City Hub 8 October 2015

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city hub 8 OCTOBER 2015

Unlikely council coalitions on the inner western front

BY RYAN QUINN Three inner west councils have formed Labor-Liberal coalitions in recent annual elections, leading some to wonder about the strange marriage of political rivals.

Labor mayors and Liberal deputy mayors now oversee Leichhardt, Marrickville and Canada Bay councils.

Leichhardt Independent Councillor John Stamolis said that these two parties joining together in this way was odd.

“If you saw Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten governing together, you might get a little bit suspicious that the quality of debate might be diminished, or that they’ve got these things all planned and that their political interests are more of the plan than the people,” Clr Stamolis said.

“I think it’s fair to say the average Australian sees Liberal and Labor as being sworn enemies, not a little family.”

Late last month, elections saw Labor councillors Darcy Byrne and Sam Iskander elected as mayors of Leichhardt and Marrickville councils respectively, with Canada Bay Labor Mayor Angelo Tsirekas retaining the title since 2012.

Also elected were Liberal councillors Vera-Ann Hannaford, Rosana Tyler and Helen McCaffrey in the role of deputy mayor of Leichhardt, Marrickville and Canada Bay councils, respectively.

Leichhardt Greens Councillor Daniel Kogoy described the Leichhardt and Marrickville elections as “dirty deals” and a Labor party betrayal of the local community.

“Our residents have been fighting against the WestConnex and forced amalgamations. Our community has been campaigning hard for the sustainable development of the Bays Precinct including desperately needed open space,” he said in an email to City Hub. “The Liberals are staunchly opposed to our community on these key issues, and now the Labor Party has hopped into bed with them again, just like they did in support of amalgamating Leichhardt Council,” Clr Kogoy said.

Labor was elected as Leichhardt mayor with Liberal votes, and Liberal was elected as deputy mayor using Labor votes conversely.

This happened without the Liberal Party offering a mayoral candidate or Labor offering a deputy candidate in this seat, according to Clr Kogoy.

“That is a clear cut deal between the Labor and Liberal parties for the mayoralty,” he said.

Upon losing her Leichhardt mayoral seat last month, Greens Councillor Rochelle Porteous urged her successors to put their

political stance aside for the good of the community.

“I am also calling on Deputy Mayor Vera-Ann Hannaford to put the pro-WestConnex politics of her party to one side and fight for her community against WestConnex and for public transport,” she said in a press release.

Leichhardt Deputy Mayor Vera-Ann Hannaford said that the two parties can work together for the benefit of local residents.

“This coalition won’t make any difference regarding community issues, as the mayor and deputy mayor represent the decisions made by the majority of the councillors regardless of the way we cast our vote,” Clr Hannaford said.

Marrickville Liberal Deputy Mayor Rosana Tyler and Canada Bay Deputy Mayor Helen McCaffrey agreed that a LiberalLabor alliance could be practical and showed that there could be cooperation between the two parties.

Despite Clr Porteus’ concerns, she conceded that “nothing is achieved by one councillor, one mayor or one political party”.

Clr McCaffrey said she felt that diverse representation in council was beneficial to the community.

“It’s always important to make sure that gender is represented, as with youth, cultures and age, and if you can facilitate all those things, that’s fantastic,” she said.

Clr Stamolis told City Hub he was concerned with gender equality within the three councils, which saw the election of male mayors and female deputies.

“Inner west politics talks about gender equality all the time to the rest of Australia, we stand on a soapbox, and we don’t practice it,” he said.

“The City of Sydney can have a female mayor. So, what’s wrong with these other three councils. Vera-Ann Hannaford has been around for a lot longer than Darcy Byrne; why wasn’t the deal engineered that Vera-Ann was mayor and Darcy was the deputy mayor?”

But all three deputy mayors dismissed the notion that there was a gender issue, citing female mayors in their council history.

Clr Hannaford said that the Leichhardt Council has a good gender equality record.

“In the eleven and a half years I have been on Leichhardt Council either mayor or deputy mayor has been held by a female and sometimes both positions,” she said.

Clr Tyler looked to Labor Councillor and MP Jo Haylan’s time as Marrickville Council’s second female mayor in 2013-14.

Leichhardt Mayor Darcy Byrne. Photo: Chris Peken

“Jo Haylan is currently the member for Summer Hill. She’s very, very busy, so she certainly wouldn’t have put her hand up for that position,” she said.

Clr McCaffrey said that Canada Bay has had male deputies, as well as female mayors.

“Last council, we had more women on council than men. I don’t think there’s a gender issue,” she said.

Clr Stamolis said he felt that the recent elections raises questions which residents should be made aware of.

“These are just questions, I’m not saying it should or shouldn’t be [a Labor-Liberal alliance]. I’m just saying how do they go about this process and why is it like it is?” he said.

“It’s an odd arrangement, it seems like strange politics that people should know about and people should understand how this works.”

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last bus departs George Street

BY KENJI SATO The last bus to travel the length of George Street quietly departed Railway Square on Sunday morning at 5:52 am, before the sun had even risen.

After more than 75 years of service, buses will no longer operate down the entire stretch of George Street Now, the absence of buses has left the street eerily quiet. But the silence won’t last long, with construction for the light rail set to begin soon.

The Sydney Bus Museum, run non-forprofit by its enthusiasts, allowed Sydneysiders to ride their vintage buses down George Street on Saturday to mark the end of the services.

The buses dated from the 1930s and 1970s, and they carted over six thousand passengers in the span of five hours on Saturday.

David Benett, Director of the Sydney Bus Museum, said it was a “great success”.

“People turned out from all over the place to come and bid farewell. All our volunteers enjoyed it,” he said.

Mr Benett said that the vintage buses brought on feelings of nostalgia for the bus enthusiasts at the museum.

“For older people, it’s about reliving those experiences of their childhood: when they were younger, how they used to get to school, or work, or university,” he said.

“But for younger people it’s also about learning about what transport was like back in that era. We’re hoping we’ll be able to operate

The 430 bus in 1971. Photo: Greg Travers. Source: The Sydney Bus Museum (supplied)

a similar service in the future around the CBD to give people the opportunity to ride these historical buses.”

Bus routes that previously used George Street have had their routes changed.

CBD Coordinator General Marg Prendergast told Sydney commuters to expect short-term confusion and congestion.

“We have been pleading with bus customers for weeks to plan for this change, but despite handing out more than 300,000 flyers and brochures, we know some customers still need to get across the changes.”

But NSW opposition leader Luke Foley told reporters on Monday that the “short-term pain won’t deliver the long term gain”.

“As the CBD light rail construction ramps up, congestion will gridlock the city,” Mr

Foley said.

“This will mean a permanent congestion nightmare for the city forever more, with 66 metre tram sets blocking all motor vehicles travelling east-west through the city.”

NSW Minister for Transport Andrew Constance said that the vintage buses were a suitable way to bid farewell to an ‘historic’ piece of heritage.

“Having these vintage buses drive in the heart of our great city one final time is a fantastic reminder of Sydney’s proud public transport history,” he said. “[This is] one of the most significant changes to CBD bus routes in a generation.

Today we look back fondly on where we’ve come from but also look forward to exciting times ahead.” city hub 8 OCTOBER 2015

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Red tape blocks skate

BY CHRISTOPHER HARRIS New Leichhardt Mayor Darcy Byrne said the state government has “blocked” the council from submitting development application for a skate park, despite support from numerous government agencies.

The Labor mayor told City Hub last week that the government had stalled on giving consent for a DA for a skate park in Callan Park over the last seven months, and that the park was being “demolished by neglect”.

In July this year, the NSW Government implemented a trust to manage the care and use of Callan Park, after ten years of revolving door management of multiple government agencies.

But now it seems that the council’s ability to spend money in the park has been stymied by the state government.

The skate park would cost the council $900,000 and would involve the demolition of two cottages near the Balmain Road sporting field in Callan Park.

The council said that the design of the park and its location had been decided in consultation with local skaters, park stakeholders and the wider community.

The idea emerged from community feedback, which showed that facilities for young people outside of organised sport were necessary.

There is community support for skating facilities in the area. Source: Wikicommons.

Clr Byrne said support for the skate park had been overwhelming.

“This project has already been a long time coming for our local kids and teens. They shouldn’t have to wait any longer just because of red tape,” he said last week.

“Two months ago at a meeting with Minister Speakman and the Minister for Planning Rob Stokes, we asked them both to help make it happen, but at a meeting last week with Environment and Heritage staff there was still no progress.”

However an Office of Environment and Heritage spokesperson told City Hub that the department has “had a role at Callan Park since July 2015”.

“Therefore the 7 months is not correct,” the spokesperson said.

“Leichhardt Council has not requested consent from the Minister for the Environment to build a skate park at Callan Park. Until a request for consent is received, OEH cannot progress the matter.”

“When Council has prepared a proposal, OEH will work with them in seeking the Minister’s consent.”

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Marrickville calls for residents to stickybeak on ibis birds

BY RYAN QUINN Marrickville Council wants you to grab those binoculars and get stickybeaking this weekend.

Residents are being encouraged to participate in the upcoming Australian White Ibis Community Survey this Sunday, October 8.

The Royal Botanic Gardens Wildlife Ecologist John Martin said the results would help them understand the White Ibis bird population, size and distribution.

“At the moment, it’s smack bang in the middle of the breeding season and that’s why it’s a good time to do this survey,” he said.

“By getting members of the community to report the birds they see on a day-to-day basis, it allows us to get a better understanding of where the birds are across the landscape.”

Mr Martin said that people often kill ibis birds to manage their numbers, which makes it important to understand if humans are having a negative impact on their population size.

The Marrickville LGA is one of ten locations in Sydney supporting several breeding colonies.

It was estimated that there were 100 ibises in Marrickville in 2014, down from 190 in 2007, according to a council media release.

Mr Martin said it would be useful for Marrickville Council to understand the distribution of the birds in their area, because “they have done [of the birds] management in the past”.

He said that a lower population is due to the council’s reduction of nesting habitats and not endangerment, adding that the ibis birds are a highly mobile species.

“With the survey, we identify new areas where ibis are every year.

They’re moving and they colonise new areas, probably because they get moved on,” Mr Martin said.

Jacqueline Yetzotis from Marrickville community group Saving Our Trees said that trees suitable for ibis habitat had been lost or heavily pruned, and that food and water sources had been removed at Fraser Park, Tempe Reserve and the former Marrickville Hospital site.

Mr Martin said a secondary aim of the survey was to raise awareness and knowledge that the Australian white ibis are native.

“Because they’re abundant and in the urban environment, a lot of

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city hub 8 OCTOBER 2015

Australian White Ibis/ Source: Wikimedia Commons

people assume that they’re an introduced species,” he said.

This was also due to confusion between the similar-looking African sacred ibis, leading people to think they were introduced from Africa.

Ms Yetzotis said that she thought the community would not want to see more ibis.

“What is important is that ibis are allowed to have habitat because they are Australian native birds, a protected species and importantly, they are environmental refugees. We should support our wildlife,” Ms Yetzotis said.

White ibis are drawn to the constant water and food supply available in urban environments, following drought and water supply changes inland.

The survey has been conducted by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Services every year since 2003.

Mr Martin said that they have been marking birds with wingtags and encourages those taking part to record the tag number and colour.

Counts made within a week of this Sunday October 11 and at any location are accepted.

To take part: send tag number, tag colour, behaviour, location and time to ibis.sightings@gmail.com or fill out the survey found on the NSW Office of Environment & Heritage website.

E’Bay not for sale

BY CHRISTOPHER HARRIS In one of the densest areas of the city, a development application to add two storeys would not usually seem excessive or imposing.

But that is not how an entire building of residents in Elizabeth Bay see the construction of four new apartments at 13-17 Ithaca Road.

The residents claim it will block sunlight, obstruct their harbour views, and hinder activities on their communal rooftop such as growing plants, painting artworks and having barbeques.

The residents at 3 Ithaca Road, which is adjacent to the proposed development, told City Hub that the additional floors added to the building will mean most facing residences will lose privacy.

