Mere months after Neil Perry brought his acclaimed Burger Project to the CBD, another beloved Sydney burger joint is on its way to Melbourne. Chur Burger is the brainchild of chef Warren Turnbull, who's been satisfying burger cravings in Sydney and Brisbane for years. Now, after some delay, he's firing up the grill in our neck of the woods under the — and needless to say, we can't bloody wait. Opening Monday August 22 on Swan Street in Richmond under the watch of Turnbull's business partner Johnny Moukachar, the menu at Chur Burger Melbourne will be much the same as it is in Sydney. Think mouthwatering burgers including signature lamb and pulled pork options, as well as a particularly tasty number made with beef, blue cheese and onion rings. They also happen to make one hell of a milkshake — and like all our favourite burger joints, they're more than happy to throw in a little booze. A photo posted by Chur Burger Melbourne (@churburgermelbourne) on Aug 20, 2016 at 1:59am PDT Technically, this isn't Chur Burger's first foray into the Melbourne market. Turnbull actually shared his recipes with publican David Carney when the latter took over management of Hotel Kew late last year – although they've since been removed from the menu. Moukachar tells Concrete Playground there are "a few other Melbourne venues in the works," and earmarked Eastland Shopping Centre as one potential location. We also heard rumblings about another scheme out in Chadstone, where Chur Burger recently put out a job call for crew members as part of a collaboration with Hoyts Cinemas. Burger and a movie? Don't mind if we do. Other plans include the first Chur Burger food truck which will service "festivals and the beach", and a pair of international stores in Saudi Arabia – the first of which Moukachar says should open in January next year. Chur Burger will open at 176 Swan Street, Richmond on August 22. For more info, visit their Instagram.
When we take that first sip of our barista-brewed coffee on a workday morning, a lot of us can't actually imagine living without coffee. But what about living without a roof over your head or a guaranteed meal? Unfortunately, this is what many homeless people around Australia face each day, but on Friday, August 7, you can help your fellow Aussies out simply by buying a coffee as part of CafeSmart. CafeSmart is an annual event from StreetSmart that raises money and awareness for the homeless and is back for its third year running. Last year, 415 cafes and 20 coffee roasters raised $120,000 to fund 91 community projects. Not too shabby. So how does it work? From every coffee purchased on August 7 at a participating cafe around Australia, $1 will be donated towards local projects. So if your go-to local isn't participating, shake things up for a day and head to one that is. Prefer a hot chocolate? You can also donate at the counter. Simply by aiming for a bighearted cafe, you'll be helping some of our country's most in-need humans, so treat yourself to a third or fourth coffee guilt-free. CafeSmart is happening around the country on Friday, August 7. Check the website for participating cafes near you. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
You know that Summer has arrived in Melbourne when the Night Market becomes your priority destination on Wednesday evenings. Now in its 17th year, the festivities will be kicking off on November 5 with all the usual goodies. And, though it'll be taking a break over Christmas, you won't have to wait long for its return. It'll be back in business from January 7. As always, the Night Market is all about the food and the sangria. This year there will be over 60 food stalls you can sink your teeth into, including the obligatory market bratwurst, summer eats from Mr Calamaro, hot stuff from Senor BBQ and the world's best pizza from 400 Gradi. For those who can fit in some dessert, check out the macarons and gelati stalls. For those that are just into the sangria, see how many cups you can enjoy before the sun goes down. We promise it won't disappoint. If shopping is more your thing, the markets are bringing back all of your favourite stalls, and adding plenty of new ones to the lot. Whether you’re after locally designed jewellery and housewares, or treasure hunting for a vintage bargain, you're bound to find something to your tastes. This year the Night Market is also teaming up with Multicultural Arts Victoria to provide live music across three stages. This is a great way to check out Melbourne’s up and coming musical talent, and have a bit of relaxation in the summer sun while you're at it. The Night Market will be running every Wednesday from 5-10pm until March 25.
After closing Vivid Sydney at the Sydney Opera House, art-rock legends TV on the Radio are heading to our fine city, ready to smash out two concerts in a row at the Forum. Since forming in Brooklyn 14 years ago, the four-piece has created six albums. These shows will cover the entire songbook, from Staring at the Sun (2004) to Seeds (2014). Chronologically, theses releases cover a decade, but the music represents hundreds of years of history; drawing together gospel, post-punk and everything in between.
Getting down to your local for a nice cold beer is now as easy as pushing a button. As part of a new marketing campaign, Czech beer company Kozel has devised the Tap Out button, which when pressed will summon a taxi to ferry you to the nearest pub. Could this be the greatest scientific innovation of the modern age? Until Dominoes rolls out that pizza robot of theirs, we reckon it might just be. The buttons, of which there are three, will be made available via twitter. All beer lovers need to do is mention a mate and use the hashtag #PushforPub, and they could soon be on their way to the closest establishment that serves Kozel. What's more, there'll be two pints waiting for them on arrival. Pretty crafty. The button is good for three uses, at which point it presumably self-destructs, Mission: Impossible-style. Now the bad news: for the time being at least, the Tap Out buttons are only available in the UK, although according to PSFK, there's a chance more will be made available if the initial campaign is successful. And frankly, how could it not be. Rest assured, we'll let you know if they make it down to our part of the world. Until then, it looks like you're stuck with walking. https://vimeo.com/175340774 Via PSFK.
The Melbourne International Film Festival dropped its full lineup earlier this week, and we've been frantically flicking through the program guide ever since. Packed with some of the year's most anticipated movies in local, foreign, arthouse, and experimental flavours, plus special events and retrospectives galore, it's a butt-numbing, movie-loving marathon of truly epic proportions that reminds us why we love going to the cinema in the first place. After an intense few days of highlighting, here are our picks for the ten must see movies of the festival – as well as a whole bunch of special mentions we just couldn't not include. QUEEN OF EARTH After helming one of the most popular pictures of MIFF 2014 with the acerbic New York comedy Listen Up Phillip, writer-director Alex Ross Perry returns to the festival with a movie of a very different kind. Described in the program as a darkly comic psychological thriller, Queen of Earth stars Elisabeth Moss and Katherine Waterson as two old friends whose relationship begins to fracture while holidaying at a lakeside cabin. Colour us intrigued. Also: Fans of American indie cinema have plenty to choose from this year. Kevin Corrigan, Guy Pierce and Cobie Smudgers get caught up in a love triangle in Andrew Bujalski’s Results, while Allison Brie and Jason Sudeikis play a pair of sex addicts in Leslye Headland’s Sleeping With Other People. And let’s not forget closing night film Mistress America, which marks the latest screwball collaboration between writer-director Noah Baumbach and writer-actor Greta Gerwig. THE DAUGHTER Among a strong dramatic contingent of Australian films at the festival – including opening night feature Force of Destiny and centrepiece gala Holding the Man – it's the debut feature from celebrated theatre director Simon Stone that has really peaked our interest. Translated from Stone’s own critically acclaimed stage adaptation of Ibsen’s The Wild Duck, this dysfunctional family drama garnered solid reviews when it premiered at SFF, and boasts a top-notch local cast that includes Geoffrey Rush, Ewen Leslie, Miranda Otto and Sam Neil. Also: There’s plenty of buzz building around locally made crime drama Downriver, and we can also highly recommend Jennifer Peedom’s Mt Everest documentary Sherpa. A dig into the shorts program reveals even more local gems, including Adam Elliot’s newest work Ernie Biscuit and two thirty minute films from Indigenous media organisation the Karrabing Film Collective. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRktvTd5KZo OUR LITTLE SISTER One of Japan’s most talented storytellers, Hirokazu Kore-eda follows up his Cannes Jury Prize-winning Like Father, Like Son with another intimate family drama. Our Little Sister follows three adult sisters who share a house in Kamakura, who discover upon the death of their estranged father that they have a teenage half-sister who they decide to welcome into their home. A touching portrait of familial responsibility and love, the film stands out as an absolute festival highlight. Also: As always, the Accent on Asia section is absolutely packed. Prolific South Korean director Hong Sang-soo returns to MIFF with The Hill of Freedom, the latest in a string of disarming low-key comedies; while his compatriot Shim Sung-bo tackles the brutal world of people smuggling in the critically acclaimed drama Haemoo. And if you're after something a little more introspective, check out the latest film from Thai auteur Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Cemetery of Splendour. THE LOBSTER The winner of the Jury Prize at the most recent Cannes Film Festival, The Lobster is the first English language feature from Yorgos Lanthimos, director of Alps and Dogtooth and a leading figure in the so-called Greek weird wave movement. A pudgy Colin Farrell stars alongside Rachel Weisz, Ben Wishaw and John C. Reilly as citizens of a not-too-distant future, where single people are turned into animals if they can't find a romantic partner within 45 days. Like we said. Weird. Also: Another big Cannes winner was Taiwanese martial arts film The Assassin, for which Hou Hsiao-Hsien took home the gong for Best Director. American coming-of-age film Me and Earl and the Dying Girl won both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at Sundance, while the three part epic Arabian Nights was awarded top prize at the Sydney Film Festival in June. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwxyrLUdcss RACING EXTINCTION Six years after astounding audiences with his Oscar winning documentary The Cove, National Geographic photographer turned filmmaker Louie Psihoyos returns with another guerrilla-style environmental doco, Racing Extinction. Using covert shooting tactics, and aided by both scientists and activists, Psihoyos and co. force viewers to confront the devastating effect human activity is having on the natural world. With endangered species disappearing on an unprecedented scale, it's unlikely you'll see a more important film all festival – or indeed, all year. Also: Kirby Dick tackles the endemic problem of rape on campus in The Hunting Ground, while The Act of Killing director Joshua Oppenheimer furthers his investigation into the Indonesian communist purges with The Look of Silence. For something a little less grim, try Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine, a fascinating portray of the Apple founder from Oscar winner Alex Gibney. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0E2Qh6wLS4 THE GUEST Director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett follow up their home-invasion horror movie You're Next with The Guest, a wildly entertaining thriller that plays like a cult classic in the making. Downton Abbey star Dan Stevens play against type as David, a handsome young war vet with a dark secret who wreaks havoc on the lives of an unassuming American family. Mixing sly comedy with paranoid suspense and genuinely terrific action sequences, this is exactly the kind of movie you want to see late at night with a crowd. Also: Horror buffs should definitely see Goodnight Mommy, an Austrian film featuring the creepiest set of twins since The Shining. Japanese gore-master Takashi Miike, meanwhile, delivers another blast of demented mayhem with his vampire gangster movie Yakuza Apocalypse. And for the super committed, there's an entire retro stream on psychedelic cinema, featuring the likes of Enter the Void, The Holy Mountain and Yellow Submarine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPcRnEVl4vA THEORY OF OBSCURITY There's always plenty for music lovers at MIFF, courtesy of the ever-popular Backbeat section. This year, one major highlight would have to be Don Hardy's documentary Theory of Obscurity, which delves into the history of San Francisco's most mysterious rocking eyeballs, The Residents. While uninitiated viewers will likely just be baffled, fans of the band will be fascinated by the unprecedented access gained by the filmmakers. And if nothing else, the soundtrack should be pretty damn great. Also: Elsewhere in the Backbeat section, Alex Gibney chronicles the life of James Brown with Mr. Dynamite, while actor Ethan Hawke makes his documentary filmmaking debut with Seymour: An Introduction, an understated portrait of classical pianist Seymour Bernstein. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALSwWTb88ZU TANGERINE One of the wildest, raunchiest and most entertaining pictures in the MIFF 2015 program, Tangerine follows transgender prostitute Sin-Dee as she tears around Los Angeles trying to track down her cheating boyfriend/pimp. Director Sean Baker shot the entire movie using tricked out iPhone 5s, a bold and innovative approach that suits his characters to perfection, and helps suck viewers into the film's grimy, hard-bitten world. Also: Baker's not the only filmmaker pushing the boundaries of the medium this year. German heist flick Victoria unfolds in a single, two-and-a-half hour take, while Gaspar Noe's provocative new film Love serves up some hard-core sex in eye-popping 3D. But the boldest movie of all comes from Iranian director Jafar Panahi, whose latest film Tehran Taxi was made in defiance of a state-imposed ban on filmmaking. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyMSzeXI5NE WALKABOUT This year MIFF pays tribute to one of Australia's most legendary actors, with a retrospective of the films of David Gulpilil. Screening at the festival on 35mm film almost 45 years after it first premiered, Nicholas Roeg's dreamlike tale of colliding cultures in the outback launched Gulpilil to international stardom and remains one of the landmark titles in the Australian film canon. Don't miss your chance to see it on the big screen. Also: Other films in the Gulpilil retrospective include Peter Weir's The Last Wave and Philippe Mora's Mad Dog Morgan, as well as the actor's recent collaborations with director Rolf de Heer in The Tracker, Ten Canoes and Charlie's Country. The festival will also present separate retrospectives covering the careers of Chilean director Sebastian Silva and American siblings Josh and Benny Safdie. VERTICAL CINEMA This short film showcase at Deakin Edge is turning cinema on its head – or rather, on its side. Projected onto a ten metre high, vertically hung screen from a custom built 35mm projector, the shorts in this package make use of a very different type of cinematic space, with an emphasis on height rather than width. Could this be the future of motion pictures? No, probably not. But it's an interesting experiment, that's for sure. Also: At the end of the day, a festival like MIFF isn't just about the movies, but the experiences that surround them. This year you can catch a film at the Melbourne Planetarium, enjoy a gourmet meal as part of Culinary Cinema, or take part in one of the countless Talking Pictures panel discussions in the festival lounge. The Melbourne International Film Festival runs June 30 – August 16. For the full program and to book tickets, visit the festival website.
You don't need an excuse to eat drink and be merry, and Melbourne certainly doesn't wait for one. But even though our food obsession is strong all year round, February sees it culminate in a delicious explosion of food, drink and the world's biggest epicures at the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival. It's 19 days of unashamed indulgence and general nerding out about everything gastronomic. Last year it was all about water, and this time around it's all about the baker. Fresh bread, doughnuts, pastries and sweet things will be on show at the Artisan Bakery & Bar — this year's festival hub, which is returning to the river at Queensbridge Square. Head along to learn from world-class bakers Justin Gellatly and Eric Kayser, or one of the many events running across the two and a half weeks. There are lunches, dinners, masterclasses, food crawls and parties, so there's bound to be something that feeds your hunger. Image credit: Peter Tarasiuk
Imagine a hotel room designed by Etsy. Just imagine it. Adorable, twee, Instagrammable; they're probably dominant images right now huh? Thanks to a collaboration with The Cullen, you’ll have the chance to scope out the real thing in a brand new curated accommodation experience. Melbourne-based creative consultant Marsha Golemac and photographer Brooke Holm have joined forces to take over the junior penthouse suite. They'll be using both vintage and handmade goods sourced from the Australian Etsy community to curate and style the suite. If you feel like treating yourself to a night of very social media-friendly luxury, the room will be available for overnight stays from April 13 to 29. If you’re unable to book in for a night, but are still curious to gather some design inspiration for your own digs, you can book in to their open day in the room on the April 11 — where you can take a tour and learn about the latest homewares trends and tips with Etsy specialists.
Ever have this problem? You're kayaking through crystal clear waters on adventure of a lifetime in paradise, and the goddamn bottom of your canoe is infuriatingly opaque. All that sea life, going unseen. All those underwater sea creature orchestras, going unappreciated. It's infuriating and devastating. Well, all of that is about to change thanks to the Crystal Kayak Company. They've invented (maybe a better term is re-imagined) the kayak, and this time round it's completely see-through. It's the boldest see-through invention since the see-through toaster. Using the same material as windshields are made from, the see-through kayaks are perfect for moments when you want to see what your kayaking over (i.e. undersea orchestras). Check out the promo vid — and we dare you to not feel like you want to quit your job, burn all of your possessions and spend the rest of your life in a transparent kayak. They retail from a whopping $1,499, but if that blows your kayak budget out of the water, you can trial it at resorts around the world. And don't think that price tag just buys the opacity of your kayak. Oh no. As well as offering quite the underwater view, they've been ergonomically designed to be wayyy more comfy than your average kayak. Check em out here.
Once again, Birrarung Marr will be transformed into a sprawling outdoor hawker market, as the Night Noodle Markets rock into town from November 10-27. As usual, visitors will be spoilt for choice, with stalls from culinary favourites like Wonderbao, Gelato Messina, and Chin Chin, joining debut offerings from some exciting newcomers. Folks of all ages will find themselves wrapped up in the festival buzz, with roaming performers, themed bars, and a broad live entertainment program backing up all that foodie fun. The markets will run from Thursday, November 10 until Sunday, November 27. They'll be open Monday and Tuesday 5-9pm, Wednesday and Thursday 5-10pm, Friday 5-11pm, Saturday 4-10pm, and Sunday 4-9pm. Entry is free but the place — if other years are anything to go by — will be packed.
Eggs, wheat milk and animal products in general are officially off the ingredients list, at a brand new edition of the Flour Market bake sale. After a last minute postponement back in May, Wholey Day will finally launch in Melbourne on Sunday, September 18. It's the sweet, doughy spinoff that vegans, coeliacs and lactards have been waiting for: a seasonal market featuring the best local vendors of wholefood, raw, organic, vegan and gluten free treats. Let the face stuffing commence. The Flour Market team have been teasing the new initiative via social media, throwing up images of drool-worthy snacks such as ACE's raw cookies and an insane vegan cacao ganache brownie made by Citizen Cacao's Georgie Castle. Both vendors will be on the floor at the market, along with numerous others to be revealed on the day. The flour-free fanaticism will take place at Brunswick East's urban winery Noisy Ritual. All we can say is: get there early. These goodies are set to sell like gluten free hotcakes.
This Valentine's Day weekend, get that special someone something sweet. Like, seriously sweet. For one day only on Saturday February 13, Melbourne-based dessert chef Caroline Khoo will be selling her sugary wares at Williams-Sonoma Chadstone. Khoo is the creator of Nectar and Stone, an online dessert store where she sells handmade chocolates, cupcakes, biscuits and pastries, as well as an array of other treats that'll give you a toothache just by looking at them. With over 300,000 followers on Instagram, she's been featured by Martha Stewart, and is currently working on her first book – we can only imagine what kind of sweet, sweet madness lies within those pages. Her Chadstone pop-up will be open from 10am until 2pm, unless she sells out early – and let's face it, that's a distinct possibility. It'll be located at Williams-Sonoma, on the lower level of Chadstone near David Jones. It's her second collaboration with the cookware and kitchen accessory brand, following a similar pop-up back in December last year. And yes, she will be selling her patented cookie-filled chocolate pyramid, better known as the peak of human civilisation. The ancient Egyptians would be so proud. Btw, if someone wants to get that for us for Valentine's Day, we promise to love them forever. For more information visit www.nectarandstonemelbourne.com.
