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By
Annette Loudon
With brilliant weather, huge parks, cute old colonial buildings, a stunning harbour, and a vibrant live music scene, it’s pretty nice living in Sydney! Downtown is pretty low-key compared to most major cities, but if you do find it hectic, a half-hour bus ride gets you to Bondi or Coogee beach. Less than an hour’s drive north or south, and you’re in gorgeous national parks. And an hour-and-a-half west is the cool air (and indie music hotbed) of the Blue Mountains.
Sydney’s central business district (CBD) has all the usual resources — bars, clubs, cinemas, and shopping malls — but like most cities, it's the outskirts that have all the flavour. Oxford Street, Darlinghurst, home of Sydney's legendary Mardi Gras, is lined with cafes, bookstores, pubs, clubs, sex-toy bondage stores, and wig shops. Surry Hills is all about cafes, live music, restaurants, art, and design. Chippendale and Redfern are home to a lot of the arty warehouse spaces and secret venues. Glebe and Newtown are little more bohemian — lots of people out on the streets, with cafes, pubs, book and record stores, funky fashion, and lots of op shops (thrift stores). A little further out (and more affordable), Enmore and Marrickville are starting to gain momentum with their creative recycling co-ops, artist warehouses, and unofficial venues.
The cost of living and all the distractions can sometimes make Sydney a hard place to knuckle down and do your own creative thing. Cheaper and less-hectic cities, and cities with crap weather, always seem to have a bit of an advantage when it comes to nurturing creativity. But Sydney's a pretty inspiring place to live, and our arts scene is making the most of it.
In Sydney it doesn't cost much more to live at the beach than it costs to live in the city. You think we'd be all over that, but instead we've given over numerous beach suburbs to British and Kiwi backpackers and ex-pats. Maybe it's 'cause, like me, the Sydney kids can't bear to be more than ten minutes away from the city and all its great indie music!
VENUES
Sydney's live music scene is experiencing a renaissance, with official and not-so-official venues popping up like mushrooms in cowshit.
Candy's Apartment
22 Bayswater Road, Kings Cross
Sydney, Australia
www.candys.com.au
Tucked away in a basement in Sydney's red-light district is Candy's Apartment. There's something magical about Candy's. It seems like everyone I know has had an amazing night at Candy's at one time or another. Disco balls dangle from the low ceiling of the main dance floor, and there are little nooks and crannies with archways and couches up the back. Candy’s also has an extra tiny room for tiny bands with tiny crowds.
photo by Annette Loudon
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The Annandale
17 Parramatta Road, Annandale
Sydney, Australia
www.annandalehotel.com
A longstanding fixture of the Sydney music scene, the Annandale continues to crank the indie rock. New neighbours who move into the area may complain about the noise, but the Annandale will not turn it down. There's nothing special about the décor at the Annandale — it's a run-of-the-mill Aussie pub. It's all about good music and their lovely new tagline: "F*#k this! I'm going to the Annandale."
photo by Annette Loudon
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The Hopetoun
416 Bourke Street (corner of Fitzroy Street), Surry Hills
Sydney, Australia
www.myspace.com/hopetounhotel
Another Sydney music scene institution, the “Hoey” is a charming old pub in Surry Hills with live music Monday through Sunday (most of it local). At the beginning of the week bands venture out of their garages to perform to crowds of up to ten people. But come the weekend, the venue is packed to overflowing with diehard indie-rock nerds. Sure, there are a couple of poles that obscure the view of the stage, and there's no backstage. But the Hoey is where it all starts, and it's where you throw your CD launch party.
