Add a touch of glamour to your outdoors or music festival experience with a designer tent. Designed by a diverse group of artists, photographers and illustrators, FieldCandy tents feature quirky designs ranging from a wedge of cheese to a drawing of a little old granny. There is a jelly bean tent for the sweet tooth, a galactic-themed tent for the nerd, and many more. Adorable, yes, but these tents aren't just for show--they are all rough-and-tumble ready. Appropriate for those hardcore hikers and campers, and for those of us traveling no farther than our back yard, FieldCandy tents are sure to brighten up your camping experience. Looking for a place to getaway to? Check out Concrete Playground's favourite camping destinations.
For more than a decade, a movie version of Monopoly has been mooted, but hasn't yet reached screens. There's no need to hope for a Jumanji-style big-screen take on the game, however. Instead, from Wednesday, November 15 in Melbourne, you can just head to Monopoly Dreams and enjoy playing your way through Australia's first theme park-esque Monopoly experience. Here, the property-buying family favourite is no longer just a game: it's an immersive 1700-square-metre attraction. Monopoly Dreams is already open in Hong Kong, making the Aussie venue only the second in the world. Initially slated to launch in October, it's now officially ready to welcome in Monopoly lovers. If you're wondering what happens when the game that's caused many a childhood dispute — and plenty more between adults as well — makes the bricks-and-mortar leap on Melbourne Central's lower ground level, that's as understandable as being annoyed about being sent directly to jail. The answer isn't just a life-sized version of the game that everyone has played more than once. Rather, the venue is taking a chance on bringing Monopoly elements beyond the board, building a Monopoly city that includes water works, the electric company, the bank and Mr Monopoly's mansion. Yes, there is indeed a jail. Presumably you don't go directly there upon entering, but you can get your mugshot taken within its walls. When you walk through the doors, you'll also find carnival games. It wouldn't be an attraction based on a board game if playing games wasn't a big part of the setup, of course. Expect challenges as well — and, in the mansion, there'll also be a vault and gallery, alongside a 4D cinema screening a movie about Mr Monopoly and his dog Scottie touring Melbourne locations — plus the opportunity to create your own customised Monopoly title deed. For bites to eat, patrons can hit up the Monopoly cafe. And if all this Monopoly talk has you wanting to play Monopoly or buy Monopoly merchandise, Monopoly Dreams will also feature Australia's first and only dedicated Monopoly store. Catering for audiences of all ages — so, you'll have kids for company, but it's open for adults without children in tow — Monopoly Dreams will take visitors around 60–90 minutes to enjoy the full experience. "The opening of Monopoly Dreams has been highly anticipated by Monopoly fans since the news broke that we'd be making Melbourne our home," said Monopoly Dreams General Manager Mark Connolly. "We are absolutely thrilled to now be opening the doors and welcoming guests into the incredible world of Mr Monopoly." Monopoly Dreams will open on Wednesday, November 15 at Melbourne Central, Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. Head to the venue's website for tickets and further details.
When this year's Dark MOFO program dropped, House of Mirrors immediately rocketed to the top of everyone's must-do list. Created by Australian installation artists Christian Wagstaff and Keith Courtney, it's exactly what it sounds like: a walkthrough space filled with reflective surfaces that will not only strands you in a maze of your own image, but turns your likeness into a kaleidoscope. Is it fun, creepy or both? You be the judge. No, we're not taunting everyone that couldn't make the trip down to Tassie. In fact, eager Brisbanites will soon get the chance to wander through the disorienting, perception-altering, panic-inducing, optical illusion-based labyrinth for themselves. Trust Brisbane Powerhouse's carnival-like end-of-year fest Wonderland to bring the attraction to Queensland. From November 18 to December 11, the installation will take over the area outside of their Stores building for weeks of reflective roaming pleasure, with the modern, minimalist twist on the fairground classic featuring 40 tonnes of steel and 15 tonnes of mirrors — and no added gimmicks, no special effects, no special lighting, no soundtrack or soundscape. It'll be the first time House of Mirrors has popped up since its Hobart debut, and comes to Brisbane before slated seasons in Sydney and Melbourne. Just imagine what all those shiny panes will look like in the brilliant Queensland sun. Our tip: wear sunglasses.
When it comes to job opportunities in the hospitality industry, options aren't limited solely to being behind the bar, on the floor or in the kitchen. There is an entire world of positions within hospitality that many don't realise exists. For example, food festivals don't just come together on their own; and if you've ever been at one of these massive events wondering what goes into the planning — or even picking up on things you would do better — you may just be thinking like an event manager without even realising it. That person behind the curtain is the one looking after every tiny detail to bring all that good food and booze together. In partnership with William Blue at Torrens University, we're asking hospitality graduates who run our favourite events in Sydney to talk about how they got started in the industry. Event management student Rebecca Wheatley is four weeks from graduating with a Bachelor of Business (Event Management), and has already earned a successful position as operations event executive at IMG Culinary. Part of her job includes helping run several of IMG's much-loved culinary events, including Taste of Sydney, Taste of Melbourne and Margret River Gourmet Escape. Just before graduation day, we asked her how she got here and for a few tips on how to be successful in the event management space. And might we add, whether events and the hospitality industry are for you or not, Rebecca gives some pretty steadfast advice no matter what field you're starting in. [caption id="attachment_632242" align="alignnone" width="1620"] Katje Ford.[/caption] GET AN INTERNSHIP "When I first finished school, I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do. I was working a million jobs, travelling a lot, and then I just started doing a few internships. They all happened to be in the event management industry, and at one of my internships, I met a few students from William Blue who highly recommended the program, so I signed up for the next trimester. It's so important to do internships and to get into the work environment. This is the way to start learning what you enjoy and what you're good at. Networking and learning how businesses work is key, and I wouldn't have my job if I didn't do that." RECOGNISE YOUR STRENGTHS "My very first uni subject was to work with a team to make an event. My team ended up doing a charity cocktail party for 130 people. And since it was for charity we had no budget; so figuring out how long to make it all work was very challenging, especially for beginners. I remember looking into ticketing platforms — which often take a percentage — and realising I had to be more creative and find other options. This first project really made me realise how detail oriented I was when looking at events. It's what really led me to the operations side of event management. This showed me the side of the business that I love and am skilled at." [caption id="attachment_632243" align="alignnone" width="1620"] Katje Ford.[/caption] JUMP AT OPPORTUNITIES "During uni, a former student came to one of my professors looking for an operations assistant for Brand Events (now IMG Culinary). My teacher recommended me, and I started off there with a three-month contract role. I kept contracting for IMG Culinary after that and now, at the start of this year, they put me on full-time as operations event executive. It's been such a great experience and a great opportunity to now graduate with a full-time role." EXPECT LONG HOURS AND HARD WORK "It's obviously a big challenge to juggle both uni and work; one that so many students struggle through. But finishing school without any job experience is even tougher, so working during uni was key to my success. Right now, I'm working [with] IMG four days per week and fitting uni in where I can. It's really hectic to do both at once, especially when there are events on. For Taste of Sydney, I had to go bump in at 7am, then run back for classes for a few hours and then head back to the event until midnight or 1am. And right now, I'm working on the program for Margaret River Gourmet Escape and managing all 150 exhibitors, as well as the contractors, schedule, council and all of the logistics. In this industry, you really devote your life to getting the event over the line. It's all you do and all you think about. You're constantly trying to come up with new ideas and ways to make it all work. Then, when the event opens and you see it all come to life, its such a rush and a moment to be really proud of yourself. You need to have that passion to keep going." [caption id="attachment_632241" align="alignnone" width="1620"] Katje Ford.[/caption] STAY DEDICATED "When you're just starting out, it's either long hours, low pay or both, but don't be afraid to work for it and get through it. If you're lucky enough to be in an industry that you love, then it all pays off. Especially when juggling school and work, it's really hard, but remember it's only temporary. Don't be afraid to stick it out. Sometimes it feels impossible to do both, but you'll get through it and be so glad that you did when you have a career at the end of it." William Blue at Torrens University offers courses in Event Management, Hospitality, Culinary Management and Tourism. Find out more about the diverse career options in hospitality, and kick-start your career at the William Blue Open Day on Saturday, August 12 in Sydney or via their website.
Like all of the eateries in the PappaRich empire, this Coorparoo outpost of the Malaysian restaurant chain serves consistently satisfying buttery rotis, fragrant laksa, filling nasi goreng and fiery sambal. What started out as a vision to create a modern version of the traditional coffee shops in Malaysia, has turned into an Australia-wide name, and rightly so. Each store has its own menu, but you'll always find roti canai, nasi lemak and pan mee — plus its range of teas, like teh tarik, lemon tea with honey and the Milo Dinosaur, a cup of iced Milo with a scoop of Milo powder on top.
What's the perfect dessert to follow a feast of gyoza or bao? Harajuku Gyoza might be the home of raindrop cakes and Japanese air cheesecakes, but it has another answer to that question: sweet versions of its go-to savoury dishes. Lemon meringue gyoza, marshmallow gyoza and Ferrero Rocher dumplings have been on the chain's menu before. Nutella gyoza sits there permanently. Now, it's time for gingerbread, pavlova and rum ball bao. 'Tis the season, after all. The food mashup fiends are celebrating the jolliest time of year with a new round of inventive limited-edition sweet treats — and new examples to prove the fact that there's no such thing as bad gyoza or bao. Harajuku Gyoza likes experimenting with its savoury range, too (mac 'n' cheese and pepperoni dumplings, anyone?), but turning bao into dessert and a festive treat is multiple presents in one. Available at Harajuku Gyoza's four Australian stores — at Darling Harbour in Sydney; at South Bank and the CBD in Brisbane; and in Broadbeach on the Gold Coast — the Christmas-inspired bao are exactly what they sound like. So, they're bao topped with whichever other dessert they're forming a Frankenstein's monster-style hybrid with, with each deep-fried and dusted in sugar first. Because these are a merry treat, they're only available until Christmas. That gives you just a few weeks to head on in and discover what gingerbread, pavlova and rum ball bao taste like. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Harajuku Gyoza (@harajukugyoza) If you're keen on gathering the gang, Harajuku Gyoza will give you a free round of Christmas bao if you have your Christmas party with eight people or more at one of its outposts. And if you fancy tucking into the new dumplings after devouring two old favourites — cheeseburger gyoza, which is stuffed with burger pieces, aged cheddar, onion, pickles, mustard and tomato sauce; and mozzarella gyoza, which is filled with the obvious, then deep-fried and sprinkled with Twisties salt — that's up to you. Harajuku Gyoza's Christmas dessert bao are available at all Australian stores — at Darling Harbour in Sydney; at South Bank and the CBD in Brisbane; and in Broadbeach on the Gold Coast — until Monday, December 25, 2023.
Valentine's Day is just around the corner and we at Concrete Playground can think of no better way to celebrate the painful plethora of schmaltz to come than with a hilarious collection of love declarations gone awry, thanks to the miracle of autocorrect. Damn You Autocorrect, the collector of texting fails, have compiled ten of their favourite Valentine's Day autocorrect blunders, proving that despite the efficiency it provides the modern lover, texting away your affection is not necessarily the best way to keep your relationship afloat. Via Mashable Image byCalypsoCrystal.
