A menu of weapons of destruction, to be consumed to fill a hungry stomach, is one way to criticise violent solutions. The latest project from artist Kyle Bean called Soft Guerilla, a series of sculptures depicting weapons made out of harmless materials. Stage a war in the kitchen and attempt to replicate these deliciously evil masterpieces.
Last year, we scored a musical adaptation of Aussie flick Muriel's Wedding. Now, another classic 90s flick is getting the stage musical treatment and heading on down to Melbourne: Adam Sandler's smash-hit film The Wedding Singer. Hitting the Athenaeum Theatre from Friday, June 19, The Wedding Singer: The Musical Comedy is an all-singing, all-dancing stage show based on its hilarious namesake 90s flick. And it's from the same crew that propelled it to sell-out success on Broadway and across the UK, including the writer of the original movie, Tim Herlihy. This one promises to yank you right into The Wedding Singer's 1980s world of big hair and classic wedding bangers, thanks to a toe-tapping score that's sure to prompt a few hearty crowd singalongs. It retells the story of party-loving wedding singer and wannabe rock star Robbie Hart, who's left stranded at the altar at his own nuptials. Heartbroken, he sets out to destroy every other wedding he's a part of, until a chance encounter with a waitress: Drew Barrymore's character Julia. Now, he just has to win over the girl... and somehow put a stop to her own upcoming marriage along the way. The Wedding Singer: The Musical Comedy hasn't announced runs in any other Aussie cities just yet, but we're crossing our fingers and warming up the vocal cords in readiness. We'll keep you posted as soon as any news drops. In the meantime, you can watch the OG nostalgic film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yjOXMTa6vA The Wedding Singer: The Musical Comedy shows from Friday, June 19, at the Athenaeum Theatre, 188 Collins Street, Melbourne. Join the ticket wait-list over at the website.
Since mid-October, New Zealanders have been able to visit some Australian states as part of a one-way travel bubble. In just a couple of months, Australians might also be able to hop across the Tasman, with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announcing that the NZ Cabinet had agreed to establishing a two-way bubble from early 2021. At a post-Cabinet press conference today, Monday, December 14, the NZ Prime Minister said the Cabinet had agreed "in principle" to a travel bubble with Australia in the first quarter of 2021, pending confirmation from the Australian Government and "no significant changes in the circumstances of either country". Over the weekend, a quarantine-free travel bubble free between New Zealand and the Cook Islands was announced, which is set to come into place before the bubble with Australia. The NZ Prime Minister revealed a starting date for both would announced in the New Year "once remaining details are locked down". At present, New Zealand travellers are allowed to visit all Australian states and territories, apart from WA, without quarantining on arrival — but, because the bubble is only one way at present, they must enter 14 days of managed isolation on return to NZ and pay for it. While the details are yet to be finalised, it's great news for those who've been dreaming of overseas holidays since the pandemic began. You can start slowing planning your first international jaunt, too — we've rounded up some of our favourite glamping sites, wineries, sights and restaurants in NZ over here. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. To find out more about the virus and travel restrictions in New Zealand, head over to the NZ Government's COVID-19 hub.
If you're walking through the aisles of raw meat, cheese slabs and miscellaneous Aussie paraphernalia at the Queen Victoria Market in June and happen to think 'gee, I could really do with some truffles', there's a chance you might be in luck. On the third weekend of the month, the market will host the Truffle Melbourne Festival. No longer just the terrain of your posh great aunt and people at fancy French restaurants, truffles are more accessible that ever (albeit, with a price tag). The Truffle Melbourne Festival has been the biggest event on the truffle calendar for the last four years, and after initially starting out at Prahran Market, it's returning to the Queen Vic Market for the second time — for two days on June 16 and 17. The free-to-attend festival will see live chef demos and all the truffle-related produce for sale you could think of, including truffle raclette, truffle pizzas, a truffle mac 'n' cheese doughnut, truffle beer, truffle sparkling and truffle cocktails. There'll also be sampling and tastings to be had — we'd be making the most of that.
The past 14 months or so haven't delivered many reasons to laugh. They haven't seen many big-name international comedians hit our stages to try to get us giggling and guffawing, either. But Bill Bailey is about to help end both of those unwanted streaks, with the British favourite bringing his En Route to Normal tour to our shores this October and November. It has been three years since Bailey last had the country chuckling back in 2018 — and then rewatching Black Books yet again and chuckling some more, naturally. This time, he's coming our way following a sold-our tour of New Zealand, where he also been filming a new trans-Tasman comedy panel series called Patriot Brains. So, if you need something to watch while you wait to see him live, consider this a hearty suggestion. Known for everything from Have I Got News for You and QI to Spaced, Hot Fuzz and Skins, Bailey will be pondering some of life's big questions during his En Route to Normal sets. And, while the pandemic is certain to get a mention, he actually named the show before lockdowns, social distancing and always knowing how many active cases are in your state became our current definition of normal. Bailey will kick off the tour in Queensland, before making his way — and taking his distinctive locks — to Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. Plus, in some states, he won't just be sticking to capital cities. BILL BAILEY EN ROUTE TO NORMAL TOUR 2021: October 23 — Empire Theatre , Toowoomba October 25 — QPAC Concert Hall, Brisbane October 28 — The Events Centre, Caloundra October 29 — Star Theatre, Gold Coast October 31 — Mandurah Performing Arts Centre, Mandurah November 1 — Riverside Theatre, Perth November 5 — Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide November 8 — Princess Theatre, Launceston November 8 — Wrest Point Entertainment Centre, Hobart November 12 — Ulumbarra Theatre, Bendigo November 13 — Costa Hall, Geelong November 14 — Civic Hall, Ballarat November 15 — Palais Theatre, Melbourne November 19 — Wollongong Town Hall, Wollongong November 21 — State Theatre, Sydney November 23 — Coliseum Theatre, Sydney November 27 — Royal Theatre, Canberra November 28 — Civic Theatre, Newcastle Bill Bailey's En Route to Normal tour will make its way around the country this October and November. For pre-sale tickets between 12pm Thursday, May 20–5pm, Sunday, May 23, for general ticket sales from 12pm Monday, May 24 and for further information, head to the tour website. Top image: Andy Hollingworth.
If you're anything like us, you probably use pay day to book yourself a long-overdue dentist appointment, pay your rent and buy groceries that aren't on Manager's Special — y'know, the necessary stuff. But sometimes — especially if you've just got a bonus, pay rise or your tax back — you want to treat yourself to something nice rather than practical. We're talking holidays, massages and even just nights at the cinema with friends. But don't move too fast. You've still got to make your money last until the morning of pay day when you need to scrape together a few coins for a coffee. That's why we've teamed up with Westpac to find five ways to treat yourself when that slice of financial pie comes rollin' in hot to your bank account. Not only are they all awesome experiences — but, if you're a Westpac customer, you can nab them all at sweet discount on the Westpac Rewards Hub. And, best of all, none of them include gloves and drills rummaging around in your mouth. You're worth it. BOOK YOURSELF AN OFF-GRID CABIN RedBalloon has been around for a while, but it's still one of the best go-tos for finding experience-based gifts (a gift to yourself is still a gift) that you probably wouldn't have thought of yourself. If you've been hankering for a mini getaway for a while now and think it's time to fly the coop, tune in: RedBalloon have some whopper deals. Spend a romantic night in a French cottage in the Mornington Peninsula with a partner, or head to Tilba on the south coast of NSW to an eco pod for an experience a little more off the grid. The best bit? If you book through the Westpac Rewards Hub, you get a further discount when you spend $175 or more. BUY THOSE OVERSEAS FLIGHTS It's still a little cold and summer is still a whole month away, so you're more justified than ever for impulse-booking overseas flights. How about escaping to the Philippines or Portugal? They're both on our 2019 travel bucket list. If you're still unsure, take a scroll through Expedia's last-minute options or its destinations of the week. You'll also get 10 percent off if you book through the Westpac Rewards Hub. Then you just need to book in that annual leave. SCHEDULE IN A WEEKEND MASSAGE Is your happy place smack-bang face down on a table being kneaded by someone with strong-yet-soft hands while some sleep-inducing music plays and the smell of rosewater subtly wafts around you? Then you, my friend, need to book in a massage. Think of it as a way of neutralising your body after a long week at work. Try Endota Spa — its massages range from soothing relaxation and remedial through to the two-hour couples experience, while its extensive array of facials cater to all types and include Endota's Dermalogica, Glycolic, HydroPeptide and Hydro-microdermabrasion treatments. It's sure to turn you into a greasy (in a good way) ball of bliss. Top tip: buy a gift card from the Westpac Rewards Hub to save yourself a few dollars. TREAT YOURSELF TO A NIGHT AT THE MOVIES Perhaps one of the greatest personal (and relatively affordable) pastimes is heading to the movies for an evening, whether it's seeing the latest blockbuster or checking out something obscure and Latvian. It's also the only place that popcorn for dinner is fine. You can't put a price on treating yourself to a night out but, if you don't want that price to blow out, grab some discounted movie tickets via the Westpac Rewards Hub so you can spring for the extra large popcorn. [caption id="attachment_673026" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Trent van der Jagt[/caption] BUY THOSE ITEMS IN YOUR ICONIC CART Pay day is treat day, so there's no reason it can't be buy-that-dry-clean-only-suede-onesie-you've-had-in-your-Iconic-cart-for-two-months day, too. Grab yourself some new threads to say well done on making it through another week at work without crying at your desk or spilling soy sauce on your shirt again. Or, buy yourself some new clothes because you've spilt soy sauce on all your shirts — any reason works. With free delivery and returns, and over 20,000 products, we barely even need to mention that you'll also cop ten percent off a full-price purchase through the Westpac Rewards Hub. Enjoy this splurge and plan for the next one. Open your own Westpac Choice account here.
Pacific Overtures is one of Stephen Sondheim's most rarely performed musicals — this production at Theatreworks by Melbourne outfit Watch This is actually the work's first professional premiere in Australia. Perhaps its because it's set in 1853, with America and Japan on the brink of conflict, a story that demands the kind of diverse casting that mainstage musical theatre has traditionally done quite badly. The music, too, is challenging. Even if Sondheim himself rates some of its songs as those he's proudest of composing, the conflict between East and West is reflected in the score and setting, a fusion of chamber opera and Japanese kabuki theatre. What's refreshing about the work's outing at Theatreworks is that it's Sondheim on an independent scale, with none of the bells, whistles, and revolving stages of a commercial theatre. After the success of the group's 2013 production of Assassins at fortyfivedownstairs (which will reappear on tour later this year) Pacific Overtures looks like a chance for Watch This to stake their claim on a brand of music theatre that's full of risk.
In New York City the afterparty for the World's 50 Best Restaurants award ceremony is wrapping up. We can only imagine (and dream of) how delicious the canapés would have been, how many recipes were swapped with slurred handwriting, and how cheery (read: boozy) all those chefs are right now. But perhaps one of cheeriest is Ben Shewry — his restaurant Attica was just named a very respectable number 33 in the world. The ranking is pretty consistent with last year's results, with the Melbourne restaurant dropping only one spot from 2015. It's a very good position for an Australian restaurant to be — and perhaps why the awards yesterday announced they'll be holding the 2017 ceremony in its hometown. Brae, which is located in regional Victoria, moved up to number 65, while Sydney's Quay went from 58 to 98. Taking back the number one spot is Massimo Bottura's Osteria Francescana — and if you've watched Chef's Table, you'll be nothing but stoked for the guy. He's swapped places with last year's victor, Spain's El Celler de Can Roca, which has moved back into second place, while Noma has slipped from third down to number five. Probably because it's been on sabbatical in Sydney for the last few months.
