City Hub 14 September 2017

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Sydney marches for equality

BY ALEX EUGENE Last Sunday an estimated 30,000 people marched down the streets of Sydney in support of same sex marriage, while thousands more also rallied in the Brisbane sister event.

YES Campaign spokespeople Kerryn Phelps, Alex Greenwich and Tiernan Brady made passionate speeches on the day at Customs House where the Sydney march concluded.

Last week the High Court ruled that the nonmandatory postal plebiscite on same-sex marriage would go ahead, to the dismay of campaigners who had hoped to prove the vote was unconstitutional.

But even so, high profile Australians from all walks of life have voiced their support for voting ‘Yes.’ Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said last Sunday that the move would not threaten the institution of marriage, and that he was encouraging all Australians to vote yes.

“Many people will vote ‘yes’ – as I will – because they believe the right to marry is a conservative ideal as much as any other conservative principle,” he said last week.

“I am very firmly of the view that families are the foundation of our society and we would be a stronger society if more people were married and fewer were divorced.”

Even the Australian Law Council is a longstanding supporter of marriage equality. After the Marriage Act was amended in 2004 to reflect the “woman and a man” definition, the Council released a statement announcing support for same-sex couples.

“There is no sound basis on which a person’s gender or sexual orientation should continue to affect their rights and responsibilities under Australian marriage law,” said Fiona McLeod SC, President of the Law Council of Australia.

“We share concerns raised in the community about the potential for hateful, misleading and damaging material to increase during the postal survey period. While there are some safeguards in place under national, state and territory laws, additional measures are needed to protect individuals and ensure a respectful debate,” she said.

Sydney turned out in droves to support the Marriage Equality Yes vote. Credit: Alex Eugene

“Extending the right to marry to samesex couples will not impact upon another fundamental right, freedom of religion.

Ministers of religion are already permitted to conduct religious marriage ceremonies in accordance with the tenets and doctrines of their religion under s47 of the Marriage Act.” “This will not change as a result of extending equality to same-sex couples. Given that the Government has decided to conduct a postal survey, and that there are now no legal impediments to this occurring, we urge a respectful and sensitive debate focused on the issue and the ultimate return of a ‘yes’ vote,” Ms. McLeod added.

500 religious leaders also sent an open letter to the Prime Minister in support of marriage equality in early September.

“As people of faith, we understand that marriage is based on the values of love and commitment and we support civil marriage equality, not despite, but because of our faith and values,” the letter stated.

An independent poll commissioned by the Equality Campaign revealed that the majority of Australians in significant religious groups are planning to vote ‘yes’ in the plebiscite.

Reverend Dr Peter Catt, an Anglican Dean

said in a recent statement: “I see marriage equality as something I support because of my faith, it’s a matter of justice, and if we are really interested in humans flourishing then we should be enabling the form human expression which is being married to the person you love.”

Professor Allan Fels, Co-Chair of the National Mental Health Commission, said the same-sex marriage debate has increased discrimination against LGBTIQ people.

“Despite the fact the majority of Australians are supportive of LGBTIQ people, unfortunately, unacceptable sentiments are being expressed around the debate,” he said.

“LGBTIQ people have been experiencing damaging behavior in their workplaces, communities and in social and traditional media. The Commission is alarmed about the potential negative health impacts these debates are having on individuals, couples and families who face scrutiny and judgment,” Professor Fels added.

The Equality Campaign has released a video entitled #RingYourRellos, after the success of previous videos which received almost a billion views. #RingYourRellos shows real-life conversations of Australians calling their

friends and family members to ask for their support in voting ‘Yes.’ Executive Director of the Equality Campaign, Tiernan Brady said: “Over the next few weeks Australians will be having millions of conversations about whether or not gay and lesbian relationships are of equal value.

“There is nothing more powerful than when each and every one of us has a conversation with the people we know and hold dear. Real life conversations are incredibly powerful; they are what change hearts and minds,” he said.

Co-Chair of the Equality Campaign, and Independent MP for Sydney, Alex Greenwich, said: “The conversations across the nation that will change the minds of Australians aren’t the ones on TV or social media. It is the conversations between friends, families and work mates.”

“So get talking Australia and call your friends, family members, colleagues and team mates,” Mr Greenwich said.

Sydney’s revered film festival Queer Screen has announced that it will fundraise for The Equality Campaign this year. The festival will donate one dollar to the campaign for every ticket sold, and will provide three free screenings for everyone to enjoy. Queer Screen begins in October.

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BY JOSEPH FENAUGHTY Labor and the Greens were the biggest winners in this weekend’s Inner West Council elections with the Liberal party trailing a distant third. The weekend’s election ended over a year’s uncertainty since the forced amalgamations in 2016.

This was the Inner west council’s first chance since to have democratically-elected councillors to preside over the ‘super council’ since the State government imposed the compulsory amalgamations.

The former councils held a total of 36 councillors, made up of 12 each for Ashfield, Marrickville and Leichardt. However, now it forms one council with 15 councillors shared between 5 wards (Marrickville, Ashfield, Leichardt, Stanmore and Balmain).

The Labor party secured 33.9% of the overall votes with the Greens securing 28.9%.

Both parties managed to have a member elected in each of the 5 wards of the inner west council. Labor also has a chance to score a 6th councillor in Balmain. The Labour party has had an upward swing of 1.6% whilst the Liberal party has lost -5.6% of their votes, and the Greens seem to be on par with their 2012 results.

The Liberal government will likely be disappointed they only managed to scrape 17.8% of the vote.

State opposition leader Luke Foley (Labor) said “What we saw yesterday across NSW was the Liberals receive a hiding… They forced mergers, they rigged boundaries and people across NSW punished them.”

The amalgamations were particularly unpopular in the inner west with several

Balmain Councillor David Byrne is Labor’s mayoral candidate for the Inner-West Council.

Photo: Supplied

protests taking place at council meetings last year. It appears the area has punished the Liberal state government at the polls over the weekend. With Greens MP and Local Government spokesperson David Shoebridge saying, “NSW has seen through the ugly politics of forced amalgamations, privatisation and overdevelopment being pushed by the Liberal government and demanded change.”

Liberal Councillor Julie Passas managed to hold onto her seat in Ashfield and seemed unsurprised by the swing against her party saying “There’s no doubt there was a backlash but that’s always going to be the case when you have a party that actually makes decisions.”

Independent candidate Pauline Lockie comfortably won Stanmore and has announced her first priority is to consult with local businesses and urban planners to revitalise the village centre.

At this time the only candidate who has so far put their hat in the ring for Mayor of the Inner West Council is Balmain Councillor Darcy Byrne.

Darcy Byrne said, “Labor has won the popular vote. We will finish first in 4 of the 5 wards. In Balmain Ward, with 43% of the primary vote, I have received more votes than any other candidate across the Inner West Council area.

“As the only candidate to have been nominated for Mayor before the election, I am entering into respectful negotiations with all parties with the hope and expectation that the view expressed by voters at the ballot box will be respected and I will be elected to lead the new Council.”

The Greens have yet to put forward a candidate for Mayor with Greens candidate and councillor for Marickville Colin Hesse stating on polling day that the party plans to wait until all votes were in, despite already having candidates secured in all five wards.

