Bluesfest has lifted the lid on its first artist announcement for 2020 and heading the stampede are famed American singer Patti Smith, rockers Dave Matthews Band and the legendary Crowded House. All three are repeat Bluesfest offenders, with Patti Smith and her band returning after a standout performance in 2017, the "magical and unmissable" Dave Matthews Band heading back for their third festival and Crowded House once again trekking up the coast — this time for an exclusive Australian performance. Expect to hear plenty of huge tunes from the likes of Smith's 'Because the Night' to Matthews' 'Crash Into Me' and the anthem that is 'Don't Dream It's Over'. Other acts to hit the stage over the weekend include the multi Grammy Award-winning George Benson, American singer Brandi Carlile, Aussie favourites The Cat Empire, British trip-hop band Morcheeba and John Butler. The festival will return to Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm — just outside Byron Bay — for 2020 despite Festival Director Peter Noble threatening to leave NSW earlier this year because of the State Government's strict new music festival licensing regime. An inquiry into the licence is currently underway. Better start making Easter plans because tickets are already on sale. Anyway, here's the full lineup (so far). [caption id="attachment_737186" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dave Matthews Band[/caption] BLUESFEST 2020 LINEUP Dave Matthews Band Patti Smith and Her Band Crowded House George Benson Brandi Carlile John Butler Xavier Rudd The Cat Empire Morcheeba John Prine Jenny Lewis Frank Turner John Mayall Buffy Sainte-Marie The Marcus Kind Band Walter Trout Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram Greensky Bluegrass Larkin Poe The War & Treaty Bluesfest 2020 will run April 9–13 at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, Byron Bay. Tickets are on sale now via Moshtix.
In the scene that gives Never Rarely Sometimes Always its name, 17-year-old Autumn (Sidney Flanigan) sits with a counsellor at Planned Parenthood in Brooklyn. The teen hails from Pennsylvania, but has taken the bus east with her cousin Skylar (Talia Ryder) upon discovering that she's pregnant and realising she only really has one option — knowing that her family is unlikely to help, and after her local women's clinic has advised that she should just have the baby. Before she can obtain the New York facility's assistance, however, she is asked questions about her history. The queries broach tough and intimate subjects, but Autumn only needs to answer with one of the words from the movie's moniker. While they're simple and common, those four terms explain much about why a small-town high-schooler is engaging in a practice that's been dubbed 'abortion tourism'. So too does the silence that punctuates her responses and the heartbreaking expression on her face that goes with them. From its opening frames, which sketch out Autumn's everyday life — the taunting peers, the awkward dynamic at home, the attentions of her boss at her after-school supermarket job, and the efforts to be seen by performing at her class concert — Never Rarely Sometimes Always is an intricately observed and stunningly detailed film. Accordingly, when the aforementioned scene arrives, it's the latest potent, compassionate and revealing moment in a movie filled with them. But filmmaker Eliza Hittman refuses to give viewers even the tiniest reprieve here. Autumn can't escape these difficult questions or the entire experience she's dealing with, and the audience is forced into the same situation. Maintaining the feature's unobtrusive, naturalistic, almost documentary-esque style, cinematographer Hélène Louvart (Happy as Lazzaro) doesn't look away, while first-time actor Flanigan pours out an entire lifetime's worth of feeling under the film's unrelenting gaze. When Never Rarely Sometimes Always premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival back in January, it deservedly won a special jury prize. The next month, it took home Berlinale's Silver Bear, the festival's second most prestigious award. It now reaches screens Down Under as the year approaches its end, and releases less than a week after another movie delivered another immensely uncomfortable moment in a women's clinic. By almost all other metrics and measures, Never Rarely Sometimes Always and Borat Subsequent Moviefilm share little in common. And yet, both understand how reproductive rights, or the lack thereof in many cases and places, say much about America today. Both make viewers stare unflinchingly at that reality, the way that it disadvantages half of the population, and the life-changing effect it can have on teenage girls and their futures. Never Rarely Sometimes Always is a movie about the politicisation of a deeply personal subject, how that has far-reaching repercussions, and what that means on a daily and practical basis. Making clear exactly what Autumn has to go through to even get to that distressing clinic chat, it's a gut-punch of a film on the topic, in fact. Anchored by Flanigan's instinctual, unaffected performance — one of the year's best, in one of its best films — Hittman's feature surveys the vacant storefronts and empty-hearted locals in Autumn's home town, and the way her mother (Sharon Van Etten) is also trapped in her own way. It watches as Skylar steals the cash needed to finance their trip from the register at work, and shows how the more outgoing teen is unwavering in supporting her reserved cousin. It takes the bus to NYC with its characters, stares out the window at a haze of brown landscape, then rides the subway all night when the pair can't afford a place to sleep in the city. The film meets the men, both overt and in the background, who try to grab the girls' attention, and follows the many choices that need to be made to just get to Autumn's appointment. 'Immersive' is an overused descriptor, but in a movie this meticulous, it fits. As should be evident from all of the above, Never Rarely Sometimes Always is something else as well: a tale of struggling youth. And as anyone who has seen 2013's It Felt Like Love and 2017's Beach Rats will know, there are few filmmakers better at spinning such stories than Hittman. When it comes to the teen experience, the American writer/director possesses a near-uncanny ability to navigate tense rivers of emotion through highly specific yet also highly relatable scenarios. Rather than focusing on sexual awakenings like its predecessors, Never Rarely Sometimes Always explores the aftermath of a tryst that's never seen or mentioned, but it still firmly belongs in their company. Why Autumn is pregnant is far less important than how she feels, what she's forced to endure and how the world constantly tries to make her choices for her — including by placing her in a parade of fraught situations that will only ever apply to women. It takes a vast amount of skill to tell this tale in not only a resonant manner, but also a sensitive one. It requires the same talent to ensure that every ebb and flow in Never Rarely Sometimes Always' seemingly straightforward narrative echoes across the screen, illustrating how thematically and emotionally complicated Autumn's plight is — and, by extension, those of the many other teens just like her as well. Doing just that in a movie that lets actions and images speak far louder than its sparse dialogue obviously falls into the same category. Hittman boasts all that skill and talent, and no second or detail is wasted under her guidance. As intimated by its protagonist's name, as taken from the season when the leaves fall, warmth fades and the weather's frostiest period approaches, this is a film about decay, loss and change in multiple ways — and it's as grim and gripping as it is outraged, empathetic and affecting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsWV2qTX21k
We'll be the first to admit that we'd love to get our hands on our favourite chefs' little black books of go-to restaurants. What does Matt Moran have saved in his Notes app under RESTAURANTS TO TRY? Where does Ben Shewry go on the nights he's not harvesting cabbages at Attica? Who does George Calombaris send food emojis to to set up a post-MasterChef feed? We bet it's some dingy, CBD dumpling bar where they let you bring in bottles of vintage from your resto for $1 corkage per person. Or maybe a tiny Italian restaurant in the suburbs run by a nonno-nonna dream team with bad tablecloths and amazing tagliatelle. Right? Evidently, that's what The Australian Financial Review thought too when they set up Australia's Top 100 Restaurants as voted by chefs and restaurateurs last year. But 2016's Top 100 was announced last night at The Star in Sydney, and you know where our top chefs eat? Exactly the same places as us. Taking out top place was the very same establishment that's been named Australia's best in The World's 50 Best Restaurants, Attica. Fellow Victorian Brae came in second for Dan Hunter's regional cuisine, and in third were last year's winners Sepia, which is run by Sydneysiders Martin Benn and Vicki Wild. How surprising. Rounding out the top ten were Sydney restaurants Quay, Sixpenny and the Opera House's Bennelong. Rockpool also got a look in, as did Hobart's Franklin and newcomers Ester and Automata. So either chef's only go to their mates' fancy restaurants, or, if they do go to dingy dumpling joints, they're keeping those ones to themselves.
Very serious media outlet The Betoota Advocate will hit the road this summer, spreading its particular brand of satire and wit throughout the country. Hitting all capital cities (as well as Townsville, Toowoomba, Gold Coast, Newcastle and Wollongong), The Betoota Advocate's travelling show will partly be in response to big lay-offs from the major players in Australian media, and the merging of media brands. How have they managed to keep a media outlet in business in the current day and age of readership decrease and draining funds? How did they gain such a cult-like following? Where exactly is "Betoota"? All these questions will be answered and more, when The Betoota Advocate founders Clancy Overell and Errol Parker (and a special guest) take to the stage for a 90-minute satirical presentation about how they've ended up where they are, and how they run on a daily basis. With millions of hits online per month, the Advocate is certainly doing something right — even if that something is turning the zeitgeist completely on its head. If you're reading this wondering who they are and what they write about — well, best get acquainted. Past headlines include "Australia Enjoys Another Peaceful Day Under Oppressive Gun Control Regime", and "21-Year-Old Disappointed To Learn He's Too Old And Out-Of-Touch To Be A SoundCloud Rapper". It's a riot. Since the website has birthed endless confused texts from parents — asking, for example, whether the Australian Citizen Test really includes a question on how to mix cordial properly — we suggest you bring them along. Get your tickets from 12pm Wednesday, August 1, here. THE BETOOTA ADVOCATE ROADSHOW Townsville — Saturday, November 3 Darwin — Sunday, November 4 Toowoomba — Tuesday, November 6 Brisbane — Thursday, November 8 Gold Coast — Friday, November 9 Wollongong — Sunday, November 11 Newcastle — Tuesday, November 13 Perth — Friday, November 16 Melbourne — Saturday, November 17 Hobart — Sunday, November 18 Adelaide — Thursday, November 22 Canberra — Friday, November 30 Sydney — Saturday, December 1
Picture this: it's a bright, summery Brisbane day and you're stuck inside your office dreaming of soaking up some vitamin D. Sound familiar? Pack your SPF and hat, because we've compiled a list of parks perfect for a lunchtime siesta or a post-work picnic. The best part is they're all walking distance from takeaway outlets, so you can grab a burger-based feast on route and don't need to worry about prepping any salads. We've partnered with Betty's Burgers & Concrete Co. to bring you this list of five parks within walking distance to one of its restaurants, so you can have an impromptu burger picnic any day or night this week. [caption id="attachment_668009" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brisbane City Council via Flickr[/caption] BRISBANE CITY BOTANIC GARDENS Need a cool escape from your shopping trip at Queen Street Mall? Or from work at Queensland University of Technology? Well, pack something to sit on and look no further than the shady oasis of the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens. Meander along the Riverwalk and find refuge under the jacaranda trees to enjoy a handheld snack. The Botanic Gardens has a guaranteed blissfulness to it, providing a much-needed break from the hustle and bustle of the city. But before you set out, head to the Albert Street's Betty's Burgers, less than a ten-minute walk from the gardens. HOWARD SMITH WHARVES STEPS With the best views of the Storey Bridge in Brisbane, Howard Smith Wharves is the place to be for prime sunset viewing. Meander down to the steps by the water after work and recharge. It's also an excellent option when you haven't planned a thing; there are plenty of eateries nearby to help cure those hunger pangs. After watching the sunset and taking some golden hour photos (you know you want to), order a snack from Betty's. [caption id="attachment_792703" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Creative Commons; Kgbo[/caption] WATERFRONT PARK Embrace the Newstead lifestyle and soak in the sunshine at one of the many waterfront parks in the area. Watch the active families go by on their bikes while you enjoy a takeaway burger from Betty's. If you have the kids in tow, set them up at the playground and relax at one of the sheltered picnic tables. If the impeccable views of the river aren't enough to entice you then surely the stellar walkway will. Finish up your picnic with a riverside stroll. [caption id="attachment_792704" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Creative Commons; Kgbo[/caption] MARCHANT PARK For a green space smack-bang in the middle of Chermside, you can't go past Marchant Park. With plenty of shade, it's the place to set up a picnic blanket and consider the afternoon sorted. Packed with heritage charm, the park isn't just a pretty picnic spot; the gates at the park entrance were established in 1924 in memory of First World War veterans, for example, and it's home to long-running Warehouse Cricket Club. Pass the time here by watching locals battle it out on the pitch, or hang around the dog park for maximum cuteness. Before you set off, visit Chermside Betty's to pick up lunch. [caption id="attachment_784308" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brisbane Marketing[/caption] ROMA STREET PARKLANDS Brisbane's best inner-city leafy oasis is the ideal spot for a Sunday afternoon barbecue, or a romantic stroll followed by a picnic on the hill. With 16 hectares of gardens, the parkland is filled with exciting trails from a misty fern gully to an oasis of designer gardens. The best part is, some parts of the parklands are BYO booze-friendly. Crack open a cold one, grab some takeaway and unwind after work. Keep an eye out for events over summer, too, as there's usually free live music and outdoor cinemas to book into when you want to make a night of it. Find your nearest Betty's Burgers & Concrete Co, here.
