Your mates have flocked to the Mediterranean coast. Your boss is sailing around Croatia. Heck, even your parents have jetted off for a week of sun, sand and piña coladas in Hawaii. And here in Oz, we're sloshing and shivering our way through another winter season But, there's plenty of reason to rug up, get out and explore our own backyard. Even if it's chilly outside. As the mercury plummets, there's no better time to cosy up, glass of wine in hand, and let someone else do the cooking. Or perhaps you're looking for a dose of arts and culture or even something to get the blood pumping? Whatever you're craving, Sydney has a whole stack of blues-busting events, festivals and activities all winter long. To get you started, we've teamed up with InterContinental Sydney to bring you an itinerary that'll make your winter a little bit warmer. Base yourself at the hotel's CBD location and hop from exhibitions and pop-up events to must-see dining spots. We've done the hard work you; all you have to do is get exploring. INDULGE IN A LAND TO SEA BUFFET While on holiday, you should always treat yourself to the finer things. At InterContinental Sydney's Cafe Opera, you'll find a 'land to sea' buffet packed with fresh seafood, locally sourced meats and a new Asian cuisine station. Enjoy Sydney Rock oysters, prawns, green-lipped mussels and a selection of sushi, then fill up on roast meats sourced from NSW's Southern Highlands like lamb shoulder, pork belly and beef rump. You can choose to go for lunch from Wednesday to Friday or enjoy the 'deluxe experience' over the weekend. Our tip? If you're visiting on a weekend, stop by from Friday night to Sunday (all day) for a luxe seafood offering of Balmain bugs, blue swimmer crab, salmon sashimi and grilled whole salmon available lunch and dinner. Plus, if you choose to lunch on the weekend, you'll also get free-flowing sparkling wine and soft drinks with your meal. The Land to Sea Buffet is available from Wednesday 12pm to Friday 2.30pm for $69 per person and from Friday 5.30pm to Sunday 10pm for $99 per person. Kids ten and under eat free. InterContinental Sydney is also offering 20% off food till October 13, 2019. WATCH AN OPERATIC MASTERPIECE AT THE OPERA HOUSE It's a Sydney icon that welcomes 8.2 million visitors every year. Some would say it's the most popular house in the country. But, for Australians, it's often the most overlooked of attractions. Take in all of the Sydney Opera House's glory with one of the world's most famous love stories. Madama Butterfly is the bold new production by choreographer Graeme Murphy, bringing new life to Italian composer Giacomo Puccini's original work. This digital production uses 12 huge high-definition LED panels to showcase animations and film content, telling the tragic tale of a young Japanese girl's marriage with an American naval officer. Make sure to bring plenty of tissues for this one. Madama Butterfly runs from Friday, June 28 to Saturday, August 10, 2019, and tickets start at $47. [caption id="attachment_679482" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Madeye Photography[/caption] HAVE A CUPPA AT A FESTIVAL DEDICATED TO TEA Blending and brewing are terms typically associated with craft breweries. But, the specialty tea market is just as complex, and you can learn all about it at the Sydney Tea Festival. This one-day event brings dozens of tea specialists and lovers to Sydney's multi-arts centre Carriageworks for workshops, tastings and a bustling tea market. Sample specialty loose leaf tea, relax in the Brew Lounge and immerse yourself in a world of flavour with educational tastings, demonstrations and hands-on workshops. Once you've worked up an appetite, stop by the on-site food trucks for a sweet or savoury bite to eat. Sydney Tea Festival takes place on August 18, 2019, and tickets start at $16.95. DO YOUR BRAIN SOME GOOD AND LEARN SOMETHING NEW There's much more to science than lab coats and Bunsen burners. And Sydney's annual science festival proves just that. Showcasing some of the globe's leading thinkers, Sydney Science Festival brings researchers, museums, universities and communities together for a week of discovery, discussion and scientific debate. Even if science class was not your thing at school, you'll still find something that intrigues within the festival's lineup of talks, workshops and exhibitions. Picnic beneath the stars (and with reduced light pollution) explore activism in the age of climate change, challenge how you perceive reality at A Night of Illusions and celebrate the female tech visionaries who've played an important role in the history of technology but have been overlooked — until now. Sydney Science Festival runs August 6–18. Find the full lineup here. SEE THE ARCHIBALD AT THE AGNSW If you haven't had a chance to see the Archibald before, now's your chance. The annual portrait prize exhibition is now showing at the Art Gallery of NSW till September 9. This year, you can expect to see the likes of actor David Wenham, three-time Paralympic gold medallist Dylan Alcott plus Sydney-based author, broadcaster and journalist Benjamin Law. The best bit? For just $20 you'll also get to explore the Wynne and Sulman Prize exhibitions, showcasing the best landscape paintings of Australian scenery as well as the best subject, genre or mural painting. The Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prize 2019 runs till September 8, 2019, and tickets cost $20. And while you're there, opt to catch a double exhibition with tickets to The Essential Duchamp for an additional $16, running till August 11, 2019. Plan to stay at InterContinental Sydney on your next trip to the Harbour City. Enjoy up to 30 percent off your stay if you book before August 5, 2019 and check-in before September 30, 2019. To book, visit the website here. Updated: July 22, 2019.
The next dancefloor filler from 'Love Tonight' favourites SHOUSE is on its way, but it needs your help in the best possible fashion: by taking part in a huge music party that'll fill Melbourne's St Paul's Cathedral for RISING 2024. The Victorian capital's major annual arts festival has announced its first commission for next year, with Ed Service and Jack Madin overseeing Communitas — where hundreds of people will make tunes, then a single will be released. Free to attend, Communitas wants its participants to form a choir; however, not only using their voices but dancing and making sound vibrations will be on the agenda. Think of it as a huge gathering that's also a jam and a ritual, composing collectively and spontaneously as everyone parties and communes. There's no audience here, just folks joining in, connecting and chasing shared joy. The date to pop in your diary: Saturday, June 15, for what's certain to be a standout event on the full RISING lineup. Nothing else has been announced for the fest so far, but the entire program of art, music, installations and performances for its third year will run from Saturday, June 1–Sunday, June 16. Jon Madin is creating handmade instruments for participants to use, while Deep Soulful Sweats is in charge of the choreography. While the end result is something to experience, the single that springs will give everyone who is there a songwriting credit as it aims to share the fun beyond Communitas' one massive night. "Communitas is more than a musical event; it's a collective celebration of the human spirit, a symphony of shared joy that transcends boundaries," said Service. "We're thrilled to collaborate with RISING, and invite hundreds into the heart of St Paul's Cathedral to join us in forging connections through the language of music. Join us in the beat of drums, a chorus of voices, a mass of humanity, finally together in space and time." Getting its audience participating en masse, and not just passively watching, is one of RISING's focuses, including at 2023's fest when 11,000 people formed a kazoo orchestra. RISING 2024 runs from Saturday, June 1–Sunday, June 16 across Melbourne, with Communitas taking place on Saturday, June 15 at St Paul's Cathedral, Flinders Street. Head to the festival's website for further information and to register to take part in Communitas.
Canned sundaes. Could be a trap. Sounds a little too dreamy. Seems the man who gave the world Cronuts has another trick up his sleeve, tailormade for the hardworking holidayers of the Hamptons. The latest experiment from award-winning pastry chef Dominique Ansel, canned sundaes are making their way to New York's Hamptons this weekend to be sold in a fancy ol' truck outside Lisa Perry's East Hampton boutique. One-off Ansel desserts, Lisa Perry boutique. HAMPTONS REPRESENT. "Dominique was a perfect match for this collaboration, as both of our brands celebrate art, pop culture and fun," said Perry. "He infuses each of his confections with creativity and imagination and the end result is always a treat in more ways than one." Somewhat fancier than Burger King's bacon sundae and channelling the same respect for showstopping dessert flavours as Messina, Ansel has created quite the gourmet canned good in this want-now dessert. Inspired by Warhol's cans, the mash-up sundaes are based on the classic root beer float (apparently Perry's favourite) — with root beer-flavoured ice cream, stracciatella ice cream (vanilla and chocolate chips) macerated cherries and mascarpone semifreddo and toasted marshmallow hanging out in the can. On top, Ansel's tiny signature 'Mini Me' meringues. You could say it's the most decadent thing someone's put in a can since the Candwich (canned sandwich, obviously). Meant for sharing, the sundaes will set Hamptonites back $15 and have enough canned goodness for two dessert fiends. Ansel will only be serving up 500 of these babies, so watch the 'grams for bragging rights. But before you get all Gossip Girl hater over this decadent dessert stunt, it's for a good cause. Ansel is giving 20 percent of sales from his fancy, fancy treat to City Harvest. Whattaguy. Via Grub Street. Image: Courtesy of Dominique Ansel Bakery
Does Tom Cruise (Top Gun: Maverick) only have one more mission left in him? The title for the eighth Mission: Impossible film might just point in that direction. Viewers won't know until the movie hits cinemas in 2025, but the flick that was initially called Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part Two is now named Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning. Your mission, should you choose to accept it: spending until May wondering if audiences are about to see the last of Ethan Hunt. It was back in 2023 when Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One hit cinemas and left viewers wanting more, by design: when it wrapped up its 163 minutes of espionage antics, everyone already knew that a second part was on its way. Originally, the latter was meant to arrive in June 2024, less than a year after the first film. But amid Hollywood's strikes last year, the film was pushed back almost 12 months. Its release date Down Under: Thursday, May 22, 2025. It was also rumoured at the time that the movie would get a new moniker, so The Final Reckoning isn't a surprise in that regard. But the 'final' part of the title — and a just-dropped trailer that focuses on how every step leads you down a specific path, complete with the tagline "every choice has led to this" — wasn't as expected. "I need you to trust me one last time," Cruise also utters. The film's first teaser trailer traverses everywhere from snow and sky-high heights to under the sea and frozen in ice — and, as always, features plenty of Cruise running. Story details are sparse, however, but of course the film's star is seen hanging off of a plane. Viewers can expect world-hopping intrigue, explosions, chases and fights, though, as regularly occurs when Ethan Hunt and his Impossible Missions Force team return. Also back: a cast including Simon Pegg (The Boys), Ving Rhames (The Wild Robot) and Hayley Atwell (Heartstopper), Vanessa Kirby (Napoleon), Esai Morales (Crescent City), Pom Klementieff (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), Henry Czerny (Zombie Town), Angela Bassett (9-1-1) and Shea Whigham (Lawmen: Bass Reeves) — and, behind the camera, director Christopher McQuarrie helms again after doing the same on Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation, Mission: Impossible — Fallout and Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One. On-screen, Holt McCallany (The Lincoln Lawyer), Janet McTeer (The Old Man), Nick Offerman (Civil War) and Hannah Waddingham (The Fall Guy) feature as well. Check out the first teaser trailer for Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning below: Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning will release in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, May 22, 2025. Read our review of Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One. Images: Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
From stocking fillers to well planned and executed surprises, Christmas gifting is upon us and we again find ourselves searching for the best presents. If the person you've pulled out of the hat this year is a little more hands-on and a little more inclined towards new tech than gig tickets or a bottle of wine, peruse this list with growing joy. We've compiled some of our favourite gifts for exactly that kind of person. From gadgets to classes and big kid's toys (see: BrewArt's swish home brewing kit), we've done all the thinking so you can sit back and use this time to relax before the flurry of Christmas arrives. Whether it's a gift for a co-worker you've only just met, someone you've known all your life or anyone in between, this guide has got something for the tech-minded, urban hobbyist in all of them. SPROUT PENCIL This multipurpose tool is the perfect kind of stocking filler for the avid home gardener who dabbles with a little writing on the side — or for anyone who needs to write anything down at all, really. The Sprout Pencil begins life simply as a humble writing instrument. But when too many memos have been written, and its size begins to diminish, simply stick the end of the pencil in a bit of soil, add some water and the seeds in the capsule on top of the pencil will sprout into a variety of herbs, flowers and even vegetables. Sprout Pencil, $6.95. Available here. TILE MATE People lose things from time to time, sure. But for some people, the regularity at which it happens is a little more than annoying. So for these people, we give you the Tile Mate. For things that are a little harder to locate, like a wallet, for example, this annoyance is greatly reduced, all thanks to this lightweight Bluetooth tracker. Slide this little sucker in your wallet, and you can track it down, wherever it may journey to. There's also the option of a key ring tile, for those who are of the key-losing variety. It's the perfect gift for that friend who would lose their head if it wasn't screwed on. Tile Mate, from $25. Available here. LEGO ARCHITECTURE SET While dreams of building your own shed or, even more lofty, your own home are all well and good, unless you have architectural training or something of the like, these grand design dreams may remain just that — dreams. For the passionate wannabe (or actual) architect, then, consider a LEGO Architecture set, which is essentially just LEGO for adults. Instead of the colourful bricks and smiling little dudes, these sets put the construction of city icons in your hands. Build your very own Eiffel Tower, towering Burj Khalifa or the Sydney Harbour Bridge complete with the Sydney Tower Eye. Your architecture-loving giftee may never build a massive city icon for all to admire, but they can surely build something special for the family to 'ooo' and 'ahh' at around the Christmas tree. LEGO Architecture, from $49.99. Choose a city here. BLACKSMITH INTRODUCTION CLASS Even though technological advances allow building and crafting to become easier as time marches on, the art of creating doesn't necessarily hinge on the newest toys and fancy gear. For anyone who likes to work with their hands and get that pride from a successful DIY project, the opportunity to pick up a few tips on one of the most ancient crafts is precisely what they'd like under their tree this year. Eveleigh Works run regular courses in the basics of blacksmithing, running over a weekend. From the basic theoretical knowledge to learning the tools to practising the trade, the class covers all the bases to help you master one of history's fundamental professions. Or at least have a bit of fun while learning. Sydney: Blacksmith Introduction I, $490; book here. Melbourne: Beginners Short Course, $490; book here. Brisbane: Blacksmithing Basics, $410; book here. BREWART PERSONAL BREWING SYSTEM The ultimate stage of pursuing the dream of self-sufficiency is the ability to brew one's own booze — and doing it well. For many commercial producers, it's a subtle art, perfected over centuries and, while there is a slew of personal brewing options available on the market, and though a lot of them are pretty good, it's never quite the same as it is straight from the tap at the pub. Enter BrewArt. It's the first personal brewing system that is fully automated, making brewing easier than ever before. Using BrewPrints, the corresponding combinations of ingredients inspired by great beers, the BeerDroid controls every aspect of the brew and can be personalised and controlled by an app, available on your phone. It's a matter of pressing a button on the BeerDroid (or the app) and waiting until the app says that the beer is ready. The BeerDroid also has a partner in the BrewFlo, the state of the art keg-meets-beer-tap. Far from the battered metal bad boys that sit out the front of your local, the sleek BrewFlo looks more like a coffee machine with an authentic looking tap handle. While the BrewArt Kegs keep your brew fresh, the BrewFlo then chills your beer when you're ready to serve. BrewArt comes in two parts the BrewFlo ($699) and BeerDroid ($799). Available here.
