A brand new arts and culture centre dedicated to hands-on experiences has opened at the Sydney Opera House. The centre is a former office space that has been converted to facilitate immersive creative experiences including performances, workshops and installation. One of the highlights of the launch program is multi-disciplinary artist Rosie Deacon's interactive exhibition House Warming. The activation features a forest of her joyous and colourful recycled sculptures and artworks. Attendees are also encouraged to contribute to the forest as part of its two-week run. The free, family-friendly exhibition is running from Tuesday, January 4–Sunday, January 16 at the Opera House's Centre for Creativity. Sessions run 10am–3pm daily, alongside a selection of night sessions that will run on Friday, January 7 and Saturday, January 8, and again on Friday, January 14 and Saturday, January 15. Other exhibitions and workshops on offer during the centre's opening program include a workshop from western Sydney hip hop crew CanYouAfro?; a workshop lead by Barkindtji, Yorta Yorta and Dhudaroah artist Tegan Mursock that teaches participants the fundamentals of Aboriginal weaving and making wall hangings; and a vogueing class lead by Sydney's Street University. "The Centre for Creativity offers programs inspired by the Opera House and all that it does – spanning design, dance, First Nations cultures, engineering, song and storytelling – so that people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds can set their creativity free," said Sydney Opera House Director of Programming Fiona Winning. [caption id="attachment_834018" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Daniel Boud[/caption] Top image: Cassandra Hannagan
How would you like to be in pictures? Screen Australia and YouTube have teamed up to map the Australian summer, and need your films and footage to do it. You can submit footage of your Aussie summer to the YouTube Map My Summer channel but it must have been filmed since December 1 2010. Inspired by Ridley Scott's Life in a Day project, Screen Australia have selected Dr George Miller, of Mad Max, Babe and Happy Feet fame, and short film maker Amy Gebhardt to create a film that captures the essence of Australian summer from all the public submissions. Gebhardt won the right to work alongside Miller thanks to her film Into the Sun, a dreamy, symbolic expression of our relationship with summer. Given the summer Australia has just had, the finished work could end up being anything from a disaster movie to a Jaws remake. Five contributors whose footage is used in the final film will be invited to attend the Sydney Film Festival premiere in June, where the crowd-sourced film will be screened, so get your summery, sub-three-minute video uploaded by the end of March and be a part of it! https://youtube.com/watch?v=QlIfgRqTB7M
Looking to be a little more mindful this year? Perhaps a get a bit more spiritual? Make tracks to Bendigo's impressive Buddhist structure, The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion (which also happens to the largest stupa in the southern hemisphere) in May. The annual appreciation for Buddha and his life, known as Illumin8, will take place across Friday, May 17 and Saturday, May 18. If Buddha is your jam and light installations and fireworks are your peanut butter, then roll on up. Illumin8 2019 will incorporate light sculptures in The Great Stupa's Peace Park, roaming performances and vegetarian and vegan food and market stalls. Be sure to visit the giant Jade Buddha while you're there, too (it's his day after all). The centrepiece of the whole shebang is a light projection show each night telling the story of Buddha's life, topped off by fireworks. Open your mind and let the light in (just don't get too close to the fireworks). Illumin8 2019 will run from 4–8pm on Friday, May 17 and 10am–8pm on Saturday, May 18. To purchase tickets, head to The Great Stupa's website.
From November to March each year, the turtle nesting and hatching period kicks into gear along Queensland's coastline. First, the shell-wearing critters lay their eggs. Then, they wait for their young to emerge. If you're a fan of the animals, it's prime turtle-spotting season. Located within the Mon Repos Conservation Park and home to the largest population of nesting marine loggerhead turtles in the South Pacific, the Mon Repos Turtle Centre has long hosted tours during breeding season, letting turtle lovers watch nature in action. When the 2019 period commences, visitors will not only be able to see the sea-dwelling creatures come home to lay their eggs, watch their babies hatch and witness the cute infants make their first journey out to sea — they'll also be able to roam around a revamped facility. Launching in November along with this year's tours, Mon Repos Turtle Centre will unveil its $22 million renovation, with $17 million of that funding provided by the Queensland Government. While it'll get plenty of traffic during peak turtle-viewing season, the aim is to entice visitors all-year-round. To help, the refreshed centre will boast an immersive theatre room that recreates the turtle nesting experience. Attendees will take off their shoes, step onto sand and watch the process, regardless of whether they're heading on a nightly tour or just stopping by in the off-season. Other new additions include a cafe, touch screen TVs and new displays. The revamped facility will also be decked out with new interpretive signage, welcoming visitors to the region by its First Nation tribes — the Gooreng Gooreng, Gurang, Tarebilang and Byellee peoples. Find the Mon Repos Turtle Centre at 141 Mon Repos Road, Mon Repos from Saturday, November 9. For further details or to book tickets, visit the centre's website.
If you've recently found yourself in a park tossing a lump of wood around, and often, then we've got an event for you. Anyone who fancies themselves a chance of making the Finskaroos will be descending on Petersham Bowling Club on Sunday, October 29 for the Australian Finska Championship. Surrounded by the dreamy suburban surrounds of the Inner West bowls club, 128 pairs of Finska lovers will go head to head from 9am, battling it out for the grand prize of $1000. For anyone not on board the hype train just yet, Finska or Finnish skittles is an outdoor group game where teams have to knock down wooden pins in a race to 50 points. The competition is open to everyone, from first-timers to experienced throwers. After the first few rounds, teams will be split into two comps to ensure that you're paired up with players of a similar skill level to themselves. If you want to spend your Sunday on the greens scoring points over a beer and a laugh, you will need to sign up beforehand. Registration will set you and your Finska partner back $40 per team.
On Sunday, March 25, Public House Petersham will team up with day party crew One Day to transform its car park into a booming afternoon party with live music and pop-up bars. A new mural will be painted in real-time, too — lookers-on will have a chance to watch some of the best artists in action as they spray artworks onto the car park walls. DJ sets will be played by Spit Syndicate's Nick Lupi, party hero Levins, FBi's FlexMami and other local legends. And if hip hop isn't your thing, get involved in the 20-strong female Bad Bitch Choir which will be performing twice throughout the afternoon. This event will differ slightly from other One Day parties, in that it's explicitly family friendly. Because parents need to party too. Public House Petersham is known for being a good spot for families in the inner west, and, as well as the above, it'll have bubble machines, face painting and other activities to keep little ones entertained. And pups are welcome too.
Back in the late noughties (or oh ohs, depending on your vernacular), when Leona Lewis was bleeding love everywhere and Gabriella Cilmi was persuading us of her assured lack of sweetness, Paddington Fringe Market was the go-to place for all things emerging designer and high-quality vintage. In smashing news for buyers and sellers of indie fashion, the ultimate comeback market is making a comeback of its very own. Between 9am and 4:30pm every Saturday from mid-September onwards, The Unicorn (106 Oxford Street), will transform into a retail experience that would be enough to turn Drew Barrymore into an overexcited mess. Over both the ground floor and the basement bar (better known as Easy Tiger), there'll be jewellery, sunnies, hats, dresses and only Audrey Hepburn knows what else. Every item will be either a genuine example of vintage goodness or a unique creation, envisioned and put together by an up-and-coming designer. "When my brother Nathan first set up the markets back in 2008, they were the hottest place to go to find great new designers, vintage clothing and accessories," explains The Unicorn’s general manager Luke Sullivan. "We're relaunching the markets in their original format with the aim of building them back up to the hub of fashion they were in their heyday." If you happen to be a designer or entrepreneur, there's a tiny number of stalls left for hire. Send Luke an email at luke@theunicornhotel.com to nab one — they're sure to vanish faster than you can say Breakfast at Tiffany’s. The Paddington Fringe Market returns to The Unicorn at 106 Oxford Street, Paddington in mid-September (opening date TBC). The markets will be open between 9am and 4:30pm every Saturday, free entry.
Travelling from Bengal to Iraq, to the Kimberley, Temporary Certainty explores the tensions between certainty and permanence and doubt and ephemerality through new works by Bangladesh-born Sarker Protick, and Kununarra artist Alana Hunt, and Kurdistan-born, Melbourne-based Rushdi Anwar. All three investigate interactions between identity, geography, political interventions and the passing of time. Protick, in his work-in-progress Exodus (2015–ongoing), takes us to the decaying buildings and overgrown grounds of East Bengal's abandoned feudal estates, which once belonged to rich, powerful Hindu jamindars (landlords). Also occupied with built environments are two works by Anwar. His video and sound installation Facing Living: The Past in the Present (2015) delves into Saddam Hussein's dictatorship over Iraq, while We have found in the ashes what we have lost in the fire (2018) is his response to visiting a church in Bashiqa, Mosul, which lies in territory disputed over by the Kurdistan Regional Government and Iraqi government. Meanwhile, Hunt's Faith in a pile of stones (2018), visits Lake Argyle, a freshwater reservoir 18 times the volume of Sydney Harbour, in Kununurra in the Kimberley. Built in 1971 for irrigation, the structure caused major changes to country belonging to Miriwoong, Gija and Malgnin people, including the drowning of places of significance. If you're willing to get up early on Saturday, September 22, you can join the gallery for a breakfast tour — you'll go for congee in Chinatown, followed by a guided tour of the exhibition. It costs $25 and you can book here. Image: Sarker Protick, Disintegration, from the series Exodus (2015—ongoing). Photographic installation, variable dimensions. Courtesy the artist.
