Salutations Libertarian’s all,

there is a smorgasboard of decadent entertainment, titillation and whimsy coming in a few short weeks with the Adelaide Fringe on our doorstep once more.  We will be giving extra attention to the burlesque arts this year with the following on our shopping list:

Vari-A-Tease – with the divine Danica Lee, mischievous Missy and a cast of performers delivering a menu of burlesque, vaudeville, magic and cabaret.

A Deli Burlesque – A cross-pollination of neo-burlesque and vintage charm.
Babes on bikes; hula-hoop aerobics; exotic bird rituals and more.

Burlesque Beauties - Reminiscent of 1920s, 30s, 40s and50s, three sassy burlesque beauties present their unique blend of classic burlesque, comedy, music and vintage sass.

For events closer to hand – 2pm Saturday the 13th of February at Gallery Serpentine, in Newtown (Sydney) are having  special Valentine Day event, with Jocelyn from the Cult of Scent showcasing a range of new and favourite hand crafted artisan fragrances.

Come and find out which of the Cult of Scent perfume best suits you and - if you’re very very nice -get your bottle of Cult of Scent perfume customised especially for you!

Dear friendly Libertines amongst the Melburnian set,

Do you have a frock coat and brocaded shirt just dying for an excuse to come out of the closet?

Maybe an insanely tight corset to die for (not in!) or a pair of flirty French ‘Lolly Bloomers’  that screams for some damn high kicking?

The fine people at Marionette Management Talent Agency are having a launch party on the 24th July 2009 on an Absinthe theme, which is a damn good excuse to get dressed in your finest fabulous Victoriana - with a shot of green of course - and go party with all the beautiful, and most talented people. Only $25 for the waged, and $17 for those undergoing higher learning, it will be held at Chasers, 29 Bray Street, South Yarra, with tickets available from Moshtix.

Through the Marionette’s generosity, we at Absinthe.com.au have managed to secure a free double pass for the most fantastically adorned Absinthe.com.au member from Victoria, who can send us a photo of themselves in their Bohemian finest, with a distinctive piece of viridian plumage in their attire.  If you are a couple, why not submit an entry of both of you together?

This is not a competition of chance, luck or serendipity folks. We want you to dress to impress.  The most impressive outfit will secure the prize to what should be an evening of high glamour.

Send an email with your photo to newlibertines @ absinthe.com.au, including your name, absinthe.com.au login name, address & phone number (of both parties if photo is of a couple).

Competition closes Friday 3 JULY 2009. The winner will be announced Friday 10 JULY 2009.

Terms and Conditions:

1) Participation in the competition includes full acceptance of these terms and conditions. 2) Competition open only to those 18 years and older who are members of absinthe.com.au. 3) Entrant(s) will be required to verify their identity and that submitted photos are of themselves and not of a third party. 4) Winner(s) will permit the publishing of their name (or requested nom-de-plume) and photo on absinthe.com.au. 5) All Entrant(s) will also permit the publishing of their photos in a gallery of the “Best Dressed”  on Absinthe.com.au.  Images will not be used in any other commercial capacity. 6) All photos and personal details will be available to the relevant staff of Absinthe.com.au and the Marionette Management Talent Agency for purposes of judging only. At the completion of the competition all personal details and images will not be retained and will be destroyed, save those of the Winner(s) and selected “Best Dressed” as proof of participation under the above Terms and Conditions. No personal details or images will be shared with any other third parties other than those identified in these Terms and Conditions. 7) Winner(s) will be notified by phone and email.

It’s Fringe Festival time in Adelaide again, and we at absinthe.com.au will be on the ground at the Garden of Unearthly Delights and other venues, bringing you some of our reviews and experiences at this month long celebration of underground entertainment.

If you haven’t downloaded the program yet, grab one now and become befuddled by the choice before you.  Not in Adelaide?  Grab a discount fare, jump on a plane and come join the frivolities.

The Opening Night Party kicks off this Friday the 27th February with a free party, parade and concert, with TZU, Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire!, The Levitators and Well Being all on the bill.

Some of the performances that have caught our eye that we will be attending include:

CW Stoneking : bluesman and raconteur, letting loose with his pot’o'jazzy jungle blues, straight outta a smokey boozy speakeasy (one with absinthe of course…)

Imogen Kelly - The Undressing Room : Not just a Queen of Burlesque, but an Artist, darling. Take a peek in her undressing room and give yourself something to confess the following Sunday….

The Kustom Kulture Weekend : Hot rods, quiffs, tatts and zombies. Everything goes better with zombies.

