We've got two incredible words for you: waffles and shakes. That's what you'll find on offer from Melbourne's newest food truck, the appropriately named Let's Waffle N' Shake. Rolling around town even as we speak, the bright blue van is the sweet, sugary brainchild of Ben Loke and Ari Tsiokas, two friends who saw a waffle-shaped gap in Melbourne's food-truck convoy and decided to fill it in the most decadent fashion imaginable. Indeed, just because they only serve waffle pops and milkshakes doesn't mean there's anything pedestrian about their operation. Turns out you can do quite a bit with a waffle on a stick, whether that's lathering it with chocolate ganache and nutella before dipping it in a mix of oreo crumbs, coco-pops and milo, or covering it in maple syrup, salted caramel, custard and white chocolate before topping it off with pecans, cinnamon sugar and whipped cream. All in all Let's Waffle N' Shake offer nine different variants at $8 a pop – and trust us, they're all equally as absurd. Alternatively, you're welcome to create your own. As for your milkshake, you can go with a classic option like chocolate, strawberry, banana or blue heaven, or opt for something a little more out there such as salted caramel, cream and popcorn or strawberry, rhubarb, marshmallow and fairy floss. And just in case you want to absolutely guarantee that massive coronary, you can add additional toppings, such as mini M&Ms, crunchy nut cornflakes and a combination of banana lollies and potato chips. Worth it. What a great photo of our Floss the Pink Fairy and Canadian Pie wafflepops @melbournepopups #wafflenshake #wafflepop #dessertporn #foodtruckpark A photo posted by Let's Waffle 'n' Shake (@letswafflenshake) on Mar 13, 2016 at 7:33am PDT Salted Caramel POP! Salted caramel, caramel popcorn, a bit more caramel and cream on top. #WaffleNShake #SaltedCaramelPop #milkshake #foodporn A photo posted by Let's Waffle 'n' Shake (@letswafflenshake) on Feb 24, 2016 at 5:16am PST To find out where Let's Waffle N' Shake will be dolling out their ludicrous treats, follow them on Facebook or check them out on Where The Truck.
Remember the colossal slide that made everyone lose their minds last year? Well it’s back and more powerful than you could ever imagine. Slide Melbourne are bringing back the 400-metre super slide to Lawnsdowne Street in East Melbourne, to once again grace us with slippery, high speed sliding but for two Sundays only (December 6 and February 7). So get in quick because we know from past experience there’s nothing Melburnians like more than giant slippery slides (inside we’re all just whimsical children, aren’t we). Tickets are selling fast for the December/February sliding dates and while the thought of being outside, wet and holding onto a tube for dear life might seem crazy right now in winter, with the fires of global warming being fanned by our illustrious leader Tone, we’re in for a hot one. A $41 ticket will buy two hours of unfettered access to the glorious slide (well, unfettered apart from your co-sliders) and an estimated three to six slides. Slide Melbourne have all the logistics covered for a session of maxtreme sliding, including lockers, changing rooms and yes, you’ll have to sign a waiver (just in case there’s a pile-up part way down – you know, #giantslideproblems). But remember: a leisurely slide down in a tube means a 400-metre slog back to the top carrying said tube. So let this be sufficient motivation to crawl out from under your Pringle-covered doona and start getting strong and healthy to maximise the amount of slides you can cram into your session. Slide Melbourne will careen down Lawnsdowne Street, East Melbourne. Running on Sunday, December 6 from 10am to 8.15pm and Sunday, February 7 from 10am to 8.15pm. Tickets $41, book here.
Hawthorne's Tao Tao House is your classic white linen Chinese restaurant complete with lazy susans, with a strong focus on traditional and aromatic dishes served with just barely the hint of a smile. The menu here is everything you dream of when heading to a Chinese-Australian restaurant. Tao Tao House has an impressive and notably delicious yum cha selection including classics such as prawn dumplings, spare ribs in black bean sauce and mushroom and duck roll. The poultry dishes are also big hits. These include diced chicken in a teriyaki sauce and a succulent sesame duck — stuffed with prawn paste, coated with sesame and served with mushroom sauce. Vegetarians can indulge with the 'typhoon shelter' eggplants that are wok fried with garlic and chilli and a side of Chinese broccoli and fried rice. Wash it all down with a hot a sour soup or a crab meat sweet corn soup. For dessert, get around Tao Tao House's egg custard tarts, a mango pudding or some very charming Cadbury chocolate sesame dumplings. If you're in Hawthorn and haven't tried Tao Tao House, add it to your list right now.
Cue the fireworks: the New Year is almost upon us. And no, we don't mean those few hours of public drunkenness and poor decision-making that fall between sundown on December 31 and your hangover the following morning. We're talking about Chinese New Year, a celebration that, quite frankly, makes our piddly little Gregorian thing look about as exciting as your grandmother's birthday. The Chinese Lunar Calendar officially ticks over on Thursday, February 19, but that's only a fraction of the fun. With markets, concerts, exhibits, parades, film screenings, parties and more, Melbourne's Chinese community are sparing no expense. Here's our list of eight cool events to help you ring in the Year of the Goat in style. HAWKER BAZAAR FESTIVAL With money to burn, the folks at Crown Casino are hosting one seriously lavish party. Set up along Crown Riverwalk by the Yarra, this three-day festival includes tons of great food and cooking demonstrations, as well as fortune telling, karaoke, martial arts and more. Dancers and circus performers will be roaming the crowd during daylight hours, while a fireworks display on the Saturday evening should guarantee you a happy and prosperous New Year. Friday, February 13 – Sunday, February 15 BOX HILL NEW YEAR FESTIVAL One of Melbourne's largest Chinese neighbourhoods, Box Hill will celebrate the turn of the season with a festival that stretches into the night. Local vendors will serve tasty Chinese cuisine, while traditional lion and dragon dancers entertain the masses. The highlight will be the Parade of Choi Sun, the Chinese God of Fortune. Saturday, February 14, from 1pm LUMEN LANEWAYS Curated by RMIT University, this after-dark art project will see four laneways in Chinatown transformed into spectacular works of art. Elaborate projections will turn Croft Alley into Shanghai, even as electric graffiti illuminates nearby Liverpool Street. Punch Lane's feature, meanwhile, combines the legend of Ned Kelly with the classic Chinese novel Tale of the Water Margin. But the standout is in Tattersalls Lane, where pedestrians will be able to play the classic arcade game Kung Fu Master projected on the laneway wall. Monday, February 16 – Sunday, March 1, from sundown PRAHRAN MARKET CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATION Prahran's iconic market will take on a distinctly Asian flavour, with pop-up yum cha and dumpling stalls plus a bunch of free entertainment. Learn how to make spring rolls or participate in a little Tai Chi. There will also be a performance by the Chao Feng Orchestra, plus Chinese drumming and a lion dance. When: Saturday February 21, from 11am. Image credit: Photo Credit: Ruocaled HIDDEN DRAGON OUTDOOR CINEMA Part of this year's White Night, this 12-hour movie marathon, hosted in Cohen Place, is all about kung fu. After starting things off early with the kid-friendly Kung Fu Panda, the night kicks into gear with Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon. Wuxia epic Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon comes next, followed by Rush Hour and then Kung Fu Panda again. There'll also be live martial arts demonstrations ahead of the first three films. Saturday, February 21, from 6.30pm ELECTRIC DRAGON AT FEDERATION SQUARE Fed Square is home to cultural festivals all year round, so it's hardly surprising they've got something planned for Chinese New Year. Created by multimedia