Much has happened on Sydney's Cockatoo Island/Wareamah, which has housed a prison, ship-building facilities, a reform school and a wartime boat repair port in its time. In recent years, the patch of land in the middle of Sydney Harbour has also hosted a film festival and haunted history tours — and now Haus of Horror is combining elements of both for its next immersive cinema screenings. The movie-loving outfit has been popping up around the Harbour City for over a year, screening The Exorcist and the OG Scream in a haunted prison with sessions at Parramatta Gaol, taking Beetlejuice to Camperdown Cemetery in Newtown and more. Next comes two evenings of A Nightmare on Elm Street on Cockatoo Island on Friday, February 16 and Saturday, February 17, with attendees catching a themed ferry over, then exploring the site. When sunset hits, Freddy Krueger will start stalking. If you believe the stories about Cockatoo Island's ghosts, you'll be in a particularly eerie place for this date with the horror-movie villain created by the late, great Wes Craven. You'll also be watching the film in its 40th-anniversary year. And, as is Haus of Horror's custom, pressing play on the film in a notable — and notably disquieting — spot is only the start of it. These folks take the immersive part of the setup extremely seriously. Whether or not you choose to don a striped jumper for the occasion, your ticket includes the chartered ferry to over and back, departing from Barangaroo; moseying around not only the island but the unsettling installations that the Haus of Horror crew sets up around the Turbine Hall and Bolt Wharf; listening to a live DJ as part of the pre-show entertainment; and special guests roaming around, and also a photobooth to immortalise your memories. A bar will be serving drinks, and there'll be snacks on offer — but you'll be paying for those separately.
Messina in a can. Nothing says novelty food quite like it. And since it made its debut at Melbourne's Royal Croquet Club back in January 2015, the ever-innovative team at Gelato Messina are finally bringing their Warhol-inspired International Soup Kitchen to Sydney. While Warhol's original cans would send you into crippling debt, Messina's little tin artworks are set to be much more affordable when they go on sale at the first-ever incarnation of The Hills Food Fest this weekend. Four tasty-sounding gelato sundaes will be on offer from Messina's own soup kitchen stall, adorably encased in a bespoke soup tin. Choose from Black Forest Bisque (chocolate fondant gelato, cherry jam, kirsch cream, kirsch soaked sponge), Faux Pho (salted coconut sorbet, kaffir lime marshmallow, lychee meringue, chilli cashew crunch), Zuppa Duppa (hazelnut gelato, strawberry preserve, pistachio crunch, amaretti biscotti), and American Chow Down (peanut gelato, cream cheese gelato, oreo cookie crumbs and pretzel crunch). You'll find the Messina International Soup Kitchen at the the festival, which is happening at Rouse Hill's Australian Brewery this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. They'll be ladeling out the goods alongside fellow nosh wizards Bao Stop, Knafeh, Happy as Larry and Hoi Pinoy. The Hills Film Fest is happening Friday, June 24 from 5-10pm, Saturday, 25 June from noon - 10pm and Sunday, 26 June from noon - 9pm. For more information, visit the Facebook event.
Frustrated at the distant Australian release date for The Great Gatsby? Forget the flamboyance and pizzazz of Baz Luhrmann's film, because the best way to get lost in the decadent world of The Great Gatsby is through this 8-bit video game. Okay, maybe we're exaggerating a pinch, and maybe this isn't the best bit of Gatsby paraphernalia going around. But the Great Gatsby video game is undoubtedly the best Friday afternoon procrastination that we have stumbled across in a very long time. https://youtube.com/watch?v=yqTUKgQ_Cz4 The story behind the making of the game is a Gatsby-esque rags-to-riches tale in itself. Having come across the 8-bit Nintendo game at a yard sale and forking out a whopping 50c for it, the developers thought it deserved some time in the sun and transformed it into an open-source online game. For all the Gatsby fans out there, the thrill of playing as a butler-and-showgirl-killing Nick Carraway in search of both your fortune and the mysterious Gatsby himself is only matched by the games plethora of references, some of which we loved (like that deliciously smug gentleman reading a book and dishing out directions), and some which I imagine flew right over our heads. If nothing else, the game may just be one more thing to get us in the mood for Luhrmann's film, which by now we're busting to see. Via Fast Co.Create.
Based on a novel by Hunter S. Thompson, The Rum Diary follows the wild adventures of journalist Paul Kemp (Johnny Depp) as he takes on a freelance job in Puerto Rico for a local newspaper during the 1950s. Struggling to find a balance between island culture and the expatriates who live there, Kemp forms a passionate yet dangerous attraction to Chenault (Amber Heard), the fiancée of Sanderson (Aaron Eckhart), a wealthy entrepreneur. When Kemp is recruited by Sanderson to write favorably about his latest unsavoury scheme, the journalist faces a dilemma: to use his words for the corrupt businessman's financial benefit, or use them to take the bastards down. The Rum Diary is a fast-paced filmic cocktail of comedy, adventure, romance and action. The incredible cinematography and choice of soundtrack in Bruce Robinson's film paints the exotic landscape of Puerto Rico with colours and sounds that exemplify Kemp's experience in the foreign land. With a cast of well-known Hollywood talents, lead by the charismatic Johnny Depp, this movie is sure to take you on one hell of a rum-fuelled ride. Read the full review here. To win one of ten double passes to see The Rum Diary, just make sure you are subscribed to Concrete Playground then email your name and postal address through to hello@concreteplayground.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=0YUx36yLLug
Just how many finished cigarettes have been stamped out on the footpath, or casually flicked into the gutter? According to Greenbutts, no less than 4.5 trillion annually. And while these trillions of cigarette butts (typically made from cellulose acetate) are technically biodegradable, they take between 10 and 15 years to decompose. In 2006, cigarette butts amassed to 24.7% of the rubbish collected during the International Coastal Cleanup. Greenbutts has introduced a 100% natural alternative to traditional, chemical-laden cigarettes. Greenbutts' cigarette filters are composed of plant seeds, natural flax, cotton and de-gummed hemp, all bound together by natural starch and water. When covered by a thin layer of soil, discarded Greenbutts will sprout into flowers: a much lovelier and eco-friendly sight than a squashed butt. [Via Lost At E Minor]
If you're in Barrington Tops, your trip won't be complete without a moment or two at the top of a scenic lookout. Offering all-encompassing views of the stunning landscape, you can gauge a sense of the region as a whole. Thunderbolts lookout showcases the gorgeous plateau region between Scone and Gloucester, dense with Antarctic beech trees and moss-covered forest floors. Nearby is Devils Hole lookout, which sits at an altitude of 1400 metres and offers breathtaking views of the dense forestry and undulating mountains beyond. Elsewhere, Careys Peak is at the end of an invigorating walking track that will take you through heavily wooded country before giving way to a peak in the Williams Range, where you can survey the ground you've just traversed from a cracking lookout spot. Image: Don Fuchs
Stephin Merritt's voice mourns as much as it sings. His four bands straddle genres - Future Bible Heroes, The Gothic Archies, The 6ths and The Magnetic Fields - but his voice takes the same mordant pitch in each. Which is ironic, as his music couldn't be more varied; his masterpiece 69 Love Songs, for example, is everything that its title suggests. Now he is the subject of a new documentary Strange Powers, which is being shown at the Chauvel by Popfrenzy in a one-off screening on August the 4th. The apparent contradiction of Stephin Merritt is that for a performer of such complex, expressive lyrics and melodies, his public persona is so dry and unemotional. Watching him being interviewed is watching him being profoundly bored, interspersed with rare flashes of passionate dissertation. Interviewers of Merritt can seem like neglected hangers-on, as you watch them scrabble for purchase in the dead field of his attention. But as far as indie rock gods go, he is the real deal; which is to say he's powerful, mercurial and doesn't care much for your approval. But if you want to see him at his most human, his most approachable, then Strange Powers is the place to start looking.
If you thought Melbourne getting a George Costanza bar was cool (or maybe you're just more of a Beetlejuice fan), you'll be pretty impressed by New York City's latest attempt to one-up itself when it comes to themed establishments. Set to open early next month is a Tim Burton-inspired bar and restaurant, very aptly named Beetle House. Millennium made. The Manhattan bar comes from the same team who thought (and were indeed correct in doing so) that the island needed a Will Ferrell-themed bar, which opened in October last year. Beetle House, however, promises to recreate Halloween all year-long with "an atmosphere and menu inspired by the works of Tim Burton". Perfect for the regular Edward Scissorhands or ghosts stuck haunting the East Village. Potions will include the likes of the This Is Halloween (a concoction of pumpkin, cinnamon and apple liqueurs, ginger beer and apple cider) and the We Come In Peace, which is a questionable mix of salted caramel vodka, RumChata, cream and a caramel swirl salted rim. Other well-named sips include the likes of Edward's Lemonade, It's Showtime and Beetlejuice (naturally). Drink at your own peril. To eat, you can choose from the likes of Beetle Bread bruschetta, the Victor Van Pork burger and the Sweeney Beef steak. Beetle House is located in the East Village at 308 East 6th Street. If you've got a trip planned to NYC anytime soon, we suggest booking a table in advance lest you have to go to an unthemed restaurant instead.
Castle Hill's newly opened Fire and Brimstone wants to teach you the tricks of the trade — the 'low and slow' barbecue trade — when it hosts its one-off masterclass this week. The class will be run by the venue's pro-pitmaster Brad Shorten, who will team up with Sydney's award-winning competition team Badass BBQ, and will include how to prepare, cook and taste competition-worthy meats. The one-night smoked meats lesson will take place this Wednesday, October 31 from 6.30pm. For $99 per person, patrons will learn how to create champion slow-cooked beef brisket and pork ribs, then will get to eat them. And, since the venue also doubles as a bourbon bar, the masterclass eats will be paired with fine whiskies and craft beer, all included in the ticket price.
You've probably heard all about the power of blockchain, but we bet you didn't know cryptocurrency could get you free burgers and gelato. Well, it can (kind of). To celebrate the launch of Liven Coin (LVN), the world's first digital currency for food, Liven has teamed up with Gelato Messina and 8bit to bring you a whole month of crypto-inspired dishes. And if you're a new Liven user, you can get your hands on them for free — or discounted if you're an existing user. Available in Sydney and Melbourne until Monday, November 19, the limited-edition dishes are both creative and innovative. It allows you the opportunity to invest in LVN coin just by dining at your favourite restaurants and rewards you every time you eat out. 8bit will be serving up the Insert Coin burger with a beef patty, american cheese, smashed avo, feta and the much-loved 8bit sauce. New users can score it for free while existing users will get $5 off. Meanwhile, Gelato Messina will sling scoops of ChipOCurrency, a decadent peanut butter gelato with white chocolate and potato chips. New users can get two scoops for free and existing users get one. If one month of freebies is not enough, Liven is also giving one lucky person free gelato and burgers for 12 beautiful months — all you have to do is enter with a quick comment on this Facebook post. Good luck and happy feasting.