A film about abstaining from alcohol probably shouldn't make its audience want a drink, but that's exactly what Ruben Guthrie does. On one hand, perhaps the desire to knock back the hard stuff after watching the film speaks to its intended commentary about Australia's booze-friendly culture. On the other, maybe it's just the natural reaction to a movie that is both slickly packaged and self-pitying. Either way, Ruben Guthrie doesn't let the topic of drinking wander far from anyone's minds, whether its titular advertising wunderkind (Patrick Brammall) is guzzling champagne then jumping off the roof of his waterside mansion — and breaking his arm when he almost misses the pool below — or talking about past benders at the Alcoholics Anonymous meeting his mother (Robyn Nevin) swiftly drags him to. Often, he's just arguing about his consumption, first with his disapproving model fiancée Zoya (Abbey Lee), who gives him an ultimatum to stop, and then with his enabling father (Jack Thompson), boss (Jeremy Sims) and best mate (Alex Dimitriades), who can't accept his hiatus from partying. Transitioning from yelling "let's get smashed!" to looking longingly at half-filled bottles, it's the kind of scenario that feels like art imitating life — or a movie adapting a theatre production that was inspired by real experiences more accurately, because that's what it is. Brendan Cowell turned his own attempt to get sober after a big binge into a play, and now fashions it into his first big-screen full-length directorial effort. As a character, Guthrie's aim — and Cowell's before him — is to get through a year without beer, wine, spirits and other tipples. That's clearly a difficult feat for the ad man in the film, made more so by the brash manner in which both the situation and everyone involved in it is depicted. Guthrie feels sorry for himself and seeks redemption, but his behaviour warrants little understanding in return. He lives large, then mopes and yells, with Brammall doing his best to simultaneously channel Cowell and bring nuance to the role. The supporting players, meanwhile, become little more than one-note reminders of Guthrie's conflicting urges. Of course, the constant Aussie fondness for a pint, glass or shot that Ruben Guthrie highlights proves an interesting subject; here, it's just treated a little too superficially, and further suffers when the movie tries to conjure up too much sympathy. Stagey dialogue and travelogue-like shots of Sydney don't add any depth, nor do routine scenes of debauchery contrasted with outdoor activities. Also missing is comedy that does anything more than try to wring laughs out of stating the obvious — as well as the more satirical tone of the play, which might've made the feature and its protagonist feel like a statement. Instead, this cinema cocktail is shaken in its ingredients and, in its final blend of hedonistic excess, garnished with sober navel-gazing. You'll need a stiff drink will wash away the aftertaste.
Wandering around a market while the sun shines is all well and good, but there's something extra appealing about the nighttime variety. Happening every Friday and Saturday night in Brisbane's north — and back for 2021, too — BITE Markets fits the bill. And, it serves up plenty of food, because that's what every night market attendee really wants. Created by caterer Tom Burke, the twice-weekly setup boasts more than 30 'flavour makers' on its lineup, all trying to keep your hunger in check. Fancy a big heap of pasta? Sweet treats in the form of cakes, doughnuts, churros and poffertjes? Dumplings, bao, banh mi, wings, calamari, German sausages and Japanese eats? They're all on the menu, with the likes of Bamboo Street Asian Kitchen, Calamari Canteen, Hong Kong Dumplings, It's a Wing Thing, Oyster Shack and Moreton Bay Mocktails coming to North Harbour to sling their wares. A shipping container setup like Hamilton's Eat Street — complete with landscaping and a dining precinct — BITE Markets showcases local talents, so prepare to feast on meals whipped up by the best producers, food creators and artisans in the area. Running from 4–10pm each Friday and Saturday, the huge foodie gathering calls a patch of Nolan Drive in Morayfield home. Entry costs $3 for adults — and for those driving north, there's more than 600 car parks onsite.
UPDATE, December 23, 2020: The Midnight Sky is screening in select cinemas in Brisbane, and will also be available to stream via Netflix from Wednesday, December 23. It has been four years since George Clooney last appeared in a movie, dating back to 2016's Hail, Caesar! and Money Monster. Accordingly, while The Midnight Sky definitely isn't a documentary, the fact that it features the actor at his most bearded and reclusive instantly feels fitting. Also noteworthy: that this sci-fi drama joins the small but significant list of films that combine the star and space, following Solaris and Gravity. Clooney has everything from TV medical dramas and sitcoms to heist flicks, action fare, rom-coms and a stint as Batman on his resume, of course. He's a versatile actor, and an Oscar-winning one, too (for 2005's Syriana). But there's something particularly alluring and absorbing about seeing Clooney get existential, as all movies that reach beyond earth's surface tend to. He clearly agrees, because he not only leads The Midnight Sky but also directs it as well. Clooney plays workaholic research scientist Dr Augustine Lofthouse and, although The Midnight Sky rockets into space, it doesn't send its protagonist there. Instead, in 2049, after an environmental disaster has made the planet uninhabitable, he chooses to remain in the Arctic as his colleagues evacuate. He's dying anyway, and frequently hooks himself up to machines for treatment — in between downing whiskey, watching old movies, eating cereal and talking to himself. Then, interrupting his lonely decline, two things change his status quo. Firstly, a young girl (debutant Caoilinn Springall) mysteriously pops up out of nowhere, refusing to speak but obviously needing an adult's care. Secondly, Augustine realises that he'll have to trek across the oppressively icy terrain outside to connect via radio to a crew on the spaceship Aether, who've been on a two-year mission to ascertain whether newly discovered Jupiter moon K-23 can support life, and are now making their return unaware of what's been happening at home The space movie genre is as busy as the sky above is vast. Consequently, films about folks marooned in the great black expanse, dealing with the fallout of a pioneering journey and/or trying to make contact — whether those in space's depths are attempting to chat to earth, trying to find others lost in the same situation, or being sought by the people left on terra firma — reach screens every year. The Midnight Sky proves familiar as a result; if you've watched Clooney's other space-set features, or Interstellar, The Martian, Ad Astra, Contact or 2001: A Space Odyssey, you'll spy elements you've seen before. Although adapted from Lily Brooks-Dalton's 2016 novel Good Morning, Midnight, that screenwriter Mark L Smith is on scripting duties also adds a number of recognisable components. He penned the screenplay for The Revenant, another tale of survival against an unwelcoming terrain. Here, he has graduated from the wilds of 19th-century America to one of the globe's frostiest and most isolated spots, as well as all that lingers outside of the planet's atmosphere. The Midnight Sky isn't merely an exercise in flinging derivative parts out into the beyond and seeing what comes back, however. The key, both on-and off-screen, is Clooney. When the film spends time with the Aether's astronauts, including the pregnant Sully (Felicity Jones, On the Basis of Sex), ship commander Adewole (David Oyelowo, Gringo), veteran pilot Mitchell (Kyle Chandler, Godzilla: King of the Monsters), and other crew members Sanchez (Demián Bichir, The Grudge) and Maya (Tiffany Boone, Hunters), it's at its most generic. Indeed, when it ventures to space, The Midnight Sky almost screams for either Augustine to head there as well, or for the feature to plummet back down to earth to join him once more. As the movie's focal point, Clooney is as soulful and grizzled as he's ever been. As a filmmaker, he certainly gifts himself the feature's best moments. But in the latter guise, he's also aware that films about space are films about connection, including to routines and everyday moments — so the fact that Sully and company's exploits feel well-worn, including a climactic sequence involving an action-packed space walk, cleverly reinforces that idea. Unmistakably, this is a big-thinking and big-feeling feature. Its characters grapple with life, love and loss — aka what it means to be human, and to have lived — while also confronting the reality that the world they know is changing forever. It's purely coincidental, but The Midnight Sky overflows with 2020-esque inclusions, too. Having your sense of normality ripped away, spending time alone trying to reach out to others, and endeavouring to find a route back to the existence we once knew but may never again in quite the same way couldn't be more relatable (and that's just from the pandemic; parallels with climate change are also unsurprisingly rife). Amidst the obligatory outer space sing-alongs, as well as the smattering of life-and-death incidents, these concepts land as thoughtfully as intended. It helps that, spanning not only himself but also Jones, Oyelowo, Chandler, Bichir and Boone, Clooney has amassed an impressive cast. His co-stars mightn't be playing the most fleshed-out figures, script-wise, and may not match the actor/director in terms of screen presence, but the same uncertainty and yearning lingers in their portrayals. The script's use of flashbacks to Augustine's past are less convincing, as is their importance to The Midnight Sky's third act via a plot development that's easy to predict. Alexandre Desplat's (Little Women) score also falls on the heavy-handed side, stressing the mood and tone in an unnecessarily forceful way — especially given that Martin Ruhe's (Catch-22) cinematography is aptly pensive and probing, particularly in its earth-bound visuals. Still, Clooney is a skilled filmmaker. He has demonstrated that again and again since he first jumped behind the lens with 2002's excellent Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and 2005's masterful Good Night, and Good Luck, and it's clear here as well. The Midnight Sky isn't his greatest achievement as a director in general or as an actor in a space flick, but it's an involving, engaging and poignant addition to his resume on both counts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb8ZbP6qAzE&feature=youtu.be The Midnight Sky is screening in select cinemas in Brisbane, and will also be available to stream via Netflix from Wednesday, December 23.
There’s not much going on (music-wise) in Brisbane, our sunny, but sleepy city. Or is there? We have good bands here, and we have good venues for them to play in, right? But for some reason the stigma that Brisbane just don’t got it goin’ on still hangs around like a bad smell. And then Unconvention came around. The inaugural conference first started in 2010 and is a not-for-profit, grassroots-led music conference which focuses around creating sustainable careers within the local independent music industry. In short: Melbourne Schmelbourne! Sydney Schmydmey! We can do it all, and right here in Bristown. There’ll be forum discussions, workshops and networking events over the two days of Unconvention, and it’s open to pretty much anyone: independent musicians, promoters, labels, entrepreneurs, writers, technologists, innovators and artists. It’s time to shut down that sleepy city stigma – Unconvention’s a good place to start the revolution. Buy tickets here. Image credit: Unconvention
Brisbane's Judith Wright Centre will be alive with spirit and colour to celebrate the 2013 Chinese New Year. The Centre will host the HSBC Chinese New Year Historical and Cultural Display as part of the Fortitude Valley's two week long celebration. This exhibition features the “Sojourners and Settlers” display, curated by the Chinese-Australian Historical Association, which celebrates 150 years of Chinese in Queensland. From the 11th to the 15th of February, at 11am and 1pm everyday, the gallery will be hosting traditional knot-tying lessons, tea-ceremonies and calligraphy workshops – all of which are free. The Chinese New Year festivities will be flooding the Fortitude Valley for almost two weeks, so check out some of the nearby activities here and make it a fortnight of celebration. Be sure to visit and divulge yourself in Chinese culture at the Judith Wright Centre's Chinese New Year Historical Display - bring in the Year of the Snake with a bang.
You don't have to battle the crowds to experience Ekka's famed strawberry goodness. Instead, Belle Époque at Emporium Hotel South Bank have loaded their dessert cabinet with dine-in and takeaway treats that build upon this showground staple. This way, you can experience the fair's immersive nostalgia with an elevated charm. Available until Sunday, August 17, the Parisian-inspired patisserie has a selection of suitably enchanting desserts spangled with strawberry notes. La Fraise features white chocolate mousse, red velvet sponge and strawberry compote, while the Strawberry Field is a yogurt and lime mousse topped with red berry compote and cocoa soil. Yet there are plenty more treats to taste on this limited-edition lineup. Take your Ekka experience up a notch with Belle Époque's strawberry eclair, featuring elderflower and vanilla cream, or sample the refined strawberry, pistachio and vanilla tart. Rounding out this offering is a classic strawberry cheesecake enriched with sweet jelly and fresh fruit. And if you're craving a treat with a little more kick, head up to The Terrace. The hotel's rooftop bar is levelling up Ekka with the Sideshow Sundae, a curated cocktail featuring vanilla liquor ice cream, strawberry liquor syrup, macerated strawberries and toasted nuts. Finished with a Bertie Beetle — this concoction is a thoughtful tribute to Brisbane's much-loved pastime.
What happens when some of Brisbane's most beloved burger bosses go head to head? Well, you're about to find out. Come June 16 and 17, the likes of Mr Burger, Ben's Burgers, Salt Meats Cheese, Notorious E.A.T, Bearded Brothers and more will all descend on the Welcome to Bowen Hills lot for Brisbane's first Burger Invitational. If there's one thing that Brissie loves, it's burgers, after all — and to celebrate, the event will offer a weekend's worth of meat and other goodie between two pieces of bread. Expect some fierce foodie competition as each vendor vies for burger glory. Plus, if you gather up five mates, you can sit in a booth and pair your burg-eating experience with bottomless booze for three hours. General entry is free, and — as always — you can bring your four-legged BFF along. As for the burgs, everything on the menu will be available at regular prices on the day.
