Inspired by a family trip to New York City, Ryan and Jess Kurban's bagel cafe on Bridge Road in Richmond prides itself on fresh, organic produce from local suppliers. Everything here is made in-house by a team of dedicated chefs who have your satisfaction at the forefront of every creation. After all, Bissel is yiddish for "a little bit", meaning everyone is going to find something to satisfy. Choose from a range of either plain, sesame, poppyseed, rye, onion, blueberry or cinnamon and raisin bagels with gluten free and vegan alternatives also available. Most of the bagels are appropriately named after New York landmarks, with the 'New Yorker' itself setting the tone with perfectly melted buffalo mozzarella, napoli sauce, bechamel, pepperoni and fresh basil. If you're after something closely akin to a classic Aussie breakfast, opt for the 'Wall Street', which is every bit as indulgent as the name suggests. Featuring fried eggs, bacon, hash browns and a sausage patty, its everything McDonalds wishes it was. The 'New Jersey' is a tamer affair with egg salad, iceberg lettuce, ham, Swiss cheese and a green tomato relish. The 'Little Italy' meanwhile is basically a long lunch, with homemade meatballs in Napoli sauce and buffalo mozzarella. For the vegetarians, give the 'East Village' a go — with homemade spring onion labneh, sliced tomato, red onion and zaatar — or opt for the 'Midtown' which delicious cream cheese, smashed avo, chilly oil and crispy onions. If you're after something authentically New York, then Bissel B's 'PB&J' is your jam, with crunchy peanut butter and homemade raspberry jam. Eat in and grab a coffee and enjoy the ambience in what is an unashamedly loving homage to the Big Apple. Appears in: Where to Find the Best Bagels in Melbourne for 2023
Welcome to Brunswick's next door hall venue, aptly named 'The Hall', has officially re-opened this month, following a top-to-toe refurbishment. For those that weren't aware, this is the old 'Mess Hall' venue, a heritage-listed Masonic Hall with timber beams that arguably belong in a Canterbury cathedral. The new Hall looks much the same, but the 4 Pines crew has polished the space and revamped the menu. The taps are still pouring freshly brewed 4 Pines, naturally. And the food has been designed to match: think pan-Asian snacking plates like battered, crispy eggplant and pork belly bao with slaw and sticky hoisin. You can also load up with some larger dishes — mostly curries. There's a knockout beef Massaman, a red pumpkin curry with baby corn and snake beans, plus the usual suspects like Pad Thai and a 12-hour braised pork belly. Plus, plenty of vegan options to keep everyone happy. Even better, to celebrate the grand opening, The Hall is currently selling curry bowls for $4 a pop (limited to one per person, you greedy monsters). This offer is for a limited time and expires on Friday, 30 June. There's also a Tuesday 'Locals Night', where guests can get 25% off their bill. All you have to do is flash a Brunswick postcode on your licence. Joss Jenner-Leuthart, Managing Director of Welcome to Brunswick, says the new space was designed with community in mind, "When we opened Welcome To Brunswick in 2019, we wanted to be a place that Brunswick locals and visitors could come for no-fuss food, the freshest beer and an easy going local vibe. The Hall now adds casual pan-Asian plates to our food offer and gives locals another reason to come into their local!" The Hall is open five days a week, Tuesday to Saturday (weddings pending) from 5pm to 10pm. You'll probably need to book a seat if you want to nab a $4 curry bowl. The Hall at Welcome to Brunswick is open at 400 Sydney Rd, Brunswick from 5pm–10pm Tuesdays–Saturdays. Images: supplied.
When Banksy opened a hotel back in 2017, the famously elusive British artist did so with a purpose, satirising the industry while drawing attention to the political situation on the West Bank border between Palestine and Israel. Before that, when Banksy unveiled depressing theme park Dismaland in 2015, the artist also made a statement — as you'd expect in a place that featured dodgem cars run by the Grim Reaper, and a model boat pond filled with dead bodies and overcrowded asylum-seeker vessels. This time around, the well-known graffiti figure has launched an online art and homewares store, where customers can buy legitimate Banksy items straight from the source. It wouldn't be a Banksy venture without not only pressing a whole heap of topical points, but adding a few twists, of course. And yes, Gross Domestic Product delivers in both areas. Firstly, while there are currently 22 different items on the store's virtual shelves, you can't just click on everything you want, add them to your cart, type in your card details and wait for a delivery. As the site's opening statement explains, there's a registration system and a limit. Each customer (and each household) can only select one item in total — and before your purchase will even be considered, you'll need to answer a question: "Why does art matter?" Fans have until 11.59pm UK time on Monday, October 28 (9.59am AEDT / 8.59 AEST on Tuesday, October 28) to make their selection and come up with their response. Then, entrants will be selected at random and offered the opportunity to buy their chosen object. Your answer can't be more than 50 words, and it "must not be discriminatory or hateful" according to the terms and conditions. And, there'll be a judge — someone who is "impartial and independent, and a professional stand up comedian". https://www.instagram.com/p/B3ryrXJHbmy/ Yes, you're basically entering a competition to win the chance to buy Banksy pieces, which are "produced by a handful of people using recycled material wherever possible in a workplace culture of daytime drinking," the site explains. If you're still keen, each item has a fixed-price rate that Banksy deems to be well below market value — and wealthy art collectors are strongly encouraged not to apply. Everything comes with a certificate of authenticity and, as for what you can purchase, items range from the stab- and bullet-proof vest that Stormzy wore at Glastonbury, a Girl with Balloon t-shirt that comes pre-shredded, an ordinary wall clock from an office supplies store featuring a Banksy rat, and a home entertainment lighting system made from an old police riot helmet and around 650 small mirrors. With prices ranging from £10–750, perhaps you'd prefer a painted mug, a clutch bag made out of a brick, a TV with a painted Banksy piece over the screen (which "does substantially impair viewing quality", the sale description notes), soft toys caught in real beach debris and thenwall-mounted, a goldfish or a tombstone. As well as discouraging rich art folks from snapping up these goods — and noting that Gross Domestic Product reserves the right to cancel purchases if items are put up for re-sale on other sites — the store also links through to a venture called BBay. It's not up and running yet, but it describes itself as "the approved use Banksy dealership" and "your first choice destination to trade in secondhand art by a third-rate artist", so it might just be a new go-to to buy authentic Banksy pieces. Or, given how much the artist loves to rally against the unhealthy intersection of commerce and art (see last year's remote shredding prank, for example), the store and the site could just be Banksy's latest stunt. GDP does come with a disclaimer, after all: "You are advised that GDP may prove to be a disappointing retail experience — especially if you're successful in making a purchase." Image: The Art of Banksy, Olga Rozenbajgier.
Over the past 65 years, the Melbourne International Film Festival has screened thousands of films, new and old, spanning an array of styles, genres, themes and topics. Still, even though the fest has been living long and prospering, there's one thing the city's major annual cinema showcase hasn't done: they've never featured a science fiction retrospective. Great Scott. Until now, that is. In the words of Keanu: whoa. The 2017 fest is happily casting its eyes back through a wealth of sci-fi greats, so prepare to take quite the trip to a plethora of other worlds. The full program won't be revealed until July 11, but Jules Verne adaptation Invention for Destruction, the Kubrick-influencing Czechoslovak effort Ikarie XB-1, Marcello Mastroianni and Ursula Andress in sci-spy The 10th Victim and genetic engineering thriller These Are the Damned are all on the bill. Elsewhere, the lineup also includes a special Hear My Eyes session of Fantastic Planet, which comes complete with a reimagined live soundscape provided by prog-rock/jazz fusion act Krakatau. And, get ready to spend all night soaking in some sci-fi goodness during a Saturday night movie marathon at The Astor Theatre. Who doesn't want to spend an entire evening in a cinema watching beloved, controversial and under-appreciated faves? That's what film festivals are made for.
Goodbye Henry Cavill, hello Liam Hemsworth: when The Witcher returns for season four, that's the first big talking point. The change is old news, given that it was announced back in 2022, but seeing it in action isn't. And while Netflix hasn't yet revealed when it is bringing its hit fantasy series back, it has just dropped the first teaser for the new episodes — including the first look at Hemsworth (Land of Bad) as Geralt of Rivia. The icy long locks and the firm gaze are all accounted for in the brief debut glimpse at The Witcher season four, in what'll be the first season without Argylle's Cavill. Hemsworth takes over the part for not just season four but also season five, after the show was renewed for a fifth and final season in April 2024 before its fourth even airs. They're both currently being filmed back to back. So, get ready to toss a coin to your new witcher, and then one more time — but that'll be it. "As a Witcher fan I'm over the moon about the opportunity to play Geralt of Rivia," Hemsworth said when the casting change was initially announced. "Henry Cavill has been an incredible Geralt, and I'm honoured that he's handing me the reins and allowing me to take up the White Wolf's blades for the next chapter of his adventure. Henry, I've been a fan of yours for years and was inspired by what you brought to this beloved character. I may have some big boots to fill, but I'm truly excited to be stepping into The Witcher world," he continued. [caption id="attachment_748890" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Henry Cavill in The Witcher[/caption] If you haven't watched the first three seasons yet but the name sounds familiar from elsewhere, that's because The Witcher is based on the short stories and novels of writer Andrzej Sapkowski — and, as well as being turned into comics, it was adapted the video game series of the same name. A Polish film and TV show also reached screens in the early 2000s, although they were poorly received. Sapkowski's last three Witcher books, aka Baptism of Fire, The Tower of the Swallow and Lady of the Lake, will form the basis of the Netflix series' final two seasons. In the Netflix effort, Cavill and now Hemsworth play the witcher of the title. Geralt of Rivia prefers to work — aka slay beasts — alone in a realm called The Continent. But life has other plans for the lone wolf, forcing him to cross paths with powerful sorceress Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra, The Cypher) and young princess Ciri (Freya Allan, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes). Alongside Hemsworth, season four will also welcome Laurence Fishburne (John Wick: Chapter 4), Sharlto Copley (Boy Kills World), James Purefoy (The Veil) and Danny Woodburn (Bookie) to the cast. Check out the first teaser for The Witcher season four below: The Witcher's fourth season doesn't yet have a release date — we'll update you when one is announced. The show's first three seasons are currently available to stream via Netflix.
