The lineup for the inaugural The Plot festival has been announced today, and there sure isn't any shortage of stars. The Plot is the city-side little brother of Groovin the Moo, bringing electronic and dance tunes from all around the country (and from overseas) to Sydney on December 14 and Melbourne on December 15. Following a Facebook post from 22-year-old sensation Flume concerning the unique stylings of Australian electro musicians, The Plot has included a spate of artists Flume name checked as the future. From Wave Racer to Willow Beats to Elizabeth Rose, all those tiny sub-genres of Aussie dance and electronic are represented at the fresh festival at the end of the year. https://youtube.com/watch?v=GJ2GcNs_aXI The Plot is the brainchild of Cattleyard Productions, who seem to be going from strength to strength. In a climate where festivals are losing sales and even closing down, Cattleyard have not only managed to pull together a new festival but also expand the existing Groovin the Moo to South Australia for next year. Which ain't too shabby. If it's something about the vibe, then that's something the folks at Cattleyard will hope to pull out of the country and bring to the city when Australia's finest electro-stars take to the laser-lit stage in December. For the full lineup, tickets and more, head to The Plot.
Fancy a dip with a difference? Boutique hotel connoisseurs Mr & Mrs Smith have a bunch of seductive watery wonders. From awe-inspiring views and cater-to-every-whim butler service, these shimmering stretches will have you flapping your water wings in excitement (Speedos optional). Hotel Crillon le Brave, Provence Where: Rue Église, 84410, Crillon-le-Brave, Vaucluse, France What: Stone-built hilltop hideaway Perched high on a peachy-hued Provencal hilltop, Hotel Crillon le Brave is made up of seven houses clustered around a 16th-century church. After a quick bonjour to the hotel’s namesake — a mustachioed statue of the real Crillon le Brave — follow the discreet grey signs on pale stacked-stone exteriors to this hip hostellerie. A maze of footpaths leads down stone steps and over cobbled terraces to the separate maisons: charming sleeping quarters that look out over pale terracotta roof tiles, neatly coiffed vineyards and limestone-topped hills. The Cezanne-worthy panorama continues poolside; swimmers can catch glimpses between strokes as they work off a lion's share of croissants, pastries and crisp local rosé. Perivolas, Santorini Where: Oia Santorini, 847 02, Cyclades Islands, Greece What: Dream lava Plucked straight from the pages of a glossy spread, Perivolas is a supermodel in hotel form. Poised high on the hills of Santorini above the Aegean sea, this is the sort of hideaway that inspires spontaneous marriage proposals. A soundtrack of distant lapping waves fills whitewashed-walled rooms that peer out over the caldera (the proper name for the volcanic crater-cum-bay, if you please), while sunlounger-graced terraces provide the postcard-perfect spot to stare out into the brilliant blue. A resplendent infinity pool is the jewel atop Perivolas’ crown: seamlessly merging with the endless azure horizon and offering a spectacular setting to sup sundowners and watch the sun melt into the sea. Masseria Torre Maizza, Puglia Where : C.da Coccaro, 70015, Savelletri di Fasano Brindisi, Italy What: Spacious and gracious A 16th-century coastal estate set in olive groves with ocean views, Masseria Torre Maizza is sister to Masseria Torre Coccaro — good looks clearly run in the family. There’s no cause to fret about countryside isolation: days here are spent ambling between the spa, cookery school and golf course. Water babies should head straight for the outdoor pool, surrounded by vine-dressed columns, hammocks and more sunbeds than you can poke a crostino at. When a growling stomach interrupts, make for Ristorante delle Palme, where black-lacquered chairs and white-linen-topped tables spill onto the poolside terrace. Rayavadee, Krabi Where :214 Moo 2, Tambon Ao-Nang, Amphoe Maung, Thailand What: Sand-circle garden pavilions Flanked by dramatic limestone cliffs and glittering beaches, Rayavadee is accessible only by boat from Krabi. Picturesque pavilions are tucked between towering tropical palm trees; it's a look befitting a tribal jungle village with a penchant for Jacuzzis, spa treatments and homemade cookies. The sapphire-coloured waters of the sprawling lagoon-style infinity pool offer uninterrupted views of the Andaman Sea and respite for those weary from jungle treks. If you can be coaxed from your plumped sunbed, adventure-junkies can pursue rock-climbing, kayaking and scuba-diving; land-lubbers should seek out the spa for an hour (or more) of towel-cocooned pampering. Raas, Jodphur Where :Tunwar ji ka Jhalra, Makrana Mohalla, Gulab Sagar, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India What: Achingly hip haveli Set in the shadow of the majestic Mehrangarh Fort, Raas is a modern-day Maharaja’s mansion. A cluster of four heritage rose-red sandstone buildings make up this refashioned family manor, decorated with sprawling terraced gardens, boutiques, spas and restaurants. Beyond the hotel walls, the city is a frenetic blend of colour and chaos. Inside, your only disruptions are birds trilling and water tinkling. An at-your-service butler-attended infinity pool brings a splash of Ibiza to the Indian desert; expect white-canopied sunloungers, chilled tunes and poolside yoga. Ace Hotel & Swim Club, Palm Springs Where :701 East Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, California, United States What: Hipster’s canyon commune Seducing the young and young at heart, Ace Hotel & Swim Club marries sleek architecture and low-key luxury with a smattering of vintage design accents. Sun-seekers can brave the heat by renting a candy-coloured Vespa or booking a horseback riding lesson, leaving those attached to air-conditioned comfort to languidly laze in a hammock and work through the hotel bar’s cocktail menu. An eclectic soundtrack of indie rock, '70s and '80s hits, top-40 numbers and spinning DJs provide the poolside playlist. The King’s Highway restaurant (once a roadside Denny’s) dishes up classic American fare with splashes of the unexpected — try the harissa lamb and pan-seared tilapia. Eagles Nest, Bay of Islands Where: 60 Tapeka Road, Russell, New Zealand What: Modern, minimal, magical Prepare to be hypnotised at Eagles Nest, a hotel where pampering means private chefs, peaceful pools and a Porsche at your disposal. From its perch atop a private peninsula, this North Island retreat has sweeping views over the Bay of Islands and 75-acre grounds that are ripe for exploration. Villas are cool and contemporary, tucked away in the middle of lush native bush; all are self-contained with a gourmet kitchen and private deck. Each villa has its own heated infinity-edge lap pool (except the First Light, which has a Jacuzzi), fringed by sleek white day-beds and romantic lanterns for moodily lit evenings. Alila Villas Uluwatu, Bali Where: Jl. Belimbing Sari, Banjar Tambiyak, Desa Pecatu, Bali, Indonesia What: Minimalist eco-glam From the lobby at Alila Villas Uluwatu you’ll catch your first glimpse of the hotel’s 50m infinity pool and the Indian Ocean beyond, and we challenge any paddling professional not to be impressed. With each villa replete with its own pool and butler, it’s quite possible that you’ll be the only guests at the hotel’s main watering hole. With a cliff-edge perch and cantilevered cabana, a few languid strokes is enough to have you feeling like you’re floating above the world. When hands and feet become sufficiently wrinkled, retire to Spa Alila, a holistic heaven where local therapists use traditional Asian healing techniques and age-old beauty recipes. Shoreditch Rooms, London Where: 1 Ebor Street, Shoreditch, London, United Kingdom What: Cool crash-pad club Dust off your hipster specs and dig out your coolest ‘resting designer’ attire: it’s time to mention Shoreditch Rooms. An outpost of the media-savvy SoHo House members’ club, glamourpusses and hip creative types have long flocked to this converted warehouse to let off some steam. With breathtaking views across the city, the heated rooftop pool is where it’s at. The bar’s close by, as are gardens complete with open fires, double day-beds and a herb plot. Closer to earth, the ground-floor Cowshed spa has famous facials and massages tailored to your mood. Hotel Habita, Mexico City Where: 201 Avenida Presidente Masaryk, Colonia Polanco, Mexico City, Mexico What: Modern minimalist classic Bang in the middle of posh Polanco, Hotel Habita is a favourite with Mexico City’s fashion-forward and in-the-know elite. Follow in their well-heeled steps by ascending to the rooftop. A glistening pool is overlooked by the hotel’s mezzanine bar, flanked by curvy white loungers, dark wooden decking and complete with a wet bar. Upstairs, the full lounge boasts tables, chairs and a crackling fireplace for cosily cool evenings; films are projected on to the walls of nearby buildings on clear nights. If you prefer dinner a deux to designer-clad crowds, the lobby restaurant offers Mexican bistro cuisine and huge windows prime for people-watching. Feeling hot under the collar? Cool off by taking a dip at other Mr & Mrs Smith pool hotels or browse more hotel collections .
When Quentin Tarantino first formed a film production company back in 1991, its name came from movie history. With A Band Apart, the then-fledgling director paid tribute to filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard, to 1964 picture Bande à part and to the French New Wave, and nodded to the imprints that cinema's past always leaves on its future. Godard, François Truffaut, Agnès Varda, Jacques Demy, Alain Resnais, Jean Rouch and Edgar Morin, Jacques Panijel, Jacques Rozier and company didn't need QT's ode to cement their greatness, or that of the movement they brought to life in the 50s and 60s, of course — but that recognition is just one example of how far their influences spread. Indeed, watch any film that falls into the Nouvelle Vague and you'll spy the inspiration for countless more from around the globe in the seven decades since it sprang up. That's the impact that the movement's group of French film critics and cinephiles-turned-filmmakers have had. And the Art Gallery of New South Wales wants you to watch, dedicating its latest movie season to these crucial and significant gems. Screening from Wednesday, July 9–Sunday, September 7, 2025 in the Domain Theatre, the venue's Nouvelle Vague lineup is packed with masterpieces that sparked more — from Truffaut's coming-of-age great The 400 Blows and ménage à trois flick Jules and Jim to Godard's crime drama Breathless, Varda's thoughtful Cléo From 5 to 7 and the technicolour wonders of Demy's The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. You can head along from 2pm on Wednesdays and Sundays for a middle-of-the-day movie, or at 7.15pm on Wednesday evenings. Whichever you pick, attendance is free, but those complimentary tickets can be booked online or collected at the door from one hour before each screening.
For keen racegoers, the arrival of the De Bortoli Wines Golden Rose Day means one thing: Everest Carnival is well underway. And for those looking for a lively day out in the sun, there's a wealth of food, drinks and entertainment on offer. Rosehill Gardens will host this major event, now in its third year, on Saturday, September 22. And there's plenty going on to fill your day with. Wander through the grounds and discover a host of pop-up bars from Pimm's and Canadian Club, then retreat to The Deck by De Bortoli Wines to sip bubbly in the sun on the tiered lawn and listen to DJ Helena Ellis' tunes from the nearby Main Stage. When you're feeling peckish, make a beeline for Rosehill's newest food precinct, Eats at the Gardens. There you'll find a selection of food trucks ready to curb your hunger including Vietnamese specialists Trinhy's, American barbecue from Hardstyle Kitchen, plus Chur Burger and many others. Following the festivities at Rosehill Gardens, make tracks to Rosehill Bowling Club where the official after-party will be keeping things going late into the night with a host of live music and DJ karaoke. And, if you're keen to do it all again soon, make sure you enter the On Top of the World competition. The prize is a money-can't-buy experience for Everest Day (October 13): two night's accommodation at The Star, a buffet breakfast at Sokyo, a helicopter transfer to Randwick and a dining package while you're there. Plus, when you return to The Star that night (via limousine), you'll enjoy dinner at BLACK Bar & Grill.
When you work at a zoo, no two days would ever be the same, all thanks to its animal inhabitants. No shift on the job would ever be boring, either — but surely Taronga Zoo's staff haven't had a day like today, Wednesday, November 2, when five of the site's lions escaped their enclosure. In a social media post, Taronga confirmed that "an emergency situation occurred this morning at Taronga Zoo Sydney when five lions were located outside their enclosure". "The zoo has strict safety protocols in place for such an incident. All persons onsite were moved to safe zones and there are no injuries to guests or staff," the statement continues. "All animals are now in their exhibit where they are being closely monitored." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Taronga Zoo (@tarongazoo) As aired on the ABC, Taronga Zoo Executive Director Simon Duffy said that one adult and four cubs were found outside of their main exhibit at around 6.30am, and "were observed in a small area adjacent to the main lion exhibit, where a six-foot fence separated them from the rest of the zoo". "The lions calmly made their way back into their main exhibit and den, and one lion cub was safely tranquillised," Duffy advised. "All zoo staff responded and acted swiftly, and procedures and processes were followed as they should have been. As a result, the situation was under control within minutes. We have received video footage, and we confirmed that it was less than ten minutes between the lions exiting their main exhibit and the full emergency response being enacted." If a trip to the zoo is part of your plans today, Taronga has also confirmed that it's operating as normal after the morning's excitement. Taronga welcomed five lion cubs — females Ayanna, Malika and Zuri, and males Khari and Luzuko — in August 2021, during lockdown. It's also streamed them last year, letting everyone enjoy a keepers'-eye view from home. Find Taronga Zoo at Bradleys Head Road, Mosman — open from 9.30am–5pm daily. Head to the zoo's website for further information. Images: Taronga's lion cubs, Rick Stevens.
