Latest news with #ThePresets
Time Out
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Gatsby at the Green Light
This raucous show could be the closest you'll get to spending a whirlwind evening inside an extravagant Baz Luhrmann flick. Taking over The Studio in the belly of the Sydney Opera House, Gatsby at the Green Light is a sauced-up variety show that transports audiences into a pop-up, vintage-inspired night club (complete with a functional bar). Think of this production as a sort of live concept album – featuring a smorgasboard of circus acts, top-shelf burlesque, evocative live singing, and impressive aerial artistry – with the rare art of hair-hanging to boot. Gatsby cherry-picks from the glitz and glamour of one of Jay Gatsby's famous parties, remixes it, and serves it up as an escapist fantasy where the roaring '20s meets the 2020s. In doing so, this show masters the timeless allure of a particular niche of spectacle: watching profusely talented and beautiful people performing seriously difficult tricks and dangling precariously in the air (before elegantly dismounting with a brazen wink). ARIA-nominated singer Odette is a stand out member of the ensemble, the earthy and mystical vocal quality of the siren of the Inner West providing a soulful connective thread to the mixed bag of acts. Odette collaborated with musical director Kim Moyes (best known as one-half of iconic Australian electronic duo The Presets) on an original song for the production – although, it's her covers of hit songs that will continue to play on repeat in your mind (her audacious take on 'Money (That's What I Want)' is worth the price of admission alone). Unlike some other takes on F. Scott Fitzgerald's ever-popular 1925 novel, this fanciful interpretation skims past the more meaningful class commentary in the source material. The tragic story of Gatsby and Daisy's forbidden love is woven in by way of broad gestures and snippets of pre-recorded dialogue, with Spencer Craig taking on the eponymous role of Gatsby in this year's production. If you know the original story, you can fill the gaps – the narrative is thin here, but it is secondary to the atmosphere and the sideshow stunts. That said, this show is surprisingly queer – particularly when it comes to the sapphic humour that commanding burlesque siren Bettie Bombshell brings to the stage. (Her act will have you either questioning or affirming your orientation). With Gatsby, director Craig Ilott confirms his talent for pulling together exciting, variety-filled extravaganzas. After all, he is the same mastermind behind last summer's French-infused theatrical dinner cabaret experience L'Hôtel, disco-spectacular Velvet Rewired, and five-star blockbuster Amadeus. This is a guaranteed evening of escapist fantasy. Gatsby ain't no one-size-fits-all experience, with multiple ticketing options to choose from. To feel truly immersed in the action, go for the VIP Package ($144.90-$184.90) – this gets you stage-side cabaret table seating and a 1920s-style cocktail and canape package* served by the cast (*the quality and tastiness of the canapes on your plate will vary). For a cheaper option with a clearer view of the action (minus snacks), go for regular theatre seating ($59.90-$119.90). Gatsby at The Greenlight is playing at the Sydney Opera House from Saturday, December 13 2025 until Sunday, March 1, 2026. Snap up tickets over here. And here's what's on in Sydney this week.
News.com.au
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Spray tan, teased hair and warm Red Bull: Remember when clubbing was fun?
