From the creative minds behind MKA: Theatre of New Writing comes a new highly participatory work of live art. Supergroup EXPEN$$$IVE, starring the self-described queer femme showgirl Kerith Manderson-Galvin, are making a video clip despite never releasing a song. The Mechanics institute will become the live film set where audience members become involved in the shooting of the music clip. On top of that, audience members will also ask questions at a faux press conference, and we recommend attending on the May 8 to join in on their official Q&A and party. Come In Lover, We’re Doing Witchcraft is part of the Metanoia Live Works Program at Brunswick’s newest performance venue, The Mechanics Institute. It’s free entry and audience members can come and go as they please, but who would want to leave this riot?
What would you bring to a Kurt Cobain-themed exhibition? Maybe you come from a live art background, and think an installation performance piece could go down nicely — one that explores the intersection between this joke Simon Amstell makes about Courtney Love on Buzzcocks and grunge culture's DIY ethos, as embodied in this chiptune cover of Teen Spirit? Thankfully, none of those things will be happening in Don’t Kurt Cobain, an exhibition co-curated by Rosemary Forde and Lisa Fadford that brings together a bunch of Kurt-related artwork into one simmering Cobain-marie to mark the 20th anniversary of his death. The exhibition at Collingwood gallery Slopes takes its name from a piece by Matthew Griffin (pictured above), who's joined by other individual artists and collectives, including Simon Zoric, Lyndal Walker, Blair Trethowan, Masato Takasaka, Kati Rule, Dan Price, Sue Dodd, Colleen Ahern and Greatest Hits. Unfortunately, Don't Kurt Cobain will be the final exhibition hosted by Slopes. But never mind, Nirvana is without a doubt the perfect way to say goodbye.
The minds behind some of Melbourne's best breakfast destinations — Terror Twilight, Convoy, Tinker and Hi Fi — is opening a cafe-cum-wine bar on Westgarth's High Street this August. But unlike the above-mentioned cafes, the new Ophelia will focus less on eggy brunch bites and more on Euro-inspired lunchtime dishes. The team wants this to be the kind of place where a coffee and light bite with mates can easily turn into a long boozy lunch. Yolk Group Executive Chef Dale Kemp will be sourcing seasonal ingredients from local farmers and producers, while plenty will also be made from scratch. Expect the likes of french toast, galettes, tartines and a regularly rotating market plate when dining in, and deli sandwiches, homemade cakes and hearty salads to take away. When it comes to drinks, you've got classic brews and more experimental caffeine concoctions — like a miso caramel iced latte — as well as house-made fermented sodas, cocktails and natural wines. All of this will be enjoyed within Ophelia's newly designed digs in the site that formerly housed Barry. Designer Kate Durham has worked on the fitout, centering everything around a long curved bar where guests can pull up a stool and sip through sundown. The space also boasts a restored red terrazzo floor, walnut timber furnishings, sage green interiors and velvet banquette seating. If the sun makes an appaerance, you can also park yourself on one of the outdoor tables on High Street, doing a spot of people-watching as you make your way through the Ophelia offerings. "We want Ophelia to feel like the friendly neighbour who always has a record playing and bottle opener handy. Where you're welcome to sit back and do your own thing, but know you'll be equally well looked after," says Co-Owner Bec Moore. "And while we're creating a space people can retreat to for breakfast and lunch, it's also an in-betweener — ideal for snacking, picking, sipping and all the good stuff." [caption id="attachment_922596" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tinker in Northcote[/caption] Ophelia is slated to open in late August at 85 High Street, Northcote. For more details, visit the group's website.
It's been far too long since Birrarung Marr was last enveloped in the smoky scents and region-hopping flavours of the Night Noodle Markets. But the wait is finally over, as the much-loved food festival breaks free from its COVID-enforced hibernation and returns to its riverside home from Thursday, November 10–Sunday, November 27. And that, friends, means it's time to start plotting exactly what tempting street food bites you'll be tucking into over those 18 flavour-packed nights. Especially since we've scored a peek at the full lineup of vendors and hawker stalls hitting this year's Night Noodle Markets — and the signature menus they'll be serving up for your karaage-scoffing, noodle-slurping, dumpling-downing pleasure. So, from barbecue and bao to dumplings and doughnuts, we're here to break down all the must-try eats to pop on your market itinerary. [caption id="attachment_875062" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Flying Noodle[/caption] Of course, the Night Noodle Markets' namesake dish will be in strong supply, including some new gravity-defying offerings from Flying Noodle. Try the likes of The Big Boss, featuring marinated chicken and chinese broccoli, or the Way of the Dragon — pork belly slow-cooked in a honey soy sauce with tamarind and black pepper. The folks at Teppanyaki Noodles are serving a Japanese riff on the concept with their fried yakisoba creation, while Queensland's Raijin will be turning out crispy chicken karaage noodles (and a tofu karaage version), alongside their house dumplings. Speaking of which, your dumpling dreams are set to come true many times over, thanks in part to the Bumplings x Mazda stall. Brendan Pang's legendary Perth dumpling house is teaming up with the car brand to deliver a special menu of signature morsels designed to pair with his exclusive Soul Red Crystal sauce. [caption id="attachment_875067" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Wonderbao[/caption] In the dumpling-adjacent corner, you'll catch Wonderbao whipping up six different bao varieties, with fillings ranging from roast pork belly and Korean fried chicken, to tofu okonomiyaki and sweet custard. As always, there'll be plenty of things on sticks, headlined by a bumper lineup from the masters at Hoy Pinoy. Get your Filipino barbecue fix via their inihaw na baboy (pork belly skewers glazed in banana ketchup) and inihaw na manok (soy-glazed chicken skewers), alongside other creations like a chicken adobo rice bowl and the bistek tagalog — soy-glazed beef rump that's roasted and smoked over charcoal, and served on rice. [caption id="attachment_875064" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hoy Pinoy[/caption] Meanwhile, at May's Malaysian stall, you'll find a sizzling array of fusion plates including char kway teow, nasi goreng and Singapore noodles. And crowd-favourite, Windsor's Mr Miyagi, will be coming to the party with a brand new menu in tow, dishing up three Japanese-inspired bao burgers — a crumbed mushroom and miso mayo number, a pork katsu creation and a new take on the classic chicken schnitty roll. [caption id="attachment_875060" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Demochi Donut[/caption] Dessert fiends aren't forgotten, either, with an array of mochi-doughnut mash-ups courtesy of Sydney's Demochi Donut, and an Asian-inspired Messina offering starring the likes of the dulce de leche-infused HK French Toast and the Milo Fry Club — pudding made from the Messinatella choc-hazelnut spread with deep-fried Milo gelato and an Oreo crumble. Since all that eating will be thirsty work, you'll have stacks of liquid treats to choose from, too. Hit Cointreau's retro Margarita Kombi for an original or spicy marg, quench your thirst the fruity way beneath the Rekorderlig Cider dome, or drop by the Stomping Ground beer garden for a couple of cold cans. And if you're getting noodly sans booze, try the Dan Murphy's Zero% Bar (a new edition of its Hampton pop-up) for non-alcoholic beers and made-to-order booze-free cocktails, including a Salted Caramel Espresso Martini. Melbourne's 2022 Night Noodle Markets will run from Thursday, November 10–Sunday, November 27 at Birrarung Marr, Melbourne. For more details on the menu, head to the Night Noodle Markets website. Top Images: Hoy Pinoy, Mr Miyagi, Wonderbao.
It's a well-known fact that Mondays were invented in the '50s by Wall Street fat cats to keep the idealistic youth down in the dumps. The sense of existential dread and terror that pervades the soul on Sunday afternoon has only one known cure: a big, fat, greasy, heart-stopping burger, consumed with a cold beverage, in the company of friends. Luckily for Melbourne sufferers, there are havens all across the city serving up the antidote in bulk. We may be die-hard foodies but we also love a mean burger. And regardless of whether your dream burger is a double-meat-and-cheese, schnitzel or mushroom situation, the venue has to be just right too, welcoming you into its bosom with cheerful music, good deals, a relaxed atmosphere, hearty portions and a spot where you can easily tap that American Express of yours. Otherwise all the hard work done by the burger will be wasted. Fortunately, we've lived through many Mondays and know such spots. Together with our mates Amex, we've eaten our weight in burgers and discovered Melbourne's best and most cheerful restaurants for a burg and a brew when Mondayitis hits you hard. Got yourself in another dining situation and need some guidance? Whatever it is, we know a place. Visit The Shortlist and we'll sort you out.
Sometimes places just feel right. You walk in and suddenly you're okay with being there. Harvest Organic Foodstore, Cafe & Kitchen in Fairfield is one of those places. For those playing at home, this space has only been Harvest since its relaunch earlier this year. The cafe has previously lived on Gertrude Street, Fitzroy as Organic Gertrude, before migrating to Station Street in 2004 and becoming Harvest this January, almost ten years later. Harvest is one for the community. It's an organic cafe in the front, and an organic foodstore and takeaway spot out the back. Mornings see this space filled with fresh, warm Baker D. Chirico bread, which is well worth getting up with the sun for. All day organic breakfast is a good thing. Start with a quinoa and sago porridge with agave, toasted almonds and coconut flakes ($13), or perhaps the mushroom ragu on rye with baby kale and poached eggs ($17). Lunchtime sees jerk chicken and farro salad with raw walnuts, spinach, and apple cider dressing ($19.50), or the red lentil dahl with brown rice, coconut coriander chutney, and yoghurt ($15). There are also a range of tarts and pies in the cabinet. They are perfect for the buy now, eat later situation. For those who want to cook for themselves, these guys have you covered for that too. From the shelves you'll find flours, grains, cereals, nuts, dried fruit, and chocolates. In the fridge there yoghurts made of milk, or make of cashews, cheese, milk, tofu, eggs, and in-house pre-packaged soups and take home foods. You'll also find organic meats for sale, including fresh cuts of beef and lamb from Sprunt Farms, and ham, bacon and cured meats from Skara Artisan Smallgoods. We dare you to go in and come out empty handed. We can't.