The Maybe Group and PUBLIC Hospitality have officially gone their separate ways after just over a year in partnership. Vince Lombardo and Stefano Catino have opted to bring their beloved hospitality spaces back under the umbrella of leading food- and beverage-focused brand The Maybe Group, the latest development in what's been a massive period for the two hospo outfits. Across the last 12 months or so, global accolades have been showered on the likes of El Primo Sanchez and Maybe Sammy, Sammy Junior closed suddenly, and now The Maybe Group and PUBLIC Hospitality will separate. The new move is being undertaken by mutual agreement with PUBLIC's Jon Adgemis. "Stef and I believe we can best serve our venues by bringing them back under The Maybe Group's wing, and Jon has supported us in this decision," said Lombardo. This means that The Maybe Group's two initial venues, alongside one of PUBLIC Hospitality's most-acclaimed bars, will transition to the former's ownership effective immediately. As of Friday, July 12, Paddington's El Primo Sanchez, The Rocks' Maybe Sammy and Randwick's Maybe Frank will be operated solely by The Maybe Group, and Catino has advised that these venues will continue to operate as normal. [caption id="attachment_941736" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Steven Woodburn[/caption] "Although Maybe Sammy and Maybe Frank have been under the PUBLIC umbrella for the last year or so, we have continued to operate them as our own so there will be no change to the guest experience in those venues or El Primo Sanchez as a result of this transition," said Catino. As for future endeavours, The Maybe Sammy group has also noted that new collaborations with PUBLIC Hospitality will be considered on a venue-by-venue basis. [caption id="attachment_704013" align="alignnone" width="1920"] DS OFICINA[/caption] Further information regarding the venues will be released shortly at The Maybe Group and PUBLIC Hospitality websites. Top image: Steven Woodburn.
Little Box proves correct the old adage that it's not about size, but what you do with it that matters. Quite literally a little box that appears to have been plonked in the middle of an outdoor shopping arcade, it's tiny — but you can't walk past without being intrigued. Judging from the setup, you'd expect their menu to be short and sweet, but Little Box is essentially the clown car of cafes — so there's plenty to choose from for both breakfast and lunch. They've earned our respect with their sweet potato and zucchini fritters with avo smash and a balsamic glaze ($13.50) and their portobello mushroom burger with haloumi ($13). If you prefer a bit of meat, the lamb salad with feta and roast pumpkin ($15) or the slow-cooked pulled lamb burger with chipotle salsa ($14) are equally impressive options. And if you're a coffee aficionado who's keen to try a new bean, theirs comes from Barrel One Roasters, a boutique roaster that's local to the northern beaches.
Finding the perfect spot for every beer drinking occasion isn't easy. So, that's where we come in — at Concrete Playground, we want to pass our expertise onto you. Together with Heineken, we've created two crafty tools to help you plan your next day or night out: the Heineken Bar Finder, a complete guide to the top-notch beer gardens, rooftop bars and other hotspots where you can enjoy an ice cold brew, and the Heineken Insider chatbot, your trusty brew companion. We're just a simple 'hey insider' away, making it even easier for you to find that perfect spot for your next outing — all thanks to the power of AI. While you can browse our expert guides over at the Heineken Bar Finder, we encourage you to have a chat with the Heineken Insider. Here's how it works: head to our Facebook page and send us a message saying 'Hey Insider 'to get in touch. You'll be asked what you're looking to do, and we'll respond instantly with specialised recommendations for the occasion — either at your current location or anywhere in the city if you don't have a preference. Looking for a hump day lunch spot for you and your office mates? We got you. How about the perfect spot for late-night kick ons? We got you there, too. And what about the best pub in your area where you can catch the match? You get the idea. The Heineken Insider has your back with recommendations from day to night. Also, we should mention that there'll be chances to win freebies and VIP experiences at some key bars. It's time to make your friends think you're the expert in this city. Take the work out of the play and chat with the Heineken Insider now.
The inaugural Australian Native Food Festival was announced last month. This September, it is set to bring Carriageworks to life with a celebration of First Nations culture and Australia's native ingredients through food, art, storytelling and music. The incredible lineup of acclaimed chefs, which will showcase the breadth of Indigenous food and culture, has just been announced, and tickets are on sale now. The esteemed lineup includes Attica's Ben Shewry, My Kitchen Rules' host Colin Fassnidge, Karima Hazim from Sunday Kitchen, Raylene Brown from Kungkas Can Cook and George Calombaris. Kylie Kwong will take the stage with respected Gamilaroi Elder Aunty Beryl Van-Oploo OAM for a cooking demonstration that highlights the flavours of native ingredients through storytelling. They will cook Aunty Beryl's famous lemon myrtle chicken, while also showcasing Kwong's Australian-Cantonese food, to demonstrate how food and cooking can foster community and connection. TV personality and Masterchef winner Elena Duggan will host a session demonstrating how to use native Australian ingredients in everyday cooking. Duggan will explore clever pantry swaps to embrace bushfoods for more creative lunchbox ideas and at-home meals. The festival, which is presented by Indigiearth and led by Ngemba Weilwan woman Sharon Winsor, will focus on First Nations-owned and run businesses such as Black Duck Foods, Baagi Milaygiin, and Native Botanical Brewery. Winsor says, "This festival is about more than food — it's about honouring culture, strengthening connections, and opening a space for others to learn from and celebrate First Nations knowledge. It's a chance to showcase the remarkable people and produce that make native foods powerful and unique." Images: Supplied. The Australian Native Food Festival, running from September 27 to 28, is free for general admission. Tickets for chef demonstrations are on sale now.
Greenery is the new objet d'art, so get ready to redecorate. For two days only, designer garden pot company The Balcony Garden is giving you the perfect excuse to spruce up your plant-scape with a massive online sale. For just the second time, the purveyor of handmade plant pots (which is also 100-percent carbon neutral) will be holding a virtual warehouse sale. From the comfort of your own home, you can score between 50- to 90-percent off a huge range of designer pots and planters that will only be available via the sale website. Once you've nabbed your bargain, you'll need to book a time to pick up your goods from the Frenchs Forest warehouse between 7–18 March. No lines, no masks, no worries. The sale kicks off at 8am on Thursday, March 3 and ends at 10pm on Friday, March 4, so make sure you don't miss out. To get your next plant pot bargain, head to the The Balcony Garden's Virtual Warehouse Sale website. Keep up to date with all things The Balcony Garden via Instagram.
This article is sponsored by our partner lastminute.com.au. Ah, New York City. 'The City that Never Sleeps'. 'The Big Apple'. 'The Capital of the World'. Whatever you call it, you know it. Recognised as the cultural capital of America, NYC is a melting pot of peoples from all over the world. It's home to some of the best arts, eateries, events and scenes in the world. Its impressive landmarks make it impossible to be mistaken for any other city. We all know the Brooklyn Bridge, the Empire State Building, and of course, Lady Liberty — even if only from our living rooms. Shows like Sex & the City, movies like When Harry Met Sally and songs such as 'Empire State of Mind', have enraptured most of us with the thrill of New York City. If you've every wanted to see what the hype is all about but haven't the slightest idea where to go in the mega-metropolis, travel and lifestyle site lastminute.com.au has you covered. They've scouted out a variety of hotels in the city's many unique neighbourhoods, from the Upper East Side's Gossip Girl style to the low-key, artsy Brooklyn vibe. Here are their favourites. (They're also offering an opportunity for Aussies to 'Win NYE in NYC', so don't miss that.) The Surrey Stars: 5Best for: Classic Upper East Side elegance Once home to some of New York's most high-profile celebrities — including JFK, Bette Davis and Claudette Colbert — the Surrey is valued for its excellent service and discretion. The hotel also offers the finest amenities, including a private rooftop garden, spa service and gourmet dining. Venture out of your room into the nearby Central Park or shop along Fifth Avenue; the best of Manhattan living is right outside your door. Affinia Manhattan Stars: 3.5Best for: Apartment living in the heart of the mid-town scene Have bad FOMO? Then this is the place for you. Spot on in the middle of the city, the Affinia Manhattan is centred around all the action. Madison Square Garden, the Empire State Building, Broadway, Times Square, Fifth Avenue shopping and Chelsea art galleries are all just a step away. The Affinia has all the old-school charm of a New York hotel, but with a modern update. So when you’re exhausted from a big day out, relax and enjoy the skyline view from your room. Sohotel New York Stars: 2Best for: Funky slice of downtown with reasonable rates Located in a unique area of lower Manhattan, the Sohotel is in a prime location for urban adventure. Enjoy world-class shops, historic cultural landmarks, delectable eats or vibrant nightlife on the historic Bowery Boulevard. Or discover the quirky neighbourhoods of Nolita, China Town and Little Italy that give the area some cultural flair. You can enjoy it all because the Sohotel offers some pretty affordable rates. Comfort and style are not compromised though — the hotel is a quirky mix of old and young New York style, which in our opinion just adds to the experience. The Greenwich Hotel Stars: 5Best for: Oasis of calm and luxury in the heart of Tribeca Planted in the heart of Tribeca, the Greenwich Hotel is a stone's throw from Wall Street, SoHo, the Meatpacking District and Chinatown. But it could be hard to leave the hotel. A true haven for relaxation, the Greenwich features an authentic Japanese spa with a lantern-lit swimming pool, luxurious lounge and treatment rooms — you might start to believe you’re at a retreat rather than a city. Also, the rooms are all so unique, comfortable and liveable that you might want to think about an extended stay. The Box House Hotel Stars: 3.5Best for: Quirky cool in Brooklyn If you're looking for something a little more offbeat, check out the Box House Hotel in Brooklyn. Located in the industrial chic area of Greenpoint, this hotel offers a variety of quirky and brightly decorated apartments (be sure to request one with a patio or terrace for views of Greenpoint or the Manhattan skyline). A short walking distance to some of Brooklyn's best restaurants and bars, the Box House Hotel offers an authentic Brooklyn experience that's anything but boring.
Just because we might have to have to whip out something other than Birkenstocks and t-shirts for autumn, doesn't mean we have to move our film watching indoors. So get ready to cosy up at the third season of Luna Park's rooftop cinema. Running from March 22 to April 30, the pop-up cinema will be worth taking a chance on the weather — from the rooftop of Luna Park you'll have an unobstructed view of Sydney Harbour. For comfort, you can rent a Matt Blatt chair as your movie seat for the night, and you'll get a pair of noise-cancelling headphones so you can hear the film over the clamour of the Wild Mouse. The cinema comes complete with a rooftop bar serving up wine, burgers and, of course, popcorn. Over the course of five weeks, the cinema will feature award-winners like The Post, and La La Land, cult favourites like My Neighbor Totoro and classics like Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Tickets are $22 each.
A few years ago, many drinkers would have thrown out their beers after the first sip if they were sour. But 2017 saw a rise in the prevalence of — and preference for — these tart and acidic brews that are bound to get your tastebuds tingling. While it seems to be a relatively new style of beer, its origins can be traced back to the first beers ever brewed, where wild yeast and spontaneous fermentation were key. Fast forward a few hundred years and sour beers exist in many different varieties, with American wild ales, berliner weisse, gose and lambics being those favoured in the Australian craft beer scene. Today in Sydney, most craft breweries have either a limited release or core range sour. Wayward Brewing Co's 'Sourpuss' Raspberry Berliner Weisse was one of the first sours to become widely available on tap in venues across Sydney. Then came Batch Brewing Co's range of 90s hip-hop themed sours. These beers — such as Plum DMC, Mango Mathers, 2Peach Shakur and the charmingly named Pash The Magic Dragon passionfruit and dragonfruit sour — helped to secure the sour ale as an idiosyncratic fixture on Australia's brewing scene. Perhaps the biggest development in terms of sour beer, however, is Wildflower Brewing & Blending in Marrickville. Not a brewery as such — the beer is brewed at Batch nearby — Sydney's first 'blendery' has captured the hearts and tastebuds of sour lovers with its unique and tart ales, which feature Australian botanicals in their yeast cultures. Wildflower has released a number of beers since opening in 2017, but its standout brew is the sour Wildflower Amber. Released in batches (each one with a slightly different development in flavour) and aged in French oak barrels, this amber ale sits at six-percent ABV and features a complex palate of malt-accented notes with a light acidity. The most recent release, Wildflower Amber #10 ($22 for a 750-millilitre bottle), is available from the cellar door at 11–13 Brompton Street in Marrickville or online. SHOPPING LIST Wayward Brewing Co Sourpuss Raspberry Berliner Weisse, 330ml, $5.50 each or $17.99 for four (also available at the brewery) Batch Brewing Co Pash The Magic Dragon, 640ml, $12.50 each (also available at the brewery) Wildflower Amber #10 and #11, 750ml, $22 each Hop Topics is our new bi-weekly beer column keeping you up-to-date with the latest beer trends happening around the country. Dominic Gruenewald is a Sydney based actor, writer and self-proclaimed beer snob. Between gigs, he has pulled pints at all the right venues and currently hosts Sydney's longest running beer appreciation society Alestars at the Taphouse, Darlinghurst.
