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Liberal councillor urges own party to amend compulsory business voting

Christine Foster believes that the legislation as it stands needs to be amended. Souce: Supplied

By alexander lewis Liberal councillor Christine Forster has said the NSW government should amend the act which requires compulsory business voting in City of Sydney elections.

The controversial City of Sydney Amendment Act, introduced by the Shooters and Fishers party and backed by the Baird government last year, gives two votes to companies with more than one director.

The Act puts the onus on the council to maintain an up to date register of all nonresidents eligible to vote.

The City of Sydney flagged the risk of future elections being legally challenged due to the council’s inability to maintain an absolutely accurate roll, in a report outlining a $12 million plan to create the register, Clr Forster, who is Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s sister, told City Hub she had personally spoken with the state government about amending the act.

“It’s pretty clear that with the legislation as it’s drafted, the conditions of that legislation can’t be met as it requires the register to be up to date at any point,” she said.

“I think it’s something that can be easily addressed through an amendment to the act.

It won’t change the intention of the amended act, it won’t impact the rights of businesses to have their vote, but it will mean that hopefully the register is kept reasonably up to date.”

“I haven’t had any signals from the government that there would be any objection from them amending the legislation to ensure it wouldn’t be subject to legal challenge.”

But the Office of Local Government

(OLG) has not yet responded to written requests from the City of Sydney in June to further amend the act.

Bret Walker SC, and Faye Ashworth provided the Council with legal advice stating that even it “an army of clipboardwielding information collectors” was deployed, maintaining an up to date register on any given day bordered on the impossible.

“It is quite apparent that any approach to preparation of the non-residential rolls will mean that they are out of date the day after they are prepared or updated,” they wrote.

Clr Forster said, “given that the threats of legal challenge have been pretty consistent from Clover Moore councillors over the last few months, why wouldn’t we do it? Why wouldn’t the state government do it?”

Lord Mayor Clover Moore has repeatedly accused the state government of trying to influence the leadership of Town Hall by giving businesses a vote in City of Sydney elections and deliberately exposing the result to legal challenge.

“It’s about giving business two votes when residents have one,” Clr Moore said during a committee meeting on Monday afternoon.

“This is the worst piece of legislation I have ever seen.”

Clr Forster said she did not support two votes being given to some businesses.

“In Australia, there’s always been a principle of one person, one vote, and I’m much more comfortable with that than the idea of two votes for a business,” she said.

Independent councillor and cafe owner Angela Vithoulkas said that while she welcomed compulsory business voting, the

provision of two votes to some businesses had pitted residents against business.

“We never asked for two votes, we asked for a fair, equal vote,” Clr Vithoulkas said.

And the creation of the register should not be the council’s responsibility, she said.

“It should have gone to the body that had the most experience, which is the electoral commission of NSW,” she said.

“It would’ve been best served with them because it would’ve been at arm’s length.”

Clr Forster said that at the end of the day, she doubted the business votes would make much difference to the electorate.

“Every vote will be cast by a person, and people in Australia tend to vote about 50 per cent to the left and 50 per cent to the right, and the fact that they are operating businesses won’t change that,” she said.

“I think that probably the result at the end of the day from the business voting will pretty much reflect how the residents vote.”

The state independent MP for Sydney Alex Greenwich has vowed to repeal the amendment act in consultation with the City of Sydney and reintroduce his own business voting bill, which failed to pass last year.

“My bill would create a permanent business and ratepayers register for businesses to add their details to at any time, details which the electoral commission would confirm prior to each election and use to create the business and ratepayers electoral roll. This simple system would ensure the integrity of the roll and be much cheaper,” Mr Greenwich said.

“A healthy democracy is built on independent elections that give all members of the community equal access and voice.”

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By LYDIA WATSON-MOORE The campaign to save the Alexandria Hotel has scored a victory after the City of Sydney placed an interim heritage order on the iconic site.

The decision came following more than a month of community outcry over a proposal to demolish the hotel and replace it with apartments and commercial space.

Coordinator of the ‘Save the Alex’ campaign Ben Noblet told City Hub he was “absolutely thrilled” with the council’s decision.

“We’re so grateful to the council and councillors, particularly Irene Doutney, Christine Forster and Linda Scott, who supported our submissions,” Mr Noblet said.

Labor Councillor Linda Scott told City Hub that she was “very happy” to see the council acknowledging the community’s wishes.

“The Alexandria Hotel is an important community hub in Sydney and it’s great to see the community coming together to fight for it,” Clr Scott said.

The interim heritage order, applied on July 28, will lapse in six months unless the council “resolves to heritage list the building”.

A council spokesperson told City Hub that the temporary heritage order will “allow the City to investigate the heritage significance” of the pub.

The current hotel is 81 years old and is historically significant through its connection to Sydney’s blue-collar history and the industrial hub of the Eveleigh Railway Workshops.

Federal MP for Heffron Ron Hoenig wrote to City of Sydney councillors urging for the heritage order and had encouraged resident action.

“I encourage council to stay true to community sentiment and I urge local residents to remain vigilant in the fight to save the Alexandria Hotel,” he said.

Both Mr Noblet and other campaign head

The Alexandria Hotel as it stood in the 1930s. Source: Harry McAsey

Alex Robinson said they thought the developer, Centennial Property Group, would likely appeal the heritage order.

The order came just days after Centennial Property Group took the ‘deemed refused’ DA to the Land and Environment Court.

This legal technicality, as seen in the recent Alice Street Newtown DA, allows developers to bypass council if the council does not decide the matter within 40 days.

When approached for comment on both the bypass and heritage order, a spokesperson for Centennial Property group told City Hub they would supply no comment, “as it is a matter before the courts”.

Mr Noblet said tthe residents were initially disappointed with the appeal to the court, but that it may have actually saved time.

“The developer would probably have appealed the decision anyway, if council had

knocked it back,” he said.

However, Mr Robinson said there were still concerns with the move to bypass council.

“It sort of takes away the opportunity to have a public appeal against it,” he said.

While the heritage order is a small victory for the group, Mr Noblet said that the group would continue to push for permanent heritage status.

“We’re hopeful for permanent listing so that it makes development completely impossible. We want to it to operate as a hotel,” he said.

Mr Robinson said the group would continue to fight for the pub.

“There’s still a fair bit to do, but we just want people to get down to the Alex to celebrate this heritage order.”

“It’s the weirdest thing ever to celebrate, but we are!” he said.

The case will be addressed in court on August 18. city hub 6 august 2015

3

BY ALEXANDER LEWIS Central Sydney residents are set to lose free street parking permits under a draft policy on exhibition by the City of Sydney council.

Under the changes, residents of apartment blocks without onsite parking required would no longer be eligible for a parking permit.

CBD resident and permit holder Stephen Taylor said those living in buildings such as The Astor, which was constructed on Macquarie Street in the 1920s sans garage, had not been offered an alternative.

“What are you supposed to do? Get rid of your car?” Mr Taylor said.

The draft policy stated that it was impractical for central Sydney streets to be used for the long term duration free parking of residents, particularly during business hours.

“It saddens me to find my rights as ratepayer are deemed impractical,” Mr Taylor wrote in a damning letter to the City of Sydney.

“There is no data on the current quantity of on-street parking spaces, quantity of vehicles in each category or the impacts, nor is there any modelling on the outcomes from cancelling CBD residential parking permits,” he wrote.

City of Sydney Liberal Councilor Edward Mandla said the City of Sydney needed to consider the needs of residents in older buildings, particularly elderly people who could not walk or cycle everywhere.

“When I challenge the Lord Mayor [Clover Moore] on this, she says people who don’t embrace her vision can move out and take their polluting vehicles with them,” Cr Mandla said.

“There’s a big difference between having a residential permit but not being able to find a park and a government telling you we’re cancelling your permit because you won’t find a park.”

A spokesperson for the Lord Mayor said there were around 90 on-road parking spaces in central Sydney for which people could use a residential parking permit.

“There is a growing demand for space on our roads. Work by the State Government including the rerouting of bus routes, increased vehicle capacity on many streets and roads, and the construction of the light rail on George Street will reduce the amount of on-road parking spaces available throughout the CBD,” the spokesperson said.

“The City’s draft Central Sydney On-street Parking Policy takes these changes and other community feedback into account.

“The delivery of goods, taxi ranks, emergency and essential services parking, coach pick-ups and set downs, and general set downs for hotels, are among the uses that have been given top priority.”

The proposed reforms will be considered by the council’s Local Pedestrian Cycling and Traffic Calming Committee.

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Central Sydney residents to lose free parking

Residents without a garage in this area would not longer be eligible for free street parking. Source: City of Sydney

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Ultimo Public School left in the lurch

BY CHRISTOPHER HARRIS The local community has rejected the NSW Government’s latest plan for the Ultimo Public School, saying the proposal was “plugging holes” and “a band aid that would peel off quickly”.

The governmentt proposes to demolish the 15 year old school building and replace it with a larger capacity structure for 700 students.

In a meeting on July 22, parents and citizens reached a consensus that it would not meet the needs of the rapidly growing area and the anticipated population growth of young families.

Earlier this year, the state government back flipped on a promise before the election to remediate a nearby Wattle Street site of chemicals and build a school for 1000 students because of high costs.

It was subsequently revealed that the government had ignored advice from an independent consultant to adopt a remediation option costing $31 million and instead cited a $53 million option as too expensive.

City of Sydney Council, who own the Wattle St site, agreed to sell it to the state government at the reduced price of $74 million because of the remediation costs.

President of the Ultimo Public School Parents & Citizens Association (P&C) Janine Barrett said the group stood with the local community to ensure the future viability of the school.

“We call on the department to fulfil their promise to future proof the educational needs of our community and desist in railroading our community into a development that we have rejected outright for three years,” Ms Barrett said.

President of Pyrmont Community Group Jean Stuart said that the City of Sydney should be the community’s advocate and bring key players back to the negotiating table.

“We need that site for the social needs of the community, and council should be thinking of a way through it,” Ms Stuart said.

“We’re putting it forward very strongly, and we’re

6

city hub 6 august 2015

Janine Barrett outside Ultimo Public School. Source: Alexander Lewis

calling for their attention. The council should be taking the initiative now and its an extremely important matter of education.”

“There’s no way we’ll be walking away from this school. The community is outraged because it is the government’s responsibility and they have vastly underestimated the number of children who live in Pyrmont and Ultimo,” she said.

Member of Ultimo Public Schools P&C Bill d’Anthes said the latest proposal was “another slap in the face” for the suburb. “There are about 700 new apartments going up at the moment, and they are going to have families in

them who are going to have children that have to go to school,” Mr d’Anthes said.

He believes the problem is just one example of what is happening to schools statewide.

“Sure these schools are going to cost money, but there are going to cost more because they have sold Department of Education land,” he said.

“They’re looking at short term solutions that are band aids that are going to peel off quickly. This isn’t a one government failing. The previous government didn’t take into account the needs for infrastructure either.”

“We’re talking about civil disobedience if they try and

pull down the school. A lot of people who live in the area are angry about it and most of them are elderly people, They are concerned for the next generation. The next step is to force the government back to the negotiating table.”

The imminent development of the nearby Bays Precinct is expected to bring thousands more residents into the area.

In a statement to City Hub, a Department of Education spokesperson said the department remained committed to working with the community.

“Independent assessment of the proposed site owned by the City of Sydney revealed that remediation of toxic waste on the land to the standard necessary to protect the health of students, staff and visitors could cost $53 million,” the spokesperson said.

“This cost, the cost of acquiring the site and the expense of building a new school and relocating from the current site would total as much as $177 million.

The cost of building a new primary school is generally between $15 million to $30 million.”

“In addition to a new Ultimo Public School, the Department is undertaking strategic asset planning for the cluster of seven local schools, which Ultimo Public School is a part of, to increase capacity across the cluster to cater for student numbers out to 2031.”

Independent member for Sydney Alex Greenwich said that the government had “wasted” much goodwill and work put into finding a new school site and had “betrayed” the local community.

“The current proposal on the existing constrained site does not address long term need,” Mr Greenwich said.

I support the community’s call for the government to go back to the drawing board with the council and the community. We urgently need a new school that is big enough to meet needs into the future.”

“So far the government seems to be following through on the commitment for a new high school for the inner city. I’ll continue to work with the minister and department to get the schools we need.”

State Government departments lock horns over Sirius building

By EMILY CONTADOR-KELSALL Contention continues to rise over the future of the Sirius Building as state government bodies and the local community are locked in an argument over heritage, development potential and revenue.