Sometimes, you just need to lose yourself in the strange and the surreal — especially if you've just spent months and months at home during lockdown. Patricia Piccinini's artworks offer that experience, whether they're floating through the sky or filling cavernous rooms with intriguing creatures. So, the return of her latest exhibition to Melbourne really couldn't come sooner. From Monday, November 8, A Miracle Constantly Repeated will again take over the usually closed Flinders Street Station Ballroom. The installation was originally announced as part of this year's brand-new Rising Festival, but the Melbourne arts event was impacted by Victoria's late-May lockdown. Then, Piccinini's latest creation had its season extended back at the end of July; however, we all know that another lockdown kicked in not long afterwards. A Miracle Constantly Repeated will now display until Sunday, June 12, 2022. Expect it to prove popular — when it was able to welcome in punters before July, it attracted close to 20,000 visitors. It's easy to see why folks were flocking along, given that all of Piccinini's signature touches are evident in its rooms of twisted flowers and eccentric bodies — and, whenever you walk through the former, it really does feel like stepping onto another planet. A Miracle Constantly Repeated also marks the Melbourne creative's first hometown show in almost two decades, in a venue that hasn't been open to the public in more than 30 years until this exhibition. Both Flinders Street Station Ballroom and nine other surrounding rooms play host to Piccinini's pieces, with the overall exhibition designed to showcase the site. The artist has crafted the installation to respond to the space as an organic environment, in fact so expect to see her critters placed amongst peeling paint and sat next to left-behind filing cabinets. Images: Eugene Hyland.
We hate to break it to you Australia, but there’s yet another reason to lament the current dominance of the fun police. As of March 7, drinking in the street in New York City's Manhattan will no longer be a criminal act. Start spreading the news. Yep, whether you’re lazing about in Central Park, strolling through Harlem or reliving the '60s in Greenwich Village — that is, anywhere on the island of Manhattan — you can crack open a cold one and enjoy it at your leisure, without fearing arrest or a criminal record. That said, drinking’s been decriminalised, not legalised — and only in the borough of Manhattan. In practice, decriminalisation usually means you can expect the police to turn a blind eye to minor offences, and to give warnings rather than make arrests. Strictly speaking, you could still cop a fine and/or summons. So, if you’re contemplating kicking back with a glass of champagne or two on a SoHo stoop, don’t go making any trouble. The idea behind the policy change is to redirect New York City’s resources towards weightier and more dangerous matters. "Using summonses instead of arrests for low-level offenses is an intuitive and modern solution that will help make sure resources are focused on our main priority: addressing threats to public safety,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a media statement. “Today’s reforms allow our hardworking police officers to concentrate their efforts on the narrow group of individuals driving violent crime in New York City. This plan will also help safely prevent unnecessary gaol time for low-level offenses.” If this news has you booking a one-way flight to NYC, you might be interested to know that drinking’s not the only pastime to have been decriminalised. Others include littering, riding between subway cars, taking up more than one subway seat and — wait for it — urinating in public. Via The Observer. Image: Ben Duchac.
One of controversial director Lars von Trier's most famous films Melancholia has been adapted for the stage — and will play at Melbourne's Malthouse Theatre until Sunday, August 12. If you haven't seen it, the story spans a woman, Justine, who is just about to be married and is suffering a mental breakdown that happens to coincide with the end of the world. Yeah, certainly not the cheeriest of films, but engrossing nonetheless. The 2011 film version starred Kirsten Dunst as Justine and is a sprawling cinematic epic, rife with all kinds of loaded imagery and visual motifs. It's an ambitious work to turn into a play, especially given the film's abstract nature, but we have faith. It's in the hands of director Matthew Lutton and has been adapted for stage by Declan Greene — both are more than qualified to bring this apocalyptic drama to life on stage. It will show at the Malthouse from July 13 till August 12, with previews in the first week and opening night on Wednesday, July 18.
When an Australian series becomes the Foxtel Group's most-watched original scripted show of all time, it's bound to keep bounding back for more seasons. That program is Colin From Accounts — and after 2022's gem of a first season saw it renewed for a second, the latter has sparked a third as well. Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall will be back on-screen, and also writing and executive producing, as the Aussie rom-com follows what comes next for their characters Ashley and Gordon. "We're very excited to bring you season three of our show. To be honest, with the way we ended season two it would have been weird not to make a third, so here we are. We promise we won't leave you hanging like that again. Probably," said Dyer and Brammall, confirming Colin From Accounts' third run. "We couldn't pass up the opportunity for fans to see what's next for Ash and Gordon (and Colin!). Colin From Accounts has delighted fans the world over and we're proud to commission a third season of this hilarious, chaotic and relatable series that has stolen our hearts," added Foxtel Group's Head of Scripted Lana Greenhalgh. When the series began, Dyer's (American Auto) Ashley and Brammall's (Evil) Gordon first crossed paths thanks to a flashed nipple and an injured dog, then an agreement to co-parent the pooch as it recovered. As a relationship blossomed beyond more than just taking care of the titular canine, little has gone smoothly — with the adorable Colin, and also with the pair's romance. As well as proving an Australian hit — complete with AACTAs and Logies to prove it — for real-life couple and No Activity stars Dyer and Brammall, the show has earned fans overseas, with Foxtel Group licensing it to 150 territories globally. There's no word yet as to exactly when Colin From Accounts will return, what the narrative will follow, and who among the rest of the cast and past guest stars will be back, but renewing the series comes at a crucial time for Binge. With Max launching in Australia at the end of March 2025, the latter has lost its initial big selling point: HBO's content. Here's hoping that more homegrown shows like this charming hit will get the green light to help fill the gap. There's no trailer for season three of Colin From Accounts yet, but check out the trailers for seasons one and two below: Colin From Accounts streams via Binge — we'll update you with a release date for season three when one is announced. Read our review of season one and our review of season two, plus our interview with Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall. Images: Lisa Tomasetti / Tony Mott / Brook Rushton.
Melbourne's restaurant scene was just weeks into its tentative reopening phase when the city was shuttled back into lockdown once again. And with five more weeks stretched out ahead of us, those dining-out withdrawals are really hitting hard. But, you can bank on some sweet relief in the form of Providoor. An innovative new meal delivery platform that's working with some of the city's best dining institutions, it's stepped up the takeout game by dropping high-end dishes to your doorstep. The brainchild of Maha Chef-Owner Shane Delia, the service launched back on June 1, but it's about to face its baptism of fire as all of metropolitan Melbourne enters lockdown 2.0. With a lineup of venues that already includes the likes of Flower Drum, Cumulus Inc, Sunda, Bar Margaux, Tipo 00 and Hazel, Providoor delivers its chef-prepared meals via cold-freight to addresses within a 35-kilometre radius of Melbourne's CBD. [caption id="attachment_775940" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tipo 00's tiramisu[/caption] Once the dish is in your kitchen, you'll follow the supplied instructions to add the finishing touches: heating up a red pepper sauce, perhaps, popping some brisket in the oven for its final minutes of cooking or getting crafty with the plating up process. And then, voila — the end result is a pretty close replica of what might arrive at your restaurant table, hot off the pass. No soggy dumplings or lukewarm potato in sight. You can choose from a New England lobster roll from Supernormal, a serve of Tipo 00's famed duck pappardelle or even some classic beef bourguignon courtesy of Estelle, all without leaving your house. And Providoor's stable of dinner options is only growing by the week. Also on the platform, you'll find a selection of groceries and fresh produce from the likes of Meatsmith, sweet treats from cafe favourites like Lux Bite and Brunetti, and boozy delights from The Everleigh Bottling Co and The Ugly Duckling. Providoor's delivery service is available within a 35-kilometre radius of Melbourne CBD, with a $16.50 flat-rate delivery fee for all orders.
