Every day, every beach becomes an art gallery in its own way. If you've ever taken a bucket, filled it with sand, plonked it onto the shore and shaped it with your bare hands, then you've sculpted something — and you've added a tiny piece of temporary art to the shoreline, too. So, it makes sense that part of the Gold Coast would celebrate this specific art form right by the water. At this annual festival, there's more than just sandcastles on offer, though. Now in its 19th year, Swell Sculpture Festival turns the Currumbin Beach coastline into an openair art gallery — in 2021, for ten days between Friday, September 10–Sunday, September 19. Visitors can expect to get an eyeful of stunning creations all dotted across a one-kilometre stretch of sand. Yes, by simply walking along the beach, you'll view some stellar art (and you'll also enjoy getting some grains between your toes, soaking in the sea breeze and scoping out quite the view, obviously). This year's fest features more than 65 works, including pieces made with everything from concrete, stainless steel, copper, bronze, wood and glass to plastic, natural fibres, fibreglass, bamboo, wire, silk, stone and aluminium. And, in terms of artists, it boasts creations by a lengthy list of mid-career and emerging talents, including Atelier Sisu, Clayton Blake, Danger Dave, Greg Quinton, Jessica Harris and Shiloh Perry. Some pieces take inspiration from 1000 origami cranes, while others turn everyday household rubbish into flowers — and you can also expect to see sea dragons, windows, and musings on both the environment and the pandemic as well. [caption id="attachment_824550" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Clayton Blake[/caption] Also part of the festival, at a pop-up hub at Helensvale: Homer Homer. This isn't any old likeness of The Simpsons character, however. Rather, it's a five-metre-tall inflatable version that combines his yellow-hued face with that the Ancient Greek poet Homer, who is presumed to have written the Iliad and the Odyssey. The 2021 fest spans fellow pop-ups at Mudgeeraba and Lower Beechmont, and at Chevron Island Park, too — and, via guided walks and just appreciating its treasures at your own pace, is all about letting its attendees engage with the pieces on display. "Visitors are also encouraged to engage with sculptural works that tell stories and make statements concerning the past, present and future – inspiring ideas and commentary while challenging and stimulating the imagination," says Executive Director Dee Steinfort. "To allow wonderment, critique and a full range of opinions — evoking conversations between strangers, friends and family — the festival is a feast for the senses." This year's Swell is running under COVID-safe protocols, but you can still expect to have plenty of company while you're checking out its pieces — with more than 275,000 visitors attending each year. Swell Sculpture Festival 2021 runs from Friday, September 10–Sunday, September 19 at Currumbin Beach. For further information, head to the event's website. Top images: PBR Images/Leximagery.
In Stay of the Week, we explore some of the world's best and most unique accommodations — giving you a little inspiration for your next trip. In this instalment, we take you to the pristine beauty of Vava'u, Tonga and the lush Reef Resort. We love this place so much that we teamed up with the resort to offer an exclusive seven-night travel deal — including a discounted room rate, breakfast and lunch included and a magical five days of swimming with humpbacks. WHAT'S SO SPECIAL? If you've found yourself in the tropical paradise of Vava'u, Tonga, you're already set for a spectacularly lush holiday. Pristine natural surrounds, crystal clear waters and perpetually warm temperatures: all the makings of a standout time. But, if you've also found yourself checking in to the understated luxury of Reef Resort, your time here is only going to get better. There's sprawling grounds, friendly and knowledgeable staff, and Polynesian fine dining with a Euro twist. The most special element here, though, is the chance to swim with mighty humpbacks. Big and gentle, the whales play right in front of the resort — pure magic. THE ROOMS There's only five fales (Tongan bungalows) in the resort so whenever you stay here you're guaranteed some secluded R&R. Each is self-contained and comes with a private deck — the ideal spot for a pre-whale stretch and early coffee in the morning light. There are four deluxe bungalows dotted over grounds — two on the beach and two a short walk up the hill. Each of these fales boasts sweeping vistas over the lagoon, a king bed complete with lofty canopy and enough room for three. Then, there's the Honeymoon Villa. Nearly twice the size of the deluxe fales, there's a bigger deck, a second bedroom and a more modern feel in this one (so if you're a lovebird, you'd be silly not to). FOOD AND DRINK The onsite restaurant at Reef Resort will have you savouring the earthy, spicy and fruity flavours of Polynesia. Rich coconut milk curries and ocean-fresh fish, the freshest of produce straight from the markets and sweet treats that hero the juiciest melons and papayas. The kitchen here is always helmed by an expert, with this season welcoming Chef Jürgen who is bringing a wealth of experience from time in fine-dining institutions throughout Germany, Italy and Switzerland. The restaurant and bar (pictured above) is easy breezy, with ocean views from every seat. You can expect a constantly rotating menu that features the likes of parrot fish, snapper and mahi mahi — all freshly plucked from the deep. It'll be here that you enjoy all your meals, including a three-course dinner to see out each day in the tropics. THE LOCAL AREA Vava'u isn't one island, but a group of 55. It's in this archipelago that underwater caves await for adventurous divers, pods of gentle giants swim alongside curious humans and nature-heads come to simply enjoy. Come and charter a sailing trip, go scuba diving, explore the abundant surrounds and hop from island to island before returning to your fale for a refreshing sleep in the tropics. THE EXTRAS In case lazing by the ocean under the shade of a palm isn't relaxing enough, the team's made sure there's plenty of places to plonk yourself when you want to hit the chill zone. There are hammocks and a communal sundeck — where cakes are baked fresh and served every day, and cocktails are served each day to farewell the sun. Although you won't find all-out day spas or a smorgasbord of places to refuel, you don't head to Vava'u to luxuriate in this way. Come to enjoy the untouched perfection of the area and the whales. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips in destinations all over the world.
Running on some serious Weetbix numbers, cereal-loving Irish twins Alan and Gary Keery want to bring their childhood love of milk and grain to East London's Shoreditch. Stocking 100 cereals, 12 milks and 20 toppings, the puntastically-named Cereal Killer Cafe sounds like the breakfast bar of our dreams, with cereal cocktails, 18 Pop-Tart flavours, toast variations and local London tea and Saturday morning cartoons on tap. Developing the idea after a huge night out, the Keerys craved that cereal fix of yesteryear but found London wanting for participating breakfast spots. Inspired by existing cereal cafes in the US like Cereality (where counter staff are called "cerealogists" and wear pyjamas as a uniform), the brothers saw a niche in the London market to indulge fellow cereal enthusiasts. "Cereal Killer Cafe will re-imagine how we enjoy our cereal... letting you, the customer, tailor a bowl to your exact taste," say the twins on their Indiegogo site. "And because of our extensive range of milks we will cater to vegans, vegetarians and even awkward children." Hooray! Even awkward children! The Keerys have been working on the business plan for eight months, finding inspiration for the interior design in their favourite breakfast friends. "The whole look [is] based on a bowl of Lucky Charms," they said, further detailing their vision for milky cream walls and exposed brick interiors. "Cereal cafés already existed in America so we have put our own twist to it, presenting the cafe with a vintage style and having it decorated wall to wall with old cereal boxes and memorabilia." The Shoreditch cafe will feature old televisions playing cereal's longtime soulmate: cartoons (showing exclusively on Saturday mornings, as things should be). Stocking every last boxed breakfast favourite from Lucky Charms to Special K, Cereal Killer will serve up small, medium and large bowls, as well as 'combo meals' paired with toast, Pop-Tarts, local tea and juice boxes. Adventurous breakfasters might be up for the cereal cocktails like 'Smore Than Words' (golden graham crackers, mini marshmallows and chocolate milk) and 'Crunchy Nutcase' (Crunchy Nut Cornflakes, Crunchy Nut Clusters, walnuts, pecans and hazlenut milk). https://youtube.com/watch?v=u_h1pHxfnHA Having scrimped and saved their own small dosh hoard, the twins aren't entirely without funding. But London's cafe market runs on a sword's edge (particularly in Shoreditch) so the pair looked to Indiegogo for the final push. "We have already put together 20k of our own savings, but before approaching the banks we want to let our customers be part of the journey. Because we know there are other people out there as passionate about cereal as we are!" Having only raised £785 of their £60,000, the Keerys are hopeful more early-risers and sugar-craving, Saturday morning cartoon-loving Big Kids will invest. But if Crunchy Nut's Londoncentric campaign (below) is indicative of positive market research results, the Keerys will surely find fellow cereal killers around town happy to throw them a pound or two. Via London24 and Buzzfeed. Top image credits Gary and Alan Keery.
For the eighth time, Golden Plains Festival is coming back to the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre, and the ballot is open today. 2014's festival goes down from March 8-10 and has announced that the headliner will be none other than the hip hop megastars Public Enemy. The festival is all about a chilled long weekend of camping, picnicking, watching bands and generally loving life. Last year featured the likes of Cat Power, Flume and the legendary George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic. Golden Plains Festival promises to be a haven away from your more traditional festivals. No crummy stores, no corporate sponsors and especially no dickheads (they maintain a self-policing 'Dickhead' Policy). You take your own booze, you camp wherever you want and spend the weekend as if you were living in a weird and lovely commune. As per previous years, tickets are being sold in four ways, the first being the ballot. The first round is for existing subscribers, and entries close October 21. Non-subscribers have until October 28. Public sales in selected stores open on November 7, and online sales open on November 8. Each ticket costs $319, plus booking fee and postage. The ticket gets you in on Saturday, gives you free parking and camping, and gets you out again on Monday. So get yourself into the ballot, and don't forget appropriate footwear.
Think there's only one place in Brisbane that serves Mac Daddy burgers filled with mac 'n' cheese and Millie Vanilli milkshakes topped with white chocolate flakes? Think again. Come September 21, Miss Kay's is giving lovers of pop culture-themed, American-style food twice as many opportunities to devour their flavoursome fare. That's right — the CBD burger joint is spreading its wings and setting up a second store in Brisbane's north. Anyone on that side of town will want to mosey on up to Mitchelton — and to 40 Blackwood Street to be specific. That's where you'll find a brand new greasy spoon playing Space Jam on TV, blasting old school tracks and serving the kind of food that's a whole lotta tasty, even if it's probably not that all that good for you. With a few fresh additions, their stacked menu will jump jump on over with them, including the old fave that is chicken and waffles, as well as more fantastically named offerings (Austin Flowers veggie burger or Puff Daddy salted caramel shake with popcorn, anyone?). Plus, the new site also has an outdoor beer garden. Looks like this diner really is expanding in more ways than one. Find Miss Kay's at40 Blackwood Street, Mitchelton from September 21. Visit their CBD store at 185 George Street, Brisbane , and keep an eye on their website and Facebook page for more information.
It's the news Brisbane eastsiders have been waiting for, and anyone keen on mixing up their Sunday morning shopping routine will be pretty happy about it too. Come January 31, the Carindale PCYC will be playing host to a new weekly market. It's called Moo and Glue. And the great name is just the beginning — though, when it comes to summing up both the farm-fresh and handmade goodies on offer, the market's moniker really does get the message across. They're backing it up with the usual mix of stalls and trucks, all selling things that will stock your pantry, fill your stomach and decorate your home. On the edible side of equation, expect locally grown produce from The Happy Veg, fresh bread from The Baker's Corner, caffeinated brews from Mr Barista, ice cream from Miss Daisy and sweet treats from Eat That Cake. More stallholders are being announced on a regular basis, so expect that list to grow. Yes, you're allowed to get hungry just thinking about it. Elsewhere, you'll find an international food court lined with many of the city's favourite mobile eateries, plus a jumping castle for younger attendees. Basically, it's the weekend marketplace locals have been dreaming of — and a much needed addition to this patch of Brisbane. The first Moo and Glue Farmer's, Craft and Boutique Market will take place on January 31 at the Carindale PCYC, 27 Narracott St, Carina, and will run every Sunday morning from 7am. For more information, visit their Facebook page. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
Get your shopping done under twinkling lights while surrounded by real (not plastic) Christmas trees. No, this isn't a festive dream — it's the reality of the South Bank Christmas Markets. Carol singers and other performers also help add to the mood, though they can't steal the show from the most important part of the proceedings: the wares on offer at the rows of stalls. From 3pm daily, you'll find handmade toys, jewellery and other trinkets just begging to be given as gifts, as well as tasty treats to add to your Christmas feast. Yep, everyone's a winner here.
