City Hub 21 April 2016

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APRIL 21, 2016

Sydney Comedy Festival fostering the new breed of comedians Jack Gow, Becky Lucas, Matt Okine and Josipa Draisma

Page 9

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city hub 21 APRIL 2016

Battle lines drawn as Waterloo housing redevelopment continues

BY JORDAN FERMANIS Last week the City of Sydney Council moved to give the Redfern Legal Centre $100,000 over a 24 month period to provide legal resources for tenants in the Waterloo public housing redevelopment.

The motion was passed in a council meeting held on 11th April as the NSW government plans to relocate tenants to make way for the construction of the Sydney Metro project.

A spokesperson from the City of Sydney said: “Council approved financial support of up to $100,000 to the Redfern Legal Centre over the next 24 months to fund tenant support, advocacy and advice services to public housing tenants impacted by the NSW Government’s Sydney Metro project in Waterloo.”

“Redfern Legal Centre will be required to make a submission for the use of the funds, identifying the services to be delivered, costs and performance measures. Regular reporting will also be required as part of the grant agreement.”

Jacqui Swinburne, Tenancy Coordinator at Redfern Legal Centre says that they welcome the City of Sydney’s decision to award a $100,000 grant.

“We have also been funded by City of Sydney to provide a similar legal support service to the residents being relocated out of Millers Point. As we would not be able to provide the level of assistance required in large scale housing relocations within our core service, we are very grateful to City of Sydney for their continued support.”

The decision to allocate the grant comes almost a year away from the first wave of relocations which are scheduled to begin in mid-2017.

Mary Perkins from Shelter NSW has concerns over the process of relocation which she says lacks proper consultation with tenants.

“They say they will rehouse tenants in the area, but the area has not been defined.”

“There’s no clarity around a process for tenants.”

Perkins said.

Perkins also objected to the ratio of public to

Residents are worried that the governments plan will exclude them from their neighbourhood.

private housing. The redevelopment of the site is designed to contain 1/3 public housing and 2/3 private housing.

“They say they want a social mix. My comment about social mixes, it’s a one way street. It seems to always be the areas that the poor live are up for social mix but the areas rich people live don’t want poor people. We’re not talking about social mix on the North Shore for example,” Perkins said.

Urban Studies lecturer at Western Sydney University, Dr. Dallas Rogers said that the state government adopted the theory that a social mix between public and private housing provides a safer community.

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“The ideas that people use to justify these projects are pretty interesting. In the early 2000’s in places like Minto and later in Bonnyrigg, they were using the idea that a concentration of public housing tenants was a bad idea and what we need to do was diversify them. So they introduced private housing.”

This tactic was altered recently in the Millers Point tenancy battle where the high value of the estate land meant that the state government was able to sell the land and use that money to redevelop other public housing estates across NSW. Dr Rogers pointed out that the situation in Waterloo is unique due to strong community support to retain the cultural heritage of the area.

“There is very strong public housing advocacy voice in Redfern and Waterloo. That’s not just the public housing tenants, it’s private homeowners and non-government organisations that see the value of that place as being very diverse. It’s a very diverse neighbourhood so there’s a value in having diverse forms of housing tenure.”

Dr. Rogers says that the $100,000 grant awarded to the Redfern Legal Centre is an act of support from the council to the tenants.

“The money provides help to the local community to organise and formulate a resistance campaign. It is designed to make sure that the local community gets what it needs out of this development.”

“Affordable housing is being caught up in the redevelopment of Sydney. It’s a battle about keeping affordable housing and cultural and socio-economic diversity in these areas.”

A spokesperson for FACS said that residents would be relocated “ideally” in a location they would choose, and all would have the opportunity to live in the new dwellings for the suburb.

“Waterloo tenants have a tenant-led Neighbourhood Advisory Board (NAB) that Family and Community Services (FACS) meets with regularly to ensure tenants are supported and informed throughout the redevelopment,” the spokesperson said.

RPA car park price hike hitting those who can afford it least

BY ANDREW BARCLAY Each day on his way to work, Shaun* must decide whether to arrive two hours early and search for one of the few metered street parking spots or pay twenty-dollars in the adjacent car park.

If he chooses the former, he must move his car every two hours to avoid a fine.

The third option is to catch a bus. But, given he often does shift work and lives in Bronte, notoriously difficult when it comes to public transport, this option doesn’t offer much convenience either.

A trainee surgeon at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, known as RPA, Shaun’s situation is representative of the plight faced by many employees after the car park’s lease was not renewed last November.

The site has been used by the hospital since 1996, but in November last year the owner halved the number of bays available for hospital staff to around 600 - and only if you were lucky enough to get a permit.

“If you weren’t lucky enough to get a permit you’re stuffed,” Shaun told City Hub. What’s more, when the owner, Macquarie International Health Clinic, took back the car park they increased prices from $7 per exit in March to $12 or $20 for those who do not have a permit.

“If you don’t want to pay twenty-dollars a day, then you basically have to move house,” he said.

Shaun says it is hitting nurses the hardest.

“A lot of nurses are struggling.”

“It’s causing a pay divide.”

Given the starting salary for a nurse is $48,000, the impact of paying $100 a week for parking can become a real imposition – and the issue is starting to impact staff retention.

Brett Holmes, General Secretary of the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association says it is impacting those people just starting out the hardest.

“Especially those starting out in their nursing and midwifery carers and other health workers who are not paid extremely well,” he said. Jackie Myers alongside Dr Lynne Pressley “It’s having a real impact on livelihood.” for a new car park on the campus had been About 50 per cent of 63 nurses surveyed by confirmed. the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association said “The board and executive of SLHD and they would consider resigning over the issue.

RPA recognise that the car parking situation is Mr Holmes says beyond the financial impact, continuing to cause significant frustration and security was also a concern. inconvenience,” the SLHD chief executive said in “The real world limitations of public transport a statement to staff last week. and security late at night are factors too,” he said.

Entrepreneurial locals have tried to cash in on “We’re very disappointed in a situation the issue, with one listing on website Gumtree where the hospital is at the mercy of a private offering a “clean, modern and dry” car park for corporation.” $242 a month.

To assist employees the Sydney Local Health “Would suit residents in Camperdown, District, or SLHD, has organised a free shuttle Newtown and Annandale, or workers in the local to Redfern train station and arranged for staff to area,” the listing said. park at White Bay with a shuttle service to the Construction of the new car park build is hospital while a new car park is built. expected to take 12 months.

The change comes as the SLHD said plans *Not his real name. city hub 21 APRIL 2016

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Locals protest demolition of buildings for new development

BY ALEX LEWIS A proposal to redevelop a Glebe heritage site into a block of apartments has met a storm of opposition from nearby residents.

Under the plans, a 1983 office building currently used as the Bidura Children’s Court would be demolished to make way for a seven storey block of flats and a string of new town houses.

Just metres away from the proposed demolition are a pair of buildings dating back to the 1860s. While those buildings would be spared from the wrecking ball, residents are concerned they could be subject to collateral damage.

Jenna Reed Burns, who has lived in the area for 18 years, said the demolition of the Children’s Court building itself would be a loss to the area’s heritage.

“Part of the attraction of coming to live in Glebe was the historic streetscapes and heritage character of the area,” Ms Burns said.

The Brutalist-style office block is akin to the Sirius building at Millers Point, which under consideration for inclusion on the State Heritage Register.

“There are few examples of this important architectural idiom within the City of Sydney,” stated The 20th Century Heritage Society of NSW in one of the 174 submissions to the council. “[The City of Sydney] has seen the attrition of many notable buildings of state and even national architectural significance that were designed and constructed during the second half of the twentieth century.”

Ms Burns added that surrounding dwellings would suffer overshadowing from the proposed apartment block.

The site includes heritage buildings, some of which will be demolished.

“Some of the little houses on Ferry Road are supposed to be reduced to about three minutes or less of [direct] sunlight in the middle of winter, which is against the law,” Ms Burns said. “You’re supposed to get two hours by council standards.”

Ms Burns’ lodged a 1500 signature strong petition to City of Sydney last Monday, accusing the proposed seven storey development of going against local planning laws, which only allow buildings of up to five storeys on the site.

The 5550 square metre site on Glebe Point Road had been owned by the state government since 1920 but was sold to a pair of Chinese-born property developers in 2014 for $33 million.

