City hub 13 august

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Nile is godsend for Millers Point residents

BY CHRISTOPHER HARRIS The long battle for Millers Point residents against the state government to remain in their homes might be coming to an end, with early signs suggesting the residents may be the victors.

City Hub can reveal last Thursday NSW Christian Democrat MLC Fred Nile, who holds the balance of power, visited some of the 100 residents and said the government must allow them to stay in the area.

Speaking to City Hub, he was critical of the government’s “lack of humanity” in how they had handled the issue.

The move comes after Social Housing Minister Brad Hazzard wrote to Independent Sydney MP Alex Greenwich on August 4, stating that the relocation of certain residents and alternative options could be reconsidered due to “extenuating circumstances”.

“While the timing of relocations remains geared to making properties available for sale as quickly as possible, following representation and discussions of which you are well aware, I

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am actively considering the question of whether there should be exceptions, extensions or alternative measures for tenants in particular extenuating circumstances,” Mr Hazzard wrote.

Mr Hazzard’s office did not respond to City Hub’s questions.

The Baird Government started selling off homes in the suburb last year, on the premise that the revenue from each house could build three new social housing dwellings.

But the decision about evicting the remaining tenants could be out of the government’s hands, as Mr Nile said he was committed to helping the group of mainly elderly residents.

He said the most import issue surrounding the sell off of property in Millers Point was to accommodate and allow the remaining residents to continue in living in that area.

He said one option was to make to Sirius building be made available to residents.

“The Sirius building that they’re cleaning the residents out of, which is a very strong, well built building, could be used to maintain

that village atmosphere for remaining residents of Millers Point,” he said.

“That would be my proposal for the remaining 100 or so residents that they should either live in their homes or be transferred to the Sirius building. “[It should] be maintained and painted white as it was originally designed by the architect, instead of in that very dirty grey colour which it is at the moment.”

He said it was a cruel situation that current residents who had been moved by Housing NSW to Liverpool and Bankstown were travelling back every day to visit friends and be around the remaining residents.

“I am pretty critical of the government’s lack of humanity in how they’ve handled this entire issue,” he said.

Chairman of the Millers Point, Dawes Point, The Rocks and Walsh Bay Resident Action Group John McInerney wanted to know the details of the minister’s exceptions and extenuating circumstances, and welcomed the visit from Reverend Nile.

“We believe we recently had a victory after a visit from Fred Nile and it was very productive, and he has told us he is going to help all those remaining,” he said.

“We haven’t actually heard any positive results up till now from all our proposals and suggestions, and this is first time we have indication of possible positive response.”

He said the government will have difficulty moving the remaining residents because they were committed to staying in the area.

“So they will have to be physically ejected from their houses, particularly if it’s a 70 year old woman. Are they going to throw her out on the street?”

“The bulk of remaining residents are elderly and dependent on the current community for physical and emotional support, and they will have difficulty getting that if they’re forced to move to a new area, because it is hard to get new connections at that age.”

Independent Sydney MP Alex Greenwich welcomed the political actions and said forced evictions was a dangerous move.

“Millers Point has been a safe and stable home for many tenants who are aged, frail and have complex needs. Forced evictions of these tenants would cause avoidable harm to their health and mental health,” he said.

“I appreciate the time the minister [Brad Hazzard] has taken to meet with and hear from the residents of Millers Point and his compassionate consideration of alternatives that could keep some tenants in the community they have built.”

City of Sydney to renew chief executive’s contract for further five years

BY ALEXANDER LEWIS City of Sydney’s chief executive Monica Barone could remain in her role for years after a new council is elected in 2016.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore urged councillors to endorse the renewal of Ms Barone’s contract for a further five years in a mayoral minute distributed just moments before tonight’s council meeting.

Liberal Councillor Edward Mandla sought to amend the proposed resolution so Ms Barone’s contract was only extended to six months after the council election next September.

But his amendment was voted down and the extension endorsed in a confidential debate at the end of the meeting, meaning ratepayers could be forced to cough up a hefty severance bill should the new council want a different CEO. “Shortly we face a new voting franchise; things may well look very different in this Chamber,” Clr Mandla said.

“There is no reason to burden taxpayers with severance costs should the next chamber have other views in respect of who holds this important position. We would not like having it done to us if the previous council was vastly different to this one.

“And if it’s good enough for more junior staff, such as every Councillor Support Officer having a contract that expires one month after the election, then its good enough for the CEO I am sure.”

He said Clr Moore’s use of her mayoral minute to extend the contract was scandalous.

“The delegation requires the CEO to be appointed in consultation with councillors.

I would not consider verbal notice fifteen minutes before a council meeting on a Lord Mayoral Minute as meeting that requirement,” he said.

“Regrettably, the CEO and Lord Mayor are viewed as birds of feather. [They] are both joined at the hip. It’s a bad look and seems opportunistic. It’s certainly not a model of good governance.”

In guidelines published by the Office of Local Government in 2009, it is stated that “mayoral minutes should not be used to introduce, without notice, matters that are routine, not urgent, or need research or a lot of consideration by the councillors before coming to a decision.”

“These types of matters would be better placed on the agenda, with the usual period

of notice being given to the councillors,” the document read.

Ms Barone was appointed as the City’s CEO more than nine years ago. Her contract, which was extended for five years in 2011, was due to run out in April 2016.

Clr Moore said as per the contract, Ms Barone had advised nine months prior to its termination that she wished to remain in the role and that the council was required to advise the CEO at least 6 months before the termination date if it intended to renew it.

“In April 2011, the council considered my Lord Mayoral Minute on appointment of the CEO and unanimously resolved to proceed with a contract renewal for a further five years,” Clr Moore said.

“Each year, in accordance with the Local Government Guidelines, the CEO has submitted a performance report that I have reviewed. As part of this, I ask all councillors if they have any matters that they wish to be considered.”

“Each year it was agreed that the CEO’s performance was outstanding.”

Ms Barone is paid approximately $400,000 a year by the City of Sydney.

CITY HUB 13 AUGUST 2015

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BY LYDIA WATSON-MOORE Cyclists came out in force to lobby NSW MPs returning to state parliament this week.

More than 100 riders took to the partially demolished College Street cycleway on Tuesday morning and rode to Macquarie St, in an attempt catch the attention of politicians.

Spokesperson for the Save College Street Cycleway lobby group Rob Berry said that the ride was an attempt to send a message about the cycleway destruction.

“We’ve decided to use this opportunity to ride to Parliament House to take our message to the politicians, who’ve up until this point have mostly been ignoring our attempts to communicate with them,” Mr Berry said.

Mr Berry told City Hub that while there had been some support from all sides of parliament, the government had not listened to the cyclists’ protests.

“The lack of a cycleway is not going to make the cyclists disappear, it’s just going to push us out into sharing road space with buses and cars,” he said.

The demolition of the College Street cycleway is part of the construction of the CBD light rail.

Mr Berry told City Hub that the NSW government had backflipped on its promise, as the College Street path was not originally scheduled for removal until Castlereagh and Liverpool Street cycleways were completed.

However, these two new cycleways are significantly shorter than original plans, and local cyclist John Caley said these proposed alternatives are not feasible.

“They’re a long way away, people coming from , Oxford Street aren’t going to do that,” he said.

Mr Berry also said he thought the new cycleways would not be sufficient for the demand.

“It’s great that we have some new cycleways getting built, but unfortunately both of those in their implementation are pretty lacking compared to what the original vision was,” he said.

Speaking at the rally, Greens Transport spokesperson Dr Mehreen Faruqi said the riders displayed the potential repercussions of the cycleway’s removal.

“Today’s action…showed the government what Sydney looks like without cycleways: congested and a headache for cyclists and motorists alike,” she said.

“The reality is more and more people are cycling to work, a healthy and environmentally friendly option that reduces congestion for everyone.”

The Save College Street Cycleway group has been riding every Friday morning for the last few weeks down College St in protest to its demolition.

Mr Berry said the group was riding out on the road to show what “the consequences of the policy” will be to motorists.

Cyclists on Tuesday morning protesting the demolition. Source: Rob Berry

found that about 50 per cent of people are still intending to ride down College Street, because that’s the way they need to go to get to work,” he said.

Mr Berry said the cycleway would be fully demolished in about a month’s time, and expressed disappointment that politicians again chose to ignore their pleas at Parliament House on Tuesday.

He said that they would continue to ride each week in protest until the removal, and following that, the cyclists would organise a daily group ride to ensure safety.

“Once the demolition starts we will be organising a ‘bike bus’ which will ride everyday from Taylor Square into the city so that people who do need to still use that route can ride with other people and we’ll have our safety in numbers,” he said.

“If the government won’t provide us with safe infrastructure, we will take it upon ourselves to give existing riders and people who are thinking about taking up cycling with an option.”

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Newtown to self-impose lock outs

BY STEPHANIE TILLER Newtown nightclubs will self-impose lockouts due to community anguish over increased violence and the area’s changing vibes.

Newtown Liquor Accord Chairman Tim Clayton said restrictions were essential to protect the character of the area and to ensure patrons would be safe coming into the summer months.

“It was just something that we thought of as the numbers increase that we could bring in to prevent any alcohol related problems or any kind of change in the area over Christmas, if it starts building up even more,” Mr Clayton told City Hub. “The last thing that we want is for Newtown to turn into a four in the morning Cavill Avenue on schoolies week,” he said.

The lockouts will be a part of a voluntary six-month trial that will be taken up by all but one of the large late night venues in Newtown.

Measures such as no shots after midnight, ceaseing alcohol sales 30 minutes prior to closing and 3 am lockouts will be introduced from September 1.

However, concerns have been raised over whether the restrictions will effectively address the issues that have arisen in Newtown, since lockouts were introduced in Kings Cross and the CBD in January 2014.

Greens Newtown MP Jenny Leong said putting a blanket ban on people going out was not the solution to stopping alcohol-fuelled violence.

