Actual post-gender human and girl your mum definitely warned you about Peaches has been uncharacteristically quiet recently. It’s been a good six years since her last album I Feel Cream, which featured the super danceable ‘Talk to Me’, so seeing Peaches on the Groovin’ the Moo lineup was a pleasant surprise — if pleasant could ever be used to describe the woman behind lyrics such as “hair in a mullet, you know you gotta love it, so sexual and so conceptual” and, of course, “fuck the pain away” — and the announcement of a Hi-Fi (now Max Watt's) sideshow on May 1 even better. Peaches, of course, hasn’t been twiddling her thumbs this whole time. She’s done a film, put together a book (out in June, pre-order it here, you’re welcome) and just completed her sixth studio album Rub, which features Kim Gordon and Feist, and is due out later this year (fingers crossed we get a teaser). That title though. Oh, to be able transform a fairly innocuous one-syllable word into a blush-worthy imperative. No wonder we all wanna be her. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcKMg7eEjj8[/embed]
Lay down your smartphone. Send your laptop to sleep. Shift yourself off the couch. Forget about work. General Assembly wants you to ditch the news feed and social media rants for a second — they're throwing a huge ‘Unplug and Play’ warehouse party. It’s your chance to champion summer’s arrival and get back to real-life eye contact. To make the transition as smooth as possible, the organisers are inviting some good friends along. There'll be a two-hour DJ set from Melbourne producer Andras, who's just arrived home from an epic Japan tour. And there’ll crisp bevs aplenty, courtesy of Vale Ale. This way, you can mix up your screen-heavy week with your peers, co-workers and General Assembly compatriots. The action will be happening at 524 Flinders Street, Melbourne on Thursday, December 17, from 6pm. Tickets are gloriously free. But they’re not unlimited. So make sure you book yourself a spot online asap. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
David Lynch has dabbled in as much music as he has weird, weird television, film and art — the 68-year-old's quite the multitasker. Having delved into versions of Roy Orbison, David Bowie and Chris Isaak's work, Lynch has continued to gleefully haunt and hypnotise audiences over an epic career. Paying tribute to the Twin Peaks mastermind, 'In Dreams: David Lynch Revisited' will see Australia’s Mick Harvey (ex-Bad Seeds) and Sophia Brous (Brous), New York City-based Cibo Matto and Irish-chanteuse Camille O’Sullivan venture through Lynch's covers, original music, as well as his work with Angelo Baladamenti. Polaris Prize-winning composer, multi-instrumentalist and dreamboat vocalist Owen Pallett has joined the 'In Dreams' lineup, as will Sydney's tale-weaving, ARIA-winning Sarah Blasko, ever-eclectic Sydneysider Kirin J Callinan and celebrated harpist Marshall McGuire.
Not everyone likes to give presents on their own birthday, but KereKere Coffee are straight-up selfless legends. Celebrating their eighth birthday on March 11, KereKere Green and KereKere South will be giving away free coffee all day. All day. None of this 'first hundred people through the door' business. You could head there right now and nab a freeppucino. Started as a coffee cart in 2007 at the University of Melbourne, KereKere was founded by entrepreneurial social worker James Murphy (not of LCD Soundsystem fame, but a total boss all the same). KereKere (named for the Fijian custom in which a relative or neighbour can request something that is needed and it must be willingly given with no expectation of repayment) quickly expanded into one of Melbourne's favourite coffee spots — from purpose-built kiosks in 2011 to its current locations in Southbank's Boyd Community Hub and Fitzroy Gardens Visitors Centre. Murphy just wants to give a little back to the community, often giving out freebies like this on a daily basis. So, HB KK. Here's to another eight years of love in cups. Find KereKere Green, on the corner of Clarendon Street and Wellington Parade in East Melbourne. Or find KereKere South at 207 City Road, Southbank.
Charismatic foursome All Our Exes Live in Texas are hitting the road for a national tour throughout March and April, celebrating the release of new single 'Sailboat', from their forthcoming debut album. The group represents the bringing together of four of Sydney's foremost singing and songwriting talents: Elana Stone, Kate Wighton, Hannah Crofts and Georgia Mooney. Since releasing their debut EP back in late 2013, they've been winning over indie-folk crowds with their lush four-part harmonies, haunting melodies and stories of heartbreak and fresh beginnings. The EP scored quite a few spins on triple j's Roots 'n' All. In the meantime, they've been sharing stages with a bunch of well-known acts, including Megan Washington, Tinpan Orange, Mama Kin and Jordie Lane. The Sailboat National Tour covers several major festivals, including Port Fairy, Blue Mountains, the Tasmania International Arts Festival and the National Folk Festival, as well as appearances at the Melbourne Folk Club on March 25, The Basement on April 18 and Black bear Lodge on April 19. Supported by Kim Richey (USA).
Enjoy a night out at the opera...and by the opera, we mean the opera. Comprised of four parts and totalling more than 16 hours in length, Wagner's Ring Cycle is one of the most epic musical sagas ever told. Now, thanks to Opera Australia, you'll soon get the chance to see it — and hear it — for yourself. Directed once again by Neil Armfield (whose previous presentation of the Ring Cycle with Opera Australia has been hailed as one of the best), each of the four operas will be performed three separate times between November 21 and December 16. Together, they tell the story of a cataclysmic struggle between Norse Gods over a ring that grants dominion over the entire world. Tickets to the Ring Cycle start at $80 for students and $120 for under 30s, and top out at $2150 for a premium package including all four shows. Yeah, it's pretty pricey, but what'd you expect from the opera?
Already a fan of SBTRKT, thanks to his remixes of Radiohead, M.I.A., Mark Ronson and Basement Jaxx? You haven't heard the best of the mask-wearing mystery man yet. It's on his studio albums that he shifts into top gear. Lead by mastermind Aaron Jerome Foulds, SBTRKT first solo-sashayed into public consciousness around June 2011, with the release of his eponymous debut. By spring 2014, another dose had been delivered, with full-lengther Wonder Where We Land, released in October. If you scored yourself a ticket to Falls Festival or Field Day this New Year's, you would have already seen how SBTRKT's latest creations manifest live. But there'll still a chance to kick off 2015 in his company. He'll be playing sideshows at Melbourne's Forum Theatre on Wednesday, January 7 (sold out) and at Sydney's Enmore Theatre on Thursday, January 8. Given that he'll be arriving on the heels of extensive US and European tours, we're expecting to catch a couple of seriously polished performances, complete with epic visuals. Supported by Movement.
The American siblings behind Le Bon Ton and Chingon have launched their latest venture: a New York-style delicatessen with a rock 'n' roll steak house upstairs. Opening today on Elgin Street in Carlton, the team at 5 Points Deli will cater to hungry breakfast and lunch crowds, while the attached Longhorn Saloon takes care of dinner. Brothers Will and Mick Balleau began work on the two story venue in 2014, and announced their opening, as well as their menu, via Facebook earlier today. The highly-anticipated 5 Points is serving such Manhattan favourites such as freshly shucked oysters, bagels with cream cheese and a 'world famous smoked pastrami sandwich', with meat smoked in Le Bon Ton's half-tonne smoker. Longhorn, meanwhile, starts service at 5.30pm, with dinner options include homemade pasta, seafood and poutine, along with a variety of steak cuts and a selection of desserts. The drinks menu — it is a saloon after all — is even more impressive, with a very healthy lineup of wines, beers and spirits along with elaborate cocktails with names like 'The Longhorn Spritz' and 'Big Trouble/Little China'. Both kitchens will be headed by executive chef Nick Stanton, who left his previous post at Nieuw Amsterdam to join the Balleaus late last year. Located at 118 Elgin Street, 5 Points and Longhorn Saloon have a capacity of about 200 people each. For more information, you can check them out on Facebook here and here.
