New York, Berlin … might Sydney soon be on the list of cultural capitals? If all we do is work and play Facebook, will we explode? Marcus Costello finds out by chatting with a man from the future who happens to be in Australia this week for The Future Laboratory's annual trend briefing. Martin Raymond is the company's co-founder and current strategy and insight director, and he had much to share with us on how trend forecasting works, what shopping centres might look like in the next decade, why you shouldn't make that sea change, and, yes, why Sydney might culturally overtake Melbourne yet. This is certainly a bright and early start for me, but you've just got off a plane, how's it for you? I've just come from Burma, which was part work part play. So I'm in good form. Ah, you're an early adopter of 'The New Sublimity' (The Future Laboratory's term for the impending "digital switch-off, back-to-basics, retreat to nature for emotional reboot" among under 25s). Can you explain the concept to me? [laughs] Sure. In happening cities where stress levels and stimulation are high, the next crop to enter the workforce will start building a buffer between work and free time. They'll realise that work-life balance doesn't work when you can work from anywhere and be contactable 24/7. The nomadic lifestyle that the baby boomers considered romantic when they were in their 20s is actually a practical reality for the upcoming generation thanks to remote computing and other technologies. Kerouac's On the Road was recently made into a film and young progressives are moving to places like Berlin where the bohemian lifestyle is seen as a legitimate way of living. So that's the modus operandi of The Future Laboratory: track what culture is being consumed and make predictions. I'm intrigued because a laboratory suggests a place that makes things. Do you think there's an element of causation in trend forecasting — build it and they will come, sort of thing? Can you really spot things before they happen or is it that you see what's bubbling beneath the surface and foresee its rise? Good question. Our methodology is structured in three branches: Intuition, Observation, and Interrogation. It's the same principle you apply to ethnographic or sociological field studies. With these lines of research you can foresee the rise of organic food a decade before it happens, for example. We also have well-honed observation skills and a solid understanding of mimetics, so it's more than blind predictions. Basically, we identify a pattern then look for the anomalies. These anomalies signal the early adopters and innovators. And there are some cities that better allow for these people to thrive, like Seattle, Seoul, Buenos Aires, Berlin. A place like Munich, on the other hand, is not one of those places. [laughs] My sister is part of a very interesting internet start-up in a town just outside Munich where rent is cheap and good skiing is close-by. Perhaps she's the exception to the rule — or maybe she's an early adopter of The New Sublimity — but it makes me think that the big cultural capitals like Berlin/NYC are nearing saturation with creative professionals, making it prohibitively expensive and competitive. Cities like Detroit, I would have thought, are the ones to watch. Good point. The pendulum does swing, and yes, Detroit has the telltale signs, if you know how to spot them,of a city on the rise: empty warehouses for cheap live-in studios, wide open spaces, young people flocking there. It's the same set of factors that gave rise to East London and so many other cities. The next wave of residents to arrive are those who superficially associate with the core activities but who aren't part of it. They're graphic designers, not artists. They'll buy-in once the aesthetic can be commodified. Hipsters, in a word. NYC is eternally cool but can you tell me about other happening — or about to happen — cultural capitals? I would argue that over the next five years Melbourne will become less of a talking point and Sydney will have its time in the sun. Then again, Sydney will rise because its mimicking Melbourne's laneway culture. Los Angles is on the way up. Vienna is a tired, bourgeois, racist part of Austria, but that makes it rife for a shake-up. It's full of old people about to die, which leaves cheap apartments for students. On the other hand, there's Switzerland, where everything is, well, nice. But I say to people, "Why live in a place where there's nothing to annoy you, to challenge you?" Switzerland will never become fashionable. Canada, likewise, will never become fashionable. Isn't the New Sublimity all about "secular spiritualism as consumers take to the land, sea, beaches and mountains in search of meaning, mindfulness, inattentive learning and an emotional reboot"? Switzerland and Canada both abound in natural wonder. [laughs] Nature doesn't have much to do with cultural revolution. People still want to be in cities, but they'll create mental space to get away, or reinterpret the built environment to make spaces for mindfulness. There's a bunch of guys in NY who have set-up bivouacs on rooftops so people can sleep out and experience the sounds, the smells, the stars of the city. In England it's really trendy to spend time away in monasteries — it's different, it's detached, it's cheap. People don't want a full-blown sea-change because cities are good and, let's be honest, interesting people love the concrete jungle, they're not afraid of it. As soon as you exit the city, you exit life. People who live in the countryside tend to be dull; and worse, they believe that they're living the right way. Well, they're not. They're living their way. As a company who consults to retailers, should retailers be concerned that mindfulness is about to wash over their consumers? One of our clients in the UK, Selfridges, has just produced a festival called No Noise which embraced the concept of the New Sublimity. They created rooms within the department store where shoppers could go to relax. So they can revitalise for more shopping. They could do that. But they also had night walks, and walks with philosophers and all kinds of things. They even persuaded brands to remove logos and graphics from their products. Of course, this actually reinforces brand identity because consumers have to consider product design. Yes, you could say it's a cynical exercise in retail marketing, but it's no more cynical than religion. If there's a trend that questions the nature of consumption and you can turn a profit from that as a retailer, well, I think that's a good thing. I'd rather consumers shop with a sense of why they're shopping than with no sense at all. Consumers are clever, they know what's online, and this is a really problem for retailers. The customer base is nomadic like a hobo and what attracts the hobo is the bright glittering light on the horizon and retailers are failing to offer that. Isn't what attracts the hobo a turning away from commercial consumption? That depends on how you define commercialism. At the moment people are spending their money on experiences: theatre, music, food, conviviality. To me, that's commercial and I'm not inclined to separate commerce and culture. As we continue to shop online we are going to expect more cultural experiences from our stores. Rousseau wrote about 19th-century department stores as places of education and imagination; places where someone could go to see the world brought to them. That's how we think about galleries and museums today and how we might think about department stores tomorrow. The Future Laboratory 2013 Australian Trend Briefings will be held in Melbourne on Thursday, February 14, and in Sydney on Tuesday, February 19. Go here for more details.
When a venue is called Winghaus, it's obvious what's on the menu. This chain doesn't just love chicken pieces, however; it also adores sport. So, with for the 2023 Women's World Cup, of course it's celebrating. On offer: games on the big screens, plus slivers of chook with inventive flavours based on the competing soccer squads. Head to the brand's sites — including its Brisbane CBD joint and in Bowen Hills — until Sunday, August 20 for the Winghaus Women's World Cup. Here, you'll feast your way through the football frenzy with chicken salt, maple bacon, salsa brava and curry ketchup wings, plus chimichurri, Korean barbecue, and Manuka honey and lemon. Can you pick which variety goes with which team? The chicken salt is in honour of the Matildas, of course. Ten countries are represented, also spanning the US, Germany, England, Canada, Brazil, South Korea, New Zealand, China and Spain. Prefer a vegetarian version? Cauliflower wings are on the menu as well — and, either way, you'll pay $16–19 for ten pieces, $29–32 for 20, $59–62 for 50 and $109–112 for 100.
Calling all sleuths of Melbourne — and of Brisbane, too. If you haven't fulfilled your murder-mystery fix on the big and small screens over the past few years, then you'd best make a theatre date with the world's longest-running play. Here are three questions for you to solve before you get there: what is it, who wrote it and when is it coming your way? The answers: The Mousetrap, the one and only Agatha Christie, and this November in Brisbane — and next February in Melbourne, after first hitting up Sydney from October. Initially premiering in London's West End in 1952, The Mousetrap has been treading the boards in the UK ever since, only pausing during to pandemic venue closures. When theatres reopened in Britain, so did the show. Indeed, when it makes its way to Sydney's Theatre Royal from October, The Mousetrap will do so 70 years to the month that it first debuted. Unsurprisingly, that hefty run means that the show has enjoyed the longest stint for any West End production, and for any play anywhere in the world. So far, there's been more than 28,500 London performances. To answer the other obvious question, yes, it's a whodunnit. The murder-mystery starts with news of a killing in London — and with seven people snowed in at a guest house in the country. They're strangers, which is classic Christie. When a police sergeant arrives on skis, they're told that the murderer is among them (which, again, is vintage Christie). They all have wild pasts, too, and all those details are spilled as they're interrogated, and also try to work out who among them is the killer. Those guests at Monkswell Manor include a pair of newlyweds who run the house, a spinster, an architect who is handy in the kitchen, a retired Army major, a man who says his car has overturned in a drift, and a jurist. Naturally, there's another death as they'e all puzzling it over — and a twist conclusion, which audiences have been requested not to reveal after leaving the theatre for seven decades now. Again, it's all Christie all over, which'll be evident if you've seen the recent film versions of Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile — or the original cinema adaptations, or read the books, or devoured anything else that Christie ever wrote. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Mousetrap Australia (@themousetrapau) The Mousetrap originated as a short radio play, which was written as a birthday present for Queen Mary. It aired in 1947 under the name Three Blind Mice, after which Christie rewrote it as a short story, then adapted it again for the stage as The Mousetrap. And no, there isn't a movie of it — because Christie stipulated that it can't leap to the screen until at least six months after the West End production closes. Clearly, that hasn't happened yet. In Australia, the play will hit the stage with Robyn Nevin directing and John Frost for Crossroads Live Australia producing. Cast-wise, Anna O'Byrne (My Fair Lady, Love Never Dies) will play Mollie Ralston, who owns Monkswell Manor, and Alex Rathgeber (Anything Goes, The Phantom of the Opera) will play Giles Ralston, Mollie's husband. Also set to feature: Laurence Boxhall (As You Like It, Jumpy) as Christopher Wren, a young guest; Geraldine Turner (Present Laughter, Don's Party) as Mrs Boyle, a former magistrate; Adam Murphy (Shakespeare in Love, Aladdin), as retired British military officer Major Metcalf; and debutant Charlotte Friels as the aloof Miss Casewell. Gerry Connolly (Cyrano de Bergerac, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui) will pop up, too, as unexpected guest Mr Paravicini, and Tom Conroy (Jasper Jones, My Brilliant Career) will play Detective Sergeant Trotter. THE MOUSETRAP AUSTRALIAN 2022–23 SEASON: From Saturday, October 8, 2022 — Theatre Royal Sydney From Thursday, November 3, 2022 — QPAC, Brisbane From Friday, February 17, 2023 — Comedy Theatre, Melbourne Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap will play Sydney's Theatre Royal from Saturday, October 8, 2022, then head to QPAC in Brisbane from Thursday, November 3, 2022 and to Melbourne's Comedy Theatre from Friday, February 17, 2023. Tickets for the Brisbane shows start pre-sales from Wednesday, August 24 and general sales from Friday, August 26, while tickets for Melbourne start pre-sales from Wednesday, September 7 and general sales from Friday, September 9. For further details, head to the play's website. Top image: Matt Crockett.
Online shopping, like Zoom meetings, trying new cooking projects and watching every single thing you can on every single streaming platform, has been a big part of 2020. But if you've been spending your time at home browsing for and buying clothes, you might've noticed that you couldn't purchase anything from Swedish retail giant H&M — because, although it has had bricks-and-mortar shops in Australia for years, it hadn't yet launched its online store on our shores. The key word in that last sentence is 'yet', because H&M have just this week started selling its fashion items online to Aussie customers. You can now head to the company's website and peruse its range of women's, men's and kids' clothing — whether you're in need of some new threads to lounge around in while the world is still returning to normal, or a fresh outfit for your next trip out of the house. https://twitter.com/hmaustralia/status/1318306696536543232 As part of the launch, H&M is also giving customers 20 percent off one purchase if you join its new, free membership program. You'll score the discount online or, if there's a store near you and it's currently open, you can redeem it in-person as well — with the offer available until Sunday, November 1. Members also receive free shipping for orders over $60, and free returns as well. And if you'd rather do your online browsing from your phone, H&M's Australian online store is also available via its app. To shop H&M's online store in Australia, visit the retailer's website or download its app. Top image: ©2014 Rocket Mattler.