Everyone's favourite annual celebration of France is back for another year. That'd be Le Festival, aka the Brisbane French Festival, complete with all the fine food, busy market stalls and fun activities Francophiles have come to expect. Running from Friday, July 5 to Sunday, July 7, this year's three-day cultural affair features plenty of all three, although the wine selection is always popular. If you're able to tear yourself away from sipping on deliciousness, then head to the cheese display. Afterwards, snack on crepes and mussels, browse for homewares, gifts, fashion, books and magazines, and enjoy live tunes, cabaret and even can-can dancing. Want to steep yourself a little deeper in French style? That's where the masterclasses come in. Previous topics have featured everything from making French perfume to dairy to whipping up some profiteroles to dressing like you're in Paris. Then, cap off your weekend of Gallic goodness with a glass of champagne — yes, there's usually a session on that too. The Brisbane French Festival runs from 5–10pm on Friday, 9am–11pm on Saturday and 9am–6pm on Sunday, with tickets $10 at the gate on the date or $5 online in advance. Images: Ange Costes
Do you feel guilty every time you leave the house and leave your four-legged best friend home alone? Have you ever wondered what your favourite canine gets up to when you're out? Maybe you've just stepped inside one day to find that your pet has turned the television on and is sitting there staring it at. It happens. Whichever category you fall into, making sure your doggo isn't bored when you're out can be an enormous source of stress for pet owners — but a new collection of audiobooks wants to help. Whether your woofer has shown a love for literature (bringing in the newspaper or munching on a few books, perhaps?) or just likes the sound of someone's voice, Audible for Dogs has been specially curated for pooches left on their lonesome. It's inspired by a UK study that suggests that canines in kennels respond better to audiobooks than music, with the doggo-centric library featuring tales that have been "chosen for their calming narration and evenly paced narrative". And no, Marley and Me definitely isn't one of them. That said, there are a number of dog-focused titles in the collection, such as Red Dog, Working Dog Heroes and The Spotted Dog — which, along with Tim Winton's Cloudstreet, form Audible for Dogs' Aussie Collection. Other books available include Pride and Prejudice, David Copperfield, Anne of Green Gables and The Great Gatsby as part of the Classics Collection, so you can expose your fluffy friend to the greats (and maybe even listen to a few with them). Your four-legged bestie can also relax to Big Little Lies, Sherlock Holmes and The Lord of the Rings — and hopefully it won't start searching for precious things after the latter. The range of titles also comes with plenty of high-profile voices doing the narration, spanning everyone from Stephen Fry to Rachel McAdams to Jake Gyllenhaal. Audible for Dogs' selection has been chosen by animal behaviourist Dr. Susan Hazel, as well as Aussie media personality and dog-lover Osher Günsberg — and if you buy one of its audiobooks between now and November 2, 2019, $1 from each purchase will go to the Sydney Dogs and Cats Home. The two special doggy bundles each cost $19.95, while general Audible membership costs $16.45 per month. For more information, visit the Audible for Dogs website.
The rapidly evolving landscape of the Sydney CBD continues to gain international recognition, raking in three nominations at this year's annual awards given by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH). The well-regarded, Chicago-based competition rewards outstanding design, planning and construction of tall buildings, and remains an influencer in future building projects worldwide. The most notable finalist are the International Towers at Barangaroo, which have been shortlisted in the 'Best Tall Building: Asia & Australasia' category. They will compete against eight office buildings and hotels in the region — including four in China, three in Singapore and one in South Korea. If awarded, Barangaroo will then go up against the three additional regional winners from the Americas, Europe and Middle East & Africa categories to be judged for the title of '2018 Best Tall Building Worldwide'. Sydney is not new to this honour, with One Central Park taking home the gold back in 2014. But the plaudits doesn't stop there, with two George Street buildings also in the running for lesser awards. The EY Centre is up for the Best Construction Award, making the final cut with five other buildings from New York City, Salt Lake City and Shenzhen (China). This building already gained national recognition in 2017, winning the Harry Seidler Award for Commercial Architecture at last year's National Architecture Awards. In the Ten Year Award, residential complex Lumiere is a finalist against international designs in the States, the UK, Dubai, China and Bahrain. The award is bestowed on buildings that prove valuable to their cities over a period of time In all categories, the winning projects must display innovative designs that enhance their respective cities. The winners will be announced May 30-31 at the inaugural Tall + Urban Innovation Conference in Chicago, which will celebrate the best in international design innovation, technologies and construction. Via Commercial Real Estate and Architecture AU. Feature image via Wikimedia.
It's about to get a whole lot harder for any NSW driver to get away with using their mobile phone while driving — and it's thanks to a world-first move by the NSW Government, which has agreed to adopt speed camera-style technology to detect the illegal behaviour. As reported by The Sydney Morning Herald, the legislation giving the tech the go-ahead was passed in NSW parliament this week. It's hoped the decision to use the cameras will have a huge positive impact on the number of road fatalities — much like when breath testing was introduced back in 1982 and slashed fatal accidents by almost 50 percent. "The community wants safer roads and better driver behaviour," NSW Minister for Roads Melinda Pavey told The Sydney Morning Herald. "Three quarters of those surveyed supported the use of cameras to enforce illegal mobile phone use." But the technology doesn't actually exist yet. The government will now put the call-out to companies who are interested in providing the technology. Whatever that technology may be. Most drivers will probably see this as a cash grab — fully licensed drivers are looking at a $330 fine and four demerit points if caught — but Mrs Pavey said that money raised from the camera fines will go back into a Community Road Safety Fund. And considering that the dangerous use of phones involved in 184 crashes between 2012 and 2017, it's not hard to see why the decision's got so much backing. Via The Sydney Morning Herald.
Every year the Meredith Festival taunts and teases us by bringing to Australia an eclectic yet amazing lineup of artists, then only selling tickets to the select few who lucked out in the ballot. Conveniently for the rest of us sad souls, a large number of the 2011 headliners are playing sideshows to help soothe everyone’s wounds. One such performer is the genius gentleman Kurt Vile. Touring Australia for the first time ever, the sale of his sideshows have been lapped up by adoring fans keen to hear their favourite songs live. Playing Woodland in Brisbane, I can think of no better venue suited to his style of music. Described as a kind of Neil Young and Television amalgamation, Kurt's soothing tunes are best listened to in a chilled out, bliss-like state where you can contemplate the heartfelt lyrics. Woodland offers that kind of vibe in spades, plus you have the added bonus of there being no raucous crowds to ruin your Kurt Vile experience. With a large discography that has never seen the light of day live in Oz before, his performance is sure to be amazing. Whether you’re a long term fan who's been waiting years for this, or a newbie who has only just discovered him now, Kurt Vile will be worth your time.
It's Nicole Kidman's next miniseries role after The Undoing. It's based on the 2018 novel penned by Big Little Lies author Liane Moriarty. It also stars everyone from Melissa McCarthy (Thunder Force) and Michael Shannon (Knives Out) to Luke Evans (Crisis) and Asher Keddie (Rams). And, it brought all of the above famous faces — and Bobby Cannavale (Superintelligence), Regina Hall (Little), Samara Weaving (Bill & Ted Face the Music), Melvin Gregg (The United States vs Billie Holiday), Asher Keddie (Rams), Grace Van Patten (Under the Silver Lake), Tiffany Boone (The Midnight Sky) and Manny Jacinto (The Good Place) as well — to Byron Bay, where it was shot. Yes, Nine Perfect Strangers was always going to be one of 2021's big TV shows — and viewers Down Under can now look forward to watching it on Amazon Prime Video. When the series dropped its first teaser trailer back in April, exactly where folks in Australia and New Zealand would be able to watch the eagerly anticipated program hadn't yet been revealed. Now, the streaming service has announced that it'll be airing it on our shores. It hasn't advised exactly when, though, so don't go pencilling a date into your calendar just yet. That said, Nine Perfect Strangers is due to start streaming week-to-week via Hulu in the US from August 18, so fingers crossed that Amazon will make it available here around the same time. Story-wise, Perfect Strangers casts Kidman as a wellness guru. She's unlikely to leave anyone feeling relaxed, however. Her character Masha oversees a resort that promises to transform nine city dwellers, and you can bet that things aren't going to turn out as planned for the show's titular figures. As with Big Little Lies and The Undoing, David E Kelley (LA Law, Ally McBeal, Mr Mercedes) is leading the charge behind the scenes. He's the show's co-writer and co-showrunner, with Long Shot's Jonathan Levine directing every episode. And yes, Byron Bay seems to be quite the TV hub at the moment, given that Stan's upcoming mystery-drama series Eden also shot in the area, and that Netflix is working on a docu-soap about Byron Bay influencers. Check out Hulu's new date announcement teaser trailer for Nine Perfect Strangers below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sv3fA0D2cAk Nine Perfect Strangers is slated to air in the US on Hulu from August 18; however, Amazon Prime Video is yet to announce a streaming date for Australia and New Zealand. We'll update you when one is announced.
Welcome to Bowen Hills will accommodate both your stomach and your flaming sinuses in a two-day event that is the Hot Sauce and Chilli Festival. If spice is your mate and you think you can handle some of the hottest chilli situations Brisbane can throw at you, now's your time to prove your mettle. Some you'll even have to sign a waiver to taste, so you know they'll be life-affirming. On March 10 and 11 there'll be sauce offerings from 13 Angry Scorpions; however that's just the start of the spicy fun. If you've come for the actual food side of things, you're in luck too — Brat Haus, Mussel Brothers, Mr Burger, King of the Wings, Rolls Pho Mi and Koma Sliders will set up shop over the weekend, among others. And drinks? Well, the bar team will be serving 'hot pocket' shots. Here, it's not enough to devour satay burgers, Vietnamese chilli, chilli mussels and more, or slather your food in spicy sauce — you'll also want to get your fiery fix by sipping it as well.