In a piece of bad news for people who like good food on the cheap, the future of Lentil as Anything in Abbotsford appears to be in doubt. The operators of the beloved pay-what-you-feel vegetarian restaurant broke the bad news last week, after their landlords at the historic Abbotsford Convent began advertising for expressions of interest for the Lentil as Anything space. According to a statement on the Lentil as Anything homepage, the restaurant received notice from the Abbotsford Convent Foundation (ACF) that it would be undergoing a "request for proposal" process for the location, which Lentil as Anything has occupied for the past 11 years. The application process will be open until November 20, before a tenant is selected from a shortlist of candidates. Assuming Lentil as Anything is unable to compete with opposing bids, their lease could be terminated as early as December. Representatives from Lentil as Anything have launched an online petition to help save their Abbotsford premises, and have already racked up more than 4200 signatures. According to their website, they hope that the ACF board will take into account the feelings of the community when making their decision, although there appear to be no official channels for the public to make their voices heard. In addition to their iconic Abbotsford location, the Lentil as Anything team operate restaurants in St Kilda, Footscray, Preston, Thornbury and Sydney. Their community-minded philosophy and unique payment method has made them popular with many locals. However, the Abbotsford site did previously report that it was operating at a loss, with many customers choosing not to pay for their food at all. This is why we can't have nice things. See the online petition at Change.org. Image: Lentil as Anything, Preston.
Melbourne's award-winning, not-for-profit sustainability centre and urban garden sitting pretty near Merri Creek. Beautiful Darkness celebrations start at 4.30pm, with a ceremonial fire as the focus of the evening's activity. Local musicians Melody Moon and Samantha Starr will perform throughout the evening, while artisans showcase their work and share their talents in a series of craft workshops. Locally-produced food (pizza and hot jam doughnuts included) will be available for purchase, alongside hot drinks to warm the cockles. The event runs until 8.30pm with an adult ticket priced at $19.50 (tickets aren't available at the door, so be sure to book in advance).
When all seven chapters of S-Town were released in one mighty swoop on March 28 this year, podcasting entered a new realm. Ten million episodes were downloaded in four days, obliterating records. And now, series creator Brian Reed is coming to Australia to talk about how he did it. At an evening titled 'Mysteries, Mazes and the Making of S-Town', he'll be chatting about telling stories, combining reporting with literariness, leaving things unsaid and, of course, John B. McLemore, the podcast's eccentric, obsessive, unforgettable protagonist. Along the way, you're likely to hear him touching on all the big themes that found their way into S-Town: greed, poverty, mental health issues and prejudice. And, if you've been plagued by questions of journalistic ethics, this would be the time to dig them out. The only catch? Tickets are already selling fast. So, you'd better be quick.
After collaborating with The Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne, nabbing a Coachella spot and spinning her way to international success over the past year, Sydney's Alison Wonderland is embarking on her second tour of industrial warehouse parties. Wonderland Warehouse Project 2.0 is set to hit the road nationwide from late May, the highly anticipated sequel to her wildly successful 2014 tour of the same name. Armed with a fresh set of tracks from debut album RUN, Wonderland will be popping up in secret locations across the country for what's pinned to be some seriously huge shows. Bringing electronica out of the clubs and into a string of mystery warehouses, this powerhouse Sydney DJ is going to run some rather unconventional, mega-scale dancefloors. Set to make her first appearance at Coachella in the States in April, off the back of casually working with Wayne Coyne for her latest record, Wonderland appears to have quite the 2015 in store. After last year's sell-out tour, get in quick to secure your spot at these epic warehouse shindigs. Last release ickets are now $55, but will sell quicker than you can fall down a rabbit hole.
Melbourne's other gin festival is back. Back in 2016, Melbourne was faced with the happy problem of having not one, but two gin festivals on the cards. You might know the hugely successful Juniperlooza, a locally organised festival. Well, this different festival — confusingly called Junipalooza (yes, that's an 'a' instead of an 'er') — came to Melbourne by way of the UK, and was unsurprisingly dedicated entirely to gin. And it's back again for another year. The Melbourne version of the festival (the first to be held outside of the UK) is a twin event to Junipalooza London, which started back in 2013. The event will be held over two days this October at North Melbourne's Meat Market. It'll be hosted by founders of the UK's Gin Foundry, Olivier and Emile Ward — so you know you're in good gin-pouring hands. The renowned brothers live, breathe and drink gin, compiling all their knowledge onto their comprehensive online gin directory. It makes sense then that the pair have teamed up with local gin expert, The Gin Queen (aka Caroline Childerley) to celebrate the noble spirit in Melbourne. Junipalooza will feature sampling stations, cocktails and gin masterclasses with some of the world's best distillers. More than 40 distillers from around the globe will be in attendance, giving punters the chance to take a bottle or two of their favourite gin home. There'll be snacks, too, from the likes of American-style barbecue duo Burn City Smokers, dessert experts The Brûlée Cart and cheese fiends Maker & Monger, and this year, for the very first time, there'll be a four-course gin dinner — with matched gin cocktails, of course — being held on Friday, October 26. You can snag a ticket here for $95 a pop. The festival will take place over the weekend of October 27-28, and tickets are on sale now. We see a lot of gin drinking in your future. Image: Steven Woodburn.
As we tick over into the second half of the year, Melbourne's contemporary arts calendar shows no signs of slowing down with a diverse range of exhibitions taking place across the major and budding art institutions this month. This month, be welcomed into the 'mob' at Footscray Community Arts Centre where you'll have the opportunity to create your own works, touch up your art history knowledge with a new exhibition at the Heide Museum of Modern Art and pick the brain of one of Australia's leading painters in a free 'micro-course' by David Thomas. These – and many more – are just some of the great art exhibitions and experiences that are on display for free this month.
Vegans don't often hang around delis. Amid the luncheon meats, smoked salami and dried charcuterie, there's usually not a whole lot to entice non-animal nommers in the door. But things are about to change for vegan Melburnians and generally curious foodies alike, with the opening of a brand new vegan deli by the brains behind Smith & Daughters. Already a favourite vegan spot in Fitzroy, Smith & Daughters have been serving up Latin and Spanish-inspired vegan fare since opening in April 2014. At present, the eatery only do dinner Tuesday to Friday, brunch and dinner on weekends. But now co-owners Mo Wyse and Shannon Martinez have an opportunity to cover that weekday lunch market — with pre-prepared meals at their new spinoff, Smith & Deli. According to Good Food, the new Jewish American-style deli will open around the corner on Moor Street; serving up anything from lasagna to soup, bagels to lunchboxes, all-important coffee — whatever's going on the day. And all vegan. Apparently Martinez can even make vegan smoked salmon out of watermelon. Yep. What the actual. The new space will be takeway-only, so if you're looking to sit and enjoy the Smith & Daughters vegan-food-so-good-you-wouldn't-know-it-was-vegan experience, hit the deli for lunch and come back in time for dinner at the flagship. Find Smith & Deli at 111 Moor Street, Fitzroy, set to open at the end of April. Via Good Food. Image: Smith & Daughters.
