When The Proposition unleashed its outback western onto cinema screens, it did so with a distinctive sound, all thanks to Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. When The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford explored the death of an American outlaw, The Road took viewers into a post-apocalyptic wasteland and West of Memphis pondered a potential miscarriage of justice, the Australian musicians again provided the soundtrack — as they did with Hell or High Water and Wind River's crime thrills, too. Bandmates across several projects since the 90s — including Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Grinderman — Cave and Ellis are Aussie icons, with careers spanning back decades before they started composing music for movies. But even if you've seen the duo play live countless times over the years, you haven't seen anything like the pair's latest show. In two world premiere performances, as part of the 2019 Melbourne International Film Festival on August 9 and 10, Cave and Ellis will take to the stage with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra to perform pieces from all of the above film scores. Watch the talented musos work through their movie output, as paired with symphonic sound and conducted by Benjamin Northey — and prepare to witness something special. Tickets for The Film Music of Nick Cave and Warren Ellis go on sale at 10am on Thursday, April 11 on the MSO website. Images: Matthew Thorne / Kerry Brown.
Have you ever thought to yourself, mid-croissant and cafe au lait, that perhaps you were destined to call the City of Light home? That the sleek fashion, buttery entrées and full-bodied merlots of France are your true native roots? Well, you can save yourself the plane ticket, because from November 29 to December 1, Paris to Provence Melbourne will bring all the best bits of France to you. Put on your best Parisian pout and sashay down to the Como House and Garden to sample traditional French delicacies, sip many a wine and immerse yourself in that je ne sais quoi of French culture. This year the Francophile festival, which has been running for ten years, has new owners: Milk the Cow fromagerie. And you know what that means — more cheese. As well as hosting its regular cheese-filled stall, Milk the Cow will be running cheese and booze pairing masterclasses (with either sparkling wines, red and white wines or French cider) for $40 a pop. There'll also be live music, fancy dress parties for dogs, sabrage (opening champagne bottles with a sword) demonstrations, champagne breakfasts, French feasts and champagne masterclasses. If none of that tickles your fancy (did we mention there will be croissants?), the Paris to Provence marketplace also includes a veritable feast of over 50 stalls, covering off all the food and wine, fashion, homewares, gifts, language, books and travel tips you could ask for. Expect hot melty raclette, crêpes, lobster rolls, crème brûlée and a myriad of pastries. Paris to Provence runs from 12–9pm Friday, 10am–9pm Saturday and 10am–9pm Sunday.
The brainchild of Untitled Group (the crew behind Beyond the Valley, Pitch Music & Arts, Ability Fest), touring agency Crown Ruler, Moon Dog Craft Brewery and PBS 106.7FM, the inaugural Duke Street Block Party proved a raving hit with music-lovers back in 2019. Of course, thanks to COVID, we never got to see Round 2. Until now. Fast forward to Saturday, March 19, and the Block Party will finally make its comeback, descending on a normally quiet pocket of Abbotsford for its huge second instalment. The festivities will take over Bond Street as well as their usual home of Duke Street, promising three stages and a diverse lineup of acts. On the bill, catch high-energy sets from Floating Points, Detroit's DJ Holographic, Jamaican dancehall icon Sister Nancy and Melbourne's own Cassettes For Kids. US DJs Eris Drew and Octo Octa will take to the stage, along with homegrown legends including C.FRIM, Milo Eastwood, Crescendoll, Sophie McAlister, PET$ and Mirasia. The Moon Dog Warehouse is set to be reimagined as a giant DJ-fuelled dance floor, while the neighbouring carpark will showcase more dance-worthy tunes selected by party crew Dutty. There'll be plenty of other goodness to explore throughout the precinct, too, including culinary treats from the likes of Nico's Sandwich Deli and freshly tapped Moon Dog brews.
I'd wager it's no coincidence that this exhibition is popping up at the same time as VAMFF. At a time when our city becomes a playground for the fashionable elite, our artists are also jumping to attention with questions. Namely, what is this whole process about, and what does it say about our sense of self? Over three gallery spaces, artists such as Ariana Page Russell, Inge Jacobsen, and Alexander Batsis endeavour to answer these questions through a variety of forms. Russell in fact utilises his own hyper-sensitive skin to make visual statements about the nature of adornment. Jacobsen's work (pictured) inverts the expectation of glossy sheen we maintain of fashion magazines like Vogue by re-creating covers through the painstaking method of embroidery. All works seem to maintain a recurring relation to the nature of permanence. Is there value in an industry founded upon trends and disposability? Fashion festivals may come and go with the seasons, but some questions remain eternal.
3D printing: is there anything it can't do? Given that houses, office buildings, custom bikes, portable living pods, cupcakes, pizza, food in general, pot plants, toothbrushes, casts and prosthetic feet for ducks can all be printed these days, it doesn't seem like it. And while piling different flavours of chocolate on top of each other mightn't be the most revolutionary thing the technology has gifted us, it's certainly one of the tastiest. Two Sydney companies, design firm Universal Favourite and sweet treat wizards Bakedown Cakery, have joined forces to create Complements. They're staircase-shaped for the easiest possible stacking, and they come in flavours that give Japan's Kit Kats a run for their money. Fancy shortbread, fairy floss, watermelon, blackcurrent or matcha — or a combo of a couple? Single origin dark, vanilla, cookies and cream, cherry, strawberry, lemon and pistachio pieces are also available. Which ones go best together? Experimenting to find that out is the whole point. Universal and Bakedown said that they wanted "to create something outside the box that could be paired in endless combinations" — which sounds like a great reason to eat more choccies to us. Sadly, the bad news is the modular chocolate creations aren't actually for sale. Sorry. In better news, you can win a box of them from the Complements website — all you have to do is come up with your best new flavour pairing. Get dreaming.
Cinemas in Melbourne have been given the go-ahead to reopen, but that doesn't mean that you need to farewell that groove in your couch — or, if you're located elsewhere in Australia, that you need to miss out on one of the Victorian capital's top film festivals. After its physical event for 2020 fell victim to March's COVID-19 lockdowns, the Melbourne Queer Film Festival is returning with MQFF Interrupted, a largely online fest that's streaming nationally from Thursday, November 19–Monday, November 30. Film buffs around the country can look forward to 17 features and 40 shorts, all telling lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer stories. And it's an impressive lineup — whether you're keen on Aussie teen rom-com Ellie & Abbie (& Ellie's Dead Aunt), haunting British thriller Make Up, trans drama Lingua Franca, American vampire comedy Bit or Georgian romance And Then We Danced. Melburnians can also attend an in-person event, thanks to a Coburg Drive-In screening of Happiest Season. It stars Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis as Abby and Harper, a couple who head to the latter's parent's place for Christmas dinner — but said folks don't know that Harper is gay, let alone about Abby. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mxx76RnyVIo&feature=emb_logo
Anyone who's caught The Jezabels live can nod to a hoarse throat and an emotional upheaval at the close. One of Australia's best live outfits, the Sydney foursome sure pack a punch on stage, leaving festival crowds at St Jerome's Laneway Festival, Groovin the Moo and Big Day Out thoroughly uplifted and homeproud. After extensive UK touring and support slots for Depeche Mode and the Pixies, The Jezabels are back on home turf ready to blow minds at the Palais Theatre for their 2014 headliner tour. Following the release of their colossally successful debut release Prisoner, The Jezabels spent two years on a furious touring escapade; leaving fans generally euphoric at over 200 shows worldwide. Gradually refining their epic live presence, the Sydney locals are a long way from their university band comp days — rounding out 2013 by opening for Depeche Mode and the Pixies through Ireland and the UK. The crew based themselves in London, hooked up with UK Producer Dan Grech-Marguerat (Radiohead, The Kooks, Lana Del Rey) and crafted their second album, The Brink, which debuted at #2 on the ARIA chart. No biggie. For their first headline dates for 2014, The Jezabels will fill every eave of the Palais with Hayley Mary's supercharged vocals. Sydney power pop dudes Gang of Youths will warm up the Palais with their debut single 'Evangelists', fresh from recent UK support slots for Vampire Weekend and Frightened Rabbit. https://youtube.com/watch?v=pQ3fAMOz-Ic
Frontmen rarely come as charismatic as Henry Wagons. A storytelling character and a half, the Melburnian native has returned from the dark desert highways of the US to reunite with his band and bring Wagons' shiny new album to the townspeople. Seeing music as a joyous occasion rather than a moment to wallow in your sorrows, Wagons' shows are downright shindiggerous in their approach. "'Music is a public activity — the very birth of music was designed to be joined in on,'' Wagons told SMH. ''The first music was played at celebrations. The insular emo songwriter in the bedroom is this recent offshoot of what music is at its core. Music for me is for other people. I write it alone, but with the idea of playing it for other people.'' These "other people" make up the remaining five members of Wagons, one of Australia's best and most underrated live bands. Wagons have just released their latest single 'Beer Barrel Bar', taken from brand new, sixth studio album Acid Rain and Sugar Cane and nabbing a four-star rating from Rolling Stone. Landing feature album at 2ser and RTR, Wagons' new release heralds the end of a long period between drinks for the band — Henry Wagons released his own lovelorn ballad-filled solo album in 2013 and spent many months on the dusty highways of America touring his wares. With Mick Harvey (The Birthday Party/Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds) behind the mixing desk and Wagons himself bringing his US-inspired country stomping style to the plate, Acid Rain and Sugar Cane has quite the Nashville twang to it. Best enjoyed with a whiskey in hand and a soulmate far away, the LP is a natural evolution of Wagons' indie country blues into an Ameristralian tavern hootenanny. Kicking off their national tour in Adelaide on May 22, Wagons will make their way through major cities and regional centres, hopping from Fremantle to Hobart, back up to Geelong, Melbourne and Ballarat, up to the Canberran capital, east to Wollongong, Sydney and Newcastle before heading north to Brisbane and finishing up at Darwin's Railway Hotel on June 21. Warming up the stage at The Hi-Fi for Wagons is Nashville singer-songwriter Jonny Fritz, known for his wise-cracking, storytelling onstage persona and his former moniker of Jonny Corndawg. Fritz signed his contract with ATO Records in gravy at Nashville landmark Arnold's Country Kitchen. Yee-ha. https://youtube.com/watch?v=WXoiX2bFPDY
The alcohol industry may be all about fluids, obviously, but it's also a field that values fluid-thinking folks. Take Melbourne Gin Company's Andrew Marks, for example. He was a winemaker before he decided to ply his skills on a different type of tipple. He still makes vino, but he has also become quite accomplished at making handcrafted, batch-distilled, non chill-filtered gin. Made in the Yarra Valley at Gembrook Hill Vineyard, Marks' winery, Melbourne Gin Company serves up two types of its chosen spirit. With the dry version, you'll sip your way through a drop that nods to London varieties, but with tastes of coriander seed, macadamia, sandalwood, honey, lemon myrtle and navel orange. With the company's Single Shot gin, juniper is the hero. And if you're wondering about the name, that's because this tipple is made in a single distillation process. Gin fiends can shop their way through Melbourne Gin Company's range via its online store — and nab free tonic with your order.