“We can’t make a decision on that until the final makeup of the council is determined.”

Liberal councillor Julie Passas has entertained the idea of working with a Labor mayor saying “I have no problem backing a Labor mayor ... because the Greens are too much ‘up in the air… I only hope the Greens that did get on council channel their energies on local issues rather than State and Federal issues.” city hub 14 SEPTEMBER 2017

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Liberals trounced in eastern elections

BY ANITA SENARATNA The eastern suburbs have been safe Liberal territory for years, but as the weekend’s council elections have shown, not even the most loyal voters can be taken for granted.

The Liberals experienced a backlash from voters across the state, with noticeable swings towards Labor, Greens and independent candidates. The votes are still being counted, although final results are expected to be available by September 16.

Issues that dominated the election campaign in the east were the NSW Government’s failed merger between Randwick, Waverley and Woollahra Councils, and the controversial Bondi Pavilion upgrade in Waverley. Both were Liberal Party policies that were strongly resisted by residents.

The Liberals have lost their majority in Waverley, going from seven seats on council to five. As of the most recent count, Labor has three seats with a possible fourth, and the Greens have a record high of three councillors in Waverley.

On Election Day, Save Bondi Pavilion convenor Kilty O’Brien was handing out how-to-vote flyers at local polling booths. The flyers encouraged voters to ‘Put The Liberals Last’ and vote for various Labor, Greens and Independent councillors who had signed a pledge not to go ahead with the Liberals’ proposed upgrade, which was set to cost almost $38 million.

Ms. O’Brien said that although it was “hard to gauge” which way the election would go, Bondi Pavilion was “certainly a big issue for people across the local government area.”

One major concern was that the community space on the building’s top floor would be privatised to make room for a restaurant or function centre. Residents were worried that if the Liberal Party retained their majority on Waverley Council, they would privatise the space against the public’s wishes.

A tide of voter anger washed the Liberals from power in the Eastern Suburbs. Photo: Alex Proimos/Wikimedia

“People are over the secrecy and the plans, not just for the Pavilion, to overdevelop a lot of space in Waverley. The Liberals have been in power here for a long time and I think people haven’t seen the results that they’ve been after,” said Ms. O’Brien.

Her predictions proved accurate later that night as the results came in.

Waverley Mayor Sally Betts, who announced last week she had stage two breast cancer, has been re-elected in the Hunter Ward. But according to Labor councillor John Wakefield, it is “almost certain” that she will not stay the mayor after the election.

“Her chapter is closed as far as we’re concerned,” he said.

Sally Betts has long been a divisive figure on the council. Not only was she a strong supporter of the merger with Randwick and Woollahra, she also pushed ahead with the Bondi Pavilion upgrade despite residents’ protests.

Cr Wakefield says Mayor Betts “deserved” to lose the election after the way she handled these

issues, and that “everybody is happy” that she no longer has a majority.

“Everyone I speak to is over the moon,” he said.

“Mayor Betts would say from the chair [in council meetings], for example, ‘Look at the rent-acrowd, the rabble in the audience’. These were just normal residents concerned about a development and she would refer to them openly as rabble.”

The Liberals also suffered losses on Randwick Council, with swings away from both major parties and towards the Greens and independent candidates. The Greens are expected to pick up three seats, with another three going to independent candidates.

One of them is current Randwick Mayor Noel D’Souza, who will be returning to council as an Independent after separating from Labor earlier this year.

But one area where the Liberals did do well is Woollahra, where they retained their majority on council with eight out of fifteen seats. There was a slight swing towards minor parties such as the

Greens and Residents First, who now have five seats on council.

Mayor Toni Zeltzer, who was re-elected in the Double Bay ward, said the election results were “very pleasing for Woollahra Liberals.”

Mayor Zeltzer and the rest of the Liberal councillors made the difficult decision to campaign against their own party on the mergers when it became clear the community disapproved of the idea. Woollahra Council challenged the State Government’s forced merger in the Supreme Court, where they initially lost but were granted a High Court appeal in May. Two months later, NSW Premier Gladys Berijiklian announced the State Government would no longer be proceeding with the mergers.

“We bucked the statewide trend which saw voters abandon the Liberal Party, and we bucked it by listening to our community. Others that did not suffered the consequences,” said Mayor Zeltzer.

She and her team will be taking a “breather” until the final results are in, but they are looking forward to their next term.

“It’s a short term, and there’s a lot to do so we’ve really got to hit the ground running,” she said.

However, Cr Wakefield says that although the forced mergers across NSW do partly explain the backlash against the Liberal Party, there is another issue that seems to be common across most councils, both in the eastern suburbs and across the state - overdevelopment.

“There weren’t just single issues going on here, there were issues in every area around development,” he said, pointing to recent community uproar over proposed developments of Bronte RSL and Waverley Bowling Club as further examples.

“The Labor Party won this election through good policies and hard work, and the Liberals lost it because they lost touch with the community.”

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Towers illuminate to meet their Waterloo

BY ALEC SMART The twin towers at the centre of Waterloo public housing estate have been illuminated with squares of coloured lighting for an arts project that draws attention to their uncertain future.

Visible from a distance, the 30-storey high Matavai and Turanga building windows light up at 5.30pm each evening with a display that resembles a watercolor artist’s paint palette.

The organisers behind the illuminated windows, We Live Here 2017, conceived of the art installation prior to the December 2015 announcement that the entire 18-hectare Waterloo public housing estate will be demolished or sold to private investors.

Clare Lewis, project supervisor, lives near the condemned buildings and originally considered lighting up the towers as a public art installation.

Upon learning they were facing demolition she changed the focus.

“One of the reasons we chose these towers is partly because they’re so tall and prominent in the area, but also because they’re really fantastic examples of 1970s Brutalist architecture. They’ve got these lovely, really generous two-by-two metre window recesses and we just thought, ‘Oh, wouldn’t they look cool lit up in colour!’

“And then when the redevelopment announcement came we thought maybe this could have a more political or community activism kind of bent - so we redeveloped our project after the redevelopment announcement!

“I think we’ve illuminated 300 of those filmstrip windows.”

The windows transition through a rainbow of purple, blue, aqua, green, yellow and red, whilst others glow or strobe a single colour. The take-up throughout the towers was enthusiastic, with many residents considering continuing after the program ends on 1 October.

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city hub 14 SEPTEMBER 2017

Waterloo Towers are being illuminated at night in an arts-meetspublic awareness project.

Photo: Alec Smart

Catherine Wood, resident of Matavai building, said she was thrilled when the light show began.

“It far exceeds my imagination. It looks magical when I walk my dog at night. Most residents have gone for the flashing light but I favour aqua and magenta, because they look splendid.”

Vincent Mackey lives on the top floor of the Matavai Building in what he jokingly describes as the ‘penthouse suite’, the level Queen Elizabeth visited when she opened the tower on 14 March 1977.

“I think they’re great!” he said. “We can have them for as long as we like. I’ll probably keep mine going after the project has ended.

“They only cost about $2 a month to run. The colours fade, flash or change – I like that one.

