A RALLY to save the Metro-Minerva Theatre Sunday 5 December from 12.30pm Fitzroy Gardens, Kings Cross Featuring: Marcia Hines and John Waters (original cast of HAIR) Mark Trevorrow, Catherine Alcorn, David Carroll and Christa Hughes Speakers: Alex Greenwich (Member for Sydney), Andrew Andersons AO (renowned theatre architect) Olivia Ansell (Artistic Director Sydney Festival) Media are invited to join members of the entertainment profession, supporters of heritage architecture, and concerned residents of Potts Point, at a Rally on Sunday 5 December from 12.30pm in the Fitzroy Gardens, Kings Cross. Fitzroy Gardens is directly opposite Orwell Street, the location of the Metro-Minerva Theatre. There is a chance that the Metro-Minerva Theatre will be sold to developers for commercial use. This stunning art deco building was once the home to many musicals including the Premiere of HAIR in 1969.

Bar Wars

From the 1980s to the mid 2000s Sydney's nightlife was unrivaled anywhere in the world. KIngs Cross and nearby Darlinghurst, mainly Oxford Street were chockablock with nightclubs and bars and more or less open 24 hours a day.
And then came the "lock-out laws" after 2 shocking deaths where 2 innocent men were hit by complete drunken strangers and died after hitting their heads on the pavement. Clubs put up the shutters at 2am.
It's hard to recall the number of night spots that have now vanished but the recent prestige 'Bar Awards' held last night in London tell the story. In the Central Business District of Sydney, exempt from the lock-out laws. 4 bars have been named in the top 50 best bars in the world:
The Baxter Inn in Clarence Street, Bulletin Place near Circular Quay, PS40 in Skittle Lane and Maybe Sammy in The Rocks.

Congratulations guys you had some pretty tough competition from around the world including some legendary drinking spots around the world including London, New York, Singapore and many many more.
And the Top Spot went to Dante in NY's Greenwich Village which is owned by two Australians, Nathalie Hudson and Linden Pride.

That Fiji Water Drama

Fiji Water model Kelleth Cuthbert- a Star Is Born !

 You have to hand it to 35 year old Aussie Aaron Zerefos the mastermind behind Fiji Water after the $multi-million publicity coup he pulled off at the Golden Globe Awards.
Zerefos is a tireless promoter of his bottles of H20. A Globes' source tells us Aaron spent less than $50K to be involved in the event.

So successful is his product that Zerefos now spends most of his time traveling the world competing in racing car trials driving a series of Porsche sports cars.

Aaron pictured here by Whispers at his 30th birthday party in Sydney's King Cross)

He's even been spotted dating socialites like Lady Victoria Hervey as our snap shows.
We reckon this wasn't a very expensive promotion and it's simplicity will be the envy of publicists worldwide. It certainly beats those tired old "media walls" that confront guests and media at every party or event.
As for model Kelleth Cuthbert who brilliantly persisted for photo-bombing every celebrity on the red carpet- what can we say : A Star Is Born !

A rip-off

Whispers has attended numerous New Year's Eve events in Sydney and 4 at the Sydney Opera

House and the Lord Mayor's Party. We were there when Kylie Minogue launched the famous fireworks and once discovered the US actress Sarah Michelle Geller (left) sitting quietly among the party goers.
While the party's were great fun getting there was something else. You can't drive into the city on NYE and you can't get a taxi when leaving. You spend an hour forging your way through a millions of people and end up walking back to a spot like Kings Cross where, if sensible, you parked your car early in the day.
It's still the same of course so it's very handy now to have a pal who lives in one of Surry Hill's tallest apartment blocks that has a commanding view of the Harbour and the sensational fireworks.

Which brings us to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald and Lord Mayor Clover Moore's outrage at how private business and the NSW State Government are co-opting the fireworks event- arguably the most spectacular in the world- and profiteering off an event paid for by City of Sydney ratepayers (me !) to the tune of $5M each year.
She is correct. The best solution would be to tax every entity that charges, what can be quite exorbitant entrance fees because they just happen to have a handy location to view the fireworks.