Satire can be a tricky business. Misjudge your aim and it comes off as too malicious, misjudge your audience and you've got a room full of bewildered people trying to channel their discomfort into nervous laughter. MTC's newest production, The Beast looks set to strike the perfect tone for each. The show, Eddie Perfect's debut as sole writer, is a black comedy about a group of middle-class, inner-city friends in their mid-thirties. After circumstances arise leading them to adopt a simple country life, they are forced to reconsider their much-lauded earthly values as they are faced with the difficult job of slaughtering a young cow. These are people Melbourne audiences are ready to laugh at. The kind of shiraz-suckling, clean living, organic so and sos that spend endless dinner parties berating people for not considering the environmental consequences of their supermarket purchases, while hiding the fact they have several gas-guzzling SUVs parked in the double garage. Perfect claimed the idea for the show came to him from his time spent in the Yarra Valley. Go figure. It's not all laughs at their expense, however. After the conflict with the cow, Perfect's characters are left a little morally stranded — the repercussions of their actions, or inactions reaping grave consequences on their future ethics and social personas. Like all good satire, The Beast presents a crucial moral core for its audience too — in this modern age, how can we reconcile our imagined social activism with our real world actions?
Shop a smorgasbord of handmade goodies while supporting talented local creatives when the Makers and Shakers Market drops in for a four-week summer residency at Fitzroy North Primary School. The roving market is popping up on Melbourne's northside with a series of Sunday sessions to round out the summer — taking place on February 7, 14, 21 and 28. Here, you'll find a rotation of artisans slinging their wares, with a jam-packed lineup of art, beauty products, fashion, accessories, homewares and culinary delights on offer. Expect the likes of top-quality threads from Frske and Bobby Stitch, jewellery designs by Ellmabee and Little Hurricane Co, ceramic works courtesy of Adele Macer and Shewi, and pantry staples from The Lucky Cat Collection and Kiraana. Of course, there'll also be plenty of food stalls, baked goods and coffee to keep you fuelled for a big day of shopping, along with fun tunes and a classic raffle. And you can feel good knowing that your $2 entry fee is heading to support the folks at Fitzroy North Primary School.
In the final act of Shakespeare’s Othello (spoiler alert for a 400-year-old play), the eponymous Venetian general kills his wife after being tricked into thinking she was unfaithful. It's a horrifying turn in one of the playwright's most affecting tragedies — and now, provides the inspiration for a new work at La Mama Theatre that addresses modern-day spousal violence head on. Developed with the assistance of the Victorian Women's Trust and the Fitzroy Legal Service, Othello: On Trial provides the original play with something of an alternate ending, with Othello being brought to trial for the murder of Desdemona. A jury of audience members will be asked to decide his fate, forced to consider whether a crime of passion is less egregious than one committed in cold blood. With an average of one Australian woman killed each week by her current or former partner, it's a question that has never been more important. Othello: On Trial runs on Sunday, March 15 at 8pm and Tuesday, March 17 at 5pm and 8pm at La Mama Courthouse Theatre.
Sweet tooths, assemble. Pastry chef Pierre Roelofs and his team of wicked enablers have packed up their summer soft serve pop-up and resurrected their legendary Dessert Evenings, shattering our halfhearted plans to cut down on the sweet stuff like the ears on all those chocolate Easter bunnies we devoured over the weekend. Oops. After five years at Cafe Rosamond in Fitzroy and a short stint at Adriano Zumbo's Fancy Nance in South Yarra last year, Roelofs' dessert extravaganzas are making the move to a new home: Milkwood in Brunswick East. Hosted every Thursday night at the cosy Nicholson Street cafe, diners can expect a four-course degustation — the catch being that all four courses are dessert. The menu is top secret and changes every time. We can tell you that previous evenings have involved ridiculous concoctions of mascarpone, strawberry, honey, orange, cardamom and speculaas, as well as a deconstructed bread and butter pudding served in one of Roelofs' famed dessert test tubes. The first dessert evening will kick off next week on Thursday, April 7 with sittings at 7pm, 8.20pm and 9.40pm. You'll need to book in advance — so for the love of the dessert Gods, do so right away. Pierre Roelofs' Dessert Evenings will be held every Thursday evening at Milkwood, 120 Nicholson Street, Brunswick East. The four-course degustation will cost $55, and you can book here.
The largest-ever showcase of living Australian artists will casually drop by Ballarat this spring, with the inaugural Biennale of Australian Art (BOAA) in town from September 21 until November 6. It's big news for the small city, with the six-week event set to be a major drawcard for Ballarat and the surrounding region. There'll be 150 artists coming from all reaches of Australia, making up 65 solo exhibitions, as the Biennale aims to have equal representation of artists from every state and territory. Taking place in over 14 different venues across Ballarat, its art points will certainly be amped up several notches by the array of visual arts and live music set to take over the town. BOAA will reflect on what it means to be Australian and tell stories of our country's past, present and future. It's also a celebration of Australia's multiculturalism, with the event boasting a strong focus on Indigenous talent, art from the Numina sisters, Abdul Abdullah, Kim Anderson, David Jensz and Peggy Griffiths will be on display, among work from over a hundred others. Music-wise, the BOAA Band Wagon will be doing the rounds: a specially built music truck that'll provide the sound staging for the event's outdoor gigs at Lake Wendouree and St Andrews Grounds, as well as concerts held at Ballarat's other music venues. In special events, there'll be a living sculpture fashion parade, an evening program called BOAA Dark — the Victorian version of Dark Mofo with bright lights and quirky performance art — and a lake sculpture walk that will see Lake Wendouree transform into an outdoor gallery featuring 26 sculptures. Free mini buses, bikes and rickshaws will transport attendees around the art path, pausing at pit stops providing food — from internationally acclaimed chef Gavin Draper, no less — as well as local beers and wines for your hungry, thirsty and very well-arted selves. With the Biennale expected to draw tens of thousands of visitors, Ballarat looks set to be a pretty busy little place over the six weeks. Two-day or six-week (festival) passes are available at $25 and $100 respectively, so start planning your road trips. Images: Asher Bilu, Heavens (2006-7); Louise Paramor, Palace of the Republic; Gerwyn Davies, Subtropics. For more spring places, spaces and events to discover in regional Victoria visit Your Happy Space.