It might be just under two weeks until the Melbourne International Film Festival unveils its full 2018 program, but the fest has been giving cinephiles a sneak peek of its lineup for a while now. In the already announced pile sits the event's first 32 films, a Nicholas Cage movie marathon, a screening of Drive with a new live score, Alia Shawkat coming to town as a festival guest, a selection of new Australian titles and an eye-popping retrospective — and, in its latest revelation, a huge 43 movies headed to Melbourne straight from Cannes. If you're already feeling like you're going to be busy between August 2 and 19, that's completely understandable. In fact, the latest batch of flicks isn't going to change that. It's MIFF's biggest haul to date from the most famous film festival in the world, and includes award-winners, star-studded picks, the latest work from famous directors and more. Leading the charge is Hirokazu Kore-eda's Palme d'Or winner Shoplifters, which just charmed audiences at the Sydney Film Festival. It's joined by nearly every other major Cannes award recipient this year, including best director winner Cold War, Queer Palm and Camera d'Or winner Girl, best screenplay winner Happy as Lazzaro, Directors' Fortnight prize recipient Climax, Critics Week Grand Prize winner Diamantino and main competition Jury Prize winner Capharnaüm. Story-wise, that means the lineup spans thieving families, a couple torn apart by war and a transgender ballerina, as well as an out-of-control dance party, a disgraced soccer star and a 12-year-old child attempting to divorce his parents. Other Cannes titles on MIFF's bill include the French fest's opening night pick Everybody Knows, from Iranian director Asghar Farhadi and starring Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem; Terry Gilliam's long-awaited The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, aka the flick it has literally taken decades to make; documentary The Eyes of Orson Welles, a love letter to the famous filmmaker; and the Nicolas Cage's suitably unhinged newest effort, Mandy, which'll kick off the aforementioned all-night Cage-a-thon. Three of the biggest Asian films of the moment — Lee Chang-dong's Burning, Jia Zhang-ke's Ash is the Purest White and Mamoru Hosado's animated delight Mirai — are also among a lineup that features everything from a documentary about the Pope to a thriller featuring Mads Mikkelsen stuck in the arctic. And, for fans of short filmmaking — and Aussie filmmaking too — this year's other Palme d'Or winner will also screen at MIFF. A 13-minute drama shot on 16mm film in the Melbourne suburb of Dandenong, All These Creatures nabbed Australian director Charles Williams Cannes' other top prize, and comes to the fest in its Australian premiere. The Melbourne International Film Festival runs from August 2 to 19. For more information, visit the MIFF website — and check back on July 10, when the full program is announced.
The winter solstice is on our doorstep and Melbourne's about to stumble through the darkest weekend of the year. But one South Yarra bar will be lighting things up, with a two-day celebration of life's best things: mates, booze and music. Leonard's House of Love is teaming up with Tell Your Friends You Love Them (TYFYLT) — a not-for-profit organisation raising awareness for mental illness — to host a weekend-long 'love in' friend fest, on June 22 and 23. Across both days, the bar will be slinging a range of crisp brews from Sydney's Young Henrys, with 100 percent of those beer profits going to support TYFYLT's work. None of your mates free this weekend? No worries. On Saturday, June 22, you'll have the chance to meet some new besties, at a live tune-backed Speed Metal Speed Friending session. Think speed dating, only for mates instead of dates (if you went to Boogie this year, you might have seen it in action). The following day, Leonard's will offer up max Sunday vibes, brunch cocktails and a banging Black Sabbath soundtrack. A specialty bloody mary bar will be stocked with loads of garnishes and extras to really pimp out your Sunday session, with all profits from the spicy cocktails going to TYFYLT. There'll also be 80s metal tunes spinning throughout the afternoon, a stack of drink specials and a fundraising raffle that'll see one lucky punter walk away with a loaded pub hamper.
Before donning a face covering became a regular part of life for everyone during the pandemic, one of the most famous mask-wearing figures in popular culture was doing it first. And, the fictional character will be doing so again in Australia — in Sydney from August next year, and then in Melbourne from October. The Phantom of the Opera was actually set to head to Sydney from September this year, and then to Melbourne from November; however, the famed musical's 2021 dates were postponed due to lockdowns in both cities. Now, the production's schedule for next year has been confirmed, so get ready for the music of the night to croon its way into both cities. Kicking off at the Sydney Opera House from Friday, August 19 and then heading to the State Theatre at Arts Centre Melbourne from Sunday, October 30, 2022, these new seasons of the acclaimed Tony-winner will arrive in Down Under after breaking records in the UK — and touring the US for seven years. Australia will become just the third country to witness this take on the tale, in fact. Obviously, all of the familiar songs are part of it, such as 'All I Ask of You', 'Masquerade' and the titular number. You'll also be lapping up Maria Björnson's original costumes, too. But, if you've seen the show before, expect the chandelier to look a little different. Australian musical theatre performer Josh Piterman is set to play the Phantom, after first wearing the character's mask in London pre-pandemic. He'll be joined by Amy Manford and Blake Bowden as Christine and Raoul, as part of a cast and orchestra of 65 people — which'll make The Phantom of the Opera one of the largest musical productions in Australia. If you need a refresher on the musical's story, it follows soprano Christine Daaé and the masked musical genius who lives beneath the Paris Opera House — and the latter's obsession with the former. Although first turned into a stage musical in the 80s, it's based on Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel. And yes, you might've seen the 2004 movie, which starred Gerard Butler as the Phantom. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jpaw9dft2Y Opera Australia is also putting on a run of The Phantom of the Opera earlier in 2022, in March in Sydney, as part of its annual Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour event. The Phantom of the Opera will tour Australia in 2022, starting at the Sydney Opera House from Friday, August 19 and then heading to the State Theatre at Arts Centre Melbourne from Sunday, October 30, 2022. For further information and to buy tickets, head to the musical's website. Images: Michael Le Poer Trench.
While in lockdown, you've probably been battling with your hairstyle a little. Should you attempt to trim your bangs? Shave your head? Dye it blue a la Hilary Duff? Well, if you decide to cut yourself a mullet, you'll score some free beer courtesy of the folk over at Melbourne's Moon Dog Craft Brewery. The team behind Abbotsford's OG Moon Dog and Preston's OTT Moon Dog World is celebrating the launch of its new strawberry sour ale, Jean-Strawb Van Damme, by giving away four-packs of the brew to everyone who takes on the mullet challenge. To prove you've gotten your new 'do in iso, you'll need to post a before and after photo and tag both @moondogbrewing and @beefsbarbers. And not only will you score yourself a four-pack, you'll also go into the running to win a year's supply of beer. The 365 days of brews — plus and epic prize pack — will go to the best/worst mullet, so go all out. https://www.instagram.com/p/B_EcsWFjDXs/ If you need some inspo, we suggest heading on over to the Mulletfest website. Held every year in the regional NSW town of Kurri Kurri, the festival awards prizes to the best mullet hairstyle in a heap of categories, from 'grubby' to 'extreme' and 'everyday'. Those who don't want to look like Patrick Swayze in Point Break (or Road House), can still try the tasty sour ale. Moon Dog is delivering it across Australia ($20 a four-pack or $100 a 24-pack) and it's available at select bottle-os across the country, too. To score yourself a free four-pack of Jean-Strawb Van Damme — and go into the running to win a year's supply of beer — you'll need to post a before and after photo and tag both @moondogbrewing and @beefsbarbers. To buy the beer, head to the Moon Dog website.
There's every chance you've forgotten what a dance floor even looks like but the folks at Untitled Group — the same minds behind Beyond the Valley, Pitch Music & Arts and Ability Fest — are here to get you reacquainted. They've just revealed a huge all-Aussie lineup for the 2021–22 edition of live music series For The Love, heading to Wollongong, Perth, Melbourne and the Gold Coast. Across three dates, festival staples including Dom Dolla, Crooked Colours and Mallrat will help Australia dust off the cobwebs and rediscover its groove. The local instalment in the party series is due to hit St Kilda's Catani Gardens on Saturday, March 5. The waterfront precinct will be transformed with live sounds from favourites like Running Touch and Allday, along with Telanova, Boo Seeka, George Maple and Ebony Boadu. Punters will also have the opportunity to kick back in style in one of For The Love's VIP lounges, presented by Aussie streetwear label Nana Judy. FOR THE LOVE 2022 LINEUP: Dom Dolla Crooked Colours Mallrat Allday Running Touch Boo Seeka George Maple Telenova Ebony Boadu
How do you brighten up one of the most vibrant cities on earth? And at the brightest time of the year? It's simple: add a park installation littered with glowing lights. Like Tokyo before it, New York now boasts its own short-term piece of luminous art — and one that's both creative and eye-catching. Called Whiteout, the commissioned project has unleashed hundreds of LED-filled globes upon Madison Square Park. Set up until March 25, 2018, the piece comes from Austrian-born, New York and Ohio-based artist Erwin Redl, who suspended the white, transparent spheres across the space using a square steel grid and cabling. As well as their standard twinkling, the orbs sway with the wind and sparkle according to large-scale animated patterns, all as part of the 6.2-acre park's latest free outdoor exhibition. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bbk8VEvnCTh/?taken-by=madsqparknyc Explains Redl, "the physicality of the swaying orbs in conjunction with the abstract animations of their embedded white lights allows the public to explore a new, hybrid reality in this urban setting." Known for creating light projects on building facades, Redl takes inspiration from the greats in the field, such as Larry Bell, Robert Irwin, James Turrell, and Doug Wheeler While visitors can't interact with the installation, they can view it as they mosey along the park's walkways. Given that more than 60,000 people visit the site daily, it's certain to make quite the impact, in a piece Redl created and fabricated with the assistance of Madison Square Park Conservancy and the New York City, Brisbane and Shanghai-based public artwork firm UAP. If you're in New York, check out Whiteout at Madison Square Park until March 25, 2018. Head to the park website for further information. Image: Erwin Redl, Whiteout, 2017. Steel, animated white LEDs, stainless steel cable, low voltage insulated wire, two sections: each 12 x 40 x 180 feet; overall: 12 x 110 x 180 feet. Collection of the artist. © Erwin Redl. Photo: Rashmi Gill.
With Tilda Swinton as the model, W magazine was sure to have a wild spread for their May issue. But this is probably Tilda's most striking photo shoot yet. The cover story, rightfully titled 'Stranger Than Paradise' is strangely insane (and totally surreal). The series of photos actually pays tribute to some of Swinton's favourite artists. The 52-year-old star of We Need to Talk About Kevin and glass boxes poses with everything from glamorous Chanel and Givenchy clothing to centipedes — yes, you read right, centipedes. And you know what? Even with centipede face, she's gorgeous. Check out some photos from the series below.
