Maybe you look forward to winter for the warmer attire. Perhaps you're all about getting cosy at home. Or, if you're a fan of loading up on sweets and carbs, you could have National Doughnut Day marked in your calendar — circled, of course — for a date with free doughnuts. Each year, Krispy Kreme gives away an extremely excessive number of doughnuts. You're probably now wondering what constitutes an excessive amount of doughnuts — and no, polishing off a packet by yourself doesn't count in this instance. Krispy Kreme's giveaway is going big, with the chain slinging 100,000 original glazed doughnuts for the occasion. Whether or not you're a big fan of food 'days', we're guessing you are quite fond of free doughnuts. To snag yourself a signature glazed freebie, head to your closest Krispy Kreme store in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia on Friday, June 7. That gives you a heap of places to flock to, with Sydneysiders able to hit up 18 stores stretching from Penrith to the CBD, Victorians needing to visit nine locations from Chadstone to Collins Street, and Queenslanders given eight different doughnut shops to pick from (with the most central in Albert Street in the CBD). Residents of Perth can make a date with one of four Krispy Kreme locations, while Adelaide has a raft of stores to visit. The National Doughnut Day deal isn't available anywhere other than Krispy Kreme stores, or via online orders or third-party deliveries. There's also a limit of one freebie per person, and the giveaway only applies to the original glazed variety. The 100,000 doughnuts will be spread across the participating shops, so you'll want to get in relatively early if you want to kick off your Friday with a free sweet and doughy treat. Obviously, whether you nab one or not is subject to availability. Krispy Kreme's free doughnut giveaway is happening in the chain's stores around the country on Friday, June 7, 2024. To find your closest shop and check its opening hours, head to the Krispy Kreme website.
It's taken a long time to get here, but today the Federal Government will finally legalise the sale of medicinal marijuana in Australia. According to The Courier Mail, Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt will today officially announce that cannabis can now be distributed in Australia to those who need it for health and pain relief reasons. At present, thanks to laws passed last year, patients can request medicinal marijuana from their GP, but, as there is no legal market in Australia, are forced to import the drug from overseas (or source it illegally). This change will essentially open up a whole new legal cannabis market in Australia, and allow companies to distribute (and eventually cultivate) it as a medicine. "We are now making it easier to access medicinal cannabis, while still maintaining strict safeguards for individual and community safety," Hunt told The Courier Mail. "As part of these changes, importers can source medicinal cannabis products from a reputable supplier overseas and store these in a safe, secure warehouse in Australia." The new rules will mean that people with chronic illness and pain — like epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and cancer — will be able to access the drug much more quickly and with much less rigmarole, although they'll still have to get a prescription from their doctor. Imports will initially make up the country's inventory of cannabis while domestic cultivation is established. According to News Corp, 14 crop licenses are already under consideration. Just to be clear though, recreational use of marijuana is still very much illegal and laws vary state-to-state. This approval is a huge (and necessary) win for people who need marijuana for medical reasons, which will hopefully be implemented very soon. Via The Courier Mail.
Apollo Bay's seafood extravaganza will return to the Great Ocean Road for three big days in February 2020, dishing up world-class seafood, sourced locally, to the people of the beautiful coastal town. The main event takes place on Saturday, February 15, where you can take your pick from the morning's catch directly from the fishermen at an 'off the boat' seafood market, which will see stalls brimming with oysters, caviar and prawns. Then, Harbour Day continues with live music, pop-up restaurants, interactive demonstrations, sailing lessons, casting competitions, and plenty of craft beer, wine and cocktails to sweeten the deal. Feast on lobster rolls, prawn dumplings, paella, abalone sashimi and more, as the festivities continue into the evening. Bookending the festival are two ticketed events for the true seafood enthusiasts. On Friday night there will be an ocean-to-plate gala feast, which will see top Melbourne chefs dishing up a huge dinner showcasing locally caught produce, complete with matching wines and an ocean-themed dessert. On Sunday afternoon, guest speakers and experts will discuss sustainability in the fishing industry, with oysters, lunch and champagne on the menu.
Residents of Warrnambool, a huge festival is coming your way. Music lovers, you're heading to the Victorian town. The coastal spot has been named the host of Triple J's One Night Stand for 2024, with G Flip, Ruel, What So Not — with some friends — and Thelma Plum leading the lineup. Warrnambool was picked by the Australian radio station from a huge 2087 submissions, with the nation clearly excited about the return of the fest for the first time in five years. The roster of talent taking to the stage at Friendly Societies Park three hours out of Melbourne also includes Sycco and DICE, a competition winner from Unearthed, and special guests as well. [caption id="attachment_966668" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Callum Walker Hutchinson[/caption] Triple J announced back in April that the event would make a comeback this year, then revealed at the beginning of July that it'd return on Saturday, September 14, 2024. Next came the lineup details, and now finally where the fest is rolling into town. Victoria was the site of the very first One Night Stand, too. Twenty years ago, the ABC station gave the town of Natimuk a day to remember when the spot 300 kilometres out of Melbourne hosted its very own major music fest, with Grinspoon, Eskimo Joe and The Dissociatives (aka Daniel Johns and Paul Mac) all getting behind the microphone. So began an event that became a yearly tradition, but taking place in different regional locations, with Triple J putting on a fest every year between 2004–2014, then again from 2016–2019. There's no prizes for guessing why One Night Stand pressed pause from 2020, but that gap in the event's history is finally coming to an end. The all-ages event is returning at time when the Australian live music scene has been suffering, and after a spate of festivals have been cancelling or saying farewell forever. In 2024 alone, both Groovin the Moo and Splendour in the Grass announced lineups, then scrapped this year's fests mere weeks later. Summergrounds Music Festival, which was meant to debut at Sydney Festival 2024, also didn't go ahead. As announced in 2023, Dark Mofo took a breather this year — and Mona Foma, the summer fest also held by Tasmania's Museum of Old and New Art, has advised that its 2024 event was its last ever. With the state of the industry in mind, bringing back One Night Stand is not only much-needed and well-timed, but will also raise funds Support Act, the charity for the Australian music industry. In the past, the event has also been to Ayr, Dalby and Mt Isa in Queensland; Port Pirie, Tumby Bay and Lucindale in South Australia; Cowra and Dubbo in New South Wales; Collie and Geraldton in Western Australia; Sale and Mildura in Victoria; Alice Springs in the Northern Territory; and St Helens in Tasmania. One Night Stand Lineup 2024: G Flip Ruel What So Not + Friends Thelma Plum Sycco DICE triple j Unearthed Competition Winner + special guests 2024's triple j One Night Stand will take place on Saturday, September 14 in Warrnambool, with tickets on sale from 19am on Thursday, July 25. For more information, head to the radio station's website. Top image: Drew de F Fawkes via Wikimedia Commons.
If it's been a while since your last holiday — or if you're in the midst of a bad case of post-holiday blues — you're probably itching to plan your next big trip. Or just eager to immerse yourself in another culture and taste some food that's not pub grub or shrimp on the barbie. Over the weekend of November 23–24, Darling Harbour will come alive with the sights, sounds and spices of Sri Lanka — so you can get a little taste of the island destination. The Sri Lanka Food and Culture Festival, hosted by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, will give Sydney a chance to experience just some of the things that led to Lonely Planet dubbing the small nation the number one country to visit this year. You'll witness authentic cultural performances, pick up some traditional handicrafts and jewellery, sip endless cups of the area's famously delicious ceylon tea and, of course, eat. Following centuries of complex history, Sri Lankan cuisine enjoys the best of its varied influences and tropical climate, with vibrant curries, fresh coconut and fruit, plus plenty of spiced cakes and custards. Make sure you arrive hungry, as you'll want to sample all the kottu roti with spicy curry sauce, Sri Lankan pancakes (hoppers), rice and meat curry wrapped in banana leaves (lamprais) you can handle. Entertainment-wise, you'll learn about the traditional health practices of ayurveda, play games (including ones at a dedicated kids zone), get the lowdown on the best ways to travel Sri Lanka and maybe even win a holiday package, so you can check out the country's growing surf scene. Sri Lanka Food and Culture Festival runs from 10am–7pm, Saturday, November 23 and 10am–5pm, Sunday, November 24. For more information, head here. Image: Parker Blain.
Deborah Kelly is one of our home-grown gems. Her practice is sharp and subversive, often involving a clever use of imagery and incisive political commentary. This exhibition at the Penrith Regional Gallery in partnership with The Lewers Bequest will showcase work from the last 15 years of Kelly's practice. Kelly has won a swag of awards across Australia and the world. She creates captivating portraits, collages and animations while taking on a whole range of themes, such as global capital, public policy, religious authority, power and privilege.