When it comes to creating and nurturing a family, all you need is love. That's the main message Gayby Baby pushes, as encompassing the perspective of those too often told that affection, commitment and forging a life together aren't enough for their unions to be legally recognised. Yes, we're talking about same-sex couples and their children — i.e. those at the centre of many a political and newspaper debate about sexual orientation and lifestyle preferences. Maya Newell's observational documentary, as inspired by her own upbringing by two lesbian mothers, gently works to refute perceptions about societal structures other than the stereotypical, so-called nuclear unit of a mum, dad and two kids that the suburbs are supposedly founded upon. In a broader sense, that's what the first-time feature filmmaker achieves in her follow-up to TV doco Growing Up Gayby, showing episodic slices of domestic and school life. However, honing in on the details, Newell also crafts a moving look at the experience of adolescence as told from the rarely seen vantage of the young hearts and minds at the centre of it all. Accordingly, an engaging group of 10- to 12-year-olds monopolise the movie, each united in their age range and stage of maturity, as well as in belonging to families with same-sex parents. Of course, they're brimming with diversity in other ways, namely their hopes, dreams, circumstances and personalities. Gus loves wrestling, much to one of his mothers' dismay, while Ebony is endeavouring to gain acceptance into a prestigious performing arts school. Matt is overcome with difficulties reconciling the teachings of his church with his home life, and Graham is learning to read as he relocates from Sydney to Fiji with his fathers. The tales their experiences touch upon could tie into many a kid in many a home across Australia, and that's Gayby Baby's strongest element. Gus, Ebony, Matt and Graham aren't different because their parents are gay, though they're needlessly forced to worry that they are. Interweaving political content — including Matt and his mothers meeting then Prime Minister Julia Gillard — helps emphasise the point, albeit with subtlety. The film doesn't focus on shouting an agenda, but rather lets the reality that these families face on a daily basis do the talking. So skips along a sensitive documentary made with the intimacy and authenticity its topic deserves. That the project was largely crowdfunded demonstrates the desire for on-screen explorations of the subject. That it bubbles over with earnest affection rather than overt statements shows how heartfelt and personal the end product feels. And while there's little that's revolutionary about the filmmaking at play in Gayby Baby, comprised of footage that flits between fly-on-the-wall and chats to camera as it is, the overall result proves as effectively constructed as its content.
Fitzroy’s legendary Hammer and Tong has gone alfresco with the opening of new eatery BCKYRD. Except that it’s not exactly an eatery. As the name suggests, it’s an urban backyard — a glorious patch of greenery in East Brunswick, hemmed in by shipping containers and sprinkled with imported trees — which the Hammer and Tong food truck is now calling home. "There are apartments going up all around us," Simon Ward, Hammer and Tong owner-chef, told Good Food. "A lot of people don't have backyards anymore; BCKYRD is Brunswick's community backyard." The food truck has developed a specific BCKYRD menu. Dishes include flathead and chips, ramen and duck meatballs, charcuterie boards, croquet champignon (a toasted sandwich crowded with mushrooms, cheese and thyme) and crab and corn chowder in sourdough cobs. Yep, that last one sounds like our kind of perfect autumn dish. For drinks, you can choose between locally-brewed beers and ciders. Opened in a bit of a hurry, in time for the Easter long weekend, the site is set for further improvements and backyard-ification. There are plans for a mural and a bar. And eventually, there’ll also be an urban farm, where micro-greens will be grown, for both supplies and retail. It's a work-in-progress, like the best of backyards. You’ll find BCKYRD at 20 Nicholson Street, Brunswick. It’s open every Friday to Sunday, 11am-9.30pm. Via Good Food.
Fine-dining Nordic restaurant Freyja (one of the best restaurants in Melbourne) has invited the Executive Chef of the three Michelin-starred restaurant Les Prés d'Eugénie to join the team in the kitchen for an incredible dining experience across three nights only. From Thursday, February 8–to Saturday, February 10, Freyja's Jae Bang and Les Prés d'Eugénie's Hugo Souchet will serve up a six-course degustation unlike anything Melbourne typically has on offer. These chefs are some of the very best in the world, and to have them work together here in Melbourne is a proper treat. The 4 Hands Dinner will set folks back a hefty $350 per person but it is set to include some hard-to-find, high-end produce from all over the globe. [caption id="attachment_938039" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Arianna Leggiero[/caption] For one, Oscietra and Beluga caviar will feature strongly throughout the six-course menu as the event is sponsored by the ultra-luxurious Sturia Caviar. Beyond that, all we know about the menu so far is that the duo will recreate some of Les Prés d'Eugénie's famous flame-grilled dishes, reimagined with Freyja's distinct contemporary Nordic culinary stylings. There'll also be an option to add wine pairings to the experience for those looking to really treat themselves. Either think of the 4 Hands Dinner at Freyja as an early Valentine's Day date night or simply head over with your crew of gourmand friends who deeply appreciate fine food.
Melbourne, we get it. You're a bunch of kidults who refuse to grow up and you can't get enough of slides. First there was the Slidestreet that toured the country in 2015. Then we were graced with Slide Melbourne on Lawsdowne Street in East Melbourne, followed by Slide the Square in Federation Square. Finally, Slide the City took us through to summer 2016. But if you thought you could go even one calendar season without hurtling down a half pipe, think again. The Eureka Skydeck have announced their winter project – a four-metre-high ice slide that'll see you slithering alongside Southbank's waterfront for 40 whole metres like a high velocity seal in a beanie. The chute is opening from June 25 to July 17 and tickets can be bought on the day. Best of all, you won't need to come dressed in your ski lodge best (although you totally can and should), as regular clothes are fine for ice sliding. The winter slide is more reasonably priced than we've come to expect from the summer slides, with three slides only setting you back $10. And when you're done dominating the slide, you can avail yourself of the food truck park to satiate you winter hunger pangs. Ahh winter, we don't know what the Starks are on about, you're not so bad after all. Ice Slide will be open daily from June 25 to July 17, 10am till late.
Pinchy's is best known as a top seafood spot in Melbourne's CBD, but the crew has recently branched out by adding a stack of meat dishes to its menu. To celebrate this change, it's hosting massive bottomless barbecue lunches on its balcony every Sunday arvo for four weeks — from December 1–22. For a very reasonable $80 per person, you'll get a table on the sun-soaked terrace and feast on unlimited food and drinks (with a Spanish twist). Live entertainment is also on the cards for the Sunday sessions, bringing those fiesta vibes to the CBD haunt. If the sun is shining on a Sunday, this is the spot to be.
Gauchito Gil is Argentina's Robin Hood. As such, it seems fitting that Australia's own Malbec World Day has been borrowed from the South American country, where the majority of the world's Malbec comes from. If this day is a donation from the grape god, it's one we're happy to accept. And with the help of Gauchito Gil, Malbec World Day will be celebrated in Melbourne with a seven-hour wine bonanza at Ormond Hall on Friday, April 17. Back for a second year, the event comes from the organisers of the Pinot Palooza and Game of Rhones, and mirrors the free-reign tasting set up. Your $40 ticket will include a wine glass, and from there you'll be able to move around, sampling over 80 Australian and Argentine Malbec varietals. Other events have been known to get a little boozy, so to soak up all that wine, there will be top-notch empanadas from some restaurants including Huxtable and San Telmo. It really doesn't matter if you know everything there is about Malbec or if you don't know much at all, because Malbec World Day is about education and celebration of the Argentine grape. And what better way to celebrate than with an unending glass of wine?
