So, you want to get a glimpse into life in another country, but you can't actually afford to travel anywhere? That's where film festivals come in, taking audiences on a cinematic journey without anyone needing to leave their comfy, movie theatre seats. This month, it's Germany's turn in the spotlight. Making its way around Australia from May 13–31, the Audi Festival of German Films delves into everything the country has to offer in the movie realm. That includes 50 new German-language films, spanning efforts as varied as action comedy Not My Day and twisted fairy tale The Bunker. It also includes an interesting schedule of panel discussions and themed evenings, if you want to do more than watch. Whatever your tastes or interests, there's certain to be something to tickle your fancy. Want to take a peek at an Alps-set western, laugh along with a hitman comedy or strap in for a time-travelling romance? Well, here you can. You can also delve into the history of cinema, and into a key figure in East Berlin's radical underground art world. For the full Audi Festival of German Films lineup, visit the festival website.
Two things we know about Australia: there’s a copious amount of sun on tap and people sure do love a good music festival. Thankfully for us, the freshly announced festival OffTheGrid (OTG) is using both these factors to put together a brand new music festival that’s 100 percent solar powered and waste free. Launched as a party concept just a few years ago, OffTheGrid is the brainchild of Ross Harding of Finding Infinity and Eyal Halamish of OurSay. The pair threw a string of battery bank operated shindigs around the world and now they’re bringing the experience in Melbourne on the December 22. The lineup includes Cut Copy DJs, Banoffee, Sui Zhen, Tornado Wallace, Silent Jay and Jace XL, Average Rap Band, Prequel and Wax’o Paradiso (and that's only the first announcement, dayum). OTG also does more than pay lip service to sustainability. The team have a comprehensive plan for ensuring the festival is entirely waste-free and powered only by solar energy. Bryce Lawrence, head of production, says sustainability is the future, not just for music festivals (which reap a huge effect of the environments they occupy) but for all industries and individuals. Power will all come directly from a 7kW solar system on the day, comprised of 28 250 watt PV panels that feed the sun’s energy into a battery pack (and a backup bio-diesel generator which runs off veggie oil). All waste will also be banned and all rubbish that is collected will be made into an art piece. “It’s a day festival in the heart of Melbourne… people shouldn’t be bringing in waste in the first place,” Lawrence notes. They’ve even collaborated with the food and drink vendors to make sure all utensils can be composted offsite and all cups can be reused. And it’s not a newfangled operation either. All technology and systems being used by OTG are readily available, to emphasise the myriad of solutions that have already been dreamed up and practically demonstrate that a) an environmentally friendly way of life isn’t a distant possibility but a choice you can easily opt into and b) even complex events like music festivals can rock just as hard on solar power. “OFFtheGRID is a celebration of what’s possible right now and also what’s possible into the future," Lawrence says. It’s an exercise in education as well as a dope all-day music festival. And the best part? All profits will be invested in a local sustainable project so you can buy your ticket knowing that Captain Planet would be incredibly proud. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
It’s been a fruitful couple of years for hybrid sweet treats. We live for the beautiful marriage of two delicious treat items, both alike in dignity, and apparently so does everyone else. And now the birth of the cronut, cruffin, duffin, frissant, and zonut has paved the way for the most glorious hybrid of all: frozen custard. Frozen goddamn custard y’all. Taking cues from the mighty Shake Shack, frozen custard is the jewel in the crown of the newly opened venue Royal Stacks on Collins Street and the best part is: they’re handing it out for free on Wednesday, February 3. From 5-7pm they’ll be handing out free cups of fro-cu (that’s frozen and custard to you) on the proviso that you sign in on the Yelp app. While you’re there, check out Royal Stacks itself. Not only are they the only place in Melbourne where you’ll find the aforementioned frozen custard, but the very Shake Shack vibe is brought to you by the cool dudes from Easey’s and Grand Trailer Park Taverna. Yummo.
Conversations surrounding the best artists on the international rap scene today inevitably include mention of Danny Brown. The Detroit-born rapper's incendiary performances and the berserk originality of his songs have shellshocked his fans and rap enthusiasts alike. Now, this innovative and ever-surprising artist returns to Australian shores for a teeny two-stop tour. Brown made waves in 2010 with the release of his debut album The Hybrid, before gaining massive recognition a year later for his second album XXX. In 2013, he released his most recent album Old, which spawned the birth of three singles 'Dip', '25 Bucks' with Purity Ring and 'Smokin & Drinkin'. Brown hit our shores last year for an exclusive, sideshow-free Splendour in the Grass appearance, and hits Perth's Origin NYE 2014 and Sydney's Field Day 2015 on this visit. Danny Brown will be playing at Brisbane’s The Hifi on the January 3 and The Corner Hotel, Melbourne January 4 and 5. Don't miss the mad and talented antics of this contemporary hip hop great.
Is anyone else feeling a bit funny about Uber lately? When we first met and became exclusive in 2012, things were great but lately… it feels like the honeymoon period is definitely over. What started as a passionate love affair — down with exploitative cab companies! Transport for the people by the people! Cheap rides home from the pub! — with a strong vein of are they/aren't they legal, has hit a few rocky patches. This week, Uber has announced a price cut of 15 percent, which is great for us as riders. But drivers have been quite vocal about that 15 percent coming straight out of their pockets. The price drop will see the price per kilometre drop to $1 and it's been less than a year since Uber dropped their prices by 15 percent in May 2015. Riding Uber is, save our souls for saying this, is starting to feel a bit like eating McDonalds. It's cheap, it's delicious, but you're very aware that somewhere down the production line, someone or something is being exploited. In this case, it's the drivers who are currently getting a pretty raw deal. As well as providing the infrastructure (in this case, a car less than nine years old) themselves, they also pay for their own gas, maintenance and expenses. Uber drivers in Melbourne are apparently threatening strike action, however this is made difficult because, as independent contractors, they have no union. Uber have stated they'll make a subsidy to Uber drivers until April 25 to cover their losses which comes in the form of a $30 per hour gross guarantee. Which is pretty good, that is, until April 25. Uber argues that the price will allow "driver-partners" to maximise their earning potential by enticing more customers over to Uber and thus generating more trips. It seems a little bit shady, however, when you factor in the cost of running a car around the clock. We'll see in the coming months if the new scheme actually benefits Uber drivers or if the spin is just that: spin. We've got out eye on you Uber, and don't think you can distract us with puppies and kitties and Messina (although you can certainly try). Via The Age. Image: Mark Warner.
Hey there, lovers of ballet and regular folks who like to feel gloriously inflexible — it's World Ballet Day, a whole day of dedicated to some of the most iconic ballet troupes in history, and it's being streamed live for you to enjoy. Sure, watching the fittest people on earth prance about in achtivewear with the elegance of swans while you're sitting on the couch inhaling Doritos may make you feel slightly inadequate. But where else will you be able to see behind the scenes footage and rehearsals of the Bolshoi Ballet, Australian Ballet, The Royal Ballet, the National Ballet of Canada and the San Francisco ballet streamed over 20 hours? Not every day, that's when. It's a rare treat, take full advantage. Go on. Log on and watch the beautiful people twirl. Image: Kate Longley.
