On small screens all around the world, The Last of Us is currently showing everyone how video game-to-TV adaptations can and should be done. Can the new Dungeons & Dragons movie do the same for tabletop role-playing games? Cinemagoers are about to find out, when Honour Among Thieves rolls out its campaign on the silver screen with Chris Pine, Regé-Jean Page, Michelle Rodriguez and Hugh Grant among the cast. As seen in both Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves initial sneak peek back in 2022 and its new just-dropped full trailer, the film focuses on a motley crew of characters rolling the dice. "We're thieves," Pine (Don't Worry Darling) explains in both, if the title wasn't already obvious enough. This crew, which spans Page (The Gray Man), Rodriguez (Fast & Furious 9), Justice Smith (Jurassic World Dominion) and Sophie Lillis (IT and IT: Chapter Two), too, "helped the wrong person steal the wrong thing". Cue the greatest evil the world has ever known, unleashed unwittingly, which this band of pilferers now endeavours to stop. In the two sneak peeks so far, dragons pop up, of course. So do dungeons, to the astonishment of no one. Other fantastical animals, fights, flaming swords, fireballs, an army of the undead and quips: they're all included as well, as are Grant (Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre), fellow cast members Chloe Coleman (Avatar: The Way of Water) and Daisy Head (Wrong Turn), and Led Zeppelin's 'Whole Lotta Love'. Behind the camera, Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley (Game Night) are in the directors' chairs, and co-wrote the screenplay with Michael Gilio. The mood they're going for: lighthearted, comic, but also an action-adventure epic. And, like all movies these days, they're seemingly trying to start a new franchise as well. Another Dungeons & Dragons movie has long sat on the list of things that were bound to happen after the success of Stranger Things. The role-playing game has already sparked three movies, with the first dating back to 2000 — but none of them starred this bunch (or were well-received, whether they hit theatres or went straight to home entertainment). Actually, another D&D film has been in the works in some shape or form since before the world saw a bunch of kids in Hawkins, Indiana play the game. Thanks to the success of Game of Thrones, fantasy epics have become a huge Hollywood cash cow (see also: the return of The Lord of the Rings as a streaming series). And yes, films based on Hasbro properties don't have the best record — the Transformers series, the GI Joe flicks, Battleship, Power Rangers — but if you're a D&D devotee, you'll be hoping this one changes that. Check out the new Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves trailer below: Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves opens in cinemas Down Under on March 30.
We can deny it no longer… Christmas is coming. Now, there are many things to love at this time of year: delicious food, champagne and eggnog, lovely carols and Christmas songs, new movies coming out in high numbers and presents, all those fabulous presents. One thing that stirs fear in the hearts of all, and a great hatred of life is – cue suspense sound effects - Christmas shopping. Finding the perfect gift that is: somewhat of interest to the recipient, not too expensive and a bit unique, while dealing with the stress of car parking and the elbowing in the aisles (maybe even capsicum spray these days) equals no fun at all! Fear not, there is another option. This Friday eve the 9th, or Sunday morn the 11th you can leisurely Citycat your way over to the Portside Wharf for a lovely spot of relaxing market shopping at the Boutique Markets final events for 2011. On Friday it’s a lovely evening of twilight shopping, or Sunday offers an early morning opportunity to get the Christmas gifts sorted in the summer sunshine (maybe – the rain doesn’t look like it’s letting up yet). The range of items on offer include beautiful soaps and body products, lovely scarves and textiles, baby clothes, pictures, prints, sweet treats, jewels and accessories galore. And with this I challenge you all to enjoy your Christmas shopping. Rather than dreading the last minute dash to a large conglomerate of a shopping centre, instead make it an evening of strolling and nice purchasing followed by a glass of wine, or a morning of hot coffee followed by a spot of quality shopping!
Good news, Brisbane: we’ve got a new piece of infrastructure on the build, and for once it’s not a bridge. New music venue The Triffid is set to open its doors at the end of October and promises to be the go-to music spot this summer. Located in one of Newstead’s historic WWII hangers, The Triffid is the brainchild of leading music industry figures Paul Piticco and Jessica Ducrou (Splendour In The Grass, Falls Festival), hospitality identity Brett McCall (Green and Gold Events, Urban Purveyor Group) and most former Powderfinger bassist John Collins. “I spent 25 years touring with Powderfinger, playing all manner of venues, so it was really important to me to build a venue that was not only somewhere that punters looked forward to going to but a space that bands enjoy playing at as well," said Collins. "I know the importance of having a room that sounds good, and that has been a major focus.” There’s nothing rash about its development, with these key figures clashing heads over 18 months to ensure The Triffid is nothing short of musical excellence — and we’re quite confident it will be. It's not built like some Valley-esque stage-and-seating set-up; the venue is set to have an 800-person capacity with an outdoor beer garden and imposing arched roofline to match. To baptise the stage, The Triffid has lined up some pretty impressive acts to show off their space. From October 30, they'll be hosting Triffid Seeds, a three-night showcase of Brisbane’s best emerging acts. On the first night you can catch Hello Hokkaido, Outliers, Avaberee, The Royales, Tundra and Salvadarlings, and it won't cost you a cent. On November 8, The Triffid will officially kick into action with a launch party featuring electrifying Melbourne nine-piece Saskwatch, Brisbane indie favourites The Creases and Byron Bay locals MT Warning. Kicking off on November 9, Triffid Roots will take over the beer garden each Sunday, curated and hosted by triple j’s Sarah Howells. The first edition of Triffid Roots will feature Pat Tierney and Liam Gerner. It’s fair to be a tad concerned about the longevity of a new music venue, especially in Brisbane. This year already we’ve seen Tempo and The Joynt close their doors, and let us never forget the Cloudland Dancehall atrocity of 1982. Our history isn’t great as far as venues go, but with the some solid names behind The Triffid and a booming music scene at its side, it wouldn’t be rash to buckle up your dancing shoes and prepare yourself for a hot spot with some staying power.
Over the past few years, the air travel industry has been flitting back and forth between two extremes. The desire for longer flights — especially non-stop from Australia to London and New York — keeps getting stronger. At the same time, the push to reduce the environmental toll of soaring through the sky has also been growing. Where the latter is concerned, Portuguese charter airline Hi Fly set itself a goal of becoming the world's first plastic-free carrier. Closer to home, Qantas pledged to phase out single-use plastics and boarding passes — and has been using mustard seed biofuel to power its planes. For Canadian seaplane outfit Harbour Air, however, the solution is electric. And, this month, it launched the first fully electric commercial aircraft. So far, the ePlane — a six-passenger DHC-2 de Havilland Beaver magnified by a 750-horsepower (or 560 kilowatt) magni500 propulsion system — has only just completed its first test flight, which took place in Vancouver on December 10. Still, with Harbour Air aiming to build world's first completely electric commercial seaplane fleet for its 30,000 commercial annual flights across 12 routes around Vancouver and Seattle, it's the first step. The ePlane's magni500 propulsion system is the key to turning Harbour Air fully electric dream — and its desire to focus on clean, efficient, environmentally friendly power — into a reality. It's created by a company called magniX, which has its headquarters in the US but actually started in Australia — on the Gold Coast, where it still has an engineering centre. Before Harbour Air can bring its fleet to fruition, the two outfits will first need to get the magni500 propulsion system certified and approved — and then retrofit the airline's aircraft. For further information about Harbour Air, visit the company's website. Images: Harbour Air
If you haven't been to Black Bear Lodge yet, you practically haven't lived. Okay, I may be exaggerating, but really, Brisbane's latest indie hang out has all the things Ric's wishes it had, but with the kind of Canadian feel of a wooden lodge, all in snuggled upstairs on Brunswick Street. This venue is the perfect place for the Black Markets. To clarify, it's not the sort of black market where you sell your kidney, though if you think your kidney would make a great necklace, this is the place to sell it. The lovely girls at Velvet Pins have taken the premise of an indie market, and opened it to a wider audience, ie. it's not just for girls. They have encouraged all market stall holders to bring their best stuff and think outside the box, because after all, the black markets have an elusive name to uphold. The organisers have also said to “open your mind, man”. While you browse the eclectic goodies, there'll be coffee on and a bar too. Really, what more could you want at a market? Nothing - that's what I thought. Happy shopping!
Here's something that sounds like a dream: free tunes by the beach over three breezy spring days. In 2021, that was meant to become a reality thanks to new Gold Coast music festival Springtime; however, as has happened to plenty of events, the pandemic intervened. This year, however, the fest will finally launch — across the weekend of Friday, September 2–Sunday, September 4. Yes, last time you spent a couple of days hanging out in Surfers Paradise, enjoying the beach and bars, and listening to a live soundtrack by the shore, you might've been attending Schoolies. Obviously, that isn't the only event attracting people to the Gold Coast. And at Springtime, the price is clearly right — although there are some ticketed sideshows. On the agenda: a lineup led by Skegss, Thelma Plum and Hermitude, spanning 25-plus acts in total, taking over both beachside and streetside spaces around Surfers. There'll be multiple stages, including in outside spots and at sideshow venues, with Sneaky Sound System, Alex the Astronaut, JK-47, Skunkhour, Haiku Hands, Ninajirachi and Teen Jesus & The Jean Teases also among the bands on the bill. If you're planning to make a weekend of it, the lack of entry fee means you'll have more cash to splash on a hotel room. With Australia's tourism industry taking a hit over the past couple of years or so, enticing music lovers to the Goldie for a three-day getaway is obviously one of the fest's aims. Again, some sideshows will be ticketed, though — the details haven't been announced yet, but you might want to factor that into your plans. As for who you'll be seeing when, Hermitude and Sneaky Sound System are headlining the Friday, Thelma Plum is doing the honours on Saturday, and Skegss on Sunday. The Gold Coast Music Awards will be part of the fest as well — as will celebrating spring's arrival just by soaking in the location, obviously. SPRINGTIME MUSIC FESTIVAL 2022 LINEUP: FRIDAY: Hermitude Sneaky Sound System JK-47 Peach Fur DVNA Buttered Girl & Girl Beks VICES SATURDAY: Thelma Plum Ninajirachi Skunkhour Haiku Hands IVEY Ebony Boadu Saint Lane EUCA Fletcher Giv & Latour (Elsewhere DJs) Samin & Lotnic (Elsewhere DJs) Gold Coast Music Awards SUNDAY: Skegss Alex The Astronaut Teen Jesus & The Jean Teases The Lazy Eyes Teenage Dads The Oogars South Summit Just Jessie Geniie Boy Springtime Music Festival will take place across the weekend of Friday, September 2–Sunday, September 4. For further information, head to the festival website.
We know the last few years have been pretty grim, what with the world imploding, hell freezing over and all that. But we need to remember good things happen as well, and here are two local examples we'd like to draw your attention to. Firstly, there's a pied currawong that's been delighting visitors to Sydney's Royal Botanical Garden. She's super cute and nearly complete white but she's not actually an albino. The lil gal has leucism, a rare condition that causes white patches to cover most of her body but causes no other adverse side effects. Because it's breeding season for currawongs, she's raising two hatchlings and has been seen around the park a lot recently. Which leads us to the second, and even cuter, piece of news… The park invited its Facebook fans to name the currawong. Now, you may have just shrieked "No! Remember Dub the Dew? Remember Boaty McBoatface?" But fear not, this isn't another "Hitler Did Nothing Wrong" situation. The internet has actually come through. Fans of the Royal Botanic Garden's Facebook page put forward some of the sweetest suggestions to name the currawong mama, including Flora (because she likes hanging around flowers, obviously), Elsa, Snowy, Graculina, Oreo, "Kelvin...Kelvinator...White goods...", Falcor, Apples, Louey, Flannel, Paloma, Stormy, Cookie, Bianca, Crow White and Casper. So pure. So innocent. Someone suggested "Carol from marketing" which is also an ace suggestion. Snaps for Carol from marketing. Read the thread here if you want your heart to be filled with gladness (keep it pure, people) and, if this story has made you uncharacteristically invested in a bird, check out the RBG's blog for information about the ghostly currawong. We assume the Royal Botanic Garden will pick a name soon.
