So, you've binged on The Jinx and Making a Murderer, and now you need another outlet for your factual film and television fix. Announced back in February, the brand new Australian offshoot of Hot Docs promises to take care of your need to consume compelling real-life stories — and they've just announced the program to prove it. Packing quite the punch in their first year, Hot Docs at Palace Cinemas will bring 24 films from 15 countries to Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra in June and July. If exploring the story of James Foley, the journalist murdered by ISIS in 2014, piques your interest, or if finding out how the humble VHS helped defeat Romanian communism takes your fancy, then the likes of Jim: The James Foley Story and Chuck Norris Versus Communism well and truly have you covered. Elsewhere on the lineup, League of Exotic Dancers pays tribute to burlesque, What Tomorrow Brings explores the fight to educate young girls in Afghanistan, and Raving Iran looks at a couple of DJs working the country's underground techno music scene. Plus, two Aussie-made films will receive their world premieres: Charlie Hill Smith's Motorkite Dreaming, which focuses on a microlight aircraft adventure, and Helen Kapalos' A Life Of Its Own, which delves into the topic of medical marijuana. If that doesn't get you excited, perhaps a bit of background info about the original Hot Docs will. Also known as the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, it isn't just a small-scale event. Screening more than 200 films, it's actually North America's largest doco-focused showcase, and has been running for 23 years. Until now, it had limited its factual film smorgasbord to the nation in its name; however, with this Australian leg, that's no longer be the case. Hosted by Palace Cinemas and curated by Aussie artistic director Richard Moore, the local run really is everything documentary fans have dreamed of (as long as they dream about spending a week or so holed up in a cinema, that is). And it's just the latest new film fest to reach Australian screens, too. Palace just keeps building their annual calendar of events, with the cinema chain hosting another new festival dedicated to American independent cinema this month. Hot Docs at Palace Cinemas screens Sydney's Chauvel Cinema from June 21 to July 3, Melbourne's Palace Westgarth from June 14 to 26, and Canberra's Palace Electric from June 15 to 26. Check out the full program by visiting the festival's website and Facebook page. Image: Motorkite Dreaming.
Aussie documentary Punks For West Papua has no intentions of turning the noise down. Following April's craft beer screening at Sydney's Wayward Brewing Co., this must-see doco has been gaining volume over the last few weeks and will begin a tour of screenings (and paired live gigs) across Australia's bars this month. Never heard of Punks For West Papua? No sweat, we'll clue you in. PFWP is an Australia-wide movement organised by Jody Bartolo and his band Diggers with Attitude. Released earlier this year, the movement's documentary follows the Australian punk scene's fight for people in West Papua, who've experienced genocide at the hands of the Indonesian government since the 1960s. "Punks are used to raising their voice against the government, so this is a natural cause for them," says the doco's Australian director Ash Brennan. The documentary uncovers some shocking truths, including the seemingly deliberate blind eye-turning by the US, UK and Australian governments, who co-own the world's largest gold mine in West Papua (that casually makes a profit in the billions each year). The West Papuan peace protests against the devastation of their land and natural resources have been repeatedly met with massacre by their Indonesian occupiers, who have been systematically stripping the West Papuan identity for over 50 years. This tragic story has been kept quiet by the ban on journalists and foreign aid in the region, so the film aims to raise money and awareness for the Free West Papua cause. "It's happening right next to us and people know nothing about it, but once they do we find they really want to take action," says Brennan. The doco, which has already won the 2016 Documentary Feature Award of Merit at the IndieFest Film Festival in San Diego, features an interview with two time Nobel Peace Prize nominee and long time WP political prisoner Benny Wenda. The Nelson Mandela of the WP cause, Wenda will introduce each screening, most of which are followed by a live punk gig. This punk cause won't stop there, with an annual, global concert planned for the end of June. "The point was to raise real awareness, and seeing the cause go international is a victory, says Brennan. "The film has done its purpose," he adds. What started as one gig back in 2015 is now spanning five countries, including US, UK, Australia, South Africa, Spain and Japan. That's going to be one loud roar for injustice. PUNKS FOR WEST PAPUA SCREENING TOUR DATES: May 4: The Rosemount Hotel, Perth May 11: The Elephant and Wheelbarrow, Melbourne May 24: Law Faculty at University of Sydney May 25: Crowbar, Brisbane May 26: Italo Club, Lismore May 27: Pighouse Flicks, Byron Bay (presented by five-time AFI winner and two-time Academy Award nominee David Bradbury) Can't make the screenings? You can rent or buy the film here, which includes the complete Benny Wenda interview. Proceeds from the rental of P4WP go to the United Liberation Movement for West Papua.
If you're on foreign soil luxuriating in the extra cash from not having to pay back your HECS debt, the party may be over. Education Minister Christopher Pyne wants you to cough up. In the lead-up to this month's delivery of the 2015-16 federal budget — in which education is expected to take similar hardline savings cuts as last year — Pyne has announced legislation will soon be introduced obliging Australians living overseas to start paying back their HECS and HELP debts. In the spirit of making everything fair, Pyne reckons that every ex-student should have to pay back the cost of their education, regardless of where they're living. "There is no good reason why someone working as a banker in London or New York and earning over the threshold shouldn't pay back what they owe Australia," he said in a statement. Which (we'll admit reluctantly under our breaths this one time) doesn't sound inherently ludicrous. Currently, there are tens of thousands of ex-students living overseas debt-free, which is in contrast to their Australian university system alumni, slogging it out at home and quietly lamenting the slice of each pay cheque that goes back to paying off their HECS debt. But if the bill passes, come July 1, 2017, it won't matter where you're living and working — everyone will be forced to start paying it off. Sorry expats. It was good while it lasted. But well-educated Australians working in hostels, kitchens and creative careers abroad need not freak out just yet. As it goes when you're living in Australia, you'll only have to start paying off your HECS once you start earning more than the threshold, currently $53,000 a year. This new rule looks set to target those bringing in the big bucks overseas, and is a much more welcome way to raise revenue than Pyne's failed attempt at deregulating uni fees. Via the Sydney Morning Herald.
Binge-watching back episodes of all those TV shows you meant to catch up with is about to become easier than ever. Telstra have just announced a partnership with American digital set top box manufacturers Roku on an Australian platform that will be compatible with rival video-on-demand services Netflix, Stan and Presto, as well as free-to-air catch-up players and BigPond Movies. Telstra will launch the service, named Telstra TV, in September, at which point it will become the first device on the local market that offers easy access to all three competing streaming services – although you can technically get all three through a Chromecast. A Telstra spokesperson told news.com.au that Netflix and Presto would be available from the launch date, with Stan jumping on board soon after. The device will also support certain TV catch-up services, although Telstra has not yet specified which ones, and could not confirm whether Foxtel Play would be among them. A full list of supported apps will become available closer to the launch. Likewise, the pricing for Telstra TV is yet to be finalised, although the company is reportedly trying to negotiate a subscription package that includes all three major streaming options for under $30 a month. The device itself is expected to retail for $109 flat out, or $89 when included as part of a Telstra broadband plan. Via news.com.au
Scenario: you’re having a few drinks with friends, eating corn chips, playing Cards Against Humanity and really trying to connect with your dark side… like, really trying to let all those politically incorrect thoughts out so they may guide your horrifying choices towards a CAH victory. There’s nothing too gross or inappropriate and everyone is cackling like ghouls and bonding over mutual evilness. And then there’s one friend who’s really uncomfortable. That one saintly friend with so much moral fibre they can barely stand the game and tut disapprovingly at all your funniest card drops. A real wet blanket. Imagine for a second that this party pooper was in charge of the entertainment for the evening and, in an attempt to foster neighbourliness and goodwill to all men, brought a new game... Cards for Humanity. “It’s fun, you guys! It’s a real winner!” they say, pouring virgin margaritas and placing a fruit tray down on the table. “I got it from Kickstarter, it’s meant to spark meaningful and insightful conversations!” “I have to go,” you scream, swiftly running off into the night “I left my hairdryer… in the oven.” And fin scenario. We don’t mean to alarm you but this could be a reality soon. Cards For Humanity, a card game that trades on your innate goodness, is in the works via the maker of dreams, Kickstarter. It was created by two good kids called Betsy and Hannah. Just look how goodhearted and sunbeamy they are: Although it lacks the nasty appeal of Cards Against Humanity, we concede that it would be good to play in any scenario where you can’t be your most evil self, such as work, church or with your grandparents. The pack includes such horrifically warm and fuzzy questions such as “What’s the craziest thing you have ever done for love?” and “If happiness was the national currency, what would make you wealthy?” and (oh god) "What would you wish on a shooting star?" that will really highlight your moral corruption and make you question your entire life. However, Cards For Humanity doesn’t include an answer deck allowing you craft warm, meaningful answers… or use a Cards Against Humanity answer deck to really spice things up. Check out Cards for Humanity's Kickstarter page over here.
Tickled is, to put it mildly, pretty bloody weird. Brilliant and fascinating, sure, but also bloody weird. Directed by New Zealand journalist David Farrier along with fellow first-time filmmaker Dylan Reeve, the documentary purports to be about a strange and some would say rather homoerotic subculture that the pair discovered after stumbling across an online ad — an ad offering to fly young, fit men out to Los Angeles where they would be tied down and tickled on camera. In truth, however, the tickling is merely the tip of the iceberg. Indeed, Farrier and Reeve had barely started their investigation when they began receiving threatening emails from Jane O'Brien Media, the company responsible for the ads. Before long, the filmmakers found themselves neck deep in a story of bullying, intimidation, sexual fetishes and a search for the truth — one that is still very much ongoing, despite the film being out in theatres as we speak. Prior to the documentary's release, we sat down with Farrier at the Melbourne International Film Festival, where we spoke about everything from his first run-in with Jane O'Brien media, to being sued for defamation, to the moment when the film's villain crashed a Q&A screening in LA. Like we said… bloody weird. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOBXuCYB4jQ WELL THAT ESCALATED QUICKLY "All I've done for the last ten years are these two minute whacky subculture stories, and I just thought this would be one of those," says Farrier, when we ask about the origins of the project. "But that response I got back was so strange. I just remember being so blown away by it. And it happened very quickly. Within the first week I was getting legal threats." The threats weren't just legal, but personal too, attacking Farrier for being gay and even going after Reeves' wife and children. "I got quite upset," admits Farrier. "It was really stressful. It's hard to get across how non-stop all those emails were. It was unrelenting." Of course, the irony is that, had the company not reacted so viciously, Farrier would have probably dropped the whole thing. "If they'd responded like normal humans, there would have been no documentary. Even if they'd just said, 'We're a bit busy,' I probably would have just moved on to something else," he says. The other tipping point was when the pair found upwards of 50 websites featuring videos of former tickling competitors, complete with their names and personal information. "It was just a really clear example of doxing, where you suddenly had people's cell phone numbers and addresses, and all their tickling videos, mixed in with a whole bunch of lies about them," says Farrier. "Once Dylan found those domain names, that [existed] purely to bully people, we thought that a film was what we could use to expose this." A QUESTION OF ETHICS One of the challenges of making Tickled was the fact that many of its subjects — the people who worked for O'Brien, if she even existed — didn't want to be filmed. "When you're making a film about people who don't want a film made about them, there's going to be ethical questions," says Farrier. "If someone says, 'We don't want to be on camera, we don't want to give you an interview,' then of course you have to [ask], 'Okay, is there no film? Or do you proceed on and record them anyway?" Watching the film, you get the distinct sense that Farrier wanted to give his subjects a taste of their own medicine — that after exploiting and publicly humiliating so many people, it was high time sometime turned the camera on them. Ultimately, Farrier stands by the decisions he and Reeve made, saying that they were conscious of "the bigger picture, of what we wanted to expose," adding that he feels "very comfortable about the direction we took things." When asked to speculate on the motivations of the person who (the film purports) sits at the centre of the conspiracy, Farrier smiles before offering a carefully worded response. "I've already been sued twice for defamation, so I can't talk on my opinion on any of the characters in the film," he says. "I'd like to. I've got a lot of theories." THE STORY CONTINUES As strange as the content of documentary may seem, what's happened since the release has arguably been even stranger. Not only have the filmmakers been sued, but a website has appeared — www.tickledmovie.info — that aims to discredit the film. But the most surprising moment came at a screening in Los Angeles back in June, when two of the major players from Jane O'Brien media showed up unannounced and got into a heated discussion with Reeve. The film's US distributor posted footage of the confrontation on Facebook and, like everything else in this story, it is absolutely bizarre. "It's publicity for us, to the level where people think we've hired actors to do it," says Farrier. "I don't know. We're dealing with people who aren't fully grounded in reality, and who don't fully understand how the online world works… I genuinely don't think they were expecting us to have cameras there, but I'm sorry, you can live stream from your cell phone." Fittingly, Tickled is very much a film about that online world, and how it has become a breeding ground for harassment. "I think people respond to the film because we're super aware of online bullying at the moment," says Farrier. "It's always existed, but it seems to have reached a kind of extreme, whether it's Gamergate or this hate campaign against females because they're in a Ghostbusters film. We're at this peak level of harassment, and I think this is just another crazy reminder of that." Tickled is in cinemas now. Read our full review here.
