'I Miss You' isn't just the name of a beloved blink-182 song. It isn't just a track they'll likely bust out on their 2024 tour Down Under, either. It's also the vibe being felt around Australia right now, clearly, because the band's tour keeps proving a huge hit — and adding new dates. Last week, blink-182 revealed that they were reforming their classic lineup of Tom DeLonge, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker, then hitting the road — and that Aussie fans would get their chance to see the end result live in February 2024. Then, they added more dates before tickets to the first gigs even went on sale, because the demand was already that huge. Now, another batch of shows is being added again. The first run of dates is already sold out, with tickets to those shows going on sale on Thursday, October 20. Now, one extra show per city has been added in Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide — and tickets for those are up for grabs at 12pm local time today, Friday, October 21. Perth residents can now try to score tickets for Thursday, February 8 at RAC Arena, Melburnians can do the same for Monday, February 26 at Rod Laver Arena, and Sydneysiders can have an extra shot in Friday, February 23 at Qudos Bank Arena. As for Brisbanites, they have a new date on Wednesday, February 21 at Brisbane Entertainment Centre to pick from. DeLonge, Hoppus and Barker will play with Rise Against in support, starting their Australian run in Perth, then head to Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane — then back to Sydney and Melbourne. For three decades, blink-182 have been the voice inside punk and rock fans' heads, especially in the late 90s and early 00s thanks to albums Enema of the State and Take Off Your Pants and Jacket. Now that they're back together after DeLonge left the band in 2015, blink-182 are also recording new music together, with single 'Edging' out now. Expect to hear everything from 'Dammit' and 'Josie' to 'What's My Age Again?' and 'All the Small Things' live, though. BLINK-182 2024 AUSTRALIAN TOUR: Thursday, February 8–Friday, February 9 — RAC Arena, Perth Sunday, February 11 — Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide Tuesday, February 13–Wednesday, February 14 + Monday, February 26 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Friday, February 16–Saturday, February 17 + Friday, February 23 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Monday, February 19, Tuesday, February 20 + Wednesday, February 21 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane Blink-182 will tour Australia and New Zealand in February 2024. Tickets to new shows in Perth, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne go on sale at 12pm on Friday, October 21 local time. For more information, head to the Live Nation website. Top image: Jack Bridgland.
The man knows how to rock a hat: Timothy Olyphant (Full Circle), that is. He knows how to play a determined lawman with a piercing stare and an unassailable sense of honour, too, and television has been all the better for it for nearing two decades. Pop culture's revival culture has benefited as well — first with HBO's 2004–06 western masterpiece Deadwood returning as 2019's Deadwood: The Movie, and now with 2010–15's US Marshal drama Justified making a comeback as miniseries Justified: City Primeval. Olyphant was perfect in both the first time around, and proves the same the second. Indeed, Deadwood: The Movie's only problem was that it was just a made-for-TV film, not a another season; Justified: City Primeval's sole issue is that it spans only eight episodes, and that a next date with the Stetson-wearing Raylan Givens hasn't yet been locked in Streaming Down Under via Disney+, this continuation of Justified's initial six seasons arrives eight years after the show ended for viewers, but also finds Raylan with a 15-year-old daughter. It's with Willa (Vivian Olyphant, Timothy Olyphant's real-life offspring) that he's hitting the road when a couple of criminals reroute their plans. Now based in Miami, Florida rather than Justified's Harlan, Kentucky, Raylan is meant to be taking Willa to camp, only to be forced to detour to Detroit, Michigan to testify. It isn't a brief stop, after the Deputy US Marshal makes the wrong impression on Judge Alvin Guy (Keith David, Nope), then is personally requested to investigate an assassination attempt against the same jurist — teaming up with local detectives who are adamant about Detroit's particular ways, including Maureen Downey (Marin Ireland, The Boogeyman), Norbert Beryl (Norbert Leo Butz, The Girl From Plainville) and Wendell Robinson (Victor Williams, The Righteous Gemstones). You can take Raylan out of rural America and into the Motor City, as Justified: City Primeval does, but even with silver hair atop his calm glare he's still Raylan. So, he'll always stride around like a lone gunslinger who has seen it all, will confront anything, and is perennially valiant and resolute — and silently exasperated about humanity's worst impulses, too — as Justified: City Primeval welcomes. New location, passing years, the responsibilities of fatherhood, more and more lowlife crooks: they haven't changed this character, and audiences wouldn't have wanted that to happen. One of Justified: City Primeval's chief joys is how comfortably that Raylan, and Olyphant playing him, steps straight back onto the screen like the figure, thespian and franchise never left. In Detroit, the Deputy US Marshal meets his latest lawbreaking adversary in Clement Mansell (Boyd Holbrook, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny), aka the Oklahoma Wildman, whose love of singing The White Stripes and Beach Boys songs is only matched by his penchant for wreaking illicit havoc. Mansell is ruthless, including in committing murder, and also enlisting reluctant past acquaintance Marcus "Sweety" Sweeton (Vondie Curtis-Hall, Blue Bayou) — a musician who almost made it onto George Clinton's 'Atomic Dog' and now owns a dive bar — in his violent rampages. He's equally calculating in using his girlfriend Sandy Stanton (Adelaide Clemens, Under the Banner of Heaven) to conjure up a shakedown scam with ties to the Albanian mob, all while promising her that they'll get a big payday and get away. Even his attorney Carolyn Wilder (Aunjanue Ellis, an Oscar-nominee for King Richard), who has seen more than her fair share of dirtbags because that's the gig, knows that he's a sociopath. Seasoned Justified viewers will spy Justified: City Primeval's overarching narrative path going in. As long as they've seen a crime drama before, newcomers will as well. Raylan has a villain to take down in a deeply corrupt world — but, taking over from the OG series' creator Graham Yost (Silo, and an executive producer here), fellow Justified veterans Dave Andron (Snowfall) and Michael Dinner (Electric Dreams) can't be accused of connecting easy dots or making obvious choices. Both before and now, Justified has always been as much about painting rich portraits of its characters, good and bad, as it has been about its righteous-versus-evil face-offs. So, Justified: City Primeval delivers ample intriguing new additions, most of which pair up with Raylan so winningly that they could earn their own spinoffs. A series about Raylan and Willa, her teen rebelliousness bouncing off his perpetually wearied mood? The younger Olyphant makes a memorable impression, and adds seeing more of that dynamic to the wishlist. An odd-couple cop setup with Raylan and Robinson? That'd also work. Raylan's pursuit of the unhinged Mansell, and the latter's eagerness to keep it going, give Justified: City Primeval a compelling duel — and plenty of mirroring; they both drip charm, are whip-smart and canny, just on opposite sides of the law-and-order divide — but Raylan and Wilder are the show's meatiest duo. Sharing a sense of exhaustion, the Marshal and the lawyer each understand what it's like to ride through a murky and compromised world, endeavour to try to find a way to cope, and have to live with the costs. (That Ellis is as phenomenal as the older Olyphant assists.) 2023 marks 30 years since Raylan first appeared in print, in the pages of iconic crime writer Elmore Leonard's 1993 novel Pronto. While he returned in 1995 sequel Riding the Rap, it was 2001 short story Fire in the Hole that inspired Justified. Once the show became a hit, Leonard wrote 2012's Raylan, in what'd become his last published tome before his death in 2013. To revisit the character with Justified: City Primeval, however, Andron and Dinner dive into the author's back catalogue elsewhere, adapting and reworking 1980's City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit. The text's full title virtually screams for Raylan. On the screen, he slides in so seamlessly that it feels like he's always been in this tale. That's a testament to a series that doesn't just know its protagonist, but the work of the man who created him. Raylan might be Leonard's best character, but his bibliography is a wealth of riches — complete with Out of Sight, which became Steven Soderbergh's sparkling crime caper and shares a connection to Justified: City Primeval; and Rum Punch, which Quentin Tarantino turned into the sublime Jackie Brown. Justified: City Primeval excels at bringing Raylan Givens back to the screen, and Timothy Olyphant in the part. It's fantastic as a Leonard adaptation. And, although visually filled with thematically appropriate shadows, it's as shiny as Raylan's badge as a revival. The widespread trend keeps embracing beloved programs from years gone by, but the difference between the very best — see: Twin Peaks, aka the most stunning example there is and likely ever will be, and also Deadwood: The Movie, Veronica Mars, and the recent Party Down and Futurama — and the rest is considerable. Justified was a superb modern western from the get-go. Now Justified: City Primeval is a first-rate city-set neo-western that knows how to feature its familiar ingredients expertly, evolve them, and use them to comment on what changes and doesn't about humanity. Check out the trailer for Justified: City Primeval below: Justified: City Primeval streams via Disney+. Images: FX.