British punk is alive and well, and it's coming to The Zoo. UK's own Buzzcocks are bringing their trademark blend of high-energy guitars and pop smarts to Brisbane while in the country for the Dig It Up! Hoodoo Gurus Invitational. This is an exciting opportunity to see in the flesh one of the “holy trinity” of British punk. Along with The Sex Pistols and The Clash, The Buzzcocks were innovators of the independent record scene and have well and truly earned their “legendary” stamp. They’ve been thrilling audiences for over thirty years, and continue to deliver an unrivalled sound to fans young and old around the world. When it comes to punk, accept no substitutes. The Buzzcocks are the genuine article, and such a rare opportunity should not be easily passed up.
Even for an industry that thrives on the baffling and the bizarre, Snoop Dogg's recent announcement that he is Bob Marley reincarnated and is changing his name to Snoop Lion is one of the weirder things you're likely to hear in music. But Snoop is not the first and certainly won't be the last celebrity to transform his image and develop an alter-ego. Musicians are notorious for their reason-defying epiphanies that are usually indicative of either groundbreaking creativity or mid-career slumps. Here are seven more wacky, wonderful celebrity musician transformations. David Bowie/Ziggy Stardust David Bowie made a career out of defying audience expectations through his bizarre ensemble of alter-egos and jumpsuits. With Ziggy Stardust and its associated album, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust, Bowie became a sex-crazed rock star from Mars and his popularity hit stratospheric levels. Joaquin Phoenix/Weird Hairy Rapper Phoenix went from being that strangely handsome, Oscar-nominated film star of Gladiator and Walk the Line to being the punchline of every talk show host in Hollywood after his unexplainable foray as a distinctly unshaven rapper as part of mockumentary, I'm Still Here. Bob Dylan/Born Again Christian Bob Dylan's infamous turn as a born again Christian seemed to split fans right down the middle. While Grammys and fawning critics continued to flow, his mid-show preaching and refusal to play any of his old "atheist" music wore thin pretty quickly. Katy Hudson/Katy Perry Katy Hudson was the clean-cut gospel singer, raised by preacher parents and forbidden from listening to "secular" music. In a drastic sexformation she then kissed a girl, married a sex addict and the rest, as they say, is history. Garth Brooks/Chris Gaines Country musician Garth Brooks was not satisfied with multi-platinum success and decided to channel his emo tendencies into his alter-ego, Chris Gaines. After a combination of utter bemusement followed by wild laughter from critics and fans alike, the Gaines experiment was (mercifully) shelved for good. Lady Gaga/Jo Calderone After meat dresses and gratuitous nudity it's pretty hard to be surprised by Lady Gaga anymore. But appearing at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards dressed as a bloke named Jo Calderone and looking distinctly like John Travolta in Grease was pretty weird, even for her. Lizzy Grant/Lana Del Rey Pop music's newest pin-up girl, bringing wide-eyed, vacant heartbreak to the masses, started her career as Lizzy Grant and the far less headline-grabbing stage name, Sparkle Rope Jump Queen. One failed album and a sleepily seductive YouTube clip later, pop-music juggernauts Stranger Records scooped her up and transformed Lizzy into Lana and had radio stations across the globe gossiping about her ad nauseam.
Ever-fascinated by transforming the human body, Australian artist Lucy McRae has collaborated with biology professor Sharef Mansy to develop Swallowable Parfum, a perfume that isn't applied to the skin but taken as a pill. According to the website, the perfume capsule "enables human skin to emit a genetically unique scent about who we are we are and how we perform our identities." Sounds great, but what if the resulting "unique scent" isn't appealing? The prototype perfume is part of McRae's ongoing exploration of the human body and how it interacts with technology. In addition to a unique scent, "tiny golden droplets" appear on the skin upon perspiration. Wouldn't it be nice if all scents glittered too?
First, Tony Kelly and Scott Hoskins brought their delicious doughnuts to town. Then they decided that the city really could use some more burgers. Now, the folks behind Donut Boyz and Hello Harry are unleashing two new ventures upon Brisbane. We hope you like Asian street food and fried chicken. No, both types of cuisine won't be available at one eatery; instead, Junk will serve up the former, and 2 Birds will focus on the latter. Like its predecessors, Junk heads down south after satisfying hungry stomachs on the Sunshine Coast. 2 Birds, however, is a new concept. If you've been paying attention to Brissie's recent dining news, you can probably guess where Junk will be opening its doors in October. Prepare to grab crispy pork belly salad, Peking duck spring rolls, Korean fried wings, soft shell crab steam bao and hearty bowls of ramen from its two-storey digs in Fish Lane (where else?). The chain plans to expand to Toowoomba in September and Melbourne's Punch Lane in November as well. As for 2 Birds, it's still looking for a space to call its own in Brisbane, though it'll open in Toowoomba next month. Once the poultry joint finds an ace location, it'll specialise in fried wings and pieces, and flame-grilled chicken sandwiches. Yep, you'll be able to eat chicken for days, although roasted corn on the cob and mac and cheese will also be available. Find Junk in Fish Lane, South Brisbane, from October. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for more information. To stay up-to-date about 2 Birds' plans, head to their Facebook page as well. Via The Courier-Mail.
When spring arrives, winter subsides and chilly weather gives way to warmer days, of course it's worth celebrating. When flowers start blooming — because that's what they do at that time of year — it's an occasion worth marking, too. Commemorating the season and its blossoms is what Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers is all about, and has been for seven-and-a-half decades. Reaching 75 years of frolicking among the petals warrants a heartier party than normal, however, so get ready for plenty of reasons to take a trip west of Brisbane this September and October. Back in January, the festival announced that its 2024 event would undergo a few minor changes. Instead of spanning a full month, as it has in recent years, it'll start on Friday, September 13, then end on Monday, October 7 (which is a Queensland public holiday). But beyond that minor tweak, the scene is set for floral shenanigans galore in the Darling Downs city — as the just-dropped program for this year's Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers makes plain. As always, flowers as far as the eye can see is the big highlight. The event will also attempt to break its attendance record — again. That occurred in 2022, with 364,775 people making a visit, and then when 417,517 folks went along in 2023. If you're only interested in gardens, gardens and more gardens, you have options. Thousands of blooms always feature at the fest, including 190,000 in 2023. This year, Laurel Bank Park and the Botanic Gardens of Queens Park will boast displays, as always, while you can also scope out the University of Southern Queensland's Japanese garden, an ikebana display at Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery, the local orchid society's spring show, a bonsai exhibition, and everything from geraniums to succulents. Plant sales are also on the lineup, should you want to take some new green friends home with you. Heading to Laurel Bank Park as the sun sets means enjoying a twilight tour. If you're keen to get a unique vantage over the blossoms, the Botanic Gardens of Queens Park is home to the festival's ferris wheel. The latter will feature an entertainment precinct as well, plus a three-day sideshow alley and outdoor movies amid the flowers. From there, the program has been curated around celebrating. The theme: it's a party. That comes through in a variety of ways, whether attendees are taking in a performance by Queensland Symphony Orchestra under the stars, wandering around a floral Lego exhibition, seeing a showcase celebrating the fest's 75th anniversary, moseying along on an art trail or enjoying a jazz session. [caption id="attachment_879297" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers's food and wine festival is back, too — and so are food trucks, farmers markets and the regional food trail that sees local eateries whip up spring-inspired dishes that'll only set you back between $10–20. Plus, for more excuses to hit up the city's hospitality venues, joints that usually only do breakfast, brunch and lunch are opening on select evenings to serve up dinner. As proves the case every year, there's no bad time to head along throughout from mid-September to mid-October — and you might want to make the trek more than once. Indeed, when it comes to scenic spring sights, there's no prettier place to be. And, given it takes less than two hours to head up the mountain from Brisbane, it's perfect for a weekend day trip. The 2024 Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers will run Friday, September 13–Monday, October 7 across Toowoomba. For further information, head to the event's website.
Weekend mornings spent staring at the river are a Brisbane speciality, and there's no shortage of ways to go about it. But only one involves hanging out on Eagle Street, sitting in the sunshine and spending 90 minutes sipping unlimited mimosas over a meze spread: the aptly named Meze & Mimosa. Babylon Garden, the two-tier waterfront bar on the river side of restaurant Babylon that opened earlier in 2023, is the place to head. From Saturday, June 24, it's serving up its new brunch offer from 11am–12.30pm every Saturday and Sunday. You'll pay $70 to tuck into a chef's selection of dishes, all washed down with everyone's favourite cocktail of champagne and orange juice. Dishes include pan-fried haloumi with red grapes, honey and oregano; spiced fried cauliflower with ras el hanout, lemon, black tahini, almonds and parsley; spinach and feta gozleme; and shish tawook, aka woodfired chicken skewers, with kisir, tomato and yoghurt. Also included: those stunning river views, plus live tunes and a cruisy, boozy, tasty way to greet both days of the weekend. Images: Markus Ravik / Steven Woodburn.
"So delighted." They're the words that Alex Honnold used when he climbed Yosemite's epic El Capitan without ropes — and on camera — in the excellent Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo. That might seem like an understated reaction, but it's an astonishing moment to see on the big screen. Whether you've watched the exceptional doco before or you're catching it for the first time, you can enjoy every tense second of Honnold's quest at the new To the Limit Adventure Film Festival. Screening at Dendy Coorparoo from Thursday, August 12–Tuesday, August 31, this fest is all about movies that come pulsing with adrenaline and action — sometimes thanks to stunning sports feats, sometimes due to gripping tales. Nine films are on the lineup, spanning new, recent and classic titles. And, whether you're fond of towering mountains, hitting the waves or hopping on a skateboard, plenty of different fields are covered. Other highlights include Sherpa, which delves into the avalanche that struck Mount Everest in 2014, plus Tall Poppy — A Skater's Story, about recent Olympian and talented skateboarder Poppy Starr Olsen. Or, you can check out The Dawn Wall, another thrilling climbing doco — and The Endless Summer, the iconic surfing flick that dates back more than five decades, and that everyone should see at least once on the silver screen. Top image: National Geographic/Jimmy Chin.