A River Without Banks is a wholly drawing exhibition which questions and expands upon the medium while also celebrating the fluidity and precision that drawing allows its masters. There is a certain realism that drawing affords an artist, while also the freedom to construct an image so distanced from reality. Philosophy meets interactivity as works ranging from small sketches to installation pieces fill the exhibition. Featured artists include Tom Brooks, Christopher Handran, Charie Hillhouse, Luke Kidd, Carly Scoufos and Tachika Yokota. The exhibition itself will run until the 14th of December; however, the opening night celebrations will take place on December 6th from 6pm. This exhibition is supported by Media Art Asia Pacific, who facilitate critical ideas, spaces and contexts within art, across Australia and the Asia Pacific regions.
When Super Mario Kart first rolled onto Super Nintendo consoles back in 1992, it came with 20 inventive courses and endless hours of fun. Nearly three decades later, the game has become a beloved phenomenon — not just speeding through desert tracks and rainbow roads, but onto Google Maps and mobile phones, and also into reality. The hugely popular game's next stop? Theme parks. Although an exact opening date hasn't yet been announced — and its launch has already been pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic — in 2021 you'll be able to enjoy a real-life Mario Kart experience as part of the first-ever Super Nintendo World. Initially announced back in 2017, the new site is joining Universal Studios in Osaka, with the park revealing this month that it'll open its latest addition early in the new year. Just what Super Nintendo World will entail has been a source of mystery over the past few years, but more and more details are slowly being unveiled. Yes, Mario Kart features as part of a new ride, with Mark Woodbury, President of Universal Creative and Vice Chairman Universal Parks & Resorts, calling the racing component "a new kind of attraction". Exactly what that means is yet to be revealed; however, it's safe to assume that fans will be able to strap into some kind of moving kart. What else could a Mario Kart ride feature? [caption id="attachment_785957" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Universal Studios Japan[/caption] Osaka's Super Nintendo World will also take over multiple levels — fitting for a gaming-themed space — and recreate the brand's popular characters and themes, complete with other rides, restaurants and shops. A certain highlight: the world's first Mario cafe, which is actually launching this week, on Friday, October 16, ahead of the rest of the site. Here, patrons will be surrounded by oversized Mario and Luigi hat sculptures, the whole space will be kitted out with a red and green colour scheme, and Mario Kart-style checkered floors will be a feature. As for what you'll be snacking on, there'll be Mario pancake sandwiches and cream sodas, plus other drinks available in 'super mushroom' souvenir bottles. Basically, in general around the venue, you can expect Mario and Mario-related characters to pop up often — with Universal Studios confirming that it'll boast a Yoshi ride, a Mushroom Kingdom, Peach's Castle and Bowser's Castle. "Think of Super Nintendo World as a life-size, living video game where you become one of the characters," explained Thierry Coup, Senior Vice President and Chief Creative Officer, Universal Creative. "You're not just playing the game; you're living the game, you're living the adventure." With that in mind, the theme park will introduce wearable wrist bands, called Power Up Bands — which'll connect to a special app and allow patrons to interact with the site using their arms, hands and bodies. That mightn't sound all that exciting, but the bands will enable you to collect coins just like Mario does in the Super Mario games. Like the red-capped plumber, you'll also be able to hit question blocks to do reveal more coins. And there'll be collectible items to gather, such as character stamps, which you'll find after achieving various goals. The stamps will also earn you even more coins — so you really will be basically playing Super Mario in real life. You will have to buy a Power Up Band separate to your entry ticket to enjoy that element of the park, though. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKCqJ8llKuA While it doesn't give away a whole lot, Universal Studios previously released a new Super Nintendo World song and music video with Charli XCX and Galantis, which they say "showcases the activities based on the real and interactive experiences available at Super Nintendo World". For now, all other specifics remain sparse; however, given that Nintendo's game stable includes everything from Donkey Kong to Tetris and The Legend of Zelda, there's plenty more to play with. Our suggestions: real-life Tetris, where you move bricks around in person, or a Donkey Kong water ride that uses the game's iconic aquatic music. While no one is travelling far at present, Universal Studios is also planning Super Nintendo Worlds for its other parks in Hollywood, Orlando and in Singapore — if you need to add more places to your must-visit list when international tourism starts returning to normal. The latter was just announced last year, and is set to open by 2025. Super Nintendo World is slated to open at Universal Studios Osaka in early 2021 — we'll update you with an exact date when one is announced. Top image: Super Nintendo World 'We Are Born to Play' by Galantis ft. Charli XCX.
Whilst Splendour may not be an option like last weekend, you can still enjoy the ear candy on offer this week from the likes of HAIM, Dive In and Horroshow. 1. 'The Wire' - HAIM HAIM have perfected the art of teasing. The L.A. sisters have been one of the most deservedly hyped bands of 2013, having delivered last year's treats including 'Falling' and 'Forever'. Everyone is waiting for the (hopefully) imminent announcement of their first full album, and whilst on our shores for Splendour in the Grass last weekend they released 'The Wire', suggesting the time is nigh and that it will be everything we hoped for and more. 'The Wire' begins slowly as all the band's songs generally do, but it builds into a layer of harmonies and strong beats that will have you putting this on repeat for weeks. 2. 'Let Go' - Dive In This UK foursome from Glastonbury are relatively unknown, not even cracking 500 likes on Facebook yet. However, if they keep serving up audio meals like 'Let Go' then they could soon be playing their hometown festival sooner rather than later. With pop hooks plucked straight from the '80s, this is a song for all seasons and occasions. 3. 'Hearts Like Ours' - The Naked & Famous The New Zealand electro-pop band is back. After touring their debut album, Passive Me, Aggressive You, globally for two years, they sat down and recorded their much-anticipated follow-up In Rolling Waves, due for release September 13. Luckily they have given us 'Hearts Like Ours' to tide us over until then, a sprightly single with a mammoth chorus, a formula now synonymous with the band. Expect to hear this track on every summer-related television commercial later this year. 4. 'All Night' - Icona Pop The emerging Swedish queens of pop anthems are at it again. After their smash hit 'I Love It' received worldwide acclaim, they have now treated all of us to their next production set to take over party playlists, 'All Night'. This song will literally keep anyone and everyone dancing all night long with its simple beat carrying the infectious melody all the way through to the morning where you can look forward to their new album This Is...Icona Pop dropping on September 24. 5. 'Unfair Lottery' - Horrorshow Aussie hip hop heroes Horrorshow have been hard at work the past few years. The boys from Sydney's inner west have been busy touring the country, sometimes by themselves and sometimes alongside their musical brothers in Spit Syndicate and Jackie Onassis, and all of this has meant fans have had to wait almost four years for a new album. However, today saw Kings Amongst Many hit stands and 'Unfair Lottery' is the leading track, giving a lesson in lyricism to all ready to listen.
Penélope Cruz didn't score an Oscar this year for Parallel Mothers. Her husband Javier Bardem didn't win one for Being the Ricardos, either. And, just a couple of years ago, Antonio Banderas also didn't nab a shiny Academy Award for Pain and Glory — but the three acclaimed actors are all winners at the 2022 Spanish Film Festival. The annual cinema showcase spotlights not just Spanish but also Latin American cinema, and it's back for another Aussie tour throughout April and May — hitting up Brisbane's Palace Barracks and Palace James Street from Thursday, April 28–Wednesday, May 18. On the bill: 34 movies that hail from both regions, or tie into them in one way or another, including several with Cruz, Bardem and or Banderas at their centre. Kickstarting this year's Spanish Film Festival with the Cruz- and Banderas-starring Official Competition must've been the easiest programming choice in the fest's history. A filmmaking satire, it casts Cruz as a famous director entrusted to bring a Nobel Prize-winning novel about sibling rivalry to the screen, and enlists Banderas as a Hollywood heartthrob. Throw all of that together and it's clearly film festival catnip, as the movie's berths at overseas fests such as Venice, Toronto and San Sebastián have already shown — and it'll enjoy its Australia premiere as the Spanish Film Festival's opening night pick. The aforementioned — and sublime — Parallel Mothers is also on the lineup after releasing in Aussie cinemas earlier this year, if you missed it then. And, so are two Cruz-Bardem collaborations: Jamón Jamón, the pair's first film together, which marks its 30th anniversary in 2022, and 2017's Loving Pablo, which sees Bardem play Pablo Escobar. Of course, the Spanish Film Festival spans plenty of movies that don't star Spanish cinema's best-known acting names, too — with 2022 Goya-winning political drama Maixabel, fellow Goya-recipient Mediterráneo: The Law of the Sea, psychological horror flick The House of Snails, road-movie comedy Carpoolers, and the coming-of-age-focused Once Upon a Time in Euskadi also on the program. Or, there's Girlfriends, about childhood pals reuniting; dramatic thriller The Daughter, which hones in on a pregnant teen; mother-daughter drama Ama; the Himalayas-set Beyond the Summit; and The Cover, about a pop star impersonator. From the Cine Latino strand, ten films hail from the likes of Argentina, Mexico, Uruguay and the Dominican Republic — including rom-com The Big Love Picture, thriller Immersion, the footballer-centric 9 and Goya-winner (yes, another one) Forgotten We'll Be. Plus, the lineup also includes Language Lessons, which is directed by and starring Natalie Morales (The Little Things), and also features Mark Duplass (Bombshell) — with the pair navigating an online setup to play a Spanish teacher and her student. And, there's sessions of the Spanish-language version of Disney's Encanto as well.
When Super Mario Kart first rolled onto Super Nintendo consoles back in 1992, it came with 20 inventive courses and endless hours of fun. Nearly three decades later, the game has become a beloved phenomenon — not just speeding through desert tracks and rainbow roads, but onto Google Maps and mobile phones, and also into reality. The hugely popular game's next stop? Theme parks. Although an exact opening date hasn't yet been announced, by July this year you'll be able to enjoy a real-life Mario Kart experience as part of the first-ever Super Nintendo World. Initially announced back in 2017, the new site is joining Universal Studios in Osaka — and it's due to launch before this year's Tokyo Olympics, which run from July 24–August 9. Just what Super Nintendo World will entail has been a source of mystery over the past few years, but details are slowly being unveiled. Yes, Mario Kart features as part of a new ride, with Mark Woodbury, President of Universal Creative and Vice Chairman Universal Parks & Resorts, calling the racing component "a new kind of attraction". Exactly what that means is yet to be revealed; however it's safe to assume that fans will be able to strap into some kind of moving kart. What else could a Mario Kart ride feature? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKCqJ8llKuA Osaka's Super Nintendo World will also take over multiple levels — fitting for a gaming-themed space — and recreate the brand's popular characters and themes, complete with other rides, restaurants and shops. Expect Mario and Mario-related characters to feature heavily, with Universal Studios confirming that it'll boast a Yoshi ride, a Mushroom Kingdom, Peach's Castle and Bowser's Castle. "Think of Super Nintendo World as a life-size, living video game where you become one of the characters," explained Thierry Coup, Senior Vice President and Chief Creative Officer, Universal Creative. "You're not just playing the game; you're living the game, you're living the adventure." With that in mind, the theme park will introduce wearable wrist bands, called Power Up Bands — which'll connect to a special app and allow patrons to interact with the site using their arms, hands and bodies. That mightn't sound all that exciting, but the bands will enable you to collect coins just like Mario does in the Super Mario games. Like the red-capped plumber, you'll also be able to hit question blocks to do reveal more coins. And there'll be collectible items to gather, such as character stamps, which you'll find after achieving various goals. The stamps will also earn you even more coins — so you really will be basically playing Super Mario in real life. You will have to buy a Power Up Band separate to your entry ticket to enjoy that element of the park, though. While it doesn't give away a whole lot, Universal Studios has also released a new Super Nintendo World song and music video with Charli XCX and Galantis, which they say "showcases the activities based on the real and interactive experiences available at Super Nintendo World". For now, all other specifics remain sparse; however given that Nintendo's game stable includes everything from Donkey Kong to Tetris and The Legend of Zelda, there's plenty more to play with. Our suggestions: real-life Tetris, where you move bricks around in person, or a Donkey Kong water ride that uses the game's iconic aquatic music. Can't make it to Japan any time soon? Universal Studios is also planning Super Nintendo Worlds for its other parks in Hollywood, Orlando and in Singapore. The latter was just announced last year, and is set to open by 2025. When Super Nintendo World launches at Universal Studios Osaka, it'll join Japan's growing list of pop culture-themed attractions — including the towering Godzilla and Gundam statues, a forthcoming Godzilla attraction that you'll be able to zipline into, the existing Studio Ghibli Museum, the in-progress Studio Ghibli theme park, Tokyo Disney Resort in general and the Japanese park's upcoming Toy Story hotel, to name just a few. On the international theme park scene, it's also a great time to live out your love for your favourite films, shows and games. As well as all of the above, both Walt Disney World and Disneyland in the US opened Star Wars theme park zones last year, a Star Wars hotel is also coming to Walt Disney World in 2021, and a Marvel hotel is slated for Disneyland Paris. Super Nintendo World is slated to open at Universal Studios Osaka in July 2020. Top image: Super Nintendo World 'We Are Born to Play' by Galantis ft. Charli XCX.
