City Hub 25 February 2016

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Shiralee Hood and Dane Simpson from the Aboriginal Comedy Allstars showing that laughter can be a deadly funny business

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city hub 25 FEBRUARY 2016

Fighting for your right to party

BY ALEX BLAIR Thousands of Sydneysiders assembled on Sunday at Central Station’s Belmore Park to protest the Baird governments’ lock-out laws.

Elizabeth Street was flooded with protestors including musicians and hospitality workers, with the message that the lockout laws were hurting the local nighttime economy as well as Sydney’s culture and global reputation Former barman Keith Spelman came out to protest after he lost his job at Five Boroughs, a snall bar in Kings Cross.

The venue fired a significant amount of staff due to the drop in revenue following the introduction of the lockout laws.

Unable to find a suitable replacement job in the neighbourhood, he is now working as a gym instructor.

“My shifts were cut back from five, to four, to three, then two shifts a week,” Keith said.

Tyson Koh, campaign manager of Keep Sydney Open, an organisation protesting the lockouts, said that Sydney’s nightlife needed to be restored to its previously thriving and exhilarating status.

The organisation, which coordinated the protest, said that Keep Sydney Open was founded by a group of people in the music industry once it became apparent that lockout laws were being considered by the government.

Mr Koh said they knew that any lockout legislation would have a negative effect on live music venues and entertainment in Sydney. As a producer for the ABC himself, Mr Koh said he believed that the lockouts’ were a product of a lack of communication between government and the community.

“Because there was no consultation between venue owners, the restaurant industry and entertainment industry, we’ve seen the negative effects. Places have closed down,” Mr Koh said.

“Places that were once world regarded restaurants and bars have gone under and that’s because people aren’t going to our entertainment precincts anymore.”

The protest seemed to resemble a music festival more than a march.

Musicians played as they marched down the streets and bands played on street corners.

One woman marching remarked that the march reminded them of the ‘good old days,’ before the lockout laws.

Colourful signs with slogans such as ‘Lockout Flaws’ and ‘It’s not my Baird time’ were some of the witty signs which accompanied protestors chanting down the street.

Jazz bands and walking drummers also made up the crowd. More enthusiastic protestors held a mock ‘funeral’ for Sydney’s live music on their march to Hyde Park where artists such as Art vs Science and Nina Las Vegas performed and made speeches about opposing lockouts.

Baird’s safety reforms have been denounced as draconian by the hospitality community who finds it baffling that their business should be compromised from a handful of isolated one-punch incidents.

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Keep Sydney Open Protestors. Photo: Alex Blair

Statistics show a significant drop in the amount of violence in the region, however protestors believe that the majority being punished for the acts of the minority is incredibly unfair.

Accompanying the protests at Belmore Park has been a huge social media outcry from some of Australia’s most prominent musicians, who have also sent letters to Mike Baird expressing their opinion.

Artists such as Peking Duk, Flume, Flight Facilities and The Preatures have all spoken out about the laws , and have said that it restricts their freedom, and that their careers in the music industry would not have been possible without the unregulated nightlife Sydney once had.

A study by APRA-ACMOS backed this argument after revealing that ticket sales for live music venues have dropped by 40 per cent since the induction of the lockout legislation in 2014.

Iconic venues, such as Bar Century in the city and Hugo’s Pizza in Kings Cross have all decided to close on after experiencing an unprecedented drop in business The fact that the only places void of the lockout conundrum are the Star Casino and Packer’s proposed multi-billion dollar casino in Barangaroo was a sore spot with people at the march.

Inner-city partygoers believe that the government’s decision was too quick and short sighted.

BY CHRISTOPHER HARRIS On Thursday morning, there will be some validation for a lifetime of fighting for the rights of LGBTQI community when an apology is made to the group who protested at Taylor Square and began the Sydney tradition of Mardi Gras.

Barbara Karpinski had just left school and three days before had moved out of home.

Three days later she decided to participate in a protest, where she was arrested, and became a legend as one of ‘the 78ers’.

“I had just finished school, and wasn’t politically aware, but I went along with my friends. I was in a floral frock and thongs and couldn’t run too fast. I hated sport at school.”

She said during the 14 hours she spent in jail, she felt hopeless, and all she got to eat was a sandwich.

“All our names were printed in the paper, and my dad had to hide it from my mum.”

Looking back on it, she said she was not particularly street smart, and couldn’t run fast enough to escape the police like some of her friends.

The group of about 500 people were fighting for an end to the criminalization of homosexuality, which was finally repealed in the criminal code in 1984.

The 1979, indecent behaviour, described as sexual activity with those of the same sex, and procuring another person for sex, was removed from the NSW Summary Offences Act. The apology will acknowledge the abuse and suffering many of the 78ers endured, in an effort to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

Liberal Member for Coogee, Bruce Notley-

Bryce De Boynton, 27, is one of the thousands of people fervently against the lockouts and believes that the blanket ban over nightlife needs to be reconsidered after the negative affects it has caused over the past two years.

“The government has really let down the youth in Sydney with the 1:30am lockout laws,” De Boynton said.

“They’ve had two years to look at other options used such as better policing and better CCTV by other countries to keep the freedoms and livelihood of citizens and businesses.”

Tyson from Sydney Open plans to advance their campaign strategy by targeting politicians next.

“We’re going to move more into opening up a dialogue with people in government to put forward alternative policies that we know will protect a vibrant nightlife while also having a desirable effect on safety.”

The protest was incident free. NSW Police estimate that 5000 people were in attendance. The organisers have claimed that the number is in fact 15,000.

“Some are trying to undermine our movement by describing us as a vocal minority. There’s not much to say about that except to advise that underestimating us will be to your detriment” This is only the beginning.

A long road to an apology. Photo: Hasitha Tudugalle

Smith, said that many of the protestors had lived harrowed lives, and had suicided.

“On Febuary 25 we will acknowledge the significance of the events of that night in June 38 years ago; the struggles and harm caused to the many who took part in the demonstration and march, both on that night and in the weeks, months and years to follow. Many 78ers are no longer with us; many have lived a life of hurt and pain, and many took their own lives. This apology is for all of them,” Mr Notley Smith said in a statement.

The apology has been crafted with the imput of the remaining 78ers and has multi partisan support from NSW Parliament’s LGBTQI working group, which includes Liberal, Labor, National, Green and Independent MPs. Member for Sydney Alex Greenwich said that the apology was another step toward

progress or social and legal inclusion of LGBTQI people.

“I hope it helps to heal the scars of those trailblazers who experienced brutality while trying to advance equality. The sacrifice of the 78ers continues to inspire me and other to continue the campaign for equality.”

Ms Karpinski said that the apology was a good start to repairing the trauma done.

“The apology is a step towards acknowledging the extreme violence and brutality of the police and not just homophobia, but very bad treatment of a number of people, including street workers, aboriginal, and homeless people.”

“When I was in jail, I stuck my little head out to get a sandwich, and the cops shut that window, and now it’s been 38 years for that window to open again and justice to be done,” she said. city hub 25 FEBRUARY 2016

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State of emergency: Waverley calls extraordinary meeting

BY CHRISTOPHER HARRIS An emergency Waverley Council meeting on Sunday ended with a man declaring “this is the start of a war on the Liberals,” as Council sat to speak on a report about the merger proposal between Waverley, Woollahra and Randwick councils.

Dominic Wy Kanak said he positioned himself between the man, who looked to be in his 60s, and the Liberal Councillors his attack was directed at, fearing it could turn physical.

The council meeting related to a council report into the submissions to the local government delegate.

The finer points on the future amalgamated council, such as how many wards, and how many councillors they would contain were discussed.

A motion to allow residents to vote in a local referendum on the issue was denied.

Two councillors were unable to attend, because they were out of Sydney that weekend.

Greens councillor Dominic Wy Kanak was unsure as to why there was an emergency meeting on a Sunday. “People get suspicious because it is less community consultation.”

A Waverley Council spokesperson told City Hub that the extra meeting was called because the council’s report proposing key elements of its submission were not ready.

“The State Government Council Boundary Review has a strict deadline for submissions of 28 February.

Unfortunately the Waverley Council Some also questions the nature of the officer report proposing the key elements question itself. of the submission was not ready for A Waverley Council spokesperson said the ordinary Council meeting on 16 that various merger options were put to February. Consequently the General residents, who were asked if they were in Manager requested the Mayor to call an favour or against. extraordinary meeting for 21 February.

