Steve Costi's Seafood is now taking online orders and delivering fresh seafood, ready-made meals and luxe platters across the Sydney metro area. Costi's has been a go-to for Sydneysiders since the first store opened in the David Jones food hall in the CBD, back in 1985. Now, even more seafood lovers can order from Costi's with ease. There is a full range of seafood on offer via the online store including fish fillets, prawns, crabs, scallops, octopus and mussels. You can also order whole fish from rainbow trout ($11.50), through to whole Tasmanian salmon ($85). For those planning a bit of a fancy night, cooked western and eastern rock lobsters are both available, or you can have oysters delivered to your door, with a dozen Sydney rock oysters available for $24. If you're looking to put on a spread at your next picnic or for your household with minimum effort, you can order both seafood and sashimi platters. The seafood platter for four ($175) comes packed with a kilogram of tiger prawns, 18 Sydney rock oysters, four Moreton Bay bugs, smoked salmon, bread rolls and cocktail sauce; while the sashimi platter includes salmon, tuna, kingfish, scampi, scallops, salmon caviar and black lumpfish. Alongside the seafood choices, you can order ready-made meals like a deluxe fish pie meal for two ($45) which comes with minted baby potatoes, parsley, fennel and citrus salad, broccolini with Pepe Saya butter and heirloom roasted beetroot. Other ready-made options include a salmon wellington meal, fish tacos and a classic fish and potato scallop combo. The minimum spend on delivery is $50 and it costs $15 as a flat rate across Sydney metro. You can check if your suburb is included in the delivery area via this list. Steve Costi's Seafood delivery is available via Costi's website.
As far as crowd-pleasing music goes, it's hard to top a Fleetwood Mac playlist. Formed in the late 60s, the British American rock band cemented itself in musical history with now-classic tunes like 'Little Lies', 'The Chain', 'Dreams' and more. Sadly, the band members themselves have hung up their guitars, but that doesn't mean we can't continue to enjoy their hits live. Thanks is due to Concerts By Candlelight, the event series you've no doubt heard about on social media. The concert group is rolling out the 2025 event program and the first item on the agenda is The Music of Fleetwood Mac By Candlelight. With a live band and a cast of West End singers performing all the hits (and selling out shows in the UK), the tour is hitting Australia and New Zealand throughout February and March. After a series of shows across the ditch, The Music of Fleetwood Mac By Candlelight will kick off an Australia-wide tour. First up is QLD, with the concert hitting the Gold Coast and The Star Theatre on Friday, February 28. Then, on Friday, March 7, it's Sydney's turn at Darling Harbour Theatre — followed by a stop at Melbourne Town Hall on Tuesday, March 11. Later that week, it crosses the country to PCEC Perth for a show on Friday, March 14, before finishing at Her Majesty's Theatre for an Adelaide performance on Friday, March 28. The Music of Fleetwood Mac By Candlelight will tour across cities in Australia and New Zealand from Friday, February 14 to Friday, March 28. For more information or to book tickets, visit the website.
After a year that's been light on both theatre and live music, Belvoir St Theatre is coming to the party with the return of its high-energy musical Fangirls. Following its sell-out debut in 2019, the super-popular production is making its way to the Seymour Centre for three weeks this summer, with curtains opening from Saturday, January 30. Expect the 2.0 version to be bigger and bolder, with a refreshed script and new cast, bringing to life Yve Blake's sparkling tale of a young girl's obsession with the world's biggest boy band and its hunky lead singer. Still need convincing? Here's a look at what you're in for this time around. [caption id="attachment_793755" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brett Boardman[/caption] THE REVIEWS Fangirls proved a sell-out success with its premiere run last year, capturing the hearts of audiences and scooping multiple awards in the process. The Australian described the production as "a life-affirming night of pure theatrical escapism" while The Guardian called it "the best pop concert you've never been to". But it wasn't just the critics who were raving, with many audience members becoming, ironically, fangirls themselves. "Apparently last time someone came [to see the show] 13 times," says Yve Blake, who penned Fangirls' book, music and lyrics, as well as played the lead of Edna in the 2019 show. There was also a bunch of fan art that poured in, including handmade comics, embroidery and t-shirts. Blake says such a response "emboldened me and the team and made us go, 'alright, let's go wackier, let's go bigger and better, more camp. Let's be less apologetic'". So, even if you saw Fangirls' debut last year, it's likely you'll want to see it this time round, too. [caption id="attachment_793759" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brett Boardman[/caption] THE STORY It all started with the playwright's own encounter with a Harry Styles-obsessed 13 year old. Blake embarked on a deep dive into the long-held cultural phenomenon of fangirls, which served as the inspiration for her vivacious 2019 stage show. "I realised the way that the world thinks about fangirls is a microcosm for the ways that the world sometimes tries to ridicule young female enthusiasm," says Blake. The play follows protagonist Edna — performed by Karis Oka (Six the Musical) in the upcoming production — a city girl conspiring to confess her undying love to True Connection frontman Harry, performed by real-life popstar and The Voice 2018 finalist Aydan. Riding the highs and lows right alongside the disillusioned teenager, audiences are invited to embrace the idea of fandom while turfing aside all those pesky, inhibiting notions of shame. "From the outside, it seems like a party of a show that pokes a bit of fun at fangirls," says Blake. "But actually, at the bleeding heart of it, it gets you to laugh at these girls only to cry with them." [caption id="attachment_792366" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brett Boardman[/caption] THE MUSIC Fangirls' fun, unapologetic story is backed by Blake's boppy, banger-filled soundtrack that'll be sure to have you grooving in your seat. The inspiration? "For me, the show needed to sound like a Beyoncé concert, meets rave, meets church. I wanted to make a show about what it feels like to fall in love for the first time at 14." To that end, expect to rocket between soaring choral numbers, techno tunes and upbeat dance tracks — a fittingly bold sonic journey that neatly captures the spirit of fangirl phenomenon — with a high energy similar to being in the heart of a pop-concert mosh pit. "It's like the tequila shot that Australian musical theatre needed," says Oka, summing up the show's tunes, which sounds like a pretty good tonic after the trashfire year of 2020. [caption id="attachment_792363" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brett Boardman[/caption] THE TEAM For its 2021 run, Fangirls will be directed once again by Paige Rattray with a rejigged, diverse cast of young, up-and-coming stars. "They're the next generation of rockstars in musical theatre," says Blake, "I'm just really excited for audiences to see them". Oka is taking over from Blake as the lead and Aydan is returning to the Fangirls cast in the role of Harry. "He was in the show last year and his actual fans would show up and scream and get him to sign stuff. It was so meta," says Blake. Rising star James Majoos is another returning favourite, along with Chika Ikogwe whose 2019 performance won her Best Newcomer at the Sydney Theatre Awards. And if you aren't already familiar with new Fangirls stars including Shubshri Kandiah, Shannen Alyce Quan and Tomáš Kantor, we're assured you will be very soon. 'Fangirls' is showing at the Seymour Centre from Saturday, January 30 to Saturday, February 20, 2021. To book tickets and find out more about Belvoir St Theatre's latest must-see, check out the website. Top image: Brett Boardman
You're soon about to lead an existence in which you carry chicken salt and vinegar in your bag at all times. Australian hot chip vending machines are about to be all up in your grill. Again, slower. Hot. Chip. Vending machines. According to the ABC, the Perth-based Hot Chips Company have been cooking this up for the last five years, inspired by Australian '90s models and similar developments in Dubai, Japan, the UK and Belgium. They've been working with WA potato processor Bendotti Exporters to create the perfect take-away solution for late night snackery — reppin' the Western Australian potato industry while they're at it. Stephen Bendotti (of Bendotti Exporters) told the ABC the chips will be freshly cooked while you wait, all inside the machine. "You put your money in and it goes from frozen to the fryer and in your cup within two minutes and 20 seconds," he said, with an aim to whittle that waiting time down to two minutes. And in case you're freaking out over the hefty price of Perth airfares to try this out, these babies are going national. According to the ABC, Bendotti's friends over at WA Chip are going to roll them out Australia-wide. So how long will we have to wait for the mighty hot chip robots? Apparently we're looking at national distribution by December 2015, with trials and development continuing until then. We're still waiting on details for condiments, salt options and cost, so watch this space for your chippie deets. Via ABC. CORRECTION 29/1 3:15PM : We initially ran this story reporting that these were Australia's first hot chip vending machines. They aren't, in fact, the first, as numerous models have made their way through Australian cities since the '90s. Apologies for the wrong info, we got way too excited about the prospect. Image: will ockenden via photopin cc
In a brief, early sequence, Dead Men Tell No Tales appears to achieve something quite remarkable. Immersing Captain Jack (Johnny Depp) in a bank heist, it feels like the filmmakers have cottoned onto something that helmers of previous Pirates sequels never managed to grasp: a little bit of Sparrow goes an awfully long way. Yes, even here, the rum-swilling pirate remains as ridiculous as ever. But as his crew drags a safe through the streets while he tries to evade capture, you at least get the feeling that his latest adventure will be about more than just him. Sadly, it doesn't last. The truth is, time has not been kind to Depp since the first Pirates of the Caribbean hit back in 2003 and earned him an Oscar nomination. Or, to be more accurate, Depp has not been kind to Depp. Audiences have been accosted by his Sparrow shenanigans not only in Dead Man's Chest, At World's End and On Stranger Tides, but in almost everything else he's made in between. From Alice in Wonderland to The Lone Ranger to the nigh unwatchable Mortdecai, Depp's penchant for outlandish overacting has kept him firmly in the same mode. If it was beginning to grate a decade ago, it's positively painful now. Point is, make sure to enjoy this movie's early moments while they last. While the fifth film in the franchise ostensibly endeavours to switch its gaze to the next generation, the fact remains that an overabundance of Sparrow threatens to sink the whole ship. The wobbling seafarer finds himself in demand, with young upstart Henry Turner (Brenton Thwaites) and mysterious astronomer Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario) both requiring his help in their hunt for Poseidon's trident. Meanwhile, ghostly pirate hunter Salazar (Javier Bardem) is also on Sparrow's trail, hungry for revenge. Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) pops up, as do a few family ties, although the plot isn't really the main focus of this dip back into choppy waters. Just as amusement park attractions are more about thrills and theme than narrative, so too is Dead Men Tell No Tales. Taking the helm after impressing with the ocean-faring Kon-Tiki, directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg soon lose control of their vessel, serving up bland nautical action alongside their predictably unbearable protagonist. Given that this franchise has been surfing a downwards trajectory from the outset, we shouldn't really be surprised by the failure of this latest outing. An initial burst of energy, a couple of new faces and Bardem reliably playing the villain are all promising signs, but they're not enough to turn sea trash into treasure. Hold onto your hats though, me hearties, as it seems the franchise won't be walking the plank just yet. Like plenty of other big-budget sequels of late, Dead Men Tell No Tales appears as though it's just treading water for another installment. Next time, maybe follow Sparrow's lead and load up on rum. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dhAxBe3uqk
Let’s face it, the past few months have been a boon for Mayan 2012 doomsayers. Floods in Australia, Christchurch flattened by an earthquake, and most recently Japan suffering the triple blow of quake, tsunami, and nuclear catastrophe. The scenes of devastation have led people to donate cash and their own time to help with relief efforts. But what do you do if the tyranny of distance and the fact you’re a struggling artist make it impossible to help out? Well, why not donate your art? Proving that the internet can actually be used for good, BuzzFeed has collated a gallery of art works inspired by the disaster in Japan, with the artists donating proceeds to relief efforts. A number of the works are from the Threadless Japan and Pacific Relief T-shirt Challenge, which called for designs reacting to the events in Japan — the most popular design will soon go into production and be sold to raise money for the Red Cross. Others come from the Poster Cause Project, which gets artists to design posters for a new cause each month and donates 50% of all profits to charity. Others still, like the charitable storm troopers are the artists’ own initiative. Browse the Art for Japan gallery and, if something grabs your attention, don’t be afraid to purchase – after all, it’s going to a good cause. Or, if you’re feeling arty, why not donate your creative juices to something meaningful? Threadless are now calling for submissions on the theme ‘Acts of Green’ to support Earth Day.