Romance. Kidnapping. A farm girl called Buttercup. A scheming prince. A swashbuckling saviour. A giant. When William Goldman threw them all together, The Princess Bride was the end result — first in his 1973 novel, and then in the 1987 film that the late, great writer also penned. For more than three and a half decades, viewers have watched Fred Savage (The Afterparty) hear the world's best bedtime story, Robin Wright (Land) and Cary Elwes (Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One) frolic in fields, and Andre the Giant tower over everyone around, with The Princess Bride one of those beloved 80s flicks that never gets old. That said, if you've ever found yourself enjoying all of the above and dreaming that its soundtrack could fill the room around you while being played live by an orchestra, then you're about to be in luck. Despite what outlaw boss Vizzini (Wallace Shawn, Evil) might exclaim, The Princess Bride in Concert definitely isn't inconceivable. Instead, this tour is channelling another famous The Princess Bride line: as you wish. This delightful movie-and-music combo will hit both Perth and Brisbane in 2024, playing one show in each city — in Perth on Saturday, February 24 and Brisbane on Saturday, April 13. If you need a refresher on all things The Princess Bride, the comedy-romance-adventure flick follows farmhand Westley (Elwes) on a rescue mission to save his true love Princess Buttercup (Wright) — and also features Mandy Patinkin (Wonder), Billy Crystal (Monsters at Work) and Christopher Guest (Mascots). Being performed live: the entire score, as written by Dire Straits' Mark Knopfler — and with Slava Grigoryan and the Perth Symphony Orchestra doing the honours in Western Australia, then Grigoryan and the Queensland Pops Orchestra in the Sunshine State. And if you're wondering how many times someone will say "anybody want a peanut?" in the audience before and after the movie, the answer is: plenty. Check out the trailer for The Princess Bride below: THE PRINCESS BRIDE IN CONCERT AUSTRALIAN TOUR: Saturday, February 24, 2024 — Riverside Theatre, Perth Saturday, April 13, 2024 — Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Brisbane The Princess Bride in Concert is touring Australia in 2024 — head to the event's website for further details and tickets.
In Contagion, the most prophetic film of the 21st century so far, filmmaker Steven Soderbergh didn't just chart the outbreak of a deadly pandemic or introduce everyone to the term 'social distancing'. His eerily accurate thriller also delved into the quest to find a vaccine, too, so that life could go back to normal. And, that's the reality the world has faced since COVID-19 first emerged — with pharmaceutical companies and medical researchers around the globe working furiously to come up with a solution. Several vaccines have not only been created over the past year — much faster than the usual timeline — but have started being used in countries around the world. The latter is happening in places such as the UK and the US, where coronavirus case numbers have remained at enormous levels. In Australia, where the situation thankfully hasn't reached the same scale, the federal government has decided on a different approach. And today, Wednesday, January 6, Minister for Health Greg Hunt, revealed that doses should start being rolled out locally in early March. The Minister discussed the current plan in an interview with radio station 2GB, including revealing the change to the schedule — noting that originally the government was going to start administering the vaccine in the second quarter of 2021, then moved that up to late March 2021, and has now jumped forward to the beginning of that month. In recent weeks, as case numbers have been rising in Sydney and Melbourne, the original timeline received criticism. Vaccines need to be evaluated and approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration before they can be rolled out, with that process currently underway for multiple different vaccines — including from Pfizer-BioNTech and University of Oxford-AstraZeneca. Hunt also confirmed that the first round of vaccinations will cover frontline workers — particularly those working at hotel quarantine sites and international border checkpoints — as well as health workers and residential aged care facility residents. "That's the first round, and then we'll work through it in terms of age and other priorities — which are currently being finalised by the medical expert panel, but progressively working down in age and where there are other vulnerabilities in terms of disability or certain Indigenous age groups and others, then they'll all be identified," he said. As Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced in mid-2020, vaccines will be provided to every Aussie for free when they are rolled out. Australia currently has agreements to receive ten million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which will be manufactured overseas, and 53.8 million doses of the University of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, with production of the latter already starting locally. Both require two doses per person to be effective. Obviously, it's expected that the government will provide further details about how everyone will get vaccinated — and specific dates for the start of vaccinations — before the beginning of March. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in Australia, visit the Australian Government Department of Health website.
Falls Festival might be gearing up to celebrate a quarter-century, but it feels a bit like we're the ones getting the birthday presents instead. Helping to ring in the art and music festival's 25th year is a pretty buzzworthy gang of musical mates, headlined by Australia's own wunderkind Flume, as he returns to the Falls stage for the first time since wooing the Lorne crowds in 2012. He's joined on the bill by international names like Seattle-based Grammy nominees Fleet Foxes (who were here earlier in the year for Sydney Festival), Oxford four-piece Glass Animals (who were also just here for Laneway), Californian indie-pop darlings Foster The People and The Kooks, who'll be celebrating a milestone of their own, having clocked up ten years since their debut album. If you've had your ear to the ground, you'll already know the part about Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher dropping in for his first-ever Aussie headline shows. True to form, the Falls 2017 local lineup is equally exciting, and every bit as broad. Homegrown acts hitting the stage include the party-ready Peking Duk, Brisbane rockers Dune Rats, Melbourne natives The Smith Street Band and Total Giovanni, and indie duo Angus & Julia Stone, off the back of their soon-to-launch album Snow. And it looks like you can start limbering up those vocal chords for a gutsy rendition of 'The Horses', with the legendary Daryl Braithwaite also slated for an appearance. As always, the tunes are backed by a colourful curation of art events, performances, pop-ups, markets, wellness sessions and gourmet eats. You can, however, say goodbye to the usual drink ticket situation, which has been ditched in favour of paywave and cash-enabled bars. It's all happening over New Years at the usual spots in Tassie's Marion Bay, Lorne in Victoria, and the North Byron Parklands, with WA's 2017 Falls Festival landing itself a new home within the Fremantle Oval precinct. But here's the full lineup. FALLS FESTIVAL 2017 LINEUP Flume (no sideshows) Fleet Foxes Run The Jewels The Kooks Glass Animals (no sideshows) Peking Duk Angus & Julia Stone Foster The People Liam Gallagher Vince Staples Jungle Dune Rats The Smith Street Band D.R.A.M Daryl Braithwaite Everything Everything Allday The Jungle Giants Thundamentals Methyl Ethel Slumberjack D.d Dumbo Anna Lunoe Dz Deathrays Confidence Man Julia Jacklin Bad//dreems Cosmo's Midnight Winston Surfshirt Luca Brasi Alex Lahey Camp Cope Flint Eastwood Ecca Vandal Dave Total Giovanni + More to be announced
Grab eight of your closest mates and jump aboard Aroona for a totally luxurious reef experience. Whether you're exploring the reef on a day trip, or escaping the mainland for a seven-day soiree, Aroona Luxury Boat Charters is the choose-your-own-adventure experience of your dreams. Want a jam-packed escape featuring fishing and kite-surfing, or a calmer pace with snorkelling and sipping cocktails on the top deck? Thankfully, Aroona boasts a flexibility and abundance of options that is synonymous with the area. And there's no better way to watch summer rainfall over the rainforest than from the deck as you cruise towards Fitzroy Island.
Thirty-four-metres long, more than twice as big as a regular hot air balloon and ripped straight from Patricia Piccinini's inimitable mind, Skywhale 2013 might just be one of Australia's most recognisable recent pieces of art. And, this morning at sunrise (Monday, March 9), Skywhale took flight once again as part of the Canberra Balloon Spectacular. She'll make her second (and final) solo flight this evening at 8pm from the North Lawns — so, if you happen to be in Canberra, keep an eye on the skies. Then, as of May, Skywhale will be joined by her new companion, Skywhalepapa. The new floating sculpture is designed to form a family with Skywhale, with the second bulbous sculpture commissioned as part of the gallery's Balnaves Contemporary Series. In total, the pair will take flight six times during the nearly three-month Skywhales: Every Heart Sings exhibition — with launch locations at Parliamentary Triangle and yet-to-be-confirmed sites in Woden and Tuggeranong. [caption id="attachment_751759" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Skywhalepapa, 2019/20 (artist's sketch), Patricia Piccinini. Courtesy of the artist.[/caption] The structures' first co-flight is set to take place on Saturday, May 2 from Parliamentary Triangle. As reported by The Guardian Australia, the new balloon will be around 30 metres tall, 37 metres wide and weigh a whopping 400 kilograms. While the two were meant to take to the sky together today, Piccinini told The Guardian that it was better to have a "staggered approach" and allow Skywhale to be reintroduced to Canberra before Skywhalepapa (and the duo's attached children) take to the skies together. If you can't make it to Canberra to see the growing Skywhale clan, they will also tour the country later in the year, with locations and dates still to be confirmed. https://www.instagram.com/p/B9fIa3xHmDu/ Apart from the Skywhales: Every Heart Sings installation, the NGA is offering up a whole heap of top-notch exhibitions in 2020. It'll welcome Botticelli to Van Gogh: Masterpieces from the National Gallery, London in November, boasting over 60 works from European masters — most of which have never before travelled to Australia. Art lovers can also look forward to Know My Name: Australian Women Artists 1900 to Now, which'll shine a spotlight on the nation's female creatives; Belonging: Stories of Australian Art, a major collection of 19th-century Aussie pieces; a six-month focus on Chinese artist and activist Xu Zhen; and The Body Electric, a showcase of works by female-identifying creatives that are all about sex, pleasure and desire. Skywhales: Every Heart Sings launched today, March 9 at the National Gallery of Australia, Parkes Place East, Parkes, ACT. Additional flight dates are planned for May 2 through July 25. For further information about the NGA's 2020 lineup, visit the gallery's website. Top image: Skywhale, 2013, Patricia Piccinini. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. Gift of anonymous donor 2019, Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.
Been feeling like you're seeing a ramen place on every corner? No, you're not mistaken. It seems that Brisbane is in the middle of a slurping frenzy. Of course, if the city's latest food trend sees more spots serving up more of this simple yet delicious meal, you won't hear us complaining. Hai-Hai Ramen on Latrobe Terrace in Paddington is the newest spot serving up noodles in broth, as topped with your your choice of charsiu pork belly, shio koji marinated chicken or vegetables, and available in salt and soy varieties. And, like all good ramen joints, what they lack in a lengthy list of options they make up for in taste. You won't just find the titular dish on their menu though, with sides also a feature inside their cute wooden cottage. Sure, a bowl of ramen is a feast all on its own — but it also goes down well with steamed buns, sweetcorn with miso butter and furikake, coleslaw or karaage. In fact, as far as an inexpensive but oh-so-appetising Tuesday to Sunday dinner goes, you really can't beat it.
Fancy enjoying a taste of Paris without paying for the plane fare? Brisbanites, the CBD's newest cafe has you covered. Freshly arrived on Edward Street, Lait Noir is here to help break up the nine-to-five grind with French-inspired surroundings, a menu packed with pastries and toasties, and plenty of coffee. First announced at the beginning of March and now trading Monday–Friday, Lait Noir aims to give the River City the Parisian vibes it's missing — it's "Brisbane's first Parisian-style dining with guests able to watch the hustle and bustle go by from their seat," explains Charlotte Bourguignon, the cafe's Operations Manager. "I have lived in Brisbane for ten years, and there has never been a go-to destination for takeaway or dine-in on the finer side in the CBD," Bourguignon continues. "We are so proud to be opening our doors for workers, visitors and locals to experience a little bit of Paris, right here in the CBD. We pride ourselves on quality and service, with all of our pastries and desserts made with true French ingredients from some of the best French suppliers in Brisbane." On the menu: a hefty range of baked goods pumped out of Queensland's first Unox Speed-X oven. Lemon muffins, raspberry almond coconut tarts, apple tarts and mini French doughnuts sit among the sweet bites, while croissants, quiches, frittatas and beef bourguignon pie are highlights from the savoury range. And, from a dessert-focused lineup, lemon meringue tarts, passionfruit tarts, choc-fudge caramel brownies and carrot cake are sure to tempt tastebuds. Lait Noir also does salads, including a roasted vegetable option, plus sandwiches, toasties and wraps. And yes, the cheesy egg and bacon croque toastie instantly sounds like a must-try. Lait Noir now sits in the space that was previously home to Roll'd Vietnamese, and takes its cues from French cafes design-wise — complete with luxe $450,000 fitout overseen by Outkast. That means getting a caffeinated brew beneath seven-metre-high ceilings and over A-grade marble bench tops. If you happen to work in the building, it's also planning to do a concierge service for tenants. And, anyone who heads along to the cafe's official opening party between Wednesday, March 29–Friday, March 31 will find live tunes setting the mood, samples to help you try out the menu, and the chance to win free coffee for a year. Find Lait Noir at 144 Edward Street, Brisbane — open from 6.30am–5.30pm Monday–Friday.
