Spring is dating season. Winter's gloom has lifted, the air is noticeably lighter and the glorious sunshine has both flowers and people blooming. In celebration, we're giving away a bunch of $250 Mastercard cards to ensure that you lovebirds have a suitably romantic springtime soirée. It's entirely up to you how you splash the cash, you can splurge on one opulent night out — indulge in dozens of oysters at a top-notch fine diner — or opt for a more conservative approach and spread those five (virtual) pineapples across multiple dates. After all, you don't have to spend big to make a big impression. The late, great Robin Williams once said, "Spring is nature's way of saying, 'Let's party!'". Well, enter the competition below and your springtime parties for two are on us. [competition]695105[/competition] If you're looking for inspiration in the meantime, check out our top five dates for less than $50 in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney and consider splitting the bill easily in under a minute with PayID (which uses the Osko payment service). Find out more here.
Come one, come all to Queensland’s biggest combined show for the antique and military wares collector. Sick of guarding your precious antique cans? Sell them! Need more precious antique cans? Buy them! Collectors can buy, sell AND trade from collectors all over Australia in the one place. This event is literally like walking into the biggest and most fantastic second hand shop you’ve ever seen, and it’s got a little something for everyone. Most collectors, no matter their field, can get their fix from hundreds of stalls. If it’s deadly weapons you’re after, the show will host modern and antique firearms, all types of Militaria from all countries, antique swords and daggers and all types of knives. There will be coins, medals, badges and bank notes as well as something more broadly aimed such as china, bronzes, prints, paintings, furniture, silverware, art, jewellery, comics, books and kitchen collectibles. Honestly, there is too much to even mention. If you are a serious collector and don’t head along to this thing, then you might want to consider taking up a different hobby. If you’re still not quite convinced take it from The Simpson’s favourite arms dealer Herman – “nothing says ‘I love you’ better than a military antique”… erm right on Herman!
Getting into festive mood? Prefer to do your shopping while the big day is still a few weeks away? Hate leaving your Christmas preparations until the last minute? Then pencil one of the year's must-attend Yuletide markets into your calendar: Christmas on Cribb. Sure, Christmas on Cribb is just what the Milton Markets call its seasonal shindig, which takes place on Saturday, November 28 from 4–10pm this year. And sure, you've been to markets before. But, their festive event boasts plenty to get excited about. Here, you'll get your food and gift plans sorted, and lap up music and entertainment while you're there. This Cribbmas, you can also enjoy everything from gourmet food to artisan wares — and, based on past years, there are usually more than 150 stalls on offer. Grab bites you'll want to eat on the night, produce for your big feast, and presents for your loved ones (and yourself). Plus, there'll be a pop-up bar onsite in case you need a break from the browsing and buying — or an extra excuse to feel merry. Entry costs $2 at the gate, and you can pay $2 more for VIP parking.
Queensland Health has advised that any Brisbanites who visited a number of eateries and venues in the city's south and West Moreton should monitor their health and immediately get tested if they present any symptoms, with the state's latest COVID-19 case linked to 15 locations. The government body sent out a public health alert last night, on Friday, July 31, detailing the places linked to yesterday's one new case of COVID-19. The new case is a 27-year-old man who dined at the Madtongsan IV restaurant in Sunnybank at the same time as a young woman who was diagnosed earlier in the week, according to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. The list of spots is lengthy, as is the time period affected, with the latter spanning from Sunday, July 26–Wednesday, July 29. In Mount Gravatt, those who visited JB Hifi, Kmart, Mos Burger or Chatime at Garden City Shopping Centre between 4–7pm on July 26 must monitor for symptoms. Visitors to Bunnings in Springfield and Oxley, Nando's Kenmore and Caltex in Wacol or Goodna at various times between July 26–28, must do the same, too. The full list of venues, dates and times is available in Queensland Health's public health alert. https://twitter.com/qldhealthnews/status/1289156599911604224?s=21 Earlier this week, Queensland Health released a list of venues visited by two Queenslanders who returned from Melbourne via Sydney, failed to self-quarantine and tested positive to the coronavirus. It's asking any Brisbanites who visited the lengthy of spots between Wednesday, July 23–Tuesday, July 28. to immediately quarantine and contact 13 HEALTH to get tested. Queensland Health is continuing to update a master list of venues linked to known cases over here. In response to the new cases, Queensland has closed its borders to anyone who has been to the Greater Sydney area in the past 14 days. The NT has also declared the City of Brisbane, City of Ipswich and Logan City hotspots, and closed its borders to anyone who has visited those areas — as well as other hotspots across NSW and Victoria. As has been the advice for months now, anyone with symptoms — coughs, fever, sore or scratchy throat, shortness of breath or loss of smell or taste — who lives in any part of Brisbane is also encouraged to get tested and self-isolate while awaiting results. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in Queensland, head to the QLD COVID-19 hub and the Queensland Health website. Image: Westfield Garden City Facebook
Surfing and gig-going have always been two of Australia's best-loved pastimes, and in 2018 we scored a festival celebrating the best of both worlds. After returning this year, it's back for its third round of autumnal beachside festivals. Returning from February–April 2020, The Drop festival will cruise around the country as it once again follows the Aussie leg of the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour — and it's bringing a banging little lineup of musical gold along for the ride. Surfing the festival wave are dance music legends The Presets, Aussie indie-rock chart-toppers Boy & Bear and Brisbane's Ball Park Music, along with other local acts Allday, DZ Deathrays, Kita Alexander and Graace. Held on the first weekend of each area's surfing event, The Drop is set to grace some of the Australia's most iconic surf spots, each outing featuring a locally focused offering of food, drink and culture, to match the tunes. As well as heading to the official WSL events in Torquay, Margaret River and Coolangatta as it has since 2018 — and forming part of WSL Qualifying Series events Surfest Newcastle and Vissla Sydney Surf Pro in Manly, as it did in 2019 — the fest will also hit Noosa as part of the WSL Noosa Longboard Open. [caption id="attachment_753214" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Ian Laidlaw[/caption] THE DROP FESTIVAL 2020 LINEUP The Presets Boy & Bear Ball Park Music Allday DZ Deathrays Kita Alexander Graace THE DROP FESTIVAL 2020 DATES Noosa, Qld — Dolphins Rugby Club, Sunshine Beach, Saturday, February 29 Newcastle, NSW — Empire Park, Saturday, March 7 Manly, NSW — Keirle Park, Saturday, March 14 Coolangatta, Qld — Queen Elizabeth Park, Saturday, March 28 Torquay, Vic — Torquay Common, Saturday, April 11 Margaret River, WA — Barnard Park, Busselton, Saturday, April 25 The Drop tickets go on sale from 6pm AEDT on Wednesday, December 4, with pre-sales available from 6pm, Tuesday, December 3 for folks who register in advance (prior to 6pm, Monday, December 2). For more info, visit thedropfestival.com.au. Images: Walk Wild Studio/ Miranda Stokkel / Ian Laidlaw.
Where do all those guns seized from Mexican drug cartels go to, anyway? Sometimes, they go to an astounding mechanised orchestra, constructed fully of decommissioned weapons by artist Pedro Reyes. Working out of media studio Cocolab in Mexico City, Reyes created the work, Disarm, as the latest in a series of weapon-come-musical-instrument transformations. Transformation is the key word: the artist's work takes tools of violence and transmutes them into objects of beauty and music, vaguely reminiscent of how hippies made National Guardsmen's rifles into flower vases during the iconic anti-Vietnam War Flower Power protest. It's an effective sociopolitical critique. An earlier incarnation of the project, Imagine (2012), similarly used remnants of weapons confiscated by the Mexican army. Reyes calls his instruments "the redemption of this metal that could have taken your life or mine". Some of the upcycled, sculptural instruments look like alien robots with a touch of menace about them, while others have elegant lines and an almost organic shape. How do they work as real instruments? Their development was overseen by professional musicians as well as Cocolab's resident tech geniuses, so artistry is just as much a component as machinery. Computerised, they are able to play preprogrammed compositions. Check out the video — the resulting music is not only very cool to listen to, but amazing to watch being produced as the instruments play themselves. The mechanised aspect makes visual patterns that are related to acoustic patterns. Adds Reyes, "It also becomes a visual show because you give plasticity to the musical universe that is hidden inside the computer." Voila: a perfect marriage of art, technology and social comment. Having already been exhibited in London, Disarm is on its way to the Melbourne Festival, where it will be displayed in NGV's Federation Court. Its instruments will be played by an assortment of skilled local musicians, so you'll get to hear all kinds of unexpected improvisations. Who would have guessed a gun could sound so disarming?
