City Hub 13 November 2014

from Bondi to Balmain...

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gleeful glebe Street fair puts a smile on the changing face of Glebe

Page 8

WestConnex announcement angers politicians and residents construction.

The Mayor of Marrickville, Cr Mark Gardiner, was “extremely disturbed” by the announcement and the way in which the Government went about the process.

“To find out yesterday, after the fact, that WestConnex representatives were actually in the Marrickville Council area, door knocking residents and presenting them with ‘acquisition packs’ – well, I am not only astonished but also outraged on behalf of our constituents,” he said.

“While council accepts that Sydney has transport needs which WestConnex is seeking to address, we have had to continually lobby vigorously for any news at all about routes, entry and exit points, even where WestConnex was to above ground or below ground.”

Marrickville councilors were also concerned about the traffic implications in the precinct.

Cr Max Phillips called the expansion a “disaster for St Peters”.

“From the documents released, it appears that the M5 East will simply finish at Campbell Street, dumping its traffic load, until the rest of the WestConnex is built,” he said.

Labor candidate for Newtown and Shadow Minister for Transport, Penny Sharpe had similar fears when she reacted to the plan in a speech given to Parliament.

“The latest proposal for WestConnex is nothing more than a tunnel to a traffic jam – a traffic jam that has the potential to gridlock cars and trucks from the airport to Parramatta Road and every local street in between,” she said.

Ms. Sharpe said that the proposal had not been backed by proper traffic, or environmental analyses.

“If the Premier has ever spent any time in and around St Peters he would know these streets are already gridlocked.

King Street, Unwins Bridge Road, May Street and Edgeware Road are already at capacity. There is simply no more room,” she said.

A separate media release from Mike Baird and Duncan Gay acknowledged that motorists are unsatisfied now, and announced that the program would be fast-tracked so that the M4 and M5 sections would be fully functional by 2019.

“Sydney motorists want relief

from traffic congestion and the NSW Government is getting on with delivering the major infrastructure projects to make it happen,” the release read.

“The investment will support more than $125 billion of major construction activity across the country, ensuring we boost economic growth, create thousands of new jobs and slash travel times in our major cities for a more productive future.”

But many politicians have taken the opportunity to once again question the purpose of having a motorway at all, instead insisting a greater focus needs to be put into public transport.

NSW Member for Balmain, Jamie Parker said that a more obvious option was being overlooked.

“We can build on the success of the existing light rail extension and further expand light rail within the CBD, along Parramatta Road and to the Balmain Peninsula. This will dramatically reduce travel times, alleviate congestion and revitalize Parramatta Road.

Greens NSW MP and Spokesperson for Roads and Transport, Dr Mehreen Faruqi sees the WestConnex project as an example of backward thinking.

“The announcement of the M5 tunnel duplication is yet more evidence of lack of vision in transport planning for Sydney, which places us decades behind the rest of the world who have stopped building these huge motorways that increase, not decrease congestion,” she said.

Photo: blogspot.com

BY Elliott Brennan The Australian and NSW Governments sent a shockwave through parts of Sydney with their announcement that the planning application for the new M5 tunnels as part of the second stage of WestConnex had been lodged.

The plans were largely rejected by opposing local, State, and Federal politicians and also residents of the areas impacted – some of whom have been issued with potential property acquisition notices.

The announcement outlined that the new M5 will run tunnels tall enough to allow large freight trucks to run from the existing East corridor to a new interchange at St Peters providing what is said to be better access to the airport and Port Botany.

This section will be completed and functional before the rest of the project.

A joint media release from Prime Minister Tony Abbott, NSW Premier Mike Baird, Assistant Infrastructure Minister Jamie Briggs, and NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay celebrated the announcement.

“The new tunnels will more than double the capacity of the M5 East, with the new M5 tunnels built to accommodate three lanes in each direction and provide another route for traffic from the airport, Port Botany and south Sydney precincts,” the release read.

The release was sent to the media hours after WestConnex officials were knocking on the doors of 80 St Peters’ residents to inform them that their homes were potentially being acquired for the

M5 plans will lead to gridlock say opposing politicans

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BY lucia osborne-crowley The City of Sydney Council has begun the process of implementing controversial reforms to business voting in the City’s local government elections.

The reforms, proposed by the Shooters and Fishers Party and supported by the NSW Government, seek to increase the franchise of business owners working in the City of Sydney.

The bill gives businesses two votes for every resident’s one; it automatically enrols business owners to vote where this had previously been dependent on businesses choosing to enrol, and it makes voting for businesses compulsory.

The bill also transfers the responsibility for the preparation of the non-residential electoral roll from the NSW Electoral Commission to the City of Sydney itself.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore raised the issue of the implementation of this legislation at a meeting of the council on Monday, November 3.

“The murky deal done between the Baird Government and the Shooters Party means our elections will not be run by the independent NSW Electoral Commission.

Instead it will be run by the City’s CEO,” she said.

The Lord Mayor expressed concern that the implementation of the legislation would pose serious challenges to council and may allow future councils to corrupt the integrity of the electoral roll.

“Giving the power to decide who votes and how elections are run to the people being elected, or with an interest in the outcome, is a dangerous move. In the wrong hands, it opens possibilities for corrupt, untrustworthy or manipulative politicians to alter the system to suit themselves,” she said.

“I have asked the City’s CEO to obtain independent probity advice to help us understand how we can implement the new laws while protecting the integrity of City of

Lord Mayor Clover Moore

Sydney elections.”

Robert Borsak, the Shooters and Fishers MP who proposed the bill, said he was confident there would be no implementation challenges for his legislation.

“I don’t think there will be any challenges at all,” he told City Hub. “They’ve got until the middle of 2016 to do it, I don’t see that the council will have any issue with implementation at all.”

Mr Borsak also refuted the notion that the transfer of responsibility

for non-residential roll preparation to council could allow for electoral corruption.

“The roll will be able to be publicly viewed, it is not a matter of secrecy at all,” he said.

“As is the case with any electoral roll in NSW or indeed anywhere, the electoral roll for the City of Sydney will also be publicly viewable to everybody.”

Mr Borsak said the Lord Mayor was “trying to muddy the waters” and “obfuscate” by suggesting his bill will pose practical challenges.

“The implementation of this bill will be very simple,” he said.

Local Government Minister Paul Toole said also said he was confident the bill would be simple to implement as a similar model has been used in the City of Melbourne for several years and has not posed practical challenges.

“These changes have been recommended by the NSW Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters following a robust and exhaustive 18 month inquiry into Local Government elections,” the Minister said.

“The Committee recommended that we adopt a model of nonresidential enrolment based on the one that has operated successfully in Melbourne since 1993 to give businesses a voice that is more proportionate to their contribution to the City.”

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Leichhardt planning panel sparks debate

BY Joe Burke The Development Approval (DA) system in Leichhardt is set to be revolutionised with the replacement of councilors by a Development Application Planning Panel from January next year.

On Tuesday, October 28 the decision was made that a panel of independent planners will make decisions on development applications (DA’s) which would otherwise have been referred to councilors.

The planning panel, also known as an Independent Hearing Assessment Panel (IHAP) has been in consideration by Leichhardt council since a report was tabled in November last year.

The panel will be chaired by the Hon. David Lloyd QC and the Hon R.N. (Angus) Talbot, both of whom have had extensive experience as judges in the Land and Environment Court.

The remainder of the positions will be comprised of seven professional experts and two community representatives.

Darcy Byrne, Leichhardt Councillor and the former Mayor, said that there were many factors discussed when choosing the panel.

“The primary requirements were that people had to have high level planning qualifications and familiarity with our local community, and two local community representatives,” he said.

“It’s unquestionably a huge improvement to have people who have enormous expertise and experience in the planning field determining development applications rather than amateur politicians, which is

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what councilors are.”

The implementation of the panel has had opposition though, in the form of the Greens party, led by current Mayor Rochelle Porteous.“I am opposed to Planning Panels because they take away planning control from the local community.

The community elects Councilors because they have local knowledge and a commitment to represent the views of their community in local planning decisions,”

Leichhardt Town Hall

she said.

“Local Councilors are also accountable back to their communities for the decisions they make and all decisions need to be made in an open and transparent manner.”

“Labor and Liberal Councilors, in voting together to remove control of local planning from the local council, have shown their hand - they do not want to keep local planning controls within the community.”

Mr Byrne said that from his experience

within the community, this is something the public wants.

“I can understand why politicians such as the mayor would be reluctant to give up their powerful position in being able to say yes or no to each local resident’s planning application, but I think local residents recognise that a reform like this that is supported by ICAC (the Independent Commission Against Corruption) has the potential to greatly improve the experience of local residents when they’re submitting a development application,” he said.

The new system also aims to improve the time it takes to approve DA’s.

Leichhardt resident Ed Politt supports the panel and said that the local council needs to engage in swifter action with regards to these matters.

“I think an independent panel is a good idea because I find the council to be quite passive in terms of getting things done. If this panel could improve efficiency it would be in everyone’s best interest,” Mr. Politt said.

Councillor Byrne said that the planning panel was as important as ever in the current context, as it ensures transparency within the local government.

“ICAC is strongly for independent planning panels such as the one which we’ve just instituted. I think it’s very strange that the Greens party and Mayor Porteous are not in support of a key anti corruption recommendation,” Cr Byrne said.

Mayor Porteous said that the anti corruption ‘agenda’ is simply a way of discrediting opposition to the panel.

“The assertions of political interference

are empty mud-slinging to seek to justify this agenda of Labor and the Liberals to lock the local community out of local planning decisions,” Cr Porteous said.

Although Mayor Porteous did vote to accept the recommendations of the staff with regards to their choice of planning panel members and its deferral to January, she said that this was a betrayal by the elected members.

Cr Porteous also said that she saw no need for such an upheaval, as she said that Leichhardt in fact performs well in this area.

“Leichhardt Council has one of the highest number of development applications in the state and when compared with other councils with similar numbers Leichhardt performs very well - In fact it performs better than a number of councils which have introduced planning panels,” she said.

Cr Byrne said that Leichhardt council’s record of assessment of development applications was “atrocious”, but that the historic reform would hopefully have a knock on effect and potentially save ratepayer’s money.

“The councilors will now have more time and energy to focus on changing the planning controls to further protect local amenities,” Cr Byrne said.

“So rather than micromanaging development applications and in many cases costing local Mums and Dads tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, a councilor who decides that they don’t think that the current reforms are in the interests of the community will be able to focus on actually changing the law.”

The Planning Panel will be implemented for a 12 month trial beginning in January 2015.

Bondi steps up fight against development

Photo: rescuebondi.com

BY Emily Contador-kelsall Communities across Waverly have been battling against over development.

