City Hub 2 Cctober 2014

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october 2, 2014

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SKY HIGH

Malcolm Moir battles to get a feasibility study into a Skyway link for Barangaroo Page 3

Sydney considers Pyrmont-Balmain-Barangaroo cable car link The Skyway would also be integrated with the Opal system.

“This is an energy efficient, affordable, quick to erect and sensible way to move people,” said Mr Moir.

The Skyway is not designed as a tourist attraction but rather as a commuter connection between harbourside destinations.

Mr Moir rejected claims the Skyway will be another Monorail: “The Monorail travelled in circles, this will actually get people from A to B. It is not designed as a tourist attraction. If tourists use it as well, that is the icing on the cake.”

The problem of the inaccessibility of harbourside areas such as Barangaroo has been a contentious issue for several months. With limited road capacity and no simple pedestrian access to Barangaroo, many community members are concerned about the lack of new transport infrastructure to match the new developments.

Sydney Business Chamber Executive Director Patricia Forsythe said Sydney is set to face a serious transport problem in the near future.

“Certainly we need stronger transport connections in the western harbour precinct. There is a view that Pyrmont Bridge is close to capacity, even before we have seen the completion of Barangaroo or the new Darling Harbour entertainment space,” she said.

“Clearly more and more people are going to live and work in the western harbour and so we do need a review of transport options for the area.”

The Star casino in Pyrmont recently proposed a new bridge connecting The

Star to Barangaroo, however the project never got off the ground.

Mr Moir emphasised that the Skyway is preferable to a bridge because as well as being sustainable, the skyway could address the transport problem in a relatively short space of time.

“I am told that once it is approved, this project could be operational within a year,” he said.

“In the time it takes to build a bridge, Barangaroo will already be up and running.”

“Time is ticking, these developments are going to be finished before we know it and it doesn’t seem like there has been much

thought put in to how we are going to get in and out.”

Mr Moir said the Government has been open to the idea of a feasibility study, but has not provided a definitive response.

Mr Moir has met with the Premier and the Minister for Transport and has presented the idea to the Western Harbour Super Precinct Committee, and said he has not encountered any resistance so far.

Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian said she was open to the idea.

“I always welcome ideas from the community,” she said.

Minister Berejiklian also said there were already plans in place to improve transport

infrastructure in these areas.

“We are also planning for the thousands of office workers and visitors expected to travel to and from the Barangaroo development in the coming years,” she said.

“Construction is already underway on the Wynyard Walk to move thousands of customers from Wynyard to Barangaroo and we’ve started early works on a new Barangaroo ferry hub.”

Ms Forysthe said the cable car concept may be worth considering.

“This cable car could not be a substitute for a new transport network, but we shouldn’t dismiss concepts like this as having no place within that new network.”

Photo: Chris Peken

BY Lucia Osborne-Crowley Sydney may become the next major city to build a cable car link to move commuters across the harbour.

A proposal for a project called Sydney Skyway has been crafted by a group of engineers and transport experts who believe a cable car connection between Balmain, Pyrmont and Barangaroo is the best option to improve public transport to harbourside areas that will likely see an influx of residents in coming years.

The team behind Skyway believe Sydney’s current harbour transport infrastructure has reached capacity, and with developments like Barangaroo attracting more residents to harbourside areas, the city needs an innovative transport solution.

The group has requested funding from the NSW Government to conduct a feasibility study on the project.

“We are urging the Government to put some money into interrogating this option to see whether it stacks up,” said Malcolm Moir, a spokesperson for the Skyway team.

Based on research conducted thus far, the group believes the Sydney Skyway would be the most energy efficient means of transporting large numbers of people across Sydney harbour. The Skyway is estimated to be able to move 4000 people per hour.

According to Mr Moir, the Skyway would be environmentally sustainable, relatively cheap to run and on par with other transport options in terms of commuter cost. Each cable car would be fitted with bicycle racks to encourage cyclists to use the Skyway to cross the harbour.

Malcolm Moir

Co.As.It becomes highest bidder in Forum deadlock Published weekly and freely available Sydney-wide.

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ABN 48 135 222 169 Group Publisher: Lawrence Gibbons Group Manager: Chris Peken Group Editor: Lucia Osborne-Crowley Contributors: Elliott Brennan, Jessica Yun, Emily ContadorKelsall, Carmen Cita Arts Editor: Leigh Livingstone Live Music Editors: Chelsea Deeley & Alexandra English Dining Editor: Jackie McMillan Advertising Managers: Toni Martelli, Robert Tuitama & Mike Contos Design: Joanna Grace Cover: Chris Peken - Malcolm Moir Email: question@alternativemediagroup.com Advertising: sales@alternativemediagroup.com Contact: PO Box 843 Broadway 2007 Ph: 9212 5677 Fax: 9212 5633 Web: altmedia.net.au

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BY Lucia Osborne-Crowley Italian community centre Co.As. It has raised its bid for the purchase of the Italian Forum Cultural Centre.

In an attempt to end a year-long deadlock between Leichhardt Council and the centre’s administrators SV Partners, Co.As. It announced they would raise their bid to $2.8 million, making them the highest bidder.

Since the Cultural Centre went into receivership in late 2013, Leichhardt Council has been leading a push for the property to be sold to Co.As.It in order to ensure the centre services the Italian community in Leichhardt and remains in the hands of a notfor-profit organisation.

SV Partners has continually disputed this based on the fact that Co.As.It were the lowest bidder for the property. In an attempt to end the ongoing dispute, Co.As. It decided to become the highest bidder.

This development was announced at a community meeting organised by Co.As. It on Monday, September 22 at Leichhardt Town Hall, which quickly became a very heated and impassioned argument between the parties.

At the meeting, then Mayor Darcy Byrne gave a speech encouraging the immediate sale of the property to Co.As.It. Co.As.It General Manager

Thomas Camporeale also urged the community to support a sale to Co.As.It in light of the new bid.

“We call on the Administrator to listen to the community, do the right thing and put an end to this disgraceful waste of money, withdraw his injunction and sell to us immediately. This can be done and should be done,” said Mr Camporeale.

The attendees then passed a motion to urge Stephen Hathway, Executive Director of SV Partners to sell to Co.As.It. Mr Hathway announced he was unable to do so pending court hearings on the matter. He was booed during his speech and walked out of the meeting.

“We have been trying to ensure all creditors get paid back and to

achieve the best outcome for the community at the same time,” Mr Hathway told City Hub. “My job is to get the maximum price. I need to extract the highest possible price so the creditors get their money back.”

Mr Hathway said he was not convinced the new bid from Co.As. It would impact the final outcome of the dispute.

“One party has increased its bid, but that is not to say other parties will not increase their bids,” he said.

Mr Hathway also said he understands the other parties are in fact planning on submitting higher bids to beat Co.As.It’s $2.8 million.

Mr Camporeale expressed his concern that Mr Hathway was not taking the community concern over the sale seriously.

“I was very disappointed that Mr Hathway didn’t truly understand the community’s genuine concerns and outrage about how the sale has been handled,” he said following Monday’s meeting.

Dean Carey, Creative Director of the Actors Centre Australia and current lessee of the Cultural Centre, also indicated he did not believe Co.As.It’s new bid would be particularly consequential.

Mr Carey said supports the alternative reported by City Hub on September 11: that SV Partners re-capitalise the Cultural Centre by bailing out its original owners.

The outcome of the dispute will not be known until Leichhardt Council and SV Partners settle a legal dispute expected to be heard in court in early November.

The Italian Forum Cultural Centre

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Overdevelopment battle hits Waverley

BY Emily Contador-Kelsall An early planning proposal in Waverley has caused controversy among residents and sparked a debate about the threat of overdevelopment in the eastern suburbs.

The Easts Group recently launched a planning proposal to redevelop and rezone the Waverley Bowling Club into a $100 million residential and commercial centre.

The proposed development includes plans for two ten storey residential towers, a licensed club, function centre, gym, administrative offices, childcare centre and swimming pool.

Council is not expected to make a final decision on the proposal until next year, however community outrage at the proposal has already begun.

Waverley resident Leigh Dryden, an active advocate against Easts’ proposal said Easts did not buy the location with the community’s best interest in mind.

“The community is outraged. This is not a group of old people saying no to development but a collection of the old, young and established families simply saying ‘not on our doorstep’,” she said.

“The streets surrounding the club are already under stress from what you would consider to be normal urban use.”

Paul Pearce, a former mayor of Waverley and former labor member for Coogee said it is important that residents act early in opposing the rezoning of the Waverley bowling club.

“It is important to stop it at council level first; if council rejects the proposal, then that will at least set the local position very clearly,” Mr Pearce said.

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Mr Pearce said if council rejects the proposal, Easts would likely approach the state department of planning instead.

Ms Dryden said the community had been aware for some time that the site would be developed, with a previous attempt to develop the site in 2001.

“Easts have acted without our regard and consultation. This proposal is designed to test the strength and morale of the local community.”

“We have been keeping a close eye on this development proposal for quite sometime, we all knew that it would come again one day but not in this sort of magnitude and size.”

Waverley Mayor Sally Betts said it will be a long process but it was council’s intention to notify residents in the surrounding area that the Planning Proposal had been received.

“This planning proposal has only just

been lodged at council and has not been assessed by council officers at all.”

The rezoning proposal presents many challenges to the area, which have been felt across Sydney as areas are hit by large developments.

Ms Dryden said the community is already suffering from compounding traffic, parking and pollution issues.

“Imagine the added pressure that 420 car spaces would cause let alone the foot

Waverley Bowling Club

print the additional apartments would cause in what is a single home residential community.”

Mr Pearce said the mayor has created a pro-development atmosphere and now council has to deal with the consequences of this.

“The developers seem to think it is okay to go for broke.”

“We know that the Mayor Betts is in favour of this proposal as she sees no issue in its development,” Ms Dryden said.

Mayor Betts said that without having examined the Easts proposal at all, it is good to see that the bowling facility and rink is being retained and the childcare and learn to swim facilities are included, all of which are greatly needed in Waverley.

“Initially council officers will refer the planning proposal to other departments for comment and then have discussions with the Applicant should any additional information of modifications be suggested.”

“I do not envisage that a report will come to council until sometime in the New Year.”

Ms Dryden said the Liberal members on council had been very silent about the development, which showed the community their “true colours”.

“We are concerned that Waverley Council will wash their hands of this and defer to a higher authority,” she said.

“We as rate payers will ensure that if this is the case that these same people will be voted out of office at the next council elections. They were voted in to represent and protect our interests - that is clearly not happening right now.”

“It would appear that we are all united in stopping such an out of place overdevelopment from taking place.”

Coogee campaigns against electricity privatisation campaigners are opposed to the privatisation bill on the basis that eastern suburbs residents, who would be directly affected by the privatisation, had not been consulted on the issue.

The Government’s proposal would transition the NSW electricity network from its current status as a public commodity to a privately-owned enterprise.

A potential loss of public funds as well as the possible hike in electricity prices are at the heart of the community’s concern.