Aussie Aussie Aussie! ...No? We don't do that for literary awards? Regardless, Tasmanian author Richard Flanagan won the Man Booker Prize last night in London, and we couldn't be more proud. Commended for his harrowing POW story The Narrow Road to the Deep North, Flanagan is just the third Australian to ever win the prestigious award. In related news: the first book on your summer reading list is now sorted. The Man Booker, for those not in the know, is one of the most respected awards in the industry. Established in 1968, past winners of the prize have included J.M. Coetzee, Peter Carey, Margaret Atwood, and last year's NZ-born recipient Eleanor Catton. The award (and the $88,000 in prize money) is given to the author with the best book published in English in the UK each year. Though previously reserved for those in the Commonwealth, 2014 was the first year the prize was opened up to authors of any nationality. Because of this Flanagan beat not only a few Brits, but a couple of Americans to win the top prize. Though Neel Mukherjee was tipped to win for his story of family life in Calcutta The Lives of Others, Flanagan prevailed. The Narrow Road to the Deep North is the third consecutive Man Booker winner with a historical focus. Inspired by the hardships of his father, Flanagan's story is about prisoners of war on the Burma Railway. His father died on the day he finished the book. We suggest heading to a bookstore soon, this little Tasmanian gem will be flying off the shelves. If all else fails, a free sample of the book is available via Random House. Happy reading. Via SMH and ABC.
Throughout 2021, Marvel and Disney+ have been showering viewers with new TV series, all featuring characters we all know and love from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So, you've probably watched Loki get up to his trickster antics in Loki, and seen The Falcon and The Winter Soldier team up in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. And, you likely now have Hawkeye's next adventures in the upcoming Hawkeye on your radar as well. Yes, these MCU streaming series couldn't have more straightforward names. Yes, Marvel has now turned watching TV into big-screen homework, given that its movie franchise keeps hitting cinemas (thanks to Black Widow and Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings already this year, and with Eternals and Spider-Man: No Way Home still to come before 2021 is out). And yes, the first of these new MCU Disney+ shows finally made everyone take notice of the always-great Kathryn Hahn, who stole every scene she was in each and every time she popped up in WandaVision. Obviously, WandaVision was about Marvel characters Wanda and Vision, with Avengers: Endgame's Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany reprising their roles. But Hahn also played a significant part as neighbour-slash-witch Agatha Harkness, even nabbing an Emmy nomination for her efforts. So, because she was such a fan favourite, she's now getting her own show. Variety reports that the series will be a dark comedy about Agatha, starring Hahn; however, details beyond that are currently under wraps. But the character has a considerable history, only some of which WandaVision dived into. In comic books, she's been around since the 70s — and, story-wise, her tale dates back to the Salem witch trials. The news — and the world's reaction to the glorious Hahn — won't come as a surprise if you've been watching the exceptional actor throughout her pre-Marvel career. She stole scenes in Parks and Recreation, Transparent and I Know This Much Is True as well, and made an impact in movies as varied as Revolutionary Road, Our Idiot Brother and the Bad Moms flicks. And, she's also exceptional in Netflix film Private Life as well. Exactly when Marvel and Disney+'s Hahn-led Agatha Harkness spinoff will arrive hasn't been revealed. But, you can get the Emmy-winning 'Agatha All Along' tune stuck in your head again now until more news drops: WandaVision is currently available to stream via Disney+. When Marvel and Disney+'s Agatha Harkness spinoff will drop hasn't yet been revealed — we'll update you when more information is announced. Via Variety. Image: Suzanne Tenner, Marvel Studios.
Come early 2021, the Gold Coast will boast yet another attraction, and it doesn't involve sun, surf, sand or theme park rides. Southeast Queensland's popular tourist destination will become home to a $60.5 million, six-level art gallery — the country's largest art gallery outside of a capital city. Currently under construction at Surfers Paradise's HOTA, Home of the Arts, the gallery will include a 1000-square-metre main exhibition space that'll be used for touring exhibitions, plus 900 square metres of permanent collection space across three levels, a children's gallery, and another 1000 square metres for storing works that aren't on display. Simply called the HOTA gallery, it's being built at the top of the site's new concert lawn, and will overlook HOTA's outdoor stage. View-wise, for those keen to gaze at something other than the pieces gracing the walls, the building's rooftop will also be open to the public — and, with a bar part of the plans, it'll serve up plenty of drinks to go with the 270-degree vantage over both the city skyline and natural vistas. Going in the opposite direction, a ground-floor restaurant will also feature. With linking with HOTA's outdoor grounds a key component of the site — with the gallery both spilling out onto the landscape and incorporating the garden into its internal spaces — the structure's design and construction is being overseen by Hansen Yuncken, who managed the same process for Hobart's Museum of Old and New Art (MONA). From late 2019, HOTA will also boast a brand new 130-metre green bridge over the Nerang River, connecting it with the rest of Surfer's Paradise via Chevron Island, and making it easier for pedestrians and cyclists to get to the arts centre. HOTA Gallery is set to open at HOTA, Home of the Arts, 135 Bundall Road, Surfers Paradise from early 2021. For more information, visit the HOTA website. Image: HOTA, Home of the Arts.
When Australia was saying goodbye to border restrictions, the country's various states started giving away vouchers and incentives to get folks travelling around the nation again. Those days are gone, but Queensland still wants everyone — Queenslanders, interstate residents and New Zealanders alike alike — to make holiday plans in the Sunshine State. To help, it's giving away five impressive getaways over five weeks. The catch: you will need to actually answer your phone. If you're the kind of person who always texts about everything over calling, you'll need to change your ways if you want to score a free vacation. First, you'll need to register online, too, to be on the Sunshine State's call list. Then, it's time to wait for the phone to ring. [caption id="attachment_842401" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tropical North Queensland[/caption] On offer: a different free getaway each week, starting with a 12-night road trip for two through Queensland's outback. The first holiday focuses on the Sunshine State leg of the Savannah Way, and will see you start off in Mount Isa, get a 4x4 hire vehicle with rooftop tent for hitting the bitumen, camp in Burketown and Croydon, go up in a hot air balloon, spend two nights in Karumba, glamp (and soak) at Talaroo Hot Springs, stay at (and tour) Undara Volcanic National Park, then end with an evening at Crystalbrook Flynn in Cairns before flying home. You'll need to be able to go between July 8–21. After that, you could nab an island-hopping stint in the Torres Strait for four nights, which covers four people and will happen from May 28–June 1; a four-night Sunshine Coast Hinterland trip for two that's all about artisanal experiences, and runs from July 28–August 1; and six nights in the Bundaberg and Capricorn regions, including hiking the Carnarvon Gorge, from August 15–21. [caption id="attachment_650357" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] Or, there's a gather-the-gang getaway in the Granite Belt wine region, flying you and five mates to Brisbane, then sending you out Stanthorpe way. Running from July 14–17, it includes three nights staying at the Barrel View Luxury Cabins. Tourism and Events Queensland is teaming up with Virgin Australia, Air New Zealand, Webjet, MyQueensland, Accor, Helloworld, Luxury Escapes, Expedia/Wotif and Experience Oz on the giveaways, which folks from around Australia and in New Zealand can enter. Do so once and you're in the draw for all five holidays — or however many are left after you sign up before 5pm AEST on Wednesday, April 19. You can only win one, however, and you don't get to choose. Also, if you get lucky, you will be up for some costs such as food. [caption id="attachment_702568" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism and Events Queensland / Jewels Lynch[/caption] To go in the running for the Queensland Is Calling giveaways, sign up online — and find out more via the Queensland.com website, too. Top image: Talaroo Hot Springs. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Tequila: 1. You: 0. That's right, champ, you're hungover. And when your head is throbbing and your stomach is promising to reject your carb-loaded breakfast, it is near impossible to resist the urge to crawl right back into bed, and stay there. All day. This plan of action isn't always the practical choice, however. Especially if you are in, say, Las Vegas. There's more booze to be drunk, more shenanigans to get into. Lucky for you, there's a solution. And no, it isn't ibuprofen and a Vitamin Water. Enter the fleet of magical buses, Hangover Heaven. The brainchild of Dr. Jason Burke, Hangover Heaven buses are available for walk-in visits, or to drop by the hotel rooms of those in need. The 45-minute IV treatment rehydrates you, all the while pumping you full of hangover-busting vitamins. The treatment is FDA-approved, and available for a charge of US$150. Get in. Get out. Go rage. [via Gawker]
Planning a Sydney getaway? Need an excuse for a trip to the Harbour City? How's chasing bliss at a new two-storey spa overlooking Darling Harbour for motivation? In January 2023, global hotel chain Sofitel will unveil a new addition to its Darling Harbour site: Sofitel Spa, which is being billed as a holistic retreat in the heart of the city. Overlooking the water and featuring an array of wellness treatments and spa facilities, it will join Sydney's existing impressive supply of luxe spa experiences. The spa will feature seven spacious treatment rooms, including two serene suites with soft timbers, alongside sandstone and marble finishes. Other elements include an infrared sauna, a meditation zone and relaxation deck that will sit on level four of the hotel. The spa will sit alongside the hotel's previously opened level-four infinity pool. The pool is heated year-round and offers guests the ability to enjoy a dip while soaking in panoramic views of Darling Harbour and the Sydney CBD skyline. "We have designed our new day spa to nurture and empower guests in their wellness journey, assisting them in identifying their needs and gently guiding them in accomplishing their own goals, whether that relates to fitness, stillness of the mind, replenishment with nutrition or achieving glowing skin," Director of Spa and Wellness Cecilia Ferreyra says. "Our aim is to create bespoke journeys for each of our guests which means all treatments are tailor-made, so guests walk out feeling the full benefits of being in our care." Traditional treatments like massages, facials, body wraps and exfoliation will all be available alongside more holistic half-day experiences that combine exercise, healthy eating, a variety of treatments and introspection. French beauty brand Biologique Recherche and fast-rising Australian company Waterlily have been enlisted to provide the spa with its cosmetic treatment products, each of which will be personalised to any one guest's needs. Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour is located at 12 Darling Drive, Sydney. Sofitel Spa is set to open at the hotel in January 2023.
In January this year, Internet freedom activist Aaron Swartz committed suicide while awaiting trial. Having downloaded millions of papers from digital academic journal archive JSTOR, he had been accused of computer fraud. His death caused outrage among those passionate about public access to information and inspired Internet inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee to write, 'Aaron dead. World wanderers, we have lost a wise elder. Hackers for right, we are one down. Parents all, we have lost a child. Let us weep.' Now, in order to honour Swartz's memory, poet Kenneth Goldsmith is planning on printing out as much of the Internet as possible. Between July 26th and August 30th, he will occupy 500 square metres of space in Mexico City, where the piles of pages will be on display. Members of the public are invited to send in as many Internet print outs as they can. Length is not an issue. 'There are many ways to go about this,' the project's Tumblr pages read. 'You can act alone (print out your own blog, Gmail inbox or spam folder) or you could organise a group of friends to print out a particular corner of the internet, say, all of Wikipedia, the entire New York Times archive, every dossier leaked by Wikileaks for starters. The more the better.' Some argue that the concept promises to make a vital statement about our right to know; others are concerned about the potential environmental costs. A petition against the project has been started at Change.org. [Via PSFK]
iPad max volume just not loud enough? Nonlinear Studio's Amplifiear promises that you'll never struggle to hear movies and music on your iPad again. Surprisingly simple and low-tech in its design, Amplifiear simply clips on to the side of the iPad - no wires or batteries required. The device works to increase volume by reflecting and redirecting the sound from the iPad's back-facing speaker forward. Relying on the basics of physical acoustics, Nonlinear Studio's head designer Evan Clabots designed the Amplifiear out of lightweight, recyclable plastic. It's extremely transportable, and features a tension clip to accommodate all three iPad models. Currently on Kickstarter, the Amplifiear project awaits sufficient funding in order to begin production. It will remain open to donations through May 12.
