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.
Victoria's answer to Dark MOFO is back for another year. From August 25 to 27, WinterWild will once again be taking over Gadubanud Country in Apollo Bay, where the rolling green hills of western Victoria tumble slowly into the sea. Three full days of music, art, food and fire. It's always a cracking good time. This year's programme looks pretty stacked too, with performances from satanic collective Dane Blacklock & the Preacher's Daughter, Jen Cloher, Harvey Sutherland and RidzyRay, as well as a huge lineup of winter feasts, barbecue masterclasses and ice bathing and breath workshops. WinterWild kicks off on the Friday with a Welcome to Country from the Eastern Marr Aboriginal Corporation, followed by free performances from Wemba-Wemba rapper RidzyRay and other First Nations artists. Then it's onto Apollo Bay Mechanic's Institute Hall for more live acts, including a disco-infused space-pop set from Zoë Fox and the Rocket Clocks. Our personal pick this year is MoonGarden at the Apollo Bay Sailing Club. This one's on Saturday night. You can dance under the stars, next to the crashing waves, and lose yourself with electronic sets from Harvey Sutherland, Milo Eastwood and Post Percy. Images: Tyr Explorer.
If you're a fan of Chinese-Australian artist Zhong Chen, here's some good news. As of November 22, you'll be able to sleep with his works. The Art Series Hotel Group has just revealed the first images of the latest venture and it's a five-storey, 100-room number dedicated to him. Named The Chen, the hotel is in Box Hill, 14 kilometres east of Melbourne, within Whitehorse Towers, which, at 36 storeys, is the tallest development outside of the Victorian capital's CBD. Architects Peddle Thorp have taken care of the design, inspired by Chen's King Fu series and, as you'd expect, fun, bold, bright colours rule. There's a bunch of digital archival fine art editions of Chen's works, as well as a stack of originals, including Rooster, fitting because Chen was born in the Year of the Rooster (1969) and the hotel will open in the Year of the Rooster (that's this year). There'll be four in-hotel spots for eating and drinking, including a yum cha restaurant, as well as a gym, events space and rooftop pool (which is, unfortunately, only for guest use). You can also count on the Art Series' usual arty facilities and activities, including tours, libraries, television channels and documentaries, as well as Art Series-branded smart cars and Lekker bicycles available for guests. "I have lived and worked in Box Hill for nearly a decade," said Chen. "I am passionate about my community and its emergence as a cultural powerhouse outside of Melbourne. To have a hotel of such significance, opening in the year of my birth sign, is a true honour. I look forward to meeting guests and seeing how they interact with the hotel and my artworks. It is sure to be a surreal experience." The Chen will open at 820 Whitehorse Road, Box Hill on November 22. For more info or to book a room, visit artserieshotels.com.au/chen.
He took home this year's best director Oscar thanks to his enchanting monster romance, and now he's in the spotlight at the Spanish Film Festival. That'd be The Shape of Water's Guillermo del Toro, with the fest celebrating his 2006 Academy Award-winner Pan's Labyrinth as its closing night selection. Of course, on its tour of Australia between April 17 and May 16, the country's long-running celebration of Spanish-language filmmaking has plenty of other delights amongst its 25-film program. Marking its 21st year in 2018, that includes opening night's The Tribe, a street-dancing musical comedy inspired by real-life Spain's Got Talent winners, plus No Filter, this year's Spanish box office smash about a woman who can't stop speaking her mind. Other high-profile highlights range from screenings of Pixar's gorgeous Coco, in case you missed it in cinemas late last year; to a who's who of Spanish talent in historical epic Gold; to Loving Pablo, which features Javier Bardem as Pablo Escobar and Penélope Cruz as the journalist who falls for him. Fans of both actors can also catch them in Jamón Jamón — which, released back in 1992, was actually Cruz's first film. It plays as part of a four-feature retrospective dedicated to filmmaker Bigas Luna, alongside his fellow hits Golden Balls and The Tit and The Moon. A documentary compiled from the late director's video diaries, Bigas x Bigas, will enjoy its Australian premiere to round out the program strand. Plus, in the kind of curation that every film festival could benefit from, the Spanish Film Festival will also showcase the work of emerging Spanish female directors. While Summer 1993 actually played at last year's fest as well, the charming delight is getting another spin, with Málaga Film Festival hit Julia Is, Spanish Civil War-focused The Bastard's Fig Tree and the Goya-nominated The Open Door also on the bill. In addition, Melburnians get an extra pick thanks to doco Singled [Out], which was partially shot in Australia by the Melbourne-based Mariona Guiu and Barcelona-based Ariadna Relea. The Spanish Film Festival tours Australia from April 17, screening at Sydney's Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona and Palace Central from April 17 to May 6; Melbourne's Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Palace Brighton Bay, Kino Cinemas and The Astor Theatre from April 19 to May 6, and Brisbane's Palace Barracks and Palace Centro from April 26 to May 13. For more information, visit the festival website.
Once again, the Chinatown Precinct is going all out for Lunar New Year, closing off Little Bourke Street (between Swanston Street and Exhibition Street) on Sunday, February 2 for a massive street party. During the day, you can expect to find plenty of food stalls, local restaurant dining deals, cultural performances, a dragon parade, blessings, live music, a kids' area (with face-painting and craft classes) and a big pop-up beer garden. The official party lasts from 10am–8pm, but the street will be closed to cars until 2am — letting folks carry on at nearby late-night bars and BYO restaurants. But the festivities aren't only taking place on Sunday, February 2. The Museum of Chinese Australian History is also running a couple of different exhibitions from Saturday, January 25, and hosting a series of Shaolin kung fu performances on Saturday, February 1 and Sunday, February 2. Simply rock up to the museum's Shaolin Temple from 7.30-9pm on these days to find the monks putting on a show. The museum has even teamed up with nearby restaurants to run a couple of cultural tours and dinners. On Thursday, February, 6, punters can pay an easy $88 for a culinary talk paired with an 11-course feed at Chine on Paramount. And the following day, on Friday, February 7, museum staff will take visitors on a guided tour of Chinatown, which ends at Longrain — where guests can enjoy a big Lunar New Year set menu ($148 per person). [caption id="attachment_787188" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Longrain by Eugene Hyland[/caption]
Having fed countless cronut cravings out of their Richmond, CBD, and Fitzroy outposts, the Rustica crew is at it again, with owners Brenton Lang, Matt Vero, and Tristan White closing up operations on Swan Street and adding a Hawthorn store to their popular stable of bakery cafes. Launching next Monday, May 8, the new project makes its home within a light-filled space at the base of Maple's Power Street residential development, following in the footsteps of other food-focused apartment dwellers like South Yarra's Two Birds One Stone and Collingwood's Project 49. Out of the kitchen, head chef and co-owner White will plate up tried-and-true Rustica favourites alongside a handful of exclusive additions, with the bakery's artisan breads starring throughout. Newcomers include a baguette of slow-roasted lamb shoulder, red onion, cumin yoghurt, and iceberg lettuce; and a house-made baba ganoush, teamed with grilled haloumi, greens, and poached eggs. Of course, as with the other stores, Rumble Coffee Roasters will fuel the coffee list, while a covetable assortment of Rustica croissants, cronuts, and other sweet treats will hold court in the pastry cabinets. There's plenty more Rustica goodness on the horizon, too, with another store slated to open below The Rialto Towers in the coming months. Find Rustica's new digs at 121 Power St, Hawthorn, from May 8. Open Monday to Saturday 7am till 4pm, Sunday 8am till 4pm.
If chocolate bunnies and hot cross buns just won't cut it for you, we've found a sweet alternative this Easter season. The team from Doughboys Doughnuts knows when it comes to delicious hol(e)y pastry, the more extravagant the topping the better. Famous for their devilish hand-dipped creations, Doughboys are stopping by the Mercat Cross Hotel in the Queen Vic Markets to dish up their best sellers. Glazing and filling their way into the heart's of hungry Melburnians, Doughboys have got it very right. Swing by their pop-up station for a dose of delicious, sugary goodness. With flavours like maple bacon, key lime pie and passionfruit curd with dark chocolate ganache, you'll be drooling before you reach the queue. Jump on the Doughboys bandwagon quick; these guys are set to sell out quick with these decadent delights. Want more doughnuts? Check out our list of Melbourne's ten best.