“We are standing up for

Photo: Matt Buttigieg

BY Lucia Osborne-Crowley Community campaigners opposing the NSW Government’s proposal to privatise electricity have focused their energies on Sydney’s eastern suburbs this week.

Stop the Sell Off, a campaign run by the Electrical Trades Union (ETU) organised a rally outside the office of Liberal Member for Coogee Bruce Notley-Smith on Friday, September 26.

The campaign was organised when Mr Notley-Smith announced his support for the Government’s electricity privatisation plan. The

Stop the Sell Off campaigners meeting with Coogee MP Bruce Notley-Smith

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the community who are overwhelmingly opposed to the privatisation of the NSW electricity network including Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy, Essential Energy and TransGrid,” said Matt Buttigieg, spokesperson for Stop the Sell Off. “The NSW electricity network is the state’s most valuable asset, returning more than $1.7 billion in cash to the NSW government every single year – money which is used to fund other services like hospitals, schools and transport.”

“Once this money is lost it has to come from somewhere else, most likely higher taxes or cuts to services.”

When the group campaigned outside Mr Notley-Smith’s office at 10am on Friday, September 26, they were invited inside for a meeting.

Mr Buttigieg told City Hub he was impressed Mr Notley-Smith agreed to meet with them.

Following the meeting, Mr Notley-Smith expressed concern that the ETU is running a “scare campaign”.

“Mr Notley-Smith is concerned that the ETU is running a scare campaign and not discussing the facts of the policy,” a spokesperson said. “$20 billion could be raised if there was a 49% lease of the electricity network business, releasing vital funds for schools, hospitals and public transport infrastructure.”

“A number of economist’s reports on this issue have shown that electricity prices will fall if part of the network is leased out to the private sector.”

Mr Buttigieg, however, levelled a similar criticism regarding a misunderstanding of facts at local politicians.

“As we’ve been talking to various Liberal National local members, it is clear they are not aware of the facts,” he said.

Minister for Resources and Energy Anthony Roberts echoed Mr Notley-Smith’s assertion that the privatisation plan would decrease electricity prices in NSW. “The transaction to lease 49 per cent of the electricity network businesses will unlock $20 billion in infrastructure funding, with $6 billion to be invested in regional NSW,” the Minister said.

“People just have to look at Victoria and South Australia and compare – network prices have been more than 100 per cent higher for NSW’s publicly owned system than in the privately-owned Victorian or South Australian networks.”

Mr Buttigieg disputed this.

“It doesn’t matter which way the government tries to spin it, electricity privatisation is a dud deal for the people of NSW,” he said.

“The only way the people of Coogee can stop electricity privatisation is don’t vote Liberal at the next state election.”

news in brief Tensions over sale of Newtown’s Hat Factory resurface

BY Emily ContadorKelsall Tensions over Newtown’s Hat Factory continued into the auction room earlier this month.

Following the contentious eviction of squatters earlier this year, the abandoned warehouse at Wilson St Newtown known as the Hat Factory was sold at auction for $1.725 million.

On the weekend of the factory’s sale, Cooley Auctions headquarters in Double Bay was graffitied and its locks were super glued shut.

Statements such as “Evict the rich” were spray painted on the windows of Cooley Auctions.

On the same day as the auction of the Hat Factory, several public housing properties in Millers Point were also auctioned off.

Ben Hall, a former squatter at the Hat Factory said he did not know if the events were linked but understands the community’s frustration over the auctions.

“This used to be a working class area. Just because you have money, why do you

have the right to force people out of their homes?”

In response to the sale, various posters have appeared at the Hat Factory, both defending the previous squatters and attacking them.

One poster criticised “local freeloaders” of throwing a “major dummy spit” because their “free ride” was over.

Mr Hall was unaware of these posters but said: “Any of those people who are annoyed about the squatters at the Hat Factory are the same type of people complaining about those in Wentworth Park: People who have money and think they have the right to everything money can buy.”

“Loads of rich upper class people moved to the area and they are not all sympathetic with having a squat nearby.”

Mr Hall said the Hat Factory incident was not unique and that this kind of action was happening across Sydney, with social demographics changing and typically working class areas transforming.

is part of the NSW Government’s broader plan to develop the Western Harbour Super Precinct, particularly Barangaroo and Pyrmont.

Jean Stuart, president of the Pyrmont Community Group, said it is vital that Culture At Work are able to remain in the Scott Street terraces in order to provide a muchneeded service to the local Pyrmont community.

“Culture At Work has proved to be very successful,” she said.

“We are getting more and more children in the area, if you look at the census figures. So we really do need to have these specialised activity centres for the children of Pyrmont to attend.”

“We also have a lot of retired people in Pyrmont and these services are important for them also. “ Ms Stuart said it was vital that SHFA recognise the significance of both the terraces and the organisation to the Pyrmont

Photo: Culture At Work

BY Lucia Osborne-Crowley Historic terraces on Scott Street in Pyrmont are under threat after being placed on the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority’s divestment list this month.

The terraces are among the last remaining single-storey Georgian cottages left in Sydney and have significant historic value to the Pyrmont community.

The properties are currently occupied by Culture At Work, a not-for-profit organisation that facilitates engagement with the arts in the Pyrmont community. The artist-led initiative connects artists with scientists to provide residencies for local artists and workshops and activities for the community.

Culture At Work founder and CEO Sheryl Ryan was recently informed the terraces had been placed on the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority (SHFA) divestment list, meaning their future was uncertain.

“We are not really sure what is going on. Our lease expires in July of 2015; when we tried to obtain a new lease, we were told we could not,” Ms Ryan said.

“At this stage we have been unable to get an extension on our lease, so we have had to start looking for somewhere else.”

Ms Ryan has not been given any further information about the future of Culture At Work or the Scott Street terraces. She believes the decision to divest the terraces

Culture At Work site on Scott Street, Pyrmont

Military construction at Randwick Barracks reignites old debates

BY Elliott Brennan Construction has begun on a new military facility at Randwick Barracks.

The development of an Air Warship Defence (AWD) and Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) Ship Sustainment has reopened fierce debates between Randwick Council, the Department of Defence and local residents about the proper use of the site that go back 15 years.

The Randwick facility is one of three sites that will cater to the new class of warship, named the Hobart Class, that is being introduced into the Navy in 2016.

Randwick Barracks will handle the bulk of taining for the new vessels whilst maintenance of the ships and parts will take place at Garden Island and HMAS Watson.

The facility will be comprised of a series of 2

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storey buildings which will contain classrooms, systems simulators and a lecture theatre.

The proposed works sit within Commonwealth owned land and Randwick City Council told City Hub that this significantly reduces their powers in the development of the site.

The use of the site for these means stands in contrast to what the council has had planned for the site since it was rezoned for residential use in 2003.

In 2004, Randwick Council told the Standing Parliamentary Committee for Public Works that “the timely completion of the public infrastructure works, such as the community facility, the Randwick Environmental Park, the local parks and public domain improvements are not only essential statutory requirements, but

Cartoon: Peter Berner

Pyrmont historical arts centre under threat

community.

“It would be such a pity to lose it.”

The terraces have been threatened by the harbour authority once before, when it was known as City West Development Corporation.

In the early 1990s, City West planned to demolish the terraces when it took over authority of the harbour foreshore. Ms Stuart was among those community members who campaigned for their preservation in this instance also.

“The community fought for the preservation of the terraces when they were going to be demolished,” she said.

“We had a public meeting and it was decided City West would keep the terraces. It was also decided they would be made into an artist’s studio and an artist’s residence.”

The space has been dedicated to providing a creative space for the Pyrmont community ever since.

The Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority did not respond to questions about the future of Culture At Work or of the Scott Street terraces.

A spokesperson for Minister for Plannig Pru Goward also did not respond to specific questions regarding the terraces, but said the management of the harbour foreshore is under review.

“As part of the development of a new vision for the Harbour, a review of SHFA’s operations is currently underway and an announcement will be made in due course.”

are also but are also imperative for the overall success of the redevelopment for meeting the needs of incoming residents to the site”.

But in 2013 the Department of Defence took a Special Provision and rezoned the land again for “special use”. The Department of Defence already had plans in the works for this new facility at this time.

Randwick City Council decried the Department of Defence for their handling of the land which council had always seen as a significant access point to the environmental park.

“At best the Department of Defences’ approach to this site has been ad-hoc, piece meal, and has lacked strategic vision. This has created a climate of uncertainty for the surrounding residents.”

“The change from earlier plans has also impacted the surrounding residents’ access to the community and recreational facilities [in the park]. The earlier masterplan for the site proposed a number of access points for the surrounding community to access the community facilities.”

The Department of Defence is still yet to reconcile this issue.

While residents have not taken issue to the design or role of the facility, its construction has once again raised fears concerning the asbestos contamination levels in the land and a potential health hazard.

“We know there is asbestos there, but we don’t have a clue what they’re doing about it,” said local resident Therese McArdle, who lives directly behind the site.

The Department of Defence has enlisted a dedicated asbestos management company and post daily air-quality reports from a number of locations on the site, none of which have measured over one thousandth of one percent so far.

Marrickville Mayoral election sparks council controversy

BY Jessica Yun Marrickville Council has elected Independent councillor Mark Gardiner to be their new mayor for 2015.

Independents Mark Gardiner and Morris Hanna were elected mayor and deputy mayor respectively.

Competing with Greens councillor Sylvie Ellsmore for the top job, Cr Gardiner won the votes of all councillors except the 4 Greens councillors.

A number of Marrickville Greens councillors expressed their concern that the “conservative Independent” council leaders would not reflect the demographic of Marrickville.

“We have one of the most progressive areas in Australia in terms of the residents,” she said.

Greens councillor Max Philips said: “Something like 70 percent of voters actually vote for Labor or the Greens.”

“That is reflected in the fact that we have 4 Green and 4 Labor councillors at the moment, but also what we

know about people’s attitudes to general issues,” said Cr Ellsmore.

However, Mayor Gardiner has denied allegations of a “conservative takeover” of Marrickville Council.

“Despite what the Greens are saying, I am not a nasty conservative who doesn’t represent the area,” said Mayor Gardiner.

“I think I’ve always regarded myself as a conservative economically but quite progressive on social issues.”

It was only on the previous Friday, four days before the mayoral election, that Mayor Gardiner announced he was becoming an independent local politician.

Prior to his announcement, he had been a Liberal councillor for two years.

Mayor Gardiner’s decision to dissociate himself from the party was made after he grew uncomfortable with the idea that the public saw the Liberal Party’s actions as synonymous with his own.

A demagogue creeps out from under his rock

By gavin gatenby A couple of days ago a friend forwarded to me for comment a long poisonous diatribe against Halal food labelling that’s doing the rounds on Facebook. Here’s a sample: “Toasted cheese with a dollop of Vegemite was my favourite late night snack, but I leave off the Vegemite now that it’s owned by the American company Mondelez International and sports a little ‘Halal Certified’ notice.”