The Kirk
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The Kirk
22 Cleveland Street, Surry Hills
Sydney, Australia
One of Sydney’s not-so-official venues, the Kirk is awesome. Owned by legendary Sydney dominatrix Madam Lash, the Kirk is an amazing 19th-century church located in Surry Hills. Standing around ten meters high and sporting pews and stained-glass windows, the space lends an air of grandeur to any occasion.
photo by Annette Loudon
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The Lansdowne
Corner of City Road and Broadway, Chippendale
Sydney, Australia
www.myspace.com/lansdownehotel
If you're looking for something a little more fabulous, the Lansdowne is your place. Gigs are always free here, and I'm not even sure there's really a stage. But its location (walking distance from two of the three big universities in Sydney) means there's always a pack of thirsty students to witness whatever freak show they've thrown together. The gig listings for the Lansdowne could easily be mistaken for a compilation of the World's Most Ridiculous Band Names: Psychonanny and the Baby Shakers, Strangled By The Squid, Hospital The Musical, Slimey Things, The Captain's Package. It's a rare and a beautiful thing — we will cherish it.
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RECORD STORES
2006 saw indie record stores popping up all over the place, only to disappear again. There was Gifted Records, run by the legendary Popfrenzy crew, and the super-chic Sound & Fury on Bourke Street. Both stocked amazing indie treats, and had fabulous in-store shows. But alas — high rents and tough competition from big chains and online stores forced both stores to close their doors last year.
But we still have several veteran indie record stores plus a few new boutiques to choose from. Here are a few worth checking out:
photo by Annette Loudon
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Egg
7 Wilson Street, Newtown
Sydney, Australia
Aptly described by one of the staff as "a High Fidelity kind of store," Egg is run by passionate music nerds and boasts a great range of rare, collectible, and imported CDs, vinyl, and memorabilia. If you can cope with a generous streak of musical superiority in your record-store experience, you'll be just fine.
photo by Annette Loudon
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Red Eye Records
66 King Street
370 Pitt Street
Sydney, Australia
www.redeye.com.au
Established in 1981, Red Eye Records isn't likely to go out of business any time soon. Well-stocked with local and international indie titles, both new and secondhand — and if they don't have it, they can order it. If you want to make sure they have what you're looking for, you can search their catalog online. For those not fortunate enough to reside in olde Sydney towne, there's an online store with a currency converter for US, UK, Euros, and Yen.
photo by Annette Loudon
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Title
499 Crown Street, Surry Hills
Sydney, Australia
www.fusemusic.com.au
A shiny little music boutique in Surry Hills specialising in reggae, world music (Marabi Productions, Sterns), roots, blues, and jazz. They also have a decent collection of interesting avant-garde sounds (Sub Rosa, Fonal, Quatermass), the sort of stuff a lot of people might think of as "difficult music," but that David from Title prefers to call "adventurous music." Title also stocks a ton of "un-Hollywood" (Euro, art-house, American special edition) DVDs from all over the world.
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FESTIVALS
Once upon a time, someone very evil decided to wipe out the population of Sydney. But weapons are expensive, so this malevolent mastermind came up with a diabolical plan to make us destroy ourselves, even going so far as to make us pay for it out of our own pockets. Death by music festivals! Warn your family and friends before it's too late.
The Great Escape
Three-day camping event at Newington Armoury
Annual; Easter long weekend
www.thegreatescape.net.au
For those who like to camp out but are afraid to leave the safety of the metropolis, there's The Great Escape. The Great Escape started three years ago on the Cockatoo Island in Sydney Harbour, and is now located at Newington Armoury, a short ferry ride from Sydney. There's something about arriving by boat that adds magic to the occasion. And being an important historical location, it's got lots of cool old buildings and bunkers to transform into venues. This year I'll be checking out Deerhoof, Lee Scratch Perry, Angus and Julia Stone, Blue King Brown, Gogol Bordello, Holly Throsby, Fat Freddy's Drop and the Fumes.
