Cronulla plugs into the Sounds of the Suburbs

Sounds of the Suburbs returns to Cronulla for the third year in a row.                    Image: Jack Bennett Photography.

With the third annual Sounds of the Suburbs slated for September, Cronulla is well and truly plugged into the Gen Z zeitgeist for the jam-packed festival with the "warm and scuzzy vibes". 

Forget, for a moment, any visual clichés you have in mind about Cronulla.  Next, turn your back to the beach, don a colourful wristband and floppy hat and join the invading hordes at Sounds of the Suburbs, where it will be wiggle-room only in Wilbar Lane on September 27.

Sound of the Suburbs is the little laneway festival that dared to dream big.          Image: Jack Bennett Photography.

Everyone is welcome at the little laneway festival says Aaron Girgis, one of the co-founders of the music festival that showcases a growing alternative scene that has been bubbling up in Cronulla over the past decade or so.

Sounds of the Suburbs keeps the warm and scuzzy vibes alive.              Image: Jack Bennett Photography

"It's everyone's dream to start a big laneway festival isn't it? Three years ago, we were like, 'Let's do this' and we're so lucky that Sutherland Shire Council have been so super supportive and been behind the festival from day one. The community has also embraced us from the start," says Girgis.

'This is our opportunity to show the people of Sydney that there is another scene and another world that exists out here in the Sutherland Shire," he says.

Sounds of the Suburbs is one of the more intimate events on the festival circuit.                 Image: Jack Bennett Photography

Girgis and local street artist Jack Irvine are also behind Space 44, an independent gallery and creative hub that is now regarded as the community's space as much as it is their own. The pair have also teamed up with Geoff Trio and Jad Nahkle, co-owners of The Brass Monkey Cronulla and El Sol Mexican Cantina, who have been involved in the evolution of the local music scene for a decade.

A snapshot of Sounds of the Suburbs 2015.                                                   Image: Jack Bennett Photography 

It was after fielding feedback from the locals who attend their monthly exhibitions that the duo decided to stage an event that celebrates local musicians as well as international acts that will perform exclusively at the music festival.

Space 44 is on song with Cronulla's Sounds of the Suburbs festival in September.  Image: Jack Bennett Photography.

"People are starting to sit up and take notice of Cronulla. We knew after starting Space 44 that there were hundreds of people into art and boutique music and an alternative scene and we're so proud to bring some of these bands here for a big celebration," he says.

Sounds of the Suburbs is where art, music and fashion collide.                Image: Jack Bennett Photography.

At larger music festivals, 800 people might be queued to use the Portaloos. By comparison, with its at-capacity crowd of 800, Sound of the Suburbs feels more like a wild house party.

Sounds of the Suburbs is attracting party heads from all around the country.                       Photo: Jack Bennett Photography.

It's a formula the tightknit coterie of artists seem to appreciate with acts such as Brisbane indie duo Holy Holy sharing the stage with international acts such as The Garden, White Fang and The Memories presented by cult record label Burger Records and travelling all the way from Orange County in LA.

Celebrate the sunshine at Cronulla's Sounds of the Suburbs 2015.          Image: Jack Bennett Photography

With just three stages and 21 bands, the fact that the intimate festival is a nod to the Sound of the Suburbs song released by The Members in 1979 is reason enough to support Sounds of the Suburbs. "Sounds of the Suburbs has all the warm and scuzzy vibes to mark the perfect start to Australia's festival season," says Girgis.

Locals love the laidback beach vibe at Sounds of the Suburbs.               Image: Jack Bennett Photography

WHEN: September 27, 2015
WHERE: Wilbar Lane, Cronulla
DON'T MISS: The three international acts The Garden, White Fang and The Memories as well as Brisbane indie folk band, Holy Holy. I Am Apollo and hip-hop act Citizen Kay are a few of the stellar local acts on the lineup.
WHAT IT WILL COST: $65.30
PRO TIP: Catch a train to Cronulla and save your cash for beer and Mexican food from El Sol.
BUY TICKETS: www.soundsofthesuburbs.com.au
NEXT MONTH: Another sneak peek of Australian Music Week.
 
To read more of my articles visit www.carlagrossetti.com or subscribe to the Visit the Shire blog.