Wedged up in the corner of Eastern Europe, bordered by the Baltic Sea to the north and Latvia to the south, sits Estonia. It's a quiet little country that's spent most of its life as a Russian-German pull toy and has a population of only 1.3 million. But if there's one thing that these 1.3 million people can do, it's cook. Estonia is throwing around some legit food and drink game at the moment, and now is the perfect time to get on board. Tallinn might be one of the trickiest places to get to from Australia, but it's certainly one of the most worthwhile if you have a palate for affordable, fine dining. Think fresh local produce, age-perfected cooking techniques and more craft beer than you can poke a stick at. Good meals won't cost you more than $15, and most come with a view worth more than the plate itself. Pack a knife, fork and your best appetite and head to the new culinary crux of Europe. GETTING THERE First and foremost, you're going to have to get to Tallinn, Estonia's capital. Unfortunately there's no speedy, one stopover flight from Australia to Tallinn, so if you're going to visit, we suggest tagging it onto a European adventure. Flights out of most major European airports won't break the bank. Another option, depending on where you're coming form, is by boat — there are direct sea routes from Helsinki, St Petersburg and Stockholm. While this sounds like a city in the middle of nowhere (and it kind of is), don't think you're signing up for some Bear Grylls-inspired brush with danger. Most Estonians in Tallinn speak very good English, and they have Vapiano if homesickness kicks in. STAY Estonian Airbnb is a dream. While the Australian dollar doesn't fair so well against the Euro, the cost of living, eating, drinking and dancing in Estonia is a cheap as cheese (cheese in Tallinn is very cheap). You can get a good Airbnb for about $20-40 a night, and some spacious ones for about $100. Of course, there are fancy, Old Town penthouses with six plus bedrooms you can splash out on for about $1000 a night too (pictured). Don't be afraid to suss out the suburbs when it comes to accommodation. Unlike London or Paris you can reside just about anywhere in Tallinn and be able to get into the Old Town (the epicentre of Tallinn) without a hassle, because a) Tallinn is a fortieth of the size of Brisbane, b) the tram system is a breeze, and c) Uber is dirt cheap (we're talking $5 from the airport to city centre here). There are some great, tinea-free hostels near and in Old Town that cost anywhere between $10-30 a night. EAT Now this is what we're talking about. Estonian cuisine is influenced by its Scandinavian and Russian neighbours, with a strong emphasis on fresh, homegrown or locally produced elements. Estonians really care where their food comes from, so most dishes contain a lamb or fish base, and are paired with local veggies, homemade sauces and yeasty, dark bread. Old Town has some great restaurants but, like any tourist hotspot, you're always at risk of being overcharged for a stew that was cooked last week, frozen, and stuck in the microwave for a couple of minutes. Head there first to do the touristy thing, take some snaps, have a look at the architecture, trip over a jaded stone on the old footpaths and work up a hunger. Then get out. Mere Puiestee street runs parallel to Old Town's eastern side, and the huge brick buildings and line of trees hide some of the city's best and trendiest restaurants. SfääR (pictured above) is an award winning, quaint little restaurant and clothing store that has a menu and cocktail list worth crossing a few major oceans for — definitely try the homemade zucchini and sun-dried ravioli with a buttery sage sauce. If you're after something a little heavier and/or hangover friendly skip next door to Scotland Yard Pub. The street behind homes Alter Ego, a classy, upper-class restaurant that showcases the best Mediterranean in the city. Down by the water, you'll find the abandoned Linnahall, an old sports and concert venue, which is haunting and definitely worth an explore. But before it you'll find the Eesti Kaasaegse Kunsti Muuseum (Museum of Contemporary Art), an adjoining art book shop and Klaus. Klaus really brings home the term 'modern Estonian food'. Think mussels with green curry and lime, Estonian lamb casserole with jasmine rice, duck breast with plum puree, wild mushroom tartare, and desserts that deserve Nobel Prizes. On Friday and Saturday evenings you'll find a lot of very important and trendy looking people dining and getting drunk there. This is the insider's Estonian restaurant. The one place in Old Town we will push you towards is Vegan Restoran V. The meals are huge, cheap, inventive and tasty beyond expectation. It's in pretty high demand since it racked up a number of global vegan eating awards. It's currently ranked the 16th best vegan restaurant in the world — and the prices are cheaper than McDonalds. Carrot cake in Estonia makes the stuff over here look like grated carrot chucked in the microwave for a couple of minutes. Gustav's variation consists of about five thin layers of velvety, nutty carrot cake and citrus sour cream mousse. This was our equivalent of falling in love abroad and being faced with the decision of whether to stay or leave and risk never loving again. Gustav has two locations in Tallinn, with their Vabriku street venue adjoined to Fabrik Restoran — which features an award-winning, Asian influenced menu and possibly the best duck fried rice and pork bao you'll find in a 1000km radius. DRINK Like most of Eastern Europe, drinks aren't too pricey in Estonia, and you can get a wine from one of those fancy glass bottles with a cork for only a couple of bucks. Estonia has a number of emerging, microbreweries — and if you're looking to scour, then head to Uba Ja Humal or Drink Shop. They're both craft beer Meccas. Make sure to try Siidrikoda — an Estonian craft cider — and anything by Käbliku or Põhjala Breweries. There's a lot of clubs targeted towards backpackers, so if you're chasing a bit more of a local, relaxed drinking vibe, try any one of Estonia's underground theatre bars. Von Kraahl is one of the most popular, showcasing homegrown productions and local beer. Protest is a pretty 'in' kind of place, so don't worry if you feel like everyone here is already best friends and you've just crashed a party. Just drink up, sing some Aerosmith on the man-built karaoke set up and you'll eventually make your way in. Top image: Mike Beales. Second image: Mark Litwintschik.
Headphones aren't your crappy, service station-bought, tinny pieces of shit anymore. They can help you get high, they can edit the sound around you, they can even respond to your own damn ear. An Australian-based startup called Nura has raised over a million bucks on Kickstarter to develop a new pair of headphones that respond to the listener's various ability to perceive sound — and they casually tailor your music to fit your inner ear perfectly. The project has just hit an unbelievable AUD$1.2 million on Kickstarter (people reeeaaally want a good set of headphones) and is headed up by a Melbourne-based team. Kyle Slater, Luke Campbell and Dragan Petrovic dreamt up the scheme before teaming up with engineer Wilson Shao. Together, they're the A-Team of futuristic cochlear science. Slater has a PhD in psychoacoustics, human machine interfaces and helped design the first bionic eye. Campbell is an MD who's spent his life studying the mechanics of hearing, performing surgeries (on, you guessed it, ears!) and has a PhD in hearing science. Dragan is an electrical engineer from Berkeley with experience in product management. What a dream squad. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXU3cZSJ2wg[/embed] So how does it work? "Some headphones sound tinny and lack beat, others have too much bass which drowns out the detail," says the Nura team on Kickstarter. "The acoustic separation of Nura's design allows for the deepest bass and clearest tones. "The over-ear cup delivers bass you can feel through your skin. The earbud prevents the bass from drowning out the detail and delivers crystal clear notes directly into your ear. Your brain combines the sensations into a fully immersive experience — you hear and you feel the music." The laundry list of achievements is probably one of the reasons their Kickstarter went off — these boys aren't playing around. But they're not the only ones getting serious (and weird) about audio quality. The future is now, so go right ahead and throw away your $2 pair of temporary headphones and prepare to hear a whole new woooooorldddd. Uh. Sorry. EAR-FREE HEADPHONES Earlier in the year, Sony unveiled their latest gadgetry: ear-free headphones. Concept N (very sci-fi name, you guys) sits around your neck and, using a series of multi-directional speakers, directs sound up towards the ears. It's a device for people who don't want to zone out completely, but still want to listen to their tunes. HEADPHONES THAT GET YOU HIGH Then, of course, there's the offering from Nervana, a startup from San Diego — a pair of headphones that gets you high. A low-power electric stimulation is synced up with whatever music you're listening to, triggering the release of dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin in the brain, which sounds like the perfect way to listen to music. The product has also been crowdfunded and isn't quite on the market yet, but testing is going well. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzpqWMM_HrY[/embed] SOUND-PERFECTING HEADPHONES Finally, there's Doppler Lab's crowdfunded Here earbuds. They're not exactly headphones, but 'sound perfectors'. The technology aims to equalise the noise of the world and perfect your experience of sound without the noise. They allow you to turn up the volume, bass and treble, mute sounds you don't want to hear (like crying babies on planes). Best bit? There's an 'Instagram your ears' function with premade filters to overlay your hearing with selective enhancements. Only in 2016.
Just when you thought this year's Melbourne Music Week program was looking very juicy indeed, along comes the final lineup announcement, bringing with it even more musical goodness to add to your calendar. To complement the array of gigs and parties organised for this year's festival hub at St Paul's Cathedral, a series of al fresco events is also set to grace the historic building's carpark. Following opening night performances by award-winning Indigenous artist Kutcha Edwards and hip hop rising star Miss Blanks, this unique outdoor space will play host to a diverse program of shows. The makeshift venue will feature acts like Kirin J Callinan, The Cat Empire's Harry James Angus, singer and saxophonist Masego, Albrecht La'Brooy, Sydney pop outfit I Know Leopard and Melbourne singer-songwriter Eilish Gilligan. This year's festival also marks the return of long-running punk celebration Live Music Safari, which will see ten of the city's most iconic live music venues open their doors for a program of free gigs on Thursday, November 23. Also back for another year is free all-ages party Live At The Steps, set to take over the steps of Parliament House on November 17 with performances by Mallrat, Skegss, Tired Lion and Baker Boy (who was one of our top picks from BIGSOUND this year). Meanwhile, the Fed Square Live showcase will celebrate the strength and diversity of local female artists, with performances by Ali Barter, Alice Skye and Hey Mammoth complemented by imagery from the Her Sound, Her Story project. Punters will once again have the chance to enjoy live music on their public transport commute as part of the ever-popular Tram Sessions, while MMW's Self-Made series will see audiences rocking out to unique music experiences at unconventional venues like North Melbourne's Meat Market and the newly launched MPavilion. These follow last month's slew of MMW lineup announcements, which includes a new all-ages event at Melbourne Town Hall, a performance by Ariel Pink and Ferdydurke and Section 8's ZOO street party. Melbourne Music Week 2017 will take place across the city from Friday, November 17 to Saturday, November 25. To buy tickets and view the whole program, visit mmw.melbourne.vic.gov.au.
With a steady string of new live venues opening across the east coast lately, seeing doors opening – rather than closing – has happily become the status quo. Alas, every now and then some bad news reminds us of the opposite extreme that we’d much rather forget. And when it comes to bad news, this could be right up there. The Music is reporting that the company behind The Hi-Fi has been placed into external administration over a dispute with a major creditor. Unable to resolve their differences with The Hi-Fi Group, the creditor has taken over running the business while a new buyer is sought. All three Australian venues have been affected, meaning Brisbane’s West End mainstay, Melbourne’s Swanston Street spot and Sydney’s recently revamped former Forum Theatre location as well. It was due to almost two decades of success in Melbourne that the company branched out into Brisbane in 2009, with Sydney following in 2012. All signs point to the venue remaining open and running — for now. "It's business as usual, see you at the gig," said a post on the venue's Facebook page. Shows are slated from now until June – including The Smith Street Band, Sticky Fingers, Seth Sentry, DJ Shadow & Cut Chemist, and the only just announced debut album tour by Courtney Barnett, depending on the city, so current ticket holders should be taken care of. As for what happens after then: watch this space. Via The Music.
It goes without saying, Melbourne's characteristically buzzing cultural ecosystem has thrived this year, with the city's most innovative, forward-thinking residents taking bold risks in their field. More inventive, forward-thinking and experimental than ever, Melbourne's newest bars and pubs have been upping the city's already renowned libation reputation. Our new (or renewed) pubs that have the biggest hurdle to face — history. Pub renovations in 2016 remained strong, moving into more contemporary, fine dining-focused territory with some of the city's best design teams at hand. At Concrete Playground we encourage exploration and showcase innovation in our city every day, so we thought it fitting to reward those most talented whippersnappers pushing Melbourne to be a better, braver city. And so, these six new(ish) pubs, opened or revamped in 2016, have been nominated for Best New Pub in Concrete Playground's Best of 2016 Awards. Vote for your favourite.
