As a generation, we've watched the internet emerge from its fledgling beginnings to its modern state, where nearly a third of Earth's population is logged on. In mere decades, the internet has gone from nonexistent to a necessity. We are a population obsessed. And then came Facebook. The ever-expanding social network debuted in 2004, turning us all into Facebook-stalkers and using up any free time we had left. It's hard to remember the internet before Facebook, let alone any of the computer technology of yesteryear. Squirrel Monkey's video tutorial, which imagines Facebook if it had been designed in the 1990s, will bring you right back to the horrendous colour graphics and primitive Windows versions of the technology's start. The video, a humourous how-to, takes a new user through the nuances of "the Facebook". The concept of Facebook, set against the simplistic '90s graphics, suddenly seems very ridiculous. And perhaps that is just the point. The subsequent videos, which imagine Twitter in the '80s and Draw Something as an old PC game, similarly put social media into perspective, reminding us not to take our status updates and tweets all too seriously. https://youtube.com/watch?v=xrYRH3PYYT0 [via Flavorwire]
You have to hear Noisy Jelly to believe it. This science project-esque game, imagined by Raphaël Pluvinage and Marianne Cauvard, allows you to create your own musical instrument out of jelly. Using water, agar agar powder and a set series of molds (contained in Noisy Jelly's mini chemistry lab) players can create their own set of jellies. The jellies are then placed on the included game board, where they may be touched and manipulated to create sound. If you don't quite get the jelly-to-music correlation either, Noisy Jelly includes a scientific diagram to explain what is actually happening. The game board functions as a capacitative sensor, and the final sound it produces all depends upon the shape and salt concentration of the jelly. The distance and strength of the finger-to-jelly contact can create different sounds, as well.
Sydney Harbour's Pullman Quay Grand is set to open a new addition next week — and it looks tremendously luxe. Located within the Circular Quay hotel, Hacienda will be a brand new "vista bar", taking inspiration from Cuba's grandiose, plantation-style architecture and the vintage hotels of 1950's Miami. They're positioning the venue as a "botanical oasis" — and for good reason. Think luxurious, pastel lounge furniture and lush garden trestles, all surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows which showcase panoramic views of the city and Sydney Harbour, which can be drawn open to create a terrace-like feel. Applejack Hospitality have teamed up with AccorHotels to pull off this stylish throw-back of a space. If their past work — and the artist impressions of what the space will look like — is any indication (Bondi Hardware, The Butler, Della Hyde), Sydneysiders will be in for quite the treat. The drink menus will mimic the venue design by using Cuban flavours and they'll be slinging cocktails which include classic ingredients like banana, guava and custard apple. The Tropical Sour – banana-infused Encanto pisco, Tío Pepe sherry, lime and honey — sounds especially tasty, as is the Old Smoked Presidente: a concoction of aged rum, orange curacao, dry vermouth, house-spiced raspberry syrup and Angostura bitters. The bar also has an impressive stock of rum and American whiskey for those looking for something neat. The food offering, curated by Executive Chef Stefan Brademann, will complement the drinks and have a Cuban-American flare. Fusion dishes like the yuka fries, buttermilk fried chicken and a pork neck mojo will sit on the menu alongside a Cubano-Reuben hybrid and burgers galore. The menu will be balanced between bar snacks and more substantial dishes to accommodate for anything from nibbling patrons to hangry ones. This little slice of Cuban culture may play to cliches but we're not fussed — especially considering the iconic views that come with it. Hacienda will open on Monday, July 18 inside Pullman Quay Grand, 61 Macquarie St, Sydney Harbour. For more information, visit their website.
Dates can certainly be taken up a notch if you pull a few notes from your piggy bank and put some thought into planning. Fortune, after all, favours a prepared mind. From stargazing in a private inflatable bubble to spending the afternoon wrapped in warm Dead Sea mud — there are myriad ways you can elevate your date and make it extra special. Unfortunately, money doesn't grow on trees, so it's important to be mindful when splashing that cash and to spend wisely. The good news is, you can treat your special someone to a top-notch night out and still keep that piggy bank nice and fat. To help bring those dream date ideas to fruition, we've pulled together some epic money-can-buy date experiences, while our mates at CommBank have the money tips to help you live money smart when dating or coupled up. Celebrate more big (or little) life moments together. Learn to budget as a couple and save for those special dates with these helpful tips from CommBank. [caption id="attachment_511977" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Nikki To.[/caption] CREATE YOUR OWN GIN AT ARCHIE ROSE Heading out for a drink is always a great date idea, but why not go one better and make the tipple yourself at an Archie Rose Blend Your Own Gin class. Held onsite at the Rosebery distillery, the session starts with a signature dry G&T followed by an introduction to the juniper-spiked spirit and a rundown of how they make it at Archie Rose. You'll then get the opportunity to blend two gins yourself (200ml each) using a selection of botanical distillates, with options like rose petals, local honey, fresh pear, native blood lime, river mint and more. Classes run every Monday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday at $115 per person. SPLASH OUT ON A DINNER AT THE AQUARIUM The aquarium is a pretty romantic spot in itself, presenting you with the chance to recreate your best Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet moment. Add in the option of a private dinner among the fish, and you have yourself a pretty hard date to beat. The experience kicks off with a self-guided tour of the aquarium after all the school kids have shuffled on, followed by dinner for two with unlimited drinks served on crisp white linen. And for scenery? Enjoy playful dugongs, vibrant clownfish and blue tang, circling sharks and smiling stingray. The menu includes a main each and dessert platter to share, with options like the pasture-fed Cape Byron scotch fillet with cafe de paris butter, Borrowdale crumbed pork cutlet and a blue swimmer crab linguine (not from the tanks). The experience is priced at $550 per couple. TRY THE WHITE CORAL AT QUAY Nothing builds trust in a relationship quite like sharing a dessert, balancing scoops and bites to ensure everything is equal. While many Sydney dates conclude with a cup of Messina's salted caramel gelato (each — no splitting here), if you're looking to step it up a notch, you can't get any more impressive than the new White Coral dessert at Quay. Sculpted in the shape of a porous sea sponge, the jaw-dropping dessert is made from white chocolate ganache that's been aerated under vacuum then snap frozen with liquid nitrogen. Crack open its shell to reveal refreshing feijoa ice cream and a soft, luscious coconut cream. To get to the dessert, you'll need to plough through nine other courses first — so by the time you get there, you won't mind sharing — which brings the bill up to $550 per couple, without drinks. SPEND THE DAY AT SOL SPA Replace your daggy dressing gowns with plush white robes for a full day of pampering at the new Sol Spa Vaucluse. Draped in millennial pink with white cane daybeds, lush potted figs and a whiff of lemongrass in the air, the elegant Sol Spa promises a date that won't leave you knackered by the end of it, in fact, quite the contrary. Surrender yourself to warm, oiled hands for five hours of pummelling, polishing and primping. As part of the Ultimate Sol Spa Signature Package, you'll enjoy a Himalayan salt scrub, warm Dead Sea mud treatment, nourishing body souffle cream, an organic facial and a hand and foot treatment. By the end of it, you and your love will definitely be feeling the warm and fuzzies. STARGAZE FROM YOUR OWN PRIVATE BUBBLETENT Nestled within world-heritage listed wilderness, this inflatable bubbletent takes your bedroom ceiling and replaces it with a starry night sky. Not your usual A-frame camping experience, here, you'll be able to lie down on a plush queen-size bed and marvel at the magnificent sandstone cliffs and chasms below in Capertee Valley, the world's second largest canyon. The bubbletent comes with a host of romantic features, including a telescope for comet spotting, a swing, fire pit and outdoor wood-fired bath, with cheese and wine included. Choose from one of three tents, with prices ranging from $340 to $660 per night. If a splashy date just isn't on the cards, not to worry. Enter our comp and let us pick up the bill instead. Top image: Nikki To.
Your phone doesn't always need to be glued to your hand, but that's often easier said than done. Your nights out don't need photographic evidence to prove that they occurred, but that's also rarely the case anymore. This Never Happened is rallying against that status quo, however, via the Lane 8's record label's dance parties. The distraction-free This Never Happens Presents gigs first arrived in Australia in 2023 — and in 2025, they're returning for more evenings of shenanigans without phones and cameras. Pics or it didn't happen? Not here. You won't have a screen in your hand — or face. You won't be swiping, texting or doing anything else with the gadget that we're all addicted to, either. Attendees will have their phones taped upon arrival, because these dance music get-togethers are all about connecting IRL and in the moment. French house producer Massane and Dublin-based DJ EMBRZ are headlining the two parties, with support from Samantha Loveridge — following in the footsteps of Le Youth, Sultan & Shepard and PARIS in 2023. Whatever their sets bring, you'll just have to rely upon your noggin to remember all of the highlights afterwards. [caption id="attachment_979217" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Megan Burch[/caption] This Never Happens Presents' 2025 shindigs will hit Sydney's Liberty Hall on Saturday, January 18, complete with Massane and Embrz making their Australian debuts. When it last made the trip Down Under, This Never Happened held its first shows in this part of the world, after launching in 2016, signing artists who've toured with producer and DJ Lane 8, and initially hosting parties in 2017 and 2019 elsewhere around the globe. Clearly, its Aussie visit was a hit, hence the return tour. Top image: Megan Burch.
2023 was the year of the Matildas. Here's hoping that 2024 will be as well. Australia's national women's soccer team made history on the pitch and on TV screens at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, and inspired the word 'Matilda' to be chosen as the Australian National Dictionary Centre's 2023 Word of the Year. The squad's current aim: making it to this year's Paris Olympics, with two matches standing between them and playing at the games. The Tillies competed in three qualifiers in Perth in October and November 2023, winning all three. The next step is a two-match fixture against Uzbekistan, which will determine whether the Aussies score one of the Asian Football Confederation's two places in Paris. First up, on Saturday, February 24, the Steph Catley-led squad will play at Bunyodkor Stadium in Tashkent. Then, they're coming home to take to the pitch at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne on Wednesday, February 28. If you'll be in Melbourne on the second date and you don't already have tickets, you've missed your chance to head along live. But, as always, 10Play and Paramount+ are your destinations — plus Network 10 on regular TV — to watch from home. As for the squad, Sam Kerr won't be playing after injuring her ACL at a training camp for Women's Super League team Chelsea, which is why Catley will wear the captain's armband. Familiar names abound from there, including Mackenzie Arnold, Mary Fowler, Alanna Kennedy, Ellie Carpenter, Caitlin Foord, Kyra Cooney-Cross, Katrina Gorry, Hayley Raso, Emily van Egmond and Tameka Yallop. Cortnee Vine will sit out the games for personal reasons, while Michelle Heyman rejoins the squad for the first time in six years. The Matildas are hoping not only to get through to the Olympics, but to best the 2020 games' fourth placing, which is the team's best result yet. In the qualifiers, Japan will play North Korea in two matches on the same February dates, with the winner securing the other Asian Football Confederation spot. Whatever happens against Uzbekistan, the Tillies will hit the turf again in April, thanks to a friendly against Mexico in San Antonio in the US. Matildas Final Paris Olympics Qualifying Matches vs Uzbekistan: Saturday, February 24 — kickoff at 8pm AEDT / 7pm AEST / 5pm AWST Wednesday, February 28 — kickoff at 8pm AEDT / 7pm AEST / 5pm AWST The Matildas' final Olympic qualifiers take place on Saturday, February 24 and Wednesday, February 28 — and you can watch via 10Play and Paramount+. Images: Tiff Williams.
