Plenty of film festivals might call Brisbane home, but only one is dedicated to showcasing the best in queer cinema. That'd be the long-running Brisbane Queer Film Festival, which not only celebrates its 17th year this February, but also offers up a whole heap of must-watch movies to mark the occasion. Take BQFF's glittering opener, for example: the '90s-made, '70s-set disco cult classic, 54: The Director's Cut. And while everyone loves a bit of Ryan Phillippe and Neve Campbell drama, that's not the only gem in the program. Here's our pick of the five best films to see at this year's BQFF — the acerbic, the emotional and the offbeat among them. GRANDMA Who hasn't wished that Lily Tomlin was their grandmother? The actress and comedian has proven a force to be reckoned with since the '60s, and does so again in the movie that makes our dreams the fictional Sage's (Julia Garner) reality. When the teenager needs help finding cash and dealing with a problem, she turns to Tomlin's feisty family matriarch. The likes of Marcia Gay Harden, Judy Greer, John Cho and Sam Elliott also join in the episodic antics, though Grandma's title gives away the true star of the show, offering the veteran performer a potent role and a poignant character study suited to her talents. REMEMBERING THE MAN Maybe you first discovered the real-life story of Tim Conigrave and John Caleo in 2015 Aussie feature Holding the Man. Maybe you had already read Conigrave's best-selling book of the same name. Either way, you'll want to see Remembering the Man, the latest effort to recount their tragic romance from their first meeting as Melbourne schoolboys in the late '70s to the cruel blow that the '80s AIDS epidemic served them. This time, documentarians Nickolas Bird and Eleanor Sharpe not only chart a familiar tale in factual form, but offer up previously unseen footage of and unheard details about Conigrave and Caleo's relationship. Our advice: bring tissues. EISENSTEIN IN GUANAJUATO No one makes movies like Peter Greenaway. If you've seen The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover or The Pillow Book, then you no doubt agree — and if you haven't, Eisenstein in Guanajuato will bring you around to our way of thinking. With his usual flair and fondness for the explicit and the unsubtle, the British director hones in on another filmmaker, Soviet Battleship Potemkin helmer Sergei Eisenstein. After the titular figure made the movie all film students still study to this day, he apparently went on a Mexican odyssey, one which Greenaway recreates and fictionalises with ample experimentation of both the cinematic and sexual kind. THE NEW MAN Richard Linklater isn't the only filmmaker capable of taking his time to tell stories. Uruguayan director Aldo Garay has followed the plight of Stephania for more than two decades — from her former existence in Nicaragua as a boy called Roberto, to her current struggles for acceptance as a transwoman. Interviews and observational footage of Stephania's life intertwine to provide an intimate look at her journey, while also dissecting the political upheaval that has characterised Latin America since the 1970s. The powerful end result won the 2015 Berlin Film Festival Teddy Award winner for Best Documentary. GIRLS LOST Body swap comedies and supernatural teen exploits combine in Girls Lost — however, the Swedish feature does something a bit more interesting with the two genres than most. As based on a young adult novel, it examines sexual identity, awakenings and confusion as three outcast friends drink a strange juice and transform from girls into boys. Expect a range of genres to colour this inventive take on gender fluidity, which comes to Brisbane after making its world premiere at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. Expect more than the usual high school-set fare too, as well as a delicate balance of humour and honesty. The Brisbane Queer Film Festival runs from February 18 to 28 at New Farm Cinemas. Visit the festival website for the full program.
We know you guys are probably tiring of the food truck trend, but hear us out on this one. Now, we're not entirely sure how to feel, so we're just gonna lay out the facts. There's a new food truck doing the rounds that specialises in… gourmet dog food. The Canine Wellness Kitchen (heh) is Australia's first food truck for dogs — which, honestly, is a sentence we never thought we'd write. Founders and 'canine chefs' Katie Crandon and Laura Yeomans aren't new to this game — they founded 'dog superfood' (apparently a thing) label Because I Luv My Dog, specialising in healthy pooch snacks for on-the-go doggos. It'll be the first food truck of its kind in Australia, offering a range of dog-friendly goods including dehydrated snacks, raw food, chicken necks and organic bone broth. And… again, not sure how to take this… a beer for dogs. It's named Freddie's Froth and it's not actual beer guys, it's bone broth, geez. The whole venture is a little tongue in cheek and pokes fun at the food truck revolution. This is a little snippet from the menu: "Forget the super smoothies, our bone broth is the ultimate detoxifier. Get your active wear on, this is all the warm up you need for a workout." Look, in your heart of hearts, you know this is one business that'll go incredibly well. We're on board. Canine Wellness Kitchen will be making their first appearance on September 24 at the Hank Marvin Markets in St Kilda.
Come the end of next year, you won't need to hit the beach to catch a few waves. A site near Tullamarine, around 23 kilometres outside the Melbourne CBD, is set to become the location of Australia's first ever urban surf park. Owned and operated by Perth company Wave Park Group, Urbnsurf Melbourne will boast a 320 metre long pool and employ Wavegarden technology to generate man-made waves between 0.6 and 1.9 metres high. The facility will cater to both experienced surfers and beginners, while LED lagoon lighting will ensure visitors can keep surfing after dark. Wavegarden technology is currently utilised at the Surf Snowdonia wave park in Wales, while another park is set to open in Austin, Texas later this year. In addition to the wave pool, Urbnsurf will include a licensed cafe, a surf shop, board and wetsuit rental services, surf classes, playgrounds, a rock climbing wall, skate ramps and a mountain bike course. Wave Park Group founder Andrew Ross told The Age that the park would eliminate typical marine hazards that come with surfing on the ocean, and described the facility as a kind of "driving range for surfers." Entry prices are yet to be confirmed, although Ross estimated a one-hour session would cost between $20 and $50 depending on the season. Urbnsurf Melbourne is currently slated to open in late 2017. To stay up to date, visit their website or check them out on Facebook. Via The Age. Header image via Dollar Photo Club.
If one man's trash is another man's treasure, then a trunk full of junk may as well be a treasure chest. Suitcase Rummage gets that when it comes to shopping, second-hand reaps the best bang for your buck. For years they've been hosting regular events at Brisbane Square, but now they're upgrading and upsizing to the Powerhouse and adding a craft workshop to the mix. The Suitcase Rummage and Crafternoon takes place from 11am to 4pm, and will feature a crowd of open suitcases filled with the type of clothes, knick-knacks and craft you probably don't need but definitely deserve. Plus, join Emily Lush for a workshop on Woven Wallhangings, where you'll learn the basics of tapestry weaving (even how to make your own lap loom from upcycled materials). You can have your own shot at weaving something beautiful, and if you really know how to take advantage of a situation, pop it in an open suitcase and smack a $20 pricetag on it. Entry for Suitcase Rummage and Crafternoon is free, and if you're interested in running a stall, register here.
You've gotta hand it to Doughnut Time. Brisbane's number one source of iced, filled orbs of deliciousness is as addicted to opening up new stores as the city's residents are to eating their sweet treats — so much so that they're about to unleash yet another shop upon the hungry masses whether we want it or not. From September 12, the space at 142 Albert Street will become Doughnut Time's latest inner-city outlet. Yes, you've grabbed a Ferrero No Share (with dark chocolate glaze, roasted hazelnuts and a Ferrero Rocher) or a Sia Later (a red velvet doughnut with vegan butter cream frosting and freeze-dried raspberries) from the same vicinity before. In fact, the fresh addition to the doughy pastry empire is right next door to Topshop — the site of their first-ever Brisbane CBD store. Right. Next. Door. This is getting out of hand. Okay, okay, so the Topshop store is no longer listed on their website, which could explain why they're opening up so close by. However given that Doughnut Time sets up new shops as fast as they bake their titular treats, nothing would surprise us anymore. A new Everton Park setup started serving just last week, after all. If Brisbane hasn't reached peak doughnut yet, we're just about to. Manly, Perth and Tokyo — you're next. Of course, you don't open 24 stores around the country in 18 months by holding back. Given that Doughnut Time is blissfully ignoring the fact that there might be a limit to how many doughnuts we can eat, and how often, it's little wonder that they're leaning in to the pastry frenzy and handing out freebies from 4-6pm on September 12. They've even created a new doughnut limited edition Albert Street doughnut named 'In The Air Tonight', complete with purple signature glaze, Oreo pieces and squares of Dairy Milk Chocolate, to mark the occasion. Fine, we'll admit it: we're growing increasingly wary of doughnut overload, but we're still tempted. Find Doughnut Time's new CBD store at 142 Albert Street, Brisbane from September 12 — and stop by for a free doughnut between 4-6pm that afternoon. For more information, keep an eye on Doughnut Time's website and Facebook page.
Why make one drink when you can make ten? Batched cocktails have grown significantly in popularity across the cocktail world. They're a great, easy option for the amateur bartender — particularly useful when you're hosting a party, because you're not going to be stuck behind the bar all night mixing drinks if you plan ahead. You'd expect that bartenders would turn up their nose at a pre-mixed cocktail, but the trend has caught on in multiple Australasian venues — it turns out they love pre-mixing too. One of the main reasons why is that it's much more practical for bartender and consumer. They don't have to spend 15 minutes mixing and muddling up a complex cocktail, and you don't have to wait. Cocktail ingredients are pre-prepared (bars usually pre-mix cocktails two to three hours before opening), and the ingredients in the drink are left to infuse. When you're using gin, this means there's enough time for botanicals to infuse with the other ingredients, and richer, bolder flavours appear. In partnership with Bombay Sapphire, we asked Sean Forsyth (the Bombay Sapphire Australian ambassador) to show us how to mix up a big batch of Coffee Negronis — literally just the Negroni cocktail you know and love with cold-drip coffee added. Like a Negroni, coffee is sweet, bitter and complex — so it's the perfect ingredient to complement and spice up this famous gin cocktail. Get your hands on some cold-drip and you've got yourself a breakfast-appropriate cocktail. "If you walk into a bar and they don't know how to make a Negroni, leave," Forsyth says. He's right. To make a Negroni you just need to know how to mix gin, vermouth and Campari — it's easy. To make a batch of Coffee Negronis, you need water, a one-litre measuring jug, a funnel and a one-litre glass bottle instead of a shaker. It's getting much, much easier to make good cocktails. THE COFFEE NEGRONI (Serves 10) Ingredients: 250ml Bombay Sapphire 200ml Martini Rosso 200ml Campari 100ml cold drip espresso 250ml water 1 litre sealable glass bottle Method: Using a funnel and a one-litre measuring jug, build ingredients into a clean one-litre glass bottle Shake and add into the freezer one hour before service Pour into rocks glass filled with cubed ice Garnish with an orange slice Images: Kimberley Low.
The Alliance Francaise French Film Festival is back for its 26th year and with 49 feature films to be screened at cinemas across eight cities, you'd best prepare yourself for everything from the flirting, whimsy, mishaps and misunderstandings that come with French comedy to the passion, ennui, coming-of-age rebellion, thrilling crime and non-conformist romance that come with French drama. Highlights include: gala opening night feature Gemma Bovery, an endearing comedy starring Gemma Arterton that drops the characters of Gustave Flaubert's Madame Bovary into a small Normandy town; the Saint Laurent biopic exploring the inspirations and struggles of the acclaimed designer Yves Saint Laurent at the height of his career; and Samba, starring Charlotte Gainsbourg and star of The Intouchables Omar Sy in a cross-cultural romance that looks at the hardships faced by French immigrants. See more of our highlights in this list of top five films to see at the French Film Festival. The Alliance Francaise French Film Festival is on around Australia in March. Catch it in Sydney from March 3-22, Melbourne from March 4-22 and Brisbane from March 13 – April 1. Thanks to the Alliance Francaise French Film Festival, we have ten double passes to give away in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. The passes are valid for one festival session of your choice (excluding opening/closing nights, special events and public holidays). To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter and then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au
Lovers of mountains and adrenaline junkies, meet your new bucket-lister. An old-school ski resort in Switzerland's Kandersteg Mountains is giving you a way to get your thrills and your incredible panoramas at the same time. It's an epic bobsled (better known in Europe as rodelbahn) that twists and turns down nearby mountains for 750 metres. Introducing Mountain Coaster. Frequenters of attractions Jamberoo Action Park or Merimbula's Magic Mountain might already know the drill — both parks are home to bobsleds that have featured in many a South Coaster's childhood. But the Mountain Coaster experience is looking far more spectacular. Rather than cruising around open hillsides, it plunges you down steep slopes and deep into some of Switzerland's most famous wilderness. In fact, its territory is smack bang in the centre of the Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is renowned for its extraordinary High Alps and numerous glaciers. Actually, you'll find the biggest glacier in Eurasia right here. Watch some of the runs on YouTube, they're nuts. Once you've conquered the Mountain Coaster, you might want to consider taking matters to scarier heights with the Alpine Coaster. Also found in Switzerland, it's the highest rodelbahn in the world and takes you through a kilometre of curves, waves, jumps and bridges, including a giddying 520-degree spin. Via Infinite Legroom. Image: Aleš Novotný.
When your nine-to-five plays out like a well-oiled machine, it can sometimes feel like each week is a little same-same. But Brisbane is brimming with a fine bounty of things to experience and explore each and every day. So aside from casual laziness and a little lack of inspiration, there's really nothing stopping you from squeezing a little adventure and spontaneity into your schedule. We've teamed up with Mazda3 to celebrate the landmark 40th anniversary of their iconic small cars, and in turn, help you celebrate the Brisbane landmarks and institutions we all love. This week, discover and rediscover the things that make Brisbane so great, with seven different detours through our city's classic spots. From Monday to Sunday, channel that Brissie spirit, and enrich your everyday with one completely achievable, time-honoured activity that helps bypass any mundane roadblocks in your routine. This week, rediscover the classics of Brisbane we know and love, from the tasting menu at e'cco bistro, to stargazing at the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium, to cruisy bowls along the river. Plus, we've got your future detours sorted for the new few weeks here. All require no more effort than a tiny break from the norm — what's your excuse for not trying them all?
