When you think of barbecuing, big backyard gatherings around the pool might spring to mind. But you no longer need lots of space to get the barbecue firing, thanks to the Weber Lumin. The compact, multi-functional barbecue is fully electric, so you can set it up in any space with a power outlet, including smaller balconies. Now that you can cook up a storm from the comfort of your apartment, you'll need some tips and tried-and-tested recipes from a pro. We've got you covered — we chatted to Weber Grill Master Laura Romeo about where her love of barbecuing started, what makes barbecuing different to other methods of cooking, her summer barbecue essentials and her advice for experimenting with recipes. [caption id="attachment_982415" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sam Trezise[/caption] Laura's Recommended Recipes for Summer Get the festivities started with a smoky and spicy caramelised pine lime margaritas, which can be easily prepared with just pineapple, tequila, lime and a sprinkle of Tajin on the rim of the glass. Grilling the pineapple enhances the sweetness and flavour of the fruit, and also adds a touch of flair to the cocktail. Once that has your guests fired up, you can fire up the barbecue. Stay on theme with simple but fiery chorizo, prawn and lime skewers, made by preparing the skewers and then grilling it all together on the barbecue for 4–6 minutes. [caption id="attachment_982408" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sam Trezise[/caption] For the main course, start with a grilled zucchini, mint, labneh and pine nut salad. The labneh can be prepared an hour ahead (or even overnight), so all you'll have to do is grill the zucchini slices, caramelise the lemon and toast the pine nuts. [caption id="attachment_982406" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sam Trezise[/caption] To accompany the salad, prepare and shape some lamb koftas ahead of time, grill them for about ten minutes, and then serve on top of hummus with mint leaves and a drizzle of pomegranate molasses. [caption id="attachment_982404" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sam Trezise[/caption] Where did your passion for food start, and how did you get into barbecuing specifically? My love for food started early on, right in my grandma's kitchen. Growing up, we'd often bake cookies and slices — I even perfected the pavlova by the age of ten. That continued over the years and turned into cooking for family gatherings. As I got older, I realised there was something truly unique and satisfying about cooking over a live flame. The boldness, the smokiness — it's a sensory experience that's both dynamic and personal. Barbecuing offered the perfect way to elevate my passion, combining my love of food with the art of fire and technique. What do you like most about barbecuing? There's something magical about barbecuing that goes beyond the food itself. I love how barbecuing brings people together. It's social and interactive — a time where friends and family gather outdoors, unwind and enjoy amazing food. It's versatile too. I love that you can sear, roast, bake, smoke or slow-cook to get a variety of tastes and textures, all from the same barbecue. Plus, it's addictive, because barbecuing enhances flavours in a way that other methods can't. [caption id="attachment_982402" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sam Trezise[/caption] Why would you say it's worth getting a barbecue? How is it different from cooking on a stovetop, oven or air-fryer? A barbecue opens up a world of flavour that's hard to replicate on a stovetop or oven. The high heat and flame create that beautiful sear on steaks or crispy skin on chicken, with a smoky depth that can only come from the barbecue. Plus, barbecuing is an experience — it encourages you to be hands-on, you can disconnect from the world and allow yourself to connect with your food in a way that indoor cooking doesn't. Barbecuing can be just as convenient as a stove, oven or air-fryer, with the bonus that the flavours are deeper, more savoury, smoky, deliciously caramelised and honestly, unforgettable. What are some of your barbecuing tips for novices? For anyone new to barbecuing, I recommend starting simple. Don't overwhelm yourself with too many dishes at once. Begin with burgers or veggies, which are quick and easy to get the hang of. Also, don't skip preheating the barbecue, as it's essential for proper cooking, ensures you get that perfect sear, eliminates the food sticking and of course, encourages instant flavour. My biggest secret weapon is a meat thermometer to check for doneness, until you're comfortable with knowing the barbecue by sight and feel. If your barbecue has a lid, like most Weber barbecues, cook with it down! You get the best flavour when the lid is closed — trapping in the barbecue smoke cooks the food in a cloud of flavour, plus cooks the food quicker, too. [caption id="attachment_982416" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sam Trezise[/caption] What are some of your summer barbecue essentials? I never head to the barbecue without my basics: a great pair of tongs, a sturdy spatula and a meat thermometer for perfect doneness every time. Salt and pepper is an easy go-to, but I do love mixing up flavours, so I also keep seasoning and rubs handy for added flavour. For the barbecue itself, I always have my Weber grill brush to give the grill a quick brush after it's preheated. Clean grills mean better-tasting food, prettier sear marks and longer-lasting equipment. Any tips for coming up with your own barbecue recipes? Start with perfecting the protein first. Just keep the seasoning simple: olive oil, salt and pepper. Once you have nailed it, then start experimenting with the flavours you love. Think about your favourite spices, herbs or marinades and consider how they might pair with different proteins or veggies. Don't be afraid to mix things up — try a new marinade or add a unique twist to a classic recipe by using seasonal ingredients. Remember, barbecue is as much about creativity as it is technique, so trust your palate and enjoy the process! What are some of your favourite features on the Lumin Barbecue? The Lumin Barbecue combines the ease of an electric barbecue with the quality Weber is known for. I love its versatility — it can smoke, sear and even steam, so you can cook a wide range of barbecue meals in a compact space. It also heats up quickly, which is perfect for those last-minute barbecue sessions. And, of course, the Lumin is an ideal option for apartment living, where gas or solid fuel barbecues are not permitted. What makes Weber products stand out? Weber is truly unmatched in durability and innovation. From the materials to the design of the cooking system, everything is built with the barbecuer's experience in mind. If you've tasted food off a Weber barbecue, you'll know that unmistakable Weber flavour. You'll find even heat distribution on every Weber barbecue, which allows you to focus more on your food rather than fussing with the flames. Plus, Weber's commitment to quality means these barbecues are an investment that last through years of family barbecues and outdoor events. Find out more about the Lumin at the Weber website.
There's nothing better than combining two of our favourite things into one amazing adventure: the outdoors and drool-worthy food. Because let's face it, Sydney has to be one of the best places in the world for dining in the open air. Here are ten of the best places to do it. The Grounds of Alexandria The Grounds of Alexandria is less outdoor restaurant than inner-city country fair. The garden grows produce for the kitchen and doubles as an outside eating area for takeaway meals, and there's also outdoor seating within the bar the Potting Shed. The only downside of this experimental paradise that we can see is the time you're likely to wait to get fed. Turn up early, plan a weekday visit, or pack your patience and wait for a table with the animals in the garden. Building 7A 2 Huntley Street, Alexandria The Commons In the midst of Darlinghurst's shoulder-to-shoulder apartments, congested streets and endless noise, The Commons acts as the voice of reason. Relax. Slow down. Enjoy yourself. The heritage building has been kept intact, with sandstone lining the walls and exposed brickwork peeking through. Long, communal wooden tables line the main dining room, while a trot downstairs reveals a cosy little bar with magazines, books and, if you're lucky, a jazz trio plucking out the tunes. The whole place is dusted in an amber glow, candles and low lighting, but outside there's a relaxed airiness that never gets old. 32 Burton Street, Darlinghurst Bondi Beach Burrito Co A bucketful of icy Coronas? $10 frozen margaritas? Beachside location? Consider my arm twisted. Indeed, it's pretty hard to fault the notoriously popular Bondi Beach Burrito. Suitably loud and colourful, the restaurant knows its market (bare-footed Bondi beach dwellers, backpackers and party-goers) and caters to it well with low-fuss, pay-as-you-go Mexican fare that rarely pushes the $15 mark. 252 Campbell Parade, Bondi The Winery One of Surry Hills' quirkiest dining experiences, The Winery's whimsical outdoor setting matches their unexpected menu adventures and adorable staff aprons. Think wrought iron patio furniture, picket fences, umbrellas, fairy lights and mismatching garden ornaments. Paired with The Winery's formidable (and recently award-winning) wine list, show-stopper cheese offerings and genuinely excellent service, this is prime date material. 285A Crown Street, Surry Hills Oxford Tavern For those who like their inner-west pubs with character. Known originally for its topless barmaids, cheap booze and pokie machines, the Oxford Tavern is now an all-out American BBQ beer house, complete with sport, eats and beer garden out back. The place churns a healthy mix of Aussie pub classics and American-style BBQ feeds, courtesy of the beloved Black Betty smoker out the back. On offer are asado steak tacos (with house-made tortillas) and chook san choy bow, as well as pub staples like schnittys, steak and an absolutely monstrous, stadium-sized double dawg. 1 New Canterbury Road, Petersham Balmoral Boathouse If you've ever wanted to know how a billionaire feels when they eat their lunch, you should probably check out the Boathouse at Balmoral. Because, let's face it, it's a hell of lot easier than making a billion dollars. For eats, it's hard to look past the seafood when you're sitting outside in the sunshine on a deck suspended over the ocean. Try the salt and pepper squid served in an adorable tin bucket ($24) or the battered flathead served atop a mountain of thick cut chips ($28). 2 The Esplanade, Balmoral Beach El Loco at Slip Inn While this place can't hold a candle to the original in terms of atmosphere, the ample outdoor seating happening at Slip Inn's El Loco offshoot counts for a lot. It's the place to head if you're a fan of spicy tortilla, colourful flags, icy margaritas, floral oilcloth or general happiness. The killer snack menu features Dan Hong's infamous tacos and cheese-drowned hot dogs, as well as a "secret taco" that always tends to increase in appeal as the bucket of Coronas diminishes. 111 Sussex Street, Sydney Miss Peaches Soul Food Kitchen Welcome to a pseudo-Louisiana where Miss Peaches and her Soul Food Kitchen are waiting. The spacious brick bar has old-school Southern charm with plenty of comfy booths plus a blues-infused vinyl collection to get any feet dancing. But if you've managed to nab a seat on the balcony, overlooking the hustle and bustle of King Street, then you're having one of the best nights of anybody in Newtown. The menu is the antithesis of all diets and not for the faint of heart. 201 Missenden Road, Newtown The Courthouse Hotel Grungy though it may be, this is one of Sydney's most loved courtyards, and the default of any inner westie wanting to eat outdoors. From the wooden veranda, you gaze down onto a maze of long wooden benches surrounded by frangipani trees and tropical plants which, bafflingly, still manage to grow amongst the spilled beer and cigarette butts. You need to get there early on in the night to get a table, particularly on a Friday or Saturday night, but because they're so big and packed together, you're more likely to make friends at The Courthouse than at most drinking establishments in Sydney. Food-wise, some of the gourmet options don't stack up, but a standard bowl of wedges or nachos to soak up the beer is really all you want at a place like this. 202 Australia Street, Newtown. Image: Newtown grafitti via photopin cc. The Bucket List This Bondi-hipster haven by the sea has long been famous for buckets of beer and prawns (different buckets) in the sun on Sundays, or a chilled cocktail on Friday and Saturday nights. Gaze out over Bondi Beach while nomming on spaghetti with crab and zucchini flowers, chicken Cobb salad, or a bowl of comforting beer-battered pickles and onion rings. While outdoor space is ample here, the Bucket List actually works year round; in winter you can forget the oceanside squalls by the fireplace inside. Shop 1, Bondi Pavilion, Queen Elizabeth Drive, Bondi Beach By the Concrete Playground team.
Ah, the joy of gift-giving. And by 'joy,' we mean the stressful task of finding the perfect present for your loved ones who seem to have it all. But fear not, fellow gift-giver, we've got a guide that's as picky as your loved ones. Together with House of Suntory, we've put together this handy guide so you can find something perfect, no matter how niche. FOR LOVERS OF JAPANESE CRAFT SPIRITS There are scotch buffs and bourbon fans, but nobody is more discerning than a Japanese whisky enthusiast. People who have great respect for Japanese culture can be pretty specific when it comes to their spirit preferences. Nothing says "I appreciate your refined taste", like a bottle of Toki Whisky from House of Suntory. Toki means time, and this dram aims to combine different eras in one effortless blend. It combines whisky from three Japanese distilleries: Chita, Hakushu and Yamazaki. The palate is brimming with grapefruit, green grapes, peppermint and thyme with a subtle sweet and spicy finish with hints of vanilla oak, white pepper and ginger. It's ideal in a classic highball. Want to go all out with craft spirits? Suntory has just released its Hibiki Japanese Harmony 100th-anniversary edition. It's a delicate blend of malt and grain whiskies that promises a honeylike sweetness of candied orange peel and white chocolate on the palate and a nose bursting with rose, lychee, rosemary and sandalwood. FOR THE ONE WHO DOESN'T HAVE ANY PROPER GLASSWARE There's no point gifting an awesome whisky if they are just going to sip it out of some crappy mug they got for free at a festival three years ago. Level up their glassware with some luxury high-ball super-thin (but durable) glasses, like these Usuhari High-Ball Glass Set from Bokksu. Made in Japan and sent in a classy wooden case, they are a perfect gift for the whisky-lover who desperately needs some high-quality glassware. FOR YOUR MATE WHOSE VINYL COLLECTION IS TAKING OVER THEIR HOME Vinyl collectors are on another level and living in another era. Given the heaving shelves in their living room, there's little point trying to source their next favourite vinyl — because, likely, they already have that planned out. Instead, think outside the box for something that showcases their love for vinyl but is also useful, like Vinyl Coasters. It is ideal for the vinyl-lover who loves coffee or whisky and cares about protecting their coffee table. There are many options out there, but these novelty nostalgia ones from Retro Room have titles on the vinyls like Tea Time (Don't Spill This) and Topo Hot To Handle by The Nostaligics. Want to go further? Get them a vintage-inspired suitcase record player from Crosley to add some retro charm to their place. FOR THE FASHIONISTA WHO ALWAYS DRESSES THEIR BEST We all have that one friend who looks effortlessly fabulous. Who buys high-end wardrobe staples and with the addition of classic accessories like a silk scarf, stunning jewellery, or even on-point makeup can elevate even the most relaxed sweatpants look. If your fashion-forward bestie is in need of classic footwear, look no further than Onitsuka Tiger, currently having something of a resurgence in the fashion world. And what's a completed outfit without a signature fragrance? Check out Comme des Garçons (CDG) unisex scents, the brainchild of Japanese fashion rebel Rei Kawakubo. The range is inspired by 'anti-perfumes', like the scent of gunpowder or laundry — we're partial to the concrete fragrance. FOR SCREEN BUFFS WHO LOVE A TIPPLE WITH THEIR FAVOURITE MOVIE OR TV SHOW Lights, camera, action...and a good cocktail. If your mate can't go five minutes without referencing a movie or television show, then Cocktails of the Movies and Cheers to TV are two deep cuts to gift them. These books are the perfect blend of screen magic and mixology, ensuring your friend's movie night is Oscar-worthy, even if their cocktail skills are still in the supporting actor category. The movie book includes iconic cocktail recipes from Marilyn's Manhattan in Some Like It Hot to The Dude's white russian in The Big Lebowski, whereas the television version includes cocktails inspired by Game of Thrones, Fleabag and Jerry Seinfeld. They're the ultimate pop-culture accessory and make for excellent coffee table books, with each cocktail accompanied by a history of the beverage, some movie or television show insight and original artwork. [caption id="attachment_862472" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Luisa Brimble (Unsplash)[/caption] FOR THE PLANT PARENT WHO HAS COVERED EVERY SURFACE Normal planters are so last season, and your green-thumbed friend has probably used up all their surfaces with devil's ivy vines and monstera cuttings. Help them spruce up their home and their plant collection with a hanging disco ball planter. Now your friend can turn their house into a disco jungle, where even the plants groove to the beat of the water droplets. FOR THE TRAVELLER WHO IS PROBABLY ALREADY ON THEIR NEXT ADVENTURE If your mate returns from one adventure only to start planning the next one, their passport probably needs some protection. And what better way to keep their most treasured item than by gifting a luxe leather passport holder embossed with their initials? Perfect for the seasoned globetrotter, it's like a first-class ticket for their travel documents. Toki Whisky is available from all premium liquor outlets. For more information, check out the website.
