Italian Street Kitchen has been delighting the people of Sydney with perfectly crispy pizza and delicate antipasto since 2015. Now the Italian maestros have come to Brisbane, bringing their own special blend of relaxed and informal dining to Gasworks Plaza. The restaurant — their first in Brisbane — opened this week. Their Sydney venue is inspired by the romance and theatre of food, and you can expect to be similarly sensorily inundated at the Brisbane joint. The smells of the the food being prepared will be all around you as there will be a huge open kitchen on show while you dine. Brisbane menu items will showcase the best of Italian food, with antipasto including anything from meatballs to baked cheese and roast pumpkin, thyme and provolone arancini. The pizzas are sure to be a reliable go-to and they'll also be bringing their own version of spit-roasted meats, with a lamb shoulder and beef rump cap option enough to send any self-respecting carnivore into a tailspin. We're ready. Italian Street Kitchen is now open at Gasworks Plaza, Skyring Terrace, Newstead. For more info, visit italianstreetkitchen.com.
After five days of furious face-melting solos, indulgently excessive jam sessions and an unprecedented quota of covers, Bluesfest raised a plastic cup to a well-attended, well-enjoyed and well-rained on festival for 2015. Returning to the Tyagarah Tea Farm over the Easter long weekend, Bluesfest once again solidified its well-worn spot in the Australian festival game as one of the tightest productions on the calendar. It goes without saying, this isn't festival director Peter Noble's first time at the rodeo. Everything just works. After three major headliners pulled out early in the game (The Black Keys, Lenny Kravitz and Ben Howard), expectations for this year's Byron Bay blues and roots festival were a little all over the shop. But at the end of the day, most muddy Bluesfesters probably forgot they were playing in the first place; memories erased by the sheer rhythmic speed of Rodrigo y Gabriela, the old-soul might and power of Alabama Shakes' Brittany Howard, and the somewhat random but nonetheless straight-up high-fiveworthy inclusion of Jurassic 5. Honestly, it probably took every Bluefest-attending journo every inch of self control not to use the phrase "rain didn't dampen spirits" in any post-festival write-up for this year's event. Boy, did we want to. Bluesfest 2015 welcomed its usual onslaught of autumn rain, creating bonafide mud swamps in the middle of the festival by Sunday. But this didn't stop the punters; Beth Hart enthusiasts braving the rain for one of the best Led Zeppelin covers ever burled, and Xavier Rudd's heaving tent of fans happily squidging through marshes of sludge for the set. If anything, the rain made legendary Spanish-style supergroup The Gipsy Kings' huge singalong rendition of 'Bamboleo' even more magic. Blending older legendary artists with new hotshots seemed to underpin the entire Bluesfest program this year — undeniably evident in the wide-ranging audience demographic too. Unsung soul hero Charles Bradley energetically howled and sexy-danced through his soulful set despite being 66 years old, while 31-year-old bright young hypecard Gary Clark Jr proved his reputation as one of the globe's best guitar players. If Bluesfest continues along this old/new programming balance, they're in for immeasurable years of new and returning ticket buyers. Bluesfest ain't goin' nowhere. And one last thing. After relentless discussion and noob shaming, we counted no less than six inappropriate headdresses at Bluesfest. Yeah next time, maybe not guys. Images: Andy Fraser. Words: Shannon Connellan.
As if ringing in the new year isn't exciting enough, January, as always, will also bring with it the dazzling, vibrant carnival that is Sydney Festival. Turning the city into a creative playground for a full three weeks, the Festival brings a (very generous) dose of culture to the sizzling days and balmy nights of Sydney summer. The festival has unveiled its 2018 program — and it's an absolute cracker, packed with hundreds of events ranging from mind-boggling circus to cutting-edge theatre and awe-inspiring musical performances. Whatever art experience you're after, you'll find it in Sydney between January 6–28. While this year doesn't have an installation quite as interactive as Snarkitecture's giant ball pit or the House of Mirrors (which is currently on display in Melbourne), Sydney Town Hall will become a shrine to 50,000 of Japan's unwanted plastic toys with Hiroshi Fuji's large-scale work Jurassic Plastic. It looks like a kid's paradise but there will be adults-only nights too. Four Thousand Fish will be an immersive work where participants will help create ice sculptures of fish and then return them to the harbour to commemorate Barangaroo and the Warrane women. On stage, we ecstatic to hear that Tree of Codes will be coming to Sydney after performances at Melbourne Festival; the visually stunning ballet — which we really, really hoped would come to Australia — combines the talents of choreographer Wayne McGregor, visual artist Olafur Eliasson, musician Jamie xx and the Paris Opera Ballet. On the musical side of things, not only are Opera in the Domain and Symphony Under The Stars back for another year of dreamy music performed under the open night skies, there are also a host of gigs, most notably from NZ's Aldous Harding and Argentinian three-piece Fémina plus a tribute to The Go-Betweens' 16 Lovers Lane album and an otherworldly concert performed entirely underwater called Aquasonic. Five iconic Harry Siedler buildings will also host a series of talks and concerts, blending architecture and music on the program. Theatre buffs, meanwhile, should nab tickets for Barber Shop Chronicles. Offering a juicy peek into the vibrant life of barbershops across the world, this delightful show took British audiences by storm. Burlesque aficionado? Don't miss iconic Aussie boylesque troupe — and Syd Fest regulars — Briefs in all its glamorous, saucy glory in sci-fi spectacle Close Encounters. Don't miss My Name Is Jimi, where, Jimi Bani will call up four generations of his family to take you on an evening of music, dance and comedy at Belvoir. Head over to Parramatta's Circus City to catch the always-impressive Circus Oz in top form with Model Citizens, a satire that lampoons the suburban Aussie dream with impressive physicality and a foot-tapping soundtrack. Also in the environs is Highly Sprung, a soaring performance by Legs on the Wall, which tells the story of inner-city residents through the media of trampolines and other physical art forms. Punters will get a chance to have a go on the trampolines and even take part in an aerial workshop in-between shows — all for gratis. You can also sign up for a flying trapeze workshop for $49. In addition to the many ticketed events, there is also a panoply of free offerings, from art exhibitions and thought-provoking talks to interactive installations. As always the Meriton Festival Village will have heaps to offer between shows — dance to your fave song in a transparent, glitter-filled cube, swim in a shipping container pool, go for a spin on a karaoke carousel or join a 10-minute dance party in a shipping container. Whether you're in it for the inspiration, a shock, or just a whole lot of fun, this year's festival is sure to delight. Sydney, you're in for a summer treat. By Yelena Bidé and Lauren Vadnjal. Image: Jamie Williams.
One of the most hyped films of the year, soon-to-be-released action thriller Baby Driver has received outlandishly large attention for its defining soundtrack. Written and directed by Edgar Wright (Ant-Man, Shaun of the Dead), the film follows Baby (Ansel Elgort), a young, best-in-the-business getaway driver who moves in time with his own personal soundtrack. Soon enough, Baby finds himself coerced into working for a kingpin crime boss (Kevin Spacey) and meeting the girl of his dreams (Lily James, Downton Abbey) — two paths that can't exist separately for long. Considered a 'jukebox musical' action film, Wright choreographs action scenes to the film's lauded soundtrack. After premiering at SXSW in Austin, Texas back in March, the film earned the prestigious SXSW Audience Award and a 100 percent critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes. The film is said to be the breakout lead role for Elgort (Divergent series, The Fault in our Stars), and, apart from Spacey and James, the cast also includes Jon Hamm and Jamie Foxx, along with Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead, Fury, The Accountant) and Mexican actress Eiza González. [competition]626810[/competition] Images: Wilson Webb. © 2017 Columbia TriStar Marketing Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
It's only been a couple of months since Doughnut Time brought their hand-dipped delights into our lives — and golly, what a few months it's been. The hole in the wall between Alfredo’s Pizzeria and Kwan Brothers on Alfred Street in Fortitude Valley still attracts lengthy lines in peak times, but as anyone who has devoured one of their artisan creations can attest, they're worth the wait. The days of standing in a queue to get your hands on these tasty morsels might be over though. In a reversal of the trend that is currently sweeping Brisbane and seeing everyone's favourite food trucks and market stalls opening permanent homes, Doughnut Time is going to take their deliciousness on the road. Within two weeks, you'll be able to greet the Doughnut Time Van as it traverses the city's streets in all its green glory. Where it will head is anyone's guess, but expect Brisbane's food truck events to start boasting a whole lot more sweet treats with names like Crème De La Crème, Ya Bacon Me Crazy, The Salty Dog and The Russell Crowe. If you're anything like us, your tummy is probably already rumbling at the thought of more iced, fried, doughy bliss. In the interim, you can keep an eye on the van's progress — and drool over some seriously top notch food porn — via Doughnut Time's Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds.
Forget about the upcoming movie. Fans of Goosebumps need to get their butts to London, where a live, immersive theatre show based on R.L. Stine's popular children's stories will have its world premiere in April next year. Written and directed by acclaimed participatory theatremaker Tom Salamon, the show is a collaboration between London-based arts and theatre venue, The Vaults, and the book series' publisher, Scholastic. Audience members will be taken deep into the abandoned tunnels beneath Waterloo railway station, where performers will recreate bloodcurdling scenes from some of the series' best-known titles — including Night of the Living Dummy, Say Cheese and Die! and One Day at Horrorland. Just as long as there's nothing from Monster Blood. We don't need those childhood nightmares coming back, thank you very much. The series' original illustrator Tim Jacobus will create artwork for the production, while cult London music trio The Tiger Lillies will provide the score — the show they did at the Biennale of Sydney a few years back was creepy enough. Goosebumps will run for an initial six-month season and is aimed primarily at older audiences, although there will also be a child-friendly version that runs on weekends and during the school holidays. "Immersive events have become the lifeblood of London culture... and Goosebumps is perfectly suited to the genre," The Vaults' director Kieron Vanstone told The Guardian. "These stories were made to be experienced up close, with every shiver, sound and unsettling sight." Via The Guardian. Image: jozerC (Flickr CC).
Arts festivals courting controversy isn't anything new. Arts festivals weathering a backlash when their shows stir up a range of responses isn't, either. However, Edinburgh Festival's reaction to its planned staging of Così fan tutte might just be a first: they're offering patrons refunds before it even opens. The strange situation, reported by The Guardian, is a result of the fest's organisers programming Christophe Honoré's take on Mozart's and da Ponte's famous opera sight unseen and then checking out its world premiere at France's Aix-en-Provence festival. With the director setting his updated version in east African Eritrea during the 1930s — which was still colonised by Italy at the time — a layer of racial tension was always going to be evident. That it would be labelled a "brutal, shaming experience" with "a volatile, violent racism" by New York Times critic Zachary Woolfe obviously wasn't as expected. Woolfe's comments partially stem from Honoré's decision to use actors wearing blackface makeup to dress up as African mercenaries to try to test their lovers' faithfulness, as well the inclusion of a rape in its opening scene, plus other graphic depictions of violence and abuse. He certainly isn't alone in highlighting the tough nature of the performance — though his and other reviews have found positives as well. Opera Today's critic called it a "witty comedy" while noting that he overheard "offense expressed at the in-your-face exposition of racism". Opera News described it as "a dense exploration of desire and violence" that alerted the audience "to its own uncomfortable prejudices". In fact, Edinburgh's programmers used terms like "provocative", "sexually explicit", "stark" and "challenging" in their own synopsis, but obviously feel that wasn't warning enough. And the tale of Così fan tutte has always been considered a little problematic given its sexual politics. It is about a couple of guys donning disguises and trying to trick their fiancées into cheating on them to win a bet about the nature of women, after all — and its title does translate as "women are like that" as well. Pre-emptively giving customers their money back before they even get a chance to see what all the fuss is about seems a little extreme — then again, so does putting a clearly tricky piece in the festival without really knowing how it is going to turn out. Of course, arts festivals are designed to champion material that tests the limits — but whether Honoré's Così fan tutte is as boundary-pushing as suggested, Edinburgh is certainly charting new territory when it comes to apologising before the curtain has even been raised. Via The Guardian. Image: Aix-en-Provence.
Cat cafes around the world are about to get some prickly competition. Located in Tokyo's Roppongi entertainment district, a recently opened cafe lets customers get up close and personal with as many as 30 adorable hedgehogs. Named Harry after the Japanese word (harinezumi) for hedgehog, the cafe opened for business in February and has seen customers queuing up for the chance to play with its pint-sized residents. 1000 yen (AU$12) gets you 30 minutes of (extremely delicate) cuddle time, which goes up to 1300 yen on the weekend. The hedgehogs come in four varieties: "pied", "cinnamon", "salt n pepper" and "albino." Visitors who can't stand to be separated from their spiky new friends can even take home a baby hedgehog as a pet, with Harry's website featuring extensive (and adorable) instructions on hedgehog care. "We wanted to show people the charm of hedgehogs, which give the impression of being hard to handle," staff member Mizuki Murata told Reuters. "We wanted to get rid of that image by letting people touch them." Incidentally, when she's not working at the hedgehog cafe, Murata works in a bunny cafe in the same building and must basically be the happiest person on the face of the planet. Now, since you've been good and read this entire story, here's a picture of a tiny hedgehog in an even tinier bowl. You're welcome. Harry is located at Minato-ku, Roppongi 6-7-2 IWAHORI Building 2F Via Reuters/The Guardian.