When the Mountain Goat Valley Crawl kicked off in 2016, it did so in simple but great style. Recognising that the key to many a good night out is a multi-venue itinerary, it made hopping between Fortitude Valley's finest hangouts a streamlined, well-organised yet still laidback experience — with brews aplenty and an ace live music soundtrack. That was then. Now, the same idea and aim remain; however everyone's favourite multi-venue mini music and beer festival is even bigger and better in its fourth year. After expanding from four venues in its initial outing to five the second time around, and then to seven after that, 2019's event will see attendees jump between ten spots to see 51 interstate and local artists. The simultaneous sonic fun takes place on Saturday, February 16, at returning spaces The Zoo, The Brightside, The Foundry, Black Bear Lodge, Barbara, The Flying Cock and Crowbar, plus new additions Blutes, Greaser and Sabotage Social. As always, the agenda includes running between each to sip frosty beverages and catch crackin' sets, with the entertainment once again sponsored by a brewery. The whole shindig kicks off at 5pm, so the only thing left for you to do is clear your calendar for an ace day of tunes, brews and hopping around the Valley. Well, that and check out the full lineup — although just who will play where will be revealed closer to the event. MOUNTAIN GOAT VALLEY CRAWL 2019: IV League RAAVE TAPES San Mei Mosquito Coast Sunscreen The Jensens Keeskea Sports Bra sleepclub Between You And Me Cry Club Bloom Parade Pool Shop L. Flora Oh Boy Minor Premiers Inigo LÂLKA Sometime Sonny Felivand STUMPS Flowermouth Gooby Jim & The Goobs Being Jane Lane Ascot Stabber Peach Fur Royal & The Southern Echo Bad Sext Vladik Tiny Castle Rap Kitchen The Bonnie Doons CNT EVN Friend & Me Double Bummer Jumbo Dragon Wildheart Electric Zebra Selfish Sons The Ancient Bloods Georgie Neilson & The Growing Pains Jack Spider Warcries Perve Endings Requin Mantashade Jbox Venice on Fire Bayview Terrace Nightwoods Blood Bank Updated December 3.
Deck the halls and unpack the plastic tree — the festive season is well and truly upon us. And while that whole Christmas tradition stuff is nice, we're not going to deny what we're most excited about: a whole stocking-load of new films. Along with the cricket and stampeding through shopping centres, going to the movies is one of our favourite Boxing Day traditions. After all, what better place to recover from your post-Christmas food coma than in a nice, dark, air-conditioned cinema? Of course, not all of the end-of-year titles measure up. That’s why we’re reporting in with our annual Boxing Day Battle Royale, to ensure that you get maximum bang for your Kris Kringle gift voucher buck. Or you could just go see Star Wars for the sixth time. That's also a totally valid option. JOY See it if: you can't get enough J-Law in your life. We give it: 3.5 stars Jennifer Lawrence stars in the latest film by David O. Russell (American Hustle, Silver Linings Playbook), a fictionalised account of the rise of a real-life home shopping network star. Joy is a rags-to-riches tale of a battler trying to improve herself and her situation. Wrestling Russell's current patterns and preferences into a canny character study, the film watches on as a woman fights for agency and control, despite constantly being told that she should take care of others and rein in her go-getting ways. Weaving in surreal soap opera segments, it's an astute and engaging dissection of the power of selling a fantasy. Read our full review here. SUFFRAGETTE See it if: you want to be inspired. We give it: 3.5 stars Sarah Gavron's Suffragette may play out somewhat conventionally, but that doesn't make its impact any less resounding. Carey Mulligan is fantastic as Maud Watts, a downtrodden washerwoman in early 20th century London who becomes involved in the fight for women's suffrage. It's a timely tale that will no doubt strike a chord with many modern viewers, reminding us of how far we have come and how much further we still have to go. Just don't expect much Meryl Streep. Despite being a major part of the marketing campaign, she's in the film for less than five minutes. Read our full review here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9p0qnj4OC4 THE BELIER FAMILY See it if: you love a good coming of age tale. We give it: 3.5 stars A box office smash in its native France, The Belier Family is an immensely charming holiday crowd-pleaser. The film tells the story of 16-year-old Paula, who acts as an interpreter for her deaf parents and brother in the running of the family dairy farm. But her future becomes uncertain when her music teacher encourages her to apply to a prestigious singing school in Paris. The film is overlong, a tad melodramatic and gets bogged down at various points in underdeveloped side-plots. But the family drama remains compelling — and surprisingly poignant — throughout, as does the remarkable performance from singer-turned-actress Louane Emera. THE GOOD DINOSAUR See it if: you're hoping to get in touch with your inner child. We give it: 2.5 stars In their stories and themes, Pixar often play in the same territory over and over. And yet, when it comes to visuals, they rarely do the same thing twice; each new Pixar movie might feel somewhat similar, but they always look different. The Good Dinosaur, the animation studio's latest effort, demonstrates both extremes. The tale of a dinosaur and his primitive human friend trying to make their way back home, the film takes a routine narrative that pales in comparison to the animated splendour that surrounds it. It's not often that the background proves more engaging than the figures at the centre of the frame, yet that's frequently the case here. The photorealistic details evident in images of fields, mountains, waterfalls, trees and other natural features are the real stars of the show. Read our full review here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhVDSzj2Lrw YOUTH See it if: you want something pretty to look at. We give it: 2.5 stars Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel wonder about days gone by, while Rachel Weisz and Jane Fonda deliver verbal tirades designed to awaken the ageing men from their apathy. All four spend their time in an expensive Swiss spa, and in a film as visually luxurious as their lush surroundings, Paolo Sorrentino's Youth unravels — its seasoned cast and opulent images its obvious selling points. Musings about life, love and legacy have rarely looked as exquisite, even if the movie's charms remain somewhat surface level. It's a decadent picture about watching the world go by, rather than really experiencing it. Read our full review here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kqe1kFb0xTk PEGGY GUGGENHEIM: ART ADDICT See it if: you're an art addict yourself. We give it: 2 stars Audio snippets from the eponymous art addict are all that keep this unremarkable doco afloat. Director Lisa Immordino Vreeland struggles with tone, never quite knowing whether to interrogate the gossip that surrounded Guggenheim's personal affairs or to simply recount the rumours. It still makes for pleasant-enough viewing, particularly for art addicts themselves — but it just never manages to fully do Guggenheim justice. In fact, it's only her vocal presence that stops the movie from amounting to little more than an interesting video of a Wikipedia listing. Read our full review here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arhMMJx7tCU DADDY'S HOME See it if: you're a sucker for punishment. We give it: 1 star Apologies to fans of Will Ferrell, but watching Daddy's Home is one of the more agonising experiences we've had in a cinema all year. Ferrell stars as a dweebish music exec married to an improbably tolerant wife (Linda Cardellini), who is forced to compete for the love of his step-children when their cool but irresponsible biological father (Mark Wahlberg) rolls back into town. Cue a mind-numbing comedy that mixes kindergarten-level humour with weirdly adult sex gags and feels about three times as long as its 96-minute runtime. Stand-up comic Hannibal Buress manages to scrape a few laughs here and there, but otherwise it's slim pickings. Do yourself a favour and steer well clear. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNkSYE6HiOE ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE ROADCHIP See it if: ...yeah, we've got nothing. We give it: N/A Look, we're going to level with you here: we didn't actually see this. Life's too short. But if you want to go out and spend your hard earned money on a ticket for a film about a group of wise-cracking rodents, feel free to let us know what you thought. If you're looking to steer well clear of cinemas on Boxing Day, take a look at our list of the year's ten best films that hardly anyone saw here. Words by Tom Clift and Sarah Ward.
Australian musicians, wish you could play for more people, more often? People with houses — or rooms or sheds or backyards — wish you could see more music, more often, and closer to home? Bingo. A new online start-up platform by the name of Parlour Gigs is making your wishes come true. That’s the both of you. And indie acts like Thelma Plum, Grand Salvo and Caitlin Harnett are already taking advantage of it. Here’s how it works. (Hint, if you use Airbnb already, you’ll have some idea). Musicians, jump on the site, hit the 'I want to play' button and fill out the form. People with houses, jump on the site, hit the 'I want to host' button and fill out a form. If the Parlour folks are happy with your superior form-filling skills (i.e. you sound pretty talented or your place looks music-friendly), they’ll hook the two of you up. Tickets are then sold to the general public via the Parlour website. The man behind the initiative is Matt Walters, a singer-songwriter from Melbourne. "[Parlour's] not dissimilar to the Airbnb model; cutting out the middlemen and allowing people to negotiate and stage gigs where they like,” he told Tone Deaf. "From being signed to a major label, to touring with some incredible international artists, I've certainly experienced all the ups and downs the music business has to offer. "But for some time now, I’ve felt a change coming on. Of course, with the traditional music model well and truly behind us, there is more emphasis than ever on playing live... For most musicians — especially those up and coming — it's hardly worth it. The experience of playing a great show can be a reward unto itself, but at the end of the day artists, like all working people, need to get paid for their work." Get started on Parlour over here. Via Tone Deaf. Images: Parlour.
They've made fireworks you can eat, cooked T-bone steaks with lava and served bespoke cocktails tailor made to match your DNA. But this past week in London, culinary wizards Sam Bompas and Harry Parr may have outdone themselves yet again. Hosted in a converted warehouse in partnership with deals website bespokeoffers.co.uk, The 200 Club can claim the title of the world's longest tasting menu, featuring 200 different dishes over 24 non-stop hours of service. Eight chefs toiled away in the kitchen creating the tasting plates, which ranged from truffle bubbles to coffee-compressed watermelon. A two hour sitting cost between £49 and £99 depending on the time of day, or you could attempt the entire gastronomic marathon for £2,000 per couple. Only four people have the stomach for the latter option, but we have to imagine they were happy with their decision. Of course it wouldn't be a Bompas & Parr affair without a little additional visual theatre. As such, each sitting was differentiated by the colour of the food, a move inspired by the monochromatic feasts of Emperor Nero. Check out the menu, as well as some photographic highlights, below. 200 CLUB MENU Yellow Breakfast: A morning repast that zings with citrus, caffeine and craft. This culinary explosion will hybridise flavours of the East and West in a high-energy, high-end display of homely food love. White Elevenses: A British tradition bejewelled in surreal sparkle. Expect custards, shortbread, quiches, clouds of confection sugar and a dreamy sweet vision of the classic treats. Green Lunch: This meal will be a rustic yet refined version of the garden snacking of yore. Look forward to leafy eating including the freshest greens, meats and cheeses, plus a procession of fluorescent jellies. Blue Afternoon Snack: A powerhouse of flavour for the lazy hours of the day. Taste an otherworldly array of vibrant and dusty turquoises in the form of naturally tinted roots and skilfully prepared fish. Purple Five O’Clock Tiffin: Rooted in the wild and rich darkness of summer, enjoy ingredients such as wild game and dark summer fruits. Dishes will speak to simple food traditions reinterpreted with modern culinary craft. Pink Dinner: Forget “trendy” food items like burgers or hot dogs. Your table will be buzzing with eye-popping fuchsia, cured meats, and smouldering wood smoke. Red Party Time: A sultry explosion of party vibes and hot weather flavours. You’ll see Australian and Asian influences, balancing classic spice and tropical tangs with modern style. Orange Drunchies: The extension of a great night out. Expect contradicting textures, bleeding edge techniques, and lashings of moreishness to tantalise the palate. Brown Blackout: Indulge in a meal of carnal urges – sweet, hot and savoury dishes. The chef will keep you on your toes with coffee, chocolate, black garlic, squid ink, soy sauce, and liquorice. Multicolour Final Countdown: A communal carousal of globally-inspired festival food. Mark the culmination of The 200 Club with a multinational flavour and colour explosion, using vibrant colours with grand presentations. Images by Adam Laycock via Bespoke Offers.
"Joey, there's no living with...with a killing" explains Alan Ladd's character in the 1953 cowboy epic Shane. "There's no going back from it. Right or wrong, it's a brand, a brand that sticks. There's no going back. Now you run on home to your mother and tell her...tell her everything's alright, and there aren't any more guns in the valley". Twice in Logan we hear this same passage, and it sets the theme for the entire film. Hugh Jackman's Logan, aka Wolverine, is one of modern cinema's greatest tortured souls: a near-invincible soldier of fortune forever seeking memories of better days lost to amnesia, whilst drinking to forget the ones even amnesia refuses to ensnare. Time has been no friend to the man unburdened by it, with lovers long since dead and buried, friends gone the same way, and no new mutants, we learn, born for the past twenty five years. Even his own body is at last breaking down, like an old turbine with grinding parts and blunt, malfunctioning blades. The immortal man is somehow dying, and he can't welcome it quickly enough. If it's not already obvious, Logan represents something of a seismic shift for the X-Men franchise – a billion dollar film series that has, until now, consisted largely of family-friendly crowd-pleasers. Ultra-violent and with Scorsese level foul language, Logan at long last unleashes the true, brutal fury of the eponymous beast whose gruesome deeds have, for the past seventeen years, only ever been teased out or implied. Limbs are severed and skulls are skewered with bloody repetition, yet neither the frequency nor the intensity of the violence ever feels gratuitous. This is a dark, gritty and yet soulful production that finally honours the character behind so much of the X-Men saga's enduring popularity. In the lead roll, Jackman imbues Logan with all the rage, self-loathing and pain befitting a man who's literally seen it all. With greying hair and a weathered face hidden beneath a wild, bushy beard, the actor limps and heaves his way through every scene with palpable discomfort. Alongside him, Patrick Stewart returns as the wheelchair-bound Professor Charles Xavier, now a prisoner to his own failing (yet terrifyingly powerful) mind, the implications of which are brilliantly woven into the script. Stephen Merchant, too, joins the franchise in a wonderfully soulful turn, whilst the film's villains are this time embodied by Narcos' Boyd Holbrook and the ever-reliable Richard E Grant. Then, finally, there's newcomer Dafne Keen as a young mutant named Laura, and if you've seen the film's trailer you'll likely have already guessed her connection to both this story and its key characters. In the interest of preserving what surprises we can, the less said about Keen the better, except to note that her performance is outstanding and her scenes with Jackman ground the film in a deeply personal way. This is a bold offering from director James Mangold and an extraordinary conclusion to an otherwise ho-hum trilogy of Wolverine-centric spinoffs (see also: X-Men Origins: Wolverine and The Wolverine). In an age of unending sequels and computer-generated chaos, Logan is a timely reminder that for all of their spectacle, the best superhero films can begin and end with human-driven stories. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RH3OxVFvTeg
Famed graffiti artist Banksy has unveiled a number of new artworks in response to the Syrian migrant crisis, including one piece featuring late Apple founder Steve Jobs. Sprayed onto the wall of 'The Jungle,' a refugee camp in Calais, France, which is currently home to thousands of people facing an uncertain future, the most significant of the new pieces depicts Jobs in his trademark black turtleneck, with an early generation Mac in one hand and a bag thrown over his shoulder. A photograph of the artwork on Banksy's website is accompanied by a caption that reads "the son of a migrant from Syria," in reference to Jobs' biological father who emigrated from Syria to the United States in the years following the Second World War. "We’re often led to believe migration is a drain on the country’s resources but Steve Jobs was the son of a Syrian migrant," said the anonymous artist in a statement to the British press. "Apple is the world’s most profitable company, it pays over $7bn a year in taxes – and it only exists because they allowed in a young man from Homs." Authorities in Calais have pledged to preserve the mural behind glass or transparent plastic to ensure that it is not defaced or stolen. "It is very good and it has a message," said Mayor Natacha Bouchart to local newspaper Nord Littoral. Other pieces left by Banksy during his recent trip to the port city include a silhouette of a child with a telescope looking out over the ocean towards the UK, and an image of shipwreck survivors clinging to a raft and signalling desperately to a passing yacht on the horizon. The latter work is an homage to The Raft of the Medusa by 19th century artist Theodore Gericault, and is tagged on Banksy's website with the caption "we're not all in the same boat." Banksy has been focused on the Syrian refugee crisis for some time now. In September, he pledged to send the timber and fixtures from his pop-up amusement park, Dismaland, to Calais, where they could be used to build shelters for migrants. Via ABC News.
