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Newtown at ‘The Cross’ roads of identity

By Alexander Lewis Newtown used to be a hipster haven, a diverse sanctuary for the weird. But according to many in the community, thugs who once frequented ‘The Cross’ have moved in and marred the town’s very fabric.

Fingers were pointed at lockout laws on Monday night as residents, revellers and businesspeople assembled at the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre for a public meeting hosted by Greens MP for Newtown Jenny Leong.

While statistics released by the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOSCAR) in April revealed no increase of non-domestic violence related assaults in the area, the community has said the inner west suburb has increasingly become a theatre for violence.

Some attendees suggested that the BOSCAR statistics do not reflect anecdotal evidence because victims of intimidation in Newtown did not consider the incidents “serious enough” to report to police.

“What constitutes something reportable?” a longbearded audience member said.

“I’m a six foot guy and I got hollered down at Oporto one night. Someone from out of town just walked up to me [and said] ‘what the fuck’ is this?’

What do you do in this situation? Do you report it?” he said.

“I’ve felt intimidated as well, and I’m a big guy.

There are people who come out here who are just antagonistic and looking for a fight.”

Transwoman Stephanie McCarthy, who was allegedly bashed at a Newtown pub in June, said to the assembly that rainbow posters plastered on venues are merely window dressing and that real change can only come from within the community.

“There’s a certain pub across the road that has a big poster now that says ‘Inclusivity: we welcome everyone.’ This is the pub that didn’t even call me an ambulance,” Ms McCarthy said.

“So you can point fingers at the powers all you want, but it’s up to us. It’s up to where we spend our money. It’s up to who or what we accept in our community.”

“We will get the community we deserve if we don’t do something about it.”

Newtown violence victim Stephanie McCarthy said venues must be held accountable for antisocial behaviour of both patrons and staff. Photo: Alexander Lewis

Long time locals in the audience said they felt threatened by atmospheric changes in Newtown’s nightlife.

One resident named Dale said the energetic change in the streets on Friday and Saturday nights was appalling.

“Today marks the 30th year of my arrival in Newtown. I know every nook and cranny of this

place,” the 56-year-old woman said.

“I no longer feel safe either and I’ve walked these streets at any hour of the day and night for thirty years and I’ve felt historically safe.”

Ms Leong said she had also felt intimidated walking down the streets of Newtown at night.

“I have found myself being kept up at night by people that I wish would stop yelling or vomiting on

my street,” Ms Leong said.

“I’ve also, to be frank, felt intimidated by the way that police have behaved in our community.”

Inspector Michael Dykes from Newtown Local Area Command said it was true that there were a lot more people going to Newtown.

“Our level of violence wouldn’t necessarily suggest that we’ve had a similar sort of increase in violence to what we’ve had in patrons,” Insp Dykes said.

City of Sydney Greens Councillor Irene Doutney said the changes threatening Newtown had already destroyed the atmosphere of Kings Cross.

“When I was a kid, all the suburbanites used to come up to The Cross to see the queers and the strange people. That’s been cleansed, and I don’t want to see that happening to Newtown. It’s a fabulous place, it is diverse, it is unique and you need to protect it.”

“There seems to be a movement away from the queer space, and this I think is really concerning. I’m looking at things changing at The Imperial. This is what happened in ‘The Cross’.”

Abusive bouncers at Newtown venues were also accused of damaging the area’s friendly vibes.

“I often see [bouncers] as being the cause of a lot of problems rather than the solution to them,” an audience member said to rapturous applause.

“These people actually just aren’t really on the same wavelength as ... a lot of the people that go there,” he said.

President of the Indigenous Social Justice Association of Sydney, Lyle Davis, told the audience that he had noticed a change in the way Indigenous people were being treated by security in Newtown.

“Back in the day … I could walk up and down this street, I could walk into any pub,” Mr Davis said.

“A week or so ago, I got abused by a Maori or Tongan or Samoan bouncer outside the pub. I got locked out. And that person was punching me in the chest, punching me out into the middle of the road to get me run over.”

Reclaim the Streets activist Chris Lego said, “I think that security in pubs around here need to be reminded that they work in hospitality.”

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By JOE BOURKE Ultimo Public School P&C members have been left scratching their heads after questions were left unanswered at a meeting on July 1 with Education Minister Adrian Piccoli.

The meeting, which took place in the minister’s office, was organised to discuss the future development of Ultimo Public School.

The government announced last month that a new school on the Wattle Street site would not go ahead due to “unviable” remediation costs of more than $53 million.

But the health risk of the contaminated soil could be nullified for as little as $10.5 million according advice solicited by the Department of Education and Communities.

The department was forced to release the document, in which advisory company McLahlan Lister Pty detailed remediation options for the site, under freedom of information laws.

The City of Sydney has since condemned Education Minister Adrian Piccoli for his betrayal of the Ultimo-Pyrmont community.

President of Ultimo Public School P&C Janine Barrett said she was disappointed with the meeting.

A letter obtained by City Hub sent from Ms Barrett to the minister, dated July 6, expressed concern over the minister’s apparent lack of knowledge.

“I am personally disappointed that during our meeting on July 1, it became apparent you had not been briefed regarding the historical debacle of the redevelopment of Ultimo Public School,” she wrote.

“This [occurred], despite numerous letters sent by myself to you, to ensure you were well versed as to why we continue to reject the

Caption

proposed redevelopment of the current site.”

Greens MP for Balmain Jamie Parker said he was “unconvinced” about the purported contamination.

“We’re incredibly disappointed that the government broke their promise to build this new school and we’re unconvinced that the contamination is as serious and as expensive as the government claims,” Mr Parker said.

“So we support the call for an independent assessment to see whether or not the contamination and the costs are more than just an excuse for the government not to proceed.”

Bill d’Anthes is a member of the Ultimo Public School P&C and was also present at the July 1 Meeting. He told City Hub the meeting was “very bad” and that there were in fact “a series of ways in which we could

solve the problem”.

“The first being the cheapest way, the second being the way that would solve the problem and make it safe for the school, and the third that would be to take everything out as far down as they could go,” he said.

Mr d’Anthes also said the department made it clear to him the government’s decision was irrevocable.

He said that the community was fed up and that “civil disobedience” could be a likely outcome.

The spokesperson for the department told City Hub the decision will not change.

“The Department’s expert advice indicated that additional geotechincal and environmental investigations are unlikely to change the advice already provided,” they said. city hub 9 july 2015

3

Bondi braces for backpacker upheaval

As a backpacker, Hugo Brunet spent a lot of money at pubs in Bondi source: Christopher Harris

million in the state last year.

There are seven budget youth hostels as well as a plethora of private accommodation in Bondi and surrounding suburbs aimed at working holiday makers.

Frenchman Valentine Traule is just one backpacker who arrived in Bondi this year on a working holiday visa, and although the new laws will probably not affect him, he sees the proposed tax as a double standard.

“I feel like this completely unfair. If you accept these people in your country, you have to treat these people like Australians. I don’t like having privileges for one person and not for another; I think everyone should be the same,” he told City Hub. “If they don’t get their tax back and they

earn even less money, their wage is going to end up being ridiculous.”

Lucia Bonizatto has worked at Peter Pan Travel Agency in Bondi for the last three years and said backpackers spend most of their money in Bondi pubs.

“Bondi is kind of like a bubble, you live in Bondi, you drink in Bondi, you stay in Bondi.”

But she doesn’t believe federal taxation change will be the end of the Bondi backpacker community.

“If you’re a backpacker you actually work a lot when you work. But it’s kind of a good lifestyle, Australia is a good country, it’s nice to be a backpacker.”

The budget measures are expected to raise $500 million.

Cartoon: Peter Berner

BY CHRISTOPHER HARRIS The removal of the tax-free threshold for working holiday visas in the federal budget has Bondi backpackers fired up and local businesses bracing for economic loss.

From July next year, backpackers will be taxed at 32.5 per cent from the first dollar they earn in the country, despite citizens and permanent residents enjoying a tax-free threshold of $19,000.

Youth Hostels Australia CEO Julian Ledger warned that the removal of the threshold is going to reduce overall spending, remove the incentive for people to work, and exacerbate the black economy.

“If you’re earning $21 an hour, paying seven dollars in tax, that only leaves $14 to pay for accommodation,” he told City Hub. “It’s a general principle, but it would be nice if visitors would be treated on the same basis as citizens and get the same benefit of the tax-free threshold.”

“It will have the effect of driving cash payments, and that means people getting paid under the counter and not being covered by workers compensation.”

Hugo Brunet arrived in Bondi 18 months ago and said his minimum wage of $21 an hour as a waiter seemed high compared to Europe.

He has since fallen in love with the country and opened his own café in Potts Point.

When asked what he spent the majority of his money on, his answer was unequivocal.

“Food and alcohol and going out, I would always be at Ravesis, The Bondi Hotel, The Beach Club, Icebergs, or North Bondi RSL.” Data from Destination NSW reveals backpackers spent a combined total of $962

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‘Characterless, rampant’ development costing Alexandria’s iconic heritage

The Alexandria Hotel is renowned as a ‘defacto Sydney Swans drinking pub’ Source: Facebook

of the building will not impact any local or state listed heritage buildings in the area,” the spokesperson said.

However, one of the contentious issues for residents is its non-heritage listing.

Mr Noblet said he believed the building was historically significant and should be considered as having heritage value.

“The building itself is close to 100 years old, and it’s very well preserved,” he said.

“We’ve been through the heritage impact statement that was provided by the developers, which is quite an interesting read.”

The heritage impact statement included in the application, supplied by Urbis, said that the while the

building had some worth in its maintained architectural features, it was not unique, or significantly important to the community.

Ms Leong said that while Sydney’s housing crisis needed attention, the Henderson Street site was not the right location.

“We need to address the need for housing in the city, but the solution isn’t to get rid of all of the public amenity around the area,” she said.

Other residents agreed, with over 60 comments on development forum website Planning Alerts, discussing the ‘madness’ of replacing the iconic hotel with 28 apartments.

Resident Matthew Jorgenson, as named online, said

that while more housing is needed, the Alexandria Hotel should not be demolished.

“I am normally pro-development. The area is growing and new homes for new residents need to be provided. But this growth should not come at the expense of our local icons,” he wrote.

Local resident and coordinator of the Save the Alexandria Hotel Facebook page Alex Robinson said he thought not only the physical building was significant, but also its function in the community.

“I love the building. There are so few pubs in Australia, and in Sydney that have retained that old school look and feel,” he said.

On Planning Alerts, residents claimed the pub was the “only bit of character” left on Henderson Street, and said Alexandria “risks becoming entirely charmless” if the development proceeds.

Both Mr Noblet and Mr Robinson told City Hub that the pub functions as a community meeting spot for families, local sporting teams, political groups and facilitates large sporting event coverage.

Ms Leong acknowledged the hotel’s community significance, and said having spaces like the Alexandria were something “we should be encouraging”.

“I think it really is one of those venues in the inner city that allows people to come together,” she said.

The social media campaign, through Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr, is encouraging people to write submissions to City of Sydney council against the demolition.

