Doing your bit for the environment has never looked quite so good as it does with Frank Green's colourful range of reusable cups. The durable containers are not only helping to quash Australia's single-use coffee cup waste problem, they're also super stylish and beautifully designed. And you've got the perfect excuse to add a couple to your collection (or someone else's) with Frank Green's storewide 20 percent off sale this weekend. From Friday, November 27 until Monday, November 30 you'll be able to treat yourself, a friend or your family to a stylish and sustainable cup on the cheap. Frank Green's entire catalogue — apart from sale items and gift cards — is on sale and there's something for everyone. You'll find the core reusable cup and bottle range featuring the brand's recognisable pastel colour palette and in-built tap-to-pay feature, as well as the Sustainable Sips range of tea, coffee and the new ceramic french press. If you're looking for holiday presents for the kids or your nieces and nephews, Frank Green also has a range of Disney and Minions cups and bottles. The pastel yellow Winnie the Pooh cup is so adorable you might end up getting it for yourself. Plus, $1 from every order will be donated to Reforest Now, an organisation that grows and plants trees in subtropical Australia. You'll be saving the planet in more ways than one. [caption id="attachment_792088" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kate Shanasy[/caption] 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.
Already home to a picturesque and peaceful Japanese garden, the Brisbane Botanical Gardens at Mt Coot-tha is ramping its cultural appreciation up a few notches. Visitors will do more than soak in the greenery-fuelled serenity from 10am on Sunday, August 18, courtesy of an entire day of Japanese-themed celebrations. From rice cake making and calligraphy sessions to kokedama classes and taiko drum performances, the Gardens' Japanese Cultural Day will steep you in the sights, sounds, tastes and activities of Japan — like a good tea ceremony, which is also on the agenda. Other highlights include make-your-own sushi classes, bonsai demonstrations, ikebana flower arranging, traditional Japanese music, martial arts displays, and tips on how to wear a kimono, plus craft and storytelling sessions for younger attendees. Food trucks will also be onsite, serving appropriate bites. Entry is free and no tickets are necessary — except for the kokedama workshops, which cost $10 and require booking in advance. Image: Brisbane City Council.
Sydney and Brisbane have a new player in the boutique hotel scene with the launch of Ode Hotels — a curated collection of unique properties created by EVT Hotels & Resorts in collaboration with Invictus Developments. The new brand includes three iconic hotels: the stylish, pooch-friendly The Old Clare Hotel in Chippendale, Sydney, cityside mainstay Harbour Rocks Hotel in The Rocks, Sydney and the singularly chic The Inchcolm in Spring Hill, Brisbane. [caption id="attachment_975684" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Old Clare Hotel[/caption] Each of these heritage-rich properties has been thoughtfully designed to blend history with contemporary luxury, reflecting Ode Hotels' ethos of authenticity and charm. The Old Clare Hotel, a former brewery turned cultural hotspot, offers a distinct architectural experience in the heart of industrial suburb Chippendale — and boasts numerous eateries and bars, including Longshore, TOCH bar, Clare Bar and The Rooftop pool bar. The Harbour Rocks Hotel brings a modern twist to Sydney's historical district of The Rocks while also showcasing an international bend with its on-site restaurants and bar, including Tayim, Creperie Suzette and Eric's Bar and Garden Terrace. The Inchcolm in Brisbane showcases neo-Georgian design, with thoughtful nods to its past as a physician's residence sprinkled throughout the hotel and its dark academia-designed on-site bar and restaurant. [caption id="attachment_975681" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Inchcolm Hotel[/caption] "Ode Hotels brings together three exquisite properties, each with its own unique character, under a brand that celebrates authenticity and individuality," said Callum Kennedy, Group General Manager of EVT Hotels & Resorts. "These hotels are some of Australia's finest, and we're excited to share the Ode brand with travellers seeking something beyond the ordinary." The concept behind Ode Hotels is to elevate the boutique hotel experience in Australia, offering spaces rich in history while delivering modern, personalised hospitality. Plans don't stop with these three hotels, as the group has designs to expand its offerings in the coming years. [caption id="attachment_975678" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Harbour Rocks Hotel[/caption] For more information on Ode Hotels, head to the group's website or social media pages. Top Image: The Inchcolm
I don’t know about you, but I, a twenty-year-old woman of the world, hate buying underwear. It makes me nervous. Speaking generally, there seems to be few options for underwear shopping in Brisbane – there’s the Cotton On Bodys about town, where you have to dive into ‘Five pairs for $30!’ bargain bins then, half an hour later, emerge from the pits of polyester hell, victoriously clutching flimsy bits of fabric, all the colours of the neon rainbow. Then there’s the Sensual Boutiques, where you have to fight through a wall of dildos and fluffy handcuffs to get to the goods – but sometimes I don’t want to spend an afternoon around sex toys, just saying. Then there’s Big W (sensible and cheap but boring). There has to be some sort of middle ground of underwear shopping I’m missing out on. Enter Assiere. Haven’t heard of them yet? Don’t worry, all you underwear-clad ladies of the land will hear much more in the coming months, starting from this Thursday night. Assiere will be joining with MODA Creative to present this season’s best in intimate apparel. Step to Zuri for a cocktail and night of decadence with Assiere – I promise there’ll be no fluorescent lighting or bargain bins involved.
Sometimes, we're all looking onwards, upwards and forwards because we're thinking about the future. In a 16-month period that's seen normality as everyone knows it change and evolve rapidly, that's hardly surprising. But don't forget to look up literally, too — especially when must-see sights keep gracing the night sky. When it comes to vibrant astronomical visions, the past few weeks have well and truly delivered. First, the Lyrids meteor shower lit up the night. Then, the 'pink' supermoon did its lunar thing. Every autumn, the Eta Aquarids meteor shower also sets the sky ablaze, and it's that time now. This year, the shower will be at its most spectacular early on Friday, May 7 — very early, in fact. If you're eager to catch a glimpse, even from just your backyard or balcony, here's how. WHAT IS IT The Eta Aquarids might not be as famous as Halley's Comet, but the shower is actually a distant relation — because the bits and pieces you see flying around were on Halley's path a really, really long time ago. And, rather than only being visible every 76 years (the next Halley's Comet sighting is in 2061), the Eta Aquarids come around every year, usually between April 19–May 28 every year. The shower's name comes from the star from which they appear to come Eta Aquarii, which is part of the Aquarius constellation. So, that's what you'll be looking for in the sky. Luckily, being in the southern hemisphere, we get some of the best views in the world. On average, you can see up to 20–40 meteors per hour. [caption id="attachment_769233" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] WHEN TO SEE IT The shower will reach a peak in the early morning of Friday, May 7, but will still be able to be seen for a few days on either side. The best time to catch an eyeful is just before dawn after the moon has set, so around 4am. This year, at that time, you'll be in the running to see as many as 50 meteors every 60 minutes. Each will be moving at about 225,000 kilometres per hour, shining extraordinarily brightly and leaving a long wake. The shower's cause is, essentially, the Earth getting in the comet's way, causing stardust to fry up in the atmosphere. HOW TO SEE IT Usually, when a meteor shower lights up the sky, we'd tell city-dwellers to get as far away from light pollution as possible to get the best view. If you can't venture out of town at the moment, you can still take a gander from your backyard or balcony. To help locate the shower, we recommend downloading the Sky Map app — it's the easiest way to navigate the night sky (and is a lot of fun to use even on a non-meteor shower night). If you're more into specifics, Time and Date also has a table that shows the direction and altitude of the Eta Aquarids. It has been updating this daily. The weather might get in the way of your viewing, though. Sydney is set for showers until Friday — fingers crossed that the wet weather takes a break during the early hours. It's also forecast to be partly cloudy in Melbourne until the weekend, mostly sunny in Brisbane, showery and cloudy in Perth, and partly cloudy in Adelaide. This year, the meteor shower will also have to compete with the moon, which is expected to reduce visibility — so catching a glimpse pre-dawn after the moon sets is your best bet.
Fancy seeing one of Brisbane's most popular spaces in a completely new light? Or, to be more accurate, with more than 22,000 square metres of lights flickering in, around and over the top of its lush greenery? As every home renovation-focused TV show has told us time and time again, a splash of colour can make a world of difference — and, at Roma Street Parkland's returning Enchanted Garden, it can turn an already picturesque space into a glorious festive wonderland. This local favourite pops up year after year, delighting Brisbanites of all ages — and 2022 is no different. This year, you'll be heading along from Friday, November 25–Wednesday, December 21, with the event sticking around for an extended season due to past demand. We all sure do love glowing lights, clearly. Designed to take half an hour to wander through and stretching along a one-kilometre walk, The Enchanted Garden combines custom-made LEDs — plus special effects, light sculptures, lasers, projections and holograms — with an immersive audio soundscape. The aim: getting merry and celebrating nature, with the 2022 installation featuring five sections. One will pay tribute to the parklands' water sections, another focuses on its rock formations, while a third showcases the locale's fig tree avenue. There's also a section that's all about floral art, and one filled with moving shadow sculptures. Unsurprisingly, it's a family-friendly affair — and, like in 2021, there is a fee. You'll pay $7 to head along and stare up at all that dazzling brightness. Once you're in, you can soak up the luminousness for as long as you like. Sessions run from 6–9.30pm and, if you're organised enough, you can always pack a picnic, arrive early and enjoy dinner beforehand. Plus, you can BYO drinks to one of the few public places that allows them in our fair town — although Roma Street Parklands' licensed areas are only licensed until 8pm. Food trucks will also be onsite at the Celebration Lawn from 4–9.30pm daily if you don't get around to taking care of your own nosh. A word of warning: people love all things glittery, so prepare to a heap company. Also, tickets usually get snapped up quickly, with this year's going on sale at 9am on Monday, November 7.
