Let's call it the sitcom effect: when you watch enough episodes of a TV comedy and suddenly get inspiration to change your life. Maybe you binged Friends and started hanging out in coffee shops more often. Perhaps you saw Parks and Recreation and became obsessed with breakfast foods, working for the parks department, whisky and tiny horses. Or, Schitt's Creek might've had you wanting to open your own motel or apothecary, or star in a horror movie about attacking crows (or just saying "eww" a lot). Whichever fits, we've all been there. Taking a few cues from upcoming sitcom Killing It mightn't be the best idea, though — unless you want to start hunting snakes. That's exactly what the series is about, because TV comedies really can be about anything. And if you're wondering why it should pique your interest beyond its concept, we're sure its off- and on-screen talent will do just that. The last time that Dan Goor and Luke Del Tredici made television together, Brooklyn Nine-Nine was the end result — with Goor one of its co-creators and Del Tredici an executive producer. If that's not enticing enough, their new reptile-focused show also stars The Office's Craig Robinson (another B99 alum, too), as well as Aussie comedian Claudia O'Doherty (Love, Sarah's Channel, Our Flag Means Death). Robinson keeps his first name on-screen here, playing a man with a dream — chasing the American dream, in fact — but very little luck. Then he gets in a rideshare driven by O'Doherty's Jillian, and is quite shocked when she stops mid-trip to casually swing a hammer at a python, as you do. It's a lucrative business, she informs him in her Aussie accent, and he's soon as intrigued as you likely will be while watching the series' first trailer. Killing It isn't just about snake hunting, though. Like most shows and movies that ponder the American dream, it's also about class and capitalism. And yes, it's just the kind of series that was always likely to land in this post-Tiger King world — because the combination of critters, cash and entrepreneurship is rife with possibilities, and also has plenty to say about the US today. Stan subscribers will be able to watch the results from Friday, April 15, which is when Killing It starts streaming — arriving at the same time locally as it does in the US. Also, whatever premise it had, any series that teamed up Robinson and O'Doherty was always going to be a must-see — slaying snakes or not. Check out the trailer for Killing It below: Killing It will start streaming in Australia via Stan on Friday, April 15. Images: Skip Bolen/Peacock.
Over the past week, we've been hurtled into the throes of winter. While Australia sweltered through a warmer-than-average autumn, it's now appropriately windy and rainy. The gloves and beanies are out of storage and it's time to start loading up on sweets and carbs. To help us do this, Krispy Kreme has announced it's giving away an extremely excessive number of doughnuts. How many? 100,000, to be exact. The giveaway is running in conjunction with 'World Doughnut Day', and while we're not a big fan of food 'days' we are big fans of free food. Especially free doughnuts. To snag yourself a signature glazed freebie (Original Glazed doughnuts are being given out) head to your closest store in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or Perth. Sydneysiders have ten stores — stretching from Penrith to the CBD — to choose from, while Victorians have eight, including a Collins Street store. Queenslanders can pick from five different doughnut shops, with the most central in the CBD Myer Centre, and Perthians can head to one of three Krispy Kreme stores or some Jesters. The 100,000 doughnuts will be spread across all Aussies stores, which means there'll be about 3000 free 'uns available at each. So, you'll want to get in relatively early if you want to kick off your Friday with a free sweet and doughy treat. Most stores open around 7am and there's a limit of one glazed doughnut per person. The free doughnuts are not available at BPs or 7-Elevens. Krispy Kreme's free doughnut giveaway is happening nationwide on Friday, June 7. To find your closest store and check its opening hours, head to the Krispy Kreme website.
Get ready to roll: for one Saturday only, the first-ever Sun Skate Rollerskating Festival is gliding into Milton Park. With Brisbane's own Roller Dance Australia behind the new event, this fest isn't just about strapping some wheels to your feet. Rather, making shapes while wearing skates is the main attraction — complete with a Boogie Nights-themed roller disco. Taking place from 12–8pm on Saturday, December 9, Sun Skate is an all-ages affair except for the disco, which is open for attendees aged 16 and over. While it's technically free to head along to, in most instances you will pay to hit the rink. An hour-long session costs $10, as does skate hire. Getting your Boogie Nights on will set you back $25, while a full day pass other than the disco is $30. There are ways to put your skates on without opening your wallet, however. So, look out for the Zumba class, beginners' skating class and dance jam. Also on offer: markets, food trucks, a skate maintenance workshop, yoga, a treasure hunt and a dog park, plus activities for kids.
UPDATE, Monday, April 15, 2024: The Pandemonium Rocks lineup has changed with Placebo, Deep Purple, Dead Kennedys, Gang of Four, Gyroscope and Fetch no longer on the bill. The details below have been updated to reflect that change. Some music festivals introduce you to your future favourites and today's biggest names. Others are all about enjoying yesterday's greats. Australia has no shortage of both kinds of events, but it's adding one more nostalgic-driven fest: the brand-new Pandemonium Rocks, which will debut on the country's east coast in April. Blondie and Alice Cooper lead the lineup, meaning that 70s hits 'Heart of Glass' and 'School's Out' will echo through the fest. The familiar tunes won't stop there, either, with Wheatus sure to bust out 'Teenage Dirtbag', and Wolfmother certain to give 'Woman' and 'Joker and the Thief' a whirl. [caption id="attachment_938063" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Raph_PH via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Psychedelic Furs and Cosmic Psychos round out the bill, as headed to Broadwater Parklands on the Gold Coast on Saturday, April 27 and Eatons Hill in Brisbane on Sunday, April 28. One important note for folks in Queensland: if you want to see Debbie Harry sing 'Hanging on the Telephone', 'Rapture' and 'Call Me', you'll need to make a trip to the Goldie as Blondie aren't playing Pandemonium Rocks' last stop. The band's latest visit to Australia comes after playing Coachella 2023, which you might've caught on the fest's livestream. A point of difference with Pandemonium Rocks: the fact that you can bring low-rise beach-style chairs that are smaller than 70 centimetres tall to the outdoor gigs. Top image: Biha via Wikimedia Commons.
This July, you can taste your way from the city to Byron Bay without leaving the luxe surrounds of The W. As part of Good Food Month, the good folks from Three Blue Ducks will take over the hotel with nine courses of deliciousness — for just one night. Every dish will represent the region's best produce, scoped out through the restaurant's close relationships with local farmers and fishers. Just a handful of the menu's offerings include fair game venison tataki with macadamia cream, spent bread and smoked blueberry vinaigrette; Fraser Isle spanner crab with celeriac and quinoa crunch; and warm coconut custard with black cacao sorbet, blood orange and passionfruit. You can count on matches for your dishes in an extensive wine list, alongside a bunch of Byron-inspired cocktails. Meanwhile, soundtracking your feast will be one of Three Blue Ducks' favourite DJs. Hosting the evening will be Darren Robertson, Mark Labrooy and Andy Allen — the co-owners of restaurant chain Three Blue Ducks. Robertson trained at Michelin-starred Graveyte Manor in the UK, before heading up three-hatted Tetsuya's in Sydney, where he met Labrooy. The duo teamed up with Allen after meeting through appearances on MasterChef Australia in 2012. Byron to Brisbane Trail will take place on Sunday, July 7. Tickets cost $150 and include cocktails, grazing stations, wine and beer can be purchased here.
UPDATE, AUGUST 30, 2021: Due to southeast Queensland's recent lockdown and restrictions, Le Diner en Blanc Gold Coast will no longer take place on Saturday, September 4, 2021, and has been moved to Saturday, March 19, 2022 instead. This article has been updated to reflect that change. "Your nose like a delicious slope of cream / And your ears like cream flaps / And your teeth like hard shiny pegs of cream." Le Diner en Blanc — like Howard Moon's poem — will have you in all white. But sorry, Booshers: this Gold Coast event is just for the sophisticated. Now popping up all around the world, the Diner en Blanc began in Paris three decades ago thanks to François Pasquier and friends. In 2022, around 1200 of southeast Queensland's creme de la creme will once again dress in all-white on Saturday, March 19 with the event held at a predictably stunning location that remains secret until the very last moment. Following an evening of elegance, fine dining and live music, the foodies then pack up their crystal, dinnerware, tables, chairs and litter. Like ghosts (white 'n' all), they leave behind no sign of their rendezvous. That said, don't get any ideas — a white sheet thrown over your figure will not do for an outfit. Le Diner en Blanc guests must either be invited by a member from the previous event, or get on the waiting list for a ticket — with the latter open for registrations now. And, if you're wondering what the event entails — other than eating, drinking and wearing white and white only — you'll need to bring a table and two white chairs with you, as well as your own picnic basket, glassware and white dinnerware. You can order a catered picnic, though, if you don't want to bring your own. Booze-wise, you'll either need to opt for wine or champagne via the event's e-store, or be happy bringing your own non-alcoholic beverages. Images: The Edit Suite.
A Sunday session comes in many forms — from uni kids partying till dawn to a group of mates hanging at their local with a couple of schooeys on the table. If the latter is more your speed, but you'd still like to kick back to some tunes as you while away the Sunday hours, then the Osbourne Hotel has got something in store. To mark the start of summer, the pub is getting together with well-loved beer maker Blue Moon to host a live gig session on Sunday, December 1. Head down to the Fortitude Valley local from 1pm and you'll find Blue Moon's signature citrusy wheat ale on tap, plus some drink specials. Better yet, there'll be bands playing the blues all afternoon. Expect the likes of local bands Mojo Webb and Blues Arcadia, who'll be bringing a touch of Motown blues to Brisbane with their Chicago and Memphis-inspired sounds. You'll also see local artist Gus Eagleton at work, creating a mural on one of the pub's walls. And, because blues and brews go so well with barbecue, the kitchen will be smoking up some meats, matched to Blue Moon's beer, naturally. Brews and Blues will go from 1–9pm on Sunday, December 1.
