Since the ambitious NGV Triennial opened just before Christmas, the National Gallery of Victoria has been absolutely buzzing. And it's set to take this vibe to the next level with Triennial EXTRA, a one-off festival that will see the gallery open late for ten days this January. The NGV will turn things up a notch and and remain open from 6pm till midnight run every day between January 19 and 28. Like the exhibition the festival is free to attend, and its program covers immersive and experiential events across art, music, dance, live performance, design and ideas. You can grab a drink and take a tour led by dance company Chunky Move, attend a talk of the intersection of gender and race in art or dance along to one of the DJs-in-residence. Chef Andrew McConnell will also take over the gallery's Garden Restaurant for the ten days and transform it into Supernormal Natsu, a spin-off of his modern Japanese restaurant in Flinders Lane. Image: Eugene Hyland.
Getting down to your local for a nice cold beer is now as easy as pushing a button. As part of a new marketing campaign, Czech beer company Kozel has devised the Tap Out button, which when pressed will summon a taxi to ferry you to the nearest pub. Could this be the greatest scientific innovation of the modern age? Until Dominoes rolls out that pizza robot of theirs, we reckon it might just be. The buttons, of which there are three, will be made available via twitter. All beer lovers need to do is mention a mate and use the hashtag #PushforPub, and they could soon be on their way to the closest establishment that serves Kozel. What's more, there'll be two pints waiting for them on arrival. Pretty crafty. The button is good for three uses, at which point it presumably self-destructs, Mission: Impossible-style. Now the bad news: for the time being at least, the Tap Out buttons are only available in the UK, although according to PSFK, there's a chance more will be made available if the initial campaign is successful. And frankly, how could it not be. Rest assured, we'll let you know if they make it down to our part of the world. Until then, it looks like you're stuck with walking. https://vimeo.com/175340774 Via PSFK.
Yeah, yeah, so Meghan Trainor spent X weeks at the top of the charts with her multiplatinum mega-single and No 1. album at only 22 years old. Yeah, good. We're pretty set to continue burling 'ROBBED!' for a good few hours after Australia's Courtney Barnett just missed out on her first Grammy award for Best New Artist, with the 'All About That Bass' artist nabbing the gong. But the Melburnian/Hobartian won the live blogging for the event, taking over Tumblr's music page for the day. Apart from Kendrick Lamar rightly dominating errrrthing, Lady Gaga's Bowie tribute and Pharrell's quaint Chanel jacket, Barnett's quiet blogging stole the show for us. Takin' mad selfie GIFs before the show: http://music.tumblr.com/post/139381160531/just-me-and-then-dave-and-then-bones Rockin' the outfit we'd want to wear to the Grammys: http://music.tumblr.com/post/139388982451/me-on-the-red-carpet Waiting for Swifty and Selena to wrap up: http://music.tumblr.com/post/139390159691/taylor-and-selena-in-front-of-me-nbd Before and after-ing on the red carpet. http://music.tumblr.com/post/139390666806/pre-red-carpet-post-red-carpet-we-did-it Scoping out after-Grammy tacos: http://music.tumblr.com/post/139405254176/hanging-with-my-awesome-tour-manager-hook-waiting Go check it out here. What a boss.
Australia's most sinister festival, Dark Mofo, is back for its seventh year — and it's set to be as boundary-pushing as ever. As always, the festival will take place in the lead up to the winter solstice, exploring connections between old and contemporary mythology through art installations, performance, talks and music — all taking place in the darkness of Tasmanian winter. Hosted by the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), Dark Mofo will takeover most of Hobart between June 6–23, showcasing a melting pot of artists, creatives and thinkers who dwell in the shadows of mainstream culture. Just-announced musicians include FKA Twigs — who's also bringing her experimental dream pop to Vivid Sydney this year — New York-based composer Nicolás Jaar, American singer John Grant and multi-instrumentalist Roger Eno. Other highlights of the music program include an audiovisual 'soundbath' by Sigur Rós; an international metal program, featuring Brazil's Mystifier; and the return of Night Mass, a ritualistic series of multi-venue late-night parties featuring Sampa the Great, FAKA and Empress Of. These musicians and creatives join those announced in the first lineup drop last week, which included boundary-pushing speakers in the Dark + Dangerous Thoughts program, artists Ai Weiwei and Mike Parr, and singer and actor Sharon Van Etten. The festival's dark and quirky arts lineup has grown, too, with the addition of a latex-filled installation and performance by Japan's Saeborg and an immersive group exhibition — of ten international artists, including Canada's Cassils, USA's Paul McCarthy and India's Shilpa Gupta — inside the former Forestry Tasmania Building. The award-winning building — which once housed its own forest — is just one of many new venues to join this year's program. Come June, revellers will also be able to party inside the Old Hobart Blood Bank, the Avalon and Odeon theatres, the Old Davey St Congregational Church and aboard a floating natural wine bar, dubbed Natty Waves. Of course, all the festival favourites are set to make a triumphant return, too. You'll be able to drink and eat amongst inverted crosses and candles at the Winter Feast, try not to freeze during the very cold Nude Solstice Swim and absolve your sins at Night Mass. Images: Rémi Chauvin and Rosie Hastie.
The humble dimmy will make its glorious and heroic return to Welcome to Thornbury this July, as part of the fifth annual Dimmy and Dumpling festival at the inner-north food truck park. Whether you're partial to a fried wonton or crispy gyoza, piping hot pierogi or spicy mandu, you'll find them at Welcome to Thornbury on Saturday, July 29. From 12–10pm, this inner north favourite is welcoming a lineup of D&D-serving eateries. You can expect classic fish-and-chip shop dimmys, Japanese gyozas, Nepalese and Polish dumplings, as well as a range of vegan and gluten-free options. The food truck lineup includes favourites such as South Melbourne Dim Sims, The Lil Dumpling Van, Woking Amazing and Chef Calamari. Entry is free. And although we don't recommend giving human food to dogs, your pet pupper is welcome to come along while you scoff down all of the dim sims and dumplings you can handle. Top image: Unsplash.
Can you feel a tingling in your toes as your feet start to defrost? That's the feeling of winter slipping away (or maybe you've been sitting cross-legged for too long) and with its demise comes the return of Australia's beloved Moonlight Cinema. Ahhh balmy nights on the grass, we have missed you. Heralding the coming of the warmer months, Moonlight Cinema is a summertime tradition and it always nails the balance between new releases and cult classics. The film program is yet to be announced, but we'll keep you updated as soon as it is. Nosh-wise, Moonlight Cinema will again let you BYO movie snacks and drinks, but the unorganised can also chow down on a plethora of US style food trucks — the perfect, messy treat made for reclining on bean beds. Bean beds and snack trucks, is there anything better? This season includes screens in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth, running from November through to March. Get your pens out and jot down these dates. MOONLIGHT CINEMA 2018 DATES: Sydney: Nov 29–Mar 31 (Belvedere Amphitheatre in Centennial Park) Melbourne: Nov 29–Mar 31 (Central Lawn at the Royal Botanic Gardens) Brisbane: Nov 29–Mar 31 (Roma Street Parkland) Perth: Dec 1–Mar 31 (May Drive Parkland, Kings Park & Botanic Garden) Adelaide: Dec 8–Feb 17 (Botanic Park) The Moonlight Cinema kicks off on November 29. For more information and bookings here.
English composer Clint Mansell has produced some of the most memorable film scores of the past 15 years. Best known for his collaboration with director Darren Aronofsky, and in particular his work on Requiem for a Dream, Mansell's distinctively eerie and grandiose sound helps elevate him above the competition, and has seen him team up with the likes of Trent Reznor, Patti Smith and the Kronos Quartet. As part of this year's Melbourne Festival, Mansell will present a selection of his most iconic film compositions backed by a nine-piece band. This event is one of our top ten picks of the Melbourne Festival. Check out the other nine.
UPDATE: APRIL 14, 2020 — This popular restaurant chain's Windsor, Richmond and Hawthorn stores are still open for takeaway and delivery, so you can get cheeseburger burritos, sweet potato quesadillas and charred corn delivered right to your door. To place an order, visit the website. Once upon a time there was Taco Bill — Australia's answer to an American success, renamed after a guy whose name isn't exactly Hispanic, synonymous with meal deal coupons and fish bowl cocktails that are destined to come back up shortly after consumption. Nothing wrong with that; it is "Australia's favourite family restaurant", according to their website anyway. Somewhere along the line the cheese-laden burrito got a makeover (or under) and today, if you don't know your fajitas from your ensaladas — not to be confused with enchiladas — or molays, you're seriously uncouth. Thank goodness for Fonda, David Youl and Tim McDonald's humble, family-style eating hall, which laid out the welcome mat for a second, Windsor-based offering to accompany the original Richmond eatery in March this year. In addition to the paper menus, lollipop-coloured Jarrito sodas and familiar bottles of red salsa picante de chile habanero hot sauce that have become de riguer in Mexican joints around town, amigos can expect an expanded menu by chef Ravi Presser, with a heightened focus on homemade produce (fresh ingredients are sourced from the Vic Market and the bread is made daily at Abbotsford Convent's onsite bakery) and a similarly extended, loftier physical space. The geometrically patterned, brightly coloured floor, visible kitchen and overhanging lights inspired by popular Mexican bar stools turned upside down are products of a collaboration between Techne Architects, Goldenhen Interiors and naturally, the sensibilities of Youl and McDonald. As the friends started Fonda with basically zero experience, they are always happy to ask for expert opinions where due, which McDonald sees as a major strength. "Having no hospitality background has actually been a real blessing, because it means we're not too proud to ask for help and input. Fonda is a community, rather than the fulfillment of an ego trip and this filters down to how the menu is regularly tested on groups, to how the staff are treated — that is, as people," he explains. Confirming this culture of inclusiveness, Youl later asks for my opinion on the positioning of the bar cushions with the earnest enthusiasm of someone who is actually interested in the answer. Rounding out our conversation, McDonald again individually personalises the experience that Fonda is trying to create by posing a question, the answer to which he goes on to confidently guess. "What do our clientele want on a Wednesday night, for example? Hopefully to come to Fonda and leave thinking 'I ate some good food, met a cool waiter, sat on these weird seats fashioned from string and I really liked that song.'" He got it in one — see you at the Fonda.
