It has been almost ten years since Franz Ferdinand released their game-changing track 'Take Me Out' and got the world banging their heads and shaking their hips to their guitar disco sound. Now almost a decade on they are still going strong, releasing their fourth studio album Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action in August to critical acclaim. Franz Ferdinand were once one of the hottest bands on the planet and whilst their live performances have always remained electric, they have never quite musically matched their debut — until now. Their new LP has truly rediscovered the energy and sound that enthralled us all on that initial release and has set them back on the path towards greatness. Now the Glaswegian quartet are taking the right action and bringing themselves to Australia. Whilst originally slated to be here for the now-cancelled Harvest Festival, the band have thankfully elected to stay on for an east coast tour that will be stopping in Sydney at The Metro Theatre on Friday November 15. So why not head down and see what all the renewed fuss is about?
What type of coffee aroma would characterise the feet of your ideal partner? Arabica or Robusta? Single origin or a blend? The Ministry of Supply's new ATLAS socks promise to replace the smell of sticky, sweaty feet with the more alluring scent of roasted beans. They've been made possible by a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign, which raised a whopping US$200,000, not only through their novel appeal but also through a reward of two pairs of socks for every $28 pledged. The Ministry of Supply team developed the technology through a deep and prolonged study of the human foot. First, they figured out which areas are most liable to the reception of pressure, and therefore to the production of sweat and heat. Then they designed an accordingly padded and ventilated sock, using wicking to maximise aeration potential. The coffee, collected from various cafes and eateries, is infused into the material. Its job is to draw in and capture the nasty molecules that create antisocial smells. Voila, feet so sweet you can leave your socks on for a week. Well, that's the story according to Forbes writer Natalie Robehmed, who claims she wore a pair for five days straight without frightening anyone away. [via Springwise]
As the federal government continues to drag its feet resettling refugees fleeing the Syrian conflict (Australia had managed about 6000 by last November. Canada by comparison, was at well over 30,000), it falls once more to the non-political professions to show the government where the hands go on the humanitarian clock. This time, it's hospitality's turn. On February 27, UNICEF Australia will partner with ten of the country's best chefs for a charity dinner celebrating Syria's strong culinary tradition. Three Blue Ducks in Roseberry will host the posse of gastronomers as they prepare a banquet comprising their signature dishes with a few Syrian flourishes. If you've never been at the mercy of za'atar, pomegranate, Aleppo pepper or tamarind, this could well be a revelation. Tickets are a steep $320 per person (plus booking fee), which includes canapés, cocktails on arrival, a shared Syrian-inspired feast and wine. It may seem on the surface like you're paying for the food, but ten professional chefs jammed into a single kitchen also suggests a night of great theatre. Bennelong's Pete Gilmore, Long Chim's David Thompson and The Bridge Room's Ross Lusted will be in the fray, with Paul Carmichael from Momofuku Seiobo and Ester's Matt Lindsay contending for next use of the colander with equal ferocity. If you've ever wanted to see Kylie Kwong trying to slice potato with steel wool or fighting a pitched battle for the top shelf of the oven, this could well be your chance. While the top guns will have their turn on February 27, UNICEF Australia is encouraging anyone with passing knowledge of an oven to contribute. Restaurants and cafes can produce a limited edition 'Syria' version of a favourite dish, of which a portion of the proceeds will go to UNICEF. For those who deal in culinary delight on a slightly smaller scale, bakes sales are your recommended course. While you're waiting for the oven to pre-heat, there's more information here.
Revving up the bikie drama genre and ramping up the bloodshed and brutality, 1% is a shiny new ride made from familiar parts. It's ostensibly Australia's big-screen answer to Sons of Anarchy, with that comparison both a curse and a blessing. The two share so much in common narrative-wise that, if you've seen the American TV series, it's impossible not to think about it while you're watching 1%. That said, Stephen McCallum's directorial debut still offers an engaging West Australian-set and -shot take on leather-clad brotherhood — one that never feels like its motoring down a new path, and yet never feels like it's blindly sticking to the expected route either. The story falls firmly into the first camp, but the film's energy falls into the second. Dwelling in Perth's seedier side, 1% steps into the world of the Copperheads Motorcycle Club. For the past three years, vice president Paddo (Ryan Corr) has overseen the gang with his ambitious girlfriend Katrina (Abbey Lee), trying to steer the club down a legitimate road. He wants to stop the outlaw life and start making cash they're actually able to splash around, but two things threaten to derail his plans. Firstly, his brother Skink (Josh McConville) gets on the wrong side of a rival motorcycle gang, with its leader (Aaron Pedersen) demanding that the two crews start laundering money together — or there'll be deadly consequences. Secondly, Copperheads president Knuck (Matt Nable) is released from prison and, helped by his wife Hayley (Simone Kessell), is quick to throw his weight around. Both within the club and within WA's broader gangland underbelly, conflict roars louder than a two-wheeled chopper down an open highway. So too does a term that's often bandied about when bikie battles get serious on-screen: Shakespearean. Across its seven seasons, Sons of Anarchy moulded its mayhem in Hamlet's image, throwing in a bit of Macbeth for good measure. Each rears their heads here as well — and while nodding to the Bard can signal that a film or TV series is trying to bulk up otherwise routine material, 1%'s violent clashes, grim power struggles and testosterone-soaked atmosphere all prove suitably tense and tragic. Also adding bulk is the film's cast, a roster of talent that fires on all cylinders. Bringing depth, nuance and authenticity to characters that might've seemed one-note in the hands of other actors, Corr and Nable are memorable as two leaders striving for the same thing in different ways, while McConville fleshes out Skink to become more than merely a plot device. Lee and Kessell ensure that 1% isn't just a boy's club, even if the idea of scheming women standing behind their men is far from a new one. Indeed, if there's a disappointment in this department, it's a matter of screen time rather than performance. One of Australia's best contemporary talents, Pedersen makes his presence known, however his part falls firmly in the supporting category. Nable also wrote the script, his second after jumping from playing rugby league to making movies. Perhaps he's the Sons of Anarchy fan? Or perhaps he's simply fond of a genre that has enjoyed plenty of entries, including 1970s Aussie classic Stone. Either way, exploring male-dominated realms has proven his recurrent fascination — whether featuring in front of the camera in Underbelly, Son of a Gun and Hacksaw Ridge, or penning 2007's The Final Winter, which was set in and around a football club. Given visual grit by McCallum, Nable's latest story fits his usual mould, and does enough to leave an impression. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nva4s76JW_o
Everyone should make the trip to Victoria's Grampians at least once, and here's as ace an excuse to do so as any: the return of much-loved camping festival Pitch Music & Arts. In 2024, it'll host its seventh edition, taking over Moyston again — and the fest's just-dropped lineup is worth getting excited about. The long-running celebration unleashes its fun across the Grampian Plains, with next years' festivities happening from Friday, March 8–Tuesday, March 12. Not only will its three stages play host to a sparkling lineup of local and international musical talent, but the tunes will be backed by a hefty program of interactive art and installations. Basically, you're in for a very big, very busy four days. On the lineup: Janson, Patrick Mason, I Hate Models, 999999999, Job Jobse, Marcel Dettmann and VTSS, for starters. X CLUB., CC:DISCO!, DJ BORING, Kia and Jennifer Loveless are also on the bill, plus everyone from Chaos in the CBD, Sally C, Gabrielle Kwarteng and SALOME to jamesjamesjames playing back to back with Willaris. K, Glass Beams, Sophie McAlister and Tangela. The tunes will be paired with a yet-to-be-announced arts program, but past years have seen street artist Adnate, installation king Clayton Blake (winner of Best Art at Burning Man 2018) and Gumbaynggirr woman Aretha Brown from KISS MY ART do the honours. In between all the dance-floor sessions and arty things, festivalgoers can again make themselves at home in the Pitch Pavilion, which is where yoga classes, meditation and sound baths usually help patrons unwind. If that all sounds like your true calling, you'll have to enter the Pitch Music & Arts 2024 ballot where, just like in 2023, entrants will be required to make a 'Pitch Pledge' — a written commitment to positively contributing to the Pitch community, leaving no trace and behaving respectfully while onsite. PITCH MUSIC & ARTS 2024 LINEUP: 999999999 Ahadadream Akua Anz Aroha Aurora Halal Bailey Ibbs Bambounou Bertie Bitter Babe Cakes Da Killa CC:DISCO! Chaos in the CBD Chippy Nonstop Chlär Clara Cuvé Cromby dameeeela b2b DJ PGZ Dan Shake Daniel Avery DJ BORING DJ Gigola Gabrielle Kwarteng Gerd Janson Glass Beams Hasvat Informant Horse Meat Disco I Hate Models jamesjamesjames b2b Willaris. K Jennifer Loveless JNETT Job Jobse Kessler Kia KiNK KSMBA LB aka LABAT Mac Declos Mama Snake Marcel Dettmann Mark Blair Matisa MC Yallah & Debmaster MCR-T Memphis LK Moopie Narciss Nene H Nite Fleit ØTTA Patrick Mason priya RONA. Sally C SALOME Sedef AdasÏ Shampain SHERELLE Sophie McAlister Special Request Spray Surusinghe Tangela THC TYGAPAW VTSS X-Coast X CLUB. Yikes Pitch Music & Arts will return to Moyston from Friday, March 8–Tuesday, March 12, 2024. Head to the festival's website for further details, or to enter the ballot before 12pm AEDT on Wednesday, November 8. General tickets will go on sale from 6pm AEDT on Monday, November 13. Top Images: Duncographic, William Hamilton Coates and Ash Caygill.
Peace, love and picklebacks, another Sydney venue has decided to throw in the towel. This time, it's the long-loved Darlinghurst bar, The Flinders. Announcing their closure on Facebook this evening, the owners have directly blamed the lockouts for the closing of doors. "It's been a good run but Barry got us in the end," the team posted at 6pm. "We know it's sudden but please come in tonight and pour one out for your fallen homie. Thanks for all the good times. Peace, love, and picklebacks, from all of us at the Flinders." This announcement comes just months after Kings Cross venue The Backroom directly blamed the Barry O'Farrell-led government and their lockout legislation for the closure, prompting the controversial (and let's be honest, straight-up jerk-style) #notearsshed response from the former Premier. Jason Ryan, owner of The Flinders, talked to us about the lockouts in January 2014 after the opening of The Hide wine bar upstairs. When asked about how the bar would be affected by the proposed legislation changes (i.e. the lockouts), Ryan already knew the impact on the hotel. "We have already begun the awful task of reworking rosters and cutting back staff in preparation. The effects on our business will be dramatic … The Flinders is a safe and well-established late-night venue. We have also just invested large amounts of money into trying to develop The Hide, our new bar upstairs." "At the moment we are reliant on the cash flow from late-night business to support and pay for this investment," he said. "Now that late-night trade is being severely compromised, it’s a real worry as to whether we can sustain cash flow over the next few months whilst developing the rest of the business. This may ultimately jeopardise the future of The Hide. We hope people we still turn out in force at The Flinders for the lock-in!" The Flinders are shutting up shop super speedily, even holding a closing party tonight on Thursday, January 8. This seems a super fast closure for such a longtime Sydney bar. Very sad stuff. Throw back a few Picklebacks with the Flindies crew tonight at 63-65 Flinders Street, Darlinghurst.