The unrelenting spirit of subversiveness filters through We Are the Best! as limits are pushed, energy is exuded and emotional wounds are exposed. Three teen girls in Stockholm circa 1980 traverse the troubles of their young years, finding solace in a sound deemed uncool by their peers. When everyone else is embracing the new wave, Bobo (Mira Barkhammar) and her best friend Klara (Mira Grosin) only have ears for punk. Swiftly, they enlist the shy Hedvig (Liv LeMoyne) in their cause. In an astute and involving rendering of the female coming-of-age experience, Lukas Moodysson's latest film understands the unease of being an outsider at such a formative age, as well the comfort that comes from escaping into an all-consuming but unpopular passion. The writer/director's effort radiates the same distinctive combination of awkwardness and relief as it crafts a joyous ode to accepting difference whilst navigating the difficulties of adolescence. A can-do attitude and a thumping soundtrack complete the charmingly determined package. Adapting the graphic novel Never Goodnight, a semi-autobiographical effort by Lukas' wife Coco Moodysson, We Are the Best! accordingly charts the awakening that eventuates when Bobo, Klara and Hedvig endeavour to start their own band, much to the dismay of all around them. They chant "hate the sport" in response to disagreements over rehearsal space, they swoon over local boys who share the same interests, and they cycle through the standard rites of passage of their life stage, from drinking to dating to going wherever the moment takes them. Helming his first feature since 2009's English-language outing Mammoth, Moodysson recaptures the verve and perceptiveness that helped him make his name with previous films Show Me Love, Together and Lilya 4-ever, as well as the same empathy for his characters. We Are the Best! is no teen fantasy nor a youth morality play, with the trials and tribulations of growing up devoid of sugarcoating or messaging. His proto-feminist protagonists are plagued by problems and imperfections, but their failings are facts rather than issues to be remedied as they persevere through his jumpy, enthusiastic frames. Excellent casting caps off the earnest journey through turbulent times that We Are the Best! becomes, with performances ripped from reality. That the central trio hails from the same age group amplifies the authenticity that already teems through the film courtesy of its source material, but Barkhammar, Grosin and LeMoyne add their own spin in delicate evocations of both excitement and uncertainty. Theirs are portrayals both genuine and relatable, evoking the complexity of youthful friendship that echoes beyond the screen. These girls just want to have fun as they eke out their senses of selves, an aim and an outcome that the film gleefully copies. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Xtd5A9hnjaU
Start the lunar new year as you intend to continue it — with a bottomless feast of dumplings and unlimited lychee martinis. Throw in endless barbecue pork buns, chicken and water chestnut shumai and vegetable spring rolls, as well as non-stop Tsingtao beers, and you'll be welcoming the Year of the Rat in style. All of the above is on the menu for two hours at Emporium's Piano Bar, as part of the South Bank venue's Lunar New Year party. There'll also be limited-edition Hong Bao cocktails, made from watermelon liqueur, green tea, raspberry syrup, yuzu, rose, peach foam and fruit pearls, and inspired by the red envelopes traditionally given at this time of year for good fortune. While you're eating and drinking at this all-you-can-consume feast, you'll be in Piano Bar's decadent surroundings, beneath its chandelier and being entertained by a lion dance performance. It all happens from 6–8pm on Saturday, January 25, with tickets on sale for $45.
In the post most likely to give you diabetes, we present the nine best desserts and sweet indulgences in Brisbane. Not for the faint-hearted, or the sugar-free, these nine Brisbane experiences will give you a sugar hit so high you'll have a hangover on the way down. And what will cure such a hangover? A hair of the dog — follow your milkshake crawl with a dessert degustation, then kick the next day off with a boozy brunch and croissant on the go. We dare you. Bacchus five-course dessert degustation Ulmer famously said "life is uncertain; eat dessert first", but we say screw dinner and just eat dessert. Those with a serious sweet tooth and a penchant for fine dining should head to Bacchus for the five-course dessert degustation. Possibly also Brisbane's cheapest degustation (and also in one of its fanciest restaurants), the dishes star everything from raspberry, lemon and chocolate to sticky date and a souffle. The decadent menu will give you change for a $50 and a tummy so full you'll roll down Grey Street afterwards. Take care not to fall in the pool. High tea at Passiontree Velvet Brisbane's newest place for high tea, Passiontree Velvet is here to feed your inner aristocrat, without the pretentiousness. The Carindale store brings more to the bustling shopping centre than just a mid-shop hunger buster; it's an English tea house, Parisian patisserie and a Belgian chocolatier rolled into one, making it a perfect place for a decadent high tea. Everything from Flour & Chocolate Owner/baker Lachlan knows what's up and will have you salivating from the comfort of your bed at 7am on a weekday. Following these guys on Instagram is torture, but often the only thing that gets me out of bed in the morning is knowing there may be F&C baked goods on my horizon. The only reason I've started doing the Couch to 5k is to run to this bakery and justify a cronut, or brownie, or croissant (depending on the day). Yes, you have to go in on specific days for specific things — Wednesdays is gonuts (cronuts), Thursdays for donuts, Fridays for brownies, and the weekend is a free for all. The suspense. Marshmallow martini or boozy brunch at Cowch Flaunting itself as Brisbane's first and only dessert bar, Cowch takes the role very seriously. With a freshly launched breakfast menu, it now offers churros from 7am until late every single day. If you're there in the evening, kick on with the Mello Martini. Think cinnamon-infused vodka, Patron XO Dark Cafe and vanilla, topped with cream and finished with toasted marshmallows. Not for the faint-hearted. Desserts till late at Chester St Bakery Desserts till midnight, 'erynight. We know, we're sorry — because now at 10.30pm on a Tuesday you'll know where to satisfy those cravings. Besides the glass cabinets filled with epic amount of delicious cakes, the dessert menu is dishing up Nutella pizza with caramelised banana and toasted marshmallow, waffles with candied bacon and maple syrup ice cream, and honeycomb parfait with a brownie and warm chocolate sauce to name a few. The pastry chefs at Chester Street make everything on site, including all the cakes, fillings, sauces and garnishes from scratch using quality ingredients. We know if you’ve been drinking, well, there is no stopping you or how much cake you’ll devour. Concrete Playground's Milkshake Crawl At the start of the year we wrote about our #milkshakecrawl to uncover the best of Brisbane's milkshakes. Since then we've happily learnt through the grapevine that quite a few of you have been following your destiny and going an expedition yourselves. Go on, get yourself more milk-drunk than a newborn baby and see if you can beat our record of six between three people in one afternoon. La Macelleria Gelato classes Eating gelato is great, but what if you learnt how to make your own? Every Monday night from 5.30-7pm the new La Macelleria Gelateria in Newstead hosts workshops in the Art of Gelato with a Bolognese man. The two owners, both named Matteo, both from Bologna, have the gelato magic inside them that will transport you to the Italian summer of '12. Roll up your sleeves, listen in and become your own gelato-maestro. Best of all, you get to take home the fruits of your labour — gelato for the week! Dello Mano Brownies The claim to fame is that Ashton Kutcher ordered these Brisbane-made luxury brownies to celebrate his birthday in Paris a few years back. But truly, these brownies are divine. Perch yourself atop a padded tin drum stool, a classic French bistro chair or at the coffee bar and you're guaranteed to feel like you too have just stumbled across a corner cafe in Paris. Crunchy on the outside with an intensely gooey centre, these brownies have that wonderful 'not quite cooked through' texture that leaves you in a state of chocolate bliss. Noosa Chocolate Factory One side of the skinny space at The Dark Chocolatier on Adelaide Street is stacked eye-level to floor with little wooden crates holding everything from the pick and mix to small slabs and rocky road. All chocolate is made at the factory in, you guessed it, Noosa by a small team. Worth a sweet $4.50 per 100g, our top picks include the dark chocolate coated freeze-dried strawberries (have to be tasted the be believed), milk chocolate hazelnuts, dark cocoa-dusted almonds, dark chocolate blueberries and the mango-infused white chocolate coated macadamias. Header image: Cowch
Like a distant aunt of an overzealous neighbour, the fine folks of The Good Ship are welcoming you into their evening of Christmas celebrations with open arms. They’ve come off the back of a big year, with a mass of shows and new tracks, and they are currently in recording mode, which is the craziest time to catch up with a band on account of intense bouts of cabin fever and a diet of snack food, so you know you’re in for some fun. Like any gracious hosts, they are providing some killer entertainment with stellar company — Suicide Swans, Sports Fan and Folklore are in support. There will be no idle swaying near the punchbowl for you, awkward gathering-goer. You will be in the thick of it as the excitement swells, the friends are near, and 2014 goes inching around the corner.
The silly season is for cooking, decorating and creating napkin swans for Aunt Julie, who insists on tradition even though it is 40 degrees outside and everyone is already in a punch coma. DIY Christmases are where it's at. Join those who actually know what they are doing (and buy some gifts with the same amount of love) at this year's Christmas Design Market. Find jewellery, ceramics, textiles and pre-loved fashions for some of your favourite humans (or perhaps as a self-gift, because you're worth it). The annual market always compiles a bunch of well-known names in the creative gifts department — and taking the time to peruse the GOMA collection of books and art is always recommended, as is checking out the edible delights to keep you going. Remember: cute design gifts call for cash, as EFTPOS facilities might not be available at all sellers. The QAGOMA Store Christmas Design Market runs from 9am–4pm on Saturday, December 15 on the GOMA forecourt. Merry shopping!