There's something about summer ending that gets everyone thinking about getaways, even if everyone's favourite holiday season won't be back for another nine months. Thankfully, autumn, winter and spring are still mighty fine times to leave your daily life behind for a weekend, few days, or a week or so. To help make those yearnings for a break become a reality, Qantas has just-dropped week-long sale. You'll need to be dreaming about jetting off to somewhere in Australia, and you'll also want to travel from April. Dates vary depending on the route, but some have fares available up until mid-December — so you can book in another summer holiday after all. In total, more than one million discounted flights are on offer. Whether you're a Sydneysider thinking about a Gold Coast jaunt, a Melburnian keen to spend part of winter in Tasmania or a Brisbanite eager to hit The Whitsundays, you have options. And, on 34-plus routes, one-way flights will cost you under $150. Everywhere from Queensland's tropics to the Apple Isle's cities are covered, and from Perth to Sydney, too — alongside all the other state capitals, Newcastle, Coffs Harbour, Broken Hill and more. The two cheapest options, as tends to be the case on most flight sales, are the Sydney–Ballina and Melbourne–Launceston routes at $109. Other highlights include Adelaide to Kangaroo Island for $139 — and Sydney to the Sunshine Coast, Melbourne to Albury and Brisbane to Mackay all for $149. The sale runs until 11.59pm AEDT on Monday, March 11, so you'll want to get in quickly to get a bargain. And, as always, if fares sell out earlier, you'll miss out. Inclusions-wise, the sale covers fares with checked baggage, complimentary food and beverages, wifi and seat selection. Qantas' red tail sale runs until 11.59pm AEDT on Monday, March 11, 2024, or until sold out. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
What if The Boys took its superhero satirising to college? That's one of the ideas behind Gen V, which helped expand streaming's Vought Cinematic Universe in 2023. When the spinoff series quickly proved a hit, a second season was locked in. What if dealing with having superpowers turned higher learning into utter chaos? Expect to dive into that concept again from September 2025. Just because The Boys loves parodying pop culture's caped-crusader obsession, that doesn't mean that it can't spark its own franchise. After the OG series, first came the animated The Boys Presents: Diabolical. Then, Gen V arrived to take on the 'We Gotta Go Now' storyline. Viewers can enrol in the later's sophomore season on Prime Video from Wednesday, September 17, 2025, with a new Dean setting the agenda for the university's students — and the impacts of Homelander's (Antony Starr, G20) actions in The Boys being felt. That's what the just-dropped first trailer for Gen V season two teases, beginning with its new uni head Cipher (Hamish Linklater, Nickel Boys) letting the blood-bending Marie Moreau (Jaz Sinclair, Please Baby Please) re-enrol. With its controlling necklaces, the Elmira Adult Rehabilitation Centre has been her home since the events of season one — and for some of her friends, too. But going back to class isn't the same as it was the first time around, including in a "Make America Super Again" world. "It is time that humans learn that what runs through our veins is true Vought blue," Cipher tells the amassed students — and a war between humans and supes is indeed part of the storyline. If you missed Gen V 's initial season, Godolkin University is the college for superheroes that's meant to help prepare the best of the best for caped-crusader life — until exploding classmates, creepy secret facilities and untrustworthy professors complicate matters, that is. Season one spent its time with Marie, who knows that attending God U is a pivotal opportunity. After a traumatic experience when her powers kicked in, this is her chance to completely change her life, as well as achieve her dream of becoming the first Black woman in The Seven. Then, nothing turns out as planned. Also, things on campus (and underneath it) get shady, fast. Starring in season one as well: Lizze Broadway (Kinda Pregnant) as Marie's roomate Emma Meyer, who can change her size; Maddie Phillips (Overcompensating) as the persuasive Cate Dunlap; London Thor (Never Have I Ever) and Derek Luh (Shining Vale) as the gender-shifting Jordan Li; Asa Germann (Monsters) as the super-strong Sam Riordan; and Sean Patrick Thomas (High Potential) as superhero Polarity. All six also return for season two. The first look at the new season also dives into how the show is addressing an off-screen tragedy, after season-one talent Chance Perdomo (After Everything), who portrayed the magnetic Andre Anderson, passed away in 2024. Check out the teaser trailer for Gen V season two below: Gen V streams via Prime Video, with season two releasing from Wednesday, September 17, 2025. Read our review of season one.
Before he was navigating innies and outies in stunning new 2022 streaming series Severance, and before he was working for the City of Pawnee in Parks and Recreation as well, Adam Scott popped up on our TV screens in another workplace scenario. His uniform: black pants, a crisp white shirt and a pink bow tie. His gig: serving drinks and slinging hors d'oeuvres as cater waiter Henry Pollard in 2009–10 cult-favourite comedy Party Down. Although its first two seasons only spanned 20 episodes all up, Party Down is one of the very best sitcoms of the 21st century, and proved a must-see right from the get-go. It's the show that Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas started after that also-beloved 00s series was initially cancelled, and came about in a collaboration with writer/producer John Enbom and producer Dan Etheridge — two other former Veronica Mars staff — and none other than Paul Rudd. And, just like Thomas' detective show, Party Down is also making a comeback. Are we having fun yet indeed. If you're instantly giggling at "are we having fun yet", then you saw Party Down's first two seasons. And, you'll know that Scott uttered that phrase more than once — or had it shouted at him. His character, Henry, was an actor famous for saying that line in a TV commercial. But in-between gigs, and because acting wasn't turning out as he planned, Henry was also working for Party Down's titular catering company. Scott made the jump over to Party Down after also appearing in Veronica Mars, as did plenty of his co-stars, including Ken Marino (The Other Two) as the catering outfit's oh-so-eager (but always-bumbling) manager, plus Ryan Hansen (A Million Little Things), Martin Starr (Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities) and a pre-Glee Jane Lynch as fellow waiters. Rounding out their gang of unhappy serving staff the first time around: Lizzy Caplan (Fleishman Is in Trouble), Jennifer Coolidge before she was winning awards for The White Lotus and Scott's Parks and Recreation co-star Megan Mullally. Party Down's long-awaited six-episode third season will start streaming via Stan in Australia from Friday, February 24, and sees most of the cast return — including Scott, Marino, Hansen, Starr, Lynch and Mullally. Caplan had scheduling issues making the also-excellent Fleishman Is in Trouble; however, Jennifer Garner (The Adam Project), Tyrel Jackson Williams (Brockmire) and Zoë Chao (The Afterparty) join the cast instead, plus James Marsden (Dead to Me) in a recurring part. Story-wise, this new 13-years-later go-around sees Marino's Ron Donald still running the Party Down team despite his past big dreams. And, as the trailer makes plain, plenty of other familiar faces are back in the bow ties as well, catering party after party. Hilarity ensues again in this sneak peek, because of course it does. Check out the trailer for Party Down season three below: Party Down's third season will start streaming via Stan from Friday, February 24.
For nearly eight decades, Brisbanites have driven over the Story Bridge. Since late 2018, the city's residents have been able to drink, eat and hang out underneath it, too. Now, anyone eager to spend a night at a hotel beneath the towering structure can do just that, thanks to the opening of The Fantauzzo. First announced in 2015, Brisbane's second Art Series Hotel is now welcoming patrons — and paying tribute to world-renowned Australian painter and photographer Vincent Fantauzzo. Each of the brand's hotels takes inspiration from a different artistic great, and Fantauzzo is in the spotlight at the new Howard Smith Wharves spot. A winner of plenty of weighty prizes — the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize, the Archibald Packing Room Prize, and the Archibald People's Choice Award a whopping four times — Fantauzzo has committed everyone from Heath Ledger and Matt Moran to Brandon Walters and Julia Gillard to his canvas. Prepare to feast your eyes on six new original artworks, plus 500 of his most recognised pieces, with reproductions gracing The Fantauzzo's walls. Of course, given the location, that's not the hotel's only stunning sight. Built into the cliff bordering the CBD and Fortitude Valley, the $100 million site boasts one mighty fine view of the city and the Brisbane river, plus custom furniture and dark-toned interior decor that heroes concrete finishes, black glass, natural rock and timber. Across six levels, there's 166 guest rooms to slumber in, a ground-floor Italian eatery, a hotel bar, a gym and three conference rooms. Like Brisbane's only other Art Series Hotel, The Johnson in Spring Hill, the pool is a definite highlight. Here, guests can splash around on the rooftop while gazing out over the CBD. The Fantauzzo marks the eighth Art Series Hotel across the country, with five in Melbourne and one in South Australia. As at the chain's other sites, its new digs offers art tours, in-room art channels and libraries all about its titular creative. And, of course, given the Howard Smith Wharves location, guests will be right on the doorstep of Brisbane's newest precinct. It already has its own riverside brewery, overwater bar and Greek taverna, as well as indoor entertainment spaces, outdoor multi-use areas and entertainment stages, and a whole heap more. Find The Fantauzzo at Howard Smith Wharves, 5 Boundary Street, Brisbane. Visit the hotel website for further details and to make a booking.
If finding out when and where Groovin the Moo is taking place in 2024 didn't get you pumped enough, here comes the next piece of exciting news: who'll be taking to the large-scale touring music festival's stages this year. The just-dropped lineup spans a hefty and impressive list of talent, including Wu-Tang Clan's GZA, Spice Girl Melanie C doing a DJ set, The Kooks, The Beaches and Alison Wonderland. Stephen Sanchez, Armani White, Kenya Grace, King Stingray, DMA's, Jet, The Jungle Giants, Mallrat and San Cisco are all also on the bill, alongside Hot Dub Time Machine, Mura Masa, Claire Rosinkranz, Jessie Reyez, Meduza and The Rions — and more. Six states and territories, six locations, six reasons for a road trip: that's the setup. Largely taking tunes beyond Australia's capital cities, Groovin the Moo will traverse the country in April and May, again hitting up South Australia, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia. In New South Wales, festivalgoers also have a new location to head to, with Groovin the Moo making a major move in 2024. Instead of taking place at its previous site in Maitland, the fest will pop up in Newcastle, with Foreshore Park its new home. The change comes after feedback from attendees, especially regarding transport and accommodation. In all other states and territories, the festival will settle into the same spots as last year — starting at Adelaide Showground, then hitting Exhibition Park in Canberra and Bendigo's Prince of Wales Showgrounds. After the Newcastle spot, Groovin the Moo will move on to Sunshine Coast Stadium Precinct, then Bunbury's Hay Park. Carla From Bankstown and Mowgli May are on hosting duties at Groovin the Moo 2024, and there's still some names to come, with the Triple J Unearthed, Fresh Produce artists and community programs yet to be announced. [caption id="attachment_938500" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gilbert Sanchez[/caption] Groovin the Moo 2024 Lineup: Alison Wonderland Armani White The Beaches Claire Rosinkranz DMA's The Grogans Gza (Wu-Tang) & The Phunky Nomads Hot Dub Time Machine Jacoténe Jessie Reyez Jet The Jungle Giants Kenya Grace King Stingray The Kooks Mallrat Meduza Melanie C DJ set Mura Masa DJ set Nerve & Friends (Ecb & Cloe Terare) The Rions San Cisco Stephen Sanchez Hosts: Carla From Bankstown Mowgli May Triple J Unearthed, Fresh Produce artists and community programs still to be announced Groovin the Moo 2024 Dates and Venues: Thursday, April 25 — Adelaide Showground, Kaurna Country, Wayville, South Australia Friday, April 26 — Exhibition Park in Canberra (EPIC), Ngambri and Ngunnawal Country, Mitchell, Australian Capital Territory Saturday, April 27 — Bendigo's Prince of Wales Showgrounds, Dja Dja Wurrung Country, Bendigo, Victoria Saturday, May 4 — Foreshore Park, Awabakal Land, Newcastle, New South Wales Sunday, May 5 — Sunshine Coast Stadium Precinct, Kabi Kabi and Jinibara Country, Warana, Queensland Saturday, May 11 — Hay Park, Wardandi Noongar Country, Bunbury, Western Australia Groovin the Moo will tour Australia in April and May 2024, with tickets on sale from Tuesday, February 6 at 12pm local time for Newcastle and the Sunshine Coast, 2pm local time for Bendigo, 3pm local time for Wayville, 4pm local time for Bunbury and 5pm local time for Canberra. For more information, head to the festival's website. Groovin the Moo images: Jordan Munns.
Be nice to each other. It's a simple, sensible message that we're all guilty of forgetting sometimes, but every now and then a film pops up to remind us. Wonder is the latest, based on the book of the same name. The movie spends its running time with 10-year-old Auggie (Jacob Tremblay), his family and his friends. Born with a facial deformity and still sporting considerable scars after corrective surgery, the home-schooled Star Wars and Minecraft fan just wants to be an average boy. Understandably, he isn't too keen on finally attending classes with other kids — and facing their stares, questions and inevitable teasing. As The Elephant Man and Mask did before it, Wonder steps through the encounters that follow as Auggie interacts with the world. From bullying to peer pressure to hearing his only friend talk about him behind his back, it's the usual list of struggles. Auggie's mother Isabel (Julia Roberts) and father Nate (Owen Wilson) worry but offer encouragement, while his teenage sister Via (Izabela Vidovic) tries to lend a helping hand. Among Auggie's classmates, some taunt, such as popular kid Julian (Bryce Gheisar). Others are cautiously friendly, like scholarship student Jack (Noah Jupe). It's Wonder's willingness to look beyond Auggie that endeavours to set it apart — and helps it avoid becoming a run-of-the-mill disease-focused weepie (though that fate never feels particularly far away). In chapters narrated by other characters, we learn that everyone has insecurities, fears and woes, as the film drives home the idea that we all deserve love and affection. Wading through troubles at home, navigating first relationships, being forced to give up on your dreams, and coping with death are just some of the situations covered. As such, faulting the movie's intentions is impossible. As it tells Auggie's tale and others, the film shines a spotlight on society's troubling willingness to judge rather than help — a topic particularly relevant in today's political climate. A word of warning, however: if you're not too fond of having your emotions plucked like a harp, then you might say this family-friendly effort has too much obvious sentiment. The movie's thesis of kindness over cruelty is not only thoughtful and important, but as warm as its imagery. Still, at times it can feel as though the script is working through a checklist of every sappy cliche imaginable. In the film that results, there's rarely a moment that doesn't tell viewers how to feel. That's hardly surprising given that director Stephen Chbosky previously helmed The Perks of Being a Wallflower — a movie that telegraphed its emotional intent in much the same way as Wonder, albeit with teenage outcasts instead of a lonely boy. Here, with Room's Tremblay doing such an impressive job of balancing Auggie's bravery and vulnerability, the overt button-pushing is even more unnecessary. Wonder might tell its audience to trust, care and be kind to each other, but it'd help if it trusted them to embrace it's own core messages without quite so much poking and prodding. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GHGHhucqJQ
Founder Teresa Troy started Hoss in St Kilda in the 1990s on the principles of femininity, individuality and confidence. She later expanded into the upmarket suburbs of Brighton and South Yarra. Specialising in easy-to-wear, elegant dresses, silk blouses, knitwear and accessories, Hoss creates classic and timeless pieces that support the wearer. Largely made in Melbourne, Hoss's pieces champion the notion of quality over quantity, rejecting fast fashion. To this end, the boutique also stocks international and Australian labels including Brie Leon, Ginger & Smart, Milano and Humanoid.