“No worries, my Aussie owned and made Bega cheese still bubbled under the griller while the jug boiled for a strong cup of tea.”

“That was until I noticed this funny little Arabic hieroglyph on the back of my Bega cheese packet too. Bloody hell, first my Vegemite and now my Bega cheese! No worries, I’m happy with plain toast.”

“I wasn’t game to go through the whole fridge or I’d have starved.”

“Trying to find Aussie tucker on the shelves is hard enough but trying to find tucker that is not Islamically

sanctioned is near impossible, and it’s meant to be.”

And so it went on, for a few hundred words. It was crap carefully written with brain-damaged bogans in mind. A melange of unconfirmable assertions, half-truths and outright lies.

So who wrote this stuff? If you live long enough you’ve seen most things once or twice before and you learn a few tricks, one of which is to copy a section of the text and paste it into Google, to find out where it comes from.

It didn’t take long to trace it to its source: Larry Pickering. The name will mean nothing to most younger Australians unless they’re obsessive far-right loonies, but Pickering was, for many years, beginning in the 1970s, the conservative cartoonist of choice for the mainstream media, having worked at the Canberra Times, the Sydney Morning Herald and the Australian. He dropped out of cartooning in 1981, except for an occasional appearance in the Bulletin and went into tomato farming and pretty much disappeared from public notice.

The man now runs a very nasty ultra-right blog devoted to a veritable jihad against Muslims of all varieties, Labor, the Greens and the unions. He came to notice most recently for a vile cartoons that depict a strap-on dildoequipped Julia Gillard as a rapist.

Way back in 1981, when I was driving cabs, I had my own little experience with Larry. It happened

that I was driving through Surry Hills when I scored a radio job to take a customer called Pickering to Mascot Airport. I arrived the Murdoch press’s grim Holt Street building to find Larry Pickering and a woman. They hopped in and I headed for the airport. It seemed that Pickering was going to give her a joy flight in his private plane.

On the way, it became evident from the conversation that the woman was a journalist. She was giving Pickering a lot of rope and he was big noting himself big time. Pickering was a man I really hated. He’d always reminded me of Caran d’Arche, the odious cartoonist of the French anti-semitic right during the years of the Dreyfus Affair before World War I. At the airport Pickering directed me to the small airlines area (known as “TWA” or “Teeny-Weeny Airlines” to taxi drivers). The woman hopped out and the big man opened the offside front door, filled out a Cabcharge voucher with the trip details and handed it to me. He’d left the space for the fare blank.

“Put ten dollars on top for yourself, driver”, he said airily, handing it to me.

“I wouldn’t accept a tip from you Mr Pickering”, I replied.

“Fuck-off!” he muttered. He slammed the door so hard he nearly broke the hinges and stalked away. I wrote out the exact fare on the meter and drove off, wondering if there would be any repercussions.

A few days later, a long profile piece about Pickering’s career appeared in a daily newspaper. The woman had

done a real job on him, and in the article she remarked that he was so unpopular that even the taxi-driver had refused to accept his tip. I was delighted with this outcome because Pickering was the sort of right-wing populist poseur – typically described by their apologists as a “larrikin” or a “knock-about bloke” – that falsely associated themselves with the working class.

There are a lot of nasty populist

demagogues around: Paul Sheehan, Andrew Bolt, Miranda Devine and Alan Jones spring to mind, but Larry Pickering is in a class of his own.

In the climate of war-mongering, generalised fear, and islamophobia being whipped up by the federal government and sections of the press, his little bit of poisonous hysteria will, unfortunately, get a big run in the darker recesses of social media.

Frankly, I hope he swears off so many products with Halal certification he starves to death.

Far-right cartoonist and blogger Larry Pickering and his odious predecessor, Caran d”Ache

Just For Laughs: All the ladies in the house, please stand-up

By CARMEN CITA Sydney is gearing up for some serious laughter with the fourth annual instalment of Just For Laughs at the Sydney Opera House. Comedy legend Eddie Izzard will host this year’s Gala event, in a program that boasts some of the hottest names in comedy, including Bill Bailey, Reggie Watts, and Hannah Gadsby.

From its Montreal origins, the Just For Laughs (JFL) collective now hosts comedy festivals in Toronto, Chicago and Sydney.

While JFL showcases some of the biggest stars of the international comedy circuit, JFL Chief Operations Officer Bruce Hills believes that the Australian comedy scene is ripe with homegrown talent.

He says, “When I first started coming to Australia in the late ‘80s, if I was lucky I could find five acts that were strong enough to perform with the best in the world at JFL Montreal. Today, I could come back to Montreal with a few dozen and I’m sure they would shine in front of all the Hollywood big-shots that attend the festival looking for the next comedy superstar.”

Mr Hills continues, “I believe that the current comedy situation worldwide has never been more vibrant. We are discovering fantastic comics on a regular basis that I think will be the big stars of tomorrow – comedy is in a very good place.”

However, while comedy-at-large might be thriving, there is a certain breed of comedian that appears to be on the industry’s endangered species list – the female comic. Of course, female comedians are not on the brink of extinction – indeed, some fiercely funny women inhabit the Australian comedy scene.

But it must be said that they form a conspicuous minority.

That gender disparity did not go unnoticed

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when JFL made a preliminary program announcement in July, naming five headlining male comedians. Festival fans criticised JFL for a perceived absence of female comics but those concerns were allayed by a subsequent announcement, confirming Hannah Gadsby’s inclusion in the program.

Mr Hills says, “In the current line-up, we have seven women. It’s very important to us at Just For Laughs to have a gender-balanced line-up.”

As it stands, the JFL program features seven women and 30 men. Of the seven headlining acts, Hannah Gadsby is the sole female. This imbalance does not necessarily reflect gender bias in programming. Truth be told, there are a lot more men than women in the industry so it’s likely that, on most bills, male comics will outnumber their female counterparts.

Australia’s largest comedy management firm, Token, looks after some of the biggest names in Australian comedy, including Adam Hills and Judith Lucy. Their artist roster reveals a telling gender disparity – only two in seven of their comics are women.

This underrepresentation of women in stand-up mirrors a broader media trend evidenced on the silver screen. Last week, a new study entitled Gender Bias Without Borders found that women are significantly underrepresented onscreen. Of 5,799 speaking or named characters in 120 international films, only 31 per cent were female. The ratio of men to women in film has remained largely unchanged since 1946.

This marginalisation of female voices raises some important questions. Why are our screens and stages male-dominated? Is it difficult for audiences to identify with a strong female point-of-view?

After all, the stand-up comedian is imbued with a degree of authority. When a comic

takes the stage, they become the centre of attention and, by extension, the most powerful person in the room. Armed with a microphone and illuminated by a spotlight, the comic has a persuasive platform for their ideas and opinions.

Known for her story-based stand-up, Fiona O’Loughlin is one strong, outspoken, female comic from the JFL line-up who says that audiences don’t seem to mind her taking charge.

She says, “Comedy is not an old boys’ club.

Male comics might be the majority – but it’s changing all the time. Men may have more runs on the board, but it’s not a sexist environment. When I started my career Greg Fleet and Lawrence Mooney welcomed me with open arms.”

“My gender has helped as much as it has hindered. Really, once you find your way in, there’s so much work for women. If anything, I think it’s harder for urban, white, male comics – because there’s so many of them.”

Ms O’Loughlin continues, “Comedy is so alive – it’s so intoxicating. I am seeing so many clever, funny girls on the comedy circuits.

They are coming through the ranks – they’ve obviously swum upstream to a point, but they are turning that struggle into great stand-up.

“It’s a hard game to break into, but what I love about stand-up is that there’s no Board of Directors telling you that you can’t come in. If you consistently go to the open mics, consistently learn, consistently get laughs – if you do that, there’s nothing stopping you... as long as you are actually funny. And there is a wonderful sense of camaraderie between comics. It’s not competitive – you run your own race,” says Ms O’Loughlin. (CC) Just for Laughs, Oct 14-19, Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Pt, $39-124.90+bf, sydneyoperahouse.com

Fiona O’Loughlin

EAT & DRINK

Daisy’s Milkbar

By Alex Harmon The Beach Boys on the speakers, pin-up girls taking orders, a cordial station, jars of sweets and gingham curtains… If this place was any cuter I could be sick. Luckily this inner west café is perfect for the $ - mains less than $15

$$ - mains between $15-$22

INNER WEST Restaurant at 3 Weeds Decorated with bright Aboriginal art from Utopia, this comfortable restaurant is now in the hands of Chef Nathan Jackson. He first cooked here under Leigh McDivitt, and is now producing a short menu accentuated by a great wine list.The 2011 Domaine Bruno Sorg Sylvaner ($74/bottle) performs well against an interesting House Smoked Mackerel ($18) scattered amongst horseradish, pickled radish and gaufrettes. Fontina and Truffle Tortellini ($18) – a shade thick – are sound on flavour with shaved Serrano ham and mushroom consommé. Mains are bested by the somewhat pricy 7+ Wagyu Flatiron ($40) with bone marrow butter, pine mushrooms and ox tail jus. Ultra-

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By Jackie McMillan old-fashioned milk bar menu. Think shakes, Jaffles and sundaes - but with a modern twist. Greg’s Jaffle ($6) is loaded with bolognaise, while Uccella’s packs pulled pork inside a golden, white bread pocket.

Breakfast is served all day, which is great because the Zucchini and Corn Fritters ($16) would be enjoyable at any given time, made special by a lovely Indian relish and cardamom yoghurt. Of course it wouldn’t be a milk bar without a milkshake, and while the place screams ‘vanilla malt’, we went with the special of Honeycomb, Malt and Golden Syrup ($5). Sickly sweet: just the way we like it. The Pulled Pork Roll ($14) isn’t exactly a throwback, but it looks like a burger, so we’ll accept it. The roll is bursting with flavour, a touch of spice and a zesty lime vinaigrette.

Kick dessert old school with the Salted Caramel Banana Split ($14), best shared with your sweetheart.

If only there was a jukebox and a pinball machine, you’d never want to leave.

340 Stanmore Road, Petersham (02) 8065 3466 daisysmilkbar.com Breakfast, Café $-$$ $$$ - mains between $22-$30

thin ginger nut biscuits make the Salt Caramel Parfait Sandwich ($14) a ripper!

197 Evans Street, Rozelle (02) 9818 2788 3weeds.com.au Modern Australian,Wine $$$$ Rocketboy Pizza Dan Luxford is a man “on a mission” - taking four of the five Doughboy stores in a new direction. Inspired by appearing on Matthew Evans’ Gourmet Farmer, Dan took a look at the products he was putting on pizzas, and decided to make a sustainable switch. First in line: the prawns. They’re now wild-caught Aussie prawns, best against fresh parsley, garlic, lemon and baby spinach, on the simple Chilli Prawn Pizza ($17/M, $22/L, $26/XL).

