Federation Square will shine bright this June, with the latest edition of The Light in Winter. The three-week festival in the heart of the city will once again illuminate the works of local and international artists through forums, installations, performances and more. The centrepiece of this year’s program is the world premiere of 'Molecules of Light', a laser installation from UK artist Chris Levine commissioned especially for Federation Square. Other standouts include 'Luminous Intervention', a bioluminescent exhibition in The Atrium’s Fracture Gallery; as well as 'The Light Revolution', a public discussion event presented by Science in Public. A number of performances will take place around 'Leempeeyt Weeyn', the ceremonial campfire created by artist Vicki Couzens at the inaugural festival back in 2007. The festival wraps up on June 20 with the solstice celebration, a free evening of light, music, performance and dance. The North East Melbourne Chinese Association will choreograph a giant flash mob, while local band Amplified Elephants will rock out inside a giant knitted egg.
According to The Guardian, Thumpers "make spiritual feelgood music for people who don't necessarily want to go to church". In January last year, the London-based indie-electro-pop duo made the UK media institution's prestigious 'new band of the week' page. Since then, they've released their debut studio album, Galore, in both the US and the UK via independent Seattle label Sub Pop Records. That's the very same legendary platform responsible for first bringing Nirvana, Soundgarden and Mudhoney to your ears. Now, in between major UK festivals Blissfields (July 4) and Secret Garden Party (July 24-27), they're going to make a lightning-quick trip our way for just a couple of gigs — one at Sydney's Newtown Social Club on July 10 and the other at Melbourne's Northcote Social Club on July 11. After that, they're off to the US for an exhaustive tour that'll carry them clapping into September. And just in case you're wondering, the name has nothing to do with Bambi.
Shopping centres have taken a turn as of late. They've made the leap from somewhere your mum would drag you to as a teenager to a complex that's actually kinda cool. And the food courts. Don't even get me started on the food courts. With Christmas coming up, it seems almost inevitable that you'll need to embark on a gift-buying mission in the near future. And if you're going to do so, we recommend doing it with a glass of wine in hand. As luck would have it, you can sip some sparkling while shopping at Westfield Doncaster this week, during their five-day VIP Summer Series. Running from Wednesday to Sunday, the eastern suburbs shopping centre will be putting on a slew of events — and yes, one is a complimentary sparkling bar. You'll also be able to create your own custom fragrance, pick up some personalised leather goods from The Daily Edited pop-up, attend free style workshops, and take a breather with a 18-hour pulled pork slider from Street Feast food truck. Westfield Doncaster's VIP Summer Series will run from Wednesday, November 18 to Sunday, November 22. For a full list of event, visit their website.
Located in the lush backstreets of Prahran, College Lawn Hotel (known colloquially as The Lawn) has become a favourite on the south-side for its laid-back atmosphere, great pub fare and outdoor Sunday sessions. Every Sunday, its leafy beer garden fills with humans and pups and lots of $15 espresso martinis — that'll help you see the weekend out in style. It's here that you can forget about the impending Monday morning or recover — in the garden oasis — from last night's antics. There are relaxing live tunes, too — the pub has just launched a series of Sunday-afternoon acoustic sessions, Unplugged Sundays, which feature some of the city's best local talent. Sets kick off each week at 4pm and continue late into the evening, wrapping up around 11pm (so you don't feel too horrid come Monday morning). Alongside the sun-speckled beer garden, the venue also has two bars, a dining area and a bottle shop (so your options certainly aren't limited). And the menu delivers a hearty lineup of hungover specialities (bacon and egg burger, I'm looking at you) and classic pub meals — such as steaks, pies and parmas — that'll put you in good stead for the week ahead. College Lawn Sunday Sessions kick off every Sunday at 3pm. For more information, head to the website.
You didn't do any cooking last night, did you? You had plans to meal prep for the week, but instead you went to the pub and ate chips and now you're sitting at your desk, broke and hungry, wondering what you can get for lunch for under $10 today. Well, my unorganised friend, you're in luck. If you work/live near a Roll'd, you can wander in there and get yourself a free rice bowl. Yep, free. And you don't even have to be one of the first people into the shop — you just have to fill out this form. The while-stocks-last giveaway is in celebration of the chain's sixth birthday, and is happening at all Victorian Roll'd stores excluding the ones at Knox, Eastland and the airport. There are nine in the CBD (including Melbourne Central, Collins Place and QV) and 14 more in Chadstone, Barkly Square, the Jam Factory, Monash Clayton and Malvern (to name a few). If you can't make it for lunch, some of them are also open for dinner.
Sydney breakfast royalty descends on Melbourne this week, as A1 Canteen heads to Belles Hot Chicken for a one-day-only brunch pop-up. The Chippendale all-day eatery has earned a cult following up north for its hefty rolls and loaded sambos, especially the muffuletta — a New Orleans-style (highly Instagrammable) stacked sandwich that's stuffed with mortadella, salami, olive salad, spinach, peppers and artichoke. And now, Head Chef Clayton Wells and his right-hand-man Scott Eddington are bringing A1's greatest hits to breakfast-obsessed Melbourne, taking over Belles' Fitzroy store from 9am until noon, this Tuesday, October 9. There'll be only 60 of each A1 favourite sailing from the kitchen — so you'll need to get in early for the likes of curried scrambled eggs; the fried eggplant, provolone and romesco sandwich; the fried egg and grilled mortadella roll; and, of course, that legendary muffuletta.
From director Amin Palangi, Love Marriage in Kabul is a documentary that looks at the complexities of courtship, in the backdrop of a severely patriarchal society. He depicts a world where marriage does not get to be an equal choice between two people, but a decision completely out of their control. At the centre of the documentary is Mahboba Rawi, a former refugee from Afghanistan who now lives in Australia. She has created a charity to raise funds that provides support and education for more than 2,000 widows and orphans in Afghanistan. Mahboba is determined to help one of her charges, Abdul who is in love with the girl next door, Fatemeh. They face strong opposition and unreasonable demands from her father, obstructing any chance that they could get married. The filmmaker, Amin Palangi, feels a responsibility to delve into the intricate cultural structures that determines the everyday life of inhabitants. He sees it as his mission to foster identification, rather than otherness for western viewers. The documentary won the Audience Award in the 2014 Sydney Film Festival. Screenings in Melbourne will start on November 13 at Cinema Nova. Tickets can be pre-purchased online. Proceeds from ticket purchases will help support Mahboba's charity. https://youtube.com/watch?v=bl3JiIOlGt8
CBD party bar Ferdydurke is prepping its loft for Negroni Week with a happy hour that'll see the classic version priced depending on the day's weather forecast. It's a rare reason to hope this past weekend's cold snap extends into next — if it's 12 degrees outside, negronis will be $12. If it's seven degrees, you'll score one for $7 (and so on). So our fingers are crossed for some single-digit temperatures across Melbourne next week to make the most of it. The special offer will only be available from June 24–30 and from 4–6pm each day, so be sure to check the forecast ahead of time and head in on the more blustery days. The bar will also serve up a full negroni menu that features booze from Never Never Distilling Co., Plantation Rum and Mancino Vermouth — but these are not part of the special temperature-based offering.