Since setting up its local base back in 2019, BrewDog has been serving Brisbanites plenty of cold ones, with the Scottish beer behemoth making this sunny city of ours its Australian home. Over that time, you've probably sat by the river and knocked back the company's brews — but at its annual Collabfest festival, you'll be encouraged to try yeasty bevvies from other breweries. Running from Thursday, October 20–Sunday, October 23, this weekend-long event will celebrate brews from four other beer-making outfits from across southeast Queensland. In 2022, Parched Brewing, Revel, Froth Rookies and Bacchus Brewing are getting some love, and the chosen spots always brew brand new (and unique) beers for the occasion, too — so expect to taste something that you haven't sipped before. On that list: a Monte Carlo biscuit ale, a hemp IIIPA, a coconut cream pie sour and a hoppy Saison. Also, there are two parts to the shindig. First, it all kicks off with a Thursday night launch, which is obviously when the party begins. Then, until Sunday, you'll be able to drop by and drink the Collabfest brews whenever you like. Although BrewDog is making a big deal of teaming up with other brewers, this fest is simply an expansion of its current approach. Already, its DogTap taproom serves up other tipples from the Sunshine State — but when it comes to beer, any excuse for a party will do.
In 1960, the men that worked in advertising on Madison Avenue were known as Mad Men – obviously, they gave themselves that stellar title. And now in a marketing ploy that is so good Don Draper could have thought it up himself, QueensPlaza will be exclusively hosting a collection of original costumes from the television show. In a world first, the exhibit will show off the clothes that some would say help make the show what it is. Janie Bryant, the costume designer behind the show’s Emmy Award winning wardrobe, has compiled a collection that showcases the various character’s styles. To add to the atmosphere, various retailers throughout QueensPlaza will also be styling their windows in the fabulous 60s fashion. As it is a free exhibition, any aspiring Don Drapers and Joan Harris’ of Brisbane should shine their shoes and find their dress hats and head into the city quickly.
It is a sad week for many in Brisbane’s artistic circles. After a year and a half of amazing exhibitions, performances and cultural relevancy, communal art space, The Box, is shutting its doors. The West End hotspot has been an incredible supporter of some of Brisbane’s best creative minds, so naturally we are all a bit saddened. However, it isn’t like The Box to go without a bang, so they are having a Tropicana party to send off the space in style! The theme for the festivities is ‘Last Day in Paradise’, with delicious drinks provided by Sailor Jerry and a bunch of hot musicians to liven up the atmosphere, and the Jungle Tiki Bar will be the official party after-party location. If you never set foot in The Box, make this the time you do, so you can say you were there when a favourite Brisbane institution closed with one heck of a party.
UPDATE: MARCH 19, 2020 — Organisers have announced that So Pop 2020 will no longer go ahead "due to policies and measures put in place by the Australian and New Zealand Government regarding COVID-19 and the inability for large gathering events to proceed". Ticket holders will receive a full refund. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. Pull out that old Discman, break out the cargo pants and start practising your smoothest early noughties dance moves — the pop tour of your wildest teenage dreams is hitting our shores this summer and it's got more stars than a TV Hits sticker collection. Next April and May, the second So Pop festival is set to deliver a huge serve of nostalgia to stadiums across Australia and New Zealand, pulling together an extra juicy lineup of old-school icons, headlined by some of the biggest teenage obsessions from the late 90s and early 2000s. Stages in Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Auckland and Christchurch will be transported back to the 90s and 00s for one glorious night each, playing host to the pop-drenched soundtrack of your youth. Heading up the show are female five-piece The Pussycat Dolls, who will come out of a hiatus to take you right back to dancing in your living room in front of the TV on a Saturday morning with pop hits 'Don't Cha', 'Buttons' and 'What I Grow Up'. It'll be the group's first visit Down Under since touring with Lady Gaga back in 2009. Joining them is British band Steps — so you'll need to start re-learning the line dancing moves to '5, 6, 7, 8' again — and the object of many a teenage girl's crush back in the day: Jesse McCartney https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWq_E17pTHY Relive more So Fresh-era bangers with Smash Mouth — who gifted us with 1999 hit 'All Star' — and the lady that gave us 'Murder on the Dancefloor', Sophie Ellis-Bextor. Irish pop star Samantha Mumba ('Baby Come on Over'), Dutch dance group Alice DJ 'Better Off Alone') and Reel 2 Reel ('I Like to Move It') round out the throwback showdown. SO POP 2020 DATES Perth — RAC Arena on Wednesday, April 22 Brisbane — Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Friday, April 24 Sydney — Qudos Bank Arena on Saturday, April 25 Adelaide — Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Tuesday, April 28 Melbourne — Melbourne Arena on Thursday, April 30 Auckland — Spark Arena on Saturday, May 2 Christchurch — Horncastle Arena on Sunday, May 3 So Pop pre-sale tickets are up for grabs or 24 hours this Wednesday, December 4 on the Frontier Touring website. The rest will go on sale on Monday, December 9.
We all know as we get older, we gain experience, and begin to be more perceptive – particularly when it comes to what we like and dislike, what makes our skin crawl, and what makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside. The fight or flight instinct is now well known to us and is one we use almost every day – will we stay and fight it, or will we cower away? For the next few weeks, the Transparency Collective will look into this response and create installations and performances that deal with the ways in which humans collide, avoid and attack each other. They will be staged in the art laboratory that is Critical Boundary. There’ll be open events that challenge this notion of fight or flight, which allow for change and growth in the planned performances, as they interact with the public. Throughout the residency, there will be a plethora of opportunities for you to engage with the work, and foster your knowledge about this interesting idea. There’ll be interactions and discussions, as well as open dialogue with the curators. This installation is as organic as they come, and is inviting all of those who struggle with their instincts to open their minds.
Remember Miami Horror? Back in 2010, the Melbourne electronic-pop band set our hearts alight with their excellent debut LP Illumination. Their hit single from the same album, 'Sometimes', has been on rotation on summer playlists ever since. It's been four years since then and Miami Horror are finally returning in grand comeback style. During their hiatus, they've been busy living it up in sunny Los Angeles and putting the finishing touches on their forthcoming sophomore album due later this year. In the meantime, they; sneakily released the catchy 'Wild Motion (Set It Free)' — the perfect anthem for lazy days lounging by the pool. To promote the new single and join the Brisbane Festival lineup, Miami Horror are heading back to the homeland with a massive eight-day headlining tour — only their second since 2011. To amp it up a notch, they're promising to build a whole new projection-based light show with hand-drawn images and and splashes of animated colour. Who knows where the band will disappear to next, so catch them live before they're off again. https://youtube.com/watch?v=IolDbdoQbaM
Back in 1976, author Anne Rice asked a simple question: if a vampire agreed to an interview about their bloodsucking life, what would they share? The answer to that query sparked a bestselling novel — the late writer's debut tome, in fact — and helped thrust her to fame. It also started a literary franchise, The Vampire Chronicles; was turned into a comic; hit the big screen in the 90s; and, soon, will play out as a streaming series as well. That book/comic/film/upcoming show: Interview with the Vampire. And yes, in its current leap from cinemas to the small screen, it follows in the footsteps of fellow undead fare Buffy the Vampire Slayer and What We Do in the Shadows. It also hops on a second trend that shows no signs of dying: reviving 90s movies as a series, as the new TV version of A League of Their Own also has recently (without the vampires, of course). Even if you haven't enjoyed Interview with the Vampire on the page or seen the 1994 flick, the concept is right there in the name — as both the initial teaser trailer back in July and the just-dropped full sneak peek make plain. "So, how long have you been dead?" probing interviewer Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian, Succession) asks Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson, aka Game of Thrones' Grey Worm), the New Orleans resident who can't resist the offer to live forever. Then, quite the tale unfurls. Naturally, if you're a vampire being interviewed, that's the kind of opening enquiry that's bound to come your way. More follow, but it's a helluva ice-breaker. Louis' story includes fellow vamp Lestat de Lioncourt (Australian actor Sam Reid, The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson), who he describes as "my murderer, my mentor, my lover and my maker" — and child vamp Claudia (Bailey Bass, Psycho Sweet 16), who joins their bloodthirsty family. How this new take on Interview with the Vampire will turn out will be revealed in October — in Australia via AMC+ from Sunday, October 2, with New Zealand details still to be announced. If you remember the movie — the film that helped push Dunst to fame as a child, well before she was an Oscar-nominee for The Power of the Dog — you'll know that it steps through its key undead trio's not-quite-lives (being eternally undead might be the better way to describe it), with tension oozing after Louis decides he doesn't want to kill. Check out the full Interview with the Vampire trailer below: Interview with the Vampire will start streaming in Australia via AMC+ from Sunday, October 2. We'll update you with New Zealand details when they become available. Images: Alfonso Bresciani/AMC.