Xmas will be a good time to switch them back on and during the annual Vivid Festival of lights. It will be like our own Vivid Festival on a small scale but it looks good outside and brings people here.

“It sends a positive message, hopefully to Pru Goward, the Minister for Social Housing, that we live here. I don’t know what the future holds but the government sprung the redevelopment on us 18 months ago and I don’t want to move, I’ve been here 17 years.”

The towers, between Philip and Raglan Streets, have been earmarked for likely demolition in a controversial development project. Four additional high-rise public housing blocks on the Waterloo estate, Joseph Banks, James Cook, Marton and Solander, will be razed to make way for up to 10,000 homes and an underground railway station on the new Sydney Metro.

The Metro line, between Cudgegong Road (near Rouse Hill), north of Sydney, and Bankstown in the west, via Macquarie Park, Chatswood, the CBD and Sydenham, is expected to open in 2023 at a cost of around $10 billion.

A Metro station was originally planned for Sydney University, however, in December 2016, then-Premier Mike Baird cast a deciding vote that diverted it through Waterloo instead in order to trigger a massive development project of new apartments. Ultimately they will be 70% owned by the private sector, the remainder geared towards public housing.

To enable construction work, up to 4000 existing public housing tenants will be evicted, starting mid next year.

In December 2015, then Social Housing Minister Brad Hazzard gave assurances that those tenants facing eviction will be given the right to return.

“I can assure Waterloo tenants that if they want to remain in Waterloo after the redevelopment, they can do so,” Hazzard said. “Your interests will be absolutely safeguarded. There won’t be any less social housing..

“The Metro station will transform the Waterloo housing estate for the better, building a dynamic community with better amenity, better homes, better facilities, fantastic transport and more jobs.”

However, years might elapse before those evicted can return because the project will take 15-20 years.

Catherine Wood praises the illuminations for prompting discussion on the towers’ future.

“It’s very successful in drawing attention to what could be the destruction of Waterloo, what they call ‘redevelopment’. These are heritage buildings and they should be preserved. People don’t usually think of this type of architecture as heritage, it’s not quaint with wrought iron balconies. But Sydney Brutalist will never be built again because people don’t have the skills. Many other examples have been pulled down.

“It costs far less to repair a 30-storey building than build another, and its replacement wouldn’t be as solid or last as long.”

Richard Weeks, chair of the Waterloo Public Housing Action Group, rejects the need to demolish the towers. At a public meeting in August 2017 he said, “Sydney Metro is being built to increase the value of private housing.

“We put in an application to see the reports on the structural engineering of the Waterloo Towers and the reports said the high-rise buildings have another 100 + years left in them.”

“The NSW Government doesn’t like the word ‘demolish’,” said Clare Lewis. “Basically, they don’t know what they’re going to be doing with this estate. It may well be that a Hong Kong investor comes in and buys all these towers and sells the flats off for one or two million each, but we don’t know yet what the master plan will be.

“But the Waterloo community is strong, vibrant, diverse and important, and we need to question those economic decisions. This will never be public land again.”

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Rangers round up rental bikes

BY ALEC SMART Obikes, the yellow and grey rental bicycles that suddenly appeared in the hundreds across the Sydney Metropolitan area on August 14 this year, have raised the ire of rangers acting for the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority.

Last weekend, hundreds of the conspicuous bicycles were rounded up from the CBD and interned in a compound managed by the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority, now known as Property NSW. When City Hub approached Property NSW to determine if the bicycles were impounded, a spokesperson replied, “Property NSW has concerns about the growing number of unattended bicycles obstructing public areas and potentially causing safety and congestion issues for visitors.

A number of abandoned dockless rental bikes have recently been removed and stored in a designated area at The Rocks. The bikes have not been impounded and, at this stage, Property NSW has not sought to recover any incurred costs.

The operators have been advised that unattended bicycles obstructing public areas will be removed and stored until they are collected.”

The Singapore-based oBike, which also operates in 40 cities in 11 countries, launched in Melbourne on June 15 this year, before releasing bicycles in Sydney. Up to 2000 are planned across the metropolitan area. This comes after another rental cycle company, ReddyGo, launched their rental bicycle scheme earlier this year. Up to 6,000 of ReddyGo distinctive red dockless bicycles will be in operating across Sydney by Christmas.

However, it has not been a smooth ride for the machines, which are unlocked by a mobile

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city hub 14 SEPTEMBER 2017

City rangers are rounding up rental bicycles found obstructing footpaths. Photo: Alec Smart

phone app. Amsterdam, one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the world, banned them because they don’t have docking stations and were said to take up limited parking spaces.

London Council in England also impounded 100 of the bicycles within weeks of the scheme launching.

Melbourne Mayor Robert Doyle is hostile to their introduction.

“We work hard to keep the city free of clutter,” he declared. “They are clutter and that must be fixed.” oBike spokesperson Chethan Rangaswamy told City Hub, “We have always been open to working

with local authorities for sustainable roll out of bike sharing program in Sydney.

“Smart dockless bike-sharing as means of public transportation is a new concept in Australia and we are going through teething problems. Public awareness regarding the benefits of bike-sharing is key to overcome these challenges.”

A ranger at the Property NSW compound in The Rocks confirmed they were gathering up the bicycles.

“If we see them obstructing the footpaths we remove them for safekeeping. The owners are emailed and told where they can come and collect them.

“ReddyGo have been cooperative and come and collect their bikes, but oBikes completely ignore us. There is a collection of them here now,” he said, indicating approximately 50 yellow and grey bicycles grouped opposite the Park Hyatt Hotel in The Rocks.

Property NSW wouldn’t confirm whether they would start issuing fines if the bicycles continue to obstruct footpaths. This might mean oBikes will have to install docking stations across Sydney, which they’ll undoubtedly have to rent from respective councils. This will likely push up the price of the bicycle hire, currently set at $1.99 per half hour, after payment of the initial $69 deposit membership fee.

Property NSW told City Hub , “In accordance with regulatory responsibilities we have informed all dockless rental bike operators they are not to conduct any unauthorised commercial activity on the land, and to ensure any bicycles ridden into our precincts and left behind are collected immediately.”

Obike responded, “oBike is in a constructive and open dialogue with the local authorities to address these issues of isolated incidents as well as enforcing strict standards of practice and operational guidelines for bike-sharing operators.

“We are working on solutions for the parking problem..

“We see bike-sharing being integrated as part of the wider public transportation. It will operate as an essential but complementary service to the entire transportation network.

Australians are free-spirited and we request them to give dockless bike-sharing a fair go!”

The standoff between authorities and dockless rental bicycles looks set to escalate.

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Silence for Aboriginal deaths in custody

By Alec Smart This Friday, September 15, a silent march is planned in Sydney to protest against Aboriginal deaths in custody.

Organised by Indigenous Social Justice Association (ISJA), the march is intended to publicise the disturbingly high number of Aborigines dying in police custody or prisons.

According to the 2016 Australian Census, only 2.8% of the general population are Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders, yet they account for 28% of the estimated 40,600 prisoners currently incarcerated.

In Western Australia, Aboriginals are incarcerated at nine times the rate black people were under the racist Apartheid regime in South Africa.

