Offering a much-needed coffee spot for the suburb of Cheltenham, Drip Cafe is serving up all your brunch favourites with a touch of Middle Eastern flair. The food is inspired by the Lebanese heritage of owners Ali and Hannah El-Halabi. This husband-and-wife duo is all too familiar with the Melbourne cafe scene, too, having been running Bentleigh East's Poncho Cafe for over five years. Located on what was once a quiet strip of takeaway shops, this modern and playful corner cafe has brought life to a residential bite of the southeastern suburbs. Designed by Elvin Tan, the interior has been transformed with azure blues and crisp whites to create a vibrant, brightly lit space. Having been open just shy of three weeks, the venue's most popular dish to date is the decadent Knafeh French Toast, a menu item Hannah says was a culinary risk that paid off. "Our french toast is inspired by the Lebanese dessert knafeh: a cornflake-crumbed brioche filled with semolina custard and topped with rose water syrup," says Hannah. "My husband told me I was crazy and it wouldn't work — yet here we are." Other beautifully plated, Lebanese-inspired dishes on the menu include the spiced freekeh and lamb salad, veggie patch bowl and orange blossom hotcakes, which are served with caramelised orange and cream — and inspired by the gifts the El-Halabi's relatives send from overseas. "Every Lebanese household cooks with rose water and orange blossom, " says Hannah. "Our friends and family send them from overseas as gifts, and when you visit Lebanon, you always bring some home. Our mums have always used them in our cooking, so it made sense that we did, too." With high-quality coffee a passion of both the Drip Cafe owners and staff, you can expect perfectly crafted cups of joe on Inglewood Coffee Roasters beans, as well as single origin and batch brews. Don't let the cooler weather deter you from visiting Drip Cafe, either, the sunny outside dining area will soon be transformed into a covered courtyard for winter. And this spot is dog-friendly — perfect for both two- and four-legged brunch enthusiasts. Images: Julia Sansone.
Jumpers for Goalposts is a romantic comedy set in a queer community sports league in Hull. The theatre at Red Stitch has been done up as a suitably dingy graffitied locker room. The cast have cracked out their best Yorkshire accents. Pink soccer jerseys have been made. Coach Viv (Red Stitch regular Kate Cole), having parted from her former team the Lesbian Rovers, is trying to prove herself with a new gang of misfits called Barely Athletic. There's dumpster diving silly hat wearing busker Beardy (Ray Chong Nee), nervous aspiring coach Danny (Johnathan Peck), the even more nervous and totally un-sporty boy from the library who's only been invited because Danny wants to hook up with him (Rory Kelly), and Joe (Paul Denny), Viv's depressed straight brother-in-law, who she's roped in to get him out of the house. Following the familiar lines of both the rom com and the underdog sports drama, the play doesn't offer too many surprises. The team has its ups and downs, and so does their love in the locker room. The central romance is sweet and well-written and there are bittersweet moments aplenty in a show about celebrating small victories. In case you hadn't already picked it up from the same-sex romances, Red Stitch goes to great pains to establish that this is a queer show — from blasting you with 'Karma Chameleon' as you take your seats, to serenading you with 'I Am What I Am' as you walk out. The script, by quickly rising young British playwright Tom Wells, however generally avoids cliché and plays for slice-of-life realism. As a sports drama it seems well observed. Leastways, the sense of excessive drama and stress over nothing lines up with how your Concrete Playground correspondent remembers sport being. As a queer theatre piece, it hits some goals and misses others. While the league is described as being an LGBTI league, the focus of the play is firmly on the letter G. Viv, the only female character, while strongly acted by Cole, is mostly defined by her relentless bossiness. References to the other teams in the league, such as the lesbian team or "Tranny United" are most often used as punchlines. Maybe it's just because men of whatever sexuality playing sport are such a heavily travelled dramatic ground but these other teams often seemed more intriguing than the one on stage. As a romantic comedy though, Jumpers for Goalposts succeeds, being both funny and affecting. Its depiction of relationships is honest, both in showing their emotive and problematic aspects and in demonstrating how hurdles to love can be overcome with communication and respect. As such, it is ahead of many works in this genre, in that it offers something meaningful to say about how to make relationships work.
As a staple of New Zealand's food scene for more than a decade, Botswana Butchery now has two Aussie outposts, bringing its luxe meat-focused offering first to Sydney, and more recently to Flinders Lane. With room for 300 punters across three levels, Botswana Butchery Melbourne is giving locals a taste of the brand's signature swanky styling and expansive menu celebrating premium meat and seafood. Inside, handsome Charlotte Spary-designed interiors feature marble-topped counters, sunken dining areas and sumptuous booth seating, as well as two terraces overlooking Flinders Lane. The kitchen is using a woodfired grill to celebrate a generous array of quality Aussie meat, while premium seafood and artisan charcuterie are heroed via a dedicated raw and cured bar. Ocean-fresh bites might include the likes of torched hiramasa kingfish with eggplant relish and burnt orange dressing ($28); snapper ceviche finished with tiger's milk ($29); and Alaskan crab leg sharing a milk bun with remoulade and iceberg lettuce ($39). There's a caviar service, too, or you can get your charcuterie kicks with options like wagyu bresaola ($22) and the house chicken paté ($19). Meat-lovers will find 14 steak — and lamb — cuts sourced from across Victoria and beyond, topping out with the 1.6-kilogram Rangers Valley Tomahawk for $320. Elsewhere, venison tartare is elevated with Tasmanian wasabi ($32); roasted blue eye is matched with a mussel saffron butter ($46); and a Berkshire pork chop stars grilled figs and fennel pollen ($52). More tough decisions await you over on the 1000-strong wine list, which champions Australian and New Zealand drops, and in the upstairs bar, with its expansive offering of cocktails, top-shelf tipples and rare spirits. Images: Garth Oriander
If your tipple of choice is a tasty local beer or homegrown spirit, the 2021–22 Federal Budget has served up some good news for your future drinking endeavours. In a push to support jobs and boost Australia's alcohol manufacturing sector, the government is set to offer around $225 million in tax relief for local small breweries and distilleries. Announced earlier this month and reiterated during this week's federal budget announcement, this move will allow eligible brewers and distillers to get back any excise tax they pay on the alcohol they produce, up to a cap of $350,000 each year. Previously, they were only entitled to a maximum refund of 60 percent, capped annually at $100,000. The Excise Refund Scheme changes will kick off from July 1, 2021, pulling the benefits for Australia's beer and spirits industries more into line with what the wine industry currently enjoys. It's expected that around 600 brewers and 400 distillers will benefit from the move. The tax relief should offer our local beer and spirits scenes a huge boost, according to Independent Brewers Association Chairman and founder of Sydney's Wayward Brewing Co, Peter Philip. In an interview with Treasurer Josh Frydenberg earlier this month, Mr Philip explained that small brewers and distilleries would be pushing this extra money into technology, capability, capacity and their people. "Consumers really want to support small, locally-owned independent beer in Australia. And this is just going to make that happen," he said. In the same interview, Bentspoke Brewing founder Richard Watkins called the excise change "one of the biggest things that's ever happened in the brewing industry", saying his Canberra-based brewery would be investing in new equipment and technology to make the beer even better and meet increased demand. [caption id="attachment_811815" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Wayward Brewing's Camperdown taproom[/caption] The budget move will also prove a timely helping hand for two industries especially hard hit by last year's hospitality lockdowns. In a statement made last month calling for a drop in excise tax rates, the Brewers Association of Australia revealed its 2020 data showing draught beer sales had plunged by a third, compared to the previous year. According to the organisation, that translates to a drop of over $1 billion in beer sold by pubs and clubs in 2020 alone. For more information about the 2021–22 Federal Budget, head to the government's website.
The spirit of New Orleans is headed to Melbourne. Hosted by Gumbo Kitchen, the fourth annual Fat Tuesday Southern Food and Music Festival will once again combine Louisiana jazz with old style Cajun and Creole cuisine. You'll swear your partying right on the Mississippi. Fat Tuesday, better known by its French name Mardi Gras, traditionally marks the day before the beginning of Lent — hence all the fatty foods. Whether you'll be fasting on Wednesday, it'll be hard to resist this festival's smorgasbord of dining options, with catering by some of Melbourne's favourite Southern-style food joints including Bluebonnet Barbecue, Po' Boy Quarter and Girl with the Gris Gris. Nola craft beer outfit Abita will provide the beverages, along with cocktails by West Winds Gin. The live music lineup, meanwhile, will see the likes of brass band Horns of Leroy and The Johnny Can't Dance Cajun trio creating all kinds of danceworthy havoc. The fun all starts in Hardy Reserve, Carlton North at 5pm.
Taking over the lush grounds of the Heide Museum of Modern Art sculpture park once a month, the Heide Market always makes for an idyllic Saturday session of shopping, eats and tunes. But this month, the pop-up marketplace is turning on the festive charms, hosting a special Christmas edition on Saturday, December 11. As always, there'll be a broad-ranging lineup of stallholders making an appearance, so you can put a big dent in your Christmas gift shopping all at once. Expect everything from fashion to food products, ceramics to art, and homewares to jewellery. There'll be coffee and food stalls to help fuel your shopping adventures, and as always, pooches are allowed to come along. You'll even spy some pet treats and doggy items among the lineup, should you wish to spoil a very good boy or girl. It all kicks off at 10am.
Yes, Melbourne's scored another rooftop cinema. But while the openair aspect might be new, this outdoor venture comes from a fixture of the city's film scene. Elsternwick's Classic Cinema has been screening movies since 1911 — but this is the first time it's done it on its rooftop. Located on the fourth level, the rooftop not only has its own bar and tiered seating, but views across the southeast to the city. The summer series will kick off on Thursday, December 19 with seven consecutive screenings of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and continue until April 2020 with a mix of new releases and cult classics. You'll be able to check out Taika Waititi's World War II satire JoJo Rabbit and the new weird rendition of Cats as well as harking back to 10 Things I Hate About You and Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing. Movies start at sundown every night of the week and tickets are $25.
Willow Urban Retreat has a little something for everyone, with an onsite wellness retreat, yoga studio, spa and cafe tucked away on High Street. The wellness hub has been thoughtfully designed by architect Melanie Beynon and interior designer Megan Hounslow, featuring soaring ceilings and exposed concrete. In the yoga studio, expect a regularly rotating program of sound healing experiences, yoga, pilates, dance and fitness classes. Meanwhile, the wellness retreat is home to infrared saunas, holistic facials and massages which focus on recharging your mind, body and spirit. Head Chef Nick Cree (formerly Supernormal, Top Paddock) heads up the nutritional offering, focusing on brunch plates that are designed to satisfy and nourish. Seasonal avocado on toast is upgraded with baba ganoush and roasted heirloom carrots, scrambled eggs are paired with kimchi and pea tendrils, or for something sweeter, make a beeline for the banana pancakes with house Nutella, raspberry purée, hazelnut crumble and seasonal fruits. Images: supplied.
The Gertrude Street Projection Festival will light up the night for the tenth year in a row, when it returns to Fitzroy this winter. Running for ten nights from July 21–30, the free community-driven event will once again showcase spectacular light compositions from local and international artists up and down the northside drag. Returning artists Yandell Walton, Ray Thomas, Susan Forrester and Jody Haines are among the Australian artists to be announced so far, with the full program to be made public later this month. In addition to the projections — which last year illuminated everything from shopfronts to footpaths to the trees in the Atherton Gardens — this year's festival will also feature a program of special events, including parties, pop-ups, and live music and DJ sets, plus a few culinary offerings to tempt you out into the cold from 6pm till midnight each night.
Imagine a world where totalitarian forces rule the United States, women are subjugated to the point of being deemed property, protestors rally in response and the authorities try to keep everyone in line. Okay, imagine a fictionalised version of the above dystopian society — or let The Handmaid's Tale help you. Margaret Atwood's book has been doing just that since 1985, but has had a resurgence in popularity since the Elisabeth Moss-starring Hulu series came out last year. Now, the second season is set to air on SBS tonight, and a group of red-clad ladies have been seen on the streets of Sydney to promote it — and it's freaking people out. The handmaids were seen around Park Street and the Sydney CBD and at Sydney University. It's a very similar promo to one that happened at SXSW last year before the first season premiered. As you may know, handmaids walk in pairs, don't say anything, and generally unnerve everyone around them. If you don't, you have some homework to do. If you're up for even more anxiety-inducing tension, cancel your plans — the first two episodes are released on SBS On Demand at 5pm.