The silly season is for cooking, decorating and creating napkin swans for Aunt Julie who insists on tradition even though it is 40 degrees outside and everyone is already in a punch coma. DIY Christmases are where it’s at. Join those who actually know what they are doing (and buy some gifts with the same amount of love) at this year’s Christmas Design Market. Find jewellery, ceramics, textiles and pre-loved fashions for some of your favourite humans (or perhaps as a self-gift, because you’re worth it). A bunch of well-known names in the creative gifts department will be on display, from Touch Wood Designs to Zilla, Everingham & Watson (pictured) and Anon&Co. Take the time to peruse the GOMA collection of books and art, as well as the edible delights to keep you going. Remember: cute design gifts call for cash, as EFTPOS facilities might not be available at all stalls. Merry Shopping!
Does your version of celebrating whichever occasion takes your fancy involve eating more of the things you love? Do pork belly, chicken schnitzels, chicken wings and German sausages fall into that category? If so, The Bavarian has an all-you-can-eat special that'll tempt your tastebuds — because a bottomless feast is on the menu. On Wednesdays, the German-themed chain is serving up all-you-can-eat meat platters. They come stacked with all of the aforementioned meats — and yes, the pork belly includes crackling — plus sauerkraut and gravy as sides. And, once you've finished your board, you'll get a whole new serving. On All-You-Can-Meat Wednesdays, there's a two-hour time limit to your eating — and it'll cost you $35 per person. There is a two-person minimum, too, so you'll need to take at least one meat-loving pal along with you. Feel like you can fit in fries, mash and salad as well? That'll cost you an extra $5 for each one, or you can get all three for $10. You'll find The Bavarian at Chermside, The Barracks, Toowoomba, Sunshine Coast, Robina, Broadbeach, Coomera, Mackay and Rockhampton in Queensland. And if you want to all that meat with German brews — which is understandable — you'll pay extra for the drinks.
If you're in or around the Valley this winter, you are in prime position to completely submerge into a world of theatrical delight. Inside an old warehouse, 38 rooms set the stage for Love Lust Lost, the latest production from the convention-shattering creative collective Broad Encounters. Courtesy of the team's sky-high production limits (and creative prowess), you will explore at least 20 of the rooms during your visit — so you'll need to come more than once to discover every nook. You'll set sail into a tumultuous ocean of heartbreak and desire, bravery and passion, led by your captain, Hans Christian Andersen. The fairytale great's story is imagined alongside those of Jules Verne and Joseph Conrad, with their intimate worlds brought to life with soundscapes, spoken word, dance, circus and taste. (There are discounted tickets especially for CP readers, too.) [caption id="attachment_861957" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jade Ellis[/caption] The true delight of your literary-fuelled adventure exists in the delightfully unknown aspects. Let your curiosity take over as you follow your captain into the storm, chasing each clue and desire as the mystery unfurls. And, up until Sunday, September 11, use code CPLUST at the checkout for $25 off tickets (for shows up to and including Sunday, September 25). 'Love Lust Lost' is in residence in Fortitude Valley until Friday, September 30. Head to the website to grab your tickets. Top image: Jade Ellis (second)
Someone else's old designer threads could become your new favourite outfit, all thanks to Brisbane's latest secondhand clothing pop-up. Taking place from 8.30am–12pm on Sunday, December 4, the Bargain Fashion Finds will fill The Old Museum at Bowen Hills with pre-loved fashion and accessories. Even better — everything costs just $10. You'll also need to pay $10 for entry, and the tickets for all that browsing and buying are set at specific times. All of the proceeds will go to the Women's Legal Service Queensland, to assist women and their children experiencing domestic violence. That means that your wardrobe gets a gift and so does a great cause. Expect labels such as Scanlan & Theodore, Alannah Hill, Saba, Witchery, Dissh, Cue, Veronika Maine, Country Road and Gorman — again, all for just a tenner. If you fancy getting a first look at racks, too, there's also a $50 ticket option for first access — with that extra cash still going to WLSQ. Top image: Kgbo via Wikimedia Commons.
If you love a certain food, you don't need a specific day to celebrate it. But, when each and every cuisine- and dish-focused occasion rolls around, it's a good excuse to tuck into the item in the spotlight. So, although no one requires any encouraging at all to feast on pizza, pizza and more pizza, consider the period around February 9 a prime time for slices. Because that date falls on a Thursday in 2023, the Regatta is celebrating a few days afterwards, turning its courtyard into a pop-up pizzeria to do so. Head by on Saturday, February 11 and Sunday, February 12 from 12–8pm to pick between multiple traditional Italian-inspired varieties fresh from the woodfired oven. [caption id="attachment_794007" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Creative Commons[/caption] The Regatta's bars will be open as usual, of course, should you need something to wash down your pizza lunch, dinner or snack. In past years, the pizza range has even included a dessert number — because a day this sweet demands a slice (or several) to match. [caption id="attachment_870402" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Markus Ravik[/caption]
Brisbane mightn't boast a banana stand, but thanks to everyone's favourite Milton dive bar, it will host the next best thing. Just put on a $4000 suit, channel your inner Gob Bluth and ask yourself a very important question: "Why go to a banana stand when you can view a painting of a banana stand?" Of course, we're freely assuming that one of the artworks on display at There Are Dozens of Us: Arrested Development Art Show, The Scratch's latest exhibition, will have taken inspiration from the Bluth family's first business. We're also assuming that people will wear cutoffs, or paint themselves blue, or do their worst impression of a chicken. Or all of the above. The only way to know for sure is to head along on June 12 from 5pm; however television-themed creativity isn't the only thing on offer. You'll also find beverages from Newstead Brewing and Brisbane Brewing Co, such as the "Baby, You Got A Brew Going" American Balboa Brown and the "Ry've Made A Huge Mistake" Rye Lager. As far as we know, no one has made their own version of hot ham water.
When Welcome to Bowen Hills announced it was coming to town, it promised three things: food trucks aplenty, food and booze-themed events aplenty too, and a permanent onsite gin bar. It has delivered on the first two since first welcoming patrons in February, and now the third part of the equation is set to launch. Of course, the precinct is celebrating the only way it knows how. That'd be with a huge gin fest. On May 5 and 6, juniper spirits will be flowing — and not just at Swill, the bar in question. There'll be more than 20 different gin stalls serving up free tastings from midday each day, and showcasing inventive takes on the good ol' G&T, plus other creative gin cocktails. There'll also be food and entertainment, and entry is free. Big Gin Festival joins what's proving to be a busy WtBH lineup — giving you another excuse to drop by the Ekka showgrounds, or motivation to finally head along if you haven't already. Since the meals-on-wheels hangout set up shop, Brisbane has already seen separate fests dedicated to rose and cheese, hot sauce and chilli, garlic bread and gluten-free fare, with a Eurovision food festival and a chicken nugget festival also coming up.
If you're the type of sensible Brisbanite that likes all good things in moderation, then you might want to sit out La Valle's latest special event. The Fortitude Valley wine bar and bottle shop is now doing monthly wine and fondue pairings — bottomless wine, that is, and gooey pots of fondue that use ten different types of everyone's favourite dairy product. Drinks-wise, you'll be sipping vino for two hours. When it comes to cheese, mozzarella, parmigiano, pecorino, manchego, asiago, montasio, brie, camembert, stracciatella and gruyere all come melted together. For the latter, you'll also get a platter of foods to slather in your fondue — because this is the ultimate sipping and dipping session. The wine and fondue sessions run three times each month: at 11am, 12pm and 1pm. That said, you'll want to book your $39 ticket quick smart, as currently places are only available on Sunday, November 28 and Sunday, December 19 (with the August–November pairings already sold out).
When it comes to showcasing up-and-coming Australian musical talents, and also celebrating the country's music industry in general, Brisbane's BIGSOUND has never held back. Going big is right there in its name, after all. So, with the event finally making its in-person return after a pandemic-afflicted couple of years — and also marking its 21st birthday — it should come as no surprise that it's hosting its biggest lineup ever. Running from Tuesday, September 6–Friday, September 9, this year's event will pop up at 21 different venues, too — and with a whopping 182 bands and artists taking to its stages. That's 38 artists more than the last in-person event, in 2019, boasted — and they'll take to 23 stages at those Fortitude Valley spots. Leading the charge: Adrian Dzvuke, Budjerah, flowerkid, Dallas Woods, Mia Wray and Teenage Joans, as well as Dulcie, Ghost Care, Ashwarya, Birdz, Jem Cassar-Daley, Concrete Surfers and VOIID. The list goes on, and also includes the event's first BIGSOUND Country lineup, spanning country The Buckleys, Hinterland, DARLINGHURST, Loren Ryan, Melanie Dyer, Taylor Moss and The Wolfe Brothers. A contingent from New Zealand will head over as well, with JessB, Soaked Oats, Troy Kingi, TE KAAHU, Church & AP, MELODOWNZ and Jenny Mitchell making the trip. [caption id="attachment_861894" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lachlan Douglas[/caption] Wondering which venues will be doing the honours? The list features everywhere from Black Bear Lodge and both inside and outdoors at The Brightside through to The Wickham and The Zoo. If you're a BIGSOUND regular, you'll know what all of this entails: jumping between as many spaces as possible, all teeming with as many bands, industry folks and music-loving punters as possible, and enjoying the latest and greatest tunes and talent that's on offer. Expect 2022's iteration to be no different to usual — well, the pre-pandemic usual — although the vibe is set to jump up a few notches given that there's so much to celebrate. This year's fest will also include 300 artist showcases and more than 20 parties, while the conference side of things will welcome in 150-plus speakers over 55 sessions (and more than 1500 delegates as well). Leading the conference bill so far: 'Friday' singer Rebecca Black; activist, author and #MeToo movement founder Tarana Burke; Mushroom Group CEO Matt Gudinski; and Jaguar Jonze and Example. [caption id="attachment_851420" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bianca Holderness[/caption] BIGSOUND 2022 VENUES: Black Bear Lodge Blute's Bar The Brightside The Brightside Outdoors EC Venue Ivory Tusk King Lear's Throne La La Land O'Skulligans The Outpost Press Club The Prince Consort Hotel Prohibition Ric's Bar + Backyard Stranded Bar Summa House Tomcat The Warehouse The Wickham Woolly Mammoth Mane Stage The Zoo Top image: Jess Gleeson.