Here is a story to both perturb and titillate the sensitive art-lovers among us. Unbeknownst to the general populace, Fujifilm has been stealthily developing something major for seven years: a 3D printing technology that can reproduce artworks, such that they are virtually undetectable as being anything other than the real thing. Coined 'Reliefography', the process has so far flawlessly cloned five works by Vincent Van Gogh, mimicking everything from the distinctive brushstrokes of the troubled ear-severing genius, right down to the faded and torn handwritten labels on the back of the frame. While a true expert would most likely be able to spot the fake, it's still kind of chilling, right? What will be the final refuge of authenticity in this madly self-replicating 3D-printed world? The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, which worked with Fujifilm to create the process, appears to have absolutely no issues with it. Intending to use the profits to fund renovations and collection upkeep, it has already released limited-edition runs of 260 (up to three replicas can be produced per day), and many more are in the works. The current 'Relievos' that can be purchased are Van Gogh’s Almond Blossom (1890), Sunflowers (1889), The Harvest (1888), Wheatfield Under Thunderclouds (1890) and Boulevard de Clichy (1887). So how much will it set you back to own your own dazzling forgery? A mere $34K, a trifling amount compared to the price of a real Van Gogh. The technology could surely mean the world to galleries that can't afford to purchase an original masterpiece, and in particular to the blind — unlike an original, a forgery can be experienced through touch. The innovation could perhaps mean even more to anyone hoping to make a quick buck from selling illegal forgeries to suckers. Cue art heist shenanigans and Catherine Zeta-Jones undulating beneath security laser beams. Via Gizmodo.
Still rubbing their eyes from a two-month-long European tour, Sydney post-rock outfit sleepmakeswaves are hoping to wake up their Aussie fans with a national tour. In celebration of their second album, Love of Cartography, the lyricless four-piece will bring their heavy riffage and delay pedals to nine different cities over this July and August with support from Breaking Orbit and Teal. After two years touring across the globe and supporting the likes of Karnivool, Dead Letter Circus and 65daysofstatic, sleepmakeswaves thought it was time to channel their new experiences into a new album. The humble lads turned to Pozible and their dedicated fan base to raise some funds (which they did) and then dutifully thanked them for their support, despite their self-confessed "weirdness and lack of vocals". Ahhh-dorable. The first taste of sleepmakeswaves’ newest music in two years — 'Something Like Avalanches' — was premiered on triple j last month and you’ll be able to hear more of their epic instrumental tunes when Love of Cartography is released in Australia on 4 July. Gives you just enough time to practice their lyrics— oh wait.
At the start of this year I fell in with a new crowd – that of the musically inclined - and so far it seems like their sole mission of the friendship is to educate me in the world of electronic beats and take me on excursions to see their favourite artists. One such excursion has been the sole discussion and cause of excitement for the group since it was announced a couple of months ago – the Daedelus show. Brought to Australia by Silo Arts and Mistletone, the Daedelus tour has been a long time coming and as such the vibe by my friends – and all electronic music lovers - is fairly euphoric. The Los Angeles artist is famed for his all-encompassing talent as a producer, an instrumentalist and a beat maker, making his live shows something to put on your bucket list (apparently). His latest album Bespoke was full of signature genre defying compositions, which he is sure to showcase on the night along with other select danceable tunes from his discography. Supporting him are two local producers who are both fast rising in the Brisbane electronic scene - Outerwaves will be launching his EP Cosmic Triggers, whilst Tincture will be showcasing new tracks throughout his set. Also performing on the night are Dank Morass DJs, and a joint set between Dot.AY and Rubijaq. If you’re anything like my friends, then I’m sure you already have tickets for this masterful gig. And if you’re more like me, then perhaps you need to find a new musical crowd to educate you as well.
Oh Paul Dempsey, with your soulful voice, slim figure and sad eyes; whenever I see a picture of you I want to take you home, feed you roast, fatten you up and ‘happify’ those eyes. I wouldn’t change the voice though, the voice can always remain soulfully melancholic. He’s been around awhile now, old Paul, playing frontman with Something for Kate from 1995 til 2009, then taking a little break to do some solo work. His first solo album Everything is True was released in 2009 and highly and widely acclaimed, winning favour with critics and audiences alike. Paul and his lady, fellow Something-For-Kate-er Stephanie Ashworth, relocated to New York City last year, and we haven’t seen either of them round these parts since. Never fear though, Paul is returning to Brisbane this week with some new stuff from both of his outfits. On this tour he will be roadtesting tunes from the forthcoming SFK album as well as new solo work. Of course there will also be some of his classics performed too, so you can ‘Echolalalalalalaia’ along with Paul’s beautiful, beautiful voice. You better get along to this one, because I can only imagine the more they fall in love with NYC, the less they will be returning to home soil!
One of the joys of living in a river city: walking along, near and in view of that river, a pastime that's easy to indulge in plenty of places around Brisbane. It's about to become even easier, with the city building new bridges with the same enthusiasm that Oprah Winfrey used to radiate on her talkshow giveaways. The CBD is getting one, and so is Kangaroo Point — while West End is set to score two, and Breakfast Creek will get one as well. All of these new bridges will be perfect for Brisbanites to stroll along, because that's exactly what they're being built for. As green bridges, they won't be open to cars. And if you're wondering about the Brekkie Creek structure, and how it will add to the riverside walk along Kingsford Smith Drive, Brisbane City Council has just revealed new details and images. While the Kangaroo Point bridge will include an overwater restaurant and bar, this northside stretch across the water will be far simpler. Here, it'll be all about moseying and soaking in the view. Set to span 80 metres, it'll feature dedicated pathways for pedestrians and cyclists — at a minimum width of six metres — all while extending the existing Lores Bonney Riverwalk and reaching over to Newstead Park. "The Lores Bonney Riverwalk is currently used 2300 times a day, and this new green bridge will improve safety and increase capacity to the riverwalk by creating a continues walking and cycling connection," said Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner. He continued: "these green bridges will take cars off our roads and deliver new connections that will make Brisbane an even better place to live." Appearance-wise, arches feature prominently — and the design will be decked out in hues that match the Moreton Bay Fig trees in the area. At its landing point at Newstead Park, it'll be designed to integrate easily with the park's heritage look as well. And, the bridge will include LED lighting and rest stops as well, and also help connect the CBD with Olympics Athletes Village that's planned for Northshore Hamilton during the 2032 Olympics. Yes, the 'o' word is going to get a mention with every new project that pops up for the next 11 years, plus every already-in-the-works project that comes to fruition. Brisbane City Council has also already announced that it's looking at revamping a stretch of the river in South Brisbane for the Olympic Games, too, with the ultimate aim of turning it into a new South Bank-esque seven-hectare parkland precinct afterwards. The Breakfast Creek green bridge is set to come to fruition well before the games, however, with a 2023 opening date mooted and construction due to start before the end of 2021. That said, the final design does still need to get final approval from Council's independent planning officers. The Breakfast Creek green bridge is expected to open by 2023. For further details, head to the Brisbane City Council website. Images: Brisbane City Council.
Since True Blood came to an end, Anna Paquin has kept busy; however, if you're only going to watch one of her recent projects, make it the acerbically amusing Flack. She plays Robyn, an American publicist now living and working in London. There's much to laugh about in the field of public relations, and ample drama, too — so Flack mines the industry for both as Robyn tries to navigate a seemingly never-ending array of professional chaos, and makes the most of her ever-hectic personal life as well. A couple of episodes from the show's second season are directed by her True Blood co-star Stephen Moyer, and the series' big names don't end there. Oscar nominee Sophie Okonedo pops up as Robyn's boss and the always-beloved Sam Neill features, with the latter reuniting with fellow New Zealander Paquin after they both starred in The Piano back in 1993.
For some, the Ekka public holiday means braving the crowds at the show. For highschoolers, if often means another tradition: their senior formal. For everyone who's already been there and done that, the Brightside is putting their spin on the classic coming-of-age celebration by throwing their yearly prom. Frock up in your finest, fanciest attire, collect your date in style and then prepare to make some memories — while dancing the night away, pulling faces in the photobooth and drinking spiked punch. Hollywood Heartache, Set The Record, Stateside and In Eyes will provide the live pop-punk soundtrack, and make sure you stay until midnight, as that's when 2015 Brightside prom king and queen will be crowned.
Lately, the works of the Dutch masters are receiving some fabulously intense, borderline-OCD flattery from a man who takes the art of imitation to the next level. Creative genius and 17th-century portrait subject stalker Michael Mapes gathers very specific objects and uses them to form intriguing, almost sculptural 21st-century replicas of famous portraits. Look closely at one of Mapes' pixelated images of a face originally painted by Rembrandt or Nicolaes Eliasz Pickenoy, and you'll be rewarded with unexpected findings. The larger picture is composed of all manner of objects, from fragments of human hair to makeup samples, glass vials, gelatin capsules, costume jewellery, contemporary photographs and more. The variety of materials and attention to detail is quite astounding. But this is no random assemblage. Building on a 'pseudo-scientific method' developed for earlier works, after choosing a high-resolution scan of a painting from the archives of Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum, Mapes researches the life of his subject to get a sense of their character. This will inform the eclectica that will make up the physical recreation, and the end result is akin to an entomological display of insect specimens, with many tiny items pinned to a plain backdrop for inspection. It's much like viewing a collection of preserved butterflies, raising an implicit question about how we scrutinise historical artwork, people and visual culture in general. Broader meanings are also embedded in the compositional material of the image — for example, we might ask, how is a gelatin capsule relevant to this character? — making these portraits into extreme meta-portraits. Three artworks from the series will be shown in Montana at Yellowstone Art Museum starting this March, in an exhibition of innovative forms of portraiture entitled Face to Face. See more of the artist's works at
For most of us, bringing the outdoors inside is interior decorating speak for putting a few plants around your apartment. For artist Doug Wheeler, it has been a life-long ambition. Growing up in Arizona and spending time standing in the US state's vast desert landscape, he conceived of an idea for a group of installations that would mimic that experience — and, almost five decades after he put his plans down on paper, one has finally become a reality. Inside New York's Guggenheim Museum, Wheeler has transformed the gallery into an abstract synthetic dessert. Don't just take our word for it — PSAD Synthetic Desert III is the name of the piece. After moving through a number of chambers that can only be unlocked by staff, visitors walk into a room filled with sound-absorbing foam pyramids as far as the eye can see. A platform sits in the middle, ensuring everyone who enters is surrounded by the eye-catching structure, with lighting and sound design also crafted to make the space as immersive as possible. Indeed, because Synthetic Desert "is best experienced with as few extraneous sounds and distractions as possible," according to the Guggenheim website, only five people can enter the free exhibition at any one time. Visits are limited to either ten or twenty minutes of gazing into the sea of white shapes and ponder space, landscape and whatever else pops into your mind when you're sitting in silence in a room filled with foam spikes. After first turning his vision into sketches back in 1968, and spending much of his career contemplating light and space, Wheeler piece aims to "produce a hermetic environment based on a radical reduction of optical and acoustical sensation" in order to "heighten our understanding of perceptual experience." Anyone that happens to be in New York between now and August 2 is advised to book in advance, with entry free with museum admission, because this unique and beautiful installation is certain to be popular. Via Artnet. Image: David Heald
Twenty-four year-old interaction designer Joanna Montgomery, from the UK, has come up with a futuristic invention that is getting long-distance lovers very excited. 'Pillow Talk', which is being launched by Montgomery's company Little Riot, is an invention that lets you hear the real time heartbeat of your lover when you’re apart. Taken from Montgomery’s blog, the promotion video shows how each partner can wear a ring which transmits the soothing sounds of your lover’s heartbeat to your pillow, all through the wonders of wireless technology. The pillow lights up to show that your loved one is also lying down in bed. From the company’s Facebook page, it’s certainly piqued the interest of those in military jobs, and couples who regularly work overseas. For the skeptics out there, yes, we did say real time - so we assume time zones may be a problem, as well as (dare we say it) any unexpected raised pulses.