Mr Robinson said he was fighting to get as much awareness of the issue as possible before the July 14 deadline for council submissions.

“Ultimately, its just make a submission- it doesn’t need to be a 15 page letter, it just needs to be a couple of paragraphs,” he said.

A City of Sydney spokesperson told City Hub that they could not comment on DAs while being “exhibited and assessed”.

“We encourage the community to submit their views on the DA, which is on exhibition until July 14,” the spokesperson said.

C 20 LO JU SES LY

By LYDIA WATSON-MOORE Residents have united together in an attempt to save the Alexandria Hotel from its proposed demolition.

Local patrons of the hotel, concerned residents and politicians have begun an extensive media campaign against the DA lodged to City of Sydney Council, which seeks to replace the historic pub with apartments and commercial space.

Greens MP for Newtown Jenny Leong told City Hub she “has a soft spot” for the Alexandria Hotel, and said it is a valuable community hub.

“There are huge concerns in the community about the loss of significant cultural heritage and parts of our society that we value, and I’d say that the Alexandria Hotel, from the response that we’ve seen on social media, is one of those key iconic places in our local neighbourhood,” she said.

Spokesperson for the ‘Save the Alex’ campaign, Ben Noblet, said affected residents were not notified of the proposal by council.

“We weren’t actually formally notified by the council at all, which is unusual, because with other developments in the area we got a letter in the mail box,” he told City Hub. Mr Noblet said the community’s awareness of the proposed demolition had come through word of mouth, via social media and notices in the hotel.

He said the Save the Alex campaign was “a bunch of people who wanted to immobilize their efforts together to try to stop the development happening”.

The DA, submitted by Baker Kavanagh Architecture, seeks demolition of the hotel building and construction of a four storey residential and commercial development.

A company owned by Centennial Property Group recently purchased the site from former owner, Raymond Masters.

A spokesperson for Centennial Property Group told City Hub that the proposal allocates “much needed residential accommodation” on a site which is “not heritage listed”.

“According to town planning experts, demolition

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Cowboys are pushing for WestConnex, says researcher

By WENDY BACON Standing in Goddard Park at Concord on the edge of Sydney’s inner west on Saturday, it was hard to imagine how a green swirl of intersecting threads on a sketchy motorway map of nearby streets could be the exit from six lanes of toll way tunnels within a few years.

But for residents like Amanda Bull, who lives with her partner and two children in a nearby street, the potential Westconnex exit is frighteningly real.

As she put it at a July 4 “Independence from Westconnex” community rally, if the plan goes ahead, the tunnel exit will be “up my bum”.

City Hub first met Ms Bull at the Burwood RSL in May, after residents near Concord’s Cintra Park had just been given only hours warning of a public announcement that the park would become a constant drilling point for removal of rock and soil for the M4 tunnel.

On that night, Ms Bull tried unsuccessfully to find out more about the rest of the M4 East route. She declared the information evening to be a bureaucratic “tick and flick” exercise.

It is anger at this lack of transparency that led Ms Bull to organise her second community rally last Saturday. The first rally was in early 2014 when residents got their first inkling that houses in the immediate area could be acquired.

For more than a year, all went quiet again. But in June, the motorway planners reemerged with plans to acquire scores of houses and businesses for a route across Concord to Parramatta Road in Haberfield.

Like many residents that City Hub has interviewed this year, Ms Bull is scathing about the lack of openness and consultation in the planning process.

Some residents and businesses have now been told they will be forced to move, while thousands of residents along the route are being told their communities, including schools and childcare centres, must absorb the impacts of the toll way.

Meanwhile, the project’s cost has already blown

WestConnex protesters on the weekend. Photo: Garth Montgomery

out from $10 billion to $15.4 billion without a business case being released.

Westconnex Delivery Authority (WDA) had previously said the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the M4 tunnel would be released in mid 2015. But instead, the project contract was awarded to Leighton Contractors, John Holland and Samsung, before an EIS report had even been lodged with the NSW Planning Department.

This is the second contract awarded to Leightons Contractors, who were also part of the consortium selected to the WestConnex M4

widening between Parramatta and Homebush.

Residents and community groups say they have not yet heard from the EIS team, although some are aware that global engineering company AECOM is the main company responsible for M4 tunnel EIS. AECOM is currently being sued for inaccurate traffic predictions for RiverCity Motorway in Brisbane.

“I do love it when the Chairman of the Westconnex Authority Tony Shepherd says we do really well on community engagement. Well we are an engaged community and we do not want this,” Ms Bull told the 200 strong Concord rally.

Earlier this year, the City of Sydney commissioned an independent report from SGS Consulting that found that Westconnex would not be a solution to Sydney’s crippling traffic congestion.

Michelle Ziebots, who is a senior transport research consultant at the University of Technology, Sydney, told the rally that the reason why no one had yet been given the detail is that the project does not add up.

She said that Sydney transport planners are “shocked key decision makers are not listening to professionals who are working on these projects”.

Ms Ziebots said that it was “really serious” that those supporting the project “carry on like cowboys and cowboys is a word that is being used by a lot of (transport) people at the moment”.

Ms Ziebots said that it was important to focus on why billions of dollars of public money was not being spent on public transport instead.

Shadow Minister for Roads Jodi McKay disagreed and told the crowd that they should concentrate on getting the tunnel shifted to align with Parramatta Road and filtration for the pollution stacks.

“If the project worked it would reduce traffic on Parramatta Road,” Ms McKay said.

The crowd booed as many know that in fact the WDA’s own data shows that the project will increase traffic on Parramatta Road, Victoria Road and the M2 motorway as cars and trucks avoid motorway tolls.

MP for Newtown and Greens Westconnex spokesperson Jenny Leong struck a chord when she urged residents to link with others across Sydney to stop WestConnex.

“We don’t want this toll way in this community or any community. I am sick and tired of arrogance of successive NSW state governments who have proceeded to make decisions and spend public money not in the community interest. I am over it and have had enough.”

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All stations to nowhere

Battle of Waterloo begins

By JENNIFER LUU Waterloo residents have welcomed the possibility of a metro station for the suburb at a community meeting on Thursday.

But the proposal tied to the station to upgrade social housing in the area was met with skepticism.

Community group REDWatch facilitated a heated community meeting on Thursday July 2, which saw residents raise varying opinions on the proposals.

Speakers at the meeting included representatives from Sydney Metro, UrbanGrowth NSW, City of Sydney Council and the Department of Family and Community Services (FACS).

Under the proposed Sydney Metro scheme, Transport for NSW (TfNSW) are considering either a station at Sydney University or Waterloo. Connected to the potential Waterloo Station is UrbanGrowth NSW’s proposal of highdensity redevelopment on the current Waterloo public housing site.

At the meeting, there was cautious support of the public housing renewal project propositioned by UrbanGrowth.

Locals expressed anger about previous instances of planned revitalisation of the suburb which had never manifested.

But REDWatch spokesman Geoffrey Turnbull said he prefers this plan to others previously proposed, which involved removing a fifth of public housing units.

“The government is saying that there will be no loss of public housing in Waterloo,” Mr Turnbull said.

Residents voiced concerns over the projects and expressed a strong opposition towards the redevelopment

of public housing estates, which would result in the temporary relocation of the residents.

“If you’re going to demolish those twin towers…you have a fight,” one resident warned.

The Sydney district director of FACS Paul O’Reilly also acknowledged future difficulties.

“We know how difficult the relocation of 200 people is. How hard would it be to relocate ten times that, potentially?” Mr O’Reilly said.

The meeting also highlighted community dissatisfaction with the public transport in the area, labelling it as unreliable and heavily congested.

Another resident said the two issues of housing and transport were inseparable because any increase in residential density would further gridlock roads leading into the suburb.

“This area’s already very congested, the buses run late here consistently because they can’t move on the roads,” they said.

Metro principal manager Brendon Baker said the new metro system would “relieve pressure on the existing network”.

Chippendale resident David Polkingon supported the idea of the metro.

“The main solution for Sydney’s growing congestion on the roads is improved public transport, and metro systems have been shown all around the world to be very effective people movers,” Mr Polkingon said.

Mr Turnbull emphasised the need for further community dialogue.

“We’ve got a range of different views within the community…we’ve just scratched the surface.”

By GRACE JOHNSON Residents of Erskineville and St Peters are outraged by government plans to cut train services on the Bankstown line.

Local community group Friends of Erskineville (FOE) have petitioned against the cuts and lobbied for increased public transport to end the overcrowding on current rail services.

Under the state government proposal, the Sydney Metro will result in single deck, driverless trains bypassing Erskineville and St Peters, currently part of the Bankstown line.

Darren Jenkins, President of FOE, said that the community and state government needed to start thinking about and address the projected doubling population that is currently forecasted.

“All reports show that the likely people who will move into the new development in the Ashmore Estate [in Erskineville] will be young professionals who mostly work in the city,” said Mr Jenkins.

“This means that the amount of people using the trains in the morning peak will increase even more.”

The government has not shown any commitment to replacing the lost train services to Erskineville and St Peters.

“The government needs to come clean about what it’s going to do and not just expect residents to take comfort with ambiguous statements,” said Mr Jenkins.

Mr Jenkins said that the Illawarra line and East Hills Express line could potentially stop at Erskineville and St Peters as an alternative, but that

Darren Jenkins said the government needed to cater for population growth.

Photo: John O’Herlihy

Transport for NSW (TfNSW) had not been clear on any proposed services.

However, a recent survey of the Illawarra and East Hills Express lines indicated that they were already at maximum capacity.

Fourteen out of 16 morning services on the Illawarra line had an average load of 132 per cent. Five out of six East Hills Express services are over 100 per cent full in the morning peak.

Friends of Erskinville has created a petition, lobbying for the guarantee of services to Erskineville and St Peters, which will be sent to the Minister for Transport.

The group is also facilitating a public meeting at Eksineville’s town hall about the rail cuts, and has invited the Transport Minister, the opposition spokesperson, Sydney Trains, the Lord Mayor and other key stakeholders “We want a commitment from the Minister that there will be an increase in current services to end the dangerous overcrowding that’s already happening and to ensure that good services are maintained,” Mr Jenkins said.

The meeting will be held at at 8:30pm on July 14.

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9

Stairway to developer heaven

Lockout laws liquidate La Cita

By EMILY CONTADOR-KELSALL The resolve of Millers Point housing tenants remains strong as properties in the area continue to move from public to private hands.

Minister for Social Housing Brad Hazzard visited the Millers Point community in late June, giving residents renewed hope, despite continued concern over the growing number of vacant tenancies in the area and a long waiting list for housing.

Chairman of the Millers Point, Dawes Point, The Rocks and Walsh Bay Resident Action Group, John McInerney, said residents had “got a little more heart” from the minister’s visit and “put to [him] a proposition regarding a compromise position”.

“Essentially we’ve asked him to stop the relocation process [while the situation is reassessed]”.

“We’ve argued that the government should leave [the remaining 140 tenants] alone because most of those are old and many of them would be seriously affected healthwise if they were to be moved,” he said.