One of the joys of watching Jessica Chastain on screen is watching an excellent actress at the top of her game. Another, and one that occurs again and again in Miss Sloane, is watching everyone else react to her presence. Whether she's hunting down terrorists in Zero Dark Thirty or playing a scheming sibling in Crimson Peak, no one sharing her scenes seems to know quite how to react — which is a testament to the kinds of roles the two-time Oscar-nominee chooses, as well as the way she plays them, rather than a comment on her co-stars. Ambitious, determined and daring to defy categorisation, the bulk of Chastain's characters simply demand attention. Ruthless lobbyist Elizabeth Sloane certainly does, as does the movie that shares her name. "Lobbying is about foresight," Sloane tells the camera during the film's opening scene, with everything that follows demonstrating the accuracy of her assertion. Miss Sloane starts with a congressional committee, where she has been asked to explain her behaviour during a high-profile job, before jumping back to fill in the gaps. Three months earlier, Sloane worked for one of Washington D.C.'s top firms — until the gun lobby came calling, she put them in their place, and the other side wooed her to lead their cause. Even her new boss (Mark Strong) didn't expect her to do more than put up a spirited fight, but losing isn't something Sloane knows how to handle, particularly when she's finally working for a cause she cares about. Her former colleagues (played by Sam Waterston and Michael Stuhlbarg, among others) swiftly turn nasty and combative. Her new co-workers, including the kindy and impassioned Esme (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), try to adjust to her calculating ways. Sloane herself, meanwhile, stands in the middle, providing not only a compelling centrepiece in a high stakes political battle, but a meaty example of the treatment that plagues strong women. She's a force to be reckoned with — exceptional at her job, capable of handling whatever comes her way, willing to do whatever it takes to succeed and thoroughly unconcerned about whether or not people like her. As a result, she's always a target. Arriving on screen so soon after America not only visibly rejected a vision of female leadership, but was quick to paint the prospect in highly unflattering terms, it's no wonder that Miss Sloane strikes a chord. That applies equally to the film and to the character — though the latter outshines the former, thanks largely to Chastain. Still, as the dialogue flies thick and fast, Miss Sloane proves a sleek, taut and tense political thriller. The film represents something of a change of pace for director John Madden after helming The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and its sequel; still, the veteran filmmaker proves more than up to the task. First-time screenwriter Jonathan Perera also acquits himself well, spinning an engaging narrative about duplicity, deceit, corruption and control. Of course, if you've ever watched a film or TV show about US politics, you've seen tales like this before. Proficient wheeler-and-dealers have weaved their way through shadowy landscapes on screen before, and painting the American capital as an ethical sinkhole is nothing new – as viewers of The West Wing, House of Cards, Scandal and Veep can all attest And yet, Miss Sloane is never less than involving, even when it feels a tad familiar. Plus, for the record, not everything plays out exactly as expected.
It's not every day that Thom Yorke just happens to turn up at your festival. But that's exactly what happened last year at the inaugural OutsideIn. Taking that as a pretty good sign, as well as the crowd’s intensely positive response, promoters Astral People (Tom Huggett, Lee Danilewitz and Vichara Edirisinghe) are back for another round. The festival aims to capture the energy and scope of an outdoor Electronic Dance Music (EDM) festival and reproduce it inside. This year's lineup features Hermitude, Freddie Gibbs, Astral People presents Since I Left You, BadBadNotGood, Jam City, Objekt, Laurel Halo, Mark Pritchard, Cosmo's Midnight, Oisima Andras Fox & Oscar Key Sung, Rainbow Chan, Snakehips, Wave Racer, Willow Beats, Elizabeth Rose, Movement and I'lls. After headliner Zomby's cancellation, there are also two new sideshows scheduled for 21 and 22 September. Sideshow 1 features Objekt, Laurel Halo and Jam City on Saturday, 21 September 21, at the Civic Underground, and sideshow 2 sees Freddie Gibbs, BadBadNotGood and Snakehips take the Oxford Art Factor stage on Sunday, 22 September. Ultimately, Astral People are hoping to take OutsideIn nationwide.
If you haven’t been to the glittering celebration of diversity, local art and DJ talent known as Heaps Gay before, then good news everybody, this all-inclusive fun-time party for all is turning one and they’re pulling out some seriously awesome stops for the big bash. Since its sweaty beginnings almost a year ago, this monthly party thrown every third Saturday at the Gladstone Hotel in Chippendale is taking over the entirety of The Oxford Hotel to ensure the world and his wife/husband/significant other can party on down. In conjunction with this once-off venue change comes a whole bunch of talent too, including live and hot from Berlin, the onesie-styling wonders of 80s ballad belter, Peter Baecker, as well as Kato, Levins, Shantan Wantan Ichiban, Wild Sunset, Cunningpants and a load more. Oh and did we mention the twerking workshop? Come for the welcoming vibe, stay for the cheap booze and also shed a tear because it might be happy birthday to Heaps Gay, but it’s also the last for the year.
UPDATE, June 29, 2022: Midsommar is available to stream via Netflix, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. In the dark, sprawling house at the centre of Ari Aster's Hereditary, nightmares flourished in even the safest of spaces. In the writer-director's sophomore release, Midsommar, devilish deeds and diabolical forces thrive in lush meadows dappled with unrelenting Swedish daylight. Once again weaving a maze of death, trauma, family, secrets, strange sects, unnerving rituals and eerie altercations, the acclaimed filmmaker is clearly fascinated with specific themes and motifs. He has a type, even with the evident change of location and colour scheme. And yet, Aster can't be accused of making the same movie twice. Watching on as a group of Americans encroach upon a secret Nordic community near the North Pole, joining their celebrations during a once-in-a-lifetime festival, Midsommar dives into a whole new world of terror. Crucially, it thrusts the horror genre's lingering malevolence out of dim rooms and musty corners, and into the fresh, vibrant, perennially sun-drenched air. Midsommar commences with the passing of loved ones, in what's become the director's typical fashion. That Aster has already established an authorial pattern just two movies into his feature-filmmaking career (across less than two years) speaks volumes. Midsommar doesn't seem like a rehash, nor like he's filtering his past hit through the somewhat similar The Wicker Man or Kill List. Instead, it feels as if Aster is finding new ways to unpack ideas that keep devouring his mind and soul. Through the grief-stricken Dani (Florence Pugh), he gives the bone-rattling pain of mourning the most distraught face he can, his committed new lead matching Toni Collette's turn in Hereditary for intensity. Then, he pushes his bereaved protagonist much, much further out of her comfort zone. Tagging along with her barely caring boyfriend Christian (Jack Reynor) as he accompanies his college friend Pelle (Vilhelm Blomgren) back to the close-knit commune where the latter grew up, Dani is an interloper twice over. The frat boy-ish Mark (Will Poulter) is visibly unhappy that she's joined their trip and, though fellow anthropology student Josh (William Jackson Harper) offers her kindness, it's obvious that she wasn't initially part of the group's plans. Of course, like their unwanted guest, this motley crew of self-absorbed men don't quite gel at their destination. They're met with hearty smiles, plastered across the faces of serene Swedes who wear white cotton from head to toe, sport floral headdresses and spend their afternoons tripping on mushrooms, but the visitors still stand out. And the more time that Dani, Christian, Mark and Josh spend with the Hårga, as Pelle's pagan community is known, the further they become entrenched in the summer solstice festivities. While it begins with feasts, ceremonies, love runes and laced drinks, disappearances, ominous maypole dances, deaths and worse soon follow. A film steeped in loss, Midsommar is also a movie as much about belonging as longing. The agony and uncertainty someone feels when they don't fit in, and the contentment that springs when they're welcomed with open arms, courses through the picture's veins. Tied to both is Aster's favourite sensation, with dread the movie's emotional baseline. Wherever and whenever he can, the filmmaker layers his sights and sounds with anxiety and apprehension — and with fear and foreboding on top. Unease ripples across the Hårga's leafy haven like a slight but quickening breeze, as made all the more disquieting by the long, wide shots favoured by returning cinematographer Pawel Pogorzelski, and the needling, string-heavy refrains that mark The Haxan Cloak's stirring score. Once again, Aster has crafted a work of commanding control and startling technical precision, each element carefully calculated to disturb viewers with maximum effect. Midsommar is also a work of meticulous pacing, a factor that has more of an impact than might be anticipated. As anyone who has experienced it knows, mourning is a process of waiting for time to tick by, and for soul-crushing sadness to fade from a searing flame to a bearable simmer. Likewise, relishing the joys of feeling safe and wanted also hinges upon time — although, in that situation, no one ever wants their bliss to end. Starting patiently then working up to a frenzy, Midsommar packs much into its 147-minute duration, but mirroring these feelings of grief and of comfort just might be its most devastating achievement. With that in mind, Dani is torn in two conflicting directions, simultaneously wishing her ordeal would finish and hoping that it keeps branching into eternity. Reynor's largely dazed and confused Christian feels the same way, but for his own reasons given that their relationship keeps snapping and straining towards its breaking point. The duo are distressed and drugged, yet they're also caught in the commune's thrall, and Aster asks his audience to share their sentiments. It's easy to do as the director asks, unless you're squeamish. A hallucinatory horror trip that doesn't hold back on its deranged imagery, Midsommar is a glowing, sinister dream. It couldn't look more alluring and idyllic, all while exposing festering miseries and inescapable woes. Every inch a sunlit nightmare, it shocks by bathing its dark heart in gleaming brightness, and intoxicates even as it repeatedly unsettles viewers to their core. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_I9ZeUWXI2s
We've already given you the lowdown on Moët & Chandon's chic new pop-up drinking destination. And now the champagne experts have upped the ante by adding three exclusive after dark parties to elevate your harbourside experience and help you kick start your summer in style. From Thursday, December 2 till Saturday, December 4, you and your friends can enjoy a luxe evening at Moët & Chandon's Effervescence on Bennelong Lawn. Each evening will feature a different cuvée meaning you could be sipping the delicious Imperial, Rosé Imperial or Grand Vintage champagnes inside a bubbling 500-square-metre sculpture while a custom-built chandelier takes centre stage above. Tickets to these exclusive evenings range from $100–150 per person and include a Moët Mini on arrival, Moët & Chandon champagne throughout the evening, live DJ sets, roving canapés and more. Tickets are strictly limited so be quick to snap up your spot at this snazzy summer soiree. Ready to immerse yourself in the effervescent world of Moët & Chandon on a balmy summer evening? For more information and to book your tickets, visit the website.