A planning proposal to rezone 105 Wellington St in Bondi from private tennis courts to a medium density residential development has stirred opposition from residents, Waverley council and local MP Gabrielle Upton.

Wednesday, October 29 marked the end of public submissions on the proposal. From this point, Waverley council will collect submissions and make a recommendation on whether to reject the planning proposal.

David Gravina from community group Rescue Bondi said the developers’ ability to override Council and seek their Spot Rezoning through the contentious

Wellington Street tennis courts

PreGateway Review flies in the face of this Government’s election promise to return planning to local communities “The community and Council are exasperated,” he said.

“They are exhausted from fighting this repeatedly over many years; and Council has been forced to once again put forward a planning Report - this is a waste of energy and resources.”

A Waverley Council Spokesperson said council had consistently expressed its objection to the loss of recreational space in the locality and will consider this issue again at the December Council meeting.

“As the relevant planning authority, Council needs to consider each proposal on its merits after considering the public submissions

received on the proposal,” the spokesperson said.

“These submissions are currently being assessed by Council staff and will be outlined in a report to Council in December 2014.”

Mr Gravina said if the Department of Planning is serious about giving local councils and their communities a say in the planning decisions that affect their neighbourhoods, the community would expect a positive outcome, especially given the opposition of the Hon. Gabrielle Upton, Tennis Australia, and aware council planners.

“In fact no one is in support of this rezone other than the developers and their hired consultants,” he said.

“How can there be any justification in replacing finite, irreplaceable recreational space, in one of Australia’s most densely populated Council areas?”

“Who is Pru Goward’s Department of Planning really looking after here?”

A Department of Planning and Environment spokesperson said the Department’s role has been to determine whether the proposal to amend planning rules for the site has enough strategic merit to proceed to public exhibition.

“The Department agreed that the proposal should proceed to public exhibition to allow the community to have its say,” the spokesperson

said.

Rescue Bondi’s concerns include the loss of recreational space from the most densely populated LGA, traffic, parking problems and the overdevelopment of Bondi.

“Adding more households to the 9th most densely populated suburb in Australia without first improving public transport is just poor planning,” said Mr Gravina.

“Traffic is already a big issue in the area. Bondi is already at gridlock on multiple weekends a year.”

Mr Gravina said Pru Goward insists the Department is following “due process” but he thinks this process is deeply flawed.

“The PreGateway Review is simply a means for the developer to bypass Council and Community,” he said.

“Why is it that the Minister Pru Goward and her Department are deciding this very local issue?”

“The local communities of Sydney are tired of developers getting looked after by the state government whether that be through dodgy deals in Newcastle or over-riding Council’s local planning decisions in Bondi and other suburbs.”

“We say it’s time to scrap the Pre-gateway Review process and get genuine about giving back planning to the community as the state government promised it would do at the last election.”

news in brief Tapping community support

The Darlinghurst operators of the famous TAP Gallery have reached out to their loyal community in the face of pressure from the City of Sydney.

City Hub reported last week that the City of Sydney had forced the gallery to stop using their upstairs space as a theatre following zoning issues.

The loss of revenue that comes with having this space unused has meant that upgrades to firesafety in the building have become more of a financial burden for the operators. In response they have started a ‘pozible.com’ crowd-funding campaign to source money for the renovations whilst they attempt to have the venue rezoned.

Community members have already raised almost $1,500 which is significant, but still a far cry from the $10,000 goal with over a month remaining.

The venue’s manager, Lesley Dimmick is hopeful that the goal will be reached, but maintains council support is just as important.

“We’re not sure that we’ll survive without council support,” she said.

Politicians and experts take a stand against the Government

Environmental experts and politicians will converge on Sydney’s City Recital Hall on November 6 to discuss a united response to the Federal Government’s position on the environment.

The event titled ‘Stand Up for Nature’ will feature addresses from prominent politicians including the Leader of the Greens, Christine Milne, the Shadow Minister for the Environment, Mark Butler, and the Opposition Leader, Bill Shorten – who will be appearing via videolink.

Also presenting will be renowned environmental experts including Dr Sylvia Earle (Oceanographer), and the National Director of the Wilderness Society, Lyndon Schneiders.

The free event comes in the middle of the World Parks Conference which started in Sydney on Wednesday, November 12.

The conference will bring 5,000 people together from over 160 countries to discuss, debate, and plan solutions for some of the biggest challenges facing the environment around the world.

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Car sharing popularity raises parking concerns incredibly useful.

“If it’s getting rid of a second car, I think that’s awesome,” she said.

“I love it – I love it that it’s got that sharing mentality as well.”

But Cr Forster maintains that parking in the city remains one of the council’s most pressing issues, as it was in the lead up to the 2012 election.

“The reality is there are still many, many residents that need to have cars,” she said.

“And if someone needs a car, then they obviously need somewhere to park it.”

“The council’s attitude seems to be that if you don’t provide people with parking, then people won’t own cars, but it’s not supported by reality and by people’s circumstances.”

Funding for inner city women’s refuges doesn’t mask regional pain

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funding but expressed concern over rural and regional services.

“Whilst the restoration of funding for some inner city services is welcome, the Minister’s announcement does not go far enough.

There are still many regional NSW and other providers that have or will be shutting down services as a result of a harsh and uninformed policy,” she said.

Dr Faruqi also congratulated the community groups who had been protesting the funding cuts.

“It is only because of the hard work of women activists that the Government has been forced to change their decision and this activism will continue until the entire program is overhauled.

Penny Sharpe, Labor candidate for the

state seat of Newtown, condemned the Baird government’s indecision.

“Women need to be confident that they will have somewhere to when they need to escape their own homes. This government has given them no confidence whatsoever.

“The community campaign forced a back down on some closures but uncertainty remains.”

The community group Save our Services (SOS) were at the forefront of protests and echoed the sentiment of MP Sharpe.

“We’re particularly pleased that Young People’s Refuge in Leichhardt will remain open as it’s the only girls-only crisis refuge in NSW and provides a critical service to girls as young as 13 escaping domestic violence and sexual abuse,” they said in a statement on their website.

Photo: noshelter.com.au

BY Georgia Kriz The NSW Government’s controversial plan to close homelessness services across the state have been watered down again, with Community Services Minister Gabrielle Upton last week promising that $8.6 million of funding would go towards supporting inner city homelessness outreach services. $2 million of this will go directly towards keeping five inner city women’s-only refuges open for the foreseeable future.

The five services are Detour House, Young People’s Refuge, B Miles, Stepping Out Housing, and the Community Restorative Centre women’s program.

These refuges had previously been told that as of October 31, their state funding would be withdrawn.

Minister Upton told the Sydney Morning Herald that the reinstatement of funding was part of a larger blueprint to reduce homelessness across Sydney.

“Over the next three years, the NSW government will invest a record half a billion dollars right across NSW to tackle homelessness,” she said.

Many shelters are still at risk of being forced to close their doors due to insufficient or withdrawn funding, however, especially those in rural and regional NSW. Just a day after Minister Upton’s announcement, Katoomba’s women’s-only refuge Blue Gum shut down.

The shelter had been providing assistance and shelter to women in the region for over 30 years.

Dr Mehreen Faruqi, Greens member of the NSW Legislative Council, welcomed the

Cartoon: Peter Berner

share-cars are effective in reducing traffic and increasing parking spots within the city.

“One share car vehicle can replace up to 12 private cars, thus reducing demand for parking,” a council spokesperson said.

Although it has been in operation for over a decade, council figures show that the number of car share users has more than tripled over the past three years.

There are currently around 600 car-share spots in the City of Sydney Government area – representing 2% of all car parks around the city – that is expected to rise to 694 spots by the end of the current financial year.

Elle Geraghty, from the inner west, has been using the city’s leading car-share company, Go Get, for several years now, and finds the service

Photo: geeksinsydney.com

BY Sophie Trigger The City of Sydney’s car share initiative could be increasing traffic and reducing parking in city suburbs, according to City of Sydney councilor Christine Forster.

Share cars are an arrangement by which city dwellers can hire a car for a short period of time before returning it to one of many designated parking spots across the city.

Car sharing in the inner city began as a council scheme in 2003 and has now exceeded its initial target of 10% of residents (20,000 people) as members of the scheme.

“If the 10% we’re trying to put into share-cars are people that don’t actually own cars, then surely we’re putting more cars back onto the streets and creating more traffic,’ said Cr Forster - who is also a Surrey Hills resident.

Councilor Forster is vocal in her objection to share-cars being issued with residents’ permits, as she expressed in an op-ed in The Daily Telegraph recently.

Many residents of city suburbs such as Surrey Hills, Potts Point and Glebe are equally skeptical about the scheme.

Oliver Smith, of Glebe, comments that share cars often make it difficult for him to find a park close to his workplace.

“Directly out the front from where I work, there are two spots for share cars which are almost always parked there,” Mr. Smith said.

“That can make it difficult to find a park for work that is not almost a ten minute walk away.”

He also believes that the scheme is by no means a green alternative when compared to not owning a car at all.

“When I had access to a share car, I was putting myself on the road when I wouldn’t have otherwise been there,” he said.

But The City of Sydney, maintains that

Bronte community strong after development fight

BY Emily Contador Kelsall The Bronte community has shown strength in their objection to developer Winston Langley Burlington’s planning proposal for the Bronte RSL site.

The public exhibition period for the proposal ended last Wednesday with over 1500 letters of objection submitted and a petition of over 2500 signatures.

Dr Stephen Lightfoot, spokesperson for Save Bronte said the community is cautiously optimistic that they will get the right outcome.

“We’re confident in our democracy and we can’t see how the Department of Planning will ignore the overwhelming consensus at Bronte, which is for a complying development,” he said.

“Every time we’ve had consultation on this site, the answer from the community has been the same. That is we want a complying development.”

“We don’t want rules written for a developer so they can build what they want, we want a development that suits our community, suits our neighbourhood centre.”

A Waverley Council spokesperson said the community’s feedback would be considered in a report, which is being prepared for Council.

Dr Lightfoot said the decision and development is going to set a precedent, not only for Bronte but for Waverley and NSW. “We are at a critical fork in the road that represents the future of Bronte,” he said.

“The path we want has a complying development that suits the neighbourhood centre, and is one where we get all the benefits from that: housing, jobs. Down the other path, there’s this overdeveloped, big bulky building imposed on our community against our will, with all the traffic and overshadowing.”

Dr Lightfoot said the whole process had fatigued the community and they were relieved the public consultation was over.

“For the moment we’ve completely lost faith in the system. We’ve lost faith in the Department of planning, and we’ve lost faith in the planning system that’s being implemented by this state government. They have a chance to make it right.”

Inner city school still on waiting list

BY Holly Jones The high cost of space in Sydney’s city have slowed building plans for the highly sought after inner city school.

