Marc Maron in person…

Legendary US comedian Marc Maron will be visiting Sydney as part of his upcoming Maronation tour. The WTF podcast host and one-time comic hot-shot has spent the better part of the last decade refining his comic act and expanding the definition of a ‘working comic’. Now, with a poplar FX show and high-rating podcast coming up roses, Mr. Maron is finally spreading the love to the land downunder.

The Maronation tour performances will showcase Mr. Maron at his caustic and engaging best. Whether he’s attacking social mores or bringing observational humour to new depths, Mr. Maron’s take on the world is refreshingly honest, heartbreakingly real and often touching.

But in recent times, Mr. Maron’s podcast has become one of the single most consistent fixtures in the shifting digital landscape. If his recent interview with Barack Obama proved anything, it’s that Maron has the world and his audience right where he wants them. After all, could you imagine the leader of the free world taking the time out of his busy schedule to record a podcast in anyone else’s garage?

Organisers have confirmed that Mr. Maron will be appearing in one show only, so tickets for the State Theatre gig will surely sell like hot cakes. If you’re a fan or recent follower, don’t miss out on this great opportunity to see a comic legend live in the flesh.

Some of Maron’s ‘greatest hits’ include:

• “Have you ever had one of those moments when you look up and realize that you’re one of those people you see on the train talking to themselves?”
• “There are also always those burnt, hard kernels at the bottom that don’t pop. You know why they don’t pop? They don’t pop because they have integrity.”
• “Left wing, right wing, I am wingless and tired of trying to fly. Here comes the ground.”
• “Show business is one of the few businesses that the devil will actually agree to own just a portion of your soul because he knows if you have a performer’s ego you were probably working for him all along.”
• “For my next trick I will make everyone understand me.”

When: Thu 15 Oct, 2015
Where: The State Theatre, Sydney CBD

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The Just For Laughs Festival is a premier international comedy event, a rib-tickling celebration of the world’s best stand up comedians and laugh-out-loud acts. The Montreal-based show inspires international tours of its headlining comedians, and this year’s Just For Laughs Sydney looks set to offer locals the chance to see some of the funniest comedians in an intimate local setting.

In the past, Just For Laughs Sydney organisers have snagged their fair share of comedy legends. The amazing roster of performers includes Louis C.K., John Cleese, Martin Short, Demetri Martin, Eddie Izzard, Aziz Ansari, Drew Carey, Noel Fielding, Trevor Noah, Dylan Moran, Bill Bailey, Kathy Griffin, Reggie Watts and so many more. So it’s no surprise that this year’s festival is chock full of funny goodness.

The show will be headlined by controversial British comedian and activist Russell Brand, whose ‘Trew World Order’ tour has wowed fans across Europe and the US. The politically charged gig is sure to offer fans a generous helping of Mr. Brand’s navel gazing comedy styling punctuated by plenty of social ‘philosophising’ and a tirade or two for good measure.

Fellow UK comedy icon Al Murray (The Pub Landlord) will also do a hot run of shows at the Opera House. ‘The Guv’, as he’s known, will surely tickle Aussie audiences with his unique laconic British pub humour.

This year’s Gala night will feature a stellar roster of talent including Tommy Tiernan, Stephen K. Amos, Dave Hughes, Wil Anderson, Danny Bhoy and others. These acts, along with Hannah Gadsby, Cal Wilson, Ronny Chieng, Joel Creasey, Anne Edmonds, Tom Ballard, Tommy Little and Damien Power, will appear in solo shows. Consult the festival program for more information about dates and tickets.

What: The 2015 Sydney Just For Laughs Festival.
When: 19-25 Oct, 2015.
Where: Sydney Opera House, Sydney.
For more information visit: http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/about/program_just_for_laughs.aspx

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A hundred and nine sculptures from a diverse selection of globally renowned artists now adorn the Sydney coastline. In this, its eighteenth year, the show’s organisers are touting the biggest ever exhibition. This is mostly because of the gigantic size of the many of the works, but it’s also due to overwhelming global participation: artists from sixteen different nations are competing to take the top prize.

The premier arts festival, which opened today, traditionally draws large crowds of visitors and locals alike. For eighteen days, the landscape undergoes a dramatic change. Along the Bondi to Tamarama coastal walk, visitors are treated to wonderful pieces peppered along their walk. The idyllic setting and tranquillity also makes for a top-notch picnic spot, so be sure to bring along your basket and blanket!

Some of the highlights from this year’s program include Geoffrey Drake-Brockman’s ‘Counter’ (which counts all those who walk though its arches) and ‘We’re fryin’ out here’ by Andrew Hankin (which presents a huge, giant sized fry-pan on the beachfront). There are plenty of other smaller scale sculptures as well, with topics ranging from overtly political to deeply personal.

Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, exhibition acquisitions manager Eleanor Cheetham discussed the real highlight of the program: “The best part is seeing the vibrancy of the audience,” she said. “Especially children, who interact so freely with the sculptures. We’re seeing a whole generation of kids feeling comfortable around artwork.” In the end, who could ask for more?

For more details regarding this splendid event, visit the festival website at www.sculpturebythesea.com. Enjoy!

The famous Martin Place Christmas Tree is the city’s symbol of fraternity and holiday spirit. Every year, the lighting of the tree is a wonderful event worthy of the whole family. On Thursday the 27th of November, the interactive Christmas Tree will turn on the lights, unleashing a spectacle of dazzling visuals and SMS-branches (guests can send texts across the branches of the fibre optic laden tree). This year, kids are given the chance to control the colour settings via an interactive-pad kiosk.