Resident Sara Brookes told City Hub that because of the high density in the area, a large number of residents would suffer significantly for the addition of four “luxury apartments”.

“The additional building bulk proposed in the DA would also be an eyesore that would block our existing views to the water.

Naturally, existing residents of the ‘Ithaca’ building pay a premium to live here,” Ms Brookes said.

She said that “the DA proposes the construction of additional, higher stories that will add further concrete bulk that is out of character with and unsympathetic to the existing historic buildings in the area”.

This is not the first time 13-17 Ithaca Road has been marred in controversy.

In an objection to the DA, Ms Brookes cited a case from 1995 with South Sydney Council which she said she believed could prevent the building from an increase in height.

In a letter to the council, she wrote that this judgement had created a legitimate expectation of height in the local area.

In 1995, the court found the sale contract contained no “covenant which restricted the building height”.

But the NSW Land and Environment Court judgement found that the council must consult with residents who overlook the roof regarding future developments of the site.

The council originally sold the land in 1974, and the owner constructed two level townhouses on the land.

The City of Sydney said they could not respond to City Hub’s requests for comment, as the development application was currently under assessment.

Absence of anti-abortionist Glebe Point Garden points to absence of debate is on the rocks

BY JAZ SINGH-BRAR The deportation of US antiabortion activist Troy Newman last week has drawn criticism from some unlikely places.

Two pro-choice campaigners said that the deportation of Mr Newman was superficial, and failed to acknowledge the difficulty many NSW women face in accessing abortion services.

The deportation of Mr Newman drew media attention last week, after Mr Newman ignored the refusal of his Australian visa, and arrived at Melbourne Airport, where he was detained.

Mr Newman told media last week that his visa had been revoked mid-way through his Greens MP plane trip from the US. Mehreen Faruqi Source: Pip Hinman, a pro-choice Wikicommons campaigner who has co-authored a book on the subject, told City Hub that Mr Newman’s deportation was a quick fix rather than an effective solution to the NSW abortion legalisation debate.

“I don’t agree with Newman’s extreme far right views but I also don’t agree with an arbitrary decision from the government deciding who can and cannot enter the country,” Ms Hinman said.

“It is better for the public and community to have a political debate and discussion rather than just covering the conversation and banning someone.”

Ms Hinman said she believed the government’s decision has not deterred, but rather has pushed American pro-life group Operation Rescue and its Australian counterpart Right to Life to keep trying.

“Denying Newman’s visa has not been an effective solution. This is just the beginning of a long aggressive campaign by them. They are only a small number of people but are very well resourced” Ms Hinman said.

“They have the funding and the resources and they won’t be giving up soon.”

NSW Greens MP and abortion legalisation campaigner Mehreen Faruqi told City Hub that NSW Premier Mike Baird should have condemned Mr Newman’s views and position.

Dr Faruqi told City Hub the government needed to face the issue and make changes to a law that currently does not reflect its surrounding society.

“Premier Baird must break his silence and condemn Mr Newman’s extreme, violent, anti-choice and misogynistic views which have gone as far as to branding women and doctors as murderers,” she said.

“It’s time for NSW parliament to come together and change archaic, more than a century old laws that criminalise women for making a choice about their body and a doctor for performing a safe medical procedure.”

“They are out dated laws that don’t align [with] what the community wants nor deserves.”

A protest to Mr Newman’s visit was to be held on Sunday October 4 at Jackson’s on George, Circular Quay but was cancelled due to the deportation of Mr Newman.

The protest aimed to raise community awareness, knowledge and support in regards to removing abortion from the NSW Crimes Act. Mr Newman, invited to the country by Australia’s Right to Life anti-abortion group, was due to speak at several conferences voicing the need to fight Dr Faruqi’s parliamentary bill aiming to legalise abortion.

Joint organiser for Sunday’s protest, pro-choice activist Georgia Tkachuck said she believed the government had made the wrong decision.

“Revoking his visa just reinforces border force tactics that this government is so used to using. The decision was arbitrary, and just enforces power,” she said.

“In a country with freedom of speech, the government shouldn’t have the right to police who is to come in, but also to police what is to be spoken about and dictate the conversation of Australia.”

She suspects Mr Newman’s extreme views may have forced community discussion around an issue which she believes has been stigmatised in the wider community.

“He should have been able to come and speak, yet also face people who want to engage in debate with him. That’s how we can successfully create change,” Ms Tkachuck said.

“Things like Mr. Newman arriving ultimately force people to talk about the issue, and with such extreme views it just calls for immediate community action.”

BY CHRISTOPHER HARRIS A crippled, elderly man has been ordered by the state government to dismantle a garden he had worked on for six years.

The Department of Family and Community Services has ordered the public housing tenant to return the property to its orginal condition, sparking community outrage.

City Hub understands that the department was acting on a complaint made by one resident in the building.

Mr Bach, known affectionately as ‘Ducky’ to locals, has lived in the building since it was refurbished by the department seven years ago.

demanding the dismantling of the garden.”

“I immediately made a plan of action, made a Facebook page, made a petition and wrote to the department about this matter.”

Mr Newtown said he already had 50 signatures from people in the street and 100 likes on the Facebook page he launched a few days ago.

Mr Newtown said that the garden had been something which enriched Ducky’s life following an accident which left him with a broken back while working in agriculture.

“He is illiterate, I have had to read things to him, he was an opal miners,

Mr Bach, who is illiterate, realised the department had made the order to destroy the garden when he showed the letter to friend and neighbour Michael Newton.

Mr Newtown told City Hub that it was devastating considering Ducky had suffered a broken back and was told he would never walk again.

Mr Newtown that Ducky was welcome in the local area and that his garden was an improvement on the “red gravel and spikey grass” which surrounds the building.

“Ducky started this garden six years ago and I watched with delight and pleasure, and he and I became friends, and on October 1, he showed me this letter from the department

an agricultural worker who broke his back and was told he would never walk again. He’s a determined man and he can walk with two sticks, and part of his rehab and what keeps him alive is this garden,” Mr Newtown said.

“They also said if you do not follow the direction to remove the structure, they will take action in the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal, and will seek to have it removed and seek costs,” Mr Newton said.

The deadline for the removal of the garden is October 14, after which a department inspector may check to see if the structure has been removed.

Mr Newton said he believed most of the tenants in the building were in favour of the garden.

The garden in Glebe Point. Source: Facebook

Leichhardt Mayor calls for affordable housing in face of “obscene” cost of housing

BY KENJI SATO Leichhardt Mayor Darcy Byrne has called on the state government to legislate mandatory targets for affordable housing across NSW. Clr Byrne has joined with the NSW Federation of Housing Associations in pushing for a mandatory 30% quota of affordable housing in any new development on governmentowned land.

This would mean that any new apartments or large scale projects would require a third of the site be affordable housing.

“Sydney is becoming more segregated than ever before because of the obscene cost of housing in the inner city,” Clr Byrne said.

“It’s time for councils like Leichhardt to speak out and say that we want more affordable housing so that people can afford to live here…but without ambitious targets and legislation from the state government our hands are tied,” he said.

But President of community group Save Our Suburbs, Dr Tony Recsei, said that mandating affordable housing targets would not solve the root of the problem.

“If developers have to build a certain proportion of houses as affordable, they add the cost of that onto the other houses. So the average cost won’t decrease,” Dr Recsei said.

“The only real way to provide affordable housing is to increase the housing supply. The government must stop restricting the release of land for their ideological purposes.”

“They’re putting a growth ring restriction around Sydney to force people into higher densities. That causes a shortage of land and the price of accommodation went up. That’s not only happened in Sydney, it’s happened all over the world.”

Dr Recsei said that the rising house prices were the result of a “serious failure of government”, and that not enough land was being released to accommodate the “60,000” people who move to Sydney every year.

“The government must allow as much land to be leased for housing as it equates to the demand, which is what they used to do in the 1950s, when everybody could afford a house.”

But Professor Peter Phibbs, Chair of Urban and Regional Planning and Policy at the University of Sydney, said that increasing the supply of housing is not the solution.

“If that’s all you do you won’t attack the problem. You should provide more houses but unless you do something about trying to moderate demand, particularly in booms, you won’t actually really attack price outcomes in any significant way,” he said.

“Affordable housing targets are a very good idea. But the biggest thing is the capital gains tax discount which works in tandem with negative gearing. It really just means that speculating properties becomes a pretty good deal – it’s such a tax favoured investment,” Professor Phibbs said.

“At the moment we’re just attracting speculative investors in the boom and they’re using a lot of tax dollars, buying existing houses, and pushing the prices up.”

Leichhardt Mayor Darcy Byrne said housing in the area has become prohibitive. Source: Wikicommons

city hub 8 OCTOBER 2015

7

No one is sure about Foreshore Authority’s dissolution

BY CHRISTOPHER HARRIS The state government’s decision to extinguish the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority (SHFA) has been met with caution from Sydney councils.

City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore welcomed the news last week, and said that it could potentially mean the return of planning controls around Circular Quay to the City of Sydney.

But new Leichhardt Mayor Darcy Byrnes suggested that the dispensation of the authority’s responsibilities into other government departments would cause uncoordinated planning for Sydney’s iconic harbour.

Clr Byrne said places around the harbour would be essentially managed by a “glorified real estate agent”.

“Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority was created to protect public access to the world’s greatest harbour, while Government Property NSW seems to have been set up to sell it off to the highest bidder,” Clr Byrne said.

“While Callan Park is no longer controlled

by Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority, Ballast Point Park and White Bay Power Station still remain under its control,” he said.

“The public will be rightly concerned that handing over these public lands to a government real estate agent is the first step in redeveloping them for private profit.”

Clr Moore used her weekly email to call on the government to return development control to the City.

“It’s time responsibility for these significant

public spaces was returned to the City of Sydney, which has strong track record of delivering high quality parks, public spaces and development for our city,” she said.

Clr Moore said that she had been advocating for the return of planning control to the City through submissions to IPART, and that control should be “reintegrated as a first priority to enable integrated planning and management of our local government area”.

“People expect the public areas in the city to have consistent planning and management rather than the current situation, which leaves these areas dispersed across a range of authorities and agencies, including SHFA, the Barangaroo Delivery Authority and UrbanGrowth,” Clr Moore said.

In a media statement last week from Premier Mike Baird, he said the move was motivated by duplication and inefficiency, and that the authority’s functions would be principally transferred to Government Property NSW and Destination NSW. “The government is currently examining the most appropriate land use planning, heritage, and management framework for The Rocks precinct in consultation with the Commonwealth government,” Mr Baird said.

The statement said that “all SHFA staff have been transferred to the Department of Finance, Services and Innovation.”

The original Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority Act, written in 1998, said its mission was to “protect and enhance the natural and cultural heritage of the foreshore area”.

Many parties are concerned about planning around the habour. Source: Wikicommons

The Act said SHFA would “secure the orderly and economic development” of the area.

SHFA were also charged with managing, promoting and organising “cultural, educational, commerical, tourist...and transport activites and facilities”.

Vice President of Reinvent Australia Oliver Freeman said that it was important to think about Sydney’s future in a holistic way.

“We need less councils and government agencies acting as policy silos, and a proper mega-Sydney with the authority and funds to chart a whole-of-Sydney future,” Mr Freeman told City Hub.

“So I believe that Clover Moore and Darcy Byrne have both got it wrong.”

“A first step is to restructure the post codes to redefine Sydney’s boundaries.

So Mosman 2088 would become Mosman Sydney 2088. Let’s identify Sydney as being more than N SW 2000,” he said.

“Then, we need a new metropolitan take on Sydney. Having reduced the number of councils (the City of Sydney being one to stay), we create a Greater Sydney Council to sit across them all and ‘report’ to the State Government.”

ARTS FEATURE

Crowdfunded Kids’ Book

Ready to Travel

BY CARMEN CITA Once upon a time, a daring young lawyer hatched a fanciful plan to publish a series of children’s books.

Inspired by her various expeditions to far-flung places, Longzhen ‘Longy’ Han wanted to share the wonders of her travels with the next generation.

