Aunty's done it again; inviting the whole country round for a cup o' chai and a grand ol' hootenanny — the 2015 Meredith Music Festival is finally here. Returning to beloved Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre, near Golden Plains over December 11-13, Meredith's more eclectic than ever — it's the Silver Jubilee 25th anniversary after all. Following the recent major announcement of Ex-Fleet Foxes minstrel Father John Misty as this year's top headliner, Aunty's added the likes of Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Ratatat, The Thurston Moore Band, Tkay Maidza, Neon Indian, Big Daddy Kane, Shellac, Fatback Band, Jessica Pratt, Briggs, and many more to the bill. As always, Meredith's a BYO paradise, and of course, the 'No Dickhead Policy' stands stronger than ever. Like every year, tickets are already sold out — so we hope you thought ahead and got in early on that one.
When Robert De Niro asked his reflection who it was talking to, Joe Pesci questioned whether he was funny, and Leonardo DiCaprio crawled along the ground under the influence of Quaaludes, one man was responsible. Over a career spanning almost six decades, Martin Scorsese has brought tales of taxi drivers, goodfellas and wolf-like stockbrokers to the screen — and now an exhibition dedicated to his work has come to Melbourne. From May 26 to September 18, the Melbourne's Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) will pay tribute to one of America's most iconic directors, exploring everything from his early experimental beginnings to the award-winning films that have shaped many a movie buff. If you're already a fan, you'll be in Scorsese heaven. If you've somehow resisted the charms of (or completely missed) the likes of Raging Bull, The Departed and Hugo — or his concert flicks such as The Last Waltz and Shine a Light, or even Boardwalk Empire and Vinyl on TV — then prepare to have your eyes opened. In its only Australian stop after wowing Berlin, Ghent, Turin and Paris, SCORSESE will present a collection of more than 600 objects spanning the filmmaker's entire cinema resume, as curated by the Deutsche Kinemathek, Berlin's Museum of Film and Television. Expect storyboards, hand-annotated film scripts, unpublished production stills, costumes, film clips and more, all drawn from the private collections of De Niro, Taxi Driver writer Paul Schrader, and Scorsese himself. No ACMI exhibition would be complete without a bustling lineup of screenings, talks and other educational events, so we'd advise blocking out a few days to delve into the influence and impact of the guy who hasn't only mastered movies, but directed the music video for Michael Jackson's 'Bad' too. Top image: Exhibition section "New York". Photo: Deutsche Kinemathek / M. Stefanowski, 2013.
Explore hidden nooks and marvel at grand designs, as doors open all around town for the latest edition of Open House Melbourne. Returning for its ninth consecutive year, this year's event is set for the final weekend of July, and will for the first time extend beyond the CBD and into the surrounding suburbs. In fact, the newly revealed 2016 program features a whopping 140 buildings, stretching all the way from Newport to Bundoora. Highlighting many an architectural marvel, the Open House program covers everything from government buildings including Parliament House and the Supreme Court of Victoria; houses of worship such as St Paul's Cathedral and East Melbourne Synagogue; cultural institutions like the Athenaeum Theatre and the State Library; and sporting venues including AAMI Park and the National Tennis Centre. Pop across the Yarra and you can also pay a visit to the National Gallery of Victoria, or stargaze at the Melbourne Observatory nestled inside the Royal Botanic Gardens. And that's just in the city, mind you. Venture north and you can explore Circus Oz HQ or wander through the Melbourne General Cemetery. Alternatively, head west for a look at Yarraville's Sun Theatre and the Footscray Town Hall. Local history buffs might enjoy a gander at the city's heritage tram fleet, housed in the Hawthorn Tram Depot. And what trip through Melbourne could truly be called complete without paying a visit to Luna Park? Open House Melbourne takes place July 30-31. Certain buildings can only be explored in pre-booked tours at $5 a piece, with bookings opening on July 18. For the full program, visit www.openhousemelbourne.org.
Eeeep. Looks like Spotify playlisters for Splendour in the Grass jumped the gun, and it appears that the 2015 Splendour lineup has been leaked as a result. Set to be announced by Matt and Alex on triple j next Wednesday as usual, the Splendour lineup could possibly have been revealed by a playlist called 'Splendour 2015 Line-up' which appeared earlier today. Noticed by eagle-eyed Geelong Advertiser reporter Paddy Naughtin, the now-deleted playlist contained some huge, we-hope-it's-real names. We're talking Blur, Mark Ronson, Florence + The Machine, Death Cab For Cutie, The Wombats, Tame Impala and Of Monsters And Men, alongside Pond, Royal Blood and the Dandy Warhols. WAHOOLIE. Here's the screengrab posted by Naughtin on Twitter — he also posted on Splendour's Facebook page to confirm and they deleted the post. So there's a little confirmation for you. Yeesh. Probably going to be some stern words between Splendour and triple j. Here's hoping it's the real thing. Via triple j.
"Franchise" needn't be a dirty word in Hollywood, and the Mission: Impossible movies are shining examples as to why that is. Now in its sixth instalment, this isn't just a franchise done right. It's a franchise that somehow improves with each new chapter – an ongoing escalation of stakes and stunts that never sacrifices the intelligent, honest and light-hearted storytelling that's been so critical to the series' sustained appeal. At the forefront once again is leading man and producer Tom Cruise, whose capacity for performing increasingly complex and outrageously dangerous stunts remains inversely proportionate to his age. In Mission: Impossible – Fallout his IMF agent Ethan Hunt is at it again, weaving cars and motorbikes through the traffic-packed streets of Paris, HALO jumping from 30,000ft and leaping across rickety London rooftops. Cruise even accrued over 2000 hours of helicopter flight time prior to filming, all so that he could personally perform what is arguably the film's most thrilling and death-defying sequence. His love of filmmaking is apparent in every frame he occupies, and its value to the enduring allure of the franchise cannot be overstated. That the Mission Impossible brand could survive beyond Cruise's involvement seems far less assured than, say, James Bond or Batman. Not unlike the two most recent Bond films, Fallout compels its hero to shine a light on his own past deeds, with the movie's title referring not just to the literal threat posed by three nuclear devices but also the consequences of a lifetime spent obediently killing, stealing and undermining at the behest of the US Government. Adding to the emotional stakes, Fallout also repeatedly asks its characters to weigh up the value of a human life, presenting them with multiple scenarios in which they're forced to choose between the one or the many – knowing that either path carries with it irreconcilable guilt and heartache. Written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie (whose return to the franchise marks the first repeat involvement by a director, with McQuarrie having also written and directed the previous instalment, Rogue Nation), Fallout achieves the rare feat of being an unceasing action movie that always feels more like a drama. There is no superfluity here. Every punch, shot, jump, crash and explosion exists because it must. This is a story-driven international escapade that never stops to sit down and catch its breath. Around Cruise the IMF family assembles once again, with Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Alec Baldwin and Rebecca Ferguson packing equal measures of comedy and conflict into every scene they get. Man of Steel's Henry Cavill also joins the action, with his lumbering, muscular CIA assassin representing an appealing counterpoint to Hunt's penchant for the softer, tradecraft touch. He and Hunt are at once rivals and compatriots – two competing assets unwillingly paired together in pursuit of a common goal. Or so it seems. As always, the Mission: Impossible franchise throws up all manner of red herrings, double-crosses and mask-pulling identity swaps, meaning – just like the characters – you're never quite sure who to trust. If the story borders on confusing at points, it's only because the time-honoured tradition of spy movies commands nothing less. Ever since 1996, this series has unapologetically embraced jargon-heavy dialogue and twists upon twists without ever feeling compelled to play it safe or dumb things down (Mission: Impossible 2 being the regretful exception). If most sequels fail because they're rushed into production purely to capitalise on their predecessor's success, Fallout demonstrates the benefit of having the patience and the discipline to say: we will make this film not when, but if a good enough story comes our way. So it is that McQuarrie, Cruise and company deliver a benchmark setter for action movies – a rollicking, tense and captivating piece of cinema that begs to be enjoyed on the big screen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb49-oV0F78
Won't be rolling in the grass this July? Missed out on yesterday's ticket blitz? Never fear, there's plenty of Splendour in the Grass shindiggery to be had in your own city. Splendour has announced its official 2015 sideshows this morning (as have many unofficial venues). From Blur's epic arena shows to the rowdy British garage pop team-up of The Vaccines and Palma Violets, to more niche hypecard gigs like MØ and Elliphant or Years and Years, here's your rundown of the official Splendour sideshows. Exclusive Secret Sounds presale tickets are on sale 10am local time on Tuesday, April 28, while general public tickets on sale 10am local time, Wednesday, April 29. But if you're keen to nab tickets to the Blur sideshows, tickets are on sale 10am local venue time on Friday, May 1. Visit secret-sounds.com.au for more details. SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS OFFICIAL 2015 SIDESHOWS: BLUR With Jamie T Presented by Secret Sounds, supported by Spotify, Rolling Stone, The Music, Fasterlouder All tickets on sale 10am local venue time, Friday May 1 Sat 25 Jul — Qantas Credit Union Arena, Sydney Sun 26 Jul — Splendour In the Grass (SOLD OUT), Byron Bay Tue 28 Jul — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Thu 30 Jul — Perth Arena, Perth THE WOMBATS With Circa Waves *exc Perth Presented by triple J, The Music, Channel [V], Spotify Thu Jul 23 — Metro City*, Perth Mon Jul 27 — Enmore Theatre, Sydney Tue Jul 28 — Palais Theatre, Melbourne Thu Jul 30 — Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide (*Circa Waves not supporting in Perth) THE VACCINES With Palma Violets Presented by Tone Deaf, The Music, Spotify Mon Jul 27 — Corner Hotel, Melbourne Tue Jul 28 — Metro Theatre, Sydney PORTER ROBINSON [live] With Wave Racer and Cosmo's Midnight Presented by triple j, Channel [V], inthemix, Spotify Wed 22 July — Enmore Theatre, Sydney Thu 23 July — The Forum, Melbourne AZEALIA BANKS Presented by Channel [V], Music Feeds, Beat & Brag, Spotify Fri 24 July — Metro Theatre, Sydney Sun 26 July — Prince Bandroom, Melbourne EVERYTHING EVERYTHING With Urban Cone Presented by triple j, Channel [V], Fasterlouder, The Music, Spotify Thu 23 July — Metro Theatre, Sydney Sat 25 July — The Corner, Melbourne KITTY DAISY & LEWIS Presented by Fasterlouder, The Music, Spotify Sat 1 Aug — Metro Theatre, Sydney Sun 2 Aug — 170 Russell, Melbourne Tue 4 Aug — Governor Hotel, Adelaide Wed 5 Aug — Rosemount Hotel, Perth MØ & ELLIPHANT Presented by triple j, Channel [V], Oyster, Spotify Tue 28 July — The Corner, Melbourne Wed 29 July — Oxford Art Factory, Sydney MARMOZETS Presented by Musicfeeds, Blunt Magazine, Beat, Brag, Spotify Thu 23 July — Newtown Social Club, Sydney Sat 25 July — Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne MS MR Presented by triple j, Channel [V], Spotify, Pages Digital Wed Jul 22 — 170 Russell, Melbourne Sat Jul 25 — Metro Theatre, Sydney YEARS & YEARS Presented by Channel [V], The Brag, Beat, Spotify, Pages Digital Sun Jul 26 — Oxford Art Factory, Sydney Thu Jul 30 — Howler, Melbourne WOLF ALICE Presented by triple j, Tone Deaf, The Brag, Beat, Spotify Thu Jul 23 — Corner Hotel, Melbourne Fri Jul 24 — Oxford Art Factory, Sydney THE DISTRICTS Presented by Music Feeds, Spotify, The Music Mon Jul 27 — Northcote Social Club, Melbourne Tue Jul 28 — Newtown Social Club, Sydney Visit Secret Sounds for more details. Image: Linda Brownlee.