“What we’re seeing here is a failure to look at the need for a holistic approach to addressing aggro and violence on our streets, but also a failure to stand up to the issues around the big booze barn style venues,” Ms Leong said.

“We need to look at how we address the problem and the behaviour, those kind of issues, rather than just setting a random deadline of after this time this is when we’re going to take some action,” she said.

Sebastian Vijak, 24, who frequents Newtown’s late night venues, said the measures would only push people to party in places where restrictions were not in place.

Photo: Alexander Lewis

“It’s a bit scary, I’ve always known that NSW was a nanny state but this is getting a bit much I think,” Mr Vijak said.

“They think they’re putting regulations on partying but people are just going to party in more unsafe and underground and weird places.”

Keep Sydney Open spokesperson Tyson Koh said venues were sensible to impose restrictions over the summer months.

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“We are talking about an increase of five, six, ten fold the amount of people who are going out in Newtown now, so I think the fact that venues have come in of their own accord to try and do something about it before it gets really out of hand is a really positive thing,” Mr Koh said.

“We need to take note of the fact that these lockouts aren’t as restrictive as the ones proposed by the government, so you’re allowed pass outs and they’re

from 3 am not 1.30 am,” he said.

A report released by the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research in April, showed a 9% decrease in assault across the rest of NSW, after lockout laws were implemented in Kings Cross and the CBD. espite no reports of a significant increase in violence within Newtown, community members believe alcohol fuelled violence is increasing.

Transwoman Stephanie McCarthy, who was assaulted in June at a Newtown pub, said the increasing violence in Newtown had resulted in residents leaving the area.

“I’ve had two goth friends who were assaulted in Newtown in the last year just because of how they looked. That never would’ve happened in the old Newtown,” Ms McCarthy said.

“I know at least 25 to 30 people who are longtime Newtown residents who have moved out of the area, they’ve moved to Petersham or they’ve moved to Dulwich Hill or Marrickville or wherever, but they’ve moved away from Newtown,” she said.

Despite concerns raised by some Newtown community members, City of Sydney Independent Councillor Jenny Green, said that the new measures would be positive once introduced.

“The community’s response to what it feels is a negative result of the influx of night time revellers has been heard by the local businesses which has resulted in these self-imposed measures. I think this is a very responsible and appropriate move,” Ms Green said.

“I think it will result in a more welcoming environment for the night time visitors and it will hopefully restore the well-loved alternative nature of Newtown.”

A City of Sydney spokesperson said the council had “always reccomended an evaluation of the state’s imposed lockout laws.”

“There should be ongoing monitering of the impact of the new measures.”

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A retractable pissoir in The Hague. Source: Wikicommons

Outdoor ‘Pissoirs’ to come out on Oxford

BY CHRISTOPHER HARRIS Plans for a retractable urinal in Kings Cross have been flushed, but Oxford Street partygoers may be able to take a slash in the $350,000 contraption instead.

On Monday night, City of Sydney Council dismissed plans for a urinal in ings Cross’s Springfield Plaza.

Independent Councillor John Mant said the square needed to be designed and that the question of the urinal should be answered after any such development.

However, the council voted to launch a A to place a retractable urinal on the corner of Oxford and Liverpool Streets, which will be subject to community consultation.

The urinals emerge out of the pavement on Friday and Saturday nights when the demand for public bathrooms increases.

Independent Councillor Jenny Green said the city lacked public toilets but that the first urinal would encounter the most controversy.

“We are desperately short of public toilets. There is limited access to public toilets, and they are very popular in London and Europe, and there are tourists here who don’t know where to go.”

“If the A goes through, that will go out to nearby neighbours for consultation, and if that goes ahead it will be installed, and they will track usage, and they’ll do that for a year.”

President of the Potts Point Conservation Society Andrew Woodhouse said that the drop in foot traffic meant that the pop up urinal was obsolete now and into the future.

“A pop-up urinal is attempting to solve a non-existent problem about drunks lingering longer in ings Cross, we say, and should be rejected,” he said.

However Clr Green suggested statistics showed that the area was still in need of amenities, because of the rise of small bars and more restaurants in the area.

“Interestingly, even with the lock out, [the ing’s Cross urinal] still collects the most urine,” she said.

“They did a count on the scanners, and it was

1.25 million people had passed through this area just in terms of the scanners, and there are a lot of people, and we’re collecting a lot of urine.

There is still definitely a need, whether that is part of the redesign of that plaza, that’s up to the community.

But Andrew Woodhouse believes that small bars do not attract clientele that will “pee in public.”

“There has been a decrease in foot traffic in the area and at a quarter of million dollars, it will serve no other purpose than to attract people to put their private parts on public display,” he said.

Chairman of the arlinghurst Business Partnership Stephan Gyory said that the current situation of parygoers urinating on private property was not ideal. He suggested the solution could be innovation around more traditional public toilets.

“Who wants to see people pissing in the street?

It is a weird idea. In an ideal world, we would have toilets that were really well lit and have a security two nights a week,” he said.

“The fact is people have to go, and then the question is, who is responsible? And if no ones responsible, that’s strange, because we pay rates and taxes.”

At the meeting, Liberal Councillor Edward Mandla said that wherever the first location, its initial and ongoing costs were too expensive.

“With all the problems the City of Sydney is facing, I can’t see any justification for spending $350,000 over a ten-year period for a single pissoir for one participant that rises out of the ground with a annual estimated raising and lowering cost at four times per week of $4,000,” he said.

“We’re told that drunken men in Europe enjoy open-air urination into these monstrosities and that seven are initially planned for Sydney. That’s a cost of at least $2.5 million.

“I’m not sure whether drunken European woman watch or participate,” he said.

“The City of Sydney should wash their hands of this ridiculous Lord Mayoral initiative, which is something participants won’t be able to do, as they don’t come with any hand washing capability.”

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‘Dinky little bridge’ costing a fortune

The $38 million bridge. Source: Gavin Gatenby

BY MIRIAM WEBBER The NSW Government’s $38 million pedestrian bridge in Moore Park is under fire from transport advocacy group EcoTransit.

The Albert ‘Tibby’ Cotter Pedestrian bridge, currently in operation but not fully completed, is a six metre wide walkway over Anzac Parade.

It was designed to accommodate heavy pedestrian traffic during events at Moore Park’s SCG and Allianz Stadium.

But EcoTransit have said the government should have to answer for excessive costs, under utilisation, and a lack of planning.

One of EcoTransit’s main concerns was the price, as a funding blowout caused a $13 million increase from the original $25 million expected price tag.

The bridge is currently being investigated by the NSW AuditorGeneral.

EcoTransit maintains that the project is

an unwarranted use of taxpayer funds.

The group have expressed their concerns through social media and a circulated YouTube video, released August 2.

In the clip, the group questioned the legitimacy of $38 million for what it calls, “the dinky little bridge”.

The group’s co-convenor Gavin Gatenby appeared in the video, in which he drew comparisons between the Tibby Cotter walkway and some of Australia’s most ‘sophisticated bridges’.

Mr Gatenby questioned how the simple pedestrian bridge could cost more than complex structures like the Hindmarsh Bridge at Goolwa in South Australia, which was engineered to bear road traffic.

“The Hindmarsh bridge cost just $20 million in today’s dollars. In other words, it was about half the price of the Tibby Cotter bridge,” Mr Gatenby said.

“I would say that about three-quarters of the price of it is a simple and very

Balmain’s Darling Street is set to get a boost. Source: Amitch at English Wikipedia

Leichhardt to trial free footpath licences

BY LYDIA WATSON-MOORE Leichhardt Council has cut red tape for local businesses in an effort to boost the suburb’s dwindling economy.

This week, Leichhardt Council announced they would trial a removal of application fees for footpath licences, giving shops free use of the footpath for advertising and displaying products Local business owner Wally

Alameddine welcomed the decision and said current prices were putting pressure on his fruit and vegetable shop.

“I pay $345 every quarter because I’ve got flowers at the front of my fruit shop. I’d definitely be happy to pay cheaper rates to the council,” he said.

Mr Alameddine also thought the fee reduction would attract businesses to

dodgy handover -- illegitimate handover -of money to the people who have built it.

Such a bridge should never cost remotely near $38 million,” he said.

“And there seems to be no reason to do with material, the length of the bridge or the difficulty of the engineering which would justify $38 million.”

However, Minister for Roads Duncan Gay said in a statement to City Hub the bridge was an “excellent investment”.

“The walkway caters for and encourages tourism and event patronage in our great state,” Mr Gay said.

“The bridge will also benefit local residents including students travelling to 200 local schools and more than 350,000 cycling trips made in the area annually.”

But Mr Gatenby said the bridge was unnecessary because pedestrians used other routes to get to Moore Park’s attractions.

“I’m told that people who are walking from Central, for example, are actually crossing further north up at Flinders [Street] and not a lot of them are using the bridge itself,” he said.

Mr Gatenby said construction and subsequent costs could have been avoided if plans to build a light rail tunnel just south of the bridge had incorporated a pedestrian walkway.

Construction of the walkway caused further problems, with the removal of a 1917 Anzac memorial at the northern end of Anzac Parade necessary for construction.

Randwick Council recently resolved to relocate the memorial and is currently investigating the construction of another memorial at the southern end of Anzac Parade. fill the increasingly vacant shop fronts.

“If council is reasonable about the fees, more businesses will start coming in,” he said.

A statement from Leichhardt Council indicated that from October 1, application fees for footpath licenses and A-frame advertising will be waived.

A free weekend license for use of the footpath for selling products is also part of the plan.

Any businesses that have already paid fees for the trial period will have these fees refunded.

A council spokesperson told City Hub that it was important for council to support local businesses.

“A strong local business sector is good for our whole community, as main streets are a pivotal part of our social fabric,” the spokesperson said.

Leichhardt Mayor Rochelle Porteous said the decision was about council helping local business through tough times.

“This just the latest in a string of initiatives we are attempting to help the cut costs and boost trades,” she said in a statement.

