best kind of adult art scavenger hunt across New York's city streets. Comprised of clips from fans plus footage recorded by Moukarbel and his team, Banksy Does New York looks at the audience, rather than the artist. Focusing on frenzied crowds of New Yorkers, iPhones at the ready, the film begs the question: who really is Banksy's subject? Banksy Does New York is in select cinemas (Dendy Newtown, Cinema Nova, Palace Centro, Palace Eastend, Luna Leederville and Palace Electric) on April 23. Thanks to Madman Films, Concrete Playground has ten double passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to our mailing list and 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
Shuffling through a prestige university in a single file isn't particularly rock, but the Sydney Rock 'n' Roll & Alternative Market wants you to do it anyway. Set over February 8 and 9, the markets are back in 2014 for their Big Weekender with more than 80 stallholders selling alternative and vintage clothing, jewellery, accessories, vinyl, posters, cult DVDs, comics, art, homewares, collectables and, could you believe it, more. But with The Rechords, Mojo Juju, The Milky Bar Kids and tonnes more scoring your day, it isn't just a market this time around. There'll even be retro hair and make-up stylists, a traditional barber, and vintage and classic vehicle displays from Reel Wheels and Sydney Cafe Racers & the Ardly Normal Scooter Crew. Spread over three levels and across two courtyards at the University of Sydney's Manning Bar, the Sydney Rock 'n' Roll & Alternative Market has grown since its humble beginnings in Tempe. With $5 entry, even those who've emptied their purses on a Buick LeSabre can afford to pay a visit.
If this skyscraper designed to house an entire Chinese city is anything to go by, our urban way of life could imminently leave the horizontal plane far behind. Cue edible green walls, a logical and aesthetically pleasing source of nomz. Check one out at the 16th Sydney Design festival this August, when the Powerhouse Museum Cafe hosts Edible Walls, an installation which will hopefully inspire many imitators. City farming is a worthy and growing trend. It's surprising the number of munchable fruit, flower, vegetable and herb varieties that can flourish while on the climb. Edible Walls is not only a space-saving and socially responsible design enterprise but a beautiful and stylish one, not unlike when your dad piles pasta skyward in the centre of your plate in an adorable attempt to be master chef. Could we see edible walls spring up as a common sight in cafes and homes across Sydney, as nature is increasingly integrated into city life? We reckon we will, and attending Sydney Design is a great way to get educated so you can mastermind your own high-rise harvest. This year Sydney Design's 75+ events seek to answer the question, 'Can clever design save the world?' Duh. This very interrogative will be debated by a panel of designers and business bigwigs facilitated by Nell Schofield. But there's plenty of other festival festures to excite the aspiring design maverick. The Australian International Design Awards gather wacky gadgetry and ingenious innovations, while a Powerhouse retrospective exhibition celebrates the influential work of US designer and furniture innovator George Nelson. It definitely doesn't stop there. Architects Eko Prawoto and David Sheppard will present keynote addresses on the topic of urban reconstruction and recovery from earthquake damage. Healthabitat's Paul Pholeros and Heleana Genaus illuminate the links between health and manmade environments. Among the festival's other exhibitions, tours, talks, workshops and just plain fun stuff: Stringram marries string design to Instagram, native biodiversity enjoys full reign in Parramatta's Vorsprugarten, and jewellery becomes artfully and deliberately biodegradable in Earth to Earth, Ashes to Ashes. Then there's Workshopped13, the 3x3x3 Design Challenge, Translocated Making, and more initiatives that could just save the world. Sydney Design runs citywide, 3-18 August, 2013.
In an Australian first, Queenslanders heading for a night out and to music festivals will be able to check their illicit substances for dangerous ingredients on an ongoing basis. The Sunshine State's government has announced that it is introducing pill testing for the first time — and not simply allowing it for one specific event, but permitting fixed and mobile sites in general. The move comes after trials in Canberra, which has included Groovin' the Moo in 2018 and 2019. The Australian Capital Territory also launched the country's first fixed testing site as part of a six-month trial. [caption id="attachment_760714" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Groovin the Moo, Mackenzie Sweetnam[/caption] While protocols for pill testing in Queensland are still being developed, and a provider to oversee the service is still being sought, sites will be established as a harm reduction strategy — aiming to minimise overdoses and other adverse effects resulting from party drugs. "Pill testing is all about harm minimisation; we don't want people ending up in our emergency departments or worse losing their life," said Queensland Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Yvette D'Ath, announcing the news. [caption id="attachment_809941" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dave Byrne[/caption] "It is important to note that pill-testing services do not promote that drugs are safe; however, they are among a suite of options that can positively affect outcomes regarding illicit drug use. Pill-testing services will inform people what chemical substances are in their drugs. We know people make better decisions when they are equipped with unbiased information," the Minister continued. "Drug testers can also influence a drug taker's behaviour, making them more likely to dispose of substances, decrease the amount they take, tell their peers and be more likely to seek help if they or others are experiencing adverse effects. The other benefit to pill testing is it provides critical information to law enforcement and health services about high-risk substances in the community or drug trends." A timeline for rolling out pill testing in Queensland hasn't yet been announced either, and neither has where folks will be able to head to beyond music festivals. But the Sunshine State has been reforming its drugs policies in general, including also newly expanding the Queensland's Police Drug Diversion program — which takes a tiered approach to minor drug-possession offences — to all types of illicit substances. The first instance now receives a warning and police referral to a support service, while the second and third involve mandatory participation in a Drug Diversion Assessment Program, with the fourth bringing a notice to appear in court. Drug checking has been used overseas since the 90s, but remains a controversial topic in Australia. Indeed, when Groovin the Moo conducted its first trial in 2018, calls to offer pill testing had been circulating for the prior two years, after a 15-year-old collapsed from an overdose at the fest's Maitland event in 2016. For more information about pill testing in Queensland, head to the Queensland Government website.