What first seemed like a whimsical dream has now become a reality. After raising more than $10K of crowdfunded finance, the first installment of Longy’s book series is set to hit bookshelves this month. Entitled Gusto & Gecko Travel To Kenya, the premier edition will be launched at Dymocks this Saturday.

“The focus for the books is to inspire kids to learn more about the different cultures, food, landscapes, people, and animals of the different countries,” Longy explained. “So that at a very young age, they realise and appreciate how exciting the world is, and then, as they get older, they will go on to travel.”

The Sydney-based author is an intrepid traveller, whose global adventures include flirting with Antarctic penguins; kayaking in the Adriatic Sea; eating rooster testicles in Budapest; relishing the Saints’ Super Bowl victory in New Orleans; and volunteering at a Kenyan orphanage. She has travelled independently across seven continents, over 30 countries and 90 cities, mostly on a shoestring budget – and now she wants to pass on the joy of her travels to the children of the world.

“In many ways, travel is education,” said Han. “It teaches you important life skills such as adaptability, resourcefulness and critical thinking. I think everyone should do it if they have the opportunity.”

Longy’s impromptu transformation, from lawyer to children’s book writer, started as a creative diversion to offset the stresses of her day job. She elaborated: “I moved from Melbourne to Sydney two and a half years ago for work, and because I didn’t have many friends 8

city hub 8 OCTOBER 2015

here I had all of this time on my hands – so that’s when I sat down and told myself: ‘Think less. Just do it.’ And I started writing.”

“At first I thought I would just write my little story book, and maybe show it to my parents for a laugh,” she recalled. “It has turned into so much more.”

As the idea started to grow and take on a life of its own, Longy promoted her ‘little story book’ on Pozible. “Crowdfunding was a great way to raise the capital that I didn’t have, but also get the support from family and friends, and validate an idea in the marketplace,” she said. “That wouldn’t have been possible a decade ago. Society has become incredibly interconnected, and there are many online platforms that you can use to make things happen if you want to.”

Of the $10,095 raised to finance the first of the Gusto & Gecko series, Longy donated ten percent to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, to support Indigenous children in remote areas with limited access to books and education.

She explained: “With this book series, part of our focus is on giving back to the community where we can. That’s going to be a running theme through my books, because I believe literacy lays the foundation for lifelong learning.”

The 2014 NAPLAN National Report highlights the scale of the Indigenous literacy gap in Australia.

In all areas of learning, the scores for Indigenous students are substantially lower than those achieved by their non-Indigenous peers.

The report shows that Indigenous students in remote locations are especially susceptible to low literacy levels. In Australia’s most isolated communities, only 37.4 per cent of Indigenous students met the national minimum standard for reading in Year 3, while 90.9

per cent of their non-Indigenous counterparts achieved that benchmark.

Longy may be a successful lawyer-come-writer now, but literacy is not something that she takes for granted.

“When I came to Australia at the age of six, I didn’t speak a word of English – and neither did my parents,” she recalled. “So for me, growing up, I was really relying on the teachers and the students at school, and then relying on children’s picture books to help me get up to speed with my reading and writing.”

“That’s why I am a firm advocate for literacy because I realise how important basic literacy skills are.

Literacy empowers people to do more, and gives them the tools to go and do incredible things with their lives. I think all kids should have that opportunity to learn – even just the most basic reading and writing skills.”

Longy’s first foray into children’s book publishing already looks like a resounding success. She has pre-sold more than 600 copies of Gusto & Gecko Travel To Kenya and plans are currently underway for the second book in the series.

But, for Longy, success is not measured in dollar values. “I don’t really envision making money from this project,” she said. “It’s about delivering happiness to kids around the world – it’s about reaching out and engaging with kids.”

“That’s why we are committed to donating the book to children’s hospitals – because we want kids who might not have the opportunity to travel to still feel like they are going somewhere, through the books.”

Longzhen Han - Photo by Chris Peken

Gusto and Gecko Dymocks Book Launch Party and Signing Oct 10, 2pm. Dymocks, 424 George Street, Sydney. Free event.

Look up the Facebook event and find out more about The Curious Travels of Gusto & Gecko at gustoandgecko.com.

EAT DRINK

EAT &&DRINK

By Jackie McMillan Lotus @ The Galeries

From slickly modern private dining rooms, to texturerich ceramics and stone, highlighted by natural light flooding into what must have been a difficult u-shaped space, DS17 have taken the lessons of Alpha and outdone themselves. Equally so, in Head Chef Chris Yan’s hands, the now-extensive menu builds upon the ideas germinated in Lotus’s initial Walsh Bay outlet, but far surpasses them.The through-line is the dumplings – like Steamed Mud Crab

ROCKS & CBD Hotel Palisade With a convict-cum-chic menu, craft beers and views of the coat hanger, one of Sydney’s oldest pubs has reopened with a vengeance. Grab yourself a Feral Hop Hog ($6.50/$11) and pull up at the bar, or for some speakeasy elegance, take the Governors Gimlet ($16), a petite cocktail with gin, celery liqueur and lime, to the parlour room.The food is working class English, with a side of Sydney sophistication, like Potted Chicken Liver Pate ($12) topped with cider jelly, or Chicken and Tarragon Pie ($22) with minted peas and mash. End with smashed Toffee Cheesecake ($10) and a Spiced Negroni ($17) - the sweetness of the former caresses the bitterness of the latter nicely.

Yayoi Galeries There’s a wonderful elegance to the new Yayoi Teishoku Japanese Restaurant, and it’s all about balance. It’s fitting because Teishoku is about providing a nutritious, varied meal, combining rice, miso soup and pickles, with your choice of protein.Wagyu Sukiyaki ($25) combines slippery udon, shredded beef, cabbage and mushrooms in a sweet and umami rich broth. Miso Pork Loin Katsu ($18.80) is deep fried and dangerously more-ish. It’s also fun to pick across the various nibbles and decide how best to utilise the accompanying 62 degree egg. Finish with Matcha Anmitsu ($6) a.k.a. green tea ice cream and strange jelly bits,

By DJ Hookie Restaurant in an abandoned train? Rave in a semi trailer? How about a café in a shipping container?

Sure, why not… add it to the list of weird shit I never thought I’d see. But Christine and Rani Ousman’s new coffee and food bar The Grind & Co – nestled in the parking lot of an industrial thoroughfare – certainly took me by surprise.

The amazingly re-imagined shipping container

NEWTOWN & ENVIRONS The Cross Eyed Dog A level-by-level revamp is occurring in Zanzibar, with the first floor bar summoning the 1920s and turning out a surprising range of bespoke whisky cocktails.The Jam and Smoke ($19.50) standout tames Bruichladdich Port Charlotte with Grand Marnier, lemon, egg white and marmalade, without losing the whisky’s peaty intent.Their Hunter Valley wine focus means you can accompany your tender, chargrilled Hanger Steak ($22) with juicy red 2014 Chambourcin ($11/glass). It’s decked out with house-made chipotle butter and teamed with brilliant chips, crisp onion rings and smoked jus. I’d return just to eat it again.And while it’s hard to top, Mushroom Raviolo ($17.50) puts up a good fight with toothsome pasta and Vegemiteenhanced filling.

Level 1, Zanzibar, 323 King Street, Newtown (02) 9519 1511 zanzibarnewtown.com.au Pub Bistro $$

and Pork Xiao Long Bao ($21/4) and Steamed Scallop Siu Mai ($14/4) – loaded with the expected premium fillings, but boasting even thinner skins. Surprisingly, your go-to dish from this selection, is the compelling Baked BBQ Pork Bun ($9/3) - perfect against a richly herb-infused Tea Thyme ($18) cocktail.Well-handled okra elevates Wok-fried King Prawns with Home-Made XO Sauce and Lime ($36) but the real stars are the dishes that celebrate natural, healthy, Aussie ingredients, homage to chef’s time with pioneer, Kylie Kwong. Gently closing your lips around the supple, yielding Crystal Ice Plant Salad ($16) is a revelation, and it responds favourably to Chinese interpretation with cucumber, enoki and black vinegar dressing. Equally exciting are the vibrant green saltbush leaves offsetting tender hunks of Wok-Fried Wallaby Rump ($29) that Chef Yan has cleverly sautéed in sweet-bean paste.Yes, this is the Chinese-Australian I’ve been waiting to enjoy.

The Galeries, Level 1, 500 George Street, Sydney (02) 9267 3699 lotusrestaurant.com.au Chinese $$$$

35 Bettington Street, Millers Point (0421) 001 474 hotelpalisade.com.au Pub Bistro $$

The Grind & Co

By Jackie McMillan jackie@alternativemediagroup.com

and you’ve uncovered one of the better ways to spend a CBD lunch hour.

Level 1,The Galeries, 500 George Street, Sydney (02) 9283 4835 yayoi.com.au Japanese $$ William Blue Dining If meals at most fine dining restaurants seem pricy, I’ve found the fancy, whitetablecloth restaurant for you. Located in the old Rockpool site, your inexpensive three-course meal is prepared and served by students (overseen by industry professionals). Sure there might be some at-the-table-training if you choose the cork-stoppered but well-priced 2008 Wiltinger Braune Kupp Kabinett Riesling Mosel ($68/bottle), but it’s a small price to pay. Expect standout Aussie produce

surprisingly provides enough real estate for the outstanding coffee to be prepared, alongside a decent selection of sandwiches and sweet treats.

It’s not every day you’re greeted with a freshly cracked coconut adorned with Mars Bars and cookies covered in Smarties with strawberry garnishes, or there’s always the Jack Johnson edition - with more fruit than you could than you could pile on top of Carmen Miranda’s head - something to suit my vegan partner in crime.

The top shelf cups of processed, sustainable 100% Arabica beans will no doubt be a welcomed addition to the area, as will the fine selection of edible bits and bites on offer.And with such a tasteful fit out and an impressively small footprint, I wouldn’t mind seeing more of these things pop up - perhaps in an area I go to more often (or ever).

Heritage Business Park, 5-9 Ricketty Street, Alexandria (0416) 509 806 thegrindandco.com.au Café $

Ribs & Burgers Zetland With a smile that could light up a thousand service stations, we were greeted at the register by an enthusiastic attendee who wholeheartedly put the ‘zeal’ into Zetland. Taking a seat after ordering, I noticed the long queue of locals lining up for large brown paper bags to take away.

The Old School Cheese Burger ($10.50) could have used a higher ‘patty to bun’ ratio, as the meat was its only decent feature. Pork Spare Ribs ($28.50) were a little on the dry side, but the smoky BBQ sauce was a savior, albeit thinly spread. Surprisingly, my standout were Chicken Wings ($9.50) with sticky soy. We also had a kick-ass Vanilla Malt Thick Shake ($7).

Tenancy 1 APEX Building, 6 Defries Avenue, Zetland (02) 9697 0888 ribsandburgers.com/au/ American $$-$$$

Lucio Pizzeria Venture into Tomorrowland – otherwise known as Zetland.

Swallow down a portent dose of the future, where you can purchase an Audi as easily as you can order a name brand Lucio pizza. Grappling with the location over Birra Ichnusa ($8), I volunteer: it’s Shanghai without the chaos.“Hence Singapore,” our neighbours at the cheek-to-jowl tables, helpfully supply. By contrast, the artisan pizzas are imperfectly perfect – complete with bubbling, chewy crusts and minimal toppings, like Speck ($21) with mozzarella and Fontina, or paper-thin prosciutto, rocket and cherry tomatoes, topped with freshly shaved Parmesan on Filetto ($21). Cold cuts also feature on Il Grand Tagliere ($36.50) a heaving antipasto board won by super-fresh buffalo mozzarella.

Shop 34, East Village, 2-4 Defries Avenue, Zetland (02) 9697 3028 luciopizzeria.com.au Pizza, Italian $$

One Tea Lounge & Grill

David Yip’s enthusiasm for what could broadly be termed stunt food is palpable.An ideas man, David is constantly devising new ways to make his dishes and cocktails fun.