No longer just the realms of year three excursions where your mum came as chaperone, Melbourne Zoo Twilights — the after-hours live music series that boasts perhaps one of the best summer nights out, as well as lots of adorable animals — has proven it's got some real cred when it comes to hosting outdoor gigs in the past few years. After all, the event has hosted headliners such as Kurt Vile, José González and Warpaint over the last few years. And this summer the event will return with a series os live sets every weekend from Friday, January 26 through Saturday, March 10. At this stage the Zoo Twilights team have only announced one act on the 2018 bill: Ben Folds. In his return to Melbourne (he was last here in 2016), the American musician will play his two-part live show at the zoo on Friday, February 16 with support from the UK's Lucy Rose. Picnic-bringing is encouraged, but there'll also be handy gourmet hampers available on-site, as well as a slew of food trucks to choose nosh from. Either way, it's actually the one of the best dates in Melbourne. Plus, all proceeds from Zoo Twilights go back into Zoo Victoria's ongoing conservation work to help fight the extinction of the Eastern Barred Bandicoot. Melbourne Zoo Twilights will return to Melbourne Zoo from January 26 until March 10. The full lineup will be announced on October 18 (we'll let you know when it's up) and tickets go on sale at 8am on Tuesday, October 24 at zootwilights.org.au. By Lauren Vadnjal and Shannon Connellan. Image: Ian Laidlaw.
From juicy roast pork to honey-glazed ham to cups overflowing with eggnog, the festive season isn't usually the easiest time of year for people who don't eat animal products. Fortunately, the team at Serotonin Eatery have got vegans and vegos covered. After the success of their first vegan dinner party last month, the Burnley restaurant is hosting a three-course feast just in time for Christmas. Service starts at 6pm this Thursday, December 22, with a $49 ticket covering entrée, main and yuletide-themed dessert plus beverages both hot and cold. The menu is being kept under wraps for the time being, but rest assured it will make use of organic, local and fair trade ingredients, and will be 100 percent gluten-, sugar-, dairy- and cruelty-free. Best of all, 10 percent of all proceeds will be donated to Beyond Blue. 'Tis the giving season, after all.
Here's an excellent way to spend Halloween: watching the exceptional slasher flick that is the OG Halloween, aka one of iconic filmmaker John Carpenter's masterpieces, as well as the movie that helped make Jamie Lee Curtis a star. But when October 31 rolls around — or the month of October in general — you might want to expand your viewing. Sure, the Halloween franchise has plenty of entries, including a brand-new one in cinemas right now (and some excellent, some terrible and some average ones). It isn't the only worthy of your eyeballs while you're carving pumpkins, eating candy and dressing up in the most frightening costume you can conjure up, however. Every year, a whole heap of unsettling and unnerving flicks reach screens big and small. Every year, they spook us out all year round. But this is the time to binge them — and we've come up with a killer streaming marathon solely based on 2022 horror movies on the various platforms now. If your idea of a perfect Halloween this year involves getting reacquainted with that groove on your sofa and binging your way through the latest and greatest eerie flicks that are currently offer, here's ten that'll do the trick. You'll need to supply the treats, obviously. X In new slasher standout X, the eponymous letter doesn't simply mark a spot; it isn't by accident that the film takes its moniker from the classification given to the most violent and pornographic movies made. This is a horror flick set amid a porn shoot, after all, and it heartily embraces the fact that people like to watch from the get-go. Swaggering producer Wayne (Martin Henderson, The Gloaming), aspiring starlet Maxine Minx (Mia Goth, Emma), old-pro fellow actors Bobby-Lynne (Brittany Snow, Pitch Perfect 3) and Jackson Hole (Scott Mescudi, Don't Look Up), and arty director RJ (Owen Campbell, The Miseducation of Cameron Post) and his girlfriend/sound recorder Lorraine (Jenna Ortega, doing triple horror duty in 2022 so far in Scream, Studio 666 and now this) are counting on that truth to catapult themselves to fame. Hailing from Houston and aroused at the idea of repeating Debbie Does Dallas' success, they're heading out on the road to quieter climes to make the skin flick they're staking their futures on, and they desperately hope there's an audience. X is set in the 70s, as both the home-entertainment pornography market and big-screen slashers were beginning to blossom. As a result, it's similarly well aware that sex and death are cinema's traditional taboos, and that they'll always be linked. That's art imitating life, because sex begets life and life begets death, but rare is the recent horror movie that stresses the connection so explicitly yet playfully. Making those links is Ti West, the writer/director responsible for several indie horror gems over the past decade or so — see: cult favourites The House of the Devil and The Innkeepers — and thrusting a smart, savage and salacious delight towards his viewers here. Yes, he could've gone with The Texas Porn-Shoot Massacre for the feature's title, but he isn't remaking the obvious seminal piece of genre inspiration. X streams via Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. WEREWOLF BY NIGHT Running for 53 minutes, Werewolf by Night is more a standalone Marvel Cinematic Universe special than a movie. It's the first release of its type for the sprawling comic book-to-screen behemoth, and it makes the case for more like it. In fact, if you've been feeling fatigued by average big-screen MCU releases lately, it also makes the case for more variety and experimentation in the Marvel blockbuster realm in general — because when the usual mould gets tinkered with in a significant way, and not just with a goofy vibe like Thor: Love and Thunder, something special like this can result. The mood is all horror, in a glorious throwback way, complete with gorgeous black-and-white cinematography. The focus: hunting for monsters, which does, yes, involve bringing together a crew of new characters with special traits. Thankfully, that concept never feels formulaic because of how much creepy fun that Werewolf by Night is having, and how much love it splashes towards classic creature features. That monochrome look, and the shadowy lighting that comes with it, clearly nods to the ace monster flicks of the 1930s and 1940s; composer-turned-director Michael Giacchino (who provided Thor: Love and Thunder's score, in fact), must be a fan, as we all should be. His filmmaking contribution to the MCU takes its name from comic-book character Werewolf by Night, which dates back to the 70s on the page — but if you don't know that story, let the same-titled flick surprise you. The plot begins with five experienced monster hunters being summoned to Bloodstone Manor following the death of Ulysses Bloodstone, and told to get a-hunting around the grounds to work out who'll be the new leader (and also gain control of a powerful gem called the Bloodstone). That includes Jack Russell (Gael Garcia Bernal, Station Eleven), plus Ulysses' estranged daughter Elsa (Laura Donnelly, The Nevers). Everything that happens from there — and before that — instantly makes for pulpy and entertaining viewing. Werewolf by Night streams via Disney+. HELLBENDER Meet the Adams family — no, not the creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky characters that've featured on pages and screens for decades (including in two terrible recent animated flicks), but the filmmaking collective comprised of couple Toby Poser and John Adams, plus their daughters Zelda and Lulu Adams. The quartet might be missing a letter from their well-known counterparts' names, but they're just as fond of all things horror. Case in point: their second feature Hellbender, a self-financed gem that's both a spellbinding tale of witchcraft and a clever coming-of-age story. It starts in a house in the woods, and also spends most of its time there. It includes the arrival of an unexpected stranger, shattering the status quo. But formulaic and by-the-numbers, this must-see isn't. In making exceptional use of its setting, and of a cast that's primarily comprised of Adams family members, it's also a masterclass in lockdown filmmaking. In the most expected aspect of Hellbender, the film's name does indeed refer to a punk-metal band, with 16-year-old Izzy (Zelda Adams, The Deeper You Dig) and her mother (Toby Poser) its sole members. No one else has ever heard them play, either, given that Izzy is both homeschooled and confined to the family's sprawling mountainside property, as she has been since she was five. Her mum tells her that she can't venture into town or around other people due to a contagious autoimmune disease; however, when a lost man (John Adams) wanders their way and mentions that his teenage niece Amber (Lulu Adams) lives nearby, Izzy gets the confidence to go exploring. As both written and directed by three out of four Adams family members — all except Lulu — Hellbender proves an impressive supernatural affair from its opening occult-heavy prologue through to its astute take on teen rebellion. Here's hoping this Adams family spirits up more DIY horror delights soon, too. Hellbender streams via Shudder and iTunes. FRESH Finally, a film about dating in the 21st century with real bite — and that's unafraid to sink its teeth into the topic. In this hit Sundance horror-comedy, Normal People's Daisy Edgar-Jones plays Noa, and once again gets entangled in a romance that'll leave a mark; here, however, the scars aren't merely emotional. Swiping right hasn't been doing it for Fresh's protagonist, as a comically terrible date with the appropriately named Chad (Brett Dier, Jane the Virgin) demonstrates early. Then sparks fly the old-fashioned way, in-person at the supermarket, with the curiously offline doctor Steve (Sebastian Stan, Pam & Tommy). Soon, he's whisking her away to a secluded spot for the weekend — a little too swiftly for Noa's protective best friend Mollie's (Jojo T Gibbs, Twenties) liking, especially given that no one can virtually stalk his socials to scope him out — and that getaway takes a savage and nightmare-fuelling twist. If Raw met Ex Machina, then crossed paths with American Psycho and Hostel, and finally made the acquaintance of any old rom-com, Fresh still wouldn't be the end result — but its tone stems from those parts, as do some plot points and performances, and even a few scenes as well. First-time feature director Mimi Cave doesn't butcher these limbs, though, and screenwriter Lauryn Kahn (Ibiza) doesn't stitch them together like Frankenstein's monster. As anchored by the excellent Edgar-Jones and Stan, there's care, savvy, smarts and style in this splatter-filled, satirical, brutal, funny, empowered and sweet film. Its twists, and its cutting take on predatory dating, are best discovered by watching, but being turned off apps, men and meat in tandem is an instant gut reaction. Fresh streams via Disney+. PREY No stranger to voicing iconic lines, Arnold Schwarzenegger uttered one of his best-known phrases yet 35 years ago, in a franchise that's still going today. "If it bleeds, we can kill it" has been quoted frequently ever since — even by champion AFL coaches — and it's no spoiler to mention that it pops up again in the latest Predator film Prey. Trotting out that piece of dialogue won't surprise anyone, but this fine-tuned action-thriller should. It's one of the saga's best entries, serving up a lean, taut and thoughtful kill-or-be-killed battle set in the Comanche Nation 300 years ago. The Predator series hasn't been big on highlights over the years — Predator 2 is forgettable to put it nicely, 2010's Predators is effective, 2018's The Predator favoured its throwback vibes above all else, and the two terrible Alien vs Predator cross-over films are best left forgotten — however Prey not only breathes new life into it, but paves a welcome path for more. (Bring on a Prey sequel ASAP.) The overall premise remains the same, with the franchise's ruthless, brutal and technologically advanced alien species using earth as its hunting ground as the series has already established — and showing zero concern about leaving a body count. Trained healer Naru (Amber Midthunder, The Ice Road) is the first to notice that something is awry this time, spotting the predator's spaceship in the sky and taking it as a sign to follow her dream to become a hunter herself. Alas, that isn't the done thing. In fact, she's spent her entire life being told that she can't be like her brother Taabe (first-timer Dakota Beavers), and should focus on her assigned role instead. Now, even with an extra-terrestrial foe wreaking havoc, she's still dismissed at every turn. Midthunder plays Naru as a fierce, determined, persistent and resourceful force to be reckoned with, while writer/director Dan Trachtenberg — co-scripting with Jack Ryan's Patrick Aison — gives