Waking up daily and not really knowing 'how to live'? Yep, we're kicking off Friday with some sweet, sweet deep thinking. Often we don't have the answer to this ourselves, so we look to the advice of others to get the glorious tips. And who better than writers, authors, novelists, essayists, journalists, critics and experts to clue our meandering minds in? Taking the theme of 'how to live?' this year, Sydney Writers' Festival has announced its 2015 program lineup. This year, Sydney Writers' Festival has booked more than 400 Australian and 45 international writers to appear, chat and have a few drinks with us in the festival lounge from May 18 - 24. Kicking off the SWF with the opening address is The Reluctant Fundamentalist novelist and acclaimed essayist Mohsin Hamid, author of the book NPR can't stop talking about (H is for Hawk) Helen Macdonald (who'll give the closing address). British actor Alan Cumming is coming (couldn't help myself), who's released novels and opinion pieces over the years — most recently his candid autobiography Not My Father's Son. Fellow British actor David Walliams will be here, who's drummed up quite the Roald Dahlian children's book career after Little Britain. The world's biggest selling author for the last 13 years and inventor of Detective Alex Cross — yep, James Patterson will be here. Then there's crime writer Michael Connelly, journalist Nick Davies (who uncovered the hacking scandal), and the one you can blame for the term 'Generation X', Douglas Coupland. Local legend and 2014 Man Booker Prize winner, Richard Flanagan, is on the bill, along with Miles Franklin Award-winning writer Evie Wyld. Two former Prime Ministers, Julia Gillard and John Howard, and former Queensland Premier turned Sydneysider Anna Bligh are locked in. Podcaster Starlee Kine will be here, alongside happiness expert Paul Dolan and happiness advocate Leigh Ann Henion, war correspondents Christina Lamb and Åsne Seierstad, celebrity critic Daniel Mendelsohn. Medically assessing how to live will be doctors who write, Atul Gawande and Norman Doidge and mortician Caitlin Doughty. Novelists aplenty this year with renowned writers like Amy Bloom, Micheal Frayn, Ben Okri, David Mitchell, Anthony Horowitz, Emily St John Mandel, Jonathan Lethem, debut novelists Zia Haider Rahman and Mitchell S Jackson, and Australia’s bestselling authors Kate Grenville, David Malouf, Liane Moriarty, Graeme Simsion, Helen Garner, Robert Dessaix, Joan London, Steve Toltz, Sonya Hartnett, Nick Earls, Don Watson and Brooke Davis all leaving their pages for a second to come chat.
It may sound like a cliché, describing a filmmaker as courageous. But when it comes to Jafar Panahi, it really is the only word that fits. For years, Panahi's films, including The Circle and Offside, drew the ire of censors in his native Iran for their frank depictions of the hardships felt by people, and particularly women, under the nation's conservative regime. This came to a head in 2010 when he was arrested on propaganda charges and later slapped with a 20 year ban from filmmaking – a ban he has been defying ever since. Tehran Taxi, which won the top prize at the Berlin Film Festival back in February, is Panahi's third film to be made under these restrictions, following This Is Not A Film in 2011 and Closed Curtain in 2013. Those films were shot in secret in his apartment and beachside villa, respectively. This time he's a little bolder, shooting surreptitiously from the inside of a cab as he drives it around the city, capturing his conversations with various passengers – including a schoolteacher, a lawyer and a thief – with a small dashboard camera. Whether these characters are real people or actors (or a combination of both) is intentionally left unclear, as Panahi playfully blurs the line between documentary and fiction. It's this playfulness and good humour that is key to the movie's success. In Panahi's previous two films, you can sense his frustration and feelings of helplessness – and given his situation, you can hardly hold that against him. They're fascinating works, and important, but more by virtue of their existence than their content. They feel like therapy, not films. Tehran Taxi, on the other hand, plays like a movie in its own right. Here, Panahi mixes the meta elements of his recent output with the shrewd social commentary of his pre-arrest work, all buoyed by a lightness and a cheekiness that makes it accessible to audiences far beyond the arthouse. Indeed, much of Tehran Taxi plays like a straightforward comedy. In one segment, a friendly vendor of pirated DVDs attempts to partner up with Panahi, reasoning that more people will buy his wares – including copies of Midnight in Paris and The Big Bang Theory – if he's working with a famous filmmaker. In another segment, Panahi must ferry two panicked, superstitious old women across town, so they might return their goldfish to a sacred spring in order to buy themselves another year of life. But the most delightful scenes belong to Panahi's young niece Hana, whose lively repartee with her uncle – after he picks her up an hour late from primary school – will leave you smiling from ear to ear. Of course even beneath the humour, Panahi's rebellious spirit shines through. Hana, we soon learn, wants to make a film herself, but she's baffled by the instructions of her school teacher, who insists that movies mustn't discuss political or economic issues, and that the students should remove anything dark or unpleasant. "There are realities they don't want shown," explains her uncle. In another scene, they give a ride to a friend of Panahi's, human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, who is on her way to visit the family of a woman who has been imprisoned for trying to sneak into a volleyball game. Yet even the film's more more serious moments, or in its abrupt, unsettling ending, Tehran Taxi leaves viewers with a sense of hope. It's a film that throws the hypocrisy of oppressors back in their face, and does so with a wry sense of humour. We'll end this review with a quote from filmmaker Darren Aronofsky, who headed the Berlin Festival jury that awarded Panahi top honours. "Instead of allowing his spirit to be crushed and giving up, instead of allowing himself to be filled with anger and frustration, Jafar Panahi created a love letter to cinema. His film is filled with love for his art, his community, his country and his audience." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOAOxsHVTYk
If you're on the hunt for some new-school fun to make the impending frosty months go faster, you can stop searching right now. Someone, somewhere, has dreamed up the impressive combination of bumper cars and ice-skating — and is bringing the concept Down Under. In an Aussie first, Bumper Cars on Ice will hit Alexandria's Ice Zoo this August, September and October — on select dates only — and promises to yank you right out of winter hibernation mode. This unique activity will have you pinballing around an ice rink in a bubble-shaped bumper car, slipping and sliding into mates. Tickets will set you back $37.84, which gets 12 mins on the ice and access to the Ice Zoo's 'winter wonderland', which will have DJs and a bar serving mulled wine (of course). Bumper Cars on Ice runs from 6–10pm on Friday and midday–10pm on Saturday. Adults only sessions run from 7–10pm both nights. Updated August 11.
Will and Garrett Huxley, Melbourne-based performance and visual artists, are showcasing their new absurdist digital work The Asset at the Oxford House hotel in Paddington until February 16. Every evening, just after the sun goes down, the Oxford House team will play the short surreal video full of colour and glitter down by the pool. [caption id="attachment_880970" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ladies of Absinthe, The Huxleys[/caption] The film includes the Huxleys swimming about in bright, sparkling costumes — basically having a whole lot of fun underwater as they bring total absurdism into our lives. And let's be honest, with the world as it is now, we could all do with some of this. [caption id="attachment_880968" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Fantastic Party, The Huxleys[/caption] Coming to prominence with works in Mona and Dark Mofo in the early 2010s, The Huxleys have spent the past 15 years making art — with their works being displayed at major galleries in London, Berlin, Moscow and Hong Kong. [caption id="attachment_880969" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Golden Years, The Huxleys[/caption] Head down to Oxford House after dark to catch Will and Garrett Huxley's latest work, The Asset, which plays every night until February 16. Find more info on the website. Top image: Under Pressure by The Huxleys
First Nations artist and dancer Shana O'Brien brings her exhibition, Inner Landscapes, which tells stories of the land and our connection to it, to the Gosford Regional Gallery and Edogawa Commemorative Garden from Friday, May 24, to Monday, June 3. O'Brien uses her art to give insight into the lives of her ancestors. Her use of colours and shapes evokes her emotional journey. As a proud Darkinjung woman, O'Brien feels a particular connection to the area where this performance will take place. As a dancer and graduate of NAISDA College, Australia's premier performing arts institution specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, O'Brien has worked with some of New South Wales' best choreographers and artists. She's also performed with Sydney's famous Bangarra Dance Theatre and participated in the Banff Indigenous Dance Lab in Canada. Shana O'Brien brings a real artistic pedigree, so go to Gosford at the end of May and let her take you on a journey to the land and beyond. Top Image: Shana O'Brien, Inner Landscapes
For a moment, inside Cadence, I feel I’ve landed in Call of Duty, one of those teenage, first-person shooter games. Then I’m inside a type of war-themed dancehall, then a Yun-Fat Chow movie of black ops and modern warfare. Camouflaged soldiers from Australia, the US and Afghanistan are ripping and bending across desert and tarmac. Every move leaves an imprint, which tracks itself symmetrically across the screen to form thick and fast tribal medallions. This new four-panel video work is Cadence by Baden Pailthorpe, the inaugural artist-in-residence at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra. He’s a different kind of war artist, concerned less with conflict and experience of war than its aesthetics and technology. Pailthorpe stamps out the gritty brashness of battle, replacing it with a subtle meditative quality and a super coolness: war in saturated HD, video art at its most stylish. Wherever I am, this is a weirdly sexy and bloodless war game. I’m not sure what that says politically, but it’s a seductive piece of media. This is the art of now — glossy and sleek with an undercurrent of zooming ADHD action. You can get a sense from this vimeo preview that Pailthorpe’s work is design meets simulated gaming meets contemporary video art. "Cadence" is the perfect name. Dance rhythms replace gunfire and a steady-pulsing kinetic energy make it all softly hypnotic, and slowly addictive. Cadence shows new media art is, at its best, as conceptually developed and skillfully executed as traditional disciplines. What you can’t get from the online preview is a sense of the lush, Twin Peaks-ish soundtrack. Beautifully crafted and elegantly choreographed, Cadence’s video-art cousin could be Daniel Crooks' Static No.12 (remember it from the 17th Biennale of Sydney?), just as appropriately subtitled “seek stillness in movement”. The military body in action has never seemed so lovely.
A Taiwanese filmmaker might've made your favourite movie, although you may not realise that. Adored the original The Wedding Banquet? A fan of Brokeback Mountain? Loved Life of Pi? Still in awe at Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon's action scenes? Thank Ang Lee (Gemini Man) — but he's just one of many talented directors from Taiwan. To dive into the depths of the rest of Taiwan's filmmaking prowess, Australia became home to the Taiwan Film Festival in Australia back in 2018. After starting in Sydney, it now tours to five other cities — but the Harbour City remains on the itinerary from Thursday, July 24–Saturday, September 6, 2025, complete with 2025's closing-night session of Hou Hsiao-Hsien's (The Assassin) Tony Leung (Fox Hunt)-led 1998 great Flowers of Shanghai, playing a restored 4K version, at the Sydney Opera House. Largely playing Event Cinemas George St in the New South Wales capital, this year's fest spans more than 40 sessions among its features and shorts — including 15 films scoring their Australian premieres — and puts a particular focus on showcasing female perspectives. Daughter's Daughter kicks off the program, starring Sylvia Chang (Forget You Not) and screening fresh from its berth at Sydney Film Festival. Also highlights: The Chronicles of Libidoists, about chasing desires, plus romance Unexpected Courage. From there, get ready for a range of fellow titles that, outside of occasional berths at Australia's major fests, don't often make it to our shores. Yen and Ai-Lee and the Sung Kang (Fast X)-costarring Worth the Wait both hail from filmmaker Tom Lin (The Garden of Evening Mists), Where the River Flows and Organ Child have crime thrills covered, and Stranger Eyes is a Singaporean co-production — as well as the first Singaporean feature to ever premiere in Official Competition at the Venice International Film Festival.
