If, like me, you had nightmares for six months after seeing Hitchcock's The Birds, the title of this show may be a tad unappealing. But don’t let it put you off, because it sounds like a memorable night out. This self-proclaimed “mythic late-night journey through the shadows of the human psyche” uses live music, improvised dance and large-scale photography to explore themes of distorted memory, the past and life as an outsider. Playing out in the atmospheric industrial passageways at Carriageworks, Box of Birds is directed by Tess de Quincey, artistic director of De Quincey Co and leading artist with Australian dance collective BodyWeather. Combining the unpredictable moves of BodyWeather dancers with Anne Ferran’s photographic trilogy exploring female psychiatric patients in the 1940s (Insula, 1-38 and Box of Birds), this eclectic performance involves a labyrinthine world of bodies, otherworldly fashions, immersive sound design and even a smattering of Nietzschean philosophy. And, seriously, how often do you get to journey through the shadows of the human psyche for free? Box of Birds is part of the You're History season, something of a birthday party for Performance Space, but don't worry about bringing a gift. They're actually giving you the presents: wrapped-up pieces of performance, visual art, dance, music and more, celebrating their big 3-0. Also showing is Brown Council's ode to feminist performance artist Barbara Cleveland, the bite-sized art of 30 Ways with Time and Space, a creative send-off to analog TV and plenty more. Box of Birds is on nightly at 9pm, from November 20-24.
Queensland-born cult burger joint Betty's Burgers is expanding its empire yet again, announcing it will launch its third and fourth Sydney outposts later this year. Since opening the Shake Shack-style burger shop back in 2014, founder David Hales has turned his humble Noosa business into an Australian-wide favourite — having opened up shop in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney. The chain opened its first Sydney store in Darling Harbour last year and its second Sydney store in Castle Hill only last week, as part of Castle Towers' huge new food precinct. The new northern beaches store will swing open its doors at Manly Wharf in October, as part of the wharf's $9 million makeover, opening next to the likes of Rockpool Dining Group's Fratelli Fresh and Sake. In the east, Betty's Burgers will launch at Bondi Junction the following month. You can expect the same menu of the Angus beef classic, southern fried chicken, pork belly and crispy fried mushroom burgers, along with Betty's signature 'concretes'. For the uninitiated, these are frozen custard shakes with your choice of mix-ins, including peanut butter brittle, hot fudge doughnut and lemon raspberry cheesecake. Betty's Burgers is slated to open at Manly Wharf in October and at Bondi Junction in November. Keep an eye on its website for updates.
A killer double-bill of artists on the Big Day Out lineup which will be a fascinating, energetic mishmash of styles. Toro Y Moi is one of the leaders of the whole 'chillwave' thing, his music minimal and relaxed but always full of energy, his live shows nothing but joyous, summery good times. Taking inspiration from sources as diverse as house music and the beats of J Dilla, Toro Y Moi serves up a whole mix of different things to keep you dancing. But whatever you do, don't miss Portugal. The Man (which is actually a whole band from Alaska, not one dude from Europe). Portugal are like the best covers band in the world; their own songs a are timeless mix of classic rock and roll like David Bowie, T-Rex and Pink Floyd, but with a space-y, psychedelic, rhythm and blues vibe to it — all of which sounds like music you've always loved but with a new kinda kick to it. They are gradually picking up a following in Australia after touring here a few times in the last couple of years, and you'd be crazy not to get down early to catch them. https://youtube.com/watch?v=fSVwJyxeVYI
Underground Cinema — Melbourne-born innovators of secret immersive film experiences — have just announced their latest Sydney instalment: La Guerre. These are the people who take cinema out of the cinema and into boatyards, beaches and after-hours schools, creating a world in sync with the evening's film though real-life actors, evocative food, intricate sets and costumes. It's all themed to set the scene and get guests guessing, because the film, of course, is a secret. So what do we know? We know that UGC La Guerre will transport guests back to the 1940s, for a cinema event that's more like walking onto a film set than anything else. Think World War II, sepia tones, pin curls and la Resistance. Wear your '40s best. The dates confirmed for Sydney are Friday, July 18, and Saturday July 19, at 7.30pm, as well as Sunday, July 20, at 5pm. Whatever the film is, viewers can expect immersion bordering on camp. In the past they've taken toga-clad cinema-goers to ancient Rome (for Life of Brian) and given out white jumpsuits, student cards and medical examinations before filing people into a snow-covered Swedish academy (Let the Right One In). As distinct from World Movies Secret Cinema, the focus is really on interactivity, immersion and theatricality, quite like the UK institution Secret Cinema. Sometimes the screening location takes a back seat (the Life of Brian space was in Moore Park; the screening, Hoyts). https://youtube.com/watch?v=r9GufI42bLI Because of the popularity of their previous vintage-themed events, UGC have added an extra Sydney show this time around, but predictions are they'll all sell out anyway — so depechez-vous! Tickets go on sale on Tuesday, June 24, at 1pm sharp, for $50 + bf. There's a cash bar and hot food on site, and all ticketholders will be sent details of the location via SMS on the day. Keep an eye on the UGC Facebook page for more details.
In the 70s and 80s, it was Countdown. In the 90s and early 00s, it was Recovery. Now, the ABC is adding The Set to its roster of music-focused TV shows. Like its predecessor, the new television series will feature live music performances in front of a live studio audience — with triple j's Linda Marigliano and Dylan Alcott as the program's hosts. Kicking off on both ABC and iview at 9.30pm on Wednesday, October 31, The Set will feature a different main band each week, who'll then invite two guest acts to perform live as well. To end each show, the week's artists will all team up in a one-off musical collaboration. And with the whole thing taking place on a purpose-built share house set, which also includes a backyard, 250 folks will be there, in person, enjoying the gig. Headliners include Angus and Julia Stone, Vera Blue, Ball Park Music and The Presets, while the likes of Illy, Odette, Baker Boy, Wafia, Mallrat, Angie McMahon, Tia Gostelow, LANKS and Kult Kyss have been named among The Set's guests. The series will actually air twice each week — with a 30-minute episode running each Wednesday evening, and then an extended hour-long version screening on Saturdays at 10pm from November 3.
It's always the way that on the one day you've got one bar of battery left, you forget your phone charger. A Universal Phone Charger is a clunky solution to such a problem, but here's something more elegant: a mobile which can recharge from ambient heat, even when it's sitting in your pocket! It's a clever concept from London-based designer Patrick Hyland. The Nokia E-Cu (E for environment, Cu for copper) creates a current from the smallest of energy sources like the heat from your pocket. The outer copper casing receives thermal energy and transforms it into battery power. It's still in concept-stage, with no plans from Nokia to develop it yet, but Hyland is keen to collaborate with anybody to get it off the ground. Hyland aims to create a charger-free cell phone future, noting that "annually, unwanted phone chargers produce 51,000 tons of waste in addition to the greenhouse gases created by the production of the electricity needed to charge them." [Via Good]
By this point, Archie Rose needs little introduction. One of Sydney's first distilleries in 160 years has reignited many an Aussie's appreciation of spirits since opening in 2014 thanks to its diverse range of premium whiskies, gins, vodkas and rums showcasing native ingredients. Along the way, it's become the nation's most awarded distillery, and it's also given us one-off collaborations, limited releases and interactive spirits experiences from masterclasses to fascinating distillery tours. If that weren't enough, now Archie Rose has only gone and created what it's calling its best-ever gin. Bone Dry Gin is a limited-edition run that's the brand's first from its new Banksmeadow distillery and its one-of-a-kind copper vacuum stills. The spirit extracts the diverse flavour profile of hand-foraged juniper berries from North Macedonia through hot and cold distillation, and it is lifted with notes of Australian coriander seed, Tahitian lime and lemon-scented gum. The result is a tipple with a supple start on the palate that gives way to bold citrus and herb notes that leads to a pine-accented, bone-dry finish. To celebrate the release of Bone Dry Gin, we've teamed up with Archie Rose to give two lucky readers the chance to win the ultimate Archie Rose prize pack. Enter below to go into the running to win a case of Bone Dry Gin (six bottles), a pack of Caperberry Martini cocktail bottles (two bottles) and a pair of tickets to an Archie Rose Blend Your Own Gin masterclass in Sydney (valid for three years). That's nearly $1000 worth of Archie Rose goods, on us, for you to enjoy the ultimate gin experience — including the chance to make your very own. [competition]828345[/competition]
And sell it. Mostly sell it. But you'll actually earn some money too. Despite original fears that digital music downloads would kill the industry and steal artists' royalties, the new distribution channel has been welcomed by many and often brings artists and their fans closer together. Some have even experimented with the medium and how to sell music online: Radiohead let fans pay what they want, and online concerts are now nothing out of the ordinary. Kaiser Chiefs have come up with an ingenious way of involving their fans in their new album The Future Is Medieval, asking them to create their own customised version of 10 tracks from the 20 on offer, and create the cover art. If you think your producing/artwork is pretty awesome, you can put your version up for sale on their Album H.Q. and if others buy it, you'll earn a portion of each sale. Gimmick? Perhaps. A clever way to get fans to pay for an album twice? Definitely. But the band could really be on to something here. Giving fans a role in the creation of the album, however token, gives them a sense of ownership and connection with the band/brand; the Album H.Q. provides a space for the community; and the cash reward means that fans get to share in the band's success. If the experiment proves a success, expect others to follow suit or push the envelope even further. The world of print media, whose death has often been falsely predicted, could perhaps take a leaf out of music's book when it comes to competing in a digital world. [Via PSFK]