all things Predator the taut focus, canny shift and fresh feel he also gave the Cloverfield saga with 10 Cloverfield Lane. Prey streams via Disney+. WE'RE ALL GOING TO THE WORLD'S FAIR "Hey guys, Casey here. Welcome to my channel. Today I'm going to be taking the World's Fair Challenge." So says We're All Going to the World's Fair's protagonist (feature newcomer Anna Cobb) twice to start this absorbing horror film, to camera, in what makes a spectacular opening sequence. Next, an eerie wave of multicoloured light flashes across her face. Watching her response brings the also-excellent She Dies Tomorrow to mind, but Casey has her own viral phenomenon to deal with. She's doing what she says she will, aka viewing a strobing video, uttering a pivotal phrase and then smearing blood across her laptop screen — and she promises to document anything that changes afterwards, because others have made those kinds of reports. Written, directed and edited by fellow feature debutant Jane Schoenbrun, the instantly eerie and intriguing We're All Going to the World's Fair is that record. Schoenbrun's film is more than that, however. It also charts the connections that spring and splinter around Casey just by joining the online trend, where her videos spark others in return — and the spirals she goes down as she watches, which then sparks a response in her own way, too. A portrait of isolation and alienation as well, while chronicling the after effects of playing a virtual horror game, We're All Going to the World's Fair is also a picture of an always-recorded world. Take your lockdown mindset, your social-media scrolling, all that Zooming that defined the beginning of the pandemic and a gamer vibe, roll them all together, and that's still not quite this arresting movie — which keeps shifting and evolving just like Cobb's enigmatic and evocative performance. The entire flick earns that description and, not that it needs an established name's tick of approval, the fact that The Green Knight and A Ghost Story director David Lowery is an executive producer speaks volumes. We're All Going to the World's Fair streams via Shudder, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. HELLRAISER Horror remakes and sequels are a bit like Halloween itself: even if you're not a fan, they always keep coming. First, a key rule about giving beloved old flicks a do-over or a years-later followup: the originals always still exist, no matter how the new movies turn out. Now, a crucial point about Hellraiser circa 2022: it's never going to be the OG picture, but it's still visually impressive, eager to get gory in bold and inventive ways, well cast and also happy to muse thoughtfully on addiction. And yes, there's a note of warning included in that above assessment of a film that arrives 35 years after Clive Barker's first stab at the series, and following nine other sequels. Directed by The Night House helmer David Bruckner, the new Hellraiser is stylish with its violent, bloody imagery, but it also still loves ripping flesh apart — and serving up a grisly nightmare. For newcomers to the Hellraiser fold, beware of puzzles. The moving box here is oh-so-enticing — that's how it gets its victims — but it's also a portal to a hellish realm. That's where demonic, frightening-looking beings called Cenobites dwell, and they're eager to haunt and terrorise the living. (Yes, that includes the ghoulish Pinhead, whose aesthetic really is all there in the name.) Accordingly, this Hellraiser movie kicks off with millionaire Roland Voight (Goran Visnjic, The Boys) obsessed with the box, and his lawyer Menaker (Hiam Abbass, Ramy) luring in new people to get torn to pieces. Then, six years later, recovering drug addict Riley (Odessa A'zion, Good Girl Jane) and her boyfriend Trevor (Drew Starkey, The Terminal List) find the cube in their possession. When it claims the former's brother Matt (Brandon Flynn, Ratched), she's determined to work out what's going on — and, while never full of narrative surprises, the brutal imagery sears itself into viewers' memories. Hellraiser streams via Binge. MASTER Taking cues from Jordan Peele's Get Out and Donald Glover's Atlanta, as well as from old-school horror classics such as Rosemary's Baby and The Shining, college-set horror-thriller Master isn't lacking in well-known influences. It also isn't afraid to let the imprint left by its obvious predecessors visibly ripple through its frames. But being overly ambitious in stitching together a story that so clearly owes a debt backwards is one of this film's few missteps — that and being so brimming with ideas that not everything gets its due. Excavating the institutionalised racism that festers in the American university system is a big task, though, and first-time feature writer/director Mariama Diallo doesn't hold back. There's a slow-burn eeriness to this intense Ivy League-steeped affair, but also a go-for-broke mentality behind its dissection of deeply engrained prejudice and weaponised identity politics. Regina Hall (Nine Perfect Strangers), Zoe Renee (Black Lightning) and Amber Gray (The Underground Railroad) play Gail Bishop, Jasmine Moore and Liv Beckman, respectively — three women of colour at a New England uni, Ancaster, with a long history. The school's past is almost exclusively tied to white administrators and students, of course, so much so that Gail is the first Black head of the college, or master. Her appointment comes as Jasmine arrives and gets allocated to a dorm once inhabited by the college's first-ever Black pupil, whose tale ended in tragedy, and as popular professor Liv tries to earn tenure. Diallo balances racial politics and the supernatural with skill; yes, the former, and the way that 'diversity' is paid lip-service to boost the university's prestige, is far more chilling than the otherworldly bumps and jumps, but both play a key part in making this a smart and haunting feature. Master streams via Prime Video. GLORIOUS During his seven seasons on HBO's slinky supernatural drama True Blood, and in his 223 episodes on Home and Away before that, Ryan Kwanten navigated any actor's fair share of wild scenarios — and soapy and melodramatic, obviously. In Glorious, he's firmly in out-there territory, but as a troubled man conversing about life, love, loss, loyalty, the universe, gods, men, women and plenty more in a dank and grimy rest-stop bathroom. So far, so straightforward. Unexpected connections and cathartic chats can happen in all manner of places with all manner of people, after all. But Wes, Kwanten's character, is conversing with a glory hole. There's a powerful deity behind it, but all that Glorious' protagonist and the audience see is glowing neon light emanating from the circle between cubicles, and a pulsating orb of flesh hanging below the stall walls. Filmmaker Rebekah McKendry (Psycho Granny), plus screenwriters David Ian McKendry (All the Creatures Were Stirring), Joshua Hull (Chopping Block) and Todd Rigney (Headless), aren't shy about their Lovecraftian nods; not thinking about the sci-fi author's brand of cosmic horror and its focus on unfathomable terrors is impossible. Indeed, this'd make a fine double with Color Out of Space — a sincere compliment given that phantasmagorical delight is adapted from the author's words, while this feels like it should've been. Aided by cinematographer David Matthews (Jakob's Wife), McKendry cements the film's clear tribute via its aesthetic and atmosphere, with vibrant pink hues contrasting with the grotty bathroom, and the claustrophobic setting doing the same with the vastness emanating from Ghat, Wes' talkative new acquaintance. That JK Simmons (Spider-Man: No Way Home) lends his distinctive tones to the movie's pivotal voice does much to set the mood, understandably, but Kwanten's layered performance, a twisty narrative and an inspiredly OTT premise executed with flair also make Glorious memorable. Glorious streams via Shudder. SCREAM Twenty-six years ago, "do you like scary movies?" stopped being just an ordinary question. Posed by a wrong-number caller who happened to be a ghostface-masked killer with a fondness for kitchen knives, it was the snappiest and savviest line in one of the 90s' biggest horror films, and it's now one of cinema's iconic pieces of dialogue. It gets another whirl in the Scream franchise's fifth movie, which is also called Scream — and you'd really best answer it now with the heartiest yes possible. Taking over from the late, great Wes Craven, who also directed 1997's Scream 2, 2000's Scream 3 and 2011's Scream 4 but died in 2015, Ready or Not's Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett task their next generation of slasher fodder with showing their devotion to horror with all the subtlety of a masked murderer who can't stop taunting their prey. That'd be a new Ghostface, who terrorises today's Woodsboro high schoolers, because the fictional spot is up there with Sunnydale and Twin Peaks on the list of places that are flat-out hellish for teens. The same happened in Scream 4, but the first new attack by the saga's killer is designed to lure home someone who's left town. Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera, In the Heights) hightailed it the moment she was old enough, fleeing a family secret, but is beckoned back when her sister Tara (Jenna Ortega, You) receives the feature's opening "do you like scary movies?" call. Soon, bodies are piling up, Ghostface gives Woodsboro that grim sense of deja vu again, and Tara's friends — including the horror film-obsessed Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown, Yellowjackets), her twin Chad (Mason Gooding, Love, Victor), his girlfriend Liv (Sonia Ammar, Jappeloup), and other pals Wes (Dylan Minnette, 13 Reasons Why) and Amber (Mikey Madison, Better Things) — are trying to both survive while basically cycling through the OG feature again, complete with a crucial location, and sleuth out the culprit using their scary movie knowledge. Everyone's a suspect, including Sam herself and her out-of-towner boyfriend Richie (Jack Quaid, The Boys), and also the begrudging resident expert on this exact situation: ex-sheriff Dewey Riley (David Arquette, Spree). The latter is the reason that morning show host Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox, Cougar Town) and initial Ghostface target Sidney Prescott (Skyscraper) make the trip back to Woodsboro again as well. Scream streams via Binge, Paramount+, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. Looking for more things to watch? Check out our monthly streaming roundup, as well as our rundown of recent cinema releases that've been fast-tracked to digital home entertainment of late.
OVERVIEW Are you an authority on pop culture, music, food, drink, events and city life? Are you adept at putting your thoughts on those things into words that people can’t help but read? Are you a total pro at all things digital? Concrete Playground is currently seeking a skilled, experienced journalist/editor to join its Sydney team as deputy editor, and if you answered in the affirmative to all of the above, you may just be the person we’re looking for. RESPONSIBILITIES Working closely with the editor-in-chief from our Redfern, Sydney office, you'll come up with story ideas, write articles and commission work from a team of freelancers. Fastidious subediting will be a pillar of your day, as will making images, text, video and links work together as a happy whole. Your primary responsibilities will include: Leading Concrete Playground's news and features content across Australia and New Zealand.Management and growth of Concrete Playground’s various social media channels.Assisting with the planning and execution of Concrete Playground’s editorial strategy.Creation of varied written and multimedia content.Management of freelance news contributors across five cities. REQUIREMENTS A university degreeAt least one year's experience in the online media environment.A demonstrated ability to write smart, funny, popular articles quickly, and to come up with even more ideas than you can write.Solid subediting skills and ability to work with a style guide.Experience with social media management and strategy.Knowledge of SEO and basic HTML.Experience working with a content management system (preferably Wordpress).A good eye for images and skills with image production (preferably Photoshop).Expertise on the topics of music and pop culture, though you might also be strong in: technology, design, sustainability, current affairs, fashion, lifestyle, travel, food & drink, film, the arts and local cultural life.Some photography or videography skills. HOW TO APPLY Please send your cover letter, CV and links to 3-4 relevant online writing samples to Concrete Playground’s editor-in-chief, Rima Sabina Aouf, at contribute@concreteplayground.com.au WHO WE ARE Concrete Playground is an online weather vane pointing readers to the cultural tornadoes that are just about to hit. Our writers, editors and contributors have a constant ear to the under and above (but never middle) ground of the creative worlds of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Auckland and Wellington. Ideally, applicants will be pretty familiar with us and what we're about.