Those in the mood for a holiday season stroll will love the festive atmosphere of the Christmas Light Forest. Also kicking off on the 27th, the Christmas Light Forest is an intricate installation of lights and decorations hovering above the length of the Pitt Street Mall. Suspended trees and fascinating projections will turn the usually busy shopping precinct into a pause way for bewitched onlookers, so be sure to make it along!

All across the CBD precinct, usually buttoned-down shopfronts and buildings will be transformed. Digital projections will enliven even the quietest streets and offer an interesting take on the regular city space (for tourists and locals alike). This year, the Street Light Disco will also re-shape the promenade of Martin Place. The outdoor installation brings together the best in music, visuals and technology in order to create a truly once-in-a-lifetime event.

For more information on Sydney’s Yuletide events, visit the official website over at http://www.sydneychristmas.com.au/. Even though Christmas is still a while away, you can figure out your calendar and make sure the little ones have a truly merry Christmas!

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But this morning, the celebrations continued roaring. The triumphant South Sydney Rabbitohs appeared before a packed out crowd at Redfern Oval, the spiritual and sometimes physical home of the iconic underdogs. Star player Greg Inglis took the moment to express his gratitude to the adoring masses: “The premiership is back in Redfern, back where it belongs. The longer the wait, the sweeter it tastes.”

And with that, an estimated ten thousand voices rang out a cheer so deafening that it could likely be heard in Bulldogs territory, a little further south. It had been forty three long years since the community had last relished in a moment like this, and they weren’t going to let this one pass by without fanfare. The Souths’ hard-core, dyed in the wool supporters were out in droves, proud of their once embattled team’s success. There were selfies a-plenty and congratulatory songs, hand-painted banners and face-painted kids. It truly was a glorious day for the underdog.

Overnight, Redfern’s windows had been transformed into a vibrant sky of red and green. Down in the street, from the early hours of the morning, revellers could be heard making their way down to Redfern Oval. A little later, the police were out to help control the unstoppable flow of foot traffic to the arena. Meanwhile, traffic on the suburb’s nearby roads had died down to a practical stop; it was the rare slowing of our inner-city’s pulse, a sign that something big was going on. Indeed, the gathering would be one to remember.

As devoted fans showered the stage with love, players and club representative appeared one after the other. Often decked out in sunglasses and looking a little worse for wear, the momentum rose until team Captain John Sutton took the stage. Looking out over the thousands of faces, the veteran skipper closed out the event with a roaring statement: “We will be celebrating this for at least another week!”

Something tells me he may be right…

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The festival is predicated on the idea that multicultural Australia needs more exposure to Latin American culture and arts. The festival doesn’t represent a single Latino/a voice, but instead it promotes the broad identity of a huge continent. Guests can expect films from across the continent to reveal larger differences about Latin American cultures and reflect on their inter-continental relationships. As such, it’s a great experience to gain an understanding of the complex history and culture, as recounted by those within the culture.

This year’s program features the hotly anticipated, award winning documentary Behaviour as the festival opener. The Cuban documentary is seen in some corners as quite controversial, so it makes for a perfect companion to the opening night’s festivities. Cannes Award winners The Vega Brothers (the Latino Coen Brothers?) are also showing their film The Mute, a contemporary black comedy set in Peru. Mexican documentarian Nicolás Echevarría’s Echo of the Mountain is sure to be another festival favourite, with a lyrical, photographic style praised by film buffs the world over. Other films include Stones In The Sun, Mateo, Bad Hair and Uruguayan children’s favourite Anina.

The SLAFF will take place at the George Street Event Cinemas and runs from the 3rd to the 10th of September, 2014. Moviegoers are encouraged to book tickets online through Event or through the Festival’s own website. Over the past eight years, the dedicated organisers have managed to raise more than a hundred thousand dollars for their cause, so do yourself (and others) and favour and head in to this year’s SLAFF!

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Tickets for the November 1st gig have been hard to come by. In an interesting bargain, concert goers were encouraged to buy a ‘Lucky Dip Ticket’ for the super-affordable price of $99! With reserved seating set to fetch up to $600 per ticket, ‘The Lucky Dip’ option seems perfect if you’re planning a weekend getaway for two!

The band has been celebrating some milestones lately; this year marked the fiftieth anniversary of their first public show, a prodigiously early debut from a band set to go down in the history books. During that fifty year period, The Rolling Stones have gone from a Brit-rock phenomenon to world-wide superstars. Today, their live show represents the top of the rock ‘n’ roll heap: even in their sixties, the Stones are still the loud and flashily entertaining band they’ve always been.

For real fans of music, no matter what age or background, it’s a memorable concert that has the power to remind audiences of the long-lasting impact of a good song. One after the other, The Rolling Stones can rattle through more hits than hammer: Satisfaction, Sympathy For The Devil, Jumpin’ Jack Flash, Street Fighting Man, Miss You, Brown Sugar, Rocks Off! and so many more.

But their shows are also filled with songs for the hard-core fans of their LP work. The Stones’ repertoire is expansive, so you might just hear Happy, Jigsaw Puzzle, Get Off My Cloud or any other less well-known favourites. And you might even get the rare Keith Richards solo song, if he’s in the right mood…

It’s a real treat to see the world’s greatest band in their natural climate, so make sure you make it along to this once in a lifetime experience. Try to book ahead and snag a reservation at a local hotel, as its sure to be a busy weekend in the Hunter!

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