In The Guest Edit we hand the reins over to some of the most interesting, tasteful and (or) entertaining people in Australia and New Zealand. For this instalment, we've enlisted the effortlessly elegant and professionally organised Beck Wadworth — Creative Director and Founder of minimalist stationery brand An Organised Life — to share some of her favourite books from the past year. As a woman whose business is about beautifully-made paper life-tools, who better to turn to for good book tips. And, as it's the end of the year and all, we'd be remiss if we didn't nudge you in the direction of the customisable 2022 diaries available on An Organised Life to start your year with minimal chaos. BECK WADWORTH: Naturally as a lover of pen to paper and all its forms, I love how versatile a book can be. After spending a lot of time at home during New Zealand lockdown, books have become a much needed comfort and I'm drawn to inspiring words, interiors, architecture and art… all things you can find within the pages of a beautiful coffee table book. NEW NORDIC HOUSES BY DOMINIC BRADBURY A birthday gift I received this year, with a love for architecture & minimalism, this beautiful book has quickly become a favourite of mine. The book features over forty of Scandinavia's finest and most innovative houses including rural cabins, coastal retreats, town houses & country homes. I fall in love with a different one every time I open the book. Find it now at: Booktopia How much: $70 (recommended retail price but more affordable at most online book stores) CLARITY & CONNECTION BY YUNG PUEBLO Last year I did a lot of self reflection & self work. It was a personal goal of mine to make the time to do this. One of the books that inspired me the most over this time was Yung Pueblo's Inward. This year he released Clarity & Connection, and naturally it's high on my list of books to get my hands on. His poetic style makes for deep, thought-provoking conversations. Find it now at: Booktopia and Angus & Robertson How much: $29.99 rrp LIVE BEAUTIFUL BY ATHENA CALDERONE A style icon of mine both for her interiors and fashion, Athena Calderone's new book Live Beautiful is the perfect addition to any coffee table. The book isn't just pleasant to look at, it improves the quality of our lives. It helps foster the tradition, rituals and ceremonies we create in our homes. Find it now at: Norsu Interiors and Booktopia How much: $59.99 rrp 2022 A4 DAILY PLANNER BY AN ORGANISED LIFE Of course, I have to recommend one of our very on 2022 diaries. Not only do they help you manage your schedule and workload but they are also filled with lots of tools, tips and more. Goal set, budget, change a habit, reflect, write down your favourite moments and much more with this all-in-one must have. Find it now at: An Organised Life How much: $79.99 ATLAS OF THE HEART BY BRENE BROWN I love Brene Brown's work and often listen to podcasts she's a guest on while on my evening walks. At the top of my list to read this summer is her new book Atlas Of The Heart which examines the 87 emotions and experiences that define us, and provides a compelling framework to help us all become more emotionally fluent and connected. Find it now at: Abbey's books How much: $45 THE WIDOW CLICQUOT: THE STORY OF A CHAMPAGNE EMPIRE AND THE WOMAN WHO RULED IT BY TILAR J MAZZEO I was lucky enough to be a Veuve Clicquot ambassador for seven years, and over that time I became obsessed with the history of the brand. Madame Clicquot was an amazing woman who succeeded in a man's world. She was fearless and a true inspiration of her time. This book tells her incredible story. Find it now at: Booktopia How much: $26.99 rrp ARK JOURNAL My favourite magazine at the moment for all things interiors & architecture. Find it now at: Ark Journal website or select news agents and magazine stores How much: €20 per issue
In the centuries since William Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet, plenty of other projects have attempted to take his lead, spinning perhaps the most famous love story there is into both straightforward and creative new adaptations. Some have simply brought the exact same story to the stage or screen. Others have kept all the details, but filtered them through a filmmaker's own style, as Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet did. And, back in 1957 on Broadway and 1961 in cinemas, West Side Story revamped the narrative and transferred it to the Big Apple. Created more than six decades ago by famed musical figures Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents, West Side Story is the adaptation that's taken on a life of its own. It's rarely far from stages worldwide, and that now 60-year-old film is a classic. It's also set to dance its way across the big screen again — and sing, too — with its New York neighbourhood rivalry returning to cinemas Down Under via a new remake this Boxing Day. Yes, the Jets and the Sharks are facing off once more. As both the new movie's initial teaser and its just-dropped full trailer show, Tony (Ansel Elgort, The Goldfinch) and María (film debutant Rachel Zegler) will fall head over heels again as well, because that's how the story goes. This time around, Steven Spielberg is in the director's chair, but West Side Story's storyline will obviously remain the same. So, in NYC in 1957, the aforementioned pair will feel sparks fly despite their backgrounds — because Tony's best friend Riff (Mike Faist, Panic) leads the Jets, and María is the younger sister of Sharks head honcho Bernardo (David Alvarez). Also popping up among the cast: Ariana DeBose (The Prom), Josh Andrés Rivera, Ana Isabelle (Imprisoned), Corey Stoll (Ratched) and Brian d'Arcy James (Devs), plus the great Rita Moreno (One Day at a Time) — who also played the role of Anita, Bernardo's girlfriend, in the original movie. The film's long list of talent continues off-screen, too, with West Side Story circa 2021's screenplay penned by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winner Tony Kushner (Lincoln), and the choreography coming courtesy of fellow Tony-recipient Justin Peck. Spielberg and company are taking the original Broadway musical rather than its first movie adaptation as their basis, and the results look vibrant and lively, but still with a classic old-school musical sheen. Thankfully — and unsurprisingly — it also looks worlds away from the filmmaker's last feature, Ready Player One. Check out the trailer below: West Side Story is set to open in Australian cinemas on December 26. Top image: Niko Tavernise, 2020 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
For movie lovers, there'll never be anything quite like watching a film in a cinema. It's the place where big-screen dreams shine bright in the darkness, and where nothing — as long as your fellow audience is respectful enough — can get between you and its celluloid fantasies. It's also where the latest version of West Side Story looked an absolute treat when it hit picture palaces last Boxing Day; however, a great flick will still draw you in even if you watch it at home. Come Wednesday, March 2, this Steven Spielberg-directed, Golden Globe-winning, seven-time Oscar-nominated version of the beloved musical will hit streaming via Disney+, following a long list of recent movies — Dune, The Matrix Resurrections, The French Dispatch and Spencer among them — to get fast-tracked from cinemas to home viewing. So, if you missed it on the silver screen when COVID-19 cases went up over Christmas, or just didn't make it along because life doesn't always find a way, you can now settle in for the famed NYC-set spin on Romeo and Juliet on your couch. Yes, that means that the Jets and the Sharks are facing off once more — on your TV screen. If you're new to all things West Side Story, the two gangs have long been tussling within the movie's narrative, and also on the stage and in film. That first happened back in 1957 on Broadway, thanks to iconic musical figures Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents. West Side Story has rarely been far from theatres worldwide since — and, in 1961, when the first movie version followed, it became an instant classic. The westside-set story: in fair NYC and its rubble-strewn titular neighbourhood where the flick lays its 1950s-era scene, the Jets and the Sharks aren't quite two households both alike in dignity. Led by the swaggering and dogged Riff (Mike Faist, a Tony-nominee for the Broadway production of Dear Evan Hansen), the Jets are young, scrappy, angry and full of resentment for anyone they fear is encroaching on their terrain (anyone who isn't white especially). Meanwhile, with boxer Bernardo (David Alvarez, a Tony-winner for Billy Elliot) at the helm, the Sharks have tried to establish new lives outside of their native Puerto Rico through study, jobs and their own businesses. Both gangs refuse to coexist peacefully in the only part of New York where either feels at home — even with the threat of gentrification looming large in every torn-down building, signs for shiny new amenities such as Lincoln Centre popping up around the place and, when either local cops Officer Krupke (Brian d'Arcy James, Hawkeye) or Lieutenant Schrank (Corey Stoll, The Many Saints of Newark) interrupt their feuding, after they're overtly warned as well. But it's a night at a dance, and the love-at-first-sight connection that blooms between Riff's best friend Tony (Ansel Elgort, The Goldfinch) and Bernardo's younger sister María (feature debutant Rachel Zegler), that sparks a showdown. This rumble will decide westside supremacy once and for all, the two sides agree. Also popping up among the cast: Ariana DeBose (The Prom), who looks set to win an Oscar for playing Bernado's girlfriend Anita, plus the great Rita Moreno (One Day at a Time) — who also played that exact role in the original movie and earned an Academy Award for her efforts. And, the film's long list of talent continues off-screen, thanks to a screenplay penned by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winner Tony Kushner (Lincoln), and choreography courtesy of fellow Tony-recipient Justin Peck. The result is lavish and dynamic, with Spielberg pirouetting back from the awful Ready Player One to make one helluva first musical — a swooning, socially aware story of star-crossed lovers that dances across the screen with rhythmic swirls and thematic twirls. Tonight, tonight, there's only this lavish and dynamic version of West Side Story tonight. Check out the trailer below: West Side Story will be available to stream via Disney+ on Wednesday, March 2. Read our full review.
After seven years of loading up smashed beef patties onto buns, Burger Head — one of the best spots for burgers in Sydney — is shutting up shop. The team has announced that the remaining pair of Burger Head stores in Penrith and Botany will both be hosting their last day of service on Sunday, October 29. "The past seven years have been nothing shy of an incredible journey of ups, downs, and everything in-between but unfortunately, we've decided to hang up the apron," owners Tim Rosenstrauss and Joshua DeLuca said in a lengthy statement on the Burger Head Instagram. But, never fear — this won't be your last chance to get your hands around the duo's famous stacks of goodness. Over the years, Burger Head has also hit the road, travelling around as a food truck — and, following the closing of the brick-and-mortar venues, the duo will be turning their attention to running Burger Head as a food truck permanently. "I want to make it clear that this is not the death of Burger Head but merely a major pivot for us," continues the statement. "To be honest, we thought we wouldn't make it past one year in business, so to say we got into our seventh year is fucking amazing! What started as a marquee pop-up in a three-by-three-metre tent grew into a network of four restaurants, three trucks and a production kitchen." The hugely popular burger business launched in January of 2017, drawing people in with simple burgers done right alongside extravagant inventions like the cult-famous Twisties burger. The resume of the chefs at the helm also had people flocking, with DeLuca coming over from Quay, Rosenstrauss from the now-closed Masters and former owner Richard Borg (Smoking Gringos) boasting time in the Momofuku kitchen. The Burger Head team is currently providing a daily breakdown of the journey that's led them to close the stores including expanding too quickly and interest rates. If you want a deep dive into what they are calling "The Downfall of Burger Head", follow along over on Instagram. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 🍔BURGER HEAD🍔 (@theburgerhead) Your last chance to visit Burger Head at either 17/98 Henry Street, Penrith or 1427 Botany Road, Botany will be on Sunday, October 29. Top image: Jason Denison.
UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 — Cycle Re-Cyle's workshops are currently on hold due to restrictions related to COVID-19. However, it is still accepting donations between 12–5pm on Saturdays. Stay updated on workshop hours by following its Facebook page here. Waterloo's Cycle Re-Cycle (aka The Nunnery Bike Workshop) is so much more than just a bike shop. Run by a group of local cycling enthusiasts, the shop accepts donations of used and abandoned bicycles (as well as spare parts), then fixes 'em up and puts them to good use in the community. The volunteers work alongside community members to share mechanical knowledge, with the ultimate goal to increase bicycle use in Sydney. Workshops happen on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5–8pm. If you're willing to fix up a bike yourself, you may even be able to nab a freebie.
With the Greater Sydney region in lockdown for seven weeks now, and set to stay under stay-at-home requirements until at least Saturday, August 28, everyone who lives in the city has been under strict rules regarding leaving the house. In some areas, the restrictions have been tighter than others, however — and three more parts of Sydney will be under those additional rules from 5pm today, Thursday, August 12. From this afternoon onwards, folks in the Bayside, Strathfield and Burwood Local Government Areas will be placed under the same tighter rules currently in place in the Parramatta, Georges River, Campbelltown, Fairfield, Canterbury-Bankstown, Liverpool, Blacktown and Cumberland LGAs, and in 12 suburbs in the Penrith LGA as well. Residents in these areas are only permitted to travel five kilometres from home in general, and may only leave their homes for work outside their areas if they're considered authorised workers. Also required: wearing masks whenever they leave the house. At New South Wales' daily COVID-19 press conference, Premier Gladys Berejiklian advised that the Bayside, Strathfield and Burwood LGAs are now considered areas of concerned due to their case numbers. "In relation to Bayside, the suburbs of particular concern are Bexley, Banksia and Rockdale, where additional cases have been identified overnight — so if you live in though suburbs in particular, please come forward and get tested," she said. "In Strathfield and Burwood, which are geographically smaller areas, we are noticing relative to the population an increasing number of cases — and as a precaution, those additional council areas have been brought into those areas of concern." Due to increasing concerns about community transmission, Burwood, Strathfield and Bayside Local Government Area (LGA) will now have additional restrictions from 5pm today, in line with previously identified LGAs of concern and 12 suburbs in Penrith LGA. — NSW Health (@NSWHealth) August 12, 2021 The three LGAs about to come under tighter conditions are bound by the overarching stay-at-home rules that apply to the rest of Greater Sydney, too. So, as has been the case since late June, everyone can still only leave the house for four specific essential reasons: to work and study if you can't do it from home; for essential shopping; for exercise outdoors; and for compassionate reasons, which includes medical treatment, getting a COVID-19 test and getting vaccinated. Also, only businesses deemed "critical retail" are permitted to remain open. Stores that can continue to welcome in customers include supermarkets, grocery stores, butchers, bakeries, fruit and vegetable stores, liquor stores and fishmongers; pharmacies and chemists; and shops that primarily sell health, medical, maternity and infant supplies. Also allowed to stay open: pet supply shops, post offices, newsagencies, office supply stores, petrol stations, car hire places, banks, hardware shops, nurseries, and places that sell building, agricultural and rural goods. Any retail premises that don't fall into the above categories are closed to physical customers, but they can do takeaways, home deliveries, and click and collect orders. If you need supplies, only one person from each household can go out shopping each day to buy essential items — and browsing is prohibited, too. Carpooling is still off the cards, unless you're in a vehicle with members of your own household. And, you can still only exercise in groups of two outdoors — or as a household. NSW recorded 345 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night. Of these locally acquired cases, 128 are linked to a known case or cluster – 101 household contacts & 27 close contacts – & the source of infection for 217 cases is under investigation. pic.twitter.com/aphtK5nZfO — NSW Health (@NSWHealth) August 12, 2021 The Premier also noted that residents of two other parts of Sydney should be particularly cautious as well, even though rules aren't changing in these specific areas at the moment. "We are asking also people who live in the Inner West and Camden to be on extra watch and alert, and health authorities are watching the cases in those areas very closely. The stricter restrictions in the Bayside, Strathfield and Burwood LGAs come into effect as NSW reported 345 new locally acquired COVID-19 cases identified to 8pm on Wednesday, August 11, with only 116 cases in isolation for their entire contagious period. As always, Sydneysiders are also asked to continue to frequently check NSW Health's long list of locations and venues that positive coronavirus cases have visited. If you've been to anywhere listed on the specific dates and times, you'll need to get tested immediately and follow NSW Health's self-isolation instructions. In terms of symptoms, you should be looking out for coughs, fever, sore or scratchy throat, shortness of breath, or loss of smell or taste — and getting tested at a clinic if you have any. The Bayside, Strathfield and Burwood Local Government Areas will be placed under stricter lockdown conditions from 5pm on Thursday, August 12. Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, the Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour remain in lockdown until at least 12.01am on Saturday, August 28. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website.