It's that time of year when your phone buzzes incessantly with calls from your parents asking when you'll be back for the holidays. If you're anything like everyone, you've put off booking these flights because, while you theoretically like the idea of seeing your family, the thought of sleeping on the floor, drunk and full to bursting with Christmas ham, sandwiched between two distant cousins is enough to put you off dropping money on Christmas-time flights just yet. Google know this and they sympathise…sort of. Along with a whole swag of products (including their new Google Pixel phone and their own VR headset, the Daydream) and the recently launched Google Trips, they've also announced that their flight search engine is getting a cool new feature. Google Flights is the tech company's online airfare search tool (not unlike Skyscanner et al.). Up until now it's been effective at finding the most convenient and cheapest flights for the dates you want to travel, but its latest update will also tell you when the price of said flights is predicted to go up or down. Using their magical algorithm, Google will be able to predict when flight prices will increase — so they'll let you know if you need to book that baby before it doubles in price, or if you can afford to sit on it for a few days. It'll also make recommendations on the cheapest dates and times to book and even give you tips on which airports and routes will be cheaper for you. And if you're still not ready to fully commit to the idea of heading home, you can track flights and the progression of prices and get email updates when prices fluctuate or expire. They're also integrating a decent hotel search feature into the whole shebang if you're going somewhere more exciting than your family home for Christmas. The new Google Flights feature will roll out over the next few weeks. You can use the tool at google.com/flights. Image: Ross Parmly.
Thanks to the trans-Tasman travel bubble, Australians can finally visit New Zealand for a holiday again. The Federal Government has also floated the possibility of opening a similar arrangement with Singapore, perhaps by July, although nothing has been announced as yet. But if you were hoping to fly out of the country whenever you like and travel to wherever you like, Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Dan Tehan have bad news for you — because Australia's international border isn't likely to open this year, or until well into next year. The Trade Minister discussed international borders on Friday, May 7, and noted that, regarding opening back up, "the best guess would be in the middle to the second half of next year." He continued: "but as we've seen throughout this pandemic, things can change. So, the hope would be that we might be able to see a few more bubbles set up and would be able to see more travel being undertaken. But we're in a pandemic so, this is a best guess at this stage." Then, on Sunday, May 9, the Prime Minister also offered his thoughts on the subject — first in an interview with News Corp, and then in a follow-up post on his Facebook page. "I don't see an appetite for that at the moment," he said in the interview, also noting that "we have to be careful not to exchange that way of life for what everyone else has." On his social media post, he advised that "international borders will only open when it is safe to do so." The Prime Minister continued: "We still have a long way to go, and there are still many uncertainties ahead. Australians are living like in few countries around the world today. We will continue to do everything we can to work together prevent a third wave and roll out our vaccination programme. And, as always, we will continue to listen to the medical advice and make decisions in the best health and economic interests of all Australians." Also on Sunday, the Treasurer spoke with the ABC in the lead up to the budget, and echoed the sentiments of his colleagues. He said that the budget, which will be announced on Tuesday, May 11, has been crafted with a 2022 date for opening international borders in mind. "This is showing you how fluid the economic situation is with respect to the virus. But we have an assumption based on the borders opening. It's in 2022." Statements like these have been common over the past 14 months since the Australian Government implemented an indefinite ban on international travel, only allowing Aussies to leave the country in very limited circumstances. Last year's prediction that opening up to the rest of the world wouldn't happen in 2020 proved accurate — and, earlier this year, Australia's ex-Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy (now the Secretary of the Department of Health) said that we might not be going anywhere until 2022. Back in March, the Federal Government also extended the human biosecurity emergency period under the Biosecurity Act 2015, so that it now spans until June 17, 2021 — which'll mark 15 months since it was first put in place. It's the piece of legislation that keeps the international borders closed, and it has been extended several times. Based on the recent statements made by the Prime Minster, Trade Minister and Treasurer, it's likely to be extended again as well. With Australia's vaccination campaign underway, Qantas and Jetstar have begun selling tickets for overseas flights for trips scheduled from October, demonstrating hope that the country's international travel rules could ease by then. Of course, the fact that you can book a trip doesn't mean that you'll actually be able to take it — and, again, it's looking highly probably that anyone with tickets for an overseas trip before mid-2022 will be doing a bit of rebooking and rescheduling. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
When Jurassic Park first trampled across the big screen back in 1993, with director Steven Spielberg adapting Michael Crichton's novel of the same name to box office glory, it tasked Jeff Goldblum with uttering four now-iconic words. As mathematician Dr Ian Malcolm, Goldblum announced to the world that "life... finds a way" — which has proven true of the crafty dinosaurs within this huge blockbuster franchise, and also of the ongoing series itself. That initial mega-hit flick spawned sequels in 1997 and 2001, which then led to the Jurassic World trilogy — aka 2015's Jurassic World, 2018's Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and now 2022's Jurassic World Dominion. So yes, films about dinosaurs revived through genetic engineering just keep finding their way to the screen, although the just-dropped first trailer for Dominion poises this sixth flick as wrapping up the story (for now, at least). Directed by Colin Trevorrow, who also helmed the first Jurassic World film, Dominion jumps back into this dino-filled vision of earth four years after the last flick — which saw Isla Nublar destroyed. The franchise's pivotal ancient predators now live alongside humans, which is obviously a tenuous, tense and terrifying situation. Understandably, co-existing with dinosaurs threatens life as everyone knows it, not to mention humanity's future. Chris Pratt (The Tomorrow War) and Bryce Dallas Howard (Rocketman) return for Dominion, after starring in the past two Jurassic World movies, but nostalgia also finds a way here — with not only Goldblum oozing his usual charisma again, as he did in Fallen Kingdom, too, but fellow OG cast members Laura Dern and Sam Neill also returning. Those three familiar faces earn a hefty amount of attention in Dominion's first sneak peek, but the trailer doesn't skimp on its rampaging critters, either. In fact, the film even promises never-before-seen dinosaurs this time around. Also featuring: DeWanda Wise (The Harder They Fall), Emmy nominee Mamoudou Athie (Archive 81), Dichen Lachman (Animal Kingdom), Scott Haze (Minari) and Campbell Scott (The Amazing Spider-Man 2), plus returning cast members BD Wong (another original Jurassic Park star, and part of all three Jurassic World films), Justice Smith (Pokemon: Detective Pikachu), Daniella Pineda (Cowboy Bebop) and Omar Sy (Lupin). Movie-goers will be able to see how this whole humans-and-dinosaurs mayhem all pans out in full when Dominion hits cinemas Down Under on June 9. Check out the trailer for Jurassic World Dominion below: Jurassic World Dominion releases in cinemas Down Under on June 9, 2022.
As social distancing has become our new way of life, Aussies are preparing to spend a solid chunk of the coming weeks at home, which means you're probably already busy scouting out bulk entertainment options to see you through. Well now, you can add a few audiobooks to that hit-list, thanks to the good folk at Audible. The online retailer is offering a bunch of its recorded books to download for free. And that's without locking you into its usual free trial period. The newly launched free collection of stories is primarily aimed at kids stuck at home during the outbreak (and of course, their parents), though it's also got a few literary classics tucked away in there as well. Among the books translated into six different languages, you'll find gems like Jane Eyre — narrated by UK actress Thandie Newton — Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, Persuasion and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, and Aldous Huxley's novel Brave New World. You might fancy diving into The Call of The Wild by Jack London, or even settling in with Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Whatever your style, there's plenty of hours of entertainment amongst this lot. The stories are free to stream on your phone, tablet, desktop or laptop, and with no sign-up required, you can jump on and start listening straight away. The free Audible Stories are available now via the website.
This year has been a pretty eventful one, but for all the wrong reasons. So, we wouldn't blame you for chalking 2020 up to a big fail and impatiently waiting for the new year to begin. But before you label 2020 a complete right-off and eagerly race towards New Year's Eve, consider this: there are nine weeks remaining so, with things returning to a state of (new) normality, you may as well make the most of 'em by filling your days off — and the 2020 memory bank — with some epic experiences. We've teamed up with our mates at Adrenaline to give away a voucher worth a cool $1000 to spend on exciting, daring adventures. One weekend you could be driving a Turbo WRX rally car around a dusty Brisbane track. The next, you may be abseiling down a waterfall in the Gold Coast Hinterland, swimming with sharks or skydiving over the Sunshine Coast. Or, if you're feeling generous, treating your mum, best mate or partner to a hot air balloon ride over Brisbane with brekkie. In fact, with over 2500 different experiences across Australia, your only problem will be trying to decide what to spend the free Adrenaline bucks on. If your calendar for the rest of the year is looking pretty full, don't worry — you actually have five years to use the voucher, so you can opt to get 2021 off to a strong start instead. To be in the running, enter your details below. Every entrant will also receive a promo code for Adrenaline. [competition]787375[/competition]
There's a lot that's good about summer: barbecues, beach days, frozen cocktails and festivals almost every weekend. But after all that endless partying, sinking into a comfy beanbag and enjoying a good flick outdoors sounds pretty good. And if there's one thing better than sipping on beers and bubbles as the sun goes down at an outdoor cinema, it's doing it while also celebrating fierce females of the movie world — and doing it for free. Nothing screams 2019 louder than strong female leads defying the patriarchal confines of the society they inhabit. We are so on board. So, because we're loving all the tough women gracing the screens at Sunset Cinema at the moment, we've managed to get our hands on some double passes to help you celebrate them, too. The double pass will get you into Mary, Queen of Scots on Saturday, March 2, where you'll be watching Margot Robbie and Saoirse Ronan battle it out under the stars at Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens. To get your paws on a double pass, enter with your details below so you can raise a glass to these leading ladies in the glorious summer air. [competition]706483[/competition]
He's the creative mind behind Uluru's spectacular Field of Light installation, which pulled more than 200,000 visitors in its first eighteen months and has been extended twice to keep up with demand. And now, renowned British artist Bruce Munro has lent his talents to yet another landmark Aussie exhibition. This time, he is illuminating the tree-lined Avenue of Honour in Albany, Western Australia. Field of Light: Avenue of Honour kicks off today and will run until April 25, 2019, in honour of the ANZACs who departed for the Great War from this southernmost point of the state 100 years ago. It's an immersive work, aglow each night with 16,000 flower-like glass spheres, 'planted' by local volunteers to form a glowing carpet through the avenue's memorial trees. Arriving at peak wildflower season, the glowing orbs also nod to this corner of the country's unique plant life, referencing the whites, yellows and greens of the wattle and New Zealand's kowhai. Munro's Field of Light: Avenue of Honour installation will be free to wander during its stint Down Under, which coincides with the ANZAC Centenary commemorations. If you'd like to visit, you'll have to plan a bit of a trip. Albany is located a five-hour drive (or one-hour flight) from Perth. Field of Light: Avenue of Honour runs from October 4, 2018 until April 25, 2019. Images: Mark Pickthall, courtesy of the Bruce Munro Studio
It's the Swedish structure that's reimagining social spaces, and its about to take its unconventional meeting place abroad. Earlier this year, Stockholm-based artist duo Bigert and Bergström revealed the 'Solar Egg', a modal, stainless golden steel, reflective, egg-shaped sauna with a heart-shaped wood burning stove, as based in the town of Kiruna. Now, they're bringing it to Paris. The Solar Egg will bring the Kiruna-style sauna experience to the French city's Swedish Institute across November 25 and 26, and December 2, 3, 9 and 10. Visitors are encouraged to don their swimmers, stand next to the fire and pretend they're somewhere snowier — and wear designer dressing gowns while they're touring the installation. As far as interactive art pieces go, it's both acutely beautiful and functional, with stainless golden mirror sheeting reflecting the surrounding scenery. Inside, the sauna's interior is made of pine wood panelling and decks, and aspen benches, with an iron and stone stove in the centre. Temperature varies between 75 and 85 degrees Celsius in the egg. The striking structure was originally commissioned by Swedish economic and real estate association Riksbyggen as a "social sculpture", according to the artists, providing a communal space for the residents of Kiruna to discuss their town's problems. And, they have a lot to talk about while enjoying a sauna together. Kiruna is Sweden's northernmost village, with a population of just under 20,000. In 2003, they realised that due to adjacent iron ore mining activity (activity which provides thousands of jobs for locals), the ground beneath the town was becoming unstable. The solution? Move the whole town three kilometres away. The relocation has been underway ever since and will continue to trudge along, piece by piece, for many more decades supported by the government and the mining company responsible. Like town, like golden egg — which can also obviously be disassembled and relocated. Alas, anyone hoping to see the Solar Egg pop up elsewhere will find themselves disappointed, with the installation due to return to Kiruna after its Paris stint. By Imogen Baker and Sarah Ward. Images: Riksbyggen and Futurniture.