Architect Chris Bosse released plans for the Rocks building last week that included the addition of balconies onto Sirius, adapting its current design.

The plans were commissioned by Urban Taskforce who asked Mr Bosse to create “a new layer for Sirius that respects the original design while improving amenity”.

While the plans have been applauded, architect and chairman of the Millers Point, Dawes Point, The Rocks and Walsh Bay Resident Action Group, John McInerney, does not think the plans “do justice to the quality of the building”, which has long stood as social housing. “[If Sirius was heritage listed] I don’t think it would ever be allowed to be changed to the extent that Chris Bosse has shown it,” he said.

The state government has been gradually emptying the Sirius Building alongside many other social housing tenancies in Millers Point. Mr McInerney told City Hub that the government has continued to “move people out the extent that there are only about 15 left in the whole complex”.

The building is an example of the brutalist school of architecture and was built to rehouse public housing tenants who were moved out of The Rocks during its redevelopment in the 1960s and 70s.

The resident action group is fighting to

The Sirius building was originally designed for social housing. Source: Peter Wald, Wikicommons

have the Sirius building heritage listed, which would affect any potential changes and development of the site.

A spokesperson from the Office of Environment and Heritage said the National Trust of NSW nominated the Sirius Building for listing on the State Heritage Register.

“In mid July the Heritage Council formally notified their intention to consider listing the building,” the spokesperson said.

If the building were to be listed, any proposed changes, including Mr Bosse’s design, would need to follow the approval process and would be assessed on merit, according to the spokesperson.

Despite the office’s consideration of Sirius’ heritage status, the Department of Family and Community Services (FACS) does not support the Sirius Building being listed on the State Heritage Register, according to a statement provided to City Hub. The FACS statement said the reason for this was missed opportunity for proceeds to build new social housing.

Minister for Social Housing Brad Hazzard also opposes the proposed heritage listing, according to the same statement, because of its impact on the revenue from the sale of the site.

“Any decision to put a heritage order on it would reduce the value of the building and of course the multi-million dollar views which the government wants to turn into multimillion dollars worth of public housing.” Mr Hazzard said.

But Mr McInerney said he disagreed “with the presumption, that [heritage listing] will reduce the value”.

“I don’t see how Brad Hazzard’s office, presumably his office or him… how they can come to that conclusion.”

Also against Sirius’ heritage listing was Urban Taskforce CEO Chris Johnson, who said in a statement that the taskforce is concerned “that state heritage listing will simply freeze the current raw, brutal look of the building and minimise the amenity for future residents”.

Mr Bosse’s design under Urban taskforce “demonstrates that the building can become more friendly in its appearance while respecting the original design intention,” according to Mr Johnson.

Another casualty for the Cross: Hugos closes up shop

By EMIKO REED Another Kings Cross venue has fallen victim to the state’s lock out laws, as Hugos Lounge hosted its final party last Sunday.

The award winning nightclub marked the end of their 15 years of trade with a packed, bustling crowd last Sunday August 2nd The venue joined the group of more than 15 licensed venues and 30 businesses that had closed down since the lock out laws took effect in Kings Cross.

Hugos owner Dave Evans said that the laws were entirely to blame for the closure, with business down 60 per cent since their introduction.

“We all know now that was the state government’s plans- to turn Sydney into a nanny state and close down licensed venues in Kings Cross,” he said.

At a meeting hosted by Mr Evans and co-owner David Corsi on Wednesday 29th, the Hugos team of employees were notified of the club’s voluntary administration to HLB Mann Judd.

Lazer Gunne Funke, a DJ duo who had frequently performed at Hugos for over 2 years, said the club was vital to their business.

“It’s one thing to lose your favourite place to knock a few back on the weekend, but it’s a whole other story when it’s your livelihood,” they said.

Mr Evans said that he couldn’t see the benefit of the laws and that violence was just being shifted to other areas.

“The real kick in the guts is that well-intentioned but ill-informed laws don’t appear to be solving the problem- they are simply moving it away, while the good, safe operators can’t sustain their business,” he said.

The government’s ‘one-size-fits-all’ alcohol laws imposed upon Kings Cross and the Sydney CBD entertainment precinct since 2012 has decreased pedestrian foot traffic by 80 per cent.

According to Hugos, the venue never had a strike against the government’s three-strike rule, and was never noted on the NSW violent venues listing.

Hugos has been awarded the best nightclub in Australia six times and as having the best pizza in Australia.

“Hugos was and always will be an institution. And we are incredibly proud to say that we were a part of it,” said Lazer Gunne Funke.

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Shopping centre set to expand off-Broadway

By CHRISTOPHER HARRIS Broadway Shopping Centre in Ultimo has been given the green light for a $55 million development that will reduce car parking and provide 31 specialty stores.

City of Sydney Council approved the upgrade, which will begin this month, and it is estimated to conclude in Spring 2016.

Broadway, owned by property company Mirvac, has the highest turn over per square metre of all shopping centres in Australia.

President of the Glebe Chamber of Commerce Kris Spann said the expansion of the shopping centre was positive for businesses on Glebe Point Road because of the complimentary relationship they had with the centre.

“As a high street, we have a different offering to a shopping centre. We should not be threatened by this development, because we can give people more exposure to the Glebe street experience,” Mr Spann said.

He said it was beneficial to be involved with the well-established company.

“I believe in the power of experience, and there is a certain clientele which will attract more people into the area.”

He said the nature of the suburb had changed to adapt to contemporary times and is optimistic about the commercial future of the suburb because of its diversity.

“It is a very big cultural shift to new thinkers building on established principles and we’ve got a very different offering to Newtown or Surry Hills.”

Mirvac is also a member of the Glebe Chamber of Commerce and is a sponsor of the Glebe Street Fair.

Senior development manager at the company Christina Nelson said that Broadway was upgrading its range of shops and eateries.

“Following the very successful introduction of Apple Store in mid-2012 and ALDI last year, we are now finalising plans to introduce more exciting retailers to the centre and to deliver a comprehensive dining offer and premier customer amenities,” she said

Bellevue Hill Public set for enormous expansion

By LYDIA WATSON-MOORE Bellevue Hill Public School is set to double in capacity, under an Education Department application to erect a new four storey building on the site.

The DA, currently on exhibition with Woollahra Council, seeks to demolish four buildings and increase its capacity from 550 to more than 1000 students.

Liberal Deputy Mayor Greg Levenston said the $12 million development would create a “tremendous facility” to accommodate the increased demand in the eastern suburbs.

“It appears to be a well researched and well thought out plan by the Education Department,” he told City Hub. An Education Department spokesperson said the project would include the new building, library, canteen, and refurbished administration block.

While praised by Liberal councillors, the DA documents prepared by City Plan Services reveal several concerns that Woollahra Council initially raised before submission.

This coincides with at least ten objections or submissions already submitted to council from the public.

When City Hub enquired about these submissions, a council spokesperson said that these could not be disclosed until close of exhibition.

“The advertising period to lodge expires on 13 August, so people still have time to lodge their feedback. Until this date we will not be able to provide a full list of submissions,” they said.

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The architectural design for the four storey addition to Bellevue Hill Public. Source: Woollahra Council

Among the documented council concerns was the need to increase the student capacity by such a large degree.

In addressing the issue, the application stated that the department had “undertaken a detailed evaluation of all potential options”.

“Bellevue Hill school was identified over other sites within the area- Rose Bay, Bondi Beach, Waverley and Double Bay Schools- due to the recent rate of student population growth within the locality and the surrounding area,” the statement said.

Traffic was another key issue identified by council, with concerns about the potential congestion effect of 450 additional students.

The traffic report, prepared by EMM, estimated an almost 82 per cent increase on existing school traffic movements.

The report conceded that in the medium to longer term, a review was needed of the car parking on the school access road which already struggles with traffic flow.

Only four extra car parks have been allocated in the plan to account for the increased traffic.

The report recommended an introduction of five minute waiting times in peak school hours.

A proposed ‘Green Travel Plan’ is also on the cards, with a request to encourage students to avoid car travel and instead use buses or bicycles. An extra service on the 387 public bus is recommended to compensate.

The four storey building, approximately 13.5 metres high, exceeds the current maximum height control of 9.5 metres.

However, the DA claimed the development is “consistent with the surrounding built form” and will “provide visual interest along the local streetscape”.

Over the construction period, set for approximately 15 months, three of the school’s demountables will be relocated to the adjacent Bellevue Park.

The DA suggested this will not have long term effects on the park as no trees will be removed and the classrooms will not be near play equipment.

“After this period, the area of Bellevue Park will be fully restored and made good at completion of construction,” the statement said.

The Joint Regional Planning Panel will determine the outcome, with briefing to start on September 2.

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Seed planted for community garden

Resident green thumbs convene at the East Sydney Neighbourhood Association headquarters. Photo: Alexander Lewis

corner of Bourke and Liverpool streets, which is expected to be early next year.

East Sydney resident Lynn Balzer said locals had already begun growing herbs communally in pots on the footpaths.

“We’ve gone ahead and filled our little lanes with as many plants as we can find,” Ms Balzer said.

“There’s a lot of people who don’t have access to land, who live in apartments. A lot of people don’t realise that they can grow their own food in the city.”

She said that more than 50 people had expressed interest in the community garden.

“We understood there was an overwhelming desire within the community to have the garden.”

“Basically we wanted to ensure that

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people in the community knew this was happening.”

Sustainability expert and founder of the Sustainable Chippendale footpath gardens Michael Fobbs, who spoke at the meeting, said food was the biggest consumer of water.

“The tummy of the average Sydney person uses about 3000 litres of water a day,” Mr Fobbs said.

He said that in addition to fostering sustainable living, fruit trees amidst the concrete jungle created a sense of community. “It seems to create a social glue. It gives us a talking point, a reason to stop and pause.”

There are currently 23 community gardens within the City of Sydney local government area with none in Darlinghurst at present.

By JOE BOURKE The state government’s mention of potential light rail from the city to Green Square has been met with caution. Minister for Transport Andrew Constance told an audience last week he would be “very keen” to see light rail going to Green Square to address congestion.

Greens Transport spokesperson Mehreen Faruqi said the Greens supported the idea but said it needed more planning than current light rail projects.

“The government now needs to learn from the mistakes of the CBD and South East Light Rail project and actually plan the project for the commuters and minimise the risk of cost blowouts and expensive redesigns,” she said.

Light rail to Green Square would come with the support of the City of Sydney, who has long advocated for light rail between the city and the suburb.

City of Sydney Council has spent more than $40 million on properties for a bus and light rail route from Central to Green Square.

REDWatch spokesperson Geoff Turnbull said he welcomed the idea of light rail connecting the city to Green Square but that the government must discuss the plans with the community.

“We welcome the announcement that the government is looking at light rail options in that area, but what we want

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By alexander lewis East Sydney green thumbs are one step closer to realising their dream of a community garden on the site of a soon to be demolished preschool.

More than 20 residents convened at the East Sydney Neighbour Association (ESNA) centre on Tuesday night to discuss forming an incorporated group, which is a prerequisite to apply for a community garden on council land.

The City of Sydney has allocated space for a community garden in a new pocket park that will be constructed following the partial demolition of the two storey KU preschool at 222 Palmer street.

But the demolition will not commence until the council has finished constructing a new preschool on the

Green Square’s future on the rails

• Small Demolition

We Load • Deceased Estates

Mob: 0418 426 422

to see is a transport plan that addresses the issues for areas like Green Square and increasingly, what’s happening around Central to Eveleigh, and the growth that’s happening around the City of Sydney,” he said.

“There is a lot of expertise out there and what should happen is that a transport plan should be put out there early on in terms of what they’re thinking of doing so we can actually tap into that expertise and there can be discussion about it.”

The state government has been widely criticised in the past for a lack of community consultation on major transport projects, including the Central to Eveleigh corridor and WestConnex.

A spokesperson for the Minister told City Hub that Transport for NSW was committed to ensuring Green Square is “served by adequate public transport”.

“Light Rail is one option to meet the needs of the local community and we’re working with the City of Sydney on the best possible solutions,” the spokesperson said.

Ms Faruqi also marked WestConnex as a reason for future congestion in Green Square.

“One thing the government could do to improve congestion around Alexandria and Green Square into the future is cancelling the ridiculous multibillion dollar WestConnex toll road that could funnel thousands of cars into this already densely populated area,” she said.

designer wanted Work on a project basis for a weekly publication. Job involves laying out 20 pages per week on average including a mix of new ads and editorial -- using an existing template.

Project should take approximately two days per week (Tuesdays and Wednesdays).