Maxwell Wines isn't just known for its exceptional cellar — its flagship restaurant is lauded for its innovative and produce-led offerings. If a trip to McLaren Vale isn't on the cards, Executive Chef Fabian Lehmann brings a taste of Maxwell Restaurant to Arthur. [caption id="attachment_1019299" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image supplied[/caption] For an intimate Monday night dinner, Lehmann is teaming up with Arthur's Head Chef Juwon Gwak on six innovative courses at the Surry Hills diner, paired with a curated Maxwell Wines selection. With both restaurants sharing a philosophy rooted in a respect for seasonality, producers and thoughtful technique, it's shaping up to be a promising meal that does right by its ingredients. Expect small bites like carrot tartlets filled with rosella and honey custard and kombu-cured hiramasa kingfish croustades, alongside contemporary rustic-style plates like carrot-glazed bay bugs in mussel butter sauce and dry-aged quail stuffed with mushroom duxelle. The highlight? A Maxwell Restaurant signature — smoked rainbow trout with chives and black garlic. [caption id="attachment_1019298" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image supplied[/caption]
If the stones and shopfronts of Lygon Street could talk, they'd surely do so in Italian. Sometimes referred to as Melbourne's Little Italy, the iconic Carlton thoroughfare has played a major role in Australia's cultural and gastronomical development over the past 60 years, and it is now the subject of a new home-grown documentary: Lygon Street – Si parla Italiano. The story begins in the years following World War II, during which time millions of migrants left Europe in search of new beginnings. Of those that made the long journey to Australia, one in six were from Italy, many of whom came based on the promise of jobs that in reality didn't exist. At first, the government funnelled them into migrant centres (viewers are left to draw their own parallels to the treatment of asylum seekers today). The conditions were shabby and the means of entertainment scarce, but the biggest sticking point for the Italians was the terrible quality of the food. Soon, the migrants flooded out into the community in search of a place where they could call their own. As if by fate, they settled on a street named Lygon. Before long, the road was littered with restaurants, coffee bars, grocers and delicatessens, many of them with written signs in the window reading 'Si parla Italiano', meaning 'we speak Italian'. Locals were suspicious of the settlers at first, but were soon won over by the quality of their cooking. By the '80s, Lygon Street was one of the hottest night spots in the city, home to bars, clubs and theatres, not to mention, the scene of raucous celebration in the wake of Italy's 1986 World Cup victory. Silky narration by Anthony LaPaglia keeps the film from feeling too much like a history lesson. Directors Shannon Swan and Angelo Pricolo combine archival footage and traditional talking heads with a more flavoursome approach to storytelling by inviting some of the street's oldest pioneers — the owners of establishments like L'Alba and University Cafe — out for dinner. Over plates of pasta, the old friends recall stories from their past, laughing and shouting over the top of each other as they argue about which one owned the first espresso machine in Australia. It's an ingenious way of making viewers feel included — a Saturday night dinner in one of Lygon's bustling eateries. Admittedly, it's hard to imagine Si parla Italiano being as interesting to anyone from outside of certain areas of Melbourne (although the film has just scored a limited release nationwide). Locals will be thoroughly charmed, particularly when factoring in the rather surreal experience of exiting the theatre onto the boulevard they've just been watching. If nothing else, the doco is a savvy marketing tool for traders. No one's likely to walk out of the film not craving an Italian meal. https://youtube.com/watch?v=WOsIFtJTkiE
Perhaps you've always been a fan of Mickey Mouse. Maybe you can remember how it felt when you first watched Bambi. Or, you might be able to sing all of Genie's lyrics in Aladdin. You could've fallen head over heels for Raya and the Last Dragon more recently, too. Whichever category fits — and we're guessing that at least one does — Disney's animated movies have likely played a significant part in your life. We all have those childhood memories. We've all grown up with a lingering fondness for the Mouse House. Based on its just-announced big 2021 exhibition, clearly the team at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne knows the feeling. From Thursday, May 13 to Sunday, October 17 this year, the newly revamped ACMI will open its doors, halls and walls to Disney: The Magic of Animation, which'll showcase Disney's animated prowess over the past century. There's much to display, with the exhibition ranging back as far as 1928, when Mickey Mouse appeared in his first talkie, Steamboat Willie. From there, you can expect everything from Fantasia to Frozen to get some attention. [caption id="attachment_805358" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Disney Enterprises[/caption] Expect to look at art, too — and plenty of it. When it makes its Australian-exclusive stop in Melbourne, Disney: The Magic of Animation will feature more than 500 original artworks relating to Disney's animated catalogue. Paintings, sketches and concept art will all be on display, with the entire lineup specially selected by the Walt Disney Animation Research Library. Yes, you'll be getting a glimpse at just how the movie magic comes to life, including through glimpses at how some of Disney's famous stories were developed, and at the animation techniques that brought them to the big screen. And, although further details haven't yet been revealed, it's probably safe to expect that watching Disney's flicks will also be part of the program. [caption id="attachment_805353" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Disney Enterprises[/caption] Announcing the exhibition, ACMI Director and CEO Katrina Sedgwick said that the venue is "thrilled to bring Disney: The Magic of Animation to Australia as ACMI's 2021 Melbourne Winter Masterpiece — the first since reopening after our $40 million transformation. Disney's pioneering work has brought the art of animation to audiences across the globe for nearly a century. This exhibition invites us behind the scenes, celebrating the artists and their incredible craft as they create the magical worlds and iconic characters that we know and love." Previously, ACMI's annual Melbourne Winter Masterpieces series has toured international exhibitions such as David Bowie Is... and Hollywood Costume to our shores. In Disney: The Magic of Animation's case, it's designed to appeal to Disney fans of all ages — including Mouse House aficionados both young and young at heart. Disney: The Magic of Animation will display at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Federation Square, Melbourne from Thursday, May 13–Sunday, October 17. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the ACMI website.
You won't struggle to find a high-pressure escape room in Melbourne. But have you experienced one designed to explore dating compatibility? Held on the first Tuesday of every month at Escape This, the crew have teamed up with renowned sexologist Dr Nikki Goldstein to create a Singles Night social experiment that uncovers red flags and good vibes before the relationship gets serious. With the classic escape room format ramping up the pressure, singles will enter the space with a stranger and work together to crack the problem within 30 minutes. As the clock tick, tick, ticks, there's a greater chance that someone's true nature will be revealed. Perhaps someone is a poor communicator, or they hit the mark with accountability — either way, this experience is intended to offer a little more insight than your average first date. "Pressure reveals character," says Dr Nikki Goldstein. "We all put on our best face for a first date, but that doesn't help you predict what someone's like in a relationship. The moment something goes wrong in an escape room, people show how they deal with conflict, how they communicate, how they lead, or bulldoze." Kicking off at Escape This locations in Sydney and Perth, participants will put their connection to the test through two blind dates, with each session lasting 30 minutes. However, the partner you head into the custom-designed environment with isn't quite as random as it seems. Before the night arrives, guests complete personality quizzes that align them with one of seven relationship problem-solving styles. You could be 'The Leader' — someone who's direct, decisive and solutions-focused. Or maybe you're 'The Energiser' — a keen motivator who likes to keep the mood high. Of course, these nights aren't just for singles; couples are more than welcome to get involved, too. Putting your existing dynamic under interactive pressure, there's a separate compatibility quiz to help you get to know each other's blind spots. Says Goldstein: "There are often red flags that don't appear until years into a relationship, but Singles Night is about fast-tracking that insight. And let's not forget the green flags, like calmness under pressure, empathy and humour. Escape This creates the perfect chemistry lab for love." Singles Night at Escape This is happening on the first Tuesday of the month at Sydney and Perth locations. Head to the website for more information.
Created in 1983, run by artists and housed in Woolloomooloo's historic Gunnery Building since 1992, Artspace hosts a range of exhibitions that explore the spectrum of artistic disciplines. Residencies are expertly curated with a focus on the contemporary, meaning that you'll always experience something to challenge your preconceptions of what art can be. In its lifetime, Artspace has been home to presentations by names as diverse as Marco Fusinato, Justene Williams and Chicks on Speed. And, with its commitment to boundary-pushing works and reciprocal relationships with its artists, you can bet that future exhibitions and the artworks gracing its walls will be just as thrilling.
With over six decades under its belt, Surry Hills' The Forresters has quite the watering hole history. While the Foveaux Street site has housed a pub since the 1950s, in recent years you'd be more familiar with its $10 steak nights, value-packed happy hour deals and laidback hangs in those plaid-upholstered booths. But from next month, this colourful, kitschy haunt is jumping into a whole new phase of its life under new owners, hospitality group Applejack. You'll probably recognise that name as the one behind CBD newcomer Hester's, though Applejack's also responsible for popular venues including Neutral Bay's SoCal, bar and restaurant Bopp & Tone, and Endeavour Tap Rooms in The Rocks. The latest Surry Hills takeover will mark the group's eighth venue. [caption id="attachment_780928" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Applejack's Ben Carroll and Hamish Watts[/caption] So what's next in store for The Forresters? The new owners are keeping hush on most of the specifics for now, except to reveal plans for a 'major renovation' and a relaunch happening some time in the next few months. Group Founders Ben Carroll and Hamish Watts hinted they'd be serving up something a little more casual than the rest of their stable, going on to say: "Our goal is to deliver a community-centric watering hole with an Applejack twist." Unfortunately, there's no word yet on whether cheap steaks and $5 schooners will still be on the menu when the pub reopens its doors. The Forresters last enjoyed a major makeover back in 2012. It's been helmed by the Australian Venue Co — formerly Dixon Hospitality Group — since 2016. Find The Forresters at the corner of Foveaux and Riley Streets, Surry Hills. Applejack Hospitality will take over from September — we'll share more details about future plans as they drop.