While Australia can sometimes feel a little disconnected from the rest of the world, much of the globe can relate to our ongoing refugee situation. It's these widespread geopolitical and migration crises that world-renowned artist and activist Ai Weiwei is shining a spotlight on with his New York public art exhibition, Good Fences Make Good Neighbors. After running a crowdfunding campaign to fund the project back in August and September, the Chinese creative's latest installation is up and running from today until February 2018. The powerful showcase features a series of large-scale works throughout the entire city, as Ai Weiwei highlights the role of the security fence in dividing people, the immigration and border control practices and policies that go along with these physical barriers, and the current global rise in nationalism. https://www.instagram.com/p/BaHLa7Rn9hh/?taken-by=publicartfund Spanning more than 300 sites across five boroughs, the artist's huge fence-inspired works can be found at places like Central Park and Greenwich Village's Washington Square Arch, as well as on top of and between private buildings. He has also created a collection of flagpole-mounted works, sculptures around bus shelters and two-dimensional lamppost banners. Meanwhile, traditional advertising spaces at bus shelters, LinkNYC kiosks and newsstands will display images taken during Ai Weiwei's time researching at refugee camps across the world. Good Fences Make Good Neighbors stems from his own experiences with displacement and detention, combined with his recent research surrounding the global refugee crisis. If you can't make it to New York to see the installation in person, Instagram has you covered. For more of Ai Weiwei's exploration of the topic, Human Flow, his latest documentary, is due in Australian cinemas in March 2018. Images: Ai Weiwei studio via Kickstarter.
Stepping through a door into an art gallery can sometimes seem like a very big hurdle. Are you cultured enough? Will you interpret the work correctly? Will you be judged by the artist and/or your peers? Luckily, Metro Arts in Brisbane is running a year-long program called inbetweenspaces, which aims to change everyone’s opinion on the art world through a rotation of artists. Starting June 22, the next artist to hold residence is Kieran Swann, who uses multidisciplinary forms to highlight his interest in how structures and process can transform and decay over time. He references a lot of entropy, language, construction and demolition, and masculine behaviour. For all those big words, what it comes down to is: Mr Swann likes examining how easy it is for things to break, be built again and how we choose. So don’t be nervous about popping into inbetweenspaces next time you’re in Edward St. After all, interpreting art is a personal thing and you could always do the mysterious silent nod at each piece. Image credit: Kieran Swann via inbetweenspaces
Remember Ted's band from Scrubs? They sing in hilarious harmonies and mostly do a cappella versions of cartoon theme songs? Well they're not just a cute melodic group working from different departments of the Sacred Heart Scrubs hospital. They are actually a real band and they are on their way to Brisbane for a huge Australian tour. You may remember their remdidtions of Superman (the Scrubs theme song) Hey Ya, Charles in Charge, or their more recent radio covers of Katy Perry, Cee Lo Green and Rihanna? If you don't, seriously Youtube those last ones. The Blanks, more commonly known to the world as Ted's band, are more than just the character quartet of friends who sing cute, quirky covers to lighten the ill hospital mood. After eight years on Scrubs and over seven million youtube hits, The Blanks arrive in Australia for a show like no other, and everyone is getting excited. It will almost be like a live episode of Glee, except replace the teenage sexual tension and poppy dances with a group of middle aged men (all looking like dorky dads) bopping and chanting 'til they run out of breath. Take it from Ted, do not miss this a cappella madness!
UPDATE: JULY 1, 2020 — Due to worldwide cinema closures and other concerns around COVID-19, Tenet will no longer release on its initially scheduled date of Thursday, July 17, 2020. Instead, it will now release on Thursday, August 13. This article has been updated to reflect that change. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. Every ten years, Christopher Nolan sends audiences on a wild journey. The Batman Begins, The Prestige and Interstellar filmmaker makes movies more often than that, but a decade seems to be how long it takes to indulge his weird and wonderful side. In 2000, that led to Memento, the film that helped bring the writer/director to broader attention. In 2010, Inception and its dreams within dreams were the end result. Now, in 2020, Nolan is trifling with time and tasking BlacKkKlansman's John David Washington with trying to stop World War III, all in the trippy Tenet. Indeed, when an initial trailer for the film dropped last year, it instantly gave off big Inception vibes. Combining temporal trickery, logic-defying stunts, Michael Caine and an ominous, droning score will do that. The fact that the trailer didn't reveal much in the way of narrative detail also helped more than a little. Now, a new sneak peek has just hit after first premiering via the video game Fortnite — and it provides a bit more information. This being a Nolan flick, Tenet is certain to save its biggest surprises until it releases in cinemas; however, the new trailer does confirm that communicating with the future and reversing the flow of time are both on the agenda. Yes, that paints a very intriguing picture, with the new footage combining fresh clips with a few sights already seen in original trailer. Washington plays a spy, partnered with Robert Pattinson, who is trying to stave off something worse than a nuclear holocaust. To do so, he "journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something beyond real time", according to the film's official synopsis. That means inversion — not time travel, as he makes plain in the new footage. Tenet also features Australian actor Elizabeth Debicki (Widows), Harry Potter's Clémence Poésy, Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Avengers: Age of Ultron), Himesh Patel (Yesterday), Martin Donovan (Ant-Man) and Kenneth Branagh — with the latter also starring in Nolan's last film, the World War II epic Dunkirk. And as for when you're likely to see the filmmaker's 11th feature, it's currently now slated for a mid-August release — a change from its initial mid-July release, which was listed in the text beneath the new trailer on YouTube. It's interesting to note that the trailer itself doesn't include a release date, however. The film has been heralded as the big blockbuster that'll help reopen cinemas after their COVID-19 shutdown, but whether that'll happen is yet to be seen — and will depend upon the status not just of cinemas Down Under but around the world, and especially whether theatres have opened en masse in the US (including in major markets such as New York and Los Angeles). Check out the latest Tenet trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3pk_TBkihU Tenet is slated to release in Australian cinemas on August 13, 2020. We'll update you if that changes again. Top images: Copyright: © 2020 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved. Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
How much does Netflix love British royalty? If five seasons of The Crown so far and its Harry and Meghan specials are anything to go by, the streaming platform is more than a little fond of the monarchy. Or, to be more precise, it knows that its subscribers feel that way thanks to all our binge-watching — so expanding its focus on the UK's sovereigns and their families via new Bridgerton prequel series Queen Charlotte was always bound to happen. Initially announced in 2021, now slated for a May 4 release and just unveiling its first teaser trailer, too, this upcoming show was always likely for another reason: Bridgerton's huge success. And while the hit page-to-screen series focuses on a firmly fictional aristocratic family in the 19th century — set in the Regency era, it's a work of imagination as well as alternative history — Queen Charlotte was indeed real. Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story will delve into the figure's backstory within the Bridgerton realm, including her rise to power and prominence, and the importance and impact of her reign. Also covered: her relationship with King George, as well as Violet Bridgerton and Lady Danbury's early years. The prequel series will chart how the Queen's marriage to George also created a societal shift, in fact, sparking the world of the ton as seen in Bridgerton — and it's being called part of "the Bridgerton-verse" by Queen Charlotte and Bridgerton executive producer (and Grey's Anatomy and Scandal creator) Shonda Rhimes. So yes, as well as the already-announced third and fourth seasons of Bridgerton itself, you can probably expect more spinoffs to arise. After releasing a first-glimpse clip from the show in 2022, Netflix's debut trailer for Queen Charlotte offers further glimpses at its young titular figure (India Amarteifio, The Tunnel) and George (Corey Mylchreest, The Sandman). Queen Charlotte will also feature Golda Rosheuvel (Dune) as the older version of its namesake, as well as Ruth Gemmell (Deep State) as Violet Bridgerton and Adjoa Andoh (The Witcher) as Lady Danbury. They'll be joined by Connie Jenkins-Greig (Solitary) as young Violet, Arsema Thomas (Redeeming Love) as young Lady Danbury, Michelle Fairley (Gangs of London) as Princess Augusta, Sam Clemmett (Cherry) and Hugh Sachs (Bridgerton) as the young and old Brimsley, Richard Cunningham (The Witcher) as Lord Bute, Tunji Kasim (Nancy Drew) as Adolphus, Rob Maloney (Coronation Street) as the Royal Doctor and Cyril Nri (The Witches) as Lord Danbury. Check out the first teaser trailer for Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story below: Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story will stream via Netflix from May 4. The first and second seasons of Bridgerton are available to stream now. Images: Liam Daniel/Netflix.
Arguably the worst part of travel is the bit where you actually have to travel. Sitting in an over-cramped, over-air-conditioned metal tube for 20+ hours almost makes post-pasta swims in the Mediterranean seem too much trouble than it's worth (almost). But until we're at The Fifth Element stage where we can just hop in a capsule and get knocked out cold for the duration of the journey, we'll just have to be content with airlines' attempts at cutting down flight times and transfers. In huge news for Aussie travellers, Qantas last week announced they are really close to locking down a direct flight from Australia to Europe. Thanks to their new Dreamliner 787-9 aircraft — which are set to start flying in October 2017 — the airline hope to run non-stop flights from Perth to London in the near future. Direct, the Perth to London flight time would be 17-18 hours. It would be considerably quicker than their current route, which, with their partnership with Emirates, includes a rather hellish stopover in Dubai (as all stopovers are). It would be the first and only direct flight from Australia to Europe. "This aircraft allows us to fly routes that we could only imagine in the past," Qantas CEO Alan Joyce told The Australian. "It allows us to fly from Perth to London, from Sydney to Chicago or Melbourne to Dallas." Qantas are still in negotiations to lock down the new route, but are expected to confirm its actualisation pretty soon. The sort-of news comes as the airline revealed the layout for their new Dreamliner fleet, which will be two-thirds the size of the 747s they will eventually replace and have only 236 seats (as opposed to the 747's 364 seats). Economy will have a 3:3:3 seat situation (as opposed to the 3:4:3), as well as USB ports and an extra inch of leg room. Hurrah for leg room! Plus, they also revealed some new branding, which includes new typography on the side of their planes. Qantas are set to confirm the Perth to London route soon. We'll update you when they do. Via The Australian.
UPDATE: JUNE 28, 2018 — A second Melbourne show has been added on Tuesday, August 14. Tickets are on sale now. When Bob Dylan last toured Australia, it was billed as a 'once in a lifetime' experience. And, for all those who went, it was. It's just that now fans will be get the opportunity to have another such experience, because the legendary tambourine man will return to Australia for a national tour this August. This tour will be less exhaustive than his 2014 effort, with Dylan set to do seven shows — one in each of the usual capital city stops (Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide), as well as one-offs in Newcastle and Wollongong. He will draw on his incredible 60-year career — which spans 36 studio albums and countless hits — for the shows, so you better start praying to the music gods that your favourite makes it onto the setlist. Dylan may be 76 years old, but he has certainly showed no signs of slowing down as he approaches 80. In 2016 he was awareded the Nobel Peace Prize for Literature and, just this year, he oddly released his own whisky. But still, it could be the last chance you get to see this living legend perform live. His last tour sold out, so you better have your fingers ready when tickets go on sale next week. BOB DYLAN 2018 TOUR DATES Wednesday, August 8 — Perth Arena, Perth Saturday, August 11 — Botanic Park, Adelaide Monday, August 13 and Tuesday, August 14 — Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne Saturday, August 18 — ICC Sydney, Sydney Monday, August 20 — WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong Wednesday, August 22 — Entertainment Centre, Newcastle Friday, August 24 — Entertainment Centre, Brisbane Bob Dylan will tour Australia in August 2018. Tickets are on sale now here.