The Sydney rock oyster is one of the finest down under — some might even say in the world. It's creamy, briny, sweet and this August, it's taking centre stage at the Western Sydney Oyster Festival in the heart of Rooty Hills. Over 250,000 NSW-grown Sydney rock oysters have travelled from the coastline to West HQ, where they'll star in specials across the precinct's top dining venues. From Sunday to Thursday, score a tray of 13 natural Sydney rock oysters for just $18 around West HQ. Each restaurant is dressing the iconic bivalve up with a signature touch: red wine vinegar dressing at Steak & Oyster Co by Sean Connolly, soy ponzu sauce at CHU Restaurant by China Doll, an Italian vinaigrette at Pizzaperta Manfredi, and a chilli and lime dressing at New Town Thai. [caption id="attachment_1017903" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image supplied[/caption] The Sydney rock oyster farmers at East 33 support and supply the festival. Drop by Eat Street on Sundays (11am–2pm) to catch live shucking demonstrations and insider info on the estuary-to-table process from experts Matt Toan and his colleagues. [caption id="attachment_1017902" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Images: supplied[/caption]
A monthly literary event co-curated by Age writers and renaissance women Michaela McGuire and Marieke Hardy with all proceeds going to Edgar's Mission, Women of Letters has proven to be wildly popular in Melbourne (and also at the Splendour in the Grass festival, where the event had a successful slot on the Sunday morning). Since its inception in March, every event has sold out, and it's no wonder. Blending the lost art of letter writing with public entertainment in a relaxed and friendly environment, Women of Letters boasts monthly line-ups of strong and intelligent women reading their letters to a particular theme, previously including letters to 'The Night I'd Rather Forget', 'My First Pin-Up', 'My Nemesis' and 'The Song I Wish I'd Written' (the Splendour theme, which included men on the panel for the first and only time. See Paul Kelly's amazing video submission below). Amongst the wine, speakers and DJs, audience members are encouraged to participate, penning their own aerogrammes using the stationery provided. Finally, Women of Letters makes its way to Sydney for one exciting show this month. The Sydney Edition features crime author Tara Moss, ABC's First Tuesday Book Club host Jennifer Byrne, actor Claudia Karvan, television and radio presenter Fenella Kernebone, writer Sophie Braham, actor Virginia Gay, songwriter Sally Seltmann and actor Sacha Horler, all of whom will be penning the minefield that is 'A Love Letter'. Also on the bill is Triple J's Zan Rowe, who will be exhibiting her fine DJing skills. https://youtube.com/watch?v=0lSULKtvSF8
You would think that for a country girt by sea, comprising a shitload of bewilderingly great beaches and a population who love a good bevvy, we'd have more opportunities to drink by the ocean (you know, outside of a sneaky goon sack stroll down the shore on NYE). But we haven't, legally, until now. Fremantle's Bathers Beach House has been granted Australia's first liquor license for alfresco beach dining (and drinking). The WA establishment is currently the only place in Australia where you can (legally) drink on the beach. Of course, they've arranged sun lounges in their newly licensed sand and will be serving a range of food and drinks from their beachside menu, delivered straight to your sunbathing face. General erosion, gradual ecosystem destruction and environmental impact aside, generally speaking, it could be the impetus the rest of Australia needs to start amending the laws that forbid the pairing of our nation's two strongest assets: a hot beach and cold beers. The Gold Coast toyed with the idea in 2015 but to no avail. Come on local Australian councils, legalise beach beers. Think of the boom in sales of those fold-out chairs with in-built drink holders. We can't afford not to follow suit on this one. Via Hospitality Magazine.
In a week already brimming with restaurant closures, yet another famed Melbourne eatery has called it a day, only this one's got nothing to do with wage theft. According to The Age, much-loved Chinatown restaurant Shark Fin House has been forced to shut its doors after fears surrounding coronavirus saw a huge dip in customer numbers. Despite the restaurant's 30-year history, co-owner and co-founder Gabriel Chan revealed they'd had no choice but to shut last Sunday, with diners seemingly too afraid to eat there. He told The Age that an 80 percent drop in customer numbers meant more than 50 Shark Fin House employees had been laid off and that it's highly unlikely the restaurant will be able to reopen. The restaurant's sibling venue Shark Fin Inn is also under threat of closure due to dwindling numbers, with Chan calling for support from locals to help it survive the coming weeks. Food writers Gemima Cody and Sofia Levin are rallying diners in an effort to fill the Bourke Street restaurant's dinner service on Monday, February 24, though dropping by any time for a feed will help make a difference. Of course, the Shark Fin restaurants aren't alone in their troubles, with plummeting patron numbers across the board prompting calls for diners to wise up and steer clear of misinformation surrounding coronavirus. As the ABC explained, "there are no reports of human-to-human coronavirus transmission in Australia: There's no sign anyone is catching it from anyone else." Politicians are also encouraging Melburnians to support their local Chinese restaurants, with Federal Parliament's first Chinese-born MP Gladys Liu telling The Age, "I will be going out this weekend in Box Hill and Glen Waverley to make sure that people know that it is safe." Victorian Minister for Health Jenny Mikakos also took to social media to remind everyone that Chinese restaurants across the state are open for business and safe to attend, saying, "the fact is that all Victorians that have been affected by the new coronavirus have recovered and are no longer contagious." And City of Melbourne councillors enjoyed a lunch in Chinatown earlier this week, with a Facebook post from Lord Mayor Sally Capp saying: "All the expert advice shows there's no increased risk from coronavirus in Melbourne. Keep coming to the city to support all the amazing businesses we have here." https://twitter.com/JennyMikakos/status/1227461526589788163 Within the industry, restaurateurs are also rallying support for each other with David Zhou from Oriental Teahouse and David's Restaurant telling Concrete Playground: "We all need to support each other where we can to minimise the impact of the challenges we face.The facts are out there, so if you have a favourite Chinese restaurant, the time to go visit them is now." To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. Image: Chinatown by Josie Withers for Visit Victoria
It was only a matter of time before Australia's penchant for themed brunches spawned an all-out, fairytale-inspired breakfast feast. And you'll have the chance to partake — and channel your inner Ariel, Mulan or, even, Simba — when another huge (unofficial) Disney-themed bottomless brunch and sing-along party rocks into town. The Magical Brunch will go down at a secret location in the CBD sometime in September, and princes, princesses and singing candelabras should expect to sit down to an afternoon high tea feast served "fairytale-style" — along with two hours of unlimited Champagne, beer or mimosas. We're hoping for something similar to Belle's 'Be Our Guest' feast in Beauty and the Beast. Word is there'll be themed entertainment and a Cinderella-worthy dance floor for post-brunch twirling, too. Best dust off the DVD collection and start practising — costumes are definitely encouraged, so you'd best start hunting for your best Elsa gown or Cruella de Vil two-tone wig. The Magical Brunch tickets will start from $77.50. To sign-up for pre-sale, head to the website.