When Taylor Swift announced that The Eras Tour was finally shaking its way to Australia, locking in five dates in two cities in February 2024, excitement echoed as loudly as the music superstar's voice. But, with such a condensed block of shows, nerves jangled as well. Getting a ticket to Swift's concerts in America caused a Ticketmaster meltdown, and has sparked new US legislation in response — and then there's scalpers and their inflated prices. With the singer-songwriter set to play her first two Aussie gigs of the tour at the MCG in Melbourne across Friday, February 16–Saturday, February 17, the Victorian Government has taken a key step to ensure that Swift fans don't get ripped off. Under the state's Major Events Act 2009, it has declared the 'Fearless', 'Enchanted', We Are Never Getting Back Together' and 'Blank Space' talent's shows a major event, which gets a whole heap of penalties around scalping's bad blood kicking in. [caption id="attachment_906252" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ronald Woan via Wikimedia Commons.[/caption] Look what scalpers have made the Victorian Government do, basically. Under major event ticketing declarations, tickets to the concert must legally be available for a fair price, not the gargantuan costs that they can be flogged off for on the resale market. There's a specific figure specified under the law, in fact, with tickets to a declared major event unable to be resold for more than ten percent more than their original value. Other requirements include ticket package sellers needing authorisation from the event organiser, plus individual ads for tickets including both ticket and seating details. If a ticket seller flouts the rules, the penalties are steep — from $925 up to $554,760. [caption id="attachment_906254" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ronald Woan via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] This isn't just big news for Melburnians. Given that Swift is taking The Eras Tour to just two Aussie cities, it's relevant to the massive numbers of interstate and overseas attendees expected. The Victorian Government predicts that more than 60,000 people from around the rest of Australia, and from New Zealand, will be part of the 180,000 folks catching the singer during her two MCG concerts. Seeing Swift work through her entire career so far, playing tracks from each of her studio albums in a three-hour, 44-song, ten-act spectacular, The Eras Tour kicked off in March in the US, where it's still playing. Swift will also head to Mexico, Argentina and Brazil in 2023. Then, in 2024, she's off to Australia, Japan, Singapore, France, Sweden, Portugal, Spain, the UK, Ireland, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Poland. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) This'll be Swift's first tour Down Under since 2018, when she brought her Reputation shows to not only Sydney and Melbourne, but Brisbane and Perth, too. In the US, it's been breaking ticketing and venue records — expect tickets to get snapped up quickly Down Under as well, but now for a fair price in Victoria. [caption id="attachment_906253" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ronald Woan via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] TAYLOR SWIFT: THE ERAS TOUR AUSTRALIAN DATES 2024: Friday, February 16–Saturday, February 17 — Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne Friday, February 23–Sunday, February 25 — Accor Stadium, Sydney Taylor Swift will bring The Eras Tour to Australia in February 2024. Tickets for the Melbourne shows go on sale at 10am AEST on Friday, June 30, with the Sydney shows on sale at 2pm AEST on Friday, June 30. The American Express VIP Package pre-sale runs for 48 hours from Monday, June 26 — from 10am in Sydney and 2pm in Melbourne — and the Frontier Members pre-sale runs 24 hours from Wednesday, June 28, again from 10am in Sydney and 2pm in Melbourne, or until all pre-sale tickets have been snapped up in both instances. Head to the tour website for further details. Top image: Ronald Woan via Wikimedia Commons.
There's never a bad time to watch and rewatch Studio Ghibli's gorgeous movies, because there's no such thing as a bad Studio Ghibli film. But if you've spent plenty of hours doing just that — especially in the five years since the acclaimed Japanese animation house unveiled its most recent release, the moving French co-production The Red Turtle — then you're probably hankering for a glimpse at the studio's latest work. Called Earwig and the Witch, Studio Ghibli's newest movie is set to screen in Australian cinemas early this year, although an exact release date hasn't yet been announced. That's clearly excellent news, especially given that seven years have passed since the animation company's last solo production, aka 2014's When Marnie Was There; however, if you're as keen as a catbus to get a peek at its latest effort as soon as you can, an English-language trailer for the film dropped over the Christmas period. Also previously known as Aya and the Witch, the movie marks the first Studio Ghibli feature completely made using computer-generated animation. Director-wise, it's helmed by Hayao Miyazaki's son Goro Miyazaki, who previously directed Tales from Earthsea and From Up On Poppy Hill. It's also based on a novel written by British author Diana Wynne Jones, who penned the book that Howl's Moving Castle was adapted from, too. In terms of story, Earwig and the Witch focuses on a girl at an orphanage in the British countryside. She enjoys living there, but her world changes when she's chosen to live with a couple — including, as the title makes plain, a witch. Earwig doesn't know that her own mother also had magical powers, so she's thrust into a strange new world, all while trying to do what she's always wanted: belong to a family. Also, she has a cat — and as the trailer shows, it's rather chatty. In its English-language version, the film will feature voice work by Richard E Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?), Dan Stevens (Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga) and singer Kacey Musgraves, plus newcomer Taylor Paige Henderson as Earwig. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk5YWIbwzRE Earwig and the Witch will release in Australian cinemas on Thursday, February 4. Images: Madman Entertainment.
Looking for an treat with teeth this Easter? Benriach Distillery — the renowned purveyor of Speyside single malt scotch whisky — has teamed up with KOI Dessert Bar to create the Scotch Cross Bun, a playful, adults-only reimagining of the beloved holiday treat. Crafted by KOI's in-house dessert experts, the Scotch Cross Bun hits all the marks needed to leave a lasting impression, Blending the comforting nostalgia of a hot cross bun with contemporary cake design, this limited-edition dessert sees a rich vanilla mousse infused with autumnal spices like nutmeg and cinnamon, before being spiked with currents soaked in Benriach's The Original Ten single malt for a rousing finish. Want to get your hands on one of these decadent Easter creations that KOI's creative team describes as "familiar, yet completely unexpected"? From now until Thursday, April 17, KOI Dessert Bars in Sydney and Melbourne will serve up the Scotch Cross Bun for both dine-in and takeaway for $22. For some extra Easter cheer, customers who purchase the Scotch Cross Bun are invited to take home a complimentary 50ml bottle of Benriach's The Original Ten. "The Scotch Cross Bun is a perfect example of how versatile Benriach whisky can be — not just for sipping, but as an incredible ingredient that enhances and elevates flavours in unexpected ways," says Benriach brand manager, Stuart Reeves. "Partnering with KOI, known for their innovative approach to desserts, has allowed us to bring a fresh twist to Easter while showcasing the smooth, layered complexity of The Original Ten." With these revamped hot cross buns ready for purchase, there's no need to wait until the long weekend rolls around. Sydneysiders can experience the bold flavours and inventive craftsmanship at KOI Dessert Bars in Chippendale and Ryde, while Melbourne fans can get their hands on these desserts at the Queen Street location in the CBD. The Benriach x KOI Dessert Bar Scotch Cross Bun is available until April 17 in Sydney at Chippendale and Ryde stores, as well as in Melbourne at the Queen Street location. Head to the venue's website for more information.
When the news dropped earlier this year that Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck was coming to Melbourne, every local foodie quite rightly lost their mind. Packing up a three-Michelin starred restaurant and transporting it to the other side of the world for six months is no small feat. And, while Melbourne is treated to a great spectrum of culinary talent, the food wizardry of this sound-cooking, bacon ice cream-making legend really is next level. But, the question remained: how to secure a seat? After the announcement came in March this year, Crown received upwards of 40,000 requests to book a table. We'll give you a minute to let that number sink in. With a proposed service of 50 diners per night, and the space in operation for a mere six months, The Fat Duck would only be able to accommodate a third of those that enquired nearly a full year in advance. That's huge. "We were totally overwhelmed with the response, it's been unbelievable ... [it shows] just the complete, utter food obsession that has happened over here," Blumenthal said in a press conference this morning. Now, to cope with the astronomical interest (and to save the receptionists at Crown a world of trouble), a booking system has been decided. To eat at The Fat Duck, you will have to enter a ballot. Open from October 8 until October 26, the ballot will be run in a similar way to Meredith Music Festival (though we really can't say it will have the same no dickheads policy). Punters can register their ravenous interest, an independent third party will randomly select the successful diners, then both confirmations and rejections will be sent out on November 10. It's not yet clear whether you can pick the date and time of your reservation. Honestly, it seems unlikely. Unsurprisingly, the seat also won't come cheap. Dinner will be served as a set menu of 12–15 courses and will set you back a cool $525 (before drinks). This may well be the only lottery where the prize is a huge bill, but when we think about that bacon ice cream we can't help but feel it's worth it. The Fat Duck opens on February 3, 2015, but more importantly the ballot opens on October 8 at 9am. Via Good Food.
Continuously occupied for the last 140-odd years, Customs House is the oldest surviving customs building in Australia — it's been around since 1845, after all. With such a rich history, the building was once responsible for all imports and exports, taxes on locally manufactured goods and immigration, but is now a heritage-listed public space that houses a library, workspaces, exhibitions and three restaurants. Customs House literally lays Sydney at your feet with its model of downtown Sydney below perspex flooring in the atrium. So, on you next visit, give your best King Kong impression a go as you step from suburb-to-suburb, admiring the miniature Sydney Harbour Bridge, Opera House, CBD and more. Customs House is free to enter and is open 8am–10.30pm Monday–Friday, 9am–10.30pm Saturdays, and 9am–5pm Sundays.