If you'd like this lockdown to run a little more smoothly than the previous four, we've found your solution: a timely care package of lasagne and lube. It's the ultimate stay-at-home set-up and it's coming at you this weekend only, courtesy of two Melbourne-based businesses supremely well-versed in the art of a good night in. Cult-favourite pasta delivery service 1800 Lasagne has teamed up with the minds behind Figr — a new Aussie-made water-based lubricant that's changing the game. Together, they've concocted one heck of a colluberation (sorry). This Saturday, July 24 and Sunday, July 25, the first 20 customers to pick up a food order from 1800 Lasagne's Thornbury HQ will also score themselves a free bottle of Figr's signature lube. Orders are made as usual over at 1800 Lasagne's website, then you'll just need to request your side serve of Figr from the friendly staff when you head in to pick up your tasty meal. "It was a no-brainer," 1800 Lasagne's Joey Kellock told Concrete Playground when asked about the pleasurable partnership. "The perfect union — love, lasagne and lube!" "We all need a little love from time to time, and with people during lockdown having a whole bunch of 'extra time on their hands', Figr and I thought we'd just help facilitate that love a little," he says. Figr's co-founders Eloise McCullough and Eloise O'Sullivan share the sentiment of this match made in heaven. "1800 Lasagne are the pros when it comes to slinging endorphins around in the back of a beat-up old car. Figr was designed for when endorphins are getting flung around in the back of a beat-up old car," the pair says. In the interests of a truly loved-up weekend, 1800 Lasagne will also have plenty of extra goodies available to order alongside your lasagne-and-lube combo, including garlic bread, creamy serves of tiramisu and bottles of Uggiano chianti. Figr launched into the local sexual wellness scene in May this year, with its natural, vegan lubricant made with native Australian extracts. They're on a mission to normalise lube, as the founders explain: "We want people to be comfortable seeing lube at their local deli, beauty shop or on your friend's nightstand." If you miss out on this weekend's lasagne lube, you can always stock up over here. [caption id="attachment_820408" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bianca Lamont[/caption]
It's not like you needed another excuse to visit the Yarra Valley, but here are two more: gin and cheese. And you can get your fill of both of them on a new guided tour that stops off at the wine region's best distilleries and cheese shops. Local operator Coco's Tours has added a new guided experience to its offering that showcases some of the area's most road trip-worthy gin and cheese. The day's events will kick off with a cheese tasting — if that's not a cracking start to the day, we don't know what is — before you move onto two different Yarra Valley distilleries: one well-established (we're guessing Four Pillars) and the other smaller and off the beaten path. You'll be guided through a full gin tasting at each venue, and have the chance to chat with the minds that created them. Lunch takes the form of a lavish spread of cheese and charcuterie, enjoyed at one of the region's best-loved cheese farms, matched with some sweeping views across the valley. Each gourmet getaway runs all day (from 10am till about 5pm), and includes transport to and from the Yarra Valley so you don't have to designate a driver. The usual pick up point is Windsor Railway Station, though there's the option to arrange one closer to home if you fancy. You'll have to get eight to 23 mates together to book the tour, which will cost $139 per person. Coco's gin and cheese tours are available for private bookings seven days a week. You can enquire here. Image: Four Pillars.
Blindside Gallery's latest split show brings us two markedly different exhibitions, splitting the space between the conceptual Feel the Confidence and the tactile Incessant Ruthlessness. Loosely linked by their obsession with time and agency, these two shows nonetheless feel somewhat out of balance — due largely to one of them being much stronger than the other. Jon Hewitt's Feel the Confidence lives mostly in its accompanying information booklet sitting on a plinth outside the gallery. While the booklet quotes sources, explains motivations and narrates the artist's history, the work itself offers little. A grid repeats the same photograph of a bald man's head 42 times on every page, each photo underscored by a name. These names are men we know — Picasso, Warhol, Da Vinci — all apparently sufferers (if we can use that term) of male pattern baldness. There were four of these identical pages hanging when I saw the exhibit, but the number will grow every day as the artist hangs a new edition until the space is filled with baldness. As the booklet elucidates, Hewitt doesn't have a lot of time for the art world. He considers it shallow, self-indulgent and above all, repetitive. He suggests that contemporary art is meaningless as any momentum or development has ceased, rendering attempts at participation largely futile. And yet, hair falls out — even Picasso, Warhol and Da Vinci's hair fell out, suggesting that no matter how great (or mediocre) an artist you are, you still can't stop that inexorable crawl towards death. The thing is, not all art is as shallow as Hewitt would have us believe. Sarah Bunting's Incessant Ruthlessness, exhibited in the next room, is testament to this. Where Hewitt finds that there is nothing worth expressing, Bunting's paintings seem to drown in an excess of information. In dark, foreboding swirls of colour, lonely figures stare facelessly out at us surrounded by objects past, present and future, unable to make sense of the machinery, furniture and advertising that surrounds them. These solitary figures seem so overwhelmed by their surroundings that they are unable to act on anything. Conceptually overlapping here with Feel the Confidence in regards to one's ability to have any effect on their surroundings, Incessant Ruthlessness explores the same territory with superior atmosphere and texture. That familiar feeling of being choked and oppressed is elicited, uniting a raft of viewers with an emotion that is undoubtedly universal, regardless of time and space — powerlessness. Blindside has curated an interesting show, with the disparate approaches of the two artists providing food for thought. As an artistic experience, Feel the Confidence's smug emptiness is outmatched by Incessant Ruthlessness' moody, engaging tableaux. Image credit Jon Hewitt.
Prepare yourself for a serious dose of girl power: Janelle Monáe and Kimbra are joining forces for an Australian tour. The two pop heavyweights, who bonded at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland last July, are coming to Australia for The Golden Electric Tour at the end of May. Scheduled for four shows throughout Australia, the dynamic duo is finishing the tour with serious kaboom at The Plenary on Monday, May 26. The award-winning pop powerhouses will co-headline the tour, combining forces for a portion of the show while also playing individual sets. Kimbra and Monáe first made sweet music together at an impromptu bar gig when they met last year. Their taste for eccentric pop music coupled with fierce vocals proved a heavenly match, thus the idea for a joint tour was born. To (successfully) hype us all up for the endeavour, the pair released an unfathomably adorable video singing a mash-up of Aretha Franklin's 'Rock Steady' and Michael Jackson's 'Wanna Be Startin' Something', both of which are sure to be on the set list. Monáe will feature tracks from her 2013 release The Electric Lady, as well as her celebrated 2010 debut album The ArchAndroid. Kimbra is expected to release the follow-up to her 2011 album Vows later this year, so fans should expect some new gems amongst the singalongs. Tickets go on sale 10am on Thursday, April 17 via Live Nation. Pre-sale is available for My Live Nation members at 10am on Monday, April 14. https://youtube.com/watch?v=SyqltX5lRhQ
Forget the trashy mags conveniently placed just near supermarket checkouts, and forget whatever the real-life royals are up to, too. These days, if you're keen on regal intrigue, then you're hooked on Netflix drama The Crown. And, after two eventful seasons, you're definitely eagerly awaiting the show's third batch of episodes — following the same characters but with an all-new cast. Since 2016, The Crown has peered inside both Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing Street, unpacking the goings-on behind Britain's houses of power. Set during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, the series has charted her wedding to Prince Philip, her coronation and the birth of her children (aka Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward). As well as delving into the monarch's marital ups and downs, The Crown has also explored the romantic life of her sister, Princess Margaret, plus the major political events throughout the late 40s, entire 50s and early 60s. During all this, viewers have become accustomed to seeing Claire Foy as Elizabeth, Matt Smith as Philip and Vanessa Kirby as Margaret. In the third season, however, they've all been replaced to better reflect the passing of time. Fresh from winning an Oscar for The Favourite earlier this year, Olivia Colman steps into ol' Lizzie's shoes, while Tobias Menzies and Helena Bonham Carter do the same with Philip and Margaret. Also joining the show is Josh O'Connor as Prince Charles, Erin Doherty as Princess Anne and Marion Bailey as the Queen Mother. Given the change of cast, and the fact that The Crown's last episodes hit Netflix at the end of 2017, the show's third season has been eagerly anticipated. While the just-dropped teaser doesn't include much at all in the way of detail, it does offer a 20-second glimpse at Colman as the Queen — and reveal that the series will return this November. A full trailer is bound to follow, giving fans a better look at the show's new stars. And, hopefully, touching upon the third season's storyline, which'll chart the years between 1964–1977, including Harold Wilson's (played by The Man Who Killed Don Quixote and The Children Act's Jason Watkins) two stints as prime minister. If you're waiting for the Margaret Thatcher era, and the arrival of Princess Diana, they're expected to be covered in The Crown's fourth season. For now, check out the third season's first teaser below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXrEnmracYw The Crown's third season will hit Netflix on November 17.
Enter Fitzroy's The Elysian and you could mistake it for a whisky bar tucked away in Japanese backstreets. Dim lights, comfortable leather seating, low tables and jazz playing endlessly all add to the bar's sophisticated edge. Most of the space is dedicated to the bar itself — a long, Californian redwood bar with bottles and bottles of whisky behind it. At least, that was the idea for owners and bartenders, Yao Wong and Kelvin Low (ex-Whisky and Alement) — to bring a taste of that Japanese bar culture to Melbourne. For anyone who has graced the whisky havens and cocktail bars of Tokyo, you'll agree they've pulled it off. The Elysian isn't just any old whisky slinger either — it's a shrine to the distilled amber liquid. With a 350-strong backbar, every bottle is either rare, interesting or an independently bottled whisky, hand-picked by Wong and Low. No big-name whisky brands here, mate. You'll find bottles from Japan, Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany, Australia and of course some top-notch scotch. There are bottles of The Whisky Agency, Sansibar, Acorn, Three Rivers, Signatory, and Eiling Lim, to name a few. If you're not a whisky drinker or just feel like something a little different, the bar has also got a range of rums, brandies and other spirits as well as classic cocktails, wines and a concise rotating selection of beers. Plus, there's a small food offering and by small — seeing as there's no kitchen — we mean small. Offering regular tasting events as well as some of the rarest drops in town, The Elysian Whisky Bar is a one-stop malty hotspot to please your palate and expand your knowledge on all things whisky.