It's been more than 18 months since the world first got a glimpse of Dev Patel going medieval, all thanks to the initial sneak peek at The Green Knight. The action/fantasy-thriller sees him mess with Arthurian legend, swing around a mighty sword and giant axe, and head somewhere completely different after filming two of his last four movies in Australia (Lion and Hotel Mumbai) — and also stepping into a Dickens classic set in Victorian England (The Personal History of David Copperfield). A second trailer for The Green Knight dropped earlier this year, and the movie released in the US in July; however, if you're an Aussie fan of Patel, medieval thrillers or both, you're currently still waiting to see the dark and ominous-looking film. Thankfully, that delay is about to come to an end, with the movie set to stream locally via Amazon Prime Video from Thursday, October 28. Based on the 14th-century poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the film casts Patel as Sir Gawain. Nephew to King Arthur (Sean Harris, Mission: Impossible — Fallout), he's a knight of the Round Table and fearsome warrior. The character has popped up in plenty of tales, but here, he's forced to confront the giant green-skinned titular figure in an eerie showdown. As the poem explains, the Green Knight dares any other knight to strike him with an axe, but only if they'll then receive a return blow exactly one year and one day later. Based on all of the movie's trailers so far, this adaptation looks to be sticking to that story rather closely — and the end result also looks more than a little moody, brooding and creepy. Patel is in great company, too, with The Green Knight also starring Alicia Vikander (Earthquake Bird), Joel Edgerton (Boy Erased) and Barry Keoghan (Calm with Horses). Games of Thrones' Kate Dickie pops up as Guinevere, while her co-star Ralph Ineson — who is also known from the Harry Potter flicks, The Witch, Gunpowder Milkshake and the UK version of The Office — plays the Green Knight. Originally set to release in 2020 until the pandemic hit, The Green Knight is the latest movie by impressive and always eclectic writer/director David Lowery. His filmography spans everything from Ain't Them Bodies Saints and Pete's Dragon to A Ghost Story and The Old Man and the Gun — and The Green Knight isn't like anything on his resume so far. Check out the trailer below: The Green Knight will be available to stream in Australia via Amazon Prime Video from Thursday, October 28.
It's not every day that you get to sample drops worth 95-plus points in the eyes of premier Australian wine critic James Halliday. But, across October 5–7, if you venture to Seville Estate in the Yarra Valley, that's exactly what you'll be doing. Hidden away in the Dandenong foothills, this dreamy spot — which Mr Halliday has consistently awarded five stars — will welcome October with the launch of its 2017 release. You'll be gazing at idyllic vineyards, backdropped by Mt Donna Buang's mighty summit while swirling and sipping your way through the entire collection, made exclusively from the Estate's 26 acres of grapes. Two of the 2017 drops scored a whopping 99 points in the James Halliday Wine Companion 2019, taking home best shiraz and best pinot noir. But they're far from the only varietals you'll be tasting: gear up for killer riesling, cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay, too. The Seville folks will also be celebrating a recent revamp. Re-landscaping has given the gardens a new edge and there's now a stunning restaurant with an unbeatable view, open for lunch and dinner on Friday and Saturday, and lunch on Sunday. Bookings are available over here. If you're keen to hang around all weekend, stay over. Choose between the original four-bedroom homestead, built in 1975 by Seville's original owners Dr Peter McMahon and his wife, Margaret, and three self-contained apartments.
On the lookout for a dope new denim jacket? Or do you want to be rid of that weird-looking lamp taking up space in the living room? Then, by golly, you're in luck. The Garage Sale Trail works with local council partners Australia-wide to get as many trash-and-treasure troves happening on the same day as possible. Last year, more than 400,000 Aussies took part, and held more than 18,000 sales. While life is a little different in 2020, 16,000 events are still expected to open their doors to bargain hunters, selling more two million items. When the event returns across the weekend of Saturday, November 21 and Sunday, November 22, online garage sales will also be part of the trail — which is particularly great news for Melburnians. It's the first time ever that the Garage Sale Trail is going digital, too. Aside from the retro goodies up for grabs, the Trail is all about sustainability. Instead of ending up in landfill, unwanted clutter becomes a fantastic find. So get that tight pair of sunnies for peanuts and help the environment at the same time. The Garage Sale Trail began humbly in Bondi in 2010 and is growing bigger every year. There'll be a right slew of sales happening, so keep your eyes on the event website — or register online to make a quick buck from your old junk. [caption id="attachment_783811" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Jo Lowrey[/caption] The 2020 Garage Sale Trail takes place on Saturday, November 21 and Sunday, November 22, including via virtual garage sales. Images: Garage Sale Trail.
It's no secret that Adelaide's live music scene is one of the most thriving in the country — though this is probably not a surprise when you consider the city has given the world artists like Jimmy Barnes, Sia, Hilltop Hoods and Paul Kelly. When it comes to live music festivals though, the cities in the east tend to get the biggest acts. Until this November, that is, when brand-new festival Harvest Rock will take over Rymill Park / Murlawirrapurka and King Rodney Park / Ityamai-itpina for two massive days. Headlining the bill is Jack White (pictured below), with The White Stripes frontman playing his only Australian show at Harvest Rock. And he'll be joined by plenty more international talent — The Black Crowes, Khruangbin and Groove Armada are all on the roster, as are The Lumineers, Hot Chip and Sam Fender. We reckon that's a lineup worth planning a weekend in Adelaide for. From the local contingent, Crowded House will bring a hefty dose of nostalgia, while The Avalanches, Courtney Barnett, You Am I and Tones And I will also take to the stage. Hailing from Secret Sounds, the crew behind Splendour in the Grass and Falls Festival, Harvest Rock's two-day run will also place a big focus on the other part of its moniker: food. That'll include a dedicated stage for chef and bar stars to showcase their skills, a marquee serving up curated bites by chef Jake Kellie (arkhé, Burnt Ends) and a food-truck park. Plus, the bar lineup is being curated by Australian wine critic Nick Stock, and features Archie Rose Distilling Co pouring spirits, wine tastings at a cellar door pop-up, a beer hall and a champagne bar. One watering hole will be a LGBTQI+ space, too, and there'll also be a booze-free bar for anyone keen on avoiding a post-fest hangover. Harvest Rock will take over Rymill Park / Murlawirrapurka and King Rodney Park / Ityamai-itpina, Adelaide, on Saturday, November 19–Sunday, November 20. Tickets are on sale now. For more details and to purchase tickets, head to the Harvest Rock website.
With drought blighting the country, Australia just sweltering through its hottest summer on record, and severe storms popping up with frequency in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, there's little doubt that the earth's climate is changing. And while the subject has fuelled many a documentary in recent years, a new Australian film is taking a different approach. Rather than chronicling the bleak status quo, it ponders how we could improve things for the future. The second film from actor-turned-director Damon Gameau, 2040 sees the Aussie exploring areas such as climate, economics, technology, civil society, agriculture and sustainability — chatting with experts, assessing the best technology currently available and prognosticating on what life might be like if we were to embrace solutions that are being worked on today. Specifically, he muses on the state of the planet in 21 years time, using his young daughter as inspiration, with the doco framed as a letter to the now four-year-old. In his previous feature back in 2014, Gameau took on unhealthy diets by consuming a whole heap of sugary food — and given That Sugar Film's local success, it's hardly surprising that he's taking a personal approach to an important topic once again. 2040 premiered last month at the Berlin Film Festival, where it struck a chord with audiences, and will have its Aussie debut at the Gold Coast Film Festival in April before releasing around the country in May. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-rTQ443akE&feature=youtu.be 2040 opens in Australian cinemas on May 23.
UPDATE: MARCH 11, 2019 — Due to the show on Saturday, April 20 selling out, Palais Theatre has announced a second David Gray show on Friday, April 20. Tickets start at $99.50. UK singer-songwriter David Gray has ticked off more than a few achievements in his 25-year career. His breakthrough album, White Ladder, became the biggest-selling record in Ireland of all time and he has gone on to receive BAFTA, Brit and Grammy nominations, plus a slate of other awards. Gray's seventh album, Life in Slow Motion, debuted at number eight on the Australian charts, establishing a firm fanbase Down Under ever since. And in good news for both new and existing fans, Gray is heading back our way in April to play Bluesfest, plus a handful of sideshows. His tour will be timed around the release of his eleventh album, Gold in a Brass Age — the first record of new material in four years. Head along to Palais Theatre on Saturday, April 20 to hear the entire record played live, including the new single 'The Sapling', plus an array of Gray's smash hits including 'Babylon', 'This Year's Love' and 'Sail Away'. To purchase tickets, head this way.
