Want to experience a slice of Jamaica in Melbourne? There's a rum-inspired adventure happening in the city this April that you should lock into your diary. Fine purveyors and makers of rum for over 265 years, Appleton Estate are launching The Appleton Trail in Melbourne — three delicious pop-up stops brimming with rum-tasting, storytelling and celebration of Jamaica's long-loved spirit. The Appleton Trail is taking over three Melbourne bars over three weekends from April 7, kicking off at Loop Roof in Melbourne's CBD from April 7-10, moving to Rochester Hotel on April 14 and 15, and concluding at Nieuw Amsterdam in the CBD on April 22 and 23. Expect a Jamaican-themed pop-up hideaway with specially-created rum cocktails, paired with bespoke Jamaican food menus, and hosted by a Jamaican dancer — all to make you feel like you're finally on that well-deserved island holiday. There'll even be a Jamaican music DJ accompanied by a steel drum player. You'll be able to try the Appleton Estate Signature Blend – the original Appleton Estate rum — alongside the Reserve Blend and Rare Blend 12 Year Old. Plus, Appleton have taken it upon themselves to create four signature cocktails for the event.
Subscription-based meal delivery services are hot stuff in Australia right now, with time-stretched folk jumping at the chance to minimise their nightly kitchen slog. And while the pickings have been woefully slim for plant-based eaters wanting in on the convenience, that's all set to change with the arrival of the country's first all-vegan food delivery service, Freshara. Already on offer in over 300 suburbs across Melbourne and Sydney, the newcomer works in a similar way to its carnivorous counterparts, delivering subscribers a weekly package of portioned meals — except these ones are entirely vegan. As an added bonus, all that packaging your food arrives in is fully recyclable. In addition to steering clear of all animal products, the sustainability-focused brand has skipped out on the preservatives and kept meals low GI, with many of the dishes also gluten-free. Freshara's already got a 40-strong menu of globally-inspired dishes, which is being added to each week, thanks to a kitchen team helmed by executive chef Troy Tam, who's worked at Rockpool and Fratelli Fresh. Expect the likes of jungle curry, fregola sarda with orecchiette, and a Moroccan chickpea and cous cous tagine. Subscriptions start at $119.40 per week for 12 meals, and meals work out to be around $9-10 each.
Looking to step up your boozy brunch game beyond the usual mimosas and smashed avo? Venture down the coast and you'll find yourself a winner at Hotel Sorrento, which has just kicked off a new series of bottomless brunches infused with the flavours of Hong Kong. Running every second Saturday from 1–3pm, the feasts take place in the seaside venue's Hong Kong-inspired diner ShiHuiShi, helmed by Head Chef Junlin Yi. Book a spot and you'll sit down to a flavour-packed spread of Cantonese cuisine spanning the modern and the traditional. Expect plates like prawn toasts paired with whipped cod roe, mushroom and tofu san choi bao, and crispy chicken ribs elevated with a Sichuan mayo. Oh, and dumplings galore, of course. While you dine, you'll enjoy two hours of free-flowing sips, including the punchy Pink Lotus cocktail starring lychee and Thai basil, and a lemon myrtle and kakadu plum vodka-based creation they call the Ginga Ninja. Tickets are $75, which also includes a post-brunch drink at Hotel Sorrento's Salt Bar, to enjoy overlooking the bay. Images: Jordan Price
Reward yourself for getting through the week with a set of free doughnuts this Saturday. DoorDash is celebrating its second anniversary by giving away 26,000 free doughnuts, delivered to your door. The food delivery service has teamed up with Krispy Kreme to ensure you're giving into your sweet tooth this weekend. In order to claim your free doughnuts, you just need to spend $10 or more at Krispy Kreme through DoorDash and you'll be rewarded with four free doughy treats. Delivery on all orders has been cut to $2 on Saturday, meaning you can nab a pair of coffees and four doughnuts for $12 or eight doughnuts for around $16. Of course, you could also just throw caution to the wind and order yourself a whole heap of Krispy Kreme knowing you'll be treated to a few extra doughnuts in your delivery bag. The deal is available until all 26,000 doughnuts are sold out so make sure you jump on the DoorDash app early on Saturday and get your order in.
It has been 130 years since the site on the corner of Langridge Road and Raphael Street first started pouring beers; however the Abbotsford watering hole has just undergone a significant makeover. Visitors to The Carringbush Hotel will find a new team at the helm and a new menu tempting tastebuds. Plenty of brews remain, obviously, but the food lineup is now completely vegan and vegetarian. Now owned and run by Joel Morrison, Liam Matthews and Singa Unlayiti — aka the folks behind Fitzroy's Old Bar — The Carringbush has ditched meat in favour haloumi and mushroom burgers, beer battered cauliflower pieces, sweet potato steaks and vegetable charcuterie plates, plus maple teriyaki tofu, forest cake and mango coconut tart. They're all on the menu cooked up by head chef Roxanne Olsen, a veteran of The Grand Hyatt, The Corner Hotel and Stomping Ground. To keep with the sustainable focus, meals are served up on ethical plates and drinks come with eco-friendly reusable metal straws. The eco-friendly bent extends to the beverages themselves, with all wine on tap and no packaged beer on offer. Brew-wise, more than 21 beers pump through the taps, including tipples from the aforementioned Stomping Ground, plus Fixation, Mountain Goat and Moon Dog. "We are working hard to be a pub that enjoys the benefit of delicious food and drink, without costing the earth," explains Matthews. "Our food and drink range has been carefully selected to meet a high-quality standard, that also works to support small and independent local business whilst minimising our global footprint." An $8 pint happy hour from 4–6pm daily, plus a free pot with lunch special between 11am–2pm on weekdays, will each help entice patrons through the door — and once they're there, brick walls, natural lighting, clear windows looking onto Abbotsford's plant-filled streets and indoor greenery from Red Letter Landscapes all await. And for those keen on a bit of history, The Carringbush's original name — The Friendly Societies Hotel — is still emblazoned on its facade. The spot has been known by its current moniker since 1984, with the title stemming from Frank Hardy novel Power Without Glory. Find The Carringbush Hotel at 228 Langridge Street, Abbotsford — open Sunday–Thursday from 11am–11pm and Friday–Saturday from 11am–midnight. Images: Emma-Jane Johnston / VFM Photos.
It isn't hard to find street art in Melbourne. In fact, it's one of the things that the city is known for. But only a specific part of the city is now the Victorian capital's first official street art precinct, and also the host of the Wall to Wall festival for 2024. That spot: Mordialloc, with the suburb's industrial laneways embracing turning public spaces into a canvas in a big way, including from Friday, April 26–Sunday, April 28. Wall to Wall's return is huge news not just because it will bring together Australian and international street artists to get painting, but because it marks the fest's comeback year since the pandemic. Last held in 2019, and initially starting out in the town of Benalla, the Melbourne event will welcome Smug, Adnate, Celeste Mountjoy, George Rose and Zoer among the folks adding a splash of colour to the Mordialloc precinct. This is actually Wall to Wall's second comeback stop, with Murray Bridge in South Australia the first — also in April 2024, running from Friday, April 12–Sunday, April 14. One of the aims of Shaun Hossack, who hails from Melbourne street art collective Juddy Roller and is curating the fest, is to grow the event. But paying tribute to the history of street art in Melbourne clearly ranks just as highly. "Melbourne is known as a mecca for street art, but still lacks well-curated areas where major artworks can be viewed one after another, like an outdoor gallery," said Hossack. "The scale of Wall to Wall is unprecedented in Melbourne's beachside suburbs, and will help cement Mordi Village Arts and Cultural Precinct as a beacon of creativity and community engagement." "Street art was born in the heart of cities, but with the evolution of Juddy Roller's Silo Art Trail and Wall to Wall, we can expand the artform across Australia." [caption id="attachment_949524" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nicole Reed[/caption] Wall to Wall's Mordialloc home at the Mordi Village Arts and Cultural Precinct on Lamana Road will be filled with large-scale murals, and also host a block party on the Saturday featuring Adnate doing double duty as a DJ, plus April Kerry, Charles Eddy and Blo also on the decks. Attendees can look forward to hitting up food trucks, sipping spirits from local distillery Saint Felix, taking tours and shopping at markets, too, alongside learning new skills at workshops. [caption id="attachment_949520" align="alignnone" width="1920"] George Rose[/caption] [caption id="attachment_949526" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lucy Lucy[/caption] [caption id="attachment_949523" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nicole Reed[/caption] [caption id="attachment_949522" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kaffeine[/caption] [caption id="attachment_949525" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nicole Reed[/caption] Wall to Wall 2024 takes place in Melbourne from Friday, April 26–Sunday, April 28, in and around the Mordi Village Arts and Cultural Precinct, Lamana Road, Mordialloc. Head to the Juddy Roller website for more details. Top image: Adnate, Martin Ron.
Care for a glass of good news? The much-loved Barossa winemakers at St Hugo are teaming up with Melbourne's Windsor Wine Room for a unique, delicious and time-limited collaborative tasting experience. Whether you're a foodie or a wine-lover, something on offer with this collaboration ought to catch your eye, with the charming venue hosting a night of wine pairings and a curated banquet of Windsor Wine Room's menu offerings. From Monday, March 10, to Sunday, March 23, the cosy, European-inspired venue will be transformed into a striking yet romantic red room, creating a dining experience that even the most seasoned wine aficionados of Melbourne will adore. Besides the delectable food – think rich pasta, doughy focaccia and fresh burrata paired with aromatic reds and elegant whites – guests can also immerse themselves in fun photo opportunities and plenty of interactive experiences, so you'll have the evidence to help you remember the night. Head to the Windsor Wine Room website to book tickets or to find out more about the collaboration. Images: Supplied.
With Sydney in lockdown, Gelato Messina has been pumping out new specials with quite the enthusiasm. That's been great news for dessert fiends not only in the city, but wherever the gelato chain has a store. And, while Messina's latest one-off creation has a strong Sydney skew, you definitely don't need to be familiar with a beloved dish made by pastry chef Andy Bowdy of Enmore's Saga to enjoy a mouthful — or several. Bowdy's peanut butter and banana sundaes have long been considered the stuff of legend in Sydney. Now, Messina is reinventing them as a cookie pie. The gelato brand does like giving other much-loved desserts a twist, as seen with its takes on Iced VoVos, lamingtons, Viennetta, Golden Gaytimes, fairy bread and Cinnabon-style scrolls, so it has plenty of form in this area. Also, Bowdy used to make his cakes in Messina's Rosebery headquarters. This limited release has been dubbed a 'banana split kit', because there's multiple parts to it. You'll get a peanut butter and banana custard cookie pie, which comes topped with peanut crumble — and you'll also nab a one-litre tub of peanut butter and pretzel cluster gelato, a 350-gram serve of dark chocolate fudge sauce and six maraschino cherries. From there, once you've baked your pie, you can scoop gelato on top, pour the sauce and then add a cherry for maximum pie-meets-sundae fun. Like all Messina specials, this one can only be ordered online on Monday, August 30. It will set you back $55 for the kit— and, because Messina's specials always prove popular, the brand is staggering the on-sale times. Accordingly, folks in Queensland and the ACT are able to purchase at 9am, Victorians at 9.30am, and New South Wales customers split across three times depending on the store (with pies from Circular Quay, Surry Hills, Bondi, Randwick and Miranda on sale at 10am; Brighton Le Sands, Tramsheds, Parramatta and Darlinghurst at 10.30am; and Darling Square, Newtown, Rosebery and Penrith at 11am). The catch? You'll have to peel yourself off the couch and head to your local Messina store to pick up your order. They'll be available for collection between Friday, September 3–Sunday, September 5. Sydneysiders, remember to abide by lockdown restrictions when it comes to picking up your pie — with folks in most suburbs required to stick to their Local Government Area, or within five-kilometres from home, and a strict five-kilometre limit in place in LGAs of concern. Melburnians, if lockdown is extended again until then, you'll also only be permitted to travel within a five-kilometre radius to pick up food. Then, after you've got the peanut butter and banana custard cookie pie safely home, you just need to whack it in the oven for 25 minutes at 165 degrees and voila! You can preorder a Messina banana split kit from Monday, August 30, to pick up from Friday, September 3–Sunday, September 5.