Daniel Craig's run as Bond, James Bond might be over, but that just gives him more time to spend as Benoit Blanc. Back in 2019, the British actor added sleuthing his way through murder-mysteries to his resume, playing the private detective in star-studded whodunnit Knives Out. The end result was not only ace, but also such a hit that Netflix hopped on two sequels. The first followup, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, arrives this December — to stream on December 23, in fact, so consider it any early Christmas gift. It's also filled with famous faces, as the just-dropped first trailer illustrates. Joining Craig: Edward Norton (The French Dispatch), Janelle Monáe (Antebellum), Kathryn Hahn (WandaVision), Leslie Odom Jr (The Many Saints of Newark), Jessica Henwick (The Gray Man), Madelyn Cline (Outer Banks), Kate Hudson (Music) and Dave Bautista (Thor: Love and Thunder). In this chapter of the Knives Out franchise, the action moves to Greece. If you saw the original — or any murder-mystery involving a motley crew of characters brought together in one location when someone turns up dead — then you'll know how it works from there. There's a lavish setting, that aforementioned big group of chalk-and-cheese folks, threats aplenty and just as much suspicion. Glass Onion takes place on a Greek island, but also sends its various players on a cruise — and yes, thinking about Agatha Christie, including this year's Death on the Nile, is a natural reaction. "Lock the doors. Stay in your rooms. Everyone is in danger," Blanc advises in the sneak peek, because all of that goes with the territory as well. Is the culprit Bautista's Duke Cody on the yacht? Hudson's Birdie Jay in the games room? Hahn's Claire Debella by the pool? You'll have to watch to find out. Just like its predecessor, Glass Onion is both written and directed by Rian Johnson, with the filmmaker moving onto the franchise after 2017's Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi — and still indulging his love of on-screen puzzles, as shone through in Brick and Looper as well. Check out the first trailer for Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery below: Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery will be available to stream via Netflix from December 23. Images: John Wilson/Netflix © 2022.
When Kitchen by Mike shut its doors in Rosebery back in 2015, it left a very large, canteen-shaped hole in our hearts. Our spirits were lifted again when head chef and nutrition guru Mike McEnearney opened No. 1 Bent Street in the city, and Mike's next venture was announced almost a year ago. Now the time has come again for renewed jubilation, because Kitchen by Mike is back. At the airport. While you will need to drop a little coin on an international flight to experience Mike's take on healthy, fresh and generous grub, for those familiar with the experience of trying to eat anything that will stay down at 6am while waiting in a pretty dreary surrounding, the new addition to the dining options is an absolute blessing. Set to open mid-February to March near much-publicised new venue The Bistro by Wolfgang Puck, Kitchen by Mike will be a fresh local alternative to the fast food chains dwelling at Sydney Airport. True to form, the menu at the airport canteen will change day to day, depending on the seasonal, local produce that's available. There'll be a couple of meat and fish dishes, like a Kurobutta ham with mash and cumberland sauce or mackerel with asparagus and herb butter. On top of that, there'll be a vast array of the incredible salads that have come to be the staple of McEnearney's trade. There'll also be a few local wines on the list, including unique house red and white from McClaren Vale and Mudgee, respectively. For those intrepid travelers on the fly, Mike will also be serving up carry-on lunches ('Fly by Mike') packed fresh to order, and a smaller sample of tasty beverage to whet your whistle. And, if you've forgotten to pick up a few souvenirs to take with you, Mike's retail range of jams, chutneys and sauces will be waiting to save you from that particular awkward moment. Although it's not the readily available canteen of its Rosebery days, Kitchen by Mike is most definitely back, just at the small price of, you know, an overseas holiday. Kitchen by Mike will open at Sydney's T1 International Terminal in February/March. Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be served from 6am to 10pm. Images: Alana Dimou.
Storyteller, photographer and Sydney arts scene mainstay William Yang remembers that, at the age of six, he was made to feel that "being Chinese was a terrible curse". Many times over he's turned these painful memories — as well as joyful and often tantalisingly debauched ones — into "warm, humorous and very honest" performances. Now he directs a group of six Asian Australians to tell their own stories, which they have developed together with writer and media personality Annette Shun Wah and composer Nicholas Ng. Using words and images from personal collections, Stories Then and Now drifts from a fishing boat journey to a decadent cruise and from labour farm to Shanghai burlesque club. The past and present overlap in the intoxicating stories, woven on stage by Ien Ang, Jenevieve Chang, Michael CS Park, Sheila Pham, Paul van Reyk and Willa Zheng. How does an individual reconcile a traumatic past to inhabit the present? How do we, as a nation, come to terms with the collective memory of our history of institutionalised racism? What is life really like for immigrants and refugees attempting to establish themselves in Australian society? It all starts to come out as these individuals navigate memories of heartbreak, cultural displacement and the destruction of war. On May 25, the public will have the chance to join the cast and creators for a post-show discussion.
This post is sponsored by our partners, Pretty Shady. Lap up those balmy November temperatures, it's high time we really took advantage of Sydney's unbelievably ideal weather right now and jumped right into this week's epic itinerary. From all the lobster rolls you could eat to beloved Dutch denim pop-ups, seaside sorbet to an entirely free outdoor festival at the Opera House, the week's looking pretty promising for Sydneysiders. Let's swim, play and eat our way through, with a little retail therapy at the close. Just remember to be a total legend and whack on some sunscreen before you head out; check out Pretty Shady for their go-to skin savers. SWIM: CAMP COVE, WATSONS BAY Let's start the summer early by paying a visit to one of Sydney's go-to harbour beaches, Camp Cove in Watsons Bay. Parking at the easternmost edge of the Eastern Suburbs can be a bit of a drag in Summer, but if you pray to your parking angel you’ll find somewhere eventually. It’s worth the frustration, as this laidback beach is sprawling enough to have a buzzing social vibe (there somehow always seems to be a lot of staggeringly good-looking people here). Pitch your umbrella, pick out your best and brightest bucket hat and lather up with SPF30+. There’s a little kiosk selling snacks and sorbet in coconut shells, and the general lack of waves means you can bob in the water and have mad chats to your buds. Perfect. Cliff St, Watsons Bay PLAY: HOMEGROUND FESTIVAL After a successful debut last April, Homeground music and dance festival makes a triumphant return this weekend. Featuring as part of Corroboree Sydney, the free two-day event will take place once again along the boardwalk of the Opera House, kicking off with a modern day corroboree bringing together the welcome traditions of the Aboriginal, Moari and Fijian peoples. Set over two days across the Opera House's openair forecourt (so hats and sunscreen y'all), Homeground will see Dan Sultan headlining the Saturday evening, as well as Canadian folk-rock duo Digging Roots, 18-year-old self-taught guitarist Chris Tamwoy and more — with all the pop-up bars and eateries you could ask for, naturally. Saturday, November 22 November - Sunday, November 23 November; Sydney Opera House; FREE. EAT/DRINK: BURGER LIQUOR LOBSTER If you hadn't planned on eating lobster rolls all summer, think again. The exotic-yet-bargain-priced burger is taking on yet another incarnation with the opening of Burger Liquor Lobster. The chief drawcard is its seafood menu: lobster rolls, prawn rolls, crab burgers and popcorn lobster, all for $15 a piece. Popping up for the summer in both Paddington’s The London Hotel and Manly Wharf Hotel, the eatery and bar takes the space previously occupied by Chur. Manly Wharf Hotel, ((02) 9977 1266; East Esplanade, Manly) and upstairs at The London Hotel ((02) 9331 3200; 85 Underwood Street, Paddington). Opening hours are midday till late, seven days a week. SHOP: DENHAM, THE ROCKS Nerding out over denim is something only connoisseurs of wine or coffee could really understand. Region, preparation, final style; jeans aren't just flaps of fabric you squeeze into every day. But we don't all mull so deeply over selvedge, chain stitching and five point pockets — leaving that instead to a man called Denham. Having opened just a few months ago on George Street in collaboration with Hilton Seskin (owner of Topshop and Glue), the country's only dedicated Denham store is carving a niche for serious and not-so-invested denim fans in Australia. 77½ George Street, The Rocks; (02) 8252 9702 By the Concrete Playground team.
How does an object change once it's presented on a plinth in a museum? How does a pile of bones differ from a crowbar, a trio of glass vessels, or a nude, when each is placed on the same simple white cube and viewed from a uniform angle? These are questions raised by New York-based artist and photographer Simon Harsent’s latest series, White Cube, a meditation on both stillness and change. In Harsent’s own words, "I'm quite intrigued by how keeping a locked-off camera position but changing a single element in a photograph can change perception, ideas and assumptions." A successful photographer working in advertising, Harsent has long been fascinated with change. A decade ago in the series Salt Moon his camera remained in a fixed position, capturing the moonlit ocean on a slow exposure. Approaching the theme of change from another angle, 2009's Melt is a spectacular landscape series capturing the slow decay of icebergs. So how did the artist decide what items to present on the austere white cube? Harsent says they were selected "based on what I thought they could achieve in both their aesthetic appeal and their ability to offer up a myriad of options of stories; not in a literal sense, but each object could potentially have a story behind it. After all, most things in museums are just objects with a history, so by replacing the object each time, a new story is potentially conceived." Historical readings and assumptions collide in possibly the most loaded image of White Cube, a beautiful nude black woman relaxing on the cube as though she were just another museum artefact. How did she enter the mix? After shooting the objects, Harsent wanted to add a human element. "At one point I was thinking of having someone’s body painted like a statue, but I felt that was the wrong thing to do, and I decided to shoot the girl as she is in the final image." As with the rest of this series, the photograph's meaning is supplied by you. What's inspiring Harsent right now in the art world? He's taken with abstract expressionism, and with Richard Serra's current show at the Gagosian in New York. "I love [Serra’s] use of space," he says. "It feels like you are walking in a three-dimensional Rothko painting." He also enjoyed the Richard Avedon exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra. "The one thing that struck me were the imperfections in the images that make them so special. There is one image in particular of Bjork where you can see an impression that stockings she must have been wearing has left on her legs. Today that most likely would have been retouched out by an art director and in doing so, the image would have lost the most valuable thing in it." You can view the White Cube series in full and more of Simon Harsent's work on POOL Collective's fancy app, downloadable from iTunes. White Cube is on display at The Pool Collective Redux exhibition at The Black Eye Gallery, 138 Darlinghurst Road, Darlinghurst, Sydney, from December 5 to 23.