If you want to step up your pasta game, you're going to need some top-notch sauce skills. And here to give you a helping hand in that department, is legendary chef Guy Grossi. Yep — the mind behind Italian hits like Florentino, Merchant and Ombra is joining forces with good mate, King & Godfree's Matteo Toffano, to help boost your skills with a free passata-making workshop. Taking over the King & Godfree deli on Saturday, March 26, as part of the venue's ongoing 150th birthday celebrations, this class is the expert guidance your sauce repertoire has been looking for. From 2pm, the two chefs will be teaching guests the ins and outs of whipping up an enviable tomato passata, and bottling a batch as you watch. What's more, if you're one of the first 100 guests on the day, you'll score a bottle of your own to take home. Further sauce serves will be available to buy for $10 a pop. [caption id="attachment_847220" align="alignnone" width="1920"] By Sarah Pannell[/caption] Top Images: Sarah Pannell
Set in the backstreets of suburban Brisbane, Trent Dalton's award-winning 2018 novel Boy Swallows Universe is destined to become an Aussie classic. In fact, it already is. As everyone who has read it as quickly as they possibly could knows — because they couldn't get enough of it, obviously — it follows a young boy, his prophetic brother and his jailbreaking best friend as they navigate the heroin-filled underworld of 80s Queensland. And, it's been winning heaps of fans for good reason. Boy Swallows Universe also nabbed admirers new and old when it came to life on the stage in Brisbane in 2021 — and that isn't the only adaptation this beloved book is getting. Next stop: Netflix, with the streaming platform announcing that it's turning the novel into an eight-part streaming series with an Aussie cast and crew. Exactly when it'll hit your queue hasn't yet been revealed, and neither has the lineup of actors who'll be stepping into the story, but this page-to-screen future must-see already boasts a heap of talent. Screenwriter John Collee (Master and Commander, Happy Feet, Hotel Mumbai) is doing the honours, while the show's executive producers include Troy Lum (The Water Diviner, Saving Mr Banks, Mao's Last Dancer), Andrew Mason (The Matrix, The Water Diviner), Sophie Gardiner (Howard's End, Chimerica), Kerry Roberts (Foe, Boy Erased), and Aussie actor and filmmaker Joel Edgerton (The Underground Railroad, The Green Knight). In a statement announcing the news, Dalton said "that sound you hear is my heart exploding. Internal fireworks popping and flashing in pinks and purples and golds. Let me scrape my jaw from the floor and whisper those words again and make sure this dream is true: BOY SWALLOWS UNIVERSE IS BEING ADAPTED FOR THE SCREEN FOR NETFLIX!". He continued: "an epic multi-part limited television series traversing the darkness of the Australian suburbs and the fabric of the human heart and stretching to the edges of the universe and our wildest dreams. My boyhood potty mouth always comes out in times like these. I start dropping random whispered F-bombs around the house. Talking to myself before mirrors in the bathroom and such: "How the flippin' heck did it all come to this'." Dalton also stepped into the backstory behind the book. "When I was a boy, my three older brothers and I found a secret underground room beneath the outer-western Brisbane house of a dangerously successful Queensland heroin dealer whom my mother loved with all her heart," he advised. "Inside that secret room was nothing but four brick walls and a rotary dial red telephone. I never understood as a boy why that phone was in that room or who could possibly be on the other end of that line. In 2018, I wrote a book called Boy Swallows Universe that suggested that phone existed for magic. I wrote about all the very real things I saw as a kid growing up in the outer suburbs of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, in the 1980s: drug addiction, drug dealing, ex-cons and ex-killers, imprisonment, poverty, violence and love. So much love. And so much hope. So much discovery of hope through the power of love." On the page, Boy Swallows Universe has snagged a slew of local awards, including Book of the Year, Literary Book of the Year and Audio Book of the Year at the 2019 Australian Book Industry Awards. The novel, which has sold a hefty amount of copies in Australia alone — 160,000 in 2019, when the play was announced — was also longlisted for Australia's most prestigious literature prize, the Miles Franklin Award. And, this news has been in the works for some time, with Harper Collins selling the television rights to the novel back in 2019. Edgerton has been set to produce the show since then — but if you've been waiting to actually lock your eyes on a Boy Swallows Universe series, now it's finally happening. Boy Swallows Universe will hit Netflix as an eight-part series sometime in the near future. We'll update you with further information, including a release date, when it's announced. Top image: Boy Swallows Universe stage production, David Kelly.
All of the taste, none of the seed storage proteins: if you need to eat a gluten free diet, that's all you ever want. And, if you've been craving a few of your favourite biscuits but usually have to steer clear because they don't fit the bill, Arnott's has released new versions of a few well-known varieties. The big one: the Scotch Finger. Last year, the much-loved Australian biscuit maker released the recipe for its original version, but this is obviously even better if you can't consume gluten. The new variety is made with a gluten free flour blend, which uses locally sourced maize, tapioca, rice, sorghum and soy. This one apparently has a sweet base as well, and you can expect both buttery and vanilla tastes. And yes, it still snaps in half — which is perfect for sharing, or for just treating yourself to two smaller pieces instead of eating one big one. That's not the only Arnott's biscuit that's getting a gluten free version, with both Tiny Teddy and Choc Ripple bikkies also receiving the same treatment. For the former, you'll be able to tuck into small, bear-shapped biscuits peppered with chocolate chips. With the latter, expect the usual cocoa flavour, and the same crunchiness. The gluten free range hits stores today, Monday, July 19, and you'll only be able to grab them from Woolworths supermarkets. You'll pay RRP$4.70 per pack, and all three new bikkies have been developed with Coeliac Australia. Arnott's gluten free Scotch Finger, Tiny Teddy and Choc Ripple biscuits will be available from Woolworths supermarkets from Monday, July 19.
From 11.59pm on Wednesday, July 1, until at least Wednesday, July 29, stay-at-home orders have been reintroduced in ten Melbourne postcodes, which means their residents can only leave for one of four reasons: work or school, care or care giving, daily exercise or food and other essentials. For more information, head to the DHHS website. Life can feel like it's getting more and more hectic, but, thankfully, clever Melburnians keep coming up with new, creative ways to de-stress. You'll find places where you can hurl an axe at a target, smash ceramics to bits in a private room and sweat it out to some techno beats at a nightclub-inspired spin class. And now, Melbourne's latest high-powered stress reliever has arrived, allowing you to get messy and wild with a supply of colourful paints and some white walls. In addition to a classic smash room — where punters can unleash their destructive tendencies on unsuspecting glassware and breakables — Oakleigh's Smash Splash also plays host to Melbourne's first 'splash room', inspired by an offering that's gone gang-busters across the USA. Here, you're invited to tap into your inner Jackson Pollock and get gloriously messy at your own private paint party. The splash and smash rooms need to be booked separately. If you go for a splash session, you'll get half an hour with a friend to paint the room (and yourselves) by hurling cups of paint, smashing or batting paint-filled balloons or simply going to town with your hands or some paintbrushes. Smash rooms can be booked for ten minutes at a time — you'll don your protective gear and go to town on a crate of crockery. Prices range from $47.50–50 per person. Other electrical items can be bought for an extra fee. It's open on Friday 6–8pm, Saturday 11am–6pm and Sunday 11am–6pm. Best of all, there's not a scrap of cleaning up involved.
If there's one word that every film festival hopes will be used to describe the experience of watching your way through its program, it's this: discovery. Maybe you'll find your new favourite movie among its lineup. Perhaps you'll glean a fresh understanding of a particular director or actor's talents. You might see a star better known for their work on-screen blossom behind the camera. You'll also hopefully peer far beyond your own patch of the world. You could become a convert to a genre or a champion of a specific topic, too. The number of ways that sitting in a cinema can prove revealing, an unearthing and an exploration goes on. They all apply to the just-announced roster of titles for 2025's Melbourne International Film Festival — a list more than 275 flicks deep. Across Thursday, August 7–Sunday, August 24, MIFF is where The Chronology of Water, the feature directorial debut of Kristen Stewart (Love Lies Bleeding), will screen for the first time Down Under — and where Urchin, which notches up the same feat for Babygirl's Harris Dickinson, will as well. Both are heading to Melbourne fresh from their Cannes premieres. The Victorian capital's major annual film fest will also give the city its initial chance to see early pandemic-set western Eddington from Ari Aster (Beau Is Afraid), celebrate a music icon with the world premiere of Jimmy Barnes: Working Class Man, enjoy the full Norwegian Sex trilogy that culminated with 2025 Berlinale Golden Bear-recipient Dreams (Sex Love), get unsettled by Daisy Ridley (Cleaner)-led Australian found-footage horror We Bury the Dead, take the family to animated sequel The Bad Guys 2 based on Aussie author Aaron Blabey's books, pay tribute to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and much, much more. As it does every year, the Melbourne International Film Festival has been unveiling pieces of its 2025 lineup over the course of a month or so. Accordingly, movie lovers should already know that If I Had Legs I'd Kick You starring Rose Byrne (Physical) is the fest's opening-night pick, that Parasite composer Jung Jae-il is coming to Australia to conduct the movie's score live in an Aussie exclusive and that the Cannes Palme d'Or-winning It Was Just an Accident by Jafar Panahi (No Bears) is on the lineup, too — plus The Passion of Joan of Arc with a new score by Julia Holter performed live and a heap of other titles. One film that was previously announced is Richard Linklater's (Hit Man) Blue Moon with Ethan Hawke (Leave the World Behind), Margaret Qualley (The Substance) and Andrew Scott (Ripley), but it's now just one of two of the director's features on the bill. The other: Nouvelle Vague, with the American helmer bringing the French New Wave to life. Her Smell's Alex Ross Perry is another filmmaker with two titles on the lineup. With Videoheaven, a movie essay solely comprised from movie and TV clips, he pays tribute to the video-store era — and with Pavements, he focuses on the band Pavement via an experimental blend of documentary, narrative, musical and more. The director is among MIFF's 2025 guests as well, including as a juror for its Bright Horizons award, the fest's $140,000 official competition for filmmakers that was introduced back in 2022. After Aftersun screened in the comp's debut year, its filmmaker Charlotte Wells is this year's jury president. The aforementioned Urchin and If I Had Legs I'd Kick You are in the running for 2025's Bright Horizon prize, as are the likes of Cannes hit Sound of Falling, Un Certain Regard award-winner The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo, the Bangkok-set A Useful Ghost, and Matthew McConaughey (Agent Elvis)- and Kurt Russell (Monarch: Legacy of Monsters)-starring crime-thriller The Rivals of Amziah King. It isn't hard to find more standouts across the complete MIFF program, such as dramedy Sorry, Baby, which has had the film festival circuit talking since Sundance; Left-Handed Girl, with first-time director Shih-Ching Tsou boasting Anora Oscar-winner Sean Baker as her co-writer and editor; legal drama Two Prosecutors; and Kelly Reichardt's (Showing Up) Josh O'Connor (Challengers)-led The Mastermind. Others include O'Connor again in the small town-set Rebuilding, coming-of-age story Enzo from BPM (Beats Per Minute)'s Robin Campillo, Wagner Moura's (Dope Thief) Cannes-winning performance in The Secret Agent, Bi Gan's (Long Day's Journey Into Night) Resurrection, the surveillance culture examination of documentary The Perfect Neighbor, 1000 Women in Horror's cinematic celebration, Aussie animation Lesbian Space Princess, the true crime-focused Zodiac Killer Project, Peter Dinklage (Wicked) as The Toxic Avenger and horror-comedy Zombucha! with Jackie van Beek (Audrey). The festival's retrospectives titles are always a highlight, and 2025's picks are no different — whether you're keen to mark 25 years since Looking for Alibrandi reached the screen via a 4K restoration; also see Sweetie, the debut feature from Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog), get the same restored treatment; flash back to BMX Bandits; or work your way through MIFF's largest-ever tribute to a single director via the 27-film Chantal Akerman: Traces strand. Hitting up a picture palace in metro Melbourne isn't the only way to dive into MIFF 2025, as has also become the case every year, thanks to both its regional screenings in cinemas across the rest of Victoria and the fest's nationwide online program on ACMI's streaming platform Cinema 3. The former runs across Friday, August 15–Sunday, August 17 and Friday, August 22–Sunday, August 24, while the latter will get you tuning in virtually from Friday, August 15–Sunday, August 31. "MIFF returns to illuminate the dark depths of Melbourne winter with a globetrotting array of exceptional cinema, incredible experiences, and the biggest festival celebration of Australian filmmaking on the planet," explains MIFF Artistic Director Al Cossar about this year's lineup. "With over 275 films across 18 days in cinema, weekend regional expansions across Victoria and a further week online available at your place, all around Australia, MIFF is an invitation to discover a world of film, and the world on film; to up-res your cinephile credentials, and to binge your way through an epic program brimming with imagination and ideas." The 2025 Melbourne International Film Festival runs from Thursday, August 7–Sunday, August 24 at a variety of venues around Melbourne; from Friday, August 15–Sunday, August 17 and Friday, August 22–Sunday, August 24 in regional Victoria; and online nationwide from Friday, August 15–Sunday, August 31. For further details and tickets, head to the MIFF website.
Twice a year, the Sydney-based Queer Screen team puts together a film festival — because condensing the year's best LGBTIQ+ into just one event is a tricky feat. The first, the Mardi Gras Film Festival, happened earlier in 2020. Now, in this new pandemic-afflicted world, the crew's second fest for the year is heading to your screens. That'd be Queer Screen Film Fest, which runs from Thursday, September 17–Sunday, September 27 — and, adapting to this chaotic year, will largely be held virtually. If you're located outside of Sydney, that's particularly excellent news, as the festival is going national in 2020, too. On the bill: more than 40 feature films, documentaries and shorts, with the majority streaming to your chosen device during the fest period. That means that you can curl up on the couch and watch everything from queer German coming-of-age film Cocoon and Japan-set drama Moonlit Winter to New Zealand rom-com Same But Different: A True New Zealand Love Story — plus cross-cultural romance Breaking Fast, documentary Steelers: The World's First Gay Rugby Club and a heap of shorts as well. For Sydneysiders keen for a night out, that is still an option — at the Skyline Drive-In and the Chauvel Cinema. Hop in your car to see the Jacki Weaver-starring Stage Mother or Aussie classic The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert under the stars, or get cosy in the theatre to check out acclaimed doco Welcome to Chechnya. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8N0bzQ-qzCg The 2020 Queer Screen Film Fest runs from Thursday, September 17–Sunday, September 27 , with most of its program available online nationally. It's also hosting physical events on Saturday, September 19 and Sunday, September 20 at the Chauvel Cinema, and on Saturday, September 26 at the Skyline Drive-In.
The team behind Melbourne's first pay-what-you-want pho pop-up have launched their first permanent hospitality venture, Hochi Mama. A contemporary day-to-night venue a few doors up from Rice Paper Scissors on Liverpool Street, the restaurant champions modern, Vietnamese-inspired cuisine. Although this time there's a set price for a bowl of pho. With separate lunch and dinner menus, Hochi Mama is an ideal CBD pit stop for takeaway at any time of the day or night. The dinner menu is divided into flavoursome post-work tapas and mains that are predictably designed to share. Favourites include the signature Hochi banh bao, a soft bao pillow stuffed with crispy fried chicken, spicy kimchi, fermented chilli beans and tangy creamy sauce ($8.50 each) and the beef short ribs, which are super tender and served with morning glory, beansprouts and seasonal market vegetables ($18). The Phoplings — a playful dumpling-pho hybrid — are made with steamed beef and pork mince and served with Hochi Mama's pho broth. A word of warning to spice-phobics, though: this mama packs a punch. Littered with tear-jerking red chilli, sizzling pickled vegetables and spicy sauces, these dishes have been known to make grown men (at least the ones we know) cry crocodile tears. Luckily, Hochi Mama's bar is stocked with a boutique list of local and international beers, wine and cider. Tropical, Asian-inspired cocktails similarly suit the food; the Thai Chi with double gin, Vietnamese mint and frozen young coconut juice is the perfect refresher, while the Good Morning Vietnam, a modernised espresso martini, is best for a post-meal tipple (both $18). Laidback yet intimate, Hochi Mama's interior features low, glowing lanterns and stylish aged timber. A wall mural and open kitchen completes the dynamic space. Dinner menus rotate with daily main, dessert and cocktail specials, and ravenous pairs can make a beeline for the $59 Me Hungry Now menu, which includes two starters, two mains and a side to share. Vibrant and extremely affordable, it might not be Ho Chi Minh city — but Hochi Mama is still very much worth a visit.
