Category: Events
Sculptures by the Sea
Since its inception in 1997, the Sculptures by the Sea exhibition has only grown from its original set-up in Bondi to encompass Cottesloe beach in Western Australia and Aarhus which is located all the way in Denmark. As a Sydney-sider, exploring the 2km coastal walk from Bondi to Tamarama which features these art pieces was much easier than travelling to the other side of the country, let alone the world.
Useful tip; grab an information book at one of the stalls found during the walk to make sure you don’t miss out on any of the art pieces. I went the independent route and I felt I missed quite a few of the pieces that were captured on the Sculptures by the Sea website. Some of the sculptures were easily passed unnoticed due to their positioning such as The Guardians set-up which was painted onto a stair-case and the Big Man installation which was above the walkway, but this could have been easily remedied if I had picked up a booklet.
The 2km ‘sculpture park’ walk is a sight to see even without the installations in place and if art isn’t for you, there’s a whole coast of beaches to relax upon. The Bondi exhibition concludes on the 9th of November so there is still time to discover the multitude of sculptures that have been put up for this event. Sculptures by the Sea is free so it makes for a nice day out for those on a budget and it’s easily accessible with buses leaving Bondi Junction train station towards Bondi beach on a regular basis.
Live: The Cat Empire
Seeing as this was my fourth Cat Empire concert in as many years, I had a vague idea of what to expect at the Hordern Pavilion. One thing you can be sure about at a Cat Empire concert is that they always manage to bring some amazing local talent that are worth watching and, once again, they failed to disappoint. Beat-boxing extraordinaire Tom Thum began the night with his set of weird and wonderful mouth noises. He even brought in musician Jamie McDowell to cover old-school classic No Diggity and to play their original track Fever & Love. Up next was Madre Monte who managed to get the crowd going with their South American roots music even when they sung in a completely different language.
It wasn’t long before The Cat Empire arrived on stage and broke into Still Young; a personal favourite of mine and a great song to begin the show. Going through a set-list including old favourites such as Sly as well as a few tracks from their latest album, The Cat Empire really gave the crowd what they wanted. ‘One-night only’ competition winner Camilla Bellstedt joined in during fan-favourite The Wine Song and showed off her clarinet playing skills while Harry Angus encouraged the crowd make circles with those around them.
As The Cat Empire broke into the final pre-encore track All Night Loud, the crowd knew the concert was coming to an end which just made everyone dance and sing just that little bit harder as this sombre tune transformed into their typical upbeat style. Another highlight of the night was the traditional final song, The Chariot. The Cat Empire brought their supporting acts as well as clarinet-player Camilla back on stage to celebrate another killer show while a packed Hordern Pavilion sang along, ‘our weapons were our instruments, made from timber and steel’. This was definitely a night to remember.
VIVID 2014
Sydney Opera House
Fun fact: I have an obsession with light shows. Lasers, projections, fireworks and everything in between; if it’s shiny and lights up, chances are I’ll like it. That’s why when Sydney VIVID festival rolled back into town for its 5th year, I had to go out and see the installations with my very own eyes. Continue reading “VIVID 2014”
Eurovision Night 2014
Complimentary mini-flag for all my guests
The past weekend has been a fun-filled event thanks to the 59th annual Eurovision Song Contest which was hosted in Copenhagen, Denmark this year. Being friends with a large group of Eurovision fans, it was imperative that we would come together for a raucous night full of debauchery and laughs in honour of this great competition. So plans were made, food was prepared and an excess of alcohol was bought; ready to consume for Europe’s finest night.
Easter Monday Shenanigans
After 7 weeks of lectures, 3500km of driving and 5 assessments completed; it’s pretty easy to understand why I was so happy to have a relaxing break before the onslaught continued and what better way to chill out than to go for an easy 5 1/2 hour hike at the Royal National Park. The one stupid part of this whole idea was that I went for a lovely run the day before and my leg muscles weren’t too pleased with the prospect of walking long distances. Continue reading “Easter Monday Shenanigans”
Jess ○ Polak 