Ideal candidate will have knowledge of Adobe including InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop as well as Wordpress and will know how to convert a file for web use.

Send CV to lawrence@altmedia.net.au city hub 6 august 2015

9

FEATURE

ARTWORK: Real Sydney-Siders

BY Jamie Apps Imagine answering an online advertisement for casual work, then finding yourself being asked to step on stage in front of an audience with no rehearsal and limited direction. Would you accept the challenge?

That is exactly what some real Sydney-siders are being tasked with this weekend by theatre and performance company Branch Nebula. The experimental artwork follows and builds upon the companies previous work, Sweat, which was performed in 2010 and explored the intimate working relationship between customers and those that work in the service industry.

Since their inception the team at Branch Nebula have often worked with “non-conventional performers” ranging from BMX riders, parkour athletes and B-Boy dancers. When reflecting on their time working with these artists, Branch Nebular co-founder and director Lee Wilson explained how the seedling for the upcoming show was planted: “These artists [from previous productions] were all highly trained and virtuosic in what they do despite never being trained as [traditional] performers working within the conventions of theatre and dance, so we started to become curios what it would be like to really challenge ourselves and work with... untrained and non-virtuosic performers.”

With this philosophy in mind the team began development of a show that could explore this new challenging dynamic by collaborating with artists from a variety of fields and mediums to forge everything from audio to video, lighting and

the structuring of settings and scenes.

Once Branch Nebula and their team of collaborating artists had an outline to the performance development, it was time to begin sourcing participants and finely tuning the show.

To source their participants, online ads we placed for short-term casual work that were specifically designed to capture an extremely diverse cross section of the community. “We try to get as extreme as we can in terms of age, if there is someone that’s 70 then that’s great and if someone else is 18 that’s also interesting,” said Wilson.

Obviously the manner by which participants were sourced for the shows raises some ethical concerns, to which Wilson was quick to point out that “we don’t trick anybody, we would never do that. We’re very transparent with the workers and we considered the ethics very carefully.” It is also important to note that nobody is being forced to step on stage if they don’t feel comfortable.

Due to the manner of the performance and dynamics that both the performers and the audience are exploring, it was also important for Branch Nebula to be very systematic and calculated with the people chosen for the shows.

“We can’t run the risk of telling someone they are showing up to a job interview then telling them they are going on stage in 30 minutes, because many simply wouldn’t do it and that’s a risk we can’t take,” said Wilson.

Thankfully, through their series of preproduction workshops where the show was polished, Branch Nebula have had very few drop-outs. “We must have had about 300

Salve Wilson, Photo: Chris Peken

workers by now, and we do have people that don’t turn up for whatever reason, but we’ve only ever had one person get all the way to arriving and about to sign the contract then leaving,” Wilson explained.

With an entirely new cast of untrained performers taking the stage, the dynamic and performance changes each time. To balance this and ensure a smooth flow (whilst still getting all of the major themes built into the show) Branch Nebula have had to develop a highly detailed structure. “The structure is quite finely tuned and complex to slot the workers into…the workers are given tasks but how they respond to those tasks is with their own agency, how they choose to respond to those provocations that we give them is entirely up to them,” said Wilson.

The easiest way for Wilson to describe the

performance and how they have to immediately react to the unexpected is to have people think of the performance as “like live TV - where you monitor what’s going on and how it’s working then react, so it’s got a real sense of spontaneity.”

Given that this show employs regular citizens off the street, it is an exciting entryway into the theatre scene, which has long been rather exclusionary to many sectors of the community for multiple reasons - ranging from cultural to economic and social. Wilson is extremely proud and excited to be providing this opportunity: “The way that we’re kind of forcing a situation where we’re bringing people into the theatre that otherwise would never go is definitely an important part of the show and making it happen.”

Aug 5-8. Carriageworks, 245 Wilson St, Eveleigh. $35. Tickets & info: carriageworks.com.au

meet the locals

Annandale Interiors With more people focused on their health and body posture, young people are turning to recliners, sparking a resurgence in the lounge furniture once typically associated with old men smoking pipes and poor design.

One person who has witnessed the trend first hand owner of Annandale Interiors Kim who said young people are opting for beautifully crafted pieces with a hint of continental sophistication.

She said the recliner was one of the worst pieces of design to come out of the 20th century but said the comfort and practicality of the chair could not be denied.

“Gone are the days of old men smoking with slippers on and horrible old mechanisms that protrude from the sides like big gearsticks,” she said.

“Sleek, discrete, elegantly timeless and beautifully crafted family heirlooms are what we like to house.”

Kim’s approach to interior design is focused on the customer’s personal taste and promotes a sometimes eclectic mode of decoration which she believes can be an expression of individual personality and reminder of past experience.

Kim’s philosophy is “nobody knows their own taste better than themselves, be it good or bad”.

After working for 30 years with furniture and art design, she is as skilled at understanding the needs of clients as she is the interiors of the homes they live in.

Kim is experienced and generous in dispensing her advice on what pieces will work best in your space, and welcomes the opportunity to advise and help customers in her Annandale showroom.

10

city hub 6 august 2015

Broadway to spice up with MKR Winners of last season’s My Kitchen Rules Will and Steve are coming to Broadway. Source: Mirvac

Recliners are the new black.

Source: Kim from Annandale Interiors

Annandale Interiors is a family run business and has been enhancing the interiors of Sydney homes since 1984.

The shop boasts unique antiques and classic contemporary new pieces, as well as offering a custom design service.

The shop also has an in home or office design team that can match personal taste with a myriad of design options you may not have previously considered to get the personal and elegant look you’re after.

The funny and talented winners of popular television program My Kitchen Rules Will and Steve will spill out of screen and into Broadway Shopping Centre next Thursday August 13.

Locals will have the chance to get up close and personal with the duo who were loved for their cooking ingenuity equally as much as their personalities between 5pm- 7pm.

The duo are on a tour around Australia in an effort to show regular Australians that most people are capable of creating delicious food in the kitchen.

Steve Flood said that the pair took food very seriously.

“We want to empower everyone to give them the belief and knowledge that they can create good food. We want all Australians to be as excited and passionate about beautiful produce and incredible flavours as we are,” he said.

Fans of the show will have the chance to chat to he cooks after a live cooking demonstration which will be coupled with the pair’s staple witty banter.

Broadway shopping centre has an array of food outlets brimming with fresh produce, catering for healthy mid week meals to decadent weekend dinner parties.

Centre Manager Justine Saltmarsh said the shopping centre could connect with what so many customers and locals love.

“We’re so excited to welcome Will & Steve, the gourmet pommies, to Broadway Shopping Centre.

Our local communities love food so we’re excited to bring them an experience where they can get up close and learn from these talented guys.”

With the spate of reality television programs revolving around food, Australians are growing increasingly interested and sophisticated in their taste.

73 per cent rating cooking and eating as being important to their social lives. research conducted

by Weber Shandwick and Pureprofile suggests.

Fans and customers can also enter a draw to win Will and Steve serving dinner for up to six people, as well as $4000 worth of Kenwood kitchen appliances as runner up prizes available.

EAT & DRINK

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

$ - mains less than $15

$$ - mains between $15-$22

INNER WEST Charlotte Café Balmain’s awash with visitors from all corners of the city, keen to explore the cosmopolitan selection of trendy cafés. Precisely why Charlotte Café in neighbouring Birchgrove, provides pleasant respite from the hustle and bustle. It’s a place where locals meet for coffee (of which Campos fans will approve), with outdoor dog bowls provided for four-legged friends.The Charlotte Special ($18.50) is a decadent, Norwegian take on eggs Benedict, featuring homemade Hollandaise and fish roe. Crunchy Corn Fritters ($14.50) with baby spinach and grilled haloumi is offset nicely with a cucumber and yoghurt topping.

Avocado and Tomatoes on Toast ($10) with

By Jackie McMillan with well-handled kale, supple Serrano ham, a trio of poached eggs with rich golden yolks, baked beans and black pudding.Taleggio and basil have been softly folded through Scrambled Eggs ($12.50) offset by roasted Roma tomatoes.While the accompanying sourdough isn’t buttered, our waitress offers some before we have time to request it. For those who cringe at butter, a board bearing Bircher Muesli ($11) in a bowl topped with blueberries, walnuts and coconut, is made compelling by blackened apple compote.Allpress Coffee scrubs up well as a Latte ($3.50) despite the machine running flat chat.

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

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

$$$ - mains between $22-$30

pesto, pleased my vegan dining-mate, and we’re told it’s a best seller.

127 Rowntree Street, Birchgrove (0403) 924 168 facebook.com/ CharlotteCafeBirchgrove Café $-$$ Forest Lodge Hotel Festooned with fairy lights, vintage photos, and boasting craft beers on tap, the Forest Lodge Hotel—or Flodge as I once lovingly knew it—has come a long way from stale beer and aromatic football socks.

Where there were once VB jugs, rustedon locals, and footy on the TV, there’s now Craft Beer Tasting Paddles ($15) featuring hoppy Murray’s Stone Kicker Ale ($7) and smoke’n’barley flavoured Draughty Kilt Scotch Ale ($9).And I’ve got to admit—things have changed for the better – especially with perfectly

$$$$ - mains over $30

cooked Kangaroo Fillet ($26) with earthy beetroot, walnut and goats cheese salad, and the famous madras-style Fish Curry ($20), mild and elegant, with a slab of crisp-skinned salmon.

117 Arundel Street, Forest Lodge (02) 9660 1872 forestlodgehotel.com.au Pub Bistro $$-$$$ EASTERN SUBURBS & BEACHES

Char and Co Char and Co’s Brazilian all you can eat meat-feast is different.Their churrasco is intimate, and while the meat still comes out on swords, you feel like it’s been freshly cooked just for you.At $55 for an unlimited service of twenty Brazilian cuts, including garlic lamb, chorizo, chicken wings, prawns

One6Eight Husband and wife team, Leigh and Amanda McDivitt, turn their talents to weekend high tea, nestled inside the rich red womb of their Balmain fine diner. And, despite him being the chef, this time I’m declaring the match in favour of his talented and vivacious Missus.Well, with the possible exception of Leigh’s clever vongole popcorn served on squid ink and tapioca crisps. It’s just one of the top shelf options sure to please your male dining

and chicken hearts, it’s the best way to experience owner/chef Bruno Da Motta’s fine fare. For a true expedition, partake in extras like delicate Salted Cod Fritters ($16) with fish crackling (as good as it sounds) and Deep Fried Jalapeños ($10).Throw in a Caipirinha ($17) and some dulce de leche in Peanut and Honey Parfait ($15) with peanut brittle and fried plantain.

15 Knox Street, Double Bay (02) 9328 5542 charandco.com.au Brazilian $$ Drake Eatery Just opened and already booked out, the light wood furnishings and grainy yellow floor here scream beach, while the dark wood highlights and floor-to-ceiling windows exude casual cool—it’s perfect for Bondi. Chef Ian Oakes named this beachside venture after his favourite protein, and as

companion on these please-all High Tea ($50/head) platters. And yes, I feel confident recommending you bring your bloke for a more casual, everyday version of an event that’s usually the domain of frocks and high heels.While chef has banished the ubiquitous crusts-off cucumber sandwiches in favour of savoury items like compressed confit chicken wings, you can re-add the cucumber with Cool As ($18), a daytime-friendly tequila, Cointreau and chilli concoction. On the ground floor of your slightly risqué platter, Amanda entices you with hot cinnamon doughnuts filled with Seville orange and Cointreau crème patisserie.The boozy long lunch theme continues into Sailor Jerry’s and apricot marshmallows, which may result in sticky fingers. The shining star of the platter is a verrine of sherbet-like lemon and yuzu parfait – perfect against an equally airy Raspberry Sorbet Bellini ($17).

233 Darling Street Balmain (02) 9555 8750 one6eight.info High Tea, Cocktails $$$

you’d expect, his Roast Thirlmere Duck ($29) is perfectly cooked. My Swedish dining partner exclaims:“My Scandinavian palate is singing!” after one taste of the Tea-Smoked Ocean Trout ($18), the earthy baseline of celeriac ‘slaw and delicate trout punctuated by apple matchsticks and liquorice cream. Faith in the staff is rewarded with nut and honeycomb-encrusted White Chocolate and Honeycomb Parfait ($14), and Ricotta Doughnuts ($12) dessert recommendations.