artist Georgie Pinn, The Electric Dragon is an interactive performance that combines motion graphics and shadow puppetry to tell the story of a dragon named Feng. Federation Square will also host a variety of other activities over the weekend, including Mahjong Lessons, fan dancing and a children's lantern parade. Thursday, February 26 – Sunday, March 1, from 7pm CHINATOWN LONG LUNCH Two of Chinatown's most beloved restaurants are celebrating the New Year with a feast. Choose between the menus of Locanda and the Shark Fin Inn — one boasts roast duck spring roles, stir fried prawn scallops and steak in Szechuan chill sauce, while the other includes panko crab cakes and slow cooked pork belly with buk choi. The good news is that both options includes tea, wine, beer, gin and vodka tastings throughout. Be warned though: at $88 minimum, it's not a cheap lunch. If you want to get your money's worth, be prepared to eat a lot. Friday, February 27, noon to 3pm MSO CHINESE NEW YEAR CONCERT Rounding out our list is this concert by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Oscar- and Grammy-winning composer Tan Dun. The performance will combine classical music from both east and west, including Dun's latest work Nu Shu: The Secret Songs of Women, as well as a rendition of a Puccini aria by Chinese soprano Bing Bing Wang. Saturday, February 28, 6.30pm
Electronica megastar Omar Souleyman is on his way to engulf you in Arabic techno beats with a national tour this January. Souleyman has reached cult status internationally for his patented sound of insanely fast synths adapted to Syrian folk music and his "epitome-of-cool" persona, with Bjork herself labelling him as one of her favourites. Never seen without a pair of aviators and his red and white kaffiyeh, Souleyman has long been famous in his homeland of Syria, with, believe it or not, a rumoured 500 separate bootleg cassette releases recorded straight from his many performances at weddings around the country. His 2013 album, Wenu Wenu, was his first recorded outside Syria, and its blending of Western electronica beats and traditional dabke music (an Arabic form of folk dancing) promises live performances filled with electric sax solos, super high-tempo synths and vocals given alternatively in the tone of commanding pronouncements and trance-inducing chants. Supported by Fabulous Diamonds.
Most of us hit up Melbourne's best high tea spots because we want to spoil ourselves with some old-world luxury. It's not one of your three main meals of the day. The finger sandwiches don't have to have the crusts cut off. And who really needs to sip on tea and champagne in a grand dining room while eating tiny ornate cakes? No one. But that's kind of why we love afternoon tea so much. It's just for the sake of it — to really treat yourself to something special. And while we are fans of traditional high teas that some of Melbourne's best hotels create, there are stacks of neighbourhood tea rooms and cake shops that have made the whole affair more contemporary. Some are a modern interpretation with Japanese elements. Others are all about chocolate. But just about everyone comes with freshly made scones — so you can continue the age-old debate of whether the jam or cream goes on first. We won't participate in that feud, but we will round up some of the best Melbourne high teas for you to try for yourselves. Check them all out here. Recommended reads: The Best Bakeries in Melbourne The Best Bottomless Brunches in Melbourne The Most Romantic Restaurants and Bars in Melbourne The Best Day Spas in Melbourne
For a big three days — from Friday, November 29–Sunday, December 1 — the latest iteration of Melbourne's The Big Design Market will feature 250 stalls showcasing homewares, fashion, jewellery, stationery and more by local independent designers at the Royal Exhibition Building. It's tailor-made for early Christmas shopping. There'll also be a slew of tastemakers serving up exceptional food and wine experiences, including coffee from ST ALi, hot chocolates from Mork, pasta from That's Amore Cheese, tacos from CDMX, sweet treats from Gelato Messina and innovative cocktails from Sydney's Archie Rose, among others. The event will also see the return of the popular showbags and art installations, as well as great visitor prizes and a colourful play space for kids created by Claire Mosley. Images: Blake Walshe.
Sip whisky and indulge your sweet tooth at The Singleton Whisky & Sugar Bar when it springs up in Sydney and Melbourne as part of Good Food Month 2015. The result of a partnership between whisky label Singleton Whisky and Momofuku dessert spinoff Momofuku Milk Bar, this pop-up bar and baked goods dispensary probably won't do your teeth or liver any favours — although if that's enough to keep you away, then you've got a hell of a lot more self control than we do. Booze and sweet treat enthusiasts will find the New York-inspired whisky and sugar shed smack bang in the middle of Good Food Month's Noodle Night Markets, located in Sydney's Hyde Park between October 8-25 and Melbourne's Birrarung Marr between November 12-29. Headlining the menu will be a whisky-infused maple cookie crafted by Momofuku Milk Bar's chef, owner and founder Christina Tosi. Should go down quite nicely with an array of whisky cocktails and neat tastings — although we can't help but hope they'll also be serving Momofuku's famed cereal milk. We wouldn't say no to a slice of their crack pie, either. Tosi, who spearheaded the dessert program at David Chang's Momofuku restaurant group, and who has also served as a judge on MasterChef US, said that the whisky maple cookie recipe "plays on two of the biggest culinary trends currently sweeping the globe — the whisky renaissance and the classic dessert redefined with a twist — the result is an absolute delight." Tosi will travel to Australia on October 8 to help launch the Sydney pop-up. Sorry Melbourne. Have another cookie to cheer you up. Want more Good Food Month shenanigans? Check out the whole program for Sydney here and Melbourne here.
Just when you thought this year's Melbourne Music Week program was looking very juicy indeed, along comes the final lineup announcement, bringing with it even more musical goodness to add to your calendar. To complement the array of gigs and parties organised for this year's festival hub at St Paul's Cathedral, a series of al fresco events is also set to grace the historic building's carpark. Following opening night performances by award-winning Indigenous artist Kutcha Edwards and hip hop rising star Miss Blanks, this unique outdoor space will play host to a diverse program of shows. The makeshift venue will feature acts like Kirin J Callinan, The Cat Empire's Harry James Angus, singer and saxophonist Masego, Albrecht La'Brooy, Sydney pop outfit I Know Leopard and Melbourne singer-songwriter Eilish Gilligan. This year's festival also marks the return of long-running punk celebration Live Music Safari, which will see ten of the city's most iconic live music venues open their doors for a program of free gigs on Thursday, November 23. Also back for another year is free all-ages party Live At The Steps, set to take over the steps of Parliament House on November 17 with performances by Mallrat, Skegss, Tired Lion and Baker Boy (who was one of our top picks from BIGSOUND this year). Meanwhile, the Fed Square Live showcase will celebrate the strength and diversity of local female artists, with performances by Ali Barter, Alice Skye and Hey Mammoth complemented by imagery from the Her Sound, Her Story project. Punters will once again have the chance to enjoy live music on their public transport commute as part of the ever-popular Tram Sessions, while MMW's Self-Made series will see audiences rocking out to unique music experiences at unconventional venues like North Melbourne's Meat Market and the newly launched MPavilion. These follow last month's slew of MMW lineup announcements, which includes a new all-ages event at Melbourne Town Hall, a performance by Ariel Pink and Ferdydurke and Section 8's ZOO street party. Melbourne Music Week 2017 will take place across the city from Friday, November 17 to Saturday, November 25. To buy tickets and view the whole program, visit mmw.melbourne.vic.gov.au.