Everyone has a New York bucket list, filled with must-visit places throughout the busy city. And, we're betting that The Metropolitan Museum of Art features on most of them. Founded in 1870, presenting over 5,000 years of art from around the world and considered one of the top museums in the world, it's a iconic site for many reasons, including the pieces within its walls, its exhibitions and its annual gala. Another reason The Met is a favourite for visitors? For the past 50 years, a pay-as-you-wish scheme operates regarding the entry price. The suggested admission for adults is $25, but walking through the door for free is perfectly acceptable. That'll change on March 1, but it'll only impact folks who aren't New York State residents or students from New Jersey and Connecticut. In short, if you're from anywhere else in the world and you're keen to wander through The Met, you'll now pay the $25 fee. The mandatory full-priced admission tickets will be honoured for three days at the museum's three locations, however, so out-of-towners can make the most of their money. The news comes after The Met welcomed over seven million visitors in 2017, and put on 60 exhibitions. In a statement on the museum's website, Met president Daniel Weiss said the change was needed "in order to sustain its mission for future generations and to remain an accessible source of inspiration to all." It's expected that mandatory admissions will affect around 31 percent of their annual visitors. Image: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
It's not every artist who'd revisit their Year Two saxophone skills on their debut album. But Melbourne's Chet Faker (aka Nick Murphy) isn't afraid of giving anything a whirl for the sake of sound. Following the release of his debut EP Thinking In Textures via Downtown Records in 2012, Murphy gained international high-fives and 'Breakthrough Artist of the Year' at the Australian Independent Records Awards, made an EP with Flume, toured with Bonobo, played at South by South West and scored a Super Bowl ad with his breakthrough cover of Blackstreet's 'No Diggity'. After settling into his own snuggly studio space in North Melbourne, Murphy painstakingly tweaked, experimented and self-produced his debut album Built On Glass, released Friday. An eclectic and unpredictable mix of electronic soul ballads, deep house journeys and hip hop beats, Murphy's love of experimentation and letting sound breathe makes Built On Glass one of the year's most overwhelmingly confident debut releases. Heartbreakingly honest lyrics, minimalist electronic groovery and Murphy's unmistakably soulful vocals make for serious repeat button action. Kicking off a huge worldwide tour in April, Chet Faker will hit venues in UK cities like Dublin, Manchester and Bristol before popping over to European hubs like Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. Then it's over to the US and Canada for a gargantuan string of dates before heading home for his national Australian headliner tour through major cities and regional centres like Geelong, Port Macquarie and Wollongong. Supporting for all national tour dates is New Zealand dream pop trio Yumi Zouma, whose four-track EP The Brae saw the Christchurch locals gain quite the following on Soundcloud. In the wake of the tour's long-awaited announcement, we had a chat to the 25-year-old Melburnian about his upcoming worldwide debut album tour, his Melbourne performance jinx, jogging on tour and a genuine disdain for pigeonholes. When was the last time you played an Australian show? Three weeks ago. I play heaps here, everyone thinks I don't. They're like, "Really? Come back to Australia and support your home." It's like, I play here a lot. People are like, "Why didn't you come to New Zealand?" I was there four weeks ago! "Hopefully one day you'll come to Ireland." It's like dude, I'll be there in a week. Just relax! So Built On Glass is out, your first LP, congrats! You played everything you hear on the album, excepting one guitar solo. What made you want to play all every last instrument on your new album? Well, because I knew what I wanted to be played. And I'm not rich so I can't just like, pay Nile Rodgers to lay down a track for me. It's just a really personal record. Music just means a shitload to me. I'm usually writing music at the same time I'm recording it... just trying a bunch of stuff. If I want a guitar part, I'm going to play it because I'm there. So it makes sense to play it myself rather than have someone in and it might not work. Did you learn saxophone just for the record? No. Well, maybe sort of. I played sax from prep to grade two. But I hadn't played until last year and I picked it up and could still make a noise out of it. That blew me away. I had no idea that I could still play saxophone. I assumed I couldn't play it, I couldn't remember what notes they were. I picked it up and because I'd learnt 'Tequila' — that was the last song I'd played — I was like bam-bam ban-am-bam ban-a-nam and I was like "What the FUCK?". It was insane! Because there's other stuff as a kid I can't remember how to do, you know? Like cartwheels... Cartwheels, totally yeah. I used to be a really good drawer when I was a kid but I'm not that good at it any more. I used to be able to do a really good cat. Actually I still remember how to do it — it looks like Bubsy, which was a game on Super Nintendo. That's funny, I haven't thought about that in a long time. With your first EP you were kind of sleeping in the same space that you were recording. But this time you had your own space to record Built On Glass? Yeah, I rented a space in North Melbourne in the old meat market. It's an old cooling locker, so it's heritage-listed. It's through Arts House Victoria, so it's really cheap rent, it's cool... We have so much space and I just don't use it. I filled it with stuff and ended up putting myself in the smallest room. I rarely stand up when I'm recording music, most of the time I'm sitting on a chair. I can't remember the last time I stood up to record vocals. I lean into the microphone and I sit in front of the computer. I'll take, sing it, listen back and do it again until I get it right. Well, your voice has a lot of oomph and power behind it, which you usually need to stand up to reach. Well, on this record anyway. The EP was lighter I think, more breathy because I was in my garage. It had a tin roof and in the garage next door to me we had a neighbour. I would usually record late at night and I couldn't sing loud. Whereas on this record, because I have my own soundproof space, I could be there any hour of the night and play as loud as I want and not piss anyone off. So all the vocal tracks are like, full chest voice. I literally couldn't have done this album in the old garage because I couldn't sing that loud. https://youtube.com/watch?v=aP_-P_BS6KY Stylistically Built On Glass is very different, each song is quite unique even though they've got your unifying vocal. Some are hip hop influenced, some are ballads, some are almost house music. How do you find inspiration for each style? I've had this thing, like, all my life: I hate being put in a pigeonhole. More than anything, for some reason. I don't know why it annoys me so much. As soon as you label something you limit it. And I don't want to be limited. An album is usually very definitive, you know? That's the big thing, about making a 'statement' right? So my statement was I wanted to show almost every type of music that I like, because then if I did something like the slow, whatever people call it, "RnB crooner" — it makes me cringe when I hear that, it's gross — style, then I'd limit it. Because if I bring out another record that's like '1998', which I like just as much, people would go, "What the fuck is this?" So it was really important to me that I show the full breadth of all the things I like. Sounds like a good way to go for a debut album. Well that's the idea. Built On Glass as well, the whole "built" thing comes from like, building a career, building a future on a foundation stone of glass, which is fragile, it's honest, it's transparent — this is what I'm into, you know? And it was annoying me that people thought I only did soulful, slowed down tunes. There's even some house moments in there. Yeah, well 'Cigarettes and Loneliness" is 135BPM. That is not soul music. It's hard to pick a track off your debut album, but do you have a particular song you're especially proud of? 'Cigarettes and Loneliness' I think. I mean, they all have their own reason I like them. 'Gold' is the first song I ever played bass on and it's just one note the whole time. I didn't know how to play the bass, so I bought a bass. What I wanted to do was a descending bassline but I couldn't play that properly. But then 'Release Your Problems', which is the first track, I played the bass on that. First bassline I ever really wrote. '1998': house track — I always wanted to put out a house track. 'Cigarettes and Loneliness' is the longest song I've ever done, it's the most honest song I've ever done. The chorus has no drums, it's just two guitar parts and vocals. The song's like eight minutes long and it's 135BPM which is just super fast. You couldn't even play that in a DJ set, it'd freak people out. It's been two years since your first EP Thinking in Textures came out, since then you've won awards, worked with Flume, supported big names, had your song in a Super Bowl ad... Yeah, I always forget about that until people bring it up. That's like the least real thing that's ever happened to me. That's like, really? Was I really in a Super Bowl ad? It's like the childhood memories that you're not really sure if you made it up or it actually happened. https://youtube.com/watch?v=vUsxibgWMs4 You've been touring on and off for about two years, what's one of the most memorable performances you've done? Well, there's different ones for different reasons — there's good ones and then there's like, bad ones. Touring with Bonobo was awesome. I've got mad respect for him. He just texted me the other day, he was like, "What are you doing? You wanna go get a drink?" For a second I had to be like, that's fuckin' Bonobo texting me. That was pretty weird, I had to pinch myself. That tour was cool, I think this tour in June's also going to be heaps of fun. And you toured with Flume as well. Toured with Flume, yeah that was good. Ah... it was alright. They were just like, munted kids who weren't listening. But actually it was fun playing with Flume, because I'd get up and sing with him, that was shitloads of fun. So I crowdsurfed — and you don't crowdsurf to my music. I never had. So that was a lot of fun, stagediving. Did they bring you back to the stage? Yeah, I mean sometimes you get taken away. Here's a lesson for anyone who's going to stagedive: take off any jewellery or hats, people literally rip stuff off you. And I got like, mouth raped at one of those shows on that Flume tour. I don't know if it was a boy or a girl, someone just grabbed my head upside down and did like a Spiderman tongue dash. I was like, woah. By the time I looked, I was somewhere else. It was kind of funny though, but it was an all ages show so its just a bit like... yeeech. https://youtube.com/watch?v=6vopR3ys8Kw If you could tour with anyone in the world, who would it be? Bonobo was pretty up there. Music style-wise, I feel like it's pretty similar. I always looked up to him, awesome crew and band, they really inspired me. Like, some people just aren't as… Just because you love someone's music doesn't mean you like them personally and that was a big lesson for me. And most people won't know that. You know, most people who like my music will assume that them and I would get along perfectly but I'm certain there are people I wouldn't get along with. It's like the same with anyone. So I've met lots of people, I mean, Bonobo, he's as nice as his music is, he's a gentleman. But there's other people I've met that I really liked, I was like, you... are... you are a dickhead. So you've got this rather epic tour coming up, how do you prepare and keep healthy on tour? Are there any tricks? Totally, you have to look after yourself. I do. I actually don't know how some people party on tour all the time. It's not sustainable, like, you just get totally bummed out. Some people can do it though. Some people just figure out this like, route in their brain to not come down from partying. They just party forever. Like DJs, those dudes kill it. I don't know, I couldn't do that. Do you get actual sleep on tour? No. Well, yes if I try and sleep and eat well, but that's not really an option either. It's this weird balance because some people just think you're difficult if you're like "I need celery and gluten free food backstage." They're like, "Geez, this guy's a douchebag." But if you're having a hot dog every night for three months, you start to feel really crappy about yourself. But running is good, I try and go for a run every morning. It's just habit, which is easy to do on tour because it's easier to create new habits in a new environment than one that has existing habits. Do you write on tour? You were saying you write and record at the same time. I can't. I'm trying to at the moment; I'm trying to get a little studio built up. But I really like having a space, but that's not really an option any more when you're touring so much. So I'm getting this little case made up with like, a microphone and a laptop. Harley's so good at it, Flume, he's always working on a track. I can do it, it's just like a habit. I'm trying to start doing that more. It's going to be cool for you to play in Melbourne and show off your debut album to home. Yeah, totally and I don't think I've ever played a good show in my home town. I keep fucking it up. I mean it's my friends there, that's why. I played a bunch of festivals — I mean I think as far as my friends are concerned I suck live, because I keep messing it up for my friends in Melbourne — like, at Laneway I played a bad show, I messed up Meredith and Golden Plains. I had technical problems — I had a broken foot. It's like I'm jinxed in my home town but this tour will be fine, sooner or later I'll do it. Tour Dates: Tickets on sale Tuesday 22 April 9AM local time Thu 12 June – The Wool Exchange, Geelong $35 +BF. Tickets from Oztix. Friday 13 June – Forum Theatre, Melbourne $35 +BF. Tickets from The Forum Box Office, Ticketmaster. Thu 19 June – Astor Theatre, Perth $35 +BF. Tickets from Astor Box Office. Sat 21 June – The Tivoli, Brisbane $35 +BF. Tickets from Ticketmaster. Sun 22 June – Lake Kawana Community Centre, Sunshine Coast $35 +BF. Tickets from Box Office. Tue 24 June – Glasshouse Theatre, Port Macquarie $35 +BF. Tickets from the Glasshouse Box Office. Wed 25 June – Civic Theatre, Newcastle $35 +BF. Tickets from Box Office and Ticketek. Fri 27 June – Enmore Theatre, Sydney $35 +BF Tickets from Enmore Theatre Box Office and Ticketek Sat 28 June – Anita's Theatre, Wollongong $35 +BF. Tickets from Ticketmaster. Thu 3 July – HQ, Adelaide $35 +BF. Tickets from Moshtix and Oztix. Sat 5 July - The Odean, Hobart $40 +BF. Tickets from Ticketmaster and Ruffcut Records.