When we take that first sip of our barista-brewed coffee on a workday morning, a lot of us can't actually imagine living without coffee. But what about living without a roof over your head or a guaranteed meal? Unfortunately, this is what many homeless people around Australia face each day, but on Friday, August 7, you can help your fellow Aussies out simply by buying a coffee as part of CafeSmart. CafeSmart is an annual event from StreetSmart that raises money and awareness for the homeless and is back for its third year running. Last year, 415 cafes and 20 coffee roasters raised $120,000 to fund 91 community projects. Not too shabby. So how does it work? From every coffee purchased on August 7 at a participating cafe around Australia, $1 will be donated towards local projects. So if your go-to local isn't participating, shake things up for a day and head to one that is. Prefer a hot chocolate? You can also donate at the counter. Simply by aiming for a bighearted cafe, you'll be helping some of our country's most in-need humans, so treat yourself to a third or fourth coffee guilt-free. Look for cafés posting this little guy today. @StreetSmartAust gives $1 from your coffee to help the homeless. #CafeSmart #drinkcoffeedogood A photo posted by Concrete Playground Sydney (@concreteplayground) on Aug 7, 2014 at 9:02pm PDT CafeSmart is happening around the country on Friday, August 7. Check the website for participating cafes near you. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
Until recent years, festival food has been relegated to the realms of deep fried things on sticks and regrettable kebabs. But with Bluesfest attracting some punters just for the nosh, Secret Garden Festival including sit-down lunches and plenty of Australian events giving their food trucks almost as much importance as the music lineup, there's an exciting new focus on festival food. But nothing's piqued our interest as quickly as Sugar Mountain's just-announced onsite dining concept: Sensory. Described by the team as “an immersive restaurant experiment”, Sensory is a collaboration between Sugar Mountain and three Melbourne icons: Bomba, Tin & Ed and Cut Copy. Covering taste, smell, sight and sound, these three artists will create a sensory overload at the 2016 festival, strictly limited to four sittings of just 90 people each. Sensory will be staged on Saturday, January 23 at the Victorian College of the Arts, housed within a shiny new indoor space at the festival. Guests will enjoy a four-course visceral dining experience paired with a 50-minute narrative and matching sensory cues. Melbourne's beloved tapas restaurant Bomba will be going experimental, pairing their plates with unique drinks. “A restaurant like this, it’s not just about coming in to eat – we’re collectively creating a show,” says Jesse Gerner, Bomba head chef and co-owner. “The performance is part of the meal. It’s been great to work collaboratively with Cut Copy and Tin & Ed to develop a full package, we’re looking not only at the ingredients on the plate but at how sight, sound, taste and smell work together.” Melbourne electronic legends Cut Copy will be soundtracking the whole experience, composing a special soundscape for each course. Melbourne design duo Tin & Ed (Chet Faker's Built on Glass cover, Qantas, IKEA) will be creating the immersive environment guest will dine in, both in three and two dimensional form. There are limited tickets to Sensory (again, four sittings of only 90 each), and they're $55 per person. You can bundle the Sensory ticket with a Sugar Mountain 2016 ticket — they go on sale Monday, October 19 at Sugar Mountain's website. You'll be able to lock in a seating time when the festival timetable is released in January. Sugar Mountain's full 2016 lineup will be revealed next week. Image: Tin & Ed.
Happy damn Friday. Friend to the high note and monarch of mindfuck music videos FKA twigs has chucked a Beyonce and dropped a surprise EP this morning, along with a trippy 16-minute film. Titled M3LL155X, the five-song EP is available from today through Young Turks, after twigs shared new tracks 'Figure 8' and 'Glass & Patron' earlier this month. Produced by the mysterious BOOTS (producer of Beyonce's surprise album), it's a pretty highly anticipated release, following the hoo-ha around her 2014 album LP1, and subsequent sold-out international touring — including her recent Australian/Laneway tour. We're pretty stoked on artist Matthew Stone's EP cover art: Let's get to that 16-minute movie huh? Fusing tracks from the new EP into one freaky, mesmerising short film, twigs has created "an aggressive statement conceptualising the process of feeling pregnant with pain, birthing creativity and liberation," according to Pitchfork. From twigs as a live sex doll to a cameo from fashion icon Michele Lamy, this is one strange escapade. Watch below, with headphones up loud. M3LL155X is available through Young Turks. Via Pitchfork. Image: Andy Fraser, Laneway Festival.
After a successful run in August last year, The Conscious Closet is back with. In support of Fitted for Work, The Conscious Closet offers amazing deals on new and pre-loved designer clothing and accessories from brands such as Carla Zampatti, Jigsaw, Scanlan & Theodore, Perri Cutten, Alannah Hill and Veronika Maine just to name a few. Fitted For Work is an organisation which provides support and assistance to disadvantaged women seeking secure employment. They do so through mentoring, interview preparation, outfitting and support during the transition from unemployment to working life. Since 2005, they've helped a whopping 14,500 women secure employment. It's a great cause to get behind, and really, there's no excuse not to when prices at start off at just $2. On Friday, June 12, these charitable champions are holding a massive sale with nothing over $20. We'll say that again. None of this amazing designer clothing will be over $20. Open your hearts (and your wallets) and grab a cute outfit for a good cause. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
The trouble with going to the opera in Sydney is, once you're there, you can no longer see the Sydney Opera House. No stawlwart sails, no gleaming cream tiles, no spiky little silhouette. And what's the fun in that? But for one month of the year Sydney has their theatrical cake and eats it too, when Handa Opera on the Harbour sets up at Mrs Macquarie's Point. The floating outdoor opera comes with an eye-popping view of Sydney's natural and artificial bounties, including the Opera House and Harbour Bridge beyond. This year Handa Opera on the Harbour is going Egyptian for Verdi's Aida, a love triangle of epic, war-starting proportions. With Gale Edwards directing, the set by Mark Thompson includes the giant rotating head of Queen Nefertiti, live camels and plenty of fireworks. The 30m x 28m stage, 2.5 times larger than any you'll find indoors in Australia, is partially built at White Bay then trucked to Fleet Steps in the Royal Botanic Gardens, where it's lifted onto pylons and completed. The cranes actually form part of the mise en scene in this instance, with the production set in a period where ancient Egypt is decaying and a new world being built (with some more surreal and Devo-esque touches adding to the spectacle of the thing). The orchestra is housed directly beneath the stage, in an area apparently dubbed 'The Underworld'. Made possible by the continued funding of philanthropist Dr Haruhisa Handa, the previous three years' shows — La Traviata, Carmen and Madama Butterfly — have proved monumentally successful. At a time when opera is struggling to attract audiences, Opera on the Harbour not only sells tickets but lures in thousands of opera newbies. You don't need to understand opera to understand what makes the occasion great. Aida is on from March 27 to April 26 at Mrs Macquarie's Point. For more information and to book, visit the Opera Australia website. Images: Prudence Upton and Hamilton Lund.
Visiting Sydney's rugged Blue Mountains region is always worth the two-hour drive from the city. There are hundreds of things to do — from bushwalks, to abseils, to waterfalls, to standing around and generally admiring the view. There's also the option to do all of that in one go — with a Blue Mountains canyoning adventure. The description on this RedBalloon adventure says you don't have to be a professional adventurer (no abseiling or canyoning experience is required). But requirements are being able to walk up steep steps for 20 minutes and swim for 25 metres, which we discovered makes it a full on adventure that even the more experienced in the group will enjoy. Dedicate one day out of your weekend to abseiling off cliffs over massive valleys, jumping over rocks in freezing water, canyoning, and swimming in waterfalls. The day starts with some beginner abseiling over the Megalong Valley (see below). Later, you'll go rock jumping through caves, and eventually abseil a 30 metre waterfall. Read this and find out what you're really in for. THE MORNING Arrive at The School of Mountaineering at 8:45am. There are two instructors per group of ten, so you're sure to get individual attention throughout the day. In the Megalong Valley you'll start off with a couple of practice runs abseiling off a cliff. The shortest is five metres, and the longest is thirty metres — they vary in difficulty and overlook the massive valley below, so if you're not too terrified you should look down and enjoy the view. You're only abseiling a minuscule portion of the distance to the ground, but you'll feel the height in your gut. These smaller trips are 'practices' because they're intended to get you ready for the tough abseil of the 30 metre Empress Falls at the end of the day. THE AFTERNOON The next part of the adventure is a twenty-minute hike down a mountain. Enjoy this trip down, because soon you'll be going the other way and you'll feel every step. Once you reach the creek at the base, change into a wet-suit and pop your clothes into a dry bag – make sure you close it properly, the water you're about to jump into is cold. Very cold. Your instructors will mention how cold the water is several times, but there is no way to properly oversell this point. You'll get used to the temperature pretty quickly, but you'll definitely want your clothes nice and warm when you're out. Your group will be instructed how to trek through the canyon you're in, which can be a dangerous activity if your head isn't screwed on straight. There are four water jumps through the canyon, at varying difficulty and at a maximum height of 5 metres. The safest option is the 'Grandma' jump, but once you get confident you can go for the more extreme 'Keanu Reeves' and 'Mission Impossible' styles. Take a breather and look up among the oasis of the temperate rainforest within this sandstone gorge. The peaceful air is unparalleled and makes it easier to forget the cold. The only way out the canyon is to abseil the Empress Waterfall. This is why the adventure is not for onlookers or the faint of heart – once you commit to the canyon, you're in it. THE WATERFALL Harnessed in, you go over the ledge of the waterfall and immediately duck into its cave. This rope is heavy duty and it's the most important time to remember your abseiling training because the waterfall crashing over your head is a major distraction (even though it's beautiful). At the end of the rock, take a final leap and land in the waters of Jamison Valley. Savour your success – a few minutes later you'll be heading back up those steep steps. Change out of your wet-suit and get going while the adrenaline is still kicking in. Book your Blue Mountains canyoning adventure (or gift it to someone else) at RedBalloon. Images: Marissa Ciampi and RedBalloon.