This summer, Melburnians can again cool off while listening to laidback jazz and funk when Summer Sundays takes over the pool at the Prahran Aquatic Centre for three weekends on January 20, February 3 and February 10. DJ Mike Gurrieri will spin poolside beats from 1–6pm each day, so Chapel Street visitors can groove along while they swim. Gurrieri is a local radio presenter (who runs Mystic Brew every Tuesday morning on PBS), music label owner and long-time record store fanatic whose DJ sets span soul, jazz, funk and world music. While the event itself is free, the normal pool entry fee of $6.60 will be charged at the door, or $12.70 if you also want to access the facility's spa, sauna and steam room. There's a raised sundeck and expansive lawn to laze away the day on, too. Keep in mind that this event is all-ages and alcohol-free, so leave the tinnies at home.
Unrequited love isn't the nicest of feelings, so luckily Alt-J are as crazy about us as we are about them. Or maybe they're just waging bets on how many venues they can sell out in the space of 12 months. Whatever – they're coming back at around the same time as a certain mammoth festival taking place at Belongil Fields, meaning die-hard fans might have a chance to see them twice. The great thing about these guys is that they're incredibly easy to listen to while simultaneously sounding like nothing else you've ever heard before. "Indie rock" is an almost horrifically inadequate tag to attach to the quartet, whose jams are closer to subverted art rock blended up with folk, pop and brains. They're also perfectionists and put on a killer live show. Tickets for Alt-J go on sale Wednesday, 13 March at 9am via Ticketek. https://youtube.com/watch?v=rVeMiVU77wo
As far as Australian love goes, 2016 has been an epic year for English alt rockers The 1975. They kicked off with an Australian tour in January, which sold out within minutes, while their second LP, I Like It When You Sleep For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It, smashed the charts, debuting at #1 on the ARIA and iTunes charts. Combining '80s sounds with a contemporary aesthetic, the album spawned hits 'Girls', 'The Sound' and 'Love Me'. Next up came sets at Coachella and Glastonbury, and a stack of other festivals are now lined up — from Chicago's Lollapalooza to Japan's Summer Sonic. There's more Splendour sideshow action where this came from. Check out our list of sideshows with tickets still available.
It was one of 2022's most exciting new wellness offerings — now, Alba Thermal Springs & Spa is serving up a fun new treat of the culinary variety. Onsite restaurant Thyme is kicking off a monthly high tea series highlighting top local ingredients. The aptly named Tea Thyme will make its debut on Sunday, February 26, dishing up an inviting spread of sweet and savoury goodies against a backdrop of leafy slopes and thermal pools. Running on the last Sunday of each month, the feasts will centre on a blend of native and global flavours. Expect plates like ribbon sandwiches starring Sichuan white pepper-roasted chicken; toasted brioche piled with duck liver parfait, Davidson plum and mirin jelly; beetroot and whipped feta tarts with a spiced seed praline; and sherbet madeleines elevated with a zingy yuzu curd custard. To match, you'll find an array of teas — including Alba's signature Unearthed English breakfast blend — and a cocktail crafted on Bass and Flinders' Heartbreak Pinot Noir Gin. Tickets are $190, which includes your high tea, a pack of herbal tea to take home and all-day access to Alba's bathing precinct. But with just 24 spots available at each session, you'll want to book quickly. Images: Chris McConville
It's no secret that we live in a beautiful country. Our rugged coastlines, tropical rainforests and sweeping desert plains give us plenty to brag about. But, to keep it looking so damn gorgeous, we all have to play a part in looking after the environment. And now, one way to do that is by sipping on a delicious drink. Enter C.A.N — a fresh new vodka and soda pre-mix that is committed to quenching your thirst while donating 10% of its profits to supporting conservation efforts in Australia. How good is that? C.A.N — which stands for Create Action Now — has linked up with Wild Ark and Conservation Volunteers Australia to ensure it's doing its bit to aid land, water and air conservation efforts while keeping you refreshed. To put its money where its mouth is, C.A.N has already donated $5000 to support the #SeatoSource project run by Conservation Volunteers Australia. There are two tasty flavours to try — ruby grapefruit and pineapple passionfruit — both of which are low in sugar but high in deliciousness. Want to add a lil feel good moment to the next time you crack a tin? Well, now you C.A.N. To celebrate its launch, C.A.N is giving away a prize pack to one lucky CP reader consisting of some tasty C.A.Ns and $500 cash. Plus, you'll get to choose one of C.A.N's conservation partners to cop an additional $500. Sound like something you want to support? To be in the running, tell us in 25 words or less what you're doing to help the environment during lockdown. For more information on C.A,N's initiatives, visit the website. Then, grab yourself some C.A.Ns via BoozeBud or at your local bottle shop. [competition]822930[/competition]
This November, the bustling Night Noodle Markets will return to Birrarung Marr for 18 nights of tasty things on sticks, bowls of noodles, bao and extravagant frozen desserts. Taking over the riverside inner city park from November 7–24, the latest iteration of the fairy light-lit markets will see a slew of Australia's favourite food stalls set up shop to serve a wide variety of street snacks. Crowd favourites — and NNM regulars — Hoy Pinoy will be back with its Filipino barbecue, and will Wonderbao's fluffy buns and Puffle's cheesy cone waffles. You can also expect to find dumplings, okonomiyaki and soba noodles, right through to pancakes and Korean-style shaved ice desserts. [caption id="attachment_645205" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The puffle by Kimberley May Moore[/caption] Gelato Messina will be back, too — its 2019 Sydney NNM menu includes Thai-style sweets like a milk tea banana cheesecake sandwich, a layered condensed milk pudding, and banana fritters with caramelised banana gelato and peanut crumble. Let's hope these make their way down here, too. Naturally, there will be plenty of booze stations as well, including a Jacobs Creek tipi wine bar, a beer garden and a 20s-inspired diner serving beer floats and spiders. So start scheduling your visits the market — and cross your fingers for good weather. The Night Noodle Markets run from November 7–24 at Birrarung Marr, Melbourne. They'll be open from 5–9pm Monday and Tuesday, 5–10pm Wednesday and Thursday, 5–11pm Friday, 4–10pm Saturday and 4–9pm Sunday. Image: Kimberley May Moore.
Friday nights are looking a little different these days, with stage four stay-at-home orders making after-work beers at the pub a distant memory. But if moping on the couch has become your new pre-weekend ritual, this Friday, August 7, you can blow off some of that pent up steam the dramatic way — with a huge, communal screaming session. Melbourne local Tessethia Von Tessle Roberts has created a Facebook event simply titled Stand On Your Front Porch And Scream. And irate Melburnians are invited to do just that, kicking off at 7pm on Friday. Miffed about the five-kilometre exercise rule? Fed up with working from home? Ticked off about the colossal mess that is 2020 in general? Go on and release all those pandemic-induced frustrations with a big ol' holler, in unison with a few thousand other Melbourne folk. Yep, currently more than 34,000 people have either RSVPd to join in the fun, or confirmed they're interested in attending. Start limbering up those vocal chords, channel your emotions and prepare to give Jimmy Barnes a run for his money in the screaming stakes. Here's some inspo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvrZJ5C_Nwg
The global beer industry is set to descend upon Melbourne this month as two veritable talents take over the taps at Footscray's Mr West Bar & Bottleshop. New York's acclaimed hazy beer masters Other Half Brewing Company will be joined by the UK's Cloudwater Brew Co, both of which have never been showcased in Australia before. It'll all kick off at 1pm on Saturday, March 30 and go into the wee hours of Sunday. Other Half will take over 12 of the bar's taps, while Cloudwater is sending seven kegs and plenty of tinnies. Though the brews are coming from the other side of the world, all beers are being cold air freighted straight to Mr West to ensure some surprisingly fresh pours. The founders from both breweries will be in the house to chat over the brews, too. From Other Half, expect a Bagel and Schmear IPA, a Mexican Hot Chocolate stout and a collab brew with New Zealand's Garage Project — it's inspired by the banana split croissants served at New York's Supermoon Bakehouse. There will also be plenty of the brewery's signature double dry hopped brews on offer, including an 8.3-percent oat cream IIPA. Cloudwater, on the other hand, will be slinging heaps of easy-drinking brews, including a hoppy lager, pale ale and all-season IPA. Plus a märzan (strong dark Bavarian lager), a single hop Ekuanot IPA and a quadruple dry-hopped pale ale collaboration brew. The tap takeover is the second round of the Mr West's Worldwide to Westside Aviation Project. Keep an eye on this space for the next collab in the series.