A wellness retreat in a scenic setting away from the hustle and bustle? Sounds dreamy. Queensland-based wellness haven Gwinganna does luxury a bit differently; it asks guests to leave indulgent food and booze behind in favour of spa therapies, organic meals, a yoga retreat and more health-focussed activities. And no, this is not the premise for Nine Perfect Strangers — far from it. The luxury design of the facilities, superior skill of the staff, and lush surrounding greenery ensure guests relax and unwind in whichever way suits them. If you're looking for a quick escape to the tropical oasis, you can opt for the Wellness Weekend Retreat package which covers two nights, all your organic meals, a wellness seminar and range of activities including Qi Gong. Those wanting a full cleanse from the daily grind can sign up for Gwinganna's signature seven-night where you'll get all of the above, plus multiple massages, a facial, evening meditation sessions and more. Fancy something in-between? Gwinganna also offers three-, four- and five-night packages. [caption id="attachment_829613" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Australia[/caption] Images: Tourism Australia
With the hustle of a 9-to-5 and the fast pace of modern life, each week can fly by in a way that leaves you feeling exhausted but, paradoxically, as though you haven't achieved anything of substance. Well, enough of that. Each day you can elevate your life by aiming for just one easy win — even small changes to your routine will help boost your week and leave you feeling accomplished. To get you started, we've teamed up with our friends at Coopers to bring you a list of 'easy wins' — small things that will enrich your week and help you balance that delicate trifecta of health, career and social life with greater aplomb than ever before. MONDAY: GET COFFEE WITH A COLLEAGUE You can go for months — years, even — only knowing your colleagues on a superficial level. So, why not take some time out of your Monday to get to know someone from the office a bit better. It's an easy win from both a social and career perspective. If you're shy or not too sure of what to talk about, the best place to start is to simply ask what path your colleague took to reach their current job. If that fails, Netflix chat is always a good back up — people love spruiking their favourite new series. Who knows, you could find a new work bestie. And, once the relationship progresses, you can swap coffee dates for after-work beers. TUESDAY: SPEND YOUR LUNCH BREAK AT A GALLERY Every day we are bombarded with images via our screens — but seeing things IRL is an altogether different, much more impactful, experience. Switch off your phone, head to an art gallery and stimulate your senses the old-fashioned way. It doesn't have to be a full-blown art affair where you spend your entire Sunday traversing one of the major galleries; it can be as easy as popping into a local gallery on your lunch break and doing a quick walkthrough. Add a bit of culture to your work week, and check out Kyle Montgomery's crystal Virgin Mary sculptures at China Heights in Sydney, Honey Long and Prue Stent's divine photography at Arc One in Melbourne or the young artistic talent at the Edwina Corlette Gallery in Brisbane. WEDNESDAY: DO A DIGITAL DETOX Sure, technology has its many benefits, but it can also have some pretty nasty side-effects. Constant connection can be stressful, distracting or, at worst, damaging to our mental health. While a full-on digital detox is off the cards for most of us — y'know work and stuff — design ethicist Tristan Harris has a number of tricks to help us reduce our reliance on smartphones and form more intentional relationships with technology. For starters, download Flux onto your computer (it cuts out the blue light from your screen at night so your melatonin levels are less disrupted), change your iPhone display to black and white (grayscale is less appealing to regularly check than colour) and turn off push notifications on your phone. Now that scrolling is no longer sucking up your time, you can bury your head in a book, catch up with friends, take a walk... the opportunities are endless. THURSDAY: EXPAND YOUR MIND WITH A TALK You know the importance of integrating physical exercise into our weekly routines, but it's easy to forget the need to keep our minds active, too. On any given night you can find a number of scintillating talks across your city on diverse topics like politics, media, art, sexuality and business. Many of these events — held at bookshops like Gleebooks in Sydney, Avid Reader in Brisbane or Readings in Melbourne — are free to attend. You can also check out our Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne event pages to find upcoming talks and classes in your city. FRIDAY: SAVOUR A BOWL OF PHO Wind down the work week with a Friday night pho from the best in the business. The most delicious meals often hail from the most humble looking places — a good noodle-soup discovery will attest to this adage like nothing else. Pho Tau Bay in Sydney's Cabramatta, Pho Hung Vuong 2 in Melbourne's Richmond and The Vietnamese in Brissie's Fortitude Valley all pack a punch with bountiful bowls of pure flavour. To take this easy win a step further, treat yourself to an ice cold beer — beer and pho are bros, trust us. SATURDAY: READ AN ACTUAL NEWSPAPER Yes, they still exist. Head to your local cafe, grabbing a paper on the way, order a flat white and catch up on the news in a slow, laidback way — rather than that frenzied, panicked newsfeed way. Kick leisure goals and expand your mind simultaneously. The Saturday Paper is prime for longer reads, The Australian Financial Review is perfect for the latest in business and politics, while The Age (Melbourne), The Sydney Morning Herald (Sydney) or The Courier-Mail (Brisbane) cover the news of your city. SUNDAY: TUCK INTO SOME TACOS You heard it here first, shrimp tacos are the at-home dish of choice for summer 2019 — fresh, zesty, and perfect for warm weather. Close out your week with the biggest of littlest wins, find your preferred recipe on the interwebs and put on a feast for your loved ones. Just add beers and sangria, and you have the perfect Saturday evening made. Kick off your 'easy wins' by enjoying a Coopers Dry, or two, with your mates.
Which cravings will Wonka inspire? Chocolate, of course, and also an appetite for more of filmmaker Paul King's blend of the inventive, warm-hearted and surreal. The British writer/director's chocolatier origin story is a sweet treat from its first taste, and firmly popped from the same box as his last two movie delights: Paddington and Paddington 2. Has the helmer used a similar recipe to his talking-bear pictures? Yes. Was it divine with that double dip in marmalade, and now equally so with creative confectionery and the man behind it? Yes again. While it'd be nice to see King and his regular writing partner Simon Farnaby (also an actor, complete with an appearance here) make an original tale again, as they last did with 2009's superb and sublime Bunny and the Bull, watching them cast their spell on childhood favourites dishes up as effervescent an experience as sipping fizzy lifting drinks. It's as uplifting as munching on hover chocs, too, aka the debut creation that Wonka's namesake unveils in his attempt to unleash his chocolates upon the world. Willy Wonka (Timothée Chalamet, Bones and All) has everlasting gobstobbers, golden tickets and a whole factory pumping out a sugary rush in his future, as Roald Dahl first shared in 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, then cinemagoers initially saw in 1971's Gene Wilder-starring all-timer Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Wonka churns up the story before that story, and technically before 2005's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory from Tim Burton (Wednesday) as led by Johnny Depp (Minamata) — but the less remembered about that most-recent adaptation, the better. There's no on-the-page precedent for this flick, then. Rather, King and Farnaby use pure imagination, plus what they know works for them, to delectable results. What they welcomely avoid is endeavouring to melt down Dahl's bag of tricks and remould it, and also eschew packing in references to past Chocolate Factory flicks like a cookie that's more chocolate chips than biscuit. Wonka is a prequel devoted to telling its own tale — and deliciously — instead of stretching itself like over-chewed bubblegum to stick again and again to all that precedes it. The nods are there, including in the type of villains that Dahl could've penned, and the turns of phrase. Visual minutiae harks backwards, top hat and all, while 'Pure Imagination' and the Ooompa-Loompa flute whistle get more than a single spin. In the worst of the throwbacks, obesity is used as a gag once more like over half a century hasn't passed since Willy Wonka was conjured up. But they're all the feature's sprinkles, not its main ingredients. Come to Wonka and you'll be viewing a film that values its own narrative, magic, whimsy and wonders by the bucketful. Swimming in its river of hopes, aspirations, enchantment and earnestness brings Barbie to mind, in fact, in how to bake something new and flavoursome from pre-existing intellectual property. The trailers largely hide it; however, Wonka is as much of a musical as pop culture's greatest sweet tooth's prior dances across the screen, opening with him singing as he sails to the unnamed European locale that's home to the Galeries Gourmet. Once back on land, he's soon spent his 12 silver sovereigns before a day has passed and his introductory number is over, but the eccentric's hat full of dreams — a Mary Poppins-esque item that contains all manner of physical marvels, too — hasn't come close to running out. Mere minutes in, Chalamet shows how magnificently he's been cast as the wide-eyed, eternally optimistic, crooning-with-cheer young Wonka, wearing sincerity as closely and comfortably as his character's go-to purple suits. He's a daydream made tangible, whether beaming with enthusiasm about every chance that comes Willy's way, speaking in sing-song rhymes or frolicking with a waved-around cane. Never trying to be previous versions of Wonka (no one can replicate Wilder, and no one should want to ape Depp), he's a pleasure at getting goofy as well, sans even a dash of the exquisitely played moodiness, vulnerability and cool that's served him so well in Call Me By Your Name, Lady Bird, Little Women and Dune. At Willy's new home, three shops run by Slugworth (Paterson Joseph, Boat Story), Prodnose (Matt Lucas, DC's Legends of Tomorrow) and Fickelgruber (Mathew Baynton, Ghosts) monopolise the sweets trade, but he wants to be the mall's next candyman. The chocolate cartel doesn't take kindly to newcomers, though, or making treats affordable to the masses. With assistance from a corrupt cleric (Rowan Atkinson, Man vs Bee) and chocoholic chief of police (Keegan-Michael Key, The Super Mario Bros Movie), the core trio has the power and influence to send their unwanted competitor's life's wish down the drain before it even gets a chance to set. Finding a place to stay at a washhouse run by Mrs Scrubbit (Olivia Colman, Heartstopper) and her offsider Bleacher (Tom Davis, Romantic Getaway), then getting landed with a debt that'll take 27 years of labour to pay off for just a night's slumber, also threatens to give his quest a sour taste. Then there's the orange-skinned, green-haired Oompa-Loompa (Hugh Grant, Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves) stealing Wonka's cocoa morsels out of revenge. All innocence, charm, buoyancy and tenderness just like a certain Peruvian mammal, Chalamet's star turn is the acting equivalent of having dessert for dinner and relishing every second. That said, there's nothing insubstantial about the fellow talents that surround him, with King's knack for filling parts big and small getting another scrumptious whirl. If the filmmaker wants to continue providing Grant with the scene-stealing comedic supporting roles of his life, audiences will devour his presence. Bringing Sally Hawkins over from the Paddington films to play Wonka's mother in flashbacks is a joyously touching move. Joseph, Lucas and Bayton make entertainingly haughty villains, while Key, Colman and Davis (also a Paddington 2 alum) are all having a ball. Farnaby turns a silhouetted moment as a security guard feasting on Willy's big night out truffle into a gem. And among Scrubbit and Bleacher's other indentured workers, Calah Lane (This Is Us) invests feeling and pluck in the orphaned Noodle, with Jim Carter (Downton Abbey: A New Era), Rakhee Thakrar (Sex Education), Natasha Rothwell (Sonic the Hedgehog 2) and Rich Fulcher (Black Mirror) engagingly rounding out the rag-tag laundry crew. Fulcher's involvement, like Farnaby's, nods to another jewel that King helped gift the world: The Mighty Boosh. The director helmed all 20 episodes, plus the comedy troupe's live Future Sailors Tour special — and its phantasmagorical and heightened vibe, as well as its winning wit, offbeat humour, fondness for silliness and textured details, live on in the filmmaker's big-screen efforts so far. Much is made in Wonka of Willy's compendium of components for his ingenious chocolate, such as giraffe's milk, salty tears from a Russian clown and liquid sunshine. King crafts his own irresistible confection in the same way, with heapings of gorgeous spectacle via its lavish cinematography (by the OG Oldboy's Chung-hoon Chung), production design (Nathan Crowley, Tenet) and costuming (Paddington franchise returnee Lindy Hemming); everything that his actors splash in; and also the memorable score (Joby Talbot, Sing 2) and tunes (Talbot and Neil Hannon, who were both in Northern Ireland-born band The Divine Comedy). And the banding together to bring down capitalist bigwigs dotted in the plot? What a cherry on top it proves.
You may have caught Zoe Coombs Marr on ABC2's Dirty Laundry Live or in post's bloody riff on death scenes, Oedipus Schmoedipus. Separate to her work with post, Coombs Marr's thing tends to be the timely topic of gender, and bending it. The "awkward sapphic high priestess of cool" (that's a description worth milking) confirms she's been dressing up as a dude (intermittently) all her life — like when she skipped schoolies to put on a drag musical. She's also won a Phillip Parsons Playwright Award and FBi SMAC Best on Stage in her time, which is pretty much as close as you get to having a quality guarantee. Catch her in Dave this week at Sydney's 107 Projects. There are lots of comedians named Dave, but none are quite like this one. Or maybe they all are. Ahead of the show, Zoe gave us the lowdown on dressing in drag (just like Anne Hathaway, Kristen Stewart and Brie Larsen have been perfecting). START EARLY Drag is a skill like any other. Just like violin, tennis, and passive aggression, the earlier you start, the more honed it'll be! Due to a natural aptitude*, I was lucky enough to get a headstart in childhood and the evidence is strewn through our family photo albums. While my sisters played it safe, as fairies, princesses and fairy princesses, I used these formative years to progress from standard beginner 'genie' 'magician' and 'groom' (to my sister), into more challenging impersonations of The BFG and The Hunchback of Notre Dame before graduating to experimental drag looks including 'Box of Sultanas with a moustache' and 'Tim Shore from the Demtel infomercials, but dead'. If you feel the chance has passed you by, why not take a leaf out of the Dance Moms handbook and live vicariously through your kids? This is particularly easy as all babies look like genderless potatoes. You can easily confuse everyone with the simplest acts, like dressing little Sally in blue or adorning baby Jake's head with one of those weird elastic bows that anxious heteros put on their bald infant girls to make sure that no one mistakes her for a boy. *lesbianism Images: Zoe's baby drag looks. BREASTS See also: Boozies, boobs, melons, honkers, jugs, bazookas, norks… I could go on. Once you move out of your genderless potato phase you're going to have to deal with these guys. If you're Hilary Swank or Gwyneth Paltrow, you'll just need a single crepe bandage, or to stand facing into a strong breeze. If you've got big knockers, like me, you'll probably try a number of uncomfortable and complicated methods involving: Tape - Gaffa tape can work in a pinch, but you need to wear a shirt under it and the shirt will be ruined. Bandages - Don't really work, because they either (a) move apart, creating a 'sausage coming out of its casing' effect or (b) crush your ribs, restrict your breathing and make you feel a little panicky. This is my theory as to why Gwyneth got so emotional at the Oscars. Sports bras - One forward, one back. never worked for me. Thanks for nothing wikihow. Glad wrap - Which works so well at first. Until the sweat comes… and more sweat… and then the rash. And other household items. Then, after all of the sore ribs, bruises, breathlessness and rashes, you'll give in and buy a binder online. Why didn't you do this ages ago, you idiot? And a tip: You will need a helper. As awkward as this may seem, it is nowhere near as awkward as trying to do this on your own in a dressing room. Especially if, like me, you tend to do this at all-male comedy nights where the dressing room is just a small gap behind a curtain next to the pub’s coolroom. FACIAL HAIR You have a couple of options here. If you’re planning on maintaining some sort of attractive aesthetic, or getting laid after your gig, you can just google 'Drag King Makeup' and follow their tips to creating a sexy contoured look. Think sharp edged eyebrows and pencil thin sculptured beards (aka "chinstrap" or "douche beard") that will make you look like a member of Backstreet Boys, circa 1998. However, I personally prefer to take the less popular route and glue hair clippings to my face, giving the effect of a lolly that's fallen on the floor. Glue them on with spirit glue. (Don’t make my mistakes. Remember water-soluble is easiest to get off unless you have the removal fluid. I once had to wash my face with nail polish remover.) You can source the clippings from a friend, partner, pet, or your own ponytail. The darker and coarser the better. Secretly I’ve always thought that pubic hair would be the best route, but have never been game enough to try. We all have to draw the line somewhere. Actually, now that I think of it, an actual beard would be the best, so if you know any hipster dudes whose Newtown microbrewery has failed and they have to shave to get a job in a bank, let me know. HEAD HAIR This is easy. If you have short hair, you're set! If you have long hair, you're also set: just sweep it into a low pony and you'll look like you work at Harvey Norman and sell stolen microphones on the side. Done. GENITALIA So now that you're covered in tape and hair, you'll need a penis too. I read somewhere that a small plastic bag of birdseed in the undies makes a great prosthe-dick. Or you can just go the tried and tested rolled-up sock route, which is what I do. Mainly because I generally forget this step until the last minute and as a result I perform about half my shows in only one sock. But whatever you use, you'll be tempted to make it too big. Rookie mistake. Hold back! One sock is fine. In fact, I like to imagine that Dave's penis is slightly smaller than average. The lack of confidence has to be made up in bravado and results in a far more realistic performance. After all that just whack on a graphic tee, a flannie, a pair of Rip Curl jeans and off you go. Remember, your guy is complex, if beer ads are anything to go by, he could be into football or cricket or larrikinism. Dave is on July 25-26 at 107 Projects before heading to Edinburgh. More info here.