Throw us a bit of sunshine and we'll take just about any inside activity to the great outdoors. Open-air moviegoing, however, is a clear favourite. Each year we inevitably see our favourite outdoor cinemas return for the summer and a couple of newbies always pop up too. From films overlooking the CBD to nestled among the sands at St Kilda Beach, these cinemas showcase the best new releases and cult favourites under the stars. So pack a snack basket of wine and cheese (this is mandatory), some Aeroguard and get your butt on a picnic rug for the evening. It's a perfect date idea or a great way to spend an evening with mates.
This year's Melbourne Fringe invites to swap your usual reality for something a little more lighthearted, with its 2018 theme 'Are You Game?' embracing the playtime in everyday life. Featured in this year's edition of the independent arts fiesta are a whopping 150 venues, as over 440 events and performances are brought to life across the city. Whether dipping your toe or diving deep, there's something in this diverse program for every kind of audience. Expect laughs aplenty with Selina Jenkins' dark comedy Thy Neighbour; hilarious, experimental theatre like you've never seen before for Sammy J – The 50 Year Show; and a truckload of chuckles at Highlander's free series of Fringe stand-up. Jude Perl embraces the art of angst in her work I Have a Face, Little Ones Theatre goes big with their ode to Whitney Houston Queen of The Night, and a boisterous serve of sound effects and impersonations are on the cards for Pablo Francisco's Australianator Tour. And, taking the concept of audience participation to a whole new level, Aphids and Field Theory will team up for ICON: an intensely participatory artwork that'll see one willing local selected randomly to become a legend. The randomly selected person will be trailed and studied carefully — Field Theory team members will sleep on your floor and, even, taste your breakfast — for 48 hours, and then celebrated with their very own festival in Fed Square. Head down to Fed Square between 12–4pm on August 18 or 19 to sign yourself up. If you want to get involved, but not that involved, you can head to a celebration of everything female, a comedic re-make of a Year 10 Formal — with, maybe, actual Passion Pop — karaoke, drag queen bingo, circus-themed wrestling (think clowns vs acrobats) and a glittering opening party. Image: Theresa Harrison.
There aren't too many shoes we'd put in our own mouths, but Nike's latest release is a top contender. Set for release on April 2, Nike SB's new edition of the Dunk High takes inspiration from the ultimate fusion of fried savoury goodness and dessert breakfast — chicken and waffles. Screw inspiration, it literally looks like the damn dish, with textured waffle imprints, syrup drips and insoles covered in waffle-chicken illustrations. Only available at select Nike SB stockists, the 'Chicken and Waffles' Dunk Highs will walk out the door with hungry sneaker fans worldwide on April 2 at 10am EDT. Feast on these close-ups in the meantime and pass the napkins. Via Sneaker News. Images: Nike, SN and Dollar Photo Club.
Get lost in a maze of mirrors at NGV International where a brand new installation work is now installed. Semicircular Space is a new piece by Berlin-based Danish artist Jeppe Hein, and consists of dozens of polished steel pillars more than 2.5 metres tall. Erected in a labyrinthine pattern, the work aims to distort the observer's perception of reality and call into question the way they view the world. The maze-like sculpture has been installed in Federation Court in the foyer of the NGV building, where it can be accessed by the public without charge. Point is, if you've ever wanted to run through a hall of mirrors like the hero and/or villain in a Saturday morning cartoon, this is your chance. You can visit Semicircular Space at NGV International until Friday, September 16. It's the latest in a series of contemporary art commissions for Federation Court, made possible by the support of the Loti & Victor Smorgon Fund.
Ivan Sen and Aaron Pedersen have become one of the great double acts of Australian cinema. The former is a writer, director, producer, cinematographer and composer who first burst onto the scene with his debut feature Beneath Clouds, while the latter has lit up the nation's big and small screens in everything from influential crime television series Wildside to expressive Indigenous dance film Spear. Together they're the driving force behind two of the best local releases in the last four years, as well as the reason that their central character of Jay Swan is fast becoming one of the nation's enduring screen heroes. First, they collaborated on the sun-drenched western 'noir' Mystery Road. And now they're back to serve up the second chapter that is Goldstone. Like its predecessor, this companion piece explores the efforts of Pedersen's Indigenous detective as he investigates unseemly dealings in the remote reaches of the Aussie outback. But Goldstone doesn't just offer up another Swan-centric story (as pleasing as that concept is). No, once again, it not only navigates the country's distinctive landscape, but also provides a politically-charged examination of the complex state of the nation's race relations in the process. With the feature currently screening in Australian cinemas, Ivan and Aaron sat down with Concrete Playground to discuss the conflicts of their protagonist, the process of making movies in the middle of nowhere and what comes next for the duo. ON TELLING POLITICALLY CHARGED STORIES WITHIN GENRE CONFINES Ivan: "It's all inbuilt into the fabric of the character. He's a character who's a political character. He's an Indigenous police officer, and those two words together immediately creates a conflict within him — and there's a conflict on each side of him. Not many people trust a black cop from the Aboriginal perspective, and he's looked at with suspicion from the white side as well. They see him as a tool for them to liaise with the community, whereas he's actually there in the centre trying to help this community and keep people from being locked up. So he's just got all these political, social aspects inbuilt. And I think that's why when you place that into a genre arena, automatically you're going to have a genre effort that's going to have political subtext that's inbuilt from the beginning." ON RETURNING TO THE CHARACTER OF JAY SWAN Ivan: [Looking at Aaron] "He wanted a job." Aaron: "Yeah, I wanted a job. Nah, look, I was very inspired by the first one. I thought it was saying a lot of things. I thought he [Jay Swan] walked quite strong in the world. And as Ivan says, he's just a good man doing the right things — and I liked that. It was a simple profile of the man, but it was such a beautiful in-depth conversation he was having about the type of person you should be in the world. So I just said 'let's do it again, brother', because it seemed like people had gravitated towards him in a lot of ways. And throughout the whole journey of Mystery Road, not one person questioned the colour of his skin — they just thought 'good on you, you're doing the right thing'. And that for me was a win — and a coup — because you're trying to paint strong, male Indigenous images that are pertinent to helping this country, rather than being looked down at as a lesser kind of a person. So I just wanted to bring him back. I thought he had an audience, and he had people there who loved him, and people wanted to see him again — there was a bit of a hunger there. And I wanted to work with Ivan again, which not a lot of actors get the chance to do. So, it was a great chance to work with him again. And Ivan's note was: 'well, we just fuck it up a bit. We reshape it. We make it more jagged — and make a different film'. And the truth is, it works — you know? He's a little bit more damaged, but people are with him, so immediately people are emotionally connected, like 'whoa, what's going on here?' So he's already got friends and family in amongst audiences, so it felt like a no-brainer really. Obviously it's a lot of work to do it, whether you ask it or not. Ivan had a couple of other projects he was working on that didn't go the way he thought they might at the time, so it opened the door to write it. He sat down in a small period time — less than a fortnight — and penned the film, and then called me and said 'wrote it, bro'. And I was like 'yes! Here we go!' It's one thing to ask [for a second film], but it takes a lot to [actually] do it. So I asked the question and Ivan did the hard work for it. I'm glad I asked him. I didn't push it too much, but I wanted to see if he thought it was possible. For me, Ivan is heading in a direction that, if I don't catch him and ask him to do it now, then the stratosphere is his world. In years to come, it might be something we revisit later, but it was worth asking now." ON SHOOTING THE FILM IN OUTBACK QUEENSLAND Ivan: "To us, it's nowhere. Middleton's a pub, right? There's three people who live there. To us, it's just land. There's nothing there — there's no services. There's nothing that you need to look after a crew and house them and all that stuff. And we had to actually build the sets as well as our accommodation. To shoot a film out there, full-time, for under $3 million is unbelievable. It feels like a much bigger film than what it is. It's a couple of hundred grand more than my first film in 2002. And to look at it, it's quite an epic film." Aaron: "And we worked every day, really." Ivan: "Me doing five jobs helps the budget — I don't get the money for that, by the way." ON TRYING TO MAKE GOLDSTONE BOTH MORE POLITICAL AND MORE ACCESSIBLE THAN MYSTERY ROAD Ivan: "It's another stepping stone to a wider audience...and that's partly why I wanted it to be a two-hander. So Alex Russell [who plays Goldstone's only permanent cop], his character is white, with a country background, and people connect with him. As they do Jacki Weaver, as they do to David Wenham. So that was all conscious, you know. And you've got [Indigenous actors] Tommy Lewis and David Gulpilil on the other side. And Cheng Pei-pei. It's inviting the audience in to see different perspectives. I was joking out on location that it's like a trifle. You've got your favourite piece of the trifle — whether it is the cake or the jelly or the custard — and you go for your favourite bit. But at the same time you're going to taste the custard and the cake as well." Aaron: "I like trifle." Ivan: "It was a very consciously-made trifle." ON THE POSSIBILITY OF A THIRD FILM Aaron: "I've already planted that one, too. But it's true. What happens in our careers — whether my career or Ivan's — is unbeknown, but I know Ivan is a great creator of his own destiny too. So the question is asked for that reason — but where's the window for it? That's really all it is, because I know maybe he'd love to revisit it or even just look at it, but where's the window for it? I asked the question a lot earlier in the piece. We had the discussion in the Middleton pub during the shooting of this one and talked about it in bits and pieces over the whole shoot. So, the seed has been planted and there's a little bit of watering going on, but it's just a matter of where the window is." Ivan: "I had an idea, actually, about two years or a year and a half ago about a story — and after talking to Aaron out on location I realised that that story could be the basis of another. I mean, that story could've involved Aaron and just a totally different character, but we could see how [this story and Jay Swan] could interconnect...And the whole thing would be quite radical. And very different to the other two films as well. And extremely political." Aaron: "Extremely political. It's outrageous." Ivan: "It'll blow the walls out. But in saying that, it's extremely accessible at the same time because of that. Because that outrageousness is also what's attractive at the same time." Aaron: "Yeah, totally. Look, there's a lot of unanswered questions still, as there was in the first. And the first and second complement each other in a lot of ways, and they're separate, too. It's just about the time it takes place. In the three years since Ivan and I did the last one, our worlds have shifted — personally and privately — and that happens with the characters too. And they can shift quite enormously, and there can be quite the chasm between them. I always say this: look at the last image of Mystery Road and the first image of Goldstone. There's this chasm. You go 'hang on, have I missed a film here? What the hell happened? That's not the same person'. But it is. There's great beauty in how people make that connection, too. So, whatever that is, the leap that we're talking about won't feel ridiculous — it'll feel like life has taken place, and things have happened. And that's exciting too, because the excitement of shooting this film was the fact that it's the same character, but it was like you stepped onto another planet." Goldstone is currently screening in Australian cinemas.
Because you're reading this, we know you're not someone who received a pet for Christmas, only to decide it wasn't for you. We know you're one of the good folks. You're probably wishing that you did receive a loveable animal as a gift, even if you already have one — or several — that you adore. We understand your yearning, and so does the RSPCA. And, to find permanent homes for pups, cats, bunnies, guinea pigs and ponies surrendered into its care from all over the state, it's lowering the adoption fee to $29 this weekend. The weekend-long initiative is called Clear the Shelters and will run from Friday, February 23 until Sunday, February 25. Although you can't put a price on the happiness a new four-legged friend will bring, it's hoped that the low adoption fee will encourage people who have been thinking about adding a pet to their fam (and have considered it thoroughly) to make the commitment this week. Last year, the RSPCA found new homes for 793 pets in NSW through the campaign. This year, Clear the Shelters will run across Australia in all states except WA and Tasmania. The adoption fees — which usually range from $20–600 — help cover some of the costs of vaccines, training and microchipping for the animals. Whether you're in NSW, Victoria or Queensland, there are hundreds of animals that need a new home full of love and pats. There's more to pet adoption than overdosing on cuteness, of course, with making the commitment to care for an animal is serious business. For further information, read RSPCA's FAQs and head to a shelter this weekend.
