crystal stilts, cargo, london 30 Mar,2011

Its hard to know if Brooklyn’s Crystal Stilts lack of stage presence can be blamed on the beer - thrown by a rowdy French lass - that lead singer Brad Hargett was forced to wear or not. He swayed and droned on track after track with an expression that read nonchalant at best or, “I‘d rather be anywhere but here” at worst.

dr. sketchy, old queens head, london 02 Mar,2011

Founded in 2005, Dr Sketchy is a Brooklyn event that has become a movement, now taking place in 80 cities (and counting) around the world. This is life drawing amplified and with subjects like beautiful burlesque performers, bizarre circus acts and rippling hunks of man-flesh, it’s hard not to unleash the artist in you!

men, the lexington, london 08 Feb,2011

Dude looks like a lady... lady looks like a dude? Who freaking cares because JD Samson’s new band MEN are just plain awesome. The first show of their European tour was a sold-out affair, full to the brim with fans, new and old. Splashed in colour and geometric shapes (with JD in a cute-as-hell playsuit and bad-ass teenage moustache), MEN churned out their signature electro-synthy pop fused with spangly guitar loops with an all out assault on the fun factor.

siberian nights, good god small club, sydney 27 Jan,2011

Sydney acts, Djanimals and Kirin J Callinan took to the petite Good God Small Club stage on Thursday night as part of the Siberia Nights party. Siberian Nights is the brain child of the folks at Siberian Records (can you believe it?), they Sydney-based record label currently call home by the Midnight Juggernauts and Kirin J Callinan. Oh, New Planes Public Press were also there, launching stuff.

the national, enmore theatre, sydney 11 Jan,2011

Theirs was a show that undoubtedly left us feeling not only content - to have seen so many, proficient musicians show off their talent by underplaying to create a whole that is so much more powerful for the subtle sum of its parts – but also grateful – to have born witness to such an evocative event, the likes of which leaves you feeling somewhat blissful and glad to be a fan of this music.

day 3, falls festival, lorne, vic 31 Dec,2010

As we made the signed turn off down the long and windy dirt road to the Falls Festival main arena, it was hard to suppress our excitement. As euphoric as Charlie with a golden ticket, we passed the forest, now abundant with discarded alcohol from those who had succumbed to propagated rumours or simply lost their nerve.

day 2, falls festival, lorne, vic 30 Dec,2010

As we made the signed turn off down the long and windy dirt road to the Falls Festival main arena, it was hard to suppress our excitement. As euphoric as Charlie with a golden ticket, we passed the forest, now abundant with discarded alcohol from those who had succumbed to propagated rumours or simply lost their nerve.

day 1, falls festival, lorne, vic 29 Dec,2010

As we made the signed turn off down the long and windy dirt road to the Falls Festival main arena, it was hard to suppress our excitement. As euphoric as Charlie with a golden ticket, we passed the forest, now abundant with discarded alcohol from those who had succumbed to propagated rumours or simply lost their nerve.

peats ridge festival, glenworth valley, nsw 28 Dec,2010

The family friendly Peats Ridge festival came through with great tunes, acrobatics, art, and a muted carbon footprint. Held in the picturesque Glenworth Valley on the Central Coast, New South Wales, it was the perfect setting for riverside camping. There were countless workshops on offer each day, including pilates, yoga, poi twirling, hula hooping, juggling, West African dancing and drumming.

ghoul + jack ladder, the annandale, sydney 04 Dec,2010

Sydney four-piece, Ghoul have been playing their fare share of shows around ye ol’ Sydney town this festive season. As have their citymate and sometimes run-list mate, Jack Ladder. So, it stands to reason that they would come together, at some point to sharing billing honours at one of the Harbour City’s finest musical establishments, The Annandale. The rest, as they say, is history. Pictorial history.

my disco, manning bar, sydney 26 Nov,2010

Melbourne three-piece, My Disco took to the Manning Bar stage in Sydney to launch their third album, Little Joy. Support came in the form of Laurenz PVT (PVT) and his solo drum set, and Dead Farmers.