Seeing a lighthouse near the beach isn't anything new. When that glowing beacon by the shore is solely made from recycled sails, however — with animation to help it get luminous up top and rotate the beam — it stands out. The structure in question: a 10.6-metre-tall sculpture fittingly called Lighthouse, hailing from Simone Chua and Amigo & Amigo, and a big drawcard of the returning Swell Sculpture Festival when it takes over Currumbin Beach on the Gold Coast for 2023. A trip to the tourist spot between Friday, September 8–Sunday, September 17 now involves checking out the impressive towering work — and 75-plus sculptures by 190 artists in total as part of this year's program. Every year for more than two decades now, the event turns a one-kilometre expanse of sand into a huge outdoor art gallery for ten must-visit days. The fact that almost 200 folks have contributed sculptures this time around is massive — and so is the ongoing role of the event to showcase up-and-coming talents, a mission that the team behind Swell is passionate about. "We've seen an over 40-percent increase in the number of artists participating this year — this is largely due to the collaborative projects that have captured the enthusiasm of artists to contribute to the festival," explains Swell Co-Founder and Artistic Director Natasha Edwards. "Swell has earned a reputation as a launching pad for emerging artists, propelling them towards successful careers in the art world." Thanks to those hefty figures, visitors to this free festival will score an eyeful of stunning creations. Yes, by simply walking along the beach, you'll view stellar art almost as far as the eye can see. Other 2023 pieces include a life-size shark, aka Shark Rod, that's been built over weekends from vintage car parts; the bright orange Basking in the Sun — Eastern Water Dragons, as fashioned from 20-millimetre aluminium pipe and flat bar; a series of turtles and manta rays; and Treasure, which looks like an archaeological dig. The word "giant" comes up frequently in descriptions of Swell's artworks each year, with 2023 no exception; a huge conch shell and oversized coral are just the beginning. Contemplating climate change is also common, including in Surge, which muses on melting ice and rising seas. Storms, erosion, dystopias, the Gold Coast's future, Australian animals, flowers, oyster shells, marine pollution, inflation, the passing of time — they all get a nod as well. Exactly what each artist, pairing or collective whips up isn't the only highlight. The themes and topics that their works ponder is just as fascinating, of course, and so is the variety of materials used. Swell's talents tend to deploy everything from concrete, stainless steel, copper, bronze, wood, glass, plastic and natural fibres to fibreglass, bamboo, wire, silk, stone and aluminium. Art is the main part of the lineup, but Swell also includes a beachside fringe fest, guided walks, yoga among the sculptures, masterclasses and more. And if you feel like taking a bucket, scooping up some sand and making your own art there and then, you can — you're on a beach, after all. Swell Sculpture Festival 2023 runs from Friday, September 8–Sunday, September 17 at Currumbin Beach on the Gold Coast. For further information, head to the event's website. Images: PBR Images/Leximagery/Katie Bennett/Embellysh/Room4Graphics/Carey Cam/Edward Trost/Katie Bennett/Dee Steinfort.
'Fresh' may be what we've been told to go for, with every other cafe and restaurant coaxing us in with the term, but not all things should be consumed according to a 'best by' date; some, dare we say, should have a 'better after' date instead. Really, some things are just better with age (see: wine, whisky, wisdom). So, in partnership with Coopers to celebrate their 2017 Vintage Ale release, we're exploring the lesser-known delicacies which can also improve with a bit of time — like beer. From increasing depth of flavour in drinks to the endless health benefits of ageing certain foods, time can sometimes be of the essence when it comes to the finest things in life. BEER While the idea of a wine cellar is pretty commonplace, far fewer have heard of a beer cellar. Like the ageing of a fine wine, beer too can get better with age. Whether preserved in a bottle or barrel-aged, saving your beer for a later date can often bring out complex characteristics that could not be achieved when freshly brewed. This is true of most darker, bigger beers, like stouts, porters and barley wines (which is actually just a style of ale). They hold deep malt flavours and high alcohol content that has yet to be unpacked when still fresh. Take the Coopers Limited Release 2017 Vintage Ale, for example, which is specifically brewed to be cellared, saved for a later date. This year's recipe balances caramalt with Denali and Calypso hops to bring out a fruity and delicate aroma that gives way to rich, sweet, caramel characters when aged. Many sour beers are also prime for saving, especially those brewed with brettanomyces yeast, notable for its rather funky character. While ageing dark beers generally intensifies flavours, ageing sours normally mellows out the brew, so if you're into a big funky beer, then cellaring it may not be the right choice. Now, not all beer is better when aged. Though Coopers ales have a 'best after' date due to the secondary fermentation that takes place in the bottle or keg, and while their pale ale is better with time and even an aged version of their sparkling ale is starting to pop up on tap at certain bars, IPAs and golden ales will struggle to last if stored away. These beers should be consumed fresh, or they'll lose their hop flavour and often go skunked. And whenever you are looking to save a special bottle of beer, the same rules apply as for cellaring wine — keep in a dark, cool place. Though, unlike wine, beer should be stored upright, or else it can lose its carbonation. TEA Not all teas are created equal. While some teas are meant to be consumed fresh and young, like white, yellow and most green teas, other teas are best consumed once they've been 'rested'. Rested teas are simply those that have been stored away to, well, rest for some time. Much like the contrast of storing dark and sour beers, rested teas can be stored to allow for any sharp flavours to soften, or conversely, to deepen flavours and bring out a richer character. Once a tea has been stored long enough, it can then fall into the 'aged tea' category. While there's no definitive timeframe for when a tea will be officially considered 'aged', generally teas that have been rested for at least five years can receive the title (and in turn a hefty price tag). And as with cellaring wine and beer, you shouldn't store any old tea. Deciding which teas to age depends on the type of tea, quality of the leaves and, most importantly, what will happen with the flavour profile as it ages. BEEF Old meat is spoilt meat, right? Wrong. Pretty much all of the beef you eat is aged because, as it turns out, it actually tastes better that way. Strangely enough, fresh beef actually tastes less like what we think beef is supposed to taste like. So, all fresh beef is aged for at least a few days and up to several weeks in order to allow the natural enzymes to break down the muscle tissue, making for a better texture and flavour. For optimal tenderness, dry ageing is most effective between 14–28 days, while some high-end restaurants age beef for up to 240 days to enhance flavour — they'll charge you a pretty penny for that 'old' meat, too. The general consensus is that 30–40 days of dry ageing will bring you some pretty tasty meat, though. Wet-aged beef is also popular, though less spoken about, and is when meat is aged in a vacuum-sealed bag to retain moisture. SOURDOUGH The pillowy addictiveness of sourdough bread is known far and wide, which is not so much the case for where the 'sour' comes from. This type of bread is made from an aged starter, which begins as nothing but flour and water and is then fermented over time with wild yeast and lactobacillus. That same starter is used time and again, for years and years, because generally the older your starter, the better tasting the bread. Some of the best are over 30 years old, with supposedly some that have even aged over 100 years. And as a bonus, this ageing process doesn't just help make the bread incredibly airy, but also makes it healthier for you. The slow fermentation and long preparation time of sourdough neutralises phytic acid, making it better for your gut to digest, even for those sensitive to gluten. [caption id="attachment_599287" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Steve Woodburn.[/caption] VEGETABLES The idea of aged veggies isn't a very pleasant one. Like meat, we're taught that fresh is the ultimate way to get your greens. Though, that fresh veg crunch is something we crave, and even some raw vegetables are best that way (lettuce), experimenting with the ageing process can enhance the flavours (and health benefits) of your vegetables. The world of fermented foods is pretty vast. You have your known — cabbage into sauerkraut, cucumbers into gherkins — and you have your lesser-known, which includes an extensive list of veg that you can age using various pickling techniques. Fermenting vegetables usually only requires some salt, water and, depending, maybe some whey. Plus, you can pickle almost anything, from the usual cabbage and cucumbers to root vegetables, radishes, string beans, garlic, cauliflower, ginger and even pineapple. Sometimes ageing can be a great thing. Get your hands on some Coopers Vintage Ale 2017 and try it yourself. Words: Marissa Ciampi and Quinn Connors.
Cadbury, stahp. Cadbury, please staaaahp ruining everything we hold dear. We don’t know who keeps telling Cadbury that we want new, exciting and messed-up chocolate flavours, but they’ve released three new grotesque creations to the coveted Milk Tray lineup and it truly is a sign of the end times. Introducing Kale Crème, Wasabi Crunch and Beetroot Jelly, the next generation’s equivalent of Top Deck, Snack and Caramello. Let’s have a moment of silence to mourn simpler times. Apparently, Beetroot Jelly is meant to cater to health nuts (who will not be eating chocolate anyway, so why ruin it for the rest of us?), while Wasabi Crunch will capitalise on the popularity of "Asian flavours" (because there are apparently no more dessert-appropriate flavours in all of Asia to choose from). Then there's Kale Crème, the most vulgar flavour of them all, which is a response to a demand for savoury tastes. You guyyyys, we meant peanuts. Salt. Maybe chilli. These are the savoury flavours we want, and of all the savoury flavours you had to choose from kale was the winner? It’s not even tasty in its natural form (and don’t you dare pretend it is, health nuts) Unsurprisingly, it was reported that testers found the wasabi too sharp and the kale too bitter, although beetroot did pass (still doesn’t mean it should take up a whole pocket in a Milk Tray though). News.com.au were brave enough to see what lies beneath the new Milk Tray additions, here's their snap: Dramatics aside, Cadbury have been getting fairly… experimental with their flavours lately (need we remind you of Vegemite chocolate?) and this is not the first time the Milk Tray has been changed (RIP lime cordial). But after 100 years, the international confectionery giants are still trying to appeal to a younger audience who apparently can’t get enough of gimmicks. Well, you know what, they’re probably right. We need to try that Kale Crème. Goddammit, you’ve got our number Cadbury. Via The Vine. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
It feels like every second week some huge piece of hardware is unveiled to the world by wireless headset-wearing marketing execs with click-through presentations — indeed, Apple launched their new iPhone 7 in September — and today it's Google's turn. After 18 years in the biz, they're releasing their own phone: the Google Pixel. Now, before you Google what a Google Pixel is (and it comes up as the first result, naturally), you should know that this isn't just another Android phone. Unlike Samsung or Sony phones, which use the Google-developed operating system, the Pixel is the first phone that is fully Google — that is, they've designed it from start to finish, so both the hardware and the software is by them. What does this mean? Well it means everything's a a lot smoother and more integrated because Google has been able to develop both technologies to work closely together. Sort of like how Apple build the iPhone and then develop iOS to go with it. But aside from being the ultimate phone to run Gmail on, the Pixel has a heap of features to give the iPhone a run for its money. These include a camera which apparently wins out against all other smartphones, a super advanced Siri-like Google assistant and unlimited storage. But enough with the brand speak. Here's six details about the Google Pixel in dot point form that you can use for prime water cooler convo at work today (if not just to annoy your pro-Apple colleagues). THE CAMERA IS GOOD — LIKE, REALLY GOOD So good, that it's been given a rating of 89 by DxOMark Mobile, a body that tests and ranks smartphone features and camera. By contrast, the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge scored an 88 and the iPhone 7 an 86. So it's just a little bit better, supposedly. It boast 12 megapixels an f/2.0 aperture and a video stabilisation feature that'll really up the ante on your Snapchats. THEY'VE CREATED AN AUSSIE SIRI-LIKE ASSISTANT Just like how Google Maps recruited a local to help give you directions, Google Assistant (which is already being used with other apps like Google Home) will too be an Aussie. That doesn't just extend to its voice though — it will also recognise words that tend to blow tiny robot brains. Google Assistant will hear your "arvo" and "brekkie" and know exactly how to respond to it — with a list of places that do brekkie in the arvo. Assistant makes use of Google's insane web search algorithm, which makes it extremely intelligent. IT'S GOING TO MAKE VR AN ACCESSIBLE THING Come November, you'll also be able to buy a virtual reality headset to go with your Pixel — the Daydream View. The Daydream is like a way more advanced (and ergonomic) version of Google Cardboard. It works in the same way that you stick your Pixel (so far the only Daydream-compatible device) into the front and navigate using a wireless remote. It's also made of fabric and is a lot comfier that other clunky VR headsets — we tried it, and it was one of the better ones we've worn. It's clear Google think mobile VR can be the next big thing, so it'll be interesting to see what they do with it. THE FINGERPRINT UNLOCK 'BUTTON' IS ON THE BACK Pretty much the only thing that distinguishes the Pixel from the iPhone at a glance (while the Pixel is a bit bigger, it's very much the same shape and width as the iPhone) is its lack of home button at bottom centre. That's because Google has put it on the back. Like the iPhone you can choose to use fingerprint encryption (and/or a pattern) — you just use your pointer finger instead. THERE'S NO LIMITS ON STORAGE Because it's Google, it's kind of a given that this phone will be strongly tied to Google Drive and Google Photos. So the good folks at Google (perhaps to make you feel okay about backing up all your data ever with them) are throwing in unlimited cloud storage with your device — which means, unlike a regular free account, you have no limits on the size of the files you're storing. IT COMES IN TWO SIZES AND COLOURS They're very well-named as well. There's the five-inch and the five-and-a-half-inch (the Pixel and the Pixel XL, respectively) and they come in Quite Black and Very Silver. Self-explanatory. The Google Pixel will be available from today, Thursday, October 20. For more info, visit madeby.google.com/phone.