Have you ever wanted to have the choice between 160 different bitters? If your answer is yes, we're here to tell you that Lily Blacks is your bar. Tucked into Meyers Place off the top end of Bourke Street, this little gem means business. Lily's is run by Lachlan McAllister and the team behind many a great Melbourne bar, including recent Smith Street addition Mr Wow's Emporium. Like all of McAllister's venues, anyone and everyone is welcome to sip a tipple with Lily. In the early hours of the evening, you'll find yourself rubbing shoulders with the after-work crowd, and the hospo crew often pop in for a pre- or post-shift beverage, too. Lily's channels 1920s glamour and exudes that speakeasy vibe with a little extra cheek. When it comes to the drinks list, aside from the wall of bitters, they pride themselves on knowing a thing or two about gin. On their cocktail list classics sit comfortably next to original creations that are all carefully labelled with their key flavour: sweet, dry, boozy, tall, sweet, sour, and bitter are all descriptions you'll have to choose from. Try Lily's decadent Eton Mess made up of Larios gin, lavender, strawberries and fresh lime ($18). Or perhaps stick with something stronger, like the Japanese Cigar made from Courvoisier VS Cognac, Ardbeg Whisky, Hickory-smoked Orgeat, and bitters ($18). If the trusty Old Fashioned is your thing, however, it's time to get excited. There are six on the menu, with an array of weird and wonderful bitters. Try Matusalem clasico rum with Bob's chocolate and house-made cinnamon and fig bitters ($19). Taking care of the beer and wine drinkers among us, craft brews like the Hawthorn pale ale is on tap ($6 a pot), and you can get a Bai Ha Noi from Vietnam ($10) by the bottle. Eight wines are available by the glass — two sparklings, three white, and three red. If you're in a celebratory mood, you can also splurge by getting the Bollinger 2002 by the bottle ($295). And if Lily Blacks wasn't already enough fun, they also run monthly Iron Bartender competitions, where Melbourne's finest bartenders go head to head in an Iron Chef-inspired battle of the shakers. Secret ingredients and an enthusiastic crowd are guaranteed to follow.
The man behind Laneway Festival, St Jeromes - The Hotel and a number of Melbourne bars has copped a $40,000 fine over significant hygiene problems uncovered at his former CBD venue Sister Bella. According to The Age, Jerome Borazio fronted the Melbourne Magistrates Court yesterday, where his company pled guilty to ten charges under the Food Standards Act, relating to an inspection in April 2014 that uncovered rodent droppings throughout the kitchen and dead mice on the floor. Sister Bella was closed for three weeks in the aftermath of the inspections, which also found holes in the walls and floor, greasy walls and equipment, and unsealed bags of food. Borazio would eventually sell the venue in November 2015. "Looking at these photographs it's incredible that anyone could unlock the door and turn a blind eye," said magistrate Peter Reardon. According to defence council John Larkins, Borazio had relied on a management team to oversee operations at Sister Bella, but that "his faith was clearly misplaced." He conceded that responsibility for the "lamentable situation" ultimately lay with the then owner, stating that "the buck stops with him." In addition to the fine, Borazio was ordered to pay a further $10,000 in court costs. Via The Age. Image: St Jeromes - The Hotel.
If dropping by your local car wash makes you want to unleash your inner kidult, then you'd better get yourself to the National Gallery of Victoria's Grollo Equiset Garden from October 14. That's when M@ STUDIO Architects will be setting up a pretend car wash, which you'll be welcome to treat as one giant playground. Their brilliant idea is called Haven't you always wanted...?, it's the winner of the 2016 NGV Architecture Commission — and it's free to check out. You'll be able to find your fun easily — just look out for the old-school, glittering sign. Head inside to discover a true-to-size car wash replica, based on an actual existing one in Blackburn. But you can forget your run-of-the-mill cement and nasty fluoro lights. Instead, you'll be surrounded by walls of cricket netting, looking up at a pretty translucent ceiling, frolicking in bright pink AstroTurf and kicking back on rubber speed bumps. There'll be five 'bays' altogether, two hung with red plastic curtains and one equipped with a mist diffuser. So, though you probably won't be able to go for an all-out water fight, you won't escape totally dry (should that be your car wash wish). Plus, at night, the whole scene will light up, letting you have nocturnal adventures galore. To celebrate this epic creation, the NGV is organising a slew of events. In what seems similar to the Queen Victoria Gardens' MPavilion, this outdoor structure will host talks, live music and performances over both spring and summer. But, if you're not in the mood for shows, you can head along to hang out with friends anytime. "We are thrilled to be selected as the winner of the 2016 NGV Architecture Commission," said M@ STUDIO Architects. "Open competitions such as this provide a vital platform for architects to experiment and facilitate public discourse around the broader ideas that motivate the specific design explorations." The annual NGV Architecture Commission invites architects to come up with clever, clever installation ideas for the Grollo Equiset Garden. Entries are judged for their originality, their new ideas concerning architecture and design, and their innovation in material use, fabrication, sustainability and recyclability.
Melbourne likes movies. Melbourne likes rooftop bars. Little wonder then that the Rivoli Cinema in Camberwell is now serving cocktails at a slightly higher altitude. Now open on the roof of Hawthorn East's iconic cinema, nineteenforty is a garden-inspired rooftop bar that offers panoramic views of the surrounding suburbs. Named for the year that the now-iconic picture palace first began operations, the east side's newest watering hole sounds like an ideal date spot, with drinks and a movie all rolled into one. Designed by Hot Black, the rooftop bar's look is meant to complement the cinema's art deco trappings, with timber cladding, striped umbrellas, potted plants and festoon lighting. Food-wise they'll offer a selection of bar snacks including wedges, veggie spring rolls, and cheese and dip platters, along with pizzas and gourmet popcorn options like salted caramel, white raspberry, maple bacon cheese and pecan pie. As for drinks, moviegoers can pick between an array of wines, beers and ciders, or sample cocktails like the Athena (apricot brandy, cloudy apple and lime) and the South of the River (Star of Bombay, St Germain Elderflower, apple, lime and mint). "We've always been enamoured by the history of the cinema," said Rivoli site manager James Zwack. "The rooftop bar seems like the perfect way to invite guests to enjoy the space as much as we do." The Rivoli isn't the only cinema to look to the sky in recent times, with the recently opened Lido on nearby Glenferrie Road offering rooftop screenings throughout summer. Find nineteenforty on the top of Rivoli Cinema, 200 Camberwell Rd, Hawthorn East. Open from 5.30pm weekdays and from 2pm on weekends, subject to weather.
Portraits aren’t all regal furs and awkward “Oh, didn’t see you there,” poses. They can be weird, abstract, figurative, unrecognisable, or downright adorable. That last one sums up French-born Sydney artist Bruno Jean Grasswill's portrait of Australian actor and The Castle legend Michael Caton, winner of the 2015 Packing Room Prize and one of the finalists for the Archibald Prize, announced today. One of 47 artworks picked as Archie finalists in the Art Gallery of New South Wales' annual Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes, Grasswill's portrait of Caton took home a Packing Room cash prize of $1500, judged by the gallery staff who receive, unpack and hang the entries. There's no jousting sticks in sight, but we're pretty sure this one's going to go straight to a lucky gallery's pool room. Caton apparently congratulated the AGNSW packing room staff “on their excellent taste in art.” What a boss. After 832 Archibald, 653 Wynne and 518 Sulman entries, this year, these 47 Archibald finalists are the top tier of artists trying to make us wake up and pay attention (whether for great or WTF reasons) to Australia’s big ol’ faces. It's not an easy task; capturing a realistic, unrelentingly vulnerable likeness of your own reflection, someone you’ve just met or one of your oldest buds takes a fair few stories, maybe a few beers and a willingness to tackle the intimidating notion of thinking up something new after decades of Archie winners. There's a few standouts for us this year, which you can see when the exhibition opens to the public on July 18. There's this striking portrait of Australian fashion designer Jenny Kee by Carla Fletcher: This pretty damn impressive self portrait of Australian artist and political activist Richard Bell: Adam Alcorn's sharply figurative portrait of Sydney award-winning writer, comedian, podcaster and radio host Alice Fraser: Julian Meagher's candy-coloured portrait of Daniel Johns: And Stewart MacFarlane's got Corey Bernadi holding some kind of whip? The Archibald Prize exhibition opens to the public at the AGNSW on Saturday, July 18. To view all the Archibald, Sulman and Wynne finalists, head over here. Images: Archibald Prize, AGNSW.
If you find yourself in our fair capital this summer, don't leave without checking out Hyper Real at the NGA. Featuring nearly 50 extraordinary digital art and ultra-real sculptures by 32 international artists including Ron Mueck, Patricia Piccinini, Sam Jinks, John DeAndrea, Carole A Feuerman and Marc Sijan, you can expect to see everything from a frozen sculpture made from an artist's blood, a virtual journey through a human skull floating in space and a transgenic creature giving birth. An incredible opportunity to see sculpted forms so true to life you'll get goosebumps (prepare to suppress the urge to reach out and touch them), Hyper Real takes humanity and amplifies it, asking 'what makes us human?' whilst displaying the ever-expanding artistic potential of the genre itself. "Contemporary hyperrealism has pushed beyond static sculpture and into the digital realm. It is a shape-shifting genre, simultaneously traditional and innovative, familiar and provocative" says Jaklyn Babington, NGA Senior Curator of Contemporary Art. Trust us, you won't have seen an exhibition like this before. Image: Patricia Piccinini, The long awaited, 2008, silicone, fibreglass, human hair, plywood, leather, clothing, Collection of Detached Cultural Organisation and the artist, Hobart. Courtesy of the artist, Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney, Tolarno Galleries, Melbourne and Hosfelt Gallery, San Francisco.
There's something about being served your dinner out of a giant wheel of cheese. If that sounds like your idea of a good time, head to Hawthorn's Vaporetto Bar & Eatery between July 2 and July 16, because the kitchen is launching its first-ever cheese wheel. Truly a milestone worth celebrating. If you haven't tried this before, here's how it works. You order the Italian classic cacio e pepe from the menu, and the Vaporetto team will assemble your dish in a giant wheel of parmesan cheese. The hot pasta and starchy water melt the cheese wheel, creating the most gooey, cheesy, eyes-roll-back-in-your-head-y cacio e pepe you've ever had in your life. Vaporetto owners, Omar, Giacomo and Donatello, are no strangers to the heady delights of the cheese wheel — they've previously tested it to great success at Vaporetto's sister restaurant, Cosi Bar in South Yarra. Vaporetto's giant wheel of cheese will be running between July 2 and 16, from 12pm to 3pm for lunch seatings (then again from 5pm till closing). A bowl of cacio e pepe from the wheel will set you back $36.90. You can book your table straight through the website. Images: supplied.
With the world still reeling after losing one of its most iconic voices, two of Australia's best repertory cinemas are paying tribute to his legacy. In the wake of Prince's sudden passing, both The Astor in Melbourne and the Hayden Orpheum in Sydney have announced upcoming screenings of 1984's Purple Rain, giving fans the chance to see the artist weave his magic on the big screen once more. The Astor will hold two screenings — one on the afternoon of Saturday, April 30 and a second (added due to the first selling out in record time) a week later on Saturday, May 7. What's more, $1 from each ticket sold going to Edgar's Mission, a non-profit sanctuary that provides assistance to rescued farm animals. More than 2,000 people have already expressed their interest on Facebook, so anyone hoping to attend had better snap up tickets fast. The screening at Hayden Orpheum will take place a few weeks later, on the evening of Friday, May 13. The cinema previously payed tribute to rock legend David Bowie and recently departed actor Alan Rickman with a special screenings of Labyrinth and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 earlier in the year. Prince's death has sent shock waves through popular culture and inspired countless tributes, from Spike Lee's massive Brooklyn block party to landmarks lighting up purple in cities around the world. US President Barack Obama described him as a "creative icon." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuXK8ZbTmLk Find out more about Purple Rain at The Astor here and The Hayden Orpheum here. Updated: April 26, 2016.
The sights, the sounds and – most importantly – the flavours of a Bangkok street kitchen are on their way to Melbourne. Set to open on Crown Riverwalk early in 2017, Long Chim Melbourne will be chef David Thompson's third Thai restaurant in Australia, following the super successful Long Chim Perth and the soon to open Long Chim Sydney. It's not often that Melbourne trails behind Perth in the world of fine dining. Still, we figure better late than never. Information about Long Chim Melbourne is still a little on the vague side, although that isn't stopping us from getting seriously worked up about it. Thompson is, after all, one of the biggest names in modern Thai cooking – his Bangkok eatery Nahm was recently ranked one of the 50 Best Restaurants in the World. Assuming Long Chim Melbourne is anything like its Perth counterpart, diners can expect a laid back atmosphere with a noisy open kitchen, plus a bar serving craft beer and wine along with a selection of Asian-inspired cocktails. Hopefully we can find a few more clues at Long Chim Sydney, which is set to begin service next month. In the meantime, you'll be able find us obsessively refreshing Long Chim's Instagram and scouring the web for cheap flights to Southeast Asia. perfect weekday lunch: #longchimperth tuck shop's pork curry with ginger and pickled garlic. mon – fri, 12-2pm. A photo posted by long chim (@long.chim) on Jul 5, 2016 at 2:21am PDT Long Chim Melbourne will open at Crown Riverwalk early next year.