Smith's Street Gasometer Hotel is teaming up with its neighbours to open a casual, Japanese-style izakaya. The recently reinvigorated pub and live music venue has invited the chefs from nearby Japanese bar and eatery Northern Light to collaborate on the new venture, which is set to take over the Gaso from August 27. Gas-Light Izakaya is the latest concept from Gasometer owners Clint Fisher (of Retreat Hotel in Brunswick) and Shannon Vanderwert (The Post Office Hotel in Coburg), who took over the venue early last year. Northern Light's sous chef Joel Baylon will oversee the kitchen, which features a pair of newly-installed binchotan white charcoal grills. As for the menu, expect popular Japanese bar snacks such as oysters, yakitori food skewers, deep-fried crumbed meat and vegetables and the universal favourite that is fried cheese. The food should all go quite nicely with their selection of local and Japanese beers on tap, including Okinawa import Orion. Of course, if you really want the full izakaya experience, you should be ordering the sake. The Gas-Light kitchens will be open for dinner Tuesday through Thursday and all day Friday through Sunday. And despite the pub's change in flavour, regulars can still expect a rock solid live music lineup in the Gasometer's 350-capacity bandroom. Gas-Light Izakaya starts cooking on August 27 at The Gasometer Hotel, 484 Smith St, Collingwood. Via Gourmet Traveller and Good Food. Image: Northern Light.
Entries have now closed. Fair is foul and foul is fair, and both descriptors very much apply to the harrowing new adaptation of William Shakespeare's Macbeth. Foul in that Australian director Justin Kurzel, who burst onto the scene with the unforgettable Snowtown, evokes the bleakness and epic sense of tragedy in the Bard's play. And fair in that Kurzel's hypnotic style, along with the incredible work of his cast, make this one of the single most compelling movies of the year. Michael Fassbender gives a thunderous performance as the eponymous Scottish thane, a good man brought low by his own overleaping ambition. Alongside him, Marion Cotillard has likewise rarely been better, disappearing into the role of Lady Macbeth. A supporting cast of UK heavyweights including David Thewlis, Paddy Considine and Sean Harris is nothing to turn your nose up at, either. But Kurzel doesn't rest on the laurels of his cast or the pedigree of the material. His visceral direction, including some absolutely mesmerising uses of colour and slow motion, makes Macbeth one of 2015's must-sees. Macbeth is in cinemas on October 1. To celebrate the film's impending release, we've teamed up with Transmission Films to host an exclusive preview on Tuesday, September 29, 6.30pm, at Cinema Nova, Carlton. To score tickets, click here.
The team behind quintessential Melbourne cafes Top Paddock and The Kettle Black are moving ever closer to cutting the ribbon on their long-awaited new venue. Located at the Southern Cross end of Little Bourke Street, Higher Ground has been in the works for well over a year, and was originally meant to open back in October. Now it seems the gears are finally moving in earnest, with the owners setting their eyes on June. As reported by Good Food last year, Higher Ground will be a 160-seat venue, nestled in a former warehouse on the corner of Little Bourke and Spencer Street. Interior features will include exposed brick and green marble as well as a mezzanine level and open kitchen. Just look at this: First glimpse of our new space coming soon to the CBD... A photo posted by Higher Ground Melbourne (@highergroundmelbourne) on Apr 3, 2015 at 12:33am PDT As for food, the Higher Ground team have enlisted chef Nate Wilkins. We don't have a full menu as of yet, but they did tease the following dish on Instagram: Menu development for HG continues. The black waffle with peanut butter parfait honeycomb, raspberries and figs is looking good. Nice one chef @natewilkins ! A photo posted by Higher Ground Melbourne (@highergroundmelbourne) on Feb 23, 2016 at 6:49pm PST We think we speak for hungry Melburnians everywhere when we say that June can't come quickly enough. Higher Ground is set to open in June at 650 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne. The website lists their opening hours as 7am – 4pm Monday through Wednesday, 7am – 11pm Thursday through Friday 8am – 11pm, Saturday and Sunday 8am – 4pm. For more information keep your eyes glued to www.highergroundmelbourne.com.au. Image: The Kettle Black/Eat Drink Design Awards.
The Smith Street Band have an incredibly endearing habit of looking out for the underdog. Following their November release of their third album, Throw Me in the River, the Melbourne four-piece found themselves in the news as a result of their sold-out EP titled Wipe That Shit-Eating Grin Off Your Punchable Face, which features a portrait of Tony Abbott and protests the Australian government's current treatment of refugees. Throw in a fundraising gig for refugee advocacy groups in Melbourne on Australia Day and you've got one seriously outspoken Aussie band. On their upcoming tour around Australia they're keeping up their determination not to forget anyone, with the aptly titled 'Get High, See Everyone Tour', featuring an impressive 24 dates across Australia, including regional stops like Bendigo and Maroochydore and a whole heap of all-ages gigs for younger fans. The pairing of desperate energy and youthful, emotional frenzy with surprisingly thoughtful and touching lyrics have earned The Smith Street Band a loyal fan base. And, bless them, the band is going to do their best to see every one of you.