You might not know the name Eddie Marsan, but odds are you'd recognise his face. With a list of film credits that includes The World's End, War Horse, V for Vendetta as well as the Mission: Impossible and Sherlock Holmes franchises, he's the kind of unflashy, underappreciated character actor who disappears into whatever role he's given. Still Life, the new film from Full Monty producer Uberto Pasolini, marks a rare opportunity for Marsan to take centre stage. The result is so beautifully affecting you'll wonder why it doesn't happen more often. Indeed, Marsan's part in Still Life feels like the one he was born to play. A middle-aged London municipal officer, John May's job is to see to the affairs of people who have recently died. He goes about his work with minimal fuss and in return gets little thanks for his efforts. He's a quiet man, dignified but lonely, and seemingly more comfortable around the dead than he is the living. Early on in the film, May's smarmy new boss calls him into his office and informs him that he'll be downsized out of a job. May, being the man that he is, doesn't protest, only asking that he be able to finish his last case: tracking down the relatives of a grizzled military serviceman who just happened to reside in the same crumby apartment block as he does. As the title suggests, Still Life isn't particularly fast paced. Concerned with the sad, solitary minutiae of everyday life, Pasolini's direction is intentionally reserved — the drab whites, greys and blues of May's office and empty flat a reflection of his unremarkable life. Yet the film is not boring or bleak; on the contrary, Still Life possesses a tenderness and humanity that is extraordinarily powerful. It's a film that celebrates selfless acts of kindness, and going beyond the call of duty because it's simply the right thing to do. A few moments skew towards mawkishness, admittedly, but for the most part the balance is just right. In a turn that pays tribute to thousands of unremembered lives, Marsan's performance could hardly be more perfect. It's in large part thanks to his wonderful work that Still Life resonates to the degree that it does. If more filmmakers entrusted their projects to actors like Marsan, their movies would be all the better for it. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Gt9CsXrlO8Y
There's a scene in the recently released 20,000 Days on Earth where Nick Cave claims he's genuinely jealous of Warren Ellis for having a piece of Nina Simone's used chewing gum. No ordinary piece of gum, this was what she chewed just before launching into the show of a lifetime. She stuck it on the piano in front of her, wiped her head with a ratty old towel and delivered a performance so phenomenal that its memory captivates Cave and Ellis more than a decade on. In an act of hardcore fandom Ellis grabbed both the towel and gum after her set. Inspired by these small pieces of sentimental memorabilia, Nick Cave and the creators of this semi-fictional documentary are currently curating an online Museum of Important Shit. Composed of user-submitted photographs, the museum documents the small keepsakes and trinkets that stay with us over the years. Whether that be a Polaroid photograph of a high school sweetheart, a lucky charm from your childhood or, on the more disgusting end of the spectrum, an old piece of gum wrapped in an old sweat rag. Validating hoarders all over the world, the collection really romanticises and unpacks the magic of these items. Dealing in "humble signifiers of huge significance," the museum's objective is to "catalogue the things that remind us of those transformative moments that make us who we are, and unlocks the stories connected to them." Comprised of over 200 items, the site currently displays receipts, drawings and a cigarette butt that once belonged to Tom Waits. For those who have seen 20,000 Days on Earth, the museum should come as no surprise. A bizarre blend of fiction and fact, the film is so centred upon the nature of memory that in many ways it emulates one — built on a shaky foundation of small moments and half-remembered stories. In one scene Cave narrates his memories through old photographs and collectables archived now as historical resources. "I've been a great collector of stuff from the start, you know, as a child, with my marbles and bits of string in my pocket," said Cave. "To this day, I keep the writing and photographs and the random ephemera, that over time, unexpectedly, collects meaning and significance. That stuff seems to be a kind of buttress that supports the soft tissue of my life. It feels connected to my soul in some kind of way. These physical things that define particular periods of my life, hold great importance to me. That stuff can unexpectedly reduce you to tears, because unexpected memory has that capacity. We all do it, I suppose, collect stuff, we all have our totems and touchstones that anchor us to our past. Stupid shit, in a way, but important shit." This important shit will be curated in the coming weeks by various actors and creative types including Richard Ayode (of The IT Crowd and recent directorial fame). And, while it may be hard for them to find a similarly profound meaning in all our trinkety junk, it's nice to know we're not the only ones collecting it. Via Wired.
As part of the flurry of new streaming services competing for our eyeballs, FanForce TV joined the online viewing fold during the COVID-19 pandemic — with the pay-per-view platform not only screening movies, but pairing them with virtual Q&A sessions as well. Now, between Wednesday, May 27–Tuesday, June 2, it's also hosting an online film fest: the first Virtual Indigenous Film Festival. The event coincides with National Reconciliation Week, and will showcase six Australian documentaries: In My Blood It Runs, The Australian Dream, Gurrumul, Undermined: Tales from the Kimberley, Zach's Ceremony and Namatjira Project. That means you can watch your way through an array of Indigenous stories, spanning everything from everyday tales to culturally significant figures in art, sport and music — and exploring race relations, tradition and the environment in the process. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXa3gw3g4C4 Sessions will also feature guest speakers and expert panelists, such as Gurrumul director Paul Williams, Undermined filmmaker Nic Wrathall, and Zach and Alec Doomadgee from Zach's Ceremony. Viewers can tune in on a film-by-film basis, with tickets starting at US$6.99, or buy an all-access pass to everything for US$19.99.
Every time Apple makes an announcement (or even announces an announcement), the techno-geeks, Apple-loyalists and the general media feed the Mac hype with speculative articles. Even things that are quite obviously fake leaks are written about because it drives more readers to blogs/sites. And almost every time Apple does make an announcement, we're left a tad underwhelmed - our lofty hopes left largely unrealised. When Philip Schiller, senior vice president of Apple's Worldwide Product Marketing opened the 4S keynote reveal with "don't be deceived because inside, it's all new", it was all over. The most anyone hopes for with iPhone upgrades lies is how it looks. Beyond the literal meaning of Schiller's summation, his statement covers what most people actually care about: having the newest looking iPhone. What makes me feel foolish about this latest reveal is that as dictated by previous iterations, the shape hardly changes at this point; a full update is always preceded by a minor one. And with such a lack of physical change, I'm giving upgrading my iPhone 3GS a second thought. But if any of the previous upgrades are anything to go by, people will still buy the newest iPhone and brave an uncomfortable night's sleep outside the Mac store to make sure they are up-to-date. Even those who point to a 3 percent drop in Apple's share price also point to Apple's consumer savvy, releasing a phone with internal changes before making enthusiasts wait with bated breath for the iPhone 5. So here's what's new on the inside: - a faster processor. The iPhone 4S will be installed with the A5 chip (the same used for the iPad 2). - voice activation software called Siri. This will allow users to make commands like "check voice messages" and even answer questions like "what's the weather like tomorrow?" - a longer battery life (8 hours) - an improved camera (8 megapixels and a video stabilisation tool) https://youtube.com/watch?v=dhdmZ7iNZYo
An energy crisis is looming. We’ve been told that fossil fuels will be gone within the next 50 years. The hunt for alternative sources of energy to run our cars, fuel our industries and feed our countries has begun. Whilst green energy is going from strength to strength, traditional oil companies are looking to more tried and true resources. In light of this, Royal Dutch Shell are constructing the world’s largest man-made floating object. The vessel is being built in South Korean shipyards and is expected to be complete by 2017. When finished, it will anchor off Western Australia, where the vessel will extract the equivalent of over 110,000 barrels of natural gas a day. It will then cool the gas at -162 degrees celsius which condenses it to a sixth of its mass. Whilst the vessel itself will be stationary for a predicted 25 years, the gas will be transported via smaller ships to markets in Asia and Europe. The ship is more of a mini island. It will be over 4 football fields long, will weight six times more than the next largest vessel and can withstand a Category 4 cyclone, the most severe of storms. [via POPSCI]
No, you are not looking at a digitally altered photo. These photos are the work of German painter, sculptor and designer, Cornelia Konrads. She has created amazing displays of 'land-art' that seem to defy gravity. Her work represents the temporary existence of the structures that we build within nature. These displays are the disintegration of the man-made structures right before our eyes. Unique and beautiful, her work is a unique approach to land-art and we are quite impressed. For more of her stellar artwork, check out her website.
UPDATE, March 29, 2021: The King of Staten Island is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Binge, Foxtel Now, Google Play and YouTube Movies. Judd Apatow has a length problem. If one of his manchild protagonists said that, they'd be poking fun at his penis size, but we're actually referring to the duration of the filmmaker's movies. His arrested development-fuelled comedies always clock in at around the two-hour mark, minimum. Whether he's laughing at a middle-aged man's lacklustre love life, an unplanned pregnancy, or a comedian and movie star's near-death experience, the director behind The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up and Funny People never does so with brevity. So, returning to his favourite topic after giving it a slight twist in Trainwreck — which swapped his usual floundering male lead for Amy Schumer — it's hardly surprising that Apatow's latest flick feels protracted. Loosely inspired by Saturday Night Live star Pete Davidson's life, including what might've happened if he hadn't made it in comedy, The King of Staten Island definitely, noticeably meanders. Thankfully, it's also candid, raw and funny, as well as exceptionally well-cast. Oozing a different kind of BDE — that'd be big daddy's boy energy here, and even big deadbeat energy — Davidson plays 24-year-old Staten Island resident Scott. He still lives at home with his overworked nurse mother Margie (Marisa Tomei) and his college-bound younger sister Claire (Maude Apatow), and he still can't quite cope with the death of his firefighter father on the job 17 years earlier. A high-school dropout who dreams of opening a combined tattoo parlour and restaurant, he spends his time smoking weed with his mates (Moises Arias, Ricky Velez and Lou Wilson), sleeping with but refusing to commit to or publicly acknowledge his lifelong friend Kelsey (Bel Powley), and inking up anyone who'll let him. Then, after making a particularly poor decision involving a tattoo gun and a nine-year-old, he ends up with irate firey Ray (Bill Burr) first yelling on his doorstep, then dating his mum. Born and raised in Staten Island himself, 26-year-old Davidson lost his own firefighter dad in 2001's September 11 attacks — and, unsurprisingly, he co-wrote The King of Staten Island's script with Apatow and ex-SNL writer Dave Sirus. Hanging out with someone who is playing a part, but has also mostly been there and done plenty of what viewers see on-screen, the movie always sports a lived-in vibe as a result. Indeed, rather than just conjuring up relatable comic scenarios for chuckles, it heaves with extra weight and resonance. Scott's aimlessness, his inability to face his feelings about anything and his juvenile response to almost every situation all feel grounded in truth, then unfurled in the film in an unvarnished fashion. And while few folks watching have been in the exact same circumstances, The King of Staten Island leans into the minutiae of its Staten Island experiences and coming-of-age antics with such commitment that they prove universal. That's what personal, specific stories do when they're told frankly, and with warmth and care — including when they pair a tale about a wayward twenty-something grappling with trauma with a hefty stream of bro-comedy jokes. This is an Apatow movie, though, so the usual manchild escapades and humour do apply. That's especially true when the film indulgently watches on as Scott pals around with his buddies, which is where the feature's relaxed length makes itself felt. But, more importantly, The King of Staten Island is a Pete Davidson movie — and that has a considerable impact. Apatow often shapes his films around his stars (see: Knocked Up and Seth Rogen, Funny People and Adam Sandler, and Trainwreck and Amy Schumer); however Davidson might be his best lead yet. He's lanky and loose, as the comedian always is in SNL. He plays the wayward yet vulnerable slacker role with ease and even confidence, too, as he did in the thematically similar Big Time Adolescence. Plus, with a sense that he's willing to not only step into his own shoes, but also laugh and take a look at himself while he's there, he nails Scott's cruising, childish, often dickish demeanour and behaviour. That he does so while the radiant Tomei, determined Powley and, as another firefighter, a laidback Steve Buscemi all leave an imprint is no minor feat. Here, confronting how easy it is for immature, inertia-riddled men not to grow up makes for a canny and amusing semi-autobiographical comedy, as mixed with another of Apatow's hallmarks since his and Paul Feig's Freaks and Geeks days: sweetness. When the film opens with Scott driving down the highway, shutting his eyes for a second and flirting with death, it hints at a much darker, deeper movie that sadly never eventuates — although the feature that does blaze across the screen is steeped in unmistakable sorrow, Apatow has always loved getting sentimental. Still, The King of Staten Island isn't the by-the-numbers addition to the director's resume that it could've been. It undeniably relies upon a formula, but it benefits from Davidson's rougher edges and brutal self-awareness. And, as shot by Paul Thomas Anderson's regular cinematographer Robert Elswit (an Oscar-winner for There Will Be Blood), it benefits from gorgeous, naturalistic 35mm imagery also — fittingly for a film that tasks its lead with peering back at his upbringing, pain, loss, laughs, learnings, quarter-life struggles and all. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQqiDZQScVA&feature=youtu.be Top image: © 2020 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS. All Rights Reserved.