Every July, the Melbourne International Film Festival unleashes a wealth of cinematic wonders upon the city's cinephiles. Every March, however, the Melbourne Queer Film Festival gets there earlier. Since kicking off in 1991, the showcase of LGBTIQ stories on screen has been shining a spotlight on the best, most interesting, and all-round latest and greatest queer movies, with its 27th event promising all of this and more once again. Taking place at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Kino Cinemas and Cinema Nova from March 16 to 27, MQFF has plenty of films helping it fulfil its mission this time around — 135, in fact. Stats-wise, viewers can expect 47 features, 15 documentaries and 73 shorts from 30 countries, including six Australian premieres, 35 Melbourne premieres and ten special event screenings and forums. It's going to be a busy 12 days — and that's without even delving into the specifics of the lineup. First, the Franco in the room — as in James, of course. He keeps proving a favourite of Aussie fest programmers, and pops up in not one but two titles in this year's MQFF schedule, starting with opening night's I Am Michael. There, starring opposite Zachary Quinto, he plays a real-life queer theorist and gay activist, who then became an anti-gay Christian pastor. It's quite a different role for his second appearance in the program: as a porn producer in King Cobra, which makes its way to Melbourne after screening at Sydney's Mardi Gras Film Festival. Don't worry, MQFF boasts more than just the seemingly busiest actor in the world, including local indie fantasy Pulse's tale of sci-fi-laced transformation for those after a homegrown fix. Also on the intriguing stories front, Cannes Film Festival Queer Palme recipient The Lives of Thérèse explores the work and impact of French activist Thérèse Clerc, while fellow documentary Real Boy charts a trans musician's quest for acceptance. Some non-Franco star power arrives in the form 2016 Sundance duo Other People and The Intervention, the former starring Molly Shannon at her best, and the latter marking the directorial debut of actress Clea DuVall. Elsewhere, Stranger Things' Charlie Heaton features in '90s-set teen mystery As You Are, 1:54 delves into bullying with Mommy's Antoine-Olivier Pilon, Brazilian sci-fi The Cult ponders a bizarre future, and Fursonas examines the folks who like to role-play in furry costumes. Basically, film fans can expect to be spoiled for choice — including at MQFF's many special events, which spans the return of festival favourite Movie Matchmaking and a discussion on the work of John Waters. Plus, recognising that even the biggest movie buffs can only see so many movies in a short period of time, the program also features a heap of great queer-centric films that audiences might've missed at MIFF last year, such as the Riley Keough-starring Lovesong, vogueing doco Kiki, true crime biopic I, Olga Hepnarova and applauded French effort Being 17.
One of the biggest films of 2015 sees a team of valiant superheroes do battle with a malevolent android named Ultron. A hulking hunk of metal bent on human annihilation, he’s the latest in a long line of movie robots run amuck, one that stretches back all the way to Fritz Lang’s silent Metropolis and encompasses many of the all-time great science-fiction films, including 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Terminator and the criminally underrated masterpiece that is Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey. But while Ultron is busy making life difficult for Iron Man and pals, a smaller film is offering a more nuanced take on the dilemmas of artificial intelligence. The directorial debut of writer Alex Garland, Ex Machina is a (relatively) low-budget techno thriller that poses some big, frightening questions about where humankind may be headed. Carried on the shoulders of its three central performances, it’s an intriguing piece of understated science fiction that’ll leave you pondering its content long after it comes to an end. The film follows Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson), a programmer for a massive internet search engine, who wins a mysterious company-wide lottery. His prize: spend a week with the company’s eccentric founder Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac) in his remote mountainside home and research lab. There, Caleb finds himself introduced to Bateman’s most incredible invention yet: a humanoid robot named Ava (Swedish actress Alicia Vikander). The purpose of Caleb’s visit, Bateman explains, is to spend time speaking with Ava, to determine whether she has truly achieved artificial intelligence. As the week stretches on, however, Caleb begins to sense that something is terribly amiss. Although it’s his first film in the director’s chair, Garland is certainly no stranger to science fiction, having previously written the screenplays for Sunshine, 28 Days Later and Dredd. Still, Ex Machina is certainly his most cerebral work — slow moving, but never dull. As Ava and Caleb grow closer and Caleb begins to question Bateman’s ultimate goals, the film forces us to consider a number of difficult ideas, from what exactly it means to be human to what responsibilities come with playing God. A big part of what keeps the film engaging are the performances of Garland’s three leads. Gleeson’s awkward, good natured Caleb strikes a stark contrast with Isaac’s macho take on Bateman, whose heavy drinking and aggressive alpha male personality adds an uneasy tension to many of their exchanges. So too is it difficult to pin down the dynamic between Caleb and Vikander’s seemingly innocent robot, especially when she begins to show hints of romantic interest in her new companion — feelings that he soon begins to reciprocate. The film is at its best when it's exploring these kinds of emotional, social and technological grey areas. Hidden character motivations leave viewers in the same spot as Caleb, feeling increasingly uneasy, and unsure of exactly where they stand. If you just want explosions, go and see Age of Ultron. But if you’re looking for something a little more intellectually rewarding, Ex Machina is the ticket for you.
Australian cinephiles, meet the cure to your yearly bout of Sundance and SXSW envy. Palace Cinemas has announced a brand new film festival dedicated to the American indie scene — i.e. the closest you can get to heading to Park City, Utah or Austin, Texas without actually heading overseas. Debuting in May 2016, and running two-week-long seasons in Palace's Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra venues, Essential Independents: American Cinema, Now will showcase the past, present and future of US independent filmmaking. In a dedicated screen event, audiences will be treated to a snapshot of current creative directions in America, as well as an exploration of their impact throughout international cinema. Accordingly, expect new features, documentaries and shorts, retrospectives on important figures from both behind and in front of the camera, talks and masterclasses, and a few special guests, too. Basically, in a program overseen by former Australian Centre for the Moving Image Head of Film Programs and current Revelation Perth International Film Festival director Richard Sowada, expect American indie heaven in Australian movie theatres. Considering the wealth of talent that has emerged from the US indie realm — think Inherent Vice's Paul Thomas Anderson, Boyhood's Richard Linklater, Mistress America's Noah Baumbach, Selma's Ava DuVernay, Night Moves' Kelly Reichardt and Sleeping With Other People's Leslye Headland, just to name a few — there are plenty of reasons to be excited about an annual trip through the kinds of flicks that don't always make it to local screens outside of Sydney and Melbourne's major film fests. Indeed, while there seems to be an Australian festival dedicated to every other culture, style and theme, until now non-Hollywood US productions have proven an overlooked niche. Essential Independents: American Cinema, Now will tour Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra in May 2016. For more information, keep an eye on the Palace Cinemas website.
The office cubicle. Its powers have been known to reduce any nine-to-fiver to a groaning, listless puddle by the end of the day. Thankfully, its tenure as a mainstay in our working lives might soon be over, with a revolutionary office pitched by interior designers Sean Cassidy and Joe Wilson, whose entry won top gong in the Workplace of the Future 2.0 Competition. Cassidy and Wilson's vision of the future workplace is one where the employees' needs always come first. In their aptly named plan, Organic Grid+, workers can seek respite from long hours staring at computer screens in the form of a high-rise sky garden, right in the office. The space itself is designed to be flexible, with customisable walls, desks and meetings rooms to whatever suits the employees' best. The balance of sustainability and ergonomics is ultimately a move to encourage higher productivity and morale at work. And if you're feeling peckish, you can say goodbye to trips down to the local cafe; instead you'll be able to harvest and grow your own food right in the heart of the office. However, on a more freaky note, the duo have dreamed up the idea of 'health-conscious plug-ins', that is, wearable technology that will monitor your well-being and be the voice of reason when you're hankering for that afternoon pick-me-up. And there's indoor abseiling, why not. We spend on average one-third of our lives at work, so it's all the better Cassidy and Wilson are leading the charge to turn our working space into an environment that repackages the comforts of nature and the home. There's already been similar constructions incorporating greenery into the corporate world: New York's office garden terrace, and in London, a three-storey indoor public park. The only downside? After this, we'll probably never leave our offices ever again. Via Fast Company. Images: Organic Grid+.
Bingo. Rave. Two ends of the spectrum of fine holiday fun and finally — finally — together as one. Bongo's Bingo is a games night like you've never seen before. Part club, part rave, and, of course, part bingo night, this unlikely fusion event has been wildly popular in the UK since 2015. Now, they're taking the show on the road and launching in Australia this June. In partnership with Wats On Events, Bongo's Bingo Down Under is throwing a massive bingo rave in Sydney's Paddington Town Hall on June 23, then launching a national tour the following week on June 29 in Melbourne's Collingwood Town Hall. Patrons can expect all of the debauchery of the original British version of Bongo's Bingo, including rave intervals, dancing on tables and a loose kind of bingo that you definitely never played with your nan (well, maybe you have). The victorious players can win everything from big cash prizes to a Hills Hoist, with a range of some absolutely ridiculous surprises on offer. If you're not sure what you're in for, check out this video for a better sense of this crazy night out: The Sydney launch event will be presided over by founder and comic ringleader Jonny Bongo who, as one would expect, is a character in the truest sense of the word and even holds the world record for the biggest ever pub quiz. Australia is the second international location for Bongo's Bingo, which recently launched in Dubai as well and, based on popularity, we imagine the event will continue to expand around the globe. This blowout party will certainly be a different kind of night out and is especially welcomed in Sydney where the lockout law ridden nightlife has taken such a hit in recent years. Venues, guest lineup and DJ hosts will be announced in coming weeks, and tickets will go on sale at 6pm on Wednesday, May 17. Keep an eye on this space for further updates and brush up on those bingo-break down skills in the meantime. Bongo's Bingo will hit Melbourne and Sydney in June. For more information and to buy tickets, visit bongosbingodownunder.com.au. Updated: Monday, May 15, 2017.