As you're probably aware, the night owls of Sydney are seriously unhappy with the NSW government for a few reasons — the most prominent being the citywide strict and stifling lockout laws. Imposed almost two years ago, the laws have had an unmistakably massive effect on the city's nightlife and its dependants alike. Needless to say, the tension is palpable. And this Saturday, December 12, activist group Reclaim The Streets are planning a multi-stage mobile protest festival in Newtown to take a stand against the restrictive laws that threaten the livelihood of young people, artists and many businesses. The protest project is named ‘A liveable city for all’. They say it's not fair to be locked out of your own city by excessive rents — it's no secret that Sydney is renowned for having insane rent prices — and suffocating curfew laws, which include a 1.30am lockout and 3am last drinks. In their words, the city is "not just an investment portfolio for the super-rich". Damn right. The lockout laws, in particular, have hit young people hard — and it's not just the closure of venues. After all, it's almost exclusively young adults who work tough shifts as bar staff, glassies and DJs. And while statistics say the incident rate of violence has dropped in hotspot areas like the CBD and Kings Cross since the laws were introduced, it seems the same kind of violence has risen in inner-city areas such as Newtown and Surry Hills. Reclaim the Streets says that the government has cost them a dancefloor, so, with a preliminary lineup of a buttload of quality local acts, they’ll be making one themselves. See you on Saturday gang, where we will literally fight for our right to party. The Reclaim The Streets protest will start from Camperdown Memorial Park on Saturday, December 12 at 2pm. For information, see their event page.
It's the main reason most of Sydney has made their way to Good Food Month over the last couple of years, and in 2018, the ever-popular Night Noodle Markets are back — and they're bigger than ever. Sure, every event says that these days — but the fact that 40 different stalls will converge on Hyde Park for a whopping 18 nights this October makes the claim seem pretty accurate. Among the spoils will be all manner of noodles, dumplings and other delights from Mr Bao, Grump G's Kitchen, Hoi Pinoy, Chat Thai and Chur Burger. For dessert, Gelato Messina will predictably be back with a menu of pure wonder (can it top last year's deep-fried gelato katsu sandwich?) Black Star Pasty will return for another year and Donut Papi will make its first appearance. The markets will again take place in Hyde Park, which will also be — for the the second time — a festival hub for the month. It's inspired by California's Palm Springs, dubbed 'Hyde Park Palms', and will host a bunch of talks, parties and feasts, starting on October 4. An opening night party will celebrate the festival's 20th anniversary with a lineup of Sydney food legends, including Christine Manfield, Neil Perry and Ross Lusted. We're a couple of months from the start date, and Good Food has promised it has more surprises up its sleeve — including a pop-up Noodles Kitchen run by some of the city's best chefs. The markets will run from Thursday, October 4 until Sunday, October 21. They'll be open Monday and Tuesday 5-9pm, Wednesday and Thursday 5–10pm, Friday 5–11pm, Saturday 4–10pm, and Sunday 4–9pm. Entry is free but the place — if other years are anything to go by — will be packed. Image: Bec Taylor
Movie lovers of Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, take note: Moonlight Cinema is in its home stretch for its 2022–23 season, and it's going out with another round of impressive titles. This openair go-to for flicks under the stars drops its lineup monthly, and has just unveiled the films that'll be filtering through its projectors in March. On the bill: a heap of Oscar-nominees, plenty of big blockbuster hits, a few beloved franchises and a handful of retro classics. Picnic baskets at the ready for autumn movie outings with your date, mates or both, including seeing films that are likely to win shiny trophies at Hollywood's annual night of nights. Among the Oscar contenders, Moonlight Cinema will be screening Ruben Östlund's pitch-black satire Triangle of Sadness, Irish gem The Banshees of Inisherin, the multiverse antics of Everything Everywhere All at Once and decadent Hollywood caper Babylon. You can see the title that'll likely win Cate Blanchett her third Academy Award, too, plus the drama that's put Brendan Fraser in the running — aka Tár and The Whale. Avatar: The Way of Water and Top Gun: Maverick, the latter of which will probably never stop playing cinemas, round out the Oscar lineup — and also cross over with the blockbuster part of the program, clearly. When it comes to recent titles, they're joined by Magic Mike's Last Dance, Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre and the just-released Cocaine Bear. Also at the big end of town, Moonlight Cinema will host preview screenings of both Scream VI and Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves. Take note of the former if you like scary movies, of course. And it wouldn't be a month at this outdoor favourite without the chance to get cosy watching older gems such as The Princess Bride, Easy A and The Proposal. Moonlight is also screening the Lindsay Lohan-starring Mean Girls and The Parent Trap, too — and, in Sydney only, Aussie treasure The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. The exact lineup varies per city — and, for folks in Brisbane and Adelaide, Moonlight's current season in those two spots already ended in mid-February. As always, you can BYO movie snacks and drinks, including alcohol; however, each site also boasts a food truck slinging bites to eat, plus a VIP section for an extra-luxe openair movie experience. Also, dogs are welcome at all sites except Perth, complete with special doggo bean beds and a canine-friendly snack menu. MOONLIGHT CINEMA 2022–23 DATES Sydney: Thursday, November 24–Sunday, March 26 in Centennial Park Perth: Friday, November 25–Sunday, March 26 in Kings Park and Botanic Garden Melbourne: Thursday, December 1–Sunday, March 26 in Royal Botanic Gardens (Moonlight Cinema's Brisbane and Adelaide seasons have already come to an end for 2022–23.) Moonlight Cinema runs through until Sunday, March 26 in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the cinema's website.
