Since Victoria's second COVID-19 lockdown began in July, dreaming of spending a night somewhere other than your own home has become a regular part of pandemic life. Thankfully, that dream looks set to become a reality early next month, with Premier Daniel Andrews revealing earlier this week that Victorians will be able to travel regionally — and stay overnight — from 11.59pm on Sunday, November 8. Premier Andrews made the announcement earlier on Monday, October 26, when he ran through the next phases of eased restrictions for the metropolitan Melbourne area. Understandably — given that they came into effect this week — the bulk of the focus has been on heading back out to bars and restaurants, and having folks over to your house. But prepare for more things to change at the end of next week, too. On the travel front, the hard border between metro Melbourne and regional Victoria will be scrapped. And, so will the 25-kilometre travel limit — so "the state will be one again" as the Premier said. Crucially, accommodation sites will be allowed to reopen; however, there are rules about bookings. You can only book with members of your household, with your intimate partner, or with your household and two adults and their kids from another household. https://twitter.com/VicGovDHHS/status/1320588908862803969 From this November date, a heap of other changes will also come into effect. In metro Melbourne, gyms and fitness studios will be allowed to reopen, with a maximum of 20 people per space. At hospitality venues, they'll move to 40 people indoors and 70 outside. Religious gatherings will move to 20 people indoors and 50 outdoors, and indoor pools will also be allowed to open. As with all of Victoria's plans for future changes to its COVID-19 limits, the easing of the above restrictions on November 8 is contingent on case numbers. At the time of writing, Melbourne has reported four cases in the past 24 hours, three the day prior, two on the day before that, and zero cases for two days in a row before that — a trend that'll hopefully continue. For more information about the status of COVID-19 and the current restrictions, head over to the Department of Health and Human Services website — and for further details about Victoria's steps for reopening, head to the roadmap itself. Top image: Nightingale Orchard by Emily Godfrey via Visit Victoria
There's escaping the city for an afternoon, and then there's driving 20 minutes down a dirt road to a secluded river and hopping into a canoe. In this canoe, it's quiet, very still. The Kangaroo Valley's bushland surrounds you, ascending on either side of the waterway, creating a landscape that's punctuated only by the occasional kingfisher flapping by or a solitary trout breaking the surface with a small splash. And I haven't even mentioned the best bit: this canoe is filled with wine. And snacks. So as you're floating down the river — minimal paddling is necessary — you'll be able to pop a bottle of local sparkling and tuck into a few canapés. Maybe you'll try a glass of top-notch sparkling Riesling from Mittagong's Artemis Wines and a yabby roll with native lime mayo supplied by The Loch in nearby Berrima. As you might have guessed, this isn't an ordinary off-you-go oar-bearing experience. This one is part of WildFEST, a new three-day celebration of the food, drink and wilderness of NSW's Southern Highlands. Led by experienced paddler Travis Frenay, the Canoes, Champagne and Canapés experience will lead you along the Kangaroo River in a custom-built double canoe, through the sunken forest and past a convict-built sandstone wall. Travis has an insane amount of knowledge on the area and will be able to answer pretty much anything you throw at him. There will be three sessions a day (9am, noon and 3pm) on October 27, 28 and 29. The whole thing sets off from Beehive Point and takes around two to three hours. Prices are on the heftier side at $195 each, but includes all food, wine and equipment. Plus, this part of the Valley isn't highly accessible for people without their own gear, so it's a great (and bloody delightful) way to explore the area on the water. Note: if weather conditions suggest your rusty old sedan won't make it there and back, the organisers may provide transport down the dirt road. But if it's dry, you're all good. It's part of the adventure. Canoes, Champagne and Canapés will run on October 27–29 from Beehive Point, Kangaroo Valley. For more info and to buy tickets, visit wildfest.com.au.
In the 70s and 80s, it was Countdown. In the 90s and early 00s, it was Recovery. Now, the ABC is adding The Set to its roster of music-focused TV shows. Like its predecessor, the new television series will feature live music performances in front of a live studio audience — with triple j's Linda Marigliano and Dylan Alcott as the program's hosts. Kicking off on both ABC and iview at 9.30pm on Wednesday, October 31, The Set will feature a different main band each week, who'll then invite two guest acts to perform live as well. To end each show, the week's artists will all team up in a one-off musical collaboration. And with the whole thing taking place on a purpose-built share house set, which also includes a backyard, 250 folks will be there, in person, enjoying the gig. Headliners include Angus and Julia Stone, Vera Blue, Ball Park Music and The Presets, while the likes of Illy, Odette, Baker Boy, Wafia, Mallrat, Angie McMahon, Tia Gostelow, LANKS and Kult Kyss have been named among The Set's guests. The series will actually air twice each week — with a 30-minute episode running each Wednesday evening, and then an extended hour-long version screening on Saturdays at 10pm from November 3.
The producers of Serial and This American Life are teaming up on a brand new true crime podcast hitting the digital airwaves next month. Better yet, they're taking a page out of Netflix's book and dropping every single episode at the exact same time. According to a report by Rolling Stone, the non-fiction S-Town is set in rural Alabama and will investigate "the son of a wealthy man who allegedly boasted about getting away with murder." "This story takes so many unexpected turns," said This American Life presenter Ira Glass in a statement. "Every episode is a new surprise. And the story has this feeling and mood that's different from anything else we've done. I don't think people have heard a show like this." S-Town is one of three new podcasts being launched under the 'Serial Productions' banner. It will be hosted by long-time This American Life producer Brian Reed, and is due to be released sometime in March. Image: Peabody Awards, CC.
Alex Chinneck carved up the road today, and not in a Top Gear way. Literally ripped it up. The Hackney-based installation artist, who recently made a section of Covent Garden 'levitate', has today unveiled his latest work at London's Southbank Centre, Pick Yourself Up and Pull Yourself Together. Sitting in the Hungerford Car Park of the Southbank Centre, the work sees a sizeable bit of tarmac pulled up in a wave, casually suspending a Vauxhall Corsa 4.5 metres above the ground. Using cars in installation art is no mean feat; if you caught Cai Guo Qiang's Inopportune at the 2010 Biennale of Sydney you'll know what we're saying. Commissioned by Vauxhall as a made-you-look type of spectacle activation, Chinneck's installation uses hidden steel to keep the car in place — the work involved a whole bunch of metal workers, carpenters, tarmac layers, structural engineers, steel benders and road painters. Best bit? The team installed the artwork overnight. Crafty devils. Via Dezeen.
The joys of a well-rounded lunch shouldn't be relegated to just the weekends. Sometimes your working day calls for a midday bite to eat with your best workmates and bottle of wine to cheers to all the hard work you've been doing. It's not your fault if your boss doesn't realise that. When the company card isn't on the table, you're going to want a lunch spot that caters to groups while keeping the final number on the bill low. We've found a bunch of restaurants around Melbourne that deliver just that — made all the easier by the fact that they offer BYO. All you need to do is to find a date that's free of meetings and hectic deadlines.
Once again, noodle fever takes over Birrarung Marr, for the buzzing Night Noodle Markets. Running from November 12-29, the event is set to smash the success of previous years, featuring three bars and a whopping 56 of your favourite food purveyors. Take a culinary flight through Asia, sampling the dumpling mastery of Din Tai Fung, BBQ magic from The Lucas Group's Kong, Delhi Streets' modern Indian treats, and those fluffy Wonderbao delights. But be sure to save some room for a trip to the Lady Carolina pop-up, where international big gun, Diego Munoz from Astrid y Gaston, delivers his innovative take on Peruvian-Japanese fusion fare. The Night Noodle Markets are open Monday - Wednesday 5pm–9pm, Thursday - Friday 5pm–11pm, Saturday 2pm–10pm, and Sunday 2pm–9pm.
For playwright David Greig, Norwegian Anders Breivik's shooting of 69 young people at a summer camp in 2011 stuck a chord too deep to ignore. Translating emotions into art certainly isn't a new notion, but his socially aware play The Events has really got us thinking about the aftermath of these tragic experiences. While gun-related violence is a huge global issue affecting countless lives, individual people turn to art to help them understand such heinous acts on a personal level. When it comes to The Events, we're focused on one woman and her story. Written with reference to the Anders Breivik case of 2011, the play won over crowds at the 2013 Edinburgh Festival for its delicate contemplation of community and compassion in the face of gun-related violence. Closer to home, director Clare Watson brings The Events to life for Australian audiences. Fresh from Sydney's Belvoir Street Theatre, it will show at the Malthouse Theatre from June 21 until July 10. This powerful play explores theatre as a medium for social commentary and a means to personalise the events we see splashed across the headlines. Set in the halls of a fictional community centre, Catherine takes to the stage as Claire, a church minister responsible for leading the local community choir. After a young gunman tears the fabric of this group apart, Claire is forced to rebuild herself and her band of singers. We caught up with actress Catherine McClements, the lead in The Events.
By this point, Archie Rose needs little introduction. One of Sydney's first distilleries in 160 years has reignited many an Aussie's appreciation of spirits since opening in 2014 thanks to its diverse range of premium whiskies, gins, vodkas and rums showcasing native ingredients. Along the way, it's become the nation's most awarded distillery, and it's also given us one-off collaborations, limited releases and interactive spirits experiences from masterclasses to fascinating distillery tours. If that weren't enough, now Archie Rose has only gone and created what it's calling its best-ever gin. Bone Dry Gin is a limited-edition run that's the brand's first from its new Banksmeadow distillery and its one-of-a-kind copper vacuum stills. The spirit extracts the diverse flavour profile of hand-foraged juniper berries from North Macedonia through hot and cold distillation, and it is lifted with notes of Australian coriander seed, Tahitian lime and lemon-scented gum. The result is a tipple with a supple start on the palate that gives way to bold citrus and herb notes that leads to a pine-accented, bone-dry finish. To celebrate the release of Bone Dry Gin, we've teamed up with Archie Rose to give two lucky readers the chance to win the ultimate Archie Rose prize pack. Enter below to go into the running to win a case of Bone Dry Gin (six bottles), a pack of Caperberry Martini cocktail bottles (two bottles) and a pair of tickets to an Archie Rose Blend Your Own Gin masterclass in Sydney (valid for three years). That's nearly $1000 worth of Archie Rose goods, on us, for you to enjoy the ultimate gin experience — including the chance to make your very own. [competition]828345[/competition]
UPDATE Thursday, June 3: In light of Melbourne's snap lockdown being extended, the Doughnut Festival has been pushed back to Sunday, July 4. But in the meantime, you can score yourself free doughnuts courtesy of the Market's iconic American Doughnut Kitchen. To celebrate National Doughnut Day this Friday, June 4, simply order a bag of hot jam doughnuts for delivery or click-and-collect via Queen Vic Market Online if it's within your ten kilometer radius, and you'll receive an additional bag of the treats on the house. If you go nuts for doughnuts, there's only one place to pop on your itinerary for Sunday, June 6: Queen Victoria Market is throwing a celebration dedicated to the world's favourite holey treat. The Doughnut Festival is set to showcase a diverse array of doughnuts and other closely-related sweet treats, from old-school dough balls oozing hot jam, to choc-centred bites and sugar-coated churros. There'll be plenty of vegan and gluten-free goodies among the lineup, which is set to star names like Bistro Morgan, St Gerry's and Shortstop. A matching drinks offering will feature coffee and hot choccy, alongside nostalgic 50s-style shakes. All to enjoy while feasting your ears on the day's live tunes. If your doughnut obsession is particularly strong and your appetite large, you can try your luck in the main event — a doughnut-eating competition hosted by renowned pastry chef Darren Purchese (Burch & Purchese). Competitors will have two minutes to down as many doughnuts as possible in an attempt to win a year's worth of hot jam doughnuts from QVM's iconic American Doughnut Kitchen. That, plus complete and utter glory, of course. [caption id="attachment_812578" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Shortstop Doughnuts[/caption] Top image: American Doughnut Kitchen at the Queen Victoria Market.