They say you should never ask how the sausage is made, but the folks at Meatsmith and Clare Valley Brewing are doing exactly that for Good Beer Week. Over complimentary beers and canapés aplenty, Meatsmith co-owner Troy Wheeler will provide ticketholders with an in-depth ale sausage making demonstration, along with instructions on how to replicate the process at home. And you won't leave empty-handed either — each participant will receive a sausage kit containing pork, sausage skins, butcher ties and a mincer, along with a six-pack of craft beer. Just remember, the booze is part of the recipe, so don't go drinking it all before you get started.
The annually anticipated design series that is MPavilion has returned to Queen Victoria Gardens just in time for summer. Each year, a new temporary structure is erected and, in 2020, it's a minimalist design by celebrated architect Glenn Murcutt AO. Open through March 22, the space acts as the premier location for free arts and culture events in Melbourne. As part of this year's massive program, members of creative arts program Signal will take the stage for a dance battle on Friday, January 17 from 6–9pm. It will span dance forms including hip hop, break, vogue, waacking and popping — showcasing the diversity of Melbourne's subcultural dance-forms. The kiosk will be open for nibbles and drinks to enjoy alongside this energetic night, too. And, as always, the event is completely free.
A new weekly event from Indonesian fusion restaurant Kata Kita is perfect for those never satisfied with just one plate of food (or just one cocktail). Every weekend in May the eatery is holding a bottomless Nasi Goreng feast, which includes two hours of the famous rice-based dish, washed down with bottomless cocktails, mocktails and Asian beers — all for just $60 a head. The Kata Kita team promises it's their signature family fried rice recipe you'll be enjoying: rice served with chicken, onions, Chinese broccoli and fried egg. Vegetarians are also catered for with a tofu-based option. On the cocktail menu are some of the eatery's classic mixes, including a less-than-innocent sounding Bubble Gum Squash: a heady mix of vodka, lemonade and bubble gum syrup. You can also opt for an orange and Aperol-soaked Aperol Jungle or a slightly more traditional Sunset Screwdriver for those who like their bevvies brunch-appropriate. With limited sittings from 11.30am-1.30pm, bookings are a must, so get the crew sending in their RSVPs now in time for next weekend.
CHiPS is an extraordinarily annoying film. Annoying, because it's 85 per cent predictable, homophobic rubbish, but also 15 per cent genuinely funny. The quality of those few jokes that do land hence raises the question: was the writer, director and star Dax Shepard just lucky on those rare occasions? Or was he simply lazy on all others? Given the movie is merely the latest in a long line of old TV show reboots, laziness seems the more likely contender. This hypothesis gains further credibility when you consider the comedic chops of Shepard's cast, which includes Michael Peña, Kristen Bell and Maya Rudolph, among others. Hell, Shepard himself is no mug when it comes to making us laugh; how he, or anyone else, could possibly think this script was strong enough to move into production may forever remain a mystery. The plot of CHiPS is at once hideously convoluted and entirely predictable. Peña plays Frank "Ponch" Poncherello, an FBI agent going undercover into the California Highway Patrol in order to expose a gang of corrupt officers suspected of carrying out a series of armoured car robberies. He's partnered up with probationary officer Jon Baker (Shepard), a former X-Games motorcyclist whose body is now in a state of such ruin it's comparable to that of Lloyd Bridges' Admiral Benson in Hot Shots. Addicted to pain killers and determined to win back his adulterous trophy-wife Karen (played by Shepard's actual wife Kristen Bell), Baker is an Owen Wilson-esque modern age man forever discussing the closure of issues and expressing concern for Peña's presumed homophobia. Together, Ponch and Baker cycle around California, occasionally doing police work, but mostly just swearing, masturbating and blowing things up until the movie just sort of ends. The funny bits are funny – a moment involving a hit and run with paparazzi, for example, elicited actual applause from our audience. But successful gags are so few and far between that it makes the exercise of discovering them feel like too much for too little. Vincent D'Onofrio does a solid job imbuing his gang leader character with at least some degree of complexity when all other characters around him are merely caricatures. But it's not nearly enough to save this otherwise decidedly dull and frequently downright cringeworthy affair. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IfqqUTW-i4
Whether you studied it in high school or just obsessed over Baz Luhrmann's glorious 90s movie, everyone knows how Romeo and Juliet ends — and it doesn't conclude happily for either of its eponymous star-crossed lovers. But what if it didn't wrap up that way? What if Juliet lived to love again? And what if her experiences from there, after thwarting theatre's greatest tragedy, involved a whole heap of pop tunes from the last couple of decades? There's no need to ponder how all of that might turn out because the answer already exists, all thanks to Olivier Award-winning jukebox musical & Juliet. A hit in London's West End since 2019, it remixes the iconic love story in multiple ways — tinkering with its narrative and throwing in all that toe-tapping music. Even better: in only its second stop outside of the UK, following Toronto, & Juliet has locked in a trip to Australia. Come Sunday, February 26, it'll hit Melbourne's Regent Theatre — and is planning to stay until at least Saturday, July 29. Whether it'll then head to other Aussie cities — as most big productions tend to do after their premiere seasons — is yet to be announced. If you're now thinking "wherefore art thou?" about & Juliet's setup, it picks up after the ending we all know doesn't eventuate. And, it muses on what might happen if Juliet could choose her own fate instead. That scenario involves Anne Hathaway — no, not that one — and her husband William Shakespeare, and features songs by Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, Robyn, Katy Perry, The Weeknd, Kelly Clarkson and more. Tunes that get a spin: 'Larger Than Life', 'I Want It That Way', '... Baby One More Time', 'Show Me Love', 'Oops!... I Did It Again', 'As Long As You Love Me', 'Stronger', 'I Kissed a Girl', 'Since You Been Gone', 'It's My Life', 'It's Gonna Be Me' and a whole heap more. The common factor between them all is Swedish songwriter Max Martin, who penned or co-penned every track on the musical's soundtrack. As well as Martin's involvement — including as one of & Juliet's co-creators — the musical features a book by the Emmy-winning Schitt's Creek writer David West Read. And if you're wondering about the show's shiny Olivier Awards, it was nominated for nine for its West End debut season, and nabbed three: for Best Actress in a Musical, Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical and Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical. Images: Johan Persson. Updated May 8.
Do you feel frustrated with your local political representatives? Are your opinions and issues being marginalised in favour of big business and the concerns of an amorphous blob of old, white dudes who look like giant babies? Well, Gotye and his bandmates from The Basics are here to soothe your political woes. If Wally De Backer is half as good at politics as he is at getting you through a breakup, this is sure to be the start of a revolution. Announcing their intention to start the Basics Rock 'n' Roll Party (BRRP) last week, Kris Schroeder, Tim Heath and De Backer are planning to run for office at the November 29 Victorian state election. Making a stand on "innovation, education, and rock 'n' roll", the BRRP states they are taking control back from career politicians with "no life experience outside of either being in the young Liberals or young Labor." "Decisions don't have to be made by [the] elite, you can just be musicians," Schroeder recently told AAP. Releasing campaign material over their Facebook page, the new party have a specific and perhaps surprising list of constitutional objectives — it's not all about venue operations, noise restrictions and liquor licensing. First up, they want increased Indigenous curriculum at Victorian schools. "BRRP recognises Australia’s First People, their rights to self-determination and the significance of their contribution to Australia’s unique culture," their manifesto states. "We believe the introduction of a concurrent sensitivity and awareness education in Victorian (and ideally, Australian) Schools will promote understanding, harmony and greater synthesis between the often-conflicting ideologies of traditional and modern-day Australia." The goals then range from specific and achievable measures like making first-aid compulsory in all high schools to the monumental and ideological, like reforming the Australian class system. "Recent developments on a federal level suggest a growing shift toward a 'user-pays' system that benefits the wealthy," BRRP state. The party demands recognition that egalitarianism is being threatened in our society, and that corporations should employ a policy of "humanity before commerce". They're big claims, and the budding parliamentarians obviously mean business. They're currently seeking at least 500 party members to register for the BRRP to become eligible for the November election, and have also expressed interest in eventually running at the federal level. We don't know exactly how this is going to pan out, but anything that gets young Australians a little more interested in politics can't be a bad thing. Plus, they have a tailor-made campaign slogan just waiting for them. 'BRRP: Getting back to Basics'. ZING. If you'd like to be one of the BRRP's party members, get in touch with your name and address via their Facebook page. You must be a Victorian resident eligible to vote in the state election. Via The Age. Photo: Cybele Malinowski.
Melbourne may be Australia's self-styled cultural capital, but within our city's cultural scene, live art still maintains a kind of awkward adolescence — a form that marries the outsider status of Melbourne's independent theatre with the aloof coolness of its galleries. Now, Arts House are ramping it up a notch. Joining forces with artists in Cambridge, they're presenting a biennial mini-festival of live art that leapfrogs international borders and kickstarts a deeper discussion of the fledgling form. Operating out of the North Melbourne Town Hall and Meat Market, Arts House consistently flies the flag for compelling experimental artwork with a curated year-long program of Australian and international pieces. They then took this to the extreme with the inaugural Festival of Live Art in March this year. Going Nowhere is the next logical step. A (mostly free) weekend of events characterised by environmentally-sustainable practice and inter-continental collaboration, this collection of works features local favourites like Tristan Meecham, pieces that ask you to get out and explore the city, and art that begins in your own home. For those that missed out at FOLA earlier in the year, you can once again throw digital paint at the North Melbourne Town Hall thanks to Olaf Meyer. What a time to be alive.