Misschu is back. Well, almost. Queen of rice paper rolls Nahji Chu, with a big leg-up from the Mawson Group, has rescued misschu from administration. "I've got a small equity share, which is better than nothing," Ms Chu told Good Food. Dealing as MissChu Holdings, Chu and the Mawson Group plan to open fifty misschu stores across Australia over the next five years. Yep, fifty. Meanwhile, all six eateries currently operating in New South Wales will stay on track, meaning 110 employees will hang onto their jobs. Win. While Mawson will provide expertise in business admin and expansion, Chu will take care of creative direction and continue to work full-time as catering manager. According to Good Food, there have also been initial chats about expanding beyond tuck shops. For a start, Sydney might be gaining a misschu Vietnamese restaurant that caters to the mid-range market. "Relieved and exhausted are two understatements running through my veins as I deliver this news," Chu announced on the MissChu Facebook page. "Quality control of the products and getting back to the heart of the business is my main focus. It's important to me that misschu has consistency across the brand. "I will continue misschu as a platform for public discussion about the real issues that confront our collective future; the plight of the world’s dispossessed, the delivery of affordable nutritious food, creativity and innovation — because without it we will not socially, economically or politically evolve in a progressive way. I stride, a little wiser, into the second chapter of the misschu story with honest and professional help in tow." MissChu, which, at its most profitable, turned over $20 million a year, went into voluntary administration in December 2014, with Rahul Goyal and Janna Robertson of Korda Mentha taking charge of the books. In January 2015, the London tuck shop closed and sixty workers lost their jobs. "In hindsight, I wouldn’t have opened in London," MissChu told Good Food. Ms Chu fought passionately to save her business, gaining traction with a #weneedchu campaign across social media. More than sixty expressions of interest were received. Looks like Chu's out of the woods. Via Good Food and Smart Company.
Since you can no longer have Margaret and David’s face on your TV screen for an hour a week, why not have them in your house, on cushions, 24 hours a day? What? Why and how are we sitting on Margaret and David? Sydney Film Festival's old marketing banners have been been repurposed into some of the most adorable home decorations we've seen in a while. You've seen the banners, hanging throughout Sydney to herald the coming of the city's biggest annual cinematic event. Each banner features a legendary film character, critic or audience member, stylistically depicted as though they were sitting in a cinema seat. You might have seen them while walking along George Street, oftening catch Princess Leia, Holly Golightly, Dorothy, Toto, Margaret Pomeranz and David Stratton dotted amongst the crowds hanging over the crowds. But now they're done with their time in the CBD. A creative trio from Sydney known as The Scallywag Society has turned the old banners into a series of oversized cushions, deck chairs, tote bags and tablecloths, which you can now buy. It's a total win all round: the banners have been upcycled rather than chucked out, and you get to give your house a permanent film fest vibe. What's more, a percentage of every purchase will go to SFF 2016. Every single creation in the collection is a one-off — and straight up adorable. You're going to want to pounce on these guys in particular; at $45/50 each they're going to sell out quicksmart. All items are currently on sale online and anything that’s left over by the time the festival opens on June 3 will be available at the Festival Hub. The only exceptions are two banners on which A Clockwork Orange's Alex DeLarge’s psychopathic visage appears. They’ll be given away via competitions, to be launched in June and announced at the festival’s end. The winners will get to decide exactly how they’d like Alex transformed. Doona? Wall hanging? Poncho? You'll decide. Shop The Scallywag Society's Sydney Film Festival collection over here. Want to know which films to see this year? Check out our top ten picks to book tickets to here.
Summer is here, Christmas is coming and everyone's looking for a ticket out of the city — for a few days, when the holidays roll around; or for a longer stay, should an extended getaway be in your future. If enjoying scenic nature sights in comfort sounds like your idea of bliss, Flash Camp has just announced they'll be hosting another pop-up glamping site within Shoalhaven's Coolendel private reserve. It's Flash Camp's second stint on the site, after first enjoying the location's charms earlier in 2017. This time, they're sticking around not only through the Christmas and New Year period, but until May 30, 2018. If you can't make the 2.5-hour drive down the South Coast from Sydney (or thirty minutes from Nowra) this year, start planning next year's Easter vacation or sneaky weekender. The remote location is an easy trip to achieve a true bush experience — well, kind of. As to be expected, the tents look quite luxe. The bell-shaped, premium 'Flash Tents' come with a king-sized mattress, covered in plush bedding and perched on timber pallets. The tents also feature solar lighting, table and chairs, Biology toiletries and a hand-woven Armadillo & Co rug. For groups looking for a slightly (very slightly) more traditional camping experience, Flash Camp also offer their regular bell tents with air beds. Guests also have access to the existing Coolendel amenities, including hot showers and barbecue facilities, as well as a communal Flash Camp tent with seating, fairy lights and a campfire. The glamping site is located within Coolendel's 52 hectares of bushland along the Shoalhaven River. Nature lovers will be keen on this secluded grassy park, which is an ideal location for spotting wombats, goannas, wallabies and native birds. Apart from nature watching and bushwalking, guests can also try a spot of canoeing, biking and fishing. Rates vary from $130 to $240 per night, depending on day of the week and holidays. Food is not provided, though, so campers should make sure to pack the esky full for the duration of the trip. Flash Camp Glamping will pop up at Coolendel from through until May 30. To book, visit the Flash Camp website. For more glamping options, check out our list for the ten best glamping spots near Sydney. By Marissa Ciampi and Sarah Ward.
Zip lines, bungee jumping and treetop obstacles are just the start of Australia's newest destination for adventure seekers. Set along the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Live Wire Park is Australia's first outdoor adventure park that is completely powered by nature. Located within The Great Otway National Park, it's family-owned and designed with the environmental in mind, which means the park is completely off-grid, fully solar powered and all water is collected on-site — both reducing waste and taking advantage of the natural resources available. Apart from its minimal environmental impact, the park sounds like it packs in some serious fun, too. Set just 900 metres from the Lorne coastline, the elevated park is set among the treetops and boasts a 5250-metre-long zip line, a suspended 120-metre walking circuit among the native blue gums and even a "super circuit" of 53 physical and mental activities that test park-goers while suspended in mid-air. You'll scale trees, swing on ropes and plunge down a bungee jump, all while solving a few puzzles and problems. For kids, the short circuit is a milder version with only 26 obstacles. Plus, you can expect plenty of wildlife sightings among the pristine rainforest and waterfalls. Live Wire Park is now open seven days a week at 180 Erskine Falls Road, Lorne. For more information and to book tickets, head to livewirepark.com.au.
Costa Rica, the little nation that could, has achieved 99 percent renewable energy use in 2015 — and is subsequently putting us all to shame in the sustainable energy race. Capitalising on their abundance of jungles and waterfalls, Costa Rica are able to use hydroelectricity as their primary source of renewable energy, which has seen them achieve almost complete independence from fossil fuel use in the past year. Woah. We should really pay attention and learn from their example. By contrast, the Australian government leans further into non-renewables, actively takes backwards steps in regulating big polluters, and drags its feet on meeting renewable energy targets. In June of this year, the government even reduced our target of large-scale renewable energy generation from 41,000 GWh to 33,000 GWh, and made a limp little pledge to increase our renewables to 23.5% by 2020. We are literally the Daria playing volleyball of environmentalism. Even New Zealand has a 2025 renewable target of 90%. Like, come on Australia — you're not even going to pretend to reach for that volleyball, are you? The big bogeyman that's always rolled out in regards to renewable energy — or anything to do with environmental progress, really — is the cost to the consumer and the loss of jobs. But Costa Ricans have seen energy costs drop by 12% in the last year alone; New Zealanders too enjoyed price drops when they started to phase into renewable energy in 2014. Can we please get a slice of that action? AC has been so pricey this summer. What with all the global warming and all. Sigh. Costa Rica, we salute you. Via Inhabitat. Image: Dennis Tang via Flickr
After the announcement that Stereosonic will be going on a 'hiatus' for 2016 and other big music festivals — Future Music and Soundwave included — throwing in the towel due to poor ticket sales, it seemed that this big, bad world of the Australian festival scene was too brutal, too tough for anyone to even consider breaking into the market right now. Well, not exactly. Because while the big guys are struggling, boutique festivals seem to keep on thriving. And a new festival, Sandalphon, has even been announced for later this year. Sandalphon will commandeer 225 acres of private land in the Gold Coast hinterland for three days of music and general debauchery over the Queensland Queen's Birthday long weekend on October 1-3. The music acts are yet to be announced (although it's set to be a mix of indie bands, DJs and R&B artists), but it's all the other stuff that's got us pretty damn excited. There will be seven stages — one of which will be on a lake and can be viewed from the actual water while floating on inflatable pool toys (!!!) — a nightly outdoor cinema, daily yoga practice, round-the-clock bathroom attendants and free access to the things you don't think to take camping, like hair ties and straighteners. Other add-ons seem to take heed from other Australian festivals, like 'The Treehouse', a stage that will be hidden off the festival map in a secret location, a dress-up policy and a kissing booth. Looks like someone might have gone to Secret Garden. There'll be all the usual food vendors, of course, plus three sit-down restaurants, which are apparently five-star (whatever that means). Tickets start from $280 for a one-day pass, $290 for a two-day pass and $300 for a three-day pass. SO obviously it makes sense to go the whole hog and stick it out for three days. Tickets include camping and parking and can be bought here. According to Sandalphon's website, the lineup should be announced soon.
