City Hub 27 August 2015

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city hub 27 august 2015

Redfern Tent Embassy calls whitewash on Supreme Court finding

BY CHRISTOPHER HARRIS

The NSW Supreme Court has ordered the Redfern Aboriginal Tent Embassy not to interfere with the redevelopment of the former site of the Block.

The decision was handed down on Monday, with Justice Hulme stating the Embassy must “be restrained with from attempting to interfere with the plaintiff’s possession of the land”.

The Redfern Aboriginal Tent Embassy (RATE) was angered by the decision, calling the move a complete “disregard of Indigenous culture”.

RATE founder and Wiradjuri elder Jenny Munro said it was obvious that the needs of Indigenous people were being ignored.

Speaking from the Redfern campsite on Monday, Ms Munro said that the court’s finding was indicative of the lack of justice for Indigenous people.

“The fact that Aboriginal people still aren’t allowed to decide what happens on Aboriginal land is an issue for me”, she said.

The Aboriginal Housing Corporation (AHC) sought a court order to remove RATE from the site of the‘The Block’, land that was gifted to the Aboriginal community by the Whitlam government for affordable housing.

RATE was established in May of last year in response to plans by AHC for a $70 million development of the site which would include student housing, a gallery, commercial space as well as 68 affordable housing dwellings for Indigenous Australians.

Ms Munro said that the government was ignoring the chronic need for social housing by Indigenous people.

“The courts don’t even want to entertain that there is Aboriginal law that does exist and is still in operation in this country,” she said.

“The fact is they are perpetuating further crime by letting this continue. I think the fact that the housing company has unequivocally stated that the housing won’t be built for another ten to 15 years shows you basically that the issue of social housing for aboriginal people and for poor people generally, has been abandoned by all levels of government.”

Ms Munro said the AHC seemed to have abandoned the Indigenous community.

“I think the housing company has reneged on housing for Aboriginal people and they really don’t care about that. That is really the tragedy, the people that were supposed to be managing this estate and providing assistance have abandoned their duty toward our people and they really don’t care,” she said.

“Where do our people turn for justice in a country that has decided that there is no justice for aboriginal people?”

This concern was echoed by Greens spokesperson for Aboriginal Affairs David Shoebridge, who took umbrage with the judgement’s dismissal of Ms Munro’s arguments to the court.

Jenny Munro, on the far right, and her sisters at the Aboriginal tent embassy in the Block

Ms Munro had argued that Aboriginal people should not have to cede sovereignty to the English Crown.

However, the judgement read “The defendant’s aboriginality, and her contention that the Aboriginal people have never ceded sovereignty to the English Crown does not help her.”

Mr Shoebridge said this disregard for native title was a significant fault in the system.

“The fact that the law can so readily dismiss our first people’s prior occupation and custodianship of this land is proof positive of a fundamental flaw in our legal system,” Mr Shoebridge said in a statement.

“When it comes to symbolic Aboriginal land like The Block, Aboriginality and more than 40,000 years of Aboriginal custody and possession should never be dismissed so lightly by our Courts,” he said.

“This is far from the end of the struggle for Aboriginal housing on The Block, which is supported by a cross section of the Redfern

community.”

Greens Newtown MP Jenny Leong, whose electorate includes the tent embassy, said any solution must include more funds dedicated to Aboriginal housing.

“While it may seem that there is currently an unresolvable conflict, in reality all parties agree that we need to see the funding secured to build Aboriginal housing,” Ms Leong said.

“This community, and the significance of maintaining Aboriginal housing and community on Gadigal country in Redfern is too important to be ignored.”

Ms Leong said the government needed to invest in Aboriginal housing to match other infrastructure spending.

“Our neighborhood is awash with plans to develop and invest in infrastructure projects, with billions for Urban Growth’s development of the Central to Eveleigh site and constant construction by the University of Sydney. And yet there is no money for Aboriginal housing,” she said.

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BY RYAN QUINN Friends of Erskineville (FOE) President Darren Jenkins is concerned that Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore is stepping away from commitments to the Ashmore Estate Development on the border of Alexandria and Erskineville.

Earlier this month, Clr Moore publicly promised to help fix problems associated with the development’s predicted population boom.

Mr Jenkins said he was worried her commitment may be wavering.

“I am concerned that Councillor Moore doesn’t have the same commitment and sympathy to the local residents that she displayed on that night,” he said.

“She seems to be emphasising the need to consider the application according to law,” Mr Jenkins said.

Alexandria Residents Action Group (ARAG) and FOE have voiced concerns over insufficient transport infrastructure, education and child-care facilities in the area surrounding the development.

Clr Moore promised to speak with the Central Sydney Planning Committee (CSPC) to defer the development application until a plan for necessary infrastructure was in place.

Mr Jenkins said the DA needed to be deferred to allow for proper infrastructure planning.

“It’s going to be a constant game of catch up if these apartments are allowed to be built right now,” Mr Jenkins said.

However, he has said that he was happy the Lord Mayor listened to the concerns of the 100 Erskineville and Alexandria residents at the Alexandria Town Hall meeting on August 12.

Clr Moore indicated the need for methodical planning.

“Given the rapid pace of development, it is absolutely crucial that the right infrastructure is in place for existing and new residents,” she said.

Mr Jenkins also said the development exacerbates the impact of proposed rail cuts to services in the area.

Under Sydney Metro plans, train services will be cut to St Peters and Erskineville stations.

Clover said is it important to get the infrastructure right.

“All of the transport statistics that Transport for NSW use as a guide for services fails to take into account that increase in population,” Mr Jenkins said.

The CSPC are taking submissions for the Ashmore Development Application, which closes next Monday. city hub 27 august 2015

3

Brothels brace for a shake up

BY RYAN QUINN The Scarlet Alliance, an association for Australian sex workers, fears that small brothels could by forced out of the market by NSW Parliament.

The Alliance said the current NSW parliamentary inquiry into the licensing of the state’s brothel industry could create expensive licenses.

Scarlet Alliance President Elena Jeffreys said a licensing model in the sex industry would be expensive, creating barriers to comply with the law and would not support the autonomy of workers.

“Involving police in the lives of sex workers impacts the little fish much more than the sharks. Council proposals would see big brothels allowed, as long as they paid a hefty fee for the privilege,” she said.

The inquiry is exploring the licensing of NSW brothels, debating items such as closing and penalising illegal ones, brothel locations, the nature of the industry, current regulation, and the protection of sex workers.

It follows NSW Premier Mike Baird’s election promise to look into state laws on brothels.

The Inquiry Chairperson Alister Henskens said the need for a review arose through council inadequacies.

“Hornsby council failed in its bid to close down a massage parlour in Hornsby that was engaging in the provision of sexual services without appropriate permission,” he said.

The alliance blames councils for the inquiry, citing failures in zoning and laws restricting the placement of brothels near schools.

A statement from Scarlet Alliance said councils had been refusing brothel DAs in fear of losing votes.

“This failure to effectively do their role in implementing decriminalisation has led to multiple problems that could be addressed if councils were to follow the intention of the legislation and not discriminate against the sex industry,” the statement read.

Decriminalisation of sex work in NSW has seen lower rates of STIs and HIV, Ms Jeffreys said, quoting a 2011 HIV Report by the Department of Health and Ageing.

Some fear that small operators will be priced out of the market Source: Wikicommons

“It’s been over two decades since criminal charges for sex work were taken off the books in New South Wales, and a wonderful two decades it has been,” Ms Jeffreys said.

It was found that the decriminalisation of sex work will reduce HIV by 46% over the next decade, according to The Lancet Journals’ 2014 look at HIV and Sex Workers.

The statement from Scarlet Alliance said the decriminalisation led to the development of the Health and Safety Guidelines for Brothels.

Scarlet Alliance aims to achieve equality, social, legal, political, cultural and economic justice for past and present workers in the sex industry.

Submissions to the inquiry closed last week, with many concerns raised by the Alliance still to be answered.

A final report containing the submissions and decisions is due to be released on November 12.

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Council News

Mayor‘S MeSSage Brain Injury Awareness Week Earlier this month I attended the launch of Brain Injury Awareness Week at Our Big Kitchen in Bondi with Councillors Leon Goltsman, Angela Burrill and Bill Mouroukas. This year, the awareness week shines a light on survivors of brain injury, particularly women, as a result of domestic violence. The crowd heard from Rebecca Sciroli, who has horrifically attacked by her stepfather with a hammer. Her recovery from brain injury continues to defy all odds. The renowned Dr Charlie Teo also spoke of his experience treating patients. I encourage you all to visit braininjuryaustralia.org.au to find out more about brain injury and what you can do to support people living with it, their families and carers.

An update on the Bondi Junction cycleways Council is committed to making the right decision as to where the cycleway will be located through Bondi Junction. At the Council meeting on 18 August, we resolved that Council would run design workshops with RMS, Transport for NSW, NSW Police, Sydney Buses, as well as relevant traffic and urban design experts, for solutions to the cycling access issues in Bondi Junction, specifically around Bronte Road, Denison Street and Oxford Street in front of the bus depot. At the same time we are investigating Syd Einfield Drive as an alternate or additional route.

A Council workshop will then consider the results of the design workshops. I am confident that we will be able to decide upon a cycleway route that is in the best interests for all our residents and visitors, and enable the transformation of Bondi Junction into the most sustainable, liveable and vibrant urban centre in Sydney.

Sally Betts, Mayor of Waverley

Events

September 2015 Meet the Author: Indira Naidoo Tuesday 8 September, 6.30pm Waverley Library Join Indira as she shares her new book and details of Australia’s most innovative kitchen and the community gardens, bringing neighbours together to share meals and stories.

Bookings essential at eventbrite.com.au.

Festival of the Winds 2015 Sunday 13 September, 11am–4pm Bondi Pavilion Australia’s largest and most exciting kite flying festival, Festival of the Winds, is on again this September at Bondi Beach.

On Sunday 13 September, the skies will come alive with hundreds of kites of all shapes and sizes from local and international kite-makers and flyers. As well as kite flying, attendees will enjoy the fantastic multicultural music and dance program, food stalls, kid’s entertainment including rides, face painting, craft workshops, and much more.

As part of the festival, notable contemporary artist Adam Norton will be exhibiting ‘New Skies, Other Worlds’ in the Bondi Pavilion Gallery. The work explores the future of flight and the effects of technology on the human condition.

For more event info visit our website waverley.nsw.gov.au.

CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTRE 55 Spring Street, Bondi Junction NSW 2022 PO Box 9, Bondi Junction NSW 1355 PHONE 9369 8000 Web waverley.nsw.gov.au 6

city hub 27 august 2015

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Junction bike paths funding in doubt

By CHRISTOPHER HARRIS Waverley Greens Councillor Dominic Wy Kanak has warned the security of funding for separated bike paths in Bondi Junction is under threat.

Clr Wy Kanak told City Hub that Liberal councillors were stalling plans through excessive consultation measures.

Safety assessments have delayed construction, and Clr Wy Kanak said he was concerned state government funding could be withdrawn.

Just under $3 million had been allocated for the bike paths from NSW Roads and Maritime Service and Waverley Council allocated $2 million from the council’s infrastructure fund.

Clr Wy Kanak put forward an motion at a council meeting on August 18 to ensure RMS rolls over the funding for the bike paths into the financial year.

He said he thought Liberal councillors had stalled on the issue through community consultation that was unending.