Movies can sometimes stick to a formula. Picture palaces showing them can do the same thing. At Moonlight Cinema, one of Australia's summer staples, that means playing Christmas films in December and romantic classics in February, for instance. Celebrating Oscar contenders in March is also on the itinerary, as the just-dropped last lineup for the event's 2023–24 season locks in. We can't know right now who'll emerge victorious at Hollywood's night of nights on Monday, March 11 Australian time, but plenty of nominees are showing throughout the month. Whether you're team Oppenheimer or Barbie, they're both on the program. So are Poor Things, The Holdovers and Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon. Perth gets Maestro, too, while Sydney and Melbourne can get drawn into the compelling drama of Palme d'Or-winner Anatomy of a Fall. While Moonlight Cinema hits up five locations each year, it winds up in Brisbane and Adelaide in February, hence the March bill is only playing in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. The details vary per city, but each will also enjoy a range of recent big-screen favourites, too, such as the Mean Girls musical, Sydney-shot rom-com Anyone But You and the sweet Timothée Chalamet (Bones and All)-led treat that is Wonka. Matthew Vaughn following up the Kingsman movies with new spy caper Argylle, Kingsley Ben-Adir (Secret Invasion) playing a reggae icon in Bob Marley: One Love and wrestling drama The Iron Claw will also get a whirl. For some retro fun, The Goonies, The Princess Bride and the OG Mean Girls are on the lineup as well. And, of course, the movies are just one part of the Moonlight Cinema experience. The setting — at Centennial Parklands in Sydney, Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne, and Kings Park and Botanic Garden in Perth — is just as important. Also on offer: an official Aperol spritz bar, which is new for 2023–24. Nosh-wise, the event lets you BYO movie snacks and drinks, but the unorganised can enjoy a plethora of bites to eat onsite while reclining on bean beds. There's also a VIP section for an extra-luxe openair movie experience, plus a platinum section that levels up a night at the movies even further in Sydney and Melbourne. A beauty cart is handing out samples, too. And, dogs are welcome at all sites except Perth — there's even special doggo bean beds, and a snack menu for pooches. Moonlight Cinema 2023–24 Dates: Sydney: until Sunday, March 24, 2024 in Centennial Parklands Perth: until Sunday, March 24, 2024 in Kings Park and Botanic Garden Melbourne: until Saturday, March 30, 2024 in Royal Botanic Gardens Moonlight Cinema runs through until March 2024 in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, with dates varying per city. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the cinema's website.
Melbourne has scored itself a new haven of good, honest food with the cheery arrival of Stan's Deli & Sandwiches in Malvern. A vision of green and white both inside and out, this modern riff on the classic New York deli and diner comes courtesy of some pretty familiar hospitality faces, with Guy Bentley (Leonardo's Pizza Palace, Leonards House of Love) and Todd Vanneste (Frankie's Tortas & Tacos) teaming up with Alex Gavioli (formerly Moby 3143 and Lenny 3206) and Aaron Trotman of wine label NON. At the Glenferrie Road spot, Vanneste's Weekdays Design Studio has created a bright, smartly-dressed diner-style space for morning coffees and lunchtime sandwich pit-stops alike. And yes, Stan's is taking the concept of deli coffee to a whole new level, with Small Batch supplying both the house blend and a rotation of single origin offerings. As for the food menu, it serves up a finely tuned celebration of simplicity, heroing straightforward flavours and featuring a stack of elements crafted in-house. You'll find 5 & Dime bagels loaded with the likes of whipped ricotta, lemon and dill, or with pastrami, bread and butter pickles, sauerkraut and mustard. The sandwich game is strong, including the roast chook sanga with Swiss gruyere, herb mayo and green tomatoes that are salted overnight. Pork and fennel sausage comes housed in a muffin alongside curried egg and cheese, while the eggplant parm sandwich features a mix of napoli, mozzarella, peppers and rocket. Everything is available to go, as well as to enjoy in — and while you're there you'll find a deli section stocked with the likes of Chappy's chips, Birdsnake chocolate, Nice Pickles, Strange Love sodas and NON's booze-free wines. Stay tuned for a line of house-made sauces, preserves and other goodies, hitting the shelves soon. And, once Stan's liquor license comes through shortly, there are plans to host monthly dinner parties featuring fresh pasta and natural wine, and shining the spotlight on various regions and producers. Find Stan's Deli & Sandwiches at 248B Glenferrie Road, Malvern — open from 6.30am–3pm Monday–Saturday and 8am–3pm Sunday.
Go green with Australia’s largest sustainability festival when it hits the streets of Melbourne. Since 2000, the Sustainable Living Festival has promoted conscientious social and ecological practices through art, exhibition, workshops, film, public forums and live performance. With three weeks’ worth of events happening all around Victoria, it’d be downright irresponsible not to attend. The opportunities at this year’s festival are practically limitless. Take in a talk on climate change, pop in on the Town Hall Veggie Patch, or catch a pedal-powered movie on the banks of the Yarra River. Art lovers can check out new sustainability-themed works by Jess Leitmanis and Emily Floyd, while the NGV also has an interactive exhibition specially designed for kids. Alternatively, if you’re looking to get a little more hands on, the festival has you covered there as well. Learn to sew, recycle your jewellery or make homemade dye from food scraps at various interactive workshops hosted in locations across town. You can even get a free meal — made using 100% salvaged produce, of course. For the entire festival program, visit their website. Image: Designful.
Melbourne has been practically overrun with American-style restaurants for years now, but this week things are finally getting turned up a notch. Melbourne's first ever competitive barbecue tournament is here. Kicking off on January 29, Melbourne Barbecue Festival will take over Queen Victoria Market with classes and competitions inspired by the carnivorous creatures of America's deep South. Groups will learn the art of cooking the perfect brisket, ribs, pork shoulder and chicken, then have their work judged by a panel of experts in an effort to take home $15,000 worth of prizes. Unfortunately, all the masterclasses have sold out and registration has now closed to enter the main competition. Fortunately, they're still going to need a bunch of taste-testers. Once everyone's perfected their art, the entire market will open up for an official Barbecue Food Festival on Sunday, February 1. If you'd like something a little more formal, Fancy Hanks will also be opening up their doors for a special BBQ Dinner on Thursday, January 29 with a Texan feast from Melbourne's best. Photo: joshbousel via photopin cc
Grab your pencils, you big nerds! The National Gallery of Victoria, in partnership with writing school The Good Copy, is hosting a free three-day crossword festival as part of the fourth annual Melbourne Art Book Fair. Running from March 16-18, the event will feature workshops, contests and even a spelling bee (where the winner gets…a dictionary). Word geeks can participate in a live crossword solve before stepping "behind the grid" into the world of clue-writing with the The Age's own Liam "LR" Runnalls. The lexicological luminary will also be manning the clue booth, where he, along with Chris Black and Siobhan Linde from The Big Issue, will turn your name into a cryptic crossword clue. There'll even be a crossword tournament, complete with live commentary, that will culminate in a final showdown on Sunday.
Every October, hundreds of happenings around Australia make up Anti-Poverty Week, an annual event dedicated to fighting poverty and hardship. This year, one of them is an exclusive screening of STEP. This doco travels to inner-city Baltimore, US, to capture the story of an all-girls step team whose goal is to make it to college — despite none of their family members having attended before. Against a background of social unrest and discrimination, they strive to win scholarships, supported by their teachers, coaches, counsellors and families. At Sundance 2017, STEP won the US Documentary Special Jury Award for Inspirational Filmmaking. The STEP screening is being held by the Brotherhood of St Laurence, a community organisation that's been tackling poverty across Australia since 1930, through both grass roots initiatives and policy development. In keeping with the tone of the evening, a guest speaker from the Brotherhood will be sharing stories of local youths fighting their way out of poverty through education. This special screening will take place at 6pm on Wednesday, October 17. Tickets are $30 per person and include complimentary drinks and nibbles before the film. For more info on the event and to purchase tickets, visit the Brotherhood of St Laurence website.