We've all tried to soundtrack our lives, whether by creating an iTunes playlist reminding us of that excellent birthday party or by listening to those annual So Fresh CDs that commemorate each individual year of our childhood. Now media artist Brian House has taken it to the next level by literally recording an entire year of his life and etching it onto a playable vinyl record, the Quotidian Record. House tracked his location using an app called OpenPaths for 365 days, assigned each place he visited a certain point on the musical scale and designated each city a key. He then ordered each location by how much time he spent there as well as the regularity of his visits. Whilst there was a distinct repetitiveness as in all daily routines — home, work, the daily commute — the changes offered by daily life, such as travel, provided House with musical creativity. "The more common places were generally given more consonant harmonies, so throughout most of the piece you get a major third repeating, which is basically me sleeping at home," House says to Fast Co.Create. "As I’m moving around more, it gets more complex.” This complexity can be seen on the vinyl itself as it is marked with dates and places so that House and other listeners can jump ahead and experience an exact moment in time. Neatly, an entire day can be heard in just one full revolution of the record, meaning a full year can be musically manifested in 11 minutes. However, despite the data-centric focus of the project and his endeavour to prove that all data is qualitative, House just wants his personal rhythmic signature to be felt like all other music. “It's a framework for a set of memories,” he says. “I hear my commute and my travels through a lens of expectation. I love the sound of my trip into the Colorado wildness, in particular. I re-enact that when I listen, and it’s especially meaningful to me". Due to House wanting to preserve the sanctity of the work on vinyl, you cannot hear the full recording online. However, he has provided a teaser of his year, and despite the unconventional method of composition, it is surprisingly catchy. [Via Fast Co.Create.]
To those yet to finger the face of Ghostface Chilla, Snapchat's mascot stuck in a state of eternal smugness, don't believe everything you've heard. Snapchat is much more than just sexting. In fact, it's hilarious. This app du jour, first launched by four Stanford students in September 2011, allows users to send a predetermined viewable media from one connection to the other before deleting it from both devices forever (lest, of course, someone screenshots what you send, but you'll be notified of that, don't worry). Naturally, targeting those raised suckling the teat of social media, it was a huge hit and by May 2012, 25 images were being sent a second. These days the small American venture is valued between US$60 and $70 million and more than 20 million photos and videos are shared between friends a day. Trust us, they're not all pictures of genitalia in various states of arousal. Honestly. Let us present a brief list of five functions that make Snapchat that little bit awesome. Don't get us wrong, it's ridiculous, it's stupid and it's one of the silliest things you can possibly spend your time doing. But if you can't do and be all of those things with your mates, then you need to find new ones. Gross/freak out your pals Snapchat's greatest asset is its self-defeating, inhibition-killing philosophy. Your more 'creative' chums might brew up some less-than-settling situations like our little baby head here. And don't be surprised if you ever open a Snapchat to find a friend, how should we put it, taking a dump. Check out hot people on the street It's natural, it's normal and there's nothing wrong with being mesmerised by that hot tradie's bulge. So why not share the beauty? Sure, some may argue it's 'breaching' their 'privacy', but as we all learned this Mardi Gras, it's perfectly legal to capture anything on camera/film in a public domain. Become a director Screw you Spielberg, we're a brand new generation and we cry dislike to your feature-length, permanent creations. That's right, we have a camera, we have tools to add text and colour and we have an audience prone to a short attention span at the tap of a screen. Alter reality With the aforementioned added bonus of being able to go cray cray with a paint function, it's always fun to mix things up a little and not so subtly bend reality. Make that hungover selfie just that little more true to life. After all, authenticity sells. Play a game of 'Guess Where I Am' If Twitter has taught us anything, it's ok to show off as long as you're not humble about it. Own that self-righteousness you brilliant genius, and what better way to brag your tits off (not literally) than sending, say, a bed-ridden sick friend a little reminder that you're still functioning like a normal person? All images by Jack Arthur Smith.
Romantic comedies work as wish fulfilment, and they're the main way we consume ideas of romance in cinema. So when a movie comes along and steps out of the fantasy bubble to present a relationship that's nuanced, messy, and even time-limited, it's instantly refreshing. Celeste & Jesse Forever then goes beyond mere refreshing idea to become a memorable, honest, sweet, and satisfying film. Starring and co-written by adorable Rashida Jones (Parks and Recreation), the film joins Celeste (Jones) and Jesse (Andy Samberg) six months after their separation. They're still so joined at the hip, however, that we're not aware of this for a good 10 minutes of the movie, until their dinner companions and best friends, Beth (Ari Graynor) and Tucker (Eric Christian Olsen), interrupt the couple's cosy in-joke fest to tell them that their behaviour is not normal, not healthy, and has to stop. They don't listen, but after things eventually come to a head, Jesse moves out of the granny flat — and into a sudden, very committed relationship with a beautiful Belgian (Rebecca Dayan). It's then that Celeste has to deal with the fact that she may have taken her great love for granted. Jones co-wrote this with long-time pal Will McCormack (who also plays drug dealer Skillz), and the buddy banter is the first of many things they've gotten eerily close to reality. They touch on the possibility of there being a difference between a best friend and life partner and the experience of seeing a hopeless ex abruptly scrub up in a new relationship. Celeste has friendships with multiple women and men (!), a level of social complexity we don't often get to see in film but which brings tons of warmth and zest. It's this kind of sweetly personal resonance that explains why a person's 'favourite films' list is often different to a 'best films' list — and Celeste & Jesse Forever might feature on a few of the former. With Celeste's high-powered career as a futurist, the film briefly threatened to go down a Bettina Arndt-paved path to a moral of learning to settle with a mediocre man. Fortunately, that path remains in a whole other universe to Celeste & Jesse Forever. Its world is real, contemporary life with extra funny, making for a break-up movie where no-one stands in the night staring up at the rain. https://youtube.com/watch?v=NQoH1IGRB3w
Keen-eyed Aussie blog Tough Titties boosts female talent weekly by highlighting cool new things by women around the country, be it art, or music, or anything. While they've already been selling things and generally rounding up the word from women with talent, they're taking their first step into polite society with their first exhibition at Surry Hills' Somedays Gallery. The site has gathered up 20 women with a special commission for its first show, A Touch of Class, with each artist asked to draw, print or otherwise create something cool on giant paper doilies. Contributors include poster-making typographer Georgia Perry, radical cross-stitcher Rayna Fahey, animal-sketcher Lucy James and Bianca Chang, whose intricate, precise work cutting fine curves on paper has just popped up in non-doily form at Showcase as well. Tough Titties wants to help you. They've already made you a tough-minded, legally correct guide to flirting. That this exhibition fulfills your need for oversize, artistic table furnishings is only another step in their mission to bring good things into your everyday life via women with talent. The medium may be doilies, but the content is all hard art.
In sad news for Stateside fans of St Jerome’s Laneway Festival, this year’s Detroit event has been cancelled. Sad – but unavoidable. Unfortunately, the promoters have been unable to book the acts necessary to the Laneway vision. “We tried to get the very few acts that we felt would be appropriate for Laneway and none of them were available,” promoter Danny Rogers stated. “We had one that went all the way to the wire and then changed its mind at the very last minute – bless their beautiful heart, too; they were under so much pressure to be everywhere and anywhere and something had to give. “We decided that we needed to be honest with ourselves and sit it out this year and review it again next year.” Laneway first hit Detroit in September 2013, with a line-up that included Sigur Rós, The National, Chet Faker and Flume. Rogers said the event “delivered what I genuinely believe was the most awesome festival I have ever been part of.” Earlier in 2013, Laneway hit Auckland and Singapore before making its way to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Fremantle, with performances from Lorde, Kurt Vile, Haim, Earl Sweatshirt, Four Tet, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, The Jezabels, Vance Joy and CHVRCHES, among others. Via TheMusic.com.au.