Kirin J Callinan, She EP tour, Paddington United Church, Sydney 24 Nov,2010

Last Saturday night Kirin J Callinan entered the Paddington United Church, 'She' EP in hand, flanked by the stunning Sophie Brous. The show that followed was the Sydney leg of a tour in aid of the release of the aforementioned EP. Speaking of aid, all proceeds from the night were donated to the Aboriginal Welfare Services & Mental Health Support. We could tell you all about the show, it's physicality, originality and provide and evocative list of all other adjectives, adverbs and other 'ad' words but you know what they say about pictures and words...

kluster presents... state of the art, hellen rose schauersberger laboratorium, surry hills, sydney 12 Nov,2010

The multifaceted event featured live, interactive art created by Punk Monk Propaganda, Thomas Jackson, Mia Taninaka, Helen Mycroft and Brent Smith, tunes provided by Sydney DJ’s, Cara Stricker and Urby and a live performance by Border Thieves. State of the Art was all about the creative and the current. The emerging and the established. The future.

kluster presents... state of the art, hellen rose schauersberger laboratorium, surry hills, sydney 12 Nov,2010

The multifaceted event featured live, interactive art created by Punk Monk Propaganda, Thomas Jackson, Mia Taninaka, Helen Mycroft and Brent Smith, tunes provided by Sydney DJ’s, Cara Stricker and Urby and a live performance by Border Thieves. State of the Art was all about the creative and the current. The emerging and the established. The future.

kluster presents... state of the art, hellen rose schauersberger laboratorium, surry hills, sydney 12 Nov,2010

The multifaceted event featured live, interactive art created by Punk Monk Propaganda, Thomas Jackson, Mia Taninaka, Helen Mycroft and Brent Smith, tunes provided by Sydney DJ’s, Cara Stricker and Urby and a live performance by Border Thieves. State of the Art was all about the creative and the current. The emerging and the established. The future.

l.a trips out at the schindler house 21 Sep,2010

Walking into L.A Country Clubs opening night of Bright White Underground, a new project by NY artists Jonah Freeman and Justin Lowe, was like falling down a rabbit hole. Dark, claustrophobic, intense, mysterious and amazing. For their latest project, these two unique artists have transformed the open-plan, contemporary interior of The Buck House (designed by R.M Schindler) into a labyrinth of constructed rooms and controlled environments.

vice presents bonds made2share - a photographic exhibition, luxe studios, sydney 10 Sep,2010

Last Thursday night Kluster joined the kids from Vice mag and some of our uber-talented friends – including Dan Boud, Cybele Malinowski and Alex & Georgie Cleary (Alpha 60) – at the made2share photographic exhibition at Luxe Studios, East Sydney.

just loomis 17 Aug,2010

A Nevada boy at heart, photographer Just Loomis´ career has taken him to New York, via Milan. In between photographing shoots for Harpers Bazaar and snapping various music icons, including Madonna in the early 80s, he met the man who would take him on as an assistant and in the process became a life long friend: Helmut Newton. Spanning more than thirty years, Just´s body of work- ethereal portraits of characters that embody the hopes and broken dreams of the American way of life.

foals, manning bar, sydney 10 Aug,2010

For UK band Foals, their first ever Sydney show became a sold-out sensation. Touring as part of the 2010 Splendour line-up, and with their second album Total Life Forever released earlier in the year, the group celebrated life and music with a very willing audience.

splendid arts program at splendour in the grass 09 Aug,2010

In collaboration with Splendour in the Grass and leading art agencies, the Splendid arts program encourages artists to work on creative and experimental site-specific pieces. The 2010 Splendour in the Grass featured work from Carl Scrase, Lauren Brincat, Mish Grigor and Dominic Finlay-Jones.