UPDATE, Thursday, March 28, 2o24: Oppenheimer is available to stream via Netflix, Binge, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Cast Cillian Murphy and a filmmaker falls in love. Danny Boyle did with 28 Days Later and Sunshine, then Christopher Nolan followed with Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, Inception and Dunkirk. There's an arresting, haunting, seeps-under-your-skin soulfulness about the Irish actor, never more so than when he was wandering solo through the empty zombie-ravaged streets in his big-screen big break, then hurtling towards the sun in an underrated sci-fi gem, both for Boyle, and now playing "the father of atomic bomb" in Nolan's epic biopic Oppenheimer. Flirting with the end of the world, or just one person's end, clearly suits Murphy. Here he is in a mind-blower as the destroyer of worlds — almost, perhaps actually — and so much of this can't-look-away three-hour stunner dwells in his expressive eyes. As J Robert Oppenheimer, those peepers see purpose and possibility. They spot quantum mechanics' promise, and the whole universe lurking within that branch of physics. They ultimately spy the consequences, too, of bringing the Manhattan Project successfully to fruition during World War II. Dr Strangelove's full title could never apply to Oppenheimer, nor to its eponymous figure; neither learn to stop worrying and love the bomb. The theoretical physicist responsible for the creation of nuclear weapons did enjoy building it in Nolan's account, Murphy's telltale eyes gleaming as Oppy watches research become reality — but then darkening as he gleans what that reality means. Directing, writing and adapting the 2005 biography American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J Sherwin, Nolan charts the before and after. He probes the fission and fusion of the situation in intercut parts, the first in colour, the second in black and white. In the former, all paths lead to the history-changing Trinity test on July 16, 1945 in the New Mexico desert. In the latter, a mushroom cloud balloons through Oppenheimer's life as he perceives what the gadget, as it's called in its development stages, has unleashed. Pre-Los Alamos Oppenheimer is all nervy spark, whether he's excited about a Cambridge lecture by Niels Bohr (Kenneth Branagh, Death on the Nile), meeting other great minds in his field around Europe, taking his learnings home from to start the US' first quantum mechanics class, or cultivating what'll later be disparaged by a security clearance-decreeing Atomic Energy Commission panel as a far leftwing mindset. He's electric when an animated ideological chat with Communist Party member Jean Tatlock (Florence Pugh, The Wonder) leads to slipping between the sheets for a tumultuous affair. When he meets botanist and biologist Kitty (Emily Blunt, The English) in the smoothest of sexual tension-dripping conversations, his inertia gets her answering "not very" when he asks if she's married. Determination mingles in, too, when Lieutenant General Leslie Groves (Matt Damon, Air) thunders into his classroom on a recruitment mission for top-secret work in a race to beat the Nazis. And, it lingers as the ball is put in motion, then keeps rolling, to construct the most fateful ball of them all. Post-Hiroshima and Nagasaki Oppenheimer is solidified in his certainty that his big bang, then the others that America's military detonated swiftly in Japan once they knew it worked, is on the wrong side of history. He's fragmented, though, by the response to his horror — including the McCarthy-esque committee mercilessly scrutinising him, his colleagues and others closet to him, while deciding whether they'll still give him access. Amid the political fallout for Oppenheimer's advocacy for scaling back afterwards, AEC commissioner Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey Jr, Dolittle) is weaved in, also answering dissecting questions. Oppenheimer is a talky film, sound and fury echoing as heatedly in its words as when blazing light fills the screen. Both the discussions-slash-interrogations and the incendiary moment that forever altered all incendiary moments are impeccably, immaculately, thrillingly and viscerally staged. Nolan identifies chain reactions, and creates them. As he slams the movie's two parts together with his Tenet editor Jennifer Lane's exacting splicing — also letting the contrasting segments lensed so meticulously by Oscar-nominated Dunkirk cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema fling closer and bounce apart, and linking everything with Black Panther Oscar-winner Ludwig Göransson's evocative and relentless score — he crafts his most complex and complicated film yet. His subject demands it. Oppenheimer follows, digs into memory and can't sleep with what's happened. It notices what grows in darkness, shifts reality, reaches for the cosmic and hops through time, too, all in its own ways. It plays like a culmination of Nolan's work as a result — it's certainly made like exactly that — as its namesake tries "not to set the sky on fire", as Groves tells him, then attempts to kill the terrible threat of burning skies as a power-boosting military tactic. If someone told Nolan not to set the screen alight and aglow with his 12th feature in 25 years, and his second about World War II in six, he didn't listen — be it with his resonant ideas, his execution or his stars. He paints a fiery portrait of America, especially in monochrome. He unpacks the lengths that humanity will go to to gain control and garner recognition, and the grave costs. He fires moments at the screen that just keep expanding in impact, and combining like Dunkirk's onslaught from land, air and sea. An early gripping scene involving Oppenheimer as a student, an apple and cyanide is one. So is the immediate expectation to lead the cheering after the Trinity test, just as the full meaning of what's occurred dawns, in a sequence that uses dissonant sound to immersive and galvanising effect. And, piercing too is the rat-tat-tat of the interrogation dialogue. Murphy is spectacular, and has never been better as Nolan stares so intimately and contemplatively at his revealing face. How joyous it is to see Downey Jr, also never better, actually act again — his astounding, awards-destined performance is meaty, mesmerising, and something that's been sorely missed. Oppenheimer's is an explosive cast, also spanning Blunt at her steeliest; pivotal contributions by Josh Hartnett (Black Mirror), Benny Safdie (Stars at Noon) and David Krumholtz (White House Plumbers) as fellow scientists; and the influential Jason Clarke (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty), Macon Blair (Reservation Dogs), Dane DeHaan (The Staircase) and Alden Ehrenreich (Cocaine Bear) among the lawyers, military and political aides. Present, too, each in small but significant parts: three consecutive 2017–19 Best Actor Academy Award-winners in Manchester by the Sea's Casey Affleck, Darkest Hour's Gary Oldman and Bohemian Rhapsody's Rami Malek. Nolan deploys them all in a film that bellows, billows and blasts. Watching, and plunging into Oppenheimer's mind, isn't a passive experience.
After cancelling his 2018 Australian tour due to an ongoing injury, Childish Gambino has this morning announced he'll be returning Down Under this July. The US hip hop star will be hitting up Sydney on July 24, Melbourne on July 17 and Perth on July 14 for stadium shows — and to Byron Bay for an already announced headline spot at Splendour in the Grass. This will be Childish Gambino's — AKA Donald Glover, AKA writer/director/star of Atlanta, if you haven't already worked that out — first Aussie shows since performing at Falls Festival in 2016. At the shows, expect to hear 'This Is America' and last year's two-song Summer Pack, as well as hits from his lauded three albums Camp, Because the Internet and Awaken, My Love!. While you're waiting for tickets to go on sale, you can watch his new movie, Guava Island, which co-stars Rihanna. It premiered for free on Amazon Prime yesterday, and is now only available for subscribers. If you don't have a subscription, you can still catch a couple of teasers on Childish Gambino's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/BwLNcCxn6Fd/ Tickets for the three shows will go on sale at midday on Thursday, April 18. Childish Gambino will perform at RAC Arena, Perth on Sunday, July 14; Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne on Wednesday, July 17 and Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney on Wednesday ,July 24.
UPDATE FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19: Live at the Bowl's extended lineup has been announced. On top of all the acts below, you can now catch the like of Ball Park Music and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard performing as part of the Summer Sounds series alongside Piknic Electronik, The Cat Empire, The Avalanches and many more. Check out the full event schedule via Live at the Bowl. When the warm weather rolls around each year, Melburnians usually have multiple reasons to head to the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. For those feeling festive, it's where Carols by Candlelight is held. And for anyone keen on catching orchestral shows under the evening sky, it's where the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra has held its free summer series for decades. Come 2021, the iconic venue will also play host to a new event: Live at the Bowl. It's a response to this past chaotic year, with holding a COVID-safe summer festival its number-one aim. Well, that and giving the city's residents something fun to add to their calendars after 2020's struggles. Live at the Bowl will run from Friday, January 8–Friday, April 23 and will feature more than 40 performances. The eclectic lineup is stacked with local talent from different eras and genres including Missy Higgins, Lime Cordiale, Daryl Braithwaite, Sampa the Great and Birds of Tokyo performing with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. If you're looking to laugh, Emmy Award-winner Hannah Gadsby is also heading up a night of comedy alongside Zoë Coombs Marr. It'll be a socially distanced affair, obviously, which the renders of the event illustrate — including separate platforms that split the audience up into groups, as festivals overseas have already been using. Tickets are on sale Wednesday, December 16 via Ticketek. Check out the full program below and find out more via Live at the Bowl. LIVE AT THE BOWL LINEUP Spinifex Gum — Friday, January 8 Human Nature — Saturday, January 9 Piknic Électronik — Sunday, January 10 A Symphonic Celebration — Thursday, January 14 Soju Gang presents SorBaes — Friday, January 15 Mo'Ju with Orchestra Victoria — Saturday, January 16 Teeny Tiny Stevies — Sunday, January 17 Ocean Alley — Thursday, January 21 Birds of Tokyo with the MSO — Friday, January 22 Share the Spirit 2021 — Tuesday, January 26 Missy Higgins — Wednesday, January 27 2021 Sidney Myer Free Concerts — Friday, January 29, Saturday, February 6 and Wednesday, February 10 Sun Cycle — Saturday, January 30 Lime Cordiale — Thursday, February 4 Running Touch — Friday, February 5 Rock the Bowl with Jon Stevens, Daryl Braithwaite and The Black Sorrows — Friday, February 12 Chinese New Year — Saturday, February 13 Vika & Linda — Sunday, February 14 Hannah Gadsby — Wednesday, February 17 Sampa the Great — Saturday, March 13 No Friend But the Mountains — Sunday, March 21 Top Image: Piknic Électronik by Wade Malligan
In a surprising move that contradicts their usually pricey products, German sporting giant Adidas are set to launch a US$1 shoe under their subsidiary brand, Reebok. A similar project was undertaken by Adidas in 2010 in Bangladesh, but was abandoned after an initial run of 5000 pairs. This was due to production and import costs of US$6.50 exceeding the shoe's low price point. Adidas has now looked to neighbouring India as its new major growth market. With its booming population and high levels of poverty, the nation is an ideal market for durable and affordable clothing. Adidas CEO Herbert Hainer said that Adidas' surprisingly high sales have allowed them to undertake this venture. Furthermore, he told German newspaper Die Welt am Sonntag that "the shoe will be sold in villages through a distribution network... We want the product to be self-funding." Standing at US$1, or 52 rupees, this is a hard offer to turn down. [Via PSFK]
Pestival 2013 is a festival with a mission: to change your views about insects — largely by getting you to eat them. The unique insect-appreciation festival arrives in London next month with a wide array of events to turn us all pro-bugs. These include a variety of exhibitions to celebrate insects in art and the art of being an insect. However, the centrepiece of the pun-tastic festival is its pop-up restaurant: Exploring the Deliciousness of Insects. The diner, appearing for two nights only, will allow its guests to consume the crawliest cuisine imaginable. It is presented by Nordic Food Lab, the company behind the three-time best restaurant in the world Noma, who seek to "find the deliciousness latent in insects". According to head chef Rene Redzepi in an interview with the Guardian, this deliciousness can be found in ants, which taste like "seared lemon rind", and bee larvae, which makes a sweet mayonnaise. Those two options are just the tip of the ant hill, with more than 1900 edible insect species now on the menu according to the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation. With insects eaten in one form or another by 70 percent of the world's cultures, Pestival provides the perfect platform to present this gastronomic value to Western palates. And what better time to do so? With famine rising across the world, and food prices rising at home, insects offer a proficient alternative source of protein that is highly unlikely to become extinct. Pestival 2013 thus showcases a flavoursome solution to the food crisis of the future.