Die Roten Punkte : Ich bin ein Berliner! And you too can be a squishy jam donut just by attending the witty punk-pop performances of Astrid and Otto, everyones favourite eurotrash.

And that’s barely scratching the surface……

If you were that sort of soul, you could very well go out every night for the next 30 days.

If that is you, then we raise a glass of the finest jade in your honour….

With Friday the 13th fast approaching, those canny corsetiers of bohemian haute couture at Gallery Serpentine in Sydney will be holding a special Night Sale from 5pm to 9pm, with 13% of all stock, as well as a range of ‘Black Cat Specials’ providing 15 to 50% of seconds and samples.

Gallery Serpentine is located at Shop 2/112-116 Enmore Road, Enmore, NSW.

Crazier than a padded room full of inmates in Bedlam, I say.

Gallery Serpentine will also be the venue that night for the launch of The Cult of Scent - a specialist fragrance line by perfumer Jocelyn Fullerton.

Cult of Scent is a range of artisan perfumes walking between the worlds of antique and modern perfume. The creation of fragrance and preparation of the extracts is a mysterious alchemy, reflected in the dance of the essences as they weave into your skin and psyche.

Dear Absintheur - it is one thing to look splendid in your finest Gallery Serpentine custom frock coat or laced corsetry while drinking a glass of absinthe, but it is yet another thing to also carry about you the air and aroma of expensive decadence.

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Ok, we have been a little quiet lately - what, with one of us in a study frenzy while the other is still catching up on life’s demands after a trip to the US.

But here, this week, in Enmore, old Sydney town, its new, its blue….

its the Blue Moon Cabaret!

(And apologies to members who received multiple emails from us on this - we had some slight technical difficulties)

There will be burlesque, magicians, music, and our fine friends at Absinthe Salon will be lubricating the evening with the finest of the green muse.

And all you can eat. All for only $45 a ticket. This Thursday, 7th June.

Buy your tickets on line now at Under The Blue Moon.

One thing we like at Absinthe.com.au is a bit of style.

As the modernist successor to the Art Nouveau period, in which the light of absinthe shone brightly, a new generation of functional artists and designers continued the idea of a movement that infused itself into every part of life during the inter-war year in the early 20th century - furniture, buildings, clothes, jewellery, cars were also art, a canvas to be painted upon.

Arising into the public consciousness from the Parisian Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes in 1925, it was born during an era of economic depression. It reflected a luxurious Utopian vision, but where an eye to the past was present, taking stylistic notes from the geometrical designs and motifs of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia amongst other ancient cultures - but infused into the new mediums of polished steel and plastic.

Asclepian art deco motifs above a pharmacy in Prague

While many may associate Prague and ‘absinth’ , it should also be recognised as a very important city for its preservation of many Art Deco motifs. Almost every modern Australian city also has fine examples of Art Deco architecture, many under threat of demolition and overt redevelopment. As the increasing level of property developer contributions to State Labor governments becomes more apparent, those who support heritage protection should become increasingly concerned that we are losing generations of history under our noses - rather than finding ways of integrating the two, using the same principles the Art Deco movements proponents themselves used.

But for those with a penchant for this period should be overjoyed that Melbourne will play host to the 9th World Congress on Art Deco , 16-20th April 2008.

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Macabre (pic:lifeiscarbon)

For most people, quantifying ‘what is beautiful’ is one of the hardest things to do. I find it hard to put a finger on, but I can safely say that it lies somewhere between Victorian memento mori and Tom Ford-era Gucci.

Turns out, I am not alone.

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We have been overwhelmed by the popularity of our wee website, as evinced by our ever-increasing member list and the enthusiastic response we have received from our readers across ther country and the world - and we cannot thank you enough for your support and encouragement. We can, however, urge you to spread the word! Libertines, unite! We can only get bigger and better.

Look out for a few special goodies in the coming weeks, such as reviews (including our very first review of a vintage, pre-ban absinthe), interviews with leading world experts on absinthe, an expansion of our history section to include absinthe in 19th century Australia, our first regular guest column (in which we track the descent into absinthe-soaked bohemia of a hapless Sydney crime writer), music reviews and… a forum! Yes, you too will be able to prattle on about la fee verte in the comfort of your own country. It’s terribly exciting.

We would also like to take this opportunity to welcome out newest advertiser and friend of Absinthe.com.au, Gallery Serpentine. Gallery Serpentine is Australia’s most highly regarded and successsful cosetry/period/gothic boutique, and produce some of the most beautiful pieces of clothing you are likely ever to encounter. I myself own half a dozen pieces, and I am a boy for God’s sake. So visit Serpentine, say hello to the gorgeous Stephanie and punish your credit card.

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