But a spokesperson for the minister said it’s “generally agreed by today’s standards much of the Millers Point portfolio is poorly suited for social housing”.

“The Minister has met with Millers Point tenants and is considering their concerns, but has made clear that currently the Government’s decision to sell properties at Millers Point remains policy,” the spokesperson said.

Despite the government standing firm on their decision to sell off the housing, the group have beseeched the Minister to retain the Sirius building in the Rocks and continue

By CASSANDRA MORGAN The owners of Darling Harbour’s renowned La Cita restaurant have blamed the NSW lockout laws for the club’s recent closure.

The 1.30am lockouts and 3am ‘last drinks’ imposed within the Sydney CBD Entertainment Precinct are blamed for La Cita’s “radical drop in business turnover”.

On June 25, La Cita Latin Restaurant, Bar and Club filed for liquidation under the supervision of Anthony Warner from CRS Insolvency Services.

While La Cita did not respond to requests for comment, Mr Warner had informed City Hub that the owners were blaming the new restrictions for their closure.

In response to customer confusion, La Cita said on their Facebook page that “our business has been put on hold until further notice due to a very delicate internal issue that is out of our hands.”

According to CRS, the business had accumulated approximately $580,000 in debt at the point of filing for liquidation.

Lockout laws were initially enforced in February 2014 by the NSW Government to combat alcohol and drug fuelled violence.

Since then, many

The Sirius building. Source: Wikipedia.commons

to provide social housing in the building.

Mr McInerney said residents have asked to be relocated to the Sirius building but the government continues to empty the site despite 75 per cent of the building being vacant.

“We have people here, elderly people who would be ideally suited to be relocated into Sirius, but the government is not relocating them because we believe the government is trying to, or is aiming to sell Sirius to the highest bidder,” he said.

The state government has said that the funds from the sale of housing at Millers Point will be funnelled towards the creation of new social housing across Sydney and NSW. Interest in the properties remains strong, according to Government Property NSW

CEO Brett Newman, with the announcement of the sale of two more properties for $3.4 million last week.

“Today’s sales bring the total number of Millers Point properties sold to 21, generating $46.6 million to fund social housing,” said Mr Newman in a statement on Thursday July 2.

Towards the end of June, two more terraces on Kent Street were also put up for sale.

Mr McInerney said there were now nearly 250 vacant residencies in Millers Point and asked why they were “sitting [there] while there’s a waiting list of 60,000 [people] in NSW”.

“Why are there 250 vacant tenancies in Millers Point? Some have been vacant for up to five years,” he said.

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establishments have identified the introduction of the regulations as the cause of their financial struggles and, ultimately, the downfall of their businesses.

Fellow Darling Harbour establishment, the Watershed Hotel, is not regulated under the lockout laws, but manager Zachary O’Neill said he could see the negative impact of the laws.

He told City Hub that the restrictions were clearly impacting on economic turnover.

“Obviously that’s plain as day.

You see businesses go bankrupt, the actions speak for themselves” he said.

Now La Cita is facing criticism from customers, who claim that they were not notified about the establishment’s closure prior to their pre-booked functions and events.

One Facebook user, Myriam Troncoso, expressed outrage on the establishment’s Facebook page.

“I had a [sic] event booked…

NO ONE contacted me prior to tell me that La Cita was closed…

I will be lodging a complaint with fair trading.”

Mr Warner, the appointed liquidator from CRS, said his current attempts to secure a sale of the La Cita business name were “unlikely” to succeed.

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FEATURE

NAIDOC kicks inequality to the sidelines

BY Carmen Cita When Lionel Morgan became the first Aboriginal person to play rugby league for Australia in 1960, he was booed and pelted with objects. Fifty-five years on, Indigenous athletes are no longer an anomaly in the sporting arena, but traces of that hostility remain.

Claude Williams of the Wiradjuri nation supervises sporting programs at the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence (NCIE). The former rugby and basketball champion had this to say: “I worked for 13 years travelling to different communities around the country and there is still racism, or inequality, in Australia. To a lesser extent in the more densely populated coastal areas – but when you get to the more isolated areas, it’s certainly still there, and it’s still deep-seated.”

Australian football is positioned as the sport of choice for Indigenous Australians.

While the Indigenous population comprises less than three percent of the total Australian population, Indigenous players make up nine percent of the national AFL list.

Though AFL is popular within Indigenous ranks, inequality plagues the sport. In 2014, AFL luminary Adam Goodes was named Australian of the Year, in recognition of his efforts to combat racism. Like Morgan before him, Goodes has endured racial abuse on the field.

Notably, in 2013, a teenage spectator called the Sydney Swans star an ‘ape’.

“It’s unfortunate that things like that still happen,” said Williams. “[Goodes] took a

strong stand – but people have to understand, that kind of thing may go on at every single game.”

Any remnants of racism will be sidelined this week as inner city communities come together to recognise NAIDOC Week, an annual celebration of the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Kicking off NAIDOC Week with some Oztag, locals will assemble on Thursday for the inaugural PCYC Community Shield in Rowland Park, Daceyville. The tournament will be contested by around 350 local Indigenous and non-Indigenous youths, aged between 10 and 14.

On Friday, thousands are expected to attend the NAIDOC Inner City Family and Sports Day at the NCIE in Redfern.

Williams explained that the event is an important opportunity for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people to get together.

“In communities where there are quite a few Aboriginal people, NAIDOC is an important opportunity to connect,” he said. “And for non-Indigenous Australians, it’s a chance to witness and appreciate our culture. NAIDOC brings the whole community together – it’s a good tool for inclusion and, in a way, it reconciles.”

Concerned that her community wasn’t doing enough to recognise NAIDOC Week, Eastern Suburbs PCYC Manager Jean Ford decided to host the Oztag Gala Day. She explained: “As a parent, and as a member of this community, I felt like I had

to stand up and organise something like this – so that our kids can become a bit more culturally aware.”

“I saw that there are only small pockets that actually celebrate NAIDOC in our area,” Ford continued. “In La Perouse, in the Eastern suburbs, there’s a big Indigenous community - they are from the Dharawal tribe.”

The response to Ford’s tournament has been overwhelmingly positive, with 32 teams registering to compete. Of the 350 participating children, 35 percent are Indigenous.

“Sport is extremely important for young Indigenous Australians,” explained Williams. “Particularly young Aboriginal people in isolated areas who have talent.

They can move out of their communities and go to a bigger city. Sport can give them an opportunity and a pathway, financially and personally, to enhance their lives.”

Ford added: “Sport teaches kids teamwork – it builds their confidence; it gives them a sense of belonging; and it forms friendships.”

The theme for this year’s NAIDOC Week is We all Stand on Sacred Ground: Learn, Respect and Celebrate.

“In this country, there’s still a gap there – that needs to be filled,” said Ford. “It’s important for kids from a young age to recognise and acknowledge the true owners of this land, and the country that they live in.”

“This is not just something that we have to deal with on the sporting field – kids need to be taught about this in schools,”

NAIDOC WEEK EVENTS Koori Kids Under 12s Disco Thu, Jul 9, Herb Greedy Hall, 79 Petersham Rd Marrickville NAIDOC Family Day Thu, Jul 9, The AMS Redfern 36 Turner st Redfern, In the Carpark PCYC Community Shield Thu, Jul 9, Rowland Park Bunnerong Road, Daceyville NSW 2032

Kids from the PCYC Community Shield Oztag Gala Day for NAIDOC week – Photo: Chris Peken

she continued. “We know everything post-Captain Cook, but we don’t know enough about pre-Captain Cook. If our kids have an understanding of history, and what Aboriginal people went through, they are less likely to resort to racism and discrimination.”

Despite evidence of racism in the professional sporting arena, Williams said that today’s Indigenous youth have access to more sporting opportunity than previous generations.

“It wasn’t around when I was a kid,” he recalled. “But now you just have to go out on the field, or basketball court, or netball court, and if you’ve got talent, you will be noticed. And if you’re better than most, you will get an opportunity – and then it’s up to you.”

Inner City Family & Sports Day Fri, Jul 10, National Centre of Indigenous Excellence, 180 George St, Redfern NAIDOC at Rouse Hill Sat, Jul 11, Rouse Hill House and Farm 356 Annangrove Road, Rouse Hill 2152 Burramatta Festival - Come Down To The Corroboree Sun, Jul 12, Parramatta River Foreshore, between Barry Wilde Bridge and Elizabeth Street Family Fun Day Marrickville Thu, Jul 16, Plumtree Preschool.

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11

EAT & DRINK

The Devonshire Affable Restaurant Manager Craig McCall tells me to think of this spot as my “neighbourhood fine diner”. And, after I finish scraping the last skerrick of Devonshire Crème Brulee ($16) with scone ice cream and decadent cherry jam, out of the dainty teacup, I muse he’s exactly right. From the first glistening pat of their famous honey-butter, which adds complexity without too much sweetness to your warm bread roll, to the

$ - mains less than $15

$$ - mains between $15-$22

ROCKS & CBD 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

By Jackie McMillan aforementioned dessert, the food and service here makes you feel right at home. In the dining room, white tablecloths are offset with nicely worn bistro-style chairs.The wall of mismatched mirrors continues (in a miniaturised form) in their hat-worthy bathroom, stocked with L’Occitane products. 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, and balanced by pickled cabbage.

Golden-crumbed pressed lamb shoulder pieces adds texture to Slow Cooked Lamb Rump ($37) with eggplant caviar. Bannockburn Chicken Breast and Pot Roast Leg ($37) hide under crunchy chicken skin, managing to be comforting without being daggy. It’s great against a lean but likeable 2014 Rob Hall Chardonnay ($54). Shave down the prices by booking a 6pm sitting for their twocourse Pre-Theatre Menu ($49/head).

204 Devonshire Street, Surry Hills (02) 9698 9427 thedevonshire.com.au Modern Australian $$$$

$$$ - mains between $22-$30

carrot ribbon and pumpkin puree, or 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 apronclad 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

$$$$ - mains over $30

($20), result in an airy, golden-topped spinach pie, dissected tableside by the universally handsome 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 $$$ Bertoni Farrer Place Despite sitting at the base of Governor Macquarie Tower in the heart of the CBD, Bertoni Farrer Place remains remarkably casual. Hot out of the open kitchen, Quattro Formaggi Stuffed Zucchini Flowers ($18) are densely stuffed (as all zucchini flowers ought to be), oozing rich cheesy goodness on a

Call us anytime on 9557 2777 - Newtown

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city hub 9 july 2015

Mama’s Buoi Salty, sweet, sour and... not. Fried Chicken Ribs ($10) with chilli-lime glaze were touted as the entrée to choose if you like it hot, but they lack any sort of real chilli kick. “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 more widely appealing. And clearly it’s worked: in the Surry

necessarily sharp rocket salad.The classic Vitello Tonnato ($19) is lightened with salad leaves and exceedingly tasty capers.