The settings vary, and the motley crew of characters involved, too, but many whodunnits share the same premise. Take a ragtag group of folks, pop them all in the same spot, kill one off and then start asking questions — that's it, that's the formula. It works for boardgame Cluedo, it worked for Agatha Christie and her lengthy list of Hercule Poirot novels and stories, and it's also been behind everything from Knives Out and The Translators to Only Murders in the Building in the past few years. So, when Apple TV+'s new murder-mystery series The Afterparty kicks off, it's familiar by design, but this streaming bash is just getting started. Adding a new comic sleuthing series to your queue, and filling that Only Murders-shaped hole in your life, this eight-part show sports a killer cast: Sam Richardson (Detroiters), Ben Schwartz (Space Force), Zoe Chao (Love Life), Ilana Glazer (Broad City), Ike Barinholtz (The Mindy Project), Dave Franco (If Beale Street Could Talk), Tiffany Haddish (The Card Counter), Jamie Demetriou (The Great) and John Early (Search Party). It's also home to a savvy spin on its oft-used scenario. Rather than skewering true-crime podcasting, this quickly addictive comedy from writer/director Christopher Miller (The Lego Movie) toys with a basic truth. We all know that every tale differs depending on the perspective, so The Afterparty has fun with the idea. Of course, whodunnits always hinge upon this exact fact, as many an interrogation scene has demonstrated. Miller has also clearly seen iconic Japanese film Rashomon, which is famed for baking the notion into its whole story. And, considering that The Afterparty's big murder takes place after a school function, there's a touch of Big Little Lies at play here as well. That said, with his directing partner Phil Lord, Miller has made a career out of getting smart and funny with familiar parts (see also: 21 Jump Street and 22 Jump Street, plus Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs). That's firmly still the case with his latest venture into TV, following writing for How I Met Your Mother, directing the pilot of Brooklyn Nine-Nine and executive producing The Last Man on Earth. The Afterparty's setup: at the afterparty (obviously) following his 15-year high-school reunion, obnoxious autotune-abusing pop star Xavier (Franco) winds up dead on the rocks beneath his lavish mansion. Everyone is shocked but no one is overly upset, which gives determined Detective Danner (Haddish) plenty of suspects. With her partner Culp (Early), she starts grilling Xavier's former classmates one by one to find out who's responsible, with most of the show's episodes dedicated to a different person. The interrogations begin with the sensible Aniq (the always-great Richardson), who was hoping to finally make a move on his schoolyard crush Zoe (Chao), only for his night to get sidetracked well before anyone got murderous. After Aniq's version of events, Danner hears from Zoe's macho ex Brett (Barinholtz) in The Afterparty's second episode, which takes the show further into the couple's seemingly chalk-and-cheese — and now very much over — marriage. Next comes Aniq's best bud Yasper (Schwartz, riffing on Parks and Recreation's Jean-Ralphio without being quite as ridiculous) and his dreams of leveraging his connection with Xavier, who he used to be in a ska band with, to launch his own music career. The fourth episode focuses on Chelsea (Glazer), who has been the class outcast since a high-school scandal. And, in the fifth, those teenage days get their time in the spotlight. Miller doesn't just switch between perspectives episode by episode, or give most of his well-known cast their moments to shine — a task that Richardson, Barinholtz, Schwartz and Glazer are all up to, and Chao and Haddish in the series' sixth and seventh episodes, too. He also styles each of The Afterparty's chapters after a different genre, so the show filters its sleuthing comedy through rom-com tropes, action-movie conventions and musical flourishes (yes, that's Schwartz's High School Musical-esque focus episode). Psychological thrillers also get a look in, as do teen party flicks. The list goes on. Whodunnits have long played with other genres, but Miller's addition to the fold layers them all together like a murder-mystery onion. The cast is top-notch. The writing is clever. Surprises arrive frequently, and the throwaway gags — including the jokes involving Xavier's film career, cameos from other famous faces and magnificent 80s yacht-rock references included — are simply glorious. If Apple TV+ wasn't dropping episodes weekly following the show's initial three-chapter launch, The Afterparty would be an easy binge, although going the week-to-week route extends the fun. There's also a great time to be had with the series' genre- and viewpoint-bending touches, which help the show twist in its own directions, tell its tale with flair and approach its entire premise with a savvy sense of humour. Bringing is own vibe to the murder-mystery party, this is one streaming shindig well worth attending. Check out the trailer below: The first five episodes of The Afterparty are available to stream via Apple TV+, with new instalments dropping weekly.
It's an interesting experience to watch a film when you know exactly how it's going to end. And when that end is tragedy, it's more interesting still. In the case of Fruitvale Station, Ryan Coogler's debut feature film, we're aware from the word go that the film culminates in the fatal shooting of a young man. Don't fret, it's not a spoiler: the movie opens with the camera phone footage of the shooting captured by witnesses. It's an interesting way to open the film, as you become instantly aware of the gravity of the movie. You have just witnessed a man die, and you are about to see why. Twenty-two-year-old Oscar Grant (Michael B. Jordan) was shot in the back by police officers in the early hours of New Year's Day, 2009, and Fruitvale Station lays out his final hours. The film tracks Grant's relationships with the major players in his life — his mother, his girlfriend, his daughter. The audience is allowed, in a somewhat voyeuristic way, to look into the life of a regular guy. A life that ends up being cut far too short. The film itself is beautifully made. It's filmed entirely with a handheld camera (much like another Sundance Winner, Beasts of the Southern Wild), which adds to the effect of the audience bearing witness to a life, not a story. The camerawork also mimics the actual footage at the start of the film, lending a certain truthfulness to the entire piece. The score is played down and sombre, and so doesn't detract from the dialogue, the plot and the actors at all, while still building a mood of dull dread. The actors are phenomenal, with Jordan (from The Wire and Friday Night Lights) tenaciously capturing the character of a young man yearning for a second chance. In support, The Help's Octavia Spencer is the perfect picture of a concerned and loving mother, and 29-year-old indie star Melonie Diaz is beautifully heartbreaking as Grant's girlfriend, Sophina. The film was produced by screen legend Forest Whitaker and has cleaned up on the awards circuit, including taking out the Grand Jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival. The events that transpired at Fruitvale Station featured heavily in the US headlines, detailing the questionably unsubstantiated murder of a young man by law enforcement officers. Oscar Grant's death was a terrible tragedy, and Fruitvale Station carries that emotion onto the silver screen. A film of unmet redemption, it's a stunningly made, deeply emotional story that will have you glued to your seat and, perhaps, wiping away tears. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ceVVVils8z4
Grocery shopping with Grandma just got real serious. It has just been announced that infrared shopping trolleys will be introduced at IGA stores in Brisbane in February, following successful trials over the past few months. These trolleys feature LCD screens which can locate items within the store, notify you of current specials, and scan your items so you can keep within your budget. If that wasn't enough, trackers in the supermarket ceilings can locate your trolley and let you know which aisle you're in. Keep your fingers crossed for these super-intelligent trolleys to appear at a store near you. Handling one of these four-wheelers means that choosing your cereal won't be a chore, it will soon become a hobby. [via Gizmodo]
UPDATE: MARCH 24, 2020 — Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has provided further details about the state's border closure from midnight, which comes into effect on Wednesday, March 25. "Unless you are returning home to Queensland, or you are coming to Queensland for an essential purpose like work or a medical appointment, or freight issues, then the border is closed to you," she announced. "People should stay in their own state — and where, as far as possible, they should be staying in their suburbs and as much as possible staying at home." The closure covers all Queensland borders, including access via road, rail, sea and air. Police will be stationed along border highways, and will meet travellers arriving at airports. Anyone who is allowed to come into Queensland without an essential purpose will be required to self-isolate for 14 days, regardless of whether they have symptoms of COVID-19. Exemptions to border closure requirements apply for freight, travelling to and from work, compassionate grounds, medical treatment, court orders including family court, emergency vehicles and emergency workers. For folks who live in the Queensland–New South Wales border region around Coolangatta and Tweed Heads, they'll be allowed to cross the border for essential purposes — such as the aforementioned reasons. Permits or stickers are currently being considered, with further details about the practical requirements set to be announced before the border closure comes into effect. In the latest attempt to stop the spread of COVID-19 in Queensland, the state's borders will close from midnight on Wednesday, March 25. The decision was made by the state's cabinet, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced today, Monday, March 23, via social media — with specific details due to be revealed on Tuesday, March 24 following a meeting of the Queensland Disaster Management Committee. https://www.facebook.com/annastaciamp/photos/a.632302466800934/3031242743573549/?type=3&theater The Premier has flagged that there will be exemptions to the border closure, although just what they'll be hasn't yet been unveiled. In order to keep the flow of goods coming into the state — including, crucially, food — the ABC notes that freight is expected to be exempt. The Guardian reports that the border restrictions will apply to 'non-essential' visitors. That means Queensland residents will still be able to return to the state; however upon arrival, they'll need to self-isolate for 14 days. To be allowed across the border, it's expected that all other arrivals will need to prove that they can self-isolate for 14 days. Queensland has already partially shut its borders, with the state's western border with the Northern Territory closed over the weekend to help protect the Territory's remote Indigenous communities from the coronavirus. As of Sunday, March 22, 259 Queenslanders have tested positive for COVID-19. The Queensland border closure follows a number of other strategies across Australia to contain the pandemic, with limitations and restrictions updating frequently. Both New South Wales and Victoria have also announced shutdowns of non-essential services, while Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory have already announced or implemented border closures. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. Top image: Tourism and Events Queensland.
Every Brisbanite has caught a CityCat at some point. Since picnic boats started motoring up and down the river, you might've eaten lunch while sailing through the city with your mates, too. And, you could've also pedalled a floating bike along the waterway — because, when it comes to making the most of this River City, there's no shortage of options. The next way to cruise down the Brown Snake comes courtesy of Museum of Brisbane, with the CBD venue launching its own boat tours in late 2021. Obviously, you won't be hopping onboard at its usual address. Instead, you'll mosey down to the City Botanic Gardens, then spend three hours floating past historic landmarks. Running every Wednesday and Sunday, the Tides of Brisbane boat tours will deep into Brissie history — verbally, not literally, of course. So, you'll hear about important sites, convict-built structures and more, all while soaking in quite the view. The latter is one of the reasons that new ways to hop on the river keep popping up, after all. This is Museum of Brisbane's first-ever boat tour, following its popular walking options — such as its new public art tour that also launched in 2021. Twenty people can hop onboard at once, and each $120 tour includes a stop at Sea Legs Brewing Co in Kangaroo Point; however, you will need to pay extra for food and drink.