Belles Hot Chicken has flirted with all sorts of chook-centric creations over the years, but, this time round, it's teaming up with Shin Ramyun for a spicy limited-edition menu. And, yes, it includes fried chicken ramen. For the collab with the Korean instant noodle brand, Belles Head Chef and Co-Founder Morgan McGlone has created two ramen dishes and Korean-style chicken wings. Available for one day only on Saturday, April 18 at the Belles Elizabeth Street store, the limited-edition menu features a fried chicken ramen with egg and fried spam, a ramen with Cloudy Bay clams and shiitake mushrooms, and wings with Korean fried chicken sauce and green onion. We expect this is going to get very busy, so get there early if you want to snag yourself a bowl. Belles x Shin Ramyun menu is from 12pm till sold out.
When working nine to five isn't panning out for Raylene 'Red 'Delaney (Krew Boylan, A Place to Call Home), she does what all folks should: takes Dolly Parton's advice. Pouring yourself a cup of ambition is never simple, but when you're a Parton-obsessed Australian eager to make all things Dolly your living, it's a dream that no one should be allowed to shatter. That's the delightful idea behind Seriously Red, which pushes Parton worship to the next level — and idolising celebrities in general — while tracking Red's quest to make it, cascading blonde wigs atop her natural flame-hued tresses and all, as a Dolly impersonator. That's a wonderfully flamboyant concept, too, as brought to the screen with a surreal 'Copy World' filled with other faux superstars; enlisting Rose Byrne (Physical) as an Elvis mimic is particularly inspired. Seriously Red doesn't just get its namesake adhering to Parton's wisdom, whether sung or spoken over the icon's 55-year career. It also splashes the country music queen's adages like "find out who you are and do it on purpose" across its frames as well. They help give the film structure and assist in setting the tone, as this rhinestone-studded movie comedically but earnestly explores two universal struggles. Everyone wants to be true to themselves, and to work out what that means. We all yearn to spend our days chasing our heart's real desires, too. As penned by Boylan in her debut script, and directed by fellow feature first-timer Gracie Otto (after documentaries The Last Impresario and Under the Volcano, plus episodes of The Other Guy, Bump, Heartbreak High and more), Seriously Red spots a big question lurking in these missions for Red, however — because what does it mean when being yourself and scoring your dream gig means being someone else? When the film begins, Red isn't loving or even liking her lot in life, and definitely doesn't want to keep the status quo on purpose. Tension lingers in her real-estate valuer job and at home, where she's turned her mum Viv's (Jean Kittson, Fat Pizza: Back in Business) garage into a flat — and the daily tumble out of bed and stumble to the kitchen, then to work, is a grind. Even worse, she's tricked into showing up to the company party in her Dolly regalia to be the butt of the office's jokes, although it does get her an in with an impersonator talent agent. Teeth (Celeste Barber, The Letdown) sees an opportunity, Red is willing to take it, and employment and a whole new world follows. Still, Viv can't see how going full Dolly can pay the bills, withholding her support. Also at home, Red's friendship with her best mate Francis (Thomas Campbell, Love and Monsters) feels the strain. Just like its protagonist, embracing this trip down the impersonator rabbit hole — using a Parton-shaped key and plenty of pluck — is easy for Seriously Red. It revels in the look and feel of all things Dolly from outfits to paraphernalia; if something is adorned in a Parton-esque way, this film will likely always love it, short of the flick becoming a movie version of Dollywood. Plunging into the Copy World happens with just as much spirit and affection, and with gags like Dannii Minogue as a Dannii Minogue impersonator. Trevor Ashley's Barbra Streisand tribute gets a whirl, and everyone from Elton John and Freddie Mercury to Madonna and George Michael scores a doppelgänger. If The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Muriel's Wedding spring to mind — because movies about taking to the stage in big, camp theatrical displays based around music legends has long been in Aussie cinema's DNA — there's a tangible link to the former courtesy of Oscar-winning costume designer Tim Chappel. It should come as no surprise, too, that Boylan's script has Red team up with a Kenny Rogers impersonator (Daniel Webber, Billy the Kid), including to do more than croon 'Islands in the Stream'. In the business, as she flits around the country and even the world busting out her best Dolly, there's no shortage of people who respect the gig — Bobby Cannavale (The Watcher) plays Wilson, an ex-Neil Diamond impersonator-turned-agency owner, as another example — but Seriously Red's Kenny is something else. He lives like his hero 24/7, right down to the attire, locks and facial hair. He's also made 'The Gambler' singer's moniker legally his. And, he's the impetus for Red making a similarly hearty commitment, then also evaluating whether Dolly or Red should actually come first. Glimmering with the same fantastical vibe that gleefully silly recent new instant comedy classic Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar also boasted — cinematographer Toby Oliver lenses both, roving over jewel tones here instead of pastels — there's more verve and attitude than poise to Seriously Red. That always feels fitting. There's a scrappiness to being even the best impersonator, as Red's Parton shows; over and over, she sums up the bulk of the movie. While the film can fall on the awkward side of comic, and its dramatic beats aren't quite in tune (see: Red's conflicts with her family and friends), that can-do attitude keeps shining. Of course a feature about taking a big swing does that itself again and again. Of course a picture about adoring and taking life advice from a legend that has never let anyone else define her, and has proven the epitome of kindness-fuelled resilience over her time in the spotlight, dances to its own song as well. Parton's music isn't always as bright as her smile, though, a truth that Seriously Red also works with. This Dolly-approved flick — with her likeness so prominent and her music instrumental, including sung by both Boylan and the artist herself, it couldn't have happened without Parton's seal of approval — grapples with Red's lows as well as highs. It shows the impact that her self-centred behaviour has on others, too, and the way the world often beams anything but sunshine her way. As an actor, Boylan weathers those ebbs and flows with adaptability and commitment. As a performer playing an aspiring performer whose whole routine is based on another performer, she ensures that Red's raw edges are never buffed away. As a writer, Boylan noticeably leans on tropes, but Seriously Red doesn't need to beg its viewers to have an entertaining time.
It's a scenario that every Australian can relate to: it's summer, the temperature has reached scorching levels and you can hear the sounds of someone splashing around in a cool, refreshing pool. Alas, those noises aren't emanating from your own pool, because you don't have one — and you don't know your neighbours well enough to just pop by for a dip. And, maybe your local swimming spot is too far away, you don't live near the beach or the nearest public pool is closed for the day. Add all of the above together, and you're stuck trying to cool down in the bath or under the fan. Enter Swimply, a service that's operational in nearly 20 American states, just launched in Toronto in Canada, and is set to head to Australia by summer, according to Lonely Planet. Like every other service that's popped up in today's sharing economy, it's all about renting out something that one person has and doesn't use all of the time, to another person that has a short-term need. In this case, it lets folks with pools lease out their backyard swimming spots when they're not in use, and lets folks without pools find a place for a splash. If you fall into the latter category, you can look for a spot by the day or for a weekend. If you're after a pool with specific facilities and inclusions — such as a changing area, lounge chairs, wifi, a shady spot to sit under and heated waters — you can do that too. Prices aren't particularly cheap, hovering around the US$40 mark for a day, but if you're planning a dip with your pals and can split the cost, it's much more affordable. Add Swimply to the list of Airbnb-like ventures popping up — services that let you stay in architecturally significant houses, the homes of friends of friends, camping grounds, and caravans and campervans; rent out your spare room to refugees; find a music studio; and take care of your luggage needs overseas. This one sounds particularly enticing, however, especially as the warmer weather starts to hit. For further details, visit Swimply's website and Facebook page.
Beer, wine and spirits of all sorts – whatever your poison, you'll find it at the Australian Drinks Festival. Formerly known as Top Shelf, this annual event is all about the alcohol, featuring workshops, panels and live entertainment, along with all the free samples you can (responsibly) drink. Held once again at the Royal Exhibition Building, this year's festival is set for July 16-17. Think of it as a non-stop two-day happy hour. Take part in a blind beer tasting and sip cocktails from any one of a number of pop-up bars. You can also learn the tricks of the trade from some of the biggest names in bar culture, including gin expert Elly Baxter and world-renowned bartender Iain Griffiths. As for food, you needn't worry – some of Melbourne's best food trucks will be on-site, including That Arancini Guy, Chilli Express and Franklins Classic American Hotdogs.