being born again couture fashion show, cell block, darlinghurst 22 Apr,2010

The Cell Block at the National Art School in Sydney’s Darlinghurst transformed into a colour overload to behold for the inaugural Being Born Again Couture Fashion Show. The anomalous event, fusing fashion and contemporary art, featured the work of designers Akira Isogawa, Nicola Finetti, Marnie Skillings with that of artists Lindy Lee, Tracey Moffatt and many more. The concept paired young artists with established fashion designers to create original art-adorned garments, shown on the night. Spotted The Chaser’s Chris Taylor, Art Nation’s Fenella Kernebone, Rose Vickers and the newest Next Top Model team recruit Josh Flinn.

youth and the streets 19 Apr,2010

As far as we’re concerned the only thing more appealing than the lure of youth is that of youth après l'obscurité. Our fascination with our city streets continues. The subject this time around: the street-side realms and the kids that lurk in bars after dark, temporarily bedding down in laneways between haunts with longnecks in hands, lips unrelentingly locking.

bowie a/w collection show, white rabbit gallery, sydney 29 Mar,2010

On the eve of last week’s full moon Bowie’s launch his A/W 10 range, A Paranormal Romance at one of Sydney’s premiere homes for contemporary Chinese art, White Rabbit Gallery. The collection fused metallics with blacks, frou-frou with sleek all topped off with gaffer-tape headbands reminiscent of something from a 1980’s American Football flick. The showing, attended by Lyndsey Rodrigues, Nikki Phillips and Channel V VJ’s Renee Bargh and Billy Russell ended off with Bowie’s trans-seasonal, ready-to-wear cashmere collection. It was an intimate affair to showcase a collection containing its share of noteworthy pieces.

the dead weather, enmore theatre, sydney 27 Mar,2010

There's no doubt that if your band includes a member of The White Stripes, you'll pull a crowd. Throw in a gorgeous indie girl from a group like The Kills and you'll pull a few extra. Maybe you'll even put together two nights in a row at Melbourne's premier live music venue? Yeah, The Dead Weather are popular, but who's really surprised. It was nice then to see that these all stars are actually pretty good.

pavement, enmore theatre, sydney 05 Mar,2010

To walk into a sold out Enmore Theatre to the strains of 'Rattled By the Rush' was something of a dream come true. It only took the following song to completely break my powers of resistance; upon hearing the opening notes of Grounded', another Wowee Zowee classic, I deemed myself incapable of reviewing this gig objectively and eschewed my usual practice of tapping down the set list and any random thoughts into a text message to be read later on.

dr.denim collection preview, somewhere store, melbourne 03 Mar,2010

They gathered for their love of denim. They bonded on their love of free beer. There's a new Dr. Denim range in Melbourne Town and we were at the launch. So was Jens Leckman and Modular’s DJ Bushpig. Did we mention there was also a film premier? No? Well, there was. For Salad Days. 60+ hipsters have never looks that gosh-darn good.

lupe fiasco, enmore theatre, sydney 21 Feb,2010

iPhones twinkled above the audience as Lupe Fiasco skipped and hopped nimbly around the stage during ‘Shining Down’ with unrivalled energy. The crowd hung on his every word, even the slightest hint of a sly smile eliciting shrieks of delight. During ‘Hip Hop Saved My Life’ Lupe raised his hands up and down over his loyal subjects, resembling a puppet master as the audience rose and fell to the jazzy base line.

playground weekender, del rio riverside resort 19 Feb,2010

The heat-conscious guests remained in the shadows of The Main Stage until the sun dipped behind the valley and the crowd really switched to festival mode. It was here OK GO font man Damian Kulash performed on a podium in the middle of the crowd, Washington drifted through a set containing plenty of mid-afternoon melodic harmonies and Polyphonic Spree blew our socks and shoes off! Sadly, Lupe Fiascos fans bombed out: his late-night set ran almost two hours behind.

kill devil hills, the annandale hotel, sydney 12 Feb,2010

The Kill Devil Hills hoedown began. They drew a seriously dedicated crowd who hooted and hollered at every aside, knew all the lyrics and were only to happy to boot scoot along when invited. The boys kept their lively set even more interesting, and showed their diverse talents, by switching lead vocals for 'Gunslinger' and 'Drinkin' Too Much'.