Whether it's predatory behaviour, racial slurs or people being too pushy in a crowded space, there is always behaviour at music festivals that makes people — generally minorities or females — feel unsafe. Like day-to-day life, it's unfortunately part of the experience. But after five women reported being sexually assaulted at the Marion Bay leg of Falls Festival over the New Year period, Laneway Festival has announced it will instate a hotline that punters can call in real time to report harassment or disrespectful behaviour on its 2017 tour. It's the first time Laneway has provided such a service, but it's an extension of the boss ladies of Melbourne band Camp Cope's #ItTakesOne campaign, which they launched last year to call-out and end harassment at gigs. The idea is that it only takes one dickhead to do something to make someone feel unsafe, but it also only takes one person to call them out and stop it. In a video released this week — which also includes Julia Jacklin and Ella Thompson from GL — Camp Cope said they wanted "to ensure everyone at our shows feels valued and important — our music is for anyone to enjoy, and to feel safe and respected while they're enjoying it". If you've got a ticket to Laneway — which heads to Melbourne this weekend and Sydney the next — jot down the number 1800 LANEWAY (that's 1800 526 3929). If you see any shitty or disrespectful behaviour, give it a call. An on-the-ground operator will be able to help you and sort the situation out. Look after your mates and the people around you to make sure everyone has the opportunity to dance their heart out while feeling safe. Image: Andy Fraser.
Jason Schwartzman as a private detective. That's it — that's the show. In Bored to Death, the Wes Anderson favourite plays Jonathan Ames, a Brooklyn-based writer who moonlights as a sleuth, pals around with a comic book artist played by Zach Galifianakis and sees a literary magazine editor played by Ted Danson as his surrogate father figure. Adding another layer of eccentricity: the fact that Bored to Death was created and written by an author also called Jonathan Ames, who later wrote the novella that excellent hitman thriller You Were Never Really Here was based on. But even without that nifty trivia tidbit, this is a delightfully offbeat three-season gumshoe series that deservedly amassed quite the cult following when it initially aired from 2009–11. Also, everyone from Jenny Slate and Kristen Wiig to Patton Oswalt and Isla Fisher co-star.
UPDATE Monday, September 27: Guns N' Roses Australian and New Zealand tour has been postponed to November and December 2022. You can find all the details at the Guns N' Roses website. "Stadium rock is back!" pronounces the tour poster for the newly announced Guns N' Roses tour of Australia and New Zealand. The tour, scheduled for November 2021, is the first international stadium tour announcement since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The eight-stop tour will hit Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Adelaide and Perth, as well as Wellington and Dunedin, between Saturday, November 6, 2021 and Wednesday, November 24, 2021. The idea of stadium shows doesn't feel too far fetched after the latest State of Origin match was played in front of a full crowd following the rolling back of event restrictions in Queensland. New Zealand stadiums are also back to full capacity and Sydney is hosting a pair COVID-safe stadium gigs on Saturday, November 28 and Saturday, December 5. The biggest challenge to the tour going ahead will be Australian borders, which remain shut with no clear indication of when they may reopen. It's been a while between drinks for Guns N' Roses fans, with the rock band last touring Australia in 2017 on the Not in This Lifetime tour, the first tour to see founding members Axel Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan all take the stage together in over a decade. Following the tour, the band left fans hanging with Slash tweeting that the band would be back Down Under soon. Three years on and fans are waiting for a November Rain singalong in a packed stadium. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SbUC-UaAxE GUNS N' ROSES AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND TOUR DATES 2021 Gold Coast – Saturday, November 6, Metricon Stadium Adelaide – Tuesday, November 9, Adelaide Oval Melbourne – Thursday, November 11, Melbourne Cricket Ground Sydney – Sunday, November 14, ANZ Stadium Wellington – Friday, November 19, Sky Stadium Dunedin – Sunday, November 21, Forsyth Barr Stadium Perth – Wednesday, November 24, Optus Stadium Members of Guns N' Roses Nightrain Club will have access to pre-sale tickets on Monday, November 23 from gunsnroses.com. General public tickets are on sale on Thursday, November 26 from Ticketek Australia and New Zealand. Image: Raph_PH via Flickr
Saving water is one of those things that your parents drilled into you as a young kid as you recklessly allowed the tap to run a little longer than you're supposed to. And while water supply has not been under the same scrutiny as global warming of late, it remains a top environmental concern beaten only by climate change and the issue of finding alternative sources of energy. Luckily saving water can be as simple as capturing rainwater in some sort of dispenser to be stored, treated and reused. The Rainbarrel Man Co. builds wood clad, steel banded rain barrels from repurposed material; they use western red cedar wood purchased from local saw mills (usually salvaged lumber). The result is an attractive rain harvesting system that can be paired with a drip irrigation kit or a storm water manager. While the storm water manager allows you to direct the collected water to your bioswale or rain garden, the drip irrigation kit can be used to water your plants at the roots. An added bonus to this is that collecting rain water and reusing it prevents the polluted storm water (which carry pesticides and animal waste) from entering our drains and contaminating natural surroundings. Once your Rainbarrel is installed, you'll need to add a pump system that distributes your stored water around your garden year round. RainPerfect is easy to install, costs just US$139 and converts the sun's rays into sustainable energy. And if you want to take your environmentally habits indoors, Pensar Development's Indulgence concept shower learns your individual shower habits and routines to reduce water usage in the home. Cycles consist of a low-flow initial rinse, followed by warming mist jets before finishing with a second low-flow rinse.
Back in 2006 IMA showcased Swiss artist Olaf Breuning's two-channel video odyssey, Home. Back with what looks like a handyman video diary or amateur travel documentary (but in a good way) Breuning brings us Home 2 - the mondo-jackass sequel. The clarify, the screening depicts dress up pranks played on natives across the world. In one situation Kerstetter's character wears a gorilla-costume head brilliantly matched with an AC/DC shit to meet the locals of Papua New Guinea. In Japan he persuades passer-bys to post with him to cat masks (see picture) and in Switzerland he strips Swiss men of their traditional Appenzell costumes and gives them to females to wear as drag. The point of this movie you might ask? An apparent need to seek harmony and human connection while finding a home in the worlds of others. Although the effect is total alienation, I guess it works, to some extent. If you missed the first one, it's not a big worry. You can enjoy Home 2 without the introduction of his previous success. If you enjoy light, immature, handy cam comedy - this one's for you.
When Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows dropped its last terrible three words on us at the close of the book, all was not well. It would never be well without Harry, Ron, Hermione fighting the Dark Lord in a series of fantastical and wholly engrossing scenarios. But, little did we know, this would not be the end of the Age of Harry Potter. Thanks to the internet and the sheer demand for all things HP, Harry has lived on through new books, fan website Pottermore, the Fantastic Beasts film spinoff series and all manner of events dedicated to the franchise. One of the biggest things to come of the post-Harry Potter era has been Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, of course — aka the West End play that's essentially the eighth book in the series. It first arrived in Australia in February 2019, hitting up Melbourne's Princess Theatre, and proved unsurprisingly popular. And while it's about to return after the city's latest lockdown — from Thursday, November 18, in fact — the production has just announced that its shows from May 2022 will be a whole lot different. Muggles, if you want to see The Cursed Child in its current two-part form, you'll need to accio yourself along before March next year. After that, from May, it'll be taking to the stage in a single one-session showing — condensing its story into one part. Basically, this'll be The Cursed Child reimagined — and it'll hit Melbourne after making its world premiere on Broadway this month. San Francisco and Toronto are also getting one-part versions of the show as well; however, Melbourne will beat them to it. So what exactly is The Cursed Child about? Well, it picks up 19 years after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and that abominably cheery epilogue on Platform 9 3/4. Harry is now an overworked Ministry of Magic employee, and the play focuses on both him and his youngest son Albus Severus Potter as they grapple with the past and future. Since debuting in London in July 2016, the production has won a swathe of awards and has proven a repeated sell-out — in the West End, on Broadway and in San Francisco, too. In its Melbourne run so far, it has become the most successful play in Australian history, including attracting 325,000 people in its first year. Melburnians — and other Australian Harry Potter and/or theatre aficionados — can access tickets now for the two-part run of the show, which'll remain onstage until Sunday, March 27, 2022. Tickets for the one-session showings of The Cursed Child will go on sale at 9am on Tuesday, November 16. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will return to Melbourne's Princess Theatre on Thursday, November 18 in its two-part form, running until Sunday, March 27, 2022. It'll then switch to a one-session production from May, with tickets for the latter on sale at 9am on Tuesday, November 16. For more information, head to the play's website. Top images: Matt Murphy/Evan Zimmerman for Murphy Made.
When a song speaks to you — and when it seems like it's speaking only to you — it's one of life's great pleasures. Everyone has a track, album or artist that achieves that feat, and British journalist Sarfraz Manzoor is no different. Born in Pakistan, immigrating to Britain when he was a child and constantly feeling out of place in the southeastern town of Luton, he found solace in one of the big music stars of the 80s. Bruce Springsteen's hit tunes might be so steeped in American life that they've virtually become synonymous with it, but they also captured exactly how Manzoor felt as an outcast teen in the UK. Introduced to The Boss by a school classmate who told him that "Bruce is a direct line to all that was true in this world", he's since seen his idol live more than 150 times, and turned his transformative connection to the singer into a memoir. With music-led movies echoing across cinemas everywhere of late, adapting this superfan story into a sweet coming-of-age film was inevitable. That said, with Manzoor helping to pen Blinded by the Light's screenplay, the resulting picture has a more personal and authentic air — than Beatles-centric flick Yesterday and its manufactured "what if?" hypothetical, than big biopics Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman, and than forthcoming George Michael-focused festive rom-com Last Christmas as well. But, these types of movies still love a formula. With a soundtrack of well-known songs to bop along to, there are obvious beats to hit. Films about adolescent outsiders struggling for acceptance are also known to favour a template, which leaves Blinded by the Light feeling familiar several times over. Before he discovers songs such as 'Hungry Heart', 'The River', 'Thunder Road' and 'Born to Run', Javed (Viveik Kalra) — Manzoor's on-screen surrogate — splits his time between trying to meet his dad's (Kulvinder Ghir) expectations and channelling his general angst into his writing. His fiercely traditional father wants him to study hard, get a good job and have a better future than his own, but penning poetry and lyrics for his best friend Matt's (Dean-Charles Chapman) New Wave band stokes Javed's creative fires. Then, fellow South Asian student Roops (Aaron Phagura) lends him cassettes of Born in the USA and Darkness on the Edge of Town. Instead of being tired and bored with himself, Javed is suddenly dancing not just in the dark, but through life. Finding parallels between Springsteen's songs about working-class troubles, his own family's experiences as rare people of colour in a white, unwelcoming and often openly racist neighbourhood, and his dad's factory-job woes in Thatcher's Britain, the 16-year-old feels as if everything has changed. Matt laughs (partly because his own father, played by scene-stealer Rob Brydon, also loves Bruce), and no one at home understands — but soon Javed is asking out the girl (Nell Williams) he likes, writing essays about Springsteen and making a pilgrimage to his idol's home town. If underseen 2016 charmer Sing Street had used The Boss's music, rather than original tunes, it might've turned out something like this. Or, if Bend It Like Beckham filmmaker Gurinder Chadha had swapped soccer for Springsteen… actually, in a broad fashion, that's basically what does happen here. Directing, as well as co-writing with her frequent collaborator Paul Mayeda Berges and, of course, Manzoor, Chadha lets Blinded by the Light play out like a classic rock ballad that audiences already know inside and out. Perhaps that's by design, and not just because it suits Manzoor's real-life story. After the tenth or so spin, favourite songs keep resonating because they've become such an easy source of comfort — a sensation that, by sticking to all the usual music-focused and coming-of-age conventions, this agreeable movie mimics. While viewers are tapping their toes to a jukebox full of Springsteen tracks, and watching Javed navigate a predictable but pleasant path, Blinded by the Light has a clear aim. Even if you're not obsessed with The Boss and his anthems, music speaks a universal language, or so the cliché goes — and, if you can remember when a song has transformed your life, day or mood, then you can get swept up in the film's warm-hearted embrace. Chadha's purposefully amateurish musical-style sequences help, visibly translating Javed's passion to the screen. As the teen and his pals run around town while Springsteen tunes play, their enthusiasm proves infectious. Blinded by the Light plasters that feeling across its frames, weaving it into a likeable, albeit highly recognisable tale about finding your voice after first finding someone else's. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ond9SLcHX4Q
This global pandemic might have us cooped up at home, but it sure hasn't dulled our penchant for online shopping. Without the bottomless brunches, bar hopping adventures and retail therapy sessions of regular life, many of us have a little extra in the savings fund and a whole lot more time for scrolling. And of course, those package deliveries are all the more thrilling when your social life is taking an enforced hiatus. An offshoot of Bendigo and Adelaide Banks that's built for the digital world, Up is one of the new kids on the banking block. Its focus is on offering a primo mobile banking experience — the kind that fits into your real life with minimal hassle, leaving you more time to worry about the important stuff (like which of the 19 items in your basket will be making it to the checkout). As an online shopping companion, Up's ticking plenty of boxes, thanks to a suite of features designed to keep things simple. For example, it'll show actual business names, locations and company logos in your spending history, so you're not left doing mental gymnastics trying to guess the story behind that $45.50 you dropped at 3am last Saturday. It's also got an automatic transaction categorisation function, to help keep your balances and budgeting in tip-top shape, without too much effort. https://www.instagram.com/p/Btw0EVqn2fE/ Shopping on international sites can normally be a bit fraught, what with the extra charges and conversion dramas. But Up is being a mate and passing on zero fees on all overseas purchases, both online and IRL. It displays both the local and foreign currency on your receipt and app, and will even send you an immediate purchase notification in Aussie dollars. Throw in a bunch of nifty savings functions — like the ability to instantly round up your spare cents — plus upcoming bill predictions and a 1.85-percent interest rate, and you've got yourself one nice, breezy banking situation. For more information about Up and to sign up for an account, jump over to the Up website. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy. General advice only. Please consider your personal circumstances before making a decision to join Up. Conditions https://up.com.au/hook_up_a_mate/. Product issuer Bendigo & Adelaide Bank.