The desire of the Government to cater for the inner city parent’s push for an all-inclusive school is being stalled by the inability of the City of Sydney and The NSW Department of Education to come to a price agreement for the proposed space on Wattle Street.

Whilst the council has approved the selling of the site, they are still awaiting on the NSW government to approve the offer and their terms.

Lord Mayor, Clover Moore set a

motion to the council in last Monday’s (November 3) council meeting to confirm the sale and terms that the council would negotiate on.

“Last week Council supported my motion to approve the sale of the former Fig and Wattle Street Depot in Ultimo to the NSW Department of Education and Communities to be used as the site for a new school. As well as a new school, the site will be home to an 80-place child care center”.

The inner city schools will not be built by 2017 as promised, unless the City of Sydney offers the state government a discount on the space

The proposed location of the school on Wattle Street

which they have indicated they are willing to do provided the child care facility is promised.

The Education Department is reportedly prepared to spend $74 million for the old council depot space, but the City of Sydney is awaiting the approval of their terms.

A spokeswoman from the City of Sydney commented on the impeding need for a school in the area. “There are increasing numbers of young families in inner Sydney and the City of Sydney is committed to supporting the need for improved education facilities and services to meet growing demand,” she

said.

“With more and more families choosing to move back into the City, we are helping to make sure their children have the facilities they need.”

NSW Education Minister, Adrian Piccoli, has appealed directly to Lord Mayor Clover Moore asking her to step in to help negotiations that have been halted for months.

In a letter to the Lord Mayor, Piccoli indicated that if price cuts are not met, another space would need to be sourced.

“I am advised that this process would make the 2017 opening date impossible to meet,” wrote Piccoli.

“The department will need to go back to the community to attempt to find an alternative site.”

But this will be an issue in itself as locations for inner city high schools are running out, Government predictions indicate there will be none left by 2018.

Skye Molenuex, Co-director a group called Community for Local Options for Secondary Education (CLOSE) believes this was a predictabke occurrence that has been happening for some time.

“Over the last 15 years there has been a “baby boom” in areas people didn’t traditionally raise families. These areas are the inner city suburbs and suburbs just on the edge of the city. This coupled with the fact that many of the schools in those areas had been sold off or decommissioned or repurposed,” she said.

The increase in enrollments in

local inner city primary schools, such as Bourke Street, Crown Street, and Darlinghurst further indicated the need for high schools.

In 2010, Burke Street had 74 new students, the Department of Education predicted that it would have 112 this year, but 230 students enrolled.

The Education Department also projects there will be an extra 2500 high school students living in inner Sydney by 2026.

Other popular ideas for a school location include the redevelopment of existing sites such as Cleveland Street Intensive English school.

The issue for Molyneux, mother of 2, is that even if a primary school can be found, the only high schools available in the inner city are too exclusive for most children, including her own.

“Sadly, Sydney Boys and Sydney Girls high schools are now so academically elite that they are not an option for most students,” she said.

“There are no all-inclusive high schools in the CBD, and the closest ones in Glebe, Balmain and Alexandria Park, are either almost or already full.”

This isn’t the only issue the education department is facing, with the recent issues with fees in the catholic school department.

With the policy of flat tuition fees to be abandoned next year, parents whose children attend Catholic Schools in more affluent areas will have to pay higher fees than those in poorer areas.

This affects the inner city families further as they are likely to be included in the ‘rich list’.

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Street fair lights up changing face of Glebe

By Carmen Cita The sleepy streets of Glebe will spring to life with music, food and dance this Sunday as thousands of Sydneysiders descend on Glebe Point Road for the 31st annual Glebe Street Fair.

While the footpaths fill with food vendors and artisans, an eclectic live soundtrack of jazz, blues, folk, and rock will fill the air. Throughout the day, punters can take in belly dancing performances, capoeira, skate demos, pony rides, and circus antics. To wrap things up, a troupe of world champion salsa dancers will light up the main thoroughfare with a samba parade.

As carnival atmosphere takes over the village, Creative Director Roselle Gowan expects Glebe’s population of around 11,000 to swell to 100,000 for the day. “People want to be entertained,” Gowan says. “We have gone all out to bring as much colour to the program as possible. This event puts people in a happy place. The fact that 70,000 people came out in wellies last year, despite the rain, is a testament to the

community spirit of the neighbourhood.”

As a longtime Glebe resident, Labor’s candidate for Balmain, Verity Firth believes that Glebe Street Fair is “an ultimate expression of the neighbourhood”.

“It is important for the local community – it creates opportunity for local businesses, it gives local community organisations exposure, and it really highlights the wonders and pleasures of Glebe Point Road,” Firth says.

Gowan agrees, “Something magical happens when we come into the village for Glebe Street Fair. Everyone in the community gets involved, even if it’s in a modest way.”

Gowan is surprised that real estate group Mirvac refused to come onboard as a sponsor this year, given its significant stake in the neighbourhood. “It seems a bit short-sighted, from a social responsibility point-of-view,” she explains.

For two years running, Mirvac’s nearby Broadway

Glebe Point Road comes to life for Glebe Street Fair

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Shopping Centre has been recognised at the Shopping Centre News Big Guns Awards for generating the highest levels of annual turnover and consumer spending in Australia.

The Mirvac group is also behind the $1.1billion redevelopment of the Harold Park Paceway site, south of Glebe. Upon completion, the Harold Park urban renewal project will house around 2,500 people.

Some residents are concerned that the influx of lucrative development projects in the area is eroding the neighbourhood’s identity. For many of the local artists, students and working class families who give the area its bohemian flavour, the neighbourhood has become unaffordable as luxury apartment developments encroach on space that was once reserved for affordable housing.

Hands Off Glebe activist Denis Doherty claims that successive state governments have deliberately run down public housing in the inner city. “The basic philosophy is that the people who are economically in the poorest sector are not welcome in the inner city,” Doherty says. “So, by turfing them out, moving them out to the boondocks and selling off the properties, this will somehow create a better society – whereas, in actual fact, it will have the reverse effect.”

Gowan fondly recalls her first impressions of Glebe, a quaint village draped in tie-dye. With the increasing pressures of gentrification, that charm is at risk of fading.

Firth explains, “Gentrification does bring community benefits. But when inner city areas gentrify, what’s most important is that communities aren’t displaced – you want mix, you want diversity, you want people to be able to afford living costs.”

“Across the city, rising property values mean that lots of people are being priced out of city living,” she continues. “There needs to be government intervention, to skew the market a bit. The state government could help.”

Doherty fears that overdevelopment poses a threat to the distinct identities of Sydney’s inner city enclaves. He says, “The different identities are in danger of being wiped away with these bland, endless miles of high-rises that all look the same, but cost a bomb, and don’t meet the needs of the people.”

Firth describes Glebe’s changing face, “With UTS, Notre Dame and the University of Sydney just around the corner, Glebe has always been a vibrant, bustling hub for the arts and for education. Now, it has become unaffordable for students and artists. The [Blackwattle] artist studios at the end of Glebe Point Road were demolished to make way for luxury housing.”

“You don’t want to price your creative class out of the inner city,” she continues. “In the 1970s, despite a wave of gentrification, Glebe was still affordable for left-leaning poets and artists.”

In 1974, the Whitlam government purchased the Glebe Estate, an area of Housing Commission properties, as part of a massive urban renewal project to provide affordable housing in the city. This area has Sydney’s third highest Aboriginal population.

In a parliamentary speech, the Minister for Urban and Regional Development at that time, Tom Uren said, “The main objectives of the purchase of the estate are to avoid the sudden displacing of the existing population and to avoid any disruption to existing community networks, and to retain the opportunity for low income earners and families and aged people to live close to the city as part of the wider community.”

“The Glebe Estate was an amazing social outcome,” Firth says. “Now, forty years on, there are over 1400 dwellings. It keeps our area diverse in a way that no other inner city houses are, and it preserves the character of the neighbourhood. We don’t want to see a repeat of Millers Point in Glebe.”

Doherty says, “We’re not wide-eyed idealists. There will have to be some increase in density - but at the moment it’s stack ‘em and rack ‘em, without any due regard to what’s sustainable and what’s reasonable.”

Glebe Street Fair - Sunday 16th November www.glebestreetfair.com

EAT & DRINK

Surry Hills Eating House Sujet Saenkham, owner of the ever-popular Spice I Am restaurants, has done it again. Just when you were starting to think you understood regional Thai food, he gives you a real taste of Southern Thai (complete with its Chinese, Malay and Indian influences) that leaves most of Sydney’s Thai restaurants for dead. Sujet has $ - mains less than $15

$$ - mains between $15-$22

DARLO, KINGS X & SURRY HILLS Golden Age Cinema & Bar I’m very taken with this gorgeous bar, complete with electronically controlled curtains that silently glide to reveal a mirrored stage and microphones.

The Maple Pecan Old Fashioned ($18) made on smooth Bulleit Bourbon suits the space, but if you’re sleepy-tired and planning a flick, their espresso martini Paramount House ($19), uses beans from Paramount Coffee Project upstairs. Dip into (another) interesting Ned Brooks wine list against snacks like Tiger Sharks ($10) - canned anchovies – or Szechuan Popcorn ($5).

The 2012 Ngeringa Growers Series Rousanne ($65/bottle) makes an

9

By Jackie McMillan taken over the space occupied by the longstanding Harry’s Singapore Chilli Crab restaurant on the upper floor of Triple Ace Bar.While the pub setting has been tempered with an unassuming name, and wood-heavy décor, pub prices for booze remain. Plan B 2012 Chenin Blanc ($36/bottle) might not win any awards, but it’s an affable companion to Asian cuisine, starting with gloriously sticky and stretchy Pak Mor Youan ($9).

They’re rice rolls stuffed with pork and spring onions.

For a completely different textural experience, follow them with crunchy and compelling banana flower fritters – Hua Plee Tod ($12) - and Mieng Ka Na ($16), a sweet and sour pile of pork floss, lime and chilli you wrap in supple Chinese broccoli leaves.Your must-have dish is the Gaeng Het Pho ($28), a well balanced bar cod curry with explosive Thai black mushrooms. Hainan chicken fans will enjoy Gai Pae Sa ($20), which takes the dish somewhere new with a bright ginger and chilli condiment.

Level 2, 198-200 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills (02) 9212 4092 spiceiam.com Thai $$-$$$ $$$ - mains between $22-$30

affable companion to movie-inspired toasties like The Spielberger ($9.50) – basically your Reuben – to The Big Cheese ($8).They’re small, so you’ll also need a Gelato Messina Sundae ($8)…

Lower Ground, 80 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills (02) 9211 1556 ourgoldenage.com.au Bar, Cocktails, Bar Food $ Devon By Night Chef Zachary Tan has kept dinner at this popular cafe distinctly casual.