Feast on some of Melbourne's best at the fifth annual Urban Winery Project, where a whole winery will be transported to the city, allowing punters to get fully immersed, knee-deep style, in the magic of wine making. The Urban Winery Project will run over four consecutive Wednesdays this March. Creator David Bowley, from South Australian winery Vinteloper, says the event is replacing the old tannin-talking guy in a tweed jacket, and giving you a much more fun way chance to glimpse behind the red wine curtain. Over the four weeks, the event will host some of the city's top chefs, including Ryan Flaherty (Mister Jennings) and Peter Gunn (Attica, and the soon-to-be permanent IDES) who will prepare a four-course feast while you crush, press and ferment your grapes. MoVida's Frank Camorra will make an appearance in week three, treating you to a night of shared Spanish cuisine, while butcher and American barbecue maestro Scott Gould will team up with Pot & Pan's Sam and Celeste Gant to teach you the art of smoking your own meats to finish up the series. The Urban Winery Project kicks off on Wednesday, March 2. To book tickets, visit urbanwineryproject.com.
The folks over at Gelato Messina know how to whip lovers of all things sweet and frozen into a frenzy, and they've done it again, announcing that their Sydney degustation bar will be venturing south to Melbourne. The Messina Creative Department will be setting up shop in a secret room at their Windsor store for five nights only next month, from August 23-27. An offshoot of the famed gelato parlour, the Messina Creative Department offers an epic seven-course degustation, complete with non-alcoholic drink pairing. Since opening next door to their OG Darlinghurst venue in April to rapturous response, the tiny eight-seater space has proved to be immensely popular, with places booking out almost as soon as they're released. So it's no surprise that the announcement that Messina would be bringing their Creative Department to Melbourne has already seen a massive response. With three sittings per night (at 5.30pm, 7.30pm and 9.30pm) and just eight seats available per sitting, Melburnians booked out those $130-per-head spots at the ice cream sorcery table in record time. And judging by their previous creations, it's not hard to see why. Their Sydney dessert dinners have seen the likes of garlic gelato, a sugar egg filled with delights and an amazing matcha and pistachio cake concoction. Their latest offering included a lemon-like globe filled with liquorice gelato, yuzu curd and olive oil pastry accompanied by a muscatel grape, dill and black pepper oil cold pressed juice. It's dessert meets art meets one helluva tastebud adventure. If you didn't manage to get your sticky gelato fingers on a ticket, be sure to keep your eyes on the Messina Creative Department page and hope like hell they release some more sittings. But, either way, you can leave your details on the waiting list. The Messina Creative Department will pop-up from August 23-27 at their Windsor store, 171 Chapel Street, Windsor. For more info, visit the website.
IT'S A GOOD DAY. A very good day. One of the world's most celebrated rappers, Kendrick Lamar, has been added to the Bluesfest lineup and has announced two huge performances in Melbourne and Sydney. Biaaaaaaatch, no way. Hitting Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena on March 21 and Sydney’s Allphones Arena on March 23, Lamar will then join The National and Tom Jones to headline Bluesfest in Byron Bay on Thursday, March 24. More dates are expected to be announced, so keep those fingers crossed Brisbane. Lamar's quite the curveball for this year's Bluefest, with the festival already sporting quite the eclectic patchwork of a lineup — from Noel Gallagher to Tom Jones, Jackson Browne to City and Colour. This will be the first time Lamar has toured Australia since 2014's Rapture Festival, and since releasing his wildly critically-acclaimed album To Pimp a Butterfly, so expect tickets to go quicker than you can say 'Kunta'. KENDRICK LAMAR 2016 AUSTRALIAN DATES: MELBOURNE — March 21 (Rod Laver Arena) SYDNEY — March 23 (Allphones Arena) BYRON BAY — March 24 (Bluesfest) Tickets for Kendrick Lamar's Sydney and Melbourne shows will go on sale at 9am Monday, October 19. Telstra pre-sale from 10am Wednesday, October 14 until 10am Friday, October 16, those pre-sale tickets over here.
When it comes to 2024's Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, the hype is real. The crew behind it has put together 300 unique events in public spaces like Federation Square, as well as within some of Melbourne's best restaurants. And one of the most exciting in-restaurant events has got to be at Atria, high up within the Ritz-Carlton. From Tuesday, March 19–Saturday, March 23, Executive Chef Michael Greenlaw will be joined in the kitchen by the famed Michelin two-starred Chef Kanji Kobayashi. Greenlaw managed to get Atria hatted within its first year of opening, bringing his expertise working at Michelin-starred restaurants abroad and local fine-dining institutions like Vue de Monde to the sky-high eatery. But while he is a top Aussie chef who you really need to check out, get excited about Kobayashi's appearance. He's coming in from rural Wakayama in Japan, where he runs Villa Aida, one of the very best restaurants in the world. This spot has two Michelin stars and has frequently made the list of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants. [caption id="attachment_935259" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Michael Greenlaw[/caption] His Italo-Japanese cuisine celebrates local and seasonal vegetables (most coming from his restaurant's own garden), turning them into spectacularly delicious and visually stunning dishes. And for five nights, he'll bring all of this to Melbourne's Atria. Kobayashi is working with Greenlaw and some of Victoria's most sustainable harvesters and growers — and graziers and fishermen as well — to create a one-of-a-kind six-course feast. Diners will have to fork out a hefty $390 for the food and then choose if they want to go for wine pairings on top of that. It isn't cheap, but a dining experience like this is almost unheard of in Australia.
Australian politicians, you'd better go incognito for the next few months. British-born, American-based comedian John Oliver is heading to Australia for a string of stand-up shows this August. The Emmy and Writer’s Guild Award-winning writer, comedic actor and politically-outspoken satirist is taking a short break from his Peabody-winning HBO show, Last Week Tonight, to jump on a plane and scatter truth nuggets around our shores. Heading back to his political stand-up roots, it's Oliver's first stand-up tour in Australia. Of course, this isn't his first time fiercely focusing on our great southern land; dropping plenty of not-so-flattering Australian takedowns on his own show and while guest hosting on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Expect uncomfortable Australian realities aplenty, with deep burns like this Tony Abbott roast: Or the time Oliver referred to Australia as 'comfortably racist' on his hugely popular, weekly satirical podcast The Bugle: But there was that one time we were praised for our gun control laws: And our plain packaging laws for cigarettes: This is Oliver's first ever Australian stand-up tour, so expect these tickets to go quicker than Australia's political credibility on late night American television. JOHN OLIVER LIVE DATES: Thursday, August 27 — Palais Theatre, Melbourne Sunday, August 30 — State Theatre, Sydney Tickets go on sale Monday, May 11 at 9am from Ticketmaster.
Weekend mornings are made for aimlessly wandering around garage sales. But when it comes to Third Drawer Down's annual clearout, there's no mucking about. The annual Third Drawer Down Garage Sale is about so much more than simply picking up a bargain. Taking place from 10am–6pm on Saturday, March 16, this year's event includes prizes, competitions, racing around with your pals in a pair of the world's largest underpants (with a $500 gift voucher up for grabs), and snapping a selfie with a giant walking, talking poop. And that's all before you peruse the shelves and crack open your wallet. Sales-wise, your budget will thank you for the bargains, with a minimum of 30 percent off all Third Drawer Down products, plus a discount of up to 75 percent on a heap of other wares. So, like most garage sales, it's best to get in early to ensure you get the goods. And if you're tied up on Saturday, whatever is left will be on sale in-store on Sunday, March 17 — but without the added garage sale fun.
Weekend mornings are made for aimlessly wandering around garage sales. But when it comes to Third Drawer Down’s annual clearout, there’s no mucking about. The Annual Third Drawer Down Garage Sale Gala Day (yes, that is quite a title) is about so much more than simply picking up a bargain. Illustrator and cartoonist Oslo Davis will be drawing portraits from 11-1pm, or you and your prized pooch, goldfish or iguana can get your photo taken by the good people from Dog Photog. Brands like Lucy Folk, Third Drawer Down Studio and Seletti will be selling their wares for up to 60 percent off — so like most garage sales, it's best to get in early to ensure you get the goods. Nab yourself a bargain, and a freshly fried spring roll from the Phamily Kitchen's Fitzroy store and you’ve officially won the weekend.
Winter dining deals are popping up all over Melbourne right now, as restaurants work hard to coax us out of our homes during these colder months. And one of our favourites is Lagoon Dining's special noodle-centric dinners — running on Tuesday, June 18, Tuesday, July 30 and Tuesday, August 20. For these three nights only, diners can order a $50 set menu that includes four warming noodle dishes. But don't expect to find the classics here. Lagoon Dining is known for being super playful with its flavour combos, serving up clever and inventive riffs on Chinese cuisine. The menu is likely to change a little each month, but the first Chow Down Tuesday dinner will include scissor-cut noodles with spring onions and jalapeño oil; jap chae with sweet potato noodles, soy marinated beef, red peppers and toasted sesame; mee goreng topped with squid, turmeric chicken, bean shoots and tofu puffs; and a crispy egg noodle chow mein with scallops, prawns, spring onions and red chilli. Getting all this for just $50 is a definite bargain. But if you can't make it down on any of these days, Lagoon Dining still serves up one of Melbourne's best-value set menus every day of the week. The $78 dinner includes six to seven dishes that showcase some of the Lygon Street restaurant's greatest hits. It's an excellent intro to Lagoon Dining — our pick of one of the best restaurants in Melbourne. Images: Nikki To
This autumn, Melbourne's Noir Restaurant is going to make your nights out a whole lot sweeter. As of April 8, the team are dedicating an entire bar to dessert. And not just any dessert, mind you, but Noir's utterly beautiful, perfectly-composed, hat-winning creations. The Noir Bar, as it's to be known, will bring its taste revolution to the space above the Noir restaurant; formerly home to the Swan Street Social. The menu is based on French classics, made prettier and more delicious with the addition of original, 100 percent Instagrammable touches. Examples include signature vacherin, with raspberry parfait, meringue and rose cream; poached black figs with black olives, pinenuts, red wine sabayon and Pedro Ximenez ice cream; and rhubarb soufflé with ginger ice cream and puffed rice. Noir's traditional-yet-contemporary approach will also apply to the drinks list. Cocktails are to be founded on old-school digestifs, sweetened with creative splashes — and there’ll be an ample supply of wine and craft beers, of course. Open between 5pm and 1am, Tuesday to Sunday, the bar will be headed by Noir chef Peter Roddy, with the help of master pastry chef Jerome Soubeyrand —whose CV includes Dinner by Heston, Hélène Darroze and Daniel Boulud. Expect weird things. Find The Noir Bar above Noir Restaurant at 175 Swan Street, Richmond. Open from April 8. Noir's new dessert bar will be contending with Melbourne's best ice cream and frozen dessert joints. Check out our list here.
It'd be to rude not to start Melbourne Music Week with the festival's massive opening night at Fed Square. Featuring an all-Victorian and utterly danceable lineup with the likes of Ara Koufax, Sui Zhen, ALTA and DRMNGNOW, the party is all-ages and free for all. Each year, MMW takes over a new venue for its hub. This year, it's chosen ACMI — and this is where you can head after the opening night celebrations for a killer after party. Curated by Sydney-based queer party crew Heaps Gay, the night features an all-inclusive lineup of killer bands and DJs. With accompanied visuals across two stages and open till dawn, the $45 ticket seems a pretty good deal to us.