Former Powderfinger frontman Bernard Fanning has announced a huge, 17-date national tour — including several all-ages shows — to promote his debut album, Battleships, out June 7 on Dew Process/Universal. It's been a long wait for Fanning fans (which, in keeping with the precedent set by Beliebers and Directioners, we'll henceforth be calling Fan-nings), with this tour their first opportunity to see the great man since Powderfinger's farewell tour in 2010. He'll be traversing the country, from Nambour to Hobart, along with his special guests, Big Scary and Vance Joy. And if you're in Townsville on August 17, you'll get a special mini-festival when that already-awesome lineup is bolstered by The Rubens, The Medics AND Snakadaktal. With Fanning also announced for Splendour in the Grass following hot on the heels of the release of the album's debut single (and title track), it's sure to be a busy few months for one of Australia's favourite songwriters. Tickets go on sale Tuesday, May 7, via an exclusive fan club presale through bernardfanning.com. The Telstra Thanks presale is available from Wednesday, May 8, before the public on-sale kicks off on Friday, May 10. Concert dates below: Sunday 14 July: Nambour Civic Centre, Nambour (18+) Tuesday 16 July: Empire Theatre, Toowoomba (All Ages) Thursday 18 July: The Tivoli, Brisbane (18+) Friday 19 July: Arts Theatre: The Arts Centre, Gold Coast (18+) Friday 26 – Sunday 28 July: Splendour In The Grass Tuesday 30 July: Newcastle Civic Theatre, Newcastle (All Ages) Thursday 1 August: Anita's Theatre, Wollongong (18+) Friday 2 August: Enmore Theatre, Sydney (All Ages) Sunday 4 August: Royal Theatre – National Convention Centre, Canberra (All Ages) Friday 9 August: Palace Theatre, Melbourne (18+) Saturday 10 August: Geelong Performing Arts Centre – Costa Hall, Geelong (All Ages) Tuesday 13 August: Wrest Point, Hobart (18+) Thursday 15 August: Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide (All Ages) Saturday 17 August: Kuranda Amphitheatre, Cairns (All Ages) With Additional Special Guests: The Rubens, The Medics and Snakadaktal Sunday 18 August: The Venue, Townsville (18+) Tuesday 20 August: Pilbeam Theatre, Rockhampton (All Ages) Wednesday 21 August: Entertainment Convention Centre – Plenary Halls, Mackay (18+) Sunday 25 August: Astor Theatre, Perth (18+) https://youtube.com/watch?v=Fi8OciiVIA4
One thing locals know is that Bourke Street Bakery is the place to hit up for your daily bread and/or weekend pastry blowout. And you know who else knows it? MasterCard. Cardholders who register with the Priceless Sydney program can score all manner of perks and freebies at the beloved bakery (t-shirts, sausage rolls — the good stuff) when they book a sourdough-making lesson or simply drop $15 on their usual nomz. But this is just one example of the deals available through MasterCard's Priceless Sydney, which boasts a beautifully curated knowledge of our city's many villages and their hidden experiential treasures. There's something so nice about getting a little bit of royal treatment, a gift or a great deal when supporting local businesses, and Priceless Sydney has it all worked out for you. So what other varieties of fun are on offer through the program? At Lucio's of Paddington you can enjoy a canapé and an aperitivo (I'd choose the blood orange Pettirosso) on the house. Adventurous types can meet George the friendly Blue Grouper of Cabbage Tree Bay Marine Reserve with Pro Dive and walk away with a free snorkel and mask. There's an array of other groovy offers on dining, entertainment, retail, sport and hotels, too. Getting the idea? Even as a source of inspiration and motivation to get you back into the swing of all that the incredible city of Sydney has going on, Priceless Sydney is a very cool initiative. Take advantage.
The annual reason to not entirely obliterate yourself on New Year's Eve, Field Day, has announced a solid lineup for its 2015 instalment. After significant hints at SBTRKT appearances post-Falls, the Young Turks favourite has been confirmed alongside Dillon Francis, alt-J, Jamie xx, Danny Brown, Cashmere Cat, Bastille, Joey Bada$$, Todd Terje, Milky Chance, Action Bronson and more thumbs up-inducing names. Local legends aren't lacking with RüFüs, The Kite String Tangle, Kilter, Peking Duk, Thundamentals, Touch Sensitive and Golden Features will join the international crew. On the whole, the lineup seems to be stemming from surrounding Australian NYE festivals, as any self-respecting New Year's day festival should, nabbing significantly from Falls and Beyond the Valley. But when the good'uns are in town, why not bring everyone to the hangover? Field Day 2015 Lineup SBTRKT alt-J Dillon FrancisRüFüsBastille Jamie xx Danny Brown Joey Bada$$ Milky Chance Salt N Pepa Peking Duk Todd Terje Kaytranada Tensnake Cashmere Cat Tycho The Kite String Tangle Glass Animals Action Bronson Just Blaze Thundamentals Golden Features Touch Sensitive Friend Within Mø Kilter Charlotte OC Oisima Field Day tickets are on sale from midday on Tuesday, September 30 through the website. Early bird tickets are sitting at $118 + BF. https://youtube.com/watch?v=k131nTwaGLE
Although it’s been a long time since we farewelled the god of grunge, this year marks the 20th anniversary of the death of Kurt Cobain. Photographer Jesse Frohman was behind the lens of the last ever formal shoot Nirvana did. Taken in November 1993, mere months before Cobain’s suicide, the photographs were published for an article in the London Observer. In their larger and more vivid glory, they are currently on display at Paddington’s Blender Gallery. With those iconic sunnies, the photographs show Cobain swaggering around in patched-up denim jeans, a fake-fur coat, and an inseparable ciggy — epitomising the Seattle sound and style. Both goofy and gritty, there is a poignancy to these portraits which seem to reveal not only the vibrant and crashing descent of Cobain but also of grunge. In conjunction with the exhibition, Frohman’s book, titled The Last Session, is for sale. If you’re a fan or just craving a little '90s nostalgia, you won’t want to miss this tribute to one of the most beloved and enigmatic frontmen of alternative rock.
Cancer: Generally deep down in the 'not funny' basket. It's almost natural, then, that big-dreaming writers will take that as a challenge. Young playwright Rita Kalnejais has found the comedic key with her new work, Babyteeth, commissioned especially for Belvoir. It’s a bit of an ode to a childhood friend of Kalnejais', so there's a very real and giving tone to this bittersweet story, whose cast of eccentrics are each affected by the sharply declining health of 14-year-old Milla (Sara West). She's a child aware she'll be missing womanhood, and the dead are speaking to her of the beauty of the world. When a drug-addicted 25-year-old, Moses (Eamon Farren), swoops in to tend to her nosebleed, he may be saving her life, and she his. Although some of the characters emerge as caricatures — a mini assault on your warm, Zen journey — others are so wonderful you curse the moment they'll skip off the whirling set and leave you. Babyteeth has a beautiful heart, and it is parents Henry (Greg Stone) and Anna (Helen Buday) as they struggle to cope with their daughter's approaching death and try to give her the experience of a full life before it. When one or both of these characters is on stage — whether they're negligently but understandably mixing barbiturates, emotionally adopting the wayward girl next door, or clumsily trying to revive their romance in between appointments — the play is at its most electrifying. Director Eamon Flack has a great sense of the playful in a text (as he's shown with his As You Like It and A Midsummer Night's Dream), and he and Kalnejais have perfectly balanced the light and dark in Babyteeth. It's a striking night of theatre that spills you out onto a sweeter-smelling Belvoir Street when it's done.
Everyone is picky about their coffee, and once you've find the perfect spot, nothing else tastes quite right. This St Peters coffee spot, however, is doing things a bit differently. Describing itself as 'The Most Inconsistent Cafe in Australia', the pop-up prides itself on its constantly changing coffee offering. Run by Collective Roasting Solutions (CRS), a shared roasting facility in Alexandria used by a slew of industry experts, the pop-up features an all-star lineup of Sydney roasters, including Edition, Skittle Lane, Harry's Bondi and Grace & Taylor. Each week there'll be a new rotation of blends and roasters available, meaning every time you head in, you'll be welcomed with a different coffee experience. While most cafes try to get their coffee as consistent as possible, the idea behind the CRS pop-up is to show off the variety of flavours and depth in coffee beans. CRS, which ran a similar pop-up in Enmore back in 2016, has also partnered Marrickville's Labld Cafe for the occasion, so you can pair your coffee with a breakfast or lunch bento box. Locally sourced pastries will also be available to snack on. Located opposite Sydney Park, the coffee shop is also the perfect spot to do some quality dog-watching (and maybe even pat one or two). Find the CRS St Peters Pop-Up at 641 King Street, from 7am–2pm Tuesday to Sunday.
We rang in the year of the ox (goodbye year of the rat, go sleep it off) on February 12, but the festivities are continuing throughout the month. And what's the best way to partake in the celebration? We've got it right here and it'll make you happier than a hungry bullock. Dumpling master Din Tai Fung is offering new limited edition 'Masked Ox Buns', and they are some the cutest dumplings we've ever seen. Just look at them. Din Tai Fung is famous for its dumplings and is known to release beautiful and novelty dumplings for special occasions (check out these adorable little monkey buns from 2016 and pig bao from 2019). The ox buns are filled with a sweet filling of molten chocolate, which oozes out when you squeeze them. And, in line with the times, they're decked out with little masks — because of course they are. The ox buns are available at Din Tai Fung restaurants and food court outlets in Sydney, so you'll want to hit up its World Square, Westfield Chatswood, Westfield Miranda, Westfield Sydney, Broadway Shopping Centre, Gateway Sydney, The Star, Greenwood Plaza and MLC Centre venues. In great news for Melburnians under lockdown, they're also available for delivery via Deliveroo — and in the chain's big frozen Lunar New Year hampers, which you can get brought to your door. The only problem we can foresee with the cute Din Tai Fung dish? Eating those sweet little pig faces may be hard… but we'll probably manage it. Masked Ox Buns are available for $8.80 for two at Din Tai Fung's World Square, Westfield Chatswood, Westfield Miranda, Westfield Sydney, Broadway Shopping Centre, Gateway Sydney, The Star, Greenwood Plaza and MLC Centre stores. They're also available via Deliveroo — and, in Melbourne, in the chain's frozen Lunar New Year hampers, which cost $98 .