People travel from around the globe to see Uluru. In 2023, the Northern Territory landmark was even named one of the best places in the world to visit by The New York Times. Folks head to the Red Centre from all across Australia, too, of course — and if visiting the large sandstone formation has always been on your travel bucket list, and you're in Melbourne or Brisbane, making that trip is about to get easier. Virgin has announced new direct flights to the heritage site. From June 2024, the Aussie carrier will start two routes, which will mark the airline's first-ever legs to Uluru from Melbourne and Brisbane. The flights from the Victorian capital will begin first, on Thursday, June 6, 2024, but Queenslanders will only have to wait a day later, until Friday, June 7, 2024. After both routes kick into gear, Virgin will fly between Melbourne and Uluru four times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. The carrier will zip between Brisbane and Uluru three times a week, on Wednesdays and Fridays. Virgin is partnering with the Northern Territory Government and Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia — which runs Ayers Rock Resort — on the new services to get more people to the middle of the country. And it's aiming to send quite a few more tourists in that direction, with 62,000-plus seats a year on offer thanks to the two new legs. "Uluṟu is a special place in Australia and a cultural landmark that identifies this wonderful country to the world. We look forward to once again connecting Australians and international tourists alike to the spiritual heartland of Australia," said Virgin Australia CEO Jayne Hrdlicka. "We are also proud to be offering direct flights to Uluṟu from Melbourne and Brisbane for the first time. The forecast demand from these cities, coupled with excellent connectivity from our international airline partners, will provide a much-needed tourism boost to the region. Greater competition in the market and more seat capacity to Uluṟu will also provide travellers with more choice and value next time they fly to the Red Centre." [caption id="attachment_905928" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Salty Travellers[/caption] "Whether it's still on the bucket list or a much-loved destination, visiting Uluṟu is a must-do for international and Australian travellers alike," added Matt Cameron-Smith, CEO of Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia. "Demand to visit Uluṟu is incredibly strong — driven by a wealth of amazing cultural experiences including the world-first $10-million cultural drone and storytelling experience Wintjiri Wiru — and we can't wait to roll out the red carpet for Virgin Australia's return to the Red Centre." How is Virgin celebrating announcing its new routes? With a flight sale, which is obviously great news for your wallet. Until midnight AEST on Wednesday, November 22, 2023, fares start at $129 one-way in economy, as long as you're keen to travel between Thursday, June 6–Thursday, September 12, 2024. For accommodation, Ayers Rock Resort is doing $150-per-night Lost Camel Hotel stays as well. Virgin's Melbourne–Uluru services will commence on Thursday, June 6, 2024, and its Brisbane–Uluru services on Friday, June 7, 2024. The airline's Red Centre sale is slinging flights from $129 until midnight AEST on Wednesday, November 22, 2023 — head to the Virgin website for more details.
After the year that's been, we could all use a few little wins right now. And the next edition of Click Frenzy's online shopping bonanza is happy to provide. Kicking off from 7pm (AEDT) this Tuesday, November 10, Click Frenzy's Main Event is chock full of bargains to help ease the pain that 2020 has supplied so far. Running for 53 hours, the sale is set to feature over 4000 deals and specials from more than 800 local and international brands. Those looking to indulge in some much-needed retail therapy can do so snapping up eye-popping bargains on products from favourites like Big W, Dyson, Myer, Target and stacks more. A suite of 'Go Wild' deals could see you scooping up Apple Airpods Pro for a measly $4, a nifty new airfryer for the low price of just $1, a GHD straightener for $4 or a $9 Samsung TV. Elsewhere, nab new activewear with 65 percent off 2XU, refresh your summer wardrobe with 70 percent off Gorman, fill up your cellar with 70 percent off wine, score 60 percent off bedding from Sheridan and find more bargains courtesy of Bose, Priceline, T2 and Spotlight. What's more, you could even hook up with some new wheels, with the sale event featuring hard-to-beat deals from your mates at Volkswagen and Subaru.
It's not every artist who'd revisit their Year Two saxophone skills on their debut album. But Melbourne's Chet Faker (aka Nick Murphy) isn't afraid of giving anything a whirl for the sake of sound. Following the release of his debut EP Thinking In Textures via Downtown Records in 2012, Murphy gained international high-fives and 'Breakthrough Artist of the Year' at the Australian Independent Records Awards, made an EP with Flume, toured with Bonobo, played at South by South West and scored a Super Bowl ad with his breakthrough cover of Blackstreet's 'No Diggity'. After settling into his own snuggly studio space in North Melbourne, Murphy painstakingly tweaked, experimented and self-produced his debut album Built On Glass, released Friday. An eclectic and unpredictable mix of electronic soul ballads, deep house journeys and hip hop beats, Murphy's love of experimentation and letting sound breathe makes Built On Glass one of the year's most overwhelmingly confident debut releases. Heartbreakingly honest lyrics, minimalist electronic groovery and Murphy's unmistakably soulful vocals make for serious repeat button action. Kicking off a huge worldwide tour in April, Chet Faker will hit venues in UK cities like Dublin, Manchester and Bristol before popping over to European hubs like Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. Then it's over to the US and Canada for a gargantuan string of dates before heading home for his national Australian headliner tour through major cities and regional centres like Geelong, Port Macquarie and Wollongong. Supporting for all national tour dates is New Zealand dream pop trio Yumi Zouma, whose four-track EP The Brae saw the Christchurch locals gain quite the following on Soundcloud. In the wake of the tour's long-awaited announcement, we had a chat to the 25-year-old Melburnian about his upcoming worldwide debut album tour, his Melbourne performance jinx, jogging on tour and a genuine disdain for pigeonholes. When was the last time you played an Australian show? Three weeks ago. I play heaps here, everyone thinks I don't. They're like, "Really? Come back to Australia and support your home." It's like, I play here a lot. People are like, "Why didn't you come to New Zealand?" I was there four weeks ago! "Hopefully one day you'll come to Ireland." It's like dude, I'll be there in a week. Just relax! So Built On Glass is out, your first LP, congrats! You played everything you hear on the album, excepting one guitar solo. What made you want to play all every last instrument on your new album? Well, because I knew what I wanted to be played. And I'm not rich so I can't just like, pay Nile Rodgers to lay down a track for me. It's just a really personal record. Music just means a shitload to me. I'm usually writing music at the same time I'm recording it... just trying a bunch of stuff. If I want a guitar part, I'm going to play it because I'm there. So it makes sense to play it myself rather than have someone in and it might not work. Did you learn saxophone just for the record? No. Well, maybe sort of. I played sax from prep to grade two. But I hadn't played until last year and I picked it up and could still make a noise out of it. That blew me away. I had no idea that I could still play saxophone. I assumed I couldn't play it, I couldn't remember what notes they were. I picked it up and because I'd learnt 'Tequila' — that was the last song I'd played — I was like bam-bam ban-am-bam ban-a-nam and I was like "What the FUCK?". It was insane! Because there's other stuff as a kid I can't remember how to do, you know? Like cartwheels... Cartwheels, totally yeah. I used to be a really good drawer when I was a kid but I'm not that good at it any more. I used to be able to do a really good cat. Actually I still remember how to do it — it looks like Bubsy, which was a game on Super Nintendo. That's funny, I haven't thought about that in a long time. With your first EP you were kind of sleeping in the same space that you were recording. But this time you had your own space to record Built On Glass? Yeah, I rented a space in North Melbourne in the old meat market. It's an old cooling locker, so it's heritage-listed. It's through Arts House Victoria, so it's really cheap rent, it's cool... We have so much space and I just don't use it. I filled it with stuff and ended up putting myself in the smallest room. I rarely stand up when I'm recording music, most of the time I'm sitting on a chair. I can't remember the last time I stood up to record vocals. I lean into the microphone and I sit in front of the computer. I'll take, sing it, listen back and do it again until I get it right. Well, your voice has a lot of oomph and power behind it, which you usually need to stand up to reach. Well, on this record anyway. The EP was lighter I think, more breathy because I was in my garage. It had a tin roof and in the garage next door to me we had a neighbour. I would usually record late at night and I couldn't sing loud. Whereas on this record, because I have my own soundproof space, I could be there any hour of the night and play as loud as I want and not piss anyone off. So all the vocal tracks are like, full chest voice. I literally couldn't have done this album in the old garage because I couldn't sing that loud. https://youtube.com/watch?v=aP_-P_BS6KY Stylistically Built On Glass is very different, each song is quite unique even though they've got your unifying vocal. Some are hip hop influenced, some are ballads, some are almost house music. How do you find inspiration for each style? I've had this thing, like, all my life: I hate being put in a pigeonhole. More than anything, for some reason. I don't know why it annoys me so much. As soon as you label something you limit it. And I don't want to be limited. An album is usually very definitive, you know? That's the big thing, about making a 'statement' right? So my statement was I wanted to show almost every type of music that I like, because then if I did something like the slow, whatever people call it, "RnB crooner" — it makes me cringe when I hear that, it's gross — style, then I'd limit it. Because if I bring out another record that's like '1998', which I like just as much, people would go, "What the fuck is this?" So it was really important to me that I show the full breadth of all the things I like. Sounds like a good way to go for a debut album. Well that's the idea. Built On Glass as well, the whole "built" thing comes from like, building a career, building a future on a foundation stone of glass, which is fragile, it's honest, it's transparent — this is what I'm into, you know? And it was annoying me that people thought I only did soulful, slowed down tunes. There's even some house moments in there. Yeah, well 'Cigarettes and Loneliness" is 135BPM. That is not soul music. It's hard to pick a track off your debut album, but do you have a particular song you're especially proud of? 'Cigarettes and Loneliness' I think. I mean, they all have their own reason I like them. 'Gold' is the first song I ever played bass on and it's just one note the whole time. I didn't know how to play the bass, so I bought a bass. What I wanted to do was a descending bassline but I couldn't play that properly. But then 'Release Your Problems', which is the first track, I played the bass on that. First bassline I ever really wrote. '1998': house track — I always wanted to put out a house track. 'Cigarettes and Loneliness' is the longest song I've ever done, it's the most honest song I've ever done. The chorus has no drums, it's just two guitar parts and vocals. The song's like eight minutes long and it's 135BPM which is just super fast. You couldn't even play that in a DJ set, it'd freak people out. It's been two years since your first EP Thinking in Textures came out, since then you've won awards, worked with Flume, supported big names, had your song in a Super Bowl ad... Yeah, I always forget about that until people bring it up. That's like the least real thing that's ever happened to me. That's like, really? Was I really in a Super Bowl ad? It's like the childhood memories that you're not really sure if you made it up or it actually happened. https://youtube.com/watch?v=vUsxibgWMs4 You've been touring on and off for about two years, what's one of the most memorable performances you've done? Well, there's different ones for different reasons — there's good ones and then there's like, bad ones. Touring with Bonobo was awesome. I've got mad respect for him. He just texted me the other day, he was like, "What are you doing? You wanna go get a drink?" For a second I had to be like, that's fuckin' Bonobo texting me. That was pretty weird, I had to pinch myself. That tour was cool, I think this tour in June's also going to be heaps of fun. And you toured with Flume as well. Toured with Flume, yeah that was good. Ah... it was alright. They were just like, munted kids who weren't listening. But actually it was fun playing with Flume, because I'd get up and sing with him, that was shitloads of fun. So I crowdsurfed — and you don't crowdsurf to my music. I never had. So that was a lot of fun, stagediving. Did they bring you back to the stage? Yeah, I mean sometimes you get taken away. Here's a lesson for anyone who's going to stagedive: take off any jewellery or hats, people literally rip stuff off you. And I got like, mouth raped at one of those shows on that Flume tour. I don't know if it was a boy or a girl, someone just grabbed my head upside down and did like a Spiderman tongue dash. I was like, woah. By the time I looked, I was somewhere else. It was kind of funny though, but it was an all ages show so its just a bit like... yeeech. https://youtube.com/watch?v=6vopR3ys8Kw If you could tour with anyone in the world, who would it be? Bonobo was pretty up there. Music style-wise, I feel like it's pretty similar. I always looked up to him, awesome crew and band, they really inspired me. Like, some people just aren't as… Just because you love someone's music doesn't mean you like them personally and that was a big lesson for me. And most people won't know that. You know, most people who like my music will assume that them and I would get along perfectly but I'm certain there are people I wouldn't get along with. It's like the same with anyone. So I've met lots of people, I mean, Bonobo, he's as nice as his music is, he's a gentleman. But there's other people I've met that I really liked, I was like, you... are... you are a dickhead. So you've got this rather epic tour coming up, how do you prepare and keep healthy on tour? Are there any tricks? Totally, you have to look after yourself. I do. I actually don't know how some people party on tour all the time. It's not sustainable, like, you just get totally bummed out. Some people can do it though. Some people just figure out this like, route in their brain to not come down from partying. They just party forever. Like DJs, those dudes kill it. I don't know, I couldn't do that. Do you get actual sleep on tour? No. Well, yes if I try and sleep and eat well, but that's not really an option either. It's this weird balance because some people just think you're difficult if you're like "I need celery and gluten free food backstage." They're like, "Geez, this guy's a douchebag." But if you're having a hot dog every night for three months, you start to feel really crappy about yourself. But running is good, I try and go for a run every morning. It's just habit, which is easy to do on tour because it's easier to create new habits in a new environment than one that has existing habits. Do you write on tour? You were saying you write and record at the same time. I can't. I'm trying to at the moment; I'm trying to get a little studio built up. But I really like having a space, but that's not really an option any more when you're touring so much. So I'm getting this little case made up with like, a microphone and a laptop. Harley's so good at it, Flume, he's always working on a track. I can do it, it's just like a habit. I'm trying to start doing that more. It's going to be cool for you to play in Melbourne and show off your debut album to home. Yeah, totally and I don't think I've ever played a good show in my home town. I keep fucking it up. I mean it's my friends there, that's why. I played a bunch of festivals — I mean I think as far as my friends are concerned I suck live, because I keep messing it up for my friends in Melbourne — like, at Laneway I played a bad show, I messed up Meredith and Golden Plains. I had technical problems — I had a broken foot. It's like I'm jinxed in my home town but this tour will be fine, sooner or later I'll do it. Tour Dates: Tickets on sale Tuesday 22 April 9AM local time Thu 12 June – The Wool Exchange, Geelong $35 +BF. Tickets from Oztix. Friday 13 June – Forum Theatre, Melbourne $35 +BF. Tickets from The Forum Box Office, Ticketmaster. Thu 19 June – Astor Theatre, Perth $35 +BF. Tickets from Astor Box Office. Sat 21 June – The Tivoli, Brisbane $35 +BF. Tickets from Ticketmaster. Sun 22 June – Lake Kawana Community Centre, Sunshine Coast $35 +BF. Tickets from Box Office. Tue 24 June – Glasshouse Theatre, Port Macquarie $35 +BF. Tickets from the Glasshouse Box Office. Wed 25 June – Civic Theatre, Newcastle $35 +BF. Tickets from Box Office and Ticketek. Fri 27 June – Enmore Theatre, Sydney $35 +BF Tickets from Enmore Theatre Box Office and Ticketek Sat 28 June – Anita's Theatre, Wollongong $35 +BF. Tickets from Ticketmaster. Thu 3 July – HQ, Adelaide $35 +BF. Tickets from Moshtix and Oztix. Sat 5 July - The Odean, Hobart $40 +BF. Tickets from Ticketmaster and Ruffcut Records.
