Death of music figure Eric Robinson

Elton John & Patti Mostyn

Eric Robinson (centre) with Michael Chugg & Glen Shorrock

Australia's show business community is in mourning today after the death of music figure Eric Robinson who passed away from cancer on Wednesday.
Beginning as a roadie for local bands, Robinson eventually rose through hard work to become Australia's foremost lighting and sound provider for the biggest entertainment acts. For a time he also excelled in the same business in the UK before returning to Australia. Along the way he married the countries most powerful music publicist Patti Mostyn who achieved fame after becoming the best pal of some of her superstar clients like Elton John. This year Eric received the Sue Nattrass Award at the  Helpmann Awards to honour his long standing commitment to the live performance industry.

Robinson and Patti retired to Port Douglas a few years ago where Eric died at age 67 from complications from cancer.  He leaves behind wife Patti and their daughter Tara and will be farewelled in a private funeral.

Elton John Goes Potty

The Hope Estate in the beautiful Hunter Valley produces not only excellent wines but has become the venue of choice for visiting performers including Neil Diamond, The Who, Whitney Huston, James Taylor and Carole King. Last week Dolly Parton sang there and this weekend Elton John gives two concerts.

Any excuse to visit the Hunter should be grabbed and vintner Michael Hope by combining with promoters like Michael Chugg has won big time with this concept and is cleaning up. Over the past year he has built a brand new amphitheatre and early next year has George Michael and Rod Stewart in his line-up of star acts.

Hope Estate

Now the local Cessnock Council wants in on the action. Visitors to the Hunter always marvel at the glorious landscape but the roads are a real shocker and full of potholes. Over the past month the council has taken heed of local’s complaints and has been discussing a $50,000 levy to be charged to the concert promoters which would add an extra $3 to ticket prices.

The powerful Tourism Transport Forum says it’s an “absolutely appalling” idea : “you have a council that’s reaped a benefit from having a vineyard on its doorstep for decades and now it wants to tax people for having fun”, seemingly ignoring the notion that Hope has now over taken the Sydney Entertainment Centre for staging large concerts.

Small local business owners are backing the council and one who wished to remain anonymous and who says he represents 30 others told the Shuttle today:

“We have no problem with the Hope Estate concerts but they bring an extra 35,000 people to the Hunter on concert days and few other businesses see a benefit from that. The visitors spend all day at the Hope Estate which controls all their spending. Food and drinks must be purchased at Hope. Hampers cost about $100 and some tickets cost up to $699. The thousands of extra buses and cars are causing havoc on the already creaking roads and we are expected to subsidize the roads for Hope”

Looks like this one may be destined for the courts.

Only The Best

It's one of the world's finest champagnes so when Laurent Perrier announced they were launching two new versions the Shuttle felt that it would be only good manners to help them out.

Sepia is a relatively new bar and restaurant in downtown Sussex Street not far from Chinatown and it's quickly developed a  reputation for it's atmosphere and fine food presided over  by Martin Benn whose credentials are impeccable. Recently from the Boathouse, Glebe's top eatery but formerly Benn was head chef at Tetsuyas.

nice-Natarsha Belling at Laurent Perrier

And Tetsuyas -as anyone worth his salt knows, has received more world awards than one can poke a fork at including being voted amongst the fifty best restaurants in the world for 8 years.  Owner and chef Tetsuya Wakuda has now reached God-like status in his birth country Japan where he commands audiences in the thousands when he makes an appearance there. One of his regular customers David Bowie makes side trips to Sydney just to eat at Tetsuyas.

Georgia Stenmark & Gretel Packer at Sepia

So Marin Benn has been part of that magic and has now brought it to his own establishment, aided by partner Vicki Wild in a New York  type brasserie with Japanese and French influenced food that is quite simply, sensational.

But more on that champagne: Laurent Perrier Ultra Brut and Brut Millesime 2002 which are really quite superb and were served in copious amounts at the tasting.

Taste is far too personal to describe the exquisiteness of these two bubblys. Just go and grab a bottle now as they are on sale at $140 and $120 respectively. You will definitely not be disappointed.
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We've just scored a pair of tickets for Elton John's show at the Hope Estate at Polkolbin in the Hunter Valley in December.

This is how spectaculars always should have been-at one of the world's finest vineyards. Hope have really hit the jackpot with this brilliant concept by joining with promoter Michael Chugg , so much so they have now built their own 19000 seat amphitheatre. Recent shows have included The Who and Neil Diamond.

Pepper's Convent

It makes for one of the most pleasant weekends- a two hour drive to the glorious Hunter (especially in December), stay at one of the cheery hotels and guest houses (we always stay at Peppers, either the guesthouse or the Convent) and dinner at one of dozens of fantastic restaurants in the area and then on to the concert.

But you have to book now!. It will be sold out by September. Book here 
 ## And we will have 2 tickets to be given as prizes for Elton's just announced concert at Star City-there will only be 2000 seats !. More later.

Liza with a No !

It was a simple question that received a frosty answer-"no"and signalled the end of the subject.

Had Liza Minnelli seen The Boy From Oz on Broadway ?. The show in which Hugh Jackman won a Tony Award for playing Liza's first husband, singer and composer Peter Allen.

Liza Minelli was at the Sydney Opera House today for a press conference about her up-coming appearance there in the Concert Hall where she will re-produce her own Tony Award winning show Liza's At The Palace.

However she was happy to chat about her good pal, the late Michael Jackson who she said had been used by others his entire life . "He knew how to relax around me, we always had fun"says Liza "but everyone just used poor Michael who was the greatest entertainer in the world".

Still bubbly, cute and effervescent at 63, or an "old broad"as she calls herself, Liza's a miracle of surgery in every way and has survived as many life threatening illnesses as Liz Taylor.

She reckons Australia is like a second home (they all say that) and singing at the Opera House has been a dream ever since she saw it's building progressing from her first visit in the 1960's with mum Judy Garland. Liza is Hollywood royalty with both her mother and father Vincent Minnelli winning Oscars as has Liza-the only family to do so.

"Being brought up in Hollywood was like being in a coal town" says Liza."Everyone got up at 5am, went to work, came home and went to bed by 10pm. But I loved it". She wouldn't be drawn on who her favourite entertainers are. "I know then all" says Liza, "how could I single out one?"

Liza's tour begins this Friday at the Opera House and goes interstate from the 21st. Promoter Michael Chugg says tickets are selling well-which is promoter speak for saying there are plenty still available at tickertek.