The acquisition of good vintage clothing can be a difficult feat. Much like the metaphoric fog, sometimes you have to sort through a whole bunch of crap until you find something good. Fortunately for us, the guys behind Foe, Like The Enemy have trawled through Asia and the Americas to source the best vintage clothing they could get their hands on. After a wildly successful first pop-up instalment, Foe are holding their second pop-up store in Regent Street, Redfern from September 24 - October 8. For a limited time you can walk into a real-live shop and try on vintage clothes in an actual changeroom — we're talking Jurassic Park denim details, well-worn flannos, as many retro sunglasses as you can predict to lose at a music festival. Every killer pop-up needs a killer launch party — and the first Foe shindig was an epic hootenanny in Fouveaux Street with Catcall and Phondupe spinning tunes aplenty. This time around, there'll be plenty of free drinks courtesy of Havana Club. But to fuel your shopping spree vibes, there'll some very special sets from some of Sydney's best including Embassy, Brudo and Hux, Collarbones' Marcus Whale and FBi Radio's Adi Toohey. That's some serious Sydney talent behind the decks for a launch. Swing down to Regent, get amongst the beats and one-of-a-kind threads and celebrate the worldly fashion travels of one of Sydney's best merchants of vintage. Launch night runs from 6.30pm, Wednesday, September 24. The pop-up shop is open until October 8. Words by Natalie Freeland and Shannon Connellan.
If you're heading to Byron Bay this summer, get ready to ride the world's first solar-powered train. The two-carriage chugger was built in Sydney in 1949, but, as of later this year, will travel along a three-kilometre track between downtown Byron Bay and Northbeach Station up near Sunrise Beach and the Byron arts and industrial estate, driven solely by the sun's energy. Byron Bay Railroad Company, which is operating as a non-profit, has spent four years restoring the train, which was in disuse. There are seats for 100 passengers, as well as standing room for extras and, importantly, space for surfboards and bicycles. To begin, the train will run once per hour between 8am and 10pm, at a cost of three bucks per person. Back in the day, the train ran on diesel. Its conversion took place at the Lithgow Railway Workshop, where solar panels were added to the roof and solar-charged batteries installed. While Indian Railways did launch a solar-powered train earlier this year, the sun only powers the lights, fans and displays on that vehicle. By comparison, on this train, the batteries can power every system, including lighting, air compressors, control circuits and traction. And, should the sun hide its face for a while, they'll gain energy from the grid's green arm. One diesel engine has been removed and replaced with an electric drive package. The remaining diesel engine is staying on-board for to provide emergency back up in the case o an electrical glitch. The Byron Bay Railroad Company will commence its first service by the end of the year. For more information, visit byronbaytrain.com.au.
In Japan there is a deep appreciation for the iconic cherry blossom (sakura) tree. The prevalence of the tree in the Japanese landscape signifies the commencement of spring, and is worthy of a national celebration. Festivities commonly include parties and picnics under the cherry blossoms. In Australia, it's Sake Restaurant and Bar that's leading the appreciation for the cherry blossom, the spring season and a bit of Japanese feasting. For the month of September, they have organised a special food and drink menu and exclusive events. The festival includes executive chef Shaun Presland's signature spring menu ($88) and spring lunch menu ($38), a $15 sake flight with suggested food matches, and the Harajuku Pop-Up Bar, a fun and casual incarnation for the restaurant. Try the special cocktail, The Kimono Doll ($17), which shows off the tantalising flavours of ichiko shochu, cherries and coco. If you want to go all-out, join the 24-seater Cherry Blossom Dinner (September 4 and 24 only, $120pp), which comes with matched sake, shochu and tea and includes courses like cuttlefish and urchin dashi jelly shooter, ocean trout and scallop tartar with truffle ponzu and caviar, and chirashi sushi rice bowl.
A year-long program of design events could be headed Sydney's way, and a two years' worth of bragging rights as well. The New South Wales capital is currently in the running to be crowned the World Design Capital, making the shortlist for the 2020 title alongside Lille in Northern France. If successful, Sydney will play host to six signature events between January and October, with an opening ceremony at the Sydney Opera House, a World Design Street Festival throughout the CBD, an array of exhibitions and conferences in the lead up to Vivid, and a forum coinciding with Sydney Fringe Festival all currently outlined in the city's bid. Masterclasses, a new Festival of the Front Yard that focuses on post-war design and a design camp on Cockatoo Island are also mooted, in a proposal that seeks to "engage, collaborate and design a new model of social impact for an increasingly urbanised world." Beyond the showcase events, much of the suggested program focuses on Parramatta and its surrounding suburbs — and if you're wondering why, there's a good reason. The bid hasn't been put together by the City of Sydney, with the Parramatta council helping to lead the charge as part of a not-for-profit organisation backed by 40 other outfits, institutions and agencies. Still, "Sydney, World Design Capital" has quite the nice ring to it. As for that moniker and how it comes about, the World Design Capital is designated by the World Design Organisation, highlighting cities that use of design to drive economic, social, cultural and environmental development. The 2020 choice will be announced in October, with Sydney potentially joining previous picks Torino (2008), Seoul (2010), Helsinki (2012), Cape Town (2014), Taipei (2016) and Mexico City (2018). Via Sydney Morning Herald / ArchitectureAU. Image: Vivid / Ash Bollard
With Paradise Road Diner open less than a year, David Owen (ex Icebergs) and Gaudi Diaz are already expanding their empire with a brand new venture just down the road — a takeaway chicken shop. Set right on the North Bondi beachfront, Paradise Road Kitchen is the latest to join the barbecue chicken resurgence (The Paddington, Via Napoli Il Girarrosto), but with no bells and whistles. No frills. Just good food. This isn't your average takeaway shop though; in lieu of a greasy slopfest that grab-and-go can evoke, they're serving up some serious home cooking with a very personal spin. "Dave and I have been in the restaurant industry for a long time, but sometimes nothing beats when you get some good home cooking from mum or grandma," says Diaz. He speaks such truth. Diaz's mum is the brains behind the Spanish tortilla soup. When Diaz and Owen found the corner location, right across the road from popular brunch spot Porch, the space itself apparently seemed meant for home-style cooking. "When this place came up, the cooking equipment here really suited our family dishes and it was kind of the perfect timing for a place like this," says Diaz. The most important part of any self respecting chicken shop is, of course, the rotisserie. Apart from the requisite whole chickens ($18), the guys are doing up lamb leg ($9/100gr) and even a rotisserie corn on the cob ($6). The free range pork shoulder from Vic's ($9/100gr) is the favourite rotisserie item of Diaz's, though — rolled in sage and rosemary, the meat then goes on the rotisserie for an hour and a half. "It gets so nicely crispy and crackling," he says. We bet it does. Let us at it. Overall, the food is done simply but done right. "The premise behind this spot is that it's takeaway done well. It's not a fancy restaurant in any way, but it's quite simply done with the highest quality in mind," says Diaz. Find Paradise Road Kitchen at 262 Campbell Parade, North Bondi. Open seven days a week 11.30am to 9pm.
Already scheduled to headline Listen Out 2013, dance music's brothers-of-the-moment have just announced that they'll be gracing us with sideshows in both Sydney and Melbourne. Over the past 12 months, the UK-born and raised siblings have emerged from their bedrooms to dominate the dance charts and sell out international tours. That's especially impressive given that the youngest of the two, Howard (18), is only just out of school uniform and his brother, Guy, recently celebrated his 21st. Not only have party-goers been keeping the boys on high rotation, they've also won a few critics' (often hardened) hearts. The ever-revered Pitchfork awarded Disclosure's debut album, Settle, with a whopping 9.1/10, while UK radio host Zane Lowe described it as his "favourite album of the year so far". Featuring a selection of guest vocalists (including Ed McFarlane of Friendly Fires, Jamie Woon, Jessie Ware and AlunaGeorge's Aluna Francis), Settle represents a move towards balancing the duo's two major stylistic influences: dance and pop. "The main thing we tried to do with it is get a mixture of the more clubbier sides of the music we do with the more sample based stuff that's made for the dance floor and then kinda the other side of it, which is the more pop structured songs with vocals," Howard told the Listen Out team in a recent interview. "We wanted to take a balance between those things." Sydneysiders will be able to catch Disclosure on October 1 at an all-ages show at The Hi-Fi, and Melbournites will see them at the Prince Bandroom, Prince of Wales, on October 2, with an early show (5.30-8.30pm) catering for under-18s and a later one (10pm-1am) keeping the oldies on their feet. https://youtube.com/watch?v=4nsKDJlpUbA
Sydney, we know you love a food pop-up. Right now you're gearing up for the final Burgers by Josh pop-up at The Annandale and Sydney's first fried chicken and wine festival this weekend. And we've got another one for you to add to your list. After a sold out two-day burger and ice cream pop-up last month, Gelato Messina is bringing their own mini food festival, Messina Eats, back for a second edition. And this time it's all about the bao. Messina has teamed up with Melbourne bao geniuses Wonderbao to create a menu as dreamy as the soft, doughy pillows themselves. Along with traditional pork buns, they'll also be steaming their cult gua bao stuffed with pork belly, fried chicken or fried tofu. Because every good bao needs an accompaniment, they'll also be serving up potato gems with kimchi, spam (?) and melted cheese on top with PS Soda to wash it all down. And for dessert? Deep fried ice cream stuffed with egg custard tart and served with mango pudding and passionfruit caramel. Yep. The whole thing will go down over two days on Friday, July 29 and Saturday, July 30 in the carpark at Messina's Rosebery HQ. They'll be open from noon for lunch and dinner until sold out. The last Messina Eats sold out quickly, but we're told they'll be better equipped this time round. Messina Eats will run from noon until sold out on July 29 and 30. Find more information here.