Drink some cracking beer as you bust a gut with Comedy and Cans at The Bank Hotel. The Newtown pub will be showcasing a handful of hilarious comedians alongside a beer list featuring some of the best tinnies around thanks to Waywards. Headliners are Nick Sun and Ben Russell, supported by Ben Lonas, Billy D'arcy and Jamal Abdul. There's nothing worse than a night in beer-covered clothes, so just make sure you keep that drink steady as you piss yourself with laughter.
Flight of the Conchords returns home for a New Zealand and Australia tour this winter. Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement, the goofy halves of this comedy and musical duo, announced the tour on their website, saying, "We are finally returning to Australia … mostly to apologise." Fans seem to agree that there is nothing to be sorry for: the original tour dates have already sold out. Luckily, additional dates have been added; make sure to snatch yours up quickly. The pair returns from a lengthy run of success abroad, including a BBC radio series, HBO television series, film appearances and an Oscar. A second and final show, at Sydney Entertainment Centre on July 6, will go on sale at 9am on Thursday, April 26.
There's something about the combination of chocolate and hazelnut that encourages a particularly fierce strain of food fandom. If you're fond of the pairing, you don't just like it — you flat-out love it more than almost every other food there is. That's why everything from Nutella recipe books and hotels to festivals and food trucks keep popping up. It's also why almost every dessert menu seems to feature the spread these days. And, it's clearly why Koko Black has opted for choc-hazelnut as well when it comes to releasing its first beer. This brew has nothing to do with Nutella, but it is chocolate hazelnut-flavoured — as made with Belgian couverture chocolate, plus hazelnuts (obviously). The resulting Belgian stout clocks in at 6.9 percent alcohol by volume, and marks a collaboration between the chocolatier and brewer Modus Operandi. No one needs a reason to come up with this beer-meets-dessert hybrid; however, it takes inspiration from Koko Black's 'nuts to caramel' collection. Yes, that's exactly what you're meant to eat while you're sipping. The choc hazelnut Belgian stout is being released to coincide with this year's Great Australian Beer Spectapular (GABS) in Melbourne, which takes place between Friday, May 21–Sunday, May 23. It'll be pouring as part of a masterclass during the fest, but that's not the only place you'll be able to find it. Head to Koko Black's website now to pick up a hamper featuring the brew — and some chocolate, naturally — or, if you're in Victoria, you can nab a four-pack from selected bottle shops from Sunday. Koko Black and Modus Operandi's choc hazelnut Belgian stout is on sale now via the Koko Black website — and will be sold in selected Victorian bottle shops from Sunday, May 23.
The past couple of years have been tough on all of us. Plus, with life-as-normal coming back at what seems like full speed, we wouldn't blame you if you needed time away from it all. And there's no better way to do that than by escaping to somewhere that feels like a world away from your daily routine. That's where we come in. We've teamed up with Wild Turkey to offer four lucky Aussies the chance to win a $2000 Airbnb voucher for their next weekend away. And with some pretty spectacular Airbnbs that can be found all around this great land, you might have a tough time deciding where to go — and who to take with you. We'll also throw in four cases of Wild Turkey's new Discovery Series to keep the good times going, wherever you find yourself. To be in the running, all you have to do is tell about your favourite off-the-beaten-track destination — the spot you don't tell anyone else about. (Don't worry, we won't tell anyone either.) Need some inspo? Check out our guides to the towns of Lexton, Cunnamulla and Lightning Ridge. [competition]838819[/competition]
Catharsis is crucial in filmmaking, as Jon Favreau clearly knows. The writer, director and star emerges from big-budget cinema to return to the smaller side of Hollywood, seemingly purging his demons and addressing his disappointments in the process. Favreau started his stint behind the lens with Made, and last helmed the underwhelming Cowboys & Aliens, but is best known for Iron Man and Iron Man 2. This journey informs Chef, complete with commentary on the perils of fame, the difficulties of criticism in the digital age, and the creative corruption that comes with working for the big end of town. The parallels are easy and obvious. In Chef, Carl Casper (Favreau) has toiled from humble beginnings to become Los Angeles' premier culinary artist, but a decade working for a profit-focused restaurateur (Dustin Hoffman) sees his menus branded safe, not daring. A scathing review by a prominent food blogger (Oliver Platt) calls out his creative malaise, swirling into a storm of negative press and social media that ushers him out of a job. At first, Carl resists the encouragement of his ex-wife (Sofia Vergara) to start his own food van. Soon, he's rediscovering his passion for cooking and reconnecting with his ten-year-old son, Percy (Emjay Anthony), in a road trip across the continent. With the heavy-handed correlations between Favreau's own fortunes and his on-screen alter ego evident, Chef is the filmmaker's opportunity to assemble something reduced in stature but substantial in content. Every aspect of the film reinforces the connection, not just in the narrative that shouts its thematic similarity, the informal aesthetic that rallies against special effects-driven efforts or the indulgent running time, but also in the brief appearances from fellow Marvel alumni Robert Downey Jr and Scarlett Johansson, worlds away from their franchise outings. Though the statement of Chef could have easily overpowered any involvement with the characters, Favreau fleshes out Casper's relationship with the idolising Percy in the film's strongest emotional arc. Understated performances also sell the fictional scenario beyond its autobiographical subtext, with the filmmaker leisurely affable in a rare lead role, and youngster Anthony empathetic but not overly sentimental. Laidback turns from Bobby Cannavale and John Leguizamo round out the likeable cast. As blunt and predictable as it always is, Favreau's offering proves appetising in the undemanding manner of the food trucks it covets — and repeatedly invites the comparison. Fine ingredients abound, including finessed visuals of enticing meals on par with the best food-centric efforts; however, poise and polish are swapped for a handmade feel and celebratory outcome. Gourmet filmmaking this isn't, but nor is it a fast food confection. Instead, the therapeutic and thoughtful Chef serves up palatable passion that's pleasantly rough around the edges. https://youtube.com/watch?v=PZ6e51-ie7w
Screw gas guzzling tankers and utes — Bruges is taking their beer transportation system underground, preserving their UNESCO World Heritage-listed city streets with an extensive, 3.2-kilometre-long beer pipeline that will begin operation in September. This ingenious design is all thanks to the perseverance of Xavier Vanneste, the heir to De Halve Maan (Half Moon), the city's only continuously working brewery. Initially established in 1564, the brewery is an iconic part of the city — and despite urging from financial advisors, Vanneste has long refused to relocate to a more industrial location. His alternative? To build an underground pipeline from the brewery to the bottling plant. The pipeline itself is an incredibly crafty design, with Vanneste hiring tunnelling experts from the oil and gas industry and Belgium's top brewing professor (what a title!) to get the plan just right. The experts laid the pipeline using computer-guided drills, which minimised street digging and further protected the historic city. As you can expect, the budget was a big one. A total of €4 million (that's almost six million AUD) were needed for the project, and over €300,000 was raised through a crowdfunding campaign. Backers who purchased a gold membership will be entitled to a bottle of Brugse Zot Blond every day for life as part of their €7500 donation. Beer for life is a such a legendary reason to donate. As it currently stands, the pipes can fit enough beer to fill 12,000 bottles an hour. The beer will be pumped down the underground pipeline from the brewery in the city centre to the bottling plant three kilometres out of town. Vanneste's ability to get this approved came as a shock to many, especially considering no private company in history has been allowed to lay cable under the city's cobbled lanes and medieval buildings. Luckily, city officials, including mayor Renaat Landuyt, smartly saw the pipeline as an opportunity to sustain employment while maintaining the city's heritage and sharply reducing the number of beer tankers driving in and out. If the pipeline actually works and stands the test of time, Vanneste will certainly go down in history as a beer legend and a champion forward-thinker. We're already hatching dreams of an Australian-wide network of underground beer pipelines and hope one of our many craft brewers is ready to get behind the idea. If a UNESCO city can get this approved, what's to stop the rest of us? Via The Guardian. Image: Ricardo Samaniego via Flickr.
First, the obvious news: in 2021, Falls Festival won't be unleashing a huge end-of-year music lineup. This'll mark the second year in a row that the event hasn't gone ahead, after skipping its usual December/January slot in the summer of 2020–21 due to the pandemic, too. But, come this time next year, Falls will be gearing up for its big comeback. Festival organisers have announced that Falls will return for the summer of 2022–23, so get circling in your diary now. That said, there'll be a few changes — including skipping its usual Tasmanian leg in Marion Bay, and also moving from Lorne in Victoria as well. Tassie is no longer on the agenda for Falls' next fests, while the Victorian event will move to Pennyroyal Plains in Murroon. The latter is only 30 minutes away from Lorne and less than two hours from Melbourne, handily. "It has been a privilege to operate Falls Festival in such beautiful locations and we're so thankful to the Surf Coast Shire, Sorell Council and supporting stakeholders of Lorne and Marion Bay who have shown Falls Festival such incredible support over the years. We hope that our Lorne and Tassie Falls fam will join us at Pennyroyal Plains," said festival promoters Jessica Ducrou and Paul Piticco in a statement. "Lorne is where Falls Festival started so we want to give a particularly special shout out to the locals there. You have been instrumental in making the festival all that it is today, and we'll always be grateful to the community for their long-time support," the pair continued. Falls spent 27 years in Lorne and 17 in Tasmania. The 2022–23 event will still head to North Byron Parklands in Yelgun and Fremantle Oval in Fremantle — and if you're wondering who'll be on the bill, it's clearly far too early for that kind of news. When Falls was planning to proceed last summer, it was going to champion an all-Australian lineup; however, with the international border situation changing, overseas headliners could be back on the cards. In addition to sitting out the 2020–21 and 2021–22 summers, Falls has had a chaotic few years all round. When it was held in 2019–20, the music festival was impacted by the bushfires, with the Lorne leg cancelled one day in because of extreme and hazardous weather. Falls Festival will return across December 2022–January 2023, taking place at Pennyroyal Plains in Murroon, North Byron Parklands in Yelgun and Fremantle Oval in Fremantle. Further details won't be announced until sometime in 2022 — we'll update you when more information comes to hand.
Whether you're battling a hangover or simply cruising through a lazy morning off work, there's no doubt Sunday brunch is king of all the weekend feeds. And when the kitchen team from Hartsyard is on the pans, you're in professional brunch hands. While the Enmore eatery has long been a favourite for after-dark eats, Hartsyard chefs Niki Waples and Gregory Llewellyn are now flexing their brunch muscles as well, plating up an AM-friendly version of their much-loved, refined American fare. For the occasion, the duo designed a menu with 'lazy Sunday session' written all over it, starring treats like lump crab on steamed buns, hoecakes teamed with salmon roe and crème fraiche, and of course, that famous fried chicken. We're even being promised a brunch-style riff on the beloved Hartsyard poutine, featuring a hangover-worthy combo of fried egg, hot chips, and a beer and cheese sauce. To match, there will be American-style, bottomless filter coffee, though you might fancy turning your brunch into a boozy one, with the help of a few Mimosas, Bellinis, or Bloody Marys. Kick-ons involve $2 oysters and crafty cocktails from 4pm at sister bar, The Gretz. To attend the brunch, all you need to do is book a table, or rock up and hope for the best.
