Play time

BOY

SO CHUNKY
The Harbour City Bears’ Chunky party returns on Saturday January 23, celebrating its first birthday by cramming six DJs into two bars at the Clarence Hotel. Included in the line-up are DJ Rob, Troy Cox, DJ Man and Gavyn. Plus beefy blokes, furry studs, cute cubs, hot daddies and a huge Chunky cake! Get your tickets online at Q Jump: $10 HCB members and $20 non-members + booking fee. If you prefer to buy at the door, it’s $5 more — $15 HCB members and $25 non-members.
info: chunkyparty.com.au
BEYOND FILTH
On January 22, Arq hosts its first-ever leather party, Beyond Filth: Sydney. It’s bound to be popular, with tunes from DJs Leather Boy, David Jago and Sandi Hotrod. Pre-sale tickets are available now from Hum and Sax Fetish, for $20/$30.
INDULGENCE BLACK
Indulgence has a new home, at Saddle Bar. From 3pm on Sunday this Australia Day weekend, DJs Josh Thomas, Mark Alsop and Chip will indulge the crowd with their sexy hypnotic tunes. There’ll also be performances from aerialist Kaleb Hawkins and Tom of Finland podium dancer Stu Fenton. Pre-sale tix are $15 for Sydney Leather Pride Association members and Saddle members, or $25 at the door. It’s a strictly leather and denim event.
JELLY WRESTLING
Slick Season III, gay men’s jelly wrestling, is back at the Clarence Hotel every Wednesday from 7pm. Every contestant receives a gift bag with the swimwear they’ll wrestle in, a session at Sunlounge, sample lube, a six-pack of Pure Blonde, plus more. Entry is $5.
info: Contestant entry forms are available to download from www.clarencehotel.com.au
KOALA BEARS
Harbour City Bears will host an Australia Day Special Den Night at the Oxford on Friday January 22 with DJ Rob from 9pm, including Furry Fridays with DJ Seymour downstairs from 10pm.
info: www.theoxfordhotel.com.au

SONG

THE HORROR
A band that plays beyond the boundaries of electronic party tunes, Miami Horror has been pegged as one to watch in 2010. The group is playing at uber-trendy Oxford St bar F.R.I.E.N.D/S on Wednesday, January 20, alongside Roger Room, Mr Belvedere and Nad. It promises to be a huge set. Doors open at 8pm and if you get in early it’s $5 with a free drink. Later its $10, still with a free drink. F.R.I.E.N.D/S @ Fringe Bar, 106 Oxford St, Paddington.

PLAYGROUND
The Playground Weekender four-day camping festival runs between February 18 – 21 at Del Rio Riverside Resort, Hawkesbury River. And there’s a hell of a line-up this year: Lupe Fiasco, The Polyphonic Spree, The Cribs, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Jamie Lidell and even ABBA tribute band Bjorn Again! Early-bird tickets have already sold out, so get in quick.
info: www.playgroundweekender.com.au

SEXED UP
Sex — And Other Disasters is one man’s attempt to find the sense in the journey he takes through life, love and, of course, sex. Running from innocence to the internet, party drugs to politics and married men to maturing, Simon Gillespie leaves no stone unturned in this heartfelt and funny musical look at the way we get through it all. You may very well have been there! It’s playing for one night only, January 28, at Slide.
info: www.slide.com.au

FRESH NEW TALENT
Look Out! 2010 is the Oxford Art Factory’s first major showcase of the new year, and features a line-up of some of the most exciting local talent Sydney has to offer in indie music — from post-punk to psychedelia-tinged shoegaze and back again. In fact, Oxford Art Factory are so psyched to give these fledgling bands a platform to perform, that they’ve made Look Out! a free event. Catch Parades, The Laurels, Cabins, Bearhug, Joysticks, Georgia Fair and Sticky Fingers in a two-room all night party extravaganza on January 23.
info: www.oxfordartfactory.com

CLUB

GET SHAMELESS
Shameless: it’s the club that gets no respect (and doesn’t really deserve any) with Maynard, the ‘can’t mix, won’t mix’ DJ. Mixing skills are irrelevant when you can hear Bros and the Spice Girls. Shameless offers free fruity lexia on arrival, décor by Reverse Garbage, and free entry to anybody wearing a genuine snuggie or slanket — otherwise, you’re invited to dress late 20th century! 9pm-late, Kinselas Middle Bar, $10/$15.
info: www.maynard.com.au

STRICTLY ’90s
Can you believe the 90s ended a decade ago? It seems like only yesterday we were all practising our Steps dance moves in our bedrooms. If you just can’t let go to the ’90s, head to Arq on January 22 to hear the best music from the decade that brought us everything from Ab Fab to Ultra Nate. From 9pm, $10 entry.
info: www.arqsydney.com.au

GET LOOSE
Loose Ends at Phoenix Bar on Oxford St happens every Sunday from 10pm, with resident DJ Matt Vaughan and regular special guests playing a swag of dirty electro, house, punk and disco tunes. Plus, the first 20 people through the door each week in summer get a free mix CD from DJ Matt. On January 24, it’s a special post-Peaches party with Sveta. Free entry.
info: www.exchangehotel.biz