Whether you're heading to the cinema with friends or curling up on the couch with your significant other, a night watching movies remains a fantastic source of entertainment, enjoyment and escapism. Sitting in the dark, switching your mind away from your regular worries and slipping into another world — if you're catching the right flick, few things can top it. Cinema-wise, 2019 has thrown up plenty of films that tick all of the above boxes — and now we're just past the halfway mark, it's time to look back. Maybe you missed one of this year's hits when it was in theatres. Perhaps it's still showing and you haven't made it yet. Or, there could be a few gems that just slipped your attention. Of course, there's always the ace movies you saw, loved and want to see again. Whichever category fits, here's 12 films from 2019 that you you need to catch up on. Head to the cinema and grab a choc top or organise your streaming queue and cook up some popcorn, as we've sorted out your viewing for the near future. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoxKy3d7Wno EIGHTH GRADE What our critic said: As effective as every narrative beat, probing shot and well-deployed blast of Enya (yes, Enya) proves, writer/director Bo Burnham's savviest move is also his most straightforward. Actually casting a teenager in a movie about a teenager is much more rare than it should be, and Eighth Grade wouldn't be the success it is without Golden Globe nominee Fisher as its star. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XhsuT0xctI FREE SOLO What our critic said: As well as chronicling an awe-inspiring story, every frame of Free Solo offers a palpable, visceral reminder of life's enormous risks and immense rewards — and to the filmmakers' credit, you're all but certain to feel the impact in your constantly sweaty palms. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8qbq6Z6HYk IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK What our critic said: Black lives devastated by discrimination, young lovers braving seemingly insurmountable obstacles: both tales have played out across countless pages and screens before, although not as they do so here. There's a bewitching alchemy to the combination of James Baldwin's words and Barry Jenkins' direction — never shying away from the despairing truth of the situation, but never wallowing in inescapable bleakness either. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMCYE9hKP68 VOX LUX What our critic said: In Vox Lux, the difficulties and complexities of success slash savagely and hack furiously, with Brady Corbet writing and directing a blunt yet brilliant onslaught of a movie. As he did in The Childhood of a Leader, the actor-turned-filmmaker relentlessly charts the ascension of an influential fictional figure who owes their rise to struggle and trauma. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcKinfILGDk DESTROYER What our critic said: Conflicted cop Erin Bell could walk alongside any of noir's dogged investigators and hold her own. Stepping into the character's shoes, Nicole Kidman could do the same among any of the genre's best stars. Destroyer lives and breathes through its complicated protagonist and phenomenal lead performance, with each putting on a stunning show. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bavqDA_3vIo US What our critic said: Us is a creeper in multiple senses of the word. It's disquieting from the outset (even more so when it spends its opening credits staring at caged rabbits), but Jordan Peele knows how to let that unease fester and grow. While the 'master of suspense' label was bestowed decades ago, the comedian-turned-filmmaker is just as devastating at cultivating distress as Hitchcock or any other iconic horror or thriller director. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eI9UYcEwUYA BURNING What our critic said: A ruminative mystery, a fine-tuned character study and an intricately observed examination of human relationships all at once, one of the joys of Burning is its wholesale aversion to simplicity. Here, as in reality, nothing is straightforward. Indeed, Lee Chang-dong takes life's enigmas and puzzles, thrusts them into view and forces the audience to ponder along with him. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA6hldpSTF8 AVENGERS: ENDGAME What our critic said: There's very little that's simple about this picture, marking as it does the extraordinary culmination of several dozen intricate and intertwined story arcs that extend all the way back to 2008... Where Infinity War was all bombast, Endgame offers reserve. Where Infinity War wrought intergalactic devastation and destruction, Endgame delivers intimacy and an examination of grief, loss and very private regret. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQ5X75F1YJw LONG SHOT What our critic said: After a five-year stretch that's included Mad Max: Fury Road, Atomic Blonde and Tully, Long Shot is the latest example of its star's chameleonic talents — a political rom-com that's as irreverent (and often inappropriate) as you'd expect of a flick that also features Seth Rogen, and genuinely heartfelt and hilarious as well. Charlize Theron, romantic-comedy standout? You'd better believe it. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BULB0aX4lA JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 — PARABELLUM What our critic said: Cinematic beauty comes in many forms, and the John Wick franchise perfects one of them. The term 'balletic' couldn't better describe the series' hypnotic action sequences, with its array of frenetic fights and carnage-dripping set pieces all meticulously choreographed like complex dance routines. In fact, when ballerinas actually pirouette across the screen in John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum, they seem bland in comparison. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZeIHrx7Oyc HIGH LIFE What our critic said: While shooting into the stratosphere to ponder what it all means has become a genre of its own, High Life proudly stands in its own space boots. Perhaps that's why both the film and Robert Pattinson seem like such a perfect fit, and why the final product both soars high and burrows deep: you won't catch either meekly treading where everyone else has before. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_0KJAzyUJc PARASITE What our critic said: Parasite proves exceptional in every single frame and detail that it flicks onto the screen... Internationally renowned and beloved as the auteur behind The Host, Snowpiercer and Okja, Bong Joon-ho has crafted a bleak, twisty blend of black tragi-comedy, pulsating thrills and socially relevant horror — a movie that's such a phenomenal example of all that cinema can and should be that you'll want to high-five the filmmaker after watching it. Read our full review.
Arts House and Melbourne Festival in association with New York's Performance Space 122 present Bronx Gothic, a one-woman show about adolescence, sexuality and race. Created by writer, performer and choreographer Okwui Okpokwasili along with director and designer Peter Born, the show is described as existing "at the intersection of theatre, dance and visual art installation", and draws from influences as disparate as Victorian-era literature and the oral storytelling traditions of West Africa. Taking over the stage at Arts House for five nights only, Bronx Gothic is set in the eponymous New York borough during the 1980s, and explores the relationship between two pre-teen girls as they tip over into adolescence. Tackling both the physical and psychic transformations that occur with puberty, the show won a 'Bessie' for Outstanding Production at last year's New York Dance and Performance Awards. Not to be missed. This event is one of our top ten picks of the Melbourne Festival. Check out the other nine.
In the words of Tyrion Lannister, it's not easy being drunk all the time. Everyone would do it if it were easy. That may be true, but you can certainly give it a go, when Game of Rhones returns for another year. An epic wine tasting event inspired by the grapes of France's Rhone Valley and the works of George R. R. Martin, this year's Game of Rhones will visit all Seven Kingdom – by which we mean Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Wellington and Auckland. Each event will welcome more than 40 different winemakers, including Shaw + Smith, Yarra Yering, Tarrawarra Estate, Olivers Taranga and Paxton Biodynamic Wine (exact producers vary city to city). There'll also be a number of food vendors on hand, to ensure you don't go hungry. In between goblets, ticketholders will get the chance to chat with sommeliers at the Rhone Bar, vote for their favourite vintages as part of the People's Choice Award, and take part in a blind tasting 'torture chamber' that we promise is more fun than the name makes it sound. It should also go without saying that dressing up as your favourite GoT character is highly encouraged. Zombie John Snow, anyone? GAME OF RHONES DATES May 1 – Adelaide May 22 – Perth May 29 – Brisbane June 18 – Melbourne June 19 – Sydney July 2 – Auckland July 9 – Wellington For more information and to book tickets visit the Game of Rhones website.
Casual face-melter Courtney Barnett is finally about to have a debut album under her already trophy-laden belt. So naturally, the Melbourne-based shredder has announced her Australian debut album tour for May 2015. This one's going to sell fast. Marking the release of her first ever LP, Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit (out Friday, March 20 via Barnett's own Milk! Records and Remote Control), this tour follows Barnett's epic performances at Laneway festival around the country over the last few weeks. Having already proved herself one of Australia's brightest sparks over the last few years with her 2013 EP release The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas, Barnett's spins one hell of a live show — having nailed sets at Lollapalooza, South by Southwest and New York City's CMJ. Barnett will cruise from Adelaide's The Gov on Friday, May 1 to Perth's Bakery on Saturday, May 2. Then it's over to Sydney's The Metro on Friday, May 8 and Brisbane's Hi-Fi on Saturday, May 9. In classic Australian artist form, Barnett will wrap things up in her hometown of Melbourne on Friday, May 15 at The Forum.
How's this for a combination: bottomless wine and prosecco, a pasta-stacked banquet, and pumping Italian disco beats? Marameo in the CBD is bringing back their sell-out boozy brunch series, Pasta Party, running every Saturday until August 5. And this time they're bringing cake, too. May god have mercy on us. "We've had emails, calls, messages and customers in the venue asking whether we'll bring Pasta Party back every week since it finished. It'll be nice to finally deliver the good news: that it's back and better than ever," Marameo co-owner Michael Badr says. 'Pasta Party: Season 2' runs from 12pm to 3pm every Saturday, and you get a two-hour sitting. That's two hours to drink as much wine as you want, and access to the Pasta Party set menu, which could include classic hits like spaghetti cacio e pepe with black truffle, or spinach campanelli with rabbit ragu and pecorino. When booking, you can also choose to add on a cake from Good Good Cakes. The kitchen needs 72-hours notice for this one, but they can even pipe on a special message for you. Great for parties and groups. A two-hour party will set you back $100. This one sold out in 2022, so bookings are essential. Images: Supplied
Have you ever wanted to run away and join the circus? Well now it looks like you finally can. Cirque du Soleil, the world famous circus troupe, is heading to Australia, and they're inviting all of us to audition. What could possibly go wrong? Preliminary auditions will take place in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth throughout the second week of February, with talent scouts on the lookout for artists, acrobats, sportspeople, singers, musicians and dancers, as well as "everyday Australians" who are looking to show off their "creative performance talent." We don't know about you, but that description sounds just vague enough to mean pretty much anything. Time to bust out the hula hoop people! If it all sounds a bit like an episode of Australia's Got Talent, you're actually not that far off the mark. Turns out the audition process is part of an as-of-yet unnamed reality show. A selection of talented and/or ridiculous candidates from each city will be flown down to Melbourne for a second audition on February 14. Hurrah! If you dream of being the next Philippe Petit or are just happy to make an idiot of yourself on TV, you can register for an audition in your home city at the following website. Registrations close at 5pm on Monday February 8.
As its name suggests, North Melbourne's newest wellness space, Estuary Yoga, is all about flow — both the kind that finds you cruising through poses on the mat, and the sweet-spot you discover when your inner and outer worlds align (yogis know). It means that classes at the soon-to-open Queensberry Street studio are largely dynamic, focused on cultivating balance and finding your best pace, no matter how crazy life is for you right now. Guided by founder Lucy Lawes and her small team of instructors, there are classic vinyasa flow sessions, to strengthen that breath-body connection, a 'harmony' class, combining vinyasa practice with long-held yin postures, and even a back-to-basics class for fine-tuning the fundamentals. It all kicks off this week, as Estuary Yoga marks its arrival in the neighbourhood with an opening weekend filled with free classes, as well as nourishing treats from the likes of Pana Chocolate, Angea Organic, Heal'r, and nearby cafe Elceed. Head along on Saturday, August 19, and Sunday, August 20, to get bendy in a mixed vinyasa and yin session, to meet the teachers, and to have some fun getting to know the new kid on the wellness block. You'll find Estuary Yoga at 640 Queensberry Street, North Melbourne, with full class timetable and bookings available from Thursday, August 10. Hooked on the flow? Single class passes are $25, a ten-class pass will cost you $180, and there are a couple of weekly and monthly options, if you're feeling super committed. Images: Emily French.
Festival season is well and truly upon us, with the Woodford Folk Festival set to kick off this month. If you fancy seeing out 2019 and welcoming in 2020 while catching a heap of bands, wandering between arts performances and getting a little muddy across a grassy patch of southeast Queensland, the fest has you covered for its whopping 34th year. Taking place at Woodfordia about 90 minutes north of Brisbane, this year's event will be held for six days between Friday, December 27, 2019 and Wednesday, January 1, 2020 — with Amanda Palmer, Lior, Horrorshow, The Herd, Kate Miller-Heidke, Electric Fields, Emma Louise, Archie Roach with Paul Grabrowsky, and Kasey Chambers among its high-profile talent. In total, over 2000 artists will put on more than 1600 shows across the festival's 25 stages, all in venues that range from a 25,000-seat amphitheatre to chilled-out hangout spots. With the lineup featuring everything from music, art, circus and cabaret to yoga, dance and comedy, there's plenty of other highlights — including a spoken word, comedy and performance program that tasks American Gods and Stardust author Neil Gaiman with reading from his work as the sun sets on the first day of the new year. Elsewhere, Woodford's 2019–20 bill spans arts, dance and meditation workshops, plus a heap of circus and cabaret shows. And, if you're bringing littlies, the event's Children's Festival within the broader fest is also returning. Or, you can explore Woodfordia's rainforest plants on a guided tour, eat a feast of bush foods, play a real-life fantasy game and soak in the flames at the fest's annual closing fire ceremony. Fancy celebrating New Year's Eve with an Elton John sing-along? Woodford won't go breaking your heart, because that's on the agenda also. While the annual Queensland festival has weathered an uncertain future in recent years, it remains a staple of the state's end-of-year calendar — and visit will also boast a whole heap of stalls around the grounds (195 in 2018–19), turning the site into a mini-village for its duration. That includes everything from bars, cafes and restaurants, to an on-site doctor's surgery and two general stores. As always, camping is available at one of the fest's multiple campgrounds, or you can nab a ticket just for the day. Either way, expect to have company, as around 132,000 people attend each year. Images: Woodford Folk Festival via Flickr.