Blue Mountains native Julia Jacklin is Australia's voice of the moment. A member of the Sydney band Phantastic Ferniture, Jacklin has gone solo this year with her debut LP Don't Let The Kids Win, which was released in October. You've likely fallen in love with Jacklin's deep, bluesy voice in songs like Leadlight and Pool Party, which are constantly playing on FBi and triple j — the latter of which have supported Jacklin through her 12-date Aussie tour that leads to the iconic Oxford Art Factory this Friday, December 9. Jacklin's powerful lyricism in this insightful and occasionally nostalgic album perfectly complements the strength in her voice, which is at times heart-wrenching and, above all, just absolutely lovely to listen to. We can't wait to sway along with dreamy eyes while she rocks the OAF stage. Jacklin is sure to go on to be a major global success, so this is your chance to see her on the cheap and show some serious Aussie pride in such an impressive new artist. Tickets to her OAF gig have now sold out — if you missed out, Jacklin will be playing one last show this side of the new year on Friday, December 16 in her native Blue Mountains. Tickets to The Carrington Hotel gig in Katoomba are still available here, but you best grab 'em fast as most of her Aussie gigs have sold out.
Did you know that it's illegal to store an ice cream in your back pocket in Alabama? One dare not imagine the horrifying tragedy that must have engendered this law. The destruction of such a very fine pair of acid-wash Levi's. The cruel, undeserved fate of the ice cream. Ludicrously entertaining, yes, but this is just one of infinite madcap laws that have been passed in the US over time, and now a young photographer is cleverly drawing attention to them through a series of images titled I Fought the Law. Recent School of Visual Arts grad, 22-year-old Olivia Locher, is working through every American state in turn, selecting the weirdest law of each to express as a photograph. Known for her colourful work and currently seeking Kickstarter funding for a fairly bizarre and intriguing cult-inspired film featuring lean girls in matching underwear, Locher has chosen the literal route for representing the unusual laws, and you can scope them all out here. Below we have included some of Locher's chronicle of what's verboten, to act as a kind of visual warning manifesto. Back that fixie away from the diving board, hombre, because in Cali it's absolutely forbidden to ride a bicycle in a swimming pool. Enjoying more than two dildos in the privacy of your own Arizonan home? The cops are onto you. (But this instructional video may prove helpful, should you choose to defend your hobbies). Meanwhile, in enlightened Wisconsin, serving apple pie without cheese is an illegal act. Why? Why should this be so? Does cheese even taste any good with apple pie? The boys in blue don't care for your existential line of inquiry. Coins can't legally be placed in human ears on the island of Hawaii, and Texan children are denied the legal right to get a weird haircut. Little Bobby wants a groovy mullet? Cuff 'im. Via PSFK
'Straya. The only thing we love more than a good beer is a good barbie (obviously featuring a good beer). And on August 23 Freda's in Chippendale has joined forces with Many Hands Events to bring us The All Aussie Arvo Banquet, with a side of Aussie tunes. Yep, it’s a celebration of all things Aussie: the golden tunes, the warm climate and the unique wildlife, which may or may not be trying to kill you (platypus, we're looking at you). The banquet will kick off at 12.30pm on Saturday, August 23 and will set you back $80 (drinks included). Then brace yourself for three courses of the most Australianness you can handle. There's an entree of Chinese-inspired eggplant stuffed with crocodile meat and served with puffed rice and pickled cucumber and a main of bush tomato marinated kangaroo loin kebab on wattleseed roti with pumpkin hummus, warrigal greens pesto and davidson plums. For dessert, it's deconstructed sponge trifle with fingerlimes, lemon myrtle custard, and lime jelly. The feast will be followed by the musical extravaganza The Bush Olympics. From 4pm Wild Sunset, Smokey La Beef and Bad Jeep DJs have prepared a whole night of the greatest pub tunes to come out of the Southern Hemisphere — we're talking John Farnham, INXS, AC/DC, Savage Garden and so, so many more of the Aussie greats. All for the low low price of free. Knifey spooney skills at the ready. Tickets to the banquet can be purchased through Eventbrite. Seating is allocated, so organisers have advised you book in groups.
Earlier this year, Scotland's BrewDog created the world's first craft beer hotel at its US base. Of course, if you're keen to head to Ohio for a boozy holiday, you'll need to get there somehow. Enter the world's first craft beer airline, which the beer fiends have aptly named BrewDog Airlines — and yes, it's all about drinking craft brews at 30,000 feet. In fact, BrewDog has also created its own beer that tastes better at a flying altitude. If you hop on board its airline, you'll be among the first to try it out. Cathay Pacific did something similar back in 2017, launching a bottled beer that was made to taste as great in the air as it does on the ground — but that's not the only brew-focused flourish on BrewDog Airlines. Boarding a Boeing 767, passengers will also enjoy a spot of beer tasting, tuck into a BrewDog-inspired menu that's paired with matching beers, watch the brewery's BrewDog Network — its own streaming platform — and receive a branded eye mask and blanket. More brews will be served during the flight, obviously. And, once the plane lands, you're in for a tour of BrewDog's Columbus facility, as well as a brewery-hopping day trip to Cincinnati. You can also stay at The DogHouse, the brewery's hotel, for an extra fee. If you're keen to take the trip, it's only flying from the UK to America on February 21, 2019, then making the return leg on February 25, 2019. You'll also need to be of BrewDog's Equity Punks, which is what it calls its shareholders — and pay £1,250 per person (or £2,250 for two people sharing a room). That said, the brewery is also giving away ten spots, if you're feeling lucky. With BrewDog also opening an Australian base in Brisbane in 2019 — albeit without a hotel — here's hoping it brings this idea with it. Image: BrewDog.
Summer is nearly upon us. Days are getting longer and the sun is shining near unwaveringly. To celebrate, the good folks at the Watson's Bay Boutique Hotel are throwing a festival dedicated to our favourite crisp fruit beverage — cider. Perched on the Watsons Bay foreshore, this establishment knows a thing or two about hosting chilled summer events, even in spring. Their Cider Festival will span the long weekend October 4-6 and feature a variety of local and imported ciders. Making good use of the fact that cider rhymes with slider, snacks in slider form will be available all day (as will non-rhyming paella). Live music will be plentiful, and for the go-getters among us, there's an apple bobbing competition. But things get real on Sunday, October 5, when you're invited to go on a 'cider trail' along Military Road. This is the kind of walking trail we can all firmly get behind. All you need is a Cider Festival Passport, available from the venue on the day (or from here). The cider trail will culminate at the hotel's breezy chic Beach Club, come over all pop-up cider bar. The ticket allows a tasting from each of the 11 stalls there, as well as a whole bottle of whichever's your favourite.
107 Projects is a proud supporter of arts and culture in Sydney, through their multidisciplinary arts space in the heart of Redfern. From July 31, the artist-run initiative will be presenting a fundraiser of the best kind: the 50/50 Festival, which is raising money for a new sound system for performers and the local community to enjoy. The 50/50 title implies just that — 50 percent of profits will go to participating artists, the other 50 percent will contribute to a new sound system. The lineup includes an eclectic mix of Sydney's music outfits, with music styles tending towards the experimental and electronic. Participating collectives include the NOW now, CDR, Tin Shed Spots and Pretty Gritty, who will each curate an evening of sounds. So go along, listen to some cutting-edge tunes, grab a drink from the bar and enjoy the knowledge that your money is enhancing Sydney's art and music scene, not the life of some fancy exec type in their Vaucluse stronghold.
Much-loved Sydney and Melbourne store Incu is holding its annual warehouse sale from 9am on Friday, July 25, running until 4pm Sunday, July 27. The multi-brand boutique is know for its array of Australian and international designers, including Karen Walker, Vanishing Elephant and Alexander Wang. The sale will include previous sale stock, samples and seconds from all Incu labels, with nothing over $120. The location is Paramount House in Surry Hills, so there's also the enticing option of popping downstairs to Paramount Coffee Project — odds are that you will need to refuel after an hour of furiously sorting through clothes. The Incu warehouse sale will be held in the mezzanine of Paramount House. Credit card is accepted. Opening hours are: Friday July – 9AM-7PM Saturday July – 9AM-5PM Sunday July – 10AM-4PM
See Cate Blanchett take on 13 roles in one, in a dramatic new film installation at the Art Gallery of NSW. Co-commissioned by the Gallery in partnership with ACMI, the Hamburger Bahnhof - Museum für Gegenwart in Berlin and the Sprengel Museum in Hanover, Manifesto is a bold new multichannel work from celebrated German artist Julian Rosefeldt, with the Oscar-winning screen star at its centre. Housed at the Gallery from May until November, Rosefeldt's installation questions the role of the artist today, drawing on the philosophies of numerous pre-eminent artists, including writer Andre Breton, sculptor Claes Oldenberg and filmmaker Jim Jarmusch. From these sources, Rosefeldt has crafted a collage of artistic manifestos, which Blanchett articulates through the guise of various characters, including a school teacher, a newsreader, a homeless man and a puppeteer.