No one wants to live in a world where Parasite, the best movie of 2019, doesn't exist. But if it didn't for some reason, it's highly likely that Corpus Christi would've been this year's Best International Feature Film Oscar-winner, rather than just a nominee. This Polish drama also focuses on people pretending to be something they're not. As directed by Warsaw 44 and The Hater's Jan Komasa, and written by the latter's screenwriter Mateusz Pacewicz, it casts a wry eye over much about life in their homeland today, too. And it isn't afraid to call out hypocrisy, societal divisions and greed, either — literally in the latter case, via its protagonist's speech at the local sawmill. There are few other similarities between Corpus Christi and the movie it lost to, but perhaps the only one that really matters is how potently, blisteringly and rousingly it unfurls its on-screen gifts. Well that, and how striking every second of the film looks, pairing its ashen, almost-hazy aesthetics with its complicated account of an ex-juvenile delinquent who poses as a small-town priest. The imposter's name is Daniel and, as played with soulful intensity by star-in-the-making Bartosz Bielenia, he's a complex figure. First seen serving the final days of his reform school sentence, he has made a fan out of the facility's head priest, Father Tomasz (Lukasz Simlat). In fact, if Daniel's criminal record didn't preclude it, he'd desperately love to follow in the elder man's footsteps and join the seminary. While the correctional centre's hierarchy means that he has to take on look-out duties when his fellow inmates brutally rough up one of their own — lest he be on the receiving end instead — the look in the 20-year-old's eyes whenever he's reminded that his past choices have stripped away his preferred future is haunting. There's much about Bielenia's exceptional performance that sears itself into memory, but that firm, mournful gaze that adorns his face again and again is unshakeably powerful and poignant. When Daniel is released to work at the aforementioned sawmill in rural Poland, it's better than incarceration. Of course, it's hardly what he has dreamed about. Call it fate, call it divine intervention, or call it either good or dumb luck, but he's soon given the chance to pursue his calling. Through a series of events that never feels convenient or strained, Daniel claims that he's a priest — and that contention largely goes unquestioned. In a close-knit community of devout but struggling souls, with the area rocked by a recent tragedy that still lingers, locals eagerly welcome him as their new spiritual advisor. Daniel's devotion to the task helps to mask his youthful years. With those around his age, he's particularly at ease. He also genuinely has faith and believes in the job, so the jump from jailhouse scraps and drug-addled post-release parties to assisting his surprise congregation is both easy and natural. Corpus Christi is loosely inspired by real-life details, but even though this is a movie about an unconventional priest, it isn't the type of religious true tale that might instantly spring to mind. It couldn't be further from the dutifully pious standard, which remains the case even as it gifts its young protagonist with an unexpected second chance — an unlikely opportunity to follow his heart and make a difference to an insular yet divided town, too — and demonstrates that he's not the only one within the movie's frames with a troubled past to overcome. Whether he's attempting to convince the locals that an old grief-fuelled grudge reflects badly upon their character or getting closer to parishioner Marta (Eliza Rycembel) to an ungodly degree, Daniel is a wiry and magnetic bag of contradictions. Much the same can be said of his potential absolution, too. His motives are sincere, but his shot at vindication springs through subterfuge — well-meaning subterfuge that's purely a result of grasping an opportunity, rather than any misdeeds or maliciousness, but subterfuge all the same. Crafting a film that starts with grey hues, grim visuals and a mood to match, and never buffers out or prays away the grit in its aesthetics, Komasa uses Daniel's situation to veer down an important path. Benevolence and redemption are key tenets of Catholicism, and of many faiths, but there's a difference between speaking of them and putting them into action — which Corpus Christi explores in every reaction that comes its central figure's way. The film doesn't deify its protagonist, nor shy away from his mistakes and woes, but it clearly sees and accepts his desire to aid others. And, in the process, it asks what might be considered a sacrilegious question to some: if people can find the solace, warmth and comfort they yearn for in biblical characters who teach compassion and charity, why can't they in a tattooed, scarred, street-smart ex-criminal standing in front of them, getting to know them, willingly dedicating his time to helping them, and driven by the same kind intentions and aspirations? If that train of thought sounds thorny, tricky and even anxiety-inducing, that's Corpus Christi. When he's lost in prayer, Bielenia's face may look angelic; however, nothing else about this movie is ever so blissful or simple. As a film about a rehabilitated crim-turned-masquerading cleric, tension and foreboding unsurprisingly seethes through every second. First, Daniel wonders how he'll ever be seen as anything other than "scum", as he's called. Next, he worries about maintaining his deception and keeping the position he treasures. As it bubbles and broods, Corpus Christi doesn't ever offer simple answers — to audiences or to its lead character. That's to be expected; this is a feature that spends its entire time rallying against easy solutions, after all. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU-Z90SEqGQ&t=20s
Run, jump and roll your way into the Melbourne Arts Centre on select dates this week to see a brand new stage work from the champions of Western Sydney's underground parkour scene. Straight from the streets of Fairfield, Jump First, Ask Later combines the fluid movement of free running and contemporary dance in an explosively physical performance that explores "violence, migration, redemption and the collective freedom these artists discovered by mapping their city through dance". On stage at the Arts Centre on August 2, 5 and twice on August 6, this troupe of six young performers from one of the most culturally diverse parts of Australia will traverse the theatre, springing and vaulting over obstacles in a 50-minute performance produced by Sydney's Powerhouse Youth Theatre and dance company Force Majeure. Expanding your understanding of both athleticism and dance, the show shapes up as a must-see for fans of either. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekt4QkjKnEw
If your favourite way to dine involves artfully plated dishes swanning past your place setting on a conveyor belt, then QT Melbourne's newest culinary offering is sure to fire up those tastebuds. Making its home in the hotel's new event space Premiere until Monday, May 1 is The Singleton's Delicious Discoveries: an interactive dining experience by celebrated MasterChef alum Poh Ling Yeow and whisky label The Singleton. Marking Poh's first-ever in-restaurant residency, the pop-up diner is here to celebrate a fresh way of sipping and snacking once aperitivo hour rolls around. The space itself is splashed with plenty of the single malt brand's signature teal, with a central high-top sporting an in-built conveyor belt that showcases Poh's eight-strong menu of sweet and savoury plates. Designed to accentuate the nutty, fruity flavours of drinks list's star single malt, the lineup includes dishes like fries with anchovy cream sauce; fluffy bao cradling fried chicken, kewpie mayo and kimchi; and apple miso caramel turnovers matched with vanilla crème fraîche. "I ignored the sensible and embraced the playful," Poh says of her approach, labelling the end result "a dining experience that is bursting with colour and taste". Meanwhile, The Singleton is showcasing the approachability of its whisky with eight paired cocktails, each working to the label's Plus Two formula — blending single malt with a still mixer and a sparkling mixer in three equal parts. Expect crowd-pleasing tipples like the Mediterranean — made on The Singleton 12 Year Old, lemon tonic and apricot nectar — and the Tropical, which boasts a fusion of guava juice and grapefruit soda. If you're feeling creative, you can even get bartenders to whip you up an off-menu Plus Two, customised with your choice of mixers. Find The Singleton's Delicious Discoveries at Premiere, QT Melbourne, 133 Russell Street, Melbourne, until Monday, May 1. It's running Thursday to Sunday each week, with sittings at 2pm, 3pm and 4pm, and bookings available online. Images: Griffin Simm.
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.
Bill Murray playing the world’s worst babysitter; Michael Keaton washing up in a cinematic ballet; Timothy Spall muttering his way through an artist’s biopic; the Bolshoi doing real ballet — there are loads of reasons to hurry along to the cool retreat that is Palace Cinemas before summer cuts the ropes. Good news is, to make sure you don’t miss out, we’re giving away five double passes to a film of your choice at your preferred Palace location. What’s more, the movies needn’t be your only motivation. A brand new, uber-refreshing, summery drink has jumped onto the Palace menu: Appleton V/X and ginger beer with fresh lime wedges. It’s built in a tall glass, with plenty of ice, to make sure that it keeps you cool throughout any feature. V/X is a special blend of no fewer than 15 aged rums, hand-mixed by master blender Joy Spence, who’s been making rum for more than 20 years. It’s one of Appleton Estate’s favourite rums for mixology because of its sophisticated, multilayered flavour profile. To be in the running for one of five double passes to Palace Cinemas, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter and then email win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au with your name and address.
Fond of Netflix? Regal intrigue? Combining the two? Then you're obviously a fan of The Crown. And, if so, you've had a busy few years — not just because the series has dropped four seasons since 2016, but because news around the show's fifth and sixth seasons has changed back and forth a few times. At the beginning of 2020, Netflix announced that it would end the royal drama after its fifth season. The, the streaming platform had a change of heart, revealing it would continue the series for a sixth season after all. Now, the service has announced when the next batch of episodes will air, so mark November 2022 in your diary. When season five premieres next year — with the exact date still yet to be revealed — it'll do so two years after season four. But, that's the gap that The Crown tends to take when it changes casts. After starting out with Claire Foy (The Girl in the Spider's Web) as Queen Elizabeth II, Matt Smith (Official Secrets) as Prince Philip and Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret (Pieces of a Woman) in its first two seasons, which aired in 2016 and 2017, the series returned in 2019 with Olivia Colman (The Father), Tobias Menzies (This Way Up) and Helena Bonham Carter (Enola Holmes) in those roles. Plus, it added Josh O'Connor (God's Own Country) as Prince Charles — and, in season four in 2020, Emma Corrin (Misbehaviour) and The X-Files icon Gillian Anderson joined the cast as Lady Diana Spencer and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, respectively. This time around, Downton Abbey, Maleficent and Paddington star Imelda Staunton will don the titular headwear, Game of Thrones and Tales from the Loop's Jonathan Pryce will step into Prince Philip's shoes, and Princess Margaret will be played by Staunton's Maleficent co-star and Phantom Thread Oscar-nominee Lesley Manville. Also, Australian Tenet, The Burnt Orange Heresy and Widows star Elizabeth Debicki will be the new Princess Diana, while The Wire and The Pursuit of Love's Dominic West will play Prince Charles. Season five and six are expected to follow the Queen in the 1990s and 2000s — so yes, that means that Diana will play a big part, and that the series will traverse some of the same territory that Kristen Stewart-starring film Spencer covers as well. Can't wait till next year? It's too early for trailers for season five, but Netflix has dropped an introductory message from Staunton, which you can check out below: The Crown's fifth season will hit Netflix sometime in November 2022 — we'll update you with an exact launch date when one is announced. Images: Keith Bernstein / Alex Bailey / Netflix
Champagne, cognac and caviar. This is what Melburnians can expect from a new cocktail bar that's headed for the CBD next month named Nick & Nora's. Originally slated for March 27, the cocktail bar's opening was stalled by COVID–19 lockdowns (a familiar story). But now it's ready to unveil its incredibly opulent digs on Thursday, July 2. How do we know it will be opulent? Well, the bar is brainchild of the Speakeasy Group — the owners of cocktail classic Eau de Vie, Viking luxe bar Mjolner and whisky-serving Boilermaker House — for one. Secondly, like Mjolner, Nick & Nora's will be a Sydney import — the group opened its first Nick & Nora's in Sydney in October 2018 Like its Sydney counterpart, the venue is inspired by Dashiell Hammett's novel The Thin Man and its fictional crime-solving team Nick and Nora Charles. If you're not familiar with the book, expect a roaring 30s vibe befitting a most glamorous party — the sprawling venue will have five distinct spaces (a main bar, salon, champagne parlour and a VIP lounge), three balconies, green marble, gold and dark wood finishes and a whopping 400 bottles of champagne on display. The latter will be housed in a five-metre-long climate-controlled display case and feature rare vintages alongside bubbles by the glass. For cocktails, the manual is organised by taste — a Speakeasy Group signature — but with venue-themed list names like The Femme Fatal, The Hollywood Starlet and The Snitch. Think martinis, champagne cocktails and sours aplenty. Nick & Nora's will be located in the high-end restaurant precinct within the 80 Collins Street building. It's shaping up to house some big hospitality names, with a highly anticipated new venue from Sepia's Vicki Wild and Martin Benn and a rooftop restaurant and urban farm from Pastuso's Alejandro Saravia already locked in. The giant 80 Collins development is going up on the site of the heritage-listed Le Louvre building, on the corner of Collins and Exhibition Streets. The high-rise, along with a newly refurbished commercial tower on the same block, will boast a futuristic new office tower, a 255-room boutique hotel and a luxury retail offering alongside the hospitality precinct. The Speakeasy Group — led by owners Sven Almenning and Greg Sanderson — is also doing things a little differently this time around. Instead of raising equity for future venues through private investors, the group started a Birchal crowdfunding campaign for public investors — and raised over $1.3 million. Nick & Nora's Melbourne will open at 11 Benson Walk (enter via Little Collins Street), 80 Collins Street, Melbourne on July 2. It'll be open from 5pm–1am Wednesday–Saturday.