Meredith is a festival where you're guaranteed to have a good time, no matter what. But whatever your reasons for heading to the three-day December festival in central Victoria, you won't be disappointed with the acts Aunty Meredith has lined up for this year. They're absolutely spiffing awesome. Superwoman and curator of all things wacky, Peaches, will be headlining the bill, bringing her extravagant live show to The Sup. Kelela will be coming all the way from Washington to kick off the after-dark vibbes on Friday night, and Geelong boys King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard will be providing that dose of psych rock every weekend at Meredith needs. BADBADNOTGOOD will be fusing jazz and electro, while Angel Olsen will be bringing all them feels and The Triffids will be there for a shot of nostalgia. And that's not even a half of it. Aunty has really covered all bases here. We hope you got tickets in the ballot. Fingers crossed that we can all hang out in The Sup on December 9, 10 and 11. Here's the full lineup. MEREDITH MUSIC FESTIVAL 2016 LINEUP Peaches Sheila E King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard BadBadNotGood Angel Olsen The Triffids Kelela Ben UFO Japandroids The Congos Baroness Archie Roach Jagwar Ma Mount Liberation Unlimited Fred & Toody Cole Chiara Kickdrum Cass McCombs The Goon Sax Ross Wilson CC: Disco! Cable Ties Wilson Tanner Silence Wedge The Sugarcanes Terry Judith Lucy Sheer Mag Dungen
Hendrick's, the Scottish gin distillers who would have you believe their product is harvested fresh from a Monty Python animation, are embarking on a 'horticultural quest' to make Australia their new veg patch. No longer content to raid Mr. McGregor's garden, the liquidologists and drinkticians at Hendrick's are teaming up with the University of Sydney to create the first truly Australian-grown species of cucumber. Despite the presence of a horticulture professor in their fellowship, Hendrick's are asking the public to head to Facebook and vote on soil ingredients that will produce the most distinctly Australian crop. Day One is a choice between kangaroo and emu poop. There's every reason to believe Day Ten will see Barnesy or Farnesy forced to stand waist-deep in fertiliser for six weeks. Planting begins on October 4 and the harvest will take place in mid-November, with a subsequent soiree for attendees to sample the cucumber from down under. To further celebrate the efforts of their botanical pioneers, Hendrick's are giving a Concrete Playgrounder and ten friends the chance to win a sumptuously provisioned cocktail masterclass valued at $3000. Enter below, and remember, you need to vote for your chosen ingredient on the Hendrick's Gin Facebook page to be eligible to win. [competition]589976[/competition]
If you, like us, plan your holidays entirely around food, you're in luck. We've teamed up with Zantac and we're giving away three mini holidays in Melbourne, Hobart and the Barossa Valley in South Australia. You'll wine, dine, sleep and adventure in luxe surroundings until you simply no longer can — how does that sound? Choose Melbourne and you and a guest will spend two nights at QT Melbourne in the CBD, have lunch and attend a coffee cupping course at Collingwood's famous specialty coffee house Proud Mary, and have dinner (and dessert) at Andrew McConnell's pan-Asian restaurant Supernormal on Flinders Lane. In the Barossa, you'll stay at The Louise (an incredible hotel that's side-by-side with a vineyard), head to St Hugo for a wine tasting and delicious winery lunch, then wind up at Fino at Seppeltsfield for dinner. Head to Hobart, and you'll stay at the Henry Jones Art Hotel, visit Bruny Island for a day of food, sightseeing and lighthouses thanks to Experience Oz and then feast on a South American-style dinner at Frank. Each prize includes return flights from any Australian capital city, two nights of accommodation and two foodie experiences (lunch and dinner). All you need to do is tell us your details and where you want to go — Hobart, Melbourne or the Barossa. It breaks our heart to tell you that you can only pick one destination, and you can only enter this competition once, so think long and hard about where you really want to go. If you're available to go on your adventure between Friday, July 28 and Sunday, September 10, head here to enter. To find out more about Zantac and how it tames heartburn fast, head to the website.
Just as uni students across the country start to finish their last exams for the semester and high five each other as they realise they don't have to step foot on campus for the next few months, the team from Shadow Electric decide to throw a huge two-month summer festival — at uni, of all places. And even though it's the holidays, you're definitely going to want to go back to school for it. The organisers — who are known for their summer outdoor cinema at Abbotsford Convent, among other events — will take over the University of Melbourne's impressive Parkville campus for two whole months of music, film and, of course, food and drink. Dubbed Shimmerlands, the festival will run both day and night throughout January and February. Making the most of the ghost town that is a university during summer, they'll turn the campus into a veritable feast of cultural delights. There'll be an outdoor cinema, two performance spaces (an indoor concert hall and outdoor music amphitheatre), multiple bars and a pop-up collection of 16 of Melbourne's best restaurants. The 45 title-strong film program has been developed by Lauren Valmadre, director of the Human Rights & Arts Film Festival. It will include the Australian premiere of The Rolling Stones Ole, Ole, Ole!: A Trip Across Latin America, as well as the new Nick Cave documentary One More Time With Feeling, Tom Ford's Nocturnal Animals and the much-anticipated La La Land. UPDATE 21 FEBRUARY 2017: To cap off the season, Shimmerlands is throwing a big day party from 3pm on Sunday, February 26 with music from Tim Sweeney (Beats in Space), The Egyptian Lover, Awesome Tapes From Africa and Andee Frost. Tickets are available for $35 here. Images: William Hung and Ivanna Oksenyuk.
If you can't stop eating curry, here's one for you: Welcome to Brunswick is hosting a festival dedicated to curry on Saturday, August 12. The Cold Ones & Bold Ones fest will see all your favourite curry vendors assembled to deliver a day of flavour-filled dedication to curry. Expect a vast array of iterations too, with curries promised to start at just $10. On the cards: a 100-spice curry, Japanese chicken katsu curry, beef massaman, spicy red pumpkin and more. The festival announcement follows the reopening of Welcome to Brunswick's next door hall venue, aptly named 'The Hall'. Of course, a wide range of spice-quenching beers will be available to accompany your curry throughout the day, including a coconut curry lager from 4 Pines Brewery. Live music with a live DJ set featuring retro tunes round out the day's lineup. The festival kicks off at midday, bookings are available online — and kids and dogs are welcome. Images: supplied.
John Cleese and Eric Idle are silly walking their way to Australia, for a brand new live show premiering early next year. The Monty Python co-founders will visit major cities around the country for a series of one night only performances, combining scripted comedy, improvisation, musical numbers, aquatic juggling and audience Q&As. John Cleese & Eric Idle: Together Again At Last... For The Very First Time will begin on the Gold Coast on February 25, before travelling to the Brisbane Convention Centre on February 27, Adelaide's AEC Theatre on March 1, Canberra's Royal Theatre on March 5, Perth's Riverside Theatre on March 9 Sydney's State Theatre on March 14, and Melbourne's Hamer Hall on March 18. Tickets for the show go on sale at 10am on Monday, December 21. "Eric and I had huge fun touring the States in October and now we can bring our show to the friendliest people in the world," said Cleese. "No one show will be the same and all of them will annoy the Politically Correct." "Having enjoyed the World Tour of Florida, we were looking for somewhere else large aquatic reptiles of the sub family Crocodylinae also thrived," added Idle. "The Nile was booked, so we are coming to Australia. Having once married a Sheila and as the father of a half Australian son I look forward to touring one of my all-time favourite places." JOHN CLEESE AND ERIC IDLE: TOGETHER AGAIN AT LAST... FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME February 25 — Jupiters Theatre, Gold Coast February 27 — Brisbane Convention Centre March 1 — AEC Theatre, Adelaide March 5 — Royal Theatre, Canberra March 9 — Riverside Theatre, Perth March 14 — State Theatre, Sydney March 18 — Hamer Hall, Melbourne Tickets on sale Monday, December 21 at 10am. Book at venue websites, Ticketek or Ticketmaster.
Widely touted as Australia's most prestigious portraiture prize, the Archibald Prize is a curated collection of the year's best portrait paintings. This year, the lineup includes 58 talented finalists who were selected from a whopping 794 entries. After an obligatory stint at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the exhibition will move to Geelong Gallery. All the winning portraits and finalists will be on display from September 22 to November 18. The works depict an eclectic mix of subjects, from celebrities and politicians to artists and authors. Melbourne-born artist Yvette Coppersmith nabbed the 97th annual Archibald Prize — and $100,000 cash along with it — for her work Self-portrait, after George Lambert. No stranger to portraits or the comp, Coppersmith has been an Archibald finalist five times, finally nabbing the well-deserved win. And, being only the tenth female artist in history to have taken out the top prize, it's a win to celebrate. In addition to this piece, be sure to check out the portrait of actor Guy Pearce by Anne Middleton — it won the People's Choice 2018 and is eerily realistic. Pop-up bars and cafes, talks and weekly events will also take place throughout the exhibition. We recommend dropping in on the Little Creatures After Dark event because, beer and art, need we say more? Image: Self portrait after George Lambert, Yvette Coppersmith. Photo shot by Jenni Carter courtesy of AGNSW.
Melbourne Design Week is back for its third consecutive season, and we could hardly be more excited. Presented by the National Gallery of Victoria in partnership with Creative Victoria, this year's event is the biggest yet — when it takes over the city from March 14–2, it'll facilitate more than 200 talks, tours, workshops and exhibitions. The best designers from around Australia and beyond will explore design and how it can best be employed by Melbourne in the future. There are plenty of highlights to choose from, from boat tours of the Yarra and immersive installations at NGV Australia to keynote addresses from an array of local and international guest speakers. Expect to hear from prominent Turkish-born digital media artist Refik Anadol and British design and architecture critic Oliver Wainwright, and take a look through a timber portal designed by John Wardle Architects. There's also a documentary stream for movie lovers, and the return of the Melbourne Art Book Fair for book worms. Best of all, the program is packed full of free events, so you don't have to break the bank to attend a couple. Image: Somewhere Other, John Wardle Architects at the 16th Venice Biennale of Architecture. Shot by Peter Bennetts.