Corner of Curlewis and Gould Streets, Bondi Beach (02) 9130 3218 drakeeatery. com.au Modern Australian $$$ GREATER SYDNEY Lan Yuan Genius glossy wasabi mayonnaise in Lan

Yuan Angus Beef ($26) makes it an easy favourite in Top Ryde’s new bamboo garden. Seek haven in Taoism or Buddhism - Tsing Tao ($8) or Lucky Buddha ($8).

Peering through Chinese bamboo at the giant outdoor TV screen feels very Hong Kong.The chefs are also from the former British colony, meaning they’re great at making Southern Chinese dishes for those who don’t tolerate heat, like gentle Live Pippies in XO ($30/500g). For those that do, there’s Szechuan Chicken ($22).

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

Shop 4005, Level 1,Top Ryde Shopping Centre, Devlin Street, Ryde (02) 9808 1030 lanyuan.com.au Chinese $$$

designer wanted Work on a project basis for a weekly publication. Job involves laying out 20 pages per week on average including a mix of new ads and editorial -- using an existing template.

Project should take approximately two days per week (Tuesdays and Wednesdays).

Ideal candidate will have knowledge of Adobe including InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop as well as Wordpress and will know how to convert a file for web use.

Send CV to lawrence@altmedia.net.au

Call us anytime on 9557 2777 - Newtown

city hub 6 august 2015

11

EAT DRINK

EAT &&DRINK

By Jackie McMillan

Bloody Mary’s

By Ryan Kennedy Garnished with a slider, hot wing, and prawn, The Bloody Hell ($25) is without a doubt the most ridiculous cocktail I’ve ever seen. A chilli-infused Bloody Mary, it is but one of ten variations of the classic at the appropriately named Bloody Mary’s, made with in-house blended tomato juice, and with a spice wall for heat customisation. Perhaps

ROCKS & CBD Basement 33 Amidst the hustle and bustle of Goulburn Street’s Haymarket end, is a new hidden bar gem, worthy of any nightlife veteran’s attention. I pull up a bar stool, and order a martini, after raising a respectful eyebrow to the ingenious cocktail list.The drinks certainly are on point, including Mel-Ki ($17) boasting melon liqueur, Grand Marnier and fresh kiwi.The interior of this nouveau nightspot is a mix of trendy tiling and sleek modern finishing; slightly too cool to be called flashy, but certainly shiny.

Owner Nathanial Bourke hints to me that live music is close on the horizon. I’m starting to get a Frankie’s Pizza vibe. Oh yeah… they also serve pizza.

Basement Level, 27-33 Goulburn Street,

Busshari staff are particularly proud of their Soft Shell Crab Karaage ($18) making it into the Daily Telegraph’s list of the top hundred Sydney dishes last year. For good reason, too, it’s dry and intensely savoury. It’s perfect against Kubota Manju ($33/180ml); dubbed ‘10,000 Ostentatiousness’ it’s the star of their impressive sake list. Ease your way in with the daily Sake Tasting Set ($15/3) that’ll have you discussing the merits of junmai, junmai ginjo and junmai daiginjo like a sake connoisseur.While hot dishes like Saikyoyaki ($20) - a blackened piece of miso-marinated toothfish that flakes into The Devonshire Affable Restaurant Manager Craig McCall tells me to think of this spot as my “neighbourhood fine diner”. And, after scraping the last skerrick of Devonshire Crème Brulee ($16) with scone ice cream and decadent cherry jam from the dainty teacup, I muse he’s right. Owner/head chef Jeremy Bentley creates dishes that are highly worked without being challenging. Moist Smoked Pork Belly ($25) squares are accompanied by pig’s tail, boiled in stock and soy, then crumbed and fried, balanced by pickled cabbage. Golden-crumbed blocks of pressed lamb shoulder add 12

a hangover cure in and of itself, you could do a lot worse than pairing it, and a few friends, with a Mixed Platter ($48), designed for three people, it offers the full catalogue of all the Sunday morning, life-saving, deep fried things you could want: buffalo wings, chilli prawns, onion rings, jalapeno poppers. Something less outrageous but equally delicious comes in the form of a Scotch Fillet ($25), perfectly cooked with an array of earthy mushrooms, and a Caesar Salad ($20) that hits the delicate balance between rich and fresh.

But as much as this place is hangover appropriate, you could go a long way toward starting one here. An Espresso Martini ($19) with crumbled M&Ms on top is perfection (seriously, a game-changer), while the KANDI-KAYNE ($18) a dangerously all-caps sugar hit of vodka, lychee, raspberry and lemonade. I’m almost looking forward to my next hangover…

332 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst (02) 9360 5568 bloodymaryssydney.com.au Bar, Bar Food, Cocktails $$$

Haymarket (02) 8970 5813 basement33.com Bar, Cocktails $$ Fix St James The gentleman at the next table is wooing his date with stories of ICAC. The table beyond finishing rushed plates of Coorong Skirt Steak Tagliata ($34) are barristers working on a three-week case, by pulling another all-nighter. Hearing ‘allnighter’ makes me want wine, and to that end, this spot delivers.The 250-strong wine list carries everything from a refined 2013 Eldridge Estate Chardonnay ($99) to whole-bunch fermented ‘amber’ wines like the 2014 Punch ‘Saffron’ Chardonnay ($63).Team it with unaugmented Wapengo Lake Oysters ($4/each), an unexpectedly delicious 18-Hour Minute Steak ($19) teamed with hazelnuts, a carrot ribbon and pumpkin puree, or

Busshari

standout Roast Veal Sweetbreads ($18) with fennel and liquorice.

111 Elizabeth Street, Sydney (02) 9232 2767 fixstjames.com.au Modern Australian, Bar,Wine $$$$ Alpha Restaurant This stately restaurant simultaneously summons monumental history and lazy days by the seashore. Chic apron-clad staff exude effortless cool.They’re confident in the menu, and they should be - parts of it, like the Scallop Moussaka ($27), have stood the test of time. Seared scallops lie between eggplant rounds, glued together with a smear of standout Taramosalata ($12) (also available in dip form with addictive, house-made pita bread). Other classics, like Spanakopita ($20), result in an airy, golden-topped spinach pie, dissected tableside by the universally handsome

buttery white curls when tapped with a chopstick - are great, Chef Nobuyuki Ito’s heart lies in sashimi.

His Chef’s Selection Sashimi Plate ($38) is a stunner, not only for freshness, but also for the edible garnishes, and knife work.Take a progressive tasting journey along the platter, punctuating fatty pink toro (tuna belly) with different types of seaweed and culminating in glistening cuttlefish topped with sea urchin roe. Dashi vinaigrette jelly topped Oysters ($3/each) and the signature striped Kingfish Carpaccio ($21) may contribute to a somewhat hefty bill, but are definitely good eating. End your meal with (seasonal) Sea Urchin Nigiri Sushi ($9/2 pieces) followed by a bowl of Roasted Green Tea Ice Cream ($7) garnished with warabi mochi.

119 Macleay Street, Potts Point (02) 9357 4555 busshari.com.au Japanese $$$$

texture to Slow Cooked Lamb Rump ($37) with eggplant caviar.

Shave down prices by booking a 6pm sitting for their two-course Pre-Theatre Menu ($49/head).

204 Devonshire Street, Surry Hills (02) 9698 9427 thedevonshire.com.au Modern Australian $$$$ Mama’s Buoi “Vietnamese food is spicy, but we are in Australia, with European/ British taste,” Assistant Manager Guillaume Henry says, explaining the structural decision at Mama’s Buoi to make the dishes widely appealing. And clearly it’s worked: in the Surry Hills quick-bite-afterwork market, this joint is killing

city hub 6 august 2015

By Jackie McMillan jackie@alternativemediagroup.com

it. Crunchy Hanoi Shrimp Cakes ($12) make excellent drinking snacks against cocktails like the aromatic passionfruit A.K. Sour ($16). Juicy soft shell crab with green papaya and pomelo salad, makes Mama’s Boy’s Buoi ($20) another winner. Team grilled options like Marinated Pork Spare Ribs ($22) with the surprisingly delicious slow cooked Coconut Tamarind Curry ($16). This still-expanding chain is fresh and stylish, and clearly speaks to the people.

116 Devonshire Street, Surry Hills (02) 9281 9993 mamasbuoi.com.au Vietnamese $$-$$$

Nomad

By DJ Hookie With the exposed wooden beams and ventilation ducts that snake throughout the ceiling of this beautifully ambient Surry Hills mess hall, I find myself wondering whether or not I’ve ended up on the set of the next Justin Timberlake music video, rather than in Sydney’s culinary institution, Nomad.These reflections are quickly quashed over a glass of 2008 Bella Ridge Estate

wait staff. Make Head Chef Peter Conistis’ Greek Spiced Slow Roast Lamb Shoulder ($38/$58) the centrepiece of your meal – roast potatoes don’t get much better.

238 Castlereagh Street, Sydney (02) 9098 1111 alpharestaurant.com.au Greek $$$

NEWTOWN & ENVIRONS Lucio Pizzeria Venture into Tomorrowland – otherwise known as Zetland. Swallow down a portent dose of the future, where you can purchase an Audi as easily as you can order a name brand Lucio pizza.

Grappling with the location over Birra Ichnusa ($8), I volunteer: it’s Shanghai without the chaos. “Hence Singapore,” our neighbours at the cheek-to-jowl

tables, helpfully supply. By contrast, the artisan pizzas are imperfectly perfect – complete with bubbling, chewy crusts and minimal toppings, like Speck ($21) with mozzarella and Fontina, or paper-thin prosciutto, rocket and cherry tomatoes, topped with freshly shaved Parmesan on Filetto ($21). Cold cuts also feature on Il Grand Tagliere ($36.50) a heaving antipasto board won by super-fresh buffalo mozzarella.

Shop 34, East Village, 2-4 Defries Avenue, Zetland (02) 9697 3028 luciopizzeria.com.au Pizza, Italian $$ DARLO, KINGS X & SURRY HILLS Mum’s Table “Pho is a beef noodle broth,” says Mylisa Nguyen emphatically, “there’s nothing

FOOD NEWS Kicking off this week, the Shangri-La Sydney is running a Singapore Food Festival in honour of Singapore’s 50th National Day Celebration on August 9. They’re upping the authenticity by flying in Chef Chia Jue Xian from their Singapore property for the festivities, which run from August 7-16. Café Mix will be turning out hot and cold buffets featuring Singaporean favourites, from gado gado with peanut sauce, to chilli crab, char kway teow, Hainanese chicken rice, and otah otah. My personal favourite is beef rendang, so in the lead-up to this event, I grilled Hotel Head Chef Bo Sorensen about his East-meets-West Rendang. Chef told me: “I have adopted what the Minangkabau farmers have started, but found techniques that involve pounding, grinding and let’s say patience is needed to gain that complex and unique taste of a good rendang.” He also let slip that to lift his rendang to the next level, he employs beef cheeks and adds some “roasted macadamias to the braise, to add a sort of creaminess and nuttiness to the sauce” alongside “the usual suspects of lemon grass, galangal, ginger, garlic etc.” The $75/ head price includes the chance to draw your own conclusions about his rendang, alongside a host of other Singaporean

bar fly

Grenache Shiraz Mouvedre ($18).When dining opposite a vegetarian, it’s important to choose a restaurant that not only cooks the ‘good stuff’ well, but can also make the rabbit food enticing to any carnivore. And with dishes such as Nomad Jersey Milk Haloumi Heirloom Tomato, Oregano ($29) or the Okra, Spicy Cypriot, Black Salt ($9), this spot certainly fulfils the brief.The standout for me (and probably for everyone) is the Woodfired Eggplant, Pomegranate,Tahini,Yoghurt ($16).

Next, it’s important to make the vegetarian jealous, and consider revising their dietary lifestyle, by ordering dishes such as BBQ Wagyu Skirt, Charred Mushroom, Pedro Ximenez ($39).The reputation Nomad has earned is certainly well deserved.The crowd is not as pompous or pretentious as those frequenting other places it could be compared to.The wait-staff don’t fawn over you like serfs at a medieval banquet, and express a genuine excitement about their dishes. Go eat there.

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

vegetarian in Vietnamese food.” Mylisa’s steely determination to stay culturally accurate pays off in wonderfully balanced Pho Tai Nam ($14) with rare beef and sliced beef brisket.This business is “all in the family” from the modern, spacious restaurant design featuring Vietnamese hats (Nón Lá) hanging from the ceiling, to Mum and Dad playing starring roles.The Banh mi (Vietnamese baguettes) are great, particularly Dad’s favourite: Banh Mi Heo Quay ($9.50) with pork belly and ginger sauce.You’ll also find perennial favourites like Pork Stuffed Chicken Wings ($10.80/2), Sugarcane Prawn Mousse ($10.80/4) and Crispy Pancake ($16.50) with roast pork and prawns.