Sounds of the Suburbs is so intimate it has the feel of an off-the-chain house party. Image: Jack Bennett Photography.

El Sol has heart and soul

The Scorpion Bar at El Sol Mexican Cantina spills out onto the pavement on the Kingsway.

El Sol is the kind of knowingly scuffed space that demands you kick off your shoes, order a cerveza and recall the time you lived a barefoot existence in a palapa on a beach in Mexico, cooking fresh tortillas and frijoles over an open fire and practising your Spanglish. At least that's what The Husband and I do when we visit El Sol.

Did someone say it's tequila time? The drinks list at El Sol is extensive and impressive.

We rewound to when we spent a total of nine months in Mexico, with two-thirds of that time living on an isolated beach in Michoacan and cooking around a bonfire under a sky pricked with stars. To say we are fond of the North American country, its food, people and culture, is a rank understatement; it remains one of our favourite places on the planet.

Aye carumba! El Sol Mexican Cantina is loud and lively.

Day of the Dead-esque decor.

El Sol screams fiesta
It's no wonder we feel so warm and fuzzy when we enter the Cronulla cantina, which is a riot of colour from swatches of velvety fabric, skulls, skeletons, jugs of sangria, statues of Jesus, nuclear-red walls and a range of ridiculously hot sauces. It's got that anything-can-happen-and-it-probably-will vibe down-pat. That's Mexico en pocas palabras (in a nutshell).  Mexico is chaotic and loud and a little bit loose and El Sol is a microcosm of that, minus the moustachioed men in sombreros packing heat.

Beer on the bucket list
First impressions are muy bueno: the staff are young and welcoming,  the chef slings out really satisfying and serviceable food, the bartender rightly recommends a bucket of five Mexican beers for $30 and the place has found an audience that appreciates all of the above. With most starters on the menu at around the $10 mark and mains ranging from $15 to $30, the pricing is keen. Co-owners Jad Nakhle, Dean Hughes and Geoff Trio bought the business about six years ago and have cultivated a dedicated loyal following ever since.

Jugs of sangria, all-you-can-eat tacos, buckets of beer and live bands make El Sol a Sunday stalwart.

All-you-can-eat tacos for $15 is a sweet deal.

Aye carumba
Make no mistake, the food here is no-frills hawker-style food. But that's what Mexican food is. On Sundays, the all-you-can-eat taco bar ($15 for adults; $10 for kids) is a DIY affair. My two sons, who surfed for a total of five hours on the day we visited, devoured nachos ($11) with slow-braised shredded beef with black beans, cheese, salsa and sour cream followed by eight soft-shell tortillas each, which they filled with beef, salsa, queso and lettuce.

It's all about the base ...
The fact that the tortillas are pillowy soft and the salsa is perfectly piquant just adds to the joy. And seriously, at $1.25 a pop, it's a very wallet-friendly proposition. Warm chicken salad was much more appealing than it sounded, with hunks of marinated chicken still warm over a mound of shredded purple cabbage, capsicum, spring onion and coriander. Note the newly launched bar menu also features street cart faves such as elotes callajeros (grilled corn) and chilli con queso (four-cheese-dip with jalapeno chillies).

Terepai and his Funky Soul Allstars at El Sol Mexican Cantina

There is a lot to love about El Sol thanks to co-owner Jad Nakhle (pictured), Dean Hughes and Geoff Trio.  

A family affair
Like Yalla Sawa and the Brass Monkey, this is a family affair with Jad and wife Hayley's Argentinian brother-in-law head chef Francisco Desrets the Latin American connection in the kitchen.  As co-owner of the Brass Monkey, one of Sydney's best live venues, Jad's music industry connections make live music even more accessible for all with a Sunday jam session at El Sol led by Terepai Richmond a real weekend highlight. The fact there is no cover charge for such top-notch shows is another reason to support El Sol. To give you an idea about the calibre of the acts here, on the Sunday we visited, US singer John Mayer's guitarist David Ryan Harris was in the spotlight. I repeat: there was no cover charge.

The session musicians that join drummer Terepai Richmond on stage each week are some of Australia's finest funky allstars.