The first thing you notice about the 14-year-old Amy Winehouse is her smile. Captured on her best friend’s home movie, it's enormous, almost all-consuming, a porthole to an as yet undiscovered virtuosity. With jagged and uneven teeth, the smile — like her accent — is imperfect and unrefined, as though everything had been hastily thrown together at the last minute. But it's also unmistakably real and a permanent fixture on the young girl's face. Over the next 90 minutes of Asif Kapadia's remarkable documentary Amy, what most stands out is not the prodigious talent, nor the substance abuse and self-destruction, but simply the steady fade of that perfect imperfect smile. Just like Kapadia’s previous documentary, Senna, Amy is an extraordinarily moving tribute to a prodigious talent whose life seemed somehow unavoidably foredoomed. With its remarkable catalogue of personal videos, voicemails and recording sessions, Kapadia lets Winehouse and her closest friends narrate her own tragic spiral in real time, taking us from the "gobby north London Jewish girl with a lot of attitude" to the death of a full-blown celebrity in 2011. It’s a masterful device, insulating the film from the inevitable accusations of bias and blame apportionment made by the very individuals who constantly comment and appear throughout. To be clear: Amy isn’t a whodunnit. Winehouse drank herself to death despite countless warning from doctors, friends and colleagues. Instead, the film reveals the extent to which almost everybody in her life failed to convert their concern into real action so long as the money continued to flow their way. "They tried to make me go to rehab,” she sang, and it’s true, but they didn’t try nearly hard enough. What’s abundantly clear from the archival footage is how well Winehouse understood her own predicament and disposition. “I’ve depression,” she explains at one point, “but so do a lot of other people. I’m just lucky because not many people can pick up a guitar for an hour or two and make themselves feel better.” True to the adage, Winehouse really was all about the music, and had she been left alone to sing jazz in small clubs, things may have played out very differently. The only person who seemed to fully grasp that was her idol, Tony Bennett, with whom she recorded a duets album shortly before her death. “True jazz performers don’t like crowds of 50,000 in front of them,” he explains, before adding in a heart-wrenching postscript, “If she were still here, I’d say ‘slow down … you’re too important’”. It’s moments like this that make Amy an overwhelmingly tragic and absorbing portrait piece, steeped in disquiet because, just as it was with Senna, you know it ends in a crash. There is, in fact, one last glimpse of a smile, right before the film ends. During her infamous concert disaster in Belgrade just weeks prior to her death, Winehouse sits down on stage, drunk and disoriented, amidst a chorus of boos from the crowd. While the band tries to get her to sing, an almost imperceptible grin flashes across her face, as though she’d suddenly heard the punchline to a joke nobody else could hear.
Both the heartbroken and the heartbreakers should take a lesson from Sharon Van Etten, heading to Australia for her 2015 Are We There tour. Renowned for embracing life's emotionally crippling moments, Van Etten has been putting her heart on a platter since her first offering 'Because I Was In Love' in 2009 — released after TV On the Radio's Kyp Malone gave her a nudge in the right direction. The Brooklyn-based, New Jersey and Tennessee-raised singer/songwriter hasn't stopped since, with four gripping albums under her belt including 2012's Tramp. Headlining Secret Garden (February 27-28) with Parquet Courts and Golden Plains (March 7-9), Van Etten is also playing sideshows for those who missed out on tickets. Supported by Tiny Ruins (NZ) + Jack Ladder + Heather Woods Broderick (USA).
If you've lived in Melbourne long enough, you'll no doubt be familiar with the rivalry between north and south. But there comes a time when petty differences must be forgotten — particularly when there's free live music and cheap pizza on the line. For the seventh straight year, sister venues Bimbo Deluxe in Fitzroy and Lucky Coq in Windsor are teaming up for the Best of Both Sides Festival, featuring four days and nights of epic tunes, food and booze on both sides of the river. This year's festival includes more than 40 live music acts — although, to be honest, we're just as excited about what's going on in the kitchen. We're talking green prawns, popcorn chicken, pulled beef sliders and their insanely good value $4 pizzas.
Australian politicians, you'd better go incognito for the next few months. British-born, American-based comedian John Oliver is heading to Australia for a string of stand-up shows this August. The Emmy and Writer’s Guild Award-winning writer, comedic actor and politically-outspoken satirist is taking a short break from his Peabody-winning HBO show, Last Week Tonight, to jump on a plane and scatter truth nuggets around our shores. Heading back to his political stand-up roots, it's Oliver's first stand-up tour in Australia. Of course, this isn't his first time fiercely focusing on our great southern land; dropping plenty of not-so-flattering Australian takedowns on his own show and while guest hosting on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. This is Oliver's first ever Australian stand-up tour, so expect these tickets to go quicker than Australia's political credibility on late night American television. Expect uncomfortable Australian realities aplenty, with deep burns like this Tony Abbott roast:
Daniel von Sturmer's latest Electric Light exhibition is a dynamic presentation of luminance, colour, shape and space. Taking a behind-the-scenes perspective on photographic production, Electric Light utilises lighting setups, backdrops, stands and other equipment to create an extensive room-sized work. Illuminated by a range of shifting lights, the work considers photomedia's role in reflecting what is 'real' and how truth can be constructed. Electric Light is hosted by Ten Cubed, a private art collection that's open to the public. An evolving art project in itself, Ten Cubed has handpicked ten diverse artists to collect extensively from over a period of ten years — demonstrating their creative growth within one space. Daniel von Sturmer: Electric Light is on now at Ten Cubed until Saturday, December 16.
Things are getting frostier in Melbourne, so the team at Welcome To Thornbury is bringing back one of their most intuitive event ideas to help warm your weekend — a mini festival dedicated to mulled wine and hot cheese. Following a successful first couple of runs in 2017, the party returns to the High Street food truck park from noon, Saturday, May 26 through until close, Sunday, May 27, pulling together a selection of hot, gooey creations from some of the city's favourite cheese-slinging vendors. This is where all your cheesiest dreams come true, chowing down on lush cheese fondue from Frencheese, plus cheese toasties and cheese pizzas, and other treats from the likes of Dip'd, Mr Burger, Belles Hot Chicken, Sparrow's Philly Cheesesteaks, Maker & Monger, Happy Camper Pizza and Pasta Face. Previous events have served up mulled wine doughnuts and raclette burgers, so expect more than a few creative dishes. Of course, you won't find a better drink match to all that rich, melty dairy than some hot, spiced booze, so the bar will be rounding out its usual offerings with mulled wine aplenty. Six different flavours will be available — yes, six – served up all day long.
Beloved Austin rock band Spoon, who are playing headline shows in Sydney and Melbourne this month, have announced an addition to the schedule: intimate gigs at two of Australia's favourite record shops. Hitting Sydney's Red Eye Records on Wednesday, March 22 and Melbourne's Polyester on Friday, March 24, the band will appear in duo mode. Lead singer and guitarist Britt Daniel will be bringing you stripped-back takes on songs from Spoon's newest album, Hot Thoughts, alongside keyboardist and guitarist Alex Fischel. As you can imagine, spots at both gigs will be limited. To get your name on the guest list at Polyester, you need to pre-order Hot Thoughts — in person or online. Red Eye is a different story. Turn up as early as you can and hope for the best. It's an all-ages event, and it's first in, best dressed. Spoon's visit to Australia is a bit special — after all, the band started making the new album in a rented house in Collingwood. "I took a bunch of unfinished songs with me," Daniel said. "When I got down there, I was more excited about coming up with all new stuff. I'm not sure if it's just the AC/DC connection or what. Australia just seems like this other world. It's like this weird combination of Texas and England."