New owner Lina Jin could not be reached by City Hub for comment but told Fairfax Media last

year she wanted to keep the 19th century Blackett buildings and demolish the 1980s office block, a specimen of the polarising Brutalist style of architecture.

“It is not very appealing and we plan to build a more modern, nicer block of apartments for the area. We are locals too, and I want to make sure we build something respectful to the area,” Ms Jin said.

But the 1500 Glebe residents who signed Ms Burns’ petition disagreed.

“The 1983 Bidura Children’s Court building should be adapted and reused, not demolished,” the petition states.

The petition is expected to be tabled at council in June, when City of Sydney’s decision on the DA is due.

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Marrickville waves white flag to amalgamations

BY LUCAS BAIRD The Mayor of Marrickville has admitted that the fight against forced council amalgamations in Marrickville is virtually over.

In this week’s council meeting, the council was presented with a transition plan by the General Manager that presented the framework for a future merger between Marrickville, Leichhardt and Ashfield.

The plan was commissioned at an extraordinary council meeting on the 27th of January this year and staff from all three councils wrote the report.

Marrickville Mayor, Sam Iskander, said they they had done their best to fight the mergers and now had to protect the residents.

“We were opposing amalgamations and we did our best to convince the state government not to go ahead with this,” Clr Iskander told City Hub. Clr Iskander said the council is now at a stage where the only chance they have at playing a positive role is to help with the transitional process.

But Greens councillor, Sylvie Ellsmore, claimed that fight to keep Marrickville out of the merger was still alive.

Clr Ellsmore claimed that the moving forward of the transition plan was only a minor step towards the amalgamation and they still had plenty of opportunities to push back the state government.

“No, this is not at all a major step forward for the amalgamations,” Clr Ellsmore said.

“This is just basic administrative behaviour.”

Clr Ellsmore also introduced motions last night to join the Woollahra led legal action against the state government.

By Joel Tarling

“At least five other Councils have already joined the action, which is being led by Woollahra Council and has its first court appearance this Wed 20 April in the Land and Environment Court.”

In a previous mayoral minute the Mayor urged all of the councillors to send expressions of interest to the Minister for Local Government, Paul Toole, to potentially play a role in the formation of the new council.

The expression of interest takes into account factors like the councillors ability to commit to the success of the new council, work with the government and commitment to promote a new council to the community.

Independent and pro-amalgamation councillor, Victor Macri said that certain councillors who sent an expression of interest would be guilty of hypocrisy.

“You tell me how many people can do that on this council?”

“Not many people, unless they are hypocrites or spineless,” Clr Macri said.

Clr Macri called out the Mayor in particular.

“If you don’t believe in it and you don’t think it is good then why would you put a submission in? Where is all the hooha?”

Clr Iskander said that by submitting the expression of interest it gave every councillor the best chance to continue working for the community until the next local elections.

“I asked every councillor to submit the EOI so they could continue to work for the residents like they did before,” Clr Iskander said.

The staff of the Marrickville, Leichhardt and Ashfield council’s collaborated to complete the transition plan for the new council.

Marrickville Town Hall

It has put staff in the unusual predicament of designing a more efficient, merged council which may include less council employees.

“Senior staff have accepted this is the direction council is going in and they have shown a high level of professionalism and ethics in the way they put that together,” Clr Macri said.

The plan, whilst it indicated that the councils believed they shouldn’t be merged, focused on

Leichhardt says no to increased surveillance

BY LUCAS BAIRD Leichhardt Council has unanimously decided to prevent themselves from accessing the metadata of their residents.

The council voted on an item that would, “rule out the use of metadata for compliance or any other council purpose,” on April 12.

This vote comes after council received a report regarding the use of metadata in local government after having commissioned the report in December last year.

Greens Councillor, Rochelle Porteous, said that protecting their residents from any council overbearance was a “no brainer.”

“The issue of metadata is something that should not be used improperly. The whole collection of metadata is something that I and the Greens do not support. In terms of the legislation that has passed by the federal government so we are certainly not going to support it at a local level,” Clr Porteous said.

“I think it is important to say that [metadata] will not be used by council because it is important for us to make it very clear to our residents and our business that we will not be using metadata.”

At the meeting, independent councillor, John Stamolis also attempted to put forward a motion to reframe the item to prohibit use of metadata only when it would infringe on, “protection of privacy and civil liberties.”

But the motion failed to gain a seconder.

Clr Stamolis told City Hub that the purpose of his motion was to tighten up the wording of the original item because council already uses metadata in the statistical sense.

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how residents could be effected Clr Macri praised the report for this focus. “[The report is] putting the residents first, making sure the residents are looked after,” he said.

“The bottom line is that majority of people aren’t really phased by amalgamations. All they are worried about is their services and if they will be maintained, and they will be.”

“I was just refining the wording,” Clr Stamolis said.

“I’m not talking about private details of residents, I’m talking about broad data. Metadata that you might bring down from the websites like the Reserve Bank, you might be bringing it down from the Properties Council.”

“You’re bringing down data that helps you understand information and helps you understand the data itself, which we call metadata in the statistical sense.”

“I was saying that we didn’t want to stop council from doing its normal work with data and metadata, which is very broad.”

The council vote on the issue followed a report commissioned in December last year by Mayor Darcy Byrne, who voiced concern about councils being able to access metadata.

He warned in December that the increased use of this information by council could lead to “spying on residents.”

“Australian Councils are increasingly accessing metadata in order to determine information about who their residents are speaking to and to pinpoint their location at certain times,” Clr Byrne said.

“Whilst these requests so far seem to have been restricted largely to assisting prosecutions – primarily environmental breaches – the increase in use does point to a concerning prospect for the abuse of this power, tantamount to spying on residents.”

“The civil liberty of our residents must be protected, as must their basic human right to privacy,” he said.

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7

WestConnex heritage protestors arrested by police, others ‘caged’ in

BY CHRISTOPHER HARRIS Two protestors were arrested after occupying a house in Haberfield last Saturday after it was slated for demolition as part of the government’s WestConnex project.

Bill Holliday and Sharon Laura were arrested by police on Saturday morning and detained for a short time at Burwood Police Station before being released.

Ms Laura left the house on two feet, while Mr Holliday opted to be carried out by police.

Mr Holliday, who squatted in protest against the Western Expressway which would have destroyed part of Glebe in the 1970s, said that he believed the destruction of the Haberfield community for an tollway could not be justified when there was evidence that other more cost effective public transport solutions were necessary to meet Sydney’s needs in the future. Holliday lives in Lilyfield near where the Baird government is planning to build the third stage of WestConnex.

Speaking to City Hub, Ms Laura said that she chose to occupy the particular house because it was one of four boarded up houses they believed would soon be demolished.

She said she feared heritage documentation of the house had not been carried out properly.

As part of the conditions the removal of houses for the toll road, buildings must be documented before they are demolished.

The pair posted pictures of the grand Federation era home on social media during the protest, located in the heritage conservation area of Haberfield.

The suburb was built in 1901 as a paragon of suburbia and became known as the “garden suburb” due to its tree lined streets and the architectural uniformity of the houses. It is also listed as a conservation area by the Register of the National Estate.

“Our concern was that they may start demolishing those houses, and haven’t followed through on the documentation of the heritage buildings. That is a real fear and concern, given that they’d started cutting down trees on that site,” Ms Laura said.

“There is no evidence that conditions have been adhered to and that is something that is seriously being pursued.”

She said she was not surprised that the RMS could not follow the conditions. She said that the process with the WestConnex had been a “comedy of errors,” citing one case where tenants received notices of acquisition but the owners of a property had not. The WestConnex Delivery Authority had subsequently said to tenants, “can you please pass this on?”

Ms Laura, a Haberfield resident has been talking extensively with those in her community.

Police dragging Bill Holliday out of a home in Haberfiel. Source: Facebook

Ms Laura said there had been wide gaps between how much people had received for their houses from the RMS. She said it has become apparent that those who took their case to the valuer general have been paid more than those who thought they had to accept RMS’s offer.

“I know people who believe that they have really lost out-- there is a quite a variation between what people settled on. There is hardly anyone that has been able to buy back in Haberfield, I know people who have had to move to Cambelltown.”