They first toured Australia in 1982. They've returned plenty of times since, including on the Big Day Out and Vivid lineups. When they were last here in 2020, the pandemic got in the way, causing them to cut short their plans — and now New Order are making their latest visit Down Under five years later. 'Blue Monday', 'Temptation', 'Bizarre Love Triangle' — more than four decades after forming, the group are playing them all on a four-city Australian tour, including at Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne on Saturday, March 8, 2025. Peter Hook, Stephen Morris and Bernard Sumner started New Order out of Joy Division, following the tragic death of the latter's lead singer Ian Curtis, and helped pioneer the synth-pop sound that not only helped define the 80s but has been influential ever since. If you've seen the films Control and 24 Hour Party People, you've seen part of New Order's story on-screen. And if you've caught them live before, you'll know that they're always a must-see. Top images: Erin Mc via Flickr, RL GNZLZ via Flickr.
Earlier this year Christopher Lloyd and Moby broke our hearts. Knowing full well that everyone in the world was pining for a functioning hoverboard by 2015 — the year that Marty McFly travelled to in Back to the Future II — they toyed with our emotions to make a viral hit for Funny or Die. But now, we might just have the real thing. Journalists have talked to the creators, they've ridden it, they've got videos to prove it. This is not a hoax. In the past 24 hours the internet has exploded with news of the Hendo Hoverboard. Currently funding on Kickstarter, this working prototype may not exactly look like the bright pink contraption Michael J. Fox rode in the film, but it is an incredible step in the right direction. Though still in development, this certified hoverboard can carry the weight of a person while levitating one inch off the ground. It does this with the help of magnets. As the board requires a magnetic field in order to function, it needs to be used over a metallic surface. The current design has been trialled on a specifically-designed copper skate ramp — an idea which the creators plan to build upon in the future with a full 'hoverpark'. Before you ask, no, it can't fly on water. To continue developing the product, the engineers at Hendo tech need to raise $250,000 from their Kickstarter campaign. The rewards for those who pledge include a small piece of levitating technology called 'The White Box', an extended ride on the real-life board, or for $10,000, your very own hoverboard. Though they are only expected to produce 10 hoverboards for this first Kickstarter run, they'll knowingly be releasing them around October 21, 2015. They should have no trouble funding the project; the campaign has only been online for 24 hours and has already reached half of its goal. But many critics are understandably jaded. Both Gizmodo and The New York Times are expressing serious dissatisfaction with the project, claiming the technology we're seeing is disappointingly far from its filmic inspiration. Yes, the board needs to be used over a metal surface. Yes, it has a terrible battery life and makes a truly awful amount of noise. But this is the nature of invention, right? Any step closer to this, can hardly be a bad thing. Check out the Kickstarter campaign for more information about the project.
The black parade is coming back to Melbourne — finally. After their attempt to head to our shores in 2020 was thwarted due to the pandemic, and then their rescheduled 2022 dates as well, the reunited My Chemical Romance is making 2023 the year they get here. The dates to get excited about: Thursday, March 16–Friday, March 17. The third time is set to prove the charm for Gerard Way and co, and for music lovers eager to grab their eyeliner, don every black piece of clothing in their wardrobe, relive their angsty emo teenage years and let out three cheers. The new tour will mark more than a decade since MCR last came to Australia for the 2012 Big Day Out — and comes after the US group went their separate ways in 2013, then reformed in 2019. Fans will be pleased to know that MCR are headlining their own shows on this tour, too, rather than leading a festival bill as they were slated to do in 2020. And, they're playing two Melbourne gigs — both at Rod Laver Arena. Back in late 2019, when MCR announced that they were literally getting the band back together, they sold out their first reunion gig in Los Angeles quick smart — and tickets to their Australian gigs have already proven mighty popular. So, expect to have ample company lapping up 'I'm Not Okay', 'Helena', 'Teenagers', 'I Don't Love You', 'The Foundations of Decay' and more. Top image: My Chemical Romance performing by NBSTwo via Flickr.
Running from May 4–20, the High Country Harvest explores innovative food, wine, craft beer and spirits in Victoria's spectacular north-east. With more than 50 outdoor and culinary adventures to experience during the festival, curated around seasonally specific produce, there's no better time than right now to visit the Victorian High Country. On Friday, May 4, Yackandandah Organics' Farm Ramble and Feast lets you feast on food dug up, picked and plundered from the earth under your feet. You'll explore the market garden and orchard before sitting down to a long-table lunch with produce provided by Yackandandah growers Gena and Steve Cavini and prepared by the plant-focused chefs from Saint Monday. Also on May 4, you have the opportunity to get to know Shiraz in a whole new way. At Shirazzle Dazzle the Senses, Valhalla Wines' Anton Therkildsen will blindfold you before guiding you through a wine tasting with your remaining senses, encouraging you to focus on its smell, feel and taste. For the meat lovers, on Saturday, May 5, Dal Zotto winery is hosting their annual Salami Sessions, where you get hands-on experience in making traditional Italian salami with James Mele of the Meat Room Bespoke Butchers. You might have to learn one-handed as you hold a Dal Zotto wine in the other. More of an outdoor adventurer? Explore the ever-changing landscape of the High Country in autumn on horseback during the To Lunch on Horseback adventure. The Baird family (and their horses) from Bogong Horseback Adventure will guide you through the Alpine National Forest on a half-day horse ride, discovering native flora and fauna, exploring caverns and plodding through fern-filled valleys. Then enjoy a campfire feast made from local and native ingredients (along with some hay and carrots for your trusty steeds). Get prepped for the array of autumn events in the High Country and explore more of what's on your doorstep at the Wander Victoria website.
The 2019 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade is fast approaching, with Darlinghurst's Oxford Street set to erupt in a colourful celebration of LGBTQI+ culture and communities, as it has for more than four decades. But Australia is home to more than one Oxford Street — and, this year, seven other roadways with the same moniker are getting into the Mardi Gras spirit, all thanks to a series of glorious rainbow sculptures. In the New South Wales town of Mittagong, Deep Lead in Victoria, Rockhampton in Queensland, East Bunbury in Western Australia, Port Pirie in South Australia, Berry Springs in the Northern Territory and East Launceston in Tasmania, eye-catching new Oxford Street signs have popped up. Each bears the street's name, of course; however the designs vary otherwise. A rainbow branching out of a puddle, a giant heart pierced by an arrow, a pink-frosted cupcake, twin flamingos, a unicorn and a giant stiletto all feature across the bespoke signs, as does a cockatoo and akubra-adorned clothes line named 'I'm Spinning Around' after the Kylie Minogue song you now have stuck in your head. The overall exhibition has been dubbed Signs of Love, and it's spearheaded by ANZ as part of their ongoing association with Mardi Gras. For those who'd like to take a gander at the installations but won't find themselves in their vicinity, they'll also be available to view on Google Street View from Wednesday, February 27. While only seven Oxford Streets around the country have had a makeover, an eighth sculpture is also on display at Bondi Beach in Sydney. And while it isn't as brightly coloured as its counterparts, it points to 123 Oxford Streets across the nation. Oxford Street sign titles and locations: New South Wales – 'Signs of Love', Bondi Park, Campbell Parade, Bondi. New South Wales – 'Eternal Flame', Oxford Street (corner Bourne Close), Mittagong. Victoria – 'Coming Out', Oxford Street (corner Battery Rd), Deep Lead. Queensland – 'Pink FlaminGo-Go', Oxford Street (corner Talford Street), Rockhampton. Tasmania – 'Love is Love', Oxford Street (corner Abbott Street), East Launceston. Western Australia – 'I'm Spinning Around', Oxford Street (Austral Parade), East Bunbury. South Australia – 'Turn the Party', Port Pirie Regional Tourism and Arts Centre. Northern Territory – 'We're Not in Sydney Toto', Oxford Road (corner Cox Peninsula Road), Berry Springs. The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade takes place on Saturday, March 2 in Oxford Street and surrounding areas, Darlinghurst.
Bars March is a month-long charity campaign letting you drink for a good cause. And that cause? Animals. Yep, you can spend March hopping around to different bars and smashing a tasty cocktail to help raise money for the Animal Welfare League. What's possibly even more exciting, is that the most of the bars involved are dog-friendly — so your pooch can come along, too. It's a win, win. Running for almost a decade in Sydney, the charity month has this year expanded interstate — which means animal-loving Melburnians can get on board, too. To get involved, you just need to show up to one of participating bars and purchase a Bars March charity cocktail, and a portion of the profits will go to the aforementioned charity. Some of the bars involved in Melbourne include dog-friendly whisky bar the Tipsy Cow and CBD bars Loch and Key, Golden Monkey and Captain Melville. Up in Sydney, award-winning drinking holes Lobo Plantation and Kittyhawk will be taking part, as will Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel and the East Village in Darlinghurst. [caption id="attachment_663076" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Tipsy Cow[/caption] A heap of venues will be hosting events, too, with Crown Street's new Italian restaurant Caffe Bartolo selling $10 charity brunch cocktails from March 1–3 and the Erko is throwing a dog-friendly Pints 4 Paws party on Saturday, March 2. Over the nine years that Bars March has been running, it has raised over $80,000 for the Animal Welfare League, which cares for and re-homes surrendered, neglected and abandoned animals across NSW. Bars March is a boozy charity initiative raising money for the Animal Welfare League. It runs from March 1–31 and you can check out the full list of participating venues and events at barsmarch.com and the Bars March Facebook page. Top image: Caffe Bartolo by Kitti Gould.
Reading-list inspiration, sorted: even if you've devoured plenty of books by the authors on the 2025 Sydney Writers' Festival program, there's still much more to discover and explore. Whether you're keen to start leafing through pages now or plan to finish the fest with a stacked pile of new material by your bed, get excited — more than 200 events are on the lineup, featuring 40-plus international guests and over 100 Australian talents, and showcasing 34 authors among that group that are releasing new books this year. Sydney Writers' Festival's latest roster isn't just great news for Harbour City literary fans. When it runs from Monday, May 19–Tuesday, May 27, it'll also livestream some sessions around the country, so joining in isn't only about being there in-person in Sydney. Either way, there's something on the program for all reading tastes, fans of a wealth of genres, and attendees looking to hear from beloved scribes and discover their next favourites alike. Taking over Carriageworks, Sydney Town Hall, State Library of New South Wales and other venues around the city, SWF 2025 is also budget-friendly with more than 50 events costing nothing to attend — and 30 of those free sessions are at Carriageworks alone. What opens with Torres Strait Islander writer and activist Thomas Mayo, Yuwaalaraay writer and performer Nardi Simpson, plus poet Lemn Sissay and Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit writer Jeanette Winterson, all responding to the theme 'in this together'? This festival. What closes with Anna Funder examining writing in artificial intelligence-heavy times? This fest again. What includes 2024 Booker Prize-winner Samantha Harvey, Brooklyn author Colm Tóibín and Australian Big Little Lies wordsmith Liane Moriarty as well? Yes, this program. Harvey will chat about the International Space Station-set Orbital, while Tóibín has Long Island, the sequel to Brooklyn, to dig into. Also the creative force behind Nine Perfect Strangers and Apples Never Fall on the page, Moriarty will discuss everyday life stories becoming smash hits with David Nicholls, as well as careers and having a literary family with her sisters Jaclyn and Nicola. Plus, Winterson isn't just part of opening night, but will celebrate 40 years since her debut novel and also explore the impact of AI. Similarly on the SWF 2025 bill: Torrey Peters, the first openly trans woman nominated for the Women's Prize for Fiction; Ian Rankin speaking about the 25th instalment in the Inspector Rebus series; plus everyone from The Ministry of Time's Kaliane Bradley and The Safekeep's Yael van der Wouden through to Vanishing World's Sayaka Murata and After You'd Gone and Hamnet's Maggie O'Farrell. You've likely seen actor Harriet Walter in Succession, Silo and Ted Lasso — and This Is Going to Hurt, Killing Eve and Rocketman in the past few years as well — and now you can add this fest to that list, where she'll be unpacking Shakespeare's female characters. Other highlights span Entitlement's Rumaan Alam, Discriminations' AC Grayling on cancel culture, stepping into the world of espionage stories and getting a hankering for pastries — the latter with Flour and Stone's Nadine Ingram, Beatrix Bakes' Natalie Paull and Lune's Kate Reid. The return of the Great Debate is a starry event, featuring Annabel Crabb, David Marr, Nicholson, Matilda Boseley, Justine Rogers, Jennifer Wong and Yumi Stynes. And from there, other topics on the SWF lineup also include the situations in Gaza and Ukraine, sleep, First Nations storytelling, life in exile, queer culture, dwindling workers' rights, Robodebt and Miles Franklin. [caption id="attachment_994843" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Reynaldo Rivera[/caption] Sydney Writers' Festival images: Jacquie Manning.
Since Victoria's second COVID-19 lockdown began in July, dreaming of spending a night somewhere other than your own home has become a regular part of pandemic life. Thankfully, that dream looks set to become a reality early next month, with Premier Daniel Andrews revealing earlier this week that Victorians will be able to travel regionally — and stay overnight — from 11.59pm on Sunday, November 8. Premier Andrews made the announcement earlier on Monday, October 26, when he ran through the next phases of eased restrictions for the metropolitan Melbourne area. Understandably — given that they came into effect this week — the bulk of the focus has been on heading back out to bars and restaurants, and having folks over to your house. But prepare for more things to change at the end of next week, too. On the travel front, the hard border between metro Melbourne and regional Victoria will be scrapped. And, so will the 25-kilometre travel limit — so "the state will be one again" as the Premier said. Crucially, accommodation sites will be allowed to reopen; however, there are rules about bookings. You can only book with members of your household, with your intimate partner, or with your household and two adults and their kids from another household. https://twitter.com/VicGovDHHS/status/1320588908862803969 From this November date, a heap of other changes will also come into effect. In metro Melbourne, gyms and fitness studios will be allowed to reopen, with a maximum of 20 people per space. At hospitality venues, they'll move to 40 people indoors and 70 outside. Religious gatherings will move to 20 people indoors and 50 outdoors, and indoor pools will also be allowed to open. As with all of Victoria's plans for future changes to its COVID-19 limits, the easing of the above restrictions on November 8 is contingent on case numbers. At the time of writing, Melbourne has reported four cases in the past 24 hours, three the day prior, two on the day before that, and zero cases for two days in a row before that — a trend that'll hopefully continue. For more information about the status of COVID-19 and the current restrictions, head over to the Department of Health and Human Services website — and for further details about Victoria's steps for reopening, head to the roadmap itself. Top image: Nightingale Orchard by Emily Godfrey via Visit Victoria
What's better than knowing that Studio Ghibli has a new movie directed by the one and only Hayao Miyazaki? Knowing when it will hit cinemas so that you can see it. Ghibli fans Down Under, mark your calendars: The Boy and the Heron will release on the big screen in Australia and New Zealand on Thursday, December 7. For some time, news around this film has sat in a specific category: news that can't really be believed until viewers can watch the end result with their very own eyes. That's understandable given that Miyazaki released The Wind Rises a decade ago, and it was expected to be his last film at the time. The movie maestro even announced his retirement. Then, he changed his mind quickly — but it's still been more than half a decade since that welcome revelation. The Boy and the Heron not only exists, but has been playing at international film festivals, already released in cinemas in Japan and boasts not one but two trailers to give audiences a sneak peek at it magic — all before the latest news of its summer arrival Down Under. Viewers can look forward to the story of Mahito, a boy pining for his mother and experiencing the realm where the living and the dead converge — and, naturally, stunningly gorgeous animation that will spirit audiences away. The My Neighbour Totoro, Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle icon's latest was confirmed back in late 2022 for a 2023 release. Back then, it was known as How Do You Live, but has changed its title since. The official synopsis describes it as "a semi-autobiographical fantasy about life, death and creation" — and yes, plenty of Miyazaki's trademarks already exist in that short blurb. The Boy and the Heron will release in Australia and New Zealand in both Japanese with English subtitles and dubbed in English. For the latter, the film's English-language voice cast spans the starry likes of Christian Bale (Amsterdam), Robert Pattinson (The Batman), Florence Pugh (Oppenheimer), Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), Gemma Chan (The Creator), Willem Dafoe (Asteroid City), Mark Hamill (The Fall of the House of Usher) and Karen Fukuhara (The Boys). There's nothing quite like a Miyazaki movie. While Studio Ghibli isn't short on on-screen wonders hailing from a range of filmmakers, the Japanese animation house's best-known co-founder truly does make films like no one else. The Boy and the Heron already looks spectacular — unsurprisingly — in its initial glimpses, complete with lush greenery, mysterious spaces and floating critters. And, of course, with Mahito and the picture's titular bird making appearances. The Boy and the Heron marks Ghibli's fifth film since Miyazaki's last movie, following Isao Takahata's The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, page-to-screen treat When Marnie Was There, French co-production The Red Turtle and the CGI-animated Earwig and the Witch. Check out the trailer for The Boy and the Heron below: The Boy and the Heron will release in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, December 7.. Images: © 2023 Studio Ghibli.