Master sommelier Madeline Triffon describes Pinot Noir as 'sex in a glass', while winemaker Randy Ullom calls it 'the ultimate nirvana'. One of the most challenging grapes in the world of vinification, it's also one of the most surprising and rewarding. No wonder Bottle Shop Concepts — the good folk who bring Game of Rhones our way — are coming back to town with Pinot Palooza, an epic travelling wine festival celebrating all things Pinot Noir. For just one day, Melbourne wine connoisseurs will have the chance to sample more than 100 drops, direct from the Southern Hemisphere's best producers. Think Ata Rangi, Curly Flat, Marlborough's Greywacke, Yabby Lake, Shaw + Smith, Mount Difficulty — and that's just the first few leaves on the vine. Whether you're a newbie who wants to start with something light and inviting, or a Pinot pro ready for the biggest, most complex mouthful on the menu, there'll be an abundance of selections at either end — and plenty along the spectrum, too. You'll even be able to vote for your favourite. If, at any point, you need to take a pause in your tasting adventures, you'll be catered for. There'll be food from Burn City Smokers, Ladro, Belles Hot Chicken and Meatsmith, beer from Sample, and the epic Burgundy Bar – a kind of Pinot Noir mecca where you'll be able to sample some seriously good (and spenny) bottles at cost price. Expert sommeliers will also be on hand to help you make selections. What's more, those keen to fuel their brains (as well as their tastebuds) can spot $95 for a VIP pass. For that you'll get pre-event access (two hours before those pesky crowds), a food voucher, a tasting at the Burg Bar and a one-on-one with one of the event's sommeliers, who will personally curate your Pinot experience for you. Pinot Palooza will hit Melbourne Showgrounds on Saturday, October 15. Tickets are $60, which includes tastings and a take-home Plumm Vintage glass.
Triple j’s One Night Stand is ready to crank it for one night only for another year, this time heading to Mildura. It's an all ages show, so it promises to be some good, clean fun. Constantly high-fiving local talent, the gig's six artists featuring this year include Illy, Rüfüs, Violent Soho, Dan Sultan, The Jungle Giants, and WZRDKID. Known for bringing One Night Stand to a different regional town every year, triple j have chosen the Victoria/New South Wales bordering town of Mildura to play host this time. Take advantage of the downtime before the gig and enjoy some waterside vino at the meeting of the Murray and Darling Rivers, or head to the racetrack if you're feeling a tad more adventurous. If you can't make it to Mildura, the concert will be broadcast live on ABC TV and triple j. If you want to relive the whole shebang in your own time, the entire event will be up on iView afterwards.
Flying interstate can be frustrating at the best of times — especially during peak periods — but you can expect more than a few cancellations and delays this weekend as some Jetstar employees prepare to strike over three days, on Friday, December 13 until Sunday, December 15. Last week, both the Australian Federation of Air Pilots (AFAP) and the Transport Workers' Union (TWU) voted to proceed with industrial action in response to ongoing failed negotiations with the airline. The TWU has announced that it will hold a series of two-hour work stoppages on the Friday, while the AFAP will hold two four-hour stoppages — one on Saturday, and one on Sunday. In a statement released today, Jetstar Group CEO Gareth Evans said that, because of the action, Jetstar will cancel 44 flights on Saturday and another 46 on Sunday — which is 90 of an estimated 740 across the weekend. If you're flying with Jetstar on these days and your flight is affected, you've probably been sent your new flight details. Jetstar has re-timed flights and transferred some passengers to Qantas flights to avoid too much chaos, but there's likely to be delays to across Sydney, Melbourne, Avalon, Brisbane, Cairns and Adelaide airports. https://twitter.com/YourAFAP/status/1204269727264034816 The TWU is at loggerheads with Jetstar after failed negotiations with the airline that sought to secure a number of demands for employees – like more rest breaks, annual wage increases of four percent and a guaranteed 30 hours of work a week. TWU National Secretary Michael Kaine said that "disappointingly, Jetstar have rejected the vast majority of the workers' demands outright". Jetstar, however, says the impact of the TWU action is likely to be "minimal" as it would involve "less than half" of its regular ground staff. In a statement released last week, Evans said that the airline has offered a three percent annual wage increase to the union. The AFAP strikes are set to be more disruptive — as they will leave aircraft without anyone to actually fly them. However, despite earlier reports that the action could impact flights over the upcoming busy Christmas period, the union has said that it won't strike between Saturday, December 21 and Friday, January 3. The strikes will take place this weekend, December 13–15. If your flight has been cancelled or changed, Jetstar will contact you directly. For any further flight status updates, check the Jetstar website.
Having an after-work tipple at a physical bar is just one of many social happenings that have been paused as measures to contain COVID-19 ramp up. But one South Australian alcohol company is keeping the spirit alive — albeit virtually — with its newly launched Digital Happy Hour. The crew behind Applewood Distillery and Unico Zelo wines is here to turn your isolation frown upside down, with interactive tasting sessions live streamed nightly from 5.30pm AEDT. Available via the Unico Zelo Facebook page, Digital Happy Hour will see Founder Brendan Carter crack open and discuss a different bottle of wine each night, with viewers invited to join in with questions and comments of their own. Expect funny stories, banter aplenty, blind-guessing wine, "shit wine invention" reviews and lots of down-to-earth wine chat. Then at 6.30pm AEDT, head over to the Applewood Facebook page for a nightly spirits-focused live stream with Brand Ambassador Henry Hammersla. He'll be sharing some fun cocktail recipes for you to recreate at home — such as the much talked about Quarantini — as well as taking questions about all things booze. And as far as the actual drinking goes, Unico Zelo has you sorted with its Iso-Vino Care Package — a mixed dozen wines you can get delivered to your door, with free shipping. Or perhaps you'd prefer to stock up with Applewood's Isolation Gin Pack, featuring three of its signature gins for $199.99. Head over to Unico Zelo Facebook page at 5.30pm AEDT and Applewood Distillery's at 6.30pm nightly for Digital Happy Hour and Iso-Cocktails.
It seems a pretty hard task to follow Hannah Gadsby's international smash-hit show, Nanette. After all, the one-woman stand-up performance copped serious praise on its 18-month travels across Australia and the UK, even scooping the top honours at both the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It also spawned its very own Netflix special. And when Gadsby used the show to announce she was quitting comedy for good, we thought that was it. But indeed, the beloved Aussie comedian gave the follow-up a red hot crack when she returned to the stand-up stage with her latest work, Douglas, named after her own pet pooch. While Nanette pulled apart the concept of comedy itself, dishing up an insight into Gadsby's past, Douglas takes you on a "tour from the dog park to the renaissance and back". Gadsby took Douglas to stages across Australia and New Zealand in late 2019 and early 2020, and now, to the delight of house-bound people across the world, is bringing it to Netflix next month. Available to stream globally from Tuesday, May 26, the show will bring us all some much-needed comic relief. As Gadsby says: "mark it in your socially-distant calendars...then wash your hands". https://twitter.com/Hannahgadsby/status/1249668347693654019 Hannah Gadsby's 'Douglas' will be available to stream globally on Netflix from Tuesday, May 26.
When the Australian Government announced last week that pubs, bars and nightclubs would be closing the following day to help contain COVID-19, it led to the mass-buying of booze across the country. Bottle shops are not impacted by the closures, but it didn't stop Aussies stocking up just in case. Booze is just the latest item to be targeted by panic-buying, with toilet paper going first, then essential food items. Supermarkets across the country have since introduced strict two-pack-per-person limits on coveted items, such as eggs, sugar, white milk, frozen desserts and canned tomatoes, and now bottle shops are following suit. Australia's major bottle shops have today, Tuesday, March 31, introduced new temporary restrictions on alcohol. "In partnership with all major Australian alcohol retailers...we have applied moderate restrictions on the amount of produce customer can purchase," a statement on the BWS website reads. "Don't worry, supply isn't drying up, these changes have been made to ensure this is enough for everyone to responsibly enjoy their drink at the end of the day." Thankfully, the limits aren't quite as strict as those on food. In NSW, Vic, ACT, Qld, NT, SA and Tas, there are per person, per transaction limits on six categories, with customers able to buy from up to two different categories at a time: 12 bottles of wine two casks of wine (up to ten litres) two bottles of spirits (up to two litres) two cases of beer two cases of pre-mixed spirits/RTDs two cases of cider [caption id="attachment_766137" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Stephen Dann via Flickr[/caption] The above restrictions have been enforced at major stores around the country, both in-store and online, including Woolworths Group's BWS and Dan Murphy's; Aldi; and Coles's Liquorland, First Choice Liquor and Vintage Cellars. The new limits follow and supersede the restrictions introduced by the Woolworths Group last week. In WA, the purchase limits are stricter, to adhere to state regulations, with customers able to buy a maximum of two from the following categories: 11.25 litres of beer, cider or pre-mixed spirits; 2.25 litres of wine; one litre of spirits; and one litre of fortified wine. All the alcohol retailers are also encouraging social distancing, have introduced maximum capacities at their stores, and are offering pick-up, with some offering delivery. The temporary alcohol limits are now in place at stores across Australia. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
Music festival fans, where's your head at? We can tell you where it'll be if you're looking to send off the year with a stacked lineup of dance floor favourites: Glenworth Valley. The end-of-year staple Lost Paradise has just announced its return for 2023, and it's making a comeback with plenty of big names. Between Thursday, December 28–Monday, January 1, Lost Paradise will unleash a massive program of live music and DJ sets that include appearances from headliners Flume, Dom Dolla and Foals, plus Basement Jaxx, Bicep and Carl Cox on the decks. The Central Coast festival also shares some names with the recently announced Beyond the Valley lineup — namely Kelis, The Jungle Giants, Channel Tres, Cassian, Jayda G, DJ Heartstring, Overmono, Lastlings, BIG WETT and salute. Other notable names include local festival favourites like Lime Cordiale, PNAU, Winston Surfshirt, Royel Otis and Sycco; pop heavyweight Holly Humberstone; 'Afraid to Feel' hitmakers LF System; and international dance mainstays Kettama, Barry Can't Swim, Ewan McVicar and Yung Singh — the last of which has racked up nearly a million views on his Melbourne Boiler Room set from earlier in the year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWZ5F00eG_k Since first unleashing its specific flavour of festival fun back in 2014, Lost Paradise has become a go-to way to see out one year and welcome in another — and with its just-dropped roster of talent for 2023, that's set to be the case across its riverside setup again this time around. Also on the bill: wellness, art, sustainability, ideas and food, all as part of a four-day camping festival. So, there's plenty to get excited about and to tempt you to make the journey an hour out of Sydney. While the full rundown of activities hasn't been revealed as yet, the lineup hints at pottery sessions, workshops centred around First Nations culture and speed dating. And, camping-wise, options span everything from rent-a-tents to luxury glamping. This year, Lost Paradise is opting to steer away from a traditional first-, second- and third-release ticket strategy. Instead, ticket prices will gently increase in accordance with demand. Of course, it's the Lost Paradise lineup that'll get you to the festival in the first place. So, enough chatter; here it is: LOST PARADISE LINEUP 2023: Artist Lineup Flume Dom Dolla Foals Kelis Lime Cordiale Pnau The Jungle Giants Channel Tres Holly Humberstone Overmono Winston Surfshirt Lastlings Royel Otis Sycco Dice Haiku Hands Big Wett Skeleten Cat & Calmell Velvet Trip Sloan Peterson Pirra Jet City Sports Club Salarymen Birdee 王煒 Thunder Fox Sputnik Sweetheart DJ Lineup Bicep (DJ Set) Carl Cox (Hybrid Set) Jayda G Basement Jaxx (DJ Set) Kettama DJ Heartstring Cassian Ewan McVicar Lf System Barry Can't Swim Salute Stüm Sam Alfred Yung Singh Heidi Saorise c.frim Litmus (Live) Club Angel James Pepper Ayebatonye Elijah Something Mincy Caleb Jackson Crybaby Jacqui Cunningham Conspiracy Crew Caitlin Medclaf Troy Beman Shantan Wantan Ichiban Flexy Ferg Waxlily Cleo Sasha Milani Madami Lost Sundays Soundsystem Cricket Mash Anika Silly Lily Zach Williams Toaka Lost Paradise returns to Glenworth Valley from Wednesday, December 28–Sunday, January 1. Pre-sale tickets are available from Tuesday, August 29 with general tickets from Wednesday, August 30. For more information, head to the festival's website. Top image: Jordan Munns.