In Haberfield and Ashfield, 123 houses and units are set to be demolished for the construction of the WestConnex. Interestingly, some houses were acquired but after completing final drawings for the project, the WestConnex Delivery Authority discovered the houses would not need to be demolished.

For those that remain behind, the prospect of living on a construction site for the foreseeable future makes some wish their homes were acquired.

Ms Laura said the construction of the St Peters Interchange and a Parramatta Interchange on either side of Haberfield means that remaining residents in the suburb and parts of Ashfield will be living in what she calls a “toxic triangle.”

“The Environmental Impact Statement found that there will be pollution

hot spots, and that is caused by extra road traffic from the tunnels, and that particular pollution contains ultrafine particle matter, by which there is no safe level.”

Other people in the inner west are rallying against the project. Earlier this month, Marrickville Council chose to deny the WestConnex Delivery Authority access to drill in local roads as part of the project.

On Tuesday morning, WestConnex protestors were out again at Marrickville, protesting the fact that contractors had overridden the council.

A fortnight ago government contractor Leightons continued to carry out work, saying that under the Environment and Planning Protections Act that the project was of state significance and could override the local council. But the protestors believe that the Act does not apply in this case because the road in question, the New M5, has not yet been approved.

A spokesperson from the Sydney Motorway Corporation said they believed they had the right to override the council in this case.

“Under the Roads Act, Roads and Maritime Services (and its contractors) have powers to undertake work on local roads for public road projects without the consent of Council. Roads and Maritime will continue to advise Marrickville Council whenever it exercises this power,” the spokesperson said.

But WestCONnex Action Group Spokesperson Pauline Lockie said: “The roads act doesn’t give access, because it is not an existing road, and is not an approved project” Two weeks ago WestConnex Protestors were locked in a “cage” – a fence constructed around them -- the third time this tactic has been used.

Protestors who fail to leave the cage are told they are failing to leave an enclosed area, as per the Inclosed Lands Act 1901 which was recently revitalized as part of the state government’s controversial anti-protest laws. While the laws were believed to be aimed at mining activists, their potential impact on local democratic protests like those against the WestConnex have become apparent. While the act includes a section entitled “Owner may destroy goats,” its recent changes have included the penalties from $550 to $5500 for entering enclosed land.

It is unclear if constructing a cage around someone to qualify the land as inclosed means that they have entered the land.

Stephen Blanks from the NSW Council for Civil Liberties told City Hub that the use of the act raised an interesting question.

“There would appear to be a potential interesting legal question, about whether or not a charge under the enclosed lands act can be brought in circumstances where a fence was erected around the protestors was to enclose the protestors, and was not there for any purpose of enclosing land.”

Locals keep fighting to stop ‘wedding factory’

BY GEORGIA FULLERTON An ongoing proposal to redevelop six historic buildings into a ‘world class entertainment precinct’ on the southern head of Sydney Harbour has been met with opposition from Watsons Bay residents and Sydney MPs. Environment minister Mark Speakman will be given consolidated information by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage in early May and will make a decision as to whether to award the lease.

In August last year, The National Parks and Wildlife Service unveiled the project, which would include a 120-seat licenced restaurant and a functions area that would cater for 570 people until midnight.

The tender to occupy the six buildings was won by Chris Drivas from Dockside Group, who has large function centres in Darling Harbour and The Rocks.

Roger Bayliss, a Spokesperson for Save Watsons Bay, said there was no consultation with the community. “Between October 2013 and August 2015, the community was told nothing about the preferred proposal. Working up the proposal was done in complete isolation by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage.”

“We remain aghast that any responsible government agency could operate in such a devious manner, especially an agency tasked with the stewardship of precious national parks.”

Mr Bayliss said the land is a priceless asset 8

city hub 21 APRIL 2016

for the public, “The Gap Bluff/South Head area is arguably one of Sydney’s most precious urban national parks. To degrade its natural attractiveness, public use and environment by creating a ‘world class entertainment precinct’ is simply a dysfunctional diversion of natural parklands, predicated purely on commercial returns from high-volume entertainment activities.”

The area is already home to The Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel, which has a capacity of 800 patrons, Dunbar House, a function centre that specialises in Weddings, and seafood restaurant Doyles on The Beach, which has led to a high volume of traffic and a limited amount of parking on weekends.

On March 17, residents took 12,000 signitures to the NSW Legislative Assembly and heard speeches from MPs including member for Sydney, Alex Greenwich, member for Newtown Jenny Leong and Vaucluse MP and NSW State Attorney General Gabrielle Upton.

Mrs Upton said: “Watsons Bay is a peninsula of unique natural beauty in my electorate. Watsons Bay is a destination suburb and peninsula. It is a tight-knit community and quiet residential neighbourhood that generously shares its home with visitors, both local and international. I will fight so its unique character and beauty are never compromised.”

Mr Drivas was contacted by City Hub but did not respond in time for print.

The mural Scott Marsh in Chippendale.

Photo: Lucas Baird

Mike Baird’s perceived allegiance with developers and casinos is the subject of a new mural in Chippendale.

Artist, Scott Marsh has named his mural ‘Casino Mike’ in honour of the Premier’s recently acquired nickname.

Marsh completed the piece located on Chippen Lane only a few days ago on Sunday April 17.

Writer behind the LinkedIn essay that began the mass public denouncement of the lockout laws, Matt Barrie, tweeted out the mural and tagged Mike Baird in the process.

“A picture tells 8400 words #nswpol #auspol @ mikebairdMP #nannystate,” he tweeted.

Marsh is the same artist behind the Kanye Loves Kanye mural.

- LUCAS BAIRD

FEATURE

Sydney Comedy Festival Fostering Emerging Talent

By Jamie Apps Venues across Sydney will be filled with sounds of laughter over the course of the next month as the 12th Annual Sydney Comedy Festival floods our city with some of the brightest stars on the circuit. However it is not all about the big name international acts, the festival will also allow Australia’s most promising homegrown emerging talent to share the spotlight with their idols.

For the curators behind the scenes of the festival it is “crucially important to develop Australian comedy and comedians.” Festival Director Jorge Mendis explained: “If we were purely running a festival where the only motivation was money then we’d run a 20 show event at The Enmore Theatre and that would be it; but we have gone out of our way to [assist] comedians through the various stages of their development.”

One program in particular that the Sydney Comedy Festival has implemented is the FRESH program, which is a carefully selected lineup of comedians that Jorge and his team believe are the stars of the future.

“FRESH has been running for seven years now and people like Ronny Chieng, Rhys Nicholson and Matt Okine have all come through it, so it’s definitely proven to stack up to what we think it is,” said Jorge.

Speaking with City Hub, Matt Okine was glowing with praise for the Sydney Comedy Festival and FRESH for the impact it has had on his career. “Without being encouraged to be a part of the Sydney Comedy Festival I’d probably still be doing the same shitty 20 minutes about being half-African that I was doing for seven years on the club circuits,” said Okine.

The Festival also encourages fresh young talent by selecting a group of nominees to be in the running for the Best Emerging Comedian Award.

Last year Josipa Draisma was one such nominee. She told us that simply being nominated was “amazing”, before explaining further: “I was being supported and endorsed by a major festival, which definitely gave me a confidence boost.” Since then Josipa says she has also “been able to use that moving forward, because people tend to take a bit more notice now.”

Even with the festival being so pivotal in both Matt and Josipa’s careers, Matt explained that it was also worth bearing in mind that you should go into it cautiously. “I would encourage younger comedians to do a festival show, but I also encourage them to wait until the time is right... [Waiting]

sentiments is Jack Gow, who reflected on his first two gigs, which had extremely contrasting outcomes.

“It’s funny, the first gig I ever did I thought I absolutely nailed it. Then when I went back two weeks later to try again I had the exact opposite experience, no one laughed and it was just terrible. The contrast was kind of harrowing, but also made me want to get back to that place where I was making everyone laugh.”

With the festival bringing in some big established names, it provides our emerging talent a rare opportunity to witness up close some of their idols and learn from them. “It’s amazing seeing people who have been doing it for 10, 20, 30, [or] 40 years who have honed their craft to the point where every single word they say is funny, moving or poignant. It’s incredibly inspiring,” Jack said excitedly.

Finally, the festival provides emerging comedians who have been slowly building their own followings by making the rounds of the club circuit to gather all of those fans together in one room for an extended show.