You’ll also find organic Inglewood

$$$$ - mains over $30

Farms chook popping up on the new Chicken Gorgonzola Pizza ($15/M, $21/L, $25/XL). On your accompanying crisp Caesar Salad ($10) you’ll find free-range eggs and bacon, with an Organic Chicken ($2.50) option.

Shop 3, 88-94 New Canterbury Road, Petersham (02) 9550 9988 rocketboypizza.com Pizza $$ ROCKS & CBD El-Phoenician Entering this gleaming glass box it’s immediately apparent it’s a cut above the usual Cleveland Street eateries, shrouded in dusty carpet.White tablecloths, comfortable leather chairs and a minimal ambient soundtrack

Annandale Hotel ”Our son’s Italian greyhound can sit right there,” a couple at a neighbouring table explains, as they fill me in on why they frequent the new-look Annandale Hotel.

Besides canines in the courtyard (that’s styled like an are just the beginning.You’ll also find cocktails and a credible wine list including the 2010 Denis Pommier Chablis ($85/bottle). I categorise Lebanese restaurants into Homous ($11) or Baba Ganouje ($11), dependent upon which dip they do better. Chickpeas outdo the smoky eggplant, but it’s actually Labne ($9) that wins.A Combination Banquet ($62/head) will deliver all three against a hefty array of salad, seafood, poultry and meat, cleverly spread across three waves.The star is the chicken Shish Tawouk ($30).

7 Towns Place,Walsh Bay (02) 9633 1611el-phoenician.com.au Lebanese $$$ Yayoi While the signature steamed rice Kama Daki Gohan ($8) - takes 25 minutes, the tableside-theatre and resulting pot of fluffy, freshly steamed

Aussie back deck), the inclusion of vegetarian options - particularly the Grilled Portobello Mushroom ($16) – are the drawcards. Even kiddies are welcome, except in the front bar, which retains some of the Annandale’s sticky carpet charm - at least around the edges. Speaking as someone who visited during the crowded, sweaty, live band days, it feels like a half-gutted pub. Now there’s elbowroom to spare as you quaff a Kosciusko ($6.50) and tuck into a toastie from their interesting list. I tried Fontal ($12) with duck sausage, bacon jam and pickled leek. It’s great, and available late into the night as a condition of their license, though it’s questionable how late acoustic nights rock on.Traditional pub goers will appreciate the steaks, schnitzels and two fully customisable roasts. Free Range Chicken ($20) with duck fat gratin, gravy and seasonal greens will silence a monster appetite. Slabs of purple Congo potato on the Fremantle Octopus Salad ($15) didn’t quite work for me. I preferred the Roasted Duck Yorkie ($4) and Short Rib Empanada ($2.50) with my Alliance Loire Rose ($11/ glass).

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

rice, is worthwhile.This is the first Australian venture of a Japanese chain called Yayoiken.Their speciality is balanced home-style Japanese “teishoku” (meal sets).While you don’t need an entrée, a pretty plate of Gyu Tataki ($16) – seared waygu with asparagus and ponzu jelly – will keep you entertained. So will discussing the merits of the Premium Sake Selection ($10).Then tuck into a comforting wagyu beef hotpot - Wagyu Sukiyaki ($33) - or use the balanced sides as an excuse to dabble in deep-fried Pork Fillet Katsu ($27).

Shop 2, 38-42 Bridge Street, Sydney (02) 9247 8166 yayoi.com.au Japanese $$$ Mordeo Bistro & Bar Nestled beneath five giant table lamps in the ultra-modern Deutsche Bank Place foyer, I find myself smiling. Perhaps it’s bartender Sarah

Jane Clare’s Jamon & Char-grilled Pineapple Sazerac ($18) warming my heart with smooth butter-washed cognac, or maybe I just like this spot? Treat it like a bar with a Red Wolf ($15) cocktail combining beer and aperitif, and Caramelised Lamb Ribs ($12).Treat it like a restaurant, with Octopus Carpaccio ($22) and a cracking white Grenache: 2012 La Miranda de Secastilla Garnacha Blanca ($59/bottle). Silky Sautéed Squid Ink Gnocchi ($23) and the 2012 Terra Sancta Estate Pinot Noir ($80/bottle) should see you through until the gurgling fountains become silent pools of reflection.

Shop 1, 126 Philip Street, Sydney (02) 9232 1306 mordeo.com.au Mediterranean, Cocktails $$$

EAT & DRINK

Golden Age Cinema & Bar Managing Director Bob Barton dots our conversation with film references, but baulks at being called a film buff. He even hires an expert to pick the flicks for his glorious boutique cinema, doubting his own taste is DARLO, KINGS X & SURRY HILLS Devon By Night Chef Zachary Tan has kept dinner at this popular cafe distinctly casual.

He’s dishing up Malaysian-influenced hawker snacks, dressed up with the same premium ingredients that make Chef Jacqui Ektoros’ morning menus so special. So expect to find heady Manjimup truffle slices adorning Chinese Egg Custard ($29), and fleshy lobster tails slathered with Kewpie mayonnaise inside buttery brioche in an individual Lobster Roll ($15.50). Drink from a concise but cleverly chosen list of alcoholic beverages like the 2012 Mitchelton Marsanne ($17/glass) or Echigo Koshihikari Rice Lager ($12). End with the poor man’s ‘snow egg’ of

By Jackie McMillan all encompassing:“You can’t play Weird Science every night!” I’m very taken with his gorgeous bar, complete with electronically controlled curtains that silently glide to reveal a mirrored stage and two microphones. It’s like a golden version of The Black Lodge from Twin Peaks; or a posh Govinda’s – just “without the smell of cumin or backpacker mattresses,” Bob quips.The Maple Pecan Old Fashioned ($18) made on smooth Bulleit Bourbon suits the space, but if you’re sleepy-tired and planning a movie, Paramount House ($19) is an espresso martini made on beans from Paramount Coffee Project upstairs.

You can also dip into (another) interesting Ned Brooks wine list, against snacks like Tiger Sharks ($10) - canned anchovies – or Szechuan Popcorn ($5).The 2012 Ngeringa Growers Series Rousanne ($65/bottle) would be an affable companion to any of their movie-inspired toasties, from The Spielberger ($9.50) – basically your Reuben – to The Big Cheese ($8), loaded up with three cheeses and chives.As they’re small, you’ll definitely need a Gelato Messina Sundae ($8) too.Whether you see a movie, is totally up to you…

Lower Ground, 80 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills (02) 9211 1556 ourgoldenage.com.au Bar, Cocktails, Bar Food $

Coconut Jelly, Guava Sorbet and Freeze Dried Pineapple ($11).

76 Devonshire Street, Surry Hills (02) 9211 8777 devoncafe.com.au Pan-Asian, Café $$$ Bar H Dining Pickles, Chicken Skin, Wasabi ($12) are a delightful way to cleanse the palate and commence your Bar H Dining adventure into ‘Chuka’ cuisine, celebrating Japanese style ‘Chinese’ dishes. Chewy white mochi (rice cakes) give a nicely textural twist to Eggplant, Turnip, Dashi ($14), while fermented garlic and bacon give Pambula Oysters ($10) an updated ‘Asian Kilpatrick’ edge.

The slightly cloudy Uehara Shuzo ‘Soma no Tengu’ ($15/glass) will suit your bivalves, though if you’re a sake beginner, they don’t come much prettier than Houraisen Bi Junmai

Bay Tinh Dining at Bay Tinh is like a trip down memory lane.While I can’t claim to have been dining here for all of its twenty-eight year history, I have spent many an evening in the (previously putrid pink) space, albeit mostly when it was in the hands of predecessor and founder,Tinh Tran. In the ensuing three decades, Sydney’s Vietnamese offerings have come a long way.

Celebrity chef Luke Nguyen has taken them fine dining, Misschu made hawker food hip, Great Aunty Three turned the humble banh mi into a Newtown icon, and a few doors up the road, Bau Truong took Vietnamese tapas-style.

So what you’re coming here for is a look at the origins.You’ll find home-style dishes like Dau Hu Don Thit ($18.50) – plump, golden-fried pork stuffed bean curd swimming in tomato sauce – alongside the usual suspects like crispy pancake and prawn-wrapped sugarcane. Craving salad I skipped over them in favour of Goi Du Du ($18.50), a green papaya salad littered with prawns and thinly sliced roast pork. By chopping the black fungus finely,Tom Xao Lan ($22.50) - a creamy coconut prawn curry – lacked the textural pleasure I was expecting, but it went down okay with a glass of the 2012 The Pawn Cassia Pinot Grigio ($7.50) and Garlic Rice ($7.50).

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

Stay simple with Garlic Pizza ($8), or dress ‘em up with salami and Kalamata olives Camelot Lounge on the Salama ($12.50), or I’d follow singer Christa pastrami and pineapple on the Hughes just about anywhere.

Blue Hawaii ($12.50).

Which is pretty much how 19 Marrickville Road, I ended up climbing two Marrickville (02) 9550 3777 flights of narrow stairs into camelotlounge.wordpress.com this crazy collector’s jazz bar Bar, Pizza $ in Marrickville. Rather than Moon Park knights, what you’ll find at Two Claude’s chefs, Ben Sears Camelot Lounge is a lot of and his Korean wife Eun camels. Trawl the walls for Hee An, are “learning what kitsch dromedary depictions it is to manage a restaurant as you sip a sharp, salt-rimmed in Sydney,” explains former Margarita ($15) or Napoleone Claude’s manager Abby Pear Cider ($7). While the Meinke. She runs a seamless food isn’t much to write home floor with full command of about, you will find home-style the exciting wine list. The pizzas with thin, crunchy bases. 2013 Ochota Barrels ‘The NEWTOWN & ENVIRONS

Daiginjo ($14/glass). Inside this dark and moody drinking den, beautifully balanced bar snacks like Cucumber, Black Fungi and Pigs Ear ($13) shine, even if the light level mutes their visual impact.

80 Campbell Street, Surry Hills (02) 9280 1980 barhsurryhills.com Chinese, Japanese $$$ Zushi In 2005 when Raymond Ang first opened Zushi in Darlinghurst, he says they were the only ones doing the inside-out rolls that are now staples on modern Japanese menus.Today his solid, everyday Japanese is now in Surry Hills, and those rolls – including the Tiger Roll ($18) featuring tempura Queensland banana prawns – are still popular. Raymond’s favourite dish, Ika Somen ($15), sees calamari crafted into piles of gossamer ribbons,

Flint Vineyard’ Chardonnay ($85) suits bar snacks like Moonlight Flat Claire de Lune Oysters ($4.50/each) with chilli threads and plum vinegar, and Sea Urchin Roe ($6/each) on seed biscuits with black garlic. Cabbage-wrapped beef bulgogi - Ssam ($7/each) were a meal highlight; as was the unusual smoky Eggplant with Egg Custard ($16). Blowtorched marshmallow on the Moon Pie ($14) will ensure you emerge onto Redfern’s streets smiling.

Level 1, 34 Redfern Street, Redfern (02) 9690 0111 moon-park.com.au Modern Korean,Wine $$$

All Good Things Eatery As well as delivering a bonzer brekky, Kingsgrove’s hippest café is open for dinner, every Thursday to Saturday night. Plan your meal around the sweets.