After three years in the brewing biz, Exit Brewing finally has a place to call home — but, in a distinct point of difference from every other brewery in the industry, the bar has a name all its own. Uitgang Bar, a collaboration between Exit co-founders Fraser Rettie and Craig Knight and their beer loving friend David Pike, officially opened its doors early April. "The name is Flemish for Exit and is an homage to where we were first inspired to brew in Belgium," says Rettie. "We fell in love with beer and first began to home brew there, and the name is just a little something different." All three owners are Richmond locals, and Rettie had specifically eyed the space enviously many times on previous occasions. "I used to walk past the space almost every day and I'd always stick my head in and think 'this would be a great place to showcase the Exit range," says Rettie. "When we found out it was becoming available, we moved fast." The space boasts exposed brick and arches, as well as a sizeable beer garden — a commodity along Bridge Road. They hope to grow a few hop plants in the garden, which will be used both for show and as ingredients in pilot brews only available at the bar. The bar features an extensive range of taps, including ten beer, one cider and one carbonated coffee tap, produced nearby at North St. Of the beer taps, four will be dedicated to Exit, one is reserved for Kaiju! Beer — who they share brewing facilities with — and the additional four will act as rotating taps for other Australian craft breweries. The venue's local focus goes deeper than most — all of the booze in Uitgang will focus on Australian producers, including independently made spirits and wine. Keeping with their community focus, the bar is offering takeaway food services from three of their favourite neighbourhood haunts — pizza and pasta from St Domenico, burgers from Three One 2 One and Vietnamese fusion from Mr Minh. "There are so many quality food places around Bridge Road and we chose to partner with restaurants we love and eat at ourselves," says Rettie. Having a bar doesn't mean you'll stop seeing Exit beer around town, either. "We have a lot of really loyal retailers and customers so we're very conscious that we don't want to hog all of the limelight with the new bar," says Rettie. Exit will even throw their third birthday at the nearby Royston Hotel, who have been loyal supporters of the brand and have hosted events for them in the past. Uitgang Bar is now open at 406 Bridge Road, Richmond; opening hours are Wednesday through Thursday from 4pm to 11pm, Friday through Saturday from noon to 11pm and Sunday from noon to 10pm.
The 2013 Sydney Film Festival is bringing out Jeff Desom's intense, insanely complex-looking video installation Rear Window Loop. Projected on a 10m-long surface, the panoramic piece allows you to see the world as it appeared to Jimmy Stewart's paranoid, wheelchair-bound photojournalist Jeff in Hitchcock's Rear Window — possible murders and all. The effect is created by splicing scenes together in After Effects, a process more complicated than it sounds in this sentence. "I dissected all of Hitchcock's Rear Window and stitched it back together in After Effects," says Desom on his website. "I stabilised all the shots with camera movement in them. Since everything was filmed from pretty much the same angle I was able to match them into a single panoramic view of the entire backyard without any greater distortions. The order of events stays true to the movie's plot." The three-channel projection runs for 20 minutes. You can get a good idea of the process as well as the finished product in this video, also from Dessom's site. Rear Window Loop won Best Remix in the Vimeo Awards and Golden Nica at Ars Electronica and will be installed at the Sydney Film Festival Hub at Lower Town Hall, which since last year has been the festival's route to incorporating art happenings, interdisciplinary works and playtime, acknowledging the role of film outside the cinema. It's curated by Sydney's favourite cultured revellers, The Festivalists (Jurassic Lounge). The Sydney Film Festival has also announced the first 27 films of its 2013 program as a taster. Most hotly anticipated is the neo-Gothic thriller Stoker from Park Chan-Wook (Old Boy), which stars Mia Wasikowska, Nicole Kidman and Jacki Weaver. Other highlights include Wadjda, the first feature film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia (and by a Sydney Uni graduate no less, Haifaa Al Mansour); Miss Nikki and the Tiger Girls, a documentary about Burma's first girl band by Australian director Juliet Lamont; and Comrade Kim Goes Flying, a romantic comedy that's also the first North Korean movie to screen at the festival. The full program will be revealed on May 8. You can see Rear Window Loop at the Sydney Film Festival Hub at Lower Town Hall from June 6-14 at 5-6pm and again from 10pm-midnight. The SFF itself runs from June 5-16.
Each year, we all anticipate the arrival of December 25. Because of the day off, that includes the promise of an afternoon spent dozing in a hammock — and for dessert fiends, it also includes Gelato Messina's annual Christmas cake. We hope you like a certain quintessential Australian dish, because that's what is on the gelato chain's menu again. Yes, Messina is bringing back its version of the trifle. The Christmas Coma will return for its fifth year running — and, although it seems like we say this every festive season, this time it's especially decadent. In fact, it's a choc-hazelnut trifle that's topped with choc gold sheet, as well as a milk chocolate hazelnut globe that's filled with Messinatella — aka Messina's version of Nutella — and it also comes in a pack with a bake-at-home gingerbread and dark choc chip cookie pie. First, the epic trifle. In 2021, the Christmas Coma will once again feature layer upon layer of everything that is good about Christmas — but instead of being soggy and slightly regrettable, this one will have you licking the glass bowl. So what's in it? Well, Messina is going with layers of Messinatella crémeux, chocolate mud cake made with Messinatella fudge, caramelised white chocolate mousse, choc-coated puffed rice and candied hazelnuts, vanilla cream chantilly, hazelnut semifreddo and choc-hazelnut crumble. Plus, it'll come with some Messina brandy custard to douse all over the mess. And, it all serves 20–30 (or less if you really commit). With the gingerbread and dark choc chip cookie pie, it's exactly what it sounds like. Messina has been slinging cookie pies for a few years now, and you'll just need to bake this one for 12 minutes before eating. All of the above comes in a Christmas Coma mega pack, which costs $2s0 and can be pre-ordered from Monday, November 22 — with times varying depending on your state, as the gelato chain has been doing with its specials this year. That said, if you sign up on Messina's website in advance, you'll get access to pre-sale window before pre-orders open to everyone, too. You'll then be able to pick up your Christmas Coma between Tuesday, December 21–Friday, December 24, all within regular store opening hours — and from all Gelato Messina stores across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. It comes in a Messina cooler bag and, if you keep it in there all sealed up, can survive for up to one hour. In each of the last few years, the trifle sold out super fast, so we suggest you don't wait on this one. The Christmas Coma will be available to order from Monday, November 22. Keep an eye on the Messina website for further details — or sign up to get access to a pre-sale window before pre-orders open to everyone.
Fervent fans of The Roots, listen up! Don't worry if you don't have the cash for Falls or you can't make Southbound Festival — they’ve just announced they'll be playing two sideshows in Sydney and Melbourne with Australian MC Urthboy as a special guest. So that's two more chances to see The Roots jam out their first Australian gig since 2007. You no longer have to resort to watching episodes of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to get your fill of Questlove's magic. Expect to hear a lot from their most recent album, Undun, whose reverse narrative arc followed the short life of Redford Stephens and featured play-it-compulsively songs like 'Kool On', 'Make My' and 'The OtherSide'. Even if you don't know much about The Roots, if you’re remotely fond of hip hop or neo-soul then this is a rare opportunity to see one of the most influential, visionary, long-loved groups to ever emerge from Philly (in 1987 and still kicking!) up close and personal. Tickets go on sale soon.
After dinner, you're sure to need supper. Billed as "the ultimate nightcap", the Vivid Sydney Supper Club will transform Mary's Underground into a cabaret club on Friday and Saturday nights throughout the festival. Like any cabaret worth its salt, there's a wide range of entertainment disciplines on the roll call: musical theatre, dance, comedy, burlesque, jazz, DJing and more (think Mahalia Barnes with her soulful music and theatrics and singing from First Nations actress and singer Ursula Yovich). Legendary local drag artist Trevor Ashley (pictured above) has the unenviable task of keeping all the plates spinning and, according to the Vivid Sydney website, "he'll leave the stage door ajar in case special guests drop by for an impromptu jam". Quelle intrigue! Image: John McRae
Anyone afraid that the team at Pixar may have lost their edge can officially put those concerns to rest. After an uncharacteristic run of (relative) disappointments in the form of Cars 2, Brave and Monsters University, their most recent effort, Inside Out, signals a stunning return to form. With a wonderfully inventive premise supported by a cerebral sense of humour along with vibrant animation and a bucketload of pathos, this isn’t just one of Pixar’s best films of the past few years, but one of their best films full stop. And yes, it is going to make you cry. Co-written and directed by Pixar regular Pete Docter, who previously manned the ship on both Monsters Inc and Up, Inside Out takes place inside the brain of 11-year-old Riley, home to Joy, Fear, Disgust, Anger and Sadness. Voiced by Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Mindy Kaling, Lewis Black and MVP Phyllis Smith, respectively, the mismatched group are in control of Riley’s mood and take care of her core memories — memories which in turn create the basis for her personality. But things get more complicated when Riley’s family decide to move to San Francisco, a change that neither Riley nor her emotions quite know how to handle. Aesthetically speaking, it should almost go without saying that Inside Out is astounding. The fantastical setting gives the animators full license to unleash their imaginations, an opportunity they obviously relish. The world of Riley’s brain is one of life and vivid colour, a cartoon fairyland that you’ll never want to leave. Each of her five emotions boasts its own unique and expressive design, while the voice cast is terrific across the board. Of course it helps that both cast and production team are working with one of Pixar’s best ever scripts, one that’s not only highly original but very, very funny. There’s tons of straightforward physical humour for the kids, but the true gems of Docter’s screenplay are the jokes about the mind itself. After Joy and Sadness are inadvertently transported to the outer recesses of Riley’s brain, the return journey takes them through such territories as Imagination Land and Long Term Memory, as well as the Hollywood-style studio responsible for producing Riley’s dreams. A trip through Abstract Thinking will fly straight over a six-year-old’s head, but anyone who’s ever taken an Introduction to Psychology class will be rolling in the aisles. But the most incredible thing about Inside Out is how it deals with sadness. Plenty of Pixar movies have the capacity to make people cry, but Inside Out is about why we cry. While Joy spends a majority of the film trying to stop Sadness from affecting how Riley feels, the reality is that sometimes Sadness is the most important emotion of all. Without her, and the catharsis that she provides, how does anyone learn to cope with pain or loss? Sometimes there’s nothing better than a good cry. That’s an incredibly important lesson, and not just for the kids.
The Footscray Night Market is back this festive season to fulfil every food-lovers dream. Taking place every Friday night from December 3–24, the markets will showcase a diverse range of cuisines at the weekly event. Here, you can discover flavours from around the world, and check out live entertainment and music in the Footscray Railway Reserve gardens — and, with children's entertainment also on the lineup, it's easy for the whole family to have fun. Each week, the markets will showcase a different theme to celebrate Melbourne's multicultural landscape. The first week will kick off with delicious African cuisine. Enjoy rich flavours, then watch complimentary performances from African artists from the Melbourne International Jazz Festival. Then, on Friday, December 10, Footscray will celebrate the diverse flavours of Asia — complete with Bollywood beats and lion dances. The next week, on Friday, December 17, the markets will return home with an Australian showcase of Indigenous food offerings, plus a smoking ceremony. On Christmas eve, the final event will embrace some festive cheer with a European-style market. Celebrate the festive season with carols and gift stalls — and Santa Claus himself is even rumoured to make a special guest appearance. The Footscray Night Markets is free to attend, and offers the perfect spot to make memories with the whole family this summer. For more information, visit the website.