COMMUNITY

BENT YOGA
Bent Yoga classes offer maintenance of a healthy body, mind and spirit, and are proud to be a part of the gay and lesbian community. At the moment, Bent Yoga is offering a discount group class in Surry Hills for only $12 (cash only) per session. Other options are available, from private classes to corporate packages.
info: www.bentyoga.com

DO YOUR BIT
Did you know that metals from whitegoods such as washing machines, fridges and dishwashers can be recylced for use in train tracks, cars and even planes? What’s more, the City Of Sydney offers a free weekly whitegoods collection service to its residents. If you’ve recently upgraded an appliance, don’t throw your old one on the scrap heap — recycle it.
info: www.zerowaste.org.au

FRUITS IN SUITS
The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Business Association presents Fruits In Suits, from 6pm on January 21 at Slide Bar. It’s a great opportunity to meet like-minded gay and lesbian businesspeople and business owners, spread the word about your own business and make important contacts. For more info, email [email protected]
DRUG STUDY
If you are gay, lesbian or bisexual and a regular user of the drugs crystal, speed, base or ice, ACON and the National Dug and Alcohol Research Centre would like to hear your story. The study involves a confidential one-hour interview, and you’ll be paid $50 for your time. For more information, please contact Emma on 0400 547 777.
MCC SYDNEY
The Metropolitan Community Church Sydney prides itself on being an inclusive church: proud, courageous and loving. Weekly services are held every Sunday at 10am (traditional) and 6.30pm (Crave contemporary), although you’re welcome to drop by for a cup of coffee or a chat any time — just ring ahead on 9569 5122. The church is at 96 Crystal St, Petersham.

info: www.mccsydney.org

DIARY

BACK TO THE ’80S
Ever have a crush on Ms Pacman or Sonic the Hedgehog? Relive the golden age of video gaming plus discover how today’s games are designed and developed during a weekend of gaming fun at the Powerhouse Museum, January 29-31, in conjunction with the latest exhibition, The ’80s Are Back. From Friday evening until Sunday afternoon, gaming enthusiasts and visitors of all ages can join the fun — play ’80s computer games, learn more about game creation and design, hear from local and international gaming experts, and much more.
info: www.powerhousemuseum.com

JAPANESE GAY ART
Following the success of last year’s Boys Life exhibition, Japanese gay art is again getting a showing in the Mardi Gras cultural program, with the exhibition Oh! Kinky Desu Ka? featuring erotic fetishism from the masters of Japanese gay and lesbian art. A special appearance from the master Gengoroh Tagame, on his first ever visit to Australia, is destined to be a treat for lovers of erotic, fetish and discipline art. It’s at the Tom Dunne Gallery, 11 Little Burton St, Darlinghurst, from February 26 – March 7.
info: www.japanesegayart.com

OJOS DE BRUJO
Dramatic and rhythmic, Ojos de Brujo present an inimitable sound forged from a genre-bending mix of Catalan rumba, flamenco solea and bulerias, urban Afro-Cuban percussion, hip hop, funk and jazz. Led by flamboyant gypsy-punk vocalist Marina ‘La Canillas’ Abad, the 11-piece band digs deep into funk vamps, ska and reggae beats, Indian tabla drumming, hard rock riffs, turntablism and live beatboxing. It’s a diverse mix, and you can catch it all live on March 11 at the Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House.
info: www.sydneyoperahouse.com

RUFUS WAINWRIGHT
Something truly wonderful and intimate is coming to Sydney on March 1 and 3: the one and only Rufus Wainwright is returning for very special performances in solo piano and vocal mode. The setting for this once-in-a-lifetime, exquisite affair is appropriately the gorgeous Verbrugghen Hall — the superb concert hall with world-class acoustics and seating for just 500 people at the Conservatorium of Music. These concerts will sell out, so get your tix ASAP!
info: www.cityrecitalhall.com

FREE

FREE LIONS
On Friday January 22, Sydney Theatre Company welcomes Lions At Your Door to kick off The Wharf Sessions for 2010. Lions At Your Door are one of the hottest bands to come out of Sydney in the past few years, combining a heady mix of indie, electro, rock and jazz to create a sound worthy of their ferocious title. Their hit single LAYD has been played in nightclubs and on radio stations across Sydney, New York, London, Japan, Spain and Italy and their debut self-titled EP, released in July 2009, received rave reviews. The band play on the Wharf from around 10pm. No tickets necessary — just turn up and enjoy the tunes.