Gin lovers, the start of Christmas season has officially arrived. Four Pillars is releasing its limited edition 2017 Australian Christmas gin tomorrow, Saturday, November 4. The Healesville distillery first debuted this smash-hit creation last year, with a gangbusters response demanding it become an annual occurrence. Building on a family tradition of making Christmas puddings every Derby Day, co-owner Cameron McKenzie distills some of those homemade puddings, adding a base of cinnamon, juniper, star anise, coriander and angelica. The blend's finished with a touch of Rutherglen muscat to create a luscious, spiced gin akin to Christmas in a bottle. This time around, the recipe features muscat matured in aged sherry puncheons at the distillery, stepping up the richness and adding even more complexity. Also new for 2017's gin is the striking label artwork, created by Melbourne-based artist Darren Song and inspired by Australia's own little beacon of Yuletide cheer, the Christmas beetle. A limited amount of Four Pillars Australian Christmas Gin is available online and at selected retail stores for $100 from Saturday, November 4.
The Christmas decorations are up and All I Want For Christmas Is You has crawled its way back to the top of Mariah Carey's most popular songs on Spotify. That can only mean one thing – the most wonderful time of the year is almost here. And though it may be daunting to start thinking of the holiday already in November, the fact that you are thinking about it means you can be prepared this year. Every year you promise yourself you'll start your Chrissy shopping earlier, and this year the gift-giving gurus at hardtofind are going to help you finally follow through. Curated marketplace hardtofind offers genuinely different gifts, homewares and fashion online, but now they're bringing their market to the real world. Teaming up with EQ Moore Park, hardtofind is kicking off a new monthly market just in time for Christmas, bringing their wares for Sydneysiders to peruse in real life. Think artworks, jewellery, home and garden accessories, clothing, knick-knacks and do-dads — you name it, they've probably got it. And the best part is, heaps of the gifts can be personalised with a name, monogram, message or date for that extra-special touch. With two pre-Christmas markets and a return in early 2018, the hardtofind market will run on Sunday, November 26 and Sunday, December 17. So, whether you're a super-organised elf or a last-minute Scrooge, you have plenty of chances to get your Chrissy shopping wrapped up.
This year, the World's 50 Best Restaurants awards will be held in Melbourne, and will see the globe's biggest culinary names descend on Australia to shed some light on what goes into creating the world's best dishes. But what about the food that gets left behind? Well, none other than the world's best chef Massimo Bottura will tackle the issue of food waste head-on when he teams up with a slew of local chefs and food waste charity OzHarvest for an exclusive degustation in Sydney on Sunday, April 2. Bottura — the super affable renowned chef behind Italy's Osteria Francescana, which was again named the number one restaurant in the world last year — will host the eye-opening event at OzHarvest's Alexandria headquarters. While he won't be cooking, he'll be joined by a hand-picked team of local chefs who will, including Rob Cockerill (Bennelong), Josh Niland (Saint Peter), Monty Koludrovic (Icebergs, The Dolphin), Clayton Wells (Automata) and James Viles (Biota). They'll plate up a fine dining feast made with food that's usually destined for the bin, matched to some top Aussie wines. The 130 lucky diners will enjoy sharp service led by Rockpool Dining Group's food and beverage director Jeremy Courmidas, the sommelier skills of Icebergs' James Hird, and a stunning setting designed by George Livissianis and decorated with works from some leading Australian artists. Plus, with everyone's time and all produce and products donated, all proceeds from the night will head straight to OzHarvest, as well as Bottura's Italian food waste non-profit Food for Soul. It's set to be a once-in-a-lifetime dining event, so, naturally, it comes with a once-in-a-lifetime price tag. Tickets will set you back a cool $1000. Tickets to Massimo Bottura's OzHarvest degustation dinner go on sale at 9am this Tuesday, March 14, and are available here.
Transforming the Cellblock Theatre into a lonely-hearts club, Theatre Kantanka's CLUBSINGULARITY is a contemporary cabaret with a scientific twist. Attempting to answer — through song and dance, of course — the complex question of "why (and if) we're alone in the universe," the long-standing Sydney troupe will be exploring speed of light dating, along with the the strange, wondrous workings of the cosmos. Their ideal audience? In their words, "anyone who has fallen back to Earth from a broken heart." Theatre Kantanka (Bargain Garden, Missing the Bus to David Jones) have been around since 1995, with a rotating roster of some pretty awesome experimental performers like Katia Molino (Belvoir Street's I'm Your Man) and Arky Michael, who you may have caught in Kate Gaul's Penelope last year. If you're already a devoted fan, you'll recall their fondness for using non-traditional spaces to their advantage. And if you haven't yet been introduced, this could be the start of a beautiful, if unusual, relationship. CLUBSINGULARITY takes place as part of Performance Space's PSpace Social along with Micro Parks and NightTime: Talent Quest. See the Performance Space website for more details. https://youtube.com/watch?v=8yIXjsK_s_o
Often the most memorable Oscar moments occur between awards. Like the sight of watching Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong’o jump out of her seat to dance with Pharrell during his live performance of his hit single 'Happy'. Not to mention 18-time nominee Meryl Streep doing her best nonchalant shimmy-shimmy in Mr Williams' face. After storming the stage (in yet another one of those hats) with the incredibly upbeat number and his huge team of dancers, Pharrell must have noticed that a lot of the seated Hollywood crowd seemed a tad, shall we say, reluctant to stand up and get involved at the risk of looking stupid. Thankfully, Meryl’s loved to boogie ever since her days of rolling around idyllic Greek holiday resorts for Mamma Mia! and wasn’t afraid to pull a discreet dance move. And Nyong’o is presumably one of the most genuinely happy people at the ceremony considering the critical adoration she’s received for 12 Years a Slave. She went on to win in her category, Best Supporting Actress.