After surprisingly agreeing to take Kylie to new heights on her Kiss Me Once Australian tour, Giorgio Moroder has since announced a trio of his very own shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland. If you're not familiar with this multi-syllabic name, then you mustn’t have watched The Never Ending Story, Cat People, American Gigolo or Scarface. Because Moroder wrote the soundtracks to all of them, as well as to a long list of other films. And when he wasn't busy making good movies even better in the '70s and '80s, he was casually earning his title as the godfather of disco and transforming electronica into a mainstream thing. Moroder and Donna Summers famously worked together on ‘Love To Love You Baby’, ‘Hot Stuff’ and ‘I Feel Love’. Get the picture? Since then, loads and loads of artists have called on Moroder’s grooves, including Freddie Mercury, David Bowie, Cher, Cheap Trick, Pat Benatar and Daft Punk. But the really cracking news is that, in January, he revealed that he’ll be releasing a solo studio album later this year — the first in thirty years. Titled 74 is the New 24, the album features Kylie, as well as Sia, Mikky Ekko, Britney Spears, Charli XCX and Matthew Koma. The title track's been filling dance floors all over the world, while second single 'Right Here, Right Now', has been hitting the Top Ten in Europe and Australian radio left right and centre. Image: Brad Elterman.
Deaf dance works, feminist hip-hop, an ecosexual labyrinth and a 24-hour performance piece are among the most eye-opening works on the lineup for this year's Next Wave Festival. Melbourne's biennial celebration of young and emerging artists, Next Wave 2016 is set to kick-off in venues around town on Thursday, May 5, with 36 world premieres across a wide array of disciplines. Let's get stuck in. Diversity is clearly a major theme on this year's program, with a whopping 75 percent of projects led by women. Queensland artist Hannah Bronte will deliver a politically-charged musical vision of an alternate Australia led by an entirely female parliament, while Nat Randall will spend a whole day and night on a performance inspired by the cult John Cassavetes film Opening Night. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists will likewise be well represented. Katie West from WA will examine the impact of colonialism through a work that incorporates native plantlife, while writer and performer Maurial Spearim has created a darkly-comic one-woman show told partly in the Gamilaraay language. The festival has also partnered with the Victorian Aboriginal Council for Languages on a series on Indigenous language workshops. Further standouts include a dance work featuring both deaf and hearing performers, an audiovisual concerto from artist Dylan Sheridan, and a immersive, ecosexual (yes, eco) labyrinth in the Royal Botanic Gardens.
Sweet tooths looking for the ultimate Instagrammable treat should look no further, brand new CBD ice cream parlour Aqua S is bringing your candy-fuelled search to an end. Opened just a few days ago at QV Melbourne, Aqua S is a soft-serve specialist — and one that could give Caulfield's Tuck Shop Take Away a run for its money. They've been cranking out $8 soft serve cones for Sydneysiders since January 2015 — and we know, that's a price point that may steer any punter right back to Micky D's. But hold up a second, this little ol' dessert escapade comes filled with sea salt-flavoured soft serve, topped with a pillowy bed of fairy floss, sweet popcorn, popping candy and a grilled marshmallow. And looks like an actual cloud. Take. Our. Money. Sea salt soft-serve is obviously not a new thing — you can thank Okinawa, Japan for it. If you're not down for sea salt soft-serve, you can choose from two others on tap — changing every two weeks. Who knows, you could be inhaling biscotti soft-serve (!), lemon squash, pandan, mint tea, mocha, peach iced tea, lemon cheesecake — anything. Keep things simple with a single soft-serve 'scoop', or blend up those flavours with mixed 'scoops' — and you can pick and choose from those ridiculous-sounding toppings. Find Aqua S at 16 Red Cape Lane, QV Melbourne. They're open Monday to Sunday, midday to 11pm.
Next time you’re feeling peckish down near Southern Cross Station, do yourself a favour and pay a visit to The Archway. Home to the likes of 5 & Dime Bagels, T by Luxbite and Altius Coffee, this recently opened Flinders Lane food hub is already a primo lunchtime destination, and now they’ve added two more tasty vendors to the fold. Delhi Streets is a multigenerational affair, run by Charan Singh along with his restaurateur father Resham. Inspired by India’s bustling street food culture, the pair have opted away from heavy curries in favour of samosas, rice biryani and a selection of burgers and wraps, including one made with patties of spiced chickpeas and battered potatoes. They’ve also got sweet options, from hand-made Kulfi ice-cream pops to chocolate naan. To top things off, they’re fully licensed, serving Indian beers such as Kingfisher and Maharaja, with a spice-infused cocktail menu apparently on the way. Those looking for a healthier option down that end of the city can also find sanctuary at Hunters Roots. Husband and wife duo Jeffrey and Kerry Chew are serving a variety of fresh, organic breakfast and lunch options, including coconut yogurt parfait, homemade muesli slices and the intriguingly named ‘raw snickers bar.’ Accoutrements include almond milk, vegan coconut ice-cream, raspberry chia jam and cacao hazelnut ganache, all of which are made in-house. They also offer made to order pressed juices, to help wash everything down. The Archway’s final tenant, Mr Huang Jin Taiwanese Dumplings, is expected to open in the next couple of weeks — as if you weren’t already spoiled for choices. The Archway is located at 517 Flinders Lane. For more information visit The Archway’s website.
Jarryd James has had quite the year already. At the start of 2015, this quiet achieving Brisbanite released a tune by the name of 'Do You Remember'. Blending ambient beats with progressive R&B, and featuring James's mesmerising vocals, the single gained over five million cumulative streams, full rotation on triple j, peaked at #1 on the Australian iTunes chart, spent six weeks atop the Australian Shazam chart and achieved Double Platinum sales here as well. Boom. It's not really a big surprise though, the track was co-written with powerhouse, Grammy-winning producer Joel Little, who's worked with the equally bright-young-thing likes of Broods and Lorde. Six months later, the 31-year-old dropped a catchy little number called 'Give Me Something' (also produced by Little), with an Usher-meets-Flume vibe and set to feature on his forthcoming debut album, to be to be released independently in Australia via Dryden St and internationally via Interscope. Having shared stages locally with both Broods and Angus and Julia Stone and crushing it with his own headline tour in March, James is now heading out on another national tour to coincide with an anticipated Splendour appearance. He'll be appearing in his hometown of Brisbane at the Hi-Fi on July 3, at Sydney's Metro Theatre on July 10 and at Melbourne's Forum on July 11 before Splendour on July 25. By Jasmine Crittenden and Shannon Connellan.
Warm up like a Viking this winter, at Lucky Penny on Chapel Street. Spurred on by the chilly weather, the South Yarra cafe has just launched The Hunter’s Kitchen, a brand new dinner and drinks project inspired by the flavours of Scandinavia. Open on Friday and Saturday evenings until late, Hunter’s Kitchen will serve hearty, Nordic-style comfort food all throughout winter. Starters include in-house cured salmon, celeriac puree, cornichons, dill, celery leaves with Yarra Valley salmon roe; and smoked trout, cos, caperberry, apple coleslaw, and boiled egg. Offering a contemporary twist on traditional Danish appetisers, these dishes will be served with torn chunks of bread baked by the artisan bakers at Ed’s Breads. Main course, meanwhile, belongs to the slow cooked Hunter’s Stews, made and served to share in cast iron pans, with ingredients such as venison, sausage, confit red cabbage and homemade spicy pear chutney; and Bannockburn free range farmhouse chicken, bacon, roast celery and kale chips. Dessert options include ginger cake with treacle sauce and ice-cream, and a blueberry and elderflower crumble. Complementing the dining menu is a selection of Scandinavian-themed drinks, from traditional mulled wine with treacle, cinnamon and cloves, to bespoke cocktails like the Tom and Jerry (brandy, hot spiced milk and Italian meringue) and the Winter Julep (brown sugar syrup, peppermint tea and bourbon). The Hunter’s Kitchen at Lucky Penny is located at 481 Chapel St, South Yarra, and trades from 6pm until late on Friday and Saturday evenings. For more information visit www.theluckypenny.com.au.