Becky Lucas is a local Sydney comedian who is specifically looking forward to doing just that. “It’s cool because you gig all year round on lineup shows, so this a unique opportunity to perform a solo show with all of the people that liked you in one room, which should make it more fun. Usually when you do a show you only get five or ten minutes so you have to pick the best bits, but with the festival you have time to relax so you can get to know the audience while they get to know you and you can play around a bit more.”

Sydney Comedy Festival

runs from Apr 18 to May 15 at various venues around the city.

Tickets & Info: http://www.sydneycomedyfest.com.au

Becky Lucas - Baby

Matt Okine, Becky Lucas, Jack Gow and Josipa Draisma.

Photo: Chris Peken

seven years was probably too long for me, but at the same time I was learning how to ‘suck’ first, so I would hate for someone to throw themselves into the deep end too quickly.”

One young comedian who certainly understands those cautious

May 10-15. The Enmore Theatre, 118-132 Enmore Rd, Newtown. $20-27+b.f.

Jack Gow - Everybody’s Doing it! Dying That Is…

Apr 21-24. The Enmore Theatre, 118-132 Enmore Rd, Newtown. $12-15+b.f.

Josipa Draisma - Shapeshifter

Apr 23-24. The Factory Theatre, 105 Victoria Rd, Marrickville. $25+b.f.

Matt Okine

May 7. The Enmore Theatre, 118-132 Enmore Rd, Newtown. $30-35+b.f.

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chris@altmedia.net.au city hub 21 APRIL 2016

9

No, this isn’t a play just full of one-liners and corny bar jokes. A Man Walks Into A Bar is about a conversation in a bar between two people from very different worlds. The two people have a romantic past and are meeting for the first time on what would have been their wedding day. Their meet up becomes a battle and they use jokes as their arsenal.

This play is an absurdist comedy taking an alternative approach to exploring certain characters we meet in a bar. Actor Chris Yaacoubian who plays one of them, ambiguously named ‘The Man’, said his character is someone who acts before he thinks.

“Those decisions aren’t necessarily bad, but they are survival instincts of self-preservation, so he doesn’t always end up with the best consequences,” he said.

Yaacoubian has never played a character like this, so as he explained, it took a bit of work to find structure: “I come from a background of dramatic roles so to take on a role like this was really

Three years on from its debut at the Sandringham Hotel in Newtown, Sons of Sun – Elvis, Jerry Lee, Johnny and Me has mellowed nicely into the hearts of connoisseurs of theatre, young and old. The rock n’ roll musical play makes its return to its Inner West home at the Camelot Lounge for one night only.

Sons of Sun is the story of Sun Records founder Sam Phillips, Memphis, and the artists he recorded.

Despite the fact that this play takes place on the other side of the world, Australian audiences remain captivated, something that playwright Kieran Carroll attributes to the pull of the universal hits that the show has to offer.

“It’s one of those stories that, because the music is well known, the story can travel,” said Carroll.

From the outset, the show has received critical acclaim and has become a must see for music lovers who have an affection for the influence that the 50’s has had on later decades of music.

“It’s a period of musical history that has got a lot of nostalgia for a lot of people who are a bit older that are reliving music from their youth – but for people who grew up later, like I did, we see that that music has such an influence on the

Photo: Angie Carmen

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

challenging. We had to find structure and meaning without relying on a character’s journey or dramatic story to guide us.”

Yaacoubian said audiences could expect the unexpected with this type of performance. “[This is] a play with music but not a musical, a scripted conversation but with a great deal of spontaneity,” he explained. “A work that is tightly scripted but deconstructs both character and actor.” (AMal) Apr 21–May 7, Wed–Sat 7.30pm, Sat+Sun 3.30pm. Blood Moon Theatre, World Bar, 244-248 William Street, Kings Cross. $20-$30.

Tickets & info: offtheavenue.com.au

Matt Charleston as Sam Phillips.

Photo: Dusk Devi Vision

music that came out decades later in the 60s, 70s and 80s and so on,” explained Carroll.

The show promises to be engaging and according to Carroll, you might even learn a thing or two.

“Lots of people know all of the songs that Sam Phillips recorded, but they’re a lot vaguer on how it all came about. It’s a great combination of entertainment and a historical element.” (AH) Apr 22. Camelot Lounge, 19 Marrickville Road, Marrickville. $29.70.Tickets & info: stickytickets.com.au or sonsofsun.com.au

a&e

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city hub 21 APRIL 2016

10 STAGE 12 SCENE 13 Sounds 14 SCREEN

Kinetic Energy Theatre Company is committed to exploring issues of social justice.

So it is fitting that their latest offering, HOME, investigates urban homelessness.

Based in Sydney, the play offers insights into one of the most pressing problems facing contemporary society. It focuses on a Kings Cross soup kitchen and the people who visit it.

They suffer from various complaints, come from diverse socio-economic backgrounds and are of different ages, yet all are suffering from a lack of shelter and security.

This is an artistic journey into a world which sits next door to the million dollar mansions of our great city. It is a challenge to those who walk by the beggars on our streets and the poor sitting on our corners. The actors are showing the other side of the Emerald city and it is sad, touching and inspiring.

This is a show that highlights the complacency of the everyday, one that seeks to explain and empathise with those who live on the fringe without the comforts of regular

employment, housing or income.

Kinetic Energy are known for their innovative approach to live performance and this production is no exception. It incorporates volunteer audience members, music, spoken word poetry, Shakespeare and bush balladeers to make its point.

The ensemble are pioneers of mixing the cultural and political and HOME is sure to be another success in their long history of provocative, thoughtful and imaginative renderings of narratives that resonate. (LR) Apr 22, 23 (8pm) + 24 (6.30pm).

St Lukes Hall, 11 Stanmore Road, Enmore. $20-$25.Tickets & info: kineticenergytheatre.org/whats-on

The New Musicals Australia program is an organisation all about finding new work and fostering writers to create new Australian musical theatre. With the legendary Hayes Theatre Co as their performance space, their first show is The Detective’s Handbook, a complex new work – intelligent and witty, with lots of rapid fire spoken/sung beat poetry. Unique and funny, it promises to be a great night at the theatre.

Justin Smith, who plays Detective Frank Thompson – a hard boiled, slightly jaded, dusty around the edges Chicago cop – spoke to City Hub about the show.

“It plays on that world that we all know: [that] film noir, Chicago American, moody femme fatale kind of world, but we are putting our own spin on it, having fun with it,” said Smith.

“Like that world of noir films, [such as] The Maltese Falcon, it plays on the stereotypes of that kind of story.The Detective’s Handbook has classic film noir themes, [it’s about a] downtrodden new young whippersnapper who’s eager and wants to do everything by the book, and that’s his formula to being a great detective.There’s love, there’s great mystery, it’s a good fun, old school musical.”

With a cast of six, this is a very ensemble like piece with some good old standard jazz musical numbers which are catchy yet evocative of a smoky 50s bar.

With music by Australia’s Olga Solar, this show also features a five-piece live band situated in their own little bunker at the back of the Hayes stage.

There’s a great range of songs, with some in spoken word style. Writer Ian Ferrington is an Australian actor/writer, a smart young guy with a unique voice which lends it’s own kind of quirky, unique bent. (MS) Apr 21–May 7, various show times. Hayes Theatre Co, 19 Greenknowe Ave, Potts Point. $45-$50.Tickets & info: hayestheatre.com.au or 02 8065 7337

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

‘Nicky’ (a teenager on heroine) gets into ‘Shakespeare’ (a street poet) for stealing her bag. Photo: Corrie Ancone

Contributors: Carmen Cita, Craig Coventry, Greg Webster, Alicia Sim, Peter Urquhart, James Harkness, Leann Richards, Lisa Seltzer, Mark Morellini, Mel Somerville, Rocio Belinda Mendez, Sarah Pritchard, Athina Mallis, Leigh Livingstone, Joseph Rana, Shon Ho, Jacqui Rothwell, Emily Shen, Andrew Hodgson, Irina Dunn, Cindy Aravena, Jacob Aguilar.

Photo: Jeff Busby

Review: Georgy Girl

Aunty Donna – New Show meets Monty Python and Michael Jordan playing basketball with the Looney Toons aliens.

At the core of Aunty Donna is the writing and performing of Mark Samuel Bonanno, Broden Kelly and Zachary Ruane. They see their relationship between the live and online medium as symbiotic.