When Christmas and New Year are over, the temptation to hibernate grows pretty strong — so, you're probably going to need a little something extra to tempt you off the couch come January. Handily, online reservation platform The Fork has a winning idea up its sleeve: it's offering a huge five weeks of dining specials nationwide. Kicking off on Monday, January 6, the second ever The Fork Festival will see top restaurants across the country offering sit-down meals for half the usual price. Yep, 50 percent off your total food bill, folks — think of it as the proverbial carrot luring you out of the house. So far, 300 restaurants have signed up, but The Fork is expecting this number to grow to over 500 by January. To snag a half-price meal, you just need to make a reservation through The Fork website or app at one of the participating eateries for any service (breakfast, lunch or dinner) during the five weeks. [caption id="attachment_653288" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Boathouse at Blackwattle Bay by Kitti Gould.[/caption] There are some great venues coming to the party, too. In Sydney, you'll find discounted eats at the likes of Eliza Food and Wine, Uccello, The Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay, Berowra Waters Inn, Butcher and the Farmer and Little Jean. Melbourne spots include Tulum Restaurant, Pascale Bar & Grill and Meat and Wine Co in South Yarra and Hawthorn. Brisbane folk can score discounts at the likes of Corbett & Claude and Malt Dining, and Perth diners should put Hunter and Barrel and Meat and Wine Co. You might want to revisit an old favourite or you could get a little adventurous and road-test somewhere new. Either way, there's ample time to squeeze in a fair few discount feasts before the festival wraps up on February 9. The Fork Festival runs from January 6–February 9. The full list of participating restaurants will be released on the website on January 6. Top image: Eliza Food and Wine, Sydney.
FBi Radio's boots are getting bigger, better and shinier by the day —for the first time ever, Sydney's independent radio legends are launching an Australia-wide competition. Extending their Northern Lights competition nationwide — in which FBi flies two above-and-beyond newbies to Iceland Airwaves Festival in Reykjavik — FBi are looking for talent across Australia this time. A hotly-anticipated date on the music festival calendar, Iceland Airwaves has seen everyone from Bjork to Omar Souleyman, Savages to Harpa Silfurberg playing to packed halls of Icelandic and international fans. FBi competition's now in its third year, offer two winning spots to join the Airwaves lineup — one solo producer/artist, one band. With the help of philanthropist Mitchel Martin-Weber, this marks one of FBi's biggest-scale competitions to date, kicking another goal after yesterday's FBi Click launch. Winners of the first Northern Lights, Oliver Tank and Rainbow Chan, have seen super success following their Icelandic escapade (with Tank supporting Lorde on her recent national tour and Chan joining the lineup for Vivid LIVE's recent Avalanches tribute Since I Left You, no biggie). "It really changed my life that whole trip. It was so incredible," says Tank. "I got to play music overseas before I’d even done that many gigs in Australia. And there were people over there that were interested in my music and that just blew my mind. It was like a dream come true. It was such an experience." A national callout means a national road trip for FBi, taking their Music Open Day (a monthly staple event for FBi where new bands/artists can meet FBi music director Stephen Goodhew and learn how to get their music on radio) to community stations around the country. "Over 300 artists have been to Music Open Day in the last 12 months," says Goodhew. "Oliver Tank, Cloud Control, Gang of Youths, Movement are all examples of the kind of talent that have responded to and engaged with our Music Open Day in the past and gone on to establish themselves as prominent figures in the Australian music scene. It’s a great way to discover new talent and give emerging musicians some valuable advice about the industry." To apply for a spot at Iceland Airwaves and enter FBi Radio's Northern Lights competition, you simply have to be an emerging solo artist/producer or band (and an Australian resident). Head to FBi's website to throw your name in the ring from June 26 - July 21. Music Open Day is on the road from July 11-18. 11 July - Brisbane's 4ZZZ 15 July - Adelaide's Fresh FM 16 July - Perth's RTR FM
For Melburnians, this long weekend is a little different to most. Lockdown might be over, but a number of restrictions still remain. Heading to a big music festival isn't on the cards, for instance — but, because we now live in a time where virtual fests are becoming the norm, The Long Weekender is bringing six hours of Victorian music highlights straight to your couch. The latest event in the Victoria Together initiative — aka the online program that delivered plenty of things to watch during 2020's lengthy stay-at-home periods — The Long Weekender will stream a heap of past festival sets from plenty of the state's big events. Falls Festival, Meredith Music Festival, Queenscliff Music Festival, Golden Plains and Yirramboi Festival are all covered, as are Summersalt, Share The Spirit, Brunswick Music Festival, Roots Picnic and A Day On The Green. You'll just need to head to ACMI's streaming service, Cinema 3, between 12pm–12am on Monday, June 14, and turn your volume up loud. Myf Warhurst is on hosting duties and, if you're wondering who'll be belting out tunes, it's a hefty lineup. Everyone from Courtney Barnett and Archie Roach to You Am I and Frente! is on the bill — with no clashes, no queues and no worries about rushing between stages. THE LONG WEEKENDER LINEUP: Adalita Alex Lahey Alice Skye Allara feat. Culture Evolves Archie Roach Cable Ties Courtney Barnett Djirri Djirri Dancers The Black Sorrows The Cat Empire The Dirty Three Frente! Hachiku James Henry King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard Loose Tooth Magic Dirt The Meanies Mo'Ju Sampa The Great Spiderbait Simona Castricum Sleep D The Teskey Brothers Total Giovanni You Am I Top image: Falls Festival.
A Taiwanese filmmaker might've made your favourite movie, although you may not realise that. Adored the original The Wedding Banquet? A fan of Brokeback Mountain? Loved Life of Pi? Still in awe at Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon's action scenes? Thank Ang Lee (Gemini Man) — but he's just one of many talented directors from Taiwan. To dive into the depths of the rest of Taiwan's filmmaking prowess, Australia became home to the Taiwan Film Festival in Australia back in 2018. After starting in Sydney, it now tours to five other cities — including Melbourne, where it's playing from Thursday, July 31–Sunday, August 6, 2025 at Village Cinemas Crown. This year's fest puts a particular focus on showcasing female perspectives. Daughter's Daughter kicks off the program, starring Sylvia Chang (Forget You Not) and screening fresh from its berth at Sydney Film Festival. Also highlights: The Chronicles of Libidoists, about chasing desires, plus romance Unexpected Courage. From there, get ready for a range of fellow titles that, outside of occasional berths at Australia's major fests, don't often make it to our shores. Yen and Ai-Lee hails from filmmaker Tom Lin (The Garden of Evening Mists), while Where the River Flows and Organ Child have crime thrills covered. Or, catch the 4K restoration of Hou Hsiao-Hsien's (The Assassin) Tony Leung (Fox Hunt)-led 1998 great Flowers of Shanghai.
Hankering for some of Melbourne's finest casual Japanese cuisine, but can't tear yourself away from the couch — or commit to heading out for a eat-in meal? The cutest Karate Kid-inspired eatery in town has the answer. In addition to its main Chapel Street digs and its bite-sized counterpart next door, aka Yukie's Snack Bar, Mr. Miyagi is opening up a takeaway offshoot in Prahran. Setting up on Chatham Street, Mr. Miyagi Takeaway Shop will serve up 12 dishes and 12 dishes only, with the streamlined menu perfect for those eager to grab and go. Both new and existing options are on offer, ranging from deconstructed salmon tacos and Korean fried cauliflower, to wagyu bolognaise bowls and duck spring rolls. There'll also be sushi fries (that'd be sushi rice shaped into fries), and the return of Mr. Miyagi's ever-popular doughnuts with salted caramel sauce. The store won't launch in bricks-and-mortar form until September; however those eager to get ordering now can do so via UberEATS, where the entire takeaway range is also available. Alas, Mr. Miyagi's famous cocktails won't be getting the take-home treatment, so heading along to the original joints is still in Melburnian's futures — not that regulars will be complaining. Find Mr. Miyagi Takeaway Shop at 24 Chatham Street, Prahran. For more information, head to the Mr. Miyagi website and Facebook page.