Greens Councillor Wy Kanak said there The meeting was scheduled so that was disappointment in the local community Council could indicate its directions for with Mayor Betts. the submission, and then the submission He told City Hub “the interpretation put on the analysis was skewed toward a pro could be finalised in time for the 28 amalgamation.”

February deadline,” the “Some of the submissions spokesperson said. question the analysis of the One of the survey results, to justify subjects debated was saying the residents are whether or not the behind the amalgamations,” community should he said. have a referendum “People who identified on the issue. Greens as previous Liberal voters, Councillor Wy Kanak are reconsidering voting advocated for a that way in the next referendum, but it was election. Those things are rejected by Liberal a symptom of the anger Councillors, who are Waverley Mayor Sally Betts and disappointment in the majority in the the community. They are council. abusing that power to A Waverley abuse the history of a local Spokesperson told City Hub that a “statistically council.” valid” community Waverley Council has survey which consisted been in existance for over of a telephone survey one hundred and fifty years. for residents and Discontented residents businesses, as well as were in the public gallery, an online and a paper which Mayor Betts survey for residents threatened to clear if they Waverley Councillor had been conducted.

Dominic Wy Kanak could not keep quiet.

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Bureaucracy is unweeded garden

BY SHON HO As a way of combatting the often tedious task of getting approval to garden on unused public land, sustainability coach Michael Mobbs designed the ecoPOP, a free standing pop up garden that can be placed in urban areas without much ongoing maintenance.

Starting a community garden seems easy, but fulfilling bureaucratic planning requirements can often prove difficult. It can also be painfully slow, like watching grass grow.

The ecoPOP is compact and self-sustained. It stores and reuses rainfall water, creates fertilizer and nutrients from an incorporated compost bin and generates electricity through solar energy to power a pump that automatically irrigates the garden beds twice a day. Mobbs, who has been involved in the development of over ten community gardens, said that the typical timeframe of somebody proposing a project to the time of it being built, is usually around two to four years.

“It’s not a complicated issue but council processes make it complicated. For example, the Coogee Community Garden took three years to be built and was very strongly opposed to by all the staff. Many people who had joined the community garden had left at the end of the three years because they got fed up. They said we came here to garden, not to go to council meetings.”

“They had a promise of a government grant, but the grant from the state government was taken away because the council took too long,” he said. “It’s almost as though every community garden is the first of its kind, every time you propose a new one it’s like reinventing the wheel.”

The self-sustained features and small size of the ecoPOP allow it to be installed anywhere, from carparks to median strips, as it does not need access to a fixed power or water source. The freestanding pop up vegetable garden which can be built onsite in one or two hours, provides a proactive way of getting around the inerita and energy sapping delays caused by council processes.

Mobbs said that policies which change from council to council and an uncapped time limit for councils to deliver their decisions on authorising community gardens, leads to inaction and a prolonged wait to get the green light on projects.

“For some reason which alludes me, the council seems to always be revising the community garden council policy. They seem to spend most of their time making red tape and remaking it. I think they’ve made their second or third variation of the policy, I’ve stopped reading it because I have to live my life. I’m 65, and

Michael Mobbs with the ecoPOP.

imagine if I was to unnecessarily read another council policy and die tomorrow. I’ll be sad about that.”

Mobbs has also designed street gardens which harvest and direct rainfall water from drainage pipes and roof tops into the soil of street verges; utilising an otherwise wasted resource to irrigate trees and plants and increase the height and health of tree canopies.

“My real passion is about cooling our cities, if we can grow plants and trees in our streets we can cool them by six to ten degrees. Here councils have goals of cooling cities and putting

in trees. The federal government has come out with a goal to increase tree canopy but when I’m dealing with councils on the ground there’s just no match between what the public want and what the bureaucrats want to do, it’s like two different planets and two different time zones.” he said.

Sydney City Farm at Sydney Park which has been in the works for over seven years, demonstrates just how long an urban gardening project can take to complete.

The non-profit Sydney City Farm Community Group, now known as City Farm Lovers, approached the City of Sydney in 2009 with a suggestion to build a city farm in Sydney.

“There’s been virtually unanimous support for the farm, especially from the environment committee of council, the mayor, the general manager and parks and gardens people. Everybody’s right behind it.” said Carolin Wenzel, a spokesperson for City Farm Lovers.

“The only challenge has been that it seems every single step to create a city farm now, in the 21st century in a city like Sydney, takes an awful long time and so people kind of lose momentum and think it’s never going to happen.”

After a feasibility study that took nine months, and the drafting of the business plan that took more than three years, the master plan for the city farm was passed in May last year. However a date has not been set for when the farm will be built.

“These things just apparently take so long. There’s a certain order you have to do things in, if you haven’t ticked off that box then you can’t move onto the next one,” she said.

Ms Wenzel said that the City of Sydney has fully approved plans for the development of the city farm, established a design for the farm and has employed two full time staff to get the farm up and going. She is certain that the development of the farm will go ahead and said that there is a lot of community support for the project but is unsure of what exact stage the plan is at right now and what else needs to be done before planting can start. She said that other city farms in Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth were developed in the 70s when there were less guidelines to meet.

“It kind of progressed organically, whereas now, land is at such a premium especially in Sydney and there’s an awful lot of these rules and regulations and planning development approvals to get through.”

Two volunteer activation days were held last weekend at Sydney Park where the public were invited to help raise garden beds, propagate plants and nourish soil.

Medical marijuana so near, so far

BY ANDREW BARCLAY Medical marijuana could be available by prescription in Australia by 2017 due to landmark legislation that provides the “missing piece”, yet the announcement has been met with caution by campaigners and the industry who say access may still be “years away”.

Prominent medical marijuana businessperson Paul Benhaim told City Hub he was wary of the announced legislation because it doesn’t enable patients to legally consume the product.

“With this new proposed legislation, in reality we are no closer to where we want to be, and that’s here in Australia,” he said.

“While the new legislation allows for cultivation of medical grade cannabis under a Federal controlled licensing system, it will be left up to the States to decide how the product will be consumed, if at all.”

The draft legislation, announced last week by Federal Health Minister Sussan Ley, would allow the controlled cultivation of cannabis for medicinal purposes through a national licensing scheme.

She said Australia does not currently have a legal or reliable supply of locally-grown cannabis and the legislation would allow for this.

“I am confident creating one single, nationallyconsistent cultivation scheme, rather than eight individual arrangements, will not only help speed up the legislative and regulatory process, but ultimately access to medicinal cannabis products as well,” she said in a statement.

“For Australia, this is the missing piece in a patient’s journey.”

The announcement comes at a busy time for the medical cannabis industry in Australia after NSW announced a state-based scheme for terminally ill patients and a recent move to allow a small number of children with drug-resistant epilepsy to access a new cannabis-based drug, named Epidolex.

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city hub 25 FEBRUARY 2016

A California state-issued card which authorises the purchase of medicinal cannabis.

Queensland also recently joined clinical trials and the premier of Tasmania Will Hodgman said cannabis should be cultivated in his own state.

Reacting to the legislation, Professor Jan Copeland from the National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre (NCPIC) told City Hub she wouldn’t comment on specific legislation, yet that she strongly supports ongoing high-quality research, regardless of the legal status of cannabis.

She said that based on available evidence, NCPIC supports a “single national provider of

cannabis for pharmaceutical use in medications approved by the TGA”.

“It is important for national control to be in place to ensure lobbyists and entrepreneurs do not influence governments to act outside the current drug safety protections as seen in North America.”

Yet, other experts said that the approach by state governments of using clinical trials is confusing and a delaying tactic.

David Pennington, Emeritus Professor at the University of Melbourne said upcoming trials in New

South Wales presume cannabis can be regulated as a pharmaceutical substance, which he said it can’t be given its unique properties.

“The debate about the medical use of cannabis in Australia has become confused with the proposal for a formal clinical trial instead of proceeding to legislation in New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria,” he recently wrote.

Australian Greens Leader Dr Richard Di Natale said he too was cautious of the legislation, warning that it falls short of delivering for patients.

He said the legislation meant barriers remained between patients and medicinal cannabis because it was still illegal.

“The Health Minister has labelled its medicinal cannabis legislation the ‘missing piece’ when it is really just the first piece of the puzzle,” said Senator Di Natale.

“This bill does nothing to change the fact that cannabis is scheduled as an illegal drug that cannot be prescribed by a doctor.”