The South Island is known for its breathtaking scenery. However, if you're a culture junkie, there's no end to the beautiful experiences you can have — and not just in a gallery. Whether you're into history, art, language or music, you're bound to find something (and often with a good feed to go with). We've curated a selection of experiences in the South all cultural but none that require the four walls of a gallery. THE SHERWOOD This little hotel is a gem in Queenstown's tourismscape. Perched on three acres of spectacular alpine hillside, with views over Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables mountain range, The Sherwood is a true community hotel, built with the express intention of letting its guests connect with each other and with nature. Kitchen gardens service the holistic, natural dishes in its restaurant and the hotel has a community events schedule to boot. During your stay, attend a poetry slam, take a jewellery class or stretch it out at one of the regular yoga classes. With resident artists and writers and almost nightly live music, here, the culture comes to you 554 Frankton Road, Queenstown. FUSH Fush is not your ordinary fish and chippie. This family-owned eatery in Wigram aims to help diners integrate te reo Māori, one of New Zealand's official languages, into their conversations, by offering bilingual menus and using te reo phrases with customers. The fish and chips joint has even started offering free te reo Maori classes, accessible to anyone with the will to learn. What about the food? It's awesome — the fish comes pan-fried, coated or crumbed; hand cut chips are made from quality Canterbury spuds and the place is fully licensed, too. Have a sparkling with your order or a gin and tonic, and order a plate of shucked oysters or a smoked fish pie. It's all good. 104 The Runway, Wigram Skies. CHRISTCHURCH ARTS CENTRE A phenomenally beautiful space, the neo-gothic former home of the University of Canterbury is the heart of the arts in Christchurch. A community centre with events, stores and exhibitions, the Christchurch Arts Centre has something for everyone. If you're after some pieces for your home, visit Frances Nation, a beautifully considered homewares store inside the centre. Owner Tessa Peach stocks quality goods made from natural materials; they're New Zealand-made, functional pieces you will love forever. It sums up the ethos of the centre, really — full of heart and authenticity. 2 Worcester Boulevard, Christchurch. THE MUSSEL INN Golden Bay isn't really Golden Bay without The Mussel Inn. Worth the trip to the northwest Nelson region, this is a beloved watering hole for locals and visitors alike. After a day lounging on the beach, sink in for a night of live music and bevs. While there's no knowing who's going to show up on the bill, every week brings a new lineup of artists to the place. That's one of the beauteous things about the Inn. The team also brews its own beers, ciders and soft drinks. We'd recommend the feijoa cider if it's on tap. 1259 State Highway 60, Onekaka, Golden Bay. THE CHRISTCHURCH FARMERS' MARKET Luxe porridge? Fresh produce? People watching? You'll find it all at the Christchurch Farmers' Market, one of Aotearoa's first markets. The best way to experience a new place is to go where the people are — and on a Saturday, they're all in Riccarton buying wholesome seasonal goodness. Held on the doorstep of Christchurch's founding family's home, Riccarton House, and perched beside the Avon River, the market boasts over 80 stalls selling everything from veggies to coffee, cakes to organic dog biscuits. 16 Kahu Road, Riccarton, Christchurch. LARNACH CASTLE If history is your thing, head to New Zealand's only castle. Nestled in the beautiful Otago Peninsula, the castle was built in the 1870s by bank manager and cabinet minister William Larnach to house his large family. Restored to its former glory by the Barker family, the home and grounds are open every day of the year. While it may be considered a 'mock' castle, it's a magnificent site to see with Italian marble, Welsh slate, English floor tiles, Venetian and French glass, Kauri ceilings, rimu floors and honeysuckle panelling featured throughout. 145 Camp Road, Dunedin. MARLBOROUGH SOUNDS MAILBOAT Come summer, there may be no cruisier way to explore the Marlborough Sounds than aboard the Picton Mailboat. Hop aboard and join in on mail day, with commentary from your skipper on the history of the Sounds, the people who have lived there and those who call the area home today. Each journey is different, depending on where the post bags, groceries and freight need to go. Keep an eye out for dolphins and other wildlife, and make a stop at Ship Cove, where Captain James Cook stopped to replenish The Endeavour. Start planning your trip to New Zealand's south with our guide to the South Island journeys to take here.
When one of the biggest cultural events in the world is expanding Down Under for the first time ever, and the same year marks half a century since hip hop began, what's the best way to celebrate? With the debut SXSW Sydney welcoming Chance The Rapper to its stage to mark the occasion. The three-time Grammy-winner will have no problem reflecting on the milestone in Australia come October — and making an already-massive SXSW lineup even heftier. "As we celebrate 50 years of hip hop in 2023, I'm reminded of the transformative power this culture has had, not just on the world stage, but on the streets of Chicago's South Side," said Chance The Rapper, announcing his SXSW Sydney stint. "Hip hop has provided a rhythm to our stories and a canvas for our creativity. I'm really looking forward to joining SXSW Sydney as a speaker to expound upon hip hop's transcendent legacy." [caption id="attachment_917274" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Julio Enriquez via Wikimedia Commons.[/caption] The 'Hot Shower', 'I Might Need Security' and 'Do You Remember' singer-songwriter, aka Chancelor Johnathan Bennett, will hit Australia during the Sunday, October 15–Sunday, October 22 event amid global celebrations of hip hop's birth. It was in August 1973 that DJ Kool Herc first isolated percussion breaks, then repeated them — and made history. At SXSW Sydney, Chance The Rapper will chat about hip hop's immense impact, not just where the Chicago-born and -raised star grew up but also globally. [caption id="attachment_917272" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anthony Quintano via Wikimedia Commons.[/caption] "Chance The Rapper is renowned for both his chart topping and community advocacy. There's few out there like him, who take what they've made and use it to build the dreams of others," notes SXSW Sydney Managing Director Colin Daniels. "His genre-blurring sounds reverberate across generations, making him a powerful voice to reflect on the past 50 years of hip hop. His unique perspective bridges the gap between the genre's rich history and its dynamic future." [caption id="attachment_917273" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Julio Enriquez via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Chance The Rapper joins SXSW Sydney's speakers lineup alongside Coachella CEO Paul Tollett, Queer Eye star Tan France, Future Today Institute founder and CEO Amy Webb, Layne Beachley, Osher Günsberg and plenty more — a 700-plus strong bill of talent so far, in fact, covering over 300 sessions. SXSW Sydney will also feature more than 300 gigs across 25 venues, and has been dropping its music highlights and must-attend parties since earlier in 2023. Its dedicated gaming strand will include a dedicated tabletop game expo. And, the SXSW Sydney Screen Festival will open with The Royal Hotel, and host the world premiere of Hot Potato: The Story of the Wiggles. The entire event — the festivals within the bigger fest, exhibitions, talks, networking opportunities and streetside activations — will happen within a walkable precinct in the Sydney CBD, Haymarket, Darling Harbour, Ultimo, Chippendale and more, with the SXSW Sydney's footprint operating as a huge hub. Venues named so far include Powerhouse Museum, ICC Sydney, UTS, Central Park Mall, the Goods Line Walk, The Abercrombie and Lansdowne Hotel. SXSW Sydney runs from Sunday, October 15–Sunday, October 22 at various Sydney venues — head to the festival's website for tickets and further details. Top image: Keeley Parenteau. If you're keen to make the most of Australia's first SXSW, take advantage of our special reader offer. Purchase your SXSW Sydney 2023 Official Badge via Concrete Playground Trips and you'll score a $150 credit to use on your choice of Sydney accommodation. Book now via the website.
We all like to feel like a rockstar every once in a while. It's why we suit up to head to the theatre, to that new restaurant, or for a night out with your favourites. But true rockstars also live the lifestyle at home, not just in the VIP room of a nightclub. With help from our partner Moët & Chandon, we've come up with seven creative ways to lift your hosting game at your next dinner party or take your chilled out night on the couch to absolute baller status. Just think of us as your personal assistant, which is very Mick Jagger of you. [caption id="attachment_657569" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Trent van der Jadt[/caption] ORDER IN, BUT MAKE IT GOURMET A low-key night at home bingeing the latest season of Peaky Blinders or Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (no judgement here) doesn't have to mean a microwaved dinner and a $7 bottle of wine. When you're living it up, the world is your oyster — or your perfectly cut rectangle of raw tuna. Order a sushi or sashimi platter, edamame and all, from your favourite Japanese joint (check out our picks of the best ones in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne), and instead of pairing it with a beer, pop open a bottle of Moët & Chandon Rosé Champagne. The minerality and acidity of the wine pairs well with the freshness of the fish. To make the night extra special, hook up one of those little projectors to your laptop and, voila, you have your own in-house cinema. [caption id="attachment_758794" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Daria Shevtsova[/caption] DIY YOUR NEXT BOTTOMLESS BRUNCH Bottomless brunches are all the rage right now. It seems like every bar or cafe offers a similar deal, but instead of arranging to meet your mates in the city we're betting you can do it one better at home. Invite your crew around for a feast with stacks of fluffy pancakes, bowls of fresh fruit, sticky maple syrup and bottles of rosé champagne. Keep the pancakes warm and fresh by covering them with a clean tea towel and popping them in a 90-degree oven until you're ready to eat. Keep the bubbles on ice and don't forget the strawberries for your pancakes. [embed]https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX1tyCD9QhIWF[/embed] GET SOME SWAG TUNES GOING Whether you're having people round for brekkie, lunch, dinner or wine and cheese, it's crucial to pick the right tracks to create the right mood. Put together your own list of tunes, or have a scroll through Spotify. There really is something for every occasion — like this selection of bossa nova covers for your next dinner soiree, or these summer jazz jams ideal for when you're sipping bubbles on your balcony on a warm afternoon. For something a little louder, there's a poolside party mix, all of rock's biggest legends in one playlist, and these bangers (above) that'll make you feel like a boss. Don't be shy with the soundsystem and crank up the music. [caption id="attachment_758750" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Erik Dungan[/caption] TAKE YOUR CHARCUTERIE PLATTER TO THE NEXT LEVEL The high life is about having the best of the best, so head to your local deli for some proper charcuterie — try La Parisienne Pates in Melbourne, Omeio Artisanal Deli in Sydney and Brisbane's Rosalie Gourmet Market. Moët & Chandon Rosé Champagne pairs remarkably well with cheese and red meat, as it's made by mixing pinot noir and meunier grapes the flavour combinations work with mortadella, jamon and prosciutto, as much as they would with strawberries, olives and a fragrant goat's cheese. [caption id="attachment_758779" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rene Asmussen[/caption] HIRE A PRIVATE CHEF Save yourself from a cooking disaster and hire a professional to get the job done. Do you think Post Malone, Lizzo or the guys from Metallica do their own cooking when hosting a dinner party? Definitely not. There are plenty of services around Australia that will help you find a personal chef for your occasion, and the prices often match what you'd spend on a meal at restaurant — except this time there's no reason to rush you through your courses. Plus, you have the benefit of looking like a rockstar to all your guests. Check out At Your Table or Take A Chef, who operate around the country, or Intertain, which is available in Sydney and Melbourne only. [caption id="attachment_734878" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mud Australia[/caption] GO OTT WITH YOUR TABLE SETTING It's not enough to hire a private chef and pick the perfect playlist if you're going to serve food on a mismatched selection of op-shop plates. Start with a dark linen tablecloth, cloth napkins and personalised place cards, so your guests feel like rockstars too. Make sure you have matching crockery — you can get some gorgeous sets to suit all budgets from places like Kmart and Ikea, but when you want to invest in quality tableware we suggest shopping at Made In Japan or Mud Australia. Finish it off with candles, metallic cutlery, fresh-cut blooms and, if you're dining al fresco, Moët & Chandon rosé goblets. [caption id="attachment_758791" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bruce Mars[/caption] TURN LEFTOVERS INTO A MIDNIGHT SNACK FIT FOR A KING Nothing makes you feel like a grub quite like snacking straight from the fridge in the middle of the night. It's time to give midnight snacking the respect it deserves. It doesn't have to be a three-course meal, but you can easily revamp your leftovers by reheating them in the oven (never the microwave), throwing together an omelette, casserole or salad — or just sticking with cold pizza. Whatever you come up with, do yourself a favour — set the table, pop on some tunes, use a plate and pour yourself a glass of rosé champagne (if you didn't already polish off the bottle). Moët & Chandon's Rosé Impérial is a fruity and elegant champagne with gooseberry, raspberry and wild strawberry notes. Find out more here.