Whenever Vivid takes over Sydney to kick off winter, the city instantly gets brighter. Unleashing a huge festival of lights and vibrant installations, live music, food and talks will do that, of course. Mark Friday, May 26–Saturday, June 17 in your calendars for 2023, with the annual festival returning with a typically massive program. One headlining event is an appearance from Mike White, creator and writer of HBO's The White Lotus alongside the hit show's star and entertainment icon Jennifer Coolidge. The duo is coming to the Harbour City's Aware Super Theatre at the ICC Sydney for an exclusive in-conversation session moderated by Benjamin Law as a part of Vivid Ideas. Lights-wise, more than 50 installations will be bringing bursts of colour to the Harbour City, with public installations, 3D projections and ticketed events all part of the lineup. The Vivid Light Walk is back with free public works inspired by nature popping up from over 100 light collaborators and 26 international light artists from 13 countries. First Light will also return, celebrating Australia's original custodians and opening the festival with a performance from Yolngu supergroup Yothu Yindi. Other notable installations include Written in the Stars, which will see over 1000 drones light up the night sky and a huge Tumbalong Park activation called Dance Together, which will have you shaking your hips underneath three giant floating rings suspended above your head. Plus, the previously announced Lightscape will also be a part of the program. The after-dark light festival will be taking over the Royal Botanic Garden from 5.30pm each night. 2023 marks the first time the festival has introduced Vivid Food, a dedicated lineup of culinary events, to the program. The next-level eats are headlined by a two-week residency from New York chef Daniel Humm f the three Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park at Matt Moran's Aria. There will also be a range of collaborations as part of the Vivid Chef Series, a dedicated barbecue pop-up featuring Firedoor's Lennox Hastie, Chefs on the Harbour, a view-heavy overwater dinner on the luxury superyacht The Jackson with Nel's Nelly Robinson, plus popular chefs Khanh Ong and Mark Olive, and Mary's Group's one-day HERE NOW food, wine and music festival. Music is always a huge component of the festival, and this year's lineup does not disappoint. The Sydney Opera House has rolled out a predictably showstopping and diverse mix of artists, starting with Devonté Hynes (also known as Blood Orange) performing selected classical works with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. The bill also features José González celebrating the 20th anniversary of his album Veneer, Cat Power recreating and reinterpreting a 1966 performance by Bob Dylan, and appearances from the likes of Thundercat, Yaeji, Ella Mai, Weyes Blood, Hiatus Kaiyote, Ethel Cain, Sleaford Mods, Squarepusher, Iceage, Kimbra and Budjerah. Outside of the Sydney Opera House, Vivid's music lineup will include A Bend in the River: A Celebration of the Life & Music of Archie Roach at the Sydney Town hall with Paul Kelly, Emma Donovan, Dan Sultan, Kutcha Edwards and Becca Hatch among the friends, collaborators and contemporaries that will perform during the tribute. Tumbalong Park will again host 12 nights of free live music featuring Yothu Yindi, Hatchie, Kaiit, A.Girl, Ziggy Ramo, Cornelius and a celebration of 15 years of triple j's Unearthed High competition. And, Carriageworks has curated a genre-spanning lineup with the like soft Desire Marea, Flying Lotus, Molchat Doma, Liv.e, Floodlights and Soft Centre. [caption id="attachment_892843" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption]
The man who conquered Melbourne’s laneways has set his eyes on the sky. Co-creator of Laneway Festival and the man behind Thousand Pound Bend, Ponyfish Island and Sister Bella, Jerome Borazio will stake his claim to a prime piece of high-altitude Melbourne real estate, with an upscale camping ground on the Melbourne Central roof set to open on May 20. "I was literally just looking at the building, and I had this idea," Borazio tells us. "I’ve worked with Melbourne Central on and off on projects for five or six years now, and I know they’ve been trying to activate it, so I knew the space was available. But I wasn’t just going to put another pop-up restaurant or pop-up bar up there." Christening the project St. Jerome’s – The Hotel, Borazio promises "five-star intelligent design" and "high level personalised service" to go along with panoramic views of the Melbourne skyline. The accommodation consists of 30 canvas bell tents, with a combination of standard 'rooms' and suites. There's the 'Luxe' (a four-metre Homecamp bell tent) and 'Luxe Plus' (five-metre Homecamp bell tent, with mini-bar, electric blankets and heating) option to pick from, both fitted out with pretty stunning bed linen from Linen House's latest collection — and they'll provide you with one of their fluffy white robes too. Guests will have access to a range of amenities including 24-hour concierge service, free wi-fi, a guest-only communal lawn area, complimentary breakfast hampers, morning coffee by Plantation, goodies from the Swisse Body Care range and free Tai Chi and meditation sessions every morning. The St. Jerome’s – The Hotel General Store will be stocked up with everything from postcards to bed socks, amenities to Laurent Perrier Champagne, Victorian wines from Treasury Estate to Melbourne-based Fire Drum Vodka (yeah, not your average camping ground kiosk). The five-star trappings also mean a five-star bill, and Borazio says prices would start from around $330. That puts it about in line with other high-end CBD accommodation, but a tad more expensive than just pitching a tent in your own backyard. But this is a pretty unique stay in a significantly epic setting. The Melbourne Central rooftop has seen sporadic use over the years, and was recently home to a pop-up tennis court during last year’s Australian Open. The space is expected to open for business on May 20, and Borazio remains undeterred by Melbourne’s notorious winter weather. "We actually think it’s quite romantic," he says. "You’ll be in the tent, hearing the rain on the canvas. It's a pretty unique experience." St Jerome’s – The Hotel currently intends to occupy the space for a limited time only. St. Jerome's — The Hotel opens on May 20. Stay glued to their Facebook page for more updates.
You're trekking across Botswana and Victoria Falls, putting one foot in front of the other from Beijing to Shanghai, kicking off your shoes on the coast of Goa. First thing you do? Take an Instagram of your feet — it could win you the whole damn trip. Thanks to STA Travel, the popular act of taking a photo of your feet is now deemed a 'shoefie'. This new term isn't just for social media fun, but for charity. Instead of simply making your followers jealous with your toes in the sand, do some good with those kicks. STA Travel is teaming up with Soles4Souls Australia for #mynextstep, an unprecedented travel adventure coupled with a charitable cause. Enter and you could win a return trip to some of the world's most adventurous, beautiful locations. The shoefie gig is simple: take a shot of your feet and Instagram @statravel with #mynextstep and your dream destination. The most creative shot wins a return trip, an adventure tour and $2000 in spending money. All for taking a shoe pic. The catch? There isn't one. But since CP readers are decent people, we're betting you'll also follow through with the other half of the partnership — hit up an STA store and donate a nicely worn pair of shoes for a cause to Soles4Souls. The Australian charity raises more than just awareness for disadvantaged people, both locally and internationally. The partnership between STA Travel and Soles4Souls is a no-brainer, and them combining forces for a great cause is the icing on this sweet, sweet deal. At its core, this campaign is asking Aussies to 'put their best foot forward', both socially and charitably. And with the bonus possibility of winning tours that span sailing Croatia to an epic adventure from Delhi to Kathmandu, what better way to nab your dream holiday. STA Travel's #mynextstep promotion runs until 30 November, so get your shoefie on. To find out how you can enter the competition, head to the #mynextstep website.
It goes without saying, Melbourne's characteristically buzzing cultural ecosystem has thrived this year, with the city's most innovative, forward-thinking residents taking bold risks in their field. More inventive, forward-thinking and experimental than ever, Melbourne's event producers have found new ways to celebrate city life, reinvigorating dwindling or hidden spaces, taking the idea of 'immersive' happenings to another level, and taking us on wild adventures in our own home. At Concrete Playground we encourage exploration and showcase innovation in our city every day, so we thought it fitting to reward those most talented whippersnappers pushing Melbourne to be a better, braver city. And so, these six new events, opened in 2016, have been nominated for Best New Event in Concrete Playground's Best of 2016 Awards. Vote for your favourite.
Melbourne-based literary and art mag The Lifted Brow is ready to launch its 26th issue at Howler. It's not just any ol' quiet literary launch; there'll be live music curated by Bedroom Suck, featuring Free Time, Totally Mild, Empat Lima and Simona Kapitolina, alongside Lost Animal and Terrible Truths cranking DJ sets in the beer garden. Issue 26 is the second incarnation of The Lifted Brow's new format. It includes work from international contributors Wayne Koestenbaum and Hoa Nguyen, as well as a stack of home-grown talents, such as Briohny Doyle, Upulie Divisekera, Helen Addison-Smith, Samuel Wagan Watson, Michael Farrell, Jessica Yu, Sam George-Allen, Rebecca Harkins-Cross, Dion Kagan, Jana Perkovic, Nicky Minus, TextaQueen, Mary Leunig, HTMLflowers and Michael Hawkins. Since being founded in 2007, The Lifted Brow, a "quarterly attack journal", has become one of Australia's most respected literary publications. Numerous big names have featured, Christos Tsiolkas, Helen Garner, David Foster Wallace and Neil Gaiman among them.
If you think you’ve missed your chance to nab tickets to an epic New Years' music festival, think again. Jump across the Tasman and head to the unassuming vineyard city of Gisborne for three days of pumping beats and good vibes this December. Now in its 13th year, Rhythm and Vines has roped in some of the globe's best and brightest international and local artists to welcome in the first sunrise of 2016. From hip hop heavyweights to smooth electro sets, you’re guaranteed to be making at least one solid resolution after seeing this year's huge lineup. Heading up the bill on opening night, Pittsburgh-based rapper Mac Miller will be delivering tracks fresh from his latest record GO:OD AM after playing to sell-out crowds across the States earlier this year. Night two sees local rascals Sticky Fingers take the stage, along with iconic Canadian dupstep/house duo Zeds Dead. Throw in killer DJ sets by Grammy award-winning electro trio Nero and English producer Sub Focus and you'll be throwing shapes long into the night. Rounding off the festival, siblings Angus and Julia Stone will put their serenading skills to the test, before the ever-epic Pendulum kick things up a notch alongside NZ DJ Sir-Vere, plus many more legendary acts. Phew, it’s going to be a hell of a ride. If the thought of forking out the funds for an airfare is dampening your spirits, we’ve got some good news. Thanks to the crew at Air New Zealand, you and one lucky music-loving mate could be jetting off to Rhythm and Vines in A-class style. With return flights, a four-night stint at the Quality Hotel Emerald Gisborne and Vintage Club VIP access to the entire festival, you’ll be the envy of all your pals. Did we mention you’ll even score stageside access to Peking Duk’s opening night performance? Our Concrete Playground NZ team will host you on a backstage tour of the festival before getting side of stage to Peking's highly-anticipated set. Talk about a party to remember. To land a spot to this ripping NYE bash, click here to enter the Party with Peking competition. Image: Nick Gee/Paul Hoelen.