mumford & sons, oxford arts factory, sydney 03 Feb,2010

Mumford & Sons stepped into their set with the kind of no-fuss attitude that belies their musical complexity, launching straight into a pensively delivered ‘Sigh No More’. The evocative ‘White Blank Page’ was delivered with the same sincerity as two days prior, during the Sydney leg of Laneway Festival. And so on and so forth through what initially appear to be almost the same set list as played at the aforementioned festival. Until the battle of the banjo/crowd ensued, that is...

them crooked vultures, hordern pavilion, sydney 26 Jan,2010

Kicking off with ‘No One Loves Me & Do I’, the band created instant chaos among the crowd, setting the pace for what was to be an energy-charged event, before racing on through ‘Dead End Friends’. The slower, heavier pace of ‘Bandoliers’ gave fans a chance to catch their breath, while ‘Mind Eraser, No Chaser’ provided a rare singalong opportunity.

yeah yeah yeahs, hordern pavilion, sydney 08 Jan,2010

There were a lot of imitation Karen O’s in the all-ages crowd, both boys and girls, but they couldn’t hold a candle to the stylish, fabulous and completely mental original. Adorning a Vince Noir from the Mighty Boosh style multicoloured flowy frock, she accessorised throughout the set with big, bright silky shawls, glow-in-the-dark head pieces and a lot of glitter, shot from the ceiling. An enormous eyeball looked out over the packed to bursting point dance floor.

falls festival, lorne, day 3 05 Jan,2010

Heat and still more oppressive heat. The John Steel Singers played an energetic set in matching red Lurex wizard capes that looked like Hogwarts on LSD and soon their poppy harmonies had the lethargic crowd bouncing and jostling around. Later they appeared in latex horse masks for a surreal all-in dance party to 'Evolution'. At midday the phenomenally talented Andrew Bird hobbled on stage with a busted foot. The man with magic lips. The combination of his soaring vocals and orchestral violin gave me goose bumps even though the temperature must have climbed beyond 40 degrees. He whistled sweet lullabies and soon the tent resembled a kindergarten at naptime.

falls festival, lorne, day 2 30 Dec,2009

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Karen O stomped and stalked across the stage in tiger print tights and a poncho decorated with neon American Indian motifs like a disco Navaho. 'Dull Life' was a sonic assault with guitarist Nick Zinner slicing out razor sharp chunks of black noise. Ms O smiled and snarled through 'Heads will Roll' and donned “the jacket” for 'Zero'. Later she held the crowd in the palm of her hand, wearing a glowing Indian headdress and cape. She told us she “loved us so much” and we loved her right back. Zinner nonchalantly took happy snaps of the peaking crowd before exiting, glitter and confetti still scattering.

falls festival, lorne, day 1 29 Dec,2009

Leaving behind the fading tinsel and discarded wrapping paper we descended on Victoria's surf coast. The drive up into the Otway forest and Erskine Falls is beautiful and the landscape recalls the scorched, part-balding habitat of 'Wild Things', both alien and familiar. Every NYE brings with it the same rucksack of emotions and expectations but there seemed a sense of gravitas about the impending 12 months. Not just a new year, a new decade. The disappointments and regrets of last year were replaced by the optimism of 10 bright new years to try and get it right. So tents were erected, mattresses inflated and in anticipation crawled into our sleeping bags for the night.

yacht, oxford arts factory, sydney 15 Dec,2009

The eccentric duo, Yacht took over Sydney’s Oxford Arts Factory with their infectious energy and offbeat choreography. The the pair's visual duality was echoed in the set which deviated between vigorous geek-chic dance moves and frequent chats with the crowd. Decked out in a white suit complete with suspenders and a black dress with futuristic shoulder pads respectively, Jona and Claire succeeded in keeping the audience on their toes. Partly a comedic performance; these two know how to push the boundaries of their musical genre whilst having a laugh. They pulled up Google maps in their power point at the start of the show and proceeded to show us where they lived in Oregon using a red laser pointer.