457-459 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills (02) 8021 2701 mumstablesh.com Vietnamese $$

By Jackie McMillan

delights, beer and wine, and the opportunity to build an icy dessert masterpiece in their famous ice kacang station. www.shangri-la.com/sydney/shangrila/

By Amie Barbeler

Kubrick’s While many small bars are going down the American or speakeasy route, it’s refreshing to see one quirky Darlinghurst bar doing things differently. Kubrick’s, situated on Stanley Street (get it?) has bright white walls punctuated by funky geometric wall sculptures and angular murals. Vinyl spins on the turntable and the cocktail menu is intense – offering fifteen types of the Negroni alone. Not knowing our Lillet Blanc’s from our Peychaud’s, I decided to go with Kubrick’s Signature Negroni ($18) (Tanqueray, Cinzano Rosso, Campari) an easy intro to the famous Negroni. My date went for a drink so strange that we actually doubted its drinkability, but the Midsummer Night ($18) ended up being one of the best cocktails we’d ever tasted, despite being a strange mix of gin, espresso, chocolate and cucumber. While we sipped our cocktails, we trialed the Charcuterie Board ($28), which featured triple cream Brie and 19-month-old aged prosciutto, worth a glowing review all of their own.

79 Stanley Street, East Sydney (02) 9360 0360 kubricks.com.au

hothouse LABs

HotHouse LABs return to the Powerhouse Museum in August, offering local organisations practical advice on how to tackle sustainability challenges.

After a year of sellout sessions, the series is back with a new workshop format designed to help organisations find their green advantage. Produced in partnership with the Total Environment Centre and City of Sydney, the free events are grounded in practical relevance to your business.

Whether you’re a business owner, a building manager, or you just work locally and are curious, these events are for you.

Participants gain resources, ideas and contacts for making real, immediate changes in their organisations.

LAB #1 on Wednesday 5th August looks at the BUILDINGS we work in.

Can you make your building more energy efficient and reduce bills? How to go solar?

What’s a green lease and why might you want one?

LAB #2 on Wednesday 12th August looks at the NEIGHBOURHOOD we work in.

Can your organisation reduce waste? How to create more green space in your area?

Can you support staff to choose sustainable transport options?

Book today - spaces are limited. Priority to local organisations. For details, visit www. hothouse.org.au.

Reminder for PUCC Members

Have you renewed your membership with the Pyrmont Ultimo Chamber of Commerce (PUCC)?

As we dive into the new financial year, make sure your business is poised to prosper. Please note that 2015 memberships expired on 30th June. To continue enjoying the benefits of membership into 2016, please contact accounts@pucc.com.au.

If you are new to the precinct, register now to stay connected with the local business community. Enquire about membership at www.pucc.com.au/join-us.

Established and managed by the business community for the business community, the PUCC responds to business needs, providing advice and services to member businesses of all sizes and sectors, enabling them to grow and thrive. Our chamber has its finger on the pulse of the community.

The PUCC will launch a new destination website for the precinct later in 2015, to celebrate the vibrant culture and commerce of the area. In addition to the usual benefits of PUCC Membership, all new Members who join in the new financial year will enjoy a bonus inclusion on the new website.

Pyrmont Ultimo Dining Guide

The guide showcases some of the region’s most well known favourites, promising newcomers and best-kept secrets. Feast your eyes on some of the best that the precinct has to offer.

Café Morso – 26-32 Pirrama Road, Pyrmont

| (02) 9692 0111 www.cafemorso.com.au Repeat winner of the Best Cafe Restaurant Award by the Restaurant and Catering Association NSW, Café Morso combines great food with tranquil Harbour views, and the heritage charm of Jones Bay Wharf.

Soak in the sun with a sandwich and topnotch coffee, or bask in the sea breeze with a bottle of wine and a few friends.

Din Tai Fung – L2, 28 Broadway, Ultimo | (02) 8072 9427 www.dintaifung.com.au Known around the world for their famous dumplings, Din Tai Fang prides itself on consistent quality and freshness. Each dumpling is delicately hand made in front of your eyes, steamed in exactly three minutes, and on your table in seconds. Pop in and try “the world’s tastiest dumpling”.

Doltone House – 26-32 Pirrama Road, Pyrmont | (02) 8571 0622 www.doltonehouse.com.au Book Doltone for your next function and enjoy the spectacular, private waterfront views, taking in Sydney Harbour Bridge, the city skyline and the Darling Harbour precinct.

The venue is complete with an authentic Italian restaurant offering sophisticated cuisine to compliment your view.

Essen Restaurant – 133-135 Broadway, Ultimo | (02) 9211 3805 www.essenrestaurant.com.au Complete with an authentic atmosphere, boutique beers and hearty regional cuisine, it’s no wonder Essen Restaurant was named the Best Northern European Restaurant

by City Hub for several years running. The restaurant boasts a “genuine European dining experience without the price tag to match”.

Success Women’s Network

Our latest Chamber Member is Success Women’s Network (SWN), a local organisation offering a supportive community for aspiring businesswomen.

SWN hosts monthly networking lunches in various locations. The meetings are more active, engaging and relaxed than a typical business lunch. Each event is tailor-made for businesswomen to meet the local business community, learn and thrive.

On August 26th 2015, SWN will host Australia’s Largest Networking Event at the Aerial Function Center. SWN organiser Gomathi Suresh expects over 100 businesses from Pyrmont, Ultimo & the CBD to attend the event.

She says, “Networking is now a huge industry in Australia, fuelled mostly by the increasing number of people carrying out freelance work with the aim of quitting their nine-to-five jobs for more flexibility.”

Local businesses are invited to book a table at Australia’s Largest Networking Event to stay on top of current trends, connect to key influencers, and find solutions to business problems.

For more information, visit www.australiaslargestnetworkingevent. com and www.successwomensnetwork. com.au.

Venue: Aerial Function Center, Building 10, Level 7, UTS, Jones Street, Ultimo Cost: $45 ($5 from every ticket sale donated to the Barnardos Foundation)

Dansereau has teamed up with The Apprentice at Sydney TAFE to deliver an exclusive dining opportunity for local gourmands.

On Wednesday 5th August, The Apprentice will serve a four-course dinner with matching wines for a fixed price of $95. On the day, Serge will mentor Sydney TAFE students, teaching them his unique approach to food and cooking.

The Apprentice is a licensed training restaurant at Ultimo College, where students design the menu and prepare, cook and serve under the supervision of expert teachers and mentors.

Serge has been at the top of his field for more than three decades. He moved from Montreal to Sydney in 1983 to help open the newly built Regent Hotel. Under his supervision, the hotel’s restaurant Kable’s went on to become Sydney’s first fivestar restaurant. Serge now runs and owns acclaimed Balmoral eatery The Bathers’ Pavilion.

Serge will be Guest Chef at Sydney TAFE for one night only. Places are strictly limited and bookings are essential.

Made In Italy

Our newest Chamber Member Made In Italy has turned a love of Italian food into a thriving family business.

The owners of Made In Italy believe that pizza and pasta can and should be made as if you were eating in Italy. With that simple ethos, they started small, dreamed big, and went from strength to strength.

The Made In Italy journey began in 2001 in Pyrmont. Since then, they have grown to five new locations. Honouring the owners’ Italian heritage, the restaurant emphasises simple flavours and fresh ingredients - love and care is at the heart of everything that they do.

For an authentic dining experience and a dose of warm Italian hospitality, pop into Made In Italy at 55 Miller Street, Pyrmont.

For more information, visit madeinitaly. com.au.

Head online for more news & events

With so much happening in Pyrmont/ Ultimo, we can’t always fit everything in our print newsletter. For more news and events, head to pucc.com.au

Date: Wednesday 5th August, 2015 Time: 6pm to 10pm Bookings: 9217 5527 www.sydneytafe.edu.au/make-booking/ restaurants/apprentice Location: The Apprentice, Sydney TAFE, Ultimo College, Building E, Level 7

New smoking ban in effect

Changes to NSW Smoking Legislation came into effect on 6th July, prohibiting smoking in outdoor dining areas at restaurants, cafés and licensed venues.

The new legislation bans smoking in all commercial outdoor dining areas where seating is provided and purchased food is served and consumed. Smoking will also be banned within 4 metres of a pedestrian entrance to a restaurant, café or licensed premises.

Where food is sold or supplied for consumption at a food fair, smoking will be banned within a 10-metre radius. The bans have been enacted to protect non-smokers from the harms of second-hand smoke.

Under the new legislation, ‘No Smoking’ signage is mandatory for all commercial outdoor dining areas. Penalties will apply for customers and business owners who do not comply with the new legislation.

The bans apply to any ignited smoking product, including cigarettes, pipes, and water-pipes.

For more information, visit www.health. nsw.gov.au/tobacco/Pages/outdoordining.aspx.

Join us on Linkedin LIKE us on Facebook Submission guidelines The Pyrmont Ultimo Chamber of Commerce welcomes submissions for the newsletter from area businesses. These could be about sales, promotions, special offers, changes in the business and other developments. Ideally, each submission should come with an image, such as the company logo or company staff.

Please also provide contact information: website, e-mail, telephone and address (if applicable).

Submissions should be sent to margot@eventproject. com.au no later than the third Friday of the month for inclusion in the following month’s newsletter.

The newsletter is published monthly in AMG publications and on the PUCC website, www.pucc.com.au. The PUCC e-mail database has about 1800 subscribers. Please note that inclusion is limited to space and timeliness.

For inclusion in the PUCC Business Directory please provide all relevant contacts, a short paragraph describing the business, and business logo, to margot@eventproject.com.au.

To join the PUCC, go to www.pucc.com.au and download the application form.

For more information please e-mail margot@eventproject.com.au or call 0410 338 331

Dinner with Serge Dansereau Award-winning chef Serge

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Metafour

A clue of whats to come: image from Mystery Musical #1 (Bye Bye Birdie).

Photo by Amelia Burns

SQUABBALOGIC PRESENTS: MYSTERY MUSICAL #2 Imagine sitting in a room knowing full well that you since 2006.Artist Director, Jay James-Moody estimates

are supporting the show you are about to see, as well as the performers and future productions.You don’t know exactly what it is you are about to watch but as the curtain opens, the music chimes in and as the performance begins you grin from ear to ear.You recognise that what you’ve paid for is a classic that is set to entertain. Squabbalogic presents Mystery Musical #2, a fundraising performance by some of Australia’s most well-known theatre performers including Ali Calder (Wicked, Legally Blonde).

Squabbalogic is an independent theatre company that has been producing small scale quirky, off-beat musicals

that 15 productions have been made over the years.

Mystery Musical 2 is set to be stripped back, showcasing theatre royalty as well as up and comers.

He says:“People won’t be disappointed. It’s a really unusual experience but the last one was simply joyous… and we expect his one to be the same” This is a one night only event. (JC) Friday August 7, 7.30pm.The Seymour Centre, City Road, Chippendale. $35-$95.

Tickets & info: boxoffice.seymourcentre.com

Metafour is the latest offering from Pact Theatre; four short plays with no break spanning one hour, developed through a creative exchange residency granted through Ashfield Youth Theatre.

Quad (1981) the first play, originally a television play, is dance-like and acts as a palate cleanser for what is a very enjoyable and thought provoking evening of timeless drama by the well-known Samuel Beckett. He was an Irish avant-garde novelist, playwright, theatre director, and poet, who lived in Paris.

Metafour offers a bleak, tragicomic outlook on human nature, coupled with black comedy and gallows humor. Beckett is considered one of the first postmodernists.

The plays are pure poetry in motion, a moving art form, with themes of timelessness, fear and hopelessness with a surrounding of silence.The actors observe The Suzuki Method of Actor Training.

The second play, Come and Go (1965), opens with three figures sitting quietly on a narrow bench-like seat surrounded by darkness.They are childhood friends making uneasy small talk, it’s

memorable but has less than 130 words spoken.

The third, a one woman play entitled Rockaby (1980) is a performance poem using a prerecorded voice, recounting details from her own life, and that of her dead mother’s.The synchrony of the rocking motion plays against the recorded narrative. It is eerie and beautiful at the same time.

The last play, Catastrophe (1982), has a political theme and was dedicated to imprisoned Czech reformer and playwright,Václav Havel and deals with the act of defiance.The play can be viewed as an allegory on the power of totalitarianism and the struggle to oppose it, the protagonist representing people ruled by dictators.