'It's complicated': how your NYE celebrations are being privatised

 New Year’s Eve in Sydney was always a simple affair. Dusting off that picnic rug, it was as easy as making a few salads and buying some bread rolls with a chook, putting some white wine into the cooler bag and organising the family to get to the best vantage point to watch the fireworks. What's more, it was free.

 READ THE FULL STORY HERE : SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

An International Affair

Feel for Whispers. This is the type of even we are dragged out on a cold Sunday evening to attend. The bar formely known as Hugos in Kings Cross was the location and we didn't expect so much beauty and brains to be on display after being told it was just a small get-together for drinks. They came from all over the world and a panel of judges will soon pick a winner. We're bipartisan and think they all deserve to win.  Tomorrow we'll tell you who did win.

Pull the udder one

Getty Images

I may not know about art but I know what I like. Artist Andrew Barnes popped down to the tiny Double Bay beach in Sydney's ritzy Eastern Suburbs this week to give his cows some rest and relaxation and a change from their daily milking regime. He calls it an art installation. Who are we to disagree?.

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Meanwhile in nearby Kings Cross, once the heart of Sydney's nightlife and sex trade, a "Celebrity" boot sale was held on the weekend where most of the items on sale were once owned by the rich and mildly famous. 

Pictured are two local slebs who gave up their goods and time for the event. On the left is the delightful Cindy Pastel, one of the town's most famous drag acts. The award winning film Priscilla Queen of the Desert was based on his life. 

With him is one of our favourite eccentric characters around town Christa Billich who stars in the cable TV show "Housewives of Sydney". What fun.

a message from the PM

Exclusive ! Barack Obama in Bali

Here is our exclusive video of former US president Barack Obama and family on holiday in Bali yesterday. They were leaving the Four Seasons Hotel to go sightseeing on a rainy afternoon. OK you can't actually see the Prez and Michele but they're in one of those 17 vehicles in the motorcade. Courtesy of former Sydney nightclub owner Arthur Karvan who was caught in the traffic jam. Isn't it fun?.

Vale Florence Henderson

She was best known as the star of The Brady Bunch.

Actress Florence Henderson has died at the age of 82. Four years ago Henderson was in Sydney to promote a brand of canned tomatoes and Whispers attended a reception for her at the Kings Cross night spot Concrete Blonde.


Florence said she loved tomatoes as her father had been a share-crop farmer who grew and sold tomatoes for a living. A lively, chatty and friendly lady, Florence looked twenty years younger than she then was at 79.

Sam Neill slams Lock Out Laws

Actor Sam Neill was at Parramatta to announce the move there of John Poulson's short film festival Tropfest, covered by Whispers so many times including the very first one years ago which had only 20 guests that included Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise (and moi).

The controversial lock out laws that now make nightclubs serve their last drinks at midnight have devastated Kings Cross and the Golden Gay Mile of Oxford Street. Sam had some pretty strong criticism of the laws. Will we be going to Parramatta to attend Tropfest? Hmmm, may have to think long and hard about that. It took 90 minutes to get to the presser but I suppose there is always the ferry.

They came in their thousands

Even the organizers seemed surprised. The occasion was a protest about Sydney's infamous Lock Out Laws that have been so destructive to Sydney's nightlife in Kings Cross and the so-called Golden Mile of Oxford Street.
       And it's not just venue owners and late night revelers who are suffering. Thousands of jobs are dependent on the nightclub trade as well as hundreds of small supporting businesses like cafes, coffee shops, fast food outlets and even taxi drivers. The Cross and Oxford Street have become like a desert as businesses close every day. In Oxford Street there are dozens of To-Let signs.
      This Sunday, as the anger is quietly building, people flocked to Belmore Park opposite Central Station to express their concern. At least 15000 of them. I think that is a conservative estimate. How the mainstream media report this event will be interesting. Meanwhile around the Star Casino precinct and the various pubs in Pyrmont, just outside of the lock-out area, you can drink 24 hours and alcohol fueled assaults have increased.

Have they got the message yet?

 Late last year Whispers posted a video (below) of a US comedian who is a superb Barack Obama look-alike as he toured Kings Cross in support of attempts to revitalize the former nightclub area of Sydney.