Relax and re-centre your mind at Grass Roots Yoga in the heart of St Kilda. Recently under new management, this studio offers a range of classes that aim to make yoga accessible to everyone regardless of age, level or mindset. Whether you're looking for a class at sunrise, a mid-morning flow or an after-work session, Grass Roots has you covered. If you like to get your sweat on while in warrior pose, the yoga studio's core offering is a 35-degree hot yoga flow with a mindful twist. For those who don't want to hack the heat, there's a cooler 27-degree classic Vinyāsa flow class too. There are also restorative Nidra, yin yoga and an extensive program of workshops and events. Not only does the studio provide a large schedule of classes, but it also hosts local and international yoga retreats — there are day retreats to Sorrento (in the Mornington Peninsula, not Italy), weekend retreats to the coast and country and even Ibiza (in the works). Check out the website to learn about upcoming retreats.
Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you'll know that the local booze scene is busier than ever right now. And this Saturday, Thornbury's Out of Sundaland will showcase five of our finest drops as part of a gin-matched lunch degustation for World Gin Day. The all-Aussie gin lineup will reveal some of the country's most exciting forays into botanical booze, including Brookie's Rainforest Gin out of Byron Bay, the hot-ticket Bloody Shiraz Gin from Healesville's Four Pillars (who are also hosting World Gin Day festivities), Adelaide Hills' Green Ant Gin, Brunswick newcomers Patient Wolf and Byron\'s colour-changing, pea flower-tinted Ink Gin. Each of the five courses will be carefully matched to a signature cocktail crafted around one of these homegrown heroes; the drinks will be served deconstructed to give you a chance to sample the gin solo first. True to form, the restaurant will be revving up tastebuds with punchy, produce-led Aus-Asian plates to work alongside the likes of a Salty Gin cocktail from the bar. Food will set you back $60, with an extra $50 for the matched gins. If this sounds like your ultimate Saturday arvo sitch, there are still a few tickets left — snap them up here.
Summer is outdoor cinema season, as Melburnians well and truly know. But sometimes, as much as you'd like to catch a film under the stars, you'd also like to do so in a more intimate situation. That's not a pandemic-related reaction, but just recognition that big openair cinemas have their moments, and plenty of them — however, so do quieter and cosier movie-watching environments. You could take your own TV outside into your backyard, of course. You could rig up a sheet and buy a projector, too. Or, if you're still keen on treating yo'self and your favourite person to a night out of the house (and not just outside your own house), you can book a room at the Melbourne Marriott Hotel that comes with a private courtyard — which is then decked out with a hot tub and an outdoor cinema setup. Launched to entice Melburnians to enjoy a staycation over summer, the Marriott's new deal includes a five-star room, your own courtyard and place to soak outdoors, and your own big screen as well. You choose the movie, which you can then sit back and watch from the tub or from reclining camp deck chairs. And, to say cheers to all that, you'll also receive a two-pack of wine. You can order gourmet hampers to your room, too, and check out the mini bar — but that'll cost you extra. Room rates start from $399 per night and, if all that hot tubbing and movie-watching leaves you in need of a sleep in, you won't have to check out until 1pm the next day. Find the Melbourne Marriott Hotel on the corner of Lonsdale and Exhibition streets, Melbourne — with stays in a room with a private courtyard, outside hot tub and outdoor cinema screen starting at $399.
Mondays are the blurst, we know. But that's not to say that they can't be improved with some yummy food, good wine and interesting conversation — at least, that's what two young Melbourne chefs are out to prove. Jordon Garcia and Daniel Sullivan are out to make Monday nights a thing with their pop-up dining series, The Assembly. Held on the first Monday of August, September and October, The Assembly will takeover the kitchens of Mister Jennings, Hobba and The Boatbuilders Yard to serve a six-course degustation matched with local Victorian wines. Cutting their teeth in the kitchens of Mister Jennings, Red Spice Road and Susie Wong, the guys have taken on an ambitious menu that's set to change each month with the produce available. And at $94 for six dishes and matched wines, it's one of the more affordable degustations out there. But it's not just Monday's potential that they're out to prove — both Jordon and Daniel are only in their early 20s, and as emerging chefs, they're here to prove you don't have to be established to show people a good food, and a good time.
We've all been there. You've just finished off a delicious meal and someone asks if you can be tempted by dessert or a digestif. But why not have both? We're big believers in treating ourselves guilt-free, which is why Glenmorangie's latest collaboration with Maha Bar caught our attention. The scotch label has partnered with the Collingwood bar to celebrate the launch of its new cake-inspired whisky, A Tale of Cake. Designed by Glenmorangie's Director of Whisky Creation Dr Bill Lumsden, A Tale of Cake is aged in dessert wine casks, which gives it a distinct, candy-like flavour. To prove how well this new tipple would pair with a dessert, Glenmorangie had world-famous pastry chef Dominique Ansel (creator of the legendary cronut) design a special dessert to be enjoyed with A Tale of Cake cocktails, dubbed a Caketail. Now, to launch the spirit Down Under, Glenmorangie has done the same here, by teaming up with Maha to create its very own Caketail. The cocktail, designed by bar manager George Leung, pairs the whisky with coconut rum, caramelised pineapple shrub and lemon juice, and is topped with a saffron, coconut, almond and macadamia praline for a sweet, fruity tipple that's perfect on summery days. The dessert, created by Shane Delia, explores those flavours, too. It's a riff on a Middle Eastern basbousa, in which coconut cream is integrated into the traditional orange blossom crème and it's topped with charred pineapple that has been soaked in a Tale of Cake syrup. The end result is an extremely decadent cocktail and cake pairing that's perfect for the summery season. Maha's Caketail cocktail and dessert pairing will be available to order for delivery via Providoor between November 23–December 23. It'll cost $40 for the pairing, or you can order the cocktail only for $26. Images: Parker Blain
That most wonderful of foodstuffs is getting two nights to call its own, as the Melbourne Dumpling Festival returns for another year. Taking over the 206 Bourke Street development, this dumpling dine-in will feature dumps from some of Melbourne's best Chinese chefs, along with booze and other dumpling-related festivities. It all kicks off at 5pm on Friday, March 15 and Saturday, March 16 – meaning you'll have all Sunday to lounge around in a food coma. On the ground floor, more than 50 varieties of dumplings will be on offer across the weekend from Tim Ho Wan, China Red, China Chilli, House of Delight and Dragon Boat. And when you buy some, you'll score a free bubble tea or wine from the Riot Wine Co. pop-up laneway bar. Plus, there will be a silent disco, live music and a ball pit filled with prizes and the chance to win free dumplings for a year. But you'll want to also book yourself in for a dumpling and wine pairing 'experience' up on level one. For just $10, you'll be treated to five dumplings (one from each of the vendors) and three tastes of wine. Not bad. There'll be five sittings each night, and you can book in here.
Sick of searching for that one last kebab joint on your weekend walks home? Say hello to our city's new food trucks, ten mobile restaurants which will deliver snacks to the streets of Sydney. The ten trucks will offer a diverse range of gourmet tastes for patrons, with everything from tacos to steamed dumplings. Furthermore, there will even be a take on modern Australian cuisine from Stuart McGill, former sous chef at the globally acclaimed restaurant Tetsuya's. Vegetarians will also be pleased with one truck, Veggie Patch, that will serve up veggie burgers and veggie chips, while the truck itself runs on vegetable oil and proudly displays a herb garden on its roof. City of Sydney's Late Night Economy Manager, Suzie Matthews, says that the trucks will serve food "at random places and at random times." There will also be the development of an online app, as well as social media pages to let people know when and where the trucks will be appearing. Food trucks applicants to took their ideas to the City of Sydney last year, where they underwent a Masterchef-esque testing process that included a one hour cook-off. They also presented their business plans and backgrounds, and ten successful applicants were eventually chosen. This is one government initiative that all Sydneysiders will welcome with open arms and open mouths. Stop salivating and check out the video below for a sneak preview, with the real trucks expected to arrive in the next few weeks. The ten new Sydney food trucks are: • Agape • Al Carbon • Bite Sized Delights • Burger Theory • Cantina Mobil • Eat Art Truck • Let's Do Yum Cha • Taco Truck • Tsuru • Veggie Patch https://youtube.com/watch?v=jwuhf9J6lHs
With international travel off limits, many Australians are electing for staycations instead. Instead of taking off to Europe or South America, many holiday-goers are saving up their annual leave and electing to make the most of their own cities. If you're looking for a few days off work and a once-in-a-lifetime experience, MTV has launched a new travel deal for lovers of live music. At the core of the MTV Unplugged travel deal is two tickets to see Tash Sultana play an intimate show as part of the MTV Unplugged series on Tuesday, May 4. The concert will be held at a beloved, yet-to-be announced venue in Melbourne. Attendees will provided with transport too and from the venue where they'll witness stripped-back takes on songs from Sultana's new album Terra Firma, as well as classics from her back catalogue. The package also includes access to the exclusive VIP afterparty and a room at the Ovolo South Yarra. The 70s-inspired, dog-friendly hotel opened late last year and each room comes with a mini-bar full of free goodies, 24-hour gym access and a free drink at happy hour down at the hotel bar. Tickets start at $799 which covers two adults and a one-night stay at the Ovolo, or $1099 for two nights if you're looking to properly soak up the experience of the new hotel. Those who opt for the two-night package will also be given a $100 gift card to use on an extravagant trip to Melbourne mega-venue Ballers Clubhouse. Head to MTV's website to take check out the full offer. [caption id="attachment_794221" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ballers Clubhouse, Michael Gazzola[/caption] Top Image: Tash Sultana, Eric de Redelijkheid 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.