In the lead-up to Christmas, you don't want to be dashing all over town, picking up every little thing to make the day come together. Luckily, the festive season is coming to one of Melbourne's largest markets, making it a real one-stop shop for present shopping and stocking up on Christmas lunch. Across the month of December, festive celebrations are set to take place under the twinkling lights and through the open-air laneways of Queen Vic market, with over 550 vendors selling locally-made gifts and Christmas trinkets for those hard-to-shop for souls. If you're facing feeding a bunch, you can order your fresh seafood, hams and poultry now — although many vendors are promising to stock hams right up until Christmas eve, if you leave things a bit late. For the kids, a special Christmas trail around the market is on, so grab a map from the Market Hub, follow the clues and be in to win a festive prize. Santa will be visiting on weekends from November 19 if you've still got things to put on your wishlist. When you get hungry and need a shopping break, drinks and food are on at the Brick Lane Bar.
We're about to slide speedily into summer — and if that's put you in the mood for a wardrobe shakeup, well, you're in luck. The treasure trove of vintage threads that is the Round She Goes Fashion Market is returning to Melbourne, taking over Coburg Town Hall on Sunday, October 22. This time around, the ever-popular market is treating shoppers to around 60 stalls heaving with quality pre-loved designer fashion, vintage pieces, retro accessories and handmade goodies. And as always, there'll be a whole stack of affordable items in the mix. Get your stylish self along from 10am to score covetable finds from big-name labels that usually range from Prada to Phillip Lim, and from Balenciaga to Bianca Spender. Grab yourself a bit of Gucci, score some Christian Dior, and splash out on threads from Romance Was Born, Jean Paul Gaultier, Mister Zimi or Gorman. There'll be specialty coffee and baked treats from Coffee on Cue to fuel your rummaging, too, and entry costs $4.
No one needs an excuse to get stuck into a big bowl of gnocchi. But as winter steadily creeps closer, cravings for those pillowy potato dumplings tend to strike a whole lot more regularly. Luckily, the team running The Ascot Lot's beloved Gnocchi Festival is well aware of this fact. The event has been a fan favourite since 2019 — when over 10,000 pasta enthusiasts streamed in across the weekend. Now, the much-loved festival is back for another round, with a slew of the city's gnocchi-loving vendors invited to plate up their unique versions of the classic potato dish on Sunday, May 7. Only this time, the event's grown so popular, it's had to move to an expanded space in the carpark of sibling venue Holmes Hall. Head in from noon to devour a range of gnocchi-inspired creations from the likes of Cafe Merenda, Pasta Face, Hole in the Wall and Gnonnas Gnocchi, with vegan and gluten-free options also in the mix. Meanwhile, the outdoor Gnoch-Tail bar will be whipping up Italian-accented cocktails in a nod to gnocchi's roots, alongside a slew of other libations. A program of live tunes will soundtrack your gnocchi-scoffing right through the afternoon. And, as is always the way over at The Ascot Lot, pooches are more than welcome to join in the fun.
When blissed out, soon-to-be-married American couple Nica (Hani Furstenberg) and Alex (Gael Garcia Bernal), set off on a hiking adventure in Georgia's remote Caucasus Mountains, they have little idea that their seemingly idealistic world is about to be profoundly challenged. To all appearances, the two share an unshakeable connection — spiritually at ease yet sexually charged. Nica is spirited and independent, and Alex adores her. They toy with language games, compete playfully over who is fastest or strongest, and are in free pursuit of their mutual wanderlust. Local guide Dato (Georgian actor and real-life expert mountaineer Bidzina Gujabidze) leads them through one breathtaking scene after another. Then, halfway through the film, a single event (not to be delineated here, for fear of giving too much away), corrupts the couple's bond, raising questions of trust, betrayal, and guilt. The Loneliest Planet, loosely based on Tom Bissell's short story Expensive Trips Nowhere, continues the minimalist style established in Russian-born, American-raised director Julia Loktev's second feature, Day Night Day Night(2006). Dialogue is sparse and we learn next to nothing of the specific details that conventionally define character — history, family, education, career, values and so forth. Nearly everything that we do know, we discover through action and we interpret through the camera's positioning. Loktev is a big fan of the long shot. Numerous scenes portray Nica, Alex and Dato "together alone", united by their common journey yet divided, both spatially and emotionally. The deeper the trio move into Georgia's rugged, unpredictable wilderness, the more vulnerable and exposed they appear. Cinematographer Inti Briones successfully captures the striking undulations of the landscape, contrasting shadowy valleys with verdant grassy hills and creating ominous campfire scenes through single source lighting. Loktev's intention is to carry us into the film's mental and physical world, one in which time seems to stretch on forever and all conviction has been thrown into doubt. We identify Nica and Alex as representative of a 'type' — the earnest backpacker, keen to escape insular Western existence but overwhelmed when 'the wild' presents them with more than they'd bargained for. Nica demonstrates the behaviour of a self-sufficient, modern woman, yet Alex's failure to meet her expectations causes bitter disappointment. The film explores some of the grey areas arising from the breakdown of traditional dichotomies: West versus Other, male versus female, impulse versus duty. However, while Loktev's aims are admirable, her approach is risky. The limited development of the characters threatens to undermine our emotional engagement and the snail-paced tempo can seem laboured at times. Just as lovers ensconced in a romantic affair might potentially struggle with the vagaries of reality, a filmmaker engrossed in a concept may run the risk of occasionally losing sight of the viewer's experience at the point of reception. https://youtube.com/watch?v=SIIMFHcC1Fc
If all you want in 2025 is to see The Offspring and Simple Plan, and in you're in Brisbane or Melbourne, you now have an extra chance to make that wish come true. To help wrap up 2024, the two bands announced a combined Australian arena tour for this year, fresh from The Offspring playing an Aussie gig in November last year as part of Victoria's Always Live music season, which was their only stop Down Under. Due to demand, the upcoming visit has now added a couple more shows. Yes, this is your latest excuse to pretend it's the late 90s and 00s, in a year that's also bringing Green Day this way on their own tour. In May, The Offspring and Simple Plan will play single shows at AEC Arena in Adelaide and Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, as well as two nights each at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne and Brisbane Entertainment Centre. The keen response shouldn't come as surprise. That Always Live gig sold out in 30 seconds, after all. The new dates: in Melbourne, Thursday, May 8 has been added to the roster, while Brisbanites can now head along on Thursday, May 15. It's been more than a quarter of a century since The Offspring earned a claim to fame that every music fan Down Under should know: topping Triple J's Hottest 100 with 'Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)', a win that still ranks as the annual countdown's most-controversial result to date. 2024 also marked four decades since the band first formed in the early 80s, and more than 30 years since it came to mainstream attention with hits like 'Come Out and Play' and 'Self Esteem' — and the Californian outfit isn't done belting out its catchy brand of punk just yet. While the band released albums Let the Bad Times Roll and Supercharged in 2021 and 2024, respectively, you can still expect to hear their famous tracks — including 'Gotta Get Away', 'Why Don't You Get a Job?', 'The Kids Aren't Alright' and the song that's forever cemented in Australian radio history, obviously. Still led by frontman and guitarist Bryan "Dexter" Holland — the group's only remaining member from its initial 1984 lineup, so you can definitely call him the original prankster — The Offspring will have company in the form of Canada's Simple Plan. From The Offspring alone, you'll get the words "gunter glieben glauchen globen" stuck in your head for another couple of decades. The Offspring Supercharged Worldwide in '25 Australian Tour Sunday, May 4 — AEC Arena, Adelaide Wednesday, May 7–Thursday, May 8 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Sunday, May 11 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Wednesday, May 14–Thursday, May 15 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane The Offspring are touring Australia in May 2025. Pre-sale tickets for the new Brisbane and Melbourne show go on sale at 9am local time on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, with general tickets from the same time on Friday, January 17, 2025. Head to the tour website for further details. The Offspring images: Daveed Benito.
This month, a lucky bunch of Sydneysiders were treated to the second event in a series of secret suppers hosted by Red Rock Deli. The exclusive supper series — running until September at secret locations across Sydney and Melbourne — sees some of Australia's most talented chefs whipping up mouth-watering, three-course feasts inspired by Red Rock Deli's new limited-edition range. And when we say exclusive, we mean it — only 20 lucky guests get to tuck into each lavish dinner. On Thursday, June 20, Duncan Welgemoed put up a firey three-course feast reminiscent of the smoky bites his popular Adelaide restaurant, Africola, is known for. After guests were picked up from North Sydney Station and whisked away to the Coal Loader. This space formerly functioned as an industrial coal bunkering site, and guests were given the rare opportunity to dine in one of the historic underground tunnels. There, Welgemoed dished up plates inspired by Red Rock Deli's flame-grilled steak and chimichurri flavour. In the first course, Welgemoed served slow-roasted and smoked peppers, thoum (garlic dip) and cucumbers with charred flatbreads, while his dessert was a delightful comination of tahini ice cream, baklava and mandarin oil. But it was the slow-roasted beef ribs with chimichurri, slow roasted cauliflower and tahini that was the real winner — to recreate it at home, check out the recipe here. Chris Yan, of Sydney's lauded dumpling den Lotus, is up next. The dinner will take place on Thursday, August 8 and will be inspired by Red Rock Deli's red chilli and creamy coconut chips. To nab tickets for Sydney's upcoming Red Rock Deli supper, enter the ballot here to be given the chance to purchase tickets. Images: Kitti Gould
Summer in Melbourne pretty much screams for a crisp, gin-infused tipple, enjoyed in the sunshine, overlooking some water. And once again, local gin festival Juniperlooza is setting you up for success. This time, for its 2020 edition, the festival is taking over South Wharf's Boatbuilders Yard and Polly Woodside (yes, the boat) for two full days on Saturday, February 15 and Sunday, February 16. The gin-soaked revelry will be in full swing, with 23 boutique producers from both overseas and Australia gathering to show off their wares. Archie Rose, Four Pillars, Never Never Distilling CO, The Botanist and Flinders Distillery are some of the labels that have already been announced, as well as the UK's Chase Distillery. And the folks at Strangelove will be heading up the party's tonic situation once again. Gin-thusiasts will have the chance to meet the producers, sip G&Ts accented with carefully matched garnishes, and sample specialty gin cocktails from each brand. There'll be a slew of musical talent, too, including Agent 86, J'nett and four local DJs. Tickets ($30–45, depending how quickly you snag one) include a free G&T, a reusable store and lots of gin tastings. Early bird tickets ($30–35) go on sale from November 18. General sale ($40–45) then starts on November 20. You can sign up for early access over here.
With all this time spent at home, you might as well make it interesting. Maybe throw in some problem-solving, clue-cracking and a spot of mystery? If any of the above takes your fancy, strap yourself in for the latest at-home escape room experience from the masters of intrigue at Ukiyo. The Brunswick-based escape room studio has been delivering locals their lockdown puzzle fix via a series of interactive online experiences. And the next one unfolds over four brain-teasing days, kicking off next Wednesday, September 16. Dubbed Bird Cage, this new virtual game takes its cues from the likes of Stranger Things, The Ring and Slender Man, serving up an Aussie twist on the retro sci-fi thriller. The story's set deep in the outback, pulling players into a paranormal mystery involving a creepy scientific institute, its prized specimen and a very unwanted escape. Delve into this immersive head-scratcher solo, or with your housemates, cracking clues and solving puzzles as the game unfolds. All you'll need to play is a computer with internet access, though there's also a Stranger Things-inspired pillow fortress competition to enter if you fancy a shot at winning a $200 Ukiyo voucher. Tickets for Bird Cage are just $5 per person, or you can nab a household ticket for $15 (for three or more players).