For this part, medical marijuana entrepreneur Paul Benhaim said Australia should pursue an approach similar to that of Colorado, which sees customers receive a ‘medical cannabis card’ for certain ailments.

Recreational use of cannabis will remain illegal under the draft legislation. The House of Representatives and Senate are expected to approve the proposed amendments. Minister Ley has said she wants the laws passed before parliament breaks in March.

Multiple surveys have shown a majority of the Australia population supports the use of medical cannabis. This latest development comes as medical marijuana continues to gain ground globally with 13 nations across the European Union, four nations in Latin America, Canada and a host of US states already have already passed legislation allowing its use.

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7

BY WENDY BACON When the Minister for Planning Rob Stokes announced two weeks ago that he had approved the Westconnex M4 tunnel between Homebush and Haberfield in Sydney’s Inner West, few were surprised.

After all, the Minister sits in the same NSW LNP cabinet that signed off on a $2.7 billion dollar public contract to a Leightons, John Holland and Samsung C & T consortium to build the tunnel in June last year. This was before the M4 East EIS had even been submitted or a full business case justifying the whole Westconnex project completed.

But even though approval was on the cards, Stokes’ decision still came as a shock to many Haberfield residents who would bear much of the immediate brunt if construction goes ahead.

Westconnex Action Group campaigner Sharon Laura whose home is close to the M4 East exit told City Hub “people are angry and very distressed. They feel abandoned by government and treated with contempt by the Department of Planning.”

But campaigners are not giving up. Two days later after Stokes’ decision, angry anti-Westconnex campaigners occupied the entrance to the Planning Department in Sydney’s CBD during lunchtime, renaming it as the Department for “Rubber Stamps. The protestors warned it was the beginning of a direct action campaign.

On Tuesday this week, the City of Sydney released a report by independent consultants SGS Economics and Planning on the Updated Westconnex Strategic Business Case that the Baird government had kept under wraps until November last year. SGS Economics and Planning consultancy describes the Westconnex business case as a “a confused document filled with contradictions which does little to address the wide ranging concerns about WestConnex.”

The report finds that Westconnex’s claim that the overall project would have a BCR (Benefits Costs Ratio) of 1:71 is incorrectly quoted and that this figure should be a less positive 1:64.

SGS’s report found that incongruous and missing data cast further doubt over the less generous figure. Westconnex “is likely to be marginal at best…. it is quite possible that the actual BCR for WestConnex is less than one. New South Wales taxpayers will be exposed to the risk of the project not succeeding in the short to medium term. Given this and the lack of strategic justification, the decision to proceed with WestConnex is questionable.”

Greens Westconnex spokesperson Jenny Leong issued a media release which stated,” it’s high time the Premier pulled his arrogant Roads Minister in to line.

The omissions identified in the report, along with the swathe of incorrect or misleading assumptions in the traffic modelling and social impacts demonstrate the desperate lengths the Roads Minister will go to.”

Protestors occupied the Planning Department, renaming it the department for rubber stamps.

Even before this latest City of Sydney report, Stokes would have been expecting that his approval of the M4 East project would further arouse public anger. In his media release, he promised that “after considering the disruption on local residents and in response to issues raised during consultation”, he has imposed “strict and unprecedented approval conditions.”

But the conditions are not worth the paper they are written on, according to Westconnex Action Group’s Kathy Calman who lives next to the old M5 motorway. She said at the protest that noise walls removed for Westconnex preliminary works on the old M5 in Beverly Hills in South West Sydney had stayed down for months

longer than originally promised by Westconnex, and said it was like “living through a nightmare” with loud noise extending to 3 am in the morning.

Even before Stokes’ approval of the M4 East, WestConnex was trying to push ahead with the roadway.

Ashfied Council planners were unimpressed when Westconnex sent them one thousand pages of technical management plans wanting their comments by January 21, nearly two weeks before approval was even granted.

After reviewing the plans, Ashfield Council’s Director of Planning and Environment Council, Phil Sarin advised Council that staff were continuing to receive requests for comments “within unrealistic timeframes and the draft plans suggested that Westconnex had disregarded Council’s EIS submission”.

Following this and protests from Haberfield and Ashfield residents, the Council moved a motion to brief a senior barrister and seek expert advice for a legal challenge against NSW Roads and Maritime Services’ offer of compensation for parts of the Reg Coady reserve, a highly valued open space in Haberfield, which RMS is compulsorily acquiring for Westconnex.

Council also voted not to agree to management plans until detailed design plans are lodged and all extra post approval requirements are published on the Council website so that residents can read them.

Council staff also reported that while Westconnex reports claim that there had been “extensive stakeholder engagement throughout the project”, consultation had in fact been ‘minimal’.

Council agreed and passed a motion calling on the Secretary of the Department of Planning and Environment to hold a “public hearing on the poor quality of the community consultation related to the M4 East EIS” Council has also withdrawn approval for test drilling or preparatory works on Reg Coady Reserve for WestConnex, so that elected Councillors can decide all future applications from Westconnex. The follows Marrickville Council’s withdrawal of permissions for Westconnex to drill on its Council lands.

Ashfield Councillors also confirmed the right of residents “to peacefully protest at Reg Coady Reserve and any other sites owned or managed by Council.”

All Labor and independent Councillors supported the motion with only four Liberal Councillors opposed.

With the controversial EIS process for the M4 East behind him, the tone of Stokes’ media release announcing the approval was placatory. He promised “opportunities for ongoing community involvement in the design of the project”. But campaigners say this has a hollow ring. The future looks more like trench warfare rather than yet another highly managed consultation session.

Wendy Bacon is an editor of the People M4 EIS and has also spoken at Westconnex Action Group rallies.

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For that beautiful natural coastal look, look no further than cane.

Naturally pliable, it comes in a diverse range of styles and ages in a way that silently screams coastal comfort.

“The older it gets, the more beautiful it gets,” says Kim from Annandale Interiors. “Major antique dealers would take cane, and weave it into rocking chairs after ageing it naturally.”

Sitting on cane is so much more preferable than plastic, especially for sitting on the verandah watching the waves roll in. “Pair it with linen for that chic, French look.”

“A select piece in an art deco apartment in Bellevue Hill or on the Lower North Shore silently screams luxury.”

Annandale Interiors has a range of cane, from colonial to contemporary. They also have peacock chairs in their traditional proportions, faithful to their original Chinese origins.

“Pair cane with luscious greenery, cactuses, the more green the better, to get that coastal look,” says Kim. Annandale Interiors 38-42 Parramatta Road, Stanmore NSW 2048 Phone: 9565 1275

FEATURE

Black Comedy skit – Housewives of Narrowmine

telling me a story, a) I laugh, and b) it is so strong with content that is passionate, something that really comes from within and with a deeper meaning than anything I’ve experienced before.”

The Allstars don’t necessarily seek to be political in their material, but an Aboriginal person’s identity is itself political within our society, so the very act of sharing their stories carries a certain progressive charge.

As Dane explained:“Me in particular, I just do stories about my family and growing up and funny little yarns, places where I’ve been and come from, we do comedy but with an Aboriginal flavour, we don’t necessarily do ‘Aboriginal jokes’, its just us being us, and I think that that breaks down stereotypes.”

Shiralee shared that as “a dark-skinned Aboriginal”, she is always aware of prejudice. She has experienced being stopped on the way into the backstage of a venue when her lighter-skinned co-stars have been allowed in ahead of her:“They’ll say ‘Oh I’m sorry only the entertainment is [allowed] back here’ – [but] I am the entertainment.”

“There’s a lot of stereotypes that are put up when you first meet [some non-Aboriginal people], but afterwards they’re apologising and shouting me a drink or something...which is really good,” Shiralee remarked. “I talk about that in my shows, because it’s different when

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you’re living in black Australia, you’re treated differently, and comedy just helps me be able to talk about it and then laugh at the changes. Education through comedy and laughter is the most substantial way I’ve seen.”

As a writer, actor and associate producer on the ABC’s sketch comedy series Black Comedy, Nikkiah Liu is another firm believer in the power of laugher and entertainment as tools for social change. As she later explained: “I think the more complexity we have in our society with whose stories we tell and whose voices we hear and which people we see can only do us good because our media, our entertainment, our stories and our art should reflect who we are as a society.”

Nikkiah added:“I think we often see equality as assimilation or equality as your colour not being seen, but it’s not about being colour blind… or colour not mattering to who you are, it’s about your colour not being detrimental, not being completely who you are, not having people making assumptions about you because of your race…”

Much like in the Allstars’ comedy, Nikkiah and the Black Comedy writers riff off racist stereotypes in their sketches.