If you're a fan of musical theatre, then you know the name Jonathan Larson, the creator and composer behind smash-hit production Rent. And, you likely know his story, too, with the playwright and lyricist passing away at the age of 35 on the day that that now-huge show premiered its first off-Broadway preview performance, and never seeing the Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning phenomenon that it would become. Before that, Larson also created another musical called tick, tick…BOOM!; however, it didn't chart the same path. Instead, the semi-autobiographical piece was performed as a solo work before his death, following a character called Jon who worried that he'd made the wrong decision by chasing his dream of becoming a composer. After Larson died, tick, tick…BOOM! was reimagined as a three-actor show, then made its way from off-Broadway to off-West End, as well as West End itself. And, in 2021, it took the leap to the screen, too, courtesy of Netflix — in a film directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda and starring Andrew Garfield, the latter turning in an Oscar-nominated performance as Larson. That's a whole lot of history behind Sydney's latest big musical announcement: that tick, tick…BOOM! will bring its Australian mainstage debut tour to the Harbour City in 2023. First, it'll run seasons at Melbourne's Comedy Theatre and Brisbane's QPAC Playhouse, before arriving at Sydney's Lyric Theatre from Thursday, April 20–Sunday, April 23. If you're wondering about tick, tick…BOOM!'s narrative, the rock musical is set in 1990, with promising young composer Jon as its focus. He's almost 30, living in New York City, and life as an artist isn't turning out as he planned — so he has to decide what to do next. The production is an ode to theatre and a tribute to New York, too, and has kept proving popular since it premiered in its current format off-Broadway in 2001. Playing Larson in Australia: multiple Logie-winner Hugh Sheridan (Packed to the Rafters, House Husbands, Five Bedrooms), with Elenoa Rokobaro (Rent) as Susan, Finn Alexander (Urinetown) as Michael, and Sheridan Adams (Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical) and Andrew Coshan (A View From a Bridge) also among the cast. Also, tick, tick…BOOM!'s upcoming Aussie seasons will be produced by Adrian Storey from StoreyBoard Entertainment (Chess the Musical, Barnum, Follies, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) and directed by Tyran Parke (Chess the Musical, Barnum, Follies, Sunday in the Park with George). The Australian production doesn't yet have any footage, either, but you can check out the trailer for the Netflix film below: tick, tick…BOOM! will play Sydney's Lyric Theatre from Thursday, April 20–Sunday, April 23, 2023. For further details and tickets, head to the musical's Australian website.
At the end of Billy Elliot, the main character (all grown up) steps on stage. He's about to dance the lead role in Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake, the now-world-renowned retelling of perhaps the most popular ballet ever, where all the traditionally delicate, graceful, tutu-ed female swans are replaced by men. We don't get to see any more in the film, but to those who felt cheated of the brawn and feathers and highly talented dancing boys (the story follows a prince, attracted through curiosity and lust to the leading Swan — a dark, predatory, menacing and morphing sexual predator), you're now in luck. The once-controversial, always-audacious ballet is coming to Sydney, for a limited run of performances. (So get on it.) Bourne's Swan Lake did show here back in 2007, but this time it's been revamped a bit. According to Bourne himself, there's less of the naff and childish humour in some of the prince's scenes, and even more of the wild, raw, animalistic masculinity that this reinvention of Tchaikovsky's classic is famous for. Yes please.
East Ocean, one of our favourite late-night dining spots, is a total dumpling rock star. Try the prawn, pork, vegetable and peanut butter dumplings ($4.80 for three) for an all-in-one taste sensation. Open until late every night, East Ocean’s the perfect place for your midnight dumpling binge.
Celebrated for their cheerleading of Sydney artists on their bottles, Redfern locals Cake Wines are hosting their adorably named Archibottle Prize exhibition tonight. Along with the announcement of five new Cake wines, one of thirty entrants will feature on the label for Cake's 2013 McLaren Vale Shiraz, set to hit shelves in October. Celebrating its third year running, the Archibottle is a pretty top prize for local artists — Ears and Sean Edward Whelan topped 2012 and 2013 respectively and have enjoyed spots on the wine rack since then. But tonight's not all about art, there's plenty of booze news afoot as well. The event will also double as Cake's new vintage launch, with the team set to release five new wines — all yet to be revealed. After three years of winemaking and showing up to Sydney parties left, right and centre, Cake are taking things next level with this new batch of vinos. "We’ve evolved as a business and as guys who love making great wines, the result is still an approachable, easy drinking range but we've really tried to push things with this release," say the Cake team. "We’ve tried to capture the real essence of the Adelaide Hills to showcase the relationship between individual grape varieties and their immediate surroundings. We wanted each wine to be highly aromatic with a mix of varietal fruit flavours on the palate." You'll be able to taste Cake's 2013 whites and 2014 reds tonight, toasting the successes of the Archibottle winner and commiserating the runners up. Here are the finalists for the Archibottle, just for pretty's sake. See the full versions of the finalists at Cake's website. Find the Archibottle Prize exhibition from 6.30pm on Friday, September 29 at District 01, 7 Randle Lane, Surry Hills. Entry is free (and so's the wine). Images: Cake Wines.
It was 35 years ago in the original 1977 Star Wars film that Princess Leia called for the help of Ben Obi-Wan Kenobi through holographic messaging. At the time we thought anyone would be out of their mind to think such a thing would be possible. We were wrong about a lot of things back in 1977. Educated as an industrial design engineer but always fascinated by lights, Japanese artist Makoto Tojiki turned his head to creating art in 2003 and for five years has worked on his life sized light sculptures. Through the medium of thousands of LED lights and optical fibres, the futuristic celestial like sculptures approach the idea of 'physical presence' in an illuminating way. Tojiki explains his stunning 'No Shadow' light installation sculptures: "An object is seen when our eyes capture light that is reflected from the object. If we extract just the light that is reflected from ‘something,’ are we still in the presence of that 'something?' Using contours of light, I try to express this 'something.' Playing with perception and space, Tojiki encourages the audience to interact with his sculptures from different angles and distances, in turn altering viewer experience. Despite the international success of Tojiki's artworks, his talents are not limited to LED sculptures. Dabbling in interior design and jewellery, Tojiki hopes to see his artworks integrated with fashion brands and featured at events, stores or showrooms. For all you Harry Potter fans, check out Tojiki's 'Horse with No Shadow' installation. Created for Hermes, and probably with no connection to the wizarding world whatsoever, I can't help but see a comparison to Harry Potter's Petronus charm. [Via The Cool Hunter]
Something wicked this way comes: the first trailer for the 29-years-later sequel to Hocus Pocus. Yes, The Sanderson sisters are back in this follow-up to beloved 1993 favourite, with the trio wreaking havoc in modern-day Salem. For viewers, they'll be getting witchy on Disney+ in the lead up to Halloween. The Mouse House's streaming platform sure does love dropping seasonal-themed movies at the appropriate times. Here's hoping this one turns out better than last year's Christmas-focused Home Sweet Home Alone, though, when it hits the platform on Friday, September 30. Three things that Hocus Pocus 2 instantly has in its favour: original stars Bette Midler (The Addams Family 2), Sarah Jessica Parker (And Just Like That...) and Kathy Najimy (Music), all returning as Winnie, Sarah and Mary Sanderson. In the new film's first sneak peek, the magical trio make a reappearance thanks to a different threesome — a trio of teenage pals who, early in the teaser trailer, are told that "it's on the 16th birthday that a witch gets her powers". Cue a black cat, a book of spells, chanting in a graveyard and big The Craft vibes. Soon, cue Winnie, Sarah and Mary as well. Story-wise, Hocus Pocus 2 obviously follows what happens next, as the Sandersons try to unleash their child-eating ways — and the high schoolers who conjured them up attempt to stop them before dawn on All Hallow's Eve. It's been 29 years since someone last lit the black flame candle which resurrects the 17th-century sisters in the movie's world, just as it has in our own, and the witches aren't happy about it. "Lock up your children," Winnie cackles, of course. Yes, Midler makes the line count. Hocus Pocus 2 also features Sam Richardson (The Afterparty), Doug Jones (The Shape of Water), Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso), Whitney Peak (Gossip Girl), Belissa Escobedo (American Horror Stories), Lilia Buckingham (Dirt), Froyan Gutierrez (Teen Wolf) and Tony Hale (Veep). While the original film was directed by Kenny Ortega — before the filmmaker gave the world the High School Musical movies — this one has Dumplin', Hot Pursuit and The Proposal's Anne Fletcher behind the lens. Check out the trailer for Hocus Pocus 2 below: Hocus Pocus 2 will be available to stream via Disney+ on Friday, September 30. Images: courtesy of Disney Enterprises, Inc. © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
End times really are upon us — end times for Good Omens, that is. The beloved series about an angel and a demon teaming up to stop the apocalypse has locked in a third season; however, this'll finish its on-screen story, with Prime Video revealing that the Michael Sheen (Best Interests)- and David Tennant (Ahsoka)-led show will return for one final run. "I'm so happy finally to be able to finish the story Terry and I plotted in 1989 and in 2006. Terry was determined that if we made Good Omens for television, we could take the story all the way to the end," said Neil Gaiman, with the series based the 1990 novel Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch that he wrote with fellow fantasy author Terry Pratchett. "Season one was all about averting armageddon, dangerous prophecies and the end of the world. Season two was sweet and gentle, although it may have ended less joyfully than a certain angel and demon might have hoped." "Now in season three, we will deal once more with the end of the world. The plans for armageddon are going wrong. Only Crowley and Aziraphale working together can hope to put it right. And they aren't talking," Gaiman continued. Exactly when the series will stream its final season hasn't been revealed as yet, but filming is set to start in Scotland soon, Prime Video advised. So, that should mean that fans won't be in for a four-year wait to see Sheen as the angel Aziraphale and Tennant as the demon Crowley again, as happened between season one and season two. Who else will return among the cast also hasn't been announced — but Jon Hamm (Fargo), Doon Mackichan (Toast of Tinseltown), Gloria Obianyo (Dune), Miranda Richardson (Rams), Maggie Service (Life) and Nina Sosanya (His Dark Materials) have been key parts of the show since season one. Neil Gaiman is back as executive producer, writer and co-showrunner, helping guide yet another season that expands past its source material. "Good Omens has checked every box for a clever, witty and funny comedy that not only made it a success on Prime Video, but also made 'goodness' watchable and fun thanks to Neil and Terry's immense creativity. The final season is sure to be packed with the same dynamic energy that our global customers have come to enjoy," said Vernon Sanders, Amazon MGM Studios' Head of Television. "We're delighted to see Crowley and Aziraphale returning after breaking our hearts in season two. Seeing award-winning duo David and Michael reunited will be such a joy. We only wish Terry was here to enjoy the ride with us," added Rob Wilkins, Good Omens' executive producer. There's no sneak peek at Good Omens season three yet, but you can check out the trailer for season two below: Good Omens doesn't yet have a release date for season three, but streams via Prime Video. Read our review of season two.