Are you the kind of person who starts plotting your next meal before you've even finished the last? Love eating more than anything else? Well, you can get right to the guts of our global food obsession when the Sydney Opera House streams its 2018 chat with culinary legend Nigella Lawson. Streaming at 3pm AEST on Sunday, April 19, the talk has a fitting topic of conversation: home cooking. Lawson's Aussie visit followed the publication of her book At My Table: A Celebration of Home Cooking, which celebrates the joys of comfort food. The famed cook will be in conversation with SBS Food Safari's Maeve O'Meara and they'll be discussing everything from frozen peas to food trends. One of the most successful food writers of all time, cooking up more than ten million book sales worldwide with her 11 culinary bibles, Lawson started out as a book reviewer and restaurant critic, going on to become the deputy literary editor of The Sunday Times. She is responsible for numerous award-winning books, including How to Eat, How to Be a Domestic Goddess, Nigella Bites and At My Table. The talk is part of the Sydney Opera House's three-month digital program From Our House to Yours, with free content streamed nightly from Wednesday–Sunday. While you wait for the full talk to stream on Sunday, you can watch some highlights below. https://youtu.be/P-Ua3wrT3o8
Everyone has an opinion on what makes a true Aussie burger. Beetroot? Yes, please. Fried egg? Sure. Pineapple? Stay away. But what about throwing on some of that iconic spread that lives in every household cupboard, regardless of whether you're a lover or a hater? Well, chef Neil Perry is putting it to the test with the release of a limited edition Vegemite burger. From today, Wednesday, January 17, this questionable concoction will be available at Burger Project stores across Australia (including the one that opened last week in Melbourne), as well as the current Australian Open pop-up in Melbourne. "Vegemite is synonymous with our Australian way of life," said Perry. "I'm excited to be given the opportunity to collaborate with such an iconic Australian brand." The spread will be paired with Burger Project's staple soft milk bun, grass-fed Tasmanian beef patty, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato and onion. That distinctive salty tang of Vegemite is sure to add a salty flavour hit to the burger. It certainly appeals more than the creamy Vegemite icy poles which got a hard pass from us. The Vegemite Burger is available between January 17–28, 2018 at all Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane stores. For more info, visit burgerproject.com.au.
What's better than knowing that one of the biggest Australian movies of the past couple of years is getting a sequel? Adding that second effort to your must-watch pile for 2023. It's been four months since it was revealed that The Dry was scoring a big-screen follow-up, and it's now been confirmed that it'll start flickering across the big screen sometime next year. Exactly when in 2023 that Force of Nature will surface is yet to be revealed — but add it to your future cinema-going list anyway. And yes, to answer the crucial question, Eric Bana is returning as Detective Aaron Falk. [caption id="attachment_787502" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Dry[/caption] When it reached Aussie cinemas at the beginning of 2021 — making the leap from bookshelves to theatres, adapting the debut novel from author Jane Harper — The Dry became an enormous success. If you went to the movies at the start of last year, you likely saw it. It currently sits sixth at the box office among local titles over the past ten years, notching up more than $20 million in ticket sales. It also came in sixth in 2021 overall, after Spider-Man: No Way Home, No Time to Die, Godzilla vs Kong, Peter Rabbit 2 and Fast and Furious 9. That kind of response was always likely to spark a sequel (and it shouldn't escape attention that the five movies that made more cash in Australia last year were all either sequels themselves, or part of long-running franchises). Cue this new adaptation of Harper's second novel Force of Nature. This time, the focus is on a corporate hiking retreat attended by five women, after which only four return. So, alongside fellow federal agent Carmen Cooper (Jacqueline McKenzie, Ruby's Choice), Falk heads deep into Victoria's mountain ranges to try to find the missing hiker — who also happens to be a whistle-blowing informant — alive. [caption id="attachment_796115" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Dry[/caption] As The Dry was, Force of Nature is being written and directed by Robert Connolly (Paper Planes). Again, it'll boast quite the pair when it comes to Aussie crime cinema — with Connolly the producer of one of the best local crime movies ever made, aka 1998's unnerving The Boys, and Bana famously the star of the similarly excellent Chopper. Also featuring in Force of Nature, which'll have a powerhouse Aussie cast like its predecessor: Anna Torv (Mindhunter) as missing hiker Alice Russell, plus Deborra-Lee Furness (Jindabyne), Robin McLeavy (Homeland), Sisi Stringer (Mortal Kombat) and Lucy Ansell (Utopia). Richard Roxburgh (Elvis), Tony Briggs (Preppers) and Kenneth Radley (The Power of the Dog), too, while Jeremy Lindsay-Taylor (Sequin in a Blue Room) is back in the role of Erik Falk. Although the first image from the film has been released — see the header picture at the very top of this article — it's still too early for even a teaser clip. Until one arrives, check out the trailer for The Dry below: Force of Nature will release in Australian cinemas in 2023 — we'll update you when an exact release date is announced. Read our full review of The Dry.
Following the success of their previous hotel takeover in Byron Bay, the grand Clicquot Hotel is now heading to Queensland's Sunshine Beach — a hop, skip and jump from Noosa — for 10 days only. The French champagne house, Veuve Clicquot, has made the most extra luxury accommodation focused around premium experiences. Expect exclusive food and Champagne experiences, spa treatments, sunrise surfing lessons and yoga overlooking the coastline. And, of course, everything is adorned with the famous Veuve Yellow. But those offerings are just the cherries on top of the hyper lavish experience. Over two nights, you'll also have private access to Sunshine Beach and Noosa National Park, complimentary Veuve Clicquot champagne whenever the whim takes you (of course), a private sommelier and 24-hour concierge service, as well as chauffeured airport and local transfers. And, for a little extra cost, you can cruise on a chic mahogany speedboat – the Clicquot Dreamboat – along the Noosa River before having a curated picnic on the riverbank, served with chilled Veuve Clicquot Brut Rosé, the champagne house's refined, full-bodied take on pink bubbles. These guys have gone all out — and then some. It's a stupid-cool pop-up hotel. Clicquot Hotel bookings are available from November 4-13 and you can book your stay here.
Drinking a few brews and accidentally getting beer splashed on your shoes is a problem we've all experienced, particularly if you've indulged in a few steins at Oktoberfest. When people amass for a big, boozy shindig, steins start dripping and so does your footwear — and, as often happens when folks enjoy a few too many cold beverages, a stray drop of beer or several isn't the only unpleasantness threatening your kicks. Enter Adidas' new Originals München 'Oktoberfest' sneakers, aka the brand's solution to errant alcohol, its after-effects and its potential for stained shoes during the annual celebration. Made in Germany and available for a limited time from retailer 43einhalb, they're designed to withstand brews and vomit thanks to "durable puke and beer repellent" coating over their leather surface. Just how that works hasn't been revealed, but we're guessing you still shouldn't try pouring a whole pint over them. Selling for almost AU$300 (€199.95), the shoes also cater for the less messy parts of Oktoberfest, because the yearly booze fest is all in the name of fun. Accordingly, they're decked out with embroidery designed to match your lederhosen, have "prost" (aka cheers in German) stitched into the side, and come with a custom beer mug. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkMQyAEpyuk Via Munchies. Images:43einhalb/Adidas.
Mild Manners is a new gallery project formed by Matt Rabbidge, co-founder of the now defunct yet iconic Nine Lives Gallery. After a short break, Matt jumped back into the art scene with Mild Manners, focusing on bringing diverse artists together from varied backgrounds. The collective specialised in short term exhibitions in unique spaces, which brings us to their latest exhibition featuring the k.O.M.A. group in a small space located on James St. Also launching that night is a brand new publication by Small House Books, featuring images and words on 5 solo exhibitions taking place in 2013. The k.O.M.A. residency will run until May 20, but make sure you get in on launch night for some great insight into the Brisbane art scene. The artists on display are: ANDREW GORDON BEN HAVENAAR HAMISHI JAMES ETTELSON JEDDA-DAISY CULLEY MARK ALSWEILER MIKE BENNETT The exhibition space is located above Ksubi on James St. Doors for the launch open at 6pm.