This is basically how I ended up with a rotating, dry ice billowing, Matcha Wheel One Tea Experience ($50/8 people) dominating my table for two. Not that I mind a bit of spectacle, which is lucky because it was rapidly

from Pepe Saya butter to Alto oil to pleasantly pink Milly Hill Lamb ($18) with saffron fondant potatoes, asparagus, pickled turnips and flavoursome jus. Kingfish Ceviche ($11) is nicely presented, and my crosshatched slab of Swordfish ($18) was cooked precisely as requested.

107-109 George Street,The Rocks (02) 9492 3290 williambluedining.com Modern Australian $$ DARLO, KINGS X & SURRY HILLS Rosie Campbell’s Bright, sunshiny colours and a cosy, welcoming interior transform this difficult corner space into the type of spot you’ll enjoy spending time in.Throw in a waitress with a Caribbean grandmother,

followed by a dramatic at the table glass cloche reveal of tea-smoked Gyokuro Smoked Octopus Avocado ($15), an intensely smoky cold dish.Then, as we worked our way through our eight flower-accentuated cocktail cups (and teapot of refills), more smoky wisps of dry ice curled around our fingers, this time from under a pretty verrine of Salmon Tartare ($13). By contrast, sambaldipped Lollipop Corn ($12) seemed almost sedate, luring us into a false sense of security before our 300 degree Lava Stone Grill ($58/180g) landed with cubes of topnotch 9+ wagyu beef ready to sizzle and dip in yakiniku (BBQ) sauce and matcha salt.Yes, Japanese green tea pops up everywhere, though its best expression is in the Matcha Lava Bomb ($20) dessert.After the requisite at the table flaming (with orange liqueur) it literally had me scraping oozing matcha white chocolate pudding and miso caramel from the plate.

73 York Street, Sydney (02) 9279 3311 onetealounge.com.au Japanese, Cocktails $$$

and you’ll soon have toasted coconuttopped Corn ($8) and vibrant, soupy Callaloo Greens ($8) on your table, with some idea about how to eat them. Hint: they’ll brighten up Grilled Jerk Chicken ($18). Snapper Ceviche ($20) accentuates lovely fresh snapper with hot sauce. My hot sauce highlight is their house-made habanero guava sauce – smother it over the fries that come with your Soft Shell Crab Burger ($18).The kitchen outpaced our rum-based cocktail selections, but a Red Stripe ($8) will tide you over.

320 Campbell Street, Surry Hills (02) 8356 9120 rosiecampbells.com Caribbean, Jamaican $$ Master Breaking ranks with the ‘simple food done well’ trend everyone seems to be

FOOD NEWS

following, Master takes some risks in a reasonably priced menu.What looked like tuna sashimi turned out to be Watermelon in Preserved Mustard & Nori ($10), and tasted like nothing I’ve tried before. Roasted Squid with Snow Pea Sprouts ($20) convinces you the noodle-looking things are noodles, but they’re squid. Burnt Cabbage with Fish Sauce Butter ($18) is the best cabbage I’ve had. Period. If you go here and don’t order it, we can’t be friends.Trying to explain the flavour of Congee with Pear and Coriander ($10) would be like trying to describe a colour you’ve never seen, so I won’t bother.

368 Crown Street, Surry Hills (02) 8065 0838 masterdining.com.au Chinese $$

By DJ Hookie

The 3 Winos What type of person would pass up the opportunity to ingest copious amounts of vodka, wine and caviar whilst listening to Dan Aykroyd ramble on about the significance of crystal skulls and how they somehow relate to large-scale quantities of vodka and en masse marketing techniques? Not I, said the Walrus. Precisely how I found myself at The 3 Winos Trade Day last month. Each year, Winestock, World Wine Estates and Combined Wines and Foods get together at the Four Seasons Hotel to display a comprehensive spread of various wines and food for industry giants, and lowly food bloggers like me. A standout of the brand varieties sampled was Whitehaven Wines, based in the Marlborough region of New Zealand, whose richer-than-Donald-Trump pinot noirs, while subtly sweet, certainly hit the spot. (You can get your mitts on them via their website: www.whitehaven.co.nz). The only things I didn’t engage with were the spit buckets, so I’m appreciative that the lads from The 3 Winos booked a venue with a working elevator to facilitate my rather ungracious exit. www.3winos.com.au

bar fly

By Amie Barbeler

Geisha Haus Level 1/5-9 Roslyn St, Potts Point (02) 8065 1812 geishahaus.com.au If you’d have told me a year ago that you’d find me in a slick Japanese lounge bar, picking caviar from between my teeth amid a thick haze of liquid nitrogen, I would have choked on my cider and fallen off my bar stool. Behind an unassuming entrance in Potts Point sits Geisha Haus: a swish new sushi bar specialising in molecular mixology (think fire, smoke and dry ice) and pretty bar snacks that the Instagram crowd are bound to lose their shit over.After a round of fresh and foggy ice-cold Kawaii Kisses ($19) smoked up our table (Belvedere, sake, rose tea, sugar, fresh watermelon and lime juice, infused with liquid nitrogen), my girlfriends and I shared a round of juicy Miso Cod ($24).As I pondered how my life went from pubs to posh, I munched on Geisha’s Seared Scallop Nigiri ($22) – flame seared scallops served with creamy Japanese mayo and tobiko. city hub 8 OCTOBER 2015

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city hub 8 october 2015

city hub 8 october 2015

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EAT & DRINK

By DJ Hookie After hearing whispers about The Bach Eatery, I thought I’d pop down one Sunday evening, and see for myself what the hype surrounding ‘New Zealand cuisine’ was all about.The predictably trendy interior was actually very welcoming, and sitting at a high table to the side of the restaurant gave an almost ‘diner style’ vibe, $ - mains less than $15

$$ - mains between $15-$22

INNER WEST

something right up my alley. Friendly staff and a local Gen X crowd made the trendiness more palatable. I’m in a Kiwi joint, so, as safe a bet as I assumed the 2013 Earth’s End Central Otago Pinot Noir ($13.50/glass) would be, the less thematic Chocolate Box Barossa GSM ($11/glass) proved a slightly better choice of poison.Thirlmere Chicken Liver Pate ($19) wasn’t the best I’ve had, but Pappardelle with Wild Mushroom Ragout ($22) redeemed it, if only for the slow cooked egg hiding below the mountain of welcomed Parmesan. Broccoli & Almond Butter ($8) was literally just steamed broccoli with shaved almonds on top, which I could have made at home, after a night on the substances with Robert Downey Jr.The 16 Hour Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder ($22) was pretty decent, even if the carrot puree served no additional flavour purpose and reminded me of why restaurants now tend to avoid the ‘puree swipe’, for fear of appearing slightly naff.

399 King Street, Newtown (02) 8084 4093 bacheatery.com.au Kiwi $$ $$$ - mains between $22-$30

Outstandingly tender and smoky Kalbi Beef Ribs ($35.50) arrive in a large metal tray, laden with gochujang noodle salad, cornballs, lotus root chips and house-made kimchi. Add on more meat – like Bossam ($17) (pork belly) – and apply the three accompanying sauces.

166 Nor ton Street, Leichhardt (02) 9560 0527 facebook.com/damda2015 Korean $$

Damda The first thing you’ll notice at Damda, beyond the strong design aesthetic, is the monstrous, smoke-belching oven and tattooed, Korean coal-master.

This modern reinterpretation of Korean barbecue - the name means ‘resemble’ – is doing things differently. Instead of cooking at your table, sit back and enjoy cocktail carafes like delicate Green Seoul ($25) with mint, Majestic Harvest grape and lemon. Sticky-sweet Despite some hipster trappings chilli rice cake skewers, Ddeok Edison bulbs, cold drip, and dishes Ggochi ($8/10 pieces), are great presented on boards and in against Korean Cass ($6) beer. frypans - the food is remarkably city hub ad:Layout 1 7/10/2015 9:41 pm Page 3

Premium and Craft

$$$$ - mains over $30

honest and free from (much) pretension. The aforementioned, slightly unwieldy frypan, dubbed The Majestic ($19), is loaded with well-handled kale, supple Serrano ham, a trio of poached eggs with rich golden yolks, baked beans and black pudding. Taleggio and basil have been softly folded through Scrambled Eggs ($12.50) offset by roasted Roma tomatoes.

For those who cringe at butter, a board bearing Bircher Muesli ($11) with blueberries, walnuts and coconut, is made compelling by blackened apple compote.

Allpress Coffee scrubs up well as a Latte ($3.50) despite the machine running flat chat.

Gin & Vodka Tasting Event

Tickets online.

Book today!

The Bach Eatery

By Jackie McMillan

By Alex Harmon It doesn’t feel like a food court restaurant inside a shopping mall, in fact it doesn’t feel like you’re inside at all. Mrs Mi in Chatswood Chase brings the authentic taste of Northern China’s Shanxi region into what appears to be a bustling and vibrantly coloured street-side location.You may not know the Shanxi province, but you do need to discover their specialty: knife-shaved noodles – made by none other than the robot chef.The Braised Beef with Noodles ($14.80) are the freshest you’ll taste; in fact it’s all fresh - you can see the (human) chefs preparing everything right before your eyes.

Go for the Handmade Dumplings ($14.80) – it’s best to grab a 49 New Canterbur y Road, Petersham (02) 8097 2222 majesticgourmetgrocers.com.au Breakfast, Café $ GREATER SYDNEY Lan Yuan Genius glossy wasabi mayonnaise in Lan Yuan Angus Beef ($26) makes it an easy favourite in Top Ryde’s new bamboo garden. Seek haven in Taoism or Buddhism Tsing Tao ($8) or Lucky Buddha ($8). Peering through Chinese bamboo at the giant outdoor TV screen feels very Hong Kong. The chefs are also from the former British colony, meaning they’re great at making Southern Chinese

Mrs Mi

selection of naturally colourful dumplings (purple sweet potato, beetroot and spinach supply the colours). Cleanse the palate in between with the surprisingly delightful Cherry Tomatoes in Plum Juice ($7.80); then dive into the Taiwan-Style Fried Chicken ($15.80) - the perfect street food.These lightly tempered parcels may not be traditional to the region, but they don’t disappoint either. Neither do the crowd favourite: Pan Fried Pork Buns ($11.80), which ooze sweet, tender pork from inside their delicate casings. End your feast with a Mango Pudding ($7.80) – and unlike the noodle chef, there’s nothing artificial about this flavour.

Shop B-040, Lower Ground, Chatswood Chase, 345 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood (02) 9904 6375 facebook.com/ mrsmiaustralia Chinese $-$$

dishes for those who don’t tolerate heat, like gentle Live Pippies in XO ($30/500g). For those that do, there’s Szechuan Chicken ($22). Lan Yuan Fried Rice ($18/small) proves worth the spend, with tender scallops, king prawns and crab roe; and the Egg Yolk Tofu ($20) here is addictive.

Shop 4005, Level 1, Top Ryde Shopping Centre, Devlin Street, Ryde (02) 9808 1030 lanyuan.com.au Chinese $$$ Barrel Bar & Dining Twenty-six year old Zac Stanning has been a head chef for six months. Throw in a triumvirate of sommelier owners, and you have what could be a disaster. What

you find, however, is a cohesive wine bar and restaurant reflecting the tastes and BYO proclivities of the local area. Stanning wants to cook “something that people will like”, evident in port-sweet Duck Liver Parfait ($17), but also in the absence of obscure ingredients.

He makes a sweet orange symphony of Carrots ($17) 24-hour cooked, pickled, smoked and crisp carrots with pebbles of honeycomb. Equally exciting is his forest floor of Sauteed King Oyster Mushrooms ($17), crisp mushroom bark and mossy green parsley sponge.