Chances are, you think you know your Snowy Mountains adventures pretty well. In winter, they're all about skiing, snowboarding and apres. Come summer, you're thinking hiking, biking and white water rafting. But what about all the escapades you haven't thought of? Among the Snowies' thousands and thousands of hectares of snow gum forests, open plains, rugged peaks and waterfalls, there are surprises of many kinds. Get started with these ideas — from bobsledding down a mountain in Thredbo to spotting wild brumbies in remote wilderness. From coastal getaways to outback adventures, Australia is home to a wealth of places to explore. Every trip away offers the chance to not only reconnect and recharge, but also to support the communities that have been affected by bushfires. Your visit plays an important role in Australia's recovery, which is why we've partnered with Tourism Australia to help you plan your next Holiday Here This Year. Some of the places mentioned below may still be closed due to COVID-19 restrictions. Please check websites before making any plans. [caption id="attachment_746526" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Thredbo Media[/caption] HURTLE DOWN A MOUNTAINSIDE ON A BOBSLED Skiing a black run isn't the only way to get your adrenaline hit in the Snowies. Come summer, you have the option of hurtling down the mountain in quite another fashion. From October each year, Thredbo's Alpine Bobsled opens for play. This twisting, turning feat of engineering travels down a steep slope for 700 metres, delivering thrills (not spills) all the way. Rides, available at Thredbo Sports Valley Terminal, are just ten bucks a pop. But, if you're a bobsled fiend, you'd best invest in a ten-ride pass for $60. [caption id="attachment_749012" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Murray Vanderveer/DPIE[/caption] WALK THROUGH A LIMESTONE GORGE TO A WATERFALL If you like your adventures with a side of spectacular scenery, the Clarke Gorge walking track is for you. This five-kilometre return journey takes you through a narrow gorge, carved out over millions of years by Cave River and flanked by sheer limestone cliffs. Reach the end to be rewarded with even more beauty in the form of the 15-metre-high Cave Creek Falls. You might well have wedge-tailed eagles and grey kangaroos for company along the way. Check the NSW national parks website for current alerts before you venture to this walking track, as it was affected by the 2019/2020 summer bushfires. The track begins at Blue Waterholes campground, where you can book in to stay the night. Note: all camping in NSW national parks now requires advance bookings. [caption id="attachment_746554" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] SPOT WILD BRUMBIES FROM LONG PLAIN DRIVE Some of Australia's most beautiful — yet under-visited — summer landscapes are the Snowy Mountains' High Plains. Wherever you are, keep an eye out for herds of wild brumbies, galloping across open grass, like something out of an American Western. The most breathtaking views are along Long Plain Drive, an 18-kilometre route that, for the most part, is free of trees. Be sure to stop by Coolamine Homestead, an 1800s home with a shady verandah, where you can relax and contemplate times past. Several campgrounds are in the area, including Coleman Mountain and Cooinbil Hut. GO ON AN OVERNIGHT HORSE TREK If there's a classic Australian way to experience the Snowy Mountains wilderness, it's on horseback. You could, of course, settle for a one-hour trail ride. But an overnight trek is a much more epic adventure. On top of trotting and galloping through grasslands, snow gum forests and rocky terrain, you'll spend an evening in front of a roaring fire, sleeping beneath the stars, in the company of your trusty speed. To book an experience, contact Cochran Horse Treks or Reynella Rides. [caption id="attachment_624129" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Murray Vanderveer[/caption] SWIM IN A THERMAL POOL Warm up with a dip in Yarrangobilly Caves thermal pool. It's quiet and secluded, with heaps to explore in the surroundings. Filled with water from a natural hot spring, the 20-metre pool remains at a perfect 27 degrees all year round. Get there via a short (but steep) 700-metre walk from the nearby car park, or wind your way along the three-kilometre River Walk. Afterwards, have a post-swim feed in the adjacent picnic area. The surrounding caves are currently closed, however, check the NSW national parks website before you travel for the latest information. DINE IN A REPURPOSED CINEMA In the picturesque mountain village of Tumbarumba, you'll find Nest Cinema Cafe Books. And it does exactly what the name suggests — provides a cosy space with a cinema (currently closed), cafe and lots of books. Fair warning: once you've settled into a couch here, you won't want to leave. During COVID-19, the Nest has transformed its cinema screening area into a dining space, so you can book in to enjoy cake, coffee, pizza and a couple of beers in the boutique cinema — or opt for a spot by the fireplace or outdoors on the deck. It's best to book ahead to secure a spot, and if you're unlucky but still want to sample the food, it also offers takeaway. Whether you're planning to travel for a couple of nights or a couple of weeks, Holiday Here This Year and you'll be supporting Australian businesses while you explore the best of our country's diverse landscapes and attractions. Top image: Tourism Snowy Mountains
The return of Spilt Milk for 2025 is big news, after the Australian music festival sat out 2024. This year's four events — including in Canberra — will be positively huge, however, thanks to a massive lineup headlined by Kendrick Lamar. DAMN. LOVE. Quoting those album and song titles fits right now, with the Pulitzer Music Prize-winning musician heading Down Under in this same year that he put on a helluva Super Bowl halftime show. Just as he did in 2022, Lamar has a December date with Australia, playing 2025's run of Spilt Milk fests across two weekends. Alongside stops in Ballarat, Perth and on the Gold Coast, it's Canberra's turn at Exhibition Park on Saturday, December 13. That's a headliner worth waiting a year for — and Lamar has company from Doechii, Sara Landry, Dominic Fike and ScHoolboy Q for starters. Also on the bill: d4vd, Nessa Barrett, Sofia Isella, Skin On Skin, sombr, Club Angel, The Dreggs and The Rions, plus more. In 2025, festivalgoers can also look forward to the return of sing-alongs at Guilty Pleasures, plus country bar Howdy Howdy and the Bus Da Move party bus. The art component will feature artists from Studio A. Spilt Milk's 2025 return is immense, not just due to its lineup, but because not every fest that sat 2024 out has made a comeback. Sadly, both Groovin the Moo and Splendour in the Grass have scrapped their events in both years. Spilt Milk 2025 Lineup Kendrick Lamar Doechii Sara Landry Dominic Fike ScHoolboy Q d4vd Nessa Barrett Skin on Skin sombr Baby J Chance Peña Club Angel Don West Ennaria Esha Tewari Lyric Mia Wray Ninajirachi Rebecca Black Rum Jungle Sofia Isella South Summit The Dreggs The Rions Spilt Milk image: Mackenzie Sweentnam.
Shocking. Controversial. Bleurgh. These are just some words you will need to describe the films you'll watch during World Movies presentation of Films That Shocked The World. This week of outrageous cinema features five of the most contentious films of all time that have been banned globally, resulted in arrests or court cases, or caused an uproar defending morality (or all of the above). For five nights from Monday, 19 August, you can watch them from the sanctuary of your own home free from judgement thanks to World Movies, the only channel in Australia sanctioned to show R18+ films on national television. So if you've been warned against these films, it is time to take a bold step into the unknown and be amazed and horrified. https://youtube.com/watch?v=0piFZXT8Zxo The Human Centipede (2009) Tom Six's disturbing modern horror classic is a perfect film to commence this confronting week, somehow being both repulsive and beautiful. Despite the centipede technically being a few legs short, the film was claimed to be "100 percent medically accurate", which makes it considerably more terrifying given its scientific merits. The genre-redefining story of a demented German surgeon who kidnaps three tourists before joining their gastric systems to form a 'human centipede' more than deserves to be on this list — but be warned: it is not for the faint hearted and will cause countless viewers to watch from behind the safety of their fingers. Monday, 19 August, 9.30pm https://youtube.com/watch?v=Myzec1dgSqc Kids (1995) It is no surprise that Larry Clark's first feature film was deemed shocking in 1995 given it details the unrestrained behaviour of adolescents towards sex and substances. Written by Harmony Korine (Spring Breakers), its controversial subject material is matched by its directing of teenage sex, explicit dialogue and physical and sexual violence that makes anyone watching feel at least uncomfortable. Be prepared for a confronting tale of modern immorality that was released without classification in the US. Tuesday, 20 August, 9.30pm https://youtube.com/watch?v=cZ-Xp6VC7RQ Cannibal Holocaust (1980) Cannibal Holocaust would be shocking purely for its depiction of graphic murders and execution of live animals during filming. However, the added mystery of whether it was a snuff film in which the actors had been allegedly murdered on screen for authenticity caused the film to be almost immediately banned internationally and its director Ruggero Deodato to be arrested for murder — of which he was later acquitted after the actors were proved alive. This is controversial with a capital C. Wednesday, 21 August, 9.30pm Deep Throat (1972) Whilst the film gained notoriety for being one of the premier pornographic films featuring a (ridiculous) plot of obscenity and relatively high production values, its true shock value derives from the later claims of sexual abuse that linger over the film. Leading lady Linda Boreman (also known as Linda Lovelace) initially claimed the film was sexually liberating but later revealed her lack of consent to many of the sexual acts in the film, only being coerced into them by her abusive then-husband Chuck Traynor. If you decide to watch knowing this information, then apparently you can see the bruises on Boreman's body throughout the film. Thursday, 22 August, 9.30pm https://youtube.com/watch?v=hRubuJki4Mk Baise-moi (2000) Concluding the week of controversial cinema is perhaps the most shocking film of all, Baise-moi. The French favourite about two female prostitutes on a road trip towards retribution for their raping still cannot be shown here in its entirety today given the original features a close-up shot of penetration during rape and a scene showing a gun being pressed into a man's anus before being fired. However, World Movies will still be showing the R18+ cut, which is still many adjective levels above shocking that I would get fired for writing here. Friday, 23 August, 9.30pm
If you're a fan of musical theatre, then you know the name Jonathan Larson, the creator and composer behind smash-hit production Rent. And, you likely know his story, too, with the playwright and lyricist passing away at the age of 35 on the day that that now-huge show premiered its first off-Broadway preview performance, and never seeing the Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning phenomenon that it would become. Before that, Larson also created another musical called tick, tick…BOOM!; however, it didn't chart the same path. Instead, the semi-autobiographical piece was performed as a solo work before his death, following a character called Jon who worried that he'd made the wrong decision by chasing his dream of becoming a composer. After Larson died, tick, tick…BOOM! was reimagined as a three-actor show, then made its way from off-Broadway to off-West End, as well as West End itself. And, in 2021, it took the leap to the screen, too, courtesy of Netflix — in a film directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda and starring Andrew Garfield, the latter turning in an Oscar-nominated performance as Larson. That's a whole lot of history behind the latest big musical announcement Down Under: that tick, tick…BOOM! will make its Australian mainstage debut in 2023. It'll run two seasons, kicking off at Melbourne's Comedy Theatre from Wednesday, February 1–Sunday, February 5, 2023, then hitting Brisbane's QPAC Playhouse on Saturday, March 4–Sunday, March 5. If you're wondering about tick, tick…BOOM!'s narrative, the rock musical is set in 1990, with promising young composer Jon as its focus. He's almost 30, living in New York City, and life as an artist isn't turning out as he planned — so he has to decide what to do next. The production is an ode to theatre and a tribute to New York, too, and has kept proving popular since it premiered in its current format off-Broadway in 2001. While exactly who'll take to the stage in Australia is yet to be revealed, tick, tick…BOOM!'s upcoming Aussie seasons will be produced by Adrian Storey from StoreyBoard Entertainment (Chess the Musical, Barnum, Follies, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) and directed by Tyran Parke (Chess the Musical, Barnum, Follies, Sunday in the Park with George). The Australian production doesn't yet have any footage, either, but you can check out the trailer for the Netflix film below: tick, tick…BOOM! will play Melbourne's Comedy Theatre in February 2023, then Brisbane's QPAC Playhouse in March. For further details and tickets, head to the musical's Australian website. Top image: Macall Polay / Netflix.
Next up at 4a is Not Niwe, Not Nieuw, Not Neu, a group exhibition inspired by botanist Sir Joseph Banks and the research he undertook as part of the HMS Endeavour voyage 1768–1771. Under Lieutenant James Cook, the then-little-known Banks collected a crazy huge amount of plant life from all across the Asia Pacific, including approximately 1600 species that at the time were completely new to the scientific world. It was exciting stuff, yes, but the exhibition is interested in the complex ideas of power and 'colonial prejudice' that arise when you consider these pioneers named and defined what was new to them, creating imposed systems of vocabulary and hierarchies for describing and making sense of this strange 'new world' that we still use today. Artists including Daniel Boyd, Newell Harry, Fiona Pardington, Michael Parekowhai and James Tylor aim to 'disturb the past, by reframing and reworking the mythologies of nationhood' established by Banks' work. Combining archival and recent works, along with a series of copperplate etchings of Australian botanical illustrations by Banks himself, Not Niwe, Not Nieuw, Not Neu is sure to get you thinking. Image: Michael Parekowhai, Robert Hayden, 2004, sparrow, two pot paint and aluminium. Image courtesy the artist and Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney and Michael Lett Gallery, Auckland.