If your tastebuds are feasting on taramasalata, ouzo-cured kingfish, loukoumades and Greek coffee martinis, and your eyes can spy water at the same time, will you feel like you're in the Mediterranean? Making a date with newcomer Ithaka is the best way in Brisbane to find out. The Greek eatery and bar's menu is now on offer at South Bank, where it has made its home in Aquitaine's former space. You mightn't be kicking back in the Ionian Islands, but this venture from Mantle Group Hospitality wants to treat you to the next best thing. "Summer is all about outdoor dining, and what's better than spending a few hours sharing beautiful local seafood and the vibrant, fresh flavours of Greek food alongside friends and family over lunch or dinner," said Mantle Group Hospitality Venue Manager Ian Robertson about Brisbane's latest addition. "Although Ithaka is a pop-up, we wanted to create a dining experience that felt like it nestled into the neighbourhood comfortably and we think this will be the perfect complement to South Bank's buzzy hospitality precinct." As Robertson mentioned, Ithaka is around for a good time, not a long time, making the most of Brisbane's summer weather with a seafood-heavy menu and cocktails featuring Greek spirits. Al fresco dining and drinking is at the heart of the 300-square-metre restaurant and bar's setup, alongside those river views, plus bites and beverages that will hopefully get you in a holiday mood. The 158-seater also boasts a 20-person private dining space, should you be looking for a venue for a special occasion in the coming months. Either way, the Greek vibes also come via olive and fruit trees, plus thyme and rosemary aromas. From the food selection, Mantle Group Hospitality Executive Chef Deniz Coskun's traditional-meets-modern dishes include spanakopita; prawns with chilli, garlic, ouzo and lemon; roasted snapper done with mussels, fennel, chilli and oregano; and baklava and galaktobourekon for dessert. As long as you're dining with another person, you also have three set menus to choose from, ranging from $75–95 a head, and each taking the hassle of choosing out of your meal. Fancy a spritz made with Corfu Kumquat Campiello? Ithaka's Chiosmopolitan, which uses mastic from Chios as a base? A few Mythos Hellenic Lager brews? You'll find them on the drinks menu. Also among the sips: wines from both Greek and Australian producers. Find Ithaka at Shop 2, River Quay South Bank, Sidon Street, South Brisbane — open from 11am–2.30pm Tuesday–Friday and 5–9pm Saturday–Sunday. Images: Markus Ravik.
You've done your CrossFit and F45 this week, enjoyed some early morning yoga and a green juice, and almost kicked your weekly burger habit. But what about when it's time for weekend drinks with the crew? Enter FAIR Açai liqueur, which turns the superfood staple into booze. Launched in Australia at Melbourne's Good Food & Wine Show on June 2, FAIR Açai liqueur is made using ethically grown and sustainably farmed handpicked açai berries from the Amazon rainforest, which are then pressed to extract their essence to form the base of the beverage. This maceration process also harnesses the qualities that make the berries so healthy — aka all of those antioxidants, fibre and heart-healthy fats. As you're sipping away, you'll be kick starting your metabolism and helping make your hair and nails shine. Basically, it's a beverage filled with all the things you need to look your best on a night out and easily digest that 'cheat meal' 3am kebab. As well as being good for eager drinkers, the liqueur is good for the environment, with FAIR ensuring that every bottle made follows rigorous sustainability and ethical agriculture protocols. Plus, in addition to supporting farmers in the region, they're also donating a portion of the profits to sustainability programs in the developing world. With flavours of red berries, cherry, blackcurrant and cranberry just bursting through on the palate, you wouldn't be blamed for wanting to pour it on your morning yoghurt and muesli combo. But for a more traditional way to drink the liqueur, try a twist on a gimlet. Shake up some gin, lime, sugar syrup and ice with a splash of this, and you'll be feeling those antioxidants working in no time.
Australia has always championed innovation in its agricultural pursuits, with our land — and its unique flora and fauna — intrinsically linked to our national identity. Indeed, geographic isolation has meant that the over one million different native species of flowering plants are unique to our landscape and unlike plants in any other part of the world. It's this innovation that distillers from all around the country are tapping into, creating bespoke and limited-edition spirits that are uniquely Australian in flavour. With that in mind, here's five gins from around the country you should try before they're gone for good (or until next year's plants are in season). ARCHIE ROSE x HORISUMI WINTER GIN The second release in the Archie Rose x Horisumi collection, this winter gin conjures up the essence of winter through its grassy and herbaceous notes, while also showcasing slightly sweet hints of jasmine, white grapefruit and a delicate line of sea spray. It's a harmonious unification of Japanese and Australian flavours, highlighting locally grown ingredients including Tasmanian kombu and Fuji apples, and also using sencha and genmaicha teas in the distillation blend. "We experimented with a wide range of ingredients that included trialling multiple varieties of seaweed distillate including nori, wakame and different types of kombu before settling on a Tasmanian harvested and cured example," explains Archie Rose master distiller Dave Withers. Like its previous release, only 2000 bottles have been made, with the first 200 hand wrapped in a traditional Japanese furoshiki wrap featuring the individual bottle number and winter kanji script. FOUR PILLARS BLOODY SHIRAZ GIN 2017 Can't decide if you want a glass of red wine or a gin and tonic tonight? Don't worry, Four Pillars is familiar with this common dilemma and has come up with a solution. Meet the Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin, a rare dry gin blended with premium shiraz grapes from the Yarra Valley. With the 2017 wine vintage in the Yarra proving particularly cooler, this has created a more savoury aromatic style of gin, along with a lighter, more ruby-like colour than its previous incarnation. Expect flavours of fresh pine needles and incredible spice, and a peppery, dense raspberry character. The palate is lovely and sweet, with long juniper and spice characters to finish. DASHER AND FISHER MOUNTAIN, OCEAN AND MEADOW GIN Based in north-western Tasmania, Southern Wild Distillery is the new kid on the block but has come out in full force, with three very unique expressions of the Tasmania landscape: Mountain, Meadow and Ocean. The gins are named after the two wild rivers, Dasher and Fisher, and are carefully crafted by local distiller George Burgess. Each gin is uses anywhere between 11 to 15 individual botanicals sourced from passionate local growers, with all three gins featuring the 'Tassie trio' of botanicals: native pepperberry (Mountain), lavender (Meadow) and wakame (Ocean). The Mountain gin is earthy with hints of pepper and licorice root, the Meadow tipple conjures up images of springtime with lavender, rosemary and just a hint of sage, and rounding out the trio is Ocean, which is like plunging your head straightforward into the sea thanks to its flavour profile of sea salt, nori and hints of jasmine flower. KANGAROO ISLAND SPIRITS OLD WHISKY BARREL GIN Love whisky? Love gin? You're in luck. Kangaroo Island Spirits have taken their most well-known gin, the Wild Gin, distilled it using native Kangaroo Island juniper (myoporum insulare) and aged it for two months in Australian whisky barrels. The process gives the booze a softer mouthfeel, with vanilla, persimmon, clove and amber flavours on the tongue. Making all of their projects in small batches, with every one of their spirits hand bottled and labelled, attention to detail shows in the quality of the KIS range. Think cold nights by a warm fireplace sipping this neat — or with one big ice cube — and you're headed on the right track for a great winter's night in. MARGARET RIVER DISTILLING CO. GINVERSITY BOTANICAL GIN Established in 2015 as the sister distillery to the famous Limeburner's Distillery in Albury, the Margaret River Distilling Co. created their first gin using carefully selected and handpicked botanicals. The likes of eucalyptus, lemon myrtle and boronia were chosen to reflect a unique native Australian recipe. What makes this gin special and unique, however, is that every time it's made, each botanical is individually distilled and then infused together to create a distinctive aromatic style that is quintessentially Australian — like the smell of gumtrees or the fact that magpies always attack you in summer. This is your classic gin and tonic style tipple, perfect for sitting on a balcony trying to capture those last moments of the sun's rays listening to the kookaburras cry into the twilight.
What if Quentin Tarantino made spaghetti and meatballs? Or Wes Anderson made s'mores? They're not questions most people ponder — but food artist and commercials director David Ma did. In his new Food Film series, he offers up cooking tutorials made in the style of famous movie directors. When it comes to the Kill Bill filmmaker and making bolognaise, for example, expect plenty of blood. So far, Food Films features not only juicy Italian and intricately created marshmallow and cracker combinations, but also a Michael Bay-esque take on making waffles and Alfonso Cuaron-type interpretation of pancakes. As well as coming up with an artistic and clever concept for revitalising the rather routine recipe video trend, Ma has savvily matched his chosen filmmakers with his food dishes. S'mores are perfect fit for the creative mind behind the visual precision of The Royal Tenenbaums and The Grand Budapest Hotel, of course, and you can't make waffles without some machinery, which the Transformers-directing Bay clearly loves. A second series is currently in the storyboarding phase, which means more stylised culinary cinema fun will be coming our way soon. Just who he'll be emulating, and what meals he'll be shooting, hasn't been revealed — but surely a David Lynch-style cherry pie or doughnut video (or something with creamed corn, thanks to Twin Peaks' darker side) would go down a treat. Check out QT's take on a pasta staple below, and head to Ma's website for the full series. Via Fast Company.