The street is ours! Bring your banners, bring your megaphones or just BYO beer to the Tribal Theatre this Sunday for some motion picture activism to get you raging and revolting. It’s time to sit down and see what other people are standing up for because the Activist Film Festival is in town showcasing some of the film industry’s finest docos that are making a change. From corrupt companies, to political change in Iran, the Earth Liberation Front and even some of that bad ass, Banksy, our militant, advocate filmmakers are showing there is always something to stand up for. There will be four films featured throughout the day as well as some live music from Daisie May, Jason Lowe, Lunch Tapes and Dune Rats. 2011 marks the first year of the festival, and coinciding with World Environmental Day the program notes the interdependence of long term environmental health through the illustration of independent expression. Check out the movie trailers and showing times here. Get vigorous this Sunday. Image: Gasland (2010)
If The BFG had been written in the 21st century, Swedish fashion retailer Brothers’ vintage trunk is the suitcase he’d likely have carried. Not only is it enormous, it is filled with Brothers’ newest line of clothing. Titled ‘Travel’, the line boasts a combination of modern comfort and old-fashioned elegance hitherto outside of the jet setter’s experience. The suitcase is actually a pop-up shop. Built by expert prop-maker, Jean-Louis von Dardel, it opens to look like a closet, with compartments and drawers for every type of garment imaginable. Brothers has been moving the trunk all over Sweden, from airport to airport and station to station, displaying their wares for just a few days in each place. The clothing line features suits and business shirts that are not only well cut and stylish, but also soft and stretchable – gentle enough that wearers can relax during their flight, yet formal enough that they can head to a business meeting directly after landing, without the hassle of changing mid-journey. Brothers asked filmmaker Emil Klang to document the suitcase’s creation. Given the freedom to choose his team, Klang opted for composer Ola Tappert from Underton and animator Oskar Gullstrand from Naïve. The resulting film features on the landing page of the Brothers’ site.
There's little that's normal about 2020 so far, and that includes film festivals. Many of the biggest cinema showcases on the annual international calendar have been forced to cancel, postpone or rethink their plans for this year — spanning heavy hitters such as Tribeca Film Festival and Cannes Film Festival, and even Australia's very own Sydney Film Festival. At present, we can't all gather in a darkened room and watch movie magic light up the silver screen. That doesn't mean that there isn't anything to watch, though. In fact, thanks to We Are One: A Global Film Festival, you can still enjoy a festival experience — one curated by some of the best big-screen events in the world, too — all while sitting on your couch. For ten days between Thursday, May 29–Sunday, June 7, 20 of the globe's standout film fests are joining forces to program a free online festival, which'll show features, shorts, documentaries and more via YouTube. More than 100 films will screen at set times, including 13 world premieres. That means that you can look forward to films such as Ricky Powell: The Individualist, about the eponymous street photographer; Eeb Allay Ooo!, a satire about monkey repellers in India; and Crazy World, an OTT action flick out of Uganda's Wakaliwood. There's also Australia's own Mystery Road and Mabo, Japanese rom-com Tremble All You Want and documentary The Iron Hammer, the latter of which follows Chinese volleyball star "Jenny" Lang Ping. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stttLXh7yu4 If you're after something more than just watching a movie, a range of archived talks will also screen, alongside new, festival-exclusive content. Listen to chats by Jackie Chan, The Shape of Water filmmaker Guillermo del Toro and Rogue One: A Star War Story's Diego Luna, or watch Tessa Thompson talk with director Jane Campion, Francis Ford Coppola and Steven Soderbergh discuss Apocalypse Now, Viggo Mortensen and David Cronenberg explore Crash, and Ang Lee and Kore-eda Hirokazu delve into their thoughts on filmmaking today. Selecting the program is a who's who of the film festival game, with Tribeca, Cannes and Sydney joined by the Berlinale, Sundance, Toronto International Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, New York Film Festival, BFI London Film Festival and Annecy International Animation Film Festival — and fests in Guadalajara, Macao, Jerusalem, Mumbai, Karlovy Vary, Locarno, Marrakech, San Sebastian, Sarajevo and Tokyo, too. [caption id="attachment_768770" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Berlinale, Jan Windszus[/caption] While cinephiles don't have to spend a cent to watch along, We Are One: A Global Film Festival is encouraging donations to the World Health Organisation, as well its partners in each region. Top image: Sydney Film Festival, Luke Latty. Updated May 27.
Pointless, derivative follow-ups to profitable Hollywood films aren't exactly a recent concept. The first big-screen sequel can be traced back to 1916's The Fall of a Nation, which attempted to cash in on the popularity of D.W. Griffith's silent (and incredibly racist) epic The Birth of a Nation after it stormed theatres the year before. While in that case the sequel was a commercial failure, the seeds of soulless corporate greed had been planted. Suffice it to say, studio executives have been laughing their way to the bank ever since. So why the film history lesson? I guess it's to point out the fact that, even in the context of Hollywood's long legacy of artistic bankruptcy, it takes a particular brand of cynicism and greed to make a comedy sequel, about three working guys sticking it to The Man, for the sole purpose of exploiting the financial success of the original. The fundamental hypocrisy of Horrible Bosses 2 is staggering, although admittedly that wouldn't be nearly as much of an issue if the movie was actually, y'know, funny. Unfortunately, not even the proven chemistry of its cast can redeem this formulaic comedy con-job, one that's totally unworthy of your time and, perhaps more importantly, your money. Directed with barely a shred of visual personality by the same hack responsible for such yuck-fests as Sex Drive and the Adam Sandler statutory rape comedy That's My Boy, the second film in the Horrible Bosses please-don't-let-it-be-a-trilogy reunites idiot protagonists Nick (Jason Bateman), Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) and Dale (Charlie Day). This time out, they're their own bosses, until they make the mistake of partnering with a German businessman (Christoph Waltz) who swindles them for everything they've got. So they decide to kidnap his son Rex (Chris Pine), because after all, if the previous film taught us anything, it's that there a no consequences to your actions and that crime definitely pays. Bateman, Sudeikis and Day are all talented comedians, but there's only so much they can do with such a formulaic and puerile screenplay — incidentally, for any aspiring screenwriters out there, any time your opening scene steals a sight gag from Austin Powers: Goldmember, it's probably time to go back to the drawing board. The best moments in Horrible Bosses 2 have the feel of cast improvisation, but are few and far between. The same can't be said, unfortunately, of jokes at the expense of women, gay people and ethnic minorities, although to be honest these moments feel born more of laziness than genuine malice. Then again, on further reflection, that might actually be worse. Say what you will about the woeful sequels to The Hangover, but at least they were unrepentant in their nastiness. Horrible Bosses 2, on the other hand, manages to be both offensive and bland. The good news is that we'll probably only have to sit through two more sequels and a Jennifer Aniston spinoff before the whole thing finally goes away.
The Nanna-esque trade of crafting has taken to Brisbane like a plague. With events like Suitcase Rummage, BrisStyle Markets and The Finders Keepers on every other week it’s hard to deny that inner urge to do as the Nannas do. Who wouldn't want to be at home sewing, stitching, gluing and crafting all day? The Brisbane City Council has introduced a new program for the vast majority of Brisbane who are diggin’ on the DIY vibe - and those who are yet to get in on it. Saviours of The Lost Arts and Craft Fair is hosting markets, workshops, demonstrations and industry talks over twelve days across a few niche venues across Brisbane (including the Bleeding Heart Gallery). There’s origami making, stencil printing, softie sewing, jewelry making - even a crafties party! Go on! Get those creative juices flowing! Nanna would be so proud.
When David Fincher does crime, glorious things happen. From Se7en to Zodiac, plus The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Gone Girl and Mindhunter as well, the filmmaker loves the genre — and audiences have rightly adored and downright obsessed over the end results. So, making an assassin thriller sounds like Fincher 101. Of course, as the just-dropped first trailer for his new movie The Killer demonstrates, there's no such thing as a standard project from the Fight Club, The Social Network and Mank director. Back in January when Netflix unveiled its new slate of films for 2023, The Killer was the number-one most-anticipated title on the list — and the sneak-peek footage that was revealed then now has company in this newly released glimpse. Michael Fassbender stars in the titular role, marking his first movie since 2019's X-Men: Dark Phoenix. And the murderer-for-hire he's playing has a ruthless approach to his work, and also a new battle. Story-wise, the film tells of its namesake facing off against his employers after a near-miss, sparking an international manhunt. The Killer hails from the French graphic novel series of the same name by Alexis Nolent and Luc Jacamon, and comes to the screen with Fincher's Se7ven screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker scripting — and the pair collaborating for the first time since that serial-killer masterpiece. Doing the score, as viewers can instantly guess from the very moment that it kicks in during the trailer: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, of course, as they also did on Fincher's The Social Network, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Gone Girl and Mank. Will this team up earn them another Oscar, like The Social Network did? Or even a nomination, as Mank delivered? The Killer does have a perfect awards-season release date, hitting cinemas in October, then streaming via Netflix from Friday, November 10. The film will premiere at the 2023 Venice International Film Festival in September first, before arriving on the big screen elsewhere and streaming queues everywhere. As well as Fassbender, The Killer stars Tilda Swinton (Asteroid City), Charles Parnell (Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One), Arliss Howard (a Mank alumni) and Sophie Charlotte (All the Flowers). Check out the first teaser trailer for The Killer below: The Killer will release in select cinemas in October, then stream via Netflix from Friday, November 10. Images: Netflix © 2023.