The team behind A25 Pizza Parlour in South Yarra will launch an offshoot in the city by the end of the year. Currently expected to start service in mid-December on the corners of Lonsdale Street and Hardware Lane, A25 Espresso will focus on Italian coffee and share plates, with owner Remo Nicolini promising "some interesting surprises." Obviously, expect quite the Italian focus at this newbie. Speaking to Hospitality Magazine, the veteran restaurateur described the A25 spinoff as "an all day Italian eatery" that would bring "a bigger focus to new age Italian sharing plates and speciality coffee." The beans will come courtesy of Dukes Coffee Roasters, while head chef Salvatore Giorgio will make the move from A25 South Yarra to run the kitchen in their new CBD digs. "I feel at home in the CBD," said Nicolini of the new location, which will reportedly seat 50 people indoors with room for another 20 outside. "I love the buzz and am thrilled to have acquired such a prominent site on Hardware Lane." In addition to A25 South Yarra and the soon to open A25 Espresso, Nicolini's resume includes +39 Pizzeria on Little Bourke Street, Espressino on King Street and Non Solo Pasta in the Docklands. His brother Tony, meanwhile, runs the show over at Carlton's D.O.C. Point is, when it comes to Italian dining, this guy is no slouch. Via Hospitality Magazine. Image: A25 South Yarra.
You've made it through the long, cold winter, making the best of Melbourne's snuggly cafes and art galleries until the balmy months roll in. But now it's time for outdoor concerts and openair dining, so we're about to spoil you silly, giving you the chance to win an entire night on the town and see one of Melbourne's most anticipated concerts of the year at Sidney Myer Music Bowl. Because you're just the best for reading CP, we'd like to give a little something back. One lucky CP reader will nab a double pass to Mumford and Sons. We'll transport you to and from the gig with a handy voucher from our kitten-delivering friends at Uber, and we'll treat you to a flight of whisky tasters paired with cheese tasters at Boilermaker House. You've got until Sunday, September 20 to enter, so get all your buds to throw their names in the hat too. Let's do it. ENTER HERE
After two years feeding the hungry denizens of Smith Street, Northern Light Yakitori Bar is getting ready to close its doors. The modern Asian eatery and bar, run by chef Adam Liston, will cease operation at the end of next month, having been sold to a Bangkok-based hospitality group. Thankfully, those who crave Liston's brand of charcoal-cooked cuisine will not be without it for long, as he's partnering up with the team behind the Hotel Windsor on a brand new restaurant in the Melbourne CBD. According to Good Food, Liston's new venture will begin its life as a pop-up, serving yakitori and other Asian dishes while the permanent restaurant is being built. Once it's completed, the unnamed eatery at the east end of Bourke Street will seat around 150 people, and will feature several private dining rooms. Liston will be joined in the endeavour by chef Joel Baylon, also of Northern Light. "We are happy to announce this exciting new partnership & evolution," read a statement posted on Northern Light's Instagram. "It's been a proper journey & we are super proud of what we achieved in the last 2+ years!" Via Good Food. Image: Northern Light Yakitori Bar, photography by Ryan Noreiks.
Was one of your New Year's Resolutions to 'see more art'? Well, there's no time like the present to get started. It's already February, after all. Melbourne's galleries — from the NGV to the small Swanston Street space CAVES — are getting down to business this month, with the surreal, the hallucinogenic and the reimagined. From naked forms floating in extreme slow motion against clouds to an exhibition that exists solely in the digital realm, these five shows are accessible, free (!!) and ready for you to get lost in. Top image: Richard Mosse
Winter is coming, and we can't think of a better way to assuage the cold-weather anxiety than with a luxe staycation. To make this dream a reality, we've partnered with designer hotel QT Melbourne to give away a night's stay and a few food-based experiences to go along with it. A far cry from your run-of-the-mill lodgings, QT Melbourne's stunning guest rooms feature timber floors, state-of-the-art technology and designer furniture that's at once quirky and tasteful. In addition to the luxe accommodation, prize winners will be treated to a series of on-site foodie treats, all but guaranteed to banish the winter blues. The feasting starts on arrival with a luscious cake from The Cake Shop, delivered straight to your room. Next up is dinner at French-inspired Pascale Bar & Grill, an homage to the 'Paris-end' of Collins St. featuring an open kitchen complete with its own woodfire oven, and then you'll round out the night with expertly crafted cocktails and sweeping city views at the hotel's glamorous Rooftop at QT. And, as if all this weren't enough, you'll also get a voucher to spend at Tanto, QT's high-end Japanese knife shop. If this sounds like your ideal winter escape, enter your details below and go into the draw to win. [competition]622848[/competition]
Now in its sixth year, Aussie Wine Month returns in May to showcase the diversity of the Australian wine scene and celebrate the world class producers that our 65 wine regions have to offer. Melbourne and regional Victoria will come alive with events over the next month — vineyards and cellar doors are opening their doors to guests, and regional chefs are making their way into the city so everyone can enjoy good food and even better wine. In partnership with Wine Australia, we're helping you narrow down your options — here are seven of the best things to see and do.
Do you have Champagne taste on a VB budget? We empathise. When you live in a city like Melbourne, the temptation to drink, dine, and spend is all around you. The amount of great restaurants make it hard to say no to an invite to check out a new spot, or to have a night out at an old favourite. While it's probably imprudent to be out Monday to Sunday living large, it's nice to sometimes splash out and treat yourself without going into debt. Here's nine fancy spots that you can get to on a budget — so you can enjoy the best of the best and still pay your share of the power bill. [caption id="attachment_586143" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Pork neck, the first broccoli, pickled tomatoes and meat jus.[/caption] LUNCH AT VUE DE MONDE We know Vue as that impressive and hard to get into venue at the top of the Rialto. It's renowned for both its sky-high views and sky-high prices. If you've ever thought that this spot was out of your reach, it's time to think again. No, you don't need to schmooze anyone - because Vue do a lunch special. Available every Thursday – Sunday from 12pm, you can enjoy a four-course selection from $150 per person. While this is by no means a cheap lunch, it's certainly less expensive than the $250 per person menu from dinner and brings this squarely into the affordable range. [caption id="attachment_586145" align="alignnone" width="1280"] West Footscray radishes.[/caption] DINNER AT IDES The crew at Ides have been making a few ripples – ok, a splash and a half – from their digs on Smith Street in Collingwood. With an all-star team in the kitchen (ex Attica, among others) you can be assured of an inventive and enchanting experience when you sit down for dinner. With six courses ($110) on offer, you'll dine on dishes like crumbed avocado with poached prawn tails, finger lime and fried bread; and braised beef check with toasted pumpkin and sunflower seeds, black lentils and pomegranate. This would be great for a very special date night as you soak up the relaxed bustle from your seat in the tasteful dining space. BREAKFAST AT CUMULUS INC. Dinner at this Flinders Lane classic can be a bit expensive. Good thing that you can get the same Cumulus vibes for a fraction of the cost when you head here for breakfast! Squeeze in at the bar, or a seat at one of the tables around the edge for some serious people watching. Their shakshouka is endlessly good ($17), as are their marinated mushrooms, served with a humble combo of black barley and a 65/65 egg ($17). Sip a spicy tomato juice ($6 or $12 with a shot of Ketel One) or get your probiotics for the day with a fig and ginger kefir ($7). [caption id="attachment_586148" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Fermented lady finger banana, packet cheese, flattened unripe rice, coconut, hazelnut.