Sleater-Kinney recorded their first album in Australia. The year was 1994, and the fledgling band from Olympia, Washington knocked out their debut effort in a single day. They've been back several times since, but their latest visit feels extra special. Given that the indie-punk trio went on an indefinite hiatus in 2007, it very well might never have happened. Thankfully, Corin Tucker, Janet Weiss and Carrie Brownstein — yes, Portlandia's Carrie Brownstein — are back for another round of blistering rock tracks infused with the spirit of the riot grrrl movement. Reunions might happen all the time, but this is no ordinary group or return. If you've listened to any of Sleater-Kinney's albums from their Aussie-made 22-minute, self-titled initial outing to their latest release, 2015's No Cities to Love, then no doubt you agree. And if you haven't, don't just take our word for it. TIME called them “America’s best rock band”, and Rolling Stone hailed them as “America’s best punk band ever", after all.
From medieval guilds all the way forward to Wikipedia, sharing knowledge has always been a boon for humanity. We thrive on it. And Melbourne's new hospitality symposium GROW is built around the idea that information is better served up than hoarded. GROW Assembly is a slick new consortium of hospo professionals who've come together to collectively season the new generation of chefs, sommeliers, bakers, cocktail artisans, food journos and FOH firecrackers with the juice squeezed from their collective experience. The first event they're rolling out is a full day seminar on Sunday, May 1 in Melbourne with 12 industry speakers spitting knowledge left, right and centre. The lineup reads like a Wiki entry of Melbourne food royalty and includes Dan Hunter (owner chef of Brae), Angie Giannakodakis (restauranteur, Epocha and Elyros), Nolan Hirte (owner of Proud Mary Coffee Roasters), Kevin Donovan (industry long-tooth and owner of Donovans restaurant) and Sebastian Crowther (master sommelier at Rockpool 1989) among others. Also on the bill is Alquimie's Josh Elias, Gourmet Traveller's wine editor Max Allen and Sarah Lemke of Belgium's De Superette bakery. Phew. The team who are putting the whole shebang together — Michael Bascetta, Banjo Harris Plane, Meira Harel, Vicky Symington and Manu Potoi — also have an impressive joint resume; together they count stints at Attica, The Town Mouse, Rockwell and Sons, Lot 3, Proud Mary and Bar Liberty in their experience. It's a long list, but you get the jist — these are the people you want to be the hospitality Yoda to your Skywalker. If you're looking to bring that novelty hybrid food idea into fruition or give us your spin on fried chicken this event is the perfect way to get a foot in the door.
Los Angeles-based foursome Warpaint are set to return to Australia — the homeland of their drummer, Stella Mozgawa — in late February. The group's summer tour follows the release of their third studio album, Heads Up, in September last year. The new album's tone more closely emulates the style of their live performances — energetic and dance-oriented — than their previous albums, which have been more subdued and reflective. This isn't the first Australian tour for Warpaint, having previously performed at the likes of Laneway Festival in 2014 and Splendour in the Grass in 2011. But this time, they're playing a different kind of venue, hitting up Melbourne Zoo on February 24 as part of the Zoo Twilights lineup. They'll be stopping by other major capital cities including Perth (as part of the Perth International Arts Festival) on Sunday, February 19, Brisbane on Wednesday, February 22 and Sydney on Saturday, February 25. Image: Robin Laananen.
My yoga studio has a basketball court below it. During a calming session of yoga, it is not uncommon to hear the piercing screech of a whistle, frequent cheering and the intermittent shrieks of "Great shot Mike!". One time, I kid you not, there was a marching band procession going down, and the instructor had to calmly try and talk over the incessant drumming. Quite un-zen. Flow After Dark Silent Disco Yoga seeks to give yoga enthusiasts the exact opposite experience. How exactly does one silent disco yoga? Quite easily with the introduction of wireless headphones. These bad boys give participants a one-on-one with their instructor, while simultaneously pumping out beats from Sydney DJ James Mack. Also, they're neon. This one-off, 90-minute Vinyasa yoga session will be held at Melbourne Town Hall and is probably your best (possibly only) chance to show off your best warrior pose while simultaneously jiving to some seriously smooth music. Silently. Plus, IsoWhey Wholefoods and Pressed Juices will be providing smoothies and snacks post practice.
In a time before Netflix, Stan and The Pirate Bay, there was only one way to binge watch TV: huddled in front of Saturday Disney, elbowing your siblings out of the way and fantasising that one day you would win that batshit insane weekly prize and all would be phenomenal. For one night only you can relive the glory days of cartoons and diabetes-inducing cereal binges at the Astor Theatre. Aptly named the Saturday Morning All-You-Can-Eat Cereal Cartoon Party, the event is a smorgasbord of cartoons from the '40s through to the '80s (interspersed with vintage advertisements) curated by film critic and writer Kier-La Janisse. It's a format pretty much directly taken from Williamsburg's Nighthawk Cinema, but we're not complaining. While resplendent in your jimjams, you'll be able to max-out on as much nostalgic, sugary cereal you can inhale, and rub shoulders with kidults who never had the luxury of ad-skipping.
After an epic debut last year — when over 7000 people rocked up to the party — Ding Dong and Po' Boy Quarter are channelling the spirit of New Orleans with an evening of rich food, live music and pleeeeennnnty of booze for Fat Tuesday 2016. Kicking off in Carlton's Argyle Square at 4pm on Tuesday, February 9, the Fat Tuesday New Orleans Festival is your chance to live the NOLA lifestyle – at least until you wake up the next morning. This year they're ticketing the event, meaning that you'll be able to get amongst it without being swallowed up by the crowds. MC'd by RocKwiz host Brian Nankervis, the event will feature performances from local musicians such as Jazz Party, Horns of Leroy and Adam Rudegeair's Bayou Tapestry. There'll also be a brass band parade, a fortune teller's booth, and a costume competition to find Melbourne's King and Queen of Mardis Gras. With multiple bar areas and catering by Po' Boy Quarter, Girl with the Gris Gris, Taco Truck and Bluebonnet Barbecue, it's safe to assume that no one will leave feeling hungry — or walking in an entirely straight line. Tickets are $22 via the web, or $28 on the door.
The ripe, soft and sweet festival that encourages you to embrace your inner Italian is back to fill your pantries with homemade pasta sauces. Summer-grown tomatoes will be bursting with flavour and on show at the 2016 Melbourne Tomato Festival. An array of local farmers will be selling their produce, and a variety of speakers, cooking demonstrations, workshops and agriculturists will also feature on the day. The traditional, feet-squelching process of passata making is the highlight of the event. Although tomatoes are not strictly native to Italy, their rich, chunky texture is famously embraced in Italian culture and cuisine. So it makes sense that this festival falls on Italian National Day and is supported by the Melbourne Italian community Melbournese. For the competitive green thumb, you might consider entering Melbourne’s Best Tomato competition, which will be judged on smell, texture and taste. As well as bragging rights, you could win dinner for six at Grossi Florentino Upstairs.