Daniel Craig might be done saying "Bond, James Bond" after bowing out of the 007-focused franchise with No Time to Die, but he hasn't finished playing Blanc, Benoit Blanc yet. After first stepping into the Southern investigator's shoes in 2019's Knives Out, then sliding back in in 2022's Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, he'll slip into the part again in 2025's Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. Yes, every three years we get a Knives Out movie, or so the trend is playing out. The sleuthing saga's writer and director Rian Johnson announced both the new flick's name and that it'd release in 2025 via social media. "I love everything about whodunnits, but one of the things I love most is how malleable the genre is. There's a whole tonal spectrum from Carr to Christie, and getting to explore that range is one of the most exciting things about making Benoit Blanc movies," the filmmaker who also brought audiences Brick, The Brothers Bloom, Looper, Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi and TV's Poker Face (which has been renewed for a second season) noted. The next Benoit Blanc mystery, the follow-up to Knives Out and Glass Onion, is called Wake Up Dead Man. pic.twitter.com/pdDXRDmwcI — Rian Johnson (@rianjohnson) May 24, 2024 That's all there is details-wise for now, however, with no news about the setting or who Blanc will be pointing the finger at — aka which famous names will play Wake Up Dead Man's suspects — unveiled as yet. And, exactly when in 2025 the flick will hit, and also whether it will reach cinemas before arriving on Netflix, also hasn't been revealed. But, the streamer is teasing that this will be Blanc's "most dangerous case yet". So far, Johnson has plunged his detective into a familiar scenario twice, but always ensured that the end result was anything but routine. His trusty setup: bring a group of people together in a family home, mode of transport or lavish vacation setting, then watch on when one thing that always occurs in a whodunnit happens. That'd be a murder, in a formula that Agatha Christie also loved, as book-to-film adaptations Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile and A Haunting in Venice have shown. The author's play The Mousetrap and recent flick See How They Run, which riffs on it, make the same point. And, so does this clearly Christie-inspired franchise. The cast across Knives Out and Glass Onion has been impressive. Chris Evans (Pain Hustlers), Ana de Armas (Ghosted), Jamie Lee Curtis (Haunted Mansion), Michael Shannon (The Flash), Toni Collette (Mafia Mamma), Don Johnson (The Collective), Lakeith Stanfield (The Changeling), Christopher Plummer (Departure), Katherine Langford (Savage River) and Jaeden Martell (Mr Harrigan's Phone) all featured the first time around. In the second flick, Edward Norton (Asteroid City), Janelle Monáe (Antebellum), Kathryn Hahn (Tiny Beautiful Things), Leslie Odom Jr (The Exorcist: Believer), Jessica Henwick (The Royal Hotel), Madelyn Cline (Outer Banks), Kate Hudson (Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon) and Dave Bautista (Dune: Part Two) all co-starred. If you saw either — or any murder-mystery involving a motley crew of characters brought together in one location when someone turns up dead — then you'll know how this movie series works from there. There's a standout setting, that big group of chalk-and-cheese folks, threats aplenty and just as much suspicion. There's obviously no trailer yet for Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, but there is a video announcing the title, which you can check out below — alongside the trailers for Knives Out and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery: Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery will release sometime in 2025 — we'll update you with an exact date when one is announced. Read our reviews of Knives Out and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Images: John Wilson/Netflix © 2022.
If you're heading to Brisbane for a tropical weekend of indulgence, there are a few institutions you simply have to visit. A lot of the best food, drinks and company will take you off the beaten track, so don't be afraid to rent a car and hit the road. One such institution you must travel to is the Southside Tea Room on Wynnum Road, Morningside. Co-owned by couple Patience Hodgson and John Patterson, formerly of The Grates, the Southside Tearoom is known for its relaxed atmosphere, unusual events (including the incredibly popular Always Sunny in Philadelphia trivia night) and vintage tropical aesthetic. "We wanted to create a relaxed, unpretentious suburban oasis," Patience says. "When we lived in the States we fell in love with all the neighbourhood bars, and that's what we were dreaming of replicating in Brisbane." Like any loyal Brisbanite, she also loves to talk about the weather. "I love the weather," she says. "I'm so conditioned to good weather in Brisbane that I feel like I get micro-seasonal depression when it rains for stretches longer than two days. We all joke about it, but I think it's a genuine thing!" Patience and John have just welcomed a new baby into the fold, but that hasn't slowed them down. Here are Patience's five steps to the perfect weekend (even if you have a baby in tow). To experience them for yourself, head to the Visit Brisbane website and get booking. DIP YOUR TOES IN WYNNUM'S FAMOUS WADING POOL Well worth a day trip, Wynnum is a suburb just 30 minutes drive out from Brisbane's CBD. "The Wynnum wading pool is a rad glimpse into ye olde Brisbane," Patience says. "Basically it's a pool that fills with sea water that's been there for almost 100 years. It's still got loads of character even though they renovated it about ten years ago. The locals are a hoot, and there's plenty of classic fish & chip shops close by." While you're there, check out the quality op-shopping on offer along and just off Bay Terrace. EAT LUNCH AT PERRETT'S PIES "While in Wynnum go to Perrett's Pies," Patience says. "It's one of the oldest bakeries in Brisbane, dating back to 1970. They still use the same pie trays and cake moulds so you'll notice everything is a little smaller then modern times. It's run by a hilarious Irish man and their Neenish Tarts are to die for." There ain't nothing more Queensland than eating a sauce-slathered pie by the ocean, so tuck in. DINNER AT POPOLO IN SOUTH BANK When you get back into town, be sure to head down to South Bank, the precinct that boasts the famous inner city beach, Streets Beach. There are plenty of places to have dinner while gazing over the twinkly Brisbane river, but Patience recommends Popolo. "Popolo in South Bank is a must do. It's right on the river with spectacular views of the city. My mouth is watering just thinking about their truffle polenta and their chilli clams, and they also make great cocktails." ARCHERFIELD SPEEDWAY "Head down to Archerfield Speedway on a Saturday night," says Patience. This is one seriously decibel-raising, out-of-town adventure. "Super loud, and, once you've forked out your ticket price, super cheap inside. Heck, they serve beer out of a shipping container that's emblazoned with a faded 4XXXX Gold logo. Kids run around playing footy with empty coke bottles and lifers bring their own ice boxes filled with home-brand soft drinks even on nine degree nights. It's amazing. And yes, the chips are covered in chicken salt!" TREAT YOURSELF TO A PROPER HAIRCUT AT BAREBONES BARBERS "Barebones Barbers in Morningside is great," says Patience. "It's an original barber shop run by fresh young blokes. Steve, one of the owners, was the last man in Australia to actually get qualified through a barber course; they've since pushed it into the hairdressing accreditation. He was trained up by the old bloke who used to own the place, and a year ago, he retired and left the shop for Steve to take over. Even if you don't need a haircut, just get one because these guys are the real deal — ex-ship makers and tradesmen who now find satisfaction in other people hair." Book your own Queensland weekender at the Visit Brisbane website or follow them through the Visit Brisbane Facebook page or Twitter at @VisitBrisbane and hashtag #brisbaneanyday.
New Zealand-born writer-director Andrew Dominik has amassed a stellar crime thriller line-up for his latest offering, Killing Them Softly, which opens in cinemas October 11. Brad Pitt heads up the the film's brutal 'heist movie gone wrong' plot alongside the best of small and silver screen bad guys: Ray Liotta, James Gandolfini (aka Tony Soprano) and Ben Mendelsohn, to name just a few. From the director who brought us Chopper and The Assassination of Jesse James, Killing Them Softly sees Pitt play Mafia hitman Jackie Cogan, who is called in to 'fix' the upset caused by a couple of amateurish criminals when they hold up an illegal card game. In an America on the verge of political and economical crisis, the 'enforcer' navigates between his indecisive bosses and the lowlifes behind the heist in order to maintain the status quo of the criminal underworld and take back control. Thanks to Hoyts Distribution, Concrete Playground has ten double passes to giveaway to see Killing Them Softly. To go in the running, just subscribe to Concrete Playground's weekly newsletter (if you haven't already) then email your name and postal address to hello@concreteplayground.com.au
Travel junkies now have another big-ticket festival to add to their overseas itineraries as organisers behind legendary California music fest Coachella announce plans for a new London festival to launch next year. Kicking off on May 25, 2018, All Points East will feature a three-day, multi-genre music festival held across six stages in east London's Victoria Park. On top of that, the festival will span an extra week of free entertainment for the community before culminating in a trio of standalone headline shows. Already confirmed on the bill for the first portion are London heavyweights The xx, Jamaican MC Popcaan and Swedish pop act Lykke Li. Punters will be able to grab tickets to one, two or all three days. There'll then be free access to the site over the following week, as it plays host to a diverse program of comedy shows, food and drink events and an outdoor cinema. Finishing strong from June 2, the APE Presents headline shows will feature the likes of American indie rockers The National and The War On Drugs, synth-pop trio Future Islands, LA act Warpaint and Pennsylvania rock outfit The Districts. Further All Points East artist announcements are set to drop next week. Stay tuned. Via The Guardian.
September might as well be called Bristember, because it is the best month of the year to be living in Brisbane. Spring has arrived - people are heading outdoors again – and there is that feeling of optimism about the months ahead; blue skies, beach trips and everything nice that Spring and Summer bring. Alongside events like the Brisbane Fringe Festival, the Brisbane Writers Festival and BIGSOUND; the Brisbane Festival (arguably the biggest of the bunch) hypes everything that is great about Brisbane, and injects a healthy dose of outsider culture into the mix to create a program of events that has something for everyone. Check out our picks for the 2013 Brisbane Festival here! WIN TICKETS TO BRISBANE FESTIVAL Concrete Playground readers have the chance to win a special night out thanks to Brisbane Festival. One lucky reader will win two tickets to see URBAN on Saturday, September 14 at 9.30pm and two $30 Festival Flavours vouchers to use at 5ifth Element for a pre-show feast. Here after sell-out seasons from Columbia to Paris, URBAN is a high-energy circus show that tells a story of the streets. Through dance, music and acrobatics, Circolumbia reveal the real joys and violence the young artists grew up around. Brisbane Festival has paired up with 19 great restaurants to offer some mighty fine wine and dine deals for the duration of the festival. Audiences can tuck into a Festival Flavours dish and a beverage for just $30 from September 7 to 28. For your chance to win, be subscribed to the Brisbane Concrete Playground newsletter and email your name, address and phone number to daniela@concreteplayground.com.au with 'Brisbane Festival' in the headline by Tuesday, September 10. Winner will be drawn at random.
Summer is here, and so is Brisbane's rainy, stormy season. According to the Bureau of Meteorology, the city is expected to be hit with up to 80mm of rain this Sunday, December 16 — and there's a chance of severe thunderstorms this morning, too. https://twitter.com/BOM_Qld/status/1074037768853041152 The warning comes after 63mm of rain fell on an hour on Pomona on the Sunshine Coast hinterland, all before 6.20am. That's a lot of rain. For comparison, in November only 35.8mm of rain was recorded at the Sunshine Coast Airport for the entire month — and in Brisbane, only 13.4mm for the whole period as well. Brisbane City Council and BOM have issued warnings for a huge swathe of the state's southeast, including not only Brisbane, Ipswich, Caboolture and Cleveland, but the Gold Coast, Coolangatta, Jimboomba, Redcliffe, Maroochydore, Rainbow Beach, Gympie and Gatton as well. If you need to head out, don't forget to pack your umbrellas and raincoats — and keep an eye on the warnings.