This tour will get you smiling like you mean it: The Killers are returning Down Under in 2024, playing Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne on Thursday, December 12–Friday, December 13. The Las Vegas-born rockers were last here in Australia in November and December 2022, and are coming back two years later to get crowds singing 'Mr Brightside' and 'Somebody Told Me' again. Hot Fuss, the album that gave the world those two beloved tracks — and 'Smile Like You Mean It', 'Jenny Was a Friend of Mine', 'All These Things That I've Done' and more — is the reason for the visit. 2024 marks 20 years since it first released, so Brandon Flowers and company are celebrating in the best possible way. [caption id="attachment_972409" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Raph_PH via Flickr.[/caption] Open up your eager eyes, Melbourne: destiny is calling you two different types of gigs. One is a Rebel Diamonds show, pumping through the group's hits across their entire career, while the other will see the band work through Hot Fuss in its entirety. That said, given the group's lengthy back catalogue, The Killers won't just be focusing on Hot Fuss tunes at the latter concert, but have plenty more songs to bust out. Also likely to get a whirl as well: 'When You Were Young', 'Bones', 'Human', 'The Man' and latest single 'Bright Lights', just to name a few. Sadly, this Aussie tour's November/December timing means that The Killers won't be repeating their AFL Grand Final berth after stealing the show back in 2017. They will be in the country for the AFLW Grand Final, however, if you want to start crossing your fingers. [caption id="attachment_972411" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo © 2022 Chris Phelps.[/caption] Top image: Raph_PH via Wikimedia Commons.
Now that peak entertaining season is over, what better time to give your old ceramics collection a spruce up? Especially since you can score some fab pieces on the cheap, at Mud Australia's one-weekend-only Melbourne seconds sale. The legendary Aussie label is hosting a huge warehouse sale opposite its Fitzroy store this weekend, July 19–21, and is slinging a whole assortment of its handmade porcelain and homewares for up to 50 percent off the regular price. Head along each day to find some very pocket-friendly deals on designs that are slightly chipped, samples colours, left over from discontinued lines, imperfectly glazed, or as the team describes, 'outrageously organic'. There'll be everything from tableware to bakeware, vases and lights. Mud Australia seconds sale is open on Friday midday–7pm, Saturday 10am–4pm and Sunday 11am–3pm.
Life's been a little short on art, performance and general sparkle of late, but that's all set to change next month when Melbourne Fringe Festival returns for a bumper 2021 edition. Yep, not even the relentless threat of lockdown can stop this bad boy from doing its thing. The iconic arts festival is set to host a record 470 events from Thursday, September 30–Sunday, October 17, carefully designed so that a decent chunk of the program can be enjoyed safely regardless of any lockdowns or restrictions. As Victoria's longest-running multi-arts event, Fringe will this year see over 2500 Aussie artists, designers and performers come together to deliver a jam-packed serve of music, art, theatre, comedy, dance and more. They'll take over venues, stages, galleries and screens all across the state, pushing boundaries and treating locals to a much-needed dose of creative flair. This year's festival is also as committed to accessibility and inclusivity as ever before. As usual, festival hub Trades Hall will be abuzz with a dazzling offering of performances, dance parties, artist hangouts and pop-up bars, kicking on till late each night. Expect everything from talks and tours, to rollicking K-pop parties. Taking over Queensbridge Square, you'll catch Matthias Schack-Arnott's immersive public artwork Groundswell — a giant playable instrument that responds to audience interaction with shifting sound and movement, inspired by the global climate crisis. In the CBD, Loop Project Space & Bar will have you tripping between worlds as it plays host to a crew of Taiwan's most groundbreaking virtual reality artists. Pop on a headset and dive into an evening of cocktails, digital art and some wildly immersive VR experiences. [caption id="attachment_823803" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'Multiply', Melbourne Fringe Festival 2020, by William Hamilton Coates[/caption] Large-scale musical work Town Choir is set to give the minutiae of everday life a dramatic makeover, as a huge 200-strong outdoor choir shares peoples' intimate experiences and minor observations out loud, in booming four-part harmony. Coburg RSL will be the unlikely setting for an eight-hour dance and karaoke marathon dubbed Crystal Touch, while Beyond Paradise sees an inner-city carpark reborn as a vibrant art playground and skate arena. Dedicated First Nations-led program Deadly Fringe will serve up a showcase of powerful performances and gallery commissions; including a contemporary jewellery exhibition and a commentary on Australian power dynamics in the form of a self-defence experience. And the festival's cutting-edge furniture exhibition will celebrate its 35th birthday with the new name of Design Fringe, hosting a curation of avant-garde works at the Victorian Pride Centre. Elsewhere, audiences will be invited to build their own giant cardboard box town for the Polyglot Theatre's We Built This City project; new program Springboard will dish up a slew of world-class circus shows; and a documentary about Fringe 2020's participatory dance event Multiply will screen at ACMI. Plus, the fun continues out of town, as Geelong Arts Centre hosts a pop-up taster of some of the happenings going down at Trades Hall. Melbourne Fringe Festival 2021 will run from Thursday, September 30–Sunday, October 17. Check out the full program and grab tickets over at the website. Top Images: 'Real Hot Bitches' Melbourne Fringe Festival 2020, captured by Duncan Jacob. 'YUMMY Deluxe' Melbourne Fringe Festival 2019, captured by Theresa Harrison. 'Cultural Renegades' Melbourne Fringe Festival 2019, captured by Tanya Voltchanskaya. 'We Built This City' 2011, captured by Ponche Hawkes.
Australia's most prestigious portrait award is just around the corner, and its finalists have been announced today. Every year crowds speculate who will be awarded the coveted prize and, more often than not, the Archibald winner causes much-heated debate. From last year's five-time Archibald finalist Yvette Coppersmith's first win — for her vibrant, almost Cézanne-inspired Self portrait, after George Lambert — to Craig Ruddy's 2004 win with his sketch of Indigenous actor David Gulpilil, it's hard win to pick. All that's really assured is that it'll be a portrait of person by an Australian. Held at the Art Gallery of NSW every year, the Archibald runs in conjunction with the Wynne and Sulman Prizes — recognising the best landscape painting of Australian scenery, or figure sculpture and the best subject painting, genre painting or mural project, respectively. This year, running from May to September, the Archibald is sure to attract a massive crowd, with some exceptional artworks to feast your eyes upon. Vietnamese-Australian artist, actor and writer Anh Do has made the cut, as have Melbourne-based stencil artist Kirpy with his portrait of Paralympic champion Dylan Alcott, Carla Fletcher's cosmic work of Del Kathryn Baron and a hyperreal self-portrait of a pregnant Katherine Edney. Tessa MacKay has also taken out the coveted 2019 Archibald Packing Room Prize, chosen by the packing room tea, for her hyperreal portrait of actor David Wenham, called Through the Looking Glass (above). As there are so many outstanding portraits this year (as there are every year), it's impossible to know which of the 51 is going to take home the $100,000 prize. Regardless, here are some of our favourites — and some we think may have a good chance of winning. [caption id="attachment_719640" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Luke Cornish, Cato, Callie and Comet. Photo: AGNSW, Felicity Jenkins.[/caption] LUKE CORNISH — CATO, CALLIE AND COMET Prolific Australian street artist Luke Cornish has subdued his edge a bit for his portrait of Sue Cato — a media commentator and businesswoman as well as a board member of Carriageworks and a member of Sydney Contemporary's advisory council. Cornish initially wanted to paint her two dogs, Callie and Comet, but as per the Archibald rule, Cato was included and is the subject of Cato, Callie and Comet. In 2012, Cornish was the first street artist to ever be an Archibald finalist and he's back again with this accurate, and slightly moody, depiction of a powerful woman in the intimacy of her own living room. [caption id="attachment_719642" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Laura Jones, Nakkiah in her dressing room. Photo: AGNSW, Mim Stirling.[/caption] LAURA JONES — NAKKIAH IN HER DRESSING ROOM Sydney-based artist Laura Jones has made quite the name for herself in recent years, having exhibited in some of Sydney's top contemporary galleries as well as a past finalist in the Portia Geach Memorial Award, the Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship and the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize. Now, she is a finalist in Australia's biggest art award for the first time. Nakkiah in her dressing room is an intimate work of Nakkiah Lui, an Australian actress of Gamillaroi/Torres Strait Island background. The portrait depicts Lui's wit, strength and warmth and is a highly expressive piece for an Archibald first-timer. [caption id="attachment_719644" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Blak Douglas, White shells, black heart. Photo: AGNSW, Felicity Jenkins.[/caption] BLAK DOUGLAS —WHITE SHELLS, BLACK HEART Blak Douglas is no stranger to the Archibald, having been a finalist in 2015 and 2018, and also a finalist in this year's Wynne Prize for a collaborative work. So, the man means business, even though his works may seem somewhat simple at first glance. His portrait is of Esme Timbery (or as he refers to her, Aunty Esme) — one of the longest-practising Aboriginal artists. The two worked together back in 2000 for Eorascapes — an exhibition in the Sydney Opera House foyer for the Olympics. The colourful multimedia work is both venerate and familial, a testament to Blak Douglas and his personal-yet-political artistic practice. [caption id="attachment_719646" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anh Do, Art and war.[/caption] ANH DO — ART AND WAR You may know Do for any number of reasons. The actor, writer, comedian and artist is an Australian household name and is no Archibald newbie. Having won the 2017 People's Choice award for his portrait of actor Jack Charles and a finalist back in 2014 for a portrait of his father, Do has now painted a fellow artist — George Gittoes. Gittoes has witnessed adversities in Somalia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Afghanistan and is known for his raw, brusque depictions of human suffering (with glimmers of hope and resilience). Emanating Gittoes' grit, Art and War is a close-up portrait looking straight down the barrel into the eyes of someone who's seen much of the world. [caption id="attachment_719647" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Shane Bowden, Self-portrait sitting in a red chair, Avalon. Photo: AGNSW, Mim Stirling.[/caption] SHANE BOWDEN — SELF-PORTRAIT SITTING IN A RED CHAIR Shane Bowden's work may not look the most technically impressive but he sure doesn't hold back. His self-portrait errs on the grotesque, with demented lines, a disproportionate use of scale and muddled colours — it has an overall first-day-of-kindergarten appeal. Upon first glance that is. Having undergone heart surgery last year, Bowden has channelled this personal catastrophe into Self-portrait sitting in a red chair, Avalon. The neo-expressionist work represents the artist as both child and adult, distilling "all the emotion and confusion of the last 40 years as I tried to find my true self," as put by Bowden himself in his official Archibald statement. A finalist in the 2010 Archibald Prize with a collaborative work as well as a finalist in the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize in 2010 and 2011, Shane Bowden is not one to overlook. All of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prize finalists will be on display at the Art Gallery of NSW from May 11–September 8. The Archibald finalists well then head to various galleries across regional NSW and Victoria. Top image: Tessa Mackay, Through the looking glass. Photo: AGNSW, Mim Stirling.