Our lovely neighbours at Redfern cafe Three Williams had their tip jar stolen last weekend (March 15). It was a busy Saturday, so the thing is full of notes. As you can see in the video below, the thief makes some pleasant-seeming chit chat but then abstracts the jar from the counter into his backpack when no-one is watching. We're not here to judge (who knows what you have going on in your life, guy), but seeing as the folks at Three Williams are super nice to us even when we're pre-morning-coffee surly, we think they deserve their tip jar more than you. So if you know the man in the video, please help identify him. And if you are the man in the video, go ahead and return what you took. Let's hope that, much like the Grounds' animals and Messina's cake, this jar comes back to its owners. If you know anything about the theft, get in touch with the Three Williams team via Facebook message. https://youtube.com/watch?v=O3rYYTDhLH0
Much of 2017 might seem like it has been ripped from an episode of Black Mirror, but the real thing is about to show us just how grim the future could be. The Charlie Brooker-created TV show is set to return for its fourth season later in the year, and it has dropped its first sneak peek. Spoiler: things really do look grim. Headed to Netflix at a yet-to-be-revealed date, the new Black Mirror will consist of six instalments filled with more unnerving satire about humanity's relationship with technology. Although the new clip is really just that, announcing the series' episode titles with suitably moody snippets, expect snowy peaks, spooky blonde-haired kids, Star Trek-style space jaunts, monstrous robots and more. Each new chapter's moniker is certain to pique plenty of interest, with names such as 'Arkangel', 'Black Museum', 'Crocodile', 'Hang the DJ', 'Metalhead' and 'USS Callister'. In addition, the new season's directors and main cast members have also been revealed. Brooker himself wrote every new instalment, while the likes of Jodie Foster, Australian filmmaker John Hillcoat (The Road, Triple 9), Peaky Blinders' Colm McCarthy and American Gods' David Slade are sitting in the helmer's chair. On screen, expect a cast that includes La La Land's Rosemarie DeWitt, Nocturnal Animals' Andrea Riseborough and Fargo's Jesse Plemons getting up to the kind of sci-fi antics that no one wants to dream of. Check out the trailer below in preparation for a whole new round of futuristic bleakness. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oH85obU350E
It may sound like a sci-fi gimmick every time you read about it, but virtual reality is truly almost in your hands. From high-end military training software to 360° porn, VR technology has come a long way since the Nintendo Virtual Boy in the ‘90s. Tech giants including Google, Facebook, Microsoft and Sony have all bought into the craze and are working frantically on commercially viable hardware. Now lightweight camera manufacturer and BFF to extreme sports GoPro is getting in on the action well. Snowboarding videos will never be the same. The American company has confirmed it's set to purchase Kolar, a small French software startup that specialises in panoramic video. GoPro already makes a multi-directional camera mount capable of shooting 360° video, footage that the Kolar software can then stitch together. As part of their announcement, GoPro released a video of what that looks like — although unless you want to give yourself a serious headache, you’ll need to watch it in Google Chrome. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMBDA-Our4w According to a statement by GoPro CEO Nicholas Woodman, "GoPro's capture devices and Kolor's software will combine to deliver exciting and highly accessible solutions for capturing, creating and sharing spherical content." Spherical content. The immersive video will initially be compatible with Google Cardboard — Google's ultra low budget cardboard mount that turns your smartphone into a kind of DIY virtual reality headset — before being expanded to work with other, higher end systems such as Oculus Rift and Samsung Gear VR. Via Quartz. Top images: GoPro.
We have a lot to thank Mexico for: tequila, tacos, and festive music, for starters. And Mexico's annual holiday Cinco de Mayo is as good an excuse as any to celebrate the country's colourful culture. SoCal, Neutral Bay's southern-Californian eatery, agrees and has scheduled a series of events showcasing Mexican booze and bites. Created in partnership with Olmeca ALTOS tequila, the inaugural Taco and Tequila Fiesta will see SoCal host seven days of Mexican-themed festivity. As well as the events, a special Mexican sundae, created by renowned pastry chef Andy Bowdy (and owner of Enmore's Saga), will be available all month. It's no surprise that the all-you-can-eat taco night on Tuesday, May 8, booked out pretty quickly. SoCal will accept walk-ins on the night, but if you're all about those guarantees, here are some of the other highlights to fill your calendar with. CINCO DE MAYO PARTY The week-long party kicks off on the Mexican holiday. The day traditionally commemorates the historic victory of the Mexican army over the French army in Pueblo, Mexico on May 5, 1862. In modern times, all around the world, the day marks an opportunity to celebrate Mexican culture. So, from midday, SoCal will be decked out in cacti and sombreros, slinging margaritas and playing Mexican-themed live music well into the night. Score a free flower crown with your margarita between 12pm–2.30pm or don a sombrero and celebrate all things Mexico. Cinco de Mayo will kick off at midday on Saturday, May 5. MY TACO RULES! CHAMPIONSHIP Eating taco after taco on any other day could be considered gluttony (not that it stops us). But on Monday, May 7, it's all in the name of research. The SoCal terrace will be transformed into a MasterChef-style kitchen where head chefs and bartenders from Applejack Hospitality venues — The Botanist, Endeavour Tap Rooms, The Butler and, of course, SoCal — will battle it out for taco and tequila cocktail superiority. A team of judges, including pastry whiz Andy Bowdy and Olmeca ALTOS brand ambassador Rachel Macdonald, will crown the winner, but there will also be complimentary tacos and tequila cocktails distributed for the crowd to select the 'Audience Choice' Award. My Taco Rules! Championship will kick off at 5pm on Monday, May 7. CHARITY LIVE ART BATTLE On Wednesday, SoCal will be filled with blank canvases that four local street artists will transform into colourful artworks. At the end of the night, the artworks be uploaded to the SoCal website and silent auction will take place — with the winners announced on Tuesday, May 15. The artist with the highest-selling artwork will then be commissioned by Olmeca ALTOS to create a mural on SoCal's back wall. Not only will you get your dinner with a side of colourful entertainment, but all proceeds from the artwork will be donated to the artist's charity of choice: win, win. Charity Live Art Battle will run from 6pm–9pm on Wednesday, May 9. TACO & TEQUILA DEGUSTATION The week of festivities wraps up with a taco degustation menu. Grab an amigo and feast on five courses of tequila-paired culinary delights. Dinner will start with a refreshing tuna and kingfish ceviche-topped taco paired with a jalapeño-spiked tequila cocktail, move on to tacos topped with Moreton Bay bug and grilled tofu and will end with buñuelos — a dessert of crisp tortillas, dulce de leche, agave praline and ice cream — and a caffeinated cocktail with Kahlua and vanilla-infused tequila. Taco and Tequila Degustation will be held on Friday, May 11. $65 per person with a minimum of two people per booking. For the full list of events happening during SoCal's Taco and Tequila Fiesta, head to the website.
It's a truth universally acknowledged that dads are absolutely, 100 percent, without a doubt the hardest people in our lives to buy gifts for. They don't really want or need much — and they tend to buy whatever they do need for themselves anyway. If you're like us, you probably have a default roster of generic items that you keep on rotation for special occasions. But let's be real: Dad doesn't really need another pair of socks. And he still hasn't cracked the cover of the last book you bought for him. So, we're here to help you out. Together with Maker's Mark, we're giving away an excellent whisky-themed gift pack that'll take Dad's after-dinner tipple to the next level. Valued at $450, this prize pack has a bunch of liquor cabinet essentials, including a bottle of Maker's Mark, an ice stamp, two glasses and a barrel head. And if you really want to cement that coveted favourite kid status, fix him a drink after he's unwrapped the gift — keep an eye out for our recipe guide, which is coming soon. To be in the running, enter your details below. [competition]779157[/competition]
It's clear that more Londoners want to ride their bikes more often than ever before. In fact, between 2001 and 2011, the number of them cycle commuting to work doubled. The problem is, though, that the city's rabbit warren-like infrastructure doesn't always mean there’s enough room for two-wheelers, taxis and regular vehicles to share the road harmoniously. A $1.4 billion, 24-kilometre cycle super highway, initiated by Lord Mayor Boris Johnson, has made many a journey much smoother. But, to many bicycle-inclined minds, it’s just the beginning. Earlier this year, architect Lord Norman Foster put forward SkyCycle: an elevated, car-free bike path that would see cyclists cruising around above London, E.T.-style (kind of). And now, there’s a new proposal in the works: the Thames Deckway. It’s a 12-kilometre long cycle path that would float on the River Thames. Created by a group of engineers, architects and artists who’ve named themselves the River Cycleway Consortium Ltd, it would start at Battersea in the West and stretch all the way to Canary Wharf in the east, sitting quite close to the river’s south bank. So it would be well out of the way of the barges, ferries, rowers and paddlers who travel along the primary navigation channel. Cyclists would be able to hop on and off the route at various points via embankment ramps, where kiosks would offer refreshments in the way of snacks and beverages. The path would cater, not only to commuters, but also to those out for a leisurely recreational ride, and would be designed to rise and fall according to tidal changes. To minimise potential dangers, an elaborate system of sensors and satellites would alert the land-bound world to threats and hazards. "London needs to think outside the box of conventional solutions to solve its deep-seated traffic and pollution problems," a spokesperson said in a media statement. "The Thames offers vast, untapped potential to ease and improve London's infrastructure problems. What is needed is imagination to unleash it." The Consortium, which was established by London-based artist Anna Hill and architect David Nixon, and includes engineering company Arup and Hugh Broughton Architects, would need to raise 600 million GBP from private investors to put the plan into action. Cyclists would be charged 1.50 GBP per ride, to go towards maintenance. Via Dezeen.