Days after winter has officially landed, HBO has gone and announced something totally off The Wall. Just as we were prepping to find alternate means to secure Game of Thrones for another Monday night, the giants of television have announced that Game of Thrones: The Exhibition will open in Sydney in July 2014. And now they've confirmed the venue and dates: the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia from July 1-5. Presented by Google Play, the immersive exhibition will highlight all key GoT locations, characters and narrative ERHMAGHERD moments, with nearly 100 props, weapons, costumes and bits and pieces from the show — season four included. Because they're Stark raving mad legends, Game of Thrones: The Exhibition will be open to the public FO FREE. It's been confirmed that the exhibition is the same one that has been touring the globe of late, so we're in for a big ol' dragon-sized treat. The existing HBO exhibition started in New York in January then moving to Mexico City, Austin, Rio de Janeiro, Oslo, Toronto and Belfast and Vancouver. Included are cloaks galore, an Iron Throne you can sit on and an interactive virtual reality experience powered by Oculus Rift. If the exhibition saw numbers anything like those from the Powerhouse's past Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings or Star Wars blockbusters, Google Play and HBO will rub some gleeful paws in the merchandising aftermath. With the amount of gore and boobery in GoT, however, major kiddie target markets are almost totally ruled out. For all the details, check out the exhibition website. Updated June 17, 2014.
Along with the Tokyo fish market, Kyoto during cherry blossom season and eating as much ramen as possible, spying Mout Fuji ranks highly on most traveller's Japanese to-do list. Actually getting a glimpse of the mountain isn't always as easy as it sounds, however. If the weather isn't right, even someone staying in a hotel specifically built to give visitors the iconic view they're after might be greeted by clouds rather than a towering peak. One such hotel, Yamanashi prefecture's aptly named Hotel Mt Fuji, has come up with a solution. If you visit between January 9 and 19, and you're unable to enjoy the sight of Mount Fuji for more than a minute between checking in and checking out — including at night — then you'll receive a free night's stay next time you return. And, while you're sitting, waiting and trying to see the mountain, you can do so in their semi-openair hot water bath. There are a few conditions, understandably. The deal is only available to guests who checkout after 7am, so anyone who leaves before the sun comes up the next day isn't eligible. It won't be offered to people who book a stay either the same day, or the day prior, to avoid folks purposefully planning to visit in bad weather conditions. And, it is being offered during a window of time considered to be peak Mount Fuji-viewing season. Still, if spending a night with a stellar vantage of the enormous landmass is in your short-term future, it's a decent backup plan. Better than simply buying some of the plentiful Mount Fuji merchandise on offer anywhere you look, or trying your luck seeing it from quite the distance from Tokyo Tower. Via PR Times.
It has been said that describing Burning Man Festival to a person who has never been is like trying to explain what a particular colour looks like to a person who is blind. But perhaps this is no longer the case. Aerial footage has been released of the recent 2013 Festival, taken from a drone. Held two weeks ago, Burning Man was captured on camera by San Franciscan filmmaker Eddie Codel. Taken from a DJI Phantom Quadrocopter — a pilotless mini-aircraft with four propellers — fitted with a GoPro camera, the impressive HD footage is currently one of the best and fastest available introductions to the famous festival. This 360-degree tour pans slowly over the festival during the daytime, functioning to communicate a snapshot of the immense size and sparsity of the constructed city. It reveals close detail of the installations and artworks set up in the desert and at times comes very close to people. Held in the Black Rock Desert in northern Nevada, Burning Man draws in a crowd of approximately 50,000 each year. First established in 1986, the seven-day event welcomes attendees from all over the world, encouraging radical art and self-expression through the construction of a temporary community. The city is built the week before Labor Day, on an ancient lake bed, 100 miles north of Reno. Perhaps it's true that to truly understand Burning Man, one must participate. In the meantime, however, the drone tour certainly gets you very close. https://youtube.com/watch?v=m2ThTb6iffA Via Mashable.
Already home to stunning sights across its coastal landscape, Victoria's Great Ocean Road is set to welcome a new attraction: a 50-acre nature park dedicated to observing and learning about native animals in their natural setting. Called Wildlife Wonders and expected to commence construction this year, the site will sit just outside Apollo Bay, overlooking the ocean — and will offer guided walking tours conducted by qualified conservationists. Under their guidance, visitors will stroll through bushland to see Australia's native critters living freely — and predator-free — in their own habitats. Expect to spot the area's animals like you've never been able to before, spying koalas sleeping in trees, bandicoots scampering through the foliage and kangaroos hopping wherever they please. More than that, patrons will mosey through an experience designed by Brian Massey, the art director on the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films. If you're thinking "wasn't he blessed with great landscape on those flicks?", well, you're not wrong — but he also turned landscape designer with New Zealand's Hobbiton tourist attraction. Here, he'll be involved in a site that includes a themed field-research base, a visitor arrivals building, and a cafe and retail outlet that'll highlight local products. The Victorian Government will support Wildlife Wonders via a $1.5 million grant to the Conservation Ecology Centre, while the Federal Government has already $2 million to the project. When it's up and running, the park's profits will be used to further the centre's conservation efforts, including ecosystem restoration, ecological research, species recovery programs and community education programs. For more information, visit the Conservation Ecology Centre website.
Already made your way out of a serial killer's lair in Sydney? Panic not, a brand new escape room-style adventure is about to land in Sydney. And, instead of trapping you within four walls, it challenges you to get into a room, steal a piece of art and get out with it. Art Heist is the latest project of the Jetpack Theatre Collective, who specialise in out-of-the-box theatrical experiences. Before now, they've managed to chase their audiences through mazes, row them across lakes and transform them into a herd of stampeding rhinos. For Art Heist, Jetpack has built Wade Gallery, a fictional art space in Dulwich Hill. Inside lies a masterpiece titled The Fat Dragon, which is coveted by Adrian Bailey, an unknown benefactor. Acting as one of his thieves, you'll have 45 minutes to steal it for him. Along the way, you'll be deciphering clues, getting around guards, avoiding alarms and squeezing through air vents. The guards aren't just statues or robots, but actual actors, who'll be responding in real time to your moves — that's part of what what sets Art Heist apart from established escape rooms. "With a stressful political climate and incredibly fast-paced news and social media cycle, it can be invigorating to lose yourself in pretending to be somewhere and someone else," said Jim Fishwick, director of Art Heist. "And when culture is now so available on a phone, what does it really mean to go to a theatre or go to a gallery? It's the social connection with the people you're with and the presence of the art around you." Art Heist is at 404 New Canterbury Road, Dulwich Hill, from 1 June–30 July. It runs on Thursday and Friday, 5.30–8.30pm, and on Saturday and Sunday, 1.30–8.30pm. New sessions start each hour.
If you were planning on catching an Uber to work or uni this morning, you may need to think again. Thousands of drivers have logged off the app — during Monday's peak hour — in a bid to curb upfront pricing and penalties. At present, drivers receive an upfront amount instead of being paid for time and distance travelled and are penalised for opting out of UberPools. Drivers also want rates increased by 15 percent, which were reduced back in 2016. The strike comes amid strong competition from Ola and Taxify, both which offer cheaper fares for riders and take a smaller commission cut compared to Uber — Taxify takes a 15 percent cut compared to Uber's 20-25 percent. The drivers will strike until 9.30am today in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth. via news.com.au
It's supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year. Thanks to Black Mirror, it's about to become the bleakest. A release date for the fourth season of Charlie Brooker's dystopian TV show hasn't yet been announced, but it is expected to drop on Netflix sometime this month. In the interim, the streaming platform has been ramping up the excitement by revealing episode-specific trailers. With each approximately hour-long instalment of Black Mirror standing alone in the story department — while always tying into the anthology series' satirical musings about humanity's relationship with technology — the individual sneak peeks offer a glimpse of just what's in store. Four have been released so far, stepping into areas such as the evolution of surveillance, high-tech misdeeds and dating apps. The clips join the previously revealed whole-of-season trailer, and once again, things look grim. It's likely two more will follow, given that full season will consist of six episodes: 'Arkangel', 'Black Museum', 'Crocodile', 'Hang the DJ', 'Metalhead' and 'USS Callister'. Brooker himself wrote every new instalment, while the likes of Jodie Foster, Australian filmmaker John Hillcoat (The Road, Triple 9), Peaky Blinders' Colm McCarthy and American Gods' David Slade are sitting in the helmer's chair. On screen, expect a cast that includes La La Land's Rosemarie DeWitt, Nocturnal Animals' Andrea Riseborough and Fargo's Jesse Plemons getting up to the kind of sci-fi antics that no one wants to dream of. Check out latest trailers below, and prepare for more bleak thrills before the year is out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5N_Tq1EtRQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CV0J3Bq3BIc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-NCySETRIc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yef_HfQoBd8
Friendships are complicated, but they're part of what it means to be human. Any young person, but especially someone who knows what it means to have a complicated friendship, should consider getting tickets to Girls in Boys' Cars, the latest production of National Theatre of Parramatta. Opening on Thursday, October 19, Girls in Boys' Cars is an adaptation of the page-turning novel from Australian author Felicity Castagna — which won multiple Australian literary awards in 2022. This theatrical adaptation by Priscilla Jackman centres around two young women, whose suburban lives (and friendship) get much more complicated when a series of events sees them driving across NSW in a stolen car. One ends up in juvenile detention, wondering why her best friend disappeared and where she went. Directed and adapted by award-winning theatre-maker Priscilla Jackman (National Theatre of Parramatta and Sydney Theatre Company's White Pearl), the production also stars Ziggy Resnick (Griffin Theatre Company's A is for Apple), Nikita Waldron (Winner of the Australian Theatre for Young People 2021 Rebel Wilson Comedy Commission), Suz Mawer (bAKEHOUSE Theatre Company's The Laden Table), Ella Prince (Bell Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors) and Alex Stamell (Nine Perfect Strangers). It's a story about friends, mistakes and never holding back. The limited-run show is sure to spark some feelings, maybe even a few tears. Book your tickets quickly, because the short run will be over by Friday, November 3. Girls in Boys' Cars will run at the Riverside Theatres in Parramatta, with select shows from Thursday, October 19 to Friday, November 3. For more information or to get tickets, visit the website.