No matter which city you live in, if you have a fondness for trivia — and a head full of otherwise pointless tidbits just waiting to be scribbled down quickly — then you've likely been to one of the many nights dedicated to such knowledge. During stints at home, you've probably tested your skills virtually, too, to help fill all that time within your own four walls. In 2020, Isolation Trivia hit the scene as a lockdown-friendly trivia night. It's still running strong this year, too, which is particularly great news for Greater Sydney and Greater Brisbane residents under lockdown. No, all the questions aren't just about staying indoors — but because that's now a regular part of our lives, these trivia nights are live-streamed. Aimon Clark, from Brisbane's Man vs Bear and Not On Your Rider trivia events, plays quizmaster. As you join in, you'll jot down your answers at home — and everyone can compare scores virtually, and battle for trivia supremacy. Isolation Trivia pops up around once a week, but to keep an eye on the next sessions — and to play along — you're best to head to the event's Facebook page. Top image: Not On Your Rider
If you've worn that one summer outfit to death, are in need of a new set of sandals for all the beach trips you've got planned or are looking to start prepping your winter wardrobe, it might be time to pick up some new threads. Luckily, you can currently refresh your wardrobe with this huge 40 percent off sale over at The Iconic. There are hundreds of items on sale from a range of sought-after brands including Dazie, M.N.G and Commune as part of the site's Exclusive Edit Sale. Pick up a silky slip dress for your next night out, a tan overshirt that can slip over any autumn outfit or a black leather pair of sandals from Atmos + Here. You can browse the full selection of both women's and men's outfit as well as shoes, jewellery and accessories here. Once you find what you're looking for, the 40 percent discount will be applied on any sale items at the checkout. The sale is running through until 11.59pm on Monday, March 8. Find all the details here. 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.
The well-trodden, four-walled space that is your home can start to feel like a big old yawn after the sixth lockdown. But, a new northside venue is here to show Melburnians just how much fun you can pack in under one roof. Introducing, The Keys — an 'all-in-one leisure centre' complete with a reimagined vintage bowling alley, arcade, bar, bistro and beer garden. Here, more is indeed merrier. The Keys is slated to open its doors this summer, taking over a sprawling warehouse space on Preston's Plenty Road. It's the brainchild of school friends Tom Peasnell and Jon Rowatt, who also form part of the crew behind venues including Dexter, Takeaway Pizza, Kenny Lover and Dom's Social Club. The Keys' main persona is a retro bowling alley reimagined for the modern-day bowler, with stylish contemporary accents played against vintage glass panelling and the 110-year-old building's original exposed timber beams. Twelve maple timber bowling lanes have been tricked out with upcycled parts from former bowling alleys, along with the latest tech and machinery. Meanwhile, a collection of retro arcade games, pool tables and a state-of-the-art sound system will keep you more than entertained between games. The space also boasts a fireside lounge area, dance floor, dining zone, bar and a roomy beer garden with capacity for 450 punters. The entire space clocks in at a cool 2,000 square metres. Of course, the bar offering is a touch more grown-up compared to the drink selection at your childhood bowling parties. Across three separate bars, a hefty 48 taps will be largely championing local brewing mates. That includes pouring beers from fellow northsiders Moon Dog Brewing, Tallboy & Moose, La Sirene and Hawkers, alongside a couple of exclusive 3 Ravens collaborations. In a fitting nod to one of history's most iconic bowling flicks, Concrete Playground is told there'll also be Big Lebowski-style White Russians on the tap list too. Meanwhile, Head Chef Peasnell will be fuelling nostalgia further with a menu of cleverly revamped classics, with bar snacks, pub favourites and New York-style pizzas top of the agenda. If that all sounds like the kind of club you want to join ASAP, there are a limited number of Founders Membership packs on offer for $160 a pop, available until mid-September. One of these will get you a bunch of extra swag, including VIP entry to the venue's grand opening party, a personalised bowling shirt, a selection of craft beers, a key ring, special discounts and 25 free game tokens to drop at The Keys in its first year. Find The Keys at 1/188 Plenty Road, Preston, this coming summer. Head to the website to find out more and to snap up a Founders pack.
Cooking can be many things. For some, it's merely a means to an end; for others, it can be meditative to the point of being therapeutic. But no matter which side of the fence you fall on, there are days when we just can't be bothered doing it. And the same is true of professional chefs — after all, if you do something for a living there surely comes a point where you just don't feel like doing it in your spare time, right? But where do chefs eat in their downtime? We've teamed up with UberEats to ask four Melbourne hospo stars — Josh Fry of Poodle, Ross Magnaye (pictured above) of the soon-to-open Serai, Anneleise Brancatisano of Hector's Deli and Stephen Clark of Robata — about their top local picks for those times they feel like handing over the reins to someone else. [caption id="attachment_753066" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gami[/caption] GO-TO MEAL FOR A HANGOVER Josh Fry: "A1 Bakery is easily one of the best places to eat on Sydney Road. It's the tawook chicken wrap for me — a toasted pita filled with grilled chicken, toum, pickles and chips. And of course, we always grab a couple sambousik for an entree. But, that said, I do think fried chicken is the ultimate hangover cure, and you can't go past the boneless fried chicken with garlic sauce and spicy sauce from Gami." Ross Magnaye: Like Fry, Magnaye knows of the miracles worked by Gami fried chicken after a few too many. "The fried chicken wings with spicy sauce is my favourite hangover food, with steamed rice and fries. I'm a sucker for fried chicken and Gami is unreal. You definitely have to pair it with an ice-cold Korean beer." Hair of the dog met with fried chicken? You'll be right as rain in no time. Anneleise Brancatisano: "The beef and brisket pho from Pho House in Flemington. It is the ultimate 'fix me' — I love it! It's my local, and they're super consistent and friendly. The beef broth is so fragrant and everything else is the perfect level of fresh and spicy. It's the only way to revive my (self-inflicted) sad body. Though, a medium McSpicy meal — add tomato and cheese — with an ice-cold Coke, delivered by Uber from the Maccas 500 metres down the road also does the trick." Stephen Clark: The Robata chef is pulling through with a classic here — a bacon and egg roll. After a big one, nothing soothes quite like the layers of crispy bacon meeting a golden yolk. "I order extra egg and extra bacon from Oscar Cooper in Prahran," shares Clark. "It's the best egg and bacon sandwich in town." Big call for the classic next-morning order — it must be good. [caption id="attachment_851718" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kaoyum[/caption] GO-TO MEAL FOR A DATE NIGHT Josh Fry: "There's nothing sexier than a pizza pie, and both of these places are insanely good. From Compass Pizza, my pick is the capricciosa (with a garlic bread of course); and at Wolf and Swill you can't go wrong with the mortadella pizza and the blackened cabbage salad." Ross Magnaye: "For a proper date night at home I order from one of my favourites in South Yarra, Kaoyum. It's an amazing Thai restaurant with super delicious food. My go-to dishes there are the kha moo braised pork hock and the crab fried rice, but I love to eat properly on a date so I could order the whole menu there." Anneleise Brancatisano: "Supper Inn is a favourite date spot and some of my most cherished memories involve sharing the incredible food with loved ones, in the restaurant or at home. Order the XO pipis with Chinese donut." Stephen Clark: Sometimes you just can't muster the energy to produce a date-worthy dish, let alone a full meal, so having a known winner that can be delivered is a must in your romancing tool kit. "The tuna salad from Mopho Canteen is a go to, and its sticky pork belly is also sensational. So much flavour! Half a roast duck and special fried rice from Harmony BBQ and Seafood is also perfect — and great for leftovers the next day, too." [caption id="attachment_736051" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Leonard's House of Love[/caption] GO-TO MEAL FOR A NIGHT OF NETFLIX AND CHOW Josh Fry: It's heat, aromatics and classics for the Poodle chef when settling in for a streaming session. "I always lean towards Spice Mix Restaurant, they do very yum Indian. My pick is the gobi manchurian" — that's the sweet-yet-tangy dry curry featuring lightly fried cauliflower — "and rogan josh." Ross Magnaye: "Congee with century egg and pipis with XO sauce and fried vermicelli noodles from Seafood St. I always eat this after a night out, so therefore it counts as comfort food (and is perfect for a night on the couch when you can't be bothered cooking). Nothing beats this combination, trust me!" Anneleise Brancatisano: "A mixed veggie curry from Curry Canteen. And, this is horrifically clichéd, but I'm a diehard fan of its butter chicken. With saffron rice and extra raita, you can't beat it." Stephen Clark: "I love the cauli bomba bowl from The Pita Man. I discovered this place during lockdown, which definitely provided lots of comfort. Or, another go-to is the south side fried chicken burger with bacon and ranch from Leonard's House of Love. With fries and onion rings — you gotta have both." [caption id="attachment_701025" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pidapipó[/caption] GO-TO DESSERT Josh Fry: "Okay, this is a classic. Tropical passionfruit cheesecake from The Cheesecake Shop. It is a whole cheesecake, but it's worth every penny — and you can freeze the leftovers. As a bonus, if you're feeling lonely, you can get them to write on it for you." Yep. A whole cheesecake. With your name on it. That's a powerful Uber Eats order. Ross Magnaye: "I really love the whisky and smoked sea salt cream eclair from Hector's Deli. The owner Dom just welcomed Anneliese to the team to create some amazing desserts; her sweets are next level, super delicious and no frills." Anneleise Brancatisano: "I'm a dessert person by choice and by trade, and can confirm that a take-home tub from Bico Gelateria in Brunswick will always satisfy. It feels like Melburnians eat ice cream every day of the year, regardless of the weather, which is a comforting thought. My favourite flavours are the ricotta and honey, which is layered with pistachio and fennel seed crumb, and the fior di mandarino." Stephen Clark: "I don't stray from the three-flavour ice cream tub from Pidapipó, with pistachio, chocolate and Nutella. It's the best ice cream shop in Melbourne by a mile, and I never order anything else sweet because it's just never as good." Don't feel like cooking tonight? Jump on UberEats to discover a new local favourite. Right now, the delivery platform is offering discounts on a heap of restaurants around Melbourne from Monday to Wednesday — find out more here.
If you're in the midst of a mid-life crisis, you might want to skip over this news: it's been 20 years since Placebo released their debut album. Yep, 'Nancy Boy' has been around since 1996. The album Without You I'm Nothing (which included 'Every Me and Every You') was released in 1998, and even 'Running Up That Hill' is almost 15 years old now. It's been so long since these songs were released that fans band of the UK band probably never expected to hear them live again. But this morning Placebo has announced they will bring their 20 Years of Placebo tour to Australia this September. And yes, they'll be playing old stuff. The worldwide tour kicked off this late last year — the band is currently touring Mexico and will head to Europe before coming to Australia in September. As well as Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, they'll make stops in Perth, Adelaide, Newcastle and Canberra too. It will be their first Australian appearance since Soundwave in 2014. 20 years is a long time and the band has a huge discography (seven albums) to pull bangers from — and they've promised to play all those songs you listened to on repeat as a teenager. "Let's just say there will be songs in the set that I've sworn never to play again," said frontman Brian Molko. "I think it's time that we purposefully acknowledged what a lot of Placebo fans really want to hear. They've been very patient with us since we rarely play our most commercially successful material. A 20 year anniversary tour seems like the right time to do so. That's our intention. This tour is very much for the fans and a chance for us to revisit a lot of our early material." Tickets will go on sale at noon on Monday, May 29 through Ticketek. Or, if you're a Telstra customer, they have a pre-sale happening this week. 20 YEARS OF PLACEBO TOUR DATES Monday, September 4 — Perth Arena Wednesday, September 6 — Adelaide Entertainment Centre Theatre Friday, September 8 — Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne Saturday, September 9 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Monday, September 11 — Brisbane Convention Centre Tuesday, September 12 — Newcastle Entertainment Centre Thursday, September 14 — AIS Arena, Canberra
Melbourne's urban landscape will be the setting for a dynamic celebration of country and creativity this month, as citywide First Nations festival YIRRAMBOI returns for its huge 2023 instalment. The multi-disciplinary fest will once again dish up a hefty, thought-provoking program of Indigenous arts and culture, running from Thursday, May 4–Sunday, May 14. Named after the word for 'tomorrow' in local Boonwurrung and Woi-wurrung languages, YIRRAMBOI will cast its gaze forward, showcasing the work of more than 300 First Nations artists and creatives. It's as fresh and exciting a lineup of talent as ever before, spanning everything from contemporary music and traditional dance to installations and stunning drag performances. Offering a snapshot of the genre-hopping offerings to come is jam-packed free event Barring Yanabul, which descends on multiple venues and spaces on Saturday, May 6. It's dishing up a diverse spread of goodness that includes gigs from the likes of Garret Lyon, Blanche and Leo; a pop-up exhibition by artist Malachai presenting contemporary works spiked with ancestral influence; and a shape-shifting dance performance choreographed by Brett Beckhurst. [caption id="attachment_899306" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Leonie Whyman and Jada Narkle, by Sapphic Flicks[/caption] The same day sees the Uncle Archie Roach Block Party take over Section 8, serving up tunes and performances from the likes of Kiwat, Yung Warriors, Kutcha Edwards, Kobie Dee and Amos Roach. Meanwhile, North Melbourne's Meat Market will be reimagined as this year's festival hub, named after the late Aboriginal actor and arts icon Uncle Jack Charles. Head along for a broad-ranging program of comedy, cabaret, contemporary dance, tunes and visual art. The space will also play host to opening night fiesta The Beginning, kicking things off with a star-studded musical lineup from 6pm on May 4. [caption id="attachment_899304" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Maylene Yinarr, by Jacinta Keefe[/caption] Among YIRRAMBOI's other highlights, you'll catch world premieres including singer-songwriter David Arden's powerful theatrical retelling of the story of his great-grandfather James Arden and the Gunditjmara People, and Alluvium by Stone Motherless Cold — a retro-futuristic drag cabaret show exploring a hopeful post-decolonlisation world. Music lovers are in for a busy ten days spent soaking up sonic treats from the likes of Maylene Yinarr, Philly, Crooked TP, Elijah Money, Brian Morley, Leonie Whyman and others. Renowned Gunai/Kurnai and Yorta Yorta artist DJ PGZ takes over the Melbourne Town Hall grand organ for a night of bass-heavy techno sounds, while queer celebration BLAKOUT will have Arts Centre Melbourne's State Theatre heaving with a dance-friendly serve of DJ tunes, cabaret and storytelling. [caption id="attachment_899303" align="alignnone" width="1920"] BLAKOUT[/caption] Catch a post-apocalyptic fashion runway showcasing designs by the likes of Haus of Dizzy, Paola Balla and Gammin Threads; be dazzled at a bottomless drag brunch hosted by a lineup of First Nations queens; and immerse yourself in cross-cultural connections at an exhibition series held in collaboration with Dark Mofo. And on Saturday, May 13, Sorbaes — the much-loved club session born from the mind of DJ and designer Soju Gang — will hit the festival hub for a thumping closing party, complete with a lineup of special guests in tow. [caption id="attachment_803730" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kimberly Lovegrove, by Jim Lee[/caption] YIRRAMBOI takes place at venues across Melbourne from Thursday, May 4–Sunday, May 14. For the full program and to buy tickets, head to the website. Top image: Darren Gill.