Recently, Channel 9 television series Here Come The Habibs was slammed for the way it was perceived to pander to racist stereotypes of Middle Eastern Australians.

But as Nikkiah explained, these stereotypes need to be

acknowledged to be addressed – and the context, the people telling the joke and who is ultimately being laughed at is key.

“I thought it was really interesting that there was people going ‘Oh that’s really offensive!’ when they haven’t actually seen the [Habibs’] story or the context…that show is created by men of that diaspora and a lot of the commentary was coming from white people,” said Nikkiah.

“One of the things I always found interesting [about the response to Black Comedy] was having non-Indigenous people ask me,‘Is it ok to laugh?’…”

But as she explained, everyone is invited to laugh:“This idea of ‘Hey, laugh with us, engage with us’ – an element of that is ‘Care about us, care about us enough to be an ally and support change for our lives to be equal to yours!’ ...If our stories aren’t representing us, then what use are they?”

Ahead of their show in Redfern this weekend, Dane and Shiralee were looking ahead to the response they hope to see at Giant Dwarf after last year’s critical acclaim.

“I’d love the [Indigenous] community up there to feel really proud of having some Aboriginal comics come and rock it, and for non-Aboriginal people that come to the show I hope they really enjoy it,” said Dane.

“I’d love [audiences] to walk out of the Giant Dwarf elated, inspired and ready to have conversations with Aboriginal people after seeing our perspectives and having a great laugh,” Shiralee added. “A lot of people have walked out of our shows and said their guts hurt [from laughing], and their cheeks hurt from smiling, and we know that they’ve had a brilliant time.”

ABORIGINAL COMEDY ALLSTARS Sunday Feb 28, 7pm. Giant Dwarf, 199 Cleveland Street, Redfern. $25.

Tickets & info: giantdwarf.com.au or comedyallstars.com.au

DEADLY FUNNY SYDNEY Saturday Feb 27. Workshop: 4–6pm.

Performance: 7pm. Redfern Community Centre, 29-53 Hugo Street, Redfern. Free.

Registration to compete or sit in the audience: deadlyfunny.com.au

BLACK COMEDY Series 2 Airs Wednesday nights on ABC TV at 9.02pm. Catch up on episodes at iview.abc.net.au

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BY Alannah Maher “Stereotypes – I think that’s [the reason] why I needed to be in comedy… It’s all about expression, and I think being able to express yourself in life, it really releases you from a lot of things you have tied up inside...”

Shiralee Hood speaks to me from the tour van with her fellow comedian Dane Simpson, bumping along to Sydney for the next show of their historic 49 date tour at Redfern’s Giant Dwarf Theatre, after shows in South Australia and regional Victoria. Elatedly, they tell me about the range of audience reactions they’ve experienced in different towns, and the time they have to workshop their comedy on the road.

This isn’t your average troupe of comedians; Shiralee and Dane are with the Aboriginal Comedy Allstars.The group came together through their shared experiences and decided to team up to bring their utterly unique and cheeky comedy experience to the country.They first toured last year with Shiralee and fellow founding members Kevin Kropinyeri, Matt Ford and Andy Saunders.

Shiralee and Kevin met through Deadly Funny, a national competition program run through Melbourne International Comedy Festival and the only one to exclusively support budding Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander talent. Dane came up through the program last year and joins the Aboriginal Comedy Allstars this year in place of Andy (who will only be joining the tour this time for the special Giant Dwarf show).“We heard a lot of people talking about [Dane], and when we saw him we just thought he was a hilarious person who would be brilliant for the group,” said Shiralee.

“I get to learn heaps and I’m touring around with people who are absolutely masters of their craft,” explained Dane.

“I get to hone my craft a lot quicker than a lot of guys get to… it’s 100% a fantastic opportunity for me.”

“It’s actually a way for Aboriginal people to get on stage and say ‘Hey, this is what’s actually going on, this is what it’s actually all about’,” Deadly Funny Program Producer Wes Snelling would later tell me.“There’s a lot of comedy audiences that may not have seen an Aboriginal person in the flesh, that is a ridiculous reality but it’s true… it’s about access with each other, not being frightened of each other.”

The Sydney heat of Deadly Funny will take place this weekend, preceded by a two-hour workshop where the Allstars’ Andy Saunders will join in assisting aspiring comedians to refine their material.Wes explained:“It’s almost script development, but you don’t have to have a script, you might just have a joke, and get advice on how to work up to the punch line… it’s a case by case scenario.”

Snelling added:“I love Deadly Funny because 99.99999% of the time that I come across any Aboriginal person who is

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Live dance floor extravaganza Burn The Floor will make its return to Australian shores at the end of February. It has been two years since the showcase has been to Australia and is already in its 16th year. Producer Harley Medcalf explained that Fire in the Ballroom is full of colourful sets and costumes, going back to how the productions originally began.

“We are back with a lavish set, which is a Havana street scene and we are back into the colour and large amounts of costumes again,” he said.

“Really what happened in the journey [of Burn The Floor], when we started in 1999 we had massive sets, hundreds of costumes… Then over a period of time until 2005 we went into another direction to take everything away, so most of the dancers costumes were mostly black.”

What you can expect from this show is a

round up of all the Burn The Floor productions into two 45-minute performances.

“We have four productions of Burn The Floor around the world,” said Medcalf. “This touring production is the highlight of the other shows.

So it’s just bringing the best pieces of the individual shows for the tour.”

Jason Gilkison and Peta Roby will choreograph the show with 20 handpicked dancers and musicians.You’ll see the dancers performing the Spanish flamenco, Paso doble, salsa, tango, and the waltz with music from Led Zeppelin, Christina Aguilera, Santana, Janis Joplin and Tito Puente. (AMal) Feb 26–28. Enmore Theatre, 118-132 Enmore Road, Newtown. $40.68-$50.71. Tickets & info: tickettek.com.au or burnthefloor.com

a&e

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10 STAGE 12 SCENE 13 Sounds 14 SCREEN

Dancer: Bernhard Knauer.

Photo: Irenaeus Herok

Burn the Floor – Fire in the Ballroom

CounterMove

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

In 2016, Sydney Dance Company will ignite the stage with their incredible two-part program, CounterMove.As a juxtaposition of the works of Artistic Director Rafael Bonachela and Swedish Choreographer Alexander Ekman, CounterMove is a demonstration of how contemporary dance can be many different things.

Lux Tenebris is a 40-minute work created by Bonachela, featuring the full ensemble of dancers, and serves as an artistic interpretation of the idea of light and darkness.

“The ultimate result is a work of dance,” Bonachela explained.“[It’s] an artwork of choreography which has been inspired by the idea of light and darkness and how that makes us feel and how we respond to it, and the memories that we may have of light and darkness.”

As apart of his development process Bonachela collaborated with Sydney composer Nick Wales to come up with a uniquely industrial-like soundscape – a choice made to compliment and contrast with Cacti, the other half of the CounterMove program.

“Cacti has beautiful orchestral music and it has a live string quartet on stage… as much as I love orchestral music, [I decided] I was going to go electronic,” said Bonachela.

“A lot of the textures are quite dark and

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

distorted. I was interested in putting a lot of things that cross each other. So I suppose like a duality of sound,” Nick Wales explained.

“It’s very electronic,” Wales added.“So a lot of it is urban related drum beats. But I also used a lot of field recordings that I’ve made in places like Ethiopia and Korea.”

Alexander Ekman’s Cacti is world-renowned for it’s hilarious and comical approach to contemporary dance. In the piece, the dancers are seemingly trying to escape from invisible prisons and eventually all acquire a cactus.

Lux Tenebris and Cacti are both incredible pieces of contemporary dance and are the perfect counter-movements to one-another.

The Sydney Dance Company are also hosting an exclusive sneak peak of CounterMove as a part of a free Work in Progress event, held at the Roslyn Packer Theatre.

“What the Work in Progress has is a Q&A,” said Bonachela.“Anyone in the audience can ask any question they want to me, to any of the dancers or collaborators and we also have the magic of the theatre.” (NB) Feb 26–Mar 12. Roslyn Packer Theatre, 22 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay. $45-$89.

Tickets & info: roslynpackertheatre.com.au

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

Space Cats: an Intergalactic Feline Musical

The Killing of Sister George

G.bod Theatre are marking the 50th anniversary of The Killing of Sister George with an updated version of the iconic Frank Marcus production at King Street Theatre.

