The aesthetic of modern warfare has permeated western culture at every level. Pixellated footage of decimated vehicles against backdrops of never-ending desert scenes open news broadcasts, provide fodder for video-games and make their way into mainstream entertainment in the form of thrillers like Zero Dark Thirty. Foreign lands and distant battles played out in our living rooms no longer seem shocking but familiar; what has this saturation of conflict footage done to our perception of the events they are portraying? Are we desensitised? Does seeing these images actually inform us anymore, or are the often indecipherably grainy and shaky videos captured by local residents on their phones just grist for the media mill? Military Vision confronts such questions head on. Collating three video works created between 2000 and 2010 by artists Denis Beaubois, Matthieu Cherubini and Jordan Crandall that respond to political and military circumstances, the show builds a barrage of images that draw acute attention to often overlooked violence. The concise Impact: There is no Aftermath (2004) shows footage captured by a camera that was violently tossed at the office of the Prime Minister. The physical rejection that results suggests a response to the confronting images that surround us everyday, perhaps communicating a collective, “We don't want to see this, you can have it back!” The six-channel Heatseeking (2000) responds anachronistically to the United States' post-9/11 presence in Iraq and Afghanistan, where its aesthetic techniques (the same adopted by U.S. border patrol officials), presciently allude to an approach that has come to dominate the media of the 21st century. The piece's images of penetration, violence and horror-movie flashes of twisted and bound people create a disturbing and evocative interpretation of the damage wrought by American xenophobia. The most conceptually interesting piece in the show is Afghan War Diary. Linked to an active game of Counter-Strike, the work automatically registers whenever a player has been killed. This virtual death is then attached to an actual one from the war in Afghanistan, instantly transporting the viewer to the location of the death via Google Earth. Afghan War Diary provides a perfect encapsulation of the abject distance that pop-culture and an over saturation of military images have created between us and the reality of death in warfare. Although skilfully curated by Baden Pailthorpe, Military Vision feels a little outdated, but is nonetheless a fascinating take on what is now a part of our cultural history: our media's response to two baseless wars fought on our behalf. Image credit Jordan Crandall
Back in January, Melbourne scored a new place to see a movie: FoMo Cinemas, a dine-in six-screen East Brunswick picture palace that boasts industry legend Natalie Miller — who also co-founded Cinema Nova — as a co-owner. Haven't had a chance to check it out yet? Here's your best excuse yet: $8 movie tickets for eight days. Hitting the flicks just got cheaper between Friday, May 24–Friday, May 31. And yes, every ticket to every movie will cost just $8 during this eight-day special. You'll need more than a tenner for snacks, of course — which you can get delivered to your seat — but watching the film itself will be at budget prices. As for what you can feast your cinema-loving peepers on, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, IF and The Fall Guy are among the choices — so you'll nab a cheap date with a legendary Aussie franchise, sci-fi that dates back more than half a century, imaginary friends and Ryan Gosling in Sydney, for starters. Another drawcard: FoMo Cinemas doesn't play ads, but rolls out a pre-show reel filled with movie-themed fun instead.
The dreamy indie pop duo from Baltimore will bring the sounds of their latest album Bloom to our fair country come January. Yep, we're going to be inundated with a lot of awesome tunes this summer, so it might be time to have a word to your credit card now. Alex Scally (guitar, bass, keyboards, backing vocals) and Victoria Legrand (lead vocals, keyboards) have been recording and performing their beautiful, heady, emotive tunes since 2004 now, so if you haven't seen them live yet, here's your chance. They're heading here for Falls Festival, but will afterwards stop over in Melbourne for a show at The Forum Beach House are known for their rather inventive videos (think exploding eggs and parallel universes in Lazuli and whatever you'd like to believe is going on in Lover of Mine's backyard fight party), and they also put on on one hell of a live show to complement those powerful waves of organ, guitar, percussion and voice. Until then we suggest enjoying their latest album with a few cold ones and, if you can facilitate it, a comfy backyard hammock. https://youtube.com/watch?v=FuvWc3ToDHg
You might not expect a cake store to go all-in for International Sushi Day. But then again, as you know, Black Star Pastry is no ordinary cake store. The renowned dessert masters have been busy doing what they do best and getting extra crafty in the sweet treats department to develop an intricate cake that looks exactly like a sushi platter. This realistic number has been dubbed the Ari-Gâteaux — a fusion of arigatō ('thank you' in Japanese) and gâteaux (French for 'cake'). Available in extra limited numbers and only from Saturday, June 18–Sunday, June 19, it's quite a feat of baking. Among the cake's sushi-inspired parts, you'll find a handroll made with lemongrass cream, grapefruit jelly and dragon fruit; another roll teaming sponge cake with chestnut cream, and red wine- and umeshu-poached pears; pickled apple slices crafted to look like ginger; and a dollop of matcha white chocolate in place of the usual wasabi. There's even a fish-shaped pipette, filled not with soy sauce, but a dark pomegranate molasses and yuzu sauce. Pre-orders for the $15 sushi cakes have already sold out, but Melbourne fans are in luck — there'll be a limited number also available in-store at Black Star Pastry's Chadstone outpost, from 9am on Saturday, June 18. [caption id="attachment_857637" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Black Star Pastry Chadstone[/caption]
Once again, the City of Darebin is set to be transformed into a playground of creativity and performance, as biannual multi-arts festival Fuse launches into the new season with its spring edition. Descending on streets, parks, venues and galleries across the inner north region from Friday, September 3–Sunday, September 18, the fest will serve up a sparkling program of music, art and more. This instalment kicks off with a free celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island culture known as Ganbu Gulin (meaning 'One Mob'). You'll be welcomed with a sunset Walk on Country, before settling in for an evening of tunes and performance from names like Bumpy, Djirri Djirri and DRMNGNOW. [caption id="attachment_867267" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Djirri Djirri, photo by Wild Hardt[/caption] On September 10, catch a screening of Things Will Be Different — a community documentary project about the now-demolished Walker Street housing estate — complemented by a guided walking tour. A commissioned work by The Parallel Effect will send you on an illuminating journey into another dimension with a chatbot as your guide, while artists Ai Yamamoto and Dan West will be showing off new music at a pop-up immersive AV performance space within the Neon Parlour art gallery. You can catch an exhibition of contemporary Australian-Muslim artists; hit the Northcote Social Club for live tunes from the likes of Sapho, Keli Holiday, and Eliza and the Delusionals; enjoy some laughs at the multi-act comedy night; and unearth fresh talent at a poetry slam. Madam Nightingale delivers an ethereal fusion of sound, art and spoken word; and social enterprise Bridge Darebin hosts a mini-market dedicated to sustainability, featuring zero-waste craft workshops and tasty zero-waste fare. The fun wraps up on Saturday, September 17, with the Fuse Block Party — a free outdoor fiesta featuring live bass tunes, a flea market, costume-making workshops, live mural art and installations, plus a dance sesh courtesy of the No Lights No Lycra crew. [caption id="attachment_867268" align="alignnone" width="1920"] DRMNGNOW, photo by Wild Hardt[/caption] Top Image: Bumpy, photo by Wild Hardt. The Parallel Effect, supplied.
One of the country's prime sporting events each year, the Australian Open has taken over Melbourne each summer for more than a century. It's the ideal time to road test your experimental sunhats, mix and match shorts and polos, and do some day drinking in a classy way. After much uncertainty due to COVID-19 travel and gathering restrictions, the tournament in returning for another year in 2021. Qualifying for the event is scheduled to kick off in Doha and Dubai on Sunday, January 10, with the regular rotation of tennis superstars expected to qualify and make the trip Down Under. The main event will run from Monday, February 8–Sunday, February 21; however, if you're itching for your yearly dose of tennis and you just can't wait, five lead-up events will be hosted in Melbourne Park including the ATP Cup from Sunday, January 31 right up until the start of the open. Ticket bundles start at $49, which will allow you to watch four early round matches in the same day — and go up to $370, for tickets to the finals. Browse the schedule, grab tickets and find out more at the Australian Open website. [caption id="attachment_796232" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Rob Keating via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Top image: Tourism Victoria via Wikimedia Commons.
Pandas, dragons and giant terracotta warriors will light up the darkness for the next six weeks at the Dandenong Showgrounds. Returning for its second year, the Dandenong Festival of Lights will feature more than 500 silk and interactive lanterns — some as large as 20 metres wide — in a vibrant celebration of Chinese culture. This year's festival runs from August 26 through to October 9, with lanterns stretching across more than 10,000 square metres. In addition to the breathtaking light display, there'll also be nightly lion dance and fire twirling performances, plus workshops where you can learn Chinese drumming and the ancient art of kung fu. Alternatively, you can skip all that and just hop on the carnival rides instead. The festival will celebrate Chinese cooking as well, with a specially designed pop-up kitchen selling steamed buns and dumplings. There'll also be vendors selling fried food, coffee, cake and ice cream.