Digitise your notes and hold them forever without losing the art of touching ink to paper. The line between the digital and non-digital world becomes ever thinner and more transparent with the influx of nifty new technologies like Moleskine's Smart Notebook. This notebook changes the world of handwritten notes as it allows you to photograph them, upload them onto note-taking program Evernote, and view them on a smartphone, tablet or computer. The notebook is for sketches or brainstorms which require old-school pen and paper, but can still conveniently be stored digitally. The Smart Notebook makes your notes, sketches, lists etc. incredibly "accessible, searchable, and shareable." After you've uploaded your notes onto Evernote, you can store them easily, look through them on screen, and easily share them with friends, family or work colleagues. Moleskine's notebook also comes with stickers or tags, so that you can group relevant notes together and make it much easier to sift through and search for various notes or drawings. On the Evernote app, it is easy to search for tags or keywords to easily find past notes. It also does helpful things, like automatically straightening images according to the lines of the notebook. Each Moleskine Smart Notebook comes with a three month Evernote subscription, so you can could theoretically make use of their service by simply buying a new book every three months.
Fancy reliving your childhood film favourites on the stage? That seems to be the current trend. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is doing big business in Melbourne, the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory musical has been taking its golden tickets around the country, and now Shrek the Musical is bringing its all-singing, all-dancing version of the animated movie franchise to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Expect plenty of green when this Tony and Grammy award-nominated stage show finally makes its way to our shores, after first premiering on Broadway back in 2008. Since then, everyone's favourite ogre has sung his way through theatres in the UK, Asia Europe, Canada, Latin and South America, Israel and Scandinavia. Although exact dates haven't been revealed, the character originally voiced by Mike Myers will bound across the Sydney Lyric Theatre at The Star from early January 2020, then hit up Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne and the Lyric Theatre, Brisbane. You know the story, of course — unless you somehow managed to miss the original 2001 Oscar-winning film, its sequels in 2004, 2007 and 2010, and the heap of spin-offs, shorts, TV specials and series that all followed. Based on the 1990 picture book Shrek!, the tale follows the reclusive but kindly titular figure who endeavours to rescue the feisty Princess Fiona from the the fairy tale-hating Lord Farquaad, all while trekking along with a talking Donkey sidekick. Australian cast details haven't been revealed, but Shrek lovers can expect a whopping 19 songs, an obvious colour scheme and plenty of other fairy tale references. Check out the trailer for the production's UK run below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2VQ2pfXbyI Shrek the Musical will tour Australia from 2020, starting with a Sydney season at the Sydney Lyric Theatre, The Star from January. Complete dates — including for the show's seasons at Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne and the Lyric Theatre, Brisbane — are yet to be announced. Sydney tickets go on sale on Friday, July 5, with pre-sales from Monday, July 1. Head to ShrekTheMusical.com.au to join the waitlist, and for further details. Image: Helen Maybanks.
UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 20, 2019 — RNB Fridays has this morning unveiled its mystery act for this year's throwback tour: Brandy. The chart-topping R&B singer will be belting out 90s and 00s hits such as 'Never Say Never', 'Wanna Be Down' and, of course, 'The Boy Is Mine'. So, don't try and hesitate and snap up tickets before it's too late. Put down your So Fresh CD. Crack open your teenage piggy bank. Keep practising your Janet Jackson shimmy. Because a full-blown R&B frenzy is set to sweep the nation this November as live party tour RNB Fridays returns for five mammoth shows. Descending on stadiums in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth between November 8 and 16 (not all on Fridays, mind you), the event has managed to pull a pretty serious lineup of international music legends straight from the 90s and early 2000s. Last year, the event saw tens of thousands of people snap up tickets to see Usher, Salt-N-Pepa and T-Pain. Heading the bill this time around is none other than singing, songwriting, dancing royalty Janet Jackson, in what will be the 30th anniversary of her award-winning album Rhythm Nation. Expect to hear bangers such as 'That's The Way Love Goes' and 'Got 'Til It's Gone'. She'll be joined by Grammy Award-winning group The Black Eyed Peas, 'In da Club' rapper 50 Cent, plus Jason Derulo, Keri Hilson, J-Kwon, Fatman Scoop and Sisqo — who will be performing his 90s smash hit 'Thong Song'. All of them. Together. In one show. RNB FRIDAYS 2019 LINEUP Janet Jackson The Black Eyes Peas 50 Cent Jason Derulo Keri Hilson Sisqo J-Kwon Hosted by Fatman Scoop Brandy RNB FRIDAYS 2019 DATES Perth — HBF Park, Friday, November 8 Melbourne — Marvel Stadium, Saturday, November 9 Adelaide — Adelaide Showground, Sunday, November 10 Brisbane — Brisbane Showgrounds, Friday, November 15 Sydney — Giants Stadium, Saturday, November 16 RnB Fridays Live 2019 pre-sale tickets are up for grabs from Monday, August 12 with general admission on sale from August 19. Image: Janet Jackson 2015 Unbreakable Tour via WikiCommons, RNB Fridays by Mushroom Creative House.
Isabella Rossellini is coming to Australia, dressed as a praying mantis and talking about sex. Set to perform her critically acclaimed, one-woman comedy show Green Porno, Rossellini will hit Australian shores in March next year — touring Perth, Sydney, Brisbane and the Adelaide Festival, with her hilarious take on the fascinating sexual habits of land and marine animals. The playful stage show, based upon Rossellini's short film series and subsequent book of the same name kookily exploring mating in the natural world, will first premier in Los Angeles this November. The screen icon — who is currently studying animal behaviour at Hunter College in New York — says that she's always been interested in animal behaviour: "...and I certainly know a lot of people that are interested I sex. So here you have the three elements that make the core concept of Green Porn." The show first originated in 2008, when Robert Redford asked the Italian actress to create short, environmental films for his Sundance TV Channel. Rossellini then wrote the stage production, alongside Jean-Claude Carrier —well-known author, actor, opera librettist and director. Expect a mix of live performance along with some of Rossellini's short films. The actress dresses up in a variety of ridiculous insect and sea-creature costumes, while providing a storyline that is completely scientifically accurate. Provocative, unusual and hilarious, Green Porno will headline the Adelaide Festival on March 15 & 16, then travel to Perth on March 19, Sydney on March 22 and Brisbane on March 24. Short stories about sex and animals — who would want to miss it? Tour dates Adelaide Festival: Her Majesty's Theatre, March 15-16. Tickets from adelaidefestival.com.au Perth: Perth Concert Hall, March 19. Tickets from ticketek.com.au Sydney: City Recital Hall, Angel Place, March 22. Tickets from cityrecitalhall.com or Ticketmaster. Brisbane: Brisbane Concert Hall, March 24. Tickets from qpac.com.au. Update (December 6): Rossellini has added an extra date to her tour — Melbourne. She'll be presenting Green Porno at the Playhouse, Arts Centre, on Wednesday, March 26. https://youtube.com/watch?v=BckqviVaWl0
You don't have to stray far from the inner city to get back to nature in Camp Hill. Bowies Flat Wetland is a manmade park that has seen picnickers, walkers and nature lovers visit since 2001. This little suburban oasis features a boardwalk, plenty of grass and shade as well as wildlife to admire and look out for. Set up your picnic blanket for the day with the fam or do as the locals do and make this track a part of your daily stroll. The wetlands were built for a project which aimed to lessen the amount of flooding in the area and prevent polluted water from making its way to Moreton Bay. The space is free for public use — all the council asks is that we keep it clean and don't feed the ducks.
Melburnians love to proudly — and loudly — lament the city's ever-changing weather conditions. It's the ultimate water cooler talking point and the 'four seasons in a day' gimmick is thrown around at least once a day. We love to talk about the weather so much we now have a building dedicated to the topic. Melbourne's newest high-rise 888 Collins isn't your standard apartment block — the 15-storey exterior is fitted with 58,000 lights which, from dusk until midnight, perform an hourly light show for the masses. The show isn't just for spectacle, though. The colours indicate the real-time weather conditions outside and so are, like the weather, constantly changing. This feat was accomplished by artist Bruce Ramus, whose experience as a lighting designer includes work for the likes of R.E.M, U2 and David Bowie. It was easy for Ramus to notice the city's obsession with the weather and he felt creating an artwork that "interprets how the weather feels" was the best homage to locals, he told The Age. The building is located on the corner of Collins and Bourke Streets, down the Docklands end of the CBD. In order to predict the weather accurately, the roof is fitted with a weather station and fed data from the Bureau of Meteorology. The building is also solar powered, which provides power both for the lights and the building itself. While the idea of an eco-friendly building that depicts our love/hate relationship with the weather is right up our alley, we're not sure how keen we'd be to live in it. But Ramus has ensured residents that he has considered them in the design; the light output is far below the city's guidelines and the show "is very gentle". If you want to head down to Docklands and check it out for your self, Ramus has put together a handy guide for how to 'read' the building. Though the show ends at midnight, the building's lights will remain on throughout the night, depicting images of the moon straight on to morning. Now isn't that just dreamy. Via The Age. Image: LendLease.