Step back to a simpler time when Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights were for clubbing with your mates. Something to look forward to all week. The Presets and Cascada got us on the sticky d-floor and no one knew what a vape was. The heady mix of jagermeister, Polo Blue, JLo Glow and cigarette smoke hung in the air. A vodka Red Bull cost less than a tenner (you might even get two), sneakers were a fashion faux pas, concealer doubled as lipstick and applying a coat of Airbrush Legs was a necessary pre-party ritual. These were the golden days – or nights – of clubbing. Looking back at the Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights of the eighties, nineties and noughties is a sweet hit of nostalgia. Phriction at Penrith, Fanny's in Newcastle, Club Troppo on the Central Coast and the North Gong Hote l in the Illawarra were among the most popular spots and the most popular person apart from the DJ was the club photographer. Duck face, the awkward lean, peace signs and glowing red eyes were plentiful – this was pre-iPhone, so no filters. Newcastle institution Fanny's was a nineties paradise with revellers rocking their high-waisted jeans and bleached surfer locks before the noughties' tweezed eyebrows, side fringes and graphic tees took over. It was a hot spot for great music – Cold Chisel even played there in the nineties – and 'Best party place ever! If you didn't have a good time there, you weren't trying,' one regular recalled. Down the coast, Club Troppo not only brought in the locals but attracted townies too with lines snaking down the main drag at Gosford. It was renowned for great music and cheap drinks, with a former clubgoer lamenting: 'What has happened to our society where we can no longer have fun at a nightclub (they're mostly gone) let alone afford a bloody drink at one!' Redditors recall drinking $2 house wine and grenadine and NewsLocal reported that in the 2000s Red Bull and Carlton were popular with thousands selling every night. To the west in Penrith, guest DJs like Havana Brown spun Taio Cruz's Dynamite as youngsters sipped Smirnoff Ice. Patrons borrowed their looks from shows like The Hills and Jersey Shore – heavy-handed bronzer, black box-dyed hair, Madonna piercings, an addiction to hair gel – topped off with a fresh new fit from Glue. The boys wore spray-on jeans and shirts from Industrie and Goliath. Girls' dresses were cobalt, tangerine, aqua and fuchsia. A statement necklace, Diva headband and high, high Tony Bianco heels completed the look. If you have bunions in your mid-30s, then clubbing is most certainly to blame. Further south the North Gong Hotel was a little more chill with tanned, smiling uni students and professionals enjoying a knock-off beer in jeans, hoodies and beanies for the winter months. 'Makes me happy and sad. Happy that this was my heyday and it was awesome,' a former reveller remarked.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Fred again.. Praises Sydney's Shady Nasty: 'My Favourite Band In The World Right Now'
Fred again.. has shown love to a relatively-obscure Australian band on his most recent Twitch stream, shouting out avant-punk trio Shady Nasty and playing their song 'Screwdriva' to the thousands watching his live-stream. 'This is literally my favourite band in the world right now,' said Fred while introducing the band to his viewers. He explained that he was wisened to the existence of the band by a mutual friend of theirs, Irish DJ/producer Kettama, and said that hearing them for the first time reminded him of when he discovered the music of The Streets as a teenager in the 2000s. 'This guy's words, man,' he said – alluding to the band's frontman Kevin Stathis. 'Everything he says reminds me of everything I loved about hearing Mike Skinner when I was young. Mike Skinner, for those of you who don't know, is my favourite lyricist of all time. Every line, I'm like, 'Wow, there's a whole story in each line.' It's so, so powerful to me. This whole album is unbelievably beautiful.' Shady Nasty released their debut album Trek in February 2025. The album was produced by Kim Moyes, one half of The Presets, and was supported by a sold-out national tour in April. Most recently, the band opened for Skeleten at Sydney's Liberty Hall as part of the project's album launch show for its second studio album, Mentalized. Next month will see the band play the Future Sounds Festival in Adelaide at the city's UniBar alongside the likes of Briggs' new heavy band Big Noter and roots-rockers Bones & Jones. Tickets are available now via Moshtix, and can be purchased here. Fred, meanwhile, was last seen in Australia in March 2024 on a short-notice national tour that began with a sold-out show at the Sydney Opera House which was announced on the same day it happened. His most recent release was last December's 'Light Dark Light', which marked his second collaboration with Australian singer-songwriter Angie McMahon following 'Angie (I've Been Lost)'. Fred again.. Review – UK Producer Lives Up to the Hype at the Hottest Gig in Sydney triple j's Hottest 100 And Hottest 200 2024: The Complete List We Got Vivid Debutantes G2g And Station Model Violence To Interview Each Other The post Fred again.. Praises Sydney's Shady Nasty: 'My Favourite Band In The World Right Now' appeared first on Music Feeds.