It's been nearly four years since Mumford & Sons topped the ARIA charts with its third album, Wilder Mind — and last visited the Antipodes. But, angst-ridden fans, you can now breathe a sigh of relief. The British quartet will release its fourth offering, Delta, on Friday, November 16 and, soon afterwards, will embark on a 60-date worldwide tour. It includes six stops right here in Australia, presented by Secret Sounds. To catch the boys in Sydney, make sure you're around in January. They'll play the Qudos Bank Arena at Sydney Olympic Park on Friday, January 18 with the support of English soul singer-songwriter Michael Kiwanuka, whose sophomore album Love & Hate, produced by Danger Mouse, topped the UK charts in 2016. According to Mumford & Sons' lead singer Marcus Mumford, Delta represents a place where "order meets chaos and shelter meets wilderness". Described as the band at its "impassioned and muscular best", the album was two years in the making and recorded at Church Studios in North London with Paul Epworth, whose production credits include Adele, U2 and London Grammar. To get a taste of what to expect, check out the lead single, 'Guiding Light', over here. The Secret Sounds presale, for email subscribers only, will begin at 2pm on Wednesday, October 10 and finish up at 8am on Friday, October 12. General sales are slated to drop an hour later, at 9am on Friday, October 12. For further event details, visit the Secret Sounds website.
Since starting up in 2017, Sydney's first vegan market has held countless successful events. Luckily for all of Sydney's vegans, it's continuing through the COVID-19 pandemic — but, of course, virtually. The idea is similar, but instead of filling the Entertainment Quarter with over 100 stalls, Sydney Vegan Market, together with the Newcastle Vegan Market, is offering its curated selection of snacks, homewares, fashion, art and skincare online. It has launched Vegan NSW Marketplace: your one-stop-shop for all of your plant-based needs. For the most part, is all about food. Across the website, you can expect to see Sydney's most popular vegan brands, peddling everything from croissants and baked goods to lasagne, garlic bread and 'bolognese'. A lot of the food 'stalls' are offering free delivery, too, you'll just need to order in advance and, in some cases, give 48 hours notice. Also available to peruse are candles, eco shopping bags, essential oils, reusable makeup wipes and shoes. And gifts for mum, if you're thinking about Mother's Day (May 10, btw). Other items on the agenda include a free talk series, cooking demos, workout classes and more every Sunday from 12–2pm via Vegan NSW TV (VTV), which is streamed on the marketplace website. [caption id="attachment_764567" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Oh My Days' vegan croissant.[/caption] Top image: Milad K
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are back in business — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0T4GIqEYyNk&feature=youtu.be RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON Featuring a vibrant animated spectacle that heroes vivid green and blue hues, a rousing central figure who is never a stock-standard Disney princess and lively voice work from an all-star cast, Raya and the Last Dragon boasts plenty of highlights. Directed by Don Hall (Big Hero 6) and Carlos López Estrada (Blindspotting), co-directed by Paul Briggs and John Ripa (both Disney art and animation department veterans), and penned by Qui Nguyen (Dispatches From Elsewhere) and Adele Lim (Crazy Rich Asians), the Mouse House's new all-ages-friendly release also embraces southeast Asian culture with the same warm hug that Moana gave Polynesia and Pixar's Coco sent Mexico's way — and it's always detailed, organic, inclusive and thoughtful, and never tokenistic. But perhaps its biggest strength, other than the pitch-perfect vocal stylings of Awkwafina as the playful, mystical half of the film's title, is its timing. Disney first announced the feature back in August 2019, so the company can't have known what the world would suffer through from early 2020 onwards, of course. But a hopeful movie about a planet ravaged by a destructive plague and blighted by tribalism — and a feature that champions the importance of banding together to make things right, too — really couldn't arrive at a more opportune moment. COVID-19 has no place in Raya and the Last Dragon; however, as the picture's introductory preamble explains, a virus-like wave of critters called the Druun has wreaked havoc. Five hundred years earlier, the world of Kumandra was filled with humans and dragons living together in harmony, until the sinister force hit. Now, only the realm's two-legged inhabitants remain — after their furry friends used their magic to create the dragon gem, which saved everyone except themselves. That's the only status quo that Raya (voiced by Star Wars' Kelly Marie Tran) has ever known. Her entire existence has also been lived out in a divided Kumandra, with different groups staking a claim to various areas. With her father Benja (Daniel Dae Kim, Always Be My Maybe), she hails from the most prosperous region, Heart, and the duo hold out hope that they can reunite the warring lands. Alas, when they bring together their fellow leaders for a peaceful summit, Raya's eagerness to trust Namaari (Gemma Chan, Captain Marvel), the daughter of a rival chief, ends with the Druun on the rampage once again. A movie about believing not just in yourself, but in others, Raya and the Last Dragon doesn't shy away from the reality that putting faith in anyone comes with the chance of peril and pain — especially in fraught times where the world has taken on an every-person-for-themselves mentality and folks are dying (or being turned to stone, which is the Druun's modus operandi). If the narrative hadn't been willing to make this plain again and again, including when it picks up six years later as Raya tries to reverse the devastation caused by Namaari's actions, Raya and the Last Dragon wouldn't feel as genuinely affecting. Raya and the Dragon is screening in Australian cinemas from Thursday, March 4, and will also be available to view via Disney+ with Premier Access (so you'll pay $34.99 extra for it, on top of your usual subscription fee) from Friday, March 5. It'll hit Disney+ without any extra fee on June 4. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSFpK34lfv0 NOMADLAND Frances McDormand is a gift of an actor. Point a camera her way, and a performance so rich that it feels not just believable but tangible floats across the screen. That's true whether she's playing overt or understated characters, or balancing those two extremes. In Fargo, the first film that earned her an Oscar, McDormand is distinctive but grounded, spouting midwestern phrases like "you betcha" but inhabiting her part with texture and sincerity. In Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, her next Academy Award-winning role, she's an impassioned mother crusading for justice and vengeance, and she ripples with deep-seated sorrow mixed with anger so fiery that it may as well be burning away her insides. Now, in Nomadland, McDormand feels stripped bare and still a commanding force to be reckoned with. She's tasked with a plucky but struggling part — defiant and determined, too; knocked around by life's ups and downs, noticeably; and, crucially, cognisant that valuing the small pleasures is the hardest but most rewarding feat. It'll earn her another Oscar nomination. It could see her nab a third shiny statuette just three years after her last. Along with the attention the movie received at the Golden Globes, both are highly deserved outcomes because hers is an exceptional performance, and this was easily 2020's best film. Here, leading a cast that also includes real people experiencing the existence that's fictionalised within the narrative, she plays the widowed, van-dwelling Fern — a woman who takes to the road, and to the nomad life, after the small middle-America spot where she spent her married years turns into a ghost town when the local mine is shuttered due to the global financial crisis. A slab of on-screen text explains her predicament, with the film then jumping into the aftermath. Following her travels over the course of more than a year, this humanist drama serves up an observational portrait of those that society happily overlooks. It's both deeply intimate and almost disarmingly empathetic in the process, as every movie made by Chloe Zhao is. This is only the writer/director's third, slotting in after 2015's Songs My Brothers Taught Me and 2017's The Rider but before 2021's Marvel flick Eternals, but it's a feature of contemplative and authentic insights into the concepts of home, identity and community. Meticulously crafted, shot and performed, it truly sees everyone in its frames, be they fictional or real. Nomandland understands their plights, and ensures its audience understands them as well. It's exquisitely layered, because its protagonist, those around her and their lives earn the same term — and Zhao never forgets that, or lets her viewers either. Nomadland screened in Australian cinemas during a two-week preview season in 2020, starting Saturday, December 26. From Thursday, March 4, 2021, it's back on the big screen for its general release season. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ICPoXlmTO0 CHAOS WALKING Adapted from the book series of the same name, Chaos Walking has weathered a difficult path to cinemas. The tedious and generic space western releases ten years after the rights to turn Patrick Ness' novels into films were first acquired, four years since the movie was originally shot and two years after major reshoots following unfavourable test screenings. It went through a plethora of rewrites, too, with I'm Thinking of Ending Things' Charlie Kaufman on scripting duties at one point, and Ness (A Monster Calls) and Spider-Man: Homecoming's Christopher Ford getting the final credit. Navigating such a mess rarely bodes well for a movie, so the fact that Chaos Walking proves dull and derivative shouldn't come as a surprise. Even with its cast filled with impressive talent, and with Edge of Tomorrow filmmaker Doug Liman begin the lens, it's hard to see how it might've fared better, with its premise an instant struggle. Set in 2257, the film follows colonists from earth on a planet called New World, who are plagued by a strange phenomenon. A multi-coloured haze hovers around men's heads — and only men — showing their every thought. The sensation has been dubbed 'the noise', and experiencing it while watching sure is rackety. Indeed, 'noise' is the absolute right word for the entire movie. In his pioneer village, teenager Todd (Tom Holland, The Devil All the Time) can rarely control his noise. While the Mayor (Mads Mikkelsen, Another Round) is able to filter the words and images that project from his mind — and also rock a furry red coat and wide-brimmed hat far better than anyone should — few others have the same ability. Seeing what everyone is thinking is a tricky way to live at the best of times, and it applies to the entire population, because women have been wiped out in a war attributed to the planet's original inhabitants. But Todd's troubles multiply when he discovers a spaceship, as well as Viola (Daisy Ridley, Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker), its sole surviving occupant. The mayor and his followers don't take kindly to the first female in their midst for years; however, supported by his adoptive fathers Ben (Demian Bichir, The Midnight Sky) and Cillian (Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter), Todd isn't willing to surrender the only girl he's ever seen to an angry mob. Cue a tale of toxic masculinity that dates back to 2008, when first instalment The Knife of Never Letting Go hit bookshelves, and feels timely in the current social, political and cultural climate. That said, this isn't a complex, layered or thoughtful film. Instead, it's content to stress its themes in such a broad and easy manner that getting Holland to hold up a sign saying "the patriarchy is bad" would've been more subtle. Indeed, Chaos Walking really just uses these notions as a backdrop for a predictable and formulaic dystopian story, and as a handy reason to motivate its conflicts, in a movie that plays like a hodgepodge of far better sci-fi and western fare. