Live comedy is a treasure and must be nurtured in the same way a baby pteradactyl must be nurtured:…read morecarefully and with that old guy from Jurassic Park present. Okay so that made no sense but I do like live comedy and the Comedy Store is a great place to watch it. No matter where you are in the room you've got a great view of the stage (dare you sit in the front row, you're just asking for it) and there's this electronic-y drink order system that brings drinks right to your table so you don't have to leave your seat and disturb the show slash open yourself up to fire from the comedian. But for the love of crap the bar situation is grim - there's no allocated seating so people line up to get into the theatre well before the show starts and there's nowhere to line up except along the bar area so people can't get drinks, meanwhile you've got still more people pouring in with nowhere to go and it's a bit of a sh*tshow to be honest. But hey, you gotta suffer for your art. Fine, someone else's art. Whatever.

Once you hike up the stairs, the comedy store is a fantastic venue!…read moreThere is a bar at the front but don't stress if the queues are big, because there is table service throughout the show. Yep, you can sit back, relax and enjoy the laughs while someone brings you alcohol. And everything is always funnier after a few drinks. I saw Judith Lucy here, and she was as usual, hilarious. I don't think there are any bad seats in the house, just make sure your chair is positioned so you can see around the person in front of you. Also, some soft lights remain on throughout the show, so if this bothers you make sure you get a seat which isn't in the spotlight. I've been to gigs where you sit in a theatre, and ones where there are no tables to stick your drink down on. The comedy store is by far the best as it is kind of intimate with the comedian, while being casual at the same time. There are restaurants around the Entertainment Quarter for dinner, and there is parking on site. The first 2 hours are free.

We enjoyed the place lots - got recommended by a friend we did not know what to expect it was…read morereally cool. Priced right and some nice food as well. We will be back for sure.

From the owner: Celebrating 12 years. Home of the BonkerZ Comedy club circuit + House of Magic Shows & Aus School…read moreof Stand up Comedy

I've just started working in the area and it seems like this is the 'after work drinks' spot...it's…read morehidden away, like stepping through a portal into a strange little funky den. Definitely wouldn't have noticed it if I wasn't taken here! It's nice, cozy and definitely has some attitude for a small little place. The staff seem 'ok'...I guess (one guy was a little moody), but put your hand up at the bar to be served or they'll probably just ignore you. The paintings that adorn all the walls are pretty cool (except for the one that's upside down...fighting the OCD to turn it the right way up!!!) and the theme of always having something to look at continues to the bathrooms, us guys even get retro 50-60's topless pinup pics (most probably to take attention away from the total mess that the itty bitty bathroom is in). As I've only been on Friday's, I know happy hour is from 5-7pm with beers, wine, cocktails & jugs on the menu, all seemed to be priced ok (nowhere as cheap as places close-by like the Brighton Hotel). Be warned that they're quite strict on times, so don't show up 5 to 5 and expect happy hour prices. The range of drinks isn't massive here and most of the drinks are bottled. Outside of happy hour, the price of drinks can be pretty high. I felt like cider after a long day at work and saw that they had Rekorderlig on the menu, but for $14 a pop I'm going to pass (only $7-8 at BWS). Now, what I give the place credit for and really is a hidden gem...the pizzas. Perhaps it was the alcohol, but free pizzas with jugs were most welcome (not sure if this happens all the time). I tried the chorizo pizza which was awesome, flavourful slices of chorizo, flowing with melty cheesy goodness and on a decent thin base. I also tried the margherita but can't remember how it was...I pretty much inhaled it (my colleagues seemed to do the exact same thing). As it's so close to work, I'll probably keep hitting Cafe Lounge up on a Friday but don't really see myself trekking over from the North Shore at any other time. If you are in the area though, go lounge around, chill, have a drink and try to resist the need to stick the toy animals/dinosaurs they give you as table numbers into the giant jars with candles...(it wasn't me, seriously...).

Came Thursday night for free jazz, although in my opinion it was more oldies songs being covered…read morethan jazz. The place has a definite retro-dive feel to it. This is the kinda bar where you expect a generous pour and inexpensive drinks, but they definitely measure their shots.

I've seen many a great band advertised here but as is my wont, the thing that finally got me here…read morewas the lure of a spankin new comedy night. And it doesn't hurt that this deep wild-wild-inner-western venue is on the freakin bondi junction train line! #ftw Hump Night (Wednesdays, in a camel themed bar, capiche?) Comedy's opening night was brilliant, with a stellar lineup & full house. The decor description is best quoted to the night's MC- David Smeidt- who described it ss if a gay pirate was having a garage sale. Camels, camel themes, and some classic posters- the gay pirates responsible for decorating Camelot have definitely never heard the expression, "less is more"... I ordered a garlic pizza cos it was like $8. It was alright & for $8 I ain't gonna complain the crust was a bit hard tho. Some pretty amazing looking mezze plates were doing the rounds and making me regret my decision. Now that I know how easy it is to get to and groovy a venue it is I'm looking forward to joining the camel cult.