Tonight Whispers had reason to visit the Cross after a small party in Dank Street. Dank Street in Waterloo is a sort of uber design area with million dollar apartments and oh-so-smart designer shops and is home to Luke Mangans latest restaurant Mojo. Pleasing to see that Mojo was filling up as we passed by but Kings Cross?. Dead as the proverbial Dodo. Even the strip joints are closing down. Coffee shops, small fast food outlets are screaming foul. As for cleaning up crime, Whispers was offered drugs twice on our stroll.

Boy Wonder enjoys a glass of wine-before midnight

On Facebook a post by respected art dealer Michael K. Carr drew ire. It was snap of a recent typical sunny Sydney day at the wondrous Boy Charlton Pool that nestles beside the harbour. The snap was of 2 policeman and Sydney's drug sniffer dogs that now invade everywhere and anywhere courtesy of former Labor premier Bob Carr who loved to govern via whatever edict came that week from Rupert Murdoch's downmarket tabloid The Daily Telegraph.
#Some posters say the snap was of dogs during a bomb search.
                  

It's Front Page news

Visiting our doctor in Oxford Street near Whitlam Square this morning brought the sight of even more empty shops, former bars & nightclubs.               

Never mind- you can still drink  24 hours at the glitzy Star Casino and also when the James Packer consortium finally opens the Barangaroo casino there will be no lockout laws and despite what Boy Wonder premier Mike Baird says (he reckons if you need a bottle of wine after midnight there is something strange about you) drinks will flow at all hours at Bangaroo,

further reading : # the screed by Matt Barrie that has ignited a seething undercurrent of furious Sydneysiders distraught at seeing their nightlife vanish overnight.
# The 'raid' by police on a small restaurant serving wine by the glass
# You can also read Boy Wonder's Facebook page defence of the Lock Out Laws- 8000 plus comments and they aren't complimentary. The campaign is just beginning!.

Dramas in Casablanca

 One of the stars of the unexpected hit TV series Gogglebox Angie Kent (right) has lashed out at Double Bay's uber nightclub Casablanca after her brother who suffers from Aspergers was refused entry. According to Angie security guards questioned whether the chap was drunk or drugged. The party lot then moved on to The Sheaf pub where they had more success with security who whilst initially questioning the man, allowed the group entry.
 Angie really should have made contact with Casablanca's amiable manager Karim Gharbi (pictured above) who features regularly in these pages. We feel Karim would have only been to happy to put the names of her group at the door as VIP guests given his penchant for publicity.

As the success of the show keeps resonating Whispers hears that at least 2 stars of the show are now being courted by advertising agencies to promote products. Indeed Whisper encountered one of Googlebox's stars in a shopping centre a few days ago and asked if the rumour was true (we've known this person for many years). She just laughed off the suggestion but didn't actually say "no". So that's a yes then.

GoggleBox Stars quit Oxford Street

Mick and Di Kershaw are 2 of the stars of the hit TV show GoogleBox noted for their often dry witty comments about the various programs watched, usually delivered while sipping on cocktails.

But now the Indigenous art dealers are the latest high profile Oxford Street business people to quit the once Golden Mile.
On Saturday Whispers counted 30 empty store fronts just in the Darlinghurst area. Further up the street in the Paddington part of

Oxford Street 'To Let' signs seem to pop up overnight. The Kershaws are Australia's top experts in selling & promoting Indigenous art and often acompnay successful artists for exhibitions in cities like Paris and Houston but now they have shut down their large gallery and are continuing to trade on-line.
And more seem to be fleeing the area as the popular medico Ben Hanson a favourite of the gay community and arts crowd is moving on from his Oxford Street surgery after 21 years. Last month thousands of protesters took to the streets decrying the lock-out laws that are crucifying inner city nightlife on the gay strip and Kings Cross.

exclusive : President Obama visits Kings Cross to talk on Lock Out laws

With the Kings Cross "lock out" laws having a devastating affect on Sydney's Kings Cross and the night life, help is at hand as the US president jets into town to save the day. And we were there..our special report:

Media madness

The Village Inn                  Karl Stefanovic & Lisa Wilkinson wear vests to "support" tradesmen

 Some times media beat-ups are just too ridiculous to let pass without comment. But the sight of the line-up of this morning TV crew in 'support' of 'tradies  was about as gormless as TV can be.
The Village Inn is a newly renovated pub in trendy Paddington. The Inn has posted a sign with a dress code. It's hardly onerous. Those "hi viz" vests worn by tradies' (tradesmen) are banned. This is similar to just about every venue, restaurant & hotel in the inner city. Some media seem to think this is an insult, and have given the impression that tradies themselves are actually banned. The Sydney Morning Herald even jumped into the fray with claims that tradies had been posting facebook messages on the Inn's profile page threatening revenge if the pub ever needed work done. As though there is some sort of cartel of tradesmen

Paddington used to be a working class suburb where houses cost a few hundred pounds. These days you wouldn't get a property there for under a million dollars. It's been like for about 40 years.
It's amazing that there was still a pub that hadn't been renovated.  We don't know how much the Village Inn spent renovating the joint but it would be in the 100s of thousands of dollars. Tradie labour isn't cheap. At $180-300 an hour you can see how the costs would run up pretty fast and why the Inn owners would need to put their prices up. The notion that tradies, having made a small fortune renovating the place, would then complain because the Inn owners need to recoup the costs of their wages is nonsensical.

Meanwhile where does Karl Stefanovic who said "get lost you  hipsters" live? Possibly less than ten minutes from the Village Inn in a lavish penthouse. As for Lisa Wilkinson, Whispers often sees her at fashion shows or at the Randwick Races. We've never spotted her yet protesting about the strict dress rules there or anywhere else. But we will ask her why.

LatteLife Scoop

We here at Whispers knew that this drama was bubbling just below the surface and now Jane King of the Southern Highland's newspaper LatteLife has published an extraordinary claim that former NSW Prison's Minister Michael Yabsley, known for his hard line policies- he was the member for Sydney covering Kings Cross and the gay strip of Oxford Street-and  now a major fundraiser for the Liberal Party, may have been operating an unlicensed venue called Wombat Hollow in East Kangaloon.

Whilst we won't comment on the legalities of this - rather point you to a Channel Ten news report - it does show the importance of small independent publishers who can shine a light in dark corners. Jane King posted a message on Facebook today recounting the problems she had with this matter whilst praising the Ten Network for taking up the baton as they were 'better resourced"
In the meantime, LattelIfe has now ventured into the lucrative Sydney city centre with another new publication City Circular which was launched this month. There are small newspapers covering the city but this new publication hopes to present a more vibrant take on the nerve centre of NSW and with their success in the Eastern Suburbs, publisher King and Managing Editor Cristian King look like they have another success on their hands.
# Whispers & thesocialshuttle.com have been part-time contributors to LatteLife Newspapers

Turning off The Tap

the old Sydney Tabernacle - now the Eternity Theatre

Darlinghurst's Tap Gallery closes permanently tomorrow much to the relief off neighbours in the upwardly mobile East Sydney suburb. No doubt a smart architect's office or advertising agency will arise in it's place.
Whispers has never actually been to the Tap but it was popular with Sydney's hard-core group of gate-crashers who would be acceptable if they brought something to the party, like at least personality- that was good enough reason to never enter it's doors.
The other was for very good reasons like safety. the Tap began giving live "performances" some time ago with rather large audiences. The problem is that they never had fire safety doors. That's an
 insult to all the other theatres and galleries that spend a small fortune complying with safety laws apart from the shocking matter of risking visitor's safety.
The Tap's persistent claims for help from Sydney Council who shut down Tap's performance space have also fallen on deaf ears much for the same reasons. Council did not have or were not prepared to rent premises to a gallery that flouts safety laws. Council should be applauded for that.