Cards on the table: thanks to Russian Doll and the Knives Out franchise, Natasha Lyonne and Rian Johnson are both on a helluva streak. In their most recent projects before now, each has enjoyed a hot run not once but twice. Lyonne made time trickery one of the best new shows of 2019, plus a returning standout in 2022 as well, while Johnson's first Benoit Blanc whodunnit and followup Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery were gems of the exact same years. The latter also saw the pair team up briefly — Lyonne and Johnson, that is, although getting a Russian Doll-meets-Knives Out crossover from the universe, or just the Netflix algorithm, would be a dream. Until that wish comes true, there's Poker Face. It's no one's stopgap or consolation prize, however. This new mystery-of-the-week series is an all-out must-see in its own right, and one of 2023's gleaming streaming aces already. Given its components and concept, turning out otherwise would've been the biggest head-scratcher. Beneath aviator shades, a trucker cap and her instantly recognisable (albeit sun-bleached here) locks, Lyonne plays detective again, as she did in Russian Doll — because investigating why you're looping through the same day over and over, or jumping through time, is still investigating. Johnson gives the world another sleuth, too, after offering up his own spin on Agatha Christie-style gumshoes with the ongoing Knives Out saga. This time, he's dancing with 1968–2003 television series Columbo, right down to Poker Face's title font. Lyonne isn't one for playing conventional detectives — not that she couldn't, or wouldn't nail it hands down. Streaming on Stan in Australia and TVNZ On Demand in New Zealand, Poker Face casts her as Charlie Cale, who starts poking around in sudden deaths thanks to an unusual gift and a personal tragedy. As outlined in the show's ten-part first season, four episodes of which arrive on Friday, January 27 with new chapters dropping weekly afterwards, Charlie is a human lie detector. She can instantly tell if someone is being untruthful, a knack she first used in gambling before getting on the wrong side of the wrong people. Then, when a friend and colleague at the far-from-flashy Las Vegas casino where Charlie works winds up dead, that talent couldn't be handier. Poker Face's 1970s-inspired debut episode sets up three whys: why its charmingly wry and affably no-nonsense protagonist knows when anyone around her is fibbing, why the series itself follows her road-tripping across America in a rundown Plymouth Barracuda, and why an episodic array of murders in different places is in her future. Courtesy of her gift, she's soon fleeing casino boss Sterling Frost Sr (Ron Perlman, Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio) and his enforcer Cliff Legrand (Benjamin Bratt, DMZ), then taking whichever odd jobs she can find from town to town. The show's second instalment sees her car break down, requiring a mechanic to patch it up — while its third takes her to a famed brisket barbecue business, and its fourth involves a hit 90s metal band attempting to reclaim past glories on tour. In Poker Face's fifth episode, an aged-care home is the scene of a crime. And in its sixth, two former TV co-stars bicker their way through a play until someone becomes a victim. "Why?" isn't just a question that Johnson — as Poker Face's creator, the writer and director of its first instalment, a helmer twice more, plus a scribe once again as well — has to establish, and fast. As Charlie notes about her preternatural ability, "the real trick of it is figuring out why: why somebody is lying". People spout fabrications and deceptions all day every single day, as she can't avoid everywhere she goes. Mostly, they're minor and have little impact on anyone else, Charlie advises. But it's the reasoning behind the bigger falsehoods that she's interested in. So, the show moves her from place to place, has her hear a lie just as a body shows up, then saddles her with puzzling out what's going on — and, yes, why. Poker Face doesn't hide its own formula, laying it bare from the outset. In its opening episode and all that follow, the focus initially sits with someone who isn't long for this world, their killer and the surrounding players. Viewers watch what happens to that chapter's fated person, scope out all the connected parties, then team up with Charlie — learning where she fits in and witnessing her getting to the bottom of the latest death. Poker Face's audience has the advantage of already seeing what occurred, of course. But, as it does for Charlie, the why still requires unravelling. Often she's putting together what viewers know, but adding further details or context, or seeing the various pieces from different angles. She's also openly calling bullshit frequently, with Lyonne uttering it as often and distinctively as she does "cockroaches" in Russian Doll. In the era of peak TV — peak streaming also — as populated by hook-heavy series demanding non-stop binges, Poker Face does something old-fashioned: it revels in its standalone chapters. Wanting to watch one after another after another is still the end result, but soaking in each mystery rather than constantly setting up the next twist is the show's main aim. Some elements bleed from one instalment to the next, as Charlie keeps trying to evade her pursuers. But for between 45–60 minutes per episode, there's a whodunnit to solve, a contained cast of players, and plenty of Lyonne being a sharp, droll and astute delight. Sometimes she's tasting pieces of wood, too, or calling a dog a fascist. In fact, in the same very episode that contains the timber chewing and canine altercations, she also introduces someone to Bong Joon-ho's Okja — because Poker Face's small joys are many. As comes with the case-of-the-week territory — see also: one of the all-timers in this genre, Law & Order — this series' sweet sleuthing baby is joined by a masterful cast of familiar guest stars. When Lyonne isn't squaring off against Adrien Brody (See How They Run), she's hanging out with The Menu's Hong Chau and Judith Light, or with Lil Rel Howery (Deep Water) and Danielle MacDonald (The Tourist). Her Russian Doll mother Chloë Sevigny (Bones and All) leads those aforementioned metal rockers, while Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Pinocchio), Ellen Barkin (Animal Kingdom), Nick Nolte (The Mandalorian), Cherry Jones (Succession), Jameela Jamil (She-Hulk: Attorney at Law) and newly minted Oscar-nominee Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All At Once) also feature. Throw in Johnson's own history with mysteries, hailing back to his stellar 2005 movie debut Brick and also including Looper, and Poker Face couldn't boast a better winning hand. Going all in for the series and its big bag of fun is the natural response. Check out the full trailer for Poker Face below: Poker Face streams from Friday, January 27 via Stan in Australia and TVNZ On Demand in New Zealand. Images: Peacock.
UPDATE: October 9, 2020: Just Mercy is available to stream via Netflix, Google Play, YouTube, iTunes and Amazon Video. When Walter McMillian was arrested in 1987 for the murder of a white teenager Ronda Morrison, the African American man was immediately sent to Alabama's death row. Before his was convicted and sentenced — before his trial even started — he spent 15 months among men condemned to die for their crimes. This move, orchestrated by the Monroeville sheriff's office, was extraordinary. It also speaks volumes about the way McMillian was treated from the moment he was cuffed. It's a minor detail in Just Mercy, the legal drama that tells his story, and McMillian is by no means the only person the tactic was used on — but if a suspect is saddled with such a fate before their day in court, how can justice ever truly prevail? That's one of the questions that lawyer Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan) both ponders and seeks to redress in Just Mercy, with the movie exploring his tale as much as McMillian's (Jamie Foxx). Another issue the crusading attorney tackles: why black defendants are instantly assumed guilty, but the same rarely applies to white culprits. This is a film filled with fervour, charting the Stevenson's efforts to save a man facing execution. It's also an indictment of the inequities of America's legal system, and of US society as a whole. Those two aims are intertwined, of course. The minutiae of McMillian's case remains heartbreakingly familiar, as does Stevenson's accompanying battle for fairness — because in situations like this, the names may change but the details usually stay much the same. When the feature introduces Stevenson, he's an idealistic Harvard student meeting his first death row prisoner. Realising how much he has in common with the incarcerated young man — and seeing the difference lending a kindly ear makes — he commits to fighting against unjust death sentences when he graduates from college. After securing federal funding, crossing paths with the similarly passionate Eva Ansley (Brie Larson) and starting an organisation called the Equal Justice Initiative, he moves to Alabama in 1989 to do exactly that. McMillian's case is still the talk of Monroeville and, although it takes time to convince the imprisoned man himself, it's soon Stevenson's priority. Even audiences with zero prior knowledge of McMillian's plight can guess what comes next. A plethora of evidence proves his innocence, while just as much illustrates how little the folks that put him behind bars cared about his legal rights — or about true justice. Confronted with these facts, everyone involved in the local legal system sports an uncaring attitude, including the new prosecutor (Rafe Spall) who refuses to reopen the case. Adapted from Stevenson's own memoir by writer/director Destin Daniel Cretton with his The Glass Castle co-scribe Andrew Lanham, each of Just Mercy's revelations, speeches and courtroom showdowns plays out as expected; however, that's actually part of what makes this earnest movie pack a punch. Just Mercy boasts much that other films would envy, such as an emotive true tale, serious subject matter that's sadly still relevant today and a top-notch cast. Eyes blazing, his voice calm yet commanding, and compassion driving his every move, Jordan is especially fantastic as Stevenson — and he's matched by a restrained but no less resonant Foxx as a man resigned to the lie of the land in the deep south. But the feeling that this has all been seen before is used to particularly compelling effect here. It's something that Cretton is clearly cognisant of, as he was when he focused on troubled teens living in a group home in the excellent Short Term 12. Layering in other cases, such as that of fellow death row prisoner Herbert Richardson (Rob Morgan), the filmmaker draws attention to the unending spate of real-life stories such as these. That's not a new revelation, but it bears heavily on a movie that's already weighty anyway. Indeed, in the feature's most powerful scenes, Cretton makes viewers face the ultimate consequences of a legal system predicated upon prejudice rather than justice. His is a measured and polished film both visually and tonally, but it purposefully lingers as one character inches towards their state-sanctioned end — lurking over every step and staring at the pain in the condemned man's expression, all to evoke a concerted sense of discomfort. This approach is far from understated, although neither is Just Mercy in general. Sincerity and deliberation don't have to go hand-in-hand with subtlety, after all. These types of tales might've reached pages and screens so often that they've become standard (McMillian's hometown of Monroeville was also the place where To Kill a Mockingbird's Harper Lee grew up, as the feature points out repeatedly), but this one firmly demonstrates why the fact they've become so routine also remains undeniably rousing, moving and devastating. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78k9Mhgzy74
Vivid is back in town for 2023 and the lineup couldn't get much bigger. From the festival's first dedicated program of food events to a massive live music contingent across venues the Sydney Opera House, Carriageworks and The Abercrombie, the 23-day festival is filling Sydney with a massive array of events from Friday, May 26–Sunday, June 17. The headline happenings include a two-week residency from New York chef Daniel Humm at Matt Moran's Aria, a live chat between The White Lotus' Mike White and Jennifer Coolidge and Devonté Hynes (also known as Blood Orange) performing selected classical works with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra — but these will set you back a pretty penny. While everyone's feeling the pinch of inflation, we've compiled a list of the best free and affordable things you can catch at this year's festival. Here are our picks for the 14 best things to do at Vivid 2023 for under $50. Top image: Daniel Boud.
Afterglow at PACT centre for emerging artists is a two-week season showcasing what the company does best: enable independent artists to create experimental theatre. PACT has curated two works for Afterglow from two of Sydney’s up-and-coming theatre talents. The Great Speckled Bird is an intermedia performance by Ryan McGoldrick, and Dining [Uns]-Table a dance-theatre performance by Cloé Fournier. The two works generate conversation across different disciplines (digital media/live music/dance). Although stylistically diverse, they call and respond to shared themes of family, storytelling and real (and distorted) memory. By no accident, on opening night PACT’s artistic director and CEO Katrina Douglas made direct reference to arts funding cuts currently being disputed in the Senate. She said it was now more crucial than ever to get behind emerging artists like McGoldrick and Fournier, who have realised these solo shows through a rigorous cycle of research, review and practice.
This new work by the internationally revered Back to Back Theatre centres on three warehouse employees struggling with a seemingly meaningless task. As they physically toil, they also grapple with intellectual obstacles — questions of inclusion, identity and cooperation. This intriguing piece of contemporary storytelling reflects on the often-overlooked and vulnerable voices in a world where outrage and righteousness can be deafening. Winner of the 2024 Venice Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, Back to Back Theatre's latest triumph pushes the characters on stage to challenge the limitations of their bodies and their capacity to care. Multiple Bad Things is a dynamic work that explores real-world struggles the way only truly innovative art can. Image: Jeff Busby
Jamie North's work is bound to be unlike any art practice you've seen before. Using a single exposed column as a clue, the sculptures featured in his newest exhibition, Terraforms are modelled on the pillars encased in Sarah Cottier Gallery. However, from the slick base upwards the pillars slowly disintegrate, housing micro-environments of many different plant species. Mirrored by the hard glossy floor, it is as if these sculptures are caught in a process of premature decay, invoking a poetic image of ancient ruins being reclaimed by nature. There's even a few companion columns shaped like the remnants of a gate. Through his practice, North addresses how landscapes are impacted by industry. The accelerated erosion of his sculptures could be interpreted as an ominous reflection of the way we ceaselessly churn through limited resources. In this way, the temporal jolt that comes with this ruinous aesthetic seems to frame humanity retrospectively. In spite of the monolithic appearance of these structures, they are actually built of industrial waste. There is a sharp irony wherein organic life is supported by coal ash and steel stag. However, North also undermines the monumentalism that has captivated civilisation and infers towards the fallacy of building something that will last forever. The colossal structures of our time are destined to crumble and be re-absorbed back into the landscape they once colonized. North seems to create a microcosmic, gallery-tailored version of this cyclic power struggle between natural and artificial. Chiselling down the centre of these pillars, North plants the seeds of environmental recuperation. He has an encyclopaedic knowledge of Australian plant life and unless you're an ecology buff, the subtleties between species might be lost. As greenery clings to concrete, it also reaches upwards and outwards, becoming entwined with other shoots. Combined with the rough composite material of the pillar's core, we are witnessing a back-to-basics blossoming of little ecosystems. There is a deep sense of time and process embedded in these works, as well as an organic re-modelling of structures in anticipation of sustainability. In addition to North's sculptures, there is an accompanying pair of black and white photographs. Aptly titled Moving Mountains, the glistening contours of these steel slag mountains create the impression that loose stones are sliding forward. Importantly, this is an example of manmade geography, perhaps an example of the kind of monumentalism North negates with his sculptures. Nevertheless, these images reinforce his preoccupation with the various phases of industry. North is keenly aware of how we manipulate environments, rehearsing the way in which materials are extracted from nature, refined, accumulated, used, and potentially re-used.