If aliens ever crashed into Brisbane, of course they'd land at an abandoned skate arena. That part makes sense, or makes more sense than their first task, at least. Yep, these intergalactic critters are going to set up their own airline. Meet The Gremlins, a dysfunctional family of flight-obsessed extra-terrestrials who might lack in earthly experience, but aren't going to let that stop them soaring around the planet. After wowing this year's Adelaide Fringe Fest, they're setting their comedic sights on Brisbane — and letting audiences say goodbye to a burnt-out Red Hill institution before it's torn down and redeveloped.
Get ready for a whole buttload of hard-hitting news blasted directly into your eyeholes. Satirical news organisation The Onion is about to launch EDGE, a brand new web series lampooning the sensationalist style of VICE Media — and if the early teasers are anything to go by, it looks like they've absolutely nailed it. Naturally we're a little hesitant to report on any so-called news stories coming out of The Onion, given that their entire business model is based on elaborate lies. Still, from what we can tell, this time it's actually legit. The series is set to premiere online on Monday, August 3 and will, according to The Hollywood Reporter, consist of short, documentary style videos less than four minutes in length. A twitter account has been set up for the series, promising to "throw acid in the face of ignorance" and asking anyone who has witnessed or participated in global horror worth reporting on to call "the EDGE Atrocity Tip Line." A couple of their correspondents, aka "news warriors", are also on the platform, as you can see below. Let's get fucked on truth. — Nic Moss (@NicMossEDGE) July 28, 2015 Nobody points a camera at dark-skinned people like @EDGEtv. Nobody. — Chase Vaughn (@ChaseVaughnEDGE) July 28, 2015 This teaser video, meanwhile, does a pretty perfect job of capturing the guerrilla aesthetic that has made VICE so popular with the young people, what with their short attention spans and virtual reality headsets and so forth. "VICE is wrought with a distinct self-confidence, which of course gets our writers salivating," Onion VP of Production George Zwierzynski Jr. told THR. "The Onion team is highly competitive when it comes to other companies and publishers, so it's only natural we would take a stab at VICE as a whole." EDGE arrives a little more than a year after The Onion launched ClickHole, an online spoof of BuzzFeed where you can find such thought-provoking articles as 6 Heads You Never Realized Are Also On Mount Rushmore and How Many Of These Creatures From Greek Mythology Do You Believe In? The Onion has also previously produced content for television, albeit with limited success. Onion News Network, a parody of cable new shows, ran on IFC for two seasons, while Onion SportsDome on Comedy Central was cancelled after six months. Hopefully EDGE fares a little better on the web. Via THR. Top image via Dollar Photo Club.
Andy Warhol and Ai Weiwei: both superstar artists, both groundbreaking Damn The Man-ers, both crazy cat ladies (really). And now, in one of the best team-ups we've seen in ages, they're both the focus of the National Gallery of Victoria's next epic summer exhibition, Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei. This is going to be quite the retrospective. Two of the most significant artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, Warhol and Weiwei have left their mark on global modernity, whether flipping the bird to American art or dropping a Han vase on Chinese tradition. The NGV will present over 200 of Warhol's most celebrated works — including the Campbell’s Soup Cans, Three Marilyns, Mao, Elvis, Flowers, Electric Chairs, Skulls and Myths series and sculptures like Brillo Boxes , Heinz Tomato Ketchup Boxes and Silver Clouds. If you've got a spare eight hours, kick back and watch Warhol's wildly influential films Empire, Blow job and Screen Tests and pore over early commercial drawings and '50s advertising illustrations. There's even going to be over 500 Polaroids documenting Warhol’s friends, colleagues, and artistic and social milieux. Now, Weiwei. The famously controversial Chinese artist has had his fair share of Warhol influence, having lived in the US from 1981 to 1993 — and taken a photographic self-portrait in front of Warhol's multiple self-portrait. The first book he bought in NYC? The Philosophy of Andy Warhol (From A to B & Back Again). “I believe this is a very interesting and important exhibition and an honour for me to have the opportunity to be exhibited alongside Andy Warhol," said Weiwei. "This is a great privilege for me as an artist.” For the NGV exhibition, Weiwei will premiere new major commissions, including an installation from the Forever Bicycles series and a monumental addition to Chandelier. Of course, glimpses of Weiwei's colossal catalogue will also be on display — from his early 1970s drawings to 1980s readymades, and provocative painting, photography, film and social media of the last four decades. If you're wondering why we called two of the greatest artists in history 'crazy cat ladies', it's because it's true. According to the NGV, Warhol apparently lived with a herd of Siamese cats in the '50s, all of whom, except for one, were named Sam. He photographed and ink blotted them often. Weiwei's studio is home to over 30 cats, who have free reign and constantly pop up in the artist's social media. There's going to be a special part of the exhibition dedicated to this shared feline love, a bit of trivia we won't get over for quite a while. Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei comes to the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne from December 11 to April 24, in collaboration with The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh. For info and tickets, head to the NGV website.
Los Angeles-based foursome Warpaint are set to return to Australia — the homeland of their drummer, Stella Mozgawa — in late February. The group's summer tour follows the release of their third studio album, Heads Up, in September last year. The new album's tone more closely emulates the style of their live performances — energetic and dance-oriented — than their previous albums, which have been more subdued and reflective. This isn't the first Australian tour for Warpaint, having previously performed at the likes of Laneway Festival in 2014 and Splendour in the Grass in 2011. But this time, they'll be hitting up The Triffid on Wednesday, February 22 with Sydney multi-instrumentalist Jonti. They'll be stopping by other major capital cities including Perth (as part of the Perth International Arts Festival) on Sunday, February 19, Melbourne on Friday, February 24 and Sydney on Saturday, February 25. Image: Robin Laananen.
In the latest show of the Australian hospitality scene's support for marriage equality, the owners of Brisbane bar The End are ramping up production of their Rainbow Beer through a $100,000AUD Pozible campaign, with 50 percent of all profits supporting initiatives run by Australian Marriage Equality. The campaign will enable large-scale production of the brew, which, at its core, aims to bring the conversation of LGBTQI+ rights to the forefront. "We have lots of friends and family that identify in that community and the marriage debate is just a blatant beacon of unfairness, so if we can do anything to help we feel we have the responsibility to do it," says owner Nick Goding. "We want to encourage as many people to get on board as possible and I'm currently on the campaign trail in Melbourne to get more bars involved." The 'pro-love' beer has been on tap in small batch quantities at their West End bar since 2011, but, along with Goding, owners Timothy Lovett and Ben Johnston have been feeling lately that this quiet contribution isn't enough. Their plan is to make the simple, hand-painted brand louder and stronger by expanding it past their local community. "We were having a general chat about the Cooper's boycott controversy and how terrible the marriage equality debate is, then had a look in front of us at our Rainbow Beer and thought we could make it a larger force for positive change," says Goding. The beer itself is a crisp, easy-drinking German-style pilsner. The gents collaborated on the recipe with a Queensland microbrewery to make it a solid craft brew but also a sessionable one. If successful, the Pozible campaign will allow Rainbow Beer to be offered in cartons and wholesale for bars and consumers around Australia. Pledges range from $15 to $4000, with the latter a pledge to become a 'Rainbow Bar', which includes 12 kegs and the option for an ongoing contract. "We hope that having a bunch of bars with Rainbow cans in their fridge will help keep the conversation going," says Goding. ""As great as it is to be able to make the beer and do the donations, the message of equality is by far the most important part of the campaign." Apart from the donated portion, the pledges will cover beer production and canning as well as packaging and distribution. The Pozible campaign is only running through May 12, though, so the time to check it out is now. The debate around marriage equality has been continuously escalating in recent months, with Airbnb's incomplete rings, Skyy Vodka's Cheers to Equality and Smirnoff's We're Open campaigns also recently launched. According to Galaxy Research polls, 64 percent of Australians support marriage equality, so it's likely more brands will herald their support for the cause.
Often stereotyped as the beverage of choice of sleazy drunken pirates and pina colada-sculling schoolies (in its coconut-flavoured form), rum is enjoying a bit of a renaissance at the moment. Even Scottish post-rockers Mogwai have jumped on board, crafting their own limited edition single cask Demerara variety. Frankly, for a beverage literally made from distilled sugar, we’re surprised it’s taken this long to catch on. Now, a clever team of bartenders from Australia’s largest rum bar Substation No. 41 have announced the launch of their own craft blend. Named for its electricity substation origins, Substation No. 41 is an expansive paradise for aficionados of the golden spirit. Housed within the Breakfast Creek Hotel in Queensland, it carries over 400 varieties of the stuff. In a matter-of-fact, very Queensland fashion, its new golden dark masterpiece takes the name Substation No. 41 Rum, and is made from local sugarcane molasses. “We wanted to use natural Queensland ingredients to create a high-quality Australian rum with an exceptional taste,” says Stuart Griffith, one of the creators and senior bartenders. No one’s disputing the sunshine state’s rep as the rum capital of the country, so it all seems like a logical step for these subject matter experts. Aged for a minimum of two years in oak barrels, the Substation blend reportedly carries floral aromas, with a butterscotch-slash-oaky flavour and hints of spice, vanilla and caramel. You can pick up a bottle from your local Dan Murphy’s now. As far as consumption goes, you’ve got three options: shake it up in a cocktail, mix it with ginger beer, or make like Jack Sparrow and chug it from the bottle sip it neat.
A 3D printed house? Ten years ago, we would have thought this a mere pipe dream. But since we're printing everything from office blocks to bikes tailored to your body these days, this shouldn't come as a shock. Chicago-based architecture firm WATG has unveiled solid plans to turn this lofty idea into reality, proposing the world's first freeform, 3D printed house. Winning first prize in the Freeform Home Design Challenge, a competition sponsored by Branch Technology, the WATG design, entitled 'Curve Appeal', consists of two structural components: an interior core and an exterior skin. The living spaces are all open and include a kitchen, bath, living area and one bedroom. Stunning 360-degree glass walls are meant to give the sense of being directly connected to the natural surroundings of the house — so you might want to keep some distance between you and your neighbours. The whole futuristic, spaceship-like envelope is connected with carefully calculated archways that are said to "establish an organic presence" — whatever that means. The design, while clearly pushing the envelope of possibility, also uses economical methods for building — as well as sustainable, with solar panels hidden within the design. This world-first house is not only unconventional, but has previously been wholly inconceivable. This type of work from WATG is no surprise — the firm is internationally renowned for their innovation, with previous designs including a few Four Seasons, a Saudi Arabian city called 'King Abdullah Economic City' and a SkyPark in the Gulf. All of their designs look like structures from an incredibly well-funded sci-fi film, not buildings that will, and do, actually exist. Construction on 'Curve Appeal' is expected to start as soon as 2017 and Bonnaroo Festival-goers will be happy to hear the first site is in Chattanooga, Tennessee. While the public has been given no indication of how much the house will cost to build, we can only imagine how epic this would be if future iterations are made affordable to the masses. With 3D printing becoming more accessible by the day, this future may not be too far from reality. Via Design Boom. Images: Daniel Caven, WATG.