President of the Balmain- Rozelle Chamber of Commerce Stephen Bastian said he was glad council had listened to the chamber’s ideas.

Mr Bastian said that the council had first propositioned introducing market stalls in front of shop fronts, with which he disagreed.

“Why have markets? They’re only going to take business away from the shop owners who are already starving.

So why don’t we make the street look like a market by actually allowing them to sell their stock on the street,” he said.

The trial will run until June 2016.

Westconnex clearways could turn King Street into Parramatta road: Plibersek

A public meeting at the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre held by the Westconnex Action Group on Monday night. Photo: Lorrie Graham

BY ALEXANDER LEWIS Federal deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek has joined an accelerating campaign to put the brakes on WestConnex.

Ms Plibersek said the toll road should not proceed as it would kill retail in Newtown and surrounding areas.

“The extension of clearways would turn King Street into Parramatta Road,” she said in a statement sent to a public meeting held at the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre on Monday night.

“The NSW government’s proposal for Westconnex would change Newtown forever,” the statement read.

“One of Sydney’s premiere shopping, entertainment and eating precincts will be choked with traffic.”

WestConnex Action Group spokesperson Lorrie Graham said the statement was significant given it was the then Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese who originally committed federal funds to the project in 2013.

“It shows that our politicians can be made to listen to reason if we make it clear that we won’t vote for them if they support Westconnex,” Ms Graham said.

Greens Newtown MP Jenny Leong, who spoke at the meeting on Monday night, welcomed Ms Plibersek’s statement but said she hoped Labor would withdraw federal funding for the project if elected.

While NSW Labor is opposed to WestConnex in its present form, it supports extending the M4 to the city.

And the party has yet to state where the exits of its M4 would be located .

Ecotransit co-convenor Mathew Hounsell, who also spoke at the meeting, said while the NSW government had denied it would extend clearways on King Street, they were inevitable with thousands of extra cars and trucks expected to be deposited in Newtown.

“There will be induced traffic which will lead to more vehicles over more hours,” Mr Hounsell said.

“You can’t pump four lanes of traffic into one lane of traffic.”

Leichhardt woman Celia Morris, whose clothing stores Dragstar and Shorties have been located on King Street for nearly 30 years combined, said fringe retailers like hers relied on street parking to survive. “[Clearways] could potentially kill the whole area,” Ms Morris said.

“I go down Parramatta Road every other day and I can see what’s happened to that road, and it’s a ghost town. That could be the future of south King Street if no one gets in and does anything.”

Roundtable sees red over war on drugs

BY RYAN QUINN Members of community group REDWatch have taken aim at drug prohibition and its negative effects on the Redfern Waterloo area at a roundtable event.

Problems with prohibition and the state’s current methadone program were discussed by fifteen attendees at The Factory Community Centre, Waterloo on Thursday August 6.

City of Sydney Greens Councillor Irene Doutney said new strategies were needed regarding drug usage and police presence.

“We have such an intense war on drugs in Redfern that I think it’s very important for us to be discussing it and trying to come up with other alternatives to just “the war [on drugs]” and the constant police harassment of people,” she said.

Gideon Warhaft, who co-founded Unharm, an organisation which campaigns for decriminalisation of drug use, said that drugs should be regulated in the same way alcohol and tobacco is.

“They [drugs] should be taken out of the criminal economy and they should be brought into the real economy,” he told the meeting.

“It [prohibition] is incredibly expensive and it criminalises a whole class of people for no other reason than they have an addiction to a substance, which I think is morally indefensible,” he said.

A main area of concern on the night was the one-size-fits-all approach to tackling drug addiction.

Clr Doutney said each person needed to be dealt with individually in order to find out what their problems actually were and not just treated as a “cohort of addicts”.

“We should be nurturing and trying to help these people, not criminalise them more which then locks them into a cycle in which they can never get out,” she said.

Mr Warhaft also found evidence of this approach in the enforcement of drugs.

“Why is the penalty for being caught using methamphetamines exactly the same as being caught with MDMA [Ecstacy], which most drug experts state is probably the safest recreational drug that is widely used?” he asked.

He suggested that the regulation of illicit drugs would allow the government to change the demand and to apply restrictions based on the type of drug rather than drugs as a whole.

The majority of speakers present also demanded a better NSW Opioid Treatment Program, a heroin-substitution treatment consisting of methadone and buprenorphine.

Clr Doutney said the huge does supplied by the treatment came without social help.

“They’re not supplying them with any counselling, any community support, any advice about hepatitis and things like that. You just get your dose and that’s not enough,” she said.

The Factory Community Centre Executive Michael Shreenan said that criminalisation of drugs was not helping combat social issues of drug use.

“I have seen the social damage caused by over consumption of legal and illegal substances and I have seen responsible consumption causing little, if any damage.

However, it’s clear to me that the demonising and criminalisation of people’s social habits is doing little to reduce harm and bring more harm than solutions,” he said.

CITY HUB 13 AUGUST 2015

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ARTS FEATURE

Saving Sydney’s Late Night Culture With crowds moving away from the traditional entertainment precinct and City of Sydney studies showing that foot traffic has decreased in the order of 84 percent, we’ve seen a number of clubs closing recently. Hugo’s Lounge being the most recent scalp.

For event promotors such as Kiran De Silva, the closure of venues is devastating. He has worked on all levels of the late night entertainment scene in his seven years, climbing the ladder from street promotor to running his own event, Meanwhile, with partner Alastair Green in Eskineville. “The hospitality industry is a huge, huge industry and employment asset. Bars and clubs have for decades been employment opportunities for uni students so they can study during the day and work at night. So this downsizing of late night culture doesn’t really have any positive impact for anybody,” said De Silva.

Musicians and artists are also suffering with the reduced number of venues and opportunities. “As a DJ myself, the current climate means there is no guarantee of work so you have to stay on your feet, be prepared to be turned upside down whenever a gig evaporates and find a new gig or starve for a few weeks,” explained Hodgson. This is a deeply concerning development for emerging artists who now also face more competition for openings in the more stable venues.

“As a country we’re producing some of the best electronic acts in the world at the moment,” said De Silva. “All of those artists started in local clubs, that’s where they grow, build a profile and showcase their music and talent so from that perspective it [closure of venues] is a massive limiting in our music culture.”

Following the implementation of the new rules, the

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CITY HUB 13 AUGUST 2015

DJ Kato - PHOTO: Chris Peken

government has inadvertently shifted a large proportion of the crowd outside of the CBD into more suburban and residential areas such as the inner west - Newtown and Erskineville in particular. With this sudden shift in the crowd culture spilling into these suburbs, State Member for Newtown Jenny Leong has been spurred to put forward a proposal that calls for more late night venues spread across the city rather than imposing expanded restrictions on further suburbs.

“What we need to be looking at is encouraging a diversity of venues, that might mean more late night entertainment venues, more live music venues or even other creative spaces that are open late into the night. This will mean that it’s not just about going out to get drunk, but it’s actually about going out to enjoy a range of activities… We need to move to look at ways to protect the vibrancy and diversity that is our city,” said Leong.

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BY JAMIE APPS A diversity of venues and punters who take more decisive action than “ranting and raving on social media” could be a remedy for the troublesome imbalance of the city’s flailing late night culture.

In the 16 months since the introduction of the Sydney CBD lockout laws, the government has released figures which show significant reductions in a number of alcohol related crimes. However what they do not show is the dramatic impact these laws have had on dimming the vibrancy of the city’s late night culture.

Speaking to the people who are out and about in the city every week in many different roles within the late night entertainment industry, there is one constant sentiment: our late night culture is suffering immensely.

Musician and DJ Barnabas Hodgson, who has performed in Sydney and internationally for the past 15 years under the moniker Kato, echoed the thoughts of many in the industry: “Before [the lockout laws] Sydney was world class in terms of music, nightlife and late night culture but now it’s draconian and not exciting. Sydney is a big city and one of the world’s capitals, but we’re making it look like a big country town.”

Scott James works for Ministry of Sound in their promotion arm and as an artist liaison for venue Chinese Laundry, he has seen the dramatic fall in crowd numbers first hand. “Being in the city every weekend, whether working or as a punter, I’ve definitely noticed there’s less foot and car traffic,” he said. “Over a year ago it would be impossible to park on the street, now it’s pretty simple.”

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Kiran De Silva responded to this proposal by saying: “That might be the first sensible thing anyone in the government has actually said about the issue.

We as event runners and managers have been saying this from the beginning, if you slim down peoples’ options you create bottlenecks. Especially when you’re talking about events and parties moving into areas that aren’t equipped with the right infrastructure for large crowds.”

As we look into the future of the late night culture of our city, thankfully everyone appears to be coming together on the same page to help rebuild the vibrancy and diversity that made Sydney so special in the past.

Until we find the perfect solution however, it is crucial that you support your favourite venues. As Scott James put it: “Posting negative comments, ranting and raving on social media isn’t going to do anything.

Getting off your chair or out of bed and going to the venue you love is going to keep that business alive.”

EAT & DRINK

Jazz City Diner I’m watching my third season of BBQ Pittmasters. I don’t know whether my obsession with this show is about celebrating artisan craftsmanship, or wellcooked brisket. What Myron Mixon has taught me is that tender, tasty brisket has a charry crust and good pull on the slices. So you’ll understand why my first inclination now, when being confronted with a slice of Beef Brisket ( 8/100g), is to pick it up with my fingers

$ - mains less than $15

$$ - mains between $15-$22

DARLO, KINGS X & SURRY HILLS 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 miso-marinated 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 edible garnishes and knife work. Dashi vinaigrette jelly topped Oysters ($3/each) and signature striped Kingfish Carpaccio ( 21) may

CRU1801_Pyrmont_Ad.indd 2

By Jackie McMillan and give it a tug. Luckily Jazz City’s third - and to my eye, finest location is a relaxed, sticky-fingers kind of place. Service is a little chaotic, with two ordering points, depending upon whether you’re there to eat diner food, or central Texan barbeque. However once you snaffle a table in the nicely kitted out space, the time delay to wrapping your lips around forksplit Beef Short Rib ($5/100g) is mercifully short. So short in fact, we were done before the next round of Cornbread ($5) was pulled from the oven. Balance your meaty tray of Pulled Pork ($8/100g), house-made Sausage ($5/each) and slightly disappointing Pork Ribs ($8/100g) with ‘Slaw ($2.50), super tasty Pinto Beans ($2.50) and standout Pickles ($2.50) to cut the fat. Cracking house-made sauces, a creamy Coconut Milkshake ($8) and a ‘Merican Abita Golden ($8) make it worth going back for more.