Sound the trumpets and let the good times roll, because the Melbourne International Jazz Festival is back. Bustling into town for the first ten days of June, this year's festival will see more than 100 events (and 400 musicians) pop up around the city. As expected, the 2018 program is packed to the brim with concerts, workshops, panels and late-night jams. Standout guests include American saxophonist Maceo Parker, who'll join forces with Melbourne's own soul-jazz-blues outfit The Meltdown in a special tribute to the music of Ray Charles, and French-American jazz singer Madeleine Peyroux, who's been hailed as an heir apparent to the legendary Billie Holiday. Most events are ticketed, but there is a decent amount free gigs happening at bars and public spaces around the city. If this is your first Jazz Fest, this is a good way to dip your toe into the musical pool. Amateur musicians can also take part in the fittingly named Jazz Massive, where members of the public will be invited to join players from the Horns of Leroy, Melbourne Ska Orchestra and Papa Chango on the lawn outside the State Library. BYO instrument.
For those of us who bemoan the destructive tendencies of music's digital revolution — making such endearingly humble (and ubiquitous) devices as vinyls and walkman permanently redundant — the newly released Sharetapes are giving modern music a decidedly old-school twist. Sharetapes, the product of an Australian start-up, are the iPhone and Spotify era equivalent of a casette mix-tape. The credit card-sized tape allows you to make a playlist using such online services as YouTube, 8tracks and Spotify and then writing it to one of your blank tapes by hitting record at sharetapes.com. Then, simply tap your tape on an NFC-enabled smartphone (recent Android, Windows or Blackberry devices) or scan it using any QR code application (all your other iPhones and smartphones) and you can easily share your favourite playlists with your friends. These transportable, shareable and fashionably retro cards are awesome for bands or DJs hoping to connect their music with fans. And in the spirit of the mix-tape heyday of the '80s and '90s, these cards are the perfect companion for the modern lover. While once upon a time, teenage romantics would use their casette mix-tapes of MC Hammer and Barry White to woo their high-school crush, the modern lover simply has to swipe their card across their prospective other's iPhone and get ready for the romance to get a-flowing. We're giving away five packs of Sharetapes, with each packet including five individual tapes. To be in the running, simply subscribe to Concrete Playground (if you haven't already) then email us with your name and postal address at hello@concreteplayground.com.au.
Everyone loves Jamie's Italian. Or at least that's what we discovered when, back in November last year, we reported that the Jamie Oliver had officially bought back his Australian restaurant chain after its parent company, the Keystone Group, went into receivership. People were ecstatic. Now the deal has officially gone through and the man, the myth, the legend himself is heading to our shores to relaunch his six Jamie's Italian restaurants with a greater Aussie focus in mind. Oliver will visit Sydney between May 8 and 12 to launch a brand new menu that will centre on Australian produce and wine, collaborating with local suppliers including Sydney's Joto Fresh Fish and Serendipity Ice Cream, Adelaide's Boulangerie 113 and Melbourne's That's Amore Cheese. He's also got managing director Ben Shaughnessy in the fold, who moved to Sydney earlier this year after seven years at the Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group UK – no doubt to get this Aussification process started in advance of the big boss' arrival. The menu will continue to feature Italian classics, but will now be more focused on sustainable and locally sourced ingredients — think wild mushroom ravioli (made fresh daily on-site), 12-hour slow-cooked oxtail lasagne and slow-roasted juicy porchetta stuffed with garlic, chill and herbs. The updated wine list will be decidedly more Australian too, which is a welcome (and necessary, in our opinion) change for the restaurants. To celebrate the launch, Jamie's Italian will offer a signature pasta dish for only ten bucks, starting May 8 through to the end of the month and changing every Monday. Oliver is also introducing 'kids eat free' during the Easter holiday in all six of the restaurants, with a selection of six 'award-winning' kids' menu dishes available for every main course ordered. To maintain brand consistency, Parramatta's Jamie's Italian Trattoria will change names and become the sixth Jamie's Italian in Australia, joining existing locations in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Perth and, of course, Sydney. Perhaps Oliver's arrival in Australia will even see him scope out a location for a venue in Melbourne, which has oddly been left out of the Jamie's Kitchen fold. Either way, we can't wait to dig in to some delicious, lovely jubbly pasta and know that it was made with the Australian climate and produce in mind. Jamie Oliver will visit Sydney from May 8–12 to officially relaunch Jamie's Italian. But you can visit any of his six restaurants at any time. For more information, visit jamieoliver.com.
From magnificent caves to luxurious private islands, regional Queensland has plenty to offer for your next road trip. And the best part about taking a drive around the state is dropping into local cafes, restaurants, pubs and shops to fill up your boot with produce from the region. In the spirit of supporting local businesses en route, we've teamed up with Canadian Club and Empty Esky to bring you a list of must-visit locations in the Capricorn region, including in Rockhampton and Yeppoon. Read on to find a few of our favourites and create your own epic itinerary, too. Some of the places mentioned below may still be closed due to COVID-19 restrictions. Please check websites before making any plans. EAT AND DRINK If you're starting in Yeppoon, the first place on your list should be Flour. Its oven-to-table approach has made the place a household name. Its menu is adapted seasonally with a few fan favourites sticking around all year, like its Farmhouse Brekky with angus flank steak, maple chilli bacon, mushrooms, poached eggs and grilled tomatoes on ciabatta. For a good quality brunch, Whisk on Yeppoon's James Street has absolutely mastered the mid-morning meal. It has an extensive dine-in and takeaway menu, so you can take your eggs benny burger to the beach ten minutes' away if you choose. Menu favourites include the aforementioned benny burger, Nutella-loaded doughnut fries and a smoky maple bacon hot dog. It has a menu for furry friends too. For dinner, pop into Keppel Bay Sailing Club. What started out as a community of passionate sailors and volunteers has evolved into five venues that cater for everyone. At the Clubhouse you'll find seafood dishes, pasta, burgers and salads, as well as refreshing Canadian Club and Dry on tap. Our picks are the crumbed prawns and its range of charcoal brioche bun burgers. Venture inland for high tea with a modern twist at Riverston Tea Rooms in Rockhampton. Located in an old-style building, the venue has traditional tea rooms offering both scones and sandwiches, as well as a diverse breakfast and lunch selection. Not to mention an incredible selection of baked goods available from the cabinet, from gluten free orange almond cake to baklava torte. See out your evenings at the riverside The Criterion Hotel Motel in Rockhampton. The Hotel is known for its sensational steak, great selection of beverages (including Canadian Club) and central location on the Fitzroy River. Dine in knowing that you're joining the likes of Queen Elizabeth II, the English cricket team and Rod Laver, who've all eaten dinner here over the years. [caption id="attachment_798839" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] DO Explore the backdrop of Rockhampton in the glorious Mount Archer National Park. Situated just over nine kilometres east of Rockhampton, the park covers 4250 hectares of open forest and woodland communities, where you can find everything from eucalyptus-filled rainforests to spectacular views of the Fitzroy River from the Nurim Circuit Elevated Boardwalk. Keep an eye out for birdlife — black cockatoos and owls call the park home. For a magnificent natural wonder that will have you seriously impressed, head to the Capricorn Caves. Located 23 kilometres north of Rockhampton, the caves make for an easy day trip from the town and there are a range of tours on offer. The most popular is the 45-minute Cathedral Cave Tour, which covers ancient geological history, cave acoustics and crosses a suspension bridge. The tour is $30 for adults or you can grab a family pass for $75. The more adventurous among us should try the Capricorn Explorer ($50) and Adventurer tours ($65) that will have you exploring secret vaults and hidden passages, guided by headlamp only. [caption id="attachment_798838" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] If a tropical escape is more your vibe, then you can't go past a stay at Great Keppel Island. The somewhat hidden island paradise is just 15 kilometres off the coast from Yeppoon. The island offers a range of activities including snorkelling and kayaking. Billy and his team at Keppel Water Sports will have you exploring all day, with a bunch of options for the whole crew. When you're after a more chilled day out, follow the advice of the Empty Esky team and seek out this lagoon in the centre of Yeppoon. It's the perfect place to cool off from the harsh Queensland heat. There's a 2500-square-metre lagoon pool, a children's play area, a lap pool and a swim-up infinity edge with views out to Great Keppel Island. Entry is free and you can swim in peace knowing the pool is patrolled daily, including during public holidays. For a truly Queensland tourist experience, cuddle up with Australia's favourite furry friend at Cooberrie Park Wildlife Sanctuary. If koalas aren't really your style you can have a go at holding a crocodile or parrot. Situated in Yeppoon, the sanctuary boasts more than 300 animals, 25 acres, barbecue facilities and a swimming pool. Keep an eye out on the website for COVID-19 restrictions if you're keen to get up close to the animals. [caption id="attachment_798840" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] STAY When it's elegance and heritage that you crave, you can't go past Hotel Denison in Rockhampton. Built in 1886, the boutique hotel is brimming with history. Offering 18 luxury suites, the hotel has managed to maintain its heritage-listed appearance while still remaining modern. A ten-minute walk will take you to the CBD's range of restaurants and mall strip, making it the perfect place to stay when you're exploring Australia's Beef Capital. Or, consider Capricorn Camel Camp, just east of Rockhampton. It is guaranteed to make your friends seriously jealous. You'll get to camp close to the camels and enjoy the option of a sunset camel ride on the private property. Plus, the camp is also home to alpacas, calves and goats. It's a bring-your-own gear kind of experience and it'll set you back just $25 per night for two guests. For something a little more luxurious, there's beach-style accommodation surrounded by palm trees at Yeppoon Surfside Motel. The motel is a favourite of the Empty Esky crew and it has a range of sleeping options and each self-contained room has an ensuite, air-conditioning, cooking facilities, free wifi and queen-size beds. Opt-in for the ultimate holiday experience of having brekkie delivered to your room. Rooms here start at $155 per night. For a unique and memorable experience, why not stay at Pumpkin Island? Situated 14 kilometres from the coast of Yeppoon, the tiny private oasis is a blissful retreat and an opportunity to unwind and connect with nature. Accommodation options include five eco-friendly self-catering cottages or two beach bungalows, starting from $306 — and your days are filled with snorkelling, kayaking, or lounging around on the long stretches of white sand. For more road trip inspiration, check out these guides from Canadian Club and Empty Esky. Top image: Pumpkin Island via Tourism and Events Queensland
It's time to bid farewell to 2024, and if you're seeking a celebratory rendezvous in Melbourne's southside, you've come to the right place. Some of the area's top venues will be hosting New Year's parties, from live DJs at The Espy to uninterrupted views of the midnight Fireworks from Public House Rooftop. Deciding what to do on New Year's can often feel like one of the hardest decisions of the year, so with some help from The Pass, we've rounded up some of the best New Year's Eve events south of the CBD. The Prince Celebrate New Year's Eve at the beach at St Kilda's The Prince. Arrive in the afternoon and kick back with delicious food and plenty of drinks before the DJ sets to start up at 7pm and into the evening. To book your spot to enjoy New Year's at one of St Kilda's coolest pubs, make sure to grab tickets. Plus, keep an eye on socials for the announcement of the rooftop deck party. The Espy Head down to The Espy in St Kilda for the full New Year's Eve experience. The lively pub will be offering a three-and-a-half-hour drinks package plus a spread of roaming canapés and grazing bites to keep you fueled. Each room will have DJs and guaranteed good vibes. Tickets and special early bird deals are available here. Louey's Farewell 2024 at Louey's with an Italian-inspired celebration. Housed within The Esplanade, this intimate haunt is perfect if you prefer to spend your New Year's indulging in a decadent Italian feast, paired with a four-hour drinks package featuring a classic Italian spritz on arrival. Plus, resident DJs will be spinning Italo Disco to keep you grooving into 2025. Tickets are available here. Fargo and Co Ring in the new year at Fargo and Co, a two-story bar nestled in a historic bank. Along with ambience, you can expect a 4-hour beverage package, delicious canapes to keep you fuelled and DJs spinning all night. FYI – this is not a seated event, so for tables, it's first in, best dressed. Tickets can be purchased online. Mya Tiger For an elegant evening, head to Mya Tiger. Sitting atop The Espy's grand staircase, Mya Tiger will be serving up a delicious Cantonese banquet in the Mya dining room, perfectly complemented by a four-hour drinks package to while the night away. Grab your tickets here. Village Belle Celebrate New Year's Eve at Village Belle Hotel. Choose from two exciting packages. Opt for the 'All Access Pass' where you can expect a three-hour bottomless beverage package with roaming canapés in the Atrium from 7pm to 10pm. Or, the 'Party Starter Ticket' offers access to the upstairs club and Mezzanine from 9pm, with DJ tunes and two complimentary drinks. Get your tickets here. The Ghost Do you love oysters? The Ghost may be the place for you. Against a backdrop of stunning views of St Kilda pier, this intimate cocktail bar will offer a mouth-watering spread of canapés and an oyster station, all paired with a three-hour drinks package. We recommend buying tickets for the VIP experience which gives you access to The Ghost's intimate space, along with entry to all other rooms at The Espy. Harlow Everyone's favourite rooftop, Harlow is another top pick to see out 2024, with a front-row seat to the fireworks at midnight. You can expect 4 hours of bottomless seltzers and tasty canapés, as well as roaming champagne for the countdown. Head down to the basement from 8pm for a killer DJ lineup to take you into the New Year. Buy tickets here. Public House If you want views of the midnight CBD Fireworks, you can't get much better than Public House. With four levels, including a rooftop, Public House is throwing one hell of a party. Enjoy a four-hour drinks package with roaming canapes while resident DJ spins tunes until 2am. Grab your tickets before they run out. The Gardiner Malvern's newest rooftop, The Gardiner is set to put on quite the show this New Year's Eve. Indulge in the full menu alongside exclusive Chef's specials, all while soaking up the good vibes that come with spending the final hours of the year at a pub with friends and family. Tickers can be purchased here. The Smith If there's one thing we know, it's that The Smith knows to throw a damn good party. Taking bottomless to the next level, Prahran's favourite local will be serving up two fierce bottomless sessions at 4pm and 7pm. The best bit? There will be jaw-dropping drag performances from legendary DJ duo, The Jawbreakers. All that's left to do is get your hands on the tickets before they sell out. Images: Supplied.