Nicolas Cage can do anything and he has the filmography to prove it, spanning standout performances playing ex cons, con men, heartbroken lumberjacks, a version of Spider-Man, lonely paramedics, kooky dads milking alpacas, John Travolta, Elvis obsessives and himself. He made a mighty fine — and unhinged — undead obsessive back in 1988's Vampire's Kiss, too, which is the one Cage movie everyone needs to see if they only ever watch one Cage movie. And, 35 years later, he's now giving Dracula the good ol' Cage spin. This might be one of the rare instances where Nicolas Cage sucks — but on purpose and in a good way, of course. Cage playing Dracula is a next-level idea, as sits at the heart of Renfield, which focuses on the titular minion and his toxic relationship with his bloodsucking boss. Giving audiences two Nicks for the price of one, Renfield boasts The Great's Nicholas Hoult as eponymous character, who is getting unsurprisingly tired of doing his master's bidding. Catering to a vampire's every whim for centuries, even when you're given considerable powers in return, is losing its bite for the literary offsider — who, like the Count himself, does indeed hail from Bram Stoker's iconic horror novel. But ending that relationship isn't going to be easy in Renfield, as both the first sneak peek earlier in 2023 and the just-dropped latest trailer make clear. The film's namesake is already doubting his allegiances to the Dark One and the Lord of Death when he crosses paths with traffic cop Rebecca Quincy (Awkwafina, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) and sparks fly — just as his employer does. Accordingly, in two early glimpses that big on camp, Renfield mixes up its horror-comedy by giving its lead a love interest. And, if you're feeling shades of Hugh Grant in Hoult's performance, you're not alone. So far, Cage's Dracula doesn't run around the streets shouting "I'm a vampire! I'm a vampire! I'm a vampire!", as Cage did in Vampire's Kiss. Whether that ends up happening in Renfield won't be seen Down Under until the end of May. Filmmaker Chris McKay (The Lego Batman Movie) sits in the director's chair here, working with a script by Rick and Morty writer Ryan Ridley based on an idea by The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman (an idea straight from everyone's dreams, too). And, joining Cage, Hoult and Awkwafina on-screen is a cast that also spans Ben Schwartz (The Afterparty) and Adrian Martinez (The Guilty). Check out the latest trailer for Renfield below: Renfield releases in cinemas Down Under on May 25.
For father-son duo Steve and Ben Crick, it was a trip to Germany that inspired them to create the affectionately dubbed 'Bratmobile' food truck. After 33 years as a butcher, Steve was able to develop a foot-long bratwurst, then go on to create perhaps Brisbane's spiciest sausage, The Firewurst. These authentic German sausages have been a mainstay at food markets, festivals and breweries for over a decade — keep an eye on The Bratmobile's Facebook page for its next stop. Can't wait that long? Order a preprepared feast via DoorDash instead. Dressed with sauerkraut, onion, mustard and curry tomato sauce, the bratwursts and kranskies are definite steps up from your average hot dog. Plus, you can add a soft salted German pretzel to really stir up those Oktoberfest memories (lederhosen optional). Images: Hennessy Trill
While Australia pushes back the prospect of a high-speed rail (presumably for infinity), Elon Musk has been doing his usual incredible genius thing and has come up with his own high-speed transport system. Although it's not a train — it's a large, human-fitting pneumatic tube. And it looks like it's about to become a reality. After first proposing the high-speed, compressed air-powered Hyperloop back in 2012 and establishing a headquarters in March last year, the Tesla, PayPal and Zip2 cofounder has now announced his plans to start erecting a five-mile test track in California. Their building company, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, has filed for construction permits in the Quay Valley. And if all goes to plan, the Hyperloop could be taking passengers as early as 2018. That means 2018 could officially be the future. Described by Musk as a “cross between a Concorde and a railgun and an air hockey table,” the proposed Hyperloop system would consist of a long route of elevated vacuum-sealed steel tubes, through which pressurised capsules ride cushions of air at speeds of up to 1220km/h. Just like Futurama. Designed to transport both freight and brave human passengers, Musk’s first proposed route would run from LA to San Francisco, cutting the roughly six and a half-hour drive time to just 35 minutes. If you think that this idea sounds awesome, then you’re right — it’s straight-up awesome. There are however still a few small details to work out. Despite Musk’s initial assertions that the project would cost a ‘mere’ US$6 billion to complete, several economists have put the price tag closer to ten times that, if not more. There’s also the possibility that people might be a little reluctant to seal themselves inside a windowless metal pod travelling at breakneck speeds through the desert — although if the proposed US$20 ticket price holds true, it may be a preferable alternative to flying. We're sure anyone who's taken a delayed flight from Melbourne to Sydney lately will most probably agree. Via TechCrunch. By Tom Clift and Lauren Vadnjal.
Fancy pairing your next gluten-free doughnut with a mid-morning tipple? Nodo Donuts has you covered, with its Newstead cafe now serving up cocktails, boutique beers and ciders. Designed with boozy brunches in mind, the brand new drinks menu spans acai spritzes, mandarin mimosas, native gin and tonics and cuba libres. There's also an incredibly apt beverage, and one that's likely to be rather popular: doughnut martinis. Ingredient-wise, the drinks range continues Nodo's gluten-free, natural, local-focused and organic ethos. You'll be sipping on fair trade cacao liqueur from Peru, native spiced butterfly pea flower gin and collaborative farming champagne from South Australia. Or, if you opt for something other than a cocktail, you'll be tucking into gluten-free, organic and fair-trade spirits, boutique beers and ciders. As for the food side of the brunch equation, that's up to you to decide from the seasonal menu. There are doughnuts, obviously; however the current cafe lineup also includes crab benedict on house-baked brioche, bacon and eggs on a pretzel bun, sourdough hotcakes and kimchi cheeseburgers. At present, the drinks menu is only on offer at Nodo's Newstead eatery, so you won't find the beverages in the CBD or Camp Hill. Those stopping by the inner north will be able to enjoy a tipple from 10am–3pm daily, with the menu launching on Thursday, July 25. Find Nodo Donuts at 1 Ella St, Newstead, open daily from 7am–3pm, with its boozy brunch menu on offer from 10am–3pm.
If you’re not a regular of The Tiller, it’s because you don’t live anywhere near Newmarket train station. If you did, you’d be there every morning. Staff (who are lovely) operate out of a battered old orange storage container, serving up cups of liquid gold. Chemex, AeroPress and cold drip methods are used, as are single origin coffees and a variety of ethically sourced blends; however, if you want the best of The Tiller’s coffee experience, we recommend the house espresso blend. Courtesy of Wolff Coffee Roasters, Three Mile Scrub (Newmarket’s former name) is smooth and rounded, a definite crowd-pleaser. Tiller Coffee has a stated commitment to sustainability, and therefore their house blend is often tweaked according to seasonality and availability. Buzzwords like ‘sustainable’, ‘seasonal’, ‘ethical’ and ‘local’ are tossed around these days, but The Tiller appears to follow through. This is particularly evident in the number of local small businesses to feature on their menu. Their traditional kettle boiled bagels ($12) are sourced from The Bagel Boys, their bread and croissants are freshly baked daily by Crust & Co and their relishes and jams are made by Taringa’s Love and Provisions. An assortment of goodies is also available for takeaway, including canisters of Mörk hot chocolate mix and handmade chocolate from Bahen & Co. The food offerings are few, but that’s because there is no padding or filler; the menu is thoughtfully curated to serve the atmosphere and ethos of the cafe and, of course, the coffee. That said, though some other brew bars’ non-coffee options can seem a bit perfunctory, The Tiller really comes through for the non-coffee drinker. In addition to looseleaf teas, they serve up Mörk hot chocolate ($4) and ginger chocolate milkshakes ($6). A brew bar housed in a shipping container with upturned zabuton-topped plastic crates for seating and tree stumps for tables might sound like something of a hipster cliche to the more cynical among us, but rest assured that The Tiller is as much substance as style. A unique establishment, they successfully exercise their philosophy, and come off as sincere in their commitment to coffee and community.
The proof is in the pizza at Prova Pizzeria. In fact, prova actually means proof in Italian — although their titular dishes offer plenty. Tomato sauce-slathered bases, non-tomato sauce slathered-bases: you'll find both on the menu at their Stafford Heights restaurants, with multiple combinations of toppings. Just try to pass up a gamberi with tomato, mozzarella, prawns, garlic, cherry tomato, rocket and chilli, or a porcini with mozzarella, mushrooms and truffle oil — or garlic, sea salt and rosemary foccacia, for that matter. And, because you can't run an Italian joint in this town without offering up something Nutella-filled and doughy for dessert, there's Nutella and banana calzones and Nutella pizza pockets with chocolate ice cream on the dolci menu. There's something else that makes Prova Pizzeria stand out, however: make-your-own charcuterie boards. Just pick your choice of cheese (buffalo mozzarella, smoked mozzarella, burrata or ricotta) and meat (proscuitto, bresaola, soppressa, salame or capocollo), pair it with bread, olives and rocket, and munch away.
Homespun local radio station 4ZZZ has provided roots for more blooming Brisbane bands, artists and journalists than you count on your hands and toes, and that’s something worth being happy about. Now, 38 years since their first broadcast, they’ll be celebrating the launch of their soon to be available On Demand service – something else to be happy about. Plus, the government has announced a $6 million boost to community radio funding in the next 3 years – put a smile on that dial! What better way then to celebrate all things happy than with in a good ol’ fashioned Happy-Fest, led in strong 4ZZZ form with a wowing lineup of musicians and artists. Starting at 3pm at Winn Lane, the party will venture right into the evening with The Zoo playing host from 7pm onwards. Leading the fun will be Sydney’s Raw Prawn, Melbourne’s Forces, synth twins Multiple Man, old-fashioned beer-fueled rockers Happy Times, and alienwave indie-rock band Barbiturates – a line up hand picked by a group who really know who we should be looking out for. Neglect community radio and you cripple arts and culture at its most nascent stage, but support it, and expect... happiness!
Little Peach Co. is a letterpress printing and design studio situated in downtown Woolloongabba. Its old-fashioned 1965 Heidelberg Platen 'Bertha' is at the heart every business card, invite or custom-designed stationery piece. The small business pours love into creating beautiful hand-made goods to suit your business or special occasion. If you're heading on in, we suggest you call ahead.
Tenth birthdays are a big deal, especially when you're an Australian music festival that's been navigating a pandemic and the resulting difficult time for the industry for half of your run, and also grappling with the impact of La Niña. Yours and Owls has been on quite the rollercoaster ride across the past decade, clearly, so of course it's celebrating its milestone birthday with a massive lineup. Fontaines DC, Denzel Curry, The Kooks and Goo Goo Dolls lead the roster of talent taking to the stage in Wollongong across Saturday, March 1–Sunday, March 2, 2025. Orville Peck, Hockey Dad, The Jungle Giants, Peach PRC and The Veronicas are also on the bill, as are Elderbrook, Honey Dijon, JPEGMafia and Salute — and plenty more. [caption id="attachment_976058" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Theo Cottle[/caption] When Yours and Owls revealed that it wasn't going ahead in 2024, joining the long list of music festivals scrapping plans for this year, it thankfully only put its fun on hold for 2025. Returning in 2025 was always the intention — and this is a lineup worth waiting for. Yours and Owls didn't completely sit 2024 out, however. Earlier in October, it held a pre-party, aka the event you put on when you can't put on the full festival experience at your usual time of the year because it doesn't work for your headliners' calendars. So, a tunes-filled shindig still took over the University of Wollongong campus — complete with Golden Features, Peking Duk, Alice Ivy, Anna Lunoe and more — to keep things warm for next year. Affectionately labelled "Gong Christmas", Yours and Owls 2025 will feature four stages across its two-day run, plus a feast of local arts — and food and drinks — beyond the tunes. The lineup arrives just a week after the fest locked in its dates for next year. Confirmation that the event will be back next year follows locked-in details for the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025 for a heap of fellow festivals, such as Laneway, Golden Plains, Bluesfest (for the last time), Wildlands, Good Things, Lost Paradise, Beyond The Valley and Meredith. Yours and Owls Lineup 2025 Fontaines DC Denzel Curry The Kooks Goo Goo Dolls Elderbrook Hockey Dad Honey Dijon JPEGMafia The Jungle Giants Orville Peck Peach PRC Salute The Veronicas Allday Babe Rainbow Coterie Cyril Dice The Dreggs Frankie Stew & Harvey Gunn Grentperez Isabel Larosa Magdalena Bay May A Mark Blair Pond Richy Mitch & The Coal Miners Sam Tompkins San Cisco Slowly Slowly Sycco Wunderhorse Battlesnake Bean Magazine Bodyjar The Belair Lip Bombs C.O.F.F.I.N Crocodylus Keli Holiday Kitschen Boy Le Shiv Miss Kaninna Nick Ward Ra Ra Viper Satin Cali Total Tommy Y.O.G.A [caption id="attachment_906428" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jess Gleeson[/caption] [caption id="attachment_906426" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ruby Bowland[/caption] [caption id="attachment_965220" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Ian Laidlaw[/caption] Yours and Owls returns to Wollongong on Saturday, March 1–Sunday, March 2, 2025. Presale tickets start at 9am AEDT on Tuesday, October 29 with general sales at 9am AEDT on Wednesday, October 30 — head to the festival website for more details. Top image: Ian Laidlaw.