I don't know about you, but I usually don't associate Russia with summer homes. In fact, 'Russian summer home' seems a bit of an oxymoron. However, Moscow-based architect Peter Kostelov has created this all-white 'origami house' for Russia's reality show, Dachniy Otvet. His only guidelines were to create a summer home where the family could enjoy athletic activities outdoors and host gatherings for friends. The house has no doors or windows, allowing guests to get some of that Russian sunshine (catch it while you can) whilst still being protected from Russia's often unpredictable weather. Built with sustainably-sourced timber, the origami house also uses a solar battery to heat water. The design folds and wraps, representing an origami-like structure. Check out some photos of this unique contemporary design.
In the coming years, works by Pablo Picasso, Francisco Goya, Brett Whiteley and Arthur Boyd will find a new home on the New South Wales south coast. The pieces will form part of an art gallery that's set to spring up on the Bundanon property at Riversdale in the Shoalhaven region, with the New South Wales government committing more than $8.5 million to revamp the site. A quarter of a century since the 1100-hectare property was gifted to the Australian public by artist Arthur Boyd and his wife Yvonne Boyd — becoming a haven for creativity, arts and education, as well as remaining a working farm — it'll welcome a new space to house the Boyds' other gift: over 3800 items, including with more than 1300 works by Arthur Boyd himself. At present, hundreds of pieces can be viewed in the existing Bundanon Homestead, as well as in Arthur Boyd's studio; however the forthcoming expansion will see the construction of a gallery and storage facility for the huge art collection, which is valued at $43 million. While the new plans centre around the gallery itself, which will built into the site's hillside and boast windows that frame the artwork with glimpses of the natural splendour outside, that's not the only addition as part of the project. A 140-metre-long by nine-metre-wide structure will branch out of the gallery, into a bridge spanning across the Bundanon bushland and parkland, and across to 34 bedrooms, a teaching and dining space, and a public cafe. Stepped terraces, an openair arrival hall and an outdoor learning space are also mooted. The NSW government's contribution has been allocated through the state's Regional Cultural Fund, with $28 million required in total to complete the project — and an opening date yet to be announced. "Arthur Boyd's extraordinary works live on as enduring inspiration for the many passionate and talented artists across regional NSW," commented NSW Minister for the Arts Don Harwin. "This new facility housed on this famous landscape will pave the way for the Bundanon Trust's revered $43 million collection to be housed and presented for all visitors to enjoy." Images: Kerstin Thompson Architects.
The nine to five can be tough. Sometimes there's just too much to do, and not enough time to do it — and sometimes you just struggle to put a sentence together without any typos. But before heading to the cafe next door for another short black, you might want to consider Silicon Valley's pick-me-up alternative: psychedelics. Yep, acid is the new caffeine. It's called 'microdosing' and apparently it's the new thing for overachieving, overworked Silicon Valley yo pros to partake in when they're having a bit of an off one. It involves taking about a tenth of the 'normal' dose of a psychedelic drug (usually LSD or mushrooms) which has an energising and insightful 'subperceptual' — rather than a tripping — effect on the body. And, according to this Rolling Stone article, it's helping them concentrate, and be more productive and creative at work. The concept itself isn't entirely new. Author of The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide James Fadiman introduced microdosing into the mainstream when speaking at a psychedelic research conference back in 2011. Since then, however, the practice has become more widespread, particularly with twenty-something professionals in the San Francisco area, according to Fadiman. Although the dose of the (illegal) drugs is minute, their effects are still hard to predict. So for now, perhaps stick to your single origin coffee beans and a selection of cat GIFs to get the creative juices flowing. Via Rolling Stone.
Has it ever crossed your mind that this is a ridiculously impossible idea and that you might not actually be able to do it? Artist Willoh S Weiland is on the other end of Skype and laughs at the question. "What I love about this project is that it's about the audience — people love doing stuff that's impossible. I think it's our job as a project team to make it a reality." The project in question is Forever Now, an epic artistic and curatorial collaboration between MONAFOMA director Brian Ritchie (of Violent Femmes fame), Jeff Khan (director, Performance Space), Thea Baumann (artistic associate, Aphids) and jokingly self-titled 'Evil Overlord' Weiland (artistic director, Aphids). With the launch on June 15, the fantastic four will open the call out to anyone and everyone in the world to submit one-minute audiovisual artworks that represent humanity in the 21st-century. The team will select 44 applications to go on a digital golden record, which will then be launched into outer space at MONAFOMA 2014. "Forever Now is the third in a trilogy of art science works that I've been doing over the last four years, all of which have explored space and astrophysics," says Weiland. "I thought that the ultimate challenge to complete this trilogy would be for us to try and get contemporary art actually into the galaxy." Thirty-six years ago, NASA launched a Golden Record of its own into outer space on The Voyager spacecraft. Like the sci-fi version of the classic message in a bottle, there is hope that intelligent extraterrestrial life might discover the record, have the brains to correctly decipher the instructions, the fingers with which to operate them on a turntable and the sensory capacities to consume the record's contents and learn about our lonely planet. The Voyager is the furthest human thing from planet Earth, currently floating on the edge of our galaxy, about to enter interstellar space. Moreover, the Golden Record is made from gold-plated copper and uranium-238 that is designed to last over 4 billion years. Weiland describes the differences between NASA's 1977 Golden Record and what she hopes to achieve with Forever Now: "Firstly, [the Voyager Record] was created in six weeks in a totally closed curatorial process by a group of scientists and cultural experts." The Forever Now launch and open call for submissions is a direct reaction to that. "There was no digital democracy in 1977," says Weiland, "so the idea is that the curatorial process is completely transparent and able to be influenced by the public and that the record we compile will be an evolving process over six months." A second point of difference, as she sees it, is to the curatorial limitations that NASA worked within. "They deliberately didn't send anything that was about conflict or war or argument or famine or anything — it was a very shiny, upbeat representation of humanity. So we want to look more at the queer and the horrible.” On whether or not she believes in aliens, Weiland replies, "I think that one of the most exciting developments of the last thirty years compared to when the Voyager went out is the discovery of exoplanets (planets outside our Solar System) and also the absolute certainty that we will within my lifetime find biological life somewhere else." And how might an alien respond if it got its hands (or other limbs) on the Forever Now record? "If they weren't a gas, I can only say what I'd hope, which is that they'd be curious about us and be compelled to find us," she says. "I think we've been trying to understand our own aloneness for a long time and I think finding that out, that we weren't, would be such an intense, massive shift. It would be like when they worked out that the world wasn't flat." Plans for sending the physical record into outer space are yet to be confirmed, though Weiland declares, "We will do our valiant best to get it into space. We have a lot of possible plans ranging from gifting it to NASA, or to lesser known space programs like South Korea. The main issue in that is dealing with how much you have to compromise the content in order to participate in what is essentially a really militarised industry." There is also the possibility of launching Forever Now privately, "though this will carry implications for how far the work will be able to travel". More information about the project will come to light at the official unveiling ceremony on June 15 at the State Library of New South Wales. "The launch in June is also the launch of the research and implementation for both Susan Cohn, who's making the record, for Erin Milne, who's working out how to get it into space, and for the curators, who are going to be talking to the public and dealing with the submissions process." Forever Now is an Aphids project in association with Performance Space, MONAFOMA and Vitalstatistix. It launches as part of the Performance Space Switched On season, and the launch webcast can be watched on the their website.
Rounding out Boxing Day with an unforgettable clash, the Sydney Sixers take on the Melbourne Stars in one of the Big Bash League's most heated rivalries. Dubbed 'The Biggest Bash', world-renowned cricket stars Moises Henriques and Glenn Maxwell will duke it out with the bat and ball to see who comes out on top. Held at the Sydney Cricket Ground, a packed house will scream their hearts out as all the high-octane event unfolds under the lights. If that's not enough drama for you, Aussie rap legend Baker Boy will be performing live at the match, serving up straight fire with his cultural beats.