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCvQzzKdgV4 ABOUT ENDLESSNESS The latest feature from acclaimed and always distinctive Swedish auteur Roy Andersson (Songs From the Second Floor, You, the Living, A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence), About Endlessness plays like the filmmaker's response to an oft-used — and overused — piece of worldly wisdom. Relishing the little things has become a greeting card-level piece of advice that's trotted out far too frequently and easily, but this vignette-fuelled drama contentedly peers at and contemplates everyday occurrences, flitting from one snippet of story to another across its brief 78-minute duration. It sees the happy moments, and the bleak ones. It has time for inconsequential instances, for clear flights of fancy and for real-life events that changed the shape of history. It spies the magical, the mundane, the merciful and the menacing, gives them all their time in the spotlight, and weaves them into a moving catalogue of the human condition. And, although the writer/director remains in his comfort zone, he crafts this latest treatise on merely existing into a movie that cuts deeply and feels bold rather than familiar. With Andersson's renowned eye for the sublime and the absurd, the film sees the juxtaposition at the heart of living. It knows that, in some shape or form, life is bound to continue on forever. It's also aware that individual lives are inescapably finite. When pondering mortality, these two truths can be hard to reconcile, especially given that the minutiae that makes up each and every day lulls us into a false sense of feeling as if it'll never end — and About Endlessness embraces all of this thorniness and complexity in its own way. Via poetic parcels of narration that declare "I saw a man begging to be spared", "I saw a woman who had a problem with her shoes" and "I saw a man who wanted to save the honour of his family, then regretted it" — plus other such short descriptions — About Endlessness works through instance after instance of people searching for meaning, happiness, and a reason to see their existence as anything more than a parade of breaths and heartbeats. The voice offering such narration is female, proves choosy about which scenes she decides to comment on, but is clearly affected by everything that plays about before her all-seeing vision. When it comes to anything approaching an explanation, though, Andersson remains sparse and careful. And yet, this is a detailed film that overflows with intricacy, intimacy and emotion, and with glorious artistry in every single frame. Every shot looks both naturalistic and staged, as is the filmmaker's custom, which evokes the feeling that you're stealing glimpses of life that are equally rich and routine in tandem. Whether a dictator, a man of faith or someone crying on public transport takes temporary pride of place (or, in the latter's case, if a fellow passenger is asking why he can't just be sad at home like everyone else), these short moments have a cumulative effect that's striking and profoundly insightful. Take, for example, an oh-so-short clip of young women spontaneously dancing outside a cafe, which is delightful, instantly touching and speaks firmly to the fact that life is as consistent in its joys as it is in its woes. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on November 5, November 12, November 19 and November 26; and December 3, December 10, December 17, December 26; and January 1, January 7, January 14, January 21 and January 28; February 4, February 11, February 18 and February 25. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as The Craft: Legacy, Radioactive, Brazen Hussies, Freaky, Mank, Monsoon, Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt), American Utopia, Possessor, Misbehaviour, Happiest Season, The Prom, Sound of Metal, The Witches, The Midnight Sky, The Furnace, Wonder Woman 1984, Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles, Nomadland, Pieces of a Woman, The Dry, Promising Young Woman, Summerland, Ammonite, The Dig, The White Tiger, Only the Animals, Malcolm & Marie, News of the World, High Ground, Earwig and the Witch, The Nest, Assassins, Synchronic, Another Round, Minari, Firestarter — The Story of Bangarra, The Truffle Hunters and The Little Things.
Heading down to the local pub — whether you're sinking beers with mates or catching up over a schnitty — is a pretty solid way to unwind. Even better when you can bring along your loyal, fluffy, good-boy pooch. Redfern's local haunt, Tudor Hotel Redfern, is one of the few pubs in town that are dog-friendly. And, to celebrate man's best friend, the Tudor Hotel Redfern is teaming up with Moon Dog Craft Brewery to host a massive dog day out. Dubbed 'Splendour in the Dog House', this party is one that's going to the dogs — in the best possible way. Plus, it's free to get in. Festivities kick off from 11am on Saturday, October 19, with Moon Dog donating a keg. Schooners of it will be available for a donation (minimum $5), with 100 percent of the proceeds going to a local animal charity, Paws and Recover. So, you can drink knowing that you're doing it for a good cause. You can also expect dog-themed stalls, goodie bags and a DJ spinning classic dog songs — think Elvis's 'Hound Dog', Led Zeppelin's 'Black Dog' and early naughties hit 'Who Let the Dogs Out'. Plus, you can show off your good lookin' pooch in the 'best looking dog' competition, with the lucky four-legged winner getting their photo on a beer decal. But the festivities don't end there. Starting on Sunday, October 20, the Tudor will have a weekly Puppy Hour, from 2–6pm every Sunday, with $6 pints of Moon Dog lager for you and doggy treats for your furry companion. Tudor Hotel Redfern x Moon Dog Craft Brewery's Splendour in the Dog House will take place on Saturday, October 19, from 11am–4pm. And, from Sunday, October 20, the Tudor will be throwing its Puppy Hour every Sunday afternoon.
A favourite at this year's Sundance and on our critics' best list from last month's Sydney Film Festival, you may have heard about A Ghost Story — the film where Casey Affleck stands around underneath a sheet. Reuniting this year's Manchester by the Sea best actor Oscar winner with his Ain't Them Bodies Saints co-star Rooney Mara and writer/director David Lowery (also of Pete's Dragon), Affleck's character dons the sheet after he is killed — but, despite that, it's still one of the best movies of the year so far. Moody and minimalistic (as a costume anyone could make gives away), the film breathes new (after)life into the idea of haunted houses in a thoughtful and emotion-filled manner. As Affleck's ghost lurks, the movie offers up an astute understanding of how mourning and memories linger over time, and remain forever intertwined with certain places. https://youtu.be/ui92Scs8Mns [competition]630133[/competition]
On Friday the much-loved Sydney gallery White Rabbit will reopen and unveil their new show, Serve the People. Which means it's time for one of their famously fun opening night parties! Everyone's welcome, so get there early to grab a prime place in the inevitable queue. The exhibition is curated by Chinese art aficionado Edmund Capon, former director of the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Capon lends his passionate expertise to this intriguing collection of the best artworks of the ‘21st-century cultural revolution’. So grab a drink and prepare to be impressed by pieces from artists including Yan Siwen, Jin Feng and Madeln Company (Xu Zhen) reflecting a freer period in which the phrase ‘serve the people’ no longer means producing art to further the socialist cause. Instead, in highly experimental, individualistic ways artists are interrogating China’s national image, exploring themes like consumerism, history vs. ideology, corruption, personal identity and censorship. Image: Zhou Xiaohu, "America Likes Me", 2012
Who says art and science don’t mix? Kinetic Machines & Gadgets is for lovers of arty gadgets to come and play with (or just look at) works-in-progress. It’s being held at Articulate Project Space, which coordinates the Project Space Project, a space that focuses on the conceptual processes that go into art making. It’s not all about the finished product for these guys. The creators of these gadgets and machines for this exhibition include artists Samuel Bruce, Jon Drummond, Kath Fries, Richard Kean and Margaret Roberts. Oh and yourself, if you’ve got some technical know-how. And if the technical is less your thing, come along on Sunday to see what the finished products look like. In-progess sessions will be open Friday to Sunday 11-5, with the finished products are on display Sunday from 3-5. Image: First try by Christine Olsen, Margaret Roberts, James Nguyen and Andrew Burrell.
The Australian Museum is staying up past its bedtime to present a series of fascinating night-time events. Each Wednesday from January 24 until March 14, experts, guests and staff will provide an interactive, adult-only experience for the super curious. This first Wednesday, named We Stand Strong, hones in on important questions about Australian identity, protest and resilience. The session will be commandeered by the museum's First Nation staff, and will include deadly-designed jewellery workshops, a live DJ playing 'decolonisation beats' and a 'Change the Date' virtual reality rap video. Each Wednesday has a provocative theme, such as Anti-Valentine's Day which includes 'speed-hating', Voodoo doll-making workshops and animal heart dissections; and Another View (held in conjunction with Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras), with cabaret performances, tours of the museum from an LGBTQI perspective and live art. For the environmentally minded, there's also Turning the Tide, which introduces experts on marine life and a virtual reality guide to coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef.
It's easy to see how companies try and get down with the kids. They sponsor music festivals, hand out free stuff at O-Weeks, and try every form of legitimate mind control and bribery to get us to get out our wallets. None have been more successful at that than Apple. I won't mention that I'm writing this on an Apple laptop. Or that I've just made a move in scrabble on my iPhone. This has got nothing to do with me being a bit of an Apple fan. More that, they're just cool. In the midst of the city is the towering glass church created for those to worship at the feet of Steve Jobs. This is the location of one day of fun- Live at the Apple Store Sydney. Get up early and get in at 8:30am for the first Garageband workshop, taking you through all the budding musician needs to know about the software. Follow that with a lesson in Logic Studio and you'll be ready to rock it with the best of them. Starting from 6pm, the best in local talent is showcased for your pleasure: WIM, Moon Holiday, The Preachers and Jonathan Boulet will crack out their tunes and get George St bouncing. And it's free. So take your apple this day to keep the blues away. https://youtube.com/watch?v=CqvHnGv8004
Family-friendly favourite Taronga Zoo is undergoing a midyear transformation this June, reimagining the zoo as a winter wonderland complete with pop-up food stalls, hot chocolate and an openair ice rink. That's what's on the agenda at Taronga's Frozen Zoo, which will kick off from Saturday, June 25 and run for the duration of the school holidays. Sydneysiders looking to get out and about this chilly season can head to Mosman for the zoo's 3500 animals, stunning city views and a spin around the ice rink. Set in front of the zoo's heritage gates, the pop-up rink is designed for all ages, from little skaters getting their footing on the ice for the first time through to adult skating aficionados. And with the zoo open daily until 8pm, the winter activities also offer an idyllic date spot for couples looking to mix things up from the regular dinner-and-movie night. The ice skating sessions will run for 45 minutes, with access to the rink ranging from $20–23. To access the Frozen Zoo, you don't need to buy a ticket to Taronga; however, if you want to head to both, you can package all your tickets together and score a discount. Alongside the winter activations, the zoo also offers a high ropes course and countless animal exhibits, including Taronga's two latest family members: Taro the tree kangaroo joey and Humphrey the koala joey. If you need some extra time to explore the place and you're looking for a one-of-a-kind staycation, Taronga is also home to a 62-room eco-retreat. The retreat is located in a sanctuary where koalas, wallabies, red kangaroos, echidnas and platypus live, so you can wander out to spot some at your own leisure, or else join a tour of the still-quiet zoo at sunrise. [caption id="attachment_816458" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Taro the Tree Joey, Guy Dixon[/caption] Frozen Zoo will run Saturday, June 26–Sunday, July 11, 10am–8pm seven days a week. Taronga Zoo is located at Bradleys Head Road, Mosman.