So, you've always wanted to explore Australia, but keep jetting off overseas instead. Or, maybe you like the idea of travelling more than actually doing it. For anyone keen to experience destinations they haven't yet visited — and for those that are happy enough to pretend that they're on holiday instead of hopping on a plane — virtual reality offers a solution. And, with their new VR app, Qantas is jumping on that bandwagon. Fresh from announcing that they're closing in on non-stop flights between Australia and Europe, the airline has released their next attempt to change travelling as we know it. Courtesy of 13 immersive 360-degree videos, you can now enjoy everything from a world-first virtual fly over of Uluru to diving at the Great Barrier Reef off Hamilton Island. Heading to Sydney's VIVID, climbing the Harbour Bridge, taking a sunset river cruise through Kakadu National Park, and discovering the spectacular sights and inhabitants of Ormiston Gorge — they're all on the agenda (and once you've felt just like you're there, Qantas is clearly hoping that you'll book a real trip). You can also glide in a hot air balloon over Alice Springs and sail to Whitehaven Beach as part of your virtual tour of the country. Additional content showcasing other locations will be rolled out over the coming weeks, so if you've caught the VR travel bug, your journey is just beginning. And while the Qantas VR app is currently available on iPhone, Android, Samsung Gear VR, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive devices, don't stress if you don't have the requisite headwear — you can also watch in 2D mode on your phone.
Parlour X is housed in an old sandstone building on Oxford Street — known as 'The Church' — and is difficult to miss. It was founded in 2001 by owner Eva Galambos, after a career spanning 12 years as a commercial fashion agent for Giorgio Armani and Nicole Farhi in London and Sydney. With this in mind, it's little surprise that Parlour X has carved out a name for itself as the leading one-stop shop for luxury designer wear and accessories. Inside the grandiose building, you'll find premiere collections from high-end international and Australian labels including Fendi, Paco Rabanne, Comme Des Garçons and Christopher Esber. Galambos also uses her exposure to Europe's high-end fashion world to promote and showcase emerging Australian designers.
If Chapter One is the beginning of some magical and mystical culinary food novel, we want to read the whole book. Since opening last year, Chapter One Coffee and Wine Room has attracted a regular flow of loyal locals. This quaint cafe is perched upon Campbell Parade, and from here you can see the sparkling Pacific as you order your morning coffee. With its Tuscan wine cellar feel, pendant lightbulbs, exposed brick, boho Bangalow rugs and vintage glass jar ornaments, Chapter One is a stunning little hole in the wall. It's got charm, it's got magic and you can't help but to feel like you have tumbled out of a story book setting. Their morning menu is relaxed (think marinated feta, avocado and soft boiled eggs over sourdough) and lunch offers fresh sandwiches and salads. Where this little cutie really hits it's stride though, is in the evening. With its fresh pasta, charcuterie and cheeses with wines from Australia, New Zealand and beyond to match the menu, Chapter One is a very welcome addition to Sydney's famous beachside suburb.
If you're a vegetarian, worshipper of eggplant or just a keen home cook, chances are Yotam Ottolenghi has had some impact on your life. In fact, we bet you've got at least one of his bestselling cookbooks in your cupboard. Next year, you'll be able to learn a few more tips and tricks from the renowned Israeli chef as he heads to Down Under for a speaking tour. The trailblazing chef, author, TV personality and restaurateur whose name has become its own cooking style is touring the country in 2023 off the back of his book Ottolenghi Flavour, which builds on his love for innovative vegetable-based recipes. And yes, this'll sound familiar, as he was planning to head Down Under in 2021 and at the beginning of 2022 — but we all know what got in the way. [caption id="attachment_864021" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Stuart Simpson[/caption] Yotam Ottolenghi — Flavour of Life will hit Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Auckland and Wellington in January — and, as well as dishing up a few spicy secrets behind mouthwatering hits like miso butter onions and spicy mushroom lasagne, the show will provide an opportunity to hear directly from the man himself about his influences and experiences. It also promises to delve into Ottolenghi's experience as the owner of famed London restaurants Nopi and Rovi, how he approached home cooking during the COVID-19 pandemic and how you can dial up the flavour in your own kitchen. [caption id="attachment_768174" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Flickr/Stijn Nieuwendijk[/caption] YOTAM OTTOLENGHI 2023 AUSTRALIAN TOUR: Saturday, January 21 — Canberra Theatre Centre Sunday, January 22 — ICC Sydney Monday, January 23 — Adelaide Convention Centre Wednesday, January 25 — Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Aotea Centre, Auckland Friday, January 27 — Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington Saturday, January 28 — QPAC Concert Hall, Brisbane Sunday, January 29 — Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne The Yotam Ottolenghi — Flavour of Life will tour Australia and New Zealand in January 2023. For further details or to buy tickets, head to the tour website.
The Source Bulk Foods is a busy little slice of Glebe's best shopping strip. The corner store offers a healthy, organic and waste free approach to stocking your home full of ingredients for delicious snacks and fragrant meals. Since 2012, the family owned business has sprung up multiple successful stores from its home in Byron Bay all the way to Glebe Point Road. The focus is simple: healthy, organic food free from plastic packaging. Take a few jars down and fill up on what you need, minimising waste and embracing a healthier lifestyle.
Put your laughing pants on Sydney, because the Sydney Comedy Festival is back and it's too much for non-laughing pants to handle (so don't say we didn't warn you). This year marks the festival's tenth birthday, and yet the festival is giving you all the gifts. There's gifts for those who want to rip through the paper and find a stand-up comic, and gifts for those who want to gently unwrap the surprise of an offbeat and hard-to-describe show. Gifts for all comedic persuasions. Here are our top ten picks and remember: laughing pants. STEEN RASKOPOULOS: I'M WEARING TWO SUITS BECAUSE I MEAN BUSINESS Steen Raskopoulos is one of the best performers in Sydney and after this run, he'll probably be the best. His one-man sketch show at last year's festival, Bruce SpringSTEEN Live in Concert!, earned him the festival's Best Newcomer Award and he's back with even more quirky characters that only Steen's imagination and energy can bring to life. In short: one of the most hilarious nights of comedy you'll see this year. Also, if you see him after the show his name is Steen, not Steve. The Factory Theatre, May 13-18. Tickets: $15-$22. 25TH ANNUAL SYDNEY COMEDY SPELLING BEE "Your word is excellent." "Can you use it in a sentence please?" "The 25th Annual Sydney Comedy Spelling Bee is the most excellent idea for a show at this year's Sydney Comedy Festival and every person living in the Harbour City should go and see it." Comedians will be taking to the stage attempting to spell some of the most difficult and silly words in the dictionary, as well as words probably not in there. It promises to be both absurd and incredibly funny. The Factory Theatre, May 10. Tickets $13-$16. MATT OKINE: HAPPINESS NOT INCLUDED It's been a pretty big 12 months for Matt Okine. After performing to sold-out venues across the world, Okine took his wit to the Triple J studio to help us all wake up in the morning and look forward to our day a little more. Thankfully he hasn't stopped doing what he is best at and is performing his new show, Happiness Not Included, at this year's festival. Your happiness is definitely included. Thatchers Cider House at The Factory Theatre, April 30 to May 10. Tickets: $19-$29. DIE ROTEN PUNKTE If you like getting your laughs in the form of music, then Die Roten Punkte is the act for you. They're half Flight of the Conchords, half The Hives and all brilliant. The brother and sister from Berlin have mastered what they do to give their audiences so much more than some funny, clever songs. Their embodiment of their personas and the timing of their interactions makes for a polished show that has sold-out worldwide. Go to this. The Factory Theatre, May 7. Tickets: $28-$32. JUSTINE ROGERS: SHAME, YOU'RE THE WORST Dr. Justine Rogers is a university lecturer who is the funniest doctor performing at this year's festival. Her show Shame, You're The Worst is guaranteed to be the most PowerPoint- and case study-filled comedy show you'll see this year (or ever), but her exploration of shame is refreshingly entertaining. All lectures should be this funny. The Enmore Theatre, May 9 & 11. Tickets: $15. BEAR PACK: FUNKALICIOUS DYNAMITE IMPRO The Bear Pack's Carlo Ritchie and Steen Raskopoulos have a chemistry on stage with one another that is so natural that the show seems rehearsed. Not a beat is skipped and if there is a show at the 2014 SCF that will make you ROFL then this is it. You'll get something entirely new every night, so why not see all three shows? Seymour Centre, May 8-10. Tickets: $15-$18. FREE TO A GOOD HOME LIVE PODCAST If you've missed the emergence of Free To A Good Home then jump on it now. The Free to a Good Home team — Ben Jenkins and Michael Hing — explore the classifieds for the oddest advertisements and discuss why they exist. It's brilliant and makes for a lot of awkward looks on silent peak hour buses when you laugh. Thankfully, now you can laugh with fellow listeners and see the magic behind the podcast (and receive a live snack report from Jenkins). The Factory Theatre, May 3. Tickets: $11-$16. SUSIE YOUSSEF: SKETCHUAL CHOCOLATE Youseff is so much fun to watch in this one-woman sketch show, as she has everything at her disposal. She can play so many different characters (including invisible ones) and if the reviews of her Melbourne run are anything to go by, then this could be the stand-out of the festival. The Factory Theatre, May 7-10. Tickets: $15. CARLO RITCHIE: ONE MAN YARNS No one can spit nonsense about anything and everything in the way that Ritchie does. Thankfully, he's realised it and created an improvised 50-minute show that allows him to do what he is best at. You certainly won't regret spending $15 on this. The Enmore Theatre, May 1-4. Tickets: $15. THEATRESPORTS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS This is worth seeing if only for the NSW champions competing. Hans & Otto (pictured above) are the most entertaining Eastern-European (impersonator) improv team you'll ever see. They are a kinetic ball of energy that won't cease until they've made you laugh as much as physically possible. Throw in the best improvisers from Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Canberra and this is set to be a battle not to be missed. The Enmore Theatre, April 26. Tickets: $28-$65. The Sydney Comedy Festival is on from April 22 to May 17. For the full program and to book tickets, check out the festival website.
The secret to humour is surprise. With these famous words of Aristotle in mind, Club Cab Sav is a comedy night all about surprising its audience. Aware that there is a comedy-loving audience in Sydney overwhelmed by the multitude of stand-up-exclusive clubs operating, Club Cab Sav offers its patrons an alternative take on the traditional night of laughs: a mash-up of comedy and performance styles that creates a night that you will never see repeated. Expect to see a mixed bag of entertainment experiments, laugh-inducing comedy and an eclectic palette of performances, all for just $10. With upcoming guests including Nick Sun and Sydney comedy favourite Cyrus Bezyan, that is serious value for money. Club Cab Sav is held on the last Wednesday of every month at FBi Social, and if you enter with an open mind, then you are sure to leave wearing a quirky smile.
We know exactly what we are talking about when it comes to Ronny Chieng; he’s brilliant, and we’re not the only ones who think so. He won best show at last year’s Sydney Comedy Festival, the Director’s Award at the 2014 Melbourne International Comedy Festival and supported Dave Chappelle, one of the biggest names in the business, on his tour of Australia. He’s even been nominated for Cleo Bachelor of the Year. So do yourself a favour and buy a ticket to find out why he deserves every one of these accolades. Ronny Chieng performs May 8 and 15. This is one of our top picks of the Sydney Comedy Festival. Check out our full top ten.
When we take that first sip of our barista-brewed coffee on a workday morning, we often say to ourselves, and our friends, "I can't imagine living without coffee." Well, what about living without a roof over your head or a guaranteed meal? Unfortunately, this is what many homeless people around Australia face each day, but on Friday, August 8, you can help out simply by purchasing a coffee as part of CafeSmart. CafeSmart is an annual event from StreetSmart that raises money and awareness for the homeless and is back for its fourth year running, aiming to build on the $83,950 raised last year. From every coffee purchased at a participating cafe, $1 will be donated towards local projects, so if your cafe is not participating, head to one that is, just for one day. You can also donate at the counter, so if you prefer a hot chocolate, then you can still help out. It's one day when the little things can definitely make a big difference.
If this Cinco de Mayo finds you in Byron Bay (and if it does, let it be known that we’re jealous), salsa on down to seasprayed local cantina Miss Margarita. This colourful shack does the kind of vibrant, uncomplicated, flavourful Mexican nosh you’d expect from the beachside town and once hub of hippiedom, and they’re joining forces with Corona to celebrate the now-international day of Mexican culture appreciation (slash excuse to challenge yourself to a fajita-eating competition of one). Head down at lunch, hand over $15, and you get a Corona and two of Miss Margarita’s super fresh tacos. These guys are no mean feast, with varieties like tropical pork with pineapple, shredded chilli and tamarind beef, and house black beans with feta and jalapenos that’ll have you lip-smacking and finger-licking your way out of there. They’ve also got $25 Corona buckets all day long (or one for $7.50) and a $5 happy hour from 5–6pm. That’s a deal we can say ¡Salud! to.
Luxury spas and wellness clubs are popping up all over Australia right now, but more affordable alternatives are a little more difficult to find. Most of us can't fork out hundreds of dollars a month to relax our stressed-out minds and restore our tired bodies. Enter P3 Recovery, a not-so-spenny Queensland-based wellness brand that's got big expansion plans across the country's east coast. It currently has four locations — two in Brisbane, one on the Gold Coast and now, one in Port Melbourne — but there are over ten more in the works, in big cities and regional towns all along the eastern seaboard. No venue is exactly the same, but you'll likely find infrared saunas, hyperbaric chambers, hot and cold baths, and a range of therapy treatments — from compression therapy and IV therapy to breathwork classes and contrast therapy. These are available to those recovering from injuries, training to be fitter or simply looking to unwind. Compared to the luxury spas that dominate this kind of comprehensive wellness scene, weekly memberships and individual sessions are somewhat cheaper — but prices do vary from site to site. The entry-level memberships give you access to wet therapy spaces (from about $25–$35 a week), while the incrementally more expensive options let you try more and more of the technologies available — these can get a lot pricier. You can also just book a one-off session if that's more your jam, either by yourself or with mates. P3 isn't as swish as the best spas in Melbourne, Brisbane or Sydney, but you don't necessarily need all the bells and whistles when seeking that self-care life. Current P3 Recovery wellness centres can be found in Brisbane, Gold Coast and Melbourne, with plenty more locations to come. For more information, head to the brand's website.