With the recent celebrations of our Queen's Jubilee, we thought it would be relevant to showcase another country's celebration of their royal heritage. London correspondent Dan Maas (who gave us London, What Are You Listening To?) offers his insights into his recent bender at Queen's Day in Holland and why orange is the new black? Growing up with Dutch parents, but born in New Zealand, I guess you could say I am a Kiwi in clogs. Although I am an absolutely stoked New Zealander, it is nice to have a home away from home especially within an hour of London. Visiting Oma (Grandma) was a little more difficult growing up I have to say. Of course on these visits back, I have always had the fortune of being able to visit the Dam which is undoubtedly a great place. Of course it is known for the obvious stuff which has its place, but get past all of that and you will find a truly unique city that oozes urban culture. If you are into cool people, sweet kicks, unreal clubs, history, arts, screamers and croquets, then this is your town. At the center of Holland, Amsterdam is always going to be the place that positions itself in the front row for any big national event. If you have not heard of Queen's Day, their national celebration, then brace yourself to dial Flight Centre. The Dutch are one of the most passionate people for their country around, and this is the weekend they really let people know about it. I was so keen to show it off to you guys, that I made a little video to prove it. Enjoy.....
In an ironic makeover, a former Chicago meatpacking plant and slaughterhouse has found a new purpose as the city's first self-sustaining, vertical farm. Located in Chi-Town's Union Stock Yards, the 93,500 square foot brick building once specialised in mass-producing red meat - one of the least environmentally-friendly industries out there. Now, it is a sci-fi-like space dedicated to non-waste-producing urban farming. Projects inside 'The Plant' include a tilapia fish farm, beer and Kombucha tea breweries, aquaponic farms which harvest vegetables, and a mushroom garden. The Plant will also host to a group of bakers and caterers that will work together in a communal kitchen area. Upcoming projects include 'living' walls, and rooftop gardens. All of these endeavors have taken up a zero net waste policy, made possible by an interconnecting indoor ecosystem of sorts. The used grains from the beer brewery will be used as fish-food for the tilapia; the waste produced by the fish will nourish the mushroom garden and hydroponic plants; those plants will clean the water, which may be cycled back up to the fish tanks. Initially aided by a combined heat and power system, as well as an anaerobic digester, the Plant will be entirely self-sustaining. The project hopes to be taken off the power grid in just a few years. By the end of this year, the Plant hopes to have five rentable tenant spaces, and its renewable energy system up and running by next June. By 2016, the building is set to be fully functional, creating 125 neighbourhood jobs, and keeping over 10,000 tons of food waste out of landfills each year. Human waste is an obvious problem, says Melanie Hoeskstra, the Plant's director of operations. The renovations made to the Plant are workable in any old building: “It’s not a perfect system, but it’s really close," she says of the Plant. Sounds like city planners should take a note or two.
Watching The Vow, you can be forgiven for wondering how the details and events that fill its frames all managed to actually happen. It tells a tale that seems like it should be a work of fiction, as many of the best true-crime docuseries do. But as the old adage goes, truth is stranger than fiction — and that definitely proves to be the case when there's a creepy self-improvement group involved. NXIVM dates back to the 90s, but it wasn't until the past few years that it started attracting newspaper headlines, with its leader Keith Raniere first arrested and indicted, and then convicted of a spate of crimes including sex trafficking. Across its first nine-episode season, The Vow chats with former members of the group about their unsurprisingly disturbing experiences, and also spends time with journalists who've dedicated a hefty chunk of their lives to exposing NXIVM. Yes, it's one helluva story.
Cinephiles, picnic-lovers and everyone in between, rejoice — the annual combination of movies, outdoor eating and park hangouts that is Moonlight Cinema is back for another round. After locking in their dates back in September, Australia's biggest outdoor cinema this morning announced their full 2026-17 summer program — and it's a goodie. Kicking off on the first day of summer (how fitting) in Sydney and Adelaide before launching in Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth just a few days later, this year's setup boasts all the regular features that make this one of the country's most popular summer events. Big screen shimmering beneath the stars? Check. Food trucks serving the ultimate movie munchies? Check. Letting super-organised patrons BYO their own snacks? Check. A huge lineup of new releases and cult classics? You betcha. Expect all the big summer releases, like sci-fi thriller Passengers, the much-anticipated La La Land with Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, and Lion, based on the true story of Saroo Brierley who found his birth mother in India via Google Earth after 25 years of separation. Naturally, they'll also be playing Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (which was released today) as well as the yet-to-be-released Star Wars: Rogue One and game-turned-film Assassins Creed. As always, they'll also throw in a few cult favourites — this year it's Grease and Back to the Future — and some Doggie Nights, which will kick off with The Secret Life of Pets. Of course, heading to Moonlight isn't just about the movies shown, as fun as getting a sneak peek of upcoming flicks or sharing the joyous glow of watching iconic favourites on a big screen is. It's also about the experience, which is why you're allowed to start getting excited without knowing which films you'll be watching — and why you should be blocking out December through to April in your calendar. Tickets are on sale now. MOONLIGHT CINEMA 2016-17 DATES: Sydney: December 1 – April 2 (Belvedere Amphitheatre in Centennial Park) Melbourne: December 8 – April 2 (Central Lawn at Royal Botanic Gardens) Brisbane: December 8 – March 5 (New Farm Park at Brisbane Powerhouse) Adelaide: December 1 – February 19 (Botanic Park) Perth: December 3 – April 2 (Kings Park and Botanic Garden) Moonlight Cinema's 2016-17 season starts screening around the country from December 1. For more information and to buy tickets, visit moonlight.com.au.
Whether you're a fan of starting your day with a steaming hot coffee or a steaming hot bowl of noodles, a quirky Japanese-inspired cafe and coffee house in Mortdale has you covered. St. Kai has been a local favourite since it was opened by siblings Lachy and Lexy Allouche in June 2019. Now it's welcomed a new chef to further push the limits of Japanese and Western flavours. Yuki Bagel, a chef and self-proclaimed "extraordinary earth alien artist," has further expanded the cafe's offering with a varied new menu. Those after a light bite can opt for sourdough, fruit or charcoal loaf with coffee butter, or banana bread with matcha cream. A Japanese twist on a grab-and-go brekkie roll includes crispy bacon, fried egg and tonkatsu sauce on a milk bun. [caption id="attachment_862452" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jasper Avenue[/caption] But it's the rice and noodle bowls many are coming for this winter and with good reason — they're the perfect way to warm the belly on cold days. The rice bowl lineup includes a dairy-free green tea broth over steamed rice with hot smoked salmon, as well as a bowl filled with grilled chicken on shio koji, folded eggs and caramelised onions. Or just simply go all out and get the 'cheeseburger' donburi — it's a heady mix of wagyu ground beef, fried egg, St. Kai sauce and dill pickles. [caption id="attachment_862455" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jasper Avenue[/caption] If you're a noodle fan, a range of ramens are there to tempt you: the tantanmen ramen comes topped with miso pork and mama liu's chilli oil, while the mazesoba (brothless) ramen is topped with coffee-rubbed tiger prawns. And the pièce de résistance is the napolitana style udon: a mashup of Japanese and Italian cultures, thanks to its combination of kombu soy with bacon, onion, mushrooms, shaved parmesan and umami dust. Basically, it's a hug in a bowl, and exactly what we need to warm our mitts during the current winter cold snap. If you haven't checked it out yet, do it while the weather is still cold enough that the steam from your coffee/noodle combo both warms your hands and your soul. [caption id="attachment_862454" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jasper Avenue[/caption] St.Kai can be found at 38 Balmoral Road in Mortdale, Sydney. It's open Mondays 6:30am-1pm and Tuesday to Sunday, 6:30am - 3pm. Top image: Jasper Avenue
What would you do if you came home from holiday to find the house-sitters you left in charge now claiming ownership? Director Sarah Giles explores this seemingly easily resolvable problem in the Sydney Theatre Company production of German writer Marius von Mayenburg's work, Perplex. The play quickly takes a turn to the absurd as it examines personal identity and reality. Perplex tells the story of a couple returning home after holidays to find their home in disarray, their electricity turned off, and their friends who were left in charge hiding a secret. What follows is a surrealist look at a constantly changing reality, creating quite a perplexing tale. Giles, who is a resident director at Sydney Theatre Company, previously staged The Ugly One — another von Mayenburg work, which won her the 2011 Sydney Theatre Award for Best Director of an Independent Production. Her other STC works, Mrs Warren's Profession and Mariage Blanc, were wonderfully interesting too. Image by Grant Sparkes-Carroll. Perplex runs from March 31 to May 3 at Wharf 1, and thanks to the Sydney Theatre Company, we have three double passes to the first preview to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au with your name and address.