If you're on a sugar free diet, close out of this window right now. Trust us when we say you do not want to know what's going down at the Food Truck Park in Preston this weekend. If, on the other hand, you're ready to embrace your diabetic destiny, then by all means read on. Kicking off at 5pm on Friday, July 29 before continuing from midday on Saturday and Sunday, the Sweet Tooth Truck Festival is bringing together all of Melbourne's best mobile food vendors for a chocolate-filled, sugar-glazed, ice-cream and crushed Oreo-topped dessert extravaganza. Crepe de L'ile, Manny's Doughnuts, Nuts-About-Tella, Von's Vegan Bake House, Waffle Bar and Nee's High Apple Pies are just a few of the enablers who'll be on hand, wooing you with sweet treats left and right. Look, it's not exactly the healthiest way to spend a weekend — but there's no way we're missing out on this feast.
When October rolls around, movie lovers turn their attention to one thing: films of the spookiest, eeriest, most terrifying and frightening variety. When Halloween is upon us, 'tis the season for bumps, jumps, screams, creepy celluloid dreams and getting scared while sitting in a cinema — but there are Halloween marathons, and then there's the Astor Theatre all-night movie-watching extravaganza. The Astor's annual Spooktacular knows how it wants you to feel while you're watching — and this year's event from 8pm on Saturday, October 28 knows that one filmmaker has been responsible for plenty of shocks and frights. So, 2023's festivities have been dubbed The Carpenter-Thon, with the program dedicated to the one and only master of horror John Carpenter. This is the director that gave the world the perfect movie for this very occasion, after all. The OG Halloween is on the bill of course, aka the film that kickstarted both Carpenter and Jamie Lee Curtis' careers. As well as spending time with Michael Myers, The Carpenter-Thon has a 40th-anniversary celebration of Christine on its lineup, plus They Live, The Fog, Escape from New York, Prince of Darkness and In the Mouth of Madness. The Astor doesn't ever give away its full Spooktacular bill, however, so expect some surprises on the program. Fingers crossed that more Kurt Russell is among the late additions, because The Thing is also ideal Halloween viewing.
Time flies when you slurping up mussels and listening to the sounds of jazz, as the folks at South Melbourne Market well and truly know. That's apt description of how quickly two days of seafood and tunes can seem to fly by, and recognition that Coventry and Cecil corner mainstays have been celebrating both for five years now. The latest will take place on March 10 and 11, with the Port Phillip Mussel & Jazz Festival returning to serve up a mollusc-focused street party. Oh, and six tonnes of mussels. It's free, it'll fill your stomach with locally sourced seafood, and it'll offer up a feast of other treats, including sweets, tipples and dance-worthy tunes. When it comes to enjoying the tasty sea creatures, Claypots, Köy, Paco y Lola, Simply Spanish and Bambu are just some of the eateries popping up — and whipping up an array of different styles. For seafood lovers who want to expand their range, Aptus Seafood will have more of the ocean's bounty. And as for other delicious delights, there'll be raclette poured over potatoes, ice cream, fruit salad and doughnuts. Drinks-wise, expect local wines, craft beer, cider and sangria. Taking care of the entertainment is Margie Lou Dyer and the Paul Williamson Hammond Combo, plus the massive inclusion that is the Melbourne Singers of Gospel. They're the City of Port Phillip's own 100-voice ensemble, taking on Gospel and Motown with a jazz-blues sound. Image: Simon Shiff.
Now that house parties are back on the cards — and going out isn't quite back to what it once was — it's time to get your home bar set-up in good shape. Yes, you need to stock up on liquor, nab some good-looking (but easily replaceable) glasses and work on your bartending skills, but you should also make sure your bar offering stands out above the rest. How? Well, you could add a tap machine that keeps your booze nice and chilled, for one. Lucky for you, we've partnered up with Jägermeister to give away just that, so you can save your money for the party snacks. The compact, OTT house party accessory holds one bottle and is perfect for when you want to serve up well-poured, ice-cold shots of Jäger — whether that's as your mates arrive or late into the night when you're cutting shapes on your makeshift living room dance floor. Yep, you'll be sipping the stuff at a cool -18 degrees celsius, which is apparently the ideal way to drink it. Oh, and we're throwing in three bottles of Jägermeister to help get the party started, too. Keen to take your next house party to great new heights? See details below to enter. [competition]799776[/competition]
There's a big, white container sitting in Federation Square. It looks innocent enough at first, but, like most shipping containers in the city, it's not being used to transport furniture. And the fact that the word 'séance' is written on the side in black makes it seem kind of ominous. But Séance is actually a new installation where participants take a seat inside the tiny space, put on a headset and place their hands flat on the table in front of them. The lights go out and the container enters complete darkness. For the next 15 minutes, participants are fed 'suggestible information' through their headsets. You're probably thinking that there's something dark or supernatural about the whole thing — and going by the name, we don't blame you. But the installation's organiser assures us that 'séance' is simply a French word meaning 'session' or 'sitting'. And so Séance is a sensory experience that looks at the psychology of a group sitting together. Despite not being a horror or supernatural-themed piece, it's a scary indicator of how easy it is for confusion, information overload and the people siting right next to us to affect our judgment. Artists David Rosenberg and Glen Neath (who have collaborated in other sensory deprivation projects before) are the creative masterminds behind the project, which has been described as 'disorienting' and 'deeply unsettling'. It's not recommended for the claustrophobic or the easily frightened. Séance is open daily, three times an hour between 12pm and 10pm until November 12. After its Melbourne residence, the installation will head to Sydney (November 22 to December 10) and Brisbane (dates to be confirmed) so they, too, can experience this madness.