Fans of the Avengers franchise are getting a special treat on Saturday, August 3, when cinemas around the country will screen double bills of Infinity War and Endgame. You'll get to watch all six glorious hours of the last two Avengers films, and you'll be doing it for a good cause to boot — with 100 percent of ticket sales going towards the Curing Homesickness initiative. In an attempt to get kids home from hospital sooner, Curing Homesickness is raising funds for research, equipment and more health professionals at eight children's hospitals across Australia. And you can help by stocking up on popcorn and watching the Avengers (Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, Captain America, Black Widow — everyone) and the Guardians of the Galaxy team up in an attempt to destroy Thanos in Infinity War. Then, in Endgame, more stuff happens with Thanos — we won't reveal too much, in case you haven't seen it — and you'll get to watch a fitting sendoff to the 22-film, billion-dollar Marvel Cinematic Universe. [caption id="attachment_718483" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Avengers: Endgame[/caption] This Disney and Marvel Studios screening will take place at Sydney's Event Cinemas George Street, South Yarra's Village Cinemas Jam Factory and Brisbane's Event Cinemas Chermside. Alongside Disney, other brands involved in the campaign include Assembly Label, which has released a limited-edition line of t-shirts (in-stores and online), and Sydney's Pasta Pantry — who is donating funds raised from its pasta and lasagne, too. The Avengers double bills will take place on Saturday, August 3. Tickets are $20 and available at the Event Cinemas website for Sydney and Brisbane and the Village Cinemas website for Melbourne. For more information on Curing Homesickness and to donate, head over here. Top image: Avengers: Infinity War
Have you ever noticed how much Brad Pitt eats in his movies? He's like some sort of human garbage disposal, slamming down burgers, cookies, chips, Twinkies and whatever else he can find into his (perfect) cakehole. He also has a knack of making whatever it is he's eating (from gruel and stale bread to cheesy nachos) look like the most delicious, sensual food in the world. Go on, look: He eats without restraint, without delicacy, as we all should sometimes, and for that reason he's the central figure in a new cookbook called (appropriately but incorrectly) Fat Brad. The team from Long Prawn have collaborated on the project with photographer Ben Clement, PractiseStudioPractise, Tristan Ceddia, Ali Currey-Voumard and Mietta Coventry. The cookbook is a tongue-in-cheek collection of recipes based on Brad's most iconic food moments on film. You'll find instructions for a knuckle sandwich (Fight Club), game bird with taters and Guinness gravy (Snatch), Bellagio Shrimp Cocktail (Ocean's 11), roast turkey drumstick and Grecian salad (Troy) and bloodied roast (Mr and Mrs Smith) amongst others. As well as being straight-up hilarious, the Fat Brad cookbook is also just a really good looking (like its namesake) addition to your cookbook shelf. It's the first in a series of pop culture cookbooks by the Long Prawn crew, so keep an eye out and grab your Fat Brad: The Cookbook here. Have a little preview:
For the third time in the 2020s, Fatboy Slim is heading to Australia to break out 'Right Here, Right Now', 'The Rockafeller Skank', 'Praise You' and plenty more dance-floor fillers. After touring the country in 2020 and 2023, the dance music legend is returning in March 2025 on a five-stop trip, four of which will get him spinning tunes in wineries. "Like the crazy drunk uncle who turns up every Christmas, I'm coming back to my Aussie fam once again. Expect the usual inappropriate behaviour and interpretational dancing," said Fatboy Slim, aka Norman Cook, announcing his latest Down Under visit. [caption id="attachment_975623" align="alignnone" width="1920"] neal whitehouse piper via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Trying to dance like Christopher Walken, pretending you're in Cruel Intentions, being transported back to the late 90s and early 00s: that's all on the agenda again. So is making shapes to DJ Seinfeld, CC:DISCO! and Jennifer Loveless, who'll be supporting the British legend at all five gigs. The tour is kicking off in Perth, at the only show that isn't at a vineyard, on Friday, March 14. From there, Fatboy Slim has a date with Centennial Vineyards in Bowral, Peter Lehmann Wines in the Barossa Valley, Mt Duneed Estate in Geelong and Sirromet Wines in Mount Cotton. [caption id="attachment_878696" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Carlos Luna / Secretaría de Cultura CDMX via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Cook has been making music since the 80s, but took on the name Fatboy Slim in the mid-90s, starting with 1996 record Better Living Through Chemistry. His 1998 album You've Come a Long Way, Baby was the club soundtrack to end the 20th century — a staple of every 90s teen's CD collection, too. As for 2000's Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars, it gave the world 'Weapon of Choice' and its iconic Walken-starring (and Spike Jonze-directed) video. Fatboy Slim's discography also spans 2004 album Palookaville and 2013 single 'Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat'. [caption id="attachment_878697" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Secretaría de Cultura de la Ciudad de México via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] You might not be able to dance along the walls when Cook hits the decks — but you'll want to thanks to his big beat sound. Indeed, alongside the Chemical Brothers, The Prodigy, Basement Jaxx, The Propellerheads and Crystal Method, he helped bring the style to mainstream fame. If you've seen Cook live before — or the epic live video from his 2020 Melbourne gig at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl that's notched up more than 3.2-million views — then you'll know that any Fatboy Slim tour is always news to get excited about right about now. Fatboy Slim 2025 Australian Tour Friday, March 14 — Langley Park, Perth Saturday, March 15 — Centennial Vineyards, Bowral Friday, March 21 — Peter Lehmann Wines, Barossa Valley Saturday, March 22 — Mt Duneed Estate, Geelong Sunday, March 23 — Sirromet Wines, Mount Cotton Fatboy Slim is touring Australia in March 2025. Early-bird tickets start from 1pm local time on Friday, October 11, 2024, then presales from 2pm on Tuesday, October 15, then general sales from 10am on Friday, October 18. Head to the tour website for more details. Top image: Selbymay via Wikimedia Commons.
I’m sure you’ve heard of pop-up clothes stores, pop-up movies and pop-up concerts, but I guarantee you’ve never even heard of, let alone attended, a pop-up Art Fair. In conjunction with 'Art on James', local artists from Level have come together to organise Subdivision. Playing on the idea of normal art shows, a group of very talented people will be hiding out in an empty block on James St in Fortitude Valley. During their time there they will be allocated individual space in which they’ll spend their days painting whilst anyone can watch. All artwork will be for sale, with a percentage of the funds being donated to Level. Subdivision will be happening between 12-8pm on 2 June, and 10am-5pm on the 3 through 9 June. The talented artists appearing are: Beata Batorowicz, Courtney Coombs, Megan Cope, Chantal Fraser, Hannah Gatland, Nicole Gillard, Rachael Haynes, Alice Lang, Dhana Merritt, Zoe Porter, Mandy Ridley, Erika Scott, Carly Scoufos, Camille Serisier, Heidi Stevens, Elizabeth Willing and Michelle Xen. (Photo: Chantal Fraser via LEVEL)
It's no secret that women in the music industry have a tough time, and sometimes it feels like all we talk about is rampant sexism, female underrepresentation and, well, men. But not today. Nope, today is International Women's Day and you'd be damned to take that away from us. And to help out with the whole amplifying women's voices thing, triple j is dedicating an entire day to the ladies. But this isn't some kind of Richard Mercer Love Songs and Dedications situation. Rather, triple j will bring Girls to the Front and hand over all the programming and content to Australia's biggest boss ladies of music. All day. Can you think of anything more angelic? Running the day will be the radio station's female presenters. You'll have Linda Marigliano on Breakfast, followed by Zan Rowe on Mornings, Gemma Pike at Lunch, Veronica will be joined by Gen Fricker on Drive, and KLP will do her thing on Good Nights. Plus, there'll be a special edition of The Racket hosted by High Tension's Karina Utomo. The music will also be an all-lady affair, with Tkay Maidza, Alpine, Sampa The Great, Tired Lion, Sarah Blasko, Lauren from Chvrches, Little Simz and more sharing their favourite and most inspiring female artists and music. The magic will be carried out on the airwaves over at triple j Unearthed and Double J as well. On Unearthed, garage punk legendary ladies LAZERTITS will play some of their local female faves, while over on Double J Myf Warhurst will speak with Natalie Prass and Ibeyi before music journalist Jessica Hopper programs two epic hours of female music-makers. So turn off Spotify this arvo and listen to some kickass local lady talent — and remind yourself that the music industry isn't just run by dudes. You can get involved by using the #GirlsToTheFront hastag.
In this or any other galaxy, whether here, near or far, far away and a long time ago, Star Wars streaming shows can't all be Andor. In cinemas, the franchise's movies can't all be Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, either. So, in both formats, they aren't always the weightiest and most grounded instalments that the series has ever delivered, all while demonstrating about as much interest in nostalgia as Jar Jar Binks has in not being annoying. The latest TV effort in the George Lucas-started space-opera saga, Ahsoka doesn't want to follow exactly in the last new Star Wars small-screen entry's footsteps, however, even if it's another sidestep tale about battling evil that champions folks who are rarely thrust to the fore. Instead, it has intertwined aims: serving up a female-led chapter and drawing upon the franchise's animated realm. For many, Star Wars is 11 live-action movies, the bulk of which arrived in three trilogies that splashed around Roman numerals aplenty. For those with a Disney+ subscription, the pop-culture universe covers the streaming platform's live-action shows, too, with not just Andor but three seasons of The Mandalorian, 2021–22's The Book of Boba Fett and also 2022's Obi-Wan Kenobi connected to those flicks. Star Wars has always expanded further since its 70s beginnings, though, via TV specials and films, books (Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope's novelisation actually released before the feature) and animation. So, from the latter — and specifically from animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars and the TV series it spawned, plus fellow animated shows Star Wars Rebels and Tales of the Jedi — springs Ahsoka and its eponymous ex-Jedi padawan Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson, Clerks III) from Wednesday, August 23. Ahsoka appeared in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett as well, with the series that the character now anchors also spinning off from the former. The show's inter-franchise Star Wars links are strong, then, but it isn't just for fans who've watched every frame that the saga has ever sent hurtling across screens — thankfully so. Ahsoka creator Dave Filoni has given himself a tricky task, diving deeper beyond the obvious Star Wars fodder while still engaging more-casual franchise viewers. Nods and references abound for diehards, and to key figures and beloved creatures alike, yet so does a supremely well-cast spin on the space opera's well-loved formula. As Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill, The Sandman) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness in the original 1977–83 big-screen trilogy), Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen, Obi-Wan) and Kenobi (Raymond & Ray's Ewan McGregor since the 1999–2005 prequel trilogy), the latter and Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson, Marlowe), and Rey (Daisy Ridley, Chaos Walking) and Leia Organa Solo (Carrie Fisher, Catastrophe) have all demonstrated — such pairings go on — Lucas and his successors in steering all things Star Wars love a master-and-apprentice story. Ahsoka provides two tied to the force, with its namesake once a pupil to Anakin before he went to the dark side, and also a mentor to her own student in rebellious, flame-haired Mandalorian Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Guns Akimbo). Thanks to the man who became Darth Vader, Ahsoka is wary about the Jedi order and unsurprisingly cautious in general. Via her prior time with Sabine, she knows the difficulties of being a guide to a headstrong protégée. While the show gives its central figure nefarious foes to battle, it also has her grappling with her past traumas, mistakes and regrets. She's guarded there, too; when rebel crew member and now-New Republic general Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)) suggests that the way forward might involve enlisting Sabine's help, Ahsoka is reluctant. But only the youngest of the main trio can unlock a pivotal orb that holds a map that could lead to exiled Imperial officer Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen, The Kingdom) and Ahsoka's fellow one-time padawan Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi, The Inspection). With just the 2015–19 sequel trilogy and animated series Star Wars Resistance set after it, Ahsoka's plot hones in on fending off the fallen Empire's attempts to rebuild and strike back again. Hoping otherwise: Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto, The Last Tour), who starts the program imprisoned but is swiftly freed thanks to former Jedi-turned mercenary Baylan Skoll (the late Ray Stevenson, RRR) and his own his trainee Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno, The Reunion). Bringing back Thrawn from banishment is their next step, putting them on a collision course with Ahsoka, Hera and Sabine — amid early Indiana Jones-style treasure hunting, vivid lightsaber duels, reminders of how insidiously that greed can lure people in, a stunning hoverbike race, a loth-cat's cuteness, a tad too much exposition and droid Huyang (Good Omens' David Tenant, lending his voice again as he did in The Clone Wars) hanging around, all in the first two episodes. If the storyline sounds all Star Wars 101, that's because it is, yet a change of perspective and a stacked cast ensure that Ahsoka never feels like it's lazily sticking to a template. Filoni, who also worked on both the film and TV versions of The Clone Wars, as well as Rebels, Resistance, The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Tales of the Jedi and more, clearly knows the drill — and how to make this take on it stand out. It isn't just that this is the first series focused on a woman connected to the Jedi, and one of the few within its ranks. Ahsoka cares about the way that conflict has scarred and wearied its hero and her colleagues, and shaped them and stretched their bonds in the process. It could easily be called Ahsoka, Hera and Sabine, which would suit three of its core performances. Still, beneath the character's head tails, Dawson turns in a portrayal to build a show around — serene, wry, fierce, thoughtful, purposeful, formidable, haunted and determined — which Ahsoka wisely does. Perhaps a Sabine offshoot will join the Star Wars fold in the future, with Bordizzo that magnetic in her stubborn, impulsive and daring role. In one of his final performances given his passing in May, the reliably commanding Stevenson is similarly arresting — and Sakhno, too, even if largely through her presence, a killer glare, and pitch-perfect costuming and lighting that helps her instantly look the entrancing part. Ahsoka gets that last aspect right throughout and across the board, taking as many visual cues from Star Wars' animated forays as its live-action jaunts, yet always sporting its own glow. This isn't Andor, but after those franchise-best heights it's still a series that intrigues, engages and often soars. Check out the trailer for Ahsoka below: Ahsoka streams via Disney+ from Wednesday, August 23. Images: ©2023 Lucasfilm Ltd & TM. All Rights Reserved.