“If the libs aren’t strong and definite about a separated cycleway on Spring Street in Bondi Junction they will by default lose that money,” Clr Wy Kanak said.

“The Liberal councillors weren’t clear if they were going to fight hard for our $3 million for making the separated bike paths.”

Speaking to City Hub, Mayor Sally Betts refuted this.

She said the council was in continuous consultation with stakeholders and the state government.

“Considering that Dominic Wy Kanak voted against the bike path two months ago, and I had to work pretty hard to get them to support my

rescission motion, it is disingenuous of him to try and say he is saving the funding allocated for it,” she said.

But Labor Councillor John Wakefield disagreed with Clr Betts’ comments.

“What councillor Wy Kanak and myself did was to ask for a review of the treatment of the bike lane outside the bus depot,” he told City Hub. Clr Wy Kanak said he voted against the proposed bike path plan because it was “obviously” unsafe.

“We requested that it be deferred, so we could get it redesigned, the buses trying to get in and out.

Bus users have to walk across the bike lane, to get into the bus. It was not a good situation.”

Support gathers to challenge ATP sale

By LEXY AKILLAS Opposition to the NSW Government’s proposal to sell the Australian Technology Park (ATP) has gained significant momentum.

Local councillors and politicians have voiced their concerns about the sale, claiming it will restrict the growth of Sydney’s startup community and the technology industry.

The government’s proposal allows funds from the sale to further develop UrbanGrowth’s Central to Eveleigh Transformation Program.

Opponents have argued that the development of Central to Eveleigh corridor will result in the loss of heritage buildings and sites.

City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore told City Hub of her concern for businesses as well as the local community following the privatisation.

“The local community and the City of Sydney have significant concerns about the sale of ATP, which may put at risk a clutter of innovative businesses, public access to the site for the local community and heritage buildings,” Clr Moore said.

The ATP is currently home to over 100 tenants in science, technology, communications and consulting businesses. It also facilitates many conferences and exhibitions, spanning the fashion, health and travel industry.

Greens Newtown MPJ enny Leong also disagreed with the sale, citing the ATP as a part of Sydney’s industrial heritage.

“The ATP has significant value to local, national and also international heritage,” Ms Leong said.

“We are in a time when we should be protecting green space. The last thing we should be doing is handing our park over to private interest,” she said.

In May 2015, Ms Leong put in a notice of motion to halt the sale of ATP, and has been working on collecting online signatures for an expression of interest to Urban Growth NSW.

“We are working really closely with the community and locals in the area but also the broader NSW community, who are strong allies in protecting our industrial heritage,” she said.

“One of the key actions is calling on the Minister for Planning and the Heritage Minister to take action and realise that this site should not be sold off.”

“The government is not looking at the ATP site holistically. I think we need to recognise that it was a site for innovation when it was the train yards and we need to ensure that it remains a place of innovation.”

The NSW Government has said the Central to Eveleigh Transformation Program aims to “further build upon the strengths of the area over the next 30 years”.

A statement from UrbanGrowth said the project aims to “transform” the “under-used government owned land in and around the rail corridor”.

“The program aims to continue to provide access to public transport, education and health facilities and job opportunities,” the statement read.

The area to be developed contains 13 hectares of heritage buildings, including the former Eveleigh Railyards.

Technology Park in Eveleigh

Cats in the cradle at City of Sydney

BY RYAN QUINN City of Sydney Council is preparing to battle a Federal Government plan to cull two million feral cats, some of which live within the council limits.

Greens Councillor Irene Doutney brought a motion to council in early August seeking humane alternatives to baiting, most notably exploring TrapNeuter-Return (TNR).

“There are ways in an urban environment where we can control these things without ever having to revert to culling, shooting, or baiting. I think baiting in particular is very concerning,” Clr Doutney said. $6.6 million has been committed to the culling, set to occur before 2020, in a bid to preserve native species which Environment Minister Greg Hunt said are endangered by feral cats.

TNR programs have been praised as a more effective and humane alternative, but they face legal challenges.

Independent Sydney MP Alex Greenwich told City Hub that desexing is a preferable option.

“TNR programs primarily involve desexing a large proportion of a specific population of un-owned, stray, feral or pest animals and returning them to the place where they were found,” Mr Greenwich said.

An undesexed female cat and her offspring can produce 420,000 cats in seven years, according to Mr Greenwich.

“TNR programs can help break this cycle,” he said.

Founder of animal charity Maggie’s Rescue, Lisa Wright, agreed with Mr Greenwich, and said that desexing will see cat numbers naturally decrease over time.

“Whether you love cats or hate cats, the best way to manage them is the same, and that’s TNR,” Ms Wright said.

However, TNR programs are currently in breach of laws prohibiting the re-release of animals without proper ownership, including the Prevention of

Cruelty to Animals Act 1979 and the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974.

Ms Wright said it was “tragic” that such an “effective way to manage feral cats” was illegal.

“Right now people are doing it under cloak and dagger kinds of situations because they don’t want to be prosecuted for trying to manage what is an environmental issue,” she said.

Mr Greenwich tried introducing a bill into the NSW Parliament in September last year that would legalise TNR in the state.

The bill was introduced in the last parliament unsupported by both the coalition and opposition, ultimately lapsing at this year’s state elections.

Mr Greenwich is currently working with the Animal Justice Party Secretary Mark Pearson on amendments to pass the reform.

Ms Wright said she is sure that TNR is the only option, and that the Federal Government’s current plan to bait cats has been proven to be inhumane.

“From my experience with baiting animals, it’s usually a slow, painful death,” she said.

A major concern is that baiting may also inadvertently kill domesticated cats and other animals.

Team Dog Director Darren Eldrad told City Hub that pet cats and dogs have already been killed by baits in the past.

“The idea that this bait just targets feral cats is bullshit. It’s a poison that will kill not just cats but other native wildlife, the very things they’re saying they’re going to protect,” Mr Eldrad said.

“If I lived in Sydney, I would be absolutely petrified that my pets would consume that poison,” he said.

Ms Wright said evidence suggests that the first species to grow in numbers after a colony of cats are culled are rats and mice.

“Rodents do much more damage to the ecosystem than cats do,” she said.

Mr Eldrad said the uncertainty around the culling’s impacts was concerning.

“We can’t predict what killing all these feral cats is going to do, it could make things much, much worse,” Mr Eldrad said.

Ms Wright and Mr Eldrad also expressed confusion over the number of cats the plan has chosen to cull.

“You couldn’t even call it a band aid response, because nobody knows the size of the injury or the wound…nobody can even give you an accurate

estimate as to how many feral cats are in Australia,” Mr Eldrad said.

Mr Eldrad says that nobody actually knows how many feral cats are in Australia.

“Either way, 2 million in cats being killed is not going to solve anything in the wider scheme of things,” he said.

The City of Sydney Compliance Animal Officer is currently compiling a report to explore TNR and other alternatives, as well as working with local community cat groups to prevent culling within the council area.

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7

Waverly-Randwick merge on the nose, before it even begins

By CHRISTOPHER HARRIS The proposed ‘marriage’ of Waverley and Randwick councils is off to a rocky start, with neither of the two Liberal Mayors able to agree on where chambers could be located.

The difference of opinion flared up at a Waverly Council meeting last Tuesday August 18.

Waverley’s Civic Heart plan is a $60 million development, and has been rumoured as a potential location for the eastern suburbs super council.

However, at a Randwick Council meeting in July, Liberal Mayor Ted Seng proposed that merged headquarters must be located in Randwick, to ensure that residents in the southern part of the LGA had access to council services.

Waverley Greens Councillor Dominic Wy Kanak moved a motion to put the Civic Heart development on hold because of the uncertainty of the council’s future.

According to Clr Wy Kanak, Waverley Mayor Sally Betts’ response to his motion was an emotive and irrelevant tirade attacking the Greens party.

“I was quite surprised because it was off topic, it became obvious she did not want to debate the issue,” he said.

“She was saying the Greens hadn’t made much contribution to Waverley, for some reason, she wanted to stay away from that issue. It was more of an emotional to and fro and attack on the Greens.”

Speaking to City Hub, Mayor Betts denied that the Civic Heart site was going to be used as a council chamber, and said that the plan was a normal part of running a council.

She said such planning should not be put on hold because of the looming decision regarding the amalgamation of councils.

Mayor Betts said it was early days as submissions had not even been processed by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal.

“If the state government decides that we should merge and could merge, then the government has said a transition committee will be formed, consisting of mayors and general managers and at least one other councillor, and they will discuss things such as where chambers and other services should be located,” she said.

“If there was amalgamation at the 2016 state election, councils can’t stop operating because we don’t know the decision.”

Waverley Labor Councillor John Wakefield said that it was

Waverley Mayor Sally Betts is committed to the bike path

inappropriate for the mayor to be investigating a council facility of this scale because the question of a merger had not been resolved.

“Clearly its poor management,” he said.

“The proposal for Civic Heart predates the merger, which makes it worse because therefore it was done without consideration of the merger or its outcome,” he said.

“A survey was conducted and only one in seven residents wanted a merger, and only 1 in 9 businesses wanted it.”

“What Betts really wanted was a merger of Woollahra, Waverley and Randwick. And she wants that because it will give the Liberals control of the eastern suburbs,” he said.

Clr Wy Kanak said the two Liberal councils had rushed into a merger before discussing details.

“Our approach is that if the relationship or headquarters is not yet decided between the mayors, spending that amount of money should at least be adjourned until we know what the state government are going to say about,” he said.

“Mergers should be done democratically, referendums should be held in LGAs to put the question of amalgamations to the people.”

“We’re talking about councils with a history of over 150 years and for it now to be merged so quickly without that fundamental attention to detail, we see it as a dismantling of local democracy, to not give people chance,” Clr Wy Kanak said.

“It is needless to proceed with it when the two mayors can’t agree.”

Save Our Councils Coalition member Tom Sherlock said that it was confusing because Waverley had agreed with a merger, yet was still proceeding with its ‘Civic Heart’ plans.

He attended the Waverley Council meeting as part of a Save Our councils Coalition Protest. He said the merger of Waverley and Randwick, like other mergers, will have large costs and increase bureaucracy.

“Local councils will come to regret it because as economies and human beings, we are social animals,” he said.

“We are living in strange times, the government wants to amalgamate councils, but they haven’t put forward any concrete case as to why that makes sense.”

He cited a recent paper which found it costs on average 8 million per two councils merged. “When you put together monopoly service providers, you get bigger, more cumbersome bureaucracies.”

Mayor Betts said that the best use of the land proposed for Civic Heart in Bondi Junction needed to be considered separately to council mergers.

“If Waverley and Randwick end up merging, most of the services will stay where they are, we’re not going to relocate the lawn-mowers in La Perouse to Vaucluse.”

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All aboard the Leichardt bus

BY CHRISTOPHER HARRIS Leichhardt Council will operate a shuttle bus service to counteract poor public transport in certain areas of the LGA. Leichhardt Mayor Rochelle Porteous told City Hub that the bus was needed to provide the community with adequate transport.

“There is always the issue when providing public transport, there is the issue of cost shifting between the local and state government,” Clr Porteous said.

“Local government is way more responsive to the needs of the community than the state government because we are talking to them and we know what they want and need,” she said.

The bus will operate on Mondays and Thursdays during the day, and offer an after school service which will transport local school students to after school activities.

Clr Porteous said the bus will also stimulate the local economy.

“We already have a community bus service to help people get around if they have a disability.