These days, you can get a monthly subscription of pretty much anything delivered to your door, from pies to cars to plants to hard-to-find cheeses sourced from across the country. But for gin lovers, they're all bound to pale in comparison to a nifty new delivery service Gin Society, which treats its subscribers to a full-sized bottle of a small-batch artisanal gin each month. The company has just launched deliveries across Australia, kick starting the service with Italian gin Rivo, a full-bodied sip produced in Lake Como in the north of Italy with foraged botanicals. Like this one, the ongoing lineup is set to showcase a whole range of local and international gins, with a focus on drops you won't find at your local bottle shop. Each time one of these hand-picked, premium gins lands at your doorstep, it'll be accompanied by that month's edition of Gin Journal magazine, featuring expert tasting notes, suggested cocktail recipes, bartender profiles, reviews and details about the gin's origins. Everything you need to ensure you enjoy that bottle of artisan booze to its fullest. With their first order, new members will score a special Gin Society gift set, complete with crystal mixing glass, copper bar spoon, copper Hawthorne strainer and copper bell jigger — tools guaranteed to take your cocktail game to the next level. The gin subscription will set you back $95 each month, which includes a full-sized bottle of gin, the specialty magazine and exclusive invitations to Gin Society events. Sign up for your monthly gin fix at the Gin Society website.
With a career spanning more than two and a half decades, Cai Guo-Qiang is one of the major figures in the global contemporary art scene. The highly awarded artist and curator has made a living making works that provoke thought and discussion through the innovative use of materials such as pyrotechnics, automobiles and a multitude of lights. QAGOMA is playing host to Falling Back to Earth, an exhibition of works by Cai Guo-Qiang, centred around nature and the visual dynamics associated with it. The exhibition largely revolves around his work Heritage 2013 an all-encompassing look at nature that uses 99 replicas of animals from around the world. Some works evoke memories of the Australian hinterland and coastal scenery; others are more vivid in their display of wild animals. This is a ticketed exhibition, so make sure you prepare yourself before heading to South Bank. But rest assured, the amazing exhibition will blow you away with its attention to detail and timely commentary on our relationship with nature.
Got beef? The answer is yes at the latest addition to West End's West Village, but no one will be quarrelling. Rather, the just-opened Rich & Rare wants to fill Brisbanites' plates with steaks, steaks and more steaks — so much so that 15 different cuts are on the menu. The focus: prime beef. The vibe: high end. The wild card? Upscale surf 'n' turf combinations are encouraged. Hailing from the Tassis Group, Rich & Rare also goes big on seafood, as the hospitality company's Fatcow Steak & Lobster did over at Eagle Street Pier before it was torn down for a yet-to-be-built new riverfront precinct. Clearly, this crew isn't letting its expertise with steak and the ocean's finest go to waste. Announced back in July and open to diners from Friday, September 29, Rich & Rare serves up its favourite types of protein both indoors and out, seating 150 people. The new Manhattan-style joint joins the array of eateries settling in at the park-filled West Village precinct, including the Tassis Group's own Yamas Greek + Drink since 2022. "We want diners to have the best of all worlds," explains restaurateur Michael Tassis about his beef-and-seafood spot, while also noting the venue's levelled-up but still casual approach. "Top quality produce demanded a purpose-built kitchen and a luxurious but welcoming environment." The look and feel: sleek and sophisticated, with both a cylindrical glass walk-in dry-aging room and a temperature-controlled walk-in cellar greeting patrons as they arrive, plus manicured gardens. In the kitchen, Tassis has assembled a culinary team led by Cameron Croad, who was most recently General Manager at Spicers Hidden Vale, plus Head Chef Felipe De Souza Oliveira (Urbane, Greca) — as well as Kadu Imbroisi (Cha Cha Char, Fatcow Steak & Lobster), who trained at Parisian culinary school École Ducasse, also hails from Brazil like De Souza Oliveira and has been nicknamed "the grill master". Their menu unsurprisingly makes prime dry-aged steaks the star, using cuts from Australian farms as well as Japan. If you only try one, the wagyu tomahawk steak looks to be it; it's cooked over an open flame, rested to up its juice game, then carved and served at your table — although it does come with a hefty $190 per kilogram price. Eight other wagyu options are on the menu, alongside 180- and 250-gram eye fillets, a 400-gram scotch fillet, 600-gram rib on the bone and dry-aged sirloin, and a MB4+ t-bone. For adding seafood to your beef, picks include Alaskan king crab legs, king prawns and whole lobsters. The latter from the tank is a highlight in general; however, the seafood range also spans oysters that are opened 'on order', caviar, seafood platters for two, raw kingfish and Mooloolaba swordfish steak on the bone — which Rich & Rare hopes will become one of its signature dishes. Woodfired beets, steak tartare, beef tataki and seared scallops also sit among the entree choices; bone marrow mash, truffle mac 'n' cheese and rosemary-salted fries with the sides; and steak sandwiches, truffle mushroom spaghetti and lamb cutlets amid the mains. To wash down your choice of protein, Rich & Rare's bar is packed local and international whisky, other spirits, plus wine from the cellar, including for after-work tipples, pre-dinner cocktails and late-night digestifs. And yes, it's proving a busy time for Tassis, which already boasts not only Yamas but Massimo and the newly revamped Opa Bar + Mezze in its stable. The group's Hamptons-inspired seafood restaurant Fosh launched at Portside Wharf in August, and overwater restaurant and bar Bombora, plus landing cafe Mulga Bill's, will be part of Kangaroo Point's new green bridge in 2024. Find Rich & Rare at West Village, 97 Boundary Street, West End, from Friday, September 29 — operating from 11am–late daily. Images: Allo Creative and Markus Ravik.
2022 has been a massive year for one of Fortitude Valley's favourite music venues — a place that, for most of its three-decade lifespan since 1992 so far, hardly seemed like it changed at all. Firstly, The Zoo added an in-house pizzeria, aka Zoopreme Pizzeria. Then, the team branched out with cocktail spot Stranded in Winn Lane. Now: Booze, which does indeed sling exactly what its name promises. Booze isn't just a bottle shop — although it definitely sells high-end wines, artisan spirits, both craft and mainstream beers, and sake. The vino lineup focuses on natural wines from Australian producers, stocking a rotating range, with Jauma, Sven Joschke, Dormilona, Koerner Brothers and Dr Edge among the showcased labels. In addition, the space on Winn Street doubles as a takeaway pizza joint, a coffee spot and a providore. Head by to stock up your liquor cabinet, grab a slice, nab some speciality caffeine, and support local producers and artisans making chocolate, relish, pickles, hot sauce and charcuterie. In the lead up to Christmas, there'll also be gift hampers up for sale. That isn't the end of the list, either, with Booze badging itself as Brisbane's new home for "cool shit". That includes vinyl and band merchandise, covering a wide array of genres from punk to country, and spanning international and local acts. It is setting up shop in the perfect spot for it, taking over the space previously home to the beloved Tym Guitars. Yes, consider this an icon taking over an icon. The coffees will be on offer from 12pm — and if you're after a pizza, there'll be six on offer from Zoopreme Pizzeria from 5pm Wednesday–Sunday.
Sometimes they're sung. Sometimes they're splashed across the screen. Quite frequently, they adorn Dolly Parton-themed paraphernalia. That'd be the iconic Tennessee-born icon's words, which feature heavily in affectionate, entertaining and enthusiastically camp Australian comedy Seriously Red. Viewers should expect nothing less of a film about a Dolly Parton-adoring real-estate valuer who decides to pour her cup of ambition into being a Dolly Parton impersonator, obviously. There's an exact turn of Parton-penned phrase to sum up Raylene 'Red' Delaney's new gig, too: what a way to make a living. Of course, as Seriously Red's star and screenwriter, that sentiment applies to Australian actor Krew Boylan as well. For two decades now, particularly across shorts and television — a resume filled with everything from McLeod's Daughters and Wild Boys to A Place to Call Home and TV movie Schapelle — she's been chasing the performing dream. Her best part yet, though, is the one she wrote herself, and a role that harks back to watching 1989's Steel Magnolias as a child with her mum. From being wowed by a Parton-starring film to making her own Parton-obsessed on-screen ode, Boylan's fondness for the 'Joelene' and '9 to 5' singer has endured; persistence is a very Dolly trait, after all. Indeed, it was thinking about why Parton represented the pinnacle of success for her that sparked Boylan to start scripting Seriously Red in the first place in 2009. The years since have seen other projects come her way, but after getting Dolly's pivotal tick of approval — thanks to friend, executive producer and on-screen Elvis doppelgänger Rose Byrne — the movie started becoming a reality. In fact, it's the first feature by Australian independent production company Dollhouse Pictures, which Boylan and Byrne created with Seriously Red's director Gracie Otto (The Last Impresario, Under the Volcano) and producer Jessica Carrera, plus Babyteeth filmmaker Shannon Murphy. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Parton should be clearly be honoured. As well as playing a Dolly impersonator, Boylan couldn't be more effusive with praise about the entertainment legend. "She's great artist, and she's funny, and she's irreverent. She decides how to she wants to look, and she keeps it positive even when people try to bring her down about it. And she's quick-witted, and then she's also got this business side. I guess I gravitated to that whole package." It's one thing to make a movie that drips its "love, sweat and joy" for the country star through every frame, as Boylan puts it. It's another to also ponder identity, creativity, self-esteem and finding the courage to be yourself. As it follows its titular character's chaotic pursuit of all things Dolly, including exploring the celebrity impersonator scene, Seriously Red is that feature. It's no wonder that Parton read the script twice within days of receiving it, and jumped up and down exclaiming "you played me, you played me!" when Boylan met her. With Seriously Red now in cinemas Down Under, following a whirlwind year that's spanned premiering at SXSW, an Aussie debut at the Sydney Film Festival and opening the Brisbane International Film Festival, we chatted to Boylan about having a Dolly great time loving Dolly, meeting the woman herself, exploring the impersonator industry and getting Byrne to play Elvis. ON ALWAYS LOVING DOLLY "I always loved Dolly Parton. I became fixated on her really through the movie Steel Magnolias, that my mum must've showed me — I can't remember how, like at what age I saw it, but I remember sitting there with my mum and my sister and watching this movie and crying and laughing, and just falling in love with all those characters. So I did start to fixate on Dolly — not as much as Red does, but I started to gather stories about her, and where she came from and why she looks the way she looks, and watching interviews on how she handles herself with some pretty sexist interviewees back in the 70s and 80s. I just loved the way she handled herself. I loved that she was a businesswoman, and the joke was always with her and she always kept it positive. Yeah, I did become quite fixated on her. My dad was always very adamant — he's got daughters — that 'girls, you can be successful, you've got to have drive, you go for what you want'. And I started to kind of go 'yeah, I've got drive, but I'm not really getting the success that I want — and what is that anyway?'. That's when I started to write to figure that out, and the answer was pretty quickly that Dolly Parton's the top of the chain for success for me. So what is it going to look like for me, and how is that going to feel? Hence why I started to write about Dolly Parton." ON GETTING DOLLY'S SIGN-OFF "You know, Dolly was almost one of the first people to get onboard, and then it took us the rest of the time to convince everyone else… It's a complete love story to Dolly Parton, and the music is the heartbeat of the film, so it was really important to get her. "That entailed Rose Byrne taking the script, hard copy, in her car driving partway across a couple of states to get to Nashville to meet with her manager Danny Nozell, who's an executive producer on the film. And to hand it to him, and say 'this is the project, this is what we're passionate about, this is what we want to make — can you have a read?'. It was only a few days later that we got an email back saying 'Dolly loves it. She's read it twice. What should we do? How can we help?'. It was life-changing, but you couldn't quite really feel it until I met her. ON MEETING DOLLY ONCE THE FILM WAS FINISHED The first time I got to meet her was just in March in Austin, Texas at SXSW. What was weird about it, I found, was that it was so normal. I was so in my boots and so relaxed, as she was — and that's a testament to her, she really just knows how to make you feel comfortable. We had this gorgeous connection, this great little hangout, and I think I was so surprised that it was organic and normal and calm, and she was just so beautiful and giving. She launched at me, and she hugged me, and she jumped up and down holding my hand saying 'you played me, you played me!'. And I started to cry, saying 'thank you for letting me tell my story through your stories'. And she was like 'you cryin' angel? Are you cryin?' — and she started wiping away my tears. In that moment, I was like 'is this really happening? Is Dolly Parton wiping away my tears?' But she was, and she was just beautiful. I think she definitely connected with the story. She felt vulnerable reading the script, knowing that I am playing her and I disrobe — she felt a little bit vulnerable about that. I thought it's amazing — she's personified me as much as I personified her." ON EXPLORING THE IMPERSONATOR INDUSTRY "I like seeing worlds that you don't always get to experience in real life. I like seeing that in plays or in TV or in theatre. So of course I went to Vegas to meet with impersonators, watch a whole of bunch of shows and really dig into it. I've got so much respect for that industry, because you really can't be halfway in if you want to be great impersonator. You've really got to go for it. Whether or not you want to live as that person can be a fine line or a tricky balancing act, and I certainly met people who were more or less living as that person, and then other people who were like 'no, this is just strictly business'. Then there were other people who are just like 'look at me!' — and I was like 'yeah, you look exactly like Steve Tyler. No wonder.' That was sort of the end of the conversation with this one impersonator because he did, he looked exactly like him. It was really interesting and, of course, I love the duality of it. We're all often wearing masks, especially now in a social media and zoom world, where you can kind of choose who you're going to be, or how you want to be filtered, or how you want to put your life out there as it being one thing. And is it truly? This movie might just help everyone just remember who you really are, and that your identity is also constantly changing — so allow for that. ON ROSE BYRNE PLAYING ELVIS We were both living in New York City, and I remember waking up that morning thinking about how I want to play a man — just because you're an actress, you want to try to play everything. I did method at Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, so I'm into all of those different processes. And I was thinking about how I would love to play a man, and it just clicked, and I thought 'Rose should play Elvis!'. Like, if I want to play a man, she's going to want to play a man for sure. And she was picking me up in an hour or something, so when I got in the car I was like, 'would you be my Elvis?'. And she was like, 'yes, YES'. She looks kind of like Elvis. Elvis was pretty beautiful, Rose is really one of the most beautiful people I've ever seen and it just made sense. And she is a tour de force, and such a great actress. It's one of those performances where the more I watch it, the more hilarious it becomes. I just can't stop, every time she comes on screen now I just chuckle. But I think it's one of those movies that sometimes just gets funnier and funnier — a bit like Bridesmaids. Seriously Red opened in cinemas Down Under on November 24. Read our full review.