Patrick Wolf, Metro Theatre, Sydney 09 Dec,2009

Patrick Wolf has always had a touch of the Roman about him. At its best, his music contains a sense of majesty and affirmation scarcely found by any of his contemporaries, while the man himself remains the prince-in-waiting – always on the cusp of something bigger and certainly dressed for the occasion. Which is why seeing him live did nothing to change our opinion of him. We're big fans of anyone whose second of three costume changes for the night involves a black raven cape with matching headpiece and a monochrome Union Jack jumpsuit, likewise anyone whose live set up includes a laptop and a lap-mounted string instrument known as an 'Appalachian dulcimer'. But the forays into glam-pop that have resulted from his last two albums don't seem to make good on the promise of his incredible sophomore effort, Wind in the Wires.

Sia, Enmore Theatre, Sydney 28 Nov,2009

There was something undeniably infectious about the childish enthusiasm the excitable songstress brought to the stage. “I like heckling,” Sia gleefully informed the crowd. “Feel free, be yourself!” She encouraged the crowd to “throw up” notes containing requests, advice, queries and concerns. By way of delightful contradiction to her persona, Sia’s voice was anything but juvenile. Even when covering for forgotten lyrics, it rang loud and true; almost unexpectedly pouring from such a playful mouth. The set list showcased her 2008 LP, Some People Have Real Problems. New offerings were produced in the form of her recently self-leaked, addictive ‘You’ve Changed’ and ‘The Codependant’.

the scare, annandale hotel, sydney 30 Oct,2009

The punkier half of the Surry Hills' hipsters seem to have gathered at the Annandale, Sydney. The Scare are loud, massive, obnoxious, sweaty, boozy and frontman KIss Reid packs some major swagger. Together with a super-stylish guitarist and a tight band the Scare owned the Annandale even when the crowd try and buy it back; throwing cent pieces at the band during their single 'No Money'. "Is that all you got, you cheap bastards?!" Screams Kiss Reid. More money rains.

paolo nutini, enmore theatre 30 Oct,2009

From backstage at Sydney's Enmore Theatre on Friday night, Paolo Nutini kicked off his sold out show with a cover of Frankie Valli's ‘Can't Take My Eyes Off You' to butter up an adoring, mostly female audience. The crooked grin and soft Scottish accent sealed the deal. Crouched over the microphone like a rag doll, the lyrics to 'These Streets' seemed to break out from his mouth. With his hands in his pockets, and this bizarre posture, Nutini's body language perfectly matched the powerful, raspy voice that you would expect from a weathered troubadour rather than a twenty-two year old lad from Paisely.

the mess hall, the east brunswick club. 18 Oct,2009

The usual duo added the well-worn rock ‘n’ roll keyboardist Stevie Hesketh to the lineup. Although the ex-Jet member’s rolling arpeggios sometimes detracted from The Mess Hall’s garage roots, he undoubtedly helped fill out their sound. While also adding some flair to the newer, very country-influenced material. The set was dominated by more recent works (a fact the band repeatedly mentioned), but it was the oldest of their hits that really got the crowd excited.

parklife, sydney 2009 05 Oct,2009

Parklife, like Christmas, only comes once a year. So when it rolls around with a lineup like this year’s it’s rather important you don’t miss the boat. Except possibly when the weather makes you wish you had a boat; to jump in and cruise through the mud. Back to the lineup: We’re talking: A-Trak, Busy P (DJ & Host), Claude Vonstroke, Cool Kids, Crystal Castles, Empire of the Sun, The Glimmers, Junior Boys, La Roux, Metric, Metronomy, The Rapture, Lady Sovereign, Shazam and Tiga.