This summer is set to be a wet one thanks to our friend La Niña coming to visit, so summer in Sydney will probably be spent in art galleries and coffee shops. Though, we're not complaining because, this summer, celebrated American artist Doug Aitken will be exhibiting one of his largest video installations, Song 1, at the Museum of Contemporary Art as part of the Doug Aitken: New Era exhibition. In tandem with his other work, Aitken is internationally recognised for his experimental practice using light, reflection, photography, sound and multi-screen environments where time and space are fluid — and Song 1 (2012/2015), is no different. In this 35-minute installation, you can expect a 360-degree experience of sound and projections focused around varied performances of The Flamingos' classic track, I Only Have Eyes For You. The installation features a range of talent from everyday people to professional performers like Beck, Tilda Swinton, Devandra Banhart and James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem. [caption id="attachment_835137" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Doug Aitken, SONG 1 (still), 2021/2015, commissioned with generous production support by the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, courtesy the artist; 303 Gallery, New York; Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Zurich; Victoria Miro Gallery, London; and Regen Projects, Los Angeles, copyright the artist.[/caption] Song 1 opens at the Museum of Contemporary Art on Friday, December 3. For more information and to book, visit the website. Top Image: Doug Aitken, SONG 1 (still), 2021/2015, commissioned with generous production support by the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, courtesy the artist; 303 Gallery, New York; Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Zurich; Victoria Miro Gallery, London; and Regen Projects, Los Angeles, copyright the artist.
If you've never attended a big community Syrian barbecue, Almond Bar is giving you the chance to get in on one. Head down to the laneway behind the Darlinghurst restaurant on Sunday, May 20, and you can load up your plate with Syrian-style lamb skewers and pumpkin kibbeh, and enjoy the accompanying music and dancing. All for $20. This successful event has been a staple in Darlinghurst for the last four years. The scent of grilling meats sends a siren call throughout the area, bringing people together to celebrate cultural diversity and togetherness. Syrians love a feast, and they love a party — their cooking traditions are among the oldest in the world and the government itself produces two varieties of beer, Al-Shark Beer and Barada Beer. There's no need to book, but seating is limited, so get there early. Image: Natalie Carroll.
Been sharpening up your swing in anticipation of the Australian Open? Wondering how your skills might stack up in a match against Rafael Nadal or Li Na? The world's first 'connected' tennis racquet is at your service. Unveiled this week at the international CES, held January 7-10, in Las Vegas, the product is the brainchild of tennis equipment company Babolat. It's built according to the dimensions of a regular racquet, but with a difference. Sensors located in the handle measure pretty much every detail of your performance, including power, impact, spin, forehand, backhand, overhead smash and serves. An interface called 'The Pulse' collates and analyses the data, scoring your game in terms of power, endurance and technique. Some of the world's biggest tennis names have put their support behind it. Nadal thinks it's "great because you have the chance to know much more about your tennis, much more about the way you are hitting the ball, the way that you want to improve ... you can have fun with that." Na says, "You get a much deeper understanding of your game." An app allows the user to record statistics, thereby keeping track of when and how their performance is improving. There's also a limitless online community, where information can be shared and compared with others. The Babolat Play retails for US$399. Via PSFK.
After months of speculation and a soft launch that turned out to be a bust, Amazon's hotly anticipated Australian website is finally up and running. And the offering is huge. It's been a couple of weeks since the online retail giant kicked off an 'internal testing phase' here in Australia, on November 23, though customers weren't actually able to get their hands on any products. Now, the site's gone properly live, filled with a hefty array of goods in time for that hectic, pre-Christmas retail rush. This online shopping wonderland spells trouble for your credit card, boasting everything from books, electronics and homewares, through to fashion, beauty products and even power tools. According to Senior Industry Analyst for IBISWorld Kim Do, Amazon's arrival in Australia is set to give the local retail industry a solid shake-up. "The company intends to challenge domestic retail prices by offering items for 30 percent less than domestic retailers," she explained, adding that technology products are expected to be Amazon's highest selling category. Let the retail therapy begin!
There are meat theme parks in Japan. Eataly are building the 'Disneyland of food' in Italy. But it looks like caffeinated bevvies are getting tired of going without their own themed digs, with a brand new US$100 million coffee-themed resort park set to begin development in South Korea. Korean specialty coffee giant Tom N Toms have shaken hands with South Korea's Gangwon Province in a multi-million dollar deal to plonk a 64-acre coffee theme park and production HQ smack bang in the industrial realms of Chuncheon on Nami Island. According to Daily Coffee News, the park will create of over 1000 jobs; both on the theme park side of things and the roastery/distribution half. While finite details haven't been released about the innards of the park — we propose steamed milk river rides, some kind of spinning rollercoaster called The Grinder, latte art galleries — the park will sit right beside a proposed Legoland (in the top pic), because all Great Things clearly need to be theme park neighbours. Commercial eyes are squarely focused on the area of PyeongChang, which is rapidly developing in the leadup to its hosting of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, according to Korea Bizwire. Gangwon Governor Choi Moon-soon and Chuncheon Mayor Choi Don-yong have given their John Hancocks on a deal for the park, geared up to be environmentally-friendly and finished by 2017. This isn't the first coffee theme park in the world, with Colombia's National Coffee Park taking those bragging rights clean away. But with a sweet hundy-million behind it and an actual roastery and distribution facility on site, this park's sure to be full of beans (#sorrynotsorry). Via Korea Bizwire and Daily Coffee News. Top image: Proposed Legoland, South Korea — via DCN.
The world-renowned pastry chef behind the famed Strawberry Watermelon Cake has gone back to baking basics with his new endeavour. Christopher Thé, founder of Black Star Pastry, has collaborated with Salt Meats Cheese to launch This Is Us, a range of classic savoury breakfast goods. Thé's journey at Black Star ended in 2019, and he spent time after unwinding with his family and experimenting in the kitchen. Those experiments led to a collaboration with Salt Meats Cheese and the birth of This Is Us. A line of gourmet retail products, the range currently includes hand-stretched, vacuum-sealed pizzas and, under Thé's watch, crumpets and muffins. Thé's preservative-free, naturally-leavened sourdough crumpets and english muffins are handmade using single-origin flour from northern New South Wales. While they, of course, come plain, this means you can get crafty with your toppings. You could, perhaps, fill your muffin with LP's chorizo, a fried egg and Condimental hot sauce, or lather your crumpets in honey and Pepe Saya butter. But, that is just one suggestion — the possibilities are, as they say, endless. Available exclusively from Harris Farm Markets across NSW, the new range is an extension of Thé's passion for sustainable and farm-to-kitchen cooking. Expect more products to drop in the coming months, too. This Is Us by Christopher Thé is available from Harris Farm stores across NSW.
If you've ever felt unsafe in an Uber, because of a predatory driver, other riders or something going on outside the car, this new in-app feature might help ease your mind — a 'panic button' that lets riders contact emergency services directly through the Uber app. It's part of a new Safety Toolkit, trialled in the USA earlier this year and currently being rolling out in Aus, which is designed to help both riders and drivers stay protected and connected during a trip. According to the Uber website, you'll soon be able to access the new Safety Toolkit by clicking on a small shield icon located at the bottom right of the map. It'll allow you to connect instantly to 000 — with the app showing your location and address in real time, so you can pass it on to an operator if required. Drivers will be able to access the same emergency assistance feature on the left side of their own driver app. Another new function allows both riders and drivers to keep their loved ones in the loop, by adding up to five people as 'Trusted Contacts' — you can then arrange to share your whereabouts and trip status with them at any time, with just a subtle tap of a button. The Safety Toolkit also features a new SafetyCentre — a sort of hub, where you can learn all about insurance details, driver background checks and information of how to access Uber's 24/7 support. The launch of the new Safety Toolkit follows two alleged sexual assaults on female Sydney Uber passengers in recent weeks and an investigation by CNN into the prevalence of sexual assaults by Uber drivers in the US. After CNN released its report, Uber published a statement saying it had committed to making trips safer by rolling out new technology and screening drivers more thoroughly (and frequently). The new Safety Toolkit is expected to appear in Aussie apps over the upcoming weeks.
Waking up and not knowing who you are or where you are has become a Hollywood staple. Source Code takes the formula and flips it. Army helicopter pilot, Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes up on a train bound for Chicago fully aware of who he is. Problem is, he is in the body of another man. Within minutes, a bomb goes off, destroys the train and Stevens is dead. And thus kicks off this new science fiction mystery thriller. From director Duncan Jones, son of David Bowie and director of 2009's BAFTA Award winning Moon, Source Code has received widespread critical and audience applause as well as drawing comparisons with Memento and Inception. As it happens, we have 10 double passes to screenings of Source Code to giveaway thanks to Hopscotch Films. To win, simply subscribe to Concrete Playground (if you haven't already) then email hello@concreteplayground.com.au with your name and address. Entries close Friday, April 22. https://youtube.com/watch?v=_3QkJ_a1nlw
Starting a restaurant is a daunting task at the best of times, but even more so during a pandemic. Luckily for the residents of Surry Hills, Daniel Hanssen took the plunge and quit his corporate job in order to share his love of Mexican food with the masses. In partnership with a Mexican chef, Hanssen has started a taco pop-up called Tacos Muchachos on Crown Street and hopes to see it evolve from here. Opened in early June and serving inner city dwellers from 6pm Thursday–Saturday, the Mexican food pop-up offers up housemade tortillas topped with taqueria guacamole, onion, coriander and your choice of chicken, beef or cauliflower. On the specials menu you'll find burritos, nachos and Tacos Muchachos signature quesabirria tacos. Completing the menu is margaritas, beer and boozy agua fresca. Weekly surprises will pop up throughout the run of the pop-up restaurant, like beer marinated steak, cheese and guac tortas. Be quick though, the pop-up was originally only scheduled to run until the end of June but has been extended until the end of August due to the positive response from the Surry Hills community.
Sydneysiders residing across the bridge no longer have to trek far and wide to enjoy some of the city's finest culinary offerings. Instead, North Sydney residents will soon find three new eateries and a gourmet grocer, all located just a short walk from the new Metro station, on Walker Street. Etymon Projects is behind the precinct, which is set to open around mid-June. "What opening Poetica bar + grill in North Sydney and Loulou in Milsons Point has shown us is that there's a real appetite for more hospitality this side of the bridge," said Lisa Hobbs, CEO of Etymon Projects. "North Sydney has a great buzz to it, and we see this growing especially with the Metro opening later this year." So, what exactly is on offer at this hospitality-focused venture? If you're after contemporary Japanese dining, Genzo has got you covered. The izakaya will hero Japanese wines, raw dishes and kushiyaki (skewers), with the addition of noodles, sake, and balanced cocktails to complete the menu. Plus, its dark interiors are set to star splashes of neon to liven the space. Sol bread + wine will operate as a day-to-night spot — so, as a bakery, a cafe and a wine bar. The precinct's three-in-one locale will sling baked goods and cafe-style sandwiches by morning, then pair top tipples with snack plates by afternoon. For all things artisanal, you'll be heading to Una, a sister location of Loulou in Milsons Point. From charcuterie essentials, fresh pasta and spices to parfait and pate courtesy of its sibling venue, Una will be the one-stop shop for gourmet goods. Plus, it'll even boast an array of wines, gifts and its own homewares range. Rounding out the precinct's upcoming offerings is Soluna, a Los Angeles-inspired all-day diner with an approachable menu of seafood, pasta and grill-style snacks. The venue will centre around casual dining, providing a bar space for post-work drinks, a separate lounge, and a large dining area fit for everything from dinner dates to power lunches and family gatherings. "We see the precinct becoming a lower north shore go-to for fresh, artisan breads and pastries, gourmet deli goods, and dining," said Sebastien Lutaud, the director of culinary at Etymon. North Sydney's new hospitality precinct will open at 168 Walker Street, North Sydney in mid-June 2024 — we'll update you when a specific date is announced.