Alicia Taylor is one of Melbourne's most promising young photographers — you've probably seen her work splashed across your social feeds already. She learned the tricks of her trade at RMIT, where she studied design and photography, and combined her love of both in the career we all dream of: international photographer. Still, she's a Melburnian through and through, and knows the city's art and design scene as few can ever hope to. In partnership with Pullman Hotels and Resorts, we're helping you explore more on your next holiday and make sure you get those experiences that the area's most switched-on residents wouldn't want their visitors to miss. In Melbourne, we've called in Alicia, whose favourite spots range from the city's weirdest commercial art gallery to a restaurant whose impressive interior design is finished off with a four-metre brass compass. A stay in one of Pullman's two locations in Melbourne — Albert Park or On the Park in East Melbourne — will not only put you in the thick of all this action, it will let you contemplate all you've seen in five-star luxury at the end of the day. Read on for Alicia's perspective on Melbourne's art and design hot spots, and check out the rest of our Explore More content series to hone your itinerary for some of Australia's best holiday destinations. SOPHIE GANNON GALLERY The Sophie Gannon Gallery in Richmond is set away in an unassuming, single-level brick enclave, but housed within is the life's work of one of Australia's most ambitious art dealers, Sophie Gannon herself. Sophie came up from managing a handful of artists to handling some of Australia's finest — including my personal favourite, Emily Ferretti. Her gallery is also a showroom, as they so often are, and I love dropping by whenever I'm in the neighbourhood. There's no need to preplan; you can just trust that Sophie will have something beautiful adorning the walls. ACCA The Australian Centre for Contemporary Art is a great interactive contemporary art space located in Southbank. It's one of my favourite architectural spaces in Melbourne. You won't be able to miss it — in a sparse, industrial part of town, the ACCA building really draws attention to itself. It was completed in 1983 by Wood Marsh Architecture. The distinctive rusted steel facade of interpressed metal has since become a beloved architectural icon. The exhibitions presented at ACCA are often thought-provoking, innovative and bold, and the program of talks and symposiums that accompany them are some of Melbourne's finest. [caption id="attachment_644313" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Brook Andrew at Tolarno Galleries Melbourne. Photo by Andrew Curtis[/caption] TOLARNO GALLERIES The Tolarno Galleries is one of the Melbourne's weirdest commercial contemporary art galleries, nestled in a spacious and well-appointed venue on Exhibition Street in the CBD. The director, Jan Minchin (formerly a curator at the National Gallery of Victoria), is known for creating the perfect blend of controversial and popular exhibitions with lawless artists (and some of my favourites) like Ben Quilty and Bill Henson. Remember Patricia Piccinini, blowing our minds over and over? Imagine that kind of work given free rein. The clean, white exhibition space is filled with soft, filtered light. I find it acts as a perfect oasis from the hustle and bustle of the city and an introspective atmosphere to take it all in. TARLO & GRAHAM You haven't truly experienced eclectic vintage until you've visited Tarlo and Graham on Gertrude Street in Fitzroy. It's a cornucopia of eccentric pieces, and it's difficult for me to even try to predict what you might find on a visit. It could be anything. You might stumble across a rare lithograph from a beloved Australian artist, a dozen trombones or a family of ceramic clowns. It's all possible at Tarlo and Graham, which is why i love to while away an afternoon here. Goodies are piled high in every corner, but it's not always random. The warmth and humour of the proprietors shines through in their weird and wonderful displays and combinations. CHRISTOPHER BOOTS Lighting stores, with their dramatic and changeable lighting landscapes, are a world of their own, and the Christopher Boots showroom is, in my opinion, one of Melbourne's best. Located on Gore Street in Fitzroy, it's part art installation, part gallery and part lighting retailer. The intimate and artful showroom is ever-changing and also a delight to walk through. The CB team work in their open-plan office next to the displays. They might specialise in lighting, but the team's expertise in all things texture shines through in the beautiful warehouse and workspaces. JARDAN The Jardan store in Richmond (you'll find it nestled in furniture row, on Church Street) is a beautiful venue to spend a morning wandering around. The light-soaked space displays furniture and art pieces that will make you sigh and say 'One day'. Or, today could be your day! Pieces from some of Australia's best contemporary designers are housed here in a range of styled spaces. The store itself is a stroke of design genius, featuring a combination of a stark gold facade, eggshell whites, overflowing greenery and varied natural textures that showcase but don't overpower the pieces they surround. FENTON & FENTON Fenton & Fenton is a colourful cave of wonders in Prahan and a must-do for any design lover or interior decorator (amateur or otherwise). They sell an extensive collection of art and design on the premises, as well as bits and pieces you won't find anywhere else: jewellery, curios, furnishings and a diverse range of homewares and lifestyle products. Fenton & Fenton also have a team of lovely stylists on hand (or a phone call away) to guide you if you get stuck between cushions, and the shop itself is always so beautifully styled, I think it's an inspiration in its own right. HIGHER GROUND Higher Ground, conveniently found in the CBD, is an outstanding example of architectural retrofitting done right (they serve excellent food too — prepare to salivate). Nathan Toleman (the man behind Top Paddock and Kettle Black) and his partners — Sam Slattery, Ben Clark and Diamond Rozakeas — have created another dazzling cafe experience. Higher Ground started its life as an old power station and has been transformed into a spacious and lush eating space with gentle lighting. I've noticed the breakfast menu is earning a bit of a reputation, and I can't go past the colourful ricotta hotcake served with seeds, cream, seasonal fruit and flowers or the butter poached white asparagus, served with comté, tarragon, bronze fennel, poached eggs and rye toast. Their tea menu is also out of the ordinary. ATLAS DINING The design concept at Atlas Dining, located on Commercial Road in South Yarra, is truly exceptional. The contemporary, clean space — designed by Sydney-based architects Belinda Pajkovic and Tamara Frangelli — is defined by leather banquettes, soft lighting and white birch timber, topped off with a four-metre brass compass hanging from the ceiling. It blows my mind every time I visit. And the elegance continues through to the rotating menu, which is completely changed every three months (I never know what I'll get and that's fun). Chef Charlie Carrington's dishes are beautifully plated and balanced. They say Atlas will be a true adventure and they're right — it's a must-do Melbourne experience. ACNE STUDIOS Melbourne's Acne Studios store opened in 2014. It's already an iconic landmark on The Strand and has also raised the bar for retail design in the CBD. The fit-out was designed by Swedish firm Bozarthfornell Architects. They've been responsible for Acne Studios stores all over the world, but the Melbourne iteration is like no other, with stark, industrial dividers slicing up the space. It's both functional and brutal in perfect balance. If you're anything like me, a stroll through Acne Studios will have your senses pinging and your fingers itching to swipe your credit card. Explore more with Pullman. Book your next hotel stay with Pullman and enjoy a great breakfast for just $1.
Founded in 2012 by a group of former soldiers, Coburg's Wild Timor is a cafe that serves both its local community, as well as the communities of coffee growers in Timor-Leste from which this cafe's beans are sourced. There is, of course, a story here: the lads behind this Sydney Road spot were deployed to assist in peacekeeping during recent times of conflict in Timor-Leste. During their time in service, they developed close friendships with the local citizens — and a love for their coffee. With this in mind, they set out to provide a way to bring the product back home to Australia, while continuing to support the community they had grown to feel part of. To this day, they continue to source beans at a fair price from their original suppliers. The beans themselves are endemic to Timor-Leste, and a delicious natural hybrid of arabica and robusta that offers notes of caramel, chocolate and cherry, with bright hints of citrus and a touch of rum-like sweetness to round it out. The wholesome offer also expands to the food menu here, with a selection of more than serviceable brunch and lunch dishes — try the Timorese-style sweet and sour eggs, with a housemade sweet potato rosti, paired with tomato relish, spinach, coriander relish, Timorese chilli sauce and fried eggs. Images: Julia Sansone
When it comes to organising a nice meal out, there is a lot to consider. And while Melbourne is a treasure trove of restaurants with mouthwatering food, it's important to acknowledge there's usually more to it than just filling your stomach. The surroundings matter, too. Forget the design cliches you're sick of — think checkered tablecloths at an Italian joint and the much-overdone Scandi chic styling. It's time to level up the ambience of your restaurant game and we know just the place — or, should we say places. Together with Melbourne's ridesharing app DiDi, we've narrowed down five restaurants around Melbourne that provide a feast for the eyes as much as one for your taste buds. Read on to discover spots that boast velvet green booths edged in gold trimming, a pastel pink wonderland that would make Barbie rethink her dream home design, and brutalist architecture combined with video artworks.
Been seeing idyllic tiny houses all over your feed lately? Well here's your chance to join the tiny crowd. The guys at Tiny Away have just built a collection of cabins at the foot of the Grampians National Park. The new site is called Tiny Away Escape at Grampians Edge, and there are ten tiny houses on the property so far, set amongst the gum trees of the Grampians. There are also a bunch of communal amenities, like a recreation room, outdoor fire pit and swimming pool. "Whether you're a couple looking to break away from it all, or a family or group looking for a multi-site accommodation offering, Tiny Away Escape at Grampians Edge is an exciting innovation of the Australian resort concept and we're thrilled to be able to start to welcoming guests," Tiny Away co-founder Jeff Yeo says. The tiny houses themselves are all sustainably-built and include your usual mod-cons: split-system air conditioning, a teeny kitchenette, cooking stuff and a bathroom with gas-heated showers. Tiny Away Escape also has powered and unpowered sites nearby, if tiny houses are too spacious and you'd rather sleep in a tent, or a swag. Bookings for Tiny Away Escape at Grampians Edge are open now. More are expected to follow, and you can check out the tiny houses here. Images: Supplied
Summer in Melbourne pretty much screams for a crisp, gin-infused tipple, enjoyed in the sunshine, overlooking some water. And once again, local gin festival Juniperlooza is setting you up for success. This time, for its 2020 edition, the festival is taking over South Wharf's Boatbuilders Yard and Polly Woodside (yes, the boat) for two full days on Saturday, February 15 and Sunday, February 16. The gin-soaked revelry will be in full swing, with 23 boutique producers from both overseas and Australia gathering to show off their wares. Archie Rose, Four Pillars, Never Never Distilling CO, The Botanist and Flinders Distillery are some of the labels that have already been announced, as well as the UK's Chase Distillery. And the folks at Strangelove will be heading up the party's tonic situation once again. Gin-thusiasts will have the chance to meet the producers, sip G&Ts accented with carefully matched garnishes, and sample specialty gin cocktails from each brand. There'll be a slew of musical talent, too, including Agent 86, J'nett and four local DJs. Tickets ($30–45, depending how quickly you snag one) include a free G&T, a reusable store and lots of gin tastings. Early bird tickets ($30–35) go on sale from November 18. General sale ($40–45) then starts on November 20. You can sign up for early access over here.
After nearly a decade of Westerosi power struggles, obsessed fans and soaring ratings, HBO now finds itself with a Game of Thrones-sized gap to fill. The network isn't completely saying goodbye to the world created by George RR Martin, with at least two spinoffs in the works, and possibly more to come. But it's also looking for its next big hit. Bleak superhero saga Watchmen is one of the network's options, thanks to a television adaptation of the acclaimed graphic novel that's headed to screens this month. His Dark Materials is another, as based on Philip Pullman's award-winning young adult trilogy of books of the same name. And if the latter sounds familiar, that's because — like Watchmen — one of the tomes has already been turned into a movie. Twelve years after the incredibly family-oriented The Golden Compass made its way to cinemas, it's now heading to TV alongside sequels The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. HBO is keeping things simple by sticking with the franchise name, other than individual book monikers. Also, they're betting on star power. As the first teaser demonstrated a few months back, the series boasts a hefty cast, spanning James McAvoy, Ruth Wilson, Lin-Manuel Miranda, The Wire's Clarke Peters and Logan's Dafne Keen. Still on the big-name front, Academy Award-winning The King's Speech director Tom Hooper also helms the first two episodes (which, unlike his next big movie Cats, probably won't feature big-name actors and singers shrunk down to feline size). Amidst all of the above well-known folks, Keen leads the charge, playing an orphan by the name of Lyra Belacqua. She seems just like everyone else, but hails from an alternate universe — one where a person's soul manifests as a shape-shifting animal called a daemon. As she looks for a kidnapped friend in the Arctic, Lyra discovers a church-run stolen children ring, learns about mysterious particles known as Dust and ventures through different worlds, including the one we all know. McAvoy pops up as a powerful aristocrat, Wilson is his ex, and Miranda plays a balloonist and adventurer. If you're already eager, the eight-episode first season will drop in November — and there's more to come. Instigated by and co-produced with the BBC, the show has already been renewed for a second season before it even airs. Check out the full trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APduGe1eLVI His Dark Materials launches on November 5, Australian and New Zealand time — with the series airing weekly from that date on Foxtel in Australia. Images: HBO.
Lime Cordiale are sleeping at your door, Bel Heir are kissing the devil whilst Magic Man are simply enjoying every day — as you should this weekend. You've earned it. 1. 'SLEEPING AT YOUR DOOR' - LIME CORDIALE Welcome spring! We have endured the cold winter months just to feel your warm, sun-filled embrace and it has been a wonderful first week. Farewelling winter also means that our speakers are set to be overrun by upbeat tracks that everybody can dance to all summer long, and Lime Cordiale have delivered one that will be on repeat until the cold returns. 'Sleeping At Your Door' is a 3 minute 18 second long bundle of energy and if it leaves you craving more, then do not fret, as their new album was released today. Keep it up spring! 2. 'MAD' - DE VERRE Hypnotising is the best adjective to describe De Verre's debut musical offering. The Southern Californians have delivered a sensual number dripping in allure. It is intoxicating, arousing and soothing all at once, with a video to match. This one is for later in the evening; step aside Barry White. 3. 'KISS THE DEVIL' - BEL HEIR Since Bel Heir announced that they would release a new track on the first Tuesday of each month for the rest of 2013, I have been looking forward to their monthly treat. If 'Kiss The Devil' is anything to go by, then we have three more incredible songs on their way. So have a listen to this track and if you haven't already noted the first Tuesday of October, November and December by the end of it then do so now. Also, extra kudos for their excellent band name. 4. 'HEALTH' - STILL PARADE Still Parade released a beautiful song 'Actors' in May and then went silent, until now. 'Health' is refreshingly simplistic, pulling you onto an emotional roller-coaster that has just the right amount of twists and turns. If they are going to produce gems like this, then I think we should all be okay with letting them disappear for four months at a time to return with musical magic. 5. 'EVERY DAY' - MAGIC MAN Speaking of magic, Magic Man has decided to pull out the guitars and drums and play them harmoniously to create 'Every Day', a track set to lighten 2013 road trip playlists. The band has a similar sound to HAIM, which is a compliment and a half so be sure to pick up their EP You Are Here on Tuesday, 10 September, whilst you wait for HAIM's debut.