Whether it's being part of a crowd rooting for a football team, an audience laughing in unison at a comedian's jokes, or maybe flashmobbing a train station, there's something special about communal experience. Pop Up Playground's Fresh Air Festival is all about bringing strangers together through fun, games, and complicity. A series of activities will take place around Federation Square this weekend, all based around the theme of interaction and improvisation. Some are as simple as a tent where an artwork that has been left for a lucky stranger — on the condition that they make something for the next person to come along and discover. Then there are enormous, communal games that might have you carrying out secret missions, putting out fires, or even escaping a curse. Fresh Air Fest is an anarchic, hilarious, and inclusive festival of pervasive games — you're guaranteed to leave with a new friend. Image via fedsquare.com
It's almost time to take 2021 to the trash pile where it belongs but first thing's first: festive fun with the ones you love. Or, more specifically, the art of spoiling friends and family with presents. Whether you're a gifting goof or believe that gifts are truly your love language, we've found a few ways you can nail the gift-giving game this holiday season and, while you're at it, support your favourite local hospitality heroes. Thanks to our partners at new fintech business Slyp, you can even show some extra support simply by paying your bill — how good. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SLYP TIPS To celebrate the festive season, Slyp is providing extra holiday cheer to our beloved hospitality industry by slinging $20 tips to participating hospo venues at no extra cost to the customer till December 31. There are over 80 venues that have signed up for Slyp Tips including Watson's Bay Boutique Hotel, Hotel Ravisis and Tequila Mockingbird. In order to unlock a few extra bucks for your favourite hospo heroes, you'll need to be a NAB customer. Simply activate Smart Receipts in your NAB app, use your NAB card to pay at a participating venue, view the receipt in the app and voila, the $20 tip will be unlocked and shared among the venue's staff. The best part? There's no minimum spend to unlock the tip and take advantage of this festive offer. MAKE MERCH YOUR SUMMER LOOK Nothing says 'I'm a fan' like repping a piece of band merch. It's also a top-tier way to support a hospitality business you rate. Reckon Betty's Burgers have the best buns in the biz? Deck out your pooch in its limited edition dog merch. Consider yourself the number one fan of hot chook and chippies? Time to let everyone know via a Chargrill Charlie's tote. Or, if you to love your local cafe so much it hurts, score its custom t-shirt so you can say it with your chest. Like this one, from Ruby Lonesome in Sydney. [caption id="attachment_706983" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Industry Beans' famed cold brew coffee[/caption] SIGN UP TO A COFFEE SUBSCRIPTION Waking up to an empty coffee bean canister is truly devastating. And, after a year of letdowns, we're pretty keen to minimise disappointments like that in the new year. To avoid such situations and support your local bean roaster, you can sign up to a coffee subscription so you have the beans delivered to your door exactly when you need them. Industry Beans has a self-managed, pay-as-you-go subscription available which is ideal for first-timers wanting to try the service out. There's no fixed term to sign up and you get an automatic 10% off your orders once you subscribe. Cool beans. BUY YOUR MATE (OR DATE) A GIFT VOUCHER If you're a regular CP reader there's a good chance you love to dine out as much as we do. And we think there's no better dining experience than taking your favourite person to their favourite venue. Got a mate who is obsessed with Capitano's blistered pizzas? Purchase them a voucher to give the gift of delicious this year. Does your partner have their finger on the pulse of what's new in the hospitality scene? Impress them with a voucher to the newly opened MuMu in Sydney's CBD. SHOW A NEWBIE SOME LOVE It can be tempting to plan your summer celebrations at your go-to restaurants and bars but spare a thought for the new venues trying to make their mark when locking in your dining destinations this festive season. Instead of booking all your catch ups at the same small bar near your work, say hello to a fresh face on the hospitality scene this summer. Head to Cabana Bar in the Sydney CBD to activate your holiday mode and sip on spicy margaritas or try moorish Mauritian flavours at Manze in North Melbourne. Slyp Tips is applicable at participating venues until 11.59pm AEST on Friday, December 31. For the tip to be unlocked, you'll need to view the Smart Receipt prior to 11.59pm AEST on Wednesday, January 5. For more information and to find your nearest participating venue, visit the website.
Two of our favourite things — good food and fantastic film — are coming together at Caulfield Racecourse again for 2018. Gourmet Cinema will return for the third time on Thursday, March 1 to pair menus from some of Melbourne's top restaurants with a critically acclaimed film. So bring your picnic blankets, but leave the baskets at home. Six of Melbourne's top-notch restaurants will feature throughout the festival — four food stalls will operate at each session, with one restaurant showcasing a menu matched to the movie on the screen. Luke Hammond from Hotel Jesus will pair a Mexican menu with a viewing of Chef (even though the film features Cuban sandwiches), and you'll have one of Shannon Bennett's Benny burgers in your hand as you watch Top Gun. Other vendors in 2018's highly anticipated culinary lineup will include Jimmy Grants, Uncle, Hellenic Republic and Mamasita. Gourmet Cinema will run for eight nights, from Thursday to Sunday, for two consecutive weeks. Gates open at 6pm with the film set to commence around 8.15pm. Tickets are $22.50 for adults, or you can shell out $35.50 for a reserved deck chair and blanket hire.
Friday nights in Carlton are getting just that little bit stranger, thanks to an array of upcoming cult films on tap at Cinema Nova. Moving to the last week of every month, the latest edition of the Cultastrophe program offers not one, not two, but three stubs for the price of one, with the films growing increasingly twisted as the night goes on. The rebooted line-up begins in September with a tribute to the scripts of Tarantino. Written before QT began work on Reservoir Dogs, both Tony Scott's True Romance and Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers feature Tarantino's signature pop culture-infused dialogue. Fittingly enough, the final film on the bill is Sony Chiba's The Street Fighter, which is heavily referenced in True Romance. Critters, Deadly Friend and In The Mouth of Madness should make for appropriately monstrous viewing on Halloween, while December will feature a trio of Christmas-themed films in Gremlins, Gremlins 2 and Twilight Zone: The Movie. The November slot will be run in partnership with Monsterfest, and has so far been kept under wraps. Our guess? Something bloody.
Fact: you don’t have to wait until the sun goes down to have a damn good time at Melbourne Music Week. From 12-5pm on the first Saturday of the festival, enjoy roller skating and a live set from The Public Opinion Six, who will be joined by the Foreign Brothers Core-Tet for an awesome live jam session. In the MMW flagship outdoor area, Melbourne DJ and radio host MzRizk will be throwing a block party NYC would be proud of. The whole event will consist of a lot of dancing, eating, chilling and embracing hip hop culture to the fullest, with an all-female line-up of DJs including JNETT, Mamacita Bonnita and Miss Goldie. So get your skates on.
Bendigo is a city that loves its craft. You can see that in its busy pottery centre or its tram completely covered in yarn. But most of all, you can see it in the profusion of craft breweries here, collectively making some of the best cold ones in the country. To celebrate this thriving indie beer scene, Bendigo on the Hop returns to the city on Saturday, August 25. The annual winter festival transforms Bendigo's historic town centre into the site of one epic craft beer crawl. The event organisers, local non-profit Bendigo Beer, describe it as a "festival for beer drinkers with an open mind". It works like this: you buy your ticket and select your starting venue. This is where you pick up your tasting tokens and souvenir glass on the day. After that, it's a choose-your-own-adventure as you make your way to whichever pub, bar, beer garden or pop-up kiosk calls you most. This year's event has grown from last year, now featuring 44 beers from 22 truly independent breweries across 10 venues — including sophisticated restaurant Rocks on Rosalind, leafy Handle Bar and heritage boozer The Rifle Brigade Hotel. Turn over your tasting tokens as you go, and be adventurous — that tzatziki beer might turn out to be your tastebuds' true love. Trains travel every hour from Melbourne to Bendigo, making this an easy day trip. If you've got the time to spare, though, take the opportunity to stay the night, enjoy a lazy Sunday and spend some time at Bendigo's four breweries. To plan your time in Bendigo and the surrounding countryside, visit the Wander Victoria website.
The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on Australia's arts industry, with institutions forced to close their doors, events cancelled and thousands of workers out of jobs. To help the industry through the crisis, the Victorian Government has today handed its key institutions a multimillion-dollar lifeline. Announced today as part of a $150 million package going to the state's sport, tourism and creative industries, $32 million of funding will be going to Geelong Arts Centre, Museums Victoria, National Gallery of Victoria, Arts Centre Melbourne and Melbourne Recital Centre. Forced to close their doors back in mid-March, these institutions were "hit hardest and earliest" in the pandemic according to Minister for Mental Health, Equality and Creative Industries Martin Foley. At the announcement of the funding this morning, Wednesday, April 13, Foley said, "the creative industry sector alone is worth some $31 billion and employs some 260,000 Victorians right across our state." The Government, while not speaking to it directly, is hoping this funding will help its institutions avoid the same fate as Sydney's Carriageworks, which entered voluntary administration earlier this month. Foley said it hopes the funding will help the arts centres to keep "going and solvent" during this crisis period. "We want to make sure that we continue to have the most visited gallery in the country, one of the top 20 in the world," Foley said. [caption id="attachment_706568" align="alignnone" width="1920"] NGV International[/caption] As well as the $32 million for arts institutions, the Victorian Government has promised $6 million to its live music industry workers. "Over 70,000 live music gigs were undertaken in Victoria in the past year, and we want to make sure that we're in a position, when the COVID crisis passes ... that we're supporting those live music creatives in a whole series of ways," Foley said. He also referenced Australian website I Lost My Gig, which has been tracking the number of cancelled gigs and events during the crisis, as well as the financial impact of those cancellations. According to the site, COVID-19 has led to $340 million of lost income for live music industry workers, at last count. Some of this funding will also go to the previously announced Sustaining Creative Workers initiative, which provides funding of up to $5000 for individuals and $10,000 for collectives in the creative industries. Applications are open until June 1, 2020 or until the funding pool is exhausted. Top image: NGV Triennial 2018, Flickr via Romain Pontida.