A band whose name summons up parental fears and memories of legendary video nasties like 'Last House On The Left' and 'Evil Dead', Cannibal Corpse once had their records banned from sale in Australia, but now they’re here and ready to riot, with their 2012 Torture Tour. Back on our shores after three long years, Cannibal Corpse take their Torture Tour to Melbourne, bringing a relentless mêlée of nerve-rendering riffs, cataclysmic drums and guttural, razor-sharp vocals. Their new record proves that even after twenty-four years and twelve studio albums the Buffalo quintet remain the undisputed overlords of death metal. Friday’s gig will see a dark cloud of chaos hang over Billboard. Expect the wretched spawn to eviscerate your very consciousness, and drag your wretched soul into the very pit of despair where nightmares lie. Support will be provided by Entrails Eradicated, Disentomb and Psycroptic.
While the reopening of interstate and international borders is on the horizon, exploring Victoria's own backyard will still be at top of the travel agenda for many Melburnians over the coming months. And, if you've been tempted to check out the vibrant pink colours of the state's largest, oldest inland salt lake, Lake Tyrrell, now you've got another reason to venture up northwest to the Mallee region. Namely, the newly completed Sea Lake Visitor Information Centre, viewing platform and upgraded facilities, which were unveiled last week. Built with the help of $300,000 funding from the Victorian Government and with support from the Regional Tourism Infrastructure Fund, the new centre features a central tourism hub, an Indigenous art gallery and gift shop. There's also a sleek new viewing platform overlooking the water, offering the best vantage point for happy snaps of the famed lake. The improved infrastructure was created in an effort to boost tourism to the region, while also upgrading and protecting Lake Tyrrell for future generations. [caption id="attachment_812361" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Sea Lake silos, featuring artwork by Drapl and The Zookeeper.[/caption] Other government-driven initiatives designed to reinvigorate the area's tourism potential include after-dark activations for the Buloke Silo Art Trail, a streetscape revival project and the community-led Bounce Back Buloke grants program. At 120,000 years old, Lake Tyrrell is best known for the pink hue it takes on during warmer, more humid times of the year, thanks to a particular resident micro-algae that emits a red pigment. The colourful landmark is also a popular stop along the northeast corner of the Silo Art Trail, located close to the large-scale artworks at Lascelles, Patchewollock and Sea Lake. Find the new Sea Lake Visitor Information at 65 Horace Street, Sea Lake — around four hour's drive northwest of Melbourne. Top Images: Visit Victoria
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
"One more thing, Manson is small, like, really small — try not to stare," talkative serial killer Ed Kemper (Cameron Britton) warns FBI agents Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) in the new trailer for Mindhunter season two. If you didn't know, Charles Manson was only 157 centimetres tall (just under 5"2), which is short — especially in comparison to Kemper's towering 206-centimetre (6"9) frame. In this season of the show — which finally drops on Netflix on Friday, August 16, returning two years after the series first hit the platform — the agents are hoping Manson (Damon Herriman) will help them solve the Atlanta child murders. For the uninitiated, across 1979–81, at least 28 kids, teens and adults were killed — and this second trailer for the show's new season shows the reaction in Georgia, the agents desperately trying to solve the case and some particularly gruesome murders. This time round, expect more criminal profiling and psychological thrills, obviously, with the show based on the excellent non-fiction book Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit. Expect more meticulous Fincher magic as well, as the Seven and Zodiac filmmaker continues his on-screen fascination with serial killers. He has company behind the lens, thanks to Australian director Andrew Dominik (Chopper, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford) and US helmer Carl Franklin (Devil in a Blue Dress, Out of Time). Get creeped out by the second trailer for Mindhunter season two below (and the first here, if you haven't already): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHlJQCyqiaI Mindhunter season two drops on Netflix on Friday, August 16.
When you're on the hunt for traditional, home-style Italian food, try Carlton's Kaprica. Just off Swanston Street, before you get to the main Melbourne Uni campus, this rustic little eatery keeps the menu short, sweet and handwritten. Take a few friends along and get a couple of pizzas ($24 each for a large), some garlic chilli prawns ($16) and a salad to share. There's also a couple more entrees, plus butternut pumpkin risotto ($22), gnocchi with buffalo mozzarella and basil ($24), and three simple spaghetti dishes. Sip wine from latte glasses and eat like you're on holiday in Italy. Images: Josie Withers/Visit Victoria.
There's nothing like watching a film at the planetarium, but it's something that most of us mightn't do all that often. Daytime sessions cater to school groups, and Melburnians over 18 used to have to wait until MIFF's fulldome program came around. Thankfully, Scienceworks' Planetarium Nights series changed that. Every Friday evening, once the planetarium's usual working day is done, adults can have some after-hours fun in its impressive space. That means sitting in the reclining chairs, looking up at the 16-metre domed ceiling, listening to the 7.1 surround-sound system and soaking in the best that the fulldome video projection system has to offer. In July, two sessions happen each Friday — at 7.30pm and 9pm. The first timeslot is all about astronomy, and may also include a presenter-led tour of the heavens. But, for this month only, it's the late-night screening that's the big drawcard. The reason? Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon. The iconic album turned 50 in 2023, so Scienceworks is celebrating with stunning visuals set to 42 minutes of the record — views of the solar system and beyond. Each track gets a different set of images, with some pondering the future, others delving into the band's history, and all toying with space and time. Making this night at the planetarium even better is the fact that the whole thing is boozy, so you can grab a drink from the bar, take it into the auditorium and sip while you watch.
Oil up your engines folks, Motorclassica is rolling back into town for its tenth year. Running from Friday, October 11 to Sunday, October 13, the annual exhibition of rare and collectible classic cars will descend on Melbourne's Royal Exhibition Building with an impressive display of vintage automobiles and motorcycles. Expect this year's fair to be big as it marks its first decade. Over the three days, you'll find over 200 old club cars on display outside, plus a bunch of modern supercars, which are sure to get you revved up. You'll also find some of Melbourne's most-loved food trucks, dishing up plenty of snacks to keep you well fuelled. Head on in and you'll be treated to the Australian International Concours d'Elegance awards. The awards will see over 140 exotic and collectible cars and motorcycles displayed throughout space. Need to get your heart racing? You can bid on a rare number plate (with some going for upwards of $500,000) at the Rare Heritage Number Plate Auction, which will take place on Saturday, October 12. Best of all? We're giving away two VIP passes (valued at $150 each) for Sunday entry. If you're the lucky winner, you'll get priority access and entry to the VIP Lounge and Bar. You'll also nab free food and drink throughout the day, plus get your mitts on a complimentary Collector Guide — so you'll be prepared when you're seriously considering spending all your life savings on a 1930s Bentley. If you're keen to get the royal treatment at Motorclassica, enter your details below to be in the running. [competition]740197[/competition]
The much-hyped 80 Collins Street dining precinct might be a good 320 kilometres away from Gippsland. But, even so, its newest resident Farmer's Daughters is dedicated almost entirely to celebrating and showcasing the region's finest produce and ingredients. Opening its doors on Thursday, January 28, the three-level restaurant is the work of acclaimed chef Alejandro Saravia (Pastuso), who is not only a longtime champion of the area, but the Official Food & Beverage Ambassador for Gippsland. With this homage to all things Gippsland, Saravia is out to take guests on a full-blown exploration of his favourite Victorian region, minus the four-hour road trip. On the first floor, you're greeted by a gourmet deli, food store and eatery, turning out share-friendly fare like beef cheek pastrami rolls and lightly poached fish from Baw Baw's Alpine Trout Farm matched with mountain pepper cream. Available to go, there's a strong curation of pantry items and food products, heroing both Gippsland and other renowned Victorian regions. [caption id="attachment_796665" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Thom Rigney[/caption] One storey above, the Farmer's Daughters restaurant plates up a more formal celebration of provenance, complete with an open kitchen fuelled by charcoal and wood. A sophisticated space by Agents of Architecture's Luke Hickman marries a nature-inspired colour palette of gentle greens and greys with tabletops made from reclaimed Gippsland timber. But it's the custom-made campfire kitchen at the dining room's heart that will really transport you — a high-tech piece of kit that'll allow Saravia to flex his impressive cooking skills. Expect a sprawling, seasonal menu, backed by a Gippsland-focused drinks list, showcasing drops from the likes of William Downie, Patrick Sullivan and Loch Brewery & Distillery, alongside other wines sourced from across Australia and Europe. Finally, there's the venue's crowning glory: the rooftop bar, where you can unwind against a backdrop of native mountain pepper trees and a lush herb garden. Up here, you'll find a botanical-driven cocktail list featuring the exclusive Farmer's Daughters Gippsland vermouth in many iterations, along with wines by the glass, a range of tap brews and the new Farmer's Daughters and Stomping Ground collaboration beer, Stringer's Creek Pilsner. Find Farmer's Daughters at 6/80 Collins Street, Melbourne (entry via Exhibition Street), from Thursday, January 28. The deli, restaurant and rooftop will all open Wednesday to Saturday. Images: Thom Rigney
If, like most Australian kids, you once dreamed of spending your school holidays at one of the Gold Coast's theme parks, then you probably hoped that you'd be making your way to Sea World. Historically Dreamworld has been home to plenty of rides, while Movie World has its whole 'Hollywood on the Gold Coast' theme going for it — but Sea World is the one with an onsite resort. In the near future, that might change, with slumbering at Dreamworld after a long day spent riding rollercoasters now on the cards. Ardent Leisure, the theme park's parent company, has announced plans to turn part of the land next to the Coomera spot into a new $75 million Dreamworld Resort, which is set to include a hotel and a tourist park. For those keen to bunk down for the night, there'll be options. The resort's four-star hotel is slated to include 250 rooms, and there'll be 40 bungalows as well. Making the trip to the Goldie via caravan? There'll also be 100 powered sites in the adjacent tourist park. Guests will have access to restaurants, swimming pools, a gym and conference facilities, too. Ardent Leisure also plans to include accommodation and theme park package deals, including exclusive offers to access both Dreamworld and White Water World during your stay. Just what that might look like hasn't been revealed — and, before you start making holiday plans, neither has a timeframe for the hotel and resort's opening. [caption id="attachment_810953" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Saberwyn via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] At present, Ardent Leisure has entered into an agreement with accommodation developer Evolution Group to fund and build the resort and tourist park — although it is non-binding, and also subject to a number of preconditions being met. Planning approvals also need to be secured; however, it's hoped that if the resort comes to fruition, it'll help Dreamworld, White Water World and the Coomera region to recover from the economic impact of the pandemic. For more information about Ardent Leisure's plans for Dreamworld Resort, head to the company's website. For further details about Dreamworld, visit the theme park's website.