Thursday nights at Alhambra AKA Lambda are famous for many things, some good and some bad. Despite cheap drinks and regrettable hook ups, it's undeniable that the club night’s crowning glory is their ability to give local Brisbane bands the opportunity to perform in front of a rapt (albeit drunk) audience. This week Epithets will be the star of Lambda as they officially release their first single taken from a new album due later this year. Titled ‘Blacklisted’ it is already available for download at their Band Camp, and download I did. There is something very comforting and familiar about the song that I’m sure will prove only to be better live. I would guess that it’s their inclusion of a glockenspiel in the lineup but that might just be personal bias. This is the band’s first show in awhile, however I imagine that once ‘Blacklisted’ takes off and their album is released they will be a very busy group. So come and see them perform as they take baby steps back into the performing world.
Addams Family fans, it's time to get a witch's shawl on and a broomstick you can crawl on, because Netflix — and Tim Burton — are gonna pay a call on popular culture's most famous supernatural brood. Come November, the streaming platform will release Wednesday, the high school-set series about the eerie family's teenage daughter. And, in a way, there's more than one Wednesday on offer. To answer the obvious question, yes, the show will drop on a Wednesday: Wednesday, November 23, in fact. To answer your next two queries, yes, Christina Ricci is among the cast — but no, she isn't playing the titular role, because that honour goes to Jenna Ortega. Ortega is having quite the year, especially when it comes to horror. This new take on The Addams Family follows her roles in Scream, Studio 666 and X already in 2022. When she shares the screen with Ricci, as seen in the just-dropped new Wednesday trailer, the latter plays Nevermore Academy teacher Marilyn Thornill. As also shown in the initial teaser trailer from back in August, Wednesday obviously focuses on its namesake — aka the Addams' eldest child, who plenty of teenage girls with long black hair have been compared to for decades. Wednesday is indeed a teen in the new series, and she has been terrorising her way through schools, hopping through eight of them in five years. Now she's ended up at Nevermore Academy, where her mother introduces her with an apology: "please excuse Wednesday, she's allergic to colour". Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones, Prodigal Son) actually met Gomez (Luis Guzmán, Hightown) at the school, and they think that she'll love it — but clearly Wednesday's storyline isn't going to be that straightforward. While she's there, she'll have a monstrous killing spree to stop, and a supernatural mystery linked to her parents a quarter-century ago to solve. Sleuthing, high-school antics and all things Addams Family: that's the spell that Wednesday plans to cast. Also part of the series, as seen in the sneak peeks so far: a creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky vibe, as befitting a family that has been around for 84 years now, and just keeps scampering around screens big and small like a mischievous severed limb. Wednesday treads in huge footsteps, given that this isn't the first time that The Addams Family has made the leap from a beloved cartoon in The New Yorker to the screen. The 1960s TV series is a gem of the era, and 1991's live-action film The Addams Family and its 1993 sequel Addams Family Values — starring Ricci as Wednesday — are two of the best movies of that decade. (The less said about the recent animated flick and its own follow-up, however, the better.) In Burton, the show boasts a director who could easily be one of the altogether-ooky crew's long-lost relatives, and has spent his entire career channelling their gothic aesthetic. In fact, the trailers look like Burton is filtering his Frankenweenie, Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands vibes through Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children — so, it looks exactly like a Tim Burton-directed version of The Addams Family was always going to. Netflix's eight-part series also stars Isaac Ordonez (A Wrinkle in Time) as Pugsley and George Burcea (Comrade Detective) as Lurch, while Game of Thrones' Gwendoline Christie is also set to pop up. And, in the latest trailer, the new Uncle Fester is revealed — as played by Fred Armisen (Los Espookys). Check out the full trailer for Wednesday below: Wednesday will stream via Netflix from Wednesday, November 23. Images: Courtesy of Netflix © 2022.
In conjunction with Semi-Permanent, Blake House Gallery are hosting an exhibition of Australian artists who have created works of differing styles that revolve around a common theme; that being the distinct lack of colour. No doubt colour is an important part of most art forms, it adds vibrancy and flair that can be eye catching, yet the absence of colour makes for an interesting study in itself. The exhibition, Achromatism (definition: the visual property of being without chromatic colour), is a collection of work that show the impactful nature of achromatic art and how it can be just as enthralling as the most vibrant, coloured work. The lineup for this group show includes: - CJ Hendry - Mark Drew - Jesse Olsen - Ray Coffey - Keiron McMaster - Cezary Stulgis - Duncan Mattocks - Magnus McTavish Achromatism will open Wednesday, October 30, at 6pm. This will serve as the opening event for Semi-Permanent Brisbane 2013 and is open to everybody. Come on down.
Set in the backstreets of suburban Brisbane, Trent Dalton's award-winning 2018 novel Boy Swallows Universe is destined to become an Aussie classic. It follows a young boy, his prophetic brother and his jailbreaking best friend as they navigate the heroin-filled underworld of 80s Queensland. And it's about to come to life on the stage. In September 2020, the stage version of the novel will world premiere in Brisbane. It'll be a co-production between Queensland Theatre and Brisbane Festival, with the former's Artistic Director Sam Strong directing the adaptation, which will be written by playwright Tim McGarry. Brisbane-born author Dalton said in a statement it was only fitting that the stage show should premiere in his hometown, "It was the people of Brisbane who took that wild, strange book and ran with it first and that book belongs to them now and this production will belong to them, too." It has not yet been revealed if the stage show will then travel to interstate theatres, but we'll keep our fingers crossed — and let you know if it does. Boy Swallows Universe has snagged a slew of local awards, including Book of the Year, Literary Book of the Year and Audio Book of the Year at the 2019 Australian Book Industry Awards. The novel, which has sold 160,000 copies in Australia alone, has also been longlisted for Australia's most prestigious literature prize, the Miles Franklin Award. The winners will be announced on July 30. Fans of the novel will be excited to hear that it won't stop at the stage, either — Boy Swallows Universe is also destined for the small screen. Last week, it was announced that Harper Collins had sold the television rights to the novel, with Australian actor and director Joel Edgerton (who recently wrote, directed and produced Boy Erased) set to produce the show alongside Dalton as executive producer. Boy Swallows Universe will world premiere in Brisbane in September 2020 as part of Brisbane Festival. You can sign-up to receive updates from Queensland Theatre here. Top image: Trent Dalton and Sam Strong by Luke Marsden.