Australia's latest environmental protests will span an entire week, featuring rallies, marches, flash mobs, sing-alongs and more. Organised by Extinction Rebellion Australia — which has been ramping up its actions around the country over the course of the year — the co-ordinated series of national events is once again designed to demand government action on climate change. Running until Sunday, October 13 in Australia's major cities, the protests form part of the group's international Spring Rebellion campaign. The rallies kicked off on Monday, with different activities planned each day in each location. Reports from the Spring Rebellion's first two days include inner-city road closures, groups of 'dead bees' blocking major thoroughfares and meditation sessions outside Victoria's parliament. They also include plenty of arrests — Victoria Police reports that, along with yesterday's arrests, 59 people were taken into custody in Melbourne today, as was a protestor who suspended himself from Brisbane's Story Bridge in a hammock. Like September's Global Climate Strike, which was overseen locally by School Strike 4 Climate, the current events aim to draw attention to the changing state of the global environment — drastic changes that've caused soaring temperatures, prolonged drought conditions, and the horrific bushfires that plagued Queensland and NSW last month. Extinction Rebellion's Aussie protestors are also focusing on three demands: that the government declares a climate emergency, and urgently communicate the need for change; that state and federal governments commit to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2025; and that a Citizens' Assembly on climate and ecological justice is convened. As always, disruptions and delays are expected as a result of the protest actions, including possible road closures and traffic diversions. If you're planning to join the crowds or need to consider your transport options for the week, here's how the events will go down in your city. [caption id="attachment_735589" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Extinction Rebellion SEQ[/caption] SYDNEY Extinction Rebellion's Sydney activities will change daily, with flash mobs meeting at Belmore Park at 9am tomorrow, Wednesday, October 9, before hopping on trains from Central Station and spreading their message through the rail network. From 12.30pm on Friday, October 11, protestors will literally place their heads in the sand (in holes that still allow enough room for them to breathe) on Manly Beach. At 9.30am on Saturday, October 12, they'll amass on the Coogee Beach Esplanade wearing blue and green, all to highlight the impact of climate change on the seas — and then, from 10.30am on Sunday, October 13, they'll descend on Bondi Beach to form a huge hourglass near the Icebergs end. For public transport and traffic updates each day, check Transport NSW and Live Traffic Sydney. MELBOURNE Melburnians can stop by the week-long family camp at Carlton Gardens, which forms Extinction Rebellion's local hub — it'll be holding arts and crafts, philosophy workshops, family-friendly Q&A sessions, music and performances throughout the week. From 3pm on Wednesday, October 9, they'll head to RMIT to rally, with traffic disruptions along Swanston Street likely. Then, from 7.30am on Friday, October 11, they'll perform a dress rehearsal for one of the group's next big actions — a blockade of the International Mining and Resources Conference between October 28–31 — by protesting outside of BHP's offices. The week culminates on Saturday, October 12 with the Nudie Parade, with folks stripping down to their underwear, painting their bodies with messages and marching from Carlton Gardens from 10am. For public transport and traffic updates each day, check Yarra Trams and Vic Traffic. BRISBANE Setting up shop in Queens Gardens on George Street, Brisbane boasts a jam-packed protest schedule — with flash mobs starting from outside the casino each morning until Friday, October 11. They'll gather from 7.30am, with sing-alongs taking place from noon each day, speakers hitting the microphone from 1pm daily, market stalls selling arts and crafts from 9am–5pm and a photobooth onsite as well. Live performances will also take place from 5pm, featuring bands on Tuesday and Wednesday, and a freestyle rap battle on Thursday. Tuesday will also see a public rally demanding action from the gas industry, which'll take place from midday at 32 Turbot Street, plus slam poetry in Queens Gardens from 7pm. On Wednesday, there'll be a weaving session at 10am in Queens Gardens, then a zero-waste gathering at the same site from 3pm. Come Thursday, protestors will stage a funeral procession down William Street to Parliament House from midday. And, on Friday, the group will occupy the William Jolly Bridge from 10am. For public transport and traffic updates each day, check Translink and Qld Traffic Metro. Extinction Rebellion's Spring Rebellion protests will take place at various times until Sunday, October 13. For further details, visit the organisation's website. Image: Extinction Rebellion Victoria
Calling all artists, art-lovers, philanthropists and inspiration-seekers! This Brisbane Festival, Art from the Margins (AFTM) will launch its fifth consecutive exhibition in the river city, in a mega showcase spanning two weeks. AFTM is an artistic initiative created by the Wesley Mission designed to showcase artwork in a safe space for artists who are disadvantaged by homelessness, disability or other obstacles. Successful entrants in AFTM have their work presented to the public and are able to retain one hundred per cent of the money from any of their artwork that is sold. There’s been a record interest in AFTM this year, and 2012 promises to showcase first time entrants as well as old favourites. Held at Albert Street Uniting Church, AFTM will once again put up powerful, honest, evocative and completely original work by Brisbane’s unsung artists. The exhibition is free, purchasing artwork is optional, and supporting local talent is just a happy plus.
Street art enthusiast and fine art teacher Lou Chamberlin has spent a good part of the last decade documenting the creative work that has graced laneway walls all over Melbourne. Her latest book, Street Art: Melbourne, includes photographs of everything from stencils to yarn bombing. The street art movement has not blossomed in Melbourne alone, of course; it has become a global phenomenon that shows no sign of slowing down. Lou believes that this positive reaction has a lot to do with the accessibility of this type of art. "It has been likened to pop art and how that was a reaction to the very intellectual and academic art that was being put in galleries," she says. "I think the same thing was happening with postmodernism, it was becoming difficult for people to understand. That's why I think street art is such a revolution; it's giving art back to the masses." Lou also believes that the temporary nature of this art form is also very appealing to both passers-by and artists alike. "The artists do not have a sense of preciousness. Their work is expressive and serves a purpose, but when it's gone, it's gone." Street Art:Melbourne is not Lou's first book dedicated to street art photography; she has previously released Street Art: Rio and Street Art: Valparaiso. She has recently returned from a trip to New York, where Banksy is currently working as an artist in residence, selling his stencils for $60 a pop and driving around in a livestock truck filled with wailing stuffed toy animals. "I was three blocks away when that happened!" says Lou. "I'm working on a book for New York now. I think I'll do one for Berlin soon; there are some absolutely enormous walls with the best artists working there.” Lou’s favourite street art lane in Melbourne is Hosier Lane, but she also recommends that we keep our eye on Artists Lane in Windsor for some exciting new pieces. Out of the hundreds of street artists work she has snapped, she has her favourites both from the local and international scene. "I love TWOONE, I like the quirkiness of Ghostpatrol. I love Ears, he's a Sydney-based artist. Internationally I like Herakut, and Blu." Lou says that she has noticed a change in practice and in quality of street art in Melbourne over the last eight years. "It's become more complex," she says. "I think it's become more collaborative, as there are more groups of artists working together on particular walls. And the quality has become a lot stronger, a lot better." We had Lou tell us about six or her favourite works of Melbourne street art that no longer remain. All the photographs are from her book Street Art: Melbourne, out on November 1 through Explore Australia Publishing, RRP $39.95, and used with permission. "This stencil is one of the first to pique my interest. I photographed it in Rutledge Lane in Melbourne's CBD in 2006. I was so impressed by it that I used it in a secondary school art textbook as an example of contemporary art borrowing from the past to make a social comment." "This glorious work by German duo Herakut was painted in Union Lane in Melbourne's CBD in February this year. It has since been slowly covered by tagging so that only one eye and the top of the head remain. Herakut were in Melbourne painting an enormous wall as part of their global Giant Storybook Project." "This collaborative piece by Ears and Adnate adorned the wall of a small lane in Fitzroy for a short time. I love the way it fragments and reassembles the features of the face. It's almost a 21st-century twist on Picasso's Cubism." "Ghostpatrol has painted some wonderful commissioned walls in Melbourne's inner suburbs. I photographed this one in 2008. It was repainted by the same artist in 2012. It's very interesting to see how artists' styles and subject matter change over time." "Owen Dippie (known internationally as OD) painted this portrait of Heath Ledger as The Joker in Hosier Lane in 2012. I've just been to New York where I saw an enormous piece by OD at the fabled (and soon to be demolished) 5Pointz in Brooklyn. His photorealist style is readily recognisable." "It doesn't get much more transient than this! I was fortunate enough to be walking down Swanston Street one night when the Taiwanese artist who uses the title Splash Baron was painting in water. His animal characters lasted about 10 minutes before disappearing forever." Street Art: Melbourne by Lou Chamberlin, published by Explore Australia Publishing.
As far as dichotomies go, there are few as powerful — or as simple — as the opposition of dark and light. Californian watercolour artist Rex Brandt once said: “We see light, not dark. But it is in the dark that we feel goblins and ghosts.” This quote is the inspiration behind Out of the Dark — Into the Light, a group exhibition with six artists (Noeline Lee, Claire Goodall, Emily Devine, Domenica Hoare, Nadja Kabriel, and Natasha Weller), whose conversations about this topic have been carried out in their work. Through prints, paintings, sculpture and more, the artists explore both the physical and the metaphorical relationship between light and dark, and the various emotions and fears the two states inspire. Out of the dark — into the Light exhibits at The Hold Artspace from 2 to 6 September, with an opening night event on Friday 4 September.
Brisbane has long been partial to a party boat. The Island did the honours from the 80s through until early last decade, Seadeck has jaunted down the river over the past couple of years, and Yot Club been sailing into the city's waters for a while now, too. The latter has been making quite a big splash, in fact — as you'd expect from a huge yacht with two bars, a stage, a dance floor and, in normal times, a 400-person capacity. Cruising down the river again 2023, Yot Club's shindigs pop up in batches — so some weekends it'll get you floating, some weekends it's down the Gold Coast instead. The glamorous, custom-built vessel calls itself "the world's first super yacht entertainment venue", and it's certainly something that southeast Queensland hadn't seen before it hit our waters. Sprawling over two levels, it measures nearly 40-metres long and over 22-metres wide, and blends a licensed floating club and a luxe function space. With lounges across an open deck and undercover, a VIP room in the hull, and the promise of bands and DJs on its lineup, Yot Club wants to be the region's one-stop watery hangout. It serves up more than water, of course, thanks to a menu of classic and creative cocktails, plus brews chilled in the 45-keg-capacity cool room. Yot Club sets off from City Botanic Gardens River Hub, with tickets prices varying depending on the day and time you're planning to hop onboard. For its current run of dates, Hawaiian-themed summer shindigs are on offer on Saturday, February 18 and Saturday, February 25 by day (12.30–3.30pm) and night (6–9pm). There are also Sunday lunch (11am–1.30pm) and sunset (4–6.30pm) sessions on Sunday, February 19 and Sunday, February 26. Then, come April, Saturdays are about garden parties on Saturday, April 1 and Saturday, April 22 — again by day (12.30–3.30pm) and night (6–9pm) — while the same Sunday lunches and sunset sessions will take place on Sunday, April 2 and Sunday, April 23. Images: Richard Greenwood / Yot Club.
If you're a CBD worker, you're familiar with the lunch frenzy that descends over the city each day between noon and 2pm. The options are many, from sushi to stirfry and everything in between. With limited time on their hands, many want a quick, tasty lunch that's light on the wallet. In the other camp are the lovers of the long lunch meeting. With a glass of wine or two and a few friendly associates, these people are looking for quality and atmosphere. Alimentari on Adelaide manages to satisfy both groups. Out front you will find a range of sandwiches, wraps and sweets that are both filling and delicious. Venture a bit further back and you'll end up in the small restaurant section, with a menu bursting with freshness and flavour. The interior of the restaurant contrasts sharply with the hectic lunchtime pace of Adelaide Street outside. Exposed brick walls and polished floorboards create an atmosphere of cool sophistication and wines are displayed on a large shelf lining one wall. While entrees and salads are available to diners in the restaurant, the star of the show is the pasta menu. The puttanesca is bright and tasty, the Italian-style crab lasagne is a fresh twist on a traditional classic, and all of the pasta sauces are authentic and traditional. If pasta isn't your first love, don't be put off. The other meals on offer are all delicious and won't leave a huge crater in your wallet. There is a wide range of wine also available if you need some inspiration for your afternoon back in the office. The restaurant staff members are immaculately presented and hospitable and can help you with food and wine recommendations if you're unsure. Alimentari is also open for dinner on Friday nights.
At the box office, a film adaptation of Wicked was always set to defy gravity, as the world discovered in 2024. On the stage, the hit musical had proven a blockbuster for two decades. The realm of The Wizard of Oz has been beloved on the page for over a century and on the screen for over 85 years, too. So when heading back to Oz sparked the fifth highest-grossing movie globally of last year, it wasn't at all a surprise. Can Wicked: For Good top it? Bringing Wicked to cinemas is a two-part affair. The first picture arrived in November 2024, painted theatres pink and green, then won Oscars. The second has a date with the silver screen in November 2025. And if you're wondering how the stage musical's second act will soar at the movies, here's your first glimpse: the debut trailer for Wicked: For Good. When sneak peeks for the initial film started dropping last year, questions such as "are people born wicked, or do they have wickedness thrust upon them?" were peppered within them. Now, sentiments like "there's no going back", "think of what we could do together" and "it's time for both of us to fly" echo instead, hailing from Glinda and Elphaba. Ariana Grande (Don't Look Up) and Cynthia Erivo (Poker Face) return to their Academy Award-nominated parts to bring Wicked's tale to its conclusion, and to keep chronicling their characters' paths to becoming Glinda the Good Witch of the North and the Wicked Witch of the West, respectively. As the first instalment did, Wicked: For Good boasts director Jon M Chu (In the Heights, Crazy Rich Asians) behind the lens, again taking inspiration from composer Stephen Schwartz and playwright Winnie Holzman. Alongside Grande and Erivo, Jeff Goldblum (Kaos) portrays the Wizard of Oz, while Michelle Yeoh (Star Trek: Section 31), Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton), Ethan Slater (Elsbeth) and Marissa Bode (who made her feature debut in Wicked) also co-star. From the first Wicked: For Good trailer, audiences can get excited about more time in Emerald City, flying monkeys, transformations, yellow bricks, grand ceremonies, warnings in the sky and heartfelt messages — and also Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion. For those new to Wicked, it focuses on the Land of Oz's witches, with telling their untold tale the musical's whole angle. On the stage, the show has notched up more awards than you can fit in a hefty cauldron over the years. That includes three Tonys from ten nominations, a Grammy, an Olivier Award and six Drama Desk Awards. Check out the trailer for Wicked: For Good below: Wicked: For Good releases in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, November 20, 2025.