Here we go again. Fred again.. is currently on one of the most exhilarating and spontaneous tours of Australia we've ever seen. The UK sensation has performed at the Sydney Opera House, Rod Laver Arena and is currently in the middle of a run of shows at Qudos Bank Arena — plus, he's done surprise and pop-up sets at Club 77, Revolver, The Timber Yard, Hotel Brunswick and Doug Jennings Park. But he's not done yet, with another show just announced, this time taking over The Domain in Sydney on Saturday, March 16 for a night of DJ sets. "Okayyyy Sydney," Fred posted to his Instagram on Wednesday, March 13. "We're going to do a big fat sorta end of shows week party at the main on Saturday. Imma be DJing wit some friends." The beloved producer will be joined by his close friend JOY (ANONYMOUS), plus local superstars Sam Alfred and Dameeeela for the inner-city dance party. As with the first Sydney Opera House show, tickets have been dropped with no warning and are on sale now via Tiketek. The tour came out of nowhere, after a post to Fred again..'s Instagram showing him boarding a flight with JOY (ANONYMOUS), teasing that they'd be performing wherever the plane landed. Next thing we knew, he popped up on top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, announcing that ultra last-minute performance at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall. Before now, Fred was last in town for Laneway 2023 alongside Haim, Joji and Phoebe Bridgers, at which time he created pandemonium by performing at a slate of pop-up DJ sets around Australia and New Zealand alongside his festival appearances. As with his famous Boiler Room set, and the DJ-style pop-ups he did while in the country for Laneway, Fred again.. will be hitting the decks with a USB filled with his own hits — from cult classics 'Delilah (pull me out of this)', 'Marea (we've lost dancing)' and 'Rumble' to his new single 'stayinit' with Lil Yachty and Overmono — as well as plenty of broader dance music bangers. Fred again.. Australia 2024 Tour Remaining Dates: Wednesday, March 12–Thursday, March 14 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Saturday, March 16 — The Domain, Sydney Fred again.. is DJing alongside JOY (ANONYMOUS), Dameeeela and Sam Salfred at The Domain on Saturday, March 16. Tickets are on sale now. Live images: Maclay Heriot / Daniel Boud, Laneway 2023.
All fascinating true-crime tales double as mysteries, exploring murky cases, following thorny leads, and asking questions that don't have easy or obvious answers. With ten-episode Australian podcast Blood Territory, listeners are in for all of the above, with the new Audible release not only delving into the death of 24-year-old Northern Territory man Jimmy O'Connell, but also chronicling his parents' fight to prove his convicted killer's innocence. Back in 2006, it was a murder that sparked many a headline, as you'd expect when a body is found mummified, mutilated and missing clothes in a dry creek bed in the Northern Territory — all, apparently, because of a fight over an esky. After O'Connell's best friend and fishing companion, 33-year-old Philip Mather, was tried and convicted for his death, the case sparked even more attention. Mather insists that his confession was coerced, and that he only plead guilty to avoid spending his whole life in jail. Astonishingly, O'Connell's mother and father believe him. An examination of a grisly murder that also ponders potential police corruption, as well as possible judicial prejudice against the NT's Indigenous peoples (Mather is himself an Indigenous Australian), Blood Territory isn't short on twists — or material for journalist Mark Whittaker to draw upon. Following the O'Connells' desperate quest for the truth, his podcast chats with family members, witnesses and professionals involved in the original case, sifts through new evidence, and dives deep into the legal complications surrounding Mather's conviction. It also proposes its own theory about Jimmy's death. "The Top End of Australia is notorious for hiding people, and secrets that don't want to be found — it's the perfect backdrop for such a cryptic story," explains Whittaker. "As the sequences of events and unusual characters are revealed, it becomes clear this is one of the strangest Aussie mysteries I've ever encountered." Blood Territory marks Audible's second Aussie true-crime podcast, after exploring the tale of a ghost-hunting Sydney security guard in Ghosthunter. Blood Territory is available now on Audible — for free until November 20 with an Audible account.
Wow. Sugar Mountain are going next level. After taking a year off, this boutique music and art festival have just dropped their new and improved 2015 lineup. Held at the VCA instead of The Forum, Sugar Mountain will feature Nas, Ariel Pink, Kim Gordon, Swans, Dan Deacon and many more. We'll repeat that news in case it was so huge and strange it completely blew your mind: Nas is performing at the VCA. Playing his seminal '90s debut Illmatic, this legendary US rapper is a strange addition to the festival which has previously steered clear of hip hop acts in favour of electronic and indie offerings. Other acts on stage will be more consistent with what we've seen in previous festivals. Experimental rockers Swans and Kim Gordon's new project Body/Head will be bringing the classic alt sounds supported by other US electronic acts like Dan Deacon, ODESZA, How to Dress Well, and Soul Clap. On the local scene, Midnight Juggernauts will be leading the charge backed up by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Twerps, No Zu and Oscar Key Sung — a strong and crowd-pleasing lineup of Melbourne locals. But Sugar Mountain is not your average music festival. This killer lineup will be complemented with a selection of artists too. With paint-shooting Ash Keating, laser-blasting Robin Fox and the self-explanatory Confetti System on board, VCA is in for one amazing, artsy mess. Get amongst it. Music Nas Body/Head (Kim Gordon & Bill Nace) ODESZA Ariel Pink Soul Clap Horse Meat Disco The 2 Bears Anthony Naples Swans Dan Deacon Terrible Love feat. Kirin J. Callinan How to Dress Well Midnight Juggernauts Bo Nigen King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard Twerps Dexter No Zu Chela Banoffee Oscar Key Sung Rat & Co Slum Sociable Waxo Paradiso LA Pocock Noise in My Head Art Leif Podhajsky Hisham Bharoocha Ash Keating Abby Porter Robin Fox Nonotak Johann Rashid Cara Stricker & John Kirby Keith Deverell Ghostpatrol Sean Morris Cornelius Brown Poppy Lane Confetti System Sugar Mountain Festival will be at VCA on Saturday, January 24 2015. Entry will cost between $120-195 depending on whether you opt for early bird general release or a sweet VIP package. Tickets are on sale via Moshtix from Monday, October 20. There are 5,500 up for grabs in total, so get in quick.
Those lucky enough to have roamed the streets of Florence might just have come across Vivoli Gelato, a family-run coffee shop and ice-cream parlour that has stood the test of time since the 1930s. While the gelato is stellar, this bustling spot is best known for its square-cut affogato, with around 350 sold day in and day out. Now you can experience this renowned affogato without travelling to Italy, as ST. ALi has teamed up with Piccolina to serve its own version inspired by the original. With the collaboration recently extended to Friday, August 22, this square-cut affogato stays true to the classic recipe while adding a little of its own imagination. Featuring a careful balance of sweet, bitter, hot and cold notes, gelato is packed into a chilled cup before a neat square is carved into the centre. Then, a hot shot of freshly brewed ST. ALi espresso is poured into the middle, creating an eye-opening beverage. In fact, this might just be the first square-cut affogato sold in Australia. Going the extra mile, each location selling this tasty collab uses La Pavoni's timeless manual lever espresso machines to achieve a deep and clean espresso shot. Plus, you're welcome to choose any Piccolina gelato flavour to be flooded with coffee. Get one for $10 at ST. ALi South Melbourne and all Piccolina stores — or start booking your airfare to Italy.
It was first teased close to two years ago and has had us dreaming of hot springs-based Gippsland getaways ever since. And now, after flooding put a hold on last month's planned launch, Metung Hot Springs is finally officially open for business. The first phase of the $100 million precinct from the minds behind Peninsula Hot Springs opened its doors on Friday, November 18 — so lock in a road-trip and let the pampering begin. As we've all been eagerly dreaming about, the 25-acre site is primed to be a haven of wellness and indulgence, surrounded by coastal bushland and located within strolling distance of the quaint lakeside village of Metung. While it's not quite all systems go just yet, the precinct's initial offerings are enough to warrant a well-deserved road-trip. You can soak away your worries in the various hot springs pools, treat your feet to a reflexology walk, bathe beneath geothermal showers and get the blood pumping with dips in the icy plunge pools. And up at the Hilltop Escarpment, overlooking Lake King, there's a collection of private cliff-top barrels where you can float while revelling in some very dreamy views. Those looking to indulge in some extra 'me' time can immerse themselves in the offerings of the onsite day spa, centred on authentic Larn'wa Aboriginal Lore wellness rituals incorporating ethically-sourced native botanical spa products. You'll find a range of treatments and packages to complement your bathing adventures, from facials and full-body relaxation massages, to aromatherapy rituals and things done with hot stones. Since its location four hours out of Melbourne is a touch too far for day trips, onsite accommodation will be a big part of the Metung Hot Springs offering — currently, that includes safari-style glamping tents, located both by the lagoon and along the hillside. Each is decked out with its own four-poster bed complete with luxe soft furnishings, plus a private balcony and geothermal bathing barrels. As announced earlier, the bathing precinct is also joining forces with — and renovating — the nearby former Kings Cove Golf Course, soon to relaunch as the Metung Country Club. It'll have its own resort-style accommodation and facilities, and a revamped clubhouse and restaurant, with 'stay, bathe and golf' packages on offer across the two sites. The whole project is being brought to life with the help of $1.5 million in funding courtesy of the Victorian Government's Gippsland Tourism Recovery Package, as well as an additional $1.5 million from the federal and state governments' Local Economic Recovery Program. Want more? Victoria's proposed bathing and hot springs trail is set to start taking shape over the coming summer months, while the Mornington Peninsula's much-anticipated Alba Thermal Springs and Spa is already taking guests. Find Metung Hot Springs at 73 Storth Ryes Avenue, Metung, Victoria. Online bookings are now open for bathing, spa services and accommodation. Images: Sharyn Cairns
Since Black Mirror started taking humanity's growing dependence upon technology, turning it into science-fiction nightmares, and turning those into must-see dystopian-themed TV, a strange phenomenon keeps occurring. Every time something bizarre happens — a reality television star becoming a world leader is just one example — it seems that Charlie Brooker's TV show got there first. "We're living in an episode of Black Mirror" has become a common statement on social media, and now London's Barbican Centre is making that claim a reality as part of its new sci-fi exhibition. Opening on June 3 and running through until September 1, 2017, Into the Unknown: A Journey Through Science Fiction will dive into everything that makes the genre so great, exploring sci-fi's attempts to answer the important questions of our time. Before immersing patrons in a wealth of thought-provoking material, it'll make them walk through a Black Mirror video installation, which will take over the Barbican's Silk Street entrance hall. The show's second-ever episode "Fifty Million Merits" is in the spotlight, and it's a fitting choice given that it probed just how obsessed we've all become with screens. Before he starred in this year's horror hit Get Out, Daniel Kaluuya was stranded in a society that rewards exercise with credits, shovels out mindless television a distraction while folks try to get fit, and judges those who don't work hard enough off-screen with the same viciousness it directs towards the contestants on TV. The more people work up a sweat on an exercise bike, the more points they earn, which helps them audition for the shows they're watching and get voted for, mocked, cheered and booed themselves. Yep, it's quite the cycle — and, in endeavouring to replicate the experience, clips will be displayed on six-foot-tall screens as visitors enter the exhibition. As far as bringing Black Mirror to life — well, more than is already proving the case, that is — it's one of the easier setups to copy; however it also sounds like quite the mind-bending sight to behold. For anyone that finds themselves in London later in the year, Into the Unknown will also feature all the sci-fi highlights you'd expect, spanning manuscripts by Jules Verne, props from the likes of Star Wars and Godzilla, and a new interactive work by the effects wizards behind Ex Machina and The Martian. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jROLrhQkK78 Via IndieWire.