Pups and pints: it's a winning combination. And, it never goes out of style. Brisbanites keep going barking mad for downing beers with their doggos, so The Brightside's Barks & Brews sessions just keep coming back. Folks of the two- and four-legged variety, make another date with a few beverages. With its appropriate name, the canine-centric afternoon doesn't really need to offer up anythi12ng more than just that — but, it wouldn't be a Brighty shindig without some extra fun. Those heading to Warner Street from 12pm on Sunday, May 30 can also expect professional doggie portraits for maximum cuteness, plus cocktail specials. So grab your fluffy companion, flock to the beer garden and prepare to sink a few cold ones while enjoying Brissie's finest sunny weather (a statement that's accurate for most of the year). And, expect to spend time in the company of plenty of other dog lovers and their pooches too. BYO frisbee.
Banging is the certainly word for it; when Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn begins, it's with high school teacher Emi (Katia Pascariu, Beyond the Hills) and her camera-wielding husband Eugen (first-timer Stefan Steel) having loud, enthusiastic, pink wig-wearing sex — and filming it. Romanian writer/ director Radu Jude (I Do Not Care If We Go Down in History as Barbarians) shows the explicit three-minute snippet of footage as others will see it, because others will indeed see it: the students at Emi's school, their parents and her fellow teachers among them. All genitalia and thrusting and lustful talk (and shouted queries through the door from whoever is looking after the couple's child), this graphic opening also makes a bold and firm statement. So many people within the film's frames will take issue with it as vocally as Emi and her partner are enjoying themselves — and they're unmistakably enjoying themselves — but Jude definitely isn't one of them. 2021's Berlinale Golden Bear-winner, Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn also starts with a gleeful provocation — not just to those seeing Emi and Eugen's home video within the movie, but to Jude's viewers. It's a jolting opening that's exactingly orchestrated to make audiences react, then unpack their own instant reflexes in tandem with the rude on-screen posse that may as well be waving pitchforks. The underlying question: to those who object, what makes this raunchy romp between two consenting adults so shocking? Worse exists on the internet en masse all the time, so is it its unexpected arrival? Within the picture, is it the fact that Emi is a teacher, a woman or that she's unapologetic, too? Both queries speak to ideas long internalised about what we see where, who we allow to do what, and the power that comes from enforcing arbitrary and hypocritical judgements about supposed immorality and obscenity. Indeed, loving, animated, costumed and sex toy-aided intercourse between a married couple in the privacy of their own home is the nicest thing that graces Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn — until the feature's glorious climax, that is. What follows the intimate clip is a razor-sharp satire of a world that's so indifferent to so much ghastliness and so often, yet remains so unaccepting of carnality and so quick to use it as a reason to unbridle our worst sniping impulses. The film wields that notion as a weapon, all as Emi and Bucharest's other residents also navigate the pandemic. Jude could've set his scorching feature at any time, but overtly drawing attention to the daily behaviour that's been accepted while the globe battles a decimating virus — and the fact that some here would rather fixate on a different and trivial kind of viral spread — makes a blunt but perceptive point. Accordingly, in the cinema verite-style first section, Emi rushes around the city on foot, going about an ordinary day that morphs into anything but. Actually, given that she learns of the sex tape backlash while surrounded by everyday hostilities and vulgarities, this chapter reinforces an ugly truth: that the performatively horrified responses from the parents of Emi's students are all too routine. As she traverses the streets, Bucharesters yell and argue bitterly — swearing at each other in the grocery store, purposely hitting pedestrians with cars and otherwise uttering language that'd be at home in porn. Emi is one of them as she tries to get sedatives from the chemist and drops by her school headmistress' (Claudia Ieremia, I Do Not Care If We Go Down in History as Barbarians) home, but the mood and intent is to lay bare a city heaving and brawling in its natural state. In this portion of the film, Jude and his regular cinematographer Marius Panduru observe intently and patiently, while also spying ample evidence of Romania's transition from communism to capitalism peppered around town. That helps anchor Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn's second act, which unleashes scathing and playful cine-essay snippets about the country's past, the planet's present, human behaviour — often at its most atrocious — and how porn is used as both a scapegoat and an anaesthetic. Again, subtlety isn't in the feature's wheelhouse here, nor need it be. Compiled from factual sources, such as news and social media, Jude badges this section 'A Short Dictionary of Anecdotes, Signs and Wonders' — and, in both providing context for so many of the movie's musings and exemplifying its experimental approach, it is certainly a wonder. Lastly, a mask-wearing Emi is interrogated and publicly humiliated by parents and teachers, their punitive savagery and blatant sanctimoniousness on full display. It's the picture's first brilliant, biting and bleakly hilarious climax — what would a film about a sex tape be without more than one peak? — and it initially plays out as anticipated. Yes, "Fox News" is shouted, because Jude's commentary isn't only limited to his homeland. Still, while the kangaroo court-style inquisition Emi faces overflows with foreseeable revelations, they're still shrewd and sizzling, and the movie also saves some of its final knee-weakening thrusts for its last few twists. It also uses this segment to showcase the filmmaker's skilled handling of farce, his adaptability through the course of this free-wheeling feat, and Pascariu's exceptional performance. Trying to glean deeper expressions and emotions from above a strip of face-covering fabric is a pandemic reality; however, Pascariu turns it into tour de force. Among the sights that Jude peers at in Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn's walk-and-witness section is a closed cinema, a 'for rent' sign on its window, which punctuates a chapter filled with incident after incident of antagonism — abuse and selfishness so common that it's clearly an engrained mindset. Losing even a single space to see art, connect with something bigger than oneself, and become immersed in different stories and perspectives alters any society, and it's easy to draw a line from there to Emi's arrogant and entitled tribunal of accusers. In a film designed to galvanise when watched communally thanks to its explicit opening, it's also easy to ponder how those censorious and bumptious parents would react if they were viewing this very movie. They'd likely be the type to desecrate the darkened theatre by loading the porn video on their phone mid-flick, only to then attack and insult anyone who asked them to pay attention to the feature in front of them and stop ruining the big-screen experience for everyone else. Jude could easily make a searing and stinging film about the state of Romania and the world out of that, too.
If Jerry Seinfeld were to weigh in on Brisbane's current food obsessions, he'd likely ask: "what's the deal with all the burgers and doughnuts?" It’s a good question, given that every week seems to bring a new creation of one or the other — or a fresh mashup of the two. This week, Bella BBQ and The Doughnut Bar have joined the fold. Brisbanites with a healthy appetite should know the former as one of the city's best meaty food trucks, and the latter as the dough-focused spinoff of the Chocolate Komberry Co. They've teamed up to unleash their very own cronut burger, complete with low-and-slow smoked brisket, cheesy maple bacon-infused mac and cheese and maple hickory barbecue sauce (which is injectable, should you want more), all sprinkled with bacon dust. If you can calm your stomach for the moment, we'll keep telling you the good news: this wondrous creation is going to make its debut at the Brisbane Bandits Baseball game at Holloway Field on January 21. If sports isn't your thing, you’ll also be able to grab one from Bella BBQ as it traverses the town. We predict a whole lot of checking — that is, stalking — Bella BBQ's Facebook page in your future. In the spirit of true collaboration, that's not the end of the story. In the coming weeks, The Doughnut Bar will be serving them too. Yep, this cronut burger won't just be available at once place — because if there's one thing Brisbane needs, its more burger-doughnut hybrids available more often. Actually, that's exactly what seems to be happening of late. Ze Pickle and Doughnut Time unleashed their 'Doughnutfukwitdis' earlier this month, with the latter also releasing an Elvis Burger with Chur Burger last year. Add Doughnut Time's vegan offering to the list, and the city really has reached the peak of all things experimental (and downright ridiculous) when it comes to our two favourite foods. Not that we're complaining — instead, we're eagerly awaiting what might possibly come next. The Bella BBQ/Doughnut Bar cronut burger will be available from Thursday, January 21. For more information, keep an eye on Bella BBQ's Facebook page — and The Doughnut Bar's, too.
Since 2015, gin lovers around the country have tripped over themselves to get their spirit-loving fingers on a bottle of Four Pillars' Bloody Shiraz Gin — and that's before they've even had a sip of alcohol. The limited edition shiraz-infused concoction really is that good, so we thought you'd like to know that the next batch goes on sale on Tuesday, June 1. If you haven't come across the gin before, it's basically what it says on the label: gin infused with shiraz grapes. This gives the spirit a brilliant deep cerise colour and some sweet undertones (without a higher sugar content). That, along with its higher alcoholic content — 37.8 percent, compared to an average 25 percent in regular sloe gin — makes the Bloody Shiraz Gin a near-perfect specimen. It can be used in cocktails where you'd usually use your regular gin — or you can keep things simple with a G&T. Four Pillars initially created the game-changing gin when it came into a 250-kilogram load of shiraz grapes from the Yarra Valley. Experimenting, the Victorian distillers then steeped the grapes in their high-proof dry gin for eight weeks before pressing the fruit and blending it with the gin, and hoping like hell it would turn out well. It did. This year, Four Pillars is doing more than just selling the cult-favourite drop. Of course, you can still buy a bottle at selected bottle shops, in the Four Pillars online store, at its Yarra Valley distillery and at the Four Pillars Laboratory in Sydney — and you can even buy a limited-edition label version that comes in different packaging, too. But if you fancy something to nibble while you drink, the distillery is also releasing a new 'Made from Gin' range so you have something to snack on. Your choices: bloody shiraz grape and quince paste ($10), and bloody shiraz gin caviar ($25). The 2021 Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin will go on sale around the country on Tuesday, June 1. Head to the Four Pillars website to buy a bottle.
20,000 Days on Earth is a documentary that's fiction. Though it's by no means the only documentary to question the form and take things meta, it is one of the most boldly experimental ones out there. It's a work that's highly constructed from start to finish — and since it's constructed with and about Nick Cave, there's plenty of fun to be had. The film imagines the 20,000th day on earth of the Australian-born, UK-based singer and raconteur. It's a day that includes him talking to his shrink, recording an album, helping archivists make sense of his historical record, lunching with his pals, driving Kylie Minogue around Brighton, and playing at the Sydney Opera House. A pretty great day, really, particularly for its impossibilities. Running throughout is, naturally, Cave's own music, rumbling out of the studio and guiding his path through the world. Instead of clarity and chronology, what you get in 20,000 Days on Earth is a fragmented sense of biography that is sometimes deeply insightful, sometimes electrifying and sometimes frustrating. Major characters in the life of Nick Cave, such as collaborator Warren Ellis and The Proposition star Ray Winstone, appear without context or label, meaning that to really follow this winding ride, you have to be au fait with the life of Cave. If you're not, just let it go; there are plenty of moments here that are plain entertaining regardless, while a live performance montage set to a frenzied, ever building version of 'Jubilee Street' is near rapturous to witness. The conversation between Cave and Minogue feels painfully intimate and revealing, despite all the scripting that frames it. Artists-turned-directors Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard have basically conjured a new format here, one that's wondrously poetic and imaginative. There's a sense that it could be applied to tell nearly anybody's fragmented, personal tale, though having the flair and flamboyance of Cave certainly helps. Eavesdropping on a conversation with Cave is right up there with the high points of cultural consumption. 20,000 Days on Earth gets points for pure brio. It's not like anyone would want every documentary to be made this way, but it sure is an interesting divergence. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ap0_y5EGttk
They've been spoiling Sydneysiders with their vegan Mexican fare since early 2017, and now they're heading north. A collaboration between restaurateurs Toby Wilson, Sean McManus and Jon Kennedy, Bad Hombres is all about traditional, authentic, regional-style, meat-free cuisine — which is just what'll be on the menu for five weeks at Alf's Place. From Wednesdays to Saturdays from November 15, the eatery will set up shop at Brisbane's new rotating supper club to put on quite the Mexican spread, plus ten beers on tap and a selection of natural Aussie wines. And while they're not giving away the exact menu, hungry patrons can expect share plates that blend Mexican street food with locally sourced Australian and Asian ingredients and flavours. In other words, you won't find Tex-Mex here. You won't find meaty dishes that simply swap in veggies, either. Yes, vegans, rejoice. As Kennedy explains, "we're also not about 'trying' to be vegan and replacing certain elements with imitation products. It's about really tasty, plant-based Mexican food with big, authentic flavours and having some fun."