Heads up, Mother's Day is just around the corner. (It's happening on Sunday, May 12, in case you temporarily forgot.) You can frantically message your siblings later, there's pressie planning afoot, and we've found quite the showstopper for your dear ol' mumsie this year thanks to Gelato Messina. Never one to miss an opportunity to experiment with new ways to inhale gelato, Messina has been cooking up quite the delicate novelty dessert for Mum: a Italian-inspired chocolate box of gelato-filled nibbles. These brownie point-winners launched in 2015 — and selling out every year since — are sure to bring it home again this year. Each box comes with nine handmade, handpainted chocolate and gelato bon bons — best enjoyed with opera blaring in the background, with a strong, black cup of coffee and a shoulder massage. Go on, your mum put up with you through puberty, you owe her one massage. So which crazy tell-your-friends flavours have Messina come up with for their bitty bon bons? There are nine in total, each more decadent than the last. Ready? There's lamington, black forest, dark choc honey, banoffee pie, cremino — with Italian meringe, amaretti and that salted caramel gelato — tequila sunrise, strawberry and cream, and tea and bikkies. Yep. If you can find us something that says 'perfect Mother's Day gift' better than fragrant earl grey tea gelato and shortbread crammed into a fragile little choc-house of caramel, we'll eat this empty bon bon box. The Messina gelato bon bon boxes are going for $49 a box, and are available to order from Wednesday, April 17. They're available for collection from Bondi, Newtown, Tramsheds, Darlinghurst, Rosebery, Miranda, Parramatta and Penrith in NSW; Fitzroy in Victoria; and South Brisbane and Fortitude Valley in Queensland. Gelato Messina's Mother's Day Bon Bons area available to pre-order from Wednesday, April 17 and to pick-up between Friday, May 10 and Sunday, May 12 (Mother's Day).
If you're of an age when you can remember burning your friend's So Fresh CD so you could stay up to date with the coolest songs of the season, congrats. You're old now. But also, congrats, because you will seriously enjoy this So Fresh shindig. The old-school get-together to end all old-school get-togethers is coming to South Yarra's Supersmall this Grand Final Public Holiday Eve, and it'll be playing bangers strictly of the 2010 vintage. You can expect a disturbing percentage of Channel 10 alums (Australian Idol winners/losers and ex-Neighbours actors) as well as way too much Nickelback for polite company. Also, just throwing this out there: we're desperately hoping for a timely comeback of the Duff sisters duet 'Our Lips Are Sealed'. Entry will set you back $10 on the door (unless you get there between 9–10pm), and of course it's obviously 18 and over — because if you're under 18 you definitely don't know what So Fresh is. Or CDs, probably.
Good thing this isn't on a school night because there's so much to celebrate here. There's Step-Panther's great new EP, Dreamcrusher. There's Bleeding Knees Club frontman Alex Wall's debut solo album, Celebrity Beatings, released under the moniker Wax Witches. There's also new Sydney label Jerko, which is the label doing all the releasing. This sounds like a lot of blood and crushing and beating crammed into one show, but these words are actually quite poor indicators of the sounds you will be hearing. Step-Panther makes bouncy NME-approved shred-rock and Wax Witches is doing youthful noise-pop with a dash of California psych. Perth garage-rockers Foam, who are supporting in both Sydney and Melbourne, are also well worth shouting about. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Rg9DsZG-rlY
You might never make it to the South Pole, but you can experience it at the world premiere of Polar Force. Taking over the the Playhouse Rehearsal Room in Melbourne's Arts Space from November 24 until December 1, this performance will immerse you in a massive inflatable space where you'll be surrounded by Antarctic winds, crackling ice bergs and blinding whiteness. At its aural centre are hundreds of field recordings made by Dr Philip Samartzis, an Associate Professor in Sculpture, Sound and Spatial Practice at RMIT, who travelled to the South Pole in 2009 and again in 2015, on Antarctic Arts Fellowships. This soundtrack of extreme weather will combine with live percussion, played by Speak Percussion on instruments built at the RMIT School of Industrial Design. "Polar Force allows audiences to understand, through sound, the phenomenal energies at play in Antarctica," said Eugene Ughetti, creator, co-director, composer and instrument designer. "It also points to the excessive infrastructure and power required for humans to safely exist there and therefore our impact on the environment."
One of the permanent markered events in the Sydneysider spring calendar, Newtown Festival remains one of Sydney's go-to events for grass lawn sprawlers, like-nobody's-watching dancers and festival food stall enthusiasts — and it's still only a gold coin donation. The always-anticipated festival in Camperdown Memorial Park has announced its 2014 program — this year in celebrating the Day of Independence for Australia's newest micronation, 'Newtown Republic'. Heh. Themes. Sitting at the top of the lineup are shiny handclap-triggering foursome Deep Sea Arcade, beloved punk rockers Straight Arrows, reggae-driven hip hip crew Astronomy Class and epic prog-rock favourites sleepmakeswaves. Magical Mystery Tour-like psychedelics Richard in Your Mind, rascally garage punk trio Bloods and Sydney's suavest disco-funk-cranking-epic-shoulder-pads-wearing smooth talker Donny Benet will be hangin' out too. Country bluegrass supergroup The Morrisons will soundtrack your spring festival meandering, Day Ravies will psych you out, newcomer East is a definite bright spark to catch, party-triggering hip hop crew Daily Meds will be an undoubtedly must-see set, while sassy vintage rock-n-rollers The Fabergettes will be sure to have you mum dancing like a boss. This is just the start of the huge local lineup — we haven't even talked about the dog show. Or the live art hub with Phibs, Peque and Unique painting all day. Or the writer's tent with talks from Dr Karl and the Moriarty Sisters. With over 80,000 people making their way through the gates every year, Newtown Festival remains one of Sydney's best local 'how sweet is Sydney' ops — also still raising funds for the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre. Full program details can be found at the festival website. NEWTOWN FESTIVAL 2014 LINEUP: DEEP SEA ARCADE ASTRONOMY CLASS SLEEPMAKESWAVES DONNY BENET & THE DONNY BENET SHOW BAND STRAIGHT ARROWS TIGERTOWN RICHARD IN YOUR MIND BLOODS EAST DAILY MEDS DAY RAVIES THE FABERGETTES THE LULU RAES THE MORRISONS BRAVE Newtown Festival 2014 is on Sunday, November 9.30am – 5.30pm in Camperdown Memorial Rest Park, Newtown. Entry is by gold coin donation, there's no glass or BYO and there's no entry after 5pm. For more info head to the festival website. Top image: Newtown Festival.
My my, it's almost Christmas already — where has the time gone? Where has the year gone? Not that we're complaining, because Christmas time is magical and few things are more fun than Christmas shopping at a market. Enter the Makers and Shakers Market, which is setting up shop in Williamstown for a festive bonanza from 10am–4pm on Saturday, November 11 and Sunday, November 12. The market promises a treasure trove of 100 artisanal stalls where the only thing mass-produced is good vibes. Expect a variety of stalls showcasing homewares you won't find at IKEA, fashion that's far from fast and made with care, and a number of food and drink options — including a fully licensed outdoor bar. The soundtrack of the day will be brought to you by a number of DJs spinning vinyl sets, including Emma Peel and MzRizk. And for those who've not yet nailed this year's awkward family Christmas card, Awkward Portraits has your back (and front) from just $20 a pop — no bookings, no fuss. It'll cost $4 to get in for adults and $2 for kids — a small price to pay for access to all of the above plus crafty workshops, product sampling and creative installations. Plus, your support helps the local makers. So forget the Chemist Warehouse perfumes and boring gift cards — grab some gifts with heart and soul this Christmas. And grab a little something for yourself, too. You deserve it.
Inspired by musical scores and how sound can be physically transcribed, The Score considers how the emerging art trend of cross-disciplinary works might be further explored through colour, performance and other unexpected creative formats. As dance, music and vocal performance become increasingly often featured in visual works, The Score highlights artworks that shift between disciplines and defy our experiential expectations. Taking up the full three floors of the Ian Potter Museum of Art, this significant international group exhibition presents numerous and varied examples of music and dance notation — from medieval manuscripts to paintings being 'played' by musical ensembles, hand gestures communicating sound and translating a ballerina's emotive diary into choreography. Throughout this exhibition you'll experience how visual metaphors can reinterpret sound, presenting new experiences for your eyes and ears. The Score runs from Tuesday, August 1 until Sunday, November 5 at the Ian Potter Museum of Art.