3/362 Military Road, Cremorne (02) 9904 5687 barrelbar.com.au Modern Australian $$$-$$$$

Annandale Interiors

TIMBER, TEXTILE, LEATHER, WINDOW TREATMENTS AND CUSTOM MADE FURNITURE

Fri 30th & Sat 31st October Rydges World Square Sydney Tickets $95. Purchase online

www.finespiritexpo.com.au

ORLANDO SPRING PACKAGE 3.5 seater + 2.5 seater + Ottoman Sofabed

Normally $4,348 Now Only $2,999 Pre-Christmas Delivery (Fabric Options Available) 38-42 Parramatta Rd Stanmore 2048 Tel: (02) 9565 1275— annint1@optusnet.com.au www.annandaleinteriors.com.au - www.facebook.com/annandaleinteriors 12

city hub 8 OCTOBER 2015

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Eamon Flack’s Ivanov Anton Chekov’s dark humour is being revamped in Eamon Flack’s adaptation of Ivanov.As a celebration of human magnificence and ridiculousness, Ivanov will be playing on the Belvoir stage through to November.

“It manages to be a Hamlet-like tragedy, and a kindof high-fast comedy at the same time,” said director Eamon Flack. “It swings from some of the silliest set pieces you can get, to the real… man vs the universe, kind-of ‘alone in the world’ stuff.”

Flack’s adaptation remains similar to Chekov’s original; however, much of the characterised anxiety has been shifted towards a more Australian context, and serves as a natural critique of modern Australian society.

“It’s a play about a group of people who used to have a strong sense of the world,” explained Flack.“They lived in a society [which] they all belonged to. Now, [they] don’t know where they’re headed – I think that’s a pretty good story to tell right now.”

Ivanov will challenge the audience in a delightful manner, attempting to put Australia on the stage through the guise of contemporary Russia. (NB) Until Nov 1. Belvoir St Theatre, 25 Belvoir St, Surry Hills. $49-$72.

Tikets & info: belvoir.com.au

East Village New York was once the home of Warhol and the Velvet Underground – no better captured than by Lou Reed in ‘Walk on the Wild Side’ – but in the early 90’s the East Village is dead. A struggling group of Bohemians attempt to survive and produce art but the spectre of HIV hovers, disease withers and loved ones are taken from them.

This is the setting for Jonathan Larson’s rock opera Rent, that comes to the Hayes Theatre.

Larson grew up listening to bands like The Who and musical greats like Sondheim. His creative vision was to meld the two. Depressed that most current musicals still sounded like Oklahoma circa 1943, Rent was his attempt to blend the two. It ended up playing for 13 years on Broadway, which would be every composer’s dream, except that Larson collapsed and died of an aortic aneurysm the morning of the first performance. It would only make the message of the show more poignant – embrace the moment, there is ‘no day but today’, and celebrate life in all its striking diversity.

For this Hayes Theatre production, director Shaun Rennie and musical director Andrew Worboys have assembled an eclectic cast of seasoned performers and newcomers, including

A Flower of the Lips A true story about writer Valentino Musico’s great-grandfather during WWI in Calabria, Italy. A Flower of the Lips is a biographic truth involving a moral question – where Bruno Aloi, a local government official and family man, is torn when he finds out the army deserters he is assisting the police to arrest are indeed his relatives.

Using Italian State Archives for research, Musico has created a unique play which engages with

RENT

everyone on some level. Director Ira Hal Seidenstein, who has worked with Musico three times prior to this, says that it is an important story to tell as it deals foremost with a moral dilemma, something that everyone faces in their life.

Seidenstein also describes A Flower of the Lips as a requiem to the dead; the story of a man who was murdered, and whose murder was never properly investigated, highlighting the importance of everyone through this story and saying that “every life is sacred”.

How do you adjust when your responsibility clashes with the loyalty you have to people you are close to? (ASha) Oct 6–24, Tues–Sat 7:30pm.

King Street Theatre, Cnr King & Bray Streets, Newtown. $28-$35.

Tickets: trybooking. com/INIY

a&e

14 STAGE 15 SCENE 16 Sounds 17 SCREEN

Loren Hunter (Strictly Ballroom), Stephen Madsen (Heathers the Musical), Laura Bunting (The Voice, Wicked), Casey Donovan (The Sapphires) and musical theatre debutant Linden Furnell. Like its inspiration, Puccini’s La Boheme, these are characters quick to fall in love but emotionally restrained in the face of disease and loss. (GW) Until Nov 1, various show times.

Hayes Theatre, 19 Greenknowe Ave, Potts Point. $59-$70.

Tickets & info: hayestheatre.com.au or 0280657337.

Justine Clarke’s Pyjama Jam!

As an entertainer, Justine Clarke has every demographic pretty much covered. From theatre, film, and television, to fronting bands of every imaginable musical genre to bestselling children’s author – everyone knows Justine in some way or other. Now she is inviting little people and their mums and dads to her pyjama party!

“We’re encouraging people to come wearing their pyjamas,” said Justine, when talking about her intimate new show.“There is a certain level of relaxation around wearing your pyjamas and I’m hoping that spills over into the feeling in the room”.

Accustomed to large venues like the Sydney Opera House, Clarke is looking forward to a more intimate audience experience:“I really wanted to do something with a more engaging quality. In those big auditoriums a lot of the nuance gets lost on a 4 year old.They can have a better time in a smaller place”.

For Clarke, supporting Monkey Baa Theatre was a conscious choice.“I hope this brings people through their doors,” she said.“They make theatre especially for preschoolers, nurturing and cultivating a lifelong love of theatregoing.”

Apart from pyjamas, audience members of all shapes and sizes are encouraged to bring their favourite

Arts Editors: Jamie Apps - Alannah Maher For more A&E stories go to www.altmedia.net.au and don’t forget to join the conversation on Twitter at @AltMediaSydney

cuddly toy.“Everyone’s got one,” explained Clarke.

“We have a couple [of toys] who are very important family members and we’re hoping they will come to the show too.” Pressed on who these characters might be, Justine is tight lipped. Someone from Playschool perhaps? What do Big Ted and Jemima think about this?...“They’ll be OK about it.They’re very professional.They’ve been in the business a long time.”

(GW) Oct 14-17, Wed – Sat 10am, 12noon, Saturday 2pm. Monkey Baa Theatre, Lend Lease Darling Quarter Theatre, Terrace 3, 1-25 Harbour Street, Sydney. $29.90.

Tickets & info: monkeybaa.com.au or 0286249341.

Contributors: Brendan Modini, Carmen Cita, Craig Coventry, Greg Webster, Hannah Chapman, Alicia Sim, Nyssa Booth, Lauren Edwards, Peter Urquhart, James Harkness, Lauren Bell, Leann Richards, Lisa Seltzer, Mark Morellini, Matthew Bernard, Mel Somerville, Michael Muir, Olga Azar, Rocio Belinda Mendez, Sarah Pritchard, Sinead McLaughlin, Siri Williams, Athina Mallis, Leigh Livingstone, Joseph Rana, Jemma Clarke, Jacqui Rothwell, Anvi Sharma, Emily Shen, Silvia Cheung.

city hub 8 OCTOBER 2015

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Arms and the Man

DARK VANILLA JUNGLE Confronting theatre with nowhere to hide, Mad March Hare Theatre Company’s production of Dark Vanilla Jungle makes its return season after a critically acclaimed run at the Sydney Fringe Festival.

Claudia Barrie provides an achingly brilliant performance in this one-hander, as she gradually unravels the troubled story of a young woman desperately in search of love and protection who is continually abused and abandoned by everyone who is meant to take care of her.

This is the second play by UK playwright Philip Ridley that Mad March has produced this year.

“What draws me to his writing is his ability to portray these dark worlds, but at the same time do it in a very poetic way with incredible imagery,” said Barrie. “When I read Dark Vanilla Jungle I was incredibly moved by it as a woman.”

“It’s told from the point of view of a young girl, which makes it quite difficult to watch I suppose, because of the naivety in which she discusses things… the people that are abusing her, she looks at them with complete love and admiration,” explained Barrie.

Dark Vanilla Jungle fearlessly confronts issues of violence against women and the sexual grooming of young girls head-on. The rough and edgy aesthetic of the Old 505 Theatre space is fitting for this gritty story. The confronting subject manner is heightened as the audience close in

My Zinc Bed

Looking for a witty and exciting play this spring? Arms and the Man, presented by the Sydney Theatre Company, is now playing at the Opera House. The newest adaptation of the George Bernard Shaw classic stars Crownies and Janet King actress, Andrea Demetriades as well as Mitchell Butel, Charlie Cousins, Deborah Kennedy and William Zappa.

In this 19th century fairy tale set in Bulgaria, the Serbo-Bulgarian War rages, Raina (played by Demetriades) finds herself in a love triangle involving two gorgeous men, Sergius and Bluntschli. The hilarious play directed by Richard Cottrell (who has completed several other STC productions including Australia Day

THEATRE & PERFORMANCE A STEADY RAIN Unrelenting and unassuming, A Steady Rain is a grim tale that explores the intertwined lives of two policeman who must bear the consequences of their actions. A brutally mesmerising take by Adam Cook featuring exceptional performances by Justin Stewart Cotta & Nick Barkla, A Steady Rain is a shocker of a plot where friendship collides with work ethics, and morals collide with fate. Featuring a plot inspired by true events the play tells the story of a young boy who, due to the actions of the two policemen, ends up being killed and eaten by a cannibalistic 14

city hub 8 OCTOBER 2015

and Travesties) is ironic as well as saucy. As Raina tries to make her decision between the most eligible bachelor in town or the mysterious Swiss Soldier who could take her away from her life, the audience is thrown into a magical world helped by the incredible set and costume design from Michael ScottMitchell and Julie Lynch.

Tickets are available now for this deliciously wicked and funny play about love and lots of chocolate. (LB) Until Oct 31. Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House. $58-$99.

Tickets & info: sydneytheatrecompany.com.au

serial killer. It’s a lot to take, but it will be worth your time! (JR & JRoth) Until Oct 17.The Old Fitz Theatre, 129 Dowling Street Woolloomooloo. $25-$35.

Tickets & info: oldfitztheatre.com EDWARD II A classic tale of the clash between desire and the law underpinned by the reckless actions of a King treating the nation as his playground, Edward II is one of England’s earliest plays, penned by Christopher Marlowe in 1593. It tells the story of King Edward II and his male lover’s all-consuming lust, resulting in the alienation of Edward’s wife, the creation of enemies in his court and the potential toppling of the nation.The

Seymour Centre and Sport for Jove Theatre present a contemporary take on Marlowe’s tragedy, transposing the intriguing political machinations into today’s highly political climate. (ES) Until Oct 17. Reginald Theatre, Seymour Centre – Cnr of City Rd and Cleveland St, Chippendale. $25–$36. Info: seymourcentre.com or Box Office: 9351 7940 GHOSTS The Depot Theatre brings a taboo play back to life with its production of Norwegian playwright’s Henrik Ibsen’s 1881 classic, Ghosts “...Ibsen puts things like incest on the stage, things nobody wanted to talk about. He’s saying ‘they actually happen, they actually effect people, I’m going to

“My Zinc Bed is very entertaining. There’s something about playing a victim, the obsession and addiction, people choosing to take control of their own lives,” said Sam O’Sullivan, who plays Paul Peplow, a

put it on the stage and show you,” explained Emily McGowan, who plays housemaid Regina. Set in a big house on a remote Norwegian Fjord where the family is isolated from the rest of the world; the time frame has been moved forward to the 1950’s. (MS) Until Oct 24.The Depot Theatre, 142 Addison Rd, Marrickville. $20-$29.Tickets & info: thedepottheatre.com or email info@thedepottheatre.com VELVET Exploding into Sydney in an electrifying boogie wonderland of glitter and glamour. Velvet is an amalgamation of variety and concert forms set to a pumping disco soundtrack. It also also charts a young

around a small cubicle where the young woman is contained, their faces barely a metre away from hers.

“It’s a weird thing to say but I enjoy telling this story,” explained Barrie. “It’s not all devastation, there’s a lot of lighter moments, a lot of comedy in it. It ranges [and] goes through a whole world of themes very quickly…” (AM) Until Oct 10. Old 505 Theatre, 505/342 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills. $28-$32.