Summer has (finally) arrived. And while days lazing in the sun and nights chilling on rooftops are all well and good (and some of our favourite activities, to be honest), there is more to our city than just your same-old. This year, instead of sticking to your go-tos, use the longer days and balmy nights as permission to discover a new side of Melbourne that you've never experienced before. To help you do just that, we've teamed up with our mates over at the inner city-inspired brewer Atomic Beer Project to highlight some of the most innovative events happening in our city this summer. From a hypnotic virtual reality exhibition and a free live music series to the opening of Melbourne's first surf park, these five happenings are sure to make you step a little further outside your comfort zone and seek more interesting experiences — and to give you something way more interesting to talk about at the next backyard barbie. SPEND TIME INSIDE AN INTERACTIVE VIRTUAL REALITY EXHIBITION When? Until March 1 Lovers of digital, interactive and immersive art should make tracks to the Heide Museum of Modern Art, where Terminus: Jess Johnson and Simon Ward is now exhibiting. Open until March 1, 2020, the free virtual reality exhibition is a collaboration between New York-based visual artist Jess Johnson and Wellington animator Simon Ward. Johnson's hypnotic drawings have been transformed into five interactive virtual reality works, which make up five distinct and other-worldly realms. In this choose-your-own-adventure exhibition, visitors are invited to explore the artworks through a 60-minute 'quest', venturing between the realms. It's kind of like living out your very own video game fantasy. A public program of artist talks and workshops will also accompany the exhibit, including a virtual reality cinema workshop on February 1 — during which participants will create a VR short. For more information, head to the website. WITNESS FLYING LOTUS' NEW PSYCHADELIC 3D MUSICAL PERFORMANCE When? January 25 Grammy-nominated artist Flying Lotus is heading to Aussie shores for the first time since 2015. He'll take over Forum Melbourne for one night only on Saturday, January 25 with his latest performance experience, Flying Lotus 3D. While much of the show will remain a mystery until the night, ticket holders can expect it to centre around FlyLo's fire-themed 2019 album Flamagra. The album is chockers with jam sessions, jazz influence, electro-funk and hip hop beats, along with heaps of all-star collaborators — including Anderson .Paak, Little Dragon, Toro y Moi and even renowned filmmaker David Lynch. This performance is a must for experimental music and visual arts lovers. Tickets are $89 each and this one will likely sell out, so best buy them here before it's too late. [caption id="attachment_750758" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Adam Gibson[/caption] LEARN TO RIDE A WAVE AT MELBOURNE'S NEW SURF PARK When? Opening January 2020 After years of hype, Australia's first surf park is finally set to open this January. Urbnsurf Melbourne will soon open near the Tullamarine airport, just 16 kilometres north of the CBD. The two-hectare space has already begun to test its first waves, and, once it's at full capacity, will be powered to pump out a whopping 1000 waves per hour. The park is built for both pros and beginners. The artificial wave technology used, called Wavegarden Cove, allows the on-ground crew to alter wave shape, weight and power, so punters can have their choice of waves, whether that's perfectly-formed right-handers or a random, ocean-simulating selection. Urbnsurf is also bringing some of Australia's top chefs with it. It has teamed up with Darren Robertson, Andy Allen and Mark LaBrooy to bring the fifth instalment of their farm-to-table eatery Three Blue Ducks to our city. The all-day, two-level restaurant will be built inside the two-hectare surfing lagoon and boasts high ceilings, a big open bar and an expansive, greenery-filled deck out front, so diners can watch the surfers in action. If you're especially keen, memberships have also recently gone on sale. [caption id="attachment_710997" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Daniel Lidmila[/caption] LET LOOSE AT A JUDGEMENT-FREE HIP HOP CLASS IN FITZROY When? Every Tuesday and Wednesday Judgement-free dance class Groove Therapy has become a mainstay in The Worker's Club's weekly calendar since launching a few years back. Expect no-mirrors, just-for-fun vibes, designed to help beginners let go of their fear of dancing in public. But don't be fooled, this is still a legit hip hop class, taught by professionals who have trained across New York, Los Angeles, London, Berlin, Paris and Tokyo. This is your weekly chance to learn some serious moves without being self-conscious about it — and all for just $20 a pop. The classes run every Tuesday from 6.30–7.30pm and Wednesday between 7–8pm, and you can book a spot on the website. [caption id="attachment_750081" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Glenn Mucutt[/caption] ATTEND A FREE GIG (WITH A DIFFERENCE) IN QUEEN VICTORIA GARDENS When? February 8 and 29 MPavilion — a design series which sees a new temporary structure erected in the Queen Victoria Gardens each spring — is essentially a big compilation of free arts and culture events. As part of this year's massive program, local not-for-profit Music in Exile will take over the space for two evenings on February 8 and 29 from 5–7pm. These special exhibitions will present work by Melbourne artists from a refugee or migrant background. Each session will include a one-hour live performance, with the remaining time dedicated to interacting with the musicians as they share stories and musical traditions. On February 8, the eclectic and rhythmic sounds of Ausecuma Beats will take the stage — the group is a combo of Senegambian, Cuban, Malian and Australian musicians. On February 29, Music Yared will be in the house — this group features Ethiopian musicians Haftu Reda and Anbessa Gebrehiwot, who will play traditional instruments including the krar (five-string lyre) and the masinko (single-string violin). Both nights are absolutely free. For more details, head here. Step outside your comfort zone and celebrate creativity with Atomic Beer Project's hop-driven brews. To see the full range, visit the website. Top image: Christian Capurro.
This Saturday, Lavezzi is doing you a solid and giving out a stack of free gelato at its Lygon Street store from 5pm. The gelateria is celebrating the first birthday of its Carlton store, off the back of its first sweet success in Ringwood's Eastland Shopping Centre. The newer store showcases Lavezzi's 20-plus range of traditional flavours and inventive signature creations, which are all churned on-site daily. The lineup features everything from a dreamy peanut butter and Nutella swirl to watermelon sorbet, panna cotta to blood orange. It also has melted chocolate on tap — if you'd like a little something extra on top of your cone. If you haven't yet checked out the fancy Carlton digs, we'd recommend a Saturday arvo visit — the Lygon store is handing out those free scoops of gelato between 5pm and 8pm. All you need to do is rock up and choose your flavour. The gelateria is also giving away access to its Lavezzi Gelati Cart – stocked with four flavours of your choosing — to one lucky Melburnian. To win, you just need to post a pic of Lavezzi's gelato on Insta and tag @LavezziGelato and #LavezziTurns1 before 8pm on Sunday, February 24.
If you consider yourself an expert on street food — and really, at this point who isn't? — this is the event for you. Combining all of Melbourne's best bite-sized dishes and conveniently grouping them together on the deck of Circa, The Prince (no searching for food trucks here), Street Feud aims to settle domestic arguments and appease the gastronomically indecisive by deciding who lays claim to Melbourne's best street food. As part of a string of events for the Month of The Prince, Street Feud not only gives you the opportunity to taste each venue's best dish, but the ability to openly judge it as well. Joining Acland St Cantina this Sunday, April 27 will be Fonda, newly-opened Charlie Dumpling, the Newmarket Hotel and sisters Hannoi Hannah and Saigon Sally — all vying to win you over one taco/dumpling/arepa at a time. Give your fave morsel the thumbs up and one vendor will be given the glory of the people of the streets and crowned as Melbourne's 'Street Feud Specialists'. We hear that Acland St Cantina's pork and chipotle arepas will be making an appearance, as will the milk chocolate and chilli sugar dumplings from Charlie Dumpling. So, you know. Tickets are $39 and include one tasty dish from each vendor.
Midsumma Festival returns to Melbourne in the new year, bringing together the LGBTQI+ community and artists from across the state for its annual queer arts and cultural festival. It spans from January 19 through February 9, with 194 events taking place in venues all over Melbourne. The massive program kicks off with a bang at the Midsumma Carnival, on Sunday, January 19, in Alexandra Gardens. There'll be 11 hours of live music and entertainment on the main stage, heaps of food stalls and bars, plus the return of the ever-popular Midsumma Dog Show. Once the sun starts to set, the park is transformed into one enormous dance floor, with DJs and artists performing well into the night. And it's 100 percent free. The festival continues with a heap of talks, performances, installations, exhibitions and parties, all aimed at celebrating the diverse stories of the queer arts scene. In the 2020 major project, Queen Unsettled, unheard voices and marginalised communities are front and centre in a multidisciplinary attack on colonisation. Attend a Lunar New Year Disco with Drag Race Thailand stars after hours at Melbourne Museum; hear from Pacific womxn of colour and Indigenous femmes in BLOW and FAMILI; and be entranced by The Sky After Rain, a video installation exploring three queer Iranian diasporas. Other Midsumma highlights include the Midsumma and Australia Post Art Award exhibition, a music festival of queer women and non-binary musicians, the Midsumma Extravaganza showcase at Hamer Hall, and the 25th annual Midsumma Pride March on Sunday, February 2. Images: Midsumma Carnival, Jackson Grant/Suzanne Balding.
It's been more than a year since Five Guys, the burger joint with more than 1600 stores to its name across America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, first announced the news that folks Down Under had been waiting to hear. When the popular US-based chain revealed that it was finally launching stores in Australia and New Zealand, it sparked a lot of rumbling stomachs — and, from Monday, September 20, it's following through. That's when Five Guys will open its first Aussie outpost, which'll start serving up burgers, fries, hotdogs, sandwiches and shakes in Penrith. As already announced earlier in 2021, Sydney is the first place Down Under to taste the chain's wares. Due to the city's ongoing lockdown, however, it'll only be open for takeaway for the time being. Live within five kilometres of 123 Mulgoa Road — or within the same Local Government Area, depending on the restrictions in your part of town? Then you'll be able to head in to grab a bite to bring home with you. The temporary pivot to only doing takeaway orders is actually Five Guys' second big pandemic-inspired change. Initially, the brand was set to open its debut store Down Under in Sydney's CBD, but it switched to Penrith due to COVID-19. Overseas, Five Guys has amassed quite the reputation. Even given the number of big-name US burger chains with hefty followings, such as Shake Shack and In-N-Out, it stands out. If you're wondering why, the fact that its made-to-order burgers skew in the classic rather than oversized, jam-packed direction is one good reason. These burgs come with two hand-formed patties on toasted buns, with your choice of free toppings (including pickles, grilled mushrooms and jalapeños). Five Guys also does bacon cheeseburgers that add two strips of bacon and two slices of Kraft American cheese as well. Prefer hotdogs, sandwiches (in veggie, cheese or BLT varieties), hand-cut fries (with or without Cajun spices) and vanilla milkshakes? They're all on the menu as well. Don't go thinking that the latter are boring, though — you can add bacon, bananas, peanut butter, salted caramel and even Oreo pieces to your design-your-own beverage. The cult-favourite chain makes the leap to Australia and New Zealand as part of a master franchise agreement with Seagrass Boutique Hospitality Group, aka the folks behind The Meat & Wine Co, Hunter & Barrel, 6 Head, Ribs & Burgers, Italian Street Kitchen and Butcher and the Farmer. Five Guys started back in 1986 in the Washington, DC area and, as anyone with allergies should note, only cooks its fries in peanut oil. Around 20 stores are due to launch in Australia, plus more in NZ — although exactly where else and when Five Guys will be popping up is yet to be revealed. In Sydney, additional sites are currently under consideration, including in the CBD around Circular Quay, Darling Harbour and Broadway. Find Five Guys' first Australian store at 123 Mulgoa Road, Penrith from Monday, September 20 — open from 11am–10pm daily. More eateries in other Australian states — and in New Zealand — are set to follow; we'll update you when more information comes to hand.