Kraków makes for an enriching stopover if you're travelling through Europe on an extended trip. Though the city carries a notoriously sombre history, Kraków is an endlessly charming and friendly place to visit with plenty to discover. On the long list of eye-opening sights, expect castles and churches in the medieval Old Town, lush parks and bike paths, as well as Oskar Schindler's famous Enamel Factory and the Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau. There's no shame in following the well-worn tourist route — but when your feet are weary, the crowd fatigue starts to set in or you simply wish to do as the Cracovians do, consult this list of less obvious activities in Kraków. In partnership with Topdeck, here's the instalment of our Less Obvious city guides. Episode four: Kraków. SAMPLE LOCAL FOOD TRUCKS IN THE JEWISH QUARTERS Venture south of the Old Town and you will wander into Kraków's historic Jewish Quarters. Once an independent town, Kazimeirz is a bustling and bohemian neighbourhood packed with synagogues, bars, cafés, food trucks and street art. Sample some of the local food truck delicacies, like polish fries or pierogi (a type of Polish dumpling) and take yourself on a street art tour. In between cobbled laneways and quaint courtyards, the area has an eye-catching range of murals, some of which commemorate the displaced Jewish community and former inhabitants. HIDE FROM THE CROWDS AT MASSOLIT BOOKS & CAFÉ On the outskirts of the Old Town you will come across Massolit Books & Café, a cosy place to whittle away an afternoon. This English language bookstore is stocked with an impressive range of literature. Although they specialise in Eastern and Central European literature, you'll find everything from classic and contemporary fiction through to politics, poetry and philosophy. They also host events such as literary readings, lectures and political discussions (though these are mainly in Polish). Settle down with some baked goods and a cup of coffee and enjoy hiding from the crowds for a little while. [caption id="attachment_595236" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Pierogi (polish dumplings).[/caption] DEVOUR HOME-STYLE POLISH CUISINE IN THE CITY'S MILK BARS Poland's milk bars are an easy way to avoid tourist traps. These unique and unassuming cafés were established as early as 1897, but became popular as government-subsidised worker's canteens in the Communist era. Typically, the menu is short and simple, consisting of pierogi (those Polish dumplings again), omelettes, goulash and potato pancakes. It's deliciously hearty, authentic and affordable Polish fare. Some old fashioned milk bars have recently been revitalised, such as Milkbar Tomasza in the Old Town which has a more modern touch. On the other hand, Bar Mleczny in Nowa Huta hasn't changed since the '70s. TRAVEL BACK IN TIME TO NOWA HUTA For an alternative spin on the city, take the tram out to Nowa Huta in Eastern Kraków. Funded by the Soviet Union and built in the architectural style of socialist realism post WWII, the area was envisaged as a utopian testament to the humble proletariat. It was also the site of many protests and solidarity movements during the dying days of Communism. These days, you can find historical remnants, such as the Ludowy (People's) Theatre and the Arka Pana church. It's an interesting place to visit — just a short tram ride from Kraków's city centre, but what feels like a completely different place. GET CULTURED AT BUNKIER SZTUKI While the monumental Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCAK) is probably the cultural kingpin of Kraków, Bunkier Sztuki offers something slightly different. Burrowed in the lush gardens encasing the Old Town, this cutting-edge institution is fringed with a little café and publishing house. With a focus on innovative multimedia, the gallery spans three levels and features emerging and lesser-known artists, mainly from Poland and Eastern Europe. QUENCH YOUR THIRST AT HOUSE OF BEER While Poland is more famous for vodka than beer, House of Beer is a fun and relaxing place to sample a hefty range of brews, particularly after traipsing up and down cobbled streets. Many of the drafts come from small to medium-sized breweries across Poland, Germany, Lithuania and Ukraine. The knowledgeable staff will give you some pointers and knock together a tasting paddle. You can also curl your mitts around a mulled wine in winter. HANG OUT WITH HIPSTERS AT FORUM PRZESTRZENIE The Brutalist silhouette of the Forum Przestrzenie looms large over the Vistula River. Once a major drawcard, the Communist-era hotel has fallen into disrepair. However, it has been repurposed as a vibrant hub of cultural activity – there are a cluster of clubs, workshops, bars and art galleries surrounding it. As there's plenty of space for diversity and reinvention, it's always changing. Grab a beer and a deck chair by the river at dusk, and then explore some of the nightclubs once you're acquainted with the area. EAT ZAPIEKANKA IN KAZIMEIRZ This historic round building nestled in the heart of Kazimeirz (in Old Town) contains a number of food stalls. Built in 1900, Okraglak in Plac Nowy is a popular market square where many of the vendors sell zapiekanka, a Polish-style snack featuring your choice of topping on half a baguette. It's insanely cheap and filling, making for a satisfying stomach-liner before sampling some of Kraków's nearby nightlife. The locals have their personal preferences; however Endzior seems to be a firm favourite. ADMIRE AWARD-WINNING DESIGN AT THE MALOPOLSKA GARDEN OF ART This recent addition to Kraków's cultural landscape is renowned for its innovative architecture. Boasting a multifunctional space, the structure is sleek and skeletal – casting sharp, geometrical shadows across the street. Out the front you will see a garden with a scattering of benches and a maple tree in the middle. There's a theatre, library and exhibition centre to explore once you're inside, and plenty of festivals and events are hosted here, so you'll always have somewhere to go if you come across a spare moment on your Kraków adventure. Visit Europe (including Kraków) with a Topdeck trip and make 2017 a year to remember. Book early (that means now) and save up to $999.
Summing up the year is always reflective. But summing up a year of food? It's stomach rumbling stuff. In the last 365 days we've seen scores of restaurant openings, new seasonal menus and pop-ups, eaten around 1,095 square meals and squeezed in approximately 1 billion snacks. It's a lot to consider. But when we threw the question open to the Concrete Playground team, we got some swift responses. Because that's what it's all about, right? It's about those meals that stick in your sensory memory all year-round. The moment that melt-in-your mouth wagyu touched your tongue; the crack of a perfect creme brulee. So here they are, the tastes we've been thinking about all year and the dishes we dream about ordering again: our favourite meals of 2014. PEANUT BUTTER TOFU BAO AT KONG Did they say 2014 the year of the burger? Or the bibimbap? If you ask us, it was all about the bao. No matter what you wedge between those sweet fluffy bun pillows, with a little hoisin and coriander, it always tastes good. There are plenty of places to get them, but the best we've had this year would have to be at Kong. Taking leave from more traditional pork belly and brisket buns, these peanut butter crusted salt and pepper tofu buns take tofu out of bland territory and into the land of holy wow. These aren't cheap at $6 a pop and you'll have burnt chilli mayo running down to your elbows, but you'll still want a few more once you're done. GRADE 7 WAGYU BEEF AT LUCY LIU This dish is the not-so-silent hero of Melbourne CBD's new modern Asian eatery. Whispers of this succulent meat dish have been heard whistling through the wind since Lucy Liu opened its doors. Strips of juicy wagyu are accompanied by a delicious honey-soy BBQ dipping sauce (yakiniku) and fluffy, clear-your-nostrils mustard horseradish (which, if you're not careful, you might mistake for a perfect scoop of vanilla ice cream, it looks so smooth and creamy). The textures and flavours come together in such beauty and balance it's like a sophisticated BBQ-slash-wild party-slash-yoga session in your mouth. If such a thing was possible. CRAB SPAGHETTINI AT FATTO Arriving at your table perfectly twirled and perched in the centre of the plate, this spaghettini is that perfectly balanced dish that will win you over from the first mouthful. The sweetness of the crab is offset by a lemony tang and finishes with a touch of fresh chilli. Fatto Bar & Cantina is the cibarious diamond in the rough of Melbourne's theatre precinct, and this dish makes a perfect encore to a show or holds its own as the main event. CREMA CATALANA AT BOMBA A creme brulee is a creme brulee right? Nothing too fancy about it — not worth the hype? Wrong. A creme brulee can be done one of two ways: badly, or well. Like most things really. Bomba does it well. Very well. They also call it a Crema Catalana as they're using Spanish influences. Cream, milk, sugar, and egg yolks are a good start. The cinnamon, orange, and lemon really make it. Perfectly crisp on top and light, fluffy, sweet, and slightly tangy underneath. We'd be lying if we said we were able to hold a real conversation while eating this. TRUFFLED POLENTA AT STAGGER LEES We never thought polenta would make it onto a 'best-of' list, but here we are. In 2014 Melbourne, European peasant food is on the menu — and it's good. In fact, one of our favourite breakfasts this year was all about polenta: Stagger Lee's Shrooms 'n' Truffles. A big bowl of creamy, rich polenta, served with pine mushrooms, pecorino and topped with an egg yolk is the ultimate remedy for a chilly morning. We don't quite know how they get polenta to taste this good — all we know is we want to lick the bowl clean. WHIPPED COD ROE AT CUTLER & CO. Classified more as an appetiser but no less a memorable piece amongst the varied magic of Andrew McConnell, the whipped cod roe at Cutler & Co. lingers in our minds for its elusive flavour and moreish texture. Perfect slathered over crudites and bread, yet not too overpowering that it ruins the palette. We'd take it home with us if we could. Image credit: Delanie at And So I Don't Forget... SOUTHERN STYLE PORK BELLY CHOPS AT NIEUW AMSTERDAM It felt like Melbourne was moving on from their obsession with pork belly but, luckily, Nieuw Amsterdam kept the train rolling — and we guarantee this’ll be one of the most memorable dishes you'll eat. The Southern Style Pork Belly Chops are put together in a slightly deconstructed way with the melt in your mouth pork belly sitting beneath perfectly-crisped sheets of crackling. The dish is also served with a fresh sauerkraut that alleviates the all too common heaviness that can come with pork belly dishes. Nieuw Amsterdam has the 'wow' factor but is grounded in honest and comforting dishes like this one. Combined with the ambience of their Hardware Lane digs, it's definitely worth the trip. DUCK IN CHOCOLATE AT DUNORD On our visit to DuNord this year, the duck in chocolate had us immediately intrigued, as did the potato 'stones' that came with it. What we got was a large piece of juicy duck in chocolate covered with lingonberry and blood jus, and accompanied with boiled potatoes covered in a grey substance, making them look like little boulders — the presentation was gorgeous and incredibly detailed. Everything about this meal was magnificent: the flavour, the presentation, and the generous size. SLOW COOKED LAMB SHOULDER BASTILLA AT TALL TIMBER When it comes to a lunch break, Tall Timber is an oasis from the slim pickings on St. Kilda Road. The slow cooked lamb shoulder and caramelised onion parcel is melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The pomegranate yogurt dressing rounds the juicy flavours of the lamb out with a refreshing finish, making this dish a perfect selection for an autumn or spring day alike. Coffee isn't the most obvious beverage to complement, but we'd suggest you go for it anyway. It's the perfect meal to savour through the long afternoon of meetings ahead. Image credit: chefryan85 via Instagram. PEANUT BUTTER PARFAIT AT SUPERNORMAL This one's been around for a while. It's Andrew McConnell's Eureka moment. Well, it certainly was when Golden Fields was still sitting in St Kilda. But since moving the operation to the city and calling it Supernormal, he's had a few more of those moments. Admittedly, dessert is our preferred course of choice here — the miso and Pink Lady soft serve came extremely close to making this list — and you absolutely cannot go past the infamous peanut butter parfait. Topped with salted caramel, peanuts and a ball of soft chocolate ganache, this is the sweet course of choice for anyone that loves a rich finish. It's so good that, even after ordering it for the third time, it still sticks out as one of the best. Just like this list, it's the note you want to end on. Tried, tested and compiled by the Concrete Playground team.