The right bite can transport your tastebuds far away. At Joe's Deli, that destination is New York. The Italian American-style street-food diner has been whisking Gold Coasters off to the Big Apple sans airfare one sandwich at a time, serving up meatball subs, cubans, hoagies, southern fried chook, tempura prawn po' boys and Italian flatbreads — plus pickles and chips as sides. Come mid-August, it's Brisbane's turn to dig in. The Broadbeach favourite is spreading not just sandwich fillings, but its footprint, announcing its first River City outpost. Before winter is out, Joe's Deli will set up shop in Albert Street in the Brisbane CBD, in welcome news for the weekday lunch crowd. That said, this won't just be a midday haunt. All those sandos — and Joe's Deli's 90's hip hop playlist and NY-inspired booth seating — will grace an 80-seat eatery that's also a bar, boasting an extended booze offering. Accordingly, along with the chain's newest meat slicer getting to work, the venue will go big on beers and ciders from local breweries, plus organic wines, seltzers and Soda& mixers. Helping with the vibes to celebrate Joe's Deli's Brisbane arrival: DJs hitting the decks every Thursday in September. The Albert Street store will also feature laneway dining, as well as the brand's newest merchandise and clothing range. Fancy a Joe's Deli t-shirt, hat, bag or beer mug? That's the current line, and it's getting a boost. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Joe's Famous Deli (@joesdeliofficial) Food-wise, the menu is also receiving a revamp, reportedly complete with hot dogs sticking around permanently. Whether you now know where you'll be spending your lunch breaks or you have a new after-work go-to in mind, here's hoping that the current dessert lineup with cookie sandwiches and two-tone, liquid Nutella and brûlée marshmallow cheesecakes hits Brisbane. And yes, Gold Coast joints heading north is a trend right now, following the already-open Rosé Gelateria and the soon-to-launch Rise Bakery, both at Portside Wharf. Find Joe's Deli at Shop 7, 123 Albert Street, Brisbane CBD, from mid-August — we'll update you with an exact launch date when one is announced.
There's no avoiding the Hottest 100 on Australia Day. Even if you don't still tune in now, you definitely grew up listening to it — and if you fall in the latter category, you probably have fond memories of the great Aussie rock acts that have graced the countdown over the years. The Empire Hotel certainly does, which is why they're dedicating the occasion to the homegrown bands that made the '90s great. Settle in for the sounds of Silverchair, Spiderbait, Jebediah and Frenzal Rhomb — and, if that's not enough, play giant versions of jenga, connect four and chess with your mates.
The Gold Coast might be known for its sandy beaches, sizeable array of shopping strips and more than a couple of theme parks, but beyond all that lurks plenty of interesting and architecturally significant buildings. Luxe houses, towering residential buildings, revamped sports precincts, a towering art gallery — the list goes on. It's a side of the Goldie that many never ponder, and it's on display for two days across Saturday, October 16–Sunday, October 17. That's when Open House hits the sunny tourist spot for another year, and welcomes in anyone who'd like to take a sticky beak. This year, you can actually hit up every single location on the agenda, because none of its guided tours are running at the same time. Public buildings, sites and structures opening their doors include HOTA, Home of the Arts — fresh from its huge revamp and relaunch earlier this year — as well as the Southport Sharks precinct in Southport, Broken Camp in Broken Head and The Spit renewal project in Main Beach. Fancy peering inside homes and apartments? That's where Audrey's Farm in Tumbulgum, Lightning House in Labrador, Hey House in Main Beach, the Mali Residences in Mermaid Beach and The Lanes in Mermaid Waters all come in. Remember your childhood dreams of getting to run rampant in a department store after hours? Or your grown-up version, involving IKEA? Think of this as a more realistic version. And, it's also a way to satisfy your architectural and design curiosity.
UPDATE, May 30, 2021: High Ground is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Violence is never splashed across a cinema screen unthinkingly. Depicting physical force is always a choice, even in by-the-numbers action films where fists and bullets fly far more frequently than meaningful moments. Accordingly, when brutality and bloodshed arrives in a movie that peers back at Australia's colonial past, there's no doubting that the filmmakers responsible have considered what they're including, why, the message it conveys and the impact it'll have on the audience. High Ground is one such Aussie feature. This outback western joins a growing number of homegrown efforts, such as Sweet Country, The Nightingale and The Furnace, and it's just as exacting about its scenes of confrontation and carnage. All excellent films, they each ensure that watching atrocities committed by white Australians against First Nations people and people of colour isn't a passive act — because having a visceral and emotional reaction, facing the horrors of Aussie history and releasing the imprint such violence still leaves today is the only natural response. High Ground's main forceful encounter occurs early, motivating everything that follows and proving impossible to forget. In 1919, ex-World War I sniper-turned-police officer Travis (Simon Baker, Breath) sets out across the area now known as Kakadu National Park, leading a law enforcement team on a routine expedition to track down runaway criminals. Travis is respectful of Arnhem Land's Indigenous residents; however, it doesn't take much — namely, the decisions of his less fair-minded colleagues — for the journey to end with slaughter. Twelve years later, in the 30s, Travis is still haunted by the incident. Thanks to one of High Ground's most important choices, it doesn't require any effort at all to understand why he feels the way he does, or why his eyes have taken on a sorrowful glint. The movie's viewers have witnessed the same awful events, with Aboriginal men, women and children who were enjoying a peaceful waterside gathering all suddenly and savagely killed, and a boy called Gutjuk (debutant Guruwuk Mununggurr) only managing to leave the scene alive due to Travis' intervention. The bulk of the film takes place in its later time period, when Travis is enlisted by his superior Moran (Jack Thompson, Never Too Late) and ex-partner Eddy (Callan Mulvey, Shadow in the Cloud) to address the still-lingering aftermath of the massacre. One of the few survivors, Baywara (Sean Mununggurr, Lucky Miles), has been waging a campaign of revenge — and, despite the fact that Travis turned in his badge in disgust after his bosses covered up the incident, he's given the task of locating him. Baywara is also Gutjuk's uncle, which sparks a reunion between the ex-cop and the child he saved. Of course, the latter is now a young man (fellow first-timer Jacob Junior Nayinggul), has spent the past decade-plus at a local mission with the kindly Father Braddock (Ryan Corr, Hungry Ghosts) and his sister Claire (Caren Pistorius, Unhinged), and is as begrudging about the new expedition as Travis. He's also just as aware that a showdown looms between Australia's colonisers and its original inhabitants, and that whatever eventuates isn't likely to be peaceful. Even when untainted by blood, the country's landscape has blazed with red, orange and ochre hues since long before European settlement — since the sun first started beating down upon it, undoubtedly — with those colours helping many an Aussie film bake heated feelings of fury and torment into their frames. Indeed, simmering anguish goes with the territory in High Ground. That's true of every movie that recognises that Australia was far from terra nullius when the First Fleet arrived, but there's no escaping the scorching mood that radiates here, as director Stephen Maxwell Johnson (Yolngu Boy) intends. Working with cinematographer Andrew Commis (Babyteeth) to bring screenwriter Chris Anastassiades' (The Kings of Mykonos) script to the screen, the filmmaker fills his first feature in two decades with picturesque yet also pulsating scenery. Peering down at eye-catching swathes of the Northern Territory, the nation's earthy beauty is striking and stunning, and so is the knowledge that it has been walked upon by Indigenous Australians for tens of thousands of years. And one goes with the other, as the movie's soundtrack also helps reinforce, layering the noises of birds and wildlife with songs by Yolngu singers such as Yothu Yindi's Witiyana Marika — who also appears in the film as Gutjuk's grandfather Dharrpa — and his son Yirrmal Marika. Johnson has a history with Yothu Yindi, directing music videos for the group, including for its 1991 hit track 'Treaty'. He also grew up in the NT, and has ties with Arnhem Land and Kakadu National Park's Yolngu and Bininj Aboriginal communities. And, he worked with the elder Marika and the late Dr M Yunupingu, also of Yothu Yindi, as the script for High Ground and the project in general evolved. It should come as no surprise, then, that the film stings with authenticity. It tells a fictional tale, but does so to illuminate inescapable truths. Everyone involved knows that they're interrogating a difficult but vital subject, and aims to get their audience thinking as long and hard as Johnson and his collaborators clearly have about the details, the violence, and the way the country's historic treatment of its First Peoples still echoes today. In one of his rare homegrown roles of late, Baker belongs among High Ground's intensely contemplative talent. He's one of the film's executive producers as well, but he's ideal on-screen. That said, he's at his best when he's acting opposite the exceptional Nayinggul, who seems to live and breathe Gutjuk's pain and conflict with such soulfulness and sincerity that his performance appears near-effortless. Their pairing speaks volumes at every turn, too. They play men pushed together by circumstance, with one made to confront the ills that an entire nation would rather ignore and the other forced to help clean up an invading culture's unspeakable acts. That juxtaposition alone paints a potent picture, and a purposeful one — but that's this latest great Aussie film all over. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WL-G4oCoDF0
It has been a big year for fans of The Crown, and the show hasn't even released any new episodes in 2020 so far. At the beginning of the year, Netflix announced that it would end the royal drama after its fifth season. Then, it had a change of heart, revealing it would continue the series for a sixth season. That's quite the drama — and all of this before the show's fourth season has even aired. If you prefer your royal intrigue on-screen, however, the streaming platform has now just dropped its full trailer for the aforementioned fourth batch of episodes. When the first teaser for the fourth season arrived back in August, it only ran for 46 seconds, but this trailer gives viewers a heftier — and heavier, mood-wise — look at what's in store. The focus here is on Prince Charles (God's Own Country's Josh O'Connor), his wedding to Lady Diana Spencer (Pennyworth's Emma Corrin), and the fact that their marriage will turn out to be anything but a fairytale. Also present, of course, is Oscar-winner Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II. The trailer includes a bigger glimpse of The X-Files icon Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher as well, with the fourth season takes place during Thatcher's time as Britain's prime minister. When season four hits Netflix on Sunday, November 15, it'll be the last chance for fans to see the current lineup on talent. The series' fifth and sixth seasons — which are expected to follow the Queen in the 1990s and 2000s — will switch out its cast again, as it did after seasons one and two. This time, after season four, Downton Abbey, Maleficent and Paddington star Imelda Staunton will don the titular headwear, and Princess Margaret will be played by Staunton's Maleficent co-star and Phantom Thread Oscar-nominee Lesley Manville. Also, Game of Thrones and Tales from the Loop's Jonathan Pryce will step into Prince Philip's shoes and Australian Tenet, The Burnt Orange Heresy and Widows star Elizabeth Debicki will play Princess Diana. Check out The Crown's season four trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hJ5CwsphdQ The Crown's fourth season will hit Netflix on Sunday, November 15. Image: Des Willie / Netflix
Here's one for the money: a huge Elvis Presley showcase, filled with around 300 artifacts owned by the King of Rock 'n' Roll himself, all on display in Australia. Come autumn 2022, you'll want to step into your blue suede shoes and take a trip to the Bendigo Art Gallery, which'll fill its walls and halls with Elvis' clothes, vehicles and other personal items. All those jumpsuits he was so famous for wearing? A selection will be on display. The only car from his movies that was actually his? That red convertible 1960 MG, from the film Blue Hawaii, is visiting Australia for the first time. The Bendigo Art Gallery will also showing some tender love to Elvis' military uniforms, first job application and wedding tuxedo — plus Priscilla Presley's wedding dress. Plenty of the items heading to regional Victoria rarely travel beyond Graceland — so yes, calling the exhibition is Elvis: Direct from Graceland is apt. It'll serve up this hunk of burning Elvis love between Saturday, March 19–Sunday, July 17 in an Australian exclusive, as curated in collaboration with the Graceland archives. "It is a great honour to work alongside the creative team at the Bendigo Art Gallery to bring this unprecedented, detailed and comprehensive look into Elvis' life and career to Australia," said Angie Marchese, Vice President Archives and Exhibits at Elvis Presley Enterprises. "While Elvis was never able to visit Australia himself, it brings us great pride at Graceland to know that his legacy and music lives on there. We look forward to sharing a glimpse into Elvis' life with the fans in Australia," Marchese continued. [caption id="attachment_829957" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Elvis Presley strolls the grounds of his Graceland estate, 1957. Photo by Michael Ochs. © EPE. Graceland and its marks are trademarks of EPE. All Rights Reserved. Elvis Presley™ © 2021 ABG EPE IP LLC.[/caption] Other featured objects include Elvis' 1976 Red Bicentennial Custom Harley Davidson, his first grade crayon box from school and other garments from his personal wardrobe — if you're wondering what else will get the exhibition shaking, rattling and rolling. Costumes from his film career, movie scripts, jewellery worn by him and even vintage Elvis-branded merchandise will all be on display as well. Elvis: Direct from Graceland will step through all the key periods in the rock 'n' roll icon's life, from his early Mississippi days through to his Vegas years — and also peer beyond the pompadour and sequins, exploring his interest in books, karate and horses, and all things Graceland. It's Bendigo Art Gallery's latest huge exhibition to focus on style icons, after previously showcasing Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly, Balenciaga and Mary Quant. When it comes to celebrating high-profile figures, it seems the venue can't help falling in love. Elvis: Direct From Graceland displays at the Bendigo Art Gallery from Saturday, March 19–Sunday, July 17, 2022. For further information or to buy tickets, head to the gallery's website. Top image: Elvis Presley in the 1968 NBC television special, Singer Presents... Elvis, later known as the 'Comeback Special'. Photograph: Fathom Events/CinEvents. © EPE. Graceland and its marks are trademarks of EPE. All Rights Reserved. Elvis Presley™ © 2021 ABG EPE IP LLC.