Delicate jewellery and nostalgia-tinged womenswear is the department of designer Naomi Murrell, who works out of her studio in Adelaide. While her clothes are sold nationwide and have been featured in the pages of Frankie, Yen and Marie Claire, Naomi is a champion for her hometown and its vibrant, growing design and maker scene. In partnership with Pullman Hotels and Resorts, we're helping you explore more on your next holiday and make sure you get those experiences that the area's most switched-on residents wouldn't want their visitors to miss. In Adelaide, we've called in Naomi, whose favourite spots range from an artist-driven tattoo studio to a new retail and event space run by an indie rock power couple. A stay at Pullman Adelaide will not only put you in the thick of all this action, it will let you contemplate all you've seen in five-star luxury at the end of the day. Read on for Naomi's top Adelaide art and design hot spots in her own words, and check out the rest of our Explore More content series to hone your itinerary for some of Australia's best holiday destinations. NAOMI MURRELL Of course I'm biased, but our store is definitely the go if you're looking for a fun outfit or gift. We design minimal, on point yet irrepressibly playful womenswear and fine jewellery. Situated on a relaxed laneway in Adelaide's East End, we stock Naomi Murrell alongside a curated selection of awesome designer pieces including Kowtow, Vege Threads, Kester Black, Spring Court, Bonne Maison, W Pico and Julie White. ENSEMBLE Located on Gilles Street in the city, Ensemble is a collective of like-minded creatives on a mission to bring you beautiful, timeless, style-driven pieces and experiences. These gals have got you covered for hip sustainable threads by Good Studios (Anny Duff), organic bedding and loungewear by Weft Textiles (Samia Fisher), artisan footwear by BB Shoemaker (Beccy Bromilow), E-S-T (Emma Sadie Thomson) greenery and other bits and pieces of handmade designer awesomeness. Look out for pop-up art shows, creative workshops and yoga classes in their gallery space as well. AGOSTINO & BROWN Hidden down an undiscovered city laneway, this spacious warehouse furniture showroom housing the work of Sam Agostino (designer) and Gareth Brown (stellar furniture craftsman) is a very inviting place. Stunning modern, playful pieces with pops of colour and loads of timber await — all finished with impeccable quality. Pieces are made locally in their workshop and many styles are customisable for your own interior space, whether it is residential or commercial. These guys are at the top of many an Adelaide designer and architect wishlist. Agostino & Brown pieces feature in the interiors of both our shop and studio. CULT AND HARPER A new venture by an indie rockstar couple — visual artist Lisa King and musician Jarrad Jackson — Cult and Harper is many things: a retail store, a gallery, a cyclorama photo studio, a bar and event space, and a home to art and DJ types. It is 450 square metres of art, fashion and culture coming at you with a New York-inspired street art vibe. Giant fashion-influenced murals by Lisa collide with posters of Basquiat and Warhol, Keith Haring-esque murals, loads of neon, crimson velvet shell couches and a rad collection of vintage brass furniture. PUSH PIN BOUTIQUE Push Pin Boutique is a darling vintage store housed in the prettiest rustic old building right near the Adelaide Central Markets. It specialises in 1950s-era frocks but also stocks froth-worthy garments, footwear and accessories from the 1940s to 1980s in a great selection of sizes for contemporary women. Owner Clare Matthews has wonderful taste, and the pieces she curates are always perfect for pairing with current trends, whether it's a '70s denim button-through skirt, a white mohair sweater or a camel-coloured French trench. You can always find that special something to add to your collection here. JAMFACTORY A unique not-for-profit organisation housing ceramics, glass, furniture and metal design studios, plus a gallery and design store, JamFactory is dedicated to providing the skills and business training in craft and design to emerging practitioners through a rigorous two-year program. The gallery and store showcases quality contemporary Australian design wares, including works by respected local designers such as Daniel To and Emma Aiston of Daniel Emma, Alice Potter, Sarah Rothe and Peta Kruger. Well worth a look-see! AFRICOLA Strictly speaking, Africola is a restaurant. A very good one. But with an interior fit out designed by James Brown and the gang at Mash, it's more like an intimate gathering at the home of an idiosyncratic art dealer. A dizzying confection of colour, canvases, tiling, lighting and kitsch furniture is all squished together in one amazing experience that will get your tastebuds — and, in fact, all your senses — buzzing. The words emblazoned above the bar, 'Don't Worry It's Only a Dream', serve as reassurance that you are (probably) not tripping and as encouragement to relax and enjoy this culinary wonderland. HUGO MICHELL GALLERY Hugo Michell in Beulah Park is hands down the most refreshing contemporary gallery in town. These guys show a fantastic selection of art by the likes of Miso, Ghostpatrol, Amy Joy Watson, Trente Parke and Lucas Grogan, to name just a few of my personal favourite exhibitions. Hugo has an eye for curating engaging, visually arresting and often very beautiful art shows with an exciting roster of local and interstate professional artists, all at the top of their game. TREADLY BIKE SHOP Treadly is the place to go if you want to build a bike, service a bike, or buy a bike or accessory, if you ride a bike or just wanna talk bike. Sam Neeft and his team of cycling aficionados and mechanics are down to earth, helpful and very enthusiastic about helping anyone with pretty much anything bike related. They also organise fun events such as the Boucle de Burbs and other adventures to encourage the cycling community to hang out and go riding together. And they do it in style with some very attractive bicycles. XO L'AVANT @ THE MILL XO L'Avant is an artist-driven contemporary tattoo studio, run by the loveliest crew ever at The Mill (a CBD co-working space also home to many other talented creative types). Founded by the talented Jaya Suartika (@jayaism), and featuring other resident artists such as Kyle Woodman (@yeahdope), Alex Harris (@folkandpoke) and Nadia Suartika (@__nadika__), the diverse range of illustrative styles on offer are original, amusing, delicate and always on point. Explore more with Pullman. Book your next hotel stay with Pullman and enjoy a great breakfast for just $1.
Andy Warhol once said that he never read, and instead only looked at the pictures. Although that’s not the best advice to give to children, or to anyone really, you have to admit that sometimes admiring picture books is preferable to reading, especially if your novel feels more like an encyclopaedia. Growing up on Australian picture books has made me a little bit biased I’m sure, but I am a great fan of our local authors and illustrators and would recommend them to anybody, young and old. For those like me, wanting to reminisce about old titles or introduce them to a new audience, you’re in luck. For the first time the State Library of Victoria is bringing to Queensland the exhibition Look! The art of Australian picture books today, highlighting collections of artwork by more than forty great Australian illustrators. With the authors including - but most definitely not limited to - Shaun Tan, Graeme Base, Bob Graham, Lucia Masciullo, Stella Danalis, Gregory Rodgers, Leigh Hobbs and Terry Denton you are sure to find enough visual material to fill your imagination with whatever you desire. As well as the extensive collection of artwork there are also plenty of activities for you to partake in whilst reliving your youth. The exhibition runs for the next three months so there is no rush, however escaping into an air conditioned building to peruse the work of talented artists sounds very ideal to me, plus it’s free!
Let's face it, gift giving is hard. Some people are crazy good at it and others, not so much. But wherever you fall on the spectrum, one thing we can all agree on is that personalised gifts always go down a treat. They are thoughtful, functional and oh so beautiful, making them ideal for a special someone who made your year better. This could be the friend who was your rock during lockdowns, the family member you haven't seen all year or maybe it's the partner who gets you knockout gifts every single Christmas. Yes, something customised will take a bit more planning, but that's kinda the point — you want a gift that show's you went that extra mile, because they're worth it. In partnership with Archie Rose and its new Tailored Spirits range, we've come up with six personalised gifts that'll blow your mum, mate or date away this holiday season. TAILORED SPIRITS FROM ARCHIE ROSE Award-winning Sydney distillery Archie Rose takes personalisation to a whole new level with its Tailored Spirits range, which allows you to craft the perfect nip for your fave vodka, gin or cocktail drinker. Not only can you customise the label for your lucky giftee, but you also get to decide on the tipple's botanicals and the potency of each ingredient to completely suit their taste. Once you decide on the label design and flavours via the user-friendly interface, the team will start blending the individually distilled botanicals into a beautifully designed bottle before sending it on its way. The hardest part of the whole process will be not spilling the beans on what you got them. FRAGRANCE DISCOVERY SET FROM LE LABO There are few things more personal than a scent. So, when it comes to gifting, getting it wrong is a big no-no — but no pressure or anything. Le Labo is known for its fine, hand-blended fragrances, which can also come with custom-printed labels and engravings. Can't narrow it down to just one? The Discovery Set features the brand's entire classic range in a 17-strong sample box, so there's bound to be at least a couple of scents they'll like. Once they decide on which one tickles their fancy, there's a gift voucher for them to purchase a 100ml bottle of their new chosen scent. PERSONALISED NOTEBOOK FROM PAPIER Got a special someone who likes jotting down their thoughts and feelings? Perhaps they're planning on doing a course next year which requires journaling or maybe they're one of those people who just loves making to-do lists (we've all got one). Whatever their needs, Papier's gorgeous stationery designs are made even more unique with the ability to customise them with whatever text you like. Add your giftee's name to the front of their new notebook, or include a funny quote you know they'll appreciate on a 2022 planner. BESPOKE PHONE CASE FROM THE DAILY EDITED Whether your gift receiver is a serial selfie taker, a tech-thusiast or a butterfingers who perpetually has cracks in their phone screen, having a nice phone case is an essential accessory. Connoisseurs of all things personalised, The Daily Edited makes a range of bespoke phone cases that suit just about any aesthetic, from eye-catching patterns comprising their initials to designs that showcase their pride. All you have to do is (subtly) find out what kind of phone they have, take a guess at what colour will suit their style and wait for The Daily Edited to weave its magic. PERSONALISED GOLF GOLVES FROM MR GOLF Know someone who has gotten really into golf in the past couple of years? This is the pressie for them. Made from premium Cabretta leather, these sturdy gloves from Mr Golf can be customised with your favourite golfer's initials — so even if they've spent the day hacking up the green, they can still feel like a pro. As well as a range of colours, you can also pick on which hand to stamp their initials depending on whether they're left-handed or right-handed. They might not make them any better at golf, but at least they'll look good. CUSTOM LUGGAGE BY JULY While we're all itching to get on a plane, some of us already have one foot out the door — and for these people, nothing says bon voyage better than a personalised trunk. July makes a range of beautiful and customisable suitcases, including trunks, backpacks, carryalls and accessories. But to go the extra mile, gift them a polished, hard-shell suitcase with a classic design and old-school latches. Customisation goes further here with ultra-cool fonts (or emojis) which are guaranteed to never rub off. The biggest upside of a personalised trunk? There's no chance of accidentally picking up someone else's bag on the airport carousel. Give someone a gift that's truly theirs this Christmas with Archie Rose Tailored Spirits. For more information, head to the website. Top image: Archie Rose
It has been three short months since Banksy pulled what might be the artist's greatest prank yet — ripping one of his own paintings to shreds the very moment it was sold at auction. If you've watched the artist's extended behind-the-scenes video and still just can't get enough of the stunt, that's understandable. Soon, you'll also be able to see the torn piece with your own eyes, with the artwork going on display to the public for the first time. Originally titled Girl with Balloon and now known as Love is in the Bin, the painting will be exhibited at Museum Frieder Burda in Baden-Baden, Germany, from Tuesday, February 5 to Monday, March 3. Anyone that finds themselves in the European town, which is located in the Germany's Black Forest right near the country's border with France, will be able to cast their eyes over the piece for free. Given Banksy's focus on making art available to everyone, the museum's approach aligns those of the art trickster. It's "designed to allow as many visitors as possible to see the picture," the exhibition website notes. Museum Frieder Burda will also host a symposium about Banksy to put his work and creative strategies into context. It's the latest chapter for a stunt that has sparked plenty of chatter both in the art world and in general since October, when the artwork self-destructed as the hammer fell on the winning bid at London's Sotheby's auction house. As the painting was disintegrating, the collector behind the successful bid was buying it for £860,000 (AU$1.6 million). If Banksy's prank had gone according to plan, only torn strips of the painting would remain — and that's all that'd be able to be placed on show. In the nearly three-minute clip Shred the Love: The Director's Cut, which was posted on artist's website, Banksy reveals that the entire painting was supposed to be cut to pieces. "In rehearsals it worked every time," the video notes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxkwRNIZgdY In the immediate aftermath of the October 5 prank, Banksy also released a video — showing a shredder being secretly built into the artwork, with an explanation that this was done a few years ago "in case it was ever put up for auction". Sotheby's has repeatedly advised that it had no knowledge of the prank before it happened. "It appears we just got Banksy-ed," Alex Branczik, head of contemporary art for Europe, told The Art Newspaper. Love is in the Bin will be on display at Museum Frieder Burda in Baden-Baden, Germany, from Tuesday, February 5 to Monday, March 3. Images: Olga Rozenbajgier, The Art of Banksy / Banksy.