When winter rolls around, it can be mighty tempting to just spend the entire season holed up at home in front of the telly. But we did enough of that last winter. This year, it's all about getting out and exploring everything our country has to offer in the cooler months. Roasting marshmallows in front of an open fire. Foraging for truffles, then enjoying your spoils in a decadent long lunch. And escaping the outdoor chill in one of the country's best art galleries. You'll find all this — and much more — in Canberra this season. We're here to help you carve out your ideal winter itinerary to the capital city. Please stay up to date with the latest ACT Government health advice regarding COVID-19.
Brisbane rock five-piece Waax have been steadily gaining a following over the past few years. This month, they're set to cross the border for a gig in Byron as part of NSW Government initiative Great Southern Nights. They'll be playing at The Northern, situated right in the centre of Byron Bay and just a few minutes' walk from its famous Main Beach. Not that you'll be thinking of the surf when Waax lets rip with their take on alternative post-punk. Likened in the past to acts such as Siouxsie and the Banshees and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, their debut album, Big Grief — incidentally recorded in Byron Bay — just fell short of a place in the Top 10 last year. You can catch them at the coastal pub on Saturday, November 7 at 6pm or 9.30pm. For the latest info on NSW border restrictions, head here. If travelling from Queensland or Victoria, check out Queensland Health and DHHS websites, respectively.
The Conservation Ecology Centre of Cape Otway has some very worthy green goals, and you can help the environmental organisation get a little bit closer to fulfilling them — you'll just have to offer a set of hands this weekend. Running yearly, the Great Otway Tree Plant aims to re-green Cape Otway for the local wildlife, providing homes and habitats for future koalas and birds and protecting the ones that are already there. You can make a weekend of it, too — Bimbi Park has offered up its grounds, and all volunteers can camp there for free. There will also be a meal served on Saturday evening for those giving up their time to put a little green goodness back into the world. But, really, knowing you're making koalas safe and happy is enough of an incentive in itself. Before you head down to the Otways, make sure you RSVP here.
Sydney's Taronga Zoo boasts its own glamping experience, as well as a luxe new eco-retreat. At Melbourne Zoo, you can stay overnight in the elephant exhibit. Next year, southeast Queensland's Australia Zoo will follow suit, opening a campground that'll also include glamping and eco cabins. Slated to launch in 2020 to celebrate Australia Zoo's 50th anniversary celebrations, the new addition to the Irwin family's Beerwah zoo has unsurprisingly been dubbed Camp Crocodile Hunter. It'll feature a combination of tent accommodation, powered sites for caravans and RVs, glamping-style tents and cabins — with 108 sites included in total. Wildlife lovers can also look forward to a new cafe, an entertainment and pool area, covered cooking areas and a mountain bike track. And, there'll be facilities for school camps, too. Expect all of the above to be put to frequent use, with Australia Zoo anticipating that Camp Crocodile Hunter will attract more than 39,000 visitors each year. Increasing both tourism and zoo patronage is clear aim of the $8 million project, which has received Queensland Government support alongside Australia Zoo's own funding. Just what else the "luxury bush camp experiences" will entail hasn't been revealed, but for folks keen to extend their trip to the famed zoo across at least two days — and avoid having to trek offsite to stay the night — that's obviously on the agenda. From the crocoseum and croc school, to the onsite wildlife hospital, to a lineup of animals that spans tigers, cheetahs, giraffes, lemurs, meerkats, otters, rhinos, kangaroos, koalas, emus, crocodiles and more, there's definitely plenty to see. https://www.instagram.com/p/BwRk7kkF1eZ/ Camp Crocodile Hunter was first announced back in April, but construction started just this month, after the completion of planning work for all of the campground essentials — aka electricity, water and public amenities. Australia Zoo's Camp Crocodile Hunter is slated to open in 2020. For further information, visit the venue's website. Top image: Andy Mitchell via Wikicommons.
Queer theatre company The Sisters Grimm have displayed their trashtastic aesthetic in shows with names such as Fat Camp and Cellblock Booty. Now they're marching into the heartland of Australian history, and into the heart of the Melbourne arts precinct in the MTC theatre, with The Sovereign Wife. It sounds like a classic enough tale — the story of a plucky Irishwoman who comes with her husband to the Ballarat Goldfields and under the rigours of colonial life becomes hardened, morally compromised and ultimately transformed. In the hands of the Sisters Grimm, this saga of frontier struggle become a wild romp, an exuberant parody of historical melodrama, with a bent sense of humour that underscores every element of the production. Gags fly thick and fast and contemporary pop culture intrudes at will. The design has a cobbled-together homespun feel, while the performances are outrageous. There are dances, songs and (naturally) a rave sequence. Gender, race and age are completely fluid. There are girls in fake beards and men in frocks. A Chinaman is played by a white guy, a black man by an Asian woman, a white woman by a black man. Cultural stereotypes are appropriated, then blurred and jumbled into a risible mess that mocks the very concept of stereotyping. There’s hilarity galore but underscoring it is a fiercely intelligent interrogation of the Australian identity. All the gender-switching and jumbling of racial stereotypes serves a purpose. Identity is presented as a muddled construct and the symbolic connection to the national psyche is clear. This is at its most salient in the character of the Sovereign Wife herself, who is played by a different performer in each of the three acts, the changes in casting reflecting the development of her character through time and hardship. For all the madcap trappings, for much of the show the story arc is that of classic tragedy and there is considerable narrative force keeping the circus moving. The vision of Australia that forms is unsettling, too uncomfortably close to the bone to be presented in any form other than comedy perhaps. The script, by head sisters Declan Greene and Ash Flanders (who also appears in the play, including one act as the Wife) has lavish helpings of wit and not a skerrick of shame. The diverse and energetic cast give the performance everything. If camp’s your thing, you’ll love the pants off it. If it’s not, well the Sisters might yet win you over. However, it is a very long show. By the third act, it’s starting to run out of storyline and some of the later scenes become stretched to the point of self-indulgence. It never fails to be amusing, though, and ultimately pulls together for an exuberant finale. The Sovereign Wife is also the finale to the NEON festival and it’s exactly the brash, outlandish, fabulous bang the festival deserves to end on. Hurrah, Sisters Grimm, hurrah!
Short of physically volunteering your time, there aren't many ways you can help those in need over lunch. But Sydney-based social enterprise food company Two Good is looking to change that, with their buy-one, give-one lunch delivery model. Having just expanded from Sydney to Melbourne this week, Two Good are delivering delicious salads through Deliveroo — and for every one sold, a meal is donated to domestic violence shelters in both cities. They're not just any old salads either. The Two Good guys — Rob Caslick and Cathal Flaherty — have worked with the most loveable man in the international food world Yotam Ottolenghi and renowned Melbourne chef Andrew McConnell to create two options that far surpass any soggy salad you were planning on making in your office's kitchenette this afternoon. Ottolenghi's creation is a poached chicken salad with chargrilled zucchini, sorrel, capers and pine nuts, while McConnell looks after the vego option with a cracked wheat and freekeh salad with preserved lemon and berries. The salads — available to order for lunch through Deliveroo — are $14 and $13 respectively, which is a pretty standard price for a salad in this town. And, considering for each salad you order the legends at Two Good will donate a meal to a domestic violence shelter in your city, it's an incredibly low cost way to food yourself and help someone who needs it. Meals are donated to ten shelters around NSW and to The Safe Futures and St Mary's House of Welcome in Victoria. What's more, Two Good also employ women from the shelters they work with in NSW, and are looking to do the same in Victoria in the next three months. If you want to buy a salad, you can place an order through Deliveroo from 11.15am in Melbourne and Sydney. For more information on Two Good, go to twogood.com.au.
Travelling further than your own city hasn't been all that easy over the past 18 months, all thanks to the pandemic and the restrictions and border closures that've come with it. But, back at the end of June, Virgin Australia announced that it was going to give Aussies some extra incentive not just to travel, but to get vaccinated against COVID-19 so that borders can reopen, restrictions can ease and jetting off on holiday can become a reality again — and now the airline is coming through. The carrier has just launched a new giveaway called VA-X & Win, which is handing out free flights, a heap of frequent flyer points, lounge memberships and Virgin Australia PJs to Aussies who've had the jab. That's the catch, obviously. To enter, you'll need to roll up your sleeve first. You'll also need to be a member of the airline's free-to-join Velocity frequent flyer program. Here's how it works: once you've had both doses of the COVID-19 vaccination, you'll head to the airline's website, fill out the form with all of your details and wait to find out if you've won. You've got until 11.59pm on December 31, 2021 to enter, and you'll need to tick a box confirming you've been vaxxed, and also have proof of your jabs to show if asked. The full prize pool includes 25 return business class flights, 50 return economy flights, 30 Virgin Australia lounge memberships and 85 sets of pyjamas, with 50 people scoring 10,000 Velocity points and ten folks nabbing 100,000 points. Also, one person will become a Velocity Points millionaire, with the lucky winner then able to put those points to plenty of use. "We are offering an opportunity for every fully vaccinated Australian aged 18 and over to enter the Virgin Australia VA-X & Win competition, for simply rolling up their sleeve, getting vaccinated and protecting their community and the future of our country," said Virgin Australia Group CEO and Managing Director Jayne Hrdlicka. "We know how important it is to reach the vaccination thresholds as soon as possible, especially for those people living in New South Wales and Victoria, and we're proud to play our part in adding to the benefits of getting vaccinated." Qantas has also launched a similar giveaway, if you'd like to double your chance to win across both airlines. And, if you're now looking for vaccination clinics, you can check out a handy online map that collates vaccination hub, clinic and GP locations. It covers all Australian states and territories, including New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. To enter the Virgin Australia 'VA-X & Win' competition, head to the airline's website before December 31, 2021.