UPDATE, December 23, 2021: Better Watch Out is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. The weather outside might be frightful, but staying indoors is far from delightful. Indeed, in Christmas slasher story Better Watch Out, the gifts and games are of the murderous kind. With his parents (Virginia Madsen and Patrick Warburton) heading out for some seasonal cheer, 12-year-old Luke (Levi Miller) and his pal Garrett (Ed Oxenbould) are left home alone in the suburbs with 17-year-old babysitter Ashley (Olivia DeJonge). If you've seen any kind of horror movie, Christmas-themed or not, you'll know that it doesn't turn out well. Far from walking merrily through familiar territory, however, writer-director Chris Peckover and his co-scribe Zack Kahn have a few surprises in store for fans of festive thrills. Their teenage trio aren't exactly setting booby traps for burglars, but nor are they simply hiding out as a knife-wielding maniac wreaks havoc. Even before the weapons come out, things aren't exactly going smoothly. Luke is soon downing champagne in his desperate attempt to seduce Ashley, despite the fact that she's preoccupied with arguing on the phone with her boyfriend. Oh, and someone is out to kill them. Someone inside the house. If Better Watch Out was a Yuletide beverage, it'd be spiked eggnog: you think you know what you're getting, but after a couple of sips it turns out to be something very different. And while it's best for viewers to experience the movie's twists and turns for themselves, savouring the performances that go with them is heartily recommended. Miller (Jasper Jones), Oxenbould (Paper Planes) and DeJonge (The Visit) embrace their multifaceted roles with relish, playing to type before suddenly veering in unexpected directions. The three local actors are a boon to the US-Australian co-production, which is set in the States but was shot in Sydney. With found footage film Undocumented also on his resume, Peckover has clearly seen more than a few scary movies, and wears his expertise on his sleeve. Better Watch Out is filled with overt nods to genre tropes — but then again, aren't most horror films these days? Here, winking at convention heightens the tongue-in-cheek vibe, although it also occasionally proves to be a crutch. In some moments, the movie's meta-references are smart, inspired and laugh-out-loud hilarious. In others, they mosey a little too close to cartoonish, particularly as the story starts to wind up. But the film fares far better when it comes to its treatment of Christmas flicks, burrowing into the darkness behind the supposedly happiest time of the year. Toxic Yuletide fantasies, toxic domesticity, toxic masculinity — Peckover and Kahn find time to poke and prod all three amidst their nasty pranks, hormonal teens and festive tunes. For fans of horror comedy, Better Watch Out is one seriously warped present beneath the Christmas tree. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b88Z3Xa9v4s
Whodunnits — everyone's watching them, including everything from Death on the Nile and Only Murders in the Building to The Resort. But you don't just have to get sleuthing while sitting in a cinema, or on your couch. Fancy putting your skills to the test IRL? That's where Murder Mystery: Wedding Murder comes in. As the name makes plain, this murder-mystery game takes place at a wedding, when someone's happy day doesn't quite go as planned. And, it's all happening in the right setting — in High Church in Fortitude Valley, which dates back to the 1870s. Here's the story: an influential family is throwing a huge ceremony, because their sole heir is getting hitched. But then a body is found while guests are waiting for the bride to walk down the aisle. That's where you pop up to help work out what's happening and who's behind it — and ideally save the wedding in the process. Murder Mystery: Wedding Murder is taking over its Brunswick Street setting from Thursday, August 4–Friday, October 28, with sessions every Thursday and Friday night. You have two times to choose from, too, with the 90-minute experience kicking off at 5.30pm and 8pm. Tickets cost $58, or $53 each if you gather a gang with at least nine mates.
For 134 years, The Princess Theatre has sat in Woolloongabba — but on Friday, November 4, it's throwing its first birthday party. How does that maths work? Back in 2021, the venue reopened after a huge revamp by the team behind The Tivoli, and Brisbane concertgoers have loved it ever since. After a year of top-notch gigs in the impressive heritage-listed space, it's time to celebrate. How do you mark this type of unique occasion? The Princess Theatre is Queensland's oldest-standing theatre, after all. So, it's getting BUGS, Peach Fur and Jaguar Jonze to hit the stage — aka a homegrown lineup showcasing Sunshine State talent. That's just the first announcement, so watch this space for further acts. The QUIVR DJs will also hit the decks in the courtyard, and tickets to the whole get-together start at $39. The venue will also officially launch its line of Princess Theatre merchandise (including shirts and tote bags) on the night, as designed by local artist and Princess bartender Shani Finch. And, you'll be able to sip The Princess Theatre's new pale ale, which has been made in collaboration with Brisbane brewers Green Beacon, too. Images: James Griffin/Mitch Lowe/Zennieshia Butts/Lachlan Douglas.
A woman enters a theatre, damp from wild weather and flustered from running late. The man she sees is polite but clearly put out from waiting, as his complaints make clear. She is actress Vanda (Emmanuelle Seigner); he is playwright Thomas (Mathieu Amalric); their shared purpose, an audition. From their meeting, Roman Polanski's Venus in Fur lays bare their dramatic tryout. But is a budding stage star simply showing her wares to the person who could make her dreams come true, or are their respective gender positions — sexual, societal and otherwise — on trial? That question and the film's complicated power dynamic stems from a complex, comprehensive history, most plainly its adaptation of David Ives' Tony Award-winning production. Ives took inspiration from author Leopold von Sacher-Masoch's semiautobiographical novella, Venus In Furs, the 1870 work credited for coining the term masochism and making it stick. His book is the starting point for Thomas's material within the movie too, the characters attempting to interpret the text on stage in a feature based on a play that does the very same. The sensual themes of the source may shine through as the duelling duo of leads quite literally circle around each other, treading the boards, flitting through the aisles and weaving in and around the backstage ephemera; however, it is the second phase of its evolution that proves most influential to Polanski's film. Blatant describes the setting, and the structure as a dialogue-heavy two-hander more so. In the filmmaker's second effort in a row based on a stage property following 2011's Carnage, and third overall after 1994's Death and the Maiden, only a flurry of camera angles and flashes of visual trickery distinguish the tale as cinematic. Seigner and Amalric generate commandingly clashing energy worlds away from their last pairing in The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, endeavouring to overcome the inherently staged nature of the content with their vivid verbal sparring. Fire burns between them in impassioned performances, but the spotlight truly belongs to the erratic wannabe turned formidable temptress, as the narrative demands. Whether the strength of her portrayal stems from a husband offering his wife an exceptional opportunity, or from her flowering under his loving gaze, the married team of Polanski and Seigner make a fine pair. By design, Amalric is cast into the shadows, a suitable everyman foil. In a work teeming with comedy, carnality and cleverness, what threatens to strip Venus in Fur of its potency is its repetitive persistence and overt theatricality. Though the point is entertainingly made, it is done so continually and without subtlety. Intrigue and inertia are the opposing results, contemplating the battle of the sexes in careening fashion yet cobbled by embrace of indulgence. https://youtube.com/watch?v=-gluI5-GLZLw
If there’s one local art festival worth getting on board with in Brisbane, it’s this one. The Brisbane Artist Run Initiatives Festival's founding premise alone should have every art appreciator's attention — it’s all about exchanging ideas, exploring arts practice and bringing together some of this city’s best artists with some equally as great creative spaces. Some of our favourite galleries who consistently dose up Brisbane with the best artistic goods — like The Hold Artspace, Jugglers and Boxcopy — will be playing host to the festival's events. As far as artists go, you can catch Frank and Mimi, the talented duo who long ago surpassed the label of simple sign-writers to become one of Brisbane’s most recognised creative teams, painting up Newstead Brewing Company from 5pm on Thursday, October 9. Live graffiti comp Scribble Slam will kick off at Kerbside on October 16, and Lost Movements IX will be rounding up the festival on October 18. There’s plenty more in store and worth checking out. Have a look at the full program.