Due to its location, Tasmania stands apart from the bulk of Australia. It's an island at the bottom of the continent, so of course it's separate from the rest of the country. But, for much of 2020, the Apple Isle has been shut off from the nation in another way — with Tassie enacting strict border restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, just as many other states on the mainland did as well. Thankfully, while most Aussies couldn't head to the country's southern-most state for much of this year without seeking permission and then going into quarantine, border restrictions don't have any dominion over our tastebuds. You mightn't have been able to spend time in Tassie for big stretches of 2020, but drinking beverages by Tasmanian producers has always remained on the menu. Obviously, it still does — letting everyone nationwide do what Tassie residents have always done and show their love for the Apple Isle's top drops. Whether you prefer a refreshing cider, a hearty vodka or gin, or a nice vino, that's great news. Tasmania has all of the above covered. Indeed, when BWS asked the state's drinkers to name their favourite local picks as part of the bottle retailer's Local Luvvas initiative, those aforementioned beverages from Plenty Cider, Hellfire Bluff Distillery and Pepik Wines topped the poll. All three brands will now receive an extra helping hand with getting their products stocked in more BWS stores — and we spoke with the teams at each about loving their jobs, showcasing homegrown produce, garnering local support and making it through 2020. APPLE CIDER FROM THE APPLE ISLE Of course Tasmania makes great apple cider. When tasked with picking their favourite brewed beverage, including beer, of course Tassie residents went with apple cider, too. That kind of local support no longer comes as a surprise to Plenty Cider co-owner Grace D'Arcy, but it is always heartily and eagerly appreciated. "People really resonate with where we are from, and love the fact they know where it is — and they understand the quality of the produce that comes from the area," she says. "Without local support, Plenty wouldn't exist, so we can't thank Tasmanians enough for what they have done for us and for many small businesses across the state throughout COVID-19". Plenty Cider is not only a celebrated homegrown brand, but is also beloved for its use of 100-percent southern Tasmanian-grown apples. And yet, the company's journey actually started with a different kind of alcohol and type of fruit. It wasn't hard to make the switch, though, D'Arcy explains. "The transition from wine to cider ten years ago was an easy choice to make, as cider was an emerging sector with so much hope and potential." Cider is also an easy field to be passionate about. That might sound self-evident — who wouldn't want to spend their days turning fruit into a sweet and delicious drink? — but D'Arcy's enthusiasm shines through. "There is also plenty of room for innovation and creativity. This is what keeps me passionate, along with striving to continuously improve and craft delicious ciders," she says. "When a cider is fruit-driven and you get that fresh full flavour on the palate, nothing is better." GIN AND VODKA MADE ABOVE A ROCKY COASTAL OUTCROP Potatoes might not be as synonymous with Tasmania as apples, but they're the reason that one of the state's other much-loved drinks producers exists. The site that Hellfire Bluff Distillery calls home is actually a potato farm on a cliff above Marion Bay that dates back more than 30 years. "We were looking for a way to value-add to the potatoes we grow," advises marketing coordinator Kyla Flanagan. "We wanted to bring something unique to the well-respected Tasmanian spirits market and, after investing a significant amount of time and research, in 2017 we launched Hellfire Bluff Distillery with our premium potato vodka." Clearly, local fresh produce is crucial here. "The distillery was built out of our love for premium Tasmanian ingredients, driven by our passion for farming sustainably, and influenced by our beautiful wild and remote region," Flanagan says. Hellfire now not only makes vodka, but also three styles of gin, a selection of small-batch liqueurs, and other limited-edition releases — using rainwater sourced from the farm, locally sourced lemons in its limoncello, and other "quintessentially Tasmanian ingredients," she explains. "When we say our products are handcrafted, we really mean it." Given how pivotal all things local are to Hellfire, it's hardly surprising that the distillery has proven a big hit in the community. "Product provenance has always been important to our customers, and local support has been integral to our brand from the very beginning," says Flanagan. And that homegrown love is a source of inspiration, too. "It's important to us that people feel connected to where their purchase comes from, and gain an understanding and insight into the business they are supporting," she notes. TURNING 61-HECTARES OF LAUNCESTON-GROWN GRAPES INTO VINO It was back in 2004 that Josef Chromy launched the wine brand that bears his name, setting up shop just south of Launceston on a scenic and sprawling 61-hectare vineyard. Pepik is one of its labels, and its moniker also has a close connection to its founder — because 'Pepik' is Josef's nickname, as given to him by his mother. Chromy handpicked Tasmanian winemaker Jeremy Dineen to lead the business, a role that the latter still holds today. As Pepik sales and export manager David Milne explains, making wine isn't just a job here — it's a passion, an obsession and a puzzle all in one. "It's the challenge of crafting the best wines from whatever the vintage throws at you that keeps things interesting," he says, with Pepik favouring "a minimal intervention style of winemaking to allow beautiful, aromatic Tasmanian fruit to achieve full expression in the glass". The resulting tipples, especially Pepik's pinot noir, have proven popular locally. But in 2020, the true level of community support has actually surprised Milne. "As a small wine producer in Tasmania, we probably didn't realise just how strong our following was until this year," he says. "People have made a concerted effort to support the local brands that they love and want to see come out the other side of this pandemic… In a year like no other, we've never been so honoured to be carried on the shoulders of our tribe." To find these or other Tasmanian drinks as part of the BWS Local Luvva initiative, head to your nearest BWS store.
The wine world takes itself pretty seriously at the best of times. But one award-winning vineyard dialling down the pretence for something more nonchalant is Innocent Bystander. Born in the Yarra Valley in 2004, the brand hasn't been afraid to go against the grain. And now it's leaning into what makes it different with the launch of a new Mobile Cellar Door — a custom-built Airstream ready to take its vino wares on the road. Before this chrome-covered wonder travels to distant lands, the winery is celebrating its debut with a suitably care-free bash: The Innocent Bystander Born Different Party. Taking over a Flinders Street warehouse on Saturday, November 15, this event goes far beyond your average tasting flight and note cards. Part cellar door, part creative chaos, expect top-notch food and drinks alongside unexpected experiences. Fueling this evening, Collingwood's Slowpoke Lounge & Lookout is on food duties, serving up its contentious honey-drizzled cheeseburger soaked in red wine. How's that for different? Then, Innocent Bystander is pouring its range of wines, from old favourites like pinot gris and pinot noir to fresh takes such as Easy As Shiraz and Watermelon Spritz, made into a refreshing cocktail slushie on the night. Yet the rest of the evening gets even more creative. Think tattoo artists, on-site barbers, tarot card reading, roaming drag artists, and DJs soundtracking the party with groove-driven soul, funk and house tunes. With tickets available for $25, each includes two glasses of wine and a Slowpoke cheeseburger. "At the end of the day, we're all about making seriously good wines that are best paired with great people," says Brand Manager, Georgia McNeil.
UPDATE Thursday, June 17: Melburnians will soon be free to travel around Victoria, with the 25-kilometre travel restrictions lifted at 11.59pm tonight, June 17. However, hospitality and live music venues are still operating under capacity restrictions. Check out the latest information on the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services website. You can also find more figures and graphs on its Victorian coronavirus data page. Things usually get a bit quiet in winter, especially when it starts with a two-week lockdown. Thankfully, now that Melbourne is emerging from its stay-at-home restrictions, the city's music calendar is starting to heat up. On the bill: up-and-comers, screaming thrash metal and animatronics-meets-music combos, with everything from niche geek interests to mainstream names also getting their time in the sun. So, now that life is beginning to return to normal, it's time to spend this winter pricking up your ears and hearing the best that Melbourne's music scene has to offer. [caption id="attachment_802255" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Nicole Cleary[/caption] CHECK OUT A HEAP OF LOCAL UP-AND-COMERS Cancel your plans for Sunday, June 20, because you're spending an afternoon supporting local musicians. Originally set to take place over three days but adapting and rescheduling following Melbourne's lockdown, Ballroom Blitz will see Cool Sounds, Snowy Band, Martin Frawley and Emily Ulman play the new Brunswick Ballroom. Formerly the Spotted Mallard, the site has reopened all shiny and fresh for 2021. Come check out these fresh digs and see newish and emerging acts who were robbed by the pandemic of their chance to tour in 2020. The Sunday session starts at 3pm — and will treat you to some of the city's best up-and-comers. [caption id="attachment_815732" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Leon Schoots[/caption] WATCH MUSIC, ANIMATRONICS AND DIGITAL ART COMBINE Robot Song blends music, animatronics and digital art performance, all while focusing on writer/director Jolyon James' experience as a parent of a neurodiverse child. James' performance explores how love and learning can overcome isolation and barriers between communication, how we navigate and celebrate our love for those who are different, and the unique and wonderful joys this experience of the world can bring. Family-friendly and a tight 65-minutes in length, Robot Song performances run in Chapel Off Chapel from Monday, July 26–Thursday, July 29, including a relaxed performance for neurodiverse audience members on the final date. [caption id="attachment_722920" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Kindred Studios[/caption] HEAD TO A SUBURB-WIDE LIVE MUSIC FESTIVAL It's all going down in the west this winter. West Set is an 11-day live music festival in Footscray, running from Thursday, August 19–Sunday, August 29. The fest has had to adjust to the times this year — it was originally set to run in June, but postponed for obvious reasons — but here's hoping that the lineup will still boast more than 60 acts at 14 different venues. Either way, this event always reflects the diversity of this special suburb, including in its headliners, indie acts and DJ sets. Expect everything from jazz, grunge, folk, post-punk to alt-country and traditional African drumming — and to be reminded why you love Footscray. Also, it's a festival made for walking, with the venues packed so close to each other, you can gig-hop on foot all night. TAKE YOUR PICK OF FAN FAVOURITES It's the season of guilty pleasures and fan favourites at St Kilda's Palais Theatre. The venue's winter calendar includes a series of orchestrated 70s rock — hear David Bowie and Fleetwood Mac like you've never heard them before — as well as tribute acts that are a cut above the Sunday afternoon pub covers you secretly like. Also, Jimmy Barnes, the working class man himself, is taking the stage on Thursday, July 22 and Friday, July 23. Also hitting the venue: the long-running Empire Strips Back Star Wars burlesque show, which is enjoying its tenth-anniversary tour. An evening of sexy stormtroopers are exactly what you need while you're waiting for the next season of The Mandalorian to drop. SEE A LOCAL PUNK-ROCK STANDOUT AT A BELOVED PUB Don't freak out but, as of the time of publication, there are still tickets for Private Function's Thursday, July 1 show at Richmond's Corner Hotel. Shows are usually sold out damn fast for this punk-rock crew. You probably picked up their 2020 album Whose Line Is It Anyway, but this is a band that lives for live shows. Been craving energy and charisma after a year of lockdowns? This is where you'll find it. The lads are back touring Australia, so catch 'em while you can. Stop in for some gastro pub snacks and big feeds (with Corner Hotel's own hot sauce) to get your stamina up before you hit the bigger-on-the-inside, 800-capacity band room. SCREAM YOUR HEART OUT TO THRASH DEATH METAL From the outside, The Gasometer in Collingwood is a cosy old-school pub with fireplaces, tap froths and hearty fare. But just behind that convivial front bar is a massive two-storey gig space that's a local favourite for live music. On Saturday, June 26, the Gaso will play host to something a bit heavier, darker and more thrash-tastic than usual. Frankston's own purveyors of thrash metal, Womb to Tomb, will bring the sound and the fury to the stage for a night of moshing, flailing and distortion pedals. They'll be supported by Carcinoid (crushing death/doom metal), Pissrash (sludge metal) and FishLizard ("the unholy amalgamation of thrash, doom and grindcore"). All three are local acts, and this'll be a wholesome, feel-good night of thrash worth screaming your heart out to. [caption id="attachment_709514" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Jake Roden[/caption] SOOTHE THE WINTER BLUES WITH COUNTRY AND WESTERN TUNES Lulie Tavern in Abbotsford is keeping you warm the southern way this winter — that is, with country music and good, hard bourbon. You'll find the venue's Heartache Tonight country and western nights on the calendar every second Thursday, running right through until spring hits. On June 24, The Canyon Callers come callin' with their particular brand of western swing. Then, on July 8, the gentle Georgia State Line take the stage. After that, it's anyone's guess, gunslingers — but, whoever is on the lineup, you can pair these moody cowboy tunes with quality American eats. The food comes courtesy of Kelso's, home of those infamously Instagrammable sandwiches. It's serving up burgers and fries beneath the neon bar signs late into the night, so you can settle in for a good one, pardner. Top image: Josh Groom.