Innovative performance trio post need a really, really big cast to pull off their latest show, Sydney Festival's upcoming extravaganza Oedipus Schmoedipus. How big? Try 700 people big. So they're inviting the public to join in their fun and become part of a new cast of volunteer performers every night. In addition to their 1/700th share of the limelight, participants will score a light meal and one complimentary ticket to the show. Post are keeping their lips tightly zipped about exactly what it is volunteers will be doing, but as the aim is to squeeze every memorable death scene from the most celebrated plays of all-time into one hilarious, crazy medley, it's probably a safe bet to assume it'll be something to do with dying — gloriously, gorily and dramatically. “We want you, your nan, your cousins and their cousin's work friends. Absolutely everyone. You don’t need any experience at all. In fact we’d rather prefer you didn't," reads their volunteer registration page. There's no need to memorise anything, and you'll rehearse with post on the day of the performance. People of every age, background and ethnicity are encouraged to apply. Coombs Marr won the 2011 Philip Parsons Playwright Award for her solo show And That Was the Summer That Changed My Life. Post are probably most known for their hilarious 2011 Sydney Theatre Company show Who's the Best. Oedipus Schmoedipus runs from January 9 to February 2 at Belvoir St Theatre Upstairs. If you're keen, then you need to sign up to volunteer. Rehearsal image by Brett Boardman.
Taking place as part of The Big Anxiety festival, Eco- Anxiety at The Japan Foundation gallery explores the ideas of ecological empathy and the growing tide of shared human anxiety in the face of a changing environment. Showcasing five Japanese and Australian designers and artists, the show uses the Australian landscape as an inspirational jumping-off point. Hiromi Tango and Ken and Julia Yonetani's works explore the "an empathetic dialogue of breath" between landscape, plants and humans – and if you caught Tango's Healing Chromosomes earlier this year at Sullivan + Strumpf, you'll no doubt be keen as mustard to see her latest work. Performance artist Yumi Umiumare draws on butoh references in AnxieaTEA Pop Up Tearoom, inviting audiences to engage with existential contemplations over a calming cup of tea. Kosuke Tsumura's FINAL HOME, meanwhile, takes a design response to environmental emergency, creating personal survival garments designed to work in tandem with an evacuee's essential "kit" of food, ID documents and personal mementos. Image: Hiromi Tango, Insanity Magnet #4, 2009
Winner of the 2007 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, signed to Blue Note and frequently heralded as "the future of jazz", Ambrose Akinmusire is a must-see for any jazz fans during the upcoming Sydney Festival. The youthful trumpeter-composer from Oakland has turned international heads with his 2011 album When the Heart Emerges Glistening. Named 2012 trumpeter of the year by a critic's poll in Downbeat Magazine, the talented musician has since amassed a heap of critical praise from California to Paris to our very own sunny shores. For the first time he and his quintet will be playing in Australia and introducing Sydney audiences to what the New York Times described as "limber, straight-ahead jazz with mystery and pop instincts". Akinmusire and his quintet will also performing a show at the City Recital Hall on January 11 at 7.30pm. Image by by Emra Islek. https://youtube.com/watch?v=I1qgqSLYLZ0
After a weekend of warm weather in Sydney, it feels like spring is finally almost here. With it, the expansive wildflower garden of the Muogamarra Nature Reserve will open its gates to visitors for six weekends only from Saturday, August 12 through Sunday, September 17. Located up the coast just an hour north of Sydney's CBD, the reserve is closed most of the year to protect the fragile ecosystems and Aboriginal heritage sites within — so it's a rare chance to get a peek inside. The reserve is dedicated to preserving wildflowers and contains over 900 species native to Australia — think waratahs, angophoras, banksias, pink boronias and native orchids to name a few. The parkland is also home to a variety of native animals, including echidnas, wedge-tail eagles and lyrebirds, which wander freely through the reserve. Guided expert tours are available for pre-booking only through the NSW National Parks Discovery Guide, with options to reserve walking or kayak tours along the Hawkesbury River. Discovery tours include the brand new Muogamarra Highlights Walk, along with the shorter Bird Gully Walk and Lloyd Trig Walk. For those looking for an all-day hike, the six-hour Peats Bight Walk takes visitors on a leisurely trek along the riverbank. If you're more of the DIY kind, visitors are also welcome to simply pack a picnic and enjoy a self-guided walk. The different paths wind along the river and rainforest, offering views of Aboriginal rock engravings and other historic relic sightings. Since it's the 50th Anniversary for the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, the opening weekend will also include a lineup of celebratory events within the reserve from August 12 through 13. The Muogamarra Nature Reserve will be open from Saturday, August 12 through Sunday, September 17. Open Saturdays and Sundays only from 9am to 4.30pm with a park access fee of $15 adults/$10 children. To pre-book guided tours, head over here.
Towards the end of Tokyo Vice's gripping eight-episode first-season run, its lanky American-in-Japan protagonist struts down an ordinary Tokyo street donning a suit and shades while smoking a cigarette. Jake Adelstein (Ansel Elgort, West Side Story) sports a post-coital glow, too, and looks as if he feels on top of the world. He also stands out awkwardly, no matter how cool he thinks he is, even before a high-school pal from home in Missouri spots him and bursts his bubble. This stride-of-pride scene sums up Tokyo Vice perfectly, because what's going on around Jake, and simply the complex city he's in, is always far more intriguing than he is. Don't go thinking that this HBO series doesn't know that, though. Available to stream in full in Australia via Paramount+ — and already renewed for a second season by HBO Max, the US network's streaming service — Tokyo Vice's first season uses an outsider as its entry point into the Japanese capital's neon-lit hustle, bustle and underworld. It uses two, in fact. Also making the city her base is fellow American expat Samantha Porter (Rachel Keller, Legion), a club hostess who spends her nights charming men who'll pay for her glamorous barside company, and also just generally being as far away from the USA as she can manage. But this series is about Tokyo happening around Jake and Sam, as it would regardless of whether they were there or not, as much as it's about the pair in Tokyo. It's a noir series about the bucket-list travel spot's shadows, and it knows that they'd linger no matter who was playing tourist. A smart and sleek crime-thriller? Tokyo Vice easily checks that box. A fish-out-of-water swim through yakuza territory? Yes, that one, too. A mostly after-dark trip through streets and spots that've largely been off limits to travellers for more than two years now? Naturally, the series ticks that one as well. It's also a 90s throwback, taking place in 1999 with Faithless and ATB bangers helping to rick gleaming nightclub dance floors, featuring references to The Matrix, and offering one of pop culture's great 'I Want It That Way' sing-alongs (and discussions about its true meaning). And, Tokyo Vice is the latest release from one of America's best directors, who is finally back behind the lens seven years after making his most recent movie. Indeed, this must-see series is many things — and the fact that it's Michael Mann project is among the reasons that it's essential. The filmmaker's last stint in the director's chair, the Chris Hemsworth (Thor: Love and Thunder)-starring 2015 film Blackhat, also followed a determined and ambitious American, and used every visual and audio trick it had to immerse its audiences in his mindset and his world. That's not the only parallel from the Thief, Heat, The Insider and Collateral helmer's resume that makes its presence known here, either. Mann only directs Tokyo Vice's pilot, but what a tone-setting debut episode it is — as stylish and gritty a piece of television as you're likely to stream any time soon, and one brimming with the filmmaker's usual look and mood. He also serves as the book-to-screen series' executive producer, which explains why its slice of Japanese-set thrills always feels like it bears his fingerprints. Of course, Tokyo Vice isn't shy about its links to Mann, who also executive produced the original 1980s TV series Miami Vice, and wrote and directed the 2006 big-screen remake. Attaching any other filmmaker's name would've simply felt incongruous. That said, the show's moniker actually stems from the IRL Jake Adelstein's memoir Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan, about his years writing for Yomiuri Shimbun as a non-Japanese journalist. Adapted for the screen by playwright JT Rogers (Oslo), what a twisty, gritty, fast-paced narrative it spins, too. Still, everything about the HBO-backed program feels as if it was always fated to end up in Mann's hands. Adelstein was Yomiuri Shimbun's first foreign staff writer, with Tokyo Vice exploring his quest to cement himself inside the publication from the bottom up. Just like in that aforementioned stroll down the street, the on-screen version of Jake always sticks out, as does his dogged enthusiasm to chase the stories he's explicitly instructed to ignore. He aces the strict and gruelling Japanese-language test needed to even get his job. He makes history by earning his post. But murders don't happen in Japan, he's told. He's advised of plenty more, sometimes yelled at him insultingly by his boss Baku (Kosuke Toyohara, Deliver Us From Evil), sometimes offered as cautious words of wisdom by his immediate supervisor Emi Maruyama (Rinko Kikuchi, Pacific Rim: Uprising). The deaths he's witnessing on Tokyo's streets scream otherwise, though. So, Jake starts spending his own time investigating, befriending two Tokyo detectives for guidance and tips: the vice squad's Jin Miyamoto (Hideaki Itô, Memoirs of a Murderer), plus organised crime division veteran Hiroto Katagiri (Ken Watanabe, Godzilla: King of the Monsters). Both know that their new pal is desperate to make a name for himself, and that he's potentially playing a dangerous game; both are just as involved in charting the yakuza's actions, including the war between faction heads Hitoshi Ishida (Shun Sugata, Tomorrow's Dinner Table) and Shinzo Tozawa (Ayumi Tanida, Killing for the Prosecution), in their own ways. Jake's pursuit of the truth also involves getting close to Sam, who knows the lay of the land and has dreams of starting her own club. And, it sees him cross paths with jaded yakuza enforcer Sato (Shô Kasamatsu, Love You as the World Ends), an underling to Ishida and Sam's best-paying customer. Noting that Elgort is the weakest part of the series isn't quite the criticism it would be in any other show. The Baby Driver and The Goldfinch actor is well cast for precisely that reason, because making Jake the least interesting aspect of Tokyo Vice wholeheartedly suits the overall narrative, its focus on the city's underworld, and its embrace of the layers of complication that thrive and thrum beneath its must-visit exterior. Also, everything around Elgort, especially the performances by Watanabe, Kasamatsu, Kikuchi and Itô, proves stellar — both demanding and deserving attention. Getting drawn into this supremely well-made turn-of-the-millennium-set jaunt through Tokyo's underbelly is easy; instantly wanting more, especially from its exceptional Japanese talent, is as well. Check out the trailer for Tokyo Vice below: Tokyo Vice is available to stream via Paramount+.