We've seen some cool ideas for putting solar cells in novel places, and everyone agrees that being able to better harness the sun's energy would go a long way to solving our energy problems. But perhaps it's time we thought a bit bigger than solar-charging furniture... a lot bigger. Like, evil-scientist scheme big. It just so happens that scientists at Japan's Shimizu construction corporation (who aren't evil — probably) have been thinking big for us. They are proposing that we use the moon as a giant solar farm, laying the surface with a ring of photo-voltaic cells to capture some of the 13,000 terawatts of solar energy that hits the moon each day, then beaming it back to earth via laser or microwave. Although LUNA RING sounds like something out of a sci-fi novel, the technology required for such a project already exists. What keeps the project from becoming a reality immediately is the, pardon the pun, astronomical cost. Such a massive venture would have an incalculable benefit for the entire world, and would probably require the co-operation and support of the entire world. Given that the world can't organise a football tournament without a few problems, this might be one world-saving project that never gets off the ground. Which would be a great shame. [via geeksaresexy]
Being named the world's best gin producer for two years running, selling half of its business to beer behemoth Lion and opening a Sydney bar in the middle of the pandemic — they're just some of reasons that Four Pillars has had a big couple of years. The Australian gin company is in for a hefty 2021, too, especially at the Healesville site it calls home. Over the next 12 months, it's undertaking a $6 million redevelopment, which'll enable twice as many juniper spirits-lovers to head to the Yarra Valley and enjoy its tipples. Come December 2021, you'll be able to visit Four Pillars' Lilydale Road address and check out a much larger setup. New hospitality, production and bottling facilities will be part of the revamped site — including the company's sixth German-designed Carl still — as will an events space. The latter will be able to house 250 guests, and there'll also be a retail space and something that Four Pillars is calling 'a special sensory surprise', should you want to do more than just taste its gin. Giving the site an eye-catching new facade designed by Breathe Architecture, the new works are taking place adjacent to Four Pillars' existing distillery, and are designed to blend the two together seamlessly. So, if you're fond of the current setup — as around 100,000 people were in 2019 — it's sticking around. When the new addition opens, however, the Healesville facility will be able to welcome more than 200,000 visitors per year. [caption id="attachment_799170" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Artist's impression of Four Pillars' distillery redevelopment. Breathe Architecture/Neverstop.[/caption] "When we began making Four Pillars, the Yarra Valley was always intended to be our home — and when we found our original site, we couldn't believe our luck," said Four Pillars co-founder Cameron Mackenzie. "When the opportunity came to buy the land next door, we simply had no choice but to roll the dice and back our Yarra Valley dream to the hilt." Four Pillars' current distillery and hospitality space will continue operating as normal while the new works are taking place, and continue serving up the brand's award-winning range — which includes barrel-aged, bloody shiraz, rare dry, spiced negroni, Christmas, overproof, olive leaf and summer-inspired gins. And, if you've made the visit since the Healesville spot reopened over the summer, only to find queues snaking outside, that's one of the things the big revamp is designed to address. Four Pillars' revamped distillery will open at 2–6 Lilydale Road, Healesville, in December 2021. The company's existing site at the same address is still open as usual during the redevelopment.
First Nations filmmakers from around the globe will be in the spotlight at ACMI in April as part of the inaugural Birrarangga Film Festival. Taking its name from the Woiwurrung word for 'river location', and curated by Wurundjeri (Woiwurrung) / Yorta Yorta writer and actor Tony Briggs, the festival will showcase more than 40 feature and short films from Canada, the United States, New Zealand, Mexico, Russia, Greenland, Peru and, of course, Australia, as well as panel discussions, filmmaker Q&As, industry events and more. The festival kicks off on Friday, April 26 with opening night feature Sgaawaay K'uuna (Edge of the Knife), the first film made entirely in the Native American Haida language. The screening will be accompanied by a Welcome to Country with a special performance by the Djirri Djirri dance group, as well as the official afterparty. Other highlights over the course of the weekend-long festival include Toyon Kyyl (The Lord Eagle), a drama made by an Indigenous cast and crew from the Sakha Republic in Russia, Akornatsinniitut (Among Us), a sci-fi adventure film from Greenland, and a program of short films celebrating Victorian Indigenous stories on screen.
Gelato Messina first introduced its cookie pies to the world in 2020, and tastebuds across Australia thanked them. Then, it kept bringing the OTT dessert back when we all needed an extra dose of sweetness across the year. In fact, the dessert fiends have been serving them up for exactly 12 months now. That's a milestone worth celebrating, which Messina is doing by releasing a new birthday cake cookie pie. Chocolate chips are involved, as they usually are, but this dessert also includes a layer of vanilla custard, plus birthday cake crumbled on top. Yes, sprinkles feature as well. Of course they are. Hang on, a cookie pie? It's a pie, obviously, but it's made of cookie dough. And it serves two–six people — or just you. You bake it yourself, too, so you get to enjoy that oh-so-amazing smell of freshly baked cookies wafting through your kitchen. This time, you'll enjoy the scent of vanilla and birthday cake as well. The new pies will be available for preorder from 9am on Monday, April 12 — which is your chance to get yourself a piece of the pie. On its own, the indulgent birthday cake cookie pie will cost $25. But to sweeten the deal, the cult ice creamery has created a few bundle options, should you want some of its famed gelato atop it. For $35, you'll get the pie and a 500-millilitre tub, while with a one-litre tub or a 1.5-litre tub, it'll cost $41 and $45 respectively. The catch? You'll have to peel yourself off the couch and head to your local Messina store to pick up your order. They'll be available for collection between Friday, April 16–Sunday, April 18. You can preorder a Messina birthday cake cookie pie pie from Monday, April 12, to pick up from April 16–18.
That The Boys-shaped hole in your viewing is about to be filled, and not just by college-set spinoff Gen V. Viewers had the latter to get their sinister superhero fix in 2023, but 2024 will deliver more of the show behind it — and, unsurprisingly to viewers of 201-9's first season, 2020's second effort and 2022's third go-around, utter mayhem is on the way. When The Boys returns, it'll see the world dealing with Homelander (Antony Starr, Guy Ritchie's The Covenant)-versus-Starlight (Erin Moriarty, Captain Fantastic) factionalism, and just being ready to tear itself apart in general. Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit, Where'd You Go, Bernadette) is getting closer to the Oval Office, too, with Homelander pulling the strings. It's no wonder that the just-dropped first trailer for season four is filled with utter chaos. Also on the way: no-nonsense Brit Billy Butcher (Karl Urban, Thor: Ragnarok) dealing with the fact that he's only got months left, and that he's no longer leading The Boys — aka the eponymous ragtag team intent on bringing down Vought International, Homelander, and the company's caped-crusader industry and dominance. And, there's a new face, with Jeffrey Dean Morgan (The Walking Dead) joining the cast, adding another Supernatural link after Jensen Ackles did the same in season three. Back in 2019 when The Boys first hit streaming, sufferers 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); however, 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 Vought. 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, but most are hardly role models when the public isn't looking. That has made quite the change from the usual cinematic universes as the Prime Video show has kept notching up the seasons, all coming to the small screen after being adapted from Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson's comic book series of the same name. Exactly when The Boys will bring back its gleefully darker-than-dark tone, a pervasive bleakness that refuses to be shaken, plus oh-so-much blood, gore and guts hasn't been revealed other than sometime in 2024. As well as Starr, Moriarty, Doumit and Urban, Jack Quaid (Oppenheimer), Jessie T Usher (Smile), Laz Alonso (Wrath of Man), Chace Crawford (Gossip Girl), Tomer Capone (One on One), Karen Fukuhara (Bullet Train), Colby Minifie (I'm Thinking of Ending Things) and Cameron Crovetti (Goodnight Mommy) will all return — with Susan Heyward (Hello Tomorrow!) and Valorie Curry (The Lost Symbol) also set to be season four newcomers. Check out the first trailer for The Boys season four below: The fourth season of The Boys will start streaming via Prime Video sometime in 2024 — we'll update you with an exact date when one is announced. Read our reviews of The Boys season three and Gen V.
Little Lonsdale Street's Caretaker's Cottage has regularly made The World's 50 Best Bars list — coming in at number 23 in 2023 — and is one of our favourite drinking dens in the city. Hailing from bartenders and owners Rob Libecans, Ryan Nordics and Matt Stirling, Caretaker's Cottage is known for being a subtle temple to great drinks. You're not going to find overworked and overly theatric bevs cross the bar here. But you will find the classics done brilliantly, and signature sips made with great care. It's even known for having one of Melbourne's coldest martinis — if that tickles your fancy — and serves a mean Guinness.
Shokuiku on High Street in Northcote know a thing or two about the natural side of foods. The drinks list alone is health craziness. In a good way, of course. You can go for the Ultimate Smoothie ($25) if you're feeling rich: it includes coconut water, coconut meat, berries, hemp, cacao nibs, goji berry, ashwagandha, astragalus, MSM, camu camu, fulvic acid, reishi, maca, marine phytoplankton, mega hydrate, vanilla, and lakanto. Phew. The dinner menus change monthly and feature things like coconut cream and lime soup with zucchini noodles for entree, layered vegetable bake with vegetable mince and marinara sauce for main, and a banana cream tart with cacao truffle slice for dessert. They also offer custom-made raw cakes, a range of granolas and supplements to take home with you to continue your raw journey. It honestly feels like an adventure. Give it a try.
Take in the scenery and work up a proper thirst at Red Hill Brewery's annual Ride with the Brewer. Riders will be split into through groups based on skill level before embarking on a fully guided cycling tour of the picturesque Red Hill region. Afterwards you can cool down with beers and lunch back at the brewery. Not a bad way to spend your Sunday, and a lovely low-key outing for the final day of Good Beer Week 2017.