Much-loved Sydney bookshop Kinokuniya has a wealth of summer page-turners, new cookbooks, art and design hardbacks and a huge range of manga and anime titles. It's where you might go to pick up a gift that has the power to transport you to other worlds, or to inspire you into action. Kinokuniya Manager and Buyer Helene Byfield has worked at the CBD bookstore for nearly 20 years. It's safe to say Helene reads a lot — which is why we've asked her for her help. In partnership with Kinokuniya, we asked Helene for her top recommendations for the types of people we all seem to have on our gift lists this year. "Books are great presents," she says. "They're a way for you to share something that becomes quite personal with someone you love." So, take inspiration from her tips below, head to the store in The Galeries and pick up a pressie for your mate, date or dad that's far more personal than the last-minute pair of socks you bought last year. EVERYTHING I LOVE TO COOK, NEIL PERRY ($59.99) Everything I Love to Cook is celebrated chef Neil Perry's seventh cookbook and has already been well received despite only hitting the shelves in September. "Neil Perry is one of the pillars of the Australian food community. His favourite recipes are in this book, so it's a collection of stuff he's had at his different restaurants as well as from his Good Weekend column. It's essentially a holistic look at what he likes to cook the most," says Helene. If you know a keen home cook — or a big fan of Australia's dining landscape — then this is the book for them. It's huge, featuring more than 230 recipes. "It's like an encyclopaedia of cooking," says Helene. "It's something you could cook out of every night of the week. I keep flicking through it going 'Yeah I could cook this… or I could just go to his new restaurant'," she jokes. THE ART AND SOUL OF DUNE, TANYA LAPOINTE ($89.99) You're probably aware of all the hype surrounding the film Dune. It's finally graced Aussie big screens more than a year after its original release date. So, if you've got a movie buff, sci-fi fan or Timothée Chalamet lover in your life, you'll want to consider this coffee table book. It's topical, yes, but also a stunning work in its own right. "It's a beautiful book to go with a beautiful film," Helene says of this behind-the-scenes look at one of the biggest films of the year. When The Art and Soul of Dune by Tanya Lapointe arrived at Kinokuniya, the staff put it on the store's Instagram and, according to Helene, "it was one of our most commented on posts for the month". So, there's obviously a lot of interest. Why? "The novel is a cult classic in and of itself. But there are also probably about 20 books involved in the whole Dune universe. It's this huge world in science fiction," Helene says. TOMORROW IS A BRAND-NEW DAY, DAVINA BELL AND ALLISON COLPOYS ($24.99) "This is a bright and cheery and happy book. It's a book that's come out of kids having to live through the dreariness of lockdowns. And it's good for adults as well," says Helene. So, if you've got a mate with little'uns or want to add a bit of colour to someone's Christmas, this charming picture book could be the perfect pressie. Written by Davina Bell and illustrated by the talented Allison Colpoys, Tomorrow Is a Brand-New Day is all about shaking off any mishaps, mistakes or misery and knowing that tomorrow will bring new opportunities and a chance for things to change. Nothing too groundbreaking, sure, but certainly something many of us need reminding of from time to time. As Helene quoted a Kinokuniya colleague: "When you fuck up, there's a way to come back from it." FOUR THOUSAND WEEKS: TIME AND HOW TO USE IT, OLIVER BURKEMAN ($35) If you've never read an Oliver Burkeman book before, prepare yourself — his works aren't exactly lighthearted reads. The New York-based British journalist is known for writing about social psychology, productivity and the science of happiness. But, if you know someone who loves to learn or is always browsing in the self-help aisle in the bookshop, Four Thousand Weeks: Time and How to Use It is the pick. "Basically, it's looking at the fact that if you live to be 80, you roughly have 4000 weeks in your life. So, it's making people think about what time is and how they're spending [their] time," Helene says. "How can you adjust your decision-making processes to give yourself more time to focus on what you actually want to do with your life?" We've all read the headlines: the great resignation is upon us. COVID's made a lot of us look for more fulfilment in our day-to-day lives. So if your housemate keeps talking about how much their work sucks or how they want more outta life, this book will help put them on the path to figuring out what they they actually want. THE BONDI TO MANLY WALK, TARA WELLS ($34.99) Seen Places We Swim on your friend's bookshelf? Then grab them this photograph-filled number that details Sydney's idyllic 80-kilometre Bondi to Manly walking track. "So many of us haven't been able to travel lately. The idea behind this one is to get people to explore their own backyard a bit more," says Helene. The book covers every bay, beach and headland along the track, plus 12 shorter walks for those who'd rather not tackle the lengthy track at once. In essence, it's a guidebook to one of Sydney's biggest drawcards: its spectacular coastline. COUNTRY: FUTURE FIRE, FUTURE FARMING, BILL GAMMAGE AND BRUCE PASCOE ($21.98) Part of Thames & Hudson's First Knowledges series, Country: Future Fire, Future Farming is an important book. It's all about looking at old practices of Indigenous Australians in farming and land cultivation, and how we might be able to harness these ideas so we're not experiencing catastrophic bushfires every summer. Co-written by Bruce Pascoe of Dark Emu fame and Bill Gammage who wrote The Biggest Estate on Earth, this joint work examines how Aboriginal people cultivated the land as well as their complex fire programs that protected Country. "It talks about old practices of Indigenous Australians and how it's important to look at what those practices were [in order] to try and adapt modern Australian life so we're adopting farming practices that are more in keeping with what the land needs, as opposed to the colonial European understanding of what the land should be," says Helene. THE BOOK OF FORM AND EMPTINESS, RUTH OZEKI ($32.98) "Ruth Ozeki is a super interesting novelist," says Helene. "She writes beautiful, interesting books that make you think." The Book of Form and Emptiness chronicles the life of a boy who's lost his father. His mother, now the boy's sole carer, is struggling with her own grief and begins to hoard objects as a coping mechanism. However, with each new object comes a new challenge for the boy who, in his own grief, starts to hear objects speak to him. So, he goes in search of a 'quieter' place so he can come to terms with his loss, which ultimately leads him to the library. The books still speak to him, but in whispers rather than the riotous chatter of the items at home. "It's wonderful. [But] it's less of a beach read," Helene says. "There's a lot of feeling in it and it's quite a hefty, long book." So if you know someone who's planning on taking some time off and is a bit of a book nerd, this is the novel to pick up. HAYAO MIYAZAKI AND THE GHIBLI MUSEUM, STUDIO GHIBLI ($356.90) The wonderful, bizarre worlds of Studio Ghibli films have been delighting viewers around the globe since the 1980s. The Japanese animation studio has produced hits such as Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro, Howl's Moving Castle and Princess Mononoke and has garnered a cult-like following. So, odds are you know a Ghibli super-fan, in which case this set of books, about director Hayao Miyazaki and the Ghibli Museum, is a solid bet. There are more than 900 illustrations in the two-volume set that looks into the Museum's inception, design and exhibitions, as well as anecdotes about Miyazaki, numerous interviews and some English language translations of explanatory texts, manga and illustrations. "It's very much in keeping with Miyazaki's vibe and design passion," Helene says. "We have a lot of books and Ghibli merchandise that we sell, so whenever there's anything new that people haven't seen before they jump right on it. So, for a super-fan or a collector, it'll be something they'll want." Find more excellent gift ideas at Kinokuniya this summer.
With Bannisters' duo of hotels at Mollymook now a firm fixture on New South Wales' south coast, the accommodation brand is turning its gaze to the north. Later this year, Port Stephens will be in for a good dose of swank, with the company taking over the Soldiers Point site previously occupied by Salamander Shores. As at Mollymook, you can expect luxury. Of the 80 four-and-a-half-star rooms, 50 will afford views straight across Karuah River, while the other 30 will look over bushland. If you've cash to splash about, book the penthouse or one of four extra-fancy suites. Wherever you sleep, you'll be welcome to make the most of the infinity pool, hang out in the high-ceilinged lobby and kick back at the onsite pub over a pizza — or indulge in a course or three at the Rick Stein signature restaurant. "The abundance of top-quality seafood is a massive attraction, as is the proximity to the Hunter Valley's wineries," said Stein. "I will be working closely with head chef Mitchell Turner, designing a menu featuring local king prawns, Yellowfin bream, flathead, calamari and school whiting, not to mention the fabulous oysters." Looking the part, all these spaces — and the rest — will be sorted out by Bannisters' stellar design team, made up of architect Tony Freeman, interior designer Romy Alwill and landscape designer Will Dangar. And as for bringing the Bannisters brand to the area, general manager Peter Bacon said "there is so much potential in Port Stephens, and it is a natural progression for us to take a formula that works and replicate it." Find Bannisters Port Stephens at 147 Soldiers Point Roadd, Soldiers Point from later in 2018.
The ongoing saga that is Daft Punk's new album Random Access Memories continues. Last week, the French duo had us shakin'-in-our boots with excitement over the release of a 1 minute teaser from their newest single "Get Lucky" featuring Pharrell Williams, and now, they've given us the whole thing. While we've become increasingly disenfranchised by the slow drip reveal of pop culture (I mean, do we really need a teaser and three separate trailers for The Great Gatsby?), somehow the Daft Punk fellas are getting it just right. With the leak of each new detail, Daft Punk have managed to get the internet drooling; drawing us in with each juicy new shred of information and leaving us hungering for more. Whether its their unexpectedness (I mean, Wee Waa, who saw that coming?), their enigmatic anonymity (those once annoyingly kitsch helmets have become something of a cultural phenomenon) or just how damn infectious their music and videos are, we're addicted. And what about the song itself? We absolutely love it! "Get Lucky" manages to sound both brand new and yet naggingly familiar all at the same time, immediately hooking the listener in with its funky-as-hell groove. It's kinda like the aural equivalent of meeting an old girlfriend who has got herself a sexy new haircut. It's comfortingly familiar, but somehow intoxicating in a whole new way. On top of this, the whole Earth, Wind and Fire vibe they've got going on means "Get Lucky" looks set to dominate every radio station and dancefloor for the rest of 2013. Keep doing exactly what you're doing you ridiculously talented Frenchmen! Update: On Saturday night, a limited number of tickets to Daft Punk's album launch party in Wee Waa were made available via The Crossing Theatre's website. To book, click here. https://youtube.com/watch?v=vxp0PFoIdmU
Covering no more than 6 square metres of space, Jay Shafer's Tumbleweed XS House encompasses all the domestic necessities of a home in adorable miniature. The world's smallest house, valued at AU$37,325, has recently gone up for eBay auction; all proceeds will go to help fund early art education at the Toledo Museum of Art. The current bid on the house is AU$24,300 with 20 days left to bid. Contained within this tiny home is a sleeping loft fit with a queen-size bed, a bathroom complete with a shower, a kitchenette and a living area. The house is fully furnished, right down to the space-saving mini-fridge. RV-style water and electricity hookups are featured too, so the only amenity the buyer would have to provide is an external sewage tank. As the art museum says, "The small house movement is about quality of space and design, not quantity." The Tumbleweed XS House was originally commissioned to be a part of Toronto's Museum of Art exhibition 'Small Worlds'. Building materials and a workspace were donated by a local mercantile, The Andersons. 'Pared down' may be an understatement for this little home and the lifestyle which accompanies it, but for those seeking a simplistic way of life these 6 square metres may be the perfect fit.