Of all the gin pop-up bars with bespoke cocktails and seasonally-crafted tapas pairings in all the world, you have to walk into this one. Bombay Sapphire, touchstone of the gin world, has returned once again with their pop-up bar and gastronomic experience Project Botanicals. The project is back, following the roaring success of last year's pop-up, to be held over three intoxicating weeks from June 24 to July 11. Where? Why, at a bespoke location of course. The newly-established warehouse digs are being taken over by guest DJs and lush live botanical walls for the event at 64 Sutton Street, North Melbourne. Project Botanicals is a collaborative effort between some of the finest gin bars in Melbourne; Black Pearl, Eau de Vie, 1806, Union Electric and Gin Palace have all created unique (and devastatingly indulgent) cocktails to feature on the menu alongside ten food pairings. MasterChef's Gary Mehigan will be whipping up textured, complementary tapas dishes to accompany each cocktail (post-first mouthful dramatic evaluation optional). For a genuinely reasonable ticket price of $45 you can sample two cocktails and two dishes from the menu. To give your tastebuds time to prepare, here's a little preview. Eau de Vie have created the 'Eastern Coriander Fix', a mix of Bombay Sapphire, fresh lime and pineapple juice, coriander syrup, Fever-Tree soda infused with Sencha tea and served with a dehydrated orange wedge; paired with crispy fried pork belly, chilli caramel and pickled daikon radish. That's just one pairing. Five of the most popular pairings from last year are returning to the menu and with plenty of gluten-free and vegetarian options, there's something here for all gin-lovers. Project Botanicals will be open from June 24 to July 11 (Wednesday to Saturday) at 64 Sutton St, North Melbourne. Tickets $45pp (plus booking fee).
One of Broadway's hottest and most prohibitively priced tickets of the last five years, The Book of Mormon, is set to get an Australian staging. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews made the announcement today on his Facebook page, saying "I'm thrilled we're bringing the most successful piece of theatre in the world today to Victoria." The musical will make its Australian premiere at Melbourne's Princess Theatre in early 2017. Written by South Park and Team America's notoriously puerile creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, together with Robert Lopez of genius grown-up muppet show Avenue Q, The Book of Mormon is probably one of the most lauded comedies ever to have centred on the Church of Latter Day Saints, African missions, AIDS, bum jokes and super ironic racism. If it wasn't so smart and so funny, few would forgive it. But since it is, The Book of Morman has picked up nine Tonys, four Olivier Awards and a Grammy since it debuted in 2011, and has been called "one of the most joyously acidic bundles Broadway has unwrapped in years". Directed by Parker with choreographer Casey Nicholaw, the show will have a new local cast. Parker has commented on the team's enthusiasm for the Australian production and then made a Tasmania joke: "We can't wait to get started. Everyone says we should look to Tassie for casting so that's where we're going first." If you've been among the throngs to see the musical in New York, Chicago or London, then you'll be plenty excited that your Melbourne friends will now get the chance to go learn all the idiosyncratic details of Mormonism, meet war criminal General Butt-Fucking Naked and know the true meaning of the hakuna matata-like saying 'Hasa Diga Eebowai'. And because this is the most exciting piece of musical theatre news since Matilda, the waitlist for tickets has already opened. Sign up at the Book of Mormon website for priority ticketing information. Whether the show will tour outside of Melbourne is yet to be confirmed. In the meantime, get in the mood by watching this clip of Girls star and original Mormon cast member Andrew Rannells singing the ballad of religious faith 'I Believe' at the Tony Awards. UPDATE MONDAY, DECEMBER 7: Priority tickets for The Book of Mormon are now on sale via Ticketmaster. GO.
Andrew McConnell is a busy, busy man who apparently wants to feed the entirety of Melbourne city. At the same time as bringing fancy meats and cheeses to the good people of Smith Street with his new speciality deli Meatsmith, he’s also been orchestrating a new wine bar on Gertrude Street. All hail McConnell, bringer of glorious meats, wine and cheeses to Fitzroy. The wine bar, named Marion, is slated to open to the public on October 23, right next door to its accomplished culinary big brother Cutler & Co. The two have been designed to work in tandem, with Marion as the perfect destination for post-dinner kick-ons or pre-dinner aperitifs. If you just want to skip dinner and guzzle wine, Marion is as a self-contained dinner venue in its own right. Marion is a little less formal than Cutler & Co. however the two establishments share a wine cellar and sommelier, Liam O’Brien, for maximum synergy points and wine expertise rolled into one. We’re expecting amazing things from this place, as it’s the product of years and years of experimenting and expertise. Most of the team have been working with McConnell in his various establishments for decades so know they know a thing or two about hospitality — and of course, wine. And McConnell himself is an old hand in the restaurant game, with the likes of Cumulus Inc., Supernormal and Moon Under Water all under his belt. It goes without saying, the bar is set pretty high. Bring it on. Marion opens 23 October at 51-53 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy.
Lately we feel like we've been the bearer of bad news when it comes to the fate of festivals, but this time we've got the complete opposite. The cats behind Falls Festival have created a brand new two-day festival over the Melbourne Cup long weekend. They're calling it The Lost Lands, a name which has enough mystery (and a vague enough reference to Jurassic Park) to have us very intrigued. The two-day camping festival will not only feature heaps of music, but will centre around art, theatre, comedy and outdoor activities as well. It'll be held over the Saturday and Sunday of the October long weekend just outside of Melbourne at Werribee Mansion, the luxe AF mansion and grounds that has played host to So Frenchy So Chic and the late Harvest Festival (RIP). But the real point of difference for The Lost Lands is that it's designed to be hella family friendly. Festival organiser and Falls founder Simon Daly has a family of five, and he recognised the need for a more European style of festival in Australia that not only lets kids attend, but actually involves them in the festival's activities. "The Lost Lands will give parents the chance to reconnect with the festival experience while instilling in kids a love and appreciation of music, arts and adventure," said Daly. "I think there's an appetite for more experiences crafted with parents and kids in mind and it's exciting for the industry." The festival will be focused around "shared experiences" that can be enjoyed by everyone — be that parents, kids, friends, and anyone who rocks up — and it looks set to incorporate so many activities, such as bushwalks, bike rides and even day trips to the Werribee Open Range Zoo. They're also offering a range of workshops to expand the mind (such as cooking and songwriting) or lengthen the legs (like circus play and yoga). Um, sign us up for everything. But just because there's kids around doesn't mean that the menu is limited to chicken nuggets and juice boxes. The Lost Lands is promising a huge range of festival eats and drinks, including a curated range of Mummy and Daddy drinks such as craft beer, wine, organic spirits and even an on-site distillery. All this will be happening with a backdrop of classic Italianate-style architecture amongst the sprawling formal mansion gardens (designed by W.R. Guilfoyle, the man behind the Royal Botanic Gardens) and a chill but fun musical line-up. Expect to be swaying along to The Waifs, Harts, The Grates, Ozomatli, Missy Higgins, CW Stoneking, Architecture in Helsinki, The Bamboos with Tim Rogers, Mariachi El Bronx, Tash Sultana, Olympia, Ali Barter, The Little Stevies, Pounded By The Surf, The Royal Jellies, Nicky Bonba, Ainslie Wills, and Alex Lahey. As it's a three-day, two-night festival, camping (and glamping) will be available, but with Melbourne only half an hour away by car or train, it's not a necessity like most festivals. However, if you want to feel like Marie Antoinette for a weekend, you can even rent accommodation in the actual mansion and live like damn kings.
Jackson Browne dropping a cover of The Eagles' 'Take It Easy'? Classic Bluesfest. Kendrick Lamar echoing across Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm with "This. Dick. Ain't. Freeeeeeeee."? New Wave Bluesfest. Bringing over 200 performances to seven stages over five 12-hour days, Bluesfest returned to the hallowed, well-gumbooted grounds of Tyagarah just out of Byron Bay over the Easter weekend. This outrageously-loved festival brought in its 2016 chapter with one of its most eclectic lineups yet (but importantly, brought back the festival's renowned yearly menu of fish tacos, Yemen rolls and organic doughnuts). From Celtic voodoo to pre-WWII 'minstrel blues', Icelandic indie folk to truly avant garde performance art rock, this year's festival took the genre-spanning game next-level. Kicking off the first night, Kendrick Lamar drew one of the most dominantly Young Person crowds of the festival. Following widely praised shows in Melbourne and Sydney, the 'King Kunta' gamechanger brought his wildly eloquent unpacking of race and identity to the festival's opening night — from 'Backseat Freestyle' to 'Alright'. Lamar gave ups to fellow festival headliner and R&B legend D'Angelo, who, helped the Bluesfest crowd find new hinges in their pelvises with his two highly seductive sets — even though multiple reports from Thursday's set saw Kendrick fans actually booing the R&B icon. Really. Booing D'Angelo. Kids today. Big favourites Tedeschi Trucks Band and Grammy award-winning, face-melting multi-instrumentalist Grace Potter made most Bluesfesters highlight lists, alongside a swathe of relative newcomers to many Aussie ears. Jerron"Blind Boy" Paxton had the festival well abuzz, the twenty-something multi-instrumentalist specialising in '20s and '30s blues a la Fats Waller and "Blind" Lemon Jefferson. Our jaws are still on the floor in the Delta tent after seeing San Francisco's super fun outfit Con Brio, lead by the unforgettable Ziek McCarter — the lovechild of Michael Jackson and Bruno Mars with better abs. Punters stood open-mouthed and wonderfully freaked out watching legendary avant garde experimental art rock collective The Residents. We raised plastic cups to Mojo Juju's "love song to Newcastle", attempted terribly to sing along Nai Palm-style with Melbourne's Hiatus Kaiyote, madly Googled 'Shooglenifty' and generally flailed around in bona fide Dad Dancing style to Mick Fleetwood. Big ups have to be paid to Friday night's heart-in-mouth set from The National, ending with frontman Bryce Dessner genuinely gobsmacked by one heck of an emotional, to-the-syllable singalong. Bluesfest delivered yet another feelgood, like-clockwork festival, nabbing only one and a half days of downpour and less mud than usual. More than one artist, including the legendary Jackson Browne, called it "the best festival in the world". With police happy, punters happy, sleeping kids in wheelbarrows happy and artists happy, we reckon that calls for another organic doughnut. Images: Andy Fraser. Words: Shannon Connellan.