Tickets & info: madmarchtheatreco.com

recovering alcoholic, poet and freelance journalist.

Paul gets taken under the wing of Victor Quinn (Sean Taylor), a self-made software mogul.Victor challenges the nature of Paul’s addiction.

“It poses the questions:‘is there such a thing as an addictive personality?’ [and] ‘is alcoholism a disease or a choice?” continued O’Sullivan.“The play explores the different types of love, there is frenzied young love as opposed to protective paternal love. Can frenzied love be sustained over time? The different things that different types of love can accomplish. Can it overcome addiction?”

Paul gets introduced to Victor’s wife Elsa (Danielle Carter), who is also a recovering addict.They inevitably form a connection that quickly becomes inappropriate.

“Drama-romance-comedy is the genre. It’s very funny, very intelligent, it’s got a lot of wit in it. People will have a good time watching My Zinc Bed and a good time seeing how we deal with the situations we get ourselves into,” added O’Sullivan.

“What I love about doing plays is it’s true you only get one shot at it on the night, but you also get to rehearse for three weeks, four weeks and really nut out a script and dive into it and find all the different layers.TV you shoot so fast.You get one shot at it, you shoot it and then it’s in the can,” mused Sam, whose recent TV credits include appearances Wonderland and Packed to the Rafters. (MS) Until Nov 22. Ensemble Theatre, 78 McDougall Street, Kirribilli. $55-$69.

Tickets & info: ensemble.com.au or 9929 0644

man’s (Brendan Maclean) journey of self discovery as he is guided through the evening by a fairy godmother like figure (Marcia Hines). “Velvet is a nightclub, but it’s a state of mind, it’s a fantasy,” director Craig Ilott has assembled a handpicked cast of ten including “an astonishing bunch of Australian singers and performers” accompanied by astounding international circus and variety acts. (AM) Until Nov 1. Studio, Sydney Opera House. $35-$89.Tickets & info: sydneyoperahouse.com or velvettheshow.com MATILDA THE MUSICAL Roald Dahl’s story of a remarkably clever little girl with magical abilities receives the

musical treatment, and fans of Dahl and composer Tim Minchin’s comedic music alike should be satisfied. Matilda’s magical powers are downplayed in favour of her other abilities – brilliant storytelling, academic finesse and her piercing wit.With a mesmerizing combination of music and staging to play up these devices – the lack of magic tricks is hardly a bother.The characters in this adaption strike a perfect balance between comic and authentic; the villains steal the show.

(AM) Until Oct 25. Sydney Lyric Theatre, Pirrama Road, Pyrmont. $50-$150.Tickets & info: au. matildathemusical.com or ticketmaster.com.au

THE NAKED CITY

Naked City 300 – RADIO DAZE!

By Coffin Ed, Jay Katz and Miss Death Community radio has a long and proud history in Australia with more than 360 community based broadcasters scattered throughout the land.

Staffed mainly by volunteers, their contribution to the airwaves is often overshadowed by the crass commercial giants.Yet it’s widely documented that over 7,000,000 Australians tune into a community station every month.

Many presenters have racked up decades of service on the community airwaves and it’s not uncommon to find programs that have been running for over twenty or thirty years. Unlike the slick world of commercial radio, age is not an impediment and many presenters are still firing in their 60s and 70s – long after an organization like the ABC would have pensioned them off. Australian cowboy legend Smoky Dawson and his wife Dot presented a weekly show on 99.3 in Sydney for over twenty years, racking up and incredible 12,000 plus shows, with both broadcasting well into their 90s.

Back in the early 2000s, the perpetrators behind this weekly column (which has just reached number 300, we might add) began a weekly Saturday morning show on the then fledgling FBi (99.4). The “Naked City” radio show was a two hour grab bag of interviews, music, comment and information spotlighting the so called underbelly of Sydney – and the world at large.

Presented by Miss Death, Jay Katz and Coffin Ed it was a fast-paced, often chaotic mix of comedy, absurdity and the occasional serious editorialising that quickly developed a large and loyal listenership. The program was notable for its weekly cavalcade of interviews, which often

featured up to six guests a week as diverse as Roger Rogerson, Dave Graney, Crispin Glover, Alexandra Cassavetes, Jeff Duff, Clinton Walker, Gary Lucas, Christa Hughes and Amanda Fazio – to name just a tiny few.

The program was also notorious for its regular ‘phantom’ broadcasts, which with the aid of a library of sound effects (and the magic of radio),

The Graphic Festival

Now in its fifth year, The Graphic Festival is a testament to the popularity and wide-reaching influence of graphic storytelling, illustration, animation and music. This year’s line-up boasts an array of events and big names in the creative world.

George Miller will be making an exclusive appearance at the festival for ‘In Conversation’, an onstage discussion with co-writer and illustrator Brendan McCarthy and co-writer Nico Lathouris to discuss the making of Mad Max: Fury Road.

NEAR KIN KIN As part of the newly revamped Art & About program, this soaring bamboo tower stands over 20 metres tall, situated in the high thoroughfare location of the forecourt of Customs House Square.This structural achievement has been a huge feat for design collaborate Cave Urban, based off a previous 12-metre construction for Sculptures by the Sea. The tower’s ties to nature reflect upon the many layers of Sydney Cove’s history, and encourage bustling city commuters to step inside and be reminded be absorbed in the visual and acoustic tranquillity. (AM)

Director of cult films Kevin Smith (Clerks, Mallrats, Comic Book Men) will also be flying into town for what will surely be an interesting debate titled ‘Marvel vs DC’.

Sarah Blasko will debut her fifth album Eternal Return, accompanied by visuals from filmmaker Mike Daly.

There will also be several free events including a screening of the first episode of Season Six of The Walking Dead and talks with Brendan McCarthy, Nicola Scott and Animal Logic.

Festival co-curator Jordan Verzar said: “Graphic is a festival unlike any other taking place in the world today... I love the fact that we are able to give artists the ability to do what they do best, create art; and it’s the end results of these acts of creation which become our festival.” (ASim) Oct 10-11.

Sydney Opera House. Price: various.

Tickets & info: sydneyoperahouse.com/graphic

Until Oct 11.

Customs House Square forecourt.

Info: caveurban.com or artandabout.com.au DANELLE BERGSTORM – RETURN Presented by Arthouse Gallery, Return is the latest collection of oil paintings by acclaimed Australian artist Danelle Bergstrom. Inspired by her own experiences and memories, Bergstrom paints a series of evocative and highly reflective landscape pieces inspired by the land around her enclave in Hill End.The dream-like sceneries have a sense of rawness about them, visible through the

mixing of the fleeting shades of blue and earthly, grounded browns.The artworks symbolise a journey of self-reflection and acceptance for the artist. (ASha) Oct 15 – Nov 7.Arthouse Gallery, 66 McLachlan Avenue, Rushcutters Bay. Info: arthousegallery.com.au STREETS OF PAPUNYA This exhibition unearths the tumultuous history of Papunya, a Western Desert town regarded as the birthplace of contemporary Aboriginal painting.

Curator Vivien Johnson tells the history of Papunya painting through artwork examples dating back to Albert

saw the studio relocated to events such as Sexpo, Oktoberfest at the Fairfield showgrounds and the Chinese New Year celebrations in Dixon Street. Despite pushing the boundaries of plausibility to their limits, many listeners still admit to believing that the program was actually on location.

Another popular segment was the regular “phone card fantasy”, in which largely spontaneous calls were made to overseas locations such as a cowboy bar in Montana or a pay phone on the Mexican border – totally hit and miss but often producing some remarkable radio, including a memorable off the cuff interview with the Unarius Foundation (the Universal Articulate Interdimensional Understanding of Science) in El Cajon, California.

The weekly bedlam also included live bands, numerous solo acoustic performances, karaoke and a wildly eclectic selection of recorded music which almost entirely ignored the designated FBi playlist.

The Naked City program ran for about six years on FBi with the final show attracting dozens of loyal listeners into the studio itself, for a rousing but disappointed farewell. Thanks to AltMedia, the spirit of the program has lived on in this publication and to celebrate the 300th column, the original radio crew are getting together at the Darlo Bar in the Royal Sovereign Hotel in Darlinghurst on Wednesday October 14 from 7.30pm. As well as the usual offbeat quiz night there will be DJ sets from Jay Katz, lots of special prizes and surprises – and no doubt some suitably caustic comments from Miss Death!

Naked City Reunion. Oct 14, 7.30pm. Darlo Bar, Royal Sovereign Hotel, 306 Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst. Free entry.

The Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize different mediums to do so, there is bound to be something to catch your eye and pique your interests.

Now in its 15th year, the Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize is the leading national award for freestanding sculptures up to 80cm in any dimension.The exhibition is an initiative of the Woolahra Council and as the Mayor of Woollahra, Councillor Toni Seltzer said it’s about “celebrating creativity and sharing it with the community.”

The exhibition is free to the public throughout the course of October at the Woollahra Council Chambers; winners will be announced on October 9. (JA) Oct 10-25.

Woollahra Council Chambers, 536 New South Head Road, Double Bay. FREE. Info: sculptureprize.woollahra. nsw.gov.au

One of Australia’s most distinguished national art prizes returns bigger than ever throughout October.

This year the Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize welcomes 43 finalists from all over the country, and even internationally, as they strive to secure their share of the $19,000 in prize money on offer.

Chosen from a record 701 entries, the finalists use a variety of mediums to produce their work – ranging from taxidermy, intricate origami, found materials and objects, through to traditional Aboriginal sculpture constructed by the Tjanpi Desert Weavers.

With each sculpture exploring different themes and using such

Namatjira’s final paintings, executed in 1959, through to examples from the 1970s and 80s when the town was simultaneously experiencing it’s ‘glory days’ and dark times as the ‘carpetbagging capital of the desert’, and on to the modern renaissance. In particular, this exhibition showcases the remarkable art of the present day women painters of Papunya, celebrating of the reemergence of Papunya painting maintained by present day female painters as part of the Papunya Tjupi Arts Centre established in 2007.An exhibition that treats Aboriginal art and its history with regard and respect. (AM)

Until Nov 7,Tues–Sat, 10am-5pm. UNSW Galleries, cnr Oxford Street and Greens Road, Paddington.

Free. Info: artdesign.unsw.edu.au PEOPLE LIKE US This varied and excellently curated collection of works exploring the interrelationships between art, technology and the human experience; implementing video, sound and sculptural installations. Interaction plays a key role in this exhibition, from George Poonkhin Khut’s Brighthearts app that invites you to control beautiful

moving images through your heartbeat; Su-Mei Tse’s aurally immersive purring cat portraits; Veloscape, an installation by Laura Fisher and Volker Kuchelmeister that takes you on a self-guided virtual bike tour through Sydney; and Inside – Topologies of Stroke, John McGhee’s virtual reality animation work that invites the viewer to explore the inner world inside our brains. (AM) Until Nov 7,Tues–Sat, 10am-5pm. UNSW Galleries, corner of Oxford Street and Greens Road. Free.

Info: artdesign.unsw.edu.au city hub 8 OCTOBER 2015

15

Sydney Live Music Guide LIVE WIRE

By Jamie Apps

Last Dinosaurs Jamie Apps The long awaited sophomore release of Wellness by Last Dinosaurs has finally arrived, and so far has been satiating the ravenous appetite of their fans who had high expectations following the critically acclaimed debut album In A MillionYears.

After so much success with their debut album, Last Dinosaurs could have been forgiven for settling in and simply refining their sound, but as Sean Caskey explained the band really wanted to “explore a bunch more styles and different sounds after doing the first album.”

Working with their new producer Scott Horscroft - who has previously worked with Silverchair,The Presets and Empire Of The Sun was fundamental in allowing Last Dinosaurs explore this new direction and evolution of their sound.“Scott had a very different production style to our last producer, previously we would disassemble the songs to nothing then reassemble them into a pop structure, whereas

Ash Grunwald: With more than 12 years in the industry under his belt and on the cusp of releasing his ninth studio album, Grunwald has cemented himself as Australia’s most prolific blues artist.This weekend Grunwald brings all of this experience and talent to Sydney to launch his new album, Now .