Sydney knows it thanks to Vivid. Melbourne's RISING makes the same point clear. No matter the place, there's nothing like a city lit up with glowing lights, outdoor art installations and projections in winter. Since debuting in 2021, Illuminate Adelaide has embraced the same idea each year in the City of Churches — and 2024's just-dropped full lineup includes more than 40 works that'll dazzle the city, plus everything from after-dark puppetry in the zoo and a digital garden to Max Cooper and Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon. And Fire Gardens. Back in April, Illuminate Adelaide revealed that the French art collective Compagnie Carabosse would headline the fest with its acclaimed piece, which will fill Adelaide Botanic Garden more than 7000 fire pots, sculptures and terracotta urns. While it'll be the event's scorching centrepiece from Thursday, July 4–Sunday, July 21, the highlights keep coming on the complete program. [caption id="attachment_953096" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Andrew Beveridge[/caption] Much of the brightness in the South Australian at Illuminate Adelaide comes via the City Lights program, which will span those 40-plus free site-specific works over 17 days. The class of 2024 features Renaissance artworks coming alive, interactive lights inspired by the moon's phases, the harp becoming a light-and-colour experience, illuminated street furniture, blue fireflies and more. The World Has Gone Pear Shaped — a large-scale, six-metre-tall inflatable sculpture that turns earth into a pear to muse on humanity's impact upon the planet — is sure to be standout. So is intangible #form by Japanese artist Shohei Fujimoto, which uses lasers, strobe lights, other moving lights and haze to create a multi-sensory piece across an array of rooms. You'll be swinging at Spectrum of Happiness, and as you do you'll create a rainbow. And Tjarutja Dance Theatre Collective Project's Ngarrindjeri Ruwi tells the Ngarrindjeri tale about Kondili, the whale that projects the spark of fire. [caption id="attachment_953092" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Artec House[/caption] Puppets roaming outside have increasingly become a key component of arts festivals of late — Parrtjima in the Northern Territory just proved this true in April — so of course Illuminate Adelaide has incorporated the trend into its lineup. Cue Universal Kingdom: Prehistoric Nights, a brand-new blend of puppetry and animation from Erth Visual & Physical Inc and A Blanck Canvas that'll take over Adelaide Zoo. A glowing dinosaur skeleton with a giant skull and a ribcage that you can walk through, ancient critters wandering along, an eight-metre animated plesiosaur in the sky: they're just some of its elements. Similarly immersive and built for folks to mosey around is interactive digital garden EDEN, which splashes its nature paradise across 150 square metres of LED screens — and will be accompanied by The Light Room Bar for bites and beverages. [caption id="attachment_953094" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Erth[/caption] Bridging the gap between Illuminate Adelaide's art and music bills, Max Cooper's 3D AV gets an Australian-exclusive run. Hindley Street Music Hall will welcome in its audio-visual display, which adapts each performance to its venue so no show is the same as any other. Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon and Dutch pianist Joep Beving are also on the program, the former as part of experimental music fest Unsound Adelaide within the broader fest. Its lineup features The Caretaker doing his first Aussie show, plus Yirinda, 33EMYBW, Eiko Ishibash, ∈Y∋ with C.O.L.O. and more. [caption id="attachment_953098" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Danielle Neu[/caption] And if that's not enough to enjoy around Adelaide, Hayao Miyazaki's Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, one of the Studio Ghibli great's very best films, is getting a free screening; Patch Theatre's family-friendly Superluminal uses lanterns that change colour in your hand, paired with nature sounds; and Fill the Earth combines physical performance and visual art, plus dance and video, on a 3.5-metre round stage. Pop-up bar and eatery hub Base Camp is back for its fourth year, too, complete with its own interactive light show, while Live @ The Lab will add more live tunes to the program. [caption id="attachment_953093" align="alignnone" width="1920"] florafaunavisions[/caption] [caption id="attachment_953100" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alex Kozobolis[/caption] [caption id="attachment_953099" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Oscar Lewis[/caption] [caption id="attachment_953090" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Frankie The Creative[/caption] [caption id="attachment_953101" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Saige Prime[/caption] [caption id="attachment_953102" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Samuel Graves[/caption] Illuminate Adelaide 2024 runs from Thursday, July 4–Sunday, July 21. Check out the festival's website for the full program and to grab tickets. Top image: Amigo and Amigo. 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.
Something completely new is set to join Australia's skyline: a Skystand overlooking the Brisbane Cricket Ground, aka the Gabba. Located atop 20-storey development Silk One in Woolloongabba's Trafalgar Street, it's exactly what it sounds like: a rooftop terrace that peers over the stadium, allowing residents to see whatever might be happening on the ground — namely Brisbane Lions AFL matches during winter and cricket games over summer. A handful of concerts also take place at the Gabba, with Adele playing there in 2017 and Taylor Swift slated for later in 2018. The idea is that people who live one of the complex's 178 apartments (or people who are friends with people who live in the apartments) will get access to these events without really leaving home, all while hanging out on a sky-high timber deck, underneath a pergola, with a big screen TV and a dining and barbecue area at their fingertips. The rooftop will also include a gym, pool, spa and sun lounges, in case whatever's on in the stadium doesn't pique your interest. Of course, an obvious question has to be asked: how much will you really be able to see from 20 levels up? Sure, there'll be a television on hand so that you can watch all of the ins and outs of the game in detail, and you'll save yourself the cost of a ticket. But the Gabba is more likely to provide a glossy backdrop as you hang out in the Skystand, rather than letting you actually enjoy the game or concert. Still, we're guessing the sound of the crowd, or whoever is on stage crooning, will echo up that far. Given that the area around the Gabba is currently filled with both new high-rises and construction sites in the process of erecting new high-rises, it wouldn't be surprising if other buildings follow suit. That said, the folks behind Silk One say their Skystand has been "strategically designed to maximise the birds-eye views of the Gabba stadium". Silk One in Woolloongabba and its Skystand are slated for completion in mid-2020.
Just like toilet paper, pasta and cans of tuna, tampons and pads in the time of COVID-19 are becoming increasingly hard to find on supermarket shelves. Which is a less-than-ideal situation to be in when that time of the month rolls around. And, sure, you may have heard about period-proof undies — and maybe even thought about making the switch for sustainability and economical reasons — but have you actually used them? No? Well, perhaps now is the time to give them a go. Since starting back in 2013, Australian label Modibodi has been shipping its colourful, comfy and functional undies to folk around the globe, with the aim of empowering them with a more eco-friendly option to tampons and pads — and, in the long run, it's lighter on the wallet. Plus, if you're self-isolating or trying to cut down your visits to the shop at the moment — kudos to you — then undies, which you can order online and delivered straight to your door, might be the way to go. Modibodi's undies use fabrics such as bamboo, merino wool and microfibres and have built-in absorbent, breathable (and stain- and odour-resistant) liners. After two years of testing, trialling and fine-tuning the designs with textile engineers and companies in Australia and the US, Modibodi became one of the world's go-to period-proof undies. The liners are about three-millimetres thick and can absorb anywhere between five and 20 millilitres (about four tampons' worth). So, while you're stuck at home, you can parade around in a pair of underwear — and not worry about any discomfort or leaks when wearing them. As these undies are designed to be thrown in your washing machine to be worn again and again, they're a far more sustainable solution than single-use items such as tampons, pads and liners, too. So, not only are they good for you, they're good for the planet. It doesn't hurt that it works out cheaper in the long run, too. They're designed for people of all ages, shapes and sizes, too, with more than ten different styles — from a classic brief cut to bikini, seamless, boyleg, boy short, high-waisted, maternity, swim, activewear and even vegan ones — in a range of colours. Plus, there are four different absorbency levels available: superlight, light-moderate, moderate-heavy and heavy-overnight. There are designs for pee, sweat and pregnancy, too. Prices start from $23.50 and there are packs of five, seven and ten, too, which will save you some pennies if you're looking to buy more than a couple of pairs. Modibodi is currently offering contactless delivery across Australia and New Zealand, with free shipping on orders over $100 AUD and NZD. If this is your first time buying them, you can score ten percent off when you sign up here. For more information on period-proof undies — and to buy yourself a pair (or few) — head to Modibodi's website. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
After premiering at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival and doing the circuit of North America's best film festivals, The Whistleblower is finally hitting Sydney screens next week. The Whistleblower is a political thriller based on the real-life experiences of Kathryn Blokovac, a Nebraska Cop who, while working as a paid UN peacekeeper in post-war Bosnia in 1999, uncovered a underground sex-trafficking industry. The film follows Blokovac as she risks her job and personal safety to investigate into the human trafficking she witnesses, discovering some very ugly truths about the people around her in the process. Ultimately, The Whistleblower is about the very worst of humanity - corruption, expolitation and the abuse of power - yet is also a story of an average person who demonstrates extraordinary courage in order to do the right thing. Starring Rachel Weisz, Vanessa Redgrave, David Strathairn and Monica Bellucci, The Whistleblower brings together a stellar cast in what promises to be a confronting yet engaging cinematic experience that will stay with you for some time to come. To win one of ten single passes to see The Whistleblower, just make sure you are subscribed to Concrete Playground then email your name and postal address through to hello@concreteplayground.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=r2EZe5KOrGs
One of the beautiful, beautiful things about living in a pluralistic society is that you can turn pretty much any cause, interest or activity into your raison-d’etre. Gather a few like-minded mavericks around you, and call it a club. Create a website and you’re an international force to be reckoned with. That’s right, you need never feel alone again (no matter how odd you are). Because on some far-flung corner of the earth, there’ll be a club for you. For example, are you ridiculously smart? I’m not talking about matching up to those sub-standard wannabe intellectuals over at Mensa. I’m talking about meeting entrance standards for The Giga Society. Only one in a billion people qualify. But if you’re more, let’s say, run-of-the-mill, how about sharing your passion for poodles? Or your penchant for swapping coffee cream lids? Or your need to dress up like Santa Claus, even in February? Or your fancying of pigeons? Or your love of, simply, getting naked? Photographers Ursula Sprecher and Andi Cortellini have made it their mission to capture some of the world’s most fun, eccentric and cutest clubs; collating them in a coffee table book titled Hobby Buddies. In every staged portrait, club members are shown holding the object most important to them, wearing the costume (or lack of costume) that gives them common ground or taking part in their favourite activity. According to Sprecher and Cortellini, the series is inspired by the "joy of pursuing a common cause or shared idea". Camping and Caravanning Club Swiss Garrison Dintefisch Diving Club Tram Club Tupperware Party Santa Claus Group Warriors Cheerleaders Coffee Cream Lids Swap Meet BDSM Regular's Table Orchid Club Association of Scientific Preparators Board Games Club Merriment Pipe-Smokers Club Via Beautiful Decay. Images by Ursula Sprecher and Andi Cortellini.
Plants, art, friends and family — The Wildwood Collective might have given itself an ambitious remit, but it definitely pulls it off. This Pakington Street space stocks everything you need to become the best plant parent you can be, from We The Wild plant care to Mr Kitly self-watering pots. You can also browse a selection of macrame plant holders, each handmade by studio owner Tess Cook. There's also a considered range of bath and body care, while the space itself is home to two other independent local designers: Ikigai, which designs handmade clayware for the home, and Ernest and Joe, a family-run designer and maker of handmade jewellery using recycled Australian sterling silver and gold. [caption id="attachment_809134" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Julia Sansone[/caption] Images: Julia Sansone
David Bowie lit up the entertainment world like a flash of lightning. In fact, after wearing a bolt of brightness across his face on the cover of his 1973 album Aladdin Sane, the symbol became forever linked with the star. Now, a collective of Bowie-obsessed designers are trying to ensure that he continues to dazzle London thanks to a proposed permanent public memorial. In a plan that has must-visit tourist attraction written all over it, creative consultancy This Ain't Rock'n'Roll have launched a crowdfunding campaign to see a three-storey-high, red and blue coloured piece of stainless steel art built in the centre of Brixton, just five streets away from where Bowie was born. Yes, it'll take the shape of a lightning bolt. Yes, they've already thought of calling it the ZiggyZag. Yes, measuring nine metres in height and almost seven metres in width, it'll be just like the man who inspired it — impossible to ignore. The structure will sit next to another Bowie tribute in the form of Jimmy C's internationally famous Aladdin Sane mural, turning the Brixton spot into an absolute haven for worshipping the artist. If it eventuates, we're guessing there'll be plenty of dancing in the streets. Created in consultation with Bowie's team in New York and London, the project has a target of £990,000 — raising £43,647 so far at the time of writing — with the pledge period ending on March 21. Those who donate funds won't just play a part in making history, but can also receive books, pins, prints, t-shirts, pendants, limited-edition art and even 3D-printed miniature replicas, depending on the level of their contribution. For more information, visit the David Bowie memorial's crowdfunding page.
It might be winter, but things are only heating up at W Melbourne's pool deck WET. On Thursday, August 25, the swanky sky-high destination will host its first party, headlined by none other than Brisbane-based indie-pop act Cub Sport. Nab yourself a ticket for $25 and head on up from 7pm to kick off your night with tunes from a lineup of Melbourne DJs, dancing poolside with a cocktail in hand. Then, Cub Sport takes the stage from 9–10pm, celebrating their latest single 'Always Got The Love'. Expect a soundtrack of past hits and new-release tracks, plus a few covers of songs from some famous musical mates. As for refreshments, you've got WET's full food and drink offering to pair with the tunes. Think, Aqua Boogie seltzers, brews by Stomping Ground and Deeds, local wines and signature sips like the Noisy Neighbour — a blend of Plantation rum, mezcal, Yaguara Ouro cachaca, kiwi fruit and green chartreuse. [caption id="attachment_865119" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cub Sport[/caption]
Chicago house DJ Derrick Carter will be bringing his legendary skills to New Guernica for New Year's Day, and we’re pretty pumped. This one may be a little more ideal for those who plan to party on NYE as well, seeing as the event doesn't kick off until 6pm. The evening will start with a laneway party of sorts in Chuckle Park, with DJs cranking and food available for those who need to build some strength before dancing all night. As well as general admission tickets there are also drink packages available for the organised, so if you're keen to kick off 2015 in a fairly colossal way, check it out.