In 2020, due to the pandemic, the Sydney Film Festival completely moved online. This year, after initially shifting from its usual June dates to the end of August, then moving again to November due to Sydney's lengthy lockdown, SFF is back in cinemas for a huge 12 days of big-screen delights — but it's also going virtual afterwards. Meet SFF On Demand, which'll stream 56 feature-length films and 13 shorts from Friday, November 12–Sunday, November 21. Sydneysiders, that means that you can check out the 2021 festival in-person, then continue it on your couch afterwards. Australians elsewhere, you can still get your SFF fix even if you can't get to Sydney this year. Streaming must-sees include New Zealand's The Justice of Bunny King, which stars Essie Davis (Babyteeth) and Thomasin McKenzie (Old) as a mother-daughter duo; three-time Sundance 2021 winner Hive, the first film to ever win the fest's Grand Jury Prize, Audience Award and Directing Award; Never Gonna Snow Again, about an eerie Ukrainian masseur making house calls in Poland; and exceptional Iranian drama There Is No Evil, 2020's Berlinale Golden Bear winner. There's also Swan Song, starring the inimitable Udo Kier (Bacurau); Sydney-set slacker comedy Friends and Strangers; Apples, a Greek satire set in the aftermath of an amnesia pandemic; and thriller The Beta Test. And, you can either pick and mix your flicks separately, or choose bundles — including a heap of this year's Documentary Australia Foundation Award contenders, a package of international docos and movies in SFF's Europe! Voices of Women in Film strand.
Cape Town duo Die Antwoord's new music video 'Cookie Thumper' will probably burn into your longterm memory. Between lead singer Yo-Landi's creepy innocence and a frankly traumatising shock ending, you'll get the gist of the quirky rap-rave band's modus operandi. Known for their unique aesthetic, statement-making videos and catchy beats, photographs from their acclaimed cult YouTube video 'I Fink U Freeky' (2012) by frequent collaborator Roger Ballen are now on display at Stills Gallery. Die Antwoord's older videos like 'Fatty Boom Boom' and 'Enter the Ninja' are super-striking, too, with their cast of freakish faces and the bold primitivist artwork embellishing both walls and clothing. These drawings are by black-and-white photographer Ballen, a native New Yorker working out of South Africa who channels Jean-Michel Basquiat's style (shared more recently by Jody Morlock). Ballen's trademark? Glyph-like symbols scrawled with messy but deliberate lines. In his illustrated world, bird men have vaginas which they fondle, bird women have spurting penises, and totem poles of smiley faces tower next to nonsense slogans. Is it awesome? Yes. The sketches also provide the backdrop to the award-winning 'I Fink U Freeky'. Ballen photographed a series of tableaux vivants during the video shoot, and it's these that you can scope out for the next month at Stills in the form of archival prints. Ballen is no stranger to the distorted features of people populating Die Antwoord's videos; see, for example, his 1993 portrait of Dresie and Casie, twins with incredible Neanderthal faces. The often freakish yet souped-up weirdos in Die Antwoord's videos get across the message 'inbred white trash' loud and clear — which is appropriate since the band self-identifies as 'Zef', a counterculture movement whose name translates roughly as 'common'. In the words of Yo-Landi, Zef means, "You're poor but you're sexy, you've got style." The resulting images are like a cross between a Diane Arbus photograph and the tribal regalia portraits of Maske by Phyllis Galembo, all peppered with the trappings of Zef. They're weird. They're cool. They're what the band call 'documentary fiction'. Favourites include: Shack Scene, Bath Scene and Skelm. Ballen, whose work has hung in MoMA, Centre Georges Pompidou, the Tate and more, embraces Die Antwoord's surrealist project with the passion and weirdness of a true auteur. The music video is also on display at the gallery for your viewing pleasure, and a book is being released this month.
Think there's just one Hottest 100 in January? Think again. The second important countdown of the month actually goes rather well with the music poll that just proclaimed Billie Eilish's 'bad guy' the nation's best track of 2019. In the GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers list, great brews are in the spotlight. And, just like its music counterpart, a worthy victor has come out on top. That'd be Stone & Wood, with the Byron Bay brewery no stranger to the top spot. In fact, it won the 2011, 2015 and 2016 polls — and, with its ascent back up to prime position this year, it bested 2017 and 2018 winner Balter Brewing Company. The label had four beers in the top 100 list in total, which is clearly something to toast to — ideally with the brand's winning 'Pacific Ale' in your glass, obviously. Clearly, plenty of folks did just that throughout 2019. Run by GABS — or the annual brew fest also known as the 'Great Australian Beer SpecTAPular' — the countdown is a people's choice poll decided by booze-lovers around the country. Now in its 12th year, a record 35,500 voters took part this time round. Elsewhere on the list, 18 brews that first wet lips in the past year were included in the GABS Hottest 100, and 79 percent of the beers on the list are made by independently owned breweries. If you're particularly keen on either, GABS have also released rundowns of the Hottest 100 New Craft Beers and the Hottest 100 Indie Craft Beers (those owned independently) plus the next 100 from the main countdown. If you're thinking "less background, more beer", here's what you've been waiting for: the rundown of the best beverages from the past year that just keep tempting tastebuds. Working your way through them isn't just a great way to show your appreciation for locally made brews — consider it research for the 2020 countdown. From Tuesday, January 28, Dan Murphy's will also be selling 24-packs of beers from the list, which are available through its website. GABS HOTTEST 100 AUSSIE CRAFT BEERS OF 2019 Stone & Wood 'Pacific Ale' (Australian pale ale) NSW * Balter 'XPA' (Pale ale) QLD Bentspoke 'Crankshaft' (American IPA) ACT * Young Henrys 'Newtowner' (Australian pale ale) NSW * Your Mates 'Larry' (Australian pale ale) QLD * Bridge Road 'Beechworth Pale Ale' (Australian pale ale) VIC * Feral 'Biggie Juice' (New England IPA) WA Balter 'Hazy' (New England IPA) QLD NEW Kaiju! 'Krush! Tropical Pale Ale' (Pale ale) VIC * Hop Nation 'Jedi Juice' (New England IPA) VIC * Balter 'IPA' (American IPA) QLD Bentspoke 'Barley Griffin' (Australian pale ale) ACT * Burleigh 'Twisted Palm' (Australian pale ale) QLD * Black Hops 'Pale Ale' (Australian pale ale) QLD * Gage Roads 'Single Fin' (Australian pale ale) WA * Coopers 'XPA' (American pale ale) SA * NEW Bentspoke 'Cluster 8' (Imperial IPA) ACT * Capital 'Hang Loose Juice' (New England IPA) ACT * Coopers 'Original Pale Ale; (Australian pale ale) SA * Balter 'Captain Sensible' (American pale ale) QLD Philter 'XPA' (Australian pale ale) NSW * Black Hops 'Hornet' (American IPA) QLD * Stone & Wood 'Cloud Catcher' (Australian pale ale) NSW * 4 Pines 'Pacific Ale' (Australian pale ale) NSW Balter 'Dazy' (Double New England IPA) QLD NEW Balter 'Hazy DC' (New England IPA) QLD NEW 4 Pines 'Pale Ale' (American pale ale) NSW Modus Operandi 'Sonic Prayer IPA' (American IPA) NSW * Colonial 'Pale Ale' (American pale ale) WA/VIC * Bentspoke 'Sprocket' (American IPA) ACT * Capital 'Coast Ale' (California Common) ACT * James Squire 'One Fifty Lashes' (Australian pale ale) NSW Black Hops 'Super Hornet' (Imperial IPA) QLD * Grifter 'Serpents Kiss' (Fruit beer) NSW * Moon Dog 'Old Mate' (American pale ale) VIC * Grifter 'Pale' (Australian pale ale) NSW * Furphy 'Furphy Refreshing Ale' (Kölsch) VIC Colonial 'South West Sour' (Hoppy sour) WA/VIC * Stomping Ground 'Gipps St Pale Ale' (American pale ale) VIC * Your Mates 'Sally' (American IPA) QLD * NEW Coopers 'Session Ale' (Pale ale) SA * Brick Lane 'One Love' (Australian pale ale) VIC * Coopers 'Sparkling Ale' (Australian sparkling ale) SA * Dainton 'Blood Orange Neripa' (New England IPA) VIC * Heads Of Noosa 'Japanese Lager' (Pale lager) QLD * NEW Bondi Brewing 'Beach Beer Bondi' (Australian pale ale) NSW * Ballistic 'Oaked XPA' (Pale ale) QLD * 10 Toes 'Pipeline' (Australian pale ale) QLD * Feral 'Imperial Biggie' (Double New England IPA) WA NEW Balter 'IIPA' (Imperial IPA) QLD Feral 'Hop Hog' (American pale ale) WA 10 Toes 'Happy Days' (American IPA) QLD * Capital 'Rock Hopper IPA' (American IPA) ACT * Little Creatures 'Pale Ale' (American pale ale) WA/VIC Bentspoke 'Red Nut' (Red IPA) ACT * Young Henrys 'Natural Lager; (Kellerbier) NSW * Modus Operandi 'Former Tenant Red IPA' (Red IPA) NSW * Jetty Road 'Pale Ale' (American pale ale) VIC * Mountain Goat 'Goat' (Hoppy lager) VIC Moon Dog 'Splice Of Heaven Pine-Lime' (Milkshake IPA) VIC Big Shed 'Boozy Fruit' (New England IPA) SA * Young Henrys 'Motorcycle Oil' (Porter) NSW * Balter 'Strong Pale Ale' (American pale ale) QLD Colonial 'IPA' (Australian IPA) WA/VIC * Wayward 'Raspberry Berliner Weisse' (Berliner weisse) NSW * Currumbin Valley 'Grape Bubblegum Sour' (Kettle sour) QLD * NEW Capital 'Trail Pale Ale' (American pale ale) ACT * Brick Lane 'Base Lager' (Helles lager) VIC * Stone & Wood 'The Gatherer' (American wheat) NSW * Fixation 'Fixation IPA' (American IPA) VIC * Young Henrys 'IPA' (Australian IPA) NSW * NEW Thirsty Crow 'Vanilla Milk Stout' (Sweet stout) NSW * Bentspoke 'How's It Gosen?' (Gose) ACT * NEW Bridge Road 'Beechy XPA' (Australian pale ale) VIC * 10 Toes 'Lager' (Australian pilsner) QLD * Green Beacon 'Wayfarer' (Pale ale) QLD Bondi Brewing 'Bondi Draught' (Australian pilsner) NSW * NEW Capital Big 'Drop Double IPA' (Imperial IPA) ACT * NEW Your Mates 'Macca' (Helles lager) QLD * NEW Brick Lane 'Red Hoppy Ale' (American amber/red) VIC * NEW Hemingway's '7th Heaven Tropical Ale' (Australian pale ale) QLD * NEW Stone & Wood 'Sticky Nectar' (Milkshake IPA) NSW * Capital 'Evil Eye Red IPA' (Red IPA) ACT * Burleigh 'Bighead' (Pale lager) QLD * Beerfarm 'Asam Boi Gose' (Gose) WA * Black Hops 'Caribbean Haze' (New England IPA) QLD * NEW Hop Nation 'Dreamfeed; (New England IPA) VIC * NEW Nail 'VPA' (Pale Ale) WA * Young Henrys 'Stayer (Mid)' (Hoppy lager) NSW * Moon Dog 'Beer Can' (Hoppy lager) VIC * 4 Pines 'Indian Summer Ale' (American pale ale) NSW Akasha 'Mosaic IPA' (American IPA) NSW * Green Beacon 'Windjammer' (American IPA) QLD Brouhaha 'Strawberry Rhubarb Sour' (Kettle sour) QLD * Akasha 'Korben D. Double IPA' (Imperial IPA) NSW * Mountain Goat 'Summer Ale' (Blonde ale) VIC Bridge Road 'Bling IPA' (American IPA) VIC * Range / Mr Banks / Mr West 'Participation Award' (Double New England IPA) QLD * NEW Your Mates 'Donnie' (Porter) QLD * Batch 'Pash The Magic Dragon' (Kettle sour) NSW* * — Brewed by an independent brewery. NEW — First brewed in 2019. Via Brews News. Top image: The Crafty Pint.