Fancy three-course meals and fine dining degustations are all good and well, but sometimes all you want is a nice cheesy, cheesy toastie — and that's where Toasta & Co. deliver. The operators behind two of our fave Melbourne food trucks — toastie vendors Toasta and schnitzel kings Von Crumb — have fired up the grill at their very first brick and mortar store. Follow the crumbs and listen for the sizzle of the sandwich press. Cheesy goodness awaits you. Located at 181 Adderley Street, West Melbourne, Toasta & Co. was born out of demand. "The trucks focus mainly on private events now, which has made it really tricky for the public to come see us," says Toasta & Co. creator Rebecca Feingold. "So the drive behind the brick and mortar was really the demand of the customers, which has been great." Our baby blue 😇 181 Adderley St, West Melbourne: 12-8pm. A photo posted by TOASTA (@toastafoodtruck) on Jul 26, 2016 at 5:26pm PDT Yes, you demanded it, and now here they are, with toasties ranging from the timeless cheese and bread combo to more extravagant sangas filled with tomato and kale cashew pesto, pastrami, dill pickle and sauerkraut, and pulled pork, caramelised onions, BBQ sauce and mac 'n' cheese. They also have a dessert option made with sweetened mascarpone and stewed rhubarb. Oh hell yes. But while the humble toastie is obviously their signature dish, Toasta & Co. is more than just a one-trick pony. They also offer various Von Crumb schnitzels, along with pastries, soups, salads, baguettes and desserts, which includes bread and butter pudding. Their coffee, meanwhile, comes courtesy of Proud Mary, while their bar is stocked with a small selection of wines as well as beers by Hawker, Feral and Bridge Road Brewers. "We're a one-stop shop," says Feingold. "Coming into the warmer months we'll also be having Bloody Mary and toastie mornings on the weekend." It's not the first dedicated toastie cafe to open in Melbourne either — a gourmet toastie drive-through, Cheese & Bread opened up in Preston back in May. When it comes to that simple combo though, the competition can never be too crowded. Toasta & Co. are open this week Wednesday to Sunday from noon until 8pm. From next Wednesday, their operating hours will expand to 7am until 8pm. Keep your eyes on their website and Facebook for more information.
Jimmy Hurlston, the burger fiend you know and love from Jimmy's Burgers and Collingwood's famous tram car nosh spot Easey's, is poised to take down Sydney and win hearts with his burgers. Hurlston has announced that come late April, his new venture, Guilty, will be opening in Darlinghurst. As well as bringing his Insta-famous burgs with him, Hurlston has suggested the new eatery, located in the Republic 2 complex, will encompass a broader American/South American-themed menu as well, including hot dogs and champagne. Guilty will be repping its hometown and showing off a range of Melbourne brewed beers on tap. No word yet on whether there'll include a genuine Melbourne tram car set up though. Sydney better ready itself because Hurlston has some ambitious ideas about burgers. An Easey's speciality, for the uninitiated, is the addition of creamy mac and cheese to an already towering burger. And the vegetarian option? Forget eggplant and grilled giant mushrooms, your burger pattie will be replaced with a crunchy potato cake. Jimmy Hurlston's burger creations are not for the weak of heart. Via Good Food. Images: Easey's. Guilty is slated to open late April on Burton Street in Darlinghurst.
Think you can dance? Whether you bust out offbeat dad moves or twerk better than Big Freedia, there's some pretty talented Aussies who'll give you a run for your money. They’ll be doing so at Dance Massive 2015, a four-way creative collaboration between Arts House, Malthouse Theatre, Dancehouse and Ausdance Victoria. This year's Dance Massive program once again brings together some of the finest dancers and choreographers in the country. Clear your calendar and get ready to be made aware of just how uncoordinated you are. The biennial dance event kicks off on Tuesday, March 10 and runs until Sunday, March 22. Major standouts include Sydney Festival hit Nothing To Lose, the powerful, unapologetic new work from dance company Force Majeure featuring larger bodied dancers; as well as Depth of Field, the latest piece from Melbourne-based Chunky Move, which has already generated plenty of buzz since entering previews late last week. The highlights don't stop there. Anthony Hamilton's Meeting sees two dancers share the stage with 64 robotic percussion instruments, while Natalie Abbott’s Maximum pairs a dancer with a bodybuilder. Indigenous choreographer Vicki Van Hout directs Long Grass,inspired by dance from the Top End, even as Catalogue, from dance ensemble Rawcus, shows off the abilities of dancers with and without disabilities. There are even ways for audiences to get in on the action themselves — such as with Fitter. Faster. Better., an exercise boot camp run by instructors between the ages of six and ten.
Peter Bibby’s debut album, released in November last year, is called Butcher/Hairstylist/Beautician. It’s unclear what this eclectic mix of job titles signifies. Perhaps Bibby is a self-styled jack of all trades, just as at home wielding a carving knife as an eyelash curler? Who knows? It’s a nice image. What we do know is that Perth-born, Melbourne-based Bibby, having recently returned from the USA (seems like Americans have a thing for earnest, self-deprecating Aussie guitarists at the moment — see Courtney Barnett), is about to kick off his first national tour. You can expect a damn fine show from the 'Hates My Boozin' spinner of VB-soaked yarns — not for nothing has he played Sydney Festival, Laneway and SXSW already. A ticket to this show will get you change from a twenty, so what are you doing? Get on it. Supported by Orlando Furious + Tanzer.
If you're going to fork out an arm and a leg for candy bar concessions, the food may as well be good. That's the thinking behind the Coburg Drive-In Food Truck Festival, which after tantalising our tastebuds over the summer is back in time to ring in the chilly season. On April 22 and 23, you can sit back in your car and enjoy the latest Hollywood releases (Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron, Fast & Furious 7, Cinderella, Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2) while chowing down on delectable offerings from Melbourne's leading mobile food vendors. Trucks on site include Dude Food Man, Caliko BBQ, Kurbside Kravings, Senor Churros , I Scream Sandwhich, Houston Hot Dogs and Speedy Gonzales on Wednesday, April 22, and Sliders on Tyres, Happy Camper Pizza, Oh My Grill, Potato Twister, Snagga’s Healthy Sausages, Jays Yogurt and Pappa Pita on Thursday, April 23.
Eggs, milk and animal products in general are officially off the ingredients list, at a brand new edition of the Flour Market bake sale. Launching in Melbourne next month, Wholey Day is the sweet, doughy spinoff that vegans have been waiting for: a seasonal market featuring the best local vendors of wholefood, raw, organic, vegan and gluten free treats. Let the face stuffing commence. The Flour Market team have been teasing the new initiative via social media, throwing up images of drool-worthy snacks such as ACE Mylkbar's raw cookies and an insane vegan cacao ganache brownie made by Citizen Cacao's Georgie Castle. Both vendors will be on the floor at the market, along with numerous others to be announced in the coming weeks. The Queen of Melbourne's raw choccy scene, Georgie Castle of Citizen Cacao never fails to bring the vibes w the likes of... Posted by Wholey Day on Saturday, 2 April 2016 In the meantime, Flour Market's latest regular edition to due to go down on Sunday May 15 at Collingwood Town Hall in Melbourne, from 9am until all the goodies have been gobbled up. For more information about Wholey Day check them out on Facebook.