“Now this bus is also to get to parts of the local government area that are not necessarily serviced well, and to encourage people to get down to the shopping centre, and to be able to move around the municipality and visit the local shops and cafes,” she said.

“But the bus is for everybody, and everyone should be using it and seeing it as a good facility in the area.”

She said the trial, which began on August 24, would figure out where there is a need to potentially roll out more services.

“We’re providing the bus as well for after school service, to help out local schools and parents.”

The bus has 52 stops all in the local area including Balmain, Leichhardt and Annandale.

Residents can check available routes and stops on the Leichhardt Council website.

The bus is also currently available for hire on days other than Monday and Thursday.

The trial will run for 12 months.

New pedestrian bridge for Moore Park

BY CHRISTOPHER HARRIS Plans to build another pedestrian bridge just a few hundred metres from the controversial Tibby Cotter Bridge near Moore Park have been slammed by transport lobbyists Ecotransit.

The bridge is part of the construction of the South East Light Rail which will run along Moore Park.

Ecotransit spokesperson Gavin Gatenby said there were other solutions which would have been cheaper.

“The idea you need a pedestrian bridge every place you have a light rail stop is dubious,” Mr Gatenby said.

“However, it would have made a great deal more sense to have put a pedestrian underpass next to the underpass that they’re already putting in for the light rail,” he said.

Mr Gatenby said said there were “shorter, cheaper, and more convenient” solutions the state government could have chosen.

“What would have made much more sense, and it would have been cheaper, would be to have widened the planned light rail underpass by about 5 metres providing a tunnel for pedestrians and cyclists as well,” he said.

Mr Gatenby believes that more attention needs to be focused on the developments around transport infrastructure, and how decisions are made.

“The Tibby Cotter bridge was part of this obscene land grab by the Sydney Cricket Ground trust for a bit of slab of Moore Park for a tennis stadium. It was a Trojan horse for that,” he claimed.

“At a cost of $38 million, it’s a standout example of corruption of process.

A standard pedestrian bridge across six lanes of traffic usually costs about $5 million. A recent one at Heathcote with two lifts and stairs was $5.5 million.

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Another recent example was in The Blue Mountains, which was only about $3 million,” he said.

“This is just crazy, this isn’t proper rational planning, this is a mad free-forall by the big developers and the big engineering companies and the Sydney Cricket ground.”

A spokesperson for Transport NSW told City Hub in a statement that another pedestrian bridge was being drafted.

“A detailed design for a pedestrian bridge near Sydney Boys’ and Sydney Girls’ schools in Moore Park is currently being drafted. This design is being done in consultation with both schools, the Department of Education and the Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust,” the spokesperson said.

“While the bridge will be open to the general public, the main purpose will be safe access for school students using the upcoming Sydney Light Rail stop at Moore Park.”

“No other pedestrian footbridges in the area are being proposed for the Sydney Light Rail project.”

Last week, draft plans for a new 60,000 seat stadium, underground car park and tennis stadium in Moore Park leaked to the Wentworth Courier had Clover Moore outraged, describing it as a “land grab” and threatening to green space.

Greens MP Mehreen Faruqui suggested that now these plans were exposed, the Tibby Cotter Bridge finally made sense.

“The Roads Minister urgently needs to come clean with people about the bridge,” Dr Faruqi said.

“Did the public pay $38 million for a walkway between the SCG and an underground carpark – not for pedestrians and cyclists, but for motorists?”

An artist’s rendering of the Albert Tibby Cotter bridge

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9

ARTS FEATURE

Back with a Bang:

Sydney Fringe Festival 2015

BY Joseph Rana The Sydney Fringe Festival is bigger, better and more flamboyant than ever–packing more mayhem, madness, culture, colour, creativity and naughtiness than ever before.

Winning hearts since its inception in 2010, this alternative arts and culture festival is the largest festival of its kind in NSW. Strictly unconventional, it is a toast to artists expressing themselves in unique ways and the audiences who submerse themselves in experiences like no other.

Not to be chained by any specific form of visual or performing arts, the festival boasts of an eclectic mix of burlesque, cabaret, circus, comedy, exhibitions, films, musicals, stand-ups and much more; spread across five cultural villages of Sydney’s Inner West with over 300 productions. We sought out the best of of five genres on show…

Presented by Sparkle Theatre Company, Strip! is a one-act play melding performance genres by Clara Klemski. Set in Sydney, it tells the story of Victoria (Hannah Raven Smith), a burlesque dancer.

Interestingly enough, Victoria is also campaigning for pre‑elections. To make matters even more challenging, she must also escape from the Independent Commission Against Corruption! “(Strip!) marries dramatic script with stylized Burlesque. Its a joy for me as an actor and burlesque artist to have the opportunity to combine my two loves in one beautifully composed story,” said Hannah, who also performs under her Vaudeville Burlesque alter ego Hannie Raegan.

This show tackles issues of sexuality, public persona and politics. “Strip! explores censorship and creative expression... the play challenges conservative, conformist societies and explores what happens when we unleash ourselves from community expectation,”

explained Hannah.

Clara elaborated: “Strip! came to life as a project about ‘upstanding’ professionals living double lives...

The play focuses on a sexy creative pursuit burlesque...

What I think will be interesting to audiences is the question of whether we can accept ‘slashies’ as multi‑faceted, valuable people.”

From burlesque to exhibitions, Sydney Fringe has got it all. On the visual arts front is an exciting video and multi-media installation by Mexican duo Sissy Reyes and Jorge Mansilla, also known as Purple Moustacho.

The Genderator is as authentically unusual as the festival.

Jorge explains the character of ‘The Genderator’ as “a lone piece of a bigger equipment who profits from genderizing neutral objects”. The Genderator is Purple Moustacho’s surreal take on the absurdity of gender advertising and consumerism; and it fits in perfectly with Sydney Fringe. “He is shameless, absurd and terrifying at the same time. He is the puppeteer’s hand pulling the strings of gender identity,” explained Sissy.

On the serious and dramatic side, Sydney Fringe presents Dark Vanilla Jungle. A wonderful artist-driven show that talks about a girl’s craving for family and home. Mad March Hare Theatre Company presents this award-winning play by Philip Ridley.

“It’s about abandonment and what can happen to the children that fall through the cracks of the system. It’s about the violence against women. And it’s about love,” explained Claudia Barrie, the lead performer.

“At the heart of the story is the idea that under the right circumstances we all have the capacity to release the monsters within,” said Fiona Hallenan, who co-directs the show alongside Emma Louise. “[Ridley] writes about the language of violence and the very human, visceral struggles we go through to get what we

CITY HUB’S PICKS OF THE FESTIVAL:

STRIP!

Sept 1–6. Kings Cross Hotel, Level 2, 244 - 248 William Street, Kings Cross. $20.

want–what we need to survive.”

It’s not just about the serious stuff, the Sydney Fringe is also known for unleashing upon its audiences awesome waves of laughter. Showcasing his comedy material at Fringe is Casey Talbot from Brisbane, who brings his stand-up show A Case Study.

“It’s the story of my life,” explained Casey. “It’s a collection of stories and anecdotes from my 10 years of performing standup around the country and the world.”

Casey describes his show as: “a hilarious observational and improvisational take on the life of a 30‑something man meeting the challenges of marriage, mortgages, mayhem and medicine.”

Rounding up our picks is Shapeshifter, a one-woman comedy show produced and performed by Sydney-based actor and comedian Josipa Draisma. For this intriguing performance Josipa’s character shifts “like a chameleon” into a set of absurd yet entertaining characters that include a pop megastar, a manipulative mother, and a caped crusader.

She explained her inspiration: “A few years ago I discovered the work and teachings of clown and bouffant through comedian Phil Burgers (a.k.a. Dr Brown), which connected me immediately with… my unadulterated sense of play.”

Part monologue, song, and improvisation, Shapeshifter is an attempt to break norms and induce unstoppable laughter. “It’s the kind of laughing that makes your belly ache. It’s cathartic and magical,” said Josipa.

Running throughout September, this year’s Sydney Fringe Festival is here to sweep you off your feet and expose you to the wonder the Sydney arts scene is. Get set to escape to a world of limitless, unadulterated awesomeness.

THE GENDERATOR

Sept 3–11. The Shop Gallery, 112 Glebe Point Road, Glebe. Free.

DARK VANILLA JUNGLE

Sept 1–12. Old 505 Theatre, 505/342 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills. $16+bf.

CASEY TALBOT – A CASE STUDY

Irina SeptDunn, 1­–5.Program The Bunker, Director, Factory2016 Theatre, Bellingen 105 Victoria Readers

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JOSIPA DRAISMA –­ SHAPESHIFTER

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Sept 3–5. The Fuse Box, Factory Theatre, 105 Victoria Road, Marrickville. $9–$14.

Tickets & info for all events: sydneyfringe.com or (02) 9550 6087

SHAPE THE FUTURE OF THE CENTRAL TO EVELEIGH COMMUNITY The Central to Eveleigh Urban Transformation and Transport Program will progressively transform 3km of mostly under-used government land in and around the rail corridor from Central to Macdonaldtown and Erskineville stations, including Redfern.

UrbanGrowth NSW is developing a strategy to reconnect communities and deliver new public spaces and facilities, inner city housing and job opportunities.

Study Nights Join us to discuss key studies informing the strategy development process.

• Eveleigh Markets 4th Saturday of every month

9th September: Economics and Environment: Two studies on one night. Economics will focus on promoting job growth in knowledge-intensive industries and environment on sustainable development.

• Redfern Night Markets 1st Friday of every month

Venue: Yaama Dhiyaan, 255 Wilson St, Darlington Time: 6.30pm – 9.00pm

To register: Email C2E@urbangrowth.nsw.gov.au or call 1800 756 953 www.centraltoeveleigh.com.au

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Pyrmont Bay Wharf upgrade The NSW Government is progressively upgrading wharves across Sydney to improve ferry services.

Pyrmont Bay Wharf will close temporarily from Wednesday 22 April 2015 for up to five months, weather and maritime conditions permitting. All efforts will be made to reopen the wharf as soon as possible.

F4 Darling Harbour ferry services will operate to the nearby Casino Wharf, Pirrama Road, Pyrmont during the temporary closure. This is a five minute walk from Pyrmont Bay Wharf.

The F4 Darling Harbour Ferry Service will continue to operate to the existing timetable at other wharves on the service.

Customers can also catch the 443 bus service which runs frequently to the city.

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city hub 27 august 2015

10

EAT & DRINK Bar at the End of the Wharf

My date’s late, so I’m nursing an Old Fashioned ($20). It’s not on their short list of cocktails, but they do offer to make any classics you have a hankering for; so I forgive the bartender for it being sweet and gritty with undissolved sugar. Ordering off-list

$ - mains less than $15

$$ - mains between $15-$22

ROCKS & CBD Basement 33 Amidst the hustle and bustle of Goulburn Street’s Haymarket end, is a new hidden bar gem, worthy of any nightlife veteran’s attention. I pull up a bar stool, and order a martini, after raising a respectful eyebrow to the ingenious cocktail list.The drinks certainly are on point, including Mel-Ki ($17) boasting melon liqueur, Grand Marnier and fresh kiwi.The interior of this nouveau nightspot is a mix of trendy tiling and sleek modern finishing; slightly too cool to be called flashy, but certainly shiny.