“We write specifically for YouTube and we write specifically for our live stuff. It’s a really cool thing because if you’ve seen our YouTube stuff, and you come and see it live, you’re going to see the same characters engage people and play with people – something you can’t do on YouTube.”

Take care where you sit. The front row is only slightly more dangerous than everywhere else. (GW) Apr 21–24, 8:15 pm. The Giant Dwarf, 199 Clevland Street, Redfern. $25-$30.

Tickets & info: sydneycomedyfest.com.au or 02 9020 6966.

Review: King Charles III The Queen is dead and for Charles the throne beckons, but he is no pushover.Asked to sign a bill that will limit press freedom, he promptly refuses, much to the ire of the Prime Minister.The government moves to render the monarch’s approval redundant so Charles dissolves parliament.William and Kate decide that the only solution to this impasse is for the coronation to skip a generation, ‘otherwise the royal family is done for’. So the die is cast for a royal skirmish of Shakespearean proportions.

Mike Bartlett’s King Charles III was a West End and SHUT UP AND DRIVE Do you remember when you were on the cusp of being 16 and all you could think about was getting your license and driving away? This is the influence for Shut Up and Drive (or Sex, Liberty and the Automobile). This revue style production explores the pivotal role the car plays in Australian society and how we underestimate its symbolism in our day-to-day lives.

(AMal) Until Apr 23,Tues-Sat 8pm, Sun 5pm. Kings Cross Theatre, Level 2 Kings Cross Hotel, 244-248 William Street, Kings Cross. $18-$28.Tickets & info: trybooking.com/190490 BARD TO THE BONE The Post-Haste Players are back for their fifth year performing improvised comedy based in the Shakespearean world, making up a cohesive Shakespearean play on the spot. There are all the tropes that you would expect; like the fairies,

Broadway sensation. It’s not hard to see why.Taking all the tropes of Shakespeare’s historic tragedies, he has applied them to the modern day House of Windsor and the finished work is completely enthralling. Sure, it asks questions about the place of the monarchy today (with special relevance to colonial outposts like ours), but pushing deeper, this is a very human story – a grand family tragedy with real flesh and blood characters.

British stage icon Robert Powell is warm and absorbing as the tragic yet principled Charles.Along with William he has been visited by the ghost of

Kings and Queens, the overthrowing of the throne, the Catholics and Protestants and questions around religion – all of those ideas the Elizabethans held dear. (MS) Apr 25, 8pm.The Old Fitzroy Hotel, 129 Dowling Street, Woolloomooloo. $10-$15.

Tickets: eventbrite.com (or at the door) THE BEST BROTHERS A black comedy about an estranged family who haven’t kept close, centered on two feuding brothers. What the brothers find important in life differs, and sibling rivalry comes about when they are forced to deal with a family death together, with conflict arising around how they each perceive the other to be handling the situation.

(MS) Until Apr 30,Tues-Sat 8pm. Old 505 Theatre, 5 Eliza Street, Newtown. $25-$35.Tickets & info: old505theatre.com

THE TRAGEDY OF ANTIGONE A battle of wills that will take you back to the times of Ancient Greece. Kreon, ruler of Thebes, has announced that Antigone’s brother, Polynikes, is to be denied a proper burial and Antigone defies this decree.The play explores the role of burial in ancient society and brings up questions concerning laws of mankind and laws of the gods. (AMal) Until Apr 30,Wed-Sat 7pm.

PACT Theatre, 107 Railway Parade, Erskineville. $25-$33.Tickets & info: ninefoldensemble.com SAVAGES Four men embark on a cruise that doesn’t quite go to plan.

This play explores multiple personalities the Aussie male can portray. Actor Josef Ber, who plays the character Rabbit, describes Savages as a “relentless, energising and pulsating play that explores the darker side of manhood”. If you’re in the mood to watch a reflective piece of theatre that discusses Australian

Photo: Richard Hubert Smit

Sketch comedy has had a long and glorious tradition in Australian television, but in the brave new social media world, YouTube has become more and more the means by which artists bring their craft to the world. Aunty Donna have made the online medium their own with hits in the millions and over a hundred thousand subscribers to their channel out in YouTube land.

Digital tomfoolery is one thing, but making the jump to a live audience is a different beast. Sydney audiences will get to witness the transition first hand in a break-neck 60 minutes of plain silliness.

Having arrived on the Melbourne comedy scene in 2012 with their debut show, Aunty Donna in Pantsuits, they bring their new show – aptly titled New Show – to the Sydney Comedy Festival.

Playing fringe festivals around the country, New Show has been described as like being stuck in a live, sweaty, loud tornado. It’s Hi-5

The story of Australian iconic folk group The Seekers comes to life in this enchanting and vastly entertaining smash hit musical, which will leave delighted audiences quietly singing the classic song ‘Georgy Girl’ long after leaving the theatre.

Audiences are transported back to the musical revolution of the early 1960’s, when performers such as The Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley and Dusty Springfield ruled the music charts. History was conceived when Judith Durham, a young 21-year-old jazz singer, joined a band with three male musicians.

A gig which commenced as a limited engagement quickly evolved into an incredibly successful career for the band, catapulting them into international stardom.They became the first singing Australian group to play in the UK and also reached number one on the American music charts with ‘Georgy Girl’.

The core cast – comprising of the very talented Pippa Grandison, Phillip Lowe, Mike McLeish and Glaston Toft – deliver remarkable performances as The Seekers, uncannily resembling and sounding like the original band.

This colourful and vibrant production perfectly

masculinity, this play is a safe bet.

(AMal) Until May 1, various show times.

Eternity Playhouse, 39 Burton Street, Darlinghurst. $30-$45.Tickets & info: darlinghursttheatre.com BELLEVILLE A young married couple,Abbey and Zack move from Baltimore, USA, to Belleville, a very bohemian, hip, cool suburb on the outskirts of Paris. Zack, a doctor, has adjusted to Paris, but yoga teacher Abbey hasn’t, and their relationship begins to form cracks. Belleville is about love, relationships and how love takes many forms. (MS) Until May 7,Tues-Sat 7.30pm, Sun 5pm. Old Fitz Theatre, 129 Dowling Street (Cnr Cathedral Street), Woolloomooloo. $28-$38.

Tickets & info: oldfitztheatre.com/belleville NOTHING PERSONAL A typical David Williamson middle class

captures the heart and soul of The Seekers, their success in music, radio and television, and the ups and downs in their careers and personal lives.

Much attention is justifiably given to Judith Durham – the separation from her family, the nervous exhaustion she suffered, her romances and the tragedies she overcame which resonated that life as a singing sensation was not picture perfect.

Charismatic narration, a selection of the band’s major hits, a script engulfed with cheeky humour and the energetic choreography of numerous musical numbers should charm audiences until the poignant finale, when the ensemble cast deliver their rendition of the classic ‘I Am Australian’.

A new generation of theatre-goers will marvel at the incredible story of The Seekers and older audiences should take this triumphant trip down memory lane to revisit the Aussie band, who journeyed from down under to the top of the world. (MMo) WWWW

Until May 27, various show times. State Theatre, 49 Market Street, City. $80-$130.

Tickets & info: georgygirlthemusical.com

Dianna and told that he will be the greatest of kings.

Richard Glaves is Harry, the black sheep who gets involved with the spirited Jess, a commoner. His movement between the two worlds – the castle and the kebab shop – is underlined by the change from blank verse to simple prose.

The open brick set is almost industrial and the audience’s eyes are drawn upwards to a frieze of faces – commoners – as the drama unfolds beneath their relentless gaze. (GW) WWWW Until Apr 30, various show times.

Sydney Theatre Company, Roslyn Packer Theatre, 22 Hickson Rd, Walsh Bay. $69-$116.

Tickets & info: sydneytheatre.com.au or 02 9250 1777. family crisis, but unlike most of his plays, the male characters get little focus. In fact one of the best things about Nothing Personal is the strong presence of women.A comedy first and foremost, the play is set around office politics in the publishing industry, and is about women coming to terms with losing their power as they grow older in the workplace. (MS) Until May 7. Genesian Theatre, 420 Kent Street, Sydney. $25-$30.