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. Our bars are more groundbreaking and imaginative, our events more unique and immersive, and our restaurants more inventive and experimental. With new openings left, right and centre, Melbourne is more vibrant, playful and fun than it ever has been. 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, we are very pleased to announce Concrete Playground's Best of 2016 Awards. Melbourne's newest restaurants have defied traditional fine dining, turning small dinner clubs into full-blown establishments, reexamining degustation formats and prolifically pedestalling barbecue. Cafes continue to redefine our coffee breaks, building neighbourhood day-to-night warehouse spaces, championing local producers and making an art of vegan nosh. Our bars that have been upping the city's already renowned libation reputation, with countless interpretations of the age-old wine bar. Our new (or renewed) pubs that have the biggest hurdle to face — history. Pub renovations in 2016 moved into more contemporary, fine dining-focused territory with some of the city's best design teams at hand. Melbourne's new event producers that have found new ways to celebrate city life, reinvigorating dwindling or hidden spaces, and creating dedicated festivals from unexpected (and highly niche) themes. This year, we will be awarding a People's Choice and Overall award in each of the following five categories: Best New Bar Best New Restaurant Best New Cafe Best New Pub Best New Event These 30 outstanding Melbourne (or Melbourne-based) ventures have been handpicked by Concrete Playground for their combination of originality, innovation, creativity, approachability and sustainability. We straight-up love them. VOTE NOW Cast your People's Choice votes below by 5pm on Wednesday, December 14 (you can only vote once per category, so make those votes count). People's Choice and Overall winners in each category will be announced on Thursday, December 15 at 3pm. Please note that your vote is recorded as soon as you make your selection in each category, but that you can edit your votes right up until when voting closes. If you have any questions or feedback, hit us up at contact@concreteplayground.com.au
A new rooftop hotel in Melbourne is offering a luxurious alternative to the cramped family camper you would have piled into as a kid. Opening soon (mid-2016) atop a Flinders Lane car park in the CBD, this boutique venture will consist of six vintage airstream caravans transported from the US and completely refitted as "designer urban accommodation," complete with queen size bed, split system heating and cooling, and a fridge full of complimentary craft beer and wine. Throw in a little laneway graffiti art and this couldn't get any more Melbourne if it tried. In addition to the amenities listed above, each caravan at Notel Melbourne comes with a television, linen and an en suite bathroom with full height shower. Sounds a little cosy, but sometimes that's exactly what you need, especially when you're dealing with chilly Melbourne weather. The rooftop itself, meanwhile, has recently gotten a new lick of paint courtesy of local artist Ash Keating. Notel update!!! The Airstreams are being moved into their final position in preparation for the bathroom instillation. Won't be long now 😉 #openingsoon #Notel #notelmelbourne #rooftophotel #notahotel #airstreamhotel #lovethis #adventure #original #airstream #vintagecaravan #rooftopview #journey #view #melbs #melbourne #melbournetodo #ilovemelbourne #visitmelbourne #australia A photo posted by Notel Melbourne (@notelmelbourne) on May 16, 2016 at 1:44am PDT Guests will have access to tablets loaded with music and movies along with a virtual guide to help them explore the city. The space will also be available for functions, with room for up to 300 people on the roof. Notel Melbourne is not currently taking bookings, however you can sign up for their newsletter to stay in the loop with how things are progressing. Notel Melbourne will open in mid-2016 on the corner of Flinders Lane and Harper Lane, Melbourne. For more information visit www.notelmelbourne.com.au.
UPDATE: APRIL 14, 2020 — This popular restaurant chain's Windsor, Richmond and Hawthorn stores are still open for takeaway and delivery, so you can get cheeseburger burritos, sweet potato quesadillas and charred corn delivered right to your door. To place an order, visit the website. Once upon a time there was Taco Bill — Australia's answer to an American success, renamed after a guy whose name isn't exactly Hispanic, synonymous with meal deal coupons and fish bowl cocktails that are destined to come back up shortly after consumption. Nothing wrong with that; it is "Australia's favourite family restaurant", according to their website anyway. Somewhere along the line the cheese-laden burrito got a makeover (or under) and today, if you don't know your fajitas from your ensaladas — not to be confused with enchiladas — or molays, you're seriously uncouth. Thank goodness for Fonda, David Youl and Tim McDonald's humble, family-style eating hall, which laid out the welcome mat for a second, Windsor-based offering to accompany the original Richmond eatery in March this year. In addition to the paper menus, lollipop-coloured Jarrito sodas and familiar bottles of red salsa picante de chile habanero hot sauce that have become de riguer in Mexican joints around town, amigos can expect an expanded menu by chef Ravi Presser, with a heightened focus on homemade produce (fresh ingredients are sourced from the Vic Market and the bread is made daily at Abbotsford Convent's onsite bakery) and a similarly extended, loftier physical space. The geometrically patterned, brightly coloured floor, visible kitchen and overhanging lights inspired by popular Mexican bar stools turned upside down are products of a collaboration between Techne Architects, Goldenhen Interiors and naturally, the sensibilities of Youl and McDonald. As the friends started Fonda with basically zero experience, they are always happy to ask for expert opinions where due, which McDonald sees as a major strength. "Having no hospitality background has actually been a real blessing, because it means we're not too proud to ask for help and input. Fonda is a community, rather than the fulfillment of an ego trip and this filters down to how the menu is regularly tested on groups, to how the staff are treated — that is, as people," he explains. Confirming this culture of inclusiveness, Youl later asks for my opinion on the positioning of the bar cushions with the earnest enthusiasm of someone who is actually interested in the answer. Rounding out our conversation, McDonald again individually personalises the experience that Fonda is trying to create by posing a question, the answer to which he goes on to confidently guess. "What do our clientele want on a Wednesday night, for example? Hopefully to come to Fonda and leave thinking 'I ate some good food, met a cool waiter, sat on these weird seats fashioned from string and I really liked that song.'" He got it in one — see you at the Fonda.
You know it's summer in Melbourne when the outdoor cinemas start flickering back to life. In the past few weeks we've seen brand spanking new programs from the folks at Rooftop Cinema, Moonlight Cinema, Lido on the Roof and the newly opened QV Outdoor Cinema. And now Shadow Electric are getting in on the action, dropping their own rock-solid lineup of recent and retro films along with a selection of music documentaries, live gigs and killer grub to match. Located within the grounds of Abbotsford Convent, Shadow Electric will kick off its four-month season on January 2 with the Australian premiere of New World Towers, which chronicles the unexpected reunion of '90s Britpop legends Blur. It's one of several films in rotation aimed specifically at music lovers, with features like Eden and Straight Outta Compton appearing alongside concert films such as The Last Waltz and Stop Making Sense. The remainder of the program consists mostly of recent releases, including Spectre, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Martian, Macbeth and The Dressmaker, plus a smattering of nostalgic faves in the form of The Breakfast Club, The Big Lebowski and a Valentine's Day showing of Dirty Dancing. Select dates will also play host to live shows in the bandroom — keep your eyes on the Shadow Electric website for more on that front. This year will also see the venue partner with the guys behind Longhorn, Le Bon Ton and Chingon for pre-film food offerings. Talk about a step up from overpriced candy bar popcorn. Tickets for the first half of Shadow Electric's 2016 program will go on sale later today. For more information, hit up their website.
Fresh from stacking its 2018 lineup with 43 titles straight from Cannes, this year's Melbourne International Film Festival has unveiled its entire program — that is, the full range of 393 films you'll be trying to feast your eyes on between August 2 and 19. Artistic director Michelle Carey final fest — with long-term programmer Al Cossar stepping into the top spot for next year — 2018's MIFF selection includes 254 feature films, 120 shorts and 19 virtual reality experiences. Numbers-wise, it also features 27 world premieres and a hefty 168 flicks making their Australian debut. As always, MIFF's program offers a smorgasbord of cinematic delights that span high-profile must-sees, under-sung gems, and weird and wonderful surprises. After kicking off with the previously announced Wildlife, starring Carey Mulligan and Jake Gyllenhaal, cinephiles can catch computer-screen thriller Profile, Laura Dern-led childhood trauma drama The Tale, Nick Hornby rom-com adaptation Juliet, Naked, and inventive movie mashup The Green Fog. There's also Robert Pattinson trying to woo Mia Wasikowska in the comedic western Damsel, Yayoi Kusama documentary Kusama: Infinity, Ellen Page living in a post-zombie world in The Cured and the stunning doco Three Identical Strangers. In addition, Winter's Bone filmmaker Debra Granik is coming to town with her excellent new drama Leave No Trace. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0uZ6QbFvKk Of course, it wouldn't be a MIFF without South Korean auteur Hong Sang-soo's next soju-soaked piece of sweetness, this time called Grass. Or, without this year's Palme d'Or winner Hirokazu Kore-eda and his Cannes hit Shoplifters — his previous murder mystery The Third Murder is also on the bill. Other standouts include music docos about Elvis and contemporary America, boy bands and Melbourne's independent scene; five sessions of full-dome flicks at the Melbourne Planetarium; retrospectives on African cinema, fashion and film, French directing duo Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani, and 60s and 70s Italian crime flicks. Plus, if you're after something more than just the usual movie screening, sessions of noodle western Tampopo and Prince concert film Sign O' The Times will take place at the Astor. Yes, the former includes a bowl of ramen. On the local front, MIFF will play host to more than 20 new Aussie features — including world premieres in its centrepiece and closing night slot. Aussie rules comedy The Merger, which is based on the stage show of the same name, will take the middle spot, while Melbourne-made documentary The Coming Back Out Ball, charting the real-life event that took place in October 2017, will finish out the fest. Other Aussie efforts range from Acute Misfortune, starring Snowtown's Daniel Henshall as Archibald Prize-winning artist Adam Cullen; to psychological drama Celeste, featuring Radha Mitchell; to Geelong-shot thriller Undertow. From the doco slate, Island of the Hungry Ghosts delves into both migrating crabs and political detainees, Undermined: Tales from The Kimberley explores the threats currently facing the titular region, and Happy Sad Man tackles men living with mental illness. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9hYUhpuc2I Plus, as already revealed, MIFF 2018 will be big on special events thanks to an all-night tribute to Nicholas Cage, a one-off screening of Drive with a live score and Arrested Development's Alia Shawkat in conversation. Today's new titles join the fest's huge Cannes haul, as well as the other 32 films that were unveiled back in June. Think documentary The Bill Murray Stories: Life Lessons Learned from a Mythical Man, exceptional crime thriller You Were Never Really Here and devastating Chinese corruption drama Angels Wear White, alongside Gaspar Noé's Climax, Terry Gilliam's long-awaited The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, and Asghar Farhadi's Everybody Knows with Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem.