UPDATE: February 4, 2021: Burning is available to stream via SBS On Demand, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. A part-time deliveryman's worried face reflects the entire world's problems in Burning. Played by the quietly expressive Yoo Ah-in, Jongsu never seems as if he'll allow himself even a second's rest and relaxation. He looks stressed when he's walking the Seoul streets during his rounds. He appears anxious when he happens to run into his former neighbour, Haemi (Jun Jeong-seo), who he can't actually remember properly. Whether the pair is reconnecting intimately, Jongsu is feeding Haemi's cat while she travels to Africa, or he's visibly unimpressed when she returns with the cooly charming Ben (Steven Yeun) on her arm, he's never at peace. A silent stare and inner solace aren't the same thing, as Jongsu's complicated gaze makes so plain again and again. What some filmmakers can't convey with an enormous cast of actors, Lee Chang-dong achieves with the captivatingly melancholy Yoo. What some can't manage across several movies, the writer-director does in mere seconds here. Lee is no cinematic slouch — this is his sixth stint behind the camera, joining a spate of rightfully applauded tiles such as Peppermint Candy, Oasis, Secret Sunshine and Poetry — but there's a particular alchemy to Burning from its opening moments. A love triangle that's also a slow-burning thriller as well as a potent statement on class and gender divisions in modern South Korean society, the film captures a world so visually detailed and emotionally loaded that every frame entices and intrigues. It captures the world, not just a world — from pretty young women selling dreams via lottery tickets, to the chasm between the haves and the have nots, to the feeling that everything, everywhere is always ablaze. When Jongsu and Haemi cross paths, she sells him a dream, too — of being a couple, of a life beyond the abandoned Paju family farm he's just moved back to, and of a future that's not just one routine struggle after another. When she arrives back from her trip with the canny, confident Ben, the jealous Jongsu sees that fantasy slip away. Worse, he sees how starkly different everything is for someone of wealth, comfort and means. "There is no difference between playing and working," Ben offers without a blink, a statement that couldn't be more piercing to someone whose existence is all work and woe and inertia, and rarely any play. But, adapting a short story from Haruki Murakami's The Elephant Vanishes, Lee finds an especially stunning way to build and dissect the pair's rivalry. A ruminative mystery, a fine-tuned character study and an intricately observed examination of human relationships all at once, one of the joys of Burning is its wholesale aversion to simplicity. Here, as in reality, nothing is straightforward. Indeed, Lee takes life's enigmas and puzzles, thrusts them into view and forces the audience to ponder along with him. His film doesn't just ask how well you can really know someone, but whether you can ever actually know someone — and if, with Haemi, Jongsu even does. As it watches its increasingly paranoid protagonist yearn for his new love and stew over his competitor, this haunting, penetrating movie doesn't just wonder what a person is capable of, or what we're willing to embrace and ignore, but how we learn to reconcile the contradictions and ambiguities of human nature that we experience every single day. Lee has always favoured an observational, unobtrusive directorial style, allowing the camera to roam and linger when it needs to, and letting his actors express what they need to to get his stories across. He's also a deft hand at crafting strong but slippery scripts — narratives that say much but leave plenty unsaid, and leave ample room for interpretation. Burning fits the mould, although there is no mould when it comes to the filmmaker. Rather, Lee deploys the same general approach, applies it to a new tale and ensures that the result always feels fresh. The space that he carves out in Burning, and the freedom he gives his exceptional cast, is revelatory. In affording viewers the scope to glean their own insights, sift through their own complexities and come to their own conclusions, this 148-minute movie proves revelatory for everyone. Back to the stellar trio that Lee pushes front and centre, though — not just experienced South Korean star Yoo, but first-timer Jun and The Walking Dead's Yeun as well. Burning would be a lesser film without any of them, with the distance in Jun's performance (the sensation that there's always something just out of reach, specifically) so perfectly attuned to the movie's mood. If Yoo is the picture's face of anxiety, uncertainty and fragile masculinity, however, then the ever-impressive Yuen is its sly, murky, tantalisingly elusive core. How fitting it is that Burning, like Haemi, spends its time caught between the two — and utterly refuses to be pinned down by choice. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eI9UYcEwUYA
UPDATE, November 6, 2020: A Cure for Wellness is available to stream via Netflix and Prime Video. When you're sitting through a bland attempt to remake a decades-old radio series, or a spate of diminishing sequels in an average-at-best franchise, you can forget that filmmakers don't just make movies — they also watch them and love them. With The Lone Ranger and the first three Pirates of the Caribbean flicks on his resume, it's rather easy to do just that where Gore Verbinski is concerned, but every now and then he does something to remind you. Back in 2011, the Oscar-winning animated western Rango did the trick, ensuring every viewer knew just how fond Verbinski is of the genre. Likewise, with A Cure for Wellness, his first horror film since The Ring, Verbinski wears his inspirations on his sleeve. And while it mightn't stand out as a landmark scary effort, it still makes for intriguingly creepy viewing. For the record, the veteran filmmaker appears to have seen and adored Rosemary's Baby, The Shining, Shutter Island and Crimson Peak, as well as countless '30s gothic fright fests, '70s Italian giallo films, '80s body horror flicks and everything Alfred Hitchcock ever made. Over the course of 146 minutes, A Cure for Wellness plays like the kind of feverish dream you might have after marathoning all of your favourite spooky movies, with your brain trying to mash everything into one over-the-top package. A labyrinthian sanitarium filled with complacent patients, eerie lullaby-like singing, ravenous eels no one else seems to see, and a history of unrest and incest: you can already spot how some of those filmic influences come into play, can't you? Along with a mysterious young woman (Mia Goth), this is what Wall Street up-and-comer Lockhart (Dane DeHaan) finds when he makes the trip to a wellness centre in the Swiss Alps looking for his company's CEO (Harry Groener). Lockhart thinks that he'll be in and out within 20 minutes, but after an accident he's stuck in plaster and unable to head home, which seems to suit the water therapy-loving doctor-in-charge (Jason Isaacs) quite nicely. There's no missing the fact that all of the folks seeking some rest and relaxation are high-flying business executives. Verbinski, who came up with the story with his Lone Ranger screenwriter Justin Haythe, isn't particularly subtle with some of the movie's ideas — and that's without even getting into a subplot involving pure bloodlines. But he's also largely unconcerned with splashing around in anything other than H20 galore, a mood of dread and tension, and gorgeously unsettling visuals in pale, icy shades. Diving deep into all three results in the cinematic equivalent of a gloriously macabre synchronised swimming routine; an intricately choreographed sight to behold that keeps the most interesting parts on the surface. And what a surface it is. Mastering a tone of unease, serving up a sleek, sinister feast for the eyes, and throwing in a wealth of affectionate nods to genre greats mostly keeps the feature afloat. Mostly. Unsurprisingly, A Cure for Wellness struggles with thin characterisations, and even more so when the predictable yet twist-heavy plot tries to wrap up its stretched-out antics. Still, if you've fallen down its well of unhinged delights you'll probably find them part and parcel of the fun. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mcVodJmBlU
There's no shortage of markets happening around Brisbane — pick a day, pick a spot, and you'll likely find a bunch of stalls selling a range of wares, especially as Christmas creeps closer. One thing that you won't usually come across, however, is a market dedicated to authentic First Nations' arts, crafts and experiences, which is what the one-day-only Meeanjin Markets is offering. After first popping up in 2018, returning in 2019 and going digital in 2020, the city's first all-Indigenous market is back — and just in time for the gift-giving part of the year. Taking place at Reddacliff Place, the markets will highlight the work of local Queensland creators, while also celebrating the sights, sounds, creativity and flavours of the Australian bush. That means there'll be dancing, music and cooking demonstrations, too — as well as plenty to buy from 41 First Nations' businesses, 32 of which are run by Indigenous women. Drop by between 9am–9pm on Friday, November 19.