Tickets & info: genesiantheatre.com.au REPLAY As a child, John saw his brother die. His other brother saw it too, but remembers things quite differently.They are forced to dredge up their competing pasts in search of a common truth – yielding terrifying, unexpected consequences.The past is what you make it in this newly devised Australian play by Griffin Theatre and forthcoming playwright Phillip Kavanagh, who pushes the theme of memory to

its extreme through often funny and relatable encounters. (AM) Until May 7, Mon–Fri 7pm, Sat 2pm + 7pm. SBW Stables Theatre, 10 Nimrod Street, Kings Cross.

Tickets & info: griffintheatre.com.au HAY FEVER So much of modern comedy owes to the wry slapstick of Noel Coward. Clever and droll, his characters are always ready for another dry martini or a classy misstep. The Sydney Theatre Company presents Hay Fever, first produced in 1925. For fans of Noel Coward, this tale of naughty people is among his earliest and also the best of his comedies. A wry take on the bohemian mayhem of the Bliss family, each member invites a suitably unsuitable guest for a weekend away.

(OA) Until May 26, various show times.

Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House. $64-$104.Tickets & info: sydneytheatre.com.au city hub 21 APRIL 2016

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THE NAKED CITY

BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE GONGS Emmys, plagued by accusations of rigged voting, MC meltdowns and celebrities behaving badly at the notorious alcohol and substance fuelled after-parties.

This year’s nominees for the prized gold plated Gumby are a grab bag indeed, although they do perhaps reflect a curious diversity of talent within the local TV industry. Waleed Aly, Carrie Bickmore, Scott Cam, Essie Davis, Grant Denyer and Lee Lin Chin will battle it out on Sunday May 8 in the gaudy splendour of Packer’s Crown Palladium. If bookmaker odds are any indication, Waleed is a hot favourite at $1.20 with Scott Cam the rank outside at $34.

But what about the real unsung talent on Australian TV, the men and women who fill

Finders Keepers Markets AW16

If you’re a maniac for markets with an eye for art and design, a penchant for food trucks and/ or an ear for live music – you definitely ought to be pencilling the latest rendition of Sydney’s Finders Keepers Markets into your diary.

From humble beginnings in 2008, Finders Keepers have cemented their reputation as the best independent art and design markets in the country. In keeping with their savvy reputation, Finders’ have released a free smartphone app just in time for their latest gathering.

Featuring a full directory of participating stallholders, you can jump on the app before even attending the markets and “favourite” products from your fancied stallholders (much like one would on Instagram) thus adding the stall to a personal itinerary and interactive map.

If you feel that’s not a satisfactory amount of tech-heavy guidance for your market journey, don’t fret. When you enter the venue – an appropriately reappropriated industrial space at Australian Technology Park – Bluetooth enabled, ‘helpful’ notifications will be delivered to you

CUSP: DESIGNING INTO THE NEXT DECADE Seen by over 50,000 people around the country, this travelling national creative program is sure to be an experience that broadens the mind. The exhibition highlights the works of Floyd Mueller, Greg More, Leah Heiss, Stephen Mushin, and Super Critical Mass – an ongoing participatory sound project pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in their arena. They will attempt to use design to change the way we listen and will be presenting a one-night-only Sub Mass, questioning our social structure in the process (more details to come). (AH) Until Apr 28.Tues–Fri, 11am-4pm.

Australian Design Centre, 101-115 William Street, Darlinghurst. Free.

Info: cusp-design.com or australiandesigncentre.com 12

city hub 21 APRIL 2016

up countless hours of screen time across the digital spectrum and are never rewarded with so much as a slap on the back. Forget about the so called personalities listed above – here’s our choice for the bona fide fourteen carat solid Gold Logie nominees of 2016:

for the golden gong, simply for his absence, but should he dare return, all bets are off!

THE CREW FROM PSYCHIC TV: Boasting ‘the most respected psychics in the world’ but with the disclaimer ‘this service is for entertainment purposes only’, the men and women of late night Psychic TV have perfected the art of pitching bullshit and holding prospective punters on their paid phone lines for as long as possible. If Donald Trump can fool millions of Americans, then they too deserve to be taken seriously. Next week’s Powerball numbers please!

THE BAMBILLO PILLOW MAN: We don’t even known his name but the young Asian guy who does the Bambillo memory foam pillow informercial, currently all over the morning shows like a rash, is nothing short of genius. His level of enthusiasm is unmatched in the world of TV marketing and his rapid fire delivery is an art form in its own right. Anybody who can wax lyrical DARYL SOMMERS: In case you haven’t noticed, about a bloody pillow for three to four minutes absolutely non stop deserves the highest accolade. Daryl Somers is back on Nine with a show entitled You’re Back In The Room, in which hypnotized Give the kid his own show please! contestants shove their faces into cream pies. A ANDREW BOLT: The best thing about Andrew nomination here because at least the lowest common denominator is now firmly defined – the Bolt’s show, The Bolt Report, is that it’s no longer standard by which all other shows on Australian TV on free to air TV (although it will supposedly be can only be rated better! resurrected on Sky in May). We nominate Andrew

Photo: Dave Kan

With Coffin Ed, Jay Katz and Miss Death Every now and then the NSW State Library puts some of its cherished artefacts on public display, like old colonial paintings, convict leg irons and ancient handwritten books. In recent months it’s also chosen to exhibit a tiny Gold Logie, won by Maggie Tabberer way back in the early 70s. Amongst the other precious and often priceless items it looks strangely out of place – in fact it looks down right crummy!

It’s the sort of thing you wouldn’t even look at twice at a trash and treasure market unless you were in the market for a $2 door stop. These days the actual Gold Logie ‘statue’ has been upgraded with at least a bit of gold plated bling, but it still resembles something that would not be out of place in an episode of Gumby. As for the actual awards ceremony itself, it’s always been a kind of poor man’s

regarding nearby event features, such as a musical act about to start, or a bar within ten feet of you.

There is something so wonderfully postmodern about the Finders Keepers take on indie markets. Many hours can be spent lost amongst the various knick-knacks, from unique jewellery to elegant stationary, from carefully suspended succulents to bold art prints. There’s no point resisting it – get your gold coins ready and prepare to get your hipster on.

You can find the app by searching for Finders Keepers Markets in the app store on your smart device. (AM) Apr 29 (6pm-10pm), Apr 30 (10am-6pm) + May 1 (10am-5pm). Exhibition Hall, Locomotive Hall, Australian Technology Park, Eveleigh (entry via Henderson Road, Bay 8). $2 entry. Info: thefinderskeepers.com

ANTHONY BARTOK – NEW WORK Bartok’s creations are quirky and pointed comments on contemporary society. He creates minimalist sketches which incorporate text to wittily pinpoint the foibles and contradictions of modern life.

These screen prints range from the political to the poignant. For example, a black and white outline of Australia with a hastily drawn fence is a pointed barb at racist attitudes. In another scene, a multicoloured crowd queue under the ubiquitous Apple logo, the caption reads, “Everyone is very excited about the new phone. It is slightly different from the old phone.” (LR) Until May 1. MOP Projects, 2/39 Abercrombie St Chippendale.

Admission Free.

Info: mop.org.au

True Colours– Daniel Mudie Cunningham An evocative clash of iconic cultural imagery.

Daniel Mudie Cunningham takes an unexpectedly queer approach to recalling the Cronulla Riots, a decade on from the event.

Remaking Cyndi Lauper’s hit music video for ‘True Colors’, Cunningham reimagines the film clip’s original stylised beach setting as Cronulla Beach – painting a picture of the ‘true colours’ of Australian nationalism.

Cunningham expands on the place of Lauper’s song as an enduring gay anthem and a symbol of her support for LGBTQI rights (a status it has held since its release three

WHEN SILENCE FALLS Providing a voice for those who have been silenced, this exhibition encompasses painting, video and sculpture; presenting the work of contemporary Aboriginal artists alongside contemporary international artists. It considers the violence and loss of often-unacknowledged historical events – cultural displacement, political oppression, ethnic cleansing and massacres. Featuring a new major acquisition

by Australian Indigenous artist Judy Watson, as well as significant loans from Naomi Milgrom, Ben Quilty, and Gene and Brian Sherman; this exhibition speaks strongly of conflict, but does not look to blame. (AM) Until May 1. 10am–5pm daily, Weds until 10pm. Art Gallery of NSW, Art Gallery Road,The Domain, Sydney. Free (exhibition catalogue $16.95). Info: artgallery.nsw.gov.au

decades ago). The artist ‘queers’ the distorted symbols of nationalism that initiated the mob violence and territorial tribalism performed at Cronulla that day.