These days, a meal isn't just a meal. It's a bubbling, troubling cauldron of ethical, environmental and health dilemmas. Are genetically modified foods okay or not? Is eating meat an immoral act? Should you quit sugar? A new mini talks fest, to inaugurate at the Sydney Opera House on 14 July, is dedicated to these and other food-related issues. The Fixing Food Festival will kick off at midday, with a panel made up of I Quit Sugar author Sarah Wilson, indigenous food expert Jody Orcher and CSIRO research scientist Professor Grant Brinkworth. They'll be discussing the $64 million question: what should I eat? Reformed anti-GMO activist Mark Lynas will take the floor at 1.45pm to deliver a solo talk titled GMO: No Way or OK? Lynas is an interesting one — in 2013, he publicly apologised for having prevented GMO trials and has since worked in Africa and Asia with scientists who use the organisms to help independent farmers. Wrapping things up at 3.30pm will be a talk from British writer Louise Gray, who wrote The Ethical Carnivore after spending a year eating only animals she killed with her own two hands. Along the way, she explored slaughterhouses, halal meat, roadkill and alternative proteins, such as insects. You'll have to buy tickets to each event separately, with the talks coming in at $39 each. Tickets to the panel are $55 but include a lunch box salad filled with native ingredients, including kangaroo, bush tomatoes, bush nuts and finger lime dressing. Image: Leticia Almeida.
When Bad Moms became one of the big hits of last year, it was the film's great cast and refreshing approach to female friendship that really struck a chord. Indeed, it was those two factors that made an otherwise routine comedy about mothers behaving badly both amusing and empowering. Alas, it seems no one explained that to writer-director duo Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. Or, perhaps they simply don't care. With their inevitable sequel, the pair proves happy to take the easiest route — upping the raucousness, adding even more mums to the mix, and eschewing nuance, depth or any real comic commentary about the expectations placed upon women. This approach — taking aspects of the original and just ramping them up — is not uncommon in sequels. Unfortunately, Bad Moms 2 picks the wrong elements to highlight, at the expense of the thoughtful core that made its predecessor such a surprise. Stars Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn are as qualified as ever, while franchise newcomers Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines and Susan Sarandon all impress as well. The material, though? To borrow a scenario that occurs in the movie, it's like stealing a cheap department store Christmas tree rather than finding a real one. Also called A Bad Moms Christmas in other parts of the world, the film's first attempt to heighten these overstressed mums' worries arrives via the festive season. If the holidays weren't anxiety-inducing enough, their own mothers decide to drop by out of the blue, each displaying familiar family traits. Prim and proper Ruth (Baranski) is even more of a perfectionist than Amy (Kunis); stalker-like Sandy (Hines) takes the idea adoring motherhood too far even by Kiki's (Bell) standards; and wild-at-heart Isis (Sarandon) has a looser grasp on responsible parenting even than the free-spirited Carla (Hahn). The end result pits mothers against their mothers in the kind of multi-generational hijinks that's becoming a bit too common of late, with the conceptually similar Daddy's Home 2 hitting cinemas in just a few weeks. It also comes with a heap of problematic messages. Sure, Bad Moms 2 nods to the initial flick's championing of women being themselves and refusing to conform to society's demands. But that means next to nothing when the film's female characters are now depicted as little more than caricatures. That they only bond over parenting, fighting with their mums, or chasing men does not go down well. Nor does the suggestion that they are both the cause of their own mothers' craziness and are doomed to follow in their footsteps. Perhaps the film's standout scene demonstrates the fortunes of Bad Moms 2 best, turning a male stripper's intimate waxing session into a romantic meet-cute. In a feature filled with cartoonish depictions of women with children (and women in general), of course the most relatable and resonant moment takes place between Hahn's lusty, lonely beautician and her attractive client. Lucas and Moore, who clearly aren't doing their own mums proud here, don't even think of extending the same blend of genuine humour and earnest emotions to the movie's ladies when they're together. Instead they saddle the gals with making penis gingerbread and twerking on Santa. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGDOdlBlV08
Mike Leigh (Vera Drake, Happy Go Lucky) has done it again. With his singular, devastatingly incisive view from the kitchen sink, Leigh has stuck at the very heart of what it is to experience love, loneliness and that benign jealousy that comes from witnessing contentment. To set the scene Leigh calls on his Vera Drake lead Imelda Staunton, who in harsh close up delivers a stunningly raw performance as a woman seeking a cure for insomnia, yet one resolutely unwilling to broke any psychological inquiry. This stunning, severe prologue calibrates the film's emotional barometer as Leigh navigates humanity's highs and lows with a clear and compassionate eye. Divided into the four seasons, Another Year centres on the unadorned but happy marriage of Tom (Jim Broadbent) and Gerri (Ruth Sheen), who have a warm relationship with their grown son Joe (Oliver Maltman) and a modest garden allotment in which they routinely potter about. They'll often invite friends over to share in their bounty, which is how Mary (Lesley Manville) and Ken (Peter Wight) feature in their lives. But as easy-going and well rounded as Tom and Gerri are, Ken and especially Mary are not. Theirs are lives of silently screaming desperation, which throws Tom and Gerri's happiness into brutally sharp relief. Given a firm foundation by Broadbent and Sheen, Lesley Manville absolutely steals the show. It's an extraordinary, transfixing performance, not unlike a car crash at times as Mary runs roughshod over boundaries in an attempt to bask a little longer in the warmth of Tom and Gerri's (and even Joe's) affection. The film is often like being trapped at the most painfully awkward dinner party, which is the source of as much dark humour as pathos. So while outwardly it might seem like not a lot goes down in Another Year, Leigh's unobtrusive filming reveals volumes about the nature of friends and family. Part cautionary tale (heaven forefend that you're a 'Mary'!), part heart-warming tribute, Leigh has weaved together this patchwork of personalities and masterfully crafted Another Year into one of 2011's cinematic gems. https://youtube.com/watch?v=cm-mfxOiUXI
Attention all coffee-seekers: you may have just found the new brew — or brews — you've been searching for. Beloved Melbourne-based Padre Coffee has finally arrived in Sydney, bringing naturally-processed Colombian blends to its first ever NSW setup at Paddington's Five Ways. After growing a cult-like following at its flagships in Melbourne and Noosa, it's time to discover what all the hype is about. Padre on Glenmore Road features a storefront for the brand's coffee blends and home-brewing equipment, as well as a spacious espresso bar and cafe boasting a range of freshly-baked treats to accompany your coffee. Sample the pastries and bread supplied by Staple Bread & Necessities, cookies from Cut Lunch Deli and the famous Portuguese tarts from Clovelly's Tuga Pastries. "We're absolutely thrilled to share the Padre Coffee vision and brand with Sydney coffee lovers," said the NSW head of Padre Coffee, Ben White. "Our blends have garnered a strong following with online buyers across the city's eastern suburbs and CBD, so we're looking forward to now having a dedicated space for our coffee drinkers to enjoy their daily cup." The store, located not far from the The Royal Hotel and Tequila Mockingbird, is serving up limited edition flavours to celebrate its launch, including adventurous and fruity caffeinated sips such as cherry, raspberry, strawberry and rose. You'll want to get sipping on these rare brews before they sell out completely. You'll find Padre Coffee's Sydney outpost at 241A-241B Glenmore Road in Paddington — grab your special brew from 7am to 3pm Monday to Sunday.
Inspiration strikes in plenty of places, including while watching movies — and if you've ever sat down in a cinema or on your own couch, directed your eyes towards a film and seen your style dreams flicker across the screen, then you might be interested in Melbourne's latest pop culture-themed pop-up. You'll need to make a choice, though: do you want to look like Ryan Gosling or Chris Evans? To be specific, would you prefer a goatee like Gosling wears in Netflix flick The Gray Man, or a moustache — a "trash 'stache", as Gosling's character calls it — that's donned by Evans as the film's villain? That's what's on offer for three days only in Melbourne, from Friday, July 29–Sunday, July 31, as part of the streaming platform's Good Guy Goatee/Bad Bro Mo Barber Shop in Fitzroy. No, you can't go rogue and ask for Gosling's Barbie look or Evans' Captain America aesthetic — this is all about The Gray Man, so looking like you've stepped out of the spy thriller is the only thing on the menu. This movie-inspired makeover is free, too, and open to everyone. Walk-ins are welcome, or you can reserve a spot online in advance. If you don't have facial hair of your own, but you'd like some, there are even stunt goatees and 'staches on offer. Otherwise, you'll slide into the barber's chair to get Gosling's rugged stubble or ape Evan's top lip. [caption id="attachment_855170" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Stanislav Honzik/Netflix © 2022[/caption] The barbershop setup has also been decked out to suit the film, so patrons will find other bits and pieces in store, including posters and pictures. If you want to spend time arguing with your mates while you're there about that Evans-style mo — to really mirror the on-screen Gosling and Evans banter — that's obviously up to you. For those who haven't seen the movie, The Gray Man stars Gosling as off-the-books CIA assassin Sierra Six, who finds himself being hunted by another killer who fits that description — Evans' gleefully unhinged Lloyd Hansen. Cue a globe-hopping espionage-fuelled affair that's brings together familiar pieces, but also isn't without its charms, in no small part thanks to its impressive cast. And yes, these kinds of pop culture experiences are popping up frequently in Australia lately. Just a few months back, an Everything Everywhere All At Once-inspired multidimensional laundromat did the honours in Melbourne, too — and Cinema Nova also decked itself out The French Dispatch-style over summer. Up in Sydney, the giant 'Red Light, Green Light' doll from Squid Game made an appearance by the harbour, and a Stranger Things rift opened up on Bondi Beach. Now, are you a Gosling or an Evans? Find the Good Guy Goatee/Bad Bro Mo Barber Shop at 306–308 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy — open from 12–7pm on Friday, July 29–Saturday, July 30, and from 10am–5.30pm on Sunday, July 31. Walk-ins are welcome, or you can reserve a spot online in advance. The Gray Man is currently playing in Australian cinemas, and is available to stream via Netflix — read our full review. Top image: Paul Abell/Netflix © 2022.
Much-loved nerdy white guy and Seth Cohen-endorsed musician Ben Folds is bringing his upbeat brand of piano pop back to Australia at the end of this year. Though you might remember his music best from the battered walkman you rocked in the late '90s, rest assured that this talented US Adelaide enthusiast is still a force to be reckoned with. And nothing proves this more than the fact that his backing band will be the nation's best symphony orchestras. From mid-November, Folds will be touring all of Australia's major cities (except Brisbane, oddly enough) performing with each state's respective orchestral talents. Taking both excerpts of his new Concerto for Piano and Orchestra as well as jazzed up versions of his old pop hits, this dynamic musician will be creating an exciting and unique show in some of the nation's best venues. Of course, this is a tour Folds is familiar with. He's performed with some of the world's best orchestras over the past decade, and before he gets to our shores this year, he'll be taking the Ben Folds Orchestra Experience all around Europe. Hardcore fans might even remember that Australia was the site of his first orchestral work — this performance with the Western Australia Symphony Orchestra was immortalised on film in 2005. But you don't need to know all that to enjoy the show. Whether you have a long history with 'Brick' and the rest of his early work, or just really like that Triple J Like A Version he did of 'Such Great Heights' — this is a show not to be missed. Ben Folds tour dates: November 14 and 15 — Sydney Opera House with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra November 28 and 29 — Perth Concert Hall with the Western Australia Symphony Orchestra December 5 — Festival Theatre with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra December 10 — Wrest Point Entertainment Centre with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra December 19 and 20 — Arts Centre Melbourne with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Ticket prices range from $50-$129 and will be available through each orchestra's website from July 4 at 9am.