He’s dishing up Malaysian-influenced hawker snacks, dressed up with the same premium ingredients that make Chef Jacqui Ektoros’ morning menus so special. So expect to find heady Manjimup truffle slices adorning Chinese Egg Custard ($29), and fleshy lobster tails slathered with Kewpie

$$$$ - mains over $30

mayonnaise inside buttery brioche in an individual Lobster Roll ($15.50).

Drink from a concise but cleverly chosen list of alcoholic beverages like the 2012 Mitchelton Marsanne ($17/ glass) or Echigo Koshihikari Rice Lager ($12). End with the poor man’s ‘snow egg’ of Coconut Jelly, Guava Sorbet and Freeze Dried Pineapple ($11).

76 Devonshire Street, Surry Hills (02) 9211 8777 devoncafe.com.au Pan-Asian, Café $$$ INNER WEST

Annandale Hotel The new-look Annandale Hotel allows canines in the courtyard styled like an Aussie back deck. Even kiddies are welcome, except in the front bar, which retains some of the

Gazebo

By Ryan Kennedy The Gazebo dining room runs in a gentle curve from grand piano to kitchen, the ceiling studded with lowhanging lights.The clientele is inner-east chic, the floor plush, and in the spring sunset glow the outside seating is prize territory, awash with beading drinks. Everyone Annandale’s sticky carpet charm - at least around the edges. A far cry from the crowded, sweaty, live band days, there’s now elbowroom to spare as you quaff a Kosciusko ($6.50) and tuck into a toastie from their interesting list. I tried Fontal ($12) with duck sausage, bacon jam and pickled leek.Traditional pub goers will appreciate the steaks, schnitzels and two fully customisable roasts. Free Range Chicken ($20) with duck fat gratin, gravy and seasonal greens will silence a monster appetite.

17 Parramatta Road, Annandale (02) 9550 1078 annandalehotel.com Pub Bistro,Wine $$

seems to be enjoying prawn cracker-crunchy Carrot Crisps ($6) with Chantilly goats curd and balsamic, and after one bite, it is obvious why. Similarly omnipresent are Creamy Polenta Wedges ($9), outrageously crisp and well worth coming for alone. Delicately flavoured, firm pieces of Cucumber Cured Kingfish ($19) come artfully strewn on a striking black plate with shards of green apple and a smoked oyster sauce.The deconstructed green curry that is wood-fired Tiger Prawns ($21) comes with coconut snow and a sharp daikon salad—perfect with the house on-tap Chilcano de Pesco ($13) cocktail.The Ham Hock Terrine ($19) is as pleasingly porky as it sounds, but it’s the Duck Breast ($28) with earthy beetroot, the crunch of honeycomb, and a smoked almond sauce, that really steals the show.

The pick of the desserts is Chocolate ($15), a cookie dough parfait spiked with raspberries and yogurt caramel. Re-opened less than a month ago and already this busy, I wouldn’t wait too long to swing by…

2 Elizabeth Bay Road, Elizabeth Bay (02) 8070 2424 thegazebo.com.au Modern Australian $$$

to the liquid aspects of The Golden State.With my lips tingling from Chica Chipotle ($17) that teamed chipotleinfused reposado tequila with Mezcal and a chipotle salt rim, Led introduced me to his list. It’s heavy, as you’d hope, in Californian wines. A man after my own heart, Led categorises pinot noir between feminine and “smells like my bedroom after sex”. Bliss Pinot Noir ($60) is one of the former, but for a quaffable red, it is not without roundness and balance. It lends itself to liberal, chilled applications against crisp Sriracha Chicken Quesadillas ($20), as you watch moonrise in the open-roofed space.

1 Young Street, Neutral Bay (02) 9904 5671 socalsydney.com.au GREATER SYDNEY American, Bar, Bar Food $$-$$$ All Good Things Eatery SoCal Led Emmett, General Manager of As well as delivering a bonzer brekky, SoCal, provides an expert introduction Kingsgrove’s hippest café is open for

dinner, every Thursday to Saturday night. Plan your meal around the sweets - the Watermelon Granita with Feta Ice Cream ($12) epitomises Sydney summer. Precede them with small or large share plates of Modern Greek food, like Loulou ($14), crisp tempura battered feta-stuffed zucchini flowers or oven-roasted Queensland Prawns ($22). Standout Octopus ($15) has its char-grilled tentacles artfully entangled with dollops of lemongrass yoghurt foam. As ethical meats are all from Feather and Bone, it was impossible to pass up Organic Goat Backstrap Carpaccio ($18), presented simply with ponzu, wasabi and lily pads of avocado puree.

Shop 9-11 Mashman Avenue, Kingsgrove (02) 7903 0198 facebook.com/ allgoodthingseatery Modern Greek $$

EAT & DRINK

Mr Tipply’s While the name - Mr Tipply’s - might leave you to believe you’re entering a small bar, the cavernous surrounds decked out with wall-sized murals of exotic-looking women clue you in that you’re entering a modern pub. While my dining companion arched one beautifully shaped eyebrow and made polite comment about being keen to know the ROCKS & CBD Pei Modern It takes a strong restaurant to knock down previous tenants,The Woods, but Mark Best has cleared the trees – and a few walls – to bring his famous Melbourne bistro to town. It’s relaxed fine dining, where you can share Tiger Prawns and Slow Cooked Pineapple ($24) - summer tropics on a plate – or go ‘cray cray’ with mains like flamegrilled Rangers Valley Wagyu Rump ($46) with harissa and charcoaled onion. Cheese fiends should indulge in the Ricotta Dumplings ($30) with kale and hazelnuts - fine-dining comfort food.The Chocolate Tart ($17) with thin shards of chocolate layered upon chocolate ganache and an unusual eucalyptus sauce feels like a bushranger-chic nod to the nearby

By Jackie McMillan origin of the artworks, my own thoughts turned to Russian artist Vladimir Tretchikoff and the colonial gaze. We’re shown around the former City Hotel

by General Manager Matt Comensoli, who ran Home nightclub’s door during its popular heyday, and started The Fox Hole, one of Sydney’s first small bars. At this new small bar-pub hybrid, he’s really focused on the food.You can see the effects of his attention in the Chilled Silken Tofu ($11), one of the best tofu dishes I’ve had in a while.The Asian-inspired eatery’s Organic Quinoa Salad ($18) is also a beauty, leading me to believe vegetarians will feel quite at home. Carnivores are not forgotten either, with high quality Mongolian Lamb Cutlets ($21) and sticky ‘Char Siu’ Beer Ribs ($35) dished up with Asian ‘slaw.

Generously proportioned cubes of Crispy Salmon ($21) served on betel leaves make great cocktail accompaniments to an Asian-inspired China Doll ($16) – just one selection from an interesting list.

347 King Street, Sydney (02) 9299 4877 mrtipplys.com Pub Bistro $$$-$$$$

Rocks.

Four Seasons Hotel, 199 George Street, Sydney (02) 9250 3160 peimodern.com.au Modern Australian $$$$ Zigi’s Art Wine Cheese Bar “Welcome to the house of looove.”

With his fedora cocked jauntily, dapper white shirt, black suspenders and bon mots, Zigi is quick to make you welcome at his eponymous bar.

Testament to his background, the menu is ‘Ausraeli’, and the signature dish is crisp Felafel Prawns ($21).

They’re perfectly matched by an earthy and colourful Beetroot Mille-Feuille ($18). Handmade Labne Cheese ($15) is a rich, simple classic.Wine of the Moment ($12) comes by the glass, with two reds and two whites always on hand. Match your favourite to Occeli al Malto d’orzo e Whisky ($20/1, $46/3),

Three Williams

By Alex Harmon Walking into this unassuming space on the fringes of Redfern is like stepping into a bank or church. Sparse, with wooden furniture, brick walls and a post-apocalyptic tree branch above the counter. But look closer and you’ll find a certain charm in what I find out is an ex-furniture warehouse. Most obvious of all is the well-crafted new Spring menu.

Green smoothies, bright pink sodas, and salads peppered with the season’s freshest

a cheese which has the smoke and spice of whisky.

86 Abercrombie Street, Chippendale (02) 9699 4222 artwinecheesebar.com.au Bar,Wine $$ Ippudo Central Park Everything I know about eating ramen, I learned from Tampopo, a Japanese cult film about a single-minded obsession for the perfect noodle soup. Reciting the steps, I entered this new Central Park store, the Japanese chain’s second Aussie venture. A raucous kitchen chorus heralds your arrival. Prepare your palate with Goma Q ($7) pickled cucumber – before your Shoyu Ramen Special ($21) arrives. After appreciating its beauty, add fixings from your side plate – a flavoured soft-boiled egg (fun to split and enrich the broth), seaweed sheets, bamboo

ingredients.The Super Smoothie ($8) is ‘Spring in a bottle’ with kale, apricot, apple, almond, banana, ginger and cinnamon. And the Organic Tofu Salad ($15) with charred broccolini, almonds, Japanese seaweed and peas is so healthy you practically grow muscles upon consumption – Popeye-style! Don’t want to work on your physique? That’s okay, the Chicken Schnitzel Burger ($15) has your back - crispy and delicious with wasabi and avocado mayo. Or there’s the Brioche French Toast ($16) - making your French toast attempts look pathetic, with caramel bananas, hazelnuts and Belgian chocolate. A textural masterpiece, it’s so devastatingly good it should come with a warning. Of course, the signature Three Williams item has to be the Wagyu Beef Brisket Narnie ($15) – soft beef and creamy ‘slaw between fistfuls of naan bread.You’ll be left wondering why every other Sydney café hasn’t followed suit.

613a Elizabeth St, Redfern (02) 9698 1111 threewilliams.com Cafe $-$$

alongside great milkshakes NEWTOWN & ENVIRONS like Honeycomb, Malt and Daisy’s Milkbar Golden Syrup ($5). Kick The Beach Boys on the dessert old school with the speakers, pin-up girls taking Salted Caramel Banana Split orders, a cordial station, jars of ($14), best shared with your sweets and gingham curtains… sweetheart.

If this place was any cuter I’d 340 Stanmore Road, be sick. This inner west café Petersham is the perfect old-fashioned (02) 8065 3466 daisysmilkbar. milk bar. Think shakes, Jaffles com and sundaes - but with a Breakfast, Café $-$$ modern twist. Greg’s Jaffle Bay Tinh ($6) is loaded with bolognaise, Dining at Bay Tinh is like a trip while Uccella’s packs pulled down memory lane. While I pork inside its golden, white haven’t been dining here for bread pocket. Breakfast – like all of its twenty-eight year Zucchini and Corn Fritters history, I have spent many an evening in the (previously ($16) - are served all day,

putrid pink) space, when it was in the hands of predecessor, Tinh Tran. In the ensuing three decades, Sydney’s Vietnamese offerings have come a long way, so home-style dishes like Dau Hu Don Thit ($18.50) – plump, pork stuffed bean curd swimming in tomato sauce – feel like a look at the origins.