[/caption] DINNER AT NORA A little bit of quirky paired with a lot of finesse; Nora is doing some exciting things on Elgin Street in Carlton. Thai-Aussie couple and owners Sarin Rojanametin and Jean Thamthanakorn have stated that, "We want our diners to be excited, for there to be a sense of discovery and also find warm familiarity in our food." With a current dinner offering of a progressive tasting (ponying up 12+ dishes for a very reasonable $115) you will enjoy an intimate, relaxed and exciting night out. From your cosy seat in the wee dining space, strap in and while away a pleasant couple of hours as you are taken on a journey to the roots of the best of Thai cuisine. If dinner ain't your thing, stop by for an equally exciting breakfast. [caption id="attachment_586114" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Coffin Bay oysters with cider emulsion.[/caption] OYSTERS AT PANAMA DINING ROOM Mother shucker. If you're a fan of bivalves (and are nowhere near South Melbourne Market), head to the Panama Dining Room for $1 oysters every damn day between 6 and 7 pm. Order your oysters and a drink, and plop down near the arched window or gaze down on bustling Smith Street below you. Perhaps shoot some pool while you wait for your plate of perfectly plump oysters to arrive, and for drinks you could do worse than to support a local company by drinking a cocktail. Try The Lost Mermaid – made with Melbourne Gin Company Gin, Grapefruit and Rosemary Shrub, Mint, Lime and Soda ($20). Look at it this way; with the money you save on oysters you can afford to spend more on drinks. [caption id="attachment_586115" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Marron brioche rolls.[/caption] LUNCH AT LUI BAR If you want to step things up a notch the next time you lunch, head on up to the Lui Bar for a counter meal. The bar for Vue de Monde, they're no slouch in service, ambience or style. For the very reasonable sum of $39 you will enjoy a main course, seasonal side and a glass of wine or a beer plus a coffee and a sweet. Yep. From 12pm – 2pm Thursday to Sunday just head on up in the lifts to the 55th floor, to soak up some of the best views in Melbourne and some fabulous food too. If you don't have to head back to work in a rush then you can settle in on one of the comfy couches, and enjoy the sweeping views from your opulent surrounds. [caption id="attachment_586117" align="alignnone" width="1280"] The world's best margherita pizza.[/caption] PIZZA AT 400 GRADI If you've wanted to try the world's best margherita pizza but can't afford the airfare to Italy then you're in luck. Get yourself to 400 Gradi for a crispy slice straight from the wood fired oven of chef Johnny Di Francesco. In 2014 Di Franceso swooped in and beat out 600 competitors to scoop top prize at the World Pizza Championships in Italy, making this the official home of some world-class pizza. If the crowds at this Lygon Street spot are anything to go by, we continue to agree with the decision whole-heartedly. Tuck into the oh-so-crispy base topped with perfectly melted San Marzano tomato, buffalo mazarella, and basil ($22). You might not ever want to eat another pizza again, but when it's this good it's s a risk we're willing to take. [caption id="attachment_586118" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Young lettuce served fresh with baby sun rose, garden spices and chicken sauce.[/caption] DEGUSTATION AT O.MY If you're out in east Melbourne and simply dying for a degustation made from fresh seasonal produce then you're in luck. Located in an old butcher shop in Beaconsfield, O.My is the passion project from three Bertoncello brothers with a love of great food. Blayne, Tyson, and Chayse hit all the right notes as they run the venue as chef, front of house and sommelier. Ingredients are prepared thoughtfully, and artfully paired with the freshest of herbs and shoots from their kitchen garden. Whether you opt for the four-course ($65), six-course ($85) or eight-course ($110) degustation, you'll be delighted with the result. Enjoy dishes like dry aged beef paired with fermented potato and the crisp sweetness of baby leek; or delight in the piquant, herbal sweetness of kaffir lime, chilli brownie and chocolate. One thing is for sure, it's time to head to Beaconsfield. [caption id="attachment_585975" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Pearl on the ocean floor.[/caption] LUNCH AT LUMÉ South Melbourne venue Lumé is doing some pretty wonderful things from their airy, light and inviting dining room on Coventry Street. While dinner at $170 per person might not be an option for you every week, you can always stop by for a very long and lazy Saturday lunch. Priced at a very reasonable $80 per person, you'll enjoy dishes like seacorn taco with grilled camel hump, dry aged duck smoked over bottlebrush finished with elderflower honey, and caramelised artichoke with La Sirene Praline and chamomile. Available Saturdays only from 11.30am – 1.30pm, it's the perfect way to indulge without breaking the bank.
Spring produce and paired craft beers made Concrete Playground readers particularly happy this month, as James Squire and Concrete Playground teamed up to put on a special Spring Banquet at The Crafty Squire — and we gave a group of lucky CP readers a seat at the table. Competition winners sat down to a five-course meal custom-made by head chef Alan Fraser, each dish paired with a specific James Squire tipple, and guests heard from Alan and James Squire brand ambassadors on the night. Have a peruse through the gallery to see what went down (and here's an idea of the deliciousness that was served up). SPRING BANQUET MENU Fish and chip soup with peas — with James Squire Chancer Golden Ale Prawn and chorizo escabeche, avocado mousse, confit cherry tomatoes and chilled gazpacho — with James Squire Swindler Summer Ale Cider caipirinha cured salmon with salpica, crispy potato salad and finger lime dressing — with James Squire 150 Lashes Pale Ale Goat bunny chow with crispy parsnips — with James Squire Hop Thief American Pale Ale Passionfruit pavlova with berries and Tim Tam crumbs — with James Squire Jack of Spades Porter and Orchard Crush Apple Cider To stay up to date with future events at The Crafty Squire, sign up to James Squire or head to The Crafty Squire's website. Images: Olga Rozenbajgier.
Melburnian Messina fiends, get ready to form a second queue. The monarchs of iced confection, Gelato Messina, are about to open a second Melbourne store in Richmond on May 27. Located on the corner of Swan and Green, the Richmond Messina will feature the Sydney-founded gelato chain's long-loved flavours like the ever-mindblowing salted caramel, alongside the usual flurry of puntastic weekly specials. Richmond's upcoming gelato hub joins the Messina ranks alongside the Fitzroy store, Sydney's flagship Darlinghurst store and subsequent Surry Hills, Bondi, Parramatta, Miranda, Rosebery and The Star casino spinoffs, as well as Queensland's first Messina at Coolangatta. Gelato Messina will open on the corner of Green and Swan Streets, Richmond on May 27. Join the queue at the Fitzroy store until then.
Like all the good things in life, Melbourne Music Week (MMW) — which is renowned for throwing gigs in unusual Melbourne venues — has proven it only gets better with age. And you can bet this annual celebration of Melbourne's world-class music scene has big things up its sleeve for its tenth anniversary edition. Descending on the city from Friday, November 15, to Saturday, November 23, the festival of aural delights will this year pay tribute to some of the highlights of its first decade, with a retrospective program that once again transforms unlikely spaces across the city into rollicking live music venues. In the ultimate throwback move, MMW 2019 marks the return of a fan favourite, with immersive pop-up venue Kubik returning as the festival hub. After first appearing at the 2011 festival, it will this time make its home at Alexandra Gardens, delivering a nightly program of local and international sounds. Designed by Germany's Balestra Berlin, the outdoor structure offers up a feast for the senses, featuring technology that allows it to light up in time with the music. Headline acts including Melbourne dance legend CC:Disco!, German electronic act Monolake, and French natives Kittin and Raphaël Top-Secret promise to give Kubik a serious workout this year. Elsewhere in the 70-event program, more international goodness comes courtesy of German electro-punk icons Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft (DAF), who are headed to the Melbourne Town Hall for their Aussie debut, raising the roof alongside homegrown heroes Total Control and Dark Water. Tiny Ruins, Steve Gunn and Grand Salvo will electrify the Redmond Barry Reading Room at State Library Victoria, Melbourne-based Sarah Mary Chadwick works her brand of magic on the iconic T.C. Lewis Organ at St Paul's Cathedral, and a host of free panels and conversations covers everything from sustainability in the industry, to the psychology of music. Opening night kicks things off with an audible bang on Thursday, November 14, featuring over 100 free gigs and performances between MMW events like Live Music Safari and Swell 5.0. As for the closing party, it's also digging deep, pulling local legend Roza Terenzi to the foyer of Hamer Hall, for a late-night aural celebration set to kick on until 4am.