Have you ever found yourself in a charming, low-lit restaurant on a Saturday night only to have the ambience destroyed by violent flashes from the table next to you? Perhaps it's happened right in front of you — a date who just had to halt conversation to whip out his iPhone and 'gram both your meals before you could deign to touch it. It's just as bad on the other end too. There's no way his followers at home want to see some poorly framed gourmet blob as they sit down to their own mildly depressing mac and cheese for one. Well, now we have an excuse to send all these terrible snappers on a nice long trip away. In a world first, new London pop-up restaurant Picture House will be letting diners pay for their bill via photos of their food on Instagram. Like a sanctuary for the universally hated, notorious amateur food photographers can snap to their heart's content at this cursed hellhole and get a free two-course meal at the end of it. Unfortunately for patrons and their respective Instagram followers, Picture House is in fact a marketing stunt by frozen food giants, Bird's Eye. Accordingly, the food that will be flooding everyone's newsfeeds will consist of fancy fish fingers and a beige assortment of things that once resembled chickens. Dimly Lit Meals for One should expect a huge influx of submissions in the next week. All in all, the industry is pretty divided on the issue of novice foodie photographers. A restaurant in Cape Town has recently allowed patrons to use the newly-developed #dinnercam in their dining room — a futuristic casing for your meal (pictured above) that creates perfect lighting conditions allowing optimum food wankery. But other establishments like David Chang's Momofuku Ko are outright banning the practice. Still, according to an incredibly impartial survey taken by Bird's Eye, nine percent of Britons can't even go a single day without photographing their meals. Of course, I'm being a little rough. The odd food pic is okay. Of course it is. All I ask is that the food on display should be truly extraordinary. A croque-en-bouche three metres tall? 'Gram that baby. Pasta which the chef has painstakingly arranged into a portrait of your face? That's DP material. But a plate of frocked up chicken dippers with the obligatory hashtag #BirdsEyeInspirations? No thanks. Via London Evening Standard.
When a drought-stricken farming community is shocked by a murder-suicide, Federal Police investigator Aaron Falk is forced to return home for the first time in 20 years — for the funerals, and to investigate. That's the premise of Australian crime novel The Dry, which first hit bookshelves back in 2016, marked the debut novel from author Jane Harper, and was named the British Book Awards' Crime and Thriller Book of the Year and the Barry Awards' Best First Mystery amongst a heap of other accolades. Come New Year's Day 2021, it'll also be the plot of the new Aussie movie of the same name. Australian cinema loves crime flicks, as everything from Two Hands, Animal Kingdom and Snowtown to Mystery Road and Goldstone attests (and Money Movers, Heatwave, Shame and Son of a Gun, too). Accordingly, it should come as little surprise that the big-screen version of The Dry stems from two people with a history in the genre. Director Robert Connolly was the producer of one of the best local crime movies ever made, 1998's unnerving The Boys, while Eric Bana was famously the star of the similarly excellent Chopper. In The Dry, Bana plays the aforementioned Falk, who looks far from happy when he receives a note about his childhood friend Luke — with the latter alleged to have shot his wife and child before killing himself. Falk's homecoming opens up old secrets, including involving his old pal. In a town filled with rage after years of struggle against the titular conditions, Falk soon begins to suspect that a previous death might be linked to the current case, too. As well as Bana, The Dry features plenty of familiar faces, as the just-dropped first trailer shows. They include Animal Kingdom star James Frecheville, Glitch's Genevieve O'Reilly, Fargo's Keir O'Donnell, Mission: Impossible II's John Polson, The Dressmaker's Julia Blake, Occupation's Bruce Spence, 1%'s Matt Nable and Top End Wedding's Miranda Tapsell. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7X7KkP68RZE&feature=youtu.be The Dry releases in Australian and New Zealand cinemas on January 1, 2021.
In one of Galveston's revealing scenes, hitman Roy (Ben Foster) is told a bleak truth: "you're not as handsome as I remember". The statement comes from an ex-lover (Heidi Lewandowski) who hasn't seen the on-the-run criminal for more than a decade, and it's designed to wound. Uttered in a grimy crime drama that sends its characters hiding from their complicated lives in the titular Texas island city, the unflattering words also cut to the heart of this grim yet gripping film. Nothing is quite as beautiful, peaceful or comforting as anyone hopes in Galveston. Nothing goes smoothly, happens easily, or lives up to anyone's hopes, dreams or expectations. All of the above proves true in New Orleans in 1988, when the hard-boozing, possibly terminally ill Roy is sent on a routine job by his shady boss (Beau Bridges). It remains true when the hit goes south, and when Roy rescues 19-year-old escort Rocky (Elle Fanning) in the aftermath. Following a quick stop to pick up toddler Tiffany (Anniston Price and Tinsley Price), it's still true when the trio check into a coastal motel and take stock of their difficult and dangerous situation. The tired, troubled assassin; the young sex worker with a good heart and a bad past; the scenic hideout that can't solve a world of problems: like much of Galveston's recognisable plot, all of these elements have long been noir and crime tropes. But again, nothing is exactly as it seems in this movie — be it memories, supposedly easy gigs or genre staples. In her fourth stint behind the lens and in her English-language directorial debut, actor-turned-filmmaker Mélanie Laurent crafts a film out of familiar parts. Given that the script was written by True Detective's Nic Pizzolatto (under a pseudonym, and based on his own novel as well), that really does prove the case. And yet, while it's hardly overflowing with surprises, Galveston still feels like its own distinctive creation. Maybe it's the narrative, which refuses to completely stick to the standard formula, hewing close but happily branching out in interesting directions. Maybe it's the dynamic between Roy and Rocky, which avoids the most obvious, highly cliched path and feels all the more real and resonant for it. Or, perhaps it's the darkness that infuses every second, even when the movie's main players are enjoying their sunny surroundings or daring to believe that something could change. Roy's conversation with his ex-girlfriend proves relevant again in encapsulating the film's permanent brooding mood — when he tells her that he's dying, her casual response is "aren't we all?". Definitely having an impact are Foster and Fanning, two consistently impressive talents who add to their stellar resumes. The more that Galveston's running time ticks by, the more the film becomes a two-handed character study, with its leads shouldering their heavy burdens with ease. Perhaps that's another reason that the movie never becomes the run-of-the-mill flick it could've been: its protagonists might seem thin on paper, but these struggling lost souls are teeming with complexity on screen. The quiet sorrow that Foster exuded in Leave No Trace also infects his work here, and the inner pluck that made Fanning such a highlight in The Neon Demon is evident as well. But neither actor could be accused of retracing their own footsteps, and Laurent certainly doesn't ask them to. Instead, Galveston serves up layers — layered performances, layer upon layer of gloomy themes for its characters to wade through, and a layered approach to its visuals. As she demonstrated in one of her earlier filmmaking gigs, the teen-focused French drama Breathe, Laurent is a skilled director who always finds the perfect approach for each scene. Sometimes she lets the camera hang back, giving Foster and Fanning space to bounce off each other. Sometimes she peers intimately, whether the film is cosying up as Roy, Rocky and Tiffany form a makeshift family, or getting almost uncomfortably close when Roy and Rocky share their life's traumas. Often, this deceptively affecting picture says more with less, including in its climactic moments. If only all seemingly by-the-book crime flicks could do the same. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAad6w1pYrM
There's something oh-so-relaxing about staring at the sea, even if you're feasting your eyes on the water via the big screen. That's the concept behind the Ocean Film Festival Australia. You can't always spend all your time at the beach, by the river or in a pool — but you can spend an evening peering at the next best thing in a cinema. For four nights in April, the festival will unleash a cinematic feast of water-focused wonders onto the silver screen at Brisbane Powerhouse. This is the event's 12th year, and it's heading by from Wednesday, April 2–Saturday, April 5. Sessions screen at 7pm each night, and there's also a 2pm session on the Saturday. Film-wise, viewers will spend time both above and below the ocean's surface thanks to a compilation of shorts from around the world. You can normally expect to chase big waves, explore a range of sea life and get a hefty ocean rush, plus a heap of other sea adventures. The full program is united by a love of the ocean, an appreciation of the creatures who dwell in its waters and a curiosity to explore the substance that comprises more than two-thirds of the earth. It's the next best thing to diving in, all without getting wet.
Feeling flush? For the first time ever, cashed-up travellers can now book out an entire hotel through Airbnb, for the tidy sum of $15,000. That hotel being the newly opened Little Albion Guest House — a luxurious 35-room operation in the heart of Surry Hills. Launching officially this week, the one-of-a-kind guest house is out to shake-up the luxury travel game, pitched as a fusion of hotel and home. The idea here is to team the comfort of a hotel, with the familiarity and laidback nature of an Airbnb stay. It's the first hotel in the world that can be booked out in its entirety via the app. If you don't have the expendable cash to book out the whole thing, you can also rent out individual rooms in the hotel, which start at around $150 per night. The Little Albion Guest House is the work of boutique accommodation group 8Hotels and talented designer Connie Alessi, and it has designer interiors, a covetable art collection, a rooftop garden complete with an outdoor shower and panoramic city views, and an honour-system bar, where guests can help themselves to high-end nibbles and drinks. There'll also be a team of hosts — headed by Surry Hills local Wendy Morris — on hand at all hours to help out with everything from charging cables to local gym recommendations. It's the latest boutique hotel to join Surry Hills' ever-growing collection, which also includes the newly open Paramount House Hotel. Find Little Albion Guest House at 21 Little Albion Street, Surry Hills
Brisbane's suburbs are being treated to live music gigs this September. Brisbane Festival 2024 is bringing outdoor concerts to five parts of town — all for free. When it first joined the fest lineup back in 2020, this live music showcase was inspired by the community responses to the global pandemic — in which Italians sang on their balconies and Americans choreographed TikTok dances. Back then, it was meant to be the Brissie version. Over the years, Brisbane Serenades has evolved, leading to its current quintet of shindigs. On Saturday, September 7, Moorooka is the place to be for a block party featuring First Nations and world music talents such as Bustamento and Jungaji. Next, on Sunday, September 8, Victoria Park will echo with the sounds of The Crunchy Chickpea Salad, Angel Strings, Brisbane Excelsior Band, Katie Stenzel, Alex Raineri and more. Across the weekend of Saturday, September 14–Sunday, September 15, Jaguar Jonze, Kristal West and Deline Briscoe will take to the stage at the UQ Lakes Amphitheatre at St Lucia — and a carnival-style celebration will take over Portside. Then, come Saturday, September 21, Pasifika Made at Wally Tate Park in Kuraby is all about Polynesian, Melanesian, Micronesian, Māori and Indigenous performers.
The weird and wonderful combine in Patricia Piccinini's new exhibition at Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA). Extending across a range of mediums from sculpture to photography, Piccinini presents an augmented vision of reality through an amalgam of science, nature and fiction. Curious Affection features over 70 immersive artworks, and it's the first time GOMA has exhibited the work of a contemporary Australian artist on such a large scale. It features a variety of new commissions and old works in Piccinini's unmistakable hyperreal style, including 'The Field', an installation of more than 3000 flower sculptures. Accompanying the exhibition is a superb film program at GOMA's Australian Cinematheque, which run from science fiction through to horror classics. The gallery is also staying open late every Friday night from June 8 to July 6 with a program of live music and talks. Images: Installation view, 'Patricia Piccinini: Curious Affection' at GOMA (2018), shot by Natasha Harth.