If your wardrobe or house is in need of some fresh threads or homewares, you'll find a taste of the latest and greatest in First Nations design, handily located all in the one spot at this pop-up. The First Nations Fashion and Design (FNF+D) pop-up store has made its debut at Melbourne Central, with an extended three-week appearance as part of Melbourne Fashion Week. Now running until Sunday, April 4, the pop-up showcases a curation of wares from more than 30 of Australia's most celebrated First Nations artists and designers, the space filled with exclusive pieces you won't be able to get your mitts on anywhere else. Among the covetable lineup, you'll find kicks from the much-hyped Cungelella Art x Twoobs collaboration, bags from the just-dropped FFF x Ikuntji Range, a selection of Grace Lillian Lee's one-off woven statement pieces, AARLI Fashion's limited-edition kimonos, ethical children's wear by Amber Days, colourful Keema Co accessories and stacks more. Plus, those on the hunt for new homewares should head to the pop-up's Yarning Circle, featuring works from the likes of Emro Designs and Tiwi Island artist Clair Helen. [caption id="attachment_803071" align="alignnone" width="1920"] New designs by Keema Co.[/caption] MFF First Nations Fashion + Design Pop-Up is open daily from 10am–7pm.
If you and your partner have a little (or a lot) of pent-up energy, and you're looking for a different outlet to help ease it, here's an option: Melbourne's axe-throwing joints Maniax is hosting Valentine's date-night sessions from Friday, February 11–Friday, February 18. The Elizabeth Street and Abbotsford venues are doing two-hour public sessions that'll cost you and your other half $110 in total to hurl hatchets — and will let you do something different to mark the occasion. Also, that price also includes a beer, wine or canned spirit each afterwards to celebrate. For the uninitiated, Maniax gives you the chance to very safely throw a hunk of sharpened steel attached to a flimsy handle, and compete with your partner and/or friends to see who has the most Viking blood coursing through them. Chuck those axes, sink a bullseye, and then calm down after all the hatchet-lobbing excitement with a drink with your significant other.
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 brought Game of Rhones our way in June — are coming back to town with Pinot Palooza, an epic travelling wine festival celebrating all things Pinot Noir. For just one day, wine connoisseurs in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane will have the chance to sample more than 150 drops, direct from the Southern Hemisphere’s best producers. Think Ata Rangi, Yabby Lake, Bay of Fires, Rippon, Kooyong, 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 and go in the draw to win some wine-driven prizes. If, at any point, you need to take a pause in your tasting adventures, you’ll be able to pop into the Alfa Romeo Lounge. There’ll be cosy places to sit and mull over your chosen Pinot, loads of food and the epic Burgundy Bar – a kind of Pinot Noir mecca where you’ll be able to sample bottles worth $150+ at affordable, by-the-glass prices. Expert sommeliers will also be on hand to help you make selections. What's more, those keen to fuel their brains (and not only their tastebuds), can indulge in a 'Back Stage Pass'. It's a chance to partake in a master class with some of Australia's smartest wine educators and learn all about what's happening in Burgundy, France — Pinot Noir’s spiritual home. Pinot Palooza will hit Melbourne on Saturday, October 4 at St Kilda Town Hall, Sydney on Monday, October 6 at Carriageworks and Brisbane on Sunday, October 12 at Light Space. Tickets are $60, which includes tastings, a take-home Riedel 'Heart to Heart' Pinot Noir glass and the latest issue of Wine Companion magazine. You can buy tickets right here.
A simple and surprisingly affecting love story set against the stunning summery glow of rural New South Wales, Love Is Now is the feature film debut of writer-director Jim Lounsbury. The story concerns Dean (Eamon Farren) and Audrey (Claire van der Boom), two young photographers who embark upon a romantic holiday cycling along the NSW harvest trail. Lounsbury's screenplay suffers from a lot of the familiar shortcomings of first-time film outings, including patches of dodgy dialogue and a distinct lack of self-awareness. Nevertheless, the film is made worthwhile thanks to its sympathetic characters and some gorgeous cinematography, not to mention an absolute gut-punch of an ending. The weakest section of Love Is Now is definitely the first half-hour. The prospect of yet another indie film romance about an artistically sensitive guy and the free-spirited girl who changes his life isn't exactly electrifying, especially when it never manages to convince you that she'd want to get with him in the first place. Even by that low standard, Dean and Audrey's meet-cute is seriously unconvincing, although credit to the actors for doing what they can with the stilted getting-to-know-you banter. Van de Boom, in particular, is fantastic in the film, recalling the screen presence of a young Rachel Griffiths. And while it's a little hard to believe that Audrey would fall head-over-heels with Dean, Lounsbury's screenplay does an excellent job capturing the feelings that accompany such a sudden and unexpected romance. The spontaneity. The excitement. And, of course, the jealousy. Once you accept them as a couple, Dean and Audrey begin to grow on you, to the point that, when things start to turn sour, it's easy to find yourself caught up in the melodrama. The climax of the film sheds a whole new light on their relationship, and your visceral emotional reaction more than makes up for the fact that, narratively, it's sort of a ridiculous cliché. Love Is Now also earns big points in the technical department. The quintessentially Australian landscape is captured beautifully by cinematographer Anthony Jennings using digital SLR cameras – Nikon helped foot part of the film's bill, and as a showcase of what their products can do, it appears to be money well spent. Shots of long roads and eucalyptus trees at sunset aren't exactly a new direction for local cinema, but still, you can't deny it looks good.
In these tumultuous modern times — these times of Pottermore, Fantastic Beasts spinoffs and The Cursed Child — it's comforting to be able to take it back to basics. Basics, here, meaning the score of the first two Harry Potter films played live by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. That's right — just like its counterparts in Sydney and Brisbane, the MSO are taking us back to 2001 and 2002 when the first two of the eight Harry Potter films came out. It made us cringe (the acting — so bad but so good), marvel at how not hot Neville Longbottom was (boy, would we learn) and — most importantly — float away on a magical adventure thanks to the incredible score by John Williams. In four sessions taking place in November 2017, you'll be able relive the magic of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets all over again when the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre screens the films scored by a real, live orchestra. Maybe they'll release live owls! Maybe not because that would be chaos. Maybe they'll release live rats? Actually, absolutely not — we all know rats are secretly fat old criminals hiding from magical law enforcement and waiting for the Dark Lord to rise again (lookin' at you, Pettigrew). As you might imagine, tickets are set to sell like pumpkin pasties; in Sydney the first concert was more popular than butterbeer, they even added extra sessions. So, you'd best get in quick or spend eternity griping about it like some Moaning Myrtle-type character. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Thursday, November 16, 7.30pm Saturday, November 18, 1pm Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Friday, November 17, 7.30pm Saturday, November 18, 7.30pm
Art is a matter of life and death in the star-studded Velvet Buzzsaw, which might just earn the title of 2019's most out-there film so far. The movie marks the reunion of Nightcrawler writer/director Dan Gilroy and actors Jake Gyllenhaal and Rene Russo — and if you've seen that 2014 standout, you'll know that you're in for a wild ride. Both an unhinged horror effort and a satire of the art world, the film is set to premiere at this year's Sundance Film Festival, but general audiences won't have to wait long at all to see the flick for themselves. It'll hit Netflix worldwide on Friday, February 1, while Sundance is still running. While Nightcrawler took aim at tabloid news media and charted its deadly consequences, Velvet Buzzsaw has another realm in its sights. With Gyllenhaal playing an art critic, Russo an agent, and everyone from Toni Collette to John Malkovich to Stranger Things' Natalia Dyer among the cast, the film charts a spate of sinister happenings that are linked to a batch eye-catching paintings. The art collection in question is only found after an unknown elderly artist passes away, and comes with strict instructions to destroy the work; however, when that warning is ignored, everyone who profits from the pieces starts to suffer. Check out the trailer below, and add the movie to your streaming queue for your next fright-filled date with your couch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdAR-lK43YU Velvet Buzzsaw will be available on Netflix from Friday, February 1.