Amid all of the international superstars flying in, some of the most unmissable events are from locals. Newly commissioned pieces from popular indie companies THE RABBLE (with Room of Regret) and the Daniel Schlusser Ensemble (with M+M) will play at Theatre Works. Both works take a classic text as the subject for their boundary-pushing inventions. Staged in a labyrinthine network of corridors, Room of Regret will do Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray as seen through a Hall of Mirrors, while M+M is an adaptation of Mikhael Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita that introduces some equally dark references from contemporary Russia. Check out the rest of our picks for the Melbourne Festival here.
Attention, Australia's aspiring novelists, budding journalists and up-and-coming writers. The Emerging Writers' Festival returns to Melbourne from June 14–23, bringing together over 200 new and emerging writers in their biggest program yet. Developed by new artistic director Izzy Roberts-Orr in collaboration with former artistic director Michaela McGuire, the festival boasts parties, performances, poetry slams, panels and networking events that all aim to promote and nurture developing storytellers. The jam-packed ten days will begin with an opening night storytelling session — titled Our Invincible Summer — by some of the brightest voices in the literary community. The evening will also include announcements of the recipients of the Monash Undergraduate Prize for Creative Writing and the Victorian Premier's Literary Award for an Unpublished Manuscript. Stick around for the afterparty, hosted by publication/blog/podcast Hot Chicks with Big Brains. Other key events include a Looking for Alibrandi-inspired formal, Tipping Points — a particularly topical play about climate change which was created in 24 hours — and Love Show, a collective performance by Quippings, a disability performance collective that showcases performers of a huge variety of bodies and minds. If you're looking for an after-dinner show, check out Lost The Plot, which sees lit nerds battle on stage in a night of wacky word games. If you can only commit to one event though, the annual, two-day National Writers' Conference is not to be missed. Held at the State Library of Victoria over the weekend of June 17-18, the event is curated to inspire writers through industry-focused talks, masterclasses and information sessions hosted by some of Australia's top literary talent. Additional masterclasses will be held throughout the festival and span everything from pitching to publishers and freelancing to young adult fiction writing, as well as podcasting, YouTubing and even spoken word. The Industry Insiders series will showcase some of Australia's top emerging editors and field discussions on self-publishing and marketing your work, while foodies can even enjoy a five-course meal in an evening with some of Australia's best food writers on Monday, June 19.
Tacos slathered with salsa. Chips dipped in hot sauce. A sliver of cheese accompanied by a zesty relish. Whatever your favourite food happens to be, it probably tastes better with a condiment — and, like everything from artisanal gin to plants to cocktail ingredients, there's now a curated delivery service dedicated to flavour-adding substances. Meet Condimental, which bundles a heap of pickles, preserves, sauces, seasonings and relishes into a box and brings it to your door. If an image of a boring Christmas hamper just popped into your head, then this service will wipe it away. On the menu is a changing range of limited-release and seasonal items from Australian suppliers, aka the types of condiments that you won't find in any old supermarket. [caption id="attachment_707077" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Condimental's launch box.[/caption] Condimental also leans into the concept of exclusivity — not just via its selection, but courtesy of its limited-run editions. Only 100 boxes are available with each release, and while you can't subscribe to receive a box every time the service starts shipping a new batch, you can sign up to be notified when a new edition becomes available. In other words, if you're keen on watermelon pickle, habañero and oak hot sauce, umami seasoning, fermented tomatillo salsa picante, or bread and butter pickle, then you'll need to get in quick. They're the items on offer in the first delivery, with the launch release costing $65 plus a $15 delivery fee. For more information, visit the Condimental website.
Carrie Bradshaws of Melbourne, it's time for a little celebration. Miss Louise is having a massive sale and if you're a shoeaholic (own it) you'll be wanting to get down to Collins Street stat. While it's cold and miserable out there, this is one golden opportunity opportunity to update your wardrobe before spring — and reward yourself for not entirely hibernating. Serious shopping sprees mean serious fashion names. Chloe, Balmain, Alexander McQueen, Givenchy, Balenciaga — the gang's all here and they'll be treating you to some pretty special discounts. Think up to 70% off. Our tip? Get in early and snap up the best deals before everyone else twigs. And prepare yourself for a spot of confrontation — let's be honest, some people will do anything for good shoes. There's never been a better moment to create your own urban shoe myth, let your inner Carrie out and saunter to Miss Louise where all your favourite fancy foot friends will be waiting.
Anyone who has ever worked in hospitality will tell you the same thing about their customers: they're awful. For some cruel and arbitrary reason, all human decency tends to go out the window when someone is wearing an apron. Sure, this isn't true of all customers, but definitely an alarming majority. Now, a cafe on the NSW south coast is doing something to change the etiquette game. The Seven Mile Beach Kiosk in Gerroa has been displaying a sign for the past few months advertising cheaper coffee for polite people. "A coffee: $5. A coffee please: $4.50. Good morning, a coffee please: $4," the sign reads. Though intended as more of a gimmick than a serious rule, the sign does pose some interesting questions. Is this problem so bad that we actually need to introduce incentives for general manners? Owners of the cafe Kev Chilver and Kylie Pickett told the Daily Mail that they created the sign to curb some of the rude interactions (read: caffeine-addled demands) they were receiving from their customers. Apparently, despite living in a small town on an idyllic strip of surf beaches, Gerroa coffee-lovers are just as abrupt and demeaning as those in the major cities. "Common courtesy is ... becoming less and less common, and we're trying to bring it back," said Mr Chilver. "We are in service industry but we’re not servants. We deserve as much respect as anyone else." The cafe owners are not alone in this frustration. In fact, you might remember similar initiatives taking place in Europe last year. Last January, a photo from an cafe in Italy stirred up the initial buzz by offering a €2 discount to those giving proper greetings. The idea then reached France where a cafe on the Riveria knocked that discount up to €5.60 (FYI French coffee is crazy expensive). The story gained notoriety online, on television and in newspapers being shared tens of thousands of times; at one point a French government minister even spoke out in favour of the concept. While it's a lovely idea, it's also an easy way to get already grumpy customers further offside. It's not hard to see why most venues don't properly enforce the policy — I'd hate to be the person behind the till asking some rude dude to fork out more cash for his weak decaf soy latte because he didn't smile at me enough. That's just asking for trouble. We think the real solution is something bigger. At some point in everyone's life, they should be forced to work in the hospitality industry. Clearing plates, getting covered in warm frothy milk on a hot day, and having to slap that 'I'm actually dead inside' smile on your face all day will give you a lifelong appreciation of your wait staff. Failing that, you could just skip the years of grief and torment and just find it within yourself to be a decent human being to the guy making your coffee. Via Daily Mail.
Every October and November, Tokyo hosts its annual film festival, celebrating the latest and greatest in Japanese cinema. We can't all take a ten-ish hour flight to Asia to enjoy the best and brightest flicks that Japan has to offer — and everything else that its thriving, sprawling capital boasts, too — but, if you're a movie-loving Sydneysider or Melburnian with a hankering for the country's big-screen gems, you can let a whole heap of these flicks come to you. Thankfully, around the same time of each year Australia's own Japanese Film Festival starts doing the rounds, screening a heap of movies around the country. Old classics, new hits, colourful animation, sweet rom-coms, brooding gangster films, cult favourites — they're all part of the event's busy lineup. And, so are our five must-see picks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7HtNsJdMDw RIDE YOUR WAVE Calling all Your Name and Weathering with You fans — while Ride Your Wave hails from a different director, aka Masaaki Yuasa, it falls in the same heartfelt, gorgeously animated, emotionally sweeping realm. It also has an element of the supernatural to it, too, and focuses on a star-cross'd romance. Hinako (voiced by former Japanese pop idol Rina Kawaei) is a surfer who has just moved to the seaside. Minato (fellow local pop star Ryota Katayose) is a kindly and charming firefighter who isn't as skilled on the waves, but saves Hinako from a blaze. Love blossoms, as does tragedy and a few twists, with Hinako weathering more than just watery waves. The result is a sweet, charming and sensitive film that's especially thoughtful when it ruminates on loss. A word of warning: a song by Katayose's pop group Generations from Exile Tribe features heavily, and it's quite the melodic and persistent earworm. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXc_JlCqQE4&feature=emb_logo JUST ONLY LOVE Based on Mitsuyo Kakuta's novel, Just Only Love reaches the screen as a live-action romantic drama, but there's an anime-style flood of emotion bubbling within Rikiya Imaizumi's film. Perhaps its because, like a raft of Japanese animated movies of late (including Ride Your Wave and the others mentioned above), love, its impossibilities and their impact on life are all pushed to the fore. Here, romance of the unrequited kind takes centre stage. Teruko (Yukino Kishii) is fond of colleague Mamoru (Ryo Narita), but he's keen on keeping things casual. Her pal Yoko (Mai Fukagawa) has a friend, Nakahara (Ryuya Wakaba), who's smitten with her in the same way. Then Mamoru starts seeing Sumire (Noriko Eguchi), who isn't one for a traditional romance. As things get messier, Just Only Love dives deeper with endearing and insightful results. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH3viviJJlE MELANCHOLIC It's a thoroughly modern set-up: Kazuhiko (Yoji Minagawa) graduates from Japan's prestigious University of Tokyo, can't get a job in his field and still finds himself living with his parents. As a way of earning cash, he takes a gig at a bathhouse — and that's when, despite seeming very familiar otherwise, Melancholic confidently takes its own turn. By accident, Kazuhiko discovers that his new place of employment is a front for yakuza executions. Soon, he's immersed in that bloody, gruesome world. An award-winner on home soil, this is an engrossing crime film that's also an adult coming-of-age drama, as well as a moving character study. The debut feature from writer/director Seiji Tanaka, with star Minagawa also acting as the movie's producer, Melancholic is a supremely well-made indie flick from a country that makes plenty of them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVc4YevwX2A THE LEGEND OF THE STARDUST BROTHERS If there's one piece of trivia that you need to know about The Legend of the Stardust Brothers, it's this: writer/director Makoto Tezuka is the son of Osamu Tezuka, who happened to create Astro Boy. So, it's only fitting that the younger Tezuka's 1985 cult classic also references space in its title — although the movie's story is very much grounded on earth. Actually, another detail is vitally important. Makoto's movie came about when, as a 22-year-old film student, he decided to make a feature to accompany a soundtrack that already existed, sans-film. The result is this rock musical set in the 80s Japanese music scene, following wannabe stars the Stardust Brothers, and inspired in part by The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Cast-wise, it's filled with musicians from the time, manga figures and even director Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Daguerrotype). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbTig5Aclpw&feature=emb_logo NOISE Wander through Tokyo's Akihabara district today — in search of anime, manga, gaming, electronic gadgets or Japan's idol pop music scene — and you wouldn't know that, in 2008, it was the site of a devastating massacre. Noise heads to the popular area to follow the lives of three people who are still impacted by the incident eight years afterwards. While the film's three stories are fictional, the movie is inspired by first-time writer/director Yusaku Matsumoto's own profound response to the tragedy, which occurred when he was in high school, as well as the ripples such an event inevitably leaves on a city and society. Playing an underground idol (aka an aspiring pop star who performs at underground venues, rather than big stadiums) and teenage masseuse, watch out for real-life Japanese idol Kokoro Shinozaki, who also draws on her own similar background. The Japanese Film Festival screens at Sydney's Event Cinemas George Street from Thursday, November 14 to Sunday, November 24, and at Melbourne's Capitol and Treasury theatres from Thursday, November 21 to Sunday, December 1. For more information, visit the festival website.