When a year ends, it's easy to pick what to watch. Just work through the best films of the past 12 months, the best movies that went straight to streaming over the same period, and the top new and returning TV shows. Or, catch up with flicks and series you might've missed — and others that are worth revisiting. When a new year begins, it's also easy to choose where to point your eyeballs. Awards season kicks into gear, bringing with it more recommendations — all newly minted recipients of shiny trophies. So, now that the Golden Globes have taken place for 2024, as held on Monday, January 8 Australian time, there's a new batch of winners to spend time with on both the big and small screens. To see some of this year's Golden Globe-recognised movies, you'll need to head to a cinema. For others — and for TV's best, too — you can get comfy on the couch to watch. Either way, here are eight of the Globes' top winners that you can check out right now. (And if you're wondering what else won, you can read through the full list, too.) MOVIE MUST-SEES OPPENHEIMER Cast Cillian Murphy and a filmmaker falls in love. Danny Boyle did with 28 Days Later and Sunshine, then Christopher Nolan followed with Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, Inception and Dunkirk. There's an arresting, haunting, seeps-under-your-skin soulfulness about the Irish actor, never more so than when he was wandering solo through the empty zombie-ravaged streets in his big-screen big break, then hurtling towards the sun in an underrated sci-fi gem, both for Boyle, and now playing "the father of atomic bomb" in Nolan's epic biopic Oppenheimer. Flirting with the end of the world, or just one person's end, clearly suits Murphy. Here he is in a mind-blower as the destroyer of worlds — almost, perhaps actually — and so much of this can't-look-away three-hour stunner dwells in his expressive eyes. As J Robert Oppenheimer, those peepers see purpose and possibility. They spot quantum mechanics' promise, and the whole universe lurking within that branch of physics. They ultimately spy the consequences, too, of bringing the Manhattan Project successfully to fruition during World War II. Dr Strangelove's full title could never apply to Oppenheimer, nor to its eponymous figure; neither learn to stop worrying and love the bomb. The theoretical physicist responsible for the creation of nuclear weapons did enjoy building it in Nolan's account, Murphy's telltale eyes gleaming as Oppy watches research become reality — but then darkening as he gleans what that reality means. Directing, writing and adapting the 2005 biography American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J Sherwin, Nolan charts the before and after. He probes the fission and fusion of the situation in intercut parts, the first in colour, the second in black and white. In the former, all paths lead to the history-changing Trinity test on July 16, 1945 in the New Mexico desert. In the latter, a mushroom cloud balloons through Oppenheimer's life as he perceives what the gadget, as it's called in its development stages, has unleashed. GLOBES Won: Best Motion Picture — Drama, Best Director — Motion Picture (Christopher Nolan), Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama (Cillian Murphy), Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture (Robert Downey Jr), Best Original Score — Motion Picture. Where to watch it: Oppenheimer streams via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. POOR THINGS Richly striking feats of cinema by Yorgos Lanthimos aren't scarce. Sublime performances by Emma Stone are hardly infrequent. Screen takes on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein couldn't be more constant. For Lanthimos, see: Dogtooth and Alps in the Greek Weird Wave filmmaker's native language, plus The Lobster, The Killing of a Sacred Deer and The Favourite since he started helming movies in English. With Stone, examples abound in her Best Actress Oscar for La La Land, supporting nominations before and after for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) and Lanthimos' aforementioned regal satire, and twin 2024 Golden Globe nods for their latest collaboration as well as TV's The Curse. And as for the best gothic-horror story there is, not to mention one of the most influential sci-fi stories ever, the evidence is everywhere from traditional adaptations to debts owed as widely as The Rocky Horror Show and M3GAN. Combining the three results in a rarity, however: a jewel of a pastel-, jewel- and bodily fluid-toned feminist Frankenstein-esque fairy tale that's a stunning creation, as zapped to life with Lanthimos' inimitable flair, a mischievous air, Stone at her most extraordinary and empowerment blazing like a lightning bolt. With cascading black hair, an inquisitive stare, incessant frankness and jolting physical mannerisms, Poor Things' star is Bella Baxter in this adaptation of Alasdair Grey's award-winning 1992 novel by Australian screenwriter Tony McNamara (The Great). Among the reasons that the movie and its lead portrayal are so singular: as a character with a woman's body revived with a baby's brain, Stone plays someone from infancy to adulthood, all with the astonishingly exact mindset and mannerisms to match, and while making every move, choice and feeling as organic as birth, living and death. In this fantastical steampunk vision of Victorian-era Europe, London-based Scottish doctor Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe, Asteroid City) is Bella's maker. Even if she didn't call him God, he's been playing it. But curiosity, the quest for agency and independence, horniness and a lust for adventure all beckon his creation on a radical, rebellious, gorgeously rendered, gloriously funny and generously insightful odyssey. So, Godwin tries to marry Bella off to medical student Max McCandles (Ramy Youssef, Ramy), only for her to discover masturbation and sex, and run off to the continent with caddish lawyer Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law). GLOBES Won: Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy, Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy (Emma Stone). Where to watch it: Poor Things is currently screening in Australian cinemas. Read our full review. KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON Death comes to Killers of the Flower Moon quickly. Death comes to Killers of the Flower Moon often. While Martin Scorsese will later briefly fill the film's frames with a fiery orange vision — with what almost appears to be a lake of flames deep in oil country, as dotted with silhouettes of men — death blazes through his 26th feature from the moment that the picture starts rolling. Adapted from journalist David Grann's 2017 non-fiction novel Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, with the filmmaker himself and Dune's Eric Roth penning the screenplay, this is a masterpiece of a movie about a heartbreakingly horrible spate of deaths sparked by pure and unapologetic greed and persecution a century back. Scorsese's two favourite actors in Leonardo DiCaprio (Don't Look Up) and Robert De Niro (Amsterdam) are its stars, alongside hopefully his next go-to in Lily Gladstone (Reservation Dogs), but murder and genocide are as much at this bold and brilliant, epic yet intimate, ambitious and absorbing film's centre — all in a tale that's devastatingly true. As Mollie Kyle, a member of the Osage Nation in Grey Horse, Oklahoma, incomparable Certain Women standout Gladstone talks through some of the movie's homicides early. Before her character meets DiCaprio's World War I veteran Ernest Burkhart — nephew to De Niro's cattle rancher and self-proclaimed 'king of the Osage' William King Hale — she notes that several Indigenous Americans that have been killed, with Mollie mentioning a mere few to meet untimely ends. There's nothing easy about this list, nor is there meant to be. Some are found dead, others seen laid out for their eternal rest, and each one delivers a difficult image. But a gun fired at a young mother pushing a pram inspires a shock befitting a horror film. The genre fits here, in its way, as do many others as Killers of the Flower Moon follows Burkhart's arrival in town, his deeds under his uncle's guidance, his romance with Mollie and the tragedies that keep springing: American crime saga, aka the realm that Scorsese has virtually made his own, as well as romance, relationship drama, western, true crime and crime procedural. GLOBES Won: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama (Lily Gladstone). Where to watch it: Killers of the Flower Moon is currently screening in Australian cinemas, and streams via Google Play, YouTube Movies and Prime Video. Read our full review, and our interview with Martin Scorsese. THE BOY AND THE HERON For much of the six years that a new Hayao Miyazaki movie was on the way, little was known except that the legendary Japanese animator was breaking his retirement after 2013's The Wind Rises. But there was a tentative title: How Do You Live?. While that isn't the name that the film's English-language release sports, both the moniker — which remains in Japan — and the nebulousness otherwise help sum up the gorgeous and staggering The Boy and the Heron. They also apply to the Studio Ghibli's co-founder's filmography overall. When a director and screenwriter escapes into imaginative realms as much as Miyazaki does, thrusting young characters still defining who they are away from everything they know into strange and surreal worlds, they ask how people exist, weather the chaos and trauma that's whisked their way, and bounce between whatever normality they're lucky to cling to and life's relentless uncertainties and heartbreaks. Miyazaki has long pondered how to navigate the fact that so little while we breathe proves a constant, and gets The Boy and the Heron spirited away by the same train of thought while climbing a tower of deeply resonant feelings. How Do You Live? is also a 1937 book by Genzaburo Yoshino, which Miyazaki was given by his mother as a child, and also earns a mention in his 12th feature. The Boy and the Heron isn't an adaptation; rather, it's a musing on that query that's the product of a great artist looking back at his life and achievements, plus his losses. The official blurb uses the term "semi-autobiographical fantasy", an elegant way to describe a movie that feels so authentic, and so tied to its creator, even though he can't have charted his current protagonist's exact path. Parts of the story are drawn from his youth, but it wouldn't likely surprise any Studio Ghibli fan if Miyazaki had magically had his Chihiro, Mei and Satsuki, or Howl moment, somehow living an adventure from Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro or Howl's Moving Castle. What definitely won't astonish anyone is that grappling with conjuring up these rich worlds and processing reality is far from simple, even for someone of Miyazaki's indisputable creative genius. GLOBES Won: Best Motion Picture — Animated. Where to watch it: The Boy and the Heron is currently screening in Australian cinemas. Read our full review. BARBIE No one plays with a Barbie too hard when the Mattel product is fresh out of the box. As that new doll smell lingers, and the toy's synthetic limbs gleam and locks glisten, so does a child's sense of wonder. The more that the world-famous mass-produced figurine is trotted through DreamHouses, slipped into convertibles and decked out in different outfits, though — then given non-standard makeovers — the more that playing with the plastic fashion model becomes fantastical. Like globally beloved item, like live-action movie bearing its name. Barbie, the film, starts with glowing aesthetic perfection. It's almost instantly a pink-hued paradise for the eyes, and it's also a cleverly funny flick from its 2001: A Space Odyssey-riffing outset. The longer that it continues, however, the harder and wilder that Lady Bird and Little Women director Greta Gerwig goes, as does her Babylon and Amsterdam star lead-slash-producer Margot Robbie as Barbie. In Barbie's Barbie Land, life is utopian. Robbie's Stereotypical Barbie and her fellow dolls (including The Gray Man's Ryan Gosling as Stereotypical Ken) genuinely believe that their rosy beachside suburban excellence is infectious, too. And, they're certain that this female-championing realm — and the Barbies being female champions of all skills, talents and appearances — has changed the real world inhabited by humans. But there's a Weird Barbie living in a misshapen abode. While she isn't Barbie's villain, not for a second, her nonconformist look and attitude says everything about Barbie at its most delightful. Sporting cropped hair, a scribbled-on face and legs akimbo, she's brought to life by Saturday Night Live great Kate McKinnon having a blast, and explained as the outcome of a kid somewhere playing too eagerly. Meet Gerwig's spirit animal; when she lets Weird Barbie's vibe rain down like a shower of glitter, covering everything and everyone in sight both in Barbie Land and in reality, the always-intelligent, amusing and dazzling Barbie is at its brightest and most brilliant. GLOBES Won: Cinematic and Box Office Achievement, Best Original Song — Motion Picture (Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell, 'What Was I Made For?'). Where to watch it: Barbie streams via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review, and Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie, Issa Rae and America Ferrara chatting about the film. SMALL-SCREEN STANDOUTS BEEF As plenty does, Beef starts with two strangers meeting, but there's absolutely nothing cute about it. Sparks don't fly and hearts don't flutter; instead, this pair grinds each other's gears. In a case of deep and passionate hate at first sight, Danny Cho (Steven Yeun, Nope) and Amy Lau (Ali Wong, Paper Girls) give their respective vehicles' gearboxes a workout, in fact, after he begins to pull out of a hardware store carpark, she honks behind him, and lewd hand signals and terse words are exchanged. Food is thrown, streets are angrily raced down, gardens are ruined, accidents are barely avoided, and the name of Vin Diesel's famous car franchise springs to mind, aptly describing how bitterly these two strangers feel about each other — and how quickly. Created by Lee Sung Jin, who has It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Dave and Silicon Valley on his resume before this ten-part Netflix and A24 collaboration, Beef also commences with a simple, indisputable and deeply relatable fact. Whether you're a struggling contractor hardly making ends meet, as he is, or a store-owning entrepreneur trying to secure a big deal, as she is — or, if you're both, neither or anywhere in-between — pettiness reigning supreme is basic human nature. Danny could've just let Amy beep as much as she liked, then waved, apologised and driven away. Amy could've been more courteous about sounding her horn, and afterwards. But each feels immediately slighted by the other, isn't willing to stand for such an indignity and becomes consumed by their trivial spat. Neither takes the high road, not once — and if you've ever gotten irrationally irate about a minor incident, this new standout understands. Episode by episode, it sees that annoyance fester and exasperation grow, too. Beef spends its run with two people who can't let go of their instant rage, keep trying to get the other back, get even more incensed in response, and just add more fuel to the fire again and again until their whole existence is a blaze of revenge. If you've ever taken a small thing and blown it wildly out of proportion, Beef is also on the same wavelength. And if any of the above has ever made you question your entire life — or just the daily grind of endeavouring to get by, having everything go wrong, feeling unappreciated and constantly working — Beef might just feel like it was made for you. GLOBES Won: Best Television Limited Series of Motion Picture Made for Television, Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television (Ali Wong), Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television (Steven Yeun). Where to watch it: Beef streams via Netflix. Read our full review. SUCCESSION Endings have always been a part of Succession. Since it premiered in 2018, the bulk of the HBO drama's feuding figures have been waiting for a big farewell. The reason is right there in the title, because for any of the Roy clan's adult children to scale the family company's greatest heights and remain there — be it initial heir apparent Kendall (Jeremy Strong, Armageddon Time), his inappropriate photo-sending brother Roman (Kieran Culkin, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off), their political-fixer sister Siobhan (Sarah Snook, Pieces of a Woman), or eldest sibling and presidential candidate Connor (Alan Ruck, The Dropout) — their father Logan's (Brian Cox, Remember Me) tenure needed to wrap up. The latter was always stubborn. Proud, too, of what he'd achieved and the power it's brought. And whenever Logan seemed nearly ready to leave the business behind, he held on. If he's challenged or threatened, as happened again and again in the Emmy-winning series, he fixed his grasp even tighter. Succession was always been waiting for Logan's last stint at global media outfit Waystar RoyCo, but it had never been about finales quite the way it was in its stunning fourth season. This time, there was ticking clock not just for the show's characters, but for the stellar series itself, given that this is its last go-around — and didn't it make the most of it. Nothing can last forever, not even widely acclaimed hit shows that are a rarity in today's TV climate: genuine appointment-viewing. So, this went out at the height of its greatness, complete with unhappy birthday parties, big business deals, plenty of scheming and backstabbing, and both Shiv's husband Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen, Operation Mincemeat) and family cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun, Cat Person) in vintage form — plus an early shock, at least two of the best episodes of any show that've ever aired on television, one of the worst drinks, a phenomenal acting masterclass, a The Sopranos-level final shot and the reality that money really can't buy happiness. GLOBES Won: Best Television Series — Drama, Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Series — Drama (Kieran Culkin), Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Series — Drama (Sarah Snook), Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role on Television (Matthew Macfadyen). Where to watch it: Succession streams via Binge. Read our full review. THE BEAR The more time that anyone spends in the kitchen, the easier that whipping up their chosen dish gets. The Bear season two is that concept in TV form, even if the team at The Original Beef of Chicagoland don't always live it as they leap from running a beloved neighbourhood sandwich joint to opening a fine-diner, and fast. The hospitality crew that was first introduced in the best new show of 2022 isn't lacking in culinary skills or passion. But when bedlam surrounds you constantly, as bubbled and boiled through The Bear's Golden Globe-winning, Emmy-nominated season-one frames, not everything always goes to plan. That was only accurate on-screen for Carmen 'Carmy' Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White, Fingernails) and his colleagues — aka sous chef Sydney (Ayo Edebiri, Bottoms), baker-turned-pastry chef Marcus (Lionel Boyce, Hap and Leonard), veteran line cooks Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas, In Treatment) and Ebraheim (Edwin Lee Gibson, Fargo), resident Mr Fixit Neil Fak (IRL chef Matty Matheson), and family pal Richie aka Cousin (Ebon Moss-Bachrach, No Hard Feelings). For viewers, the series' debut run was as perfect a piece of television as anyone can hope for. Excellent news: season two is better. The Bear serves up another sublime course of comedy, drama and "yes chef!"-exclaiming antics across its sizzling second season. Actually make that ten more courses, one per episode, with each new instalment its own more-ish meal. A menu, a loan, desperately needed additional help, oh-so-much restaurant mayhem: that's how this second visit begins, as Carmy and Sydney endeavour to make their dreams for their own patch of Chicago's food scene come true. So far, so familiar, but The Bear isn't just plating up the same dishes this time around. At every moment, this new feast feels richer, deeper and more seasoned, including when it's as intense as ever, when it's filling the screen with tastebud-tempting food shots that relish culinary artistry, and also when it gets meditative. Episodes that send Marcus to a Noma-esque venue in Copenhagen under the tutelage of Luca (Will Poulter, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), get Richie spending a week learning the upscale ropes at one of Chicago's best restaurants and jump back to the past, demonstrating how chaos would've been in Carmy's blood regardless of if he became a chef, are particularly stunning. GLOBES Won: Best Television Series — Musical or Comedy, Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Series — Musical or Comedy (Jeremy Allen White), Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Series — Musical or Comedy (Ayo Edebiri). Where to watch it: The Bear streams via Disney+. Read our full review.