The team behind Chin Chin have announced their latest venture: a hawker food and beer hall in Windsor. Operating out of a renovated furniture shop towards the South end of Chapel Street, Hawker Hall is set to open its doors in July; serving a variety of Asian dishes along with at least thirty beers on tap. The space will be partially modelled after the Tiong Bahru Food Centre in Singapore, which Hawker Hall founder Chris Lucas visited earlier in the year. It’s the latest feather in the restaurateur's cap, who can already boast Chin Chin, Baby and Kong BBQ to his name. According to Good Food, the menu at Hawker Hall will include typical market-style favourites, including barbeque, dumplings, noodles and curries. The kitchen will be manned by head chef Damian Snell (formerly of Charlie Dumpling) under the watch of Lucas Group executive chef Benjamin Cooper. Drinks-wise, expect a rotating selection of craft and boutique options from around Australia and Asia. "We were inspired by the changing beer environment," Lucas told Good Food. "We can see that the big breweries with their standardised beers are becoming a thing of the past." Located at 98 Chapel St, Hawker Hall will seat around 180 people, although only one table will be held for bookings. Keep your eyes peeled for a full menu and operating hours later in the year. Via Good Food.
Music festivals and writers festivals have existed for years, but they rarely mix. Sure, you'll hear poetic lyrics at the former, and maybe attend a tunes-inspired session at the latter. A true fusion of the two, though, is an elusive beast. Well, it was, until a few smart-thinking folks decided to organise a rock and roll writers festival. In an Australian first, the weekend-long event will explore the relationship between the literary and musical worlds. It's an idea that's so great, we can't believe that no one has done it locally before. Come April 2016, some of Australia’s finest authors, songwriters, lyricists and music commentators will converge upon Brisbane for two days of discussions, interviews, panels and more. An initial lineup boasting stacks of talented speakers has just been announced, featuring performer Jackie Marshall, previous jMag editor Jenny Valentish, journalist and Australian Music Prize judge Kate Hennessy, former Time Off editor and owner Sean Sennett, Courier Mail music writer Noel Mengel, and Pig City: From The Saints To Savage Garden author Andrew Stafford, among others. They'll all natter on about everything that's great about words, songs and the combination of the two, while trying to surprise, entertain, enlighten and challenge attendees in the process. And they'll do at the Brightside, because if you're going to throw a rock and roll writers festival, you have to do it at a rock and roll venue. The Rock and Roll Writers Festival runs from April 2 – 3, 2016, at the Brightside, 27 Warner Street, Fortitude Valley. For more information, visit their website.
It’s not often one says “let’s head out to Preston", since we've all pretty much accepted that there's nothing much to do past Bell Street. We have a suspicion that's all about to change though, with the recent opening of Stray Neighbour. This new bar and eatery has opened on Plenty Road, the culmination of a three-way partnership between Chew Burger co-owners Andrew Chew and Ben Stray, and Ben's brother, Daniel. Melburnians are most likely immune to the opening of a new hip eatery, since it seems to happen about once every twenty minutes. But even hardened veterans should be excited by Stray Neighbour, because they’ve got genuine soul. The aim of the venue is to give something back to Preston residents and showcase local farmers, butchers and producers. In their words, it’s an establishment for the locals, by the locals. Ben and Daniel Stray – a builder and landscape gardener, respectively – have turned their keen eye to kitting out the venue. Built inside a rejuvenated panel beaters, Stray Neighbour offers three different spaces for all variety of visitors, from bar hoppers to groups to serious diners. And we haven’t even mentioned the menu yet. Sous chef Romina Gagliardi has crafted a simple, compact and European-inspired menu that plays to the strengths of local produce. Think seared scallops, pea puree and guanciale crumb for starters, chicken with tarragon, sweet corn and sherry jus for mains, and vanilla creme brulee for dessert. The bar, meanwhile, has been built with 12 (yes, that’s right, 12) taps that will rotate with seasonal offerings, and is complimented with a predominantly Australian wine list. But I think we can agree the best part of the whole place is the custom built dog-head tap handles. Because we’ve always wanted to drink beer that streams forth from a cute doggy’s face (you heard us). With reasonable price points and oodles of integrity, we have a feeling that Stray Neighbour is going to become a favourite with more than just the locals. Stray Neighbour is located at 463 - 467 Plenty Road, Preston. For their operating hours, visit www.strayneighbour.com.au
UPDATE: FEBRUARY 14, 2018 — This Saturday, February 17 the city will welcome White Night, an all-night arts festival that runs from 7pm till 7am. While the city stays up all night, so will Supafish — it's been granted an all-night licence so it can serve drinks and play tunes until the sun comes up on Sunday. Say g'day to the Yarra River's newest resident, Supafish — a 300-capacity floating pop-up bar in the form of a giant futuristic fish. It's the brainchild of DJ Grant Smillie (Melbourne City Brewing Co, and LA's E.P. & L.P.) and Andrew Mackinnon (from marketing communication agency The Taboo Group), and is set to drop anchor just metres from the boys' previous collaboration, Ponyfish Island. Launching early December, Supafish will be settling in for the long, hot months of summer, slinging cocktails and Mexican fare daily up until February 26. At 38 metres long, this one's a little smaller than The Arbory's just-launched floating summer bar Arbory Afloat, though there's certainly no missing it, what with the huge glowing eyes and neon ribcage made from galvanised steel and recycled materials. The team's set out to create an immersive experience, from top to toe. Nick Peters and Matt Lane — who are behind Mexican eateries Hotel Jesus and Mamasita — have taken the reins on the food offering, so you'll be noshing on punchy plates like ceviche and huitlacoche (which is a type of corn fungus) quesadillas. Meanwhile, a range of refreshing tap cocktails run from margaritas and espresso martinis through to signature kombucha infusions, and Smillie himself is curating the summer's music program. Supafish will open daily from 11am till 1am, until February 26.
Take an after-dark stroll along Gertrude Street in Fitzroy and you'll find your whole world lit up in lights. Returning to the northside thoroughfare from July 15 to 24, the Gertrude Street Projection Festival will once again see a stretch along the 86 tram route transformed into a dazzling outdoor art gallery. Now in its ninth year, GSPF has well and truly hit its stride, lighting up everything from shopfronts to footpaths to the Atherton Gardens. In total, this year's program features 38 different projections from new and established artists, on display from 6pm until midnight. Once you've wandered up and down the block a few times, you can also pay a visit to the festival hub – that is, The Catfish – where you'll find everything from immersive sound installations to rockin' late night dance parties.
UPDATE, July 30, 2018: After selling out its return month at the Queen Victoria Market, Séance has announced it will hanging around — and unnerving brave guests — for longer. The spooky shipping container will be its every Wednesday (as part of the Winter Night Market), Friday and Saturday night throughout August. Tickets are still $20, but they're selling quickly, so head to the website to grab yours. After spooking participants in Federation Square last November, then in Sydney in December, the unnerving Séance installation is returning to Melbourne. The big, white container — with dark curtains and black letters splashed across its side — is popping up at the Queen Victoria Market this July. If you're not familiar with the installation, and didn't have the chance to visit last year, a word of warning: its aim is to mess with your senses. Participants take a seat inside the tiny space, put on a headset and are told to place both hands on the table. The lights go out leaving the container in absolute darkness and, for 15 uneasy minutes, participants are taken on an immersive journey led only by touch and sounds. Expect to feel confused, repulsed and struck with temporary claustrophobia. According to organisers, numerous participants bailed halfway through sittings during the recent Melbourne sessions. You're probably thinking that there's something dark or supernatural about the whole thing — and going by the name, we don't blame you. But the installation's organiser assures us that 'séance' is simply a French word meaning 'session' or 'sitting'. Did we mention that the velvet seats date back to 1913 and were pulled from an abandoned theatre? And so Séance is a sensory experience that looks at the psychology of both sensory deprivation and the dynamics of a group sitting together. It's a scary indicator of how easy it is for confusion, disorientation and information overload to affect our judgment. Artists David Rosenberg and Glen Neath of Darkfield (who have collaborated in other sensory deprivation projects before) are the creative masterminds behind the project, which has been described as 'disorienting' and 'deeply unsettling'. We're serious when we say it's not recommended for the claustrophobic, the easily frightened or those afraid of the dark.