If Circular Quay wasn't already flush with top-notch dining options — whether it's Matt Moran's takeover of Opera Kitchen, waterfront French bistro Whalebridge or the new Quay Quarter Lanes Precinct — the picturesque harbourside suburb is set to receive a swath of new restaurant openings in 2023, thanks to a new dining precinct titled Sydney Place. Not to be confused with Central Place, the set of billion-dollar tech towers currently being built on top of Central Station, Sydney Place will be compromised of three eat streets at the base of its 55-storey office tower. Across these three laneways — Crane Lane, Rugby Place and Underwood Street — you'll find new spots from renowned Sydney chefs and outposts from beloved local restaurants. While longstanding laksa specialist Malay Chinese Takeaway's Hunter Street outpost is set to be demolished alongside Frankie's Pizza to make way for the new metro station, fans of the Sydney stalwart can rejoice in the news that it will be opening Malay Chinese Noodle Bar in Circular Quay as part of Sydney Place. [caption id="attachment_782074" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Toastiesmith, Kera Wong[/caption] Elsewhere in the precinct, you'll find the second outpost for Morgan McGlone's rotisserie chicken eatery Sunday, a new Toastiesmith, loaded pie shop Lode Pies from ELE and LuMi's Federico Zanellato's, and a Japanese whiskey bar and diner by Joel Best. Rounding out the precinct will be an array of restaurants and cafes offerings dumplings, sushi, ramen, burgers, sandwiches, coffee and Middle Eastern dinners, plus a new studio from Thirteen Feet Tattoo. [caption id="attachment_880803" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sydney Place tenants, Nikki To[/caption] Alongside these newly announced tenants and the 263-metre office tower is the revamped Jacksons on George. Maurice Terzini (Icebergs, RE-, Ciccia Bella, Belongil Beach Italian Food) has taken over the longtime Circular Quay favourite which is currently undergoing a venue-wide transformation. The new iteration of the pub will span three levels, including a gastropub, a restaurant, and an open-air rooftop bar overlooking the planned public plaza and laneways. Designed by award-winning, Sydney-based architecture firm Stewart Hollenstein, the space will feature active edges and open frontages, all of which are designed to enhance social interaction within the venue and with the city below. Jacksons on George is now set to open in mid-2023, while the hospitality tenants at Sydney Place are set to open from March next year. [caption id="attachment_654432" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jacksons on George[/caption] Sydney Place is located at 180 George Street, Sydney. It's set to open in 2023. Top image: Sunday
All the best things in the world are associated with the underground: Velvet, Dostoyevsky's Notes, truffles, London commuters and David Bowie's man fanny (as glorified in Labyrinth).Sadly, Sydney seemed without its own troglodyte cultural scene, what with our pretty harbour and Opera House sucking all the attention to the World Above the Dirt, and it's a safe assumption that a steady flow of metaphoric moles never came to our shores for fear of scorching their subterranean vision.Well, fear us no longer Underlings, because the Sydney Underground Film Festival returns for its third year, with reel upon reel of gnome-made shorts and features representing all the great genres of international film festivals: political thriller, odorama, animal porn, foreign language drama and retrospective documentary.For those unable to find accommodation during the festival, grab a cheap 4-day festival pass, and live in the Factory Theatre*, or make do with affordable day passes and session tickets. Whatever your budget, any festival that has had its official site removed by The Man is worthy of support!* You will probably be thrown out and left to die if you actually attempt this.Thanks to the Sydney Underground Film Festival we have 10 double passes to give away for WHITE LIGHTNIN’ (a “white-trash hillybilly nightmareâ€) on Sunday 13 September at 8:30pm. Just email your name, address and phone number to kath@suff.com.au with the word “WHITE†in the subject line.https://youtube.com/watch?v=7QvpBO-W5OM
The adage ‘never let the truth get in the way of a good story’ is an old one. But it is the exact opposite in The Legend of King O'Malley, as fallacy threatens to overshadow the true story of one of the kookiest characters in Australian political history. The play was hugely influential when it was first staged in 1970. Originally directed by John Bell, written by Bob Ellis with Michael Boddy and starring Robyn Nevin, it's a decidedly off-kilter diversion from theatrical realism that made a huge impression at the time. It's now being revived by director Phil Rouse for Don’t Look Away, a company dedicated to digging up underappreciated works of Australian theatre from the past. The play’s protagonist — King O’Malley, a Kansas insurance salesman turned bishop turned MP for Tasmania — is undoubtedly an improbable character. He is renowned not only for his contributions to Australia’s political development — as Minister for Home Affairs, he sank the first peg in the site that would become Canberra, he was instrumental in setting up the Commonwealth Bank and, adamant that American spellings would become the accepted norm, he infamously convinced the Labor Party to drop the ‘u’ — but also as a seller of pork pies. Next to his nationality (in order to run for Parliament, O’Malley falsely claimed to have been born in Canada, a Commonwealth country), one of his best-known fabrications concerns his arrival in Australia. Suffering from advanced tuberculosis, he claimed to have been befriended by an Aboriginal man who took him to a cave and nursed him back to health. Historian David Headon said of O’Malley that "He was a showman … and he knew it and he exploited it for everything it was worth." The rich subject matter was not enough for writers Boddy and Ellis, who chose to include a bizarre recurring plot in which O’Malley (James Cook) is plagued by a demon (Alex Duncan) to whom he has sold his soul. The device allows him to converse frankly and give voice to his internal moral struggle, but it is a seriously odd way to help an audience climb inside a character’s head. Regardless, Rouse and cast have held nothing back in resurrecting O’Malley. The first half doesn’t quite make it over the line and, between an entire gospel choir feigning blindness and a spot of pantomime tuberculosis, feels like it could have been cut down considerably. The second half, though, is a different beast entirely. And it is a beast; a feral and unrelenting satire which rips through Australia’s first parliament. Wild beasts in suits struggle to stand, cackling drunkenly as the earnest O’Malley seeks to join their ranks before falling foul of the petulant boy-king, Prime Minister Billy Hughes (an obnoxious and charged turn by Matt Hickey) At its best, O’Malley is reminiscent of Keating: The Musical. Though a little rough around the edges, the energy output of the cast is staggering and infectious. No doubt O’Malley, a man careful to manage his own mythology in life, would have welcomed such a song and dance in his honour.
When social distancing became our new way of life, the good folk at Audible released a stack of audiobooks for free, all to help keep everyone entertained while we were spending more time (read: all our time) at home and indoors. Now that things are slowly starting to return to normal, summer is on the horizon and prime road trip season is upon us, the online retailer is doing the same — so you have something ace to listen to while you're heading away for a getaway. The free audiobooks are on offer in collaboration with the tourism-focused initiative Empty Esky, which aims to support small businesses, including those affected by the Australian bushfires. So, the idea is that you'll hop behind the wheel, mosey out beyond the city limits, see the country, and patronise local retailers and hospitality venues — and that you'll listen to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald and Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia by Anita Hess along the way. Almost 60 hours of audiobooks are available for free, and they all tie into seven set itineraries, covering Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Tasmania, and both New South Wales' south coast and northern regions. Follow your chosen route, keep an eye out for Audible posters at participating small businesses, and download a free audiobook at each stop. You'll need to follow the whole process, because you'll have to scan the QR code on the poster at each place to get access to the relevant text. If you knew you wanted to hit the road this summer, but you weren't sure where to venture to, Audible and Empty Esky have basically taken care of that decision for you. The itineraries also include Audible podcasts, if you're in the mood for something other than literature. Among both the books and podcasts, you'll also find JM Barrie's Peter Pan, the Beatrix Potter Collection and Jojo Moyes' Me Before You — as well as Heist with Michael Caine, Australia's Funniest Stand-Up, and Nakkiah Lui and Miranda Tapsell's Debutante: Race, Resistance and Girl Power. They'll all stream on your phone, tablet or laptop, although you will need to either sign into your existing Audible account or create a new one to start listening. To check out the Empty Esky itineraries — and the Audible books available — head to the Empty Esky website.
We alerted you a few weeks back that Australia was getting its first wave park just outside of Melbourne, but it turns out the playful geniuses at URBNSURF aren't stopping at Victoria. They've announced their latest plan today to turn a Sydney Olympic Park carpark into Australia's second Wavegarden. The team is quite literally turning concrete into a playground, and we couldn't be more psyched about it (even though Kelly Slater's will inevitably be better by a mile). While Sydney's beach scene is already on point, especially compared with Melbourne's lack thereof, the wave park allows surfers to catch the perfect wave, day or night, with ne'er a shark in site. Set 14 kilometres west of the Sydney CBD and situated next to the planned Parramatta Light Rail line, the park will open in 2018. The site already receives ten million visitors a year, so URBNSURF have picked a pretty good spot. Apart from the benefits of shark-less, jellyfish-less waters, perfectly crafted waves and LED lighting for night time sessions, the 'lagoon-side' amenities are over the top in their own right. The park will include a cafe, rooftop bar and beach club, along with a fully equipped surf shop. If you're new to surfing, they'll be running training programs for all levels. But the park isn't only for surfers either — with beach cabanas, a children's playground, skate ramp, rock climbing and parkour courses, it seems this Wavegarden is set to be more of an all-around amusement park. It's also promised to be designed sustainably, using renewable energy and water saving systems. URBNSURF is operated by the Perth company Wave Park Group, which is committed to revolutionise surf in Australia, so you can bet this won't be their last project. If all goes well, the Wavegarden won't be ready before 2018 so you have a few more years of regular-old surfing before the wave of the future takes over. URBNSURF will open in 2018 at Sydney Olympic Park. Check out Melbourne's version in the meantime.
Starred in Community, written for 30 Rock, amassed over 150 million YouTube views, performed an hour-long Comedy Central stand-up special, premiered his own feature film at Sundance, released two critically-acclaimed albums — what hasn't Donald Glover aka Childish Gambino done? Sold out the Hordern Pavilion you muppet, so get on it! Having melted tickets to the Luna Park Big Top in under hour, internet rap god Gambino has been bumped up to the Hordern for his Splendour sideshow on Sunday, July 27. Off the back of his dark, brooding, highly ambitious and utterly unique second album Because the Internet, Gambino is set to mark one of the must-see winter gigs when he brings his Deep Web tour to town. An increasingly complex and sophisticated rapper, Gambino has abandoned his previously upbeat, pop culture-riddled hooks in favour of a more introspective, genre-defying sound, while still retaining his disdain for the cliched tropes of hip hop and lazy lyricism of commercial rappers — all over beats that he produced himself. Why? Because, as he said in his breakout single 'Freaks and Geeks', having an Emmy just wasn't enough. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ExVtrghW5Y4
Sydney coffee lovers are in for a seriously decadent treat this weekend, as the folks from Mr Black and Three Bottle Man team up to transform Bulletin Place into a wonderland of caffeine-infused delights. Kicking off with after-work pick-me-ups this Thursday, March 15, and wrapping up Saturday, March 17, the Caffeine Lane Pop-Up will be slinging a range of limited edition coffee-charged treats, in both liquid and dessert form. Three Bottle Man is the Marriott's laneway-facing bar, and its signature espresso martini will feature on-tap alongside a lineup of bespoke coffee cocktails, including one concoction starring Mr Black's just-launched Coffee Amaro. Meanwhile, Michelin Star-experienced chef Raphael Szurek will be tempting sweet tooths with two wildly inventive caffeine-infused desserts, designed especially for the event. Each of the menu items and cocktail creations will be priced at $15, available from 5pm each night of the pop-up.
In 2003 two men painted NO WAR in big, friendly letters across the sail of the Opera House. Jailed, fined and applauded by Opera House staff, the two men — Will Saunders and Dave Burgess — were essentially 'culture jamming', a movement that interferes with public space the same way pirate radio jams public frequencies. Just as acrobatic in action as Saunders and Burgess, were the Sydney-based group the Lonely Station. Moran-winning photographer Dean Sewell got to know them over a number of years, at first only covering their actions. Culture Jammers, documents his transformation from observer to participant as he followed the Lonely Station's collective co-opting of commercial locations into art and politics. From the guerrilla plastering of art on Sydney's new Louis Vuitton shop, to a hills hoist planted in Sydney Park for political purposes, Sewell's photos show you this urban art action from the lens of a man in the middle of it. And if a window into a covert movement with overt messages to sell isn't enough for you, the Museum will be putting on an Art and Politics of Culture Jamming forum which presents you not only to Sewell, but a who's who of recent Sydney culture jammers: Lonely Stationer Neal Funnell, Opera House painter Dave Burgess and Peter Vogel from the culture jamming progenitor group BUGAUP. The forum will be held at the Museum on Sunday February 12 (11am, $30/25), Dean Sewell will give an artist's talk Sunday March 11, alongside curator Inara Walden (11am, free with museum entry). Image: Dean Sewell.
No longer a mere science-fiction movie concept or a gag in The Simpsons' Stonecutter's song, electric cars have slowly been riding their way into greater use. Last year, Tesla started production on its first mass-market electric vehicles — and, for those planning a road trip in Queensland, Australians now have an 'electric super highway' to drive them along. While the name sounds like something your grandparents might say — and will likely bring back cringeworthy memories of calling the internet the 'information super highway' — the idea itself is worth getting buzzed about. Over the past six months, the State Government has installed 17 electric vehicle charging stations between the Gold Coast and Cairns, enabling electric car drivers to trek the length of the state. Apart from the fact that the highway is the longest in one state in the entire world, as Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey announced, it mightn't sound like that big a deal; however, one of the crucial aspects of using an electric car is being able to juice them up. Regular cars need petrol, electric cars need power — it makes sense. That's all well and good if you're only driving close to home, but if you want to take your electric ride further afield, you need somewhere to plug them in. A network of fast-charging stations, which will power up vehicles in around 30 minutes, solves that issue. For those dreaming of an electric road trip, stations are located in Cairns, Tully, Townsville, Bowen, Mackay, Carmila, Marlborough, Rockhampton, Miriam Vale, Childers, Maryborough, Cooroy, Brisbane, Coolangatta, Springfield, Gatton and Toowoomba — with an 18th to come in Helensvale after the Commonwealth Games. They're also available for free for an initial phase, in an even bigger attempt to encourage more car owners to make the switch.