Oktoberfest down under comes in the form of Beer Fest 2023 — The Australian Heritage Hotel's annual event celebrating Australian excellence in craft beer. The free event will bring 20 of the country's leading craft brewers to The Rocks from Friday, October 6 to Sunday, October 8. There are various tasters which you can pre-purchase to avoid the queues. Nab ten tasters and a tasting cup for $49 with the Early Bird Starter Pack, or level it up with all that plus a stubby holder and a Beer Fest tote in the Early Bird Legend Pack for $75. There's also an option to add five extra tasters for $25. Take the experience further at a Meet the Brewer session. Attendees can froth about their favourite cold ones with the experts behind the bevs on the rooftop at one (or all) of the four sessions on Saturday and Sunday. There are prizes and giveaways galore both before and during the event. Home brewers have the chance to get their original recipe brewed by Frenchies Brewery and served on tap at The Australian, while the winner of the social media competition will receive private use of the pub's rooftop for them and their guests on Friday, October 6, complete with a $500 bar tab and a dedicated staff member. Vote for Best Dark Beer, Best IPA, Best Sour, Best Specialty Brew, the Geoff Scharer Award and more in the Best Beer Competition to have a shot at winning a brewery tour with three of your mates, a $250 bar tab at The Australian or a Young Henrys merch pack. If you're not a beer devotee, you can still enjoy live music from Harvey, Tiago, Hot Minute, Oompah Loompah and Hot Potato Band, as well as food stalls and cold cider. To find out more and pre-purchase some tasters, head to The Australian Heritage Hotel's website.
Sydneysiders, your summer plans now include a date with the biggest name in street art there is: Banksy. The mysterious artist won't be there. Or, if they are, no one would know anyway. More than 150 works will showcase Banksy's art, however, including infinity rooms and simulations that play with some of Banksy's most famous creations. The Art of Banksy: Without Limits debuted in Brisbane in May, and has also been on display in Adelaide in 2023. Next stop: Sydney Town Hall from Wednesday, January 24, 2024. The waitlist for Harbour City tickets opens at 6pm AEDT on Tuesday, December 12, with sales from Tuesday, December 19. A massive collection of pieces by the art world's chief enigma — including the darkly satirical, overtly political work that has turned the stencil-loving artist into such an infamous icon — The Art of Banksy: Without Limits' hefty array of artworks include Banksy's certified art, prints on a heap of different materials, plus photos and sculptures as well. For an immersive experience, there's installations — physical and digital — alongside murals and mapping shows. One such installation: a simulation of Dismaland Bemusement Park. Another: that mirrored infinity room. Banksy's murals in Ukraine also get a nod, and one space is devoted to the MV Louise Michel, the 30-metre-long high-speed lifeboat funded by Banksy that patrols the Mediterranean to rescue refugees. Attendees will also be peering at reproductions of Banksy's works that have been made exclusively for this exhibition, recreating some of the artist's pieces using — of course — stencils. Flower Thrower, Kissing Coppers and sculpture Phone Booth make an appearance — and spray painting your own shirt is an option. Adding Sydney to its list of stops alongside Istanbul, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Berlin, Bucharest, Cluj and Budapest, plus Riyadh, Vienna, Warsaw, Seoul, Atlanta, Miami, Charlotte, Chile, Seattle and Mexico City, The Art of Banksy: Without Limits will run daily and take between 45–60 minutes to wander through. And yes, you can snap away for the 'gram while you're there. The Art of Banksy: Without Limits will display at Sydney Town Hall, 483 George Street, Sydney, from Wednesday, January 24, 2024, with the waitlist open from 6pm AEDT on Tuesday, December 12 and tickets on sale from Tuesday, December 19 — head to the exhibition's website for more details.
Summer calls for margaritas, and this February, Patrón is hooking Sydney up. For the entire month, the premium handcrafted tequila brand will bring laidback Mexican luxury to Bondi's The Bucket List, featuring a specialty menu curated around top-shelf summer cocktails — and we're giving away VIP access to the opening night. The party will start on Thursday, February 1, with DJ sets by No Qualms and Andy Bird from 7pm. There'll be Tommy's Margaritas served from your own special Patrón bottle to order alongside some chipotle fish tacos. Next up, go for a grapefruit Paloma cocktail, and top off the evening with Patrón's Perfect Espresso Martini — their twist on the classic espresso martini using their Silver and XO Café tequilas. Along with serving Patrón's exclusive cocktails, The Bucket List's outdoor bar will be transformed into a Mexican oasis with whitewashed timber and woven seating, all embellished with blue agave plants and other Latin American native flora. Continue your journey into the luxe world of Patrón by way of a dedicated virtual reality experience that guides you through the Hacienda Patrón in Guadalajara, Mexico through the eyes of a voyeuristic bee. The event is open to all from 7pm, but if you want exclusive access to the launch, go in the running for one of our passes that'll get you and three friends a reserved booth and two free cocktails each. And because two parties are better than one, another lush Mexican-themed experience will also start at Mrs Sippy on February 1 and will run for the full month as well. If that still isn't enough tequila goodness for you, The Tilbury Hotel will host their own Patrón fiesta from February 8. Each venue will have its own exclusive food and drink pairings, but luckily you'll have the entire month to try them all. [competition]654850[/competition]
When you've fought for your life, plus a massive cash prize, while donning a green tracksuit, you're probably not going to shake off the deadly endeavour easily. So shows the latest teaser trailer for Squid Game season two. Lee Jung-jae (The Acolyte) is back as Gi-hun, and there's a familiar face — or mask — at his door, awakening him from a restless slumber. Soon, he's back on bunks as competitor 456. Let the games begin — again. Following a three-year wait since its award-winning first season, and after teasing the show's 2024 return since January, Squid Game will start playing once more on Boxing Day. If you usually spend the day after Christmas shopping, at the cinema or recovering from your food coma by trying to play backyard cricket, you now have other plans if you want to catch the next instalment of the South Korean thriller ASAP. It was back in August that Netflix not only advised when its huge 2021 hit — one of the best new TV programs of that year, in fact — will finally make a comeback, but also announced that there's even more in store. After Squid Game season two arrives on Thursday, December 26, 2024, Squid Game season three will drop sometime in 2025. There's no exact date for the latter as yet, but it will be the final season, closing out the Squid Game story. The streaming platform revealed both pieces of news with a date announcement teaser that featured a running track, competitors in recognisable green tracksuits, and also-familiar folks in red watching on alongside the masked Front Man — and with a letter from series director, writer and executive producer Hwang Dong-hyuk. Now, Netflix has dropped its next sneak peek at the second season — including at new games. Also back: Gi-hun's nemesis (Lee Byung-hun, The Magnificent Seven). If you're wondering what else is in the works after the hefty gap — Squid Game was such a huge smash in it first season that Netflix confirmed at the beginning of 2022 that more was on the way, and also released a teaser trailer for it the same year, before announcing its new cast members in 2023 — a few further details were dropped earlier in the year. That's when Netflix previously unveiled a first brief snippet of Squid Game season two in a broader trailer for Netflix's slate for the year, as it releases every 12 months. In the footage, Seong Gi-hun answers a phone call while at the airport sporting his newly crimson locks. He's soon told "you're going to regret the choice you've made". Cue his statement of vengeance; Squid Game meets John Wick, anyone? Wi Ha-joon (Little Women) is also back as detective Hwang Jun-ho, as is Gong Yoo (Train to Busan) as the man in the suit who got Gi-hun into the game in the first place. A show about a deadly competition that has folks battling for ridiculous riches comes with a hefty bodycount, which means that new faces were always going to be essential in Squid Game season two — so that's where Yim Si-wan (Emergency Declaration), Kang Ha-neul (Insider), Park Sung-hoon (The Glory) and Yang Dong-geun (Yaksha: Ruthless Operations) all come in. If you somehow missed all things Squid Game when it premiered, even after it became bigger than everything from Stranger Things to Bridgerton, the Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning series serves up a puzzle-like storyline and unflinching savagery, which unsurprisingly makes quite the combination. It also steps into societal divides within South Korea, a topic that wasn't invented by Parasite, Bong Joon-ho's excellent Oscar-winning 2019 thriller, but has been given a boost after that stellar flick's success. Accordingly, it's easy to see thematic and narrative parallels between Parasite and Squid Game, although Netflix's highly addictive series goes with a Battle Royale and Hunger Games-style setup. Here, 456 competitors are selected to work their way through six seemingly easy children's games. They're all given numbers and green tracksuits, they're competing for 45.6 billion won, and it turns out that they've also all made their way to the contest after being singled out for having enormous debts. Netflix turned the show's whole premise into an IRL competition series as well, which debuted in 2023 — without any murders, of course. Squid Game: The Challenge has already been picked up for a second season. Check out the latest teaser trailer for Squid Game season below: Squid Game season two streams via Netflix from Thursday, December 26, 2024. Season three will arrive in 2025 — we'll update you when an exact release date for it is announced. Images: Netflix.
That's right, folks, Banksy's been at it again. The infamous camera-shy street artist sure knows how to draw a crowd, all without showing his face. Back in October 2013, Banksy took over the Big Apple for a month-long stint of pop-up installations and ol' fashioned street art. Now, you can watch the best bits in Chris Moukarbel's doco Banksy Does New York. From the Central Park stand where priceless originals were anonymously sold for $60 to the livestock delivery truck carrying bleating stuffed animals, Banksy's 'New York residency' was designed to shock, inspire and amuse. Eager fans followed Banksy's daily social media updates for hints to his location. What ensued can only be described as the best kind of adult art scavenger hunt across New York's city streets. Comprised of clips from fans plus footage recorded by Moukarbel and his team, Banksy Does New York looks at the audience, rather than the artist. Focusing on frenzied crowds of New Yorkers, iPhones at the ready, the film begs the question: who really is Banksy's subject? Banksy Does New York is in select cinemas (Dendy Newtown, Cinema Nova, Palace Centro, Palace Eastend, Luna Leederville and Palace Electric) on April 23. Thanks to Madman Films, Concrete Playground has ten double passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to our mailing list and then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au
It's a special birthday for one of Sydney's favourite art events, as 2016 marks twenty strong years from Sculpture by the Sea. Kicking off on Thursday, October 20, two clicks of Australia's most picturesque coastline in Bondi will be transformed into a living, breathing artscape. It's clear that the field of artists that make it through really are the best at what they do; with nearly 500 submissions coming in from 27 countries around the world, the competition is fierce. There's also the chance for a chin wag with the artists themselves at the Aqualand Artist Talks series, which will run from 11am till 3pm on at Marks Park and Tamarama each weekend. Have a chat with the creators to find out more about their inspiration and vision. Plus, The Grounds of Alexandria have once again erected a pop-up cafe for the event, this year going with an Arizona-style hacienda at Tama. So keep your fingers crossed for good weather — the whole thing runs until November 6. Image: Karen Macher Nesta, Sea Sponges, Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe 2016. By Jessica Wyld.