If you've got a hard earned thirst for some spiffy new beer merch, the folks at Victoria Bitter have you covered. The famed Carlton & United Breweries beer has released a new range of branded VB gear for your wardrobe, your head and even your bedroom wall. Dropped this week, the collection's got a definite retro edge, in a nod to the brew's lengthy history quenching the thirst of hardworking Aussies. There are crewneck jumpers, t-shirts, beanies and caps, all emblazoned with that instantly recognisable logo. And yep, these threads are sure to get a serious workout over the upcoming festival season. Alongside the clothes, you'll find a trio of old-school full-colour VB poster prints, vintage-inspired stickers and VB stubby coolers, both in regular size and ones big enough to hold your longneck. What's more, you can feel extra good about your purchase, knowing that the t-shirts and jumpers are all manufactured and printed in Melbourne, by an ethical clothing-accredited manufacturer. Victoria Bitter's new line of 'Big Cold Gear' is available for purchase online.
You know what's better than seeing Cloud Control perform an acoustic set at your local pub? Seeing Cloud Control perform an acoustic set at your local pub for free. It's a crazy dream, but it's one that the band and beer barons Corona have dared to make come true. The Blue Mountains alt-rock jammers' sophomore 2013 album, Dream Cave, was an experimental shift from their first offering, and the acoustic sound should be a cool twist again. As part of the March and April tour through bars, pubs and hotels all along the east coast, the guys are also releasing Dream Cave Unplugged, featuring stripped back versions of the whole album. Although they've won awards, and been nominated for a whole heap of others, Cloud Control stick to the Aussie music penchant for bringing as much music to as many people as possible. Thanks to Corona, we all get the chance. Here are the Brisbane dates: Saturday 12 April - Story Bridge Hotel Sunday 13 April - Paddington Tavern Sunday 13 April - Komune Saturday 19 April - Jubilee Hotel, Fortitude Valley Saturday 19 April - Boardwalk Tavern, Marina Village Shopping Centre, Hope Island Sunday 20 April - Coolangatta Hotel https://youtube.com/watch?v=G2VX2PAD0gU
Olympus Has Fallen is what the studio is calling 'an action movie' and what the Secret Service will likely call 'a comedy'. It's one of two films coming out this year (the other being Roland Emmerich's White House Down) that revolve around 1600 Pennsylvania being overrun by terrorists, and both feel very much like land-based versions of Air Force One feat. 'the hero character' from In The Line Of Fire. Olympus Has Fallen was directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) whose last film, End of Watch, was a gritty cop drama featuring tense action and crackling dialogue. In Olympus Has Fallen, that action's been dialled up to 11, whilst the dialogue's been dialled back to 'dumb'. The film's first act serves up a truly terrifying and confronting assault on the US capital, albeit one with a fairly tasteless allusion to the collapse of the World Trade Center via a crumbling Washington Monument. The body count fast becomes countless as bombs, rockets and bullets tear shreds through man, metal and even a courageous mutt. Fuqua has certainly proven himself a director prepared to pull no punches in the pursuit of realistic violence, but here he seemed more intent to simply destroy everything the budget permitted. All the same, the first half hour pumps along with enough adrenaline (and even a hint of plausibility to the assault) to sufficiently draw you in. The problem is, there are still loads of problems. For one, it's unbearably patriotic throughout, including multiple shots of US flags tragically dropped or heroically raised. Then there the barely drawn out characters who are given nothing to work with and are often introduced alongside subtitles bearing their official government role, imputing a bizarre pseudo-documentary feel to the film every time it happens. Beyond that, the military's pig-headed incompetence is terrifically frustrating, the Secret Service's constant breaches of protocol are baffling and the multiple news reports referring to the White House as — I kid you not — 'The Whitehouse', defy belief. Despite then what he's got to work with in terms of the script, Gerard Butler actually makes for quite an impressive action hero, the elements of which we first saw in 300. He's mercifully spared the traditional 'post-kill' one-liners and even manages to throw a few new tough guy lines into the mix. The same, though, can't be said for Aaron Eckhart as the entirely 'meh' President, Morgan Freeman as the bland Speaker of the House or Rick Yune as the expressionless terrorist leader. All deliver such nothing dialogue, you wonder whether this film might've worked better as an action version of The Artist. Then, however, audiences would have missed out on perhaps the single worst piece of writing for the year, in which a double agent explains his enormous act of treason via the phenomenal catch-all: "Globalisation and f*cking Wall Street!" To be fair, though, that shocker comes in response to the President's equally bad question: "So...what's the going rate for a soul these days?" Bottom line, Olympus Has Fallen is a fair-to-decent action movie let down by everything that happens in between. If you're looking for some mindless fun and a whole lot of skull-stabbing, then this is the perfect film for you. Just be prepared for a whole lot of head shaking, too.
Between 1919 and 1948, Oscar Micheaux made 44 films, few remain in existence today; a tragedy, because each film was reportedly infused with a burning passion for social reform and passionate social commentary. As the first African-American filmmaker, Micheaux was always going to be a trail blazer. He fought against stereotypes and aimed to raise the profile of African-Americans in a period of extreme racism and prejudice. The Gallery of Modern Art is hosting a retrospective of Micheaux’s work, playing some extremely rare films, some of which were landmark pieces of cinema at the time of production. On display are three silent films and four sound films. Each holds a piece of Micheaux’s creative spirit and desire for a better world. Check out the GOMA website for a list of films and session times. These films may never be screened in Brisbane again, so they are a rare treat for any cinephile.
Twice a year, the Sydney-based Queer Screen team puts together a film festival — because condensing the year's best LGBTIQ+ into just one event is a tricky feat. The first, the Mardi Gras Film Festival, happened earlier in 2020. Now, in this new pandemic-afflicted world, the crew's second fest for the year is heading to your screens. That'd be Queer Screen Film Fest, which runs from Thursday, September 17–Sunday, September 27 — and, adapting to this chaotic year, will largely be held virtually. If you're located outside of Sydney, that's particularly excellent news, as the festival is going national in 2020, too. On the bill: more than 40 feature films, documentaries and shorts, with the majority streaming to your chosen device during the fest period. That means that you can curl up on the couch and watch everything from queer German coming-of-age film Cocoon and Japan-set drama Moonlit Winter to New Zealand rom-com Same But Different: A True New Zealand Love Story — plus cross-cultural romance Breaking Fast, documentary Steelers: The World's First Gay Rugby Club and a heap of shorts as well. For Sydneysiders keen for a night out, that is still an option — at the Skyline Drive-In and the Chauvel Cinema. Hop in your car to see the Jacki Weaver-starring Stage Mother or Aussie classic The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert under the stars, or get cosy in the theatre to check out acclaimed doco Welcome to Chechnya. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8N0bzQ-qzCg The 2020 Queer Screen Film Fest runs from Thursday, September 17–Sunday, September 27 , with most of its program available online nationally. It's also hosting physical events on Saturday, September 19 and Sunday, September 20 at the Chauvel Cinema, and on Saturday, September 26 at the Skyline Drive-In.
As far as takeaway staples go, fish and chips can seem pretty run-of-the-mill. When all you've really got to work with is a piece of fish and a potato, it's hard to reinvent the wheel. That doesn't stop people from trying, however, and there are some Brisbane restaurants that have a lot to show for their efforts. Whether they attempt subtle variations of the classic combination or just hone a traditional craft to the point of excellence, the restaurants on this list serve up some of the best fish and chips in the city, no dreaded stodge in sight. Fishmonger's Wife Mention The Fishmonger’s Wife to an eastsider and you will be met with coos of approval and appreciation. It has won a spate of ‘best fish and chip shop’ awards on the state and national levels and it’s no surprise. The beer battered fresh king snapper is particulrly good – the batter not too heavy – and reasonably priced for what you get. 6/83-93 Lytton Rd, East Brisbane 4170 Jellyfish At Jellyfish, in addition to oven baked or grilled fish, you can get soda, beer, saffron, curry or gluten free batters, or Szechuan pepper, parmesan, sesame seed, citrus & dill or panko crumbs. For sides, get the chips with malt vinegar or shoestrings and aioli or fried potatoes with smoked jalapeno mayo, and you’re all set for fish and chips by the river. They don’t do takeaway, but why would you want to given the view. 123 Eagle St, Brisbane 4000 The Fish Factory The Fish Factory inspires much affection amongst locals, having successfully weathered rain and fire (literally). Their fresh seafood market is a reliable go to for many. Their cooked takeaway options are similarly dependable. 363 Lytton Rd, Morningside 4170 Swampdog Good for you, good for me, good for the sea: this is Swampdog’s mantra. Make no mistake, eco-consciousness is not a passing affectation at this South Brisbane restaurant – it seems to permeate every aspect of their business. The fish they serve is local and mindfully sourced and their atypical selection of seafood is brought to life through a considered and varied range of dishes. 186 Vulture St, South Brisbane Chumley Warners Being that they are a speciality British-style fish and chips shop, Chumley Warners has a few items in common with O’Connors: deep fried haggis for one. Their battered cod is good, but what sets Chumley Warners apart from other places on this list is their chips – not the crispiest by any stretch, but with an intense potato flavour and a home-style charm (kind of along the lines of Shannon’s Potato Chips van – if you are fortunate enough to have sampled a cup). 8/190 Birkdale Rd, Birkdale 4159 Seafood Tale Seafood Tale is a bit more ‘seafood café’ than traditional fish and chip shop, which is a good idea given Chumley Warners is barely 10 metres away. It differentiates itself through clean, crisp flavours, as far as the nature of fish and chips will allow. A good choice if you like your fish and chips to look and taste a little more wholesome. 15/190 Birkdale Rd, Birkdale 4159 Blue Ocean Seafood Right next door to Flute, the food at Blue Ocean Seafood is in stark contrast to its neighbour. Very highly regarded for their burgers, they also do well with the food for which they are named. The seafood is fresh, the batter very light, and the chips have spent the right amount of time in the deep fryer. 380 Cavendish Rd, Coorparoo 4151 Fish’s Seafood Market Teneriffe favourite, Fish’s Seafood Market does its best to provide a welcoming dine-in atmosphere. Along with the basics they have a broad range of lavish seafood dishes. The basic fish and chips are good of course, but chances are if you visit, you’ll be ordering the hot and cold seafood platter. 110 Macquarie St, Newstead 4006 View all Brisbane Restaurants.
UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 8, 2020 — Yarra Valley Chocolaterie's 31-flavour hot chocolate boxes will now be available to order in September until the end of lockdown. Victoria's Hot Chocolate Festival is back again this August. And, this time, it's bringing the decadence to you. To save Melburnians from these blustery days, Yarra Valley Chocolaterie is churning out boxes filled with 31 hot chocolate flavours. Fan favourite flavours like Tim Tam Slam and Golden Nutella Spoon will be included in the box, along with the more adventurous likes of If You Like Piña Colada, Zingy Chilli, Cherry Matcha and Movie Night, which comes with choc-coated popcorn and marshmallow choc top. You can check out all 31 flavours here. All limited-edition hot chocolates come with an extra shot of hot couverture chocolate and handcrafted marshmallow, too. Plus, some of the highlights arrivewith exploding marshmallows, melting chocolate discs and truffle balls. If the 31-flavour pack is a little much (or a little too expensive, at $160), you can also order a pick-and-mix 16-flavour box ($92) and individual varieties for $6.50 a pop. The boxes are available to order until the end of lockdown and there's a flat-rate shipping fee of $15 to anywhere in Australia.