This Christmas, all you need is love — and a festive little cabaret that showcases all of the hit tunes from Love Actually. It's the way to celebrate the season when you're not just leaving the seasonal favourite flick on repeat at home. Yep, that's Christmas Actually. Created by the folks behind Rumour Has It and Lady Beatle, and starring Naomi Price (Ladies in Black, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), Christmas Actually features all of the tracks that've become synonymous with this merry time of year — including Mariah Carey's 'All I Want for Christmas Is You', naturally. To help belt them out, Price will be joined by Mik Easterman, Scott French, Stefanie Jones, Luke Kennedy, Michael Manikus, OJ Newcomb and Tom Oliver. There'll even be more than one nativity lobster, plus a jolly mood and a whole room full of festive cheer. That room is La Boite's Roundhouse Theatre, where Christmas Actually plays from Tuesday, November 24–Saturday, December 5. Get excited by revisiting Love Actually's trailer below. Tis the season, after all. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWvZEaAdiDg
What do you do with a slab of unused space in the middle of the CBD? You plant a barley crop and open a brewery, of course. As part of Street Works, a landscape design competition hosted by the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA), the Beerline project will see Quay Street transformed into Haymarket's very own self-sustained brewery. Following its installation amongst traffic lights and tram tracks, the public harvesting of the barley crop last week marked the first step in the three-month process that takes the crop from barley to bottle. Throughout December, the barley will undergo the process of malting, brewing, and fermenting, ready to be bottled and served to the public in the January Beer Festival. Brewing will take place on site from start to finish, aiming to promote awareness and appreciation of the value of our food, more than just a 'vacuum sealed container on a supermarket shelf'. But the social initiative doesn't stop there. The crop will produce around 500 beers, all available for online 'adoption' through a pledged donation to Oz Harvest. Once you've adopted a beer, you can attend regular brewing events to keep an eye on your little tike as it grows up from grass, to make its social debut as an icy cold bevvy. The visionaries behind Beerline are a pair of bright young architects who go by the name of the Bean Factory. The Beerline is the first in a series of small ideas they intend to release into our city, in the hope that they grow (quite literally, in this case) into something bigger. The four other projects featured in the Street Works initiative will grace our city streets until the end of January. Check them out at www.streetworks.org.au
With international borders reopening, it's time to start dreaming of your next overseas getaway. If you're looking for some next-level inspiration for a place to stay, Airbnb's Instagram has it in spades. Showcasing some of the most picturesque stays you can book through the platform, Airbnb's Instagram feed is full of awe-inspiring accommodation that'll see you checking out flights to the other side of the globe. If you don't have time to scroll through the account's thousands of posts, Airbnb has put together a list of the most liked images from its Instagram from 2021. Coming in at number one is a blissful wooden A-frame cabin smack-bang in the middle of the Zion National Park in Utah. The US accommodation boasts stunning views of the Zion Mountains, however it seems to be booked out for the foreseeable future. Plenty of other homes on the list have dates open if you're looking to head overseas for a trip that'll make all your friends envious. Coming in as the second most-liked post of last year, the Raven Rock Treehouse is perched high up on a 40-acre wilderness preserve in Fletcher, North Carolina. The idyllic treehouse stay is also reasonably priced, with one night setting you back $179. Further south in Mexico you'll find the Villa Amalfi. This five-bedroom spot can house up to ten people for a luxurious trip to Tulum. For $986 a night, you can enjoy this villa's unique outdoor pool, solar-powered in-room jacuzzi, garden swing and gourmet kitchen. And, over in Serbia you'll find the Mariner Boathouse, a floating home docked at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers in the country's capital Belgrade. You can check out the full list over at Airbnb's website, and if you're not ready to book a trip out of Australia just yet, Airbnb has plenty of places to stay in Australia's backyard. If you're looking for the most beautiful and interesting homes you can rent in Australia, browse through our bucket list of hundreds of lush getaways, from secluded cabins oozing with romance to enchanting stays scattered around Tasmania. [caption id="attachment_840722" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mariner Boathouse[/caption] All images courtesy of Airbnb. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
When it comes to kicking back and relaxing, some people swear by a nice warm bath. Others prefer tapping their toes to their favourite tunes, having a boozy beverage or just switching off from their always-vibrating phone. And, for another group, there's nothing that induces bliss better than listening to the one and only Keanu Reeves. Actually, that last category should really apply to everyone. If you're someone who finds the actor behind John Wick, Neo, Johnny Utah and Ted "Theodore" Logan particularly soothing, then you'll want to make a date with A World of Calm. Announced earlier this year, made by HBO and now heading to Australia via SBS over the Christmas break, it's giving the world exactly what we want: Keanu's voice reading a narrative that has been scientifically-engineered to induce a feeling of tranquility, as paired with music and footage that's also designed to do the same. Ideally he'll say "whoa!" more than once. In HBO's first leap into health and wellness-style content, the ten-episode series is based on the popular Calm sleep, meditation and relaxation app, with the US TV network pairing up with the folks behind the latter. The two companies have really just found a way to bring Calm's Sleep Stories to the screen — which have been called "bedtime stories for grown ups", have notched up more than 250 million listens, and are all about calming and soothing listeners. Keanu only does the honours on one of A World of Calm's half-hour episodes, which is about a master woodworker carving a canoe. That said, the rest of the series definitely doesn't slouch in the star-power stakes. Joining him is a cast that'd do any movie proud, spanning not only Idris Elba, Oscar Isaac, Nicole Kidman, Zoë Kravitz, Kate Winslet, Lucy Liu, Cillian Murphy and Priyanka Chopra, but also two-time Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali. Kidman kicks off the series via an episode about bird migration, Chopra narrates an instalment about chocolate in Central America, and Winslet takes viewers into the world of horses. Also on offer: Isaac narrating an episode about making noodles, Murphy focusing on snow, Ali waxing lyrical about water, Kravitz focusing on glassmaking, Liu exploring coral and Elba heading into space. As for what you'll be looking at while your ears soak in the dulcet tones of all of the above A-list stars — who are basically guiding you through a televised relaxation session — HBO advises that the series serves up "mesmeric imagery". Created with Nutopia, the folks behind National Geographic's One Strange Rock and Disney+'s The World According to Jeff Goldblum, that includes visuals from the company's global network of cinematographers and filmmakers. Intrigued? Need to destress after 2020's challenges? Eager for whatever new slow TV event SBS serves up, after previously delivering extended train documentaries and tours of the Cadbury chocolate factory? The Australian network is dropping new episodes of A World of Calm daily from Friday, December 25–Sunday, January 3, airing at 7.30pm — and you'll find them on SBS On Demand afterwards. Check out the trailer below: A World of Calm airs on SBS daily at 7.30pm from Friday, December 25–Sunday, January 3, with each episode hitting SBS On Demand afterwards. Images: HBO Max.
Prepare to see some very fashionable pups strolling the streets of Australia, because instantly recognisable fashion label Gorman has launched its latest line of limited edition dog coats. What's more — as part of a second collaboration with Guide Dogs Australia — those new threads will have their wearers looking good for a very good cause. All profits will go towards providing extra support and boost awareness for the life-changing organisation. The quilted dog jackets are available in three different exclusive Gorman prints — named Emoji, River of Love, and Camo — and four sizes, ensuring pups big and small can look the goods. Each features a polyester shell, cotton lining and adjustable velcro straps for the perfect fit. And in excellent news for humans who want a piece of the action, the line also includes matching water-resistant raincoats for the lesser species. Just imagine how many looks you and your fluffball will get down at the dog park. Gorman's latest Guide Dogs Australia range is available online and at Gorman stores nationwide. Prices start at $39. Image: @spencerthechow and @frankiethelilsausage via Instagram.
If you thought the Suitcase Rummage markets couldn’t get any better then I have some news for you: the best market in town just got better! Hard to believe, but it’s all true. Suitcase Rummage is taking part in the new creative community event called Home Festival and is delivering a brand spankin’ new market appropriately named The Wardrobe Markets. The Wardrobe Markets will be just like the regular rummage markets were you can buy the best vintage, hand made and second hand goods Brisbane has to offer, but now instead of rummaging through suitcases the markets will be set up like a giant wardrobe. This means, tables, clothing racks, lamps, rugs and other homely displays to make your shopping experience just that little bit more unique. The Home Festival has created different 'rooms' for people to visit throughout the day, (a lounge room, kitchen, study, garage etc) and the Suitcase Rummage stall holders will be setting up the scene of the rooms with their wares. PLUS there will be other events happening including live bands, workshops, zine making and outdoor screenings. The Home Festival has it all!
UK department store Debenhams set up five virtual pop-up stores last month, whereby shoppers could try on dresses without even removing their clothes. The company set up five of these 'stores' around English tourist attractions. Users download an app, then use their smartphone camera to impose garments on photos of their friends. The images can then be shared via social media sites, and users can enter a code for a handy 20% discount from the online store. What resulted was a chance for users to shop in an innovative manner, and see some hypothetical images of themselves in new clothes at historical sites. This is a great example of social media and technology changing the way in which companies are communicating with consumers.
Didn't start your New Year off right? Give it a second go when the Chinese New Year ticks over next week. We know the perfect destination for this round of reflection and resolutions; that'd be Peng You China Kitchen and Bar, where the dumplings are flowing and the vibe is more chilled Chinese tapas than go-go-go yum cha. To celebrate Chinese New Year, Peng You is hosting a special feast over two nights, on January 30 and 31. For $68 per person, you can feast on eleven different dishes and enjoy live entertainment including dancing Lion performers. The venue is also giving away a bottle of French bubbly to the first ten bookings each night, so you might want to get in quick. Their special new year's platter includes a long list of goodies including crispy roast pork belly, Shandong chicken, five-spiced tofu salad, diced Wagyu rump and seafood curry. It's probably advisable to wear clothing with generous, forgiving waistbands. Call (07) 3257 7225 to book a table. Peng You China Kitchen and Bar is at Gasworks Plaza, Newstead.
