Dear Pluto Speed Dating party in Sydney this Wednesday

Did you spend your Valentine's Day sitting at home drinking goon on your own and watching old episodes of Seinfeld in your underpants? No, ahem, nor did we. Regardless, if you happen to be single and, you know, into hot boys/chicks, then you should totally head down to the Speed Dating Party at Dear Pluto in Sydney on Wednesday. Entry's only $3, there's always loads of babin' ladies, beer and wine aplenty and FBi's Shantan Wantan Ichiban will be spinning some sweet tunes afterwards. And if you don't meet the girl or boy of your dreams, then there is always Dear Pluto's friendly cat to stroke (this isn't a euphemism).

Spoken for? Pass on the invite to your cute and single friends. You gots to be between 18 and 30 to take part (which rules more than one member of Team Bobbysix out, hmmph) and full deets can be found at the facebook event page.

Mashed Potato at The Hollywood Hotel, Sydney

 
The second Mashed Potato took place at Sydney's Hollywood Hotel on Friday night. As expected, it was epic fun. DJs Emma Daniels from Dear Pluto, Sonny Syah and FBi's Shantan Wantan Ichiban span the best '50s and '60s Rock n Roll, Rockabilly, Soul, Rhythm & Blues, Garage, Surf, Trash, Bollywood, Motown, Jive and Cumbia for a sell-out room, who danced like mentalists, doing the twist, the jive and, of course, the mashed potato until the small hours.

Keep your eyes on Bobbysix.com for news of the next event. For now, check out some shots of what you missed, fools.

Words and pictures by Bobby Townsend. You can see more photos here

Changing Lanes map and playing times

We're getting hugely excited about this Saturday's Changing Lanes in Sydney. It's probably our fave festival of the year. Tickets are cheeeeeap, the line up is always bursting with local talent, the atmos is chilled (you won't find pilled-up shirtless oiks with the Aussie flag draped around their necks here), there are market stalls from super awesome local businesses and the whole thing feels organic. It's very clear that the organisers really put a lot of care and love into it, you know?

There are still a few tickets left, so grab yours before they run out. Also, if you click the above picture, you'll get a bigger version of the map and playing times. We would recommend arriving in time to see Cameras at 1.20pm and don't even think about leaving before PVT have blown your ears off with their headline set. There's so much good stuff going on... sets from Big Scary, Bleeding Knees Club and MUM DJs will be awesome, while you can also check out the fashion displays, street art and market stalls.

We'll be there with our camera in one hand and some kind of yummy vegetarian food in the other, so if you spot us, come say hi and give us a hug. We like hugs.

Dear Pluto's Garden Flea Market

They’ve been holding wonderful weekly vintage sales for some time now, but the kids from Dear Pluto haven’t forgotten their roots. This Sunday, the people who previously brought you those legendary monthly Hibernian House sales are hosting a Garden Flea Market out the back of their new place, at 5a Wilshire Street in Surry Hills.

The event will feature vintage, designer and good quality used clothing, accessories, music, books, collectibles, handmade goods and other one-of-a-kind treasures from a select group of stall-holders. In short, it's gonna be amazing. So head along, hang out in the sunshine and score yourself some sweet threads. There’s a comfy couch to chill on, sweet tunes on the stereo, Sydney’s friendliest cat to stroke and, most importantly, vintage clothes; heaps and heaps of vintage clothes.

Get involved with the awesomeness on Sunday at 5a Wilshire Street, Surry Hills (just off Devonshire St, between Crown St and Bourke St). Full details on the facebook event page.

Get yourself some of Dear Pluto's sweet European finds

If you're Sydney-based and have even the slightest inclination towards vintage clothing, then you'll surely know of Dear Pluto. Tucked away in Surry Hills, the pretty space hosts vintage sales each weekend as well as intimate events like Monday movies nights and swap parties.

Well, excitingly, Dear Pluto's main lady - the chick who also brought you those amazing Hibernian House Vintage and Retro Sales - has spent the better part of February scouring the op shops of Europe for stellar frocks, florals and all sorts of fancy threads. Today, she arrives back in the country, masses of clothes in tow. "At Dear Pluto," she tells us, "We like our vintage like we like our men. Sexy, European and with an accent thicker than Karl Pilkington. Okay, so vintage doesn't talk, but if it did, Dear Pluto's range would be charming the hell outta you."

Intrigued? Well, even more amazing is that the hand-picked goodies the shop offers all fall below the fifty dollar mark, with some pieces giving you change from five bucks. So, if you haven't visited Dear Pluto yet, or if you are overdue a visit, then this weekend is the perfect time to pop in to see Emma and Millie The Cat and snap up some embarrassingly cheap vintage awesomeness. Our advice is to get there early, as the European stuff is sure to fly out of the door.

Get rummaging on Saturday (11am till 6pm) or Sunday (11am till 5pm) at 5a Wilshire Street, Surry Hills (map below. The Facebook event page is here)

Words by Rob Townsend.

Happy New Year!

So, another year comes and goes. Last year, I spent New Year's Eve at a rooftop party in Sydney, watching fireworks explode all over the city. This year, I am in a freezing cold and sleepy town in the UK. Twixt the two dates, I have been to Melbourne, London, Johannesburg, Bangkok, Mumbai, Brighton and Bangalore. I have seen some amazing gigs, listened to some cracking albums and dropped some sick tunes with my lovely companion DJ Meowcat in various venues around Sydney.

During the last year, BobbySix.com has continued to grow to the extent that its little ol' founder - me - could no longer cope on his own and so enlisted a small but perfectly formed team of writers. Over the next year I hope BobbySix.com will continue to grow, the website will become a much more all-singing, all-dancing affair and that we will continue to branch out further into the world of arts/fashion/events. We've already made a start, and have evolved from a blog in which I pretty much exclusively wrote about fairly well-known international groups into a blog that also gives a platform to all manner of lesser-known bands, as well as featuring writers, models and artists and other creative types. 