200 Goulburn Street, Surry Hills (02) 9264 2572 jazzcity.com.au American $$

$$$ - mains between $22-$30

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 all the Sunday morning, life-saving, deep fried things you could want: buffalo wings, chilli prawns, onion rings, jalapeno poppers.And, as much

$$$$ - mains over $30

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 $$$ Nomad Exposed wooden beams and ventilation ducts that snake throughout the ceiling of this beautifully ambient Surry Hills mess hall.When dining opposite a vegetarian, it’s important to choose a restaurant that not only cooks the ‘good stuff’ well, but can also make rabbit food enticing to any carnivore. And with dishes such as Nomad Jersey Milk Haloumi Heirloom Tomato, Oregano ($29) or Okra, Spicy

Majestic Harvest It’s only their tenth day but Majestic Harvest is already getting slammed by a mix of old school Petersham and those ever-present young renovators.Yet despite some hipster trappings - Edison bulbs, cold drip, food on boards, ‘cold pressed’ Daily Juice ($6.50) and dishes presented in frypans - the food is remarkably honest and free from (much) pretension.The aforementioned, slightly unwieldy frypan, dubbed The Majestic ($19), is loaded

Cypriot, Black Salt ($9), this spot certainly fulfils the brief.The standout for me (and probably everyone) is Woodfired Eggplant, Pomegranate,Tahini,Yoghurt ($16). Next, it’s important to make the vegetarian jealous, and consider revising their dietary lifestyle, with dishes like BBQ Wagyu Skirt, Charred Mushroom, Pedro Ximenez ($39).

16 Foster Street, Surry Hills (02) 9280 3395 nomadwine.com.au Modern Australian,Wine $$$$ INNER WEST 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

with well-handled kale, supple Serrano ham, a trio of poached eggs with rich golden yolks, baked beans and black pudding.Taleggio and basil have been softly folded through Scrambled Eggs ($12.50) offset by roasted Roma tomatoes.While the accompanying sourdough isn’t buttered, our waitress offers some before we have time to request it. For those who cringe at butter, a board bearing Bircher Muesli ($11) in a bowl topped with blueberries, walnuts and coconut, is made compelling by blackened apple compote.Allpress Coffee scrubs up well as a Latte ( 3. 0) despite the machine running flat chat.

They sensibly moved takeaway coffees to their bakery machine, part of Majestic Gourmet Grocers, which fills out the bulk of the old seventies roller-skating rink.Taking the Mercato e Cucina model but making it Mediterranean rather than Italianate, this marketplace includes a deli, florist, green grocer and fish and chippy.

49 New Canterbury Road, Petersham (02) 8097 2222 majesticgourmetgrocers.com.au Breakfast, Café $

banished crusts-off cucumber sandwiches 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 four-legged 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 $-$$

12/08/2015 CITY HUB 13 AUGUST 2015 2:05 pm 11

EAT DRINK EAT &&DRINK

By Jackie McMillan

Bondi Trattoria

BY ALE HARMON You know a place is good when it’s packed on a frosty Monday night, filled to the brim with locals who know a decent feed, and ice-skating tourists seeking dinner with atmosphere. It’s an oldie but a goodie, where you can guarantee good, humble food from a classic Italian menu. Expect classics like Garlic Prawns ( 23. 0) with crusty bread swimming in piercing flavour, and the

EASTERN SUBURBS & BEACHES

Char and Co Char and Co’s Brazilian all you can eat meat-feast is different.Their churrasco is intimate, and while the meat still comes out on swords, you feel like it’s been freshly cooked just for you.At for an unlimited service of twenty Brazilian cuts, including garlic lamb, chorizo, chicken wings, prawns and chicken hearts, it’s the best way to experience owner/chef Bruno Da Motta’s fine fare. For a true expedition, partake in extras like delicate Salted Cod Fritters ($16) with fish crackling (as good as it sounds) and Deep Fried Jalape os ( 10).Throw in a Caipirinha ($17) and some dulce de leche in Peanut and Honey Parfait ($15) with peanut brittle and fried plantain.

By Jackie McMillan jackie@alternativemediagroup.com

beautiful marriage of salty/sweet that is the Prosciutto, Gorgonzola, Pear and Hazelnut Salad ($20.90). Our waiter highly recommends the signature dish, invented right here in the kitchen - Angel Hair Pasta ($23.90/ small) with raw tuna, Parmesan and chilli, which is delicious and extremely generous on the tuna au natural. The Trat has been around for twenty-five years and is almost as famous as the beach you can see from your table. What should be famous are their BBQ Lamb Cutlets ($34.90) with baby beets, green beans, eschalots, and goats cheese – another perfect (polygamous) marriage, especially with a glass of Kiwi land’s finest Rob Dolan Pinot Noir ( . 0) on the side. Finish with Chocolate Crème Brulee ($15.90), which has a cracking case that tastes of fire-toasted marshmallows, hiding an even tastier body. Follow suit at the ice-skating rink - if you dare.

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

15 Knox Street, Double Bay (02) 9328 5542 charandco.com.au Brazilian $$ Drake Eatery Just opened and already booked out, the light wood furnishings and grainy yellow floor here scream beach, while the dark wood highlights and floor-to-ceiling windows exude casual cool—it’s perfect for Bondi. Chef Ian Oakes named this beachside venture after his favourite protein, and as you’d expect, his Roast Thirlmere Duck ($29) is perfectly cooked. My Swedish dining partner exclaims:“My Scandinavian palate is singing!” after one taste of the Tea-Smoked Ocean Trout ($18), the earthy baseline of celeriac ‘slaw and delicate trout punctuated by apple matchsticks and liquorice cream. Faith in the staff is rewarded with nut and honeycomb-encrusted White

Chocolate and Honeycomb Parfait ($14), and Ricotta Doughnuts ($12) dessert recommendations.

Corner of Curlewis and Gould Streets, Bondi Beach (02) 9130 3218 drakeeatery. com.au Modern Australian $$$ GREATER SYDNEY Lan Yuan Genius glossy wasabi mayonnaise in Lan Yuan Angus Beef ($26) makes it an easy favourite in Top Ryde’s new bamboo garden. Seek haven in Taoism or Buddhism - Tsing Tao ($8) or Lucky Buddha ($8).

Peering through Chinese bamboo at the giant outdoor TV screen feels very Hong Kong.The chefs are also from the former British colony, meaning they’re great at making Southern Chinese dishes for

pork belly and ham hock show they can do simple food with flair, turning share house staples’ into, dare I say it: elegant dishes. Likewise the Hot Tuna Salad ($15) with quinoa, olives and a perfectly soft-boiled egg, prove these guys are restaurateur class.

With Allpress roasting the beans for their Coffee ($3.50) we’re not surprised when Jono tells us the nearby Australian Federal Police have become regulars, as have guests at the hotel upstairs seeking a quality breakfast. At lunch you can’t go wrong with a Brother Burger ($15) – two patties of ground chuck beef, the classic Aussie fillings and shoestring fries.With a liquor license and plans to dish up beers and burgers of an evening, prepare for these golf buddies to knock it out of the park.

Shop 1 / 184-1 Elizabeth Street, Sydney (02) 9281 5198 basketbrothers.com.au Café $$

Basket Brothers

BY ALE HARMON In an old skydiving shop, two buddies with impressive restaurant CVs have opened a café that will hopefully be a renaissance for the desolate fringes of Surry Hills and the CBD. Serving up cleverly devised breakfast options like the Smoked Brisket Hash ($18) with egg, aioli, beautifully sweet beef brisket and (a standout) jalape o salsa, the bros’ Jono Forsythe (founder of Mad Pizza e Bar) and Deepak Singh (formerly of Kantine) know how to lure you into the fish tank-like café. Housemade Beans ($17) with 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.

12

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.

Basement Level, 27-33 Goulburn Street, Haymarket (02) 8970 5813 basement33.com Bar, Cocktails $$ Fix St James The gentleman at the next table is wooing his date with stories of ICAC. The table beyond finishing rushed plates of Coorong Skirt Steak Tagliata ($34) are barristers working on a three-week case, by pulling another all-nighter.

Hearing ‘all-nighter’ makes me

CITY HUB 13 AUGUST 2015

want wine, and to that end, this spot delivers. The 250-strong wine list carries everything from a refined 2013 Eldridge Estate Chardonnay ($99) to wholebunch fermented ‘amber’ wines like the 2014 Punch ‘Saffron’ Chardonnay ($63). Team it with unaugmented Wapengo Lake Oysters ($4/each), an unexpectedly delicious 18-Hour Minute Steak ($19) teamed with hazelnuts, a carrot ribbon and pumpkin puree, or standout Roast Veal Sweetbreads ($18) with fennel and liquorice.

111 Elizabeth Street, Sydney (02) 232 27 7 fixstjames.com.au Modern Australian, Bar,Wine $$$$

Cheekyburger

BY DJ HOOKIE When your face is as scarred as mine is, it becomes difficult to successfully grow a beard. Fortunately, there are only seldom situations where beards come in handy, such as when shrouding your identity after a bank heist, or when tucking into one of the artery-clogging staples at Paddington’s Cheekyburger.The graffiti-plastered courtyard creates a salubrious environment to enjoy a

those who don’t tolerate heat, like gentle Live Pippies in O ( 30/ 00g). For those that do, there’s Szechuan Chicken ($22).