Not knowing where your bag is when you disembark from a plane is a downright travel nightmare, and also now hopefully a thing of the past if you're flying with Virgin Australia. In 2023, the carrier rolled out a free baggage-tracking tool to fix this much-hated situation, starting with a heap of domestic routes. Now, it's available across its whole network. Flying to Japan? Bali, Fiji, Samoa or Vanuatu? Queenstown? The bag-tracking app covers those destinations. Wherever you're heading, you'll get notifications when your luggage is ready to fly, then when it's on the plane and again once it is at the baggage carousel. Virgin started testing the new technology in May 2023, then launched it in August domestically on almost 70-percent of flights before January's full rollout. Unsurprisingly, the feature has been popular. Since last year, the app has been used around 1.3-million times by Aussie travellers. Obviously, this feature covers checked luggage only. If you're carrying your bags into the cabin with you, you'll know where they are. For those stowing their suitcases in cargo, however, you'll be able to see where they are across your entire journey. Here's how it works: you'll need that aforementioned app, and to check your bag. You'll also want to enable push notifications. From there, expect to be buzzed with all the relevant info — the app will tell you which baggage carousel to head to as well, solving another airport annoyance. "Australians find comfort in the ability to track food deliveries, postal deliveries, technology, even their heart rate, all via apps, and it made sense for travellers to be able to do the same thing when flying Virgin Australia," said Virgin Australia Group Chief Customer and Digital Officer Paul Jones. Virgin Australia's baggage-tracking tool is now available across all flights. Find out more via the airline's website, and download the app online as well.
Eli Manning and the Giants. Tom Brady and the Patriots. No, we're not talking indie alternative pop rock folk jam bands. We're talking football, of the American variety. Yesterday, New York rose up and once again again beat New England to take out the biggest sporting event of the year. In what has been dubbed by some as the greatest Super Bowl of all time, it was, as usual, the half time antics and ad breaks that captured the imaginations of those outside of the 50 US states. This year's Ad Bowl, the name given to 'the battle of the big ads', was taken out by Volkswagen, who charmed audiences with 'The Force' last year. This year's winner, 'The Dog Strikes Back', pipped Doritos to make VW the most talked about brand of Super Bowl XLVI. Relief for their marketing team, no doubt; the average 30 second ad slot goes for US$3.5 million. Here are the ten best ads of 2012 for your viewing pleasure. https://youtube.com/watch?v=0-9EYFJ4Clo 1. Volkswagen - The Dog Strikes Back https://youtube.com/watch?v=y3bqbJduK2w 2. Doritos - Man's Best Friend https://youtube.com/watch?v=hyFWSys3TJU 3. Bud Light Rescue Dog https://youtube.com/watch?v=P6C2G5I1Z1g 4. M&M's - Ms. Brown https://youtube.com/watch?v=MlYCBJSYWBQ 5. Skechers - Mr. Quiggly https://youtube.com/watch?v=4GIeIpcRv7o 6. Doritos - Sling Baby https://youtube.com/watch?v=VhkDdayA4iA 7. Honda - Matthew's Day Off https://youtube.com/watch?v=tFAiqxm1FDA 8. Chrysler - Clint Eastwood Halftime https://youtube.com/watch?v=lHZbXvts0LE 9. Kia - Dream Car https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ae52ourE3Pw 10. Chevy - Happy Grad
When it comes to street art exhibitions, it really doesn't get any bigger than this. A retrospective of Banksy's work is making its way to Australia, featuring more than 80 of the artist's off-street masterpieces. From October 7 to January 22, The Paddock in Melbourne's Federation Square will play host to The Art of Banksy, a massive collection of pieces by the art world's chief enigma — including the darkly satirical, overtly political work that has turned the stencil-loving artist into such an infamous icon. Endeavouring to take audiences on a journey through Banksy's output and mindset, the exhibition will include the well-known Girl with Balloon, Flag Wall and Laugh Now pieces, as well as three efforts that have never before been displayed to the public. If it sounds epic, that's because it is. The art featured has been sourced from over 40 different private collectors around the world, and comprises the largest showcase of Banksy pieces to ever make its way to our shores. As curated by the artist's former manager Steve Lazarides, the exhibition is also a little controversial. While every piece is original, unique and authentic, The Art of Banksy proudly boasts that the entire show is 100% unauthorised. No, Banksy hasn't signed off on the event. As well as displaying Banksy's work in a custom-built enclosure, The Art of Banksy will also shine a light on a range of pieces by well-known and emerging local street artists. Expect to find them on the surrounding external surfaces and the inside walls of the exhibition's own Circle Bar, which will serve craft beers and cocktails. Outside, the Welcome to Thornbury team will corral a heap of food trucks into an area called 'The Railyard'. Plus, on Friday nights and Saturday arvos, DJs will also provide appropriate tunes to suit the occasion. Of course, Melbournites will know that this isn't the mysterious figure's first dalliance with the city. The artist's stencils have popped up around the city previously courtesy of a visit in 2003, though many have been destroyed and damaged in the years since. The Art of Banksy will run from October 7 to January 22 at The Paddock in Federation Square, Melbourne. For more information or to buy tickets, visit the exhibition website.
Have you ever wondered how Concrete Playground articles comes to life? It's not quite as glamorous nor thrilling as TV shows such as The Bold Type and Succession make out, but, hey, indulge us for a second. Of course, most of the time we're writing about exciting and important things happening in the city right now. We keep an eye on breaking news — and what our readers are enjoying reading — and go from there. Every now and again we start off just by knowing we want to use certain imagery. And sometimes, ideas for articles come from somewhere completely random — like passing conversations with colleagues and mates. That's right boss, sometimes shooting the shit pays off. "I was looking back at some of our past articles with illustrations and it became clear that commissioned artwork can really lift a piece of content," says Concrete Playground staff writer Ben Hansen. "Later, I was having a conversation with a colleague about surf 'n' turf and wondering where the idea for the RSL staple came from. Knowing I wanted to do something fun with illustrations, a deep dive into the origins of much-loved dishes and drinks sort of just fit." And so Ben came up with a plan to up our illustrated article game whereby cartoons came first and concept came (sort of) second. Why? Well, why the hell not. The result: Seven Highly Entertaining Stories Behind Some of Australia's Most Loved Dishes and Drinks. THE BACKSTORY Before the fun fact-filled, beautifully illustrated article graced our homepage, Ben had a bit of work cut out for him. After he figured out the overarching idea, he had to decide what food and drinks to include. Luckily, we have a pretty good idea here at CP. For instance, we've had some luck with doughnut stories in the past, we know many Sydneysiders have heated debates over who does the best bahn mi in town and our readers go wild for bottomless espresso martini brunches. And, of course, the food-obsessed CP editors had some suggestions: footy fan Ellen Seah suggested the almighty Four'n Twenty pie and Cordelia Williamson threw in the prawn cocktail because of its retro pool party-vibes. It was looking good, the bread and butter was sorted. But there was one hold up, which was the fact that CP doesn't have an in-house illustrator. Considering this conquest all began with Ben wanting to level up our illustrated content game, he needed to find a freelancer — and fast. So, who ya gonna call? Ghostbusters Fiverr. For those not in the know, Fiverr is a freelance marketplace that connects you with experts from a range of disciplines — and we were in search of an A-class digital doodler. "The advantage of Fiverr is its huge database of freelancers, so you can find someone with your required skill set easily and quickly." After doing some digging, Ben put together a shortlist of illustrators and reached out to them. Most responded within about 30 minutes or, as Ben puts it, "almost too quickly". Once he had nailed down the talented asu_ad, based in Italy, as the chosen one, Ben says it was smooth sailing from there — and that "collaborating with an illustrator through Fiverr gave us the opportunity to flex our creativity". THE TAKEAWAY All up, the article took about a week to come together, with Ben describing the experience as "pretty seamless". He continues: "Fiverr made it simple to communicate with the illustrator, from briefing and commissioning to feedback and then receiving the final illustrations." He also mentioned Fiverr's integrated messaging system was a cinch to use, particularly as you can upload any file type. "It's also pretty affordable." Ben also shared some hot tips: "Just check your finances before you commit. We made the assumption that our chosen illustrator's rates were in AUD, when they were actually USD. And also be sure to factor in Fiverr's service fees, too." The good news? With basically no feedback on initial illustrations, and a tasty-looking end product, it was all worth it. With experts in everything from social media marketing, SEO services and website design to illustration, music and audio, and video and animation, Fiverr is a one-stop spot for when you need to outsource some work. "If there's a skill set you — or your team — don't have, then Fiverr makes it easy to find someone to fill that gap," says Ben. In our case, it was great to have so many illustrators at our fingertips. And the result was better than we expected. So, watch this space (AKA our website) for more illustration-packed articles in the future. Have your own booming side hustle or small business and need a task done stat? Check out the Fiverr website and connect with freelancers around the world, all just a click away. Want more? See how two Aussie businesses — The Dough Co and The Zythologist — used Fiverr to give their side hustles a leg up. Images: asu_ad
Guess who's back? Marshall Bruce Mathers III, better known mononymously as Eminem — or as his alter ego Slim Shady — is back, again. So, get ready to relive your angsty teen years when the controversial rapper brings the second instalment of his Rapture Tour Down Under in February, 2019. While we can't promise any renditions of 'Without Me', Eminem will be performing songs off his tenth (and latest) album Kamikaze, which was produced by Dr. Dre and features hits like 'Fall', co-written by Bon Iver's Justin Vernon, and 'Venom' from the new Marvel movie of the same name. The album also features appearances by American rappers Joyner Lucas and Royce da 5'9 and Canadian singer Jessie Reyez — and Ticketek has promised special guests will be joining Eminem on this latest tour, too. When Eminem last visited Australia — in 2014, for the first instalment of Rapture to promote The Marshall Mathers LP 2 — he brought Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole and Action Bronson with him, so we can expect some big names to join this time round as well. EMINEM RAPTURE 2019 DATES Brisbane — QSAC, February 20 Sydney — ANZ Stadium, February 22 Melbourne — MCG, February 24 Perth — Optus Stadium, February 27 Wellington — Westpac Stadium, March 2 Rapture 2019 pre-sale tickets are available from 10pm on Sunday, October 21, and general admission tickets will go on sale at 2pm on Monday, October 22. NZ tickets go on sale at 10am on Tuesday, October 23 and can be found here.