You can’t go wrong with the earthy and shellfish-sweet Farro Risotto ($24), arriving perfectly al dente. Fragrant Slow-Roasted Porchetta ($23) is tender and unctuous, with an irresistible ribbon of crackling. However, it’s worth coming just for the Tiramisu ($12), served tableside from a large tray.

Corner Phillip and Bent Streets, Sydney (02) 9241 2127 bertoni.com.au/farrer-place Italian $$-$$$

GREATER SYDNEY Barrel Bar & Dining Twenty-six year old Zac Stanning has

Hills quick-bite-after-work market, this joint is killing it on a Tuesday at 6pm. Meaning you’ll dance - to Studio 54-esque first wave disco - between counter seating and pretty tiled tables, to reach your seat in this old-school Saigon-styled space.The A.K. Sour ($16) with aromatic passionfruit proves sweeter than the lemongrass-infused Vietnamese Caipirinha ($16). Both make excellent companion drinks to crunchy Hanoi Shrimp Cakes ($12) – basically crisp corn, sweet potato and school prawn fritters. Juicy soft shell crab topping a salad of green papaya and pomelo, makes Mama’s Boy’s Buoi ($20) a winner, especially against Beer Lao ($8). Giving up on heat, I followed Guillaume’s advice and teamed my Marinated Pork Spare Ribs ($22) from the grill with a surprisingly delicious, vegan-friendly Coconut Tamarind Curry ($16), cooked in coconut cream and milk for six hours.This still-expanding chain is fresh and stylish, and clearly speaks to the people.

116 Devonshire Street, Surry Hills (02) 9281 9993 Vietnamese $$-$$$

been a head chef for six months.Throw in a triumvirate of sommelier owners, and you have what could be a disaster.

What you find, however, is a cohesive wine bar and restaurant reflecting the tastes and BYO proclivities of the local area. Stanning wants to cook “something that people will like”, evident in portsweet Duck Liver Parfait ($17), but also in the absence of obscure ingredients.

He makes a sweet orange symphony of Carrots ($17) - 24-hour cooked, pickled, smoked and crisp carrots with pebbles of honeycomb. Equally exciting is his forest floor of Sauteed King Oyster Mushrooms ($17), crisp mushroom bark and mossy green parsley sponge.

3/362 Military Road, Cremorne (02) 9904 5687 barrelbar.com.au Modern Australian $$$-$$$$

DARLO, KINGS X & SURRY HILLS Firedoor Gnarly log is the first object to catch your eye, right after the fancy sliding door spits you unceremoniously into the Surry Hills warehouse. Chef Lennox Hastie puts the skills he learned at Spain’s Etxebarri to good use, employing fire from different woods to coax the best out of your dinner. Jersey Curd ($16) balances smoky creaminess with pickles. Seafood options, from barely-set WA Marron ($46) to plump Pippies ($32) with garlic and chilli, prove menu highlights. Meatier options, like Lamb Rump Cap ($48) with borlotti beans – form an ideal bridge to dessert: root vegetables made super delicious as roasted Spaghetti Squash ($16) with

EAT DRINK

EAT &&DRINK

By Jackie McMillan

Civilian Bar & Kitchen

By Ryan Kennedy Polished concrete, dark wood, bare light bulbs, and heavy slab tables— Civilian is decor ready for inner-city cool.

Come on a Friday and the Passionfruit Sour ($17)— sweet, smoky with mescal, and topped with thick Italian meringue— is a bargain at ten bucks, and comes with complimentary (and tremendously compelling) truffled popcorn. Light share meals from new Head Chef Aaron

pepitas and pumpkin ice cream.

23-33 Mary Street, Surry Hills (02) 8204 0800 firedoor.com.au Modern Australian $$$$ Osaka Bar This spot celebrates the dishes of Japan’s second largest city, Osaka, famous for inexpensive street food. It’s the birthplace of Takoyaki ($8.50/8), and the gooey-centred offerings here are the bomb. Just keep your on-tap Suntory Premium Malt ($8.50) handy; they’re served piping hot.You should try their pressed, rectangular oshizushi.

The BBQ Eel ($18.50) version stuffed with shitake mushrooms then topped with cucumber, egg and chives, proved excellent. Konamomo – flour-based dishes - including tasty Ika-yaki ($8.50) squid pancakes, are also popular with

By DJ Hookie Balmain, and its surrounding suburbs of Birchgrove and Rozelle, have become awash with visitors from all corners of the city, keen to tuck in to the cosmopolitan selection of trendy cafés and restaurants. Precisely why a visit to Charlotte Café in Birchgrove, provides such pleasant respite from the hustle and bustle. It’s a place where locals come to meet over a coffee (of which any Campos fan would approve), or one of the appetising dishes this establishment has to offer.

Complete with outdoor dog bowls for the fourlegged friends of locals – the place appears to

INNER WEST 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 –

Mihelic steal the show: the Herb Crumbed Hen’s Egg ($12) is a crisp and decadent pleasure, while the generous serving of Hiramasa Kingfish Carpaccio ($16) with explosions of finger lime, orange soy and puffed wild rice, had me scouring the plate for missed morsels. Creamy, briny Pemulwuy Oysters ($4/each) are also a refreshing treat, topped with celery, apple and lime granita. Confit Pork Belly ($27.50) is as crisp, sticky and tender as it ought to be, but an (equally tender) Braised Lamb Shoulder ($26.50) gets a little lost in an overly complex dish.All is forgiven after tasting the sides; warm cumin-spiced Fried Cauliflower ($10.50) earthy with hummus and freshened by yogurt, and goat’s cheese and pepita-spiked Roasted Pumpkin ($13). For a sweet finish the Milk Caramel Chocolate Tart ($15) combines a lot of coffee-crunchybanana elements in an artfully strewn mess, and somehow there isn’t a bad mouthful. Did I mention the $10 cocktails?

248 Palmer Street, Darlinghurst (02) 9361 4162 civilian.net.au Modern Australian $$$

the people of Osaka. Alongside goldencrumbed deep-fried stuff on sticks - kushikatsu – from moist Zucchini ($1.50) to Potato Croquettes ($2.50), they make excellent drinking snacks against sake or Japanese whisky.

Shop 15, Llankelly Place, 24-30 Springfield Avenue, Potts Point (02) 8970 1143 osakabar.com.au Japanese $$ Haven The end of one-way communication between you and your barista is nigh!

Inside this spacious Chalmers Street café, a star-shaped flavour chart invites you to direct the barista using aroma, sweetness, acidity, body and aftertaste.

It’s translated into adjustments in time, temperature, grind size and single origin bean, producing a customised Latte ($4).

The best expression of the work of world

Charlotte Café

By Jackie McMillan jackie@alternativemediagroup.com

champion Taiwanese coffee roaster, Jake Hu, is the 8-Hour Cold Brew ($6). Now while the focus is coffee, Chef Thomas Taylor ensures food isn’t neglected. His Pork Belly Kimcheese Burger ($19) shines from bold use of the healthy Korean staple, tangled with coriander, grated apple, radish and sesame-dotted omelette.

30-34 Chalmers Street, Surry Hills (02) 9281 9300 havenspecialtycoffee.com.au Café $-$$ EASTERN SUBURBS & BEACHES

The Traditional Chip Shop The British sure know how to make a decent fish’n’chips.While it’s not exactly ‘catch of the day’ and the menu reads like a DIY heart attack, it’s a

be a family favourite.

The Charlotte Special ($18.50) is a decadent, Norwegian take on eggs Benedict, featuring homemade Hollandaise (always a necessity) topped with fish roe.The crunch of Corn Fritters ($14.50) with baby spinach and grilled haloumi is offset nicely with a cucumber and yoghurt topping.Avocado and Fresh Tomatoes on Toast ($10) with pesto, proved a delightful snack for my vegan dining-mate, and we’re told it’s a best seller.With grandiose plans to expand the Charlotte empire to include Mosman, Pennant Hills, and the Australian Technology Park, owner Jason Ghebar has high hopes that the wider Sydney audience will embrace the Charlotte family, just as well as the locals have, right here in Birchgrove.

127 Rowntree Street, Birchgrove (0403) 924 168 facebook.com/CharlotteCafeBirchgrove Café $-$$

especially with perfectly cooked Kangaroo Fillet ($26) with earthy beetroot, walnut and goats cheese salad, and the famous madrasstyle Fish Curry ($20), mild and elegant, with a slab of crispskinned salmon.

117 Arundel Street, Forest Lodge (02) 9660 1872 forestlodgehotel.com.au Pub Bistro $$-$$$ The Balmain Hotel With dumplings one buck each on a Thursday night, most patrons are tucking into steaming bamboo baskets—but The Balmain Hotel also has new dishes to try. Salty creamy goodness is doubled down in smoked cheese-enriched

stuffed zucchini flowers and aromatic jalapeno croquettes, each irresistibly deep-fried and crispy. Throw in some fluffy Peking duck steamed buns, and you have one tasty Share Plate for 2 ($35).

But this is a pub, and pubs live and die by their classics. Fortunately the Balmain Burger ($18) stands and delivers with classic charred Australiana complete with grated beetroot. Fluffy little ice cream buns - Salted Caramel Sliders ($12) – have a nice hot-cold dynamic against warm chocolate sauce.

74 Mullens Street, Balmain (02) 9810 7500 thebalmain.com Pub Bistro $$-$$$

Drake Eatery

By Ryan Kennedy It’s hard to say what I like about Drake Eatery the most.

Just opened and already booked out, the light wood furnishings and grainy yellow floor scream beach, while dark wood highlights and floor-to-ceiling windows exude casual cool—it’s perfect for Bondi.What’s more, Chef Ian Oakes named this beachside venture after his favourite protein, and the avenue his grandma lived on, where he

damn good feed.This chippie has a mix of British and Irish specialties like haggis, black pudding and deep-fried Mars Bars, but if you want to ease yourself in, go for Cod ($14.95) with hand cut chips.Throw in some Mushy Peas ($2.50) and douse it with vinegar for a bona fide taste of England. Curry Cheese Chips ($7.50) are a standout – like Irish poutine, they’re decadent hangover food.Wash it down with sherbet-flavoured soda: Irn Bru ($3), the ‘national drink of Scotland behind Whiskey’.

49-55 St. Pauls Street, Randwick (1300) 2447 7467 thechipshop.com.au Seafood $ Mappen Bondi Junction This DIY noodle bar, where you selfserve your fresh crispy tempura and

learned his first recipes. Beyond the style and sentiment there also is substance, evidenced by musky Chicken Liver Parfait ($16) with apple and rhubarb chutney and crumbs of pistachio; not to mention the shards of bacon adorning pepita and thyme-strewn Roast Pumpkin ($12) with burnished sprouts—it’s simple cooking done very well. 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.As you’d expect, the Roast Thirlmere Duck ($29) is perfectly cooked, served on a carrot puree sparked up with hot, fresh ginger.There’s even a lollipop of confit leg.And faith in the staff is rewarded with dessert recommendations of nut and honeycomb-encrusted White Chocolate and Honeycomb Parfait ($14), and Ricotta Doughnuts ($12). Knockout stuff.