Australian grime fans have been dealt a disappointing blow: Stromzy has announced he is cancelling his highly anticipated upcoming tour. The UK sensation was set to grace Australian shores later this year on the much-delayed H.I.T.H World Tour alongside a run of festival dates as the headliner for Spilt Milk, but has confirmed in a statement released through the festival that he has pulled out of all of his international tour dates for the remainder of 2022. "It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to inform you guys that due to circumstances beyond my control, I must cancel international commitments for the remainder of the year which includes my Australian and New Zealand tour," said Stormzy. "You guys have waited so patiently and I am so sorry that this has to happen after all these ups and downs. I love you guys and I promise I will be back as soon as I can with a show that's bigger and better than ever." Originally scheduled for 2020 before being pushed back multiple times for pandemic-related reasons, the run of dates was finally supposed to kick off in Perth on Wednesday, November 23, before hitting Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Wellington and Auckland, as well as Ballarat, Canberra and the Gold Coast with Spilt Milk. While losing Stormzy is a huge blow for the festival, Spilt Milk has come through with another exciting international headliner in his place. Highly influential Grammy-nominated indie-pop singer and one of 2022's biggest breakout stars Steve Lacy has been added to the lineup for all three Spilt Milk dates. An original member of the popular funk and soul group The Internet, Lacy has worked with the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Solange and Tyler, the Creator. Following solo success with his debut album Apollo XXI as well as singles like 'Dark Red' which you've almost certainly heard on TikTok, the Californian singer-songwriter has found huge mainstream success this year with the release of his album Gemini Rights and its lead single ' Bad Habits' which currently sits at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. Alongside his appearances at Spilt Milk, Lacy has also announced a run of headline dates across the east coast of Australia. He'll be popping up at Melbourne's The Forum on Tuesday, November 22, The Tivoli in Brisbane on Tuesday, November 23 and Sydney's Enmore Theatre on Monday, November 28. Due to the lineup change, Spilt Milk will be offering refunds for anyone who requests one via Moshtix before 5pm Thursday, October 4. After that, you can also pop your tickets up for sale on the festival's resale facility. Those that want to head along to catch Lacy alongside previously announced acts like Flume, The Wombats, Spacey Jane, G Flip, Fisher and Peach PRC can access tickets via the Moshtix resale. Tickets for Steve Lacy's solo shows will go on sale via the Frontier Members pre-sale at 9am local time on Tuesday, October 4, before the general public tickets go on sale on Wednesday, October 5. [caption id="attachment_851188" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jordan Munns[/caption] Stormzy has cancelled his run of Australian and New Zealand shows including his appearances at Spilt Milk. Refunds for Spilt Milk are available via Moshtix until 5pm, Thursday, October 4.
Germany takes its public transport seriously. When Berlin boasts a pair of sneakers designed to match the subway system, and the nation's state-owned railway company is looking to create a 'train of the future', that's pretty clear. The country's next idea not only stresses the point, but does the environment a solid and is certain to prove a hit with commuters: free public transport. As reported by Die Welt, according to a letter penned by German ministers and seen by German media, the government is proposing to trial the concept in five particular cities — all places considered heavily polluted. Bonn, Essen, Reutlingen, Mannheim and Herrenberg are set to put the plan into action, with the move coming as Germany faces legal action from the EU over its breach of air pollution levels due to vehicle emissions. Just how it would work — in terms of additional buses, trains and trams needed, and the budget required to finance them — is still under consideration, as are exact implementation timing and plans. Still, it's a smart, sensible and certain-to-be-popular idea, as well as an excellent incentive to leave the car at home. And, it's one that we'd all clearly love to see closer to home, even with Sydney and Brisbane's rail issues of late. Via Die Welt. Image: Shankar S. via Flickr.
Charlie Murphy deserves some serious credit. Trying to forge a career as a professional comedian is pretty tough at the best of times, let alone when your brother is none other than Eddie Murphy. Yet Charlie has not only taken that plunge – he's come out the other side as a top-billed international comedian playing to sold-out audiences around the world. Next month he'll be bringing his act to both Australia and New Zealand, so he took some time to talk to Tom Glasson about comedy, basketball, being Eddie Murphy's brother and even Lamingtons. Charlie Murphy, hello from Sydney! Hey brother - how ya doin' man? Good mate, yourself? Yeah it's all good. I'm just sitting here in Englewood, New Jersey watching the afternoon news you know. Keeping an eye out for new material? Always brother. Got to keep it fresh for you folks in Australia. Well yeah, it's only a little over a month now until you bring your show – the 'Acid Trip Tour' – down our way. You excited? You better believe it man – I've never been to Australia before so this is my first time and I'm super-charged about coming there. First time? Well then you're probably carrying around some serious '80s clichés and stereotypes about us all! [Laughs] Ha, Crocodile Dundee! But you know, I'm looking forward to seeing all that AND the real deal. It's gonna be fun! So what can people expect from your show? Laughs, man! Whenever people ask me that I always tell them the same thing: you should expect to laugh. I mean you ain't going to a basketball game, you ain't going to a magician, you're going to see a comedian. When you see a comedian you should expect to laugh. But yeah, people ask me that a lot because they haven't seen me before – I'm new to most people – and I let them know it's for them to laugh. And you know, this is my first time coming to Australia; I've been to England, Canada, Scandinavia, all over the US and I've been making people laugh and I enjoy doing it. How would you describe your own sense of humour? What makes you laugh? Oh it's adult, man! I leave it raw and you can take it the way you want it. But it's raw and it's adult. I expect my audience to be adult, too. I don't go do lunchtime crowds at high schools, you know – I have an adult show. Who's making you laugh right now? You know man, it's funny - whoever's funny really. All of them can make me laugh, you know what I'm saying? I mean they're all funny guys. I enjoy all of them. Jumping back a few years, you grew up in Brooklyn right? Yeah. I grew up, partially in Brooklyn, 'til I was 13. Then I moved to Long Island and lived there from 13 to 17. And then I went to the military. And your father was almost a 'slashy' wasn't he, in that he was a transit cop but also a part-time actor and comedian? Well, my father was a police officer – a transit officer – and that's what he really was. He did a little stand-up when he was in high school, he did it on the side a bit, but he never really became a professional stand-up comedian. You know, he did talent shows and – my uncle did it as well – he did local stuff but never became professional where it was their way of making a living. Because that's when I think you can say you're a professional comedian; until then you're just dabbling. Where do you think this passion for comedy came from, since you'd almost have to call it a family business now? Ha, yeah. Well, I was already in the business but not as a comedian. You know I was in the business as an actor, I was in the business as a writer, a producer, but I wasn't in it as a comedian because it was obvious to me at that point that I was "Eddie's brother", you know? Eddie Murphy was the comedian, he was the younger brother and so it was always going to be hard for them to accept me as one too. But then The Chappelle Show kind of knocked that door down and I thought: "wait a minute, you can go out now and play with that." You know, that was a free pass to do it because people wanted to see me all of a sudden, and so I started going out, I started developing it and I've never stopped. I've been on the road for ten years straight! [laughs] You just mentioned Chappelle. Did you have any sense at the time that this was your sort of 'shine the light' moment? That this was when it was all going to change, or was it only retrospectively that you came to appreciate how important it all was? Nah I didn't know that this was going to happen. I had no idea and neither did anyone else. What's happened since is actually kind of unbelievable because I started doing stand-up at 42 years old. I didn't start when I was nine like Chappelle or Eddie Murphy or Chris Rock. I didn't start doing stand-up when I was a teenager, or in my twenties or thirties, I started when I was 42 years old…and my brother was Eddie Murphy! I mean he's one of, or rather the, stand-up guy; the recognised God of stand-up, okay? That's my brother, so to have that in front of you, you know what I'm saying, it's very unlikely that you would firstly take a chance to try to get into it, and then secondly - be successful at it, and I've done both those things. And so that's a blessing. I've jumped over those hurdles and I'm now making a presence for myself and beginning to be appreciated for what I do. And now you're coming out to Australia on tour. That's quite an incredible run. Exactly man! And you know, everywhere I've been it's all part of reaffirming that I'm now doing what I'm supposed to be doing; that I made a very smart choice with my life. And I'm doing something special because I can't think of anybody else that's a comedian who can say: "Okay this guy, he did it like this." I think I'm carving a brand new street. I'm curious about your take on comedy at the moment, because – and I'm thinking here about something one of Conan's writers said, a guy called Andrés du Bouchet – his advice to young comedy writers was: "write and perform comedy for 10 years in obscurity then luck out." Do you feel that's a little cynical or pretty reflective of the nature of the industry? No that's kind of true man, because there are guys out there right now who are really really really good and they're not famous. I know who they are because I'm in the world of stand-up, I'm a comedian so I know who the other comedians are. Like the guy I'm bringing with me to Australia, his name's Freeze Love. You've never heard of him, but he's very very funny in his own right and yet he doesn't have a headliner name, a household name yet, so people say: "who's this guy? We came to see Charlie Murphy!" And then this guy comes out and you forget that you came to see Charlie Murphy because he's that funny. When you come to my show I want you to laugh from the moment you get there to the moment you leave. And I'm only on stage for an hour but the show's an hour and a half, you know, so I make sure you get some variety and when you leave your face is hurting. That's my objective – to hurt your face – and I'm not a boxer! There's this idea that comedy runs parallel with the zeitgeist, so in the '60s and '70s it was all about social change, then in the '80s it was the battle of the sexes, in the '90s it was drugs and most recently it's been terrorism and war. And George W Bush! The human punch-line. Exactly! Do you feel like there's a new theme emerging now? Because a lot of the current acts seem to focus on the influence - and perhaps intrusion - of technology in our lives and how dehumanising and lonely it can all be. Totally, that's it man. But at the same time these comics, people like Louis CK, they're sort of embracing that failing aren't they? Embracing their own shortcomings and emerging as anti-heroes. Yeah man, it's all those things! You named almost everything I cover, like my show encompasses all the things you just talked about. We've had the '60s, '70s, '80s…well this is the new millennium and I'm talking about all of it. You're gonna hear about social issues, you're gonna hear about family, politics…all of that in one hour. And it's going to be fun. A few years ago you said you were a huge fan of Obama but just couldn't see him becoming President given the state of things in America. Now that it's happened a lot of people have called this the 'post race' age, but that seems like a bit of a stretch doesn't it? Exactly. That's not true. Things are just different, you know. Racism's still alive and well. Is it as rigid and defined as it was in the '60s? No, but it's still there. That other way, the old way, it wouldn't be able to exist in the climate we've got now, but it's still there. It just adapted. It's gradually leaving though, because if you look at the young people and their intelligence, there's not as much of that ignorance from the old days any more. Actually I was watching that movie the other day, the J Edgar movie with Leonardo DiCaprio - who does an excellent job by the way - but for me that movie was about this man who, before this movie was made and various documentaries were made, he was held up like a God, a man who could do no wrong, a perfect person. And then that movie exposed that not only was he human – that was the first thing – but he was also flawed like all of us. Severely! I really liked that movie. And just finally Charlie, you're a New Yorker and you recently did some promo stuff for Air Jordan with your Leroy Smith character – I'm guessing you've been caught up in the whole Jeremy Lin saga? Oh yeah man – I'm a big time Knicks fan! And my show's called "The Acid Trip" so I'm glad you brought the Knicks up because I point out things that are really really totally unexpected, like if ten years ago you'd said that in 2012 the highest paid rapper would be white, there's going to be a black President and an Asian's gonna be dominating the NBA, nobody would've believed it! An Asian guy from Harvard no less. Exactly! This is all really happening, it's real, see so that's kind of the metaphor for my show because every day of life is another opportunity for you to go: "Oh wow!" Every day something could happen that's never happened in your life before. You could smell something you've never smelled before, taste something you've never tasted before and I don't know how old you are but think about that. If somebody said to me: "How long did it take you to get here?" and – because the first person who did that said "oh it took me 15 minutes" and I replied "Oh really, because it took me 52 years." So that's how you're looking at it, you know? Well it was well worth it Charlie because we can't wait to have you out here. I can't wait to come out there man. And I want you to give me the heads up on what's the first thing I should try to eat? What's an Australian dish, because I've never had Australian food so what would you recommend I eat when I get there? What's it like? Well it's pretty much like American food except sized for humans. But I suppose the Lamington is the go-to option for something sweet, and of course the good ole meat pie. Meat pie? What kind of meat is it? Okay, it might not be 'meat'. Ha, yeah okay. But I'll do it anyway. Just ask for a regular beef pie and if they like you they'll top it off with some ketchup in the shape of Australia. [Laughs] Okay I'm gonna try that man, and I look forward to seeing you all real soon. Thanks brother. Charlie Murphy's "Acid Trip Tour" will hit Melbourne on 19 and 20 April, Auckland on April 23 and then Sydney on April 26. Check for tickets at www.abpresents.com.au and keep up with Charlie via Twitter @cmurphycomedy. https://youtube.com/watch?v=AwgvwFWK_dQ
Few suburbs have undergone as much of transformation in the past decade as Chippendale. With neighbouring Darlington and Eveleigh, the area has been restyled as one of Sydney's most creative districts. After a place to splash out on a fancy meal? Or, perhaps just a cheap and cheerful feast? What about seeing mind-blowing works by emerging artists or catching a gig? Chippendale has all this to offer and more. To help you explore the area and uncover some of its hidden gems, we teamed up with City of Sydney to ask Concrete Playground readers what businesses they love to support in Chippendale, Darlington and Eveleigh. Here are some of your top picks. Read on to discover some of the most popular picks to visit during the day. Then, flick the switch above and we'll dim the lights to show your favourite things to do once the sun goes down.