Good Food Month is almost upon us. The month-long festival of food and drink has finally decided to travel south to our lovely city for November. If you're anything like us, the enormous program of events has left you feeling slightly overwhelmed. There are too many things to go to, too many dishes to eat, and choosing is difficult. But, don't let it deter you — we've sorted through the long list of happenings and picked out some of our favourites. Night Noodle Markets The Alexandra Gardens will be turned into a market place across November for the Night Noodle Markets. Food stalls from the likes of Longrain, Mamak and Wonderbao will serve up everything from roast pork bao to freshly made roti. And, dessert will be taken care of by none other than Gelato Messina, among others. There will also be live music, bars and an all-round market atmosphere. Melbourne, you're in charge of the weather. November 18-30, Mon-Tue 5pm - 9pm, Wed 5pm - 10pm, Thurs-Fri 5pm - 11pm, Sat 4pm - 10pm, Sun 4pm - 9pm, Alexandra Gardens, 1 Boathouse Drive, Melbourne, goodfoodmonth.com/nightnoodlemarkets Lunch Above the Rooftops at Union Dining As part of the Surprise Saturday Lunch section of the festival, Union Dining will be putting on a once-only three-course menu each Saturday throughout November that will be highlighting some of the state's best produce. One week may feature the Yarra region, while another may focus on the best the King Valley has to offer. November 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 at 12-3pm, $45 includes a glass of wine and tea or coffee, Union Dining, 270 Swan Street, Richmond, bookings: (03) 9428 2988 Supper Club at Mamasita Taking full advantage of Melbourne's love of the night, Supper Club will see a range of Melbourne restaurants plate up a special dish for the late comers. This may be your chance to avoid the queues at Mamasita. And, for $14, after 10pm, you'll get three soft-shell crab tacos. Cheers to that. November 9, 11-16 & 18-23 at 10-11.30pm, $14, Mamasita, Level 1, 11 Collins Street, Melbourne, bookings: (03) 9650 3821 A Spice Trail at B’Stilla As part of the Good Food Month World Dinner series, B'Stilla, South Yarra's mighty fine Moroccan restaurant, will be dishing up an eight-course degustation menu that will highlight Moroccan cuisine and the Arab, Moorish and Mediterranean influences it draws upon. One word: flavour. November 3 & 17 at 6-10.30pm, $80 or $140 with matching drinks, B'Stilla, 30B Bray Street, South Yarra, bookings: (03) 98262370 Bar Hop at The Understudy Over 20 of Melbourne's best bars will be whipping up a cocktail with a matched bite for just $20 in the Good Food Month Bar Hop. The Understudy, below 1806 in the CBD, will be serving a molecular twist on a Classic Martinez — Tanqueray gin, Cinzano Rosso, maraschino and angostura sweet served with haloumi, mint, walnut and honey bites. They had us at gin. And haloumi. Available all month, $20, The Understudy, 169 Exhibition Street, Melbourne, bookings: (03) 9663 7722 Gelato Messina hits Melbourne Yes, we've all heard on the grapevine that Gelato Messina is coming to town. As part of the Talk & Taste sessions, Gelato pioneer Simone Panetta will take guests through a range of flavours as she teaches the ways of gelato at the new Gelato Messina store on Smith Street This might be a good way to avoid the lines that will no doubt start once the doors open. November 9, 16, 23 & 30 at 9.30-11am, $60, Gelato Messina, 237 Smith Street, Fitzroy, $60, bookings: (02) 8354 1223 The Nine Nights of Rekorderlig Forget matched wines, matching cider to your meal is the next big thing. Over nine night in November, Rekorderlig will collaborate with the Albert Park Hotel to bring the ciders distinctive flavours to life. Head chef Andrew Beddoes has created a bespoke menu with seasonal ingredients, which will include five courses, inspired by and paired with the nine different flavours in Rekorderlig's profile. One of the more interesting dinners on the Good Food Month program, this one has us doubled over with curiosity. November 15-24 at 7-10pm, $100 including cider and wine, Albert Park Hotel, cnr Montague Street & Dundas Place, Albert Park, eventbrite.com.au High Tea with a difference at Saigon Sally As part of the Ultimate High Tea, Windsor's favourite Vietnamese sister, Saigon Sally, will be serving up high tea with a little bit of a difference. Ditch the finger sandwiches and scones for grilled lobster and green papaya rice paper rolls, and Golden Gaytime lamingtons. We can only hope the Tira-mi-sally is on the menu. November 10 & 24 at 12-4pm, $45 includes a glass of sparkling, Saigon Sally, 2 Duke Street, Windsor, bookings: (03) 9939 5181 Rene Redzepi lands in Melbourne Across the festival, Melbourne will be a temporary home to some of the world's most celebrated chefs. Rene Redzepi from Noma in Copenhagen will present a rare evening where guests will get to hear Rene speak at The Wheeler Centre. Rene Redzepi: A Work in Progress will see him speak frankly about his career, his book A Work in Progress (Phaidon) and how he maintains his creativity. October 30 at 6.15 & 8.15pm, The Wheeler Centre, wheelercentre.com Enjoy an 'Everyday' Lunch with Karen Martini The Prahran Market will host Karen Martini as she celebrates her new cookbook Everyday. Guests will munch on some of her favorite dishes, aimed at everyday cooking, like the tuna nicoise and pork belly. November 19 at 1-3.30pm, $100 includes cider and wine, Prahran Market,163 Commercial Road, Prahran, bookings: (02) 9285 9155
Team bonding aside, the EOFY is the perfect excuse to reflect on the year that was and celebrate all those hard-earned wins with a couple of bevvies. And what could make this better than hitting a pub with no minimum spend for your function? If you work in the Melbourne CBD or nearby, we've narrowed down the top CBD and inner city spots where you can book EOFY drinks. And, each venue we've chosen has no minimum spend for EOFY functions, so you can celebrate the way you like without the stress of blowing a budget on bookings alone. With a little help from The Pass, an app that allows you to order food and drinks, earn points and redeem rewards at over 190 pubs, bars and restaurants, we're here to help make sure you and the team have a good night. Garden State Hotel, Flinders Lane The EOFY will be going off at the Garden State Hotel. You'll find a mix of different spaces at this classic greenery-packed Melbourne pub. With a beer garden, an observatory with stunning city views, and a Rose Garden, there's a spot for every type of team. Simply take your pick and celebrate your team's wins with a beverage or two. The Duke of Wellington, Flinders Street If your team follows the 'work hard, play hard' mentality, then a trip to The Duke in Melbourne's CBD will not go amiss. This historic pub offers a range of private and semi-private spaces, plus a rooftop with views of the Forum, Fed Square and Flinders Street. 'Nuff said. Imperial Bourke St Do EOFY right at the Imperial Bourke Street. Offering equal parts city views and good vibes in the heart of Melbourne, hosting your team here is a no-brainer. Depending on the mood, choose from an intimate team lunch, casual after-work cocktails or a full-blown rooftop party. There are also customisable function packages to make the whole process even more seamless. Melbourne Public, South Wharf Melbourne Public offers a range of event spaces perfect for an EOFY blow-out. From intimate dining rooms to a stunning open terrace, the pub delivers fully serviced events featuring a seasonal menu and delicious drinks. Its prime location near the edge of the Yarra River's scenery in the heart of South Wharf is the cherry on top. State of Grace, King Street Got a whole host of completed KPIs to say cheers to this end of financial year? Do it at State of Grace. Located on King Street, the luxe spot gives hidden speakeasy vibes. This means it's the perfect backdrop for all the kinds of out-of-office antics to be expected at EOFY drinks. The bar offers tailored packages, bespoke cocktails, and a range of spaces. Public House, Richmond Perhaps the most well-known rooftop in Richmond, Public House offers good food, great vibes, and plenty of different spaces — and the best bit? No minimum spend on group bookings. Choose from the rooftop garden, VIP lounges and outdoor courtyards. The options are endless. This is an inner city spot where you can book EOFY drinks for the whole team and feel confident you will have a good time. Prince Alfred, Richmond With a range of private and semi-private function spaces, Prince Alfred is one of Richmond's most sought-after function venues. Whether you're planning an intimate celebration or an all-out blowout with the team, Prince Alfred has you sorted. You can book the elegant function room for an air of sensibility or settle in the beer garden with a pint for a more casual vibe. Yarra Botanica, Southbank Fancy celebrating the EOFY at a two-level floating bar and eatery on the Yarra River? The Yarra Botanica is just that: it serves up a seasonal food and drink menu, local produce, and unbeatable city views. Plus, the riverside spot has a range of flexible packages to suit every kind of team. The Prince, St Kilda At The Prince, EOFY bevvies never looked so good. The much-loved art deco hotel is a popular go-to for events and functions in Melbourne. And for good reason, too. With ample space, floor-to-ceiling windows and a large timber deck to soak up the sea breeze and panoramic views, we can't think of a much better backdrop for EOFY celebrations. The Espy, St Kilda Just a stone's throw away is the Hotel Esplanade in St Kilda, more fondly known as The Espy, another great CBD and inner city spot where you can book EOFY drinks for the whole team. With six levels and a range of unique spaces to choose from, you can opt for the sunroom, the balcony bar, a Cantonese-inspired dining room, a private bar with a baby piano or Louey's Bar & Kitchen, The Espy's main dining venue, perfect for casual gatherings. Enquire now at https://thepassapp.com.au/. Images: Supplied.