When Taika Waititi received an Oscar in 2020 for Jojo Rabbit, he became the first person of Maori descent to achieve that feat, as well as the first Indigenous person to be both nominated in and win the Best Adapted Screenplay category. When Meyne Wyatt won the 2020 Archibald Packing Room Prize for his self-portrait, he became the first Indigenous Australian to win any Archibald award across the competition's 99 years. Both Waititi and Wyatt deserve the acclaim and awards that have come their respective ways. But the fact their recent wins made history — more than nine decades after both the Oscars and the Archibalds were first created, too — demonstrates the ongoing lack of diversity in the arts. So, when NITV and Sydney Theatre Company decided to team up to make a three-part series exploring the topic, as well as other Indigenous issues in creative fields, the two must've been at the top of the guest list. The resulting show is called The Whole Table, and its first episode is available to stream now via SBS On Demand. The following two episodes will air at 8.30pm on Wednesday, January 27 and Wednesday, February 3 on NITV, and then stream online afterwards — and Waititi and Wyatt are in great company. The Sapphires, Top End Wedding and Redfern Now's Shari Sebbens is on hosting duties, while Sydney Festival artistic director Wesley Enoch, Black Comedy's Nakkiah Lui and Sydney Opera House's head of First Nations programming Rhoda Roberts sit on the show's panel. Joining them at the table each week is a lineup of guests, not only including Waititi and Wyatt, but also The Dry's Miranda Tapsell and musician Adam Briggs — all chatting about their experiences. Expect to hear spirited discussions that not only touch upon the arts in Australia and New Zealand, but also explore Indigenous involvement and representation worldwide — in the past, now and the possible future. The series forms part of SBS and NITV's 'Always Ways, Always Will Be' programming leading up to January 26 — such as its Australian Made TV collection, curated by Enoch, that's streaming on SBS On Demand as well. Check out the very brief trailer for The Whole Table below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FabOIRhNC0 The first episode of The Whole Table is available to stream now via SBS On Demand, with future episodes airing on Wednesdays at 8.30pm — and streaming online afterwards.
There's something special and foolproof about tapas bars. Gone is the anxiety of choosing your main and possibly missing out on something better, instead you're presented with a far-reaching spread of selections from the restaurant's menu. Combining the thrill of this experience with the luxurious atmosphere of a fine diner, Parlar offers tapas taken up a notch, with ingredients like sturgeon caviar, kingish and wagyu rump carpaccio on offer. The Catalan-inspired bar and restaurant is open in Potts Point, beside its accompanying French brasserie Franca. Both Franca and Parlar are the creation of owner Andrew Becher who has been running the popular French restaurant out of Macleay Street since 2019. "Sydney hasn't seen anything like this and I am incredibly excited to finally bring our Catalan-inspired fine diner to life," Becher says. "We have created a very special and unique offering that highlights the flavours and food of the Catalonian coastline and surrounding regions." Seating 45 guests indoors and 10 in the al fresco area, Parlar offers a range of share plates and a la carte dishes that take inspiration from the coastlines of Spain and Sicily. The obvious place to start is the oysters, served with 15-year Cava mignonette. Highlights of the tapas include croquettes topped with caviar; an English muffin with chorizo, manchego and egg; and an anchovy churro. And the larger share plates include diamond clams paired with tomato and smoked salmon roe, or bonito and white gazpacho. The accompanying wine and cocktail list continues the Catalonian themes. "The wines we offer are largely made with ancient native varietals and using methods and techniques that are centuries old," General Manager Alex Cameron says. "There will also be plenty of interesting bottles open and available under the coravin system so you can try something different." Parlar is now open at 3/81 Macleay Street, Potts Point. It's open for lunch Friday and Saturday and dinner Tuesday–Saturday.
The noble crab, with its rock-hard shell, crusty legs and creepy, boggling eyes has a secret: it's delicious AF. Somehow people figured this out (what a surprise that would have been for the first person to crack open that shell and discover that perfect, perfect crabbery), including the seafood-crazy folk at The Morrison. And so, the annual Crab Carnival was born. From March 20 to April 16, The Morrison will be putting crab in everything — we mean everything. Expect conventional crab dishes like fried crab, crab toast and soft shell crab po' boys alongside less conventional offerings like mini crab doughnut burgers washed down with a Crabby Mary (crab doesn't sounds like a word anymore, right?). No crab is left unturned during this four-week festival. Especially if you head down on Thursday nights for the Louisiana crab broil — you'll be able to don a bib, grab a mallet and hoe into a sea of blue swimmer crab, corn on the cob, new potato and sausage.
It was inevitable that Vino Paradiso, the sprawling wine and food festival, would be a hit with Sydneysiders — with our insatiable love for great local booze and outstanding food. Last year's three-day Australian Technology Park instalment had both in spades, but a year later the festival is changing things up, moving to the The Rocks and ditching the ticket price. Yep, this year's event is free. Vino Paradiso's revamped, now outdoor festival will run from November 6-8 and will feature 130 stalls with some of the biggest (and smallest) names in the food and beverage game. The festival will also feature interactive highlights like the 'Great Wall of Wine' (otherwise known as your recycling bin before bin day) and old-school grape crushing in oak barrels. The geeks among you may be interested in the food and wine masterclasses, if you’re too good to crush grapes with your bare feet (but you'll be missing out on bragging to anyone who'll listen that soaking your feet in wine is actually a French technique and the best way to enjoy wine thank you very much). As well as getting as well-fed and boozed as possible (or until your budget runs out), festivalgoers will enjoy a plethora of cultural delights with live music, interactive exhibits and installations, ambient music collaborations and visual artistry. What more could you ask for? Oh right, stunning views of the Opera House and harbour? Done. Cheers.
The first of Harvest's headline shows has now been announced, following the festival's cancellation last week. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club will tour in November, playing Billboard in Melbourne, The Hi-Fi in Brisbane and Sydney and the Metro Fremantle. After weeks of speculation, AJ Maddah announced the official cancellation of Harvest 2013 on September 16. "I am very sad to confirm that Harvest 2013 is cancelled. All tickets will be 100% refunded (incl. all charges) by Oztix in the next week," the promoter tweeted. Later he mentioned that his partner, Jo Ward, had had "a nervous breakdown" over it. The event was scheduled to happen in mid-November in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. With Massive Attack and Franz Ferdinand already established as headliners, the festival announced the addition of Volcano Choir just a fortnight ago. Maddah did manage to offer some relief to devastated ticket holders when he stated that most of the (now ex-) Harvest artists would perform their own headline shows. "Will be announcing headline shows by most of the Harvest artists in the next 10 days," he tweeted. "Those who have purchased Harvest tickets will be given priority access to these headline shows. Please stay tuned for details." According to theMusic.com.au, "industry sources have confirmed" that the outspoken promoter, who was named the most powerful person in the music industry earlier this year, has purchased Ken West's sizeable share of the Big Day Out (the rest of which is owned by US promoters C3 Presents). Watch this space for more news of Harvest artists' headline shows. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Wednesday, November 13 – Metro Fremantle, Perth Friday, November 15 – Billboard, Melbourne Saturday, November 16 – The Hi-Fi, Sydney Sunday, November 17 – The Hi-Fi, Brisbane
An exciting selection of newly acquired works by contemporary Australian artists will go on display this summer at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia. From mid-December until the final week of February, you'll be able to see a collection of artworks by 28 local and international artists across mediums ranging from painting to photography to installation. Curated by the MCA's Anna Davis and Megan Robson, New Acquisitions in Context 2013 celebrates the diversity of artistic practice, introducing gallery patrons to new works and allowing them to revisit some old favourites. A major theme is exploration of landscape in a variety of forms, be it real or imagined, suburban or sacred, and its manifestation within cultural and historical contexts. Highlights include Imants Tillers’ 2011 work Tabula Rasa (for my father), Hayden Fowler’s New World Order (2013), Judith Wright’s Relative Conversations (2006), Khadim Ali’s The Haunted Lotus (2011-12) and Tracey Moffatt’s 2008 piece First Jobs (pictured).
Physical theatre and contemporary dance fans will no doubt be intrigued by the world premiere of FORKLIFT — a new work that combines dance with contortion and aerial acrobatics. Oh, yeah, and the whole thing takes place on and around a working 2.5 tonne forklift. It sounds playful, impressive and a little bit dangerous. Brought to you by Australia's very own KAGE (the “more than dance” but “not quite theatre” makers) as part of the Sydney Festival, the 50-minute show takes for its setting an industrial wasteland in which three women work a graveyard shift. Just three dancers, a machine and a whole lot of movement embracing the contrast between the light, lithe limbs of the performers and the heavy, solid metal of the forklift. Directed by Kate Denborough, co-founder of KAGE with Gerard Van Dyck, FORKLIFT stars Henna Kaikula (hand balancer and contortionist extraordinaire), Amy Macpherson and Nicci Wilks, formerly of Circus Oz. Yes, the dancers went and got forklift licences to make this unlikely dream a reality. Image by Justin Bernhaut.
Only a few years ago, the food truck was a late-night grotesquery that sold you a questionable kebab as you stumbled home at 5am. But Sydneysiders love their grub and have come to understand that a mobile food unit is a viable food option, not the one thing standing between you and a deadly hangover. The food truck is no longer an addendum to an average night, but the key to a great night — and the good folk at Sydney Good Trucks know it. The first ever EQ Food Truck Jam is a free-entry smorgasbord of food truck goodness, all conveniently parked at the Entertainment Quarter’s Showring and Market Canopy for the weekend of October 3–4. And they’re really pushing the boat out to impress us, with live music, an ice skating rink, jumping castle (bounce before eating — we don’t want any airborne spew), DJs, giveaways and the Sydney Trapeze School (not entirely sure what their role is here, but we can only offer the same advice as before — trapeze before food please). But of course, we only really have little piggy eyes for the food, and this spectacular lineup does not disappoint. The Tella Ball stand will be there, continuing to bleed the country dry of Nutella with their milkshakes topped with Nutella-filled donuts. You’ll also find Sydney's established trucks alongside the city's beloved food establishments: think Gelato Messina, Knafeh's 'bearded bakers', Toby’s Estate Coffee, Bad Betty Burgers, NYPD New York Sandwiches (selling Reubens to be revered), Cherry Highway ice-cream, Caminito, Let’s Do Yum Cha, Urban Pasta, Tsuru and Agape Organic. Yes take your smelling salts, it will be overwhelming. If you're feeling lost, you can download the app to help you navigate your way around the smorgasbord. If you can’t make the inaugural Food Truck Jam, don’t fret as EQ’s night markets will be running throughout spring and summer. EQ Food Track Jam is happening on Saturday, October 3 from 5–10pm and Sunday, October 4 from 12–10pm at the Entertainment Quarter’s Showring and Market Canopy. Free entry. For more information, check out the website.