A common problem when you're trying to be somewhat healthy is picking a place for a quick dinner — pick a spot with a limited menu and it can completely throw off all the good work you've done. But that's all set to change at BEN'S Supernatural in Melbourne's South Yarra: a 'healthy' (if not just healthier) fast food eatery. BEN'S stands for Balance, Energy, Nutrition and Sustenance, in case you just thought we were yelling the name at you. With a menu developed over two years by executive chef David Selex (ex-Florentino and London's Nobu), each item has been given the tick of approval by head nutritionist Bannie Williams of The Healthy Ingredient. Burgers? Pizzas? Pancakes? Heartily encouraged and on the menu. BEN'S master baker David Flukes apparently spent 18 months perfecting the low-carb burger buns. Each dish is also backed by macro nutritional data, and with the calculator, you can tailor your meal to focus on high protein, low sugar, or Hugh Jackman's Wolverine diet. Vegans, paleo and gluten-free diners will also be satisfied with a variety of alternatives. Customers can view the nutritional profile of not just every meal, but each individual ingredient, along with detailed information about allergens and dietary requirements. "When we set out to create BEN'S, we decided we wanted to develop a completely transparent menu — simply because our food has nothing to hide," says founder Casey George-Jolson. Find BEN'S Supernatural Fast Food at 670 Chapel Street, South Yarra. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week from 7.30am Monday - Friday and 8.30am Saturday and Sunday.
To celebrate Melbourne’s innovative publishing scene, the NGV is hosting an Art Book Fair, the first of a series of annual art book events developed by one of Melbourne’s most impressive galleries. Both local and national publishers will feature in the fair that lasts all weekend, with special international guest Printed Matter (USA), who will be making their Australian debut. For this art book event there will be a curated focus on Japanese publishing, so if you’re keen to see what’s going on in the overseas publishing world, make sure you drop by. Along with the many stalls you will be able to peruse and purchase from, there will also be free talks, forums and performances running all weekend. As much as we adore acquiring art books, they often a bit hefty and can be troublesome to carry home. Our hot tip would be to mosey over to the NGV and pick up one of the official tote bags for a cool $5, making your life a heck of a lot easier and much more stylish.
It's very slowly warming up in Melbourne which heralds the coming of our favourite annual event — Melbourne Music Week. They've just released the 2016 lineup and it's got us collectively buzzing for summer nights, cold beers and sweaty gigs. As usual, the citywide festival has rolled out some unbelievable crispy shows to satisfy all music tastes. Running November 11-19, MMW will open with a bang with an all women lineup at Her Sound, Her Story. The event, appropriately hosted in Queen's Hall in the State Library (the already-announced MMW hub), will feature Julia Stone, Ella Hooper, Mama Kin, Montaigne, Mojo Juju, Ecca Vandal, Elizabeth Rose, Airling and Nyne. Then there's Aunty Donna and the Jungle Giants, who'll be performing on the steps of Parliament House, 1950s pin-up girl group Bobby and the Pins will be giving musical tours of Fitzroy Gardens, The Delta Riggs and Pierce Bothers will front a mini music festival at the MCG, and the Drones will play the grand organ at Melbourne Town Hall. That's not all though. We'll also be treated to performances by the likes of Elliphant (supported by Yeo and Uv Boi), The Harpoons and Tyrannamen at ACCA, Severed Heads, Harvey Sutherland and Bermuda and Young Magic in the State Library, and Zola Jesus and Penny Quartet at the Melbourne Recital Centre to name but a few. As usual, they're also putting on some killer workshops for noobs and musos alike, including how to make your on crystal radio (whatever that turns out to be), a choir singing workshop, make your own synth and speakers workshop and an introduction to Ableton Live. The whole shmozzle will be wrapped with big ol' shindig thrown by party people Good Manners. Now if this laundry list of fine tunes doesn't put you in the mood for summer, there's literally nothing that will. Melbourne Music Week runs November 11-19. Find more info and tickets on the website. Image: MMW.
Costa Rica, the little nation that could, has achieved 99 percent renewable energy use in 2015 — and is subsequently putting us all to shame in the sustainable energy race. Capitalising on their abundance of jungles and waterfalls, Costa Rica are able to use hydroelectricity as their primary source of renewable energy, which has seen them achieve almost complete independence from fossil fuel use in the past year. Woah. We should really pay attention and learn from their example. By contrast, the Australian government leans further into non-renewables, actively takes backwards steps in regulating big polluters, and drags its feet on meeting renewable energy targets. In June of this year, the government even reduced our target of large-scale renewable energy generation from 41,000 GWh to 33,000 GWh, and made a limp little pledge to increase our renewables to 23.5% by 2020. We are literally the Daria playing volleyball of environmentalism. Even New Zealand has a 2025 renewable target of 90%. Like, come on Australia — you're not even going to pretend to reach for that volleyball, are you? The big bogeyman that's always rolled out in regards to renewable energy — or anything to do with environmental progress, really — is the cost to the consumer and the loss of jobs. But Costa Ricans have seen energy costs drop by 12% in the last year alone; New Zealanders too enjoyed price drops when they started to phase into renewable energy in 2014. Can we please get a slice of that action? AC has been so pricey this summer. What with all the global warming and all. Sigh. Costa Rica, we salute you. Via Inhabitat. Image: Dennis Tang via Flickr
The team behind Feast of Merit are bringing a touch of Vietnamese to Burwood Road in Hawthorn. Opening Friday, December 11 in what was once a multi-level furniture store, St Cloud is the brainchild of Shaun Anderson, James Klapanis and head chef Franky Pham. Together, they'll be serving tasty cuisine made with fresh local ingredients, along with coffee, cold-pressed juices and cocktails with a Vietnamese twist. Located on Burwood Road just around the corner from Auburn Station, St Cloud will be split into multiple levels. The ground floor will capture the atmosphere of a bustling, hawker-style street market, while the second floor will feature more laid back surrounds — including a rooftop garden that will be available for private functions The menu will be dominated by modern, healthy interpretations of traditional Vietnamese food, with plenty of vegan and gluten-free choices available. Lunch options include classic favourites like pho, rice paper rolls and banh mi baguettes, as well as salads and curries. The dinner menu is more extensive, with standout dishes such as braised spicy eggplant with tofu and mushrooms, caramel pork belly with egg, pickled chilli, black pepper and crackling, and whole baby fish with sweet ginger nuoc mam, watercress and herb salad. The St Cloud drinks list features a typical mix of wines, beers and ciders alongside a number of creative cocktails. The Viet Express is made with house spiced rum, drip coffee, coconut milk and candied black sesame, while the Son Tra Colada mixes golden rum, pineapple syrup and coconut cream. Even the mojito is made with ginger and Vietnamese mint. Those after a non-alcoholic option can grab cold pressed juices courtesy of Greene St Juice Co., coffee by St Ali, or hot chocolate with salted caramel by Mork. St Cloud opens Friday, December 11 at 644 Burwood Road, Hawthorn. They'll be open 11.30am until late Tuesday-Friday and 10am until late Saturday-Sunday.
Throw those GoPros, bubble bottles and novelty gumboots in your rucksack, Splendour in the Grass is returning to North Byron Parklands for another year of festival merriment. After an little ol' Spotify playlist gave the game away last week before the official announce on triple j this morning, Splendour have released their 2015 lineup. Joining the already-leaked, epic likes of Blur, Mark Ronson, Florence and The Machine, Death Cab For Cutie, The Wombats, Tame Impala and Of Monsters And Men, Pond, Royal Blood and the Dandy Warhols is one heck of a huge lineup. Odd Future's Earl Sweatshirt is back, Australia's own dancefloor kings Flight Facilities are landing back home, Azealia Banks makes her Australian festival return and Spiritualised will play their only Australian show. Ryan Adams is comin' on over, Best Coast is bringing the beachery back to Splendour, while recent Coachella-smash Jenny Lewis is one of the non-leaked bigwigs we can all get squealy about. SXSW buzz artists like Gengahr and Elliphant are coming, UK producer Shlomo will take things down a notch (and King Khan will do exactly the opposite), while Canadian duo Purity Ring should be one packed-out, all-the-emotions must-see. Australian artists really dominate the lineup this year, including Client Liaison, Elizabeth Rose, Hayden James, Megan Washington, Thundamentals, Meg Mac, Japanese Wallpaper, Dune Rats and more. Plus, there's going to be four stages this year, with the new Tiny Dancer stage joining the Amphitheatre, Mix Up, GW McLennan stages to host Splendour's DJ lineup. Anywho, here's what you came here for, get amongst it. Splendour In The Grass 2015 lineup Blur Florence + The Machine Mark Ronson Of Monsters & Men The Wombats Tame Impala Peking Duk Ryan Adams Flight Facilities Royal Blood (only Aus show) Death Cab For Cutie Earl Sweatshirt Boy & Bear Porter Robinson (Live) The Dandy Warhols (only Aus show) Xavier Rudd & The United Nations Azealia Banks The Rubens Jamie T Pond Spiritualized (only Aus show) Alison Wonderland Thundamentals Best Coast Everything Everything San Cisco MS MR Jarryd James Purity Ring Allday Carmada The Grates The Smith Street Band Tkay Maidza Johnny Marr Last Dinosaurs Megan Washington The Vaccines #1 Dads The Church Kitty, Daisy & Lewis The King Khan & The BBQ Show Alpine Catfish and the Bottlemen Paul Mac Dustin Tebbutt MØ Years & Years Jenny Lewis C.W. Stoneking Seekae George Maple Elliphant Client Liaison Palma Violets SAFIA Hayden James Dune Rats Wolf Alice Meg Mac Cosmo's Midnight Marmozets Oh Mercy Mansionair The Districts Shlohmo Elizabeth Rose The Delta Riggs Circa Waves Nancy Whang Eves The Behaviour Urban Cone Art of Sleeping Japanese Wallpaper Gengahr Bad//Dreems Ecca Vandal Holy Holy Vallis Alps UV Boi The Babe Rainbow Harts Generik Young Franco Mickey Kojak GL Benson Harvey Sutherland Total Giovanni DJs Dugong Jr I'lls Akouo Noise In My Head triple j Unearthed Winners Plus ... Joyride Post Percy Ara Koufax CC:Disco! Adi Toohey Set Mo Edd Fisher Mike Who Shantan Wantan Ichiban Splendour will return to North Byron Parklands on Friday 24, Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 July. Onsite camping will once again be available from Wednesday 22 July. Tickets go on sale on 9am AEST, Thursday 23 April. More info available at the official Splendour In The Grass site.