With stay-at-home orders and social-distancing measures ruling most of our lives right now, there's a good chance your usual Mother's Day traditions are off the cards for 2020. But even if you can't visit, hug or tee up a lavish boozy brunch with your mum, you can still show her you care, albeit from afar. Maker of luxury personalised leather goods, Maison de Sabré is a family-owned label that knows a thing or two about accessorising in style. It's selling elegant signature pieces that are crafted from top-quality leather and custom printed for a unique finish and a healthy splash of self-identity. And who wouldn't feel like a total boss showing off a statement piece stamped with their own name or monogrammed with their initials? Or better yet, their star sign? The chic Maison de Sabré range runs from wallets and clutches to sleek phone cases, all in a variety of regal-looking hues. But those hunting down mum gifts will want to hit up the newly-dropped Mother's Day collection, featuring modern silhouettes, hand-stamped in either silver or gold foil, and each design emblazoned with a sketch of a blossoming carnation. The last touch is a luxe nod to the traditional Mother's Day floral choice — and one that might just be received with a little more fanfare than a standard bunch of blooms. There's a whole swag of colours to choose from — whether Mum's into a bold 'pomegranate red', or perhaps a softer 'matcha green' situation — plus, the phone cases are available to fit a variety of different smartphone styles. As an added bonus, Maison de Sabré is currently offering free express shipping on all orders, too, so they can get to mum in time for May 10. It's the kind of lasting Mother's Day fix that can be enjoyed from wherever your mama might be riding out the COVID-19 storm. Or hey, perhaps you've earned yourself a little something for handling iso life like a champ. For more information and to nab your mum a personalised pressie, head to the Maison de Sabré website. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
When it comes to imbibing gin at home, your go-to may be the classic G&T, or perhaps you shake up a crisp martini from time-to-time. You may also be ready to mix things up with a whole new botanical bev. Whatever your status with gin, Greenall's has given us a few trusty recipes to help you perfect your favourite gin drink at home — whether that be by mastering the perfect proportions for the classics or learning to make an entirely new cocktail. These guys have been at the gin game since 1761, so you can rest assured you're in good hands with their literal centuries of experience, heritage and passion for what they do — whether that's creating new and innovative recipes, or handing over their favourite gin cocktail recipes to make at your gaff. LIME TWIST MARTINI It's the drink that makes you feel like all the laundry has been done, folded neatly away and that Nina Simone is serenading you from an old record. Sit down and have a rest — you've earned it. — 50ml Greenall's Original London Dry Gin — 10ml dry vermouth — Lime twist Place a solid handful of ice into a metal cocktail shaker, add gin and vermouth and set your dominant hand to stir moderately for at least ten blinks. Next, strain into a chilled martini glass. If you're lacking said shapely vessel, Greenall's recommends any other fancy — but equally as chilled — glass. Twist and squeeze the oil from the lime peel into the glass, and leave the curly little citrus in there for garnish. WILD BERRY AND LEMONADE If Bernard Black of Black Books had to choose a summer drink for his summer girl, this would be it. — 50ml Greenall's Wild Berry Gin — 100ml lemonade (or quality tonic water) — Berries to garnish Find your tallest glass, fill it with ice and pour in gin. Top up with — no, not wine Bernard, it's for your girl remember, so opt for the lemonade. Yes, tonic will work, too. Garnish with one berry, two berry, three berry or more. BASIL SMASH Conversation running dry? Then it's time to Natalie Imbruglia the heck out of those basil leaves you've been growing all summer. — 50ml Greenall's London Dry Gin — 25ml fresh lemon juice — 12.5ml sugar syrup — 8 freshly torn basil leaves Add basil to the base of the cocktail shaker and muddle gently. Next, pour in gin, your heart, soul and the remaining ingredients. Shake over ice and strain over an ice-filled tumbler glass, and start (re)memorising the rest of the lyrics to Torn. Head out for a night of 90s karaoke hits. WILD BERRY FLORA DORA When the 'yes' vote came through and all Australian lovebirds got the right to get hitched, this is the drink everyone should have had in hand to celebrate. With a marrying together of gin, ginger beer, lime and raspberry, it's the refreshing drink we all deserve. — 40ml Greenall's Wild Berry Gin — 20ml fresh lime juice — 10ml raspberry syrup — Ginger beer Your Tetris skills will be invaluable here. Your job: build all ingredients in a highball glass over ice. Stir, stir, stir. Serve and play again. GIN AND TONIC Free pouring is for fools. What we're after is a taste sensation that rides the palate of perfection. And Greenall's has given us its easy-peasy, limey-squeezy take on the classic G&T. — 50ml Greenall's London Dry Gin — 100ml tonic water (again, go for quality) — 2 lime wedges Fill a tall glass with ice — that's right, enough to sink a duck. Squeeze in one of the lime wedges. Pour in gin. Top with tonic. Yes, all in that order. Garnish with your second lime wedge. Hold glass high for several seconds in appreciation, and then wink as you hand-deliver to your mate. Make 'em all and find (or re-confirm) a favourite drink to pour your Greenall's into at home.
Looking for a little bit of R&R after a long day of shopping? Encore Beauty has you covered. You can treat yourself to a selection of massages and skincare treatments. The trained therapists customise the treatments based on your specific skin needs, and use products from luxe French skincare brand Sothys to treat and nourish your face, neck and décolletage. The studio offers micro-needling, cosmetic injectables and light therapy, too. Meanwhile, the body treatment menu includes 'hanakasumi', a Japanese ritual which uses shea butter and cherry blossom. The shop also has a number of skincare products from Sothys, Mayerling and more for sale, too, if you need to restock your home stash. Images: Trent Van der jagt.
If you love a glass or two of bodied vino, this one's for you. On Monday, May 20, Moncur Cellars and its sister venue, Bistro Moncur, will host a tasting event featuring some of the very best reds from across the country. Head over from 5pm for an evening dedicated to sampling some of Australia's leading sips. With over 120 wines on offer, you'll be tasting your way through favourites from our very own backyard, from light and dry drops to medium-bodied wines and experimental sips. This year's lineup includes the likes of Yarra Valley's Mount Mary, the Mornington Peninsula's buzzy Ten Minutes by Tractor, Geelong's By Farr and Tasmania's Tolpuddle. Tickets are $50 per person, which includes a Plumm wine glass and unlimited tastings. The ticket is refundable when you purchase a case of top-notch wine to enjoy in the comfort of your own home. For more information and to purchase tickets, head to the event website.
Freda's has been ever-present on Sydney's hospo scene for well over a decade in one form or another, whether as a laidback cafe and wine spot or an upbeat bar and performance space. Following Cafe Freda's closure, the venue is back – this time as Bar Freda's – with a design-led space as part of The Abercrombie. Moving into this new era as an inviting neighbourhood bar, it takes over two levels across multiple heritage terraces, with founders David Abram and Carla Uriarte delivering a welcoming space where people come together over good food, drinks and music. Launching on Thursday, April 24, the venue's ground floor is an eclectic affair, featuring vintage light fittings, reupholstered bar stools from the original Freda's and bay windows that link its architectural interior with the outside world. Heading upstairs, a giant disco ball signals the vibe shift, as you enter a dedicated DJ room powered by Freda's beloved Danley Sound System. Mosey into neighbouring rooms to find comfy booths and a stainless steel bar serving drinks into the early hours. As for the menu, those familiar with Cafe Freda's and the OG venue will know what awaits — bar snacks, nostalgic pastas and stacked sandwiches, including Sydney rock oysters, house-made pickles, lasagne croquettes paired with hot sugo, and rigatoni with eggplant ragu and stracciatella. Rotating deli-style sangies play on old favourites, like a Reuben with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Freda's house dressing, and a fried king prawn roll with Thousand Island dressing, pickled cucumber and iceberg lettuce. "Bar Freda's draws inspiration from late-night bars in Berlin and other great after-hours cities, and American dive bars that have maintained their character and warmth over many decades of servicing a city's social needs," says Abram. "[Bar Freda's] is meant to be fun and easy, but filled with quality and comfort." The drinks list won't disappoint either, with a hand-picked selection keeping the "focus on fun and nothing too heavy," as Uriarte puts it. Expect Freda's classic Mega Mate, featuring a powerful mix of vodka and Club-Mate designed to give your night a boost. Plus, there are elevated slushies like a frozen espresso martini and a matcha-infused pina colada, alongside in-house spins on martinis, negronis, margaritas and more. Bringing 15 years of hospitality experience to Bar Freda's, this space might be the duo's most ambitious yet. Serving as something of a throwback to the original Chippendale bar and nightclub, the crew is also launching Club Freda's next door. Here, they'll program regular events designed to give local DJs, artists and promoters a community-driven space that offers a solid platform to express themselves and fill a gap in Sydney's nightlife. Bar Freda's is open Tuesday–Thursday from 5pm–12am and Friday–Saturday from 5pm–3am at Abercrombie Terraces, 100 Broadway, Chippendale. Head to the website for more information. Images: Steven Woodburn / Daniella Braude.
When a business celebrates a birthday in a big way, its customers might be lucky enough to receive a present themselves. That's the case with cinema chain Hoyts, which is hitting 115 years old with two days — an entire weekend, in fact — of cheap movie tickets. Book in a big-screen date across Saturday, October 12–Sunday, October 13 to score $8 general-admission tickets. The special is open to everyone and you don't need to sign up for a membership; however, as there always is with these kinds of deals, there are a few caveats. If you reserve your $8 ticket are online, there'll also be a booking fee. And again, the deal applies just to standard sessions, not Hoyts LUX and special events — but you can pay extra to sit in a D-BOX motion recliner, for a lounge or daybed, or to get the Xtremescreen experience. If you want to head to Hoyts LUX, that'll cost you $25. Movie-wise, your viewing options include supervillain sequel Joker: Folie à Deux, more comic book-inspired antics with Hellboy: The Crooked Man, Sebastian Stan (Dumb Money)-starring Donald Trump biopic The Apprentice, gore aplenty thanks to Terrifier 3, and all-ages-friendly animation with The Wild Robot and Transformers One.
Broadbeach has never really had to work too hard to convince people to visit. The laidback vibes, excellent dining scene and ample swimming spots that give the suburb its name do most of the heavy lifting. But if you are a little harder to impress, the good people at Tourism and Events Queensland are rising to the challenge and cordially inviting you to plan a long weekend away to the Gold Coast for the annual Blues on Broadbeach festival that runs from Thursday, May 18 to Sunday, May 21. With 22 years of experience under its belt, the 2023 incarnation of Blues on Broadbeach will be the pay-off of a well oiled machine. And, while the organisers have had some time to fine-tune their ability to put on a stellar music festival that showcases authentic rhythm and blues music, this year's program could very well be their best yet. As well as a lineup of national and international artists performing across the precinct's multiple stages, streets and parks, the four-day-long fest will fold in a massive selection of restaurants, cafes and bars, and a host of accommodation options. Meaning you can stay right in the heart of the festival and enjoy live music at your actual doorstep. Kind of worried about blowing the budget? Fear not, because Blues on Broadbeach is one of Australia's largest free music festivals and it's generally non-ticketed, so you can just rock up and play it by ear (pardon both bad music-related puns). So, if you're heading in from interstate, set your Google alert to track flight prices and round up some mates. Otherwise, if Broadbeach is closer to home for you, take your time and pop in and out as you please. Either way, whether its your first pilgrimage to Blues on Broadbeach, or your 22nd, we're going to call it now and say it probably won't be your last. Blues on Broadbeach is on from Thursday, May 18 to Sunday, May 21, 2023. For further details, head to the website.