By day, it's a casual eatery, takeaway joint and source of fresh roasted chooks and high-end pantry staples. By night, it's a bar and restaurant. Sounds like our kind of place. It's not surprising then that the venue, Pickett's Deli and Rotisserie, comes from Melbourne chef and restauranteur Scott Pickett. He's already given us Estelle and Saint Crispin — and with the opening of his new Queen Victoria Market eatery, it's clear he knows what we want. Whether you're in need of some brekkie sustenance, a hot chicken to take home with you, or cocktails, cheese and charcuterie after work, Pickett's Deli & Rotisserie has it covered. Plus, they're doing some damn fin chicken and chips. Officially opening its communal tables to hungry patrons on Thursday, September 29 after a quiet test run over the weekend, it's a fresh spin on the classic market deli, that also aims to showcase the fresh produce available in the market. Indeed, Pickett's fondness for the new deli's iconic location is one of the eatery's motivating factors. "I've always been enchanted by the market's bounties and have many friends and suppliers here," he says. "It's a special moment for me to be able to now work alongside them with my own offering at this unique Melbourne destination." Plus, in good news for anyone in the area on a Monday, the deli and rotisserie won't be taking a day off at the beginning of the week. While the rest of the market around it is quiet, it'll be trading across seven days from 7am to 11pm. Pickett's Deli and Rotisserie is now open at the Queen Victoria Market, 513 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne. For more info, check out their Instagram.
Melbourne boasts a George Costanza-themed hangout, Ipswich recently welcomed a German restaurant with a Breaking Bad twist, and now Brisbane has a bar and eatery inspired by a '70s television sitcom. That'd be Ginger's Diner — and don't be concerned if you haven't picked the reference yet. The new addition to Petrie Terrace is more than a little fond of M*A*S*H, but it is being rather subtle about it. Think of Caxton Street's latest hotspot as the kind of place the classic TV show's characters would frequent if they were on a break from their mobile army surgical army hospital. Yes, Ginger's has styled itself after a Korean hole-in-the wall joint — and yes, if you can't remember from stumbling countless reruns, M*A*S*H is set during the Korean War. Cocktails such as Klinger's Closet and Seoul Sojourn keep the theme going, while the snack-heavy menu surveys the best of the country's cuisine. If wasabi peas and nuts, kimchi pancakes with sesame and soy dressing, fried chicken with hot-sweet sauce and and bibimbap get your tastebuds tingling, then you're going to love Ginger's food lineup. And, it's available until midnight daily. Other than its TV ties and Asian dishes, there's another reason that Brisbanites should get excited about the 65-seat venue: its pedigree. There's a reason Ginger's is located right next door to Lefty's Old Time Music Hall, after all. They're both owned by Jamie Webb, the man behind Sonny's House of Blues, Gordita, Peasant and Los Villanos — aka some of the city's favourite restaurants and hangouts. For more information on Ginger's Diner, keep an eye on their website. Via Good Food.
Stuff yourself full of the tastiest donuts in town, at Day of the Donut in Brunswick this Saturday, June 13. Presented by the baking aficionados at Flour Market, this sugar-glazed, jam filled, coronary-inducing extravaganza will unite some of the best and most ambitious bakers in Melbourne under a single, sprinkle coated roof. BYO wheelbarrow. Flour Market haven’t actually released a full list of doughnuts on sale, but based on the lineup (Aunty Peg's, All Day Donuts, Cobb Lane, Candied Bakery, Everyday Coffee, Lady Donut, Krumbs Pop Up, Sweet Evelyn, 5 & Dime) we’ve got plenty of recommendations. The pavlova doughnuts from Candied Bakery made our recent list of the Ten Best Donuts in Melbourne, as did the jaffa variety from host venue All Day Donuts. Lady Doughnut, meanwhile, should have salted caramel lovers covered, while Cobb Lane makes an amazing cherry jam and custard. Day of the Donut will be hosted at All Day Donuts, located at 12 Edward St, Brunswick. Doors open 9am sharp and close when there are no donuts left. For more information, head to Facebook.
If the change in seasons has left your wardrobe looking a little lacklustre, this is an opportunity you ought to lock in. Australian masters of print, geometry and mixed materials Ginger & Smart are having a studio sale, including new season samples and past season discounts. Founded by Alexandra and Genevieve Smart in 2002, this boutique brand has been accredited by Ethical Clothing Australia, so you can feel reassured that you’re investing in highest quality attire. Rolling champagne and shopping into one evening, there will be a VIP shopping evening on Friday, May 1. But if you can't drag yourself to a night of bubbles, shopping and beats, you can visit the sale from Thursday, April 30 to Sunday May 3. There will be up to 80% off pretty much everything — dresses, skirts, tops, accessories and more. If you want elegant designs at a bargain, you'd better be quick. GINGER AND SMART STUDIO SALE OPENING HOURS: Thursday, April 30: 1-5pm Friday, May 1: 10am-8pm (VIP shopping evening 5-8pm) Saturday, May 2: 10am-5pm Sunday, May 3: 10am-5pm
Ordering a scotch at your local is your one way ticket to mad steeze with your mates, right? But what do we know about Scottish whisky, really? Every good whisky bar has an arsenal of scotch, but do you really know what you're ordering? In order to dispel the air of mystery surrounding scotch (and just so we can stop pretending we know what we're talking about), we've called upon Auchentoshan's head distiller Rachel Barrie to set us straight about this long-loved spirit. Rachel became the first female Master Blender 13 years ago (after 12 years working in the industry), making a few waves in the industry as a result. Suffice to say, she's the perfect person to answer all our Scotch questions. Learn up. [caption id="attachment_576038" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Lindores Abbey, Nathan Baker.[/caption] Where and when did Scotch whisky originate? The earliest recorded evidence of distilling in Scotland goes back to 1494 at Lindores Abbey in the Lowlands, where Father John Cor distilled 800 gallons of aqua vitae ('water of life') from eight bolls of barley (48 Scottish bushels), on the order of King James IV of Scotland. What were the original techniques used to distil Scotch whisky? How have things changed? Prior to the Industrial Revolution, distilling was conducted on a much smaller scale (and was often illicit) using small copper pot stills. During the Industrial Revolution, sometime between 1760 and 1840, malt distilleries were granted a license to distil by government, and industrial grain distilleries were set up primarily in the Lowlands, based on the steel continuous still design using grain (wheat or maize) to provide alcohol rather than malted barley. The grain distillation process was disputed at the time, and took decades to be accepted as Scotch whisky. Around 1860, blending grain and malt whisky commenced, creating blended Scotch whisky, which heralded the growth of the spirit in the 19th and 20th centuries. The Scotch Whisky Order of 1990 defines how Scotch whisky is made. Over the years, the law has been more tightly defined, and now every distillery in Scotland must be verified for Geographical Indication (GI) to ensure the highest standards of production quality and integrity. How does Scotch whisky differ to other whiskies like Irish whiskey, Japanese whisky or American whiskey? Scotch whisky has evolved over many centuries to create the greatest diversity of style of any whisky. Scotland grows high quality barley in the east, has peat in the north and west, and a year round supply of water in deep lochs, flowing rivers, and natural springs. Microclimate shapes maturation in oak casks (mainly ex-bourbon American oak and ex-sherry Spanish oak), and seasonal weather and local microflora help unlock balanced complexity, enriching the spirit with vitality and depth from youth to a ripe old age. Scotch whisky is unique in the rich complexity of flavours unlocked from the 115+ malt distilleries. Single malts are united by malt sweetness that harmonises fruit, floral, salt and smoke flavours from each distillery. AMERICAN WHISKEY American whiskeys are mainly distilled from corn and rye, and matured in American oak for a relatively short time (mostly five years or less). Grain produces a spicy/oily spirit combining with intense vanilla and caramel sweetness from the oak. IRISH WHISKEY Irish whiskeys are distilled mostly from unmalted barley and corn (with a small amount of malt), and pot and continuous stills are employed. Most Irish whiskeys are blends that are light, sweet, smooth and grassy. There are a small number of single pot still Irish whiskeys (made primarily from unmalted barley), and even fewer (for example Connemara) made from peated malt. JAPANESE WHISKY The handful of Japanese distilleries in existence were built less than a century ago, based on Scotch whisky production methods. In this short time, Japanese whisky has moved to design different styles, from light, clean and precise through to smoky and oily. [caption id="attachment_576044" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Gary Crawford.[/caption] How does taste differ between regions within Scotland? Each distillery's character is highly individual, however similarities in style can be found between regions. The Highland region is the largest, with Speyside having the most distinct style united by malt and fruit, much of which is blended with grain to make the heart of high volume blends. Islay malts have the dominant taste of smoke (from peat) and salt, with all other tastes woven in. Although very few distilleries exist in the Lowlands, the style is vibrant and refined with predominantly grassy, sweet and floral characters. What does it mean when you define a Scottish whisky as 'single malt' and 'single grain'? Both single malt and single grain whiskies are the product of only one distillery. Single malt whisky is made 100 percent from malted barley and distilled in copper pot stills at a single distillery. Single grain whisky is made from grain (wheat or maize), distilled in a continuous still (Coffey still) distillery. Feel like you've got a handle on scotch now? If you're a bartender, bar owner or know someone in the bar industry, listen up. Auchentoshan is looking for talented bar teams to come up with a brand new scotch-based cocktail for their 'Distilled Different' competition across Australia. More details on Auchentoshan's website.