Mother nature wants us to stop using plastic bags. They aren't good for the environment, particularly when disposed of incorrectly and become fatal turtle food due to their uncanny jellyfish-like appearance in the ocean. Consequently, she has teamed up with Mother Nature, a fellow attendee of her weekly mother's club, to create a brand-new range of uncarriable carrier bags that will tempt us into changing our plastic bag usage and recycling habits. Building on their first series of uncarriable carrier bags in 2005 that featured bags emblazoned with 'sperm clinic drop in centre' and 'Phil Collins unofficial fan club', the creative company has released four new yellow bags with overlaid x-ray machine like designs that suggest you are carrying items that you would not want your closest friends to uncover, let alone the wider general public. The designs include drug paraphernalia, sex toys and weapons and beg the question of how desperate your plastic bag need is if you are willing to be seen carrying these items. Showing that reverse psychology works a treat though, they may prove to be on everyone's want list as they are so covetable and novelty. But even then, that should slow plastic bag consumption, as these can carry all of your shopping and other plastic bag needs. Just don't take them on a plane, except maybe the sex toys one; that one probably won't get you stopped, just stared at a lot. Via It's Nice That
Board games are something I have a love-hate relationship with. If I’m in a good mood, which usually occurs by me winning, I adore them - if however I’m at the bottom end of the scorecard, I generally don’t find them as fun. Fortunately for everyone else in the world, the majority of people who like board games are mature adults and can handle a little loss without sulking. Brisbane’s cohort of these mellow folks congregate once a month in King George Square to play whatever takes their fancy, and now you are invited. The evenings are bring-your-own board game, meaning the night’s playing options are as vast as the world’s collection of board games is. What better opportunity to make friends and learn a new game? On the other hand, if you are one for an audience or you love novelty-sized items, never fear as Brisbane City Council also provide super sized board games of classic games for your disposal - which is enough incentive to make me not care if I lose. The cost of the night is also free, making it a perfect opportunity to get out of the house and do something a little bit different. Grab a coffee and your favourite game, and let the fun begin!
Remember The Matrix Revolutions? It’s okay if you don’t. The final instalment of the Wachowskis’ groundbreaking trilogy possessed a litany of problems, chief among them being a Matrix film featuring little to no Matrix. It was like setting The Wizard of Oz entirely in Kansas, or Waterworld on land, or Policy Academy on a holiday in Miami (see: Police Academy 5: Assignment in Miami). In the same vein, the most disappointing aspect of Tomorrowland is that it spends the lion’s share of its 107 minutes in Todayland. Under Australian consumer protection law, you might call that ‘misleading and deceptive conduct’. Under film law, you’d just call it a giant shame. If the name ‘Tomorrowland’ sounds familiar, you’ve probably been to Disneyland. Like Pirates of the Caribbean, this is a movie based on a theme park attraction, and while that’s not quite the nadir of creative inception (Battleship surely holds that ignominy), it’s not much of an improvement either. Theoretically, the land of tomorrow is a creative utopia; an alternate universe where all the dreamers — be they artists, inventors, musicians or scientists — can actually change the world free from the negative influences of politics and greed. If it sounds good, it looks even better: a sort of shiny retro future not unlike the one envisaged by The Jetsons. The question, of course, is how do you get there? This forms the basis of much of the film. A young Frank Walker (George Clooney in his later years, Thomas Robinson as the child) attends the 1964 World’s Fair to pitch his homemade jet pack. The judge (a curmudgeonly Hugh Laurie) sends him packing, but his daughter Athena (newcomer Raffey Cassidy) takes a liking to Frank and sneaks him into Tomorrowland. The story then jumps to the present day, where an apparently ageless Athena has turned her attention to the rebellious yet unfailingly optimistic Casey Newton (Britt Robertson). Athena slips Casey a magical pin that grants her a vision of Tomorrowland, fleeting in its duration yet enticing enough to send her on a quest to get there. Standing in her way are some spectacularly unexplained automaton villains and the gruff older Frank, who’s been exiled from Tomorrowland. There’s a sense Tomorrowland needs Casey, but nobody's prepared to say how or why. On the production front, Tomorrowland boasts an impressive team: a Disney vehicle written by Damon Lindelof (Lost) and directed by Brad Bird (The Incredibles, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol). No surprise, then, that it looks spectacular and maintains a rollicking pace throughout, with the action sequences offering a terrific blend of thrills and imaginative visuals. The performances, too, are mostly strong, with two-thirds of the leading trio coming in the form of intelligent, capable and determined young women. What lets Tomorrowland down is the heavy-handed messaging, repeatedly ramming its ‘we’re harming the planet’ line down our throats without a trace of subtlety, save for the one amusing Laurie gem: “We have simultaneous epidemics of obesity and famine. How does THAT happen!?" Tomorrowland's other significant problem is the violence. The action sequences contain a surprising level of graphic savagery, including multiple beheadings, innocent bystanders frequently being vaporised and Casey at one point going full Pesci on an automaton with an old baseball bat. Coupled with the clumsy environmentalism, Tomorrowland finds itself too preachy for adults yet too confronting for children. All the ingredients are there for an excellent adventure, and it routinely offers moments of genuine brilliance, but the overall result is something less. The constant product placement, Disney branding and clear merchandising take their collective toll, crippling the Lindelof/Bird creative utopia with the very corporate influences it sought to denounce.
First, Greece announced that it would restart its tourism industry by allowing residents from a selection of other countries — including Australia and New Zealand — to visit. Now, the entire European Union is set to follow suit. If dreaming about a far-flung getaway has been getting you through COVID-19 lockdowns over the past three months, that means you're one step closer to making overseas holiday plans. As announced on Tuesday, June 30, European time, the Council of the EU has adopted a recommendation to start slowly easing travel restrictions — specifically, to reopen its borders to non-essential travel into Europe. In the first stage, the Council supports reopening to tourists from 14 nations, spanning not only folks from Australia and New Zealand, but those from Algeria, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay. It also recommends including a 15th country, China, but only subject to China also agreeing to a reciprocal arrangement to let EU residents visit, too. The Council's decision — and its selection of countries — is based on three criteria, focusing on the epidemiological situation in each nation. They include new COVID-19 case numbers either close to or below the EU average, as seen over the 14 days up until June 15, and measured per 100,000 inhabitants; a stable or decreasing trend of new cases compared to the prior 14 days; and the country's overall response to the pandemic, such as testing, surveillance, contact tracing, containment, treatment and reporting. The EU's list will be reviewed and potentially updated every two weeks. New places may possibly added, and existing countries on the list could be removed if their COVID-19 situation worsens. [caption id="attachment_648685" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Nice, France.[/caption] A recommendation from the Council to allow tourists from the aforementioned nations is only the first step, however. All 27 member states of the EU — Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden — must implement the recommendation individually, so don't go packing your bags just yet. Of course, Australians and New Zealanders still can't leave their respective countries anyway — but you can add Europe to your holiday list when local travel restrictions are lifted. In Australia, a travel ban is still in place, with Aussies unable to depart the nation unless they seek an exemption from Home Affairs. Indeed, the government doesn't expect international travel to and from Australia to resume until next year, and Qantas doesn't anticipate putting on overseas flights until at least mid-2021 either. And in New Zealand, the government still currently advises that all New Zealanders do not travel overseas at present. For further details about the European Union's eased tourism recommendation, visit the Council of the EU's website.
In the face of the increasing cynicism and self-self-self-referentialness of art, thank god for the Italians. They still like romance in their films the way they insist on full fat milk in their coffee. Now in its 14th season, the Italian FIlm Festival promises to return "like the lingering embrace of a cherished lover". Twenty-seven films will deliver stories in which uncontrolled passions run high. Highlights include A Five Star Life (Viaggio Sola), the tale of a jetsetting hotel critic who knows her five stars from her four but whose analytical faculties let her down when it comes to her own life; A Perfect Family (Una famiglia perfetta), a comedy about a rich but lonely man who 'rents' a family for Christmas and even writes a script for each member; and Ali Blue Eyes, a Romeo and Juliet-esque drama driven by a taboo love affair and a stabbing. Both opening and closing nights will feature films that'll make you want to go to Rome: Paolo Sorrentino's The Great Beauty, starring Toni Servillo as a renowned journalist and ladies man who once dreamed of becoming a novelist, and Fellini's 1972 classic Roma. Young European star Clara Ponsot will be making guest appearances in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra and Brisbane, presenting her new film, Cosimo and Nicole. The Lavazza Italian Film Festival is on during October in Sydney (9 October to 3 November), Melbourne (2-27 October) and Brisbane (3-22 October). Thanks to the Italian Film Festival, we have ten double passes to give away in each city (valid for two complimentary tickets to one festival session of choice). To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email hello@concreteplayground.com.au with your name and address. Image: The Great Beauty
If there is one band I would willingly get bloody knees for out of excitement it’s these two lads. Hailing from the Gold Coast originally, The Bleeding Knees Club’s super fun and highly catchy dance-punk tunes led them straight into frequent airtime on triple j and to support gigs with various high profile bands throughout last year. As part of their initial headlining Australian tour The Bleeding Knees Club will be in Brisbane and partying up a storm at The Zoo. Supporting them with raucous behaviour will be Gung Ho, The Keep On Dancin’s and the Otchkies. Showcasing their EP Virginity, their first hit 'Bad Guys' is sure to go off like a firecracker when played. Considering they’ve been handpicked by Wavves, Lightspeed Champion, Gold Fields and Yacht Club DJs to accompany them, as well as given the opportunity to play Big Day Out, this is a great opportunity to see them before they head off into bigger and crazier pastures.
The past few weeks have taken folks in the Greater Brisbane area on a bit of a rollercoaster ride. The past 13 months have, too, but Brisbanites have just been through a snap three-day lockdown right before Easter, and lived with increased restrictions over the past few weeks. But, come Thursday, April 15, a heap of current rules and caps will ease. When the region came out of lockdown a fortnight ago, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk foreshadowed that the new restrictions would be in place for two weeks; however, as the stay-at-home conditions did, the current rules will now be easing a little early. Instead of lifting at midday on April 15, they'll stop at 6am. Accordingly, you'll be able to do a number of things that've been off limits recently — including having up to 100 people over to your house, which is an increase from 30. And, you'll be able to gather outside without any restrictions, although music festivals will have to have a COVID-19-safe plan in place. Stadiums, theatres and cinemas are going back to 100-percent capacity as well, so expect to have plenty of company next time you see a movie, a gig, a show or the footy. That specifically applies to ticketed venues. Visitors can see loved ones at hospitals, and aged and disability care facilities again, too. Also returning: standing up to eat and drink in bars, pubs and clubs, something we didn't know we'd ever miss until we weren't allowed to do it. And, dancing is back, both indoors and outdoors — and at venues and weddings alike. Before 2020 hit, who knew that being permitted to make shapes would be news? https://twitter.com/AnnastaciaMP/status/1382107083324084225 Mask rules are changing as well, with covering your face no longer required unless you're at an airport or you're flying. The Queensland Government still advises that folks should carry a mask with them, though, to use in crowded places when you're not able to social distance. The new eased rules will apply statewide, and the usual requests regarding social distancing, hygiene and getting tested if you're feeling even the slightest possible COVID-19 symptoms still apply — as they have since March last year. https://twitter.com/AnnastaciaMP/status/1382107089640726529 Announcing the news today, Wednesday, April 14, Premier Palaszczuk said that "it has not been easy over these past two weeks" but the easing of restrictions could be brought forward based upon the government's health advice and the lack of recent community transmission following the most recent outbreak. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in Queensland, head to the QLD COVID-19 hub and the Queensland Health website.
Wendy Wilkins and Wes Hill have been an artistic team since 2000, spending more than a decade pushing the boundaries of their craft. They are reaching out to audiences indirectly, communicating through their work and finding the sweet spot where the readability of their art and its aesthetic pleasure blend. Specially developed for the Metro Arts space it abides in, Brainal Pipes Confusion Cave is a series of installation pieces created between 2008 and 2012. Described as ‘obtuse metaphors staged through banners and commercial signage material’ where the banners and commercialised items form a cave that encompasses the entire space. Wilkins Hill (the persona of the artists amalgamation) has had a long history of interpretive dissection of modernity; their obfuscation of coherence in favour of glimpses of logic creates work that requires the whole attention of audiences, who must view the work in depth to acquire meaning. While it may seem like hard work on our part, understanding of Wilkins Hill and their intentions is a truly rewarding experience.