If you had to choose one drink that captures the essence of Sydney, what would it be? How about a handcrafted gin, made using a selection of botanicals picked from our own Royal Botanic Garden? Well, that's exactly what the folks at award-winning Distillery Botanica Gin have created with their just-released limited-edition Rather Royal Gin. In developing this one-off creation, master distiller Phillip Moore teamed up with the Botanic Garden's director of horticulture, Jimmy Turner, to pick out the most gin-worthy botanical haul this verdant, 220-year-old site had to offer. Botanicals from all over the Garden have leant their unique flavour qualities to the spirit, including mandarin leaf, lemon verbena, lovage, chamomile, and even Pope John Paul roses. An age-old technique called enfleurage was used to cold-extract the various perfumes and refine the gin to its final product — effectively, a trek through the Botanic Garden, in boozy liquid form. What's more, Rather Royal Gin will have you drinking for an excellent cause, with sale proceeds earmarked for the Garden's many conservation programs; from seed collection and banking, to research, training, and awareness. Plus, the bartenders are Bulletin Place are offering up a special limited edition cocktail using the gin. Just 1000 bottles of Rather Royal Gin have been crafted, so if you're keen to snap one up, you'd best get in quick. They're priced at $129 and are available from selected stockists, Distillery Botanica Gin's website, and over the bar at The Botanic Garden Restaurant.
Nothing warms the cockles of our hearts more than traipsing along to a warm enclosure and getting an educational experience while we fill up on the newest stout or IPA. And it's the perfect timing for such merriments, with Melbourne's Good Beer Week in full swing and the GABS taking over the Exhibition Building this weekend. With an impressive 15 beers being released every week in Australia alone, it can be hard to get a grasp on all the best brews on the block. To help, we tried and tested an innumerable amount on your behalf. You can find most of these ten beauties at your local craft beer bottle shop, or you can take your legs along to one of Melbourne's many beery events this weekend. So grab a glass and hop to it y'all. 10. BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS — MOON DOG The experimental Moon Dog crew have created another taste-explosion, and it's the ideal choice for when you can't decide if you need the hair of the dog in beer or tomato format. Moon Dog's answer is to mimic the classic Bloody Mary — but instead of tomato juice, we're talking Red Ale. Three types of chillis have been infused but these aren't added to dominate. Instead, they leave a warm tingle on the tongue. Vonnegut might surely agree that this sort of nonsense is Moon Dog's strength. moondogbrewing.com.au 9. SUMMER ALE — MOUNTAIN GOAT When it comes to a supernatural weekend getaway, cruising the liquor isle in search of non-glass beers is a headache. Thankfully, the Mountain Goat lads are helping us out by packaging a passionfruit style favourite into cans. Not only will your beer be hoppy and aromatic, but it sure does make it easier having a chilly bin filled with tinnies so you don’t have to worry about security stealing your stash. Something to note for next summer. goatbeer.com.au 8. MISS PINKY — BOATROCKER There are not many beers the Germans didn't think of first, and sour beer is one of them. This sour style is called Berliner Weisse and is becoming increasingly popular on Australian palates. So how do you make such a sweet drink turn pink? Well, the Boatrocker Brewers have added 100kgs of sour raspberries to their ale yeast to create a cloudy pink beer. It's a tart, fruity character, yet surprisingly refreshing. Just make sure you get your lips wrapped around this lady at the beginning of the evening. boatrocker.com.au 7. WATTLE PALE ALE — BREWSMITH Using a 110-year-old recipe stolen from the beer gods, BrewSmith give you the chance to create your own batch at home. Their Aussie Wattle Pale Ale kit comes with a mix of wattle seeds, malt extract, hops and specialty grains, all of which you can leave in a dark nook for three weeks. What you're left with is a lighter pale ale (at around 4.4%) — one that will impress any backyard gathering. brewsmith.com.au 6. MOTLEY BREW — CAVALIER Collaboration is a beautiful thing. And so is the Motley Brew: a Summer Wheat IPA rocking those fruity and hoppy characteristics we’ve all come to enjoy. It's the love child of 15 different breweries (possibly the biggest beer collaboration ever achieved), using 5 different hops, which have all been left to ferment into one good taste. Although the Motley was only a limited release, the Brunswick-based brewers will be showcasing another collaborated tasty during Good Beer Week. Make sure you don’t miss their next one. cavalierbeer.com.au 5. GO FIGA — GRAND RIDGE BREWERY By substituting figs instead of sugar, the Grand Ridge Brewery have spiced up the classic ginger ale — and it's one to go wild about. It's long been their ethos not to add any sugars, chemicals or preservatives, so they’re sticking with organic figs. To top it off, there are even subtle hints of coriander, making this complex brew a real infusion of flavours. Their fig and ginger ale has even had a life as a sorbet — but with winter nearly afoot, we recommend lighting your inner fire with a bottle or two of this fresh, yet toasty delight. It will be available for the first time at GABS this weekend. grand-ridge.com.au 4. BLACKMAN'S UNFILTERED LAGER — BLACKMAN'S BREWERY A young couple from Torquay are naming their brews after family members; cousin Arthur might be a smoked porter and uncle Bob the spiced witbier. But it's their Unfiltered Lager that’s making us go all gooey – much like those delicate, honey-like malt flavours you'll find in this brew. Unfiltered lagers can tend to be difficult to make well, but Blackman's are using a mix of German and Czech styles to create one elegant, refined beverage. Notes of citrus hops are present, which is pretty ideal for a brewery based right near the coast. This lager just became your perfect accompaniment to your sunset feast of fish and chips. blackmansbrewery.com.au 3. BOHEMIAN LAGER — BROOKES BEER If you like your coffee Vienna style — you know, with a cheeky dollop of cream to smooth and cool your cup of joe — then you'll be keen on Brookes' Bohemian Lager. Full-on hops, cold coffee and chocolate notes are what you can expect from this copper-coloured beauty. These Bendigo-based brewers have been in the business for a mere 18 months, so you would be forgiven for not having heard of them already. Just make sure you don’'t forget them, as this malty Vienna lager is one to add to the 'session list'. brookesbeer.com.au 2. #003 MILK STOUT — EXIT BREWING Who doesn’t dream of throwing in their mundane day job and making a living from brewing beer? Well, it's the actual fairytale ending — or rather, beginning — for the two gentlemen who quit their IT jobs in the UK to create Melbourne-based Exit Brewing. The Milk Stout may have seemed a risky bet, at only their third release, but it's one stout that's firmly in our hearts. She's dark and nutty, but her velvety creams balance those hints of rum. If you are lactose intolerant, steer clear, as it's the real deal. exitbrewing.com.au 1. RAMJET WHISKY BARREL AGED — BOATROCKER What happens when you put imperial stout in just-emptied whisky barrels? The Ramjet, that's what. And with notes of caramel and toffee, this stout is out of this world. There's a reason this vintage, barrel-aged brew works so well — once the beer is removed from the barrels, they're bottled and left to age for another six months. The end results in roasted chocolate characteristics, followed by subtle hints of oak and whisky. The Ramjet Imperial Stout is our number one. And should be yours too. Roger that? Good. Over and out. boatrocker.com.au Hero image: Dollar Photo Club. Moon Dog image credit: formulatorrah via instagram; Boatrocker Miss Pinky image credit: gerert via Instagram; Grand Ridge image credit: sekainobeer via Instagram; Blackman's Brewery image credit: brewer_ash via Instagram; Brookes Beer image credit: beardface151 via Instagram
Alert your Santacore mates: Mr Miyagi is really getting into the festive spirit this year, offering free food and drinks to anyone dressed as Santa (or Mrs Claus) on Tuesday, December 17. If you're in full Santa regalia (meaning you have to be fully dressed up in the jacket, beard, pants and hat) and rock up from 5–6pm, you'll get a $69 feed me menu and free-flowing locally sourced wines, SAPPORO beer and specialty cocktails for one and a half hours — totally free. And you must keep it all on throughout your seating to get the freebies. [caption id="attachment_858678" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pete Dillon[/caption] Either drop down alone, with your partner or gather together a big group of mates to get this huge deal. Just note that, if everyone wants a free feed, everyone needs to be dressed up. If only one person dresses up, only they get the free food and drinks. But if you follow these rules, you'll get to get a massive amount of food and bevs at Mr Miyagi without having to reach for your wallet once you're done. It's a Christmas miracle!