A hub of homemade Italian street food is coming to Neutral Bay, bringing with it all the crispy arancini, homemade meatballs and cannelloni you could fit in your face. Italian Street Kitchen is the lower north shore's new feasting haven, inspired by the street food fairs of Rome with its communal, tasting-focused dining. Steered by Sydney restaurateur Mauro Marcucci, owner of Baccomatto Osteria, and owned by the Seagrass Boutique Hospitality Group (The Meat & Wine Co., Ribs and Burgers, the upcoming Hunter & Barrel), Italian Street Kitchen will feature interactive food stations where you can feast on antipasto (arancini, fried & baked cheese, salumi & formaggio, meatballs et al) or nibble on a morsel of their lamb or chicken open flame spit roast, or dive into freshly-made pasta and woodfire pizza. Designed by Otto Design Interiors (Kurtosh, Ribs & Burgers), the Italian Street Kitchen space will apparently channel a stripped-back Italian street vibe — natural timbers, polished concrete and plaster, refined black steel, open kitchen and an area to display fresh produce and home-cured meats. Italian Street Kitchen opens 5/19-21 Grosvenor Street, Neutral Bay this October.
El Jannah has earned cult status for its Lebanese-style charcoal chicken and god-tier garlic sauce, but if you've been living anywhere between the Sydney Harbour Bridge and northwest Sydney, your closest locale is Newtown or Burwood. Until now. Glorious news for North Chore chicken heads: El Jannah Crows Nest will open its doors on Saturday, March 2, introducing a whole new region of Sydney to the joys of its beloved charcoal chicken plates, ultra-crispy (and possibly underrated) fried chicken, and standout burgers and rolls. The new North Shore chicken haven will be located on the corner of Willoughby Road and Burlington Street, right by Bravo Trattoria, Kickin'Inn and The Stoned Crow. If you're new to El Jannah, the best way to attack the menu is by finding a partner in crime and ordering a whole chicken meal between the two of you — the all-star lineup of a butterflied charcoal chicken, hot chips generously sprinkled with chicken salt, the all-time great garlic sauce, warm Lebanese bread, mixed pickles and drinks. Heaven. [caption id="attachment_749503" align="alignnone" width="1920"] El Jannah[/caption] The El Jannah fried chicken is also up there with the city's best. And the crispy chilli chicken burger is a truly levelled-up version of a certain Colonel's fan-favourite burger. The growing chain of chicken shops started with a Western Sydney store in 1998 and has since grown to almost 30 locations — with that number expected to hit 50 at some point next year. If you want to be the first to get your mitts on the cult-classic feeds in Crows Nest, head along to the grand opening on Saturday, March 2. El Jannah Crows Nest will open at 34 Willoughby Road, Crows News on Saturday, March 2. Head to the restaurant's website for more information.
Despite the scale of Australia, Aussies love to walk. There's loads of scenery, our cities are optimised for walking, and we have some beautiful tracks nationwide that are worth the lengthy trips to get there. With thick jungles, red deserts and stunning coastlines, we're spoilt for choice. One of the most spectacular is the mighty Three Capes Track. The 48km trail, found in far southeast Tasmania, takes you through the spectacular wilderness of Tassie and along the highest sea cliffs in the country. If you want to level up an already stunning experience, you can book with the Tasmanian Walking Company to sleep in a private eco-lodge and campsite along the track (rather than the public huts) to rest and recover in style between walking stretches. Now the good part: you can win two spots on the Three Capes Adventure with the Tasmanian Walking Company. This adventure includes experienced guides, lightweight packs, private accommodation, chef-curated meals, plus local beer and wine throughout the adventure. We're also throwing in a $1000 flight voucher to get you there and home, so all you need to worry about are the awesome views. To enter the giveaway, complete the form below. [competition]895873[/competition]
If your walls are looking particularly blank and boring, a visit to Blue Dog is in order. Anything you've ever dreamed of having life-sized on your wall is sold (or can be made) here — including old movie posters, maps of the ancient world, famous movie scene grabs, classic album covers (think Abbey Road), and basically any superhero you can think of. It's definitely worth checking out — even if you're just up for a browse. If you find something you really love, it can be laminated, framed or mounted however you like.
It's television's greatest tragedy, and one that's been more than a decade in the making. Watching Better Call Saul, it's impossible not to think about the route its protagonist takes through Breaking Bad. We already know how Saul Goodman's (Bob Odenkirk) story ends, so as we explore his pre-Walter White life — when he was known by his birth name of Jimmy McGill and genuinely wanted to be a legitimate lawyer — the feeling is bittersweet, to say the least. The same sensation applies to former cop Mike Ehrmantrout (Jonathan Banks), whose Breaking Bad fate is also already known. Before getting caught up with Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito), he first crossed Jimmy's path as a car park attendant at the Albuquerque court house — and Better Call Saul tells his tale as much as its namesake's For four seasons since 2015, the Breaking Bad prequel has stepped through the earlier existence of these two characters, as well as others in their orbit — such as Jimmy's successful older brother Chuck (Michael McKean), his girlfriend and fellow lawyer Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn), and Mike's widowed daughter-in-law Stacey (Kerry Condon) and granddaughter Kaylee (Abigail Zoe Lewis). As the episodes pass, the two central figures slowly start inching towards their Breaking Bad lives. Familiar faces, such as Gus and Hector Salamanca (Mark Margolis) also pop up. The result: a series that's as excellent as its predecessor, and one that provides another excuse to spend more time in Breaking Bad's world. After last airing episodes in 2018 — and leaving 2019 to El Camino — A Breaking Bad Movie — it's returning for a fifth season this year. And if you can't wait until February 24 to see what comes next, or you weren't quite satisfied by the season's first couple of sneak peeks, a new trailer has just dropped. This new trailer is still brief, like its predecessors, but it does offer a glimpse at all the familiar players. Jimmy, Mike, Kim, Gus and Hector are all accounted for, as is gangland figure Nacho Varda (Michael Mando). That said, the biggest revelation is the return of a Breaking Bad character who hasn't been seen in Better Call Saul just yet, but was always going to pop up eventually. No, it's not Walt (Bryan Cranston) or Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul), but DEA agent and Walt's brother-in-law Hank Schrader (Dean Norris). The trailer follows a big Better Call Saul announcement a few weeks back, with US network AMC announcing that the show will wrap up after its sixth season. Work on the last batch of 13 episodes will begin this month, and will presumably air in 2021 — ending your chances to hear Jimmy tell everyone "s'all good, man". Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLOgEMxt-yM&feature=youtu.be Better Call Saul's fifth season starts streaming on Stan from Monday, February 24.
What starts with a progress pride flag-raising ceremony, officially opens with Kylie Minogue and Charli XCX, then ends with MUNA and G Flip? What features the long-awaited return of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade to Oxford Street (with new viewing areas), more than 45 rainbow artworks all around town and a monumental pride march with 50,000-plus people walking across the Sydney Harbour Bridge, too? In other words, what'll make Sydney the centre of the queer universe from Friday, February 17–Sunday, March 5, and make history in the process? Sydney WorldPride, the first WorldPride ever held in the southern hemisphere, and basically a mega Mardi Gras — and your unmissable reason to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community in the New South Wales capital in early 2023. Plenty of the above has been giving everyone reasons to rejoice for a while now; however, the Sydney WorldPride crew has just dropped the full event lineup. In-person, the team has done so with Bondi Beach's first-ever gigantic rainbow sand sculpture — which is on display until sunset today, Wednesday, November 9, if you're in the neighbourhood and keen to check it out — but this is a program worth getting excited about for the next 100 days until Sydney WorldPride arrives. Charli XCX has indeed joined the opening concert lineup, as has Jessica Mauboy, both of whom will perform alongside Kylie Minogue. Also welcome news: more tickets have been released for the previously sold-out gig, although don't expect them to stick around for long. At the Domain Dance Party mid-fest — another huge highlight — Kelly Rowland will headline‚ with DJ Dan Slater curating the bill, and DJ Suri and DJ Isis Muretech among those on the decks. And, the Bondi Beach Party on March 4 will turn the famed stretch of sand into an openair club for a casual 12,000 people, dancing by the water from dusk. If that's not enough to start making plans — a staycation or vacation via Concrete Playground Trips and its seven different Sydney WorldPride packages, perhaps? — overall the fest will feature more than 300 events over 17 days, making it the largest-ever LGBTQIA+ festival ever held in the region, too. Still on numbers, that hefty total includes 19 official major events, 68 WorldPride Arts experiences, 17 WorldPride Sports events and 192 Pride Amplified community events. That's a massive lineup to sift through, so here's the short version: wherever you are in Sydney during WorldPride, expect the festival to be in the vicinity. The list of standouts worth mentioning is similarly sizeable, including the gigs at Sydney WorldPride's at Marri Madung Butbut (Many Brave Hearts): the First Nations Gathering Space — such as the Klub Village party and performance, the Miss First Nation drag contest, and exhibition Bloodlines, which honours artists lost to HIV/AIDS. There's also the impressive WorldPride human rights conference, which is the largest of its kind ever held in the Asia-Pacific as well, and will span three days. Also, Queer Art After Hours will head to the Art Gallery of New South Wales and its new building; the Mardi Gras Film Festival returns for its 30th fest, complete with a big focus on Asia-Pacific cinema and a day of free outdoor screenings; and the Queer Formal is back. And while some Mardi Gras favourites, such as the official 10,000-person Mardi Gras Party at Hordern Pavilion and the Mardi Gras Laneway at The Beresford and Hill Street, have already sold out, there's clearly plenty more where they came from. The WorldPride Arts lineup alone spans exhibitions by Paul Yore and Dylan Mooney, the first dedicated exhibition of Australian queer artist David McDiarmid's photos, lesbian divorce comedy Blessed Union, the Australian premiere of Choir Boy by Moonlight co-writer Tarell Alvin McCraney, and installation Eulogy for the Dyke Bar — which will indeed operate as a bar — for instance. And, there's a 24-hour dance piece, a comedy night hosted by Ru Paul's Drag Race Down Under's Coco Jumbo, and Powerhouse Museum's showcase of Sydney's leading LGBTQIA+ artists, designers, makers and performers as well. Sports-wise, 17 different activities will be featured, spanning everything from roller derby, ten-pin bowling, soccer, ice hockey and basketball to wrestling, swimming, golf and dragon boating. Then, throw in a Pride Climb on Sydney Harbour Bridge, LGBTQIA+ history walks and a Sapphic Literary Lounge at Watsons Bay Library, all from the Pride Amplified part of the fest. That program covers gin dinners, events in spas and pop-up fetish bars, and a world-record attempt at the biggest disco dance class, too, and there's more still to come. Sydney WorldPride will run from Friday, February 17–Sunday, March 5, 2023. For more information, head to the event's website. Making Sydney WorldPride plans? Concrete Playground Trips has a heap of exclusive packages on offer, including tickets to and accommodation around the Opening Concert, Domain Dance Party, Bondi Beach Party and more.