Missed out on the latest round of Victoria's dining and entertainment rebate? Well, here's some other free money to tap into — Melbourne's Lucas Restaurants stable is doing a cheeky rebate offer of its own, up until Thursday, October 27. It means that when you spend $40 or more lunching at spots like Grill Americano, Chin Chin and Society, you can claim back 25 percent of your bill, in the form of a voucher to redeem at any Lucas Restaurants venue. The maximum rebate is $125 and, while only one claim can be made per bill, there's no limit to how many different bills you can claim on before the end date. [caption id="attachment_843534" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yakimono[/caption] You will need to time your visit, though — the Lucas Restaurants offer is available on lunchtime spends at Society Dining Room, Lillian Brasserie, Kisumé and Yakimono seven days a week, but only on Monday to Thursday lunch bills at Grill Americano, Chin Chin, Baby Pizza and Hawker Hall. After you dine, jump online for details on how to upload your receipt and claim your voucher. [caption id="attachment_819110" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Society Dining Room, by Tom Blachford[/caption] Top Image: Chin Chin
One balmy day next summer, a normally quiet pocket of Abbotsford is set to come alive when it plays host to a rollicking, tune-filled block party. Originally slated for November 2020, then postponed till Saturday, December 4 2021, Duke Street Block Party will return for a second year, this time taking over not only its namesake street but also Bond Street and Southhampton Crescent. So, there's much more room for dancing. Resident businesses will be opening their doors for a series of one-off activations again, too, including Moon Dog Brewery. [caption id="attachment_761039" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Michael Woods[/caption] Meanwhile, touring agency Crown Ruler, PBS 106.7FM and Melbourne collective Untitled Group — the peeps behind Beyond the Valley, Pitch Music & Arts, Ability Fest — are teaming up to deliver what's set to be one heck of a music lineup. So far, they've lined up Jamaican dancehall pioneer Sister Nancy, who's set to head Down Under when, fingers crossed, international borders reopen. A heap more artists are set to be added over the coming months, with the original lineup including Detroit techno producer Theo Parrish, Mella Dee, Anastasia Kristensen and Mwanje Tembo, as well as local favourites Cassettes For Kid, Lord Echo and Wax'o Paradiso. Duke Street Block Party runs from 12–10pm. Top images: Michael Woods
Step into the world of the mysterious and the macabre. Step into the world of Night Vale. Home to angels, dragons and an ominous glowing cloud, and ruled by a shadowy city council whose true form remains hidden, the small desert town is best known as the setting of the hugely popular podcast Welcome to Night Vale. Since debuting in mid-2012, the surreal half-hour show has amassed legions of fans and embarked on several successful live tours – the latest of which will bring them to Australia. The tour consists of a series of one-night-only engagements in Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, Perth and Melbourne across the second week of February. Fans — and curious — can join unflappable community radio host Cecil Gershwin Palmer as he guides them through the daily goings on in the weird and wonderful town that he calls home. Just make sure you stay on the right side of the Night Vale Secret Police. They'll be doing two shows at the Athenaeum on Saturday, February 13. The first one is sold out though — so you better get tickets to the 9.30pm show quick sticks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiLrr0h4ek8
Sharp, savage and skewering, plus twisted in narrative and the incisive use of genre tropes alike: as a filmmaker, Emerald Fennell certainly has a type. With the Oscar-winning Promising Young Woman and now Saltburn, the Barbie and The Crown actor-turned-writer/director takes aim, blazes away giddily and blasts apart everything that she can. When she made a blisteringly memorable feature debut behind the lens — giving audiences one of 2021's's best Down Under releases, in fact, and deservingly earning a place among the Academy Awards' rare female Best Director nominees in the process — she honed in on the absolute worst that a patriarchal society affords women. Now, after also pointing out the protection provided to the wealthy in that first effort as a helmer, Fennell has class warfare so firmly in her gaze that Saltburn is named after a sprawling English manor. With both flicks, the end result is daringly unforgettable. This pair of pictures would make a killer double, too, although they enjoy neighbouring estates rather than frolic across the same exact turf. On her leaps from one side of the camera to the other, Fennell also keeps filling her features with such spectacular casts that other filmmakers might hope to fall into her good graces to bask in their glow — a fate that sits at the heart of Saltburn, albeit beyond the movie world. Fresh from nabbing his own Oscar nomination for The Banshees of Inisherin, Barry Keoghan adds yet another beguiling and astonishing performance to a resume that's virtually collecting them (see also: The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Dunkirk, American Animals, The Green Knight and Calm with Horses), proving mesmerisingly slippery as scholarship student Oliver Quick. Usually standing in his sights, Euphoria's Jacob Elordi perfects the part of Felix Catton, aka that effortlessly charismatic friend that everyone wishes they could spend all of their time with. And as Felix's mother Elspeth, father Sir James and "poor dear" family pal Pamela, Rosamund Pike (The Wheel of Time), Richard E Grant (Persuasion) and Carey Mulligan (Fennell's Promising Young Woman star, also an Academy Award nominee for her work) couldn't give more delicious line readings or portraits of the insular but shambolic well-to-do. Saltburn's first stomping ground is Oxford University, as is Oliver's as well, not that he's initially able to make the most of it. Fennell and cinematographer Linus Sandgren — who shot this after Babylon, going all-in on decadence and its dark side on back-to-back projects — spy the careful look on the film's protagonist's face as he enters the revered college among the class of 2006, and also see how he stands out from his moneyed peers. Felix isn't merely at the centre of the in-crowd; not just because his blue blood may is pure sapphire, he's the sun that everything revolves around. When a bicycle mishap threatens to make him late for class but Oliver is on-hand to assist, Felix also shines his light on his working-class outsider schoolmate. At the end of term, to save his new loyal offsider from a fraught homecoming and to treat him to a heady summer dream instead, he then extends a sympathetic invitation to while away the break with the full Catton clan at their palatial property. Cue Brideshead Revisited by way of The Talented Mr Ripley, Cruel Intentions, gothic thrillers and Fennell-esque flair, as set in the mid-00s and graced with a superlative soundtrack from the era to go with it — a wickedly entertaining and delightful blend. Butler Duncan (Paul Rhys, A Discovery of Witches) might be stern and strict rather than welcoming when Oliver decamps to their stately surroundings, but Elspeth and Sir James are as obliging as they are eccentric (one of the family matriarch's best moments, and Pike's as her, involves sharing a tidbit about her role in potentially inspiring Pulp's 'Common People'). Amid the group's nightly black-tie meals ("we dress for dinner here," Felix advises), leisurely sunshiny days, swish soirées, oozing lust and the kind of hallucinatory blowouts that you can only have if you're basically corrupting Downton Abbey, fellow Oxford student and Catton cousin Farleigh (Archie Madekwe, Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story) sits in the competitively icy camp about Oliver's arrival. Sharing the next generation's seductive vibe, Felix's sister Venetia (Alison Oliver, Conversations with Friends) is warmer, but with a seen-this-before air about her sibling's new bestie (or, in her eyes, plaything). As the name of a grand country tract where cashed-up privilege is so flavoursome that it leaves a mark, Saltburn is a brilliant choice. As the moniker for a bitingly piquant movie, it similarly couldn't be more gloriously on-target. This is a spicy and sweltering film again and again: in its cast, farce, luxuriousness, confidence, horrors, bodily fluids, pitch-perfect portrayals, devil-may-care protagonist, blooming sense of mischief, intoxicatingly opulent look, and deeply committed boldness to dig in and tear down. That secrets and lies line the walls of the eponymous property, gathering far less dust than the well-appointed library that no one appears to use — scary flicks are the Cattons' communal pastime of choice, aptly — isn't at all surprising. That eat-the-rich brutality awaits resides in the same category. But Saltburn never stops enticing jaws to the floor, then sticking them there with sweat, blood and more, as it murders a dance floor filled with posh entitlement, yearning desire, and the impulsiveness of the young and the affluent. Sophie Ellis-Bextor's best-known tune does indeed get a spin, alongside expertly deployed tracks by Bloc Party and MGMT. For the second time in as many movies, Fennell knows how to nail not only a meticulously matched playlist but the precise mood. That she could've been one of Oliver and Felix's Oxford peers given that she was also studying at the prestigious university when the feature is set helps every detail gleam, including the mid-00s fashions. Crucially, though, Fennell never forgets that her film is showing to today's audiences, not to newly minted adults nearly two decades back (or anyone transported so evocatively to the past by this film that it feels like they've never left). Whether or not Elordi boasted such a pivotal role, Euphoria is unmistakably one of Saltburn's visual touchstones. With its swooning and sultriness — and scorching obsession as well — so is Call Me By Your Name. As much as it revels in the alluring, and torridly, Saltburn is fearlessly and devilishly about tarnishing not gloss. In the pursuit of love, comfort, belonging and revenge, nothing glitters within its chandelier-lit story that can't be shattered and smeared — that doesn't deserved to be cracked and crumbled, either — even when the movie's namesake place appears to host the most carefree of times. With boxed-in frames and looking-back narration as a framing device, the film purposefully unspools as a provocative fantasy and an unreliable memory combined, as the tales we all tell ourselves about our lives in our deepest, darkest, most closely held thoughts and feelings always do. As anchored exquisitely by the enigmatic Keoghan in entertaining everyman mode, it's no wonder that Saltburn feels so potent, so haunting, so visceral, and so attuned to vulnerability and viciousness in equal doses: it's the reverie and nightmare beating inside us all with infatuating abandon if we'd let it.