When you first hear it described to you, Tangerine doesn't exactly scream 'comedy'. Set on the streets of Los Angeles one day before Christmas, the breakout feature at this year's Sundance Film Festival follows a poor transgender sex worker who has just gotten out of prison, only to discover that her pimp/boyfriend has been cheating on her. Sounds pretty grim, right? That's where you'd be wrong. Working closely with transgender actors Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor, neither of whom had any prior screen experience, writer-director Sean Baker and his co-writer Chris Bergoch have crafted one of the boldest, funniest and most memorable independent features we've seen in quite some time — one that puts transgender issues front and centre without ever becoming preachy or resorting to cliche. As if that weren't impressive enough, there's also the story of how they physically made the movie, using little more than a pair of iPhone 5s. Originally a budgetary decision, it ends up being Baker's ace in the hole, lending the film a brash, in-your-face aesthetic that could hardly be more fitting. We spoke with Baker about what it's like to make a movie on your mobile, as well as the importance of giving narratives like these the spotlight they deserve. Tell us a little bit about how this project came about? I live about a half a mile from the intersection of Santa Monica and Highland, which is sort of an unofficial red light district. It's known, especially as of late, for transgender sex workers. That intersection in particular was always known for its drama, and I would pass it and wonder why there haven't been more films that have taken place there. I was also in a situation where I was trying to get money for a much bigger film, but it never happened. The industry is really upside-down right now, and I was waiting and waiting and waiting, and I knew that if I waited any longer I wasn't ever going to make a film again. So I turned to Mark Duplass and said, "hey, a couple of years ago you offered me a micro-budget. I think I'm in the position where I'm going to have to take it." So does that mean the decision to shoot on the iPhone was primarily a budgetary one? Yes. Or at least, it started off that way, and then of course it became an aesthetic. Were there other films that influenced you, in terms of the way the movie looks? No, that was the cool part about it — that it seemed to me to be a pretty original aesthetic. We combined a bunch of tools. This anamorphic adapter that we used allowed us to shoot in true scope; true widescreen cinema. Then there was an app called FiLMic Pro that has a bunch of bells and whistles and allows you to shoot at 24 frames per second. And then we used the Smothee, which is a handheld stabiliser that stabilises the iPhone. Then in post production we ended up pumping the colours through the roof, which really enhanced the LA sun. So all of a sudden you have these four tools working together creating this look that I'm really happy with. When you're on location, what are some of the advantages and/or challenges of shooting on a phone? What it did was that it allowed us to basically work clandestinely. If you saw us shooting from across the street, you'd never know we were shooting anything professional, except for the fact that we had a boom pole. We got permits, but we didn't have to announce that we were shooting, so we were able to capture real street life. Of course, then we had to ask them for their releases after I yelled 'cut', which is a risk because you then have to chase people down and beg. But for the most part people are pretty nice. From what we've read elsewhere, it sounds like a lot of research went into the film. How important was it that you immerse yourself in this world? I think it's the only way. I think it's best to allow the world to speak to you, as opposed to you speaking to a world that you're not a part of. That's just an irresponsible way of storytelling. Chris and I, we're cisgender white males who are not from that world whatsoever. So we needed to do a lot of research. We had to find a collaborator and put the time in. And the collaborators in this case were our leads. Mya especially. She was the first person we met who gave us the enthusiasm we were looking for. On its face, the film's subject matter sounds fairly grim. Was there ever a version of the script without the comedic elements that played like a more straightforward drama? It's funny that you mention that, especially with you being from Australia, because the cinema coming out of Australia has been incredibly influential on me. Snowtown is such an amazing masterpiece, and that's what I thought the film was going to be originally. Not the murders, but that social realist style with that really desaturated look. So then what changed your mind? Getting to know the women, and hanging out with them regularly, I saw that even though they were dealing with incredible hardships, they used humour to cope. And I knew that the film would be dishonest if I didn't incorporate that humour. It was actually part of Mya's request as well. She said to me point blank, "I've seen your other films and I trust you, and I want to make this movie with you, but you've got to promise me that it will be funny. You've got to make a film that is entertaining for the people out here. We don't want a 'plight of' film that's all drama, hitting people over the head and leaving the audience feeling terrible." And I'm really glad she sent me down that road. On that point, how has the transgender community reacted to the film? It's been really positive. I thought this film was going to divide audiences, but so far there's been a really nice amount of love given to us across the board. One of our first reviews from a transperson came from Australia, at the Sydney Film Festival, and she was very, very positive about it. And having travelled with the film a little bit already, I've been able to see how members of trans communities react in different countries. I was in Columbia, in Bogotá, and members of the local trans community came to the premiere, and they said to me afterwards through a translator that while there are lots of cultural differences, they really connected and indentified with the sisterhood between the two main characters, which was a real nice thing to hear. With television shows like Transparent and Orange Is the New Black, as well as all the recent media coverage surrounding Caitlyn Jenner, it feels as though transgender stories are finally getting attention in mainstream culture. How important is this, and are you pleased to be part of the trend? Most definitely. Setting down this road two and a half years ago, we had no idea it was going to be as much a part of the zeitgeist as it is now. Any time visibility and awareness is increased it's a positive thing. The unfortunate part of all of this is that the murder rate here in the United State has almost doubled from last year, assuming it stays at this rate. It's hard to get up-to-date statistics because of the fact that a lot of these murders aren't investigated correctly. But we're already up to 15 murders of transpeople here in the United States in 2015, and we're only at the end of August. The hope is that increased awareness and visibility will eventually lead to acceptance, but we still have a long way to go. I also think we need a number of these types of narratives. I'm making a film about a microcosm — about transwomen of colour who happen to work as sex workers in a very small area of Los Angeles. So this is only representative of a tiny, tiny portion of the transgender community. This has to be one of many, many different narratives that are being told. Tangerine is in cinemas in Sydney and Melbourne now.
As well as transforming ACMI into its official hub for this year's nine-day outing, Melbourne Music Week (MMW) has a jam-packed boundary-blurring program in store for 2018. Out to turn traditional live music formats on their heads, MMW is bringing gigs to even more unexpected places, including a revolving musical celebration up on the Melbourne Star Observation Wheel. Here, punters and artists will take to the skies together, and be treated to a MzRizk-curated program featuring shows by DRMNGNOW, Soli, Kalala and more. As the city's longstanding temple to rock 'n' roll, Cherry Bar will play host to all-day laneway shindig Civic Sounds, dishing up live tunes from rock royalty Regurgitator and R&B singer Nai Palm (lead vocalist from Hiatus Kaiyote). BATZ, All The Colours and the Girls Rock! crew are also set to make an appearance. Meanwhile, psychedelic experience The Dark Space Project will see The Toff enveloped in darkness, inviting guests to immerse themselves in a soundscape without visual distraction. n keeping with the immersive theme, you can also join your bestie for the two-person, multi-sensory VR experience Want It To End, enhanced by live tunes from progressive rockers Fierce Mild. The nine-day lineup also features MMW: Talks — with chats on everything from Melbourne's late-night economy, to sound healing and music therapy — a huge show by You Am I in the Town Hall (using the historic Grand Organ) and performances at Flemington Bowls Clubs and the State Library of Victoria. Ever-popular all-ages event Push Over will then help wrap things up on November 24, pulling together acts like Ali Barter, Ruby Fields, and legends from Jebediah and Spiderbait for a free, music-filled party in Federation Square.
Summer's definitely just around the corner — Melbourne’s Rooftop Cinema has dropped half of its 2015-16 programme. And the first session to have sold out is A Girl Walks Homes Alone At Night — the world’s only ‘Iranian vampire western’ (so far), showing on Tuesday, December 8. Missed out on the chance to mix your bloodsucking with your Persian? Despair not. There’s no shortage of thrills to come. Opening proceedings on December 5 is Ridley Scott’s The Martian, starring Matt Damon as an astronaut stranded on Mars. The following evening, George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road will flood the screen with its post-apocalyptic desert car chase. Other adventurous flicks on the menu include Jurassic Park on December 19, followed by Jurassic World on the 20th, Everest on January 7, Aliens on January 16 and Interstellar on January 31. Meanwhile, several classics will get a good look-in. Warm up for Christmas with a December 23 showing of Home Alone and recover on the 27th in the company of Casablanca. Then there’s The Talented Mr. Ripley on January 10 and, for a fitting marking of Australia Day, Muriel’s Wedding on the 26th. Levi’s is also sponsoring a quartet of documentaries. See the film that made singer-songwriter Rodriguez world-famous on January 19 with Searching for Sugarman, learn about the frustrations with racial quality and police violence that inspired N.W.A.’s debut studio album on January 20 with Straight Outta Compton, find out what The National gets up to backstage on January 21 with Mistaken For Strangers and follow Amy Winehouse’s tragic life on the 22nd with Amy. Rooftop Cinema happens in the Melbourne CBD, on top of Curtin House, Swanston Street (between Little Bourke and Lonsdale Streets). The bar opens daily between 11am and 1am, with films starting at 9.30pm in December and January. The Feburary to April program will be announced in late January. Rooftop Cinema kicks off December 8. Check out the whole first half of the program at the Rooftop Cinema website.
