PlayTime – issue 1039

Boys

FOAMOSEXUAL
Throughout September, sex-on-site venue 357 City Steam is hosting a foam party every Sunday, 4pm-7pm. The boys at 357 have dubbed it ‘Sudtember’ and report that it’s been hugely popular so far. Check it out this Sunday at 357 Sussex St. info: www.sydneycitysteam.com.au
GAMMA MEETS
The next GAMMA (Gay and Married Men’s Association) meeting is on Wednesday, September 15 at 8pm. The speaker is David Emery, former GAMMA member. It’ll be held at the ACON Building, 9 Commonwealth St, Surry Hills. Email Scott at [email protected] or call 1800 804 617 for more information.
GAY DAD
The 2010 National Gay Dads Conference, to be held September 18-19 at the Richmond Town Hall in Melbourne, is a celebration of gay fatherhood that’s expected to draw men from around the nation. With Rodney Croome as the keynote speaker, the forum is open to all — children included. The cost, $45 per person (or family), is inclusive of catering and childcare. info: Call Zoe on 9639 2576.

Clubs

MIDNIGHT BIRTHDAY
Oxford St icon Midnight Shift celebrates its 29th birthday on Saturday, September 18 with a massive party. From 10pm, enjoy entertainment from hostess Maxi Shield, drag shows from Joyce Maynge, and music from DJs Dan Murphy and more. Sleaze and City Gym giveaways all night. $10 entry.
TRANCE UNITED
On Friday, September 17, Sydney’s leading trance exponents join together to a journey through all styles and flavours of trance. DJs Zac Slade, Duress and Raptor, plus special guests Scott Anderson and DJ Man. From 10pm-6am.
SERVED
Sydney Star Observer columnist Maxi Shield and Verushka Darling have a Sunday night show at the Midnight Shift. Are You Being Served? sees the pair taking the mickey out of the cult ’70s TV show of the same name every Sunday from 8pm as part of the Shift’s retro Sundays with DJs Rodney Dean and Justin Scott. info: www.themidnightshift.com

Community

JUST RELAX
The Sydney Gay Meditation group has a weekly intermediate session on Mondays at 7.30pm. The group meets at Meditation Space, Level 1, 99 Crown St, East Sydney. info: www.sydneygaymeditationgroup.com
SEX SURVEY
James Cook University is seeking adult men and women to complete an online survey (secured and confidential) about sex, sexuality, relationships and pornography use. This information is important for sex education, ongoing information relating to sexual deviance, and general information about sex and sexuality which has not been covered by Australian research to this degree in the past. info: http://discors.net/survey/
GAY CHRISTIANS
Gay men with religious beliefs are invited to participate in an online study aimed at better understanding their mental health needs. For information, visit www.nexus.uws.edu.au/display/Psyc/Home and click the study link beginning with ‘Gay and Christian’.
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. Bent Yoga offers services from private classes to corporate packages. info: www.bentyoga.com

Free

ROCK OUT
On Sunday, September 19 at Jets Sports Club, Tempe, the Sydney Rock’n’Roll and Alternative Market will feature a fabulous array of stalls: vintage, rock’n’roll, burlesque, ska and alternative clothing, jewellery and accessories, records, CDs, vintage collectables, art, books, comics and more. You can even get in a game of barefoot bowls. Food is available, and it’s free to enter. info: www.myspace.com/barflypromotions
GREEK IMAGES
Photo media artist Stelios Papadakis, seduced by his Greek Orthodox religion, has reconstructed the Eikona for his latest exhibition. Eikones comes from the ancient Greek word for images. Metaphorically, Eikones can also mean the descriptions — in ancient times it referred to a description of any thing, person, or experience. Papadikis’ works are showing at the Storm Gallery, Surry Hills, until September 25. info: www.shotbystelios.com
DJ BATTLE
Raising the bar for future international DJ competitions, Red Bull Thre3Style is due to set down at the Oxford Art Factory on Saturday, September 18 for an exhibition taster. The taster will see five battles start the Red Bull Thre3Style party in Australia. Judging the battles will be music scene experts Ashley Anderson of Katalyst, Trent Grimes from Ministry Of Sound, inthemix’s Tim Hardaker and Dan Zilber of FBi Radio 94.5. It kicks off at 8pm and it’s all free.
ISLAND ART
A.R.P. artist residency program has unveiled its first annual public exhibition on Cockatoo Island this spring, Unknown Territories: Between a Rock and a Hard Place. Eight Sydney artists were invited to use studios as part of a residency program. The resulting artworks will be showcased throughout Cockatoo Island. The exhibition runs until October 4.

Girls

MARY’S RETURN
Since its release this year, Mary Gauthier’s The Foundling has received widespread critical acclaim. The openly gay country/folk singer returns to our shores later this year for a string of shows, including a stop at Notes in Newtown on Saturday December 4. info: www.marygauthier.com
VINTAGE FUN
On Wednesday, September 15, the Kent Street Living Room of the City Hotel plays host to the teasingly glamorous Vintage Burlesque Night. With a wink to the roaring ’40s, three of Australia’s premier burlesque artists will perform — Ms Brianna Bluebell, Danica Lee and Holly Ja’Doll. Complimentary canapés and $10 cocktails all night. Entry is free, but numbers are limited. RSVP to [email protected] ASAP.
TAPPING VELVET
Tapping the Velvet is a workshop designed to help female artists tap into their true essence — mind, body, heart, soul — and use it to fuel passion and vitality into their creative processes and performances. Tapping the Velvet offers a women-only environment that’s fun, creative, life-affirming and sexy as hell. It’s on September 18 and 19. Email [email protected] for more info.
CARERS NEEDED
Have you thought about becoming a foster carer? There are around 16,000 kids in NSW who can’t live with their birth family. That’s why the Benevolent Society is seeking a range of foster carers across Sydney who can help to transform these children’s future. Remember, all kinds of kids need all kinds of carers. To find out more, call 9504 6694 or visit www.fosterachild.org.au