Peats Ridge Sustainable Arts and Music Festival
Four-day camping event in the Glenworth Valley
Annual; around New Year’s Eve
www.peatsridgefestival.com.au
Peats Ridge Festival is a four-day camping festival located in the lush green hills of Glenworth Valley, an hour north of Sydney. The event prides itself on its eco-friendly approach: biodegradable plates, cups and cutlery; taking a deposit to ensure recycling of cans; chemical-free cleaning, etc. There's definitely a folk/world flavour to the music. The 2006 lineup featured so many of my Aussie favourites, including Angus and Julia Stone, bluejuice, Combat Wombat, Because of Ghosts, Pivot, Mashy P, Afro Moses, Bertie Blackman, Hermitude, and Spoonbill. And for those with weary ears, there are sustainability workshops, perma-culture demonstrations, a healing tent, and an enchanted forest full of art (both static and performing). Glenworth Valley also offers horse-riding, kayaking, and bush-walking. It’s all very lovely.
St. Jeromes Laneway
One-day event in downtown Sydney
Annual; early March
www.lanewayfestival.com.au
Melbourne considers itself superior to Sydney when it comes to cultural life, and the St. Jeromes Laneway Festival probably just helps reinforce that concept. The festival started in St. Jeromes Laneway in Melbourne three years ago, and last year they decided to bestow it — name and all — upon Sydney. The lineup is always potent, and people are still raving about Les Savvy Fav's set from last year. This year they have Yo La Tengo, Peter Bjorn and John, the Sleepy Jackson, Youth Group, the Walkmen, Camera Obscura, Dappled Cities Fly, and Macromantics.
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FOOD, COFFEE, AND OTHER HANGOUTS
Australia's invasion by the tea-sipping British delayed the birth of café culture in Sydney. We had to wait for other European migrants to bring us coffee. There was a difficult transition period that saw a lot of people drinking hideous hot black water. But Sydney's coffee has finally come around. These days it's the norm to meet at cafés (when the pubs are closed, that is), and baristas have to bust their asses to make better coffee than the place next door.
Badde Manors Café
37 Glebe Point Road, Glebe
Sydney, Australia
www.baddemanorscafe.com
A legendary vegetarian-friendly café located in eternally bohemian Glebe. The little wooden booths are cozy verging on cramped, but that's part of its charm. The retro/haphazard decor and lighting reinforce the coziness. It's the kind of café in which you find yourself hanging out for hours — catching up with a friend, reading a book, or jotting down thoughts. In the last year or two, people have started to complain about the food and service. I've never had any problem myself, but even if I did, I'd probably keep going there anyway.
Bourke Street Bakery
633 Bourke Street, Surry Hills
Sydney, Australia
This tiny bakery café nestled on leafy Bourke Street in Surry Hills produces some of the most delicious treats Sydney has to offer. And when I say tiny, I mean tiny. It seats about five people total, and it's almost always full. (If you're determined to sit and sip your coffee, you can grab a folding chair and set yourself up on the path in front.) And when I say delicious, I'm talking ginger crème brulée tarts, lemon curd tarts, chocolate tarts, chocolate croissants, gourmet pies and sausage rolls, Belgian hot chocolate...yum!!!
photo by Annette Loudon
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Café on the Other Side
Corner of Albion and Selwyn Streets, Paddington (opposite COFA)
Sydney, Australia
Across the road for Sydney Uni's College of the Arts in Paddington is Café on the Other Side. We call it "Tom's Diner" 'cause our friend Tom set it up. Before it opened we thought it might never happen, but when it finally did, we realised why it took so long. Every detail of this café has been crafted to perfection: The polished wood floors. The way the huge glass windows open up to flood the place with light. The stunning mural by Sydney's legendary "Paulie the Duckman." A huge wooden bench with a chunk of blackboard attached to the top to encourage doodling. Tabletops designed by local artists. Great coffee, and even better music.
photo by Meredith James
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Café Giulia
92 Abercrombie Street, Chippendale
Sydney, Australia
cafegiulia.squarespace.com
When I first returned to Sydney I developed a curious crush on a seemingly obscure café — Café Sophia — in Erskineville. I couldn't put my finger on it. It feels good. The food is good. It's just a good café. A couple of years later, I stumbled across a café in Chippendale that had exactly the same vibe: Café Giulia. It turns out both cafes are run by the same family, and they just have a freaky knack for creating lovely cafes. Café Giulia is located in an old butcher shop on a stretch of Abercrombie Street that was in desperate need of good food. I'm sure the locals are eternally grateful for its existence.