For almost two decades, Regurgitator have been entertaining and exciting audiences, and now they’re back with a new string of shows, this time playing their albums ‘Unit’ and ‘Tu Plang’ back to back. It will be a must-see for longtime fans, with previous shows having been described as “feeling like your head is trapped inside a stereo”. The retrospective shows are set to have a new twist but will maintain the high-energy of classic ‘Gurge. Along for the ride will be Indonesian duo act SENYAWA, affixing the traditional within a contemporary framework of “experimental music practices”, as they have done at the Melbourne Jazz Festival among other prestigious events. An extra performance has been added to the bill for September 27 - get in quick!
UPDATE, October 28, 2022: All Quiet on the Western Front opened in Australian cinemas on October 13 and streams via Netflix from October 28. War makes meat, disposable labour and easy sacrifices of us all. In battles for power, as they always are, bodies are used to take territory, threaten enemies and shed blood to legitimise a cause. On the ground, whether in muddy trenches or streaming across mine-strewn fields, war sees the masses rather than the individuals, too — but All Quiet on the Western Front has always been a heartbreaking retort to and clear-eyed reality check for that horrific truth. Penned in 1928 by German World War I veteran Erich Maria Remarque, initially adapted for the screen by Hollywood in 1930 and then turned into a US TV movie in 1979, the staunchly anti-war story now gets its first adaptation in its native tongue. Combat's agonies echo no matter the language giving them voice, but Edward Berger's new film is a stunning, gripping and moving piece of cinema. Helming and scripting — the latter with feature first-timers Lesley Paterson and Ian Stokell — All My Loving director Berger starts All Quiet on the Western Front with a remarkable sequence. The film will come to settle on 17-year-old Paul Bäumer (astonishing debutant Felix Kammerer) and his ordeal after naively enlisting in 1917, thinking with his mates that they'd be marching on Paris within weeks, but it begins with a different young soldier, Heinrich Gerber (Jakob Schmidt, Babylon Berlin), in the eponymous region. He's thrust into the action in no man's land and the inevitable happens. Then, stained with blood and pierced by bullets, his uniform is stripped from his body, sent to a military laundry, mended and passed on. The recipient: the eager Paul, who notices the past wearer's name on the label and buys the excuse that it just didn't fit him. No one dares waste a scrap of clothing — only the flesh that dons it, and the existences its owners don't want to lose. Paul's parents are against him signing up with the Imperial German Army, but his pals Albert Kropp (Aaron Hilmer, The Island), Franz Müller (Moritz Klaus, Die Chefin) and Ludwig Behm (Adrian Grünewald, also The Island) are doing it, so he's soon forging a signature and receiving his pre-used uniform. You could say that the high schooler and his friends get the shock of their lives once they make it to the front, because they do; however, as the Germans and the French keep tussling over a ridiculously small stretch, making zero impact upon the greater war in the process, Paul and company's lives — shocks and all — couldn't be more expendable. In the unit's first big push, the teenagers' numbers already diminish. Building upon the movie's potent opening, Berger ensures that nothing about war remains romanticised in their gaze. Call it hell, call it a nightmare, call it a senseless throwing away of innocent life and a needless robbing of the future: they all fit. Eighteen months later in November 1918, All Quiet on the Western Front moves to Paul and his compatriots behind the trenches. Trying to survive is still their only aim, and any sense of excitement, passion, enthusiasm and patriotism for their service has long dissipated. Sometimes, with the older and brotherly Stanislaus "Kat" Katczinsky (Albrecht Schuch, Berlin Alexanderplatz), making it through the day involves attempting to steal food from French farms. Sometimes, it means looking for new recruits who haven't shown up. When orders come as they unavoidably do, though, the front is inescapable. Alongside 1917, All Quiet on the Western Front proves a masterclass in conveying armed conflict's relentlessness, terror and futility — from a first-person perspective, and also via lengthy, unbroken, like-you're-there shots steeped in gut- and heart-wrenching wartime brutality. Every second of Berger's feature is harrowing, even its quiet moments of tender camaraderie — including one while sharing a bog over a communal log — and its gleaming glimpses of nature's beauty. Lensed by cinematographer James Friend (Your Honor), the latter would do Terrence Malick proud; his A Hidden Life, about an IRL Austrian farmer-turned-conscientious objector in the Second World War, would make a striking companion piece to this. Inevitability lingers over All Quiet on the Western Front as well, whether or not you've read the novel or seen previous screen versions. Either knowing or predicting where Paul's WWI torment goes doesn't make everything that eventuates any less distressing, but puts viewers in the same position as the officials pulling the strings away from the front lines. The leaders sending their men to their deaths mightn't be distraught, but the watching audience is. In a significant departure from the source material, All Quiet on the Western Front spends time with some of those head honchos: politician Matthias Erzberger (Daniel Brühl, The King's Man), who endeavours to convince German High Command that an armistice is the only move available amid such mounting casualties; and General Friedrich (Devid Striesow, The Last Execution), who sees a ceasefire as treason. Supreme Allied Commander Ferdinand Foch (Thibault de Montalembert, Heartstopper) isn't willing to allow any saving face either way, giving the Germans a 72-hour deadline to accept a deal as is — and that's more than enough time for more troops to meet thoroughly escapable ends. While Berger's decision to balance the on-the-ground onslaught with behind-the-scenes manoeuvring builds in moments of respite for his viewers, that occurs viscerally rather than emotionally. Anguish still radiates, as it must, as every passing minute means more soldiers slaughtered. Germany's submission for the 2023 Best International Feature Oscar, All Quiet on the Western Front is a film haunted: by the callous disregard for human lives by power-seekers far removed from any fatal consequences, the wide-eyed fervour and blind faith with which boys pledge themselves to war, the desperation and fear that ripples in the thick of the fray, and oh-so-much death. Its ominous and foreboding score by Volker Bertelmann (Ammonite), often repeating a handful of notes, is equally tortured; neither watching nor listening is an easy experience. Viewing a movie pales in comparison to enduring everything this one depicts, of course, but all that bloodshed, and the evocative performances behind the bleeding, is impossible to forget. Almost a century after it first hit the page, this tale has lost none of its power, urgency or relevance — an indictment upon humanity that Berger's iteration silently but clearly stresses.
After viral leaks of award-winning author Adam Mansbach's new children's book for parents, Go the Fuck to Sleep, created huge hype in recent weeks, the book was finally released today. The book comes with an audiobook version that is narrated by none other than Samuel L. Jackson, and is illustrated with sweet and innocent images by artist Ricardo Cortes. A New Zealand Christian lobby group Family First is already calling for the book to be banned, writing letters to New Zealand's Booksellers Association asking that it not be distributed to retailers. The group is concerned about the effect that the offensive language and negative message could have on aggressive and dysfunctional parents. One verse from the book reads "All the kids from daycare are in dreamland. The froggie has made its last leap. Hell no you can't go to the bathroom, you know where you can go? The fuck to sleep." Most people however, have found the book hilarious, including legendary film director Werner Herzog who also plans to release a recording of the book. Film rights have now also been optioned by Fox and Canongate has already bought the UK title. The book is currently at the top of the Amazon best seller list. You can listen to a sample of the Samuel L. Jackson recording here.
Much of 2020 so far has been all about staying indoors — and you want those interiors to look as great as possible. Art and design lovers, that's where the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art's regular design market comes in. And, responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, this one is going virtual. Browse, buy and then prepare to get cosy — or stay that way. You'll be buying things for your home as you sit inside your home. Find jewellery, ceramics, textiles, homewares and more at the 17-day-long maker market, which will feature plenty of creative folks selling their wares online when it runs Friday, May 15–Sunday, May 31. https://www.instagram.com/p/B_i5LbDAJYz/ The QAGOMA Store website will be hosting the virtual design market, and all purchases will be shipped to your door. And while GOMA will likely host another design market once the silly season rolls around — as previously has every year — if you feel like getting your gift shopping out of the way now, it'll make you feel like Christmas has come early.
Prepare yourself for a night of whimsy, wonder and a weird, scaly, hermaphroditic fish man named Old Gregg. Noel Fielding, the androgynous co-lead of the surreal British comedy series The Mighty Boosh, is bringing his live show, An Evening with Noel Fielding, to a capital city near you. Combining stand-up comedy with animation and original music, as well as special appearances from some of Fielding's most beloved and baffling characters, including Fantasy Man and The Moon, the April 2015 show marks Fielding's first time in Australia since his sold-out tour in 2012. This time he'll also be joined by his younger brother Michael, best known for his recurring role on The Mighty Boosh as Naboo the Enigma, an alien shaman from the planet Xooberon. Fielding previously played the part of Richmond in The IT Crowd, appeared as a team captain on the music comedy panel show Never Mind the Buzzcocks, and helped create the comedy sketch program Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy. He is also a member of the band Loose Tapestries along with Kasabian guitarist Sergio Pizzorno, whose music will be featured in the tour.
A book described as "a modern story of sex, erotica and passion. How the sexiest sales girl in business earns her huge bonus by being the best at removing her high heels," might not be anything to write home about. But what if the author of said book was someone's dad, and that someone decided it would be hilarious to read a chapter every week to the entire world, with some incredibly funny friends providing commentary? Jamie Morton did just that with his father's (pen name: Rocky Flinstone) erotic 'novels', the Belinda Blinked series. And so the audacious and pants-wettingly hilarious podcast My Dad Wrote a Porno was born. Since its premiere in 2015, the podcast about "the best/worst erotica ever written" has racked up over 150 million downloads. And now, off the back of an HBO Original Series featuring a "lost chapter", Morton and his pals James Cooper and Alice Levine are bringing their hilarious smut back to Brisbane in 2020. As part of a huge world tour, the live show will treat 'Belinkers' to two shows at the The Tivoli on Friday, January 17 and Saturday, January 18 (with the second added due to overwhelming demand). Team Porno will read unreleased material from the erotic saga while throwing in a few surprises and interactive elements. Now four books deep — with the fifth due to be cracked opened on Monday, September 9, 2019 — the series follows the sexual escapades of Belinda Blumenthal who works in the sales and marketing department of a pots and pans company. There have been leather rooms and nipples as big as Titanic rivets, anti-erotic ridiculousness with sales reps and young-ish men, references to pomegranates and the popping of vaginal lids, and one truly disgusting flaking prosthetic appendage. If you're a fan of the show, the live incarnation should make you very happy. As Belinda says, "When you get what you want, you feel great." Tickets go on sale at 1pm on Thursday, July 18, 2019
During camping trips, there comes a time when (after getting out all your ‘Kumbuyas’ and soaking up the intimate campfire glow) you face that cold, lonely retreat to your sleeping bag and zip yourself in — realising that after all the team bonding, it really is just you and the stars. It can be a solitary life as a snoozing camper. But Seattle-based designer Andy Storms has realised that humans aren't the only great outdoors enthusiasts and has come up with a remedy — in the form of the BarkerBag. It’s a sleeping bag made for your favourite camping canine friend. Developed after his dog Barker kept hogging his own sleeping bag, Storms decided to make a teardrop-shaped bunk for his (and your) four-legged friend. And as if that isn’t cute enough in itself, it’s fitted with zips enabling attachment to yours. Snuggles ahoy. Not only can you look forward to some loyal company through the long dark night, you also take advantage of your furry friend’s warm-blooded body heat. There’s also the option of slipping him/her between you and your nearest sleeping-bagged human buddy, in a three-bag option. The obvious question is, how do you stop your dog from slipping out and snuffling into the communal food supplies/going chasing wild pigs/leaving you abandoned, cold and sad? Ol' Stormy’s given it some thought and added an entrapment mechanism by way of a reinforced cinchable collar. Storms turned the concept into a reality via a successful Kickstarter campaign. "I was tired of crowding my sleeping bag and actually making my feet colder since over-stuffing the bag compresses the insulation," he explains in the promo video. The BarkerBag is available in three sizes (small, medium and large, catering to pretty much every breed from poodles to border collies and malamutes. There's even a double version, for campers with two outdoorsy dogs in their care. Prices range from US$69 to $89 and the first production run is now underway, with shipping scheduled for July. Via Gizmag.