Terepai is one of Australia's most sought-after session musicians - he joined the Whitlams in 1999 - and he curates little variations to the lineup each week. As well as the improvisational jams, the colourful cantina celebrates music that is live and loud on Friday and Saturday nights and features the odd surf film and soccer match, too.

Let the good times roll at El Sol.

El Sol has two bars and while it hosts the occasional touring band, it's the local bands that get the largest draw. The Scorpion Bar is just a few steps above the main floor and spills out onto the Kingsway, while the Cantina Bar is one of the most comfortable places for all ages to sit and watch the show.

El Sol is buzzy and buzzy and a popular hangout for local musicians and hospo peeps.

In summary, this come-as-you-are cantina has a dark and divey ambience, is unpretentious and comfortable and boasts a menu that pairs perfectly with a cold cerveza or cocktail and a stellar lineup of local acts. Once the sun has slipped over the sea, the space really cranks and the good times roll until about midnight. It's one of the best down and dirty bars in Sydney and, even better, it's just around the corner from me in Cronulla.

El Sol, Shop 2 40-42 The Kingsway, Cronulla Beach, + 61 2 9544 4116, Open Tuesday-Sunday 6pm-12pm Tues-Thurs, 6pm-midnight Fri-Sat, 3pm-11pm Sunday.

El Sol has heart and soul and is a cantina a Mexican would be proud of.

Worship at the altar of hot sauce.

The food scene in the Shire

                                 

As a fairly recent resident of the Sutherland Shire - 10 years is not long enough to claim local status - I have watched the food scene here evolve with a keen if not obsessive interest. As a food and travel writer, it's all in the line of duty for me to keep up with what's hot, what's not, what's on-trend, represents good value, is great for a first date, fancy nosh-up or family dinner. Having Italian heritage also makes me a bonafide food snob; I would prefer to cook at home rather than fork out for something under par. 

Since moving here a decade ago, I'm now more than happy to say I've been made to eat my words about my initial assessment of the area's food scene. While there will always be eateries that are not up to scratch and, sadly, are bowled down like skittles, there is now a plethora of places that have raised the bar, shaken and stirred things up for the better.

It's my local knowledge coupled with my experience as a writer that led the Sutherland Shire Council to invite me to present a talk to local gastronauts at Cronulla Library about the ever-evolving food scene in Sydney’s south.

Grind Espresso turns out consistently great coffee.

It was with great pleasure that I spent an hour waxing enthusiastic about the excellent places and spaces that have sprouted like alfalfa around Sydney's south for the past decade.  I've recently decided to do as so many of you have requested and share my insider knowledge and local secrets on my blog and website, where you will also find links to food and travel stories published in national and international publications.

As well as being constantly quizzed on where to go for a drink, cup of coffee, slice of pizza, Indian or Italian feed, both friends and strangers are also keen to share their secrets and inform me of their favourite cafe, butcher, baker or suburban gem.

I'm also intent on casting a wider net beyond postcode 2230 to celebrate those hidden hot spots in the city and surrounding suburbs, and welcome your ideas. Please sign up if you'd like to receive new posts and links to the latest articles on my website or like my Facebook page to receive regular updates about food events and hot spots.

To whet the appetite, I've included a link to a story I wrote for Good Food that was published in February 2014. Since that time, there has been an implosion of new and exciting places to eat and drink and I look forward to sharing them with you.

In this first post, I'd like to just make mention of The Good Cafe Guide's 2014 Local Hero, Richard Calabro, of Grind Espresso. Clearly, this cult cafe is not a local secret. In fact, it's known all over Sydney. But no guide to Cronulla or Sydney's south would be complete without mentioning Rich, who really was one of the region's original game-changers. 

What began as a hole-in-the-wall on the Kingsway has morphed into an institution and I have enjoyed watching Grind evolve from a cupboard-sized space into the warm, convivial laneway cafe it is today. Richard is in the process of curating tours to Costa Rica for coffee geeks to learn about sourcing the prized bean in situ. 

Coming soon: a feature on another oldie but goldie, HAM cafe, where I have been invited by Harry and Mario to have a sneak peek inside the pimped-up new premises over the next few weeks. 

Richard Calabro sourcing the prized beans for your daily Grind in Costa Rica.