Imagine a world in which, instead of slogging away for an unappreciative boss, you've set your own path and turned your passion into a mighty big paycheck. Jessica Wilson, co-founder and CEO of shopping app STASHD, has done just this. Launching her own business at just 22, Wilson's was nominated for Forbes' 30 Under 30 in 2015 and her million-dollar company has broken into the emerging Chinese market . Our friends at Christie Spaces, a group of dynamic co-working spaces located across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, put us in touch — so we could ask Wilson exactly how to take our side hustles to the big time. If you want to hear more from Wilson, she'll also be holding a series of mini-talks at Christie Spaces, North Sydney about women in the tech space — keep an eye on the website for more info on dates and times. But first up, let's find out how we turn that aforementioned dream world into a reality. [caption id="attachment_678820" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Christie Spaces by Katje Ford[/caption] THE LIGHTBULB MOMENT Any great business venture starts with an idea. Whether it be making Justin Bieber voodoo dolls or launching the next Snapchat, you need a solid foundation to launch from. Wilson says she noticed an opportunity for her startup while working in the fashion industry. 'Before STASHD, I was working throughout Australia, New York and Paris fashion weeks with brands on everything from model castings, model fittings and strategy," says Wilson. "And working so closely with brands gave me an insight into their pain points.' "The idea for the app came from working on seating plans and noticing that digital was largely outgrowing bricks-and-mortar shops, and the knowledge that retailers needed more data from their customers in relation to their products.' From there, the STASHD app was born. Using a Tinder-like swipe mechanism, shoppers are able to connect with brands and items, then save them to a digital wardrobe. TAKE A LEAP OF FAITH To make stacks of pineapples from your side hustle, you have to back yourself from the start. Even if others may not yet see the brilliance in your plan, it's your job to sell the idea — it's no time to be a wallflower. Wilson remembers the early days of getting her business up and running — it was all about the push. "I was blissfully naive when I started STASHD at 22, I had zero tech experience but would simply not take no for an answer. I wouldn't let the feelings of doubt or being hesitant enter my mind, I was on a mission — and I knocked on every door I could and met with everyone who would give me 15 minutes of their time to get the app off the ground," Wilson says. [caption id="attachment_678828" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jessica Wilson by Katje Ford[/caption] PERSISTENCE IS KEY It takes a lot of legwork and even more grit to get a new idea from infancy to reality. Wilson says it's important to throw yourself into the experience and keep persisting. "Don't be afraid to ask stupid questions, everyone starts somewhere and you need to check your ego at the door," Wilson says. After you've done that, the next step is to identify leaders or experts in your field and reach out to them. Wilson says there is a right way and wrong way to go about making the connections you need. "Don't do this via email and LinkedIn, people are busy and unless you impress them from the get-go your email will likely slip down their priority list." Wilson suggests sending "helium balloons tied to a bottle of champagne requesting a 15-minute chat or coffee". Let's face it: everybody loves bubbles and balloons. Once you have an in, demonstrate that you have done your research and come prepared. Then, Wilson says, it's time to "learn and implement". CO-WORKING CONNECTIONS When starting out on the side-hustle-to-main-hustle journey, it's important to have a network of like-minded people around. This is where co-working spaces come in. "The networking with and knowledge of people around you, you cannot buy. Especially when you're just starting and you need to learn, learn, learn," says Wilson. "The community aspect is a positive through every stage of a business. Growing a business is hard, so it's important to have people around you who are also on the entrepreneur path." And, you never know who you might meet at a co-working space. Wilson joined forces with her original business partner after they sat opposite each other. He had the tech smarts to complement her fashion knowledge. Wilson explains that it was a matter of "being in the right place at the right time and taking hold of that opportunity". [caption id="attachment_678811" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Katje Ford[/caption] WOMEN ON TOP Since coming up with the original idea for STASHD, Wilson's company has gone from strength to strength. After pitching her startup on the Chinese equivalent of Shark Tank, The Next Unicorn, she turned her focus to the lucrative and growing millennial market there. As a testament to her achievements, Wilson has garnered many accolades and her success echoes the rise of women in the previously male-dominated tech-startup world. "When I started it was very black and white. People either would mistake me for an intern or think my idea was 'cute'," Wilson says. Over time, this perception has changed and Wilson hopes to help the next generation of female founders to rise to the top. "It's an exciting time for women in tech, there is an incredibly supportive community of us and these women are absolutely incredible." Christie Spaces is located in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. To find your office space and start hustlin' head to christiespaces.com.au.
It's been home to plenty of Australia's best-known acting names — and a heap of Aussie music stars, too — but when the second half of 2022 hits, the country's most famous fictional roadway will no longer be part of the TV landscape. Thirty-seven years after first whisking viewers off to Ramsay Street, long-running soap opera Neighbours is wrapping up. Whether all of its characters will move to Queensland to join its 80s golden couple Scott and Charlene — aka Jason Donovan and Kylie Minogue — is obviously yet to be seen. News of Neighbours' potential demise had been circling for weeks, after its UK network, Channel 5, announced it was dropping the show — leaving the Australian series in need of another British broadcaster, to join its local backer Network Ten, to go on. Sadly for the program's fans, it hasn't been able to find an alternative source of funding, marking the end of the Ramsay Street era. I'll be forever grateful for the experience & the friends I made on @neighbours. We had no idea how big the show would become and how passionately viewers would take it to heart. Pure love! 💞🏡 I can still hear Madge calling … CHARLENE!!!! — Kylie Minogue (@kylieminogue) March 3, 2022 The show will continue to film until June this year, as announced via social media on Thursday, March 3, with its final episodes from its almost 9000-strong run to air sometime afterwards. Exactly when the world will be saying goodbye to Neighbours hasn't yet been revealed — and neither have any possible plans to bring back any high-profile cast members. The list of well-known faces who've graced the series since its 1985 debut is hefty, all playing characters either living in or connected to the show's cul-de-sac in the fictitious Melbourne suburb of Erinsborough. As well as Minogue and Donovan, 80s-era Neighbours boasted a young Guy Pearce and a four-episode stint from Russell Crowe. In the 90s, Natalie Imbruglia got her start there. Margot Robbie and Liam Hemsworth were both regulars in the 00s, and Chris Hemsworth popped up in one 2002 episode before moving over to rival Aussie soap Home and Away. I'm so sorry to hear Neighbours will end. Aside from being the incredible launch pad it's been no one can deny the effect it's had throughout millions of homes around the world. It's bonded all of us in immeasurable ways. A true honour to have been a part of it. Great memories Xx — Guy Pearce (@TheGuyPearce) March 3, 2022 Neighbours' list of celebrity appearances is also sizeable — including The Wiggles, one of the Pet Shop Boys, The Spice Girls' Emma Bunton, The Wombats, Lily Allen, Hanson and pretty much every Aussie celeb who didn't otherwise star in it anyway. Of course, the show's 37 years of twists, amnesia spells, shock returns from the dead, and other Ramsay and Robinson family dramas will live on in our memories — even if, for many of us, Neighbours wasn't an active part of our viewing. Never going anywhere, especially from the part of your brain that knows all the words, is the iconic Neighbours theme tune. That's when good Neighbours songs become good friends, naturally. Neighbours will cease production in June, with its final episodes to air later this year. To watch the series in the interim, head to Network Ten in Australia and TVNZ in New Zealand. Top image: Manon van Os.
Throughout November, the Leonids meteor shower has been soaring through the skies; however, that's not the only reason to look up this weekend. Take a gander at the sky on Friday, November 19 and you'll also see a 97-percent partial lunar eclipse that's expected to turn the mood a shade of red. You won't even need to shake yourself out of your warm bed at a super-early hour to catch a glimpse, either, because the eclipse will be lurking in the sky on Friday evening just as nightfall hits. If you're wondering what else you need to know, we've run through the details below. WHAT IS IT? If you're more familiar with The Mighty Boosh's take on the moon than actual lunar terms, here's the rundown. Unlike May's total lunar eclipse, this one is a 97-percent partial lunar eclipse — so the earth will move between the moon and the sun, but they won't all be completely aligned. Still, when the moon is directly in the earth's actual shadow, it turns a shade of red thanks to sunlight that's filtered and refracted by the earth's atmosphere. For a lunar eclipse to occur, there must be a full moon. Based on North American seasons, the November full moon is called a beaver moon because that's when they start to build their winter dams. WHEN CAN I SEE IT? If you're keen to catch a glimpse, you'll want to peek outside on Friday, November 19. In Sydney, the partial eclipse is due to begin at 7.34pm, reach its maximum at 8.02pm and end at 11.03pm, while in Melbourne, it'll start at 8.09pm, hit its maximum at 8.12pm and still end at 11.03pm — all according to Timeanddate.com. For Brisbanites, it'll kick off at 6.14pm, reach its maximum at 7.02pm and end at 10.03pm. If you're in Adelaide, those key times are 7.59pm, 8.11pm and 10.33pm. In Perth, you'll get a far more limited view from 6.57pm, with the eclipse hitting its maximum at 7pm and ending at 8.03pm. You'll want to have your cameras at the ready, of course — and see if you can outdo previous big batches of supermoon snaps and super blue blood moon pics. WHERE CAN I SEE IT? You can take a gander from your backyard or balcony, but the standard advice regarding looking into the night sky always applies. So, city-dwellers will want to get as far away from light pollution as possible to get the absolute best view. If you can't get a clear vantage, Sydney Observatory will be hosting a livestream with Gomeroi yinarr woman, astrophysicist and STEM leader Karlie Alinta Noon, plus Sydney Observatory astrophysicist Dr Andrew Jacob and Sydney Observatory Astronomy Ambassador Kat Ross, from 6.30pm AEST/7.30pm AEDT. The Virtual Telescope Project will also be live-streaming from the skyline above Rome from 5pm AEST/6pm AEDT. The 97 percent partial lunar eclipse will take place on the evening of Friday, November 19. For further information, including about timing, head to either NASA or Timeanddate.com.
10x10 is a youth- and volunteer-led organisation encouraging the next generation to get involved in philanthropy. How it does this, however, is a little different — it raises money for charities by hosting interactive, live crowdfunding events. And it's next one is happening in Sydney on Wednesday, November 20. The organisation was started four years ago by a group of young people who wanted to make a difference. Since then, it has raised over $2 million for 200 different charities across Australia, UK, Hong Kong and the USA. The events — which are held biannually in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and now Auckland — are broken into three parts. First, you head to 10x10's ticketing website to make a pledge of $100 or more (this amount will be converted into "Charity Dollars" and is also your ticket). Next, you rock up to the event, where three different start-up charities will pitch their causes to the crowd. Finally, you decide what charity you want your pledge, or "Charity Dollars", to go to and bam — a little more goodness is created in the world and a charity nabs some much-needed funds. You'll also have the chance to sip wine, snack on complimentary bites and chat to like-minded, philanthropic folk at the event. So think of it as a fundraiser-meets-cocktail party (without the starched collars and ballgowns). If you feel like charities are more in need of your dollars than you and your avocado toast (they are), get amongst it — you can learn about the pitching charities and make your tax-deductible pledges here. To learn more about the charity, visit 10x10 Philanthropy.
Drum roll please: the Groovin the Moo lineup is here, and 2014 looks like a real crowd-pleaser. The big guns this year include a few topnotch international acts, like electronica king Robert Delong (USA) and Dizzee Rascal (UK), as well as some of our well beloved locals like Karnivool, Illy and Architecture in Helsinki. The Naked and Famous (who we'll probably end up claiming as Australian soon) are making their way across the ditch, too. A fair slab of the artists announced have really proved their worth lately, taking out a number of spots in triple j's Hottest 100 of last year, including the winner of the coveted number one spot, Vance Joy. Rounding out the first announcement are Action Bronson, Andy Bull, Cults, Disclosure, Holy Fuck, The Jezabels, The Jungle Giants, Kingswood, The Kite String Tangle, Loon Lake, Parkway Drive, Peking Duck, The Presets, Thundamentals, Violent Soho, Wave Racer and What So Not. This year marks the move towards something new as well, with the very first Groovin the Moo art exhibition. It's running in conjunction with the Maitland Regional Art Gallery, making a space for images, graphics, objects and a mishmash of multimedia from the Groovin the Moo archives to show off the colourful history of the festival itself. It runs from March 7 to May 25, and entry is free. Over the last couple of years we've seen huge changes on the Australian music festival scene, losing some stalwarts and seeing some youngsters really come to fruition. Since its inception, Groovin the Moo has been one of those festivals that really looks like sticking around, bringing the best in Australian and international talent to the country, to the people who can't get to shows in the big smoke. Tickets are $99.90 and go on sale at 9am on February 4 for Victorians, Queenslanders and Western Australians, and at 9am on February 5 for South Australians, New South Welshpeople and Canberrans. Ticket and more information available at the Groovin the Moo website. Fri 25 April – Oakbank SA (ANZAC Day Public Holiday) Oakbank Racecourse Oakwood Road, Oakbank SA Sat 26 April – Maitland NSW Maitland Showground Blomfield St, Maitland NSW Sun 27 April – Canberra ACT University of Canberra Kirinari St, Bruce ACT Sat 3 May – Bendigo VIC Bendigo's Prince Of Wales Showground 42 – 72 Holmes Rd, Bendigo VIC Sun 4 May – Townsville QLD Murray Sports Complex – Townsville Cricket Grounds Mervyn Crossman Dr & Murray Lyons Cres, Idalia QLD Sat 10 May – Bunbury WA Hay Park (off) Parade Rd Bunbury WA https://youtube.com/watch?v=uJ_1HMAGb4k
We don't care what you say, fries are the main course at Lord of the Fries, and this Thursday, July 13 the vegetarian fast food joint is giving away free serves of 'em. Just get to one of their stores between 1 and 2pm and you'll be gifted with the greatest gift of all: free shoestring fries. You don't even have to purchase any vego nuggets to redeem them. Why is this happening? Well, it's National Fry Day — and whether or not this is an actual holiday, it doesn't really matter because a) we should celebrate fried golden potato sticks every day of the year, and b) it's free. Your free fries won't be naked, either. The Lords are throwing in some complementary sauce — they've got Aussie, American, Indian, French Canadian and Malaysian. You know the drill. The free fries will be available at all Australian stores, which includes Melbourne and Sydney. For a full list of Lord of the Fries locations, check out their website.