If you're Melbourne's NGV International and you've spent the summer filling your walls and halls with fashion by Coco Chanel, how do you follow up come winter? By dedicating your next blockbuster exhibition to Pablo Picasso and the artists, poets and intellectuals he crossed paths with. The iconic Spanish painter, sculptor and printmaker's pieces will sit alongside works by everyone from Salvador Dalí and Henri Matisse to Marie Laurencin and Gertrude Stein at The Picasso Century, which'll take over the St Kilda Road gallery from Friday, June 10. A world-premiere showcase developed exclusively for the NGV by the Centre Pompidou and the Musée national Picasso-Paris, and displaying until Sunday, October 9, The Picasso Century won't skimp on its namesake. From Picasso alone, more than 70 works will be on display. But it'll also surround his pieces with over 100 others from more than 50 of his contemporaries, with the latter sourced from French national collections and the NGV Collection. [caption id="attachment_844954" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pablo Picasso. Spanish 1881–1973. Reclining woman (Femme couchée). 19 June 1932, oil on canvas, 38.0 x 46.0 cm, 55.6 x 63.0 cm (framed). Centre Pompidou, Paris, Musée national d'art moderne - Centre de création industrielle. Donated by Louise and Michel Leiris, 1984. © Succession Picasso/Copyright Agency, 2022 Photo © Centre Pompidou, MNAM - CCI/Bertrand Prévost/Dist. RMN - GP.[/caption] That means that art lovers will be able to gaze at 170-plus works of art, and chart Picasso's career via his paintings, sculptures, drawings and ceramics in the process — and also see how it developed through his engagement with his peers. And, when it comes to other talents showcased, the hefty list also covers Guillaume Apollinaire, Georges Braque, Alberto Giacometti, Françoise Gilot, Valentine Hugo, Dora Maar, André Masson and Dorothea Tanning. By placing the artist's pieces in context with the works of others around him, The Picasso Century examines the connections that helped make him who he was, and explores how his creations rippled throughout the world. Accordingly, art by Natalia Goncharova, Julio González, Wifredo Lam, Suzanne Valadon and Maria Helena Vieira da Silva will also feature, all talents who've rarely been exhibited in Australia. And, other artists included span André Breton, Georges Bataille, Aimé Césaire and Alberto Giacometti, as well as Kay Sage, Max Ernst and Giorgio de Chirico — plus Francis Bacon and Willem de Kooning as well. [caption id="attachment_844955" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Salvador Dalí. Spanish 1904–89. Invisible sleeping woman, horse, lion (Dormeuse, cheval, lion invisibles). 1930, oil on canvas, 50.2 x 65.2 cm, 74.3 x 89.2 cm (framed). Centre Pompidou, Paris, Musée national d'art moderne – Centre de création industrielle. Gift of the Association Bourdon, 1993 © Salvador Dalí, Fundació Gala - Salvador Dali/VEGAP. Copyright Agency, 2022. Photo © Centre Pompidou, MNAM - CCI/Philippe Migeat/Dist. RMN - G.[/caption] Didier Ottinger, a scholar of 20th century painting and Deputy Director of the Musée national d'art moderne, Centre Pompidou, Paris, has curated the exhibition, which obviously steps through Picasso's distinct artistic periods: his blue period, cubism and surrealism, for instance. In total, The Picasso Century will explore 15 thematic sections that chart the course of Picasso's seven-decade-plus career. If you're fond of his surrealist period, however, it'll be particularly packed with works from then. As Tony Ellwood AM, Director, NGV, explains, "this exhibition offers visitors an extraordinary insight into the development of modern art and the preeminent figure at its centre, Pablo Picasso. Through more than 170 works of art — including many that have never been seen in Australia — audiences will come to appreciate the many ways in which Picasso influenced — and was influenced by — the artistic community that surrounded him." If it sounds big, that's because it is. And, as French Impressionism was in 2021, The Picasso Century is part of the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition series. The Picasso Century will be on display from Friday, June 10–Sunday, October 9, 2022 at NGV International, St Kilda Road, Melbourne. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the NGV website. Top image: Pablo Picasso. Spanish 1881–1973. Figures by the sea (Figures au bord de la mer). 12 January 1931, oil on canvas, 130.0 x 195.0 cm. Musée national Picasso - Paris. Donated in lieu of tax, 1979. © Succession Picasso/Copyright Agency, 2022. Photo © RMN - Grand Palais (Musée national Picasso - Paris) / Mathieu Rabeau.
If you're struggling to remember a time when you didn't have a craving for Lune Croissanterie's world-class, New York Times-approved pastries, that's probably because the cult-favourite bakery has been around for an entire decade. Yep, the Melbourne-born croissant haven has been in our lives for ten whole years — and in a huge win for fans in Melbourne, it's celebrating its milestone birthday with a month full of buttery, flaky specials. In fact, for the month of October, Lune will be tripping back in time and reviving some of its all-time greatest hits. Each weekend, it's set to drop a limited run of one of its best-loved creations, available only from the OG Fitzroy store and Lune's new Armadale outpost. October's roll-call of favourites will be kicking off with a special appearance from the famed black forest croissant, which had us all drooling when it featured on season 11 of MasterChef. The decadent dessert is baked with sweet cherry jam and chocolate frangipane, stuffed full of chocolate mousse, whipped cream and maraschino cherries, and then sprinkled with tempered chocolate and a salted chocolate crumb. [caption id="attachment_871783" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lune founders Kate and Cam Reid[/caption] It'll be available from both stores from Saturday, October 1–Sunday, October 2, though with limited numbers of the treat being whipped up, you'll want to get in quick. Each of the following four weekends will feature a different re-release from Lune's star-studded back catalogue — keep an eye on the bakery's Instagram to find out what's coming up next. If all those croissants leave you inspired to hit the kitchen yourself, you'll also be able to get your hands on founder Kate Reid's first cookbook, Lune Croissants: All Day, All Night, from early November. Lune started life back in 2012 as a pint-sized store in Elwood. The brand then moved into its now famous Fitzroy warehouse space, before opening a second store in the CBD in 2018. It's since expanded into Brisbane with two outposts in the Queensland capital, and is set to launch in Sydney next year, too. Lune's tenth birthday specials will be available each weekend of October at Lune Fitzroy (119 Rose Street, Fitzroy) and Lune Armadale (835 High Street, Armadale).
Melburnians, grabbing a bite to eat out of the house just got 25-percent cheaper — for a limited time, and as long as you hit up an eatery within the City of Melbourne municipality between Monday–Thursday. As they've done twice before now, the Victorian Government and the City of Melbourne have teamed up to give the city's residents an extra incentive to head to a restaurant, bringing back their Melbourne Money dining scheme. Still called Midweek Melbourne Money this time around — with that first word in the title highlighting a key rule — it covers meals either early or midway through the working week. Make a breakfast, lunch or dinner date across the first four days of the usual grind and you can score cash back, up to $125 per person across the life if the program. Returning after the impact of the Omicron wave over summer, the initiative kicks off again on Monday, March 7, and applies to food and drink purchases anywhere that meals are sold — such as restaurants, cafes and pubs, as well as bars, clubs, breweries and distilleries — across the municipality. And, it'll cover a quarter of your transaction total, as long as you spend between $40–500 (including GST). Among the places that aren't covered: mobile food trucks, vans, canteens, trailers and pop-up restaurants; catering, function and reception centres; private river cruises; convenience stores, milk bars, supermarkets, greengrocer, grocery store and service stations; and confectionery shops and packaged food stores. [caption id="attachment_843534" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yakimono Dining Room[/caption] Once again, the focus is on eating out; however, you can also use the rebate for takeaways — as long as it is ordered either in-person, online or by phone on the eligible days, meets the $40 minimum spend and is collected by you from the venue. Accordingly, that means that you can't claim the 25-percent cash back on food that you order via home delivery companies such as Uber Eats and Deliveroo. Also, the same big caveat that's been in place the last two times variations of the scheme ran still remains. So, you do need to purchase something to eat to get the rebate, with your drinks only covered if you're buying food. This time there's $10 million available in total, and there's another important thing to take into consideration: it works on a first in, first served basis. So, heading out or getting takeaway as soon as the scheme starts and submitting your claim for a rebate immediately afterwards is recommended, as Midweek Melbourne Money will only run until the funds are exhausted. And, redemption-wise, you'll still need to pay your bill in total when you're ordering — but you'll get funds back afterwards. You'll need to get an itemised receipt at the time of payment, then take a photo of it and upload it to the Melbourne Money website. Within five working days, you'll then score your rebate via a transfer to your bank account. [caption id="attachment_840086" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Stolen Gem[/caption] The returning scheme falls under a huge swathe of initiatives announced in February by the Victorian Government, all which are aimed at helping get the city click into gear following the past few months — and, in the case of Midweek Melbourne Money, boosting weekday foot traffic. Also on the way: the return of regional and metropolitan travel vouchers, statewide dining vouchers covering areas beyond the City of Melbourne, and a new $30 million entertainment voucher scheme for discounted tickets to the cinema, theatre shows, live music gigs and exhibitions, plus conferences and other events. The Midweek Melbourne Money scheme kicks off on Monday, March 7. For more information, head to the City of Melbourne and Victorian Government websites. Top image: Parker Blain.
Baby, baby, baby, 2023 is looking better — funnier, too — with the news that one of the best comedies currently being made will return with new episodes. Come Tuesday, May 30, I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson will drop six new instalments like coffins drop bodies on Corncob TV hit Coffin Flop. As always, the very real Netflix rather than the extremely fictional Corncob TV will be the place to see comedian and Detroiters star Tim Robinson unfurl his surreal sketch-comedy stylings — a sense of humour that's already gifted viewers hot dog suits, Garfield houses and sloppy steaks. If you've got slicked-back hair and babies know you used to be a piece shit, you'll be keen to see what this sidesplitting sketch comedy series serve up next. Here, literally anything can happen. I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson first arrived in 2019 when, on one otherwise normal day, folks sat down on the couch, switched on their televisions, started scrolling through Netflix and came across an instant cult-hit comedy. The best sketch comedy of that year, and one of the best TV shows in general, too, the series' first season was ridiculously easily to binge. You don't even need two hours to get through all six episodes but, once you're done, you'll wish that it went for at least twice as long. When season two arrived in 2021, it was just as phenomenal. Absurd, hilarious, finding gags about a secret excuse to help men explain away pee stains on their pants, plus quite the loud and lurid shirt, and then a daggy hat — that's this series. Absolutely no one excavates, explores and satirises social awkwardness with the gusto, commitment and left-of-centre viewpoint of Robinson, with his skits diving headfirst into uncomfortable and excruciating situations, dwelling there, and letting them fester. It's no wonder that the former Saturday Night Live comic has a hit on his hands. Just try looking away from his flexible face expressions alone. So far, Netflix hasn't spilled exactly what's in store for season three, or dropped a trailer, but it doesn't matter — whatever Robinson unleashes won't be like anything else. Haven't watched the first two seasons yet, and not sure I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson is for you? It is. Robinson has had plenty of recognisable co-stars by his side over the initial two batches of episodes, too — talents such as Sam Richardson (The Afterparty), Will Forte (Weird: The Al Yankovic Story), Steven Yeun (Nope), Vanessa Bayer (I Love That for You) and Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul). And, the series also boasts some big names off-screen too, with The Lonely Island (aka Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Andy Samberg and his regular comedy partners Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone) its executive producers. Check out the trailers for I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson season one and two below: I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson's third season will be available to stream via Netflix from Tuesday, May 30. Images: Terence Patrick, Netflix.
Tokyo Tina has been holding its own on chaotic Chapel Street for many years now. The subtle entrance, signed only by graphics, is a nice hint at what's to come when you enter. A busy yet well-designed space that is both intriguing and welcoming at once. Located on the vibrant Windsor end of Chapel Street, Tokyo Tina is an energetic and modern Japanese restaurant, serving consistently top-quality food from its kitchen. It's one of the original venues from the renowned Commune hospitality group, which, along with venues like Hanoi Hannah, has stood the test of time in an area that has been subject to many openings and closings over the years. With rhythmic beats of disco and soul, a dimly lit space, and a stellar lineup of cocktails and drinks, it's an easy choice for a vibey night out with a group or a memorable first date. In line with its good-times offering, Tokyo Tina also features a private dining room with its own karaoke machine, which is an ideal spot for some footloose and fancy-free fun. Speaking of good times, next time the group chat is looking for something to do on the weekend, head in for Bingo Academy held on Saturday lunchtime, hosted by Drag Queen Valerie Hex. The $79 deal scores you bottomless booze, bingo, four plates of food, plus complimentary kimchi rice and edamame for the table. Situated on the vibrant Windsor-end of Chapel Street, Tokyo Tina serves up modern Japanese cuisine in a fun and energetic space. Another venue from the celebrated hospitality group Commune, Tokyo Tina invites guests to enjoy the good times, good vibes, and good food on offer. rhythmic beats of disco and soul, soundtracked by a rotating lineup of DJs selecting tunes, while conversation, laughter and shots will continue to spill well into the night. The fresh and vibrant menu includes a few staple items that have been around as long as regulars can remember, such as the crispy corn fritters with sansho mayo, the salmon tartare with yuzu and sesame crackers, and the miso-baked cauliflower with edamame. You may find options like an open spicy tuna roll, a sweet potato bao with tonkatsu sauce, or a hearty bowl of mixed mushroom udon with shiitake dashi broth. Vibrant cocktails such as a lychee spritz with umeshu and plum bitters, a cucumber yuzu sour, or a Toki Highball with whisky, lemon, orange and orgeat syrup are not only a lip-puckering addition to the meal, but also ensure that the karaoke session is boosted by plenty of liquid confidence. Images:
Since Jessi Singh returned to Australia from a lengthy stint in the States running his two Babu Ji outposts, the chef-restaurateur has been busy. As well as opening Don't Tell Aunty in Sydney, Singh has open Daughter in Law in Little Bourke Street and, keeping it in the family, wine bar Mrs Singh around the corner on Flinders Lane. In July, Singh unveiled his most extravagant venue yet: a multi-level British-Indian pub with a rooftop bar, a Punjabi-style deli, a bottle-o, a speakeasy and a dancing lounge — and a casual 500-strong beer list. Yes, there's a lot going on. So, allow us to break it down. Located on Clarendon Street, Mr Brownie Rooftop Hotel is split into three levels. Enter on the ground floor and you'll find the deli, serving up Singh's signature brand of rule-breaking Indian fare, which includes the likes of samosa burgers, lamb vindaloo pies and nachos-like papadi chaat. [caption id="attachment_774018" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Parker Blain[/caption] You can take this food home, eat it in the pub or head out back to a 70-seat beer garden. If you decide to sit in, you can order one of the many brews on the hefty drinks list, or go for one of two pét-nats on tap. Those on the move won't be short on choice for drinks, either, with the bottle-o stocked to the nines and growler refills available from any of the 16 beer taps. Don't want to stay on the ground floor? Like a Goosebumps book, but less creepy, now is the time to choose your own adventure: down or up. The latter will take you through a wall of beer cans (that is, in fact, a hidden door) and down a flight of stairs to a red-hued speakeasy and dance lounge called the Boom Boom Room. Expect cocktails, neon and tunes aplenty. Rewind back to your destiny-defining decision — this time, you choose up. Walk up a staircase and you'll find the main pub area with more British-Indian dishes, more beer and more comfy spots to sit. Ascend further and you'll reach the rooftop terrace complete with city views, tropical cocktails, DJs and brunch on weekends. Images: Parker Blain
In his most recent big-screen adventure, the mission of globetrotting super-spy James Bond took him to Istanbul, Macau and the misty Scottish highlands. But now the world’s suavest (and least secret) secret agent will finally make it to Australia, with an exhibit at the Melbourne Museum set to display some of the most iconic weapons, vehicles, outfits and gadgets from 007’s 50 year career. Organised in collaboration with EON Productions and the Barbican Centre in London, Designing 007 – 50 Years of Bond Style showcases more than 400 props from the blockbuster franchise's 23 films. Just a few of the highlights include Jaws’ teeth from The Spy Who Loved Me, Scaramanga’s golden gun and Bond’s beloved Aston Martin. The curators were unfortunately unable to get their hands on Ursula Andress’ bikini from Dr. No, so that famous piece of swimwear appears only as a replica. On the plus side, Daniel Craig’s actual budgie smugglers from Casino Royale will be proudly on display.