Last week saw the 135th and final space shuttle mission end when Atlantis touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. For the past 30 years, the shuttle has been the flagship plane for NASA's sometimes controversial, always captivating space program. The decommissioning of the shuttle will undoubtedly make space travel cheaper and safer for the American government, who will continue their program in 1960s-style manned capsules made in Russia, before taking off in American-built vehicles. Every time the shuttle took off, it cost American taxpayers $1.5 billion. Choosing to either abandon the space shuttle or avoid it entirely, the Soviets and China have progressed by using rockets and capsules for manned spaceflights. For now, the space race is back on. National Geographic has compiled a photographic retrospective to mark the occasion, showcasing the most vivid photographs from the shuttle's colourful history. Here are some of our favourites. A huge crowd—many driving recreational vehicles—gathers to watch the space shuttle Columbia land on July 4, 1982, at Edwards Air Force Base in California at the end of STS-4. Sitting on a rolling platform, the space shuttle Challenger emerges from the mist at Kennedy Space Center in Florida as it heads toward the launch pad, just visible in the distance, in November 1982. Curling like bizarre sigils in the sky, plume remnants from the June 8, 2007, launch of the space shuttle Atlantis glow with the light of the setting sun. Earth seems ready for loading into the space shuttle Endeavour's open payload bay in a picture taken in December 1998 using an onboard IMAX camera. Riding piggyback on a Boeing 747, the test shuttle Enterprise glides over the New York City skyline in June 1983. Astronaut Dale Gardner enjoys a moment of levity as he completes a spacewalk to recover two broken communications satellites from orbit on November 14, 1984. Astronaut Joseph P. Allen IV is seen reflected in Gardner's helmet visor. Star Trek cast members from the science-fiction show attend the shuttle's rollout ceremony in Palmdale, California, on September 17, 1976. Atlantis is lifted high inside the Vehicle Assembly Building on May 18, 2011, so it can be attached to the "stack"—the combination of the large external fuel tank and twin solid rocket boosters. A cloud of debris spreads in the sky over coastal Florida as the space shuttleChallenger breaks apart on January 28, 1986. A charred astronaut helmet lying in the grass near Norwood, Texas, was among the debris found after the space shuttle Columbia broke apart during reentry on February 1, 2003. Suspended above the planet, the space shuttle Endeavour is silhouetted against the layers of Earth's atmosphere in a picture taken by an ISS crew member on February 9, 2010. [Via National Geographic]
Entertainment is relative to expectation. At slapdash times, a case of beer, a few friends and the digital music collections contained in your pockets will do. But when you're driving piles into the bottom of Sydney Harbour, crafting a nine-metre chandelier out of Swarovski elements and conjuring up a solid 3000-seat outdoor venue where before there were only lawns, you've committed to staging an event that those who witness cannot forget. It was a huge gamble from Opera Australia, Destination NSW and benefactor Haruhisa Handa. The result is a spectacular success and probably the best outdoor event to ever be staged in Australia. Festivals of all stripes could learn a thing or two from Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour. From the moment you enter, it is designed to be a totally comfortable experience that removes you from the everyday. The labyrinthine paths that lead to the seating and social areas take you under arches and over mini red carpets by day and through a prettily lit botanical corridor by night. There's premium catering sequestered somewhere, but the casual dining is perfect, borrowing the efficient layout of Ikea's restaurants to swiftly spit you out with fish and chips or pizza slice in hand. People promenade along the waterfront, which separates the seating from the stage built over the water. The views, the views, the views wash over you from each direction. By combining the grandeur of opera with Sydney's natural and architectural wonders and the (literal) fireworks of outdoor gatherings, the organisers of Handa Opera on the Harbour have assembled a spectacle heightened beyond what could ever fit in a theatre. La Traviata is the world's second-most performed opera, but let's be straight: it isn't the most exciting. This is a story that was fleshed out by Baz Luhrmann in Moulin Rouge, and in this incarnation, the consumptive consort's death scene takes an hour. It means the pressure is on the performers to convey the emotional impact of tragedy almost solely through their soaring, reaching, longing voices — and really, isn't that when opera is at its best? Emma Matthews and Gianluca Terranova as lovers Violetta and Alfredo and Jonathan Summers as meddlesome father Giorgio ably lead you on that journey. But the light narrative also, in this case, gives your eyes a chance to wander from the surtitles and absorb the spectacle on stage, and when they itch for a break from that, time to dance across the city skyline from the CBD over the Opera House, Harbour Bridge and to the bookend of North Sydney. It's sublime. La Traviata is a story made for excess, allowing designers Brian Thomson and Tess Schofield to fill parties with a raucous mix of tuxedoed gentlemen, gypsies, matadors and drag queens and furnish the set with a cartoonishly long banquet table and Chesterfield lounge. Even when it's lit like a nightclub, the set delivers on scale and glamour. The gilt-frame base is less evocative in reality than concept (it looks a little like a skate park at times), but that much-talked-about chandelier is truly stunning and, given its surrounds, not overwhelming. Most impressively, just when you thought their every use had been thoroughly exhausted by Sydney outdoor events, this one makes fireworks seem wondrous, surprising and meaningful again. La Traviata is the first of three such Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour events scheduled for the next three years. Not even rain could tarnish your experience of a night you'll carry with you well into next March. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ewpzuXjwAMg
On the hunt for a Halloween getup that'll cement your status as a costume genius? Or maybe that wardrobe of yours just needs a little extra pizzazz going into the silly season. Whatever your needs, you'll find a veritable treasure chest of fashion gold at Opera Australia's costume clearance sale this weekend. On October 21 and 22, the company will be throwing open the doors to its Alexandria warehouse to clear out over 2000 pieces of retired stock, with prices starting at a mere $2. Items up for grabs run from the weird to the downright wacky, including outfits spattered with fake blood, suits of armour, period costumes, military garments, head-turning retro designs and a swag of everyday wardrobe pieces. Doors open at 10am but, if you're serious about this, we suggest getting there earlier than that.
The first day of March marks the first day of autumn, but when you're at El Loco, it's never not summer. So if you are a fan of spicy tortilla, colourful flags, icy margaritas, floral oilcloth, or general happiness, chase the ephemeral form of Sydney's favourite Mexican cantina to its new home in the Slip Inn courtyard. If you made to the pop-up at Sydney’s Opera House, you’ll know the deal: kitschy decor, a killer snack menu featuring Dan Hong's, infamous tacos and cheese-drowned hot dogs, and a "secret taco" that always tends to increase in appeal as the bucket of Coronas diminishes. Everything is priced around the $6-10 mark, including a few additional items made exclusively for the CBD's brightest pop-up. Between Wednesday and Saturday there will be live entertainment kicking on until last Coronas are called, which on weekends will be well after midnight. El Loco at Slip Inn is located at 111 Sussex St, Sydney CBD and will be open Monday to Thursday from midday till midnight and Friday and Saturday from midday till late, until March 31.
Every month or thereabouts, ice cream chain Gelatissimo unveils a new special flavour. That's why we've been able to tuck into everything from frosé sorbet to ginger beer- flavoured gelato in the past — and Weet-Bix, fairy bread, hot cross bun, cinnamon scroll, chocolate fudge, bubble tea and Caramilk varieties, too. That hasn't changed lately, with a new limited-edition choc-caramel fudge gelato made with Lindt currently on the menu. Even more exciting: you can get the flavour delivered to your door during lockdown as part of a build-your-own sundae. If it's the choc-caramel fudge or the collaboration with Lindt that's tempting your tastebuds, you'll be pleased to know that it's made with molten Lindt chocolate and caramel fudge sauce, and it's rather decadent. Also on offer: a dark choc pistachio flavour, again made with molten Lindt chocolate — this time paired with dry roasted pistachio paste. If you're more interested in the sundae side of things, that just involves ordering a tub of whatever flavours you like — and also picking your choice of cone (including choc-dipped, choc-dipped with peanut and choc-dipped with hundreds and thousands), and also opting for toppings (such as gummy bears, sour straps, mini M&Ms, and hundreds and thousands). You'll have to then scoop it all together, of course, but that's part of the fun. Gelatissimo delivers its take-home packs via services such as Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Doordash, should your lockdown tastebuds now have a hankering for something sweet. And, flavour-wise, options include the new cold brew with oat milk vegan flavour, as well as everything from cookie dough and choc mint to raspberry sorbet and good ol' fashioned vanilla. Gelatissimo's new Lindt flavours and take-home packs are available from all stores nationwide — and via delivery as well.
There's a brand new pop-up coming to Oxford Street this month and it's teeming with testosterone. Curated by Clara Ho (founder of Burton Metal Depository), presented by the Design Residency and supported by the City of Sydney's Creative Spaces initiative, The Man Cave is a brand new pop-up shop filled with Man Things — fashion, accessories, furniture, grooming tools and more — all created by emerging Australian talent with a penchant for dude-focused design. Importantly, you don't need a penis to walk through the door of this pop-up shop. Everyone's welcome, chromosome combinations aside. With Father's Day coming up, it's pretty excellent one-stop-shop for something a little eclectic for your pappy. There'll be a leather monogramming service on-site, as well as bespoke suit fittings and custom jewellery consultations. They're kicking things off on August 20 with a big ol' opening night with whiskey tasting from the crew at Balvenie Whiskey. The pop-up will also be open during Vogue's Fashion Night Out and City of Sydney's Fashion Saturday, with guest DJs, bespoke cocktails and grooming tips. Everyone loves a little beard-trimming advice with an Old Fashioned in hand, right? The Man Cave is one part of a series of pop-ups presented by the Design Residency. The next residency will be Innovators from September 16, then Local Design from October 7. The Man Cave opens on Thursday, August 20 at 72 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst. Opening night runs 6-9pm, where you can have tipple, meet the designers and nab the best things first. Images: Lena Barridge.
From Wednesday, May 29 to Monday, June 3, various venues across the Central Coast will become the scene for a celebration of stories and ideas, Words on the Waves Writers Festival. Like any good literature festival, you can attend events and talks by big-name authors, book launches, and writing workshops. However, there are a few things that set this event apart. Firstly, there's the location. The Central Coast is known for its stunning scenery, and here, you can attend events at Umina, Ocean Beach, and Ettalong Beach. Secondly, there's the literary cruise. Leaving from Woy Woy Wharf on the morning of June 3, it's a two-hour journey through literature and water, affording you an experience you won't find at any other festival. Thirdly, and for the first time ever, there's The Dip. A program stream featuring affordable and free events, The Dip is about discovery and accessibility. You can listen to best-selling authors like Judy Nunn, Anna Downes and Nat's What I Reckon — the enemy of both censors and jar sauces — all for a low price.
This week at Firstdraft sees the opening of three new shows. Galleries 1 and 2 provide Karena Keys and Helen Shelley with the space to explore faith and constructed belief systems as physical representations in paint and its lateral definitions. Their two-person exhibition, The Otherings conjures up images of tribal ambiguity asking us to explore our own worship, religious or secular. Similarly, Tye McBride asks us to question the way in which we construct our knowledge of the world. Her exhibition, 149597870 references the number of kilometres it would take to traverse the distance from the earth to the sun. As a child, I used to lay in bed at night getting myself lost in conceptual knots over how stories could exist right here in my house and not elsewhere (don't you wish you knew me at 10!) and then I would forget the question and I would lose my place and not be able to get back to where I started from or had got to. Anyway, I feel that McBride's offering may be a little like this — it seems that the sun is so very far away from here and now — all 149597870 kilometres away — and yet how the hell did they work that out? I can see Indiana Jones starting out from Antarctica, stepping off as the crow flies with his wooden measuring wheel. Ah yep. Last to tie that conceptual knot is Ben Byrne with Tumult in Gallery 4. Here Byrne explores noise — the noise within us, outside of us — we are surrounded but not really listening at all. We cannot shut it off for we are a part of every sound ever present. I often think of this idea in connection to our eyes. How is it that our eyes see everything within their vision and yet it is our brains that fail to pick up the slack — how in fact could we ever miss anything? And so ends Big Questions 101 for this week. You never know, some answers might lie at Firstdraft. That's where we will start anyway.