We love a bit of rivalry when it comes to our mates across the pond, just as much as we enjoy having a beer with them when our sporting clashes are all said and done. So it makes total sense that we should have a craft beer-off with New Zealand, and who better to host it then the aficionados at Foresters Beer Hall. On August 29, a total of 34 beers are stepping up to the plate to be sampled by willing participants (aka you guys), where they will be rated from 1-5 on taste alone. While you’re welcome to drop in any time of the afternoon, those looking to get involved in the tasting must complete their ‘duties’ by 4.30/5ish. Post-tasting, keg beer will be available at a discounted rate and as per usual, their kitchen will be going full force if you need some delicious pizza to accompany your bevs. Get down to Foresters and source some new brews to fill up your Esky/Chilly Bin for the summer ahead.
Melbourne-based literary and art mag The Lifted Brow is ready to launch its 26th issue at Howler. It's not just any ol' quiet literary launch; there'll be live music curated by Bedroom Suck, featuring Free Time, Totally Mild, Empat Lima and Simona Kapitolina, alongside Lost Animal and Terrible Truths cranking DJ sets in the beer garden. Issue 26 is the second incarnation of The Lifted Brow's new format. It includes work from international contributors Wayne Koestenbaum and Hoa Nguyen, as well as a stack of home-grown talents, such as Briohny Doyle, Upulie Divisekera, Helen Addison-Smith, Samuel Wagan Watson, Michael Farrell, Jessica Yu, Sam George-Allen, Rebecca Harkins-Cross, Dion Kagan, Jana Perkovic, Nicky Minus, TextaQueen, Mary Leunig, HTMLflowers and Michael Hawkins. Since being founded in 2007, The Lifted Brow, a "quarterly attack journal", has become one of Australia's most respected literary publications. Numerous big names have featured, Christos Tsiolkas, Helen Garner, David Foster Wallace and Neil Gaiman among them.
The quest to discover the best barbecue in Melbourne continues this week at St Kilda’s Newmarket Hotel. After previous head-to-heads against the chefs from San Telmo, Kong and Fancy Hanks, the latest edition of the BBQ Throwdown will see the hosts challenge Hellenic Republic, in what can only be described as a chargrilled championship bout. Taking place this Sunday, July 5, the BBQ Throwdown lasts for three rounds, with the ultimate victor chosen by the diners. First up, Newmarket’s house smoked honey bug will take on Hellenic’s hot smoked ocean trout. Second comes the battle of the bones, with the home team’s St Louis pork rib against beef short rib from the visitors. Lastly Newmarket will serve up spit-roasted spiced lamb with charred eggplant and burnt end taquito; whether it can bring down Hellenic’s pork souva with fermented cabbage and apple slaw still remains to be seen. Tickets to the BBQ Throwdown cost $85 and can be booked online. The lunch sitting is already sold out, but you can still grab a spot for dinner.
The clever clogs at STEP have put on an enlightening collection of music industry-related forums since they began, and their latest instalment is looking to be equally as topically informative. This month the focus is on women in music, whether they are performers, music journalists, studio owners and venue bookers. This month’s panel will explore the challenges women face in Australia’s music industry, and how we can ensure a new generation of female leaders in the field. Moderated by the glorious Claire Bowditch, the panel will include Pikelet band member and LISTEN co-founder Evelyn Morris, musician and booker for The Toff Emily Ulman, Bakehouse Studio co-owner and co-founder of SLAM Helen Marcou, music journalist and YA novelist Jenny Valentish, and Brodie Lancaster of Rookie Magazine, Pitchfork and The Good Copy. On top of this impressive lineup of speakers, Whiskey Houston will be performing a DJ set before the panel discussion, and Totally Mild will close the night with a special set.
After years of gigging and tireless campaigning from the likes of FBi Radio, Sydney-based foursome Gang of Youths are nationally-appreciated hot stuff right now. They’ve played sold-out shows alongside Vampire Weekend, Frightened Rabbit and Foster the People, done the Aussie festival circuit, toured the States, and been compared to Arcade Fire and Bruce Springsteen — and that was all before their debut album The Position was released. After they sold-out multiple venues just a few months ago, they’re setting off on another national tour, and the GOY-hungry public can’t seem to get enough of them; lapping up tickets faster than the band can announce new shows. GOY play rock that’s big on catharsis. Frontman David Leaupepe’s inspiration for the band’s raw, guitar-heavy debut was the emotional rollercoaster of his four-year long-distance relationship with a girl who had been diagnosed with stage four cancer. It makes for a sound that seems bound to fill stadiums one day — so consider yourself lucky if you manage to bag a ticket to one of these more intimate gigs. Gang of Youths will play Richmond's Corner Hotel on August 26 and Geelong Workers Club on August 29.
It's hard to believe that it's only been six months since George Maple (aka Jessica Higgs) released her debut single. At the time, Higgs had been living in London for eighteen months, so the slinky 'Talk Talk', from her Vacant Space EP, first hit airwaves on Annie Mac's show on BBC Radio 1. Meanwhile, the New York Times had dibs on unveiling the video clip. Since then, Higgs, who's from Sydney originally, has played CMJ, SXSW, Annie Mac's AMP Collected in London and a couple of headline shows in Australia, including the Museum of Contemporary Art and Future Classic’s Christmas Weekend. So she's in prime position for taking on her first proper national tour. Three gigs are already sold out — Sydney's Oxford Art Factory on April 24 and 30, and Melbourne's The Howler on 25 April. There's still time, however, to grab tickets to the Black Bear Lodge in Brisbane on April 23, The Bakery in Perth on May 1 and The Rocket Bar in Adelaide on May 2. Meanwhile, Higgs's new tune, 'Where You End And I Begin', recorded with Philadelphian rapper Grande Marshall, is starting to rack up hits. Where You End And I Begin feat. Grande Marshall by George Maple, Grande Marshall
If there's one thing that can get a Sydneysiding burger fiend all jittery, it's a Mary's burger. Opened in an old Newtown warehouse in 2013, this humble burger joint has developed a cult-like following in Sydney over the last couple of years — they've even opened a second chapter in the CBD and made our ten best burgers in Sydney list. But now it's time for Melburnians to take a bite of the Mary's hype, putting aside our Huxtaburgers for a day and heading down to a one-day-only pop-up at fellow Americana lovers, Belle's Hot Chicken. On Sunday, May 24, Mary's will be making 200 burgers (that's right, 200 only) at BHC in Fitzroy, kicking off at around 4pm. We're guessing all focus will be on their famous Mary's burger, renowned for its mouth-wateringly tender med-rare beef patty slathered in liquefied cheese — whether the top notch veggie burger makes it down remains to be seen. But you're going to want to get there early; you can't pre-book a spot and these are seriously sought-after burgs. This marks the second Sydney/Melbourne swapsie for Belle's Hot Chicken, who took a pop-up to Bondi Icebergs earlier this year. Via Good Food.