Australia's most popular short film festival wants to test your filmmaking abilities in an even tighter time frame for a new competition. #Tropvine asks you to use the Vine app and create a film that's six seconds long, the maximum running time for a Vine video. #Tropvine invites entrants all over the world to submit a Vine that includes this year’s Tropfest signature item: 'mirror'. Like Tropfest, anyone can enter, no experience necessary — you just need to be creative with a smartphone. It's as close to an even playing field as you'll find, since the likelihood of anyone getting major grant funding for their Vine seems slim. That said, a contingent of very clever filmmakers have already built impressive oeuvres on the platform, so expect a fierce competition. To enter, just tweet your Vine using the competition hashtags #tropvine and #mirror and tag @Tropfest. You’ll also need to follow Tropfest on Twitter so they can contact you if your film is shortlisted. Once it’s live, it’s up to you to share it with the world, bug your friends and get as much support as possible. The 20 most popular Vines, as voted by the public, will be judged by the Tropfest Jury of industry leading lights, who'll choose the overall winner. So what’s in it for you, other than being a master short storyteller? All eligible entries will go in the running to win a VIP trip to Tropfest Australia 2014. This includes Qantas flights for you and a friend to Sydney, luxury accommodation at QT Sydney, VIP tickets to Tropfest Australia, Nikon camera gear and lunch with Twitter Australia.
Sifting through eBay on the hunt for that perfect vintage gem can often leave you with a sense of mothball-infused disappointment. Sympathetic to the plight of the online-shopping fashionista, Rie Yano and Jie Zheng co-founded Material Wrld, an online pop-up store which allows you to shop your favourite tastemakers' closets. Participating tastemakers (fashion bloggers, stylists, and the like) have been rounded up, and their wardrobes curated. When the site launches, these pieces will be available for sale, creating the opportunity for special finds with personal stories behind each. The pop-up store is open through April 4; check it out today and get a sneak-peek of what is in store for the site's upcoming launch. Although currently only available to US customers, Material Wrld is set to go global soon. So browse away, and know that these covetable closets will soon be yours for the taking. [Via PSFK]
Marcus Haney was 22 when he first started sneaking into music festivals. Four years later, he is a highly sought after music photographer on tour with the likes of Mumford & Sons and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. Haney's documentary No Cameras Allowed captures his journey from broke uni student to working with his favourite bands. While your first reaction might be to tsk tsk a sneaky freeloader, it's hard to stay mad at someone with a genuine passion for live music. Gaining access to some of the world's largest music festivals — including Glastonbury, Coachella and Bonnaroo — was not merely a matter of jumping the fence; Haney had to get creative. "We've done everything. Everything from jumping fences to fake wristbands to posing as security to posing as artists to posing as press to running through truck entrances to going underneath fences," Haney says in an interview with Noisey. https://youtube.com/watch?v=bPRstX6iiLE A film student, Haney wanted to capture live performances by his favourite artists, and often snuck into the photographers' pit and even on stage with some of the acts. Being a broke uni student was essentially the reasoning behind Haney not paying for tickets, and to date he has snuck into over 50 music events, including crashing the Grammys. He even made a short film about his experience, Connaroo: How Broke Kids Do Bonnaroo, which miraculously found its way into the hands of Mumford & Sons. They saw it, loved it, and asked him to come on tour with them. Haney now had to chose between completing his final exams for university, or going on tour with one of his favourite bands. You can guess which option he chose. No Cameras Allowed has just had its first screenings in LA, with no plans for a wider release as yet. The film includes unbelievable footage from Haney's experiences and a fantastic soundtrack with the likes of the Naked and Famous, Lykke Li, Jay-Z, Phoenix and many others. While we certainly encourage that you support live music by buying a ticket to events (as this doco show, most artists barely see a cent of record sales), this is undoubtedly an impressive tale of a young man's pursuit of happiness. Via Noisey. Photos Via Marcus Haney.
In Victoria, enjoying a meal at a restaurant run by chef Scott Pickett's hospitality group is always a good bet. Whether you're after a European bistro experience at Chancery Lane, modern Australian dishes at Estelle and Matilda, or Thai dishes at Longrain, Melbourne has an option. On the Mornington Peninsula, there's also the eateries at The Continental Sorrento. Smith St Bistrot is Pickett's French restaurant in Melbourne, too, but it isn't the only place that Gallic dishes will be on the menu under his watch in April. For one night only, he's heading to Brisbane to team up with Woolloongabba's C'est Bon. The date to mark in your diary: Wednesday, April 10. Keen to experience the Melbourne culinary figure's dishes without a trip south? This is your chance. There'll be sittings at 6pm and 8.30pm, with Pickett teaming up with C'est Bon's own Andy Ashby — after they initially collaborated at Pickett's The Point in Albert Park more than a decade go, where Ashby worked under Pickett — for C'est Bon and Beyond: A French Affair. Patrons will enjoy four snacks and four courses, with Pickett also bringing Scott Pickett Group Executive Chef Stu McVeigh to help. C'est Bon advises that the night "draws inspiration from the rich history of French gastronomy, with the menu paying homage to classic French techniques while incorporating innovative twists and locally sourced ingredients". On the snacks menu: oeuf mayonnaise caviar, parfait onion jam brioche, barbecue redclaw with basque piperade and mustard flowers, and smoked potato croissant with truffle. After that, the courses start with Moreton Bay bugs with sweetcorn, kelp and shellfish sauce — and then move on to Murray cod a la Grenobloise with roasted cauliflower and finger lime. Next, dry-aged quail and foie gras pithivier with rouge cherry and chicory will be on offer. Finally, the evening will go out with roasted chestnut 'Mont Blanc' with burnt vanilla crème. "We're thrilled to welcome Scott and Stu to C'est Bon for this special collaboration. It's been a while since I've seen my old pal and we're excited to offer up a menu that celebrates the rich history and traditions of French cuisine, while also incorporating our own unique influences and creative flair," said Ashby. [caption id="attachment_903811" align="alignnone" width="1920"] C'est Bon, Mitch Lowe[/caption] Consider it the meeting of two standout Gallic restaurants over one impressive evening. Expect $135 tickets to sell out quickly, too, when they go on sale on Wednesday, March 6. Pay extra and you'll get wine to match. Pickett's career has taken him from an apprenticeship in Adelaide in the 90s to opening his own restaurants, hosting TV shows and publishing a recipe book, and collecting ample acclaim along the way — and now, to giving Brisbane a taste of his cooking, even if only for one bound-to-be-popular evening. [caption id="attachment_944814" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alex Squadrito[/caption] [caption id="attachment_837435" align="alignnone" width="1920"] C'est Bon, Mitch Lowe[/caption] [caption id="attachment_849501" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Smith St Bistrot, Shannon McGrath[/caption] [caption id="attachment_845615" align="alignnone" width="1920"] C'est Bon, Mitch Lowe[/caption] C'est Bon and Beyond: A French Affair takes place at 6pm and 8.30pm on Wednesday, April 10 at C'est Bon, 609/611 Stanley Street, Woolloongabba. For more information and to buy tickets from 5pm on Thursday, March 6, head to the C'est Bon website. Top image: Simon Shiff.
We open on a hotel party, all the horrors of the world: a Hawaiian-themed engagement bash. Upstairs in her room, a single woman in her mid-thirties takes a swig of wine, stares into a mirror and convinces herself to join in… only to immediately abort and instead order room service, don her tracksuits pants and settle in to watch Silence of the Lambs. This is Nancy (Lake Bell), a sarcastic, self-deprecating and utterly cynical romantic train wreck. The following day, however, mistaken identity lands her on a blind date with Jack (Simon Pegg), and — against all odds — they hit it off. What follows is a sort of ‘un-romantic comedy’ transpiring entirely over the course of one evening, and while its outcome is formulaic, the journey is novel enough to warrant viewing. To its credit, Man Up dispenses with the ‘will he find out?’ subplot a lot faster than expected, focusing instead on Jack's subsequent outrage as its primary source of tension and drama. It also boasts some of the most realistic family writing in years, with Nancy’s parents, sister and brother-in-law providing a charming mix of laughs and tear-jerkers in practically every one of their scenes. Pegg and Bell hold the lion’s share of screen time, however, and their obvious chemistry keeps everything cracking along at a jolly pace. Man Up offers an amusing and — at times — honest perspective on modern dating, complete with drunken sobbing, burdensome baggage and unforgettable exes. With its “fuck the past!” mantra and enthusiasm for risk taking, the script's none-too-subtle critique of self-help books ultimately ends up proffering a fairly pronounced message of its own — but it’s not a bad one, and neither is the film.
In Stay of the Week, we explore some of the world's best and most unique accommodations — giving you a little inspiration for your text trip. In this instalment, we take you to Queensland's very own Mount Cotton, where Sanctuary by Sirromet have set up a series of accommodations right by their own vineyard. WHAT'S SO SPECIAL? Stay at a rural winery in your own glamping 'tent' surrounded by Australian wildlife. You'll spend your days exploring the area with a full glass of wine in hand. THE ROOMS Sanctuary by Sirromet has a few accommodation options – with the tented pavilions being some of their best. Each of the pavilions looks over the large lagoon surrounded in gum trees, with wild wallabies roaming its banks. It's a proper Australiana paradise. The rooms are all open plan, where the bedroom and lounge lead onto a private deck. Grab a few bottles from the winery and really relax up here. Bathrooms are also more hotel than tent with proper tiled walls and modern plumbing that is nothing like the campsite drop toilets you might have encountered on previous adventures. You won't be roughing it here. You're connected to nature (helped with large windows on all sides of the pavilion) without losing any of your creature comforts. FOOD AND DRINK You're also spoilt for choice when it comes to food and drink options. First off, you're on a winery – so you'll have to do a cheeky wine tasting or two. And be sure to add a behind-the-scenes tour to see how the Sirromet Winery team creates their award-winning Granite Belt wines. There are also three separate restaurants at Sanctuary by Sirromet. The Cellar Door is your casual light lunch spot and Lurleen's opens for special events (weddings and big birthday bashes). Thirdly, the Tuscan Terrace restaurant is something altogether flashier. Spend a long afternoon on the 75-metre timber deck or under the shade of the fig trees, eating great Italian dishes paired with emerging Italian wines as the Moreton Bay sea breeze rushes through the property. But that ain't all. These guys even make up special picnic hampers for those wanting to find their own hidden paradise on the grounds — we highly recommend the lavender-covered paddock . Just watch out for the wallabies! THE LOCAL AREA When staying here, you'll feel as if you're in the middle of nowhere – but you're actually not far from Brisbane. Either head into Brisbane to experience everything this northern Australian city has to offer or run away to even more remote parts of the area. Take a chopper or ferry over to Moreton Island and North Stradbroke Island, the second and third largest sand islands in the world – where you can even feed wild dolphins. The stunning beaches, snorkelling spots and native wildlife all make these destinations two of Australia's best islands to visit. Don't miss them while you're in the region. [caption id="attachment_869501" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Australia[/caption] THE EXTRAS This winery offers over 10 different wine tasting experiences. Just pick your fave and let the wine experts do the rest. You can take an in-depth tour and learn a little about their wine making process or just spend the whole day trying different varieties of local and imported wines, while snacking on cheese and charcuterie boards. You can even schedule your trip around one of their live music events. They host a series of large and small gigs on their grounds throughout the year. If you are super keen to get away and ready to book a winery getaway now, we have worked with Sanctuary by Sirromet to create the ultimate glamping experience (including a few nights stay, sunset dinner and bottles on bottles of complimentary wine). Feeling inspired to book a getaway unlike anything else out there? Only through Concrete Playground Trips, our new travel booking platform, can you now purchase holidays specially curated by our writers and editors. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips at destinations all over the world.