During this last week of April there's been a bit of good news about Australia's battle to contain coronavirus. Queensland and NSW both announced the easing of some restrictions from this Friday, May 1, South Australia has had seven days in a row of no new cases and the ACT, as of today, has zero active cases. Also unveiled today was the Northern Territory's Roadmap to the New Normal, which includes the reopening of restaurants, bars and cafes — in just two weeks. Announced today by Chief Minister Michael Gunner, the roadmap is broken into three parts. From midday tomorrow, May 1, some "simple and safe" outdoor activities are allowed — including weddings and funerals, outdoor sports where physical distancing can be maintained (so tennis is OK, but not basketball) and fishing, boating and sailing with other people — and public swimming pools, water parks, playgrounds and campgrounds (outside biosecurity areas) can open. Stage two, set to start from midday on Friday, May 15, allows "safer" indoor activities for "less than two hours". Places of worship, public libraries, gyms, beauty therapy salons (for non-facial services), shopping centre food courts and restaurants, cafes and bars can all have customers for short bursts. So, you can go and have a couple of pints at a bar or a bowl of pasta and a wine, but not sit down for an eight-course degustation. The venues wanting to reopen as part of this second round of eased restrictions must submit a "simple COVID-19 safety plan checklist" to prove they're operating within physical distancing and hygiene guidelines, but these do not need to be approved. At present, the Chief Minister has not outlined exactly what these physical distancing guidelines are, but the checklist will be made public on May 5. [caption id="attachment_714483" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sydney's Cantina OK is currently closed. Image by Kimberley Low.[/caption] If the guidelines include the Federal Government's previous one person-per-four-square-metre limit, it's possible it won't be viable for all hospitality venues to reopen. When this restriction was first introduced back in March 20, many hospitality spots — including tiny Sydney mezcal bar Cantina OK — chose to close. Some closed even earlier, when the government introduced a ban on indoor gatherings of more than 100 people. Part three of the NT government's plan is set to be rolled out on June 5, and includes the removal of the two-hour limit and the commencement of more indoor and outdoor activities, such as going to a football game and the opening of cinemas, theatres, concert halls, nightclubs and entertainment venues (in an "approved configuration"). The territory's 14-day forced quarantine rules for all non-essential interstate travellers does not have an end date as part of the plan — so, no, don't expect to go on a holiday to the Top End anytime soon. The NT has had significantly less cases compared to other states and territories, with a total of 27 — as of 6am on April 30 — compared with 1034 in Queensland, 1354 in Victoria and 3016 in New South Wales. But the two-month plan could be an example of what the road out might look like for the rest of the country, albeit a little later on. You can find out more about the Northern Territory's Roadmap to the New Normal here.
It premiered at Cannes, will make its Australian debut at the Melbourne International Film Festival and is shaping up to be one of this year's biggest films. We're talking about Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which sees the acclaimed filmmaker step back to five decades ago to explore Tinseltown in the summer of 1969 — when the golden age of Hollywood was waning down, and when the Manson Family shocked the world with their horrific murders. Tarantino doesn't just want movie buffs to enjoy his new movie, however. He wants to steep viewers in the whole '60s vibe, including the films that inspired his own film. To help, the writer/director has curated a season of flicks all made in the era, and they'll be screening on SBS' new (and free) World Movies channel in August. The Quentin Tarantino Presents collection is a global project, airing in approximately 20 countries around the world in the lead up to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood's release. In Australia, it kicks off on Monday, August 12 with 1969 comedy Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, about a couple who decide to become more open in their lives. From there, the season will move on to Cactus Flower with Goldie Hawn, Ingrid Bergman Walter Matthau, as well as the Dennis Hopper-directed and -starring Easy Rider. As for the rest of the bill, it all hails from the late 50s, 60s and early 70s, including Model Shop from French writer-director Jacques Demy, student politics comedy Getting Straight with Elliott Gould, crime flick Hammerhead, and westerns Gunman's Walk and Arizona Raiders. One of the films on the list, 1968's The Wrecking Crew, is a humorous spy flick that co-stars Sharon Tate — who Margot Robbie plays in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The whole season will set audiences up nicely for Tarantino's latest, which follows TV star Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his trusty stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). Each movie will air with an introduction from the director, who chats with film writer and historian Kim Morgan about how they influenced Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Check out the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELeMaP8EPAA SBS World Movies' Quentin Tarantino Presents collection starts airing from 10.30pm on Monday, August 12. For screening times, visit the channel's online program guide. Via Deadline / SBS Movies.
Market City is adding a new food hub to its offering, launching eight Asian eateries as part of the new 1909 Dining Precinct on its third floor. The precinct will open in stages, beginning with the unveiling of Australia's second Mr Meng Chongqing Gourmet outpost today, Thursday, March 8. Cheeky If You Are The One host Meng Fei is swiftly expanding his noodle franchise since opening in Melbourne in mid-2017. Sydney patrons can expect the chongqing spicy noodles and signature deep fried spring rolls on offer. This might seem a little weird, but Grandpa Meng is actually a Kim K-level celeb in China thanks to his shenanigans on the cult dating show and already has a string of noodles shops to his name. The remaining seven restaurants will all be open by mid-2018. They'll range from casual takeaway joints to full-on dining rooms, like the 200-seater that will house the first Australian site for Macau's popular hot pot chain, Dolar Shop. The other eateries will be Kogi, a Korean barbecue restaurant specialising in soju-marinated meats; YAYOI Japanese Teishoku, offering up set meals like wagyu beef hot pots and grilled eel on rice; Chinese eatery Beijing Impressions; and sushi train Fugetsu. Two additional restaurants are yet to be announced. The precinct's design is focused around a communal lounge area, with each restaurant boasting a custom fit-out. Jin Wu Koon, a Sydney-based dragon and lion dance team, will perform an official blessing ritual in the space today, which is meant to bring luck, fortune and prosperity. "We are excited to be evolving our offer to deliver an elevated day-to-night food experience, heralding a new era of dining at Market City and something we believe will further underscore our position as one of the city's most authentic and vibrant Asian food destinations," says Market City manager David Yam. The opening coincides with Market City's 21st anniversary and the dining hall's name reflects the year the building was constructed — then housing Sydney's first fruit and veg market. The precinct's launch marks the second stage of renovations, with the first floor food court revamped last year. 1909 Dining Precinct opens Thursday, March 8 on level three of Market City , 9–13 Hay Street, Haymarket. It will be open seven days a week until late. We'll keep you updated and you can check marketcity.com.au for more information.
As a movie, it's a masterpiece. As a stage musical, it's one of the most famous there is. And, returning to Australia for the first time in almost 20 years with Sarah Brightman starring as Norma Desmond, Sunset Boulevard is going to be big. Andrew Lloyd Webber's Tony-winner, which first took the leap from the screen to the stage in 1993 — and picked up Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Book of a Musical, and awards for leading actor, leading actress and featured actor for its efforts, among more — is bringing its Hollywood story Down Under again in 2024. The production will bring its new Aussie run to the Harbour City from Wednesday, August 28, playing at the Sydney Opera House. As Desmond, Brightman will make her global debut in the part, taking on her first theatre role in over three decades. She'll also add to a spectacular career that includes originating the role of Christine in The Phantom of the Opera back in the 80s. Here, she's stepping into a part that saw Gloria Swanson nominated for an Oscar in 1951 and Glenn Close win a Tony in 1995. Debra Byrne played the part in Australia back in 1996, while Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls has done the same in West End. [caption id="attachment_921590" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Simon Fowler[/caption] As Billy Wilder's 1950 film first covered in a feature that's been influential not just in inspiring stage adaptations, but on every other movie about Tinseltown since, Sunset Boulevard follows silent star Desmond. With her career getting small with the advent of the talkies, she dreams about making a comeback. The movie famously starts with a man's body floating in a swimming pool, then flashes back to Desmond's time with screenwriter Joe Gillis, her latest attempts to reclaim her success and the events that bring about that watery end. On the stage, Sunset Boulevard will echo with tunes such as 'With One Look', 'The Perfect Year' and 'As If We Never Said Goodbye' as it tells the above tale. [caption id="attachment_956091" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ben King[/caption] Top image: Ben King.
The spooky season may have ended, but a spine-tingling series of experiences still lingers on in Sydney from November through to January 2024. This is, of course, Darkfield, and you've probably heard of its spooky setpieces before — either here on Concrete Playground or on social media. Truly masters of immersion, Darkfield is bringing all four of its experiences together to Sydney, specifically Barangaroo's Harbour Park, with two returning favourites and two experiences making their Sydney debuts. Each experience takes place in a single shipping container, but don't let the unassuming exterior fool you — eerie thrills await within. The two returning stars are Séance and Flight: the former sees you take a seat alongside your participants before you're thrust into a world of sensory deprivation to make contact with the spirit world. The latter is the manifestation of a very common fear, placing you in a mock aeroplane cabin to experience the dual outcomes of a doomed passenger flight. The two experiences premiering in this visit are Coma and Eulogy. The former will lay you down in a bed and let you slowly fall into a dreamlike state, all while the multisensory effects of the show play out around you. The latter will see you explore a dark labyrinth with a chaperone; keep your wits about you for the audio and speech recognition technology, and whatever you do, do not wander off of the path. So, what do these spooky experiences have in common? They all use a blend of 360-degree sound design and play on the psychology of their participants, but only for a runtime of 20–30 minutes, and each ticket is priced between $22–30. Shipping containers have limited capacity, so booking in advance is a must, and if you book one show, you'll score discounts on return visits. Darkfield will be available at Barangaroo from Thursday, November 23 to Sunday, January 21, 2024. For more information and to book tickets, visit the website. Images: Mihaela Bodlovic
No one likes a boring lunch, or spending hours meal prepping — though we all know how quickly the cost of midday food splurges can add up. Those lunch dramas will soon be a thing of the past, with nifty food app MealPal arriving in Sydney. The brainchild of ClassPass co-founder, Mary Biggins, and Katie Ghelli (formerly of ZocDoc), the meal subscription service has proved a hit across the USA and UK since first launching in Miami, in January 2016. Now, having dished up over 2 million meals to time-starved office workers, the MealPal concept is heading down under, to give us Aussies our first taste of the action. Through the website or app, subscribing members are able to order a daily lunch meal from the huge selection of great local restaurants, schedule a convenient time to skip the queues and pick it up, and enjoy a tasty feed for blissfully minimal effort. Use it Monday to Friday, and the service clocks in at less than $8 per day. More than 100 of Sydney's lunchtime go-tos are already on board, including Fratelli Famous, Sumo Salad, Down N' Out, and Zeus Street Greek. Sign up here. Image: Sake Jr.
Ease into your weekend with a few hours of leisurely wandering around the oh-so-chic streets of Paddington. Start in Five Ways and slowly wend your way towards The Intersection, perhaps indulging in a little bit of shopping along the way (or, window shopping, if the credit card needs a bit of a break). Perk yourself up with a coffee from local favourite, Jackie's Cafe, before going for a walk down Oxford Street to see the jacarandas in full, glorious bloom. Finish off with lunch at Morris, a delightful eatery from the folks at Scout's Honour. Expect sandwiches, salads and bowls, all full to the brim with ingredients your nutritionist would approve of (think fresh veggies, seeds, and lean meats).