UPDATE, December 23, 2021: Better Watch Out is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. The weather outside might be frightful, but staying indoors is far from delightful. Indeed, in Christmas slasher story Better Watch Out, the gifts and games are of the murderous kind. With his parents (Virginia Madsen and Patrick Warburton) heading out for some seasonal cheer, 12-year-old Luke (Levi Miller) and his pal Garrett (Ed Oxenbould) are left home alone in the suburbs with 17-year-old babysitter Ashley (Olivia DeJonge). If you've seen any kind of horror movie, Christmas-themed or not, you'll know that it doesn't turn out well. Far from walking merrily through familiar territory, however, writer-director Chris Peckover and his co-scribe Zack Kahn have a few surprises in store for fans of festive thrills. Their teenage trio aren't exactly setting booby traps for burglars, but nor are they simply hiding out as a knife-wielding maniac wreaks havoc. Even before the weapons come out, things aren't exactly going smoothly. Luke is soon downing champagne in his desperate attempt to seduce Ashley, despite the fact that she's preoccupied with arguing on the phone with her boyfriend. Oh, and someone is out to kill them. Someone inside the house. If Better Watch Out was a Yuletide beverage, it'd be spiked eggnog: you think you know what you're getting, but after a couple of sips it turns out to be something very different. And while it's best for viewers to experience the movie's twists and turns for themselves, savouring the performances that go with them is heartily recommended. Miller (Jasper Jones), Oxenbould (Paper Planes) and DeJonge (The Visit) embrace their multifaceted roles with relish, playing to type before suddenly veering in unexpected directions. The three local actors are a boon to the US-Australian co-production, which is set in the States but was shot in Sydney. With found footage film Undocumented also on his resume, Peckover has clearly seen more than a few scary movies, and wears his expertise on his sleeve. Better Watch Out is filled with overt nods to genre tropes — but then again, aren't most horror films these days? Here, winking at convention heightens the tongue-in-cheek vibe, although it also occasionally proves to be a crutch. In some moments, the movie's meta-references are smart, inspired and laugh-out-loud hilarious. In others, they mosey a little too close to cartoonish, particularly as the story starts to wind up. But the film fares far better when it comes to its treatment of Christmas flicks, burrowing into the darkness behind the supposedly happiest time of the year. Toxic Yuletide fantasies, toxic domesticity, toxic masculinity — Peckover and Kahn find time to poke and prod all three amidst their nasty pranks, hormonal teens and festive tunes. For fans of horror comedy, Better Watch Out is one seriously warped present beneath the Christmas tree. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b88Z3Xa9v4s
Over the past year or so, many Australians have been working from home either during lockdowns or in general, which means many of us are have been leaning on our bar carts a little more than usual. This has lead to a level of experimentation — whether that's ordering in cocktails, trying our hand at making our own fancy drinks or getting some fun wines delivered. Another way you can get creative: by ordering a bottle of Unico Zelo's yuzu vermouth. The tasty child of Adelaide Hills winery Unico Zelo and sister distillery Applewood, this third batch of untraditional (but ever-so-tasty) vermouth is made from a combination of Adelaide Hills merlot grapes, some native Australian botanicals (usually used to make Applewood's Okar bitter amaro) and yuzu from Mountain Yuzu — a 20-acre farm located in northeast Victoria, on the foothills of the Australian Alps. As you can see, its an all-Australian affair — unlike a lot of traditional vermouths, which are made in Italy and France. Eco-minded founders and winemakers Laura and Brendan Carter are committed to using native botanicals and sustainably produced grapes in their entire range of wines and spirits, aiming to create products that truly taste Aussie as. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Unico Zelo | Australian Wine (@unicozelo) As it's not a traditional sweet vermouth — it's really quite far from it — we forgive you for not knowing exactly how to drink it. But, thankfully, we've done some testing for you. On the rocks? Yep. Instead of sweet vermouth in a negroni? Do it. With a splash of soda? Definitely. If you want something a little fancier, the Unico team has a couple of cocktail suggestions for you. Try your hand at the Natty-Cano, a spin on an americano, but with pét-nat instead of soda water. To make it, mix 45-millilitres of Unico Yuzu, 15-millilitres of Økar Island Bitter (or Campari) and 120-millilitres of pét-nat in a highball glass and garnish with an orange twist. All of Unico's limited releases only available in very small batches, so if you want it, don't wait on it. Unico's Yuzu Vermouth is now available to purchase via the brand's website for $35 per bottle.
Whether you're looking for a hardcore mountain bike or a smooth electric cruiser, you'll find it at Velocipede on Sorrell Street. This super-friendly bike shop is happy to help cyclists of all types — not just serious, Lycra-ed, long-distance peddlers. You can count on genuine interest in your riding ambitions, a range of services and all the gear you need, including clothing and accessories. There's also an in-store cafe, so, if your bike's getting fixed, you can snack and drink while you wait. Once you're done, you'll find loads of cycle paths to explore in and around Parramatta — from Parramatta Park's easy-going, 3.2-kilometre loop to the epic Parramatta River Cycleway.
Vivid Ideas is the third integral part of the Vivid Sydney ethos, hosting a program of public and industry events focused on discussion and creative collaboration. Over the 18-day program, the newly made-over Museum of Contemporary Arts will become home to the creative hub of Vivid, connecting industry with emerging talent and global leaders in over 100 events, double the creative industry events of the previous three years (when the festival went under the title of 'Creative Sydney'). This year's program will see the CEOs of Etsy, Threadless and VICE giving keynote talks, as well as appearances from Cory Doctorow, author and co-founder of weblog Boing Boing, and Henry Holland, from the UK fashion label House of Holland. The talks will run alongside major industry events such as Song Summit, X Media Lab, Mumbrella 360 and SPARC Design. Other highlights include a partnership with the Sydney Film Festival, an Etsy microbusiness conference and a celebration of the 25th anniversary of ABC's Rage at CarriageWorks. The public program includes free and ticketed events and goes on sale on Thursday, March 22. Vivid is unique among Australia's festivals, and a major celebration of creative industries. This year's instalment of Vivid Ideas reinforces just how vibrant and innovative this city is becoming. Check out the full program here. See our picks for the 10 best events at Vivid Ideas, as well as our highlights of Vivid LIVE and Vivid Light.
Kick-Ass is back. The self-made masked crusader (played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson) has bulked up and is ready to deliver a bigger punch of vigilante justice to the criminals of New York City in Kick-Ass 2. He isn't the only one who has come back for more either; old friend Hit Girl (Chloe Grace Moretz) will join Dave Lizewski's heroic alter ego as they take on their nemesis Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), who has restyled himself as The Mother Fucker in another bout of Hollywood comic book violence. There is also a gluttony of new superheroes and villains entering the good vs bad fray, most notably Jim Carrey, who is almost unrecognisable as the patriotic Colonel Stars and Stripes. Whilst the sequel is unlikely to hit the controversial heights of an 11-year-old Moretz hilariously dropping the C-bomb, the trailer suggests that it has lost none of its quirky humour, and if Jim Carrey's post-production Twitter reaction is anything to go by, we can look forward to a flurry of stylised screen violence that is set to make this another (kick ass) cult classic. Kick-Ass 2 is in cinemas August 22 and to celebrate we have ten double in-season passes to give away thanks to Universal Pictures. To be in the running, subscribe to our newsletter (if you haven't already) and then email hello@concreteplayground.com.au with your name and address.
When Die Hard first appeared on screens back in 1988, it instantly set the new gold standard against which every action movie would be held. Sparkling dialogue, an intelligent plot and enormously charismatic leads, both as villain and (anti)hero, proved top-shelf action could absolutely exist alongside conventional storytelling elements rather than at their expense. Four sequels and 25 years later, Die Hard remains that gold standard, but sadly its latest manifestation, A Good Day to Die Hard, looks decidedly dull by comparison. Set in Moscow, it sees John McClane (Bruce Willis) team up with his son Jack (Aussie Jai Courtney) to take on a corrupt oligarch and his seemingly endless supply of expendable goons. That fact alone represents both a major and perilous departure from the franchise's initial winning formula. In the original Die Hard, even the minor henchmen were defined characters with names, looks and distinctive personalities. When it comes to A Good Day To Die Hard, the only name I can remember isn't even a name; it's just 'the Dancer' — and that's about as close as we get to knowing any of its characters, both good and bad. On the action front, things do at least begin well, with a tense and heart-thumping terrorist assault to set in motion the remainder of the day's chaos. From that moment on, however, while the action never slows down, it also fails to offer even a passing nod to plausibility. Again, in the original Die Hard, all it took were a few shards of glass to seriously impede its hero and imbue him with a genuine sense of fragile mortality. Here, now in round five, characters leap unprotected from 20-storey buildings and plough through countless panes of glass with little more than dust and one-liners to show for it. All signs point to the future of this franchise resting in the hands of Jai Courtney, with his Jack McClane taking over from John as the man who repeatedly finds himself in the wrong places at the wrong times. That raises the question, though: can it survive without Willis, whose charm and playful bombast cannot be overstated. Even in A Good Day To Die Hard, Willis exudes more charisma in a largely semi-comatose state than most of the cast combined. Courtney definitely looks, acts and sounds like a conventional action hero, and he plays the role well; however, it's John McClane's disarming smirk and New York swagger that will forever underscore much of Die Hard's enduring appeal. Without Willis at the helm, it's hard not to think this latest instalment may indeed be a very good day for the franchise to lay itself to rest and whisper 'yippee-ki-yay' no more.
Back in 2012, when Daniel Radcliffe was initially trying to shake a certain boy wizard from his system — before everything from Swiss Army Man and The Lost City to Miracle Workers and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story firmly helped — he stepped into a different kind of supernatural thrills. His first post-Harry Potter role saw him take on The Woman in Black, a gothic-horror tale that pitted him against a curse and a ghost. And yes, the latter did have quite the fondness for wearing dark clothing. The film adapted the 1983 novella of the same name for the second time. But before The Woman in Black made it to the screen, it spooked out the theatre. Because hauntings often keep coming back, it's doing so again, this time in a new Australian production starring John Waters (Blaze) and Daniel MacPherson (Foundation). If you don't like scary tales about sinister spirits seeking revenge for past ills, then you might want to sit this one out. If you love them, then prepare to put your nerves to the test. We're betting that Theatre Royale Sydney will be at its unsettling best for the occasion — it's not every day that it hosts a show that ranks among West End's longest-running productions, second only to Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap, after all. The new Australian run was first revealed in January, but with something missing: a Harbour City stopover. That's now been added, joining already-announced New South Wales showings in Wollongong and Newcastle. Sydney's season will kick off on Tuesday, July 30, spanning till Sunday, August 18. The Woman in Black is set in Eel Marsh House in England's north, which sits at the heart of a story that Arthur Kipps recounts about his stint as a young solicitor overseeing Mrs Alice Drablow's funeral. The place isn't just filled with secrets, thanks to the titular figure. Waters plays the elder Kipps, with MacPherson plays an actor who agrees to perform the role of his younger guise. Kicking off its full Aussie tour in late April, the stage version of The Woman in Black was first adapted for the theatre by Stephen Mallatratt back in 1987. "I first saw The Woman in Black in 2020 and knew I had to bring it back to Australia. It's such an incrediblem gripping show that is so spellbinding, it has you on the edge of your seat for two hours," said the current season's producer Alex Woodward. "When it came to casting we knew it was perfect to ask theatre royalty John Waters to reprise his role he debuted in Australia more than 15 years ago. Daniel was also a natural choice for his incredible ability, charm and charisma." The Woman in Black 2024 Australian Dates: Saturday, April 27 — Empire Theatre, Toowoomba Tuesday, April 30–Saturday, May 11 — QPAC Playhouse, Brisbane Wednesday, May 15–Sunday, May 26 — Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide Festival Centre, Adelaide Thursday, May 30–Sunday, June 9 — His Majesty's Theatre, Perth Thursday, June 13–Saturday, July 6 — Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne Tuesday, July 9–Sunday, July 14 — Canberra Theatre Centre, Canberra Wednesday, July 17–Sunday, July 15 — Illawarra Performing Arts Centre, Wollongong Tuesday, July 23–Saturday, July 27 — Venue Civic Theatre, Newcastle Tuesday, July 30–Sunday, August 18 — Theatre Royale Sydney, Sydney The Woman in Black is touring Australia from April 2024, including a just-announced Sydney season from Tuesday, July 30–Sunday, August 18 at Theatre Royale Sydney. Head to the production's website for tickets and more information. Images: James Reiser.