Corner of Curlewis and Gould Streets, Bondi Beach (02) 9130 3218 drakeeatery.com.au Modern Australian $$$

toppings, sauces and water, has the bustle of a traditional Tokyo style diner with the warmth of Sydney hospitality.

Servers giggle sheepishly as you peruse the menu, made up mostly of ramen, rice bowls and salads, with a couple of Japanese beers.Whether you go for the Teriyaki Salmon ($8.50) with rice, or the lighter Teriyaki Chicken Salad ($7.90), the teriyaki is on point, and at food-court prices, you feel like you’re winning. Mappen members get edamame, salad and sake for only $3, great against the warming Curry and Beef ($7.70) with udon noodles and tender stewed beef.

Shop 5, 183-193 Oxford Street, Bondi Junction (02) 9388 0609 mappen.com.au Japanese $

FOOD NEWS

Little Jean Double Bay has had a makeover, and riding on the coattails of the impressive InterContinental, is Little Jean. Relaxed and streamlined, it’s like a first-class airport lounge, so keep it classy with freshly shucked Sydney Rock Oysters ($20/6) and Prosecco ($9.50/glass).The café (bistro by night) is by the guys behind the Golden Sheaf’s bistro, and showcases seasonal, sustainable produce. Bruschetta ($16) with house-cured salmon is fresh and filling, while Steak Frites ($28) are Frenchy and chic like the clientele. On the lighter side, Roasted Cauliflower Salad ($18) is perfectly balanced with tahini and yoghurt dressing.

1 Kiaora Road, Double Bay (02) 9328 0201 littlejean.com.au Modern Australian, Café $$

By Jackie McMillan Despite the colder weather inclining us to stay indoors, Sydney’s restaurateurs have been busy diversifying our dining options this winter. I recently popped into Walsh Bay’s Lotus Dumpling Bar for a steamer basket of prawn dumplings and scallop shumai, only to hear they’re kicking things up to the next level with Lotus Galeries opening this week, right in the heart of the CBD.With hip designers DS17 in control, it’s sure to look the part – think stripped back, raw and textured with a white-on-blue ceramics colour scheme. Double Bay’s Stockroom have also come to the winter dining party by introducing a new grill concept on the robata. Of course, to fully experience this seasonal menu of fresh seafood, artisan meats and seasonal vegetables cooked robata-style you’d need to stay; and their ‘Indulgent Delicacies’ package ($550/room, dinner and wine) is just the way to do it between now and 30 September.Too pricy?

Okay, head into Potts Point for a smaller bite of the good life, in the form of a decadent lobster roll. Newcomer Waterman’s Lobster Co. is dishing ‘em up Connecticut or Maine-style for under twenty bucks. And last, but by no means least, Darlinghurst’s iconic Lucio Pizzeria has opened up a new (larger) outlet in Zetland, complete with a mozzarella bar. I’ll be heading there later this month to check it out… www.lotusrestaurant.com.au | www.intercontinental.com/doublebay www.luciopizzeria.com.au | www.watermanslobsterco.com

bar fly

By Amie Barbeler

Barrio Cellar Margaritas, a mariachi band and a Naked Lady in each hand… what more could you ask for on a Wednesday night? Overtaking Spice Cellar‘s spot on Elizabeth Street is Barrio Chino’s new venture – Barrio Cellar: a late night Mexican cantina bar that trades until 3am. At Barrio, the focus is on tequila – just in case the massive neon ‘Everything with Tequila!’ sign in the entrance didn’t give it away… After my date and I descended into the art-deco inspired sunken cellar and weaved our way through the excitable after work crowd, she staked us out a comfy booth, while I sorted out the booze. I couldn’t go past Barrio’s signature Tommy Margarita ($16), while my date wrapped her lips around a delicate Naked Lady ($18) with strawberry-infused tequila, Cointreau, lemon and bitters.

While we drank, we people watched and munched on deliciously spicy crispy prawn and calamari tacos ($7).

Tequila, tacos and tunes… consider me sold.

Basement, 58 Elizabeth Street, Sydney (02) 9232 7380 facebook.com/Barriocellar city hub 9 july 2015

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Dapto Chaser Noel Hodda - photo by Brett Boardman

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

BRENDAN COWELL’S MEN Brendan Cowell’s Men first premiered at the Old Fitz Theatre back in 2000, and it re-emerges on that exact stage this year.

The play focuses on three completely different stereotypes of men and the way they interact with each other. It stars Sean Hawkins, Ben O’Toole, Jamie Timony and Cheree Cassidy.

Ben O’Toole plays Crazy Bob - he is the male stereotype of the aggressive, testosterone-fuelled man. O’Toole enjoys the character because he is such a complicated man.“Crazy Bob is fascinating,” he said.“There’s so much going on with this guy, there’s serious stuff going on with Crazy Bob.”

This isn’t the first Brendan Cowell production O’Toole has been involved in. He has also starred in Sublime, Ruben Guthrie and Mojo. In addition to his role in Men, he is currently filming the latest Pirates of the Caribbean movie with Johnny Depp.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t give any information out, as it’s all hush-hush. (AMal) Until July 25.The Old Fitz Theatre, 129 Dowling Street, Woolloomooloo. $30-$35. ($25 Cheap Tuesday) Tickets & info: www.oldfitztheatre.com or 0422 198 955

Review: Kitty Flanagan Seriously?

Kitty Flanagan’s zealous performance is engaging from the get go.With genuine, booming laughs cascading down the packed Roslyn Packer Theatre –– produced by a relaxed, confident Kitty simply sharing her hilarious experiences, and taking us along for the ride. Letting the eager audience into her life with stories and interpretations from a middle-aged, single woman’s point of view. Simplicity at its best, amid great content, confident execution, and authentically amusing encounters.With a drink in-hand making it even more enjoyable, this kind of easy-to-love comedy will leave you wanting more after the seemingly short 90 minute segment.With a song welcoming you into the show, and another welcoming you right out, it was a great performance, featuring her sister Penny Flanagan for an uplifting, albeit harsh duet.

Flanagan’s – Seriously? Will have you in stitches, with nearly no time to breathe between quips. Relatable and endearing, ballsy and exciting, a wonderful combination of swearing done right, and the mundane with bite. (RM) WWWW1/2 Limited shows until July 18. Roslyn Packer Theatre, 22 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay. $46.90-$49.90.

Tickets & info: www.roslynpackertheatre.com.au or 9250 1999

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city hub 9 July 2015

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The Dapto Chaser The greyhound racing industry has had a bad rap in the Australian media recently, with views that go so far as to cry injustice and animal cruelty, through to families who argue that their lives could be turned upside down if the industry were to shut down.

Cue Mary Rachel Brown’s big-hearted theatre show:The Dapto Chaser.You can laugh along at a comedy that gets its hands dirty and the adrenaline running, exploring a family whose hearts and cash are tied into the controversial dog racing subculture.

Main character Jimmy is the ‘black sheep’ of the Sinclair family. Lacking the ‘die-hard dog person’ traits that his other family members possess, his

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

decisions cause some interesting relational conflicts that test the bounds of love, fear and commitments between the family.

The family is heavily tied into the greyhound race track that is managed by Arnold. Played by Noel Hodda,Arnold has a vendetta toward them, and is the boss and arch nemesis of Jimmy - but don’t think for a second he is all evil and dark.You will find yourself laughing at him.“He is such an obsessive person… people look at him and think he is ridiculous,” explains Hadda. (JC) Until July 24. Griffin Theatre, 13 Craigend St, Darlinghurst. $30-$38.Tickets & info: www.griffintheatre.com.au or 02 9361 3817

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.

Of Mice and Men at The Seymour Centre John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men premiered on Broadway in 1937 while the novella was still on best seller lists. With the Great Depression very fresh in people’s minds and continuing political and economic uncertainty at home and abroad, Of Mice and Men was a striking commentary on how society treats its most vulnerable citizens, and how the human spirit somehow endures. This current embodiment is part of the Reginald Season at the Seymour Centre, and continues to be as pertinent and moving as it was more than seventy years ago.

Set in the desperation of the Great Depression, George (Anthony Gooley Underbelly:The Golden Mile,The Libertine) and Lenny (Andrew Henry - Howie The Rookie, All My Sons) are displaced migrant workers who dream of one day settling down on their own piece of land. Their shared vision of a better future and the strength of their friendship carry them through the loneliness, oppression and uncertainty of one of the world’s most profound eras of disillusionment.

Of Mice and Men is an eerily salient indictment of our current treatment of our disenfranchised fringe dwellers, our migrant peoples and our poor, while remaining an uplifting story of friendship pushed to the limits. (JH) 9 – 25 July. Reginald Theatre, Seymour Centre – Cnr City Rd and Cleveland St, Chippendale. $25-$39.

Tickets & info: seymourcentre.com/events/event/of-mice-and-men/

The Cherry Orchard The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov, set in 1904, is quite fun to go and watch. It’s a period piece with the appropriate costumes, and the themes are still relatable today.We fall in love with the wrong people, we make incorrect choices, and sometimes we just like to stick our heads in the sand.We try to do our best, our journey is sometimes sad, sometimes funny, and hopefully there’s love.These are the same issues people were facing in 1904.

“The Cherry Orchard is about humanity and transitions in life, some of us are able to deal with these transitions and others are kind of paralysed and unable to move forward, even though it can be detrimental to them,” explains Cherrie Whalen-David, who plays the role of Ranevskaya.“It’s change both social and personal, set in a time when Russia was going through enormous changes.The aristocracy was becoming a smaller class, the serfs were being emancipated, there was a middle class developing.”

“The play is quite absurd at times. It’s definitely a fun play, it’s a

comedy with some underlying tragedy. It’s quite a moving piece, as you’re really rooting for certain characters to embrace the changes.They can’t do it and that’s ultimately their downfall,” added Cherrie.

Depot Theatre’s new independent venue is at the Addison Road Community Centre in Marrickville. Farmers Markets are there every Sunday, along with Reverse Garbage and a little art gallery for people to display their work. It was built in 1914 as an army depot and was used until just after the Vietnam War. In 1979 it became a community centre and previous to Depot Theatre, Sidetrack Theatre was located there. It is an old space that’s being reincarnated, and it’s exciting to see the rebirth of this new theatre. (MS) July 15 - August 1.The Depot Theatre, 142 Addison Road, Marrickville. $24-$29. ($20 Wednesdays/School Students/Previews) Tickets & info: info@thedepottheatre.com or 0428032838

REVIEW: Turandot Walking up the grand stairs of the Opera House on a sleepless night of rapturous sonority, one could have the impression of ascending into heavenly clouds from some ancient pyramid of the Imperial Qin Dynasty. Such was the profound beauty of Opera Australia’s production of Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot.

In the role of the fierce and brutal princess Turandot,American soprano Lise Lindstrom astonished the audience with her entrance aria - In questa reggia (“In this palace”).

South Korean tenor Yonghoon Lee, as Calaf, brought the house down roaring after his aria - Nessun dorma (“None shall sleep”). He surely tamed the wildest of beasts with his skilled performance, range and sensitivity.