Working from home may have its perks, like having more snacks on-hand and wearing your comfiest clothes, but it also has a couple of downsides — one of which is all the video calls. While chatting to your family and mates on your laptop is a good way to socialise in these current times, many of us are doing multiple calls a day for work, too. So, the endless streams of virtual faces can get a bit repetitive. To break it up, Silicon Valley non-profit animal sanctuary Sweet Farm has launched Goat 2 Meeting, which lets you bring a furry friend to the call. Whether you need to bring some joy to your work meetings or just show your mum a llama's fresh haircut, you now can via video conference platform Zoom. While you have to pay to get a four-legged team member on the line, the money will go towards the farm, which in normal circumstances is partly funded by in-person tours. As Sweet Farm aims to take in animals — and has saved over 125 so far — and educate people on the the global impacts of factory farming across animals, the plants and the planet, your money will be supporting a good cause. No matter where you are in the world, Sweet Farm is putting its animals on video so get your daily dose of serotonin. For $65 USD ($98 AUD) you can get a 20-minute private virtual tour with up to six people, where you'll meet a few of the farm's animals — such as Paco the llama and Juno the goat. For a donation of $100 USD ($161 AUD) you can get a 10-minute corporate meeting cameo, with no limit on persons on the call. Or, if you want more face-to-face time with your new bud, you opt for a 25-minute call for $250 USD ($405 AUD). For virtual school trips, Sweet Farm is offering animal airtime for free. To organise a session, head to the Goat 2 Meeting site and fill out the form, including your details, a requested call date and your time zone. Keep in mind that time differences will effect availability. At the moment, California is 17 hours behind Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane and 19 hours behind Auckland and Wellington. So, it's most likely an early morning meeting will be your best bet. Sweet Farm's Goat 2 Meeting initiative is available across the world. To request a time for your next video call with an animal in tow, head here.
Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs. It can take you a while to get your head around it. But although it seemed unlikely, there's actually a decent physical resemblance, and word is Kutcher pulls it off. Although it opens with Jobs showing off the iPod to his staff, the film Jobs soon reverts back to the early days of Apple, pre-black skivvies, though with Steve firmly in the lead. It documents the ups and downs of the '70s, '80s and '90s. Though his inventions are obsessively loved, Jobs is a character not without controversy, and the film will have you feeling sorry for him, then hating him, then loving him again and rooting for him, while at the same time shaking your head and saying to yourself 'Oh Steve'. Jobs is worth a watch if you are a fan of Apple products, his company and what he created, or a fan of biography that isn't about putting its subject on a pedestal. Jobs is in cinemas on August 29, and to celebrate we have 15 double in-season passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email hello@concreteplayground.com.au with your name and address. https://youtube.com/watch?v=3rOiXeKaUUM
If you've ever been to Brisbane's Night Noodle Markets, you'll know that waiting can be an inescapable part of the experience. You usually need to wait in line to pick up your food, and to find somewhere to sit and eat. All that hawker-style food attracts plenty of Brisbanites, after all — and yes, the wait is always worth it. In 2021, you'll be waiting in another manner, too, because this year's event is taking place later in the year. Initially, it was due to kick off on Wednesday, July 21 — and move to the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens — but, after announcing its full vendor and food lineup, the event had to scrap its winter plans. The reason: Greater Sydney's ongoing lockdown and the border and quarantine restrictions stemming from it, because many of the Night Noodle Markets' vendors are based in New South Wales. Thankfully, the event's organisers are now hopeful about spring — so you can mark Wednesday, September 22–Sunday, October 3 in your diary. It'll be warmer, you'll want to spend more time outdoors, and the Botanic Gardens' many blooms will be blossoming, if you need a few more reasons to embrace the new time slot. Accordingly, get ready to eat a heap of foods on sticks and tuck into mango sorbet crepes, just at a later date. All of the already-announced vendors and dishes will remain on the menu, too, so you can look forward to the same culinary lineup. In total, 17 stallholders were headed our way, including returning favourites such as Hoy Pinoy, Bao Brothers, Bangkok Street Food, Donburi Station and Gelato Messina. All other Good Food Month events have been going ahead as planned in July, so your stomach won't completely miss out this month. The 2021 Brisbane Night Noodle Markets will now take place from Wednesday, September 22–Sunday, October 3 at the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens. For further details, head to the event's website.
A crotchety old man gets a new lease of life when he becomes the reluctant babysitter to the 12-year-old kid next door. Sounds pretty unbearable, until you factor in that the old man is played by Bill Murray. Pushing 65, the star of Ghostbusters, Stripes and Groundhog Day is looking a little on the tired side but soon proves he's lost none of his caustic charm. In St Vincent he's vinegar, adding just enough acidity to a screenplay that without him would have been sickeningly sweet. Vincent MacKenna (Murray) is a classic movie curmudgeon. He drinks like a fish, smokes like a chimney, and gambles like a man who has nothing left to lose. The closest thing he has to a friend, aside from his Persian cat Felix, is a foul-mouthed Russian prostitute (Naomi Watts), who may or may not be pregnant with his child. He's an unfeeling bastard, and the last person in the world you'd want taking care of your impressionable primary school-aged son. Unfortunately for his new next door neighbour Maggie (Melissa McCarthy), he's literally the only choice she has. St Vincent isn't what you'd call a groundbreaking holiday comedy. First-time writer-director Theodore Melfi has no shortage of funny dialogue but shows little interesting in straying away from his conventional narrative formula. Friendships are made. Lessons are learnt. Obvious set-ups lead to unsurprising payoffs, and everyone gets home in time for dinner. What sets the movie apart, primarily, is the quality of its cast. After years of retreading her Bridesmaids shtick, McCarthy finally gets the chance to play an actual human being; her turn as Maggie helps keep the film grounded, sympathetic but still genuinely funny. Chris O'Dowd, meanwhile, gets some great lines as a glib Catholic priest — and although Watts' Russian accent is pretty unconvincing, it's always fun to see her trying her hand at a comedy. Unsurprisingly, however, the highlight of the film is Murray. While this is a character the actor could comfortably play in his sleep, there's never the slightest indication that Murray is phoning it in. His dynamic with newcomer Jaeden Lieberher makes for one of the most enjoyable on-screen pairings of 2014; frankly, what kid wouldn't want Bill Murray for a babysitter? Yet despite first appearances, this is not a purely comedic performance. There's a loneliness to Vincent that Murray absolutely nails; a pair of scenes in which he visits his dementia-afflicted wife may very well bring audiences to tears. So too the ending, which although incredibly predictable, is so damn well executed that it's difficult not to forgive. And really, that's this movie in a nutshell. Like Vincent himself, you love it in spite of its obvious flaws.
Had enough of public transport? Too tired to cycle? How about cruising from A to B by waterslide? Last Sunday May 4, UK artist Luke Jerram turned every kid’s dream into an adult reality when he set up a 90-metre water slide on Park Street, Bristol. Titled Park and Slide, the project playfully suggested new ways of navigating our clogged up city streets — part of the Bristol Art Weekender and Make Sundays Special programmes. A whopping 96, 573 individuals registered for a ‘ticket to slide’, but only 360 got lucky. Showing good sportsmanship and a furious need to Instagram, a crowd of over 65,000 locals turned out to watch the fortunate make their soapy descents. Based on video footage, average speed was calculated at 18km/hr and the age of sliders varied from 5 to 73. “This massive urban slide transforms the street and asks people to take a fresh look at the potential of their city and the possibilities for transformation,” reads Jerram’s site. “Imagine if there were permanent slides right across cities.” Jerram was offered significant corporate sponsorship for Park and Slide, but rejected it, deciding instead to stick with local support networks. "[It] was not an opportunity to advertise fizzy drinks, swimming trunks or holidays to anyone," the artist pointed out on his site. Unfortunately, there are no plans for an international tour of Park and Slide. But Jerram will soon be publicly posting instructions, enabling communities around the world to DIY 'urban slide'. For updates, you can follow him on Twitter. Via Inhabitat. Images by Colin Rayner and Luke Jerram.