Austrian photographer Paul Schneggenburger's fascinating body of work The Sleep of the Beloved has broken through closed bedroom doors to illuminate one of the most private and intimate of human interactions: sleeping couples. Sitting permanently in the photographer's studio is a bed where couples are invited to come and spend the night. Schneggenburger simply sets the stage, lights some candles, and leaves the room with his camera set to long exposure capturing all the movements of the couples over a six-hour period from midnight to 6am. The resulting photographs are a beautiful blur of tangled bodies and ghostly movements demonstrating how sleeping can often be an unconsciously intimate act of love and affection or a quite static experience designed only for resting and rejuvenation. As the photographer asks: “What happens to lovers while they are sleeping? Is it a nocturnal lovers' dance, maybe a kind of unaware performed tenderness, or does one turn their back on each other?" Check out some of the photographs below and head over to Schneggenburger's website to see more of these gorgeous and fascinating images. Via CNN World.
Dine With Heart is a whole month devoted to raising funds for the Sacred Heart Mission's meals program — and you can do your bit by eating out at some of Melbourne's best restaurants. The campaign brings Melbourne's food community together with a worthy goal: providing free, hot meals to those experiencing homelessness or social disadvantage, by way of food experiences and meals at participating restaurants, bars and cafés. After kicking off with a gala fundraising dinner at the Palais Theatre this week, the rest of the month will involve pasta masterclasses, pizza and op shop pop-ups, and a whole bunch of participating food and drink venues that are getting involved too. Each venue will be offering something different — for example, St Ali will donate all proceeds from each plate of pancakes sold during May, The St Kilda Burger Bar will give $2 from every Dine With Heart burger, and Park Street will be donating $1 from every bloody mary too. Take a look at the full list here. Of course, you can get even more proactive and bring Dine With Heart into your workplace — run an activity like a bake sale to raise awareness — or volunteer to host an event in your own home to raise some funds for Sacred Heart. This year, the aim is to raise $150,000 to help people in need gain access to hot meals and support systems. Every meal the Sacred Heart provides costs $4, so it goes without saying that just throwing a dinner party for some mates could do a whole lot of good for a whole lots of people. Here's a full list of participating restaurants: Añada | Fitzroy Babu Ji | St Kilda Bella Cosi | Port Melbourne Big Mouth | St Kilda Coppersmith Hotel | South Melbourne Derby Thai | St Kilda Dog's Bar | St Kilda Dr Jekyll | St Kilda Elsternwick 48h Pizza & Gnocchi Bar | Elsternwick Elsternwick Hotel | Elwood Fitzrovia | St Kilda Fork & Fingers | Ascot Vale Frankies Top Shop | St Kilda Fuji Tei | St Kilda Grill'd | Windsor Icon Coffee Shop | St Kilda Love and Dysfunction | St Kilda Lord Newry Hotel | Fitzroy North Mountain Goat Brewery | Richmond Parish of Sacred Heart & St Columba | St Kilda Park St Dining | North Fitzroy Pasta Classica | Melbourne Pelican | St Kilda Pint on Punt | Windsor Radio Mexico | St Kilda Republica Lord | St Kilda Saluministi | Melbourne CBD South Yarra 48h Pizza & Gnocchi Bar | South Yarra St Ali | South Melbourne St Kilda Burger Bar (The Grosvenor) The Craft & Co | Collingwood Uncle | St Kilda Union Club Hotel | Fitzroy West Beach Bathers Pavillion | St Kilda West Wine 1160 | Armadale Dine With Heart will run throughout May. Find more information about how to register here.
For the next three months, the Sydney Opera House will not be home to any operas, Vivid Live performances, thought-provoking talks or podcast recordings, with all public performances suspended until at least June 17. But you will be able to relive many of the highlights from its 47-year history when the Sydney icon launches its digital program tomorrow, Wednesday, April 1. The latest cultural institution — around Australia and the world — to launch an online platform, the Opera House has today unveiled 'From our House to yours', which will see full-length performances, talks, long-form articles, podcasts and behind-the-scenes content brought to your screens. As well as a heap of footage that's never been seen by the public before. Kicking things off is award-winning Aussie musician Missy Higgins with a recording from her 2019 forecourt concert at 6pm (AEDT) on Wednesday, April 1. You'll also catch a conversation from this year's All About Women with writer Chanel Miller about her new memoir Know My Name on Thursday, April 2 at 6pm (AEDT); footage of last year's Dance Rites — Australia's annual First Nations dance competition — on Friday, April 3 at 6pm (AEDT); Sydney Symphony Orchestra performing Beethoven's sublime Symphony No. 9 on Saturday, April 4 at 6pm (AEDT); and a recording of The Writers Room with Celia Pacqoula (Rosehaven), Josh Thomas (Please Like Me), Luke McGregor (Rosehaven) and Dan Harmon (Rick and Morty, Community) at 6pm (AEST) on Sunday, April 5, where the writers discuss characters, plots and dealing with deadlines. [caption id="attachment_752071" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dance Rites by Anna Kucera[/caption] You'll also be able to access a bunch of free content on demand, plus new videos, recordings and articles will be released daily every Wednesday through Sunday, with each week's schedule announced on the Tuesday. The launch comes after the Opera House's exclusive broadcast event for Piano Day 2020 last Saturday, which featured performances by Andrea Lam, Margaret Leng Tan and Simon Tedeschi; unreleased recordings of Jon Hopkins and Joep Beving; and an interview with composer Nils Frahm. If you want a sneak peek into what you can expect from the new digital initiative, check out the broadcast here. From our House to yours launches at 6pm on Wednesday, April 1 on the Sydney Opera House website and will run until at least mid-June. Each week's schedule will be announced on Tuesday.
Long before Australia was plunged into a cost-of-living crisis, German-born supermarket chain Aldi was beloved by budget-conscious shoppers for its discounted groceries. Fans of cheap snow gear love the brand for cheap winter threads, too — and everyone knows someone who has nabbed a bargain bed, TV, barbecue, air fryer, outdoor setting or kettle from the retailer. Next on Aldi's list: $3.25 beers. No, there's no figure missing from that number. Yes, that's a wallet-friendly price for a frothy. If you're in Sydney on Wednesday, December 13, you can also enjoy the cheapest pub visit that you're ever likely to have while still buying a drink. To celebrate its new summery beers, which are called ALD IPA and are brewed by BrewDog at its Brisbane base, Aldi is setting up a one-night-only pop-up pub. Meet Special Brews by Aldi, with beverages costing $3.25 there as well, and the beers on offer from 3–7pm at Hotel Sweeney's on Clarence Street. In the past, Aldi has showcased its low prices by hosting a pop-up bar where gin, wine and cheese only cost $4.41, also in Sydney; serving up six gyoza for $1.44 at a pop-up dumpling truck, again in the Harbour City; and slinging 37-cent barista-made coffee in Melbourne. So, not only are the bargain brews on-brand, but so is setting up a site to launch and celebrate them. Head along to Special Brews and you'll get a sneak peek at ALD IPA, because it'll be available at the pop-up before it hits supermarkets on Wednesday, December 20. It's a first-come-first-served setup with no bookings, which means that arriving early is recommended. There'll also be a three-drink limit per person, so you won't even spend $10 on brews. Tucking into some chips while you drink will up your budget, however, with Special Brews featuring Aldi's Blackstone crisps in smoky chorizo (aka smoked paprika, pork, garlic and salt) and truffle and olive oil flavours for $3.49 a pack. Also on offer on the night: limited-edition BrewDog stubby holders and socks. "Produced in our state-of-the-art brewery in sunny Brisbane, our new ALD IPA is packed with all the hops and flavours you dream of in a quintessential summertime beer. It may boast a price tag fitting for ALDI, but it is the same high quality that BrewDog fans are so used to enjoying across our entire range, so we hope that Aussies enjoy picking up a case of ALD IPA in their weekly shop and cracking open a cold one this summer," said BrewDog Australia CEO Ed Bott. Described as "a fresh, fruity ale with tasting notes of citrus, stone fruits and a hint of toast", made with four different hops and coming in at four-percent ABV, ALD IPA will cost $13 for a four-pack — so, still $3.25 each — at Aldi. The one caveat: you can only get it at Aldis in states where supermarkets can sell booze, so in New South Wales, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and Western Australia. Special Brews by Aldi will pop up at Hotel Sweeney's, 236 Clarence Street, Sydney from 3–7pm on Wednesday, December 13. In states where supermarkets can sell alcohol, you'll also be able to pick up a four-pack of ALD IPA in Aldi stores from Wednesday, December 20 until sold out.
Since you're reading this, we bet you love sippin' a cheeky marg — on a hot day, after a long day at work or when you're celebrating something special. It's a classic for a reason. But, like when reading a good crime fiction novel or watching the latest bingeable TV show, we love an unexpected twist from time to time. So, to celebrate International Margarita Day on February 22, we've teamed up with Patrón tequila to share these three recipes that'll help you mix things up. Whether you want to make the most of seasonal produce or test your tolerance for chilli, these tipples will do the trick. Want to leave it to the pros? Patrón is also giving away complimentary margaritas for the entire month of February at a bunch of bars around the city. Head here to claim your free tipple. PINEAPPLE MARGARITA Have your plans to escape to a tropical oasis been thwarted by border closures? We get it. But there's no need to cry — that's how you get sunscreen in your eyes. Instead, conjure those island vibes with this sweet concoction. Ingredients 45ml Patrón Silver 25ml Dekuyper Triple Sec 20ml lime juice Three cubes of fresh pineapple Method Muddle pineapple in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Add all other ingredients in and add ice. Shake hard and double-strain into a chilled coupette. Garnish with a wedge of pineapple. SPICY MARGARITA We all know how well a classic margarita pairs with spicy food. Perhaps that's why we have two hands, so we can hold a margarita in one and a taco in the other. Here, you can cut out the middle man and get the spicy kick straight from your drink. Just don't use that free hand to text your ex. Ingredients 45ml jalapeño-infused Patrón Silver (see note) 15ml fruit or vegetable puree (blood orange, mango or fresh beet) 90ml lime juice Salt Lime wedge and sliced jalapeño to garnish Method Combine infused Patrón Silver with your choice of flavour puree and lime juice over ice in a shaker. Shake and strain into a salt-rimmed glass. Note: To make the jalapeño-infused Patrón Silver, add two whole jalapeños cut down the middle and deseeded into one bottle of Patrón Silver. Let rest for 12 hours. WATERMELON BASIL MARGARITA Lucky us. We get to celebrate International Margarita Day in the heart of summer, so we have excellent seasonal produce at our disposal, including watermelons, to jazz up our cocktails. Shake this sweet and colourful tipple up on the next sunny day and try not to boast too much to your poor mates shivering away in the northern hemisphere winter. Ingredients 45ml Patrón Reposado 30ml fresh watermelon juice or puree 30ml fresh lime juice 30ml agave nectar Three basil leaves (or basil simple syrup) Watermelon wedge or dehydrated lime wheel for garnish Method Combine all ingredients (except the watermelon wedge/lime wheel) in a cocktail shaker and shake with ice to chill. Strain onto fresh ice in a glass. Garnish with a basil leaf and wedge of watermelon or a dehydrated lime wheel. To score a complimentary margarita courtesy of Patrón throughout the month of February, head over here.