Arj Barker is probably the coolest friend a guy or gal could have – well, almost exclusively according to Bret and Jermaine of the Flight of the Conchords. Arj Barker is even more probably the funniest friend a guy or gal could have– well, according to most of Australia, with Kochie riding a strong second. Arj Barker just gets Aussie culture – while most of our politicians remain in the dark – and as his satirical, analytical humour gets sharper, we’ve been seeing Arj on our shores ever more. It’s been two years since he graced our holy ground with his Flight of the Conchord pals, and he’d been touring pretty much non-stop ever since. His trail of sold out shows, adoring fans, and stocking filler DVD sales is just a testament to how poignant and funny he actually is. And now Arj is coming back! His new show Go Time will be showing at the Powerhouse for nearly a fortnight, packed full of everything we love, from his dress style to special skills, about Mr Barker. Tickets are only $36, so skip along and witness a man who sports Dave Grohl facial hair, Chris Rock's comedic prowess and a pretty mean Owen Wilson impression.
Harveys is a charming bistro on James St, New Farm, that is all about the little details. The staff are dressed stylishly, inspired by the surrounding chic fashion boutiques. Every dish on the menu is a classic with a contemporary twist. You can choose to sit inside and soak in the modern decor, or out on the leafy outdoor area for some people watching in the blissful Queensland sun. If you are looking for a satisfying brunch, opt for the spiced mince in flour tortilla with poached egg, sour cream and avocado, perfectly washed down with a freshly squeezed orange juice. For a lighter option, the fresh seasonal fruit bowl with toasted coconut, passionfruit and organic honey is the 'little black dress' of the breakfast world: a staple and slimming classic. When accessorised with the optional homemade vanilla bean yoghurt, this dish is a knockout. The relaxed atmosphere and a clean and modern approach to its dishes makes Harveys the kind of place you take someone you want to impress.
The sight of a big, colourful sunflower is enough to put a smile on just about anybody's face. In Brisbane, this uplifting feeling can be a weekly occurrence, as the Sunny Truck pulls up at the Kelvin Grove Village Markets every Saturday from 6am–1pm. Founded by graphic designer Lucy Tann, this sunflower-slinging microbusiness can brighten your day in more ways than one. Parked beneath a towering fig tree, the tray of a slightly battered truck overflows with buckets of freshly cut sunflowers. Yet from its position tucked between buskers and fruiterers, Sunny Truck aims to be more than just a place for people to shop singles and bunches, pleasant as they may be. Just as important is providing a tight-knit community hub. Running her design business online, Tann began to feel like she lacked connection. Even after returning to Brisbane from Magnetic Island, her proximity to inner-city life did little to solve the problem. Instead, Tann set about creating her own community, with locals now making their way to Sunny Truck to get stems, but perhaps more significantly, to stop for a chat. Now, this growing Saturday morning ritual is on the rise, with Tann regularly selling out within just a couple of hours. And on the days she doesn't, the flowers are donated to aged care homes or bought by local cafes. "I think people are craving something unguarded and real," says Lucy. "The truck has given that to me and I think maybe it's giving that to others, too."
It just got real dark in Brisbane. And in Brisbane during the warmer months, that only means one thing: a storm is coming. So if you're currently reading this from somewhere dry, warm and cosy, we suggest that you keep it that way for the rest of your Friday night. And not just any old wet weather, either. The Bureau of Meteorology has reported that damaging winds, heavy rainfall and large hail is on its way, which is looking to affect the CBD and surrounding regions. This could lead to flash flooding in the city. Kobble Creek, just 45 minutes northwest of Brisbane, copped 85mm in just an hour earlier this afternoon. Taking a peek at its nifty colour-coded map, below, it looks like Brisbane is going to hit head-on. https://twitter.com/BOM_Qld/status/1106439185471340544 With storms come falling trees (and sometimes falling powerlines) and Queensland Fire and Emergency Services has advised Brisbanites to secure loose outdoor items, stay inside and "catch up on all the social media you missed yesterday". Their number is 132 500 if you need SES assistance. The wild weather looks like it will continue into the evening and possibly into tomorrow, too. Stay dry out there. And remember to check Live Traffic, Translink and BOM for warnings and updates. Image: Live Traffic NSW.
Groovin' the Moo has announced its 2013 line-up a day early after a Music Feeds source discovered a leak via Moshtix. And after reading through the list of acts appearing at this year’s festival, it's little wonder those involved got so prematurely excited. International acts hit double digits this year, with USA heavyweights The Bronx and The Amity Affliction, the UK's Frightened Rabbit and The Kooks and Canadian twins Tegan and Sara all set to strap on their gumboots and distribute their fresh sonic goods across five regional locations. Local heavyweights on the bill include Tama Impala, Flume, Hungry Kids of Hungary, Blue Mountains beatmaker Urthboy, Melbourne sextet Alpine, electronic trio Midnight Juggernauts and the awesomely named Yolanda Be Cool. Even dubstep gets a repping courtesy of Shockone. Besides music, the festival will provide local food stalls with fresh produce of the culinary variety, markets filled with knickknacks, licensed bar facilities, slingshot rides, and plenty of spacious chill-out areas. Presale tickets go on sale Thursday, January 31, at 9am via Moshtix with the presale ticket code Haystack #GTM2013 (also revealed today). Groovin' the Moo 2013 Line-up: Alison Wonderland Alpine The Amity Affliction The Bronx (USA) DZ Deathrays (DJ Set) Example (UK) Flume Frightened Rabbit (UK) Hungry Kids Of Hungary The Kooks (UK) Last Dinosaurs Matt And Kim (USA) Midnight Juggernauts Pez Regurgitator Seth Sentry Shockone Tame Impala Tegan And Sara (Canada) The Temper Trap They Might Be Giants (USA) Tuka with Ellesquire Urthboy DJ Woody’s Big Phat 90?S Mixtape (UK) Yacht (USA) Yolanda Be Cool Groovin' the Moo 2013 Dates: Saturday, April 27 Maitland Showground Blomfield St, Maitland NSW 2320 Sunday, April 28 University of Canberra Kirinari St Bruce ACT 2617 Saturday, May 4 Bendigo’s Prince of Wales Showground 42 – 72 Holmes Rd, Bendigo VIC 3550 Sunday, May 5 Murray Sports Complex – Townsville Cricket Grounds Mervyn Crossman Dr & Murray Lyons Cres, Idalia QLD 4811 Saturday, May 11 Hay Park (off) Parade Rd Bunbury WA 6230
Across the first half of every year, Brisbanites are invited to descend upon two patches of the city to celebrate unique parts of town. What's better than one street festival celebrating a Brissie neighbourhood? Two, clearly. First comes Stones Corner Festival, which is happening in early May in 2024 — and then, when June hits this year, Teneriffe Festival will unleash its own jam-packed day of fun. Teneriffe Festival was born back in 2010 when the part of Brisbane that's in its moniker was officially named a suburb. A decade and a half later, it's still going strong, with around 50,000 people heading along annually. Accordingly, when 10am–9pm rolls around on Saturday, June 8, there'll be tunes, food, markets and more, all helping locals and visitors alike make the most of the bustling locale. Mark your diaries ASAP. Then, get excited about The Cat Empire and Thundamentals leading the music lineup. Who'll they'll be joined by is yet to be revealed, but this fest is serious about its tunes. 2023's event featured The Potbelleez and Screamfeeder, for instance, while 2022's welcomed Ben Lee and Resin Dogs to Vernon Terrace. "We're so excited to be bringing the Teneriffe Festival back for another year. Unfortunately, 2024 has already seen huge challenges in the festival industry across Australia and internationally," said Teneriffe Festival Chairman Michael Wilkins. "This year we are prioritising exciting acts and activations and have so much more to share in coming weeks. Our announcement today of two major Australian bands, The Cat Empire and Thundamentals, being on board for 2024 is an exciting first step." "We are a local community festival who celebrate the rich heritage and diverse culture Teneriffe has to offer, and we're so honoured to have the continuing support from our locals and partners who are working with us to ensure the legacy of the Teneriffe Festival stays true for years to come." While the rest of the lineup is yet to be unveiled, stints of dancing in the street are always joined by plenty of opportunities to eat and drink. The area's bars and restaurants get in on the action, food trucks serve up their own feasts and markets sling plenty of wares. Past years have seen a jazz-fuelled, wine-pouring riverside garden and a pop-up beer garden also on offer. Tickets are now on sale for 2024's festival, with more details set to be announced as the event gets closer. Teneriffe Festival 2024 takes place from 10am–9pm on Saturday, June 8 on Vernon Terrace, Teneriffe, with tickets on sale now. Head to the festival's website for further details.
December is a time for reflection. A time to look back on the year that was, read round-ups to check up on what you've missed and put together best-of lists (indeed, we've just launched our own). Earlier this week Time Magazine announced Donald Trump as their Person of the Year, which, if you needed reminding, is pretty indicative of how this insane year has played out. How to deal with it all? With green, apparently. Greenery (PANTONE 15-0343) has just been named as Pantone's 2017 Colour of the Year. The inoffensive neutral shade was chosen by Pantone's colour experts not only because it's a "fresh and zesty yellow-green shade" but because of the role it plays in our modern society as a connection to nature and vitality. Referencing the year that was, Pantone executive director Leatrice Eisemen says that Greenery provides "us with the reassurance we yearn for amid a tumultuous social and political environment...it symbolises the reconnection we seek with nature, one another and a larger purpose." It's also symbolic of new beginnings — but perhaps that's being a bit too optimistic. At least Pantone was able to settle on just one colour this time. Last year, for the first time, it chose two colours to receive the title: Rose Quartz and Serenity.