James Bond taught us that the sexiest, most luxurious drink in the world is a martini (shaken not stirred). There's something innately cool about the combination of vodka and vermouth that will elevate your life from everyday monotony to instant luxury. It's a tricky cocktail to master as it doesn't hide behind sugary syrup or gimmicky garnishes — it's just two quality alcohols with a simple twist of lemon or an olive. We've partnered with Grey Goose, one of the most luxurious brands of vodka you can get, for our series of guides that are helping you discover the luxury in your city. This one is for martinis — it's the most decadent cocktail you can sip on. Start ticking off the martinis at these ten bars, or if you're on a budget, grab a bottle of Grey Goose and take it home to make your own. SAINT CRISPIN Collingwood's Saint Crispin is the ideal place to visit if you want to double the luxury and sip on a martini alongside a serving of divine food. The ultra-luxurious establishment is packed with old-world style, it serves classic, smooth martinis alongside their Instagram-famous food. THE EVERLEIGH Gertrude Street staple, The Everleigh, is another establishment that serves up a fierce martini, albeit in bottle-form. They're famous for perfecting the art of the take-away cocktails and serve bottled up martinis that won't disappoint (just FYI, you can also enjoy them in house and keep the cute bottle as a keepsake). EAU DE VIE Eau De Vie, an elegant cocktail bar on Malthouse Lane, is the ideal venue for a Grey Goose martini. Not only do they have a make your own martini menu, with your choice of additions like of brine, ruby grapefruit, thyme, angostura, lavender (the list goes on), your drink is served up with liquid nitrogen to keep it perfectly chilled. Nice. HEARTBREAKER The Everleigh's saucy sister bar, Heartbreaker, also reps the martini-in-a-bottle concept along with her own particular brand of glamorous melancholy. Heartbreaker is the perfect setting to enjoy a sulky martini and mourn lost love while smashing some old-school tunes on the jukebox. PANAMA DINING ROOM You know a place means martini business when they offer a house martini. Hidden away in a loft on Smith Street, Panama's famous pour features smoked Grey Goose vodka, mushroom vermouth, brine and olives so it's practically a meal in itself. And for dessert? A Grey Goose vodka espresso martini, of course. GIN PALACE There's long been debate about the merits of vodka vs. gin in a martini — whatever side you're on, you have to try both before you decide. Gin Palace obviously specialise in the latter. Once you choose your poison, you'll be served your martini in a quiet, intimate lounge where (and this is the biggest novelty of all) you won't have to yell over the music to be heard. Now that's sophistication. LILY BLACKS Lily Blacks are old school in the way they approach cocktails. You can expect impeccable service and a no-nonsense, classic martini (no jam jars or unconventional garnishes here, no sir). The cosy little bar, conveniently close to Parliament station, will enchant you will it's familiarity, so don't be surprised if one martini turns into half a dozen. WOODS BAR AND KITCHEN Previously named the Woods of Windsor, this gem will require you to hot foot it to the south side. The gorgeous dark mahogany interior is luxurious as it possibly can be (be sure to wear your fanciest cane and top hat), and the range of cheese plates on offer will compliment your dirty martini perfectly. MISS FOX DAY SPA This one is a little bit unconventional, but Miss Fox Day Spa offer a huge range of top-drawer booze that you can enjoy in between spa treatments. They do a fantastic range of experimental martinis with Grey Goose vodka (Turkish delight martini anyone?) for those Friday nights when you want to truly relax and work on your beauty regime, but also want to slam back martinis. Why not do both? 1806 COCKTAIL BAR In you look up old school glamour in the dictionary, you'll most likely be directed straight to 1806 cocktail bar on Exhibition Street in the CBD. The red velvet, dark leather and twinkling chandeliers all scream "order a dirty martini and the pork crackling with orange salt!" You should definitely listen to them. Not keen on a martini? Answer four simple questions and Grey Goose Vodka's discover function will tell you what cocktail you're perfectly suited for. Discover the luxury in your city with our Luxe Guide. Top Image: Steven Woodburn.
"Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whiskey is barely enough." Mark Twain knew. Bourbon, along with its siblings scotch and rye, has long cemented its place as one of the world's go-to spirits around campfires, in dark desert highway saloons, and in the most dim-lit of speakeasies. Barrel-aged and distilled in the United States (particularly in the South) since the 18th century, bourbon's an oft overlooked but beloved spirit, forming the base for some of cocktail history's biggest classics. We've delved into the history books to find the source of our favourite bourbon cocktails, from Don Draper's favourite, the Old-Fashioned, to the elegant Boulevardier, named after a 1920s Parisian magazine Hemingway contributed to. Plus, we've found some of the best in Melbourne, so you can try them for yourself. Once you've made your way through the list, we reckon you'll be keen to get really into your bourbon. Thanks to Wild Turkey, one lucky Australian bourbon aficionado could be off to the US for a VIP behind the scenes experience at the home of Wild Turkey Bourbon in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. It's a very special five-day 'Behind the Barrel' event hosted by legendary distillers Jimmy and Eddie Russell from October 5-9, 2016. Head to Wild Turkey's Facebook page to enter. [caption id="attachment_576748" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Edsel Little.[/caption] BOULEVARDIER A strong-as-blazes bourbon cocktail named after a 1920s Parisian magazine? We're on board. It's said the Boulevardier was created by American writer Erskine Gwynne, who moved to Paris and founded The Boulevardier magazine in 1927. It apparently channelled The New Yorker, was targeted at upper-class expatriates, and included a casual piece or two from Hemingway. The publication ran monthly until 1932, but its eponymous cocktail is still alive and well on cocktail menus Sydney-wide today. If you love a Negroni (gin, Vermouth, Campari), you'll probably love a Boulevardier — it's essentially almost the same drink but with bourbon in place of gin, and slightly different ratios in the prep. High West Distillery in Utah even does a barrel aged Boulevardier, left to develop in American oak bourbon barrels for 120 days. Pew pew. Where to get a good one in Melbourne: Builders Arms Hotel, Longhorn Saloon, Panama Dining Room. [caption id="attachment_576755" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Todd Page.[/caption] MINT JULEP A traditional Southern favourite in the States, the Mint Julep is a classic day drink for the picnickers and brunchers among you. This fresh little number sees a silver julep cup filled to the rim with bourbon, fresh mint, simple syrup and crushed ice. It's pretty much been the official cocktail for the Kentucky Derby for around 100 years (around 120,000 Mint Juleps are served every year over just two days). The cocktail has been sweetening up social gatherings since around the 18th century. Kentucky-raised US senator Henry Clay is attributed to its invention, whipping up a few at Washington DC's Willard Hotel. Every ingredient from the cup to the ice was originally meant to blatantly show-off wealth — not everyone had ice boxes or top shelf bourbon lying around in the 18th century. Where to get a good one in Melbourne: The Kilburn. [caption id="attachment_576766" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Bluebonnet.[/caption] OLD-FASHIONED The very definition of an 'oldie but a goodie', the Old-Fashioned is one of the greats (and Don Draper's go-to). It's often referred to as one of the first ever cocktails, developed in the US in the 19th century in various concoctions of spirits, bitters, sugar and water, and officially called an 'Old-Fashioned' (as a bourbon-based cocktail) at the Pendennis Club in Louisville, Kentucky. It was a gentlemen's club founded in 1881. Robert Simonson, drinks writer for The New York Times, wrote an entire book on the history of the cocktail. "No single cocktail is as iconic, as beloved, or as discussed and fought-over as the Old-Fashioned," he wrote. "Its formula is simple: just whiskey, bitters, sugar, and ice. But how you combine those ingredients — in what proportion, using which brands, and with what kind of garnish — is the subject of much impassioned debate." One of the most debated components? Using rye, scotch or bourbon. Try all three, see how they compare and make sure someone else drives home. Where to get a good one in Melbourne: Kodiak Club, Bluebonnet Barbecue. [caption id="attachment_576754" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Flickr.[/caption] WHISKEY SOUR Not always a rye venture, the whiskey sour gets a little sweeter with a bourbon base. Like all good cocktail histories, there are many versions of the drink's origin. The original recipe was included in Jerry Thomas's 1862 book The Bartender's Guide, and according to the Seattle Whiskey Collective, the earliest mention of the whiskey sour was on a Toronto saloon menu in 1865. Peruvian newspaper El Comercio de Iquique claimed the "whisky sour" was created by English steward Elliott Stubb in 1872. And there's a mention of a whiskey sour in Wisconsin newspaper Waukesha Plain Dealer in 1870. But the basic instructions for the cocktail could be much older than that. The constant? Those classic ingredients: whiskey (bourbon or rye), lemon, water and sugar (or simple syrup). The cocktail's defining touch, egg white, was added a little later — but makes all the difference. Where to get a good one in Melbourne: Eau de Vie. [caption id="attachment_576749" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Dexter.[/caption] PAPER PLANE An easy mix of bourbon, amaro, Aperol and lemon, the Paper Plane is a well boozy but refreshing cocktail for those keen for a libation with legs. It was created not too long ago by Melbourne-raised, New York-based bartender Sam Ross, according to the Village Voice. Apparently Ross named it after M.I.A.'s single of the same name. It's a great intro to amaro (a bitter Italian herbal digestif), as the bitterness of the liqueur is nicely balanced with the sweetness of the bourbon. Some modern mixologists sub out Aperol for Campari, however controversial or whatever that may be to you. Where to get a good one in Melbourne: Dexter.
Don't you love it when neighbours get along? On Sunday, May 28, Richmond-based Japanese diner Future Future — home to the best darn yakitori in Melbourne — is joining forces with the latest neighbourhood sensation, Clover, to host an absolutely killer block party. The aptly named occasion, Over The Fence, will kick off at 12pm and run until 4pm, with tickets dividing guests to start their meal at either Future Future or Clover. Halfway through the event, everyone will switch and jump over the fence (figuratively speaking) to the next door venue. At each restaurant, you'll get a signature boozy beverage and three delicious plates of food. And if you've ever eaten at Future Future before, you'll know we're talking about some seriously good Japanese nosh. Think hibachi grilled cabbage and burnt shiso miso butter, smoked pork scotch with quince and hot mustard, the classic prawn kakiage sando and a seasonal nigiri plate. The event will conclude with all guests partying in the shared courtyard at the back. There'll be resident DJs spinning the decks all afternoon, an open firepit (it's May, after all) and a sweet afternoon snack: caramelised white chocolate and burnt vanilla cookies. Tickets start at $110 per person, and you can whack on another $50 if you want the optional drink matching. Images: Supplied.
Aunty's done it again; inviting the whole country round for a cup o' chai and a grand ol' hootenanny — the 2015 lineup for Meredith Music Festival is here. Returning to beloved Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre, near Golden Plains over December 11-13, Meredith's more eclectic than ever — it's the Silver Jubilee 25th anniversary after all. Following the recent major announcement of Ex-Fleet Foxes minstrel Father John Misty as this year's top headliner, Aunty's added the likes of Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Ratatat, The Thurston Moore Band, Tkay Maidza, Neon Indian, Big Daddy Kane, Shellac, Fatback Band, Jessica Pratt, Briggs, and many more to the bill. As always, Meredith's a BYO paradise, and of course, the 'No Dickhead Policy' stands stronger than ever. There's just one ticket type (none of this fancy schmancy VIP tiered business) and it'll set you back $338.70 + $10BF + $7.50 post. Like every year, it's a ballot system and first round ticket offers will be made today, the second on August 20. Enter over here. But enough chatskies, here's who's ringing in 25 years of glorious Meredith fun with Aunty this year. MEREDITH MUSIC FESTIVAL 2015 LINEUP Big Daddy Kane Bully Father John Misty Floating Points Fatback Band GL Goat Harvey Sutherland Jessica Pratt Julia Holter Levins Lucy Cliche The Peep Tempel Master Khalil Gudaz MC Jane Clifton Mighty Duke and The Lords Briggs Moon Duo Neon Indian Optimo Pearls Power Ratatat Shellac Steve Miller Band The Thurston Moore Band Tkay Maidza Totally Mild Uncle Acid and The Deadbeats Unknown Mortal Orchestra Meredith Music Festival is happening December 11 to 13 in the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre, Meredith. Enter the ballot here. Image: Meredith Music Festival.
Care for a cheeky cocktail looking out over Melbourne's pretty, pretty skyline? Melbourne has a shiny new rooftop bar. Opening at the just-opened QT Melbourne, this new addition to the CBD promises to serve up openair cocktails and brewskis from 4.30pm today. Details on the rooftop bar have been selectively hush hush over the last few weeks since the hotel's opening, but from 4.30pm today, the rooftop bar's secret will be out. To get to this high flying, just head to the hotel's front door and you'll be directed to the roof by staff — and there's no door charge. It's the cherry atop the hotel's cornucopia of food and drink offerings — check out our roundup of what you can inhale. Find QT Melbourne's rooftop bar at 133 Russell St, Melbourne, open seven days a week from 4.30pm to 1am. By Shannon Connellan with Kelly Pigram.