Tragically, Aborigines make up a larger percentage of those who die behind bars, particularly in the Northern Territory, which has the highest rate of Indigenous deaths in custody in Australia.

Between 1979 and 2011, there were 32 deaths in custody in the Northern Territory, 24 of which were Indigenous people. Northern Territory has the highest incarceration rate of Indigenous people in Australia, with 97 per cent of juvenile detainees and 82% of adult detainees.

ISJA spokesperson Raul Bassi explained the purpose of the rally.

“We intend to march with posters showing photos of 14 Aboriginal people who died in custody, including John Pat, Eric Whittaker, Eddie Murray, Ms. Julieka Dhu, Mulrunji Doomadgee and others.

“The posters feature their age, family details, and a description of the circumstances of their death.

In parts of Australia, Aborigines are incarcerated at a higher rate than black people in apartheid South Africa Graphic: Alec Smart

“The march will go in circles and remain silent, like the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo in Argentina.”

Founded in April 1977, the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo (Spanish: Asociación Madres de Plaza de Mayo) is an association of mothers who met while trying to find the whereabouts of their children during the brutal military junta that ruled Argentina from 1976 to 1983.

Dismissed as Las Locas (‘mad women’) by the regime, they carried photos of their missing children and walked in circles around Plaza de Mayo in front of Casa Rosada presidential palace in Buenos Aires – silent, because public opposition to the military dictatorship was forbidden.

“We plan to do a silent march every three or four weeks,” Raul continued.

“The first one will be at Pitt Street Mall at 5.30pm on 15th of September.”

The first Aboriginal death in custody was arguably Arabanoo, a native of the

Eora nation from the area known as Manly, who was forcibly abducted by soldiers of the First Fleet on 31 December 1788.

He was captured on instructions of the first Governor, Arthur Philip, in order to facilitate communication between the natives and the British, and locked overnight in a hut in manacles and chains.

He was a slow learner of English, and ultimately of little help to the settlers, who fared considerably better with his successor, Bennelong.

After only five months confinement among the invaders, Arabanoo succumbed to a smallpox outbreak on 18 May 1789 that killed an estimated 2000 indigenous people around Port Jackson.

Aboriginal deaths in custody went largely unrecorded and ignored over the following 200 years. It wasn’t until a series of protests throughout the 1980s after several highly publicised deaths

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of Aborigines in police cells that the Australian Government felt compelled to investigate.

Three of these remain controversial today; their families still demanding justice. *Edward Murray - a 21-year-old rugby player arrested for being intoxicated and later found hanging in a police cell in the NSW town of Wee Waa on 12 June 1981. *John Pat - a 16-year-old boy severely injured in a fight with four off-duty police officers who kicked him in the head and face outside Roebourne Hotel in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. He was arrested and taken unconscious to the juvenile lockup, where, on 28 September 1983, he died of his head injuries. *Lloyd Boney - a 28-year-old rural labourer and troubled character in Brewarrina, NSW, who was arrested by police on 6 August 1987 for breach of bail conditions. He was found hanging by a football sock in the police cell merely 95 minutes after he was incarcerated.

The latter case was regarded as the catalyst for the federal government of Bob Hawke announcing a Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody in October 1987. The Commission, held between 1987 and 1991, initially set out to examine 44 specific cases but eventually grew to 99, although it was limited to only investigate Indigenous deaths over a nineyear period between 1 January 1980 and 31 May 1989.

The 99 custodial deaths under its scrutiny consisted of 32 in Western Australia, 21 in South Australia and the Northern Territory, 27 in Queensland, and 19 across the southeastern states of NSW, Victoria and Tasmania.

In its final report, released April 1991 and costing over $40 million, the Commission ruled against finding any police and custodial officers responsible for violence against the victims, attributing suspicious deaths to ‘disease’, ‘self-inflicted hangings’, ‘external trauma, especially head injuries’ and ‘dangerous alcohol and other drug use.’

Nevertheless, it recorded ‘Glaring deficiencies existed in the standard of care afforded to many of the deceased,’ and made 339 recommendations, including: *Police and prison officers should seek medical attention immediately if any doubt arises as to a detainee’s condition. *Arrest people only when no other way exists for dealing with a problem. *Initiate a formal process of reconciliation between Aboriginal people and the wider community (which led to the establishment of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation).

At the time of the Royal Commission’s final report in April 1991, Aboriginal people were eight times more likely to be imprisoned than nonAboriginal people. A decade later that figure increased to 10 times more likely.

An Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) study in 2013 found that between 2009 and 2013, the Aboriginal rate of incarceration soared 11 times faster than the non-Aboriginal rate.

Now they are 13 times more likely.

The number of Indigenous Australians to have died in custody since the 1991 Royal Commission is approaching 400.

The first silent march will be at Pitt Street Mall from 5.30pm on Friday September 15.

We Want You! The CiTy hub iS looking for a number of dynamiC volunTeerS To regularly ConTribuTe To our webSiTe and Sydney newSpaper.

These roles will involve professionally covering various topics on both the news side and also the arts/entertainment side.

As part of our arts/entertainment team the City Hub will open the door for you to cover Sydney’s thriving theatre, music, art and film scenes. You will have the opportunity to conduct interviews and occasionally attend performances as a City Hub representative.

This role is a practical internship/contributors position (no coffeeruns for you!) and one in which a number of our current editors have undertaken before rising through the ranks.

AltMedia is looking for writers.

Opportunities in print and online are available to opinion makers and up and coming journalists.

Send a CV, writing samples and a covering letter to:

This role iS for you: 4 If you relish the opportunity to work in a real news environment 4 If you are passionate about Sydney having an independent local voice 4 If you want on-the-job experience and training for your portfolio 4 If you love talking to interesting people and telling their story succinctly 4 If you are organised and can hit deadlines

This role iS noT for you: 6 If you don’t like conducting interviews 6 If you don’t like constructive feedback to improve your writing

6 If you only want to go to film premieres

details: ▶

minimum commitment: one article a week (150-300 words)

▶

all work is from home, role does require some 10min, over-the-phone interviews.

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perks include: free tickets and material

All applications must include a short cover letter detailing current or previous schooling/experience and two examples of short-form pieces.

Sent to: arts@altmedia.net.au

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FEATURE

Signed, Sealed & Delivered Music Festival for Marriage Equality

By Jamie Apps As postal ballots for the Federal Government’s marriage equality plebiscite begin to find their way into letterboxes around the country Sydney’s creative community is banding together to support the LGBTIQ community.

In the wake of last weekend’s incredible show of support for the issue by the general public the Reclaim The Streets organisation will be conducting another event next weekend to stress the importance of submitting your vote early.

“We know getting people to vote in the first few days after they receive their ballots is critical,” said Reclaim The Streets representative Jack London,“The long period in which we can return the ballots is designed to suppress the vote. It removes the urgency of returning the ballot, so it gets put off and ultimately lost, damaged or forgotten.

So we’re running a free music festival in the centre of Sydney to draw the public out for a Mass Postal Vote early on.”

Distractions such as those mentioned by Jack and many others are being implemented by the anti-marriage equality side of the debate.

For Peter Fraser and Gordon Stevenson, two of the first people in Australia to take advantage of the change to the law in the United Kingdom by marrying in the British Consulate, the attempt to distract from the main issue is concerning.