As with every long weekend in Melbourne, the list of parties thrown over the three days is positively endless. If we have to pick a winner for bonafide boogie times, it's undoubtedly Around The Way. Brought to you by party-starter extraordinaires Funf, and stylish as all heck crew YSTRDAYBONE, the pair are are creating a music and lifestyle event like none other in Melbourne. Headlining the event is Scottish techno producer Sei A in his Melbourne debut. In terms of local DJ fun, Cutting Shapes DJs (specifically Jesse Young and Jean Pierre) will get that dance floor going. Speaking of Melbourne lads, legendary Cut Copy DJs will bring an infectious blend of disco and house, and Andras Fox will be doing his thing live — certainly worth keeping an eye and an ear out for. Also joining the list is Lovebirds, Tin Man, Myles Mac, Turkish Prison, Michael Ozone and Sleep D DJs. If you want in on this party, get your tickets now — last minute-ing is a fool's errand.
As far as Henry Miller was concerned, alone time is crucial to creativity. “An artist is always alone,” he wrote, “if he is an artist. What the artist needs is loneliness.” But spending day in, day out, with only your cat for company isn’t always a recipe for inspiration. Luckily, Etsy is well aware of the problem. So, every year, they host an enormous, worldwide Craft Party. Artists and craftspeople all over the planet are encouraged to get together to paint, draw, sculpt, sew and make — with like-minded others. This year, the gathering will be happening on June 6 and the theme is 'Kaleidoscope: Paper taking shape'. It's all about collages and paper cutting techniques this year, so come armed with scissors. Etsy Craft Parties will be held all over Australia. You can organise your own, or to attend one of Melbourne's major bashes, book a spot online. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
They say eating cheese before you go to bed will give you nightmares, but that doesn’t seem to bother the people who’ve organised Cheese Please, a twilight cheese festival coming to Melbourne on Friday, February 19. OK so that was a cheesy (woo!) introduction to what is undoubtedly the best damn news you’ve heard all week — a cheese festival is coming, a festival of cheese, an event where you can go and eat cheese and drink wine all night, which is incontrovertible proof that we’re all dead and Melbourne is heaven. And it’s not just any home-brand cheddar block either. The Australian Grand Dairy Awards are presenting the festival and only the finest cheeses will be on display — not a Kraft single in sight. Small-scale, family-owned producers will display alongside your favourites (Mersey Valley, we’re comin’ for ya) and all the cheese on offer will be prize winners of the Australian Grand Dairy awards. As well as much cheese there will also be much like-cheese-but-not. Like-cheese-but-not goes by many names — dips, yoghurts, cream, butter, desserts — and there will also be some very-much-not-cheese like beer, wine and food trucks. Very good. The event is technically free but you do have to ‘win’ tickets by registering and applying for them. This is probably because they know if it was open to the public we’d swarm the place in seconds, like agile 28 Days Later zombies, and tear it apart looking for cheese (they’ve certainly got our number). To get you in the mood, check out their website (aptly named Legendairy) for some truly inspirational recipes and cheese pairings — spiced oatcake with sour cherries and camembert anyone? You can register for tickets here. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
Turns out eating an entire two sticks of buttery, bready garlic bread from the freezer section doesn't count as an 'appreciation conference', because one Melburnian is making this actual event happen. Garlic bread aficionado and straight-up boss Baxter Kirk is putting on the world's very first Garlic Bread Appreciation Conference in Melbourne. Set to descend upon the MCG (yep, the giant, giant MCG) on Friday, January 15 at the strange time of 3.07am, the conference will "discuss the underrated garlic bread," according to the Facebook event. With 47,000+ people supposedly 'attending' the event, this could be the biggest celebration of garlic breadery the world has ever seen. Whether this conference is real or a beautiful, beautiful troll, we'll be raising a glass of cheap cola to that beloved buttery, buttery side anyway, before, during and after the event. Via Pedestrian. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
This year's West Projections Festival is lighting up with the theme of 'synthesis'. Running every night from August 11–27, the annual after-dark festival will see an entire suburb bathed in breathtaking blue light as more than 28 unique spaces around Footscray play host to specially commissioned works of pop-up public art. Supported by Victoria University and Maribyrnong City Council, this year's festival promises to be the most expansive yet. Sites include Bar Josephine, Footscray Railway Station, gallery Trocadero and local hairdresser Le Tuan, while participating artists range from arts/engineering/science collective Skunk Control. Forming the spine of the festival are eight free hour-long art walks, each of which will take participants on a different route around the suburb and end at a participating bar. There'll also be spoken word performances, roving projections and a VR dance party – and don't be surprised to see a convoy of food trucks rolling around the neighbourhood, either. Images: Shuttermain.
Things are pretty frosty in Melbourne, so the team at Welcome To Thornbury are bringing back one of their most intuitive event ideas to help warm your weekend — a mini festival dedicated to mulled wine and hot cheese. Following a successful first run in May, the party returns to the High Street food truck park from noon, Saturday, August 12, pulling together a selection of hot, gooey creations from some of the city's favourite cheese-slinging vendors. This is where all your cheesiest dreams come true, chowing down on lush cheese fondue from Frencheese, mulled wine donuts from Dip'd, ricotta cannoli from That's Amore, a raclette burger from the folks at Mr Burger, and other treats from the likes of The Cheese Rebels, That Arancini Guy, Sparrow's Philly Cheesesteaks, Brunetti Woodfired Pizza and Pasta Face. Of course, you won't find a better drink match to all that rich, melty dairy than some hot, spiced booze, so the bar will be rounding out its usual offerings with a special mulled wine, available all day long, along with tastings from Wimmera Hills Winery.
Australia's about to embark upon an entire month of parties, gigs and backyard shindigs, all raising sweet, sweet money to fight poverty around the world. Having run successfully in the UK for about ten years, Oxjam is a month-long, nationwide music festival aiming to raise money for Oxfam. Now it's launching in Australia, with goodhearted gigs coming to venues, garages and backyards nationwide. Even you can throw one. One of those star-studded fundraisers which has seen the likes of Hot Chip, Fatboy Slim, Coldplay and T.E.E.D. crank out a set for a good cause, Oxjam has been a long time coming for Australia. Teaming up with MTV Music and MTV Dance, Oxfam are launching the festival in August; with the main events happening across Sydney and Melbourne. Local venues, collectives and labels like I Oh You, Noisey, Goodgod Small Club, One Day, Motorik, UNDR CTRL and more are holding some of the official gigs — where of course, funds raised will go directly to Oxfam. Oxjam's major gig lineup will be collectively announced in June. But you don't just have to wait for Noisey's lineup, you can also host your own party wherever you are. Literally anyone can hold their own Oxjam, from existing venues to local bowling clubs, big time clubs to your very own home. So if you're deep house DJ in your crew you could set up the decks in your garage, put a collection tin at the door and throw down one humdinger of a fundraving do. (And if your neighbours complain, give 'em hell until they donate too.) First time at the event-throwing rodeo? MTV Australia are hosting an official event at MTV HQ in Sydney (date TBC), where budding venue managers, club promoters and regular shindig starters can get tips on throwing their own Gig For Good during Oxjam. If you can't make it to the how-to, Oxjam's website has a bunch of handy tips and DIY guides for party planners. Oxjam is happening Australia-wide over August 2015, with the main gigs happening in Melbourne and Sydney. But with one in three people around the world living in poverty, Oxjam's probably one of the best reasons to throw a local backyard gig we've ever heard. Head over here for more info and start planning. Image: Goodgod Small Club.