UPDATE, October 12, 2020: The Shape of Water is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, Amazon Video and iTunes. A secret lies inside every fairytale and monster fable, whispering to those who dare to enter. It's an obvious one, though it's not always fully appreciated. As we wade through narratives about dark forces and strange, enchanting creatures, it's not just their fantastical or fright-inducing aspects that enthrall us; it's also the fact that they beat with a warm human heart. Like Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker and countless other storytellers before him, filmmaker Guillermo del Toro knows this — and he's eager to prove it every chance he gets. Since taking on the undead in his quietly unnerving debut Cronos more than two decades ago, the Mexican writer-director has approached his gothic tales with empathy and curiosity. His films might be filled with bugs, ghosts, vampires, beasts and kaiju, but at their core they ponder what it means to be alive. Accordingly, when Pan's Labyrinth follows a young girl as she plunges into a mysterious garden underworld, del Toro charts the relatable need to explore, connect and fight back in trying circumstances. Likewise, when The Shape of Water brings together a mute woman and a man-like amphibian against the backdrop of Cold War-era USA, he spins a story about the power of love and the resilience of outsiders searching for a place to belong. As often seen in the director's work, the enemy here isn't the monster, but rather the idea of judging something just because it's different. A moving horror-romance that splashes its devotion across every gorgeous teal and butterscotch-hued frame, The Shape of Water swims into the realm of Elisa Esposito (Sally Hawkins). When she's not working nights cleaning at a government facility with her chattering colleague Zelda (Octavia Spencer), she finds company with her lonely artist neighbour Giles (Richard Jenkins) and comfort in her daily routine. But things change when security operative Richard Strickland (Michael Shannon) marches into her life, along with the water-dwelling being (Doug Jones) he's brought back from the Amazon. While everyone else is fearful, cruel or primarily interested for scientific reasons (such as Dr. Robert Hoffstetler, played by Michael Stuhlbarg), Elisa finds a kindred soul in the captured creature. The idea of outcasts finding solace in each other's arms is hardly new, but while del Toro's movie seems to dive into busy waters, he's really wading through a stream all of his own. In the crowded field of monster flicks, The Shape of Water cherishes and celebrates its big-hearted heroine and her aquatic companion with love and care, ensuring every emotion they express also washes over the audience. Equally vivid and violent as it jumps between matters of the heart and moments of espionage, the film entrances with its sweet, soulful, delicate approach while never shying away from weighty themes of persecution or oppression (and at the same time, it remains remarkably light on its feet). In short, it's a whirlpool of intensely felt, vibrantly realised wonder — one that's both frothy on the surface, and dark and deep underneath. A sea of perfectly assembled elements, The Shape of Water truly feels like a film that no one else could have made. Working from a script co-written with Vanessa Taylor (Divergent), del Toro is operating at the top of his game, and his fingerprints can be seen in every exquisitely detailed image. With its stylistic odes to both creature features and the Golden Age of Hollywood, succumbing to the movie's seductive visual charms is easy. Falling for the sensitive way in which it handles its underwater lovers is as well. Assisting in that department, Hawkins and Jones couldn't be better, fashioning their performances out of glances, movements and the things that words just can't say. Often they're floating, either literally or emotionally. Thanks to the story's depths of affection and acceptance, so is the audience. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQH3jqetJoY
UPDATE, August 31, 2020: Cats is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Binge, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. In case you don't already know, Cats is about moggies and mousers called Jellicle cats. If that means nothing to you, then you might want to keep it that way — unless you like overblown, nonsensical musicals that take place around a pile of trash, a sign if ever there was one. The word 'Jellicle' won't actually mean anything to you once you've seen Tom Hooper's adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's popular theatre production, either, but you will have heard the term more times than any human or feline should. Cats devotes its opening song-and-dance number, called 'Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats', to explaining what Jellicle means; however the track only really succeeds in being repetitive and silly. The tune is basically Cats' equivalent of 90s hit 'Blue', using the same lyrics over and over until nothing means anything and you're praying for it to finish. The film's busy, jerky, bewildering opening — staged to initiate the wide-eyed Victoria (ballet dancer Francesca Hayward) into the Jellicle cats — is indicative of what's to come. As the song drags on, it also inspires questions that'll keep popping up: 'why?', 'how?' and 'what the?'. Those unfamiliar with Cats, the musical that's been prowling the stage since 1981, will be hard-pressed to understand its long-running appeal. You'll equally wonder how anyone could think it should get the big-screen treatment. Just because special effects can now cover humans with CGI fur, it doesn't mean that it should be done. And that fur, plus the twitching whiskers and ears that go with it (and the human breasts but lack of genitals, too), appear nightmarish at worst and distracting at best. After Victoria is abandoned in a London alley, and after Rum Tum Tugger (Jason Derulo) and his purring crew meow the word Jellicle at her relentlessly, she still has much to learn. It's the night of the Jellicle ball, where the Jellicle cats compete — and when the Jellicle choice will be made. Whoever is deemed the ultimate Jellicle by matriarch Old Deuteronomy (Judi Dench) will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and be reborn. So, the lazy Jennyanydots (Rebel Wilson), debonair Bustopher Jones (James Corden) and their four-legged brethren all sing their cat-sized hearts out. Alas, master criminal Macavity (Idris Elba) is also scampering about, attempting to trick his way to glory. Let's address the obvious hairball: these felines want to howl and caterwaul so they can float into the sky, die, then be resurrected for the next of their nine lives. That's a ridiculous, overtly religious concept, and it always feels the case in Cats. More kitties scramble around, competing and introducing themselves via song, but they can't croon past the baffling premise. That doesn't stop them from trying, including magician cat Mr Mistoffelees (Laurie Davidson), outcast Grizabella (Jennifer Hudson), cat-burgling duo Mungojerrie (Danny Collins) and Rumpleteazer (Naoimh Morgan), and elder statesman Gus the Theatre Cat (Ian McKellen). Those eager for Taylor Swift's catty moment as the mischievous Bombalurina, who drugs her fellow critters with catnip, will be waiting a while — and for just one slinky number. Cats is a sung-through musical, barely uttering a word that isn't belted out, which doesn't improve the storyline either. Lloyd Webber based the stage version on TS Eliot's poetry collection Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats and, even with Hooper (Les Miserables) and Lee Hall (Rocketman) tackling the film's screenplay, it's just a bunch of kitty ditties flung together like a dog's breakfast. That might've been entertaining enough if the tunes had emotional heft, but they don't. Even famed ballad 'Memory' feels thin — and that's the cowering Hudson's only substantial contribution. New Swift and Lloyd Webber-penned track 'Beautiful Ghosts' is similarly forgettable, although it does provide a noticeably quieter pace amid all the unconvincing feline razzle-dazzle. Consequently, Cats is something you endure — like emptying a cat's litter tray — with Hooper's flick failing to sink in its claws in any meaningful manner. The performances reach pantomime levels, perhaps to help you forget that Elba, Dench and McKellen are prancing, crawling and licking milk from saucers. (Or, so you don't ask why some cats don suspenders, others are naked, and Old Deut resembles The Wizard of Oz's Cowardly Lion.) Even beneath the special effects, every aspect of the movie looks like it's taking place on a stage, which is hardly immersive. Worse, Hooper can't decide if he wants to zip around amongst the cats, peer too closely at their faces or watch their dancing from afar, making the film as disjointed in its cinematography as it is elsewhere. 2019 hasn't been kind to singing cats on-screen, but at least The Lion King's uncanny photo-realistic jungle beasts didn't seem like they were staging a cat version of that other terrible recent musical: The Greatest Showman. Real-life cute kitties deserve far better than this catastrophe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pv-n0ZZHbSY
Imagine if you got to take photos of your musical icons for a living. Wouldn't that be the life? Yeah, well, Tony Mott does that every day, and there's plenty more to be jealous of. 450 album covers and more than 700 magazines are adorned with Tony's photos, and he has snapped everyone from the Rolling Stones to Nick Cave, Bob Dylan and Silverchair. The Sydney-based artist first picked up a camera during his teenage train spotting years, taking still black and white photos of trains as a hobby. He got his start as a professional photographer in the early 80s, following The Divinyls, with his first paid photograph used as a tour poster. His now epic collection of band portraits spans more than 30,000 photographs in total. Mott's impressive resume includes an extensive list of high-profile musicians, yet several touring gigs with the Rolling Stones remains the highlight of his career. He has also travelled with Silverchair, Fleetwood Mac, Paul McCartney and Bob Dylan, and that's only a name dropping a few! The exhibition A Retrospective of Work from the Last 30 Years by Tony Mott is full of familiar famous faces and magical music moments including images of Queen, Midnight Oil, Bob Dylan, Tina Turner, Elton John, Nick Cave, Powderfinger, Neil Finn, Ozzy Osbourne and Björk. Mott's book of the same name is also currently available via his website.
By now, you've probably mastered the art of pickling and tried your hand at bread baking. And sure, becoming a whiz in the kitchen is great and all, but sometimes it's important to treat yourself a little — even when you're spending so much time at home. Whether you've finally organised your bookshelf, reached that work deadline or just made it through the day, it's worth celebrating the small wins. So, next time you're in need of a little at-home indulgence, crack open a bottle of bubbly and order yourself a tray of some of the finest oysters around thanks to East 33's new next-day delivery service. A collective of Australia's major Sydney rock oyster farmers located along the NSW coast, East 33 usually supplies some of the country's — and the world's — top restaurants. But in light of the impact that COVID-19 and corresponding restrictions have had on pubs, restaurants and bars, East 33 has changed tact with its new service 33 Delivery, meaning you can have a fine dining experience from your couch. If you're an oyster fan, you already know that Sydney rocks are considered some of the best of the bivalves. And, for a limited time, East 33's dropping them to your door at reasonable prices. Do yourself, your partner or your housemates a favour and order some stat. You can either get them shucked or unshucked, with prices starting at $59 for a tray of two dozen. If you want to sample Sydney rocks from up and down the coastline, opt for the East 33 Tasting Kit ($69) which features eight from northern NSW, including Nambucca, Hastings River and Camden Haven; eight from the central coast regions of Port Stephens, Manning River and Wallis Lake; and eight from the south coast areas of Merimbula, Pambula and Lake Wapengo. Next-day delivery (except Sunday) is available a range of Brisbane suburbs for a flat rate of $10. To see all delivery locations, head to East 33's website. East 33's new next-day delivery service is available across a heap of Brisbane suburbs for a limited time only. For more information and to place your order, visit the company's website.
If a tropical holiday gets you prawny for seafood, then push Prawn Star to the top of your culinary list when visiting Tropical North Queensland this summer. Serving fresh, locally sourced seafood right off the back of a repurposed fishing trawler, this fleet of four floating restaurants is an experience that reflects Cairns' laidback lifestyle. The succinct menu showcases the best seafood that Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef has to offer, and includes platters of prawns, bugs, crayfish and oysters that are best enjoyed with simple condiments or juicy chunks of fresh lime. Head to Prawn Star for lunch or dinner from 11am any day of the week and pair your seafood feast with its very own tap Prawn Beer or Prawn Cider available for $7 all day long.