When COVID-19 began to spread around the globe, travel was in no one's immediate plans. Australia's borders closed to international travel and, domestically, the Aussie airline industry drastically scaled down the number of local flights. Now that coronavirus restrictions are gradually easing, the opposite is happening. While Australians are still unable to leave the country, domestic travel is starting up again — and Qantas and Jetstar are putting on more flights as a result. Since the end of March, both airlines have been operating at five percent of their pre-pandemic capacity. By the end of June, the two airlines will boost that number to 15 percent, equating to more than 300 more return flights per week. Yes, that's obviously still significantly less than normal; however if the demand is there and the remaining state border restrictions are removed — such as in Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia — flight numbers could return to 40 percent of pre-coronavirus levels by the end of July. Announcing the increase in domestic flights, Qantas and Jetstar revealed that some routes that have still been operating will begin flying more frequently, while some others that stopped completely back in March will resume. Intrastate flights will also increase within New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia. That's great news for folks eager to travel between Melbourne and Sydney, with 67 flights available per week by the end of this month across the two airlines — up from 12 per week at present. Flights to-and-from Brisbane and Sydney will increase from 12 to 30, while Brisbane–Melbourne routes will go up from seven to 19. Flights to Canberra will also rise, from five per city weekly to 19 from Sydney, 16 from Melbourne and 10 from Brisbane. Over in Perth, flights to Sydney and Melbourne will remain the same, with seven heading to each city every week. Regionally within NSW and Victoria, a bunch of routes are upping their numbers, including from Sydney to Albury, Armidale, Coffs Harbour, Dubbo, Moree, Port Macquarie, Tamworth and Wagga Wagga, and from Melbourne to Mildura, Newcastle and Ballina. Also, as first announced early in 2020 but then postponed due to COVID-19, Qantas will start direct flights to-and-from Sydney and Ballina. Jetstar already flies that route, but if you're a Sydneysider looking to head to Byron Bay and don't feel like a road trip, you now have another option. In Brisbane, flights will increase to Cairns, Townsville, Emerald, Gladstone, Hervey Bay, Mackay, Moranbah, Mt Isa, Rockhampton and the Whitsunday Coast. And in Perth, flights will ramp up to Newman, Karratha, Port Hedland, Broome, Kalgoorlie, Geraldton and Exmouth. Qantas and Jetstar are also allowing domestic customers to change the date of their flight once without paying a change fee — if you book before June 30, and plan to fly between June 12–October 31, 2020. The two airlines will be changing a number of their procedures, too, to adapt to social distancing and hygiene requirements. That includes encouraging contactless check-in and self-serve bag drop, placing hand-sanitising stations at departure gates, providing masks and sanitising wipes to passengers on all flights, making everyone board and disembark in sequence, and undertaking extra cleaning. For further details about Qantas and Jetstar's plans, visit the company'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.
Stuff yourself full of morsels from every corner of the globe when the International Street Food Festival rolls into town. The smells of more than 45 different world cuisines will waft across Catani Gardens and the St Kilda foreshore, in this weekend-long celebration of multiculturalism and all the tasty treats it brings. Whether you want doughnuts, dumplings, pizza, paella, churros, fried chicken or char-grilled Argentinean BBQ, we guarantee there'll be something on the menu for you. In between feasting, visitors can catch a fashion show or enjoy live music and art demonstrations. Each performance will draw on the cultural practices of a different part of the world. Of course, that's assuming you can drag yourself away from your plate — which, if you're anything like us, is no guarantee at all.
It feels like half of Melbourne is currently living it up on a European summer getaway. But if you want your own fix without the long-haul flight, you'll find it at Preston Market this month. On Sunday, August 28, the food precinct promises to sate those holiday cravings when it fires up for the return of its ever-popular Italian Day. You're in for a spirited celebration of Italian culture and food, complete with live tunes from acts like Tony Vilella, No Limit, Carmelo di Giglio and Toni Marchi. You'll even catch performances from the Melbourne School of Tarantella, which'll have you grooving to the rhythms of the South of Italy. Of course, the Italian eats will be in strong supply, with pop-up stalls slinging everything from meatball crepes and fresh pasta, to traditional gelato and cannoli. Masterchef alum Amir Manoly will also be hitting the kitchen for some cooking demos and free tastings. [caption id="attachment_865860" align="alignnone" width="1920"] School of Tarantella[/caption]
There are little pockets of fresh and innovative goodness appearing along a Victoria Street that has perhaps seen better days. Thaiger Rabbit is one such pocket. The Thai restaurant formerly known as Ying Thai has moved five minutes down the road and reincarnated as the modestly stylish Thaiger Rabbit. There is seating for 12 in the small lower dining room with an upstairs area that would be perfect for groups. Wooden tables, bird-cage lampshades and a large blackboard-style mural on the wall all come together to create a quirky, upbeat, market-style atmosphere. A long bench runs along the window allowing for people-watching on Victoria Street, and if that's not your thing, books are provided for those who want food for thought, as well as in their bellies. Russell Brand's Revolution nestles up against Aboriginal Art and a cupcake recipe book. The menu is extensive. It is inconceivable that you would not find something that appeals among the variety of salads, curries, stir-fries and noodles. Some dishes make no concession for mainstream eaters. The salted crab papaya salad is a fiery version of this spicy, sweet and sour dish, with whole crab legs that require work to extract the flesh. Other dishes follow the safer line of stir-fry vegetables and cashew nuts with a choice of protein and a mild yet tasty sauce. And then there's the 'special additional' page for those who really want to try something different. Take your pick from Thai-style omelettes; deep-fried whole fish topped with green apple, chilli and cashew nuts; and the intriguing little pandan leaf parcels of tasty deep-fried chicken (gai hor bai toey). If you're a subscriber to the theory that a meal is not a meal without dessert, you will not be disappointed here. Thaiger Rabbit offers an interesting range of sweet and sticky Thai desserts with variations on a coconut theme. There is a range of traditional Thai drinks to take the sting out of some of the three-chillied items on the menu, and although it is BYO, if you haven't quite got around to swinging by the bottle shop, there is also a selection of beer and wine. For delicious food, reasonable prices, a slightly eccentric vibe and just the sheer joy of going to a restaurant with a play on words in its name, Thaiger Rabbit will have you covered on a number of bases.
Surely the only thing better than sitting down to a big bowl of gnocchi is having the skills to make it yourself, any time you like. Or you could enjoy the best of both worlds at one of 48h's monthly gnocchi making workshops. You'll be welcomed to the pizza and gnocchi bar's South Yarra outpost with a coffee before you're handed your apron and put to work. You'll learn the art of making the dough, shaping the gnocchi and cooking it from the restaurant's Italian head chefs. Then you'll get to take it home to impress your friends/partner/mum with for Sunday lunch. And of course, you can't have a culinary masterclass without some good old-fashioned food appreciation, so you and your fellow gnocchi students will also sit down to a lunch of prepared-earlier gnocchi and a glass of wine. The morning's activities will set you back $89 — which not only includes your gnocchi and newfound skills, but a goodie bag with all the ingredients you need to make it from scratch at home. Updated: July 22, 2019.
If you like your live tunes just as much as you enjoy sipping vino and tucking into top-notch eats, then here's one for the calendar: a brand-new festival combining food, drink and entertainment set against the picturesque backdrop of Albury. From the minds that gave us BeerFest Australia, Sip & Savour Albury is set to make its debut from Saturday, February 4–Sunday, February 5. Headlining the musical side of things, you've got renowned acts like Kate Miller-Heidke, Josh Pyke, Lisa Mitchell and Telenova, treating audiences to tunes both new and classic. Enjoy the sounds from the comfort of your picnic rug or while kicking back in one of the al fresco lounge zones. [caption id="attachment_884250" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josh Pyke[/caption] There's a whole lotta sipping to be done, too, with producers like Bridge Road Brewers, Michelini Wines, Bright Brewery and Brown Brothers showcasing their finest, and even pouring complimentary tastings. Adult tickets to the QEII Square fest start from $55.35, including three hours of tastings — and you'll savour the region's diverse food scene, too, as you graze your way through an array of local produce and restaurant fare. There'll also be plenty of take-home goodies for those keen to stock their pantries. MasterChef Australia alum Hayden Quinn will be making a special guest appearance, hosting a series of demos and masterclasses heroing some of those top local ingredients. And if you want to get even more hands on, check out the program of workshops and classes led by local experts. Top Image: Jo Duck
Looking for weekend plans? Port Melbourne is throwing a multicultural street food party on Saturday, July 22 and everyone's invited. The pop-up Street Food Festival is taking over the Port Melbourne Industrial Centre for the Arts, with food trucks and live music running throughout the day from 11.30am to 10pm. The idea is to bring all of Melbourne's culinary communities (and their associated food trucks) together in one place. There's a bar too, serving alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. This is a family-friendly event with tickets for $5 a pop. There are four sessions running throughout the day, and each one has capped attendance, so you don't have to spend your Saturday waiting in a food truck queue. Smart move. For more information about Port Melbourne Street Food Festival, and to grab your tickets, check out the Eventbrite page. [caption id="attachment_801213" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Visit Victoria[/caption] Image: Melbourne Food Truck Collective and Port Melbourne foreshore by Visit Victoria.