The National Gallery of Victoria is wrapping up this wild year in style, hosting the blockbuster second edition of its much-hyped NGV Triennial. Taking over the gallery from Saturday, December 19, the exhibition looks set to be the biggest art event to hit the city in three years, featuring works from over 100 artists, representing 30 different countries. Among them, you can expect a diverse response to this year's themes of illumination, reflection, conservation and speculation. With a lineup like this — and many months of missed art appreciation to make up for — it's hard to know where to even start. You'll wander through the halls and discover a large-scale, neck-tilting celebration of light and movement; a layered, shimmering sphere of used lenses; and even a giant octopus crafted from hand-felted cigarette butts; and a life-size, mirror-polished stainless steel sculpture based on an 18th-century porcelain figurine. The exhibition is huge, we've offered up a sneak peek here, but, if you'd like to delve deeper, we've also pulled out five must-see artworks over here. Start plotting your art gallery debut now. The NGV Triennial 2020 will be on show at NGV International from Saturday, December 19 until Sunday, April 18, 2021. For more info and to see the full program, visit the NGV website.
If you're a sugar-lovin' Brisbanite, we've got good news for you. Next time you’re in the vicinity of New Farm — specifically, New Farm Cinemas — you might want to treat yo'self. After working markets here, there and everywhere around Brisbane, New Farm Confectionery now has a permanent home. Tucked around the side of the cinemas on Barker Street just off Brunswick Street, the new confectionery shop is a cute little haven dedicated to the kinds of handmade, high quality goodies that you can't find just anywhere. These aren't mass-produced, supermarket-variety lollies filled with additives — everything's free of artificial colours and flavours, and made in store in small batches. Think couverture chocolate honeycomb, marshmallows flavoured with real fruit and oil, and individually-wrapped salted caramels. We'd keep listing things, but there’s too much goodness to choose from — including six different milkshake flavours. Is your mouth watering yet? New Farm Confectionery was originally inspired by a trip to Paris by owner Jodie Neilson, who saw sweet bites to eat everywhere throughout the French city and wanted to offer the same luxury to Australian adults. That's excellent news for those in Brisbane with a sweet tooth, but for those outside the city, the store will ship their products anywhere in Australia. You can still find them at Eat Street on weekends; this just means there's more deliciousness on offer more often. Find New Farm Confectionery permanently housed at Unit A, 701 Brunswick Street, New Farm, as well as at Eat Street Markets at Hamilton Wharf every Friday and Saturday evening, or visit their website.
Look, we know it's been a few weeks, but if you're a craft beer-loving Brisbanite, it's likely you're still dealing with the post-Brewsvegas blues. But don't let it get you down, instead why not dig right into the best of Brisbane's flourishing microbrewery scene — open all year round and constantly brewing up innovative new craft beers for you to get rather snobby over. Whether they're brewing Weetbix stouts, snickers-flavoured amber ales and outstanding sours, booking live music around the clock or pairing your beer with local food trucks, these local crews are changing the game for the city's beer scene. Check out Brisbane's very best microbreweries, tried, tested and brought to you by this true beer loving broad. THE CROWDPLEASER: GREEN BEACON Whether you're a beer nerd or novice, you can't go wrong with Green Beacon. It is often claimed that this place launched the microbrewing scene here in Brisbane — whether or not that's true. After years of operation from their Teneriffe HQ, the crew has been undeniably successful, having just opened a brewery in Geebung. Not sure what to try when you get here? Make a beeline for the 'Wayfayer USA'. Green Beacon also recently released a delicious bourbon barrel strong ale which is deliciously oaky and so full-bodied it's essentially a meal. They also brew seasonal beers and while Brisbane is somewhat lacking in actual seasons that doesn't mean you can't enjoy a tasty Red's Dead West Coast and pretend it's getting colder out. The original brewery at Teneriffe hosts a different food truck nearly every night, keeping things fresh and interesting all week round. Green Beacon took home a top prize at last year's Australian craft beer awards for Champion Medium Brewery in Australia. 26 Helen Street, Teneriffe THE STAYER: NEWSTEAD BREWING This might sound a little like a participation award but please, let me explain. Newstead does somewhat live in the shadow of giant neighbour Green Beacon, but that's not to say their beers are of any lesser quality. Just recently, we tried the special addition Brewsvegas sour stout — seriously next-level. These guys know what they're doing. If you like what you sip you can fill a whole growler of fresh beer to go. The menu offers a little more variety than that of Green Beacon and uses top quality ingredients. The brewery is always packed around knock-off time, brimming with post work good vibes. Newstead is here to stay. 85 Doggett St, Newstead THE NEWCOMER: CATCHMENT BREWING CO. Full disclosure, I used to work at Catchment. But hear me out. After arriving a little late on an already well established microbrew scene, Catchment Brewing Co had a lot to prove when they started pouring beers just over a year ago — and they hit the ground running. Zero expenses have been spared in putting together this operation. Bartenders are well trained and really know their product, so quality service can be expected. Catchment's secret weapon is their head brewer, Mitchell Pickford, who's young, talented and passionate as they come. It's a small space, so they only brew a couple of beers at a time but that hasn't stopped them from winning awards already. Catchment has a lot going for it. Watch this space. 150 Boundary Street, West End THE ALL-ROUNDER: BRISBANE BREWING CO. Brisbane Brewing Co is my local, so I may be biased, but this brewery makes some of the best beer in the city. The brewery is tucked away down a West End alley and is cleverly designed to make the best use of this space. Their brews can simultaneously impress beer snobs who attempt to blindly identify the hops, while also catering to your parents who may just want a beer that tastes like beer. I've never had a bad time at Brisbane Brewing Co, which is saying something, because I am there most days. The staff are extremely knowledgeable and friendly, without any of the arrogance you might have come to expect in brewery bars. The food is fun and innovative, every main comes with a selection of sides or you can split a huge cheese platter with your mates. They also have a happy hour every day which makes this place accessible for folk like myself with craft beer taste on a goon sack budget. 124 Boundary Street, West End THE CONNOISSEUR CHOICE: ALL INN All Inn has a great reputation amongst the truest beer nerds. It's a small operation but still manages to consistently churn out some of the best and boldest beers in Brisbane. Their genuine passion for quality beer is what makes this brewery a beer connoisseur's go to. All Inn only opens up to the public from Thursday to Sunday but there is always something fun happening, making it the perfect weekend outing. Trivia reigns on Thursday night, comedy on Friday night, and they book live music on the reg. All Inn mixes it up with a variety of food trucks so you never quite know what you're going to get — but it will go with your freshly brewed beer. These guys know their audience and how to please them. 189 Elliott Road, Banyo THE CREATIVE TYPE: BACCHUS Have you ever wanted to try a beer infused with a whole roast chicken? Someone thought it was a good idea and Bacchus made it a reality. Bacchus Brewing Co has made every beer imaginable. Gin and cucumber lager? Check. Snickers flavoured amber? Check. A stout infused with fresh smoked oysters? Check. Last year's Brewsvegas saw a Weetbix stout. I didn't love it, but do applaud their gumption. If you enjoy stepping outside your comfort zone, keep an eye out for Baccus bottled, on tap, or visit the brewery yourself. They brew up to four different beers a week, so you'll be able to try something super fresh, new and exciting whenever you visit. Hot tip: Baccus is actually based in a giant homebrew supply store. They sell everything you need to start your own little operation, and absorbing knowledge of their staff is highly recommended. Name a beer and they'll tell you how to make a clone. 2 Christine Place, Capalaba
Berlin's largest celebration of tunes, good times and the LGBTQI community has packed its bags and headed to Australia, bringing NYC stylist of rhymes Dai Burger with it. After two (incredibly) successful festivals in Germany, Yo! Sissy decided it was time to spread the love to the other side of the world, and straight into Fortitude Valley. Dai Burger has been dominating New York since her days as a backup dancer for Lil' Mama, and has since then made her mark with fluid lyricism and an IDGAF attitude towards sexuality and the patriarchy. She's a bit of a darling among the community in NYC, and is heading to Australia for the first time. Yo! Sissy makes a point of bringing the very best of emerging LGBTQI artists to the mobbed masses in Berlin, and now Australia's getting our very own taste.
What would you do if you were a little less freaked out by consequences? Would you talk to more new people, fear a bit less, dance a little more like FKA Twigs, or quit your desk job and open that business you've always wanted to give a red hot go? Some sparkling young Australians are already flinging their inhibitions into a ziplock bag and seizing this little ol' life with both hands. Concrete Playground has teamed up with the Jameson crew to give you a sneak peek into the lives of ten bold characters who took a big chance on themselves. They've gone out on a limb and rewritten their path, encapsulating 'Sine Metu', the Jameson family motto which translates to 'without fear' — getting outside your comfort zone and trying something new. After all, we only get one shot at this. Take notes. No stranger to the idea of taking a massive risk and steering one's life on to a completely new path, founder and co-owner of Sydney's Ramblin' Rascal Tavern Charlie Lehmann had a completely different plan before opening his own bar. We had a chat to Charlie about his own business of taking chances. You can read the interview here. Want to experience a little bit of 'Sine Metu' yourself? Charlie's being a total legend and helping us give away a cocktail masterclass for you and three mates, so you can see for yourself what happens when bold humans take big creative chances with big payoffs. Enter here to win.
Next time you drop by Paddington mainstay Sassafras, you might want to take your pet pooch. You probably also want to head to the Latrobe Terrace hangout a little later than usual so that you can take full advantage of the eatery's latest addition. That'd be a brand new dog-friendly garden bar that expands the Sassafras' clientele to cuties of the four-legged variety and extends its hours to 9pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Yes, Brisbane finally has a place that understands that a balmy summer afternoon and early evening is best spent not only with a beverage in your hand, but with a furry pal by your side. Sassafras has even changed their name to mark the occasion, so say goodbye to Sassafras Cafe and hello to Sassafras Canteen. The same relaxed vibe that's kept patrons coming through their door for the past 18 years remains, of course — including the inner-west's favourite all-day breakfast spread until 2pm, complete with chilli corn fritters and Moroccan lamb omelette. Those lazing about in the revamped courtyard and listening to DJs will also find two new menus, offering up a sample of great beverages and a selection of tasty food befitting a beer garden setting. Kick back with a Hillbilly Cider, one of ten wines or a local craft beer from Newstead Brewing Co or Green Beacon Brewing Co, then devour a meat or cheese share plate. Keeping on theme, gourmet hot dogs are the main culinary attraction, as available in chicken and pinenut, smokey beef and bacon, smokey beef and sauerkraut, and red bean and beetroot falafel varieties. Find Sassafras at 88 Latrobe Terrace, Paddington, or visit their website and Facebook page. Via Good Food. Images: Dollar Photo Club and Sassafras.