Across its stable of renowned Italian eateries, mozzarella bars and delis, the DOC Group (including DOC Pizza & Mozzarella Bar Carlton and Sydney, plus DOC Espresso Carlton) has earned a solid reputation for many things. That includes its signature pizzas and top-quality salumi selection; however, those classics are taking a backseat at the team's latest addition — a new restaurant dedicated entirely to plant-based and gluten-free eats. Bio by DOC has taken over the Carlton site once home to The Town Mouse, where long-time collaborators Studio Strom have added a refresh. Think: locally made custom furniture, a new green-coloured bar, a leafy back courtyard and some clever splashes of neon. In the kitchen, veteran DOC Group chef Tomaso Bartoli is steering the new culinary concept, carefully intertwining the brand's trademark Italian sensibilities with a focus on vegan and vegetarian ingredients. Not only is it a reminder that meat needn't be the cornerstone of a great food offering, but impressively, the entire menu is also gluten-free. Snacks include the likes of mini eggplant parmigiana matched with burrata and a black cabbage pesto, plus a vegan-friendly tartare of grilled vegetables finished with capers, mustard and truffle paste. You can get your pasta fix with plates like the charcoal spaghetti; a beetroot casarecce finished with mushrooms and truffle paste; and a vegan lasagne layered with spinach pasta sheets, lentil ragu and bechamel. There's more plant-based fun to be had over on the dessert list, too — expect dishes like a classic tiramisu reworked with cashew cream, and sweet potato pancakes with popcorn ice cream. From the drinks lineup, the vegan cocktail offering features sips like a Japanese twist on the negroni, plus the Oasis — which uses rum, coconut water and a pineapple shrub. There's also a considered wine selection, showcasing both Italian vino and locally-grown varietals from the likes of Merli and Heathcote's Vinea Marson. Find Bio by DOC at 312 Drummond Street, Carlton. It's open 5pm–late Tuesday–Thursday, and 12–3pm and 5pm– ate Friday and Saturday.
Former Powderfinger frontman Bernard Fanning has announced a huge, 17-date national tour — including several all-ages shows — to promote his debut album, Battleships, out June 7 on Dew Process/Universal. It's been a long wait for Fanning fans (which, in keeping with the precedent set by Beliebers and Directioners, we'll henceforth be calling Fan-nings), with this tour their first opportunity to see the great man since Powderfinger's farewell tour in 2010. He'll be traversing the country, from Nambour to Hobart, along with his special guests, Big Scary and Vance Joy. And if you're in Townsville on August 17, you'll get a special mini-festival when that already-awesome lineup is bolstered by The Rubens, The Medics AND Snakadaktal. With Fanning also announced for Splendour in the Grass following hot on the heels of the release of the album's debut single (and title track), it's sure to be a busy few months for one of Australia's favourite songwriters. Tickets go on sale Tuesday, May 7, via an exclusive fan club presale through bernardfanning.com. The Telstra Thanks presale is available from Wednesday, May 8, before the public on-sale kicks off on Friday, May 10. Concert dates below: Sunday 14 July: Nambour Civic Centre, Nambour (18+) Tuesday 16 July: Empire Theatre, Toowoomba (All Ages) Thursday 18 July: The Tivoli, Brisbane (18+) Friday 19 July: Arts Theatre: The Arts Centre, Gold Coast (18+) Friday 26 – Sunday 28 July: Splendour In The Grass Tuesday 30 July: Newcastle Civic Theatre, Newcastle (All Ages) Thursday 1 August: Anita's Theatre, Wollongong (18+) Friday 2 August: Enmore Theatre, Sydney (All Ages) Sunday 4 August: Royal Theatre – National Convention Centre, Canberra (All Ages) Friday 9 August: Palace Theatre, Melbourne (18+) Saturday 10 August: Geelong Performing Arts Centre – Costa Hall, Geelong (All Ages) Tuesday 13 August: Wrest Point, Hobart (18+) Thursday 15 August: Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide (All Ages) Saturday 17 August: Kuranda Amphitheatre, Cairns (All Ages) With Additional Special Guests: The Rubens, The Medics and Snakadaktal Sunday 18 August: The Venue, Townsville (18+) Tuesday 20 August: Pilbeam Theatre, Rockhampton (All Ages) Wednesday 21 August: Entertainment Convention Centre – Plenary Halls, Mackay (18+) Sunday 25 August: Astor Theatre, Perth (18+) https://youtube.com/watch?v=Fi8OciiVIA4
Before he was navigating innies and outies in stunning new 2022 streaming series Severance, and before he was working for the City of Pawnee in Parks and Recreation as well, Adam Scott popped up on our TV screens in another workplace scenario. His uniform: black pants, a crisp white shirt and a pink bow tie. His gig: serving drinks and slinging hors d'oeuvres as cater waiter Henry Pollard in 2009–10 cult-favourite comedy Party Down. Although its first two seasons only spanned 20 episodes all up, Party Down is one of the very best sitcoms of the 21st century, and proved a must-see right from the get-go. It's the show that Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas started after that also-beloved 00s series was initially cancelled, and came about in a collaboration with writer/producer John Enbom and producer Dan Etheridge — two other former Veronica Mars staff — and none other than Paul Rudd. And, just like Thomas' detective show, Party Down is also making a comeback. Are we having fun yet indeed. If you're instantly giggling at "are we having fun yet", then you saw Party Down's first two seasons. And, you'll know that Scott uttered that phrase more than once — or had it shouted at him. His character, Henry, was an actor famous for saying that line in a TV commercial. But in-between gigs, and because acting wasn't turning out as he planned, Henry was also working for Party Down's titular catering company. Scott made the jump over to Party Down after also appearing in Veronica Mars, as did plenty of his co-stars, including Ken Marino (The Other Two) as the catering outfit's oh-so-eager (but always-bumbling) manager, plus Ryan Hansen (A Million Little Things), Martin Starr (Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities) and a pre-Glee Jane Lynch as fellow waiters. Rounding out their gang of unhappy serving staff the first time around: Lizzy Caplan (Fleishman Is in Trouble), Jennifer Coolidge before she was winning awards for The White Lotus and Scott's Parks and Recreation co-star Megan Mullally. Party Down's long-awaited six-episode third season will start streaming via Stan in Australia from Friday, February 24, and sees most of the cast return — including Scott, Marino, Hansen, Starr, Lynch and Mullally. Caplan had scheduling issues making the also-excellent Fleishman Is in Trouble; however, Jennifer Garner (The Adam Project), Tyrel Jackson Williams (Brockmire) and Zoë Chao (The Afterparty) join the cast instead, plus James Marsden (Dead to Me) in a recurring part. Story-wise, this new 13-years-later go-around sees Marino's Ron Donald still running the Party Down team despite his past big dreams. And, as the trailer makes plain, plenty of other familiar faces are back in the bow ties as well, catering party after party. Hilarity ensues again in this sneak peek, because of course it does. Check out the trailer for Party Down season three below: Party Down's third season will start streaming via Stan from Friday, February 24.
As part of her first headlining tour of Australia, Solange (also known as Solange Knowles, aka Beyoncé’s baby sister) has announced Falls Festival sideshows in Sydney and Melbourne. This will be the first time the Texan-born Knowles has ever treated fans Down Under to a live performance of her 2012 dance-friendly EP, True. This comes in the context of eager anticipation of her long-coming third studio album, on which she apparently collaborated with Aussie dudes Midnight Juggernauts. It's due for release sometime next year. Perhaps as famous for being the offspring of the fabulous Mrs. Carter as for her music, Solange has steadily been earning cred as a singer-songwriter in her own right. She certainly can churn out a catchy pop hit, as her successful single 'Losing You' proved last year. Recalling her elder sibling vocally, it managed to step away from her stylistically and embraced a much splashier, synthy '80s pop feel. The sideshows should be a fun choice for anyone craving a night of uncomplicated, playful, upbeat music.
Brad Pitt (Babylon) and Angelina Jolie's (Eternals) time as pop culture's only Mr and Mrs Smith in something called Mr & Mrs Smith is going the way of their IRL relationship, all thanks to a new TV spin on the 2005 movie. Now, it's Donald Glover (Atlanta) and Maya Erskine's (PEN15) turn to combine espionage and matrimony, with the upcoming eight-part Prime Video streaming series just unveiling its debut teaser trailer. Almost two decades back, an action-comedy cast Brangelina as a bored married duo who didn't know that they were actually both assassins, let alone that they'd each been tasked with killing the other. While Pitt and Jolie's off-screen relationship afterwards was more memorable than the flick itself in general, the concept struck enough of a chord to be brought back for another whirl. So, in 2024, Mr & Mrs Smith is now taking the path from the big to the small screen that everything from Dead Ringers and Irma Vep to A League of Their Own and Interview with the Vampire also has of late. There's a twist, however, with Glover and Erskine playing strangers who have to pretend to be wed as part of their job. So, that's how one becomes John Smith and the other takes on the identity of Jane Smith — and how the two embark upon a high-risk spy life together. The tradeoff for faking a romance: the lucrative gig, money, travelling the world, a dream Manhattan brownstone and, in this take on the premise, these strangers actually falling for each other. Pretending to be a couple but seeing sparks fly is one of Hollywood's current obsessions, with rom-com Anyone But You taking the idea to the big screen — without espionage or anything to do with Mr & Mrs Smith, though. Adding another TV show to his resume, Glover co-created the new Mr & Mrs Smith with Francesca Sloane (also Atlanta), with the end result set to drop in full on Friday, February 2, 2024. If you have vague memories of Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) being involved, she was initially slated to play Jane until Erskine took over her role. The series does feature a heap of other well-known names, with Alexander Skarsgård (Infinity Pool), Sarah Paulson (The Bear), Eiza González (Ambulance), Michaela Coel (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) and Paul Dano (Dumb Money) all popping up — and Sharon Horgan (Bad Sisters), Ron Perlman (Poker Face), Billy Campbell (Troll), Úrsula Corberó (Money Heist), John Turturro (Severance), Parker Posey (Beau Is Afraid) and Wagner Moura (The Gray Man) as well. Check out the first teaser trailer for the Mr & Mrs Smith TV series below: Mr & Mrs Smith will stream via Prime Video from Friday, February 2, 2024.