The Watermelon Granita with Feta Ice Cream ($12) epitomises Sydney summer. It’s light and refreshing without losing sight of creamy and indulgent. It’s also swished through dashi dipping sauce for a textural adventure.The menu offers up modern reinterpretations of Japanese dishes: Sashimi Tacos ($17) show off Huon Tasmanian salmon against wasabi granita and wonton chips; while Okonomiyaki ($16) updates the curling bonito-covered pancake with Balmain bugs and a honey-mustard twist.

2A/285A Crown Street, Surry Hills (02) 9380 8830 zushi.com.au Modern Japanese $$ GREATER SYDNEY The Union Hotel Le Bistro’s menu is a hybrid of a traditional pub menu with elements of the Gallagher Hotels’ runaway success: Le Pub.The “dogs” I loved at Le Pub Balmain have migrated over,

a perfect palate cleanser after a meal of small or large share plates.This visit I stayed small, grazing across updated Modern Greek classics like Loulou ($14), crisp tempura battered feta-stuffed zucchini flowers; oven-roasted Queensland Prawns ($22); and Octopus ($15); its char-grilled tentacles artfully entangled with dollops of lemongrass yoghurt foam.With the ethical meats here all sourced from my favourite providore, Feather and Bone, it was impossible to pass up Organic Goat Backstrap Carpaccio ($18). Head Chef Phillip Lakis presents it quite simply, with ponzu, wasabi and lily pads of avocado puree. Cretan honeycomb drew me towards Pantzari ($16), a picturesque salad of baby beets, goats curd and walnuts. It’s a lovely combo, but ate a bit on the sweet side for me. Not wanting to commit to a bottle of Greek wine without being able to try it by the glass, I dabbled in cocktails, from a pre-dinner Negroni ($12) to Gin and Juice ($8), which cleverly employs the café’s freshly squeezed juices.

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

with the Pulled Pork Dog ($6) edging out the Marinated Chicken Dog ($6).

Duck and ‘Slaw Open Steamed Buns ($14/2) have good alcohol absorbing qualities; and flavoursome Pea and Parmesan Croquettes ($15.50) with truffled pecorino, pea puree and mint, aren’t just for vegetarians.Accompany either with Jean Luc Mader Pinot Blanc ($56/bottle) before advancing to Fickle Mistress Central Otago Pinot Noir ($15/glass) with your Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder ($25).You need Union Waffle Chips ($10) too.

271 Pacific Highway, North Sydney (02) 9955 5844 unionhotel.com.au Pub Bistro $$-$$$ All Good Things Eatery If Devon and Cornersmith had a love child, this is what it would look like.

For cold drinks, they’ve forgone jam

jars in favour of old-fashioned glass milk bottles.They’re practical, if large, so go big for freshly squeezed Orange Juice ($7.50) and stick to “kids” for your Salted Caramel Milkshake ($4), made on indulgently creamy jersey milk. Beautifully plated breakfasts like Salmon and Eggs ($19) with crispskinned Huon salmon, enoki, smoked trout roe, poached eggs and white kimchi compressed citrus, shine.You’ll get eggs, toast, confit potatoes and fennel cream with Pork and Fennel ($16) sausages, made in-house like their totally amazing Bacon ($5).Their dinner menu reads even better…

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

FOOD NEWS If you’re looking for something outside of Sydney to do this October Long Weekend, The Southern Highlands are happy to provide plenty of fodder. I’m actually heading down myself for a brief sojourn at Biota Rooms (including dining at their award-winning restaurant).

Whilst down there I hope to check out Marist Wines at Mittagong who are launching their best pinot gris in five years. I’m also hoping to pop in at Joadja Town to see their new whisky distillery after a gourmet snag or two at the Hot Canary Gourmet Meats BBQ (from 11am on Saturday 4th October). Of course I’ll have to stop in at the picturesque Exeter Farmers’ Market on the way - it’s set across a gorgeous village green - and on Sunday 5th October I am finally going to take a tour of the Lisun Exotic Mushroom Tunnel, which has been tempting me for years. www.biotadining.com.au www.maristwines.com www.joadjatown.com.au www.lisunexoticmushrooms.com.au www.highlandsfoodiegroup.com.au

BAR FLY

By Jackie McMillan

THE BEARDED TIT Sydney’s arts community are flocking to this new Redfern small bar, named for a unique Eurasian songbird, rather than a hirsute mammary.

Beyond artsy types, you can expect it to be jam-packed with quirky carnie curios. Owners Joy Ng, Pete Manwaring and Emma Price thumb their noses at hipster bar conventions, down to turning the ubiquitous deer head into a mounted deer rear, complete with strategically placed red bow.You can indulge in nicely balanced cocktail classics, from a Grey Goose Vodka Martini ($16) to a lip-smacking Maker’s Mark Whisky Sour ($17), knowing that when you do need to use the facilities, they’ll be free from gendered assumptions. Even the eats are community-minded, utilising local restaurants like Wah Fung and Lorentto Pizzeria, then plating your meal behind the bar. Collaborative eats – like Pete’s Crispy Chicken ($14) and Joy’s Happy Beans ($14) – scrub up nicely against ontap Murray’s Angry Man ($8.50) or bottled Czech beer Celia ($9).

183 Redfern Street, Redfern (02) 8283 4082 thebeardedtit.com

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT The Wharf Revue 2014: Open for Business

photo: Grant Sparkes-Carroll

The Wharf Revue is again ‘Open for Business’, as everyone’s favourite lampoonists return for another edition of their trademark anarchic political satire. Now in its fifteenth season and with plenty of political cannon fodder courtesy of our elected

representatives, they press on undeterred – not even for a bottle of Grange.

“I think that over the last few years the tone in politics has really slumped,” says Douglas Hansell, who replaces Drew Forsyth in the cast. “As a kid growing up I seem to remember things were much more dignified. There are almost Orwellian things happening now. The upshot for us is that there is so much material to use in the show.”

The Australian public’s love-hate affair with politics makes the Wharf an annual sell-out crowd-pleaser. “Satire is a form of comedy that Australians really respond to,” says Hansell, “It is irreverent and fast.

Politicians make their way into our lives on a daily basis through the media so

people feel like they know them pretty well. That makes them really accessible as comic material.”

Sketch highlights include the Adventures of Blinky Bill Shorten as well as Clive ‘Coach’ Palmer and the Balance of Power Rangers.

“I get to play everyone’s favourite, Christopher Robin Pyne,” says Hansell, “and Jonathan Biggins does a great impromptu address by Paul Keating with a number of ‘catch-your-breath’ jokes only he could pull off.” (GW) Oct 8-18, Glen Street Theatre, Glen St & Blackbutt Rd, Belrose, $30-70, glenstreet.com.au; Oct 22-Dec 20, Sydney Theatre Company, Wharf 1, Pier 4/5, Hickson Rd, Walsh Bay, $40-63, sydneytheartre.com.au

Pete the Sheep Monkey Baa Theatre presents a witty, musical, adaptation of the much-loved children’s book, Pete the Sheep by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley.

Actor Nat Job, who plays the eponymous Pete, says the production is not just for kids but is perfect for adults too.

“Everyone will get a kick out of it, it’s very tongue-in-cheek, it has jokes for the kids and heaps of jokes blatantly for the adults,” he says.

With only four actors playing an assortment of characters, both human and animal, the unique production fantastically challenges the audience’s imagination.

“It relies on us as actors to morph our

Superhero Training Academy

Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound! It’s Superman – well not exactly – it’s the Superhero Training Academy and it comes to Bondi Beach these school holidays. Perfect for budding superheroes in the five to 11 age range, recruits can expect a 90-minute narrative-driven workshop covering the basics of how to move, act and rap like a superhero.

Of course no superhero would be complete without their very own DIY superhero costume, which is (incredibly) part of the deal.

Passing down the accumulated wisdom of the ages are a variety

physicality, it’s a wonderful challenge for us and it is so much fun for the audience to see four grown men throwing themselves around the stage,” he says.

“A child wrote to us that they were so excited to see a show with four grown men and three real dogs, he didn’t realise we were the dogs!”

With funny, expressive characters and songs, this original musical hit promises to entertain the whole family.

“It’s an amazing show, it’s quite genius in the way it’s been written,” says Job. (SOC) Oct 1-3, Glen Street Theatre, 56 Glen St, Belrose, $20, glenstreet.com.au

of lesser known – or was that ‘never were’ – superheroes. While admittedly not quite household names, the likes of Catman, Collateral Glamage, Miss Menagerie and Obsoleto (aka Obsolete Technology Guy) have more than enough experience to fire up young imaginations.

A superhero without an archenemy is, well, unemployed, but there’s no need to fear. Rumour has it that the bad guys are actually hiding within their own ranks, giving these young protégés plenty of opportunity to test their newfound skills. Promoting the tenants of the Superhero Training Academy – bravery, individuality and tolerance in the fight for good – they just might save the world. (GW) Until Oct 4, Bondi Pavilion Theatre, Queen Elizabeth Dr, Bondi Beach, $25 (accompanying adults free), rocksurfers.org/ superhero

Project Five, Volume Six

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a&e

Project Five,Volume Six, lights up the Darling Quarter with a multimedia exhibition featuring internationally acclaimed artists and musicians. The project is a public art initiative of aMBUSH Gallery that features a live art event, public art exhibition and art auction.

The pop-up studio will star Askew One, Kyle Hughes Odgers, Alex Lehours and 23rd Key who paint in front of a live audience on opening weekend.

The work of each artist is derived primarily from the street art aesthetic. From Hughes Odgers’ odd conundrums to Lehours’

15 STAGE 16 SCENE 18 SCREEN 19 Sounds

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

beautiful pop-art-reminiscent melodramas and 23rd Key’s almost hyper-realism, the free open-air show will be a delightful smorgasbord of modern imagination. Its location reinforces the public ownership of art and its power to transform even the most dismal concrete jungles into colourful kaleidoscopes.

This is an experience which is sure to inspire Sydneysiders to pursue their own creative aspirations. (LR) Project Five, until Oct 19; Live painting, Sep 26-28, Darling Quarter, 1 Harbour St, Sydney, free, project5.com.au

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

It’s a Bird... It’s a Plane... It’s Superman Neglected Musicals presents Harold Prince’s 1966 favourite, It’s a bird... It’s a plane... It’s Superman.The musical will be showcased in Potts Point at Hayes Theatre Co, featuring a large cast with performances from Leigh Archer,Tim Dal Cortivo, Rebecca Matheson, Lucy Maunder, Elise McCann and Kurt Phelan, among many others.

Based on the popular superhero comic strip, Superman is back in blue as the attempt to fight evil is revisited in an amusing theatre production.