Feel a hankering for some chortles at this year's Brisbane Comedy Festival, but don't have the funds to fork out for any of the event's international acts? Trying to squeeze in as many laughs as possible into your life in general? Keen to finish your working week with some laughs? All of the above situations are catered for at BCF's Knockoff. It's similar to Brisbane Powerhouse's old free comedy nights, but happening during the comedy fest — and it's perfect for kicking off the weekend in the funniest way possible. [caption id="attachment_850754" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Atmosphere Photography[/caption] This free Friday night comedy show runs from 6pm each week between May 5–26, and will play host to some of the biggest up-and-comers in comedy (so, down the line, you can say you saw them when they were starting out). Exactly who you'll be laughing at hasn't yet been revealed, but you will be laughing. Just head on down to the New Farm spot — to its Turbine Platform, in fact — and prepare to get your funny bone tickled for an hour.
Haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, but Taylor Swift just took a massive step up in our book after coming to the rescue of a Sydney theatre production, who were told they wouldn't be allowed to use one of the pop star's songs just days before their opening night. Opening today, Belvoir Theatre Company's Seventeen stars veteran Australian actors Peter Carroll, Maggie Dence, John Godden, Genevieve Lemon, Barry Otto and Anna Volska as a group of seventeen year olds on their last day of school. The play was meant to include a scene where the cast dance to Swift's 2014 hit 'Shake It Off,' but those plans were apparently scuppered on Friday after they were denied the right to use the song. In a last-ditch effort, director Anna-Louise Sarks took to twitter and petitioned Swift directly. Hey @taylorswift13 I'm a big fan and I'm facing an artistic emergency I hope you can help with 1/7 #greygrey4taytay — Anne-Louise Sarks (@annelouisesarks) August 3, 2015 .@taylorswift13 I'm a theatre director from Sydney, and we have a big show opening tomorrow night @belvoirst 2/7 #greygrey4taytay — Anne-Louise Sarks (@annelouisesarks) August 3, 2015 .@taylorswift13 It's about the last day of school - only the 17yrolds are all played by 70yrolds 3/7 #greygrey4taytay pic.twitter.com/t3i1JPdZn2 — Anne-Louise Sarks (@annelouisesarks) August 3, 2015 . @taylorswift13 (including Barry Otto from Strictly Ballroom which maybe you've seen) http://t.co/cBOHzj4vdp #greygrey4taytay — Anne-Louise Sarks (@annelouisesarks) August 3, 2015 .@taylorswift13 there's this great moment where they Shake It Off, and they know all the words and have amazing moves 5/7 #greygrey4taytay — Anne-Louise Sarks (@annelouisesarks) August 3, 2015 .@taylorswift13 But we've just at the last minute been told we can't have the rights to the song! 6/7 #greygrey4taytay — Anne-Louise Sarks (@annelouisesarks) August 3, 2015 .@taylorswift13 Is there anything at all you can do?!! Thanks for reading! 7/7 #greygrey4taytay pic.twitter.com/pdL1TW1Bv9 — Anne-Louise Sarks (@annelouisesarks) August 3, 2015 She also sent tweets to Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman and former federal arts minister Tony Burke in the hopes that they could help her get in touch. A number of celebrities, including Tim Minchin and Orange Is the New Black star Yael Stone also got on board, and before long the hashtag #greygrey4taytay was trending around Australia. Then, yesterday afternoon, the pop star with over 61 million followers responded. Permission granted, @BelvoirSt. Good luck with your opening night :) — Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) August 4, 2015 Yes! The reaction from the cast and crew was understandably ecstatic. BuzzFeed Australia was on hand when the news came through, and later tweeted the following Vine. "WE LOVE YOU TAYLOR!" We were on hand as @taylorswift13 granted @BelvoirSt its wish http://t.co/L0szMLegFV https://t.co/QuD1aS1Kiy — BuzzFeed Australia (@BuzzFeedOz) August 4, 2015 Anyone who has ever said a bad word about Taylor Swift and/or twitter should be eating a massive slice of humble pie right now. Now let the players play. Seventeen is at Belvoir Street Theatre from August 5 – September 13. For more information, visit their website. Via BuzzFeed Australia.
Find out what a late night party looks like when Elizabeth Rose is in charge. The beats-cranking Sydneysider is curating a trio of discotheques, the first of which is locked in for Sydney's Civic Hotel, with the final two hitting Melbourne's Boney and Brisbane's Brightside over the Easter Weekend. For each party, she's inviting her favourite local DJ talent to commandeer the decks, kicking off shenanigans before Rose delivers her own midnight set. It's high time Rose celebrated. Over the past twelve months, this young producer's been racking up one impressive achievement after another. First, FBi Radio named her 'Next Big Thing', then QANTAS gave her its 'Spirit of Youth' prize, and then her second EP reached #1 — on both the iTunes AU Electronic chart and triple j. In the meantime, she was singing on tracks for Flight Facilities and The Aston Shuffle. All of that led to Universal Publishing snapping the young DJ up with a publishing deal. So she's throwing you a party. What a legend.
Between Thursday, March 12–Sunday, March 22, you won't need an excuse to sink a few brews in Brisbane. You don't need one any day anyway, of course, but these 11 days are all about beer, more beer and then even more beer — because that's what Brewsvegas is all about. Returning for its huge seventh year, the city-wide festival is celebrating ales, lagers, stouts, porters and pilsners all around town — and with quite the range of events. A whopping 59 venues are taking part, basically turning Brissie into one big bar crawl. Among the highlights: beer karaoke, beer painting sessions, beer cocktails, beer and board games, a four-course 'beergustation', and beer with both bowling and boules. The list goes on, so prepare to say 'cheers' a whole heap. From the huge lineup, here's our seven top picks — let's call it our Brewsvegas seven-pack.
When Pharrell Williams teams up with choreographer Jonah Bokaer and visual artist Daniel Arsham, something special is bound to happen. And as audiences in Dallas in the US have already discovered, something special has. They're the only people in the world to have seen Rules of the Game, the multidisciplinary dance, video and sculpture work that heads to Brisbane Festival head of its New York premiere in November. Loosely based on Nobel Laureate Pirandello's controversial play Six Characters in Search of an Author, the piece features Williams' first-ever orchestral score for the stage, Bokaer's crisp, elegant dance moves and Arsham's offbeat, architectural environments in an eight-performer effort that turns dance into visual art. Image: Sharen Bradford.
Skydiving is one of those activities people either know they'll love or are certain they'll hate. Maybe jumping out of a plane gets your blood pumping. Or maybe you like the idea of riding the wind, but aren't so keen on the leaping from an aircraft part. Enter indoor skydiving facility iFLY Downunder, a place that understands great heights and parachutes aren't for everybody. There, adrenaline junkies can get their thrills without the plane, not to mention the fear of colliding with the ground. A giant glass tunnel and wind generator combination is iFLY Downunder's secret to recreating the high-octane, high-altitude experience, with patrons soaring around a state-of-the-art, fully controlled, ultra-safe environment. Top instructors will be on hand to help, and a viewing platform means everyone you know can come along to watch. Given that the Gold Coast already boasts a wealth of other adventurous endeavours — including three theme parks and two water parks — the south-east Queensland tourist spot really is the ideal place for iFLY Downunder's second Australian location (their Sydney facility has been up and running since early 2014). Now, even when they're not at the glitter strip's glistening beaches, locals and tourists alike can pretend they're Johnny Utah in Point Break. Find iFLY Downunder at 3084 Surfers Paradise Boulevard on the Gold Coast from January 15, 2016. Visit their website and Facebook page for more information. Image via iFLY Downunder.
Anyone old enough to remember the mid-'90s will likely recall that something happened on the world’s tallest mountain back in May 1996. Something bad. But how bad? Well, the specifics are probably a bit hazy. That’s why there’s always the great temptation with movies based on real events to look up what happened before you see them. Sometimes it’s to make sure you’re across the facts or so that you don’t get confused, but usually, if we’re honest, it’s so that we don’t spend the whole film wondering who lives and who dies. Everest is one such film, and whatever you do, avoid turning to the internet until the credits have rolled. Genuine, compelling tension is such a rarity in modern cinema that to rob yourself of the experience when it finally presents itself would be madness. And boy does it present in Everest. To behold the ordeal at the centre of this tale is to almost endure it on a miniature scale. The film is relentless and punishing, leaving you exhausted, shaking and breathless. "Human beings,” explains the expedition’s leader Rob Hall (played by Jason Clarke), “simply are not built to function at the cruising altitude of a 747. Our bodies will be literally dying.” Thanks to the extraordinary team behind Everest, you believe it. Heck, you feel it. This is an ensemble movie done the right way, where nobody engages in scene stealing despite some big names scattered throughout. Sam Worthington, Jake Gyllenhaal, Keira Knightley, Josh Brolin, Robin Wright, John Hawkes and Emily Watson all join Clarke with committed but reserved performances that ensure the focus remains on the film’s true star: the mountain. Granted that sounds incredibly trite, but the scale of this film and its sumptuous cinematography all serve to reinforce both the grandeur and the peril of such an extraordinary place; “another beast altogether”, as Hall described it. To date, more than 250 people have died climbing the mountain, and the means of their demise are more varied than you might expect. The difference between this film and so many other recent offerings, however, it that instead of sensationalising nature, Everest simply shows humility towards it. In light of its wretched and treacherous conditions, one well might question why anybody would ever even consider summiting Everest, but the film has an answer for that, too. Several, in fact. Some try for the thrill, others for the challenge, and one extraordinary mailman attempted it purely for the symbol and inspiration it might provide others back home. More importantly, though, for those who actually make it — those few exceptional climbers who literally reach out and touch earth’s upper limit — the moment of exhilaration and accomplishment is so powerful and affecting that you’re moved to tears. It is, in short, an exceptional and experiential film with a story steeped in both tragedy and indomitability. Worthy of its name, Everest is a staggering and spectacular piece of cinema that deserves to be seen.
Prize Fighter caused a stir when it premiered at La Boite theatre in 2015. The first play of Congolese refugee Future D. Fidel, it tells the semi-autobiographical tale of a boy named Isa, himself a Congolese refugee, who uncovers a talent for boxing. Poised to win the national title, he has to overcome the horrors of his past — losing his family and being enlisted as a child soldier to the army that killed them — to beat his opponents. It received rave reviews and was nominated for Best Play and Best New Australian Work at the 2016 Helpmann Awards. On Thursday, September 13 and Friday, September 14, La Boite is bringing the production to the Logan Entertainment Centre as part of Brisbane Festival. It features nearly all of the original cast, though Sophie Emberson-Bain has been replaced by Zindzi Okenyo (from Play School and OKENYO). Okenyo joins Pacharo Mzembe, who is again playing Isa, plus Margi Brown-Ash and Gideon Mzembe. Image: Dylan Evans.
It's a problem anyone with a Netflix, Stan or Presto subscription can relate to: scrolling through a lengthy list of titles but still having trouble finding something to watch. It's a problem that gets worse if you're looking for homegrown content; however a new Aussie-focused streaming option is trying to fix that. Meet Ozflix, the first video-on-demand service dedicated to Australian films. It wants to become a one-stop-shop when it comes to local movies, with everything available to audiences on a pay-per-view basis. Packages grouped by themes and directors will also feature. The service is aiming to get things started with a catalogue spanning 250–400 titles, but that's just the beginning of Ozflix's plans. Eventually, it wants to house every Australian movie ever made, including the first works crafted in the 1900s, the newest releases, and everything from Newsfront to Strictly Ballroom, The Castle, Ten Canoes, Wolf Creek and The Dressmaker. Given that cinemagoers have been flocking to Aussie films en masse in 2015, giving the industry its most successful year at the local box office ever thanks to the likes of Mad Max: Fury Road, The Water Diviner and Paper Planes, the timing is right. The high-profile roster of talent who has voiced their support already — actresses Deborah Mailman and Claudia Karvan, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert director Stephan Elliott, and Animal Kingdom producer Liz Watts among them — certainly agree. Now all Australian movie fans need to do is wait until Ozflix launches in 2016. For more information on Ozflix, visit their website.