The opera would not have been the same without the splendour of Korean soprano Hyeseoung Kwon, who starred as the slave girl Liù. Her loyalty towards Calaf is heart-wrenching, and was portrayed with an expressive and faultless vocal technique.

Opera Australia certainly went ‘all out’ with this flawless production.The phenomenal chorus, the immaculate costumes and the elaborate stage design bedazzled the audience.

Graeme Murphy’s choreography and directorship of Turandot forever lives on, and fosters inspiration and wonder together with the brilliant Opera Australia Chorus, Opera Australia Children’s Chorus and The Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra. (PU) Until Aug 28. Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House. $44-$330+b.f.Tickets & info: sydneyoperahouse.com

THEATRE & PERFORMANCE THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK Written in 1955, this stage play is based on the novel of the same name, which explores the lives of a group of Jewish people who lived in hiding from Nazi persecution in Amsterdam between 1942 and 1944.

Justina Ward delivers a vibrant performance as Anne Frank and the powerful direction of Sam Thomas has extruded emotionally charged performances from the ensemble cast. The intimacy of the fringe theatre and a small stage cluttered with basic furniture and props effectively resonates the extremities in living conditions, and audiences are seemingly on stage as the story unfolds. (MMo) Until July 11, New Theatre, 542

King Street Newtown, $17 – $32, Bookings: 02 9519 3403 or newtheatre.org.au LIKE ME This mad mayhem of a comedy from Mongrel Mouth Theatre is inspired by the modern era’s narcissistic obsession with social media. Eight hours of theatre is condensed into an hour-and-a-half and eight rooms, over two levels of a 166-year-old, five-storey mansion.

Inspired by the Bouffon clowning technique of French dramatic master Jacque LeCoq (which is ridiculous and mocking in style) this unique performance simultaneously follows a small community of dysfunctional and ego-driven former patients who have overthrown their once pristine treatment centre. Audiences have the freedom to wander essentially wherever and whenever they want.

(AM)

Until July 11. Merchants House, 43-45 George St,The Rocks. $20-$30.Tickets & info: www.mongrelmouth.com CIRCUS UNDER MY BED The Flying Fruit Fly Circus is back. Circus Under My Bed tells the story of a young girl coming to terms with moving away and the exciting, thrilling, imaginary final night in her old house. Children aged 9-19 perform this world-renowned circus.

The production is a mix of classic circus, vaudeville and storytelling – this is pure entertainment for both adults and children, and the perfect activity for the kids these school holidays. Circus Under My Bed was nominated last year for Best Visual or Physical production at The Helpmann Awards. (LB) Until July 12.The Studio, Sydney Opera House. $24-$59.

Bookings & info: www.sydneyoperahouse.com SNUGGLEPOT & CUDDLEPIE May Gibbs’ famous storybook characters have been delighting Australian children for almost a century. Come down to the Sydney Opera House these July school holidays for a modern adaptation to delight all ages. This funny, enchanting production introduces today’s children to the wonderful world of May Gibbs and the magic of the Australian bush, as the iconic duo journey to the big city to go ‘human spotting’. Be sure to check out the illustrations that inspired the stories with an exhibition of May Gibbs’ works, free every day in the Western Foyers. (JH) Until July 12, Playhouse, Sydney Opera House, $24 – $50. Bookings & info: sydneyoperahouse.com

THE ISHMAEL CLUB This play is centered around a mock gentleman’s club of the same name, where artistic types hung out in the heart of Melbourne around 1884-1915, making fun of everything and everyone. It focusses on Norman Lindsay, remembered mostly for The Magic Pudding and some risqué nudes, and talented political cartoonist Will Dyson. “It’s a play about the loss of innocence, the tension in Australia in The Arts, between populists and elitists, Lindsay who was an elitist in his politics and his art, and Dyson who was a Democrat and a Socialist,” says Jasper Garner Gore, who plays Norman. (MS) Until July 18.The Old Fitz Theatre, 129 Dowling Street, Woolloomooloo. $22. Bookings & info: www.oldfitztheatre.com

MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN Belvoir’s interpretation of one of Bertolt Brecht’s most widely-staged shows is a lively, episodic depiction of wartime society, hedonism and profiteering.

Eamon Flack’s direction, and new translation by Michael Gow, somewhat modify the original to point of contemporary global affairs.

Musical interludes spruce up an essentially terrible tale. Robyn Nevin is forceful as Mother Courage, wearing a daggy outfit resembling a caravan park host rather than a seventeenth-century war profiteer.

With her droll delivery and elfin mischievousness, she dominates the show. (OA) Until July 26. Belvoir Theatre, 18 – 25 Belvoir Street Surry Hills. $39-$72. Bookings: belvoir.com.au or 9699 3444. city hub 9 July 2015

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T H E N A K E D C IT Y

SURROUND SOUND RENAISSANCE

By Coffin Ed, and Miss Death and Jay Katz If you are old enough you might remember when the words “surround sound” were first introduced into the modern lexicon, both in the cinema and with multi speaker home hi-fi systems.That was way back in the 70s.These days home theatres are common place but surprisingly few dedicated music recordings are made to evoke the feeling of space and intimacy that you experience in a live situation.

One Sydney-based group that is pioneering a regeneration of surround sound recordings is Mir Creation, which includes the renowned recording engineer Ross A’Hern and musician/producer Ben Gurton.Their latest offering is a stunning recording from multi-instrumentalist and composer Gary Daley, recorded using cutting edge technology at the Cerretti Chapel in Manly.

Gary Daley’s Sanctuary is much more than just a unique sound experience from a large ensemble of virtuoso musicians. For Gary it’s the culmination of a project, years in the making and one with a deep personal inspiration.

“I’m naturally drawn to storytelling and there were stories unfolding in my life which were personally all consuming. My mother had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and her health was deteriorating. I and my family were very hands-on in caring for mum and her

journey was front and centre in my life,” says Gary.

“During this time (2010) my first grandchild was born and this proved to be an overwhelming experience for me. Live at the Village commissioned me to compose a major piece and after successfully receiving an Australia Council new work grant it was natural that these stories would form the basis of the work.”

Musically, Sanctuary defies classification into any one genre, with the players drawn from a diverse range of

Exhibition Review: Writing Art Questioning the nature of creativity and its place in contemporary society is a specialty of Artspace Gallery, and its new exhibition, Writing Art, is continuing the tradition.

Drawing upon structuralist and post structuralist theories, Writing Art explores the relationship between text and image.

Can words paint? Can paintings write? Is conventional art a separate entity to the written piece? Or do both combine to produce a newer, more interesting and intrinsically challenging object?

Magritte’s famous paradox, Ceci n’est past une pipe (This is not a Pipe), is a prime exemplar of the concept.

This show is part of the gallery’s new Ideas Platform initiative. A small area at the entrance to Artspace has been assigned as a space for those with a thought to creatively convey it. This dynamic programme will provoke a multitude of innovative and unusual expressions, which will complement other works displayed in the main room.

Writing Art is a wonderful introduction to the process. Unique, contextual and interactive - the showcased textual pieces create rapacious pictures of visual and sensory artistry. An important challenge to accepted norms, this is an experience that leaves the visitor intrigued, informed and still asking questions. (LR) Until July 16, Artspace, 43-51 Cowper Wharf Road Woolloomooloo, Admission Free.

exhibitions ART AS A VERB This group exhibition denotes the concept of art as action. Showcasing actions, performances, situational pieces, manifestos, interactive props, take home photographs, instructional works and intriguing takes on seemingly mundane activity. There are over 60 pieces in the exhibition that journey through the 1960’s to the present. Mixed medium is used throughout including sculpture, performance and documentary.

There are many reflections on the social function of art itself, the 16

city hub 9 July 2015

relevance of interactions and all the situational, individual experiences and responses in between. A provocative and surreal exhibition, that requires an open mind. (RM) Until July 26. Artspace.

43 – 51 Cowper Wharf Road, Woolloomooloo, http://www.artspace.org.au/ VIDEO GAMES LIVE Veteran video game composer and world record holder Tommy Tallarico brings his Video Games Live show to Australia.

This show brings video game music to life through a full symphony orchestra synchronised to video game visuals.

During his 25 years in the industry

backgrounds – jazz, classical, bluegrass and folk. Over the years Gary himself has played in many different groups including Richard Maegraith’s Galaxstare,The Catholics and James Greening’s Greening from Ear to Ear, as well as his own bands and even the ABC children’s group Lah-Lah. He notes: “I love improvised music and electronics but am also into African, roots and folk music.What I can say about the music of Sanctuary is I made a deliberate attempt to be as spontaneous as possible when workshopping

ideas and writing.”

As for the actual recording, Gary recalls “a rather serendipitous meeting” with the engineer Ross A’Hern which led to recording Sanctuary in a unique and novel way.

“As it happened Ross had just started his company, Mir Creation, with Ben Gurton and Jack MetCalfe focusing on high-res surround sound recording.We all became excited about the Sanctuary music being an ideal vehicle for this approach.We then set about looking for a suitable venue in which to best realise the sonic landscape we were looking for, eventually finding the beautiful Cerretti Chapel in Manly,” explained Daley.

“This space, with its amazing natural reverb, and acoustic/aesthetic ambience offered tantalizing possibilities.We recorded live with virtually no overdubs or studio manipulation with the space becoming like another member of the band. I’ve have never been involved in a project where all the elements, i.e. musical, conceptual and technical, came together in such a unified way.”

The Sanctuary project was performed live at a memorable concert earlier this year at the Riverside Theatre, and Gary hopes to repeat the performance in the near future. In the meantime, whether you have the full surround set up or just a humble stereo, this album is an inspiration, both musically and sound wise. Check out availability at garydaley.com.au

Charles Dennington: Amorphous Basin Amorphous Basin by Charles Dennington showcases some innovative photographic pieces set in a white, intimate space at the Galerie pompom, with one small room dedicated to the works.

All the photographs are highly contrasted, causing the definition to be sharp and stark; using the facial front to compare receding and advancing spacial relationships. When using this photographic medium, a frontage is unseen, just as it is seen - and it remains present, while simultaneously lacking.

The images cause double-takes, as they are abstract in their composition, due to their use of harsh shadows and inviting patterns. Montages of anxious hands, isolated facial features appearing like mountainous landscapes, familiar portraits of a familiar face, and overlaying images of colours under shadows of (yet again) facial features and forms.

This collection has an overall feeling to it –– understated and somewhat wistful. (RM) Until July 19. Galerie pompom, 39 Abercrombie Street, Chippendale.

Admission free.

Info: www.galeriepompom.com Tallarico has worked with some of the biggest games franchises in history from Earthworm Jim in the early 90s to Tony Hawk Pro Skater,Twisted Metal, Metroid Prime, Sonic and Madden in the mid-90s and right up to today working with the developers of Destiny, Assassins Creed 4 and Mass Effect.