It's been a booming season for Preston locals. As well their own gourmet cheese toastie drive-through, a swathe of cute new café and restaurant openings and an enviable local BBQ game, Preston Market has just announced a new market hall expansion that will have everyone flocking to the north: the Preston Fresh Hood Market. The market in Melbourne's north has teamed up with The Space Agency – who were the brains behind last year's Swan Street Chamber of Commerce food precinct activation in Richmond — to transform the old hall that sits between the market and Preston Station into a free-form, open-plan food mecca and arts space. "The whole aim is to be like a food truck park, but indoors and with no food trucks," says The Space Agency's Crag Carrick. "You can walk around, you can grab a beer, grab a bite to eat and sit where you like — everywhere is a seating area." The building — which has been empty for the last few years — was recently given a new lick of paint by 17 street artists, who've coloured the walls with large-scale pieces. Inside, the redesign pays tribute to the original use of the building, which once housed permanent stalls for a fishmonger, butcher, baker and a fruit and veg vendor, amongst others. "We're maintaining a lot of those elements," says Carrick. "For example, the fishmonger will become the central bar, Beermonger, which will serve craft beer and oysters. The beer taps will be where the fish would normally be displayed…[and] we're using the original cabinetry." A lot of the old infrastructure is being retrofitted for similar uses. The old poultry shop will become the second location of Henrietta's Chicken Shop (and will retain the original signage), while the butcher will be taken over by Hoy Pinoy and their pig-on-a-spit Filipino BBQ offering. The bingo hall upstairs will become an event space and band room with a 500 person capacity. Other confirmed vendors include 3 Ravens Brewery and Meet Patty, a new burger venture from St Ali chef Andy Gale. "We want to bring something cool to Preston Market," Carrick says. "It's really old school and hasn't changed much in 45 years, but we think Preston itself has changed a lot over the last three years." The Preston Market, with its 200 vendors and artist market, will stay the same — but the Preston Fresh Hood Market (a tongue-in-cheek title that refers to Preston's status as an up-and-coming place to live) will open on Saturday, July 16. In the meantime keep you peepers peeled for more vendor announcements and details on the launch party. [embed]https://vimeo.com/171854602[/embed] The Preston Fresh Hood Market will open at Preston Market (22-26 Cramer Street, Preston) on Saturday, July 16. It will trade Wednesday to Sunday from 10am til 10pm. For more info, visit their Facebook page.
Take a moment to centre yourself for the day and welcome a calming energy into your week with an early morning yoga session amid the greenery of Queen Victoria Gardens. As part of the 2019–20 MPavilion season, senior teachers from Happy Melon studios are leading a series of gentle yoga flow classes at the new minimalist, white structure, surrounded by lush lawns and gardens. Across six Tuesdays, from December 3 until January 28, you're invited to enjoy this relaxed environment, no matter your ability or yogic skill level. Plus, if you have ever forked out more cash than you can afford for yoga class passes that you never got around to using, you can rejoice at the opportunity for some completely free sessions. Classes run from 7.30–8.30am, leaving you time to grab coffee and treats from the on-site kiosk before heading to work with an extra spring in your step. Image: John Gollings.
Was it invented in Belgium or France? Can you eat it and still call yourself left-wing? Which potatoes should you use? The steak frites might have inspired many debates over the years. But one thing is clear: we can't get enough of it. The folks at Dolly in Le Meridien Melbourne are well aware of this fact. And that's why they've launched Wednesday steak frites nights. That's right, you can now end hump day with a hearty plate of meat and potatoes, cooked French-style. Executive Chef Hervé Borghini has taken a refined approach to the classic dish. His steak is a 250-gram, MB2-grade porterhouse sourced from Victorian grass-fed cattle, topped with a disc of traditional Cafe de Paris butter. On the side comes a generous pile of golden, double-cooked frites. Usually $44, Borghini's steak frites is $32 on Wednesday nights. Plus, you can order matching wines at just $10 a glass. Bon appetit!
Since 2019, coffee lovers nabbing their caffeinated brews from Single O's Surry Hills cafe in Sydney have been pouring their cuppas from a self-serve tap system. Basically, it's the coffee you make when you're not actually making the coffee, and it's about to be on offer in Tokyo as well. No stranger to the Japanese capital thanks to its existing roastery and tasting bar in Ryogoku — as well as supplying local cafes, and also serving athletes in the Tokyo Olympic Village this year — Single O is launching its first international cafe. It'll open its doors in the Hamacho district in the city's east on Thursday, October 28. When overseas travel resumes and Japan lets Aussies back into the country for holidays, you'll know where to grab a taste of home. Single O's new Tokyo base will also go a step further than its Surry Hills sibling — and not just because it'll feature six self-pour taps instead of four. The Hamacho cafe will also sport the brand's first in-store coffee subscription package, letting customers purchase monthly access to drop by and pour their own cuppas. When it opens its doors, the Tokyo spot will launch with five specialty brews, Colombian microlots and an award-winning Cup Of Excellence from Peru included. As for the sixth spot, that'll rotate through international guest roasters. And if you're after an espresso, Single O's signature blend Reservoir will also be on offer. Food-wise, you'll be pairing your caffeine with Aussie staples — such as Single O's signature banana bread with espresso butter, freshly baked pies and a range of jaffles. Chef Yu Sasaki is behind the the menu, after a career spent hopping between The French Laundry in the US, Sydney's Marque and then founding Single O Surry Hills neighbour Creasion. Single O's Hamacho cafe will also boast the brand's Heads of Japan Yu and Mamiko Yamamoto leading the launch, as well as barista Ken Takakura and retail operations head Yasuko Miura — the latter fresh from Luke Mangan's Tokyo Glass Brasserie. And, the venue has the honour of being designed via Zoom during Sydney's lockdown. Australian designer Luchetti Krelle — who also worked on the Surry Hills cafe — has overseen a fitout that includes a curve-heavy front counter, tables made from recycled plastic and a sustainable fibreboard espresso bar created from upcycled clothing. Also catching the eye: a monochrome mural in texta pen by local artist Washio Tomoyuki, plus a 'Cloud' ceiling artwork by Sydney's Ren Fernando that's made from repurposed end-of-line paper and coloured with coffee and other substances. Find Single O's Hamacho Cafe at 3-16-7 Nihonbashi Hamacho Chuo Tokyo from Thursday, October 28 — open from 7.30am–7pm Monday–Friday and 8am–7pm Saturday–Sunday.
Missed out on tickets to the hugely popular Day of the Dead 3.1 warehouse project, announced last month? You're in luck. An immersive El Dia de los Muertos-inspired experience curated by a group of Mexican visionaries and artists, the Day of the Dead announced plans to visit Sydney on October 24, then Melbourne on October 31 before ending in Brisbane on November 7. While all three cities sold out within hours, and the organisers were inevitably inundated with hundreds of emails requesting tickets, so the Day of the Dead team twisted some arms and managed to increase the event capacity. There'll be a new and final ticket release happening on Saturday, September 26 at 12.30pm, with tickets at $95. Tickets will sell out within hours, so be ready. Get tickets here. Currently sold-out, the Day of the Dead warehouse project takes cues from some of the world's most celebrated immersive spectacles, everything from Burning Man to Sleep No More. The one-off event will immerse ticketholders in a temporary world of interactive art installations, light projections, extravagant costumes, murals created by renowned street artists and an exclusive lineup of local and international DJs and musicians. Pop-ups by a handpicked bunch of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane's go-to local Mexican eateries, like Playa Takeria, have been selected to create special Dia de los Muertos menus. Plus, there'll be Mexican cervezas and tequila/mezcal cocktails from the newly announced principal sponsor Tequila Herradura and major sponsor Tequila Jimador to provide you with enough sustenance to dance the night away. With instructions being sent to ticketholders just one week before the event, and locations revealed just one day before the party, this is secret warehouse party business at its best. Honour the dead, celebrate the living. Be ready on Saturday. The Day of the Dead 3.1's new and final ticket release is happening on Saturday, September 26 at 12.30pm. Tickets are $95 and are expected to sell out within hours. Get tickets here. By Kimberley Mai and Shannon Connellan.
Barbecue and smoked meat experts Fancy Hanks are at it again — after their highly successful pop-up, Majestic Hawker, where food was cooked over an open flame, they've decided to bring their stoveless concept back to Bourke Street. The Fancy Hanks team (Kent Bell, Mike Patrick, Daragh Kan and Myles Munro) have named this huge new Chinatown establishment Heroes. Opening early next year, it'll be inspired by their travels around the Malay Peninsula, and their experiences dining in Singaporean and Malaysian eating houses and beer gardens. The hawker-style food includes wings, skewers and barbecued meats, while the decor will mirror the high-energy design they fell in love with on their travels. Alicia Cheong, who grew up in the region's Singaporean and Malaysian food culture, will take on the role of chef and food advisor at the new venue — a throwback to her previous stints with Fancy Hanks and Majestic Hawker. Between devouring Cheong's dishes, you'll be able to sit back with a drink in the brightly coloured, rooftop beer garden, which will boast views over Chinatown. Heroes will also have an underground function space and four private karaoke rooms. Yep, it looks like you'll be able to enjoy your entire night out here without leaving the building. Heroes opens early next year. The exact address has not been disclosed, but it'll be on the Chinatown end of Bourke Street — we'll keep you updated as further details become available.
The weather is well and truly cooling down in Melbourne, so if you're looking for a spot to cosy up, Windsor's hawker-inspired eatery is giving you yet another reason to drop by with a new Fired Up lunch menu. Lighting up with an offering all about celebrating flame-grilled eats, the menu will run every weekend from Saturday, May 20. The Singaporean and Malaysian-inspired bites might run to the likes of peanut sauce-topped marinated beef skewers, or mini loaded bahn mi rolls with pork char siu and pickled carrots. Grilled calamari is served with tangy chili and lime sauce, while barramundi is baked in banana leaf with Malaysian sambal paste. The new menu is available from 12pm–4pm every Saturday and Sunday. Apart from eats, the venue is slinging $15 spicy margs and $5 beers from a featured brewer, which will rotate monthly. A lineup of local DJs will be spinning tunes every weekend too, including Lady Langers, Zjoso, DJ Hoxton Fox and Jimmy Pham (Walter Majik). Images: Hawker Hall, supplied.
The beloved Irish comedian and his casio keyboard are back. The new show from David O'Doherty at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival is a bit of a mouthful, but then what else would you expect? Jumping back and forth between standup and original songs, the award winning comic's dorky, self-deprecating humour never ceases to entertain, whether he's coming up with app ideas or singing about Grand Designs. It's basically impossible to leave one of O'Doherty's shows without a giant grin plastered across your face. He'll also be performing excerpts from his children's book Danger Is Everywhere in a separate show aimed at audiences aged five to eleven.