parklife, sydney 2009 05 Oct,2009

Parklife, like Christmas, only comes once a year. So when it rolls around with a lineup like this year’s it’s rather important you don’t miss the boat. Except possibly when the weather makes you wish you had a boat; to jump in and cruise through the mud. Back to the lineup: We’re talking: A-Trak, Busy P (DJ & Host), Claude Vonstroke, Cool Kids, Crystal Castles, Empire of the Sun, The Glimmers, Junior Boys, La Roux, Metric, Metronomy, The Rapture, Lady Sovereign, Shazam and Tiga.

the twelfth letter's collection showing 02 Oct,2009

Sometimes we get a little bored of going to the same old showing with the same old models and the same old catwalk process: Ramble, pose, ramble, leave. It’s always exciting when designers think outside the box a little. Like The Twelfth Letter’s collection launch last Firday night at BJB studio, Surry Hills. It was intimate, interesting and innovative. All the ‘I’s we’re particularly into. Oh, we really like the clothes too. And the live shoot.

shonen knife, annandale hotel, sydney 28 Sep,2009

The Osaka-hailing trio took to the stage proudly displaying their own banners, before taking their positions and launching into a song / welcome mostly comprising “Konnichiwa, we like to rock”. It was probably one of their more complex lyrics. Shonen Knife are more about the infectiously frothy, purely effusive blasts of music – that borrows equally from The Ramones and The Ronnettes - than any great insightful verse.

i heart hiroshima, the annandale, sydney 26 Sep,2009

It was left to I Heart Hiroshima to warm the crowd immediately before the band of the rising sun. The bounding Brisbane trio, showcasing songs from their new album The Rip, were an exceptionally endearing entre, with their banter and songs splendidly chipper. This atypical bass-less three piece craft such great buzzing blasts of songs, and with the variety provided by the twin boy-girl vocal fronts are engaging to the end and even urged the crowd to push forward and fill every last space for Shonen Knife.

nyc fashion week: willow 15 Sep,2009

Sydney’s favourite fashion darling returned to the big city to show her oft shell-encrusted, Great-Barrier-Reef inspired collection on the New York catwalks. Cara Stricker headed backstage – where all the exciting stuff happens - to get a rare glimpse of the designer at work. Of course, by ‘work’ we mean the heart-attack inducing madness that is behind the scenes at a showing.

nyc fashion week: marc by marc jacob attendees 15 Sep,2009

Marc Jacobs packed the room with more A-listers than you could poke a massively oversized, thousand-year-old log at. Anna Wintour and Christina Binkley arrived half an hour early for the showing such was their enthusiasm. Madonna and Jesus; right on time. What are we here for again? Oh, that’s right, the clothes. Ah, stuff it, you can check them out in the other gallery. This one is dedicated to the people in the front row and the clothes they’re wearing.

nyc fashion week: marc by marc jacobs 15 Sep,2009

And now... The clothes. 90’s revival anyone? Yes, the 80’s are so last season. We mean, decade. We mean... Oh gosh, when were the 80's again? This dazzling collection is certainly no fading flower. Then again, has anything Jacobs has ever sketched been less than startling? We think not. Marc by Marc Jacobs was the designer’s attempt at tightening his reign on his, up until then, uncompromising creativity. It would appear the reins have been loosened a little. Viva colour! We love it.

nyc fashion week: narciso rodriguez 15 Sep,2009

Things seem to have mellowed out a little for Narciso Rodriguez. At least, that's what his designs would suggest. Billowing, ethereal dresses with shorter hemlines flowing to floor-length trains dominate this season’s look. Even the most structured looks are soft somehow. Courtney Love was front and centre for the showing and - surprise - she fidgeted, gestured wildly and talked continuously through the entire thing. Jessica Alba was better behaved.

nyc fashion week: zac posen 14 Sep,2009

Manhattanite, Zac Posen has turned over a new, more subdue leaf this season. In the place of audacious statements there is nature sentiments. Wearable where once there was talkable, although not without a hint of playful retrospective. There is plenty of spring in the air this fall; Posen’s collection was no exception. Florals abounded, evident in blouses, skirts and dresses.