Seasonal change is finally settling into Melbourne and with it comes one of the NGV's best annual exhibitions: the Winter Masterpieces series. This year, it's no secret they've snagged a true master, Vincent Van Gogh, the poster boy for post-impressionism and dramatic self-mutilation. Set to open on April 28 and running until July 19, blockbuster exhibition Van Gogh and the Seasons has been years in the making, and is expected by NGV to draw one of the gallery's biggest audiences yet. Curator Sjraar Van Heugten has fine tuned a thematic exhibition after Van Gogh's own heart, an exploration of the seasons in over 60 works. "In the seasons, he [Van Gogh] has perceived infinity, something larger than humanity. The seasons represent ongoing life," he says. Inside the exhibition, you'll find a fascinating investigation into Van Gogh's life, alongside some of his best naturalist pieces. The artist's character, and his fluctuating mental health, often receive as much attention as his best works. The story of his life, and his death, are expounded wonderfully (and sensitively, snaps for not stigmatising mental health) through quotes, correspondence and essays. Although the collection itself doesn't feature his most famous works, you'll leave with a window into the artist's true persona and an understanding of the sheer breadth of his talent. Structurally, Van Gogh and the Seasons is broken into (you guessed it) the four seasons, that masterfully weave a narrative through the artist's life. The NGV has produced a short accompanying film, narrated by David Stratton and David Wenham, that's worth a watch before you proceed through the exhibition, as it explains the structure of the exhibition and sets the mood. We'll let you experience the exhibition for yourself, but in case you'd like a little guidance in your visit, here are five works you shouldn't miss. A WHEATFIELD WITH CYPRESSES, 1889 This painting is perhaps one of the exhibition's best known pieces. You'll see it emblazoned on all the NGV's marketing collateral and once you're standing in front of it, you can feel why. The vibrant colours and rolling cloud banks are euphoric. There's nothing more to say except this painting is worth the ticket price alone. TREE TRUNKS IN THE GRASS, 1890 The composition of this painting is a departure from the Van Gogh tradition. It's an awkward close-up of a tree trunk and surrounding vegetation but it stands out for the detail, the peaceful atmosphere, and the perfectly balanced colours. Van Gogh painted this in the spring (April) of 1890, just after a period of severe mental illness and only months before taking his own life. VIEW OF SAINTES-MARIES-DE-LA-MER, 1888 Love a good Cezanne town landscape? Don't miss this work. Painstakingly composed and one Van Gogh's more structured pieces, View of Saintes-Maries-de-la-mer will catch you off-guard. While his style was overwhelmingly more fluid and impressionist, this scene is clearly defined and an interesting counterpoint to the rest of the spring and summer pieces. ORCHARD IN BLOSSOM, 1889 This is part of a series in the 'spring' section that is collectively stunning. The delicate pastels used in this season represent Van Gogh's time in Paris, living with his doting brother Theo in Montmartre, where his style lightened and evolved into what we know today as his best works. As a lover of nature, the fertile spring inspired some of his most beautiful pieces. SELF PORTRAIT, 1887 And at the very end of the exhibition, we get a final glimpse of the man who had previously remained faceless. A small but articulate self portrait of a weary looking artist, rendered three years before he died. Van Gogh's final words, spoken to his brother Theo, were famously, "The sadness will last forever". There's a lot of sadness in this exhibition. If you can, we recommend you walk through alone and take it all in. Van Gogh and the Seasons runs April 28 to July 19 at NGV. Installation images: Tom Ross.
Fans of stunning audio design and generally beautiful things, listen up. There's a father/son duo in Seattle who want to take your money and turn it into a stunning, stunning wood turntable. You've never played 'Norwegian Wood' like this. Silvan Audio Workshop is one of Kickstarter's latest gems, unearthed by Stoney Roads and seemingly worth every last cent in your piggy bank. Created from individual slices of wood, and audio components from English turntable specialists Rega — including a glass platter for your record, one beautiful tonearm and a low vibration, low noise belt drive — these Silvan turntables are all constructed by hand by the Walters. The Silvan comes in three different models: the Archer, the Champion and the Sampo (increasing in quality of parts as you spend more, obviously) and they'll even align the cartridge and set the counterweight so you can plug in and play. The turntables range from $750 up to $2250, so they're pretty exxy. But hey, handcrafted walnut decks were never going to come cheap. "Our vision is to make one-of-a-kind objects of art that will be the centrepiece of any home entertainment system," says the Kickstarter schpiel. "We believe that if your music is unique, if it has soul and life and beauty, the things you use to play it should have all the same character. Mass-produced just isn’t good enough." Silvan are looking for $14,000 to fund their workshop, so they can crank out more turntables in an more efficient space with less sawdust in every crevice — and get a little publicity while they're at it. Plus, they don't live in the same town, so schleppin' back and forth to your dad's house gets pricey. At the time of writing, they've raised $6,152 so far, from just 44 backers. Perks range from stickers and posters for teeny donations, and whole turntables in the $2250 realms. UPDATE 25/2: It's been brought to our attention that a company called Audiowood has been doing an undeniably similar design since 2009. Maker Joel Scilley told us, "The copy's concept is the same down to the same parts used, glass platter, spike feet, etc. My original design is the 'Audiowood Barky Turntable'. Silvan Audio knew the design already existed and are presenting it as their design... I've asked them to stop stealing my intellectual property, and to remove their Kickstarter, and so far they have refused. " Silvan Audio issued this statement yesterday on Facebook: "It's been a very big day, with coverage from a bunch of places (Hello, Boing Boing, Alternative Press, and Engadget! Thanks for the coverage!) and a good conversation with a great guy named Joel Scilley. Joel has a company called Audiowood, and he makes incredible things. One of them is a turntable very much like what we're making, so he's a bit put out that we'd be making what we're making. "It might cost us some support (this whole thing could rub some of you the wrong way, and we completely respect that), but regardless of the impact, we owe you the respect of being completely open and transparent. We added an FAQ to the page today with this info, but we want to be even more proactively honest with you: we're doing something very similar to what Audiowood has been doing for a while. We were pointed to Joel's work during the build of our first turntable, and we still think it's absolutely awesome. Our initial idea was "original" in that we weren't copying anything we knew of when we set out, but of course it's no more of an Original Idea to us than it was to Audiowood or anyone else who's brainstormed or made something similar at some point. (Google the back cover of Jethro Tull's "Songs from the Wood" at some point.) "Ultimately, what we're jumping into is the market of using factory parts in custom plinths. (Rega parts, specifically, because they're radically easy to work with, the quality is great, and the construction is very straightforward.) Audiowood is in that market, and others — hobbyists as well as resellers — are as well, making cool things from all kinds of materials. Our hope is that the world is big enough that all of us can continue to do a thing that we've really enjoyed so far without getting in each other's way. "We don't have a corner on or a legal claim to Rega's parts, and we certainly don't have a claim to trees either, so our intent is honest and completely friendly competition in an area we arrived at sincerely and really believe we're completely free to work in. "Some of you might be disappointed, or you'd rather support the guy who actually got into the shop and mass produced this idea first, and that's completely fine. The last thing we want is to damage Joel Scilley's business — he seems like a really good guy doing good, honest work. For those who want to enable us to go after an idea we also came by honestly, we appreciate the support." Check out the Silvan Audio Workshop Kickstarter page here. Check out Audiowood over here. Via Stoney Roads.
Cinephiles of Brisbane, prepare to starting spend a whole heap of time at Palace Centro. If you've dropped by recently, you would've noticed that the New Farm venue is in the midst of a massive makeover — and given that they're adding three more screens, and increasing their movie lineup as a result, we really do mean massive. Come December when the renovations open to eager film-goers — and when the cinema celebrates its 16th birthday — the James Street mainstay will boast seven theatres. Two existing screens have been torn down to make way for five new darkened rooms, which will seat between 40 to 80 patrons, and allow Centro to boost their selection of content. That includes their range of Centro exclusives, which have included Swiss Army Man and High-Rise in recent months. The venue will still house a 35mm projector, too, for retrospectives and festivals. Across town in Petrie Terrace, Centro's sibling cinema at Barracks hasn't escaped the revamping bug either. Courtesy of new couches and carpet, the cinema's lobby has undergone a soft refurbishment, making having a pre-film drink even comfier. At Centro in particular, the renovations come at a time when the area around the venue is changing rapidly, with the under-construction space immediately across the road about to become The Calile, a new resort-like haunt. Palace is expanding rapidly interstate — announcing new cinemas in Sydney's Double Bay and Chippendale just this year — so future Brisbane Palace expansions aren't out of the question. Palace Centro's renovations will be completed by December 2016. It's partially open now at 39 James Street, Fortitude Valley.
Think enjoying a pint and making a difference are mutually exclusive activities? Think again. Thanks to The Good Beer Co., the next drink you knock back could help save the world — or at least the Great Barrier Reef. The Good Beer Co. is Australia’s first social enterprise beer company, with a mission to match nice drinks with nice deeds. The company aims to pair the nation's top craft brewers with worthy causes — as their maiden beverage demonstrates. That'd be the aptly named Great Barrier Beer, as brewed in Bundaberg by the local legends at the Bargara Brewing Company. Once it hits the shelves, they'll donate 50% of the profits to the Australian Marine Conservation Society. To get to that point, though, The Good Beer Co. needs your help, which is why they're launching a crowdfunding campaign. You can assist them with brewing, distributing and promoting the Great Barrier Beer, and with startup costs to get established and roll out the idea to other great causes. Backers will enjoy the warm and fuzzy feeling of supporting something good, as well as the chance to taste the tipple before anybody else. You'll also get the opportunity to have a say in future recipes, labels and causes. So if you like beer and are keen to help the planet, it really is a win-win situation. After all, who doesn't want to put their beverage consumption to good use? For more information about The Good Beer Co, visit their website. Image via Dollar Photo Club.
Deck the halls and unpack the plastic tree. The festive season is well and truly upon us, and with it come some of the biggest films of the year. Along with the cricket and stampeding through shopping centres, going to the movies is one of our favourite Boxing Day traditions. After all, what better place to recover from your post-Christmas food coma than in a nice, dark, air-conditioned cinema? Of course, not all of the end of year titles measure up. That's why we're reporting in with our annual Boxing Day Battle Royale, to ensure that you get maximum bang for your Kris Kringle gift voucher buck. ST VINCENT See it if: you've always dreamed of having Bill Murray for a neighbour We give it: 4 stars A crotchety old man gets a new lease of life when he becomes the reluctant babysitter to the 12-year-old kid next door. Sounds pretty unbearable, until you factor in that the old man is played by Bill Murray. First time writer-director Theodore Melfi doesn't reinvent the wheel, but the film's formulaic plotting is offset by sharp dialogue and the natural comedic chemistry of its cast. Melissa McCarthy and Chris O'Dowd are standouts in supporting roles, while newcomer Jaeden Lieberher is a revelation. Unsurprisingly though it's Murray who steals the show, delivering the perfect mix of irritable wit and genuine emotion. Read our full review. MR TURNER See it if: you're an art lover We give it: 4 stars Grunting and wheezing, Timothy Spall gives one of the best performances of the year as famed British painter J.M.W. Turner, in this two-and-a-half hour biopic from writer-director Mike Leigh. Strictly for arthouse crowds, the film doesn't have much of a narrative through-line, but as a portrait of a lonely artist it's surprisingly compelling. The film also contains some absolutely gorgeous cinematography, the painterly quality achieved by director of photography Dick Pope seemingly inspired by the work of Turner himself. Read our full review. BIG HERO 6 See it if: you're babysitting, or just want to indulge your inner child We give it: 3.5 stars Disney's follow-up to the phenomenon that was Frozen is an adaptation of a Marvel comic book about a plucky teenaged inventor who joins forces with an inflatable robot named Baymax in order to bring down a supervillain who is terrorising the city. As animated superhero films go, it's not a patch on The Incredibles, but kids will gets a kick out of it, and there's some great physical comedy courtesy of the film's plus-size robotic co-star. Frankly, if Baymax toys aren't flying off the shelf come January, someone in the Disney merchandising department should be out of a job. Read our full review. THE WATER DIVINER See it if: you're a really big Russell Crowe fan We give it: 2.5 stars Russell Crowe's directorial debut follows a father searching for the bodies of his sons after they're killed in combat at Gallipoli. Given Australia's tendency to mythologise that particular battle, it's refreshing to see how measured Crowe is in his approach, presenting the Turkish perspective as well as our own. Unfortunately, on a more technical level, Rusty still has quite a lot to learn. Flat photography and harsh lighting makes the film look as though it was shot for community television, while the overly earnest dialogue likewise leaves a lot to be desired. Read our full review. THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES See it if: you really, truly can't be bothered reading the book We give it: 1.5 stars We've had mostly nice things to say about this series up until this point, but that all ends now. After beginning with a dragon-sized anti-climax, the final part of Peter Jackson's painful protracted Tolkien adaptation turns out to be exactly what we all feared it would be: 2 hours and 20 minutes of padding. Comprised of one long, generic battle sequence, it's difficult to think of a recent film in which you feel less invested in the outcome. It's a sad, flabby end to what will likely be remembered as one of the most pointless movie trilogies of all time. Read our full review. Also out on Boxing Day: family flick Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb.