Haymarket institution Golden Century has been serving up its famed Cantonese eats for three decades now, and the group has some big plans set for its 30th year in operation. First, it's announced it was opening a new sister restaurant called XOPP in Darling Square's Exchange Building this August. And now, it has suddenly unveiled a huge new wine bar on the top level of its long-standing restaurant. Golden Century Wine Bank features over 1500 drops of wine, a new wine cellar and a dedicated kitchen dishing up all of the restaurant's much-loved dishes. Design firm Paring Onions has looked after the interior, which takes cues from the group's other venue: The Century at The Star. The newly built level — which was previously the building's rooftop — seats an additional 180 people, with the venue now able to fit 650 all up. The space now boasts its own kitchen, plus several lounge areas where you can just drink. [caption id="attachment_725461" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Parker Blain[/caption] Sydney wine guru Jon Osbeiston (Bel & Brio, Ultimo Wine Centre) is leading the extensive wine programme, which features an insane 1000-label-strong wine list, an entire wall of high-end Vintec wine fridges and another 600 rare and vintage bottles down in the restaurant's new wine cellar — where diners can also store their own wines. And if that isn't enough, a larger-than-average list of international whiskies and spirits is also on offer. For eats, the venue's menu of authentic Cantonese dishes will be available upstairs, too, including its live seafood, famed XO pipis and garlic-buttered snow crab on egg noodles. Choose from a la carte or go all-in with the banquet menus, which range from $128–188. All to be enjoyed with a glass of wine in-hand, of course. Golden Century Wine Bank is now open at 393–399 Sussex Street, Sydney. It's open daily from noon–4am. Image of Billy, Linda and Eric Wong by Parker Blain.
If you'd said five years ago that Matthew McConaughey was one of the finest actors of his generation, you'd have been a laughing stock. As it turns out, you'd also have been right. After spending most of last decade taking his shirt off in rom-coms and exhibiting poor equilibrium in film posters, the Texan has undergone a total reinvention in recent times, stringing together a series of scene-stealing supporting turns in films like Killer Joe, Magic Mike and The Wolf of Wall Street, along with more serious dramatic performances in Mud and HBO's True Detective. His role in Dallas Buyers Club, however, is his most transformative yet. With Christian Bale-like commitment, the actor is down to skin and bones as Ron Woodroof, a real-life AIDS patient who, at a time when the legally permitted treatments were proving totally ineffectual, ruffled the feathers of the Federal Drug Administration by smuggling unapproved medicines in through Mexico. Even more emaciated than McConaughey is Jared Leto, nigh unrecognisable as an AIDS-suffering transgender woman named Rayon. Together, she and Woodroof thumb their noses at the medical bureaucracy by forming the 'Dallas Buyers Club', providing patients with imported drugs in return for a $400 monthly fee. Even discounting their weight loss, both actors are in phenomenal form. McConaughey brings a rough-around-the-edges humanity to his character, an outlandish, hustling, often flat-out unlikable man, whose gradual transition from homophobic swindler to altruist is handled with a refreshing degree of nuance. Leto, meanwhile, disappears completely into his part, creating a kind, funny, heartbreaking character whose unlikely friendship with Woodroof gives the movie its beating heart. French-Canadian director Jean-Marc Vallée does excellent work behind the camera, adopting a considerably less flashy approach than he used in his earlier films Café de Flore and C.R.A.Z.Y., while nonetheless crafting a subtly distinctive aesthetic. Screenwriters Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack likewise deserve credit for avoiding false sentiment and typical biopic cliches. Where Dallas Buyers Club runs into trouble is in its relationship with real life. Many have disputed the film's claim that the FDA approved drug AZT was poisonous, while also questioning the effectiveness of Woodroof's unregulated alternatives. Others have accused the filmmakers of distorting the history and spirit of AIDS activism by sidelining gay characters in favour of a heterosexual protagonist. Like any movie claiming to be based on real life, viewers would be wise to engage in some post-film research, to separate facts from fiction. At the same time, Dallas Buyers Club also deserves credit for being the first Hollywood film with significant LGBTQ themes since Brokeback Mountain in 2005, and the first significant AIDS film since Philadelphia in 1993. As problematic as the movie's approach may sometimes be, it cannot be worse than not addressing these subjects at all. Nor can it detract from the strength of Vallée's direction, nor the sensational work of his actors. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ety5kOjlXoU
UPDATE, Thursday, February 27, 2025: Drake was also scheduled to play Sydney on Friday, March 7, but that gig has been postponed to a yet-to-be-confirmed future date. Here's the headlines: Drake is coming to Australia in 2025; it's his first trip this way since 2017; and you're now going to have 'Hotline Bling', 'Too Good', 'Passionfruit', 'Nice for What', 'In My Feelings', 'One Dance' and 'Laugh Now Cry Later' stuck in your head again. The Canadian artist is bringing his Anita Max Win tour Down Under, including to Sydney in February and March. The five-time Grammy-winner is hitting the Harbour City for four shows. Drake will play Qudos Bank Arena on Sunday, February 16–Monday, February 17, then on Wednesday, February 19–Thursday, February 20. The Degrassi: The Next Generation star last took to the stage in this neck of the woods on his Boy Meets World tour, which means that eight years have passed between those gigs and his 2025 visit. The platinum-selling singer is fresh off his 2023–24 It's All A Blur Tour, which saw him chalk up over 80 soldout shows in North America. On that prior trip, Drake had four studio albums to his name: 2010's Thank Me Later, 2011's Take Care, 2013's Nothing Was the Same and 2016's Views. He's doubled that since, so expect tunes from 2018's Scorpion, 2021's Certified Lover Boy, 2022's Honestly, Nevermind and 2023's For All the Dogs, too. Images: The Come Up Show via Flickr.
When you've played your hardest and your team has scored a win, the last thing you want to do is go home and sleep. You need to take all that positive energy from the field to the pub. There's no question, beer tastes better when you've earned it. To celebrate the triumph the right way you'll need to decide on a spot for celebratory kick ons before kick off. As Louis Pasteur said: "Fortune favours a prepared mind." To give you a helping hand, we've teamed up with Heineken to find Sydney's prime spots for post-match shenanigans. Wherever you live in this mighty metropolis, there's a bar awaiting you — with friendly vibes (even among the defeated) and, more importantly, ice-cold Heineken 3s. Go forth, victors, and celebrate rightfully.
"The punchline is true about me...I did the dumb thing. But I did a lot of other things too." So says Anthony Weiner at the beginning of the documentary that bears his name. His statement is both an admission and a reminder, as presented with a level of candour that mightn't be expected from a former New York congressman. Of course, Weiner isn't any old politician ,and there's a reason that everyone knows who he is. You saw the scandals play out, giggling about someone with his particular surname getting caught texting dick pics. Now we get to see his side of the story. Indeed, we already know why filmmakers Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg were keen to peer beyond the international headlines and discover the man behind the very public mockery. What isn't always clear is just why Weiner himself agreed to be involved. Why did he agree to subject himself to a warts-and-all look at his notorious indiscretions and their impact upon his career and marriage. And why did he agree to give the film crew such extraordinarily intimate access? That's the first of many questions that springs from this astute and insightful film, and most of them don't have easy or obvious answers. In fact, when Kriegman is heard interrogating his subject about why he was allowed to chronicle the minutiae of his life, Weiner doesn't really have a response, other than later stating his desire to be seen as more than just a punchline. His loyal wife Huma Abedin, an advisor to Hillary Clinton, and an increasingly distressed figure in the feature, doesn't know what to say either. Still, as the tabloids, news reports and late-night comedians prove relentless in dissecting her decision to stand by her husband, her deteriorating facade speaks volumes. By honing in on Weiner's comeback mayoral bid, which is soon derailed when another explosive revelation rears its head, the documentary does a great many things. It acts as an all-too-familiar twist on the American dream, contemplating not just the path to success, but trying again after falling so far. It examines the difficulty of living a life of incessant scrutiny while trying to put your past behaviour behind you. It offers disarming images of a man watching his world fall down around him yet again. It points the finger at the way the media treats those in their orbit. And it provides an utterly fascinating look at the real inner-workings of a political campaign. Here, the truth is absolutely stranger than fiction — and more compelling, too. Kriegman and Steinberg present rather than judge, and flesh out rather than assume. The end result is patient and observational as it follows Weiner on the campaign trail, yet remains infused with the urgency of his rollercoaster existence. Whatever your thoughts on the man, we're guessing they won't be the same when the end credits roll.
Dust off your sombreros, amigos. The latest international excuse for a good time to reach our shores is Cinco de Mayo — a celebration of all things Mexican (which, if we’re being nit-picky, is really more of an Americanisation than anything but shh, let us party). In celebration, the folks at Corona and Beach Burrito Company Bondi are putting together a fiesta, complete with face painting by local street artists and the first ever Taco Time Trials Eating Contest. For the less competitively inclined but equally taco-happy, Cinco de Mayo falls conveniently on a Tuesday, and Beach Burrito Co’s regular $3 taco deal applies, so your pesos’ll stretch further. With what you’ve got left, you can sip salt-rimmed margaritas, down trays of tequila shots (not recommended) or share a bucket of ice-cold Coronas. And, of course, come prepared to smash and whack your way to glory, because they wouldn’t be doing Mexico right without pinatas.
As if Kendrick Lamar shows weren't already hard enough to nab tickets to, it's just been announced that the West Coast king will play an uber-exclusive/downright splurge-worthy show in the Bermuda Triangle. Performing this Halloween alongside Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding, Kendrick will take the stage in the spookiest place on earth as part of a three-day festival sponsored by Bacardi. Here's hoping he makes it back alive. Unless you're an heiress, Bruce Wayne or Tony Stark, The Bacardi Triangle festival is pretty completely unlike any festival you've ever been to. From October 30–November 2, 1862 guests will descend on the Caribbean via private chartered jet from London, New York and Los Angeles. And it's safe to say they won't be roughing it with a broken tent and goon bag. Festival patrons will be put up at the five-star Waldorf Astoria El Conquistador, treated to intimate poolside performances and then taken to a private island via boat for the main show. Usually we wouldn't even tell you about this kind of stuff. It just makes people feel bad. Who wants to hear about luxurious world-class performances on a private island while they're bunkered over a pint of draught watching young screamo kids at the local bandroom? It's cruel. But this time around, Bacardi Triangle are offering up free tickets. Bacardi are giving away all-expense paid trips and plane tickets to 12 Australian island-less peasants. The price of everything adds up to over $20,000 and the value of the stories you'll have is absolutely priceless. Just head along to their website, tell them in 25 words or less what the weirdest place you've ever partied is and you'll be in the running. Sure, the possibility of winning is sure to be smaller than the actual lottery, but you have nothing to lose and a literal boatload of free Bacardi and epic Kendrick times to gain. The full lineup is yet to be released, but rumour has that it will feature an Aussie electronic act. We'd tell you to keep your eyes peeled for further details, but if you're still reading this you've missed the point entirely. Kendrick Lamar. Bermuda Triangle. Private jets. Actual swimming pools full of liquor. Enter here. https://youtube.com/watch?v=B5YNiCfWC3A
If you're looking for your latest glimpse of the next Star Wars movie, there's no need to travel to a galaxy far, far away, because the full final trailer has just dropped in this one. Two months before the main franchise's ninth episode (and 11th theatrical flick overall) hits cinemas, Disney has delivered its last sneak peek of Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker — as well as reiterating the claim that this flick will end the whole Skywalker saga. Don't worry — more Star Wars movies are definitely in the works, courtesy of two big-screen spinoff trilogies by Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi helmer Rian Johnson and Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, respectively. Just next month, new TV series The Mandalorian will start screening on Disney's new streaming platform as well. An Obi-Wan Kenobi-focused television show is also in development, with Ewan McGregor returning as the beloved Jedi master. And, even if The Rise of Skywalker wants to tell us otherwise for now, we have a good feeling that we won't see the last of all of the other Star Wars characters that everyone already knows and loves. Given The Rise of Skywalker's title, the way that The Last Jedi wrapped up and the theories that have been swirling around Daisy Ridley's Rey since she was first introduced in Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens, it should come as no surprise that the scavenger-turned-pilot takes centre stage in the new trailer — as she did in the first teaser earlier this year. Also popping up are Oscar Isaac's Poe Dameron and John Boyega's ex-stormtrooper Finn, helping out the film's plucky heroine once more; Adam Driver's Kylo Ren, wielding his red lightsaber for the dark side yet again; and long-standing series favourites Chewbacca, R2-D2 and C-3PO, of course. The late Carrie Fisher features as well, with the actor's appearance as General Leia Organa made possible by using previously filmed footage. And two other familiar characters also rejoin the fold, including Billy Dee Williams' Lando Calrissian and a sinister figure who's once again heard rather than seen. The huge cast list keeps going, with Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran and Lupita Nyong'o all returning, Mark Hamill also included, and Richard E. Grant, Keri Russell and Naomi Ackie among the Star Wars newcomers. As he did with The Force Awakens, JJ Abrams also sits in the director's chair. Feel the force with the full final trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Qn_spdM5Zg Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker releases in Australian cinemas on December 19. Images: (c) 2019 and TM Lucasfilm Ltd.