nyc fashion week: out, about and backstage 14 Sep,2009

What better place to people (read: style) watch than fashion week in NYC? Cara Stricker gets out and about on the streets surrounding Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week to capture the moment. She’s also headed backstage, amongst all the madness, and has been frequenting plenty of parties. Find out what all the pretty people, party people are up to.

nyc fashion week: jill stuart 14 Sep,2009

The vaulted floor-to-ceiling ashen marble served as a contradictory canvas for the bold collection. There are some elements of Jill Stuart’s short-skirted Cher-inspired AW 09 collection in the SS 10 range but it is enough of a departure to keep things interesting. Barely there hemlines dominate – oh how we will learn to love our again legs this season. Aladdin-esque pants and metallics make a resurgence.

nyc fashion week: out, about and backstage 14 Sep,2009

What better place to people (read: style) watch than fashion week in NYC? Cara Stricker gets out and about on the streets surrounding Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week to capture the moment. She’s also headed backstage, amongst all the madness, and has been frequenting plenty of parties. Find out what all the pretty people, party people are up to.

nyc fashion week: toni matcevski 13 Sep,2009

Toni Matcevski’s SS 2010 collection is reminiscent of his 2009, so it’s probably a good thing we enjoyed his ’09 instalment so much. The boldness, the layering, the disconnected lines: they’re all back for 2010. Elements of couture sit comfortably with ready to wear. View the collection on the catwalk and a little behind the scenes.

nyc fashion week: herve leger 13 Sep,2009

An A-lister front row, featuring Mischa Barton and Hilary Duff. Of course, that’s to name just two. No simple flowing lines here. Just layer, upon layer, upon layer of textured fabrics and those super-tight minis. You know them; the ones for which designer Max Azria has become renowned.

nyc fashion week: out, about and backstage 13 Sep,2009

What better place to people (read: style) watch than fashion week in NYC? Cara Stricker gets out and about on the streets surrounding Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week to capture the moment. She’s also headed backstage, amongst all the madness, and has been frequenting plenty of parties. Find out what all the pretty people, party people are up to.

nyc fashion week: wasson x rvca 12 Sep,2009

It’s been a while since we spent time with Texan model-cum-designer Erin Wasson. True to form she has been a busy girl, filling the spaces between. Her newest design project, Wasson X RVCA, debuted on the NYC fashion week catwalk on Friday. Kluster’s Cara Stricker was there to snap the showing. Also featured: Pixie Geldof, some style scenes and scene queens.

spotlight on spod 08 Sep,2009

Ok, ok, we’ll admit it. We love SPOD. A little but because his live stage shows are so darn entertaining (we fell in love with him in the Boiler Room at Big Day Out, Sydney circa 2002 and have maintained that burning... affection, ever since) and a lot bit because of Fantasyze. Kluster staffer Kristen Dagg caught up with SPOD over a beer or two to chat. Check out the interview on the blog. While we were at it we also arranged for our good friend Dan Boud to take some photos of SPOD. In a pool... yeah!

ant!podium's no romance party, london 03 Sep,2009

Anti!Podium's No Romance party, at London's The Stag's Head, was all about throwing back No-Ro’s: a pink, sour cocktail served by the jug. Decked out in new-season wares was actress Emma Booth, dancing to the tasty tunes of The Voguettes (British Vogue fashion team) and Matt Van She. Also spotted were The Gossip, Chromeo's new label mates teenagersintokyo, Vogue Russia's it girl Margaret Crow and designer Jens Laugesen.

mcsweeney's (futuristic) antipodean adventure! 29 Aug,2009

The future is now. Or it was, if only for one night, at the Toff. To finish off the Melbourne Writers Festival - and launch the newest collection of curated short stories, Timothy McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern 32 - our favourite independent publishing house embarked on a night of readings, experimental (very experimental) music and obscure-yet-hilarious comedy from local trio, The Suitcase Royale. Wells Towers, Heidi Julavitz and Eli Horowitz were all in attendance.