Anyway, thanks for your wonderful support over the year. Here are a few of my personal highlights that didn't quite fit into the recently-posted End of Year Review.

Obviously, my trips with Smirnoff have already been pretty well documented, but there can be no denying that these made up some of my best memories of the year, Meeting so many amazing, artistic people and experiencing incredible things - everything from watching fireworks explode over Bangkok (pictured at the top) from the 74th story of a hotel to waking through poverty-ridden yet inspiringly upbeat Soweto (above) - has been something I will never forget.

In terms of interviews, my highlights from this year include talking to my hero Jim Bob, the simply fabulous model Eliza Sys and drummer Steven Nistor. I have conducted lots of interviews over the last few years and it is only occasionally that people really open up and talk with total honesty. I feel these three people did this brilliantly. Here are some snippets.

Jim Bob
"I don't know how to deal with new music anymore. I will no doubt change my mind but at the moment I have no desire to make, or rather sell, any new music." (full interview...)

Eliza Sys 

"I started modelling because I was a complete mess. I had so many complexes, I was extremely shy and almost afraid of new people. When I was scouted I saw it as the only shot I had to change the way I saw myself. Maybe getting something positive out of the fact I looked like a weirdo could help me to grow stronger and care less." (full interview...)

Steven Nistor
"Mark [Linkous] was a really sweet guy. He had a vicious sense of humor. But you could tell he was in a lot of pain, emotionally."(full interview...)

The other main highlight of the year for me came away from the blog. The launch of Surry Hills-based vintage store/event space Dear Pluto (below) proved to be the culmination of a couple of years' really hard work and creativity from the wonderful Emma Daniels. I am massively proud of her achievement and remain grateful to be a part of this project. If you live in Sydney and have yet to check the place out, then sort your life out and pay Emma a visit. You can pick yourself up some sweet threads for next to nothing. Or, if you're a band/artist/photographer/filmmaker and need a space to exhibit your work/show your film, then Dear Pluto is the place for you. Check out the facebook page for all the deets.

So, anyhoo. I reckon 2011 is going to be a cracker. Whatever it brings, here at BobbySix.com we will be sure to let you know about it. We'll tell you who you should be listening to/looking at/reading/watching/drooling over. Maybe we'll tell you what you should be wearing and where you should be going. Feel free to disagree with us. You'll be wrong to, of course, but, you know, it's up to you.

Remember in 2011, be nice, be kind, be helpful, be tolerent and have manners. If you can manage all that then you're a friend of ours. Happy New Year!

Words by Rob Townsend

Dear Pluto's Debut Flea Market - photos

Dear Pluto, Sydney's coolest vintage venue, hosted its first ever outdoor flea market last weekend. With some of the best dressed kids in town selling their stuff for tiny prices, there were no end of happy customers who grabbed a bargain and chilled out in the Sunday sunshine with some good tunes, some home-baked cookies and some good conversation. The market takes place every month, with the next one falling on Sunday 28th November from 10am - 4pm. Keep an eye on Dear Pluto's facebook page for more news.

While the market was taking place in the sun, Dear Pluto's weekly vintage sale (pictured below) was happening at the same time indoors, offering up the usual amount of awesomeness for insanely cheap prices. Check out the retro goodness every Saturday and Sunday.

Dear Pluto's Grand Opening night - Photos.

The kids who brought you the Hibernian House Vintage and Retro sales launched a brand new space recently. Tucked away in Sydney's Surry Hills, Dear Pluto presents similarly awesome sales - only now they are EVERY WEEKEND rather than monthly - while also offering up other amazing events such as movie nights, markets, swap parties and album launches. BobbySix.com was on hand to take some snaps of those cool enough to have found their way to the grand opening.

You can, and should, join Dear Pluto's facebook page.

Dear Pluto announces its Grand Opening Night

Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes of Sydney's legendary Hibernian House Vintage and Retro Sales, Dear Pluto is set to be your new favourite shop, friend, cinema and second home.

The kids responsible for two years of amazing retro awesomeness in that big old green warehouse have moved to a bigger and better (yet equally cool) location and invite you to join them for a drink (or two) to celebrate their GRAND OPENING on the evening of September 17th at 5a Wilshire Street, Surry Hills, Sydney. Dear Pluto's collection of hand picked garments and accessories from decades past will be available for purchase on the night ...at the same ridiculously low prices you've come to love them for.

In the weeks and months after the launch, they'll be loads of other cool stuff: regular pop-up sales, markets, swap parties, album launches, movie nights (they've got a projector screen so big you could see it from the moon), so why not join their facebook group or follow them on Twitter to be kept right up to date?

Dear Pluto: No garish shop-fronts, no flashing signs, no bells and whistles, no pretension, just a whole lot of retro goodness tucked away in a laneway between Crown St & Bourke St.

Check out Dear Pluto...

If you're Sydney-based and have even the slightest inclination towards vintage clothing, then you seriously need to check out Dear Pluto. Tucked away in Surry Hills, the pretty space hosts vintage sales each weekend as well as intimate events like Monday movies nights and speed dating parties.

Hosted by, Emma Daniels (above) - the chick who also brought you those amazing Hibernian House Vintage and Retro Sales - Dear Pluto's hand-picked goodies all fall below the fifty dollar mark, with some pieces giving you change from five bucks. So, if you haven't visited Dear Pluto yet, or if you are overdue a visit, then this weekend is the perfect time to pop in to see Emma and Millie The Cat and snap up some embarrassingly cheap vintage awesomeness.

Get rummaging at 5a Wilshire Street, Surry Hills.

Words by Rob Townsend.