Get together with your fellow film buffs and chat all things Scorsese at ACMI's new fortnightly film club. Held every second Sunday between June 12 and July 24, these guided discussions are the perfect chance to unpack the movies in the Essential Scorsese film season, screening at ACMI as part of the ongoing SCORSESE exhibition. Free to attend for Essential Scorsese ticketholders, each session will tie-in with a pair of films on the program, beginning with Mean Streets and Taxi Driver, followed by Raging Bull and Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, then an organised crime double in Goodfellas and Casino, before rounding out with period dramas The Age of Innocence and The Aviator. So grab a drink from the ACMI Bar, because yes, we are talking to you.
Be brave. Take a deep breath. Grab your popcorn and choc top and step into the unknown. Yes, the clandestine movie lovers at Underground Cinema are back — and we're giddy with anticipation. So here's what we know. Underground Cinema will host seven secret screenings of an unknown science fiction film between Thursday, November 10 and Saturday, November 19. Don't ask us what the movie will be, because we haven't the first idea. But then, isn't the mystery half the fun? Of course you're not just paying for a movie, but for a full-blown immersive experience. There'll also be hot food and a cash bar on site...wherever the site ends up being. Tickets are selling fasts, so get in quick, or be left to wonder what it is you're missing out on. Image: Nicholas Joel Photography.
Step into an immersive light installation at Bruce Munro's new gallery exhibition, Bruce Munro: From Sunrise Road. Munro — a British artist well-known for his large-scale light installations — will be bringing his considerable talents to Melbourne this winter for the first time. The exhibition at Heide Museum of Modern Art is Munro's first installation in Australia and is a combination of indoor and outdoor experimental artworks and smaller, more intimate storytelling pieces. The exhibition aims to demonstrate the depth and breadth of the artist's work, with inspiration coming from both the personal as well as the literary, philosophical and spiritual. An interactive experience, Munro's exhibition aims to be both playful and contemplative. The exhibition will run from Saturday, June 25 until Sunday, October 16, and entrance to the exhibition is included with the Heide Gallery's $20 museum admission fee. [caption id="attachment_855625" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Time and Place - Palm Beach 2020, Australia. Copyright © 2021 Bruce Munro. All rights reserved.[/caption] Top Image: Time and Place - Sunrise Road, Australia. Copyright © 2021 Bruce Munro. All rights reserved.
Spend your Easter Sunday down at the Mornington Peninsula, where the team at the Portsea Hotel are throwing their first ever Easterpalooza. From 3pm onwards, the venue will showcase a massive lineup of local and national EDM, R&B, house and acoustic acts and DJs. Plus, it's a sweet spot with a view of the water. Early bird tickets have already sold out, so if you're keen you'd better hop to it.
Do jungle vibes while shopping for greenery sounds like your perfect outing? Do you still need to buy your mum something for Mother's Day? Head along to the Jungle Collective's indoor plant sale on Saturday, May 8–Sunday, May 9, and you can tick both boxes. It's the latest greenery-filled market from the Melbourne nursery, which stocks all kinds of weird and wonderful species. And yes, this sale is a 100-percent in-person affair. Whether you're after a hanging pot plant, some palms for the garden or a giant Bird of Paradise, chances are you'll find it here. Does your mother have a reputation for killing cacti or overwatering ferns? Don't worry — there'll be horticulturalists on site on the night to give you advice and chat through any questions you might have. Get inspired by greenery aplenty and learn to incorporate plants into your home and living spaces, all while browsing and soaking up some tunes. Jungle Collective wants you to bring your mother along, too — and if you do, you'll both get $5 off your purchase once you spend at least $20. Best get in quick, though. These markets are always popular, with more than 170 different species usually on offer. Due to expected demand, the sale will be held in 30-minute sessions across both days, and attendees will need to register for free tickets in advance.
Are you the kind of person who starts plotting your next meal before you've even finished the last? Love eating more than anything else? Well, you can get right to the guts of our global food obsession when culinary legend Nigella Lawson hits Melbourne, joining social psychologist and author Hugh Mackay this January. Hosted by The School of Life on Wednesday, January 24, Nigella Lawson On Why Food Matters will have audiences diving deep into the concepts surrounding food and its links to pleasure, creativity and belonging. The renowned celebrity chef will share insight into her philosophies on life and food while Mackay dishes up some of his own research finds, exploring rituals, our dependence on fast food, and the idea of food as a sort of therapy — whether that involves cooking up a storm, sharing a feed, or simply stuffing your face. Sink your teeth into some enlightening chat about social food trends and learn a little something about your own eating habits in the process. Those feeling inspired will also be able to grab a copy of Lawson's new book, At My Table.
It's the kind of music event every pet lover dreams of, and it's back for another year of cute puppies and pumping sounds. That'd be Dogapalooza, of course. It does have a rather excellent name — and that merry moniker is just the beginning. After wowing crowds with their first two fests, the dog-friendly shenanigans are bound to get tales wagging again at Richmond's Burnley Park. Expect everything from ethical eating options — with Rice & Dice, Pookie May Coffee, Let's Waffle & Shake, Moon Dog Brewery and Bondi's Funky Pies set to serve up more than a few treats — to boutique dog product vendors. While, you won't find the likes of Bow Wow and Snoop Dog on the bill — as on-theme as they would've been — the music lineup will get your toes tapping (and the paws of your furry best friend too) thanks to LANKS, Evangeline, Deborah Conway, Abbie Cardwell, DJ Mac Fleetwood and Kerryn Fields. Tickets are on sale now, but Dogapalooza isn't just about a day of music-oriented bliss in the sun with your pet pooch, though. All proceeds go raised will go towards helping canines in need via Oscar's Law and Melbourne's dog rescue groups Stafford Rescue Victoria, Melbourne Animal Rescue and Puppy Tails Rescue.