With this extensive experience, Tallarico has seen the games industry grow and develop a significant cultural standing over the years. (JA) Jul 30, Enmore Theatre, 130 Enmore Rd, Newtown, www.videogameslive.com LOCALS ONLY: CALIFORNIAN

SKATEBOARDING 1975-78 Skateboarding was once thought of as ‘counter culture’ and only practised inside small, territorial groups. The most famous of these groups include the Z-boys and Dogtown skateboarders, hailing from California. The image of tanned bodies, sun splashed blonde hair and a ‘devil may care’ attitude is synonymous with California skaters of the 1970’s. But who captured and popularised this image? Hugh Holland. Holland’s famous photographs will be on display for the first time in Australia. Often imitated but never equalled, his

work gives the viewer the opportunity to experience what’s its like to be there at the beginning of a movement. (BM) Until August 1. Blender Gallery, 16 Elizabeth Street, Paddington 2021. (Closed Sundays and Mondays.)

24 Frames The Carriageworks has been transformed into an immersive multimedia and dance experience, featuring 24 different works by 24 different artists. Commissioned as part of a partnership between the Australian Council Of The Arts and Carriageworks, this exhibition is set to be one of the most ambitious and

extensive presentations of dance on screen in Australia, occupying a space that is 6000 metres squared. The curators of the show placed very few limitations upon the artists, the only guidelines being that the works had to have a film element and also incorporate a dance element. Due to this philosophy the variety of works is astonishing, ranging from projections in various sizes and formats to works that incorporate the structural heritage elements of the venue itself into the art. (JA) Jun 18 – Aug 2, Carriageworks, 245 Wilson St, Everleigh, FREE, info: carriageworks.com.au

OUT OF NATURE

Filmed in the haunting beauty of the Norwegian wilderness, this quasi-documentary explores the anxieties of a man who feels detached from his wife and child, trapped in a marriage and who yearns for a new life.

Martin (Ole Giaever) ventures to the mountains for the weekend, a habitual hiking trip he lives for. Disenchanted with life, he contemplates the future - should he start over, divorce his wife and revisit his single life?

Ultimately, he ponders committing adultery to irreversibly change his life from which he desperately needs to escape.

The narrative approach to this film is uniquely alluring, where audiences hear the wayward thoughts traversing Martin’s mind,

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 re-appropriation 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 JURASSIC WORLD It’s been 22 years since the first Jurassic Park left audiences enamoured with the concept of a dinosaur theme park, and that sense of wonderment has been successfully reinvigorated in this third sequel. It’s a testament to director Colin Trevorrow who has stepped up to take the reins of his first major blockbuster and knocked it out of the (jurassic) park. Leads

Ted 2

Ted (Seth MacFarlane) and his thunder buddy John (Mark Wahlberg) are back in Ted 2, the sequel to MacFarlane’s 2012 comedy about a foul-mouthed teddy bear who came to life.

Ted has married his Brooklyn babe,Tami-Lynn (Jessica Barth), and they decide to have a baby to save their relationship. But before Ted can become a father, he has to prove in court that he is a person and not property.

In the first film it was John who needed to grow up. Now the narrative is all about Ted, while Wahlberg’s dumped man-child takes a depressed backseat to his bear bro, having little to do besides tag along and find romance with the young pot-smoking lawyer (Amanda Seyfried) assigned to help Ted. Seyfried does a good job of injecting warmth to her role, which nicely balances the crudity of the mostly male cast.

Since the predecessor was a comedy that successfully walked the line between clever and crass, the same could be expected for the sequel.Yet, because this is a Seth MacFarlane project, expectations are involuntarily higher.

Unfortunately Ted 2 falls more on the crass side and feels like a half-hearted attempt to milk the concept – MacFarlane is more successful when he breaks the mould.

There are more than enough one-liners and silly humour to get plenty of giggles from the audience, and the animators should get special mention for creating such a believable and sometimes sweet performance from a teddy bear, but it feels like most of the cast are underutilised and bored.At least there are a whole lot of cameos to get the audience talking. (LL) WWW

private thoughts he doesn’t disclose to anybody.

Cleverly scripted, this original and award-winning movie is exquisitely filmed in the outdoors, with mesmerising close-ups of soaring eagles, sunsets and mountain landscapes.

Gratuitous full-frontal nudity pervades the film, and audiences should be amused by the shameless masturbation scene in the wilderness. (MMo) WWW 1/2 Screening at Palace Norton Street & Palace Verona as part of the Scandinavian Film Festival. July 8-26. $19.50.

Tickets & Info: scandinavianfilmfestival.com

Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard do a solid job of being coheroes. Romantic interest takes a backseat to the training relationship Pratt’s tough-guy Owen has with his team of raptors.While there are some weak points — twodimensional supporting characters and a shoehorned sub-plot — none of that will matter in one of the most anticipated sequels ever made.

(LL) WWWW SLM MOVIE CLUB SERIES: AUSTRALIAN FILMMAKERS Local filmmakers are being acknowledged in the Sydney Living Museum’s latest Movie Club Series, documentary screenings are followed by Q&A sessions with the filmmakers.

88 (July 26) is a landmark documentary from Adrian Russell Wills and Micaela Perske, which delves into the events that led up to January 26 1988, triggering the largest assembly of Indigenous people in Australia.

Tender (Aug 30) from filmmaker Lynette Wallworth, is compassionate and inspirational, and revolves

around a community centre in Port Kembla which is in the process of removing funerals from the business structure and placing it in the hands of the community.(MMo) Museum of Sydney, Cnr Phillip & Bridge Streets, $12-$15.

Bookings & Information: sydneylivingmuseums.com.au UNDERDOG Dino (Bianca Kronlof) is a 23-year-old Swedish woman who crosses the border to Norway in search of stability. She accepts work as a housekeeper for married man Steffen (Henrik Rafaelsen) and a love triangle soon develops. Hidden underneath this simplistic story of forbidden love is the roaring theme of class division, as Dino quickly learns she is regarded disparagingly in Norway.

Power struggles between the two countries are noted, in which Swedes have topically become the servants of Norwegians.This powerful, award-winning drama contains stunning photography of picturesque Norway and a mesmerizing musical score, but may evoke restlessness in audiences owing to the excruciatingly slow

momentum of the story. (MMo) WWW Screening at Palace Norton Street & Palace Verona as part of the Scandinavian Film Festival, July 8-26. Info: scandinavianfilmfestival.com INSIDE OUT Pixar is famous for making animations that comment on the human condition and Inside Out is another triumph.This laughout-loud comedy about Riley (Kaitlyn Dias), who is guided by the emotions that live in the control centre of her mind, is funny for both adults and children. Featuring comedic star voices such as Amy Poehler as Joy, Bill Hader as Fear, Lewis Black as Anger, Mindy Kaling as Disgust and Phyllis Smith as Sadness. As with all Pixar animations, the formula is simple — there’s laughter, fun, nostalgia and a good dose of tugging at the heartstrings, with an honest message to tie it all together — but this is by no means a formulaic offering. (LL) WWWW THE MAFIA KILLS ONLY IN SUMMER This Italian comedydrama is insightful and showcases

the activities of the Sicilian Mafia and its lingering effects on the local community. Set in Palermo, Sicily, in the 1970’s, the story follows Arturo’s (Alex Disconti) escalating affections for neighbour and school friend Flora (Ginevra Antona), which ultimately develops into mutual love.

The child actors deliver bright and delightful performances and the adult roles are charmingly portrayed.This film is strangely but effectively complemented by the fusion of comedy and graphic violence.The underlying story of the mafia’s murderous prevalence is terrifying and thought-provoking.

Movie-goers will cringe at the scenes of bloodshed, but the impact is softened by the ongoing humour.

(MMo) WWW THE EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES Russell Brand calls for revolution in this documentary about the disparity of wealth, with a focus on the UK. It’s hard to say whether Brand’s guru posturing is self-reflexive or not, there’s a distinct new-age-Jesus vibe at times.

Whether this is tongue in cheek or

a way to spark attention, his message is valid.The way he unashamedly asks uncomfortable questions is occasionally intense, but mostly funny, and definitely necessary.The hilarity of the delivery might just make the message stick, or at least start a dialogue. (HC) WWW LAST CAB TO DARWIN This low-budget Australian road-trip film surrounds a dying cab driver called Rex who drives 3,000 km from Broken Hill to Darwin, hoping to take advantage of new euthanasia laws. But whilst on this incredible journey, he meets people who force him to re-evaluate his life and ultimately realizes that before he dies he must live life to the fullest, sharing it with loved ones. Michael Caton is a natural in the lead, supported by Oscar nominated Jacki Weaver in the role of a doctor who is a passionate advocate for euthanasia.This rewarding comedy/ drama explores themes of belonging, mateship, loneliness and family. (MMo) WWW½ city hub 9 July 2015

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Sydney Live Music Guide LIVE WIRE

By Jamie Apps Lucie Thorne: Following the recent release of her new album, Everything Sings Tonight, with longtime musical partner Hamish Stuart, this poetic songstress arrives in Sydney to show off the new work. Known for their subtle grace and deep, thoughtful and intimate live shows which the pair have honed over the years, this is bound to be a lovely relaxing midweek night out.

Thu, Jul 9, Camelot Lounge Jarryd James: The break-out artist of 2015 comes to Sydney for one show only.

James’ debut single Do You Remember hit an impressive chart high of number two, a huge achievement for a brand new artist without a full-fledged able backing him, so it is obvious that the quality of the track speaks for itself and this live show is sure to be the same.

Fri, Jul 10,The Metro Ceres,The Pretty Littles & Sincerely Grizzly: Three exciting new groups partner up for this show of good old-fashioned rock fun, with a new age twist.

Having just released their new mini-album, Gospel,The Pretty Littles are excited to be bringing their new material to Sydney crowds.

Fri, Jul 10, Factory Floor Jason Kerrison: Riding the waves created by his first solo release #JKEP1, this Kiwi artist has announced an Australian tour.

Building his sound around an eclectic pop sound that infuses dance elements with

Alpine

guitar and a great vocal hook, what better way than this to close out your work week.

Fri, Jul 10, Live n’ Lounging

By jamie apps In the nearly two years since their last tour, Melbourne alt-pop group Alpine have seen their profile grow and have experienced some magical moments together.The group went on an international expedition, criss-crossing their way across the United States and North America.

“I feel like I’ve seen every part of North America.We would sit in the van for eight or 14-hour drives all the way across from the west coast to the east and back,” said Lou James (vocals, percussion).

When reminiscing about their time abroad, Lou found it easiest to describe the tour lifestyle where you “drive for hours to a venue, perform, go to bed and do it all over again the next day” as “really weird but great.”

Their “weirdest, most bizarre 24 hours” however came when they were given the opportunity to perform on Jimmy Kimmel Live.“I remember being so nervous for it.

Danny Elfman - Music From The Films of Tim Burton: In celebration of the 30 year partnership between visionary director Tim Burton and his composer Danny Elfman, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra will perform a special show playing the haunting scores from films such as The Nightmare Before Christmas, Edward Scissorhands and Beetlejuice.

Sat, Jull 11, Sydney Opera House Concert Hall Howqua: The Melbournian’s live performances are known for leaving audiences wanting more. Howqua isn’t affraid to wear his heart on his sleeve with his music through his unique mode of storytelling, blending resonant percussion and reverb, he is right on the brink of of something special.