Last Friday, as you may well have heard, somebody set the Lansdowne Hotel on fire. Most Sydneysiders will be familiar with the Landsdowne. It’s the neon-lit three-storey art deco hotel on the corner of Broadway and City Road, overlooking Victoria Park, which is always open when everything else is closed. It's sleazy, and the clientele are scruffy, and it has been beloved of every University of Sydney student and every local criminal and eccentric for well over a hundred years. And there it was, burning down. If you've driven through Chippendale since Friday, you'll have realised it hasn't, in fact, burnt down. Rather, a fire started on the third floor, forcing the hotel guests to evacuate, closing City Road for most of the morning, and closing the pub until, well, further notice. But the spectre of the end of the Lansdowne upset not just me but also many people I know and many more I’ve never met. In a strange way it burrowed its way into our hearts over the years, and we realised for a few moments that we would feel lost without it. Conversations with friends that night revealed a particular pattern to individual histories of the Lansdowne. While they might have tried to put in a velvet lounge or two and introduce (very decent) band nights over the last couple of years, most of the stories of the Lansdowne I heard began or ended with heady, fuzzy alcohol-soaked staggers through the open doors in the wee hours of the morning. There were stories of arguing with the bartender over the price of beer, of people making out clumsily on the couches, of untidy break-ups, of punch-ups, and of impromptu dancing on tables. It's rarely a destination in and of itself. Rather, it is the beloved pub of last resort, eternally reliable in all its sleazy neon grandeur at the intersection of two busy roads. A little bit of research reveals the Lansdowne has probably always been that way. The current incarnation has been around since 1933, a stalwart of Chippendale well before anybody could even conceive of it being included in a list of Australia’s 'hippest' suburbs. For most of its existence, Chippendale has been a violent, drunken slum, home to criminals, gamblers, and prostitutes, and then, over the years, the equally questionable musicians, students, and communists. The people who lived there were overwhelmingly poor, and the combination of factory poisons, sewerage, and the reek of the brewery in the air made it a generally unpleasant place to live. The Lansdowne, true to the grimness of the neighbourhood, was nearly always sleazy. While the Temperance Unions won a small victory in the early 20th century with the introduction of six o'clock closing times (with the aim of sending men home to their families instead of the warm embrace of a bottle of whisky), it instead marked the beginning of Sydney's much-maligned binge drinking culture. The six o'clock swill saw men flood the Lansdowne to get as much drink into them before closing time as they were physically able. The Lansdowne became a kind of feeding trough between the hours of four and six, where the long bars had a trough at the base for the men to piss in as they stood. Tiled walls were also introduced. Not for any aesthetic appeal; rather, they were easier to hose the vomit off of. Like all inner-Sydney pubs, it was a place where men went to escape, and any woman who did walk into the Lansdowne wasn't somebody likely to be too worried about her reputation. It was somewhere bookmakers and standover men hassled 'sly-groggers', prostitutes, or anybody who looked at them in a 'funny' way. During the 1930s Kate Leigh, of Underbelly fame, had a slew of standover men who would frequent pubs, including the Lansdowne, to buy the booze she would sell on the sly. One of her men, Chow Hayes, finding he had been replaced while he'd been in prison, wandered into the Lansdowne one night to locate the man who'd replaced him. He invited him outside, and he shot him. The Lansdowne continued to be sleazy and rough well past the Razor Gangs, with one of Sydney's most renowned hit men Mr Rent-A-Kill, also a frequent patron. Yet it was also the occasional drinking hole of the Sydney Push, who had amongst their number Germaine Greer, Frank Moorehouse, and Lilian Roxon and were infamously described by Barry Humphries as "a fraternity of middle-class desperates, journalists, drop-out academics, gamblers and poets manques, and their doxies". In the '80s and '90s, the Lansdowne also became one of the first venues bands were likely to play in their early careers, hosting gigs by the likes of You Am I, Peabody, The Go-Betweens, and Died Pretty. When they renovated the Lansdowne a few years ago, they made the downstairs bar airier and brighter and got rid of the cheap meals to replace them with slightly less-cheap meals. Yet for all of that, it maintains the atmosphere of its many years of questionable history. It's probably fair to say that Sydney would in many ways be bereft without places like the Lansdowne, even though they don't necessarily make us look our glittering best. That’s where the attraction lies, and that's why we are very thankful that the Lansdowne did not, in the end, burn down last week.
A not-so-sleepy mining town known as the ‘capital of the outback’, Broken Hill has many stories waiting to be uncovered.Nice Dreams centres around one true story known as The Battle of Broken Hill: a tragic and bizzare event involving a persecuted halal butcher, his neighbour, a marijuana-peddling ice-cream vendor, and their attack on the entire British Empire, embodied in an unfortunate train carriage full of picnickers.Sumugan Sivanesan and Gustavo Böke’s reimagining of this event draws on both contemporary dialogues about terrorism and Broken Hill’s history of Australian genre film to transform this series of accidents into an absurdist comedy of hallucinations and confused dreams. If you happen to visit this exhibition at the right moment, you may even experience Sivanesan’s hilarious yet historically accurate narration or Böke handing out ice-creams in costume.
Asked why he broke into Oslo's Gallery Nobel in 2015 and stole two large oil paintings in broad daylight, Karl-Bertil Nordland gives perhaps the most honest answer anyone could: "because they were beautiful". He isn't responding to the police or providing an excuse during his court appearance, but speaking to Czech artist Barbora Kysilkova, who wanted answers about the theft of her work. Captured on camera, the pilfering of Kysilkova's Swan Song and Chloe & Emma initially appeared to be a professional job. As the two pieces were removed from their frames in such an exacting manner, it was presumed that experts were behind the crime. But Nordland and his accomplice didn't plan their brazen heist, or have a background in purloining art. Thanks to the effect of illicit substances, Nordland can't even remember much about it, let alone recall what happened to the stolen works that Kysilkova desperately wants back. That said, as the thief tells the painter when she first talks with him, he does know that he walked past Gallery Nobel often. He's aware that he saw her photorealistic pieces — the first of a dead swan lying in reeds, the second of two girls sat side by side on a couch — many times, too. And, he's candid about the fact that he marvelled at and was moved by the two canvases long before he absconded with them. As a result, he doesn't seem surprised that his life led him to that juncture, and to snatching Kysilkova's creations. A victim confronts a perpetrator: that's The Painter and the Thief's five-word summary, and it's 100-percent accurate. But such a brief description can't convey how fascinating, thoughtful, moving and astonishing this documentary is as it unfurls a tale so layered and wild that it can only be true — a story that stretches far beyond what anyone could feasibly anticipate of such an altercation and its aftermath, in fact. Nordland was arrested and charged for his crime, with Kysilkova initially making contact with him at his trial. From there, the skilled carpenter and heavily tattooed addict unexpectedly gained a friend in the woman whose works he took. Kysilkova first asked to paint Nordland as part of her attempts to understand him, and he then became her muse. As all relationships do, especially ones forged under such unusual circumstances, their connection evolved, adapted and changed from there. As Norwegian filmmaker Benjamin Ree (Magnus) pointed a camera in their direction for three years, the duo weathered their own ups, downs, twists and turns, as did their friendship. If Nordland's reply to Kysilkova feels disarmingly frank and unguarded, that's because it is. The same tone remains throughout The Painter and the Thief's entire duration. Absent the usual tropes and stylistic markers that true-crime documentaries are known for, the film eschews the standard mix of talking heads, re-enactments and explanatory narration in favour of truly observing and stepping inside its subjects' unique bond. Demonstrating an abundance of empathy that's as haunting as Kysilkova's striking pieces, Ree also gravitates to moments as equally sincere and direct as Nordland's initial admission. To see the latter's response to Kysilkova's first painting of him — physically cycling through shock, amazement, wonder and gratitude, and starting with his eyes wide in bewilderment before being overwhelmed with emotion to the point of sobbing — is to witness the most intimate and complicated of reactions. It's to no one's surprise that Ree lets his movie linger here, and lets his viewers soak in the full breadth and depth of Nordland's reckoning with who he is, how he has long felt about himself, what it means to him to be immortalised in an object of beauty and how it feels to be truly be seen by someone else. When it comes to its titular figures, The Painter and the Thief's focus doesn't just flow in one direction. Kysilkova helps piece together Nordland's story, including voicing a montage of photos and clips that takes a snapshot of his life from his childhood onwards; however, she's just as much of a subject of Ree's film as he is. Indeed, when it's time to expand upon her own tale, Nordland returns the favour by recounting what he knows about his friend in the same fashion. Both have experienced tumultuous histories. Neither's path from their first meeting is straightforward, either. Nordland is involved in an accident that leaves him hospitalised. Kysilkova struggles with her finances, and with her partner Øystein's worries about her new connection. Flitting back and forth between the two — but always leaving an extra impression whenever they're together — The Painter and the Thief offers a level of detail that also matches Kysilkova's paintings, all while charting the intersection of two unlikely kindred spirits. When this affecting and sensitive documentary premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in early 2020, it won a special jury award for creative storytelling — and the intuitive way in which Ree weaves together Kysilkova and Nordland's stories is worthy of the recognition. The gentle tone, the willingness to let things unravel as they will, the care and attention shown in all directions, the utter lack of sensationalism: they're all instrumental in shaping an extraordinary film. So too is the blend of raw yet gorgeously observed imagery by Ree and fellow cinematographer Kristoffer Kumar (Arctic Superstar), the delicate and patient editing by Robert Stengård (Rebels), and the engaging score from Uno Helmersson (Bobbi Jene). An intricate and unflinching insight into kindness and compassion in even the strangest of circumstances needs all of the above, as does a considerate and ruminative exploration of trauma, redemption, addiction, art, power and friendship. The Painter and the Thief is exactly that film. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yJ4r7ON974
Kings Cross is set to land a charming new bar rich in history and pouring vermouth on tap. Swinging its doors open on Friday, February 24, Vermuteria is the latest opening from Piccolo Bar's David Spanton. Spanton might just be Kings Cross' biggest fan. Not once but twice now, the Potts Point local has sprung into action when a beloved venue in The Cross has gone up for sale, turning longstanding spaces into vibrant new bars dedicated to their former custodians. The first was Piccolo, a tiny Roslyn Street institution that Spanton saved and rejuvenated in late 2021. Now, as first announced in January, he's back to save another much-loved spot, this time taking the reins at the former digs of Cafe Hernandez on Kings Cross Road. The 24-hour cafe had been operating on this leafy street for 50 years — with Spanton recounting visits from the likes of Frank Sinatra and Guns N' Roses over the years. It closed in September of last year when the Hernandez family decided to step away from the venue. Worried it would be turned into a fashion boutique or hairdresser, Spanton came to the rescue, purchasing the property and transforming it into a bar devoted to fortified wine, fittingly called Vermuteria. Much like Piccolo, Vermuteria showcases a small specialised drinks menu and a range of tasty snacks, with vermouth and sherry at the heart of the booze offering. "We're really excited to offer two different vermouth blends direct from the barrels which are positioned directly above the bar," says Spanton. "Guests can choose from our Euro sweet rosso blend and the Aussie pinot noir vermouth with the semi-dry bianco blend straight from the tap right alongside the icy-cold Estrella Damm draught." The scene is set as soon as you walk in, with barrels of vermouth scattered throughout the bar. And, if you prefer a cocktail, there's plenty to choose from utilising the bar's namesake ingredient. Choose between the likes of negronis, martinis, spritzes, white sangria and sherry cobblers. Prior to being Cafe Hernandez, the space also existed as a Polish deli throughout the 50s and 60s. Honouring this section of its history, the back of the venue has been converted into a mini deli boasting charcuterie from LP's Quality Meats, gildas, tinned seafood, cheese plates and hot dogs. "There's definitely a much more positive vibe going on in Kings Cross," Spanton told Concrete Playground. "I think that a lot of great venues are starting to open in the area and a lot of places are starting to get a lot busier. I think the customers are loving that there's a lot more going on. And, I think that Kings Cross and Potts Point have some of the best customers." Once again collaborating with Michael Delany (Cafe Freda's, Club 77, The Abercrombie and SHADES) on the design, the duo have breathed new life into the space. But fans of the original cafe can rest easy — the new fitout will maintain key elements of the former, including an original painting from earlier owner Paquita Sabrafen depicting the Count-Duke of Olivares, on which she has superimposed her husband's face. "People will be able to come in and feel a connection to what was Hernandez Cafe," Spanton tells Concrete Playground. "It's one of those iconic venues in Sydney that most people know about if they're from the Potts Point/Kings Cross area, where you could always go to Hernandez to get a coffee." Fans of Cafe Hernandez's coffee can also still get their fix. While the cafe has closed down, the Hernandez brand is still producing coffee beans which you can order online. Vermuteria will open at 60 Kings Cross Road, Kings Cross from Friday, February 24. It will initially be open from 4pm Thursday–Saturday. Images: Chris Pearce.