The co-founder of Sydney’s The Barber Shop is taking his whizz-bang bar-creating talents to Byron Bay. As of this summer, the north coast’s busiest hang-out will have a brand new drinking and feasting establishment, The Bolt Hole, thanks to one Mr Chris Mills. But there won’t be a tap or a beer bottle in sight. Instead, the bar’s craft beer offerings will be delivered in classic Aussie fashion — via tinnie only. Why? Well, to start, Chris sees tinnies as far more environmentally friendly than bottles. As for taps, the avoidance is more about aesthetics than being green. As anyone who's frequented The Barber Shop knows, Chris likes to keep his bar sleek and uncluttered. “Bottles have six times the carbon footprint of a can, when you consider volume, weight, production and transport — all those things add up,” says Chris. “We can fit 100 cartons of tinnies on a standard palette, versus 65 cartons of 330ml bottles, so it takes a lot less fuel to transport them.” Aluminium is lighter than glass, while a can’s tidy shape means more efficient packing and stacking. Second up, Chris points out that tinnies make beer taste better. “Canning is better because bottling lets in UV light, which affects the taste of the beer," he says. UV has a habit of breaking down the organic compounds that give a beer its unique flavour profile. Even though using brown-tinted glass can help reduce the damage, it’s no substitute for the light-impervious fortress that is an aluminium can. And thirdly, Chris adds, "Bottles let in more oxygen, which shortens the beer’s shelf life.” Then, of course, there's the can's total lack of smash-ability. As far as we know, The Bolt Hole will be the first bar in Australia to serve cans exclusively. But, more generally, the humble tinnie has been making a comeback — both here and in the US. Once the domain of drops like Tooheys and VB, it’s now being embraced by craft beer labels all over the world, including locals like Sydney’s Young Henrys and Melbourne’s Mountain Goat. This resurgence is in least part due to cans' lower carbon footprint, awareness of which has been growing for a while. Not everyone's on board though. David Suzuki's Queen of Green blog, for example, argues that beers shipped over long distances are better in tinnies, but when it comes to locally made brews, bottles win out, while others are pushing for all tap, all the time. With the Bolt Hole’s opening six weeks off, we can’t yet reveal exactly which craft beers will make the menu. But we can tell you that Chris has been chatting with some of Australia’s most talented operators. In addition to a stack of tasty brews, the drinks list, designed by Jason Crawley (The Drink Cabinet), will offer signature cocktails, vintage gins, artisanal spirits, boutique Australian and European wines, plus a whisky list to incite Dylan Thomas’s envy. Meanwhile, Jordan (Beans) Brannan (former sous chef at Bondi’s Panama House) will be producing dishes to match. A student of globe-trotting pit master Pete Daversa (London’s The Big Easy, New York City’s Pride and Joy, Hong Kong’s Blue Smoke), Jordan will be smoking up an American barbecue storm on a specially imported woodfired smoker, all the way from the US of A. He’ll be delivering a stateside culinary tour for carnivores, with grass-fed Angus brisket, Texas beef short ribs, Memphis BBQ pork ribs, Carolina pulled pork shoulder and maple glazed chicken. The American theme will continue in the fit-out, which is promising a dimly lit refuge from Byron Bay’s sun-dazed, crowded streets. Entering via a vintage church door, visitors will find themselves in a cosy, vintage haven, with references to hunting, steam trains and nautical escapades. There'll be green Chesterfields, handmade furniture, antique light fittings and a tarnished copper bar, supported by recycled railway sleepers. Tinnie image: Dollar Photo Club. Other images provided.
You guys, the future is here. The future that has been rendered so many times in Tom Cruise sci-fi movies and '90s music videos is finally here. Although Marty McFly is not the prophet we once believed him to be and the hoverboard is still only a prototype, a new UK-based project will let us have electric cars that charge via the road as they go. Although electric cars in the UK are currently becoming more common, they can be tricky to charge if you live in a densely populated city and are bereft of a private parking garage. Electric cars can only be charged from home/special charging stations, so if you're an electric car owner with only on-street parking facilities, you might have to hang around for hours at designated charging spots. Annoying. Enter charging lanes, to save the day. Highways England have announced an 18-month plan to trial the feasibility of charging lanes before bringing them to public roads. Charging lanes are exactly what they sound like — lanes that charge your electric car as you drive along it. How? With black magic, of course (or electric cables installed under the road surface which generate electromagnetic fields, funnelled into a coil in the car and converted into useable electricity). And a nice little bonus for eco-warriors driving electric cars is the ability to zip up a dedicated lane, charge your car and skip traffic all at once — no regular cars are allowed in this lane. Charging lanes have already been implemented to great effect in South Korea, to charge electric buses in the public transport system, and — if the popularity of 'Gangnam Style' is anything to go by — it’s only a matter of time before electric charging lanes become standard across the world. We haven't been this excited about roads since this solar-powered genius. Via Mashable.
Brisbanites, if you didn't already love the two-shop-plus-food-truck patch of the inner east that a couple of the city's favourite eateries have made their own, you will now. The wonder that is the Southside Tea Room has already been established, and the purveyor of records and tapes mixed with a tap house that is Death Valley has been trying hard to join them — which they might've just done with one stroke of menu genius. Ready? Never-ending weekend brunch. A couple of sweet little words and whole weekends full of goodness are the key to Death Valley weaselling their way into your go-to Saturday and Sunday hangout list. Your stomach is rumbling just thinking about it, isn't it? Yes, one of Morningside's finest is dedicating its end of week culinary slate to the kinds of delicious morsels you're supposed to eat at that awkward time between breakfast and lunch, but actually taste great whenever you feel like tucking in to them. Simply choose a main from the rotating lineup — we're talking potato hash cakes with haloumi and jalapeño jam, peanut butter waffles with bacon, new twists on eggs benedict, and the legendary Southside burger just some of the regular selections — and pair it with a mimosa or a cold press coffee off the tap. As always, the food is cooked and served up by Red Robin Supper Truck, aka the best permanently stationed source of meals on wheels there is. Don't just take our word for it — check out their Instagram, then make some never-ending weekend plans. Find Death Valley at 639B Wynnum Road, Morningside, or visit their Facebook page for more information.
You've just finished up in the clurb, you're headed home to solo feast on potato gems, when the call of nature moves from a low rumble to a panicked roar. Rather than exerting precious stores of your own personal energy, rather than politely asking a nearby establishment to use their facilities, you unleash a powerful gush of acidic gold on the nearest library wall, unsuspecting playground, residential rose bush. You wouldn't give it a second thought, you've got potato gems to demolish. But your neighbours and fellow residents would. And your local government and police force would. Taking cues from Hamburg's recently unveiled and straight-up genius solution to epic outdoor peeing stats, Gold Coast authorities are looking into bringing urine-repellent paint to the area, according to the Brisbane Times. Usually used on ships and designed to splash back any substance straight back onto the rogue slasher's shoes, the paint has been used heavily by fed-up residents in the German city's St Pauli nightclub district — complete with cheeky signs warning "Hier nicht pinkeln! Wir pinkeln zurueck" (Do not pee here! We pee back!). Now, looks like the walls of the Gold Coast could finally take their revenge. Gold Coast councillor Lex Bell told the Gold Coast Bulletin that Hamburg's idea had been passed on to the local authorities as a means to combat the area's high levels of public leak-taking. If Hamburg's example is anything to go by, drunken hotspots like Surfers Paradise would probably be targeted for trolling unknowing chumps draining the tank. Apparently it's not going to be a cheap process though, according to Reuters — it'll set the government back about $AUS700 to cover a six-square metre area. Yeesh. Maybe the ol' hosedown is cheaper for now. But it could be well worth it in the long run. Public pissers like their shoes dry as much as residents like their picket fences unsoiled. Just one question: what about the dogs? Via Brisbane Times.
Once every year, a different kind of festival is held in Brisbane — one that doesn't market itself on glow sticks, or ironic henna, or even prolific recreational drug use. It's a festival more for the artists, their scene and the Australian industry itself: Bigsound. Over three days in September, an eclectic collection of musicians is given their shot to play not just some of Brisbane's best venues for some of its best crowds, but also for industry professionals, booking agents, and labels; the big-wig types that usually hang out exclusively in Sydney and Melbourne and are always searching for that 'new sound'. For the somewhat isolated arts scene of Queensland, Bigsound is the annual chance of a lifetime, and acts as a cross-section of Australia's up and coming. Although criticised in recent years for pushing a lineup that includes already represented and well established performers, Bigsound's 2016 bunch still has a few untapped talents and diamonds in the rough. Here are five new artists playing Bigsound this year, not to be missed if you want to claim 'knew-them-before-they-were-cool' bragging rights in years to come. MOSQUITO COAST Last year's triple j Unearthed High winners, Mosquito Coast are riding the Australian airwaves to 'household name' status, but given they are both only 18 years of age, they definitely warrant the title of a 'new' band. Playing music so beach-inspired its practically sunburnt, this duo is nothing if not very, very chill. Breezy guitar lines, hard to forget lyrics, friendly drums — everything you'd want on the radio on a day it's too hot to think. Their main track 'Call My Name' hit #101 on triple j's Hottest 100 this year, and if they keep doing what they are doing, they're guaranteed to sneak into Australia's biggest music pedestal next year. Oh Hello! on September 7. BEC SANDRIDGE Listening to Sydney's Bec Sandridge, it's hard to imagine that anyone else playing Bigsound will bring the same charm to the stage. To call this about-to-explode artist a 'girl-popper' is unfair — would you call Anna Calvi the same? Sure, Sandridge's got pop influences, and that makes it so fun. Her music's intrinsically complex and simultaneously easy to dance to. And on top of it all, Sandridge has a set of pipes you could shamelessly compare to Blondie, Nick Cave, Kate Bush, or maybe even Bjork. The Foundry, September 7. GOOD BOY Good Boy are Brisbane boys, and boy, are they good. Doing the whole dolewave thing, this trio unabashedly sing about living hard, below the poverty line, in the northern suburbs. With King Krule-like guitar lines, over Dick Diver-like lyrics, with a bit of that regional Queensland anger and edge to them, the boys know what they're all about. They've only been bumming darbs and singing about it for a year now, but they've already played Laneway Festival, and are looking at being the canonical band for 2016 Brisbane. Who knows, maybe it'll be the start of their career as Brisbane's next Go-Betweens? Oh Hello!, September 8. PRATEEK KUHAD Prateek Kuhad isn't exactly a fresh face — he's played SXSW, opened for Alt-J on tour, and has been a showcased musician not just in his home of India, but abroad. Despite all this, he's a fresh face for Brisbane. His minimalistic folk, and his punchy, almost quirky lyrics, give his songs a cinematic quality — he wouldn't be amiss juxtaposing a wide-shot for Wes Anderson film, for example. His music, be it his minimalistic combination of guitar and vocals, or his somewhat wider pieces — mandolin, tambourine — are all alike in their joyous momentum. September 7, Empire Hotel. MIDDLE KIDS Middle Kids (emphasis on kids, these guys have only been around since late February) are a Sydney trio- all about the music- tight harmonies and chill times. Dropping their EP Edge of Town, a distorted harmony of fragile vocals, steel guitar, and abyss inspired timbres, these kids might be young, but they are being seen and heard all over Australia. Playing Oh Hello! on 8 September, Middle Kids, have a good thing going-it's lo-fi, but it's kinda popping, with a little bit of folk, maybe an aftertaste of punk, there's something in their simple songs for everyone. Bigsound runs September 7-9 across multiple Brisbane venues. Find the whole Bigsound program on their website.
Another beloved Australian music festival is sitting 2025 out, with the Listen Out team revealing that the event won't be on the calendar this year. In 2024, when Groovin the Moo announced its dates then cancelled, and Splendour in the Grass sadly did the same, this electronic-meets-hip hop fest still toured the country. Now, though, it's "hitting pause on Listen Out as you know it", organisers announced via social media. "We've always tried to build something special — where the lineup reflects the culture and the energy flows both ways between the artists and you," the statement advises. "The last few years have been tough." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Listen Out (@listenout) Although Listen Out isn't going ahead in 2025 in its usual format, the crew is putting on a series of shindigs badged Listen Out Presents, however. Music lovers can expect "one-off, carefully curated parties in killer locations around Australia all year long" featuring "some of the best artists in the world", the festival team announced. No further details have been revealed so far. Skipping the big fest setup for a smaller affair yet still boasting impressive names was Spilt Milk's approach in 2024 — when it ditched its usual festivals but had Troye Sivan, Glass Animals and G Flip take to the stage Newcastle, Perth and on the Gold Coast. The fellow fest is returning in its full form in 2025, headlined by Kendrick Lamar. That said, Listen Out's cancellation this year in favour of parties comes after both Groovin the Moo and Splendour in the Grass failed to make 2025 comebacks following their year off. [caption id="attachment_957230" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Samm Venn[/caption] In 2024, Listen Out did the rounds for its 11th year with a lineup featuring 21 Savage, Skepta, Tyla and Flo Milli among its hip hop and R&B names, plus John Summit and Sub Focus on the electronic side. The year prior, in 2023, the fest held its most-successful event at the time in terms of ticket sales ever, with the crew behind it hoping to continue that trajectory by turning the fest into a 16-plus event, age-wise, which was a first for 2024. [caption id="attachment_957228" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anna Warr[/caption] [caption id="attachment_957224" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mitch Lowe[/caption] [caption id="attachment_957218" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jordan Munns[/caption] [caption id="attachment_957221" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sam Venn[/caption] Listen Out is not taking place in 2025, with Listen Out Presents parties set to pop up instead — we'll update you when more details are announced, and keep an eye on the festival's social media in the interim.
The cities of the future won't be built. They'll be printed. Or at least that seems to be the idea, after Dubai unveiled its first office building created using a 3D printer. Located near the Emirates Tower complex, the 250 square metre building, dubbed The Office of the Future, was printed in just 17 days at a cost of around US$140,000. Now they just need to convince people it won't collapse around their ears. The building was constructed out of special cement mixture, using a custom-made printer measuring 6m by 36m by 12m in size. Only a single supervisor was required to oversee the actual printing process, although seven installers and ten electricians were needed to fit-out the structure once it had been assembled. Even so, the process represents an enormous saving in terms of labour cost, with the Dubai government saying it cut the total bill in half. "We implement what we plan, and we pursue actions not theories," said UAE Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum at the building's official opening. "The rapidly changing world requires us to accelerate our pace of development, for history does not recognize our plans but our achievements." Via PSFK.