Stub out those ciggies. The State Government today announced that Victoria will join the rest of the country in banning smoking in outdoor dining areas. The ban is set to come into effect in August 2017, and will affect cafes, restaurants, beer gardens and any other outdoor venue where food is served. "We know that smoking kills, and we know that second-hand smoke puts the health of non-smokers at risk," Victorian Health Minister Jill Hennessy told The Age. "These new bans will ensure all Victorians can enjoy a meal outside with their family and friends." She also said that the decision to hold off the ban until 2017 was to give businesses "enough time to prepare for these changes." Under the new laws, smokers who light up in outdoor dining venues could face on the spot fines of $152, with a maximum penalty of $758. Victoria is currently the only state not to enforce such a ban, after NSW introduced similar laws earlier in the year. The changes are part of a concerted crackdown on public smoking by the Andrews Government, who in April introduced bans on smoking near the entrances of many public buildings, including schools, hospitals, courthouses and police stations. Smoking is also banned at train stations and raised platform tram stops and within ten metres of playgrounds, skate parks and under 18s sporting venues, while the Melbourne City Council already enforces a smoking ban in a number of laneways in the CBD. Current figures show that approximately 4000 Victorians die from smoking related illnesses each year. Via The Age. Image: Dollar Photo Club
With a sumptuous colour palette, interwoven plot lines, and unexpected humour, writer-director Rian Johnson (Looper) has assuredly marked Star Wars, Episode VIII: The Last Jedi as his own – a new chapter in the Skywalker saga that is at once deeply familiar and unique. Part two in the sequel trilogy picks up right where The Force Awakens left off, with the orphaned heroine Rey (Daisy Ridley) attempting to lure the only remaining Jedi, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), out of self-imposed exile. Meanwhile, the last remnants of the Resistance flee a resurgent New Order. The film opens with as dramatic a sequence as the franchise has ever seen, delivering an exhilarating and poignant battle that introduces a spectacularly menacing new class of space ship known as the Dreadnaught, pits ace pilot Poe (Oscar Isaac) against his superiors, and sets in motion a race against the clock. Unable to escape without detection and with only shallow reserves of fuel remaining until the New Order catches up with them, the depleted Rebel fleet limps through space like the Orca from Jaws – a hapless, crumbling ship pursued by a killer whose only remaining hurdle is time. But as ingenious as this setup may be, it also gives rise to the film's most pointless subplot. After waking from his coma, Finn (John Boyega) contrives a means by which he can disable the New Order's tracking device, albeit one that requires him to sneak off the fleeing vessel, travel to a Monaco-styled casino planet, track down a master codebreaker and infiltrate the enemy's warship undetected. This enormous MacGuffin sees Boyega partnered with the charming Kelly Marie Tran as Rose Tico, a Resistance engineer low in status but high in pluck. The problem is that their side adventure does absolutely nothing to advance the actual story. Finn's reluctant hero arc was already covered off in The Force Awakens, while Rose's belief in (and commitment to) the righteousness of the rebel cause is perfectly encapsulated in her fantastic introductory scene but goes unchallenged thereafter. Benicio Del Toro also pops up, then shortly thereafter departs, in an entirely forgettable cameo. Ultimately they all end up right where they began, having effected no material change except to deliver a heavy-handed critique of war profiteers. The great shame is that in both Boyega and Tran you have oodles of charisma, heart and talent that deserve scenes of equal calibre. Instead, they chew up time in a movie already guilty of using far too much of it. Thankfully the rest of the cast fares better. Hamill, Ridley and Adam Driver's Kylo Ren find themselves entangled in a fascinating and emotionally-driven power struggle, with each grappling with their complicated relationships to one another and their wider place in the universe. In an appropriate analogy to the franchise itself, Skywalker wrestles with his own understanding of legend and mythos, believing himself unworthy of hero status and wracked with the guilt of failing Ren in his training. Ren, in turn, remains conflicted about his place in the First Order and his murder of his father, whilst Rey feels the growing Force within her yet lacks the knowledge or training to understand it. It's in sequences featuring this core trio that The Last Jedi hits its highest notes. The exploration of Jedi lore, too, receives the kind of treatment that will delight the franchise's most ardent fans, including a moment of outstanding visual flair, involving replicated Reys, that reminds us of Johnson's unique style and character. And, of course, there's Carrie Fisher, whose few scenes remind us how affecting and groundbreaking a character Princess Leia is, and how captivating an actor Fisher was. Her departure is treated with all the deftness, restraint and respect that audiences could hope for. Perhaps the biggest departure from tradition, though, especially in the wake of the gritty spinoff Rogue One, is Johnson's use of comedy. With more gags, one-liners and quirky moments than all the other Star Wars films combined, The Last Jedi introduces a levity to the staid franchise in the vein of Roger Moore's turn as post-Connery Bond. At times it works, even to the point of guffaws, but ultimately the humour feels misplaced. In a story where loss abounds and crushing defeat looms large at every turn, the repeated cutaways to doe-eyed porgs purring like extras from a Pixar film distract more than they entertain. So, too, does Domhnall Gleeson, whose character General Hux plays more like a parody of a Star Wars villain. As a result, both the New Order and the film itself are robbed of their most enduring menace: the Empire. After all, pare back any of the previous films in this sprawling space opera and you'll find that, for all their Sith lords and rogue assassins, what truly terrified was a galactic military-industrial complex so vast and overbearing it was capable of repressing not just people but entire planets. Darth Vaders come and go, and individuals can be destroyed, but totalitarian regimes endure for generations. When an oppressed populace has only ever known a life under the iron fist, it cannot even contemplate an alternative. It's that, more than any great, dark mysticism, that provides the Star Wars universe with its most tangible threat. Overly long and consistently clunky, The Last Jedi ultimately proves a bit of a mixed bag. Its battle scenes are nothing short of spectacular, including a five-second shot involving Laura Dern and a hyperspace jump that almost singlehandedly justifies the entire film's existence. As a chronicle of Jedi mythology, too, the film delivers in a way the George Lucas prequels never managed, offering new and engaging insights into the Force and the balance between light and dark. Too often, though, the dialogue is exposition heavy and played for easy laughs. One senses Rian Johnson has in him a greater, more exploratory story to tell, one unburdened by so much expectation and history. The good news? He's set to follow Last Jedi with an entirely new Star Wars trilogy. May the force be with him. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0CbN8sfihY
It seems Christian McCabe and Dave Verheul have been keeping all kinds of busy since closing their much-loved eatery The Town Mouse earlier this year. In excellent news for anyone mourning the loss of the Carlton restaurant, the pair has announced it will be opening a new venture, Lesa, in August. The boys have transformed the space above their Russell Street wine bar Embla into the ultimate escape from all of that CBD hustle and bustle. Oak flooring and exposed bricks lend a warm, rustic feel, while a window at the back of the space looks through to McCabe's prized wine room, its sprawling collection heroing minimal intervention drops and Old World iterations. They'll aim to dish up a slower, more intimate sort of dining experience, with both food and a setting to linger over. A woodfire takes pride of place in the kitchen, so expect plenty of slow-cooked, grilled and smoked creations on the menu. Nab one of four seats perched along the pass for the best view of the fire-driven magic. As far as pace goes, Lesa is keeping things relaxed, forgoing an a la carte offering in favour of a four-course set menu, with a two-course option for those with a little less time up their sleeve. Here, expect to settle in and really savour, with dishes like a salted bergamot, walnut and koji île flottante (French for 'floating island'), and a semi-dried potato cacio e pepe pasta, topped with basil and pecorino. Embla was one of our favourite bars of the year when it opened in 2016, so we're looking forward to seeing what McCabe and Verheul do with Lesa. Lesa will open on level two, 122 Russell Street, Melbourne, from early August. We'll let you know when an opening date is set.
Hot on the heels of the NGV's exciting announcement of a new gallery dedicated to contemporary art, the Melbourne gallery has launched its latest blockbuster: a collaborative exhibition with New York's revered Museum of Modern Art. MoMA at NGV: 130 Years of Modern and Contemporary Art takes a chronological look at art and design over the past century, from the late 1900s through to modern masterpieces. MoMA at NGV features more than 200 works from all six of MoMA's curatorial departments: Photography, Film, Architecture and Design, Painting and Sculpture, Drawings and Prints, and Media and Performance Art. The exhibition might be one of your only chances to see some of these works outside of New York with 127 of the showcased artworks having never left MoMA's walls before. You'll find masterful paintings that signalled a modern age with works from Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin; art based on emerging technology with Cubism pioneers Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque; collections of post-war American culture that are "bursting with energy"; as well as participatory artworks, pop-art icons, Space Invaders, and many more. The works are spread across eight expansive themed sections at NGV International, which, MoMA director Glenn Lowry calls 'mini villages'. "The spaces between them are alleyways and streets, so movement in this exhibition is always experiential," he said at the exhibition launch. "You go from one town to the next town and along the way you'll discover something." While all the works on display are must-sees, below we've selected five works that you absolutely shouldn't miss. SALVADOR DALI: THE PERSISTENCE OF MEMORY (1931) One of the most admired Salvador Dali paintings is The Persistence of Memory, which is based on the seaside landscape close to Dali's home in Catalonia, Spain. A master of warping time and space with his dream-like style, the painting can be found at the entrance to the Inner and Outer Worlds section of the exhibition. The painting is one of MoMA's most prized possessions, and even Lowry seemed surprised that it had been loaned out to the NGV's ("What? We lent that one?"). Like the Mona Lisa, The Persistence of Memory proves that sometimes artworks big in stature come in small packages — the work is only 24 by 33 centimetres big. So get in early (or make use of your elbows) to get up close and take in all the magnificent details found throughout Dali's work. EL ANATSUI: BLEEDING TAKARI II (2007) Using thousands of bottle caps that have been crushed and reshaped in many ways, Bleeding Takari II is made from materials collected by the Ghanaian artist El Anatsui. Linked together with carefully formed copper wiring, this large-scale work flexes and wrinkles in a different way each time it's installed. The work considers the trade of goods, and peoples, from West Africa to Europe. NGV director Tony Ellwood is particularly excited about this work, which demonstrates the type of diverse global works that the NGV and MoMA hope to continue to champion. "This a beautiful example of El Anatsui's work, and I think, in many ways, it heralds the future of contemporary art collecting for major institutions," says Ellwood. ANDY WARHOL: MARILYN MONROE (1967) One of the quintessential works of pop art and a distillation of American culture, the NGV showcases Andy Warhol's famed Marilyn Monroe series. Throughout his career, Warhol would create more than 800 printed images, although almost none more famous than this one. Produced five years after the famous actress's death in 1962, this collection of ten vibrant prints, while colourful in nature, peel back the complexities of fame suggesting a darker perspective on celebrity culture. JOHN BALDESSARI: WHAT IS PAINTING (1968) Displayed next to Warhol's prints, you'll find a vastly different kind of work in John Baldessari's What is painting. It's a self-referential question of genre — for this work, Baldessari hired a sign-painter to produce the lettering in careful detail. Exploring the definitions of art and painting, this 1968 work draws on a strong sense of irony as although this work fits the definition of paint on canvas, it defies our typical understanding of the format. "This fantastic Baldessari is one of my favourite works of art," says MoMA's Lowry. "The painting is about painting — and it challenges us to think about the very act of art making." ROMAN ONDÁK: MEASURING THE UNIVERSE (2007) Slovakian conceptual artist Roman Ondák is known for his large-scale works that often blur the boundaries between art and everyday life. Taking up an entire room of the NGV, Measuring the Universe is an artwork that relies on public participation to fill out what begins as an entirely blank space. Recalling parents measuring their children's height as they grow taller, participants have their height, names and the birthdate scrawled around the room. Over the three months of MoMA at NGV, these engravings will become layered, eventually forming a whirling galaxy-like mass of names. "It isn't art until you participate," explains Lowry. "In the end this work of art is about inscribing ourselves into the history of this institution." MoMA at NGV: 130 Years of Modern and Contemporary Art is on display at NGV International, St Kilda Road, Melbourne until October 7. You can grab tickets here. Images: NGV/Tom Ross.