The Macedon Ranges is set to host a brand new electronica festival next month — and it's offering a whole lot more than just music. Festival No. 23 will combine live performances with immersive art installations, workshops, talks and outdoor activities aplenty. The festival will take over the Lancemore Macedon Ranges hotel complex and surrounding 274 acres of bushland from February 7–9. The music lineup will span three stages and feature heaps of local and international heavy hitters, including Stacey Pullen and Osúnlade from The States, Trus'me from the UK and Oceanvs Orientalis from Turkey. Plus, a whole lot from Europe's electronic mecca, Germany — including RSS Disco, Dave Dinger and Wareika — some from France, namely Traumer, KIKO and Melina. You can view the full lineup here. [caption id="attachment_759425" align="alignnone" width="1920"] RSS Disco[/caption] Then there's the art installations, which span Fizzyoke's queer karaoke safe-space, an upcycled rave sculpture and a multi-sensory music, sound and mind space by LA's Human Exploratorium. Over at The Nook, a weekend's worth of workshops, talks and spiritual explorations will take place. Topics include the medical application of psychedelics, environmental consciousness, ice bathing, yoga and and holistic medicine. When you're not busy with the festival offerings, there's plenty more to explore around the grounds — including bushwalks, a freshwater dam, plunge pool and tennis courts to boot. As far as accommodation goes, each ticket includes onsite DIY (and BYO) camping facilities with hot showers and composting toilets. For those looking to sleep in a bit of comfort — and avoid setting up their own camping equipment — ticket holders can upgrade to luxury glamping tents instead. The hotel itself is already fully booked. First release tickets have already sold out, so best grab second release while you still can. Top images: Lancemore Macedon Ranges
Just ten short years ago, few people cared about Westerosi power struggles, how many times Sean Bean dies on-screen, if Jon Snow really does know nothing and whether winter is coming. Game of Thrones has existed on the page since 1991, but it was the first season of HBO's huge fantasy-drama series in 2011 that made that three-word title a household term, got everyone hooked on the fight to assume the Iron Throne and had us all watching along for seven more action-packed seasons. Over the past decade, no TV series was bigger — not only in popularity and pop culture impact, but when it comes to small-screen battles and bloodshed, plus labyrinthine plots filled with cunning plotting and double-crossing. Oh, and dragons, too. Whether you loved or hated how it ended, Game of Thrones is always going to sit high on everyone's rewatch list (because, let's face it, everyone has watched it once already).
A book whose plot Amazon describes as "how the sexiest sales girl in business earned her huge bonus by being the best at removing her high heels" might not be anything to write home about. You know what would be? If the author of said book was someone's dad, and that someone decided it would be hilarious to read a chapter every week to the entire world, with some incredibly funny friends providing commentary. Jamie Morton did just that with his father's (pen name: Rocky Flinstone) erotic 'novels', the Belinda Blinked series. And so the audacious and pants-wettingly hilarious podcast My Dad Wrote a Porno was born. And now Morton and his pals James Cooper and Alice Levine are bringing their hilarious smut to Melbourne on Friday, August 18. While listening to the podcast is a truly confusing and outrageous experience, imagine watching a guy read chapters from a porno novel that his dad wrote that includes the characters 'discussing the merits' of each others' nipples and popping their supposed 'vaginal lids'. In front of people. In real life. At least this time when you laugh out loud in public at the show, everyone will know what you're cackling at. If you're a fan of the show, the live incarnation should make you very happy. For as Belinda says: when you get what you want, you feel great.
After shining a spotlight on films that engage with social justice and human rights issues for the past decade, the Human Rights Arts and Film Festival is back for another packed lineup of topical titles for 2017. Screening in Melbourne from May 4 to 18 before touring a selection of highlights to Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane, Perth and Hobart, HRAFF's tenth anniversary program boasts 32 features, 31 shorts, four forums and eight events in the festival's arts-focused component. HRAFF 2017 will open with The Opposition, the debut effort from Australian filmmaker Hollie Fifer — and a film tackling content so controversial that legal disputes and injunctions have attempted to block its release. Also screening at the Sydney Film Festival after its HRAFF berth, the documentary steps through the struggles of Papua New Guinea's Paga Hill community. In 2012, their homes were bulldozed by developers to make way for a luxury resort, sparking a battle of David vs Goliath proportions. Highlights from the rest of the program include closing night's Quest, which heads to HRAFF from Sundance to chronicle the efforts of the Rainey family to create a musical sanctuary for their North Philadelphia community, as well as the world premiere of the Australian-made, Manilla-set documentary Happyland, about street artist Kaff-eine and her team's attempts to turn slums into something creative. Elsewhere, Nowhere to Hide takes a paramedic's-eye view of Iraq, An Insignificant Man follows the politician becoming known as "the Bernie Sanders of India", Plastic China tells the tale of the recycling workshop workers and their families that literally live in mountains of plastic, and Tempestad goes on a road trip to explore the victimisation of women in Mexico. For those after a piece of gripping fictional filmmaking, War Book delves into British civil servants practising crisis protocol for a fictional nuclear attack on Mumbai. HRAFF also gives audiences the chance to catch up with other festival standouts that have already done the rounds, such as Berlinale's 2016 Golden Bear winner Fire at Sea, Cannes Film Festival's 2015 Palme d'Or recipient Dheepan, and the crowd-pleasing, Afghan rapper-focused Sonita. Going local, Australia's freshly minted best foreign language Oscar nominee Tanna, rousing documentary Zach's Ceremony and magical realist fable Satellite Boy also feature. With arts also part of the program, attendees can hear discover the experiences and knowledge of Koorie Elders, hear accounts from people detained while trying to seek asylum in Australia, and view portraits of the persecuted Rohingya people in Western Myanmar. Image: Zach's Ceremony.
Melbourne's famed collection of laneways and rooftop spaces could soon welcome a few new additions, under a proposal by City of Melbourne to overhaul almost an entire CBD block. Announced by Lord Mayor Sally Capp today, the proposed $232 million development would see a site between Bourke Street and Little Collins Street transformed into a multifaceted public commons precinct. Standing at 10 storeys, and around 40-metres, tall, the planned development would boast two new laneways, a variety of ground floor retail sites, office space and two publicly accessible green rooftops. What's more, this 'next generation' site is set to feature some landmark design work, aiming to achieve a Six-Star Green-Star rating and meet a Carbon Neutral Certification target. There are also plans for the commercial, retail and community spaces to be powered by solar, and incorporate a stormwater recycling system, a lush garden atrium, rainwater tanks and a basement carpark just for electric vehicles. [caption id="attachment_700629" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The proposed new CBD precinct[/caption] The Council is expected to submit plans for approval soon and if they get the go-ahead, the City of Melbourne development will kick off in early 2020, to be completed in 2024.
If there's two things that the end of the year always includes, it's Christmas decorations and plenty of drinks. They're both all well and good separately, but they might be even better combined — in a Christmas tree made out of tinnies, for instance. A real object that now exists ready for the merriest portion of the 2021 calendar, this Christmas tinnie tree isn't fashioned out of old cans. So, it doesn't merely celebrate the remnants of your past beverages. Instead, it gives you a place to stack new cold ones just waiting to quench your thirst. And yes, it comes with beers, as they're obviously essential to the whole concept. Craft Cartel is slinging these mighty jolly centrepieces this festive season, after giving beer lovers Australia's largest case of craft beer back in 2020. If you're keen to add one to your home — and to get sipping — it'll cost you $399, which covers a flat-pack tree that you then put together yourself, 48 brews ready to wet your whistle and delivery to your door. If you're wondering what you'll be drinking, those 48 tinnies span 24 different varieties — so, two of each. And, alongside cans from Ballistic, Slipstream, Sydney Brewing, Gage Roads, Modus Operandi and Brick Lane, there's seven limited releases among them, such as Stockade's The Mountie Maple Imperial Stout, Akasha's Korben Double IPA, Sauce's Caribbean Fogg Hazy Pale Ale and Moon Dog's Splice of Heaven Mango Ice Cream IPA. Design-wise, the tree itself uses sustainable timber, and is crafted to resemble a traditional pine tree — all thanks to Australian designer Ian Tran of Domus Vim. Who doesn't want to place all their presents around a tower of beer? No one, that's who. And if you decide it needs some tinsel as well, that's up to you. For more information about the Christmas tinnie tree, or to buy one, head to the Craft Cartel website.