“Inflammatory remarks around children and religion has caused the opening of a lot of old wounds. These are side issues designed to distract from the main issue,” explained Mr Fraser before quickly adding, “Same sex couples already have kids and can and do adopt.

No one is going to force a gay wedding in St Mary’s Cathedral, who would want that?”

Reclaim The Streets Sydney rebooted in September 2014 and has since run 11 protest festivals pushing back against Westconnex, the Lockout Laws, Gentrification and Queerphobia.

In regards to marriage equality Reclaim The Streets were drawn into the debate because as Jack London told us, “Most of the organising collective are queer, and all of us have friends or family who are going to be hurt by this campaign. We are all extremely worried that a victory for the ‘no’ side will unleash a wave of bigotry, harassment and violence against queers.”

Peter Fraser & Gordon Stevenson.

Photo: Frank Farrugia

This concern is not unfounded as some members of the LGBTIQ community have already witnessed a rise in homophobic behaviour.

Cameron Reynolds, a highly respected teacher who recently married his partner in New Zealand, told us that he has been “taunted at work, told that all gays should be killed” and even “physically ushered out of a shop” when shopping with his husband.

Having recently had a wedding overseas due to the lack of marriage equality in Australia Mr Reynolds explained that whilst it was still a special day for them it also came with a touch of sadness.

“Our wedding was wonderful, we had an amazing time. It did impact on our family and friends though with many not being able to attend due to financial reasons associated with an overseas wedding or health risks with flying. So we had a lot of great friends miss out because we couldn’t be married at home and that makes us sad.”

For Peter Fraser and Gordon Stevenson it is disappointing to still not have their wedding recognised here.

“Our wedding was bitter sweet after the joy of the ceremony to come out of the Consulate onto Australian soil knowing our marriage is not recognised in Australia…” said Mr Fraser, “Three years on Australia still hasn’t caught up, we’re not legally wed here and when I introduce Gordon as my husband, people think I am either being tongue in cheek or I have to explain. It’s like yes we’re married… but not really, it doesn’t count here.”

It is stories like this one which a change in the Marriage Equality laws could very easily eliminate. However the Federal Government’s decision to open this issue up for debate has created an environment for a hurtful and toxic campaign which is impacting many within the LGBTIQ community already.

For Val York, a DJ and music producer, who describes herself as a bisexual woman says this entire debate is “reopening those wounds I had personally as a child, it feels similar to when I was being bullied in high-school but now it’s on a more grand scale.”

Mr Reynolds fears that “if this campaign can obliterate my mental health as a confident 29 year old who is comfortable with his sexuality and has a strong family support network you can only imagine the extent that it will impact LGBTIQ youth with developing brains and psyches, who are not yet comfortable in their own skin and who feel they don’t have any support.”

It is this sense of fear and lack of support which Reclaim The Streets hopes to allay with their Signed, Sealed, Delivered Music Festival For Marriage Equality on September 23.

“I was thrilled to learn that Reclaim The Streets were organising this event because they have such a huge pull and the people that support them are also very open minded people.” York said.

Sydney’s creative community has a long history with the LGBTIQ community so to see them once again joining forces in support of Marriage Equality comes as no great shock. As York said, “music and all forms of art will always have a part to play in social issues such as this one.”

Sep 23, 1pm. Prince Alfred Park, Chalmers St, Surry Hills. FREE. Info: www.facebook.com/RTSsydney If this article has raised an issues for you please seek help through the following organisations: Twenty10 - www.twenty10.org.au or Ph. 1800 184 527 ACON - www.acon.org.au or Ph. 1800 063 060 Beyond Blue - www.beyondblue.org.au or Ph. 1300 22 4636

OPEN 7 DAYS

city hub 14 SEPTEMBER 2017

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Dreamgirls

Gad Elmaleh

Coming to Australia for the very first time in his stellar career, to headline the Just For Laughs comedy festival, Gad Elmaleh, has become one of the most recognisable comedic talents in the world.

His steady rise to fame has been accentuated by a global tour, and the opportunity he had to support Jerry Seinfeld, at the Just For Laughs comedy festival in Montreal.

In January 2017, he released his latest comedy special Gad Gone Wild, a Netflix special. Gad Gone Wild, rightfully showcases his notable multi-lingual ability, with the show being performed in both English and French, however these are not the only languages he speaks or Moving from France to America changed his performs in. He also speaks/performs in Arabic life, moving from being France’s most popular and Hebrew. comic, to a global sensation. This career

Figaro Dreamgirls is an iconically American musical, steeped deep in cultural references and politics. It is set during the 1960s; a time in America’s history that was scored by turmoil, violence, suppression yet also change, celebration and freedom. If anything truly reflects the mood and personality of the 60s it’s the popular music.

Writers Henry Krieger and Tom Eyen have captured the energy and youthful rebelliousness in their music for Dreamgirls.The stage show has been performed continuously since it premiered in 1981 and was turned into a film in 2006 featuring a stellar cast.

It’s a challenging show for any theatre company to contemplate, and has added hurdles in Australia, as Rod Herbert, director of the current Rockdale Musical Society production explained.

“Dreamgirls, I think, has been one of the hardest shows I’ve ever had to cast. For a start we don’t have the African American performers that you need to put on the show.”

However, the multicultural talent pool of young actors in Sydney helped Herbert over that hurdle.

It was also an imperative for the director that his cast understood and could convey the political undertones of the narrative. He encouraged the cast to explore the history and helped them by posting relevant articles and images on their social media channels. Interestingly - or sadly - many of the issues are still relevant today.

It’s Herbert’s first time directing at Rockdale Town Hall and although it has its limitations, he feels pleased with stage design and effects.There is a massive 7ft platform at the rear of the stage where the band will play. Back wall projections will help establish scenes.When the three piece girl group at the centre of the story are doing concert scenes, they’ll “break the fourth wall” and interact with the band and audience.

Dreamgirls is rarely staged in Australia, so this is a great opportunity to see it. (RB) Until Sep 17. Rockdale Town Hall, cnr of Princess Hwy & Bryant St, Rockdale. $34-$40+b.f.Tickets & Info: www.rockdalemusicalsociety.com

city hub 14 SEPTEMBER 2017

laughs and lots of thinly disguised quips about current politics.There are tongue-in-cheek references to “opera” and side winks that break the fourth wall, giving a convivial sense of inclusion between audience and performers.

Productions at the Genesian walk a meandering line between wishful prestige theatre and selfembracing make-do independent and it makes the experience all the more endearing.To their credit, the company makes a conspicuous effort with costumes, staging, lighting and sound and the results are admirable. In fact, a very hands-on but impressive scene got its own applause.

Figaro is a thoroughly enjoyable couple of hours of theatre with a likeable cast in a quaint, intimate space. (RB) Until Oct 14.The Genesian Theatre, 420 Kent St, Sydney. $25-$30.Tickets & Info: www.genesiantheatre.com.au

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical Carole King is undoubtedly one of the greatest songwriters of all time.