American choreographer Meg Stuart will bring her show An Evening of Solo Works to Melbourne's Dancehouse for two performances only this March 23 and 24. As founder of Brussels dance company Damaged Goods, Stuart has created over 30 works in her career that cover a number of mediums — this has seen her collaborate with visual artists and musicians and dabbling in theatre as well as dance. She received the Gold Lion for Lifetime Achievement from La Biennale di Venezia this year. This work showcases the oeuvre of the choreographer, and will headline the public program for this year's Keir Choreographic Award in Sydney, where it will have its Australian premiere. Stuart says her work "navigates the tension between dance and theatre, thought and action, remembering and forgetting". Through the evening, she will explore everyday movements and emotional states through one of her main tools: improvisation. An Evening of Solo Works will incorporate both performance from her own body of work as well as excerpts from full-length pieces Stuart has performed in the past. It will demonstrate just how the choreographer has developed her own language and creation methods through her work.
If there’s one thing we take seriously in Melbourne, it’s our music, man. Now in its second year, Melbourne Music Week celebrates our city’s commitment to the grand tradition of the live gig, with around two hundred acts playing a stack of venues around town. The old Argus Building, temporarily renamed the Where?House, is being used as the Festival Hub, pumping out tunes day and night, while a slew of local bands will be playing everywhere from popular venues like the Toff, Bennett's Lane and Cherry Bar to more offbeat settings such as Melbourne University's underground car park. You can have indie pop for breakfast and punk for lunch, or even rock out on a tram. The “week” runs for nine days, there’s so much on, and peaks on the 22nd, when ten venues are putting on free gigs for the Live Music Safari. It will most certainly rock.
Australian businesses have begun to slowly phase out plastic, with venues across the country banning plastic straws and five states and territories banning single-use plastic bags. But Dutch supermarket chain Ekoplaza has taken it up a notch — it has launched a supermarket with an aisle that is completely plastic free. On Wednesday, February 28, an Amsterdam branch of the chain opened its doors with the world-first aisle, made up from over 700 plastic-free items. The supermarket worked together with environmental campaign A Plastic Planet to launch the new aisle. Co-founder of the organisation Sian Sutherland Tweeted that 6.3 billion tonnes of plastic have been produced since the 1950s and encouraged other supermarket chains to follow suit. Ekoplaza won't stop at one aisle, either — it plans to roll out plastic-free aisles across 74 stores by the end of 2018. Australia currently has no plastic-free supermarket aisles — stores like Naked Foods utilise minimal plastic and Harris Farm recently went plastic-bag free — but maybe our supermarkets (hi, Woolies and Coles) should take note. Source: The Guardian
Back in 2019, when The Boys first hit streaming, suffers of superhero fatigue understandably rejoiced. Yes, it focuses on a group of caped crusaders just like seemingly every second blockbuster movie (and, these days, every third TV show or so as well). But, in a world where viewers have been conditioned to lap up narratives about powerful folks who are supposedly better than most, this series both satirises and questions that very idea. Here, superheroes work for a corporation called Vought International. They're still the main form of entertainment, but they're real, the most famous celebrities there are and inescapable in daily life, too. The absolute top talent is known as The Seven; however, when the public isn't looking, most — especially leader Homelander (Antony Starr, Banshee) — are hardly role models. That made quite the change from the usual cinematic universes, both in the Prime Video show's initial season and its 2020 second effort — all of which came to the small screen after being adapted from Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson's comic book series of the same name. In fact, The Boys is one of the most entertaining caped crusader tales currently being made, as long as you're fond of a gleefully darker-than-dark tone, a pervasive bleakness that refuses to be shaken, plus oh-so-much blood, gore and guts. All of the above is set to return in the series' third season, which starts hitting Prime Video on Friday, June 3 — with the first three episodes arriving at once, then the remaining five releasing week to week — and has also just dropped its full trailer. The charismatic but ridiculously sinister Homelander still isn't quite right, but the public keep showering him with love. And determined, no-nonsense Brit Billy Butcher (Karl Urban, Thor: Ragnarok) is still intent on bringing Vought, The Seven and especially Homelander down with his own ragtag team, aka The Boys of the title. More evil superheroes, more crusading vigilantes, more of the complicated bond between The Boys' newcomer Hugh (Jack Quaid, Scream) and The Seven's Starlight (Erin Moriarty, Captain Fantastic), more dirty corporate shenanigans in an attempt to control the masses by lulling them into a false sense of caped crusader-fuelled security: that's all on the bill again as well, as the first sneak peek makes plain. That, and more exploding heads and laser eyes, with the latter gracing an unexpected character. Also returning: Dominique McElligott (House of Cards), Jessie T Usher (The Banker), Laz Alonso (Wrath of Man), Chace Crawford (Gossip Girl), Tomer Capone (One on One), Karen Fukuhara (Suicide Squad), Nathan Mitchell (Ginny & Georgia), Colby Minifie (I'm Thinking of Ending Things) and Claudia Doumit (Where'd You Go, Bernadette) — spanning the good, the bad and the in-between, from conflicted and egotistical supes to average folks downright sick of the sight of spandex. And, as glimpsed in the trailer, Supernatural's Jensen Ackles joins the cast this time around. Check out the trailer for The Boys season three below: The third season of The Boys starts streaming via Prime Video from Friday, June 3.
As demonstrated by various creative ventures around the world — like Chicago's recent Saved by the Bell-themed pop-up diner and New York's summer museum dedicated to ice cream — people love niche. The internet loves niche. We all die over niche. The latest art show to pop up in London was also pretty niche — so niche that it couldn't even physically be enjoyed by humans. It's an interactive exhibition for dogs. Running for two days last week in London, Play More was the world's first interactive exhibition purely for canines — and, needless to say, the ultimate puppy porn situation. Designed by British artist and inventor Dominic Wilcox, the show was a collection of contemporary paintings, multimedia pieces and installations with which the dogs could interact. There was a massive dog bowl-shaped ball pit (filled with brown balls that resemble dog bikkies), a digital frisbee game and — our favourite — an open car window simulator that recreates the feeling of riding with the window down while a fan wafts happy dog smells like raw meat and old shoes into their adorable windswept faces. Some of Wilcox's own work was on display, along with other artists' creations. Was this made purely for the internet? Well, yes. The exhibition is actually an activation for UK insurance company More Than, who commissioned Wilcox to create a collection of works that would encourage their owner to spend more time with their pups. Either way, we're sad to have missed this glorious doggo day out. Via Dezeen.
In what would have been his 100th year, the late Nelson Mandela will be honoured in a travelling exhibition set to make its world debut in Victoria next September. Hosted by Melbourne Museum, MANDELA My Life is expected to be the most comprehensive collection of the human rights icon's memorabilia ever to be shown outside South Africa. Alongside a huge assortment of artefacts, including warrants of committal for Mandela's 27-year stint in prison, the exhibit will explore the Nobel Peace Prize laureate's life through a series of film and audio archives. Some of the other confirmed artefacts that will be featured in the exhibit include a boxing glove signed and gifted by Muhammad Ali, Mandela's shoes, walking cane and some of his vibrant Madiba shirts. Alongside these, there will also be images, sound and film footage of one of Mandela's earliest interviews — which took place during the 'Treason Trail' of the late 1950s. MANDELA My Life is supported by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, which is the custodian of most of the revolutionary's personal photographs, documents and memorabilia. After premiering in Melbourne, the exhibition will embark on a five-year world tour of up to 20 international cities, expected to be seen by as many as 2.7 million visitors globally. Boxing Glove image: Jon Augier, courtesy of Museums Victoria
In 2011, Ian Strange recreated a full-scale replica of his family home as part of an installation in Turbine Hall at Cockatoo Island, accompanied by a film featuring the powerful destruction of three Holden Commodores. In his new body of work, Suburban, Strange films and photographs (amongst other things) violently burning a house in the suburbs to the ground. Whether or not this is a particularly creative way to work out some childhood angst, we should be grateful that Strange has art as an outlet. Initially gaining recognition in Australia’s early street-art scene from the late 1990s under the moniker Kid-Zoom, Strange is one of the few who have successfully transitioned from the canvas of the streets to internationally recognised contemporary exhibitions. In a body of visually stunning and emotionally compelling photography and film work, the Australian-born, New York-based artist explores the notion of the family home as an icon of Western post-war idealism in the United States and Australia. Travelling across Ohio, Michigan, Alabama, New Jersey, New York and New Hampshire with a film crew and volunteers for two and a half years, he has produced a recreation of eight site-specific interventions incorporating suburban homes. Surrounding you with three screens in a pitch-black room, the video installation work is particularly arresting and immersive and feels as monumental as a moving cinematic experience. Shots of eerily lit house facades branded by a red X or a large circle as though by alien intervention combined with an equally ominous soundtrack challenges the association of warmth and comfort in a home, and paints a distinct wash of unease over the energy of these otherwise cookie-cutter moulds. As the music builds, so too does the imagery, climaxing in wide-scale shots of homes being burnt to the ground, sitting in a unclear emotional place somewhere between devastating and mesmerising. This was in fact the tone of the entire exhibition, imparting upon the viewer the confusing fusion of an iconic symbol of comfort with a mysterious, dark energy.