Coles, Woolworths and Aldi could be in for some stiff competition, as German supermarket giant Kaufland announces plans to open Down Under. Having launched way back in 1984, the chain's owned by the Schwarz Group, which takes out the title of the fourth largest retailer in the world. Now, with close to 1300 international stores under its belt, Kaufland wants a piece of the Aussie pie and it's revealed the locations of its first three local one-stop supermarkets. Set to drop a cool $459 million in initial investment, the group's scored planning approval to build stores in Dandenong, Chirnside Park and Epping in Victoria. Each site will be around 4000 square metres, with its own butcher, bakery and bottle shop, and an assortment of small businesses — such as nail salons, sushi bars and cafes — adjacent, too. Kaufland has also kicked off construction work on a mammoth, state-of-the-art distribution centre in the northern suburb of Mickleham. Taking up around 115,000 square metres — or the size of six MCGs — this building will be the largest of its kind in the country. Three further local retail sites are currently waiting on approval, with plans to open a stack more across the country after that. Kaufland is also planning to base its Australian headquarters in Melbourne and says it will source local products to stock its stores wherever possible. Kaufland's website states it's out to 'disrupt the Australian retail sector', delivering competitive prices across a hefty range of food and non-food items. Kauflands are slated to open at 592–594 High Street, Epping; 266 Maroondah Highway, Chirnside Park; and 1–5 Gladstone Road, Dandenong. We'll let you know as soon as opening dates are announced.
You're unlikely to get authentic home-cooked Italian food unless your mama or papa is from the homeland. The rest of us have to do with an Aussified version. So it's a great thing that Sydney is overwhelmed with Italian restaurants. Is there a need for another? Serial restaurateur Mauro Marcucci certainly thinks so, adding the newly opened Baccomatto Osteria in Surry Hills to his oeuvre. The man behind Mille Vini and Enopizzeria has fashioned a minimalistic place to find rustic food adjoining the traveler lodge-like Cambridge Hotel. Baccomatto, meaning "mad mouth" in Italian, isn't trying to be fancy pants fine dining, but a relaxed place to socialise. In doing so, with authentic regional dishes and sauces, it succeeds where other stuffier places fail, in good-natured service and a lack of omnipresent Buddha Bar ambient beats in the background. The entrees are pretty small, with fried zucchini flowers ($4.50 each), fried mozzarella balls with an anchovy centre ($4.50) and rice balls with a ragu surprise in the middle ($4). Tasty but light. The bad boys come out with the mains – a ragu-like bombolotti in slow cooked tomato sauce with a scattershot of locally sourced bacon ($28) is again a tad small but delicious. The chargrilled spatchcock ($26) is spread-eagled on the plate and tender, although it needs an accompanying side dish. Try the roast potato with rosemary ($7). The desserts by contrast are generous – a hazelnut freddo ($13) with cocoa and raspberry puree swirls, and the light sponge cake with a ricotta and dark chocolate belly are a bravado finish. Relaxed but stylish, simple and subtle yet intricate, this "mad mouth" talks sense.
Some bands are so influential, so pioneering and so ahead of their time that they change the course of music history. Electro trailblazers Kraftwerk are one such group. Forming in Düsseldorf in 1970, they quickly segued from krautrock to diving into the electronic scene — and imagining the future, including experimenting with robotics, in the process. The song 'Computer Love'? Back in the 80s, it foresaw internet dating. Unsurprisingly, Kraftwerk have left their mark on everything from their chosen genre and techno to synth pop and hip hop since. Also, more than five decades later, the German outfit is still touring. Kraftwerk's live shows are an experience, combining the band's electronic music computer animations and performance art. Take note, audiences Down Under, because the group is heading to Australia and New Zealand in November and December. The multi-media project founded by Ralf Huetter and Florian Schneider, and that aims to create "gesamtkunstwerk — a total work of art" — in each gig, will play seven shows in total across both countries. The 2023 tour starts in Wellington on Wednesday, November 29. From there, Kraftwerk will take to the stage in Auckland, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, then end their trip in Perth on Friday, December 15. Expect synthetic voices and computerised rhythms aplenty — it is what Kraftwerk's music is known for, and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame for — plus a visual show that ponders man and machine to match. Kraftwerk's latest visit Down Under comes after the band played Vivid in 2015, as part of 3D Kraftwerk — The Catalogue 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8, which saw them perform eight albums from 1974's Autobahn through to 2003's Tour de France over four nights at the Sydney Opera House. Since starting their retrospective gigs at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 2012, they've hit up everywhere from London's Tate Modern and Bilbao's Guggenheim Museum to Tokyo's Akasaka Blitz and Los Angeles' Walt Disney Concert Hall. KRAFTWERK AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND 2023 TOUR: Wednesday, November 29 — TSB Arena, Wellington Friday, December 1 — Spark Arena, Auckland Monday, December 4 — Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Brisbane Wednesday, December 6 — Aware Super Theatre, Sydney Friday, December 8 — Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne Tuesday, December 12 — Adelaide Entertainment Centre Theatre, Adelaide Friday, December 15 — Riverside Theatre, PCEC, Perth Kraftwerk tours Australia and New Zealand in November and December 2023, with pre-sale tickets available from 11am local time on Monday, July 17 and general sales from 10am local time on Wednesday, July 19. Head to the tour website for tickets and further details.
UPDATE Tuesday, January 17: The final release of tickets for this intimate gig from The Presets will go on sale at 10am on Thursday, January 19th. Melbourne artist Swayfever has been hand-picked by the duo to support them on the night. The Presets are returning to a Sydney rave cave where they originally cut their teeth for a nostalgic one-off gig next year. The Sydney duo is taking over Wiliam Street's Club 77 for the first time in over a decade on Thursday, February 2 as part of a new event series run by Smirnoff. The Presets' intimate show at Club 77 will be the first of a series of similarly minded concerts that are set to pop up across the east coast as part of Smirnoff Origins. The idea behind the series is to bring popular acts back to their roots, placing them back on stages they performed at earlier in their career with the next generation of musical talent in support. "We're thrilled to head back to Club 77 to play at Smirnoff Origins, a venue that was so special to us coming up in Sydney music," The Presets' Julian Hamilton says. "Live music venues like this play such an important role in supporting up-and-coming musicians and we're on the lookout for an emerging artist to open our Smirnoff Origins show so we can pay it forward and create an opportunity for the next generation of artists." The Presets frequented Club 77 during a golden age for Sydney's electronic music scene as they were breaking through with their debut album Beams. In order to help facilitate the rise of the next Presets, the duo are hand-selecting an opening act for the show. Bands looking to enter the competition can by sending through their song via Spotify, Soundcloud or YouTube to the Smirnoff Australia Instagram. The winning act will open for The Presets and receive a set of prizes worth over $50,000 featuring a $5000 performance fee, a feature in Rolling Stone magazine, $30,000 worth of Smirnoff advertising support and a double gold pass to Splendour in the Grass 2023. Submissions for the competition close on Monday, December 19. If you want to nab tickets to the gig, you can purchase one for $50 from Moshtix, but hurry as they're sure to be snapped up fast. The Presets will perform a one-off show at Club 77 on Thursday, February 2. Tickets are on sale now.
The Sydney Comedy Festival is back for its ninth year and has today announced a program chock-a-block full of artists ready to leave you rolling on the floor laughing. This year's festival, running from Monday, April 22, until Saturday, May 11, features more than 150 side splitting shows. This has been made possible by the addition of new venues including Harold Park Hotel, the Concourse Theatre and a Container room at the popular Factory Theatre. Filling all this space is an eclectic arrangement of solo shows and showcases that dish up an extra large serving of both international and local acts. Gracing our shores for the first time is Tracy Morgan, star of Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock, who will be at the Enmore for one night only. Also premiering at the festival are Jarred Christmas, Alex Williamson of YouTube fame, and the masked Mexican wrestling marvel El Jaguar who will try to (metaphorically) powerbomb you into laughter. Sons of Singapore, Singapore's best new comics, continue the celebration of comedy from around the world and feature alongside Two & A Half Lebs and a multicultural lineup at the Ethnic Comedy All-Stars. Australians abound, with the Pajama Men bringing their unique physical comedy to the Seymour Centre in Pajama Men: Just the Two of Each of Us. Everyone’s favourite purple comedian Randy will be gracing the festival, this time sans Sammy J, in his first Sydney solo show. Our festival favourites are also back, with musical wizards the Axis of Awesome, handlebar-moustache-toting comedian Chopper, Canada's comedy crusader Arj Barker, and the dapper Stephen K. Amos all returning. The ever-popular showcases including the literal laugh a minute Sixty in 60, and Cracker Night is back, as is the Yalumba Wine Bar in the Enmore Theatre, a place where you can casually bump into your favourite acts and tell them that great joke you have. There are always hidden gems amongst the headliners as well, and that is the case once again this year. Steen Raskopoulus is ready to take this year's festival by storm, appearing in his excellently titled solo show Bruce SpringSTEEN Live in Concert as well as in The Bear Pack. MotherFather, the reigning Cranston Cup Champions, present their debut show PartyDinner whilst also competing for the TheatreSports National Championships, and Tom Ballard puts a face to the Triple J voice we all know in Tom Ballard: My Ego Is Better Than Your Ego. Gen Fricker is also back with her guitar and Michael Hing continues to storm up the comedy ladder with Michael Hing: Occupy White People. The laughs are back Sydney. Get your happy faces ready and check out the full program at the Sydney Comedy Festival website.
Raphael Morgan’s documentary photos Wild Mongolia are the star of the current three exhibitions at Gaffa. They take us across modern Mongolia itself — the most sparsely populated in the world — introducing us to herders, their families, flocks and lives. Within China's borders, an autonomous region called Mongolia strikes tensions of city versus nomad kind. Morgan's subject is the neighbouring, independent country of the same name. This Mongolia also also has a city/country divide, as minerals draw many of its citizens from a nomadic life to a growing slum around the capital Ulaanbaatar. Morgan’s photo work bridges both worlds, though this exhibition focuses more on the nomad life than that of the slum. It's Mongolian, it’s dusty and it’s in black and white. But this is a cowboy story. Morgan’s lens tracks lone riders lopes by dirt plains and rolling dry hills, settles on a stallion whose manes stoops to its knees and focuses on babysitting and babysat children, watching the world with wide jaws or stone-mouthed seriousness. Another child toddles in with the sheep. Mongolian tents are a big feature. While a Tsaatan teepee (and owner) gets a mention, most of these pictures are of low, circular gers (aka tents). One photo makes its ger look like nothing so much as a hobbit house let loose on a plain. Round, low-ceilinged, a small chimney and a squat (square) door at front.A bike and a motorbike lean against the side. Another photo of the same ger shows a solar panel on the roof and a satellite dish. Low, dusty hills roll away. More tents flock at a slum outside Ulaanbaatar. This slum looks something between a camping ground, a field of back sheds and a low-rise favela. Houses crawl up the hills in the background and spiny, wooden fences are everywhere. Though made of entirely familiar elements, this vista is unlike other places. What does it mean when nomadic people build a temporary slum? Is it easier for them to move on? Or, leaving their herds behind, are they as trapped as anyone else? Meanwhile, Susan Severino’s landscapes are the macro made micro. Here she studies mainly the tips mountains and ravines, taking one close-up snippet of her subject per canvas, like God’s collage-maker. Her mountain tops run like spines across the middle of her best canvases. Her colours are rich, impressionistic and at their best shine brilliantly. But some of the softer, less defined picture are less successful. And Hayden Youlley’s Paper Series sets out a small selection of porcelain cups and bowls, crumpled like paper at the base. It’s not a new trick, but it’s a good one. His work has the obligatory and appealing contrast between what the eye sees and what the hand expects. Photo: Mongolia 10 by Raphael Morgan.
If you’ve missed waking up with Tom every weekday morning since he left triple j, then now is the time to reconnect. Wil Anderson describes him as “one of the most original, fearless and hilarious voices in Australian comedy”, and that guy knows a thing or two. So get yourself down to The Comedy Store and catch Ballard's latest work of art. Be quick though; it will sell out. This is one of our top picks of the Sydney Comedy Festival. Check out our full top ten.
“Your word is ticket.” “Can you use it in a sentence?” “Get a ticket to this show, now!” This isn't your average night of comedy and it certainly isn't your average spelling bee. I mean sure, words are given to the contestants and they have to spell them correctly, but are all the words real? Probably not. Can they even be used in a sentence? We’re guessing no, but there's sure to be comical consequences aplenty for any incorrect answers. Michael Hing, Alex Lee and Patrick Byrnes are your gamemasters for the evening. This is one of our top picks of the Sydney Comedy Festival. Check out our full top ten.