Have you ditched single-use plastic bags? Said no to straws? Bought a handy keep cup? If so, you're probably aware of the war on waste the country is currently raging against single-use items. The Economist has taken a hard look at pollution — specifically, ocean pollution — and is calling on Australians to rethink this war on plastic, with a new travelling art installation. Titled Don't bin plastics, yet, the exhibition will roam around Melbourne from September 18–21. The installation takes the form of three fish, made from recycled ocean plastics and each weighing 24 kilograms — equal to the weight of plastic that is dumped into the ocean every tenth-of-a-second. If trends continue, there will be more plastic than fish in the world's waters by 2050. Visitors will be encouraged to chat about the plastics debate — including the pros and cons of single-use plastics and the potential negative impacts of their alternatives — while enjoying a free coffee. The coffee will be, fittingly, served in edible cups by Cupffee, which are made from natural grain. To learn more about the campaign and the issues surrounding plastic pollution, head over here. FULL MELBOURNE SCHEDULE September 18 at the State Library, 8am–7pm September 19 at the Southern Cross Pedestrian Bridge, 8am–7pm September 20 at Collins Place, 8am-6pm September 21 at Galleria Shopping Plaza, 8am–7pm
In summer, sitting down to a hot feast of endless meats might not be high on your to-do list, but Bluebonnet Barbecue is here to convince you otherwise. The Brunswick East joint has brought back its third annual bottomless barbecue fiesta, offering a series of daily all-you-can-eat sessions from January 7–February 14. Chris Terlikar's signature low 'n' slow Texan-style barbecue fare sets the tone for the feast. For $65 (excluding drinks), diners can sit down to two hours of free-flowing barbecue goodness — think, tender ribs, slow-cooked brisket, house-made snags, all delivered right there to the table. The price includes sides, too, such as smoked mash with brisket gravy, crinkle-cut chips and apple and celeriac slaw. [caption id="attachment_701878" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bluebonnet by Kate Shanasy[/caption] The feasts are available at both lunch and dinner, too, and with ten craft beer taps, a fridge chock full of tinnies and a slew of interesting cocktails, it makes for one very enticing summer hang-out. Bluebonnet's two hours of bottomless barbecue is available to book at 12pm, 12.15pm, 12.30pm, 12.45pm and 1pm for lunch and 5pm, 5.15pm, 5.30pm, 6.15pm, 6.30pm, 8pm, 8.15pm and 8.30pm for dinner, daily. Images: Kate Shanasy
Bunnings Warehouse is supercharging its usual sausage sizzle to support a few Aussie communities that are doing it pretty tough right now. On Friday, March 11, all of the hardware giant's stores will host a special pre-weekend edition of the chain's legendary snag sessions, raising coin for those across Queensland and New South Wales that've been impacted by the recent floods. All of the day's sausage profits will go to the Givit Storms and Flooding Appeal. So, on Friday, grab a snag in bread and show those in need some love — the sausage sizzles will run from 9am–4pm across all Bunnings Warehouses in Victoria (and the country). There'll also be donation tins at Bunnings registers, if you don't have time for a snag while you shop for hardware. And, if you can't make it along at all, you can also chuck a few dollars into the Givit collection tin online.
A staple of Melbourne’s outdoor calendar for more than six decades, each year Moomba draws thousands of happy revelers down to the banks of the Yarra. With food, games, activities, parades and scores of live entertainment, think of it as being a bit like a school fete. A really, really big one. Stretching across the entire Labour Day long weekend, this year’s festival has been divided into five different precincts. The Main Arena will host some of the weekend’s biggest music acts, including performances by Jebediah and You Am I. More music will be situated on the other side of the river in The Green, where a series of up-and-coming local performers will compete in the FReeZA Push Start Battle of the Bands. If you’re interested in extreme sports, Skate Park will feature live skateboarding, BMX and scooter competitions, while The River (located on the actual river) will showcase some of the world's best professional waterskiers. Lastly, Kids Zone will host an array of activities for families, including face painting and a Frozen-inspired ice rink. For everything happening at Moomba, visit www.thatsmelbourne.com/moomba. Image: Chris Phutully.
If you like your beers wild and your food local, this one's for you. W Melbourne's restaurant Lollo is teaming up with one of the city's best-known breweries for a beery feast to remember. On Wednesday, August 31, you're invited to a one-off dinner both inspired by and paired to drops from La Sirene. The Alphington-based brewery specialises in traditional farmhouse-style beers, and wild ales that each tell a story of time and place — and it's these crafty creations that'll be front and centre of the evening's flavour-packed festivities. [caption id="attachment_866099" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lollo[/caption] Lollo's Creative Culinary Director Adam D'Sylva (Coda, Tonka) will be matching the beers with a six-course shared spread built around top-notch local produce. Expect plates like tea-smoked duck breast with a Sichuan dressing; chargrilled spatchcock teamed with Tuscan kale, barley and harissa; and kingfish cured in La Sirene's Saisonette and paired with tempered yoghurt. As for the brews, you're in for some truly stellar sips, including a peach and raspberry wild ale, and the famed Praline dark chocolate Belgian ale.
Live music, gourmet food and all the craft beer you can possibly quaff: you'll find it all in the hallowed grounds of the Abbotsford Convent this weekend. Running 6pm until late on Friday, October 28, and from noon until 9pm the following day, the inaugural Brewers Feast will showcase some of Victoria's best craft beers, including bevs from Moon Dog, Two Birds, Mountain Goat, Prickly Moses, Stomping Ground, Blackmans Brewery and many, many more. In addition to enjoying a cold one in the starlight and/or sunshine, ticketholders will get to attend education sessions and Q&As, and pair their beers with mouthwatering food options from the likes of Limp Brisket BBQ and Al Forno Pizza. You'll even get to take home a commemorative stein, which we're sure will get plenty of use between now and when Brewers Feast 2017 rolls around.
It's the movie that was always going to be made, the re-enacted version of one of the most heartbreaking small-town murder mysteries and biggest miscarriages of justice the United States has seen. It's also the movie that never should have been made, for the devastating true tale as told in four documentaries now — the Paradise Lost trilogy, and West of Memphis — can't be embellished, fictionalised or bested. Yet exist Devil's Knot does, a cinematic facsimile of the originals, albeit with an ample dose of star power. Though the potency of the facts remains, the sensationalist and the sentimental combine in an attempt to craft a cautionary case of tragedy crippling a community not just in its initial appearance but in the way it is then handled. Two trios drive the story: eight-year-old schoolboys who meet a gruesome fate, and teen outsiders marked for their difference. In the wake of the crime that rocked Arkansas, panicked locals start braying for the blood of Damien Echols (James Hamrick), Jason Baldwin (Seth Meriwether) and Jessie Misskelley Jr (Kristopher Higgins). For private investigator Ron Lax (Colin Firth), discrepancies complicate the reported information. As grief-stricken mother Pamela Hobbs (Reese Witherspoon) watches on, the untimely demise of her son becomes a circus fuelled by a determination to convict and a disregard for competing theories. Alas, though dead children, blamed adolescents and bureaucratic bungling make for strong material, Devil's Knot places its emphasis on Lax and Hobbs, unconvincing figures of focus rendered as observers, not participants. Their sympathetic access point isn't needed given the strength of what lies beneath, nor are Firth and Witherspoon's overplayed performances. Another issue plagues the adaptation of Mara Leveritt's 2002 text of the same name: only relating part of the puzzle. Many real-life developments occurred after the book's publication; that the outcome is relegated to the film's endnotes robs it of its conclusion. With a wealth of data to draw upon, something had to give, and the problem of recreating oft-seen scenes was always going to be difficult to overcome. Director Atom Egoyan and his writers — Deliver Us From Evil duo Paul Harris Boardman and Scott Derrickson — just can't strike the right balance, indulgent in what they include and troubled by what remains absent. What emerges in Devil's Knot is an unfortunate example of the right pedigree and intentions making the wrong moves, on a subject so scrutinised that any missteps would always stand out. With an auteur's eye on an inflammatory case, and with well-known actors wringing importance from the situation, the film wants to exemplify the kind of haunting deliberation of complexity the story demands, but its lingering gaze — narratively, emotionally and aesthetically — remains superfluously tied to its surface. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ofkn4zYrF5U
It's been a busy couple of months of stargazing, with both the Lyrid and Eta Aquarids Meteor Showers lighting up our skies, as well as a supermoon. This weekend, there are another two reasons to look up, too: a strawberry moon and an eclipse. Well, it's penumbral lunar eclipse. And you'll have to shake yourself out of your warm bed at a super-early hour on the morning of Saturday, June 6 to catch this one. While the penumbral lunar eclipse — which occurs when the Earth moves between the Sun and the Moon, but they don't form a perfectly straight line — will start around 3.45am, the maximum eclipse will occur at 5.24am. From here, you'll only have a very short amount of time to catch the main event, with the moon setting at 6.59am. For the full details, timeanddate.com has put together a handy to-the-minute schedule of when the eclipse will be happening in each city. During a total lunar eclipse, the moon turns a shade of red, but during a penumbral eclipse, which is much subtler, it'll appear to look dark grey or silver. For a lunar eclipse to occur, there must be a full moon. This June full moon is called a strawberry moon after the wild strawberries that ripen at this time of year. If you can't get a clear view, The Virtual Telescope Project will be live-streaming the partial lunar eclipse from the skyline above Rome from Saturday, June 6 at 5am AEST.