We all love a good day trip, but when it comes to experiencing the wintry delights of a powder-covered ski resort, it's hard to beat an overnight stay right there atop the mountain. Clicking on those skis in the morning, opening the front door and launching straight into the thrill (or perhaps spill) of it all is a pretty sweet deal. Minimal travel time, maximum snow. So, we've rounded up a few of NSW's best on-snow stays, to help take your next winter escape to a whole new level. From luxury mountain lodges, to private self-contained chalets, here are eight ski-in ski-out stays you can book right now. NSW's latest COVID-19 restrictions allow regional travel within the state from June 1. While all NSW ski resorts are preparing to reopen as soon as possible, Deputy Premier John Barilaro said that they may need a little time to put COVID plans into place so you should get in touch before visiting. That said, this year's ski trip will look a little different to usual, as resorts and operators strive to meet current public health protocol, with limits on indoor and outdoor gatherings set to continue. SMIGGINS HOTEL, PERISHER Gently sloped and protected from the weather, Perisher's Smiggin Holes village is a favourite for beginner snow-trippers. And Smiggins Hotel is located right there at its centre, offering a whole range of top-notch ski-in ski-out accommodation options. It's a modern resort set-up, based just metres away from all the area's chair lifts and t-bars — simply coast out the front door and straight into a choose-your-own-ski-adventure each day. There's a variety of hotel rooms and chalet apartments to suit different groups, while the onsite snow sport school and hire shop will have you mountain-ready, without stepping foot outside of the hotel. Plus, the newly renovated hotel deck is ready and primed for apres-ski sessions around the fire pit. NUMBANANGA LODGE, PERISHER Owned and operated by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, this self-contained six-sleeper lodge offers the full snow experience, sitting pretty on the outskirts of Smiggin Holes. With ski-in ski-out access, it's mere metres away from the village's assorted ski lifts, lessons and hire joints, so you can get up and at 'em within minutes of cruising out the front door. Numbananga Lodge is also primed for group snow adventures, featuring three cosy bedrooms and a fully-kitted kitchen. And if you are after a night on the town, simply hop on your board or skis and glide over to suss out the village's many apres-ski options. Following the government's easing of travel restrictions, NPWS is working towards reopening its accommodation and visitor services. Many sites are set to become available from June 1, with the booking system expected to reopen in the days prior. Check out the website for updates. [caption id="attachment_771410" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] KOSCIUSZKO CHALET HOTEL, CHARLOTTE PASS As Australia's highest snow resort, Perisher's smaller neighbour Charlotte Pass is a winning option for snow bunnies keen to feel on top of the world. And the 90-year-old Kosciuszko Chalet Hotel is one of its most popular ski-in ski-out stays, offering killer views, loads of history and a ripper location close to the village's chair lifts. Comfy rooms overlook either the valley or the mountain, and when the day is done, you'll find a whole collection of onsite bars and eateries for those apres-ski activities — including a cocktail bar complete with roaring fire. Keep an eye on the calendar, too, for regular gigs, bingo sessions and trivia nights. [caption id="attachment_771411" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] SNOWBIRD LODGE, CHARLOTTE PASS Handily located for those embracing the less hectic pace of Charlotte Pass village, Snowbird Lodge is a quaint ski-in ski-out retreat within eyeshot of the ski lifts. This one's a relaxed, rustic set-up, with a range of heated ensuite rooms overlooking the white curves of the valley. Though for even better panoramas, check out the sprawling top-floor common room, with central log fire and nightly party vibes. Meanwhile, the licensed dining room will keep you well fuelled for all those on-snow adventures, kicking off with a classic English-style breakfast each morning. And sore muscles are in for a treat, too, with a spa and sauna housed right onsite. SKI IN SKI OUT CHALETS, THREDBO With a name like that, there's really no doubting it. Ski In Ski Out's sleek chalets boast some prime real estate, located right amongst the action of Thredbo Village. We're talking, smack bang on the Supertrail and offering dreamy views across the snow-topped gum trees. There are 25 luxury chalets to choose from, ranging in size from one to four bedrooms. And, while they don't come cheap, they sure will save you time when it comes to getting up the mountain each day. The accommodation's decked out stylishly and for maximum cosiness — think, wood fireplaces, high-end bath products and even the odd private jacuzzi, which you'll be able to jump into just minutes after cruising in from the slopes. RIVER INN, THREDBO A win for novice snow-trippers especially, River Inn is Thredbo's only ski-in ski-out hotel, handily positioned within stumbling distance of Friday Flat — a dedicated beginner-friendly area. It's also perched right beside the Gunbarrel chair lift, so you're primed to beat the crowds and be among the first on the slopes each morning. Here, there's a range of different ensuite rooms to suit various group sizes, with daily breakfast included the rate. After a big day carving up the mountain, you can look forward to a soak in the hotel's heated spa. Or, head straight to the Bavarian-themed restaurant to warm up over a hearty feed and a few beers. BARRAKEE SKI LODGE, PERISHER Just a 50-metre glide from the North Perisher t-bar, you'll find the cosy escape of Barrakee Ski Lodge — a popular ski-in ski-out stay with over 50 years under its belt. It's comfy and modern, with a range of different room options and plenty of stunning white mountain greeting you from out the window each morning. The lodge has its own sauna, bar and games room for kicking back after a day on the slopes, as well as a cranking log fire cosying up the communal lounge each night. And you won't need to venture anywhere else to get your culinary fix — Barrakee's onsite restaurant is helmed by a former personal chef to the Prime Minister of Australia. TAMBAROORA SKI CLUB, PERISHER A picture-perfect, self-contained lodge sitting right in the heart of Perisher Valley, cosy Tambaroora Ski Club is the kind of ski-in ski-out accommodation you'll want to snap up quick for your next group snow trip. It sleeps six and is hidden among the trees, with a front door that opens right onto the slopes and an enviable location just a quick cruise from the Perisher Quad Express chair lift. The Ski Tube rail terminal is also just a few hundred metres away, for those who've parked off-snow. Inside, the chalet's set up with a full kitchen ideal for post-ski cook-ups, and while there's no TV or wifi, you've got your pick of board games to keep your crew entertained beside the lounge heater each night.
When it comes time to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and big work wins, Sydney has no shortage of special occasion venues to choose from. But, with so many options, it can be tricky deciding where to head with your crew for a luxurious treat yourself-style long lunch. To make it easy, we've teamed up with Citi to narrow down some top Sydney faves for a leisurely lunch spanning the spectrum from hatted restaurants and award-winning degustations to Middle Eastern eats and coastal views aplenty. Plus, there are a few wine pairing suggestions in there, too. Plus, with Citi's Citibank Dining Program, you can indulge even further with a complimentary bottle of wine at any one of these seven venues. Just tell them when you book that you'll be paying with your Citibank card, and the wine is yours for the choosing — with each restaurant offering two different bottles, most of which are locally produced right here in New South Wales.
Whether beloved bands are reuniting, old lineups are reforming or still-touring groups who hit the charts decades ago are simply heading our way again, we're living in a golden age of musical blasts from the past. On a stage near you at any given time, one of your old-school favourites is likely taking to the microphone, spanning across a huge range of genres. The latest to join the trend: Sugababes. The British girl group is hitting up Australia's east coast this summer, with shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane in February. If you're a fan, you likely now have 'Push the Button' or 'Overload' stuck in your head — or a medley that includes 'Freak Like Me', 'Round Round', 'Hole in the Head', 'Walk This Way' and 'About You Now' as well. This isn't just any old throwback tour, however. It will also see Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan and Siobhan Donaghy — aka Sugababes' OG members — bust out the group's hits. Each of the trio left individually in the 00s, with Heidi Range, Amelle Berrabah and Jade Ewen taking their places, but they've been back together with the initial lineup since 2012. This'll be the first time in more than two decades that Buena, Buchanan and Donaghy have hit Australia together, which is massive news for fans. And, given that Sugababes were one of the British girl groups of the early 21st century — and are one of the biggest-selling British girl groups of all time — there's plenty of those around. SUGABABES AUSTRALIAN TOUR 2023: Thursday, February 23 — Enmore Theatre, Sydney Friday, February 24 — Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne Monday, February 27 — Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane Sugababes are touring Australia in February 2023, with pre-sale tickets available from 9am local time on Tuesday, December 20 and general sales from 9am local time on on Wednesday, December 21. Head to the tour website for further details.