Love a sip of sake? Fans of Japanese rice wine should add Sakeshop to their must-visit list. Now open in Stanmore and trading in everything sake (as you may have guessed from the name, which pulls very few punches), Sakeshop specialises in nihonshu, shochu, umeshu (all variations of sake) and Japanese beer. The team behind Sakeshop have run this gamble before. A sake store was introduced to Chef's Armoury in Richmond four years ago and enthusiastically received by Melbourne's sake fiends. Owner Leigh Hudson, a form chef, sommelier and accredited sake educator, has expanded to Sydney — but Sakeshop is more than just a shop. In addition to serving different types of sakes, the store hosts events and classes spanning everything from discovering and pairing various tipples to learning everything there is to know about the beverage in question. They're also putting on pop-up izakaya nights, the first of which is going down on August 9, with another slated September 16. And they'll also be offering sake education courses through WSET Sake School, the only certified sake-based course in Australia. There are intensive classes for hardcore enthusiasts and also one-day courses for those of you who just want to be impressive on a date. Check out the website for dates. Kanpai! Find Sakeshop at 105-107 Percival Road, Stanmore. Head to their website and Facebook page for further information. By Imogen Baker and Sarah Ward.
Formally known as Sweethearts Rooftop, this perch on the fourth floor of the Potts Point Hotel has been a go-to spot for elevated fun in The Cross since 2012. However, the easy-breezy venue is set to become even more appealing for rooftop hangs, relaunching with a brand-new flavour as Sweethearts Terraza. Blending the energy of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula with Sydney's openair lifestyle, the changes happening up high are no small thing. Reimagined by the Caswell Group, the 120-seat rooftop restaurant boasts a freshly renovated interior, where terracotta tones and lush greenery create an unmissable coastal vibe. While the venue has long featured a Mexican-style bent, this renewed rooftop oasis is taking the spice and zest to even greater heights. Guided by chef Roberto Garcia — the man behind Marrickville's authentic street food spot, San Pancho Taqueria — the rising culinary star has shaped a Yucatán-inspired menu for Sweethearts Terraza's arrival. Bringing modern Mexican cooking to the rooftop, guests can expect dishes like ceviche yucateco — barramundi served with a sweet but spicy combo of passionfruit, mango and habanero — and slow-braised beef short rib, featuring a sour orange-honey glaze. Another coastal highlight is Tikin Xic Fish, a whole-roasted barramundi marinated in citrus and annatto, served with charred lime and pumpkin seed mole. "For me, Yucatán is fire, citrus, and celebration," says García. "I wanted to bring those flavours to Sydney — not as a postcard, but as something alive and contemporary. The menu is fresh, visual and designed to be shared, capturing the spirit of the Yucatán while feeling right at home on a Sydney rooftop." The talent behind the bar, Neilson Braid (Maybe Sammy, De Vine Food & Wine), is just as good. Playing on Mexican classics and global favourites, he says the cocktail lineup features bespoke infusions and house-made syrups to showcase Mexico's "citrus, bright tropical fruits, and hot, smoky flavours." Order a Sol Fuego to experience cilantro-infused tequila fat-washed with chipotle, or the bright and fresh El Claro, a tangy take on a Tommy's margarita. Sweethearts Terraza is now open Wednesday–Friday from 5pm–12am and Saturday–Sunday from 12pm–12am at Level 3/33-35 Darlinghurst Rd, Potts Point. Head to the website for more information. Images: Trent van der Jagt.
Homer Simpson is coming to Sydney. He's a cartoon character, so obviously there's a twist. Thanks to The Other Art Fair Sydney, the doughnut-loving, Duff beer-drinking, "doh!"-exclaiming animated dad is making an appearance as part of a sculpture called Homer Homer, which'll be on display between Thursday, March 18–Sunday, March 21. This isn't any old likeness of the character, though. Rather, it's a five-metre-tall inflatable version. And, it combines his yellow-hued face with that of another famous Homer: the Ancient Greek poet, who is presumed to have written the Iliad and the Odyssey. The top half, including those sparse strands of hair, is all Simpson. The bottom half is inspired by a bust of his namesake. So, it really does look like a huge statue. Combined together, the piece is the work of Cool Shit, which has a history of toying with popular culture in big, blow-up works. If you've seen The Rock Rock — which combines Dwayne Johnson's face with a massive monolith — you'll know what the aptly titled Homer Homer is all about. Or, you might've heard of Snoop Dogg Hot Dogs, which pairs up the hip hop star with a fast food staple. Other Cool Shit pieces include Nicolas Cage in a Cage, Tina Turner Prize and Happy Kanye, because being playful is definitely part of the remit here. [caption id="attachment_803720" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Clyde Yee[/caption] At The Other Art Fair, Homer Homer is on the event's public program, which also includes drop-in drawing classes thanks to Dr Sketchy's Anti-Art School, Marc-O-Matic turning static imagery into experiential art, Shannon Crees creating a digital animated artwork live and Ink Sphinx doing tattoos onsite. And yes, it has been a busy few months for super-sized odes to pop culture. Clearly, if a giant Borat statue can take over Bondi Beach and an 18-storey portrait of Nicole Kidman can hover above Darlinghurst, then a huge sculpture of Homer Simpson is just the next step. Homer Homer will be on display at The Other Art Fair Sydney, which is taking place at The Cutaway at Barangaroo, from Thursday, March 18–Sunday, March 21. Top image: Shey Simon Laplanche.
It's no coincidence that everyone's dream occupation is astronaut. Astronauts get to travel into truly unchartered spaces; they are pioneers who feel and see things the rest of us humble earthlings could only dream of. Until now, I guess. Today NASA have launched the very first live HD broadcast of Earth thereby making all the wonders of the universe free and accessible to every slovenly astro-novice sitting at home on their couch. Basically, the internet is the greatest. Live HD Earth viewing from the space station! Sit back, watch & enjoy our home planet: http://t.co/3rUbOQEWpt #ISS pic.twitter.com/DfGBVB2FI9 — NASA (@NASA) May 8, 2014 This thing is so good it might just beat Pandacam. Maybe. Set from a vantage point on the International Space Station, NASA has positioned four cameras facing Earth. Housed in temperature specific casing these cameras have in fact been designed with the help of American high school students, and the High Definition Earth Viewing Experiment (HDEV) is only an experiment with which to test their durability. So far, it's safe to say the cameras are doing their job. The footage is surprisingly clear and the stream is relatively uninterrupted. A grey screen does however separate footage from each camera angle, and if you can only see darkness that's due to the ISS orbit. (Come on — I know you're not an astronaut, but you have a basic understanding of how planets work, right?) While watching the stream, users can also add comments and interact with other viewers via Facebook plugins and chat options. Already viewed over 7 million times, the footage is an incredibly humbling experience not only for its astronomical proportions, but for its communal nature. Even Garth from Wayne's World is on board. NASA is streaming HD video from space: When it flies over California you can just about see me waving...I'm tiny. RT http://t.co/3bfwyM3EWb — Dana Carvey (@danacarvey) May 7, 2014 Best of all, the broadcast footage comes in total eerie silence. "There is no audio on purpose," NASA state. "Add your own soundtrack." We recommend Pink Floyd or anything from The Beatles psychedelic phase. This is every stoner kid's dream come true. Live streaming video by Ustream Via BGR and Mashable.
Most travellers heading to Japan don't factor cars into their plans. Tokyo-bound visitors can explore everything by foot or subway, and those journeying elsewhere can hop on a high-speed bullet train (or, if you're flush with cash, a luxe carriage). Still, there's nothing quite like roaming around a new place from behind the wheel, going wherever the expressway takes you — and to make this easier for tourists, the country has just launched an unlimited road trip pass. With Japanese highways operating on a toll system, the Japan Express Pass will allow holders of foreign passports to venture as far and wide as they'd like, all for one set price. Well, almost; they do come with a 10,000 kilometre limit. Available in seven- and 14-day packages for between AU$228 and $400, they're designed to encourage more folks to venture beyond the Japan's cities and soak up its rural sights. If that's on your itinerary any time soon, the passes will become available from 275 car rental stores across the country from October 13. You will still need a driver's licence that's valid for use in Japan — which means an International Driver's Permit and a current Australian state driver's licence. That's what you'll need if you're keen to try your hand at Tokyo's MariCar, a real-life recreation of Mario Kart that lets you race through the streets of the city, so you probably want to make sure you have it anyway. Via The Japan Times. Image: Atif Johari.
Déjà vu might strike when 2024 arrives, at least when it comes to one of your first TV shows of the year. Jamie Dornan (A Haunting in Venice), Danielle Macdonald (French Exit), amnesia, a past coming back to haunt, an early-January release: the first incredibly easy-to-binge season of The Tourist back in 2022 ticked all of those boxes, and now so will the second next year. When the series first arrived, it was swiftly renewed for another go-around — and, although plenty is clearly remaining the same, that follow-up does involve one big shakeup. While the initial season of The Tourist was set in Australia with Dornan as the titular figure, the season takes place in Ireland. This time, it's Macdonald's Aussie cop Helen who is travelling abroad. As the show's just-released first trailer for season two illustrates, however, not being able to recall anything remains part of Dornan's remit as Elliot. The character's lack of memory ties into a plot that bring secrets from his past into play, as well as a family feud. Audiences will be able to see the end result from Tuesday, January 2 via Stan in Australia and Monday, January 1 via TVNZ+ in New Zealand, with The Tourist season two spanning another six episodes. Screenwriters Harry and Jack Williams (Baptiste, The Missing, Liar) return as well, but Dornan and Macdonald will have Conor MacNeill, Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre), Olwen Fouéré (The Northman), Diarmaid Murtagh (Outlander), Nessa Matthews (Inspektor Jury: Der Tod des Harlekins), Mark McKenna (The Miracle Club) and Francis Magee (Then You Run) for new on-screen company. If you missed The Tourist's first season, Dornan's Elliot was caught up in a mystery, which unfurled its specifics in cliffhanger-heavy instalments. The show also had fun with its premise — and its onslaught of twists and turns. It knew that zigzagging thrillers that work from a clearcut roadmap should make their familiar pieces feel anything but, and should take their audience along for a wild ride. And, it was well aware that that should all be the case even when largely driving down a recognisable road. An Irish traveller in Australia, Elliot was run off the street by a steamrolling long-haul truck, sparking his fogginess about his own moniker and everything else about his past. Macdonald's Local Constable Helen Chalmers took a shine to him anyway, but piecing together his history was far from straightforward. His other immediate questions in season one: why is he in the middle of Australia, why does a bomb go off in his vicinity and why is he getting calls from a man trapped in an underground barrel? Check out the trailer for second season of The Tourist below: The Tourist season two will start streaming from Tuesday, January 2 via Stan in Australia and Monday, January 1 via TVNZ+ in New Zealand. Read our full review of season one.