We knew it. We knew it. They'd never leave us. They'd never just go. James Murphy is dancing himself clean and reuniting All His Friends, LCD Soundsystem, to headline this year's whizzbanger of a Coachella festival. Oh, and Guns N' Roses. Yeah, they're playing too. Take a big ol' breath and let them squeals out. Every last trilby-wearing tween celebrity, President’s daughter and your smug, smug US-based friends will be rubbing their paws together after Coachella festival lineup, tweeted today. Running over two weekends from April 15 to 24, the Californian festival has delivered their usual jaw-dropper of a lineup. Where do we start? Ready to break hearts and take names, Sufjan Stevens is hitting the big stage with the loud, loud likes of M83, Sia, A$AP Rocky, Ice Cube (!), Calvin Harris, Disclosure, Ellie Goulding, Purity Ring, Run the Jewels, RL Grime, Rae Sremmurd et al. Homegrown folks like Flume (whose name is at least three font sizes bigger than Hudson Mohawke) and Courtney Barnett will be reppin' the motherland. Anyway, let’s be honest, you haven’t truly read any of those words — you’ll be wanting this.
The 2018 Alliance Française French Film Festival might be one year short of a major milestone, but the Gallic cinema showcase is still celebrating its 29th iteration in style. As always, that means a feast of films is on the agenda at the crowd-drawing and -pleasing annual event — 47 features, two documentaries and one televisions series, in fact. Touring the country from February 27, starting in Sydney before heading to Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Perth, Hobart, Adelaide, Parramatta and Casula, this year's AFFFF will bookend its program with amusement. The festival kicks off with comedy C'est la vie! from The Intouchables duo Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache, before coming to a close with rom-com 50 Is the New 30. In-between, everything from acclaimed efforts to star-studded dramas to the latest work from master directors will grace cinema screens around Australia, celebrating the best in French film from the past twelve months. Sitting high amongst the highlights are the AIDS activism-focused BPM and the Juliette Binoche-starring Let the Sunshine In, which will both receive a nation-wide run after screening at last year's Melbourne International Film Festival. In the high-profile camp, they're joined by a Marion Cotillard double, with the acclaimed actress featuring in last year's Cannes opening night pick Ismael's Ghosts and comedy Rock'n Roll; romantic drama The Return of the Hero with Mélanie Laurent and The Artist Oscar-winner Jean Dujardin; Isabelle Huppert in coming-of-age effort Reinventing Marvin; and Gael Garcia Bernal in If You Saw His Heart. Or fans of prominent French filmmakers can get their fix courtesy of François Ozon's Double Lover and Xavier Beauvois' The Guardians, marking the latest flicks from the respective directors of Frantz and Of Gods and Men. The Artist's Michel Hazanavicius tackles an icon, turning the life of Jean-Luc Godard into Redoubtable, while Laurent Cantet jumps from 2008 Palme d'Or-winner The Class to thriller The Workshop. Elsewhere, actor-director Mathieu Amalric helms and features in Barbara, about an actress starring in a biopic about a famed chanteuse AFFFF 2018 will also shine a spotlight on queer cinema for the first time, to celebrate marriage equality, and also include its usual selection of family-friendly fare for younger cinephiles. And, for those keen on catching some TV on the big screen, three episodes of Paris, Etc will whisk you away to the French capital, following the lives and loves of Parisian women. The Alliance Française French Film Festival tours Australia from February 27, screening at Sydney's Chauvel Cinema, Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona, Palace Central and Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace from February 27 to March 27; Melbourne's Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Kino Cinemas and The Astor Theatre from February 28 to March 27; and Brisbane's Palace Barracks and Palace Centro from March 8 to April 4. For more information, visit the festival website.
If you don't own a ute, find a mate who does and get your hands on as many eskys you can find. Because the Moon Dog brewery crew are inviting punters to fill up their ute trays and eskys with as many beers and seltzers they can fit on Saturday, October 21. A small esky will set you back $25, a medium $50 and a large $100. What determines these sizes? That's up to the staff working at the sale. Be nice, and they'll likely do you good. And if you bring a ute, you can fill up the tray for a bargain $500. Depending on how finely honed your Tetris skills are, you can potentially fit a huge amount of beer and seltzers into one of those bad boys. [caption id="attachment_844719" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Samantha Schultz[/caption] The Spring Warehouse Sale is running at Moon Dog World in Preston from 12pm–4pm (or until stock sells out), so you might want to get down early and wait in line. It's a first come, first served kind of sale. And even though Moon Dog's only slinging older drinks (to make space for new summer stock) everything is up to code. Expect a stack of favourites, including seltzers, a huge range of beers and a few barrel-aged specialty releases. If you're keen to stock up on drinks ahead of summer, this ain't a bad way to do it. And if the thought of a ute full of beer is too daunting, just team up with a group of mates and share the spoils among you. The Moon Dog Warehouse Sale is running on Saturday, October 21, from 12pm–4pm (or until stock runs out) at Moon Dog World in Preston. Cash payments only.
The Melbourne Festival has hit the big three oh – and what better way to celebrate than with a two and a half week long party. The team behind Melbourne's flagship cultural event have pulled back the curtain on their 30th anniversary program, and it's every bit as exciting as we've come to expect. Clear your calendar and make room for more than 70 events, including 17 Australian premieres, featuring artists, musicians and theatre makers from all around the world. Headlining the event are a number of major theatre productions, including the smash hit West-End adaptation of George Orwell's seminal novel 1984. A nominee for Best New Play at the 2014 Olivier Awards, the timeless tale about the dangers of government surveillance and control will have its exclusive Australian season as part of the Melbourne Festival. Organisers have also programmed a number of supplemental events including a live reading at the Legislative Assembly Chamber in Victoria's Parliament featuring notable politicians, media personalities and actors, as well as a special film program at ACMI entitled Eyes Without a Face: Surveillance in Cinema. Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison, meanwhile, has teamed up celebrated opera and theatre director Peter Sellars on Desdemona, a restaging of Shakespeare's classic play Othello, featuring music from award winning Malawi singer-songwriter Rokia Traore, that uses the story of its doomed heroine to explore questions of violence, class, race and gender. Israel's Batsheva Dance Company will take to the stage with a pair of works by preeminent dance maker Ohad Naharin, while Belgian company Peeping Tom present the intensely physical dance theatre show 32 Rue Vandenbranden. Also making its Melbourne premiere is the award-winning Spiegeltent production LIMBO, combining circus, acrobatics and cabaret. Leading the music program is a tribute to Patti Smith's iconic rock album Horses, which will be performed in full by Courtney Barnett, Jen Cloher, Adalita and Gareth Liddiard. UK folk singer Laura Marling will play Hamer Hall for one night only, while Flight Facilities will team up with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for a performance at the Myer Music Bowl. Also in the mix is master film composer Clint Mansell and electronic jazz pioneer John McLaughlin. There'll be more music happening at the Foxtel Festival Hub, a cafe/bar/performance venue on the banks of the Yarra. Over the course of the festival, the hub will host the likes of Icelandic techno duo Kiasmos, English post-punk band The Fall, French ten-piece Babylon Circus, local favourites Bombay Royale and Cut Copy, and many, many more. The 2015 Melbourne Festival runs from October 8 – 25. Ticket packages are available from midday today, while the full program goes on sale at 9am on Friday August 7. For more information, visit the festival website.