Step into the light with Tasmania’s leading modern dance company, in a one night only production at Monash University. Presented by Tasdance along with the Monash University Academy of Performing Arts, Luminous Flux will see the group explore two very different takes on the concept of light; as interpreted by two of Australia’s most celebrated contemporary choreographers. The first section of the show pays tribute to late German choreographer Tanja Liedtke, whose life was tragically cut short in 2007 at the age of just 29 — just after she'd been appointed artistic director of the Sydney Dance Company, succeeding founder Graeme Murphy. First debuted by Tasdance in 2004, the critically acclaimed Enter Twilight is one of Liedtke’s earliest works, touching on the delicate balance between good and evil as represented through darkness and light. As a counterpoint to Liedtke’s piece, Melbourne-based choreographer Byron Perry explores light in the abstract, in his fittingly named Light Entertainment. The work highlights the playfulness and physicality of the Tasdance ensemble, and like Enter Twilight has received no shortage of critical success. Image: Jen Brown
If March's Fashion Week left you in a dizzy headspin of colours and fabrics and prints and jackets cut so perfectly your body simply aches for them — or if, y’know, you just like some fancy new clothes now and then — you might have already heard that the annual Big Fashion Sale is coming up pretty soon. The name pretty much says it all. This thing is big. You’ll find lush items from past collections, samples and one-offs from over 30 cult Australian brands, both well-known and emerging, such as Karla Spetic, Watson X Watson, Elke Jewellery, Gary Bigeni, Emma Mulholland, Benah, A Part of Me, Friend of Mine and Pageant. And, with discounts of up to 80% off, this is one way of upping your street cred with designer threads that’ll leave your bank balance sitting pretty too. Prices this low tend to inspire a certain level of ruthlessness in all of us, though, so practise that grabbing reflex in advance. This is every man and lady for themselves. Opening hours are: Thursday 30 April – 9am – 6pm Friday 1 May – 10am – 7pm Saturday 2 May – 10am – 6pm Sunday 3 May – 10am – 5pm
Masters of late night snack fuel Ben & Jerry's have been dishing out pop culture-riffing flavours like Liz Lemon Greek Frozen Yoghurt, Stephen Colbert's AmeriCone Dream and, of course, Schweddy Balls for years. Then the masters of frozen confection go and create something called 'Free Cone Day', an annual event which defies haters. You can score an ice cream on the house, as part of the company's yearly, worldwide tradition thanking its fanbase for all the gluttonous support. On Tuesday, April 14, Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shops around Australia are hosting the sixth annual Free Cone Day; scooping out free ice-cream from 1pm until 9pm. This year, Free Cone Day also marks the kick off of Ben & Jerry’s global 'climate justice' campaign, 'Save our Swirled', in Australia. WWF Australia will be hanging out on on Free Cone Day, collecting signatures to help bring attention to the need for Australia to lower carbon pollution. Suss out your nearest Scoop Shop purveyor of frozen dairy heaven here, and rock up on April 14 to claim your cone. Check out Ben & Jerry's Facebook page for updates.
Sydney sculptor Jamie North is reaching towards the sky, with his new work Rock Melt at the NGV. Erected in Federation Court and inspired by the space’s history as an outdoor sculpture garden, the work consists of six imposing columns standing up to five metres high. Constructed from concrete and slag (the latter being a byproduct of smelting iron ore), the columns are ruptured by fauna, including native Wonga Wonga wines that will slowly creep their way up delicate iron bars — with flowers expected to blossom over the life of the installation. The commission is the latest in North’s body of work that explores the nexus between architecture and nature. He’s previously displayed work at the Monash University Museum of Art and the Sarah Cottier Gallery in Sydney. With free entry to the general public, Rock Melt will be on display until July 12. Image: Brooke Holm.
An all-day event devoted to female writers and freelancers on a SWEATSHOP panel are among the headliners of the just-announced 2015 Emerging Writers' Festival program, taking place in Melbourne between May 26 and June 5. One of this year's key EWF events, titled #writingwhilefemale, is a female-focused extravaganza made up of panel discussions, live performances and workshops. The all-day event will open with a discussion dubbed ‘Writing While Feminist’, exploring the challenges of expressing feminist opinions in cyberspace, where the proliferation of platforms allows more and more women to speak out, but also enables online sexual harassment and abuse. It's an extremely topical start, riding the buzz surrounding Anita Sarkeesian's recent Australian visit. Other topics to be visited on the day include ‘Schooling Self-Confidence’, ‘Breaking the Glass Ceiling’ and ‘Writing Women’. #writingwhilefemale, to be held on Friday 5 June at The Wheeler Centre (176 Little Lonsdale St, Melbourne), is just one of numerous festival events concerned with women in writing. In fact, more than half of the artists scheduled to appear are female. Meanwhile, SWEATSHOP’s panel will take an in-depth look at the lives of freelancers. Are all freelance writers free to work in their pyjamas and indulge in ultra-long coffee dates? Or are they too busy counting their pennies and chasing work? Four experienced freelancers — Sam Cooney, Gillian Terzis, Ellena Savage and Connor Tomas O’Brien — will spill the beans on how they spend their days. The discussion is just one part of the National Writers’ Conference, to happen over the May 30-31 weekend at the Melbourne Town Hall. All six of the festival’s official ambassadors — Oslo Davis, Kylie Ladd, William McInnes, Sulari Gentill and Anna Poletti — will make appearances. Beyond the chats, there’ll be stacks of live performances, including Translation Nation, which will involve five emerging translators telling parts of a story in Mandarin, Indonesian, Spanish, Italian and Japanese; Travel Slide Night, where stunning photos will be supported with compelling stories (not your average somnolent slide session); and #Selfies, during which eight writers will talk about what their selfies reveal about their inner selves. Festival junkies can also look forward to the return of Amazing Babes and Mixtape Memoirs (a collaboration with the Lifted Brow). Emerging Writers' Festival runs May 26 to June 5. Check out the rest of the program for yourself right here.
Slow food? What's slow food? Nope, it's not the eating of snails. The philosophy of slow food (for those who may need a cheeky reminder) essentially boils down to produce that is good, clean and fair. If those principles resonate with you and your preferred eating habits, this farmers market is for you. Going strong since 2006, and in partnership with Melbourne Farmers Market, this smorgasbord of delectable produce calls the Abbotsford Convent home on the fourth Saturday of each month. The market features 60 of Melbourne's most hardworking local growers and food producers. These farmers' unwavering dedication to the quality of their produce and the integrity of their production methods ensures buyers that their dollars are going directly towards maintaining this high standard. It’s a $2 donation on entry, and we should also let you know that it is a plastic bag-free zone, so please BYO calico. If you have a well behaved pooch (or kitty) they are also welcome to attend, just keep them on a lead and you're golden.
Step out into the dark with artist Jessica Watson Miller and her gravity-defying human canvas. Using blacklight body paint, Miller will transform a team of circus performers into pillars of light, shining through the darkness like creatures from another world (or characters from Tron). A kaleidoscope of colour and movement, this is living, breathing art, and promises to be one of the most mesmerising shows at this year's Melbourne Fringe Festival. This event is one of our top ten picks of the Melbourne Fringe Festival. Check out the other nine here.