Bunnings Warehouse is supercharging its usual sausage sizzle, to support a few Aussie communities that are doing it pretty tough. Next Friday, November 22, all of the hardware giant's stores will host a special pre-weekend edition of their legendary snag sessions, raising coin for those impacted by drought and the current bushfires. All of the day's sausage profits will go to to Givit, a national non-profit that works with charities and community groups to connect disadvantaged people with the things that they need. The organisation also works with local councils and state governments to assist communities during disasters and emergencies — of which there are several happening at the moment. Some areas of the country have been struggling with a years-long drought and, this week, bushfires have destroyed hundreds of homes, and displaced thousands of people, across NSW and Queensland. Dangerous fire conditions continue today and into the weekend, too, with out-of-control fires still burning in both states. Luckily, Victoria has come away fairly unscathed from this recent bout of bushfires, but it's only the start of what's expected to be a hot and dry summer. For updates and advice on Victorian bushfires, head to the CFA website. So, on Friday, grab a snag in bread and show those in need some love. The sausage sizzles will run from 9am–4pm across all Bunnings Warehouses in Victoria.
You like gin. You drink G&Ts on a regular basis. But how well do you know the botanicals you're drinking? Bombay Sapphire has teamed up with a group of artists, chefs and bartenders to take you on a sensory adventure of where its botanicals are sourced. During the two-hour experience, aptly named Project Botanicals, guests will be given the global botanical tour — just pretend you're sampling coriander in Morocco and picking cubeb berries in Java. An important part of the sensory experience is the food and drink. Four dishes, cooked by Studio Neon chef Aaron Teece, will be paired with four cocktails created by some of Sydney's favourite bars. It's not just a standard food and drink pairing, though — the tasting experience will be interactive. You'll pick lemons, which are actually lemon cheesecakes, under a grove of trees in Spain while sipping on a drink created by Sydney's Mjolner. Next, wander down backstreets in China drinking Bar Moncur's liquorice-laced Jasmine Bloom and eating duck pancakes. You'll then travel across the globe some more before ending in Morocco with a lamb tagine and a vibrant cocktail from Union Electric. Throughout the immersive journey a 360-degree audio-visual artwork, created by Australian musician and producer Ta-ku together with award-winning animator Sam Price, will be playing around you. The multi-dimensional artwork, composed of music made exclusively for the event and a vivid light installation, will shift with each jump to a new location and hopes to alter perceptions of taste. Each session will run for two hours at the following times: 8.30pm on Thursday, 6pm and 8.30pm on Friday, 2.30pm, 5.30pm and 8.30pm on Saturday and 1.30pm, 4.30pm and 7.30pm on Sunday.
The 35th incarnation of Woodford Folk Festival — a temporary village of alternative lifestyle, music, art and performance — is finally happening this December and January. Over six days and six nights, more than 2,000 performers (and many, many more attendees) will bring this festival to life in the Sunshine Coast hinterland after a two-year pandemic-induced break. The festival will feature music from all over the globe including folk, rock, blues, First Nations performances as well as children's events, comedy, cabaret and talks on everything from social justice to science and innovation. You'll be able to wander through market stalls, encounter installation artworks and take part in workshops and activities at the Bushtime camping experience on Jinibara Country as you see out the year in with thousands of other festival goers. And that's all before the mammoth closing ceremony fire display on New Year's Eve that'll help you welcome in 2023. Keen to head along? The full Woodford Folk Festival program and tickets are yet to be released. For more information, visit the website. Images: Woodford Folk Festival via Flickr.
Fitzroy's gone and got itself a brand new bagel joint. Opening earlier this week in an old warehouse on Johnston Street, Mile End Bagels takes its name from a neighbourhood in Montreal, whose bagel obsession gives New York's a run for its money. Boiled in water and honey, and baked in a wood-fired oven, these rings of dough are seriously legit. Mile End is owned by Ben Vaughn and Michael Fee, the latter of whom worked for the former at the much-loved Carte Crepes at Melbourne University. Trading up from a crepe stand to a full blown bakery and cafe, their new endeavour sees the bagels made in full view of their customers. The interior has been spruced up by interior design firm Studio Esteta, and includes a communal table for up to 20 people. The bagels come in four varieties: sesame, cinnamon and raisin, poppy and "everything". Spreads include peanut butter and jam, a classic cream cheese option, and vegemite (because Australia). So far their fillings are limited to smoked salmon and roast beef, although they've teased a number of other options via Instagram, including a beetroot, kale and chilli jam number, and another with egg and ham. In the beverage department they serve Seven Seeds Coffee, Mork Hot Chocolate and Chai Boy artisan tea. Mile End is located at 14 Johnston Street, Fitzroy. Their opening hours are 7:30am-3:30pm Tuesday to Sunday. For more information follow them on Instagram or visit www.mile-end.com.au. Via Good Food.
Bunnings Warehouse is supercharging its usual sausage sizzle, to support a few Aussie communities that are doing it pretty tough. On Friday, January 24, all of the hardware giant's stores will host a special pre-weekend edition of their legendary snag sessions, raising coin for those impacted by drought and the current bushfires. All of the day's sausage profits will go to the Australian Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund. This is the second sizzling fundraiser day that Bunnings has hosted since the bushfire crisis began late last year — a similar nation-wide fundraiser in Nbuovember raised over $600,000 for non-profit Givit to purchase essential items for communities affected by the bushfires. So, on Friday, grab a snag in bread and show those in need some love — the sausage sizzles will run from 9am–4pm across all Bunnings Warehouses in Victoria (and the country). If you can't make it, you can chuck a few dollars into its collection tin over here. For updates and advice on Victorian bushfires, head to the VicEmergency website.