To call Enough Said a romantic comedy seems wrongly restrictive. Essentially, it's just that, but really, it's much more. A quirky divorcee starts falling for a slobby, overweight but very loveable dude, then realises it's her friend's despised ex-husband. Antics ensue. The title and the poster are something of an undersell — 'Enough Said' sounds like any other moronically make-believe candyfloss crap in which an unlikely yet star-crossed couple with Hollywood cheekbones and poreless skin battle for 90 minutes and get together — forever, of course — in the final scene. The title is oddly generic; try slipping 'About Time', 'Here's the Thing' or 'Wouldn't You Know?' in its place. Here's the difference: Nicole Holofcener is one of the smartest, wryest female American directors around. Friends with Money established her as a someone who makes real films with real characters for real grown-ups. She then joined the television glory days, directing episodes of HBO's Enlightened — two short seasons of confronting and hilarious viewing. Laura Dern and Mike White's amazing creation, the deluded yet totally empathisable Amy Jellicoe, could make you question if your own deepest-held longings are just impossible and impossibly vivid self-deceptions. With Enough Said, Holofcener makes a pitch for the mainstream, moving in on the edge of the territory staked out by James L. Brooks: rom-coms that are actually, miraculously both romantic and comedic. I can't help but wonder if it's because her last film, Please Give, was a well-intentioned but dour project that somehow missed its mark, as well as the wide audience that this super cluey director deserves. In Enough Said, she's cast Julia Louis-Dreyfus in the usual Catherine Keener role. Where on earth has Louis-Dreyfus been for the last decade and a half? She is a flat-out great leading actress. Here, she perfects what she revealed on Seinfeld in the 1990s: a character's failed attempts at carefree casualness. With wide-eyed, sideways glances and upturned intonation, she relays cluelessness and hopefulness, her yearning earnestness betraying her surface breeziness. (A side note: Claudia Karvan does this best in Australia.) The whole cast is spot-on, and James Gandolfini is especially endearing in his last, quite slight role — though I couldn't help wonder what complexity Louis CK could have brought to the character. There's something extraordinary about seeing quite ordinary women on film. In Gravity, Sandra Bullock's astronaut-taut face barely moved from the effects of what one hoped was zero gravity but was more likely astronomical proportions of filler and muscle relaxant. By contrast, Keener and Louis-Dreyfus aren't great beauties, but they are uncommonly lovely and a delight to watch — animated, bright, baffled and trying and trying and trying their fallible human best to succeed in love. Despite the unambitious nature of this easy Friday night film, Holofcener is a freakishly perceptive observer of our time's obsessions and longings. There aren't nearly enough films about the relationship between your different relationships and love after love. I laughed at the film's sticky, recognisable truths for the whole hour and a half. She's succeeded in making something for the masses without resorting to lowest-common-denominator bullshit. And that's really something. https://youtube.com/watch?v=nEEJaIjF_Lo
If Melbourne's lockdown news has got you down and the only way up is through scoffing mass amounts of cheese, That's Amore is here to help. This weekend, the renowned cheese producer is slinging a limited-edition cheese-filled care package that's sure to make life feel slightly less terrible. Available for delivery across Melbourne this Saturday, June 5 only, the Cheer Me Up pack will have you drowning your sorrows in some damn fine culinary delights. Each one comes stocked with wedges of That's Amore's own lavato, buffalotto and cacio pepper cheese varieties, along with some Vino Food chutney and lavosh crackers from the brand's onsite Cheesery. Plus, you've got a choice of two batched double-serve cocktails from Imbue Distillery: choose from the Prickly Pear Negroni or a barrel-aged gin Old Fashioned. The whole thing is yours (or your mate's) for $75, with free delivery if you live within 10 kilometres of That's Amore's Thomastown HQ. You'll have to be quick, though — orders for this one cut off at midnight tonight, Thursday, June 3. [caption id="attachment_814565" align="alignnone" width="1920"] That's Amore's buffalotto[/caption]
If you thought it was impossible to improve on a Lune croissant, you may be wrong. This July, you'll be able to try one of its award-winning croissants stuffed with Koko Black chocolate, pistachios and marzipan. This one-off dessert, created in honour of World Chocolate Day, is a collaboration between luxury chocolatier Koko Black and Melbourne croissant queen, and founder of Lune Croissanterie, Kate Reid. Available for two days only, the twice-baked croissant is stuffed with Koko Black pistachio marzipan, pistachio and toasted cacao nib frangipane, and a dark chocolate ganache, sprinkled with chopped pistachios and finished with shards of tempered dark chocolate. To get your hands on this show-stopping dessert, head to any Koko Black Melbourne store or to Lune's Fitzroy headquarters this Friday, July 6, or Saturday, July 7. It's priced at $13 and you'd best hurry if you want to nab one — these limited edition beauties are sure to sell out quick.
If your weekends usually include some combination of dogs, barbecues and Bunnings, well, this event is set to sort you out. Pet re-homing organisation Second Chance Animal Rescue is bringing a slew of homeless pups to a Bunnings near you for a national adoption drive. On Sunday, October 6, the not-profit organisation — which rescues and re-homes cats and dogs in need — is bringing some of its animals to ten Bunnings stores across Melbourne. Head down to have a cuddle with some adorable cats and pups in need of a new home. If you're particularly taken with one of the little guys, you can chat to one of the volunteers about adopting either now or in the future. To get some puppy pats, rock up to Bunnings — maybe Brunswick, Maribyrnong or Epping — between 11am and 2pm. And if you need some Dulux paint, you'll be able to make a donation to Second Chance's new animal hospital. Hopefully there'll be some snags sizzling, too. PARTICIPATING VICTORIAN BUNNINGS STORES Bunnings Broadmeadows Bunnings Craigieburn Bunnings Epping Bunnings Sunshine Bunnings Thomastown Bunnings Mill Park Bunnings Coburg Bunnings Altona Bunnings Maribyrnong Bunnings Brunswick
Friday nights been feeling a little drab during lockdown? Well, Chapel on Chapel will help take care of that. As a little gift to all patient Melburnians, the performance space has kicked off a series of weekly virtual variety shows, jam-packed full of live tunes, cabaret and comedy. Live streamed via Zoom from 8.30pm every Friday through October, the Friday Nightcaps sessions promise to serve a healthy dose of giggles, glitz and glamour, directly to your living room. Hosted by international jazz star Fem Belling, each week's soiree features a fresh lineup of talent, rounding up local favourites and big-name acts alike. On October 16, you'll catch much-loved comedian Nazeem Hussain along with ARIA chart-toppers Jess & Matt, while October 23 brings the likes of singer-songwriter Thando and vaudeville legend Shep Huntly to the stage. Aussie blues darling Ash Grunwald is even set to join in the fun, swinging by the virtual theatre on October 30.
Rallies and marches take place every January 26, not only addressing concerns about the date of Australia's national celebration, but also protesting the ongoing discrimination that has been faced by Indigenous Australians since white settlement — a topic that covers a large number of issues. In 2021, events will take place all around the country; however, heading along in-person isn't the only way to take part. In Brisbane, a rally and march will be held from 10am AEST, starting at Queens Gardens on the corner of George and Elizabeth streets in the CBD. But if you're not able to attend, you can stream it from home. There are a number of reasons why you mightn't be able to make it physically, whether you're avoiding large gatherings during the pandemic — the march and rally is asking attendees to wear masks and abide by social distancing, though — or you're located out of town. So, watching along is as simple as heading to Get Up!'s Facebook page from 9.50am AEST/ 10.50am AEDT, with the whole event streaming live.
Housed in a converted Brunswick warehouse space, Bhang specialises in regional Indian street food, incorporating lighter cooking styles from the southern regions with lots of coconut, red chilli, seafood and pork. As well as serving up delicious meals all round, the restaurant's latest offering is a series of super affordable dinners. Called Thali Nights, they kicked off in March and will return every four to six weeks. Each dinner is influenced by a different region in India, showcasing the different flavours and varieties on offer throughout the south Asian nation. Diners will eat their way through generous vegetarian and meat thali platters filled with street snacks and bites, dahl, curries, salads, pickles, pulao, pappas, puris, raitas, chutneys and Indian sweets, all for only $30. For the uninitiated — and if the above description didn't give it away — thali platters are Indian meals made up of lots of small dishes, so it's basically a dream option for the indecisive. There'll be drinks on offer, though they're not included in the price. Understandably, bookings are essential.
Is it your New Year's resolution to eat healthier? In that case, you should probably stop reading this story right now. It's only January 2, and already chef Pierre Roelofs has unveiled his new belt-bursting endeavour. Teaming up with Jesse Gerner of Bomba Tapas Bar and Rooftop, Roelofs will be serving sweet, sweet ice cream from a pop-up soft servery at Green Park Dining. Oh Pierre, why must you tempt us so? Best known for his extravagant (and we mean extravagant) dessert evenings, Roelofs has been teasing the pop-up on social media, promising a rotating lineup of flavours "hand crafted with love." No word yet on what those flavours will be; when he was handing out free ice cream as part of the Good Food Month program launch back in September, options included strawberry cheesecake and miso caramel. Housed at Green Park on Nicholson Street in Carlton North, Pierre's will open on Saturday January 9, and will operate from 10am to 7pm on weekends all summer long. Of course that part of Melbourne isn't exactly short on awesome ice cream spots, with Gelato Messina on Smith Street, N2 on Brunswick Street and, y'know, basically all of Lygon Street. Still, if anyone can give them a run for their money, we reckon it might be Roelofs. Pierre's will be located at Green Park Dining, 815 Nicholson Street, Carlton North. For more information, keep your eyes glued to their website and Facebook page.