The April holidays are nearly upon us. And with the Easter long weekend and ANZAC Day landing on consecutive weeks this year, there's no better time to book a trip out of town. Might we suggest you land on Sydney? The city has so much going on this autumn, including highly lauded markets, blockbuster performances, massive new exhibitions and brand new venues to discover, plus all of the Easter treats and ANZAC Day specials in between. Here's our guide on how to make the most of your holidays this season in Sydney. [caption id="attachment_698137" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Grounds of Alexandria.[/caption] HUNT FOR EXCELLENT EASTER TREATS Throughout the month of April, Sydney's best chocolatiers turn out some delectable, hard-to-pass-up Easter treats. These include a larger-than-life Easter egg at The Grounds of Alexandria, which annually constructs a three-metre-tall egg stuffed with over 500 kilograms of chocolate. The 'community cracking' takes place on Easter Sunday — and there are no bookings, pre-orders or payments necessary to participate. There's also a sweets-filled family high tea and a free Easter egg hunt on the Saturday. For some over-the-top treats, head to Gelato Messina for a very indulgent Easter dessert. This year, expect the Hot Cross Bun Egg — that's hot cross bun gelato mixed with toasted hot cross bun pieces and an oozing dulce de leche 'yolk', all with a milk chocolate coating. The Messina concoctions sell out each year, so sign up here to be the first to order. Darlinghurst's Kakawa is across Easter, too, offering more hot cross bun-flavoured chocolates, chocolate-filled eggs and bunny pops. Other sweets to hunt down include the raw vegan choc eggs at Alexandria's Pana Chocolate and the range of luxe Easter treats at Haigh's in the CBD. [caption id="attachment_708768" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Eliza Food and Wine.[/caption] VISIT ONE OF SYDNEY'S NEWEST VENUES While you're in town for a visit, be sure to check out a few of Sydney's newest openings. For a top-notch bar, head to the city's first dedicated mezcal bar, Cantina OK. The 20-person venue can be found hidden down a laneway in the heart of the CBD. But if Sydney's sunny skies are calling you outdoors, it's Chippendale's new rooftop Spritz Bar you should consider. It offers a whole menu of spritzes, along with Sicilian-style bar snacks and Mediterranean vibes. And for a real locals' haunt, make tracks to Newton to sip Scandinavian aquavit cocktails in the courtyard at the Danish-influenced Tandem Bar. For eats, check out RaRa Ramen, Redfern's new izakaya-style joint that's slinging some seriously authentic bowls of ramen, including a regularly sold-out vegan version. Finer fare can be found at Darlinghurst's Eliza Food and Wine, an eatery focused on local produce and brought to you by Michelin-trained chef Jeremy Bentley. And for a bit of both, don't look past the drinks and eats at Pyrmont's new natural wine bar and European-style eatery Bar Clementine — it's slinging funky drops, aperitif-style cocktails and European share plates to boot. [caption id="attachment_664206" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Australian Heritage Hotel.[/caption] GO FOR $5 ON HEADS AT A GAME OF TWO-UP If you're in Sydney over ANZAC Day, it's a given to take advantage of this beloved 'sport' — especially if you've never played before (we're looking at you Melbourne). What is it? A betting game of heads or tails that was played by the ANZACs during WWI. How should you prep? Take some cash out so you have notes (you'll want some fivers unless you're planning to play hard) and find a good pub where you can watch those sacred two-up coins fall. While there are many venues to choose from, hitting up one of Sydney's best pubs ensures a spirited crowd — and often discounted brews. Our go-to is The Bank in Newtown, where the sunken beer garden is transformed for the occasion with stadium seating, a tinny bar and pub grub — and it's all hosted by legendary local drag queen Tora Hymen. More wild two-up rings pop-up nearby in the leafy beer garden at The Courthouse and in the massive dining room at Darlinghurst's Dolphin Hotel. We also dig the Australiana-vibes at Paddington's The Unicorn and the historic feels at The Rocks' Australian Heritage Hotel. [caption id="attachment_712879" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lu Yang: Electromagnetic Brainology.[/caption] HOP THROUGH THESE NEW ART EXHIBITIONS Sydney has a lot of must-see exhibitions on during April. There's the massive The National 2019, a huge exhibition that features work from 65 contemporary Australian artists and spans the Art Gallery NSW, the Museum of Contemporary Art and Carriageworks. Also showing at the MCA is Janet Lawrence: After Nature — the first exhibition chronicling the Sydney-based artist's 30-year career. It explores 'the link between all living creatures' and includes environmentally charged sculpture, installation, photography and video. Another show-stopping exhibition on at the moment is Hot Blood at Chippendale's free White Rabbit gallery. Expect a showcase of emerging, post-'Great Firewall' Chinese artists who are out to disable our idea of traditional Chinese art. And if you are after traditional Chinese art, then kick on post-The National viewing at AGNSW for Heaven and Earth in Chinese Art. The exhibition features treasures from Taipei's National Palace Museum on display in the southern hemisphere for the first time. It features 87 masterworks, including a jasper stone that resembles a juicy piece of pork belly. VISIT SOME OF THE CITY'S FAVOURITE MARKETS If you're looking to hit the market scene, you can't go past one of Sydney's most lauded farmer's market, which takes place every Saturday within Carriageworks. Over 70 stallholders join forces to offer some of the city's best produce, and it's all curated by acclaimed chef Mike McEnearney. Located on the other side of Sydney's inner west is Tramsheds, a former tram depot-turned-shopping precinct, which holds a Growers Market every Sunday from 8am–2pm, including on Easter Sunday. Expect sustainably grown produce alongside workshops, masterclasses and live entertainment. Plus, heaps of the precinct's eateries will be open throughout the Easter long weekend and on ANZAC Day — including Spanish-style tapas bar Bodega 1904, fresh pasta spot Flour Eggs Water and Egyptian diner Bekya. If you're in town earlier in April, catch the monthly Brewery Markets at Yulli's Brews vegan taproom on Sunday, April 14. There'll be indoor plants, eco-friendly clothing and jarred preserves up for grabs, along with craft brews and restaurant signatures. [caption id="attachment_714401" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Handa Opera: West Side Story. Photo by Hamilton Lund.[/caption] CATCH A LIVE SHOW From Broadway hits and Opera House exclusives to local gigs and free jazz, Sydney has it all. One of the most impressive shows on at the moment is West Side Story, which is performed on a floating stage on Sydney Harbour and backdropped by some of the city's most impressive views. Within the Opera House, you'll find Basement Jaxx Vs The Metropolitan Orchestra, which will see the famed British electronic music duo perform with a live orchestra. And for something more specific to the Easter theme, there's the musical production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on at the Capitol Theatre till Sunday, April 14. And for more local (and budget-friendly) options, you can catch multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter Little Green's jazz, folk and blues for just $15 on Friday, April 26 at 107 Projects. And, for a real bargain, there's free jazz at legendary Venue 505 every Monday through Wednesday. Plus, you can catch Drag and Dine at Priscillas any night of the week from 7.30pm. Forgo the tourist traps and traverse the great City of Sydney like a local instead. Discover more around the city here.
The fierce, animalistic and unrelenting force that is Lightning Bolt is steamrolling their way back to the Brisbane stage, for a show like no other. With the band’s inception prioritising art as well as music, it’s not hard to guess where the group got their left-of-centre approach to performance. They’re known for literally immersing themselves in their audiences, while annihilating their instruments with a talent so overwhelming, you won’t believe it. This is not for the faint of heart. Fans of performance metal and the heaviest of bass rock will find themselves right at home. However, for those looking to expand their horizons, you will be witness to some of the most finely choreographed and explosive drum-and-bass combinations this side of garage fuzz. It’s been three years since Lightning Bolt dragged us by the collective collar down the path of musical mayhem; these tickets will go faster than you can say “what did I just see?”
Has anyone had a better year so far than Taika Waititi? Likely not. 2022 hasn't even officially hit its halfway point yet and he's already been everywhere, doing everything, and has more to come. He was the subject of the Archibald's Packing Room Prize-winner, with his likeness now an award-worthy piece of art. He has that little Marvel movie called Thor: Love and Thunder in the works, set to hit cinemas in early July. Oh, and he went and co-starred in one of the best new TV shows of the year so far — and that series, Our Flag Means Death, has just been renewed for a second run. No, Taika's time playing a pirate isn't over yet, in supremely welcome news for everyone who sailed through Our Flag Means Death's glorious first season. His latest team-up with fellow New Zealand comedian Rhys Darby (after also working together on Flight of the Conchords, What We Do in the Shadows, Wellington Paranormal and Hunt for the Wilderpeople), it's a swashbuckling comedy that satirises the buccaneering times of the 18th century. As its first season unfurled, Our Flag Means Death also proved to be a sweet and warmhearted romance, as well as essential viewing. HBO clearly agrees, greenlighting the show's second season for its streaming service HBO Max. Exactly when it'll return has yet to be revealed, but fingers crossed that it'll cruise back into your queue — via Binge and in New Zealand via Neon — sometime in 2023. "We felt the show was special while we were making it, but fans' open-armed embrace of the inhabitants of the Revenge makes heading into a second season all the more sweet," said writer, showrunner and executive producer David Jenkins (People of Earth), who conjured up Our Flag Means Death. Based on its concept and cast alone, his series was always going to cement its spot on streaming must-see lists — and speed into comedy-lovers' hearts — and now it'll make a return voyage. If you haven't hopped aboard already, Our Flag Means Death stars Darby stars as Stede Bonnet, a self-styled 'gentleman pirate', a great approximation of Flight of the Conchords' Murray if he'd existed centuries earlier, and a man determined to bring a bit of kindness and elegancy to the whole swashbuckling game. He's based on an IRL figure, who abandoned his cosy life for a seafaring existence. The show is a loose adaptation of Bonnet's tale, though. As for Waititi, he dons leather, dark hues aplenty, an air of bloodthirsty melancholy and a glorious head of greying hair as Edward Teach — the marauder better known to the world as Blackbeard. Also featuring among the show's impressive lineup of supporting characters: Lucius (Nathan Foad, Bloods), Bonnet's righthand man and official scribe; Buttons (Ewen Bremner, First Cow), a seasoned seafarer and source of advice; Black Pete (Matthew Maher, Marriage Story), who constantly claims to have worked with Blackbeard; the fire-obsessed Wee John Feeny (Kristian Nairn, aka Game of Thrones' Hodor); and the initially secretive Oluwande (Samson Kayo, Truth Seekers) and Jim (Vico Ortiz, The Sex Lives of College Girls). Check out the full trailer for Our Flag Means Death below: Our Flag Means Death will return for a second season, with a release date yet to be announced. Our Flag Means Death's first season is available to in Australia via Binge and in New Zealand via Neon. Read our full review. Images: Aaron Epstein/HBO Max.
UPDATE, June 28, 2022: RRR is available to stream via Netflix. The letters in RRR's title are short for Rise Roar Revolt. They could also stand for riveting, rollicking and relentless. They link in with the Indian action movie's three main forces, too — writer/director SS Rajamouli (Baahubali: The Beginning), plus stars NT Rama Rao Jr (Aravinda Sametha Veera Raghava) and Ram Charan (Vinaya Vidheya Rama) — and could describe the sound of some of its standout moments. What noise echoes when a motorcycle is used in a bridge-jumping rescue plot, as aided by a horse and the Indian flag, amid a crashing train? Or when a truck full of wild animals is driven into a decadent British colonialist shindig and its caged menagerie unleashed? What racket resounds when a motorbike figures again, this time tossed around by hand (yes, really) to knock out those imperialists, and then an arrow is kicked through a tree into someone's head? Or, when the movie's two leads fight, shoot, leap over walls and get acrobatic, all while one is sat on the other's shoulders? RRR isn't subtle. Instead, it's big, bright, boisterous, boldly energetic, and brazenly unapologetic about how OTT and hyperactive it is. The 187-minute Tollywood action epic — complete with huge musical numbers, of course — is also a vastly captivating pleasure to watch. Narrative-wise, it follows the impact of the British Raj (aka England's rule over the subcontinent between 1858–1947), especially upon two men. In the 1920s, Bheem (Jr NTR, as Rao is known) is determined to rescue young fellow villager Malli (first-timer Twinkle Sharma), after she's forcibly taken by Governor Scott Buxton (Ray Stevenson, Vikings) and his wife Catherine (Alison Doody, Beaver Falls) for no reason but they're powerful and they can. Officer Raju (Charan) is tasked by the crown with making sure Bheem doesn't succeed in rescuing the girl, and also keeping India's population in their place because their oppressors couldn't be more prejudiced. There's more to both men's stories because there's so much more to RRR's story; to fill the movie's lengthy running time, Rajamouli hasn't skimped on plot. Indeed, there's such a wealth of things going on that the film is at once a kidnapping melodrama, a staunch missive against colonialism, a political drama, a rom-com and a culture-clash comedy — involving Bheem's affection for the sole kindly Brit, Jenny (Olivia Morris, Hotel Portofino) — and a war movie. It's a buddy comedy as well, starting when Bheem and Raja join forces for that aforementioned bridge rescue, yet don't realise they're on opposite sides in the battle over Malli. It's also as spectacular an action flick as has graced cinema screens, and as gleefully overblown. Plus, it's an infectiously mesmerising musical. One dazzling dance-off centrepiece doubles as a rebuff against British rule, racism and classism, in fact, and it's also nothing short of phenomenal to look at, too. Spectacle is emphatically the word for RRR — not quite from its scene-setting opening, where Malli is ripped from her family, but from the second that Raju shows how well he can handle himself. That involves taking on a hefty horde of protesters single-handedly with just a stick as a weapon, because extravagance and excess is baked into every second of the feature. Super-sized is another term that clearly fits, because little holds back even for a second. And a third word, if the film bumped up its moniker to the next letter in the alphabet? That'd be sincere. An enormous reason that everything that's larger than life about RRR — which is absolutely everything — works, even when it's also often silly and cheesy, is because it's so earnest about how determined it is to entertain. You don't use that amount of slow-motion shots if you don't know you're being corny at times, unashamedly so. If the whole friends-but-enemies dynamic between Bheem and Raja sounds like The Departed and Infernal Affairs, that's just part of RRR's exuberant melange of influences — just like genres. Its protagonists Komaram Bheem and Alluri Sitarama Raju are actually ripped from reality, with each revolutionaries, although their tales didn't ever intertwine. (No, nothing IRL in history has ever resembled this). The Harder They Fall did the same thing, fictionalising the past to make a statement and craft barnstorming cinema, but in America, in the Old West and with Black characters. Imagine the same idea given the Michael Bay treatment in India and that's almost the wavelength that RRR runs on. Imagine the right kind of Bayhem, though — Pain and Gain, for instance — or just think of his penchant for shamelessly go-for-broke action scenes and ignore everything he usually stuffs around them. When a filmmaker is helming an action onslaught, just as when they're overseeing musical scenes, choreography is always key. That's another crucial factor in making RRR so engaging. Rajamouli's staging of both, and the way that the frays and song-and-dance numbers alike are shot by cinematographer KK Senthil Kumar (Vijetha) and edited by A Sreekar Prasad (Good Luck Sakhi), is a visual wonder. On one side, the Fast and Furious movies would be envious. On the other, Lin-Manuel Miranda might be. Again, RRR is often chaotically ridiculous, but it's also so well-made — so audaciously as well — that it's exhilarating. The films of John Woo come to mind at times, as do The Raid and The Raid: Redemption, but RRR is also its own beast. It's also easy to predict that Telugu-language cinema stars Jr NTR and Charan could get their moment in Hollywood; if Vin Diesel doesn't come calling, perhaps Quentin Tarantino will when he hops behind the camera next. Jr NTR and Charan are megawatt movie stars, one playing an everyman who becomes a hero, the other the picture of dutiful and skilled authority — and deep-seated conflict — who does the same. They're dynamite together amid the rampant maximalism, the stunts and the CGI-heavy special effects. Yes, that means that RRR is also a bromance. The film's central pair live their lives one anti-colonialist tussle at a time, though. Their characters are also posed as superheroes, never with the term ever mentioned, but in just how super-adept they are. Of course, the usual sprawling caped-crusader franchises typically don't feel this overstimulated, ardent, often-absurd and engagingly alive.