Recognised as one of the most exciting film industries in Asia, the Korean cinema scene has been knocking it out of the park for years now — without it, we wouldn't have Bong Joon-ho's Okja and Snowpiercer, or Park Chan-wook's Stoker and The Handmaiden, for example. And the fact that neither directors have made the bill at the 2017 Korean Film Festival in Australia shows just how much talent the country has to choose from. Basically, there's plenty of other filmmaking greats where they came from. This year's KOFFIA, the festival's eighth, features straight-from-Cannes flicks, cinematic masters delivering their newest hits and many a movie in between. Boasting 24 films on its national lineup and bringing 15 to Melbourne, the festival will kick off on September 7 with The World of Us, a thoughtful drama about bullying and friendship, before coming to a close on September 14 with crime-thriller The Queen of Crime. Other highlights include Hong Sang-soo's fourth film in less than a year, The Day After, plus The Bacchus Lady, which isn't your usual exploration of an ageing protagonist. Also on the program is The Net, the latest from divisive auteur Kim Ki-duk, historical crime drama The Age of Shadows, and the political machinations of legal effort The King.
Know someone with platforms in your size? Or just happen to own a sequinned onesie? In celebration of their fifth birthday, the disco-loving folks at The B.East are throwing a big Studio 54-themed party in Brunswick East — and costumes are encouraged. From 3pm on Saturday, June 24, the party kicks off with throwback tunes reminiscent of the golden days of New York's infamous Studio 54 disco club. On the decks you'll find DJ Miss Goldie, Chelsea Wilson and DJ Mermaid, then headliners Mojo Juju and her band will get live and loud with a swagger-fuelled set. Plus, you can expect two special performances from Australian burlesque royalty Miss Sina King. Drinks-wise, bartenders at The B.East will be shaking up exclusive and over-the-top strawberries and cream cocktails all night long. And to help you keep your energy up, The B.East kitchen will also be dishing out trays of free sliders all night long.
Most Melburnians have walked past the Nicholas Building dozens if not hundreds of times. The 90-year-old edifice is a Swanston Street institution, home to artists, makers, designers and local businesses from all around town. For one night only, you can take in everything it has to offer, from its art deco arcade on up. From 5–9pm on Thursday June 22, A Night at the Nicholas invites punters to explore the historic building and get to know its eclectic tenants. Take in new exhibitions at BLINDSIDE and Kimono House, attend the launch of Gayelene Carbis' Anecdotal Evidence at Collected Works Bookshop, and pick up some handcrafted jewellery from Victoria Mason's studio. Boutique retailers including Kuwaii, Obus, and Vintage Sole will also be hawking their wares throughout the night. Entry will be by gold coin donation, with all proceeds going to the Nicholas Building Association. You'll also be able to purchase refreshments on the night. Image: Andrew/Flickr.
Melbourne's rockstars will go head to head with the bigwigs of community radio, at the 24th annual Reclink Community Cup. In a dance as old as time — otherwise known as the mid '90s — muso team the Rockdogs will take on the combined forces of PBS, Triple R, SYN FM, 3RPP and 3MBS, aka the Megahertz, in a highly entertaining and heckleworthy game of amateur charity football with a year's worth of bragging rights on the line. Played at Victoria Park in Abbotsford, proceeds from the Sunday, June 24 match will be donated to Reclink Australia and used to improve the lives of people suffering from disability, homelessness, substance abuse and economic hardship through participation in sport and the arts. Reigning champs Rockdogs will be looking to keep the cup, while the Megahertz will try to snatch it back. The match will be bookended by a series of live performances by the likes of The Aints!, Cable Ties, The Cartridge Family, Hiatus Kaiyote, Kutcha Edwards and Rudely Interrupted, all of whose musical credentials are a lot more impressive than their footballing ones. Hey, if you want to see professional athletes, go to the MCG.
On November 3, The Astor Theatre will become the most magical place in Melbourne, as all nine films grace the St Kilda cinema's screens for 20 hours of wizarding wonder. BYO time-turner if you don't think you'll be able to stay awake. Nine films, you say? Yep, this really is a celebration of every Potter-related flick there is, which means the eight movie versions of J.K. Rowling's original seven books, plus the film adaptation of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them as well. Watch Harry, Hermione, Ron and co. spend their first day at Hogwarts, play quidditch, search for the deathly hallows and battle He Who Must Not Be Named. And, then jump back several decades earlier to explore the exploits behind one of their textbooks — as presented in glorious 70mm, too. The marathon will be a nice little catch-up before the Fantastic Beasts sequel (The Crimes of Grindelwald) comes out in November. Kicking off at 11am on Saturday and screening through until the following morning, Potterfest will also include plenty of other Potter nerdery, with dressing up in costume as highly recommended as a pint of butterbeer. Tickets are $45 each (only five bucks a film) and, like with last year's debut event, are bound to sell out.
The program for next year's White Night is here to make night owls of us all. The folks behind Melbourne's dusk 'til dawn cultural festival have once again put together a doozy of a lineup, packed with music performances, light art and giant inflatable rabbits. You'll find the colossal conies bounding around Alexandra Gardens. They're among a number of major installations at this year's festival, which kicks off at 7pm on Saturday February 18 and runs until 7am the following day. As in previous years, the city has been split into four different precincts, allowing nocturnal travellers to better plan their evening out. Punters travelling from the southside might want to start in 'Innocence Returned', which includes not just the Alexandra Gardens, but NGV International, the Arts Centre and Southbank as well. Highlights of this section include Echinodermus, an illuminated tree-like sculpture on the Southbank promenade, and Convergence, an interactive display incorporating projections, smoke jets and music in the Arts Centre forecourt. On the other side of the Yarra, 'Dancing in the Streets' stretches from Birrarung Marr to Collins Street. The riverside park will play host to live music throughout the night, with a lineup of artists (to be announced in January) designed to celebrate Melbourne's cultural diversity. Other standouts include the pointedly titled More Than 1 Nation, which will see the Degraves Street entrance to Flinders Street Station lit up with Indigenous artwork, and a plethora of moving image works at ACMI including a big screen mashup incorporating everything from Star Wars to Saturday Night Fever. White Night revellers who find themselves in the section of the CBD between Melbourne Town Hall and La Trobe Streets – dubbed 'Precipitation and Enlightenment' – will have their run of a pop-up cinema on Lonsdale Street, a psychedelic Seadragon's Lair in the State Library, and a 12-hour dance marathon on Collins Street. Finally, the 'Flames and Fantasy' precinct covers the Carlton Gardens, the Royal Exhibition Building and the Melbourne Museum. The museum plaza will be temporary home to a number of enormous sculptures including a giant Sonic Light Bubble, a fire-breathing Pyrophone Juggernaut and towering Nebulus, while the exhibition building will as in previous years be illuminated by a series of breathtaking projections. 2017 will also see White Night take its first steps out of Melbourne, with a separate White Night Ballarat program set for March 4. Image: Sonic Light Bubble, ENESS.
Sydney bass-boy and nationally-recognised cool guy Hayden James is bringing his massively popular techno musings to venues all over Australia. James only appeared on the scene in 2013, cropping up like most modern beat artists on exclusively online mediums like Soundcloud and YouTube, however it wasn't very long before he garnered quite the hefty fanbase. International touring schedules ensued, landing his precise, near-minimalistic take on hard hitting beats, summery harmonies and techno bass in front of thousands of dancing fans. James has spent the formative portion of the last few months touring the US and Europe, and following a brief stop over in Singapore, Seoul, Hong Kong, Jakarta and Bali will be bringing his Just a Lover tour to Aussie shores. Starting at Brisbane's Triffid on August 26, then onto Max Watts in Melbourne for August 27, he'll spend September 2 at Perth's Villa Nightclub, September 10 at the Fat Controller in Adelaide, before a final blowout in his hometown Sydney, at the Metro Theatre. Supported by Dena Amy.