Lan Yuan Fried Rice ($18/small) proves worth the spend, with tender scallops, king prawns and crab roe; and the Egg Yolk Tofu ($20) here is addictive.

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

What you find, however, is a cohesive wine bar and restaurant reflecting the tastes and BYO proclivities of the local area. Stanning wants to cook “something

that people will like”, evident in portsweet Duck Liver Parfait ($17), but also in the absence of obscure ingredients.

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

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

NEWTOWN & ENVIRONS Lucio Pizzeria Venture into Tomorrowland – otherwise known as Zetland. Swallow down a portent dose of the future, where you

FOOD NEWS Nev Bagriyanik is easy to talk to. I popped in for a Turkish coffee and a bit of the back story behind Hakiki Turkish Ice Cream.

In the hour we chatted we covered the history of ice cream in Turkey, which “dates back to the 1600s” and incorporates a wild orchid root called salep. It’s basically used for melt resistance, though originally, Nev explains, it was thought to be an aphrodisiac. Spoiler alert: it’s not. “Anything, back in the day, if they didn’t know what it was, it was an aphrodisiac,” laughs Nev. What salep does do is give a delightfully stretchy texture to his smooth, hand-churned ice cream, made on a half-half blend of (traditional) goat milk and cow milk.You can taste the beautiful character of the goat milk in Maras, the base ice cream onto which flavours from pink and frivolous Turkish Delight, to roasted Pistachio, to my favourite: Grape Molasses and Tahini – are then added. Maras, incidentally, is also Nev’s hometown, and where he met his wife Zeyneb, who makes the orderly trays of baklava. Nev opened his store in Newtown because he thought there was “no point taking it out to The West where people know this ice cream.” He was also attracted to the diverse, neighbourhood feel of the suburb, and relishes the opportunity

BAR FLY

few Brooklyn Lagers whilst getting plastered yourself, and having discussions surrounding how you knew about this place way before it was cool. Falling in line with the recent, (yet all-too-welcome) trend of American style diners, this new inner-east hipster lair offers anything from cheeseburgers, to deep fried pickles, or mac’n’cheese.

The ironically nonchalant menu design persuades you to expect service from a girl on roller skates; but that doesn’t happen.The Double Cheeseburger ($14.99) with the necessary addition of Bacon ($1.99) lives up to the hype, and will make you think of it days later, like that onenight stand that you’re thinking of texting again. My date had the Shroom Burger ( 12. ), which was magic; but not in the way some mushrooms can be. I could take or leave the Deep Fried Pickles ($6.99), but let’s be honest, that’s not what we came for.Wear tight jeans, but prepare to unbutton.

312 Oxford Street, Paddington (02) 9331 7436 cheekyburgerbar.com Burgers $

can purchase an Audi as easily as you can order a name brand Lucio pizza.

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

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

By Jackie McMillan

to chat to a wide range of people, taking them on a tasting journey that always starts with Maras. “No one is miserable over ice cream, if you’re miserable, you come here to cheer yourself up,” ends Nev with a grin. www.hakiki.com.au

By Amie Barbeler

NEWTOWN SOCIAL CLUB The Newtown Social Club’s fancy renovation has taken a lot of balls. Meatballs, to be precise. Once reminiscent of your generic sticky-floored pub, the Social has recently been transformed into a hip and inviting place. No more schnitty’s and burgers grace the menu though, instead, the focus is now firmly upon platters and meatballs. Punchy Ginger Passion Snap ($16) cocktails in hand, my date and I grabbed a seat in the newly designated cocktail lounge area that is snuggled underneath the stairs, and sorted ourselves out with a Charcuterie Platter ($26) of Serrano ham, chorizo, smoked pork belly (speck), house olives and romesco dipping sauce. Afterwards, we slid into one of the comfy booths that now line that wall of the dining area and decided to share Wagyu Beef Balls ($19) with Roma tomatoes and mash. Juicy, hearty comfort food with loads of flavour - can’t complain.

387 King Street, Newtown (02) 9550 3974 newtownsocialclub.com

PHOTO: Steve Winter

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

MY NINE LIVES Steve Winter is a photographer extraordinaire.

His passion for preserving wildlife combined with his talent of capturing wild animals in their natural habitat has made him one of world’s leading wildlife photojournalists.

“By saving the world’s top predators, we save huge forests, rivers, wildlife, and ultimately, our planet,” says Steve Winter, when talking about his work in his upcoming show at the Sydney Opera House.

National Geographic Live presents My Nine Lives - intrepid stories and incredible images from the explorer; a journey of Steve Winter’s lifelong quest to capture the impossible that has seen him escaping charging rhinos, angry jaguars, big grizzlies, and vicious quicksand.

All very impressive, but also extremely dangerous.

But the love for photography—probably instilled when Steve received his first camera as a gift from his father on his seventh birthday—and the quest for a greater cause for wildlife preservation has seen Steve brave the odds.

To bring to light this larger-than-life journey of his life and profession, Steve Winter is coming to town to present a talk filled with vivid memories, photographs and anecdotes of his unbelievable photo-journalistic career. (JR) Here’s your chance to be gripped in his tales that will take you to the remotest parts of the world, and those that hope to inspire you too August 16. Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House. rom 9.Tickets & info: www.nglive.org pacific

CELEBRITY THEATRESPORTS® 30TH ANNIVERSARY

Thirty years of ‘improv’ comedy goes on show for one night only with Celebrity Theatresports® 30th Anniversary, which features an all-star cast of Australia’s best and funniest ‘improv’ talent including Adam Spencer, Steen Raskopoulos and Jay Laga’aia.

For Julia Zemiro, who has been there almost from the beginning, it occupies a formative space in her career: “When I was at Sydney Uni, each Sunday night we would go down to Belvoir Street and watch people do these games and I was just fascinated.”

One of Australia’s favourite television personalities with an impressive body of work behind her, Zemiro sees her ‘improv’ training as being absolutely vital to her craft. “Where else can you get up, try to do a scene and if you fail it’s OK?” said Zemiro. “As an actor it was so great to

figure out how not to panic on stage and even when you do panic, brilliant things can happen.”

For the uninitiated, Theatresports® is madcap, improvised, ad-lib comedy evening centred on a series of games where teams compete for laughs and the judges score.Terrifying and brilliant, it requires exceptional teamwork and the ability to listen and react to the other people on stage.

As for its enduring popularity, Zemiro says: “I think people sit in the audience and go, ‘I don’t believe that’s made up. I don’t know how you did that. I’m coming back next week to see you do it from scratch.’” (GW) For more of our conversation with Julia head to our website altmedia.net.au Saturday August 15, 8:00pm, Enmore Theatre, 118132 Enmore Rd, Newtown, 2042, $28-68, ticketek. com.au, 02 9550 3666.

RECEIVERS & THE PIANO THIEF

On watching the double bill of Receivers and The Piano Thief, weird is the first word that comes to mind, in a good way that is.

Fans of science fiction will love this evening of small theatre and sympathize with the characters.

Receivers explores the world of Hedrick, an idealistic farmer. How hard do you think it would be for a graduate of an agriculture school to grow things? Not very? Well, you’d be wrong!

Welcome to a new world: dark, crazy, psychotic and intensely comic.

In a joint production with Melbourne’s Feat in Space Theatre Co, Receivers plays alongside short play The Piano Thief. Both shows are here to woo and entertain.The writer behind both scripts, Gareth Ellis brilliantly uses the ideas of quantum physics and science in general to prove (or debunk) the existence of God. Ellis immerses the audiences into a sublime journey of epic comic proportions and slight

insanity. Do not miss the chance to explore the world of a common man (in this case an idealistic farmer) who encounters an array of interesting characters in his quest to make things grow.

Amanda Falson (Receivers) and Gareth Ellis (The Piano Thief) direct a brilliant cast including Mark Tregonning,Tom Milton, Mathew Young, Eva Torkkola, and Sophie Kelly; the pairing of these two plays is ‘bloody’ good! Now playing at The Old 505 Theatre, this is a collaborative theatre experience at its best. (JR) Until Aug 23. Old 505 Theatre, 505/342 Elizabeth St, Surry Hills.Tickets & info: http://www. trybooking.com/GPHN

a&e

13 STAGE 16 SCENE 17 SCREEN 18 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, Jacob Harrison, 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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ROCKET MAN: SONGS AND STORIES OF ELTON JOHN

Shari Sebbens, Lee Lewis,Airlie Dodds & Paula Arundell. Photo: Brett Boadman

For one day and one day only Glen Street Theatre will host a tribute to Sir Elton John, Rocket Man: Songs and Stories of Elton John.

The man behind this tribute is Brenton Edgecombe, who was first introduced to John’s music as a child.

He learnt his first Elton John song on the violin when he was nine years old, and from there his adoration has continued.

He has played violin with several of Australia’s professional orchestras and has appeared as “Elton John” backed by the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra.

The concert will include songs from the beginning of Johns career to the present day accompanied by the intriguing and often hilarious stories behind the songs.

Definitely one for those Piano Man fans. (AMal) August 18, 11am. Glen Street Theatre, corner of Glen Street and Blackbutts Road, Belrose. $23-$25.

Ticktets & info: www.glenstreet.com.au

THE BLEEDING TREE

This winter Griffin Theatre presents The Bleeding Tree, 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 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.

This play features Shai Sebbens, a proud Jabirr-Jabirr woman and a passionate advocate for Indigenous Theatre. She is best known for her role in the smash hit movie The Sapphires and her incredible performance in The Gods of Wheat Street. Following her gripping performance in The Battle of Waterloo this season, she is back as the daughter in this gripping, murderous play.