If Shania Twain's 'Man! I Feel Like A Woman' is your karaoke go-to, you'll want to head over to Carlton on Thursday, November 29 when the Shania Choir takes over The Curtin with its a cappella country pop covers — and, this time, its encouraging the crowd to join in. Created in 2017, the leopard-crazed choir group has toured Australia — hitting up Melbourne in late-September — with its full-length show and received endless requests from fans wanting to join the choir along the way. Now, for $15 a pop, you can do just that. For one night, punters will have a go at the choir's four-part harmonies in two Shania hits, as well as a chance to sing along during a group performance. Of course, you'd want to have a decent voice to get on stage, but there's no real requirements on that front. So go on and belt it out like it's 1997 again. Image: Amanda Humphreys
Remember the Pokémon Go phase? What a time in millennial history. And while you may not see hordes of people playing it in your local park these days, fans need not despair. Because Pokémon is coming back to you in real life. Three years after the game temporarily took over the world, a pop-up bar decked out in everything Pokemon is hitting Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane this year. We don't have specific details, like the when and where of it, but can tell you to expect everything to do with the franchise: Pokéball-shaped burgers, as well as games, themed cocktails and prizes. The bars will supposedly be divided into seven regions and each session will includes two hours of 'hunting, battling and catching time' — we're interested to see how that will be interpreted. You can complete all regions to be the ultimate winner, where we suppose you might win one of the aforementioned Pokémon prizes. There will also be prizes for the best dressed and a DJ spinning tracks. The nitty gritty of it all, though, is yet to be revealed. Will you be playing on the app, or will you have to find Pokémons in a scavenger hunt? Does anyone still actually play Pokémon Go? The mystery is yet to be solved, but you may want to start rounding up your old catching team. We don't know dates for this one, but you can be the first to know when tickets are available by signing to the mailing list. The event comes from the same group that have previously announced a Simpsons-themed Flaming Moe's tavern and a Harry Potter-themed Cauldron Bar. While neither of these events have actually happened — even though the Cauldron Bar initially scheduled for last month — organisers have told Concrete Playground that they are trying to find the perfect venues for the bars, and both of them are still "in the pipeline". The Pokébar should hit Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane later this year. Tickets will be $35 for a two-hour session. They're not yet on sale, but you can register here.
He's an Australian treasure, he's one of Hollywood's recent villainous go-tos and he definitely isn't in Voyagers. That'd be Ben Mendelsohn, who comes to mind anyway while watching this sci-fi thriller. In a softer mode, the Rogue One and Ready Player One star could've played Colin Farrell's part here. That's not why Voyagers makes him pop into viewers' heads, though. Rather, it's because his brand of slippery menace still slinks through this space-set flick, all thanks to its most vivid performance. Should an upcoming movie ever need a fresher-faced version of Mendelsohn's latest bad guy or next morally complicated figure, Dunkirk, The Children Act and Black Mirror: Bandersnatch's Fionn Whitehead needs to be on speed dial. He channels Mendo perfectly as Zac, one of 30 test tube-bred teenagers who are rocketed into the heavens as humanity's last hope for survival. In the latter half of the 21st century, Earth is near-uninhabitable, so he's on an 86-year mission to a newly located planet. The young Humanitas crew's main purpose is to beget the next generations who'll colonise their new home — but, after learning that he's being drugged into obedience, Zac decides not to play nice. Ten years in, when the quieter Christopher (Tye Sheridan, X-Men: Dark Phoenix) realises that the drink they all call 'blue' contains an unidentified compound, the decision is easy. First Christopher, then Zac, then the rest of their shipmates all stop sipping it and start letting their hormones pump unfettered for the first time in their intricately designed and highly controlled lives. Richard (Farrell, The Gentlemen), the lone adult and the closest thing any of the crew have ever had to a father, is suddenly treated with suspicion. Christopher and Zac begin testing boundaries, indulging desires and flouting rules, too — and realising that they're both attracted to dutiful Chief Medical Officer Sela (Lily-Rose Depp, Crisis). Then an accident changes the dynamic, with the two pals challenging each other while fighting to lead. Factions are formed, chaos ensues and the very folks entrusted with saving the species are now simply trying to outlast each other. The fact that Whitehead's performance recalls Mendo as strongly as it does is fitting; almost everything about Voyagers brings another movie or story to mind, actually. When it comes to warring youths, Lord of the Flies, The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner all get a nod. In the space film genre, Solaris, Passengers and High Life do as well. The list goes on, increasing with each of Voyagers' foreseeable twists and turns. When the infighting starts revolving around a potentially mysterious presence, for instance, the feature nudges its audience to think about Alien and Prometheus. In spacewalking beyond the Humanitas, Gravity and The Midnight Sky get a look in (among a hefty roster of past flicks that've also stepped into the inky sky, of course). When the picture simply lingers within the spaceship's stylish but restrictive walls and ripples with unease, 2001: A Space Odyssey casts a shadow. And, in its musings on parenthood, Interstellar and Ad Astra spring to the fore. Still, as it shuffles, jumbles and reassembles much of its bulk from recognisable parts pilfered from elsewhere, a number of interesting ideas sit at the heart of Voyagers. Yes, they've been tackled in various ways before, but they still leave an imprint. Writer/director Neil Burger has both Limitless and Divergent to his name, so he's no stranger to big-thinking science fiction flicks that contemplate intriguing ideas while also following in other footsteps. Here, he wonders not just if life has any meaning, but if there's any genuine meaning to life when a person's function in the bigger picture has already been determined from their first breath right up until their last. He also ponders exactly what humans have spent our entire existence as a species surviving: whatever external forces have come our way, or the ongoing, never-ending repercussions of our very worst impulses? It doesn't offer up any new answers to these trains of thought, or give themes and topics like paranoia, claustrophobia, toxic masculinity, nature versus nature and free will a particularly fresh spin, but Voyagers remains resonant enough. It has a timely relevance, arriving after the globe has spent a year indoors trying to stay alive, and its picture of easy self-destruction is both undeniably blunt and unmistakably effective. Films like this keep hitting screens because we're all aware that humanity's worst enemy is itself. That's a truth we'll never stop grappling with, in fact. As a result, predictability always comes with the territory — because humans have proven such predictable creatures. Accordingly, it isn't the least bit surprising that Voyagers sticks to the familiar, and doesn't provide much of a different take on the age-old realisations at its core (even as Zac tries to lie, bully and manipulate his way to power in a manner reminiscent of recent world leaders). Nonetheless, the feature's ruminations still hit home, even amid all of its winks to other movies. Also convincing is the film's set design, which weaponises its grey surfaces and seemingly endless corridors, transforming every corner and passage into a maze literally of humankind's own making. Voyagers' gleaming overall look wavers between sterile and slick, in another canny touch — this is a movie about finding middle ground between lives of unthinking compliance and primal hedonism, after all. And, cast-wise, Sheridan, Depp and Farrell do what they need to with their straightforward parts. Like Whitehead, Sheridan also helps sum up the movie overall, too. He already faced off against the real Mendo in Ready Player One, so he leaves viewers enjoying his calmly commanding efforts and remembering other flicks. In a picture that's both derivative and engaging, that seems to be Voyagers' chosen mission. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zadWJ8tPmnU
Fresh from making two of his last four films in Australia — Lion and Hotel Mumbai — Dev Patel is heading somewhere completely different. Stepping back to medieval times, he's jumping into the fantasy genre, messing with Arthurian legend and swinging around a mighty sword, all thanks to the dark and ominous The Green Knight. Based on the 14th-century poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, The Green Knight casts Patel as Sir Gawain. Nephew to King Arthur (Sean Harris), he's a knight of the Round Table and fearsome warrior. The character has popped up in plenty of tales, but here, he's forced to confront the green-skinned titular figure in an eerie showdown. As the poem explains, the Green Knight dares any other knight to strike him with an axe, but only if they'll then receive a return blow exactly one year and one day later. Just how closely this film adaptation will stick to that story is yet to be seen — however the just-dropped first teaser certainly looks more than a little moody, brooding and creepy. Patel is in great company, with The Green Knight also starring Alicia Vikander, Joel Edgerton and Dunkirk's Barry Keoghan. Games of Thrones' Kate Dickie pops up as Guinevere, while her co-star Ralph Ineson — whose also known from the Harry Potter flicks, The Witch and the UK version of The Office — plays the Green Knight. And, it's the latest film by an impressive — and always eclectic — writer/director, with David Lowery's filmography spanning everything from Ain't Them Bodies Saints and Pete's Dragon to A Ghost Story and The Old Man and the Gun. Check out the teaser below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoJc2tH3WBw The Green Knight will release in the US sometime over America's summer, but it doesn't yet have a release date Down Under — we'll update you when it does.
Summer might be done and dusted, but we've found at least one more excuse to scream for some ice scream. Or Italy's answer to ice cream, anyway. Friday, March 24 is the date Europeans celebrate Gelato Day — and one local purveyor is getting into the spirit by handing out a stack of frozen freebies. Zero Gradi, the dessert chain from the pizza maestros at 400 Gradi, is serving up a special one-day offer across all three of its Victorian stores. Every customer who buys a scoop of their signature hand-churned gelato on March 24 will score an extra scoop on the house. The deal's on offer all day long and you can take your pick of gelato flavours — the hefty lineup ranges from classics like bacio, pistachio and a boysenberry, to creations like peanutella and caramel cookie monster. A single scoop comes in at $6. Take advantage of the offer during opening hours at Zero Gradi's Brunswick outpost, its Mornington store or its location within Crown. [caption id="attachment_808234" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Renee Oliver[/caption]
The cultural renaissance in Canberra continues its unfurling across the dining and arts scenes, bringing more interest from interstate — and international — visitors than ever before. The standard of options for places to stay has also leapt vertically in the past five years, and among the list is the East Hotel. The family-owned boutique hotel is located in the increasingly happening suburb of Kingston. It's stand-out characteristics are warm accommodating service, handsomely-appointed contemporary rooms with all the important details considered (the fluffy white guest robes well and truly pass the comfort test), and the onsite options for drinking and dining. East Hotel's lobby bar, Joe's Bar, has an eclectic, jewel toned fit-out and a generous lineup of creative cocktails (if you have a yen for a good martini try the Tokyo Martini or the signature Joe's Martini). There's also a decent selection of Italian and Australian wines and a showcase of local Canberran beers on tap, bottled and by the tin. Soak up some of those martinis with Italian-inspired bar snacks or pizzas. Calamari fritte and a particularly excellent focaccia served hot and fresh from the enormous clay pizza oven. The clientele of Joe's Bar is a mix of East Hotel guests having a pre-dinner drink but but it's also highly populated with the after-work crowd of Canberra locals, particularly on Thursday and Friday evenings once 5pm has rolled past. The other dining option is Agostini's. It's a relaxed and super-buzzy Italian diner that's focused on creating the atmosphere and dining experience of an authentic Italian family restaurant. As such, you'll find a multi-generational crowd here, from white collar long lunchers to holidaying family tables. The pasta is very good and made fresh daily. The real hero here is the pizza though. The 'Salsiccia' layered with Italian sausage, 'nduja and Fior di Latte mozzarella on a fluffy wood-fired dough with just the right hint of char is excellent. Or if you're feeling a little less traditional, give the 'Granchio' of crab meat, rocket and cherry tomato a whirl. Finish things off with the house tiramisu and an amaro, or sample the negroni selection. Just bring an appetite and a loud voice to cut through the rowdy buzz of an extremely well-attended restaurant.