One of the most poorly kept secrets of the year has finally been confirmed: The Cure, patron saints of bedroom dancing and boys in eyeliner, are officially coming to Sydney as part of the Vivid Live lineup. The legendary new-wave '80s band will be playing two shows, entitled 'Reflections,' at the Sydney Opera House on May 31 and June 1. The shows will see the band play three of their most influential albums in their entirety: Three Imaginary Boys, Seventeen Seconds and Faith. Get out your black trench coats and tease up your hair, The Cure are a-coming. Around for more than thirty years, The Cure have had over a dozen line-ups, but it's their earlier albums which have become their most definitive, with their dark and melancholy melodies treasured by generations of goths and boys who don't, but might, cry. In an almost-original lineup, front man Robert Smith will be accompanied by Simon Gallup and Jason Cooper for the performance of Three Imaginary Boys, while the original drummer Lol Tollhurst will come on stage for the performance of Seventeen Seconds and Faith. Rumours that the band were due to appear at Vivid began last week, but it was only when Stephen Pavlovic, 2011's festival curator, rocked up to FBi Radio and played a Cure track, and then proceeded to neither confirm nor deny the possible appearance of The Cure, that the rumours entered into the realm of the bleeding obvious. https://youtube.com/watch?v=xik-y0xlpZ0
As was the case with recent release The Walk, Lance Armstrong scandal pic The Program is a film burdened by having the documentary that preceded it set a near-impossible standard for anything better. Comprehensive, compelling and absolutely exasperating, Alex Gibney's The Armstrong Lie was an exceptional piece of honest and meticulous journalism in which Lance Armstrong’s own performance proved to be a breathtaking piece of dramatic fiction. What The Program does offer, however, is a peek inside the conversations and moments that not even Gibney could record – despite his unprecedented access. Why? Because even Armstrong knew better than to let his own videographer record all the actual doping sessions and illegal deals. How the steroids were obtained, how they were snuck into France, how the cyclists took possession, used and then disposed of them - all of this is covered in great detail in The Program, as are as the methods used to defeat the drug testing that followed. As Armstrong, Ben Foster is note perfect. Beyond his remarkable physical similarity to the disgraced cyclist, Foster absolutely nails the camera-ready smile and rehearsed laugh used by Armstrong to mask both his rage and unrestrained ego. Practising in front of a mirror, we see Foster repeating again and again that he “has never tested positive for steroids”, a technical truth amidst a monumental lie that perfectly demonstrates the semantic and psychological art behind what officially became “the most successful doping program the sport [had] ever seen”. Perhaps the only great disappointment with The Program is the lack of time given to the largely unheralded role played by David Walsh – the Sunday Times sports journalist who doggedly and almost single-handedly pursued the Armstrong deception amid unbelievable resistance from every imaginable corner. Played by Chris O’Dowd, Walsh endured manifold lawsuits, professional humiliation and even abandonment by his closest friends and colleagues for investigating a fairytale that was plainly too good to be true. But while O’Dowd receives far too little screen time, The Program still does a good job of explaining why few were eager to question Armstrong’s mythic success. Given his contribution to the global expansion of the sport and the inspiration he provided for cancer sufferers via the Live Strong foundation, it's not hard to understand why we were all so keen to believe the lie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXfp859pcM0
Usually, for one week each September, Brisbane becomes Australia's live music capital — even if a Melbourne survey generally claims otherwise. When BIGSOUND hits the city, it typically seems like every venue in Fortitude Valley is packed to the rafters with bands, industry folks and music-loving punters, all enjoying the latest and greatest tunes and talent the country has to offer. There's nothing usual about 2020, though. And, yes, that applies to this beloved music-fuelled celebration. In fact, after announcing back in July that it would still forge ahead this year as a physical — but socially distanced, COVID-safe and scaled-down — event, BIGSOUND has just revealed today, Thursday, September 3, that it'll now proceed as a virtual-only affair. Rather than four days of conferences, live festival showcases, secret shows and official parties, music fans can look forward to keynote addresses, online workshops, panels, discussions and an Australian artist showcase called The BIGSOUND50, all across a condensed two-day online program. The lineup wont be revealed until the end of September, but the event will still happen next month — having already moved from its normal timeslot to Wednesday, October 21 and Thursday, October 22, the digital-only BIGSOUND is keeping the latter dates. Announcing the change in an emailed statement, BIGSOUND management advised that the shift in direction stems from "ongoing COVID-19 restrictions and domestic border closures"; however the festival will adjust. It'll also address the challenges of 2020 and what that means for the industry moving forward by focusing on three specific themes: community, survival and re-futuring. [caption id="attachment_636254" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Waax, BIGSOUND 2017. Image: Bec Taylor.[/caption] Overseeing the virtual program are Janne Scott, BIGSOUND's creative director (and Splendour In The Grass' senior creative manager); Alethea Beetson, the event's First Nations producer and programmer; and conference programmer Tom Larkin. Beetson, as well as festival co-programmers Dominic Miller and Ruby-Jean McCabe, will select the artists featured in The BIGSOUND50. Past BIGSOUNDs have showcased everyone from Gang of Youths, Flume, Tash Sultana and Courtney Barnett to San Cisco, Violent Soho, Methyl Ethel and The Jungle Giants, so its program is usually a very reliable bellwether of current and up-and-coming talent. BIGSOUND 2020 will run virtually on Wednesday, October 21 and Thursday, October 22, with further details set to be announced in late September. For more information — or to obtain a free online delegate pass — visit bigsound.org.au. Top image: Keynote speaker Mo'Ju at BIGSOUND in 2019
Every year for the past 101 years, the Archibald Prize has recognised exceptional works of portraiture by Australian artists. In 2022, from a field of 52 finalists, the coveted award has gone to Moby Dickens by Blak Douglas. The painting depicts Wiradjuri artist Karla Dickens, who lives on Bundjalung Country in Lismore, and is designed as a metaphor for northern NSW town's floods earlier in 2022. Douglas — a Sydney-based artist with Dhungatti heritage, who was born Adam Hill – made history, too, as the first New South Wales First Nations artist to win with a painting of a New South Wales First Nations artist. "I'm elated," he said, accepting the award. "It's a major historic win." A huge 1908 entries were submitted for the the 2022 Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes. From that three winners were unveiled at the Art Gallery of New South Wales on Friday, May 13. All three decisions were unanimous, and they provide an impressive snapshot of the Aussie art scene right now. For the Sir John Sulman Prize, 491 works were submitted, with Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro winning for Raiko and Shuten-dōji. The first collaborative duo to do so to win the award — which is presented to the best mural, subject or genre painting — they nabbed the prize for their rendering of the battle between the warrior and the demon that gives the colourful piece its title. With the Wynne Prize — which recognises the best landscape painting of Australian scenery, or figure sculpture — Nicholas Harding emerged victorious from 601 entries with painting Eora. The artist has a long history with the awards, being shortlisted for the Wynne nine times, and also for the Archibald 19 times, including winning the latter in 2001. Also a winner, but announced last week, on Thursday, May 5: Sydney-based artist Claus Stangl, who picked up this year's Packing Room Prize. He won for a portrait of the one and only Taika Waititi, because there really is nothing that the Hunt for the Wilderpeople and Thor: Ragnarok filmmaker can't do. The winning portraits and finalists are now be on display at Sydney's Art Gallery of NSW up until Sunday, August 28. If you don't agree with the judges, you can cast your own vote for People's Choice, which will be announced on Wednesday, July 27. [caption id="attachment_853909" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Winner Wynne Prize 2022, Nicholas Harding. Eora, oil on linen, 196.5 x 374.8 cm © the artist, image © AGNSW, Mim Stirling.[/caption] Top image: Excerpt of winner Archibald Prize 2022, Blak Douglas. Moby Dickens, synthetic polymer paint on linen, 300 x 200 cm © the artist, image © AGNSW, Mim Stirling. Sitter: Karla Dickens.
For just about every Sydneysider on the silver side of forty, summer tends to mean one thing: summer festivals. Yet few Sydney festivals offer less shirtless ab-crunchers and more laidback classiness, fine wine, and alfresco dining than the Sydney Cellar Door wine festival in Hyde Park South. The feather in the cap of the NSW Wine Festival, Sydney Cellar Door is Sydney's biggest outdoor wine event with over 90 wineries from across NSW setting up camp in Hyde Park with all their favourite drops in tow. Tailor-made for both seasoned experts and casual drinkers alike, each of the wineries would love the chance to guide you through their sumptuous collections. Bring a picnic blanket as well, as there are also 20 restaurant stalls for you to tuck into, from cheese and pastry snacks to meatballs and Chinese. Adding to the ambience is an impressive line-up of musicians to serenade your journey from Brokenwood to Tamburlaine to Tyrrell's, with a laidback mix of jazz, blues, and acoustic (think groovin' reggae with the My Ty's and a constant stream of smooth jazz and you'll kind of get the picture). Book your own $25 tasting package on the Sydney Cellar Door website, which will get you an official tasting glass along with five wine-tasting tokens (with each token entitling you to one 60ml glass or two 30ml tastes) and you'll have yourself the perfect recipe for a late summer's afternoon.
Beloved Inner West pub The Erko has given its menu a hyper-local revamp with the help of the new top dog in the kitchen, ex-Chiswick chef Ethan Robinson. Borrowing inspiration from Matt Moran's Woollahra favourite and its in-house garden, the new selection of eats at The Erko leans on fresh local produce — including ingredients from Erskineville's community garden — in order to reimagine classic pub fare. "We're making our own bread, hand cutting the chips, crumbing the chickens, fermenting and pickling in-house using surplus, blemished and oddly shaped produce, using herbs and veggies sourced locally, and composting our kitchen waste," says Robinson. "We have a little patch at the Erko Road Community Garden next door where we're growing herbs, native greens, chillies, cherry tomatoes, garlic chives, carrots, and Jerusalem artichokes. We're also using local honey and have locally made hot sauces too." If you're heading in for an afternoon beer and you're after some finger food, the zucchini fritti is our pick — a bowl of super-crispy little morsels paired with a creamy no-fuss herb mayo. Alternatively, opt for the fried chicken sliders that are brought to life with the addition of honey, hot sauce and a crunch of lettuce. If you want to get fancy, The Erko has jumped on the ceviche trend and added kingfish with dill, cucumber and a citrus dressing (see below) to the starters menu — plus, you can score $2 oysters every Sunday from midday. And, the salad selection has also been freshened up, with the standout being a vibrant octopus and chickpea salad that can work as a pesco-friendly main or a light share plate. The mains don't venture too far from what you'd expect from your local pub (nobody wants to head in with a parmi on their mind and not find it). What Robinson has done is add a little flair to these tried-and-true classics, with the schnitzel topped with parmesan and crispy capers, the steak paired with chimichurri butter, and the team is working with local seafood suppliers to provide a catch of the day that spotlights lesser-known wild-caught fish. "You can still just pop in for a burger or schnitty — but they'll taste so much better than a regular pub feed," says Robinson. The Erko is located at 102 Erskineville Road, Erskineville. Images: Steven Woodburn
Newtown's cult favourite Turkish ice creamery Hakiki has been impressing Sydneysiders since early 2015. It has earned quite the reputation for its traditional Maras-style ice cream — which is smooth and creamy, yet drip-free and melt-resistant, until the second it hits your mouth. The signature serve is so thick, it's best tackled with a knife and fork. The ingredient that gives the ice cream this unusual texture is an orchid root grown in southern Turkey. Alongside classic Anatolian treats like baklava, Turkish delight and rich Turkish coffee, the team whips up a range of traditional and innovative ice cream flavours, from old favourites like pistachio and hazelnut, to the ever-popular baklava and moreish tahini. There's even an unlikely, but delicious, combination of melon and feta.