Music lovers of Australia, and festival fans as well, we foresee trips to the Gold Coast, Cairns, Canberra or Geelong in your future. That's where The Grass Is Greener is heading this year, with the music, food and arts fest expanding beyond Queensland for the first time — and the event has just dropped its impressive lineup. Leading the bill: Ty Dolla $ign, YG, Zhu and Pnau, all hitting up the festival's four regional locations. The event is particularly pumped to have not one but two of the biggest names in hip hop gracing its stages, as well as one of EDM's global stars and some homegrown heroes. And, it's betting that you'll be just as thrilled to check them out live. Of course you will. One Four, Boo Seeka, Side Piece, Alok and Mashd N Kutcher also have spots on the lineup — and yes, the list goes on. As for when you'll be seeing all of the above, The Grass Is Greener is doing the rounds across the last two weekends in October, starting on the Goldie, hopping down to the ACT, zipping back up to its Tropical North Queensland birthplace, then wrapping up its 2022 run in Victoria. Clearly, it's a big year for the fest, which made its debut in Cairns back in 2016. Expanding to two new cities, covering three states and locking in huge headliners for this year's tour is quite the flex. The Grass Is Greener is also jumping into the NFT space in 2022, integrating NFTs into its ticketing with a limited edition 1,111 NFT Collection. As well as nabbing access to the fest, the NFTs also feature special art that you can use onsite to unlock unique and exclusive experiences that won't be available with physical tickets. THE GRASS IS GREENER 2022 LINEUP: Alok Aluna Boo Seeka Brux Crush3ed Little Fritter Wongo Jordan Burns (live) Market Memories Mashd N Kutcher Maya Jane Coles Mikalah Watego Mood Swing & Chevy Bass Onefour Piero Pirupa Pnau Sidepiece Sticky Fingers TDJ Ty Dolla $Ign Vnssa YG Zero Zhu (DJ set) THE GRASS IS GREENER 2022 DATES: Saturday, October 22 — Doug Jennings Park, Gold Coast Sunday, October 23 — Patrick White Lawns, Canberra Saturday, October 29 — Cairns Showgrounds, Cairns Sunday, October 30 — Geelong Racecourse, Geelong The Grass Is Greener will hit the Gold Coast, Canberra, Cairns and Geelong in October 2022. Ticket pre-sales start at 8am on Wednesday, July 13, ahead of general sales from 8am on Thursday, July 14. Head to the festival website for more information. Images: Curdin Photo and Mitch Lowe.
A good rule of thumb when travelling just about anywhere is to get out of the big smoke, at least for part of your holiday. If you're planning a Euro trip for their summer, don't fall into the trap of hopping between capital cities and competing for selfie space with hundreds of other travellers — slow down a little, and dedicate the continent's magnificent countries the time they deserve. But we get it, finding those tucked away, untapped towns isn't as easy as it looks, so don't be ashamed to enlist some help. Opt for a boutique river cruise and you'll be plodding along from the capitals and onto a trail of some of Europe's quaintest riverside towns and cities. Here are five we recommend visiting. ROUEN, FRANCE If Europe is a landmine of historical gems, then Rouen boasts quite a unique collection. The capital of France's Normandy region is nestled along the Seine and best accessed via a cruise. As you drift towards this vibrant city, you will get a glimpse of the first landmark — the Notre Dame cathedral spire. An elaborate example of gothic architecture, the cathedral contains Richard the Lionheart's tomb and was the subject of a number of Monet artworks. Explore the city by foot to appreciate its picturesque cobblestone streets and timber-framed pastel houses dating back to the Middle Ages, and stop by the market square where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 1431. You will also have the opportunity to visit the Normandy beaches — the historical site of WWII's D-Day. But if you're not much of a history buff, Rouen's other big drawcard is food (you are in France, after all) — the gastronomic pleasures to be found in the city are as rich as its history. Take advantage by sampling the luxe butter, cream and some of the freshest fish. COLOGNE, GERMANY The biggest mistake you can make is thinking Berlin is the be all and end all of Germany. Dusseldorf, Heidelberg, Dortmund, Dresden, Rothenburg and Cologne will have you charmed by day, sleepless by night and desperate to drag out your Euro trip just that little bit longer — which is mighty easy on this cruise down the Rhine. If you have to pick just one German city to visit though, go with Cologne. It's a party-meets-history hub that gets far less credit than it deserves, and as such, loses a fair slice of the EU-tourist crowd. To get the full Cologne experience drink the city's Kolsch beer, eat hämmche (like corned beef, but pork knuckle) and make sure you check out a local gig. PASSAU, GERMANY For a city otherwise known as the 'City of Three Rivers', the route to Passau seems fairly obvious. Cruise down the Danube, and the river will converge with two others close to the Austrian border: Inn and Ilz. At this intersection sits Passau's Altstadt (Old Town). It's best appreciated from up high, so pop on those walking shoes and hike to Veste Oberhaus ('Castle on the Hill') or the pilgrimage monastery Mariahilf on the opposite bank. Both spots offer panoramic views of the city's Baroque-style buildings, the domed towers of St Stephen's Cathedral and the surrounding Bavarian countryside. Head in to the Old Town to explore the romantic laneways, archways and squares until you stumble upon a classic Bavarian beer garden to rest those weary legs in. DÜRNSTEIN, AUSTRIA Interesting fact: right near Dürnstein, a roadside memorial marks a pivotal defeat of Napoleon I of France by a combined Russian and Austrian army. And it's hard to be even a little surprised at that fact — Dürnstein is like the first episode of Outlander on steroids (for the unfamiliar, this means abandoned castles, high walls, ruins galore, murals and trees older than your surname). Every cobblestone street leads to a different old and incredible building. It's an hour drive from Vienna, but so much easier to get to — and view — via the water. HAARLEM, NETHERLANDS Haarlem is the capital of North Holland, and, though only a 15-minute train from Amsterdam, is best approached by water (like on this cruise) so you can float by endless fields of tulips on your way into town. We recommend going towards the beginning of summer, or even better, in spring because there are two main things definitely worth seeing in this medieval town: the country's largest organ and the aforementioned tulips, tulips, tulips. Haarlem is in full bloom until the end of May, and boy do they celebrate in style — read: an annual flower parade through the streets. If you're after a day of strolling around in search of some A+ cheese and spectacular buildings, Grote Houtstraat is your spot. It's made up of dozens of side streets that peel off into the city's many quiet nooks and crannies. This Euro summer, plan to head off the very beaten path with U by Uniworld and explore your way around some non-capitals.
Writing a prescient tale is the science-fiction holy grail, and a feat that Philip K Dick firmly achieved. Making a movie that becomes the prevailing vision of what the future might look like in the entire world's minds? That's a stunning filmmaking feat, and one that Ridley Scott notched up as well. The reason for both? On the page, 1968's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. In cinemas, 1982's Blade Runner. And if you need reminding of how stunning a story that the iconic sci-fi author penned, or how spectacular a film that the legendary director then turned it into, look no further than Blade Runner's return to the big screen — with a live score. When Dick pondered the difference between humans and artificial intelligence more than half a century back, he peered forward with revelatory foresight. When Scott followed fresh from Alien, he did the same. Now, in both 2023 and 2024, with the clash between the organic and the digital a daily part of our lives in this ChatGPT-heavy reality, of course it's time for Blade Runner to flicker again. Film lovers, get ready for another dream movie-and-music pairing. Get ready for synths, too. Vangelis' stunning score will echo as Scott's feature screens in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane for Blade Runner Live — an event that premiered in London in 2019, made its way around the UK, then hit Japan earlier in 2023. If this sounds familiar, that's because Melbourne's dates were announced earlier this year; however, now Sydney and Brisbane are joining in. The Victorian capital will host four sessions at Hamer Hall, two each on Saturday, November 4–Sunday, November 5, 2o23. Sydney currently has one date at the Aware Super Theatre on Saturday, February 3, 2024 — and Brisbane will welcome the sci-fi magic at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on Saturday, February 10, 2024. Each session will screen the Final Cut version of the movie. Wondering how it differs from the OG release, and also the House of Gucci, The Last Duel and Napoleon filmmaker's Director's Cut? First unveiled in 2007 for the feature's 25th anniversary, it's the only version that Scott truly had full artistic control over. Blade Runner's narrative, if you're new to the franchise — which also includes exceptional 2017 sequel Blade Runner 2049 and recent animated series Blade Runner: Black Lotus, with a new Blade Runner TV series also on the way — focuses on the one and only Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) as cop Rick Deckard. His task: finding replicants, aka androids, which turns into quite the existential journey. It's almost impossible to name a movie or TV series in sci-fi that's popped up over the four decades since Blade Runner first arrived that hasn't owed Scott's film a massive debt — and any synthesiser-fuelled score that hasn't done the same with Vangelis. And yes, add Blade Runner to the list of favourites getting another silver-screen run that celebrates their tunes heartily, alongside everything from Star Wars: Into the Spider-Verse to The Lion King to Star Wars and Harry Potter, plus The Princess Bride, Home Alone and Toy Story. Check out the trailer for Blade Runner below: BLADE RUNNER LIVE AUSTRALIAN TOUR: Saturday, November 4–Sunday, November 5, 2023 — Hamer Hall, Melbourne Saturday, February 3, 2024 — Aware Super Theatre, ICC, Sydney Saturday, February 10, 2024 — Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Brisbane Blade Runner Live will play Melbourne in November 2023, then Sydney and Brisbane in February 2024. Head to the event website for further details and tickets — with Brisbane pre-sales from Tuesday, October 24 and general sales from Friday, October 27.
"Let's meet at Queen's Wharf." It isn't something that Brisbanites currently say, but they will in a few years time. The CBD area currently bordered by Alice, George, Queen and William Streets is about to get a new name and a new look — and could become somewhere Brisbanites actually hang out at. Okay, so we already knew that change was a-coming to this part of the city. But as of this week, the government has made their pick from the two proposals vying to revamp the space — now we officially know exactly what the current home of government buildings, the casino and not much else of note will look like. The short answer: it's going to be epic. The long answer: keep reading. With 50 restaurants and bars, a riverfront moonlight cinema, a 'skydeck' and nightly water and light shows all slated to become part of the city's new entertainment precinct, you can understand why our future selves will be flocking to Queen's Wharf in droves. Add several apartment towers, five premium hotels, three major entertainment spaces, a pedestrian and cycle bridge to South Bank and a riverside mangrove walk, and the question to ask isn't when Brisbane folks will be there — it's when won't they. The list of additions and attractions doesn't stop there, with the existing Treasury building transforming into a shopping centre, the casino popping up elsewhere in the precinct, and a new 1500-seat lyric theatre joining QPAC. The Queensland Government tasked developers with designing a space that would be the envy of other Australian — and Asian — cities, and it looks like the winner has delivered and then some. Destination Brisbane — comprised of Echo Entertainment Group, Far East Consortium and Chow Tai Fook Enterprises — will be making these inner-city dreams a reality, after beating out a rival proposal from Crown Resorts. Their bid boasts 12 football fields of public event space, has enough open room for 26,000 people, and is expected to become Brisbane's next South Bank, if you're wondering why it emerged victorious. Construction isn't due to start until 2017, so (let's be honest) no one will be rushing to Queen's Wharf just yet. This is one of those circumstances where your mum's advice might come in handy — remember, good things come to those who wait. For more information about Queen's Wharf, visit the Destination Brisbane website.