Our society has a love affair with retro. From vintage clothing to a quirky antique find, we cannot seem to get enough. Yet no retrospective romance seems to be as durable or resonate as emphatically as our relationship with vinyl records. No matter what market you go to on the weekend, the lure of a full crate of musical treasures is irresistible, causing fingers to curiously flick through the collection before finding that gem to take home and play on your record player (that you probably bought at the same market immediately afterwards). At First Sight understands this fascination and is taking over Carriageworks on Saturday, July 20, with an enormous record fair and live music event. So whether you are an audiophile or you just have an intangible sensory relationship with those black discs, you are sure to find something at this brand new utopia for vinyl fans. To better understand this connection with vinyl, Concrete Playground asked some of the musicians performing at the event just why these musical mementos retain their aura. Amy Franz, SUPER WILD HORSES What is your favourite memory involving vinyl? I must have been about 14 and there was a boy on whom I had a debilitating crush — the kind of crush that is crushing, as happens when you're a teenager. He gave me a 7" of the Stone Roses, 'She Bangs the Drums', and at the time I felt like he was trying to tell me that I should be a drummer. We'd had a jam at my house with a whole lot of music gear I took home on loan from the school music department and I think I'd bashed something out on the half a drum kit I had. It was probably the biggest musical encouragement of my life. It took me another 12 years to get around to playing the drums. Antonia Sellbach, BEACHES Why do you think vinyl retains its popularity in the digital era? Music sounds better on vinyl. There's also the whole sense of tradition and ritual to vinyl. By having to turn over a record at the halfway point you're more connected to the whole album experience. It's the ultimate surviving format, partly because it provides a much needed counter to the digital era. Vinyl is an object, a thing. It takes up space, it's a commitment. If you truly love an album, you'll probably buy it on vinyl. And album artwork always looks better in 12"x 12". Kate Wilson, THE LAURELS What was the first vinyl you ever purchased and why? I think my first was Frenzal Rhomb's 'Sorry about the Ruse' 7" single. I still have it, although I've lost the insert. The insert was a letter from Depeche Mode's record label, (unfairly) denying Frenzal Rhomb permission to release a song based on 1981 smash hit 'Just Can't Get Enough', entitled '(How can I) Fuck the System (If I just can't get it up)' — it was included as the B-side anyway. You could get it with a blue or a green cover — I got the green one, and my friend the blue. I remember we fabricated some loose and spurious pretence to bring them not only to school, but also into the classroom, where I recall we just kind of lovingly gazed at them. Being a severe teenage dork who carried a record like a teddy bear meant incredible parties and first dates were not on the agenda for me at that time. Why do you think vinyl retains its popularity in the digital era? Trends can often be retaliatory in nature. I think vinyl is the counterpoint to the impermanence, and inability to tangibly "own" digital media. There's a healthy element of childhood nostalgia, courtesy of parent's record collections. There is also the wildly addictive sport of crate digging. Additionally the length of the LP's reign as the dominant medium, coupled with the fact that people discarded whole collections when digital took over, mean there is a hell of a lot of music out there. The abundance keeps the price low and the variety high. Record collecting is one of the greatest and most rewarding strategy games on earth! You have to be quite knowledgeable about music to derive pleasure from flicking through dusty LPs for hours on end, so I think there is a carry over to the more casual music buyer that vinyl is the format of choice for people who are seriously into music, an idea abetted by the fact it's seen by most audiophiles as the superior sound format. Ben James, SONGS What is your favourite memory involving vinyl? Buying my own record player. Listening on my brother's before that was a no go, and annoying — I could only listen at half volume so that I could still listen out for him coming home and avoid a good thrashing. Emma Ramsay, HOLY BALM Why do you think vinyl retains its popularity in the digital era? VHS has not disappeared. The technology may have been surpassed but there will always be people interested in hacking old technology in creative ways or wanting to 'experience' older technology. VHS is still in people's lounge rooms, attics, garage sales. Vinyl retains popularity in the digital era, because the analog era still exists, it has not ended per se. They co-exist. And so one informs the other, giving an extended network and experience of how we find new music, and dig up old favourites. MARTY DOYLE, At First Sight Curator and FBi Presenter What was the first vinyl you ever purchased and why? I was born in the '80s. The ideals of the time were all about the race for the latest technology, so that meant cassettes and Walkmans with Dolby Noise Reduction for me. My dad had a lot of records, but i just thought they were things he rolled 'cigarettes' on. It wasn't until i was about 12 and started listening to hip hop that I paid attention to vinyl. When i saw footage of Grandmaster Flash DJing at a Block Party, i thought it was the coolest thing ever. 2 turntables and scratching? I went straight to my dad's record collection and started digging through it and I was amazed to find all this stuff in there I had heard from hip hop samples. I think the first record I found and recognised was Boz Scaggs 'Low Down' which was sampled by Sparky D. That was really the start of my vinyl obsession. I still bump that Boz Scaggs record, it's the definition of sophisticated easy listening. Owen Penglis, STRAIGHT ARROWS What was the first vinyl you ever purchased and why? I first started buying records because they were heaps cheaper than CDs — as a 14 year old you've got plenty of time to burn digging through the $2 bin, and you'd usually come out with something you'd heard of before. I pulled out The Eagles The Long Run because I'd heard they were supposed to be good. Let me tell you, they are fucking terrible: boring cocaine country rock shit. I threw the album in the oven and learnt that not only do LPs make for unusable bowls, but there's no time for shitty music. Why do you think vinyl retains its popularity in the digital era? It smells better than CDs. At First Sight is on at Carriageworks on Saturday, July 20. The record fair is free and entry to the live music is $35.
When you were watching Ocean's Eleven, did you ever think to yourself "this is great, but I really wish someone was trying to eat George Clooney's brains?". Every time you settle in for an episode of The Walking Dead, do you find yourself hoping that someone — anyone — would mastermind a scheme to break into a casino vault? Whichever thought has popped into your head, you'll soon be able to see what a Las Vegas heist flick looks like when it's paired with the zombie genre. That's the whole premise behind Netflix film Army of the Dead, one of the big new movies the streaming platform has lined up for 2021. If the overall concept sounds somewhat familiar, that's because you probably saw Train to Busan sequel Peninsula last year — another zombie-heist film hybrid. The huge difference here, of course, is the Las Vegas setting. Well, that and the fact that Army of the Dead stars Guardians of the Galaxy's Dave Bautista and is directed by Justice League's Zack Snyder. You definitely won't forget the latter based on the just-dropped first teaser trailer for Army of the Dead, because it spends about half of its brief running time stressing exactly who is behind the lens. And as for all the shuffling undead hordes and pilfering antics, the movie follows a group of mercenaries who decide to take advantage of the situation by breaking into the casino-filled quarantine zone. When the movie hits Netflix on Friday, May 21, viewers will also spot Garret Dillahunt (Deadwood), Tig Notaro (Music), Ella Purnell (Sweetbitter), Omari Hardwick (Power), Ana de la Reguera (also from Power), Theo Rossi (Luke Cage) and Matthias Schweighöfer (Resistance), plus Nora Arnezeder (Mozart in the Jungle), Hiroyuki Sanada (Westworld), Raúl Castillo (Knives Out) and Huma Qureshi (Viceroy's House). And yes, Snyder has toyed with zombies before, in the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead. Here, though, he's aiming to set up his own franchise — with a prequel movie and an animated spinoff series already greenlit. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H83kjG5RCT8 Army of the Dead will stream via Netflix from Friday, May 21. Top image: Clay Enos, Netflix.
If you thought Melbourne getting a George Costanza bar was cool (or maybe you're just more of a Beetlejuice fan), you'll be pretty impressed by New York City's latest attempt to one-up itself when it comes to themed establishments. Set to open early next month is a Tim Burton-inspired bar and restaurant, very aptly named Beetle House. Millennium made. The Manhattan bar comes from the same team who thought (and were indeed correct in doing so) that the island needed a Will Ferrell-themed bar, which opened in October last year. Beetle House, however, promises to recreate Halloween all year-long with "an atmosphere and menu inspired by the works of Tim Burton". Perfect for the regular Edward Scissorhands or ghosts stuck haunting the East Village. Potions will include the likes of the This Is Halloween (a concoction of pumpkin, cinnamon and apple liqueurs, ginger beer and apple cider) and the We Come In Peace, which is a questionable mix of salted caramel vodka, RumChata, cream and a caramel swirl salted rim. Other well-named sips include the likes of Edward's Lemonade, It's Showtime and Beetlejuice (naturally). Drink at your own peril. To eat, you can choose from the likes of Beetle Bread bruschetta, the Victor Van Pork burger and the Sweeney Beef steak. Beetle House is located in the East Village at 308 East 6th Street. If you've got a trip planned to NYC anytime soon, we suggest booking a table in advance lest you have to go to an unthemed restaurant instead.
Not every city gets its own book filled with love stories from locals that's penned by one of its best-known and beloved authors and journalists. Thanks to Trent Dalton's Love Stories, however, Brisbane boasts exactly that. It was back in 2021 that the Boy Swallows Universe scribe spent two months on the corner of Adelaide and Albert streets in Brisbane's CBD, Olivetti typewriter in hand, asking folks walking by for their romantic tales. His question: "can you please tell me a love story?". Those yarns came to the page via his 2022 Indie Book Awards Book of the Year-winner, and they're also hitting the stage during Brisbane Festival 2024 thanks to a theatre production of the same name. Dalton's writing career is filled with affection for Brisbane — as evidenced, of course, in Boy Swallows Universe on the page, stage and screen — and he isn't done showing it while collecting tender tales from his fellow Brisbanites. Also for Brisbane Festival, he's asking for love stories again. [caption id="attachment_969254" align="alignnone" width="1920"] David Kelly[/caption] Dalton is Museum of Brisbane's next artist in residence, and there's two parts to it, both of which want you to share your tales. From Friday, August 30–Sunday, September 29, 2024, Write Your Heart Out is taking over the Brisbane City Hall site, getting visitors to add their love letters across the month. Dalton is still busting out his Olivetti, too, popping up in King George Square taking place from 12–2pm on Friday, September 6 with fellow writers to take down love stories from passersby. Taking tales from the public will also serve as a part of a mentoring session, with Dalton imparting advice on interviewing skills to the group of emerging writers that'll be assisting in an intensive workshop. Dalton and the Write Your Heart Out residency is looking for all kinds of love stories, whether about first loves, loves that got away, long-running loves or anything in-between. If you're keen to pen your own rather than tell it to Dalton and his team directly, you'll be able to sit down and write at MoB. [caption id="attachment_969257" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Andie Dittman[/caption] Top images: Andie Dittman.
You'll never have to fret over your iPhone dying again, thanks to this genius new phone case designed by Jesse Pliner and Lloyd Gladstone. Dubbed the 'JuiceTank', this sleek case effectively conceals the electrical outlet plug within. Press the button on the back of the case, and the outlet prongs pop out. Not only can you rely on JuiceTank to come to the rescue in battery emergencies, but its high-grade polycarbonate cover provides solid phone protection, minus excessive bulk. The case is currently fit for any North American plug and awaiting production funding on kickstarter.com.
The common wisdom, as taught to us by John Howard, that most progressive of reformers, is that less guns on the street equals less gun violence. Seems like a simple enough equation. It seemed to work in Australia after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre and its been the driving idea behind New York's tighter gun legislation. Yet in 8 unbelievable seconds all of our assumptions about gun control and gun legislation became frighteningly and irrevocably obsolete. Thanks to a little thing called 3D printing, a group of Texan anarchists and libertarians known as Defense Distributed have made printable weapons not only conceivable but 100 percent possible. With nothing more than a few-thousand-dollar printer, a couple chunks of plastic and an online file (which you can download for free right now!), you can make a lethal weapon from the comfort of your own living room. As of March, more than 10,000 people had already downloaded one such gun-making file. Unsurprisingly, this development has got US legislators going into overdrive. Earlier this week, New York became the first state to take decisive action on the issue introducing a bill that would make it illegal for anyone but a licensed gunsmith to create a firearm using a 3D printer. The bill also includes a number of important restrictions such as compulsory police notification, registration of any weapon within 72 hours of creation and limits on bullet production. California is expected to introduce a similar bill in the coming weeks. While such legislative action is understandably important, the New York bill ain't about to put a stopper on the production of homemade weapons. According to New York University's resident gun law expert, James B. Jacobs, the Second Amendment will be the least of legislators' worries. He argues that while printable weapons can be restricted in much the same way as assault weapons have been, banning the files that allow you to print 3D guns is a much more difficult prospect. "The First Amendment will not permit banning posting software that would allow 'printing' such a weapon, just as we can't ban Al Qaeda literature on building pipe bombs,” Jacobs says. Whether this technology will make any discernible difference to America's already gun-enriched culture remains to be seen, but for the moment the thought of 'gun labs' popping up in the garages of wayward youths across the country has me scared shitless. Between this and a few fairly spine-tingling videos, it seems fair to say that the possible repercussions of having printable weapons are only just beginning to emerge.
If there's a live gig-shaped hole in your life right now, Indigenous Australian hip hop artist Ziggy Ramo is here to fill that void with a night of hard-hitting tunes. This Saturday, August 29, he'll take to the hallowed stage of the Sydney Opera House for an exclusive live-streamed performance, complete with striking visuals and a ten-piece band in tow. Beaming live and loud to a device near you, Ramo is set to play his debut full-length album Black Thoughts. The much-lauded work was completed in 2015 before being shelved for a few years, and has now been reborn in light of current conversations around race and colonial history. Expect a powerful performance incorporating strings and brass, brought to life alongside newly commissioned artworks by 2018 WA Young Person of the Year, Indigenous Australian illustrator Kamsani 'Kambarni' Bin-Salleh. Spiritually charged rap meets traditional Songlines to deliver a captivating musical journey, touching on collective trauma, racial discrimination, vulnerability and spiritual renewal. Got plans Saturday night? All good — the full performance will also be available on-demand after the initial live stream. While the Sydney Opera House is still closed to the public, it's running a Digital Season with full-length archival performances and live recordings. You can can check out the final lineup over here. [caption id="attachment_720224" align="alignnone" width="1920"] A gig at Sydney Opera House during Vivid by Daniel Boud[/caption] Top image: Emma Pegrum