Undisputed badass, battle hero and SBS newsreader Lee Lin Chin is gearing up to represent Australia on the global stage. Announced on SBS's The Feed last night, Chin will take on the coveted role of Australia's official Eurovision spokesperson. Now that's a Eurovision representative we can get excited about (yeah sorry, ARIAs, charts, vocal range, yadda yadda, but come on). Chin will deliver the famous and vital points from Australia's stash, announcing the final three countries that will receive Australia's eight, ten and twelve points. So while Malta, Demark, perpetual 'London Calling' jokemakers the United Kingdom and more give it their best, most awkward shot in front of the green screen, Australia's modish champion will inevitably deliver the points with poise, urgency and hopefully, in this Logies hat. Given the time difference in Austria, Lin Chin will have to get up pretty early to deliver the goods. But eating, sleeping, raving and repeating is a cakewalk for this party professional. "I’m not worried about being up early, I’ll just have to take a break from the clubs for 20 minutes." *drops mic* As the very first time in Eurovision history Australia has been invited to compete in the contest, and the very first time Chin has dominated the international airwaves, it's all convenient timing for the SBS newsreader — who recently announced her new commitment to campaigning for the 2016 Gold Logie (most popular personality on Australian television, yep she's missing a few decades worth on her shelf). "195 million people watch Eurovision every year and if even just 10 million of those buy TV Week I’ll have it in the bag," she said in a coy and perfectly crafted media statement. "As SBS’s most recognisable personality I couldn’t say no to such an opportunity. I’m the obvious choice — not only have I been to Europe but I also listen to music from time to time." How can you get in on the Eurovision action? SBS will broadcast both semi-finals and the Grand Final live from Vienna on May 20, May 22 and May 24 from 5am. Both semi-finals will be shown in full on SBS ONE on May 22 and May 23 from 7.30pm. The Grand Final featuring Guy Sebastian and Lee Lin Chin's points delivery will screen on Sunday May 24 from 7.30pm. For now, this:
The theme of this year's Melbourne Fringe Festival is 'Eat Your Art Out', which sees most of the 470-plus events explore the relationship between food and art. You'll be invited to join interactive dinners, cook at pop-up barbecues and drop by the weekly Fringe Flavours Night Market. Every Wednesday evening from September 18–October 16, Queen Vic Market will play host to food stalls, pop-up bars, local artisan shops and heaps of Fringe performances. You can tuck into Polich dumplings from Pierogi, Pierogi, handmade pasta from La Trafila, a huge selection of tacos from the Le Mano, Korean corn rice from Oksusu and fluffy souffles from the Tokyoki Souffle team. There'll also be three separate bars running each night. One will serve a selection of berry-infused cocktails, another will shake up nothing but margaritas, and the third will be run by the Fringe Night Market itself — serving beer, wine, spiced rum and gin and tonics. When it comes to entertainment, you're absolutely spoilt for choice. Tash York will perform their wine-filled cabaret show, Throw Catch Collective will run a food-themed juggling act, Bettie Bombshell and Ruby Sklippers will perform family-friendly versions of their burlesque shows, and Boyd Kelly will be DJing most nights — bringing soul and funk beats to the Fringe Flavours Night Market. You can, of course, look up who is performing in advance and go along for their free show at the market, but we love to be surprised by Melbourne Fringe Festival events — simply rocking up and hoping for the best. That's kind of the point of the Fringe. Discover a new artist at the spring night market series, and if you really love them, pay for tickets to their main Fringe show.
This weekend we celebrate the Year of the Goat for Chinese New Year, and we can't stop thinking about the feast that awaits us. In Chinese dining, dumplings are without a doubt the biggest crowd pleaser, and we thought it was high time we learned the art of their creation. So we went straight to the experts. And where better to look to than New Shanghai? Located in Emporium's cafe court, this Shanghainese chain has earned rave reviews for their handmade xiao long bao (steamed soup dumpling) and the sheng jian bao (pan-fried pork dumpling). Dim sum chef Yihua Wu is the dumpling master here — he's been making dumplings for 10 years, and it's safe to say he has his practice down to a fine art. He first learned how to make dumplings at home in Wuxi, and claims that it took years of practice to get him to the skill level he currently possesses. His xiao long bao consist of 18 folds at the tip of the dumpling. Considering how tiny and delicate these dumplings are, this is no easy task. Wu says it took him years to master the practise, and his tip for perfect parcels? Try to make the folds as even as possible. Now, Wu can make a basket of eight dumplings in two minutes, and on a weekend day he can be making up to 200 baskets a day. You can do the math. We love a good dumpling, and we're guessing that you do too. So without further ado, here is how you make — and eat — authentic dumplings. THE DOUGH Make a dough using simple ingredients of flour and water. The dough needs to be the right softness and elasticity to be used for making dumplings, so measurements and temperature need to be carefully monitored when preparing the dough. For the sheng jian bao, yeast is also added to the dough — that ensures they are more bulbous when fried, and have a breadier texture in comparison to xiao long bao. Let the dough rest for at least 15 minutes before filling. THE FILLING While the dough is resting, you can mix up your dumpling filling. Any sort of mince meat is a good base, just as long as it still contains fat so the meat doesn't go dry and the dumplings stay juicy. You can also throw some finely-chopped vegetables in the mix for some extra flavour. Ever wondered how they get the soup in the xiao long bao? It comes from boiled pig skin that has had the fat removed, and when the liquid is left to cool, it gets a sticky consistency, leaving you with a jelly substance. This jelly is then mixed into the mince filling, and when it is heated, it becomes liquid once more — and the dumpling is filled with soup. PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER Divide the dough into small balls and roll out into perfect circles, approximately 5cm in diameter. The dough should be close to 1mm thick, so roll them out so they are thin, but not too delicate. A good teaspoon of filling is added to the centre of the flat dough circle, and then the edges are brought together and folded many times. To be honest, this is certainly the most difficult part for beginners, so if you are playing at home, you'll need a bit of practice to make perfect. Once all the folds are made, pinch the tip of the dumpling closed. You should have something that looks like an adorable mini moneybag. COOKING Xiao long bao are steamed in a bamboo basket for four and a half minutes. Fried dumplings are cooked for about eight minutes. EATING Yes, there is a correct way to eat these dumplings, and it will save you from making a mess and burning your taste buds. Or at least it will ensure you don't do it again. For xiao long bao, sit the dumpling in a soup spoon and bite only the tip off first, to release steam. Once it has cooled slightly, you can suck out some of the soup. From there, you can eat the dumpling as you like — but this way, you won't burn your mouth and spill the soup. For the sheng jian bao, you can actually stab them to release some steam before taking a bite, and you don’t have to swallow it whole — it's best enjoyed over a few bites. New Shanghai are celebrating Chinese New Year with selection of special dishes in addition to their regular menu. We can vouch for their xiao long bao. newshanghai.com.au
Enjoy a taste of Paris without leaving Melbourne. World renowned French baker Gontran Cherrier is set to cut the ribbon on his first Australian boulangerie in Collingwood later in the year. Opening on Smith Street in June, the bakery and cafe will stock a mouth-watering selection of freshly baked treats, including croissants, tarts, buns, rolls and fluffy white baguettes. Très bien. A fourth generation baker, dreamboat and host of the popular French reality show La Meilleure Boulangerie de France (The Best Bakery in France), Cherrier currently owns boulangeries in Paris, Tokyo, Singapore and Seoul. His Melbourne shop will be designed by Eades & Bergman, the same team behind Kong BBQ and the Meatball & Wine Bar. The menu will feature a mix of traditional and modern food made with ingredients imported directly from France. Think lemon tarts, almond chocolate croissants, rye and red miso bread, and squid ink rolls. Those wanting to get an early preview can check out Cherrier at the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival March 3-9. Our idea of a French fantasy #gontranmelb A photo posted by Gontran Cherrier Australia (@gontrancherrierau) on Feb 10, 2016 at 4:21pm PST "I chose Melbourne for my newest international bakery because it is known for its excellence in food," said Cherrier. "I think it also shares a lot of similarities with Paris such as the café culture and laneways. I was in Melbourne in 2010 and was struck by the culture and lifestyle. Ever since then I have wanted to open a store in this city. I’m so excited that it’s finally happening." Cherrier's Melbourne boulangerie is expected to open at 140-144 Smith Street, Collingwood in June 2016. Keep your eye on Instagram for updates. Photo by Marie Taillefer.
One of Australia's biggest beats-loving festivals has been canned. Mushroom Group have announced the discontinuation of Future Music Festival today, after reporting low ticket sales for the last two years. Despite attracted huge crowds to this year's March festival nationwide, Future apparently underperformed with ticket sales. This means Future isn't returning for 2016, with Mushroom looking to steer away from large-scale travelling festivals and put more focus on its touring adventures with Frontier Touring, A Day On the Green, Melbourne's Sugar Mountain and under-18s event Good Life. "The decision to discontinue Future Music Festival was not made lightly," says Mushroom Group Chairman Michael Gudinski. "A point came though where it simply no longer made sense to continue. We believe in the festival industry in Australia and plan to announce an exciting new festival concept in the coming months." Mushroom Group are developing a new festival concept, planned for the same time period previously held by Future and set to be announced later this year. Image: Future Music Festival.