We've had rallies, we've had op-eds and we've even had a crowdfunded documentary made about Sydney's lockout laws. But now it seems as though the NSW Government is set to seriously take public opinion into consideration, launching an independent review into the impact of liquor law reforms. Now's the time to take to the keyboard and tell them how you really feel. It's super easy to do too. Just email the review at liquorlawreview@justice.nsw.gov.au with your feedback. If you're not a big writer, no worries — the submissions should be short and to the point, and outline how you are affected by the lockout laws. Including any links or references to relevant research, statistics and data is highly encouraged, but if you're just a punter unhappy with how things are going, that's worthy of submission too. Just remember, this is a formal submission so be sure to mention if you'd like it to remain confidential. If you'd like to brush up on the facts, this Background Paper outlines many of the issues put forward for stakeholder and public comment and is worth a gander. Though the review has made a formal request for submissions, the review has, not surprisingly, been kept pretty quiet. Luckily, you still have time to get nice and loud about it — submissions are due no later than April 4. That's this coming Monday, people. Get writing. Kudos to everyone that was part of the February Keep Sydney Open Rally which, in a big way, helped prompt this review. Keep Sydney Open has also been invited to take part in a series of roundtable discussions, where different organisations will have their say on Sydney's nightlife economy. Whether you're an affected business owner, a supporter of the Keep Sydney Open movement or just an interested community member — for or against the lockouts — it's important to have your opinion known. Let's make some noise. Image: Kimberley Low.
A new year isn't the only reason to book a vacation. Any excuse will do, including a new season. Not everyone can escape Australia's winter by swapping it for a European summer, but a trip closer to home might still be on the cards — and if so, Virgin's latest round of cheap fares wants you to spend time in Hamilton Island, Byron Bay, Cairns, Hobart, Darwin, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast and more. This new batch of discounted flights spans more than 300,000 domestic fares. Prices start low at $45 one-way, which once again gets you from Sydney to Byron Bay — the normal cheapest fare in any Australian flight sale — and vice versa. From there, everywhere from the Alice Springs and Emerald to Canberra and Mackay is also covered, with no starting prices over $300. This getaway-inspiring sale only runs for two days, until midnight AEST on Saturday, June 8 unless sold out earlier, with fares to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide also covered. That means paying $79 one-way from Melbourne to Hobart, $69 from Sydney to the Sunshine Coast and $109 from Brisbane to Hamilton Island. Also among the local fares: Sydney to Cairns from $115, Melbourne to the Gold Coast from $79, Sydney to Perth from $119 and Brisbane to Launceston from $109. If you're wondering when you'll need to travel, these deals are all about winter breaks for select periods between Monday, July 1–Saturday, August 31, 2024, with all dates varying per route. Inclusions also differ depending on your ticket and, as usual when it comes to flight sales, you'll need to get in quick if you're keen to spend most or part of this winter anywhere but home. This sale is separate from the carrier's other round of discounts to Uluru, which runs until 11.59pm AEST on Saturday, June 8, 2024, to celebrate the launch of direct flights to the Northern Territory landmark from Melbourne and Brisbane. Virgin's latest domestic sale runs until midnight AEST on Saturday, June 8, 2024 — unless sold out earlier. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
All of the taste, none of the hangover: that's what the recent move towards booze-free beers, wines, spirits and cocktails has promised. And, whether you're playing designated driver for a night, embracing Dry July midyear or just don't partake in the hard stuff for whatever reason you fancy, the trend has been rewarding non-drinkers' tastebuds with much-welcomed sipping options other than the usual soft drinks, juices and sparkling waters. Even bottle-os have been getting in on the zero-alcohol action, as you've likely spotted if you've browsed through your local rather than heading straight for your favourite tipple — and Dan Murphy's is now taking the idea a step further. The big booze-store chain has just launched its first-ever bar, a standalone venue, but it's strictly a teetotalling affair. Indeed, this Melbourne hangout only serves up drinks that won't give you a fuzzy head and fast-food cravings the next day. Bars that don't serve booze aren't new — back in 2021, Melbourne also became home to Brunswick Aces' Aussie-first temptation-free drinking destination, and it's no longer alone across Australia — but a brand as synonymous with alcohol as Dan Murphy's ditching the hooch is clearly designed to make a statement. The resulting watering hole is called Zero% by Dan Murphy's and pours more than 30 different non-alcoholic beverages at the bar, as well as selling 200-plus other booze-free drinks to take home. So, Melburnians can now stop by the Hampton spot for zero-booze beers from $2.99, including on tap — sips such as Urban Alley Pale Ale and Mornington Free Pale Ale — and 11 different wines sans alcohol starting from $5 a glass. Cocktails are also on the menu, as are booze-free premixes. And while Zero% dishes up snacks as well, patrons are able to order in their own food via delivery services. Folks eager to get drinking while staying stone-cold sober can head along seven days a week from 11am, with the bar staying open until later on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. But, although clearly aiming to get customers equating Dan Murphy's with more than just liquor long-term, Zero% is only sticking around for a few months — operating until the end of June. While there's no booze on offer — some drinks might contain up to 0.5-percent alcohol by volume, but they're considered non-alcoholic by Food Standards Australia — you might still get carded upon entering or ordering a tipple at Zero%. That's part of Dan Murphy's policy to ensure that alcohol-like products aren't sold to under-18s. So yes, with no kids, dim lighting and bartenders serving drinks, the aim is to recreate the usual bar experience — just without the headaches. Zero% by Dan Murphy's is now open at 470 Hampton Street, Hampton — trading 11am–9pm Thursday–Saturday and 11am–7pm Sunday–Wednesday.