Elton John summed it up perfectly: when Marilyn Monroe died in 1962, her candle burned out long before her legend ever would. Six decades since her passing, the actor remains a Hollywood icon. Like Elvis, she may as well be mononymic. Her face is instantly recognisable, and still everywhere. Ana de Armas just received an Oscar nomination for playing her, after Michelle Williams earned one back in 2012 for also stepping into her shoes. And, the Some Like It Hot, Gentleman Prefer Blondes and How to Marry a Millionaire star is also the subject of a sizeable exhibition heading to Australia for the first time: Marilyn: The Woman Behind the Icon. This Marilyn celebration will make its Aussie premiere at Sydney Town Hall, in the Lower Town Hall, from Saturday, July 1–Sunday, September 24. On display: more than 200 artefacts spanning Monroe's life, including handwritten notes, personal letters and other possessions. This is the largest Marilyn collection of its kind. Indeed, the objects set to grace the showcase stem from Ted Stampfer, owner the world's largest range of Marilyn items. With Marilyn: The Woman Behind the Icon, he's aiming to share insights into Monroe as a person, not just a celebrity — spanning her time in the spotlight, of course, but also back when she was Norma Jeane Mortenson. [caption id="attachment_905881" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Joseph Jasgur, Ted Stampfer[/caption] Stampfer will be on hand on opening day providing a curator's tour, as part of an events program accompanying the three-month memorabilia exhibition. Friday-night sessions will feature music and entertainment, and film screenings will also be part of the lineup, letting attendees experience Marilyn's movie magic for themselves. As it celebrates the woman who scaled the heights of fame, became a household name, but received horrific scrutiny for her sex-symbol status and her love life — focusing on her hard work, not the stories spun about her — this'll be the only time that Marilyn: The Woman Behind the Icon will open to the public in this form. [caption id="attachment_905878" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ted Stampfer[/caption]
Our favourite thought-provokers over at The School of Life are gifting us with a two-week community festival of philosophy, culture and ideas. Set to take over Melbourne's western suburbs this November, the Think West program will be all about expanding your mind and stimulating your thinking, delivered in the organisation's trademark open-minded style. With over 40 workshops, classes, tours and events on offer across the inaugural festival, the School of Life team has rounded up a host of interesting westside partners. They've got an impressive list of venues too, with the likes of Yarraville's iconic Sun Theatre, the Planetarium at Scienceworks, Footscray Community Arts Centre, Two Birds Brewing and co-working space The Dream Factory in Footscray hosting events. The full Think West program is yet to drop, but you can expect highlights to include a night of stargazing and perspective-shifting at Melbourne Planetarium, a talk on the art of resilience by Meshel Laurie, and, of course, a memorable and engaging launch party, during which you'll learn how to up your conversation game and become a boss communicator.
Beckett's a rare proposition indeed at the Melbourne Theatre Company — this Sam Strong-directed production of Endgame is only the company’s second foray into the Irish dramatist’s effortlessly bleak style since 1990's Waiting for Godot. The control Beckett’s estate wields over the production of his work might be to blame, especially in a modern era where directors can tend towards radical recontextualisation. But this production shows that these same limitations can just as easily be incredibly liberating. Visual artist Callum Morton's design for Endgame flourishes within these strictures. Confronted with the problem of a design with strict guidelines in the script, Morton opted for the interior of a kind of 'lighthouse'. It's one where the light has long since gone out; its keeper first replaced with machinery and those mechanisms in turn long rusted away. Morton's concrete slabs replace the fourth wall to become the curtain, and as they rise on the action there’s an implication of unsealing a tomb — one in which the audience, now part of the same space, are fellow inhabitants (and exhibits). The core of Beckett's play is made up of the interchanges between a blind, irascible, chair-bound man named Hamm (Colin Friels) and the servile Clov (Luke Mullins), bound by mutual flaws and reciprocities. Hamm is the only one who knows the combination to the larder, Clov can see, and walk. On paper, this is probably the strongest cast assembled for the company’s 2015 season; with Mullins and Friels joined by Rhys McConnochie and Julie Forsyth. These two are superb as Hamm’s parents, Nagg and Nell — his 'pregenitors' — now living inside barrels. One of Forsyth’s greatest strengths as a performer is that voice — somehow impossibly, completely ethereal but wielded with utter control — and she and McConnochie’s performances are superb, creating a kind of warm light that hints at the hopeful, redemptive possibilities of love; one which is extinguished just as quickly as their lids can be slammed shut. Mullins has an exacting level physical commitment to his role that is impressive but the approach risks planing away some of the delicate intricacies of the text, and many moments where volume substitutes for emotion. So too Friels embodies Hamm with a sort of ocker confidence that suits many moments well but doesn’t allow for a great deal of other depth. Although it’s a production that succeeds in capturing the blunt force trauma of codependency, there isn’t a great deal more subtlety operating beneath the surface. But being able to watch actors like Forsyth and McConnochie tackle the rigors of Beckett’s idiosyncratic language make this more than worthwhile.
Tucked away from the polished restaurants of Chapel Street, Eat'aliano by Pino is the homely Italian restaurant you need a pizza of. Bad puns aside, Eat'aliano is the brainchild of restaurateur and head chef duo Alessio Alia and Pino Russo (of La Svolta), and champions vibrant, rich flavours that pay homage to traditional Naples cooking. Expect thin, chewy-crusted pizzas and super fresh pasta dishes. Menu musts include the dreamy, creamy fresh buffalo full milk mozzarella paired with traditional buttery focaccia (both $13). If you want to up your Italian game, try the La Montanara, a deep-fried pizza dough topped with Napoli sauce, D.O.P. Grana Padano cheese and fresh basil. It will have your cheese-loving stomach curdling with happiness. As always, pizzas are made to share, so unless you're particularly greedy (no judgement), you won't need to have your own Sophie's Choice moment trying to decide between the top-notch margherita ($16) and the house-made gnocchi in Napoli sauce ($20). An oozy chocolate Nutella pizza ($18) — topped with banana slices because balance — is non-negotiable for any Eat'aliano visit. Drinks are restrained with a handful of rotating cocktail specials, local wines and Melbourne's favourite beers on tap. Featuring a bright, effortlessly stylish interior, the space boasts a refined warmth ideal for a cosy catch-up or Friday date night. Suspending, hanging plant boxes and exposed industrial roofing gives the interior a laidback ambience, complemented by concrete floors and an open kitchen. Visitors can eye the prized wood-fire pizza oven, which features distinctive tiles with sleek white squares and cooks perfect pizza in under a minute. Staff are friendly, knowledgeable and eager to make suggestions when you're feeling torn between choosing your favourite figurative Italian food children.
One of the surprise hits of 2009 was Ruben Fleischer's offbeat black comedy Zombieland, a violent yet somehow delightful (and even romantic) parody of zombie horror movies that perhaps even bettered Shaun of the Dead. Zombieland brought together a diverse cast, a sparkling script, and gorgeous cinematography to create something quite unlike anything else seen that year. Four years later, those same ingredients seemed in place for Fleischer's next film Gangster Squad, particularly in the casting, where a covetable blend of old (Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, and Josh Brolin) and new (Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling, Anthony Mackie, Robert Patrick, Michael Pena, and Giovanni Ribisi) created a credits reel almost as long as The Hobbit. And yet, to paraphrase Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park, the principle of tiny variations can vastly affect an outcome. Goldblum's character called it 'chaos theory', and while Gangster Squad might not quite be chaotic, its imperfections are far more noticeable than those on Laura Dern's wrist. Moreover, and not unlike the mindless flesh-eating hordes in Zombieland, this film tends to feed off a collection of other, better, films in a desperate attempt to survive. It tells the 'based-on-a-true-story' story of '40s LA gangster Mickey Cohen (Penn), a boxer-turned-kingpin whose ambitions saw him aspiring to control all gambling operations across the entire US west coast. Cohen's power and influence rendered him altogether UNTOUCHABLE, with police and politicians either too corrupt or too afraid to stand against him. One good cop, however — war hero Sgt John O'Mara (Brolin) — refuses to lie down and watch his city fall into darkness. Deciding that Cohen represents a CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER, he LA CONFIDENTIALLY forms a secret team of vigilante law enforcers and together those MAGNIFICENT SEVEN to take on Cohen at his own game. In short, Gangster Squad apes several other great stories to tell its story of how the only honest cop in LA turns into a vicious vigilante murderer and is then lauded for it. With shootings, bashings, and blowings-up on both sides of the war, the moral compass swings around so fiercely in this film it's surprising it doesn’t wholly take off. Visually, it's a delight to behold, with elaborate set pieces, sumptuous period costumes, and grand architecture giving it a glamorous sheen; however, it can't gloss over the hammy script and one-dimensional characters whose journey only goes from A to A.