Less than two weeks after a fundraiser that mobilised an Uber army to deliver ice cream around the country, OzHarvest is out to educate Australians about food wastage in the best possible way – by putting a meal in front of them. Every year, Australia produces enough food to feed roughly three times its population. Despite this, two million people nationwide still rely on some form of food relief. So where's it all going? This is the conversation that OzHarvest is teaming with the UN to try and start. On July 25, in its fourth Think.Eat.Save since 2012, hundreds of OzHarvest volunteers will serve thousands of city-dwellers something they have long been told does not exist – a free lunch. All meals will be made from rescued foodstuffs in an effort to start Australians rethinking not only the way they consume, but also the way they discard. Melbourne's Think.Eat.Save is happening outside the State Library of Victoria between 11.30am and 2.30pm. You can register here.
Introducing the latest must-do for dog owners who can’t bear to be parted from their poochies: the Doggy Drive-In. The Village Cinemas in Coburg are partnering with the RSPCA to welcome all doggos for a chill night out at the movies on Sunday, March 13. Alright, so we can almost guarantee it won’t be relaxing; no doubt the pups will run everywhere, sniff, snuffle, make friends, leave presents — you won’t have much time to sit and watch the movie. But dammit, there’ll be so many pats to deliver. So for those of you who love dogs and movies and solid date ideas, this could be your perfect outing. They’ll be showing an advance screening of Disney’s new flick Zootopia for extra cute points and the RSPCA have set up photobooth and info counter for pet adoption, so it’s not just for dog owners, but potential dog owners as well. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
As far as purveyors of effortless Parisian-cool vibes go, the minds behind annual day party So Frenchy So Chic are the masters. So who better to entrust your plans for France's national anniversary celebration, Bastille Day? On Saturday, July 20, the team is transforming North Melbourne's Meat Market into a playground of French delights for its adults-only dance party, the So Frenchy So Chic Bastille Day Soirée. Francophiles and music lovers are invited to dive into a sparkling evening of tunes, dancing and French-inspired frivolity to properly celebrate La Fête Nationale. Come along in your best red, white and blue and prepare to show off your moves on the dance floor, with DJs set to play the best French dance floor bangers from the past 40 years. What's more, in between feasting your ears, you'll be able to say bon appetite to a range of French gustatory goodies, including a complimentary grazing station courtesy of L'Artisan Cheese. Bistro Gitan — one of our fave French restaurants in Melbourne — has also designed a food menu for the night, but these are only available if for pre-order. Be quick — tickets are highly limited and we have a feeling this one will sell out toute sweet.
Grab your fluffy knit jumpers and a designated driver, because Four Pillars is launching the inaugural Bloody Winter Gin Fest. The name is a nod to Four Pillars' new Bloody Pinot Noir Gin, but also a comment on Melbourne's trademark winter weather: grey, raining, grey, chance of rain, grey. The festival calendar is pretty stacked with events, including a film festival and delicious gin-fuelled feasts. But one thing that did catch our eye is the Healesville Fireside Festival — a festival within a festival — that's running on July 8, 15 and 22. This is your chance to join the team from Payton & Jones and Four Pillars at the Healesville Distillery for a personal cocktail masterclass. Learn how to make all your winter favourites: a hot negroni, hot gin toddy and mulled wine, all around a cosy firepit, with matching snacks to boot. Sounds bloody delicious. You can check out the full festival program on the Four Pillars website. Tickets to the Fireside Festival will set you back $105 per person. The Bloody Winter Gin Festival is technically running in NSW and Queensland too, but Melbourne hasn't been left out in the cold. There are midwinter gin pop-ups running throughout the city, so keep your eyes peeled. Images: supplied.
Ballarat has really pulled out all the stops for their annual Winter Festival this year. Not only is the iconic Winter Wonderlights Christmas spectacle returning to Sovereign Hill, but the entire city is basically throwing a three-week winter party with events, live acts, food specials and activities popping up all over town. Ballarat's Winter Festival runs from June 24 to July 16, and you can browse the full event program on the website here. The pop-up ice rink on Armstrong Street South is returning, naturally, with Bollywood on Ice sessions, disco nights and even a DJ-fuelled Latin Fiesta. Prices start from $9. Victoria's kitschiest landmark, the faux-medieval Kryal Castle, is celebrating as you might expect, with knights wielding swords on fire. This one sounds frankly bonkers, and should be good fun for the kids. The jewel in Ballarat's winter crown is, as always, Winter Wonderlights. If you haven't been to this one before, we highly recommend it. Rug up in Sovereign Hill with a warm cup of mulled wine as the fake snow begins to fall and the light show kicks into gear. Tickets start at $34. Pro tip: don't underestimate the cold for this one. Ballarat does not do 'mild' winter nights. Images: Supplied
We don't need much of an excuse to drink gin at 12pm on any weekend, but you definitely won't need any excuse on World Gin Day on Saturday, June 10. To celebrate, everyone's favourite gin joint, Campari House in Hardware Lane, is hosting a Botanicals Marketplace. Imagine all your favourite distilleries under one roof, or on top of the roof, in the case of Tanqueray. Campari House has invited the Australian Distilling Co, Bass and Flinders, Little Lon and Westwinds to showcase their latest gins and mix some excellent cocktails. Everything will be topped off with boutique tonic water, courtesy of the guys at Fever Tree. And if you're swearing off the booze this winter, don't worry, Seedlip will also be there, slinging non-alcoholic gin by the gallon. For something really special, head up to Campari House's rooftop, where Tanqueray are setting up a huge gin activation. This one will actually be sticking around after the Botanical Marketplace has packed up, so you've got some time to catch it. Campari House's Botanicals Marketplace runs from 12pm to 5pm on Saturday June 10. Tickets are $27.78 a pop. You can book your spot through Eventbrite. Images: Supplied
A fresh incarnation of the former Pontoon site and casual sibling to Stokehouse above, Stokehouse Pasta & Bar is the laidback, all-day spot we fell in love with last year. Now, there's yet another reason to visit: with a brand new dining series that will see big-name guest chefs celebrating the humble pasta. The Humble Pasta program kicks off with Karen Martini on Thursday, June 15, serving up an exclusive, three-course menu inspired by her cookbook, COOK. She'll be followed by guests chefs Victor Liong (Lee Ho Fook) on Thursday, July 13; Ross Magnaye (Serai) on Thursday, August 10; and Danielle Alvarez (ex-Fred's) on Thursday, September 7, each of whom will bring their unique culinary skills to the special menus. [caption id="attachment_879074" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Stokehouse pasta[/caption] Liong will take patrons on a Cantonese-infused culinary journey, while Magnaye is set to play with Filipino and Mediterranean flavours. Finally, Alvarez brings the essence of her Latino heritage to each pasta dish. Magnaye's menu will run to the likes of tuna tonnato with smoked bone marrow. Moreton Bay bug tortellini will be paired with smoked bagoong butter and coconut "laing" sauce and pomelo ensalad. Plus, for an additional $19 per person, a classic Filipino Ube Flan for dessert. Stokehouse Pasta & Bar's wine list, where all bottles clock in at $79 a pop, as well as special cocktail, mocktail and beers will be available to add on. Top image: Tom Blachford.