If you like your TV viewing as deconstructed as you like your cheesecake, the new web comedy The Katering Show is for you. Written and directed by coincidentally alliterative comedians Kate McCartney and Kate McLennan, the series takes aim at our food-obsessed culture and its raft of related cooking shows. The "food intolerant" (McCartney) and "intolerable foodie" (McLennan) spend each episode trying to find the middle ground between the food that one loves and the food the other can digest, all while exploring such key culinary topics as Mexican cuisine, ethical eating, quitting sugar and food porn. The duo already have one award-winning web series, Bleak, behind them, as well as a combined CV that name checks It's a Date, Offspring, Adam Hills Tonight and Kath & Kim. Now the The Katering Show's hilarious and on-point references to paleo, locavores and food trucks should get them even more notice. How close to their real-life counterparts are the characters in the show? We'll probably never know, but they sure did turn it on for this interview. Read on for McLennan and McCartney's personal food philosophies, opinions on kale and feelings for Heston Blumenthal. Then head to ABC iView to watch all of season one of The Katering Show, with series two out very soon. Where does your passion for food come from? Or, for McCartney, your aversion? McLennan: I grew up in the country, so I've always had a strong connection to the food that we were killing and eating. One of my earliest memories is slaughtering a sheep with my grandfather and then feeding its shanks to my dolls. McCartney: From hanging around people like McLennan. See above. How would you describe your food philosophy? McL: Cook from the heart, but also use your hands. And your eyes. McC: If it's good enough for my cat, it's good enough for me. When did you realise your food journey was one you had to share with others, via your web series? McL: When we received funding from Screen Australia. McC: When we received funding from Screen Australia. What is the best use for kale? McL: Kale is great to use in salads, frittatas, and to take to a picnic, if you want to meet like-minded people with no personality. McC: I find if you soak it for an hour in cold water, it makes it easier to throw out. What hybrid food (eg cronut, ramen burger) would you like to try inventing? McL: I'd like to create a giant hotdog filled with Mac'n'Cheese and I'd call it "DON'T LOOK AT ME! STOP LOOKING AT ME!" McC: I'd to combine macarons and dry-rubbed chicken to create something called a "MacChicken". Actually, I just want a McChicken. I'll probably just get a McChicken. Who wants a McChicken? What is your relationship with sugar? McL: Lately I've cheated on it with stevia, rice malt syrup and agave (I hope sugar isn't reading this) *giggles* McC: Well, I can't have most alcohol, cheese, breads, cakes, which means I also can't have friends. So sugar is literally all I've got. If sugar leaves me, I'll have nothing. I'll have to embark on a life of crime just to feel something. What's your favourite kitchen gadget? McL: I have a smoking gun. It's a great little gadget, and if you don't qualify what it is, it's a great way to liven up a dull dinner party! McC: I have a butcher's knife that was given to me by a very nice gentleman who I met a train station. How do you make sure you're eating ethically? McL: I honour the life of every living thing I eat by preserving their memory in a handmade quilt. It's getting very big. McC: I personally kill every packet of two-minute noodles that I eat. What is your rule of thumb for wine matching? McL: Shiraz goes well with brisket, chardonnay goes well with barramundi, and chilled rosé goes well with drunk women at the races. McC: From experience, any bottle of anything goes well with an $8 price tag. Would you rather (a) eat at Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck, or (b) not? McL: Not, because there are so many starving people in the world, and I think I could probably do a better job at home. McC: I'd eat there. I feel sorry for Heston, given his name in Greek means "to poop oneself". Watch The Katering Show on ABC iView.
He's collaborated with everyone from Kylie Minogue to Kendrick Lamar. Even Grumpy Cat wears that hat. Now, Pharrell Williams has teamed up with choreographer Jonah Bokaer and visual artist Daniel Arsham for a unique multidisciplinary dance project — and it's coming to Australia. From September 14 to 17, Brisbane Festival will host the Aussie premiere of Rules of the Game, which brings eight on-stage performers together in a combination of dance, music, video, art and theatrical expression. Williams crafts his first-ever orchestral score for the stage to accompany Bokaer's crisp, elegant dance moves and Arsham's offbeat, architectural environments. Loosely based on Nobel Laureate Pirandello's controversial play Six Characters in Search of an Author, the piece "recasts dance as something close to moving sculpture" as Bris Fest's artistic director David Berthold puts it. For Bokaer, who is as acclaimed and innovative in the field of contemporary dance as Williams is in music, it's a blending not only "of cultures, but a blending of forms, expressions, and of inheritance". Rules Of The Game's four-day, five-show Brisbane run will mark only the second time it will have be seen by an audience, after debuting in May at the SOLUNA International Music and Arts Festival in Dallas. In fact, the production won't premiere in New York until November. And if you're not in Brissie, you'd better book plane tickets fast, because it won't be showing anywhere else in Australia. Catch Rules of the Game at Brisbane Festival from September 14 – 17. Check out the Brisbane Festival website for tickets and further details.
If you’ve been feeling lousy about procrastinating and putting off your dreams to watch cat videos on YouTube, prepare to feel even lousier. A resourceful rapper from New York City has made a legitimately amazing album solely using the display computers available in Apple stores. Prince Harvey, a 25-year-old rapper from Brooklyn, was floored when his laptop and music equipment was stolen and he couldn’t afford to replace them. But instead of doing what the Average Joe might have done (buying a bucket of caramel corn to cry-eat in the shower while pounding red wine), Harvey worked his way across New York and put his album together at Apple stores. "New York is expensive. I couldn’t just buy another laptop," he told Daily Beast. "I just thought, ‘I’m going to die before anyone knows I’m hot.’" Harvey's debut album is straight-up wonderfully-named PHATASS, which stands for 'Prince Harvey at the Apple Store, Soho', and the beats were made entirely by manipulating vocal recordings. He also befriended his neighbourhood Apple store Geniuses who showed him how get around obstacles (read: security), let him save his work instore, and generally helped the guy out over the four-month creative process. Talk about helping someone make the best of a shitty situation. They say hardship makes you stronger and Harvey joins a lineup of creatives who’ve overcome poverty and disenfranchisement to realise their dreams."I don’t think I’m poor. Poor is a mentality," Harvey told Daily Beast. "I mean, I can be broke — no money in my pocket — but I’ve never been poor." Mary J Blige survived a childhood of violence, poverty and sexual abuse only to be signed on the strength of a cassette tape of a karaoke recording. J.K. Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter book in cafes while raising her daughter and scraping by in London and Jay Z grew up in the notoriously rough Marcy Projects in Brooklyn, sold drugs to make ends meet and is now married to Kween Yonce and worth $550 million. Damn. Round of applause. Harvey is now making waves for his tenacity, inventiveness and talent while further highlighting important issues that face young people across America. So let’s all of us get up off the couch, block YouTube for a while and go do. Via Elite Daily. Image: Sarah Wang.
As the temperature rises (or continuously fluctuates, as it does in Melbourne) so does our desire for coffee. But sometimes it's just too scorching to sip a hot soy latte or too humid to hold a paper coffee cup without it sliding through your hands. Whether you're an iced coffee purist or a fan of a scientifically-brewed cold drip, want something fizzy, sweet or with a big dollop of ice cream in the middle (and you do), we've searched high and low to help you get your coffee hit without the heat this summer. THE CLASSIC ICED COFFEE There can be no one victor in this category, but there are a few who are doing it right. The standard ingredients, including a shot of espresso, milk, and a generous scoop of ice cream, has taken the sting out of countless summer days — and for that, we say thanks. If ice cream is making the whole event too milky for you, swap the ice cream for ice cubes and have yourself a merry little iced latte. Lashings of whipped cream, chocolate flakes and wafers tend to dress this old classic up a bit — but like anything worthwhile in life, don't let the flashy surface distract you from what's really important underneath. We're going to go ahead and recommend Brother Baba Budan, who make a classic exceptional with the Seven Seeds espresso, lovingly poured over fluffy ice cream. The Brunswick East Project is our hot tip outside the CBD, or if you're on the south side give The Final Step a go. [caption id="attachment_545496" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Minor Figures[/caption] THE ON-THE-GO-KIND This one goes out to all the caffeine addicts out there who aren't interested in mucking about with fancy contraptions — they need their coffee cold, and they need it now. St Ali do a bottled iced latte, Everyday Coffee sell Coolers black iced coffee in some pretty great beer-like bottles, and local company Minor Figures sell the above cold brew poppers all around the country. Abbotsford's Little Big Sugar Salt do a cold flat white and cold long black come bottled, which means you can grab one of these bad boys on the go. The folks at LBSS are not just convenient, they are also considerate. Don't like drinking milk or soy? Have their almond milk cold espresso, and enjoy their Cold Squeez'd Nuts. THE AFFOGATO It's true, the Italians know a thing or two about coffee, and sometimes an affogato is just what the doctor ordered. Literally translated to 'drowned' in Italian, you take hot espresso, pour it over ice cream, and devour with a spoon. While this is traditionally an after dinner treat (and is delicious with a shot of liqueur and a homemade biscotti on the side), affogatos are being served all day, everyday, all over Melbourne. Give D.O.C. Espresso a go for the real deal. Over in Northcote, cafe-bar Il Melograno match their house-roasted blend with their incredible house-made coffee gelato. For something a little less traditional, Patricia Coffee Brewers serve the Clouds Mountains, which is an affogato with a canele in the middle. Delish! [caption id="attachment_558162" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Aunty Peg's[/caption] THE COLD DRIP Yeah, science! If chemistry sets and coffee get you going then give this baby a whirl. That unusual contraption you see in highly respectable coffee joints these days is better known as an 'ice-drip brewer'. This device infuses coffee for 6-12 hours, and a rich syrupy concentrate is the end result. While this may sound like an unusual extraction process, it retains 90% of the flavour elements and results in a sweeter taste, as it is less acidic then normal espresso. Auction Rooms are the guys to see about this particular method, as are the team at Aunty Peg's — they'll even show you how to brew it yourself if you ask them nicely. For those looking for a game changer, Touchwood in Richmond do their cold drip with coconut water and it'll knock your socks off. [caption id="attachment_558160" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Market Lane Coffee[/caption] THE POUROVER ON ICE Just like your average pourover but with a (literally) chilling twist. Brew like a typical pour-over but place ice in the base, and reduce the amount of hot water you use to brew the coffee. Flavour is not lost when the ice cubes dilute the concentrated brew, and you're left with a fragrant and refreshing coffee. The good people at Dead Man Espresso have got this one down to a fine art, as do the impeccable coffee folk at Market Lane. Cool your jets and get down there ASAP. THE VIETNAMESE COFFEE Like your coffee strong and sweet? Vietnamese coffee may be the trick for you this summer. Dark roasted coffee is individually brewed in a metal French drip filter, and then combined with condensed milk and poured over ice. N Lee Bakery in South Melbourne is a recommended destination for something traditional, as well as Phamily Kitchen, where you'll get to watch it drip into your condensed milk glass right in front of you. For full-blown creativity in the category, visit Carlton's Nora — they do theirs with Small Batch's Candyman coffee blend and pandan-infused milk. Insanely good. [caption id="attachment_539848" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Arbory Bar & Eatery[/caption] THE ESPRESSO MARTINI It just felt wrong to exclude this delicious double-tap of a drink. A caffeine hit and a shot of alcohol seems like the most logical way to get a party started, not to mention a tasty one. Combine vodka, Kahlua, a double shot of espresso and sugar syrup, shake it up, add a garnishing of coffee beans and you're good to go. Prudence in North Melbourne have this one pegged, and Arbory along the Yarra even have the stuff on tap. One of our favourites though is at Polepole, where they make it with rum, Amarula and a house-made cherry and chocolate liqueur. Cheers to that. Images: Dollar Photo Club unless otherwise specified.
Kween Yonce is about to tower over Melbourne. A skyscraper inspired by Beyonce’s fierce aesthetics in the 'Ghost' video clip is set to be built near Melbourne’s Southern Cross Station. Although 'Beyonce' is not yet a recognised religion (give it time), the 76-storey tower will pay homage to the mother of us all by mimicking her monochromatic twists and turns in 'Ghost'. The 13012 Premier Tower will house retail space and hotel rooms as well as apartments and creates those curves with an innovative vertical cantilever system designed to make Beyonce fans weep (and effectively redistribute mass and stabilise the building but whatever). The tower has been designed by the architectural firm Elenberg Fraser, who have a monopoly on the chic apartment market; they're responsible for 42 percent of the apartments under construction in Melbourne right now and we're stoked they're Beyonce fans too (can we please have a 'Crazy In Love' apartment block next?). It may just be a marketing strategy but if so, boy do they have our number. We would love to live inside Beyonce. And we can even discern some graceful and svelte curves in the initial renderings of the 13012 Premier Tower. It’s a case of art mimicking life and who better to mimic than the Kween herself. Bow down bitches. Via The Guardian. Images: Elenberg Fraser.