If you test positive for COVID-19 or have symptoms and are awaiting test results, you must isolate. It's not a new rule. But, the Victorian Government has just introduced new penalties for those who aren't following these isolation orders. If you're caught out and about, not isolating in your home, you could now be hit with a $4659 on-the-spot fine — or, if you repeatedly break the rules, sent to the Magistrates Court and fined up to $20,000. The Victorian Government announced the new penalties, which are up from the current $1652 on-the-spot fines, after discovering that about 27 percent of Melburnians have not been following the state's isolation rules. At a press conference today, Tuesday, August 4, Premier Daniel Andrews said that the Australian Defence Force conducted more than 3000 door-knocks checking on people who were meant to be in isolation and found more than 800 people were not at home and "could not be found". "That is completely unacceptable," the Premier said. Because of this, the Government is not only increasing the penalties for breaking the rules, but banning those in isolating from exercising. Until now, you could go outside for socially distant exercise if you were in isolation, but moving forward you must remain on your property. "You will need to stay in your home or on your property. Fresh air at the front door. Fresh air in your frontyard or backyard or opening a window. That's what you're going to have to do," the Premier said. "Apart from getting emergency medical care... there is literally no reason for you to leave your home." As well as for those who've tested positive or are awaiting test results, isolation may be required if you've come in close contact with a confirmed case or have been to an 'exposure site' named by the Department of Health and Human Services. Returning international travellers must also go into mandatory hotel quarantine. The DHHS has outlined all the rules of isolation and quarantine over here (but it has not yet updated the rules surrounding exercise). "We will do everything we possibly can to support people, but you have got to be isolating when you are directed to do so, for a close contact or for a positive case and, of course, we want people who have been tested and awaiting results, we want you to isolate as well," the Premier said. "If there are any insecure work issues, if there are financial issues, then there is that $300 payment." The Federal Government also yesterday announced a $1500 payment for those who do not have sick leave and must self-isolate. If you're not isolating, but are in metro Melbourne, you are still allowed to exercise once a day, for an hour, within five kilometres of your home, under the new stage four restrictions. Regional Victoria is now under stage three restrictions. For more information about the status of COVID–19 in Victoria and the rules around isolation, head to the DHHS website.
Melbourne's sixth and current lockdown has been in place for almost a month, and it won't be lifting in the coming days. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews advised today, Sunday, August 29, that statewide stay-at-home conditions will remain in effect past 11.59pm on Thursday, September 2 — the last end date that was announced back in mid-August — given that Victoria continues to record high numbers of locally acquired COVID-19 cases. The city first went into this lockdown at the beginning of August — just nine days after the previous lockdown ended — and has seen the stay-at-home rules extended not once but twice already, and a nighttime curfew implemented as well. In regional Victoria, the rest of the state started this lockdown with Greater Melbourne, then was released early just a few days later, and then re-entered lockdown just over a week ago. "Essentially, we see far too many cases today for us to be able seriously consider opening up later on this week. Obviously, with almost 100 cases today — where many of them remain mysteries, many of them were out in the community during their infectious period — it is not going to be possible for us to be able to open up our Victorian community in just a few days time," the Premier said. Victoria reported 92 new locally acquired cases in the 24 hours to midnight last night, and has a current total of 778 active cases throughout the state. New case numbers have been sitting above 40 per day since Wednesday, August 18. Exactly how much longer the lockdown will run hasn't yet been announced. "We will, however, look at all the different options," said the Premier. "We don't have advice yet from the Chief Health Officer as to what is possible, and what is safe, later on this week. As soon as we get that advice and decisions are made, we'll announce them, and we'll give people as much notice as we can." Reported yesterday: 92 new local cases and 1 new case acquired overseas (currently in HQ). - 31,436 vaccine doses were administered - 51,030 test results were received More later: https://t.co/lIUrl1hf3W#COVID19Vic #COVID19VicData [1/2] pic.twitter.com/AJHvafjSxh — VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) August 28, 2021 Before this lockdown, and the July stay-at-home stint before it, the city was also asked to remain at home in February and May this year. Thanks to the two lockdowns in 2020, too, the rules are obviously very familiar now, with Victorian residents still only permitted to leave home for five reasons: shopping for what you need, when you need it; caregiving and compassionate reasons; essential work or permitted eduction that can't be done from home; exercise; and getting vaccinated against COVID-19. Also in place during this lockdown: a curfew from 9pm–5am, meaning that no one is permitted to leave their house overnight except in very limited circumstances — which includes authorised work. On that subject, if you need to leave your home at all and at any hour for authorised work, you need to get a permit to do so. Victorians must also stay within five kilometres of their homes, unless you're leaving for permitted work or shopping for essentials if there are no shops in your radius. Private gatherings are banned, as are public gatherings. While you can't have any visitors enter your home in general, there are single bubbles, and intimate partner visits are allowed. So, if you live alone, you can form a bubble with another person or see your other half. Playgrounds, basketball hoops, skate parks and outdoor exercise equipment are all closed. You can also only exercise outdoors with one other person, plus any dependents you both have, even if you live in a larger household — and for a maximum of two hours per day. Also, masks are mandatory everywhere outside of your home, and can't be removed outdoors to drink alcohol. Weddings are not permitted, unless on compassionate grounds, while funerals are limited to ten. Hairdressing and beauty services, indoor physical recreation and sport venues, swimming pools, community facilities including libraries, entertainment venues and non-essential retail venues remain closed — and hospitality venues have reverted back to takeaway-only. Supermarkets, bottle shops and pharmacies are still open, however. As always, Victorians can keep an eye on the local list of exposure sites at the Department of Health website — it keeps being updated as more locations are identified. For those looking to get tested, you can find a list of testing sites including regularly updated waiting times also on the Department of Health website. And, has remained the case throughout the pandemic, Victorians should be looking out for coughs, fever, sore or scratchy throat, shortness of breath, or loss of smell or taste, symptoms-wise. Victoria will still remain in lockdown until after Thursday, September 2; however, the exact end date hasn't yet been announced. For more information about the rules in place at the moment, head to the Victorian Department of Health website.
Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols should never be far from anyone's ears — but there's listening to the iconic 1977 punk album, the only studio record from Sex Pistols, and then there's hearing it played live in full. Down Under in 2025, Australian and New Zealand music lovers will be treated to that very experience, with the group locking in a tour. Band members Paul Cook, Steve Jones and Glen Matlock are heading this way in April, as part of a project dubbed Sex Pistols Featuring Frank Carter. As the band's moniker makes plain, this is a case of punk figures joining punk figures, as first happened back in August 2024 for fundraiser gigs in London. Clearly the setup worked. This will be Sex Pistols' first trip this way in almost 30 years, since 1996 — this time pairing drummer Cook, guitarist Jones and bassist Matlock with Gallows, Pure Love and Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes alum Carter on vocals. The group have announced seven stops, starting in Auckland in Christchurch in Aotearoa, before playing Aussie gigs in Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney, Brisbane and Fremantle. John Lydon, aka Johnny Rotten, the band's well-known former lead vocalist, was last part of their lineup in 2008 — which is when Sex Pistols last toured before 2024. Hearing Never Mind the Bollocks live and in full almost five decades since its original release means hearing 'Anarchy in the UK', 'God Save the Queen', 'Pretty Vacant', 'Bodies', 'Holidays in the Sun' and more. If this feels like an incredibly rare chance to experience a slice of music greatness, that's because it is — and if you need any more motivation, Sex Pistols Featuring Frank Carter's UK gigs earned rave reviews. [caption id="attachment_986909" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Henry Ruggeri[/caption] Sex Pistols Featuring Frank Carter 2025 Australia and New Zealand Tour Wednesday, April 2 — Town Hall, Auckland Thursday, April 3 — Town Hall, Christchurch Saturday, April 5 — Festival Hall, Melbourne Sunday, April 6 — Hindley Street Music Hall, Adelaide Tuesday, April 8 — Hordern Pavilion, Sydney Wednesday, April 9 — Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane Friday, April 11 — Fremantle Prison, Fremantle Sex Pistols Featuring Frank Carter are touring Australia and New Zealand in April 2025, with ticket presales from 11am on Tuesday, January 21 and general sales from 12pm on Thursday, January 23. Head to the Australia and New Zealand tour websites for more details.
To mark the release of the 24th James Bond film and to celebrate its 18-year partnership with the iconic 007 franchise, Heineken is offering fans one last chance to live the glamorous life of a cinema spy and attend an exclusive party filled with glamour, prestige, special guests and VIP performances. You won’t know where. You won’t know when. You just have to be ready. It's the final escapade for Heineken's huge nationwide project The Catch, teaming up with the boutique experience cultivators Mr Aristotle. Throughout November and December, Heineken has been hosting exclusive SPECTRE 007 events that have been so mysterious participants haven't known what’s in store until they were suddenly whisked away — they've sent lucky folks on a helicopter pub tour, personal stylist sessions and a Rottnest Island adventure to name a few. Now there’s just one day left to enter The Catch, and seize your chance to attend a huge VIP SPECTRE party in a secret and exclusive location in Melbourne. So secret, in fact, that guests are simply being sent coordinates rather than its actual location. Should you win, you’ll find yourself walking the red carpet alongside 250 celebrity, VIP and media guests, before taking in a show by a mystery international headline act. The colossal Sydney party, which took over Darlinghurst's National Art School, saw a themed theatrical journey with aerial performers, dancers, blackjack tables and surprise performances by Michelle Martinez, Peking Duk, Heather Mailman, Solo Tohi and Jonny Sonic from the Potbelleez with Mumma Mugs on vocals — so odds are the Melbourne gig will be just as epic. To be in the running, you’ll need to sign up via The Catch website, but be quick, because the competition ends TODAY.
You don't need an excuse to visit the Adelaide Hills and spend the weekend sampling local wines and regional food — but this free three-day festival makes a convincing case for planning a trip over the January long weekend. Crush is a family-friendly event that features long lunches in the sun, wine-matched degustation dinners, live music from local bands and DJs, plus kids' entertainment, art and theatre. It all takes place in Adelaide Hills — and the festival runs shuttle services from Adelaide CBD from $32–43 per person if you don't want to be designated driver. The 2020 festival program features lots of cool climate wines to taste at more than 30 wineries, a 'Friday Knockoffs' event that's all about lounging on the grass with live music and lawn games. On Saturday and Sunday (11am–6pm), food truck Syrian Mobile Disco will be serving up Syrian-inspired street snacks as you sample local wines and beers. The Lane Vineyard is hosting 'Hamptons in the Hills' (Sat, Sun 10am–5pm), which is a chance to enjoy frosés on the terrace with food by the hatted restaurant on site. Plus, the biggie — Alfresco Tomato Crushing — is when you get to squelch your way to fresh pasta sauce in advance of a long lunch on Saturday or Sunday. General entry is free, but you'll want to pick up a Spiegelau or Riedel wine glass for $10 to make the most of the ample wine pours. Some events are ticketed, so check the festival's website for the full program closer to January. Images: Nick Lawrence.
Most superheroes don't boast the same skills; however, in making the leap from comics to the screen and beyond, they can follow similar paths. Yes, the fact that great power means great responsibility should apply to all caped crusaders. Yes, many often segue from ordinary folks to suddenly super-powered saviours. And yes, in Black Panther and now the Spider-Man franchise's cases, one of their best are returning to cinemas a couple of years later as a spectacular movie-and-music event. Film fans can see Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse in cinemas right now, and should. It's exceptional, and already one of the best flicks of 2023. Keen to revisit Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the title that started everyone's favourite friendly neighbourhood webslinger's current animated movie series? That's coming to Australia via Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Live in Concert. Five years after Into the Spider-Verse debuted on the silver screen, it's swinging back onto one, this time at The Plenary at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on Saturday, October 21. Making its Australian premiere as a concert, the animated masterpiece will be accompanied by a 32-piece orchestra, plus DJ Total Eclipse from The X-Ecutioners on the turntables. Everything from The Lion King to Star Wars and Harry Potter, plus The Princess Bride, Home Alone and Toy Story as well, have scored or are about to score the orchestral treatment — but that approach alone wouldn't suit Into the Spider-Verse and its Brooklyn-based Spidey Miles Morales (Shameik Moore, Wu-Tang: An American Saga). Hence the fusion with DJ-spun tracks, to truly do not only Daniel Pemberton's (an Oscar-nominee for The Trial of the Chicago 7) score justice, but also the soundtrack featuring Post Malone, Lil Wayne, Jaden Smith and Nicki Minaj, too. "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is one of my favourite scores I've ever written. Utilising a full orchestra, crazy electronics and unbelievable turntable scratching techniques amongst a million other things, it is so technically complex I never thought we'd ever be able to actually reproduce it in a live concert, but somehow, we have," said Pemberton about the project. The concert version heads Down Under after premiering in New York in March 2023, and with fellow stops around the US currently taking place, as well as shows in the UK planned after its Australian run. Fingers crossed that this dazzling mix of sound and vision will do whatever the Spider-Verse can in other Australian cities, although only a Melbourne date has been announced so far. Check out the trailers for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse in Concert and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse itself below: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Live in Concert is playing The Plenary, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Melbourne on Saturday, October 21, with tickets on sale via Ticketmaster from Friday, July 28. Images: Adela Loconte.