Goi Du Du ($18.50), green papaya salad with prawns and roast pork goes down okay with the 2012 The Pawn Cassia Pinot Grigio ($7.50/glass).

318 Victoria Road, Marrickville (02) 9560 8673 baytinhrestaurant.com.au Vietnamese $$

Popolo This is a confident restaurant that knows what it is, which is more than I can say for Google Maps, which seemed to struggle with displaying where it is.You’ll find it tucked behind a new residential development in the courtyard across from the BMW car dealership.

The wine list, mostly populated by Southern Italian

shoots, mushrooms, shallots and wonderfully moist chashu – simmered pork belly. If you like more intensity, the Akamaru Shinaji Special’s ($24) broth includes miso and garlic oil.

Central Park RB07, Lower Ground Floor, 28 Broadway, Chippendale (02) 8078 7020 ippudo.com.au Japanese $$-$$$ EASTERN SUBURBS & BEACHES

The Golden Sheaf This leafy courtyard, alive with chattering birds and chatting crowds at sunset, is where the Eastern Suburbs set congregate after the Randwick races or the AFL. And despite the affluence of Double Bay, you won’t find yourself having

wines from below latitude 41 degrees north, need not be bewildering.Wine-savvy staff are well versed in matching wines to drinkers.When asked for an easydrinking red, they produced a lovely 2013 Pietradolce Etna Rosso ($72/bottle).With tea and cherry notes, this Sicilian wine, made from Nerello Mascalese grapes, has its closest analogy in pinot noir (just with more minerality).As such, it suits the Pecorino Timballo ($19), a firm, baked cheese dish presented on a board with pear custard.This Italian answer to the cheese souffle is so good, some Popolo regulars pop in after dinner just to enjoy it. Napolitana-style pizzas baked in their wood-fired oven are also menu highlights, particularly if the Burrata Panzerotto ($23) is on. It’s a plump belly-shaped pizza pocket stuffed with creamy-centred mozzarella, tomato and basil. Seasonality clearly matters here, with spring asparagus – Asparagi ($9) – dressed with fig vincotto on the specials. It’s the perfect foil to a textbook Octopus Ragu Risotto ($24).

50 McLachlan Avenue, Rushcutters Bay (02) 9361 6641 popolo.com.au Italian $$$

to double pay at the popular Sheaf Bistro. Both pub classics like the ever-popular Beef Fillet ($29.50) and the lighter Asian-inspired offerings like a Salmon and Tuna Sashimi Salad ($22) are generously proportioned.

Handmade Pumpkin Tortellini ($18) balance the sweet orange filling with a nutty beurre noisette. My only complaint: even drinking at the top end of their wine list, the Simonnet Febvre Petit Chablis ($50/ bottle) indicated there’s room for improvement.

429 New South Head Road, Double Bay (02) 9327 5877 goldensheaf.com.au Pub Bistro $$-$$$ Charing Cross Hotel The light, coastally inspired interior is a delightful surprise, especially

FOOD NEWS

considering the unassuming pub exterior. Relax in a wicker chair in the stylish, baby blue dining room as you explore a drinks list that hits the trifecta - great cocktails, wine and on-tap craft brew. A Locals Drop ($17) blending white rum, ruby grapefruit and Campari helps reduce the excesses of Chef Matt Kemp’s Crispy Pigs Head ($14), pressed into fat, crumbed batons. A relative cheapie - Sant Josep White Garnacha ($36/bottle) - is opulent enough to accompany Roast Pork Neck ($30) with crackling, radicchio, honey and pears, without destroying a simple plate of Swordfish ($28) with juicy cucumbers, pink grapefruit and perilla.

81 Carrington Road,Waverley (02) 9389 3093 charingcrosshotel.com.au British, Pub Bistro,Wine, Cocktails $$$

By Jackie McMillan Bánh mì – these tasty Vietnamese baguettes continue to roll out across town. This means you no longer have to take the trek down to that ever-popular hole in the wall, Marrickville Pork Roll, for your crusty French bread, pork, pate and pickled vegetable fix. In Enmore, Great Aunty Three has basically revolutionised the pre-gig healthy snacking options for Enmore Theatre-goers.

And now, Darlinghurst has got their very own bánh mì hotspot – Bun Mese. Founders Jada Vi, Huy Nguyen and Johnny Tran have invested their time and energy into creating what they believe is the perfect pork roll, down to hand-crafted bread that keeps ‘em crusty on the outside, and fluffy deep within. While I like ‘em Ol’ School, loaded up with plenty of pâté, you’ll also find a vegetarian version, plus The Cha Cha decked out with chicken in special sauce, and Disco loaded up with beef and hot chillies. Will these new Darlo bánh mì unseat your favourite pork roll? Only a taste test will help you find out… www.greatauntythree.com www.bunmese.com.au

Bar Fly

By Viv McGregor

The Angry Pirate

“Sometimes theme bars are just half-arsed,” says Chris, as he lets me taste The Angry Pirate’s Grog: a heavily spiced blend of dark, white, and black rum. The Angry Pirate, to be fair, has used their whole arse, and the décor is, to put it mildly, committed to theme. But it’s (surprisingly) not overwhelming, because the staff are friendly and funny, and the Grog makes for an amazingly spicy and rich Angry Old Fashioned ($18). After I’ve tried the light and fruity Fresh Mint Papple ($14) with gin and pear liqueur, I have to go back and try another Grog-based cocktail, The Angry and Sour ($16). There’s pizza on the menu, a never-ending supply of free spicy popcorn, and a few good craft beers on tap, but it’s the staff that will have me coming back. By the time I’ve finished my spicy Sour, I’ve even grown attached to the stuffed seagull. I think I’ll call him Henry.

125 Redfern Street, Redfern (02) 9698 9140 theangrypirate.com.au

10

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Tom Gleeson

John Edward

photo: Brett Boardman

Psychic John Edward will be reading Sydneysiders for two nights only.

The television personality and medium, made famous for his 1999 show Crossing Over, will hold a similar formatted live show. “My live shows are very similar to my television shows, but more evolved,” he explains. “It’s a lot like Crossing Over without the cameras.”

Edward explored his abilities for fifteen years before going public with them. “I was a very sceptical teenager. A woman did a reading for me once which changed my life.

She told me that I had these

Emerald City

abilities and that I needed to explore them further, that put me on my path,” he continues. “I see it as a platform to express an idea and disseminate information. For me my whole thing is I’m teaching and trying to empower people.”

He believes scepticism towards his work is healthy. “With all the reality shows out there at the moment, I hope that people have the ability to discern what’s real and what’s not.

It’s all about keeping my work as pure as possible.” (GF) Nov 13-14, State Theatre, 49 Market St, Sydney, $65-100, ticketmaster.com.au

Tom Gleeson’s upcoming stand-up show will centre around coping: “In its most basic form it is about coping. Coping with my two year old, booze and Tony Abbott,” he says.

Fresh from his sellout 2013 tour Hello Bitches!, the multi-award winning comedian will perform at the Comedy Store for two nights in November.

Gleeson has travelled around the globe, performing to an evergrowing fan base. He was hand picked by stand-up giant Louis CK to support his Australian Tour at the Sydney Opera House. “I got paid really early, and getting another job seemed pointless. It kind of just evolved and I thought, this feels

Sydney in the ‘80s was a party. It gave us lycra, MTV, and a raging economy that ended in the recession ‘we had to have’. It was the ‘greed is good’ decade, with rampant consumerism, materialism and where success was measured in real estate – preferably with a harbour view. Cut to today and things change – there is much less lycra – and David Williamson’s Emerald City is as relevant as ever.

“Even though it was written 30 years ago, we all believe it’s absolutely relevant to today because we are having the exact same conversations,” says Kelly Paterniti (Home and Away, Packed to the Rafters) who plays Helen, the free-spirited girlfriend of a hack writer. “Unlike the other characters she just wants to go where the fun is and that’s why she is

good. As the months passed by I got paid more than the previous months,” he explains.

The current government has proven to be worthy material for Gleeson.

“Having everyone laugh is at best mild compensation for a very shit situation. I feel sorry for regular people, who don’t get to stand on stage and have lots of people laugh and agree with them that he’s an idiot,” he continues. “Comedy is very much what binds everyone together.

It’s quite binary as it’s either off or on. They’re pretty easy perimeters to work in.” (GF) Nov 15, 16 Comedy Store, Entertainment Quarter, $30, comedystore.com.au

so alluring. She just doesn’t care, so she lacks the moralistic conundrums that they have,” says Paterniti.

Our most performed playwright, Williamson’s central characters are decent people, wrestling with their worst selves. In his sharply satirical sights are the worst excesses of materialism and compromise that the harbour city can serve up. Dual Helpman winner Mitchell Butel, Lucy Bell (All Saints, Crownies) and the redoubtable Marcus Graham make a stellar cast. In a splash back to the decade, set design is by iconic ‘80s pop artist Ken Done, whose work was so evocative of the time.

(GW) Oct 24–Dec 6, SBW Stables, 10 Nimrod St, Kings Cross, $32-49, griffintheatre.com.au

The Worst Kept Secrets The Worst Kept Secrets is about what happens when the personal and the political collide for high-profile couple George Steeper, ex-Premier of NSW, and his wife Annie. Their 29-year marriage comes to an explosive end, and years worth of scandalous secrets become tabloid fodder.

What makes the play particularly intriguing is the fact that George and Annie are played by real-life husband and wife, Rhett Walton and Sonia Todd. But according to Todd, playing characters who despise each other was an amusing contrast to their real relationship. “I think when you’ve known someone a long time you develop a kind of shorthand,” Todd says.

The play was written by 22-year old Thomas de Angelis.

Despite not having experienced divorce firsthand, he did draw inspiration from real-life events. “It was happening to a lot of his friends’ parents,” Todd explains. “After they’d paid off their houses, put their kids through school and then you just turn to the other person and think, ‘Why are we still together? I don’t

even know you anymore.’ It had a big enough impact on him to write about it.” (AS) Nov 18-22, Reginald Theatre, Seymour Centre, City Rd, Chippendale, $30, seymourcentre.com

a&e

12 STAGE 13 SCENE 14 SCREEN 15 Sounds

Acting Arts Editor: Emma Salkild Music Editor: Jamie Apps For more A&E stories go to www.altmedia.net.au and don’t forget to join the conversation on Twitter at @AltMediaSydney

Contributors: Alexis Talbot-Smith, Anita Senaratna, Carmen Cita, Ciaran Tobin, Craig Coventry, Erika Vass, Georgia Fullerton, Greg Webster, Hannah Chapman, Jamie Apps, Leann Richards, Leigh Livingstone, Marilyn Hetreles, Mark Morellini, Mel Somerville, Michael Muir, Michelle Porter, Nick Jewlachow, Peter Hackney, Rocio Belinda Mendez, Ruth Fogarty, Sharon Ye, Shauna O’Carroll, Siri Williams

11

Daylight Savings

and Tom are completely engaging as a highly successful pair who just have no time for each other.