Usually a retrospective signifies the tail-end of an artist's career. Generally, it's commissioned by a prominent gallery, and carefully curated to highlight their successes and triumphs and most iconic works. But not if you're DI$COUNT UNIVER$E. If you're DI$COUNT UNIVER$E, you know you don't have to play by the rules and conventions of art and fashion — and if you want to hold your own retrospective, you bloody well do it. That's the idea behind their new show, anyway. The Melbourne-based cult pop punk fashion brand (whos pieces have been worn by everyone from Beyoncé to Kylie Jenner to Madonna) have just announced their It's-too-soon-for-a-retrospective Retrospective Exhibition, which, like their self-described 'anti-fashion', basically subverts the very idea of the retrospective. For one, designers Nadia Napreychikov and Cami James only established the brand six years ago. They're also organising the exhibition themselves, rather than being invited to do so. "In general, as a brand, we purposely go against the grain of what is done in the arena we work in," says Napreychikov. We do this to challenge the system. To prove there are other ways of working. To show our supporters and other young people in our field that it is possible to pave your own path without having all of the resources. To create your own resources." They also won't be presenting a heavily curated selection of their works — they'll be displaying everything. And when we say everything, we mean everything. The exhibition — which will take place in their Collingwood studio gallery space — will include an excess of over 65 mannequins and 500 garments from the pair's personal archives and private collections, their showrooms, as well as garments borrowed back from the famous people who've worn them. This includes the epic Birthday Suit as worn by Katy Perry, the Pray t-shirt Miley Cyrus wore in her Terry Richardson photoshoot (before she ripped them off), and their signature studded biker jackets as worn by both Madonna and Beyoncé. [caption id="attachment_566976" align="alignnone" width="1200"] YouTube[/caption] The retrospective is reflective of how DI$COUNT UNIVER$E have used the Internet to gain rapid international success, despite having leapfrogged certain channels traditionally traversed by up-and-coming Aussie designers, such as presenting at Australian Fashion Week and being picked up by one of the big two department stores. The exhibition will run from November 29 until December 9 at their studio space in Collingwood. Open Monday to Saturday from noon until 6pm, entry will be ten bucks, and DI$COUNT will have some limited edition pieces on sale, including badges, patches, t-shirts, wallets, magnets, socks, sequin dresses and caps ranging from a couple of dollars to $400. The DI$COUNT UNIVER$E It's-too-soon-for-a-retrospective Retrospective Exhibition will run from November 29 - December 9 at 32-34 Wellington Street, Collingwood. Image: Daniel Good John.
Stop everything and find a Frenchie to flip. Instagram has finally created its own collage-creating software — yep, finally. The social media giant launched their brand new standalone app today, dubbed (rather uncatchily) Layout from Instagram. The new app lets you easily combine multiple photos into one masterpiece of a 'gram. Though it seems Instagram were a little slow off the mark with this, the Instateam have taken their time to create one genuinely great editing app. According to Instagram, one in five monthly active users are sharing images that combine multiple photos — using external apps like Framatic, Photo Collage Maker and InstaCollage and importing the photos into Instagram later. So the team decided to make their own little editor and keep things in-house. So how does it work? Super easy to use, Layout accesses your photo gallery and does most of the work for you. The Faces option shows you all the photos in your camera roll that feature people — so you can cut the crap and go straight to making hella sick selfies. Speaking of selifes, you can take countdown photobooth shots in the app, but only using the frontal camera — because YOU. Apparently 90 percent of photos in collage images shared to Instagram are of people, and 50 percent of non-collage photos on Instagram are of people. It's all about your big beautiful self-promoting faces. Once you've picked your image, you can drag and drop photos to arrange them all nice and pretty like, pinch to zoom or pull the sides of each image to tweak its size, even flip and rotate to mirror your face on your face. Like George here: Layout masterpieces can be shared directly to your Instagram or Facebook, or saved to your camera roll to access and glorious sharing later. Things are going to get freaky in your feed. Layout from Instagram is available from today for iOS devices in Apple’s App Store. It’s currently only available for iOS. Layout from Instagram will be available for Android in the coming months.
What’s that in the sky? Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, you dunces, this is actually a 26-metre-high aerial playground that’s opening in Adelaide next month. The aptly named Mega Adventure Park (for, you know, mega adventures) is currently being finished on the West Beach foreshore, and while it looks like an alien spacecraft come earthward to take all our women for breeding, it’s actually an extreme jungle gym for adults. So what's on the maxtreme menu for kidults? Scramble nets, rope bridges, beams, swings, log steps, mega bungee trampoline, aerial surfboards and Adelaide wine barrel steps. Boom. There’ll be 54 activity stations for those who want to push themselves to the extremes, viewing platforms for the resters, and a Mega Adventure Kiosk for those who want to kick back with a vino and watch the madness unfold. It’s basically American Ninja Warrior but for people who lack upper arm strength and need to be securely fastened at all times. And if you're way too chill to be jumpin' off of crazy stuff, you can instead head straight to the top and take in some pretty breathtaking views of Adelaide. Find Mega Adventure Park at 4 Hamra Avenue, Adelaide Shores, West Beach. For more info, give 1300 634 269 a buzz. Images: Mega Adventure Park/Facebook.
The show must go on for the folks at the Moulin Rouge. 15 years after the release of Baz Luhrmann's smash-hit movie musical, the story of doomed lovers Christian and Satine is coming to the stage. The lavish adaptation is currently in its early stages, and will be directed by two-time Tony nominee Alex Timbers. "I first encountered Alex Timbers through the remarkable and inventive production of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson and the brilliance of Here Lies Love," said Luhrmann in a statement. "I immediately recognised the young director's creative spirit and felt we shared similar sensibilities and instincts." Writing duties will be handled by acclaimed playwright and screenwriter John Logan, whose resume includes the recent James Bond outing Skyfall as well as the Tony Award-winning play Red. "It's immensely gratifying to know that a new wave of artists will be leading Moulin Rouge! into its rightful theatrical realm," said Luhrmann. The show is being developed by entertainment group Global Creatures, who previously worked on the theatrical adaptation of King Kong and helped bring Luhrmann's Strictly Ballroom to the stage. A premiere date and location for Moulin Rouge! has yet to be announced.
Brisbane's contemporary art scene is brimming with talent, risk-taking and innovation, the result of decades of dedicated practitioners, curators and gallerists supporting the newest, most controversial and strangest art in the local game. From West End to Woolloongabba, art spaces have popped up all over the city over the years, with big guns like QAGOMA sitting alongside smaller unconventional spaces and pop-ups. And they're usually free — realms where you can view groundbreaking modern work for nothing. Clear your schedules and start pounding the pavement to visit some of the best free art available in Brisbane. Your itinerary starts here. [caption id="attachment_626236" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Meagan Streader, W-inter (exhibition installation image), 2016. Image: Louis Lim.[/caption] METRO ARTS Metro Arts is a solid institution in the Brisbane art scene. The space opened in 1981, and over the years has evolved to reflect the needs of the artists and the community. It's a space for expression and risk, exhibiting bold local contemporary art and facilitating a range of other creative outlets including workshops, seminars and performance. Metro Arts has a reputation for being at the forefront of creative scene in Brisbane, a role they take seriously. They also place a major focus on social inclusion and accessibility. When visiting Metro Arts don't forget to make time to drop into Verve Restaurant and Cider-House, the New York-style basement bar underneath Metro Arts, where, since last century, a whole spectrum of Brisbane artists have gathered to eat, drink and generate debate and discussion. CLUTCH COLLECTIVE CLUTCH Collective is a Brisbane-based artist-run initiative hosting one-night exhibitions in the back of a three tonne truck. Local artists are encouraged to find innovative ways to respond directly to the limitations of the space. The project aims to invigorate the Brisbane ARI scene with an alternative, unconventional and experimental approach to exhibiting. CLUTCH has a full calendar of artists lined up until September. If you want to witness art that's all about thinking outside the box, well, inside a box, follow CLUTCH Collective on Facebook to check where this pop-up gallery will be heading next. WOOLLOONGABBA ART GALLERY WAG is a stunning two-storey space situated in the heart of Woolloongabba. Since its establishment in 2004, WAG has quickly become one of Queensland's best art galleries, with a reputation for regularly exhibiting stylistically varied, high quality contemporary work — including many works by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists. If you're heading to Woolloongabba for drinks and nibbles at one of the area's many bars and restaurants, take some time to visit WAG. You might just miss your dinner reservation getting lost in some remarkable shows. POP GALLERY While you're in Woolloongabba, why not pop into POP Gallery? Griffith University has a number of galleries associated with it but the 'Postgraduate and Other Projects Gallery' is one of the best (yeah, POP's a much catchier name). POP started as a research space primarily for postgraduate and research student from QCA. Now in its newly refurbished venue, POP has been transformed into a premium art space, presenting a diverse program of research-based art to a broad public audience. This venue is open five days a week and anyone is welcome. Keep an eye on POP's calendar for upcoming events — opening nights often include art's characteristically indulgent siblings: wine and cheese. QUT ART MUSEUM While we're poking around university art galleries, QUT Art Museum is another vibrant Brisbane gallery that is always well worth a visit. From June to August, they'll be exhibiting the work of 2016 Archibald Prize winner Louise Hearman. This will be Hearman's first major museum survey featuring paintings and drawings from across her 25-year practice. QUT Art Museum also hosts a reoccurring event called Texta Book Club, a book club specifically for people who love art. The next event will use the occasion of Louise Hearman's exhibition to discuss popular novel Burial Rites by one of QUT's very own Hannah Kent. The event is free and includes a glass of wine. Art, literature and wine, for free — what more could we ask for? MAUD CREATIVE Maud Creative is one of the only dedicated photography galleries in Brisbane. Since opening in 2014, the gallery has has significant impact on the Brisbane art scene. According to director Irena Prikryl, this gallery is a true passion project. "We don't make any money off it, we just keep propping it up," she says. The gallery showcases the works of award-winning photographers as well as supporting new and emerging talent in a stunning contemporary space. They also encourage creativity by providing a darkroom for members and hosting regular workshops. Maud Creative is currently exhibiting a series of spectacular aerial images of Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre National Park in South Australia by Light Collective. Clear your schedule, because these photographs demand long periods of attention. MILANI GALLERY Focused exclusively on contemporary works of art, Milani is another Woolloongabba art space. The gallery is clean, light and minimalistic — the classic no-interruption aesthetic. Recent exhibitions include Tim Johnson's Metamodernism, a collection of new works alongside work from key periods influencing the artists' practice. The gallery also recently hosted the works of Richard Bell for his exhibition Dredging up the past. SPIRO GRACE ART ROOMS SGAR is a contemporary art space tucked away in Spring Hill. Established in 2010, SGAR's founder Paul Spiro and gallery manager Miranda Hine are both established members of the art scene in Queensland and are passionate about cultivating the career development of local Queensland artists. Currently showing is an exhibition entitled Here, where everything lands by Franz Ehmann. For over 20 years, Ehmann's work has explored the processes of food production and waste, themes that are strongly reiterated in this latest exhibition. The works have been created in collaboration with Ehmann's bees (that's right, bees) and explores the uses and processes of beeswax. HONOURABLE MENTION: HOUSE CONSPIRACY While it's not a conventional gallery per se, House Conspiracy is an exciting new project that launched in Brisbane earlier this year and should be right on your radar. The project is located in a beautiful historic Queenslander situated in the lively creative hub of West End. The House was purchased in 2015 by an anonymous owner who bought it with the goal of keeping it in the community. This is a vision House Conspiracy founders Jonathan O'Brien, Lewis Holmes, Cinnamon Smith and Elizabeth Cowie are working hard to fulfil. In 2017, more than 100 artists will receive support from House Conspiracy. At least 68 of these artists will participate in the Emerging Artist Residencies program. The house will also be available for hire, welcoming Brisbane artists to make the most of the space for collaboration, meetings, rehearsals and performances. According to one of the project's founders, Jonathan O'Brien, the idea of the project is to provide low cost and often free space for artists who need it. "By giving artists space to work, and documenting that work we hope that we create a sort of touchstone for artists to say I was here. I did this." Top image: Benjamin Crowley, Walking to the edge of a small cliff, 2016. Installation view, shown at CLUTCH Collective.