UPDATE, October 22, 2023: Oops!... We didn't receive the right information about the Australian launch for Britney Spears' memoir The Woman in Me, which sadly means that the pop superstar isn't coming Down Under to hand out copies from a Britney-themed bus. We're as devastated as you are. We were specifically (and incorrectly) told that Sydneysiders would be able to "capture a glimpse of the star from 12pm, with plenty of photo opportunities to be had as she shares the news of her eagerly anticipated memoir launching that day". There was absolutely no mention of a Britney impersonator. The bus will still be doing the rounds in Sydney on Wednesday, October 25 — and this article has been updated to reflect the correct details. If your response to all things Britney Spears is "gimme more", then you'd best be feeling lucky in Sydney on Wednesday, October 25. In a big Britney week thanks to the release of her new memoir The Woman in Me, a Britney-themed bus will be driving around the Harbour City, then handing out copies of her book. Fancy being given The Woman in Me by a Spears impersonator? That's what the first 50 fans at Sydney Opera House at around 12pm will experience. There'll also be photo opportunities, too, if that's how you'd like celebrate the '...Baby One More Time', 'Oops!... I Did It Again' and 'Toxic' talent — and Crossroads star — before going home to read her tome. [caption id="attachment_923002" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rhys Adams via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] The book tells Britney's tale in her own words — a story that's been covered in documentaries such as Framing Britney Spears and Britney vs Spears, both of which focused on the decade-plus that the star spent under a conservatorship, and has also received copious amounts of media and public attention everywhere. The official blurb for The Woman in Me promises that it's about "freedom, fame, motherhood, survival, faith and hope" as "written with remarkable candour and humour", and "illuminates the enduring power of music and love — and the importance of a woman telling her own story, on her own terms, at last". "Britney's compelling testimony in open court shook the world, changed laws, and showed her inspiring strength and bravery. I have no doubt her memoir will have a similar impact — and will be the publishing event of the year. We couldn't be more proud to help her share her story at last," said Jennifer Bergstrom, Senior Vice President and Publisher of Gallery Books, when the book's publication date was announced. [caption id="attachment_923003" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Drew de F Fawkes via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] The Woman in Me will also be available as an audiobook, with actor Michelle Williams (The Fabelmans) narrating. 2023 marks a quarter century since '...Baby One More Time' rocketed up Australia's charts, and made sure that everyone in the country knew who Britney was. Before then, she'd been in the spotlight since her time on The All-New Mickey Mouse Club in the early 90s; however, it was that blockbuster pop song that truly catapulted her to megastar-level fame. In the decades since, the singer has enjoyed a slew of other hits, thanks to everything from 'Sometimes' and 'Everytime' to 'Work Bitch' and 'If U Seek Amy'. Yes, you now have at least one of these songs stuck in your head (or, let's be honest, a medley of all them). The Britney bus will drive around Sydney on Wednesday, October 25, and is expected at the Sydney Opera House at around 12–1pm. For more information about The Woman in Me, which releases in Australia on the same day, head to the book's website. Top image: Rhys Adams via Wikimedia Commons.
When it was first published in 2011, A Discovery of Witches swiftly became a bestseller. Thankfully for readers instantly enamoured with Deborah Harkness' supernatural novel, there was more where that came from. The book was just the first instalment in the All Souls trilogy, with its follow-ups arriving in 2012 and 2014 — and, since 2018, fans have been able to watch a TV adaptation starring Australian actor Teresa Palmer as a Yale University historian and witch, as well as Downton Abbey's Matthew Goode as a biochemistry professor and vampire. Palmer plays Diana Bishop, with A Discovery of Witches chronicling her story after she finds a bewitched manuscript and gets reluctantly drawn back into the magical world. Where the show's first season charted her initial efforts to protect the enchanted text, known as Ashmole 782, the currently screening second season kicks off with a jump back to London more than four centuries ago.
Here's your chance to become the person you've always wanted to be — that is, a person that takes advantage of sales, instead of just letting them pass you by. Westfield Bondi Junction's Fashion Weekend is on again for the spring/summer season, with up to 30 percent off at Coach, Sass & Bide, Cue, Kookai, Seed Heritage and Witchery. If shopping isn't really your thing, or if you live near Bondi Junction, head there anyway and take a stroll through the centre – free samples will be given out at participating stores and there'll be live entertainment throughout the centre. Spend $500 in participating stores and receive a bonus Lovestar vase.
As attempts to combat COVID-19 ramp up around the globe, venues and organisations everywhere are temporarily shutting down. New York's Metropolitan Opera is one of them; however, it's not letting its fans spend their self-isolating days without their beloved artform, announcing nightly live-streamed opera performances from its collection. From Monday, March 16 US time (Tuesday, March 17, Down Under), the NY institution is streaming a different opera each evening. Called Nightly Met Opera Streams, the program kicked off with high-profile shows such as Bizet's Carmen, Puccini's La Boheme, Verdi's Il Trovatore and La Traviata, Donizetti's La Fille du Régiment and Lucia di Lammermoor, and Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin — streaming each for 23 hours from 7.30pm New York time each night. Other highlights included, Nico Muhly's Marnie, Verdi's Aida and Borodin's Prince Igor. On Monday, May 4, Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro is streaming, followed by Thomas's Hamlet on May 5, Saariaho's L'Amour de Loin on May 6 and Strauss's Capriccio, plus a double bill on Sunday, May 10 featuring Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana and Leoncavallo's Pagliacci. And, if you missed Puccini's celebrated La Boheme, you can catch it again on Friday, May 8. https://youtu.be/afhAqMeeQJk Even better — Nightly Met Opera Streams is free, so you can enjoy world-class opera recorded live (and streamed in HD) without either paying a cent or leaving your couch. Nightly Met Opera Streams commence on Tuesday, March 17, Australian and New Zealand time, with a new show live-streamed every day and available for 23 hours afterwards. For further details, visit the Met Opera website. Top image: Bengt Nyman via Wikimedia Commons. Updated May 5.
In addition to making films, Taxi Driver, Goodfellas and The Wolf of Wall Street director Martin Scorsese loves films — and, like most folks who adore movies, he's not afraid to tell people. A few years back, the acclaimed American filmmaker named his scariest flicks of all time, which makes for quite the viewing list. The folks at the Hayden Orpheum obviously agree, because they've turned it into a film festival. From June 27, the Sydney venue is hosting the Martin Scorsese's Scariest Ever Films Festival. It's presented by David Stratton, and also features a retrospective of movies from producer Val Lewton as well. Most weeks until August 25, screening twice on Thursdays (at around 1pm and 7pm) and again on Sundays (with times varying), the beloved cinema will spook you out with a double of retro horror classics. Leading the charge are well-known titles such as The Shining (timed nicely, given sequel Doctor Sleep drops later this year), The Exorcist, and an Alfred Hitchcock double of Psycho and Rear Window. You can also get scared by Scorsese's top frightening flick, aka Robert Wise's 1963 version of The Haunting; Jacques Tourneur's satanic cult effort Night of the Demon, from 1957; and Jack Clayton's 1961 masterpiece The Innocents. Including the Lewton-produced Cat People, The Leopard Man and Isle of the Dead as well, there's 14 films on the full lineup, with full-price tickets costing $19 per double feature.
Keen to load up on missing art history knowledge? This exhibition surveys a whole bunch of the European masters filling your high school textbooks. The Greats is the product of the Art Gallery of NSW’s special partnership with the National Galleries of Scotland. As part of Sydney's International Art Series, over 70 paintings from Edinburgh will adorn the walls, while a concurrent public program will offer talks, tours, live music, and more. From Renaissance painters through to Modernist innovators, the exhibition includes the likes of Botticelli, Leonardo, Raphael, Titian, Monet, Degas and Gauguin. In other words, The Greats features a heap of names stamped on the sandstone facade of the art gallery itself. All but two of these works have never before visited Australia. If you want to retreat from the heat and take a refreshing jaunt through the classics, this is your summer show. Image: Paul Gauguin, Three Tahitians (1899), National Galleries Scotland.
Growing up is a pretty weird thing to do, and it's even weirder when you look back on it as an adult. You'll find nostalgia littered with inevitable cringing and unanswerable instances of "what possessed me to do that?" Matthew Whittet's acclaimed play, the final instalment of a critically-acclaimed trilogy and now a quirky and incisive feature film, dives head first into this quagmire of hormones and helplessness, a quagmire that is otherwise known as the life of 15-year-old Greta Driscoll. As if the ever-changing, ever-raging cusp of adulthood wasn't enough of a swirling vortex of emotion, Girl Asleep is set in the 1970s, and follows Greta's experiences exploring a new town, a new school, boys and the crushing notion of having to leave the safety of childhood for the terrifying reality of being a grown-up. You know, nice and light. The story is brought to life by the Windmill Theatre company and directed by Rosemary Myers, who was also the director behind the film version of the play. Head behind the scenes of Girl Asleep, check out our interview with designer Jonathon Oxlade. In conjunction with Girl Asleep, Belvoir has opened their very own '70s-inspired arcade pop-up bar. Take a look.