UPDATE: JULY 17, 2020 — All of the Hella Mega Tour dates for Australia and New Zealand have been cancelled due to COVID set backs. Tickets will be refunded but no new dates will be released. For more information, head to the event Instagram. We hope you'll have the time of your life with the latest retro tour announcement. We hope it makes you feel just like Buddy Holly, too. Bands who were big a couple of decades back just keep teaming up and heading to our shores for nostalgia-dripping gigs — and, in music to our greedy ears, Green Day, Weezer and and Fall Out Boy have revealed that they're all doing just that come November 2020. Hot on the heels of a similar announcement by The Offspring and Sum 41 just last week, the bands who gave us 'American Idiot', 'Undone — The Sweater Song' and 'This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race' will be hitting up Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, before heading over to NZ for shows in Auckland and Dunedin. It's the latest leg of the trio's Hella Mega Tour, which they first announced in September last year, and which sees them play across Europe, North America, and now Australia and New Zealand. Green Day, Weezer and and Fall Out Boy have all actually released new music lately, with Green Day's 13th album dropping today, February 7, and Weezer's 14th album expected in May. That means they'll all have new tunes to bust out as well. But, admit it — if you're excited about seeing this trio of American rock bands share a stage, then you're excited about hearing their respective back catalogues live. Given they've been doing their punk-styled thing since the late 80s, Green Day certainly have plenty of iconic tracks — whether you prefer early 90s hits 'Welcome to Paradise' and 'When I Come Around', the late 90s-era likes of 'Good Riddance' and 'Nice Guys Finish Last', or mid-00s songs like 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams'. Weezer's discography is just as hefty — and if they don't play 'Island in the Sun' while they're touring these islands in the sun, you're allowed to be upset. As for Fall Out Boy, the tour comes just after they dropped their second best-of album last November, so you know they'll treating audiences to everything from 'Dance, Dance' to 'Uma Thurman'. Local support for all shows comes from New Zealand power-rock four-piece The Beths. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erG5rgNYSdk THE HELLA MEGA 2020 AUSTRALIAN and NZ TOUR DATES Perth — Sunday, November 8, HBF Park Melbourne — Wednesday, November 11, Marvel Stadium Sydney — Saturday, November 14, Bankwest Stadium Brisbane — Tuesday, November 17, Suncorp Stadium Dunedin — Friday, November 20, Forsyth Barr Stadium Auckland — Sunday, November 22, Mt Smart Stadium Fan pre-sale tickets for The Hella Mega Tour go on sale at 10am local time on Monday, February 10. Then, there will be a Live Nation pre-sale — that starts at 10am local time on Tuesday, February 11 in Australia, and 10am local time on Thursday, February 13 in New Zealand. Finally, general tickets on sale at 11am local time on Friday, February 14. Visit the tour website to sign up for pre-sale and for further details.
If you love your fried chicken, brace yourself, because Prahran's DesiNental is now serving up some of Melbourne's best Indian fried chicken. This is owner Guvrinder Sandhu's version of classic Korean fried chicken, complete with a spicy Indian twist. Expect succulent drumettes, Maryland fillets and wings, which are fried crispy and smothered in your choice of sticky sauce: butter chicken, tangy clarified butter, or DesiNental's signature date and tamarind, spiked with sweet Indian jaggery. Your grandma's fried chicken, this stuff is not. But if you like your Indian cuisine more on the experimental side, this might be your kind of restaurant. You can pair your IFC with DesiNental's house-made masala fries, served with cumin and plum aioli or a Vindaloo-spiked Louisiana hot mayo. Deeper into the menu, you'll find the likes of loaded lamb Keema fries topped with Kadhai lamb mince, cheese, sour cheese, diced tomato and spring onion, as well as a range of Indian fusion burgers. A Delhi Tikka burger pairs fried chicken with Tikka Masala sauce, along with roasted cumin and plum chutney aioli, while the Desi Masala Beef Chopped Cheese is a playful, spicy take on the original New York version. For dessert, save some room for DesiNental's homemade Kulfi, which comes in several flavours, including raspberry, pistachio and cardamon, and mango and rose. You'll find DesiNental on 475 High Street in Prahran, just down from Williams Road. It's open from 5pm–11pm Tuesday through to Fridays, 1pm-11pm Saturdays and 12pm-7pm Sundays. Images: supplied.
At first glance, The Hamptons Bakery looks like your regular, friendly, neighbourhood bakery. But this humble spot on Hampton Street supplies some of Melbourne's top restaurants and cafes with artisan baked goods, including St Kilda's Stokehouse and Lûmé. Grab yourself a taste from the front counter, which is packed with the likes of pain au raisin pastries, almond croissants, Portuguese tarts and cinnamon knots. That's alongside the seven different types of bread on offer, made daily, ranging from pumpkin and soy loaves to milk buns. The Hamptons Bakery also doubles up as a café, which is an excellent spot in the beachside suburb for families (there is plenty of room for prams), groups of friends, or just a chilled Sunday brunch. You'll find classics including soft omelettes ($18.50), corn fritters with free-range bacon and avo ($22) or eggs benedict with a spiced 12-hour slow-cooked pork ($24). Lunch options run to the likes of handmade gnocchi ($25), Ruben sandwiches ($24) and grilled chicken salads ($22.50). Ewert Leaf designed the 100-seat space, which is freshly furnished with light timbers, pastel green finishes and suspended plants.
The month of May looks bright as another host of must-see art exhibitions take place across Melbourne and beyond. Head to MUMA to catch a rare exhibition by one of Australia's leading contemporary Indigenous artists, say goodbye to a Fitzroy art institution, and take in 31 highlights of Australian architecture by our pioneering practitioners. With twists on age-old mediums, contemporary works, photography, architecture and more, these eight exhibitions will more than satiate your art cravings this month. Drop by a gallery after work or make a day of it and visit a regional exhibition on the weekend — there's great art happening everywhere from the Mornington Peninsula to Shepparton.
Whether you're a Queenslander exploring your own backyard, or you're holidaying in the Sunshine State from another part of the country — including New South Wales and Victoria from Tuesday, December 1, once the border reopens to both regions — visiting the beach is probably on your to-do list. The state is known for its sun, surf and sand, after all, but that isn't the only attraction that Queensland holds. In fact, it has just added another big drawcard, which is particularly great news if you're fond of a few vinos. The Vine and Shine Trail is Queensland's first official wine trail, and it's rather hefty — covering more than 70 wineries, vineyards and cellar doors. It's a self-guided affair, so you can choose just how much of it you'd like to explore, and in which spots in the southern portion of the state. If you'd like to try to see 'em all, treating wineries like Pokemon, well, that's up to you. Fancy moseying through the Granite Belt or the Scenic Rim? Eager to see what drops the Gold Coast Hinterland has on offer? Prefer something in the Brisbane area? They're all on the trail. So is everywhere from the South Burnett and Wide Bay-Burnett regions, to the Sunshine Coast — and the Darling Downs and western Queensland as well. And they're split into six separate mini-trails, if you only have so much time to spend hopping between wineries. Just how you interact with the trail's many stops is also a choose-your-own-adventure-type experience, with some cellar doors hosting lunches, some vineyards letting you picnic beside the grapes, and plenty of places offering tastings. And, variety-wise, you'll be able to sip an array of types, whether you're fond of popular drops or you're eager to drink something you mightn't have tried before. The idea, like most things in 2020, is to encourage everyone to get out of the house, explore this area of the country and support local businesses. It's specifically part of a dedicated campaign in Queensland to get folks to do more than just hang out on the coast, enticing them inland to roam along the vines and enjoy a heap of wines. For more information about the Vine and Shine Trail, visit its website.
Burgers. Giver of life. Mana from heaven. We're pretty keen on this most glorious of food groups — and given how many new burger joints we've seen pop up around town, it seems like you are too. Hell, Hank Marvin Market's last two Burger Biannuals drew more than 6000 and 7000 hungry punters respectively. So, really, it's little wonder they're gearing up for round three. Firing up from 11am on the Thursday, September 28 and Friday, September 29 of the AFL Grand Final long weekend, the event will feature more than a dozen of Melbourne's best burg merchants, including Mr Burger, Gorilla Grill, Sliders on Tyres, St Kilda Burger Bar and Sparrow's Philly Cheesesteaks. There'll also be vegan and vegetarian options. Burgers truly are for everybody. Assuming you have room for dessert, you'll also have the run of a number of sweet options from the likes of Billy Van Creamery, Whoopies Cookies and Pop-Up Crepes, and Collingwood's Stomping Ground will be pouring beers. Point is, you probably won't need to eat for the rest of the week. After its St Kilda stint, the Big Burger Biannual will hit the road to visit Watergardens, Ballarat, Wodonga and Shepparton before the end of the year. Image: Shara Henderson.
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. More than 10,000 garages are expected to open their doors to bargain hunters, selling two million items, when the event returns for its eight time — and it's first two-day, weekend-long stint — on October 21 and 22. 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 all around Melbourne, so keep your eyes on the event website — or register online to make a quick buck from your old junk and hang out with the friendly folks in your hood.