In the play June Buckridge plays Sister George, a beloved character on a popular BBC soap opera, a nurse who ministers to the medical needs and personal problems of the local villagers. In real life Buckridge is a loud mouthed, alcoholic, slightly sadistic woman – the very antithesis of the sweet character she plays, she also happens to be a lesbian.

Despite the fact that the play was fashioned on the cusp of the swinging sixties, it didn’t make it any less radical for the time, and that’s something that Director Peter Mountford has always been fascinated by.

“It was the very first time that openly lesbian characters had been seen on stage, up until then it had

been an underground scene.The good thing about the play is that there’s absolutely no apology for the fact that they are lesbians, and they’re out and they live together.”

Whilst not much of the original script has been changed, Mountford and his team were determined to bring more of a genuine quality to the creation, which he believes will still have as much of an effect on people today as it did in the sixties.

“The original was played very much as a comedy and what we’ve done is look at the darker side of it, I think they’re going to be quite shocked at how powerful a play from that time could be, it’s something that was new at the time and we’ve actually not seen anything like it since.” (AH) Feb 24–Mar 12 (Wed–Sat 7.30pm, Sun 5pm).

King Street Theatre, 644 King Street, Newtown. $28-$35.Tickets & info: kingstreettheatre.com.au

After a slaying their one night debut in winter last year, Sydney’s most daring independent musical theatre company brings back the sassiest, glitteriest musical of all time. Brevity Theatre’s Space Cats: an Intergalactic Feline Musical makes a full-season return at Newtown’s Old 505 theatre just in time for Mardi Gras.

We caught up with Samantha Young, Space Cats’ writer, director, performer, costume maker and all around queen of all that purrs and sparkles in the lead up to opening night.

“I’ve just spent 25 hours making a massive crown, and I think we purchased something like 500 disco balls yesterday,” she casually mentioned.

Space Cats follows lonely canine Laika (Graeme McRae) on a journey deep into the galaxy where he crash lands on a planet populated with all-signing, all-dancing fabulous but elitist cats who have trouble accepting the smelly and the strange.

“Cats are very much in the zeitgeist right now…but actually the idea for Space Cats started four years ago when I was doing another cabaret called Love Birds…and in order to annoy the director, because I was one of the performers, we started to plan an alternative musical that would be the exact opposite…and I just never got over the joke…”

With NIDA degrees in acting and directing up her sleeve,Young has created a show that not only looks fabulous but has a strong narrative embellished with great songs and playful improvised comedy.

With only two original cast members

Piccolo Tales

As a Kings Cross institution, the Piccolo Bar and its 81-year-old proprietor,Vittorio, have witnessed several dramatic changes and attracted many colourful customers over the years. Site-specific play Piccolo Tales returns after a critically acclaimed, sell-out 4-month season last year.

Written and performed by Vashti Hughes, the play pays homage to Vittorio and his bar, celebrating each era with a bright and exciting character.

“For each decade I’ve tried to choose a character that is from, and represents [that] decade,” explained Hughes. “In the ‘70s there’s a Les Girls girl, in the ‘80s there’s a crazy junkie, and in the ‘90s a pill popping DJ...after 2000 we have a pram pushing yuppie mummy and a guy on grinder.”

THE RITZ On the run from his murderous bother-in-law, a balding, middle-aged businessman finds himself hiding out at a steamy Manhattan bathhouse running rampant with the frivolities of the gay sexual revolution.

The New Theatre presents this madcap farce with their most adventurous set to date, a cast of 15 (most of them only in towels) and several wild choreographed musical numbers.

Audiences will leave with huge smiles!

(AM) Until Mar 5. New Theatre, 542 King Street, Newtown. $17-$22.

Tickets & info: newtheatre.org.au THE PUNTER’S SIREN A whacky comedy about people’s inner thoughts, fears and desires set in the 60’s.The socially awkward Helen (Jacqui Robson) turns up to Randwick Racecourse alone

to be swept off her feet by the vivacious Linda (Laura Viskovich), but this blonde bombshell has an ulterior motive. Set in a time when homosexuality was more fraught with difficulties, this enigmatic play also pays tribute to the fashions and the fancies of the decade. (AM) Until Mar 5. Blood Moon Theatre, The World Bar, 24 Bayswater Road, Kings Cross. $21.89-$32.34.

Tickets & info: eventbrite.com.au or theworldbar.com THE PRIDE An emotional and poetic reflection on gay identity and sexual liberation, celebrating authenticity, empathy and understanding.The Pride jumps between two parallel love stories – one set in the repressive past, 1958, and the other in the more liberated present day.Through wicked humour and raw emotion,The Pride will get

The intimate setting inserts the audience members into the action, creating somewhat of a journey through time, similar to opening a time capsule and exploring what’s inside.

“I also play [Vittorio], so sitting there with [him]…is really special… it’s quite interesting to watch his responses to it all as well,” said Hughes.

On top of the usual seating structure (ten audience members inside the bar, and ten outside on the sidewalk), this year ten audience members will be given the opportunity to sit in the park across the street to witness the action from a new perspective.

“It’ll be like silent disco style [with] headphones,” Hughes explained.

Piccolo Tales is a celebration of the iconic Kings Cross, enabling audience members to reminisce and share their own histories with the City. (NB) Until Mar 31. Piccolo Bar, 6 Roselyn Street, Potts Point. $20-$40.Tickets & info: piccolotales.eventbrite.com.au

Vashti and Vittorio Photo: Roslyn Sharp

under your skin, exploring the ever changing attitudes to love and sexuality.

After receiving incredible reviews in the UK, this highly topical play is one that will leave the audience talking for days.

(NB) Until Mar 6. Eternity Playhouse, 39 Burton St, Darlinghurst. $38-$45.Tickets & info: darlinghursttheatre.com LUISA MILLER This rarely seen opera production is staged in Australia for the first time – a triumph for Nicole Car, who takes on the title role and carries it off spectacularly.The libretto gives us a Romeo and Juliet type story, complete with star-crossed lovers Luisa and Rodolfo, sung by unfaltering tenor Diego Torre.The black and white colour theme and the stark minimalist set have the effect of severing the story from its

including Samantha herself, new songs, a new choreographer and a glorious new set design thanks to a bigger budget, this is looking like a purrfect production that captures the spirit of the Mardi Gras.

“There is a homosexual storyline, and that’s become a real focus of the piece [since coming under the Mardi Gras banner], but I want to take a step back from that and say that each other character is dealing with their own diversity issue.What we’re fighting for as a whole piece is freedom of sexuality, whatever your sexuality is.”

“I would love [for audiences to leave the show] feeling really naughty, like they can go and break some rules and love each other and buy a stranger a drink in a bar.” (AM) March 1–12,Tues-Sat 8pm.The Old 505 Theatre, 5 Eliza Street, Newtown. $25-$35.

Tickets & info: old505theatre.com

nineteenth century setting and placing in a timeless zone of human passions. (ID) Until Feb 29. Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House. $44-$330. Tickets & info: opera.org.au LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS In this cult classic musical horror/ comedy, a struggling flower shop on the rough side of town is prepared to shut it its doors for good, when a timid employee discovers a tremendous little plant that changes everything. With an upbeat Motown score and some serious puppet wizardry bringing a man-eating plant to life, this production brings together a talented crop of seasoned and fresh performers and creatives. This 21st century update promises to be the full package, and should delight fans of the 1960 and 1986 film adaptions. (AM)

Until Mar 19. Hayes Theatre Company, 19 Greenknowe Avenue, Potts Point. $74.90-$84.90.

Tickets & info: hayestheatre.com.au THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY – REIMAGINED Expect a completely new view on an Oscar Wilde classic, quite controversial in its time. Nathan Farrow, an Australian playwright/actor, adapts the play; it’s a drama and a comedy with horrors and dark secrets. Wilde is well known for his wit and sharp jabs against society, and his characters have clever quips that make you think about what’s happening in society today.

(MS) Until Mar 19. Genesian Theatre, 420 Kent Street, Sydney. $25-$30.Tickets & info: genesiantheatre.com.au

LADIES DAY Written by Alana Valentine, this play focuses on a female writer in Broome and her experience and conversations with gay men in the community. All of these stories are based on real life interviews and heavy research.