Victoria is currently under stay-at-home orders so, while you can't visit these pubs in person, you can still show your support with takeaway and online orders. You can stay up to date with the developing COVID-19 situation in Victoria, as well as current restrictions, at the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services. Whether you're a footy fanatic or your team loyalty changes each season, there's no denying that there's a veritable buzz in the air in Melbourne when it's footy season. And if you're skipping the stadium, the next best place to barrack is in one of the city's many great sports pubs. We've teamed up with Guinness to pick six great Melbourne boozers for a pint by the fire and some hearty pub fare while you cheer your team on. Win, lose or draw, you're close enough to the bar for a celebratory or conciliatory bevvie. [caption id="attachment_817263" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Julia Sansone[/caption] THE CLYDE Carlton locals (and Melbourne uni students) will likely be familiar with this inner north stalwart. For those yet to visit, The Clyde boasts a homely, unpretentious vibe offering good food and drink in abundance. The Cardigan Street institution has long been a meeting place for local clubs, and has a rich history of sporting tradition that it carries through today — so you can imagine the energy on game day (especially when Carlton is playing). The pub has four spaces including a rooftop terrace and ground-floor saloon bar, both of which have screens set up for footy (and cricket in summer). Whether you remain warm inside or brave the cold on the rooftop, it's an ideal spot to sip on a perfectly poured pint while you take in a game. Find The Clyde at 385 Cardigan Street, Carlton. [caption id="attachment_817264" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Julia Sansone[/caption] THE CHARLES DICKENS TAVERN A favourite of anglophiles and expats alike, The Charles Dickens Tavern brings a bit of Blighty to the heart of the CBD. An unassuming entrance in the Block Arcade leads you downstairs into a bustling, traditional tavern with wallpaper, dark wood panelling and plenty of British paraphernalia adorning the walls. As you might expect, this is one of the city's most popular spots to watch the English and Scottish leagues of the beautiful game, live and loud. Beer-wise, expect to see Brit favourites pulled via traditional hand pump alongside other local and international brews. The food menu boasts pub classics like bangers and mash with onion gravy and proper fish and chips, complete with mushy peas. Find The Charles Dickens Tavern at 290 Collins Street, Melbourne. COOPERS INN It's hard to miss the heritage-listed corner building that this charming Exhibition Street public house calls home. Expect a friendly greeting and great service here, thanks to a passionate but laidback team of hospo veterans under the steady hand of publican Matt O'Kane. The kitchen serves up unpretentious fare, while the main bar pours a smart selection of local and international brews. Enjoy a pint while taking in a game from one of the pub's 75-inch screens, and stick around for one of the regular live comedy nights, which in the past have seen the likes of Tom Gleeson, Celia Pacquola and Anne Edmonds step behind the mic. Find Coopers Inn at 282 Exhibition Street, Melbourne. THE LOCAL Big screens, hearty pub fare and cold beer on tap — a tried-and-true combination that has definitely helped this Port Melbourne pub earn its status as a local gem. Pull up a stool in this contemporary, spacious public bar to catch a game and enjoy it with elevated bar food like pea and ham croquettes or truffle parmesan fries with aioli. Thirsty? There's a range of local and international beers on tap here, perfect for whiling away an afternoon cheering on your squad. Find The Local at 22-24 Bay Street, Port Melbourne. [caption id="attachment_817267" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Julia Sansone[/caption] STEAM PACKET HOTEL Williamstown's oldest pub, the Steam Packet Hotel — affectionately known to locals as The Packet — is a champion of two of the finest things a pub can offer: Aussie craft beer and sport. The heritage-listed building has a storied history and maintains an old-world charm — think exposed brick, wood panelling and a toasty open fireplace — which interplay with more modern touches like four big screens for the footy. (This is, perhaps unsurprisingly, Western Bulldogs territory.) There's also a contemporary food and drink menu, which includes 17 tap beers with a rotating craft selection. Find the Steam Packet Hotel at 13 Cole Street, Williamstown. [caption id="attachment_817268" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Julia Sansone[/caption] WINDSOR ALEHOUSE A true local's local that combines comforting pub vibes with a touch of hip south-of-the-river energy, this Windsor watering hole is the perfect place for a pint on game day. Clusters of high tables and chairs, low-set booths and barstools and a heated outdoor courtyard welcome groups of all sizes. As its name suggests, this Punt Road spot is a beer lover's dream with a mind-boggling array of sours, stouts, IPAs and more to wet your whistle while you watch live sport on the big screen. Find The Windsor Alehouse at 42 Punt Road, Windsor. The Windsor Alehouse is offering takeaway food and beer daily from 4–9pm. Thirsty? Find your closest place for a pint over at the Guinness Pub Finder. Top image: Julia Sansone
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. HOUSE OF GUCCI For the second time in as many movies, Lady Gaga is caught in a bad romance in House of Gucci. Yes, she's already sung the song to match. The pop diva doesn't belt out ballads or croon upbeat tunes in this true-crime drama, unlike in her Oscar-nominated role in A Star Is Born, but she does shimmy into a tale about love and revenge, horror and design, and wanting someone's everything as long as it's free. Eschewing the earthy naturalism of her last film performance and tapping into her famed on-stage theatricality instead, she's perfect for the part of Patrizia Reggiani, aka Lady Gucci, aka the daughter of a trucking entrepreneur who wed into one of the world's most prestigious fashion families, helped unstitch its hold on its couture empire, then went to prison for murder. She's exceptional because she goes big and lavish, and because she knows that's the type of feature she's meant to be in: a soapy spectacle about money and power that uses its depiction of excess as an interrogation technique. Complimenting Gaga for nailing the brief — for acing it so dazzlingly that she's sauntering down her own catwalk as most of her co-stars virtually watch from the floor — gives House of Gucci a tad too much credit, though. Ridley Scott's second film in mere months following The Last Duel, and his third in a row to examine wealth and influence after 2017's All the Money in the World, this fashion-world saga skews large, lush and luxe with each choice, too, but doesn't land every sashay with quite the outsized lustre of its crown jewel. If House of Gucci's veteran director was picking an outfit instead, he would've chosen a killer gown, then wavered on the accessories. Some of his other decisions gleam, as seen in the movie's knowingly maximalist and melodramatic air. Others prove fine, like its jukebox-style soundtrack of 70s and 80s bangers. A few moves are so cartoonish — Jared Leto's ridiculousness, and the Super Mario-style accents sported by almost everyone on-screen — that they play like cheap knockoffs. The story itself is a standout, however, as adapted from Sara Gay Forden's 2001 book The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed. When Patrizia meets law student Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver, Annette) at a 70s-era party, mistakes him for a bartender, then realises who he is, it sparks a rollercoaster of a relationship — starting with Maurizio being disinherited by his father Rodolfo (Jeremy Irons, Love, Weddings and Other Disasters) for their marriage. Still, the newest Gucci knows what she wants: a place in the family's dynasty. She isn't the lone cause of the Guccis' unfolding, thanks to Rodolfo's brother Aldo (Al Pacino, Hunters), his penchant for watering down the brand and tax evasion, and his wannabe-designer son Paolo (Leto, The Little Things), but she's the Lady Macbeth pushing Maurizio to seize the company by any means. And, because the reason that House of Gucci even exists was written in news headlines over a quarter-century ago, she's behind Maurizio's killing in 1995. "I don't consider myself a particularly ethical person, but I'm fair," Patrizia offers partway into the movie, a moral code that still sees her order his hit after their divorce — helped by a TV psychic-turned-pal (Salma Hayek, Eternals), because that's the kind of tale this is. Interviewed in 2016, Patrizia called herself "the most Gucci of them all", an idea that Scott and his screenwriters Becky Johnston (Arthur Newman) and Roberto Bentivegna (short El otro lado) don't ever give Italian-lilted voice to, but still use as their basic pattern. In the sartorial realm, Gucci might stand for high-end indulgence, but House of Gucci sees both the allure and the cost of the brand reflected in Patrizia's status-hungry actions. Read our full review. GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE Spraying reboots, remakes, sequels and prequels across cinema screens like a spirit supposedly sprays ectoplasm — gushing reimaginings, spinoffs and seemingly never-ending franchises, too — Hollywood ain't afraid of no ghosts. It loves them in horror movies, obviously, but it adores the spectre of popular intellectual property even more. These phantoms of hits gone by can be resurrected again and again, all to make a profit. They haunt both cinemas and box-office blockbuster lists, making film-goers and the industry itself constantly feel like they're being spooked by the past. With 14 of Australia's 15 top cash-earning flicks of 2021 all falling into the been-there-done-that category in one way or another, looking backwards in the name of apparently going forwards is now mainstream filmmaking 101, and the big end of town rarely likes bustin' a money-making formula. After more than a few pandemic delays, that's the world that Ghostbusters: Afterlife floats into — a world that's made worshipping previous glories one of the biggest cash-spinners show business could've ever dreamed up. The fourth feature to bear the Ghostbusters name, but a new legacy sequel to the original 1984 film, this reanimated franchise entry certainly sports a fitting subtitle; treating its source material like it's nirvana is firmly filmmaker Jason Reitman's approach. To him, it might've been. Although he established his career with indie comedies such as Thank You for Smoking and Juno, he's the son of director Ivan Reitman, who helmed the OG Ghostbusters and its 1989 follow-up Ghostbusters II. To plenty of fans, those two initial comedy-horror flicks were something special as well; however, acknowledging that fact — and trying to recreate the feeling of being a kid or teen watching the first Ghostbusters nearly four decades ago — isn't enough to fuel a new film. To be fair, the younger Reitman isn't particularly interested in making a new movie; Be Kind Rewind's "sweded" Ghostbusters clips are more original than Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Instead, he directs a homage that sprinkles in links to its predecessor so heartily that it's probably easier to name the scenes and details that don't scream "hey, this is Ghostbusters!" as loudly as possible. And, even when Reitman and co-screenwriter Gil Kenan (Poltergeist) appear to shake things up ever so slightly, it all still ties back to that kid-in-the-80s sensation. Sure, Ghostbusters: Afterlife's protagonists aren't adult New Yorkers, but they're small-town adolescents who might as well have ambled out of one of the era's other hot properties: Steven Spielberg-helmed or -produced coming-of-age adventure-comedies about life-changing, Americana-dripping, personality-shaping escapades. Phoebe (Mckenna Grace, Malignant) is one such child, and a new inhabitant of the cringingly titled Summerville, Oklahoma at that. With her mother Callie (Carrie Coon, The Nest) and brother Trevor (Finn Wolfhard, The Goldfinch), she's made the move because the granddad she never knew just passed away, leaving a dilapidated rural property to his estranged family. The townsfolk speak his nickname, "dirt farmer", with mocking and intrigue, but his actual moniker — and all that equipment he's left behind — brings big changes Phoebe's way. While being Dr Egon Spengler's granddaughter doesn't initially mean too much to her, other than giving her love for science a genetic basis, she's soon segueing from testing out ghost traps with local teacher Mr Grooberson (Paul Rudd, The Shrink Next Door) to cracking Egon's secret efforts to stop a world-shattering supernatural event. Read our full review. NEVER GONNA SNOW AGAIN Start how you mean to go on is common-sense filmmaking advice. It's the medium's obvious first step, but it's also an elusive achievement. And, it's a feat that's usually only evident in hindsight — when a viewer can see if a stellar introduction really did signal just as sublime things to come, or vice versa. Never Gonna Snow Again perfects the concept, however. In its arresting opening moments, a man walks out of a forest and into a gated community in eastern Poland, and everything about the scene ripples with moody intrigue. The grey fog infusing the film's setting, the enigmatic look on the mysterious protagonist's face, the feeling that anything and everything could happen: filmmakers Malgorzata Szumowska (Mug) and Michal Englert (also the movie's cinematographer) deliver it all at the outset, and then back it up over their feature's 116 minutes. In Never Gonna Snow Again's initial images, that inscrutable man is Ukrainian masseur Zhenia (Alec Utgoff, Stranger Things), who walks out of a forest and into a gated community in eastern Poland. His destination is lined with lavish identical houses — the kind that the song 'Little Boxes' has satirised for almost six decades now — but he's about to be its most extraordinary visitor. His hands can help knead away physical troubles, a must for everyone with his profession. But as he works his physical magic, his touch can soothe minds as well. Trundling his massage table from well-appointed home to well-appointed home, he quickly builds up a devoted client list of well-to-do residents desperate for his help. He steps into their worlds, spying their outward gloss — the similar wreaths on each door, the doorbells chiming with snippets of classic music — and palpating away their inner pain. As that glorious opening scene establishes almost-unnervingly well, there's a surreal, seductive and otherworldly atmosphere to Never Gonna Snow Again, which Szumowska and Englert let float through their frames like a lingering breeze. There's also a devastatingly savvy interrogation of the type of rich lives that pine for Zhenia's involvement, including their complete obliviousness to him as anything more than a salve for their ennui. Much festers in the feature's McMansions. As it contemplates the everyday malaise that dulls wealth's superficial glow, as well as the vast chasm between gleaming exteriors and empty insides, much haunts Never Gonna Snow Again, in fact. Thematically, it wades into familiar territory — at a time when Succession and The White Lotus are the best shows on TV, and Parasite won the Best Picture Oscar just a year ago, it's probably easier to name movies and TV shows that don't shred the rich to pieces — but it stands out like a pink-hued home in an estate plastered with white and grey. Plenty dazzles in Never Gonna Snow Again, too, including Szumowska and Englert's confident handling, which knits together magical realism and razor-sharp observations about class — and about modern life's rubbish in general as well — with canny precision. Indeed, the movie could've easily crumbled in other hands, and likely will if anyone ever erroneously decides it needs an English-language remake. Perhaps the filmmaking duo's smartest decision is also their most visible, however, because Utgoff's performance is just that magnetic. He's the presence