Pucker up, Melburnians — we're about to get a brand-new festival dedicated to acid-driven sour beers and dance-friendly tunes. The aptly named Electric Kool-Aid makes its tart, fizzy debut over three days this January at Bodriggy Brewing's Abbotsford HQ. It's pulling together a lineup of 20 sour beers from over ten different craft breweries, including Footscray's Site Fermentation Project, Tasmania's Two Metre Tall, Garage Project out of New Zealand, Molly Rose Brewing in Collingwood, Thornbury's 3 Ravens and even Bodriggy itself. All the brews are being created especially for the event, with a huge variety of fruity concoctions, kettle- and barrel-aged sours battling it out for your vote in the day's prized People's Choice Award. [caption id="attachment_735952" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kate Shanasy[/caption] To balance out the sour sips, expect a super smooth program of live tunes and DJ sets across the weekend, with sounds from the likes of Sui Zhen, Chiara Kickdrum, Rings Around Saturn, Alex Albrecht-Melquiades, AcidSlop and more. There'll also be funky wines by Lucy Margaux and snacks from Bodriggy's South American-inflected menu. More workshops and breweries are expected to be announced closer to the date, too. Entry will cost you just $10 each day of the festival. Electric Kool-Aid runs from 4–10pm Friday, 11.30am–10pm Saturday and 11.30am–10pm Sunday. Images: Kate Shanasy.
When one thinks of style, it's hard to look past the roaring twenties. The Art Deco movement was just beginning, the women were composed and elegant, and the dresses were bejewelled and flowing. What one might not think of, is the name Edward Steichen — the man who captured it all. Steichen was a photographer for Vogue and Vanity Fair in the magazines' much-lauded heyday, and was responsible for revolutionising the field of fashion photography. In the era of celebrity, glamour and style, Steichen was a goliath. His well-balanced and meticulously composed photographic style became emblematic of the time, and influenced many high-profile photographers for years to come. The NGV's latest exhibition Edward Steichen & Art Deco Fashion will be showing over 200 of Steichen's photographs and many garments and accessories from the '20s and '30s. Work from leading designers such as Chanel, Madeleine Vionnet, Madame Paquin and Callot Soeurs will be on display, and audiences will be able to gleefully immerse themselves in the style of the time. This may be through chronicling the evolution of the flapper slip dress, learning the Charleston during opening weekend, or simply drifting off into one of Steichen's iconic photographs and letting the afternoon drift by.
Cooking kick-ass vegan food with Smith & Daughters' Shannon Martinez, a behind-the-scenes tour of Lune Croissanterie and verbally deconstructing lasagne with Massimo Bottura. It sounds like regular programming for Melbourne's annual celebration of food — but it's not quite. Forced to postpone its physical March festival because of COVID-19, Melbourne Food and Wine Festival has just launched The Online Edition, allowing avid home bakers and food fanatics around the country to dial into chats, masterclasses and trivia sessions with some of the world's best chefs from the comfort of their kitchens. And for lucky Melburnians, there are some IRL food specials available to order every day, too. Running from Monday, May 25–Saturday, May 30, MFWF: The Online Edition is taking place entirely on Zoom and Instagram Live. Those who've spent lockdown with a Sméagol-like obsession for sourdough can get their fix with Baker Bleu's Mike Russell, while those who prefer their carbs flaky and filled with butter will want to log on for chats with Helen Goh — who's worked alongside Yotam Ottolenghi for over a decade and co-authored Sweet — and Australia's Queen of Tarts Philippa Sibley, as well as the aforementioned tour of Lune with the inimitable Kate Reid. On the topic of Lune — look away now, if you're not in Melbourne — the croissanterie is recreating some of its biggest hits for the festival, including the Lune Reuben croissant, which you can pre-order for pick-up or delivery via the Lune website. Elsewhere on the IRL menu: foie gras ice cream from Leonardo's Pizza Palace and Black Axe Mangal's Lee Tiernan, a one-off six-dish menu from Bar Saracen, an oyster and champagne pairing, and a menu of Torino-style dishes from Mister Bianco designed to eat while watching the classic 60s flick The Italian Job. [caption id="attachment_697090" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lune by Marcie Raw[/caption] Back on the virtual program, expect a lineup of talks with international talent, including René Redzepi — who's just (temporarily) transformed his world-renowned Copenhagen fine-diner into a burger and wine bar — former co-editor of famed food magazine Lucky Peach Chris Ying and Lee Tiernan of London's Black Axe Mangal. More locally, The Everleigh's Michael Madrusan will teach us how to drink better, culinary idol Tony Tan will take us on a tour of his new cooking school and author Julia Busuttil Nishimura will show us the art of the one-pan dish. While The Online Edition has less hot chip parties and Queen Victoria Market takeovers than its scheduled predecessor, it's certainly not short on talent. The program has been pulled together by MFWF CEO Anthea Loucas Bosha and Creative Director Pat Nourse, who both have decades of experience in the food industry and will be hosting many of the virtual talks. Of the new program, Loucas Bosha said in a statement: "Our aim with this virtual festival is to highlight the capacity that hospitality has in Victoria and around the world to bring us closer, even when we can't get together in the same room. It's about sharing ideas, about sharing experiences and above all about supporting our community so that we can all come back swinging." Melbourne Food and Wine Festival: The Online Edition runs from Monday, May 25–Saturday, May 30 on Instagram Live and Zoom. To check out the full program, head to the website. Top image: Daniel Mahon
The protagonist of Nick Jones' Trevor has definitely seen better days. A star in his youth, the actor's best days have long since passed him by. Where he once lit up the screen alongside Morgan Fairchild, now he can't even book a commercial for Dunkin' Donuts. To make matters worse, his sole companion Sandra scarcely seems able to understand him. No wonder he's on the verge of snapping. Oh, did we mention that Trevor is a 200 pound chimpanzee? Making its Australian premiere at Red Stitch this July, this witty showbiz satire takes its inspirations from a real life story about a Connecticut woman assaulted by a chimp. Actor Rory Kelly plays the moody monkey who proves every bit as big a diva as his one-time Hollywood co-stars, while company regular Denis Moore directs.
If you're looking to extend those summer feels for as long as humanly possible, Italo-Australian cafe institution Brunetti is here to help. Every Friday through February and March, both its Flinders Lane and Carlton venues are continuing to channel those balmy European summer vibes, with a special aperitivo offering. And this new Aperitivo Italiano menu is the stuff of after-work dreams, delivering a tasty selection of small bites and spritzes every Friday night until March 29. Simply purchase a $20 aperitivo "bracelet" at the start of the night to score your first drink on the house, plus $10 drinks and complimentary cicchetti (Italian tapas-style snacks) all night. And the discounted drinks include 12, yes 12, spritzes as well as four Italian cocktails. We're talking classic spritzes — featuring Aperol, limoncello, or maybe a combination of Italian bitter liqueur Marendry and black gum — as well as other aperitivo stars like the negroni, americano and bellini. You'll even spy the signature Brunetti spritz, blending the aforementioned Marendry with Amarena cherry syrup and prosecco. The snacking game is equally strong, too. Those sips will be matched with bites like crostini, prosciutto-wrapped melon, arancini and stuffed and fried olives. Brunetti's Aperitivo Italiano menu is available Friday nights from 6–9pm at 380 Lygon Street, Carlton, and 250 Flinders Lane, Melbourne.
Christmas present shopping season is officially in full swing, but when everyone in your life is ridiculously impossible to buy gifts for, the whole thing just ain't fun. Before you throw it all in the 'too hard' basket, put Brunswick's Yule Be Right Market on your festive shopping hit-list. JFO and Lux Foundry have teamed up to deliver what they've dubbed 'a one-stop shop for gifts that don't suck' — and it's going to make the whole pre-Christmas retail rush a whole lot more bearable. Landing at the Hope Street cafe on Saturday, December 16, is a dream lineup of local makers slinging stuff you'll actually want to buy. Think handmade leather bags from Lost Little One, Blanc Prints' super-cute greeting cards, fun printed tees from Loser Hands and JFO's own wearable art designs, to name just a few. To fuel your shopping bonanza, the Lux Foundry kitchen will be dishing up its usual menu of brunchy fare, along with festive food specials and plenty of Proud Mary coffee.
The humble Sunday brunch has been given a makeover, with the launch of Hanoi Hannah New Quarter's new Vietnamese-style yum cha offering. Kicking off on September 2 — just in time for your annual Father's Day feast — the weekly Sunday brunch sessions will see you chowing down on a parade of modern Vietnamese eats, matched, if you fancy, to bottomless booze. Each week, the kitchen's dishing up a 10-strong selection of bites, priced between $4 and $12, according to plate — just like how you roll at Sushi Train. Expect punchy creations like crisp pork belly with soft vermicelli and green nuoc mam — a green apple and soft shell crab salad with chilli caramel — and a rotating selection of bao. An abbreviated version of the regular menu will be available, too. If just the thought of all that food is making you thirsty, for an extra $39 per person, you add on two hours of unlimited Aperol spritzes, beer and mimosas. Hannoi Hannah New Quarter's Vietnamese yum cha runs from 12pm–5pm every Sunday.
Ever wondered how to make a sneaker? Or how to craft a ceramic sake cup? Your homemade and DIY prayers have been answered by the Craft Pop Up Shop, celebrating the best in Victorian craft and design until November 21. Grab some expert advice and tips from 70 talented local makers showcased at free workshops and demonstrations. Whether you dabble in ceramic, jewellery, textile, timber, paper or glass, you can find likeminded enthusiasts in your craft of choice. Highlights include talks from Melbourne jeweller Abby Seymour and ‘sneaker freak’ shoemaker Emma Greenwood. You can also take a peek at unique installations by makers Kim Jaeger and John Brooks, furniture designer Fale Hardiman, Coco Flip, Redfox & Wilcox and Tide Design. It may just be the inspiration you need to get stuck into your craft project, just in time for Christmas. Image: Pop Plant.