Some of the city's best restaurants are jumping on the blockchain train, giving diners the option to settle their bills using cryptocurrency as opposed to cold hard cash or card. If you're a no-wallet type of person, you might want to think about downloading Liven. The new rewards-based app lets you pay for your meal using Liven Coin (LVN), their own digital currency, which is accepted at hundreds of restaurants across Melbourne and Sydney, including MoVida in Melbourne, Dumplings & Beer in Sydney and many, many more. So why join up when we already have the convenience of tap and go? Well, you'll get a lot more than just spam and cookies for your digital dosh. Diners who pay using the Liven app are then rewarded in LVN equal to 10–25 percent of every transaction. The LVN you stock up can then be spent at any participating restaurant, shared with friends or donated to charity. Here are five restaurants where you can use Liven to pay and earn cryptocurrency for your next byte to eat — plus the restaurants slinging free secret snacks in celebration of the crypto launch. MESSINA If the folks behind the Messina counter already know your order by heart, it might be time to start paying for your scoops with taps. Messina has partnered with Liven to give you LVN back equal to 15 percent of every purchase, which basically means every seventh gelato cup is free. What's more, the Messina team has also launched a secret snack menu, free to Liven customers, with four crypto-inspired ice cream flavours released each week until Monday, November 19. Recently the ice creamery was slinging the caramelised white choc-macadamia and biscuit BitCrumb, and for the week of October 29, it's Choc-Chain on the go, with choc gelato, choc fudge and choc nougatine. For more info on how to get your hands on these secret flavours for free, head here. [caption id="attachment_626891" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Chris Hopkins.[/caption] 8BIT If you haven't already tried the old school burgers from arcade-themed eatery 8bit, here are a few good reasons why you should hit the start button now. Alongside its juicy burgs, chilli cheese dogs and bacon-loaded fries, 8bit's alliance with Liven will earn you LVN equal to 20 percent of every order. And just like at Messina, users of Liven can unlock a secret (and free) snack, the exclusive 'Insert Coin' burger, with beef, cheese, salad, layers of crispy bacon, smashed avo and feta. For more info on how to get your hands around this baby for free, head here. PAPPARICH Inspired by Malaysia's coffee shop culture, PappaRich takes authentic home-style Malaysian eats and introduces them to a laidback cafe-style setting. The padded picture book menu makes for a delightful read, each page splashed with colourful classics, from the buttery roti canai puffed on a searing hot grill to the nasi lemak with fiery prawn sambal and the turmeric-spiced fried chicken. The menu also includes a small army of beverages, with traditional Malaysian iced teas and coffees sitting alongside a Milo 'dinosaur' and elaborate fruit creations. Prices at PappaRich were already pretty reasonable to start with, but pay with Liven, and you'll earn LVN to use at your next visit, equal to 10 percent of every bill. LORD OF THE FRIES Fry fiends will know all about vegan chip chain Lord of the Fries, famous for its fresh-cut potatoes done four ways. Forget ketchup; there are eleven different condiments to choose from, including Belgium mayonnaise, mango chutney and even good old fashioned cheese and gravy. Did you want a burger with that? Side orders include the all-vegan burgers and hot dogs, as well as peanut butter and Oreo soy milkshakes. Part of the Liven family? Pay with a single tap using the app to earn 15 percent of the bill back in LVN. ROLL'D Lunchtime favourite Roll'd has joined the Liven lineup, and we can already hear office workers cheering from their cubicles. With stores dotted across the city, the popular convenience chain specialises in Vietnamese street eats, with options like Viet baguette banh mi, rice paper rolls, steamed bao buns and fragrant pho soup. You can either pull up a stool at one of the hawker-style counters or grab a few takeaway rolls to scoff at the park. No need to bring a pocket full of change, just use the Liven app to pay — plus you'll earn back 15 percent of the bill in LVN to use next time. Download and join Liven to start racking up your own culinary crypto to spend at hundreds of restaurants across Melbourne and Sydney. And until Monday, November 19, gain access to those free secret snacks.
The past year has been huge for Bong Joon-ho. Not only is the South Korean filmmaker responsible for 2019's best movie in Parasite, this same thrilling flick nabbed the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, took out Sydney Film Festival's top prize, won a Golden Globe, became the first film in a language other than English to win the Screen Actors Guild's ensemble award (its top gong) and nabbed six Oscar nominations — all deservedly so. Parasite isn't just a one-off, either. For nearly two decades, the acclaimed director has been making smart movies that continually surprise and delight — and continually defy categorisation, too. Bong delved into feuding neighbours in 2000's Barking Dogs Never Bite, explored a real-life murder mystery in 2003's Memories of Murder, reinvented the creature feature with 2006 standout The Host, and used 2009's Mother to explore an unnerving family relationship. More recently, Bong forced the remnants of humanity to fight for survival on a speeding train, with Snowpiercer enlisting Tilda Swinton, Chris Evans and Jamie Bell among the locomotive's scrambling inhabitants. And, in Okja, the filmmaker introduced the world to a cute super-pig, the girl who adores it and the ruthless corporate executive (Swinton again) looking to profit from it, as well as one incredibly offbeat TV zoologist (Jake Gyllenhaal). If you're keen to rediscover these highlights, or perhaps catch them for the first time, The Astor Theatre is hosting a four-week Bong retrospective. Screening on Monday nights between March 2–23, you can catch everything in his cinematic catalogue except Okja — with Barking Dogs Never Bite and Memories of Murder screening as a double on March 2, The Host and Mother playing back-to-back on March 9, Snowpiercer speeding across the screen on March 16 and Parasite finishing up the season on March 23. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nX5PwfEMBM0
Sample master and festival veteran Harley Streten, better known by the stage name Flume, has never staged a headline show in his home country. But that will change in April when the 21-year-old embarks on his first ever headline tour. Kicking things off in Sydney at the Hordern Pavilion, a venue that has previously played host to a slew of little-known acts such including Kraftwerk, Coldplay and Queen, Streten will move on to dominate Melbourne’s Festival Hall and Brisbane’s Riverstage before heading west. Soultronica crooner Chet Faker, a sizeable force on the local scene himself who sold out three Melbourne shows and one Oxford Art Factory last year, will be in support for what Streten has dubbed the Infinity Prism Tour. His woozy textures, soaring vocal samples and catchy washes of RnB have won the kid many fans both overseas and on home turf, so have your clicking finger waiting when tickets go on sale Friday, 1 March. And as you're counting down the seconds until 10am, there are enough crazy wall posts on his Facebook page to keep you well entertained.
Melbourne food truck park The Ascot Lot is dishing up an unlikely, but very welcome, combo when it hosts its first-ever Gravy & Greyhounds event this weekend. And it's pulled together a special lineup to tempt pooches and humans alike. Gravy will be the true hero of the day's food offering, as some of the city's most-loved vendors plate up their own homages to the thick, rich sauce. Meanwhile, the team at Gumtree Greys will be there with a Greyhound adoption pop-up — find a new four-legged addition to the family, or bring your own pup for a good old fashioned doggy meetup. Pooches are allowed all throughout the dog-friendly venue, including the indoor bar. While you're tucking into a few espresso martinis and craft brews, your pooch can enjoy a tasty session of their own, with Australia's first food truck for dogs, The Canine Wellness Kitchen, dishing up a range of natural treats and doggy beers.
Did you know that Will Ferrell is white? And that Kevin Hart is small? Do you think it would be funny if each pretended that they weren't? The minds behind Get Hard certainly do, explaining the odd couple meets fish-out-of-water comedy that results. Apparently laughs will flow freely if Ferrell tries to act like a gangsta being schooled by Hart punching above his weight. The key word is apparently. Things are going pretty well for stockmarket whiz James King (Ferrell), with a happy boss slash soon-to-be father-in-law, Martin (Craig T. Nelson), and an attractive fiancee, Alissa (Alison Brie), to prove it. Then, his engagement party is crashed and his dreams crushed by FBI agents waving around fraud and embezzlement charges. An unsuccessful attempt to prove his innocence later, and he's destined for 10 years of hard time. Afraid he won't be able to take it, he enlists Darnell Lewis (Hart), an aspiring carwash entrepreneur and family man mistaken for an ex-con, to teach him how to survive on the inside. Yes, he asks for help getting hard, hence the movie's title and many of its gags. Did you know that the phrase doesn't just refer to acting tough? Of course you do — but based on the amount of genitalia jokes in the screenplay, writer/director Etan Cohen (scribe of Tropic Thunder) and his co-writers Jay Martel and Ian Roberts (TV's Key and Peele) are really afraid that you don't. That also explains the frequent reminders that jail isn't a nice place and constant mentions of rape and violence, as well as the overt tone of panicked homophobia. Add rampant racism as well as the dismissal of Brie as a money-hungry sex object, and the end result is questionable at best and offensive at worst. Satire can't be used as an excuse, though the few moments that work — Ferrell dressed up like Lil Wayne while telling Hart that he's not trying to appropriate his culture, for example — indicate that was the aim. It takes more than simply pointing something out and then repeating it for the film to avoid stereotypes, but it just doesn't invest the time and effort. Get Hard even misses the mark on the easiest target here, and the one that actually makes sense: the ridiculously wealthy perpetrators of white-collar crimes that fleece the little guys for a big payday. Amid all the poorly judged humour, everything plays out as expected, the duo bumbling and bonding, and the film trying to coast by on star power alone. Ferrell and Hart both do what they can with the material, showing plenty of effort for little reward; however, even their innate talents can't save the show. This isn't the comedy vehicle either could've hoped for, nor a showcase for what might have been a great double act. Looking flatter and blander than any Hollywood effort should, it's not the movie anyone could've hoped for, either. The only thing getting hard here is the audience's patience.