that all those well-to-do clients warm to, lean on and rely upon, and the source of comfort so reliable and cosy that they aren't ever challenged to shatter their bubbles to think about him as a person rather than a set of helping hands — but he has Never Gonna Snow Again's audience constantly pondering and questioning. CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG Nostalgia might be one of pop culture's most-called-upon forces — see also: Ghostbusters: Afterlife — but it can't turn every childhood favourite that reaches cinemas into a winner. Leaping from the pages of Norman Bridwell's illustrated books, the new live-action Clifford the Big Red Dog film is a huge generic slog, shoehorning its oversized, crimson-hued hound into a jumble of routine scenarios that are about as rare as wayward dog faeces in a public park. The giant scarlet woofer gallops into a by-the-numbers, family-friendly action-adventure flick that's a missive against judging things by their appearances, a cautionary tale about bullying and a takedown of nefarious corporate interests. Ron's Gone Wrong barked up all the same trees recently and, while it was hardly an instant classic, it runs circles around this. The point of Clifford the Big Red Dog, no matter what the narrative spins, is right there in the title: it's a story about an abnormally large, unusually ruby-coloured canine, and that's what people want to see. Despite 80 books to the character's name, it's a one-note idea that screenwriters Blaise Hemingway (Vampires vs the Bronx), Jay Scherick and David Ronn (Baywatch) — working with a screen story by Justin Malen (Yes Day) and Ellen Rapoport (Desperados) — unsurprisingly set about fleshing out, but also often sideline their eponymous mutt in the process. Clifford's hijinks couldn't sustain an entire feature, but he's really just a big red sidekick for the bulk of the film. He's an enormous cherry-toned sign for accepting things that are different, too, a well-intentioned message that couldn't be more glaring given that a big red dog yaps the very concept. Clifford isn't originally a giant pet when Emily Elizabeth Howard (Darby Camp, Dreamland) first makes his acquaintance in a Central Park animal-rescue tent run by the mysterious Bridwell (John Cleese, The Very Excellent Mr Dundee). He's definitely the same shade as a tomato, though, and his bond with Emily is instant — even if her mess of an uncle, Casey (Jack Whitehall, Jungle Cruise), says she can't take him home. And yet, this little critter still finds his way into his new pal's backpack. The next morning, he's also no longer a tiny pup. Plus, when he starts attracting attention around New York, he's targeted by a tech billionaire (Tony Hale, Being the Ricardos) who wants him for scientific purposes — but the already-teased Emily, who is taunted at her private school for being there on a scholarship, won't let anyone either take or victimise Clifford for standing out. The look and mood in Clifford the Big Red Dog is sunny with a side of saccharine, and it has John Debney's (Home Sweet Home Alone) relentlessly cheery score to match. With the movie's namesake blazing away in every frame he's in — not due to his hue or size, but via the terrible CGI bringing him to digital life — director Walt Becker (Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip) was never going to helm a subtle film, but everything here is exactly as nuanced as a towering vermillion puppy. The result isn't quite as doggone awful as pooch-driven buddy cop flick Show Dogs, although that's an extremely low bar. It's never as goofy as it should be, however, and it really should sport all the goofiness it can dig up (smatterings of toilet humour don't count). Clifford the Big Red Dog can also only wish it was as visually creative and emotionally endearing as the recent page-to-screen all-ages movie standard: the Paddington films, which keep being pushed into a menagerie of their own by every pale imitation. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on September 2, September 9, September 16, September 23 and September 30; October 7, October 14, October 21 and October 28; November 4, November 11, November 18 and November 25; and December 2, December 9, December 16 and December 26. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Streamline, Coming Home in the Dark, Pig, Big Deal, The Killing of Two Lovers, Nitram, Riders of Justice, The Alpinist, A Fire Inside, Lamb, The Last Duel, Malignant, The Harder They Fall, Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain, Halloween Kills, Passing, Eternals, The Many Saints of Newark, Julia, No Time to Die, The Power of the Dog, Tick, Tick... Boom!, Zola, Last Night in Soho, Blue Bayou, The Rescue, Titane, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn, Dune, Encanto, The Card Counter, The Lost Leonardo, The French Dispatch, Don't Look Up, Dear Evan Hansen, Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Lost Daughter, The Scary of Sixty-First, West Side Story, Licorice Pizza, The Matrix Resurrections, The Tragedy of Macbeth and The Worst Person in the World.
This two-day event is the ultimate sweet-tooth heaven, featuring a line-up of masterclass presentations from top local and international sugar maestros. Get the lowdown from the likes of dessert wizards, Pierre Roelofs and Philippa Sibley, the soft-serve masters behind USA's Big Gay Ice Cream, and Sydney's Katherine Sabbath. The $20 ticket gets you into all masterclass sessions, a glass of Redbank Emily Brut Cuvée and entry to the Sweetfest marketplace: a magical spot where you can load up on take-home sweet treats, or enjoy cocktails and grown up spiders at the bar.
It's the kind of music event every pet lover dreams of, and it's back for another year of cute puppies and pumping sounds. That'd be Dogapalooza, of course. It does have a rather excellent name — and that merry moniker is just the beginning. After wowing crowds with its first four fests, the dog-friendly shenanigans are bound to get tales wagging again at Richmond's Burnley Park on Sunday, November 10. While the music lineup hasn't dropped just yet, the food truck menu has. Expect everything from gluten-free doughnuts to brews from Moon Dog Brewery, veggie burgers, woodfired pizza, waffles, shakes and plenty of dog-friendly treats, too. Dogapalooza isn't just a day of music-oriented bliss in the sun with your pet pooch, either. All proceeds raised will go towards helping canines in need via Oscar's Law and Melbourne dog rescue groups such as Stafford Rescue Victoria, Melbourne Animal Rescue, Puppy Tails Rescue and Greyhound Rescue Victoria. Early dog tickets are now on sale, with full-price tickets dropping when they sell out.
UPDATE, August 15, 2020: I Used to Be Normal: A Boyband Fangirl Story is available to stream via DocPlay, Google Play, YouTube and iTunes. For many teenage girls, love has a name. It's not their schoolyard crush, or that boy who keeps teasing them in class. Depending on the decade, it's Harry Styles, Nick Carter, Robbie Williams or Paul McCartney. Their great loves sing to them, stare back at them from posters on their walls, and soulfully look their way at packed-out concerts. They croon tunes about holding hands, wanting them back and inner beauty, and — crucially — declare they'll never break any hearts. Whether it's The Beatles in the 60s, the Backstreet Boys in the 90s or One Direction earlier this decade, such is the power of boy bands. Many come together in the most calculated of manners, specifically engineered to appeal to as many swooning girls and sell as many records as possible. But the sentiments they're uttering feel real to their fans. Take 16-year-old Long Island resident Elif, for example. When she talks about One Direction, her face could light up Zayn Malik and company's world like nobody else. She screams at their videos, calls them "the boys" like they're kids that she goes to school with, and bursts into tears when a friend suggests that a band member might deliver their pizza. Alongside 25-year-old San Francisco journalist Sadia, 33-year-old Sydney band strategist Dara and 64-year-old Melbourne TV producer Susan, Elif is one of four boy band aficionados featured in I Used to Be Normal: A Boyband Fangirl Story. Each has fallen hard for a different group and it's changed their life, with the documentary exploring, analysing and celebrating their fandom. Well aware that loving a boy band is so often seen as the domain of silly young girls, filmmaker Jessica Leski examines the phenomenon with joy, affection and irreverence, and with an open heart and mind. She knows a thing or two about the topic herself, having become a devoted Directioner at the age of 31. Cue a delicate balancing act, but one that I Used to Be Normal manages with the skill of a carefully choreographed *NSYNC dance routine. As the bright, upbeat, quick-paced film delves deep into its subjects' thoughts, emotions, hopes and desires, it also dissects the broader allure of manufactured male pop groups and the catharsis they can offer. Dara gives viewers a Boy Band 101 lesson to help cover all angles, however its her own personal story — and Elif, Sadia and Susan's too — that comprises the beating heart of the doco. Set to an appropriate soundtrack, their love of cute men belting out pop ballads is always intimate and genuine, and handled with thoughtfulness and insight. For Turkish immigrant Elif, One Direction connects her to her adopted country and helps unleash her dreams of becoming a musician. Growing up in a conservative Muslim household, Sadia's obsession with the Backstreet Boys helped her explore her teenage urges — and still helped when she suffered from depression in college. Dara's affinity for Take That's Gary Barlow shaped her identity and her sexuality, while Susan's Beatlemania has been a crutch to lean on through decades of ups and downs. Even if you don't know New Kids on the Block from East 17, and even if you'd never want to, these tales are instantly relatable. It's passion that unites I Used to Be Normal's four women, and unites them with everyone watching, too. On good and bad days alike, these ladies filter their lives through something that feels larger than life, which is exactly what sports nuts, comic book-lovers, Game of Thrones tragics and Potterheads do as well. While exposing this truth, Leski acts in much the same way from behind the camera. That's a key aspect of her documentary: she doesn't judge or dismiss or play up stereotypes, because everyone is a fangirl (or boy) for something, including the director herself. There's humour in the film, but it comes from someone who knows what her subjects are going through — and knows that everyone watching knows the same loving feeling. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSQBPzGL8EI
It's no secret that we live in a digital age. Most of the things we do involve staring at some form of a screen: replying to emails, reading news, Facetiming friends on the other side of the world, binge-watching Netflix on the train. Take away our screens and what are we? Lost! Fortunately, there's a simple solution to the problem of spending so much time online, and that is making sure you're getting paid for it. If you spend more time online than you'd like to admit, it's worth making sure you have the skills to make it your profession. Love playing video games? Learn how to design them. Always find yourself correcting people's Instagram post? A Bachelor of Communications will give you complete grammatical bragging rights. As it turns out, you can complete all of these courses, and more, online. Open Universities Australia (OUA) helps you find a degree to fit your goals and study it online with leading Australian universities. So, no matter your physical proximity to the university running the course, or your life commitments, you can make it happen. Check out these degrees that can help you carve a profession out of your screen loving ways — and they won't interfere with the time you spend online. YOU SPEND LOTS OF TIME: READING THE NEW YORKER ONLINE Consider studying: A Bachelor of Arts in either Creative Writing or Internet Communications and Professional Writing and Publishing with Curtin University. Have you ever imagined yourself sitting in a villa somewhere in southern France, fingers poised over a typewriter as you ponder your next plot twist? Fancied yourself the next J.K Rowling, or perhaps a modern-day Jane Austen? Do what E.L James never did and enrol in a writing course that's sure to get those creative juices flowing. Curtin University's Creative Writing degree will allow you to explore a range of writing styles, as you study everything from the poetry of Walt Whitman to the screenplays of Alfred Hitchcock. And, if you study through OUA, you can access online support at all hours of the day, so no matter when you're squeezing in your study time, you'll have someone to help you along the way. YOU SPEND LOTS OF TIME: IN YOUTUBE HOLES Consider studying: A Bachelor of Digital Media with the University of South Australia. Is keeping on top of digital trends your thing? The University of South Australia's Bachelor of Digital Media will help you curate your passion into an employable skill set. Always watched National Geographic documentaries with envy? This course will teach you everything to do with video and documentary production as well as digital humanities, so you'll be equipped to travel the globe with little more than a camera and a laptop. Perhaps design is more your forte? You'll have a front seat (figuratively) to the creative process of creating web design, coding, and multimedia and graphic design. If you've always wanted to live inside the digital world and have the skills to manipulate it, this course is for you. YOU SPEND LOTS OF TIME: LATE-NIGHT GAMING Consider studying: A Bachelor of Information Technology in Game Design and Development with Murdoch University. The saying 'do what you love, and you'll never work a day in your life' has never been more true. If you find it hard to tear your eyes away from Call of Duty, Fortnite or Mario Kart (hey, whatever tickles your fancy) this degree is definitely for you. Have you ever shouted out when you spot errors in your favourite games, even when no one is around? Here's your chance to be the brains behind the screen, building a solid foundation in IT — as well as getting creative with new game ideas. YOU SPEND LOTS OF TIME: LIVE TWEETING ABOUT TV SHOWS Consider studying: A Bachelor of Communication with Griffith University. If you're that friend who narrates each episode of The Bachelor non-stop, claiming you can see through their fake words and even faker smiles just from their body language, you're perfect for a career in communciations. Griffith University's Bachelor of Communication can help you spend the rest of your life investigating, critiquing and gathering knowledge about all kinds of comms. It opens a realm of possibilities to sink your teeth into. You might work towards becoming the next Miranda Priestly (except, you know, nicer), or learn about communications in other countries so that you can spend your days travelling the globe helping people connect. Perhaps your new digital media skills can help you edit and produce video campaigns, or become a PR wizard and get loads of free stuff. The possibilities are endless. YOU SPEND LOTS OF TIME: SILENTLY CORRECTING PEOPLE'S GRAMMAR ON FACEBOOK Consider studying: Graduate Diploma of Writing with Swinburne University. Think you're pretty good at writing, but could stand to fine-tune your skills? Ever find yourself wanting to comment on grammatical errors on Facebook? It's no surprise. When we're online, we're absorbing information. After reading so many reviews on new restaurants or articles dissecting the latest Queer Eye episodes, no wonder some of us are drawn to the written word. Fortunately for you, a Graduate Diploma of Writing from Swinburne University is a surefire way to turn surfing the web into full-time employment. Whether you use your newfound skills to write press releases for the next big tech startup or to review every cafe that serves turmeric lattes in your city — well, that's up to you. Explore hundreds of degrees from leading Australian universities — available online through Open Universities Australia. You could get paid to spend more time on the internet before your know it.