Looking for a place to eat, drink or slumber, and eager to do so in eye-popping surroundings? Australia's annual hospitality design accolades have you covered. Each year, the Eat Drink Design Awards shine a spotlight on restaurants, cafes, bars and hotels that go above and beyond in the style stakes — where stunning decor is as essential as top chefs, signature dishes, creative cocktails, stellar coffee and comfortable beds. In 2019, the awards have cast their eyes far and wide. Melburnians have more than a few standout spots to add to their must-visit list, with the city leading the charge just as it did last year; however some of this year's winners hail from much further afield. In fact, if you want to visit the country's best-designed bar, you'll need to head to the lakeside New South Wales country town of Mulwala, a near seven-hour drive from Sydney. And if you want to bunker down at one of the nation's best hotels, Brisbane is calling. In the bar category, Blacksmith Lake Mulwala emerged victorious, all thanks to its well-balanced indoor/outdoor space, elegant colour palette, consideration for the town's pre-existing mid-century buildings and willingness to get whimsical — as seen in its vintage-style pink patio umbrellas, which have a 1970s California feel. And in the hotel field, Fortitude Valley's gorgeous The Calile shared top spot, with the resort-style inner-city establishment listed alongside Drifthouse in Port Fairy. One creates an oasis in the middle of Brisbane's hustle and bustle, complete with an oh-so-inviting pool, while the other combines a double-storey Victorian bluestone house, a single-storey Edwardian home and a new garden pavilion into a quaint and intimate boutique hotel. [caption id="attachment_694718" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] The Calile by Sean-Fennessy[/caption] Of course, you can still turn 2019's Melbourne winners into a very impressive all-day itinerary — whether you're a local looking for a new reason to go exploring, or you're in town from interstate for a few days. Start with Best Cafe recipient Via Porta in Mont Albert, which got the nod for its bold, warm and inviting design that heroes earthy tones and textures in a striking fashion. Then, check out Lagotto, the Best Identity Design winner, with the all-day Italian spot awarded for its dog mascot and associated marketing materials. Best Restaurant pick Di Stasio Citta is obviously worth a visit, especially if you like eating in a space that could double as an art installation. As for gelato go-to Piccolina Collingwood, it earned plaudits for its retail design — and Flinders Lane favourite Cumulus Inc nabbed this year's Hall of Fame gong. [caption id="attachment_715148" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Di Stasio Citta by Kate Shanasy[/caption] Judged by New York Times restaurant critic Besha Rodell, The Mulberry Group CEO and founder Nathan Toleman, Studio-Gram architect and co-founder Graham Charbonneau, architect Phillip Schemnitz and Artichoke editor Cassie Hansen, the Eat Drink Design Awards also named commendations in various categories. Spreading the love around, St Kilda's Prince Dining Room, The Rocks' Tayim Restaurant + Bar, the Gold Coast's Burleigh Pavilion and Byron Bay's Locura rank among those recognised. 2019 EAT DRINK DESIGN AWARD WINNERS Best Restaurant Design: Di Stasio Citta by Hassell (Melbourne, VIC) Best Cafe Design: Via Porta by Studio Esteta (Mont Albert, VIC) Best Bar Design: Blacksmith Lake Mulwala by The Stella Collective (Mulwala, NSW) Best Hotel Design: Drifthouse by Multiplicity (Port Fairy, VIC) and The Calile Hotel by Richards and Spence (Fortitude Valley, QLD) Best Installation Design: The Magic Box by Liminal Objects with Van Tuil (fabricated in Hobart, TAS) Best Retail Design: Piccolina Collingwood by Hecker Guthrie (Collingwood, VIC) Best Identity Design: Lagotto by Studio Hi Ho (Fitzroy North, VIC) Hall of Fame: Cumulus Inc by Pascale Gomes-McNabb (Melbourne, VIC) For the full list of winners and commendations, head to the Eat Drink Design website. Top images: The Calile Hotel by Sean Fennessy and Blacksmith Lake Mulwala by Lillie Thompson.
If you've missed Sydney Fringe Festival over its last few years of absence, you're in luck, the festival is back with one of its biggest programs to date. Included in the festivities are six weeks of everything from cabaret and drag to comedy and live tunes taking over First Fleet Park in The Rocks as part of Runaway Gardens. This beloved part of the festival returns on Tuesday August 16–Sunday, September 25 with its extravagant Magic Mirrors Spiegeltent on hand. Amid the impressive pop-up venue's stained-glass windows, velvet aplenty and yes, mirrors, you'll be able to watch boundary-pushing burlesque, laugh at big comedy names and sip your way through a mimosa-fuelled drag brunch club. Headlining the program is the previously announced Bernie Dieter's Club Kabarett, which'll unleash its second 2022 season upon Sydney — sword swallowing, hair hanging, Cirque Du Soleil aerialists and all. German kabarett superstar Bernie Dieter leads the charge, and she's been described as "an electrifying cross between Lady Gaga, Marlene Dietrich and Frank-N-Futer in sequins", if you're wondering what you're in for. Also on the lineup: the Poof Doof Drag Brunch Club, which is exactly what it sounds like. Spend your Saturdays drinking while checking out an array of drag, comedy, burlesque and cabaret performers, with your beverages included in your ticket. If you're keen on checking out the live music bill, Runaway Gardens is focusing on legendary performers playing intimate gigs, with Daryl Braithwaite, Kate Ceberano, Diesel, Renee Geyer, Richard Clapton, Ross Wilson & The Peaceniks, and The Black Sorrows doing the honours. And if you're eager to get giggling, the comedy lineup includes Arj Barker, Jimeoin, Akmal and Lawrence Mooney, as well as a Multicultural Comedy Gala featuring Dilruk Jayasinha, Georgie Carroll and Tahir. Merrick Watts will talk you through vino in the Idiot's Guide to Wine, too — and, across two Friday Up Late gigs, Odette and Jack Ladder will unleash their musical talents. Plus, there's a gin-fuelled Festival Club running a best of the fest program every Thursday night, covering comics, cabaret, circus and musos, with help from the house jazz band. As well as all the action in the Magic Mirrors Spiegeltent, Runaway Gardens boasts an outdoor bar and pop-up restaurant, all with views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The precinct operates from 4–10pm Tuesday–Thursday, 12–11pm Friday–Saturday and 12–10pm on Sundays. Images: Andre Castellucci
Australia's undying love of gin is set to be front-and-centre next month when the Sydney Gin Palooza returns. Hosted by the Australian Gin Distillers Association and headed to Paddington Town Hall for its next event, the four-day festival will bring 39 craft gin distillers from around the country under one roof between Thursday, November 21 and Sunday, November 24. Apart from bottomless tastings, punters will also have the chance to chat directly with the makers. Stallholders will be hawking over 200 gins, including Four Pillars Gin, Broken Heart spirits and The National Gin Company, plus Never Never, Ambleside, Ironbark Distillery and Brisbane Distillery. Once you've picked your favourite, head to the gin shop, where you can purchase bottles for takeaway. Tickets cost $70, with five tasting sessions to choose from: 5.30–8pm on Friday, 1–3.30pm and 5–7.30pm on Saturday, and 12.30–3pm and 4–6.30pm on Sunday. There's no tastings on Thursday, because that's when the Gin Awards Presentation Dinner will be held — rewarding the best juniper booze there is. Sydney Gin Palooza will also feature a gourmet tapas bar, as well as plenty of espresso martinis. Plus, if you fancy filling your head with knowledge while you're sipping, Bill Lark will chat about gin's history — and what makes a great tipple — over tastings and canapes, while Karu Distillers are celebrating all things juniper, then throwing a high G&Tea party.
Merivale CEO Justin Hemmes' buying spree has continued with the purchase of yet another venue. This time, the hospitality mogul has purchased 115 Jonson Street in Byron Bay. Formerly home to Cheeky Monkey's Bar, as well as an adjoining massage spa, the far New South Wales north coast site will become the Sydney-based group's first Byron Bay venue — and its closest to Queensland. The acquisition of the Byron Bay outpost comes at a busy time for Merivale, with the company buying three new venues in the past week — and a total of five this year. The purchase of 115 Jonson Street follows similar transactions that have added the Lorne Hotel in Victoria, Norton's Irish Pub in Sydney's inner west, Tomasetti House in the Melbourne CBD and The Quarterdeck in Narooma to the group's portfolio. The two Victorian sites will mark Merivale's first outside of NSW. The Byron Bay property has been purchased from fellow hospitality group Red Rock Leisure, which currently own venues across NSW, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia, including Ludlow Bar & Dining Room, The Toff and the PJ O'Brien's Irish Pub chain. While no concrete plans for the venue have been announced, Merivale has confirmed that it will reopen the site as a restaurant and bar later this year. It'll receive the keys on Friday, May 28, but hasn't announced opening plans as yet. "I've been going to Byron since I was ten years old, so it has always been a place close to my heart. I can't wait to open our first venue on the north coast and spend more time in the area. There's simply no place like it," said Hemmes. Merivale currently operates more than 60 venues across Sydney, including popular restaurants Totti's and Mr. Wong, pub stalwarts The Beresford and Vic on the Park, and expansive bars Ivy and Coogee Pavilion. The group's growth has been especially noticeable in recent years, with high-profile purchases of The Duke of Gloucester Hotel and Hotel Centennial preceding this recent run of venue purchases. [caption id="attachment_813258" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Justin Hemmes[/caption] Merivale will open its first Byron Bay venue at 115 Jonson Street, Byron Bay. For further details, keep an eye on the company's website. Top image: Google Maps.
Adam Norton's work often been interested in space exploration – not so much the scientific realities, but how we talk and think about it, the fictions we build up around it. In 2011, he was commissioned to create the Mars Gravity Simulator where audience members could test their ability to move in the gravity conditions found on Mars. It spanned the divide between science and art, serious endeavour and playground fantasy. The other recurring theme in Norton's work has been a fascination with the divide between military and scientific institutions and everyday life. In Camouflage suit experiment, he fashioned military wear out of domestic goods and tested them out around the Sutherland shire. The Tank Project meanwhile unleashed armoured carriers into the back alleys and laneways of Sydney's CBD to the bemusement of office workers who discovered them on their lunch breaks. Norton's new exhibition, Interplanetary Society touches on both these themes, recreating the covers of a range long-forgotten books which tapped into the Apollo era interest and optimism around space travel. Neither part of the official record nor conveying much in the way of establishment approval or credibility, the books instead capture a yearning for something more, a dissatisfaction with earthbound life and the now quaint-seeming belief that solutions to all our problems may lay beyond the stars. Norton, a sydney-based artist, has revived these titles from obscurity in striking works of vinyl on paper and acryclic on canvas which convey a wide-eyed buoyancy and an interest in UFOs and possibilities of other life forms. Amongst the titles recreated is Irving Adler's 'Man-Made Moons' , where a moon floats on a sea of deep blue and Mars, Percival Lowell's earnest survey of the canals and oases of the red planet. Most of the works show the straightforward confidence of Hollywood action posters or video game adverts, remnants of an unshakeable belief in what space travel would bring. There are a couple of more reflective works, though, with the downbeat astronaut in We Are Not The First a rare concession that the mysteries of space may not easily reveal themselves. Perhaps the key work though splashes the words We Are Not Alone across the canvas. Gallery 9 is open Wednesday to Saturday, 11- 6. Photo by Simon Hewson.
Stanley St. Merchants! Two-and-a-half hours before the deadline for the inaugural season of pop-up crowdfunder IconPark, the teams were neck-and-neck, fighting it out at the $50,000-$60,000 mark. Then, with thirty minutes to go, thousands of people from all over the world logged in. The two top-performing budgets surged into six figures before Stanley St. Merchants emerged triumphant. Twenty-one days ago, six passionate food and beverage teams entered into an epic hospitality battle. Their goal? To win more pledges than any other competitor. Their motivation? To see their unique concept take up a 12-week residency at brand-new venue IconPark. So what can we expect when the victors open at 78 Stanley Street on April 22? Award-winning Western Australian chef Matt Stone will be moving in downstairs with a sustainable, locally foraged menu (“from honey harvested in Neutral Bay, to paper bark sourced on the streets of Marrickville”). To match, there’ll be artisan spirits and coffee from Melbourne favourite St Ali, delivered by head barista Sal Malatesta. Then it’ll be upstairs for a “MASH-meets-Motley Crue” cocktail bar experience, shaped by drinks expert Bobby Carey (Shady Pines, Riley St Garage, Old Growler) and resident in-house distiller and all-round hospitality legend Jeremy Spencer (West Winds Gin). Expect an imaginative menu, slick service, and an emphasis on Australian-made spirits. Finally, “out the back” will be transformed into the secret world of Uncle Sal’s House of Cards and Dominos. You’ll need a password to enter (released daily via social media). Even if you didn’t pledge during the competition, it’s not too late to get in on the action. Gift vouchers are still on sale and your best bet for getting into the venue.