Throughout Sydneysiders' battle against the NSW government's restrictive lockout laws, Keep Sydney Open has been the biggest ally and loudest voice for the city's nightlife. It has held rally after rally, hosted suburb-wide parties and has gone head-to-head with politicians. Now, the nightlife lobby group is solidifying its legitimacy and taking its battle to state parliament — it's now officially registered as a political party, and will be running at next year's NSW state election, which will be held on Saturday, March 23, 2019. KSO announced its new status via a Facebook video on Tuesday, June 5, and released a statement on its website saying, "what started as a movement to protect Sydney's nightlife has morphed into something bigger — the lockouts were just one symptom of a broader sickness in NSW politics." While we can assume its stance on nightlife, the party's opinions on other state matters are yet to be revealed. These will be just as important to take into consideration in the lead-up to the election. To celebrate, the newly formed political party is — in true KSO-style — throwing a huge party on Saturday, June 30. The appropriately dubbed Party Party, which will be held across all six levels of the Kings Cross Hotel, will feature DJ sets from big-names Roland Tings and Basenji, as well as Triple J presenter Luen Jacobs and music collective Body Type DJs. A slew of local DJs and party crews are also slated to join the lineup. Tickets to the party cost $30, with all proceeds going to support Keep Sydney Open's political campaign, and can be purchased here. Image: Kimberley Low
That thing you've been missing from your life, it's not just friends, family, pubs and live music — it's joy. It's taking an optimistic view of a grave situation. It's playfulness, lightness. It's relief. And there's something that can bring you the catharsis you need: art. Sydney's art galleries are now open to the public again, so you can get your fix in person. But if you don't really have time or the means to visit right now, there is another way. The Art Gallery of New South Wales has launched Together In Art, which is its way of connecting people through art, no matter where you are in the world. It has artist interviews, how-to videos, musical performances and pocket exhibitions. In partnership with the Art Gallery of NSW, we've picked out five of our favourite pocket exhibitions from the program — so you've got a direct link to explore the ones that speak to you most right now. [caption id="attachment_773097" align="alignnone" width="1920"] James Rosenquist, 'Spaghetti' (1970), Art Gallery of New South Wales, gift of Fred Genis 1991© James Rosenquist/VAGA. Licensed by Copyright Agency[/caption] 'LET'S CONFESS' It's time to face up to the person you've become, the one that you hide from your Instagram profile, the one you become behind closed doors. In this seven-artwork pocket exhibition by assistant curator of international art Anne Gérard-Austin, you might recognise your iso-self. But we should be clear, Gérard-Austin isn't here to judge. Instead, this collection of sculptures, photographs and 17th-century paintings is a humorous look at who we really are, and much like peering into a funhouse mirror, it's a little haunting. Recognise your lockdown comfort foods in a close-up of tinned spaghetti? Or your loneliness and longing in Salvatore Zofrea's Jealousy? Don't worry, we do too. Too scary? Try this uplifting pocket exhibition, Remember joy?. [caption id="attachment_773098" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Noel McKenna, 'Untitled' from the series 'Animals I have known' (2015-16), Art Gallery of New South Wales, Dobell Biennial Acquisition Fund 2016© Noel McKenna. Licensed by Copyright Agency[/caption] 'THE GREAT INDOORS' Not ready to leave the house? It's OK. Stay indoors instead, and spend a couple of minutes with this tribute to domesticity. The good life is right here, in the comfort of your own mess, the chaos of the kitchen table, and the romantic way the light hits your breakfast cereal. Compiled by the Gallery's head curator of international art, Justin Paton, this collection of mostly paintings celebrates the small joys of being in your own space. Enjoy it while you can. As the curator says, "This is your great indoors." More wholesomeness please? See: Working from home: a dog's perspective. [caption id="attachment_773099" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Max Dupain, 'Untitled (hands and watches)' from the album 'Volume of 21 photographs by Max Dupain' (1936-39),Art Gallery of New South Wales, gift of Diana Dupain 2003[/caption] 'THE MATTER AT HAND' If you've been truly isolated during these past months, you've likely yearned for another person's touch. Those who've been commuting, or moving in and out of their homes every day, are likely more aware of how often they're washing their hands. Isobel Parker Philip, senior curator of Australian contemporary art, feels your pain. In the intro to this pocket exhibition, she says, "I've never been more hyper-aware of my hands." Across nine photographic artworks, Parker Philip plays with our new relationship to our hands — from a seductive photo of bare arms with a pearl necklace to a reflective image of CSR employees in Pyrmont, captured in 1984. There's longing, there's tenderness and there's our new collective fetish: touch. Like Isobel Parker Philip's sense of humour? You might like In praise of care. [caption id="attachment_773188" align="alignnone" width="1920"] teamLab, 'Flowers and People - Gold' (2015), Interactive Digital Work, 8 channels, Endless, Sound: Hideaki Takahashi, Art Gallery of New South Wales, D G Wilson Bequest Fund and Asian Collection Benefactors' Fund 2015 © teamLab, courtesy Martin Browne Contemporary, Sydney[/caption] 'A WELCOME BOUQUET' In mid May, team leader Tracey Keogh, was starting to think about the moment when the Gallery would open its doors to the public again, and what came to mind was once again the idea of seeing the flowers that take pride of place on the Gallery's front desk. In this pocket exhibition, Keogh picks out seven artworks from artists who've been inspired by the beauty and symbolism of flowers over the years — from a still life by one of the pioneers of modern Australian painting, Roy de Maistre, to teamLab's digital wallscape Flowers and People – Gold. If you're in need of a little hope and optimism, this is the collection for you. Too much vitality? Take a look at desolate urban landscapes instead, in Silent city. [caption id="attachment_773100" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Julian Rosefeldt, 'Manifesto' (2014-15), Art Gallery of New South Wales, Mervyn Horton Bequest Fund 2013© Julian Rosefeldt/VG Bild-Kunst. Licensed by Copyright Agency[/caption] 'HOW TO BE AN ARTIST: PART 2' You've got to laugh or else you'll cry, right? Making a living as an artist right now means every day is like an episode of Survivor. Special exhibitions curator Jackie Dunn plays on the timeless struggle of a working artist in this pocket exhibition with whip-smart humour. From promoting yourself shamelessly to faking it till you make it, Dunn provides snippets of advice punctuated by each work of art — much like the art of your favourite, soul-crushing memes. Want more? Explore the equally amusing How to be an artist: part 1. Together In Art can be experienced through the Art Gallery of NSW's website, daily posts across Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and the Together In Art e-newsletter. Top image: Singer Sarah Belkner performs a vocal improvisation with herself in the exhibition 'Shadow catchers' at the Art Gallery of New South Wales as part of Together In Art. Photo: Matt McGuigan, Hospital Hill.