Valentine is seeking to express ideas and themes that normally aren’t publicly known or discussed with the community, regarding the LGBTQ experience in regional Australia. Darren Yap is the director of this evocative play, with a large musical portion by Max Lambert. (AMal) Until Mar 26.

SBW Stables Theatre, 10 Nimrod Street, Kings Cross. $20-$55.

Tickets & info: griffintheatre.com.au city hub 25 FEBRUARY 2016

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THE NAKED CITY

TROPFEST REVISITED: AN INSIDERS LOOK With Coffin Ed, Jay Katz and Miss Death Large outdoor festivals have been getting a bum rap in Sydney of late.

Music festivals like Soulfest and Soundwave have been cancelled and those that did proceed were marred by drug deaths and numerous arrests.

Partygoers who paid up to $500 a ticket at ‘NYE Above the Harbour’ in the Botanic Gardens complained of a distinct lack of portaloos, horrendous queues and poor quality food.At the inaugural ‘Sydney Barbecue Festival’ in the Domain carnivores grizzled that there was too much salad and not enough meat! Even the Sydney Festival came in for criticism with its heavy handed crowd control at the free Flaming Lips concert where one wellknown and much loved rock star was denied access by bully boy bouncers because he was wearing cricket gear from an earlier match.

Meanwhile, a few weeks ago Tropfest pulled off a remarkable comeback after it looked dead and buried in November, with sixty thousand odd punters flocking to Centennial Park.You might remember we reported on the previous Tropfest in the Park and the poor treatment of volunteers at the event.At the time we wrote:“Given that some of the volunteers signed up for shifts as long as sixteen hours, the absence of any complimentary nourishment, not even a plate of soggy sandwiches, seems incredibly mean.

While VIPs whooped it up with all manner of gourmet free fodder, volunteers had to make do with a voucher for a free Slurpee.”

Could things get any worse for the free labour this year? Well the Slurpees were off the menu (and maybe that was actually an improvement), but elsewhere little seems to have changed. Given the outpouring of public

support for the event, you might wonder why we highlight the plight of a handful of volunteers – but their treatment is symptomatic of the rampant corporatisation of the whole occasion.As one volunteer (call him our ‘secret shopper’) explained to us: “Starting at 7.00am on the Sunday (with many volunteers “working” in Centennial Park for several days prior to the big day) and finishing at either 2.00pm or all the way through until 11.00pm, what actually was offered to volunteers? A Black t-shirt, with a certificate of appreciation promised at a later date. Oh, and as much bottled water as you could scrounge, as the one domestic fridge was empty as soon as it was filled, and that served the

entire working crew at the park. One domestic fridge for several hundred workers – security,TV, lighting, audio, volunteers, runners, make up artists, PR runabouts and possibly the NSW Police.That’s it – no free meals, and no meal breaks, for an entire 16-hour-plus shift if you happened to volunteer for the entire day.”

Compare this to the copious amounts of food, booze and cheese platters laid on for the VIPs and celebrity judges.You can’t argue that Tropfest needs to look after its corporate sponsors, but does the disparity between high profile guests and those in the black t-shirts need to be so severe? As our secret shopper noted: “One of our chores was to place a well-stocked gourmet food container on every seat in the VIP section, which numbered approximately 350.At the end of the night at least twenty percent of these gastronomic delights were left unopened, swept to the ground as famished volunteers packed up the seats amid the piles of rubbish left by the corporate VIPs.” Given the current behind the scenes wrangling that has beset the Tropfest organization, the future treatment of volunteers might seem a low priority. But as we have said before, other festivals like the Sydney Festival have set a standard when it comes to the welfare of those that enthusiastically give their time for free. Rather than scaling up each year, Tropfest needs to revisit the spirit of its earlier days – with more women filmmakers involved, more low budget entries, and volunteers who don’t need a certificate of appreciation to realise they have been made welcome!

Kings Cross Festival

Sydney Writers’ Festival: Carriageworks Edition 2016 Sydney Writers’ Festival (SWF), in partnership with Carriageworks, are presenting two fascinating talks in March from renowned international writers Simon Winchester (UK), author of new biography Pacific Ocean, and award-winning author Andrew O’Hagan (UK).

Carriageworks and SWF’s new partnership presents this exclusive opportunity to see Winchester in his only Sydney appearance, where he will be speaking about his new book telling the story of oceans, coral reefs, the beauty of the sea – but also of atom bombs and dictators, the collapse of empires and the diminishing power of the world’s superpowers.

People will also have the chance to join the award-winning O’Hagan, who gave one CHEN QIULIN – ONE HUNDRED NAMES This exhibition includes over a decade of photographic and video work focusing on the central issues of migration, displacement, ancestry, urban development and its disruption of traditional culture and way of life. Qiulin’s favourite piece is the installation ‘One Hundred Names for Kwong Wah Chong’, the latest iteration of her ongoing video works documenting the decaying process of one hundred common Chinese family names carved from tofu.

(AMal) Until Feb 27. 11am-6pm. 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, 181-187 Hay Street, Sydney. Info: 4a.com.au LUMINOUS WORLD An exciting new exhibition brings together a selection of 61 different paintings, photographs and ceremonial objects by some of Australia and New Zealand’s 12

city hub 25 FEBRUARY 2016

of the more memorable talks at the 2007 SWF event. This year he will be discussing his new novel, The Illuminations, a story about family, loyalty, secrecy and so much more, which was long-listed for the 2015 Man Booker Prize.

“I’m delighted to be co-presenting these extraordinary writers...as part of our mini March Festival,” said SWF’s Artistic Director, Jemma Birrell. “It will give our audiences a taste of the wonderful things to come at the May Festival and reflects our ongoing partnership with Carriageworks”. (ASha) March 3, 6–7pm (Simon Winchester) & 8pm (Andrew O’Hagan). Carriageworks, 245 Wilson St, Eveleigh. $25-$35 each.

Tickets & info: swf.org.au or ticketmaster. com.au or 1300 723 038

most significant contemporary artists. Collected from artists such as Paddy Bedford, Rosalie Gascoigne, Bill Henson, John Mawurndjul and Lena Yarinkura – the works all carry with them a message built around the theme of ‘light’, which carries with it a symbolic resonance. (JA) Until Feb 27, 11am-5pm, Mon-Sat. National Art School Gallery, Forbes St, Darlinghurst.

Info: nas.edu.au/NASGallery PAPUNYA TJUIPI ARTS 2016 Honey Ant Gallery is showcasing the immense talent of artists from central Australia’s most enduring remote arts hub – Papunya, the home of the Western Desert dot-painting movement.This exhibition is dominated by the talents of the women painters of Papunya, many of them descendants of the founding members of the art movement.With individual styles they capture ancestral stories on canvas and record

This year the Kings Cross Festival is back and better than ever.The festival is all about showcasing the best venues and activities in Kings Cross across the last weekend in February. Every year the festival changes to give visitors and locals a fresh take on the area.This year the theme for the festival is food, family and film.

On Saturday at the Llankelly Place Long Table you can visit the iconic lane and have dinner with some of the best restaurants in the area, with DJs from World Bar spinning all night. Restaurants taking part include Waterman’s Lobster Co, Osaka Bar, KL Kitchen, Pizza Boccone, LL Wine and Dine, Bang Tang and the Roosevelt.

On Sunday head to El-Alamein Fountain for Families by the Fountain, where parents and kids can bond through a number of activities such as face painting, the Taronga Zoo mobile zoo, craft activities, fun fitness plus food from Potts Point Deli, Farm Wholefoods and 169 Darlinghurst.

On Sunday Night enjoy an outdoor cinema at Beare Park where The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert (rated M) will be showing. Feel free to bring food and drinks to accompany the movie. Entry is $5 and all funds will go to Wayside Chapel, the 2016 charity partner.

Potts Point Partnership General Manager Louise Shepherd has been running the event since 2012 and she said she was very disappointed in the state governments refusal to fund this community event.

“We were disappointed that the state government

them for future generations and the prosperity of country. (AM) Until Feb 28. Weds–Sun,10am-4pm.

The Incinerator Art Space, 2 Small Street, Willoughby. Free.

Info: honeyantgallery.com STEFAN DUNLOP & ADRIAN COOMBS Galerie Pompom starts off their new year with two new exhibitions, Stefan Dunlop’s ‘I like your old stuff better than your new stuff’ and Adrian Hobbs’ ‘Parental Guidance Recommended’. Dunlop focuses on the romanticising of natural landscapes, some within historical moments – candy and pastel colours juxtapose his themes. For Hobbs, research of chaos through mathematics, science, history and philosophy has allowed him to develop a certain understanding of chaos, which he has recreated through a visual element of object paintings. (AMal)

didn’t support the festival financially as they did in 2012 and 2014,” she said.