Thirty-four-metres long, more than twice as big as a regular hot air balloon and ripped straight from Patricia Piccinini's inimitable mind, Skywhale might just be one of Australia's most recognisable recent pieces of art. It's a sight to see, and the largest-scale example of the artist's fascination with the thin line that separates nature and technology — and it's about to meet its match. Come February, the National Gallery of Australia will unveil Piccinini's new Skywhalepapa, which is designed to form a family with Skywhale. It was originally scheduled to premiere in 2020 — but, after joining the list of things that didn't turn out as planned last year, it'll take to the sky on three mornings in 2021 instead. Both Skywhale and Skywhalepapa will float above Canberra at 5.30am on Saturday, February 6, then again on Monday, March 8, and finally on Saturday, April 3, as part of an event called Skywhales: Every Heart Sings — with the second bulbous sculpture commissioned as part of the gallery's Balnaves Contemporary Series. Although art lovers can check out the event for free, you do need to register if you'll be in Canberra on any of those dates, and fancy getting up early and going along. Of course, that's hardly surprising in these COVID-19-safe times. [caption id="attachment_751759" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Skywhalepapa, 2019/20 (artist's sketch), Patricia Piccinini. Courtesy of the artist.[/caption] Just how big Skywhalepapa will be is also yet to be announced but, given the impressive size of its companion, expect it to be hefty. And if seeing two Skywhales isn't enough, the NGA has been hosting Patricia Piccinini: Skywhales, an exhibition dedicated to them, since March 2020. It'll wrap up on August 1, 2021. If you can't make it to Canberra to see the growing Skywhale clan, it'll also head around the country for an NGA touring exhibition. Locations and dates haven't been announced as yet, and are set to be confirmed in the future. Skywhales: Every Heart Sings takes place at the National Gallery of Australia, Parkes Place East, Parkes, ACT — with the floating sculptures taking to the sky at 5.30am on Saturday, February 6, then again on Monday, March 8, and finally on Saturday, April 3. For further information, visit the NGA website. Top images: Skywhale, 2013, Patricia Piccinini. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. Gift of anonymous donor 2019, Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program. Photo: Martin Ollman Photography.
To celebrate the release of their debut album Outlands, indie-pop quintet Deep Sea Arcade are hitting the road for an outlandish national tour. With an inviting "listen to me" sound Outlands, which was released in March and awarded album of the week by The Brag, is a dream of a record, with nightmarish undertones of the slightly sinister, coupled with a retro feel and jam-packed instrumentals. Having already supported Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Children Collide and Kaiser Chiefs the band will kick off the tour June 1st with stops in Newcastle, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Brisbane and Byron Bay. The band will roll into Sydney's The Standard June 2nd to showcase the album's seminal tracks like the last single Girls, All The Kids, Lonely In Your Arms and The Devil Won't Take You. https://youtube.com/watch?v=dY6CWGGYO9I
Pirates of the digital kind will be well aware of Village Roadshow's quest to rid the country of internet plundering, with the film company stepping up their efforts in the last year or so. This time twelve months ago, they commenced legal action against one movie streaming site. In October, co-chief executive Graham Burke announced plans to start suing illegal downloaders. A successful bid to stop Australians from accessing The Pirate Bay and four other sites followed in December — and they're just getting started. In their latest move, the folks responsible for releasing films such as the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts franchises, The LEGO Movie, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and more on our shores have filed a Federal Court application to block 41 additional piracy-enabling culprits. Torrent sites, streaming portals and direct download sites are included, spanning the likes of Demonoid, EZTV, ExtraTorrent, LimeTorrents and Torrent Downloads, as well as CouchTuner, 123Movies, Putlocker, WatchFree and WatchSeries. In many cases, multiple URLs are included for each site. Given their success last time around, Roadshow wants the next round of bans to be modelled on the last, which didn't include rolling injunctions — that is, the ability to add proxy and mirror sites to the list as they spring up. To combat that inevitable occurrence, they're proposing that ISPs file and affidavit and pay $50 per domain name whenever a new site arises. For anyone with access to a VPN, this news probably won't drastically alter your content acquiring behaviour. Or, the awareness that the driving force doesn't always keep in step with the rest of the globe when it comes to releasing big films. Indeed, one of Roadshow's most eagerly awaited titles of the year — The LEGO Batman Movie — arrives on Aussie screens more than a month and a half after most of the world. In a nation already known to swashbuckle when it comes to timely access to new films and TV shows, that might just send them flocking to their computers rather than the cinema. Via Computerworld. Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.
As the weather gets colder it makes more sense to stay indoors and watch movies than to brave the icy winds. So, for your viewing pleasure, we've put together out top five trailers for this week to help you into hibernation mode. From directors such as Paul Thomas Anderson and Sam Mendes, we are sure you will find a film of your choice in our five favourite trailers this week. Hyde Park on Hudson Hyde Park on Hudson stars the great Bill Murray as Franklin Delano Roosevelt, also known as FDR. The film is based on FDR's love affair with his distant cousin Margaret Stuckley and a weekend when the King and Queen of England visited his upstate New York property in 1939. Tapping into an era which is all the rage at the moment, this film is definitely worth a look. Dark Blood An unfinished film featuring the late River Phoenix which was thought to never be shown, Dark Blood is a film by George Sulzier which was only days from being completed when Phoenix died of a drug overdose. Sulzier has now decided to share Phoenix's final performance, alongside co-stars Jonathan Pryce and Judy Davis who have aged almost twenty years since the film was first made. Anchorman: The Legend Continues This trailer is more of a teaser for the film as it doesn't give much away, except for the fact that you can't help but laugh. Anchorman fans have been waiting a long time for this sequel and it's almost here. It will be interesting to see what the Channel 4 News team have to say this time around. Skyfall Directed by Sam Mendes, this is Daniel Craig's third performance as James Bond. Co-starring Ralph Fiennes and Javier Bardem, the film is action packed and tests James Bond's loyalty to M, keeping 007 fans on the edge of their seat. The Master The Master boasts an incredible cast - Joaquin Phoenix, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Laura Dern. A drama directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, the film discusses the idea of a a young drifter who becomes the right hand man for a post World War II religious organisation known as 'The Cause'.