With his darkly funny scripts, quirky set-pieces and kitsch cinematography, director Taika Waititi is a little like a Kiwi Wes Anderson. Following on from the success of his vampire mockumentary hit What We Do In The Shadows, Waititi's new film Hunt for the Wilderpeople offers up another feel good alternative to just about everything else that's out there. Put simply, it's fantastic. Set in the dense bushland of New Zealand's east coast, the film tells the story of Ricky Baker, a troublesome ten year old orphan who, after years of delinquency, is on his last chance before being institutionalised. That last chance comes in the form of country couple Bella (Rima Te Wiata) and Hec (Sam Neill). Bella is an unflappably positive soul, the kind of no-nonsense straight talker you can't help but love from the moment you meet her, and her approach to Ricky is enough to quickly convince him to cease his nightly attempts at escape. Hec, by contrast, is the definition of loner. Bearded and bedraggled, he's an old-school bushman whose tolerance for companionship begins and ends with his wife and their scrappy old dog. The story takes a turn, however, when Hec and Ricky find themselves stranded in the bush and unable to return until Hec's fractured leg can heal. Worse still, to the outside world, it's assumed Hec has actually kidnapped Ricky, resulting in both police and rescue teams being brought in to hunt down the perceived paedophile. So begins a touching and terrifically funny odd couple on the run story that lovingly and faithfully harks back to various NZ comedies of the 80s. As Ricky, newcomer Julian Dennison puts in an accomplished and confident performance, imbuing his character with a lovely sensitivity masked by a veneer of wannabe gangsterism. Neill, likewise, is fantastic as the crotchety old Hec, pacing his inevitable softening towards Ricky with just the right amount of snarl and sneer. The other key performance of note comes from Rachel House as Ricky's dedicated child services appointee Paula. Playing it like a hard-edged cop from a film noir, Paula considers herself a relentless pursuer akin to the Terminator, and her verbal battles with Ricky offer up an almost unceasing stream of laugh-out-loud moments. Offbeat, intimate and impressively affecting despite its farcical nature, Hunt for the Wilderpeople is one the year's strongest films to date. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8Xvsjy57X0
The Gay and Lesbian Tennis Alliance has been working hard to queer up the Australian Open ever since it ran its first Glam Slam tournament in 2019. The team works in partnership with Tennis Australia to bring in LGBTQIA+ tennis players from around the world — providing a safe space for them to compete in their own tournament while also throwing a three-day party. And this year is just as big as ever — with 260 players from around 30 countries participating in the 2025 Glam Slam, which runs from Friday, January 24–Sunday, January 26. Players of all gender identities are welcome to join and play against others with similar skill levels. Moreover, to increase women's participation, the Glam Slam also has a women's division that's open to anyone who identifies as a woman. The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tournament to run an event like this, which actively gives LGBTQIA+ tennis players a space to compete. To watch the Glam Slam games, punters simply need to purchase Australian Open ground passes and then find the matches on the outside courts. But it's not just about the competition. There's also a heap of special entertainment running across the three days, which lines up with the AO Pride Day on Friday, January 24. You'll find drag queens and kings, face painting and glam stations, DJ sets, and plenty of rainbow flags around the grounds. From 2pm on Sunday, January 26, you can even drop by the Grey Goose Courtside Bar at Court 6 to watch the Glam Slam finals as well as a celebrity match featuring Luke and Sassy Scott and a bunch of professional players. This is usually a time of the Australian Open when the outside courts are empty — as most games in the final few days are played in the arenas. Letting the Glam Slam team take over these outer courts and the surrounding spaces is a damn great way to use the space and keep the festivities going.
When Kevin Bacon stood up in Footloose and said, “This is our time to dance. It is our way of celebrating life,” what he didn’t say was “but only for skinny people”. And yet, that seems to be what we mean these days. 'Fat' dancers and performers aren’t often seen, and so many people seem to have so many opinions on fatness and how fat people move through our society. We look at fat people and assume things — that the person is lazy, slovenly, unhappy and definitely, definitely ungraceful and unconnected to their bodily wellbeing. Now fat activist and artist Kelli Jean Drinkwater and resigning Force Majeure artistic director Kate Champion are working together to broaden our outlook on the body and the act of dancing. Their show Nothing to Lose was a viral and sold-out hit of the Sydney Festival in January, and now it's coming to Melbourne for a longer season at the Malthouse. The work is highly topical, audacious and — coming from dance-theatre masters Force Majeure (Never Did Me Any Harm, Food) — sure to be a powerful watch. Challenging as it is to our prejudices, it might even be the most important work you see at the theatre this year. We spoke to Drinkwater and Champion about the thinking behind the provocative project. What troubles and interests you about the way our society views fatness? Kelli-Jean Drinkwater: As an artist and a fat woman, what I find fascinating and intensely frustrating is the one-dimensional view of fat people and the lives we lead. Fat is usually seen as something to be deeply ashamed of and avoided at all costs. The mainstream culture here in Australia still has an incredibly narrow view of fat people, our capabilities, our health, our relationships. There is so much more to our lives as individuals that is rarely given a platform to be explored. I think we need to engage in critical thinking about our relationships to our own bodies and why most people, regardless of their size, are unhappy with how they are physically. Let’s also investigate how this impacts our view of other people and their bodies. Hopefully then we can start to be more accepting and, dare I say, even celebratory of the many ways there are to have a body. What are we missing if we only see athletically built people dance? Kate Champion: Well it seems to me we’re missing out on about 95 percent of the population being represented on stage as dancers! Obviously there’s a certain athleticism that lends itself to achieving technically difficult physical feats and certain styles of choreography. I can certainly appreciate that for what it is, but there is so much more to dance and what dance can be than that. It can be quirky, soulful, intriguing, captivating and intoxicating when performed by a person with a less ‘typical’ dancer’s body who really owns their movement. What is it like to be a fat person in an un-fat-friendly world? KJD: I can only speak from my experience, but being a person of size in our relentlessly body-shaming culture is tough. We are constantly judged, mocked, berated, pathologised, patronised and silenced in really obvious but also often insidious and subtle ways. The flip side of that is you have to learn to have a thick skin and a strong sense of your self-worth to hold your head up. I just try and use any negativity that comes my way to fuel the fat activist fire. It feels like fat activists are making some positive strides, particularly on the internet through memes such as #fatkini. Do you agree? KJD: I do believe that there is a noticeable groundswell in body positivity and fat activism here in Australia, much more than there was ten or even five years ago, and it's long overdue! And for sure social media is playing a huge part in that by creating access to communities that encourage each other to critique dominant cultural ideas around fatness. It’s like this collective tipping point and I think people regardless of their size are sick of feeling pressured by a prescribed standard of 'physical perfection', whatever that means. I believe audiences are eager to see a broader scope of bodies on stage. That’s what is so refreshing about Nothing to Lose. It’s a really timely work. What aspects of fatness do you explore through Nothing to Lose? KJD: [We're aiming] to explore the often overlooked aspects of the fat experience as well as give a fresh perspective on the more obvious ones. We explore the strength, capability and complexity, both physically and intellectually, that our cast live every day. We are also not shying away from the controversial issues but are instead seeing this as an opportunity to present a different side of the story. Our fearless cast are as interested in going to the more unexplored places in this work, as Kate and I are. Nothing to Lose has been in development from an open call-out. What surprised you or went differently than you thought it would over the course of this development? KC: Through both the auditions and ... the relatively brief periods of development so far — two weeks in 2013 and the same this year — we have focused on developing our level of trust with each other in order to see just how far we can go with material both physically and psychologically. This is sensitive subject matter but we need to make sure we’re not tiptoeing around any important issues. If we can’t approach the work with a no-holds-barred attitude amongst ourselves, then we’ll miss out on the full extent of the cast’s movement capacity and the full impact and levels of complexity that the subject matter contains. It’s been refreshingly honest and extremely illuminating so far! I'm amazed by the range these performers possess. They have filled us with inspiration to create a truly original, thought-provoking performance. Why should people watch this show? KC: People should watch this show to broaden their appreciation of who should dance on stage and what dance can be. To my mind all good shows have elements that are unexpected, confronting, joyful, insightful, confusing and liberating. This show aims to realign conditioned response in order to see and value the dancing body afresh. Nothing to Lose is on at the Malthouse Merlyn Theatre from March 11-21. Head to the Malthouse website for more info and to book. This article was originally published in Sydney as Why Fat Dancers Might Be the Most Important Thing You See at Sydney Festival.
Sometimes, you need to take a break from your city, to get out and soak up the sun somewhere new. The sun-plenty city of Sydney is the perfect destination, it's bursting with beaches where you can ride the waves, catch some rays and let your worries dissipate. But you don't want to get stuck visiting the same old tourist traps, beaches with screaming kids, expensive eats and way too many people. Instead, an excellent option is to visit one of Sydney's incredible harbour beaches. Usually far more serene and less populated, with excellent views and (sometimes) more parking, these coves are Sydney's hidden havens. To help you out, we've partnered with Qantas and curated a list of the best harbour beaches in Sydney. Perfect for a date, a picnic or even some topless baking. Get away from everything loud and crowded, relax, and make the most of your Sydney escape. [caption id="attachment_598328" align="alignnone" width="1280"] via Flickr.[/caption] CAMP COVE The parking at the easternmost edge of the Eastern Suburbs can be a bit of a drag on a hot day, but if you pray to your parking angel you'll find somewhere eventually. It's worth the frustration, as this laid-back beach is big enough to have a social vibe (there always seems to be a lot of good-looking people here) and the lack of waves means you can bob in the water and still chat to a friend. There's a little kiosk selling snacks and sorbet in coconut shells, too. If you're brave (and skilled) you can do the big jump off the rock on the right like a bona fide Sydneysider. [caption id="attachment_598329" align="alignnone" width="1280"] via Flickr.[/caption] LITTLE CONGWONG BEACH If you want to beach like a real local, head to this pretty place in Botany Bay for a spot of 'clothing-optional' sunbaking. It's usually pretty quiet so you can avoid any potentially awkward encounters. If the thought of getting your togs off makes you blanch, just next door is Congwong Beach, where you won't be the odd one out if you're a strictly clothes-on type of person. [caption id="attachment_598331" align="alignnone" width="1280"] via Flickr.[/caption] BALMORAL BEACH You've probably heard of Manly, given the chance any Sydneysider will proudly talk about the beach. You may not have heard of Manly's little sister, Balmoral. Smaller and more romantic, it has a lovely sleepy vibe despite it's popularity. Have a long lunch at the famed Sydney institution Public Dining Room and float it off in the cooler hours of the afternoon. MILK BEACH This sandy cove is hidden behind Strickland House in Vaucluse — one of Sydney's fanciest suburbs. It's a short, steep walk down the driveway and across the lawn, but the views of Opera House and Harbour Bridge are well worth it. Be sure to snap a few pics and populate your Insta feed to make all your friends back at home super jealous. [caption id="attachment_538469" align="alignnone" width="1280"] via Flickr.[/caption] CURRAWONG BEACH If you've made the trip to Sydney, it's worth that little bit of extra effort to get to Currawong beach. It can only be accessed by boat, so jump on the ferry at Palm Beach ('Summer Bay' for you Home and Away fans) and prepare for a phone and internet-free 48 hours. There are no shops so bring food and water with you and stay at one of the cottages for a full-blown Sydney experience. You'll be able to deal with the worst Bondi Road traffic jam with a blissful smile on your return. LADY MARTIN'S BEACH Lady Martin's is the beachside backyard of Sydney's very, very rich — the surrounding suburb, Point Piper, is one of the most expensive places in the world to live. If you want to pretend one of Sydney's millionaires for the day and rub shoulders with Malcolm Turnball and Frank Lowy, then wear your darkest sunglasses and say "dahhling" at the end of every sentence and you'll fit right in on this quiet strip. Entry is via a narrow lane off Wolseley Road that passes by the Royal Prince Edward Yacht Club. [caption id="attachment_598357" align="alignnone" width="1280"] via Flickr.[/caption] STORE BEACH If your keen for an outdoor adventure on your mini-holiday, hire a kayak from Manly Kayaks and paddle around to this little beach (it can only be reached by water) for a picnic. Lay back, let the stresses of back home float away, and enjoy this little slice of paradise. If you're lucky, you'll see some fairy penguins. [caption id="attachment_598333" align="alignnone" width="1280"] via Flickr.[/caption] NIELSEN PARK Sydney beaches need not be compared with their foreign counterparts because it's only a slight exaggeration to say we have the best in the world. However, I can't help thinking that Nielsen Park reminds me of the Mediterranean coast. Maybe it's the amazing aqua colour of the water or the stained glass windows of the restaurant. It can get a little noisy with all the kids that are usually there but there is a large, leafy park surrounding the beach which you can escape into to eat your ice cream in peace. DAROOK PARK BEACH If you feel like a spot of solo fishing, try Darook Park Beach in the Shire — you might just catch yourself a flathead. There are onsite toilets and picnic shelters, making it perfect for a day-long escape. Once you've finished at the beach, drop into the sun-drenched hotspot Henrys Cronulla and enjoy a tipple with the Sydney locals. [caption id="attachment_570643" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Danny Butler.[/caption] LITTLE SIRIUS COVE A small stretch of sand surrounded by bushland, this beach has a unique feature — dogs are allowed. So if you're missing your pupper from back home, head down (after grabbing a coffee at Bacino Bar) and spend the day among some new four-legged friends. Pack some snags to cook on the BBQs provided and bask in Sydney's unparalleled beachside beauty. Ready to get away and experience Sydney? Book with Qantas for great fares to Sydney and NSW until 24 September. Terms and conditions apply. Top image: Eddie Milfort.