The high priestess of dark rock is coming to Australia — PJ Harvey has announced her first Australian/New Zealand tour since 2012. Hitting epic venues like Sydney's shiny new $1.5 billion International Convention Centre for Sydney Festival, Melbourne's Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Brisbane's Tivoli and Auckland's Logan Campbell Centre, Harvey will be backed by her ten-piece band for a career-spanning set. It's been a while between drinks — Harvey hasn't performed in Australia or NZ since 2012. It's a new live show for the UK indie rock legend, one that's already toured Europe and the US and features all your favourite early classics and newer material. PJ HARVEY AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND TOUR DATES: Tuesday, January 17 — Fremantle Arts Centre, Perth Thursday, January 19 — Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide Saturday, January 21 — Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne Sunday, January 22 — ICC Sydney Theatre, Sydney (Sydney Festival) Tuesday, January 24 — Logan Campbell Centre, Auckland, NZ Wednesday, January 25 — Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington, NZ Friday, January 27 — Tivioli Theatre, Brisbane, QLD Tickets for the Sydney Festival performance will go on sale on Thursday, September 1 at 8am from Sydney Festival's website. All other shows will go on sale at 9am. More info here.
It's time to make the pilgrimage to the Supernatural Amphitheatre once again — it's Golden Plains time. Taking place over the Labour Day long weekend, Meredith's other beloved festival returns for three days. As always, the lineup will appear on one stage in the Supernatural Amphitheatre, fronted by The Avalanches, Grizzly Bear and Big Boi. Also on the The Sup's agenda is King Krule, Perfume Genius, The Preatures and Kamasi Washington. Meanwhile, Golden Plains is set to be the same festival you know and love: no dickheads, no need to hide your goon sacks, no commercial sponsors. GOLDEN PLAINS 2018 LINEUP The Avalanches Grizzly Bear Big Boi Kamasi Washington The Preatures King Krule The Black Angels Jen Cloher Floating Points (Solo Live) Waterfall Person Lee Fields & The Expressions Batpiss Objekt Perfume Genius Kaiit Rocket Science Thundercat Wet Lips Adrian Sherwood Toni Yotzi Tropical Fuck Storm Images: Theresa Harrison.
There's about to be plenty more crinkle cut chips and beefy brioche in east Melbourne mouths. Huxtaburger is opening a fourth instalment, the very first for the eastern suburbs. Taking over 681 Glenferrie Road in Hawthorn, Huxtaburger's newest joint will sit within the restored Lido Cinema Centre — yep, that cheeky $5.5 million eight-screen complex set to open in June. The Huxtateam have thought long and hard about their next move, following the recent CBD opening and their already buzzing Collingwood and Prahran stores. They've picked an eastern, high foot traffic spot on Glenferrie Road close to the much-anticipated cinema complex, Swinburne University (students are widely renowned burg fiends as a general rule) and the Hawthorn Aquatic and Leisure Centre (because everyone wants, nay deserves a post-workout burger). Huxtable head chef Daniel Wilson points two thumbs to the sky for the new location too. "It is a great fit for Huxtaburger; being a vibrant Melbourne hotspot, but one that’s retained some of its eccentricities and old-school charm over the years," he says. Expect the Huxtamenu you know and love from the Northside burger lovin' crew, with southern fried chicken Clair burgers and those juicy, juice beef Huxtaburgers rolling over to the east with crinkle cut chips in tow. Huxtaburger Hawthorn will open its doors on Friday 15 May. The joint will be open from 11am – 10pm, Sunday to Thursday and from 11am -11pm on Friday and Saturday.
Melbourne artist Louise Hearman has won the Archibald Prize for her strike portrait of Australian comedian Barry Humphries. The award was bestowed today by the Art Gallery of New South Wales' board of trustees, with Hearman, a first time finalist, beating out 50 other finalists including Natasha Bieniek, Wendy Whiteley and Carla Fletcher to claim the $10,000 prize. "There was much deliberation and many worthwhile Archibald contenders, but Louise Hearman's portrait took centre-stage in the end," said board of trustees vice-president Mark Nelson. "It stood out as a portrait that truly captured the spirit of the sitter – she has caught Barry's sardonic smile brilliantly." Hearman's portrait, titled simply Barry, marks the sixth time that Humphries has sat for the Archibald – the first was back in 1969, when he was painted by artist John Brack as his iconic character Dame Edna Everage (below). "I'm the happiest girl in the world right now!" said Hearman. "Winning the Archibald is an extraordinary, extraordinary thing for an artist, but the best thing about the Archibald Prize really, is that it gets all artists in the public eye. Today is the one day each year artists eclipse sportsmen in the news!" Also announced were the finalists for the Wynne and Sulman Prizes. The former was awarded to family members Tjungkara Ken, Yaritji Young, Freda Brady, Maringka Tunkin and Sandra Ken for their mural Seven Sisters, while the latter went to Esther Stewart for her painting Flatland Dreaming. The results mark the first time that all three awards have been won by female artists, with AGNSW director Michael Brand remarking that "the success of Louise Hearman, the Ken Sisters and Esther Stewart will be celebrated not just at the Art Gallery of New South Wales today but right around the country." All the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman finalists will be on display at AGNSW from July 16 until October 9.
Everyone's dreamed of walking on water, and not only has Bulgarian-American artist Christo Vladimirov Javacheff made that a reality — he's made it look insanely beautiful as well. After 50 years of planning, Christo's The Floating Piers this week opened to the public at Lake Iseo in the north of Italy. And boy does it look incredible. A photo posted by ottaviadrago (@ottaviadrago) on Jun 22, 2016 at 11:00am PDT The floating pier creates a three-kilometre water walkway from the village of Sulzano to the small island of Monte Isola on the lake. Over 220,000 polyethylene cubes have been used to create a floating dock, which moves with the small waves and gives visitors the feeling of walking on water. Sort of like those mats you'd try and walk on in swimming lessons, but more, y'know, secure. To top is all off, the walkway is covered in 100,000 square metres of shimmering saffron fabric. "Those who experience The Floating Piers will feel like they are walking on water — or perhaps the back of a whale," said Christo on his website. "The light and water will transform the bright yellow fabric to shades of red and gold throughout the sixteen days." The Floating Piers were first conceived by Christo and his late wife Jeanne-Claude back in 1970. Realised almost 50 years later, the project cost around $22 million — all of which has been funded by Christo himself. It's totally free for the public to visit, 24 hours a day, until it wraps up on July 3. If you're in Italy in the next two weeks, consider this a vigorous nudge. But for everyone else, here's some of the epic Instagrams that have been taken in the last few days. A photo posted by Simona Maculotti (@simona_maculotti) on Jun 22, 2016 at 2:30pm PDT A photo posted by Carlo D'Andrea (@c_a_rlo) on Jun 22, 2016 at 11:05am PDT A photo posted by The Floating Piers (@floatingpiers) on Jun 22, 2016 at 1:50am PDT A photo posted by Marta sangalli (@marta_sangalli) on Jun 22, 2016 at 12:12pm PDT A photo posted by The Floating Piers (@floatingpiers) on Jun 17, 2016 at 4:43am PDT A photo posted by The Floating Piers (@floatingpiers) on Jun 18, 2016 at 2:15am PDT Top image: The Floating Piers via Instagram.
There's a few delicious things you could buy for $817. You could buy a bucketload of Messina for your entire workplace. Or you could invest in one scoop of this not-so-great-sounding ice cream, the most expensive scoop in the world. Dubai's Scoopi Cafe is claiming their 'Black Diamond' as the priciest scoop in the globe, setting you back $817 a go. According to Al Arabiya, owner Zubin Doshi spent five whole weeks picking out the ingredients. Yep. Five of 'em. What did he come up with? Madagascar vanilla bean ice cream, Iranian saffron threads, and Italian black truffle, topped with a 23-karat gold leaf. Call us ungrateful, but four ingredients we've seen before hasn't left us jumping on Webjet. The exxy part of the scoop actually doesn't come from the saffron or gold leaf. It comes from the takeaway container. Your Black Diamond comes served in a bowl from Versace — one you can take home. So basically, you're paying for singular Versace crockery and the rights to tell your 'friends' you shelled out 800 beans for an average-sounding scoop. We'll stick with Messina any day. Via Al Arabiya.