Located in buzzing Kelvin Grove's Queensland University of Technology creative precinct, Room 60 is a sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle of student life. The intimate space emits a cosy and comfortable feeling achieved by the dark hue of the walls and friendly faces behind the bar. Low hanging lights, stacks of vinyl records and mis-matched furniture ooze a vibe of mature coolness, making it a perfect setting for drinks or a light meal. The bar contains a raised stage enabling it to host regular events such as talks, music and public readings. Room 60's drinks list is not your stock standard selection. Their fridge is full of locally brewed beer and cider and interesting options on the menu display creativity and flair. Elderflower cordial is a common choice of drink in the UK, but more of a rarity amongst Brisbane watering holes, however, Room 60 has made excellent use of this refreshing ingredient. Drinks such as the elderflower apple and lime cider or Wybrowa vodka and elderflower cordial with fresh lemon and soda are both lip-smackingly good. Another exciting quirk on the drinks list is their range of deconstructed cocktails that offer an overall flavour experience. The #2 Sweet and Smooth features Canqueray gin, Japanese lychee marble drink and dark bitter organic chocolate. Each ingredient is presented separately and the flavours beautifully compliment each other to create a special treat for those with a wicked sweet tooth. The #3 Strong and Savoury showcases the delicious Croatian Orahovac liqueur, a delectable dried fig and crisp clean soda. One item on the menu manages to combine the very best things in life – ice cream and alcohol. The adult's only ice-cream defines the word 'delicious' as the combination of coffee and vanilla ice-cream, a sprinkling of raspberries all smothered with Baileys Irish Cream is devilishly delightful. From its interesting décor to inventive drinks list, Room 60 offers an enjoyable and unique experience for its guests. Don't miss their quirky regular events such as the romance novel readings, trash movie nights or literary salon.
Returning for its third year, and quickly becoming a canonical part of Brisbane's independent scene, The End of the Line Festival has just dropped its 2016 lineup — and given it was curated by West-End-record-store-owning-musical-and-cultural-powerhouse Shannon Logan of Jet Black Cat Music, no-one will be surprised to see an eclectic range of local and inter-state up-and-comers on the bill. This year, Melbourne acts, Fraser A Gorman, Totally Mild and Christopher Port join beloved locals like Banff, Major Leagues, Good Boy, Mid Ayr and Desmond Cheese to name a few. Despite the colossal pressure associated with curating a festival (and pretty much putting your music taste on stage for Brisbane to see) Logan has committed her locally renowned image as music lover to the festival this year, saying that within the combination of bands playing there "surely will be something for everyone". A big claim, but more than substantiated by the lineup, from the dole-wave sounds of Good Boy, the retro space-chords of the Vulture St Tape Gang, to the Kate-Bush-esque power pop of Feeding Fauna, it's going to be represented in Woolloongabba on November 5. And that means, importantly, it's as much an opportunity for well-deserved local bands to play, as it is audiences to hear a range of sounds they mightn't usually. Taking place in the beautiful inner-city Woolloongabba Village Precinct, The End of the Line is as much about the music as it is about community. In previous festival years, the shut-off street has been occupied by the precinct's local coffeemakers, restaurateurs and shop owners serving festival-themed menus and wares, and this year, their presence will be greater and presumably yummier than ever. On top of the food, drinks, great crowd, inner-city aesthetic, and of course music, there will the addition major artistic contributions from the Queensland College of Art's POP Gallery and the Aboriginal Centre of the Performing Arts through dance, visual and performance art. This year The End of the Line promises to catch the unique taste of Brisbane, an opportunity afforded to people of all ages, free of charge. Starting at 10am, and finishing at 11pm, the festival will be heard and smelt all over Woolloongabba. Alright, alright, here's what you came here for. THE END OF THE LINE FESTIVAL 2016 LINEUP: Fraser A Gorman Totally Mild Christopher Port Banff Major Leagues Good Boy Mid Ayr Desmond Cheese Pool Shop the Vulture St Tape Gang Superfeather Low Dive Francis Wolves In Caves Feeding Fauna The End of the Line Festival is happening November 5 in the Woolloongabba Village Precinct from 10am-11pm. Entry is free. For more info, head to the festival website.
Somebody's closer. Netflix announced its Australian pricing today, officially giving the finger to main schoolyard rivals Presto and Stan. The US streaming service has officially set its pricing tiers, with entry level membership sitting at $8.99 a month — cheapest of 'em all in Australia — then $11.99 (high definition, can stream on two screens at once), and $14.99 for the big kahuna (fastest, high def 4K streaming, can stream on up to four screens at once). Pricing leaked online yesterday thanks to the snooping legends at Reddit, but was announced formally today. This pricing is cheaper than Fairfax/Nine's unfortunately-named Stan service, priced at $10 a month. But according to Fairfax, it's all about definition (because of course they'd bring that up). Netflix's lowest tier will apparently only stream in standard definition, whereas Stan's will be all up in high def. Foxtel/Seven's Presto service is sitting at $9.99 (also a big ol' one-cent-less ner to Stan), but is in the same situation as Netflix — streaming in standard def. If you're thinking of sneakily buying Netflix's US version and streaming via proxy (Who said that? Was it you? Nothing to see here.) the US prices are pretty similar: $US7.99 for the lowest, standard definition tier. Netflix launches in Australia on March 24. What's in store for users? Reddit posted this image of what you can expect from the Australian Netflix library, whether it's real or not. Hold on to your butts. Via SMH.
Who needs to go to a bar or restaurant when you can go to a food and beverage pavilion? Yes, it does sound a little fancier and intimidating, but there's more to it than that. Think of this as the wondrous nucleus where all the dining and drinking options you could want combine in one venue. It's like a permanent mini-food festival, in a sense. The new venue is coming to Newstead thanks to the folks behind Hatch & Co; the eateries everyone has been flocking to at Garden City, Post Office Square and Gasworks Plaza. Soon the latter spot will have a sibling in the same precinct, however it's not just a rehash of their same tasty seasonal food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Set up marketplace-style, it will also play host to a juice station, express coffee window, open-plan kitchen, takeaway service and large, shared dining tables. Plus, the pavilion will feature 12 craft and local beers on tap, plus a sizeable range of wines and curated cocktails. Yep, it really does sound like the kind of spot that's going to be all kinds of excellent, and there's more to the story. This is a place for people to hangout, and it's also a place the owners want the city to feel a sense of ownership for. Thankfully, they've worked out the best way to do just that, throwing open the job of naming the joint to the general public. All is revealed on June 9, and the person behind it will win lifelong glory, of course, as well as a $1000 dining experience. Who knows, you might just have a new favourite spot that's been given its moniker by one of your mates. That's bragging you can get used to. For more information, visit www.wedonthavea.name. Find the new venue at the Gasworks Plaza Precinct, 100 Skyring Terrace, Newstead. Image: Kgbo.
Bunnings Warehouse is supercharging its usual sausage sizzle, to support a few Aussie communities that are doing it pretty tough. Next Friday, November 22, all of the hardware giant's stores will host a special pre-weekend edition of their legendary snag sessions, raising coin for those impacted by drought and the current bushfires. All of the day's sausage profits will go to to Givit, a national non-profit that works with charities and community groups to connect disadvantaged people with the things that they need. The organisation also works with local councils and state governments to assist communities during disasters and emergencies — of which there are several happening at the moment. Some areas of the country have been struggling with a years-long drought and, this week, bushfires have destroyed hundreds of homes, and displaced thousands of people, across NSW and Queensland. Dangerous fire conditions continue today and into the weekend, too, with out-of-control fires still burning in both states. For updates and advice on Queensland bushfires, head to the Rural Fire Service Queensland website. So, on Friday, grab a snag in bread and show those in need some love. The sausage sizzles will run from 9am–4pm across all Bunnings Warehouses in Queensland.
Last winter, the NGV saw over 200 works from New York's famed MoMA and over summer it housed the Escher x Nendo: Between Two Worlds — an exhibition showcasing the works of both Dutch artist M.C. Escher and Japanese design studio Nendo. So, it had some big space to fill. Its 2019–20 summer blockbuster is Keith Haring | Jean-Michel Basquiat: Crossing Lines — yep, the NGV has succeeded in bringing yet another world-class exhibition to Australian shores. Similar to the Escher x Nendo and 2016's Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei exhibition, this one showcases an intersection between the two artists' careers (which were hugely influential in the late-20th century art world) and lives (which were both prolific, and tragically short). The world-premiere retrospective is exclusive to Melbourne and delves into their radicalism, socio-political standings and distinctive imagery. Haring's iconic dancing figures and Basquiat's crown and head motifs can be found throughout the 300 works — which spans paintings, sculpture, objects, drawings, photographs, notebooks and pieces in public spaces. The exhibition will also house the artists' collaborations with some of the world's most-celebrated pop culture icons, including Andy Warhol, Grace Jones and Madonna. Images: Tom Ross.
Returning for its third year, and quickly becoming a canonical part of Brisbane's independent scene, The End of the Line Festival has a huge 2016 lineup — and given it was curated by West-End-record-store-owning-musical-and-cultural-powerhouse Shannon Logan of Jet Black Cat Music, no-one will be surprised to see an eclectic range of local and inter-state up-and-comers on the bill. This year, Melbourne acts, Fraser A Gorman, Totally Mild and Christopher Port join beloved locals like Banff, Major Leagues, Good Boy, Mid Ayr and Desmond Cheese to name a few. Despite the colossal pressure associated with curating a festival (and pretty much putting your music taste on stage for Brisbane to see) Logan has committed her locally renowned image as music lover to the festival this year, saying that within the combination of bands playing there "surely will be something for everyone". A big claim, but more than substantiated by the lineup, from the dole-wave sounds of Good Boy, the retro space-chords of the Vulture St Tape Gang, to the Kate-Bush-esque power pop of Feeding Fauna, it's going to be represented in Woolloongabba on November 5. And that means, importantly, it's as much an opportunity for well-deserved local bands to play, as it is audiences to hear a range of sounds they mightn't usually. Taking place in the beautiful inner-city Woolloongabba Village Precinct, The End of the Line is as much about the music as it is about community. In previous festival years, the shut-off street has been occupied by the precinct's local coffeemakers, restaurateurs and shop owners serving festival-themed menus and wares, and this year, their presence will be greater and presumably yummier than ever. On top of the food, drinks, great crowd, inner-city aesthetic, and of course music, there will the addition major artistic contributions from the Queensland College of Art's POP Gallery and the Aboriginal Centre of the Performing Arts through dance, visual and performance art. This year The End of the Line promises to catch the unique taste of Brisbane, an opportunity afforded to people of all ages, free of charge. Starting at 10am, and finishing at 11pm, the festival will be heard and smelt all over Woolloongabba. THE END OF THE LINE FESTIVAL 2016 LINEUP: Fraser A Gorman Totally Mild Christopher Port Banff Major Leagues Good Boy Mid Ayr Desmond Cheese Pool Shop the Vulture St Tape Gang Superfeather Low Dive Francis Wolves In Caves Feeding Fauna The End of the Line Festival is happening November 5 in the Woolloongabba Village Precinct from 10am-11pm. Entry is free. For more info, head to the festival website.
Music festivals and writers festivals have existed for years, but they rarely mix. Sure, you'll hear poetic lyrics at the former, and maybe attend a tunes-inspired session at the latter. A true fusion of the two, though, is an elusive beast. Well, it was, until a few smart-thinking folks decided to organise a rock and roll writers festival. In an Australian first, the weekend-long event will explore the relationship between the literary and musical worlds. It's an idea that's so great, we can't believe that no one has done it locally before. Come April 2016, some of Australia’s finest authors, songwriters, lyricists and music commentators will converge upon Brisbane for two days of discussions, interviews, panels and more. An initial lineup boasting stacks of talented speakers has just been announced, featuring performer Jackie Marshall, previous jMag editor Jenny Valentish, journalist and Australian Music Prize judge Kate Hennessy, former Time Off editor and owner Sean Sennett, Courier Mail music writer Noel Mengel, and Pig City: From The Saints To Savage Garden author Andrew Stafford, among others. They'll all natter on about everything that's great about words, songs and the combination of the two, while trying to surprise, entertain, enlighten and challenge attendees in the process. And they'll do at the Brightside, because if you're going to throw a rock and roll writers festival, you have to do it at a rock and roll venue. The Rock and Roll Writers Festival runs from April 2 – 3, 2016, at the Brightside, 27 Warner Street, Fortitude Valley. For more information, visit their website.