Owner Nathanial Bourke hints to me that live music is close on the horizon. I’m starting to get a Frankie’s Pizza vibe. Oh yeah… they also serve pizza.

CRU1801_Pyrmont_Ad.indd 2

By Jackie McMillan isn’t my usual practice, but I’m combating pre-theatre anxiety.

It’s certainly the place to do it, in a theatre bar surrounded by urbane theatre types, at the end of a very long wharf of timeworn floorboards.Yet it strikes me as incongruous be tucking into Dip Boards ($22/2 people) and Meatballs ($14) in tomato marjoram sauce, in front of a world-class view. More balls arrive – this time Nomad’s Spicy Chorizo and Pea Arancini ($12) – punctuated by drinks: a nicely tart Tommy’s Margarita ($18) and Sippin’ By The Sea ($18), which summons pina coladas using rum, coconut syrup and pineapple juice, updated by apple juice and Angostura bitters. It’s an easy-drinking companion to lightly battered Calamari ($16) with smoked paprika aioli.

Okay, there’s something to be said for pre-theatre food being egalitarian and accessible, down to florets of Cauliflower ($9) with paprika and tahini, for under ten bucks.A messy tangle of Meringue, Quince,Apple, Cream and Candied Chestnut ($12) hints post-show debriefs might be better accompanied in liquid form.

Pier 4, Hickson Road,Walsh Bay (02) 9250 1761 Bar, Bar Food $$

$$$ - mains between $22-$30

Basement Level, 27-33 Goulburn Street, Haymarket (02) 8970 5813 basement33.com Bar, Cocktails $$ Basket Brothers In an old skydiving shop, two buddies with impressive restaurant CVs have opened a café on the desolate fringes of Surry Hills and the CBD. Cleverly devised breakfasts, like Smoked Brisket Hash ($18) with egg, aioli, beautifully sweet beef brisket and jalapeño salsa, show the ‘bros’ Jono Forsythe (Mad Pizza e Bar) and Deepak Singh (Kantine) know how to lure people into their fish tank-like café. House-made Beans ($17) with pork belly and ham hock show they can do simple food with flair.

Likewise, Hot Tuna Salad ($15) with quinoa,

$$$$ - mains over $30

olives and perfectly soft-boiled egg, proves these guys are restaurateur class.With Allpress roasting the beans, their Coffee ($3.50) has the AFP becoming regulars.

Shop 1 / 184-196 Elizabeth Street, Sydney (02) 9281 5198 basketbrothers.com.au Café $$ INNER WEST Majestic Harvest Despite some hipster trappings - Edison bulbs, cold drip, and dishes presented on boards and in frypans - the food is remarkably 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

Damda The first thing you’ll notice after stepping into Damda, beyond the strong design aesthetic, is the monstrous, smoke-belching oven. It’s admirably manned by a smiling, tattooed, Korean coal-master.As your salivary glands kick into overdrive, you’ll begin to appreciate that this is a modern reinterpretation of Korean barbecue - the name means ‘resemble’ - doing things a

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.

49 New Canterbury Road, Petersham (02) 8097 2222 majesticgourmetgrocers.com.au Breakfast, Café $ One6Eight Husband and wife team, Leigh and Amanda McDivitt, turn their talents to weekend High Tea ($50/head), in the rich red womb of their Balmain fine diner.While chef has banished crusts-off cucumber sandwiches

little differently. Instead of cooking at your table, you’ll sit back and enjoy Korea’s most popular alcoholic beverage, soju, in sharing-sized, icy cocktail carafes, from delicate Green Seoul ($25) with mint, grape and lemon, to the more fragrant and interestingYuzu Punch ($25). Drinking snacks, like sticky-sweet chilli rice cake skewers, Ddeok Ggochi ($8/10 pieces), are great against Korean beers from Hite ($6) to Cass ($6). Despite being tempted by Korean fried chicken and thematic nachos and tacos, I sensibly avoided loading up on entrees. Lucky, because the outstandingly tender and smoky Kalbi Beef Ribs ($35.50) arrived in a large metal tray, laden with gochujang noodle salad, cornballs, lotus root chips and house-made kimchi.The BBQ is fully customisable, from additional meat options like Bossam ($17) (pork belly), to three different accompanying Korean sauces.They cover all preferences from sweet to heat, though for me it’s all about that intriguing blend of chilli (gochujang) and fermented soybean paste (doenjang) called ssamjang.

166 Norton Street, Leichhardt (02) 9560 0527 facebook.com/ damda2015 Korean $$

in favour of savoury items like vongole popcorn and compressed confit chicken wings, re-add the cucumber with Cool As ($18), a daytime-friendly tequila, Cointreau and chilli concoction. On the ground floor of your slightly risqué platter,Amanda entices you with hot cinnamon doughnuts filled with Seville orange and Cointreau crème patisserie.Your boozy long lunch continues into Sailor Jerry’s and apricot marshmallows, alongside a winning verrine of sherbet-like lemon and yuzu parfait. It’s perfect against an equally airy Raspberry Sorbet Bellini ($17).

233 Darling Street Balmain (02) 9555 8750 one6eight.info High Tea, Cocktails $$$ Charlotte Café Balmain’s awash with visitors from all corners of the city, keen to explore

the cosmopolitan selection of trendy cafés. Precisely why Charlotte Café in neighbouring Birchgrove, provides pleasant respite from the hustle and bustle. It’s a place where locals meet for coffee (of which Campos fans will approve), with outdoor dog bowls provided for fourlegged friends.The Charlotte Special ($18.50) is a decadent, Norwegian take on eggs Benedict, featuring homemade Hollandaise and fish roe. Crunchy Corn Fritters ($14.50) with baby spinach and grilled haloumi is offset nicely with a cucumber and yoghurt topping.Avocado and Tomatoes on Toast ($10) with pesto, pleased my vegan dining-mate, and we’re told it’s a best seller.

127 Rowntree Street, Birchgrove (0403) 924 168 facebook.com/CharlotteCafeBirchgrove Café $-$$

city hub 27 august 2015 2:05 pm 11 12/08/2015

EAT DRINK

EAT &&DRINK

By Jackie McMillan

Dragoncello Chef Roy McVeigh marches to the sound of his own beat – and to be honest, it’s refreshing in a culinary world seemingly dominated by cronuts, overfilled doughnut milkshakes, and meals served on anything but plates. In an unpretentious upstairs room, enlivened by vibrant Tapestry Girl pegboard murals, he defies expectations over and over again – though perhaps the Sydney Rock Oyster, Burnt Leek, Potato Skins and Citrus Leaf Gel ($3/each) might benefit

DARLO, KINGS X & SURRY HILLS Jazz City Diner Myron Mixon from BBQ Pittmasters has taught me is that tender, tasty brisket has a charry crust and good pull on the slices; and that’s just what you’ll find when you pick up a slice of the Beef Brisket ($8/100g) at Jazz City, and give it a tug. Once you snaffle a table in the nicely kitted out space, the time delay to wrapping your lips around fork-split Beef Short Rib ($5/100g) is mercifully short. Balance your meaty tray of Pulled Pork ($8/100g), house-made Sausage ($5/each) and (slightly disappointing) Pork Ribs ($8/100g) against ‘Slaw ($2.50), super tasty Pinto Beans ($2.50) and standout Pickles ($2.50). A creamy

By DJ Hookie Being a Dallas native by origin, I can understand the growing obsession with Texas BBQ here in Australia.

One of the links I certainly did draw between this fixture of the American culinary world, and Ribs & Burgers, was the service. 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

NEWTOWN & ENVIRONS 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 paper12

from more staff explanation.The neighbouring table was “freaked out” by not being presented with a visible bivalve, despite tasty tater skins dipped in oyster crème. Beetroot, Boudin Noir, Crackling and Apple ($18) utilises sweetness to well-balanced effect, rather than simply working to elicit a Pavlovian response from our sugar-trained palates. Against The Story Marsanne, Roussanne,Viognier ($50), the dish sings.This versatile (and underrated) wine blend travels well into my dish of the night: Pea Mousse ($28) set under a tangle of its own leaves and flowers, with candied bacon and poured-at-the-table Parmesan broth.While vegetarians are gifted with their own page of options, my carnivorous dining companion tucked into well-rendered (36-hour) Lamb Neck ($34) with hay cream, mushroom sauce and native mint.

Geranium Panna Cotta ($17) deftly juggles intense floral sweetness with tomato soup cake and two forms of rhubarb.

Nope, haven’t seen that before.

Level 1, 466 Cleveland Street, Surry Hills (02) 8399 0907 dragoncello.com.au Bar, Modern Australian $$$

Coconut Milkshake ($8) rounds your feast out nicely.

200 Goulburn Street, Surry Hills (02) 9264 2572 jazzcity.com.au American $$ Busshari Staff are particularly proud of their Soft Shell Crab Karaage ($18). For good reason, it’s dry and intensely savoury. It’s perfect against Kubota Manju ($33/180ml); dubbed ‘10,000 Ostentatiousness’ it’s the star of their impressive sake list.While hot dishes like Saikyoyaki ($20) - blackened misomarinated toothfish that flakes into buttery white curls when tapped with a chopstick - are great, Chef Nobuyuki Ito’s heart lies in sashimi. His Chef’s Selection Sashimi Plate ($38) is a stunner, not only for freshness, but also for

Ribs & Burgers Zetland

edible garnishes and knife work. Dashi vinaigrette jelly topped Oysters ($3/ each) and signature striped Kingfish Carpaccio ($21) may contribute to a somewhat hefty bill, but are definitely good eating.

119 Macleay Street, Potts Point (02) 9357 4555 busshari.com.au Japanese $$$$ Bloody Mary’s Garnished with a slider, hot wing and prawn,The Bloody Hell ($25) is the most ridiculous cocktail I’ve ever seen.

This chilli-infused Bloody Mary is but one of ten variations on the classic at the appropriately named Bloody Mary’s, all made on house-blended tomato juice with a spice wall for heat customisation.

Pair it with a Mixed Platter ($48/3 people), offering the full catalogue of

(Do people actually live in Zetland?), lining up to take away large brown paper bags filled up with what’s on offer.The Old School Cheese Burger ($10.50) could have used a higher ‘patty to bun’ ratio, as the meat was its only decent feature.

The Pork Spare Ribs ($28.50) were a little on the dry side for the most part, but the smoky BBQ sauce was a savior, albeit quite thinly spread. Surprisingly, the standout for me were the Chicken Wings ($9.50) with sticky soy, which fared even better still, when being dipped into the provided aioli sauce.We also had some kick-ass Thick Shakes ($7/each), one Milo-flavoured and the other vanilla malt. If you can stomach the dairy content, they’re worth a go.

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

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 $$ 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

city hub 27 august 2015

By Jackie McMillan jackie@alternativemediagroup.com

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 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

The Dandylion Bondi

By Alex Harmon You’ve got to wonder why it’s taken so long for a fullyfledged vegetarian restaurant to open in an old DVD store in Bondi. Lamenting the lack of options and the demise of movie rentals, co-owner Chitti Lardi, a vego who grew

all the Sunday morning, life-saving, deep fried things you could want: buffalo wings, chilli prawns, onion rings, jalapeno poppers. And, as much as this place is hangover appropriate, you could go a long way toward starting one here.Their Espresso Martini ($19) topped with crumbled M&Ms is a game-changer!