The South Melbourne Night Market is back for its seventh year, with art, craft, fashion, food and live entertainment to brighten up your summer nights. The iconic market will return to Cecil and Coventry Streets every Thursday night through to March 10, with dozens of stalls by local designers and creatives, along with food vendors ready to satisfy your every gastronomic desire. Bargain hunters can peruse the market's huge collection of stalls, where they'll find bags, shoes, clothing, jewellery, homeware, stationery and more. Those looking for deals of the edible variety will be similarly pleased, with the likes of C'est Chick, Crepes for Change, Miss Molly's Cakes and The Snag Society all on-hand to help you fill your stomach. Organisers have also put together an impressive lineup of musicians, including Mighty Duke and the Lords, Kim Salmon, Mangelwurzel and the Sugar Fed Leopards. So hightail it south this Thursday.
The One Day crew is hitting the road, bringing their famous daytime block parties to live music venues around Australia. Between the end of October and the week before Christmas, DJs from the beloved Sydney hip hop collective will bounce from coast to coast, stopping by a dozen capital cities and country towns along the way. Taking its cue from the group's massive monthly blowouts in Sydney, the One Day Block Party National Tour will see the One Day crew team up with local DJs and artists as they roll through pub, beer gardens, courtyards and car parks. Expect food and booze, live graffiti and a whole bunch of hip hop. The tour will start on October 29 in Adelaide before rolling through WA, Queensland, NSW and Victoria, finally wrapping up in the nation's capital on December 18. ONE DAY BLOCK PARTY NATIONAL TOUR Saturday 29th October – The Ed Castle, Adelaide Sunday 30th October – The Rosemount, Perth Saturday 12th November – Kirwan Tavern, Townsville Sunday 13th November – Magnum's, Airlie Beach Saturday 19th November – Miami Tavern, Gold Coast Sunday 20th November – Ric's Backyard, Brisbane Saturday 26th November – The Rosemount, Perth Sunday 27th November – Dunsborough Tavern, Dunsborough Saturday 10th December – Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Sunday 11th December – Beer Deluxe, Albury Saturday 17th December – Proud Mary's, Erina Sunday 18th December – Westside Village, Canberra To book tickets, visit www.onedayblockparty.com.
Not even lockdown can suppress the sparkly disco vibes of Evie's. Nor, for that matter, its bottomless brunch, which has been reborn and is now yours to enjoy in the comfort of your own home every Saturday from August 22–September 12. From 11am–4pm each week, Fitzroy's 80s-themed eatery is boxing up its popular boozy weekend offering and delivering it to homes (and bathrobe-wearing Melburnians) across the city. The brunch packs include a bottle of bubbles and one-litre of orange juice — for DIY mimosas, of course — and a breakfast dish of choice. You can choose from the likes of fried chicken and waffles, a BLT with fries, pancakes with berries and french toast teamed with bacon and loads of maple syrup. All dishes can be made vegan, too. And you'll part with just $45 for both food and drinks. If you live within five kilometres of the diner, you can opt to pick up the brunch. Otherwise, local delivery is available through Evie's for $5 — or you can order via UberEats, DoorDash, Menulog and Deliveroo.
Melbourne Design Week is back for its third consecutive season, and we could hardly be more excited. Presented by the National Gallery of Victoria in partnership with Creative Victoria, this year's event is the biggest yet — when it takes over the city from March 14–2, it'll facilitate more than 200 talks, tours, workshops and exhibitions. The best designers from around Australia and beyond will explore design and how it can best be employed by Melbourne in the future. There are plenty of highlights to choose from, from boat tours of the Yarra and immersive installations at NGV Australia to keynote addresses from an array of local and international guest speakers. Expect to hear from prominent Turkish-born digital media artist Refik Anadol and British design and architecture critic Oliver Wainwright, and take a look through a timber portal designed by John Wardle Architects. There's also a documentary stream for movie lovers, and the return of the Melbourne Art Book Fair for book worms. Best of all, the program is packed full of free events, so you don't have to break the bank to attend a couple. Image: Somewhere Other, John Wardle Architects at the 16th Venice Biennale of Architecture. Shot by Peter Bennetts.
With hard-hitting dramas, imaginative comedies and a retrospective tribute to one of the all-time greats, the latest edition of the Alliance Francaise French Film Festival doesn't disappoint. Lighting up the screen from March 1-24 in Sydney before heading out to Parramatta and Casula in April, from March 2-24 in Melbourne, and March 11-April 3 in Brisbane, the 2016 program features a diverse mix of titles showcasing the very best the French film industry has to offer. Cannes winners are set to be a highlight, with Rust and Bone director Jacques Audiard tackling the issue of asylum seekers in his new offering Dheepan, and Philippe Garrel's masterful romantic drama In the Shadow of Women. Legendary French filmmaker Michel Gondry's new film Microbe & Gasoline will also feature in the festival — which will be closed by Jean Luc-Godard's 1963 film Contempt. Here are our top five picks to see at the festival. But first, enter the comp for some sweet, sweet tickets. [competition]561842[/competition]
Australian cinephiles, meet the cure to your yearly bout of Sundance and SXSW envy. Palace Cinemas has announced a brand new film festival dedicated to the American indie scene — i.e. the closest you can get to heading to Park City, Utah or Austin, Texas without actually heading overseas. Debuting in May 2016, and running two-week-long seasons in Palace's Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra venues, Essential Independents: American Cinema, Now will showcase the past, present and future of US independent filmmaking. In a dedicated screen event, audiences will be treated to a snapshot of current creative directions in America, as well as an exploration of their impact throughout international cinema. Accordingly, expect new features, documentaries and shorts, retrospectives on important figures from both behind and in front of the camera, talks and masterclasses, and a few special guests, too. Basically, in a program overseen by former Australian Centre for the Moving Image Head of Film Programs and current Revelation Perth International Film Festival director Richard Sowada, expect American indie heaven in Australian movie theatres. Considering the wealth of talent that has emerged from the US indie realm — think Inherent Vice's Paul Thomas Anderson, Boyhood's Richard Linklater, Mistress America's Noah Baumbach, Selma's Ava DuVernay, Night Moves' Kelly Reichardt and Sleeping With Other People's Leslye Headland, just to name a few — there are plenty of reasons to be excited about an annual trip through the kinds of flicks that don't always make it to local screens outside of Sydney and Melbourne's major film fests. Indeed, while there seems to be an Australian festival dedicated to every other culture, style and theme, until now non-Hollywood US productions have proven an overlooked niche. Essential Independents: American Cinema, Now will tour Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra in May 2016. For more information, keep an eye on the Palace Cinemas website.
Just when you thought ordering pizza couldn’t possibly require any less effort, the brilliant bastards at Domino's Pizza have gone and changed the game. Starting May 20, the US pizza chain will roll out a tweet-to-order system, removing the hassle of having to dial a phone or download a mobile app once and for all. No, this isn't a joke. Under the new system, regular customers will be able to tweet Pizza emojis at the @Dominos account, after which they can just sit back, relax and wait for their family-size BBQ meat lovers with extra cheese and hot dog-stuffed crusts to arrive. No word on whether they’ve yet developed a system that prevents you from having to get off the couch to answer the door, but surely that can’t be far away. We’re still waiting on exact details of how this emoji-based ordering system will work, or how Domino’s knows where to actually send it once it’s been made. Giving out your address via Twitter doesn’t seem like the greatest idea; although maybe that’s just the price you pay for not wanting to talk to a fellow human being. Not to mention, y'know, ordering pizza from Domino's in the first place. Domino's haven't announced plans to expand the system beyond the United States, which means for the time being we're stuck using the call function on our telephones like a bunch of neanderthals. Via Gizmodo.
Deaf dance works, feminist hip-hop, an ecosexual labyrinth and a 24-hour performance piece are among the most eye-opening works on the lineup for this year's Next Wave Festival. Melbourne's biennial celebration of young and emerging artists is set to kick-off in venues around town on Thursday, May 5 and will run until Sunday, May 22, with 36 world premieres across a wide array of disciplines. Diversity is clearly a major theme on this year's program, with a whopping 75 percent of projects led by women. Queensland artist Hannah Brontë will deliver a politically-charged musical vision of an alternate Australia led by an entirely female parliament, Nat Randall will spend a whole day and night on a performance inspired by the cult John Cassavetes film Opening Night, and Indigenous writer and performer Maurial Spearim has created a darkly-comic one-woman show told partly in the Gamilaraay language. Further standouts include a dance work featuring both deaf and hearing performers, an audiovisual concerto from artist Dylan Sheridan, and a immersive, ecosexual (yes, eco) labyrinth in the Royal Botanic Gardens. In short, there's a lot to see, so we've put together a list of our top ten events to see at Next Wave 2016.