If bustin' makes you feel good — ghostbustin', that is — then start singing the appropriate theme tune: the movie franchise about vanquishing spirits is returning again. Notching up the supernatural comedy series' fifth film, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire has locked in a date with cinemas in March 2024, and now has a trailer teasing what's to come. Perhaps the most important details: Paul Rudd, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson are all back. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is the sequel to 2021's Ghostbusters: Afterlife, which means that not only is Rudd (Only Murders in the Building) returning as Gary Grooberson, but that Carrie Coon (The Gilded Age), McKenna Grace (Crater) and Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things) are back as well. The latter trio play Callie, Phoebe and Trevor Spengler — yes, the daughter and grandchildren of the late Harold Ramis' Egon Spengler — who became initiated in the family business when they inherited his old farmhouse. As the just-dropped first sneak peek at Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire shows, this film is reversing the last flick's swap — so, rather than taking place in Oklahoma, it's back in New York. There, summer is proceeding as normal until an unseasonable chill kicks in. The reason for the plummeting temperatures isn't any old blast of cooler weather, either, which is where the Ghostbusters come in. Also in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire's cast: Kumail Nanjiani (Welcome to Chippendales), Patton Oswalt (What We Do in the Shadows), Celeste O'Connor (A Good Person) and Logan Kim (The Walking Dead: Dead City), alongside OGs Murray (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania), Aykroyd (Zombie Town) and Hudson (Quantum Leap), as well as Annie Potts (Young Sheldon). The new film will arrive four decades after the first Ghostbusters initially hit screens, with Gil Kenan (A Boy Called Christmas) directing. Not only did 1989's Ghostbusters II follow before Ghostbusters: Afterlife, but also 2016's women-led, excellent and wrongly maligned Paul Feig-helmed Ghostbusters. After directing Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Jason Reitman (Tully, The Front Runner) — who is the son of Ivan Reitman, who helmed the first two movies — co-writes the script this time around. Check out the trailer for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire below: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire will open in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, March 28, 2024.
First it was the smartphone game no one could've guessed they'd get addicted to. Now it's a film that spins a story around a flightless flock of feathered friends, their unhappy attitude, and a posse of porky interlopers. We're talking, of course, about Angry Birds, an animated effort that not only brings the must-have app of 2009 to the big screen, but also comes up with an origin tale to explain its feuding characters. When we first meet Red (voiced by Jason Sudeikis), he's certainly far from chirpy, preferring to live on the outskirts of his island community. Despite working as a clown, he's more likely to incite rage than inspire laughs — and after doing just that at a hatch-day party, he's sent to anger management. There, alongside the speedy Chuck (Josh Gad) and explosive Bomb (Danny McBride), he's taught to control his temper, or at least try to. But then a ship bearing green pigs arrives, with their leader Leonard (Bill Hader) attempting to charm the birds with parties and presents. Instantly suspicious, Red soon discovers that his anger has other uses. Although there's certainly a message about accepting the good with the bad bundled into The Angry Birds Movie, if you're looking for a nuanced look at the emotional spectrum, you'd be better off sticking with Inside Out. This is a bright and busy effort that sticks to the usual all-ages recipe: slap together a breezy narrative, throw in a wealth of pop culture references to everything from The Shining to 50 Shades of Grey, add a soundtrack that's designed to appeal to ironic Rick Astley lovers as much as pre-teen Demi Lovato fans, and keep things moving as fast as humanly possible. Indeed, as questionable as making a movie out of Angry Birds may seem, its source of inspiration isn't the feature's main problem. A lack of energy and enthusiasm is — though given that the film remains bouncy and bubbly from start to finish, it might not initially appear that way. Alas, as The LEGO Movie proved, there's a difference between shoehorning in the required brand elements and demonstrating a true understanding of why people like the original product. Directors Fergal Reilly and Clay Kaytis don't concern themselves with that; they're content to plaster on the movie equivalent of a fake smile, and try not to make too much of a flap. That leaves the eye-popping visuals, along with a voice cast that includes Keegan-Michael Key, Maya Rudolph and Sean Penn, to do too much heavy lifting — and while everything looks and sounds the part, it also feels quite hollow. Perhaps two of writer Jon Vitti's past credits sum up the feature's fortunes best, with the scribe's background including episodes of The Simpsons along with a couple of the Alvin and the Chipmunks films. Sadly, The Angry Birds Movie has much more in common with the lazy cheesiness of the latter than the clever comedy of the former.
A party can always be made better with pinot, so one with nothing but the ancient red grape is sure to be a wild one. But who throws such decadent gatherings? That'll be Pinot Palooza. And judging by the last two bashes they've thrown, this years instalment is sure to be a party indeed. Since launching in 2012, the Palooza has become the biggest date on any pinotphiles calendar. The event only keeps on growing, and this year pinot producers from around the world will take their wines to a bigger venue, the basement car park of Circa, The Prince, this Saturday, October 4 from 1pm. So here's the deal: 150 wines, $60, unlimited tastings. If you break it down, that's just 40 cents per tasting glass. Whatta bargain! We don't know if anyone's actually managed to try all 150 varieties within five hours, but we'd encourage you to give it a red-hot crack. If there's any event where you're allowed to get a little boozy, it's this one. More than just a straight-up wine tasting, the Palooza will have music, local food offerings and even a selection of craft beer (just in case). So whether you're a pinot pro, or you just know that you like the stuff, Pinot Palooza is the best way to learn a few things and sample more wines than you can poke a wine glass at. Although, we can't promise you won't wake up with the red wine sweats the next day.
While it seems to be a rite of passage for every school-aged kid to learn how to make paper cranes and aeroplanes, very few children would have ever dreamed they'd make a living out of folding paper. There does, however, seem to be a few notable exceptions to this rule. One such dreamer you might know is the remarkable Australian artist Benja Harney. Harney has transformed his childhood love of playing around with paper into a full-time profession. His incredible paperwork creations have been used for pop-up books, advertising, fashion, illustrations, invitations, and standalone pieces of fine art, with such illustrious clients as Harper's Bazaar, Smirnoff and Sportsgirl forking out the big bucks for Harney's paper structures. With its incredible intimacy, intrinsic simplicity, and remarkable flexibility, paper provides the artist with a unique material for creating works of art. And for Harney the joy of his craft comes from discovering just "how creative one can be with a flat piece of paper". Harney is not alone either. Last year's Sydney Biennale featured the paperwork of Japan's Sachiko Abe, China's Li Hongbo and Belgium's Honore d'O, while in America a number of paper artists have made a name for themselves thanks to their amazing sculptures of such seemingly impossible structures as stained glass windows and the White House. So here are seven of the most intricate and incredible structures ever made out of paper that prove that throwing paper aeroplanes at your maths teacher was perhaps not a total waste of time. A 'Stained Glass' Window - Eric Standley These amazing stained glass windows were created from hundreds of interlocking and overlapping pieces of coloured paper. The American-based artist Eric Standley begins the arduous process of making the windows by firstly drawing a design of the window, and then lasercutting through thousands of layers of paper. These are then layered together to create these marvellous 3D structures. See more of Eric Standley's work here. San Francisco - Matthew Picton London-based artist Matthew Picton has taken his love for all things geography to its fullest realisation with his amazing paper sculptures of major cities, from Venice to Tehran to this remarkable reworking of San Francisco. Not only are Picton's sculptures a masterclass in paperwork but also the paper he selects and crafts has particular significance to the cities he represents. His sculpture of Venice, for instance, is made from pages taken from Thomas Mann's classic novel Death in Venice with the paper then dipped in the infamously dank and disgusting lagoons that line the streets of Venice. See more of Matthew Picton's work here. Cross-Sectioned Animal Head - Lisa Nilsson New York-based paper artist Lisa Nilsson is clearly a woman of exceptional patience and remarkable skill, creating these insanely detailed cross-sections through the nauseatingly slow process of 'quilling', or paper filigree. Quilling requires the artist to individually roll, shape and glue small strips of paper and then combine them together to create a larger piece of art. Marrying this skill with her close study of the anatomical structures of humans and animals, Nilsson has been able to create what is undoubtedly the most fascinating science textbook imaginable. See more of Lisa Nilsson's work here. A Stretchy Person - Li Hongbo Chinese artist Li Hongbo devised a mind-bogglingly complex process of cutting and layering thousands of pieces of paper into an intricate honeycomb structure to create striking sculptures that seem to resemble some sort of horrifying Freudian nightmare. Hongbo's sculptures at first seem to be totally normal, solid structures, resembling white marble or resin; however, when Hongbo pulls at his creations, the faces and bodies become distorted and elongated, providing us with some striking and altogether unique pieces of art. See more of Li Hongbo's work here and here. 'Clothes' - Benja Harney Australia's favourite origami disciple, Benja Harney, has made everything from feathered wings for a Hermes window display to jewellery for a Sportsgirl shoot to an American Indian headdress for indie-pop sensation Sia — all entirely from paper. Perhaps most impressive, however, are these paper dresses that were showcased at the MAC Launch Party at Fashion Week 2010. The interlocking paper structures blew away the high fashion community with their artistic innovation and creative daring. Not only were the dresses remarkably beautiful but also totally functional pieces of clothing. See more of Benja Harney's work here. A Room Like a Cloud - Sachiko Abe Sachiko Abe may well have the easiest job in art. Abe is a performance artist who sits for hours and days at a time cutting paper into fine strips until she is surrounded on all sides in a cocoon of white paper resembling a sort of winter wonderland. The mysterious and elegant Abe never set out to be an artist but instead began her bizarre career while she was interred in a psychiatric hospital. She found the process of shedding paper to be strangely therapeutic and meditative, once stating that "the act of cutting is a constant exercise through which I organise and structure my random thoughts". The ethereal world of paper she creates around her made quite a splash last year when it was on display at the 18th Biennale on Cockatoo Island. See more of Sachiko Abe's work here. Capitol Hill - Jill Sylvia Whether it comes from some form of extreme patriotism or an addiction to papercraft, Jill Sylvia has spent the last few years turning discarded paper ledgers into iconic US buildings. The structures are made by cutting out the negative space from each paper grid and then joining the remaining squares of paper into an intricate connection of columns, walls, archways and domes. Sylvia has thus far created the White House, American Treasury, and Capitol Hill with many more iconic structures allegedly in the works (or paperworks, even). See more of Jill Sylvia's work here.
In July, four years after Beijing authorities confiscated his passport and banned him from leaving China, Ai Weiwei got back his right to travel. And this week he'll be using it, as he travels to Melbourne to speak at the opening of the National Gallery of Victoria's Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei exhibition. Yes, that’s right — Ai Weiwei will be appearing in the flesh. In Australia. You'll find him at the NGV on Monday, December 7 at 6.30pm, where he'll be having a mighty chat with the ABC's Virginia Trioli. Needless to say, Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei is the NGV's summer blockbuster. The gallery developed the exhibition in collaboration with the Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh and, of course, Ai Weiwei himself. The show aims to explore the concepts that inspired both artists. Gear up for more than 300 works, including never-before-seen pieces by Warhol, brand new commissions from Ai Weiwei and installations that’ll devour you. Pretty much every medium you can think of comes into play – from painting and sculpture to film and photography to music and social media. Tickets for Ai Weiwei's talk will go on sale to the public at 10am on Wednesday, December 2. And we reckon they'll sell out at Tay Swift speed — so you're going to have to be quick on the uptake. If you're a lucky, lucky member of the NGV, you can get in early in their members pre-sale, from 10am the day before. Ai Weiwei in Conversation at The National Gallery of Victoria will take place on Monday, December 7 at 6.30pm at NGV International. You can buy tickets here.