“They didn’t want to support an event post-lockout, especially when it effected all types of businesses.”

Shepherd said this year has been interesting to organise since Kings Cross after the lockouts has turned into a different area altogether, but she doesn’t want that to dampen the spirits of the festival. “[We are] highlighting the cool stuff that’s still going on and celebrating the area,” she said.“The area is quite diverse and people might not think of it as a place that’s close to the harbour [or that] families live here. [We want to] showcase the diversity at the heart of the broader community.” (AMal) Feb 27–28. Kings Cross, various locations. Free.

Check festival website for exact times and dates: kingscrossfestival.com.au

Until Feb 28, Wed-Sat 11am-5pm & Sun 1-5pm. Galerie Pompom, 2/39 Abercrombie Street, Chippendale.

Free entry. Info: galeriepompom.com DAMMERSCHLAF Exploring the liminal states of creative practice and the processes of translation involved in the making and interpretation of art, this exhibition showcases site-specific work of three of the inaugural Artspace One Year Resident Studio Artists – Nick Dorey, Mikala Dwyer and Clare Milledge.

Collaboratively creating an immersive experience, the artists address perceptions of reality, alternate spiritualties and the supernatural.The use of organic materials and an interest in the processes of alchemy and natural flora unite the three practices. (SH) Until Feb 28. Artspace, 43-51 Cowper Wharf Road, Woolloomooloo. Free.

Info: artspace.org.au

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

Sydney Live Music Guide LIVE WIRE

By Jamie Apps The Gooch Palms: The beloved band returns to Australia for the first time since setting up in Los Angeles as their new home base. In their time in the US the group have performed over 100 shows across the country while also recording a new album. Now they return home with their energetic live show, which takes influence from The Ramones and The Beach Boys.

Thu, Feb 25, Oxford Art Factory The Fumes: With a new lineup and new album behind them,The Fumes have a fierce energy to unleash onto their rocking live show. Blending blues and rock-n-roll in an exciting way, this group has something special to offer that suggest a balls-out, raucous show for live audiences.

Thu, Feb 25,The Brighton Up Bar Eugene ‘Hideaway’ Bridges: For much of his 50-year career Bridges has looked to the legendary BB King as a major idol and influence on his style. Less than a year after losing BB King, Bridges will be performing a tribute show in Sydney this weekend as part of his new albums promotional tour.

Fittingly, it was Bridges who opened for King on his last Australian show, so this will be a very true tribute to a legend, with plenty of BB King songs mixed in with Bridges originals.

Fri, Feb 26,The Basement Catherine Traicos: Launching her new album Brave The Good Dark which beautifully blends alternative country, indie folk, blues and rock,Traicos is set to perform an intimate two set solo show this weekend.This album is a welcome return to the scene after two years with a

style that has been compared in the past to Sarah Blasko, Beth Orton and Gillian Welch.

Sat, Feb 27,The Newsagency Hey Geronimo: In what is set to be quite possibly the most ambitious endeavour by a band ever, this Brisbane five-piece plan to play 10 gigs across different venues throughout the city in one day this weekend. For fans that want to join the band on this journey they are providing a hop-on, hop-off bus between venues that range from Camden to Newtown to Kings Cross, finally finishing in Manly (just to name a few).

Sat, Feb 27,Various Venues The Latin American Festival: Following a two year hiatus, a celebration of all things Latin returns to Bondi with a range of entertainment and activities consuming the Bondi Pavilion.This event celebrates the vibrancy of Sydney’s Latin American community, the largest in Australia, with something vibrant for young and old, traditional or modern.With music being performed across three stages by some of the city best bands and DJs this will be a great way to spend a sunny Sunday.

Sun, Feb 28, Bondi Pavilion Osaka Punch: Following the release of their new single Stonk, the Brisbane four-piece powerhouse are ready to come out swinging on the national scene with a tour down the east coast.This group is known for holding nothing back with every performance of their heavy yet groovy rock show.

Wed, Mar 2, Frankie’s Place

By Jamie Apps Whenever an independent band signs with a record label there is a niggling concern that their sound will change, or that there may be too many people involved in the process to maintain a sincere, honest feel. Thankfully, even though Brisbane band Cub Sport have changed their style slightly, fans are standing by them and enjoying the new music.

With This Is Your Vice being the group’s first album released through a label, they quickly learned “that there is a lot more to it than just recording the songs and putting them out”. Lead singer Tim Nelson explained: “We were used to being the only ones who had to sign off on things, but this time we had a bit of back and forth until everyone felt like it was at its best. I think the album is better for having that process and input from various people, so I’m really happy with where it ended up.”

Cub Sport To add to the stresses of changing the release structure of the album, Tim and the band chose to also try a new writing method with these songs, which he says “resulted in a bit of a different sound” but also meant that they are “more genuine songs than before”.

When asked to elaborate on the biggest difference, Tim explained that their songs previously had a “purely happy sound, but with the more honest song writing content

it has shifted to be happy and sad at the same time.”

As part of the release campaign for This Is Your Vice, Cub Sport decided to run a quirky competition that offered the winner a chance to join the band for a night of karaoke. “We thought that would be a unique prize to share that experience with a fan,” said Tim, who added that his favourite karaoke song to perform was ‘We Belong Together’ by Mariah Carey.

Now as the group prepares to hit the road for the album release tour, they’re hitting the rehearsal room more than ever and are looking forward to finally getting back on stage. Tim added: “We only did one tour last year, with Andy Bull, so it’s been quite a while and we’re really excited to finally introduce these songs into our shows.”

Mar 3.The Basement, 29 Reiby Place, Sydney. $17+b.f.Tickets & info: thebasement.com.au

Hands Like Houses – Dissonants

Stephanie Claire EP

WWWW1/2

WWWW

My first introduction to Hands Like Houses was when they were one of the support acts for a concert headlined

by The Amity Affliction late last year.Their performance proved why you should always get to shows early and check out the upcoming bands.

So it’s safe to say I was eagerly anticipating Dissonants, and thankfully Hands Like Houses more than delivered what I was after.The band brilliantly straddle that line between pop-rock and hardcore by expertly blending intricate hardcore stylised drum, bass and guitar sequences with emotional lyrics that will resonate with the listener long after the album ends.

Personally, I don’t think I’ve ever connected with the lyrics from an entire album as much as I did with Dissonants. From beginning to end both the writing, production and performances are all impeccable, this is certainly going to be one of the best albums to come out of Australia this year. I highly recommend everybody check this out, even if it means stepping out of your comfort zone. (JA)

With dynamic storytelling wrapped up within the airy vocals of the debut EP from Sydney jazz-pop artist Stephanie Claire, it won’t be long before you’re whisped away on an emotional journey.

Layer these gripping and soulful vocals on top of a 1970s-esque jazz soundtrack, brimming with dynamic piano keys, double bass and understated drums – and you create something that is truly mesmerising and memorable.

It’s not uncommon for jazz and blues records to fall into the trap of being stuck in a mire of sadness, and while this record explores sorrowful areas, there is an underlying positivity here that makes this record something special.

For jazz aficionados this one is certainly worth searching out. (JA)

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2016 ALLIANCE FRANCAISE FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL Sydney’s favourite cultural event returns, and lovers of fine cinema should be enchanted by the programme which showcases 48 of the best films France has to offer.

Emmanuelle Denavit-Feller, the festival artistic director, explained that there’s a deep relationship between Australia and France.

“Australians have embraced the French culture and many travel to France each year.

France produces 250 films each year and the creativity of these films appeal to Australian audiences,” said Denavit-Feller.

“Our films are getting stronger and audiences will laugh, cry and be inspired by the stories French cinema brings them.”

One of the highlights at the festival is the screening of Contempt, a satirical drama which stars Brigitte Bardot.“This film was released in 1963 and is a French classic.A restored version will be screened on closing night – a special night when it’s time to say goodbye.”

“A new format this year is the introduction of five new French television series which will transport Australian audiences to homes in France and give them a sample of what’s on French television.”

“Enjoy the film festival and get inspired,” concluded Denavit-Feller. (MMo)

HOT PICKS TAJ MAHAL – An edge-of-your-seat, nail-biting suspense drama about an 18-year-old girl who is alone in an Indian hotel room as terrorists target the building.