UPDATE: July 13, 2020: 2040 is available to stream via DocPlay, Binge, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube and iTunes. When An Inconvenient Truth ostensibly turned a PowerPoint presentation into an Oscar-winning film, the world took notice. An impassioned overview about the biggest threat to the earth that humanity is ever likely to face — that is, climate change — will do that. But it also set a precedent for eco-conscious documentaries, stressing the undeniable, existence-shattering doom and gloom of the situation. The reasoning is simple, not to mention completely justified: what else but the worst possible scenario could convince everyone to drastically alter their ways? (As history has shown to the planet's detriment, not even that is proving enough.) Arriving 13 years later, after a sequel to Al Gore's movie and countless other environmental docos too, 2040 adopts a different approach. This time, it's both personal and positive. Of course, the fate of this giant rock we all live on has always been personal, however director Damon Gameau frames his plea for change as a letter to his now-four-year-old daughter, hypothesising how the state of the environment could potentially improve in the next 21 years for her benefit. It's a smart, savvy move, asking viewers to similarly think about the world they want to leave for loved ones, kids and future generations in general — while offering solutions that, as based on technology available today, could genuinely make an impact. Gameau previously put himself front and centre when he made That Sugar Film, acting as the doco's own Super Size Me-style sucrose-guzzling guinea pig. That movie was not only a record-breaking box-office smash, becoming the highest grossing non-IMAX Australian documentary in history at the time, but also sparked a widespread dietary movement. Once again venturing around the world to speak to the brightest minds on his chosen subjects in episodic segments, the actor-turned-filmmaker certainly makes a compelling case in 2040. Choosing his examples wisely, each technology he champions basically sells itself. From community-level solar electricity grids in Bangladesh and self-driving cars in Singapore, to marine permaculture off the US coast and innovative agriculture practices in Australia, it's impossible not to see how Gameau's proposed solutions would enact considerable, much-needed change. To make his points crystal clear — and to firmly demonstrate how they could make a difference — he intermittently cuts to an idealised version of the future, complete with actor Eva Lazzaro playing his daughter, to literally show how life in the year 2040 could look. While these crystal ball moments sometimes overplay their earnestness and attempted humour to the point of becoming clunky, they tie into another of Gameau's key skills as a documentarian: presentation. Global warming is a daily topic of conversation for many, as it should be, and yet a constant stream of news headlines and cries from scientists can be all too easy for both the masses and their elected representatives to ignore. In addition to its unfettered optimism, 2040 packages its segments in engaging ways, whether discussing alternative energy solutions by placing its talking heads atop a towering wind turbine, or using animated dioramas. It's another technique brought over from the similarly bright, breezy, accessible yet informative That Sugar Film, and once again, it works. Also effective is 2040's overall aim, with the film staring climate change in the face, slapping on a smile and striving to get people motivated about such a crucial matter. The doco provides an upbeat top-level view, as well as an easy-to-glean list of talking points — favouring the bigger picture, plus a few case studies, over the bleak current-day political, social and economic reality. And yet, that's also what leaves a strange sensation. 2040's vision of the future is so welcome, but it's also just that: a vision. Even if you're not innately cynical about the world, there's a difference between knowing what's possible and thinking that it'll actually happen. 2040 trades in hope, which will never fail to be important, however there's still no escaping reality. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-rTQ443akE
Descending on the cube-like Melbourne Music Week hub in Alexandra Gardens, the Sunset Jamboree invites you to shake off your serious side and get a little bit wild, as you embark on a multisensory adventure of queer delights. Helmed by legendary LGBTQI+ party-makers Poof Doof and Rock City, and backed by 3RRR, it'll see the temporary structure transformed into a dusk-time oasis of sound, colour and memorable costumes, on Sunday, November 17. As part of the fun, you'll catch a live drag show featuring fan favourites like Karen From Finance, Polly Filla, Jimmi The Kween and award-winning duo The Jawbreakers. More hard-hitting energy comes in the form of a diverse soundtrack served up by yet more local legends. Think big pop tunes from Zoe Badwi, a dance-worthy serve of techno from Argonaut and a healthy dose of hip hop courtesy of Duchess Kay. As for your own get-up, just remember that nothing's too OTT for this one.
Let's face it, gift giving is hard. Some people are crazy good at it and others, not so much. But wherever you fall on the spectrum, one thing we can all agree on is that personalised gifts always go down a treat. They are thoughtful, functional and oh so beautiful, making them ideal for a special someone who made your year better. This could be the friend who was your rock during lockdowns, the family member you haven't seen all year or maybe it's the partner who gets you knockout gifts every single Christmas. Yes, something customised will take a bit more planning, but that's kinda the point — you want a gift that show's you went that extra mile, because they're worth it. In partnership with Archie Rose and its new Tailored Spirits range, we've come up with six personalised gifts that'll blow your mum, mate or date away this holiday season. TAILORED SPIRITS FROM ARCHIE ROSE Award-winning Sydney distillery Archie Rose takes personalisation to a whole new level with its Tailored Spirits range, which allows you to craft the perfect nip for your fave vodka, gin or cocktail drinker. Not only can you customise the label for your lucky giftee, but you also get to decide on the tipple's botanicals and the potency of each ingredient to completely suit their taste. Once you decide on the label design and flavours via the user-friendly interface, the team will start blending the individually distilled botanicals into a beautifully designed bottle before sending it on its way. The hardest part of the whole process will be not spilling the beans on what you got them. FRAGRANCE DISCOVERY SET FROM LE LABO There are few things more personal than a scent. So, when it comes to gifting, getting it wrong is a big no-no — but no pressure or anything. Le Labo is known for its fine, hand-blended fragrances, which can also come with custom-printed labels and engravings. Can't narrow it down to just one? The Discovery Set features the brand's entire classic range in a 17-strong sample box, so there's bound to be at least a couple of scents they'll like. Once they decide on which one tickles their fancy, there's a gift voucher for them to purchase a 100ml bottle of their new chosen scent. PERSONALISED NOTEBOOK FROM PAPIER Got a special someone who likes jotting down their thoughts and feelings? Perhaps they're planning on doing a course next year which requires journaling or maybe they're one of those people who just loves making to-do lists (we've all got one). Whatever their needs, Papier's gorgeous stationery designs are made even more unique with the ability to customise them with whatever text you like. Add your giftee's name to the front of their new notebook, or include a funny quote you know they'll appreciate on a 2022 planner. BESPOKE PHONE CASE FROM THE DAILY EDITED Whether your gift receiver is a serial selfie taker, a tech-thusiast or a butterfingers who perpetually has cracks in their phone screen, having a nice phone case is an essential accessory. Connoisseurs of all things personalised, The Daily Edited makes a range of bespoke phone cases that suit just about any aesthetic, from eye-catching patterns comprising their initials to designs that showcase their pride. All you have to do is (subtly) find out what kind of phone they have, take a guess at what colour will suit their style and wait for The Daily Edited to weave its magic. PERSONALISED GOLF GOLVES FROM MR GOLF Know someone who has gotten really into golf in the past couple of years? This is the pressie for them. Made from premium Cabretta leather, these sturdy gloves from Mr Golf can be customised with your favourite golfer's initials — so even if they've spent the day hacking up the green, they can still feel like a pro. As well as a range of colours, you can also pick on which hand to stamp their initials depending on whether they're left-handed or right-handed. They might not make them any better at golf, but at least they'll look good. CUSTOM LUGGAGE BY JULY While we're all itching to get on a plane, some of us already have one foot out the door — and for these people, nothing says bon voyage better than a personalised trunk. July makes a range of beautiful and customisable suitcases, including trunks, backpacks, carryalls and accessories. But to go the extra mile, gift them a polished, hard-shell suitcase with a classic design and old-school latches. Customisation goes further here with ultra-cool fonts (or emojis) which are guaranteed to never rub off. The biggest upside of a personalised trunk? There's no chance of accidentally picking up someone else's bag on the airport carousel. Give someone a gift that's truly theirs this Christmas with Archie Rose Tailored Spirits. For more information, head to the website. Top image: Archie Rose
New York's Museum of Modern Art isn't the only major international gallery bringing its wares to our shores this year, with an exhibition from London's Tate Britain gallery heading to Australia from December. Entitled Love & Desire: Pre-Raphaelite Masterpieces from the Tate and displaying from December 14, 2018 until April 28, 2019, it'll bring more than 40 of the Tate's beloved works to the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra, in an exhibition that'll focus on the artistic movement that started in 1848. Iconic pieces such as John Everett Millais' Ophelia and John William Waterhouse's The Lady of Shalott will be making the journey as part of the showcase. Part ode to early Renaissance efforts, part protest against the prevailing creative traditions of the mid-19th century, pre-Raphaelite art was sparked by a group of rebellious artists eager to create something different to the art of the time — and their preferred style, featuring detailed, colourful compositions painted in thin layers with small brushes, certainly managed that. In addition to the pieces from the Tate, the exhibition will also feature an additional 40 works loaned from other British and Australian collections. Each will help highlight the themes of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, examine the different styles adopted by the various artists adhering to its principles, stress the importance of draughtsmanship and emphasise the movement's fondness for collaboration. "This exhibition includes some of the most loved and visited paintings at Tate — some of which have never before been seen in Australia," said NGA director Nick Mitzevich. Love & Desire: Pre-Raphaelite Masterpieces from the Tate will be the NGA's major summer exhibition, although it's not the gallery's only new addition come the end of the year, with Yayoi Kusama's pumpkin-filled infinity room The Spirits of the Pumpkins Descended into the Heavens set to join its permanent collection in December. Love & Desire: Pre-Raphaelite Masterpieces from the Tate exhibits at the National Gallery of Australia, Parkes Place, Parkes, Canberra between December 14, 2018 and April 28, 2019. Images: John Everett Millais, Ophelia 1851-2. Oil paint on canvas. Tate collection presented by Sir Henry Tate 1894. © Tate. / John William Waterhouse, The Lady of Shalott 1888. Oil on canvas. Tate. © Tate.
This month, Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre is turning the big 2-1, and all locals are invited to join in the festivities, with a day of sporty birthday fun on Saturday, August 25. If you've ever fancied checking out the Albert Park site's huge array of sports, health and wellness facilities, this jam-packed open day is your chance to do it for free. Uncover some new talents at a range of sports demonstrations and clinics, have a crack at some hot yoga or a pilates class, and even enjoy a complimentary session in the spa, steam room and sauna. Aussie sporting legends joining in the day's fun include Olympic gold medallist freestyle swimmer Mack Horton, former national netball star Bianca Chatfield, and the entire Melbourne United basketball team. There'll be a host of food trucks, DJ tunes and plenty of kid-friendly activities, even body composition scans for those wanting to kick off some new fitness resolutions. What's more, visitors on the day who aren't already members will each score a free MSAC 21-day pass.
2022's best new TV shows spanned everything from mind-benders like Severance to culinary must-sees such as The Bear, plus the best Star Wars series yet in Andor and Irish black-comedy murder-mystery Bad Sisters. Also among them: feminism, penises and 70s porn for women in Minx. The Los Angeles-set HBO comedy jumped back five decades to follow an aspiring magazine editor as she finally scored her dream job — but for a pornography publisher. What's a Vassar graduate and country club regular to do? If she's Minx's Joyce Prigger, she eventually embraces the opportunity, sees a chance to give women something they've been missing and start a conversation about female desire, and turns the whole enterprise into something special. That's the tale that the series' first season charted, as starring Ophelia Lovibond (Trying) and Jake Johnson (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse), created by Ellen Rapoport (Clifford the Big Red Dog) and executive produced by Paul Feig (Last Christmas). What's a pioneering, uproar-causing fictional magazine to do after it's already caused a stir? That's where season two comes in. From Friday, July 21, Minx will return to Stan for a second run, with the earnest Joyce and enterprising Bottom Dollar Publications proprietor Doug Renetti (Johnson) dealing with the mag's success, and how that affects their lives. Also impacted, because this is a workplace comedy as well: Bottom Dollar's former model Bambi (Jessica Lowe, Miracle Workers), Doug's ex-secretary Tina (Idara Victor, Shameless), photographer Richie (Oscar Montoya, Final Space) and Joyce's sister Shelly (Lennon Parham, Veep). As the trailer for season two shows, Joyce, Doug and the crew are back in business; the rest of the media is interested in Minx's rise; and Joyce gets the chance to ask a crowded room if any man knows where the clitoris is. Expansion plans, male strippers, padding junk in the name of stagecraft, Minx billboards: they all pop up as well. Getting Minx back on-screen has been quite the tale itself, after the show was renewed for season two back in May 2022 following season one, then cancelled by HBO Max in December during production. Thankfully, US network Starz then stepped in to save the day, picking up the second season. Check out the trailer Minx season two below: Minx season two will start streaming via Stan from Friday, July 21.