jayson brunsdon store opening, bondi junction 27 Aug,2009

Jayson Brunsdon’s glamorous new store in Bondi Junction is all lush clean lines of sophistication. It came as no surprise that his grand opening was in the same manner. Perilously thin models stood elegantly on black podiums down the runway of cream carpet. Sydney’s cream-of society pawed over his beautiful pastel collection of cocktail frocks and safari shorts. Spotted sipping bubbles - Nick Tobias, Leona Edmiston and Anouk Colantoni.

strummer sydney fashion festival party 22 Aug,2009

As the unbelievably summer-like Sydney winter draws to a close designer duo, Strummer reveal what’s in store for their SS 09/10 collection, The Howling Sun, at their Perry Lane party, Paddington. The bohemian, full-skirted baby dolls and slinky, high-waisted boy-pant shorts are making a return for Strummer this summer. We’re particularly fond of the nautically stripped bodysuits.

home honey, i'm hi 17 Aug,2009

High upon the 5th floor of Shibuya store, Cannabis, the ksubi Collective have erected a bright blue, plastic home away from home. Inspired by the hand-built shelters of the homeless people of Tokyo's streets,  The installation reflects both the Japanese obsession with material comforts and our desire for a simpler hassle-free existence.

tv on the radio, prospect park bandshell, brooklyn 13 Aug,2009

What better way to spend a balmy fall evening in Brooklyn than at a TV on the Radio gig in Prospect Park Bandshell? A TVOTR fan would answer; there is no better. We fall into that dis-latent-of-late category so we concur. The only real downside was that, unlike their last Prospect-Park gig, this time around the show was not free.

comune party, orange county 06 Aug,2009

Comune for Peace... Or so the young fashion labels logo states. Monthly parties at their HQ in Orange County has all the cool kids migrating south for the chance to view unique art, listen to live music and have a free feed and a free beer, or seven. LA hearts Comune

lost valentinos 04 Aug,2009

The Lost Valentinos played their first show, as part of the Conquistadisco national tour, at the Oxford Art Factory in Sydney. The innovative Ghostwood and Fashion Launches Rocket Launches supported. The Lost Valentinos were ampted to put the crowd to dance and dance they did; many a beverage was spilled during the course of this set.

bardot, hollywood 31 Jul,2009

Summer Saturdays at Bardot, in Hollywood. This club oozes style, like an English parlour. Dark lighting, red walls, chaise lounges. We were there for a friends birthday and for local rock band, Nico Vega, who performed live. Paparrazzi were out the front, waiting for Evan Rachel Wood to immurse. Gotta love this town!

friendly fires, manning bar, sydney 30 Jul,2009

The enthusiasm oozing from FF was nothing if not contagious. Frontman Ed MacFarlane provided a fine visual example of why his “expressive” dancing has made him a YouTube phenomenon and the rest of the room followed suit. So much so that, post show, it took a lot of scrubbing to remove the stench of the ubiquitous, vehement youth.

bondi fashion festival 23 Jul,2009

Gould (or Gold, according to the MC) Street closed down, at-time treacherous runway built, stalls erected, models imported, garments adorned. Bondi Fashion Festival ’09 included showings by Hussy, Ed Hardy and Camilla. Oh, and some pretty interesting characters there to observe proceedings.

zounds listening party 16 Jul,2009

Sydney band, Dappled Cities Fly are set to release their third studio album, Zounds, next month. To mark the arrival of the album on the international music scene the band organised a little listening soiree at Kennards Storage in Surry Hills, Sydney. Yes, a storage facility. See http://blog.kluster.com.au/ for the full write up.

backstage with van she 04 Jul,2009

Cara Stricker goes backstage with Van She at their recent sold-out Metro show in Sydney. The all-ages gig was a showcase of their newest album-length installment, Ze Remixes. As hinted by the title, the album takes their impressive debut offering, V, and, well, remixes it. Think of it as an expression of love between two mutually consenting adults, Van She and Van She Tech, brought to life in front of a bevy of loyal fans.

fixed gear skid comp 26 Jun,2009

kluster launch party 31 Jan,2008