All the plays are constricted by strictly controlled and exactingly detailed stage direction in a fashion typical of Beckett, who was awarded the 1969 Nobel Prize in Literature. (MS) Until August 15,Tues-Sat, 7.30pm. PACT Theatre, 107 Railway Parade, Erskineville.

Tickets & info: www.pact.net.au

The Soldier’s Wife This Friday (Aug 7), the Sydney Opera House will be the host to a special evening,The Soldier’s Wife a night of stories of women affected by their loved ones at war through song.

It begun in 2014 when creator Deb Suckling was inspired by her next-door neighbour whose husband served in WWII. She realised not many people have explored this sensitive and relevant theme, and decided to delve deeper.

“It would be really nice to explore the stories of the military wife. Because it’s not something that’s commonly out there or heard,” said Suckling.

Deb is director of boutique record label, SugarRush, so the project became the perfect

opportunity to use the artists and musicians from the label to assist her.

Along with artists from the label there will be some special guests including two children, Lily and Jack, performing for their father who has served in Afghanistan and has now returned home to watch them perform their song - ‘Our Daddy is Bulletproof’.

All proceedings from the night will go towards Legacy and the Partners of the Veterans Association of Australia. (AMal) August 7. Sydney Opera House. 7.30pm.

Tickets & info: sydneyoperahouse.com or soldierswife.com.au

a&e

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city hub 6 august 2015

14 STAGE 16 SCENE 17 SCREEN 18 Sounds

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

Contributors: Brendan Modini, Carmen Cita, Craig Coventry, Greg Webster, Hannah Chapman, Jacob Harrison, James Harkness, Lauren Bell, Leann Richards, Lisa Seltzer, Mark Morellini, Matthew Bernard, Mel Somerville, Michael Muir, Olgar Azar, Rocio Belinda Mendez, Sarah Pritchard, Sinead McLaughlin, Siri Williams, Athina Mallis, Leigh Livingstone, Joseph Rana, Jemma Clarke.

The Eggscellent Adventures of Stripey the Emu Chick is on this week at Glen Street Theatre. This children’s theatre production is based on the books written and illustrated by Wendy Binks. This show tells the story of Crikey, the father of thirty emu chicks who must go on a journey to find his missing son, Stripey. Along the way they meet a lot of new friends and animals including Bluey the kangaroo mum and Shuffle the Echidna.

Both Bluey and Shazza the Dazzler are played by Emma Clair Ford, who has appeared in many productions by Gary Ginivan Attractions.

She says it is a wonderful tale for kids with a lot of excitement. Gary Ginivan Attractions has produced other children’s works including Wombat Stew and Possum Magic.

The Eggscellent Adventures of Stripey the Emu Chick is a great interactive play for children starting from four years of age. They can learn all about Australian animals as they help Crikey look for his lost emu chick. Tickets are available now! (LB) August 5 - 7 (10:30am and 1pm), August 8 (10am and 1pm).

Glen Street Theatre, Cnr Blackbutt Rd & Glen St, Warringah. $21, Family (5 tickets) $75.Tickets & info: http://www.glenstreet. com.au/whats/stripey

Blonde Poison Blonde Poison is about German Jewess Stella Goldschlag - a real person who in WW2, being a Jew, was herself tortured, incarcerated and hounded by the Gestapo.

She was a strikingly blonde, blue-eyed Aryan looking Jew, a survivor, who was offered the opportunity by the Gestapo to save herself and her parents from Auschwitz to work as a greifer, a catcher of Jews. It was a bit of a ‘Sophie’s Choice’ for Goldschlag, and the question the play poses is: ‘what would you have done?’

What she was living with was the sheer weight of guilt over the years. In this performance all the memories are flooding back, and you see it from her perspective as she relives all of it. It’s very confronting but there is a gallows humour about it.

“As an actor it’s a rare gift to play her. It’s a 90 minute one woman show, but I don’t just stand there and deliver a boring monologue. It’s a woman reliving her life, looking for some kind of redemption. It’s hypnotic and compelling. I’m [playing] characters, I’m imagining things, I’m myself as a young girl, I take people into that life from the age of 18 to 70,” explained wellknown actor Belinda Giblin (Sons and Daughters), who plays Stella.

Photo: Marnya Rothe

The Eggscellent Adventures of Stripey the Emu Chick

“It’s not a holocaust play, it’s naturalistic [and] very authentic. The audience will feel they’re in my living room watching.You are drawn into that intimacy, it’s highly emotional, you go on a trip with her.”

Giblin elaborated: “It’s an edgy piece, it’s graphic, you will come out of the play discussing it, debating the morality.

There’s a gamut of emotions, it’s thought provoking and that’s the strength of a good play.” (MS) Until August 15 (Tues-Sat 7.30pm, Sun 5pm). Old Fitzroy Theatre, Cathedral Street, Woolloomooloo. $40.

Tickets & info: oldfitztheatre.com/ tickets-blonde-poison

Seventeen True innovation is a rare beast. Much of what passes as ‘new’ is just the old dressed up in more recent clothes.That is why Seventeen is such an exciting prospect. It is a ‘roll call’ of Australia’s most-loved senior actors – theatre royalty – playing a group of 17-year-olds.

“I don’t think it’s been done before except perhaps by default,” said veteran performer Peter Carrol. Joining him on stage are some really great names of local theatre including Maggie Dence, John Gaden, Genevive Lemon, Barry Otto and Anna Volska.“As far as we’re concerned we are just seventeen years olds, and because there aren’t any mirrors around, it’s fine,” said Carrol.

Bringing together a group of friends with a long history makes the chemistry very special, but there are as many creative joys as THEATRE & PERFORMANCE SHELLSHOCKED Parramatta’s Riverside Theatres premieres a new show with a twist on the ANZAC story. An unusual love story of an Australian teenager and his tortoise friend, Herman, the oldest living survivor of the Gallipoli campaign.

14-year-old Tom along with his father Jack and feisty grandmother June, journey to the other side of the world in search of answers and Herman’s true origin. Shellshocked includes some amazing visual effects, traditional Turkish shadow puppets and an animatronic tortoise from the talents at NIDA. (JH)

Until August 8. Riverside Theatres, corner of Church and Market Streets, Parramatta. $49-$23.

Tickets & info: www.riversideparramatta.com.au WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH MARY JANE? An empowering play about disordered eating. Originally performed a decade ago, it tells the story of a woman struggling with anorexia, bulimia and the need to over-exercise. Co-creator Sancia Robinson feels privileged to share a deeply personal 12-year struggle with eating disorders in this format.The wonderful Gabrielle Savrone portrays the young woman in this play, covering Robinson’s years of struggle.The play is wonderfully written and is a tool to

educate young women and men about anorexia and bulimia. Due to adult content, minimum age for the audience is 16. (LB) Until August 8. Reginald Theatre, corner of City Road & Cleveland Street, Chippendale. $20-$25.

Tickets & info: www.seymourcentre.com DON CARLOS Set at the height of the Spanish Inquisition, this opera tells the dramatic story of the Crown Prince of Spain (Don Carlos) who finds out that the girl he is betrothed to, Elisabeth de Valois, has been sought out to be the bride of his father, Philip II.This modern version by Opera Australia is anchored by revival director Roger Press, who is leading

an international cast of Diego Torre, Latonia Moore, Milijana Nikolic, Ferruccio Furlanetto and José Carbó.

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

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

Tickets & info: opera.org.au or 9318 8200 DETROIT This play frankly presents the financial blow-out of it’s namesake American city and features two couples, both in strife, who meet for a backyard barbeque that implodes over the successive 10 days.

challenges.“We know ourselves very well artistically, and you know your own architecture as an actor,” said Carrol.“But to play a seventeen year old, you need to create a mind where there are thoughts just there, without creating a history.”

Faced with a set that is a wonderful playground of swings and roundabouts that require much clambering up and down, Carrol conceded:“It is tiring, but it’s a beautiful play and there will certainly be six of us who will be giving it everything we have.” (GW) Until September 13 (Tues 6:30pm,Weds – Friday, 8:00pm, Sat 2:00pm and 8:00pm, Sun 5:00pm).

Belvoir St Theatre, 25 Belvoir St, Surry Hills. $49-72.

Tickets & info: belvoir.com.au or 02 9699 3444 Claire Lovering who plays Sharon, the fresh-out-of-rehab neighbour, says the play is a black comedy exploring two very different couples living in suburban America. “At its heart, this is a story about people and relationships, and how people find themselves not where they thought they would be,” explains Lovering. “It’s relatable to everyone.”

(OA) Until August 16. Darlinghurst Theatre Company, 30 Burton St, Darlinghurst. $30-$45.

Tickets & info: www.darlinghursttheatre.com or 8356 9987 RISQUÉ REVUE Slide Lounge is an Oxford Street institution famous

for going the extra mile. Risqué Revue, their winter show, is a neoburlesque performance that showcases the glamour of European clubs. Featuring dancers, aerial performances, pole work and song, it tells a story of burlesque performers wrestling for control of their fictional Parisian club from the male owner.

Think aerial antics, a wild can-can and champagne bubble baths served with French cuisine. (HC) Every Wednesday throughout Winter. Slide Lounge, 41 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst.

From $89 (3 course dinner & show).

Double Date Deal: $365 (table of 4).

Tickets & info: slide.com.au/shows/risquerevue city hub 6 august 2015

15

T H E NAKE D CITY

PEOPLE (NO LONGER) BEHAVING BADLY

By Coffin Ed, Jay Katz and Miss Death It was the mid 1980s, police corruption was rife and the streets of Kings Cross were awash with cocaine. Just outside the legendary rock venue The Manzil Room a couple of young lads were observed - their bodies crouched over, with straws up their noses, attempting to snort a white powdery substance from a large crack in the pavement.

The story is largely apocryphal but it appears they had dropped their ‘deal’ and with a couple of straws from a local convenience shop they were doing their very best to retrieve it.

We recall the story in light of the recent forced closure of the Imperial Hotel in Erskineville, pending a licence review in the coming weeks. The ban came after various breaches of the liquor act, and one of the more curious incidents listed was a patron ‘slurping’ spilt alcohol from the floor of the pub.

Whether it was a glass of expensive French cognac or just a schooner of VB that hit the deck remains to be clarified, but apparently imbibing without a regulatory glass is simply not kosher. Had the offender employed the straw technique, as in the above anecdote, the misdemeanour may well have been overlooked.

These days with the strict enforcement of RSA (the responsible serving of alcohol), the opportunity for patrons to behave badly in the pub environment has been greatly diminished. Even raising your glass in a jovial toast might be viewed as a portent of impending inebriation, let alone a breach of OHS

regulations should it suddenly slip from your hand.

We have certainly come a long way since the hedonistic days of the 1980s where venues such as the Petersham Hotel offered “free beer for nudes” and patrons at a rock gig actually disrobed (yes, the full Monty) to grab a free middy of beer at the bar.

This was the halcyon era of Aussie pub rock, where punters regularly drank themselves into a stupor and venues had little respect for the number of bodies they were licenced to house.

In 2015 most hotel patrons would be aware they are under a certain degree of scrutiny from the very moment they enter a venue – be it from surveillance cameras, the vigilant eye of security staff or simply the unwritten rules of sociable behaviour that come with entering the current gentrified environments.

If you long for the more laissez faire days of a bygone era, when you could still slurp a drink off the bar room floor and wield your schooner glass like a tennis racquet, then there is little opportunity for you these days. It appears the Imperial was very much a maverick in the current climate where most venues see self-regulation as the easiest and least costly means of keeping the licensing authorities at bay.

There is however a certain Bukowski-esque romance in the idea of the bar room slurpee, an unholy reverence for alcohol where even the discarded drop is considered sacrosanct, to be sucked like the very elixir of life itself, from the grimy tiles of the hotel floor. Then again, many of today’s pubs and clubs are fully carpeted and unless you want your very own furball, we genuinely suggest you drink your booze from a glass!

Black Eye Gallery Presents: Extracts by McLean Stephenson Black Eye Gallery Darlinghurst is proud to present Sydney photographer Mclean Stephenson’s latest solo exhibition, coinciding with the release of his photo book Extracts. The Gallery’s commitment to representing the photographic artform and all lens-based media is well established, and it is the perfect venue for showcasing this artist who is on the cutting edge of his medium.

Mclean Stephenson is an Australian photographer who has been specialising in music and performance photography since 2009. Stephenson is well-known in the music industry, working with such performers as Alex Cameron, PVT, Megan Washington, Isabella Manfredi and Jack Ladder.