Yabun Festival is held annually on January 26 at Victoria Park in Camperdown, on Gadigal Land. Yabun — which means "music to a beat" in the Gadigal language — features a wide range of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander talent. The day will start with a Welcome to Country and smoke ceremony and, this year, the lineup includes award-winning artist Dan Sultan, Shellie Morris — who can sing in 17 Aboriginal languages — and blues legend Buddy Knox. In addition to the live music, the day will also include traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander performances, panel discussions featuring members of Sydney's Indigenous community and heaps of activities for adults and kids alike. There will also be a bunch of art, design and activist stalls for you to peruse. It kicks off at 11am and will run until 7pm.
Having said au revoir to the French Film Festival, it's now time to slip over the border into Spain. Returning to Palace Cinemas around the country, this year's Spanish Film Festival will once again showcase some of the biggest and most critically acclaimed Spanish and Latin American films from the past 12 months. How's that for a cinematic siesta? The festival — which will feature at Leichhardt's Palace Norton Street and Paddington's Palace Verona — begins with the highest grossing film at last year's Spanish box office: rom-com sequel Spanish Affair 2. Other comic standouts include espionage spoof Spy Time, madcap ensemble My Big Night, and dark domestic comedy Happy 140. Of course, not everything on the program is quite so light and breezy. Critically acclaimed drama Much Ado About Nothing confronts legal and political corruption in modern day Chile, while Ma Ma stars Penelope Cruz in one of her most nuanced roles to date, as a put-upon single mother diagnosed with breast cancer.
When you're whipping up a batch of cookies, do you spoon your creations onto the tray and pop them straight into the oven, or do you sneak a taste of the delicious, uncooked dough? We all know that we should say the former — and we all really do the latter. Eating the mushy morsels we'll call pre-bikkies is frowned upon thanks to that little thing called food safety; however New York's newest cafe has the solution. Dō makes their cookie dough from pasteurised eggs and heat-treated flour that ensures those gorging on their products won't get ill. After selling their wares online, they've branched out into the bricks-and-mortar space, setting up shop in Greenwich Village. https://www.instagram.com/p/BPfiYFHF0m4/?taken-by=cookiedonyc There, you'll find scoops of dough, served with or without ice cream, plus sundaes, ice cream sandwiches and cookie dough milkshakes. Pick from flavours such as sugar cookie, brownie batter, salty and sweet, cake batter and peanut butter snickerdoodle — from a range of five classic, eight signature and three seasonal varieties — then indulge in guilt-free gooeyness. Baked snacks such as actual cookies, cookie sandwiches, and cookie cakes are also available, but where's the fun in that? Or, try cookie dough fudge, cookie dough ice cream pie, cookie dough brownies or a cookie bomb — which looks like a cupcake, but is actually dough and frosting. Yum. Via Food and Wine.
Where bigger festivals rely mostly on a precise combo of big name international acts plus Pitchfork-approved indies, the Secret Garden sells out each year before its line-up is even announced. How you do that in today's musical climate is pretty astounding, until you look at what else the Secret Garden has to offer, at which point it becomes astoundingly obvious. Free booze, a magical farmland location revealed only to ticket-holders, and bands so close you can smell them all provide good reasons to get your unicorn onesie covered in glittery mud. And the food doesn't suck. "We are pretty different to what's out there," says festival director Clare Downes. "We are completely focussed, almost anal, about putting on a brilliant event. This includes lots of small creative areas, luxury camping facilities, great bars, brilliant music, award-winning food, interactive stuff and surprises. Gardeners love our surprises!" But that's not to say the music isn't a big draw card. This year the organisers have pulled together another excellent slew of bands and DJs that read like a cross-section of rising and risen local talent. PVT-approved Sydney duo Collarbones will make an appearance alongside Cub Scouts and The Griswolds, with The Preatures adding some artful gloom to the glitter. Rounding out the first line-up announcement are Alison Wonderland, DCUP, the Delta Riggs, Frames, Lancelot, Rufus, Spit Syndicate, Vance Joy, and Softwar and Slowball presenting Secret Garden After Hours. Secret Garden is also not a bratwurst in a bun sort of occasion. This year the festival is embracing Sydney's fleet of food trucks, with Eat Art Truck (headed by Stuart Magill of Tetsuya's and Brenton Balicki of Quay), Mexican masters Al Carbon, Tsuru's pan-Asian street food, and Jafe Jaffles confirmed to be in attendance, while Porch & Parlour takes care of breakfast. Knowing that the dinner table is the heart of the family and new dining experiences the soul of Sydney, organisers have also lined up a Secret Garden Banquet. Limited tickets are available for the feast, which will be held in heritage-listed stables in a secret area of the already secret location, and hosted, of course, by a secret group of foodies. The final component of today's announcement is no minor detail; it's the Friday theme, a greatly cherished part of the festivities. In 2013 Secret Garden is extending the hand of friendship to the scene perhaps best known for cosplay, the sci-fi convention, with Secret Garcon. For all those festivalgoers who'd feel outgeeked at Comic Con but have always wanted to dress up as their favourite Star Wars/Mass Effect/Ghostbusters character, this is for you. As Downes says, "Secret Garden is the kind of festival where you can dress as a pineapple, talk to the guy standing next to you, dabble in some karaoke, send a postcard to your mum and listen to some great bands. There are so many elements to it, beyond what happens on the stage and what we serve at the bars." It all comes together to create an immaculately tailored weekend away that you don't have to plan a thing for. Tickets for Secret Garden 2013 have sold out, but the festival is run entirely by volunteers, and it's not too late to become one of those. In exchange for four hours of work on the day, you can then run free at the venue. Secret Garden is run as a not-for-profit, with all proceeds going to the Sarah Hilt Foundation, which helps sufferers of meningococcal disease. Just another thing that separates this festival from the rest. By Hannah Ongley and Rima Sabina Aouf.
When streaming first infiltrated our viewing habits, paid online services such as Netflix boasted a hefty advantage over free-to-air television: no pesky advertisements interrupting while you watch. That wasn't the only drawcard by any means, but it wasn't a minor one, either. Now, however, the platform is betting that some folks won't mind commercials here and there in exchange for a cheaper subscription. This move has been in the works for a few months now, but Netflix's new 'basic with ads' package is about to become a reality in Australia — starting Friday, November 4. Sitting below its existing ad-free basic, standard and premium plans, the new subscription tier will cost $6.99 per month, and is being positioned as a budget-saving option. Here's how it works: firstly, you'll need to opt into the new plan. If you're already a Netflix subscriber without advertisements, that won't change. If you choose to switch to the ad option, you'll be served around four-to-five minutes of ads per hour. Those commercials will run for either 15 or 30 seconds in length, and play before and during films and shows. Also, there'll be fewer titles — and you won't be able to download them. Netflix advises that the smaller range will affect "a limited number of movies and TV shows" which "won't be available due to licensing restrictions", which the service is working on. And, video quality will only go up to 720p/HD, which is the same as Netflix's ad-free basic plan. Australia is part of a 12-country initial rollout, alongside Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Spain, the UK and the US. A bonus for your bank balance? An annoying distraction? You choose. Again, you have to actively opt in for the ad-supported plan, so it won't just pop up unexpectedly while you're deep in a Stranger Things or DAHMER — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story marathon. Netflix subscribers aren't new to the streaming service's tinkering, with the platform testing and rolling out plenty of new features over the years — including its 'play something' shuffle function for when you can't decide what to feast your eyeballs on next, and blocking password sharing. A huge motivation for this move: the plethora of competing services also competing for viewers, because there's never a shortage of things to watch. Netflix's 'basic with ads' package will be available for $6.99 per month from Friday, November 4.
Winter might be all about staying in doors, rugging up and avoiding the frosty weather, but if you want to see a trio of meteor showers this week, you'll want to head outdoors. Not one, not two, but three celestial events will be visible in Australia's skies: the Southern Delta Aquariids, Alpha Capricornids and Piscis Austrinids. Arriving in the thick of winter, the Southern Delta Aquariids may not be quite as famous or frenetic as other meteor showers, but it's still considered a strong one, with around 15–25 meteors hurtling across the heavens per hour during its peak. In good news for those Down Under, it's also typically best seen in the Southern Hemisphere. Caused by the breakup of the Machholz comet, the shower is visible each year from around July 12–August 23 — so now. But the ideal time to catch it is between July 28–July 30, aka from Thursday–Saturday this week. And, like many astronomical shows, catching an eyeful around midnight is recommended — when the moon has set and its light will not interfere. [caption id="attachment_862773" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mike Lewinski via Flickr[/caption] Also soaring through the skies at the moment: the Alpha Capricornids, which tends to run from around July 7–August 15. Yes, that means that you can peer up at night and catch a glimpse now, too, but it tends to peak around July 30–31 — so Saturday and Sunday this week. This one comes from the comet 169P/NEAT, and was discovered in 1871. It's known for its bright meteors and even fireballs, although they're infrequent, at around two-to-nine per hour. Then there's the Piscis Austrinids, giving stargazers yet another reason to look up. It usually runs between July 15–August 10, and peaks around July 28 — so on Thursday this week. As for the speed of its meteors, they're even slower than the Alpha Capricornids. For your best chances of getting a glimpse at all three, the usual advice applies. Get as far away from bright lights as possible — this could be a good excuse to head out of the city to a clear-skied camping spot — and pray for no clouds. The Delta Aquariids' name comes from the constellation from which they appear to come, Aquarius. Accordingly, that's what you'll be looking for in the sky. For the Piscis Austrinids, you're looking for the Piscis Austrinus constellation. And for Alpha Capricornids, the Capricornus constellation. To locate them all, we recommend downloading the Sky Map app — it's the easiest way to navigate the night sky, and is also a lot of fun to use even on a non-meteor shower night. The Delta Aquariids, Piscis Austrinids and Alpha Capricornids meteor showers will peak between Thursday, July 28–Sunday, July 31. Top image: Mike Lewinski via Flickr.