Cue the fireworks: the New Year is almost upon us. And no, we don't mean those few hours of public drunkenness and poor decision-making that fall between sundown on December 31 and your hangover the following morning. We're talking about Chinese New Year, a celebration that, quite frankly, makes our piddly little Gregorian thing look about as exciting as your grandmother's birthday. The Chinese Lunar Calendar officially ticks over on Thursday, February 19, but that's only a fraction of the fun. With markets, concerts, exhibits, parades, film screenings, parties and more, Melbourne's Chinese community are sparing no expense. Here's our list of eight cool events to help you ring in the Year of the Goat in style. HAWKER BAZAAR FESTIVAL With money to burn, the folks at Crown Casino are hosting one seriously lavish party. Set up along Crown Riverwalk by the Yarra, this three-day festival includes tons of great food and cooking demonstrations, as well as fortune telling, karaoke, martial arts and more. Dancers and circus performers will be roaming the crowd during daylight hours, while a fireworks display on the Saturday evening should guarantee you a happy and prosperous New Year. Friday, February 13 – Sunday, February 15 BOX HILL NEW YEAR FESTIVAL One of Melbourne's largest Chinese neighbourhoods, Box Hill will celebrate the turn of the season with a festival that stretches into the night. Local vendors will serve tasty Chinese cuisine, while traditional lion and dragon dancers entertain the masses. The highlight will be the Parade of Choi Sun, the Chinese God of Fortune. Saturday, February 14, from 1pm LUMEN LANEWAYS Curated by RMIT University, this after-dark art project will see four laneways in Chinatown transformed into spectacular works of art. Elaborate projections will turn Croft Alley into Shanghai, even as electric graffiti illuminates nearby Liverpool Street. Punch Lane's feature, meanwhile, combines the legend of Ned Kelly with the classic Chinese novel Tale of the Water Margin. But the standout is in Tattersalls Lane, where pedestrians will be able to play the classic arcade game Kung Fu Master projected on the laneway wall. Monday, February 16 – Sunday, March 1, from sundown PRAHRAN MARKET CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATION Prahran's iconic market will take on a distinctly Asian flavour, with pop-up yum cha and dumpling stalls plus a bunch of free entertainment. Learn how to make spring rolls or participate in a little Tai Chi. There will also be a performance by the Chao Feng Orchestra, plus Chinese drumming and a lion dance. When: Saturday February 21, from 11am. Image credit: Photo Credit: Ruocaled HIDDEN DRAGON OUTDOOR CINEMA Part of this year's White Night, this 12-hour movie marathon, hosted in Cohen Place, is all about kung fu. After starting things off early with the kid-friendly Kung Fu Panda, the night kicks into gear with Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon. Wuxia epic Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon comes next, followed by Rush Hour and then Kung Fu Panda again. There'll also be live martial arts demonstrations ahead of the first three films. Saturday, February 21, from 6.30pm ELECTRIC DRAGON AT FEDERATION SQUARE Fed Square is home to cultural festivals all year round, so it's hardly surprising they've got something planned for Chinese New Year. Created by multimedia artist Georgie Pinn, The Electric Dragon is an interactive performance that combines motion graphics and shadow puppetry to tell the story of a dragon named Feng. Federation Square will also host a variety of other activities over the weekend, including Mahjong Lessons, fan dancing and a children's lantern parade. Thursday, February 26 – Sunday, March 1, from 7pm CHINATOWN LONG LUNCH Two of Chinatown's most beloved restaurants are celebrating the New Year with a feast. Choose between the menus of Locanda and the Shark Fin Inn — one boasts roast duck spring roles, stir fried prawn scallops and steak in Szechuan chill sauce, while the other includes panko crab cakes and slow cooked pork belly with buk choi. The good news is that both options includes tea, wine, beer, gin and vodka tastings throughout. Be warned though: at $88 minimum, it's not a cheap lunch. If you want to get your money's worth, be prepared to eat a lot. Friday, February 27, noon to 3pm MSO CHINESE NEW YEAR CONCERT Rounding out our list is this concert by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Oscar- and Grammy-winning composer Tan Dun. The performance will combine classical music from both east and west, including Dun's latest work Nu Shu: The Secret Songs of Women, as well as a rendition of a Puccini aria by Chinese soprano Bing Bing Wang. Saturday, February 28, 6.30pm
Electronica megastar Omar Souleyman is on his way to engulf you in Arabic techno beats with a national tour this January. Souleyman has reached cult status internationally for his patented sound of insanely fast synths adapted to Syrian folk music and his "epitome-of-cool" persona, with Bjork herself labelling him as one of her favourites. Never seen without a pair of aviators and his red and white kaffiyeh, Souleyman has long been famous in his homeland of Syria, with, believe it or not, a rumoured 500 separate bootleg cassette releases recorded straight from his many performances at weddings around the country. His 2013 album, Wenu Wenu, was his first recorded outside Syria, and its blending of Western electronica beats and traditional dabke music (an Arabic form of folk dancing) promises live performances filled with electric sax solos, super high-tempo synths and vocals given alternatively in the tone of commanding pronouncements and trance-inducing chants. Supported by Fabulous Diamonds.
There's about to be plenty more crinkle cut chips and beefy brioche in east Melbourne mouths. Huxtaburger is opening a fourth instalment, the very first for the eastern suburbs. Taking over 681 Glenferrie Road in Hawthorn, Huxtaburger's newest joint will sit within the restored Lido Cinema Centre — yep, that cheeky $5.5 million eight-screen complex set to open in June. The Huxtateam have thought long and hard about their next move, following the recent CBD opening and their already buzzing Collingwood and Prahran stores. They've picked an eastern, high foot traffic spot on Glenferrie Road close to the much-anticipated cinema complex, Swinburne University (students are widely renowned burg fiends as a general rule) and the Hawthorn Aquatic and Leisure Centre (because everyone wants, nay deserves a post-workout burger). Huxtable head chef Daniel Wilson points two thumbs to the sky for the new location too. "It is a great fit for Huxtaburger; being a vibrant Melbourne hotspot, but one that’s retained some of its eccentricities and old-school charm over the years," he says. Expect the Huxtamenu you know and love from the Northside burger lovin' crew, with southern fried chicken Clair burgers and those juicy, juice beef Huxtaburgers rolling over to the east with crinkle cut chips in tow. Huxtaburger Hawthorn will open its doors on Friday 15 May. The joint will be open from 11am – 10pm, Sunday to Thursday and from 11am -11pm on Friday and Saturday.
Despite being in the grips of one very chilly winter, Melbourne is getting a new gelateria. Johnny Di Francesco, the genius behind 400 Gradi, is branching out into sweet, sweet Italian iced confection and opening a gelateria. When the man who won the 2014 World Pizza Championship sets his sights to gelato, you know it’s going to be good. Di Francesco will open a standalone gelateria dubbed Zero Gradi on Lygon Street in Brunswick East in the summer, alongside a new 400 Gradi chapter in Essendon with a dedicated gelato counter. Both venues aim to bring yet more traditional Italian classics to greedy Aussie mouths, so Gelato Messina had better watch out. According to Di Francesco, this will be gelato done the traditional way — ‘panna’ — which means it's served with whipped cream on top, just in case you need some more indulgence (what a world we live in). The aim of the game with Zero Gradi is freshness. The new gelateria intends to be known, like the rest of the Gradi family, for making its product fresh in store daily and will be whipping up your classic, staple gelato flavours as well as organic and seasonal options. Via Good Food. Find Zero Gradi at Shop 1, 93-97 Lygon Street, East Brunswick, opening this summer. 400 Gradi's Essendon chapter details TBC.
No longer just the realms of year three excursions where your mum came as chaperone, Melbourne Zoo Twilights — the after-hours live music series that boasts perhaps one of the best summer nights out, as well as lots of adorable animals — has proven they've got some real cred when it comes to hosting outdoor gigs in the past few years. This summer, they're back with a brand new lineup playing spesh live sets every weekend from Friday, January 27 through Saturday, March 11. Considering it includes the likes of Kurt Vile and Tegan and Sara and then Killing Heidi and george, it's probably their most diverse yet. Picnic-bringing is encouraged, but there'll also be handy gourmet hampers available to pre-order, as well as a slew of food trucks to choose nosh from. Either way, it's actually the one of the best dates in Melbourne — lock those tickets down. All proceeds from Zoo Twilights go back into Zoo Victoria's ongoing conservation work to help fight the extinction of the Eastern Barred Bandicoot. [caption id="attachment_595048" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Save this little guy.[/caption] MELBOURNE ZOO TWILIGHTS 2017 LINEUP Friday 27 January – JO JO ZEP & THE FALCONS and THE SPORTS Saturday 28 January – PETER GARRETT & THE ALTER EGOS and KEV CARMODY Friday 3 February – HOODOO GURUS with special guests Saturday 4 February – THE RUBENS supported by Bec Sandridge Sunday 5 Februrary - THE RUBENS supported by Bec Sandridge Friday 10 February – BALL PARK MUSIC and THE JUNGLE GIANTS Saturday 11 February – BJÖRN AGAIN Friday 17 February – PAUL DEMPSEY supported by Melody Pool Saturday 18 February – george supported by Felix Riebl (Cat Empire) Friday 24 February – WARPAINT (US) supported by Big Thief (US) Saturday 25 February – KILLING HEIDI supported by Abbe May Thursday 2 March — THE LIVING END 'TWANGIN' AT TWILIGHT' featuring special guests, supported by Gabriella Cohen Friday 3 March – THE LIVING END 'TWANGIN' AT TWILIGHT' featuring special guests, supported by Gabriella Cohen Saturday 4 March – KURT VILE (US) supported by Mick Turner Wednesday 8 March – TEGAN AND SARA (CAN) with special guests Friday 10 March – MARTHA WAINWRIGHT (CAN) supported by Margaret Glaspy (US) Saturday 11 March – THE SPECIALS (UK) with special guests Tickets go on sale at 9am on Tuesday, October 25 at zootwilights.org.au.
Mazes are often associated with the feeling of being lost, but, in the case of the National Galley of Victoria, you might see this as a good thing. As part of the 2017 NGV Architecture Commission, Garden Wall will feature a maze-like series of openair passageways, corridors and rooms which are designed to help visitors rediscover the NGV's Grollo Equiset Garden. Designed by Retallack Thompson and Other Architects, the structure's 260 walls shift from translucent to opaque, aiming to hide and reveal aspects of the garden, including sculptures and other visitors simultaneously. Each room will focus on a particular feature of the garden — such as Henry Moore's bronze sculpture Draped Seated Woman — to heighten visitors' encounter with various pieces. "In order to make the NGV garden more visible, we first have to render it invisible," says architect David Neustein, the brains behind the project. "Garden Wall hides the garden and then gradually reveals it via a series of corridors, apertures and rooms. Our installation is less the walls themselves than the spaces in between." Led by the Department of Contemporary Design and Architecture, the project was selected out of 79 entries from across Australia, with those shortlisted assessed on quality, originality and viability. The NGV Architecture Commission has previously been designed by John Wardle Architects (2015) and M@ STUDIO Architects (2016), who last year designed this dreamy pink carwash inspired playground that recently won the Melbourne Prize at the 2017 Victorian Architecture Awards. If last year is anything to go by, we're in for another excuse to unleash our inner kidult. The 2017 NGV Architecture Commission will be on display at NGV International from December 2017 as part of the inaugural NGV Triennial, a free, gallery-wide exhibition of international contemporary art and design. Garden Wall will be on display in the NGV's Grollo Equiset Garden from December 2017. Further information is available from the NGV website.