Shooting on a variety of film formats and taking a more hands-on approach toward his medium, Stephenson invites his viewers to see the disturbances and physical transformations that take place in the creation of the images.

Stephenson is more than just documenting live performance here, his technical knowledge combined with his unique artistic vision elicit not only visual responses but move the viewer on a subjective, visceral level, transporting the viewer to a performance as it felt to be there. (JH) Until August 16. Black Eye Gallery, 3/138 Darlinghurst Rd, Darlinghurst.

Entry is free. Info: blackeyegallery.com.au/exhibiting/

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

city hub 6 august 2015

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

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

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

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

Level 4, 702 Harris St, Ultimo.

Free Entry.

Info: art.uts.edu.au/index.php/ exhibitions/my-trip-to-mars/ INSPIRATION BY DESIGN:

WORD AND IMAGE For the first time in Sydney, audiences are able to see one of Pablo Picasso’s art books, fashion sketches by Dior and Beatrix Potter’s original illustrations. This exhibition from London’s Victoria and Albert Museum is now at the State Library.

This international collection celebrates over 150 years worth of the world’s finest and most talented artists, illustrators and designers.

Over 100 designs, illustrations and images will be on display. The State Library has taken this opportunity to also showcase Australian Design.

Illustrations of the original Blinky Bill

by Dorothy Wall are featured, as well as a Jørn Utzon’s original sketch of the Sydney Opera House. (JC) Until September 27. State Library of NSW, Macquarie St, Sydney.

Free. Information: http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/

EVERYMAN This 15th century English morality play has been adapted into a dynamic and vibrant version for a new generation of theatregoers, and also transformed into a cinematic event. A performance in the National Theatre Live in London was captured and filmed in HD. The titular character of the ‘Everyman’ (Chiwetel Ejiofor) has sinned, partied, dabbled in drugs and experienced envy, gluttony and lust.When death comes calling he must confront his maker and desperately searches for anybody who can speak in his defense.

Oscar nominated Ejiofor (12 Years A Slave) takes the audience on an emotional journey, delivering a powerfully superb performance in this visually stunning, dark, and humorous production which is told in song, dance and movement.

Everyman represents the ordinary individual and audiences should easily identify with him. He re-evaluates his life – how was it and how should it have been?

Movie-goers will marvel at this unique and innovative approach in film-making, which includes a behind the scenes look at the rehearsals and interviews with the director and choreographer.

(MMo) LIMITED RELEASE WWWW

DAVID STRATTON’S GREAT BRITAIN RETRO FILM FESTIVAL Everyman (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and Fellowship, Senses & Wits.

Photo by Richard Hubert-Smith

UNITY An incredibly powerful and significant documentary, so intense and visually disturbing at times, that audiences will be compelled throughout.

After thousands of years of living together on the same planet, why are we unable to live in peace? Why are there senseless wars in which millions of innocent people perish? Why do humans show little compassion towards other living creatures, inhumanely slaughtering for food with little regard towards their suffering?

Presented in chapters with an unparalleled cast of 101 celebrity narrators including Helen Mirren and Ben Kingsley, this insightful documentary details the Earth’s creation, what it means to be human and ultimately concludes that all life forms are interconnected.

Footage of suffering amongst humans and the animal kingdom is the most graphic ever presented on film, and effectively shocks audiences into the realization that humanity needs to transform if we are to live in unison.

(MMo) WWW1/2 Screening from August 12, George St Cinemas and Palace Chavel & Norton St. $20.

Tickets & Info: eventcinemas.com.au and palacecinemas.com.au ANT-MAN Marvel’s latest release follows burglar-in-need-ofredemption Scott Lang (Paul Rudd).

He chooses to help Dr Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) stop a former colleague from misusing Pym’s technology.To do this he must become Ant-Man and pull off his biggest heist yet. Despite a narrative that feels flimsy and rushed (with character arcs that are non-existent in some cases) Ant-Man is an entertaining, funny film. Paul Rudd is a Hollywood heavyweight, someone who can just as easily bring in the big bucks as cement an indie-flick into cult classic status, and he’s certainly worked his magic on Ant-Man. (LL) WWW MR HOLMES In a film about Sherlock Holmes starring renowned badass Ian McKellan, you might expect a lot of whip-smart sleuthing and detective dialogue.

Well, while there is a little, Mr Holmes is a lot more complex than that. Holmes is now in his 90s, his once-brilliant mind wavering, trying

to remember the details of his last case.The distinction between really remembering and creating a memory based on some details is an interesting one. McKellan plays both the doddering old man and hyper intelligent detective to perfection. (HC) WWW1/2 THE GALLOWS From the same production company that had cinemas screaming in fear with Paranormal Activity and Insidious comes the latest found footage style fright fest: The Gallows.This relation, however, is as close as this film gets to having audiences running in fear.

This film takes four archetypal high school kids, each armed with either a video camera or their mobile phone, locks them in their creepy school theatre and lets the horror ensue. The Gallows resorts to overused horror tropes and loud ‘jump scares’ rather than building real terror or suspense. (JA) W1/2 SELF/LESS Conceptually, this is a

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

Hitler. Hitler is seen only in the opening scenes, but his evil prevalence is evident through graphic and disturbing scenes of torture and executions which he ordered.This film is highly-crafted and spoken in German, which effectively heightens it’s credibility.

(MMo) WWWW MAGIC MIKE XXL The sequel to 2012’s Magic Mike slides halfnaked into theatres and does what it says on the muscle-flexing tin.

Funny, entertaining and mostly gratuitous scenes are strung together with a barely-there plot about ‘getting back to the grind’, as Mike (Channing Tatum) and the remaining ‘Kings of Tampa’ take a boys road trip for one last hurrah at a stripper convention. Overall Magic Mike XXL is unapologetically cheesy and unabashedly entertaining, if only for the dance routines... and the stripping… which is basically the whole film. Squeal on, queens. (LL) WW

David Stratton’s Great Britain Retro Film Festival has arrived, and lovers of fine cinema should be delighted with the program of 19 classic British films which have been selected to screen in the digital format.

Most of these films haven’t screened in cinemas for decades and movie-goers will have the opportunity to revisit these classics on the big screen for optimum enjoyment.

As the patron of this festival David Stratton, the legendary Australian film critic and television personality (At The Movies) who lived in Britain for many years and ultimately developed a love for British cinema, has selected a wide range of films which should appeal to a wide audience.

Highlights include: Charles Dickens Great Expectations (1946), the classic tale of a humble orphan who matures into a gentleman, Lawrence Of Arabia (1962) which follows a brilliant and controversial British military figure during wartime, and 2001:A Space Odyssey (1968) the epic science fiction film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick.

Five classic Michael Powell/Emeric Pressburger titles will be presented in restored digital formats including The Tales Of Hoffman (1951), a fantasy opera/ballet, sumptuous and rich in colour with six extra minutes of never-before-seen footage, and Peeping Tom (1960) an obsessive thriller about a serial killer which has earned a cult following. (MMo) August 6-19. Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace, 380 Military Rd, Cremorne. $20.

Tickets & Info: orpheum.com.au/Stratton

RUBEN GUTHRIE “Let’s get smashed” is the opening dialogue aptly summing up this Australian comedy/drama about alcohol abuse.

Ruben Guthrie (Patrick Brammall) is an advertising guru who loves to party and over-indulge on alcohol. His fiancée gives him an ultimatum – stop drinking within 12 months, or else they’re finished. Can he refrain from participating in one of Australian’s favourite pass times? Highlighting the difficulties in writing comedy, this film would have been more engaging solely as a drama. Most comical dialogue backfired, simply evoking a sense of awkwardness. (MMo) WWW TED 2 Ted (Seth MacFarlane) and his thunder buddy John (Mark Wahlberg) are back in the sequel to MacFarlane’s 2012 comedy about a foul-mouthed teddy bear who came to life. In the first film it was John who needed to grow up, now the narrative is all about Ted. Since the predecessor was a comedy that successfully walked the line between

clever and crass, the same could be expected for the sequel.

Unfortunately Ted 2 falls more on the crass side and feels like a halfhearted attempt to milk the concept – MacFarlane is more successful when he breaks the mould. (LL) WWW AMY This intimate and fascinating documentary by Asif Kapadia (Senna, The Sheep Theif) using Winehouse’s most poignant lyrics as the spine of the narrative, accompanied by never before seen footage.There is no creative editing or opportunistic reappropriation of media footage to perpetuate the public perception of her, Amy is as honest, straightforward and complex as the ‘gobby’ girl herself. It is technically difficult to turn a disparate collection of shots and raw video into a flowing, accurate piece of cinema - but Kapadia has created a deeply honest and moving portrayal in Winehouse’s own words (or more aptly, lyrics). (LL) WWWW city hub 6 august 2015

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Sydney Live Music Guide LIVE WIRE

By Jamie Apps Anthonie Tonnon: Travelling across the ditch to celebrate the release of his second album, Successor, Kiwi Tonnon brings his personal blend of guitar, hybrid-electronic drums and sometimes charming, sometimes biting lyrical twists.

Thu, Aug 6, Django Bar Winterfest: Following a sold out event last year Winterfest returns to the grounds of UTS once again.Taking to the stage are some of Australia’s best rising talents including Andy Bull, Slumberjack, Just A Gent, KLP and Indian Summer. Big things are in the pipelines for all of these artists so take this opportunity now while you can.

Fri, Aug 7, University Of Technology Sydney (UTS) The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion: Having spent years toiling away in New York City refining their sound, skills and gathering story after story, JSBX have recently released an album that perfectly tells their story.

Australian fans now have the opportunity to welcome them back with open arms during their tour, which stops in Sydney this week.

Fri, Aug 7, Manning Bar UBERfest: A festival built entirely around up and coming musicians is rare in this day and age, but this weekend Sydney plays host to just

Beatles Tribute: Rubber Soul & Revolver in Concert

that with UBERfest. For full lineup info check out their Facebook page at facebook.com/uberfestival, but rest assured it’s extremely diverse and sure to please every taste.

Sat, Aug 8,The Lewisham Hotel

By jamie apps Four of Australia’s strongest musical voices combine their powers this weekend to commemorate two of the most influential and highly praised albums of all time.The two albums, Rubber Soul and Revolver, both by The Beatles, were released 50 years ago now and to this day are still regarded as two of the greatest albums of all time.To celebrate the 50 year anniversary Husky Gawenda (Husky), Marlon Williams, Jordie Lane and Fergus Linacre (Kingswood) are coming together with a very brief but special tour.

Given the popularity and praise that is often heaped on these particular albums, it was a special but also nerve wracking moment for Husky when he was asked to be involved.“It’s definitely exciting to sing these songs with a big band behind us and in big venues, but it’s also big shoes to fill so we’ve got to make sure we get it right,” he said.

From an extremely early age the music of The Beatles has been a part of Husky’s life and was certainly a driving force in his chosen path into music.

“The Beatles were some of the first music I listened to, my parents had a lot of their albums so I grew up listening to them…They were also some of the first songs I learnt and sang so they taught me a lot about all aspects of song writing and playing music,” he recalled warmly.

The Bellrays: Hailing straight out of Riverside California,The Bellrays have built a reputation as one the best bands in the genre of female-led rock and roll - with a punk, blues and soul slant.

Sun, Aug 9, Newtown Social Club Tommy Emmanuel: the Australian guitar icon returns to his home nation this week with a special run of shows. Known worldwide as one of the greatest acoustic guitar players he will take to the stage in the format fans most enjoy, the solo setup.

Mon, Aug 10, Sydney Opera House Taikoz In Concert: Back by popular demand with a brand new show that features the dynamism and drama of the taiko combined with the soulful melodies of the bamboo shakuhachi flute and a bunch of original music.

Taking place in the wonderfully acoustic and dynamic Glen Street Theatre, audiences are in for a spectacularly intense auditory and emotional show.

Wed, Aug 12, Glen Street Theatre

Gurrumul – The Gospel Album

As has been the case for many, if not all musicians,The Beatles have been a reference for writing and playing pop music in general as they “wrote the book” while being so far ahead of the curve. Even to this day their songs remain relevant and still touch people emotionally, which is why the four artists are so excited to come together and perform the albums back to back.

“I think because they are two classic albums and there is going to be a lot of people coming who really know these albums, and to whom these albums mean a lot, we want to honour them and get the songs right,” said Husky when speaking about the lengthy preparation and perfection process.