This performative installation is a fine example of the art of drag breaking out of its context, and knocking over some social constructs on its way. (AM) Until Apr 24. Alaska Projects [Carpark], Kings Cross Carpark, levels 2 & 5, 9A Elizabeth Bay Road, Elizabeth Bay. Free entry.

Info: alaskaprojects.com

20TH BIENNALE OF SYDNEY In this milestone year, the Biennale and all its associated art works follow a topical theme: “The future is already here – it’s just not evenly distributed”. Official Biennale sites – The MCA, Cockatoo Island and Carriageworks – have been rebranded as several different ‘Embassies of Thought’. The most revolutionary works however exist in public locations, the ‘In-Between’ Spaces.

Although these works differ greatly, each casts a new light on its location. City Hub recommends heading to Redfern to check out ‘We Built This City’ and ‘Making History’ before swinging around to Newtown to see ‘Fade Away, Fade Away, Fade Away’ in Camperdown Cemetery.

(AM) Until June 5. Various locations. Free.

Full program: 20bos.com

HEAVY ARTILLERY Prominent themes in this group show are identity and tradition and the modernist impact on both.

Furthermore (with all artists hailing from China and Taiwan) the restrictive atmosphere in which Chinese artists live results in work which is subtly subversive and intricately planned. For example: He Xiangyu’s contribution, ‘Tank Project’ (2011– 2013), is a life sized leather replica of a Chinese tank – the creator sneaked into an army base to obtain accurate dimensions.

Heavy Artillery showcases the craft, the cunning and the imagination of artists who need to navigate the perils of political indoctrination and censorship. (LR) Until Aug 7 (10am-5pm, Wed-Sun).

White Rabbit Gallery, 30 Balfour Street, Chippendale. Admission Free.

Info: whiterabbitcollection.org

Motez – The Vibe EP

Adelaide producer Motez continues to create some of the hottest house tunes coming out of this country while simultaneously injecting a smattering of UK garage into The Vibe EP. Before giving this record a spin, I implore you to make sure you’re using a solid sound system with a punchy sub-woofer (please don’t use your crummy laptop speakers or earbuds), so that you can fully appreciate the bass elements.

Bringing in vocal collaborations from Scrufizzer and Tkay Maidza adds a really catchy hook to each of their tracks, both of which are likely to see commercial radio success.

The third track on the EP ‘Like You’ is the most pop-influenced whilst retaining its hip house sound, which gives it serious potential to be the breakout sleeper of the release. WWW1/2

Available on website, see New Years resolution page

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Address: 123 Botany Rd, WAteRloo Phone: 9698 3024

Web www.cauliflowerhotel.com.au

Essential requirements of the successful applicant are:

• Minimum 2 years professional experience in a similar role; • Ability to work both in a team environment and individually to deliver excellent customer service and products; • Ability to multitask, show initiative and have a positive attitude; • Good communication skills including fluent English: both written and spoken.

Please email your resumes to careers@ppapa.com.au

Ph: 9747 8471

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The Cauliflower hotel and chefs Kitchen looks forward to bringing the feast to you all!

• setting up the shop and display cases each day; • serving customers; • handling cash; • taking cake orders; • cleaning of shop; • assisting in closing of the shop at the end of the day.

Applicants should be confident, be able to give excellent service and build a rapport with customers.

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come and join us for some chilled beats, live music and some great burger time in an iconic Sydney pub.

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for thiS fine day of burger munching delightS madman will be Serving you up: 1 burger (details coming as experiments finish); 1 serve of chips; 1 schooner of James Squire 50 Lashes; all for the princely sum of $23 for the duration of the day.

Squire’s will be available for $5 (schooners) and jugs for $12; 12-9pm - this is an un-ticketed event, but supplies are limited to 500 burgers, grab em while they’re hot!

 Leafguard  Metal Roofs  Watertanks  Roof Restoration  Gutter Vacuuming

the cauli is also teaming up with JameS Squire and paper Street ice cream for some beer specials and tasty treats!

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Sunday the 24th april

• Tree Lopping • Yard Clean Up

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Crossing the Bridge!

Kitchen taKe over at the cauliflower hotel for one day

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Mob: 0418 426 422

Shiner is casual and pleasant even in the sadder songs.

This album fits in very nicely in those hours when you can’t commit to a highly emotional song, it’s nothing too heavy or intense and neither does it dare you to reach for notes outside the normal range.

Instead it coaxes and encourages,‘you can sing this bit’ it says to the listener and ‘no pressure, here just have a listen’, soak up the smile that lives inside the music. Playfully moving around their instruments, without dropping the vibe entirely, the smile becomes a peaceful one; contentedness spreads across the listeners face and through their being.

Shiner doesn’t ask much of the listener, just a few songs and a short time, in return the listener can expect their mood to rise a little. WWW

7 Days QUICK SERVICE SYDNEY’S CHEAPEST RUBBISH REMOVAL

Sean McMahon & The Moon Men – Shiner

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attention of audiences at festivals such as Coachella, Glastonbury and Shambhala.

Fri, Apr 22, Oxford Arts Factory Tiny Little Houses: Just a month or so ago Melbourne’s Tiny Little Houses were flexing their creative muscles by co-directing and shooting their latest music video for ‘Milo Tin’. Tomorrow night they look to exercise that creative muscle again in yet another way as they take the stage to celebrate the track’s release and kick off their tour.

Fri, Apr 22, Newtown Social Club Flamenkisimo: This weekend Sydney is once again shown that it’s no longer necessary to travel to Spain to experience a true Flamenco show.The well seasoned Flamenkisimo ensemble have studied flamenco here and in Spain for up to 20 years whilst also performing around the city prolifically, so you can rest assured this show will be on par with anything you would see in Spain.

Sat, Apr 23, Foundry616 Lulacruza: An electronic folk duo made up of Alejandra Ortiz (Columbia) and Luis Maurette (Argentina) who weave hypnotic female vocals, South American instrumentation and electronic manipulation to create something that is both hypermodern and also traditional.

Sun, Apr 24, Bondi Pavillion

UV Boi

release of his L-UV EP he had been working on the music in the studio for “close to a year and a half” and has also spent a significant amount of time developing the live show.

UV Boi explained this development process: “When I first began it was a [solely] DJ-style set, whereas now I’ve brought some live instruments and cool visuals with me. My live show has evolved every single time and I think this is my favourite so far, it’s emotional, you can dance to it and feel the love.”

Despite all of the hard work, UV Boi has remained grateful for the opportunities music has provided him, adding: “To be honest this is still surreal to me. I can’t believe I have this many fans who like my music, so to see success like this is such a crazy feeling.”

Apr 28 & 30. Oxford Art Factory, 38-46 Oxford St, Darlinghurst. $15+b.f. Tickets & Info: oxfordartfactory.com

ABC SEAMLESS $GUTTER DISCOUNTERS $

Sex On Toast: Following on from the cult success of single ‘Oh Loretta!’ the Melbourne 10-piece have just released their new EP Ready.The group are now also ready to tour the country with their vivacious tongue-in-cheek music which combines retro 60s and 70s style instrumentation with biting lyrical commentary.

Thu, Apr 21, Newtown Social Club The John Steel Singers: With a new LP coming up later this year, the Brisbanites are taking this opportunity between recording and the record’s release to visit their fans around the country.

Thu, Apr 21, Brighton Up Bar Me and Missus Jones: Adelaide’s acclaimed singer Charmaine Jones comes to Sydney tonight with the Brendan Fitzgerald Quartet in tow.

For this show the two fantastic musical acts will present a collection of jazz from tried and true composers, such as Gershwin and Cole Porter, who have stood the test of time.

Thu, Apr 21,The Basement Opiuo: Captivating dance floors across the globe with his funky, playful bass driven music – a unique take on the electronic music genre which saw him winning Best Electronic Album in New Zealand’s Music Awards – Opiuo’s captivating live performance has garnered the

By Jamie Apps When we think about DJs, often the first things to come to mind are the bright lights, lavish lifestyles and all around fun associated with that particular career path – but behind the scenes this is a job that requires dedication, hard work and immense amounts of travel.