Every September and October, Germany erupts with brews, food and lederhosen-wearing revellers for its annual Oktoberfest celebrations. Come Saturday, October 26, The Domain will serve up the same kind of beer and bratwurst-fuelled shenanigans. If you're a Sydneysider with a hankering for doppelbock, schnitzel and dancing to polka, it's the next best thing to heading to Europe. This year's Oktoberfest in the Gardens will add an extra attraction, too — as well as serving a variety of pilsners, ciders, wine and non-alcoholic beverages, it'll construct the country's biggest beer hall to house the boozy merriment. Just how huge it'll be hasn't been revealed, but given that the festival usually attracts quite a crowd, expect it to be sizeable. When you're not raising a stein — or several — at the day-long event, you can tuck into pretzels and other traditional snacks at up to 30 food stalls, or check out the hefty array of entertainment. Live music, roving performers, markets and wood-chopping are all on the agenda, as is a silent disco, dodgeball, rides and a sideshow alley. Early bird tickets go on sale at 7am on Thursday, August 1 for $54.90, with full-price entry costing $69.90.
If you're keen to experience space-like gravity-defying action here on earth, get set for Heliosphere at Sydney Festival 2019. The ethereal performance will see an illuminated helium-filled sphere taking an aerialist 20 metres into the air. From a height that would ensure a sticky end if sudden re-entry were initiated, the airborne artist will perform a series of spins and twists in the moon-shaped contraption. In 1965, astronaut Ed White concluded the first American spacewalk by saying, "I'm coming back in...and it's the saddest moment of my life". Space is vast and dangerous, but Heliosphere is a reminder of the tremendous beauty that can result when risk is embraced. Heliosphere is part of Sydney Festival's dramatic and diverse 2019 program and will appear at Prince Alfred Square in Parramatta for Circus Comes to Town from January 11–13. Check out the full lineup here. UDPATE: DECEMBER 5, 2018 — This event was initially also meant to run at Barangaroo between January 16–27, but these performances have been cancelled. The Parramatta shows will still run as scheduled.
Chippendale's newest concert venue Phoenix Central Park has just announced its latest series of intimate gigs. The stunning performing arts centre — named Best New Space in our 2021 awards — will host a season of ten concerts throughout February and March as part of its Season III program, all of which will only be accessible if you win free tickets through the venue's ballot system. Phoenix Central Park is the vision of philanthropist Judith Neilson AM, founder of the White Rabbit Gallery. The hidden Sydney space sprung up at the beginning of 2021 hosting a series of shows with upcoming talents and playing host to multiple video series that displayed the breathtaking nature of the building. Following a tricky past twelve months for concert venues across Sydney, Phoenix Central Park is finally flinging its door back open to the public, or at least those lucky enough to win tickets. Leading the lineup of contemporary and traditional musicians who will be popping up as part of Season III is Tweed Heads rapper JK-47 coming off an Album of the Year win at the National Indigenous Music Awards and a stunning Like a Version on Triple J. Also appearing: Korean-Australian rap collective 1300, neo-soul wonder Kye, the Australian Chamber Orchestra Quartet, and Novocastrian folk-star e4444e. Rounding out the lineup is the latest project from Cloud Control's Alister Wright called Goddess911, violinist and dancer Eric Avery, harpist Alice Giles and an improvised piano set from Adrian Lim-Klumpes, Chris Abrahams and Novak Manojlovic. "We have programmed ten acts who each connect with distinct audiences and will bring a completely new group of people to come through our doors with every performance," Phoenix Central Park Creative Director Beau Neilson says. "Not only are we intent on giving our audiences something to look forward to in trying times, but we also believe it's essential to be resolute in our mission to support artists and provide a solid and beautiful platform for the presentation of their work." The full capacity of Phoenix Central Park is 120 people per performance, so you'll have to cross your fingers and toes that your ballot entry is one of the lucky ones. To enter the ballot, head to Phoenix Central Park's website and choose the gigs you're interested in. Phoenix Central Park's Season III will run from Thursday, February 2 until Tuesday, March 9.
Colourful, quirky and diverse — the Berry Reserve Markets are held on the third Sunday of every month in Narrabeen. Here, you'll find arts and crafts, plants, jewellery, clothing and trinkets — much of which is locally made and handcrafted, too. If you work up an appetite, there are plenty of food stalls selling delicious dishes as well as places to get coffee and cool drinks. Berry Reserve Markets is the place to visit to find rare treasures and interesting gifts for the people you love. It's also ideal for a Sunday stroll in the sunshine before hitting the surf. And if you would like to have a stall yourself, download the application form on the website.
Looking for an excuse to catch up with friends on a Monday night? Perched high above York Street's peak-hour traffic rush, The Rook invites you to join its monthly Monday rooftop cinema sessions, that will take place from January to April. And what's an outdoor cinema without a few cocktails? Tickets are $30, and include a complimentary cocktail on arrival. This rooftop cinema boasts a different perspective of the city, as well as a retractable roof and a casual vibe suitable for the start of the week. To kick start the cinema sessions, Cocktail featuring Tom Cruise will be screened at 8.30pm on Monday, January 29. Be sure to utilise the cocktail flare demonstrations, movie-themed drinks list, popcorn and, of course, the bar food offering, which specialises in burgers. Gather a group or come solo but be sure to get to one — or all three — cinema sessions this summer. Image: The Rook/Facebook.