Last week in Sydney, a Heartbreak High-themed uniform shop in Newtown was handing out free threads. This week, handmaids are taking over the Pitt Street Mall in their red-hued attire. Ever wondered what the Harbour City would look like if it fell under Gilead's reach — and no, we're not talking about the Sydney's masterplanned community called Gilead? Then you just need to pop by the CBD to find out. Whether you're a local or you'll just be visiting this week, you can spot SBS' The Handmaid's Tale pop-up opposite Myer until Sunday, September 25. The show returned just last week, on Thursday, September 15, for its fifth and penultimate season, if you're wondering why Australia is currently under his eye. Visitors to the Pitt Street Mall will spot two things: a shop window filled with red-dressed mannequins, all wearing the requisite handmaids' getup, and also a real-life handmaid keeping watch. The inspiration for filling a store display with handmaid attire, other than celebrating the series? A quote from the show: "they should have never given us uniforms if they didn't want us to be an army". And the vibe? Not quite on the eerie level of the show's 2017 SXSW promotional stunt, which saw the Austin festival filled with handmaids — a concept that hit Sydney as well in 2018 — but expect to feel tense anyway. It's been a big year or so around Australia for these kinds of pop culture-themed displays, including a Rick and Morty #wormageddon scene in Sydney also this month, and everything from House of the Dragon, The Gray Man and Everything Everywhere All At Once through to Squid Game, Stranger Things and Borat-inspired fun across both the NSW capital and Melbourne. This is the only one that'll have you saying "praise be" and "blessed be", though. Find SBS' The Handmaid's Tale pop-up in Sydney's Pitt Street Mall, Pitt Street – opposite Myer — until Sunday, September 25. The fifth season of The Handmaid's Tale airs weekly in Australia via SBS TV and SBS On Demand.
With its pristine rivers, wild surf and lush valleys, Tassie's east coast produces some of the freshest, tastiest food and wine in Australia — if not the whole darn world. We're talking oysters that melt in your mouth, unbelievably decadent cheeses and Pinot Noirs that James Halliday can't get enough of. Plus, all you have to do to sample them in one fell swoop is drive onto Spirit of Tasmania at Port Melbourne, which will sail you across Bass Strait to Devonport and make your journey to Australia's southernmost state one to remember. Here, you can get a jump on your foodie road trip before you've even hit land. Partake in Tasmanian oysters in the ship's restaurant, indulge with ice cream from The Pantry shop, and enjoy the brews and sea views in the ship's bars. May to October there's even a Flavours of Tassie showcase, where you can sample everything from local cheeses and chocolates to wines and spirits. Once off the ship, head east until you hit the Great Eastern Drive, which travels for 176 blissful kilometres from St Helens in the north to Orford in the south. Here's your guide to eating, drinking and sleeping along the way. [caption id="attachment_665949" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Flow Mountain Bike[/caption] PYENGANA DAIRY Make your first destination Pyengana Dairy, which lies between Devonport and St Helens. Here, the Healey family has spent more than a century perfecting the art of cheese production. It's now in the hands of the fourth generation, Jon Healey and his wife, Lyndall, and you get to reap the rewards. Sample a range of cheddars — from four-week-old mild to an intense one-year-old dubbed Devilish – and stock up on non-homogenised milk. If you're hungry, slip into the Holy Cow Cafe for brekkie or lunch overlooking the farm's fertile pastures. You can also watch the cheese-making process in action. Pyengana Dairy is at St Columba Falls Road, Pyengana GALA ESTATE VINEYARD Your next stop is Gala Estate Vineyard in Cranbrook, a pretty area about 100 kilometres south of St Helens. The cellar door is a cute weatherboard building that once served as the local post office and general store, where you can now try an award-winning Pinot Noir or two. If the tasting couch happens to be free, then make sure you claim it and take your time. Once you're done, grab a bottle or two of your favourite drop and a gourmet hamper packed with local produce, then set off for a picnic – either in Gala's idyllic vineyards, at a nearby beach or further afield. For spectacular wilderness, head to Freycinet National Park. Gala Estate Vineyard is at 14891 Tasman Highway, Cranbrook SPRING VALE WINES From Gala Estate, it's just five minutes' drive south to Spring Vale Wines. This fifth-generation vineyard, founded in 1826, is all about producing wines that express the local area (technically referred to as terroir). Taste their latest creations at the cellar door, which is a heritage-listed stable built by convicts in 1842, or settle in for a long lunch at the seafood restaurant, which pops up among the vines. Loosen your belt: you can expect to be overwhelmed by a cornucopia of crayfish, scallops, oysters, octopus and woodfired lamb, with an array of matching wines. Spring Vale Wines is at 130 Springvale Road, Cranbrook MILTON VINEYARD Right nearby is Milton Vineyard, which began as a sheep farm back in 1826, but, like Spring Vale, is now dedicated to interesting small-batch drops. In fact, its 13 hectares inhabit a microclimate, where pinot noir, pinot gris, riesling and gewurztraminer grow. Handpicked in April, they're the only grapes that go into Milton's bottles. If you've time for lunch, book at Sophie's Restaurant, where you'll be feasting on the creations of head chef Sophie Bermudes, who turns premium local produce into French-inspired fare. Milton Vineyard is at 14635 Tasman Highway, Swansea MELSHELL OYSTERS Next up, oysters. We don't mean just any old ordinary bivalves, but some of the best on the planet, served up at a humble shack, a stone's throw from Coles Bay. Melshell Oysters spend their entire lives in superbly clean water, starting out in the Swan River before transferring to Great Oyster Bay, where they enjoy views of the Hazard Mountain Range. You'll get to sample them in the simplest, freshest way possible, shucked to order and accompanied by a slice of lemon. Most of the time, you'll catch the oyster farmers at work. Melshell Oysters is at 9 Yellow Sandbanks Road, Dolphin Sands [caption id="attachment_666231" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] by Eugene Hyland[/caption] SLEEPING Freycinet Lodge has been around since the 1990s, but its brand new Coastal Pavilions take things to the next level. Surrounded by national park and fitted with floor-to-ceiling windows, they look out over either forested wilderness or sparkling Coles Bay. Either way, you can count on a king-sized bed, an outdoor bath, a spacious deck and plenty of native timbers. Yep, it's pretty much luxe designer hotel meets glamping, immersed in world-famous scenery. THE NITTY GRITTY DETAILS HOW TO GET THERE: The most adventurous way to travel to Tassie from the mainland is on Spirit of Tasmania, which journeys between Port Melbourne and Devonport. Take your car with you and drive right off the ship. Added bonus: no weight restrictions means that for the journey back, you can load up your car with food, wine and souvenirs to your heart's content. WHEN TO GO: The Great Eastern Drive is beautiful at any time of year. WHAT DOES IT COST: This varies, depending on how many award-winning pinot noirs you plan on buying. Expect to spend anywhere between $50 and $200 a day (plus accommodation). To book your Tasmanian adventure today, head to the Spirit of Tasmania website.
Sydney vino makers and switched on marketers Cake Wines have always been pretty savvy when it comes to marketing activations — from label art comps to pop-up bars at All of the Creative Launches Around Town. But their latest brims with pure love for the little guy - the support band. In a new Australia-wide campaign dubbed 'Support the Support', the Redfern-based crew are rewarding the punters who turn up early and check out the support band instead of wasting the time pre-drinking at a mate's. "By heading to gigs earlier in the night and checking out the support act, no matter what happens...everyone wins," says Cake. "The artist plays to a crowd, you'll be supporting the venues that showcase music, the more people in the venue the better the vibe, and maybe, just maybe, that little support act no one’s heard of yet, could well be the next Radiohead or James Blake or Fugazi or Arcade Fire...and you saw them first." Support the Support runs through May across 35 music venues in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. Early birds turn up to check out the support, post a sweet, sweet filtered pro shot to Instagram with the hashtag #cakewines, show the bartenders and you'll get a free wine. FREE (ACTUALLY GOOD) VINO. Egads. The actual support bands get some love too, gig listed and given a shout out in the Support the Support calendar and given bespoke posters of their band to help bring in more of a crowd than their obligated high school chums. Fashionably late ain't so any more. You can support the support here: SYDNEY Good God Small Club, Oxford Art Factory, The Green Room, 505, Civic Hotel, 616 Foundary, Beach Rd Hotel, Spice Cellar. MELBOURNE Howler, The Toff, Revolver, The Retreat, Bennetts Lane, Wesley Anne, The Post Office Hotel, The Old Bar, The Evelyn, New Guernica BRISBANE Dowse Bar, Black Bear Lodge.