The last word on the closing of the Tap Gallery goes to the owner who has been talking to various local newspapers about the lack of financial help from Council who have just spent $millions on restoring the Sydney Tabernacle right across the road from the Tap and turning it into the wonderful Eternity Theatre (with all the correct safety features) along with planned renovations to a Community Centre on the opposite side of the road: on one hand she was extolling her promotion of unknown artists over the years (most who still remain unknown today) and was quoted as saying: "now I will have to dump all the art into a skip". As for the claim that Tap fitted new fire doors at a wasted cost of $10,000 (apparently raised via donations ) -the building has been sold- and that this was the responsibility of the building's owner, what was not revealed is that the owner happens to be a relative.
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Also soon to close it's doors and already in receivership is Kings Cross nightclub Hugos Lounge which has hosted numerous visiting stars over the years like Kim Kardashian and Mick Jagger.

Eastern Suburb's newspaper LatteLife hosted a recent party there and many moons ago Whispers also celebrated with a dinner party at Hugos with guests like New York's uber social snapper Patrick McMullan, PR supremo Deeta Colvin and the late Lady Sonia McMahon.
Hugos, despite the best efforts of owner Dave Evans, brother of controversial chef Peter Evans, is yet another victim of the new lock-out laws that is devastating Kings Cross and Oxford Street.
So Vale Hugos, we will miss you & thanks for the fun over the years.

Mrs Keating's Raincoat

Min Keating and our Paul Keating portrait

The Keating clan assembled last week at St Patricks Catholic Church in The Rocks to farewell their beloved matriarch Min Keating who died at the grand age of 94. Min was the mother of former Prime Minister Paul Keating and notable businesswoman Anne Keating. Whispers & Min had a long association first formed via our own late mother who was a long time pal of Min's.
 In the late 90s Whispers held an exhibition of Warholesque style photographic screen prints on a blustery June night in Kings Cross. It was a huge success with many of the portraits being snapped up by their subjects including Kylie Minogue and Elle McPherson along with Lady Mary Fairfax's daughter Anna and brother Charles purchasing a picture of Lady Mary for the family art collection.

Unashamedly influenced by Andy Warhol (he was an old friend) the famed New York society photographer Patrick McMullan who had two regular social pages on Warhol's Interview Magazine flew out for the opening night of the exhibition. Patrick was chuffed to meet members of Sydney society including Lady Sonia McMahon and Min Keating who was pleased to see a portrait of her son Paul in the exhibition. As we all dined later in a nearby restaurant Min finally left at around 2am.

McMullan was startled to receive a rather frantic phone call from Min at his hotel at 7am the next morning. Min had left her raincoat at the restaurant but it was a very special one- purchased by son Paul on one of his Prime Ministerial trips to the UK.
"I dined out on this for weeks to come when I got back to New York" said Patrick later. " Having the PM's mum telephone is like having the US presidents mum on the blower.".
But what has he done with those photos from the night?,  Somewhere in his extensive archive is a series of pics taken after Min left the dinner, of each of the guests parading in Min Keating's fetching leopard print raincoat, including Lady Sonia McMahon!
" I seriously though of holding an exhibition in New York titled The Prime Minister's Mother's Raincoat" said McMullan. "It's the sort of arty thing that goes down well in the Big Apple"

Rupert & Matty Take Manhattan

There's more than one Aussie Rupert wielding power in New York. Whilst Rupert Murdoch oversees a global media empire from his NYC base, fashion entrepreneur Rupert Noffs is carving out his own successful career with his unique Gideon Shoes that are fast becoming the favourite footwear of young celebrities and popping up for sale in more and more US fashion stores.

Rupert Noffs (left) and Matty Bennett

Just last September we reported on the wedding of Noffs, grandson of Sydney's Wayside Chapel founder Rev Ted Noffs, when  Rupert married his long time partner Matty Bennett.
Now Bennett, known affectionately as Matty Bee is opening a restaurant with Noffs on Broome Street (where Whispers lived for 2 years in a loft) on the fashionable Lower East Side.

 To be called The Lucky Bee, food will be South East Asian inspired "from farm to table" and will join the small number of popular cafes and eateries run by Aussie ex-pats such as The Fashionable Cow and former model & photographer Lincoln Pilcher's Kingswood.
# When Whispers lived in Broome Street we were advised by the local plod to avoid walking home late at night. How times change.  Below : the location for The Lucky Bee