A fictionalised account of Grace Kelly's marriage to Prince Rainier III of Monaco, Olivier Dahan's glittery period drama arrives in theatres on a wave of bad publicity. Repeatedly delayed by its American distributor, publically disowned by the Monacan royal family and critically savaged after its opening night premiere at Cannes, the buzz around the film is nothing short of toxic. Yet the reality is that no amount of negative press could prepare you for how awful Grace of Monaco truly is. The film takes place in the early 1960s, five years into a marriage that has lost its fairytale feel. Stifled by the minutiae of her stately duties and neglected by the emotionally distant Rainier (Tim Roth), glamorous Grace (Nicole Kidman) yearns to return to Hollywood. Instead, she finds herself a pawn in a trade dispute with Monaco's French neighbours — one that threatens to erupt into the world's most one-sided war. Blending the tepid romanticism of a made-for-TV biopic with the most tedious political drama this side of The Phantom Menace, Arash Amel's screenplay is suffocatingly dull. The dialogue, when it's not dropping lead bricks of exposition, consists mostly of groan-inducing Hallmark quotations. There are a few unintentional comedic gems, thank God, but for the overwhelming majority it's just flat-out embarrassing. Equally weak are the attempts to connect Kelly's weepy personal crisis with the fate of Monaco at large. The entire second half of the film hinges on our heroine learning proper princess etiquette — via Miss Congeniality-style training montage — in the hopes that she can soften mean old Charles de Gaulle's heart. Of course, considering that the conflict basically boils down to whether or not Monaco gets to keep operating as a tax-free haven for wealthy Frenchmen, it's difficult to see why anyone should care. Dahan's direction is as ghastly as Amel's script, with sickly golden lighting and eye-watering soft focus making the film look like something between a daytime soap and a handbag commercial. His most baffling decision, however, is the one that led him to shoot key scenes of emotional dialogue in extreme close-up. As the frame roams aimlessly from Kidman's chin to her eyeball to her earlobe as she talks, the overwhelming impression (aside from a mild feeling of motion sickness) is that the guy operating the camera is every bit as bored as we are. It's a bit of a shame really. Kidman's performance is perfectly adequate, making it far and away the movie's greatest asset. She's certainly better than the wooden, chain-smoking Roth, who sports an unconvincing British accent as the decidedly not British Rainier. None of the film's normally respectable side players — including Frank Langella as Kelly's clerical confidant, Parker Posey as a hatchet-faced matron and Roger Ashton-Griffiths as a cuddly Alfred Hitchcock — fare much better. For a story about a woman called Grace, there are few films in recent memory as lacking in the virtue of the same name. Avoid this movie like the plague. https://youtube.com/watch?v=bFYmYWa348c
Remember Tiger King mania? Of course you do. When Netflix's true-crime docoseries about Joe Exotic dropped in March 2020, it seemed as if everyone on the planet tuned in, dropped their jaws and couldn't stop talking about the chaotic real-life story. The fact that it released just as worldwide lockdowns hit helped boost its success, obviously. In the aftermath, other networks and platforms in the US rushed to get in on the action. That's when dramatised versions of the former Oklahoma private zookeeper's tale started being greenlit all over the place. Two big new series were swiftly slated: one starring Saturday Night Live, Ghostbusters and Yesterday's Kate McKinnon as Carole Baskin — a glorious piece of casting if ever there was one — and a completely separate show with none other than Nicolas Cage playing Exotic. Neither series has surfaced yet, thanks to the pandemic. But, in sad news for Cage fans (aka everyone), the second show has just been scrapped. Variety and The Hollywood Reporter have reported that the Amazon has ditched its series — which means no blonde mullet for Cage. There's a chance the folks behind it might shop it around to other streamers and networks; although, whether anyone else picks it up, and if Cage will still remain onboard to play the tiger aficionado, one-time US presidential candidate and current incarcerated felon, is all clearly yet to be seen. This take on Exotic's tale was expected to chart his origin story, chronicling how he took on that moniker, became a larger-than-life version of himself and found himself on his present path. While Exotic has received plenty of media attention in his time, particularly recently, the Amazon series was due to take its cues from Leif Reigstad's 2019 Texas Monthly article 'Joe Exotic: A Dark Journey Into the World of a Man Gone Wild'. For now, anyone keen on more Tiger King mayhem will need to wait until the McKinnon-starring series comes to fruition. It's actually set to shoot in Brisbane this year. And, Cage fans will just have to console themselves by looking forward to him playing himself, and playing a truffle hunter as well. If you need a reminder as to why Joe Exotic's story keeps on keeping on, check out the Tiger King trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acTdxsoa428 The Nicolas Cage-starring Joe Exotic series has just been scrapped by Amazon. Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness is available to stream on Netflix, though. Via Variety / The Hollywood Reporter. Top image: Netflix.
Get set for chuckles galore, as the Melbourne International Comedy Festival returns to kick off its 33rd edition. From March 27 until April 21, a cast of side-splitting comedic talent will take over theatres, bars and clubs for the annual citywide festival. This year's program delivers an impressive mix of local and international names, with the likes of big names Michelle Wolf (USA), the Stephen K Amos (UK) and David O'Doherty (Ireland) joining homegrown heroes including Hannah Gadsby, Judith Lucy, Ronny Chieng, Urzila Carlson and Tommy Little. Over 100 venues across the city will host a smorgasbord of stand-up, improv, musical numbers, mime and more. As always, you'll have the chance to catch the latest solo shows from acclaimed acts like Becky Lucas, Joel Creasey, Demi Lardner, Charlie Pickering, Rhys Nicholson and Nazeem Hussain. The festival's Comedy Zone Asia and Indian All-Star Comedy Showcase will shine a spotlight on some of the hottest emerging comedians from across Asia, while yet more comedic gold will be served up at special events like the annual Gala, which raises much-needed funds for Oxfam. Throw in the return of famed open mic competition RAW Comedy, the youth-focused Class Clowns program, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander showcase Deadly Funny, and you're set for a serious boost of dopamine over the next few weeks.
There are more charities than one can keep up with, yet from day-to-day giving back is often far from front of mind. If you're wondering how you can become a more charitable being, we've compiled a list of the ever-increasing number of social enterprises out there making giving back as easy as buying a beer or a coffee. These are the Melbourne hospitality venues and local companies that are placing giving front and centre again by making it synonymous with our favourite pastime: eating and drinking. Shout Shout is the new smartphone app that is making donating to charity as easy as shouting a mate a beer. A micro donations platform, it's putting charity in your pocket and placing donating at your fingertips. Users can donate $5 to $150 to the charity of their choice. Charities include Camp Quality, Foodbank Victoria, National Breast Cancer Foundation and Reach. Shout is trying to change the way we donate. What might seem like insignificant amounts to us will build over time and make lasting impacts. Shebeen Shebeen is the first not-for-profit bar of its kind in the world. Found in Manchester Lane in the Melbourne CBD, Shebeen serves up drinks from the developing world and donates proceeds back to the country of origin. If you buy a beer from Ethiopia, money will go to kickstart an organisation that develops innovative farming products that help African farmers run a profitable business. All you need to do is have a beer with some mates. Kinfolk Cafe Kinfolk is a little cafe with a lot of heart. With a team of volunteer waitstaff, profits are distributed between four development projects. Over the past year and a half they have employed 92 volunteers and distributed $65,000 to their project partners. Projects include The DreamLink Rwanda project, a Melbourne-based organisation that rebuilds education facilities in the post-genocide community to ensure basic primary education is possible. Karma Kegs The Sandhill Road group own a number of pubs across Melbourne including The Bridge Hotel and the newly refurbished Prahran Hotel. In an effort to give back, the gents came up with Karma Kegs. Every Friday night, each of their establishments puts up a keg of Carlton Draught for sale and punters pay the price they want to donate. The money from the kegs goes toward a range of charities, which changes each week. History shows that everyone always pays more than the beer is worth. Ladro BYO Ladro, the much-loved and celebrated authentic Italian pizza restaurant also enjoys giving back to their community. Both their Fitzroy and their Prahran restaurant run a $5 BYO night every Monday evening. The money raised at the Fitzroy restaurant goes towards Vinnies Vannie Matthew Talbot's mobile soup van that feeds over 300 people each night, while the money raised at the Prahran site goes towards the annual Prahran Mission Christmas Lunch, which feeds 300 people on Christmas Day. Scarf A borrowed restaurant + trainee wait staff + mentors + our own Scarf chef + various knitted bits + hungry, big-hearted customers = Scarf That is Scarf's mission. They take a restaurant, usually on one of it's closed days, and take it over with their own staff. The mentors help marginalised youth gain hospitality experience in a safe and supportive background. Each program runs for 10 weeks and includes the Scarf dinners where diners can sample a two-course menu for $35 cooked by Scarf chef Ricky Holt and served up by trainees. Top Paddock is currently holding Scarf dinners until August 19. Suspended Coffee The Suspended Coffee phenomenon has been making its way around the world. The concept is simple: everyday coffee drinkers can pay in advance for what is called a 'suspended coffee', making it available to people who come in later that may be homeless or are unable to afford things like coffee. Cafes involved include T-Roy Browns, Impresso Coffee Bar, De Alleyway Espresso, Garden View Cafe, Lux Foundry Cafe and Palomino. STREAT Streat is an organisation or social enterprise with a three-tiered approach to bettering our society. They provide vocational hospitality training to disadvantaged youth, they offer social support to their trainees and they also provide Foodservices businesses that offer on the job training and work experience to their staff. With four cafes across Melbourne, Streat offers their trainees a six-month program teaching them to prepare and serve food and drinks. They leave this with a Certificate II in hospitality from William Angliss Institute. Since opening in 2010 Streat have provided 30,000 hours of paid work to their trainee staff. Melbourne City Mission's Brew Crew Melbourne City Mission, one of Melbourne's oldest charities has joined forces with St Ali and some of Australia's best baristas to provide hospitality training and experience to the disengaged and hard to reach population that MCM works so hard to help. The project 'The Brew Crew', saw five young people from MCM's Melbourne Academy — a learning community that works to change the lives of disadvantaged young people' — spend a week with some of Melbourne best baristas, learning the tricks of the trade. After battling it out on August 2 in a barista competition, students will be offered placement in renowned cafe St Ali among others. While this was done on a small scale, word on the street is St Ali are looking to engage in a global program to take this opportunity worldwide.
When it comes to planning the perfect office Christmas party, the struggle is real. Between considering dietary requirements, budget and the fact that Jenny from accounts was ghosted by the bartender at the place across the road and really wants to avoid going there, is it any wonder that you've hit November and still haven't found a place that suits? Here to solve your dilemma is Australian Venue Co. Not only does it own and operate some of the most popular pubs, bars and event spaces across Australia, but you'll find over 30 of them right here in Melbourne. And the best bit is that they're sprawled all over the city, making it super simple to select a location, wherever your office is based. Imperial Bourke Street is an excellent option for rooftop cocktails for those in the city. Otherwise, lock in a sit-down lunch or dinner with delicious food at Middle Park Hotel, enjoy a drink in the beer garden at Richmond's Prince Alfred Hotel, head to St Kilda's iconic Hotel Esplanade, or make your way to Yarra Botanica at South Bank — the impressive two-level floating bar in the heart of the CBD. With so many options to pick from, the only thing you'll have to double-check is just how far Jenny's romantic rendezvous have really extended. With over 30 spots around Melbourne to choose from, you should be able to secure a spot for your office Christmas party that will suit even the pickiest of your colleagues. To check them all out and make a booking, head to the Australian Venue Co. website.