Gemma O'Brien in an Australian designer/typographer traveling the world with her fonts and felt pens. After her guest appearance at Semi-Permanent Brisbane last week, Sarah Hazlehurst catches up with Gemma for a recap for those who missed out on the creative conference. How would you describe to others what you do for your job? I work mainly with typography, illustration and print design... but it's not limited to that. I particularly like starting all my projects by drawing. The majority of my commercial commissions tends to be illustrated custom lettering pieces. Some art pieces end up being installations and while I was working at Animal Logic earlier this year I tended to be designing more for TV. At my most recent project there I directed new opening title sequence for Play School – it featured no typography and was stop-motion piece with hyper-colourful paper sculpture I built and was brought to life by the talented team at Animal. Where did you passion for typography begin and why? To be honest, my first encounters with typography were dull! It seemed like the boring, technical rule-based side of graphic design. But this view was changed drastically after working in the letterpress studio. I also started seeing type as a visual element. It could speak as loudly as image and take on lyrical or illustrative qualities itself. Your 'Write Here Right Now' campaign was amazing. Do you have any new campaigns in the making? I am currently focusing on forms of typography that exist outside the commerical domain. For my Honours paper at COFA I am researching lettering and typography of headstones and I will hosting a workshop at the Paper Mill gallery in Sydney in September that looks at letterforms on buildings. Who is your favourite artist and why? Today's type designers: Tobias Frere Jones, Jonathon Hoefler, Gerard Unger, Ale Paul from Sudtipos Type history's legends: Stanley Morrison, Jan Tschichold, Illustrative type heroes: Jessica Hische, Seb Lester, Marian Bantjes, Luke Lucas And Australia's original typophile: Stephen Banham What inspires you to create new fonts?/What's your favourite font to write with? Well you can't really "write" with fonts. A lot of what I do is actually lettering - drawing letterforms is often inspired by existing fonts but is quite different in its execution. While a font is designed to be used in any application - any context a designer sees fit - lettering is often a custom piece designed specifically for a certain word or phrase. In lettering, you're often looking for particular relationships between letters that could be drawn and linked in particular ways. That said I like drawing letterforms that are fluid and organic...lend themselves to swashes and flourishes. Do you have a favourite sentence to write? Not really, it's always changing. I'm always listening out for interesting sayings, quotes, conversations, song lyrics or poetry that has a certain appeal to be developed into a piece of lettering or typography. Are you a lover or a hater of the quick brown fox ... ? Well the quick brown fox has a little more appeal than the lazy dog. If Times New Roman always a no-go? Of course not, Stanley Morison, the designer of the typeface Times New Roman is a legend and one of the key designers in the early twentieth century who influenced the shape of typography today. It's really only became a faux-pas through familiarity, accessibility and therefore frequency of use. What is the worst letter to write? None of them are that bad! Although I do lean towards letters that lend themselves to flourishes....K's and M's... I love them all equally. Why do you think typography is important to our developing world? Typography and lettering are the markings of human culture. Just imagine a world without letters...! They are the greatest human invention ever! These little shapes that over time have developed into what we recognise so immediately that as individual letters they become invisible...and we just take the meaning from the word the create and the context they are in. They are the visual marks that can communicate, sell, tell a story and convey information, through typography these letters speak to us.
Infographics. So hot right now. It seems that facts don't count any more unless they're dressed up in just the right colour and an on-trend font. Having taken over mainstream media, the infographic is now coming after you. Vizualize.Me is a yet-to-be-launched site that will take your LinkedIn profile and turn it into an infographic. Given the dull and drab traditions of CV writing, something with a judicious use of colour and, of course, an appropriate font, could set your CV apart and help you land that job. Also, if you're a graphics or font nerd, no doubt it will allow for many more hours of CV writing procrastination as you try and get it looking just so. The site isn't infographicising anything yet — the image above is a prototype — but you can register for the invite list and hopefully score one of the free premium accounts being given out to the first 10,000 sign ups. [via PSFK]
If you want floor to ceiling ocean views at a centrally-located hotel, Crystalbrook Riley is for you. This five-star luxury resort is perched on the Cairns Esplanade, placing you in walking distance of many of the tour operators, restaurants and bars that Cairns has to offer. For a picturesque waterfront wake up, check in to a Panoramic Sea room or Riley's Suite and you'll awaken to uninterrupted views of the Coral Sea and beyond. There's a lush pool that wraps around the entire resort, a day spa to destress at and two in-house restaurants to try — Paper Crane and rooftop bar Rocco. The resort makes an effort to reduce food miles by sourcing 80-percent of ingredients from within a 3.5-hour radius of Cairns, including all of its beef products which come from Crystalbrook's own 85,000-acre cattle station.
It seems that, even though it falls on the same day every year, Christmas creeps up on us. To be fair, it's a pretty hectic time — we're organising holiday plans, tying up loose ends at work and figuring out some resolutions for a brand new year. Even if you have a bunch of post-it note reminders of 'Choose a good gift for Mum' and 'Buy pressies before Christmas Eve', it's easy for those good intentions to fall by the wayside. Plus, it gets pretty expensive when you're buying under time pressure. In partnership with Square, we've searched through Queensland's independent shops to bring you a gift guide that won't break the bank — and you'll be buying from local legends who, after a pretty tough year, need your support. If you are a small business owner, Square has the tools you need to take payments and maximise your sales, including an ebook with tips to help you get started this holiday season. STAINLESS STEEL FLASK, WILDFLOWER ($29) For the gin lover, a sleek flask that they can take along to picnics, house parties and camping trips over summer is a gift that they can keep for life. Wildflower Gin, based out of Burleigh Heads, has a 200-millilitre, leather-wrapped stainless steel flask for a steal at $29. Shipping is free for orders over $100, so add a few bottles of gin to your cart while you're at it. JASMINE ROBE BLACK, HOMEBODII ($49.95) If you're buying for someone who exudes elegance wherever they go, Homebodii's chic black robe could be just what you're after. This silky number has kimono-inspired sleeves, a non-crush satin finish and is the perfect thing to throw on when lounging around at home, which, let's face it, we're all doing a fair bit more of these days. Shipping is $10 or free for orders over $100. CROWD PLEASER CHEESE PACK, THE CHEESEBOARD ($40) You can't go wrong with next-level cheese when picking up gifts for your foodie friends. If you'd rather skip the shops and get it delivered directly to them, jump online at The Cheeseboard and pick from one of its many cheesy delights, with everything from stinky fromage to a box filled with bubbles and brie. When in doubt, the approachable Crowd Pleaser pack comes with artisanal Aussie cheese — think cheddar, camembert and gruyere — and a jar of locally made fruit paste. IVY & WOOD ORCHID AND GINGER CANDLE, SHANNON HAWKES ($39.95) Boutique florist Shannon Hawkes is a one-stop-shop for beautiful blooms. On top of its gorgeous bouquets, it peddles fragrant candles from Ivy & Wood, too, so you can have the smell of fresh flowers, without the upkeep. Ivy & Wood's candles are hand poured and come in a range of stunning scents, we particularly like this orchid and ginger one. LIFE IS TOUGH PRINT, OAK & AVE ($30) This year has dealt many of us a dud hand, so why not give a gift that'll give your pal a little boost? Rather than buying them a Tony Robbins book, get them a fun art print that does the motivational talking instead. This one from Oak & Ave is sure to add some positive vibes to any WFH office. You can either pick it up in person or get it delivered straight to your mate's doorstep. KIM WALLACE CERAMICS TAKEAWAY CUP, NOOK ($39–44) It should come as no surprise that Nook makes the list. Known for showcasing ethical and fair Australian designers, ceramicists and artists, it's a go-to shop for Brisbanites when Christmas comes around. If you have a caffeine fiend in your life, you can't go wrong with one of these handmade, reusable takeaway cups by ceramic queen Kim Wallace. Made in Wallace's studio in Noosa, these cups are available in two sizes, six and eight ounces, and are ideal for your friend who cannot function before they have their first cup of joe. FIDDLE LEAF FIG SMALL, LITTLE LEAF DECOR ($28) Plants are a go-to gift for good reason. Rather than buying blooms, though, why not give something that will last for years to come? The Little Leaf Decor offers a range of plants, including a fiddle leaf fig tree for a reasonable $28. Whether you're buying it for your mum with a green thumb or your mate who just moved house, it's a winner. You'll just have to pick it up from the Little Leaf Decor's Coorparoo store. STAUNCH ORIGINAL BEARD WASH, THE BEARDED CHAP ($45) If your partner, dad, brother or cousin is choosing to keep their funky facial hair after Movember, then this is the gift for them. Made with all natural ingredients and produced in very small batches to ensure the highest of quality, The Bearded Chap's beard wash will clean even the dirtiest of beards and leave your hairy faced friend looking well-kempt. Shipping is free for orders over $20, too. THE CLASSIC WHITE TEE, NEWSTEAD BREWING CO ($25) We all know someone who loves a good craft brew. Rather than buying them booze which, let's be honest, will get consumed fairly quickly over the silly season, get them some cool merch instead. Independent Brisbane brewery Newstead Brewing Co has three mighty fine cotton tees available to purchase online, including this simple white one. You can either get it shipped, or swing by to pick up in person — and have a brew while you're at it. OYSTER KEY RING, SEASHELLS & CO ($18) It's true that you don't have to spend a wad of cash on presents to show someone how much you care. But, if you don't want to turn up empty handed on Christmas Day, these oyster key rings from Seashells & Co make for an excellent pressie. They're handmade in sunny Port Douglas and come individually gift wrapped, so you don't have to worry about picking up wrapping paper either. Find out how Square is supporting small businesses with the tools they need to grow, here. If you are a small business owner, Square has guidance on how best to maximise sales in the run up to the Christmas holiday period in its ebook, found here. Top image: The Bearded Chap