Di and Will Keser are the proud owners of four very excellent things: two beagles, Moesley and Snoopy and two Melbourne cafes, Hardware Societe and Bowery to Williamsburg. And they’re soon to be adding another excellent thing to their rapidly growing set: a 50-seat restaurant at the steps of the Sacre Coeur cathedral in the beating heart of Paris. The Kesers have only recently arrived in Paris and are setting up shop in the suburb of Montmartre, the artists’ quarter, an appropriate choice for the prolific cafe mogul pair. Hardware Societe Paris is set to open in January 2016, so adjust your flights accordingly. We had a chat with Di about the practicalities of moving two beagles and a business to a bureaucratic country and the challenges that come with living between well-loved two places. While a lot of Aussie cafes head over to the US to make their international debut, you guys have chosen Paris. What inspired the choice? Actually, it was simply a personal decision. We own an apartment in the second arrondissement and really wanted an excuse to spend more time here, which is difficult when we have our roots truly planted in Melbourne with family, businesses and dogs (they come over early next year). But we adore Paris. The city has such life, no matter what time of the year it is. We just wanted to be part of that more permanently, rather than hoping off a plane every few months and living like tourists in our home here. I think we possibly picked the most difficult and bureaucratic country to open in. Nothing is easy, but I guess that is all part of the challenge right? Once we’ve pulled this off, I am pretty sure opening a cafe on the moon would be easier. Are you and Will living over in Paris to look after the cafe? Yes, we are here now. There is a lot to organise, particularly for a girl that speaks little French — partially because I am so embarrassed when I open my mouth, partially because I talk to Will all the time in English and partially because most people speak English. Our intention is to spend the next 12 months over here after opening, and then reassess things after that. Whether that is three months here, three months in Melbourne, time will tell. But it is difficult with our beagles, as Moesley and Snoopy are the main priority when it comes to returning home more permanently. I mean imagine if they prefer it here, then I guess we stay. Coffee, come to me #hardwaresocieteparis #parislife #obladi A photo posted by The Hardware Societe (@hardwaresociete) on Aug 26, 2015 at 12:57am PDT How do you think the Aussie flat white will land with espresso lovin’ Parisians? I think Parisians are very open to new things but why can’t they have a short black, if that’s what they want? It will just be a Melbourne bean on offer [Padre Coffee]. We’ll be appealing to a few different markets: Parisians seeking out brunch, the Australian tourist yearning for something beyond a humble but delicious croissant for breakfast, and of course, the expat community (I am one now, after all), and a surprisingly global Hardware Societe following. Would you believe I have had people say they will take the Eurostar over to Paris for brunch? That absolutely astounded me. Are you taking any other Aussie standards over with you or sticking with the French fusion fare? We are so excited to be bring Padre Coffee along for the ride, they are a huge part of who we are and it wouldn't have been the same if we couldn't offer Padre here. But apart from Padre coffee, no. Everyone knows Hardware Societe and knows what we do. What is interesting is that we are bringing our interpretation of a French brunch to Paris — think eggs en cocotte (our baked eggs), breakfast cassoulet (traditional bean stew with lyonnaise sausage, confit duck and pork belly), riz au lait (rice pudding), our infamous fried brioche (French toast) and of course our lobster benedict. Hardware Societe Paris will be no different to Melbourne, save for the staff. What's to become of Melbourne’s Hardware Societe and Bowery to Williamsburg while you’re away? Truthfully, apart from the friendships we have formed through running Hardware, most customers don’t know who we are and the Hardware team have been with us a very long time. The smiling and dedicated team crew are Hardware Societe, so nothing will change. As for Bowery, we have two awesome business partners, Shaun Williams and Gary Xue, (who is also our head chef at Hardware). They have been very generous, allowing us to take time out, and do this. Is this possibly the street that Hardware Societe Paris will call home? #parislife #hardwaresocieteparis A photo posted by The Hardware Societe (@hardwaresociete) on Aug 26, 2015 at 7:57am PDT Hardware Societe Paris will open in 2016, opposite Sacre Coeur, Montmartre. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
The NGV is pretty practiced in juxtaposing the classical and the contemporary, and the gallery is set to do it again with its winter exhibition celebrating acclaimed Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang and one of the world's most important ancient artworks: The Terracotta Army. And, as is now custom, with a seasonal blockbuster, so comes a brand new season of NGV Friday Nights. The gig series is now a quintessential way to end a chilly winter week in Melbourne. And, thanks to a slew of pop-up bars, you'll get to enjoy this after-dark art excursion with a cocktail in hand. It'll kick off on May 31 with a set from local indie folk band Husky and run all the way through to a Friday-Saturday finale with NZ's alternative pop band Yumi Zouma on October 11 and a Saturday party with Young Franco on October 12. As always, you'll get after-hours access to the gallery as well as the gigs. Rove between the current exhibitions and out in the garden to the soundtrack of local DJs and bands, who'll change every week. There'll also be lots of great food courtesy of Hutong Dumpling Bar, who'll be taking over the NGV's Gallery Kitchen and transforming it into a Shanghai-inspired dumpling bar. Expect all the bar's signatures — xiao long bao, spicy wontons, crab dim sums — as well as weekly specials. NGV FRIDAY NIGHTS WINTER 2019 LINEUP May 31 — Husky June 7 — Amaya Laucirica June 14 — NGAIIRE June 21 — Approachable Members of Your Local Community June 28 — Sloan Peterson July 5 — I Know Leopard July 12 — Sui Zhen July 19 — Adrian Eagle July 26 — Rainbow Chan August 2 — Kira Puru August 9 — Hobsons Bay Coast Guard August 16 — CLYPSO August 30 — Slum Sociable September 6 — The Audreys September 13 — Maribelle September 20 — LALKA September 27 — GRAACE October 4 — Thandi Phoenix October 11 — Yumi Zouma October 12 (special Saturday event) — Young Franco NGV Friday Nights run from 6–10pm.
Melbourne's famed floating bar is back for another summer season on the Yarra, this time promising to be bigger and better than ever before. Arbory Afloat, which made its debut in 2015, is being reimagined this year as a sprawling, 500-square-metre floating pontoon, installed on the river in front of sister venue, Arbory Bar & Eatery. And it's a monster. Open to the public from Wednesday, November 15, the temporary bar and restaurant clocks in at a whopping 50 metres long, with room for 407 guests. Design-wise, this year's bar riffs on the beach clubs of The Mediterranean, accented in eye-catching Klein Blue and boasting a central bar, with a mix of day beds, banquette seating and restaurant dining. The breezy Mediterranean influence extends to the food and drink offering, with Chef Nick Bennett's laidback menu featuring seafood aplenty, house-made gelato and Neapolitan-style pizzas from the woodfire oven. Sun-drenched drinking sessions here will feature fruit-driven cocktails from an extensive, Euro-influenced lineup, and bespoke gin and tonic creations, crafted on a range of small-batch tonics and clever garnishes. Meanwhile, National Good Food Guide 2018 Sommelier of the Year Raul Moreno Yagüe has worked his magic on the wine list to deliver an offering that's fresh, vibrant and geared perfectly to summer sipping by the water. Arbory Afloat will open 7am will 1am daily. Updated: January 14, 2018.
Death and vengeance are the common threads in Damián Szifron’s Wild Tales, one of the most deliriously savage black comedies to hit cinemas in years. Argentina’s nomination to the most recent Foreign Language Oscar race, the film consists of six separate vignettes, following six everyday people driven to the point of no return. The ensuing mayhem resembles the spawn of the Coen Brothers, Almodovar, Tarantino and Bunuel; a wicked tour de force as sharp as a corkscrew and every bit as twisted. Anthology films can be a risky proposition, particularly when one or more segments falls short. Thankfully, that’s not the case here. Yes, every viewer will have their favourite (personally, I loved the opener), but even the ‘weaker’ episodes are catapulted along by an almost maniacal sense of escalation. Whether it’s a wealthy couple trying to cover up their son’s indiscretions, a lowly waitress taking revenge on the man who ruined her family or just two drivers struck down by a serious case of road rage, every chapter in the film is propelled by a wonderful inevitability: eventually, everything will be thrown horribly, hysterically and often violently out of control. And believe it or not, there’s actually method to Szifron’s madness — an intelligence lurking beneath all that wonderful chaos. The cathartic pleasure we feel watching his characters rebel against what’s socially (and ethically) acceptable comes directly from our own frustrations with the everyday world. Bureaucracy, class inequality and male impotence are but a few of the film’s more pointed areas of exploration, and while we’re hesitant to suggest that the people in the film get what’s coming to them, poetic justice certainly tends to prevail. Many of the shorts also offer a thinly veiled criticism of the country’s endemic political corruption, although you certainly don’t need to live in Argentina for that to strike a chord. The script is matched by top-notch technical specs, with crisp cinematography and eye-catching production design along with some extremely memorable music choices. The cast is likewise terrific across the board, although particular praise must go to Rita Cortese as a burly cook and Erica Rivas as a seriously pissed-off bride. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTXKTj4XCs8
Every so often I find myself staring at my rug and thinking of Lebowski. Rugs really do tie a room together, and their absence can very easily render something like a living room nothing more than a collection of 'things' with no real connective tissue. In The Big Lebowski, of course, Jeff Bridges was that rug: a slovenly yet cohesive force of White Russian-fuelled lethargy who kept an otherwise sprawling and surreal piece of cinema from descending into incoherent nonsense. Central characters are always important, yes, but in specifically psychedelic cinema where style is often in equal or greater measures than substance, a well-defined, well-performed protagonist can be the single determinative factor between success and failure. Inherent Vice — the seventh film by Paul Thomas Anderson — is one such example. Based on the Thomas Pynchon novel, it is confusing and bewildering cinema at its absolute best, guided through the haze courtesy of Anderson's deft hand and another exceptional performance by Joaquin Phoenix. Phoenix plays Larry 'Doc' Sportello, a perennially stoned private investigator in 1970 California who's hired by his ex-girlfriend Shasta (Katherine Waterston) to track down her missing lover (Eric Roberts). In principle it seems largely straightforward, but the set-up alone contains so many twists, double crosses and tawdry affairs that within five minutes of the opening titles there's a sense of being overwhelmed in a manner that doesn't improve over the remaining 147 minutes. Though Doc shares your confusion, he never shows it. Instead, he cruises unflappably through every conversation and encounter, pausing only occasionally to jot down irrelevant one word notes in his flipbook. Imagine the Dude, only without the hobby or mantra to guide him: an underestimated sleuth combining the substance abuse of The Rum Diary's Paul Kemp with the quirky intuition of Columbo. Surrounding him, the list of cameos is both enormous and divergent, contributing in no small way to the film's labyrinthine plot. There's the strait-laced assistant DA with a secret, Penny Kimble (Reese Witherspoon); the tell-all nurse's secretary, Penny Leeway (Maya Rudolph); the drug-addicted dentist Dr Rudy Blatnoyd (an entirely lecherous Martin Short); Doc's mysterious lawyer, Sauncho Smilax (Benicio Del Toro); and Owen Wilson's Coy Harligen — a musician/heroin addict/missing person/cult spokesperson/political renegade. Even he doesn't quite know who he is. Finally, there's Josh Brolin as Lt. Detective Christian F. 'Bigfoot' Bjornsen — a hard-nosed, hippie-hating cop sporting a Dragnet crew cut and a penchant for sucking down chocolate-covered bananas on a stick. He and Phoenix put in the film's best performances, and it's their shared scenes that boast the most engaging screen time. "A hidden defect (or the very nature of a good or property) which of itself is the cause of (or contributes to) its deterioration, damage or wastage". That's the legal definition of 'Inherent Vice', and for Pynchon it represented the uncomfortable truth about America's decline. In the wake of the Charles Manson killings, the failings of the American Dream were to be found within the dream itself: corrupt, flawed and prey to the darker nature of man. That's what's at the core of this film (however difficult it might be locating it), and while it won't be to everyone's taste, Inherent Vice is an impressive piece of filmmaking that warrants your time and attention.
Sydneysiders have been pretty damn stoked with their lofty tourist attraction, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, since it opened on March 19, 1932. Then, in 1998, Bridgeclimb Sydney let keen beans walk all over it — bringing even more sweet, sweet tourist dollar to the city. Even we walked over it. Now, Melbourne wants a piece of the high-flying action, with a brand new attraction planned for the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Confirmed by Sports Minister John Eren on 3AW Breakfast and reported by The Vine, the Victorian and Federal Government are planning to spend $3 million on a 'tourist walk' at the MCG, built high above the hallowed turf. Apparently you'll be able to survey your crickety kingdom from 70 metres up — the ultimate spot for one heck of a Classic Catch. The best bit? There are reports of a flying fox or zipline to send you whizzing across the MCG. A ZIPLINE FLYING FOX. Official plans and dates haven't been revealed as yet, but we can dream. Via 3AW and The Vine. Image: Sascha Wenninger.