Sat, Jul 11, Hibernian House Susan Graham: She has played for Presidential inaugurations, won a Grammy and even had a day in named after her in her home state of Texas, so its safe to say her impact on the classical music scene has been immense. Known as one of the feistiest mezzo-sopranos on the scene, but still a diva grounded to her relationship with the people.This will be a special and intimate opportunity to catch a supreme talent up close.

Tue-Wed, Jul 14-15, City Recital Hall

Richard Simmons, the 80s aerobics guy, was on the show and he was hilarious and weird backstage. He was a really ‘out there’ character, which was a good distraction to be honest. It was over in what felt like two seconds then we caught a red eye to New York and played on a pier on the Hudson River supporting Empire Of The Sun,” said Lou. In the time since they returned home however, the group has been working on the follow-up album to their highly successful debut A Is For Alpine.The group was able to take on the knowledge they had gained from the first record and try some new ideas with Yuck, particularly in terms of the songwriting.

Lou said the band was able to be more

Alpine - Yuck

Deep, emotional and soulful pop jams that blend elements of slow R&B with the big band sound Alpine are known for,Yuck is an exciting new record that will be be on perennial repeat for some time.

Having learned and grown from their first record,Alpine have done a nice job incorporating new ideas into their sound whilst remaining true to the pop ethos they excelled at on A Is For Alpine.The biggest concern here is the somewhat wishywashy flow of the album, as they employ the new sounds and ideas. One cant help but feel this album would be receiving more hype had this been tightened up. Highlights include Foolish, Crunches and Standing Not Sleeping. (JA) WWW

“courageous” with the songwriting and knew “not to have any fear in what we wanted to create… As a band we have a stronger sense of identity and what threads make us Alpine.

So I actually had way more fun writing this record.”

This sense of fun showed in the level of excitement in Lou’s voice when speaking about the upcoming shows.“I feel like a part of me has been missing. I’ve had this time to settle back in at home and feel like Lou again rather than ‘Lou in Alpine’, but I feel like my inner pixie rockstar is just wanting to explode onto stage again.” Jul 11,The Metro, 624 George St, Sydney, $28.85+b.f, Tickets & info: metrotheatre.com.au

Ash Grunwald - River

If Ash Grunwald’s new single River is a small taste, then the larger album will be a powerful and upbeat roast turkey sized meal - delicious, as well as being fun to listen to.

Wrap your ear buds around this tasty treat, wash down its political tones with its funky rhythm and embrace Rivers’ finger snapping, toe tapping justice.This is music that backs and fuels change - a catchy anthem, with a spurring beat.

The kind of song that brings fun to a road trip, when everybody stops bickering and sings with their lungs filled with air. Nobody minds when it accidentally plays twice, but they will sing louder the second time. (SP) WWW1/2

FREEWILLASTROLOGY

by Rob Brezsny

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ARIES (March 21-April 19): How can you fulfill your potential as an Aries? What strategies will help you become the best Aries you can possibly be? Now is an excellent time to meditate on these riddles.

One of my Aries readers, Mickki Langston, has some stellar tips to inspire you: 1. One of your greatest assets is your relentless sense of purpose.

Treasure it. Stay connected to it. Draw on it daily. 2. Love what you love with pure conviction, because there is no escaping it.

3. Other people may believe in you, but only sometimes. That’s why you should unfailingly believe in yourself. 4. It’s your duty and your destiny to continually learn more about how to be a leader. 5. Don’t be confused by other people’s confusion. 6. Your best friend is the Fool, who will guide you to laughter and humility when you need it most, which is pretty much all of the time.

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TAURUS (April 20-May 20): While making a long trek through the desert on a camel, British author Somerset Maugham passed the time by reading Marcel Proust’s novel In Search of Lost Time.

After finishing each page, Maugham ripped it out and cast it away. The book weighed less and less as his journey progressed. I suggest that you consider a similar approach in the coming weeks, Taurus. As you weave your way toward

your next destination, shed the accessories and attachments you don’t absolutely need.

Keep lightening your load.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “I have gathered about me people who understand how to translate fear into possibility,” writes John Keene in his story “Acrobatique.” I’d love to see you do the same, Gemini. From an astrological perspective, now is a favorable time to put your worries and trepidations to work for you.

You have an extraordinary capacity to use your doubt and dread to generate opportunities. Even if you go it alone, you can accomplish minor miracles, but why not dare to think even bigger? Team up with brave and resourceful allies who want to translate fear into possibility, too.

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CANCER (June 21-July 22): When novelist John Irving begins a new book, his first task is to write the last line of the last page. Then he writes the second-to-last line. He continues to work backwards for a while until he has a clear understanding of the way his story will end. Right now, Cancerian, as you hatch your next big phase of development, I invite you to borrow Irving’s approach. Visualize in detail the blossoms that will eventually come from the seeds you’re planting. Create a vivid picture of the life you will be living when your plans have fully ripened.

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LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You have cosmic permission to lose your train of thought, forget about what was so seriously important, and be weirdly amused by interesting nonsense. If stress-addicts nag you to be more responsible, tell them that your astrologer has authorized you to ignore the pressing issues and wander off in the direction of nowhere in particular. Does that sound like a good plan? It does to me. For now, it’s your sovereign right to be a wise and innocent explorer with nothing much to do but wonder and daydream and play around.

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VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Even the most provocative meme cannot literally cause the Internet to collapse from overuse. It’s true that photos of Kim Kardashian’s oiled-up butt spawned a biblical flood of agitated responses on social media. So did the cover shot of Caitlyn Jenner in Vanity Fair and the Youtube video of a tiny hamster noshing tiny burritos and the season-five finale of the TV show Game of Thrones.

But none of these starbursts unleashed so much traffic that the Web was in danger of crashing. It’s too vast and robust for that to ever happen.

Or is it? I’m wondering if Virgos’ current propensities for high adventure and rollicking melodrama could generate phenomena that would actually, not just metaphorically, break the Internet. To be safe, I suggest you enjoy yourself to

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the utmost, but not more than the utmost.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to acquire a new title. It’s quite possible that a person in authority will confer it upon you, and that it will signify a raise in status, an increase in responsibility, or an expansion of your clout. If for some reason this upgrade doesn’t occur naturally, take matters into your own hands. Tell people to refer to you as “Your Excellency” or “Your Majesty.” Wear a name tag that says “Deputy Director of Puzzle-Solving” or “Executive Vice-President of Fanatical Balance and Insane Poise.” For once in your life, it’s OK to risk becoming a legend in your own mind. P.S. It wouldn’t be a bad time to demand a promotion -- diplomatically, of course, in the Libran spirit.

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SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Between now and July 22, your password and mantra and battle cry is “serendipity.”

To make sure you are clear about its meaning, meditate on these definitions: a knack for uncovering surprising benefits by accident; a talent for stumbling upon timely help or useful resources without searching for them. Got that?

Now I’ll provide clues that should help you get the most out of your lucky breaks and blessed twists: 1. Be curious and receptive, not lackadaisical and entitled. 2. Expect the

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unexpected. Vow to thrive on surprises. 3. Your desires are more likely to come true if you are unattached to them coming true. But you should formulate those desires clearly and precisely.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 21): On behalf of the Strange Angels in Charge of Uproarious Beauty and Tricky Truths, I am pleased to present you with the award for Most Catalytic Fun-Seeker and Intriguing Game-Changer of the Zodiac. What are your specific superpowers? You’re capable of transforming rot into splendor. You have a knack for discovering secrets that have been hidden. I also suspect that your presence can generate magic laughter and activate higher expectations and wake everyone up to the interesting truths they’ve been ignoring.

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CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “Who is it that can tell me who I am?” asks King Lear in the Shakespeare play named after him. It’s a painful moment.

The old boy is confused and alarmed when he speaks those words. But I’d like to borrow his question and transplant it into a very different context: your life right now. I think that you can engender inspirational results by making it an ongoing meditation. There are people in a good position to provide you with useful insights into who you are.

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AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): What’s hard but important for you to do? What are the challenging tasks you know you should undertake because they would improve your life? The coming days will be a favorable time to make headway on these labors. You will have more power than usual to move what has been nearly impossible to move. You may be surprised by your ability to change situations that have resisted and outfoxed you in the past. I’m not saying that any of this will be smooth and easy. But I bet you will be able to summon unprecedented amounts of willpower and perseverance.

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PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Franz Kafka produced three novels, a play, four short fiction collections, and many other stories. And yet some of his fellow writers thought he was uncomfortable in expressing himself. Bertolt Brecht said Kafka seemed perpetually afraid, as if he were being monitored by the cops for illicit thoughts. Milena Jesenská observed that Kafka often wrote like he was sitting naked in the midst of fully-clothed people. Your assignment in the coming weeks is to shed such limitations and inhibitions from your own creative expression.

What would you need to do to free your imagination?

To get started, visualize five pleasurable scenarios in which you feel joyful, autonomous, generous, and expansive.

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Kings Court Massage “Delightfully Different”

261 PARRAMATTA RD GLEBE NSW 2037 Traditional Hot oil massage Daily 9 am to 1 am www.kingscourt.com.au 02 9660 0666 GPS to our discreet rear entrance at 18 Grose St Glebe 2037 Kings Court Massage is a big and friendly adult massage venue in Sydney.

We are known all over the world for the cartoon ads that have appeared in Penthouse for several decades. A lot of them are based on true stories like this one about Judd the “North Qld Stockman”. He had been to Bathurst for the

car races and told us he was the envy of all his mates because on his trip south he would be going to Kings Court in Sydney. They knew all about us from our cartoons, so we decided to make him a legend in a whole cartoon in the next magazine.

He was a nice guy and Big John also started out as a North Qld Stockman.

Like many country people Big John learned at an early age to treat women well and he is now the much loved boss at Kings Court.

Much of our success is because our ladies are happy and well looked after.

Everyone knows someone who should know about Kings Court: a nice girl who needs a harmless job with a discreet income; or some boy who needs to start out on the right track with respect for women.

We’re famous for the huge lounge where first time customers can meet first time girls. You can play pool while deciding which lady to see for your massage.

We have party spas to cater for groups or private spa rooms if you are on your own. It is best to be in before 1am except on Fridays and Saturdays when we are open 24hrs.

Early birds can enjoy a 20% discount from 9am to noon daily. There is a $20 cover charge from 9pm to 9am. We don’t take phone appointments and bookings are made on a first come first serve basis to avoid dissappointment.

Website: www.kingscourt.com.au Facebook:

www.facebook.com/KingsBigJohn

Twitter: @kingscourtlive

VACANCIES:

We are looking for polite and well groomed young ladies to join our team of friendly massage girls. We offer you training and great working conditions, plus the sweetest and nicest clients in Sydney! Part time and casual hours to fit your lifestyle.

Call 02 9660 0666 to arrange a discreet interview.

city hub 9 July 2015

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It’s your career.

Make it with JMC. 29TH AUGUST OPEN DAY. Register online.

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