At the end of any day of sightseeing in a foreign city, you know you're going to be hungry. So what better time to sit down to a feast you'll always remember? Kick that diet of Haribo packets and "that restaurant there, that's open, that'll do" to the curb. Here are 12 dishes to add/start off your next legendary itinerary. Just don't forget to book your table before you book your airline ticket. REINDEER MOSS & CEP MUSHROOMS AT NOMA, COPENHAGEN Named no.1 in the world's 50 best restaurants, Noma serves a reinvented version of Nordic cuisine focusing on ingredients foraged from nearby forests and shores. Image: Jose Moran Moya. CHARCOAL-GRILLED KING PRAWN AT EL CELLER DE CAN ROCA, GIRONA, SPAIN The full name of this dish is charcoal-grilled king prawn with king prawn sand, ink rocks, fried legs, head juice and king prawn essence. So, yeah. After relocating in 2007, family business El Celler de Can Roca now boasts the work of head chef Joan Roca; his brother, wine aficionado Josep; and their younger sibling Jordi, a popular local pastry chef. Together they have proved their heavenly status as a culinary holy trinity. Image: Love, August OOPS! I DROPPED THE LEMON TART AT OSTERIA FRANCESCANA, MODENA, ITALY Embracing imperfection, head chef Massimo Bottura has successfully turned a "back-of-house disaster into a front-of-house legend" (as his publishing house Phaidon puts it). Two surprises here: this dish is (a) precisely constructed and (b) surprisingly savoury, with capers, lemongrass and candied bergamot. Image: Paolo Terzi MARGHERITA PIZZA AT L'ANTICA PIZZERIA DA MICHELE, NAPLES With two options on the menu, you have the tough choice between margherita and marinara when you make it to this world-famous and always packed Naples pizzeria. Choose the margherita. One member of our team who's been says she's "still thinking about it years later". Image: Mike Valore ICE SHREDS, SCARLET SHRIMP PERFUME AT MUGARITZ, SAN SEBASTIAN, SPAIN In a bid to explore a fully immersive culinary experience, head chef Andoni Aduriz seeks to create masterpieces that dance with aroma, texture and flavour, while others are designed to be provocative and invoke particular emotions. Image: Foodie Date Night DUCK CARNITAS AT COSME, NEW YORK With this dish taking nearly four days to prepare (at one point it's even doused and cooked in Mexican Coke), the $59 price tag feels like a bargain, especially when split between 2-3 people. It's at Mexi-luxe Cosme, one of the most admired new openings in New York in 2014. CHEESEBURGER AND FRIES ANIMAL STYLE AT IN-N-OUT BURGER, CALIFORNIA Cult burger chain In-N-Out may pop up in Australia from time to time, but it's a well known fact the In-N-Out chain is resistant to expanding beyond the US west coast. Even franchising is a no-no. So if you're craving something 'Animal Style', your only safe bet is that plane ticket. ROASTED LAMB SHOULDER, CARAMELISED MILK, LAMB MARMITE AND BLACK WALNUTS AT RIVERSTEAD, CHILHOWIE, USA Culinary dream turned love story, head chef John Shields and lead pastry chef Karen Urie Shields opened their own restaurant in the sleepy Virginia town of Chilhowie, where the couple are delving into the world of experimental cooking and foraging. ABACAXI COM FORMIGA AMAZONICA AT D.O.M, SAO PAULO With a focus on simplicity, Chef Alex Atala's dishes still manage to burst with ingenuity and flavours. One such example is his signature dessert of just two ingredients: fresh pineapple garnished with a dried ant. Image: This guys food blog REAL PAD TAI AT THIP SAMAI, BANGKOK Thip Samai is Bangkok's most popular destination for what might be the most famous thing to come out of Thailand. Some people claim not to be so impressed at the end of this quest for the pad thai holy grail, but it remains the destination to beat for fried noodle pilgrims everywhere. Image: Delicious Conquests PORK SKIN WITH BLACK SESAME BRIOCHE, SALMON ROE AND CHERRY SAUCE AT DIVERXO, MADRID With their website looking more like an art film than a tool with which to make reservations, DiverXo pushes the limits of what food can be. Three Michelin star chef David Munoz has not only designed his dishes down the most precise speck of 'potato glass', he's designed what implement you should eat it with, from fork to chopsticks to spatula. Image: Spanish Hipster GUINEA FOWL CURRY WITH SHAMPOO GINGER AND HOLY BASIL AT NAHM, BANGKOK Australian-born chef David Thompson has created what's widely regarded as the best restaurant in all of Asia, so it feels only right to visit him at least once. This standout dish is your chance to eat 'shampoo' without gagging. Image: Rock Star Travel.\ Top image: Noma.
Inner city Melburnians won't be the only Victorian residents diving into a massive all-night arts bash next year. White Night is expanding in 2017, with the regional town of Ballarat joining the likes of Melbourne, Paris, Toronto and São Paulo as hosts for the one-night festival of dazzling light projections, interactive art, live music, performance and film. Set to happen two weeks after the Melbourne instalment in February, White Night Ballarat will see artists taking over the town's city centre, public spaces, laneways, building facades, live music venues and parks for March 4, 2017. Of course, the event's globally famous use of light art will be the main focus, with large-scale projections set to give Vivid Sydney a run for its money. It's the trademark of the world-renowned Nuit Blanche project (of which White Night is a part), which turns cities around the world into glittering galleries for one night only. The huge news was announced by tourism and major events minister John Eren on Friday, along with the reveal of White Night Melbourne and Ballarat's new artistic director — Australian dancer, choreographer, director and producer David Atkins. He produced the opening and closing ceremonies for the Sydney Olympic Games, so you could say it's not his first time at the large-scale, high-production event rodeo. Watch this space for White Night Ballarat's nitty gritty program details. White Night Ballarat is happening on March 4 2017. White Night Melbourne is locked in for February 18, 2017. Via The Age.
Ever been gettin' loose out on the town and thought, "I could destroy a round of mini-golf right now." Procure an Argyle-patterned vest and beige slacks immediately, because the good folk at Howler are bringing back their custom-made nighttime mini golf course to conquer. One heck of a drawcard launched in July 2015 (yep, that's a few years ahead of Holey Moley), the triumphantly returning Howler Mini-Golf-O-Rama features nine holes each complete with a classic theme (think windmills, volcanos and jungles, classic mini-golf). It'll be back at Howler from Monday, July 10 to Wednesday, July 19, from 3pm on weekends and 6pm on weekdays. And it's FREE if you buy a bev. To use the course, all you have to do is turn up to Howler, buy yourself and/or your golfing buddies a drink and choose your putter. The course will be set up in what was once Howler's bandroom, and to keep the good times flowing, guest DJs will pump up the jams (and hopefully play a non-stop dubstep remix of Lee Carvallo's putting challenge. In fact, consider this an official request). Check out Elliphant and MØ carving up the course, to give you an idea. Now, let's all dig out our Happy Gilmore VHS and prepare to just taaaap it in, give it a little tappy, a tap-tap-tapperoo. Find Howler Mini-Golf-O-Rama at 7-11 Dawson Street, Brunswick from Monday, July 10 to Wednesday, July 19, from 3pm on weekends and 6pm on weekdays (open from 8pm on opening night, Monday, July 10). Golfing is free if you buy a drink from the bar. Strictly 18+.
Once again, Birrarung Marr will be transformed into a sprawling outdoor hawker market, as the Night Noodle Markets rock into town from November 10-27. As usual, visitors will be spoilt for choice, with stalls from culinary favourites like Wonderbao, Gelato Messina, and Chin Chin, joining debut offerings from some exciting newcomers. Folks of all ages will find themselves wrapped up in the festival buzz, with roaming performers, themed bars, and a broad live entertainment program backing up all that foodie fun. The markets will run from Thursday, November 10 until Sunday, November 27. They'll be open Monday and Tuesday 5-9pm, Wednesday and Thursday 5-10pm, Friday 5-11pm, Saturday 4-10pm, and Sunday 4-9pm. Entry is free but the place — if other years are anything to go by — will be packed.
File this one under news that probably won't happen, but damn would it be cool if it did: Italian architect Piero Lissoni has won a competition to design New York City's new aquarium, and it's easy to see why. The proposed 'Aquatrium' would be situated at Long Island City's Anable Basin, and would consist of two circular elements submerged in the East River. Picture the underwater lair of a '70s era James Bond villain, and you probably won't be too far off the mark. The plans feature an open-air basin sitting just below water level, boasting eight clear 'biomes' that would house aquatic creatures from the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian and Southern oceans along with the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Red and Tasman seas. An iceberg in the centre would represent the poles, while at night the space would be covered by a sliding domed roof, transforming it into a planetarium (casually). You can't accuse this guy of having a lack of imagination. "Having the water level define the starting point of the project, the site is excavated to become a spacious and innovative water basin," Lissoni's team told Dezeen. "The main idea is to generate an environment whereby visitors feel that they themselves are entering the water to discover the beauty of the marine life on display." Sadly, the design competition isn't anything official, so don't expect to be walking through Lissoni's futuristic aqua-dome any time soon. But feel free to stare longingly at the pretty pictures. Via Dezeen.