332 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst (02) 9360 5568 bloodymaryssydney.com.au Bar, Bar Food, Cocktails $$$

EASTERN SUBURBS & BEACHES Cheekyburger Beards come in handy when tucking into the artery-clogging staples at Paddington’s Cheekyburger.The graffitiplastered courtyard creates a salubrious

up in the Inner West, sought the perfect spot for a 100% vegetarian (with vegan options) diner. Popular dishes include the Caramelised Tempeh, Shitake Mushrooms & Kale Dumplings ($18) with just the right amount of chilli and sweet miso sauce; and their monthly ‘Veegustation’ nights have word on the grapevine spreading fast.The special of Pumpkin Ravioli with Goats Cheese ($24) was out of this world, a testament to there being an Italian chef in the house.

Unfortunately the DIY Cajun Fajitas ($22) were a little lacking in flavour, considering everything else, like the Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms ($19) with brie, was over-achieving.

Carlos, the Caribbean bartender, will whip you up a tropical delight.The Dead Man’s Chest ($16) – containing Sailor Jerry, Cointreau, orange and passionfruit, entices you to batten down the hatches and make a night of it at the bar. And the dandiest dessert ever goes to the Peanut Butter and Orange Tiramisu ($13), served with a smile, and a flower. Dandylion is a winner, even meat-lovers will agree.277 Bondi Road, Bondi (02) 9365 1567 dandylion.com.au Vegetarian,Vegan $$

environment to get plastered on Brooklyn Lagers whilst boasting about how you knew about this place before it was cool.The ironically nonchalant American diner menu persuades you to expect service from a girl on roller skates; but that doesn’t happen.The Double Cheeseburger ($14.99) with (necessary) Bacon ($1.99) lives up to the hype, and will have you thinking of it days later, like that one-night stand you’re thinking of texting again. I could take or leave the Deep Fried Pickles ($6.99), but they’re not the drawcard.Wear tight jeans, but prepare to unbutton.

312 Oxford Street, Paddington (02) 9331 7436 cheekyburgerbar.com Burgers $ Bondi Trattoria You know a place is good when it’s

FOOD NEWS

packed on a frosty Monday night, filled to the brim with locals who know where to find a decent feed.The ‘Trat has been around for twenty-five years and is almost as famous as the beach you can see from your table. It guarantees good, humble Italian food, like Garlic Prawns ($23.90) with crusty bread, and the salty/sweet marriage of Prosciutto, Gorgonzola, Pear and Hazelnut Salad ($20.90). Our waiter highly recommends the signature dish, invented here - Angel Hair Pasta ($23.90/small) with raw tuna, Parmesan and chilli - it’s delicious. Finish with Chocolate Crème Brulee ($15.90), which has a cracking case that tastes of fire-toasted marshmallows.

34 Campbell Parade, Bondi Beach (02) 9365 4303 bonditrattoria.com.au Italian $$

By Alex Harmon & DJ Hookie

Mr Tipply’s It has been a year since Mr Tipply took over the City Hotel in the CBD, so a birthday bash fit for a one-year-old boozehound was thrown. With a candy bar, exotic entertainers, and a dressup photo-booth, it was a festival for the big kid inside all of us.

Drinks were fun and fruity, like ginger mojitos and Belvedere berry cocktails; and live music resonated over two floors. Wait staff served canapés such as mini crispy fish tacos, tempura rock shrimp, pork belly and pickled cabbage sliders, and yakitori chicken skewers; but it was the pop-up dumpling bar that kept punters going back for more! A kitsch and quirky good time was had. mrtipplys.com.au La Boulangerie Also this week, take advantage of Sydney’s latest artisan pop-up Grey Goose ‘La Boulangerie’ at Yellow Restaurant, Potts Point.

There’s everything from a daytime artisan bakery, incredible three-course dinner tasting menus, and a cheeky martini bar on offer, running between 21st August and the 6th September. (Salon de Martini runs only from 27th – 29th August). Go experience the wondrous delights of the naughty clear liquid we call vodka. greygooselaboulangerie.com.au

bar fly

Rosie Campbell’s Someone once told me that the key to happiness is to make others happy. Well, they were wrong, because after a visit to this quirky Jamaican hangout, it’s pretty clear that the key to happiness involves jerk chicken and alcoholic sunsets served over ice.

From the team that brought us The Soda Factory, comes Rosie Campbell’s – a happy, vibrant, Caribbean-inspired jerk diner and rum bar with a New York twist that serves ‘sweet tings’ from brunch until midnight. For the jerk-uninitiated, no visit to Rosie’s is complete without wrapping your lips around a spicy Jerk Chicken Burger ($16), which features sunshine ‘slaw, a dill pickle, crispy fried shallots, habanero pepper sauce and, of course, the venue’s homemade signature jerk marinade. Wash down the spicy jerk with rum or a cocktail, or better yet, jerk down some of Jamaica’s own Royal Jamaican Ginger Beer ($8) (and yes, it’s alcoholic).

320 Crown Street, Surry Hills (02) 8356 9120 rosiecampbells.com

By Amie Barbeler

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Thank You for Being a Friend

SDS1 By Ahilan Ratnamohan Contemporary performance artist Ahilan Ratnamohan brings his unique blend of football and dance to the stage this week. SDS1 is the third in a line of performance pieces created by Ratnamohan that incorporate his football background. “With SDS1 I was curious to see if I could make a piece which wasn’t so story driven, as the first two pieces had a strong story element to them, whereas SDS1 I wanted to make more movement based,” said Ratnamohan.

One of the most exciting elements to this show is the combination of two disciplines that are quiet often segregated. “Growing up, the arts and sport were so separate you couldn’t find two more different things,” said Ratnamohan.

With this in mind Ratnamohan is extremely excited and proud to be bridging the gap between these two audiences; “I really like trying

to get footballers to see these shows, but getting them through the door is often the hardest part, they’re not your typical contemporary performance audience but I know when they see the show they will be able to relate to all of the movements and find them really interesting,” said Ratnamohan.

SDS1 is not just for football fans though, there is a deeper psychological element also explained Ratnamohan: “You see someone going through a psychological battle which parallels what a footballer goes through during a match. I think the audience can feel the energy and emotion they would at a football match, but everything is just more poetic and surreal.” (JA) Sep 2-5. Blacktown Arts Centre, 78 Flushcombe Rd, Blacktown. $20-25.Tickets & info: performancespace. com.au/SDS1

Thank You for Being a Friend cracks open taboos and challenges the audience. It’s a puppet tribute show of hit 80s television series The Golden Girls. In a nutshell The Golden Girls was about friendship and getting through the ups and downs by coming together, overcoming the bad times and sticking together. It’s about community and salvation and the four older women looking after each other.

The show was also ahead of its time with ideas like Blanche’s overt sexuality and free and open personality, and the theme of homosexuality, which was a huge point in the show.The main crux being Blanche’s son being gay and how she dealt with that.

At the time when the show was airing these themes, it was kind of a big deal. It wasn’t just a comedy show, it was a show talking about serious issues.

“The best thing about Thank You for Being a Friend is the puppets themselves.They’re amazingly accurate in their features,” says co-director Luke Joslin, whose main role in the show is teaching the actors the technical aspects of puppetry technique, to make it so the audience doesn’t really notice that side of it and the puppets themselves come to life.

“To actually look at the set design it looks exactly like you’re actually in the set of The Golden Girls.

There’s a real cult following within the gay community but we’ve widened the demographic, rewritten it so that anybody can get on board and have a great time with it,” added Joslin. (MS) September 1 - 6. Glen Street Theatre, Corner of Glen Street & Blackbutts Road, Belrose. $46-$71 (student rush: $16).Tickets & info: glenstreet.com.au or 9975 1455

6 Degrees of Ned Kelly Ned Kelly,Australia’s greatest bushranger, roamed the outback reaping havoc across the dusty plains.

Or so history says. Kelly’s stories have been passed down through the generations, creating one of Australia’s best known folklores. In her new production playing at Sydney Fringe, 6 Degrees of Ned Kelly, Melita Rowston explores the Kelly stories that she grew up with and how Australians connect and become something bigger through the art of story-telling.

Through her witty dialogue and physical humour, Rowston recounts the journey she has undertaken to uncover the truth about her ancestors.Along the way, Rowston has met a number of characters who all claim to have a Kelly connection.“…Regardless as to whether that yarn is true, there’s something about the telling that brings us closer to ourselves, our legacy and this country,” said Rowston.

Rowston says that 6 Degrees of Ned Kelly will provide an appreciation of the rich stories that live below the surface of our culture.“It’s amazing what

you discover about people and their past if you just ask,” she said. (NB) Sept 2-6.The Village Theatre, Erskineville Town Hall, 104 Erskineville Rd, Erskineville. $15-$25.Tickets & info: www.sydneyfringe.com

a&e

38 STAGE 40 SCENE 41 SCREEN 42 Sounds

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

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, Olgar Azar, Rocio Belinda Mendez, Sarah Pritchard, Sinead McLaughlin, Siri Williams, Athina Mallis, Leigh Livingstone, Joseph Rana, Jemma Clarke.

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Review: Kitty Flanagan - Seriously?

By Rocio Belinda Mendez Kitty Flanagan’s zealous performance is engaging from the get go.With genuine, booming laughs cascading down the packed theatre –– produced by a relaxed, confident Kitty simply sharing her hilarious experiences, and taking us along for the ride. Letting the eager audience into her life with stories and interpretations from a middle-aged, single woman’s point of view. Simplicity at its best, amid great content, confident execution, and authentically amusing encounters.With a drink in-hand making it even more enjoyable, this kind of easy-tolove comedy will leave you wanting more after the seemingly short 90 minute segment.With a song welcoming you into the show, and another welcoming you right out, it was a great performance, featuring her sister Penny Flanagan for an uplifting, albeit harsh duet.

Flanagan’s – Seriously? Will have you in stitches, with nearly no time to breathe between quips. Relatable and endearing, ballsy and exciting, a wonderful combination of swearing done right, and the mundane with bite.

(RM) WWW1/2 NEW SHOWS ADDED: August 27-29. Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Circular Quay. $46.90-$49.90.

Tickets & info: sydneyoperahouse.com or kittyflanagan.com

REVIEW: MATILDA THE MUSICAL Roald Dahl’s story of a remarkably clever little girl with magical abilities kicking back against neglectful parents and a treacherous headmistress has inspired adoration by multiple generations, but has the musical theatre treatment done it justice? I spoke to Marika Aubrey, the woman stepping into the glittery six-inch heels of Mrs Wormwood (our protagonist’s mother), ahead of witnessing the show for myself at the Lyric Theatre.

“Her delusional sense of vanity and self belief is so ‘out there’ and so bold it has asked a lot of me to be that confident,” she says of her boisterous role .

She could have fooled me–witnessing the statuesque Aubrey sauntering onto the stage in an almost offensively bright and ruffled salsa-dancing outfit, towering grotesquely over the other members of the cast, you’d never expect suspect that she had any reservations about playing this delightfully vain villain.

Indeed , just about all of the characters in this adaption strike a perfect balance between comic and authentic.“I think there’s something very challenging about remaining true and realistic in a heightened role¬when you are playing something that on the surface is very loud and is very bold… you must keep it truthful and real, otherwise its pantomime,” elaborated Aubrey.

Matilda’s magical powers are down-played in this production, in favour of her other abilities–her brilliant storytelling and astonishing academic abilities, her piercing wit and the devious pranks she plays on her neglectful parents.With a mesmerising combination of music, scripting and staging to play up these devices – I was, honestly , hardly bothered by the lack of magic tricks.