Café Mint
579 Crown Street, Surry Hills
Sydney, Australia
www.cafemint.com.au
This Surry Hills hipster café has it going on. Gorgeous décor — sleek, low, brown wood tables with cute cane cube stools. The baristas take pride in their work, and the chefs are so good that other chefs come to eat and learn from them. The Moroccan accents in the food set it apart from other top-quality modern cafes in town. Every second time I go there it's full, and I have to settle for cozy Cossie's across the road — but if you like delicious food, it's worth a shot.
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BOOKSTORES
Glebe and Newtown are full to overflowing with cafes and bookstores. It seems unfair to single out a few from so many lovely bookstores, but here goes...
Ariel Booksellers
42 Oxford Street, Paddington
Sydney, Australia
www.arielbooks.com.au
A gorgeous bookstore specialising in art and design books. Located on Oxford Street at the Paddington end of Darlinghurst, it's small, bright, and packed with gems. There's a nice assortment of fiction, but it's more about eye-candy books.
photo by Annette Loudon
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Gould’s Book Arcade
32 King street Newtown
Sydney, Australia
www.gouldsbooks.com.au
If you like books, dust, and pure chaos, you'll love Gould's Book Arcade. I've only dared set foot in there three times. So far I've not been able to determine what the sorting system is, and have been too afraid to ask. I wouldn't be surprised to hear people had been crushed by an avalanche of books, or tumbled from the insanely narrow mezzanine area. There could easily be a body or two hidden beneath a pile of books in there. Needless to say, it's full to the brim of treasures. If you're looking for a book adventure and a few bargains, Gould’s is the place to go.
Gleebooks
New Books and DVDs
49 Glebe Point Road, Glebe
Antiquarian and Secondhand
191 Glebe Point Road, Glebe
Sydney, Australia
www.gleebooks.com.au
Gleebooks is a great bookstore for students or the studious at heart. Wads of good fiction flanked by a generous assortment of art, political, and academic texts. Considered one of Sydney's best bookstores, it's won Australian Bookseller of the Year four times. Gleebooks has always been an active part of Glebe community life, hosting book launches, readings, talks, and musical events. If you're on a budget, you might want to take a look at Gleebooks Second Hand before hitting the main shop. Gleebooks also boasts a sturdy online store with an online zine and various reading guides (Summer, Sydney Writer's Festival, Children's) to help you find the good stuff fast.
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MUSIC STORES
For those about to rock…well, you're going to need instruments, amps, and other gear. Here’s where to find it.
Billy Hyde Drumcraft
100 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills
Sydney, Australia
www.drumcraft.com.au
If you like to bang on stuff, this is the place to go. Billy Hyde Drumcraft claims to stock "the largest and most complete range of drum and percussion products you'll find in Australia," and I have no reason to doubt them. Aside from standard kits, they have a great percussion collection, including djembes, bongos, congas, timbales, and so forth.
photo by Annette Loudon
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Billy Hyde Music
130 Pyrmont Bridge Road, Camperdown
Sydney, Australia
www.billyhydemusic.com.au
This warehouse-sized store has got pretty much everything, and they're open seven days a week. The Camperdown/Annandale strip of Parramatta Road has a bunch of music shops, so if you're in the mood to drool over gear you could easily make a day of it. And when the drool runs dry, you can head to the Annandale Hotel for a cold one.