2023 has seen a beloved Gold Coast gelateria expand to Hamilton in Brisbane, and a bakery as well. Next on the list: The Pink Flamingo Spiegelclub. If you're a fan of risqué cabaret shows, then you might've enjoyed a performance over drinks in the venue's OG Broadbeach digs since 2019. Now, it's the River City's turn without hitting the highway. What's a spiegelclub? It takes cues from both spiegeltents and cabaret clubs, combining the vibe of both. In Brissie, the space will be called The Pink Flamingo Spiegeland — and it's setting up a 400-seat pavilion at Northshore from Friday, December 1. Although it won't be making the site its home permanently, it is locking in a seven-year stay. After that, the Hamilton spot will be used for the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games. Fans of burlesque, comedy and cabaret — and acrobatics and drag, too — will be able to enjoy a show at a purpose-built site that'll follow the Gold Coast venue's lead when it comes to its favourite colour: pink, of course, as befitting its name. Hosting eight performances a week, The Pink Flamingo Spiegeland will pair its productions with food and cocktails. And as for what you'll be watching, Suavé, La Teaze and Ripped will be the resident productions. All three shows headed to Brisbane have previously graced the stage on the Goldie — and yes, Ripped is a male revue if you're keen on a Magic Mike-esque experience. "After the enormous success of the Gold Coast, we knew an expansion was always on the cards," said The Pink Flamingo Spiegelclub co-director Tony Rigas. "Why should Brisbane wait for festivals to experience a glitter-bomb of shows, kaleidoscopes of colour on stage, and limit-pushing performances of a world standard? The city shouldn't, and that's why we are so thrilled to open The Pink Flamingo Spiegeland," added Sue Porrett, who is also behind the venture with Rigas and Peter Snee. The Pink Flamingo Spiegeland Brisbane will launch at Northshore Hamilton on Friday, December 1, 2023. Head to the venue's website for further details and tickets.
Kumiko (Rinko Kikuchi) is a superfan. Joel and Ethan Coen's Fargo is the object of her excessive attention, and she doesn't just fixate over it, she believes it. In particular, she believes there's a briefcase filled with money buried in the Minnesota snow. To understand why she's so intent on thinking the movie is more than fiction is to understand her largely solitary existence in Tokyo. Kumiko is 29 years old and still working as an office lady, a position her boss thinks she should've well and truly outgrown. Her mother only calls to scold her about her dismal personal life, and her only friend is her pet rabbit, Bunzo. So when she happens across a VHS copy of Fargo, embracing its tall tale as truth adds purpose to her days, and trekking across America to find the stack of cash it tells of becomes her destiny. Filmmakers David and Nathan Zellner delve into an urban legend that sprang up around the death of a Japanese woman in the US, first chronicled in 2003 documentary This Is a True Story. Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter makes its own fable out of diving into the strangeness that can stem from both truth and fiction, as well as the tenuous relationship between the two. Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter is in select cinemas on April 29, and thanks to Palace Films, we have 15 double in-season passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter and then email us with your name and address. Read our full Kumiko review here. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au
Slow living and handmade craft has metamorphosed from bewitching alternative trend to a totally plausible way of life. In what seems to be some kind of conscious resistance to the speed and churn of internet culture, mass production and memes, there's an uptake in the kind of hands-on activities all about a quality time investment and a quality result at the end. Think sourdough starter, knitting, home ceramics kits... hell, even elaborate cocktail-making all fall into this category. Nonna's Grocer, an online concept store that popped up this year is the brainchild of Wollongong-based designer, Madeleine Hoy, and it's all about embracing the 'perfectly imperfect' principles of hand made. Right now, the hero produce on Nonna's Grocer's virtual shelves is a range of beautiful candles made the size, shape and appearance of the fruit and vegetables from your local fruit shop. Lemons, oranges and a family of heirloom tomatoes look so realistically juicy you'd be forgiven for being duped into taking a bite (Madeleine told us that no one's admitted doing that yet). For her next addition to the store, she's teamed up with Marrickville-based studio Defy Design on a fresh product line made from recycled plastic. Tell us a bit about the inspiration behind Nonna's Grocer and the ethos behind the store. Nonna's Grocer evolved about a year and a half ago, the day I learned that my Great Grandparents ran a grocery store in Daylesford Victoria. My dad was showing me these beautiful images of my Great grandfather Giuseppe in front of his shop and I was so inspired by this moment in time, and couldn't believe I hadn't known about it sooner. I immediately began thinking about a way I could combine my design background (I was a set designer) with this beautiful business that was a part of my family history. Thus Nonna's Grocer was born, a conceptual studio where I develop designs that harness the era of a simpler time with a modern twist. A 'Perfectly imperfect' handmade aesthetic is my focus, as well as creating special pieces for humans to encourage them to slowww it down. Whether that's having a bath, a dinner date with your dog, or stretching a hammy, light a candle and enjoy the moment. Your current range is a selection of incredibly true-to-life fruit shaped candles. How do you make them look so life-like? I found a maker in Sydney who casts objects for sculptures and pitched the idea of getting them to cast fruit. We were a bit unsure at the time how well it would work as fruits decompose quickly when encased, so we had to be smart about which fruits could work well. (Turns out peeled fruits don't work well, just so you know). I then started hitting the supermarkets (back in the day when one could tread slowly) and would study 100 lemons at a time to find the perfect one, and my range grew from there. I've got to ask: have you encountered any instances of people accidentally taking a bite? Oh ha, look no one has informed me they have tried to eat one as of yet, but is that really something you would tell people if you accidentally ate a candle? What kind of shopper do you want Nonna's Grocer to appeal to? I like to think Nonna's Grocer appeals to anyone that is interested in quality produce and a slower paced lifestyle. Particularly people that appreciate craftsmanship, design, and looking for creative ways to make their day more playful. What are the craftspeople, brands or concept retailers that you admire and take inspiration from? Oh dear, I love homeware stores that scream 'good quality'. The Provider Store in Surry Hills is pretty special as it celebrates the history and craftsmanship of Japan. Delicious! The New Zealand store KauKau [based in Wellington] is also beautiful, highly recommend checking them out. I am a big fan of designers like Sabine Marcelis and Gustaf Westman who design various pieces in their own aesthetic, never following a trend. I take inspiration from a million different places, but Stephanie Stamatis the art director began styling food in a way that really resonated, and the interior designers from Paris called Studio Classico have a lovely touch when it comes to materials. Oh, and the cheese shop Formaje in Madrid, their packaging and cheese selection is to die for... Honestly, I could go on and on. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Stephanie Stamatova (@stephanie_somebody) You've started with fruit but you've hinted at 'more to come'. What else can we expect to see hit the virtual shelves of your store? I am so excited to share with you what is coming next, but they are all at the back end of development so I am not quite ready to spill the cannellini beans just yet. I can give you a sneaky hint though: one of my pieces will be manufactured at Defy Design in Marrickville, who collect local plastic waste, hand separate them by colour, and then melt them down into new objects. I'm very excited! Discover more about Nonna's Grocer and have a browse at the website or follow on Instagram.
Melbourne's arts calendar never fails to keep us busy, however, it's always had a bit of a lull in winter before Melbourne International Arts Festival and Melbourne Music Week take over the city in spring. But, from next year, that's all set change. The Victorian Government has this morning announced that it will launch a huge new citywide arts festival in the winter of 2020. It's a big shake-up to the Melbourne arts calendar as the new festival will merge the aforementioned Melbourne Festival and arts all-nighter White Night and move them into a winter timeslot. Since its inception, White Night has been held on a hot February night — however, in September last year, it was announced that it would move to August for 2019. Melbourne Fest, which was established in 1986, is usually held in October. [caption id="attachment_650235" align="alignnone" width="1920"] White Night Melbourne[/caption] Exact timings and details are yet to be revealed, but the new "global" festival — as it's being billed by the Andrews Government — will take over the city for several weeks, much like Melbourne Festival usually does in October. While it will no doubt combine the best bits of the two existing festivals, a new creative team will come on to develop a new program and vision. We're told the the 2020 program will feature a "diverse program of visual and performing arts" coupled with with "large-scale takeovers of precincts" after-dark. Hopefully that means more immersive installations like last year's Fire Garden at Melbourne Festival. The inaugural festival — which is yet to be named — will kick off with a 'transitional' year in the winter of 2020. It's set to support Melbourne's tourism and hospitality industries in the quieter months and, no doubt, provide a Melbourne equivalent to Sydney's popular Vivid festival, which kicks off this month. Both White Night and the Melbourne International Arts Festival will go ahead as planned this year, on the weekend of August 22–24 and October 2–20, respectively. The new winter festival will hit Melbourne in winter 2020. We'll keep you updated when new details or dates are announced. Image: Fire Garden from Melbourne International Arts Festival 2018, by Vincent Muteau.