Audiences should not expect to see a carbon copy of the1988 novel or the 1996 film adaption on the stage, but rather a show that is it’s own beast: a– a modern testament to a story that celebrates cleverness and wit, with occasional subtle nods to the popular film.This is not a play specifically for children or adults; it has something for all age groups. Fans of Roald Dahl and Tim Minchin alike should be satisfied. (AM) Until October 25. Sydney Lyric Theatre, Pirrama Road, Pyrmont. $50-$150.Tickets & info: au.matildathemusical.com or ticketmaster.com.au Read an extended review and interview with Marika Aubrey at altmedia.net.au THEATRE & PERFORMANCE THE BLEEDING TREE Griffin Theatre presents a tale of a mother and two daughters who have just welcomed home the man of the house with a gun shot.This play is not only a revenge tale, but also an edge of your seat drama on the aftermath of domestic violence.Told in a rhythmic murder ballad, this play stars Paula Arundell, Airlie Dodds and Shari Sebbens.The script by Angus Cerini earned the 2014 Griffin Award for new Australian Playwriting.This story 14

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is a look into domestic violence and how heavily it changes those affected.

With women dying every week in Australia at the hands of their current or former partner, there is no more poignant time for a story like The Bleeding Tree. (LB) Until September 5, Monday- Friday 7pm, Saturday 2pm & 7pm. Griffin Theatre, 10 Nimrod St, Kings Cross.

Tickets $35- $55.Tickets & info: http://www.griffintheatre.com.au/ whats-on/the-bleeding-tree/ RISQUÉ REVUE Slide Lounge is an Oxford Street institution famous for going the extra mile. Risqué Revue, their winter show, is a neo-burlesque

performance that showcases the glamour of European clubs. Featuring dancers, aerial performances, pole work and song, it tells a story of burlesque performers wrestling for control of their fictional Parisian club from the male owner.Think aerial antics, a wild can-can and champagne bubble baths served with French cuisine. (HC) Every Wednesday throughout Winter. Slide Lounge, 41 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst. From $89 (3 course dinner & show). Double Date Deal: $365 (table of 4).

Tickets & info: slide.com.au/shows/ risquerevue

THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO Opera Australia brings one of Mozart’s most rambunctious operas back to life.The great steward Figaro (Paolo Bordogna) receives his fair share of trials and tribulations on a crazy summer’s day in the lead up to tying the knot with his true love Suzanna (Taryn Fiebig). However with the help of many in the wild castle, Figaro and Suzanna end up in ecstatic union. Conductor Guillaume Tourniaire opens the opera, with great vitality and vigour performed by the incredible Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra.Thanks to Director Sir David McVicar and designer Jenny

Tiramani, Opera Australia’s Marriage of Figaro is a scream, chic and brilliantly chaotic. (PU) Until August 29, various show times.

Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney. $44-$330.Tickets & info: sydneyoperahouse.com or 9318 8200 THE TEMPEST John Bell directs his last play for the company he founded almost 25 years ago. Set in a deserted magical island of empty abstract space, designer Julie Lynch has created an ephemeral floating disc for the performance to take place on.With colourful costumes, the staging evokes

the sense of a dream where tales are yet to be written.

Eloise Winestock portrays Miranda, a character who was shipwrecked on an island as an infant. “She is quite different from any other Shakespearean Ingénue. She is completely guileless. I’ve been trying to find that wildness,” said Winestock.

The old master meets a modern day Australian genius for the last time.

(GW) Until September 18. Playhouse, Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney. $35-79.Tickets & info: sydneyoperahouse.com or 92507777

T H E NA K E D C IT Y

THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN GERRY GEE

By Coffin Ed, Jay Katz and Miss Death Kids’ TV in Australia has come a long way since those innocent days of the late 50s when personalities such as King Corky, Desmond Tester, Princess Panda and Captain Fortune dominated the old black and white receivers. Recently we’ve seen the childhood experience morph into adult ‘reality’ with Channel Ten’s slickly produced Great Australian Spelling Bee. The moderately successful series, now flagged for a second season, took an old fashioned concept and dressed it up, with an infusion of back stage drama, for the modern audience.

It was the same well worn formula used in numerous reality shows like X Factor and Masterchef, where the personal stories of the contestants are played off against their successes and failures. In the Great Australian Spelling Bee we saw a bunch of highly precocious children attempting to spell words, the meaning of which they often didn’t know. Doting parents on the sidelines were very much part of the story, as was the cheerful encouragement of the comperes.Whilst it was competitive the producers obviously attempted to create a sense of camaraderie amongst the young folk so it never became too combative. Despite its contrived nature, if the series did promote literacy amongst younger viewers (and parents alike), then perhaps it was not such a bad thing.

Back in the 50s and early 60s children also got the chance to match intellects, but in a far less challenging way. Channel Nine’s Cabbage Quiz,

hosted by British expat Desmond Tester, saw a group of kiddies face off with the promise of winning some great prizes. Answer a correct question and you got to hold a a prize – answer incorrectly and you were forced to take charge of a rather large cabbage.The idea was to hang onto everything but if the cabbages stacked up, the hapless ten year-old would

Dean Home: Floating Wine Cups Breathing - for most artists, this would be enough to justify their work and face critique. Dean Home goes much further: visually stunning, his stellar paintings mark the true talent of a genius artist.

In his latest work, Floating Wine Cups, Home reflects his taste for Chinese art, poetry and philosophy.

“I was reading a book on Chinese landscapes.

One image of scholars in the Orchid Pavilion struck me – scholars seated beside the stream floating wine cups and poetry downstream one to the other: knowledge and insight floating through the landscape,” explained Home.

Interestingly titled, Home’s exhibition appears to be a deep rooted mix of philosophy and surrealism, inspired by his interpretation of the

CHALK HORSE GALLERY OFFERINGS Ending this Sunday, Chalk Horse Gallery is hosting two prominent exhibitions. Danny Morse is showcasing Trophy in gallery one - a collection of very individual sculptures, each telling their own story. One sculpture, aptly named ‘my smile is getting higher’, is composed of a dried cannabis stem with a yellow smiley mylar balloon atop of it.Will Cooke’s Heavy Gaze will be exhibiting in gallery two - an artwork series that uses primer and spray paint on an aluminium base. Each piece is individual

ideas behind floating wine cups.

“Of course the consumption of wine in Chinese scholarly circles refers to pushing down the barriers to the mind and opening up the mind to new ideas,” he explained.

“To extend the metaphor, it’s possible to see the gallery as that stream and the paintings as the floating wine cups being swapped amongst myself and my friends,’ continued Home.

Exceptionally visual, full of vibrant, bright and rich colours, and impressively realistic to an almost three-dimensional degree, Home’s exhibition is one that should not be missed. (JR) August 13-29. Arthouse Gallery, 66 McLachlan Avenue, Rushcutters Bay. Free. Info: arthousegallery. com.au

through different shades, colours and patterns displayed, however they all carry a similar theme. Both these exhibitions are stimulating and definitely make you think.All artwork is available for purchase. (AMal) Until August 29. Chalk Horse Gallery, Lower Ground 171 William Street, Darlinghurst. Free. Info: chalkhorse.com.au HELLO LIBRARY This exhibition aims to discover why people attend libraries, what they are reading and why they love books.The collection has been put together by Leigh Russell

and Kathy Luu, the creators of Hello Bookcase; a website that interviews creative people about what is on their bookshelf. It delves deeply in to what these people love to read. In preparation for the exhibition, Russel and Luu interviewed staff and members of the library over many months to find out what they were reading and why.This exhibition delves into the mind of readers and discovers what they love.With many interviews from people of all walks of life, it is the perfect exhibition for all book lovers.

(LB)

often drop the lot and go home empty handed. Maybe it was a metaphor for consumerism at large, but it also seemed a bit mean and heartless.

Less competitive were shows like GTV 9’s Tarax Happy Show in Melbourne, hosted by King Corky, “King Of The Kids” and featuring characters such as Professor Ratbaggy, Joffa Boy and the wildly popular ventriloquist’s doll Gerry Gee. Everybody was a winner on the show with much of its running time devoted to a seemingly endless line of kiddies queuing for their gift bags of Tarax and other sugary delights.

Perhaps the greatest cultural legacy of the show was the mass produced Gerry Gee ‘Junior’ doll, a scaled down version of the real Gerry Gee, operated by the remarkable Ron Blasket.Thousands were sold all over Australia and clubs formed where busloads of kids would take their Gerry and Geraldine Gee dolls for outings and picnics in the country. Long before digital technology the Gerry Doll was the Xbox of its time, a source of countless pleasure and a damn site more creative.

Now here’s an idea for the programming boffins at Channel Ten. If you can breathe new life into an almost century old concept like the Spelling Bee, why not consider ‘The Great Australian Gerry Gee’, where talented kiddies equipped with brand new Gerry Gee dolls, compete for the title of Australia’s best young ventriloquist.The original Gerry Doll was sold at auction for $17,000 in 1998. Channel Ten could easily budget to buy it back, and what a prize it would be at the end of the series as the legacy of this great Australian icon was revived for a whole new generation.

CLARY AKON– CULTURAL CAPITAL Mario Brothers, 2014.

Artist: Clary Akon.

Sydney artist Clary Akon uses the medium of ceramics and diorama to take on the ‘Nanny State’ with her playful and intriguing exhibition, Cultural Capital.

“Cultural capital is the ideas and knowledge that people draw upon as they participate in social life,” explained Clary.“Everything from rules of etiquette to being able to speak and write effectively can be considered cultural capital.”

In addition to critiquing modern commercial culture using a somewhat traditional and unconventional material, the artists has set out to explore notions of why people collect things. He questions what makes certain objects or images popular, iconic and more instantly recognizable than others; and what the choice of certain objects say about the collector.

One of the more intriguing and detailed dioramas featured in the collection is Mario Brothers; a ceramic recreation of the classic 8-bit video game.This is a perfect example of how Akon is challenging the perceptions of what is possible with ceramic art.“There’s a lot more to ceramics than pretty vases,” he said.“And I hope my work will show people how varied and exciting the artform can be.” (AM) Until September 6.Australian Galleries, 15 Roylston Street, Paddington. Free. Info: australiangalleries.com.au Until August 30 in the Surry Hills, Customs House, Newtown and Kings Cross libraries. Free. Info: hellolibrary.net ZERO CONCERTO One of the leading artists of our generation, Jim Lambie brings a curated selection of his diverse body of work to the Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery under the united title Zero Concerto.An instillation artist also working in the expanded field of painting, Lambie is regarded as one of the most significant artists to have emerged from his home city of Glasgow.The exhibition is a wild

kaleidoscope cocktail featuring a psychedelic palette of vinyl tape, multicoloured potato sacks, and bicycle wheels. (AM) Until September 26. Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, 8 Soudan Lane, Paddington.

Free. Info: roslynoxley9.com.au INSPIRATION BY DESIGN: WORD AND IMAGE For the first time in Sydney, audiences are able to see one of Pablo Picasso’s art books, fashion sketches by Dior and Beatrix Potter’s original illustrations.This exhibition from London’s Victoria and Albert Museum is now at the State

Library.This international collection celebrates over 150 years worth of the world’s finest and most talented artists, illustrators and designers. Over 100 designs, illustrations and images will be on display.The State Library has taken this opportunity to also showcase Australian Design. Illustrations of the original Blinky Bill by Dorothy Wall are featured, as well as a Jørn Utzon’s original sketch of the Sydney Opera House. (JC) Until September 27. State Library of NSW, Macquarie St, Sydney. Free.