When you're on holiday, we think it's a rule that you can't leave the city without exploring the local pub scene. But often, there are so many pub options that the whole choosing-where-to-go thing can be a little overwhelming. What you need is a go-to guide that saves you a lot of research and tells you exactly where to go depending what mood you're in or what vibe you're after. Whether you're keen for a party, a chilled beverage in a beer garden, a good quality pub feed or a drink by the water, we've got you covered. We've partnered with Hahn Brewers and come up with a few failsafe options for you to visit. Never be lost for pub options in Perth again. FOR LIVE MUSIC: THE ROSEMOUNT, NORTH PERTH The affectionately-named 'Rosie' hosts national and international bands like Spoon, The Panics and Tiny Little Houses regularly in its live music room. It's the regular venue for album launches, karaoke nights and open-mic nights where undiscovered Perth talent can often make an appearance. If you're in Perth and looking to go to a gig, this is definitely the place to be. Sometimes there are food stalls and vintage markets out in the 'backyard', which consists of the 'deck' and the 'lawn'. Both spectacular spots to grab a beer to drink outside while checking out what's happening on the day. FOR THE VIEW: OCEAN BEACH HOTEL, COTTLESLOE The Ocean Beach Hotel, opposite Cottlesloe Beach, has everything — it serves coffee and breakfast from 7am, there's a sports bar, pool tables, a dining room, accommodation and most importantly, a huge, sunny rooftop with stunning views of the beach. Famous for its Sunday sessions and rooftop beer garden, it's the perfect spot to stop for a feed and a cold beer after a swim, or the perfect place to watch the sun go down over the ocean. [caption id="attachment_605929" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Image: The Local[/caption] FOR A FEED: THE LOCAL HOTEL, SOUTH FREMANTLE The Local Hotel in South Fremantle is one of Perth's stylish and recently renovated pubs. It's the perfect place to grab a slightly fancy pub feed, with a menu that accommodates almost every meal and appetite. There are simple cheese boards and starters, more substantial mains such as the sirloin steak, beef and veggie burgers and the grilled lamb loin. At the Local there's a public bar, a casual dining area and a whisky bar. There's also the Local Garage — a drive-through bottle shop that's been converted into a pop-up garden bar, open for breakfast on weekends and hosting food trucks in the afternoon. Should you need to stay the night, The Local also has beautiful boutique accomodation options. Each of the eight rooms are styled by local designers and offer their own light and airy features. FOR THE BEER GARDEN: THE NORFOLK, FREMANTLE Much loved by locals in Fremantle, The Norfolk is a failsafe option for a beverage in Perth. On the menu are all the pub classics like pizza, pasta, parmas and steaks, but the real highlight of the place is the two outdoor beer gardens. Leafy, half-sunny and half-shaded just like a good beer garden should be, the Norfolk is famous for its huge limestone walls. They make for a great, cosy atmosphere where you can sit back and watch some live music. [caption id="attachment_605945" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Image: Raffles Hotel[/caption] FOR THE WATER: RAFFLES HOTEL, APPLECROSS The Raffles Hotel is located in the riverside suburb of Applecross. It's worth the trip from Perth to the other side of the river, because Raffles has beautiful views and a relaxed atmosphere where you can grab a drink and chill out by the water. Gourmet pizzas are on the menu alongside upscale pub classics like burgers, parmas and big plates of fresh seafood and pork belly to share. Raffles has multiple levels of outdoor seating, which means it hosts quite a few summer parties. Fashion launches, dinners, New Year's parties and Australia Day gatherings by the water. That kind of thing. FOR A BIT OF HISTORY: THE WINDSOR, SOUTH PERTH The Windsor Hotel in South Perth is an institution in the area. It's that classic, huge, old pub that everyone knows and occasionally visits. There's a sports bar, a beer garden out the back, and DJs that play on the weekends as well as all the classic events like Melbourne Cup, Australia Day and New Year's. The old building is surrounded by a historic verandah — a great place to settle down with an afternoon beer and read about one of the city's oldest pubs. FOR THE GAME: THE VIC, SUBIACO If you're in Perth and there's a game on (whether it's football, NRL, AFL, tennis, golf or anything else really), the place to watch it is at The Vic in Subiaco, one of Perth's popular inner-west suburbs. This place is as classic as an old-school sports pub gets, with parmas, burgers and cheap pints of beer served up in the beer garden and multiple dining rooms alongside local live music and trivia nights. The Vic packs out especially on big AFL days. The projector screens are rolled out and the building is filled with sports fans and footy scarfs. FOR A PARTY: BOTANICA BAR AND BISTRO, INNALOO Botanica boasts 'the best Sunday Session in Perth'. It's a big call, but if you're a regular you'll know that this Innaloo pub throws a few parties, and they tend to go off. During the day (or when there's no special event on, like the Silent Disco pictured), the outdoor beer garden is packed with people enjoying the sunshine, a brew and a pub feed. At night (and on Sundays) the DJs come out to play. There's also a sports bar attached to the Botanica — the crowd can get rowdy (in a good way) when there's a big game on the screens. Sign up to Hahn Brewers and settle down with a drink this weekend.
If you're one to simultaneously munch a durrie and schnittie combo, we've got some bad news for you. Smoking in all outdoor dining areas in New South Wales is banned from today, thanks to the implementation of the Smoke-free Environment Act 2000. From July 6, 2015, all commercial outdoor dining areas in licensed venues (including clubs and hotels), restaurants and cafes must be smoke-free. Basically, if food is being served, there's no smoking. There's going to be some serious penalties (we're talking fines up to $5500) for venues who don't comply with the new smoking bans, enforced by NSW Health Authorised Inspectors — so you can rule out a cheeky smoke, even if you 'know the owner'. Plus, you could land yourself a $300 fine for gettin' y'puff on. It's not just courtyards and beer gardens that are about to clear the air; areas within four metres of a pedestrian entrance to or exit from a licensed venue, restaurant or cafe must be smoke-free (so on-street dining and footpath areas too). But venues are allowed to create designated smoking areas — so beer gardens are still allowed to section off glamorous shame corners or build blue-lit miscreant booths (lookin' at you Beach Road). From today, venues will have to put up 'no smoking' signs of approved size and staff will be trained to deal with the new laws. Let's be honest, this was always coming. The 2013 NSW Smoking and Health Survey showed 75 percent of surveyed folks approved banning smoking in all outdoor areas in hotels, restaurants and cafes. And really, trying to enjoy a burg with cigarette smoke in your face isn't the best. But we're pretty sure this one's going to stir up some furious pub debate. Via NSW Health.
A new prepaid initiative from Uber looks set to deal yet another blow to the rapidly dying taxi industry. You remember taxis don’t you? They were those cars that used to drive around the city not picking you up, which didn't show up when you called them and whose drivers didn't know how to operate a GPS. They were all the rage back in the day, before people had literally any other option. Rolling out in New York City over the next couple of weeks, UberEVENTS will allow event organisers to arrange prepaid Ubers for their guests. You simply log on to the Uber website and enter your information, including how many guest passes you'd like to prebook. Uber then sends those passes to you so you can forward them on to your guests. When the big day arrives, they enter their passcode into the Uber app, and before they know it they're being whisked away to your very exciting party. If you didn't follow all that, don't worry: this nifty little graphic helps lay it all out. "When planning a company happy hour, client appreciation dinner, or even upcoming nuptials, there is a lot that goes into ensuring that your event goes off without a hitch—including how your guests can safely get to and from without any fuss," wrote Uber Senior Marketing Manager Kimiko Ninomiya in a post on the Uber blog. "We want to make the experience of planning transportation logistics as seamless as ordering a ride at the touch of button [sic]." The service will only be available to select riders and Uber for Business users at first, although assuming it's a success, then presumably it won't be too long before it becomes a standard feature. In the meantime, Uber's legal status in Australia remains a point of contention. A Victorian state Magistrate yesterday rejected the company's attempts to have a legal case against one of its drivers thrown out of court. The taxi industry, for their part, continues to flail around feebly in the face of progress. A strike in Melbourne a couple of weeks back saw about 500 cabs taken off the roads – Uber retaliated by offering people free rides across the city. Yeah, it's pretty clear who's winning this fight. Via Tech Crunch.
Listen to some of Australia's best emerging and early-career writers in a new podcast series produced by SBS. A tie in with the station's new crime-drama The Principal, which is set to premiere in the first week of October, True Stories consists of seven short stories written and performed by up-and-coming writers from all walks of life. Each story presents a different take on the Australian high school experience – and the six they've dropped so far have been really, really good. The young writers worked in collaboration with Sweatshop, a literary initiative by the University of Western Sydney founded by doctoral candidate and writer Michael Mohammed Ahmad. Ahmad also wrote one episode of the podcast, as did his fellow recipients of the SMH's Best Young Novelist award Luke Carman, Maxine Beneba Clarke, Omar Musa and Ellen Van Neervan. "I think the particular writers that SBS has engaged with are probably the best suited in the country to conform and adapt to the oral storytelling that these podcasts require," says Ahmad. "We're talking about the best up-and-coming writers in the country, and it just so happens that a vast majority of those writers represent traditions who come from rich oral storytelling practice. Omar Musa from a Malaysian background, Maxine Beneba Clarke an Afro-Caribbean background, Ellen van Neerven an Aboriginal background and myself an Arab background...if you look at our novels there is a strong oral technique that is being used most of the time, which is drawing from traditions that come from all over the world." You can certainly feel the influence of these different cultural backgrounds in the content of True Stories. Ahmad's episode, for example, was inspired by his time as a student at Punchbowl Boys High School during the late nineties and early two thousands, a time when the "Arab Australian Muslim community was one of the most stigmatised groups in the country." Loaded with profane language and instances of violence, his story reflects a troubled period in the school's history, yet refuses to indulge stereotypes about the students or their community. "I think if you listen to my story, there is undoubtedly an exploration of violence, sexism, misogyny, homophobia and classic cases of aggression and hostility that exist within certain underclass communities," Ahmad says. "But they're resilient spaces. They're not spaces that are miserable. The people in those spaces are intelligent, critical. They're aware of their circumstances, and most of the time they're responding, or even performing their underclass-ness, because that can be empowering." "It's very hard, I think, for the white imagination to see those places as joyful, resilient, critically conscious places," he continues. "I think there is an assumption that under every poor young man of colour is a middle class white boy yearning to break free." You can currently find the first six episodes of True Stories on the SBS website and on iTunes. The Principal premieres on Wednesday October 7 at 8:30pm.
About damn time, Pinterest. The global social media giant and lover all things wedding-related has joined the world of e-commerce; revealing a 'Buy It' button to allow users to shop their favourite pinned products. Revealed on Tuesday at a big ol' shindig at the San Francisco Pinterest HQ, the new 'buyable pins' have been a long time coming for the globally-celebrated website worth a cheeky $10 billion and singlehandedly dedicated to sharing pretty, pretty thingies users immediately want to hand over their dosh for. According to TIME, 50 billion pins have been added since the company's launch and 93 percent of active Pinners were keen to use the site to plan purchases — that's a genuinely gargantuan customer base eager to throw their money at someone, anyone. Plus, 80 percent of users access the site through their phones (prime online shopping grounds), so the whole thing's a no-brainer (albeit a late-to-the-party one) for Pinterest. So how does it work? After clicking on select pinned products, users will be able to scope out the price, size and colour options of their chosen Pretty Thing and select the quantity to order. You'll be able to use credit card or Apple Pay to nab your chosen item and you'll pay no additional fees. Crazy. So far, even Pinterest merchants won't have to pay commission to sell their wares — all of which makes it a little ambiguous how Pinterest will make any money out of this. We're guessing, with the recent introduction of promoted pins for big advertisers, merchant fees will be introduced down the track after everyone signs up. Pinterest will roll out the buyable pins in the US on iPhone and iPads in late June. Already signed-up merchants include Neiman Marcus, Macy's, Nordstrom, Kate Spade and Cole Hahn. We're still waiting to hear when Australia will get its mitts on the buttons. Instagram just revealed a 'buy it' button for advertisers and Facebook's apparently also working on one too. Social media e-commerce, come at us. Via TIME. Images: Pinterest, Dollar Photo Club.
Mere days after Keep Sydney Open launched their commemorative plaques for live music venues campaign, Sydney's loudest anti-lockout lobby group have an even bigger surprise for Sydney, with fresh news that Flume has called in from the old US of A to release a brand new jam especially for KSO's new video today. Have a peep, below. Plaques organiser and KSO activist Jonno Seidler says: "This is such incredible news to receive at the 11th hour. Harley is currently on tour in North America, playing sold out theatres across the country. But he is proud of where he's from and really backs the Sydney scene, and this just shows how dedicated he really is to the future of local music." The track, called 'Heater' will presumably form part of Flume's next release, which is anyone's guess but could be an EP, coming off the international success of Skin, which dropped earlier this year. "The plaque for Harley was the easiest one to make, because I was there!" says Seidler. "It was a double header with him and Chet Faker [now Nick Murphy] at Goodgod Small Club, my favourite venue for years. Ask anyone who was in the audience, you could tell something was cooking even way back then. I've seen Flume play to tiny rooms in New York city and huge stages at Byron, and he's been world class the whole way." The video, prepared by Keep Sydney Open, features interviews with Gang of Youths Dave Leaupepe in Kings Cross and Jim Finn and Dan McNamee of Art Vs Science, who showed up at Oxford Street to play a trio of songs dedicated to NSW premier Mike Baird, including 'I Love The Nightlife', 'All Night Long' and 'Blame It On The Boogie.' "I met Jim and Dan seven years ago, and it was pretty much a mutual love fest from then on in," says Seidler. "I think they're largely seen as a festival band, but they have amazing musical chops. I've been lucky enough to jam with them a few times and they are the real deal. You have no idea how fast they learned all of those songs." The response to the plaques has been immediate, picked up by media across the country. Seidler says he that while he, Tyson Koh and the rest of Keep Sydney Open are beyond thrilled, they're not surprised at how quickly it took off. "The reason we went with this method is that everyone relates to music. We have so much incredible talent that started right here in small to medium venues that are now literally world-class talent, from Anna Lunoe and Alison Wonderland to The Preatures. When you see those names and you put the two things together, the lockouts starts to become a much bigger problem than just where you can have a drink late at night." More on Keep Sydney Open's plaque campaign over here.