Footscray Laughs is back for another run this year — bigger, better and funnier than ever. It's all kicking off on June 16 at Footscray Community Arts Centre, which you'll find tucked away on Moreland Street. If you managed to catch the sell-out show in March, you'll know how good this one is, and the June lineup sounds like a banger. Lizzy Hoo, Aurelia St Clair, Rerose Roro, Rowan Thambar, Maddy Weeks and Woah Alyssa! are all hitting the performance space. You've probably heard these names around the traps before. Hoo has sold out shows at the Melbourne Comedy Festival and performed at the 2021 Oxfam Gala. Woah Alyssa! (also known as newly ex-boyfriends Col and Fil) have amassed a cult following with their award-nominated sketch shows. And Rowan Thambar is a regular writer for The Project on Channel 10, and has performed on Triple J, NOVA and ABC Radio National. Tickets are $29 to $34, depending on seating and the event runs from 8pm to 10pm. Afterwards, we thoroughly recommend kicking on to Barkly Street for some Ethiopian food at Ras Dashen. Images: Gianna Rizzo
Bake sales truly are the best. Top-quality, baked, sweet and savoury treats that don’t have to cost you the earth is certainly something we can get down with, and the Flour Market brings all of Melbourne’s best bakers together. For those who have attended before, there will be more than a few familiar faces returning, with the likes of 5 & Dime, Agathe, All Day Donuts, Bakewell & Co, Beatrix, Butterbing, Candied, Citizen Cacao, Cobb Lane, Everyday Coffee, Jo Barrett, Linh Dang, Pierogi Pierogi, Pure Pie and The Moonbeam Kitchen all set to make an appearance. There will also be a few newcomers this time around, including Aunty Peg’s, Chez Dre, and LuxBite. Early Riser tickets have once again sold out in a heartbeat for this round of the Flour Market, but we still recommend jumping out of bed early to make sure you get the pastries of your dreams. The queue has been known to be notoriously long, so if you don’t want to spend half your life huddling outside of Collingwood Town Hall, get organised, get caffeinated, bring a $2 coin for entry, and try not to eat all of your bounty before you get home.
Meet Iris Apfel, the kind of stylish, straight-talking, bespectacled nonagenarian everyone wishes was their grandmother. The New York cult figure has stood out from the crowd across decades of trends, and dabbled in everything from art to interior design. If she sounds much cooler than most people a quarter of her age, well, that's because she is. The 93-year-old's resume speaks for itself, given that she has spent over 75 years in fashion traversing everything from working at Women's Wear Daily to setting up her own textile design firm with her husband to still lecturing about style today; however, it is her personality and outlook, rather than her achievements, that shine brightest. That she says she was probably the first woman to wear jeans speaks to her pioneering spirit. That she notes that she's more excited about dressing up for parties than actually going to parties does as well. Indeed, the ever-flamboyant Apfel remains an individual at a time when such a term has started to lose its meaning, as she herself observes when musing over the common correlation between black attire and fashion. Always decked out in rows of couture costume jewellery and never seen in an outfit that could be classed as boring or bland, she advises that she approaches dressing a bit like jazz — with a little bit of this and a little bit of that. It shows. So bounces forward a loving portrait of blazing your own path — and never compromising for or caring about the opinions of others — as given perhaps the strongest living example. From the moment Apfel graces the screen and thrusts her oversized pearls of wisdom upon the audience, it is immediately apparent why she's the subject of the documentary that shares her name. From the moment the film displays its frame, the affection, energy and insight filmmaker Albert Maysles channels is also evident, as is his making of the movie in the style befitting his subject. Alas, there is a lone sad note to the engaging ode, despite the slight but sweet exploration that comprises the documentary's running time. The joy and vivacity that Apfel exudes on screen, fierce and frank until the last moment, is balanced by the knowledge of the film's director. The great Maysles, noted for crafting the iconic Grey Gardens and Gimme Shelter, passed away at the age of 88 in early 2015, with this his penultimate effort. Accordingly, Iris actually pays tribute to two great trailblazers and showcases what both do best: pave their own way and create their own stories through their chosen mediums of fashion and film.
It's telling that Knight of Cups features many a dive into a pool, seaside stroll and wave crashing against the beach. The latest movie from The Tree of Life and To the Wonder's Terrence Malick is awash in recognisable elements and seems as familiar as water. It's also as malleable as the wet substance that covers the bulk of the earth and comprises most of the human body — and as invigorating. Of course, places and people are the film's primary concerns, particularly Los Angeles and a screenwriter by the name of Rick (Christian Bale). In the city known for the emptiness beneath its allure — indeed, David Lynch (in Inland Empire) and David Cronenberg (in Maps to the Stars) have already plumbed its depths — he's a man plunged into a crisis, making a mess of his successful life as he searches for meaning. Rick drifts through his days, unhappy with his choices but uncertain about how to change them. His problems are many, and not just linked to his failed marriage to Nancy (Cate Blanchett), or spate of flings (with Imogen Poots, Freida Pinto, Teresa Palmer, Natalie Portman and Isabel Lucas) afterwards. Tragedy haunts his family, straining his relationships with his brother (Wes Bentley) and father (Brian Dennehy). Though his career is beginning to take off, thrusting him into a glamorous world, it lacks fulfilment past the glitz and partying. As a result, Rick is both wading and paddling feverishly, and so is the film. Malick uses him not just as a protagonist, but as a buoy in a feature that lurches restlessly from place to place and person to person. Sometimes the movie stalks him as he floats through apartments and buildings, around sets and shindigs, and on walks over rugged terrain and by the ocean. Sometimes it adopts his perspective as it dashes around in fragments of his existence. That means that often, when you dip your toes in the feature, you get what you're expecting: a commonly told tale of mid-life malaise, Malick's roaming visuals and whispered layers of philosophical narration, and a focus on contemplation among them. Just as frequently, though, you get a burst that takes you by surprise: in dropping out of one tarot card-named chapter and into the next, in the symphony of classical music sounds and sun-dappled sights, and in the movie's dissection of hedonism, for example. Even when the surface appears still, something is always bubbling up below. Consider Knight of Cups, then, an ideal balance between relaxing and refreshing, and meditative and stimulating. Of course, with Malick at the helm, the film's reflective questioning becomes a gliding kaleidoscope of wide-angle images strikingly shot by Oscar-winning Gravity and Birdman cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, and a montage-heavy mood piece as much as a movie. Conversation rarely lasts beyond a single line, and the all-star cast — which includes brief appearances by everyone from Antonio Banderas to Jason Clarke and Nick Offerman to Fabio — exist more than they perform. And yet, as Knight of Cups ebbs and flows over the course of its fluid 118 minutes, there's no mistaking its emotional and sensory impact. Plus, if you're going to jump in a seemingly familiar body of water filled with hypnotic experiences and hidden depths, you want Malick as your guide. With him in charge, you haven't really swum there and splashed through this before.
We're looking to learn more about our readers — what do you do? Where do you go? What do you like? How much cheese coverage is too much cheese coverage? We would say there isn't such thing, but just to make sure, we've developed a little survey we'd like you to take. A Concrete Playground census, if you will. Now, we know the whole 2016 #censusfail was a bit of a bummer, but we've made this one fun. First of all, we won't invade your privacy — we just want to know about the stuff you love. And if you stick around till the end, you'll go in the running to win a table for yourself and a mate at Messina's Creative Department pop-up for their sold out Truffle Week degustation. The degustation serves up seven delectable courses — bordering the realm of dessert yet incorporating savoury flavours — for a culinary experience that tempts and challenges your palate. Bet you never thought you'd have black truffle paired with sweet eats. (Trust us, it works.) Here's the gist: let us get to know you, fill out the full survey and potentially win an epic dinner for you and a mate. We have four double passes to give away for the night of Wednesday, August 2, so you may want to start figuring out which lucky someone you'll take to dinner. Help us out and tell us a bit about yourself. Take the Concrete Playground 2017 survey here.