On the lookout for a dope new denim jacket? Or do want to be rid of that weird-looking lamp taking up space in the living room? Then, by golly, you're in luck. The Garage Sale Trail works with local council partners Australia wide to get as many trash-and-treasure troves happening on the same day as possible. Last year, over 7000 garages opened their doors to bargain hunters, and they're doing it for the fourth time on October 26. Aside from the retro goodies up for grabs, the Trail is all about sustainability. Instead of ending up in landfill, unwanted clutter becomes a fantastic find. So get that tight pair of sunnies for peanuts and help the environment at the same time. The Garage Sale Trail began humbly in Bondi in 2010 and is growing bigger every year, so register online to pick up some sweet new threads, make a quick buck from your old junk and hang out with the friendly folks in your hood.
Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel is giving 2018 the best possible send-off with a killer New Year's Eve party. Overlooking the picturesque shoreline of Sydney Harbour, it's the prime place to spend the final sunset of the year. You'll be presented with a stellar lineup of musical talent, food and drinks, plus an awesome vantage point to catch the midnight fireworks. Don't fret about the tunes — the setlist's in safe hands as Aussie producer MUTO headlines the bash. Hailing from Sydney's Northern Beaches, he's been selling out shows across Australia over the last year and played to a packed out audience at Splendour in the Grass. Joining MUTO will be local DJ and producer Jesse Porsches. Expect his grooves to keep the dance floor lively well into the night, featuring collaborations with the likes of Flume, Tkay Maidza, Skepta and Booka Shade. A general admission ticket will set you back $134.28. But if you want to take your New Year's Eve to glamorous levels, consider a VIP ticket ($287.28), which offers exclusive bar and balcony access. You'll also enjoy roaming canapés — think mini fish and chips, salmon poké bowls and chicken noodles — a cocktail on arrival and a two-hour beverage package featuring Heineken, white, red and sparkling wine. You can also add ferry and bus transfers back to Manly, Bondi or Rose Bay to your ticket, which means less stressing about rideshare surging at the end of the night. To purchase your ticket to Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel's NYE Party, head to the website. Images: Daniele Massacci.
Opened in early 2017, London cocktail bar Scout quickly made the World's 50 Best Bars list. It stands out for two main reasons: every ingredient in every cocktail comes from the British Isles and every leftover ingredient (every straggling bit of garnish) goes into the food. To put that in more trendy terms, Scout is hyperlocal and closed-loop. Last year, Sydney hospitality heavyweight Maurice Terzini — founder of Icebergs, Bondi Beach Public Bar and the Dolphin Hotel — let slip that Scout founder Matt Whiley is coming Down Under. More specifically, he's setting up a Sydney outpost of Scout in a disused section of the Dolphin's top floor. And if you've been eagerly awaiting the results, Scout Sydney will open its doors on Wednesday, February 28. That means you'll soon be drinking highly unusual cocktails made with native ingredients in a space that's being described as part science laboratory, part bar. In the purpose-built lab, which Whiley hopes will become a training ground for Australian bartenders, the Scout Sydney team will whip up Aussie-focused drinks list. Although the full list of local recipes hasn't been revealed as yet, expect a vodka and soda made with green ants and strawberry gum, and new takes on trusty classics like the ever-popular espresso martini and old fashioned. Also on offer: drinks using distilled versions of pepperberry, watermelon and wax leaf. One of Scout's huge hits in London, its fruit wines, will also be featured on the Sydney menu. They include a banana 'wine' , which is made from bananas that've been roasted, juiced and fermented with wattle seed and macadamia, creating a rich fruit wine with banana, chocolate and nutty flavours. There's also an orange variety, using fermented orange, mandarin and cumquat, as aged in an oak barrel. In London, tipples such as the Apple of God (a savoury concoction of butternut squash liqueur, disarmed chilli, coriander and sparkling wine) and the Black and Yellow (bee pollen, sunflower seed, Deawars 12, meadowsweet and liquorice) have graced the lineup — so whatever the final local rundown turns out to be, it won't be like anything you'll find elsewhere. Scout Sydney will also sling an accompanying food selection, with Monty Koludrovic cooking up a range inspired by Whiley's beverages. Prepare to tuck into a modern take on small plates, bar snacks and finger food. Although Scout shares space with the Dolphin, the two will operate as independent businesses, with separate entries and aesthetics — with Whiley leading the charge in the design stakes, too. It's Sydney's latest venue-inside-a-venue with Mary's Pizzeria opening inside the Lansdowne Hotel last year, and Terzini opening Bonnie's Wine & Food inside Bondi Beach Public Bar. Scout Sydney opens inside the Dolphin Hotel, 412 Crown Street, Surry Hills, on Thursday, February 28, with bookings now available Monday–Sunday from 5pm.
Gelato Messina is about to become a place both wonderful and strange. With Twin Peaks finally happening again in the form of an eagerly anticipated third season, the gelato kings are getting in on the action by turning two of their stores — one in Sydney and one in Melbourne — into the show's iconic Double R Diner for one day. Naturally, there'll be themed frozen goodness aplenty, as well as free scoops. It's going to be damn fine indeed. In what will be Messina's first ever store transformations, the Double R Diner is set to take over the Newtown store on May 22 and Richmond on May 25. There mightn't be staff called Norma and Shelly on-hand, but there will be custom-made cherry gelato 'pie'. If that's your idea of dessert heaven, then here, the ice cream is what it seems. This must be where pies go when they die. In addition to the limited edition pie — there will only be 50 slices available per store — Messina has created three custom Twin Peaks flavours. They'll be served up for free (yes, free) between the hours of 12pm and 4pm, and then again from 5pm to 10pm. Just what those varieties will be, if they'll be wrapped in plastic, and whether there'll be a jukebox on-site playing tunes you just want to click your fingers to — well, you'll have to head along to find out. You can probably expect good, hot, black coffee too. Let's just hope there isn't a fish in the percolator. Unless you've been trapped in the Black Lodge for the past 25 years, you'll know that the whole thing is timed to coincide with the start of new Twin Peaks season, which will drop on Stan in Australia at 2pm on Monday, May 22. All 18 episodes have been directed by David Lynch, so we're in for quite the treat. Celebrating with pie and gelato is something Special Agent Dale Cooper would approve of — remember his wise words of advice: "every day, once a day, give yourself a present". The Double R Diner will pop up at Gelato Messina Newtown on Monday, May 22 and at the Richmond store on Thursday, May 25 from 12–4pm and 5–10pm. For more information, visit the Sydney and Melbourne Facebook event pages.
Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard first met thirty-one years ago - in a Melbourne street in the middle of the night. Just teenagers at the time, they discovered themselves to be united by a common intention – the pursuit of creative vision without compromise. Experiments with ancient folk melodies and tribal polyrhythms led to the construction of haunting soundscapes, over which Perry's rich, solemn baritone interwove with Gerrard's soaring multi-octaves. Dead Can Dance became one of the most successful acts on 4AD's books. In 1998, the duo parted ways. Last year's release, Anastasis, is aptly titled ('Anastasis' is Greek for 'resurrection') given that its their first LP in sixteen years. The passing of time has in no way weakened the mutually creative force that drives Dead Can Dance. Anastasis has topped World Music charts all over the globe with its otherworldly harmonies and unconventional instrumentation, which includes the bouzouki, the yangqin and the Hang. Dead Can Dance last performed in Australia twenty years ago. It's no surprise that their first show at the Sydney Opera House has already sold out. The good news is that a second show is scheduled and standing room tickets are available for just $20. https://youtube.com/watch?v=vZDCOR2a1-E
Remember those good old days when you could buy a ticket to the movies and get change from a $10 note? It feels like something that died with Y2K... But you'd be wrong. If you're someone who isn't so keen on spending a whole week's wages on a movie ticket and a small popcorn, you're in luck. At Campbelltown's Dumaresq Cinemas, you can buy tickets to all the latest films for $7.50, which means enough change to buy one of those fancy choc tops. The old-school budget cinema prides itself on being a theatre you can take the whole family without having to remortgage your house. To clarify, the anachronistic rate of $7.50 per ticket is available all day everyday.
Generally well-regarded, Australian owned and operated Coopers Brewery has come under fire this week for their involvement in this painfully uncomfortable Bible Society video. The video depicts two Liberal Party MPs, Andrew Hastie and Tim Wilson, discussing marriage equality in a 'lighthearted way', washing it down with a few ice-cold bottles of Coopers Light. Yeesh. If you're confused how Coopers got roped up in such a casually offensive and poorly executed pun, the sad news is that they pretty much tied the noose themselves. As a congratulatory gift to the Bible Society's bicentenary this year, Coopers released a collaboration limited edition light beer which features the Christian non-profit's logo and Bible verses on each case — 10,000 of them, to be exact. The brewery — which is family-run and openly Christian — and their association with the Bible Society flew under the radar until the society's 'Keeping it Light' campaign went live over the weekend, which is meant to showcase "light discussion on the heaviest topics". The Bible Society's somewhat haphazard video (which, it must be noted, Coopers has claimed they had no involvement in) acts as the first in a planned series using the Coopers Light beer as a gateway for their 'light' discussion. Shortly after the video was released, The Sydney Morning Herald published these statements by the two MPs, who seemed to find nothing wrong with the video's content. With 64 percent of Australian's in support of marriage equality, the video came across as patronising and flippant to a large chunk of the public who feel same-sex marriage shouldn't be a debate at all. Coopers' involvement with the video is questionable. Their first response was a sort-of apologetic statement essentially defending the video's content, saying it was "a lighthearted but balanced debate about an important topic". When this did not quell the backlash and boycotts, they then released a second statement claiming that they "did not give permission for [their] Premium Light beer to feature in, or 'sponsor' the Bible Society's 'Keeping it Light' video". The Bible Society has since released their own statement backing up this claim, stating that they were "entirely responsible" for the video and that no money changed hands in regards to the campaign. Twitter, not surprisingly, exploded. The hashtag #BoycottCoopers has taken over social media over the last few days, with consumers and venues alike speaking out. Venues across the country are pulling Coopers stock from their bars, including Sydney's Hollywood Hotel and Newtown Hotel and Melbourne's Old Bar and Sircuit/Mollies Bar & Diner — the latter of which posted this video of their GM throwing all their Coopers stock into the bin. Whatever their involvement with the production of the video, it doesn't look like Coopers is getting out of this one anytime soon. It certainly muddies the waters in relation to how religious groups and brands can influence consumers and secular institutions — particularly as Coopers has been a donor to the Liberal Party in the past, which not one, but both MPs in the video belong to.