Information: sl.nsw.gov.au city hub 27 august 2015

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Ricki and The Flash

Meryl Streep doesn’t do anything by halves, and though her choice to star as a struggling rock star who left her children behind to pursue a dream of stardom may seem arbitrary, it’s not. On closer inspection Ricki and The Flash is the story of a mother and the fractured relationship she has with her children.

Meryl Streep plays Ricki Rendazzo, leader of fictional band The Flash. Ricki’s dreams of stardom didn’t work out the way she planned after her marriage disintegrated and she left her children in the care of their affluent father (played by Kevin Kline) and his caring new wife. Now Ricki barely gets by with a job as a cashier by day and musician by night.

Based on her personal choices and limitations, the Real-life daughter and mother, Mamie Gummer and Meryl Streep in Ricki and The Flash

choice for Ricki to leave her children in the care of their father is a good one. They never want for anything. Except her. Although this is intended to be the big character arc for Ricki, there’s never any question that she loves her children, misses them dearly and wants to be a part of their lives.

It’s obvious from the early moment she jumps on a plane she can barely afford to rush to her daughter’s side in a time of need. At the basic level, isn’t this what a good mother does? Ensures her kids get the best, even if that means she doesn’t always provide it?

There are few surprises in the script or storyline of Ricki and The Flash, and the intended tension of the central relationships comes off as weak, but the actors make it work. Streep could act her way out of a paper bag, and pleasantly surprising is Rick Springfield’s performance as lead guitarist of The Flash.The scene-stealer, however, is Mamie Gummer, Streep’s real-life daughter. All rage and dry humour, Mamie has all the best lines and her character’s struggle with mental health lends some needed weight to this comedic drama.

The abundance of cover songs, performed well by Streep, Springfield and the rest of the band, are entertaining enough to create a rocking film that viewers will enjoy. (LL) WWW

THE GIFT

Joel Edgerton stars as the arch-villain in this unnerving mystery thriller, which he also wrote, produced and directed.

A young married couple Simon (Jason Bateman) and Robyn (Rebecca Hall), move to Los Angeles and have a chance encounter with Gordo (Edgerton), a sinister school friend from Simon’s past.

Gifts start appearing on their doorstep followed by unannounced visits, and this rekindled “friendship” has dire consequences on their marriage.

Edgerton is compelling as the socially inept Gordo and his directorial debut is remarkable, keeping audiences at the edge of their seats.

Not an entirely original story, but movie-goers should

FILM 5 FLIGHTS UP The story of an older couple (Diane Keaton and Morgan Freeman) who are thinking of selling their apartment after living in it for decades. As they start to show their house and make the decision, the story also delves deep into their lives together and how their interracial relationship started.

You get a good sense of how this couple got to where they are, and how they deal with potential buyers.

It is a heart-warming and uplifting story about love and friendship. If you enjoy both these actors then you will enjoy the movie. (LB) WWWW GIRLHOOD A film about growing up in the housing projects on the outskirts of Paris. Marieme realises that meekness is getting her nowhere. After dropping out of school, she reinvents herself with a new name and new friends. ‘Vic’ has to navigate her way around a maledominated maze, she must cultivate a diamond-hard exterior to get what 16

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be enthralled by the nail-biting suspense and the clichéd scare tactics commonly utilized in films of this genre.

The twists and turns in storylines will have audiences questioning the true identity of the villain.

This psychological spine-chiller reinforces Edgerton’s astute talent both behind and in front of the cameras.

(MMo) WWW1/2

she wants.The cinematography is very clever, and turns a lot of standard shots on their head. This story about female identity is at times hilarious and often moving.

Most people could relate to the paradoxical pressure Marieme faces to be tough yet sweet. (HC) WWWW TRAINWRECK Amy (Amy Schumer) is a men’s magazine writer living in New York. She enjoys an uninhibited life, sometimes a little too much, and avoids intimacy and monogamy like it’s the plague.When this ‘trainwreck’ meets and falls for good-guy sports doctor, Aaron Conners (Bill Hader), she begins to wonder if she might have the wrong idea about life and love.The combination of Schumer’s clever, punchy writing and director Judd Apatow’s expert guidance creates an entertaining film that reflects what it’s like to navigate life. Trainwreck is a more realistic, modern rom-com. It’s about a young woman living in a modern world without the need to assign a moral judgement to it all.

WWW1/2 UNITY An incredibly powerful and significant documentary, intense and visually disturbing at times. After thousands of years of living together on the same planet, why are we unable to live in peace? Presented in chapters with an unparalleled cast of 101 celebrity narrators including Helen Mirren and Ben Kingsley, this insightful documentary details the Earth’s creation and what it means to be human. Footage of suffering amongst all life forms is the most graphic ever presented on film, and effectively shocks audiences into the realization that humanity needs to transform if we are to live in unison.

(MMo) WWWW ANT-MAN Marvel’s latest release follows burglar-in-need-ofredemption Scott Lang (Paul Rudd).

He chooses to help Dr Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) stop a former colleague from misusing Pym’s technology.To do this he must become Ant-Man and pull off his biggest heist yet. Despite a narrative that feels flimsy and rushed (with

HOLDING THE MAN An endearing love story based on the memoirs of Tim Conigrave, which centres on two teenagers who met in a catholic boy’s high school in Melbourne in the 1970’s, and their romance which kindled a fifteen year relationship.

This heart-breaking story deals with the prejudice and disapproval Tim Conigrave (Ryan Corr) and John Caleo (Craig Scott) experienced and the promiscuity which led to their ultimate battle with aids.

Corr delivers an intense and highly emotional performance showcasing his versatility as an actor, supported by veteran actors Anthony La Paglia, Guy Pierce and Geoffrey Rush who complement the production and increase the marketability of the film.

Highly graphic nudity and sex scenes are essential to the story, but don’t deviate from

the sensitivity of the subject matter.

This triumphant cautionary tale of hurt, hope and tragedy will have audiences laughing one minute and crying the next, and is one of Australia’s finest films in recent years. (MMo) WWWW1/2

2015 ALLIANCE FRANCAISE CLASSIC FILM FESTIVAL The announcement that Sydney will be host to the inaugural Alliance Francaise Classic Film Festival should delight lovers of French Cinema.

Proudly presented by The Alliance Francaise de Sydney, this annual event is a celebration of vintage cinema and will centre on a French talent who has over the years contributed to making the French Film Industry the outstanding success it is today.

Focus this year is on multi-award winning French actress Catherine Deneuve, who gained stardom by playing distant and mysterious beauties. She has been described as the greatest French actress of her generation in a brilliant career spanning 50 years.

Catherine Deneuve – Une Retrospective screens 6 of her most famous films including: The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg (1964) a drama/musical of a young girl separated from her lover by war, who must make a life-altering decision when alone and pregnant.

The Young Girls Of Rochefort (1967) a comedy/drama revolving around twin sisters who each crave romance and adventure in their lives.

A Cop (1974) a crime/drama centring on a bank

character arcs that are non-existent in some cases) Ant-Man is an entertaining, funny film. Paul Rudd is a Hollywood heavyweight, someone who can just as easily bring in the big bucks as cement an indie-flick into cult classic status, and he’s certainly worked his magic on Ant-Man. (LL) WWW MR HOLMES In a film about Sherlock Holmes starring renowned badass Ian McKellan, you might expect a lot of whip-smart sleuthing and detective dialogue.

Well, while there is a little, Mr Holmes is a lot more complex than that. Holmes is now in his 90s, his once-brilliant mind wavering, trying to remember the details of his last case.The distinction between really remembering and creating a memory based on some details is an interesting one. McKellan plays both the doddering old man and hyper intelligent detective to perfection.

(HC) WWW1/2 THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E Swiftly following on the shiny black heels of last year’s Kingsman:The

robbery in which the loot is utilised for a much bigger crime.

Indochine (1992) an unmarried woman who works in the rubber fields raises a Vietnamese princess as if she were her own daughter and they fall in love with the same man. (MMo) September 3-6. Event Cinemas George Street, Hayden Orpheum Cremorne. $25.Tickets & Info: afsydney.com.au

Secret Service, comes Guy Ritchie’s loosely adapted version of camp sixties television series The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Set during the Cold War, it brings Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) and Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer) together for in a CIA/ KGB operation to stop a group of ex-Nazis and Fascists distributing nuclear weapons.Whilst Ritchie stays true to the playful nature of the TV series, this particular 113 minute affair is often laboured. (And what - no cameos!?) (CC) WW1/2 VACATION National Lampoon’s Vacation gets a do-over in this sequel of sorts. Rusty Griswold, the son in the original films, is all grown up and looking to inject a bit more excitement into his family. So what to do? Go on a family road trip of course! Predictable mayhem ensues.

Ed Helms (The Hangover) and Christina Applegate play off each other well as Rusty and Debbie Griswold.The star of the film however is Chris Hemsworth as a tractor riding, bull herding TV

weather man married to Rusty’s sister.With cameos from Chevy Chase and Beverley D’Angelo, as well as several well-known American comedians, this funny, slapstick film that harks back to the legendary National Lampoon’s humour. (LS) WWW1/2 SOUTHPAW Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Billy Hope in a classic redemption story of a boxer at the pinnacle of the sport (and seemingly untouchable) before suffering a horrific tragedy. All of the building blocks and blueprints are there for this type of film, so often it comes down to the performances.

Thankfully Gyllenhaal, Oona Laurence (as Billy’s daughter Leila) and Forrest Whitaker (as Billy’s mentor Tick Willis) are outstanding.

Laurence in particular is great, performing some of the most touching moments of the film.The film is sluggish at times, which would be excusable if it were based on a true story, but as a work of fiction tends to drag. (JA) WWW

city hub 27 august 2015

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Sydney Live Music Guide LIVE WIRE

By Jamie Apps Hiatus Kaiyote: Due to overwhelming demand having already sold out multiple shows around the country, Hiatus Kaiyote have added an extra show tonight to their Choose Your Weapon tour.

Thu, Aug 20, Metro Theatre Aquilla Young: This enigmatic songstress brings her instinctive electronic flair to the stage tonight with her captivating and dynamic live show. Following the launch of her debut single Vagabond, the air of anticipation is quickly growing for her imminent debut EP. Thu, Aug 27, Oxford Art Factory Aquila Young

The Drones: Following widespread praise for their recent tour shows,The Drones have been convinced to add a Sydney show to their schedule tonight.

Playing tunes from their seminal record Wait Long By The River And The Bodies Of Your Enemies Float By, released 10 years ago, along with some new favourites, this is one Sydney fans shouldn’t miss.

Thu, Aug 27,The Factory Theatre

Naturally 7

Oh Mercy: Heading out for the first national tour since band member Alex Gow returned to Australia to record their new album, Oh Mercy take over the Oxford Art Factory tomorrow night.This will also be the first tour featuring new band members on keys, viola, drums, bass and a second guitarist.

Fri,Aug 28, Oxford Art Factory Volumes Music Festival - feat The Laurels & Gold Class: Sydney’s answer to the esteemed South By Southwest Festival takes over Oxford Street venues the Oxford Art Factory,The Cliff Dive and Brighton Up Bar. Gracing the stages over the day are two of Australia’s fastest rising young bands in The Laurels (described as Sydney’s best live band) and Gold Class (an aggressive post-punk version of The Smiths, hailing from Melbourne).