UPDATE, October 30, 2020: Melbourne's outdoor cinemas are now reopening — including the Coburg Drive-In, and the Lido, Classic and Cameo outdoor cinemas. Antebellum opens with a sprawling, roving and weaving single-take shot that's designed to garner attention from the get-go. Constantly roaming — and saturated with both sunlight and colour, in case you aren't instantly glued to its vivid sights — it surveys a stereotypical-looking plantation in America's south. This is where resident belle Elizabeth (Jena Malone) lives. A troop of Confederate soldiers under the leadership of Captain Jasper (Jack Huston) also call it home, too. And when the latter aren't in combat, they join Elizabeth in imposing their might on the property's other residents: its enslaved Black workers. Watching this conspicuously eye-catching introduction, it helps to know what Antebellum's title actually means. The term refers to a time before a war, and is typically used in relation to the American Civil War — but, in the movie's first sequence, it certainly seems as if that historical conflict is raging away. Indeed, that'd explain the soldiers' presence, as well as the cruelty and brutality meted out to the plantation's slaves for daring to speak while picking cotton, refusing to acquiesce to every single order or trying to escape. First-time writer-directors Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz haven't chosen Antebellum's moniker by accident, though, and that clash between the word's definition and the sights seen on-screen is crucial to their movie. Yes, Antebellum hinges on a twist, endeavouring to use the horror genre to explore US race relations in the manner that Jordan Peele has recently perfected. Alas, this copy-cat flick consistently proves far less surprising, powerful and clever than it thinks it is. Here's the setup: attempted runaway Eden (Janelle Monáe) is one of the property's enslaved workers, and subject not just to beatings, brandings and forced labour, but also raped regularly by the general (Eric Lange) who has claimed her as his own. She's planning another escape; however, thoroughly unexpectedly given the surroundings, a mobile phone suddenly rings. Now Monáe's character is called Veronica Henley, and she's a well-known activist and author. Also, everything about her life — including the conference in New Orleans she attends, meeting up with her outspoken best friend Dawn (Gabourey Sidibe) while she's there — is firmly set in the 21st century. Obviously, how Monáe's dual roles intertwine is best discovered by watching, as is the reappearance of Too Old to Die Young's Malone as a modern-day caller for Veronica. But even if you'd hardly call yourself a horror or thriller fan, or even just a movie buff, the big shift here isn't hard to guess. Bush and Renz rely so heavily on their one twist that the film resembles M Night Shyamalan's more forgettable works more than Get Out, Us or TV series Lovecraft Country, and suffers noticeably as a result. Their aim is undeniably bold, smart and timely, unpacking systemic racism by not only looking at how Black Americans have been treated both in the present and in the country's history, but by finding a way to firmly, unmistakably connect the two. And yet, Antebellum feels more like an exercise in making a provocative genre film than a feature that actually says something substantial about engrained prejudice in the US — a topic that sadly continues to remain relevant, but is treated here as stock-standard horror fodder. Take the movie's always-lurid, often-violent imagery as an example. Visually, Antebellum isn't easily forgotten, but its parade of grim frames is a double-edge sword. On the one hand, it reinforces how horrific the idea of slavery is, and shows the audience exactly why in graphic detail. Of course, viewers already know this, even without such heavy-handed reminder. Accordingly, Bush and Renz seem to revel in startling sights almost for the sake of it. If its main victim didn't seem so much like a symbol — more than a fleshed-out character, that's for sure — Antebellum might've succeeded in getting viewers to stare unflinchingly at her pain, experiencing it with her like Australian standout The Nightingale did so expertly, but it really just appears to put her through the wringer to evoke shocks rather than emotion. Most of Antebellum's cast are only asked to fit a specific type, too, as Malone, Huston and Lange all demonstrate. In fact, although Kiersey Clemons (Hearts Beat Loud) pops up as a new arrival at the plantation and Tongayi Chirisa (iZombie) also features among the property's fellow captives, the film tasks them with little more than being present and distraught. The exception is Monáe, with the Moonlight and Hidden Figures star turning in a masterly performance. That's a credit to the musician-turned-actor and her all-round excellence more than the material, though. And if everything around her didn't feel so formulaic and calculating, this'd be a far better film — rather than just an ambitious one that mistakes jumping on a bandwagon for actually making a meaningful statement. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nf--afqelY
Rumour has it, Prince is set to announce a nationwide tour in Australia for later this year. With two international superstars down under - that’s The Artist Formerly Known As (or, did he move on from that one already?) and the Lady herself - Concrete Playground is here to help consider your chances of actually getting to see them performing live. And, just for fun, seeing which of the two will leave the biggest impression. Ding ding! Round One: getting a ticket The odds are pretty slim for getting a ticket for Gaga now. If you’ve only just found out she’s touring, you’re already too late. Her ‘Born This Way Ball’ tour was an instant sell-out, even with the additional shows announced earlier this month. Unless you already have a ticket, fancy creating a flash mob of ‘Monsters’ to convince the promoters to stick on a few extra dates, or you don’t mind risking other (illegal/stupid/unlikely) methods of getting into an arena, you’re better off flexing your index finger ready for the online ticket-booking mayhem once dates are confirmed for Prince. His Australia tour will be announced this week. Round Two: who are you going to tell your grandkids about? One is a flamboyant singer-songwriter, known for their unconventional performances, controversial fashion style, and a larger-than-life stage persona. And the other... well, you get the picture. There have been comparisons before, even ones that delve deep into the penis/no-penis debate - for both musicians. But what we want to know, is which one will still make the ‘When I was a young hipster...’ bedtime stories that you’ll still be bragging about when you’re 80? Will it be Telephone Head? Or Raspberry Beret? Round Three: who will deliver the KO (gig)? Purple Rain, Kiss, U Got the Look, 1999... it’s likely that you can expect them all from the legendary 53-year-old singer who’s had decades to perfect his shows. Last year, Prince’s US tour, at which tickets sold for as little as US$25, was a beginning-to-end greatest hits mega show. Gaga’s worldwide ‘Monster Ball Tour’, on the other hand, was the highest grossing tour of all time - so, it’s fair to say she knows what she’s doing by now. But, after all that, we have to draw you back to the facts. Lady Gaga is coming, she’ll be here in June with zillions of supporters and, probably an amazing show. And Prince is coming (finger’s crossed), and - now that you’re prepared, you may actually get your hands on a ticket or two. So, we say, let Gaga have her Monsters - we’ll be rockin’ out with Prince.
The largest-ever showcase of living Australian artists has landed in the budding cultural hub that is Ballarat, with the inaugural Biennale of Australian Art (BOAA) in town until Tuesday, November 6. The epic exhibition includes 150 artists from all corners of Australia, making this a once-in-a-lifetime art extravaganza that's not to be missed. Lucky for you artsy folk, we've got your trip sorted. In partnership with Visit Ballarat, we're giving away the ultimate art lover's escape, which includes a double pass to BOAA plus a night's stay and dinner in Ballarat. Taking place in more than 14 different venues across Ballarat, with up to 65 solo exhibitions, BOAA's colour and culture will take over the town. The event will reflect on what it means to be Australian and tell stories of our country's past, present and future. It's also a celebration of Australia's heritage, with BOAA boasting a strong focus on Indigenous talent. In addition to the great art, the BOAA Band Wagon will be making the rounds and pumping great tunes. There'll also be a living sculpture fashion parade, an evening program called BOAA Dark — the Victorian version of a mini Dark Mofo — and a lake sculpture walk that will see Lake Wendouree transform into an outdoor gallery featuring 26 sculptures. Once you're tuckered out from all that art, enjoy a top-notch dinner and a glass of wine, or two, then spend the night in one of Ballarat's finest hotels — and don't worry, we'll pick up the bill. [competition]693738[/competition] Top image: Gerwyn Davies
It's hard to come by actual hidden gems in your city these days. Chances are you've heard about the latest hidden/vegan/swimming/cannoli hotspot via social media — and so have the masses, and they've beaten you there. Most, save the truly intrepid city wanderers among us, often miss the boat on undiscovered goldmines. But hey, it's more than okay to jump on a bandwagon if something is truly good (we'll admit it; we've lined up at Lune Croissanterie with the best of 'em). But how about those little nuggets of gold in your city you've forgotten, or never got around to visiting in the first place? This summer just might be the perfect time to back-up a little bit, consult the notes app in your iPhone and see what you had scribbled down as a to-do. Not sure where to start? We've partnered with Henkell, purveyors of quality Blanc de Blancs bubbles, to pull together a hit list of some (kinda) hidden gems to dig up around Melbourne on your summer break. They'll all bring a little sparkle to your day and remind you that Melbourne is pretty darn great. CATCH A BLOCKBUSTER AT AN OUTDOOR CINEMA Running until March 2019 in the Botanic Gardens, Moonlight Cinema is one of the few openair cinemas that welcomes you to BYO picnics and alcohol. An outdoor cinema may not be so hidden or forgotten during the summer, but this tidbit of information certainly makes this one a diamond in the rough. Make it a grand affair — bring some Henkell sparkling and catch some of this year's favourite flicks, a smattering of all-time faves and a few sneak peeks at new movies coming out soon. Tried-and-tested highlights include A Star Is Born, A Simple Favour and Crazy Rich Asians, plus Halloween, Bad Times at the El Royale and Venom if you're after something darker. The first part of the program has been released, with the second half arriving in mid-January. [caption id="attachment_701556" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lean Timms.[/caption] LAZE AWAY THE DAY ON THE RIVER Pick one of those perfect summer days to get out onto the water. Just 30 minutes on public transport from the CBD will put you at the leisurely Fairfield Boathouse, where you can rent a rowboat and float the day away on the water. To top things off, you can even bring a picnic (and a bottle of Henkell Trocken) to enjoy as you lounge the day away on the water. And if you're looking for something for you and the crew, come January, you'll be able to rent one of the new GoBoats headed for Docklands in early 2019. These eco-friendly picnic boats are slow-moving, a breeze to operate, don't require a boating licence and they feature a central picnic table with room for eight people and some BYO food and drinks. And despite what you might be thinking, they're even affordable enough to fit your post-holiday budget — simply find enough eager sailors to jump aboard and a GoBoat session will cost you less than $15 per person, per hour. That's $109 hourly in total. [caption id="attachment_701750" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Matthew Paul Argall.[/caption] WANDER THE RJ HAMER ARBORETUM Sure, your local park might be pleasant enough and conveniently located — but does it have 120 hectares worth of 150 different varieties of trees? Unlikely, if you live cityside. So, follow the Eastern Freeway a decent ways away to wind up in Olinda, home of the RJ Hamer Arboretum. It's always a few degrees cooler in the hills than the mainland — if you can't stand the heat anymore, this is a top-notch escape from the hot city. Starting with views from the entrance hill — of the Yarra Valley and Silvan Dam framed above the conifer trees — you'll wander down, discovering an immense encyclopedia of trees, plants and probably wildlife too (watch out for lyrebirds). The beauty lies in the fact that there's something new to see every season of the year, so you've got a hidden gem four times over. Bring walking shoes (it's hilly) and a picnic. REDISCOVER THE YARRA WITH A DIP AND A PICNIC The Yarra River isn't all brown city stretches full of rowers and tourist cruises. Sure, that bit around Flinders Street is — and you wouldn't be jumping in there even if you dropped your phone — but don't forget the whole thing stretches some 242 kilometres across the city and well beyond. Make for the gleam of clearer waters outside of the CBD by heading northeast to Warrandyte. Pound Bend Reserve is worth the commute, offering you a beaut stretch of the Yarra for a refreshing summer dip (head through the rock tunnel if you're brave enough), bushwalk in the surrounding area (about four kilometres round trip) and picnic facilities here and there to settle in at once you've swum. No dogs allowed, but BYO footy — there's heaps of grass. GET A CULTURE DOSE AT NEWPORT'S SUBSTATION Newport is a mere 10 minutes from Melbourne's CBD. It's part of the bayside suburbs that make up a lot of Melbourne's west and have more going on than you might think — plus a bayside breeze you'll love on a hot summer's night. The Substation is an arts and culture venue that ticks quite a number of boxes. A live music go-to, gallery and dance studio are just a couple of them. Coming up soon are an experimental sound performance (William Basinksi and Caterina Barbieri), a multimedia cinema and contemporary dance installation (Cinematic Experiments) and a video installation about the power of rumour (by Melanie Jame Wolf). The inner west has just as much art scene clout as the inner north, it seems. Summer is here and it's time to pop the bubbly. Pick up a bottle of Henkell Blanc de Blancs or Henkell Trocken for your next sparkling occasion.