It's the main reason most of Sydney has made their way to Good Food Month over the last couple of years, and in 2018, the ever-popular Night Noodle Markets are back — and they're bigger than ever. Sure, every event says that these days — but the fact that 40 different stalls will converge on Hyde Park for a whopping 18 nights this October makes the claim seem pretty accurate. Among the spoils will be all manner of noodles, dumplings and other delights from Mr Bao, Grump G's Kitchen, Hoi Pinoy, Chat Thai and Chur Burger. For dessert, Gelato Messina will predictably be back with a menu of pure wonder (can it top last year's deep-fried gelato katsu sandwich?) Black Star Pasty will return for another year and Donut Papi will make its first appearance. The markets will again take place in Hyde Park, which will also be — for the the second time — a festival hub for the month. It's inspired by California's Palm Springs, dubbed 'Hyde Park Palms', and will host a bunch of talks, parties and feasts, starting on October 4. An opening night party will celebrate the festival's 20th anniversary with a lineup of Sydney food legends, including Christine Manfield, Neil Perry and Ross Lusted. We're a couple of months from the start date, and Good Food has promised it has more surprises up its sleeve — including a pop-up Noodles Kitchen run by some of the city's best chefs. The markets will run from Thursday, October 4 until Sunday, October 21. They'll be open Monday and Tuesday 5-9pm, Wednesday and Thursday 5–10pm, Friday 5–11pm, Saturday 4–10pm, and Sunday 4–9pm. Entry is free but the place — if other years are anything to go by — will be packed. Image: Bec Taylor
Arriving at Sydney's jack-of-all-trades dining precinct Sydney Place, Matkim is Circular Quay's intimate new omakase restaurant bringing bold Korean flavours to the intimate degustation-style dining experience. The eight-seat venue is the latest in a far-reaching variety of opens to hit the precinct, joining fast-casual spots like Kosta's Takeaway and Malay Chinese Noodle Bar, as well as more refined hospitality options like Bar Besuto and Bistro George. As with many of Sydney's best omakase experiences, this will prove a hard-to-book spot with just one 6pm seating for eight guests each night. As you would expect, it also doesn't come cheap, with the Chef's Table Menu setting you back $259 per person. But you'll be treated to a night filled with inventive, artistic dishes showcasing local produce and specialty Korean ingredients (the team imports sesame oil, gochujang and doenjang to use in the kitchen). "In our kitchen, every dish tells a story," says Executive Chef Jacob Lee. "We're not just preparing food; we're weaving a narrative of Korean culture, history and tradition with every ingredient we choose." "Our philosophy is deeply rooted in the elements of air, fire, earth and water, mirroring the trigrams of the Korean flag. It's a dance of flavours and techniques that brings our guests closer to the essence of Korean cuisine, but under a new lens." The menu isn't set in stone night on night, but some of the highlights Matkim has served up since opening include Western Australian marron with Korean crab soybean soup; yukhoe tangtangi — a beef tartare dish topped with octopus that's having a big resurgence in popularity in Korea at the moment; and a trio of tiny sweet treats including peanut praline choux and a mugwort macron served in a pint-sized chest. Once you've managed to secure a booking, you're in for an evening watching Lee and the meticulous team go to work in the open kitchen as they bring you one unique dish after another. Matkim is located at Shop CQT.07 180 George Street, Sydney. Head to the restaurant's website for more information.
We'll be the first to admit that we'd love to get our hands on our favourite chefs' little black books of go-to restaurants. What does Matt Moran have saved in his Notes app under RESTAURANTS TO TRY? Where does Ben Shewry go on the nights he's not harvesting cabbages at Attica? Who does George Calombaris send food emojis to to set up a post-MasterChef feed? We bet it's some dingy, CBD dumpling bar where they let you bring in bottles of vintage from your resto for $1 corkage per person. Or maybe a tiny Italian restaurant in the suburbs run by a nonno-nonna dream team with bad tablecloths and amazing tagliatelle. Right? Evidently, that's what The Australian Financial Review thought too when they set up Australia's Top 100 Restaurants as voted by chefs and restaurateurs last year. But 2016's Top 100 was announced last night at The Star in Sydney, and you know where our top chefs eat? Exactly the same places as us. Taking out top place was the very same establishment that's been named Australia's best in The World's 50 Best Restaurants, Attica. Fellow Victorian Brae came in second for Dan Hunter's regional cuisine, and in third were last year's winners Sepia, which is run by Sydneysiders Martin Benn and Vicki Wild. How surprising. Rounding out the top ten were Sydney restaurants Quay, Sixpenny and the Opera House's Bennelong. Rockpool also got a look in, as did Hobart's Franklin and newcomers Ester and Automata. So either chef's only go to their mates' fancy restaurants, or, if they do go to dingy dumpling joints, they're keeping those ones to themselves.
Already in 2024, one huge Australian music festival that calls Byron Bay home has shut up shop, hopefully only temporarily. After Splendour in the Grass announced its dates for this year, then its lineup, only to swiftly cancel mere weeks later, another event that's synonymous with the coastal New South Wales spot is now also taking itself off the town's calendar. Bluesfest is bidding farewell — and its plans to say goodbye are definitely permanent — but it will host a final hurrah in 2025 on its way out. So, the sad news: once Thursday, April 17–Sunday, April 20, 2025 passes, Bluesfest will be no more. The silver lining is that last fest, a four-day event that'll mark the Easter long-weekend mainstay's 36th year. [caption id="attachment_969990" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Joseph Mayers[/caption] "After more than 50 years in the music business, Bluesfest has been a labour of love, a celebration of music, community and the resilient spirit of our fans. But after the 2025 festival, as much as it pains me to say this, it's time to close this chapter," advised Festival Director Peter Noble in a statement. "As I said earlier this year at Bluesfest 2024, next year's festival will be happening and it definitely is, but it will be our last," Noble continued. "To my dear Bluesfest family, I want to make it the most unforgettable experience yet. If you've been thinking about it, now is your last chance to experience our beloved festival." [caption id="attachment_969986" align="alignnone" width="1920"] LD Somefx[/caption] There's no word yet on who'll be gracing the stages at Bluesfest's swansong, following on from 2024 headliners Tom Jones and Elvis Costello. Since 1990, everyone from Bob Dylan, BB King, Mavis Staples, Robert Plant, Paul Simon, Bonnie Rait and Santana to Kendrick Lamar, Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, Mary J Blige, Beck, Midnight Oil and Crowded House have played the fest. And even if you've only ever been to one Bluesfest, you've likely seen Jack Johnson and/or Ben Harper on the bill. The last few years have been tumultuous for the Byron Bay event. 2023's fest lost a number of acts, including King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and Sampa the Great, after Sticky Fingers were added to the bill. Bluesfest ultimately dropped the controversial band. And while the fest went ahead in 2022 after two years of pandemic cancellations (and a thwarted temporary move to October for the same reason), it showcased a primarily Australian and New Zealand lineup. [caption id="attachment_969988" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Roger Cotgreave[/caption] Bluesfest calling time follows Mona Foma doing the same after its 2024 event — plus a lengthy list of festivals beyond Splendour that've ditched their plans this year, sometimes also without announcing their intentions for the future. Just two years after debuting, Adelaide's Harvest Rock has scrapped its 2024 fest as well. Spilt Milk cancelled its 2024 festivals, while Groovin the Moo did the same after announcing its lineup. Summergrounds Music Festival, which was meant to debut at Sydney Festival 2024, also pulled the plug. As announced in 2023, Dark Mofo took a breather in 2024. Yours and Owls has postponed its next fest until 2025, too, but is hosting a pre-party in October this year. [caption id="attachment_969989" align="alignnone" width="1920"] LD Somefx[/caption] [caption id="attachment_969987" align="alignnone" width="1920"] LD Somefx[/caption] [caption id="attachment_867504" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kurt Petersen[/caption] Bluesfest 2025 will run from Thursday, April 17–Sunday, April 20 at Byron Events Farm, Tyagarah. Early-bird tickets are on sale now — for further information, head to the Bluesfest website.
In 2023, Kylie Minogue was one of the headline acts at the first-ever Sydney WorldPride. In 2024, Australia's favourite homegrown pop star is leading the bill at another huge event: Splendour in the Grass. 'Padam Padam' will echo across North Byron Bay Parklands to warm up winter — and festivalgoers will be spinning around to the music megastar's three-plus decades of hits. Kylie tops a lineup that also boasts Future and Arcade Fire, with Minogue headlining the Friday night with an exclusive set, then Future doing the Saturday and Arcade Fire taking to the stage on the Sunday. The dates, in case you don't already have them in your diary: Friday, July 19–Sunday, July 21. And yes, 2024's biggest Splendour names have plenty of company. [caption id="attachment_870885" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Darenoted Ltd[/caption] You'll also be catching G Flip, Turnstile, The Presets doing a DJ set, Yeat, Hayden James, Girl in Red, Baby Gravy, Tash Sultana, DJ Seinfeld, Fontaines DC, Royel Otis, Tones and I and more. Of course the list goes on from there — it's Splendour. Omar Apollo, The Last Dinner Party, Lizzy McAlpine, The Kills, Thelma Plum, Partiboi69, Angie McMahon, Viagra Boys: add them all to your schedule for the three days, then a whole heap more. [caption id="attachment_945649" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Leonardo Samrani via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Splendour 2024, which is the festival's 22nd birthday, will feature beats and projections at The Forest, LGBTQIA+ dance club Rainbow Bar, everything from immersive installations to giant sculptures as part of its arts program, and Little Splendour turning a trip to the fest into a family-friendly experience, too. Don't forget that there's also a lineup for the Thursday night as well, with Jimi the Kween, Krissy Jaman, Victoria Anthony and Summer Lover kicking off the proceedings. Splendour in the Grass 2024 Lineup: Friday: Kylie G Flip Turnstile Tash Sultana Omar Apollo Partiboi69 Angie McMahon Viagra Boys ISOxo Confidence Man Otoboke Beaver Allday A.B. Original Yard Act Teen Jesus & The Jean Teasers JK-47 Leisure Kita Alexander Skeleten Radio Free Alice Becca Hatch Nick Ward Triple J Unearthed Mix Up DJs: Dameeeela Baschoe Reenie The Forest: Anthony Pappa Wongo Morgazmk Miles Jackson Arya Data Roaming K Dizzy Saturday: Future Yeat Hayden James Fontaines D.C. Lizzy McAlpine Tones and I The Last Dinner Party The Presets (DJ set) Pond Boywithuke Middle Kids Beddy Rays Swim Coco & Clair Clair Michael Marcagi Floodlights Rona. The Dreggs Teenage Joans Good Neighbours Rum Jungle Willo Miss Kaninna Logan. Mix Up DJs: Naynay Naycab The Forest: Grouch Marnie Megapixel Ish K Sophdexx Lucidream Justtim Camila Rosa. Sunday: Arcade Fire Girl in Red Baby Gravy (Yung Gravy X Bbno$) Royel Otis DJ Seinfeld The Kills TV Girl Thelma Plum Fletcher Polaris Eyedress Sofia Kourtesis Sam Alfred Pacific Avenue Erika De Casier Grentperez Danny Ocean Old Mervs Paris Paloma 6 Sense The Slingers Vv Pete Belair Lip Bombs Triple J Unearthed Mix Up DJs: Jhassic & Rakish Bria The Forest: Opiuo Godlands Käse Kochen Grouch in Dub (solo) April Kerry Surge Crooks Farfetchd Smish Wren Thursday night: Jimi the Kween Krissy Jaman Victoria Anthony Summer Lover Splendour in the Grass will take over North Byron Bay Parklands from Friday, July 19–Sunday, July 21, 2024, with ticket presales from 9am–9pm AEDT on Thursday, March 14 for Splendour members, 10am–4pm AEDT on Sunday, March 17 for locals, 9am–9pm AEDT on Monday, March 18 for PYP, 9am–12am AEDT on Tuesday, March 19 for Optus and 9am–9pm AEDT on Wednesday, March 20 via TikTok — and general sales from 9am AEDT on Thursday, March 21. For more information, head to the festival website. Images: Charlie Hardy, Bianca Holderness and Claudia Ciapocha.