First he brought the entirety of his Berkshire restaurant The Fat Duck to Melbourne for a residency, in which seats went for $525 each (plus wine). Then it was Dinner by Heston, which, while not as exorbitant, still costs a pretty penny (a starter of savoury porridge goes for $36). But now, in UK celeb chef Heston Blumenthal's latest Melbourne project, he'll be opening a series of one-night-only pop-up restaurants for a considerably affordable price — that is, $0. Yes, free. As in, no money will be changing hands, and no credit card details are required. The Hidden Heston pop-ups are part of MasterChef machine's Heston Week — and while they will no doubt involve nervous contestants fumbling over intricate and ridiculous dishes, they'll nonetheless be extremely exclusive events. So be prepared to earn yourself a place at the table. There will be four pop-ups in total, each running for one service only in a "top-secret" location in Melbourne that will only be announced before the doors open. Punters will have to keep an eye on MasterChef's Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts for clues, and enter online to receive an invitation. According to MasterChef, each restaurant will offer a "completely different dining experience", and the lucky winners will get "an experience they will remember forever". So, fingers at the ready — this is your chance to get a slice of the meat fruit pie without forking out a whole month's rent. The Hidden Heston pop-ups will be coming to Melbourne in March. For more info, keep checking the MasterChef Facebook page.
It's time to get schwifty, Rick and Morty fans — again. Last year, everyone's favourite interdimensional adventurers finally returned for their fourth season, with a certain eccentric scientist and his anxious grandson causing plenty of chaos throughout the multiverse across five characteristically anarchic episodes. To the delight of R&M fans everywhere, however, there's more where that came from. In fact, 2019's batch of episodes only covered half of the animated sitcom's fourth season — and the second set of five episodes is heading to the small screen this year. It'll start airing week-to-week in the US from early May, and hopefully Netflix Down Under will follow suit shortly afterwards. Of course, even if Australian and New Zealand viewers have to wait a few extra weeks, it'll be a much shorter delay than the gap between the show's third season in 2017 and its fourth in 2019. In the just-dropped trailer for the new episodes, Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith (both voiced by show co-creator Justin Roiland) are still doing what they do best: not just aping a concept straight out of Back to the Future (aka a lab coat-wearing old man, his teenage sidekick, and their time- and space-jumping antics), but wreaking havoc in as many universes as they can stumble across. Also back are Morty's mother Beth (Sarah Chalke), father Jerry (Chris Parnell) and sister Summer (Spencer Grammer). Watch the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPDqQDTnJKE As always, the new episodes will rejoin the smartest Rick and Morty-est Morty in the universe — and, behind the scenes, feature the smart comic writing of Roiland and Community's Dan Harmon. And, while five new episodes mightn't seem like much, there's still even more to come, with the show renewed for a huge 70 episodes by US network Adult Swim in 2018 (which is more than double the 31 that the comedy aired before season four started). If you're more excited about new R&M than Mr Meeseeks and Mr Poopybutthole are about just being themselves, then there's more good news, with Adult Swim also dropping a five-minute-long online mini-episode to tide fans over until the next full episodes hit. Prepare to meet Rick WTM-72 and Shogun Morty in Samurai & Shogun. Wubba lubba dub dub indeed. Check out Samurai & Shogun below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=BSF5yoD-vC4&feature=emb_logo The final five episodes of Rick and Morty's fourth season will start airing weekly from May 3 in the US. Down Under, the show airs on Netflix — and we'll update you with a release date for the new episodes when one is announced.
In a bit of a change from the gallery oriented format of art exhibitions, Artisan have let go of the reigns and let the artists pick the other artists to be featured in their newest exhibition, Chain Reaction. In a sense, one artists picks another in an actual chain reaction of shared creativity. So, what does this artist-curated series have to offer? Well, as a heavily design based exhibition; Chain Reaction will have some of the best functional and artistic designs currently on show in Brisbane. The numerous artists and designers on display are Christina Waterson, Abe Muriata, Emily Murray, Brian Robinson, Barbara Heath and Malcolm Enright, Andrew Ness, Michael Phillips, Lucas Salton, Russell Anderson, Rebecca Ward, Christopher Trotter, Remo Vallance, Hannah Cutts and Fukutoshi Ueno. Even if the names don’t mean much to you now, if you catch a glimpse of the work at Chain Reaction you might understand why they were chosen. These are artists chosen by artist; something that doesn’t happen often in exhibtions.
Calling all wizards, witches and muggles: a nail-biting Harry Potter trivia night is coming to West End. Hosted by Ninja Trivia at Browning Street's Hotel West End, the night will feature three hours of Harry Potter fun. This is a must-attend event for all Potterheads who have read all eight books from cover to cover and know their alohomoras from their sectumsempras. Dressing up is highly encouraged, and a wizard's feast-inspired menu and butterbeer will be available to purchase. There'll also be Harry Potter-themed mini-games before, during and after the quiz, which means that you could very well end up playing a game of Quidditch Pong — a combination of quaffles, bludgers, red cups and maybe even a golden snitch, we expect. Prizes will be on offer not only for first, second and third place, but also for coming last — and, naturally, for best dressed. Entry cost is $30 per person. Choose your team wisely.
Wanna make it in the music industry? Apparently there are quite a few of you who do. And unfortunately (unless I’m being kept in the dark), there isn’t a musical fairy godmother who sweeps in periodically and grants everyone access to radio time, crazy-good sales and the ability to sell out Madison Square Garden. However for lucky Brisbane-ites who are musically inclined, this weekend they will have the rare chance to throw some hard-hitting questions at those in the know. As part of the 2011 BIGSOUND Music conference and festival, QMusic and Youth Music Industries have done their best to gather a wide array of professionals who’ve done the hard yards in making it, and are keen to pass on their advice. Little BIGSOUND includes, but is not limited to, the likes of Shin Fukuzumi (A&R at P-Vine Records, Japan), Paul Hanley (Frenchkiss Records, USA), James Wright (The Fans Group), Karl Broadie (APRA), Crystle Fleper (Faster Louder / JWCOCA), Paul Watson (Heapsaflash) and Maggie Collins (Golden District) sitting down with the express purpose of helping you younguns’ get into the music industry. And if that’s not enough, after your head has been filled with advice, the day will end with a mix of artists performing. Help and entertainment in one! Image credit: Dane Beesley via BIGSOUND
Road trips are an idealised summertime activity. If you do it right, you come away with good friends and esoteric stories which will never be understood properly by people who weren't there. But it's equally possible for road trips to turn hellish and monotonous. That's not what you want - that's not what anybody wants. So Concrete Playground has compiled a list of tips to help you on your way and make sure you have the kind of road trip which will remind you of the wind and sunshine in your hair, shared memories and in-jokes. Some of it might seem like common sense, but common sense can sometimes be what first deserts you when somebody suggests driving ten hours across the country to go to a music festival or a particularly nice beach. 1. WheelsSo this seems a superfluous point, but if you're going to go on a road trip you need a car, and if you don't have one then you've got yourself a problem. Once you've got the car, make sure it's one that everybody knows how to drive. Nobody likes being the only manual driver in a car full of stricken automatic-only drivers. You should also do all the practical things like get the oil, tyres and water checked before you leave, and make sure you've got back-ups in case of emergency, especially if you're trying to look like you know your stuff about cars. Bigger cars are better for road trips, especially if you've got friends with ample hips or ridiculously long legs. And for the love of God make sure the car has air con. Otherwise everybody is going to be sweaty, sunburnt and have a mouth full of insects every time you drive through a field. 2. A Worthwhile DestinationJumping in a car and heading nowhere might sound very Kerouac-esque for an hour or so, but in the end you're going to want to be heading somewhere. Holiday houses and camping grounds are all good, although there's a high likelihood a music festival might be your destination this summer. If that's the case, be patient and anticipate that you will have to wait in a queue for six hours on a backed up country road and be forced to pee in the bushes in direct view of many headlights. However, the best destination of all is a beach, one of the pristine and near unpopulated ones which grace our fair coast. 3. MapsGetting lost is not half the fun. The person who claims this needs to be ejected immediately from the vehicle. You probably have a GPS, but bear in mind that the GPS is not infallible. Let me present you with an example: on a road trip last year, we in the car got bored with the standard GPS and, just outside the Gold Coast, switched our guide to a New Zealander named Paul. All was going well until Paul started sabotaging our trip with his crafty non-instructions and we ended up taking a two hour detour through peak-hour Brisbane. Paul was not our friend after that and shameful slurs against New Zealand ensued. In these situations you need a map. A map in this instance is defined as a proper map you purchase from anywhere good maps are sold, not a scrawled set of lines copied from Google Maps your barely literate friend drew on the back of phone bill. 4. CrewBe wise and consider precisely which of your friends and loved ones you're going to enjoy being in a cramped confined space with for potentially several days. There's nothing more tedious and depressing than realising you can't stand the people you're friends with. It's also a good idea to make sure there's not going to be anybody overly-familiar with their sense of personal space, particularly if they have personal hygiene issues. Once you've got that down, make sure that there's not going to be any major conflict before you start, because there's nothing more awkward than finding yourself on a road trip with a couple who have recently broken up and still have unresolved issues. Solve all those problems, and you're cool. 5. ConversationOnce you've exhausted your witty high school stories, politics, childhood traumas and the ever-fascinating subject of who's having sex with whom, complex philosophical questions are always a good bet. Questions such as 'which of your legs could you do without' and 'would you rather punch Kyle Sandilands or Miranda Devine in the face' are good starting points. For those who are not on driving duty and decide the time has come to pilfer beers from the esky, be aware that the designated driver will soberly wish for your death if you do anything crazy-drunk like throw up, sing repetitively for more than ten minutes or attempt to give a ride to a stranger with no shoes. 6. MoneyMoney is a general necessity in all areas of life, but when we say 'money' here we mean the multi-coloured pieces of paper marked with numbers the ATM is wont to dispense. This is crucial because ATMs can be scarce on the ground in the bush, and on a road trip sharing is of the utmost importance. Assign the most organised member of your group the job of keeping an account of how much petrol and food everybody is paying for, and bear in mind that if you haven't chipped in for all the Tim Tams then you do not deserve to eat all the Tim Tams and then subsequently complain about a sore stomach. 7. SnacksIt's a given that everyone is obliged to bring a lot of sugar on a road trip. Minties, Snakes and all things that once delighted you in children's birthday party bags are right and necessary when on the road. Hop chips with tomato sauce sold by old ladies with facial hair in country towns are also awesome. Eating options on the highway tend to be a choice between Maccas or Maccas, so if that's going to bother you, pre-make some delicious healthy things which won't spill too badly and stop every hour or so to picnic. Otherwise, it's uncanny how the shops saying 'Best Pies in Grafton' actually do sell the best pies in Grafton. Moreover, if you're going a long distance you're going to be in dire need of caffeine. Somebody could be really organised and bring instant coffee, a saucepan, a makeshift stove and water, or you could just take a thermos. 8. MusicIf you've got one of those whatsits that plug your iPod into the car's stereo system, you're sweet. If you don't have one of those, however, you're going to want a couple of good mixtapes, or, more accurately, mix CDs. The person in charge of making mixtapes should keep in mind what everyone else will like, what is easiest to sing along to, and attempt not to impress others with their obscure tastes because it never works out as well as you'd hope. Sixties pop songs, eighties power ballads and nineties rap should all be considered in the choice of music. Most importantly, don't make too many tapes. Fifteen hours worth of music is just tiring. You want to have songs that are going to remind you of the trip for years to come, an underlying theme for your future reminiscing, if you will. Anything more and you may as well just put the radio on. 9. Ridiculous ApparelQuestionable fashion choices are a mandatory on the road. Nothing makes you feel more alive than climbing out of the car at a truckstop wearing something outrageously fluoro and swaggering inside to get yourself a rainbow Paddlepop. Furthermore, there is no more appropriate occasion for a man to sport short shorts. Stupid sunglasses and hats are fun, but bear in mind they might enrage Mick Taylor-types on the roads. And remember that while no shoes are alright in the car, you don't want anything on the floors of country rest stops and bathrooms touching your bare skin. 10. SunscreeenOften overlooked when in the relative shelter of a moving car, sunscreen is necessary for anybody with an arm in close proximity to a window. You don't want to get sunburnt, and unevenly sunburnt at that, while sitting in the car. More to the point, nothing will ruin your holiday more than being so sunburnt you have to wear shapeless kaftans with long sleeves and not being able to sleep at night because it hurts so bad.