It's been 12 months since Melbourne institution Chin Chin crashed onto the Sydney scene, opening its sister restaurant in the heart of Surry Hills. And of course, the bold, lively eatery known for its big flavours and fun-loving attitude isn't about to let that milestone pass by without some serious festivities. So, Chin Chin is celebrating its first birthday with a rollicking Bangkok-style party in Chii Town (its underground level) on Thursday, October 25, featuring spicy eats and live entertainment running long into the night. Tickets are selling fast at $88 per person, which includes all food, entertainment and a few late-night surprises. You're in for dishes like crunchy school prawns with house-fermented chilli sauce and burnt lemon, Sydney Pacific oysters matched with a green nahm jim granita, Vietnamese rice paper rolls stuffed with poached chicken and slaw, and a spicy Thai take on 'pigs in blankets'. What's more, you'll be able to lubricate your evening in style, with Chin Chin's full lineup of signature sips available from the bar.
By this stage, most of us have come to terms with the fact that jetting off to USA or Europe is a seriously long slog, made worse by unavoidable (sometimes long, always painful) stopovers. But that European or American trip could soon become a whole lot more bearable, with Qantas not only working towards launching direct flights between the east coast and both London and New York by 2022, but beginning to run trial journeys this year. In October, November and December, the airline will pilot three ultra long-haul research flights, using new Boeing 787-9s. The aircraft will simulate two routes that are at the heart of Qantas' proposed new non-stop plan, which is called Project Sunrise, flying from New York and London to Sydney. That New York trip will mark the first world's first flight by a commercial airline direct from the Big Apple to Sydney, while the London jaunt will be the second time such a journey has been made. The last time the latter happened was back in 1989, when Qantas made the trek on a Boeing 747-400 with just 23 people on board. Don't go packing your bags, though — the aim is to gather data about inflight passenger and crew health and wellbeing, with only around 40 people making the trip. They'll be comprised of crew and Qantas employees, and they'll be fitted with wearable technology devices to monitor their monitor sleep patterns, food and beverage consumption, physical movement and use of the entertainment system during the flights. The results will then be assessed by scientists and medical experts from the Charles Perkins Centre. Pilots will also take part, working with Monash University researchers to record their melatonin levels before, during and after the flights, as well as their brain wave patterns and alertness — to help ascertain the best work and rest pattern when they're commanding those long-haul services. While spending nearly a day on one single plane is better than jumping on and off different vessels multiple times, it's not without its physical, mental and emotional toll — as anyone who has made the trip with Qantas from Perth to London knows, which is what makes this testing so important. Announcing the trial, Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce explained that, "for customers, the key will be minimising jet lag and creating an environment where they are looking forward to a restful, enjoyable flight. For crew, it's about using scientific research to determine the best opportunities to promote alertness when they are on duty and maximise rest during their down time." Back in 2017, Qantas first revealed that it was exploring non-stop routes from Sydney — routes that would eclipse those direct flights between Perth and London, which launched in March 2018. Since then, the airline has been pursuing the idea enthusiastically, putting out a call for aircraft that can handle the trip and widening their plan to include departures to and from Brisbane as well. In numbers, the planes will need to be able to handle more than 19 hours in the air (around 20 hours and 20 minutes between Sydney and London, and 18-hours and seven minutes from Sydney to New York). The airline has done its homework, analysing a decade's worth of wind and weather data to confirm the lengthy routes are actually possible. Now it just needs the aircraft, with Airbus and Boeing both pitching vessels (A350 and 777X) that are capable of doing the job. Qantas is expected to announce their decision, including whether the whole project will progress to making commercial flights, by the end of December 2019. Right now, the world's longest direct flight clocks in at over 19 hours, with Singapore Airlines flying 15,322-kilometres along its Singapore-to-New York route. Previously, the journey from Doha and Auckland earned that honour, taking around 18 hours to travel 14,529 kilometres.
If you're after an unconventional stay in the countryside, this pimped-out 1949 London double-decker bus is sure to satisfy. Located in Artisans Park, near Bathurst, this accommodation has a double bed and two singles in the upper deck, so it's great for a getaway with mates or for a family. In the lower deck, you'll find a kitchen and bathroom and doors which open onto a covered BBQ area. It's got an indoor fireplace, heating and outdoor firepit for those cold winter nights, plus epic views across the region and access to private bush tracks. Overall, it's a good pitstop if you're exploring NSW's Central West region, including a place to rest your head after visiting a few local cellar doors. [caption id="attachment_771667" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Riparide[/caption]
Good news, Sydneysiders — for the first time ever, you can enjoy The Happy Mexican's vibrant dishes without having to book a flight to Melbourne. Julian Romero's Melbourne-based restaurant is now taking up residence inside the iconic Lansdowne Hotel, slinging its coveted Mexican cuisine from Harbour City digs. To celebrate its launch, the Sydney restaurant is doing a bunch of exciting giveaways, including slinging 500 free tacos and tequila shots across three huge days until Saturday, April 13, and dishing out $2 tacos for the entire month of April. The eatery's Sydney home fits up to 500 guests and features dark, moody interiors with emerald green splashed across its walls. The historic charm of The Lansdowne, paired with live gigs and now vibrant Mexican fare, creates an inviting spot to hit up for great food and tunes. The Happy Mexican's Head Chef, Jesus Rios, says he will be "serving up a spectrum of unique, authentic flavours straight from the heart of Mexico to Chippendale." If you're wondering what'll be on offer at the first-ever Sydney spot, look no further. Keep an eye out for tacos galore, with the menu starring roasted chicken breast, marinated pork, beer-battered fish and its signature slow-cooked beef birria tacos, as well as excellent Mexican dishes like chilaquiles, calabacitas and nopales. Rounding out the menu — which runs across both lunch and dinner service — is its famed Jalisco Birria-style quesabirrias with Oaxaca cheese. As for drinks, the plethora of cocktails available spans from piña coladas and palomas to variations of margaritas and mezcalitos, as well as beers on tap. You'll find The Happy Mexican Sydney at 2-6 City Road inside The Lansdowne Hotel at Chippendale, open from 12—10pm from Wednesday–Saturday.
This article is part of our series on the 17 most unique things to have come out of Japan. Check out the other 16. Child labour might be illegal, but you can always buy a baby mop. Yep, what started out as a Japanese spoof is now an actual, real product. The ‘mop’ is a onesie, with super-absorbent materials (as in, what mop heads are made of) attached to the legs and arms. The idea is that as the baby crawls around the floor, he/she takes care of the cleaning and polishing at the same time. It’s an example of what the Japanese refer to as chindogu, which translates to ‘unuseless items’. They’re objects that are useful in theory, but pretty much useless in practice. And they’re mostly more or less ridiculous. You can grab a baby mop for $40 at BetterThanPants.com, an online store dedicated to selling funny T-shirts (mainly). As soon as it went on the market two years ago, it sold at a gallop. Director of operations Mike Parker, told Time, “At first it was two or three a day, and we were like, oh wow, people are actually buying these. Then it just kind of took off. All of a sudden they were like crazy double digits. As far as anything that’s not T-shirt related, nothing has taken off like this.”