Directed by Stuart Maunder in collaboration with musical director Mark Chamberlain, It’s a bird... It’s a plane... It’s Superman stays true to the company’s trademark modus operandi – it is a script-in-hand performance, with just one day of rehearsal before hitting the stage.

photo: Jeff Busby

Steve Danielsen joins seasoned Wicked stars Jemma Rix (Elphaba) and Lucy Durack (Glinda) as the award-winning musical returns to Sydney this month.

Danielsen is a relative newcomer to the musical theatre stage, with an extensive acting career spanning film and television series such as Offspring and Neighbours, he spent a solid year in Legally Blonde the Musical before landing the dream role of Fiyero in Wicked.

Asked what it’s like joining a team who have been performing Wicked for years and years, Danielsen says Rix and Durack have been very welcoming and working together has been “amazing”.

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

THEATRE &

PERFORMANCE SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM Squabbalogic’s latest production takes a look at the man who revolutionised musical theatre with productions such as Sweeney Todd and West Side Story.

Created to celebrate Sondheim’s 80th birthday, this event interweaves video footage of the world-famous lyricist with live performances of his songs, telling the story of his

childhood, relationships, his career spanning 50 years, and his songwriting relationship with composer Hal Prince.

Cast member Monique Salle says that audiences should “expect the unexpected”, as there are some surprises in store for even the most die-hard of Sondheim fans.

She says there’ll be “something for everyone” regardless of whether or not you’re familiar with Sondheim’s work. (AS) Until Oct 18, Reginald Theatre, Seymour

ASIO person-of-interest list. He says if he gets arrested when he returns from South America he intends to blame James. (MMu) Oct 12-26, Old 505 Theatre, 342 Elizabeth St, Surry Hills, $18-28, venue505.com

Kill the PM

Gaspacho Andaluz

Despite debuting over a decade ago, Wicked:The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz, is still one of the most popular musicals in the world and Danielsen shares that it’s surprisingly easy to keep it fresh every night.

“As Long As You’re Mine [a romantic duet in the second act] is still vocally challenging to me, so every night I try a new technique and I try and make that note sound better,” he says. “It’s a challenging show, it’s not like it’s an easy show for me or for anyone for that matter, so we try to better ourselves every night.”

With the whole cast working hard to deliver the best performances they can each night, Danielsen says that the “incredible sets and costumes” will make it “really hard not to like this show”. (LL) Until Dec 31, Capitol Theatre, 13 Campbell St, Sydney, $69-114, wickedthemusical.com.au

The Renaissance Players present their third concert series of 2014 with Gaspacho Andaluz, a colourful, mediaeval masterpiece directed

by Winsome Evans (OAM).

This “afternoon delight” sees the Renaissance Players resplendent in mediaeval costume and they perform using authentic early Llew Kiek and Winsome Evans (OAM)

Review

Centre, City Rd & Cleveland St, Chippendale $42-49, (02) 9351 7940, squabbalogic.com.au THE WITCHES This one-man show, an adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Witches, began as a final year NIDA project for director Lucas Jervies. Through workshops with actor Guy Edmonds it became an energetic, physical and darkly comedic show. Two years on and with a successful run at the Malthouse in Melbourne, The Witches is playing for Griffin Theatre in Sydney.

instruments, such as the rebec, psaltery, and shawm, among many others. Known as Australia’s oldest early music group, the instrumentalists will also be accompanied by spirited vocals and poetry reading when they take to the stage of Sydney University’s Great Hall.

Multi-instrumentalist Llew Kiek began his musical career playing a Fender Stratocaster in rock bands but he says “in the Renaissance Players I play bozouki, a Greek Folk instrument; baglama, a Turkish folk instrument; acoustic guitar and oud,” Kiek also plays a variety of lutes.

“One of the things that interests me about the mediaeval period,” says Kiek,“is that this was an era of major development in music, especially polyphony, where composers were learning to harmonise and create textures.”

The ambience of the Great Hall lends itself perfectly to the period, complete with carved angels borrowed from Westminster Hall in London and the Renaissance Players promise a vibrant and entertaining concert series. (AC) Oct 4 & 5, Great Hall, Sydney University, Science Rd, Camperdown, $15-36, trybooking.com

LOVEBiTES

photo: Blueprint Studios

Wicked

“It’s a traditional Broadway musical comedy,” says producer Michelle Guthrie.“The script and the score of Superman is presented exactly as what is on the page, it’s not an adaptation,” she says.

Neglected musicals is a not-for-profit organisation and all involved put forth their time without reimbursement, with all ticket proceeds to fund future projects.The company brings forth productions that are rarely seen in Australia, and keeps their loyal audiences laughing with this, their tenth presentation, and the first time in association with Hayes Theatre Co. (RBM) Oct 6, Hayes Theatre Co, 19 Greenknowe Ave, Potts Point, $38, hayestheatre.com.au

With the extremism currently loose in the world, Kill the PM is a provocative title, but director James Dalton says writer Fregmonto Stokes’s aim was to immediately provoke the audience to a pro or con view of extreme action – which the play then explores.

The title is 12 months old and Dalton says it’s frightening to see how much the world has changed in that time. He understands the frustration of people who feel nothing they have tried has changed their circumstances – and lack of education and disempowerment are factors – but feels there are better ways to deal with problems in a civilised society than to resort to violence.

‘Freg’ himself is an agitprop performer whose alter-ego Twiggy Palmcock provokes in a Sacha Baron Cohen manner; he was onstage at the Liberal Party celebrations on election night and has pursued interviews with Tony Abbott and Clive Palmer.

Because of the nature of the play, this aspect of Freg may be fraught in future but due to his open and whimsical nature, it seems unlikely the playwright is currently on an

When it comes to love, there are two sides to every story.

Hayes Theatre Company’s latest production, LOVEBiTES, is a funny, touching look at different types of love.

The first act kicks off with a cheery, bouncy, opening number before introducing seven couples (played by Kirby Burgess, Tyran Parke, Adele Parkinson and Shaun Rennie) in various meetcutes.

The second act is much more sombre, as the audience finds out from the other halves of the couples how things turned out.

You think you know what to

The chance to tackle mature themes with a child-like sensibility seems to be what drew Edmonds to this role.

Speaking about Dahl he says, “He doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of life. He fills it with joy and love, but it’s not entirely a rosecoloured view of the world.” (ATS) Until Oct 5, SBW Stables Theatre, 10 Nimrod St, Kings Cross, $22-25, griffintheatre.com.au KRYPTONITE It begins when they meet at University – Lian, the shy Chinese

exchange student and Dylan, the carefree charismatic Sydneysider. As the years go by their paths cross and lives entwine, drawn closer until the personal and political collide.

“They have such a great love for each other,” says Ursula Mills, who plays Lian, “but life gets in the way.”

Set against a background of political intrigue and the spectre of Tiananmen Square, Kryptonite is an unconventional love story.

Having writer Sue Smith (Brides of Christ, Mabo) in the rehearsal room

expect, but there are clever twists.

Parke and Rennie have a huge amount of onstage chemistry as a gay couple who meet at a book club but can’t get married in Australia (sadly, still as relevant today as it was in the ‘90s when the show made its debut), and the biggest laughs come from Annie (Parkinson) and Kevin (Rennie) – a couple based on a cringeworthy urban legend. (AS) Until Oct 5, Hayes Theatre Co, 19 Greenknowe Ave, Potts Point, $42.90-49.90, (02) 8065 7337, hayestheatre.com.au

is clearly an important part of the chemistry. One of Australia’s most treasured screenwriters, she has only recently turned her hand to theatre. “It’s such an amazing privilege having Sue in the room with us,” says Mills, “there is so much trust in the writing and direction.”

(GW) Until Oct 18, Sydney Theatre Company,Wharf 1, Pier 4, Hickson Rd,Walsh Bay, $50-99, (02) 9250 1777, sydneytheatre.com.au 15

THE NAKED CITY

When animals attack!

Don McCullin : The Impossible Peace

They show war, they reveal still, serene, glimpses of winter plains covered in snow, they reflect impotence, fury, power, anger and sad acceptance of fate – five decades worth of Don McCullin’s photographs on display at the State Library of NSW are a multifaceted narrative of the human soul.

Don McCullin:The Impossible Peace, from War Photographs to Landscapes1958-2011 features some of the artist’s greatest works. In one image, a woman huddles behind a door in Derry as a squad of British troops rush stone throwing youth, whilst in another a young girl peeks through barbed

wire as a soldier, with bayonet raised, builds the Berlin wall.

These stills capture and create history through tropes which have lasted decades.

The retrospective also showcases many of McCullin’s later works, which focus on sublime natural formations in exquisitely beautiful detail.

The beauty and the terror of life in all its aspects is demonstrated in this collection which astounds with its insightful vision. (LR) Until Oct 26, State Library of NSW, Macquarie St, free, sl.nsw.gov.au

West Berliner looking over a portion of the Berlin Wall at the time of its construction. East German soldier looks back,West Berlin, Germany, August 1961 – Don McCullin

By Coffin Ed, Miss Death & Jay Katz Okay, it was probably a slow news day but did we really need a recent tabloid story about Hollywood pop singer, Hilary Duff, being ‘attacked’ by a flock of ravenous seagulls whilst eating lunch at Sydney’s Opera Bar? Admittedly it was part of a larger story, whereby management is trialling a giant robot bird to keep the pesky gulls at bay – at a cost of $6,500.

It does, however, raise the question as to just how safe Sydneysiders are from the multitude of fauna that currently infest our fine city. It seems nobody is taking this potential problem seriously and nowhere on the Sydney City Council website could we find a contact to report a citizen being mauled by a Hyde Park possum or having their eyes ripped out by an ibis.

Unlike countries such as America, where a young hiker was recently killed by a black bear, and India, where the dwindling tiger population still pose a lethal threat, Australians at large have little to fear from our prolific wildlife – crocs, feral camels and dingoes excepted.

Yet it’s in our more urbanised areas where that complacency is being challenged and some animals are starting to behave in a manner previously unimaginable. American writer Mike Davis has foreshadowed this phenomenon in his book Ecology Of Fear whereby wild species are invading urban areas and reclaiming a territory that was very much theirs to begin with. Could it be that the seagulls that spooked Hilary Duff are but a portent of more sinister events to come?

Certainly the ‘attack’ was Hitchcockian in both its conception and sheer audacity, and like his 1963 classic The Birds, the real agenda of the gulls is open to question. They were supposedly swooping on Hilary’s lunch

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but could it be they also exhibited a kind of avian xenophobia with her subtle, but alien, Hollywood posturing striking a real note of discord? To put it simply, they were just pissed off that yet another interloper had arrived to steal their territory.

In recent months we have noted an increased aggression amongst the city’s ever burgeoning ibis population.

Branded as grubby, garbage scavengers and scorned by the al fresco sandwich brigade, their resentment is now palpable. Surely it’s only time before they too pay homage to Hitchcock and unleash their wrath and black pointy beaks upon a group of lunchtime diners at the Opera Bar or elsewhere.