It's going to be a battle of bird and Budapest this year at the Academy Awards; the nominations for 2015 have been unveiled this morning. However, the nominations have been met with fierce criticism for a lack of diversity. The big guns at the front of the game: Richard Linklater's Boyhood nabbed six noms as did Clint Eastwood's American Sniper, but right out in front Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's Birdman each clocked up nine nominations each. Everyone's talking about the snub to Selma; the Martin Luther King Jr.-focused film missed out on nominations for lead actor David Oyelowo and director Ava DuVernay. Bradley Cooper's nomination for Best Actor in Clint Eastwood's American Sniper was another surprise, a nomination omitted from the Golden Globes. There's a few more Easter eggs in there; Jennifer Anniston missed out on a Best Actress nomination for Cake, the spot instead going to Two Days, One Night's Marion Cotillard. Guardians of the Galaxy is nominated for Best Makeup Design (#iamgroot). Christopher Nolan's Interstellar (one of 2014's most talked-about films that was tipped to possibly miss out) nabbed five nominations including Best Original Score. And Studio Ghibli's The Tale of Princess Kaguya nabbed a Best Animation nom, despite terrible box office figures and the closure of Ghibli's feature film department. And The Lonely Island's Andy Samberg was nominated for Best Original Song for The Lego Movie's Everything is Awesome'. So there's that. There's significant debate over the diversity of the Oscar nominations this year, observations that the Academy have been taking great pains to change over the years. It's been brought up by social media that all 20 of the nominated actors are white, leading to the trending Twitter hashtag #OscarsSoWhite. The Selma snubs have been constantly referenced. The dominance of white Academy voters was also pinpointed by this infographic; 94 percent of voters are white and 77 percent of these are male — black and latino voters made up just 2 percent each. Needless to say, debates are swirling webwide. All will be analysed, prodded, celebrated and scorned on February 22. AND THE NOMINEES ARE: Best Picture American Sniper Birdman Boyhood The Grand Budapest Hotel The Imitation Game Selma The Theory of Everything Whiplash Best Actor Steve Carell, Foxcatcher Bradley Cooper, American Sniper Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game Michael Keaton, Birdman Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything Best Actress Marion Cotillard, Two Days, One Night Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything Julianne Moore, Still Alice Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl Reese Witherspoon, Wild Best Supporting Actor Robert Duvall, The Judge Ethan Hawke, Boyhood Edward Norton, Birdman Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher J. K. Simmons, Whiplash Best Supporting Actress Patricia Arquette, Boyhood Laura Dern, Wild Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game Emma Stone, Birdman Meryl Streep, Into the Woods Best Cinematography Birdman The Grand Budapest Hotel Ida Mr. Turner Unbroken Best Director Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Birdman Richard Linklater, Boyhood Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel Morten Tyldum, The Imitation Game Best Original Screenplay Boyhood Birdman Foxcatcher The Grand Budapest Hotel Nightcrawler Best Adapted Screenplay American Sniper The Imitation Game Inherent Vice The Theory of Everything Whiplash Best Foreign Language Film Ida, Poland Leviathan, Russia Tangerines, Estonia Timbuktu, Mauritania Wild Tales, Argentina Best Makeup and Hairstyling Foxcatcher The Grand Budapest Hotel Guardians of the Galaxy Best Original Score The Grand Budapest Hotel The Imitation Game Interstellar Mr. Turner The Theory of Everything Best Costume Design The Grand Budapest Hotel Inherent Vice Into the Woods Maleficent Mr. Turner Best Documentary Feature Citizenfour Finding Vivian Maier Last Days in Vietnam Salt of the Earth Virunga Best Documentary Short Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1 Joanna Our Curse The Reaper White Earth Best Film Editing American Sniper Boyhood The Grand Budapest Hotel The Imitation Game Whiplash Best Animated Feature Big Hero 6 The Boxtrolls How to Train Your Dragon 2 Song of the Sea The Tale of Princess Kaguya Best Original Song “Lost Stars,” Begin Again “Grateful,” Beyond the Lights “I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me “Everything is Awesome,” The Lego Movie “Glory,” Selma Best Production Design The Grand Budapest Hotel The Imitation Game Interstellar Into the Woods Mr. Turner Best Animated Short Film The Bigger Picture The Dam Keeper Feast Me and My Moulton A Single Life Best Live-Action Short Film Aya Boogaloo and Graham Butter Lamp Paraveneh The Phone Call Best Sound Editing American Sniper Birdman The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Interstellar Unbroken Best Sound Mixing American Sniper Birdman Interstellar Unbroken Whiplash Best Visual Effects Captain America: The Winter Soldier Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Guardians of the Galaxy Interstellar X-Men: Days of Future Past
Sydney's CBD is getting a major dose of the Tokyo-esque practical and compact, with plans to renovate Bar Century, rebrand it as The Century, and fit it out as a three-storey, luxury capsule hotel being announced last week. The George Street institution, which closed earlier this year, has been taken over by developer Walter Guo, who is investing a massive $5 million on a full interior refurb, which will be carried out by interior design consultants Giant Design. The heritage building will retain its vintage fit-out and have a "Soho House vibe", with the bar and hotel running as separate entities. The first two levels will act as The Century's cocktail bar and nightclub, while the top three floors of the building will be dedicated to the Century Capsules. These capsules are certainly more luxe than most you'll find in Asia. Each of the 72 capsules will contain a large LED screen and entertainment system, Wi-Fi, and even 'mood lighting' (whatever that means). Guests can choose from single or deluxe beds with entry from either the side or the end of the capsule. The communal facilities include a kitchen space, breakfast bar, lounge area, rooftop terrace and individual bathrooms. If you're worried about security, don't be — each capsule is fitted with a secure lock and the security desk runs 24-hours. But let's set the record straight — The Century is not going to be a hostel, and it's not aimed at overindulgent locals that can't seem to make it back home. And while the CBD haunt may have closed because of the lockout laws — and been a central part of a huge lockout protest as a result — these new digs are not meant as a lockout solution either. "The accommodation, which is not quite hotel nor hostel, is aimed at solo travellers looking for something more private than a typical backpackers and those who want the designer hotel experience on a budget," says Christopher Wilks, an associate at Giant Design. It's set to sit well within your budget, with prices ranging from 40-60 bucks a night. Which, depending on how far from the CBD you live, could be a lot cheaper than a cab home at 1am. Sounds futuristic (for Sydney, at least), but these aren't some plans for the distant future — The Century is coming soon. Giant Design is looking at a mid to late November opening.
Beer lovers of Brisbane, it's your time of year. Of course, there's never a bad time to sink brews in Brissie, but dedicating a ten-day stretch to more yeast and hops-focused events than you can dream of really does only happen once every 12 months. Brewsvegas has rolled around again, taking over almost every decent bar, pub, watering hole and gathering spot in town between March 10 to 19. And, as they've done for the past three years, the festival's offering up plenty of unconventional temptations to lure you into a beer-paired escapade. Putt putt, golf, a scavenger hunt, BASEketball, NES, a cartoon drawing competition, bowls, Japanese game shows, trivia, RPGs, live painting, beerlympics and an art tour... the list goes on. Want to get straight to the good stuff? Make our picks your picks.
Not content with knocking out Brisbane diners with their Street Fighter-themed burgers, one of the masterminds behind Super Combo is cooking up another addition to King Street. From early May, Michael Nham will bring Banoi north, opening the first Queensland venture for his Melbourne-based Vietnamese restaurant. Banoi will take over the space next door to their burger joint, so if you've grabbed a Hadoken, Sonic Boom or Yoga Flame in Bowen Hills and noticed the adjacent construction zone, now you know why. With the eatery's name meaning "grandma" and its dishes based on Nham's grandmother's recipes, modern homestyle Vietnamese will be on the menu at the 85-seat venue, and plenty of it. Banoi will serve lunch and dinner for both dining in and taking away. As for the specific meals on offer, Nham and his Banoi collaborator Viet Nguyen will replicate their Melbourne lineup, so prepare for a tasty feast. Four types of spring rolls, six kinds of rice paper rolls with seven dipping sauces, six different banh mi and two phos covers the basics, but that's just the beginning. Banoi tacos feature steamed Vietnamese taco buns filled with pork belly, garlic and soy chicken, tempura soft shell crab, and barbecue pork patties, while the cold Cao Lầu noodles are infused with the flavours of Hoi An. Speciality dishes include pancakes of the steamed rice and crispy variety, with banana fritters and coconut tapioca on the dessert list. Find Banoi at King Street, Bowen Hills from early May. Keep an eye on their website and Facebook page for more information.
Called it. When more and more breweries started popping up in Milton, we were pretty sure that a brewery crawl was going to be in order. Trust Brewsvegas to make the idea a reality. There's no prizes for guessing what happens on The Milton Good Beer Trail, but there is plenty of beer. Yes indeed. Take a 1.4 kilometre stroll between The Scratch, Aether, Newstead Brewing and Brewski, snaffle a different one-off collaboration schooner at each venue, and just generally be merry. Who's thirsty?
Gin: a juniper spirit of botanicals, varied aromatics and oh-so-many mysteries. The gin resurgence has lasted over a decade now, with new local distilleries joining the larger, more established gin maestros — and libation aficionados everywhere, just can't seem to get enough of the stuff. But with all those G&Ts and Negronis you've been chasing around town, how much do you really know about gin? Well, we've teamed up with Tanqueray No. TEN to expand your horizon with five fun facts about gin that you (probably) didn't know. GIN IS CONSIDERED ESSENTIAL IN MODERN VERSIONS OF CLASSIC COCKTAILS From the reinvigorated Negroni to the new Tom Collins and the many versions of fizzes and slings, few spirits can match gin for mixing attributes. Let's not forget about the Martini, which classically consists of gin, dry vermouth and optional bitters, with a cheeky olive if you're so inclined. Thank the Mad Men era of Martini lunches and that roguish chap James Bond for this modern menu mainstay. But although Mr Bond favours a vodka base, Martini purists often argue that gin is the way to start this highly elegant classic, using something truly classic like the iconic Tanqueray No. TEN. Importantly, unlike 007's preference, many bartenders believe in a stirred Martini, as some consider shaking overly dilutes the gin. THE PHILIPPINES DRINKS THE MOST GIN IN THE WORLD Russia drinks the most vodka in the world and the US/Mexico drink the most tequila, but neither of these fun facts are at all surprising. What doesn't seem as obvious, though, is that the Philippines drinks by far the most gin — and when we say by far, we mean over 22 million cases of the stuff a year, accounting for 43 per cent of the global gin market. Much of this popularity is due to the long-standing presence of Ginebra San Miguel, a company that also makes the region's most popular beer and was established in 1834. Locals even have a term for these gin-drinking sessions: ginuman, literally translated as 'gin drinking time'. THE G&T ORIGINATED IN INDIA This classic bar drink was actually created in 19th century India as a combatant for malaria. The 'Indian Tonic Water', as called by the army of the British East India Company, contained high levels of quinine, which was said to prevent and treat the disease. Quinine provides the bitter flavour in today's tonic, but is completely undrinkable on its own. Since the British soldiers were already given a regular gin ration, they took to adding it to the quinine tonic, along with a mixture of water, sugar and lime, sprucing the drink up a little. It turns out quinine does not actually prevent malaria (what? no!) and so is a minor, non-curing — albeit highly effective — component in the modern G&T. GIN HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN USED FOR MEDICINAL PURPOSES Apart from the G&Ts original medicinal purpose, gin itself has been used medicinally since the 13th century. This is primarily due to the presence of juniper, the main and necessary botanical in all gins. Juniper is good for you — it's a natural antibacterial, antiviral, diuretic and antiseptic. That being said, historically gin's uses weren't always the most medically sound — the Bubonic plague was considered to be spread by nothing more than bad odour, so laymen started eating, drinking and bathing in the stuff. The Royal Navy mixed gin with lime cordial to stop scurvy. If we'retalking morningafter a party, gin and tomato juice was the number one option in 1928 NYC, years before the Bloody Mary came on the scene. And that is medicine. THERE IS A LOT OF LITERATURE DEDICATED TO GIN DRINKS Gin, in all its wonder and cures, has compelled many a comment over the centuries, some of which distiller and contemporary author Jared Brown happily compiled a list of. Writer E. B. White called the Martini "the elixir of quietude", while journalist H. L. Mencken said it's "the only American invention as perfect as the sonnet". In 1823, one Londoner published a 149-line poem in a newspaper praising said virtuous gin, while Winston Churchill's own love affair with gin is well documented. He's quoted as saying, "I would like to observe the vermouth from across the room while I drink my Martini." Photography by Steven Woodburn at Moya's Juniper Lounge. Still want to know more? Check out our bluffer's guide to gin.