Well that's a title, isn't it? Pay your money for an hour of songs and stories that will be wonderfully weird with a hint of delicious darkness. Gen Fricker's fresh off supporting superstar Reggie Watts on his recent national tour, so get in now so you can say you knew her way back when. This is one of our top picks of the Sydney Comedy Festival. Check out our full top ten.
Film and television aficionados take note — Tropfest Roughcut is back for its fourth instalment and should not be missed (particularly if you're thinking of entering your own short for Tropfest 2015). Featuring actors, directors, producers and comedians, the eclectic lineup of speakers will discuss creativity on the big and small screens. They will provide valuable insight to all interested in the industry, especially those looking to crack it. Headlining the list of industry heavyweight guest speakers will be director Alex Proyas, best known for I, Robot (2004) and cult classic The Crow (1994) and currently working on the much-anticipated blockbuster Gods of Egypt with Geoffrey Rush. Joining Proyas are Australian actor John Jarratt of Wolf Creek fame, motion picture stills photographer Jasin Boland (The Matrix, Mad Max: Fury Road, Skyfall), comedian and crowdfunder Dan Ilic and Triple J's regular film critic Marc Fennell, who will MC the event. With a mix of conversation, networking and panel discussions, it is no wonder that tickets are selling fast. Buy yours now to be ready for when Tropfest entries open on August 13.
Mirik Milan knows what it takes to keep the pulse of a city racing long into the night. For the past few years he's held the office of the Night Mayor of Amsterdam, a title given to the head of an advisory NGO tasked with building bridges between various stakeholders, including business owners, residents and government officials, to ensure the hours between sundown and sunup can be enjoyed by one and all. Sounds nice huh? Incidentally, if you're in Sydney right now, sobbing softly into your keyboard, please trust us when we tell you: we feel your pain — especially one day after the NSW Government has decided to 'relax' the lockout times by a mere 30 minutes. For the record, Milan feels your pain too. The former club promoter turned after-dark crusader was in the Harbour City last week as a guest of the annual Electronic Music Conference — and yes, he had plenty to say about the lockouts. [caption id="attachment_578891" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Night Mayor, Mirik Milan[/caption] "The lockouts are a symptom of an undereducated State Government," Milan tells Concrete Playground. "If you want to create behavioural change it needs to come from the grassroots up. If the idea is that you'll create behavioural change by imposing stricter laws on operators, you're blaming operators for a societal problem." "In my opinion, the reason why governments find it easier to clamp down on nightlife and just blame the operators is because that's the cheapest way to deal with it," he continues. "Starting a bunch of initiatives to inform people how to behave and to encourage people to drink less is much more expensive, and the risk of failing is much higher." Nevertheless, Milan believes the rewards of a bustling nightlife are well worth the effort. "Why is it important to have a vibrant nightlife?" asks Milan. "Because it will attract a lot of young, creative people. When you have a lot of young, creative people in a city, you have a lot of creative industries, and this is an engine for economic growth." So what would it take for Sydney to turn its nocturnal fortunes around? Below, Milan shares his tips on how to create a safe, prosperous and energetic nightlife. Let's just hope Mike Baird subscribes to our newsletter. TAKE CUES FROM INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVES THAT HAVE ACTUALLY WORKED Both the NSW and Queensland lockouts were introduced to stamp down on alcohol-related violence. But wouldn't it be nice if there was some way to do this without punishing those of us who can have a drink without throwing a punch? In Amsterdam's bar-filled Rembrandtplein district, the answer came in the form of so-called 'square hosts', whose job it is stop confrontations before they start. "They walk the street every Friday and Saturday night in the nightlife area and they try to de-escalate situations when there's something going on," explains Milan. "Unfortunately, when people have something to drink and they see the police, they see [them] as an aggressor. These square hosts are non-aggressive." Meanwhile, the City of Amsterdam has also developed an app that allows people to report antisocial behaviour to nearby community officers. "It means that complaints are dealt with really effectively," says Milan. "We understand that it can be super frustrating for residents that live around the nightlife square, and every weekend you have the same complaints and problems. With this system, you can [be in] direct contact with the community officer… and [it] really gives the residents the feeling that their problem is being listened to." But according to Milan, the biggest accomplishment of the project has been the introduction of 24-hour licenses. "What was really radical about this process was that for the first time in Amsterdam, licenses were given out not on the basis of whether you had four walls, a roof and a bouncer in front of the door, but on the basis of content," he says. "And when you focus on content you get a different kind of audience. These venues are all multidisciplinary. They have a bar, restaurant, live music, gallery space, some venues even run kindergartens." [caption id="attachment_602520" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Night Mayor Summit, nachtburgemeester.amsterdam[/caption] WORK WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS When it comes to making positive changes, Milan understands that collaboration is key, having discussed countless stakeholder viewpoints in community meetings, one-on-one talks and even at a dedicated Night Mayor Summit, the first of its kind, held in Amsterdam in April 2016. "Bring all the stakeholders together and try to come up with a solution and find a middle ground where everyone can benefit," he says. "Bridge the gap between the municipality, policy makers, small business owners and city residents. We always say by having a dialogue you can change the rules of the game." Milan also recommends fighting opposition with evidence instead of emotion. "We deal with [opposition] by making people aware that the baby steps that we make are reasonable," he tells us. "We like to run pilots, to see if [an initiative] works, to see if it doesn't have too much of an impact on residents, and then [we can make] an educated decision. Often these [initiatives] are tailor made for a certain area, because cities are becoming more and more complex… it's really about working together, and bringing operators and residents together, and seeing what works for your area." Ultimately, it helps that the economic incentive is there. "The value of the nighttime economy has become much more important for cities around the world over the last 10 to 15 years," says Milan. "I've never heard of mayors or city councils who want to kill jobs." [caption id="attachment_560788" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Kimberley Low.[/caption] GIVE PEOPLE THE RESPECT THEY DESERVE While you're never going to be able to get rid of every dickhead, in Milan's experience most people who go out at night want to do the right thing — especially when you treat them like grown-ups. "Send out a positive message," he suggests. "[Tell people] you can go out later, but you have to take care of your community." "For example, the Amsterdam Dance Event attracts 375,000 people to the city in five days," says Milan. "When people come into the airport, the first thing they see [are signs] saying, 'Welcome to ADE, be safe and have a great time.' And I get so many good responses from people saying, 'Wow, I feel so respected, I feel so welcome here, I will take care.''" "Give people the responsibility to take care of themselves," asserts Milan. "Of course, you have to have good legislation in place as well, but give them the right to take care of their community. This is a community that is open minded and willing to listen to these kinds of messages." Top image: Bodhi Liggett.
Delivery Man is not your typical Vince Vaughn film. Whilst we have grown accustomed to his formulaic comedic persona, here we are treated to a change of pace with a down-to-earth and likeable Vaughn. He plays David Wozniak, a perennial underachiever and incompetent meat truck driver for the family business (okay, so his stereotype remains to begin with). Triggered into bringing order to his life upon discovering his girlfriend Emma (Cobie Smulders) is pregnant, he is disturbed to find he is the biological father of 533 children, 142 of which are suing him to uncover his identity. This is all courtesy of a colossal mistake by the sperm donor facility a younger Wozniak anonymously frequented under the pseudonym 'Starbuck'. Delivery Man is the American adaptation of French-Canadian film Starbuck and succeeds largely due to the presence of Ken Scott, who wrote and directed the original. He ensures that the film retains its sincerity, allowing the exploration of the challenges of parenthood, albeit in farcically exaggerated circumstances, to bloom. Whilst the material provides plenty of opportunity for the film to descend into satire and farce, its decision to stay the course and explore the raw emotion of familial relationships is what makes this film worth giving a chance. It skips the diaper-changing staple of parenthood films and instead delves into the core of parenting: accepting your children no matter what. This allows for beautiful moments, the best of which is David visiting one of his sons who is severely disabled in a home. It is both touching and heart-warming, words I never thought I would write when discussing a film featuring Vaughn. Providing the comic relief is David's best friend and unsuccessful lawyer Brett, played brilliantly by Chris Pratt. Brett's attempt to single-handedly raise his four young children whilst pleading the case for his friend's anonymity provides the comic relief that frees Vaughn from his typical role of funny man. Pratt surely has a future of funny features ahead. Delivery Man of course has its faults, the largest of which is the injection of Wozniak's vegan hipster son Viggo (Adam Chanler-Berat); the writers clearly were unaware that these stereotypes were last funny three years ago. Viggo uncovers that David is the father of the list of plaintiffs (that includes himself) and yet saves nobody their suffering or legal costs by exposing him. Also, some of the connections feel short-lived, an inevitable product of suddenly trying to make a connection with 142 children in 100 minutes. This film won't win any awards, but it isn't trying to. Hollywood needs films like this to plug the gaps between the blockbusters and audiences need these films to watch in between the Harry Potters and Hobbits. Delivery Man fills this void and, if nothing else, should be a prime candidate for Cheap Tuesday. https://youtube.com/watch?v=yGAktL45XNQ
When it came time to get rid of my break up shoes (the ones my ex bought for me as he dumped me, a misguided attempt to soften the blow) to avoid wearing any more evidence of my heartache, I (anti-climactically) threw them in the bin. But what are you meant to do with everyday objects that remind you of lost love? Where do the gifts, love notes and left-behind odd socks end up? In 2006, Croatian-based artists and exes Olinka Vištica and Dražen Grubišić found themselves with a number of physical reminders of their broken relationship. What started as 'what do we do with all this crap?', grew into the Museum of Broken Relationships — first a travelling exhibition, then a permanent museum in Zagreb, Croatia, with an outpost in Los Angeles and a virtual collection online. Now, as part of the Melbourne Writers Festival's love-themed 2019 program, the cathartic exhibit has set up camp in the CBD's No Vacancy Gallery for the month of September. After a call for submissions, Vištica and Grubišić have curated a selection of items evoking memories of heartbreak and healing donated by Melburnians, which appear alongside favourites from the museum's permanent collection. Each piece is presented with a story — some simply a few words, others long tales of another time and place — and reflects how we love, and how we cope with loss. The exhibition will be open in Melbourne until the end of September — here are the highlights. [caption id="attachment_740627" align="alignnone" width="1920"] "Marie, I am getting a flat for myself, I will be back here Sunday night to sort my things out."[/caption] DECEMBER 25, 1975, AUSTRALIA The 1970s equivalent of getting dumped by text: ending a ten year relationship with a note. In just a couple of sentences, Marie conveys the hollow feeling we've all felt when disappointed by someone we loved. Did she keep this in a shoe box under the bed, forgotten about for four decades? Did she get it out occasionally and think back on the man she married, who left her for his secretary on Christmas Eve, just months after they found out she was unable to have children? With Marie's parting line we sense how heartache heals over time: "No signature. How dare he assume I would know who it was from." JUNE, 2006–DECEMBER, 2007, MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA The owner of a dozen duct-tape roses says, looking back, they serve as a reminder that difficult things pass. Made by a high school girlfriend for Valentines Day many moons ago, the roses are a symbol of the carefree spirit of young love, kept gathering dust for more than a decade, long after that love fizzled out, because it just didn't seem right to throw away a gift made with so much skill, time and patience. MAY, 2016–FEBRUARY, 2018, MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA Amid hundreds of artefacts in the museum's worldwide collection, revenge and vindication are pretty common themes — from the axe used to hack an exe's furniture to pieces, to a toaster taken across the country ("how are you going to toast anything now?"), to voodoo dolls made from shirts belonging to former lovers. Sometimes our methods of coping with pain are more productive than others. These buttons were cut from the clothing of a Melburnian's cheating ex before his possessions were given back to him. The story reads, "I found this act incredibly cathartic in itself, apart from knowing it would annoy him immensely. Sometime later, I sent him some buttons. Not necessarily the right ones." THIRTEEN YEARS, HELSINKI, FINLAND If we're looking for themes among the artefacts, infidelity sure is up there — a universal experience felt from Melbourne to Helsinki. In 2012, a wife sat on the floor of her hallway, cutting a small plastic figurine into pieces, waiting for her husband to come home so she could confront him about his affairs. His response to being caught out in his lies? To take the postcards of two American silent film stars, which his wife had said reminded her of them, from their place on her dressing table mirror, and tear them to pieces in front of her face. AUGUST, 2003–MAY, 2006, SAN FRANCISCO, USA A belt left on the back seat of a lover's car, a mere week before a move away brought the passionate relationship to a stuttered end. Under the anonymity of the museum's format, the belt's accidental owner speaks candidly of watching meteor showers, naked, in a playground: "Kinkiness on a park bench underneath a blazing sky, there was more on fire than just those shooting stars." The item is donated as a way of saying thank you to the man that made them feel alive: "I never got the chance to tell him that I love him, but at least everyone who reads this will know." SUMMER, 1993, ZAGREB, CROATIA Pieces in the museum aren't all representative of tumultuous, decades-long marriages ending in tears. We all have so many relationships throughout our lives — with family, friends, our bodies, fleeting romances and brief encounters — and the collection has become a space for saying goodbye to absent parents, lost limbs, and people we knew for just a little while. From in the middle of the Croatian War of Independence, a first sexual experience is remembered with a little yellow flag from the ship that witnessed it. The Museum of Broken Relationships is at No Vacancy, Melbourne, from September 1–29. Entry is free and the gallery is open Tuesday–Friday, 12pm-6pm, and Saturday–Sunday, 12pm–5pm. Images: Tracey Ah-kee.