Each individual member of How I Met Your Mother seems to do something cool. Jason Segel resurrected the Muppets. Neil Patrick Harris produces interactive theatre and dresses his adorable babies in adorably elaborate Halloween costumes. Alyson Hannigan was Willow freakin' Rosenberg. When you break it down, the omnipresent sitcom might be less than the sum of its parts. Josh Radnor, the personal pronoun of How I Met Your Mother, follows suit by being an indie film writer and director of some repute, having won the Sundance Film Festival Audience Award for 2010's happythankyoumoreplease. His newbie, Liberal Arts, is about a 35-year-old demi-achiever, Jesse (Radnor), who works a dull job as a university admissions officer and reads dead-tree books constantly, while walking even. When he visits his alma mater to honour his retiring former professor, Peter (Richard Jenkins), Jesse also starts a romance with sparky 19-year-old student Zibby (Elizabeth Olsen). Between her exuberance for new knowledge and the campus's leafy, Midwestern nourishment, he rediscovers some of the wide-eyed optimism of his own college days — and also learns why he can't have them back. Really, you can't blame anyone for falling a bit in love with Olsen. She elevates the whole movie, bringing a flood of beauty and intelligence to a character already written to be quite beautiful and quite intelligent. She's not a manic pixie dream girl, although the film pales from being made in an MPDG world. The story of 'unremarkable pre-middle-aged male seeks shaking up, via female, into remarkable life' is a little tired. Sure, seedy, equivocating men deserve our empathy, but arguably they've already had their time in the sun. We know you shouldn't sleep with the girl; we don't need to see your working out. There are other flaws in the film that follow on from all this obviousness: One character, Dean (John Magaro), a random student among thousands, appears in front of Jesse 'by coincidence' with such frequency he'd have to be a ghost stalking our protagonist (he's not), and his arc becomes too foreseeable. Perhaps Liberal Arts would have meant something more if all these other characters didn't so perfectly serve Jesse. They awaken him, confront him, absolve him, and release him. That said, arts graduates will nod in recognition of post-modern theory references, and Allison Janney fans will delight in her cameo as an ironically hard-hearted Romantics professors. There are several estimable bon mots. Liberal Arts may make a forgettable thesis, but you'd still find a couple of passages within it to highlight.
Where productions of classic stories on Melbourne’s main stages all too often take a stale, museum approach, in Gary Abrahams’ adaptation of Emile Zola’s Thérèse Raquin every one of the production’s elements come together for a deeply satisfying piece of theatre. The story is fairly straightforward. Thérèse is trapped in a loveless marriage with sickly mother’s boy Camille. When her husband brings home their childhood friend Laurent they begin a clandestine relationship that wreaks havoc on those around them, and themselves. But Abraham’s direction and approach to the adaptation elevates this story above straightforward melodrama. The ensemble’s combination of boldly defined characterisation and largely natural accents transform the 19th century text into a form that’s thoroughly accessible and always engaging without sacrificing Zola’s rich language and images. Elizabeth Nabben fully embodies Thérèse’s devastating frustrated desire, and the care taken to drawing out her relationship with the unworldly and often thoughtlessly cruel Camille (Paul Blenheim) – "She’s not very bright; don’t pay her much attention" – and with the morose, drab world of the claustrophobic home itself makes Raquin’s descent all the more real, and terrifying. Aaron Walton’s Laurent is the perfect foil to Nabben — at once both her faithful co-conspirator and betrayer — but the entire ensemble are in excellent form, especially Marta Kaczmarek as Camille’s mother. The length of the play and its use of frequent, malevolent humour allows many offhand allusions foreshadowing its action to accumulate, filling the work with dread momentum — for instance, Laurent being crowned "King of the Bones" after a game of dominos. Christopher De Groot’s composition adds to this tension, alternating between sparkling, Satie-like piano and tuneless atmospherics, and having him playing onstage allows De Groot to weave sound seamlessly in response to the actors. Occasionally the transitions between scenes threaten to deflate tension and pace, but the director’s commitment to this dynamic allows the ambiguity of fleeting after-images to be left hanging over the next scene. Thérèse Raquin is only running until August 30, but it’s a production that deserves a long life beyond this wholly satisfying world premiere. Photo credit: Lachlan Woods.
The only thing better than a dumpling feast is a dumpling feast that never ends. Lucky for us, this just happens to be the situation that now awaits you at POW Kitchen each Thursday night in July. Yep, this is an all-you-can-eat situation — and one that's budget-friendly too. Simply roll into the lively pan-Asian eatery with at least one other person, and you can knock back as many dumplings as you can handle for just $22.50 per head. The lineup's a roll-call of all the classics, from steamed dumplings filled with pork and mushroom or chicken and cabbage, to veggie spring rolls, and even those good ol' dim sims. Back them up with either fried or steamed rice — and cap it all off with some Sriracha, soy, vinegar, or sweet chilli — and you've got yourself a pretty solid midweek dining adventure.
As summer kicks off in Victoria, the Victorian music industry is gearing up for its biggest event for the year: ALWAYS LIVE. This festival celebrates the diversity of music in Victoria, with a mix of international headliners and local musicians alike taking to stages statewide from Friday, November 22, to Sunday, December 8. When the festival nears its conclusion on the final weekend, some of the most anticipated events will be taking place. One of those is Garage Band, or rather the culmination of Garage Band since it's a longer-term initiative running as a part of ALWAYS LIVE, coming together for a free concert at Bunjil Place and Federation Square on Saturday, December 7 and Sunday, December 8. Since its inception in 2021, the program has run yearly to find and elevate young musicians from across Victoria with professional coaching. The 2024 class of Garage Band includes 30 artists and bands, and as usual, every musician is between 16 and 21. The artists will refine their skills through workshops and mentorship during the festival. Ten artists will perform at Bunjil Place on Saturday, December 7, while twenty artists will be found on multiple stages in Fed Square on Sunday, December 8. With individual artists and after-school indie bands in equal amounts, it's the perfect chance to get up close with the next generation of Aussie musicians, and it's free, so really, there's no reason to miss it. Garage Band will take over Fed Square on Sunday, December 8. For more information, visit the ALWAYS LIVE website.
With everyone spending our days, weeks and months inside due to COVID-19, we're all putting that extra time at home to good use in different ways. Perhaps you're streaming your way through anything and everything you can find. Maybe you're playing board games, doing jigsaws and building Lego. Or, you could be cooking up a storm, getting a workout or being practical by learning a new skill (or several). For many folks, home renovation is on the agenda — whether you're finally painting that wall, putting up that shelf, making over your garden or doing all the odd jobs around the place that you've been putting off for far too long. That means that Bunnings Warehouse has been mighty popular, and busy. And if you're eager to pick up hardware supplies while still maintaining social distancing requirements, you're now in luck. The chain has just implemented a new drive and collect service, which is available at 250 of Bunnings' larger stores around Australia — excluding Tasmania. The contactless option is an extension of its existing click and collect option, just adapted so that you don't have to get out of your car. DIY enthusiasts just need to complete their purchase online, wait for notification that their order is ready, and select their preferred pickup date and time. Then, when you drive to the store, you'll park in a designated drive and collect bay, and text or call the store to let them know you've arrived. All you need to do next is wait for a staff member to bring out your goods and put them in your car boot. [caption id="attachment_767993" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Bidgee via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Sadly, drive and collect doesn't apply to Bunnings' sausage sizzles, which have been suspended since mid-March in response to the coronavirus. Drive and collect isn't available at smaller Bunnings stores, so check online to see if your local warehouse is participating. For further information about Bunnings' click and collect service — or to place an order — visit the chain's website. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
UPDATE, March 4, 2021: God's Own Country is available to stream via Netflix, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. When God's Own Country begins, it's with a quiet Yorkshire farmhouse swiftly disturbed by the sound of retching. Johnny Saxby (Josh O'Connor) has had yet another boozy night out, and he's suffering the consequences. Unfortunately for him, the land and the livestock won't wait for his hangover. It's an appropriate opening to a film that looks like a gritty, austere, social realist drama, but contains much that cannot be constrained. The after-effects of drinking have nothing on lusty, bubbling emotions. The first feature film from writer-director Francis Lee, God's Own Country pairs its struggling farm setting with surging desire, and asks its characters to weather hardships with both. Shot in the part of England the filmmaker grew up in, on a property much like his own father's, the movie follows Johnny's reaction when handsome Romanian Gheorghe (Alec Secareanu) arrives to assist during lambing season. Initially, Johnny's reluctant and even rude, though he can't help being impressed by the newcomer's skills with the job at hand. But cold nights spent in the countryside eventually warm up more than his appreciation for hard work. As something physical blossoms into even more, Gheorghe proves a positive influence on Johnny's self-destructive tendencies. If that description reminds you of another movie, you're certainly not alone. The phrase "British Brokeback Mountain" has been used to describe Lee's film since it premiered at Sundance in January. More than just a convenient way to describe a rural queer romance, it's a comparison that's well and truly earned. Men working the land and making a connection; concerns about the response of Johnny's unwell father (Ian Hart) and stoic grandmother (Gemma Jones); scenic sights and swelling feelings: the commonalities are all there, although God's Own Country ultimately follows its own path. More importantly, both films present a raw and affecting love story teeming with honesty and emotion. One thing's for certain: this isn't a restrained affair. Instead, it wears its heart proudly on Johnny and Gheorghe's muck-covered sleeves. It's a film that's unafraid to depict the harsh realities of farm life, or delve into the frustrations and troubles that come with it. Nor does it shy away from the heated passion of its erotic scenes. Blood, spit, mud, rough tumbles and tender moments all wash across the screen, drawing viewers into a realistic, resonant account of the two men's growing intimacy. In the process, God's Own Country does what every romance endeavours, but can't always manage: it ensures that every stolen glance, hard-earned smile, quiet gesture and clenched hand is felt by more than just the people on the screen. Pitch-perfect performances by O'Connor and Secareanu help, of course, with the actors giving their characters both texture and sincerity. So too does the fond but still clear-eyed way that cinematographer Joshua James Richards lenses everything from the sparse, sprawling hills to Gheorghe and Johnny's breathless encounters. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-N_tdBhCjI
Musical theatre fans just keep getting more reasons to celebrate Jonathan Larson. In the past few years, none other than Hamilton's Lin-Manuel Miranda took one of the composer, lyricist and playwright's works and turned it into a movie. After tick, tick…BOOM! hit screens, a stage production toured Australia as well. Next, Aussie audiences can catch the show that made him an icon: Rent. In 2024, it too will do the rounds Down Under, including to Melbourne. Larson created and composed the smash-hit production. Also, his Rent journey comes with quite the heartbreaking behind-the-scenes story. In the 90s, Larson passed away at the age of 35 on the day that that now-huge show premiered its first off-Broadway preview performance. So, he didn't get to see the Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning phenomenon that it would become. Plenty of other people have — when it first hit Broadway, Rent ran for 12 years, making it one of the famed theatre district's longest-running shows. And among those prizes is the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer for Drama, all for a tale about seizing the moment, facing adversity and finding one's community. Loosely based on Puccini's La Boheme, and written to include real-life locations and events, the rock musical will bring tunes including 'Seasons of Love', 'Take Me or Leave Me' and 'La Vie Bohème' to Arts Centre Melbourne's State Theatre from Saturday, February 17—Thursday, March 7. If you need a refresher on the story — or you're coming to Rent for the first time, having missed past performances and the 2005 film version — then prepare to step back to New York in 1991. Over the course of the year, as their neighbourhood is being gentrified and HIV/AIDS casts a shadow, a group of friends chase their dreams and strive for their place in the world. Images: Pia Johnson Photography.