If you're looking to level-up your vino game, who better to have on your side than Australia's oldest family-owned winery. Barossa Valley's Yalumba has been crafting fine wine since 1849 — a stint that's spanned six whole generations. And in addition to its stable of top-notch drops for all occasions, the independent label is helping Aussies elevate their wine-sipping experience with its own Yalumba Wine Club. With a little something for seasoned wine aficionados and novices alike, the Wine Club lets you to tap into expert wine knowledge, exclusive offers and product specials, as well as to access a range of special events and tastings. And despite the swag of goodies that comes with it, membership won't cost you a cent. Sign up and you'll nab ten percent off select purchases in the online wine store and at the beautiful Angaston Wine Room, including plenty of those premium red wines that have become synonymous with South Australia's Barossa Valley. You'll also score exclusive access to a series of seasonal wine packs, chosen by Yalumba's winemakers. Order one of these bad boys delivered to your door, whip out the selection for your next dinner party and prepare to impress your guests with your newfound vinous smarts. Yalumba Wine Club members can also look forward to free shipping on online orders over $200, exclusive dibs on a bunch of limited releases and special wines, and invites to Yalumba events, including premium tastings and masterclasses held all over the country. You can sign up to the Yalumba Wine Club for free over at the website. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
Back in person for 2022, Melbourne Writers Festival is treating word enthusiasts to a jam-packed program of over 150 events, from Thursday, September 8–Sunday, September 11 this year. With more than 270 authors, actors, journalists and poets set to take part in the festival, the bill is positively stacked with must-see talent. Among the big names: Parks and Recreation star Jenny Slate; Succession's Brian Cox; Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker; Alice Oseman, the writer and illustrator responsible for the graphic novels behind Netflix's Heartstopper; Exit West author Mohsin Hamid; and Talking about a Revolution's Yassmin Abdel-Magied. While some of the fest's guests will appear in-person, others will stream in from overseas, with some digital-only events available to watch on demand nationally with pay-what-you-can prices. [caption id="attachment_862694" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Author Alice Oseman[/caption] 2022 highlights include Hamid teaming up with this year's Miles Franklin winner and Bodies of Light author Jennifer Down, plus Talkin' Up to White Woman's Aileen Moreton-Robinson, to give the festival's opening address on the theme of ambition; Wiradjuri poet and artist Jazz Money and Mununjali Yugambeh and South Sea Islander author Chelsea Watego talking through their experiences as First Nations creatives; and two appearances from Boy Swallows Universe's Trent Dalton. There's Pulitzer Prize winners Jennifer Egan (A Visit From the Goon Squad) and Margo Jefferson (Constructing a Nervous System) among the digital program; ABC News Breakfast favourite Tony Armstrong on a panel about growing up in country Australia; and China's Murong Xuecun talking through his book Deadly Quiet City: Stories from Wuhan, COVID Ground Zero. The lineup also features a debate about ambition-themed storytelling; discussions on partisanship in Aussie politics, mental illness and vulnerability, the future of the ABC, and the global impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. [caption id="attachment_843998" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tony Armstrong[/caption]
UPDATE, November 6, 2020: Sonic the Hedgehog is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. First up, some good news: the Sonic the Hedgehog film could've been a whole lot worse. Mostly because, as you might've seen in the movie's nightmarish first trailer, it initially was. But while Sonic thankfully no longer looks like a toothy blue Matt Dillon from There's Something About Mary, the rushed cosmetic changes carried out by Paramount only run skin-deep. Sonic the Hedgehog might now look pretty great, but the film is a hot mess just about everywhere else. To begin with, it's a mystery why this movie even exists. Not only is the Sega game it's based on almost 30 years old, but films based on video games are like white whales for studios — strangely irresistible yet doomed to cause ruin. It's appropriate that one of the first (and undoubtedly one of the worst) examples was Super Mario Bros back in 1993, since it was that game franchise that led to Sonic's creation. Did Hollywood learn nothing? The appeal of gaming lies squarely in the user's participation — "play, don't watch" should be scrawled on every movie executive's cheque book — and these films do not work. Following Sonic's adventures on earth as he accidentally attracts the US government's attention, then tries to escape them, the other big problem with Sonic the Hedgehog is the pacing. Specifically, Sonic's. His whole reason for existing is to go fast — super fast. He's like the Flash, Road Runner and X-Men's Quicksilver combined. And while there are some genuinely fun sequences where viewers get to see that play out, he spends a full third of the film cruising around in a sensibly-priced sedan. Worse — he's not even driving. Live-action is very much in vogue at the moment (see: Beauty and the Beast, Pokémon: Detective Pikachu), but this feels like an instance where a completely animated film would've been the superior option. The movie's opening five minutes take place on Sonic's home planet, and it's a tantalising glimpse of what might have been had first-time feature director Jeff Fowler gone down that road. Ah well. Cast-wise, there's a clear standout. Jim Carrey is back in full force, dropping the most endearingly over-the-top performance audiences have seen from him in ages. As villain Dr Robotnik, he's somehow even more cartoonish than the CGI Sonic — and it's spectacular. Like Sonic's running, however, there's far too little of it throughout. Instead, the lion's share of screen time is reserved for Sonic (voiced by Parks and Recreation's Ben Schwartz) and his new pal Tom Wachowski (James Marsden), the local sheriff who's helping him avoid capture. Giving credit where credit's due, Marsden delivers the goods, charming his way through scenes that ought to have tanked hard. Schwartz, too, makes the inspired choice of keeping Sonic low-key instead of manic, resulting in a far more likeable hero. As a kid-friendly family film, Sonic the Hedgehog ticks all the boxes, including the apparent must-have of a central character doing the floss (twice, in this instance). Query, though, how many kids even know who Sonic is. The same question applies to writers Patrick Casey and Josh Miller (YouTube series 12 Deadly Days), who not only relegate the eponymous character to scant speediness, but have also crowbarred in a ton of woeful pop culture references that will date this film far too quickly. Since his creation in 1991, Sonic the side-scrolling bundle of blue fluff has earned over $5 billion. That's some legacy, and one this middling film will neither damage nor improve. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szby7ZHLnkA
Walking into the Bigness celebrates many stories inspired by the life of writer, singer, filmmaker and Aboriginal activist Richard Frankland. From humble (although gruesome) beginnings as a child working in an abattoir to life as a soldier, a fisherman and an officer for the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, the production follows Frankland's experiences through storytelling and song. Co-directed by Wayne Blair (The Sapphires, Redfern Now) and Chris Mead and featuring a small stellar cast (Tammy Anderson, Paul Ashcroft, Luisa Hastings Edge, Rarriwuy Hick and Tiriki Onus), Walking into the Bigness is an intimate exploration of knowledge, adolescence, growth and the unknown. With music performed by Frankland himself, the production is an "intimate, emotive and humorous work that will take you through the undulating terrain of a life".
With Melbourne slowly emerging from its latest COVID-19 lockdown, the city's retail and hospitality spaces are beginning to welcome back customers. When the end of November rolls around, a brand new precinct will join them — in a historic old spot that's been given a huge revamp. As first announced last decade, the former Pentridge Prison in Coburg has undergone a multimillion-dollar restoration and makeover, turning the site into a sprawling retail, dining and entertainment precinct. The entire precinct spans 6.7 hectares, encompassing shops, food, a new 15-screen Palace cinema and outdoor public areas, including a 6500-square-metre piazza. Some heritage elements from the prison have been retained, and the venue will also showcase stories about its former life in its design. While the cinema announced its opening plans earlier this month, revealing that it'll be starting its projectors before 2020 is out, the entire precinct itself has now unveiled its opening timeline as well. Come Thursday, November 26, the Pentridge Lifestyle Precinct and Pentridge Shopping Centre will be up and running — and, adjusting to the times, making the most of its outside space. A range of eateries, such as Cielo Gelateria, Jacky Jones Fish 'n' Chips, Pelicana Chicken, Mela Patisserie, Miskeh Middle Eastern Café and Lucky Little Dumplings, will all getting in on the action from day one. They'll be offering both indoor and al fresco dining, with the precinct specifically keen on picnics on its lawns. Also part of the new shopping centre: Ritchies IGA Fine Food and Wine supermarket, Lux Hair, Tao Massage and Classic Barber, plus Zen Home and Bountiful Garden Florist. And, the new Pentridge Adina Apartment Hotel will be located at the precinct, too. When it opens in the coming years, that means you'll be able to stay onsite in heritage rooms. Also slated in the future are tours of the entire former prison, which are expected to start in early 2022. The Pentridge Lifestyle Precinct and Pentridge Shopping Centre will open at 1 Champ Street, Coburg on Thursday, November 26.
No matter the occasion — whether it's a celebratory drink or a deluxe date — popping open a bottle of bubbly makes any outing far more special. So, if you're looking to take things up a notch, head to Newport's Junction Hotel for a luxe wine and food pairing available till the end of April. For $185, you'll get a Moët & Chandon Rosé Impérial and the hotel's specialty ploughmans board, loaded with cured meats, terrine, caper berries, mustard, relish, and a wedge of cheddar cheese. The pink-hued champagne, with its brightness, red fruit aromas and slightly dry finish, will pair nicely with your spread — plus it's sure to elevate any date, party or dinner. You'll be saving some pennies, too, as a bottle of Moët Rosé and the ploughmans usually comes to $215 when bought as separate items. If you're after a more casual setting head to the the pub's airy beer hall. Or, settle into a leather booth in the sleek, dimly-lit wine room for a fancier affair. To book your spot, head here.
Gird your livers, all your beer lovers out there, for Melbourne's annual celebration of all things hoppy and gold. Announced earlier in the week, the program for this year's Good Beer Week features more than 270 free and ticketed events across Melbourne and Victoria, from workshops to tastings to food and brew degustations, and even an honest to God fashion show. In fact there's so much happening that they've tacked on three extra days, bringing the total to ten. Hardly a traditional week...not that we're complaining. Running from Friday May 13 to Sunday May 22, the sixth annual Good Beer Week is split into various different streams. For those who like a drink with their dinner, the Foodie section features a number of enticing events, including a Vietnamese degustation at Uncle in St Kilda, a four course Louisiana beer dinner at Ding Dong Lounge in the CBD, and a Beers, Bikes and BBQ Feast at Kustom Kommune motorbike workshop in Fitzroy. The party-packed Good Times section includes the opening and closing night shindigs, both of which will be held at Beer Deluxe on Flinders Street. Other standout events include a showcase of female brewing talent at The Fox Hotel in Collingwood, and an afternoon of beer, Reuben sandwiches and 90s hip-hop at 5 Points Deli in Carlton. The remaining sections are divided based on your level of beer expertise. For those looking to expand their knowledge, Beer 101 features various workshops and presentations, including a hands-on cider making class at The Arbory on the Yarra, and an 'Australian tour' held at Pilgrim in Fed Square featuring six different beers from six different states. The Beer Geek and Beer Lover sections, on the other hand, are best suited to the beer swilling alcoholics veterans. Learn the ins-and-outs of nano-brewing courtesy of the folk at Henry Street Brewhouse in Kensington, or throw yourself into the annual Pint of Origin showdown at bars and pubs all over the state. Good Beer Week 2016 runs from May 13 to May 22. For more information including the complete program, visit www.goodbeerweek.com.au.
Your favourite summertime dessert is about to get a wild revamp at the hands of some talented, innovative local chefs. For the next eight weeks, the much-loved Piccolina Gelateria is handing over the reins, inviting a group of kitchen heroes to take over the specials board and deliver their own signature gelato creations. The Piccolina Gelato Project will once again see eight Melbourne chefs each have a crack at impressing the masses with their gelato game. A different name will step up to the plate each week, teaming up with Piccolina's Sandra Foti to create three special flavours that capture the spirit of their respective restaurant — along with a healthy dose of personal flair, of course. From Wednesday, February 16 until Tuesday, April 12, roll into any Piccolina outpost to find inventive desserts from the likes of Peter Gunn (Ides), Thi Lee (Anchovy), Zach Furst (Bar Liberty), Hugh Allen (Vue de Monde) collaborating with Sharon Brindley (Jala Jala), Rosheen Kaul (Etta), Almay Jordan (Neighbourhood Wine and Old Palm Liquor) and Jo Barrett (formerly Oakridge Wines). Kicking things off is Khanh Nguyen of Sunda and Aru fame, who for the first week will be serving up a clever fusion of native ingredients and Southeast Asian flavours. Think, condensed milk gelato topped with a Vietnamese coffee caramel and wattleseed honeycomb. Following Nguyen's stint, Le will churn out a toasted jasmine rice gelato with banana and rum jam; Jordan will draw on her South African heritage for a riff on apricot brandy pudding with custard; Barrett will transform red wine lees into a vibrant sorbet; and Allen and Brindley will get crafty with native ingredients to deliver a cantaloupe and green ant gelato. And that's just a taster of what's to come. [caption id="attachment_815925" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Khanh Nguyen has kicked off the series (photo by Kristoffer Paulsen)[/caption] 8 Chefs in 8 Weeks flavours will be available at all six Piccolina locations.