The cast, the filmmaking, the directors, the complicated crime tales, the fact that it informed the world that time is a flat circle (and tasked Matthew McConaughey with delivering the news, naturally) — for all of these reasons and more, True Detective is something special. It's never better than in its first season, where McConaughey and Woody Harrelson partner up on a troubling serial killer case, try to one-up each other performance-wise, and knock it out of the park. But this neo-noir thriller created by writer, producer and director Nic Pizzolatto still consistently delivers in its second and third go-arounds. In season two, the action jumps from Louisiana to California, with Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams, Taylor Kitsch, Kelly Reilly and Vince Vaughn doing some hefty on-screen heavy lifting. And in season three, two-time Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali leads the charge, this time in the Ozarks.
The end of the year isn't just about having a few days off, feasting on too much food and generally feeling merry. It's also about devouring dystopian visions of humanity's technology-saturated future. Because Black Mirror has become as much a part of Christmas as lazing about and eating too much, the Charlie Brooker-created series has dropped its latest instalment: a choose-your-own-adventure-style movie. Called Black Mirror: Bandersnatch and available on Netflix right now, the film lets viewers decide what happens next. Yes, it's really just like the Choose Your Own Adventure books that you couldn't get enough of as a kid. At various moments during the movie, two options appear on the screen, asking you to select your preferred course of events. Picking what kind of cereal computer programmer Stefan (Fionn Whitehead) should eat, and what type of music he should listen to, is just the beginning. Set in 1984, the film follows 19-year-old Stefan as he tries to turn his favourite book, Bandersnatch, into a game — including the novel's branching pathways. His dad (Craig Parkinson) seems supportive, and so does the gaming developer (Asim Chaudhry) who gives him a job, but his programming idol (Will Poulter) keeps making comments about free will. Where the interactive movie goes from there isn't simply best discovered for yourself — it's decided by you as well. Variety reports that the multiple-choice effort features five main endings, if you're keen to see if you can work your way through them all. Black Mirror: Bandersnatch can be viewed in as little as 40 minutes, although it typically takes 90 minutes to get through. Before you start literally hitting the remote over and over, here's the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XM0xWpBYlNM Black Mirror: Bandersnatch is now streaming on Netflix.
Every suburb needs a good watering hole, eatery or hangout — or, all of the above combined into one, ideally. On the corner of Moordale Street and Moggill Road, prepare to find Chapel Hill's latest addition to the fold. Prepare to grab a tasty bite, knock back a few brews and while away the hours as well. Indeed, Suburban Social Neighbourhood Bar + Kitchen boasts two levels of eating and drinking goodness, as well as the kind of casual vibe you'd expect in Brisbane's leafy west. Think a brightly painted mural enlivening the walls, communal tables aplenty and a courtyard for outdoor relaxing and indulging. As far as the morsels that will take care of your hunger and thirst are concerned, think crafty twists on familiar menu items, as well as a heap of local brews. The culinary spread includes the mouth-watering morsels that are pork belly paddlepops (no ice cream is involved, sadly), hot and spicy chicken wings that don't come from a fast food grease trap, plus mac and cheese nuggets, house-made pickles, chorizo and rosemary pop corn, and double cheeseburgers. Then, wash it all down with cocktails, craft beers and Newstead Brewing Co. on tap.
The age-old saying 'do one thing and do it well' was the thinking behind late-night haunt 5 Dogs. Hot dogs are its weapon of choice, and let's just say it has definitely perfected them. With six hot dogs on the menu — including smoked bratwurst and traditional kransky — 5 Dogs caters to every type of hot dog fiend. Yep, even the vegan kind. Enjoy all the good things about German sausages but make it meat-free with the vegan beer brat and vegan kielbasa (Polish sausage), both coming in at under $9 each. Served with sauerkraut, fried onions and your choice of sauces, these dogs pack an authentic punch. Be sure to get a side of chilli cheese fries or good ol' fries and gravy. Not keen on hot dogs? Opt for a chicken gravy roll instead. First image: Hennessy Trill
Sun, surf, sand, ice cream: what a combination. As cemented in the childhood memories of most Australians, there's nothing like pairing a trip to the beach with a frosty dessert. Haven't had the pleasure of that experience lately? Keen for a sweet treat by the shore just because? Fancy enjoying one of life's simple delights for just 36 cents? Enter the ALDI ice cream truck. For one day only in each of Sydney, Melbourne and the Sunshine Coast, the supermarket chain is sending an ice cream van to the beach with cheap chilled bites. While the 36-cent price only applies to mini yoghurt sticks, nothing else on the nine-item menu costs more than $1 each. [caption id="attachment_987508" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kgbo via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] So, you can enjoy ALDI's take on choc-coated ice creams on a stick for 40 cents, its version of Splices for 50 cents and its Paddle Pop alternative — in both chocolate and rainbow — for 62 cents, for instance. An ice cream sandwich will cost you 95 cents, a Drumstick equivalent is 92 cents and the brand's version of a Golden Gaytime is $1. Sydneysiders will need to head to Balmoral Reserve, near the rotunda, at Mosman on Thursday, January 30. Melburnians have a date with Green Point Reserve, Brighton on Sunday, February 2, while Queenslanders should make the trip to the Alexandra Heads Surf Life Saving Club at Alexandra Headland on Saturday, February 8. At all three locations, the truck will be serving up its menu from 11am–3pm. [caption id="attachment_781735" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] The reason for the pop-ups is to spruik ALDI's in-store ice creams, which is what it's dishing up — and at the same price that you'd pay per ice cream if you were to purchase a box of each in the supermarket. Buy them individually from the truck and you'll also be helping a good cause, with 100-percent of the sales going to Camp Quality. In the past, Aldi has showcased its low prices by hosting a pop-up bar where gin, wine and cheese only cost $4.41, serving up six gyoza for $1.44 at a pop-up dumpling truck, slinging 37-cent barista-made coffee and opening a pop-up pub with beer for just $3.25. ALDI Ice Cream Truck Stops Thursday, January 30 — 11am–3pm at Balmoral Reserve (near the rotunda), 8 The Esplanade, Mosman Sunday, February 2 — 11am–3pm at Green Point Reserve, Brighton Saturday, February 8 — 11am–3pm at Alexandra Heads Surf Life Saving Club, 167 Alexandra Parade, Alexandra Headland The ALDI ice cream truck is popping up in Sydney, Melbourne and on the Sunshine Coast in January and February — keep an eye on ALDI's social media for more details.
Australia's favourite portrait exhibition, the Archibald Prize, is currently on at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. And, now, the Gallery is giving you another reason to visit — or revisit — thanks to its newly launched free program of art, music, performance and dance. Dubbed Archie Plus, it celebrates people, portraiture and the power of community after a really tough year with the aim to honour diversity, resilience and acts of care. To make it happen, the Gallery is working with New South Wales-based artists, performers and community collaborators to create an alternative experience of portraiture. The program will see dynamic portrait-inspired pieces popping up across the entire ground floor of the Gallery, as well as a lower-level corridor. You can expect to catch more than 60 ceramic sculptures by Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran gracing the grand entrance vestibule, an eye-catching mural from Studio A and newly commissioned works capturing dance, music and spoken word by likes of Nardean and L-Fresh the Lion. The project is bringing numerous artists on-site to create new work, too, so you may be lucky enough to encounter a live performance or work-in-progress during your visit. [caption id="attachment_790674" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran, 'Avatar towers' 2020 (installation view) © the artist. Photo: Mark Pokorny[/caption] For more details, check out the Art Gallery of NSW's website. Top Images (in order): Mathew Calandra, Emily Crockford, Annette Galstaun, Lauren Kerjan, Jaycee Kim, Catherine McGuiness, and Meagan Pelham of Studio 'A Love owls and mermaids singing in the rainbow pop' 2020 © the artists; 'Our superpowers' 2020, designed by children of Plunkett Street Public School, Woolloomooloo with Abdul Abdullah, and families supported by the Asylum Seekers Centre, Newtown and contributors to Together In Art Kids; Angela Tiatia 'The Golden Hour 2020' © the artist; and Peter Drew, 'Aussie' poster series displayed in the Grand Courts, Art Gallery of NSW, Thea Proctor Memorial Fund 2020 © Peter Drew.
