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2017 Scandinavian Film Festival

Sydney

July 11-August 2

We are currently in the fourth season of the year in Sydney, which is mild compared to the harsh haunting wintertide that seems to be at home in Nordic countries, so a bit of escapism aka an escape from the chill to the confines of a warm, dark cinema, where you can watch movies from places even colder than here seems like a great proposition.

Returning to Palace Cinemas in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth and Hobart, the 2017 incarnation of the Volvo Scandinavian Film Festival showcases the a curated selection of Swedish, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Icelandic cinema, from award-winning dramas to esoteric comedies and the very best of Nordic Noir.

Danish Charlotte Sieling, the special guest with kudos from her Swedish /Danish series The Bridge, helped open the proceedings with a speech.

Charlotte Sieling presented the Finnish comedy / drama The Other Side of Hope, which is pervaded by Aki Kaurismäki’s (Drifting Clouds, Le Havre)  deadpan humour and humanistic perspective depicting a current hot topic, i.e. illegal immigration. This joyous new film drolly reflects the modern day experience of one immigrant in Finland, wanting to change his life.

The Other Side of Hope is both sublime and entertaining - a statement providing a melancholic yet optimistic, compassionate vision of a troubled world.

Another highlight of the festival is the biographical Tom of Finland by director Dome Karukoski, one of Finland’s acclaimed directors, Dome Karukoski (Heart of a Lion, Scandi FF 2014).

Karukoski sheds light on the life of the man that ‘Tom of Finland’ is based on, which is not uninteresting as it became a global movement and phenomenon in terms of freedom and libreation of the sexual kind, and thereby creates a well nauanced portrait of a man that became an unorthodox spokesman.

Turbonegro rejoice.

The opening night of the 2017 Scandinavian Film Festival was rounded out and framed by an after-party with Unza, Swing and Balkan Gypsi beats courtesy of Romani ensemble Lovo Lovina, sparkling Elderberry cocktails and smørrebrød proferred by Fika Swedish Kitchen.

The festival in Sydney will continue until 02 August.

Japandroids

Factory Theatre

Sydney, AU

July, 14 2017

Japandroids are a two-piece band from Vancouver, BC, which began in 2006 and consists of Brian King and David Prowse.

One guitar, one set of drums, and two vocalizers sounds minimal on paper but in a live context, Japandroids are maximal in their delivery; a two-piece band sounding like a five- piece band.

A result-oriented performance, as David Lee Roth would have put it – not overly heavy on banter with the music speaking for itself - blisteringly loud, raw, distorted intentionally messy, emotive and laced with explosive power chords and ludicrously tight drums.

Touring on the back of their third album Near to the Wild Heart of Life, emphasis was on showing off newer material, which shows a natural progression from their first two emissions.

New tracks blended in with tested and tried songs containing their trademark choruses with a plethora of big “whoahs” harmonies, adorning the down-but-not-out lyrical nature and themes heavy on self-discovery through alcohol, women and travel, which the attendants frenetically sang along to.

Japandroids thrive on their visceral music and despite the limitations that the combination of electric guitar drums present in terms of sonic diversity, they are able to engage the audience on an emotional level and feed off their energy and visa versa.

Japandroids showed that they are a blindingly powerful live force based on a foundation of elemental rock tropes and evocative songwriting, utter passion and belief in the absorbing qualities of love.

There is a lot of classic rock, a pinch of punk, Hüsker Dü, traces of Springsteen and Tom Petty and while they are not attempting to reinvent the wheel, they are much better at their craft than the dozens of other duos drawing on the same influences.

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Photos by T

The Undertones

Metro Theatre

Sydney, AU

July 8, 2017

The Undertones are legendary.

If you are remotely interested in punk rock yet not familiar with their oeuvre due to the curse of late birth, chances are you found yourself at some stage of your musical journey singing along to your favourite bands from the nineties or noughties covering one of the many two-and-a-half-minute pop punk hits of these first wave Irish punks, whose debut 7” Teenage Kicks was influential English DJ John Peel’s favourite single of ALL time.

Formed as juvenile delinquents  in Derry, Ireland in 1975 and taking shape mid-1976 the band churned out  four brilliant albums before first disbanding in 1983.

2017 saw their first incarnation on terra australis fronted by Paul McLoone, who joined in 1999 replacing estranged former frontman Feargal Sharkey, backed by original members – guitarist and chief-songwriter John O’Neil, his brother Damian (guitar), bassist Michael Bradley and drummer Billy Doherty.

Got doubts about The Undertones being another reunited band cashing in the on their former glories?

Nothing could be further from the truth as The Undertones sound fantastic and better than ever – they are a dignified, well oiled machine that churns out pristine sounds and a passionate set that brimmed with energy, amplified by McLoone’s swagger who has literally shimmied and shuffled his way in and has successfully infused the limelight position with his own style while retaining the DNA of the mothership, which sits comfortably on a foundation that drips with dense melodies weaved by the guitar section.

What is joyous about the Undertones in 2017 is the sheer effortlessness of the delivery by an unassuming band, that does not need to rely on big fanfare. They elicits smiles and good times with a powerful set celebrating their eternal classics with aplomb.