Feral cats, cockatoos, the few remaining fruit bats, and even those slimy eels in the duck pond in the Botanic Gardens – they are all capable of inflicting injury. Treat them with respect and, as a vital part of the new urban environment, there should not be a problem. Cull them, demonise them or attempt to scare them away with giant mechanical robots and baby, it could be Hitch’s Bodega Bay all over again!

THE HIT LIST: Here’s an opportunity to become involved in a unique crowd-funding project to produce an album by Palacio de la Rumba, a Sydney-based big band who merge the cream of Australia’s jazz and Latin musicians, including Lloyd Swanton, (bass), Alister Spence (piano), Fabian Hevia (drums) and Warwick Alder (trumpet). For this unique recording they will be joined by acclaimed Cuban percussionist Roman Justo Pelladito Hernandez, direct from Havana.You will learn about and hear rumba from a true master of this style and be part of Justo’s first recording outside of Cuba, as he shares his talent and skills with us in November 2014.

Check out all the details at pozible.com/project/186439

Aztecs

A wall of carved skulls, which were once part of the Pyrmont incinerator, adorns the entrance of Aztecs, at the Australian Museum. It’s a suitably gothic introduction to a presentation that is not afraid to explore the more gruesome aspects of this lost civilisation.

The visually spectacular display artfully conveys the intricacy of the people’s lives, the complexity of their mythology and the continued influence of the ancient culture on modern Mexico.

A mask made of a human skull and an eerie statue of the god of the underworld, whose dangling liver and curved talons threaten ominously from a niche, are sinister reminders of the importance of human sacrifice in Aztec life.

A replica of the grand temple further illustrates the role of religion in everyday existence.

The combination of interactive technology, ancient relics and contemporary relevance makes this a show that will appeal to a wide demographic. (LR) Until Feb 1,The Australian Museum, 6 College St, Sydney, $14-24, australianmuseum.net.au

‘Eagle warrior sculpture 1440–69’, photo: Michel Zabe © The Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia (INAH)

Domestic Departures

Domestic Departures at Chalk Horse Gallery challenges ideas of home to produce a group show that is aesthetically interesting and politically powerful.

In The Re-introduction of Australian Knighthood Abdul Abdullah focuses on a menacing balaclava-clad figure draped by Australian iconography as a caustic comment on modern patriotism.

While Abdullah confronts the public sphere, Jasper Knight examines the personal.

The fractured armchair of Single Origin 1 shatters the metaphor of safe-haven with its cubist-like composition.

The third included artist,

James Oram, has contributed a visual narrative in Stack, which uses the ubiquitous lottery scratchie to suggest the fragility of suburban utopia. It concentrates on a hand which scratches a series of losing tickets and uses them to construct a house of cards. It is a beautifully rendered film which connects on a deep level with the ‘fair go’ mythology.

Overall this exhibition is a profound exposition on contemporary Australian conundrums. (LR) Until Oct 4, Chalk Horse Gallery, 171 William St, Darlinghurst, free, chalkhorse.com.au

‘Single Origin 1’ by Jasper Knight

Lavazza Italian Film Festival 2014 The Lavazza Italian Film Festival should be a real treat for Sydneysiders, this year’s selection features a wide range of Italian films that promise to bring a dash of Mediterranean romance to Palace cinema locations.

Launching the festival with some melody is Marina, an entertaining biopic that tells the true story of singer, songwriter and accordionist, Rocco Granata.

I Can Quit Whenever I Want is a fast-moving, farcical comedy about academics that can’t find employment worthy of them, so decide there’s more money in the drug trade. A molecule in the drug they peddle is not illegal so, for a while, they manage to dodge the attention of the law – but not the attention of mobsters from a rival drug-ring.

Perhaps the most hilarious moment is when the gang hold-up a pharmacy with antique muskets and one of them is recognised (despite wearing a mask). The moral of the story is that every choice has a cost – and theirs comes in the form of fractured relationships and imprisonment. The use of saturated colour makes red, yellow and green very evident, resulting in lurid visuals that seem to match the action.

Let’s celebrate the fact that Italy still makes cinema that is uniquely Italian. It could be a wonderful few weeks. (MMu) Until Oct 12, Palace Norton St, Palace Verona & Chauvel Cinema, $15-19, italianfilmfestival.com.au

The Little Death Josh Lawson makes his directorial debut with The Little Death, voted second choice for best feature at The Sydney Film Festival. The offbeat and sometimes obscure comedy explores the sexual relations and fantasies of a group of neighbours and friends.

Unashamedly it delves into sexual and social taboos, as behind closed doors ‘normal’ couples discover what lengths they will go to to experience that fleeting ‘la petite mort’ – the little death.

With an ensemble cast of

familiar Australian talent, each character is well rounded and expertly acted. Lawson’s writing displays quick wit and a love for awkward cringe-worthy comedy.Without losing the characters to caricature, Lawson unravels hilarious exploits in a genuine manner.

Certainly, the comedy won’t be to everyone’s taste, at times the film walks a close line to taboo but with a charmingly authentic treatment it is a subtle reminder that it’s okay to be weird. (ATS) WWW½

Annabelle

A young couple (Annabelle Wallis and Ward Horton) have a problem: woeful taste – as exemplified by their ornaments, framed needlework and tan coffee mugs (the mugs are unforgivable – even for ‘60s middle-class).

They also own one of the ugliest dolls ever, which after an attack by satanic cultists, becomes a conduit for an evil entity that sets about terrorising the young family.

So, a dastardly doll, a satanic entity, a vulnerable young mother, a devoted – if somewhat

THE INFINITE MAN is a quixotic journey through the mind of a very confused man. It is a tale of obsession and erotic fantasies.

Dean (Josh McConville), a quirky, neurotic pseudo scientist, is obsessed with Lana (Hannah Marshall) but his quest for her love takes an almost incomprehensible turn when he uses time travel to repair the rifts in their relationship.

The sparse setting of this movie is a reflection of its low budget, but works well as a backdrop for the raw revelation of human emotions.

This movie is confusing as a narrative; however, as a metaphor for the utter heart-rending dishevelment caused by jealousy and

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The Skeleton Twins

Brothers and sisters should love and care for one another, isn’t that what families do? That’s what twins Maggie (Kristin Wiig) and Milo (Bill Hader) did for each other as children, but then they become separated as teenagers and end up estranged. When we meet them they are in their 30s and haven’t communicated for a decade. After a suicide attempt, Milo accepts his sister’s invitation to stay with her and her husband.

This is a wonderful little film.

abandonment, it is a stunning, humorous and thoughtful success.

(LR) WWW½

Those teens, though – they are a life force! We Are the Best is almost worth seeing just for them. (MMu)

WE ARE THE BEST! In 1982 two loveable 13-year-old nonconformists, Bobo (Mira Barkhammar) and Klara (Mira Grosin), believe punk is the recipe for life – despite the fact that everyone else says it’s dead. They set out to convert shy Christian girl Hedvig (Liv LeMoyne) and the trio form a punk band whose only song is I Hate Sport – a slim basis for a feature film and at only 102 minutes it seems overly long. It has its moments, but unfortunately not nearly enough.

WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS is a hilarious mockumentary that revolves around three housemates who just happen to be vampires – there is an outrageously surreal contrast between the normal streets of Wellington, New Zealand, and the very atypical selection of undead.

The film crew follows the lives of Viago (Taika Waititi), Deacon (Jonathan Brugh), and Vladislav (Jemaine Clement), and the comedic timing and performances will have audiences in stitches.

WW

A synopsis might detail the events but would give you no idea of the emotion, warmth and humanity at the heart of it, not to mention the pain and the sadness.

Does that mean it’s a ‘downer’? No, there’s a great deal of fun and humour. Ultimately, it’s a positive and life-affirming work, one that will give hope to anyone that experiences it – and that’s why it must be seen.

So well written, so well acted. (MMu) WWWW

The Equalizer What resonates about this enjoyable story is that the scenario is as old as the Arthurian legends and their notion of ‘might for right’; it’s reassuring to think there’s a good man stronger than the bad ones – a defender of the vulnerable. The hero tells a corrupt police officer “You’re meant to stand for something punk.” Amen!

Denzel Washington is getting a bit old for action roles – grey haired and paunchy – but he’s still one of the coolest people

around and makes an ageing warrior, who has lost none of his combat skills, look good.

And he will need all of them to take on – multiple times – the Russian mafia; initially to avenge their brutal beating of a young prostitute.

Based on the ‘80s television series that starred Edward Woodward, an earlier planned film was meant to have starred Russell Crowe.

Warning: this is extremely violent – sometimes glibly so.

(MMu) WWW½

overwhelmed – husband, an impossibly cute infant, a well-meaning priest, a sympathetic African–American woman... have we seen this before? No, but the combination of elements has become well-worn.

This fairly stock-standard shocker pulls all the usual moves and will certainly give some thrills but audiences might get more bang for their buck on the roller-coaster at Luna Park – minus the forces of darkness.

(MMu) WW

Almost like an inside-out horror production, What We Do in the Shadows has an abundance of comedy with horror relief – an eccentric and imaginative perspective on an oversaturated subject. (RBM)

WWWW THE IMMIGRANT 1921: Ewa (Marion Cotillard) and her ill sister Magda (Angela Sarafyan) arrive in the USA at the Ellis Island immigration centre after fleeing post WWI Poland.

Cotillard as Ewa looks beautiful, demure and vulnerable, and she needs protection from the exploitation of Joaquin Phoenix’s sinister Bruno, who gets her a job at the Bandit’s Roost, first as a dancer,

then as a prostitute.

Ultimately, The Immigrant is a reminder of the value of courage and persistence in the face of life’s vicissitudes. (MMu) WW½ FELONY Joel Edgerton writes and performs in this intense story about a good cop who does a bad thing. A lie snowballs quickly but the avalanche to come is a slower process as he battles his own demons, the senior detective ready to cover it up (Tom Wilkinson), his conflicted wife (Melissa George), and the idealist relentless in his pursuit (Jai Courtney).

Director Matthew Saville takes audiences on an uncomfortable but compelling ride, whilst the

performances are full of strength and subtlety. (CC) WWW½ PREDESTINATION In this Australian production, American actor Ethan Hawke plays the Temporal Agent who must neutralise the one offender that has eluded him through time.

Robert A. Heinlein was one of the genius writers of science fiction and the twin Spierig brothers (writers/ directors/producers) have taken on the challenging task of telling one of his stories visually.

It’s a film that puts a new spin on the familiar tale of the agent working to prevent a terrorist outrage. (MMu) WWW

Lenny Kravitz – Strut It’s been 25 years since his debut album and he’s now 50 years old, but Lenny Kravitz remains one of the coolest dudes in music. Strut, his tenth studio album, doesn’t contain much by way of surprises but what it does have is a winning mix of funk, rock and soul from one of the masters.

Highlights here include Sex which evokes Michael Hutchence at his swaggering best, the poppy fret of The Chamber, the vintage Kravitz stylings of The Pleasure and the Pain, and the muscular, bluesy title track. (PH)

Purdy – Body Variations Listening to Purdy’s Body Variations is like falling through time, moving backwards and forwards through Middle Eastern dances, robotic voices and a disorientating barnyard. The electronica flow is continuous throughout, changing but never dropping.