The Mexican chain that brought us drone-delivered burritos is back with a new food delivery deal. Guzman y Gomez is offering $9.90 burritos and burrito bowls delivered to your door for a whole seven days. Unfortunately, not delivered by drones, though Available from today, Wednesday, April 1 through till Tuesday, April 7, the cheap eats are available from over 100 stores across Australia, including a heap in Queensland, Victoria and NSW. To find your closest, head on over to Menulog and input your address. The burritos feature a flour tortilla stuffed with rice, beans, pico de gallo, cheese and your choice of meat or veggies, such as spiced pulled pork, barramundi and slow-cooked beef. And the bowls, unsurprisingly, are pretty much the same without the tortilla. The catch is you do need to pay for a $5 delivery fee, but that's for the total order — so you could split it with your housemate or double-up and get a burrito for both lunch and dinner. To order your $9.90 burrito or burrito bowl head on over to Menulog.
If you're going to watch a horror movie this Halloween, you may as well do so while you're splashing around in a pool. That's what's on the bill at Brisbane's returning outdoor cinema pop-up, with Float-In Cinema back with a Halloween 2024 edition. Returning to W Brisbane, it's taking over the riverside hotel's WET Deck for three nights in October, pairing swim-in movies with food and cocktails. Screening across Monday, October 28–Wednesday, October 30, this excuse to see a horror-themed flick in a pool while downing drinks costs $130 per person, which includes a floating bed, a snack box, unlimited popcorn, and your choice of either a glass of bubbles or a cocktail upon arrival. You'll have to buy the rest of your beverages on top, but they will be delivered to you on floating trays. If you're keen, you might want to get in quick, as there are limited seats available per session — and this unique cinema always sells out. As for what you'll be watching this time, get ready to get spooked out by Hocus Pocus, the 2020 version of The Witches and the 90s big-screen take on The Addams Family. Arrivals are at 6pm each night, with the films starting at 7pm. Yes, you'll want to wear your togs, as you can hop into the water, not just float on top of it. The snack boxes include Moreton Bay bug rolls, truffle salami, house-marinated olives, grilled vegetables with pesto focaccia, chocolate truffles, passionfruit meringue tartlets and more. And the cinema's special cocktail is called Spooky Feels, costs $24, and features vodka, strawberry liqueur, grape spirit, lychee, cherry and soda.
For a city known for its warm temperatures and near-constant sunshine, Brisbane can be found surprisingly lacking in the outdoor cinema department. When summer rolls around, our options for open-air movie-viewing aren't as plentiful as other parts of the country — but a new addition will help expand our slate of star-lit cinemas. South Bank Parklands has Openair each October and November, New Farm Park has Moonlight Cinema every year from December, and now Mt Coot-tha Botantic Gardens will play host to Sunset Cinema this coming March and April. In its first Queensland venture, the lineup includes 14 nights of outdoor movie-going from March 15 to April 7, kicking off with the Jessica Chastain-starring Molly's Game and ending with Jennifer Lawrence in Red Sparrow. The program's focus on formidable ladies doesn't end there, with Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Lady Bird, I, Tonya and The Post all on the bill as well. So is Fifty Shades Freed, which we can't say fits into that category. Other highlights range from an early screening of Early Man from Wallace & Gromit creators Aardman Animations, to superhero thrills with Black Panther, to every cinema's retro go-to, aka Dirty Dancing. In addition to big-screen flicks at the base of Brissie's beloved mountain, Sunset Cinema will also feature a snack bar serving up popcorn and other movie treats, booze from 4 Pines and MadFish Wines, and a food selection that's still to be confirmed. Or, pack your own picnic — it's part of the fun of seeing a film outside, after all — but leave any alcohol at home. No BYO is allowed. Sunset Cinema runs from March 15 to April 7 at the Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens. To view the program — and to buy tickets from 10am on January 24 — visit sunsetcinema.com.au.
When the Mountain Goat Valley Crawl kicked off in 2016, it did so in simple but great style. Recognising that the key to many a good night out is a multi-venue itinerary, it made hopping between Fortitude Valley's finest hangouts a streamlined, well-organised yet still laidback experience — with brews aplenty and an ace live music soundtrack. Come 2022, the sprawling music and beer festival will still be going strong — even after the events of the past few years. On Saturday, February 12, attendees can jump between nine Valley spots to see a huge heap of interstate and local artists. The simultaneous sonic fun takes place at The Black Bear Lodge, The Brightside (both indoors and outdoors), Greaser, Kick Ons, O'Skulligans, Ric's Backyard, The Zoo and Suzie Wongs Good Time Bar. As always, the agenda includes running between each to sip frosty beverages and catch crackin' sets, with the entertainment once again sponsored by a brewery. The whole shindig kicks off at 6pm, so the only thing left for you to do is clear your calendar for an ace evening of tunes, brews and hopping around the Valley. Well, that and check out the 36-act lineup below: [caption id="attachment_789891" align="alignnone" width="1920"] katexjean[/caption] MOUNTAIN GOAT VALLEY CRAWL 2022 LINEUP: ARTISTS: Kwame (a-z) 1300 Adam Newling Bec Sandridge Flowertruck The Lazy Eyes Melaleuca Milan Ring Nyxen RAT!Hammock (a-z) 90Ivy Blue Velvet Bored Shorts The Buzzing Towers Cheap Date CityPiss Cloe Terare Elcid Flores Fomi Fraser Bell Girl and Girl Haliday Hollie Joy Isabel Wood Lucy Francesca Dron Melrose. Monet's Pond Passionfruit Band Radium Dolls Slowrip Square Stage Presence Straight Girls The Tinderboxers Tjaka Willis and the Lovely Ones VENUES: Black Bear Lodge The Brightside The Brightside — Outdoors Greaser O'Skulligans Ric's Backyard Suzie Wongs Good Time Bar Woolly Mammoth Mane Stage The Zoo The 2022 Mountain Goat Valley Crawl takes place from 6pm on Saturday, February 12. Entry is free, but you'll need to RSVP for free tickets online. Top image: Jared Hinz Photography.
Every Friday and Saturday night, Morayfield plays host to BITE Markets, complete with quite the array of food and stalls. But if you head by on Friday, October 1 and Saturday, October 2, you'll find more than just the usual setup — and it'll be enough to get your furry, four-legged companion's tail wagging in delight. BITE Markets' Doggo Festival is dedicating two evenings to adorable canines, including pupper-friendly stalls, prizes for dressing up your dog — yes, there's even a fashion show — and the opportunity to pat oh-so-many pooches. If you have a barking bestie, you'll want to bring them along. If you don't, you can play every wannabe dog owner's favourite game: ogling all those fluffy cuties. For humans, the usual array of bites to eat will be on offer as well, and so will beer, wine, cider and mocktails to sip. And, there'll also be prizes for two-legged attendees, too, because your very good doggo isn't the only one deserving of attention.
Brisbane's set to gain another big-name eatery, with the acclaimed Manjunath Mural set to open an upscale destination bar and restaurant within the new Brisbane Quarter development. Mural's earned his Singapore restaurant The Song Of India a Michelin star for the past two years, and it remains Southeast Asia's only Indian restaurant to be awarded the honour. Now, for his boundary-pushing Brisbane project, the chef's teaming up with Malt Dining's Nick Pinn and Sridhar Penumechu from Gold Coast restaurant Saffron to treat locals to a taste of his unique brand of 'Asian-Indian gastronomy'. The name of the restaurant's being kept under wraps for now, though it's slated to open by July this year. From a sprawling first-floor space overlooking the Brisbane River, he'll be plating up a fine dining offering that blends traditional Indian techniques with distinct Aussie flavours, to complement the in-house bar being imagined by Pinn. This part of the operation's set to feature a new-school riff on street food, alongside an extensive cocktail lineup, and a spirits offering focused on gin and exclusive American whisky blends. With this latest restaurant, Mural continues to push Indian food into the fine dining spotlight. "My dream is to share my style in presenting Indian cuisine in a way which is relevant to diners across the world, and that haute Indian cuisine will one day be as accepted as haute French dining," he explains. The restaurant will join the brand spanking new W Hotel and its signature restaurant Three Blue Ducks, both of which are set to open in April. The yet-to-be-named restaurant will open in July at Brisbane Quarter, 300 George Street, Brisbane. We'll keep you posted on any updates.