The ultimate date night is inbound, and it's only running for ten nights this October. Taronga After Dark is a brand new late-night experience perfect for couples or mates who want to see what Taronga Zoo is like after sundown. From Friday, October 3 to Sunday, October 12, you'll be able to wander through lantern-lit trails, enjoy cocktails under the stars and have incredible encounters with wildlife that come alive at night. You can also see the nocturnal routines of the reptiles and amphibians, or check out sunset seals at dusk for a wild presentation from the zoo's aquatic residents. For families, there's a magical mermaid show and a fluro fun zone, and for thrill-seekers, add on an illuminated Wild Ropes Adventure climb. For the adults, the Archie Rose sunset bar is the perfect pit stop while exploring. You can also refuel at one of the nearby food trucks, serving a range of sweet and savoury options, and enjoy some live acoustic tunes as you watch the sun set over Sydney Harbour. If you're looking to take your date night up a notch, why not make it a wildlife getaway? Opt to stay at Taronga Zoo's Wildlife Retreat, the onsite eco-conscious hotel with luxurious rooms, high-end amenities, modern Australian dining, and breathtaking Sydney Harbour views throughout the site. The Wildlife Retreat surrounds what is known as the Sanctuary, a beautiful native wildlife enclosure created exclusively for guests of the Wildlife Retreat at Taronga. This thoughtfully designed habitat envelopes guest bedrooms for a truly immersive wildlife experience — you may even wake up with a koala outside your window. Whether you're planning a unique catch-up with friends or a magical date night under the stars, Taronga After Dark is a one-of-a-kind way to explore the zoo in a whole new light. Buy your tickets and find out more about the event on the Taronga Zoo website.
Ever wanted an extra few minutes in bed on Monday morning? A new Sydney-based startup is offering you this opportunity with a new app that lets you customise, order and pay for your coffee and breakfast before you even arrive at the cafe door. Beat The Q, as the name suggests, allows customers to beat those dreary queues for your morning latte and vegemite toast. After you set up an account, Beat The Q searches for nearby cafes. Select a venue, and then you can order your coffee and food through a simple online menu. Follow the steps to finalise the order, and it will be ready for pick up without any of the awkward standing around in never-ending lines. With the ability to order while you're still in bed or riding on the bus, this is sure to shave a couple of minutes off your hectic morning schedule. Beat The Q is now being offered by over 30 cafes in Sydney, including Toby's Estate, Sonoma Baking Company, Pablo and Rusty's and Little Marionette cafes. The company's founder, Adam Theobald, states that the app was "born out of a love for coffee, and dislike of queues", something we are all too familiar with. Furthermore, it was created to address "current trends, including longer work hours and a shift towards a cashless society." Indeed, this is another way that technology is making our lives just a little cushier. Watch for more of your favourite cafes to be offering this quick and convenient method of ordering. With Beat The Q, it's certain that your coffee is going to taste just that little bit sweeter. You can grab the app from the iTunes store now.
Remember the feeling of being pushed on a playground swing and getting so much air you thought you could do a 360 over the top? We indulged in that feeling when we rounded up the best swings ever, but now China have taken things to a whole new level. Not only are they building the "longest and highest" glass bridge in the world, but they're also tacking on three (three!) swings for the ultimate rush of adrenaline and sense of mortality. Game on. The Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge is located above the — you guessed it — Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon in middle China's Hunan province. Designed by Haim Dotan Architects, the bridge was set to open this month, but has been delayed to include a few cheeky extras. Joe Chen, vice general manager at the Zhangjiajie Canyon Tourism Management Co., told Inhabitat that the bridge will include not one, but three swings. Because one swing is never enough. Obviously. "It's true that we will have a swing on the bridge and it's not a swing but three swings, including one giant swing which has a total length of about 150 meters to 170 meters," Chen told Inhabitat. According to this very dramatic video, the new structure will be the largest glass bridge in the world (note emphasis on 'glass'), standing at 430 metres long and 300 metres off the canyon floor. The video also says the bridge holds ten world records, although it's not actually clear what those records are (especially as it hasn't even been finished yet). The bridge doesn't have a firm opening date, but it could be as early as June or July. Until then, we suggest you start building your swinging technique and nerves of steel. Via Inhabitat. Image: Haim Dotan Architects.
Enjoying a quality brew is as Aussie as meat pies and footy, and we boast one of the busiest (and best) beer scenes in the world. One of our closest neighbours, Japan, has an equally impressive beer scene. Now one of its native brews, The Premium Malt's, is celebrating its new Tokyo flagship bar by touring the globe — with a Sydney stop included. The Premium Malt's is setting up in the heart of Sydney, specifically in Haymarket's Nakano Darling. It's an inner-city bar that specialises in izakaya-style dining (small snacks and refreshing drinks) — think delicious karaage chicken, gyoza, edamame beans, stir-fried wagyu and more. From Friday, July 21 to Sunday, August 6, you can pair that food with four delicious brews from The Premium Malt's. Those four varieties are Premol, Premol Black, Half & Half (Premol & Premol Black), and Mliko. Each brew offers different levels of flavour and richness, but all offer the brand's pride and joy: 'Kami-Awa', which translates to 'divine foam'. The Premium Malt's House opens on Friday, July 21 and runs until Sunday, August 6. For more information, visit the Suntory website, and visit the Nakano Darling website to make a booking.
The annual Orange Wine Festival is back for its 14th run, with ten days of events highlighting the region's sophisticated winemaking from October 18–27. Patrons can expect wine shows, tastings, dinners and educational workshops, all of which showcase the rich diversity of Orange's rich culinary culture. This year's packed-out program includes over 80 events, which are open to all wine lovers, from the connoisseurs to those still getting to know their palate. The region is known for its cool climate which creates wines with bright fruit and deep, balanced flavours, making them some of the best drops in the country. While there are events on every day of the two weeks, you shouldn't miss the festival's flagship Night Market on October 25 — over 50 food stalls and wine bars will pop up in Orange's Robertson Park for a night of wining and dining under the country sky. If you want to try as many wines as possible, the Orange Wine Show Tasting and Masterclass on October 18 will give you a chance to taste and judge the best of the festival, for a reasonable $80. Even with all the events, you won't have any time to sit still — the region is home to 80 vineyards and over 30 cellar doors. We recommend organising a driver so you can taste it all.
When Surry Hills mainstay Bodega closed its doors back in July, we were promised a new Japanese restaurant from the Tokyo Bird team would take its place. And now it's made good on that promise, opening Nikkei on Commonwealth Street last week. But it's not a carbon copy of the team's much-loved yakitori and cocktail bar. Instead, this new diner has more of a focus on food, specialising in a particular style of Japanese-Peruvian cuisines called Nikkei. While this combination may be unheard of to some, the style of food actually developed over 100 years ago, when Peru's sizeable Japanese immigrant population began cooking local Peruvian dishes using their native cooking techniques and flavours. The 55-seat venue features a bar, counter seating and a 12-seat communal table. Through the open kitchen, diners can catch Brazilian head chef Lucas Cerullo David (who comes from sister venue Osaka Trading Co.) and sushi chef Justin Kim at work on a seafood-heavy menu. It includes Peru's 'national' dish tiradito, a sliced sashimi-style ceviche. At Nikkei, you can choose between an octopus version — made with nori, pickled daikon and Peruvian chillies — or a mushroom medley with Jersualem artichokes and nori crackers. [caption id="attachment_752482" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bruno Stefani[/caption] Many of the dishes are served as either tapas or izakaya-style, so it's easy to share. Other specialties include hokkaido scallops with capsicum salsa and beef short ribs with miso garlic and Peruvian corn puree. Behind the bar, expect a 40-strong wine list that focuses on coastal vineyards and a cocktail list which boasts distinct Peruvian flavours — including pisco, aniseed wine, chicha morada (Andean purple corn drink), oregano tea and quinoa milk. Lots of the hard-to-find ingredients on both the food and drinks menu have been directly sourced from Peru and Japan, too. This is the fifth restaurant venture for owners Jason Ang, Tina Wing Kee and Christopher Ang — as well as Tokyo Bird, the trio's portfolio also includes other popular venues Osaka Trading Co., Bancho and the nearby Sando Bar. Also involved in the venture is the dining group's venue manager Marco Oshiro Giron, whose Japanese-Peruvian heritage helped inspire and develop the Nikkei concept. He is joined by an impressive array of hospitality vets, including group sommelier Phil McElroy (The Source Restaurant at MONA, Firedoor, Sokyo), manager Reuvin Lim (Tayim, Tequila Mockingbird, Sake Double Bay, Cho Cho San) and head bartender Xander Ramirez (Bentley, Tayim). Find Nikkei Bar & Restaurant at 216–224 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills. It's open Tuesday through Saturday from 5–10pm as well as lunch from 12–3pm on Fridays from 12–3pm. To book, head here. Images: Bruno Stefani.
We get it: everyone loves an espresso 'tini. And that isn't changing any time soon. Over the past few years, the Central Coasts's cold-pressed coffee liqueur company My Black has held its fair share of festivals dedicated to them — and, this February, the team is heading to Marrickville's Factory Theatre for the Backyard Espresso Martini Fest. The all-day party will take over the venue from 1pm on Saturday, February 8. The affair will involve an array of alcoholic caffeinated beverages from the Mr Black caravan, including the obvious, plus a menu of cocktails that throwback to after-school treats — think cocktails topped with Ice Vovos, irish coffees sipped through Tim Tams and a salted caramel espresso martini made with Caramello Koalas. As with any festival of this kind, there will be plenty of food trucks on hand, and Katherine Sabbath will also be holding her own back sale to raise money for bushfire relief. Given its location, this time round, the festival will be pair the cocktails with a lineup of local DJs and artists. The day will start in the courtyard with sets from Bindah, Randy Knuckles and Jnr. Then, come 7pm, the party will move indoors to the Factory Floor for a set by Cairo Heaven, the new project from one half of Sydney duo Polographia. It's a long day but you'll be well-caffienated to see it through. Tickets are $18 and include your first drink.