With a career beginning at just sixteen years old, she has written or co-written hits performed by the biggest pop artists spanning five decades including The Shirelles,The Beatles, Dusty Springfield,Aretha Franklin and The Monkees just to name a handful.

Given the catalogue of incredible music, a jukebox musical would seem like a no-brainer - but Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is absolutely not a jukebox musical!

It’s a warm, honest portrayal of the songwriter’s career and life pre the pivotal Tapestry album of 1971.

Director, Marc Bruni has been with the show from its San Francisco premiere in 2013, through Broadway, the West End and now in Sydney. He’s thrilled about coming to Australia and

a&e

12

It’s hard to say the title of this play without bursting into the famous aria from Rossini’s Barber Of Seville.That cheery ditty certainly puts you in the right frame of mind for this buoyant, racy, selfreferentially funny adaptation by Charles Morey of Beaumarchais’ Le Marriage de Figaro.

Set in the 18th Century, the story is a stack of intrigues, twists and ill-formed plots piled high and teetering. Figaro (Ted Crosby) is engaged to Suzanne (Yasmin Arkinstall), but each is also the object of uninvited and disruptive infatuation from wealthy noblewoman, Marceline (Melanie Robinson) and the lascivious Count Almaviva (Paul Murton) respectively.The neglected Countess (Molly Haddon) and a reluctant servant, Cherubin (Tim Murphy) join forces with Figaro and Suzanne in a convoluted scheme to set things right… and of course it mostly goes wrong.

It’s a fun and well-paced romp with plenty of

explosion was aided by a comic residency at Joe’s Pub in New York City, at which he sold out more than 50 nights of comedy.

Before his move to America, Gad Elmaleh was no average comedian. He has completed feats such as selling out the ever-prestigious Olympia theatre hall in Paris for seven consecutive weeks.

Gad Elmaleh has begun the successful transition from comedian to Hollywood actor.

Among other film appearances, Gad has starred as “Ben Salaad” in the Steven Spielberg directed film The Adventures of Tintin and featured in Woody Allen’s film, Midnight in Paris, alongside Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams. (TB) Sep 18-19. City Recital Hall, 2 Angel Pl, Sydney. $79.90-$89.90+b.f.Tickets & Info: www.justforlaughssydney.com

12 STAGE 13 SCENE 14 Sounds 15 SCREEN

excited about working with the people here, “I was really astonished by the level of talent that we were able to assemble.”

When Bruni was first asked to direct the musical, he had a cursory knowledge of King’s music, but exposure to her songs and story have

converted him to fandom.The musical covers the period in King’s life before she became a singer and Bruni reacted to her portfolio of songs the way he believes many audience members will.

“OMG I had no idea she wrote that…and that…and that!”

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

Along with King’s co-writer/ husband Gerry Goffin, the show also features another incredibly successful songwriting duo, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. Their hits include You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling and On Broadway.

“It’s an embarrassment of riches of songs!” says Bruni, but is quick to point out that it is not a mere parade of hits, “We’re not taking the content of the song and trying to make them fit the plot…There’s nobody breaking down on the side of the road and needing help from someone named Rhonda.”

Instead, it’s a show about songwriting, about how songs are written, the inspiration and why they become hits.

Sep 17-Dec 23. Sydney Lyric Theatre, 80 Pirrama Rd, Pyrmont. $60-$165+b.f.Tickets & Info: www. beautifulmusical.com.au

Contributors: Alannah Maher, Alicia Sim, Athina Mallis, Barbara Karpinski, Caitlin Burns, Chantal Walsh, Craig Coventry, Daniel Jaramillo, Emily Shen, Georgia Fullerton, Greg Webster, Irina Dunn, Jade Morellini, James Harkness, Joseph Rana, Leann Richards, Lisa Seltzer, Mark Morellini, Mel Somerville, Olga Azar, Peter Urquhart, Rita Bratovich, Rocio Belinda Mendez, Sarah Pritchard, Shon Ho, Zeiya Speede, Jade Morellini, Alex Eugene, Manuel Gonzalez, Tommy Boutros, Riley Hooper & Taylor Martin.

The Things I Could Never Tell Steven

The new Australian musical The Things I Could Never Tell Stephen is showing for a limited season as part of the 2017 Sydney Fringe Festival exploring betrayal, fear and frustration.

The show is full of comic delight, following the interaction of Stephen’s mother, father, expartner and wife as they unveil one of his secrets which has the power to tear his family apart. Director Alex Robson explained to the City Hub the appeal of the show.

“What’s interesting about this production is that even though it’s all about Stephen and his relationships, we never actually see Stephen.”

The musical explores homosexuality and the difficulty many still face with accepting their queer identity.

“Stephen is a homosexual and we learn fairly early on that his ex is actually a guy and that’s where a lot of the comic elements come in… I think it still does speak to what we’re seeing in Australia at the moment in people, especially men, not wanting to fully accept their queer identity…” Robson said.

Although the musical has comedy at its core, there are still moments where audiences will be moved, providing an uplifting and enjoyable experience for all with a cast full of professional performers.

“We’ve got an all-star cast so the calibre is incredibly high and it’s really been a delight working with these people… At the end of the day, even though it does have some beautiful sombre moments, it is a piece of entertainment so it is very heartfelt, people will laugh and cry…” (JM) Sep 15–18. New Theatre, 542 King St, Newtown. $25-$30.Tickets and Info: www. newtheatre.org.au

Assassins Assassins is an odd premise for a musical. A group of misfits gather at a fairground shooting gallery with a problem to solve. Each come to the same conclusion. They must kill the President of the United States! From John Wilkes Booth through Lee Harvey Oswald to John Hinckley Jr, Assassins takes us through the brain-space of those who would seek to commit the ultimate crime and their desire to be recognised in a world where they are dismissed and ignored – and all through the intelligently stunning words and music of Stephen Sondheim.

Justin Smith plays Sam Byck, who scarily set the blueprint for 9/11. He decided Nixon had to go, so he strapped on a petrol bomb to hijack a plane. It never got off the ground. “Bits of my monologue are kind of creepy”, says Smith, “you realise that underneath the wit is a crazy man.”

Having loved the show for ages, Smith agrees that Assassins is more relevant now than ever, especially for Australians. “It’s very timely.

Disenfranchisement in Western politics is pretty much everywhere. This feeling of ‘disconnect’ between normal citizens and the democracy that they are a part of is easily latched onto in our country.”

Sell-out seasons are now a regular occurrence at the Hayes, underlining an emerging appetite for sophisticated, niche musical theatre in Sydney. “The real devotees would have a list of

THE NAKED CITY SYDNEY OR THE BUSH? – ALL ROADS LEAD TO CARINDA

With Coffin Ed We are all familiar with the flood of festivals that dominate the local calendar from the multimillion dollar Sydney Festival to the smaller wellfunded suburban affairs. But what if you are a tiny NSW outback town with a population of around 40, a minuscule budget compared to the city folks and very little infrastructure. Would you ever be mad enough, or brave enough, to stage your own festival?

When it comes to Carinda, a town in the far North of NSW, the answer is a resounding yes! Their

Let’s Dance festival, to be held over the coming October long weekend, is expected to draw punters from all over Australia, descending on this both remote and romantic bush outpost like racegoers do at Birdsville. So what is the magnet that sees hundreds of campers, back packers and travellers attracted to this one pub town?