Your dog-child shuns the common doghouse you expect it to live in, and this leaves you feeling hurt and confused. But luckily Dogchitecture, a new exhibition in Mexico City, is presenting revolutionary doghouse proposals by ten design firm to help dogs feel at home. It must have been interesting getting inside the mind of man's best friend to create these functional and visually intriguing puppy palaces. Inspired by Kenya Hara's Architecture for Dogs project, which paired designers with a particular breed for all kinds of unexpected results, the firms exhibiting in Dogchitecture include BNKR Arquitectura, Rojkind Arquitectos, Broissin, PRODUCTORA, a-001, Taller 13, PMS Arch Buro, ROW Studio, Laboratorio Arquitectura Básica and ESOS. Polyforum Siqueiros in Mexico City hosts the exhibition until August 18 2013, when it goes on the road. Below is a look at some of the proposals on offer to tempt the fastidious chihuahua in your life. Productora 'Pencil House' PRODUCTORA's 'Pencil House' aims to please the eye. a-001 'Tangle Nest' a-001's Tangle Nest looks fun and interactive, like those alarming foam pits you used to be forced to leap into during gym class. ESOS 'El Wokdog' This ESOS doghouse is called "Wok" by day, cosy "Igloo" by night. BNKR BNKR Arquitectura channels dogs' enjoyment of burrowing and chasing their own tails. Broissin Broissin's proposal bypasses functional concerns and opts for aesthetic bewilderment, befitting the more esoteric dog. Beneath One Fern And here is Beneath One Fern, hosted by Zach Galifianakis. Via PSFK
Melbourne masquerades as New York in Predestination, the latest film from German-Australian directing duo Michael and Peter Spierig. Reuniting the twin filmmakers with their Daybreakers star Ethan Hawke, this slickly produced time-travel noir attempts to put its own distinctive spin on one of sci-fi's most thoroughly exploited sub-genres. There are plenty of intriguing concepts beneath the movie's stylish surface, although often their delivery leaves a lot to be desired. Nevertheless, some old-school vibes — and an astounding, career-making performance from actress Sarah Snook — ensures Predestination is worth your precious time. Adapted, and expanded, from Robert A. Heinlein's 13-page short story All You Zombies, much of the first half of the film takes place in a dive bar in New York, where a time-travelling secret agent (Hawke), on the trail of a terrorist mastermind, is working undercover serving drinks. One evening, he strikes up a conversation, seemingly at random, with a sullen young man named James (Snook), who bets the barkeep a bottle of whiskey he's got the best story the place has ever heard. And it's certainly a corker of a yarn. James, it would seem, began his life as Jane, abandoned by unknown parents on the steps of a Cleveland orphanage. A bright, tough young woman, Jane very nearly becomes one of the first female astronauts, only to be ruled out by an unexpected pregnancy. The father of the child abandons her soon after, although the shock is overshadowed by a revelation from her doctor: it turns out Jane has a second set of fully functioning (albeit internal) male reproductive organs, and that complication from her pregnancy will leave her no choice but to transition into a man. How James's incredible story is connected to Hawke's manhunt isn't immediately clear — although it's obvious from the cryptic way the brothers frame the flashbacks – always obscuring certain faces — that the cogs will eventually interlock. The second half of the film, wherein Hawke offers James the chance to travel back and change his past, is positively overflowing with time paradoxes and plot twists. The problem is, anyone with even a passing familiarity with time-travel stories will see them coming at least three scenes before they do. It's not that the revelations aren't interesting on an intellectual level; they just never result in the dropped jaws and shocked gasps that the Spierigs would obviously like. Still, if their script could use some polish, they succeed in delivering style. From Hawke's fedora and six-shot revolver to his portable time machine disguised as a violin case, the feel of Predestination is a particular brand of retro-futuristic cool. Likewise, the narrative device of two strangers swapping stories across the bar has an enjoyably hardboiled quality to it and helps disguise the fact that the entire first half of the movie is basically one giant dump of exposition. It also helps a great deal that Snook is the one who's delivering it. Hawke brings his typical mix of wryness and intensity, while Noah Taylor is dapper is his seemingly all-knowing handler. But it's the Adelaide-born actress who clearly runs away with the film, ranging from tough and emotionally guarded to devastatingly raw. So affecting are the scenes immediately before and after James' transition that you could almost do away with the time travel story altogether. https://youtube.com/watch?v=UVOpfpYijHA
Despite what governmental and mainstream media outlets may have you believe, Australia isn't the only nation where people are desperately seeking asylum. Europe's currently in the middle of a very real refugee crisis, with the civil war in Syria leaving over four million Syrians displaced and looking for a new, safe home. That's an absolutely unfathomable amount of people. And while most of us have gawked and sat around wondering what we can do to help refugees, three Dutch twenty-somethings have actually gone and done something about it, creating a new non-profit accommodation platform for refugees. Refugee Hero essentially works like Airbnb. It looks a lot like it too. The website allows people to advertise their spare room to refugees looking for a place to stay when they arrive in a new country. It's geared around people putting up rooms available in their residential homes, but organisations are encouraged to open up their facilities, such as churches, mosques, schools and universities as well. And the best part is, the service 100 percent free. In that regard, it's more like Couchsurfing than Airbnb — but with hosts that are socially conscious legends with hearts of gold. The Netherlands-based startup was founded by Germaine Statia, Jamal Oulel, and Ayoub Aouragh, who are all aged 23-25. "We want to give back humanity to mankind," says Germaine Statia on their website. Since launching in September last year, Refugee Hero has rooms listed everywhere from Bulgaria to Johannesburg to Maryland in the States. And while there aren't any Australian listings yet, we can't see any reason why you can't get involved. Hop to it! Via PSFK.
A few years ago, facial recognition technology seemed like the stuff of the future, some nifty application you'd see only on the big screen. Now, we're using it in real life, to unlock our phones, to hustle through the passport queue at the airport and even to order our morning latte. That's right — cafes across the country are getting high-tech, implementing facial recognition systems in an effort to improve customer service. And the one system that's being used by most was developed right here in our own backyard. Geoff Cropley, owner of Sydney's Bahista Cafe, told the Sydney Morning Herald he spent two years working with developer John MacLean to create his own system prototype, NoahFace, which he first started using on customers in July 2016. "I searched the world for a low-cost face recognition [system] and there was nothing out there, all the solutions were multimillion-dollar ones," he explained. "So I went about creating what we have today." Willing customers simply have their face scanned by an iPad as they approach the front counter, with information, including their name and go-to coffee order, then instantly relayed to the barista. NoahFace is now in use across the country, having raised more than $1 million in seed funding, not to mention the backing of big names like Toby's Estate founder Toby Smith. Currently, you'll spy it operating at venues like Sydney's Bar Bellaccino, Adelaide's Hotel Richmond and a whole swag of Toby's Estate cafes — and, it'll spy you too. Via smh.com.au
For all of you who've been obsessing over the case of Steven Avery, you might now have the chance to get the answers you crave. Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos, the filmmakers behind the addictive and highly frustrating Netflix true crime series Making a Murderer, have just been announced as a last minute addition to the Spectrum Now Festival talks program. The pair, whose ten-part series has become a cultural phenomenon since premiering on Netflix in December, will travel to Sydney for an hour-long interview and audience Q&A session with festival ambassador and The Weekly host Charlie Pickering. Set to take place at 7pm on Thursday, March 10, tickets for the event will cost $49.90 and go on sale on Wednesday, February 24 (or you can sign up to their newsletter to access the pre-sale one day earlier). If you've been living a nomadic lifestyle out in the bush for the past few months and thus haven't heard, Making a Murderer follows the infuriating case of Wisconsin native Steven Avery, who served 18 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, only to be arrested and tried for murder shortly after he was released. If you've got a spare ten hours, you can binge watch it on Netflix right now. Just don't expect to finish with your faith in humanity intact. "We always wanted Making a Murderer to start a dialogue around important issues in our criminal justice system," say directors Ricciardi and Demos. "We are thrilled that so many people all over the world are responding to the concept of fairness and equality, and we can’t wait to come to Australia to continue this discussion." Making a Murderer: In Conversation with Charlie Pickering will take place at 7pm on Thursday, March 10 at The Star Event Centre as part of Spectrum Now Festival 2016. For more information and to buy tickets, visit their website.
Clearly I have been living under a rock because I thought White Canvas Gallery was a brand spanking new art space for Brisbane, but it turns out it has been around for well more than a year now, showing awesome works by contemporary Brisbane artists. The latest exhibition is no exception, featuring a collection of diverse, cutting edge works by nine of Brisbane’s most promising emerging artists. Some of the artists included in the exhibition are well known on the Brisbane art scene, while others are fairly new but are already proving that they’ve got the skills. There is no stylistic theme to the exhibition, with a diversity of styles on display. Some works have their foundation in street art and graffiti, while others are based on illustration and fine art practices. There are also those that sit in-between all of these genres. Essentially Contraband is an exhibition that is post-everything (yep all those posts- modern, colonial, feminism and so on), the works explore contemporary concepts through painting and sculpture to further the visual language and ignite discussion on contemporary ideas and issues.
Embedding sustainable practices in the hospitality industry is a quest many a bar, cafe, eatery and associated organisation has taken up, spanning bans on straws, an attempt to recycle takeaway coffee cups, rewards for carpooling customers and more. One Japanese watering hole has taken the concept and not only run with it, but built their entire establishment out of it. Yes, the Kamikatz Public House is made out of 100% recycled rubbish. From the windows and walls to the furniture found inside, everything in this pub, brewery and sundries store would probably be considered trash in any other town. You'll find the environmentally conscious structure in the town of Kamikatsu, which is committed to not only reducing their wastage, but eliminating it — attaining an 80% recycling rate, and sorting their waste into 34 categories, for starters. Of course, when you fashion a dwelling with in such an eco-friendly manner, you want everyone to know about it, which is why Kamikatz Public House features an eight-metre-high wall of windows, all sourced from abandoned homes. You'll also find discarded tiles used as flooring, a chandelier made out of bottles, and newspapers doubling as wallpaper. Other design elements, such as an elevated ceiling and double-layered window fittings, are designed to increase ventilation and insulation respectively. No wonder the building won World Architecture News' Sustainable Buildings Award for 2016. As well as a cute pub to put on your must-visit list if you're ever in the vicinity of Tokushima prefecture on Japan's Shikoku Island, it's also great motivation to think about more creative ways to recycle. Images: Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP. Via: Inhabitat.
Brisbane's love of authentic Italian gelato just keeps going strong, and La Macelleria just keeps opening new stores to serve up its delicious desserts. Already a favourite in Teneriffe in West End, the chain has now moved its eastside base from Coorparoo to Woolloongabba. Behold: the artisanal ice creamery's new shop in South City Square. Even better: on Saturday, November 25, just for the afternoon and evening, the new Logan Road location will be in celebratory mode at its grand opening. Stop by for freebies and specials, plus music and family-friendly entertainment. Yes, there'll be free gelato. The fun kicks off at 1pm, with freebies available for the first 100 people at the counter of the new hole-in-the-wall joint. After that, you'll pay $4 for a small cup with up to two flavours, $5 for a medium cup with up to three varieties and $6 for a large with up to four types.
Cast your eyes on the YouTube diary of Canada Space Agency astronaut Chris Hadfield and you will never be impressed by the notion of man placing a flag on the moon again. Canada's first commander of the International Space Station has been furiously tweeting and video blogging live from Expedition 35 for the past five months, creating the closest thing the world has seen to the Big Brother diary room in outer space in the process. While the CSA website lists the mission's objectives as "to carry out scientific experiments" and "perform robotic tasks", Renaissance man Hadfield has also managed to produce the astronaut's answer to Cindy Crawford's Buns of Steel and show his tender side in an attempt to find out what happens to tears in space (hint: not the same as what happens in heaven). Most recently, Hadfield has been busy staging a music video of 'Space Oddity' by David Bowie. Turns out Bowie's understanding of outer space is pretty bang on — the clouds look very different up there, Hadfield floats in a most peculiar way and while planet Earth is blue, there's nothing left to do, hence the Soyuz capsule is set to touch down to Earth tomorrow. Via Slate.
Ever wish you could teleport out of the office and into, say, the idyllic surrounds of the Versailles Palace? Well, that need no longer be the stuff of dreams. Using Street View technology, Google has launched the World Wonders Project, an initiative that aims to bring the world's most breathtaking heritage sites directly to you. In a virtual experience like no other, users will be able to access high resolution photographs, 3D imagery and YouTube videos of up to 132 landmarks and architectural sites from 18 countries around the globe. Partnering with Getty Images and UNESCO among others, the World Wonders Project is part of Google's mission to preserve ancient and modern heritage sites, and to make these cultural landmarks accessible for future generations in an ever-expanding digital archive. Whether you're an avid traveller or average procrastinator, Google's highly interactive application is designed to virtually transport you into new, exciting worlds from the convenience of your desk. The Project site has a range of user-friendly functions to navigate your chosen destination. To embark on your virtual globe-trotting experience, you can access information compiled about the site, flick through albums of stunning photos, or for the more adventurous - click on the 3D modelling option and experience the wonders of navigating your dream location in all its 360 degree, street-level glory. Visit Google World Wonders