The newly revamped Esplanade Hotel will be the setting for an immersive exploration of music and art when it plays host to the next edition of Swell. While previous events have been held at the Carlton Club and even Fort Nepean, this time it will take over five rooms of the St Kilda pub for a multi-disciplinary adventure held across five dates throughout February and March. The interactive event this year embraces the theme of 'music as medicine'. Prepare to embark on a surprise-filled choose your own adventure scenario, where the regular rules of gigs are turfed out the window. You'll find no headliners and no traditional stage set-up, but rather a two-hour live art and music experience guaranteed to twist your perceptions. It's all kept rather mysterious in the lead-up, though we're told you can expect thought-provoking empathic experiments, music served up in some envelope-pushing ways and plenty of chance for participation. Get excited for some memorable works from the likes of Loose Tooth, DollFace, David Sauvage (NYC), Waxo Paradiso's Edd Fisher, Nick Acquroff (n.y.c.k) with Hayden Calnin, Deep Soulful Sweats and lots more. Image: Alex Drewniak.
UPDATE: THURSDAY, JULY 16: The Parking Lot Social has been postponed. No official tickets have been sold for the event. Drive-in cinemas have long been a part of the movie-going landscape, but they've been experiencing a resurgence in popularity due to COVID-19. In fact, the whole drive-in concept is proving a go-to way to keep folks entertained in this time of social distancing, with the idea expanded to live gigs as well. That's just the beginning, it seems. Thanks to The Parking Lot Social, the drive-in premise now encompasses huge parties too. When the new Australian event rolls around the country between July and September, attendees will sit in their cars, sing karaoke (well, 'car-a-oke', as it's being called), dance at a silent disco, play trivia and bingo, and laugh at standup comedy — and watch flicks, see live bands and grab a bite to eat from food trucks as well. Basically, the event mashes up of a whole heap of entertaining pastimes, combining them in one place while complying with physical-distancing measures. Weekend evenings will have an in-car party vibe, while movies will screen late to folks kicking back in their vehicles. Plus, there'll be separate dedicated midweek nights for films and comedy. The brainchild of the folks behind Big Bounce Australia, aka the world's largest inflatable theme park, The Parking Lot Social will also feature two 12-metre-tall big-screens, a huge stage, a 16-metre-tall fire hydrant that shoots rainbows and inflatable gorillas. Exactly where in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra all of the above will be popping up hasn't yet been disclosed; however it'll do so in venues in that can accommodate 250 cars each evening. Ticket costs haven't been announced yet either, nor has the music, movie and comedy lineup. That said, The Parking Lot Social has revealed that it will settle in for multiple nights at every stop, and that it'll also feature an all-ages 'Social Kids' event for families as well. THE PARKING LOT SOCIAL 2020 DATES Sydney — July 9–19 Melbourne — July 23–August 2 Brisbane — August 6–16 Canberra — August 20–30 Adelaide — September 3–13 The Parking Lot Social tours Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra between July 9–September 13. For further information, or to register for early-bird tickets, visit the event's website.
For 66 years, humanity has been blessed by Jeff Goldblum's company. For a whopping 45 years, we've been lucky enough to enjoy his big-screen presence, too. It's impossible to have a bad time when you're watching the beloved actor, staring into his piercing eyes, listening to his distinctive vocal patterns and marvelling over how tall he is — no matter what he's in. Thankfully, he's been in plenty. While he'll always be Dr Ian Malcolm to dinosaur-loving movie fans everywhere, old Goldie has played a blue alien in Earth Girls Are Easy, turned into an insect in exceptional body-horror classic The Fly, and tried to save the world from aliens in Independence Day. He's unleashed his psychic powers with Cyndi Lauper in Vibes, romanced Emma Thompson in the Richard Curtis-penned The Tall Guy, headed out to sea in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and overseen a garbage planet in Thor: Ragnarok, too. And if you're thinking that all of these flicks sound like the perfect Goldblum Marathon, then you're both completely spot-on and on the Melbourne International Film Festival's wavelength. After paying tribute to Nicolas Cage last year, MIFF is once again joining forces with The Astor Theatre to celebrate another movie legend with an overnight session of seven back-to-back flicks. It all happens from 11.30pm on Friday, August 9, running through until around midday on Saturday — and if you want to try to laze around like Goldblum in Jurassic Park, we're guessing that no one will stop you. General public tickets go on sale Friday, July 12.
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra doesn't just pay tribute to classical music greats. Shaking up its repertoire with movie odes — to Hans Zimmer, Star Wars, Home Alone, Toy Story and more — isn't the only way that it stretches its remit, either. In December, MSO will add celebrating George Michael to its roster, thanks to a big one-night gig that'll give the pop star's music the orchestra treatment, complete with help from a heap of guest singers. Dubbed George Michael: Freedom! A Celebration with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, the event is heading to Sidney Myer Music Bowl on Saturday, December 9. And if you're wondering why it's taking place that month, you must've avoided getting 'Last Christmas' stuck in your head when the season hits in the past. Also, the late, great singer was just the subject of hit Netflix documentary WHAM!, making the timing right for more reasons than one. Benjamin Northey will be on conducting duties, with Natalie Bassingthwaighte, David Campbell, Courtney Act, Emma Donovan and Brendan Maclean joining the lineup behind the microphone to lend their vocals to Michael's chart-topping tunes. Also on the bill, similarly following in the two-time Grammy-winner's footsteps: Adam Thompson, Jade MacRae, Gary Pinto and Carmen Smith. George Michael: Freedom! A Celebration with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra will get Sidney Myer Music Bowl echoing with a 30-song playlist, including 'Faith', 'Father Figure', 'Praying for Time' and 'Freedom'. The one and only 'Careless Whisper' played by a symphony orchestra? That's on the lineup, too, and witnessing it will be a bucket-list moment. GEORGE MICHAEL: FREEDOM! A CELEBRATION WITH THE MELBOURNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA LINEUP: Natalie Bassingthwaighte David Campbell Courtney Act Emma Donovan Brendan Maclean Adam Thompson Jade MacRae Gary Pinto Carmen Smith Top image: Ratracewi via Wikimedia Commons.
Since first opening its doors back in 1973, the Sydney Opera House has played host to a wealth of performances, spanning far further in genre than just the art form that gives the venue its name. But it was only during Vivid Live 2016 that the iconic locale serenaded visitors into an evening-long slumber, all as part of Max Richter's live recital of his eight-and-a-half hour work Sleep. Across 31 tracks comprised of 204 movements, the German-born British composer's concept album unfurls music based on the neuroscience of getting some shuteye. In its intonation, the ambitious yet soothing piece favours the range that can be heard in the womb for much of its duration. When performed for an audience, it is played overnight, with beds set up — and doing as the work's title suggests is highly encouraged. Attendees recline, listen and let Richter's blend of strings, synthesisers and soprano vocals lull them into the land of nod. If they'd prefer to stay awake, that's fine as well, but soaking in Sleep's ambient sounds while you're snatching 40 winks is all very much part of the experience. In its live version, Sleep has echoed through spaces in London, Berlin and Paris, too; however, it's the first openair performance in Los Angeles' Grand Park in 2018 that takes pride of place in the documentary Max Richter's Sleep. A filmmaker was always bound to be so fascinated with the concept that they'd turn their lens Richter's way, and that director is Natalie Johns (an Emmy nominee for Annie Lennox: Nostalgia Live in Concert), who endeavours to capture the experience for those who haven't had the pleasure themselves. The resulting film doesn't run for more than eight hours, or anywhere close — but those watching and listening will quickly wish that it did. As a feature, Max Richter's Sleep isn't designed to advertise its namesake. Rather, it documents, explores and tries to understand it. Still, the movie so easily draws viewers into the music, and so deeply, that making its audience want to snooze in public while Richter and his band plays is a guaranteed side effect. In its observational footage, Max Richter's Sleep wanders and peers as Angelenos arrive, settle in, turn their attention to the stage, get comfortable and drift off. It keeps gazing their way as they slumber, as Richter and his fellow musicians keep playing, and, later, as a change in pitch in the music and the dawning sunrise both eventually herald the morning. Johns and editors Michael Carter (Dayveon), Matt Cronin (the Arctic Monkeys' 'Four Out of Five' video) and Dom Whitworth (Lily Allen and Friends) weave in footage from other concerts, too, including Sydney. The film also flits between interviews with Richter and Yulia Mahr, his partner and an artist and filmmaker, plus other collaborators. And, it speaks to ordinary folks who've signed up for a night of music — some knowing exactly what they were in for, others not quite as aware — and been moved by the experience, As a concert film, Max Richter's Sleep is entrancing; again, viewers won't want those segments of the documentary to end. And if the feature had simply played the Los Angeles concert in its entirety, or as an abridged glimpse, it would've conveyed many of its points without further explanation. So much of the music's power — and the live performance's as well — is evident without words. An eight-plus-hour album that's engineered to be listened to in a sleeping state is a clear anomaly in popular culture, and in our non-stop world. Every artwork demands an investment of time, whether it's a song that plays for just a few minutes, a movie with a two-hour duration or a painting that requires more than a moment to soak in its beauty, but when something takes up a third of one's day, it forces a shift in engagement. Mindfulness, meditation, slowing down, switching off — all of these words and phrases apply to Sleep, both as a record and as a gig, and that always comes through in Max Richter's Sleep's concert footage. When Richter speaks about Sleep, he mirrors these aforementioned ideas, and stresses how much he wants his listeners to disengage from the regular hustle and bustle while they're taking in his music. First released in early September 2015 and initially played live later that month, the album was obviously ahead of its time. The documentary is too, after premiering in November 2019, then playing Sundance in January 2020. Viewed now in the middle of a pandemic, it feels like a calming balm for the soul — as it was clearly always supposed to, even long before the world dissolved into its current status quo. The interviews in Max Richter's Sleep aren't superfluous, of course, and neither are the film's dives into Mahr's Super 8mm-filled personal archive. Hearing not only about the immense amount of work that went into Sleep, but the ways in which Richter had to alter his own thinking to even compose it, ensures that viewers appreciate the magnum opus for its artistry and effort, and not just its effect and prescience. The tales that flesh out these chats, including Richter and Mahr's frank admissions about struggling to make a living as artists, and to afford to raise their family, help put the massive quest to bring Sleep to fruition into context. Also known for scoring films and television shows, Richter has everything from Waltz with Bashir, Perfect Sense, Lore and Wadjda to The Leftovers, an episode of Black Mirror, Mary, Queen of Scots and Ad Astra on his resume, but Sleep is undeniably a labour of love. This tranquil cinematic examination of his lengthy lullaby makes that plain, and plunges its audience into the album's dreamlike state. The ethereal and insightful movie's soundtrack is a highlight as well, naturally. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb9PBr7Qhec Top image: Stefan Hoederath.