Static mixes with acoustic music, crackling and cutting, in and out, in the style of a much older recording. This is a mélange of sound, each jumping over each other like a well practiced circus act.

Though it is filled with juxtaposing elements, it continues to progress to a steady beat, marching on and lingering in the mind. (SP)

It’s somewhat of a homecoming when acclaimed Australian singersongwriter Mia Dyson kicks off her Australian Idyllwild tour in Sydney.

The gigs are the first opportunity for Dyson to perform new tracks from her latest album in Australia, which she says “feels great, I’ve been looking forward to playing with my Australian band again and bringing all of these new songs.”

Despite the fact this is an Australian debut for the tracks, Dyson has previously toured the United States with the show and that has made her more confident the performances will be a success.

“I’ve cheekily gotten my roadtesting of the songs out the way by playing them over here, so I’m feeling really good about performing and am really confident in my Australian band.”

Dyson prefers to use two separate bands for each country, in what sounds like it could be a logistical

LIVE WIRE Bondax: The UK duo will headline an exclusive Listen Out sideshow ahead of the festival for those wanting to check them out early. After receiving extensive airplay on the UK’s renowned BBC Radio 1, the duo have gone on to play major festivals such as Creamfields and will make their Australian debut with their distinct funky house music sound. Support is supplied by talented Sydney producer, Kilter, and producer-vocalist-multi-

and performance nightmare, however, she describes the process of working with the two as being “great, I’ve got an incredible band in both countries and they’re quite different with their own strengths but that’s what makes it so fun. I get to reimagine the songs every time I go between countries.”

When she moved to the US Dyson essentially hit the reset button on her career and had to build her reputation from the ground up with a brand new audience, “it was tough but also really liberating to be playing where no one really knew my music and I had the challenge of winning audiences over again, which was really exciting” says Dyson.

“On a personal level it was also really challenging not having much of a local support network initially and there were a lot of times I wanted to just pack it in & go home. I’m so glad I stayed now

though as I’ve built that network and find I’m particularly inspired living in Los Angeles with so much creativity around me,” she says.

In spite of all these challenges and hurdles, Dyson’s career has flourished performing alongside the likes of Bonnie Raitt and Stevie Nicks, two personal heroes. Mia Dyson has also become a household name in her own right with tracks featured on the hit television series Bones and in an Australian Army recruitment commercial.

The popularity of Dyson is not to be argued, in fact the Idyllwild tour has been extended due to popular demand and Sydneysiders get the first chance to, as Dyson puts it, be a part of the “energetic, frenetic, eclectic and dynamic show.” (JA) Oct 2, Newtown Social Club, 387 King St, Newtown, $2530+b.f, newtownsocialclub.com

Sydney Live Music Guide

instrumentalist, Hatch.

Thu, Oct 2nd, Oxford Art Factory Lakyn: A Melbourne-based singer-songwriter who draws influence from a very diverse group including Bob Dylan, Wu-Tang Clan, Frank Sinatra and Bon Iver. Lakyn first delved into the musical world when a broken ankle kept him from his first passion, skateboarding. He began by sharing covers of well known tracks by Frank Ocean, Carly Rae Jepsen and

Ed Sheeren via Youtube which eventually grew his channel to a 50,000 following with 7.5 million views.

Fri, Oct 3rd,The Vanguard Hardwell: The DJ Mag world number one, I AM Hardwell world tour will make a brief stop into Sydney over the long weekend. This is the first time that a stand-alone DJ has ever been invited to perform a headline set at The Domain, and with the

production values that Hardwell gigs have come to be known for, this should be an epic one-off event.

Sat, Oct 4th,The Domain Fred Smith Launching his eighth album, Home (the follow up to the astounding Dust of Uruzgan), Fred Smith mixes the humorous with the poignant and all at Sydney’s best living room venue. Time to laugh and cry.

Sat, Oct 4th, Camelot David Bridie: Bridie returns to Australia for

Mia Dyson a very brief pit-stop to perform one special show in Sydney following his month-long tour of Canada.

The gig will feature a collection of tracks from the 2013 acclaimed album Wake, his solo back catalogue and songs from his newest release, Take The Next Illusionary Exit. The new album, which was originally created as a reward for those who helped crowd-fund Wake, received such rave reviews it has been given a general release.

Sun, Oct 5th,The Vanguard

Rosie Catalano & Julia Why?: This is your chance to see the winners of this year’s Triple J Unearthed NIDA competition up close and personal as they join forces to launch their respective music videos, Hearts and Just One Night.

The pair will also perform more songs from their repertoire live, before the directors and designers of each video give a live interview about the process and inspirations behind each.

Wed, Oct 8th,The Vanguard

FREEWILLASTROLOGY

by Rob Brezsny

a

ARIES (March 21-April 19): As I hike through the wilderness at dusk, the crickets always seem to be humming in the distance. No matter where I go, their sound is farther off, never right up close to me. How can that be? Do they move away from me as I approach? I doubt it. I sense no leaping insects in the underbrush. Here’s how this pertains to you: My relationship with the crickets’ song is similar to a certain mystery in your life. There’s an experience that calls to you but forever seems just out of reach. You think you’re drawing nearer, about to touch it and be in its midst, but it inevitably eludes you. Now here’s the good news: A change is coming for you. It will be like what would happen if I suddenly found myself intimately surrounded by hundreds of chirping crickets.

b

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In three years, you will comprehend truths about yourself and your life that you don’t have the capacity to grasp now. By then, past events that have been confusing to you will make sense. You’ll know what their purpose was and why they occurred. Can you wait that long? If you’d rather not, I have an idea: Do a meditation in which you visualize yourself as you will be three years from today. Imagine asking your future self to tell you what he or she has discovered. The revelations may take a while to

start rolling in, but I predict that a whole series of insights will have arrived by this time next week..

C

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The journey that awaits you is succinct but epic. It will last a relatively short time but take months to fully understand.

You may feel natural and ordinary as you go through it, even as you are being rather heroic. Prepare as best as you can, but keep in mind that no amount of preparation will get you completely ready for the spontaneous moves you’ll be called on to perform. Don’t be nervous! I bet you will receive help from an unexpected source. Feelings of deja-vu may crop up and provide a sense of familiarity -- even though none of what occurs will have any precedents.

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CANCER (June 21-July 22): In the wild, very few oysters produce pearls -- about one in every 10,000. Most commercial pearls come from farmed oysters whose pearls have been induced by human intervention.

As you might expect, the natural jewel is regarded as far more precious. Let’s use these facts as metaphors while we speculate about your fate in the next eight months. I believe you will acquire or generate a beautiful new source of value for yourself. There’s a small chance you will stumble upon a treasure equivalent to the wild pearl. But I suggest you take the more secure route: working hard

to create a treasure that’s like a cultivated pearl.

g

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LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In June 2012, a U.S. Senator introduced a bill that would require all members of Congress to actually read or listen to a reading of any bill before they voted on it. The proposal has been in limbo ever since, and it’s unlikely it will ever be treated seriously. This is confusing to me. Shouldn’t it be a fundamental requirement that all lawmakers know what’s in the laws they pass? Don’t make a similar error, Leo. Understand exactly what you are getting into, whether it’s a new agreement, an interesting invitation, or a tempting opportunity. Be thoroughly informed.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): When Jimmy Fallon was a senior in high school, he received a weird graduation gift: a troll doll, one of those plastic figurines with frizzy, brightly colored hair. Around the same time, his mother urged him to enter an upcoming comedy contest at a nearby club. Jimmy decided that would be fun. He worked up a routine in which he imitated various celebrities auditioning to become a spokesperson for troll dolls.

With the doll by his side, he won the contest, launching his career as a comedian. I foresee the possibility of a comparable development in your life: an odd blessing or unexpected gift that inspires you to express one of your talents on a higher level.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Tomatoes are a staple of Italian cuisine now, but there weren’t any tomatoes in Europe until the 16th century, when Spanish explorers brought them from Central and South America. Likewise, Malaysia has become a major producer of rubber, but it had no rubber trees until seeds were smuggled out of Brazil in the 19th century.

And bananas are currently a major crop in Ecuador thanks to 16th-century Portuguese sailors, who transported them from West Africa. I foresee the possibility of comparable cross-fertilizations happening for you in the coming months, Sagittarius. Do you have your eye on any remote resources you’d like to bring back home?

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VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Oliver Evans (1755-1819) was a prolific Virgo inventor who came up with brilliant ideas for steam engines, urban gas lighting, refrigeration, and automated machines. He made a radical prediction: “The time will come when people will travel in stages moved by steam engines, almost as fast as birds fly, 15 or 20 miles an hour.” We may be surprised that a visionary innovator like Evans dramatically minimized the future’s possibilities. In the same way, I suspect that later in your life, you might laugh at how much you are underestimating your potentials right now. In telling you this, I’m hoping you will stop underestimating.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “Dear So-Called Astrologer: Your horoscopes are worse than useless.

Mostly they are crammed with philosophical and poetic crap that doesn’t apply to my daily life. Please cut way back on the fancy metaphors. Just let me know if there is money or love or trouble coming my way -- like what regular horoscopes say! -Skeptical Scorpio.” Dear Skeptical: In my astrological opinion, you and your fellow Scorpios will soon feel the kind of pressure you just directed at me. People will ask you to be different from what you actually are. My advice? Do not acquiesce to them.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Years ago, you experienced an event that was so overwhelming you could not fully deal with it, let alone understand it. All this time it has been simmering and smoldering in the depths of your unconscious mind, emitting ghostly steam and smoke even as it has remained difficult for you to integrate.

But I predict that will change in the coming months. You will finally find a way to bring it into your conscious awareness and explore it with courage and grace. Of course it will be scary for you to do so. But I assure you that the fear is a residue from your old confusion, not a

sign of real danger. To achieve maximum liberation, begin your quest soon.

k

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): This is prime time to do things that aren’t exactly easy and relaxing, but that on the other hand aren’t actually painful. Examples: Extend peace offerings to adversaries.

Seek reconciliation with valuable resources from which you have been separated and potential allies from whom you have become alienated.

Try out new games you would eventually like to be good at, but aren’t yet. Get a better read on interesting people you don’t understand very well. Catch my drift, Aquarius? For now, at least, leaving your comfort zone is likely to be invigorating, not arduous.

l

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Your oracle is built around the epigrams of conceptual artist Jenny Holzer. From her hundreds of pithy quotes, I have selected six that offer the exact wisdom you need most right now. Your job is to weave them all together into a symphonic whole. 1. “It’s crucial to have an active fantasy life.” 2. “Ensure that your life stays in flux.” 3. “I have every kind of thought, and that is no embarrassment.” 4.

“Animalism is perfectly healthy.”

5. “Finding extreme pleasure will make you a better person if you’re careful about what thrills you.” 6. “Listen when your body talks.”

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