The script by Angus Cerini earned the 2014 Griffin Award for new Australian Playwriting.This story 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) ntil September , onday riday pm, Saturday 2pm & pm. riffin Theatre, 10 imrod St, ings Cross.Tickets .Tickets & info: http: www.griffintheatre.com.au whats on the bleeding tree

THEATRE & PERFORMANCE DON CARLOS Set at the height of the Spanish Inquisition, this opera tells the dramatic story of the Crown Prince of Spain (Don Carlos) who finds out that the girl he is betrothed to, Elisabeth de Valois, has been sought out to be the bride of his father, Philip II. This modern version by Opera Australia is anchored by revival director Roger Press, who is leading an international cast of Diego Torre, Latonia Moore, Milijana Nikolic, Ferruccio Furlanetto and José Carbó.

The opera deals with the themes of surveillance, betrayal and distrust.

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Grand scale, immense sound, breathtaking music and massive cast provide the foundation for this Elijah Moshinsky production. (JR) Until August 15. Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House.

Tickets & info: opera.org.au or 9318 8200 METAFOUR The latest offering from Pact Theatre is four short plays strung together with no break over one hour, developed through a creative exchange residency granted through Ashfield Youth Theatre. Quad (1 81) the first play, originally a television play, is dancelike and acts as a palate cleanser for what is a very enjoyable and thought provoking evening of timeless drama by

the well-known Samuel Beckett. He was an Irish avant-garde novelist, playwright, theatre director, and poet, who lived in Paris.The remaining plays are pure poetry in motion, a moving art form, with themes of timelessness, fear and hopelessness with a surrounding of silence. (MS) Until August 15. PACT Theatre, 107 Railway Parade, Erskineville.Tickets & info: www.pact.net.au BLONDE POISON This play tells the story of Stella Goldschlag, a German Jew who in WW2 was tortured, incarcerated and hounded by the Gestapo. She was a strikingly blonde, blue-eyed Aryan looking woman, a survivor, who was offered

the opportunity by the Gestapo to save herself and her parents from Auschwitz to work as a greifer, a catcher of Jews.The play poses the question:‘what would you have done?’

Actor Belinda Giblin considers it a “rare gift” to portray Goldschlag in this astounding one-woman show. (MS) Until August 15. Old Fitzroy Theatre, Cathedral Street,Woolloomooloo.

0. Tickets & info: oldfit theatre. com/tickets-blonde-poison DETROIT This play frankly presents the financial blow-out of it’s namesake American city and features two couples, both in strife, who meet for a backyard barbeque that implodes over the successive 10 days. Claire Lovering

who plays Sharon, the fresh-out-ofrehab neighbour, says the play is a black comedy exploring two very different couples living in suburban America.“At its heart, this is a story about people and relationships, and how people find themselves not where they thought they would be,” explains Lovering. “It’s relatable to everyone.” (OA) Until August 16. Darlinghurst Theatre Company, 30 Burton St, Darlinghurst. $30-$45.

Tickets & info: www.darlinghursttheatre.com or 8356 9987 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

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THE NAKED CITY

BURB VERSUS BURB

BY COFFIN ED, JAY KATZ AND MISS DEATH If you have lived in Sydney for four or more decades, you would have witnessed cycles of urban change that have an almost depressing predictability.

Suburbs slip in and out of fashion as once prosperous areas fall into decline and others are reborn with an almost feverish vitality. This is illustrated no more graphically than with the entertainment precincts of Kings Cross and Newtown, the most recent ‘victims’ of change.

The rapid decline of Kings Cross following the new lockout laws has been well documented as has the rise of Newtown as the new weekend haunt for the binging brigade. Whilst the Cross has seen a considerable drop in alcohol fuelled violence and anti social behaviour, Newtown is just coming to grips with the influx of the weekend party people.

Flashback to the 70s and 80s and things were quite a bit different. The Cross was booming with numerous live music clubs and nite spots and given its popularity, a relatively low level of street violence.

Newtown on the other hand, whilst beginning to feel the onslaught of gentrification, still retained many of the vestiges of its rough and tumble working class past. There was a certain sense of foreboding about the place highlighted by incidents such as the infamous double fatal stabbing at the notorious Three Roses Steakhouse. The prevailing view was that you were more likely to get your head kicked in on King Street than on Darlinghurst Road.

The Cross might still have been regarded as naughty with its strip clubs, sex shops and street girls but Newtown at the corresponding time was just downright ‘seedy’. At the Hub Theatre, predominantly middle aged patrons could enjoy a lazy afternoon of porno flicks interspersed with

‘erotic live performers’, rotated by taxi from the Oxford Street Sinema. Audience participation was very much on the agenda and it was not uncommon for punters to drop the drawers and join in the on stage pantomime.

Newtown’s pubs at the time were more of the

bloodhouse variety - a far cry from today’s groovy hipster hangouts. There was little to attract younger folk, although venues such as the Sandringham Hotel and Feedback reflected the burgeoning local music scene. They were however few and far between given the proliferation of live music venues elsewhere.

So where are we now and when can we expect the cycle to rotate once again? The Cross looks set for an indefinite period of decay as more and more night clubs call it quits, shops become vacant and the area drained of its vivacity. Newtown on the other hand looks certain to assume the mantle of party HQ, especially on weekends. Not surprisingly the pubs there have learned from the KC experience and recently began a trial period of self imposed 3am lockouts as well as banning ‘doubles’ and shots after midnight. Whether Newtown can avoid the kind of drunken violence that beset the Cross remains to be seen.

History tends to suggest that the suburb’s current night life boom will eventually end in bust, although, hopefully not as a result of increased drunkenness and violence. It’s more than likely that a combination of factors, economic, cultural and just plain fickleness will eventually see a migration to a new entertainment strip. That’s unlikely to be a reborn version of Kings Cross, or even Oxford Street but who would be so bold as to predict the future, allowing for the increasing bureaucratization of the way we have fun.

HELLO BOOKCASE, HELLO LIBRARY

Hello Bookcase, an initiative with an innovative website, has expanded and developed an exhibition known as Hello Library. Hello Library 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 features photography by Kathy Luu. An opening night will be presented at the Surry Hills Library and ongoing exhibitions will be shown at all the City of Sydney libraries.

Hello Bookcase is a website that interviews creative people about what is on their bookshelf. It delves deeply in to what these people love to read. It is believed you can tell a lot about a person based on their favourite book. The creator of this website, Leigh Russell was offered the great opportunity to expand her project into the City of Sydney libraries.

Over many months she interviewed staff and members of the library to find 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) Opening Night: August 13, 6:30 – 8pm. Surry Hills Library. FREE. Info: http://www. hellolibrary.net/

EXHIBITIONS MAPPING THE INSURMOUNTABLE Carla Hananiah’s latest work is all about the love between a person and the land. Inspired by a trip to the South Island of New Zealand, she said it is a continuum of her romantic and painterly response to the land: “The mountains looming as gentle giants, the feeling of being towered 16

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over...I felt like being in their presence spoke to me.” One of the reasons she paints natural settings is to ‘soak in nature’ and focus more on the bigger picture in life: She hopes when someone has her work in their house they can look at it, feel calm and realise it’s all going to be okay. (AMal) Until August 8. Arthouse Gallery, 66 McLachlan Avenue, Rushcutters Bay. Free Entry.

Info: arthousegallery.com.au MY TRIP TO MARS Artist Adam Norton transforms the UTS Gallery into a replica of the surface of Mars for this exhibition. Norton’s exhibition explores the effects of technology on the human condition.

There will be objects and souvenirs scattered around the set to light up viewers imaginations, to transform them from simple onlookers to space explorers. It will include

recent sculpture, installation and video works including Space Yurt, a habitation unit for a solo space explorer and The Mars Project, a video work made with Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery. (AMal) Until August 28. UTS Gallery.

Level 4, 702 Harris St, Ultimo.

Free Entry.

Info: art.uts.edu.au/index.php/ exhibitions/my-trip-to-mars/ 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: http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/

ARAB FILM FESTIVAL

The Arab Film Festival returns to Sydney and promises to delight and educate film festival enthusiasts with a culturally diverse program consisting of nine features and five short films.

Festival co-directors Fadia Abboud and Mouna Zaylah are excited to be bringing these fine films to the big screen.

“This year there were 100 films submitted for screening into the festival and many sourced films as well.An advisory group watched and selected the films and it was difficult to narrow the list down owing to the excellent quality of the films,” explained Zaylah.

“Our program doesn’t have as many films as other film festivals as we want to keep the festival contained.

The audience is escalating and we’re building the festival slowly,” said Abboud.“Our films cover current issues and challenge the stereotypes. Contemporary Arab life is brought to Australian audiences of which approximately 45% are non-Arab speaking.”

Ghadi, the festival’s gala opening night film from Lebanon, is the touching story of a towns’ inability to accept a handicapped child in their midst.The third child to music teacher Leba (Geoges Khabbaz) and his wife Lara (Lara Rain), Ghadi sits on the balcony and sings trying to imitate his father.

The neighbours believe Ghadi is possessed by demons, saying his unique singing resembles “loud devilish noises” and sign a petition to have him evicted from the town. Leba devises a plan which not only wins over the neighbours, but also purifies the neighbourhood of their sins and leads them on the path to salvation.This story of intolerance and the

need for acceptance thrives on originality and audiences will be mesmerized by the protagonist, a hero who won the heart of a town and went on to become a phenomenon.

From Palestine comes Speed Sisters, a documentary about five young ladies who dared to be different and conquered the social and traditional obstacles to break into car racing, a sport dominated by men.

Affectionately known as Palestine’s ‘fast and furious females’, these women compete for the fiercely competitive honours as top female drivers.

In a country where curfews, army patrols and military checkpoints dominate, these women defy the odds to follow their dreams. Containing candid interviews and touching on the hardships and dangers of living in Palestine, this is a most insightful and enjoyable documentary which should captivate racing car enthusiasts.

“I’d expect audiences who come to see our films will be educated and [will] walk away saying ‘wow!’ at the landscapes and the beauty of the Arab countries.

Arab people have stories that need to be told and certain films do cut into mainstream cinema,” said Abboud.