It's no surprise that many of us are looking to upgrade our home comfort level at the moment. Aussie furniture brand Koala is keen to help you do just that with its Boxing Day sale where you can nab up to 20 percent off mattresses, sheets, sofas, desks and armchairs to help you upgrade your pad or improve your night's sleep. A heap of products from across the brand's range are on sale from Thursday, December 24 to Sunday, January 3 including the popular Koala mattress. Also on offer in the sale is the WFH desk, which is made in Ballarat from hand-sanded timber, easy to assemble and designed with home office use in mind. If you've found yourself working from home a lot more this year, you can pick up the desk for a sweet 15 percent off. Comfy Koala sofa beds, TV units, pillows, bed bases and more are going with a 20 percent discount, too, so you can give your whole house a makeover. And everything comes with a 120-night trial — though, it might be hard to give any of these up after four-months of comfort. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
International travel might be off the cards for the next little while, but that means it's time to soak up all the goodness in your own backyard. Australia and New Zealand are chock full of world-class travel opportunities, with lush rainforests, dazzling coastline, pristine outback and more, just waiting to be explored. And one lucky local will get to hit the road and see part of it for free, thanks to a bumper new competition from Surf Stitch. The fashion retailer has joined forces with campervan hire crew Travellers Autobarn to give away a two-week road-tripping adventure of a lifetime. The winner will score 14-day van hire — with the chance to go cruising around either New Zealand or Australia with their besties, kicking off from a location of their choice — as well as a $1500 wardrobe worth of fresh threads from Surf Stitch, to keep you all looking extra good on tour. Where and when your adventure will unfold, is entirely up to you — and COVID-19 restrictions, of course. At the moment, there are restrictions on travelling between states and territories in Australia, all of Victoria is in lockdown and you can't fly between Australia and NZ — so, if you do win, be sure to check the laws before heading off on your adventure. Restrictions aside, you could go tripping along NSW's north coast, splitting your time between sandy beach and rainforest. Touring the untouched wilderness of Tassie. Or maybe gallivanting your way around the famed Fiordland National Park and Milford Sound on New Zealand's south island. Whatever your local travel bucket-list looks like, this prize is sure to help you tick off a few gems, while giving that holiday itch a good scratch. To be in with a shot at winning your ultimate road trip, simply jump on the competition website and enter your details. Then, decide just which part of this grand old backyard is calling to you the loudest. You can enter the competition by filling in your details over at the Surf Stitch website. Entries close at 11.59pm AEST on Friday, August 14. The competition is open to citizens and permanent residents of Australia and NZ. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
Ever feel like you deserve a prize for just how much you love your wine? Are your efforts as an amateur sommelier yet to be properly rewarded? WineMarket are ready to make your dreams come true with a truly massive giveaway. Every case of wine you buy from WineMarket this February will put you into the running for a five-night getaway on the West Coast, complete with a wine lover's experience of Margaret River and a chance to explore Perth in style. Along with flights and four-star accommodation the lucky winner and a friend will win a tour of a Margaret River winery, a fancy dinner for two in Perth, a scenic tour around the city, five days' car hire and more (to the value of $4500+). The more cases you buy and the more friends you get involved, the better your chances, so now's the time to stock up your cellars for a rainy day. Or if you've already got a healthy supply, get an entry just for signing up to WineMarket's newsletter. Check out the WineMarket website for all the details and to enter. Just hurry — the competition closes on Saturday, February 28, 11.59pm. To all you wine lovers, we salute you and wish you luck.
We've heard of moving-out parties; however Barack Obama's version of a final celebratory shindig is about to put everyone else's to shame. What do you do when your time as the most powerful man on the planet is just about up, and you're about to vacate the world's most famous home? You bring SXSW to the White House. Obviously. The event is called SXSL, with the last two letters referring to the south lawn of Obama's not-so-humble presidential abode. As announced on the White House blog, South by South Lawn will bring together creators, innovators, and organisers for a one-day shindig on October 3. And as far as heading along is concerned, eager attendees can apply online. Yep, the Pres is throwing his very own festival, complete with interactive, film and music components. SXSL-goers will listen to panel discussions and learn about new technologies, watch shorts at the 3rd Annual White House Student Film Festival, and groove along to live performances by well-known and emerging artists. While there's no word on a lineup just yet, Obama's summer playlist could possibly provide a few clues. Clearly, both the US commander-in-chief and First Lady Michelle Obama had a mighty fine time when they attended and spoke at SXSW earlier this year. And clearly, once Obama out of office, nothing quite like this is likely to happen anytime soon. Image: Zach Rudisin.
Last year's inaugural Antidote, Sydney Opera House's new festival of ideas, action and change, saw an impressive lineup of LBGTQI+, Indigenous and feminist rights activists — and 20,000 balloons — fill the iconic building last year. For its second weekend-long run on September 1 and 2, the festival is bringing in a host of international heavyweights to inspire and incite positive change in this crazy messed-up world. Leading the list is investigative journalist Ronan Farrow, whose exposé on Harvey Weinstein in The New Yorker — along with The New York Times' piece — won him a Pulitzer Prize and triggered the start of last year's global #MeToo movement. He'll speak alongside WikiLeaks whistleblower, trans activist and US Senate candidate Chelsea Manning and Black Panther comic writer Ta-Nehisi Coates. These high-profile American voices will be joined by a pretty diverse list of thought-provokers, including Syrian urban planner Marwa Al-Sabouni, South African storyteller Sisonke Msimang and Liz Jackson, the founder of disability self-advocacy organisation, the Disabled List. You'll also be able to settle in for a night of queer stories with Maeve Marsden and get Benjamin Law and his mum to answer some of your most embarrassing questions. Extending its practical positioning, the festival will also feature a few workshops this time around — you'll be able to learn how to fillet a fish with Saint Peter's sustainable fishmonger Josh Niland and Kirsty Mootz will show you how to make your own organic skincare with things you find in your house. Antidote comes at a time when a lot of us are angry and anxious about what's happening in the world. Hopefully you can take away some action points — and if you don't, well, talking it out should at least prove cathartic. Antidote will take place at the Sydney Opera House on September 1–2, 2018. Tickets will go on sale at 9am on Friday, June 22 here.
Perhaps you're a diehard Tetris fiend. Maybe you just can't get enough of Mario Kart. Or, you could be an avid Untitled Goose Game devotee. Whichever video game takes your fancy, it has likely robbed you of more than a little precious slumber — so you might as well lean into it and enjoy your next overseas getaway in a video game-themed hotel. Catering for folks who really do want to eat, sleep and breathe the button-mashing pastime, old-school gaming company Atari is getting into the accommodation business. Launching its own line of places to stay, it's planning to open at least eight hotels across the US. Construction on the first — in Phoenix, Arizona — is due to start in the middle of this year, with other sites in Las Vegas, Denver, Chicago, Austin, Seattle, San Francisco and San Jose set to follow. Keeping to the theme, guests can expect plenty of gaming — obviously. That'll apply to the hotel's look and feel, as well as to the activities on offer. Design-wise, the aim is to make you feel like you're staying inside an Atari console. The Atari Hotels website calls the hotels "a unique lodging experience", and notes that they'll combine the brand "with a one-of-a-kind video game-themed destination". That'll include both virtual reality and augmented reality, while some sites will also feature venues and facilities to host esports events. Given that Atari has been around since the 1970s, was one of the industry's pioneers, and is known for a hefty range of games — spanning classics like Asteroids, Centipede, Pong and even Rollercoaster Tycoon — it's safe to assume that the company's big-name titles will all pop up in some shape or form as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnfvlqjvk7A Other than that, just what the Atari hotels will entail is being kept pretty close to the organisation's chest for now. Opening dates haven't been announced yet either, if you're eager to make travel plans. Atari Hotels' first site will begin construction in Phoenix, Arizona in mid-2020. Visit the chain's website for further details.
Dead Language are a New York based trio who dedicate themsevles to breathing new life into old music. Based on the idea that scored music (as in, written for a play, musical, opera, ballet, television programme or film) can be seen as a dead language akin to Latin. Unfamilliar to some, forgotten by most. Utilising aspects of the art world (theatre, visual art) and with the help of others, Dead Language are shining a light on forgotten songs and reinterpreting them for a contemporary audience. Dead Language will be performing works by Morton Feldman, George Lewis and Bernhard Lang and will be accompanied by Graeme Jennings (violin) and students of Queensland Conservatorium’s New Music Ensemble and Jazz department. This is a one off show, so if you are at all interested in musical history or just keen for some soothing sounds, get to the Queensland Conservatorium on the 9th of October. Oh, and the show is free too - so there is another good reason to head along.