Each September, as the weather warms up and spring begins to truly blossom, music fiends head to Brisbane and spend some time in, well, dark rooms. Over a few days, the Queensland capital becomes the centre of the Australian music universe, with artists and industry practitioners doing what they do best — rocking out, discovering new talent, partying and discussing the future of Australian music. First appearing in 2002, BIGSOUND is a conference, festival and celebration of Australia's best musical talent. Each year, it takes over the inner city Fortitude Valley area, attracting 1300 delegates and more than 6000 music fans. The festival's previous lineups read like a dream: Flume, Rufus, Courtney Barnett, Megan Washington, The Temper Trap, A.B. Original, REMI and Gang of Youths have all graced its stages, while Nick Cave, Neil Finn, Kim Gordon, Billy Bragg and Amanda Palmer have shared their knowledge, experience and wisdom. The event itself isn't the only source of fun, however. At this time of year, the sun is shining, the vibe is buzzing and Brisbane is truly jumping. In fact, with a vibrant cultural scene and an array of delicious dining options on offer, it's the perfect time to discover just why Australia's third-largest city is one of the country's gems. Some Australian events (like this one) are worthy of a road trip, and aside from casual laziness and a little lack of inspiration, there's really nothing stopping you from squeezing BIGSOUND into your schedule. We've teamed up with Mazda3 to help you plan your out-of-the-city trips ahead of time, so you can detour from your regular routine and inject a little adventure into your life. Here's how to spend your days before, during and after your trip to Brisbane — where to stay, what to do, and what to eat and drink from September 5 to 8. [caption id="attachment_498758" align="alignnone" width="1127"] Limes Hotel Rooftop.[/caption] STAY Over the past decade, Brisbane has become a boutique hotel wonderland — the Fortitude Valley area in particular. If you have some cash to spare, the Emporium leads the pack with their rock star-like indulgence — think dark interiors, a rooftop pool and a killer view of the Valley. Still staying central, the nearby Limes Hotel remains a favourite for its plush rooms and rooftop bar, as well as its proximity to beloved local haunts like Alfredo's Pizzeria and Alfred and Constance. Looking for something a little bit different (or cheaper)? For the artistically inclined, TRYP Fortitude Valley wears its love of street art on its walls — once a warehouse, it's now an affordable option that's appealing to both the eyes and the wallet. Or, look to resident budget option, the Snooze Inn, to save as many pennies as possible for having fun rather than hitting the hay. It's cosy rather than fancy, and is located literally just down the road from the Valley — meaning you'll remain close to everything BIGSOUND, as well as neighbourhood arcade-game bar, Netherworld. [caption id="attachment_622127" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tkay Maizda at BIGSOUND.[/caption] DO This year at BIGSOUND, Aussie icons Archie Roach and Tina Arena will lead the speaker program, as well as Quentin Tarantino's regular music supervisor Mary Ramos, aka the woman responsible for all of those ace tunes on the Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown and Kill Bill soundtracks. As far as the band schedule is concerned, prepare to hop around faster than a rabbit on Easter, with every bar, space, nook and cranny around Fortitude Valley boasting a gig or party. The official program will include over 150 acts at more than 15 venues, and the unofficial parties — which have included backyard blowouts and ping pong showdowns in previous years — will likely double that number. When you're not experiencing sonic wonders, you should spend your time wandering around Australia's only designated special entertainment precinct, and venturing further afield. In the Valley, keep indulging your love of music with a record store crawl — starting at Foundry Records and ending at Tym's Guitars, where you can scope out a hefty range of instruments. And while you're strolling and perusing, drop by some of the many galleries in the area — Artisan, the Institute of Modern Art and Heiser Gallery are all worth a visit (keep your eyes peeled for street art as well). [caption id="attachment_622138" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Institute of Modern Art.[/caption] If spending time inside during BIGSOUND has you hankering for some fresh air, sneak a trip to New Farm Park. Enjoy a picnic by the river, laze around on the grass, or just go for a walk through one of the city's best nature-filled spots. You could also stop by the neighbouring Brisbane Powerhouse — more often than not, there'll be an event on that's worth checking out. If the itch to keep exploring hits, jump on a CityCat and see the sights from the river. Go one way, and you can continue soaking in parklands at Northshore Riverside Park. Go the other, and you'll cruise right through the city. Disembark for a walk through South Bank, and go for a dip in the free, beach-like pools, before moseying around the Gallery of Modern Art. [caption id="attachment_581014" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Gerard's Bistro.[/caption] EAT Spending four days listening to chatter about music is enough to work up an appetite. Thankfully, you're in the right spot. Heading down to Chinatown, which runs adjacent to the Brunswick Street Mall, is the best way to get the classic Fortitude Valley experience. You can easily pick a place at random, or opt for one of the mainstays. For Chinese and yum cha, that's King of Kings, and for Vietnamese, the appropriately-named The Vietnamese Restaurant will treat your tastebuds to an explosion of flavour. Try the salt and pepper quail, and thank us later. In the opposite direction, you'll find a few Brisbane faves. If you like burgers — and this is a burger town, believe us — then Ben's Burgers on Winn Lane will satisfy your cravings with their simple, delicious menu. Or, leap over the road to Bakery Lane, where newcomer Johnny's Pizzeria combines Italian staples with a disco theme, and I Heart Brownies will have you doing just that with their jaffa, salted caramel and cherry-coconut baked goods. Sticking with the area's laneways, wander down to New Farm and off James Street to Gerard's Bistro for a relaxed, award-winning sit-down lunch or dinner from Tuesday to Sunday. Expect a blend of modern Australian and Middle Eastern dishes, including the adventurous likes of lamb's tongue toast, the meaty goodness of slow-roasted wagyu brisket for two, and sheep's yoghurt sorbet with honeycomb, milk and orange blossom for dessert. [caption id="attachment_619623" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Newstead Brewing Co.[/caption] DRINK Think beer in Queensland, and everyone immediately thinks XXXX. Think breweries, though, and it's a trip to the inner north that's recently started topping booze-loving Brisbane visitors' wish lists. Newstead Brewing have spread their wings and opened a new Milton headquarters, but their original Doggett Street birthplace is always pouring something yeasty from their 12 taps. Green Beacon's multi-award-winning 3 Bolt Pale will ensure you know exactly where you are thanks to notes of fresh mango — and other fruits — in its fresh, golden ale. And a post-gig hang out over a few beverages in The Triffid's beer garden, owned by Powderfinger bassist John Collins, will do you well. Fans of spirits can get their fix at tequila bar Alquimia and whisky haven Nant, and if you like the bubbly stuff, even champagne gets its time to sparkle at Baedeker. As for every other bar in the area, you'll probably end up at most of them anyway, thanks to BIGSOUND's huge gig lineup. BIGSOUND 2017 takes place in various venues across Brisbane and Fortitude Valley from September 5 to 8. Personalise your next adventure via The Playmaker, driven by Mazda3.
Of all the ingenuity and creativity that helped make the original Star Wars films some of the most iconic sci-fi pictures of all time, one characteristic deserves credit above all others: it was a universe that had been lived in. Compared to the pristine, almost sterile visions of space portrayed by every other film of its kind, Lucas showed us something that felt entirely ‘real’, thanks to its grimy establishments, malfunctioning droids and a Millennium Falcon that only worked after a sturdy thump from its captain. Director J.J. Abrams has done well to remember this lesson. Things that were new at the close of Return of the Jedi are now old, and those that were old are now ancient, forgotten or gone entirely. Such is not just the feel, but indeed the very plot, of Episode VII: The Force Awakens. As the opening title crawl explains (yes, it's still there), Luke Skywalker has vanished and in his absence a sinister adjunct of the former Empire has arisen under the banner of ‘The First Order’. Led by a Sith-esque figure known as Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), the Order is scouring the galaxy for any information as to Luke’s whereabouts so as to finally erase all vestiges of the very last Jedi. In its way (and also seeking Skywalker) stands the small yet unshakeable Rebel Alliance, now marshalled by General Leia Organa. Each side has part of a map, but neither can yet complete the full picture, and time is of the essence. There can be few things more intimidating than embarking upon the production of a new Star Wars movie. So steeped is the series in lore, so fanatical its supporters, that even the tiniest of missteps will attract the most merciless and unceasing fury the galaxy has ever seen (i.e: sternly worded blog posts). Thankfully, via his Star Trek reboot, Abrams has already proven his extraordinary deftness when it comes to blockbuster space operas, and The Force Awakens is no exception. It is riddled with allusions to the past, yet few are accorded more than a glance (you will find no stormtroopers sporting ‘vintage death star t-shirts’ here, for example, unlike the indelicate homages of Jurassic World). Instead we are made to feel right at home amongst our new heroes (the exceptional Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Oscar Isaac) thanks to familiar musical flourishes from John Williams, the spine-tingling sound and visual effects from Industrial Light and Magic, and the return of our beloved Han and Chewie. New planets and old faces, original characters and veterans to guide them – this is a franchise reborn but not reinvented. If criticisms are to be levelled, they fall mainly upon the villains. Few cinema foes will ever match the menace of Darth Vader and his Emperor mentor, however here the film’s antagonists feel particularly thin. Andy Serkis’ CGI overlord Snoke is more distracting than daunting, Domhnall Gleeson’s General Hux is surprisingly hammy and Kylo Ren, whilst evil, is underscored by a petulance that borders on comedic. Thankfully, despite being masked and heavily synthesised, his voice does remain entirely comprehensible, as distinct from the recent broken PA system that was Tom Hardy’s Bane. Not to mention that his force grip is dead-set spectacular. Given the choice between normal and 3D, the latter does actually add that little bit extra here, and whilst parents will doubtless be eager to introduce their younglings to the franchise, be warned – Abrams shies not away from the ‘wars’ in Star Wars. Gritty, intelligent and utterly electrifying, buckle yourselves in folks, because we’ve got a damned good feeling about this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGbxmsDFVnE
There's a big, white container coming to South Bank. But, like most shipping containers in the city, it's not being used to transport furniture. And the word 'séance' will be written on the side in black. It's kind of ominous. Séance is actually a new installation where participants take a seat inside the tiny space, put on a headset and place their hands flat on the table in front of them. The lights go out and the container enters complete darkness. For the next 20 minutes, participants are fed 'suggestible information' through their headsets. You're probably thinking that there's something dark or supernatural about the whole thing — and going by the name, we don't blame you. But the installation's organiser assures us that 'séance' is simply a French word meaning 'session' or 'sitting'. And so Séance is a sensory experience that looks at the psychology of a group sitting together. Despite not being a horror or supernatural-themed piece, it's a scary indicator of how easy it is for confusion, information overload and the people siting right next to us to affect our judgment. Artists David Rosenberg and Glen Neath (who have collaborated in other sensory deprivation projects before) are the creative masterminds behind the project, which has been described as 'disorienting' and 'deeply unsettling'. It's not recommended for the claustrophobic or the easily frightened. The spooky installation visited Sydney and Melbourne late last year, and is now descending on the Treasury Brisbane Arcadia, South Bank Cultural Forecourt, from September 8–29 this year as part of the 2018 Brisbane Festival.
First it was cupcakes, then it was brownies, and now it's doughnuts; Brisbane sure loves a sweet treat. It can't have escaped anyone's attention that purveyors of tasty pastries are popping up all over the city, and now two more are about to join the fold. Say hello to The Doughnut Bar and Donut Boyz. It's kind of a second greeting for the Doughnut Bar, given that they've been calling the CBD their temporary home since April — and that's when they're not doing the rounds at markets in their brightly painted van. Their short stays around the city have been so successful that they're now opening a permanent Wintergarden base. Come late June, you'll find their cafe trading all day to service your doughnut needs. Over in West End, Donut Boyz opens its doors on June 12, bringing iced delights to the other side of the river. Anyone in the vicinity of Boundary Street will have a new place to get their sugar fix from. Their full menu is yet to be revealed, but their salted caramel popcorn donuts sound like bliss. It all sounds like dessert heaven, actually, and a good reason to wear stretchy pants more often. More doughnuts — or donuts, if we're being democratic — is never a bad thing, whichever way you prefer to spell it. Find the Doughnut Bar in the Wintergarden, Queen Street Mall, Brisbane, from late June, and visit their Facebook page for details of the market stalls. Find Donut Boyz at 93 Boundary Street, West End from June 12, and visit their Facebook page for more information. Image: Donut Boyz.
A great meal or classic dish isn't just the sum of its ingredients. How it's cooked can make all the difference — take a piece of poultry coated in flour, salt, herbs and spices, for instance. Yes, we're talking about fried chicken, the ultimate Southern food, a mighty fine companion to an ice cold beer, and something they call finger lickin' good for a reason. So where can you find Brisbane's best? Check out these local fried chicken joints, but be warned — you won't find a certain fast food brand on this list. LEFTY'S OLD TIME MUSIC HALL Without a souped-up Delorean at your disposal, you're unlikely to experience 19th century American life. Lefty's Old Time Music Hall is the next best thing, and it's had two years to show Brisbane why. As its name suggests, the music is a major drawcard (think bluegrass and toe-tapping country-style tunes), as is the honky-tonk vibe. The drinks list is a beer and whiskey lover's dream, and there's plenty of Southern-style bites to line the stomach with. Our pick: deep-fried chicken wings, of course. Just don't fill up on the free popcorn on the way in, because that crispy chook is going to need some room. 15 Caxton Street, Brisbane; www.leftysmusichall.com SHADY PALMS Good things really can come out of reality television, and Shady Palms is proof. Owners Mal and Bec went from braving the competitive restaurant TV scene to running two off-screen cafes. Shady Palms is the kind of place people head to Stones Corner especially for. Their Southern fried chicken is more than partly responsible, served with equally delicious smoked chipotle gravy and apple currant slaw. After taking a look at that thick coat crusted over sizeable servings, you won't be able to resist. And don't forget the James Squire to wash it down with. 427 Logan Road, Stones Corner; (07) 3324 2917; www.shadypalmscafe.com SOUTHERN ATTITUDE Another Brisbane eatery, and another place on the American-style bandwagon, but don't overlook Southern Attitude for staying on trend. They love all things from the US south — including a dish that combines fried goodness with succulent chicken breast. Pick your choice of honey and hickory barbecue or mushroom sauce to slather it in, and two sides (including bourbon glazed carrots and pale ale onion rings) to go with it. And the best part? It's also available on their takeaway menu, so you can enjoy fry fry chicky chick at home without going down the fast food route. Shop 2, 189 Oxford Street, Bulimba; (07) 3217 9600; www.southernattitude.net.au KING OF THE WINGS What's better than going to a fried chicken place? Finding a fried chicken place that roams all over town. That'd be King of the Wings, one of Brisbane's favourite food trucks, and the home to quite the range of tasty poultry. Non-fried morsels are also on their menu, but who can resist the spicy Southern stuff? Not us. Their sweet potato fries are also a treat for those wanting to rock the old school chicken and chips combo — but the wings really are a satisfying and scrumptious meal all by themselves. Around Brisbane; 0433 177 478; www.facebook.com/kingofthewingsbrisbane GREASER This Fortitude Valley dive bar might be greasy by name, but thankfully it's not by nature. When it comes to food — and chicken pieces marinated in buttermilk in particular — the place is downright delectable. Note the pieces part of the menu listing — you're getting much more than wings here, much to your stomach's delight. The bird comes with red eye gravy and smoked chipotle mayo too, all served in a basket. Wednesdays have become their default chicken evening, but of course this yummy fried dish is available on other nights as well. 259 Brunswick Street, The Valley; (07) 3648 9036; www.greaser.com.au BIRD'S NEST YAKITORI & BAR Want your fried chicken Japanese style? You're not alone. West End's Bird's Nest is a yakitori (which means grilled bird), so that kind of poultry is their bread and butter. Don't worry though — they've still left room for some karaage (deep fried) morsels as well. You'll find them among their side dishes, made from free-range thigh meat, turned crispy and golden with the restaurant's traditional seasoning, and complemented by wasabi mayonnaise. They're worth dropping in for all by themselves — and if you don't want to pair them with a full dinner, smaller set menu or some of their famed skewers, the tori karaage are cheap enough to order several servings. Shop 5, 220 Melbourne Street, South Brisbane; (07) 3844 4306; www.birdsnestrestaurant.com.au THE FLYING COCK Trust a bar with a cheeky reference to chicken in its name (yes, that's how we're choosing to take it) to boast plenty of tasty fried dishes. Wings are their thing, both of the crumbed and wet variety, and they sell them by the kilo to let you know that they're serious. Burgers also rank as one of The Flying Cock's go-to meals, including the CBC — that's chicken, bacon and coleslaw — made with fried chicken breast crusted in Doritos. Yeah. Doritos. Run, don't walk, and enjoy a James Squire Nine Tales Amber Ale fresh off the tap with it. 388 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley; (07) 3172 6109; www.facebook.com/theflyingcock HOT STAR Okay, okay, so we said that we weren't going to include one particular chain of chicken joints that everyone's been to. We didn't say we wouldn't include a Taiwanese chain that everyone should go to, though, because we just couldn't keep that promise. Head out to Sunnybank for a place that promises 'large fried chicken' in its tagline. And with face-sized pieces of both original and crispy style chicken breast fried to order, they really do mean large. Smaller chicken bites are also on the menu, but we say go big or go home. 19D Market Square, Sunnybank; (07) 3423 8008; www.hotstarchicken.com.au LUCKY EGG They're the new kids on the chicken block, but they're fast becoming a Brisbane favourite. They're also another reason to visit the Brightside — in addition to the venue's packed roster of events, that is. Whether you prefer yours on a bun or in a basket, you'll find crispy fried chicken in various guises, including Dorito popcorn chicken and a cup of karaage. Those on the very hungry side (or with friends to share with) won't want to go past the Waxman's whole bird, which comes with 12 pieces of buttermilk-coated deliciousness, plus a large slaw and fries. 27 Warner Street, Fortitude Valley; www.luckyeggfc.com
Calling all late-night Tour watchers, cycling enthusiasts and anyone who wants to know what a 'peloton' is. The NSW Government has today announced the first ever Tour de France event to be held in Australia, locked in for 2016. Dubbed L’Etape Australia and locked in for the next three years, the upcoming race is an official offshoot of the Tour de France — the oldest and most prestigious road cycling event to rival all road cycling events. It's not the first Tour side quest, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Chile and Argentina have all seen their own stages. Destination NSW and the NSW Government have recruited SBS to broadcast the race, who've been your late night Tour broadcaster pal for 25 years. So where's the race going to be held? (Read: where can we place a huge CP logo on someone's rural property for sick helicopter coverage?) Designed to replicate the infamous Tour mountain stages, L’Etape Australia will weave through Jindabyne, Perisher and Thredbo. Rather than Alps and Pyrenees, riders will pump those legs through the beautifully formidable Snowy Mountains, where the Ultimate Snowy Challenge breaks people. These pretty, pretty NSW locations will inevitably boost the tourist dollar for the state; Minister for Sport Stuart Ayres said he anticipated the race to deliver in excess of $4 million in visitor expenditure across the three years. So you're a bit of a mad cyclist? Get up every morning at sparrow's fart just to beat the tradies to the tar? Want to see how you'd fare in the Tour? An expected 10,000 riders of varying levels are up to compete for the legendary Tour de France yellow, green, polka dot and white jerseys, and the waitlist is now open at the official L’Etape Australia website. Riders can register for updates, pick their level of difficulty (The Race is the big one, The Ride is slightly shorter for seasoned riders, and The Ramble is the fun, easier course) and reserve their place on the start line. L’Etape Australia by Tour de France is happening in December 2016. To register or for more info, visit the website. Images: Dollar Photo Club and NSW National Parks.