So, you've mastered all the usual yoga poses, and you think you've attempted every variation that there is. Not so fast. There's a style you mightn't have tried, and it's coming to Brisbane. That'd be blindfolded yoga, aka one of the main attractions at the Left Brain / Right Brain workshop at Woolloongabba's Princess Theatre on January 29 and 30. Yes, it's exactly what it sounds like. All that bending and breathing you're familiar with — well, it's about to seem a whole lot different when you're doing it without being able to see anything. Using sensory deprivation to sharpen focus, shift attention inward and heighten instincts is the name of the game, with the trend towards sightless stretching gaining traction around the world for a couple of years. If you're keen to give it a go, you might also want to peruse the rest of the event's program. A sound bath session or other movement and music-oriented mind-expansion techniques, anyone? Of course, we haven't yet mentioned the most exciting part — well, for those a little self-conscious about their form, that is. With a blindfold wrapped around your head, you can't see your exercise classmates and they can't see you either. You don't get that at bikram or disco yoga. For more information, visit the Left Brain / Right Brain website. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
Brisbane might be bustling with more burger places than satisfied stomachs can handle, but the next addition to the meat-and-bread fold is still cause for excitement and then some. After delighting diners in a former secondhand bookshop down Burleigh Heads way, Gold Coast favourite Ze Pickle is setting up shop in Fortitude Valley. If you're wondering why you should get your tastebuds in a twist, other than Ze Pickle's ace name, then let us enlighten you on their menu. Ever wondered what a burger with corn chips, Kanye's fried cheese sticks, bacon-laced waffle buns fashioned entirely from mac 'n' cheese, or made between two grilled cheese sandwiches tastes like (yes, cheese is big here)? Well, you'd best get on the Pablo Escobar, 3am and 4.20am offerings — as well as the famous beef, cheese, bacon and pulled pork-laden Triple Loco — pronto. Those with a sweet tooth needn't despair, nor shy away from mixing their meal with dessert. The Cronut Burger's reputation precedes, it — and yes, it really does slap a wagyu been patty on everyone's favourite hybrid pastry treat, then tops it with Nutella bacon. Nutella bacon. With deep fried Oreos in doughnut batter served with Messina white chocolate hazelnut gelato and liquid Nutella, the aptly named Oreogasm hails from more traditional after-main territory. At Burleigh, the American-influenced burgers and other bites aren't the only drawcard, and we're sure Ze Pickle's laidback bar vibes — and drinks menu to match — will continue in its second venue. An alternating array of craft beers course through their taps, and then there's the cocktail list. Who can pass up a Kim Karpassionfruit, Hood Juice or the on-theme Bacon Old Fashioned? Find Ze Pickle at 1 Prospect Street, Fortitude Valley from November 21, or visit their website and Facebook page for more information.
For Catalina Fuentes, junior sous chef at Manly's Papi Chulo, getting a career in cooking off the ground comes down to three things: passion, practice and perseverance. At age 22, Catalina has already reached one of the more senior positions in an established professional kitchen, so, is somewhat of an authority when it comes to kick-starting this particular career. Catalina graduated from William Blue College of Hospitality Management, and has also already nabbed the nationwide Nestle Golden Chef's Hat Award, the longest running culinary competition in Australia. "I've never thought I could compete," she says. "So, when I won, it was pretty rewarding." Unrelenting enthusiasts in exactly what makes a kitchen tick, we met up with Catalina to get a few tips on how young cooks can become good chefs. DIVE IN AND MAKE AN ACTUAL GAME PLAN Every culinary dream has to start somewhere, so it's important to nail down that passion for food, and figure out a game plan. For Catalina, following her occupational instincts meant relocating from her native Colombia after high school. "One of my best friends, we both really liked baking, and I really liked doing desserts when I was in high school, so I just thought… I want to be a pastry chef, and I want to study cooking." She enrolled at William Blue at Torrens University, where she studied Culinary Management. The course, while teaching the basics needed to get into the kitchen, also teaches students how to run a kitchen — one of the benefits of the course, Catalina says. "I'll be able to manage my own business in the future." So how does one know if cooking is the right direction for them? What passion already has to be there? "It should be something fun," Catalina says, "it should be something tasty, and it something that you should enjoy and makes you happy." STICK TO YOUR APPRENTICESHIP (HOT TIP: IT WILL BE HARD) Getting into the food business is one thing, but learning the craft and becoming an established chef is a completely different beast. Most newbies take the usual route, through apprenticeship schemes, and for Catalina, it meant half a year on the job after completing her studies. "I had to do it for six months, just as a commis chef," she says. "But for me, it was really good. I was lucky, because the places I worked, everyone was really nice to me — I worked with good chefs." It's not for everyone, however, with the long hours causing a huge number of aspiring chefs to drop out. "It actually shows you how the industry is," Catalina says, "Cooking is pretty tough." The payoff, though, is worthwhile in the end for those who want it badly enough. Once you're in the game, it's essential to keep cracking on, despite how difficult it can become — the big guns did. "If you really like cooking, and that's what you want to do, you will stick to the apprenticeship." REPETITION (AND INCESSANT CHOPPING) WILL MAKE YOU A MASTER Just like with any trade, repetition of an exercise creates a neural shortcut that allows that exercise to be completed to a high standard with minimal conscious brain effort. The same rules apply to cooking, and they apply to everyone. "When I first started, I was really bad with chopping skills," Catalina says, but spending her early days doing the same thing over and over, ad infinitum, helped her to improve. "Even if you're in a job where you're just chopping stuff everyday, you'll see that it's helpful, because at the end, you'll get so much better at it." For Catalina, the practice doesn't seem like such a burden. "Cooking for me is not only a job. It's not something that I wake up and go, 'I don't want to go to work.' It's something that makes me happy." Hot tip? Follow the old 'do what you love and love what you do' mantra and hitting snooze on that alarm will be a thing of the past. ABSORB KNOWLEDGE, THEN CRAFT YOUR OWN SIGNATURE STYLE It might seem intimidating to add your own flavour to the long, long tradition of cooking, but experimentation in the kitchen is just as much part of keeping the drive alive as practice or perseverance. Expose yourself to new foods, new techniques, and especially, new people. "Through cooking, you can learn so much about other people," Catalina says. "Everyone cooks differently and it just shows something about them." Not only is cooking about getting the little things right, it's also about experimenting, and improving. "You have to keep going places, trying and travelling." It's also essential to push yourself, professionally. It's easy to get lulled into the same old same old, so getting amongst new techniques, new styles, and new cuisines in the kitchen is important, too. For Catalina, that might involve a leap into fine dining in the future. "Everything is precise and perfect," she says, "and I think I need to learn some of that." So if you think you might want to dabble professionally in the culinary arts, take advice from someone who has run that gauntlet. "Don't give up," Catalina says. "Keep going, keep practising, keep inspired, keep going out and trying food." Go out and try food? You're really twisting my arm, here. Images: Kimberley Low. William Blue at Torrens University offers courses in Culinary Management, Event Management, Tourism and Hospitality. Find out more about the diverse career options in hospitality, and kick-start your career via the website.
Ah, the tinnie. The refuge of the second-rate beer, right? Wrong. With improved technology obliterating the old argument that cans damage the taste of beer, more and more craft brewers are moving to the once humble can. Sometimes favoured for their retro feel, cans actually boast both a lower carbon footprint and longer shelf life than their bottled counterparts, making it likely their booming popularity will only continue rising. For many craft beer makers, the tinnie is actually an essential part of their craft; the makers of acclaimed Heady Topper urge their customers not to pour their beer into a glass, lest it lose the carefully cultivated hop aromas the can preserves. Here are ten of the best canned wonders. JAMES SQUIRE ONE FIFTY LASHES PALE ALE Named after a convict rapscallion who is believed to have created Australia’s first commercial brewery, Sydney-based James Squire produces a distinctly Australian range which has become synonymous with local craft beers. Newly available in cans, this is an approachable variety which makes an inspired addition to your next beach hang or spring picnic. With a light citrus burst and faint notes of passionfruit hitting the palate first, and the malted wheat giving it a silky smooth finish, it’s an ideal session beer. MOUNTAIN GOAT SUMMER ALE One of the first Australian craft beer makers to stock their product in cans, Victorian microbrewers Mountain Goat initially thought of doing a limited one-off run of these tinnies, but were soon overwhelmed with the response and turned it into a permanent fixture. A gold-hued ale perfect for sneaking into your picnic baskets, this offers inviting citrus and tropical aromas. With no hint of acidity, it’s an easy drinking delight and an ideal choice for the newer craft beer drinker or seasoned hop head alike. BREWDOG PUNK IPA Back in 2007, James Watt and Martin Dickie were two 24-year-olds with “scary bank loans” and a passion project selling their craft beer out of the back of a battered van. Today, they are the kingpins of a Scottish craft beer success story, overseeing more than 350 employees pumping out their abrasively flavoured brews to great acclaim. The Punk Indian Pale Ale is a must, a great introduction to their in-your-face style. Also look out for the mightily bitter Jackhammer, which is about as subtle as its name. HEADY TOPPER Ranked number 2 among all the world’s beers on the encyclopaedic Beer Advocate, Heady Topper is less a beer than a phenomenon. Initially considered unlikely to have widespread appeal, Heady Topper actually became so popular that the Vermont brewery which made it regularly had people cuing for hours and had to limit hordes of customers to one case each. It’s a complex beer with notes ranging from grapefruit to pine and spice and just about the quintessential craft beer tinnie. Image: Carter Brown. SIERRA NEVADA PALE ALE With its instantly recognisable pastoral artwork, Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale has long been warmly regarded as one of the classic craft beers. The pioneering brewery now produces over 50 varieties, but the pale ale accounts for more than half their sales. Famously using only whole cone hops, they have a commitment to quality ingredients that has produced a consistently good and almost universally liked beer. Heavy on the hops, it’s a beer that pairs well with some spicy Mexican. YO-HO TOKYO BLACK PORTER Japan is a relatively new player in the world of craft beers, having effectively legislated against microbreweries until the mid '90s. Now some 200 microbreweries have moved into a once stagnant market. One of the first breweries to spring up when the laws changed were Yoho, who have since been named Japan’s best craft beer brewery. Based in the snowy mountains of Nagano, they produce a nice variety of beers, including this rich black number which draws you in with its treacly aroma, roasty character and a head like foamy coffee. YOUNG HENRYS REAL ALE While the range of craft beers available in cans was quite limited just a few years ago, today there’s an abundance of options and this is a great example of a local take on the traditional British bitter. Made with both Australian and British malts, it’s light but flavoursome and took Young Henrys all the way from their inner west base to the International Real Ale Festival, where this bad boy picked up a gold medal. EVIL TWIN HIPSTER ALE An American Pale ale hailing from (where else?) Brooklyn, Evil Twin market this colourfully packaged beer as a homage to anyone who “feel(s) excluded because you’re hip but your city is not”. Even for those in a cutting-edge hip city, this is a very drinkable ale with some complexity to keep you interested. The colour is like a light honey, and you’ll get notes of everything from biscuits, toffee and caramel to more zesty citrus. FERAL BREWING HOP HOG IPA Credit Feral Brewing company with putting beer on the map in the fabled Swan Valley wine district. This is their most famous product, an American-style Indian pale ale with hops added both during the boil and late in the fermenting. It’s proven a hit both with the craft beer-loving public and the critics who raved about its balance and drinkability and made it the number 1 pick in their Australia’s Best Beers annual roundup. SIX STRING DARK RED IPA Like many craft brewers, Six String began as a couple of friends with a love of beer and a desire to make something better than the mass-marketed product. After lengthy battles with bureaucratic red tape, Chris Benson and Adam Klasterka were able to enlist the support of their community and set up a boutique brewery in the Central Coast. Their beers proved worth the wait. Among their staples is a dark red IPA. It’s full-bodied, really dark and really good. Top illustration by Barry Patenaude.
Ring in the Year of the Monkey sipping on whisky cocktails at a custom-built pop-up bar. Presented, appropriately, by Monkey Shoulder whisky in partnership with the City of Sydney, the bar will be open for the entire run of Sydney's Chinese New Year Festival, from February 6-21. To celebrate, we're giving away a sweet Sydney trip, so you can get up to a little monkey business of your own. Valued at $1000, this killer giveaway includes two return flights to Sydney from anywhere in Australia, two nights free accommodation, transport, and entry into the Monkey Shoulder Whisky Bar. Not too shabby, if we do say so ourselves. While in Sydney you can check out the Chinese New Year festivities, including talks, tours, exhibitions, installations, performances and one-off events. Assuming you can drag yourself away from the bar, that is. The Monkey Shoulder Whisky Bar will pop-up in Martin Place from February 6-14, before hightailing it over to World Square from February 15-21. Beverages on offer will include the Monkey's Mojito, the Monkey old-fashioned and a spin on the Pina Colada named Jungle Juice. Visitors to the bar will also receive a fortune cookie, which will hopefully predict good tidings for the year ahead. Thanks to Monkey Shoulder, we have one sweet, sweet trip for two to Sydney from anywhere in Australia up for grabs. The prize includes two return flights to Sydney from anywhere in Australia, two nights free accommodation, transport, and entry into the Monkey Shoulder Whisky Bar (value $1000). To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter and then email us with your name and address. Good luck, whiskey fiends. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au