BOMMERANG – A riveting mystery, which surrounds two siblings who are haunted by the unexplained death of their mother decades earlier.

FAMILY FOR RENT – A romantic comedy concerning a wealthy man who pays a lady’s debts in exchange for renting her family.

PAPA OU MAMAN – A fast-moving comedy about a married couple who battle for a perfect divorce – to gain everything except custody of their three children.

BELLE & SEBASTIAN:THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES – The continuing family drama of a boy and dog who embark on new adventures, searching for their friend missing after a plane crash.

Mar 1–24. Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona, Chauvel Cinema & Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace.

Single sessions $19.50, 5 & 10 multi-session passes available. Tickets & info: affrenchfilmfestival.org

Rocky Mountains Express

How to Be Single Alice (Dakota Johnson) learns how to be single after a breakup from long-time boyfriend Josh, and to help her is her promiscuous friend Robin (Rebel Wilson) and older, unmarried sister Meg (Leslie Mann).

Nothing goes to plan however, as she is still thinking about her ex... then not thinking about him, so she hooks up with playboy bar owner Tom (Anders Holm) who is also slightly attracted to the woman who

lives above his bar, Lucy (Alison Brie), but she uses online dating to find the one.

This movie is slightly predictable but to counteract that the dialogue is humorous and light hearted. To top it all off the soundtrack is full of uptempo music from artists such as Charlie XCX, Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar. If you want to watch a fun, simple rom-com, this is it.

(AMal) WWW1/2

WORLD SQUARE SILENT CINEMA The World Square is hosting its free outdoor cinema and it will be difficult to find a better way to spend those lazy summer evenings than just taking a seat back and relaxing as you get to enjoy the classics: favourites like The Holiday and Love Actually and cult-classics such as Muriel’s Wedding, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure and Romeo & Juliet will ensure that audiences are glued to the headphones and deckhairs provided by the organisers. (JR) Until Mar 16, 7pm Weds. World Square, 680 George Street, Sydney.

Free. Info: ticketpro.com.au or worldsquare.com.au CONCUSSION Will Smith is in the lead role as the Nigerian forensic pathologist Dr Bennet Omalu, who was responsible for discovering chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in NFL players and thus triggered a long fight with the league and American society. This battle is portrayed rather poorly, constantly 14

city hub 25 FEBRUARY 2016

jumping forward large time spans, and only showing brief glimpses of the backlash directed towards Omalu. Smith is fantastic in his portrayal of Omalu, although the Nigerian accent may be off putting for some. (JA) WW1/2 TRUMBO Bryan Cranston gives a flawless performance in this Jay Roach film based on the life of screenwriter Dalton Trumbo. In the 1950s, Trumbo’s fight for workers’ rights and membership of the Communist Party result in a prison sentence for contempt of Congress, he is branded a traitor and blacklisted. His fight to be recognized relies upon the movers and shakers of Hollywood. Strong performances abound, including Louis C.K., John Goodman, and a deliciously nasty Helen Mirren. This is an extraordinary film about an extraordinary period of America’s entertainment history. (CCov) WWWW

This insightful and visually stunning documentary details the construction of the first transcontinental railway link through the Rocky Mountains in Canada, and the courage and determination required to complete a project, which was overcome with unimaginable hardships.

Regarded as the most challenging railway tracks laid in history; avalanches, landslides and numerous accidents resulted in the death of thousands of workers and tourists, but ultimately the vision for Canada’s future was realised.

Audiences will embark on the exhilarating majestic steam engine 2816 and travel the

spectacular historic Canadian Pacific route from Vancouver to Montreal, immersed by the spectacular beauty of the wilderness.

Archival photographs, CGI maps and the breathtaking IMAX aerial cinematography translate into an incredibly captivating documentary, which is entertaining and educational.

Suitable for the entire family, this film is a fine tribute to the pioneers who traversed the globe and laboured tirelessly on an extremely perilous but beneficial endeavour.

(MMo) WWW1/2 Now Screening at IMAX Theatre Sydney.

45 YEARS Kate (Charlotte Rampling) and Geoff Mercer (Tom Courtenay) are about to celebrate their 45th anniversary with a big party when a letter arrives for Geoff that upends their world. The news haunts Geoff and he is consumed with memories of his past life and love, this in turn isolates and infuriates Kate. It’s slow and heavy going at times, however the realistic portrayal of this marriage in crisis and its unresolved ending keeps you wondering long afterward. (ASim) WWW1/2 THE CHOICE Based on the romantic novel by Nicholas Sparks, The Choice examines the power of love from a couple’s rocky beginnings to their life-long romance. The movie is painfully cliché and predictable. Typical of a Sparks film, The Choice felt awkward – cramped with every romantic sub-plot you could ever think of. For me, the only

redeeming quality of The Choice was the inclusion of overly cute puppies – but unfortunately they didn’t get much screen time.

Disappointing. (NB) W1/2 BROOKLYN Audiences who enjoy quality cinema won’t be disappointed in this highly crafted historical drama, exquisitely filmed with memorable performances from a sublime cast. This captivating story of a young lady who migrates from Ireland to Brooklyn in the early 1950’s details the hardships endured for new beginnings. Oscar nominated Saoirse Ronan is outstanding as Eilis Lacey and leads a strong cast. This film is complemented by an intense script, a beautifully composed musical score and the incredible replication of the era. Some needlessly melodramatic moments are evident, but ultimately this is a stylish and endearing film. (MMo) WWWW

HAIL, CEASAR! The Coen Brothers latest cinematic endeavour is a satirical tribute to the golden era of Hollywood, when epic religious and musical movies dominated the box office.

Set in the early 1950’s, the fictional Capital Pictures are filming their enormous production Hail, Caesar! when leading actor Baird Whitlock (George Clooney) is kidnapped by a group of likeable commies. Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) is the studio fixer, whose job is to keep the stars in line and prevent any scandalous behaviour from reaching the press.

Joel and Ethan Coen have written, produced, directed and edited this witty film, which cleverly recreates THE DANISH GIRL This poignant biopic drama set in Copenhagen in the 1920’s is inspired by the extraordinary true story of Danish painters Einar and Gerda Wegener, and details their mental anguish upon the realization that Einar was in fact a transgender woman. Eddie Redmayne delivers another astonishing and moving performance as Einar/Lily, he convincingly brings the alluring Lily to life.Alicia Vikander shines as his loving wife Gerda, the catalyst to Lily’s emergence. Mature audiences should connect emotionally with Lily and be inspired by the lady who inadvertently gave birth to the transgender movement. (MMo) WWWW STEVE JOBS In another biopic of the late, great co-founder of Apple, director Danny Boyle and writer Aaron Sorkin provide an update for the Steve Jobs story. Michael Fassbender is suitably intimidating as the inventor with a passion for perfection. His performance is fierce

the post-war Hollywood studio system. Nothing is sacred as studio heads, gossip columnists, unmanageable actresses, workers suspected of Communist sympathy and even insignificant extras are subtly spoofed.

Ingenious references to real life actors and numerous strangely engaging sequences (such as Channing Tatum tap dancing in an irrelevant musical number) should transfix audiences.

The Coen Brothers have assembled a marvellous cast and produced a film, which is doubtlessly a minor comedic gem. (MMo) WWW1/2

and compelling, and Kate Winslet is beautiful as Jobs’s emotional conscience and confidante, Joanna.

Although an intimate endeavour, Steve Jobs focuses more on his career highs and lows, moving his personal life to the background.The technique and subtle artistry involved in creating this film are mirrored in the life of the subject. (LL) WWW1/2 DIRTY GRANDPA The aptly named Dick (Robert De Niro) takes his grandson Jason (Zac Efron) away from his control-freak fiancé for the weekend, aiming to get laid in the land of Spring Break. Apart from the strangely hypnotic banter Dick shares with college girl Lenore (Aubrey Plaza), there is little of interest. De Niro has shown a talent for self-parody in recent years; The Intern showed he could do it with a touch of class. What this movie shows is more than most of us would like to see. (CCov) W

SaleS PerSon wanted do YoU want a new challenge, we want YoU! Call on a range of local business both over the phone and in person.

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We are seeking someone who is willing to hit the phone and pound the pavement. Sales experience desirable but not essential.

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chris@altmedia.net.au city hub 25 FEBRUARY 2016

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city hub 25 FEBRUARY 2016