It's that time of year again. Art works are literally spilling out of our city's theatres and galleries into the surrounding streets, laneways and bars. This year, Melbourne Fringe is densely packed with 400 events across 174 venues. From September 16 to October 4, don't expect a call back from any of your creative friends. They are deep in the land of Fringe. Unlike the upcoming Melbourne Festival, Fringe isn't the place to head out for a single show and make your way home again — it's a world unto itself. Catch a few works at a time, have a drink at the Fringe Club, or just drift through the night at the various satellite hubs. Whether it's mesmerisingly body-painted acrobats, Campbell Newman in Ancient Rome, the quietest poetry slam or truly out-of-the-ordinary parties, anything you stumble upon is sure to lead to some interesting stories to tell the next day. Want more Fringe? Check out a list of our ten best things to see.
Fourteen of Melbourne's best live music venues throw open their doors for a night of free gigs and wild parties. No matter where you are in the city, there'll be a venue near you that will be getting in on the action for Melbourne Music Week, including establishments such as Loop Bar, Boney, Shebeen, Cherry Bar and Ding Dong Lounge. While we're extremely confident you could stumble into any of these venues and be exceptionally happy, we're going to recommend the St Jerome's Laneway Festival curated lineup of forward-thinking artists Fractures, Totally Mild, and Crepes at Thousand Pound Bend. If you are feeling a little more rambunctious, we'd definitely point you in the direction of The Public Bar for Mesa Cosa, The Mighty Boys, and Lazertits.
Making her Australian debut at Laneway Festival 2015, FKA twigs' sideshow is one of the most sought-after tickets this summer. Otherwise known as Tahliah Debrett Barnett, the Gloucestershire trip hop artist has had a colossal year. After the release of her debut album LP1, twigs is all anyone could talk about toward the end of 2014. Her most recent single, the intoxicating, self-directed video 'Pendulum', is out now on Young Turks/Remote Control. Featuring a Bambi-like vulnerability, the artist is seen tied up in Japanese style bondage (shibari) for the most part of the clip. "Using my own hair represents me at one time being suspended and held back by my own fears," Barnett explains. With her concert selling out in a matter of hours, FKA twigs tickets are a hot commodity. And if her hugely successful debut album is anything to go by, you'll understand why. Set to be an all immersive, visceral experience, FKA twigs' show is sure to create an otherworldly, social media-happy experience for the lucky few.
Atlanta born musician Raury has just turned 18 and is brimming with what seems to be an obscene amount of charisma for a teenager. Having earned enough attention to see him collaborating with SBTRKT, opening for OutKast and getting flown to recording studios by Kanye West (before he had released a single album), the youthful champion of hippie swagger will be touring Australia for Laneway Festival and doing sideshows across the country. His debut album Indigo Child is full of impassioned and erratic messages and crosses haphazardly between folk, rap, soul and indie rock earning him comparisons to Lorde — not only for his age, but for his seamless ability to take on different genres. While his sound is hard to pin down, his fresh energy, earnestness on stage and the real feverish soar he can bring to songs like 'God's Whisper' (the ultimate bang-your-drum, revolution round the campfire song) make him an artist you should catch from the beginning.
If your 2021 New Year's resolution is to make up for last year's lack of live music, then you've probably already started off strong. But now, that gig calendar's about to get even fuller, thanks to this brand-new two-week music festival taking over St Kilda. April Sun is here to brighten up your autumn in a big way, dishing up a swag of live tunes from G-Flip, Touch Sensitive, Hiatus Kaiyote, You Am I and more. Gracing the St Kilda Triangle (beside the Palais Theatre) from Friday, April 16–Sunday, May 2, the new outing is delivering a diverse program of day parties, headline shows, mini-festivals and family-friendly fun, assembled by some of the country's best-loved curators and tastemakers. It's a COVID-safe, outdoor affair, with tickets available for four different audience zones, ranging from grand stand seats,to an open lawn area smack bang in front of the stage. Indie label Future Classic kicks off the fun on Friday, April 16, with a lush evening soundtracked by internationally-acclaimed multi-instrumentalist G-Flip, self-confessed synth-freak Touch Sensitive, Brisbane favourite Sycco and rising indie-pop star Thomas Headon. Elsewhere in the program, settle in for a sweet serve of neo-soul headlined by jazz-funk heroes Hiatus Kaiyote, funk synthesist Harvey Sutherland and Perth five-piece Grievous Bodily Calm. There'll be a rock-heavy night of sounds from You Am I, Geelong's Magic Dirt and Dallas Crane and some anthemic indie-rock ballads courtesy of The Church and Bob Evans Throw in a big dose of house and techno curated by Thick As Thieves, and a couple of shows from Sydney grime-rap hero Chillinit, and those ears of yours are in for a very busy autumn.
From roaming food trucks to a secret In-And-Out pop-up, Melbourne’s love affair with the humble hamburger is showing no sign of cooling off. And no one’s happier than the folks at Brother Burger and the Marvellous Brew. After a couple of years exclusive to Fitzroy, the much-loved burger joint has opened a second store in South Yarra, with room for up to 200 hungry customers to chow down. The new Chapel Street location will stick to the same basic menu as they do on the Northside, albeit with a couple of tweaks. Expect old favourites like The Royal Blue (wagyu beef, bacon, onion jam, blue cheese, pickles and ketchup) and the vegetarian-friendly Magic Mushie (crumbed field mushroom, peppers, spinach, goats cheese, onion jam and mustard mayo), as well as pulled pork buns, a 'South Yarra-style' Reuben sandwich and even their own take on fish and chips. Living up to the second half of their name, the restaurant will also have a selection of 15 beers and ciders on tap — all of which are sourced from independently owned local breweries and cider houses. Permanent fixtures include Hawkers Beer Pilsner and Napoleone & Co. Pear Cider, while others specialty options will rotate through. Located at 560 Chapel Street, South Yarra (the former location of Cafe Greco), Brother Burger and the Marvellous Brew South Yarra boasts a small courtyard out front, and an interior decorated with an eclectic mix of pre-loved items including more than 800 antique meat grinders. Everyone's got their niche. For more info about Brother Burger and the Marvellous Brew South Yarra, including operating hours, visit their website.
From the same minds behind The B.East, Globe Alley is an inclusive dive bar with a rock 'n' roll edge, free live music, good times till late and a solid spread of vegan eats across its menu. And, suitably, it's celebrating its first birthday with a lot of all three. After 365 days in the Chinatown space, the venue is throwing a huge free party on Friday, February 28. Expect tunes from the likes of Byron Bay's Dicklord, trio Bitch Diesel, pop glamers Smooth and heavy metal band Atomic Riot. There'll be DJ sets from Joegia Maq and DJ Ruari, too. If you get there early, and we suggest you do, you'll find $2 sliders and $5 Jack Daniel's and cokes, frozen margaritas and pots from 4–6pm. Oh, and free burgers, too. Yep, 100 free vegan and meat burgers will be available from 4pm — so, rock up early if you want one. Updated February 28, 2020