The park at the heart of Werribee City Centre is set to score an actual glow-up in March, as it's once again transformed into a luminous after-dark wonderland for LIT at Wyndham Park. Come 8pm every night (except Mondays and Tuesdays), from Friday, March 8–Sunday, March 24, Wyndham Park will come alive with a collection of glowing artworks paired with unique soundscapes set against its leafy natural spaces. You're invited to wander through the pop-up gallery for free, where you'll encounter a cast of colourful characters and creations. Among them, catch swarms of very vocal lit-up birds in both the Night Parrots and Birdsong installations — listen closely to the latter as they share a warning for visitors. Elsewhere, Nocturnal Neighbourhood consists of a few animated nocturnal animals that light up and interact with one another; while Ursula Lassos The Moon features a huge glowing and rotating moon that has been captured in the sky and harnessed by rope. As for refreshments, you can pack a picnic or hit one of the many nearby eateries for a range of dine-in and grab-and-go options. [caption id="attachment_942668" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'Ursula Lassos The Moon' by Studio Vertigo[/caption] Top image: 'ChronoHarp' by Amigo & Amigo
Are you the type of person who comes up with names for the animals you spot on your daily travels? Does the list of monikers you have for your pets outnumber the actual four-legged critters currently scampering around your house? Have you picked out titles for every dog, cat, bird, fish and lizard that could possibly share your home for the next five decades or so? Would you like to put your penchant for naming things to good use to support a worthy cause? Picking monikers for fluffy, feathered and scaly pals isn't a straightforward task, but it is fun — and, if you're particularly skilled at it, you can deploy your talents to help Assistance Dogs Australia. The not-for-profit organisation has teamed up with flea and tick treatment brand Bravecto to launch a 'name the pup' competition. You'll put forward your name for one of its puppies, obviously — and if your name is chosen, you'll win access to one of the organisation's puppy training sessions, a $500 Visa voucher and a one-year supply of Bravecto for your own doggo. Assistance Dogs Australia provides support dogs for people with disability, and trains them before they go out into the world. All of their pups are given names, usually chosen by ADA, before they're placed with a family to look after for around a year. After that, the dogs move on to their advanced training at ADA's national training school in Sydney, then graduate and become helpful four-legged companions. A few caveats apply to ADA's naming competition, unsurprisingly. The name you choose needs to start with the letter B, and have two syllables — so Boaty McBoatface (or Doggy McDogface) is out. You're also required to write a 25-word explanation outlining why your name should be selected, so you'll need to put more than a couple of seconds of effort into your submission. And, you'll need to follow the Bravecto Facebook page, too, and like the entry post. Then, you'll have to enter your suggestion via a comment on the post, and do so before 12pm AEST on Wednesday, May 19. To enter Assistance Dogs Australia's name the pup competition, head to the Bravecto Facebook page before 12pm AEST on Wednesday, May 19.
Queenslanders The Cairos are sitting pretty in the vanguard of a resurgent Brisbane music scene, one populated by bands like Violent Soho, Millions, Ball Park Music and Dune Rats, and revitalised by new music venues like The Triffid, run by Powderfinger’s John Collins. The Cairos might sit at the more conventional, indie pop-rock end of Brisbane’s musical spectrum, but their recent recordings yield deceptively complex pop songwriting, recalling the sophistication that underpins the music of legendary bands like The Cure. Although they’ve previously released two EPs, it took The Cairos six years to release their first full-length album in May this year, Dream of Reason. It's an increasing trend for emerging artists who sign with major labels — in this case mega-brand Universal’s Island Records — but the strategy seems to have paid off for the band, who are treating their Melbourne fans to an early Christmas show at the Northcote Social Club. Supported by Foreigh/National + Redspencer.
Bennetts Lane used to be where you'd head for a little late-night saxophone and moonshine. The laneway's Jazz Club, which closed in mid-2017 after 25 years, was one a Melbourne jazz institution, hosting gigs by locally and internationally renowned artists — including, even, Prince. Now, the laneway is about to be home to a fancy new jazz era-inspired boutique hotel. A collaboration between Aust Global Investment and designers Breathe (who recently design Sydney's award-winning Paramount House Hotel) and Plus Architecture, the hotel will seek to retain a little of the art deco moodiness of the original jazz club. It'll be home to 44 rooms across 13 levels as well as – in perhaps the best news – a speakeasy in the basement from which we can only hope the strains of Miles Davis will echo. Initial designs of the hotel show jazz-inspired architecture, brass features, curved forms referencing instruments, and a general vibe of the hidden underground side of Melbourne. Using locally sourced furnishings and fittings, Plus Architecture's design will see reception and a cafe area on the ground floor spilling out onto the laneway, prime real estate for sipping an espresso. The design might be just about done but the next step is finding the drivers that have the oomph to run the place. Putting the call out for a hospitality provider, the hotel is currently calling for expressions of interest. The prospective operator would be stepping into some pretty big shoes — Bennetts Lane Jazz Club was a fiercely loved Melbourne institution and an integral part of the city's jazz scene. Here's hoping for more late nights spent sipping whisky and listening to smooth jazz, even if it's in a hotel bar. The Bennetts Lane Hotel is slated to open in mid-2020.
The master cocktail makers at Eau de Vie are teaming up with the folks at Perth's Feral Brewing, for a three-hour, one-night-only dinner and beer cocktail degustation. This returning Good Beer Week event will see diners served five extravagant courses from the Eau de Vie kitchen, each of which will be paired with a different cocktail made with one of Feral's award winning beers. At $175, tickets aren't exactly cheap, so consider our expectations peaked.
Breaking up with booze for a month to raise some funds for cancer research? Perhaps you want to reset after a few too many couch vinos in iso? Or maybe you're simply looking to embrace a more liver-friendly lifestyle overall? Whatever your reason for axing (or just relaxing) that alcohol intake, Dry July's as good a time as ever to dive in. And helpfully, you've got a swag of creative-thinking Aussie bars and locally-made booze-free tipples on your side. From zero-hangover beers crafted on native ingredients, to botanical-driven mocktails packing just as much of a flavour punch as their boozy counterparts, here are a few alcohol-free goodies to check out during Dry July. [caption id="attachment_775356" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Demetre Minchev[/caption] SOBAH Booze-free beer is nothing new, but one Gold Coast company is taking the concept to a whole new place. Aboriginal-owned Sobah is whipping up a range of non-alcoholic tinnies heroing sustainably-sourced native ingredients like davidson plum and finger lime. And these cans will quench your thirst for a cold, fizzy brew, even while that alcohol content clocks in at less than 0.5 percent. Right now, you can get your hands on crafty drops like a lemon aspen pilsner, a pepperberry IPA and a zesty finger lime cerveza, each housed in a bright, arty tin you'd be more than happy to whip out at that next barbecue. Sobah's also doing its bit to raise awareness and conversation around mindful drinking and healthy lifestyle choices, throwing support behind organisations like 101 Tokens. Find four-packs from $18 available at select bottle shops and online. MONDAY DISTILLERY If you fancy limiting carbs as well as that ABV, this premix tipple is about to become your new best mate. Port Fairy's Monday Distillery has created a series of non-alcoholic riffs on classic mixed sips like the gin and tonic and the dark and stormy. And not only are these beauties free from alcohol, but they're crafted with zero sugar and come packaged in some pretty elegant kit. A sophisticated step up from standard mineral water or super sweet soft drinks, if ever there was one. Right now, the Monday range runs from a classic dry G&T to a ginger-spiked rum-style concoction, though we're told you should stay tuned for more vodka and whisky-inspired goodies to come. Find four-packs from $24 from Victorian Dan Murphy's and online LYRE'S SPIRIT CO Need some reassurance that ditching the booze needn't also mean ditching flavour and creativity? Contemporary drinks brand Lyre's is all the proof you need, with its 13-strong stable of non-alcoholic concoctions, each nodding to a different classic spirit or liqueur. This broad-ranging lineup opens up a world of possibility for those wanting to nix, or limit, the alcohol, allowing you to create endless variations on much-loved mixed drinks and cocktails. There's a bitter orange creation reminiscent of Campari, a signature Dry London Spirit modelled on a classic gin, and even an homage to the Green Fairy. Swap out your usual booze of choice with one of these Lyre's drops and leave the FOMO far behind. And, if you buy a bottle now, you'll score a free private virtual bartending class. Find 700-millilitre bottles for $45 at select bottle shops and online. NON If you're breaking from the booze and looking to fill a wine-shaped hole in your life, you'll find a worthy alternative in Non — a series of alcohol-free drinks created in Melbourne by ex-Noma chef William Wade. The brand currently makes five different 0 percent ABV sips, carefully crafted with premium ingredients and rocking some grown-up flavour combinations. Featured in the lineup are a couple of wine-inspired creations — a salted raspberry and chamomile number that's similar to a pét-nat, and a nod to a sparkling shiraz with flavours of roast beetroot and sansho pepper. Otherwise, you can answer your cider cravings with the caramelised pear and kombu blend, opt for the gose-style hibiscus drink, or hit aperitivo hour armed with Non's toasted cinnamon and yuzu concoction. Find 750-millilitre bottles for $30 from select wine stores and online [caption id="attachment_775360" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dry Negroni at Gin Lane[/caption] DRINKING OUT IN SYDNEY GIN LANE, CHIPPENDALE Over in Chippendale, the botanical enthusiasts at Gin Lane are flexing their creativity with a whole lineup of non-alcoholic creations heroing the Lyre's stable. Here, some of your favourite gin drinks have been given a booze-free makeover, with options like the dry southside, a dry martini with a twist or olive, and a hangover-free riff on the negroni. TOKO, SURRY HILLS Sake might be the natural match to Toko's elegant Japanese fare, but if you're off the booze, you'll find the bar's lineup of signature non-alcoholic cocktails also stand up pretty darn well. Expect crafty creations like the Kodachi Spritz, made using Seedlip's Grove 42 blend, with coconut, lychee and salted grapefruit soda. THE BOTANIST, KIRRIBILLI This Kirribilli bar's botanical theme extends right through the drinks list to a selection of lively, alcohol-free sips that are every bit as satisfying as a regular weekend cocktail. Hold your own against the boozers with something like the Kirribilli Highball: a fruity fusion of Cedar's non-alcoholic gin, smashed pineapple, lime and basil. [caption id="attachment_775361" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Booze-free G&Ts at Covent Garden[/caption] DRINKING OUT IN BRISBANE COVENT GARDEN, WEST END West End bar Covent Garden might be best known for its sprawling gin selection, but it also makes a pretty mean mocktail. The kind that'll impress your taste buds and your Instagram followers alike. Signatures include the likes of the We're Out Of Rum — a blend of apple, mint and lime — or you can play mix and match with the bar's extensive range of specialty tonics. JUMPING GOATS, MARGATE A champion for all sorts, this neighbourhood bar not only boasts a hefty selection of gluten-free goodies, but is serving up a truly impressive list of non-alcoholic liquid treats. Head in for a range of booze-free brews, alongside house mocktails like the Margate Sunset: orange, bitters and fresh lime, finished with a splash of ginger ale. MECCA BAH, NEWSTEAD Mecca Bah is serving up a full-flavoured drinks offering to match its modern Middle Eastern and Mediterranean eats. Including a handful of fruit-forward mocktails that'll have you feeling as sophisticated a sipper as the rest of them. Join in the fun with the likes of the Iced Apple and Cinnamon Turkish Tea, or the Pink Fez, spiked with lychee, pineapple and vanilla.
Calling all craft beer lovers. Goose Island Beer Co. has brought its frothy concoctions to Australia. The Chicago Goose brewers have set up shop in Tasmania to brew their Midway and IPA, delivering the award-winning beers to our bars and pubs nationwide. So to celebrate its antipodean landing, the brewery is throwing a Flock Party in Melbourne, where you can enjoy a pint (or a couple) of the Chicago-born brew while snacking on American fare to the tunes of Bootleg Rascal. The Goose Island gaggle lands on August 7 at Paradise Alley in Collingwood, pairing their Midway and IPA with the restaurant's Latin American street food to make one tasty combo. Want to be part of it? We have ten double passes to give away, so you and a mate can join the flock in celebration of Goose Island's arrival. Don't be a goose, enter to win below. [competition]629480[/competition]