Interpersonal relationships are all about compromise. I'll cook, you clean. I'll be designated driver this weekend, you can do it next weekend. Still, quite possibly the biggest source of compromise – or conflict – is choosing where to go for dinner. Fortunately for residents of and visitors to south Sydney, this is all about to change. The culprit? Highfield Caringbah, the Sutherland Shire's first "vertical pub", offering up a bevy of themes and dining options under one roof. With their newest offering, the Feros Group have quite literally built on the success of Ugly Pizza and Huxley's Sports Bar. Both existing venues remain on the ground floor at the MacKay street site, with new venues The Public House and The Botanical opening up top. No-fuss joint Ugly pumps out its New York-style pizzas for dine in or takeaway. Huxley's, meanwhile, serves as a shrine to the USA, offering up diner staples – burgers, hot dogs, mac'n'cheese – to an overlapping soundtrack of American sports playing on dozens of TVs. On the middle floor, The Public House sticks to standard Aussie pub traditions: a TAB, domestic and craft beers on tap, and a menu featuring good old schnitties and steaks. And if you're looking to add a touch of elegance to the evening, rooftop hangout The Botanical offers a dedicated cocktail bar, a living green wall and food prepared on a Japanese-style Robata grill — not to mention spectacular views of the city skyline. Find Highfield Caringbah at 22-24 MacKay Street, Caringbah. For more information, visit their website.
This teeny tiny shop on Enmore Road looks fairly inconspicuous from the outside, but it has become a local gem — especially after it won the title of world's best gelato in Italy in 2014. Cow & the Moon make all of its gelato in-house using a recipes developed over the last 15 years. The traditional flavours are all winners here — including the gianduia, pistachio and tiramisu — as are the lemon cheesecake and the pannacotta with balsanmis strawberries and chocolate. In the lucrative field of sorbets, the chocolate is one of the best around. Cow & the Moon also does a very good coffee (and affogatos).
If you love ordering falafel when you're out but haven't had the confidence to make it yourself, Above Par's CBD venue is offering some help during Good Food Month, all thanks to a falafel-making masterclass. Chef Efe Topuzlu will take you under his wing to teach you how to make the Clarence Street spot's sesame seed-topped falafel from scratch — and, afterwards, you'll sit down to enjoy a four-course Middle Eastern feast full of favourites from the Above Par menu. Following the class, you'll be treated to puffy bread with spiced olives and pickles for an entree. You'll then get the chance to dig into some falafel yourself, paired with babaganoush and lahmacun. The mains in your post-masterclass meal will feature chicken shish, lamb kofta and fattoush, before a pistachio baklava is served for dessert. The masterclass and subsequent meal will set you back $79 per person, with sessions from 6pm on three consecutive Fridays: January 14, 21 and 28.
When a venue is called Winghaus, it's obvious what's on the menu. This chain doesn't just love chicken pieces, however; it also adores sport. So, with for the 2023 Women's World Cup, of course it's celebrating. On offer: games on the big screens, plus slivers of chook with inventive flavours based on the competing soccer squads. Head to the brand's sites — including its Circular Quay and Barangaroo joints — until Sunday, August 20 for the Winghaus Women's World Cup. Here, you'll feast your way through the football frenzy with chicken salt, maple bacon, salsa brava and curry ketchup wings, plus chimichurri, Korean barbecue, and Manuka honey and lemon. Can you pick which variety goes with which team? The chicken salt is in honour of the Matildas, of course. Ten countries are represented, also spanning the US, Germany, England, Canada, Brazil, South Korea, New Zealand, China and Spain. Prefer a vegetarian version? Cauliflower wings are on the menu as well — and, either way, you'll pay $16–19 for ten pieces, $29–32 for 20, $59–62 for 50 and $109–112 for 100.
A new fashion market is joining Sydney's growing array of weekend shopping spots; however this one-off event has something other than bargain purchases or vintage finds in mind. At the Slow Fashion Market, attendees will browse through racks of clothing and shelves of accessories that fit two criteria. Firstly, everything on offer is made from sustainable, non-toxic materials. Secondly, it all hails from retailers that either make the fashion themselves or pay their workers fair wages. It's the latest venture from Emma Morris and Lee Glezos — aka the team behind The Makers & Shakers Market and the Round She Goes Preloved Fashion Market — with the duo aiming to raise awareness about the slow fashion movement. With mass-produced, over-produced 'fast fashion' having an enormous environmental impact, resulting in around 85 percent of new textiles eventually ending up in landfill, the Slow Fashion Market "will bring together people who care about how their fashion is made," explains Morris. "Consumers are reaching their threshold for clothes that is made cheap and fast, that falls apart after a couple of washes, and potentially exploits the people who made them." Taking place from 10am–3pm on Saturday, September 1 at Petersham Town Hall, the market will feature more than 40 independent brands selling womens, mens and children's fare. Entry costs $2, so keep your gold coins handy. While there's a serious and important topic behind the one-day event, the Slow Fashion Market not only endeavours to educate consumers, but to celebrate makers. "We create an environment where everyone is comfortable asking questions — and 'who made my clothes?' is the core question at this event," says Morris. The Slow Fashion Market takes place from 10am–3pm on Saturday, September 1 at Petersham Town Hall. For more information, visit the market website. Image: Alana Dimou.
If you're after a hearty meal to keep you toasty on a cool night, look no further than Shubhakamana. Its selection of curries, momos, noodles and rice dishes can keep you and your achingly cold bones company. Hailing from Rockdale, Shubhakamana has become a local hotspot for Nepalese cuisine and is known for giving a home-cooked touch to the nation's most renowned dishes. A meal here absolutely must include a plate of momos — we recommend ordering the platter so you can try a few of the different styles. These Nepalese-style dumplings come stuffed with spicy chicken or buffalo mince and, regardless of whether they're steamed, fried or doused in a tangy sauce (or all three), they're served with a super spicy tomato dipping sauce. Elsewhere on the menu, you'll find hearty curries, Chinese-style chow mein noodles, thali (a platter featuring black lentil soup, veggies, papadums and rice), biryani and thukpa (a Nepalese-style vegetable noodle soup). Images: Cassandra Hannagan
Anyone who takes their alcohol semi-seriously or are discontent with cookie-cutter commercial bottle shops can seek solace in The Oak Barrel. The team takes alcohol even more seriously than you do. A family-run business since 1956, and one of the city's oldest independent bottle shops, The Oak Barrel is a purveyor of the finest beer, wine and whisky available. Organic and natural wines are having a bit of a moment right now, but The Oak Barrel have long been specialists in this realm. It stocks wines from all over the world and the staff's encyclopaedic knowledge will help steer you in the right direction. Craft beer fans will geek out in The Oak Barrel's cave which holds an extensive range of local and global (mostly Belgium, US and NZ) brews that grows quite literally on a weekly basis. If you're after the harder stuff, its spirit range is equally impressive. Whisky is the main drawcard holding everything from Tasmanian single cask to private collection scotch and Kentucky rye. The shop plays host to a number of events and also runs regular tasting nights with tickets usually sitting at the $35 mark. Ranging from sake to natural wines to sour beers, these appreciation events are guided by experts who discuss the history and nuances of the drinks - basically, it's a fancy excuse to drink lots of quality booze.
Forget acting ambitions, humanitarian causes or inventing an app that cures cancer and keeps track of the Sydney public transport system better than TripView. Have you ever wanted to be famous for something good? That was the pertinent question asked by the Oxford Tavern as they announced their First Annual Oxford Tavern Jelly Wrestle. If you can grapple another human to the ground in the most gelatinous of circumstances, and do it in character, this is your chance at glory. Back in the day, before it was fancied up by Drink N Dine last year, the Tav was a little seedier — well known for its topless barmaids and, yes, regular jelly wrestling comps. Up until now, that legacy has only lived on in their singular, extravagant, gloves-but-no-cutlery-provided dessert: the Jelly Wrestle. Perhaps by popular demand, or simply as a nod to their questionable past, they're bringing back the fleshy, messy real deal that is its namesake. The competition is open to both men and women (competing on a strictly man vs. man, woman vs. woman basis). If you want to brave the pit, pick up an application form and check out the rules, which range from the obvious (no punching, no biting) to the should-be-obvious (no finger probing), and the inexplicable (no bleeding) to the twee (entrants wear magic socks, and the removal of your opponent's magic sock means YOU WIN!). One pit. Twenty wrestlers. Who will win the pride of the Inner Wild West?
UPDATE: MARCH 19, 2020 — Organisers have announced that So Pop 2020 will no longer go ahead "due to policies and measures put in place by the Australian and New Zealand Government regarding COVID-19 and the inability for large gathering events to proceed". Ticket holders will receive a full refund. 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. Pull out that old Discman, break out the cargo pants and start practising your smoothest early noughties dance moves — the pop tour of your wildest teenage dreams is hitting our shores this summer and it's got more stars than a TV Hits sticker collection. Next April and May, the second So Pop festival is set to deliver a huge serve of nostalgia to stadiums across Australia and New Zealand, pulling together an extra juicy lineup of old-school icons, headlined by some of the biggest teenage obsessions from the late 90s and early 2000s. Stages in Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Auckland and Christchurch will be transported back to the 90s and 00s for one glorious night each, playing host to the pop-drenched soundtrack of your youth. Heading up the show are female five-piece The Pussycat Dolls, who will come out of a hiatus to take you right back to dancing in your living room in front of the TV on a Saturday morning with pop hits 'Don't Cha', 'Buttons' and 'What I Grow Up'. It'll be the group's first visit Down Under since touring with Lady Gaga back in 2009. Joining them is British band Steps — so you'll need to start re-learning the line dancing moves to '5, 6, 7, 8' again — and the object of many a teenage girl's crush back in the day: Jesse McCartney https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWq_E17pTHY Relive more So Fresh-era bangers with Smash Mouth — who gifted us with 1999 hit 'All Star' — and the lady that gave us 'Murder on the Dancefloor', Sophie Ellis-Bextor. Irish pop star Samantha Mumba ('Baby Come on Over'), Dutch dance group Alice DJ 'Better Off Alone') and Reel 2 Reel ('I Like to Move It') round out the throwback showdown. SO POP 2020 DATES Perth — RAC Arena on Wednesday, April 22 Brisbane — Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Friday, April 24 Sydney — Qudos Bank Arena on Saturday, April 25 Adelaide — Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Tuesday, April 28 Melbourne — Melbourne Arena on Thursday, April 30 Auckland — Spark Arena on Saturday, May 2 Christchurch — Horncastle Arena on Sunday, May 3 So Pop pre-sale tickets are up for grabs or 24 hours this Wednesday, December 4 on the Frontier Touring website. The rest will go on sale on Monday, December 9.