Everybody wins — you, me, our fair nation — when six experienced winemakers join forces to create unique vintages out of the Hunter Valley and then take their finest drop on the road. Caravan of Courage, the ingenious pop-up wine bar creation of Next Generation Hunter Valley, enjoys its third incarnation this year with the apt title One More for the Road, boasting a selection of 24 wines to titillate the palette. Formerly setting out northwards from Melbourne in a big green bus to secret locations all over Australia, this time around Next Generation have taken to the skies, heading south from Brisbane on May 3. Over the subsequent month they'll deliver classy boozing to the lucky folk of Newcastle (Saturday, May 4), Sydney (Friday, May 10), Canberra (Thursday, May 16), and Melbourne (Friday, May 17). What makes Next Generation Hunter Valley special? It's a collective of six prized stables (David Hook Wines, Thomas Wines, Meerea Park Wines, Mistletoe Wines, De Iuliis Wines and Margan Wines) that share a commitment to the future of the Hunter Valley, melding old, well-established vineyards with contemporary winemaking practices. In true Aussie style, Caravan of Courage embodies the larrikin spirit, and you can get to know the wines better by meeting the personalities behind them — David Hook, Andrew Thomas, Rhys Eather, Nick Paterson, Mike De Iuliis and Andrew Margan will be in attendance. Ever broadening the scope of their imperialist tipple agenda, they're rumoured to have their sights set on Adelaide, Perth and Tasmania for upcoming pop-ups. Tickets to One More for the Road are $35 (available here). The Brisbane launch takes place on May 3, 6-9pm at Loft West End (100 Boundary Street, West End, 4101). Updates are available by following @nextgenhv #COC2013 on Twitter and becoming a fan on Facebook.
Looks like it's time to throw An Unexpected Party; The Hobbit now has its own beer. Set to be released as a trio of microbrews, the Hobbity bottles will be available in the coming weeks, brewed to promote the next Tolkien-penned chapter of Peter Jackson's epic film series, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (out this December). With chilli-infused Smaug Stout on the line, this is a branding exercise we can get behind. Created far over the misty mountains cold by Washington state-based microbrewery Fish Brewing (backed by an army of investors including New Line Productions, Warner Brothers, BevLink and Ocean Brands), the three Hobbit-themed beers take on the personas of three of the series' most villainous characters in 650ml bottles. First off the rank, the Gollum Precious Pils, golden and somewhat bitter like its namesake. Then there's the ol' Smaug Stout named for our fiery treasure hoarder, a black imperial stout infused with chillies (classic dragon beer) and the perfect companion for lengthy, Orc-pursued journeys to Lonely Mountains, if you will. Finally, the Bolg Belgian Style Tripel is a robust beer embodying the evil Orc leader, crafted with enough dark strength to lead an army of goblins, Wargs and Bats in the Battle of the Five Armies. While we're yet to learn whether the Hobbit beer will make its way to Australia, the trio will be available in the US (here's hoping some nifty Australian boutique bottle shops get importing). For now, we'll just have to take a trip to the real life Green Dragon. Via Grub Street and Beer Pulse.
Do you want to kick off 2014 with a bang? Do you like your music loud? Do you like to party? If you answered yes to any/all of these then I think I have an event that might interest you. The Fox Hotel is backing up from their New Year's Eve celebration for a beach-themed shindig to ring in the New Year. If your head isn’t too sore from celebrating the end of 2013, then what better way to embrace 2014 than to party some more with some of Brisbane’s best bands. Don’t worry about the heat, as this beach party will be enough to keep you cool. Inflatable pools, Weis Bar cocktails, beer esky’s, fish and chips, live sets from Dune Rats, Go Violets and The Good Sports as well as heaps of disc jockeys – what more could you want or need? Entry is free, make sure you get in early though because this could be the party of the year - and the year just started!
Since the Australia Government introduced an effective and indefinite ban on international travel back in March to help stop the spread of COVID-19, no one has been heading overseas for a holiday. There has been plenty of talk since about what the future of global trips might hold over that time, of course. It's expected that the country's international borders unlikely to reopen until next year, for instance, while the entire international tourism industry isn't predicted to return to normal until 2023. If you plan to jet overseas via Qantas once you're able to, the airline's chief has advised one requirement you'll have to adhere to as well: you'll need to have had a COVID-19 vaccination. Speaking on A Current Affair on Monday, November 23, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said that the airline is "looking at changing our terms and conditions to say, for international travellers, that we will ask people to have a vaccination before they can get on the aircraft". "Certainly for international visitors coming out and people leaving the country, we think that's a necessity," Joyce said. But when asked if the requirement would also apply for local flights, he wasn't certain. "Whether you need that domestically, we'll have to see what will happen with COVID-19 and the market," he advised. https://twitter.com/ACurrentAffair9/status/1330788260856131584 That means you'll need to add one more thing to your pre-travel checklist — with Joyce's statement coming at a time when a COVID-19 vaccine looks closer to becoming a reality. In the past few weeks, the companies behind three different vaccine candidates have announced positive results from their ongoing clinical trials, covering potential immunisations developed by Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca. As a result, there is currently hope that vaccines might be able to start being rolled out in the new year. When you are able to receive a jab, it won't cost you a cent, as Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison flagged back in August. Obviously, the government won't provide further details about how everyone will get vaccinated until a working vaccine actually exists. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in Australia, visit the Australian Government Department of Health website.
2020 will forever be known as the year everyone wore an extra groove into their couch. And because the past 12 months have just been so chaotic, you probably haven't managed to do everything you wanted to — even working through your streaming queue. You've been distracted by quite the hectic circumstances, so that's perfectly natural. Now that life slowly seems to be returning to normal — and now that holidays are upon us, too — you're probably wondering which series you should catch up on. 2020 delivered a heap of stellar new shows, however, so that isn't a straightforward question. Thankfully, in collaboration with streaming service Binge, we're here to help. Here are five of the year's absolute must-sees, all of which you can binge in full now — including via a 14-day free trial for new customers.
Bubble-gum pop may have left the charts, but it never left our hearts. And this week it's back and bigger than ever with AQUA's Australian tour. Selling out their first Brisbane show in a matter of hours devastation was fast wreaking havoc across the Brisbane burbs. But saving the day like the (cartoon) heroes they are, AQUA launched a second show at the HiFI and are also gracing the Coolangatta Hotel on the Coast. This year has been a big surprise with 90s greats popping up all over. The Venga bus came and went, S Club are on their way and AQUA, arguably the biggest band of the 90s are just around the corner. They survived a lawsuit from Mattel, sold an estimated 33 million albums and singles and became the most successful Danish band to achieve global success. There is no doubt AQUA are prime 90s history, loved by an overwhelming majority of the population. This once in a lifetime AQUA opportunity won't come by again anytime soon. Which ever show you're going to, make the most of this live dose of colourful candy classics. Come on Barbie, let's go party!
Winter is all about staying indoors — and you want those interiors to look as great as possible. Art and design lovers, that's where the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art's annual Winter Design Market comes in. Browse, buy and then prepare to get cosy. Find jewellery, ceramics, textiles, homewares and clothing and more at the day-long maker market, which will feature more than 50 stalls when it takes over the GOMA forecourt from 9am until 4pm on Saturday, June 8. Don't go giving their official store a miss either — take the time to peruse the GOMA collection of books and art, and thank us for the tip later. Remember: cute design wares call for cash, as EFTPOS facilities might not be available at all sellers. And while GOMA will host another design market once the silly season rolls around, getting your gift shopping out of the way now will make you feel like Christmas has come early.
Electro duo Canyons have been on the music radar for some time now and with the release of their debut album, Keep Your Dreams, big things are in store for them in 2012. After a busy few months of touring, supporting electronic royalty Justice, and scoring positions at summer festivals, March has seen the boys taking their live show to the road as they tour Keep Your Dreams. Their music is multi-layered, poppy dance beats, folk vocals and euphoric atmospherics combine to make a musical kaleidoscope. Brisbane keeps pumping out exciting musical acts and special guests, Young Men Dead and Silas and The Seasons are no exception. Four piece Young Men Dead have played with the likes of songstress Kate Nash and electronic extraordinaire Yuksek. Like Canyons, they are difficult to pigeon hole as they mix tribal drum beats, funky bass lines with catchy vocals resulting in a unique sound. Silas and The Seasons are masters of chilled out, floaty electronica and are sure to be crowd pleasers. Cobra Kai is one of the last stops on Canyons' nation-wide tour, but don't fret, the pair haven't lost their momentum. Get down to Oh Hello and treat your ears with musical deliciousness, it's going to be a corker of a night.
Although summer has been and gone for another year, our sunshine state boasts wonderful weather all year round. Limes Hotel Rooftop Bar is the perfect place for nibbles and cocktails all to be enjoyed under the stars. If you thought it couldn't get any better than that, think again, Limes Hotel also hosts movie nights. If you missed Black Swan in the cinema or if you saw it and like many, loved it, you're in for a treat as it is the next film to be screened on Limes' movie night. Two screenings of the psychological thriller staring Natalie Portman will be shown: 6.30pm and 9pm on Tuesday. Various movie packages are available to make the night extra enjoyable. It's the perfect place to take your special someone and what better way to impress them than the package for two including two tickets, a share platter and a bottle of Chandon. Sipping on a cocktail as the sun slips behind the city skyline whilst enjoying the fresh air beats a busy movie theatre and pricey popcorn any day. Make sure you book your tickets soon as they are sure to be snapped up quickly.