On Screen

EURO-TRASHED
Looking at the gay porn boom in the Czech Republic and the birth of new labels such as Bel Ami, the documentary All Boys introduces us to some of the players in this trade, including the young working class men (mostly straight) who found a way out of poor quality industrial jobs by performing for the cameras, and the foreign producers who moved in to take advantage of their eagerness and abundance. It’s playing on September 17 at the Dendy Newtown.
GAME SHOWS
From the land of the rising sun and the home of extreme action game shows come two new offerings, Ninja Warrior and Unbeatable Banzuke, screening 7.30pm Sunday, September 19 on SBS Two. The ultimate tests of speed, strength and skill, these Japanese game shows boast some of the wildest and craziest challenges ever seen on TV.
FILMMAKERS
The 2010 Bondi Short Film Festival is calling on filmmakers across Australia to enter and be a part of its 10th anniversary year. Filmmakers can visit www.bondishortfilmfestival.com to download entry forms and details. Entries close on October 15. The film festival is on Saturday, November 27 at the Bondi Pavilion.

Pubs & Bars

IMPY OPEN
Erksineville’s much-loved Imperial Hotel is open for business again after three years, with a packed roster of drag shows every weekend. On Friday and Saturday nights, catch The ABBA Show with Minnie Cooper, Chelsea Bun and Amelia Airhead. Also on Saturdays, watch Minnie, Charisma and the girls in Priscilla. Entry to shows is $15 Fridays, $20 Saturdays. The public bar is always free. info: www.theimperialhotel.com.au
POOL PARTY
The Midnight Shift holds a weekly pool competition, Queless (love that pun). Hosted by Laidee Babooshka, the games kick off at 9pm each Monday. It’s $5 entry, but there are hundreds of dollars worth of cash and prizes to be won every week. info: www.themidnightshift.com
DIAL OOO
Every Wednesday from 9.30pm, the Midnight Shift presents the fun-filled Triple Oh! show. Starring Summer Salt, Millie Poppins and Ripley Waters, this hilariously fabulous show is playing for a limited time only. Free entry.

Song

DRUMMER BOYS
Musical ensemble Speak Percussion deal have commissioned many new works for percussion and have collaborated with artists from diverse disciplines. They’ll be performing at the Recital Hall East, Sydney Conservatorium, on September 25, supported by Sound Travellers. info: www.newmusicnetwork.com.au/series10
STONES TRIBUTE
For one night only on Wednesday, September 15, an all-star line-up will perform the classic Rolling Stones album Exile On Main Street in its entirety at the Oxford Art Factory. House band for the evening will be home-grown rock gods, You Am I. Joining them on stage are other much-loved artists: so-hot-right-now Washington, frontmen from Jet (Nic Cester) and The Panics (Jae Laffer), Tex Perkins, and Adalita (Magic Dirt). info: www.thejdset.com.au
GYPSY JAZZ
Gypsy guitar legend Lulo Reinhardt arrives direct from Europe and is performing with his five-piece band at Riverside Theatre, Parramatta, on Friday, September 17. Grand-nephew of jazz legend Django Reinhardt, nephew of the Gypsy violin master Shnuckenack Reinhardt, he represents a unique voice in Gypsy-jazz music today. info: www.riversidetheatres.com.au
GHOSTLY NOISES
Ghostboy with Golden Virtues (GBGV) are Queensland-based avant-garde art rock brutes, nominated for Best Cabaret Ensemble for the Green Room Awards 2010. Delighting audience with their mix of cabaret and indie performance, the twisted seven-piece collective are coming to Sydney for the first time to show us what all the fuss is about. Catch them on Sunday, September 19 at the Supper Club and the following night at the Vanguard. info: myspace.com/ghostboywithgoldenvirtues

Stage

SYDNEY’S PAST
A new work that celebrates the colourful, and often dark, history of Sydney opens at Hurstville Entertainment Centre’s Marana Auditorium on Saturday, September 18 – Leviathan, based on John Birmingham’s award-winning book Leviathan: The Unauthorised Biography of Sydney. The play is a sprawling non-fictional examination of Sydney, blending factual recreations of early penal settlement with brutal accounts of asylum seeking, racism and abuse, and powerful stories of Sydney’s migrant history. info: www.trybooking.com
CABARET KATIE
Up-and-coming Sydney cabaret performer Katie McKee will debut her latest work Identity Crisis at the Seymour Centre from September 15-18 as part of the Sydney Fringe Festival. McKee shares her stories and shows how one young performer can be a murderer, sweetheart, temptress and psychopath all in one. From contemporary music theatre to revamped pop and rock, Identity Crisis is a one-woman show … or is it? info: www.thesydneyfringe.com.au
TRANSPORT TALES
The re-mount of the hugely successful original production Stories from the 428 continues at the Sidetrack Theatre until September 19, with all the scenes the audience asked to see again. The play is the result of a project which asked 16 writers and eight directors to travel on the 428 bus from Circular Quay to Canterbury, drawing inspiration from the extraordinary in the ordinary and everyday happenings around them. info: storiesfromthe428.com