Want to pick up a casual Neil Perry lunch without forking out an Eleven Bridge restaurant bill? Australia's renowned restaurateur, chef, TV presenter and all-round multitasker has just launched his own menu for Japanese-inspired eatery Saké Jr. Perry is working his magic across Saké Jr's Sydney and Melbourne venues, bringing his passion for sustainably sourced, fresh, local produce to each of his carefully curated dishes. "As with all our endeavours, we are community and sustainability minded," he says. "Our ethos is simple: source responsibly, act respectfully, cook beautifully, live well." New lunchtime items include on-trend poke bowls and grab and go protein salads, with various meat, seafood or vegetarian staples featuring accompaniments like pickled bamboo, edamame and soy and mirin dressing. You can mix and match, so the endless options are bound to revolutionise your once-boring lunch hour. Come 4pm, Jr by Night kicks into gear at Sydney's Grosvenor Place and Bourke Street in Melbourne. Perry will be offering up creative takes on Tokyo street food favourites, like Japanese fried chicken (JFC) with the choice of chilli oil, gochujang or sesame yuzu sauce. Alternatively, build your own ramen bowl or bao bun and wash it all down with a house-brewed iced tea or a cheeky glass or two of saké. Whatever your selection, you can expect each mouthful to reflect Perry's meticulous attention to detail. Find Sake Jr at Grosvenor Place, 255 George Street and inside Westfield Pitt Street in Sydney, and at 555 Bourke Street and St Collins Lane in Melbourne.
Get up close and personal with Adelaide's Tkay Maidza this week, at two intimate gigs coming to Sydney and Melbourne. Presented by GiggedIn, the new live music subscription service that gets you unlimited access to gigs around Sydney, these two exclusive shows will feature Dew Process's popular young powerhouse MC performing at Melbourne's Howler on May 25 and Sydney's Plan B Small Club on May 26. Tkay's had a furiously busy year, with support spots for Mark Ronson, Years & Years, Charli XCX, high praise from Killer Mike, and festival appearances by the bucketload. Tickets to the gig are currently on sale via Moshtix — unless you're a GiggedIn member, in which case the whole thing is free. Doors open at 7.30pm. Thanks to GiggedIn, we've got ten double passes to give away to each show. And on top of that, they're giving you 30 percent off your first month if you sign up for a membership before June 25. Just enter the code CPFRIENDS at checkout. [competition]573724[/competition] Image: Dew Process.
Catch the latest releases under the starry skies on Melbourne's newest outdoor screen. With a few months of successful service under their best, the team at Lido Cinemas, the eight-screen theatre which opened in Hawthorn earlier this year, have put the finishing touches on what is quite literally their crowning feature: a 100-seat rooftop cinema complete with beanbags and a bar. And now that the summer sun is peeking out from behind the clouds, we've finally gotten a glimpse at their lineup. Spoiler alert: it's pretty bloody great. Lido on the Roof will launch on Thursday, November 12 and will screen films until Easter. Opening night will feature the new James Bond movie Spectre, highlighting the cinema's focus on new releases — something which should help differentiate them from Melbourne's numerous other outdoor screens, where the programs tends to be a little more on the retro side. Other films on the program include holiday blockbusters such as Star Wars: The Force Awakens and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2, family fare like Goosebumps and Pixar's The Good Dinosaur, and anticipated comedies including Sisters and Zoolander 2. They'll also screen a number of this year's likely Oscar contenders, including same-sex romance Carol starring Cate Blanchet and Rooney Mara, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's new Western The Revenant featuring a grizzled Leonardo DiCaprio, and the Aaron Sorkin-scripted biopic Steve Jobs starring Michael Fassbender as the tech icon. Rounding out the lineup are a handful of nostalgic gems, including The Lion King, The Princess Bride and perennial Yuletide favourite Elf. That said, we're probably most excited for a late January screening of Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction, which should pair quite nicely with his new film The Hateful Eight which hits cinemas around the same time. The Lido is located at 675 Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn. The full rooftop program will be made available online on November 12.
Love a good glass of red? Well then, you're in luck. Following a series of pop-ups and bottling parties, people-powered urban winery Noisy Ritual have gone and found themselves a permanent home. Located on Lygon Street in Brunswick East, the new venue will pull triple duty as a cellar door, wine bar and event space, suitable for everything from weddings to exhibitions. They'll officially cut the ribbon on the evening of Friday, June 17 with a housewarming dinner featuring food by Pope Joan chef Matt Wilkinson. "Noisy Ritual will be a haven for people interested in wine, winemaking, food and music," reads a statement on the winery's website. "Stop by for a glass of wine in the bar, or take a bottle home. Sign up for a winemaking experience, come to one of our special events, or hire the space for your own occasion." Not a bad turn of events for a business that began with fermenting grapes in a Thornbury backyard. Turns out if you offer people the chance to stomp, press and bottle their own vino, they'll turn out in droves. Incidentally, 2017 Noisy Ritual memberships are currently available, and get you entry to three winemaking workshops, three barrel tasting sessions and six bottles from your very own vintage. Plus, you'll be able to go into the Noisy Ritual bar and order a glass of the wine you made with your own two hands (and feet). Noisy Ritual opens at 249 Lygon Street, Brunswick East on Friday, June 17. For more information visit noisyritual.com.au.
Time to wake your brain up from its summer slumber and get those mind grapes squeezing juice again, because Melbourne is getting a dose of none other than the inimitable Miranda July. In what can't be called anything less than a coup, the celebrated writer, filmmaker, actor, artist, app maker, handbag wizard and bona fide enigma will be gracing the stage at Melbourne Town Hall for her talk Lost Child! on Monday, March 7 — right off the back of her talk at the Sydney Opera House's All About Women. Recently read The Last Bad Man and wondered who the hell was this woman behind it? Or just fascinated by the whole persona of this wonderful woman? Well, she'll be talking through her very varied and unique works, from her time as an artist in Portland to where she is now. And we daresay she'll be answering a few audience questions — so get yours ready. Image: Miranda July.
Once Victoria's longest running gaol, Coburg's Pentridge Prison is in the process of becoming a trendy arts, culture and food hub. Just this week, Palace announced that it'll be moving in with a 15-screen cinema and, over the past few months, we've been drip-fed other plans, from hotel rooms to a microbrewery. So, we thought we'd take a closer look. According to Pentridge's developers the , who bought the site in 2013, the former prison will be transformed into an urban village, combining retail, commercial and retail spaces. There'll be new buildings, but the plan is to merge them with existing, well, cells, and to keep heritage features, like the gaol's famous bluestone walls. Interested in moving in? In the site's northwestern corner, PRO-ARK architects are turning two, six-level bluestone blocks into 53 two- and three-bedroom apartments, with private balconies and views as far as the Dandenong Ranges. If a temporary stay sounds more like you, then check out the site's opposite corner, where Adina will be setting up a 120-room hotel, designed by Cox Architecture. The rooms will be spread over a new, 16-storey tower and the prison's notorious B Division cell block. It was from here that Ronald Ryan escaped in 1965, before being captured two years later and hanged, becoming the last person to be executed in Australia. Smack-bang in the centre, you'll find a multi-level retail centre. Palace Cinemas is taking over the top floor, with 15 screens, mammoth-sized comfy chairs and its usual mix of mainstream flicks, indie films and international festivals. Meanwhile, the laundry will be getting put to excellent use, given that it's being turned into a microbrewery, restaurant and beer garden. To be called Coburg Brewing Co., it's a joint venture between Coburg Lager and the Post Office Hotel's Daniel Caneva. There's a bunch of other buildings with yet-to-be-announced futures. Keep an eye on the master plan over here.