It's no secret that Melbournians love their craft beer, so when it comes time to visit the bottle-o we've always got our eyes out for something special. While craft beer selections are certainly expanding in most bottle shops, not all have as much variety as we would hope for. Well, fear not discerning beer fans: we've got your hit list sorted. MCCOPPINS Much loved by Fitzroy and Abbotsford locals, McCoppins has hundreds of different craft beers and a constantly rotating selection. Both international brands and homegrown heroes likes James Squire and Stone and Wood and are well represented here, so there's plenty to choose from. Another brilliant aspect of McCoppins is that they're open until midnight — the perfect saviour to every poorly-planned summer house party. 165 Johnston Street, Fitzroy (plus locations in Abbotsford and Hawthorn East — although HE's more food and wine-focused, not beer-focused), (03) 9417 5089, www.mccoppins.com.au BLACKHEARTS AND SPARROWS Although Blackhearts and Sparrows is best known for their excellent selection of wines, their beer fridges are also well stocked. The staff are incredibly helpful, even when you charge on in with no particular idea of what you want, they'll offer an expert opinion. We're yet to be disappointed with a single recommendation. They also have pretty solid relationships going with local breweries, so keep your eyes peeled for limited edition brews on their shelves. 113 – 115 Scotchmer Street, North Fitzroy (Plus locations in Windsor, East Brunswick, East St Kilda and Kensington), (03) 9486 8046, www.blackheartsandsparrows.com.au SLOWBEER The folks at Slowbeer are total pros — they run Australia's first bottle shop to be 100 percent dedicated to only selling craft beer. Slowbeer first opened in 2009 in Hawthorn and later moved to Richmond in 2012 to get closer to the action. Over 1000 different beer varieties have been sold at the shop over the years and, while they focus on local microbreweries, they also stock more obscure imports from breweries with cult-like followings from all over the world. They also do takeaway growlers full of fresh draught beer. Or, if you can't wait, you can even have a beer on premises at the Beer Cafe. 468 Bridge Rd Richmond, (03) 9421 3838, www.slowbeer.com.au VALLEY CELLAR DOOR Yes, another bottle shop that was once predominantly known for its wine selection. However, the popularity of craft beer has inspired Valley Cellar Door to dramatically expand their drinks range, and we're sure glad they did. We love this Moonee Ponds gem not only because of their excellent selection, but because you're welcome to stay and have a pint. They have five taps that rotate monthly and are usually determined by the climate. Right now, they have JP's Red Ale, 4 Pines Hefeweizen, Holgate 'Big Stein' Marzen and Red Hill Brewery Kolsch, but this lineup is likely changed by the time you've read this. Cheers! 18 Hall Street, Moonee Ponds, (03) 9370 2000, www.valleycellardoor.com.au. CARWYN CELLARS Specialising in small boutique producers, Carwyn Cellars is an excellent choice if you want something a little bit different. From Kooinda to Red Duck, they like to support local talent — we love Murray's Whale Ale for something seriously drinkable. They stock approximately 200 craft beers and, in case you were wondering, their beer of the month is Sideshow Brewers Ticket Booth Pale Ale right now. The good people of Carwyn Cellars are also very aware that summer festival season is right around the corner; they stock craft beer cans so you can enjoy the festivities in style. 877 High St, Thornbury, (03) 9484 1820, www.carwyncellars.com. HARVEST WINE AND LIQUOR Tucked away in Northcote, this little treasure is dedicated to finding and supplying delicious and interesting beer, wine, cider, and spirits. The staff are super friendly and keen to help you find the perfect brew to match your mood, your food, or the temperature outside. They stock Victorian brewers such as 3 Ravens, Temple and Red Hill, as well as Feral Brewing from Western Australia, Murray’s from New South Wales and Burleigh Brewing Company from Queensland. 207 High St, Northcote, (03) 9482 5868, www.harvestwine.com.au. TRU BRU If you like your beer super fresh and you're all about recycling, Tru Bru may be the one for you. Tru Bru only serve their stock in reusable, take-away growlers (two litres) or half-sized one litre 'squealers'. They stock a range of beer, cider and soda, and usually have 20 drinks on tap for you to choose from. They often favour local brews like those from Mornington Peninsula Brewery, and have even recently tapped limited releases from Hargreaves Hill Brewing Company and Brookes Beer. Bonus: they've also been known to give gluten-free beer a trial. 3/9 Yarra St, South Yarra, (03) 9826 6878, www.trubru.com.au. Want to brush up on a few craft beer basics before buying? Check out our Bluffer's Guide to Craft Beer.
Get outside for a little fresh air and exercise with a pack of marauding, flesh-eating zombies snapping at your heels. After pulse-racing chases around the US and Asia, undead obstacle course Run For Your Lives is headed to Sydney and Melbourne. Halfway between a marathon and a Romero movie, the rules for the event are relatively simple: participants navigate various obstacle, including a blood pit, a ropes course and even a Resident Evil-style 'laser grid', while trying their very best not to be eaten tagged. Every survivor gets three lives, represented by blood coloured flags tied to their waist. Lose all three lives and it's game over. You can also choose to play as a zombie, with a hair and makeup team on hand to help with your ghoulish transformation. Regardless of which team you’re on, don’t wear anything you won’t mind getting damaged, and make sure you bring a spare change of clothes, shoes... and a towel. And before you get any bright ideas, this is strictly a weapons free event, so leave the sawn-off shotgun at home. After the race, players will be able to attend an apocalypse afterparty, with dance music, live entertainment and zombie-themed activities. You'll probably need to let off some steam after this. Run For Your Lives hits The Dairy in the Western Sydney Parklands on Saturday September 5, before heading to a yet to be confirmed location in Melbourne on Saturday October 24. Tickets to the Sydney event are available now and start from $59. For more information, visit www.runforyourlives.com.au. View all Sydney Events.
One of the most underrated Japanese joints in the Melbourne CBD is trading its teppanyaki grill for a collection of cast-iron French cookware. From the beginning of next month, the owners of nearby Coda are taking over Yu-U, with plans to reopen the much loved Flinders Lane eatery as a contemporary French bistro early in 2016. According to Good Food, the team behind Coda will transform the underground space into a 30-40 seat restaurant, complete with bar and open kitchen manned by Frenchman Florent 'Flo' Gerardin. A veteran of such establishments as Pei Modern and Vue de Monde in Melbourne, 59 Poincare in Paris and L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Las Vegas, Gerardin told Good Food that the menu at the currently unnamed bistro would be comprised of "soul food" made using the skills he learnt from famed chefs Joel Robuchon and Alain Ducasse. In practical terms, that translates into simple French dishes such as beef cheek with onion and classic steak tartare, along with bar snacks and share dishes served hot and cold. No word on whether they'll be cleaning the graffiti off the location's hidden entrance – frankly that might take away some of the charm. Yu-U is located at 137 Flinders Lane, Melbourne. Via Good Food. Image: Coda
UPDATE, May 22, 2021: Black Panther is available to stream via Disney+, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. There is one dull moment in Black Panther. Exactly one. And the fact that it comes courtesy of Stan Lee's now-inevitable cameo speaks volumes about this rich and electrifying instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. When the man who ostensibly founded the franchise shows up, it feels like a predictable, obligatory inclusion in a film that runs from those labels every other chance it gets. Lee's presence nods to the usual formula that's been deployed for 17 big-screen chapters — but, coming in at number 18 in a series that shows no signs of slowing down, Black Panther refuses to stick to that template. It's one of the few comic book flicks in living memory that doesn't spend its time setting up the next movie or shoehorning in links to past titles. The film stands on its own merits, and it's absolutely glorious. Although viewers first met Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa, aka Black Panther, back in Captain America: Civil War, his debut solo outing is still something of an origin story. Despite this, in exploring who the newly crowned Wakandan king is, where he's from and the struggles he's facing, the film prowls down its own path. After the death of his father, T'Challa finds himself at a crossroads about the future of his nation — a place that has long chosen to hoard its considerable technological advancements, close its borders and hide its true nature from the world. Some close to him, such as his head of security W'Kabi (Daniel Kaluuya), support the insular status quo. Others, including his ex-girlfriend turned secret special forces operative Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o), advocate for helping those in need. A Marvel movie that weighs up the merits of isolationist policies versus social responsibility, all while grappling with race and class as well? With its eyes firmly on current world affairs, Black Panther certainly isn't afraid of getting topical. Directed and co-written by Ryan Coogler, the film blends the rousing politics of his debut, Fruitvale Station, with the earnest spectacle of his follow-up, the Rocky-spinoff Creed. It's a superhero flick with something to say and no qualms about saying it. At the same time, the ambitious effort nods effectively to Shakespeare in its family dynamics, and offers up smart spy action complete with its own gadget guru (Letitia Wright, a scene-stealer as T'Challa's younger sister Shuri). Packed to the brim (although it never feels overstuffed), the movie also makes a stand for formidable women through General Okoye (Danai Gurira), the king's loyal, lethal and highly memorable bodyguard. Marvel's last title, the wonderfully distinctive Thor: Ragnarok, successfully carved its own niche within the MCU's usual confines. While that film proved an impressive feat, Black Panther goes one step further, effectively smashing the standard mould to pieces. This shines through in two areas in particular. The first is in the film's treatment of its primary antagonist, with unruly weapons dealer Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis) a mere distraction on the road to the determined Erik 'Killmonger' Stevens (Michael B. Jordan). Villains aren't typically Marvel's strong suit, but here the fight between opposing forces feels refreshingly astute and even-handed. Casting assists considerably in this regard, with both Boseman and Jordan bringing considerable gravitas to their roles. Coogler also demonstrates an exceptional command of tone, delivering a film that serves up a few well-earned laughs, but takes its overall task seriously. In a picture positively teeming with highlights, however, Black Panther's greatest quality is its all-round embrace of African culture. In every aspect of its look, sound and feel, this chapter is like nothing else in the Marvel universe, and that's clearly by design. Twice during the film, outsiders enter Wakanda and try not to let their jaws drop to the floor — and it's easy to understand their reactions. Frankly, it's the same one we had as the end credits rolled. Coogler has crafted an entertaining, engaging and impassioned movie that is both proud of and confident in its differences, and is also committed to shining the spotlight on the people that blockbuster cinema so often ignores. What could be more awe-inspiring than that? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph9_oITIefE
Ever driven across the Story Bridge and thought, "Wouldn't it be great to go to a market here?" We know, that might not have crossed your mind exactly. But it must've popped into the heads of the folks behind Hamilton's Eat Street Markets, because that's exactly what they're about to do. On July 5, the Brisbane landmark will be doing more than just linking Kangaroo Point and Fortitude Valley. In fact, cars will have to find an alternate route across the river, because a food market is taking over the entire bridge. Around 50 vendors have been invited to sell their delicious, delicious wares, so there'll be plenty of tasty treats on offer. A whopping 20,000 people are allowed on the bridge at a time, which sounds like a lot — but what Brisbanite would miss out on checking out this historic, ultra-novelty event? Indeed, given that everyone in Brisbane has already seen the bridge covered in fireworks many, many times, there's probably no better way to celebrate the 75th birthday of the heritage-listed icon. The bridge officially opened for business back on July 6, 1940 after five years of construction, and now sees an average of 97,000 cars zoom across it each day. While gathering for a bite to eat on the bridge might be something new, spending money there isn't. It was originally a toll road, with charges removed in 1947. Since 2005, people have been paying to scale its heights as part of the Story Bridge Adventure Climb experience. Now, for one night only, you can snack, browse and devour delicious local food with the best view in town. Brisbane's Story Bridge will closed to traffic for the food market for one night on July 5. Via Brisbane Times. Image: andzzz, judyvannorman and Tim Williams — Flickr via Wikimedia Commons and Eat Street Markets. View all Brisbane Events.
In the space once home to student haunt Bimbo, Australian Venue Co (Fargo and Co, State of Grace, The Smith) launched Kewpie back in 2021 — a laidback neighbourhood boozer with cheap pizza and a weekly roster of DJ-fuelled party sessions. Aesthetically, little has changed since the pub's last makeover, with low booths spread across the spacious ground-floor rooms, colourful posters across the walls, and a sunny bar and terrace offering prime position on the rooftop. From the kitchen comes an affordable offering of pizza and snacks, most clocking in at cheap cheap. Vegetarian options might include a caramelised onion and potato number, or the Mexican-inspired Poncho topped with corn chips and jalapenos. There's a peri peri chicken pizza, another loaded with Calabrese salami, and a garlicky marinara creation starring calamari, prawns and capers. Throw on a side of the onion rings if you're feeling snacky. Meanwhile, the bar's keeping things simple, with a mix of crowd-pleasing brews, craft tins, wines and classic cocktails. And soundtracking the Kewpie good times, there'll be a slew of music-focused happenings across the second half of each week. Top Images: Kate Shanasy
Our modern obsession with packing into cities means that increasingly massive skyscrapers are inevitable. After all, if we don’t head upwards, well, there’s only so much land. One of the problems with skyscrapers, though, is that their behemoth shadows seriously shorten the day of their surroundings. Even a spacious, sunny city like Sydney can feel cold and dark when you’re wedged between towers (just look at the long shadow Barangaroo's casino is expected to cast). Now imagine how gloomy things can get in densely populated metropolises like London and New York — if you've visited, you'll know how gloomy things can get in the financial districts. But a London-based architecture company by the name of NBBJ has come up with a solution: the 'No Shadow Tower'. The concept involves two twisting skyscrapers, to be built side-by-side, which redirect sunlight to the area around their base — right where dreary shadows are usually found lurking. The idea was developed with London’s North Greenwich in mind, at the request of New London Architecture, and was first published in New London Quarterly. "The algorithm design for the tower is based on the law of reflection," the design team told Dezeen. "Our facade has varying angles of panels that distribute light over a certain area at multiple times during the day." The algorithm works by recording the sunlight's angle every single day for an entire year. With this information, the team can predict how light will play on the building at various points during the day, and then construct the skyscraper’s facade to reflect it accordingly. The use of individual panels allows reflection on a pane-by-pane basis; creating circles of light, rather than a single, extremely hot area. NBBJ was motivated by its passion for the public and their environment-determined happiness. "One of [our] principle concerns is public space and the ways the public use and interact with these spaces," the designers explained. "The No Shadow Tower places public space at the heart of the project, along with human interaction and the impact of skyscrapers at street level... The research that we have undertaken could be applied in many locations in the world, each time creating a different form that would relate to its specific context and solar conditions." Where do we sign up? Via Dezeen. Images: NBBJ.