New Year's Eve is a time of endless possibilities but, simultaneously, endless stress as you try organising the perfect night to send off the year at the exact same time as everyone else. In an attempt to make things a little easier for some, four free celebration zones are being set up by the City of Melbourne as part of the end-of-year celebrations. These zones will be popping up at Alexandra Gardens, Docklands, Flagstaff Gardens and Treasury Gardens, each with their own lineup of entertainment as well as food trucks and views of the midnight fireworks. The most highly anticipated zone will be the Docklands spot, which will feature Australia's largest drone show lighting up the sky with 350 drones before both the 9.30pm and midnight fireworks. Starting the party and keeping it rolling until 1am will be DJ Mz Rizk, Asanti Dance Theatre leading an afro dance workshop and performances from The Listies and Jazz Party. Flagstaff Gardens will be treated to performances from local legend Emma Donovan and her band The Putbacks, while Treasury Gardens will host circus acts and the Melbourne Ska Orchestra, as well as DJs and interactive workshops with a party bent. [caption id="attachment_806820" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Emma Donovan and the Putbacks[/caption] Tickets are free but will be allocated via a ballot system. Registration is now open at the City of Melbourne website and close at 11.59pm on Sunday, December 12. Melbourne's New Year Street Feast will also be taking over the city as part of the celebrations once again, featuring eight outdoor dining precincts created for the festival. They'll be located in top culinary spots like Flinders Lane, Russell Place and Little Collins Street, as well as Fed Square and Docklands. The festival brings nearby venues including Chin Chin, Hazel, Hero and Supernormal together to serve up a jam-packed program of special menus and feasting experiences. Head to the City of Melbourne's website for the full program of New Year's Eve celebrations and to register for tickets to the celebration zones. Top image: Chris Phutully
Stripping back the Big Macs, McDonalds is set to reveal its latest campaign in Paris — with no staged food styling in sight. Developed by TBWA Paris as a 'Pictogram' campaign, McDonalds' new billboards see paired down classics like chicken nuggets, fries and Big Macs (which all look undeniably stylin'). One of the world's most easily identifiable brands, McDonalds' minimalist campaign exposes how ingrained their products are in consumer consciousness. Creative director Jean-François Goize, copywriter Frank Marinus, and art director/illustrator Michael Mikiels are capitalising on your nomming muscle memory to fill in the gaps. TBWA London paved the way with this type of advertising campaign with their No Logo strategy for FCUK, with Lego picking up the logo-less brand identification technique for their 2012 ads. Imagination is the key. Business Insider pointed out that "most men, women, and children in the world know the Mickey D's staples like they know their own names." ABC found that kids were learning to identify logos before their alphabet. Check out the campaign below, alongside TBWA's Azealia Banks-fuelled ad, full of highly attractive, youthful 'street artists'. https://youtube.com/watch?v=OFu4cN7Df-8 Via Business Insider.
In 2013, 300 people danced to Kate Bush's' Wuthering Heights in a field — and in 2019, the idea is back and bigger than ever. The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever is happening in Melbourne on Saturday, July 13 in Edinburgh Gardens. Yes, everyone should be dressed as Kate Bush, complete with a red dress, red stockings and black belt (men, that means you as well). On the day, a clowder (that's the collective noun for Kate Bushes, just FYI) will descend up the gardens and dancing the swaying, kicky dance in unison to the Wuthering Heights song for the pure joy of it. Support for this weird and wonderful outing has been widespread and Kate Bush fans from around the world have been inspired to create events in their home cities. So get your gear together (dress-makers are being flooded with orders for the day, check it out here) and ready yourself to roll and fall in green, out on the wily, windy moors of Edinburgh Gardens. If you need an incentive — other than the event itself, of course — it's now 41 years since the song was first released.
Inspired by design greats like Dieter Rams and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Uniform Black is dedicated to producing one-off wedding bands for men. While your average wedding band tends to be pretty straightforward, that's not the case at Uniform Black, as buyers work closely alongside the craftspeople to choose the ring's shape, thickness and metal in a hands-on experience. The company's Seddon-based appointment-only showroom is housed within a 100-year-old ex-cricket bat factory, with all of its unique pieces made to fit on-site.
While many chefs bring a creative force to the kitchen, not all get to realise their ambitions. Residence, a new destination restaurant in Parkville, aims to change that with an annual chef-in-residence format giving inspired culinary thinkers the time, space and resources to make their ideas a reality. Appropriately situated inside the Potter Museum of Art, this inventive concept is on the lookout for its inaugural resident chef. Though it might be nice to think your home-spun spaghetti bolognese is enough to cut the grade, Residence co-founders Nathen Doyle (Sunhands, Heartattack and Vine, Wide Open Road) and Cameron Earl (Carlton Wine Room, Embla, ST. ALi) have put together a three-stage assessment to shortlist only the best candidates. Sure, throw your hat in the ring, but your submission (open until March 21) needs to detail your influences, provide sample dishes and evoke your restaurant concept. Once selected, the new chef-in-residence will step into the business and begin their mentorship under the Residence executive team. Along the way, they'll receive exceptional front and back-of-house support, while tackling their restaurant opening head-on. That means leading a floor team, managing suppliers and, of course, receiving a cut of the venue's profits. After 12 months of culinary exploration, a new steward will be chosen to reinvent the space. "We want to help foster the next generation of industry professionals," says Doyle, adding that the venue is more than just a restaurant but a deliberate move towards a brighter, more forward-thinking hospitality industry. While close to a blank canvas, Residence is already equipped with a few details to help its chef on their journey. Serving as a daytime to evening destination, there's enough room for 40 patrons in the main dining area alongside 20 more in an adjacent espresso bar and private dining room. Designed by Collingwood interior designers, Studio Co & Co, guests should expect rich materials and uncompromising detail. For Earl, helping an early-career chef build their dream venue is an exciting prospect. "It might be a passionate chef who wants to share their personal story in restaurant form and honour the flavours of their heritage. We want the applicant to thrive in a supportive and innovative environment." Residence is set to open in winter 2025 at the Potter Museum of Art, 815 Swanston Street, Parkville. Head to the website for more information.
A team of London-based designers have come up with a solution to the information overload suffered by most of us in this digital age. It's called Little Printer, created by BERG. Saving its users from wading through the endless content in the online information jungle, this itty bitty printer navigates the web on their behalf. It turns select content from its partners Arup, foursquare, Google, the Guardian, and Nike into miniature newspapers, delivered multiple times each day and ready to be popped into a wallet and read on the go. The little guy operates with a zero-configuration wireless connection to the web, and produces inkless thermal prints. The printer is also configured to your phone, to produce customised to-do lists that are just the right size for your back pocket. It will also print your friends' check-ins, plus cross word puzzles and word games - just make sure there's a pen in your other pocket. While there are obviously much more practical ways to catch up on your reading, this itty bitty printer has a face. A face! If nothing else, the BERG design is bound for success based purely on the cuteness factor. And as more and more publications go digital, there's something special about getting your news in physical form. Pre-orders for Little Printer open in 2012, and you can sign up for the mailing list here.
Argentina might be a hefty 11,000 kilometres away, but this weekend that won't stop you from snacking like you're a local on the streets of Buenos Aires. Argentinian-born chef Dan Szwarc (San Telmo Group) is bringing his popular empanada kitchen to Brunswick's Baketico for a weekend of pastry-filled goodness. On Saturday, February 12, and Sunday, February 13, Dan's Empanada Bar will be taking over the kiosk to serve a menu of authentic Argentinian treats and his own original creations. Drop by from 10am to score empanadas filled with combinations like creamed corn and cheddar, braised chicken with basil, and roasted cauliflower and pine nut. They're cooked to order and served piping hot for you to enjoy at Baketico's outdoor tables, or you can stock up on take-home products, ready to bake or fry for dinner. If you've ever tried an alfajor, Argentina's go-to sweet treat, you'll be pretty excited about the dessert offering, too. Dan's slinging his take on the dish — traditionally, a soft biscuit loaded with rich dulce de leche — along with alfajor helado, a dulce de leche ice cream sandwich glazed with dark chocolate. [caption id="attachment_842581" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Baketico[/caption]
Floral bursts of sunshine are blooming all across a farm in rural Victoria, and they're ready for you to wander through, take plenty of snaps and pick till your heart's content. We're talking about sunflowers, of course — the undeniably cheeriest of all flowers — which are currently on offer just under 90 minutes drive from Melbourne. Exactly what Pick Your Own Sunflowers entails is rather obvious. You'll make the trip to Laiken and Karl Britt's farm in Dunnstown, pay $5 to get in, then get frolicking — and you'll also receive one sunflower included in the entry price. If you're keen on nabbing more, they'll set you back an extra $2 per additional sunflower. Remember to take cash, too, because there's no EFTPOS onsite. You'll also want to wear boots and bring your own secateurs. You'll be on a farm, so be careful to look out for snakes in the field as well. Other than that, you'll have some eye-catching Instagram photos and at least one flower to take home with you in no time. If you're wondering why this sunflower extravaganza has popped up, it's because the Britts planted 15 acres worth of seeds last November — and now more than 200,000 sunflowers are blossoming. Pick Your Own Sunflower sessions run across the long weekend — from 10am–6pm on Saturday, March 7, 12–6pm on Sunday, March 8 and 10am–6pm on Monday, March 9. Top image: Pick Your Own Sunflowers.
Think you've seen all the beaches Australia has to offer? Maybe you have, but never like this (unless you're an Aquabumps fan). Shot from doorless helicopters, American photographer Gray Malin has captured your weekend days on the beach, from above. Feast your eyes upon the white sand dotted with colourful towels and big umbrellas. Malin has combined the beauty of Australian people, Australian beaches, culture and even ocean pools to make creative and interesting shots of a relatively ordinary day. These photos represent the perfect Australian summer day at the beach. Bondi Beach Swimmers Bondi Beach Bronte Beach Pool Gordons Bay Maroubra Beach Surfers
If your favourite kind of art is the stuff that's contemporary, independent and far from boring, your collection could soon be in for a boost. After a brief hiatus, The Other Art Fair is taking over Port Melbourne's The Timber Yard from Thursday, January 30–Sunday, February 2, delivering a dynamic curation of artwork, plus installations, performances, workshops and more. A far cry from the pretentious art fairs of old, Saatchi Art's touring event will this year showcase works from over 100 contemporary artists, with the supporting program covering everything from live tattooing to immersive art installations — this year's is a huge rave cave. You'll catch eye-opening pieces from established and emerging Aussie talent, including Steve Leadbeater, Katherine Gailer, Simone Thomson and others. And if you fancy browsing artworks with a drink in hand, you can drop by the bar for wine, beer and spirits. There'll be an array of food stalls to choose from throughout the four-day art fest.