Carrie Brownstein is the sort of talent who can rock most things. In the '90s, she rose to riot grrrl fame with pioneering punk trio Sleater-Kinney, while the noughties saw her gain a whole legion of new fans through the satirical Portlandia. Like any good sketch show, they are short and sweet satires, with the most notable (not to mention quotable) highlighting society’s superfluous expenditure and excitement for all things branded with a bird. Most recently though , Brownstein's caged the parodies and applied her talents to memoir. In Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl, Brownstein writes of her turbulent suburban upbringing and of finding her people — and her power — through the feminist punk scene. On tour with the reformed Sleater-Kinney, Brownstein will briefly rest her guitar for a chat with Myf Warhurst at Melbourne Town Hall this Tuesday, March 8. So put on your best casual attire and join the pair for a discussion of defiance, humour and rock and roll.
One of Melbourne's favourite inner-city shopping spots is moving up in the world, literally. As part of the site's ongoing redevelopment, the Queen Victoria Market last year announced that is is getting a temporary elevated addition to help with the transition — an open-air greenhouse-style pavilion that'll be built on columns nine metres above the street. Although it was initially slated to open this month, the City of Melbourne expects to have the Breathe Architecture-designed structure up and running by mid-2018. It will temporarily house the market's traders while other parts of the precinct undergo a revamp. And it won't be small — measuring 120 metres by 19 metres, the $5.6 million effort is expected to stretch from the existing sheds down to the customer car park along Queen Street. In addition to not getting above 28 degrees, it'll also be the longest inner-city conservatory in the world. The pavilion forms part of the broader Queen Victoria Market Precinct Renewal project, which aims to restore the market's heritage while delivering modern facilities, and will span the next five years. As well as refreshing the existing sheds and fixtures, the $250 million revitalisation will also see the creation of a new 1.5 hectare open space called Market Square, plus another area that can host markets, festivals and more at the intersection of Queen and Therry streets, dubbed Market Cross. And, while the brag-worthy sky-high greenhouse isn't actually intended to be a permanent fixture at present — in fact, it is designed to be dismantled, moved and even re-sold if needed — that may change. For more information about the Queen Victoria Market Precinct Renewal, visit the project website.
Love a good glass of red? Well then, you're in luck. Following a series of pop-ups and bottling parties, people-powered urban winery Noisy Ritual have gone and found themselves a permanent home. Located on Lygon Street in Brunswick East, the new venue will pull triple duty as a cellar door, wine bar and event space, suitable for everything from weddings to exhibitions. The bar opens to the public for the first time on Saturday June 18, and you better believe we'll be first through the door. "Noisy Ritual will be a haven for people interested in wine, winemaking, food and music," reads a statement on the winery's website. "Stop by for a glass of wine in the bar, or take a bottle home. Sign up for a winemaking experience, come to one of our special events, or hire the space for your own occasion." Not a bad turn of events for a business that began with fermenting grapes in a Thornbury backyard. Turns out if you offer people the chance to stomp, press and bottle their own vino, they'll turn out in droves. Incidentally, 2017 Noisy Ritual memberships are currently available, and get you entry to three winemaking workshops, three barrel tasting sessions and six bottles from your very own vintage. Plus, you'll be able to go into the Noisy Ritual bar and order a glass of the wine you made with your own two hands (and feet). Find Noisy Ritual at 249 Lygon Street, Brunswick East. For more information visit www.noisyritual.com.au.
UPDATE: JUNE 22, 2020 — Sephora has extended its sale for five days. It'll now end on Sunday, June 28. Sephora, aka the French-based perfume and cosmetics chain that has won fans the world over, has been opening stores around Australia for the last few years. And whether you're keen to head into your closest shop, or you're quite happy browsing and buying beauty products online, it's currently hosting a huge sale with prices up to 50 percent off. That's good news for everyone, including your bank balance. If you haven't jumped on the Sephora bandwagon yet, then prepare to nab all those prestige international brands you can't get elsewhere. In-person and virtually, it's a beauty product wonderland, with more than 1500 different lines on offer. The exact discount varies from product to product, but you can expect 30 percent off Fenty matte lipsticks, 50 percent off Marc Jacobs foundation, 30 percent off Tarte lipgloss sets and hefty savings on Sephora's own branded lines, too — just to name a few of the items on sale. If this is the excuse you needed to boost your makeup bag, the sale runs until Sunday, June 28.
The Hills Are Alive with the sound of Australia's newest and best this weekend. Featuring a gaggle of Australian acts headlined by Melbourne-based hip-hop artist Remi, The Hills Are Alive music festival is seven years young this year. The 2015 edition will also mark the first time the event has spilled over into a second evening, with festival organisers promising "twice as many good vibes." Hosted at the McLaren family farm an hour and a half out of Melbourne, THAA 2015 will feature Canberra electronic group SAFIA, Tassie punk-rockers Luca Brasi, Melbourne folk-duo Pierce Brothers, Adelaide singer-songwriter Timberwolf, triple j 2012 Unearthed High winner Asta, NZ country music crooner Marlon Williams, plus a whole lot more. Despite their 2015 expansion, The Hills Are Alive remains a small festival by design, offering an antidote to the massive crowds that often characterise these kinds of events. With a capacity of just 2000 people, tickets are by invitation only, meaning you need to either be friends with one of the acts or know somebody who's been before. Attendees are encouraged to carpool to keep their impact on the environment to a minimum, while glass and pets are prohibited on account of the cows with whom you'll be sharing the campsite. For more information on the lineup, head to the festival website.
Get ready to stuff yourself with so many Greek doughnuts you'll barely be able to move. Chef George Calombaris is about to cut the ribbon on his long awaited new restaurant, The Hellenic Hotel. Opening on Friday, June 17 on Ferguson Street in Williamstown some two years after it was originally meant to do so, The Hellenic Hotel will be the third member of the Hellenic Republic family, which also has branches in Brunswick East and Kew. Diners can expect a hearty selection of Greek food and wine, with popular items including the saganaki with peppered figs expected to make the journey across the Westgate Bridge. Beyond that we don't know a great deal about the menu, although with award-winning young chef Josh Pelham at the helm, we're confident we'll be in good hands. "It's about delivering value-for-money family-friendly food," he told Good Food last month. Located on the site of the former Hobsons Bay Hotel, The Hellenic Hotel will be split into two levels, with an 80-90 seat dining room on the ground floor plus a bar and veranda upstairs. There will also be a takeaway outlet attached, complete with its own separate entrance. The Hellenic Hotel will open for dinner on Friday, June 17 at 28 Ferguson Street, Williamstown. For more information visit HH's website. Via Good Food.
If you've ever queued your way to the front line of your local Messina cabinet, only to shuffle away after seeing the CASH ONLY sign and cursing your empty pockets, your nightmare is over. Messina has launched its very own app. And it lets you pay for your gelato with your phone. That's right, from now on, the only thing standing between you and all that deliciousness is an easy swipe. What's more, the app comes with a bunch of bonuses. For a start, if you're one of the first to download it, you'll nab ten bucks worth of Messina credit. Secondly, your purchases will score you points, which you can use to get things, like Messina tote bags and other merch, tickets to gelato classes, entry to the Gelato Messina Creative Department and free ice cream. Yep, free ice cream. You'll also be provided with access to special, app-only gelato creations. And you'll get to vote for your favourite Messina specials, helping them to make a reappearance. long live 'Homer's Odyssey' — VB and peanuts. The Gelato Messina app is available now as a free download via Apple and Google Play.