“We invite film lovers who want to know more about the contemporary Arab world to come along to the Arab Film Festival be intrigued and blown away by world class cinema,” concluded Zaylah. (MMo) August 13-16. Riverside Theatres, Corner Church + Market Streets, Parramatta. $20-$35 (Opening night film, sweets & party).Tickets & Info: arabfilmfestival.com.au

Ghadi

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 EVERYMAN This 15th century English morality play has been adapted into a dynamic and vibrant cinematic event by the National Theatre Live in London.The titular character of the ‘Everyman’ (Chiwetel Ejiofor) has sinned, partied, dabbled in drugs and

experienced envy, gluttony and lust.

When death comes calling he must confront his maker and desperately searches for anybody who can speak in his defense. Movie-goers will marvel at this unique and innovative approach in film-making, which includes a behind the scenes look at the rehearsals and interviews with the director and choreographer. (MMo) LIMITED RELEASE WWWW 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-needof-redemption 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 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

SPERM DONORS ANONYMOUS

Sperm Donors Anonymous, an upcoming documentary

by Sensible Films Production for ABC Television, tells the heart wrenching and inspiring tale of the effects of anonymous sperm donations.

The documentary centres around the stories of four donor-conceived adults searching for their biological fathers - Myf Cummerford, Michael Griffiths, Ross Hunter and Jeff Springfield. It is not just the children that are affected by sperm donation though, as evidenced by the deeply moving story of Ian Smith, a donor who is

open to meeting his biological offspring and haunted by the likelihood of never having the chance to meet them.

The documentary raises some serious moral and ethical dilemmas that I am sure the vast majority of the community has never even considered.With the growing pace of medical fertility advancements today, I highly recommend watching this documentary and considering the implications some of our decisions could have in the not too distant future. (JA) Screening on ABC,Tuesday Aug 18, 9:20pm

5 FLIGHTS UP

If like me, you enjoy Diane Keaton in everything, then of course you are going to love this movie. 5 Flights Up tells the story of an older couple (played

by Keaton and Morgan Freeman) who are thinking of selling their apartment after living in it for decades.With no lift access, they must walk five flight of stairs every day, hence the title.

As they start to show their house and make the decision, the story also delves deep into their history and lives together as well as how their interracial relationship started.You get a good sense of who this couple is, how they got to where they are through outside factors 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

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 GALLOWS From the same production company that had cinemas screaming in fear with Paranormal Activity and Insidious comes the latest found footage style fright fest: The Gallows.This relation, however, is as close as this film gets to having audiences running in fear.

This film takes four archetypal high school kids, each armed with either a video camera or their mobile phone, locks them in their creepy school theatre and lets the horror ensue.

The Gallows resorts to overused horror tropes and loud ‘jump scares’ rather than building real terror or suspense. (JA)

GIRLHOOD Girlhood is about growing up in the housing projects on the outskirts of Paris. Our protagonist Marieme realises that meekness is getting her nowhere in her family life or at school.After dropping out, she reinvents herself with a new name and new friends.‘Vic’ has to navigate her way around a male-dominated maze of those who wish to dominate her. She must cultivate a diamond-hard exterior to get what she wants.

The cinematography is very clever, and turns a lot of standard shots on their head.There’s the passive, eroticized curve of her boyfriend’s butt, and feminine beauty routines are made grotesque via super closeup views of mascara clumps and sticky lip gloss.

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, innocent yet responsible. (HC) WWWW

W1/2 SELF/LESS Conceptually, this is a film that had the potential to explore some deep-seeded philosophical concepts. Sadly however, these ideas are quickly dashed as the film descends into generic shoot-em-up thriller fair.The film centres around Damian Hale (Ben Kingsley and Ryan Reynolds), a rich New York real estate magnate suffering from a terminal cancer. He is introduced to the concept of ‘shedding’, which promises to transfer his mind into the body of a young,‘laboratory grown’ vessel.The only catch being he must not have any contact with people from his past - and take a red pill everyday to prevent hallucinations, migraines and death. (JA) WW 13 MINUTES This WWII drama is the incredible true story of George Elser, a German who attempted to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Highly suspenseful and heartfelt at times, this skilfully edited film intertwines flashbacks revealing the events in

Elser’s life which led to his desperate mission to eliminate Hitler. Hitler is seen only in the opening scenes, but his evil prevalence is evident through graphic and disturbing scenes of torture and executions which he ordered.This film is highly-crafted and spoken in German, which effectively heightens it’s credibility. (MMo) WWWW RUBEN GUTHRIE “Let’s get smashed” is the opening dialogue aptly summing up this Australian comedy/drama about alcohol abuse.

Ruben Guthrie (Patrick Brammall) is an advertising guru who loves to party and over-indulge on alcohol. His fianc e gives him an ultimatum stop drinking within 12 months, or else they’re finished. Can he refrain from participating in one of Australian’s favourite pass times? Highlighting the difficulties in writing comedy, this film would have been more engaging solely as a drama. Most comical dialogue backfired, simply evoking a sense of awkwardness. (MMo) WWW CITY HUB 13 AUGUST 2015

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SYDNEY LIVE MUSIC GUIDE LIVE WIRE

BY JAMIE APPS Aldous Harding: Fresh off a successful tour spanning all of Europe, this compelling singer is about to embark on her first headline tour of Australia, stopping in our fine city tonight.While her debut album was released over a year ago now in New Zealand it continues to have legs and receive critical praise in each new market as they discover this wonderful voice.

Thu,Aug 13,The Vanguard

Fri,Aug 14, Beach Road Hotel Bondi

Miami Horror: After releasing their sophomore album in April these Aussie indie-electronica legends return home having just sold out tours across North and South America. Joining them on stage to round out the bill are long time collaborator Cleopold, who is bringing his live electric solo show to Australia for the time; 17-year-old producer/ singer JOY who has been receiving a lot of buzz herself; and finally Young Franco hot off sets at Splendour In The Grass, Falls Festival and Listen Out. Fri,Aug 14, Metro Theatre

seventeen88: Under the artistic direction of legendary conductor Richard Gill OAM orchestra seventeen88 presents their second annual winter festival.The festival program begins at 2pm with a chamber music recital, a concert talk and afternoon tea all before the full scale orchestral concert and post-show reception.

Sun,Aug 16, Kincoppal

Double Bill: Persian Drugs + Bec & Ben: Beach Road Hotel Bondi continues its new weekly live gig night as they look to rejuvenate the music scene in the wake of the announcement of recent closures of venues such as The Landsdowne Hotel.This week they bring a double headline show that is bound to be a huge night and perfect way to kick-start your weekend.

AIM DELTA FRAT HOUSE PARTY FOR CHARITY

BY JAMIE APPS

A team of students from the Australian Institute of Music (AIM) have put together one hell of a party to celebrate the end of their trimester, and to top it all off they’re doing it in the name of charity by supporting the Australian Children’s Music Foundation (ACMF).

Speaking to two of the students running the event ,we got an indication of where the idea for this event came from.“Our whole group is really into the electronic music scene so we wanted to do something around [that theme] and something different from the other AIM events which have been your typical band night,” said Stacey Queffert.

With this philosophy in mind, Hugh Cruickshank explained how the group chose their lineup of artists:“Usually the events just get bands from around uni that no one really knows, so it’s just AIM kids [that currently attend], but we wanted to get people from outside of that circle so we had to get some big headliners.”

Having worked in various roles within the electronic scene, Stacey and Hugh were able to use some of their connections to help secure Triple J’s House Party host KLP to achieve their goal. KLP was more than happy to be involved:“I never went to university myself so the whole student thing is an unknown concept to me. So it’s really cool to see what everyone is doing and to be a part of it,” she said.

The event being in support of a music and children’s charity definitely helped to peak KLP’s interest.“I always try to get involved in them [charity

Storm The Sky: Since the release of their debut album Permanence the band has had limited opportunities to play a long set, so they have created this tour to do just that. For these shows the guys will be playing their album in full so fans can see how passionate they are about these songs and how much they enjoy playing them first hand.

Sat,Aug 15,The Lair

Australian Chamber Orchestra: Following triumphant performances of Brahms’ Symphony No.1 and No. 4 in 2010 and 2013 respectively the Australian Chamber Orchestra returns to perform Brahms’ Symphony No 3 in F Major for the first time.Also slated for the performance are Mozart’s wonderful Overture from The Magic Flute and Sinfonia concertante in E-flan major.

Tue-Wed,Aug 18-19, Sydney City Recital Hall

KLP

events] when they come up, especially if I think it is a good cause… I think anything to do with music is definitely in the forefront of my mind,” she said.

Fresh off a performance at Splendour In The Grass, KLP will be returning to one of the venues where she started out:“I remember playing there until the early hours of the night doing many a DJ gig years back.”

Stacey and Hugh were very quick to thank all of the people in the industry that helped them along the way.“Everyone was great with advice on how to approach things and so open and willing to help us out,” said Stacey. Many of the DJ’s gracing the decks with KLP throughout the night - including Snillum, Deckhead, Gradz and Deeper Than House - have donated their services “because they wanted to support the event and charity” said Hugh.

Aug 19.The Standard Bowl, Level 3, 383 Bourke St, Surry Hills. $20. Info: facebook.com/events/421821381323142/

THE WAIFS - BEAUTIFUL YOU

This three piece band from Western Australia possess a pop-roots sound that can be likened to Angus & Julia Stone as well as Missy Higgins.

The Waifs’ seventh album, BeautifulYou, offers 12 original tracks that provide soothing and sometimes intoxicating easy-listening. If you feel like sending yourself somewhere to reflect and ponder, BeautifulYou can aid you down an imaginary country road.

It has been four years since the band have come together, and while the song-writing sessions may not have flowed so freely for the artists at first, the resulting production showcases their talent, chemistry and experience.

“It’s still great to look across at each other and know where we are going to go with the music,” says guitarist and vocalist Donna Simpson.“That has never changed, and we get along better now than we ever have.” (JC) WWW

GRAND PAVILION FOREIGN ESCAPES

Foreign Escapes is laden with super sweet, soulful synth pop that isn’t afraid to test the boundaries of experimentation with different samples and production techniques.