You don't need an excuse to eat drink and be merry, and Melbourne certainly doesn't wait for one. But even though our food obsession is strong all year round, February sees it culminate in a delicious explosion of food, drink and the world's biggest epicures at the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival. It's 19 days of unashamed indulgence and general nerding out about everything gastronomic. Last year it was all about water, and this time around it's all about the baker. Fresh bread, doughnuts, pastries and sweet things will be on show at the Artisan Bakery & Bar — this year's festival hub, which is returning to the river at Queensbridge Square. Head along to learn from world-class bakers Justin Gellatly and Eric Kayser, or one of the many events running across the two and a half weeks. There are lunches, dinners, masterclasses, food crawls and parties, so there's bound to be something that feeds your hunger. Image credit: Peter Tarasiuk
Since 2014, MPavilion has been Australia's leading architecture and design commission, attracting worldwide attention and bringing some of the most exciting architects from home and abroad to this city of ours. Founded by the Naomi Milgrom Foundation — a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to initiating and supporting great examples of public design, architecture and culture — MPavilion is now open for its biggest year yet. Located in Queen Victoria Gardens from Tuesday, October 3 until Sunday, February 4, MPavilion creates a free and open space that encourages coming together inside a beautiful setting. Each annual iteration of MPavilion sees a new architect commissioned to produce a stunning pavilion, with each designer bringing his or her own unique style and ideas to the project. Behind this year's design is legendary Dutch 'starchitects' Rem Koolhaas and David Gianotten of architecture firm OMA. For the uninitiated, Koolhaas has been awarded the Pritzker Prize — essentially the Nobel Prize of architecture — while being described as "the world's most controversial architect" and designing celebrated buildings the world over. Meanwhile, Gianotten is an architectural superstar in his own right, becoming a core part of OMA in recent years and overseeing the firm's expansion into Asia Pacific. And this year's design matches the duo's impressive resumes. Described by Gianotten as a "living room looking into the garden of the city", the architects have designed a pavilion that blurs the lines between inside and out, one that is reconfigurable and obscures the distinction between audience and performer. Taking its cues from natural amphitheatres, the pavilion is warm, bright and open, and provides the perfect way to take in Melbourne's skyline. There's coffee and a bar on-site, making it the ideal place to stop by and see what's going on. "This year's pavilion reflects OMA's interest in the concept of inside-outside design and conversing with the city, so it's been very exciting to have them involved," Milgrom explains. "It's an open brief, so it's all about what the architect feels is perfect for the pavilion." Here, with the help of MPavilion founder Naomi Milgrom, we've picked out five great events from the massive program that'll have you looking up into the skies and wanting more. VIRGINIA TRIOLI IN CONVERSATION WITH REM KOOLHAAS, DAVID GIANOTTEN AND NAOMI MILGROM Join prominent Australian journalist Virginia Trioli for a panel discussion with this year's architects Rem Koolhaas and David Gianotten, alongside MPavilion founder Naomi Milgrom. Among the keenest design minds around today, each will provide their perspective on some of the most pressing issues facing architecture and design, where the future of architecture might lay, and give their insight into the latest MPavilion design. Wednesday, October 4, 1–2pm. PHILIP BROPHY'S STADIUM Australian artist Philip Brophy works across a lot of mediums — he's an influential filmmaker, writer, graphic designer, educator and academic. For one night only, he'll return to his experimental music roots to perform Stadium. With Milgrom considering "music to be an integral part of the pavilion", Brophy will perform solo on drums, whilst flanked by showgirl dances and a intensive lighting display, celebrating rhythm in the guise of a glam-esque stadium rock concert. Friday, October 6, 6–8.45pm MATTHEW BIRD: AN IMMERSIVE ENCOUNTER WITH THE AFTERLIFE Working across sculpture, installation, architecture and more, Melbourne-based artist and experimental architect Matthew Bird converts MPavilion into a hypnotic and transcendent audio-visual space. The work consists of a careful configuration of carillon bells — a set of tuned bells typically played with keys or pedals — which respond to the wind, audience manipulation, and the whims of composer Daniel Von Jenatsch and choreographic artist Phillip Adams. Friday, December 8 – Friday, December 22 TIN&ED INFLATABLE FUTURES New York-via-Melbourne creative practice Tin&Ed has been blurring the lines between work, play, design and art for some time now. For MPavilion, the designers have created a site-specific set of inflatable jumping castles that are perfect for the little ones. There are distant planets, wormholes and more interactive sculptures that are bound to keep the kids entertained, while you kick back and enjoy a coffee in the park. Monday, January 8 – Sunday, January 14 QUEER SOME SPACE PRESENTED BY XYX LAB AND THE LIFTED BROW A day-long symposium that combines talks, panel discussions, a twilight keynote presentation and some evening musical performances to round it all off, Monash Art Design & Architecture's XYX Lab join forces with local literary magazine The Lifted Brow to present Queer Some Space. Discussing OMA's pavilion directly, the event focuses on progressive architecture design, fostering local community art spaces and how to ensure inclusiveness and accessibility through design. Saturday, January 27, 2–10pm Top images: John Gollings.
Looking for a new hobby? We've got just the thing. A Slovenian company has created the world's first self-inflating stand-up paddleboard, after their runaway crowdfunding campaign rose more than $175,000 USD. The SipaBoard Air is the latest innovation in one of the world's fastest growing sports (and one of our favourite ways to get on the water in Sydney, mind you), and comes with an inbuilt pump capable of fully inflating the board in under five minutes. The initial Kickstarter campaign has closed, but units can still be ordered via Indiegogo, with the most basic model, the SipaBoard NEO, selling for $640 USD plus shipping. Each board comes with a rechargeable battery, a streamlined fin box, a board bag and a carry leash. You can also order a collapsible paddle, although that'll cost you extra. According to the Indiegogo page, production on the boards has already begun, with orders expected to ship sometime in August — perfect timing for those of us in the Southern Hemisphere. But why take our word for anything when you can watch the SipaBoard Air promotional video? Seriously, it might be the most endearingly cheesy thing we've ever seen.
Come summer in Melbourne, you won't just see stars on cinema screens — you'll sit beneath them while you're watching a movie. That's what Rooftop Cinema promises each and every year, and the first part of its 2018–19 program certainly delivers. First stop: Ryan Gosling in Damien Chazelle's First Man. Kicking off on the first day of summer (conveniently a Saturday) and running through until March 2019 (with the second half of the program still to be announced), there's plenty more movie fun where that came from. Haven't had a chance to see one of this year's most hyped films, A Star Is Born? Keen to check out Nic Cage bloodied in one of the best horror films of this 2018? Want pretend you're at Live Aid watching Freddy Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody? You'll find them all on the lineup. Don't forget that checking out classics on the big screen is all part of the Rooftop Cinema experience as well, though. This year's retro contingent includes tributes (Labyrinth, Heathers and Rocky), all manner of Christmas hijinks (Love Actually and Home Alone) and three nights of Leo (The Basketball Diaries, The Beach and Shutter Island). If there's ever been a reason to spend your evenings outdoors for the next few months, this is it. Rooftop Cinema takes place in the Melbourne CBD, on top of Curtin House, Swanston Street (between Little Bourke and Lonsdale Streets). The bar opens daily between 11am and 1am, with films starting at 9.30pm in December and January. The February and March program will be announced in late January.
It's one of the most popular podcasts in the world, and one that has educated listeners on topics from the inner workings of waterslides to the ingredients that make up Spam. Now, Stuff You Should Know is coming to Melbourne for the first time. Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant are the hosts of the research-based, general knowledge podcast. The pair became friends while working at HowStuffWorks.com and created the podcast as an attempt to repackage some of the website's most popular content. So far they've recorded episodes on everything from disco to the time when Nazis invaded Florida in WWII; wonky stuff like trickle-down economics and voter suppression; science-y topics like the sun, global warming, bioluminescence and willpower; and totally random topics you'd never think could be interesting, like grass, zoot suits and shotgun houses. Since 2014, Josh and Chuck have taken the Stuff You Should Know live show on the road to cities across the US, Canada, the UK and Ireland. Like the podcast, the live experience bundles up learning with laughter. Expect to witness a never-heard-before episode unfold in real time.