Victoria's answer to Dark Mofo, WinterWild, is returning to Apollo Bay for two weekends this August. While last year's after-dark winter arts festival was structured around the death and birth, this year's theme is 'visions and ecstasies'. Creeping into the coastal shire on the eastern side of Cape Otway, the festival will take place on the weekends of August 16–18 and August 30–September 1. Each weekend will begin with braziers on the beach, before unleashing a vivid program of music, performances, feasting and workshops — all focused on the idea of peering into the darkness for inspiration, revelations and surprises. Standout events on the program for the first weekend, running from August 16–18, include Visions of Excess, which combines kaleidoscopic visuals with the music of Black Heart Death Cult and Flyying Colours; a suitably psychedelic tribute to Jimi Hendrix; and, following on from last year, another immersive (and haunting) blend of projections, lights and sounds in the quarry. Two weekends later, across August 30–September 1, WinterWild will celebrate the music of David Bowie; pair a definitely-not vegan-meal with burlesque and puppetry at the decadent Feastiality; and make shapes outside, by the water and in the cold evening air, at Moon Garden. For those eager to make the trip twice, The Redemption unfurls across both weekends — with the theatrical production playing for free in two parts, involving the citizens of Apollo Bay, and happening by the harbour. Or, if you're keen to completely dive in, you can opt for the two workshop programs, dubbed 'The Left Hand Path' and 'The Right Hand Path'. WinterWild will run across two weekends, Death from August 10–12 and Birth from August 24–26. To see the full lineup and purchase tickets, head to winterwildapollobay.com.au.
Step through hidden doors into a garden wreathed in flames at Melbourne's annual celebration of creativity and chaos. Taking over the city from October 3-22, this year's Melbourne International Arts Festival program looks guaranteed to astound, packed with art, music, theatre, dance and more to fill your spring nights with wonder. The festival team has outdone itself again, delivering a lineup that crosses continents and artistic mediums alike. In addition to Christian Wagstaff and Keith Courtney's 1000 Doors and Compagnie Carabosse's Fire Gardens, standout works in 2018 include an experimental audio piece by Japanese artist Asuna, an epic dance-opera sung completely in Azerbajani(and referenced as the OG Romeo and Juliet), and an immersive multimedia show at the Melbourne Planetarium directed by local writer, poet and broadcaster Alicia Sometimes.
Vivid Sydney is really cranking it up this year. Announcing a kaleidoscopic festival program of light, music and ideas this morning, Vivid's 2015 plans will have you squealing over social and locking in dates. Now staged in four new precincts (Chatswood, Central Park, Pyrmont and expansion in Sydney University), as well as the usual harbourside suspects, Vivid is back for another year of technicolour merriment and reignited appreciation of your city. So what's in store? LIGHT Alongside the predictably mindblowing projections on the Sydney Opera House sails (Universal Everything), the Museum of Contemporary Art (Danny Rose and Rebecca Baumann this time), and Cadman's Cottage (a 20 multiplayer game this year, just casually), Vivid has some pretty talkworthy surprises in store. Chatswood will be turned into an aquatic wonderland with giant 3D sea creature projections, you'll be able to 'paint' the skyscrapers in Circular Quay, and the ever-popular Light Walk will feature glow swings, an interactive game of duck, duck goose, musical 'beat dice', playable piano stairs, floating fibre optic dresses from Korean artist Taegon Kim and the obligatory selfie stage (with a 'You Are Here' arrow sign). At Central Park, artists Rekko Rennie and Beastman will project on to the Carlton and United Brewery Facade, and there'll be silent discos on the lawn every Friday and Saturday night. Martin Place will once again be a super pretty illuminated food precinct, and Pyrmont Park will let you let off 'digital fireworks' and project yourself on the casino singing karaoke. Plus, the BBC's Life Story projected on the Argyle Cut sounds just about as beautiful as a weeknight gets. MUSIC Music-wise, this year's Vivid program is equal parts supersuperstars in supersupervenues to loved and local party nights around the city. For Vivid LIVE, the big names came tumbling out of today's announcement. Joining the already announced king gloomsayer Morrissey, eclectic folk dreamboat Sufjan Stevens, immortal art rockers TV on the Radio, Aussie legends Hoodoo Gurus, gravelly folkster Bill Callahan, new album-touter Daniel Johns, longtime shredders The Drones, Sydney hypecards The Preatures, garage go-tos Royal Headache and electronic powerhouse Mad Racket. Red Bull Music Academy are throwing The Studio's opening night, where Future Classic are set to celebrate their tenth anniversary with Flight Facilities, Seekae, Hayden James, Touch Sensitive, George Maple and Flume's only Australian concert for the year; alongside all the Astral People, Elefant Traks label Studio parties we love. We're a little disappointed to see only super male headliners and about three female artists in the entire Vivid LIVE lineup (Preatures, Drones, George Maple), but here's hoping for a more balanced Music at the House summer lineup. Around the city, there's a whole bunch of luminous shindiggery to be had, with Vivid Music this year curated by Sydney radio host, DJ and all-round legend Stephen Ferris. Modular's hugely successful Modulations mini-festival is coming back to Carriageworks after a huge Pet Shop Boys year in 2014. This time around, the crew are bringing together Sydney club nights Kooky, Motorik and Pelvis and inviting headliner American jazz saxophonist Pharaoh Sanders to make good use of those Carriageworks acoustics. Freda's will see the return of Sydney's favourite twist-happy party Jingle Jangle and the special performance of Andras Fox under his New Age alter ego A.R.T. Wilson. Goodgod Small Club will see newcomer Oh Reach's debut concert alongside Terry Serio's Ministry of Truth and Spookyland, while Oxford Art Factory showcases brand new Sydney label Personal Best Records (including the Personal Best Orchestra, a ten-piece all live disco electro orchestra with vintage sythesisers). One of the biggest Sydney parties around, Heaps Gay will hold an epic bash at Marrickville's Factory Theatre with the likes of KIM from The Presets, Black Vanilla DJs, Catlips and The Magda Subanskis, and Soul of Sydney are set to hold a huge block party just for Vivid (more details to come). IDEAS Switching on your brain as well as the lights, Vivid Ideas has a chockers program of talks, seminars and conferences to get you right into the global creative conersation. 'The Game-Changers' series will see Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner, Monocle and Wallpaper founder Tyler Brule and Rolling Stones/HBO designer Stefan Sagmeister chatting about their wildly overachieving existence. There's going to be a huge one-day conference at Carriageworks to examine the key factors needed to create a 'Southern Hemisphere Silicon Valley'. And the ever-popular Vivid Ideas Exchange is back, with Cool Hunting founders chatting about connecting creatively with consumers, Auxilio Venture Lab talking about the ethics of data usage for Australian business and government (timely), Junkee teaching you 'How to Survive Without a Real Job' and MTV asking if boredom fosters creativity. Phew. There's plenty more to Vivid Sydney's 2015 program than we can fit here, running May 22 - June 8. For the full schtick, head to the Vivid website.
The high priestess of dark rock is coming to Australia — PJ Harvey has announced her first Australian/New Zealand tour since 2012. Hitting epic venues like Sydney's shiny new $1.5 billion International Convention Centre for Sydney Festival, Melbourne's Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Brisbane's Tivoli and Auckland's Logan Campbell Centre, Harvey will be backed by her ten-piece band for a career-spanning set. It's been a while between drinks — Harvey hasn't performed in Australia or NZ since 2012. It's a new live show for the UK indie rock legend, one that's already toured Europe and the US and features all your favourite early classics and newer material. PJ HARVEY AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND TOUR DATES: Tuesday, January 17 — Fremantle Arts Centre, Perth Thursday, January 19 — Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide Saturday, January 21 — Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne Sunday, January 22 — ICC Sydney Theatre, Sydney (Sydney Festival) Tuesday, January 24 — Logan Campbell Centre, Auckland, NZ Wednesday, January 25 — Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington, NZ Friday, January 27 — Tivioli Theatre, Brisbane, QLD Tickets for the Sydney Festival performance will go on sale on Thursday, September 1 at 8am from Sydney Festival's website. All other shows will go on sale at 9am. More info here.
Way back in the golden year of 2013, culinary wizard and Melburnian hero Andrew McConnell opened Supernormal Canteen, a test kitchen for the permanent (and wildly popular) Supernormal in the CBD, which ran for eight glorious weeks. After a long hiatus, McConnell has decided to resurrect the Canteen at the site of his old joint, Luxembourg — previously the home of McConnell's first restaurant Golden Fields, where he first served his coveted lobster roll. Far from simply copying and pasting Supernormal's success onto a St Kilda location, Supernormal Canteen will look to find inspiration from Tokyo street food, retaining the pan-Asian influences that seep into all of McConnell's restaurants. Similarly, the fitout will reflect the a more casual and inviting approach, with scattered seating and varied furniture being the order of the day. The staff, too, will take a step away from the polished fine dining at Supernormal, and will instead be getting about their business in the far more comfortable uniform of a t-shirt. "We want Supernormal Canteen to be a fun, approachable local, bursting with people," says McConnell. "The kind of place that is just as much loved for the good times as it is for the food and drink. Think izakaya style with a twist." Supernormal's 2IC, Tim Goegan, will be taking the reins as head chef, pumping out a minimalistic menu that will feature tasty treats like garlic clove yakitori, steamed pork buns, and an intriguing yet delicious sounding pig's head bao. There'll also be a whole mess of Japanese beers and themed cocktails, as well as a comprehensive wine list. Slated to open its doors in July, Supernormal Canteen will start its operations as exclusively home delivered for two weeks, giving punters the chance to sample the wares in the comfort of their own home before taking the plunge and actually leaving the house. With a fresh menu, fancy new digs, that extra little something McConnell brings to dining, and the option to never leave home again, there's excitement brewing down south. Supernormal Canteen will open in July at 2/157 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda.