As the community of Kings Cross tries in vain to hang onto its bohemian legacy with memorial plaques on the foothpaths (often more a walk of shame than a walk of fame), the other side of town will be reveling this weekend in their ongoing state of creativity. Newtown, that beloved (to many) spot on Sydney's map where one can procure an African hair braid, trade zines, eat delicious Vietnamese and get a salty margerita all on the one strip.It's the kind of suburb that fosters a new creative community with each annual influx of students at the local universities, while maintaining its history of artistic freedom and general doggone good vibes. It's exactly this sense of real community that has inspired the 2042: Art on the Street event this weekend. This year, 2042 promises to be a giant colouring-in book, having invited those who dwell in the suburb and its admirers to take part for the first time in its two-decade history. Festival co-curator Edith Moss wanted this year's event to be "art that everyone can be a part of", and the blank canvas that starts off 2042 provides exactly that. Bring along a picture of your favourite spot on Kings Street, a spot personal to you (mine would surely be Gould's Books where I could — and have — spent whole days sifting through piles, of dusty, deranged books). Event assistants will be on hand to arrange your image into a growing collage of the suburb, a mural that everyone can help colour by painting, collaging, drawing, anything that takes your fancy. If you haven't visited since The Hub was well-known for pushing film censorship boundaries with its on-stage debauchery, clearly it's time to revisit postcode 2042 again and experience the community that has built up around it. Art on the Street runs from 10am-4pm on Saturday 24th and 10am-9pm, Sunday 25th October. The meeting point is Newtown Square.Image: Jodie Barker
UPDATE: JULY 3, 2018 — Since the announcement that the pub was to be sold, the Woollahra Council agreed to assess the heritage significance of the Four in Hand in a council meeting on May 21. If the pub is given heritage status, it may be saved from becoming residential. There is currently also a Change.org petition to stop the development of the pub. Just two years after its last revamp, Paddington's Four in Hand is set for another change — and it won't involve welcoming punters in for a few pints. As reported by Domain, the Sutherland Street pub has been listed for sale; however owners Public House Management Group are offloading the property as a residence rather than a watering hole. Last sold in 2015 for $8 million, it's now on offer for $6 million, with PHMG planning to transfer its pokie and liquor licence to another venue. Anyone with a fat stack of spare cash can nab themselves a space that's currently home to a bar, restaurant and private dining rooms, all boasting interiors designed by Amandine Odouard, who also worked on the company's Bar Moncur and Bistro Moncur. The bar itself still includes its original tiling and heritage fireplace, with timber also featuring heavily. At present, the Four in Hand continues to trade as normal, with the bar open seven days a week, and the eatery serving up lunch from Friday to Sunday and dinner from Tuesday to Saturday. Via Domain.
In what's proving to be a huge year for new places to stay in Brisbane, Fortitude Valley has just welcomed its next addition: The Calile Hotel. Two years in the making — as anyone that spotted the constant construction site on James Street will know — the seven-storey, 175-room spot is calling itself 'Australia's first urban resort'. Yes, that means that going for a splash in the central pool, lazing around in cabanas or on a sun lounge, and eating on the hotel's outdoor deck are all on the agenda. So is hanging out at the spa, which is also open to the general public, and just making the most of Brissie's climate. The white brick design, by architects Richards and Spence, certainly highlights the tropical side of things. Think open-air spaces and breezeways, natural ventilation and plants aplenty, as well as a cool, soothing colour scheme. Inside the rooms, guests will find oak furniture, cork floors and sisal matting in the bathrooms, day beds for afternoon naps, linen robes and a mini bar stocked from local suppliers. Recognising how sunny the city gets, every room is also fitted with motorised blackout blinds. If you need to escape the glow, the in-suite Chromecast and sound bar will help as well. Rooms start from just over $200, with The Calile also featuring nine suites and two premier suites, complete with poolside and terrace-style balconies as well as two private rooftop terraces — for when you're feeling like splashing some cash around. Operated by TFE Hotels Collection, other drawcards include the all-day Lobby Bar, the opening of Hellenika's first Brisbane digs — bringing the Gold Coast's favourite Greek eats to town — and meeting and function rooms that can cater for up to 500 people, including an outdoor amphitheatre. The Calile joins W Hotel Brisbane, the Ovolo Inchcolm Hotel in Spring Hill, the Novotel in South Bank, the new Emporium (also in South Bank) and the revamped Ovolo in Fortitude Valley among the fresh staycation spots opening their doors across the city in 2018. It will boast one unique highlight, too — Ada Lane, a micro-precinct filled with five bars and eateries, that's set to open later this year. Find The Calile Hotel at 48 James Street, Fortitude Valley. Images: Sean Fennessy.
Double Bay has welcomed a breezy, buzzing new restaurant, Brick Lane, which pools the talents of Scott Robertson (Goodbar), chef Drew Bolton (Vine Double Bay), cocktail maestro Jason Crawley, and creative director Alex Zabotto-Bentley (Kittyhawk, Butter, Seadeck). Featuring a New York-inspired dining room and a sunny terrace from AZB Creative, a place we're envisioning as the backdrop to many a weekend Bloody Mary over summer, Brick Lane is equal parts laidback and upmarket. Bolton's menu is casual, yet considered, running from smart drinking snacks (wagyu bresaola pretzel, anyone?) to a range of grass-fed steaks, handpicked from Kyle Farm in Young. You'll spy a similar commitment to quality protein in an assortment of specialty burgers and hotdogs. The Haute Dog teams a Toulouse pork snag with dijonnaise, gruyere, and pickled jalapeno, while a wagyu burger comes loaded with talleggio, bacon, and caramelised onion. Backing up the kitchen's offering is Crawley's range of clever signature cocktails, and a snappy wine list that's sure to inspire after-work visits aplenty. Find Brick Lane at 3 Goldman Lane, Double Bay. Images: Brick Lane.