Thousands of punters attending Splendour in the Grass were left stranded for hours at the North Byron Parklands site on Friday evening, with bus and traffic wait times reaching into the early hours of Saturday morning. After The Strokes wrapped up on the main Amphitheatre stage, the masses flocked to the festival's shuttle buses — only to find almost empty bus bays and unbelievable queues. Oh man. #Splendour bottleneck is absolutely burying the vibe of thousands in one fell swoop. NOT COOL @SITG 😭 — Kira Puru (@kirapuru) July 22, 2016 In a pretty chaotic scene that resembled The Walking Dead, punters were jumping ditches, ducking under fences, pissing in fields and flocking to any maxi-cab (or moving vehicle, for that matter) that passed by. Concrete Playground even saw a woman with a walking frame having to walk the 1.25km from the festival entrance to the festival gate and duck under a fence, waved to do so by a NSW Roads and Maritime traffic controller. By 1-2am, many punters even waved $50 notes at passing cars in the hopes of catching a ride back to town. Traffic was no better, with early leavers waiting up to two hours just to leave the festival site, many returning to Byron Bay by 2-3am. The "line" for the buses at #SITG2016 been waiting for 65mins so far. Poor form #Splendour organisers @secretsounds pic.twitter.com/ojhl33RLmM — BrigFee (@boo_indeed) July 22, 2016 NSW Roads and Maritime officers corralled punters down into darker, less busy parts of the pre-highway road — with little time for compassion for the stranded punters. NSW Police rolled out the riot squad, patrolling with formidable casualness. This is not Splendour's first time at the closing time rodeo — so what the heck went wrong? Using data for non-camping ticketholders versus camping ticketholders should have offered a clue into Friday night's logistical nightmare — there were simply not enough buses for the number of non-staying punters. Here's hoping Saturday's three-hour set from The Cure staggers the leaving times. so we'll wait all damn niiight by the big floodlight towers they have the buses and also the powerrrr #SITG2016 pic.twitter.com/6zQvraIz7N — spicy cinnamon taco (@Caitlin_Welsh) July 22, 2016
Get soused with the ghosts of some of Victoria’s most notorious criminals, at the latest prison pop-up at the old Melbourne Gaol. It’s the third such behind-bars shindig in as many months at the historic slammer, following on from evenings of vodka and gin appreciation in February and March. Completing the alcoholic triple threat, this time it’s all about the whisky. Tickets to the pop-up bar cost $40 and include a pair of complimentary drinks. Choose from three different whiskies, either straight up or shaken into a cocktail. You can also stick with beer or wine, if you're not one with the spirits. An extra $15 (reduced to $10 if you book online) gets you into a 45-minute whisky masterclass. And if you're feeling peckish, food will also be available courtesy of Hoy Pinoy Filipino BBQ — not your average prison food.
Since it first hit record stores in 1975, Patti Smith's Horses has regularly been cited as one of the most influential rock albums of all time. Now, some four decades later, its creator's spiritual descendants will show you exactly why that is. Presented by the Melbourne Festival, Australian musicians Courtney Barnett, Jen Cloher, Gareth Liddiard and Adalita will perform Barnett's album in its entirety to a packed audience at Hamer Hall. Tickets to the first show sold out in a flash, prompting organisers to put together a second. Don't miss out twice. This event is one of our top ten picks of the Melbourne Festival. Check out the other nine.
The National Gallery of Victoria has been serving up an art fix you can enjoy from the comfort of home since lockdown 1.0, with a jam-packed digital program of virtual tours and events, essays, interviews and more. And now, kicking off on Monday, July 13, it's hosting an online surrealism art course, to help see your creative mind through these looming weeks of lockdown. Dubbed 'Surrealism — 1920s to Now', the self-guided course will run over eight weeks, delivered by the NGV's expert curators and special guests through a program of videos, quizzes, readings and activities. You can sign up for full access to the intermediate-level study for just $49 (or $44 for NGV members), or go a little deeper with a premium enrolment ($134–149), which'll also get you five virtual study sessions hosted via Webex. Students will dig right into the history of the surrealism movement, kicking off with its origins in 1920s Europe. You'll explore its defining elements and techniques, its arrival into Australia in the 1930s, and its emergence in art and film right up to today. Learn under the likes of acclaimed art critic Dr Andrew Frost and La Trobe University lecturer in Screen Studies Dr Anna Dzenis, while exploring key NGV works like Salvador Dalí's 1946 painting Trilogy of the desert: Mirage. Top image: Trilogy of the Desert: Mirage (1946), Salvador Dali, courtesy of NGV
Twenty years ago the Australian wine landscape was shaped by French viticulture. The grapes we grew and the wines we drank were dominantly French in origin — Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. But over the last decade, an influx of Italian, Spanish, and Greek varietals have begun to make their mark across Australia, and they're now commonplace on wine lists and retail shelves all over the country. The winemakers who saw the potential for these varieties, long before they were considered cool, deserve endless credit. Before Aussie Wine Month kicks off in May, we've partnered with Wine Australia to round up five bottles of Australia's most delicious, innovative wine — keep this list in mind for your next dinner party. ASSYRTIKO Because the temperature in Australia's wine regions is continually rising, the search for varieties that thrive in warmer environments has moved to the top of every winemakers to-do list. It's taken ten years and a long wait at Australian customs to get Santorini's indigenous white grape Assyrtiko into Australia (specifically, South Australia's Clare Valley). Producing a fresh, crisp, acidic style of white wine, it's the perfect accompaniment to contemporary Australian food, and a natural partner to Australia's climate and cuisine. Think grilled octopus, fresh seafood, slow cooked lamb shoulder and cured ocean trout. In a couple of sentences: Assyrtiko is native Greek white wine that we've recently started producing here in Aus, that thrives in a warmer climate and which will quench any thirst on a hot day. Try it if you like Sauvignon Blanc, if you're bored with the status quo, or have a seafood platter to devour. One to try: 2016 Jim Barry Assyrtiko, Clare Valley SA MENCIA A wonderful little region called Galicia is tucked up high in the North-West corner of Spain. Here, among some of the steepest wine-growing mountain ranges, a delicious red grape called Mencia was found, picked and brought over to our shores. What's exciting about this grape is that it can express so many different characteristics when it's made into wine. From light and fresh, with a powerful mid-palate concentration of fruit and an elegant finish, to a rich and opulent, dark and brooding beast with structure and density. No matter which direction the flavours go, the wine is always perfumed, with a persistent juiciness that lingers in your mouth for hours. In a couple of sentences: Tastes like Pinot Noir on steroids — loads of fruit, but a nice grip on your palate. Try it if you're eating pulled pork, and you need something to match it with. One to try: 2016 Oliver's Taranga '2 Chicas' Mencia Rosé, McLaren Vale SA ZINFANDEL Zinfandel (also known as Primitivo) is a black-skinned grape variety that produces a robust red wine. Expect to experience jammy flavours of blueberry, raspberry, cherry, plum, and cranberry alongside characters of black pepper, clove and liquorice. When you taste Zinfandel, it often bursts on the palate with juicy fruitiness, followed by spice and often a tobacco-like finish. A pro-tip when searching for the right Zinfandel is to keep an eye on the back label and check the Alcohol by Volume (ABV). If you like a lighter, more red-fruited style, look for a lower ABV. If big dark fruits and savoury spices are more your speed, look for a Zinfandel with an ABV above 15%. In a couple of sentences: Originating in Italy, made famous in the USA and now found in our backyard, Zinfandel is your Friday night pizza wine. If Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot had a love child, Zinfandel would be the product. One to try: 2013 Lowe Wines Zinfandel, Mudgee NSW SKIN CONTACT/ORANGE WINE To make an orange wine you take white grapes and crush them slightly (usually under foot), and then put them in a vessel (often ceramic, or made of large cement) to ferment. The fermenting wine is left alone from anywhere between four days to over a year. The longer the time spent on skins, the darker the orange/amber colour and the more tannin (or structure) the wine receives. Orange wines are usually robust and bold, with honeyed aromas of sweet melon, hazelnut, brazil nut, bruised apple, wood varnish, lanolin, juniper, sourdough and dried orange rind. On the palate, they're big, dry, and tend to be overly acidic — not for the faint hearted. In a couple of sentences: The colour and tannin structure of orange wine comes from extended juice contact with the skin of the grape — it's white wine for lovers of red wine. Try it if you like sour ale, cider, bold flavours, tannic wines, or if you've got a lemon stuffed baked chicken in the oven. One to try: 2016 #003 by Tom Ward, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewurtztraminer, Orange NSW PÉTILLANT-NATUREL Pétillant-Naturel is a delicious, lightly-sparkling wine, unfiltered and often bottled with a crown cap (like a beer bottle) rather than a cork. Colloquially shortened to Pét Nat, it's lightly cloudy like a cider and holds the distinct vinous characters, aromas and flavours of the grape variety it's made from — meaning each bottle, or vintage will have its own unique flavour. A rustic style of sparkling wine, Pét Nat is made using mostly traditional production methods. Unlike classic sparkling wines and Champagne however, wine producers don't add sugar to kick off secondary fermentation in the bottle (the element that gives most varieties of sparkling a firmer, more pronounced bubble). In fact, most, if not all Pét Nats do not see any additions in their fermentation process. The literal translation of the name is 'natural sparkling' — meaning it's the truest essence of grape in a bottle that a winemaker can get. In a couple of sentences: Bursting with flavour, Pét-Nat is a lightly-sparkling wine with a stylistically softer bubble compared to more traditionally-made sparkling wine. Try it if you like cider. One to try: 2016 Delinquente 'Tuff Nut' Bianco di Alessandria Pét Nat Riverland, SA Celebrate all types of Australian wine by getting involved with Aussie Wine Month over May — there will be events and tasting opportunities all over the country. Images: Kimberley Low.