Australia's theatre scene hasn't had much to smile about in 2020; however, when 2021 rolls around, some venues around the country will kick back into gear with a little help from their friends. Well, with Friends! The Musical Parody to be specific — with the comedic, song-filled satire of everyone's favourite 90s sitcom touring the country next year. Initially, the show was due to hit local theatres in August and September this year. Then, when the pandemic struck, the musical rescheduled to November and December instead. But it seems that 2020 hasn't been anyone's year — or included anyone's favourite day, week or month, for that matter — so the production has now shifted its entire run to 2021. Scheduled to kick off on the Gold Coast before being there for audiences in Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Sydney, Friends! The Musical Parody will spend time with Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Monica, Joey and Phoebe, of course. Here, they're hanging out at their beloved Central Perk — and sitting on an orange couch, no doubt — when a runaway bride shakes up their day. Call it 'The One with the Loving, Laugh-Filled Lampoon', or 'The One That Both Makes Good-Natured Fun of and Celebrates an Iconic Sitcom'. Yes, no one told you that being obsessed with the Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer-starring show about six New Yorkers would turn out this way — with on-stage skits and gags, recreations of some of the series' best-known moments, and songs with titles such as 'How you Doin?' and 'We'll Always Be There For You'. That said, no one told us that being a Friends aficionado would continue to serve up so many chances to indulge our fandom 16 years after it finished airing, including via an upcoming reunion special that'll gather the TV series' main cast back together. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Friends! The Musical Parody (@friendsthemusicalau) FRIENDS! THE MUSICAL PARODY AUSTRALIAN TOUR: Gold Coast: Thursday, February 11–Saturday, February 13 at The Star Gold Coast Melbourne: Wednesday, June 16–Saturday, June 19 at the Comedy Theatre Brisbane: Thursday, Augustt 19–Saturday, August 21 at the Tivoli Theatre Parramatta: Thursday, September 2–Saturday, September 4 at Riverside Theatre Adelaide: Friday, September 24 at Her Majesty's Theatre Perth: Saturday, October 16 at Regal Theatre Friends! The Musical Parody tours the country from February–October 2021. For further details, and to buy tickets, visit the production's website.
While many chefs bring a creative force to the kitchen, not all get to realise their ambitions. Residence, a new destination restaurant in Parkville, aims to change that with an annual chef-in-residence format giving inspired culinary thinkers the time, space and resources to make their ideas a reality. Appropriately situated inside the Potter Museum of Art, this inventive concept is on the lookout for its inaugural resident chef. Though it might be nice to think your home-spun spaghetti bolognese is enough to cut the grade, Residence co-founders Nathen Doyle (Sunhands, Heartattack and Vine, Wide Open Road) and Cameron Earl (Carlton Wine Room, Embla, ST. ALi) have put together a three-stage assessment to shortlist only the best candidates. Sure, throw your hat in the ring, but your submission (open until March 21) needs to detail your influences, provide sample dishes and evoke your restaurant concept. Once selected, the new chef-in-residence will step into the business and begin their mentorship under the Residence executive team. Along the way, they'll receive exceptional front and back-of-house support, while tackling their restaurant opening head-on. That means leading a floor team, managing suppliers and, of course, receiving a cut of the venue's profits. After 12 months of culinary exploration, a new steward will be chosen to reinvent the space. "We want to help foster the next generation of industry professionals," says Doyle, adding that the venue is more than just a restaurant but a deliberate move towards a brighter, more forward-thinking hospitality industry. While close to a blank canvas, Residence is already equipped with a few details to help its chef on their journey. Serving as a daytime to evening destination, there's enough room for 40 patrons in the main dining area alongside 20 more in an adjacent espresso bar and private dining room. Designed by Collingwood interior designers, Studio Co & Co, guests should expect rich materials and uncompromising detail. For Earl, helping an early-career chef build their dream venue is an exciting prospect. "It might be a passionate chef who wants to share their personal story in restaurant form and honour the flavours of their heritage. We want the applicant to thrive in a supportive and innovative environment." Residence is set to open in winter 2025 at the Potter Museum of Art, 815 Swanston Street, Parkville. Head to the website for more information.
Any obsessive crate digger or vinyl junkie will tell you that collecting records is part artform, part obsession. In 9000 Vinyl Records Stephen Williams presents his personal collection of original, first pressing soul records. Rather than simply sifting through his impressive collection, Williams will exhibit the records and record sleeves along with a complete indexed catalogue, text, video and recorded music. The exhibition asks us to consider our own practice of collecting, whatever our object of desire may be. As well as questioning what we choose to surround ourselves with and why, the exhibition also examines the obsessive compulsive nature of cataloguing and archiving, and how we make decisions when it comes to creating order. And of course, it’s not just about how many records you have, it’s about creating a quality collection — and how your own taste, aesthetic and judgment is reflected in your archive. Whether you’re a lover of records, soul music, or have ever collected any item, no matter how obscure, 9000 Vinyl Records will speak to you and your obsessions.
Think there's just one Hottest 100 in January? Think again. The second important countdown of the month actually goes rather well with the music poll that just proclaimed The Wiggles' cover of Tame Impala's 'Elephant' as the nation's best track of 2021. In fact, while you were listening to the hottest songs of the past year, you might've been sipping some of these other winners. That'd be the great brews in the spotlight on the GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers list, which does for yeasty tipples what Triple J's poll does for bangers. And, just like its music counterpart, a worthy victor has come out on top. That'd be Bentspoke Brewing Co, with the Canberra brewery taking out the top spot with its Crankshaft American IPA for the second year in a row. In doing so, it bested 2017 and 2018 winner Balter Brewing Company, which came in second with its Balter XPA; Your Mates Brewing Co, which took third spot with its Larry pale ale; and Stone & Wood's Pacific Ale, the winner of the 2011, 2015, 2016 and 2019 polls, and 2020's second-place getter, which nabbed fourth position this year. As it did in 2020, Bentspoke had five beers in the 2021 top 100 list in total, which is clearly something to toast to — also coming in 12th for its Barley Griffin Australian Pale Ale, 41st for its Sprocket American IPA, 45th for its Cluster 8 Imperial IPA and 91st for its Red Nut Red IPA. Run by GABS — or the annual festival also known as the 'Great Australian Beer SpecTAPular' — the countdown is a people's-choice poll decided by booze-lovers around the country. Now in its 14th year, it saw a huge 2238 beers nominated this time around, hailing from 281 breweries. Still playing the numbers game, 58 beermakers nabbed a spot on the 2021 list — and, states-wise, Queensland emerged victorious with 30 brews on the full rundown of 100 beers, followed by Victoria with 22, New South Wales with 20, the Australian Capital Territory with 12, and South Australia and Western Australia with eight apiece. 2021 was also a big year for new brews, with 37 beers making their GABS Hottest 100 debut. And, low- and no-alcohol tipples also made a splash, including Heaps Normal's Quiet XPA debuting at 20 and Sobah Beverages' zero-alcohol Pepperberry IPA taking 69th place. If you're thinking "less background, more beer", here's what you've been waiting for: the rundown of the best beverages from the past year that just keep tempting tastebuds. Black Hops, Better Beer, Capital (with two showings), Ballistic and Young Henrys round out the top ten, while Coopers, Bridge Road, Pirate Life, Gage Roads, Kaiju!, Heads of Noosa, Brick Lane, Moon Dog, 4 Pines, Philter, Stomping Ground, Grifter, Hawke's and Mountain Goat and are among the other brands featured. Working your way through the whole 100 isn't just a great way to show your appreciation for locally made brews, either — consider it research for the 2022 countdown. GABS HOTTEST 100 AUSSIE CRAFT BEERS OF 2021: BentSpoke Brewing Co — Crankshaft IPA Balter Brewing — Balter XPA Your Mates Brewing Co — Larry Stone & Wood Brewing Co — Pacific Ale Black Hops Brewery — G.O.A.T. Better Beer — Better Beer Zero Carb Capital Brewing Co — Capital XPA Ballistic Beer Co — Hawaiian Haze Capital Brewing Co — Coast Ale Young Henrys — Newtowner Coopers Brewery — Original Pale Ale BentSpoke Brewing Co — Barley Griffin Balter Brewing — Balter Hazy Bridge Road Brewers — Beechworth Pale Ale Beerfarm — Royal Haze Pirate Life Brewing — South Coast Pale Ale Gage Roads Brewing Co — Single Fin KAIJU! Beer — KRUSH! Tropical Pale Ale Black Hops Brewery — East Coast Haze Heaps Normal — Quiet XPA Heads Of Noosa Brewing Co — Japanese Lager Brick Lane Brewing Co — One Love Pale Ale Little Creatures — Little Creatures Pale Ale Moon Dog Craft Brewery — Old Mate Philter Brewing — Philter XPA Mountain Goat Beer — GOAT Very Enjoyable Beer Feral Brewing Co — Biggie Juice Brookvale Union — Ginger Beer 4 Pines Brewing Co — 4 Pines Pacific Ale Big Shed Brewing Concern — Boozy Fruit Hawke's Brewing — Hawke's Patio Pale Bright Brewery — Alpine Lager Grifter Brewing Co — Pale Blackflag Brewing — Rage Juicy Pale Green Beacon Brewing Co — Wayfarer Stomping Ground Brewing Co — Gipps St Pale Ale Akasha Brewing Co — Hopsmith IPA Dainton Beer — Blood Orange NEIPA Revel Brewing Co — Strawberries & Cream Sour Ale Coopers Brewery — Sparkling Ale BentSpoke Brewing Co — Sprocket Capital Brewing Co — Hang Loose Juice Blood Orange NEIPA Coopers Brewery — Coopers XPA Your Mates Brewing Co — Sally BentSpoke Brewing Co — Cluster 8 Black Hops Brewery — Neverland Balter Brewing — Eazy Hazy Ballistic Beer Co — Hawaiian Haze IPA Capital Brewing Co West Coast NEIPA — Mountain Culture Collab Coopers Brewery — Coopers Pacific Pale Ale Bodriggy Brewing Co — Speccy Juice Colonial Brewing Co — Colonial Pale Ale Grifter Brewing Co — Serpents Kiss Sunday Road Brewing — Cryotherapy Deeds Brewing — Juice Train 10 Toes Brewery — Pipeline Pale Burleigh Brewing Co — Bighead No-carb Lager Hop Nation Brewing Co — J-Juice Range Brewing Co — Lights + Music Black Hops Brewery — Hop Swap Black Hops Brewery — Black Hops Pale Ale Your Mates Brewing Co — Macca Balter Brewing — Captain Sensible Capital Brewing Co — Trail Pale Ale Hawke's Brewing — Hawke's Lager Burleigh Brewing Co — Twisted Palm One Drop Brewing Co — Double Vanilla Custard Pancake Imperial Nitro Thickshake IPA Cronulla Beer Co — Next Level XPA Sobah Beverages — Pepperberry IPA Jetty Road Brewery — Jetty Road Pale Ale Brouhaha Brewery — Strawberry Rhubarb Sour Stone & Wood Brewing Co — Cloud Catcher Blackman's Brewery — Juicy Banger 4 Pines Brewing Co — 4 Pines Pale Ale Brick Lane Brewing Co — Sidewinder Hazy Pale Hop Nation Brewing Co — Rattenhund Sunday Road Brewing — Enigma Ale Otherside Brewing Co — Anthem IPA Bad Shepherd Brewing Co — Peanut Butter Porter Ballistic Beer Co — Mexican Hot Chocolate Stout Black Hops Brewery — Hornet Little Creatures — Pacific Ale Your Mates Brewing Co — Eddie Dainton Beer — Jungle Juice Bodriggy Brewing Co — Utropia Pale Ale Young Henrys — The Unifier Hawkers Beer — West Coast IPA Mismatch Brewing Co — Mismatch Session Ale Gage Roads Brewing Co — Side Track All Day XPA Little Bang Brewing Co — Face Inverter BentSpoke Brewing Co — Red Nut Tumut River Brewing Co — Ginja Ninja Eumundi Brewery — Eumundi Alcoholic Ginger Beer Deeds Brewing — Once More Into the Fray Akasha Brewing Co — Mosaic IPA Ballistic Beer Co — Low Ha Capital Brewing Co — Rock Hopper IPA Wayward Brewing Co — Raspberry Berliner Weisse Willie The Boatman — Nectar Of The Hops Balter Brewing — CryoHaze For more information about the GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers of 2021, head to the GABS website.
As part of her first headlining tour of Australia, Solange (also known as Solange Knowles, aka Beyoncé’s baby sister) has announced Falls Festival sideshows in Sydney and Melbourne. This will be the first time the Texan-born Knowles has ever treated fans Down Under to a live performance of her 2012 dance-friendly EP, True. This comes in the context of eager anticipation of her long-coming third studio album, on which she apparently collaborated with Aussie dudes Midnight Juggernauts. It's due for release sometime next year. Perhaps as famous for being the offspring of the fabulous Mrs. Carter as for her music, Solange has steadily been earning cred as a singer-songwriter in her own right. She certainly can churn out a catchy pop hit, as her successful single 'Losing You' proved last year. Recalling her elder sibling vocally, it managed to step away from her stylistically and embraced a much splashier, synthy '80s pop feel. The sideshows should be a fun choice for anyone craving a night of uncomplicated, playful, upbeat music.
Annie Leibovitz once famously stated that "there are still so many places on our planet that remain unexplored. I'd love to one day peel back the mystery and understand them". It is in this spirit that National Geographic presents its Photo of the Year winners. In an effort to uncover the "unexplored" and clandestine wonders of the world, National Geographic's annual competition provides a fascinating glimpse into the incredible beauty and complexity of the natural world, the places that define it, and the people that inhabit it. In 2012 a whopping 22,000 photographs from over 150 countries were submitted, with an expert panel of judges whittling this number down to a winner in each of the three categories (people, places, and nature) and the $10,000 Grand Prize Winner. Based on its remarkable creativity and visual flair, this year's "nature" winner and overall champion was Ashley Vincent's image of Busaba, the Indochinese tigress from Thailand's Khao Kheow Open Zoo (above). Have a look below to see the rest of the winners along with the National Geographic readers' favourites and some other honorable mentions. Winner - Places The Matterhorn in Zermatt, Switzerland. By Nenad Saljic. Winner - People Workers in Kenya's Dandora Municipal Dump Site, the only dumping site for waste in Nairobi, East Africa's most populous city. By Micah Albert. Viewers Choice - Nature Female cheetah Malaika and her cub in Masai mara National Reserve, Kenya. By Sanjeev Bhor. Viewers Choice - Places An iceberg frozen in place in Pond Inlet, Nunavut, Canada. By Adam Coish. Viewers' Choice - People Explorers follow a race route over 100km of the Hardangervidda Mountainplateu, Norway to cross Greenland. By Kai-Otto Melau. Honorable Mention - Nature Thousands of fish moving in synchrony in Komodo, Indonesia. By Fransisca Harlijanto. Honorable Mention - People The traditional Chinese entertainment Dragon boating is a water sport, in Yanbu Town, Foshan City, Guangdong Province, China. By ? ??. Honorable Mention - Places The Eiffel tower in Paris on a grey day. By Indra Swari Wonowidjojo. Honorable Mention - Nature A red fox goes after a mouse hidden under 2 feet of snow in Squaw Creek, Park Country, Wyoming. By Micheal Eastman. Honorable Mention - People Stilt fishing in Midigama, Sri Lanka. By Ulrich Lambert.