Punk in its essence, i.e. not wasting a single note and making every moment count, The Undertones race down the lane they have created for their own distinctive style, adding ingredients like melancholy, social commentary and melodic brilliance.

Tonight’s show was testament to the band’s timeless legacy that transcends generations despite being rooted in the ordinary teenage life of the seventies.

Peppered with affectionate banter they showed that the potency of their songs has been improved rather than diminished by their familiarity.

What is joyous about the Undertones in 2017 is the sheer effortlessness of the delivery by an unassuming band, that does not need to rely on big fanfare. They elicits smiles and good times with a powerful set celebrating their eternal classics with aplomb.

Punk in its essence, i.e. not wasting a single note and making every moment count, The Undertones race down the lane they have created for their own distinctive style, adding ingredients like melancholy, social commentary and melodic brilliance.

Tonight’s show was testament to the band’s timeless legacy that transcends generations despite being rooted in the ordinary teenage life of the seventies.

Peppered with affectionate banter they showed that the potency of their songs has been improved rather than diminished by their familiarity.

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Photos by KAVV

Grinspoon

Enmore Theatre

Sydney

July 7, 2017

Grinspoon emerged in 1995 from sleepy Lismore in New South Wales and with the juvenile delinquents behind the operation harbouring a weak spot for sticky icky, they named themselves after an Associate Professor advocating the medicinal use of marijuana.

The following two decades would see Grinspoon ascend and establish itself as a platinum selling, (inter-)nationally acclaimed act and staple of Australian rock’n roll inventory.

2017 sees the band reconvene for a victory lap to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of their debut album with the Guide to Better Living tour, performing the songs of their debut album in its entirety alongside a selection of the goodies from their other emissions.

It comes with the territory of playing albums front to back that there are tracks that have never been incarnated in a live environment, which is part of the appeal for the audience and offers a bit of a welcome challenge for the musicians.

Instead of an exercise of indulging in nostalgia, Grinspoon did not merely attempt to reenact their youthful past glories but delivered a set that captured the teenage angst aspect that Guide To Better Living was essentially driven by and infused it with the more refined aspects of their later sound, which resulted in a much grittier, punchier and rawer delivery than what they have become known for following their debut’s release.

The sold out audience, which populated the age bracket from young teenagers to faithful fans who would have been older in 1995 than their debut album is now, celebrated it and lapped it up with enthusiasm.

Both the first half of the show with songs of a heavier caliber like "Pressure Tested 1984" and classic-rock inspired ones like "Repeat" and "Don’t Go Away" were especially enthusiastically received, as well as the second half of the set, visually marked by Phil Jamieson’s flamboyant costume change, which was comprised of the crowd pleasers from their later albums and showcased the more nuanced, mature side of a band that has honed its songwriting skills and range of offerings, which has found them being heralded by a wider mainstream audience.

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Photos by KAVV

Good Food and Drink Show

Sydney, Australia

June 24, 2017

The Good Food and Drink show is all about familiarise it’s audience with emerging trends in the hospitality industry before and behind the scenes, running the gamut from high to low brow and everything in between.

Samples are product Federer by hundreds of national and international reps of restaurants, chefs and producers, offering to enter a dialogue and find out more about their respective crafts and giving hands-on demonstrations on how to replicate their creations at home.Master and wine tasting classes round out what is on offer at the Drinks end of the spectrum.

Chefs performing at the Good Food Theatre included the Dublin born chef and restaurateur Colin Fassnidge, who recently returned to the Australian TV program My Kitchen Rules as a guest judge. Known for his nose to tail cooking philosophy, the outspoken Irishman firmly believes the secret to cooking a great dish is planning and “having a bit of love for the food”.

Miguel Maestre has worked for many years in various kitchens around the world, before settling down in Sydney, where he has developed a talent for incorporating Spanish ingredients and cooking styles into his Australian menus.

George Calombaris is one of Australia’s top chefs. Although born and bred in Melbourne, his Greek heritage was central in his upbringing with its rich and varied cuisine, which would later become his trademark. On stage he presented food that comprised a hybrid of classical haute cuisine and experimental, molecular gastronomy with modern twists to traditional Greek cuisine that have put this restaurant on the global map.

Luke Nguyen, local food celebrity in the realms of authoring and Running his own TV shows, was given a platform to share his love for Vietnamese fare in his trademark approachable manner.

The free wine tasting classes at the Riedel Drinks Lab, in conjunction with Spiegelau offered up to four sessions a day, where one could learn more about wine while sampling a range of varieties from different regions across Australia. The tasting classes were complemented by a range of masterclasses, e.g. one on champagne, one on serving cocktails and beer.

In essence, the Good Food and Drink Show is a three-day indulgence bender that sees culinary lovers come out in full force for food and wine tastings, brand discoveries and foodie experiences.

The newly opened International Convention Centre in Sydney proved to be a suitable venue that worked well for a grand-scale event of this nature, bringing together passionate foodies with passionate producers - and it is a once-a-year opportunity to experiment, indulge and have a foodie adventure.

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Photos by KAVV