“It was written as a modern day comedy in 1989, so it’s just old enough to have a period feel to it,” Christopher says. “It’s about the strain on their relationship and the fight to get time to connect again ... and then her old boyfriend shows up!”

Supported by a stellar cast including Rachel Gordon and Ian Stenlake, Daylight Saving is funny, relatable and entertaining.

(SOC ) Nov 5-30, $30-$43, Eternity Playhouse, 39 Burton St, Darlinghurst, 8356 9987, darlinghursttheatre.com

Photo: Helen Whit

Can saving a failing marriage be funny?

Much-loved Australian playwright Nick Enright certainly thinks so. His hilarious satire Daylight Saving follows power couple, Felicity and Tom. Actor Christopher Stollery, who plays the role of Tom, says the play is a fast-paced comedy that explores love and fidelity in an increasingly deregulated world. “The idea that you do not have time for family or to nurture your relationship is an ongoing concern,” he says. “It’s very much an approachable, open, modern comedy.”

Even though the distinctly Australian production was written over 20 years ago, in the age of ‘power couples,’ Felicity

Miracle City Miracle City resurfaces for the first time since its original 1996 inception. In association with Luckiest Productions and Hayes Theatre Co, this musical is being developed and performed at a very socially relevant time.

“Miracle City is not really about religion, it’s about hypocrisy. It’s about understanding [that] you have to look to yourself to find out what you believe – you can’t look at something external.

Whether that’s organised religion, or your partner, you have to look to yourself,” says co-producer Richard Carroll.

“It’s the only musical that I know which plays out in real time,” he continues.

Performed in conjunction with a live-to-air American Televangelist show; timing is of the essence.With wonderful musical direction and concept by Max Lambert, alongside director Darren Yap, the ‘miracle’ is about to take Sydney on a wild theme-park ride.

Miracle City is taking to the stage thanks to a host of Australian theatre royalty including Mike McLeish, Blazey Best, Hilary Cole, Marika Aubrey, Josie Lane, Cameron Holmes along with Peter Kowitz and Esther Hannaford.

This unique Australian gem has been dusted off, and is sure to entertain a new generation of audiences.

“A joyous night at the theatre that evolves into something altogether more thought-provoking,” says Carroll. (RBM)

Until Nov 16, Hayes Theatre Co, 19 Greenknowe Ave, Potts Point, $44-49, hayestheatre.com.au

Les Robinson & Belle of the Cross

photo: Egomedia

Sydney has had its fair share of quirky characters in history, and two of them will be celebrated in Sitco’s final production at Old Fitzroy Theatre.

The Les Robinson Story and Belle of the Cross explore the triumphs and failures of the lives of Les Robinson and Belle, two iconic storytellers. “It was a nice vision to put these two plays together, they both have a strong sense of place,” says Martin Portus who plays the character of Les Robinson.

The Les Robinson Story, written by Kieran Carroll, explores the life of writer Les Robinson, an eccentric figure on Sydney’s bohemian scene between the 1920s and the 1960s. “He wrote weird, Monty Python/Kafka-like stories about coastal Sydney,” he explains. “He was quite surreal, the early voice of modernist writing, he was before his time.”

The production uses film, monologue, music and song to bring to life the quirky Robinson and his extraordinary story. “He was devoted to Sydney; he loved fishing for his dinner around his shack in Seaforth and writing the odd crazy story,” Martin says.

Similarly, the production of Belle of the

HAUS THEATRE &

PERFORMANCE NOVEMBER SPAWNED A MONSTER and V.D. The 2014 season at The Old Fitzroy is heating up in the lead-up to summer with fantastic one-man shows of love, humour and friendship. Actress Eliza St John commands the stage in 12

the hilarious and honest production of V.D., a show that explores 35-year-old Sophie’s journey of love, enlightenment, self-discovery and a love of gin. “It’s really funny and poignant and a lot of audience members will come up and say, ‘Wow were you reading my diary?

That was my life,’” says St John.

Relatable to both men and women,

the show explores Sophie as she falls in and out of love, struggles in a new job and travels to India.

November Spawned a Monster follows the journey of William, (James Wright), who decides to go on a holy pilgrimage to Manchester in honour of his idol, Morrissey. “It’s about a troubled kid looking for answers and the meaning of life,”

Cross, written by Angelika Fremd, follows the life of Belle, a woman who lived on the street of Kings Cross. Gertraud Ingeborg, who plays Belle, says the production is a poetic and uplifting exploration of homelessness. “It’s just showing some of the routines the way they live and what they go through,” Ingeborg says.

“Belle is a character full of life, you see what she goes through and how she copes with things.” Based on Fremd’s personal experiences with the homeless of Kings

Imagine being confined to a room the size of a cellar with your family. Now imagine that to leave means to risk not only your own life and but the lives of everyone you hold dear. HAUS explores the concept of this reality, with a Polish family seeking shelter in a cellar to escape persecution during WWII. It asks audiences to consider what life would really be like under these conditions and to keep in mind that for some, this has been reality.

Directed by Neil Khare and written by Dimitrios Armatas, the play was inspired by Armatas’ fascination with WWII history, the story of Anne Frank, and also partly by his own Greek grandmother’s history of being forced to live underground with her family to escape the Italian army.

says Wright. (SOC) Until Nov 15, Old Fitzroy Theatre, 129 Dowling St, Woolloomooloo, $18-47, sitco.net.au WICKED Steve Danielsen joins seasoned Wicked stars Jemma Rix (Elphaba) and Lucy Durack (Glinda) as the award-winning musical returns.

Asked what it’s like joining a team who have been performing Wicked

Cross, the minimal piece aims to show the facts of what it is like to live as a homeless person through the true story of Belle.

“You embrace her for what she is and what she does,” Ingeborg continues. “She doesn’t complain, she doesn’t say ‘poor me’, which makes it much more enjoyable to watch.” (SOC) Nov 18-29, Old Fitzroy Theatre, 129 Dowling St, Woolloomooloo, , $21-39, sitco.net.au

The entire play is set within a single room, which allowed the Armatas and the actors to get creative with their storytelling. “It was a challenge and a benefit,” says Armatas. “The claustrophobia meant that the characters understood what these people would have been going through…but it didn’t allow for outside thoughts.”

Fundamentally, Armatas’ play centres around love, loss and family. “[It’s about] how you can’t stand being around each other but for the greater good and survival, you have to stick together and use everyone’s skill to make sure you live to see tomorrow.” (SW) Nov 5-15, King Street Theatre, 644 King St, Newtown (Enter on Bray St), $15-$27, 0423 082 015, trybooking.com

for years, Danielsen says Rix and Durack have been very welcoming and working together is “amazing”.

“I love it and I don’t really just have to say that either, this show really means a lot to me,” he says.

Despite debuting over a decade ago, Wicked:The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz is still one of the most popular musicals in the world.

With the whole cast working hard to deliver the best performances they can each and every night, Danielsen says that the “incredible sets and costumes” will make it “really hard not to like this show”.

(LL) Until Dec 31, Capitol Theatre, 13 Campbell St, Haymarket, $69-114, wickedthemusical.com.au

THE NAKED CITY

A Cable Car Named Desire

Pioneer - Colin Pennock

Second Formwork, oil on canvas, 122 x 122 cm, courtesy Arthouse Gallery, Sydney

Colin Pennock has embraced abstraction to produce relatable works which titillate and inspire.These oils of sharp edges and long slices of paint which float on the walls like multicoloured clouds coalesce into shining representations of landscapes and dreams.

The hallucinogenic hues of Just As We Imagined It, are a combination of sunset and imagination. It is recognisably dusk, yet it is an ideal, a chimera, a perfect representation of every days end. It encompasses the beauty and the terror of each lived moment, each second of suffering and each minute of loving compassion.

The impressionistic pastels of Homes Apart seem to owe much to the artist’s upbringing in Ireland. Its softer tones speak to the viewer of a lost world, a sadness and nostalgia connected to home and family.

Pennock’s works invite poetic descriptions, yet remain embedded in common experience.They are works for rumination and skilful artistic creations. (LR) Until Nov 22, Arthouse Gallery, 66 McLachlan Ave, Darlinghurst, FREE, arthousegallery.com.au

Faces I Have Met - Jane Elliot

By Coffin Ed, Miss Death & Jay Katz Sydney has a history of building wacky things, like the ill-fated monorail and the Bourke Street bicycle path and then wondering whether that was such a good idea after all.The latest light bulb moment, which could fall into that category, is the suggestion by the Sydney Business Chamber to build a cable car link between Pyrmont and Barangaroo.

As the SMH jokingly commented, “Imagine cabins carrying passengers over the waves, from casino to casino, air sickness bags included. Morning commutes measured in knots. Pigeons fleeing in fear.The Monorail is dead. Long live the Cable Car.” Our immediate reaction is, ‘Are people that lazy?’ After all it would probably take less than fifteen or twenty minutes to walk from Pyrmont to the towering monoliths of Barangaroo with the scenic interlude of Pyrmont Bridge thrown in for good measure.The Sydney Business Chamber counters with the argument that the historic bridge is now at capacity with “so many more cyclists”.

Surpisingly when we walked across the other day there was hardly a cyclist in sight but maybe the peak hour produces a peloton that would do justice to the Tour de France.

Cynical we may be, but let’s admit there is a certain novelty element in the idea - one that might appeal to kiddies, tourists and thrillseekers alike.The Scenic Cableway has being doing great business at Katoomba for decades and gondola-style cable cars are found in cities and alpine locations all over the world. However, if Sydney is to stand out from the rest we need to come up with a concept that will have punters salivating at the experience.

Let’s make the Sydney cable car distinctively Australian with each of the gondolas themed in the image of things we all know and love.We’re talking hard

core, unashamed, in your face Australiana like a giant meat pie, an enormous Darwin stubby and an Aussie bush hat complete with corks on strings. In the latter case each cork would be a passenger seat and the excitement of dangling over the depths of Darling Harbour beneath an enormous Akubra should not be underestimated.

If Australiana is not the chosen motif then maybe we need to look more towards the adventure tourist, and adopt the example of our Kiwi neighbours.

Forget about a cable car and aim towards a giant flying fox whereby punters would whizz across the water at a speed approaching Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic. Multiple flying foxes could convey passengers direct to strategic points like the high rollers room in Packer’s new casino and then straight to the nearest taxi stand when they inevitably blow their bankroll.