Fancy old world cocktail spot The Everleigh is expanding the family, finding a spot for a late night sister bar named Heartbreaker — a more free-spirited sibling inspired by sexy, seedy LA drinking dens. Opening soon on Russell Street, Heartbreaker taps into that one universal reason why people drink late into the night — tragic love woes. But with a full kitchen, pool table and retro jukebox, we’re sure you’ll soon forget about it all (and inevitably dance emotionally to 'Bad Romance'). Just don’t expect the classy leather couches and glassware that defines The Everleigh. Heartbreaker is touted as the loveless little sister; opening up when The Everleigh calls last drinks and sweeping all the dregs into her maw to let the good times keep rolling. And drunk or sober, loveless or loved up, Melburnians appreciate a good late night kitchen and Heartbreaker knows it. In terms of the vibe, it’s very specific. It’s old school glamour meets old school grunge; it’s a True Detective double exposure with a foreground of Marilyn Monroe shooting Steve McQueen in the foot; it’s Lana Del Rey drinking in a wedding gown but she’s been living alone in the desert for three days, y'know what we’re saying? No? You’ll get it when meet this lass. The front bar serves a variety of Australian and American beers, while the back bar is all about hard liquor — tequila, mezcal and whiskey. And if you want to stay classy on the inside but look hard on the outside, you can try one of The Everleigh’s classic bottled cocktails via The Everleigh Bottling Co. Choose from a Martini, Old Fashioned, Negroni or Manhattan and never risk someone bumping into you and spilling your entire drink again. Oh Heartbreaker, you really get us. Find Heartbreaker at 234 Russell Street, Melbourne. Opening soon. Image: The Everleigh.
Danny Boyle’s iconic 1996 film Trainspotting is finally getting the sequel you kind of don’t want to see but can’t look away from. Boyle officially confirmed the news an interview with Deadline — the sequel has a script and is definitely going ahead. The only problem is coordinating the schedules of the now-famous OG actors. The sequel will be based on Irvine Welsh’s 2002 novel Porno, which was released six years after the film of Trainspotting. The film version of Porno will pick up eight years after Trainspotting left off, with the same crew. But the biggest difference is in the title — obviously, this one is about porn. While Trainspotting was perhaps the most effective campaign against shooting up heroin (and the need to learn the dialect and slang of Edinburgh youth), Porno may well do the same for the amateur porn industry. Don’t worry, there'll probably still be gratuitous drug use. Boyle told Complex that Porno will bring back the “four main actors” which the Internet has interpreted to mean Ewan McGregor, Jonny Lee Miller, Robert Carlyle and Kevin McKidd. Even John Hodge, the screenwriter of Trainspotting, is working on the sequel. There has been no confirmation whether Ewan Bremner or Kelly Macdonald will be included, however the plot of Porno has a sizeable role for Bremner’s character 'Spud', so we’re cautiously optimistic. For those of you wanting to read the book before seeing the film, be warned: the plot might be changed when it goes to the silver screen. The project has been in the works for the while now and author Irvine Welsh told The Big Issue two years ago that, "The sequel I wrote — Porno — is already ten years old, so I don't think you can just use the book as the source for the script. You need other stuff that makes it more fresh and contemporary. The porno stuff might feel a bit passé now after Fifty Shades of Grey." It would seem that Welsh and Boyle have some (probably not very) sexy surprises in store for us. Via Deadline and Complex.
Bluesfest has lifted the lid on its second artist announcement for 2018, adding 16 more names to the already hefty lineup. Heading this latest stampede is Senegalese artist Youssou N'dour, who will be bringing his 20-piece band to the five-day Easter long weekend festival just outside of Byron Bay. If the name isn't ringing any bells, you'll probably be familiar with this '90s classic. Other artists joining the lineup include greatest hit-bearers Jackson Browne and Seal, Bluesfest regular Michael Franti, and British band Gomez will return to the fest for their first tour in six years. They'll place alongside two huge headliners: Lionel Richie and Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant, who will play with his band The Sensational Space Shifters. Plant's performance at Blues will mark 50 years since he first performed with Led Zeppelin, so the gravity of the performance is sure to be pretty huge. Other acts taking to the stage Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm over the weekend include Aussies Tash Sultana and John Butler Trio, Swedish duo First Aid Kit and what will be a captivating set by José González. Bluesfest returnees Joe Louis Walker, Dumpstaphunk and Eric Gales are on there too. Anyway, here's the full lineup. Better start making Easter plans — and deciding what to eat — because tickets are already on sale. BLUESFEST 2018 LINEUP Robert Plant and The Sensational Space Shifters Lionel Richie The John Butler Trio Tash Sultana The New Power Generation Chic Featuring Nile Rodgers First Aid Kit Jose Gonzalez Morcheeba Gov't Mule Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real The California Honeydrops Eric Gales Bobby Rush Dumpstaphunk Joe Louis Walker Rick Estrin & The Nightcats Youssou N'dour Seal Michael Franti & Spearhead Jackson Browne Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit Gomez Rag 'n' Bone Man The Original Blues Brothers Band Jimmy Cliff The Wailers Benjamin Booker Hurray for the Riff Raff Canned Heat Walter Trout André Cymone The Teskey Brothers Image: Andy Fraser.
For most of us, the uncomfortable feeling that creeps in when you share a social justice status (linking a petition or an article, or writing a strongly-worded open letter, as is the fashion) is accompanied by the thought: is this enough? Am I keyboard warrior? How can I effect real change? The couple behind the newest Richmond cafe might be able to help you out with that. Jane and Francois Marx are the husband and wife team from Long Street Coffee and their aim is to bring you coffee and bring jobs to refugees. But making the transition from social justice keyboard warrior to real-life warrior is not an easy feat, nor is it cheap. Long Street Coffee has been the product of a three-year long journey. They've been the worthy recipients of an Australian Women’s Weekly grant, successful Pozible campaign and generous community donations from everyone from photographers to stonemasons to get them on their feet. The community response to the enterprise, which trains refugees over a six-month period and helps them find ongoing work, has been overwhelmingly positive — and a breath of fresh air in the face of the Abbott government’s draconian refugee laws. "I think that we’re seeing the backlash against the hostility towards refugees." says Jane. "We are part of a larger movement that opposes the overwhelming hostility from the media and punitive measures from the government. In the face of all that, there’s a movement of people saying you are not representing us as a nation; we want to be a place that welcomes refugees." While the kitchen isn’t yet in action, the trainees are pumping out coffee and the interior is looking sharp as hell. Jane says that while there’s a big risk in setting up any small business, and particularly in employing untrained staff, Long Street Coffee is not a charity. Jane and Francois have 20 years combined experience in the industry and understand what it means to be a competitive small business. The cafe is a hybrid: part social justice enterprise and part booming small business with its finger on the pulse. “Part of the mission with Long Street was to be able to employ people with a refugee background who wouldn’t otherwise be able to get jobs. And part of the scaremongering that comes from the government and the media is coming from ignorance. People don’t actually know refugees but if they were able to see the people in the boats as oppose to the boat itself… If you could go to place that and be served coffee by a refugee and hear their stories, you would see that they are people. We want to break down the stigma. We didn’t see that ‘fair go’ being extended to the refugee community. It is only a fair if it applies to everyone. Everyone who lives here should be able to fulfill their potential and realise their dreams.” Get down to Long Street Coffee and do your part in showing these total legends some hard-earned support. Find Long Street Coffee at 45 Little Hoddle Street, Richmond. Open Tuesday–Sunday 8am–4pm. www.longstreetcoffee.com.
By day, it's a casual eatery, takeaway joint and source of fresh roasted chooks and high-end pantry staples. By night, it's a bar and restaurant. Sounds like our kind of place. It's not surprising then that the venue, Pickett's Deli and Rotisserie, comes from Melbourne chef and restauranteur Scott Pickett. He's already given us Estelle and Saint Crispin — and with the opening of his new Queen Victoria Market eatery, it's clear he knows what we want. Whether you're in need of some brekkie sustenance, a hot chicken to take home with you, or cocktails, cheese and charcuterie after work, Pickett's Deli & Rotisserie has it covered. Plus, they're doing some damn fin chicken and chips. Officially opening its communal tables to hungry patrons on Thursday, September 29 after a quiet test run over the weekend, it's a fresh spin on the classic market deli, that also aims to showcase the fresh produce available in the market. Indeed, Pickett's fondness for the new deli's iconic location is one of the eatery's motivating factors. "I've always been enchanted by the market's bounties and have many friends and suppliers here," he says. "It's a special moment for me to be able to now work alongside them with my own offering at this unique Melbourne destination." Plus, in good news for anyone in the area on a Monday, the deli and rotisserie won't be taking a day off at the beginning of the week. While the rest of the market around it is quiet, it'll be trading across seven days from 7am to 11pm. Pickett's Deli and Rotisserie is now open at the Queen Victoria Market, 513 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne. For more info, check out their Instagram.
Uber drivers may want to start thinking about a change of career. The ridesharing giant, whose relationship with its drivers has been turbulent in recent times, may soon have reached the point where it no longer has any need for them. After all, why spend millions settling lawsuits when you can get the cars to operate themselves? That seems to be the thinking as the company officially begins testing on its very first self-driving car. The modified Ford Fusion Hybrid, complete with roof mounted cameras and radar, took its first public outing on the streets of Pittsburgh last week. "While Uber is still in the early days of our self-driving efforts, every day of testing leads to improvements," said the company via a statement on their website. "Right now we're focused on getting the technology right and ensuring it's safe for everyone on the road — pedestrians, cyclists and other drivers." "In the future we believe this technology will mean less congestion, more affordable and accessible transportation, and far fewer lives lost in car accidents." That's all well and good, but will these self driving cars be offering their passengers complimentary mints? Where are we on that technology, exactly? Via The Sydney Morning Herald.