I spoke recently with Brisbane producer UV Boi, who is currently in the midst of a busy national tour, about all of those behind the scenes aspects that are often ignored.

April alone will see UV Boi taking upwards of 10 flights to play six shows across the country.

Combine all of this travel with the late nights and the need to continue working on his next wave of music, it starts to become clear how difficult this job actually is.

“After my very first tour I was so exhausted,” reflected UV Boi. “You get used to it after a while, but over time it does take a toll on your body.”

It’s not only April that has seen him being so busy, in the lead up to this tour and the

Licence No. 173676c

Sydney Live Music Guide LIVE WIRE

By Jamie Apps

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Pawno

Don’t let the title of this film fool you – really, don’t.

This is an unpolished gem of independent Australian cinema.

On an unassuming day in a dusty old pawnbroker’s store, world weary owner Les (John Brumpton, Romper Stomper) and his reserved employee Danny (Damian Hill) watch on as the very best and worst of human experiences collide and tangle around them.

Pawno harks back to the uniquely Australian, character driven larrikinism of The Castle, whilst drawing loose associations with the indie brilliance and oscillating cast of characters typified in cult-favourite He Died With A Falafel In His Hand.

But Pawno reaches a level of sophistication that many independent films often fall short of. An especially impressive accomplishment considering that many of the creative team are first-timers when it comes to working on a production of this scale – from debut director Paul Ireland to screenwriter and lead actor Damian Hill.

The pacing of this film is amongst its greatest achievements. A love letter to the Melbourne suburb of Footscray, Pawno is a seemingly endless tapestry of scenery and people of all creeds and colours (including blue). Carried by an authentic musical score –

Damian Hill in Pawno

punctuated by the contrasting innocence of the ukulelestrumming girl singing Vance Joy’s ‘Riptide’ amongst alleyways of bold graffiti – this kaleidoscopic plot manages to never feel too muddled or too lingering.

You may assume that a bespoke film about a particular suburb of Melbourne – a city that has become awash in gentrified modern folklore about its ‘hipster’ culture – would fall into trappings of self-parody. But the blokes who pass their time in Les’ pawnshop furrow their brows in disdain at the high-rise apartments across the road, muttering – “f*****g c****s”.

While Danny’s bumbling, fledgling romance serves as the through line for this film, the peripheral love stories and heartbreaks provide a great, stewing depth of emotion – from a tormented mother (Kerry Armstrong, Lantana), to transgender parent Paige (Daniel Frederiksen), and the unlikely show stealers – a pair of perfectly mismatched homeless addicts portrayed by Malcolm Kennard (The Matrix Reloaded) and Mark Coles Smith (who leapt off the screen in Last Cab to Darwin).

Pawno is an unforced showcase of the diversity and multiculturalism of modern Australia – and in my humble opinion it deserves iconic status. (AM) WWWW

Midnight Special

Marguerite Audiences who enjoy erotic thrillers won’t be disappointed in this stylish and highly-crafted French film, which should hold audiences at ransom until the final moments.

The alluring story of Julien (Mathier Amalric), a married man who has an affair with exgirlfriend Esther (Stephanie Cleau), spins a web of deceit and murder and is an intelligent study of the dark side of human nature.

Audiences will be absorbed from the opening scenes, as mystery and suspense is superbly created in true Hitchcockian tradition by director Mathier Amalric, who also stars in and co-wrote the film.

THE BLUE ROOM Audiences who enjoy erotic thrillers won’t be disappointed in this stylish and highly-crafted French film. The alluring story of Julien (Mathier Amalric), a married man who has an affair with ex-girlfriend Esther (Stephanie Cleau), spins a web of deceit and murder and is an intelligent study of the dark side of human nature. Mystery and suspense is superbly created in true Hitchcockian tradition by director Mathier Amalric, who also stars in and co-wrote the film. (MMo) WWW WIDE OPEN SKY A documentary film about Moorambilla Voices, a project which brings song to people living in remote areas of NSW. Michelle Leonard’s mission is to create a 14

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A cleverly written script has the story unfolding through flashbacks and with Julien in custody almost immediately, inquisitiveness quickly builds, as the baffling narrative progresses.

Stephanie Cleau gives a disturbing performance as the mistress, whose glowing yet sinister smile radiates an overwhelming and unnatural obsession with her lover.

Tragic and intense, audiences will question the validity of the conclusion as they ponder, was justice really served?

(MMo) WWW

choir from the children of these places. It is an aspiration which confuses yet inspires them. Many have never heard classical compositions and the scenario challenges them to investigate new horizons. This is a magical exploration of how creativity can raise hope and opportunity in the most unlikely places. (LR) WWWW THE DIVERGENT SERIES: ALLEGIANT The third installment in the popular Divergent series franchise, Allegiant tells the latest story of Tris (Shailene Woodley) and Four (Theo James) as they venture into a new world, far more dangerous than ever before. Nicely done action scenes make this one a fun joy ride as the target audience should gulp it up! The story is has

a few holes, but hey, cinema is for entertainment. (JA/JR) WWW RAMS From Iceland comes this inspirational fable-like drama.

Gemmi and Kiddi are two elderly brothers who raise sheep on neighbouring properties and have been estranged over 40 years. A virus leads to the mandatory slaughter of all the animals in the valley, the catalyst which reconnects theses siblings. This slow-moving film unveils the exhilarating wintry locations of Iceland. An abrupt ending may detract, but ultimately this alternate cinematic experience is ideal for audiences who are tired of the monotonous Hollywood blockbusters.

(MMo) WWW1/2

At its heart, Midnight Special is a tension filled chase movie come sci-fi thriller.

Centred around the cross country odyssey of Alton (Jaeden Lieberher), his father Roy (Michael Shannon) and their loyal companion Lucas (Joel Edgerton) as they evade the clutches of a mysterious government/military task force and strange cult leader. As the action unfolds, in a rather slow deliberate manner we’re introduced to the sci-fi elements of the film as we’re shown glimpses of Alton’s special abilities.

While these sci-fi elements are important to the film, the key focus here is on the relationship between father and son as Roy OBSERVANCE This psychological horror follows Parker (Lindsay Farris) who has taken a mysterious job spying on a young woman from a dreary, decrepit apartment building following a difficult run in his own personal life. If you are a moviegoer who likes every plot thread to end in a neat little bow, Observance is certainly not the film for you. If however, you like to spend your time pondering the story, this is your style of film. (JA) WW BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE DC Comics finally jumps full force into the cinematic superhero fight (catching up with Marvel) by using the most recognisable superheroes of all time. For diehard DC fans this film is packed with subtle nods to

desperately tries to understand Alton while doing everything in his power to protect him as they attempt to reach their ultimate destination.

As the film draws to a close a majority of the threads come together whilst many are left unraveled and unanswered. The final 10-15 minutes of the film are likely the weakest section, which is rather disappointing.

Thankfully the preceding story is fulfilling enough to make this one worth seeing for scifi fans looking for a film which tells it’s story in a new unique way.

(JA) WWW1/2

the comic books. The action sequences in this film are the true highlights with car chases and fight scenes that all feel grounded. The biggest issue with this film however is the overall pacing. This is worth seeing if you are interested in the genre but it certainly won’t capture new fans. (JA) WWW ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING This movie has all the right ingredients – weird romance, comedy, goof ball characters, sci-fi story, a talented cast – and they all just connect.The story is simple: a group of eccentric aliens (the Monty Python team) give a school teacher (Simon Pegg) special powers to do absolutely anything. Pegg is hilarious and all over the place as usual, and a voice over cameo by Robin Williams is spot on. But if it is the Monty Python team that rocks your

boat,Absolutely Anything is worth its while. (JR) WWW1/2 A BIGGER SPLASH Rock ’n’ roll legend Marianne (Tilda Swinton) and her partner Paul (Matthias Schoenaerts) retreat to the Mediterranean island of Pantelleria, seeking a chance to recover from recent life crises.

When Marianne’s ex, flamboyant record producer Harry (Ralph Fiennes) intrudes with his beguiling daughter Penelope (Dakota Johnson), all four are drawn into a vortex of jealousy and desire with devastating results. A Bigger Splash is a breathtaking tale of nostalgia’s dark side fuelled by an excellent soundtrack and fearless performances. (JH) WWWW

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