Thu, Oct 8, Newtown Social Club

Last Dinosaurs: Hot off the heels of their blistering set at Splendour In The Grass, the Brisbane indie guitar-pop four piece begin the home stretch of their Wellness album tour tomorrow night.

Fri, Oct 9,The Enmore World’s End Press: Previously described as a cross between LCD Soundsystem and Hot Chip with a more brooding edge, the

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Ali Barter: Indie-pop darling Ali Barter travels north from her home in Melbourne to our fine city of Sydney in support of her latest release AB-EP, which is unbelievably charming and catchy. Over the years Barter has certainly grown in confidence as a singer and musician so this will be a great chance for Sydney fans to see this confidence live and in person.

Sat, Oct 10, Brighton Up Bar

Emma Pask – Cosita Divina

WWWW

WWW

From my first moments with this album, looking at the cover art and then with the opening bars, I instantly had flashbacks to 2014’s smash hit television show True Detective.We Have Tigers could very easily have been used as the soundtrack to that wonderfully dark and mesmerising show.

With understated but impactful use of instrumentation to set this brooding but also beautifully intriguing atmosphere, the vocals here truly stand out as the focal point.A unique use of non-traditional musical elements such as rain and storm sounds - alongside guitars, double bass, clarinet, flute, banjo and percussion elements - makes this album captivating throughout, and one that beckons multiple play throughs. (JA)

Bad Pony: Having teased us for almost a year now with intermittent shows up and down the east coast, Sydney band Bad Pony have finally announced a massive 14 date tour in support of their debut EP Limbo.

The quintet has drawn a lot of praise for the intricate tunes with endless hooks and unique uses of percussion which will be bolstered in the intimate environment of SOSUEME. Wed, Oct 14, SOSUEME

its release, the band is “extremely excited” for every show because “we haven’t been able to play new songs for three years and now we feel like we’re allowed to showcase all the new stuff.” For the tour the the guys have also decided to learn an original medley cover featuring songs from Michael Jackson and Jamiroquai, because “we like to play complicated things and challenge ourselves performing live. In general I think we’ve really stepped up the live show performance.” (JA) Oct 9,The Enmore, 118-132 Enmore Rd, Newtown. $40.73+b.f.

Tickets & Info: enmoretheatre.com.au

IInga Liljestrom & Michael Lira – We Have Tigers

Fast singing, mood setting, always in control: Emma Pask.Track one hits the listener with Batucada, immediately building a scene, pushing out other thoughts and filling their shoes with the seeds that grow into dancing beans.

Ready or not, Cosita Divina takes the listener to somewhere in the world where life is all about dancing, Cuba, Spain, sultry nights, quick beats and that voice directing us through it.

Pask has tone, measure, grace and pressure - she is the leader and the listener is willing to follow.Take a trip around the world at any time with this album and come back without having to pay an air fare.

Filled with exotic feels, jumping dance moves, and a soul that recognizes the same in the listener and lets it be free. Cosita Divina is what’s missing from your playlist. (SP)

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First Ladies Of Soul: If you’re a big fan of Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross or Etta James,The Camelot Lounge has curated the perfect night of live entertainment for you. Featuring singers Jo Elms, Liza Ohlback and Amanda Easton supported by a first class band this will be a captivating night of brilliant soul voices and music.

Fri, Oct 9, Camelot Lounge

band have been receiving a lot of online buzz and are now set to tour around the country.Arriving in Sydney tomorrow with their visceral live set which is bound to have dance floors rocking, this is sure to be an exciting evening.

Fri, Oct 9, Civic Underground

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Trophy Eyes: After two months touring across North America alongside The Amity Affliction and many others on the Vans Warped Tour, the Newcastle born and bred band return home this weekend. Having spent all of this year touring internationally, Trophy Eyes have polished their powerful punk live show to a pristine shine and are ready to bring it home to Australia tonight.

Thu, Oct 8, Bald Faced Stag

Scott just helped us fine tune our songs by shortening different bits here and there. He just wanted to make them sound good and let us just play the songs,” said Caskey Since Wellness’ release online the record has racked up some really impressive streaming numbers, which is a prime example of the new environment that musicians need to operate in today. Gone are the days of physical record stores selling CD’s, now everyone is streaming their music through services like Soundcloud, Pandora or Spotify - which Caskey believes has both its positive and negative impacts. From Caskey’s perspective, streaming “sucks because it kills sales, but at the same time it’s great because it’s so much easier and more accessible for people to find new music locally and internationally, because it’s so much easier to now it has sort of open one door while another [closes].”

With the album out now, and the band currently in the midst of their tour supporting

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Antenna Documentary Film Festival Moving to Sydney in 2009, David Rokach identified a gap in the market for a documentary festival. He started his own with the help of Rich Welch (now one of the festival directors).

Antenna Documentary Film Festival was born and five years later, it has grown from strength to strength.

“When we began the festival the aim was to celebrate documentary cinema from around the world that challenged, educated and entertained audiences - and I think this is still very much what we’re about,” Welch explained.

This year Welch and the selection panel watched over 800 documentaries from around the world, whittling it down to 30 for the festival.

Some of the subjects featured this year include refugees disguised as a wedding party (On The Bride’s Side), David Gulpilil giving a tour of his home town (Another Country), preparing for aliens (The Visit), and a trailer park where sex offenders reside (Pervert Park). This year’s festival

will also feature a retrospective of acclaimed documentary maker Alan Berliner at the Museum of Contemporary Art. Berliner will be a special guest to present his work for the first time in Australia.

“We’re absolutely thrilled and honoured to have Alan Berliner attend the festival,” Welch revealed.

“Alan is a true documentary master. His films are both cinematic and experimental in style and connect with audiences far beyond the traditional documentary world.”

“For many of the documentaries, Antenna is Sydneysiders’ only chance to see these great documentaries. It’s such a wonderful experience watching these powerful, funny and cinematic documentaries in a crowded cinema. And so for anyone that hasn’t been to Antenna before, I’d say just to give it a try!” (ASim) Oct 13–18. Various Venues.

From $16 with multi-pack tickets available.

Tickets & info: antennafestival.org

LEARNING TO DRIVE

Black Mass An adaptation of the book of the same name by two Boston Globe reporters who were responsible for exposing the seedy underbelly of the FBI and their murky relationship with one of America’s most notorious criminals James ‘Whitey’ Bulger.

Rather than tackling the story in the typical gangster biopic manner (which often sees a young perky lad rise to power before an inevitable fall due to greed and hubris) this film picks up after Bulger has already completed a stretch in Alcatraz.The primary focus of the film is the relationship between Bulger (Johnny Depp) and South Boston born FBI agent John Connolly (Joel Edgerton) after Connolly convinces Bulger to form an ‘alliance’ to eliminate a FILM THE INTERN Ben Whittaker (Robert DeNiro) is a 70-year-old widower who finds himself bored and underwhelmed in his retirement. He seizes an opportunity to take up a senior internship position at an online fashion start-up, where he is immediately a hit with everyone except for company founder Jules Ostin (Anne Hathaway), who is overwhelmed with her sudden success.

Set expectations aside and settle in for an all-round delightful romp through an emotional and modern human journey.

It’s refreshing to watch a fictional relationship evolve between a younger woman and an older man that doesn’t feel pressured to head in a romantic direction. (AM) WWW1/2 SICARIO On the surface, Sicario appears to be yet another thriller exploring the never-ending war on drugs, but this intense film is much deeper and cerebral. Reminiscent of films such as The Silence Of The Lambs – which place female protagonists in the lead role in male dominated worlds

common enemy.This newly formed ‘alliance’ allows Bulger to rapidly rise to power and become one of the most ruthless men in the Boston underworld, whilst persistently evading other law enforcement agencies.

The film is often plotting and methodical with it’s approach, similar to Bulger, which some may find too slow - but this is more of a character drama with intermittent violence dispersed throughout, rather than an all out gangster action thriller.

Edgerton and Depp are both outstanding in their roles and command the screen whenever it is graced with their presence, expect award nominations for both. (JA) WWWW

– it explores this interesting dynamic.

Emily Blunt provides a wonderful performance as Kate Macer, the viewer follows along as she struggles to comprehend and discover the true intentions of the task force she is assigned to in order to finally make a difference in the war on drugs. (JA) WWW LONDON ROAD This film adaption of the National Theatre’s production by the same name musically showcases the effects the 2006 Ipswich prostitute murders had on the local community. Described as a musical, mystery and a thriller – London Road is seemingly a documentary in the opening sequences, before the musical elements set in.The murdered girls and serial killer Steve Wright are only mentioned, as this is the story of the local community, their attempt to rid the area of prostitutes, the bleakness after the bodies were discovered and their resilience for new beginnings. Moviegoers who detest contemporary musicals may be pleasantly surprised by the innovative approach. (MMo) WWW

PAN

Highly anticipated and set to mesmerise audiences, the origin story of Peter Pan details Pan’s arrival to Netherland and how he came to be known as the boy who could fly.

This newly penned, epic, fun-filled and swashbuckling family adventure also details Pan and Hook’s first meeting, their friendship and how they joined forces to fight the malicious Blackbeard.Australian Levi Miller is impressive in the iconic titular role as Pan, the boy who throughout his adventures only wishes to be reconnected with his mother (Amanda Seyfried).

Garrett Hedlund plays the good looking, charismatic and charming Hook and Hugh Jackman is unrecognizable as the villainous Blackbeard.

Audiences will be enchanted by the energy and imagination which implodes from the reincarnated world of Netherland, the exciting and strange world full of colour swarming with fantastical creatures.

This is the Peter Pan for today’s generation, CGI-heavy and artistically flawless, incorporating incredible sets and a vibrance which will immerse audiences. (MMo) WWWW

CUT SNAKE This gritty and violent Australian psychological crime-thriller is set in Melbourne in the mid 1970’s, and centres on a man who is drawn back to the dark world of crime. Sparra (Alex Russell) has closed the door on his past, works an honest job and is engaged to his girlfriend (Jessica De Gouw), but his dark secrets resurface when Pommie (Sullivan Stapleton) an ex-con, shows up at his doorstep.There’s a strangeness between these characters which permeates throughout.Their relationship is awkwardly pretentious and Sparra is quietly terrified.This is not a great film, but Stapleton’s performance as the unnerving psychopath is praiseworthy and should lead to greater roles. (MMo) WWW BLINKY BILLTHE MOVIE Australia’s iconic Blinky Bill, the adventurous koala affectionately regarded as something of a national treasure, returns to the silver screen in his latest big adventure.When his father vanishes whilst on an exploration trip, Blinky Bill leaves his home in Green Patch on a quest to find him.

A fine cast of Australian acting talent

provide the voices in this mammoth CGI feature. Mesmerizing, colourful and a delight to watch, this film showcases the beauty of the great Australian outdoors. Scary scenes and dark characters could potentially have evolved a frightening film experience for the much younger children, but these elements were cleverly negated by the zany characters, humorous sequences and dialogue. (MMo) WWW PIXELS These days you can almost hear the world collectively groan at the term ‘new Adam Sandler movie’.

Thankfully, Sandler is a semblance of a grown-up in Pixels – a comedy packed full of retro video game nostalgia such as Pac-Man, Donkey Kong and Centipede.The concept may be fun, but the story is weak – aliens misinterpret a record of life sent to space in the ‘80s as a declaration of war and respond by challenging the earth.They adapt themselves to look like old-school video games — and give the people of earth three attempts at saving the planet. Sandler plays child arcade prodigy, Sam Brenner who is enlisted to help lead the defence. (LL) WW

An unlikely friendship builds when two culturally diverse New Yorkers experiencing marital difficulties meet and become dependent on each other for relationship advice.

Wendy (Patricia Clarkson) a middle-aged book critic, accepts driving lessons from Darwan (Ben Kingsley) a Sikh driving instructor, when her husband leaves her for a younger woman. Darwan is fighting his own demons, feeling trapped in an arranged marriage.