Brisbanites will have another excuse to hit the water this year when GoBoat splashes into the city. The Denmark-born company has been busy launching its eco-friendly picnic boats in cities all over Europe, as well as in Canberra, Melbourne and the Gold Coast — and, sometime in the near future, it'll make its Brissie debut, giving punters a fun new way to cruise along the river. Aimed at making the whole boating caper more accessible for everyday folk, the Scandinavian-designed vessels are slow-moving, a breeze to operate and don't require a boating licence, making for some fun, fuss-free sailing sessions. In a win for the planet, they also run on silent, pollution-free, electric engines, and are crafted from a mix of reclaimed timber and recycled PET bottles. Each of the contemporary GoBoats clocks in at 18-feet long, boasting a central picnic table with room for eight people (and all the necessary snacks and booze). And despite what you might be thinking, they're even affordable enough to fit your budget — simply BYO food and drinks, find enough eager sailors to jump aboard and a GoBoat session will you less than $13 per person, per hour. That's $99 hourly in total. Where GoBoat's Brisbane fleet will set sail from is yet to be revealed. The same applies to its launch date — but, after first floating the idea of moseying along the Brisbane River last year, it's hoping to be up and running soon. At its other sites, GoBoat's vessels are pet-friendly. Here's hoping that's the case in Brissie, too — surely you've got a very good boy who deserves a river jaunt. View this post on Instagram A post shared by GoBoat Brisbane (@goboatbrisbane) GoBoat will launch in Brisbane sometime in the future — we'll update you when an exact date is announced. Top image: GoBoat
This time back in 2020, no one even dreamed of the possibility of a new Borat movie. No one expected that they'd be watching it before the year was out, either. Also among the things that not a single soul could've guessed: that it'd be one of the most unflinching political movies of the year, that it'd win two Golden Globes (including Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy and Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy), and that it would score actor Maria Bakalova an Oscar nomination. Clearly, a lot has happened over the past year that zero folks among us anticipated. Here's something new for this year, too: a Borat special. Due to hit Amazon Prime Video on Tuesday, May 25, Borat Supplemental Reportings Retrieved From Floor of Stable Containing Editing Machine basically takes a heap of unused footage from Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan and turns it into a couple of a couple of different parts. It's the type of thing that might've once been relegated to DVD extras, and it's another chance to dive into Borat Sagdiyev's latest escapades. Once again, you'll find out what Sacha Baron Cohen's fictional Kazakh journalist makes of both COVID-19 and the 2020 US election, as last year's 14-years-later sequel to 2006 mockumentary Borat! Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan also covered. One part of the special, called Borat: VHS Cassette of Material Deemed "Sub-acceptable" By Kazakhstan Ministry of Censorship and Circumcision, will include unseen footage from Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, while the 40-minute Borat's American Lockdown will chart the character's five days spent living with conspiracy theorists. And then there's six Debunking Borat shorts, which get experts to dive into — and debunk, obviously — the ideas spouted by Borat's new roommates. If you haven't yet watched Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, it follows Borat as he travels to America again. Once more, he traverses the country, interviewing everyday people and exposing the abhorrent views that have become engrained in US society. Where its 2006 predecessor had everyone laughing along with it, though, there's also an uneasy and even angry undercurrent to this sequel that's reflective of these especially polarised times. Also a big part of the story: Borat's attempt to gift his 15-year-old daughter (instant scene-stealer Bakalova) to then-Vice President Mike Pence and ex-New York mayor Rudy Giuliani to help get Kazakhstan's own leader into then-President Donald Trump's good graces. Check out the trailer for Borat Supplemental Reportings below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctHMZ-MC4y4&feature=youtu.be Borat Supplemental Reportings Retrieved From Floor of Stable Containing Editing Machine will be available to stream via Amazon Prime Video from Tuesday, May 25.
Because you're reading this, we know you're not someone who received a pet for Christmas, only to decide it wasn't for you. We know you're one of the good folks. You're probably wishing that you did receive a loveable animal as a gift, even if you already have one — or several — that you adore. We understand your yearning, and so does the RSPCA. And, to find permanent homes for pups, cats, bunnies, guinea pigs and even pigs surrendered into its care from all over the country, it's lowering the adoption fee to $29 this weekend. The weekend-long initiative is called Clear the Shelters and will run from Friday, February 22 until Sunday, February 24. Although you can't put a price on the happiness a new four-legged friend will bring, it's hoped that the low adoption fee will encourage people who have been thinking about adding a pet to their fam (and have considered it thoroughly) to make the commitment this week. Last year, the RSPCA found new homes for 2792 pets Australia-wide. [caption id="attachment_708671" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Heidi is available for adoption in Sydney, Animal ID 345082.[/caption] This year, Clear the Shelters will run across Australia in all states and territories except NT and Tasmania. The adoption fees — which usually range from $20–600 — help cover some of the costs of vaccines, training, desexing and microchipping for the animal. Whether you're in NSW, Victoria, WA or Queensland, there are hundreds of animals that need a new home full of love and pats. There's more to pet adoption than overdosing on cuteness, of course, with making the commitment to care for an animal is serious business. Top image: Han is available for adoption in Sydney, Animal ID 441478.
Tina Fey hasn't starred in, created or executive produced a bad sitcom yet — and when the first season of Girls5eva dropped back in May, it continued that trend. In its own way, it's another workplace comedy like 30 Rock and Great News. And, albeit in a completely different manner to Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, it also follows a group of women trying to navigate new lives years after they were thrust together under extreme circumstances. The setup: more than two decades after they split up, the four remaining members of a late 90s girl group decide that it's time to get the bad back together. Now in their forties, they're all at different points in their lives, but rekindling their dreams is too enticing to ignore. Sara Bareilles (Broadway's Waitress), Busy Philipps (I Feel Pretty), Renée Elise Goldsberry (Hamilton) and the great Paula Pell (AP Bio) play Girls5eva's reunited members, Fey pops up as a fantasy version of Dolly Parton, and the comedic takes on 90s pop tunes are all both 100-percent spot on and so ridiculously catchy that they'll get lodged in your head for weeks. Also pitch-perfect: everything about this immensely funny take on stardom, fame and the way that women beyond their twenties are treated. In great news for everyone who has already streamed their way through the show's eight-episode first season and instantly found themselves wanting more — and for anyone who is yet to go through that process, too — Girls5eva has just been renewed for a second season. So, expect more earworm songs and jokes about the entertainment industry, although exactly when the next season will drop hasn't yet been revealed. Like its first season, Girls5eva's next batch of episodes will stream in Australia via Stan whenever they do release. For now, you can check out the trailer for the show's first season below: Exactly when the second season of Girls5eva will drop hasn't been announced, but the show's first season is available to stream now via Stan.
Before the pandemic hit, throwback tours were doing big Aussie business — nationwide shows that brought a heap of 90s and 00s musicians our way, let them belt out their biggest hits and doused everyone in as much nostalgia as possible, that is. And while life isn't quite back to normal yet, nature is healing in one key way, with Made in the 90s about to unleash an old-school lineup that'll get you chasing dreams. Responsible for one of the most iconic songs of the 90s, Coolio headlines this retro party, which hits Brisbane on Friday, April 1. Head along to Eatons Hill Hotel, prepare to feel like you've jumped back three decades and put that those memorised 'Gangsta's Paradise' lyrics to great use (because yes, if you were alive in the 90s, you know the words). Also on the bill are All-4-One ('I Swear', 'I Can Love You Like That'), Next ('Too Close', 'Wifey') and Renee Neufville, aka one half of Zhané ('Hey Mr. DJ', 'Groove Thang'). Been spendin' most of your life waiting for this? Of course you have.
Speedsters of Brisbane, it's time to don your best red cap, slide into a pair of overalls and jump behind the wheel. If you want to take part in Mushroom Racing, the outfit isn't optional — if that's not your style, you could pick a green hat or a dinosaur costume instead. Not content with zipping through the streets of Tokyo and causing quite a stir, a real-life version of Mario Kart made its way to our shores this year, starting in Melbourne and Sydney. If you're a Brisbanite eager to dress up as your favourite character, get cosy in a go-kart, race till your heart's content and collect stars to win prizes, don't worry — our fine city is next on the agenda. While Tokyo's MariCar lets racers zoom along the city's actual roadways — yes, really — that's not the case here. And, throwing shells or bananas at your opponents isn't be allowed either. Sure, that's all well and fun when you're mashing buttons and trying not to fall off the Rainbow Road while you're playing one of Nintendo's many console versions (or counting down the days until the first Mario Kart smartphone game is released), but it's definitely not cool in real life. Instead, you'll get your Mario Kart fix while you're speeding along a custom go-kart track. If you're keen, you can sign up to receive further information when it comes to hand, with Brisbane dates and a venue yet to be revealed. Organisers are calling it "the rally of a lifetime", and while that's definitely overstating the significance of driving around pretending you're Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Wario or whichever other character you like, you know you're eager to give the novelty a go. And, let's face it, it's not quite as ridiculous as human bowling. Mushroom Racing is coming to Brisbane at a yet-to-be-announced date in 2018. Tickets will be limited — register on the Mushroom Racing website for further updates.
There might be no such thing as a bad sausage, but that doesn't mean that all snags are created equal. Your regular ol' supermarket banger isn't quite the same as the gourmet butcher variety, and your tastebuds know it. Now, imagine adding a third category of sausage to your barbecue repertoire: the sausages that you make yourself. If it sounds good in theory but much too hard in reality, don't worry. There's a workshop for that, and courtesy of Work-Shop in fact. At Snags 101: The Art of Sausage Making, you'll learn how to really make your next sausage sizzle, well, sizzle, thanks to expert advice from smallgoods maker Anna Mortimer. Running on Thursday, August 23 from 6.30pm, the two-hour class will take you through the tools of the sausage-making trade, the different types of snags, and the steps needed to end up with the best kind of wurst — all using pork shoulder. You'll get to taste an array of sausage styles, drink beer while you do it, and take some recipes home with you, too, with participation costing $80 per person.
Brisbanites, it's time to go birdwatching — but not in the usual manner. You're looking for one type of winged creature. You're trying to spot the only six of them in the city, in fact. They're giant and perched atop Brissie landmarks, however, so they shouldn't be too difficult to locate. One of Brisbane Festival's literally big 2020 inclusions, Messengers of Brisbane is comprised of a half-dozen Gouldian finches, all towering over the likes of the Goodwill Bridge, the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Queensland Museum, South Bank, Brisbane Powerhouse and Brisbane City Hall. They're colourful, they can be seen whether you're walking, driving, cycling or on a CityCat, and they're another of the fest's arty pieces — like Hiromi Tango's Rainbow Circles (Healing Circles) and Brainbow Magic — that's designed to add some cheer to this year. Messengers of Brisbane is also the latest large-scale art work by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman, who is known for placing oversized animals in iconic spots. If you've seen footage of his massive inflatable Rubber Duck sculpture, then you'll know why you should be getting excited. Messengers of Brisbane is on display until Saturday, September 26. Images: Atmosphere Photography.