It’s partly the pub itself but more importantly its most famous patron David Bowie, who filmed his iconic Let’s Dance video way back in 1983.

Since then the hotel has become a mecca for Bowie fans from all over the world and a kind of outback shrine since his death last year. As the festival organiser, local farmer

his band as well as local musicians, markets and food stalls plus lots of country hospitality. If you are travelling to Carinda, which is about two to three hours drive from Dubbo, you will need to bring your camping gear and a few basic supplies. There’s plenty of free space at the local Carinda camp space with no bookings needed.

The open air concert Saturday September 30 and Sunday October 1 will be performed next to the campsite with Duffo performing a re-enactment of David Bowie’s classic Let’s Dance in the Carinda Hotel on Sunday afternoon. There will also be a Red Shoe homage fence where people can bring an old shoe along, paint it red, sign it and hang it as well as lots of activities for kids such as a jumping castle, animal farm, face painting and drumming workshops.

Mo Regan explains, Organiser Mo Regan is keen to “The idea came about standing stress the appeal of the town itself, around a fire one night about a especially if you are a city dweller month after Bowie had passed away. who seldom journeys out of the We got chatting over a few drinks concrete jungle. and came up with the idea to “Carinda is a genuine outback honour David Bowie with a tribute experience and for those who have concert. Then we found there was never ventured over the mountains also another group of people with Carinda offers that fair dinkum the same idea so the collective Aussie encounter. It has its wide consciousness of the town was on open spaces, big skies and wildlife the same page! We formed a everywhere and therefore it’s an committee and went for it - with no artist’s delight, whether that be funding what so ever.” photography, art, music or just The initial festival took place last somewhere to sit still” she enthuses. year, with Bowie fans coming from Pack your swag and book your as far as Tasmania and even the UK. ticket now at: This year the celebration will www.letsdancecarinda2017. feature the unstoppable Jeff Duff and eventbrite.com.au

shows they love that would normally never see the light of day in Australia”, says Smith. “A lot of the American stuff is so well written – so there is this whole untapped canon of work that they can explore and this show is one of them.”

(GW) Sep 15-Oct 14. Hayes Theatre, 19 Greenknowe Ave, Potts Point, $58-$78.

Tickets & Info: www.hayestheatre.com.au or Ph: 0280657337

Ritual Spirit

Despite the time, the culture or new technologies. The pursuit of spirituality remains intact. This endless quest is something deeply rooted in human existence.

There are topics that are impossible to explain or describe. The Chinese tradition of spirituality and faith is one of those topics. The spirit of Chinese culture is an infinite mystery.

A mystery that still influences millions of lives around the globe.

The White Rabbit Gallery, presents Ritual Spirit. This new exhibition has no comparison and is unlike anything ever shown in Australia before. The exhibition explores the spiritual life of contemporary China. Currently, China is an atheist country, but interest for spirituality remain intact and is growing within secular contexts.

David Williams explained, “Chinese art was once regarded as a gift from the gods. Artists were conduits between earth and heaven; their aim was not just to capture the beauty of nature but to convey its vital breath. The artists in Ritual Spirit do not seek to raise a man into heaven. But all are trying, in one sense or another, to bring the gods down to earth”.

Ritual Spirit, explores the interface between the exalted realm of gods and spirits and the crazy, mixed-up human world. Featuring works by more than 20 artists from China and Taiwan including Geng Xue,Yu Hong, Tianzhou Chen, Cheng Ran and Xu Bing. (MG) Aug 30-Jan 28, Wed-Sun 10am–5pm.

White Rabbit Contemporary Chinese Art, 30 Balfour St, Chippendale. Info: www.whiterabbitcollection.org city hub 14 SEPTEMBER 2017

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Live Music Guide LIVE WIRE Sydney

By Jamie Apps

Lenka: Is an Australian singer/songwriter, who has been releasing solo albums and touring worldwide for the last decade.

Lenka’s music has featured in movies like Moneyball and Easy A, with TV placements on Ugly Betty, Grey’s Anatomy and a multitude of commercials, oh and Billy Crystal even sang her song at the 2012 Oscars.

Thu, Sep 14, Lazybones Lounge Sing Out, Louise: Two musical-maven pianists are flying in from New York to guide Sydney’s show-tune lovers through a communal sing along till 3am while signature NYC-themed cocktails are served (New York Sours, Cosmopolitans & Long Island Iced Teas). Everything from Sondheim to the Sound of Music will be played.

Fri, Sep 15,The Polo Lounge - The Oxford Hotel The Tommyhawks: The fierce femmefatale punk infused blues band are bringing their new EP, This Is Not A Desert Island, to Sydney this weekend. Exploding with quirky,

dramatic, trippy and heartfelt songs, This Is Not A Desert Island is the third EP from the Perth group which explores the idea of trying to control one’s own state of mind and mental health... and often failing.

Sat, Sep 16, Frankies Pizza James Bennett: The 25 year old Newcastle based Singer-Songwriter has returned triumphant from the USA to unveil Fake Feathers, the first single from the recent recording sessions to feature on his forthcoming album Run With The Hunted.

Touring relentlessly, he has developed a legion of fans who are enamoured with his naturally gifted voice, self taught guitar and mesmerising lyrics.

Sun, Sep 17, Leadbelly Sydney Sacred Music Festival: Gathered from amongst the who’s who of creative musicians across the range of jazz, world, Indian, contemporary and improvised music this outstanding group of creative and unique voices will not only share their talent but also their insights into the deeper and sacred aspects of music and what drives their passion and contribution to their art.

Sun, Sep 17, Soka Gakkai Cultural Centre My Leonard Cohen: Performed by Stewart D’Arrietta and a seven-piece band, featuring some of Australia’s best contemporary musicians. D’Arrietta’s musical interpretations are gutsy and arresting, the stories he tells deliver an intimate insight into Cohen’s life and the motivations.

Tue, Sep 19, Sydney Opera House Pharoahe Monch: Widely regarded as one of the best lyrical MC’s in the game, Pharoahe Monch’s creative motivation and output is consistent even after 20 years on the scene. Praised by the likes of Eminem for always being ahead of his time, his 1998 highly touted solo debut, Internal Affairs, crafted one of the greatest underground Hip-Hop albums ever.

Wed, Sep 20, Metro Theatre

Patrick James

By Jamie Apps Following an almost two year hiatus from releasing music Sydney song-smith Patrick James has returned with an all new, refreshed sound and live show.

As James explained to the City Hub the hiatus was a necessity brought about by his decision to reinvent himself as an artist and songwriter.

“I was searching for something that was not the same as before, I didn’t want to recreate and rehash what I’d already done. I wanted to make something that was going to challenge who I was as an artist.”

Understandably by choosing to travel down that path Patrick had to go through a period of trial and error. This period though extended out longer than it typically would have been because Patrick chose to not only tackle new themes with his music but also implement an entirely new writing process.

This new writing process saw Patrick tossing his customary acoustic guitar aside and instead attempting to write primarily using piano and drum loops.

“It was strange for me at first,” he reflected, “it was a whole different side to writing music that I had never looked into before but it was really fun to do it that way for sure.”