So long Saigon Sally — after more than four years in business, the popular Vietnamese eatery in Windsor is set to close its doors next month. But diners won't be mourning long, with the venue set to reopen as a Thai joint just a few weeks later. "We have a very loyal clientele and we want to keep them stimulated and inspired," said Saigon Sally co-owner Simon Blacher in a statement announcing the news. "This is why we have decided to re-invent the restaurant offering." Named after the bustling Thai capital, BKK will be headed by head chef Sean Judd, previously of Longrain and Chin Chin, as well as Bangkok's Nahm. Under his direction, menu highlights will include gai yang (turmeric and lemongrass chicken cooked over smoke) and som tam tod (a crispy papaya nest salad). The refurbished space will also feature a cocktail bar and function space, both of which are expected to open before Christmas. As for Sally, her spirit will live on at sister Vietnamese venue Hanoi Hannah, on whose menu Blacher says we can expect some of Sally's signature dishes to pop up before too long. He's also teased the possibility of resurrecting the beloved lady in the CBD, or maybe even interstate. You can also visit the team's Japanese restaurant Tokyo Tina just around the corner. The restaurant relaunch is something that quite a few Melbourne venues are testing at the moment. Just this week Green Park announced it would become Park Street, while, just around the corner in Prahran, Toko has closed to make way for new karaoke bar tokosan. Saigon Sally will continue to operate as normal at 2 Duke Street, Windsor until September 3. BKK is expected to begin service later that month. For more information or to make a booking before they close, visit saigonsally.com.au.
Get out your inner kitsch, embrace your inner quirk and head to the Fine Design Market for your fix of arts and crafts. Celebrating independent Australian designers, the Fine Design Market boasts a range of boutique crafts, art, music and tasty, tasty food. What's more, it's indoors — meaning that dastardly weather is no longer an excuse not to head to a market. Head to MC Square in Doncaster from 10am – 3pm this Sunday, August 10, Sunday, September 12 and perhaps for a Chrissy pressie on Sunday, December 7. Or if you're interested in running a stall of your very own, check out the website and apply now. Keep an eye on their Facebook page too, as they update it regularly with sneak peeks of stall items. Happy market-ing.
Now that the busy harvest season is over, winemakers have a little time to kick back. At Rochford Wines, that means hosting its Rochford Harvest 2025 Festival, a one-day event filled with wine, food and music at its picture-perfect Yarra Valley winery. Held beneath the Rochford Pavilion on Saturday, May 17, settle in to taste the full range of Rochford and Toolangi Vineyard wines. Meanwhile, other local outfits are also getting in on the fun, including Burton McMahon Wines, Timo Mayer Wines and Rob Hall Wines. Leading wine critic and educator Tom Kline will also make an appearance, presenting four masterclasses dedicated to diverse wine varieties and the art of pairing food and wine. Alongside top-notch food trucks, live music and cosy fire pits, expect this family-friendly affair to fill your cup with good vibes. Set an hour's drive from Melbourne CBD, Rochford Wines' 60-acre home offers a stunning backdrop for the day's festivities. Tasting tickets are available for $35, which includes 10 tastings and a fancy Rochford stemless wine glass.
Australia's most prestigious portrait award is almost upon us for another year, with the paintings vying for the 2021 Archibald Prize just announced. Ahead of anointing the winner on Friday, June 4, 52 portraits have just been shortlisted for the coveted gong — and, for the first time in its now 100-year history, an equal number of male and female artists have made the cut. More of this year's portraits depict women than men, too, although that isn't a first. Among the highlights: Kirsty Neilson's Making Noise, a portrait of Grace Tame — and Oliver Watts' Dorian Gray (Eryn Jean Norville). Other finalists include Matthew Clarke's Del Kathryn Barton is a good listener; Rachel by Thea Anamara Perkins, which depicts the latter's aunt and Jasper Jones filmmaker Rachel Perkins; and Natasha Bieniek's image of actor Rachel Griffiths. Mirra Whale's Repose, which features fellow artist Ben Quilty, has been shortlisted as well — as has Jonathan Dalton's portrait of artist Ramesh Nithiyendran. Kathrin Longhurst's Kate is in the running, and has also taken out the coveted 2021 Archibald Packing Room Prize, which is chosen by the packing room team. The portrait depicts singer and songwriter Kate Ceberano. [caption id="attachment_813770" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Archibald Prize 2021 finalist. Kathrin Longhurst, 'Kate'. Oil on linen, 122 x 122 cm. © the artist. Photo: AGNSW, Jenni Carte.[/caption] Also spanning Sally M Nangala Mulda's Two town camp stories, Eunice Djerrkŋu Yunupiŋu's Me and my sisters, Peter Berner's Stop pouting, you've had your turn and Kim by Kim Leutwyler — all self-portraits — the 52 shortlisted works are all in contention for the Archibald's $100,000 prize. Speculation about who will be awarded the coveted prize — and, more often than not, the Archibald winner itself — usually causes much-heated debate. From 2018's five-time Archibald finalist Yvette Coppersmith's first win to Tony Costa's win with his painting of fellow artist Lindy Lee — the first portrait of an Asian Australian to pick up the prize — it's hard a win to pick. All that's really assured is that it'll be a portrait of a person by an Australian. In 2020, Vincent Namatjira's portrait of Adam Goodes did the honours, and also marked the first the award has gone to an Indigenous artist. [caption id="attachment_813771" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Archibald Prize 2021 finalist. Oliver Watts, 'Dorian Gray (Eryn Jean Norvill)'. Acrylic on canvas, 213.5 x 137.5 cm. © the artist. Photo: AGNSW, Jenni Carte[/caption] Held at Sydney's Art Gallery of NSW every year, the Archibald runs in conjunction with the Wynne and Sulman Prizes — recognising the best landscape painting of Australian scenery or figure sculpture, and the best subject painting, genre painting or mural project, respectively. This year, 2021's winning works and finalists will be on display from Saturday, June 4–Sunday, September 26. And if it feels like all of this just happened recently, that's because 2020's Archibald Prize happened later in the year due to the pandemic. If you don't agree with the judges, you can cast your own vote for People's Choice, which will be announced on Wednesday, September 1. ARCHIBALD PRIZE 2021 DATES Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney, NSW — June 4–September 26, 2021 Gippsland Art Gallery, Sale, Victoria — October 8–November 21, 2021 Hazelhurst Regional Gallery & Art Centre, Gymea, NSW — December 3–January 16, 2022 Maitland Regional Art Gallery, Maitland, NSW — January 23–March 6, 2022 Cowra Regional Art Gallery, Cowra, NSW — March 18–June 22, 2022 Manning Regional Art Gallery, Taree, NSW — July 8–August 21, 2022 If you can't make it to any of the above dates, you can check out the award winners and finalists of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes on the Art Gallery of NSW website. Top image: Archibald Prize 2021 finalist. Kirsty Neilson, 'Making noise'. Oil on linen, 50.1 x 60.1 cm, © the artist. Photo: AGNSW, Felicity Jenkins
When the middle of any and every year approaches, we all yearn for a holiday. Summer feels forever ago, for starters. Months of life's chaos always spark getaway cravings. A change of scenery starts calling, too. With May more than halfway through and winter almost upon us for 2024, cue the ideal timing for Virgin's midyear sale on international flights. Return fares are a focus in this excuse to pack your suitcase — so whether you're keen on a trip to Tokyo, Bali, Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu or Queenstown, you'll get discounts on the legs both there and back. And while the sale includes fares from Saturday, June 1, 2024, you can plan a trip as far away as autumn 2025, with Friday, April 11, 2025 the last date covered. Return flights start at $315, which'll get you from Melbourne to Queenstown and back. Sydneysiders will pay $365 and Brisbanites $425. If Fiji awaits you, return fares begin at $449 from Sydney. Bali flights start at $499 from the Gold Coast, while Vanuatu flights kick off at $579 and Samoa trips from $599, both out of Brisbane. And Tokyo fares come in at $675 to begin, which is out of Cairns. If you're only looking to make the trip to Queenstown without heading back, that's the only destination where you can choose between a one-way and a return option. The sale prices are for economy light fares — and, as usual when it comes to flight sales, you'll need to get in quick. Virgin's discounted fares are now on offer until midnight on Friday, May 24 or sold out, whichever arrives first. Some legs do have the pick of a choice fare as well, at a more expensive — but still on sale — price. Virgin's 2024 midyear international sale runs until midnight AEST on Friday, May 24 — or until sold out. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Entering an Australian supermarket at the moment, you can be forgiven for thinking that you're walking into the set of a post-apocalyptic film. People are everywhere but shelves are bare, with shoppers panic-buying everything from toilet paper and hand sanitiser to pasta and milk. As the COVID-19 situation has evolved over the past few weeks, local supermarket chains have been implementing item limits. They've also set aside dedicated shopping times for the elderly and people with disability as well. But the hoarding keeps happening and everyday staples keep selling out, leading Coles and Woolworths to roll out further caps. Announced today, Wednesday, March 18, both big chains have mandated restrictions on a number of items — in addition to previously revealed limits. At Coles, there's now a two-pack-per-person cap on eggs, sugar, frozen vegetables, frozen desserts, canned tomatoes, pasta, all dry rice regardless of size and liquid soap. And additional limits may be placed on other items on a store-by-store basis, too, so it's best to pay attention to the signage while you're shopping. Over at Woolies, it's limiting such a wide variety of items that it has actually listed what isn't restricted. There are no caps on fresh fruit and vegetables, fresh milk, yoghurts, deli items, seafood, bakery items, canned fish and meat other than mince — or on drinks, baby food, wet dog food, wet cat food, and Easter confectionery and merchandise. If you're after anything else, however, a two-pack-per-person limit applies in general, with some items down to one-pack-per limit. Already in the restricted category at both chains — as anyone who has tried to buy groceries recently well knows — are toilet paper, serviettes, baby wipes, antibacterial wipes and bulk rice over two kilograms, which are down to one pack per person. Tissues, hand sanitiser, dry pasta and flour have all been limited to two packs per person at both companies for days now. And paper towels vary, restricted to one per person at Woolies but two at Coles. Aldi and IGA haven't announced any new limits as yet, although Aldi already has caps on toilet paper (one pack), dry pasta, dry rice, flour, paper towels, tissues and sanitiser (two packs). At IGA, it's a store-by-store decision. "Each store has placed purchase limits on items that are critically low in stock. These limits are being managed on a store by store basis and are increasing day by day," the chain advised in a statement. All four brands have also released a collective plea for consideration, stressing the need to stick to product limits — and reminding shoppers something that should just be a given, aka that hardworking supermarket staff should be treated with courtesy and respect. For more details on Australian supermarket item limits, keep an eye on Coles, Woolworths, Aldi and IGA's websites. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
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 Aussie shores, joining social psychologist and author Hugh Mackay for two special conversation events this January. Hosted by The School of Life in Sydney on January 22 and Melbourne on 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. Catch Nigella Lawson On Why Food Matters at The School of Life Sydney on Monday, January 22, 118-132 Enmore Road, Newtown. It'll also take place on Wednesday, January 24, at The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Plenary 2, 1 Convention Centre Place, South Wharf. You can buy tickets at theschooloflife.com.au.