One of the country's longest-running music festivals is back and bigger than ever, with the iconic St Kilda Festival returning next month with a stacked program of performances across an expanded multi-day format. From Saturday, February 5–Sunday, February 13, multiple stages across the suburb's foreshore will play host to a diverse lineup of live tunes and dance performances, backed by a jam-packed offering of food, market stalls, workshops and carnival rides. Set to fire up the Foreshore Stage are big-name acts like Daryl Braithwaite, Emma Donovan and The Putbacks, Gordi, Baker Boy, Soju Gang and The Bamboos, while on February 12, you'll catch the likes of Archie Roach, Chasing Ghosts, Kee'ahn and The Merindas here as part of the Yaluk-ut Weelam Ngargee First Peoples arts and cultural showcase. Elsewhere, enjoy pop tunes courtesy of acts like Ashwarya and Devy; R&B sounds delivered by Vetta Borne and Squid the Kid; a touch of psychedelic rock via The Lazy Eyes; DJ sets from favourites like Big Rig and DJ pgz; and a dose of signature sparkle from performance artists The Huxleys. There's a whole roster of family-friendly entertainment in the works, plus many local businesses will extend their trading hours for the occasion, amplifying the precinct's summertime buzz. There'll also be an array of food and market stalls to shop in between gigs. Images: Nathan Doran
Italian filmmaker Nanni Moretti is no stranger to death, or to examining the subject on film. It might be something most of us don't like to think about, however the writer-director understands the shadow mortality can cast, as well as the way that the act of mourning can overtake a person's life. After exploring the impact of losing a child in 2001's Palme d'Or winner The Son's Room, and then writing and starring in 2008's Quiet Chaos, he returns to the topic with Mia Madre. That the film's name means "my mother" in his native tongue is telling. Taking a decidedly meta approach. the film follows a filmmaker in the midst of production while at the same time coping with the hospitalisation of her mother. It's not quite as autobiographical as it sounds: the director is a woman, Margherita (Margherita Buy), while Moretti plays her brother Giovanni, and veteran Italian actress Giulia Lazzarini plays their mother. And yet, in the way that Mia Madre hones in on the stress of simultaneous professional and personal crises, there's no doubting that the tale evolves from experience. As her mother's health begins to decline, Margherita struggles to make her movie – about factory employees fighting for better working conditions – while also using it as a distraction from her troubles. Alas, her freshly arrived American lead (John Turturro) refuses to learn his lines or follow her directions, constantly derailing and delaying production. With her live-in lover in the process of moving out and her teenage daughter struggling at school, Margherita's home life offers little solace either. Depicting many a balancing act, Mia Madre swiftly proves one itself. Moretti keeps searching for the right mix between quiet and anxious, dramatic and comedic, and contemplative and freewheeling. In fact, his film is more convincing in demonstrating how frustrating that can be than it is in finding any harmony between its competing elements. Of course, that's partially the point, with grief clearly painted as a disruptive and destabilising force. And yet, as accurate and authentic as the movie's messiness feels in an emotional sense, it also makes other contrasting factors — such as the patient camerawork and energetic performances — seem slight, a little convenient and sometimes out of place. Indeed, it's always distracting when a specific actor appears as though they're in the wrong film, even when they're one of the best things about it. Turturro lights up the screen and brings a few well-timed comic moments, yet never completely fits in with his surroundings. That's not a criticism of his performance, or of the more restrained but similarly excellent efforts of Buy and Moretti. Instead, it's an acknowledgement that even in thoughtful, intimate accounts of something as complex and challenging as death, mimicking chaos and actually embodying it aren't quite the same thing.
Melbourne is about to get a whole lot jazzier as the streets and laneways of the city are set to come alive with the sounds of brass, the beats of drums, and the smooth notes of saxophone. These sounds can only mean one thing: the Melbourne International Jazz Festival (MIJF) is back in town. From October 20 to October 29, Australia's top jazz event will treat locals and tourists alike to over 100 performances in more than 30 venues. The ten-day extravaganza will see jazz music swinging into concert halls, bustling bars, iconic live music joints and even along the scenic banks of the Yarra. Hell, if you're up for a swim, you might even catch some smooth tunes at the Melbourne City Baths. The MIJF has been Melbourne's prized possession since 1998, and it's been a magical time of the year ever since. But this year, the festival organisers have truly outdone themselves, as more than 450 artists from all over the world — paired with Australia's finest — are about to elevate the city's vibe. Highlights include the legendary Chaka Khan, who will be gracing the Sidney Myer Music Bowl stage, celebrating half a century in music and a chill resume boasting ten Grammys. Joining her for the Jazz at the Bowl will be the eternally-funky Nile Rodgers & CHIC, along with Australia's very own Kaiit and Horns of Leroy. Elsewhere, the festival has an expansive array of free community events. You can experience a taste of New Orleans right here in Melbourne as a vibrant parade headed by the Hot 8 Brass Band graces Southbank for one hell of a street party. For those who like their jazz with a side of community spirit, there's the Jazz Westside program which will visit Footscray, Moonee Ponds and Spotswood's Grazeland. Meanwhile, the ever-popular Late Night Jams at The JazzLab returns for another year. And if you've ever wanted to get up close and personal with the artists, the Close Encounters panel sessions have got you covered. So alert your mates, put on your dancing shoes, and get ready to experience the biggest Melbourne International Jazz Festival yet. Head to Visit Melbourne for the full rundown and to check out what else is happening in Melbourne this spring.
Melburnians, prepare for the saddest garage sale ever. But at least it’s a chance to take a little piece of the Palace Theatre home with you, put it on your mantelpiece and reminisce over the days when live music came before hotels and apartment blocks. To all those who fought so hard and for so long after the Palace's dramatic and controversial closure, we salute you. The event is a follow-up to the Palace’s successful rare memorabilia sale, held last weekend. It saw hundreds of music fans nabbing bargains on all manner of music merchandise, from unframed Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds posters to ticket stubs and t-shirts. Some merch might still be hanging around, but you’ll also have the chance to buy bits and pieces of the Palace’s nuts and bolts. We’re talking sound gear, chunks of the bar, assorted fridges, stools, couches, scrubbing brushes, electronic gadgets and even the coffee machine. The coffee machine! The Palace Theatre garage sale will happen on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 April at 11 Cromwell Parade, West Footscray. Doors will open and deals will be struck between 10am and 4pm. Just one word of advice: if your eyes are on the coffee machine, you’d better get there early. Fans were queueing for the merch sale for at least an hour before kick-off.
Arts House and Melbourne Festival present YOUARENOWHERE, the new one-man show from Brooklyn-based artist Andrew Schneider. One of two works by the acclaimed creative on this year's Melbourne Festival program, the work could be described as part lecture, part light show. Or, to put it another way, "a fucked up TED talk on love and physics." Taking the stage at Arts House for five nights only starting on Thursday, October 15, Schneider will speak on everything from parallel universes to quantum mechanics to AA recovery steps. All the while, he'll compete with crackling audio and bombastic lighting effects controlled both by his voice and by sensors all over his body. The desired effect is total sensory overload — and if the trailer below is anything to go by, it appears to have been achieved.
Let's be honest, Apple has taken over the world. They've changed the way we listen to music, the way we use computers, the way a phone operates. Sure there is always talk about how it's not the best technology and that other things work better, faster and more reliably but there's nothing that can match the simple cool of the famous white headphones. But how does any of that explain the design for the new Apple HQ in California? Resembling an alien mothership, the completely circular building is built on an old Hewlett Packard site. Mimicking the glass aesthetic of Apple Stores worldwide, there is not a single straight piece of glass in the entire building. The plans include 6,000 trees in the landscaped central courtyard, as well as a natural-gas power generation facility so that they don't have to rely on the fickle Californian grid. The futuristic feat of engineering is yet to pass the local council's approval, so this mothership may never take off. See the video below for Steve Jobs' personal appeal to the council. https://youtube.com/watch?v=gtuz5OmOh_M [Via Geekologie]
No, not a bird. Not a plane, but quite close to it. Aero-Train is a new prototype that would eliminate the problem of friction between a train and its tracks by flying extremely close to the ground. A paper given at the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation discussed the high-speed, high-efficiency possibilities of the use of levitation in train transport, and sparked the development of the Aero Train concept. This video demonstrates the first version of Aero Train in action. The vehicle would be complex to control, requiring a highly skilled driver or even computer. But so efficient is the design that wind turbines or solar panels could power it. https://youtube.com/watch?v=EaN7Kxk1_e8 [Via Fast Company]
How do you make it in the theatre when you're neurologically incapable of sticking to a script? That was the challenge faced by Jess Thom, whose Tourette's compels her to shout out words like "hedgehog" and "biscuit" thousands of times each day. A comedic exploration of a misunderstood psychological condition, by its nature no two performances of Backstage in Biscuit Land are the same. Making its Australian premiere at this year's Melbourne Festival, the performances will be "relaxed", welcoming audience members with learning disabilities, movement disorders and other physical and neurological conditions that might otherwise prevent them from enjoying a night out at the theatre.
Mount Buller's après-ski scene is about to become more vibrant than ever, as renowned hospitality group Tommy Collins heads to the slopes for a four-weekend season. Presented across exclusive dining events and gastronomic street parties, several Melbourne-based culinary hotshots will bring a little more warmth to the snow, taking over the beloved mountainside venues, Villager and Little Villager. Transporting their pots and pans to the summit, Grant Smillie (Marmont), Jason Jones (Entrecôte) and Frank Camorra (MoVida) will host a series of intimate, ticketed dinners, with each restaurant moving into the venue for a one-weekend-only dinner. Expect each session to ease into the evening with canapes and cocktails on The Villager Deck from 5.30pm. Then, the soiree moves inside for a seated feast guided by alpine flair, top-tier drinks and curated live entertainment that takes the mountainside ambience up a notch. With more dates to be announced, the festivities kick off on Thursday, June 5–Saturday, June 7, with Grant Smillie's California-inspired Marmont, featuring winter-warming dishes like slow-cooked lamb shoulder and a chocolate chip cookie with cognac ice cream. Next, MoVida takes over with innovative Spanish cuisine from Friday, August 1–Saturday, August 2, serving an expansive menu including smoked Skull Island prawns, roasted suckling pig and, of course, hot churros dipped in rich chocolate sauce. Finally, Prahran's Entrecôte arrives on Friday, August 15–Saturday, August 16, with its legendary steak frites, profiteroles au chocolat and all-around chic Parisian cuisine. With more to be revealed, each dinner is limited to just 120 guests per night, while diverse beverage programs will showcase standout wines, signature serves and cheeky surprises. With the owners of these restaurants a surprisingly musical bunch, you might just catch Jones tickling the ivories and Smillie in the DJ booth. Yet dinner is only one part of the reason to head to the alps. Après-Ski Street Parties will also shut down Mount Buller's Bourke Street every Thursday for an open-air celebration of cocktails, culture and connection. Think boozy sessions featuring curated drinks and icy alpine shooters set against world-class DJs spinning tunes from midday to golden hour. Slide into stylish outdoor lounges, soak up the open-air mountainside mood and break out your most glamorous après-ski outfit, as 200 revellers heat up the slopes. For those keen to get their winter started in the best way possible, Tommy Collins has put together the free but ticketed 'Party for the People' over the King's Birthday long weekend. Presented by Grant Smillie and friends, the snowfields will become a private playground from 1pm–5pm on Thursday, June 5, as this all-out alpine celebration combines live DJs with California-style eats and pyro-led performances. Tommy Collins' Mount Buller series kicks off on Thursday, June 5. Head to the website for more information.