Julie Delpy has a particular writing style. You might call it The Hangover for the high brow. It's full of cursing and smoking weed and laughing at words that sound like 'cunnilingus', and getting caught in webs of awkwardness after you tell your uptight neighbour to stop riding you because you're dying of cancer when you're not. And yet her audience is more Dendy than Hoyts. Teen boys don't aspire to live out Delpy scenes at schoolies. 2 Days in New York finds her character, Marion, broken up with her 2 Days in Paris boyfriend, Jack, not long after the birth of their son. Because that's the kind of thing that happens under Delpy's watch: not all relationships are forever. And figuring out this commitment thing is part of the story here. Her relationship with her new de facto, Mingus (Chris Rock), is about to be tested as Marion's family comes for a visit from Paris. The couple, who met while working at the Village Voice, have their typically NY neuroses stretched beyond cute. Marion's rotund father, Jeannot (Albert Delpy, Julie Delpy's real life dad), has tried to smuggle in several sausages upon his person; her sister, Rose (Alexia Landeau), has no affinity with American puritanism; and her sister's boyfriend, Manu (Alexandre Nahon), thinks Mingus will be cool with him doing a drug deal in the flat because he's black. Delpy's mother, Marie Pillet, who was a delight as Marion's mother Anna in 2 Days in Paris, has since died, and in 2 days in New York, as in life, her daughter is still trying to accept her death. Some people find the Delpy aesthetic grating and as thin as the gross-out comedies alluded to earlier. And while it may be true that this film is 'about nothing' and sometimes blithely scrappy, it's also blinkered to think that Delpy's quirks don't matter. Quirks isn't even the right word, attached as it currently is to a whimsy and cutesiness that bear no relation to the 2 Days In universe. She somehow gets to make un-Hollywood films that reach a large-ish audience, and that's an incredibly refreshing thing to see. Because apart from bawdy and untraditional, funny and generous, the other thing Two Days in Paris is, is internationalist. In Delpy's world, main characters don't all come from the same country, speak the same language, or share the same culture. Their differences may be the engine of humour, but everyone is shown respect and understanding that goes beyond stereotype. The set-up is a reality many people live but somehow rarely see on screen. There's one very telling early scene: Mingus takes Marion's father, who speaks no English unless it's to say something inappropriate, to his regular Thai massage centre to help him loosen up after the trans-Atlantic flight. We all sink down in our seats, but the worst does not happen. Far from it. Mingus emerges after his massage to see Jeannot sharing a cup of tea with the owners, with whom he has been conversing in scraps of Vietnamese. It turns out the owners are actually from Saigon, a city in which Jeannot also spent his childhood. The man might not understand Americans, but his experience has given him a worldliness that is beautifully acknowledged. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Q1HDAOlPDzA
Few designers working today create pieces so idiosyncratic and fanciful they may as well be art. One is Romance Was Born, the Australian label started in 2005 by Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales. So it's perfectly fitting, really, that for this year's Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia, they're smashing out a full, multi-sensory exhibition that is more guided acid trip than runway show. Collaborating with them on Reflected Glory is artist Rebecca Baumann, a technicolour master of her own with a practice spanning kinetic sculpture, photography, performance, digital animation and installation. She also happens to have won a Visual Arts SOYA the same year Plunkett and Sales won for fashion. Together, they're translating the never-boring design of Romance Was Born into a truly unwearable work of art, opening at Carriageworks on April 8. The promo video shows the exhibition will be a kaleidoscope that plays off the unique light and space of the industrial venue. "We're really inspired by nightclubs and lighting and the feeling of when you see something sparkling in all its glory [and] it just has this fully beautiful, uplifting feeling," says Plunkett. Don't expect mere retrospective or showcase; the exhibition represents a completely new approach for the duo. "It's not like a collection of work; it's kind of just one big work, so the whole thing just feels like one immersive experience," says Sales. https://youtube.com/watch?v=XqSDKIRviw8
To celebrate the Queen's birthday Chopdog Promotions, The Brag and Dyingscene.com are bringing together a bundle of sexy, loud and raucous talent from across Australia, New Zealand and the rest of the world for what is set to be one hell of a party. The festival will hit Sydney with Chris Duke & The Royals, Dan Potthast, God God Dammit Dammit, The Bennies, Kujo Kings, Sublime With Billy, Roofdog, Phat Meegz, The Me Tys, Steel City Allstars, Jobstopper and Handball Death Match, with The Ska Boss DJing. Better known for his vocals with legendary ska punk band MU330, Dan Potthast is bound to drive the crowd crazy with his solo material. Returning for the second year running, The Bennies will be playing at all three of the festival's stops with fast high-hats, bouncing bass lines and face melting leads. https://youtube.com/watch?v=gbB-KLcV3kg
Why is it the most controversial topics that make us laugh the hardest? Perhaps it's catharsis. Perhaps it's because we dare not make the jokes ourselves. In either case, Sacha Baron Cohen's latest film The Dictator requires no introduction. But let's just say, Baron Cohen's newest creation - supreme leader General Aladeen - is on a mission to safeguard his beloved (oppressed) nation from the clutches of democracy. That's right. The man behind Borat and Bruno is no stranger to controversy; to promote his upcoming release he famously turned up to the 2012 Academy Awards (despite being initially banned from attending) bringing with him "the ashes of Kim Jong-il". Later spilling those "ashes" (reportedly pancake mixture) over well-known American TV host, Ryan Seacrest. Don't call that funny? Then it's likely that The Dictator may offend. Starring Anna Faris, Ben Kingsley and John C. Reilly alongside Baron Cohen, and loosely based on Saddam Hussein's novel Zabibah and the King, the film is hitting cinemas on May 16. Concrete Playground has 20 double passes to give away. To get your hands on a pair of tickets, make sure you are subscribed to Concrete Playground, then email your name and postal address to hello@concreteplayground.com.au
Belvedere is already a good thing (a fancy vodka that's delicious and smooth all the way down), and their Single Estate Rooms pop-up running in Chippendale in early April will only nab them bonus marks. Celebrating the release of the brand's new the Belvedere Estate Single Rye series, the Single Estate Rooms will take guests on a bit of a vodka-themed journey. Exploring the new Smogóry Forest and Lake Bartężek vodkas (named after villages in Poland), you'll visit two different natural terrains via a sensory experience. Not too much of an intrepid spirit is required for the experience, though. As the enchanting, luxurious environment changes around you, you'll relax with a welcome cocktail, unwind over two courses with cocktail pairings, and savour and compare the different vodkas (and world-first vodka ryes). Once you're back from your Polish reverie — or if you've missed out on the dinners (tickets are indeed selling fast) — The House of Belvedere Bar will crack on with cocktails and live music until midnight and is open to the public. Belvedere Single Estate pop-up dinners run on Thursday, April 5 and Friday, April 6 at 5.30pm, 7pm and 8.30pm each day. Tickets are on sale now until Wednesday, April 4.
Shows like The Wire, and even the less probing Law and Orders, have gotten us well acquainted with the idea that the fates of police officers' are deeply intertwined with the crims they spend their lives chasing. That theme and style are continued on the stage in A Steady Rain, the gripping work from playwright Keith Huff, which is set in one of the USA's signature moral battlegrounds, Chicago. Presented by original indie theatre purveyors Cathode Ray Tube (The Great Lie of the Western World), the play packages these themes for the literarily minded. It has quite an unusual structure that makes for a primal, personal mode of storytelling as its two characters, cops Denny (Michael Booth) and Joey (Sam O'Sullivan), give separate monologues that intersect, collide, and are anything but static. Their story begins with an unexceptional family dinner, to which Denny has invited his bachelor best bud and the sex worker out of whom he hopes Joey will make an honest woman. His choices that night set in motion a chain of events that erodes their friendship and risks everything Denny holds dear. The pair are old-school cops — loyal, tribal, chauvinistic, racist. Regularly offensive in that way that makes onlookers laugh awkwardly. The fact that they've been repeatedly passed over for promotion to detective is no doubt for these worrying traits, and it's this exclusion that is forming a chasm between the two now. It has made Joey determined to reform and succeed, and it's made Denny act out, become embittered, and start following his own code. This is really an actors' play, an unflinching character study that asks a lot from the two men almost constantly on stage. So it's a good thing the acting is so good. Booth is one of a kind, a magnet for our attention with minutely observed mannerisms that seem to come automatically and an intensity that burns from the inside out. His is an extreme kind of naturalism, which will come as a relief to anyone normally turned off by theatrey delivery. Underplaying is a virtue here. O'Sullivan, who was already disturbingly excellent in ATYP's Punk Rock earlier this year, is only on an upswing. Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig played these roles on Broadway, but you only think about this fact when walking into the TAP Gallery theatre, not when walking out. The performances are supported by equally subtle staging. Lights hanging overhead appropriately recall an interrogation, while the sound (by Brendan Woife) rises above white noise only to prod our anxiety with quivering violins. Denny's Timberlands and ragged Chicago Bears T-shirt speak volumes. Only the intermission is intrusive, pulling us out of a relentless story that could probably have run its 95 minutes right through from beginning to end. Cathode Ray Tube usually put on newly written works that are vividly their own, the last being in April. Those kinds of productions take a long time to gestate, so interesting imports like A Steady Rain will keep the team fondly in our thoughts in the meantime. Read Cathode Ray Tube's Hidden Sydney profile here.
Every time one of your friends has posted something incredibly sad on Facebook and you've 'liked' it? Things are about to get a little more appropriate on the social media IV drip. After Facebook co-founder and known hoodie-wearer Mark Zuckerberg announced the possibility of a 'dislike' button in September, the site has now launched a set of Facebook 'Reactions' which shake up the mere 'like' function. There are now six new little emojis Facebook users can use to react to posts, alongside the OG 'like' button. Users can now respond to posts with love, laughter, happiness, shock, sadness and anger. We're sadly going to have to wait a teeny spell before we can branch out into Facebook's new set of emotions, with the new feature starting out as a test in just two markets, Ireland and Spain — according to TechCrunch, these two countries have been picked mainly because their national user bases have mainly limited international friend networks, so they make a more concentrated test group. If the test is a success, Facebook will roll it out worldwide. Yep, they look exactly like emojis — which is why this will probably immediately work for Facebook. We've been using them this whole time. Via TechCrunch. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