Straddling the late morning divide of breakfast and lunch, the linguist's nightmare that is 'brunch' is just about our favourite weekend activity. When we say brunch, we're not talking about your quick morning coffee; we're talking mountains of food, shareable plates and a healthy dose of pre-midday alcohol (cue the flowing of mimosas). So whether you're a traditionalist or prepared to give your tastebuds a workout and whether your preference is of the organic, health-conscious variety or the bacon-on-the-side-of-heart-disease variety, we have a brunch experience for just about every disposition. Muchos food porn awaits! The Carrington Where: 538 Bourke St, Surry Hills If you're looking for cocktails with breakfast, it's hard to go past one of our favourite haunts: the Spanglish mash-up of the Carrington. While other gastronomical institutions might offer brunch-goers modestly alcoholic beverages and watered-down champagne, the Carrington says screw your hangover and your sense of propriety with a full menu of beer, spirits and hair-raising cocktails. There are the standard Mimosas, but for the more ambitious amongst you we suggest trying out the Bacon Caesar (bacon-infused vodka, spices and clamato juice) or Single Mother (with red wine, Southern Comfort, nutmeg and ginger beer). The food itself is straight out of a Majorca cafe, with even the more traditional breakfast dishes given a Spanish twist. Think smoked paprika eggs benedict, Ibiza muesli or big breakfast with chorizo and rosti. Buenos dias! Jo & Willys Depot Where: 286 Campbell Pde, North Bondi As an increasingly cynical restauranteur, I have to expect that when it comes to beachside cafes, the quality of the view will always be directly disproportionate to the quality of the food. Thankfully, Jo & Willys Depot is an emphatic exception to this rule. Instead, the Depot has found what you might call a winning formula: a rough and ready decor, resembling something like a shabby-chic version of the Antiques Roadshow, panoramic views of Sydney's most iconic beach and an all-day breakfast menu to die for. Their approach to food is pretty simple. Keep the produce fresh and the ingredients organic and you can hardly go wrong. Their pancakes made from rice and tapioca flour are a particular local favourite while their homemade berry and banana muffins are melt-in-you-mouth spectacular. Two Peas Where: 198-206 St Johns Rd, Glebe Two Peas is the sort of uber-trendy cafe that Glebe seems to have coming out of its ears — but it also radiates the sort of homely vibe that turns its customers into regulars and friends. Two Peas is the love child of British chefs Nick Johnson and Tom Stoneham, who met while working for Jamie's Italian in Cambridge. The boys, it seems, learnt a thing or two from Jamie: (1) Produce should always be fresh and locally produced, (2) Banoffee muffins can solve all the world's problems and (3) The Brits always do it best. With a short but delightful menu of updated British staples such as poached eggs and baked beans on toast (made from fantastically spicy beans) and porridge with figs, Two Peas does English breakfast the way it should be done. Of course, it's not a British meal without a cold lager to wash it all down, and as such the drinks menu is chock-a-block full of local brews handpicked by the owners. At their suggestion I had a try of the Australian Brewery pale ale, which was positively crackling with refreshing, passionfruit-y goodness. The Grounds of Alexandria Where: Building 7A, 2 Huntley St, Alexandria It's no secret; we at Concrete Playground are pretty fond of the Grounds. There is something undeniably intoxicating about this repurposed Four'n Twenty Pie Factory, whether it's the blackboards advertising '25 hour breakfast' or the buzzing, bustling atmosphere of Alexandria's most sought-after brunch venue. Our meal of choice is the mountain of ocean trout stacked on toast with a light and tangy fennel and herb salad and a generous helping of scrambled eggs. While alcohol is available, you'd be remiss not to try one of their multi-award winning coffees from former world latte art champion Jack Hanna. They are as creamy, subtle and dazzling as you could possibly hope for. And always, always do they look as good as they taste. Somehow the Grounds continues to match its hype. Almond Bar Where: 379 Liverpool St, Darlinghurst One of the defining aspect for any good brunch is its shareability. Almond Bar understands this and Almond Bar nails it. This hotspot for Darlinghurst brunch-ers specialises in serving food by the truckload, with a veritable feast of big breakfasts, share plates and breakfast platters for you and your fellow diners to gorge on. The food however is not your typical eggs and bacon bonanza but instead specialises in Syrian cuisine in all its multiplicity of flavours. There are Middle Eastern omelettes; traditional ful, fatteh made from layers of crushed chickpeas, tahini, fried bread, yoghurt, pinenuts and almonds; and the (mandatory) baklava. Get your bookings in early because these breakfast mezze feasts only happen on the first Sunday of each month. Foley Lane Where: 371-373 Bourke St, Darlinghurst When the Friday night crowds have subsided and the hangover hits, there is no better place to grab a boozy brunch than Foley Lane. Try out their pork and potato hash topped with poached egg if you're looking for a hearty hangover cure, or if you're feeling a little more adventurous, then the roasted field mushroom with ricotta and eschalot dressing is to-die-for good. Foley Lane is first and foremost a bar and as such their breakfast cocktails are pretty red hot. Try out the Seasonal Margarita, enlivened with the zing of fresh plum, or the Morning Martini made from citrus vodka, apricot brandy and marmalade. Kazbah Where: 379 Darling St, Balmain Darlinghurst does not corner the market on Arabic brunches. Balmain's Kazbah are of the culinary school that says that bigger is always better with the sort of giant servings that will have any carnivore salivating. For groups of four or more, your best bet is one of the Kazbah's famous breakfast feasts, which features up to nine separate dishes, ranging from Middle Eastern treats such as lamb mince tagine to such devilishly sweet delights as chocolate and raspberry pancakes with butterscotch sauce and chocolate fudge ice cream. With the breakfast menu lasting until 3pm each weekend, there is no reason to feel guilty for trying out one of Kazbah's $14 breakfast cocktails. The Salty Dog made from vodka, lime and grapefruit is a particular specialty. Rainford Street Social Where: 500 Crown St, Surry Hills It was to the great distress of many Surry Hills locals when Rainford Street Social cut their breakfast menu. Thankfully, it's back and better than ever with super-chef Ben Orpwood’s unique take on classic brekky dishes like smoked salmon and truffled scrambled eggs and a pastrami and Emmental croissant melt. With meals named after such Rainford Street regulars as “Matty”, “Ben” and “Eddy”, it’s clear that this Crown Street favourite are not only “social” by name but also “social” by nature. Just ask any of the revellers that stack the restaurant on any given weekend. Orpwood is clearly a man after our own hearts with a propensity for hangover-curing cocktails such as the delightfully creamy “White Rabbit Shake” made from Jack Daniels and banana cream pie ice cream. Bondi Hardware Where: 39 Hall St, Bondi Beach 'Hardware' is an apt descriptor for this Bondi gem. With its exposed brick walls, cracking plaster and mishmash of pot plants, dining at Bondi Hardware is much like what I imagine dining in an interior designer's garage must feel like. While previously a hardware store, nowadays Bondi Hardware plays host to awesomely funky tunes, vibrant staff and the delectable Moroccan eggs with minted yoghurt and sourdough. You haven’t really been to Bondi Hardware until you've tried their infamous Bloody Mary. More a meal-in-a-glass than a mere cocktail, this brunch staple has been overhauled by the Bondi boys with spicy tomato, cucumber and beetroot juice mixed with a shot of tequila. Chiswick Where: 65 Ocean St, Woollahra The first thing that springs to mind about the Chiswick is its classiness. The floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the postcard-ready gardens is like something out of a Victorian-era tea party (without any of the political connotations), while the menu has all the hallmarks of head chef Matt Moran. Even casual Masterchef fans could probably tell you that if its got the Moran signature, then this probably means you're looking at huge slabs of Moran family meat, with the chargrilled grass-fed beef or wood-roasted lamb perhaps the two most enticing numbers on the menu. This carnivorous lust is complemented by Chiswick's love of fresh herbs and vegetables, much of which is grown in the Chiswick gardens. Add to this the refreshing Cucumber Margarita and you have yourself one of eastern Sydney's hottest late brunch venues.
Festival season is well and truly upon us, with the Woodford Folk Festival the latest event to announce its program. If you fancy seeing out 2019 and welcoming in 2020 while catching a heap of bands, wandering between arts performances and getting a little muddy across a grassy patch of southeast Queensland, the fest has you covered for its whopping 34th year. Taking place at Woodfordia about 90 minutes north of Brisbane, this year's event will be held for six days between Friday, December 27, 2019 and Wednesday, January 1, 2020 — with Amanda Palmer, Lior, Horrorshow, The Herd, Kate Miller-Heidke, Electric Fields, Emma Louise, Archie Roach with Paul Grabrowsky, and Kasey Chambers among its high-profile talent. In total, over 2,000 artists will put on more than 1600 shows across the festival's 25 stages, all in venues that range from a 25,000-seat amphitheatre to chilled-out hangout spots. With the lineup featuring everything from music, art, circus and cabaret to yoga, dance and comedy, there's plenty of other highlights — including a spoken word, comedy and performance program that tasks American Gods and Stardust author Neil Gaiman with reading from his work as the sun sets on the first day of the new year. Elsewhere, Woodford's 2019–20 bill spans arts, dance and meditation workshops, plus a heap of circus and cabaret shows. And, if you're bringing littlies, the event's Children's Festival within the broader fest is also returning. Or, you can explore Woodfordia's rainforest plants on a guided tour, eat a feast of bush foods, play a real-life fantasy game and soak in the flames at the fest's annual closing fire ceremony. Fancy celebrating New Year's Eve with an Elton John sing-along? Woodford won't go breaking your heart, because that's on the agenda also. While the annual Queensland festival has weathered an uncertain future in recent years, it remains a staple of the state's end-of-year calendar — and visit will also boast a whole heap of stalls around the grounds (195 in 2018–19), turning the site into a mini-village for its duration. That includes everything from bars, cafes and restaurants, to an on-site doctor's surgery and two general stores. As always, camping is available at one of the fest's multiple campgrounds, or you can nab a ticket just for the day. Either way, expect to have company, as around 132,000 people attend each year. The 2019–20 Woodford Folk Festival runs from Friday, December 27, 2018 and Wednesday, January 1, 2019 at Woodfordia on the Sunshine Coast. To view the program and buy tickets, head to woodfordfolkfestival.com Images: Woodford Folk Festival via Flickr.
Apple juice is nice. Delicious, in fact. But sometimes, it tastes better with an edge. Yes, that's what cider is all about — and at Cedar Creek Cider in the foothills of New South Wales' southern highlands, both non-alcoholic drinks and the hard stuff are on the menu. Making cider is actually a relatively new development for this fourth-generation orchard; however owner Nathan Silm is able to draw upon his family's decades of experience making juice. The result: a combination of fresh crushed apples and yeast, with no added water, flavours or colours, and each batch boasting its own specific traits. Cedar Creek Cider sells its eponymous product in four, six and 24 packs via its online store — and you can also pick up some Cedar Creek Orchard Apple Juice while you're there.
On a personal note, I wrote my thesis on the value of objects, a rigorous discussion about the traces of a human hand, of essence, of aura. Should a reproduction be cast aside as worthless? I know, right? Yawn. Well, it's something curator Aaron Rose must have been tossing around because he's put together a show called Simulacrum, a collection of artists' editions, posters and prints. Not just any old prints, natch; Rose ran the iconic Alleged Gallery in New York in the 90s and is now involved across a series of creative ventures, and thus his roster is rad. Many of the artists represented in Simulacrum featured both on the walls of Alleged and recently in Rose's documentary Beautiful Losers. The list runs as follows: Chris Johanson, Faile, Alexis Ross, Geoff McFetridge, Jo Jackson, Keith Scharwath, Jesse Spears, Thomas Campbell, Ingrid Allen, Teenage Teardrops, Alia Penner, Steven Harrington, Ed Templeton, Andrew Jeffrey Wright, Sister Corita, Terry Richardson, Susan Cianciolo, Raymond Pettibon, Tobin Yelland, Elisa Saether and more. Many of these artists have appeared in some form or another at Monster Children; value, essence and aura aside, they're all visually powerful, and that's the heart of their art.
The clocks have ticked forward, and we all know what that means: the outdoor cinema season is almost here. Movie lovers in Sydney are spoiled for choice when it comes to openair screens — and from the looks of things that doesn't appear to be changing any time soon. Following on from Moonlight Cinema's announcement of their 2016/17 program, Sunset Cinema is the latest openair picture house to make a return for the summer. Returning to North Sydney Oval, Sunset Cinema kicks off on Thursday, January 19, before running Wednesdays through Saturdays until March 18. The program skews towards more recent films including Captain Fantastic, The Magnificent Seven, Bridget Jones's Baby and The Girl on the Train, although they have squeezed one retro title in there: Dirty Dancing. They've also put together a top-notch food and beverage offering, in order to keep your stomach from grumbling during the film. They'll set up a snack bar and the site will have a fully licensed bar, serving 4 Pines craft beers and MadFish wines. For more information about Sunset Cinema, including the full program, visit sunsetcinema.com.au/northsydney.