Touching on themes of racism and illegal immigration, this comedy/drama is extremely witty, much of the humour arising from the sharptongued dialogue delivered by ODDBALL Along the lines of Babe and Red Dog comes the inspiring true story of a farmer who, with the help of his dog, saves an entire colony of dying penguins and revives tourism in his small seaside town.This ‘magical’ (the narrator reminds us repeatedly) tale involves an eccentric chicken farmer (brilliantly acted by Shane Jackson) and his clever granddaughter (Coco Jack Gillies), alongside a mischievous dog (Oddball), cute fairy penguins and sly foxes.There is enough heart and humor to please both young and adults alike.

Director Stuart McDonald brings depth to the characters, Oddball is Australian cinema come of age. (JR) WWW1/2 HOW TO CHANGE THE WORLD The 70s was a period of great change, brought about from the clash of the conservative order with emerging progressive social and political values.Amidst the chaos and upheaval Greenpeace was born, adding environmentalism to the agenda. How To Change The World chronicles the rise of the organisation, drawing on unseen archival footage, voiceover excerpts from Greenpeace founder

the deliciously spiteful Wendy.

This is not just a film about a lady who wants to learn how to drive, but who more importantly craves for independence and who consequently learns about relationships and the true meaning of friendship.

Interesting characterizations and an incredibly confronting marriage breakup in the opening scenes should quickly engross audiences, who will also anticipate Wendy’s new friendship to flourish once she acquires her license. (MMo) WWW1/ 2 Bob Hunter’s writing and interviews with fellow activists including his wife Bobbi Hunter.There are some poignant scenes to be found in Greenpeace’s first expedition to stop Russian whaling vessels off the Californian coast in 1975. It also serves as a stark reminder of the importance that Greenpeace’s work accomplishes.

(ASim) WWW1/2 KILL ME THREE TIMES In more ways than one, this movie offers nothing new.This said, from the moment Simon Pegg says that loved yet despised four letter word that thou-shall-not-say-to-your-parent, the movie offers a unique element which defines good cinema: entertainment!

Kill Me Three Times is a blood-soaked, darkly comic-action thriller that tells the story of an assassin (Pegg) who is hired to kill a woman (Alice Braga) of a sun-drenched Western Australian town, but finds himself in the middle of mayhem, chaos and blackmail. It is told thrice from different perspectives and time-frames; not genuine, but amazingly fun to watch. (JR) WWWW city hub 8 OCTOBER 2015

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FREEWILLASTROLOGY

by Rob Brezsny

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ARIES (March 21-April 19): If I warned you not to trust anyone, I hope you would reject my simplistic fear-mongering. If I suggested that you trust everyone unconditionally, I hope you would dismiss my delusional naiveté.

But it’s important to acknowledge that the smart approach is far more difficult than those two extremes. You’ve got to evaluate each person and even each situation on a case-by-case basis.

There may be unpredictable folks who are trustworthy some of the time, but not always. Can you be both affably open-hearted and slyly discerning? It’s especially important that you do so in the next 16 days..

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TAURUS (April 20-May 20): As I meditated on your astrological aspects, I had an intuition that I should go to a gem fair I’d heard about. It was at an event center near my home.

When I arrived, I was dazzled to find a vast spread of minerals, fossils, gemstones, and beads.

Within a few minutes, two stones had commanded my attention, as if they’d reached out to me telepathically: chrysoprase, a green gemstone, and petrified wood, a mineralized fossil streaked with earth tones. The explanatory note next to the chrysoprase said that if you keep this gem close to you, it “helps make conscious what has been unconscious.” Ownership of the petrified wood was described as conferring “the power to remove

obstacles.” I knew these were the exact oracles you needed. I bought both stones, took them home, and put them on an altar dedicated to your success in the coming weeks.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): George R. R. Martin has written a series of fantasy novels collectively called A Song of Ice and Fire. They have sold 60 million copies and been adapted for the TV series Game of Thrones. Martin says the inspiration for his master work originated with the pet turtles he owned as a kid. The creatures lived in a toy castle in his bedroom, and he pretended they were knights and kings and other royal characters. “I made up stories about how they killed each other and betrayed each other and fought for the kingdom,” he has testified. I think the next seven months will be a perfect time for you to make a comparable leap, Gemini. What’s your version of Martin’s turtles?

And what valuable asset can you turn it into?

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CANCER (June 21-July 22): The editors of Urbandictionary.com provide a unique definition of the word “outside.” They say it’s a vast, uncomfortable place that surrounds your home. It has no ceiling or walls or carpets, and contains annoying insects and random loud noises. There’s a big yellow ball in the sky that’s always moving around and changing the temperature in inconvenient

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ways. Even worse, the “outside” is filled with strange people that are constantly doing deranged and confusing things. Does this description match your current sense of what “outside” means, Cancerian? If so, that’s OK. For now, enjoy the hell out of being inside.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): We all go through phases when we are tempted to believe in the factuality of every hostile, judgmental, and random thought that our monkey mind generates. I am not predicting that this is such a time for you. But I do want to ask you to be extra skeptical toward your monkey mind’s fabrications.

Right now it’s especially important that you think as coolly and objectively as possible. You can’t afford to be duped by anyone’s crazy talk, including your own. Be extra vigilant in your quest for the raw truth.

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VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Do you know about the ancient Greek general Pyrrhus?

At the Battle of Asculum in 279 BCE, his army technically defeated Roman forces, but his casualties were so substantial that he ultimately lost the war.

You can and you must avoid a comparable scenario. Fighting for your cause is good only if it doesn’t wreak turmoil and bewilderment. If you want to avoid an outcome in which both sides lose, you’ve got to engineer a result in which both sides win.

Be a cagey compromiser.

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LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): If I could give you a birthday present, it would be a map to your future treasure. Do you know which treasure I’m referring to? Think about it as you fall asleep on the next eight nights. I’m sorry I can’t simply provide you with the instructions you’d need to locate it. The cosmic powers tell me you have not yet earned that right.

The second-best gift I can offer, then, will be clues about how to earn it. Clue #1. Meditate on the differences between what your ego wants and what your soul needs. #2. Ask yourself, “What is the most unripe part of me?”, and then devise a plan to ripen it. #3.

Invite your deep mind to give you insights you haven’t been brave enough to work with until now. $4. Take one medium-sized bold action every day.

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SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Galway Kinnell’s poem “Middle of the Way” is about his solo trek through the snow on Oregon’s Mount Gauldy. As he wanders in the wilderness, he remembers an important truth about himself: “I love the day, the sun . . . But I know [that] half my life belongs to the wild darkness.”

According to my reading of the astrological omens, Scorpio, now is a good time for you, too, to refresh your awe and reverence for the wild darkness -- and to recall that half your life belongs to it. Doing so will bring you another experience Kinnell describes: “an inexplicable sense of joy, as

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if some happy news had been transmitted to me directly, bypassing the brain.”

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 21): The last time I walked into a McDonald’s and ordered a meal was 1984.

Nothing that the restaurant chain serves up is appealing to my taste or morality. I do admire its adaptability, however. In cow-loving India, McDonald’s only serves vegetarian fare that includes deep-fried cheese and potato patties. In Israel, kosher McFalafels are available.

Mexicans order their McMuffins with refried beans and pico de gallo. At a McDonald’s in Singapore, you can order McRice burgers. This is the type of approach I advise for you right now, Sagittarius. Adjust your offerings for your audience.

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CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You have been flirting with your “alone at the top” reveries. I won’t be surprised if one night you have a dream of riding on a Ferris wheel that malfunctions, leaving you stranded at the highest point.

What’s going on? Here’s what I suspect: In one sense you are zesty and farseeing. Your competence and confidence are waxing. At the same time, you may be out of touch with what’s going on at ground level. Your connection to the depths is not as intimate as your relationship with the heights. The moral of the story might be to get in closer

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contact with your roots. Or be more attentive to your support system. Or buy new shoes and underwear.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): I haven’t planted a garden for years. My workload is too intense to devote enough time to that pleasure. So eight weeks ago I was surprised when a renegade sunflower began blooming in the dirt next to my porch. How did the seed get there? Via the wind?

A passing bird that dropped a potential meal? The gorgeous interloper eventually grew to a height of four feet and produced a boisterous yellow flower head. Every day I muttered a prayer of thanks for its guerrilla blessing. I predict a comparable phenomenon for you in the coming days, Aquarius.

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PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The coming days will be a favorable time to dig up what has been buried. You can, if you choose, discover hidden agendas, expose deceptions, see beneath the masks, and dissolve delusions. But it’s my duty to ask you this: Is that really something you want to do? It would be fun and sexy to liberate so much trapped emotion and suppressed energy, but it could also stir up a mindbending ruckus that propels you on a healing quest. I hope you decide to go for the gusto, but I’ll understand if you prefer to play it safe.

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SALES PERSON

WANTED

Call on a range of local business both over the phone and in person. Help local businesses develop local marketing strategies and campaigns. Provide advertising solutions across multiple platforms including digital, print and native editorial packages.

We are centrally based in Ultimo and focus on the core inner city from Bondi to Balmain. We maintain a lead data base system with thousands of contacts.

We are seeking someone who is willing to pound the phone, hit the pavement and reach for the sky.

Sales experience essential, media sales experience preferred but not essential. CV and cover letter please. Email: lawrence@altmedia.net.au 18

city hub 8 OCTOBER 2015

Kings Court Massage Kings Court is the only place to have twenty two massage rooms and eleven hot tubs, spas, and bubble baths.

Wall to wall beautiful ladies, pool tables and luxurious leather lounges. You can have a coffee and enjoy the friendly atmosphere.

Approachable managers help you choose a lady for your massage. There is a fair queing system and no hidden charges or credit card fees. We are just along from Central Railway at 261 Broadway Glebe, Sydney NSW 2037 Phone 02 9660 0666 Its a $10.00 Taxi Ride from the CBD Visit our web site at

www.kingscourt.com.au We are open 9 am to 1 am and 24 hours on Weekends. There is a 20% discount from 9 am to 12 noon & FREE ENTRY before 9 pm each day. After 9pm there is a $20 entry fee that protects the massage ladies from dealing with callers who are not genuine.

Two hours free parking is available in the Broadway Shopping Centre near our discreet rear entrance at 18 Grose St Glebe. Check out the website for information, funny stuff and pictures of pretty women. There are no photos of the regular girls as they are too shy. We don’t provide full service.

Also check out Big John’s Facebook to see a mixture of really funny pics, photos, stories and links to the best pages of our website. This is updated regularly:

www.facebook.com/KingsBigJohn

Kings Court Massage: Where the first time customer can meet the first time massage girl!

VACANCIES Kings Court is the best place to learn adult massage. You can work with us part time or casual

and you are paid cash daily. Work times can suit students or young mothers. When you start we get one of the regular girls to show you how to do your first massage.We have off street parking for ladies with cars and for your interview you can park in the Broadway Shopping Centre near our discreet rear entry with two hours free parking. The 18 Grose Street Glebe NSW 2037 address is the best way to find us using GPS plotting. Ring us on 02 9660 0666. Some ladies from out of town stay over when they visit. We have the bestest and sweetest customers of any place. The website is www.kingscourt.com.au On the home page have a look at, “Is this your first time” and see the ten tips that help customers to understand how we do business and how they must behave towards our girls.

Hi, this is Big John the owner of Kings Court Massage.

This week we have another recurring story where St James tries to figure out where the boys are going for fun. As usual we see how things don’t work out for him due to his personality of being not nice.

It is interesting how things have changed over the twenty years since this full page colour advert was produced. The mobile phones have become smaller and you don’t hear people talking rubbish on them as much. Back then having a mobile phone was a big ego trip for some guys.

I hope you have enjoyed seeing our big colour ads. Why not reward yourself and have a nice spa followed by a hot oil massage sometime during the cold weather.

We are now open every day until Christmas.

The best new thing we have at the moment is all the really funny stuff on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/KingsBigJohn

city hub 8 OCTOBER 2015

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city hub 8 OCTOBER 2015