Less than a month after being cancelled due to alleged financial mismanagement, the iconic Tropfest short film festival has been thrown a much needed lifeline. On the very day that the festival was originally meant to take place, Tropfest founder John Polson has announced the event will instead be held on Valentine's Day next year, after securing a last minute sponsorship deal with CGU Insurance. "It’s incredibly encouraging to see that the Australian public and corporate community really want to see Tropfest return," said Polson, who was forced to cancel the festival after discovering what he, at the time, called "a terrible and irresponsible mismanagement of Tropfest funds." No word yet on whether the CGU deal extends beyond this year, or whether it will help Polson cover the festival's six figure debt. Details on how the money was actually lost likewise remain unclear, although it's worth mentioning that Polson is currently engaged in legal action against Tropfest managing director Michael Laverty. He told the Sydney Morning Herald that "in my opinion, we've done nothing wrong but respond as best we can to a terrible situation brought about by bad management." Polson also took a swipe at the lack of assistance from the NSW government, saying "many people have asked what has the NSW government done since this crisis…the truth is not a lot at this point." "Tropfest is a great festival, providing unique platforms for talented filmmakers through its events and initiatives, and we are excited to be able to help them get back on their feet," said Ben Bessel, Commercial Insurance Chief Executive for IAG, which owns CGU Insurance. "Supporting this fantastic cultural event is about creating a renewed opportunity for Tropfest and all those small businesses associated with the event to continue to thrive and get some business done." In recent years Tropfest has attracted a national live audience of up to 150,000 people along with hundreds of thousands more via live TV broadcast. Polson confirmed that all 16 of this year's finalists will make their premiere as planned – albeit a few months late – live in Sydney's Centennial Parklands on February 14. Trop Jr., the festival's competition for filmmakers aged 15 years and under, will also go ahead.
Imagine a culinary creation that's part burger, part doughnut. Imagine a juicy, hand-pressed wagyu beef patty sandwiched between two halves of glazed, doughy pastry. Double jack cheese is also part of the equation, as is smoky bacon flavoured with Nutella. Stop salivating and prepare to be in food heaven, because this fantastical concoction is now a reality. It's not hard to guess who's behind such a wondrous treat: the legends at Ze Pickle and Doughnut Time. Not content with crafting their own taste sensations, they're pairing up to serve up something that's a little bit sweet, a little bit savoury, and a whole lot of awesome. The 'Doughnutfukwitdis' might be the first collaboration between the two popular eateries, but neither is making their maiden voyage into such delicious territory. Remember the Elvis Burger, which Doughnut Time cooked up with Chur Burger earlier this year? Or the Cronut Burger, which is still raved about by anyone lucky enough to have had one at Ze Pickle's Burleigh Heads outlet? Think of them as warm-ups for what's likely to prove the burger event of the year. The burger is now available at both their Brisbane and Burleigh Heads store, so you can chow down on this morsel of greasy goodness right away. For more information about this mighty, mighty collaboration, keep an eye on Ze Pickle's Facebook page.
"Beer and pies are a match made in heaven," says Goat Pie Guy owner and chef Mick Hobson. "The bite and flavour of hops or wheat or barley is perfect to cut through the buttery pastry and rich fillings that I make for my winter pie range." Brisbane-based bakery maestro Hobson is no stranger to mixing beer and baked goods. Rather than enjoying the two separately, Mick uses beer in his pies — there are no less than five pies on the Goat Pie Guy menu made with beer (and they're all Great Aussie Pie Competition gold medal winners). If he's using a brew in a pie recipe, Mick always matches his drinking beer too. "If it's a curry pie, I like to drink a pale ale or if it's one of my seafood pies, I always pair it with an amber ale." Mick actually uses beer in a lot of his recipes, not just pies. "Beer's an awesome base to build lively broths for seafood, rich sauces for grilled meat and lovely sweet and savoury layers in a slow braise." Certain beers with a more crisp edge, like a Little Creatures Original Pilsner, can cut through heavier, more buttery dishes, refreshing and reviving the palate, while more hoppy beers, like a Kosciuszko Pale Ale, can help you soldier on through spicy food. Let's get back to those award-winning beery pies. We're keen to test this secret ingredient for ourselves, so we asked Mick for a cheeky recipe. So what's Mick cooked up for Concrete Playground? One heck of a hearty wagyu beef and porter pie. "This one came about when I was experimenting for a meeting of brewers and meat merchants. It was important that both parties had their produce showcased in the best possible way so I decided to highlight the chocolatey flavours in the porter by caramelising it with the onions and adding the figs for extra sweetness. The beef flavour was intensified with allspice, black pepper and rosemary. Then I tossed them in a pot together, filled it with porter and crossed my fingers for six hours! And man, was it worth the wait." Let's do this. MICK HOBSON'S WAGYU BEEF AND PORTER PIE Ingredients: 2 medium brown onions sliced 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar 50g raw sugar 1kg diced wagyu brisket 3 litres beef stock 60ml olive oil 4 sprigs rosemary chopped 2 bay leaves 10g cracked black pepper 15g allspice 150g dried figs 3.5 bottles James Squire Jack of Spades Porter 150g corn flour 1 egg whisked for brushing 4 sheets of shop bought shortcrust pastry (Borgs is a good brand) 2 sheets of shop bought puff pastry (Borgs is good for puff too) *(If you want to make your own shortcrust my recipe is below) Heat half olive oil in a heavy base pot. Brown onions in oil, add half a 330ml bottle of James Squire Jack of Spades Porter, balsamic vinegar, diced figs and sugar and reduce until sticky, then remove from pot and set aside. Heat remaining oil in the same pot and brown beef in small batches adding more oil as needed. Add all beef back into pot along with black pepper, allspice and chopped rosemary. Stir on low heat to completely coat beef. Add caramelised onion mixture, bay leaves, stock and porter. Bring to the boil then let simmer on low for three to four hours until beef can be cut with a fork. Combine corn flour with enough water to dissolve, and pour in slowly as you stir to thicken. You might like to add more or less corn flour depending on how thick you like your gravy. Grease pie tins with butter and line with shortcrust pastry, leaving a little overhang. Fill with thickened pie mixture and brush pastry edge with egg mixture. Cut puff pastry lids to suit base size and place on top, crimp base and top together with fingertips or a fork. Bake at 200 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy with a cold James Squire Jack of Spades Porter. *Shortcrust Pastry 1 250g plain flour 125g unsalted butter, chilled, finely chopped 1 egg, chilled Process flour, butter and a pinch of salt in a food processor until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Whisk egg and one tablespoon chilled water in a bowl until combined, then with food processor motor running, add to flour mixture. Process until mixture begins to form large clumps, stopping machine before mixture forms a ball. Turn pastry out on to a work surface and knead gently to bring together. Form into a disc for a round tart or into a log shape for a rectangular tart. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for at least 2 hours. Roll out to 3-4mm thickness and cut out required size. If you love discovering more things you can do with beer (and some surprising facts, like beer being 99.9 percent sugar free), visit www.beerthebeautifultruth.com. You'll find information on fusing beer and food, matching different styles of beer with your meals, and how particular foods can enhance the distinct flavours of a well-brewed beer. You can even learn a few nutritional myths around beer, and bust 'em while you're at it.
Little Stanley Street is a popular restaurant mainstay and easy go-to when finding a place to eat. But with so much choice, where to start? We’ve been around the block and selected our choice of old favourites and new neighbours. NEXT DOOR KITCHEN & BAR Travel back in time to jazz music, wild parties and sophistication at Next Door Kitchen and Bar. The prohibition-themed venue is bringing back jazz and naughtiness with a modern twist. Next Door Kitchen offers share plates, and while one dish could keep an individual happy, it’s much better to share a few. As one might expect at a prohibition-era venue, you come for the food but you’ll stay for the cocktails. With drink names such as Hootenanny, Giggle Juice and Cotton Club Swinger’s Punch, book your cab home now. Shop B11, Little Stanley St CHE ASADO New kid on the block Che Asado has just replaced The Point Bistro and brings a fresh Argentinian flavour to the street. Asado pretty much means barbecue, so if you’re after a not-your-average steakhouse, head in here for a meat-filled feast. Not just playing to Aussie tastes, the venue offers a handful of traditional South American drinks and dishes too — try the pickled veal tongue if you dare. Wash it down with a jug of sangria. Shop 15, Little Stanley St SOUTH SIDE DINER What would a multicultural street be without a slice of American pie? Step into a diner for the 21st century. South Side is decked out with pop art and polished concrete floors. Maintaining a retro vibe (but not sparkly red vinyl a la Hungry Jacks), South Side Diner’s subtle ode to yesteryear is in its small touches: sauce bottles on the table and a tasteful tiled bar with chrome bar stools. Pop by at lunch for a New York Skyscraper burger ($13.50). Towering high in the basket, this guy is stacked with a beef patty, caramelised onion, cheese, lettuce, tomato, bacon and mustard mayo — all makings of a great burger. OLE Your mother would approve of the Spaniards, who choose not to drink on an empty stomach, and instead accompany their tipple with some of the finest Mediterranean flavours your mouth can try. Mum’s the word, so with that in mind say, ‘hola, Ole!’ and order a jug of their finest sangria - red of course, we’re fond traditionalists. With a swish of the wooden sangria spoon, stuff some deep-fried, cream cheese-filled olives ($6) down your gob and chase it with more sangria. Ahhh, the temporary mindset of summer is settling in and the best way to keep is there is order more tapas. More friends = more tapas = more fun. See, maths is easy. 12 Little Stanley St DENIM CO Can you believe that Little Stanley Street’s unique combo cafe and fashion boutique has been around for 20 years? Always on trend, the venue does a mean breakfast – whether it’s a classic benny and pancakes, or a health-kick breakfast board, bliss balls or acai bowl – Denim Co has it all. Just be sure to save room and the calories to indulge in the thick Italian chocolate and peanut butter drink. It’s worth it. Shop 9a, Little Stanley St HOP & PICKLE Hop & Pickle is another newbie stepping up the pub stakes (or steaks). The ex-Beastie Burgers owners have reinvented the space by opening this gastronomy pub. A set of bar plates are mainstay, while mains change daily and you can pop by on Saturdays for pub classics and Sundays for roast. Perfection. Shop 6e Little Stanley St AHMETS Oh Ahmets, it feels like you’ve always been there for us. When you don’t know where to eat in South Bank, you go to Ahmets – and for good reason, the food is damn tasty. Combining culture and dining in one, enter the bazaar and sit your tush on a Turkish rug draped stool where you can peruse the menu while watching belly dancing or listening to live music. The first Sunday of every month Ahmets also hosts a special ‘Istanbul Night’ with belly dancing, coffee reading, a grand bazaar and live music.