What we really need is a worldwide competition, similar to that which awarded the design of the Sydney Opera House.The challenge – the most innovative way of getting lazy pedestrians, commuters and casino tragics from Pyrmont to Barangaroo and vice versa.Whether they are fired out of a canon or airlifted by a squadron of super drones, we are confident, somebody, somewhere in the world is sitting on an idea of pure genius.

In the meantime Sydneysiders, get off your bum or get on your bike and enjoy that invigorating stroll or bike ride between the two precincts. If the old Pyrmont Bridge does become gridlocked with cyclists then you can always grab a rubber ring and float your way across the water. Just watch out for giant yellow ducks!

THE HIT LIST: The Lord Wolseley Hotel in Ultimo (265 Bulwara Rd) is a great neighbourhood pub especially on a Saturday night when pianist Bridie King holds court from around 8.30pm. Each week Bridie introduces great guest artists and this coming Saturday it’s Kiwi vocal duo Jason & Judy Klever. It’s free to get in and there’s always a friendly musicloving crowd on hand. lordwolseleyhotel.com.au

After 30 years of teaching primary, secondary and tertiary students, Sydney artist Jane Elliot will exhibit her collection of works titled Faces I Have Met. Inspired and impassioned by her students, Elliot was influenced and inclined to explore different representations of people, faces and topical issues.

“Over three decades I have noticed children more reluctant to labour too much with media. I think this is due to the influence of the computer where the delete button readily allows us to restart documents, and you only have to click on ‘fill’ to render a large shape in the colour of your choice,” Elliot said. “Connecting to people in really empathic human ways is vital for everyone, and I always discuss with my classes that the faces they portray for portrait work should convey more than just a likeness.”

Faces I Have Met mixes various artistic elements such as 2D images that have been “created from a child’s clay piece, a collage, drawing or painting.”

This collection of work is Elliot’s tribute to her students over the years. (EV) Nov 11-23,Tap Gallery, 45 Burton St, Darlinghurst, 9361 0440, tapgallery.org.au

The Moment of Disappearance - Kate McMillian

Photo by Kate McMillan

Water, its mystery, fecundity and danger is a major thematic thread of Kate Mc Millian’s multimedia exhibit, The Moment of Disappearance.

The artist uses the element as a motif to explore the implications of colonialism and isolation. Her installation consists of several short videos which focus on streams flowing through narrow gulfs, reeds blowing like stringy arms in soft rock pools and a person struggling through the sea.The images are presented in an environment which is itself an island, with flowing curtains and odd, stone formations.

On the central screen a man swims, droplets rain on his head, bubbles swell and surround his arms as they flail, propelling him towards shore. He staggers to the edge, merges into the trees and vanishes.

This is a mesmerising collection accompanied by equally intriguing music which creaks and drips through the space.

A profound comment on dispossession, The Moment of Disappearance is an hypnotic experience. (LR) Until Nov 29, Carriageworks, 245 Wilson St, Eveleigh, FREE, carriageworks.com.au

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Japanese Film Festival 2014 Can you imagine a Japanese version of My Fair Lady? Masayuki Suo’s Lady Maiko is a musical loosely based on the Audrey Hepburn classic and is the opening film of this year’s Japanese Film Festival.

It’s one of over 50 titles featuring and, for the first time, 19 of these will be screening in Parramatta.

Very contemporary issues are explored. Growing homelessness in Tokyo is the theme of Tokyo Refugees. When the social media of this ITobsessed world runs off the rails in The Snow White Murder Case, the who-dunnit gets a new scenario.

Next, be prepared to be scared out of your wits by what Japanese audiences labelled the most frightening of all horror series: JU-ON – The Beginning of the End. And there has to be anime, in this case Osamu Tezuka’s Buddha 2 is about the subject’s journey to enlightenment and a follow-on to the prequel Buddha, shown in JFF 2011.

The contrasts continue to the last with what is, eventually, a feel-good film: The Vancouver Asahi. It’s based on the true story of pre-WWII Japanese migrants in Canada who overcome racial prejudice by the way they play baseball. (MMu)

November 13-23, Event Cinemas, George St and Parramatta, Adult $15-18, 5-Film Pass $75, japanesefilmfestival.net

Winter Sleep Winter Sleep (Kis uykusu) is a remarkable Turkish drama set in Cappadochia, central Anatolia. With a lengthy duration of 196 minutes, it intrepidly reels you in within the first scene. Director Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s decision to maintain the unconventional length of this narrative is purely for indulgence, and it makes for an entertaining experience. The film spills from one scene into another effortlessly.You feel as though you’re watching these people’s lives unfold in real-time as it progresses.

A WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES At first glance this may seem like a Taken clone in that it stars Liam Neeson and centres around an ex-cop who now hunts down criminals with his “particular set of skills”, however, this is a more cerebral than action-oriented affair.

Set in a rain-soaked, gloomy and grey New York circa 1999, the environment and cinematography help to build the suspense and tension of this serial killer thriller.

Despite following typical crime cliches, this film overcomes its flaws and could potentially be the start of a new franchise for Neeson. (JA) WWW½

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It delivers strong performances from the cast. In particular, former actor turned hotel owner Aydin (Haluk Bilginer), his wife Nihal (Melisa Sözen), and her recent divorcee sister Necla (Demet Akbag). With extensive dialogue throughout, it takes some effort to sit through certain moments as some characters merely speak because they want to say something, not because they have something to say.

However, that is the basis of this decadent, daring film, and ultimately why it will be praised. (RBM) WWWW

BRITISH FILM FESTIVAL 2014 The 16 new films include epics set during the war and a host of highly anticipated flicks featuring stars such as Benedict Cumberbatch, Kit Harrington and Pierce Brosnan. Testament of Youth centres on a free-spirited woman who overcomes prejudice, wins an Oxford scholarship and pursues a literary career, but chaos ensues with WWI; Mr Turner deals with the artist who painted with light itself (which also won two awards at Cannes, including Best Actor for Timothy Spall); ’71 covers the ‘the troubles’ in Northern Ireland – Jack O’Connell (Skins) plays a young

My Old Lady

Mathias Gold, a down-and-out New Yorker, arrives in Paris intent on selling an apartment inherited from his father.The old female occupant is immoveable due to the French law viager; he won’t get possession until she dies, and in the meantime has to support her.

What a good cast, and all of them in fine form.The frail but formidable Maggie Smith is Mathilde Girard, the title role. Continuing her alliance Francaise,

Finding Vivian Maier

Kristin Scott Thomas is Chloe, the daughter; and Wild Wild West is a faux pas Kevin Kline should be forgiven for due to his believable, natural performance here.

Enjoyable too to see character actor Dominique Pinon (Delicatessen and City of Lost Children) very much alive – despite malicious internet rumours.

The dialogue-heavy script that director Israel Horovitz has adapted from his own play is a slight weakness – but when the story is so involving, who cares? (MMu) WWW½

Two Days, One Night Two days, One night (Deux jours, une nuit) is an extremely simple but nonetheless emotive French drama. Beautifully crafted and subtly performed by all involved, with particular praise to Marion Cotillard who plays Sandra, a Belgian mother with a history of depression. Sandra is about to lose her job, and she is trying to keep herself together for her family and her sanity. If her co-workers choose their significant bonus over her

Finding Vivian Maier is a beautifully crafted documentary. It’s centred on a mysterious woman, who roamed the streets capturing the unalloyed reality of the view behind her lens. At first glance she was merely a nanny, but at second and third she was not only an artist, but a tender observer of the human condition.

Over 100,000 negatives were inadvertently discovered at an auction in Chicago – many of which were never seen by Miss Maier herself.The documentary is captivating from start to finish, although somewhat disagreeable

British soldier, separated from his unit, who must find his way through the mean and deadly streets; and moving film What We Did On Our Holiday (starring Billy Connolly) looks at the dynamics of a couple going through divorce who take their children on a holiday reunion to Scotland. Six from the 60s has six standout classics from the influential era. (MMu) Until Nov 26, Palace Norton St, Leichhardt & Palace Verona, Paddington, $19.50150 (10 film pass), britishfilmfestival. com.au JEWISH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL The list of

keeping her position at work, she may fall back into bad habits.

The story starts off with all the drama embedded into one tense character, and as it progress you begin to see the pieces falling delicately into place. Sandra’s anxiety is at its peak, and her self-doubt is in gear.Viewers can’t help but struggle with her and any mild victory is magnified with brilliant nuances by Cotillard. (RBM) WWW

at times due to the subjects being interviewed – some distract from the story itself, and the tone of the film.

The heart of the story is her wish to stay as anonymous as possible, yet all involved are rummaging through her intimate archives.This intriguing narrative hypocritically captures talent, while also treading a fine line between honouring an artist and mild exploitation; which in essence is Vivian’s posthumous fame. Such beauty should be shared, but by whom? (RBM) WWW

films which promise to lay bare the soul of a fascinating culture include a variety of award-winning features, documentaries and shorts such as The Good Son, which tells of a man seeking sexual re-assignment; The Outrageous Sophie Tucker about a vaudeville star of ‘20s; and The Farewell Party which is set in a retirement home where the residents build a euthanasia machine to help a friend. Zero Motivation follows three female army clerical staff battling boredom in menial work; the ironically-named The Decent One uses new material to profile the architect of the final solution –

Heinrich Himmler; and The Dove Flyer details the final years of the Jewish community in ‘50s Baghdad before the expulsion to Israel.

Alfred Hitchcock was one of the team that assembled German Concentration Camps Factual Survey which had massive amounts of footage documenting the horror of the concentration camps – a project which was shelved and not completed … until now. The result is Night Will Fall. (MMu) Until Nov 16, Event Cinemas, Bondi Junction, jiff.com.au THE JUDGE Robert Downey Jr flexes his acting chops in this

outstanding drama with Robert Duvall. It is something to behold – the frustration and tension constantly bubbling beneath the surface is electric.

The Judge is a moving drama guaranteed to keep audiences on the edge of their seats with suspense. Every role is expertly cast and Duvall is sublime as the stubborn, righteous, crank at the centre of the film.

To find fault with such a gripping narrative is tough but for the sake of balance, a weak subplot or two could have been omitted and it wouldn’t have affected the flow of the film at all. (LL) WWWW

New Found Glory Resurrection New Found Glory return with their eighth studio album their most fierce punk-influenced release yet. With the loss of former frontman Steve Klein, the band needed somebody to take the reigns creatively.

Based off this effort it is safe to assume that was guitarist Chad Gilbert. Gilbert, now the lone guitarist, appears to have taken the band down a more hardcore path with charging memorably-intricate riffs paired with a combination of clean and gang-shout vocals throughout.