More than two decades ago, Australian coffee roastery Single O took its first steps right here at home. Soon, the Sydney-based brand will boast more locations to its name in Japan than Down Under. A decade since heading overseas, four years after opening its first international cafe in the country's capital back in 2021 and just a year since its last Tokyo expansion, Single O is launching a new concept in the must-visit city: its first-ever day-to-night venue. Located near Akihabara, the neighbourhood of Kanda Awajicho is your next destination for one of the chain's cuppas in Tokyo — and for cocktails, wine and beers as well. Opening on Thursday, April 24, 2025, this will be Single O's largest venue in the city, as well as its new Japanese flagship. "We're excited to open our newest Single O location in Kanda. We've been in Japan for over ten years now, and it's unreal to be part of specialty coffee's growth here and support a thriving independent cafe scene," said Single O CEO Mike Brabant. "It's a sister to our Surry Hills site in Sydney, seating a community of coffee lovers, locals and travellers alike," he continued. "We're calling it the mothership and we hope people will come in, discover something new and feel at home — whether they're here for our signature Reservoir St flat white, [to] experience the latest single origin on tap from our producer partners around the world or grab an after-work drink." For the new 50-seater venue's look, Single O have gone with a space-age theme. "Mixing futuristic, industrial aesthetics found us celebrating the brand's DNA, Australian roots and celebrating Japan's vibrant culture," advised Stuart Krelle, with Sydney-based design firm Luchetti Krelle behind the aesthetic. The brand's commitment to sustainability remains in place, however, including in the Kanda cafe's recycled plastic countertops, upcycled plywood chairs and reused central communal table. Among the sips, coffee on tap is a feature, of course, with six free-pour options available. The lineup of drinks running through them will rotate between origins, blends and seasonal choices. Or, order something else caffeinated and get the cafe's staff to put the espresso machine to good use. When it comes time to say cheers to a boozy beverage, expect coffee cocktails, naturally. Single O has even whipped up its own piña colada featuring a pineapple and coconut coffee clarification that's created with spent coffee grounds, plus washed coconut rum and soda water. Australian craft beers and wines are also on offer. Yes, the banana bread with espresso butter is on the food menu. So is The Avo Show, aka rye, achiote cashew cheese, pickled fennel, seasoned crumb, chilli oil and sweet lemon aspen. You can also tuck into the Mothership Bowl (made with brown rice, caramelised mushrooms, seasonal vegetables, pickles and a soft boiled egg) and the Yuzu Benny (which features a poached egg, sourdough, smoked salmon, yuzu hollandaise, cucumber, mint, coriander, pickled apple, lemongrass sate, chilli oil, crispy rice and shallot crumb). In another first for Single O, the Kanda outpost also sports its debut range of pastries baked onsite thanks to Head Chef Yoko Kobayashi (an alum of Bills in Australia) and Pastry Chef Johnny Pisanelli. Single O's Kanda location joins its Hamacho spot, plus Ryogoku Roastworks — which initially started as a roastery and tasting bar before its initial Japanese cafe, then moved into bigger digs and added its second space for aficionados to grab a brew — and its Shibuya coffee bar. In Australia, the chain has venues in Surry Hills and at Carriageworks in Sydney, and in Newstead in Brisbane. Find Single O's new Kanda cafe at at 〒101-0063 3F Waterras Tower 101, 2-chome Kanda Awajicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, from Thursday, April 24, 2025 — open from 8am–9pm weekdays and 9am–6pm on weekends. Head to the brand's website for more details.
Warm. Dry. Temperatures above average, and rainfall below usual levels. That's been the trend across 2019 so far, thanks to a record-breaking summer, a hotter-than-standard autumn and a toastier-than-normal winter, so it should come as no surprise that the Bureau of Meteorology expects the pattern to continue for the rest of the year. Releasing its latest climate outlooks — which focus on spring, while also looking ahead to December and January, too — BOM doesn't have great news if you were hoping for an average end to 2019. Well, as average as this traditional warmer period can be. Instead, below average rainfall is forecast around most of the country, as well as above average temps. In other words, if you call mainland Australia home, there's a very good chance that you'll experience spring and summer temperatures that are toastier than the median. Apart from Tasmania and the absolute lower edges of South Australia and Victoria, the whole country is tipped to endure maximums at least 80 percent higher than normal. That includes the entirety of Queensland and New South Wales. While the peak time for particularly hot temperatures will kick in from October onwards, September is also expected to weather an extended warm spell, with the mercury reaching two–to–three degrees above where it usually sits at this time of year in central and eastern Australia. If you're wondering exactly what's in store, then it's worth keeping the usual daily temps across the period in mind — and remembering that they'll be exceeded. In Sydney, that means the mercury will soar above a 20.1-degree maximum in September, a 22.2 top in October, a 23.7 max in November and a 25.2 high in December, while Melbourne can expect temps above 16.8, 19.4, 21.9 and 24.6 in the same months. In Brisbane, the standard tops range between 25.6–29.5, and in Perth it spans 20.3–29.1. Yet again, farmers are in for not-so-great news. The rest of the year is predicted to be drier than average everywhere other than northern Western Australian and western Tasmania. Yes, it's a familiar story. Let's not forget that in 2018, overall, Australia copped its third-warmest year ever. If it isn't part of your end-of-year routine already, we suggest planning plenty of time in the coolest places you can find — beaches, pools, rivers or anywhere with a refreshing swimming spot — this spring and summer. Images: Bureau of Meteorology.
Made up of mathematicians, programmers, architects, animators and engineers, Tokyo-based art collective Teamlab has made quite a splash on the world stage. Their famed Borderless Digital Art Museum — which launched in Odaiba, Japan, in June 2018 — pulls perpetual queues and became the most visited single-artist museum in the world just 12 months in. But even if you haven't managed to wrangle a trip to Tokyo, you'll still have the chance to get swept up in some Teamlab magic, as the artist assembly brings its new exhibition Reversible Rotation to town for the Melbourne International Arts Festival. Taking over Melbourne CBD's Tolarno Galleries from October 5 to November 2, the boundary-pushing installation features four imaginative digital screen works, designed to make you reconsider the concept of space and the relationship between humans and nature. Here's what you'll see if you head along: [caption id="attachment_744769" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Teamlab, Waves of Light (2018) by Kate Shanasy[/caption] WAVES OF LIGHT (2018) One for all the water babies out there, Waves Of Light is a continuous loop work, created in 3D then turned into an artwork that exists in what Teamlab calls "ultrasubjective space". It captures the movement of waves through continuously shifting water, the vision carefully constructed after calculating the behaviour and interactions of hundreds of thousands of water particles. The result is an immersive viewing experience, designed, as most of Teamlab's work is, to break down the boundaries between humans and nature. The shimmering artwork reflects on premodern Japanese paintings and their common use of line series to depict a sense of life in oceans and rivers. [caption id="attachment_744772" align="alignnone" width="1920"] From left to right: Teamlab, Reversible Rotation — Cold Light (2019) and Reversible Rotation — Black in White (2019) by Kate Shanasy[/caption] REVERSIBLE ROTATION — COLD LIGHT (2019) AND REVERSIBLE ROTATION — BLACK IN WHITE (2019) Both of these captivating 2019 works are again made using 3D reconstructions that are then worked into 'flat' artworks. At the heart of each is a piece of Japanese 'sho' or calligraphy, drawn in space rather than on a flat surface to create what's known as "spacial calligraphy". The 3D imaging captures each brush stroke's power, depth and speed, then the final artwork appears in constant rotation. But be prepared for some trippy viewing — the sho can look as if it's rotating in different directions. Experience it through the moody scrawl of Reversible Rotation — Black in White, and again slightly differently for the more recent piece, Reversible Rotation — Cold Light. The latter is showing for the first time ever at this exhibition. [caption id="attachment_744773" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Teamlab, Enso — Cold Light (2018) by Kate Shanasy[/caption] ENSO — COLD LIGHT (2019) Enso – Cold Light sees Teamlab getting crafty with spacial calligraphy once again, this time paying homage to 'enso', the Zen practice of drawing a circle using just a single brush stroke. This particular stroke is suspended in space, though audiences will get to see it captured from various viewpoints, as they're displayed in rotation on-screen. Thought to represent enlightenment, truth, the entirety of the universe, and equality, the enso is also left open to interpretation, capturing the heart and mind of each viewer in a slightly different way. Catch Reversible Rotation at Tolarno Galleries, Level 4, 104 Exhibition Street, Melbourne until Saturday, November 2. It's showing as part of the Melbourne International Arts Festival. Images: Kate Shanasy
Back in 2001, in the ruins of Changnyeongsa Temple in Yeongwol in Gangwon-do Province, South Korea, more than 300 statues were found. Each stone sculpture depicts an arhat — the name given to followers of Buddha who've achieved the enlightened state of nirvana — and they're all thought to date back 500 years. The collection was dubbed 'The Five Hundred Arhats', in fact, after Buddha's 500 disciples. Also, every figure's face conveys a lifelike emotion. And, Australians will be able to see a selection of them without leaving the country thanks to Sydney's Powerhouse Museum. From December 3, 2021, the Five Hundred Arhats exhibition will put a number of the figures on display in Ultimo, incorporating them into an installation created by artist Kim Seung Young. They'll be surrounded by 700 audio speakers, in a piece that's designed to suggest that "the arhats are meditating in an attitude of intimate, reclusive poise amidst a cacophony that evokes the distracting bustle of urban life". The big summer showcase will be presented in collaboration with Chuncheon National Museum and National Museum of Korea — and it's just one of Powerhouse Museum's 2021 highlights. The Sydney venue has unveiled its full program for the year, spanning everything from tiny automobiles and gum trees to Australian ceramics and Persian arts and crafts. [caption id="attachment_799429" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Bayram Ali, Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme, Powerhouse Collection[/caption] On display from today, Tuesday, February 9, is Bayram Ali. It features images of Australia's Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme from the 50s to the 70s, as taken by the Turkish Cypriot migrant and amateur photographer who gives the exhibition its title. Also skewing local, Clay Dynasty will show more than 300 items from Powerhouse's Aussie ceramics collection, in a showcase that'll celebrate 50 years of Australian studio ceramics. Opening on May 28, it'll feature 20 newly commissioned pieces, too. From June 11, 100 Conversations will focus on climate change via an exhibition and talks program. On the bill: live discussions with leading Australian innovators acting on climate change, as well as an evolving exhibition that documents the public conversations. Also in June, Eucalyptusdom is set to explore stories surrounding gum trees, including their importance to Indigenous Australians. Expect to see pieces from Powerhouse's collection, plus new works by Dean Cross, Luna Mrozik Gawler, Julie Gough, Vera Hong, Anna May Kirk, Nicholas Mangan, Yasmin Smith, Sera Waters and Damien Wright with Bonhula Yunupingu. [caption id="attachment_799430" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Paul and Linda McCartney, Abbey Rd Studios, London, 1982. Photo: Robert Rosen.[/caption] Also on Powerhouse's agenda is Iranzamin, from March 19, which'll mark the first time that Powerhouse has put together an exhibition of Persian arts and crafts from its own range. And, from June 11, Microcars will focus on tiny vehicles — with more than 17 automobiles on display from Europe, Japan, the UK and Australia. Australian portrait and social pages photographer Robert Rosen will be in the spotlight from August 6, thanks to Glitterati: 20 years of Social Photography. From September 14, Powerhouse will highlight 20th century designers such as Douglas Annand, Frances Burke and Arthur Leydin in an exhibition called Graphic Identities. Throughout 2021, Electric Keys will also explore the influence of electric keyboards on soul jazz, blues, rock, progressive rock and pop, and The Invisible Revealed will let visitors see nuclear-beam scans of objects from Powerhouse's collection. There's also Future Fashion, a showcase the work of top graduates from four Sydney-based fashion design schools. Five Hundred Arhats displays at Sydney's Powerhouse Museum, 500 Harris Street, Ultimo from December 3, 2021. For further details — or to find out more about the museum's full 2021 slate — visit its website. Top image: Five Hundred Arhats, Chuncheon National Museum.
2023 is set to be a great year for art lovers, especially if you're a fan of Frida Kahlo. In Sydney from January, a multi-sensory installation will let visitors immerse themselves in Kahlo's works; however, that's not the only way to bask in the Mexican artist's creative glories. Come winter, the Art Gallery of South Australia will also pay tribute to the iconic figure, her well-known spouse Diego Rivera and the entire Mexican modernism movement. Frida & Diego: Love & Revolution will headline AGSA's 2023 program alongside another enormous and just-as-impressive exhibition: the already-announced Andy Warhol & Photography: A Social Media. That's three of the biggest names in 20th-century art, all gracing the Adelaide venue's walls and halls in the space of a few months, with the Mexican modernism exhibition running from Saturday, June 24–Sunday, September 17. [caption id="attachment_879279" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Frida Kahlo, born Mexico City 1907, died Mexico City 1954, Self-Portrait with Monkeys, 1943, oil on canvas, 81.5 x 63 cm; The Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection of Mexican Modernism, © Banco de México Rivera Kahlo Museums Trust/ARS. Copyright Agency, 2022[/caption] Visitors will be able to see more than 150 works during Frida & Diego: Love & Revolution, spanning everything from paintings and photographs to works on paper and period clothing, as drawn from the Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection. Two key aims: examining why Kahlo's work, and Kahlo herself, holds such enduring appeal; and placing Kahlo and Rivera's art in context with their contemporaries. "Each generation brings a new lens through which to view the phenomenon that is Frida Kahlo. A 21st-century muse, Kahlo is today revered as a feminist and as a singular political and creative force. Frida & Diego: Love & Revolution speaks to the influence and ingenuity of art practice in Mexico and aims to recontextualise the foremost presence of Kahlo within our society today," said AGSA Director Rhana Devenport ONZM, announcing the exhibition. [caption id="attachment_879280" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Diego Rivera, born Guanajuanto, Mexico 1886, died Mexico City 1957, Sunflowers, 1943, oil on canvas, 90 x 130 cm; The Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection of Mexican Modernism, © Banco de México Rivera Kahlo Museums Trust/ARS. Copyright Agency, 2022.[/caption] "Frida & Diego: Love & Revolution is the most comprehensive exhibition of Mexican Modernism ever seen in Australia, from the unrivalled collection of Jacques and Natasha Gelman. Close friends of Kahlo and Rivera, the Gelmans were pioneering collectors who formed an outstanding collection of works representing Mexican modernism," explains Tansy Curtin, AGSA's Curator of International Art, Pre-1980s. [caption id="attachment_879281" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Martin Munkacsi, born Kolozsvar, Hungary (now Romania) 1896, died New York 1963, Frida and Diego, 1934, gelatin silver photograph, 35.6 x 27.9 cm; The Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection of Mexican Modernism.[/caption] Accordingly, while Kahlo, Rivera, and their art, connection, politics and influence all sit at the centre of this wide-ranging showcase, it'll also highlight pieces by Manuel and Lola Álvarez Bravo, Miguel Covarrubias, María Izquierdo, Carlos Mérida, David Alfaro Siqueiros and more. Focusing on the first half of the 20th century, this an Australian-exclusive exhibition, too — meaning that you'll have to go to Adelaide to see it — as well as most comprehensive exhibition of Mexican modernism that the country has ever seen, as Curtin calls out. [caption id="attachment_879282" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nickolas Muray, born Szeged, Hungary 1892, died New York 1965, Frida with Red "Rebozo", 1939, Carbro print, 25 x 20.3 cm; The Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection of Mexican Modernism, © Nickolas Muray Photo Archives.[/caption] AGSA announced Frida & Diego: Love & Revolution as part of its full 2023 slate, which also includes the first-ever survey exhibition of Western Aranda artist Vincent Namatjira, which'll open in October during the venue's contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art celebration Tarnanthi Festival — and then tour to the National Gallery of Australia in 2024. There's also the return of the Tarnanthi Art Fair and the $100,000 Ramsay Art Prize, the latter for artists under 40; ceramics exhibition Milton Moon: Crafting Modernism; Misty Mountain, Shining Moon, highlighting Japanese landscapes in art from the 16th century onwards; and Surrender & Catch: The Art of Brent Harris, focusing on the Aotearoa-born Australian artist. [caption id="attachment_879270" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Top image: Diego on my Mind, Frida Kahlo, born Mexico City 1907, died Mexico City 1954, 1943, oil on Masonite, 76 x 61 cm; The Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection of Mexican Modernism, © Banco de México Rivera Kahlo Museums Trust/ARS. Copyright Agency, 2022.[/caption] Frida & Diego: Love & Revolution will display at the Art Gallery of South Australia from Saturday, June 24–Sunday, September 17, 2023. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the AGSA website. Top image: excerpt of Diego on my Mind, Frida Kahlo, born Mexico City 1907, died Mexico City 1954, 1943, oil on Masonite, 76 x 61 cm; The Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection of Mexican Modernism, © Banco de México Rivera Kahlo Museums Trust/ARS. Copyright Agency, 2022.