While 'Thrift Shop' swaggers to the clumsy mash of spiky melodic contours and full Ab minor chords, triple j's other Hottest 100 collaborative effort rambles confidently through soulful grooves and grazing vocals. The grooves come at the hands of 9-piece funk/soul/psych/mod Melbourne outfit The Bamboos and the vocals from You Am I frontman Tim Rogers, and the result is one big track that's even bigger live. This month the temporarily ten-piece lineup will take 'I Got Burned' across the country along with some unheard originals and a whole heap of new covers. With Rogers voice and Lance Ferguson's guitar punctuated by the spectacular larynxes of resident Bamboos Kylie Auldist and Ella Thompson plus a handful of brass things and a Hammond organ, the Soul and Rock 'n Roll show should give you plenty of material with which to argue that maybe genre is kinda redundant anyway. Read our interview with Bamboos frontman Lance Ferguson here. https://youtube.com/watch?v=hZEN_l4j6mY
Sipping gins on a sun-drenched rooftop is an essential summer pastime — but the Rooftop at QT Melbourne is stepping it up a notch. The sky-high venue has teamed up with your mates at Four Pillars for a six-week summer pop-up, reimagining the classic G&T as a supremely scoopable sorbet. Sips & Sorbet is set to take over the rooftop from Saturday, January 14–Sunday, February 26, celebrating some frosty, fruity guests of honour. From 12–4pm each weekend, the Sips & Sorbet cart will be scooping a range of cocktail-inspired sorbets, taking inspiration from Four Pillars' classic pours via flavours such as yuzu ginger, peach, spiced negroni and fresh vanilla. Alongside the scoops, you'll find signature gin cocktails like the Sunset Spritz crafted on Aperol and salted grapefruit, and the Summer Lovin' starring watermelon and bitter strawberry soda. And to amp up those weekend afternoon vibes as you're sipping, spooning and socialising, expect a rotation of top local DJs gracing the decks.
Want to treat your numero uno without breaking the bank? The fusion brunch masters at Cafe Lafayette have the situation sorted with their new limited-edition Besties Brunch series. Across nine days this month, the laneway haunt is serving up a supremely affordable two-person feed, that'll see the both of you brunched up and caffeinated for just $35. Nab a ticket in advance and you'll each enjoy your pick of innovative brunch dish, along with your choice of black or white coffee and one of the kitchen's signature Japanese raindrop cakes to share. And these are no average eats, either. The current Cafe Lafayette menu is as creative as ever, featuring plates like the okonomiyaki 'bird's nest', matcha french toast with homemade dango (Japanese sweet dumplings) and a charcoal-grilled unagi hot dog with tamagoyaki (rolled omelette) and chips. The Besties Brunch will run 10am–12pm daily, from June 12–20. [caption id="attachment_694202" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cafe Lafayette's famed raindrop cakes, by Griffin Simm[/caption] Images: Griffin Simm
Capable of tearing it up with a screamalong feedback-fuelled tune or turning things down with a snuggly acoustic ballad, Sydney's rambunctious garage crew Palms are one of the country's surefire good time live shows. If you haven't burled along to 'The Summer is Done With Us', scratched up your vocal chords with 'Love' or dived into All The Feels with 'In the Morning', you're in for a warm, sweaty introduction. The brainchild of Ex-Red Riders Al Grigg and Tom Wallace, the foursome released their debut album Step Brothers last August. Currently working on their follow-up, the lads were getting a little stir crazy. According to their Facey-B: "Because we get bored easily, and because it's been about a year since we put out our debut album Step Brothers, and because we missed yas, and because we missed sleeping on our mates' couches, drinking their beers and washing irregularly, we decided to hit the road." One for fans of fuzzy, gazey fun like King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Twerps or Bleeding Knees Club, Palms crank a mean, loud live show. Likely to trial material from the upcoming second album, this is set to be a tour-before-the-follow-up type of deal — meaning no holds barred, pressure off, get loose type of fun.
So, you've tasted your way through just about every gin concoction at just about every distillery in town. Now, how about having a go at whipping up some of your own? Family-run Bayside distillery Here's Looking At You, Kid (HLAYK), has launched a series of intimate masterclasses that'll not only see you sipping and sampling, but creating your very own batch of gin. The pop-up classes are set to descend on secluded CBD rooftop terrace The Stolen Gem, with a string of dates happening across March and April, and each class taking a maximum of just ten students. Head along to one of these three-hour sessions to learn the secrets of becoming a small-batch gin master. You'll enjoy a gin cocktail on arrival, while the HYLAK experts guide you through selecting the base botanicals for your custom gin creation. You'll run it all through a mini still, making your own 500-millilitre bottle of spirit to keep and drink. Then, there's even more gin-infused fun to be had, with a tasting of the HYLAK range — including the Sunset Gin and Wild Rose Gin — and a high tea feast served alongside a mini cocktail flight. All inclusive tickets clock in at $170 a head, but with limited spots, you'll want to snap yours up quick. Top image: The Stolen Gem
Michelangelo famously said that inside every block of stone is a statue, and that it is the task of the sculptor to find it. A similar principle applies to the Grey Eye Society's social drawing classes — except you're the block of stone, the chisel is a couple of glasses of vino, and the chances of finding the statue of David are slightly slimmer. Led by Andrzej Nowicki out of Pixel/Foolscap studio in Hardware lane, the two-hour classes are open to all skill levels and focus on the techniques and methods of mark making from different artist each week. Style isn't the only aspect you will draw (pardon the pun) from the artistic greats, with Grey Eye Society collaborator Pete Lloyd bringing to life the time, history and temperament of those studied by specially curating a selection of relevant wines to help get those creative juices flowing. Although we'd argue that all wine is relevant for any given occasion, this will surely bring out the Picasso in all of us. The course runs between July 24 and August 21, and with classes capped at 10 people, you’ll need to book in advance to make sure you get first dibs. This intimate experience costs $280 for the entire five weeks, including all drawing materials and wines. Skills to pay the bills, free of charge. To secure your place, email greyeyesociety@gmail.com for further enrolment and payment details.