Obviously attempting to write with this new style came with its challenges but luckily for Patrick he had the assistance and guidance of his producer Ben

Kate Miller-Heidke - Live At The Sydney Opera House Australian songstress Kate Miller-Heidke combines her prodigious talents with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in a surprisingly smooth blend of orchestral and pop music.

Blending pop and folk with classical and opera is no easy feat but SSO and Miller-Heidke have done a phenomenal job with this release. The smoothness of the compositions and arrangements can likely be

accredited to Miller-Heidke’s previous experience and forays into the operatic world.

Throughout the record the exquisite vocal technique and natural ability of Miller-Heidke is on display. When this natural talent is allowed to push to the forefront the record is enthralling. When Miller-Heidke attempts to embellish with vocal flourishes the songs can become a touch over ambitious, but

city hub 14 SEPTEMBER 2017

the acoustic guitar feels like a whole new world to write and work in again.”

Having written Lay It Down and a number of other new tracks under this new premise and style Patrick has also had to reconfigure his live show, which he will be performing in Sydney this week.

“The challenge has been trying to work the old songs into this new set because all of the new songs are very band oriented in a more epic, atmospheric way.

So there is a challenge trying to incorporate that into a set where we have just the four players that we’re used to.”

Sep 15. Leadbelly, 42 King St, Newtown. $23.50.

Tickets & Info: www.theleadbelly.com.au

Fanny Lumsden – Real Class Act

thankfully this is a very limited occurrence. (JA) WWW1/2

INDIVISIBLE (INVIDISIBILI) 14

McCarthy. Both Patrick and Ben entered into the process with similar ideas and reference points which Patrick says was invaluable.

“Ben understood that it [new single Lay It Down] still needed to sound like it came from me as an artist and that people needed to understand how I got to this sound.”

Whilst some artists might find the idea of writing new music in two incredibly different ways unsettling Patrick appears to have found it to be a liberating and reenergising process.

“To make things feel fresh and new again is sometimes a process but I definitely think working this way has helped me to go back and start working on the instrument I’m so used to,

Fanny Lumsden’s Real Class Act is sung simply and stitched through with the intimate detail of a life.

Themes of growing up, fitting in and trying not to get knocked up make up an interesting collection of tales for listeners who like to pay attention to the lyrics. Each track elucidates the colourful life that inhabits the songs a little more.

Such interesting lyrics are sung and listened to with

This effective drama was a box-office hit in Italy and should also prove to be a stand-out success at this year’s Italian Film Festival. The originality of the story, further compounded by an award winning screenplay, provides a movie experience which will stay with audiences long after leaving the cinema.

Daisy and Viola are 18 yearold twins conjoined at the hips who are regarded as a miracle who bring good luck.

They perform at weddings

apparent ease. The folksy tone talks to its listeners, it gives them anecdotes that it has told before all while keeping the tone light around some difficult issues.

It doesn’t demand mental effort and it does not surround the listener, it comes from one side like one half of a conversation overheard from another room. The more the listener hears of Lumsden’s cheeky tales the

and festivals under the strict control of their father who profits from their disability.

When a doctor claims the twins could have been separated at birth as they don’t share any organs, the catalyst emerges to a lifechanging journey for the twins, who run away in search of 20,000 Euros for an operation to separate them.

But do Daisy and Viola both want the operation? Is their sexual awakening, their need for romance and the “feeling

more they will press their ear up to door. (SP) WWW

like they’re locked in a cage” enough to propel an operation to separate these sisters who are basically regarded as ‘side show freaks’ amongst the religious community?

Newcomers Angela and Marianne Fontana give astounding performances in this film which notably makes a comment on the arrogance and greed of society. (MMo) WWW1/2 Screening at The Italian Film Festival www. italianfilmfestival.com.au

IT

Patti Cake$ Patti Cake$ tells the story of an aspiring New Jersey rapper who has plenty of talent and is dreaming big but has to go through the grind, hoping that fate will be at her side.

It’s intended to be fresh, and elements of uniqueness appear from time to time.

Patti Cake$ reminds one of the genius behind movies like 8 Mile, but unfortunately a very familiar story idea negates that. Perhaps it tries too hard to be different, but

ends up almost too familiar.

To give credit where it’s due, Patti Cake$ sees a very talented Danielle MacDonald as the protagonist, displaying a very award worthy performance. Geremy Jasper’s direction is keen and intelligent, the supporting acts give fine performances too, but somehow it just feels that all of this great talent deserved a better final product. (JR)

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The Emoji Movie The Emoji Movie is an animated film which follows the story of Gene (voiced by T.J. Miller). Gene is an emoji with multiple expressions, unlike his single-expression counterparts. After failing at his job as an emoji, Gene sets out on a quest to fit in with the other emojis by eliminating all the emotions he feels, other than “meh,” all the while making friends and learning valuable life lessons along the way.

Along the way Gene learns to defy social norms with confidence in order to stay

true to himself, whilst all of the other characters learn a lesson on the value of loyalty and friendship.

Though The Emoji Movie may not seem to boast substance, the film addresses many important issues, such as social-conformity, sexism, and our society’s dependence on smart phones and social media.

The film is both witty and delightful, and in our technology-driven society, The Emoji Movie is the perfect film for all ages. (TM) WWW1/2

Resurrecting Stephen King’s novel to coincide with the legend of the evil entity IT, comes the first chapter in the two-part big screen adaption 27 years after the original.

The storyline follows seven children living in the town of Derry, Maine. In the town kids have started to disappear, including the younger brother of Bill, the leader of the self-named, Losers Club. As the group is hunted by Pennywise the Clown (Bill Skarsgård) they are forced to face their fears and come together to survive.

IT was not short of jump scares, fickle moments and humour. The writers

did an exemplary job of connecting us to the characters, with the dialog between them being the most compelling part. Director Andy Muschietti has done a skilled job in executing the vision that will not let down expectations. Not oversaturating the movie in special effects made it look and feel believable more than was anticipated.

Although it was tough to be fearful with a grin on my face from the witty lines coming from the characters, I think this will be a hit with horror fans and general moviegoers alike. (RH)

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Well versed in Xero online accounting, which made it easy to review our numbers on the go. Their service is a lifesaver and highly recommended.”

Jonathan Fong, Morph Performance Pty Ltd. Sydney

Freshly-made traditional Polish dumplings (pierogi), goose, duck, polish borsch (barszcz czerwony) stuffed meat.

Fresh flowers, tables covered by embroidered tablecloths, soft light and smooth jazz music create a very special atmosphere…

Monday: closed Tuesday: 6pm – 10 pm Wednesday – Sunday: 9am -10pm

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Colin Lua, CPA 469 Harris St, Ultimo We speak English and Mandarin

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ph: 9130 4000

newyorkslice.com.au city hub 14 SEPTEMBER 2017

15

“A place where every piece has a heart, a soul & a story to tell.”

lassic Furniture Gallery We promote the use of recycled teak whilst supporting villages in Indonesia. Our recycled teak timbers come from dilapidated houses, boats, old tree stumps and only fallen trees.

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city hub 14 SEPTEMBER 2017