With Moonlight winning last year's best picture Oscar, Call Me By Your Name topping many a 2017 best-of list, and the likes of God's Own Country, Battle of the Sexes and Professor Marston and the Wonder Women also gracing movie screens, it has been a stellar 12 months for queer cinema. For Sydneysiders, that's only going to continue come February, with the long-running Mardi Gras Film Festival back for its 25th year. To mark the milestone, the film-focused sidebar to Sydney's massive LGBTIQ celebration will screen 55 features and 69 short films across 71 sessions, including more than 60 Australian premieres and two world premieres. It's a lineup bookended with star power, opening with Paul Rudd and Steve Coogan playing a bickering couple in Ideal Home forced to take in their grandson, and closing with Freak Show's tale of a a precocious teen starting a new school, featuring The End of the F***ing World's Alex Lawther, Bette Midler, Laverne Cox and Abigail Breslin. From award winners to international standouts to revisiting old favourites, that's not all that's on the bill, however. Running from February 15 to March 1 at Event Cinemas George Street and Golden Age Cinema, plus a selection of other venues in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory throughout March and April, MGFF's other highlights range the world premiere of Aussie documentary Black Divaz, about the inaugural Miss First Nation pageant; to Filipino transgender beauty queen drama Die Beautiful, an award-winner across Asia over the past year; to French AIDS-focused effort BPM, which won the Grand Prix at Cannes last year. Or, audiences can catch homegrown body-swap movie Pulse, intimate Sundance hit Beach Rats, biographical documentary McKellen: Playing the Part, 'punk chick flick' Team Hurricane and Hollywood coming-of-age film Love, Simon, which screens before it hits general cinemas. In addition, the 2018 festival will host a session on the top 25 queer films of all time, speed dating evenings and filmmaking workshops at its festival bar at Event Cinemas, because every good fest is about more than just watching movies. And, because looking back is as much a part of a festival as looking forward, MGFF will rustle up a few current and old favourites courtesy of sessions of classics Desert Hearts and Young Soul Rebels, and more recent titles such as Zootopia and Call Me By Your Name. Mardi Gras Film Festival 2017 runs from February 15 to March 1 at Event Cinemas George Street and Golden Age Cinema and Bar, before touring to other NSW and ACT venues throughout March and April. For more information, visit their website.
Remember when Pizza Hut announced that monstrosity with whole cheeseburgers baked inside the crust and everyone thought our country was reaching a critical moment in the obesity epidemic? Well, good news! American burger chain Carl's Jr is coming to Australia. Well-known in the US for their total disregard of the health conscious, Carl's Jr is a bastion of oil-soaked gluttony that makes McDonald's look like a salad bar. Many of the burgers on their regular menu contain more than 1000 calories — more than double the content of a Big Mac — and suggestions of their move to Australia were last year met with comments from the Federal Health Department. Though the franchise already has 15 locations across New Zealand, Carl's Jr will be trialling its run across the Tasman with some isolated stores on the central coast of NSW and none in our capital cities. But, much like our well-balanced blood sugar levels, that won't last long. Currently looking for franchisees, Carl's Jr is reportedly aiming to open 300 Australian stores within the next 10-15 years. Of course, there's not much you can do about fast food like this. Even with the mandatory nutritional information printed on the side, if a dude wants to eat a heart attack in a bun, he'll eat one. C'est la vie. It's the corporation's marketing strategy which might cause bigger problems. Since they employed Paris Hilton to ineffectually wash this car in 2005, Carl's Jr's advertising has perpetuated some pretty heinous crimes against feminism. Their ads, which have featured the likes of Kim Kardashian and Heidi Klum, all operate on a somewhat basic mathematical level: sauce = jizz, burgers = vajayjay, dumb people's erections = profit. Prior to their launch in NZ, a similarly offensive Carl's Jr ad was actually banned from airing at all. So we're not hugely looking forward to what they come up with in Australia but understand it's a bit of a mixed bag. Carl's Jr Australia: great news for sex pests and very bad news for people with high cholesterol. Via Gizmodo.
The term 'Christmas rush' didn't become a part of our vocabulary by accident. As much as we'd all like to get our present shopping done early (and usually intend to), life often has other plans. It's the end of the year, after all, so there are parties to attend and holidays to plan, not to mention work to finish, food to eat, drinks to sip and loved ones to spend time with. If you haven't managed to get to the shops in between all of the above, you're only human. With the big day almost here, we've teamed up with the MCA Store at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia to help out everyone that's left things to the last minute — because if there's one spot you're guaranteed to find a creative gift for the art lover in your life, it's there. Perhaps your mum would love a new scarf? Maybe your bestie is really into puzzles? Whoever you're buying for, you'll find everything from homewares, games and toys to Indigenous art, creative tea towels and cute totes in our top picks from the shop's range. TITJIKALA SILK SCARF, DORIS THOMAS ($250) No one is travelling too far this Christmas; however, this silk scarf by Indigenous artist Doris Thomas will transport whoever receives it to the community of Titjikala. It's located 130 kilometres south of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, and it's where the artist grew up — and she has captured it on a stunning piece of fabric that wouldn't look out of place on someone's wall. Textile art is just one of Thomas' skills, alongside carving, pottery and painting. Since 2010, though, she has been working with Tangentyere Artists to capture the landscapes of Country, as this brightly coloured scarf demonstrates. [caption id="attachment_794263" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] MCA Store, insulated 475ml water bottles with artwork by Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat, 2020. Image courtesy Museum of Contemporary Art Australia. Photograph: Anna Kučera.[/caption] KEITH HARING/JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT WATER BOTTLE ($84.95) Just because a gift is practical doesn't mean it can't be stylish as well. That includes reusable insulated water bottles, which everyone needs, particularly over summer. They help reduce plastic waste, so they're doing the environment a solid. They're free of chemicals that could leach into your drinks otherwise. And they keep your water cool — or hot, if you'd prefer. The MCA Store has a couple of particularly eye-catching options, featuring artwork by Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat. They each come in a stylish gift box, too, which also features its own piece of Haring or Basquiat art. [caption id="attachment_794261" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] MCA Store, puzzles, 2020. Image courtesy Museum of Contemporary Art Australia. Photograph: Anna Kučera.[/caption] PUZZLES ($7.95–54.95) It's the year of the puzzle, because everyone has given at least one a go over the past 12 months. Life might be returning to normal, but puzzles are always a great gift, as well as fun to do. It's not just the challenge of piecing them together that appeals. It's the fact that they come in so many shapes, styles and sizes, so there's at least one that's perfect for everyone. Indeed, if you wanted to only give puzzles to your friends and family this year, you'll have plenty to choose from — including ones adorned with classic VHS tapes, abstract designs, and a vintage cacti and succulent chart. Or, if one of your mates is obsessed with The Queen's Gambit (like everyone), you can opt for a chess set instead. TEA TOWEL, LINDY LEE ($29.95) Since the beginning of October, the MCA has been singing the praises of Australian Chinese artist Lindy Lee, with more than 70 of Lee's works currently on display at the Museum. The Lindy Lee: Moon in a Dew Drop exhibition will end in February, sadly, but you can give someone a piece of Lee's work that they can keep forever. From the merchandise range, may we suggest a tea towel? Everyone uses them, and this isn't any old piece of fabric. Made from black linen, it features a screen print of Lee's 'Small Hearts Find Each Other #1', which is part of the 2018 artwork 'True Ch'ien'. Drying the dishes won't be quite so boring when your housemate, mum or dad have this in their hands. [caption id="attachment_794268" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] MCA Store, various soft sculptures by the Yarrenyty Arltere Artists, 2020. Image courtesy Museum of Contemporary Art Australia. Photograph: Anna Kučera.[/caption] 'ALWAYS WAS, ALWAYS WILL BE SCULPTURE', RHONDA SHARPE ($1400) Give someone a piece of art and you're really gifting them something that keeps on giving. It'll always be there to brighten their days and their home — and, whenever they look at it, they'll instantly remember exactly who brought it into their life. It's important to note this, because buying someone a painting or sculpture isn't usually a cheap endeavour. Picking up Indigenous artist Rhonda Sharpe's 'Always Was, Always Will Be' sculpture certainly isn't for the friend you made last week. Made from recycled blankets, bush dyes and wool, Sharpe's colourful creation is particularly lively and eye-catching. There's a reason that she is one of the famous artists at Yarrenyty Arltere Artists, after all. THE ART OF DINOSAUR DESIGNS BOOK ($79.99) What do you give the person who already has a heap of Dinosaur Designs homewares and jewellery, as you've thoughtfully noticed over the years? A book about the much-loved Australian brand, of course. Authored by Louise Olsen and Stephen Ormandy, it celebrates 30-plus years of the company's work, charting its journey from the Paddington Markets (where it started out as a stall) to becoming a household name. With a name like The Art of Dinosaur Designs, there's no doubting what it focuses on — or, that it's filled with stylish images. As a result, the hardcover coffee table tome is also a great gift for design fans in general. AFTERNOON DELIGHT TOTE BAG, JON CAMPBELL ($24.95) They're small, handy and practical. You can use one as your go-to handbag, or you can collect them and rotate your way through a few. They come in different sizes and images, and you can never have too many. Yes, we're talking about tote bags. They're another of those items that everyone needs — and, if you find the right one, that everyone also likes receiving as a gift. The MCA Store's latest addition to the tote bag ranks is a nifty little canvas number created by MCA Collection artist Jon Campbell, which is exclusive to the Sydney spot, so you won't find it anywhere else. A top tip: you can always use a tote bag as wrapping and fill it with other gifts as well. [caption id="attachment_787817" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Lindy Lee, 'Secret World of a Starlight Ember' (2020), installation view, 'Lindy Lee: Moon in a Dew Drop', Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney, 2020, stainless steel, image courtesy of the artist and Museum of Contemporary Art, Australia, Sydney. Photograph: Anna Kučera.[/caption] MCA MEMBERSHIP ($50–160) So, you've found the perfect pressie for everyone on your list — except one person. We've all got a friend or family member who has absolutely everything and who proves impossible to buy for as a result. That's when getting a membership to the MCA works a treat. Don't just give your pals, partner or parents a mere object; instead, give them an experience. Actually, you'll be giving them a whole year's worth of arty fun, as they'll be able to drop by whenever they like (within opening hours) and gain free unlimited entry to all of the museum's exhibitions. They'll also score tickets to exclusive events, an Art Matters magazine subscription and discounts, including at the MCA Store. To give your loved ones any of the above items for Christmas, either visit the MCA Store in-person or online at store.mca.com.au (just be sure sure to check out shipping dates). Top image: MCA Store, 2020. Image courtesy Museum of Contemporary Art Australia. Photograph: Anna Kučera.
By this point in Netflix's lifespan, and in its history of releasing original series, viewers know what marks the streaming service likes to hit. It's mostly fond of well-known faces, twisty tales and unfurling stories at a fast pace. It also likes ending each jam-packed episode with a big reveal or a new mystery — yes, a cliffhanger — so that you'll keep watching the next one straight away. We don't call these kinds of series 'clickbait', because serialised TV has been leaning on all of these elements since before the term was around, and far longer than we've been streaming television shows via internet platforms, too. But that word is apt when it comes to Netflix's latest eight-part limited series, which is Clickbait by both name and nature. The setup is designed to lure viewers in quickly. The casting is as well. And, they're both meant to be buzzy enough to keep you watching after you've clicked the buttons on your TV remote or laptop, then clicked them again — another task that's easily achieved. Here, the day after a tumultuous family dinner ends with Nick Brewer (Entourage's Adrian Grenier) telling his sister Pia (Zoe Kazan, The Big Sick) that he wants her out of his life, he can't be found. Worse: a video has popped up on the internet featuring him looking bloody, dishevelled and unhappy, and making a shocking claim. In the clip, he holds a card that says "I abuse women. At 5 million views, I die." People start clicking, because of course they do. While attending to a patient at work, nurse Pia sees it and understandably freaks out. Quickly, she starts doing anything she can to try to find and save her brother. So too does Nick's distressed wife Sophie (Betty Gabriel, Get Out), teenage sons Kai (Jaylin Fletcher, Snowpiercer) and Ethan (Camaron Engels, R#J), and detective, Roshan Amiri (Phoenix Raei, Stateless), who has been assigned to the case — and seeing how a situation like this spirals out, looping in more and more people as they watch, chase leads, share information, search online and offer their two cents' worth, is all part of the drama. Playing fictional movie star Vincent Chase for eight seasons — and in the forgettable (and terrible) Entourage movie, too — Grenier got rather comfortable playing someone who was constantly in front of the camera. It's his most famous role, and audiences know it. Clickbait leans upon that awareness, but thankfully not via any overt winks or nods. The series casts him as a man thrust into the spotlight unwittingly. It tracks how his nearest and dearest handle the situation without him, given that he's missing. In multiple ways, it flips the situation that viewers have associated with Grenier for almost two decades now, and plays it for pulpy, tensely directed thrills (as helmed by Hounds of Love's Ben Young, The Newsreader's Emma Freeman, Beirut's Brad Anderson and Thank God He Met Lizzie's Cherie Nolan). Across eight episodes, Clickbait follows the efforts to locate Nick, and to discover why the kidnapping, video and everything it sparks have come about — all by switching between different characters' perspectives. As conveyed through performances a tad weightier than the narrative, the nervy, flighty Pia kicks things off, before the ambitious, promotion-chasing Roshan gets his time in the spotlight, and then the shocked but slightly aloof Sophie. Next comes other figures, including some only revealed as the story dives deeper. The show's structure teases and taunts, and strings out the detail a little longer than it should, but it also remains bingeable. This is a detective tale, with almost everyone on-screen either sleuthing or proving a suspect — among a cast that also spans Daniel Henshall (A Sunburnt Christmas), Abraham Lim (The Boys), Ian Meadows (Dead Lucky) and Jessica Collins (Free State of Jones) — and, even after just an episode or two, viewers get invested enough to want to learn the outcome. Created by Australian filmmaker Tony Ayres (Stateless, Cut Snake) with screenwriter Christian White (Relic) — both of whom pen several instalments — Clickbait also aims to make larger statements, including about the big, important and constantly relevant intersection between our identities and our increasing use of social media. Just how our online and real-life selves can differ, and what types of behaviours we might indulge virtually that we wouldn't IRL, is only going to continue to garner the world's attention. So, this Melbourne-shot series attempts to tap into the conversation, and to make other broad nods towards issues such as racism and sexism. It's less successful in its pondering than in its puzzling, including when it thinks it's making giant swerves in unexpected directions to stress various points about the repercussions of our digitally mediated existence. As the name makes plain. Clickbait is still slick, suspenseful and very easy to keep devouring, though. Check out the trailer below: All eight episodes of Clickbait are available to stream via Netflix. Top images: Ben King/Netflix.