For better or worse, we'll probably all end up with a few new things in our skillset post lockdown, whether that's some killer home workout moves, or simply a long list of creative uses for canned tuna. But that pooch of yours? Well, they could end these next few weeks of lockdown with a full-blown modelling career. The hunt is on to find three photogenic fur-kids whose faces will star in a wall mural for Harlow's new rooftop bar. Set to open in spring, the Richmond venue's new space will feature sweeping city views and a giant dog-themed artwork to match. If you're a Melbourne dog-owner, the Puppy Pals of Harlow competition invites you to nominate your furry mate for one of the winning mural mug shots, by Monday, August 10. The top ten entries will then go to a public vote, which will help select the three reigning champs. As well as having their furry face immortalised in the new rooftop artwork, each of the trio will win a custom Harlow dog hoodie and free doggy treats for life. The owners will also each score $100 food and drink credit to spend in the venue once it reopens. To enter, simply share a photo of your pooch to Instagram with #puppypalsofharlow and tag @harlowbar. Entries close at 11.59pm on Monday, August 10, with public voting for the ten finalists running between August 11–24.
The St Kilda Film Festival is back from Thursday, June 1 through to Monday, June 12, with an array of cinematic wonders that will leave film enthusiasts and culture aficionados buzzing. The 12-day festival boasts a diverse program of genres covering everything from thrilling horror flicks to thought-provoking female-led narratives. Grab your popcorn and prepare to be immersed in the magic of the silver screen with these unmissable sessions that will captivate and inspire. Opening Night – St Kilda Film Festival's Night of Nights at the Palais Theatre The opening night of the festival is always a standout, and this year is no exception. Head to the iconic Palais Theatre for an evening of cinematic splendour where you'll dive into the festival with a screening of the best short films from Australia. Filmmakers and special guests will be in attendance, followed by the official after-party held at Encore at the St Kilda Sea Baths complex. With a lineup of sparkling short films and a vibrant energy that only St Kilda can provide, this is an event that sets the tone for your festival voyage. The St Kilda Film Festival Opening Night is from 7:30–9.30pm Thursday, June 1 at the Palais Theatre. Dark Matters – Twisted Themes for Horror Fiends Calling all horror enthusiasts and lovers of the macabre. Dark Matters is a spine-chilling session that delves into twisted themes and thrilling narratives. Prepare to be captivated by a selection of haunting and thought-provoking short films that will send shivers down your spine. Whether you're a fan of psychological thrillers, supernatural tales, or bone-chilling horror, Dark Matters is sure to satiate your appetite for all things scary and unsettling. With two screenings at both the Astor Theatre and the Golden Gate Hotel in South Melbourne, this program is perfect for those who love home-grown horror. There are two screenings of Dark Matters: 8.45–10.30pm, Friday, June 2 at the Astor Theatre and 8–10pm, Monday, June 5, at the Golden Gate Hotel. Shifting the Gaze – The Future of Film is Female In an industry often dominated by male voices, Shifting the Gaze celebrates and highlights the incredible talent of Australian female filmmakers. Presented in collaboration with Women in Film and Television (WIFT VIC), this session showcases a collection of powerful narratives, stirring musicals, gripping documentaries, and compelling stories that explore diverse perspectives and challenge norms. Join this empowering session and witness the incredible creativity and storytelling prowess of female voices in the film industry. Shifting the Gaze is showing on 3.15—5pm, Saturday, June 10, at the Astor Theatre. Australian Animation Showcase – For Lovers of Beautiful, Handcrafted Cinema Step into a world of delightful visuals and breathtaking artistry with the Australian Animation Showcase. Immerse yourself in a curated selection of animated creations that bring imagination to life. From whimsical to thought-provoking, enjoy innovative storytelling and stunning visual craft. Prepare to be awed and inspired by the magical worlds and captivating characters that grace the screen. There are two screenings of the Australian Animation Showcase: 6.30–8.30pm, Wednesday, June 7, South Melbourne Market and 1–2.45pm, Sunday, June 11, The Astor Theatre. Tales of Mystery and Imagination – Take a Walk on the Wild Side For those craving a cinematic adventure filled with intrigue and suspense, Tales of Mystery and Imagination is a must-see session. Delve into the realm of enigmatic narratives, mind-bending plots, and unexpected twists. These films will keep you on the edge of your seat, as you journey through stories that explore the depths of human nature and the unexplored realms of the imagination. With screenings at both the Limerick Arms Hotel in South Melbourne and the Astor Theatre, this collection of short films will have you hanging on to discover what will happen next. There are two screenings of the Tales of Mystery and Imagination Showcase: 8–10pm, Saturday June 3, Limerick Arms Hotel and 7.30–9.15pm, Saturday June 10, The Astor Theatre. The St Kilda Film Festival is a celebration of the art of cinema, and these five sessions are just a taste of what's on offer. Head to the website to check out what other film sessions are showing during the festival.
Heartbreak kid Ryan Adams and ex-Rilo Kiley lead singer Jenny Lewis are in the country for what is sure to be another excellent Splendour In The Grass. Even better, while they're here they've decided to team up and perform a couple of sideshows - and Melbourne has thankfully made the cut. Lewis and Adams are far from strangers; as well as sharing alt-country backgrounds and impeccable lyrical writing skills, Adams also produced Lewis’ 2014 album The Voyager. Lewis’ stand out single 'Just One Of The Guys' cemented itself into our brains last year not only for it’s wry vocals and catchy jingle, but also for having one of the best music videos of 2014. Adams, meanwhile, hasn't been to our shores since 2012. To see these two creative musical artists perform together is sure to be a very special event well worth the price of admission.
This weekend, you've got a great excuse to hop on the train and get outta town, as the first edition of new music series End of the Line fires up Sandringham on Saturday, December 3. Presented by Victorian music program Always Live, the debut music fest will dish up an arvo of all-female Aussie music talent at — you guessed it — the end of the railway line. [caption id="attachment_880218" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Merindas[/caption] The free festival is set to descend on the foreshore lawn beside the Sandringham Band Rotunda from 2pm, to deliver six sweet hours of live tunes. The lineup's diverse, too, featuring rising star of the pop scene Maple Glider, Indigenous duo The Merindas, indie-rock darling Chitra, and legendary artist and producer Jen Cloher. There'll be food and drink pop-ups if you fancy making a picnic day of it. Plus, expect to catch lots more performances and entertainment happening right around Sandy Village from 12pm on the day. [caption id="attachment_880217" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Chitra, by Georgia Wallace[/caption]
If a fresh bread roll, an expertly grilled patty and a slice of melted cheese is your idea of a perfect meal — or some variation of the above — then you probably have May 28 permanently marked in your diary. Each and every year, that's when the world's burger-lovers celebrate their favourite food. We're not saying that burgs will taste better on that date, but if you just can't get enough of the trusty dish, it's definitely time to celebrate. This year, to mark the occasion, 100 restaurants across Australia are offering up to 50 percent off burgers for two days via Deliveroo. On Wednesday, May 27 and Thursday, May 28, you can get burgs delivered straight to your home or office — or home office — for cheap. Lunch, sorted. Melburnians have 35 burger joints to choose from, including Royal Stacks, Hello Sam, Egg Fix's four locations, Chew Burger, LA Burgers and Carl's Jr, while Sydneysiders have 21, with the likes of Johnny Bird, Belly Bao, Moo Gourmet, Bondi Relish and Outback Steakhouse all getting on board. Brisbanites have eight options for their half-price burger fix: Hashtag, Moo Free, Big Roddy's in Fish Lane and The Valley, Brunchbox, The Burger Joint, Seoul Bistro and The Columbian Coffee Dealer. You can check out the full list here. To get your fix, all you need to do is jump on to Deliveroo and find your closest burg favourite and order. [caption id="attachment_556040" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Royal Stacks[/caption] Top image: Johnny Bird by Parker Blain
By now you've probably mastered the art of pickling and tried your hand at bread baking. And sure, becoming a whiz in the kitchen is great and all, but sometimes it's important to treat yourself a little — even in iso. Whether you've finally organised your bookshelf, reached that work deadline or just made it through the day, it's worth celebrating the small wins. So, next time you're in need of a little at-home indulgence crack open a bottle of bubbly and order yourself a tray of some of the finest oysters around thanks to East 33's new next-day delivery service. A collective of Australia's major Sydney rock oyster farmers located along the NSW coast, East 33 usually supplies some of the country's — and the world's — top restaurants. But in light of current COVID-19 restrictions impacting pubs, restaurants and bars, East 33 has changed tact with its new service 33 Delivery, meaning you can have a fine dining experience from your couch. If you're an oyster fan, you already know that Sydney rocks are considered some of the best of the bivalves. And, for a limited time, East 33's dropping them to your door at reasonable prices. Do yourself, your partner or your housemates a favour and order some stat. You can either get them shucked or unshucked, with prices starting at $59 for a tray of two dozen. If you want to sample Sydney rocks from up and down the coastline, opt for the East 33 Tasting Kit ($69) which features eight from northern NSW, including Nambucca, Hastings River and Camden Haven; eight from the central coast regions of Port Stephens, Manning River and Wallis Lake; and eight from the south coast areas of Merimbula, Pambula and Lake Wapengo. To take things up a notch, you can order a bottle of Veuve Clicquot with two dozen oysters for $139. Next-day delivery (except Sunday) is available across more than 40 Melbourne suburbs for a flat rate of $10. To see all delivery locations, head here. East 33's new next-day delivery service is available across a heap of Melbourne suburbs for a limited time only. For more information and to place your order here.