HOW SUSTAINABLE ARE YOU?
Synchronicity’s free home sustainability assessments are funded by the Australian Government’s Green Loans program. Synchronicity will come to your home and advise you on efficient ways to lower your energy and water usage, reduce your greenhouse gas emissions and improve your home’s value and comfort. Assessments are open to both owners and renters.
info: [email protected]

MEETING PLACE
Part of the City of Sydney’s summer laneway art program, The Meeting Place is a playful installation that encourages participation and interaction amongst the people passing through the urban space of Little Hunter St. Giant looming walls compress the pedestrian path and frame a sliver of sky above, meaning strangers walking through the lane must negotiate with each other to get through. If you ask us, it seems as though the City of Sydney is trying to encourage an outbreak of cottaging… but perhaps that’s just our dirty minds.
info: www.lanewaysbygeorge.com.au

FREE MARKET
The Palace Community Market has been hailed as the new Bondi Market of the south, with friendly stallholders, cheaper goods and an unrivalled view of Coogee Beach. It’s the place to be each Sunday, and draws thousands of people for a free browse of the wares. Stallholders range from emerging designers to vintage collectors and everything in between. It’s held at the Beach Palace Hotel, 10am-5pm every Sunday, come rain, hail or shine.

GIRLS

FROCK UP
The Frocks, the all-girl cover band that truly rocks, play a free show at The Supper Club from 6pm on January 31. The Frocks’ repertoire extends from the glittery disco of the 70s through to the radio-friendly hits of today, all delivered by five sassy women with stage presence to spare.
info: www.thefrocks.com.au

BERTIE BLACKMAN
Ladies’ favourite Bertie Blackman has had a massive 12 months, with the release of her acclaimed album Secrets And Lies and a sold-out national tour. She displayed her ethereal black-and-white ink drawings at an intimate gallery exhibition, and closed the year with the release of the fourth single from her award-winning record. Now, you can catch her in action as she performs at the Rocksong Festival at the Rocks on Australia Day.
info: www.therocks.com

FASTER PUSSYCAT
Fancy Piece hosts a weekly night for women and trans, with all queers welcome, at the Supper Club every Saturday. The Pussycat Club hosts a number of sexy DJs, with free entry and shows at 11pm and midnight.
info: www.theoxfordhotel.com.au

SNATCH & GRAB
Snatch & Grab is Sydney’s coolest indie girl night, held every Thursday at Phoenix, 34 Oxford St. The night recently hosted a special event from hot international electro band Dragonette, and there are more special events on the horizon. Join the Snatch & Grab Facebook group to keep up to date. And don’t forget to RSVP before each event for discounted entry.

SCREEN

DANTE’S COVE
Mixing soap opera, sci-fi fantasy and softcore nudity was always going to be a recipe for success. Series Dante’s Cove has been a hit in the US for exactly those reasons, and now it’s screening for the first time in Australia, at 10.30pm Mondays on Channel 9’s new digital channel, Go.
BRAN NUE DAE
With performances from popette Jessica Mauboy and the devilishly handsome Dan Sultan, Bran Nue Dae is a retro Indigenous musical that harks back to the golden era of the ’90s, when Australian filmmakers weren’t afraid to make enjoyably daggy, Aussie feelgood flicks. It’s out on general release now.

PARTICIPANTS NEEDED
The ABC is currently casting for a new documentary series, and is looking for a range of people to participate. You need to reside in the Inner West, and fall under Marrickville Council. The documentary will focus on how to give a wide range of people more satisfying, happy lives. The documentary makers are keen to feature participants from the gay and lesbian community. For more information, contact Kirsty de Vallance on 8411 1045 or [email protected]

MOONLIGHT CINEMA
The iconic Moonlight Cinema is in full swing for summer, with films screening under the stars in Centennial Park six nights a week from now until the middle of March. Our pick of the flicks this week? Get Sam Worthington coming at you from all angles (yes please) in Avatar on January 22 and 23, or watch Meryl Streep cast dignity to the wind in Mamma Mia on January 26.
info: www.moonlight.com.au

PUBS

BIG FAT GAY
Thursday nights from 9pm at the Taxi Club in Darlinghurst, My Big Fat Gay Night is a fun mix of drag shows, DJs and sexy male strippers, all hosted by TV’s Pandora Box.
info: www.thetaxi.com.au

MIDNIGHT SHIFT
The Midnight Shift video bar holds fantastically entertaining drag shows virtually every night of the week, and best of all, they’re free. Take your pick from All In A Gay’s Work on Thursdays, Plump Fiction on Fridays, The Tail of Two Titties on Sundays and many more. Entertainment, all week round.
info: www.themidnightshift.com
AUSSIE ARGYLE
Throw a pair of thongs and some zinc cream in your briefcase on Monday January 25 — The Argyle will kick off Australia Day celebrations in true Aussie style on the eve of the national holiday. Head down to Sydney’s famous cobblestone courtyard after work and be greeted with some good old-fashioned Aussie hospitality — ice-cold beer, great food and summer tunes. Local DJs will kick off at 6pm, playing through to 3am on Australia Day.
info: www.theargylerocks.com
B-SIDE
Never before have the heavy hitters of Sydney radio come together to do battle in this way. Whose record collection will come out on top? Who owns the entire back catalogue of Sun Ra? Who chills out to Kraftwerk? Who plays Radiohead on air, but secretly listens to David Hasselhoff at home? Sydney radio DJs including Fenella Kernebone, Dan Zilber and Tim Ritchie will battle it out each Sunday from 2pm at the Beresford Hotel’s beer garden. Free entry.