As filmgoers, it would seem that we have a unique fascination with anthropomorphised machines. From WALL-E to Blade Runner to Spike Jonze’s recent Her, movies are full of artificially intelligent creations who have captured the imagination of audiences, and in doing so blurred the line of what it truly means to be human. The most recent robot to achieve sentience on screen is the title character in Chappie, the latest film from writer-director Neill Blomkamp. A member of Johannesburg’s robotic police force, Chappie (voiced and motion captured by Sharlto Copley) is earmarked for decommission after being damaged during a drug raid. Instead, his designer Deon Wilson (Dev Patel) decides to use him as a guinea pig for a radical new form of AI, one that more closely resembles human consciousness. But Deon’s success is soured after Chappie is stolen by a group of gangsters (South African rap group Die Antwoord playing fictionalised versions of themselves), who plan on using the impressionable robot to execute a heist. Three films into his career, Blomkamp has proven himself as a storyteller with a lot on his mind. His hit debut District 9 used an outlandish sci-fi premise as an allegory for racial prejudice and discrimination, while his big-budget follow-up Elysium touched on notions of immigration and class divide. In Chappie his ideas get even bigger, hitting everything from police militarisation to the nature of consciousness, loss of faith and even alternate modes of parenting. If anything, Blomkamp maybe tackles too much, packing his movie with a litany of different concepts at the expense of covering any of them in depth. There’s an argument to be made for quality over quantity, yet it’s hard to fault the director for his ambition. Nor can you ignore the amount of food for thought the film provides — brains being an increasingly rare commodity in Hollywood blockbusters, after all. And to its credit, Chappie succeeds as more than just a think piece. Possessing the innocence and excitability of a child, Chappie makes for a wonderful protagonist, with Copley’s mo-cap and vocal performance comparable to the work of Andy Serkis. As Chappie slowly matures, viewers will find themselves caught up in his emotional journey; particularly moving is the dynamic between Chappie and his surrogate mother Yolandi, who helps the robot attune his moral compass. Chappie does unfortunately suffer from one major flaw, and it comes in the form of its villain. Sporting his natural accent in one of the most poorly written parts of his career, Hugh Jackman plays the brutish Vincent Moore, a former soldier who plans on sabotaging Deon’s police robots — including Chappie — so that the force might invest in his more heavily armoured, remotely piloted drones. Even if you can ignore his cringeworthy Australian slang and unintentionally hilarious Steve Irwin-style khakis, Moore’s motivations remain excruciatingly one-dimensional. His only purpose is to manufacture conflict, and he basically derails the movie whenever he appears on screen. Luckily, Chappie is always there to get the story back on track. And perhaps it’s only fitting that, in a story about artificial humanity, the most emotionally intricate character isn’t a human at all.
This month, Carlton nightclub Colour is switching things up and embracing the al fresco vibes, joining up with some fellow inner north mates to host another massive outdoor celebration of music and good times. Colour Openair Vol. 2 is set to take over Collingwood Yards on Saturday, February 26, held in collaboration with Hope St Radio and Runner Up Rooftop Bar. Across three stages, you'll catch a bumper lineup of local acts set on sending out summer with a bang. The likes of Ruby Savage, Mothafunk and jazz-funk outfit Surprise Chef will grace the main stage, while artists like Moopie and Rona hit the decks at Hope St Radio. And favourites including Milo Eastwood, Zepherin Saint and Midnight Tenderness take over the rooftop stage of Runner Up. Catch some rays, cut some shapes and farewell summer's final weekend in style.
Can we just take a moment to say we are loving the new wave of venues that only do one thing and do it super well? It's a delightful trend because, as it turns out, in this crazy modern world we all want less choices — not more. And if your first choice is a fat, juicy steak sandwich, Empire Steak should be your new go-to. After a short teasing period, the sandwich venue opened on Little Collins Street last week — and it's definitely been worth the wait. As you would expect from a joint that basically just does meat in bread, their menu is simple and features several variations on the steak sarnie. There are vego options too though — just as an FYI for the herbivores out there who want to hang out in a steak restaurant. Our pick is the Lazy Susan, a char siu-glazed steak between perfect steak-sized bread (white or mulitgrain) with slaw, sesame dressing, coriander and pickled cucumber that looks indecently juicy. We're also intrigued by the Fritz, a sandwich that features steak, shoestring fries, butter lettuce and house sauce. And just to clarify, yes, that's fries in the sandwich. What a world we live in. They've decked their CBD shop out in cheerful, retro signage emblazoned with a slogan we can really get on board with: "embrace the drip factor". Thanks for the tip. Empire Steak is open from 10.30am till 9pm Monday to Saturday at 61 Little Collins Street, Melbourne. FOr more info, visit empiresteak.com.au.
Laneway Festival has officially returned for another glorious year, hitting Brisbane and Sydney this weekend and Melbourne the next. Sure, there are some pretty big-name folks on the lineup — Grimes, CHVRCHES, Flume — but true to Laneway form, there's a whole host of artists you might not have wrapped your ears around yet. Laneway's triple j Unearthed lineup sees five new emerging artists hit the big stage. Each band/artist will be appearing in their hometown Laneway Festival in 2016. They're joining a damn good alumni bunch too — Client Liaison, Bad//Dreems, Ali Barter and more count themselves as Unearthed Laneway artists. Since they're playing in their hometown as shiny new discoveries, we thought we'd get each of them to give us a little hometown secret — their favourite hidden gem. Introduce yourself to Australia's new batch of music — you'll find them in these five local go-tos. ESESE (MELBOURNE): RAS DASHEN "Our favourite spot is my parent's Ethiopian restaurant Ras Dashen; not only because it's my rents and the band gets free food, but because you will never eat anything so hangover curing in this city. Since, 50 percent of us are DJing most weekends/weekdays and you know, getting lit goes hand in hand. So, whats better than some injera and Ethiopian coffee to get you back to life." 121 Nicholson Street, Footscray ADKOB (SYDNEY): TOWN BIKE PITSTOP "My local coffee house. I'm not that into the bikes but the food and vibe are both top notch. Try the Julio or the BLT — Swish. I'm a huge of that end of Abercrombie Street, it is still pretty residential but among the terraces are other cool things like the Eveleigh Hotel, the Commercial Gallery, this new organic tea bar and up the road the Redfern Night Markets." 156 Abercrombie Street, Redfern GOOD BOY (BRISBANE): BARBARA "Im not sure how 'hidden' Barbara is but this beautiful bar sits between the loans department and the sales department of the Fortitude Valley Cash Converters. The staff are top notch, the entire establishment is simple, wooden and handsome, and the house beer 'Babs' is incredible. Best nights are Wednesday when you can get a burger from our favourite chicken joint, Lucky Egg, and a Babs beer for 15 dollarydoos and listen to some classic hip hop." 105/38 Warner Street, Fortitude Valley FAIT (PERTH): THE OLD LAUNDRY "The Old Laundry is a favourite local haunt of mine. Gorgeous interiors, good food and friendly service. A great place to sit and watch the world go by." 22 Angove Street, North Perth THE HARD ACHES (ADELAIDE): TWO-BIT VILLAINS There are way too many favourite spots of ours in Adelaide, but let's settle with Two-Bit Villains. It's a kick arse American style diner with amazing food and handmade sodas, all of which are either veg or vegan. Run by great people in a sick location, Plus they do a mean poutine if you ask nicely." - BD. Shop 150 Balcony Level, Adelaide Arcade More about Laneway Festival over here.