Sat,Aug 29, Oxford Square Super Best Friends: Following the success of their album Status Updates earlier this year, these super best friends return to the spotlight for their current tour. Known as the band that brought back the political rock album, this is the perfect time and environment for the guys to be performing in Sydney.

Sat,Aug 29, Captain Cook Hotel Tom Ferris & Sam McNally: For the first time since their respective performances at The Basement in 2010 and 2011, this spectacular jazz fusion pair team up for a hugely anticipated double headline show.

By jamie apps

Naturally 7 pair up with World Vision this weekend to bring their astonishingly magical live performance to Sydney for one night only.The vocal group is one of the most truly unique acts touring globally at the moment, using just their voices to provide all of the musical accompaniment to the vocals.

The band formed in 1999 when they each individually realised that they all had the “uncanny ability” to create instrumental sounds with their voices.

With the special performance craft of the group, band member Warren Thomas believe their music is best witnessed live, saying:“When you hear us on radio or TV you can easily think ‘those guys have instruments’, but when you see us live it’s like ‘oh my goodness there are no instruments!’”

This can come with it’s own challenges for the members of Naturally 7, as they have to battle to make audiences put aside the spectacle of what they are witnessing and simply enjoy the show for the full band sound that they create.Along the way they have performed in some of the most iconic

venues around the world, such as the Royal Albert Hall and Maddison Square Garden.Warren said it still makes them “scratch their head and say wow!”

Naturally 7 also played one very special performance for the legendary Quincy Jones’ 75th birthday.“We were invited as the only group he [Quincy Jones] didn’t know, so when we got on stage and he jumped up and gave us praise - that was the biggest stamp of approval from Mr Music himself,” said Thomas.

More recently, ahead of their upcoming Australian tour the band has done a version of the iconic Australian song You’re The Voice, which Warren said “just made so much sense, because we’re seven guys doing music with our voice and the vocals are so powerful and driving, so it was the perfect song for us.”

For Australians this song is so well known and beloved that we would assume there may be some apprehension to doing a version of such an iconic tune, but as Warren explained:“To tell the truth we weren’t that familiar with the song, so it wasn’t until after we had done it that people have been telling us that the song is really well known.”

When asked about his feeling ahead of the Australian leg of their Asian tour,Warren said the group “cant wait to get to Australia.” Adding:“It feels so close to home, being a Brit/American, so it’s the best of both worlds. I’m really looking forward to the meat pies down there” Aug 29. State Theatre, 49 Market St, Sydney. $45.24-$121.19+b.f.

Tickets & info: ticketmaster.com.au

Bad//Dreems – Dogs at Bay

Dogs at Bay is 12 short, sharp punches to the jaw and several more to the ears.

Brutal imagery rises from the lyrics, bouncing against the brain like a ball you didn’t see coming, beating sporadically against the beats’ insistent current. Occupying several senses and continuing on its energetic beat.

Bad//Dreems home grown vibe runs, slows, and starts running again - taking listeners with them, travelling blindly, we listen. Filled with feeling that has no outlet but to sing loudly to the backdrop of guitars and drums, it is contained but moving forward.

Through the quagmire of sounds and senses we listen, curious, a little raw and a few steps in several directions. Dogs at Bay is at once familiar and alien. (SP) WW1/2

Mercy Mountain Moses Gunn Collective

Moses Gunn Collective have just released their debut album Mercy Mountain and begun their shiny, high energy tour in mid-August. The album features Hot Mess, a quick and loveable number made for those who appreciate happily bopping out. It had plenty of people rocking out when they toured recently with The Jungle Giants. Taking a turn into a slow psychedelic sound, not dissimilar to MGMT, Shalala is the track to look out for and has featured on both national and community radio stations. These crafty artists are sure to send you on a wavey journey on their Mercy Mountain album. (JC) WWW1/2

FREEWILLASTROLOGY

by Rob Brezsny

a

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You like to run ahead of the pack. You prefer to show people the way, to set the pace.

It’s cleaner that way, right?

There’s less risk you will be caught up in the messy details of everyday compromise. But I suspect that the time is right for you to try an experiment: Temporarily ease yourself into the middle of the pack. Be willing to deal with the messy details of everyday compromise.

Why? Because it will teach you lessons that will serve you well the next time you’re showing the way and setting the pace.

b

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Are you ready to revise your ideas about how love works? Would you consider re-evaluating your relationship to romance, your approach to intimacy, and your understanding of sex? I hope you will not only be willing but also excited to do these things.

Now is a favorable time to make changes that will energize your love life with a steady flow of magic for months to come. To get the party started, brainstorm about experiments you could try to invigorate the dynamics of togetherness. Make a list of your customary romantic strategies, and rebel against them all. Speak sexy truths that are both shocking and endearing.

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city hub 27 august 2015

C GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Querencia is a Spanish word with many nuances. At its simplest, it refers to your favorite spot, a place where you long to be. But its meaning can go even deeper.

Querencia may be a sanctuary where you feel safe and authentic, or a situation that enables you to draw on extra reserves of strength and courage. It’s a special kind of home: an empowering shelter that makes you feel that you belong in this world and love your life. Can you guess where I’m going with this message, Gemini? These days you need to be in your querencia even more than usual. If you don’t have one, or if you don’t know where yours is, formulate a fierce intention to locate it.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): The art of effective communication consists of knowing both what to say and what not to say. It’s not enough to simply find the words that accurately convey your meaning.

You have to tailor your message to the quirks of your listeners. For example, let’s say you want to articulate the process that led you to change your mind about an important issue. You would use different language with a child, an authority figure, and a friend.

Right? I think you are currently at the peak of your abilities to do this well, Cancerian. Take full advantage of your fluency. Create clear, vivid impressions that influence people to like you and help you.

d

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Arthur Conan Doyle first used the term “smoking gun” in a story he wrote over a century ago.

It referred to a time the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes burst into a room to find a man holding a pistol that had just been fired, along with the fallen body of a man who had been shot. Since then, the meaning of “smoking gun” has expanded. Now it’s any piece of evidence that serves as compelling proof of a certain hypothesis. If you can’t find the cookie you left in the kitchen, and your roommate walks by with cookie crumbs on his chin, it’s the smoking gun that confirms he pilfered your treat. I believe this is an important theme for you right now. What question do you need answered? What theory would you like to have corroborated? The smoking gun will appear.

e

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): At least for now, I suggest you suspend the quest for order and refinement and perfection.

The wise course of action is to disengage from your fascination with control, and instead give yourself to the throbbing, erratic pulse of the Cosmic Wow. Why? If you do, you will be able to evolve faster than you thought possible.

Your strength will come from agile curiosity and an eagerness to experiment. Do you remember when you last explored the catalytic wonders of spontaneity and unpredictability? Do it again!

f

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): This is the deepest, darkest phase of your cycle. The star that you will ultimately make a wish upon has not yet risen.

Your pet monsters seem to have forgotten for the moment that they are supposed to be your allies, not your nemeses. Smoke from the smoldering embers in your repressed memories is blending with the chill night fog in your dreams, making your life seem like a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside a taco. Just kidding about that last part. I wanted to see if your sense of humor is intact, because if it is, you will respond resiliently to all the cosmic jokes in your upcoming tests.

g

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): According to the poet Rainer Maria Rilke, here’s what God says to each of us: “Go the limits of your longing . . .

Flare up like flame and make big shadows that I can move in. Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final.”

Whether or not you’re on speaking terms with the Creator, this is excellent advice. It’s time to give everything you have and take everything you need. Hold nothing back and open yourself as wide and wild as you dare.

Explore the feeling of having nothing to lose and expect the arrivals of useful surprises. (The translation of Rilke’s poem is by Anita Barrows and Joanna Macy.)

h

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) The sun and the expansive planet Jupiter are currently making a joyful noise in the sign of Virgo, which is your astrological House of Career and Ambition. This does not necessarily mean that a boon to your career and ambition will fall into your lap, although such an event is more likely than usual.

More importantly, this omen suggests that you will influence luck, fate, and your subconscious mind to work in your favor if you take dramatic practical action to advance your career and ambitions.

i

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): On August 28, 1963, Capricorn hero Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech to a crowd of thousands in Washington, D.C. In that address, he imagined what it might look like if African Americans were free of the bigotry and oppression they had endured for centuries at the hands of white Americans. In accordance with your astrological potentials, I encourage you to articulate your own “I Have a Dream” vision sometime soon. Picture in detail the successful stories you want to actualize in the future. Visualize the liberations you will achieve and the powers you will obtain.

j

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): If you have been patiently waiting for a propitious moment to buy a new yacht, pledge your undying love, or get a tattoo that

k

depicts Buddha wrestling Satan, now is as close as you’ll get to that propitious moment, at least for a while. Even if you have merely been considering the possibility of signing a year-long lease, asking a cute mischief-maker on a date, or posting an extra-edgy meme on Facebook or Twitter, the next three weeks would be prime time to strike. Diving into a deep, heart-crazed commitment is sometimes a jangly process for you Aquarians, but these days it might be almost smooth and synchronistic.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Ready for a ritual? Get a piece of paper and a pen. Light a candle, take three deep breaths, and chant “YUMMMM” five times.

Then spend ten minutes writing down the qualities you would like your perfect lover to possess.

Identify both the traits that would make this person unique and the behavior he or she would display toward you. Got that? When you are finished, burn the list you made. Disavow everything you wrote. Pledge to live for at least seven months without harboring fixed beliefs about what your ideal partner should be like. Instead, make yourself extra receptive to the possibility that you will learn new truths about what you need.

Why? I suspect that love has elaborate plans for you in the next two years. You will be better prepared to cooperate with them if you are initially free of strong agendas.

l

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.

Have a coffee and enjoy the friendly atmosphere. Approachable managers help you choose a lady for your massage. There is a fair queueing system and no hidden charges. Just along from Centrail Railway at 261 Parramatta Rd Glebe, Sydney NSW 2007 Phone 02 9660 0666 Its a $9.00 Taxi Ride from the CBD Visit our web site at www.kingscourt.com.au We are open 10 am to 1 am and 24 hrs on Weekends. 20% off 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 men who have no intention of being polite.

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.

Also check out the Kings Big John 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: Where the first time customer can meet the first time massage girl!

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

As I mentioned last week, when we started to make cartoon advertising, we developed a range of characters based on the mix of men who actually came here. It quickly became apparent that one third of our new business came from word of mouth but the regular guys were also careful to not tell anyone who they thought would embarrass them. This gave us the idea to have a recurring theme of this kind of unwanted client in our full colour adverts that occured monthly in Australian Penthouse. St. James began to try to figure out where the boys were going for fun. Next week you will see more of him and find out why everyone below is having a great old laugh!

The best new thing at the moment is all the funny stuff on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/KingsBigJohn VACANCIES We are currently looking for new ladies who would like to do a massage with a happy ending. It is a safe place to work, where you do not do full service and everyone knows someone who could handle a bit of a discrete financial boost. It is ideal as a part time or casual job and you are paid daily on a cash basis. 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 at 18 Grose Street Glebe 2037. This address is the best way to find us using GPS plotting. The website is www.kingscourt.com.au When you get to the home page click on “is this your first time� this will take you to a page of ten tips which we like our customers to know about when they come here.

We have the best and sweetest customers of any massage place. city hub 27 august 2015

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