Daniel Askill mixes time the way The Chemical Brothers mix sound. His videos pull out ordinary moments until they've stretched into the raw stuff of movement. Arms lift, bodies turn, glass breaks and clocks roll back. You've seen his work already in video clips for Sia, Placebo, Groove Terminator and These New Puritans. Video art is Askill's thing; often in collaboration with his brothers Jordan and Lorin. In the award-winning short We Have Decided Not to Die, his brother Jordan flies out of a shattering window near the top of Australia Square — he'd only just gotten out of hospital before shooting. It's hard to push a video onto the page, but in Askill's work the world is already standing still. He's launching a book and poster of stills from his video works over the last few years this Thursday at Edition. The book, Slow Work On A Bright Screen, will be accompanied by small screenings of his works across the gallery space. If you can't make the launch, his work stays on the walls until August 30.
Immerse yourself in Syrian culture before noon at one of Almond Bar's convivial brunches. They're held on the first Sunday of each month, with the next one falling on August 5. The Darlinghurst restaurant is usually only open for dinner, and these brunches are a great way to sit down to a shared morning meal — just how a Syrian family would do it. You'll be able to order a la carte, choosing from traditional breakfast dishes like fatteh ($18) — a layered breakfast dish of crushed chickpeas, tahini, fried bread and yoghurt — or the shawarma, which sees strips of beef marinated in seven spices, capsicum and onion, and served with a fried free range egg ($19). There are plenty of vegetarian options and, if in doubt, go for the breakfast platter. Though there will be space for a few walk-ins, we recommend booking ahead to secure a spot. Brunch is served from 8.30am until noon. Image: Natalie Carroll.
Mov'In didn't invent seeing movies somewhere other than indoor cinemas or at home. But for the better part of a decade, it's been giving the concept as many twists as possible. First, it let film lovers catch a flick under the stars while getting cosy in one of its beds (yes, beds). And, it has also floated Mov'In Boat on Darling Harbour, too. Mov'In Car, a pop-up on Entertainment Quarter's rooftop, is its take on drive-ins — and it's coming back again in 2023 with a planet-conscious angle. This autumn, for four nights from Thursday, May 4–Sunday, May 7, Mov'In's automobile-based outdoor film-viewing setup is all about electric cars. In fact, this is Australia's first EV drive-in cinema, and you do indeed need to rock up in a pure electric vehicle to gain entry. Try to roll in driving anything but a full electric vehicle with zero tailpipe emissions — so, attempt to arrive in any car with an internal combustion engine, including hybrids — and you won't be permitted entry. Ticketed spots are available to drivers of all EV brands; however, because the cinema is sponsored by Polestar, owners of the Swedish car brand's Polestar 2 can score free entry. As for what you'll be watching, the lineup starts with Guy Ritchie's latest Operation Fortune: Ruse De Guerre, then goes blue with Avatar: The Way of Water. Next up is the nostalgic animated fun of The Super Mario Bros Movie, before retro openair cinema staple Dirty Dancing closes out the program. Yes, it's always on every drive-in and outdoor cinema lineup. There'll also be food and beverages available to buy, complete with pizzas and bottomless popcorn. Mov'In Car isn't BYO, so you'll have to purchase all hot food and drinks inside — but you can bring your own non-alcoholic beverages and snacks. Each film kicks off after last light each night, so around 7.30pm, with gates opening at 6pm. Price-wise, tickets for a car with up to five people cost $49.90. Also, Mov'In Car is dog-friendly, although your pet pooch will need to stay in your electric vehicle. Mov'In Car EV Cinema presented by Polestar screens at Entertainment Quarter's rooftop from Thursday, May 4–Sunday, May 7. For further details or to book, head to the Mov'In Car website.
If you're looking to host a house party soon, you might want to enlist the help of Behringer. The German electronics company has just revealed the iNuke Boom - a 700 pound, four-foot tall, eight-foot long dock and speakers for the iPod. While these speakers are wildly disproportionate to the device, they'll have a sound to match their size, with the capability of cranking out 10,000 watts. They are being released in January and will set you back a cool $30,000. The iNuke Boom is unusual given that electronic companies are constantly trying to make everything more minuscule and compact. Behringer are reminding everybody that size does matter. Dust off your old Snoop Dogg and NWA records, upload them onto your iPod and see how the old classics sound coming out of this absolute beast. Just keep your fingers crossed that the bass power doesn't cause the iNuke Boom to collapse and crush somebody. [via Gizmodo]
The Nicholson Museum’s Lego Colosseum was a big hit last year. Vast and ambitious — on a Lego scale — the Colosseum was a cutaway of the famous Roman monument rendered in Danish brick by certified Lego Professional Ryan McNaught. This year, the Museum has commissioned McNaught to return to build a new ancient Mediterranean archaeological construction: the Lego Acropolis. The real Acropolis is a hill towering above Athens, whose most famous, ancient resident is the Parthenon. You can see the real one in Athens, a full-size fake one in Nashville and now the Lego version here in Sydney. The real Parthenon has been a temple, a church, a mosque and gunpowder storage. (And the building only became a ruin when the storage thing collided with a Venetian cannonball.) It’s also the object at the centre in one of the best-known, public archaeological debates. (In fact, this one will feature a Lego Lord Elgin.) This one is unlikely to become the centre of debate, but it should make for some pretty interesting conversation, nonetheless. The Acropolis will have a grand opening Saturday, July 6 from 10–4. It comes with Greek soldiers. The Nicholson Museum is open 10–4.30 Monday to Friday and 12–4 the first Saturday of the month.
Godzilla is still big, but the picture around cinema's most-famous kaiju gets smaller in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, the Japanese-created creature's new TV series. This ten-episode show sits within the American Monsterverse, which has previously filled movie theatres with 2014's Godzilla, 2017's Kong: Skull Island, 2019's Godzilla: King of the Monsters and 2021's Godzilla vs Kong — and it hits streaming, arriving on Apple TV+ from Friday, November 17, with a scaled-down focus on family drama. People matter in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, far more than they have in any of the US franchise's instalments so far. The folks hopping around the globe chasing the giant critter and its fellow titans are also worth caring about. As a result, there's nothing little about how engaging Monarch: Legacy of Monsters proves. Getting Kurt and Wyatt Russell involved helps. The real-life father-son pair portray the same character — not for the first time; see: 1998's Soldier when Wyatt (Under the Banner of Heaven) was still a child — with not just ease but charisma. That isn't surprising; as the younger Russell's resume keeps demonstrating through Cold in July, Ingrid Goes West, Lodge 49, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and more, the apple hasn't fallen far from the tree when it comes to acting talent. Wyatt slips into Lee Shaw's military uniform in the 1950s, Kurt (Fast and Furious 9) plays the retired elder version in the mid-2010s, and jokes reference how well the pivotal figure has aged to make the maths work out (in the later timeline, Shaw has to be in his 90s). Needing to make that gag is worth it for such stellar and captivating casting. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters isn't about Shaw's family, however — at least not as bonded by blood. In 2015, a year after the G-Day events of the 2014 film, San Franciscan teacher Cate Randa (Anna Sawai, Pachinko) is suffering from kaiju-inflicted PTSD and mourning her missing father Hiroshi (Takehiro Hira, Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story), making a trip to Japan to pack up his Tokyo apartment challenging several times over. There, she finds artist Kentaro (Ren Watabe, 461 Days of Bento), a shared history and links to secret government monster-hunting organisation Monarch. Those ties comes courtesy of a satchel filled with documents that Bill Randa (John Goodman, returning from Kong: Skull Island) is seen tossing into the sea in a 70s-set prologue; having possession of it sparks chaos for not only Cate and Kentaro, but also the latter's hacker ex-girlfriend May (Kiersey Clemons, The Flash). When a shadowy international outfit is on your trail, who can assist? Given that Shaw was a 50s-era colleague of Hiroshi's parents Keiko (Mari Yamamoto, also Pachinko) and Bill (played by Inventing Anna's Anders Holm in the earlier timeline), his help is swiftly needed. Amid Cate, Kentaro, May and Shaw's attempts to evade the "like the CIA, but for Godzilla" operation pursuing their every move, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters also dives into Shaw, Keiko and Bill's backstory. Shaw is enlisted into the monster realm exactly because he's enlisted, then deployed to ensure Keiko's safety as she follows her research into strange radiation trails in The Philippines — a phenomena that fellow scientist Bill is also interested in. While the Russells provide Monarch: Legacy of Monsters with its biggest names, and add depth to Shaw's emotional journey by perfecting the same mannerisms and line deliveries — not to mention letting that family charm kick in — series co-developers Chris Black (Severance) and Matt Fraction (Da Vinci's Demons) have cast their show well across the board. When beastly behemoths are simply being talked about rather than sighted, the human story never feels like filler padding out the frame until the next monster melee, which stems as much from the performances as the commitment to ensuring that pixels aren't the sole attraction. Each with their own Russell, both groups provide space for everyone's part of the narrative, plus the portrayals that go with it, to make an impact. Screenwriting convenience and cliche comes into play in fleshing out some backstories, but Clemons and Yamamoto especially have no trouble selling it. In addition to excellent casting, the series welcomely makes an even better move: taking the Monsterverse back where all things Godzilla started off-screen, aka Japan. When the creature that has multiple Tokyo statues devoted to it, plus a dedicated store as well, first erupted into cinemas in 1954 to spark a 33-film homegrown saga, it was in the shadow of World War II as an indictment of nuclear conflict's destruction and consequences — and those origins get the most meaningful nod yet in the US franchise through Keiko, Cate and Kentaro. All things Godzilla thankfully haven't moved to America IRL. Godzilla Minus One returns the kaiju to live-action Japanese movies in 2023 for the first time since 2016's exceptional Shin Godzilla, while three animated flicks (2017's Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters, and 2018's Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle and Godzilla: The Planet Eater) have filled the gap in-between. But there's been an emptiness to the Monsterverse when it has barely cared about that history, even if making titans a worldwide threat and noting that Zilly doesn't respect national boundaries has merit. Call them kaiju, call them titans, call them massive unidentified terrestrial organisms (or MUTO): they're as meaningful as they've always been in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. While the show's main attention might reside with two eras of people on two different searches, Godzilla and its fellow critters aren't ignored. They wander, smash and swim. They cause awe and fear alike. They tower, sleep, destroy and — with Zilly in particular — protect. As Monarch: Legacy of Monsters hones in on people, in fact, it explores the array of reactions that Godzilla can inspire, the range of thinking as well and, as intended for almost seven decades, the self-reflection about atomic bombs and warmongering that the very idea of Godzilla was designed to conjure up. Balancing heart and weight while feeling grounding amid gargantuans isn't a tiny task. Making sure that people and titans are equally as important to the narrative isn't a minor feat, either. Nor is using special effects to wow with onslaughts and dwarf with scale, getting a theme tune echoing into earworm territory almost as much as the stone-cold classic original Godzilla music and making a TV entry to a franchise that plays like the main attraction. Whichever Godzilla tales that Japan spins will always be the kings of the saga, and long may they continue charging onto screens — but Monarch: Legacy of Monsters puts down a giant footprint for Hollywood's dalliance with the atomic lizard, and a much-needed one given that more will only keep coming, including the silver screen's Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire in 2024. Check out the trailer for Monarch: Legacy of Monsters below: Monarch: Legacy of Monsters streams via Apple TV+ from Friday, November 17, 2023.