Tom Hunt’s vocals mesmerise with each line he delivers; intertwine this with the guest vocals from Loretta Angus on Anywhere and you have something truly special.

Despite exploring some deep ideas and emotions, such as lost friends and lovers, the duo have kept the songs ambiguous enough that the heaviness of the heart and soul remains, but you can’t help but find yourself swaying along to the melodies in perennial bliss. (JA) WWW1/2

FREEWILLASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

a

ARIES (March 21-April 19): To ensure the full accuracy of this horoscope, I have been compelled to resurrect an old-fashioned English word that isn’t used much any more: “gambol.” It means to cavort and frolic in a playful manner, or to romp and skip around with mad glee, as if you are unable to stop yourself from dancing. The astrological omens seem unambiguous in their message: In order to cultivate the state of mind that will enable you to meet all your dates with destiny in the coming weeks, you need to gambol at least once

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TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Do you remember your first kiss? How about the first time you had sex? Although those events may not have been perfectly smooth and graceful, they were radical breakthroughs that changed your life and altered your consciousness. Since then, there may have been a few other intimate rites of passage that have impacted you with similar intensity. No doubt you will experience others in the future. In fact, I suspect that the next installments are due to arrive in the coming months.

Get ready for further initiations in these mysteries.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Two-thirds of us don’t know what our strengths and talents are. That’s the conclusion of a study published

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CITY HUB 13 AUGUST 2015

in The Journal of Positive Psychology. One reason for the problem is what the report’s co-author Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener calls “strengths blindness,” in which we neglect our real powers because we regard them as ordinary or take them for granted. Here’s the good news, Gemini: If you suffer from even a partial ignorance about the nature of your potentials, the coming months will be a favorable time to remedy that glitch. Life will conspire to help you see the truth.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): In 1504, Michelangelo finished his sculpture of the Biblical hero David. But he hadn’t been the first person to toil on the 17-foot-high block of marble. Forty years earlier, the artist Agostino di Duccio was commissioned to carve David out of the stone. His work was minimal, however. He did little more than create the rough shape of the legs and torso.

In 1476, Antonio Rossellino resumed where Agostino had stopped, but he didn’t last long, either. By the time Michelangelo launched his effort, the massive slab had languished for 25 years. I see parallels between this story and your own, Cancerian. I suspect that you will be invited to take on a project that has been on hold or gotten delayed. This may require you to complete labors that were begun by others -- or maybe instigated by you when you were in a very different frame of mind.

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LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Many people harbor the unconscious bias that beauty resides primarily in things that are polished, sleek, and perfect. Celebrities work hard and spend a lot of money to cultivate their immaculate attractiveness, and are often treated as if they have the most pleasing appearance that human beings can have. Art that is displayed in museums has equally flawless packaging.

But the current astrological omens suggest that it’s important for you to appreciate a different kind of beauty: the crooked, wobbly, eccentric stuff. For the foreseeable future, that’s where you’ll find the most inspiration.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): No tree can grow to Heaven unless its roots reach down to Hell,” wrote psychologist Carl Jung in his book Aion. My interpretation: We earn the right to experience profound love and brilliant light by becoming familiar with shadows and suffering.

Indeed, it may not be possible to ripen into our most radiant beauty without having tangled with life’s ugliness. According to my understanding of your long-term cycle, Virgo, you have dutifully completed an extended phase of downward growth. In the next extended phase, however, upward growth will predominate. You did reasonably well on the hellish stuff; now comes the more heavenly rewards.

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LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The Great Balancing Act of 2015 doesn’t demand that you be a wishy-washy, eager-to-please, self-canceling harmony whore. Purge such possibilities from your mind.

What the Great Balancing Act asks of you is to express what you stand for with great clarity.

It invites you to free yourself, as much as you can, from worrying about what people think of you. It encourages you to be shaped less by the expectations of others and more by what you really want.

Do you know what you really want, Libra? Find out! P.S.: Your task is not to work on the surface level, trying to manipulate the appearance of things. Focus your efforts in the depths of yourself.

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SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Muslims, Jews, and Christians are collaborating to erect a joint house of worship in Berlin. The building, scheduled to be finished by 2018, will have separate areas for each religion as well as a common space for members of all three to gather. Even if you don’t belong to any faith, you may be inspired by this pioneering effort to foster mutual tolerance. I offer it up to you as a vivid symbol of unity.

May it help inspire you to take full advantage of your current opportunities to heal schisms, build consensus, and cultivate harmony.

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SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In some phases of your life, you have been a wanderer. You’ve had a fuzzy sense of where you belong. It has been a challenge to know which target you should aim your arrows at. During those times, you may have been forceful but not as productive as you’d like to be; you may have been energetic but a bit too inefficient to accomplish wonders and marvels. From what I can tell, one of those wandering seasons is now coming to a close. In the months ahead, you will have a growing clarity about where your future power spot is located -- and may even find the elusive sanctuary called “home.” Here’s a good way to prepare for this transition: Spend a few hours telling yourself the story of your origins. Remember all the major events of your life as if you were watching a movie.

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CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19): You have been slowing to a crawl as you approach an exciting transition. But I’m here to advise you to resume normal speed. There’s no need for excessive caution. You have paid your dues; you have made your meticulous arrangements; you have performed your quiet heroisms. Now it’s time to relax into the rewards you have earned. Lighten your mood, Capricorn. Welcome the onrushing peace and start planning how you will capitalize on your new freedom.

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AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “Most people reach the top of the ladder of success only to find it’s leaning against the wrong wall.” Aquarian actor Paul Sorensen said that. It’s no coincidence that I’m bringing this theory to your attention right now. The coming months will be a good time to determine whether the ladder you have been climbing is leaning against the right wall or wrong wall. My advice is to question yourself at length. Be as objective as possible. Swear to tell yourself the whole truth. If, after your investigations, you decide it is indeed the wrong wall, climb down from the ladder and haul it over to the right wall.

And if you’re satisfied that you are where you should be, celebrate!

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PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): When he served as Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi denigrated the cuisine of Finland. “Finns don’t even know what prosciutto is,” he sneered. At best, he said, their food is to be “endured.”

He mocked the “marinated reindeer” they eat. But Finland fought back against the insults.

In an international pizza contest held in New York, their chefs won first Prize for their “Pizza Berlusconi,” a specialty pizza that featured marinated reindeer. The Italian entry finished second. I foresee you enjoying a comparable reversal in the coming months, Pisces.

And it all begins now.

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

Back in the 1990s massage places like Kings Court were illegal but at the same time they were prolific with most suburbs having at least one brothel and one massage place. They were usually upstairs in older strip shopping centres and in some cases in suburban houses in low income areas. Some were very well decked out in quality streets in Kings Cross and even in the City. Some, like our place, were quite large and famous.

We needed to advertise and looked around at likely places. We were unable to get into the Australian version of Playboy which we thought represented our style but soon after we were approached by Australian Penthouse and we soon developed a relationship that has lasted until this day. We were developing Kings Court to be the largest of all the massage places and because we didn’t do full service we wanted to look different to those other places. It was decided to try some cartoon advertising.

I recalled that as a child I had read Mandrake Comics in the last page of the Womans Weekly and I figured that the best place to have cartoon advertising was on the inside back cover so people could easily find us in the same place each time. So we began. The concept was to let people know about us and try to influence them that we were providing “harmless fun for men” and these cartoons were good for that. We also wanted to make the cartoons have stories so that each time the readers would have a look to see what was happening next.

Kings Court Massage: 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 an $10.00 Taxi Ride from the CBD - Visit our web site at www.kingscourt.com.au - OPEN 10 am to 1 am

This kind of colour advertising was very expensive to create but we were able to find a talented cartoonist and I learned how to use Quark Express to make the ads on my Mac computer. We found a place to make the separations and do the proofs. In those days desk top publishing and 24 hrs on Weekends. 20% off 9 am to 12 noon & FREE ENTRY before 9 pm each day.

Parking available in the Broadway Shopping Centre near our discreet rear entrance at 18 Grose St Glebe. was just beginning and the files had to be Check out the website for information, funny stuff and pictures of pretty women. No photos of the regular delivered on Zip Disks that were mailed girls as they are too shy. www.kingscourt.com.au back to us and later on that changed to CDs which were cheap enough to be I hope the above gives you an idea about the way Kings Court discarded. Today this advert is produced as a PDF and sent off by email.

Massage is run and about our ethics. I have a Facebook page at The above advert was the first we made and it has stood the test of time. www.facebook.com/KingsBigJohn The “Relaxing Massage” panel had to be clothed for placement in family It is loaded with some amazing funny stuff, jokes, links and videos. Some newspapers. The only complaints we received were from readers who were of it is a bit naughty but there is nothing you could not show your mother. offended by the second panel where Jack says “I am worn out and I get no Big John sympathy when I get home.” This must have struck a chord with some VACANCIES ladies and I apologise. The characters We are currently looking for new ladies who would like to be a little bit Jack and Tom are actually shown over naughty. It is a safe place for them, where they do not have to do full time in the following strips to be young service and everyone knows someone who could handle a bit of a discrete guys around town that the older men financial boost. Note that if you introduce her you cannot become her are envious of. They are actually customer. Big John does not ask for favours from the girls either. It suits a shown to be single. We do have girl with busy life style as we have part time and casual shifts and when customers who are married and we are you start we get one of the regular girls to show you how to do your first discreet about this but we think Kings massage. We have off street parking for ladies with cars and for your Court Massage is actually harmless interview you can park in the Broadway Shopping Centre parking near fun. We later rebuilt this first advert so our discreet rear entry at 18 Grose Street Glebe 2037. This address is the that we could publish it in some of the best way to find us using GPS plotting. If you look at the website at Asian colour papers and this is an www.kingscourt.com.au and click on “is this your first time” this will take example of the spa scene remake: you to a page of tips we need customers to know about Kings Court.

CITY HUB 13 AUGUST 2015

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