Jackson's Rare Guitars
37 Parramatta Road, Annandale
Sydney, Australia
www.jacksonsrareguitars.com
Jackson's Rare Guitars is a cruel place of torture for the starving musician. How about the semi-hollow Duesenberg Starplayer TV with '60s style tremolo, floating bridge, and elegant maple flame back for only AU$4,995!
photo by Annette Loudon
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Pete's Musicians Market
494 King Street, Newtown
Sydney, Australia
www.musiciansmarket.com.au
This tiny music store is overflowing with new and used gear, including guitars, pedals, effects, electronics, and stage and studio equipment. If you're looking to offload old gear, they might buy if from you or let you sell it on consignment. Check the gear page of their website to see what they've got in stock.
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BANDS
Sydney's live scene suffered through a seriously dark age when poker machines and dance music took over the pubs in the early nineties. Pokie-fever has finally worn off, and the Sydney music scene is back with a vengeance.
Sydney has some serious rock and roll roots. Some of our indie-rock darlings, like Wolfmother and the Vines, are rolling with it. Others, like underground hip-hoppers bluejuice, quirky electronic beat-crafters ollo, and freaky art-rockers Dappled Cities Fly, are bucking the trend.
Angus and Julia Stone
www.myspace.com/angusandjuliastone
Lyrical, laid-back loveliness from the beaches of Sydney. This brother-and-sister duo weaves simple songs that sound like old favourites the first time you hear them.
Bertie Blackman
www.bertieblackman.com
A laid-back rock-chick with jazzy yet gutsy vocal style. She sucked me in with a funny cover of an Erykah Badu song, and won me over for good when her terribly catchy tune “Television” invaded my brain.
bluejuice
www.bluejuice.info | www.myspace.com/bluejuice
Fun, frenzied, intelligent Oz hiphop featuring synchronised vocal onslaughts and groovy keyboards.
Cuthbert and the Night Walkers
www.myspace.com/cuthbertandthenightwalkers
Hot new Sydney talent with a bag full good music and charm to spare. At first I was concerned that my weakness for songs about lollies and my affection for bands with twee choirs might be compromising my judgment. One live show later, I'm relieved to say they actually rock. Lead singer Ritchie is going places, and it looks like he's taking his choir along for the ride.
Dappled Cities Fly
www.dappledcitiesfly.com | www.myspace.com/dappledcitiesfly
Exuberant indie-pop with an art-rock flavour. So far they’ve toured Australia with the Shins, Fiery Furnaces, Wolfmother, and Gomez, and it's just the beginning.
Liz Martin
www.lizmartin.com.au | www.myspace.com/lizlizlizmartin
Post-coital jazz vocals drizzled over downtempo beats, with a dash of alt-country twang. Live and recorded, Liz is a gem.
ollo
photo by Paul Gorsney
www.ollo.net
Quirky electronic goodness created by two very lovely boys (one of whom can ride his bike without holding the handlebars — as proven in this ( video).
Mikelangelo and the Black Sea Gentlemen
www.oninvisiblewings.com
Imagine the bastard child of They Might Be Giants and a band of twisted gypsies. Now imagine the lead singer sitting in your lap (possibly sniffing and licking your ear) as he sings about people's juices mixing to form a "formidable marinade." Very silly and just a bit naughty.
The Presets
www.myspace.com/thepresets
A hypnotic electronic onslaught. For fans of Hot Chip and LCD Soundsystem. Rockin' electro party music for people who don't even really like that sort of thing. Experience them live for best effect.
The Red Sun Band
www.theredsunband.com
Fuzzy, rhythmic rock (plus tambourine) with girly vocals that range from sweet to aggro. For fans of the Pixies, My Bloody Valentine.
Zombie Ghost Train
www.zombieghosttrain.com | www.myspace.com/zombieghosttrain
Shit-hot pyschobilly performed by guys dressed up as zombies. If you write them off as a novelty act, they'll eat your brains. Actually, they'll probably eat your brains anyway. Just go see them.
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Posted January 2007
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