Open House Melbourne has become renowned for its annual program that offers design buffs the rare opportunity to explore some of the city's historic, architecturally significant buildings. And this year, we've scored a spinoff, as the all-new Open Nature hosts a ten-day celebration of ecologically responsive design practices as part of Melbourne Design Week. From Thursday, March 17–Sunday, March 27, the program will deliver a slew of walks, tours, talks and other events, looking at responses to climate change through the lens of design. To kick things off, industrial designer Alex Goad and food creatives Long Prawn are hosting a boat trip from Docklands to Williamstown, featuring artist chats about the ways in which considered eating can support our marine ecosystems. Guests will slurp fresh molluscs, learn about their sustainable value, and craft their own oyster knife from recycled ocean plastic. Elsewhere, you can tour some of the city's most thriving community gardens, explore the Yarra by boat as Traditional Owners share their stories and knowledge around the Greater Birrarung Parkland, check out a kayak made from recycled river plastic, and embark on various design-focused bike and kayak tours. And on Friday, March 25, head to Traralgon's new Gippsland Performing Arts Centre (GPAC) for a thought-provoking day of design chats, unveiling a host of creative ideas from innovative locals. [caption id="attachment_846672" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Yarra Riverkeeper Association's Yarra Plastic Paddle, created from recycled river plastic.[/caption]
If you've committed yourself to extending the holiday indulgence and enjoying a January stuffed with good food, the legends at Nomad are here to help you reach your goals. This weekend, Executive Chef Jacqui Challinor is bringing back a much-loved lockdown project — her next-level bomboloni, aka Italian doughnuts. After achieving cult status as a lockdown special served up by Nomad's OG Surry Hills restaurant last year, the bomboloni are back for a one-weekend-only appearance. On offer from 10am this Saturday, January 15, and Sunday, January 16 from the newly opened Flinders Lane outpost, you'll find two dreamy varieties of the treat: a savoury version comes loaded with sujuk, haloumi and a fried egg, and a fairy bread-inspired creation, starring burnt butter cream, strawberry glaze and a coating of 100's & 1000's, that sweet-toothed bombolone fans will be all about. Both are available for takeaway only, with the sweet bombolone going for $10 a pop and the savoury one priced at $16. If last year's are anything to go by, however, they won't be hanging around for long — you'd better get in as early as you can.
In the 1970s, recently de-closeted lawyer Paul (Garret Dillahunt) meets drag club singer Rudy (Alan Cumming), and the two hit it off immediately. Their relationship is both complicated and strengthened when Rudy discovers his drug-addict neighbour has a neglected son with Down's syndrome, and takes it upon himself to care for the kid. Before any of them know what's happened, a family unit has instantly formed, and the three must fight prejudices to stay together. Any Day Now has the vague whiff of being based on a true story, and does purport to have been inspired by true events, but press notes refuse to go into any detail about what this true story might have been. It's a important to note this, because tales that claim to be "inspired by true events" receive a cache of good will, as outrageous plot contrivances are forgiven under the assumption that it must have really happened. Without a grasp of what the original true life tale might have been, the series of coincidences in this film are a little harder to swallow. We can accept that life is stranger than fiction, but only when the fiction draws us in with the sort of verisimilitude that shocks us with its authenticity. Some films feel like real life; others simply feel like films. Any Day Now, for all its excellent intentions, feels like a film. Cumming chews up the scenery as the improbably accented Rudy, whose Joan Rivers-esque comebacks to every single utterance thrust in his direction makes him feel like a nightclub routine, as opposed to someone who occasionally performs a nightclub routine. It's a shame, because these unlikely quips undo the solid emotional work Cumming puts in as the prospective adopted father. Rudy's instant connection to Marco would feel too rushed if it wasn't for the frankly superb work by Isaac Leyva, the teenager with Down's syndrome. Marco is quiet and nonresponsive for a long period of the film, suggesting that the drama will come from the more experienced actors having emotions at him. But Leyva is called upon to do some pretty heavy work, selling us on tears of joy in one scene and tears of sadness in another. It's hard to watch him and not feel the overwhelming compulsion to adopt him yourself. Ultimately, Any Day Now suffers from its artifice. Too many things happen too easily, and for us to be convinced by the situation, the film would have been served by reducing the manipulation. As a weepy and capitalised Important Tale, the film is very good and some moments stir up emotion, but it isn't the film it should be, failing to hit the heights it is so earnestly aiming for. https://youtube.com/watch?v=7ghwGOuuNy0
Barbecue and smoked meat experts Fancy Hanks are at it again — after their highly successful pop-up, Majestic Hawker, where food was cooked over an open flame, they've decided to bring their stoveless concept back to Bourke Street. The Fancy Hanks team (Kent Bell, Mike Patrick, Daragh Kan and Myles Munro) have named this huge new Chinatown establishment Heroes. Opening in late May, it's inspired by their travels around the Malay Peninsula, as well as their experiences dining in Singaporean and Malaysian eating houses and beer gardens. The hawker-style food includes wings, skewers and barbecued meats, complete with a special Szechuan brisket that'll be smoked up the road at Fancy Hanks. Given that it's a barbecue bar, everything edible will come off the charcoal grill, accompanied by sides of steamed rice and pickles. Alicia Cheong, who grew up in the region's Singaporean and Malaysian food culture, will take on the role of chef and food advisor at the new venue — a throwback to her previous stints with Fancy Hanks and Majestic Hawker. Between devouring Cheong's dishes, you'll be able to sit back with a drink in the brightly coloured, rooftop beer garden, which will boast views over Chinatown. Beverages will span six rotating taps of craft and international beer, including Asahi; a wine list paired with the Asian barbecue flavours; and cocktails such as Heroes' version of a Singapore Sling and Chai Masala, as curated by Oscar Eastman of Loretta's and Eau de Vie. Plus, the venue will also fill its first two floors with private dining rooms and karaoke rooms, perfect for group hangouts. Yep, it looks like you'll be able to enjoy your entire night out here without leaving the building. Meanwhile, the decor mirrors the high-energy design the crew fell in love with on their travels — very '80s, a little Blade Runner-esque, and old world-meets-new world, too. In fact, Munro, Bell and Cheong picked up many of the bar's interior elements in Kuala Lumpur, rummaging "through dodgy junkyards, thieves' markets, pawn brokers, basement vintage flea markets — all the way to an old lady's backyard toilet," says Bell. Find Heroes at 188 Bourke Street, Melbourne from late May. Keep an eye on the venue's website and Facebook page for further details.
The pretty-in-pink Peaches is the latest to jump aboard Melbourne's bottomless brunch bandwagon, though this one takes things beyond your standard smashed avo and mimosa fest. Running every Sunday until August 18, the new Hotel Peaches brunch series sees a different guest chef coming to play each week, delivering a signature three-course feast of their favourite AM fare. The food lineup features the likes of a Turkish feast by pop-up queen Ella Mittas (July 14), a seafood-heavy brunch by Stokehouse's Ollie Hansford (July 21) and a modern take on Aussie breakfasts with Oakridge star George Wintle (August 11). You can sit down for brunch at 12.30pm or 2.30pm each Sunday. For $45 a head, you'll sit enjoy a three-course creatively charged brunch, including a bloody mary on arrival, bottomless filter coffee and a pickle back shot to finish. There'll be DJs spinning brunch-appropriate tunes, plus plenty more boozy concoctions available from the bar, while Sunday's regular happy hour (12–2pm) promises ample opportunity for kick-ons on the rooftop. Bookings are essential and spots are sure to fill up fast, so pick a date and get in quick. Images: Kate Shanasy