If you've ever gone searching for a particular product, discovered that it doesn't exist and thought 'I should just make my own', well, you already know how Lust Liquor originated. The two best mates behind it went through that experience, then set about making a low-calorie, no-sugar range of premixed beverages. For folks keen for a guilt-free tipple as well as a hassle-free one — no blending or shaking required here — Lust Liquor's range features three different types of drinks. Fancy a lime and soda, but alcoholic? Lemon, lime and bitters with vodka? A blend of raspberry and vodka? You'll find all three on the company's lineup. You can nab Lust Liquor's products via its online store, with free shipping available for orders over $100.
Not someday, but in July next year, The Strokes will head to Australia to play Splendour in the Grass' long-delayed 20th-anniversary festival. And in news that'll have you partying like it's the 00s again, the New York rockers have also just announced two sideshows: at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion and Melbourne's John Cain Arena. Hitting up Melbourne first on Tuesday, July 26, before heading to Sydney on Thursday, July 28, the gigs will mark the band's first Australian headline shows in a decade. Clearly, The Strokes will have plenty to play — 2021 marks 20 years since their seminal debut album Is This It was released, and since everything from the title track and 'Hard to Explain' to the extremely catchy duo that is 'Last Nite' and 'New York City Cops' first got stuck in the world's heads. Since then, the Julian Casablancas-led group have put out five other studio albums, including The New Abnormal, their latest, in 2020 — which nabbed them the Best Rock Album Grammy Award earlier in 2021. When it comes to seeing one of the most influential bands of the past two decades, don't go making bad decisions, missing out, and realising that you only live once — and putting your heart in a cage. If you want to start drinking juiceboxes in preparation, that's up to you. The Strokes will be supported by The Chats and The Lazy Eyes on their solo shows, after headlining Splendour in the Grass on Saturday, July 23. THE STROKES 2022 AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES Melbourne — Tuesday, July 26, John Cain Arena Sydney — Thursday, July 28, Hordern Pavilion The Strokes will tour Australia in July 2022. Pre-sale tickets go on sale at 12pm AEDT on Monday, November 8, with general tickets on sale at 9am on Tuesday, November 9. For further details, head to the tour website. Top image: Raph_PH via Wikimedia Commons.
When Whitney Houston sang 'I Wanna Dance with Somebody', the world believed her. It wasn't just the energetic beat or joyous tone that struck a chord, but the dynamic power of Houston's voice. Her prowess wasn't new news — released in 1987, the track was the first single from her second album, and became her fourth consecutive number one single in the US. And yet, when she trilled so explosively about finding someone to dance with, she seemed like a woman who not only wanted to share her life with that one special person, but also wanted to share her talent with the entire planet. With Whitney, director Kevin Macdonald tests that theory. Giving the pop superstar the same probing treatment that has driven his previous movies about Bob Marley, artist Cai Guo-Qiang and fellow documentarian Errol Morris, among others, the filmmaker behind Touching the Void, State of Play and Black Sea explores the what, how and why of Houston's life in a thoughtful and solemn fashion. What did she want out of her career? How did she try to achieve it? Why did her story turn out the way it did? They're the questions at the heart of this birth-to-death portrait, all examining the tragic tale of someone who sang like no one else, crooned hits that were heard around the globe and broke music records, but was rarely able to be herself. If you're already a fan, you'll know the minutiae. Even if you're not, you'll still be aware of Houston's substance abuse issues, and the way that her life came to an end. Macdonald combines candid interviews with Houston's loved ones — including her gospel singer mother Cissy Houston and her ex-husband Bobby Brown — with archival footage, performance clips, family photos, recording demos and behind-the-scenes glimpses of the movie's eponymous figure. Of course, it's not only Houston's specific tale that feels familiar, but the fact that this narrative has played out with plenty of other famous folks of late. Recent documentaries about Amy Winehouse and Kurt Cobain relayed very similar details, and Whitney: Can I Be Me? tread very similar ground just last year, albeit relying more heavily on backstage footage and focusing more firmly on Houston's relationship with friend Robyn Crawford. Whitney mightn't tell viewers much that's new; however it assembles its various pieces with a force on par with Houston's roaring voice. The editing on display in the film's contextual montages — which weave together ads and events from the time, Houston's work, and intimate photographs — sets a swift pace that never lets up, as Macdonald squeezes as much as he can into the documentary's two-hour running time. There are gaps, with Brown refusing to talk about drug use, and only some parts of Houston's career getting in-depth attention. There are also splashes of particularly incisive, penetrating insight, including a dissection of the impact of race and class. And there's one huge, heartbreaking revelation, although the way it's treated as a third-act twist sits cheaply and uncomfortably. Throughout it all, there's Houston herself. As the rise-and-fall music biopic genre understands all too well, there's no substitute for letting a film's subject prove their merits in their own way, with their own voice and in their own words. In Whitney, it's seeing Houston perform that shapes the documentary's sorrowful melody — and, expressly, seeing her shows evolve over the years. First, she's a bright-eyed teenager making her first TV appearance. Soon, she's the most famous singer in the world, unleashing her distinctive take on 'The Star-Spangled Banner' at the 1991 Super Bowl. Later, she's an object of derision during her final tour, which caused walkouts when she came to Brisbane, as the movie shows. Out of all of the above, it's her 1983 rendition of 'Home' on The Merv Griffin Show that echoes throughout the doco, so much so that Macdonald uses it to bookend the picture. With Houston radiant in a purple dress but shining brighter out of sheer talent, the clip perfectly embodies the film's message: that she simply wanted to sing, dance and soar, but couldn't chase away her demons as she chased her dreams. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lU2g2w70kG0
Sculpture by the Sea launched Thursday along the coast walk between Bondi and Tamarama beach. Sculptors from around the world have resumed their annual pilgrimage to Waverley municipality, with a selection of local and international sculpture prettily dividing sea from land. Best in show plaudits were pointed at US sculptor Peter Lundberg, who won the Balnaves Foundation Sculpture prize for his Barrell Roll. His win was not from lack of competition. Competitors were well suited to their surroundings, such as the pleasing cacophony of Cave Urban’s multiple, wooden wind-chime piece mengenang (memory) or its nearby contemplative companion in Stephen Marr’s camouflage piece the optimist. Among the fresh in situ sculpture this year Stuart Couzens’ matryoshka (“russian doll”) presents a satisfying nest of wooden containers within containers within containers, while James Hallberg and René Dybdahl’s how close we are is a giant eye of a matching needle outside the Aarhaus Town Hall in Denmark, which blinks a light as people are invited to jump up and pass through the eye of its Australian twin. A sign in front of it says “please do not touch this artwork”. Along the walk between Marks Park and Tamarama Bay, Paul Kaptein’s and in the endless pauses, there came a sound is a satyr sound recordist carved out of wood, with a huge microphone, headphones and visibly absent pants. Gillie and Marc Schattner’s the travellers have arrived carves out some reciprocal nudity and animal heads, while Dave Mercer’s ViewTM gives the vista towards Clovelly cemetery a branded makeover. Tamarrama beach resumes its obligatory, not unwelcome, theme of giant beach things this year, with Carl Tindall, Carly Buteux and Grahame Tindall's half-buried sunglasses *lost in the glare*, an oversized oversize Tonka truck and Adam Hill and Will Coles’ really bins last seen on Macquarie street in the Aboriginal Art Prize Image: Stephen Marr's the optimist.
If you're in the eastern suburbs this weekend and have a dollar to spare, pop into the Juliana Marcs salon in Double Bay. The good folk there will swap your buck for a blow-dry (for women) or a haircut (for men). All you need to do is download and book through Gobu a brand new app that's going to make your life much, much easier when it comes to booking spontaneous beauty and health appointments. In fact, you can think of the app as Uber, but for haircuts, waxing treatments, massages and the like. Let Gobu know where you are and what you're looking for, and it'll find businesses in the area that are ready and waiting to help you out. That way, you can walk straight in, knowing there's an appointment with your name on it. The other element Gobu shares with Uber is a user-rating system. When searching, you can see how businesses have fared in the past, which could well save you suffering through the bikini wax from hell or a haircut that takes ten years off your life (or add ten years to your face). You can also pay for your appointment through the app — no cash necessary. Bookings open at 8am, Thursday, March 8 — so secure your one-dollar blow-dry or haircut (on Saturday, March 10 or Sunday, March 11) before they're all snapped up. You can download the app via the App Store or Google Play.
They're sticky, cinnamon scrolls, drenched in glaze and famous all across the USA. And now, at last, they're available Down Under. Yep, Seattle-born chain Cinnabon has landed in Australia, with a Brisbane outpost now serving up delicious baked goods. The launch was first announced in January this year, when family-run Queensland company Bansal Foods scored the Aussie rights to Cinnabon. But, now, it's more than just news. Brisbanites eager to get their fix can head to Toombul Shopping Centre in the city's north, and grab a scroll seven days a week — well, once the opening queues die down. Cinnabon has been going strong in America since 1985, so it has already picked up plenty of Aussie fans along the way. But this is the first time that we're able to get our hands on those sticky, cinnamon-infused baked goods on home soil. The new Brisbane store slings a trio of Cinnabon cult classics, including the classic cream cheese cinnamon roll, the popular chocolate-drizzled Chocobon and very extra Caramel Pecanbon. They're available in both mini and large sizes, along with packs featuring either four or nine 'minibons'. There's coffee and lots of sugary drinks to pair with your snacks, too, including a cinnamon bun frappe. If you're yet to get acquainted with the decadent dessert creations, prepare yourself for aromatic, cinnamon-spiked dough made to a long-held recipe, decked out with stacks of signature cream cheese frosting and loaded with extras. They're notoriously tough to replicate. Toombul Shopping Centre recently opened a new neon-lit upstairs dining precinct, but Cinnabon isn't a part of that. Instead, it's located on the ground floor near Coles. And if you're not in Brisbane, it probably won't be too long until Cinnabon makes its way down south. The Toombul store is set to be the first of many. A second Brisbane store in Mt Gravatt is due to open in January 2020 and, going off plans announced earlier in the year, Cinnabon is looking to launch in Sydney and beyond in 2021. Cinnabon is now open on the ground level of Toombul Shopping Centre, 1015 Sandgate Road, Toombul.