The site of an old 1920s social club for workers in the CBD has reopened as a contemporary and comforting Italian restaurant. The Hardware Club, opening on Hardware Lane, is the maiden venture for childhood friends Nicola Dusi and Andrea Ceriani, who arrived in Melbourne from Verona, Italy, nine years ago. Their collective resume boasts stints at the likes of D.O.C Pizzeria, Baby Pizza, Chin Chin and +39 Pizzeria — so you know this one is going to be good. The intimate 65-seater combines elements of a neighbourhood Italian restaurant and an 80s household kitchen — homely, but refined — with marble bench tops, green banquettes, wooden tables and white tiles. A bar overlooking the laneway takes pride of place in the front space and is primed for after-work cocktails and snacks. Speaking of food, Head Chef Dusi has created a menu designed to comfort and nurture, rather than push too many boundaries. A daytime offering features small bites — think, 16-month prosciutto di Parma served with pickles, and buffalo mozzarella with lashings of olive oil — alongside classic pizzas, a handful of mains and a rotating lineup of pasta. You'll find the likes of amatriciana starring pork jowl and pecorino, seafood spaghetti and a milk bolognese rigatoni. [caption id="attachment_746955" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josh Robenstone[/caption] Meanwhile, the dinner menu covers all the bases, running from snacks through to heartier main plates. Small plates like fried salt and pepper squid, and roasted marrow bones teamed with salsa verde make a good play for the after-work crowd, while those with bigger appetites can get stuck into dishes like an osso buco ravioli, and baked rainbow trout matched with crème fraîche and Yarra Valley roe. There's even an entire coil of Italian fennel and chilli sausage, with silverbeet and chilli oil. Sticking with the homely Italian theme, the drinks list showcases a diverse spread of Italian drops, alongside Aussie and imported brews, and a lineup of classic Italian cocktails. The upcoming summer months will be all about the negronis, Venetian-style spritzes and refreshing serves of Montenegro and tonic. Find The Hardware Club at 43 Hardware Lane, Melbourne. It's open daily from 12–3pm and from 5.30pm till late. Images: Josh Robenstone. Updated: November 1, 2019.
The Union Club Hotel is a Fitzroy stalwart. Walk into any of its rooms, any day of the week, and you'll see a steady collection of loyal locals knocking back pots. While it's a traditional Aussie pub, it has adapted to the times. It's lineup of good pub grub (parmas, burgers and steaks) come with considered gluten-free and vegetarian alternatives (eggplant parma, felafel burger and Nepalese dahl). It's walls are covered with music posters from yonder, but other walls adorn more recent street are, and the sprawling, heated beer garden downstairs is spotted with lush fig leafs. There's another option for outdoor dining, too, a rooftop deck — perfect for sunlit after-work drinks.
Every gig should be its own distinctive experience, even if a band is hitting city after city on a massive national or international tour. But there's unique concerts and then there's Sigur Rós' latest run of shows. While there's nothing quite like seeing the Icelandic band live in general, they'll be doing something different on their next trip to Australia: taking to the stage with live orchestras. Jónsi Birgisson, Georg Hólm and Kjartan Sveinsson will play with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra when Sigur Rós' current orchestral tour makes its way to the Victorian capital. Across the rest of 2024, fans across the US and Nordic countries can catch the group joining forces with a 41-piece orchestra. Then, come Monday, May 19–Tuesday, May 20 at Hamer Hall, it's Melbourne's turn to witness quite a few new members temporarily join the band. ÁTTA, their 2023 album, will be in the spotlight, as the last time they toured Down Under was in 2022, before it was released — and it was was recorded with arrangements featuring a 32-piece orchestra. [caption id="attachment_974240" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kathryn Parson Photography via Flickr.[/caption] Fans can expect tracks from their 1997 debut Von onwards, however, spanning tunes from fellow records Ágætis byrjun, ( ), Takk..., Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust, Valtari and Kveikur. That last — and soldout — trip this way was part of the group's first tour in five years, but clearly they haven't left the same gap go by between then and their next tour. Sigur Rós first started doing the rounds with an orchestra in 2023, playing a limited number of gigs, before expanding the experience further. Next stop: Australia. [caption id="attachment_974235" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alive87 via Wikimedia Commons.[/caption] Top image: Goatling via Flickr.
Take a seat. Please, I insist, just so that you can jump out of it and celebrate in true headbanging style at the news that Nine Inch Nails and Queens of the Stone Age are heading Down Under in 2014 for a co-headline tour. Okay, now take a seat again and continue to read on. Two of the biggest acts in alternative rock are set to arrive on our shores in March next year. This is glorious news to Oceania fans who haven't seen Nine Inch Nails since 2009 and Queens of the Stone Age since 2011. Both bands have teased since May about heading this way, when Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme told triple j's Tom and Alex, "Everybody who knows me knows that Australia is my home away from home. I also think it's time that we come and tell our own stories, so we're gonna skip the round of festivals and see you in your fall." Nine Inch Nails lead Trent Reznor then revealed his band's intentions to head down under when they turned down Soundwave in favour of a "better scenario" for fans. Well, there is no better scenario than seeing them combine with QOTSA for a tour that is sure to go down in legend. Australia: we love you and we're coming. Didn't feel Soundwave was the right vibe for us or our fans - working on a better scenario.— Trent Reznor (@trent_reznor) August 23, 2013 The tour comes on the back of Nine Inch Nails' and QOTSA's recent respective releases, the much-heralded Hesitation Marks and ...Like Clockwork, and they will be joined on stage by Australian-born Brody Dalle, Mrs Josh Homme, of The Distillers and Spinnerette fame. Which one of the two bands will play first each night? That will be left to a flip of the coin. Seriously. The full list of tour dates and venues are below. Tickets start from $105 and will be available through a Frontier Members pre-sale from noon on Tuesday, October 22, and available to the general public from 9am on Thursday, November 24. Nine Inch Nails Queens Of The Stone Age Co-Headline Tour Dates Thursday March 6, 2014 Sydney Entertainment Centre, Sydney – All Ages Saturday March 8, 2014 Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Newcastle – All Ages Tuesday March 11, 2014 Perth Arena, Perth – All Ages Thursday March 13, 2014 Adelaide Entertainment Centre Arena, Adelaide – All Ages Friday March 14, 2014 Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne – All Ages Monday March 17, 2014 Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane – All Ages Wednesday March 19, 2014 Vector Arena, Auckland - All Ages Saturday March 22, 2014 CBS Canterbury Arena, Christchurch - All Ages
The team behind Merrymen cafe in Hampton launched into the sandwich game with its latest bayside venture Robin's Deli. Here, only eight stacked sandwiches are up for grabs (plus fries and hash browns for good measure). But don't let the small menu fool you. Robin's Deli isn't playing it safe — nor is it making things simple and easy for itself. The limited menu and smaller site give Chef Cristina Kelly the opportunity to be super creative, abandoning classic sanga combos and opting for far more fun creations. The options are divided into brekkie baps, fresh sandwiches and toasties. For an easy $10, locals can nab the breakfast muffin loaded with pork sausage, a fried egg, American cheese, chilli jam and Robin's secret sauce. Or they can start the day with a souped-up Vegemite toastie made with mozzarella, gruyere, cheddar and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Praise the cheese gods. The fresh offerings lean more into the healthy side of things, with the salad sandwich chock-full of local veg and a punchy green sauce, while the roasted chicken option is kept more classic with just a herbed aioli, pickled onion and shredded lettuce. Then we get to the four toasties. These are for those wanting a more gluttonous lunch. There's the mortadella toastie that's also filled with stracciatella, sundried tomato pesto, fermented hot honey and pistachios. And the meatball sub consists of a baguette stuffed with pork and beef meatballs, Napoli sauce, honey cumin yoghurt and chimichurri. We could go on with listing the whole menu or you could just head down to Robin's Deli in Cheltenham yourself. If you drop by for lunch, beers will be on offer. But you can also get around classic cafe staples like coffee courtesy of Inglewood Coffee Roasters, chai, juices and sodas. Bevs are kept simple at Robin's Deli. It's the sangas that really shine.
Melburnians, grabbing a bite to eat out of the house just got 25-percent cheaper — for a limited time, and as long as you hit up an eatery within the City of Melbourne municipality between Monday–Thursday. As they've done twice before now, the Victorian Government and the City of Melbourne have teamed up to give the city's residents an extra incentive to head to a restaurant, bringing back their Melbourne Money dining scheme. Still called Midweek Melbourne Money this time around — with that first word in the title highlighting a key rule — it covers meals either early or midway through the working week. Make a breakfast, lunch or dinner date across the first four days of the usual grind and you can score cash back, up to $125 per person across the life if the program. Returning after the impact of the Omicron wave over summer, the initiative kicks off again on Monday, March 7, and applies to food and drink purchases anywhere that meals are sold — such as restaurants, cafes and pubs, as well as bars, clubs, breweries and distilleries — across the municipality. And, it'll cover a quarter of your transaction total, as long as you spend between $40–500 (including GST). Among the places that aren't covered: mobile food trucks, vans, canteens, trailers and pop-up restaurants; catering, function and reception centres; private river cruises; convenience stores, milk bars, supermarkets, greengrocer, grocery store and service stations; and confectionery shops and packaged food stores. [caption id="attachment_843534" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yakimono Dining Room[/caption] Once again, the focus is on eating out; however, you can also use the rebate for takeaways — as long as it is ordered either in-person, online or by phone on the eligible days, meets the $40 minimum spend and is collected by you from the venue. Accordingly, that means that you can't claim the 25-percent cash back on food that you order via home delivery companies such as Uber Eats and Deliveroo. Also, the same big caveat that's been in place the last two times variations of the scheme ran still remains. So, you do need to purchase something to eat to get the rebate, with your drinks only covered if you're buying food. This time there's $10 million available in total, and there's another important thing to take into consideration: it works on a first in, first served basis. So, heading out or getting takeaway as soon as the scheme starts and submitting your claim for a rebate immediately afterwards is recommended, as Midweek Melbourne Money will only run until the funds are exhausted. And, redemption-wise, you'll still need to pay your bill in total when you're ordering — but you'll get funds back afterwards. You'll need to get an itemised receipt at the time of payment, then take a photo of it and upload it to the Melbourne Money website. Within five working days, you'll then score your rebate via a transfer to your bank account. [caption id="attachment_840086" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Stolen Gem[/caption] The returning scheme falls under a huge swathe of initiatives announced in February by the Victorian Government, all which are aimed at helping get the city click into gear following the past few months — and, in the case of Midweek Melbourne Money, boosting weekday foot traffic. Also on the way: the return of regional and metropolitan travel vouchers, statewide dining vouchers covering areas beyond the City of Melbourne, and a new $30 million entertainment voucher scheme for discounted tickets to the cinema, theatre shows, live music gigs and exhibitions, plus conferences and other events. The Midweek Melbourne Money scheme kicks off on Monday, March 7. For more information, head to the City of Melbourne and Victorian Government websites. Top image: Parker Blain.