Half-priced airfares have been quite the topic of conversation over the past 24 hours, with the Australian Government announcing a scheme that'll see the country's airlines sell 800,000 flights at the discount rate. That starts in April — but if you're keen on getting away before then, Virgin is doing a flash sale that'll also slash fares by half. Hang on, Virgin? Yes. The same airline that, less than 12 months ago, entered voluntary administration. It has since been sold to US private investment firm Bain Capital, launched a comeback sale in early July and its voluntary administration officially ended on Tuesday, November 17. With so many folks talking about the government's half-price fares, Virgin is capitalising upon the chatter; however, it's only putting this current set of cheap tickets on sale for two hours — from 5–7pm AEDT today, Friday, March 12. These fares don't form part of 800,000, and you'll need to be keen to travel in the next fortnight, with the flights covering trips between Monday, March 15–Sunday, March 28. The discounted economy flights include seat selection and checked baggage. All Virgin-operated routes nationally form part of the sale, with some of the specials on offer including Sydney to Byron Bay for $55, Sydney to the Gold Coast for the same price, Melbourne to Launceston from $64, Brisbane to the Whitsunday Coast from $78 and Melbourne to the Gold Coast from $88 (and vice versa in all cases, naturally). As we are still in the middle of a pandemic, flying is little different to normal. Virgin has introduced a range of safety measures, including hand sanitisation stations, contactless check-in and face masks provided to all passengers. Wearing masks on flights also became mandatory in Australia in January. Virgin's half-price flash sale runs from 5–7pm AEDT today, Friday, March 12 — or until sold out. Find out more about current interstate border restrictions over here.
Multi-arts festival Rising is set to transform a host of inner-city precincts for the next two weeks as its blockbuster program of immersive art and performance descends on Melbourne. And even the Yarra is scoring an art makeover of sorts, thanks to a monumental work by leading audio-visual artist Robin Fox. On show nightly for the festival's duration (Wednesday, June 1–Sunday, June 12), Monochord will light up the Birrarung like never before. The work takes the form of a powerful laser, beamed one kilometre down the river's length, the light sitting just above its surface. It's thought to be the highest intensity laser ever before used in Melbourne. You'll be able to see this roaring light beam from multiple points along the river as it flickers, pulses and sweeps to a synchronised soundscape. You can also tune into the Monochord audio via the website. The laser will be visible from 6.30pm each night. [caption id="attachment_856329" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'Monochord', photographed by Zillah Morrow and Robin Fox[/caption]
UPDATE Monday, March 27: Due to unforeseen circumstances, 'Dirty Dancing: The Immersive Cinema Experience' will no longer take place this weekend. For details, see the website. With its latest movie-fuelled event, Immersive Cinema is hoping that you've never felt like this before — and that you love Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey dancing up a storm in a much-adored 1987 romantic drama. The second part is easy. As for the first, you might've actually stepped into this interactive Dirty Dancing experience back in 2019 when it first came to Australia. Who doesn't want to have the time of their life twice, though? For its second Aussie stint, Dirty Dancing: The Immersive Cinema Experience is only heading to Melbourne, taking over the Flemington Racecourse on Saturday, April 1–Sunday, April 2, 2023. If Francis 'Baby' Houseman can take a trip to Kellerman's Mountain House in the Catskills with her family, you can hit up the venue to get whisked away to the next best thing. Here, attendees will get plunged into the world of Dirty Dancing. Taking over the outdoor venue, Dirty Dancing: The Immersive Cinema Experience won't just screen one of Swayze's biggest film roles, but will recreate the world of the popular film. That means that attendees will travel back to 1963 in spirit, check into the flick's setting, and enjoy a day of painting classes, volleyball, croquet, mini golf and — of course — dance lessons. You can probably also expect a stint of carrying watermelons, and definitely a dance showcase. And yes, it all ends with an evening screening of Dirty Dancing on the big screen. You'd be just a fool to believe that's all that's on the agenda. Actors and dancers will roam around like the wind and, food- and drink-wise, Americana-style eats will be available at 12 different dining spots, while seven pop-up bars will sling summery cocktails — all on offer for those with hungry eyes (and stomachs). Also, there'll be a dedicated watermelon stand, plus a picnic area among the rose bushes. You'll also be able to wander through recreations of Kellerman's famous fictional spaces. That includes the staff quarters where Baby Houseman gets her first taste of dirty dancing, as well as the studios where she learns all the steps from and starts swooning over Johnny Castle. Wherever you head, nobody will be putting Baby in a corner. Like the film version of Kellerman's, the event is also an all-ages affair — and everyone is encouraged to dress up like it's the 60s, but appropriate footwear for dancing is a must. Also, because no one had phones back in the 60s, it's a technology-free experience as well. The only screen that matters: the big one showing the movie, of course.
'Madchester' pioneers the Happy Mondays have just announced an Australian tour — the first time that the original lineup of one of the most influential bands of their generation have made it all the way Down Under. Alongside bands like New Order and the Stone Roses, Happy Mondays were key to the development of the Madchester sound that defined the early '90s and revitalised English music, rescuing it from the ignominy of Spandau Ballet and Duran Duran. Fusing traditional pop elements with funk, northern soul and acid house, Happy Mondays were the poster band for the explosion of rave culture in the UK and released two iconic albums — Bummed and Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches — that remain essential listening today. Supporting them will be fellow Madchester icons 808 State for a special DJ set. Formed in Manchester in 1988 by Graham Massey, Martin Price and Gerald Simpson, 808 State's first album, Newbuild, is now regarded as a milestone in UK electronica. As the NME observed, "808 State revolutionised a whole genre of music in the late-'80s, inspiring Underworld, Orbital and the Chemical Brothers in the process." Happy Mondays Australian 2013 Tour Dates Wed 5 June – Metropolis, Fremantle - tickets via www.oztix.com.au, www.heatseeker.com.au Thu 6 June – The Palace, Melbourne - tickets via www.ticketek.com.au, www.oztix.com.au Fri 7 June – The Tivoli, Brisbane - tickets via www.ticketek.com.au Mon 10 June - UNSW Roundhouse, Sydney - tickets via www.ticketek.com.au
Penélope Cruz didn't score an Oscar this year for Parallel Mothers. Her husband Javier Bardem didn't win one for Being the Ricardos, either. And, just a couple of years ago, Antonio Banderas also didn't nab a shiny Academy Award for Pain and Glory — but the three acclaimed actors are all winners at the 2022 Spanish Film Festival. The annual cinema showcase spotlights not just Spanish but also Latin American cinema, and it's back for another Aussie tour throughout April and May — hitting up Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane and Byron Bay. On the bill: 34 movies that hail from both regions, or tie into them in one way or another, including several with Cruz, Bardem and or Banderas at their centre. Kickstarting this year's Spanish Film Festival with the Cruz- and Banderas-starring Official Competition must've been the easiest programming choice in the fest's history. A filmmaking satire, it casts Cruz as a famous director entrusted to bring a Nobel Prize-winning novel about sibling rivalry to the screen, and enlists Banderas as a Hollywood heartthrob. Throw all of that together and it's clearly film festival catnip, as the movie's berths at overseas fests such as Venice, Toronto and San Sebastián have already shown — and it'll enjoy its Australia premiere as the Spanish Film Festival's opening night pick. The aforementioned — and sublime — Parallel Mothers is also on the lineup after releasing in Aussie cinemas earlier this year, if you missed it then. And, so are two Cruz-Bardem collaborations: Jamón Jamón, the pair's first film together, which marks its 30th anniversary in 2022, and 2017's Loving Pablo, which sees Bardem play Pablo Escobar. Of course, the Spanish Film Festival spans plenty of movies that don't star Spanish cinema's best-known acting names, too — with 2022 Goya-winning political drama Maixabel, fellow Goya-recipient Mediterráneo: The Law of the Sea, psychological horror flick The House of Snails, road-movie comedy Carpoolers, and the coming-of-age-focused Once Upon a Time in Euskadi also on the program. Or, there's Girlfriends, about childhood pals reuniting; dramatic thriller The Daughter, which hones in on a pregnant teen; mother-daughter drama Ama; the Himalayas-set Beyond the Summit; and The Cover, about a pop star impersonator. From the Cine Latino strand, ten films hail from the likes of Argentina, Mexico, Uruguay and the Dominican Republic — including rom-com The Big Love Picture, thriller Immersion, the footballer-centric 9 and Goya-winner (yes, another one) Forgotten We'll Be. Plus, the lineup also includes Language Lessons, which is directed by and starring Natalie Morales (The Little Things), and also features Mark Duplass (Bombshell) — with the pair navigating an online setup to play a Spanish teacher and her student. And, there's sessions of the Spanish-language version of Disney's Encanto as well. SPANISH FILM FESTIVAL 2022 DATES: April 19–May 15: Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona, Palace Central and Chauvel Cinema, Sydney April 20–May 15: Palace Electric, Canberra April 21–May 15: The Astor Theatre, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Westgarth, The Kino, Palace Balwyn and Pentridge Cinema, Melbourne April 27–May 18: Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas, Adelaide April 27–May 18: Palace Raine Square Cinemas, Luna Leederville and Luna on SX., Perth April 28–May 18: Palace Barracks and Palace James Street, Brisbane April 29–May 15: Palace Byron Bay, Byron Bay The Spanish Film Festival tours Australia from Tuesday, April 19–Wednesday, May 18. For more information or to buy tickets, visit the festival's website.