More than 110 years have passed since the RMS Titanic's ill-fated voyage, but the ship's tragic sinking hasn't ever become a mere historical footnote. James Cameron, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet and Celine Dion all helped. In Australia recently, a Melbourne exhibition about the ocean liner has also assisted — as has musical Titanique in Sydney. In Brisbane July, Titanic. The Human Story is another event that's stepping through the tale of the vessel that set out from Southhampton in April 1912, then struck an iceberg en route to New York. The exhibition has popped up in both the UK and the US, but is enjoying its maiden Down Under visit in the Queensland capital. Although everything Titanic-related since 1997 has meant thinking about Cameron (Avatar: The Way of Water), DiCaprio (Killers of the Flower Moon), Winslet (The Regime) and Dion, Titanic. The Human Story wants you to cast the movie from your mind as it focuses on the ship's passengers and crew. The exhibition features around 200 personal artefacts from them, including never-before-seen pieces that span handwritten letters, belongings, keepsakes and photographs. As attendees step through their experiences, an audio guide also relays the tales of those onboard the liner during its one and only journey — and some of the boat's interiors will feature via life-sized recreations as well. Titanic. The Human Story is displaying at Uptown, the shopping complex in the Queen Street Mall that was previously the Myer Centre, until March 2025. The precinct first got into the exhibition game with the completely different Dopamine Land, which was filled with Instagram-friendly experiences designed to make visitors feel happy (ball pits are one of them) and also made its Aussie premiere in Brisbane. Behind both is entertainment discovery platform Fever. Also behind Titanic. The Human Story specifically is Spanish company Musealia. Bringing historical exhibitions to audiences is its remit, including about the Berlin Wall and Auschwitz, and it has enlisted Titanic expert Claes-Göran Wetterholm to assist with its research on this exhibition. Updated Monday, January 13, 2025.
Love vintage and pre-loved outfits? Tired of the hassle of trying to find things online? That's where Her Wardrobe — and its market of clothes, shoes and accessories — comes in. Off-line browsing and buying was a thing long before the days of eBay purchases, and at this shopping get-together, it's here to stay. In what promises to be a fabulous day for fashion, more than 10,000 items will be available to bulk up your clothing choices. You'll not only see them with your own eyes, but you'll also get to meet the folks behind the sartorial gems as you're scouring for bargains. And, if you have your own trove of vintage treasure that you're willing to part with, or if your closet just needs clearing out so that you can fill it with more stylish threads, you can sell your own stuff too. That's right, you can refresh your wardrobe, part with your unwanted attire and make some cash at the same time. That's a fashion trend we can get used to.
So, you've spent your week working — and working up a appetite. It's Thursday evening and you're keen for a tasty feast, but the last thing you want to do is whip something up yourself. Enter Feed Me Thursday, and Dutch Courage Officers' Mess' solution to your ravenous needs. They'll shower you with four courses of delicious dishes for between $30-33, aka the price of a main meal at most places. A semi-regular event that next takes place on April 12, the tasty banquet lets chef Regan Haira cook up a storm of comfort food, and lets attendees eat the results. This time around, the event is Moroccan-themed, which means lamb cigars, ras el hanout calamari, and vegetable and chickpea tagine, among other dishes. A vegetarian option is available. Bookings are recommended, and the only caveat is that you also have to buy a drink with your meal. Given that the Valley bar is rather well-known for their massive gin selection, as well as their cocktails, that shouldn't be too difficult.
If you're fond of vino and you were to plan your perfect winter activity, we're guessing that it'd involve mulled wine. Would sipping warmed-up tipples under the stars also be on your list? And by the fire, too? How about doing all of the above at a scenic winery, and snacking on meats, cheeses and crackers — and managing to tick through the whole list right here in southeast Queensland as well? Congrats, this is a stunning way to spend the frosty weather. It's also exactly what Sirromet's Fiery Winter Warmers offers. On Saturdays and Sundays from 4.30pm throughout winter, running until the end September, the Mount Cotton spot wants you and your date/mate to get cosy while enjoying the dreamy experience outlined above. You'll get your own private firepit, a blanket to sit on (and take home) and a barrel table to pop your hamper on. You'll also score bites, including sweets — and Sirromet's mulled wine. Two insulated cups will be thrown in as well, which you can also keep. This deal costs $189 per couple, with the food and booze designed to suit two. All that's left is to pick your favourite person, then snuggle up.
If Stone & Wood's ales and lagers happen to quench your hard-earned thirst, then you now have a new place to drink them, with the Byron Bay-based brand opening up a brewery and taproom in Brisbane. Five nights a week, Brissie beer lovers will find the amber liquid flowing at 99 Bridge Street in Fortitude Valley. Of course, even when the doors aren't open at the heritage-listed building — which has been preserved on the outside, gained custom-built Blackwood Collective furniture on the inside, and is also decked out with very fitting stone and wood decor, as well as plenty of greenery — the eight-hectolitre brewhouse and its five fermenters will still be operational. First announced in mid-2018, and launching in late October this year, Stone & Wood's new Brisbane base is serious about its beer. Onsite, it brews one-off small batch tipples that are only served at the venue — and, even better, they're poured straight into your glass from tanks located behind the bar. Don't expect cocktails, wine or spirits to sip on, or pub-style entertainment like TVs or pokies, either. While you're here, you'll drink beer, talk about beer, look at beer-making apparatus and just generally be made fully aware that you're in a brewery. If everything else doesn't do the trick, hanging planters made from old kegs will definitely help remind you of your boozy location. The new spot does include a merchandise outlet, should you be keen on wearing your affection for Stone & Wood on your sleeves in a literal sense — and there's also a space that'll be used for community events, as well as training workshops by the brewer's trade partners. Food-wise, the brewery will welcome a rotating array of local food vendors, picking outfits that match its beers. First up is Mr Bunz, because steamed buns and brews go together mighty nicely. If you're keen to settle into the 150-person space, start knocking back cold ones and take in the view over the street, the venue doesn't take reservations, so just walk on in. The 90-person function area will be available from December, should you be eager to add some beer to your Christmas merriment, too. And yes, if you're currently thinking that Brisbane is becoming one big brewery — or one big brewery crawl, at the very least — you're not wrong. The city already boasts a hefty lineup of craft breweries, as well as the big ol' mainstay that is Milton's XXXX Brewery. And, this month, it'll also welcome a new multimillion dollar brewery and drinking spot from Scotland's BrewDog as well. Find Stone & Wood's Brisbane brewery at 99 Bridge Street, Fortitude Valley — open Wednesday–Thursday from 3–10pm, and Friday–Sunday from 12–10pm.
They're globe-hopping, ass-kicking, world-saving spies, but women: that's it, that's The 355. When those formidable ladies are played by a dream international cast of Jessica Chastain (Scenes From a Marriage), Lupita Nyong'o (Us), Penélope Cruz (Pain and Glory), Diane Kruger (In the Fade) and Fan Bingbing (I Am Not Madame Bovary), the tickets should sell themselves — and Chastain, who suggested the concept and produces, wasn't wrong for hoping that. Giving espionage moves the female-fronted spin that Bond and Mission: Impossible never have isn't just this action-thriller's quest alone, of course, and nothing has done so better than Atomic Blonde recently, but there's always room for more. What The 355 offers is an average affair, though, rather than a game-changer, even if it so evidently wants to do for its genre what Widows did for heist flicks. The film still starts with men, too, causing all the globe's problems — aka threatening to end life as we know it via a gadget that can let anyone hack anything online. One nefarious and bland mercenary (Jason Flemyng, Boiling Point) wants it, but the CIA's gung-ho Mason 'Mace' Browne (Chastain) and her partner Nick Fowler (Sebastian Stan, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) head to Paris to get it from Colombian intelligence officer Luis Rojas (Édgar Ramírez, Jungle Cruise), who's gone rogue and is happy to sell; however, German operative Marie Schmidt (Kruger) is also on its trail. The French connection goes wrong, the two women get in each other's ways, but it's apparent — begrudgingly to both — that they're better off together. They need ex-MI6 cyber whiz Khadijah Adiyeme (Nyong'o) to help, while Colombian psychologist Graciela Rivera (Cruz) gets drawn in after making the trip to stop Luis going off the books. No stranger to covert affairs or formidable women after penning Mr and Mrs Smith, but helming only his second movie following the awful X-Men: Dark Phoenix, director/co-writer Simon Kinberg spreads the action across several continents — including a foot chase in Marrakesh and an auction in Shanghai, which is where Lin Mi Sheng (Fan) joins the story. Scripting with TV veteran Theresa Rebeck (Smash), his big setpieces all play with the film's gender focus, mostly dissecting how women are so often overlooked in various situations; the indifference given wait staff, the invisibility of women in male-dominated societies and the way they're meant to be pure eye candy at black-tie occasions all earn the movie's ire. But these sentiments, like everything else in the feature, are blatant and straightforward at best. The mood the movie vibes with: "James Bond never had to deal with real life," as Cruz is given the misfortune of uttering. From that aforementioned opening scene through to almost every supporting part, it also never escapes attention that men still run The 355's world. That doesn't just include the obvious, because yes, that's sadly the reality we all still live in and the film is making a statement about that very fact; they're everywhere and everyone in the film, other than its central quintet. Whether to further push Chastain and co to the front or to hammer home what it's like to be a woman in this male-centric life, it doesn't leave any room for ladies who aren't these 'strong female lead'-style super spies. Also glaring: that every single one of Mace, Marie, Khadijah, Graciela and Lin's backstories are defined by men, from other halves of the boyfriend, husband or friends-with-benefits varieties to fathers, mentors, children and patients. The 355 should be better — with its dialogue, clearly; with its girl-power, girl-boss, girls-can-do-anything messaging; and at celebrating more than five women, or even showing them. (If you were going to pick five ladies to do the job, though, this casting is spot-on.) It could use a sense of style and charm beyond Nyong'o's suits and the gang's personality-matched auction outfits, and its over-edited action scenes put Kinsberg two for two with tanking a crucial part of his directorial efforts to-date. Women can star in mediocre action movies as well, however. That isn't meant to be the picture's big push for gender parity, but The 355 is also exactly what seemingly millions of bland men-led actioners have been serving up for decades upon decades. It packages it up in an Ocean's 8-meets-Bourne approach, or a more self-serious Charlie's Angels, but these run-of-the-mill flicks have long been everywhere, just without as much oestrogen. The Bond and Mission: Impossible franchises have their own, too. Great idea, winning intentions, stellar cast, generic execution: even by paying all that lip-service to how hard it is to be a woman (especially thanks to those truisms, in fact), that's also The 355. It's lucky that its pseudo–Fox Force Five are so watchable, and so committed to making the most of their thinly written parts, including in their fight choreography — and yes, if only they were gifted some of the fun that Pulp Fiction conjured up about that fictional series, or of Kill Bill, which essentially saw Quentin Tarantino bring the idea to life. A sequel mightn't eventuate for Chastain, the particularly great Kruger, Nyong'o and Cruz, and also Fan to get another spin at the worthy concept, but the groundwork is laid anyway, because that's just one espionage-movie trope in a list of thousands that's delivered here. The 355 is ordinary instead of awful, thankfully, and sometimes it's slightly better than that. But it's also haunted by all those should'ves and could'ves, and by being oh-so-basic with its killer lady spies, their battle against misogyny and their quest to claim some much-needed on-screen space.
Calling all sleuths of Queensland — again. If you haven't fulfilled your murder-mystery fix on the big and small screens over the past few years, and if you missed a whodunnit play hailing from the one and only Agatha Christie in both 2022 and 2023, then you'd best make a new date with The Mousetrap. Here are two questions for you to solve before you get there: why is it a big deal when is it coming your way once more? The answers: as well as being penned by Christie, it's the world's longest-running play; and past seasons have proved such a hit — and sellouts — it's playing HOTA, Home of the Arts, Gold Coast from Wednesday, May 29–Sunday, June 2. 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 arrived in Australia in 2022, The Mousetrap did 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 all about an unexpected body. 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're all puzzling it over — and a twist conclusion, which audiences have been requested not to reveal after leaving the theatre for seven decades now. Images: Brian Gleach.
Vinyl fiends, rejoice: your annual excuse to boost your collection is here once again. No one ever needs a specific reason to stock up on records, but Record Store Day gives you just that anyway. It's a celebration of the medium, the stores that sell it and everyone who visits the latter to pick up the former. In Fortitude Valley on Saturday, April 23, Record Store Day is also a daytime party — and a shopping session, of course. Head into the Brunswick Street Mall from 10am–3pm for markets, record store pop-ups and live tunes, plus DJs spinning the obvious. Thanks to Suitcase Rummage, you'll be browsing for records — naturally — as well as vintage threads, books, jewellery, shoes, badges and more. On the decks will be DJs from the Valley's Catalog Music, QUIVR and 4ZZZ, and radio folks will be on MC duties, too. Spreading the vinyl love far and wide, there'll also DJ sets in Bakery Lane and a label showcase in Winn Lane as well.