Vivid Ideas is bringing innovative humans from all over the world to Sydney stages. Championing change-making creative voices, you can hear Troye Sivan explore beauty and fluidity, delve into the experiences of those who were raised in cults with filmmaker Sarah Steel or listen as experts discuss the ethics and potential ramifications of a future reliant on artificial intelligence and QR codes. Joining a lineup that's not lacking a lick in talent is Gretchen Carlson in conversation with Lisa Wilkinson. The prolific journalists and media personalities will dissect power (specifically the fallout when it's out of balance), toxic workplace culture and finding the courage to expose wrongdoing. As well, the pair discuss the intricacies of what's needed to make it easier for people to come forward after experiencing sexual assault. In 2016, Carlson — the highly respected and acclaimed US journalist and ex-Fox News anchor — successfully sued Fox founder and CEO Roger Ailes for sexual harassment. This win, which inspired 2019's Bombshell, saw Carlson receive an unprecedented apology and settlement. The landmark case laid the foundation for the #MeToo movement's catapult to the global consciousness, as well as take down a predator who was in a position of immense power. [caption id="attachment_813274" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Vivid Sydney 2019, Destination NSW[/caption] Bound by an NDA, Carlson has tirelessly fought to break the culture of silence and remove protections from perpetrators — working to ban NDAs, enact legislative change and encourage survivors to share their experiences of harassment (which has resulted in the most significant changes to labour laws — passed by Joe Biden in March, 2022 — in over 100 years). The trailblazer was also named in Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World (2017). With a social climate that's been immersed in the courage of those sharing their stories of trauma in the quest for justice and a safer existence — the Grace Tames, the Brittany Higgins, the Saxon Mullins — the pair will discuss the shifting media and legal landscapes both here and in the US. They will look at what still needs to change so survivors are encouraged to draw upon reserves of bravery and resilience to keep pushing forward — for the good of others, for safer communities and to upend the status quo. Sydney's Town Hall will host Gretchen Carlson and Lisa Wilkinson on Speaking Out on Sunday, May 29 at 1pm. Head to the website for details. Top image: Destination NSW
Five generations back, the Hamilton family planted some of the first vineyards in South Australia. It was 1837, a mere year after the arrival of European settlers in the state, and to this day they continue to produce top-quality, award-winning wine under the name Hugh Hamilton Wines. Mary Hamilton, Hugh Hamilton’s daughter, has been the CEO for the last seven years and explains that her father has always been considered the black sheep of the Hamilton flock. “He was a very spirited young boy and got up to a fair bit of mischief," she says. "He was never going to be corralled into anything and has always remained an elusive character.” Hugh’s lively sense of humour and his ability to march to the beat of his own drum has never wavered, so it makes sense then that the wines have names such as The Scallywag Chardonnay and The Scoundrel Tempranillo. Quality, flavoursome wine is the number one priority for Hugh Hamilton Wines and they have ensured this by sourcing grapes from their three vineyards. McLaren Vale hosts perfect conditions for ripening grapes and viticulture, as it’s located between the Adelaide Hills and the coast. “Most people are not aware of this, but McLaren Vale has the most diverse geology of any wine region in the world,” explains Hamilton. Each of the three vineyards have very different soil types which greatly influence the flavour of the grapes, from the black clay at their cellar door vineyard, producing darker-style shiraz (think bitter dark chocolate and black olives) to their next vineyard 500 meters down the road that produces more red-fruit flavours due to a different soil type and climate. Hamilton refers to this as their "big comfortable red velvet chair" with a generous and juicy yield. As part of the FreeWines app, Hugh Hamilton Wines have contributed two of their expert drops; 'The Trickster' Pinot Grigio and 'The Rascal' Shiraz. The Trickster is made from grapes sourced from the Adelaide Hills and came about due to Hugh’s love of freshly shucked oysters and his desire to create a wine that would pair with it perfectly. Described as “racy, upbeat and brisk,” Hamilton would recommend pairing this wine with seafood dishes such as salt and pepper squid, prawns and, of course, fresh oysters. The Rascal, described as “the quintessential McLaren Vale Shiraz, with lots of fruit ripeness but also elegance,” goes beautifully with a scotch fillet or beef casserole. When it comes to selecting a wine for herself, Mary is often influenced by her mood first, rather than having a constant go-to drop. At the moment Hamilton is particularly taken with the medium-bodied 'The Mongrel' Sangiovese, “It’s got lots of lovely, juicy cherry-flavoured fruit, and it tends to be a great partner with the food I cook, which is often Mediterranean or Middle Eastern.”
If movies are your religion, then the Shadow Electric Outdoor Cinema is the closest thing you'll find to a church. Screening a savvy mix of classics and recent essentials, their giant pop-up screen in the grounds of the Abbotsford Convent is the perfect place to catch a movie under the balmy summer sky. Things kick into gear just after New Year's, with Stop Making Sense on Friday January 2. The Talking Heads concert film is one of several musically-themed films on the program, including A Hard Day's Night, Bjork: Biophilia Live and the recent, heart-thumping jazz thriller, Whiplash. Other 2014 titles include Dan Gilroy's creepifying media satire Nightcrawler, the hilariously uncomfortable Swedish marital drama Force Majeure and the indie film phenomenon Boyhood. Also screening is Christopher Nolan's space epic Interstellar, a film that more than any other deserves to be seen beneath the stars. A couple of this year's best Australian films also made the cut, namely the slickly made time-travel thriller Predestination and the genre-transcending skateboarding doco All This Mayhem. New Zealand cinema is also represented via Jemaine Clement's gut-busting vampire movie What We Do in the Shadows and the yet-to-be-released horror comedy, Housebound. Speaking of the horrific, while it's disappointing to see that last year's regular Monday night cult film has been scrapped, the few B-movies they have managed to squeeze into the line-up look pretty bloody fantastic (emphasis on bloody). Sion Sono's Why Don't We Play in Hell? is like a Fellini film in a slaughterhouse, and really, who wouldn't want to see a movie called Kung Fu Cannibals? But it's in the retro department that this year's program really delivers. Boogie Nights, Fight Club, The Big Lebowski and Do the Right Thing are just a few of the classics that everyone should see with an audience. Wes Craven's Scream is a great fit for Friday the 13th in February, while When Harry Met Sally is a near-perfect date movie for Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day notwithstanding, most Saturdays will see the Shadow Electric take a night off from the movies for a series of live music gigs. That program is yet to be announced, but keep your eyes glued to the website for more info.
Gather a gaggle of your best mates and get ready to hit the town. White Night, Melbourne's massive all-night arts bash, is back for another year, with a jam-packed program of music, film, performance, light shows and interactive art. Starting at 7pm on Saturday, February 20 and running until 7am the next morning, this really is an event you'll have to stay up late for. And if you do? Well, perhaps you'll see a school of jellyfish floating down Flinders Lane, or pay a visit to the NGV's Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei exhibition. Alternatively, you could spend the whole night skateboarding or dancing up a storm. The only thing that's for certain is, with so much on offer, you'd better know ahead of time what you really want to see and do. Check out our top ten things to see and do on the night, or head to their website for the full program.
Throw those GoPros, bubble bottles and novelty gumboots in your rucksack, Splendour in the Grass is returning to North Byron Parklands for another year of festival merriment. As usual, speculation has run wild in anticipation of the lineup announce — will Kendrick and the Arctic Monkeys make an appearance? Will there by more than three females on the lineup? — but the details for Splendour 2018 are finally here. And we're happy to report that some of the rumours were true. There will be no Arctic Monkeys, but King Kunta himself, Kendrick Lamar, will be Splendouring. The lineup also doesn't state that Splendour is his only show, so stay tuned for news of a national tour (hopefully). The other huge name is Lorde, who will be doing her only Oz show at the Parklands — better get practising that 'Green Light' hair flip now. She leads a female contingent — that is kick-ass but still nowhere near as big as the pool of male performers — which includes Amy Shark, the Lauren Mayberry-led Chvrches, Sampa The Great, Alex Lahey, Jack River, Anna Lunoe, Stella Donnelly, female four-piece All Our Exes Live in Texas and Wafia. Also doing their only Australian shows at Splendour will be Vampire Weekend, Khalid and Girl Talk. The lineup seems to go on forever, including The Wombats, Gang of Youths, Franz Ferdinand, Superorganism and MGMT. Anyway, we know what you're here for. We'll cut to the chase. SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS 2018 LINEUP Kendrick Lamar Lorde (only AUS show) Vampire Weekend (only AUS show) Khalid (only AUS show) The Wombats Hilltop Hoods Chvrches Miguel Girl Talk (only AUS show) Angus & Julia Stone Gang of Youths Franz Ferdinand MGMT Ben Howard Dune Rats & Friends James Bay PNAU Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite The Avalanches DJ set Chromeo DMA'S Ball Park Music Henry Rollins (only AUS show) SAFIA The Jungle Giants Lil Xan Methyl Ethel Amy Shark The Bronx Ocean Alley Carmada (L D R U & Yahtzel) DZ Deathrays Lord Huron Middle Kids Hockey Dad Towkio Cub Sport Touch Sensitive Sampa The Great Dean Lewis Skegss Albert Hammond Jr Mallrat Marmozets Alex Lahey Riton & Kah-Lo Jack River Superorganism Anna Lunoe Lewis Capaldi All Our Exes Live In Texas Alex The Astronaut Yungblud Crooked Colours Nina Las Vegas Soccer Mommy (only AUS show) Elderbrook Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever Tim Sweeney Stella Donnelly Bully Baker Boy Wafia No Mono Waax Angie McMahon West Thebarton Eves Karydas G Flip The Babe Rainbow Haiku Hands Didirri Alice Ivy Amyl & The Sniffers Ziggy Ramo Fantastic Man Lo'99 Human Movement Manu Crook$ Kasbo Madam X Andras Alta Ara Koufax Two People B Wise Made In Paris Jensen Interceptor Woodes Teischa Antony & Cleopatra Muto Elk Road triple j Unearthed winners (TBA) Mike Gurrieri Love Deluxe Lauren Hansom Poolclvb Godlands Nyxen Emma Stevenson Ebony Boadu Splendour will return to North Byron Parklands on Friday 20, Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 July. Onsite camping will once again be available from Wednesday, July 18. Image: Justin Ma.