We all have a mate who thinks, talks, and posts stories constantly about eating and drinking. Not that you mind too much. They've always got the best new bar and restaurant recos, and they bring excellent snacks to picnics. When it comes to getting them a gift, buying something they can consume is a pretty safe bet — but you've gotta keep your standards high because theirs certainly will be. In partnership with Square, we've picked out nine gourmet gifts for the epicurean in your life. If you're lucky, they'll share some of the tasty goodies with you. And you may even impress by introducing them to a local producer that wasn't on their radar yet. If you are a small business owner, Square has the tools you need to take payments and maximise your sales, including an ebook with tips to help you get started this holiday season. MONTHLY CHEESE SUBSCRIPTION, MOULD ($75 PER MONTH) If you don't like to remind your mate regularly of just how lucky they are to have you as a friend (even though they are, of course), a subscription gift will do it for you — every month. And a cheese subscription? Well, you may be the best friend ever. Available from Mould, host of our favourite annual cheese festival, each monthly box features four gourmet cheeses from artisans across Australia, like a mature cheddar from Pyengana and camembert from Robe Dairy. Payment is processed on the first day of every month and the box is shipped the Monday following, so you'll know exactly when to show up at your mate's door with a bottle of vino for an 'impromptu' catch-up. VOUCHER, JERVIS BAY BREWING CO (FROM $20) Is your mate a craft beer nerd? Chances are Jervis Bay Brewing Co is already on their radar — in which case, you can shout their first few rounds when they finally visit by buying a voucher online. The brewery is based just outside Huskisson on the NSW south coast. It's only been operating for a year, but thanks to its spacious beer garden, food trucks and rolling calendar of events — including trivia, bingo and open mic nights — it's quickly established itself as a must-visit for locals and visitors alike. Oh, and the beer, of course. With ten working taps, your mate can sample some seasonal brews alongside the core range of pale ales, lagers, wheat beers and more. PICNIC SEASON REALLY COOL PICNIC BASKET, THE SHEARERS WIFE ($69) We're in prime outdoor dining season right now, and this vibrant basket will level-up your mate's picnic game in no time. With a fully insulated, waterproof lining, it'll keep drinks and snacks cool and is a breeze to clean. At just one kilogram in weight, it's good if they're on the go, but is able to hold up to 30 kilograms if they're really, really hungry. The entire range features colourful designs in collaboration with Melbourne artist Deb McNaughton Art, but we're especially partial to the very seasonally appropriate 'Sunshine and Lollipops'. You can purchase the basket online from Cooma-based store The Shearer's Wife. There's a flat rate of $10 shipping or free for orders over $150. LITTLE MISS YOKO GIN, LITTLE LON DISTILLING CO ($80) What with bars being closed for a while and many booze brands jumping on the virtual masterclass trend during lockdown, your mate may have gotten pretty skilled in making their own cocktails this year. And one they should certainly add to their repertoire is a lychee martini using Little Lon's Little Miss Yoko Gin. The limited-batch, double-distilled gin gives off notes of vanilla, baking spices and, of course, lychee, making it an excellent year-round addition to their bar cart. According to the Melbourne-based distillery, it also suits a fruity sour cocktail or, if your mate wants to keep things simple, tell them to mix it with elderflower tonic water. POUR OVER COFFEE KIT, MARKET LANE COFFEE ($100) Maybe your mate is one of those still working from home for the foreseeable future. Or perhaps their caffeine game is pretty weak whenever you visit. Either way, they need their coffee situation sorted pronto. Market Lane's Pour Over Coffee Kit will have them ditching the freeze-dried nonsense in the pantry and transform an early morning cuppa into their favourite part of the day. This starter kit comes with a pour over cone, filter papers, digital pocket scales, a Pitchii jug and a guide to make the entire process easy peasy. Shipping is free for orders over $40. WITH GRATITUDE GIFT PACK, LOVE TEA ($55) If there is something your epicurean mate loves more than anything, it's trying new things. So, with over 60 different blends on offer, Love Tea is sure to be right up their alley. Founded in 2006, Love Tea's founders Emma Watson and Damien Amos collaborate with growers across the world to source top-quality organic ingredients, before crafting, blending and packing the teas in flavours like dandelion chai, hibiscus and coconut orange in Melbourne. A gift pack is the best introduction to the brand, so thank your mate for another year of friendship with the With Gratitude pack, which comes with white rose and goji, lemongrass and ginger, peppermint and organic chai. Shipping is $9 or free for orders over $65. BBQ PACK, MOUNT ZERO OLIVES ($65) For your food-loving friend who always serves the best food at a barbecue, return the favour (and ensure all future events are as well-catered) by sending them a hamper filled with gourmet produce from Mount Zero Olives. The family-owned olive grove, based in the Grampians in Victoria, has a bunch of gift hampers on offer, but the BBQ Pack will be perfect for all those summer happenings your gang has lined up. The rosemary extra virgin olive oil, Egyptian dukka, and pink lake natural salt with chilli will take barbecued meats and veggies to the next level. There's organic kalamata olives and black olive tapenade to snack on, too. Shipping is $12, or free for orders over $100. CHRISTMASSY FAVES GIFT, HEY TIGER ($45.50) We've consumed enough chocolate on Christmas Day to know two things to be true. One: it's a winning gift idea. And two: not all chocolate is created equal. And it's that second point that really sets Hey Tiger apart. The Aussie brand is dedicated to changing the cocoa industry by ethically sourcing its ingredients and donating a portion of every bar sold to The Hunger Project. But it's not simply making a social impact — it's doing it with some innovative flavours, including a whole range of game-changing vegan bars. The Christmassy Faves comes with a caramel and gingerbread white chocolate, a strawberry trifle milk chocolate, and three mini bars. To make your life easy, it comes in a gift box already and you can add a card for just a buck more at the checkout. Oh, and every order comes with a free mini bar, so you won't even need to drop hints to your mate to share their loot. BEEPOWER POLLEN AND HONEY FUSION 1KG, MUDGEE HONEY HAVEN ($50) When your mate is really into food, it can be tricky to find something that they haven't tried before. You may have some luck with Beepower's flagship product, a fusion of bee pollen and honey. Available from Mudgee Honey Haven, this product is packed with vitamins, minerals and amino acids — and, due to the pollen, is rich in antioxidants. If, by chance, your mate has tried this tasty product before, they'll thank you for bringing it back into their lives — and you may still impress them with the whopping one-kilogram jar. Find out how Square is supporting small businesses with the tools they need to grow, here. If you are a small business owner, Square has guidance on how best to maximise sales in the run up to the Christmas holiday period in its ebook, found here.
Crisp air, clear skies, golden leaves. It's this trifecta of soul-nourishing pleasures that makes autumn the perfect time to escape Melbourne for a short break in the regional Victorian town of Echuca. Just two hours and 45 minutes' drive north, this romantic, riverside spot is best known for its nostalgic paddle steamers. And while a ride along the Murray in 19th-century style should be on everyone's bucket list, there's a whole lot more to explore. Think cycle paths dotted with cellar doors and gourmet food stops, canoe trails through the world's biggest red river gum forest, and antique train carriages transformed into beautiful accommodation. EAT AND DRINK Even though the drive is pretty easy, you'll no doubt be hankering after a coffee as soon as you roll in. So make your first stop The Black Pudding Cafe, which also does a mighty breakfast burrito, with cheesy scrambled eggs, bacon, hash brown, black beans and barbie sauce, alongside several other generous brekkies. Meanwhile, enjoy country chic at The Sweet Meadow, where you'll find Allpress Coffee and a 100 percent vegan menu, from banana and buckwheat pancakes to beautifully presented baked donuts. Find this plant-based health bar in a 1920s corner cottage that has been revamped with pink paint and an array of Instagram-worthy florals. Come lunchtime, Henry's Bridge Hotel is the place to go for hearty pub classics, including burgers, grill and fish 'n' chips. It's the oldest pub in town, having been built in 1859 by ex-convict Henry Hopwood, and scored a $1 million revamp in 2016. From there, move on to The Mill, another glammed-up historical spot, which started out in 1881 as a five-storey flour mill. These days, it's a restaurant and bar, dotted with lounges, vintage timber and magnificent chandeliers. Enjoy a quick craft beer or local wine, or stay a while for share plates based on local produce, such as slow-braised pork belly with parsnip puree, bok choy and star anise reduction. Another champion of local farmers is Junction, perched right on the confluence of the Murray and Campaspe Rivers. The architect-designed space offers a choice of atmospheres, from an outdoor terrace overlooking gardens to a warmly lit cocktail lounge. Wherever you are, linger over beautifully composed share plates — such as Wagyu beef carpaccio with wild mushrooms and daikon remoulade — and signature cocktails, like the Ultimate G&T (Four Pillars gin, bergamot bitters, tonic, rosemary and mango). Finally, for an indulgent Italian feast, there's Ceres, where chefs Simone Di Domizio and Amanda Santurbano serve up decadent dishes informed by years of training in traditional and fine dining restaurants across Europe. Waterfront wineries are a knockout feature of the Murray region. There are two within cooee of Echuca: Morrisons Winery, to which you can travel by paddle steamer, and Cape Horn Vineyard, which sits on a lovely hill between the Murray and Goulburn Rivers, affording dreamy views. Should you fancy arriving on horseback, give Billabong Ranch a buzz. DO A good way to get your bearings around Echuca is with some exploration on foot or by bicycle. To that end, the Echuca and Moama Recreation Trails carry you through an idyllic blend of river frontage, forest and historical town streets. Along the way, have a breather at St Anne's Cellar Door, where you can sample a bunch of light whites, big reds and fortified wines perfected over three generations of wine-making, as well as Echuca Farmhouse Cheese, for irresistible triple bries, blues, tasties and more. Once you've experienced Echuca on land, you'll want to see it from the water. The classic way to do this is via paddle steamer, but for a more active adventure, consider a canoe. Echuca Boat and Canoe Hire or River Country Adventours will sort you out with a vessel, from where you can spend an hour or two splashing about on the Murray or set off on a longer voyage, such as a multi-day canoeing-camping escapade through Barmah National Park, home to the world's biggest river red gum forest. Also nearby is Edward River, a quieter alternative to the Murray. To see the area from a local perspective, book an overnight tour with Southern Side Eco Tours, who'll take you to Barmah's most remote spots, cook you dinner over a crackling campfire and pop you into a luxury bell tent for a super-comfy sleep. SLEEP Houseboats of all kinds bob about on the Murray, waiting for weekend visitors. If you're with a group of luxury-loving pals, then go with Magic Murray Houseboats, whose vessels feature slick design, or Executive Houseboats, which have the mod cons. As many as 12 can sleep aboard these boats at once, with room for everyone in the queen rooms, around the dinner table and in the spa. Loads more boat hire possibilities, whatever your budget, can be found on the Visit Victoria website. Another left-of-field stay is The Carriages Vineyard, about 20 minutes' drive west of Echuca. Here, owners David and Lyndall Johnson have been planting grapevines since 1996 and, at the same time, turned four 1890s train carriages into a gorgeous three-bedroom sleepover. Think stunning polished timber, comfy armchairs and outdoor decks surrounded by vineyards. You can even indulge in a wine tasting without leaving your station. Back in town, there's the Cock 'n' Bull, which was built in 1876 on the banks of the Campaspe River. Take your pick of five self-contained apartments, from the retro Emmylou Suite to the light, airy Henry Charles Suite overlooking the water. Last but not least, to stay as close to the Murray as possible — and without spending a cent — pack your tent. There's a bunch of pretty beach campsites near Echuca. Betts Beach is the most rustic, being facility-free, while Christies Beach gives you toilets, barbies and picnic tables, and Wills Bend, toilets only. Alternatively, let someone else do all the hard work for you and go glamping at Talo Retreat, where you'll get to snooze in a Mongolian yurt with a skylight for stargazing, plus a private spa and balcony. For more ideas on how to spend your autumn getaway to Echuca and the Murray region, check out the Wander Victoria website.
Verge arts festival just hosted a disco without sound and this Tuesday, Curiousworks will host a dance without lights. No Lights, No Lycra have finally made it to Sydney. Started in Melbourne, they’ve popped up in San Francisco, Berlin and Brooklyn. No Lights, No Lycra creates a weekly space to dance where you don't have to worry about how you do it, what you're wearing or who you're with. Instead, you can concentrate on the pure joy of sound and movement. Free, strange, funky, dorky, slow, wild or understated. Whatever you like to do when you're dancing, No Lights, No Lycra wants you to do it and enjoy. With a strict no drugs, no alcohol policy, any Dutch courage you need will have to come from the silky tunes and the embracing darkness. They're on every week from this Tuesday and are sending money raised to some of Curiousworks' community endeavours. So if this anonymous dance bacchanal seems like your thing, get down to Surry Hills, put your five dollars in the box and get dancing.
Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein after lounging around the shores of Lake Geneva with a bunch of creative types, telling stories. Naturally it was made into a scary B-movie. When Lanfranchi's Memorial Discotheque closed in 2007, artist favourite variety night Cab Sav moved on to run the Imperial Panda Festival — an experimental performance festival rattling around the back alleys, galleries and warehouses of inner Sydney. Sydney doesn't feel at all short on festivals this year. But before the Sydney Fringe or the Oxford Art Festival, The Imperial Panda Festival helped to keep strange Sydney performance artists up and running. Fresh from a successful staging in Melbourne, Imperial Panda will be running a macabre Fright Night at the Red Rattler this Saturday to help get a third Festival going next year. Toby Schmitz, Nick Coyle, Rita Kalnejais and Claudia O'Doherty will each be reading spare, gloomy tales. Miles O'Neil will host the evening, with late-night dance to follow. With general ghoulishness promised on the night, who knows what stories will be born and which rough bodies will be sewn together into life.