Sydney has no shortage of edible subscription services. You can have many interesting boxes and hampers of cheese, wine and charcuterie delivered straight to your door. But now it's adding a novel new subscription service to its repertoire: pies. Oh My Pie is offering pie-loving Sydneysiders the chance to try four different savoury pies every month. And it's promising some pretty wacky flavours, too. While there will be your standard meat pies, there will also be variations such as butter chicken pie, cheese and bacon pie and even spaghetti bolognese pie (yum?). If you're a traditionalist, this may not be for you. But if you dabble in pie experimentation, it could be right up your alley. It's also pretty affordable, the four pies — which are delivered on the last Sunday of each month — will set you back $39.95. They're 12cm-wide and are freshly made, but arrive frozen (with cooking instructions, we don't recommend eating them like that), And you're not locked into a membership, either — you can pause or cancel whenever you like. You can also send the subscription as a gift, for those hard-to-buy friends who you've already signed up to five different magazine subscriptions.
If we can glean any positive takeaways from 2020, one of them has been our renewed appreciation for a casual get-together with friends. While nothing replaces the joy of hitting up your local for a few cold ones with your mates, the benefits of staying home include having the time to play games, the freedom to listen to your own music and the chance to show off the cooking skills you perfected during lockdown. To help you make the most of barbecue season, we've partnered with Jim Beam to bring you a guide to flexing your hosting skills around the grill this summer. [caption id="attachment_786631" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Erik Mclean[/caption] SWAP SAUSAGE SIZZLE FOR GOURMET SANGAS Snags are easy, which is precisely why you're going to give them a miss this time around. When you want to level up your grilled feast, swap out the sausages for a platter of steak sandwiches topped with caramelised onions and gruyere (for when you're really flexing). Pick up a ciabatta loaf, flank steak or bavette, and a few large onions, red wine vinegar and brown sugar to make the caramelised onions. You can caramelise the onions ahead of time, and warm up the ciabatta just before serving time. For those who'd like a little helping hand, Jamie Oliver has a good steak sandwich recipe, as does Gourmet Traveller. It's your turn to play MasterChef contestant, so get creative, and if you've got fussy eaters, present each ingredient individually at a serving station so that everyone feels part of the process. [caption id="attachment_786453" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cassandra Hannagan[/caption] SWAP CHIPS AND DIP FOR PIMPED-UP POTATOES Leave the corn chips on the supermarket shelf. Instead, pick up some chats, corn on the cob and prosciutto and create bowls of potato salad fancy enough to match your gourmet steak sandwiches. First, bring a pot of potatoes to the boil and cook until they're soft but still retain their shape. Leave to cool and slice into halves or quarters. Bring a pan to high heat and crisp up chunks of prosciutto until crispy. Now, make up some spiked sour cream (silken tofu, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, chilli powder and cayenne pepper) and add it to the cooled potatoes along with strips of prosciutto and a pinch of smoked paprika. To add to the feast, grill corn on the cob and leave part of the husks intact for hands-on snacking. [caption id="attachment_786622" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Steven Woodburn[/caption] SWAP FRIDGE BEERS FOR PREMIXERS OR COCKTAILS Your mates aren't going to turn up at your house empty handed, and we bet they'll bring a couple of beers along as usual. So, as you're the host, make sure you have a slab of something else to change up the booze options. We suggest picking up cans of Jim Beam and Cola, a premixed drink of Jim Beam's famed American bourbon and cola that pairs well with barbecued meat flavours. Keep the cans on ice, chilled and ready for your guests to drink from the can or to serve themselves over ice in a glass. If you like to add a little something extra, prep some wedges of lime for a citrusy addition to the premixed drinks. Or, if you have a bottle of Jim Beam in your drinks cabinet, make up a quick cocktail with 15ml of lemon cordial and 30ml of bourbon in a highball glass. Fill the glass with ice and top up with soda and a wedge of lemon. [caption id="attachment_762521" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Eric Nopanen[/caption] SWAP ARVO FOR SUNSET It can be hard to pin people down for a date if your event runs all through the day and into the night. So, make things easier for everyone by hosting yours after the peak sunshine hours when everyone can relax into their evenings and enjoy dinner together. If you have epic views from your abode, make the most of golden hour and take lots of photos just before the sun sets (trust us, you'll look amazing). And, when the sun has gone down, have lots of atmospheric lighting ready to go — think vintage festoon lighting, or a lit fire pit if you have one. Need inspiration? The Party People has clear, colourful, disco ball-shaped and festive lights for sale with delivery available across Australia. [caption id="attachment_787327" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cottonbro[/caption] SWAP TABLES AND CHAIRS FOR PICNIC RUGS Use the best of what you already have to your advantage. Got a picnic rug? Camping chairs? Cushions? You can make a cosy and super casual chill out area in your backyard, no matter how much space you have. Your mates will love your creativity, and it'll create an environment where everyone feels relaxed and able to kick off their shoes without feeling trapped at a dining table. Go one better and gather all your pot plants from around the house and bring your green friends to the party, too. It'll create a mini oasis where you might otherwise have had a lifeless concrete patio. Looking to add to your indoor jungle? The Plant People delivers low-maintenance plants across Australia. Or see our lists of the best places to buy new plants in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane. Top image: Cassandra Hannagan
"Sixteen-year-old Billie's reluctant path to independence is accelerated when her mother reveals plans for gender transition and their time together becomes limited to Tuesday afternoons." So reads the synopsis for 52 Tuesdays, the striking debut feature from Adelaide-based filmmaker Sophie Hyde. A nuanced exploration of issues surrounding youth, gender, sexuality and family, the film is also remarkable for its unique method of production: shot chronologically, one scene every Tuesday, for the course of an entire year. Hyde and lead actor Tilda Cobham-Hervey have since seen their little indie scoop up awards at Sundance, Berlin and the Melbourne Queer Film Festival. It hits cinemas in Australia on May 1. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Y5WcMzEYRGU STANDING OUT FROM THE CROWD "The rules came first," recalls Hyde. "In film now, there has to be something that helps you stand out, especially if you're coming at it from a low budget, and you're unknown …the truth though is that we're always interested in different ways of making something …and that's something I'd take into anything. Let's not do something because it's always been done. Let's do something because it feels right." "You can't hide the messiness of a year," chimes in Cobham-Hervey. "You're always going to have a pimple, or you've just had a fight with Mum, and you actually can't stop the real world from coming into the film, which I think inevitably drenched it in a reality and authenticity." BECOMING BILLIE With a background in theatre and circus, Cobham-Hervey's role as Billie marked her first time in front of the camera. "It didn't feel like a huge commitment at the beginning," says the fledgling actress, who was in year 11 when shooting began. "Then suddenly halfway through we all had that realisation that this is really massive!" "I felt very different before it started to what I did at the end," she continues. "It was that interesting thing of initially not feeling very much like the character, and then reaching that point in the middle where those lines were really blurred … I don't know what I'd be without it." QUESTIONS OF GENDER As impressive as Cobham-Hervey's performance is, equally memorable is the work of Del Herbert-Jane as Billie's mother. "Del identifies as gender non-conforming", explains Hyde. "Whereas the character is a transgender man and wants to be seen as a man. So they're really different. But I think there is an experience in Del, in feeling different from how people treat you, which is something that's hard to understand if you don't experience that." "It's one of the great things that I feel like I learnt making the film", Hyde continues, "realising that every single person I meet treats me as my gender, and I treat them as their gender, and we just make this assumption immediately. If you try and take gender out of a sentence, you have to change like thirty words." "I found it hard in the film," agrees Cobham-Hervey, "saying in the same sentence, 'Mum' and 'he'. That's really hard to do in your brain." GETTING PEOPLE TALKING Despite the film's festival pedigree, local success is by no means a guarantee. "It's a story about family. It's a story about queer issues. It's about young people. And it's got a very arthouse vibe. Those are really quite different audiences," muses Hyde. "People, when they've seen it, respond in a really personal way. But whether we can get to all of those people, I don't know. "The truth is Australian films don't attract huge audiences at the cinemas … most films that we see now have marketing budgets three times their film budget, and their film budgets are hundreds of times ours." Nevertheless, the director hopes people will go to the effort to see the film in a theatre. "[In Berlin] we were playing in a young person's strand, and talked to loads of teenagers, which was amazing," says Hyde. "These sorts of films are great to see with a cinema audience, where you might actually have a conversation afterwards." 52 Tuesdays is in cinemas on Thursday, May 1. You can read our full review of the movie here.
Following his Queer, Blak & Here Series and Blak Superheros where he created a team of First Nations superheroes, artist Dylan Mooney returns for Sydney WorldPride with his latest exhibition. For Still here and thriving, Mooney is unveiling a series of large-format portraits focusing on LGBTQIA+ identity and love which will be on display at the N.Smith Gallery in Paddington. This series explores Mooney's personal experience as a proud queer Indigenous man. Each portrait is intimate and inviting, showing the subjects in warm embraces and adorned in native Australian flora, pride flags and poignant words or phrases. Each painting also contains an intrinsic link to Yuwi Country (the Mackay region in Queensland), with the skin of the figures painted in ochre from the area. "I feel honoured to be given the platform to share my work with Sydney WorldPride," said Mooney. "My work focuses on authentic representations of the queer Indigenous community, representing connection to Country and our love for each other. It means a great deal that those often under-represented can stand proudly and defiantly sharing tender moments." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sydney WorldPride 2023 (@sydneyworldpride) As part of a commission especially for WorldPride, Mooney's portraits will come to life on an even bigger scale, transforming Darlinghurst's Top of the Town building with one of the pieces from the exhibition. Top image: Dylan Mooney, Timeless Growth, 2023, digital illustration with Yuwi ochre and ink, 84.1 x 59.4 cm, edition of 10 + 2 AP, Courtesy of the artist and the N.Smith Gallery, Sydney
Intelligent machines that interact with humans have long been a sci-fi staple in books, cartoons and film. Whether the future will hold the doe-eyed Haley Joel Osment of Artificial Intelligence or the all-destroying Terminator is still the stuff of fiction, but the fact is thinking machines are already among us, watching us, and telling us what to drink. Japanese beverage company JR East Water Business Co. have created the ultimate in customer service with the Acure vending machine. This oversized box can be found on train platforms in Shinagawa and Tokyo. It boasts a 47-inch touch screen and a camera that uses inbuilt technology to detect sensory data, including the age and sex of the individual standing before it. When the hi-tech device is idle it engages in its 'intelligent marketing system' whereby advertisements relevant to the season, weather and time of day are displayed. If it’s a cold winter’s eve you can expect a nice warm cup of cocoa tempting you on its LCD. While it offers demographically targeted drink selections it also collects marketing data, which is stored and then collated by the company. Launching their first Acure vending machine in August 2010, they already know the most frequent users of the device are men in their 30s and that an inordinate number of juices are bought by them at night. [Via Hypebeast]