So, your home's in need of a sprucing up but you're dreading the thought of trawling through endless shelves or pages of products to get the bits and pieces you need. Thankfully, Top3 has your back this weekend, hosting a hefty warehouse sale in Crows Nest, from Friday, September 13, until Monday, September 16. For this sale, the team's pulled together a sprawling array of discontinued lines, floor stock and sample pieces, all going cheap at up to 80 percent off. Score one-off bargains on goodies for your kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and bar, across top brands like Marimekko, In Bed, Normann Copenhagen, Mister Wolf, Missoni, Braun and more. If you can't make it into the physical sale, Top3 is making life a little easier by hosting an online sale, too. The stock is a little different, but you'll still find a heap of discounted goodies, with everything from linen to kitchenware and chairs. Top3 Warehouse Sale is opening on Friday 10am–6pm, Saturday 10am–6pm, Sunday 10am–4pm, and Monday 10am–4pm.
As any Sydney seafood aficionado should know by now, The Morrison has a constant focus on the not-so-humble oyster. But in August, when the month-long Oyster Festival takes over, that focus turns into an overwhelming obsession. From Tuesday, August 1 through to Thursday, August 31, the Sydney bar will become a shucking shrine to the freshest oysters around, which will be delivered daily. One of the major drawcards is Oyster Hour. Between 6pm and 7pm every single day, you'll be able to eat as many oysters as you can handle at just $1 a pop. Throughout the month, Head Chef Sean Connolly will be conjuring up his favourite oyster dishes, from carpetbag steak, chowder and omelettes to southern fried oyster tacos and a beer battered variety. Plus, there'll be special bevs — like oyster shooters, paired cocktails and Champagne (of course) — as well as masterclasses aplenty for those really looking to further their oyster knowledge. What's the ideal number of times to chew an oyster? Brush up on your knowledge of the mollusc with our Bluffer's Guide to Oysters.
A few years back, prior to starting Concrete Playground, I worked at a creative agency in New York. The oversized SoHo loft it was housed in was an exciting place to find yourself working each day, and things got fun when I was transferred to work on the Converse account. One of the first big projects I was a part of in 2007-08 was a campaign called '3 Artists, 1 Song', created to celebrate the brand's centenary around the world. Pharrell Williams worked with his band, N.E.R.D, as well as The Strokes' Julian Casablancas and Santogold, on a brief to make a song as a group of artists. 'My Drive Thru' was the result. More than four years on and the project is still going strong. LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy was the person whose involvement was most coveted (on our end at least) on the original project, and now he has teamed up with Gorillaz and Andre 3000 from Outkast to create 'DoYaThing'. It's a good track, and it's free. You can get the download here. https://youtube.com/watch?v=yNeF30RverQ
It's happening again: in response to a new community case of COVID-19 in Brisbane, other states are changing their health advice and border requirements. So, if you're a Brisbanite planning to head south soon, you're located elsewhere and you'll soon be travelling to the Sunshine State, or you've recently journeyed from the latter to another state, you might have some new rules to adhere to. New South Wales has issued two pieces of health advice. The first from NSW Health says that anyone who is in the state and has been in Brisbane or the Moreton Bay area since Saturday, March 20 should abide by the requirements outlined by Queensland Health regarding venues visited. It also advises that anyone who falls into that category and went to Mamma's Italian Restaurant in Redcliffe from 12.30–3.10pm on Sunday, March 21 must get tested immediately and go into isolation for 14 days. As noted in the second alert, NSW Health now requires anyone who has been in Brisbane City Council or Moreton Bay Regional Council areas in the past fortnight and enters NSW from 12.01 am today, Saturday, March 27, to fill out a passenger declaration form — which includes confirmation of whether you've visited any venues of high concern. And if you have been in a venue of high concern as listed by Queensland Health, you should not enter NSW at all. https://twitter.com/NSWHealth/status/1375392223844429825 Victoria has mandated that anyone who has entered the state from Brisbane and Moreton Bay since Friday, March 12 needs to immediately self-isolate, get tested within 72 hours and stay isolated until they receive a negative result. It's imposing this rule strictly, with Brisbanites who'd travelled to Geelong for the Brisbane Lions versus Geelong AFL match on Friday, March 26 asked to leave the ground when the new requirement came into effect. Brisbane and Moreton Bay have also been designated an orange zone under Victoria's traffic light travel permit system. That means that if you're entering Victoria from the area, you have to apply for the appropriate permit. And you won't be given one if you have COVID-19 symptoms. Upon arrival in Victoria, you'll also have to self-isolate immediately, get a coronavirus test within 72 hours of arriving and stay in isolation until you return a negative result. https://twitter.com/VicGovDH/status/1375358820634013696 How long these new border requirements will apply hasn't been revealed. Other states have similar rules in place, with Western Australia mandating that anyone who has arrived in WA from Queensland since Saturday, March 20 and visited any of the affected locations during the relevant times must get tested immediately for COVID-19 and self-quarantine. The ACT requires 14-days of quarantine for arrivals from Greater Brisbane since Saturday, March 20 who visited any of the close contact exposure sites, and testing and self-isolating until receiving a negative result if you've arrived in the same period but haven't been to any of the places listed. Tasmania won't allow entry from folks who've been to sites in Brisbane now deemed high risk, and everyone else who has arrived from Brisbane and Moreton Bay since Monday, March 8 is asked to monitor for symptoms. The Northern Territory requires anyone who has been to a high-risk venue to get tested within 72 hours and isolate until receiving a negative result, while South Australia is yet to update its travel advice. 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.