Performing in the esteemed Sydney Opera House is another exciting factor for Husky:“It’s one of the venues in the world that you want to play at some point in your life…and will certainly be something to check off the bucket list.’”

Aug 7-8. Sydney Opera House. $90.74-$151.91 + b.f.

Tickets & info: thebeatleslive.com.au

The Rubens - Hoops

Slowly and steadily, I am immersed into a collective soul. The Gospel Album is apparently what has previously been missing from my mind (and my ears) without my knowing it. Without knowing the definite meaning of each song (as the musician sings inYolngu, his indigenous language), the unfamiliar listener is none the less impressed upon with feelings from varying stages of the spectrum, connecting with the soul of the voice alone. Strongly felt messages are carried across barriers of space and language, in the voice of one and many, leaving an imprint when they fall silent. The Gospel Album is filled with a translatable spirit of community. (SP) WWW

What do you do after exploding out of the gates with your debut album reaching platinum status, and an evergrowing collection rewards and accolades piling up?

Retreat to a secluded songwriting sanctuary of course.

Hoops maintains their beloved signature pop-rock sound, one that is catchy and easy to sing-a-long to whilst also showing their growth as a band.This is most evident in two specific tracks - opener Hallelujah, which is a soaring rock filled anthem, and title track Hoops, which sees the group explore their R&B influenced side. Plenty of tracks here worth checking out and you’re sure to hear a number of them on the radio very soon. (JA) WWW1/2

FREEWILLASTROLOGY

by Rob Brezsny

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ARIES (March 21-April 19): Charles de Lint is a novelist whose stories are influenced by folklore, myths, and science fiction. In his book Yarrow, a wizardly character named Toby is skilled at conjuring. He can make small objects appear and disappear, for example. But Toby yearns for more. “I want to be magic,” he says. “I want to be a friend of elves and live in a tree. I want to marry a moonbeam and hear the stars sing. I don’t want to pretend at magic anymore. I want to be magic.” If you have ever wished for a comparable upgrade, Aries, now is an unusually favorable time to work on it.

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TAURUS (April 20-May 20): An imaginative Welsh man named Liam Bennett has developed a “dausage,” which is a blend of a doughnut and sausage. One of his most requested treats is pork meat stuffed with strawberry jelly.

Even if this novel blend doesn’t appeal to your taste buds, it serves as a good prompt for my advice: The coming weeks will be a favorable time to expand your notion of what types of nourishment are fun and healthy for you. I mean that in the metaphorical as well as the literal sense. Experiment with new recipes, both with the food you provide your body and the sustenance you feed your soul.

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GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In the woods, living city hub 6 august 2015

matter isn’t segregated from the decaying stuff. Rotting tree trunks are host to teeming colonies of moss. Withered stems of ferns mingle with cheerful saplings. Audacious mushrooms sprout up among scraps of fallen leaves. The birds and beetles and lizards and butterflies don’t act as if this mix is weird. They seem to be at peace with it. I suspect they thrive on it, even exult in it. That’s the spirit I suggest you adopt as you enjoy the paradoxical mélange of your life in the coming weeks, Gemini.

Celebrate the mysterious magic that emerges as you simultaneously fade and flourish, decline and increase, wind down and rise up.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Here are some tips on being the best Cancerian you can be: 1. Cultivate your sensitivity as a strength.

Regard your emotional vulnerability as a superpower.

2. Nurture yourself at least as much as you nurture others. 3.

Learn to know the difference between your golden hunches and the glimmering delusions that your demons stir up. 4. Be kind, but don’t be exorbitantly nice. 5. Remember that others’ unhappiness is rarely your fault or responsibility. 6. Keep reinventing the way you love yourself.

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LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “What are the best things and the worst things in your life, and when are you going to get around to whispering or

e

shouting them?” This question was posed by Leo author Ray Bradbury in his book Zen in the Art of Writing: Essays on Creativity. Even if you’re not a writer yourself, you will benefit from responding to his exhortation. It’s one of the best things you could possibly do to activate your dormant creativity and intensify your lust for life.

This is one of those times when working with your extremes is not only safe and healthy, but also fun and inspirational.

So do it, Leo! Get excited and expressive about the best and worst things in your life.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): It’s time to leave behind the golden oldies. You’d be wise to tiptoe away from tradition, and give the ghosts of the past one last kiss goodbye, and wean yourself from nostalgia for the good old days. Frankly, my dear, you’ve got numerous appointments with the future, and it would be a shame to miss them because you’re mucking around with memories. In the coming weeks -- for that matter, in the coming months -- you’re most likely to thrive if you become an agent of change. And the most important thing to change is your relationship to the person you used to be.

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LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In Indonesia, the term gotong-royong is defined as the “joint bearing of burdens.”

In practice it means that you and I and our allies get together voluntarily to help each other

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achieve a shared goal. It may also be an agreement to provide mutual aid: I help you do what you need to have done, and you help me with my task. Gotong-royong also implies that we enjoy working together. The emotional tone that we cultivate is affection and care. By sharing a burden, we lighten the load that each of us has to bear. I bring this to your attention, Libra, because it’s the gotong-royong season for you and yours. Be the ringleader who initiates and sustains it.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In one of his poems, Jack Gilbert mentions “the incurably sane,” who are “uncrippled by beauty” and “unbutchered by love.” When I read those lines, I felt a surge of protest. Is there a single person on the earth who fits that description? No! I was miffed by such starryeyed idealism. Later, though, as I studied the astrological omens for you Scorpios, my attitude softened. I realized that the coming weeks may be a time when many of you will at least temporarily be incurably sane, uncrippled by beauty, and unbutchered by love. If you’re one of these lucky ones, please use your blessed grace to spread an abundance of blessed grace everywhere you go.

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SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): If you’re not skirting the edges of the forbidden zone, you’re playing it too safe. If you’re not serving as

i

a benevolent mischief-maker for someone you care about, you’re shirking your duty. Your allegiance should be with X-factors and wild cards. You will thrive to the degree that you cultivate alliances with mavericks and instigators. Are you shrewd enough to mess with time-tested formulas? Are you restless enough to rebel against habits that stifle your curiosity?

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): How to be a Capricorn, according to my Capricorn reader Sadie Kennedy: When you are younger, take yourself too seriously. Look and act older than you actually are as you serve what’s most practical. Sacrifice fun and frivolity, working doggedly to achieve the goals you yearn for, until you reach some level of accomplishment. Then realize, as if struck by a thunderbolt, that fun and frivolity have practical value. Begin to age backwards like Benjamin Button as you balance work with play and discipline with leisure. Enjoy the fruits of your intense efforts as everyone tells you how relaxed and supple and resilient you are becoming.

j

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Cracking open the shell of a soft-boiled egg is a tricky task. You must be firm enough to break the shell, but sufficiently gentle to avoid making a mess. If you live in Germany, you have access to a metal instrument that provides just the right measure

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of soft force. It’s called an Eierschalensollbruchstellenverursacher, translated as “soft-boiled egg shell cracker.”

Your assignment in the coming weeks is to cultivate a talent that is metaphorically similar to an Eierschalensollbruchstellenverursacher. I believe you will need that blend of sensitivity and power on numerous occasions.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Americans often regard Cuba as impoverished and backwards. There is an element of truth in their prejudice, primarily because the U.S. has imposed a stifling embargo on the Caribbean nation for over 50 years. That’s why, for example, many Cubans drive cars that were manufactured in the 1950s. But I wonder how my fellow citizens would respond if they knew that in some ways Cuba’s healthcare system is better than America’s.

The World Health Organization recently congratulated Cuba for being the first country on earth to eradicate the transmission of syphilis and HIV from mothers to babies. Can you identify a metaphorically similar situation in your personal life, Pisces?

Are there people you regard as inferior or undeveloped who could teach you an important lesson or motivate you to grow?

Now is a perfect time to benefit from their influence.

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THE BEST MASSAGE PLACE FOR THE FIRST TIME CUSTOMER AND THE FIRST TIME LADY!

It’s Famous, It’s Here and It’s Great !

Kings Court Massage: The only place with twenty two massage rooms and eleven hot tubs, spas, and bubble baths. Wall to wall beautiful ladies, pool tables and luxurious leather lounges. Enjoy a coffee in the friendly atmosphere. Approachable managers help you choose a lady for your massage. There is a fair queueing system and no hidden charges. Call at 261 Parramatta Rd, Glebe, Sydney NSW 2007, 02 9660 0666 Its an $10.00 Taxi from the CBD - Visit us at www.kingscourt.com.au - OPEN 10 am to 1 am and 24 hrs on Weekends. 20% off 9am to 12 noon & FREE ENTRY before 9 pm each day. Park in the Broadway Shops near our discreet rear entrance at 18 Grose St Glebe. www.kingscourt.com.au Hi, this is Big John the owner of Kings Court Massage.

Kings Court really does look this good. We are in Broadway just down from Glebe Point Road. The front looks like a two story building with a red neon sign while from the back in Grose Street it is four stories, also with a red neon sign. It is enormous; as big as a small RSL club. This is because in the early days Broadway was a depressed area with low rent. In Sydney there were massage places everywhere, even though it was illegal, so it was easy for Kings Court to be the best one. All we had to do was stay doing massage and a hand job and treat the girls well. We had the best most beautiful masseuses and the best most beautiful place and it was all harmless fun!

So what has changed? All the other massage places changed when legalization came.

For us nothing changed – we still have young ladies who do massage with a thrill at the end. The earlier customers were a different kind of men. They drank more and liked to play pool. They were short of money and had plenty of time. They were “baby boomers” who are now mostly too old for chasing young women.

Today the customers look for us on the Internet and are very well informed when they arrive. They know in advance that we only have massage ladies for their enjoyment. The major difference to those from before is that today they are short of time and have more money. They are younger and the girls say they are all sweety-pies!

The well informed customer of today, researches through a lot of misinformation on the Internet to find us.

Many know about us from a friend because it is not so embarrassing to talk about our place as it is just harmless fun. We have tightened up and do not start ladies from other places that do more. We have the very best place for the first time customer to come and meet the first time massage girl.

At the time of legalization there was a Royal Commission that found some naughty police were getting money from the sex industry and this was stopped. The funny thing is that without the police coming around hundreds of illegal full service places opened and all the massage places crossed over and became full service places.

For Kings Count Massage this means that there is no more adult massage industry and we are the last real “massage and happy ending” place to exist in Sydney. Unlike other massage places Kings Court does not turn a “blind eye” to girls becoming full or part time full service workers in the room. Other places are very nice and do offer a full range of services to the clients with some ladies selecting the clients they like.

The best way to be liked by the charming ladies from other places is to offer extra money for the extra service but this does not work at Kings Court. We say to customers: “It is okay to ask, but its bad manners to be unhappy when the answer is NO.” The funny thing is that since the police stopped coming around there has been a massive explosion of small illegal places and there are hundreds more. This is good for the customers, as prices have not increased very much in the last ten years. The larger places have however been visited by the Tax Department and are mostly Tax Compliant. To protect their investment they have also applied for Council Development Application approvals. Kings Court was actually the very first legal place in NSW but our prices are affected by smaller places and places with foreign workers. We do have some people from other countries but they are residents who in the main are able to sit in the spa and chat with customers before giving them the sensuous massage with the “happy ending” You are invited to call in for a coffee and meet the ladies.

It really is not like other places. Some clients were dissappointed as they had wanted the ladies to look like high class escorts but they only met normal pretty girl-next-door types.

I hope that some of the above gives you an idea about the way Kings Court Massage is run and about about our ethics.

Big John P.S. Kings Court Adverts are created from real things that happened! A guy named Judd had been to the Bathurst car races and to make a trip of it he came to Kings Court from a comic ad he had seen in a men’s magazine. I particularly liked creating that ad as, like Judd, I was a North Qld Stockman and the guy in the white hat is myself drawn from a scene in a very old photo.

VACANCIES: We are currently looking for new ladies who would like to be a little bit naughty and join us to learn massage. You enjoy cash paid daily and we have permanent and part time shifts to fit with a busy life as a student or young mother.

We can provide off street parking when you start. A more experienced lady will provide training. You are welcome to call at 261 Parramatta Rd, Glebe NSW 2037 for a look around and meet some of the other girls. You can phone us on 02 9660 0666 Parking is available in the Broadway Shopping Centre (3 hrs free) near our discreet rear entrance at 18 Grose St Glebe NSW 2037 which is the best location to find us by GPS plotting. www.kingscourt.com.au is the website with lots of info, jokes and some pics of sexy women (not ours) just to look at. If you are new check the “ten tips.” city hub 6 august 2015

19

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