New Found Glory continue to lead the poppunk pack with this release and is a must have for fans of the genre. (JA)

Antemasque - Antemasque The debut album of the new group formed by Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Cedric Bixler-Zavala formerly of At The Drive In and The Mars Volta Fame takes the pairs musical careers in yet another new direction.

This album moves away from the experimental prog-rock background of the pair with both men taming their creative flourishes.That change creates an album more in line with classic rock and roll tendencies in terms of the guitar riffs and drum lines. Standout tracks are Drown All Your Witches and I Got No Remorse.

Both exemplify the pairs talent for song writing, instrumental layering and lyric composition. (JA)

Manchester Orchestra To celebrate and support the release of their fourth full-length album, Cope, Atlanta rockers Manchester Orchestra are set to return to Australian shores.

Despite this being the fifth time they’ve toured here. “We still get excited every time and we know nobody will be disappointed with this show,” says lead singer, Andy Hull.

In a change of pace the band decided to self-produce Cope. “We all felt that we were at a certain point where it was necessary to branch out and try to create something large on our own,” Hull continues. “It definitely had its hurdles but overall it was a great experience.”

The album was produced in their private studio, which they built themselves in a refurbished house. Hull describes how both of these events both challenged and complemented each other.

“I use the analogy that every record is sort of like building a house in that it takes time,

LIVE WIRE

Husky: Following on from their debut release the band spent almost two years touring all over Australia, Europe and the US before slowing down to spend the last 18 months meticulously writing and working on their second album Ruckers Hill.

With an intriguing mixture of upbeat folk tunes and more emotive numbers, the band are masterful musicians with impeccably harmonies and songwriting at the forefront.

patience and a good attitude.This time though we found ourselves literally building a house. Although it was quite challenging, ultimately the whole process was incredibly gratifying and rewarding. [It was great] to stand back and say, ‘Wow, we just did that’, and I still get that feeling every time I go to the studio.”

By having this new sense of freedom the band was once again able to explore and develop their sound to produce a record that is vastly different from their previous release, Simple Math.

“Every record we’ve ever released sounds different from each other and that’s something we’ve always strived to do.We don’t ever want to repeat anything we’ve done before.With our third record we went pretty far off into the deep end experimenting with different instruments [in order] to go as far sonically as we could at the time, yet our fans still seemed to enjoy it, so that was reassuring.With Cope

Sydney Live Music Guide

Thu, Nov 13, Oxford Art Factory Morning Harvey + The Tambourine Girls: Having both received positive reviews for their respective releases earlier this year the two bands have decided to join forces for a co-headline tour. Morning Harvey bring a moody, eclectic and soulful rock sound to the show whilst The Tambourine Girls provide a more upbeat Brit-pop/rock sound to produce a show that will

satisfy all musical tastes.

Fri, Nov 14, Brighton Up Bar British India: To celebrate the release of their latest single the band are heading out on the road for a national tour.The tour also feature two very special shows with the band personally selected to support legendary rock group The Rolling Stones.

British India are are considered to be one of Australia’s most popular rock

we wanted to continue to push the envelope and make the type of rock album that seems to be missing these days, so this is hard-hitting and brutal with every track,” says Hull. “[The shows are heavy, loud, intense, highenergy performances that are a lot of fun,” he explains. “We have a great time

groups after seven very successful years so their shows are often in very high demand.

Fri, Nov 14, Oxford Art Factory Cause & Effect + Josh Butler: Two of the UK’s most sought after acts in the house and bass scene make their way down under this weekend for an intimate club gig that is sure to live up to expectations. Cause & Effect bring their heavy bass garage sound while Josh Butler will explore the deeper house vibes both of which are

performing them.” For support, fellow American Kevin Devine will be making the trip down under.

Hull suggests that fans may also be in for a special treat with a performance by his side project with Devine, Bad Books. (JA) Nov 15, Metro Theatre, 624 George St, Sydney, $51.89+bf, ticketek.com.au

guaranteed to have the crowd dancing.

Sat, Nov 15, Soho Bar Trophy Eyes: Hailing from Newcastle Trophy Eyes have recently released their debut album Mend. Move On and to celebrate will be making the trek down to Sydney for the UNFUN Festival on Saturday and a headline sideshow on Sunday. Far from your typical hardcore band this five-piece injects their songs with loads of emotion throughout the lyrics while using the aggressive pop-punk sound

to heighten the effect.

Sun, Nov 16,The Lair Guy Pearce: For one night only Pearce alongside his five-piece band will perform in Sydney to launch his debut album Broken Bones. Up until now Pearce has kept his musical talents relatively under wraps so this provided fans with a rare opportunity to get up close and personal for a night of funky rock ballads written by the man himself.

Wed, Nov 19,The Basement

F R E E W I L L A STROLO G Y

by Rob Brezsny

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ARIES (March 21-April 19): We all have addictive and obsessive tendencies.

They are fundamental to being human. So the challenge is not to eliminate them -- that’s not possible -- but rather to harness them. If you hope to keep them from dragging you down, you must work hard to channel them into activities that enhance your life. How are you doing on this score, Aries? Are you chronically dependent on drugs, gambling, sugar, or chaotic relationships?

Or are you, instead, hooked on the courage you summon when you face your fears and the willpower you invoke as you free yourself from your limitations?

Now is an excellent time to upgrade your addictive and obsessive tendencies.

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TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Our planet’s most abundant mineral is called bridgmanite. It’s an amalgam of iron, magnesium, silicon, and oxygen. Until recently, no one had actually seen it because it lies so deep underground it can’t be reached by digging tools. Scientists have only known about it from studying how earthquake waves moved through it. That changed in the last few years, when two mineralogists found bridgmanite in an ancient meteorite. They were able to analyze the nuances of this basic mineral for the first time. I predict a comparable development for you, Taurus. In the coming

months, you will become more familiar with a core part of you that has always been a mystery.

The revelations may occur with the help of an influence that resembles a meteorite.

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GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Some conspiracy theorists are paranoid that aliens or government agencies use radio waves to try to control their minds. They wear tin foil hats to protect themselves from the evil transmissions.

But a recent study shows that this protective head gear has an effect that’s opposite to what it’s supposed to. In fact, it actually amplifies the intensity of radio frequencies, making it even more likely that mindcontrol signals would work their dastardly magic. This problem probably does not apply to you, but I suspect you are suffering from a comparable glitch. An approach you’re pursuing or an attitude you’re cultivating is having an impact contrary to what you imagine. Now is an excellent time to make adjustments.

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CANCER (June 21-July 22): I can’t remember the last time you’ve had as much artistic freedom as you have now. It’s as if life has given you a slew of wild cards and X-factors to play with. You don’t have to answer to the past as much as you usually do. You are less beholden to the demands of duty and the constraints of karma. Here’s the best perk: You have been authorized by

both the higher powers and lower powers of the cosmos to fall in love. With whom? With what? Everyone! Everything!

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LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): For much of its history, the United States claimed ownership of the ocean within three miles of its coasts. That changed in 1988, when the federal government declared that hereafter it would have sovereignty over the ocean as far as 12 miles from land. With that action, American territory increased dramatically. I invite you to consider a comparable expansion in the coming months, Leo. Seize more space.

Seek further privileges. Ask for a bigger piece of everything.

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VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Poland’s most renowned ghost hunter is frustrated.

Having invested a fortune in spectral detection equipment, Piotr Shalkevitz finds that there are fewer and fewer spooks to investigate as the years go by. I’m not qualified to speak about whether or not the whole world is experiencing a decline in the ghost population. But I’m confident that this is exactly what is happening for you Virgos. Recently, the haunted elements of your life have begun to dissipate. And in the next eight months, I expect that you will be freed from most, maybe all, of the ghosts and pesky demons that attached themselves to you once upon a time.

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LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “To improve is to change, so to be perfect is to have changed often.” Winston Churchill said that, and now I’m passing it along to you -- with one caveat.

I don’t expect you to be perfect, and never will. To shoot for perfection is risky. It may set up unrealistic expectations that lead to bad mental hygiene.

It tempts you to avoid messy experiences, some of which might be essential to your growth. So I will offer a revised version of Churchill’s maxim for your use: If you want to improve, you must change. If you want to keep improving, you must change often. And the coming months will be prime time for you to keep improving and improving and improving.

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SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “Sex is like pizza,” said comedian Mel Brooks. “Even when it’s bad, it’s still pretty good.” That’s a generalization, of course. I’m sure you can think of times in your past when mediocre pizza and mediocre sex were just plain mediocre.

But work with me on the overarching principle, Scorpio: Some of the finer things in life just can’t be spoiled. They are always at least moderately pleasurable and interesting and lucky -- and usually more than just moderately so. According to my reading of the astrological omens, your immediate future will be filled to the brim with these finer things.

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SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Ancient people knew about Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn because all of those planets are visible to the naked eye. From the second millennium B.C. until the late 20th century, only three additional planets were found: Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.

(Pluto was later reclassified as a dwarf planet, however.) Then in 1992, astronomers began to locate planets orbiting other stars. On one spectacular day in February of 2014, NASA announced it had identified 715 new planets. I foresee a similar uptick for you in the next seven months, Sagittarius. Your rate of discoveries is about to zoom.

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CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): When Evan Lattimer’s 92-year-old father died in 2007, she inherited his large collection of odd relics. It included a cigar smoked by W. C. Fields, Greta Garbo’s driver’s license, Abraham Lincoln’s shaving mirror, a bearskin coat owned

by General George Custer, and Napoleon Bonaparte’s penis.

Many items turned out to be quite valuable to collectors. One eager bidder offered to buy the famous genitalia for $100,000.

I suspect that in the coming months, you will experience events that have some resemblances to this story. For example, the legacy you receive may not be what you expected, but could turn out to be more useful than you imagined.

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AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Here’s your assignment: Get more organized and purposeful about having fun.

Think harder about what makes you feel good, and plan more aggressively to bring those feelgood experiences into your life.

In offering these prescriptions, I’m not advocating irresponsible hedonism. Not at all. In my view, you will become a better servant of those you care about by boosting your commitment to pleasure. You will carry out your duties with more aplomb and effectiveness. Raising your joy quotient is actually a formula for becoming a better human being.

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PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The Appalachian Mountains span 1,500 miles from Newfoundland to Alabama.

They are the seventh longest range in the world. And yet they have shrunk over the eons. Their average height is 3,000 feet, but when they were young they were probably twice that high. What happened? There has been constant erosion caused by rivers, glaciers, wind, tree roots, lichens, and oxidation. Rain and condensation have also played a role because when water freezes, it expands, creating a wedging force. I propose that we make what has happened to the Appalachians a symbol of what’s possible for you in the next eight months, Pisces.

Through steady, small actions, you can significantly grind down a mountainous obstacle.