Random nights are the best nights, aren't they?…read more My friend Isobel sent me a message last week, with a Facebook link saying, wanna check this out next week in good old Marrickville? I was like, yeeerrrppppp, let's go. Why not, right? So tonight, I look at the Facebook page to figure out where it is and its like all trendy and ambiguous "in the back streets of Marrickville".... well, where the FUCK is that, eh??? Bloody thing. Well, I figured it out and I can't tell you how AWESOME it was! Dimly lit, trendy, hipster kitch. Think Shady Pines, but not so much Americana. Yes, cowboys. But also gypsies, persian carpets, camels and eastern flair. The owner, came over and introduced himself to us and was like, how did you hear about us? Well, we have the very uncool story that Isobel's mum told her about it. Yeah, I'm serious. LOL. We think it's funny as hell too, especially since the place was so great, so unknown. Her mum saw some live music here a few weeks ago. I should probably make up a cooler story about how I know about the place that makes me sound really awesome with my finger right on the pulse of avant guarde Sydney or something, so when I bring people here I can be like... yeah... I'm cool... man?!! We had wines which were delicious. I had an SA Pinot Noir. Hey, look! I'm trying to learn my wines! Be impressed. I'm a wine doofus. Downstairs is "Django Bar" which is I guess, not a music venue. Camelot is technically on the top floor, and is a music venue with some food... the garlic pizza is amazing. Perfectly garlicky and cheesy melty goodness. Sean Taylor was playing, he was described as a Chris Isaak acoustic guitar type.... well, wow, I could have easily stayed out til past midnight if it wasn't a school night. He was amazing. Everything was 5 star. I'm really glad to be able to write this review for such a great NEW establishment, but it's even better that it's in my home suburb of dear old MARRICKVILLE!!! Marrickville is seriously Sydney's Brooklyn. Seriously. Its coming up in the world. Watch out.

If your to go to see one thrilling, nail biting, side splitting show this year in Sydney make it…read moreAbsinthe. The whole experience is top notch from beginning through to end. You walk into Hyde Park and begin to witness the Spiegeltent in all its glory. The Spiegeltent is a wooden tent that's glorious from all angles. It includes an outdoor beer garden to get the punters ready for a night of intense creative performances. The inside of the Spiegeltent is aesthetically pleasing and reminds me of a classy French nightclub in the great 1920's ( those good old days). The venue is very intimate with seating for at most 300. This is awesome because it allows close up experience for everyone. The show began with an awesome display of a man balancing some drinks while stacking chair after chair until he reached the top of the tent . As the show went on we got to witness some acrobatic performers balance on each other's heads, throw one another across the stage. The athletic abilities of this men and women left everyone mesmerised. The performance incorporated a lot of adult themes but it was all performed in good nature but the Gazillionaire who reminded me of Beetle Guice on the good stuff. He picked on the audience and had everyone wetting themselves ( well pretty close ). The whole show was tantalising and TITalising at some points (sorry couldn't help add that one in. If your after something completely different this is a definite must see in my opinion. The whole cast knocked it out of the park. Was lucky to meet some of the cast afterwards for a Q&A with some champagne. They are tremendous people who just love what they do and rightfully so. The Gazillionaire was calling me Waldo because I choose to wear a red and white stripped top. Witty to the last. Nothing else to say other then go to see this show for yourself.

Oh. My. God! This show was incredible!! I am not a big fan of shows and musicals but this just blew…read moreme away. How can one show be so funny, so sexy and so impressive? I really didn't know what to expect but I would say that Absinthe is a mix of cabaret, cirque de Soleil and wicked comedy. You absolutely must get yourself to this show and then tell everyone about it. I really don't want to give too much away but if you like crude humour, amazing feats of human strength, sexy performers and all around amazingness then this is for you.

Beautiful historic theater in Sydney. Located in downtown, it was interesting to see the eclectic…read morearchitecture. The theatre was built in the Gothic Style with French elements in the baroque and empire style. In the 1930s, there was a push to update the area. The Art Deco front obscures the gothic elements on the facade, look over the red and gold to see the stunning stonework.

Ever wanted to pretend you're at an Oscars party?…read more Chuck your glad rags on and step out in style at the State Theatre, the closest thing we've got to a Baz Luhrman film made flesh - a magnificent receptacle, a splendiferous spectacle, a gilt-and-velvet wonderland where every day's a holiday and everyone looks good when mood lit. Part throwback to a bygone age, part modern romance, come for a film, come for a theatre performance, come for a gig, just come as you are. Or were. It can be kind of hard to tell, its' like the imaginarium of Dr Parnassus all up in this place. The mermaid busts and marble stairs, the and chandeliers and candy bars are wondrous and dizzying, they make you want to put your arms out and throw your head back and twirl at an invisible camera in the ceiling. If you see me doing that you'll know why. Take care not to spill your chardonnay.