"Know thyself" is an oft-repeated mantra, but how much do you really need to know? Thanks to advances in technology, people can now generate a whole heap of data about themselves that would have been unthinkable not long ago. If you've got a smart phone, you can already get apps to track your activity and sleep; and heart-rate monitors are just as likely to be worn by joggers as those in a hospital bed. Nike and Apple have already combined to offer Nike+ to the data-hungry running community, but the quantified self crowd will probably want more than distances and times. The yet-to-be-released data-tracking-bracelet from Jawbone (best known for wearable tech in the form of bluetooth headsets) is already causing quite a buzz. Up is more than just a sensor-packed piece of wrist-wear to catch all your data, it can send the numbers to your phone to be crunched, and come back with helpful health tips based on your recent activity. But be careful what you do with all that data! Some fitbit users have been sharing a little too much information — logs of their sexual activity have accidentally been showing up online. [via PSFK]
As it did for the victims of the devastating earthquakes in Haiti, Chili and New Zealand, Google has developed Person Finder for Japan in the aftermath of the catastrophic tsunami and earthquake. Person Finder is an online search tool to help people locate the whereabouts of family members, loved ones and friends that have been caught in the natural disaster. The site has two options: "I'm looking for someone," or "I have information about someone." Those looking for an information on the status of another person can type in a name and receive updates once information about that person is logged in the system. Those who wish to let others know they are safe or have information about the safety of others can type that information into the system for searchers to access. Currently the database holds information on the status of almost 200,000 victims, but is still growing rapidly each day as people gain access to the internet and more people are located.
The Central Coast's truly underrated, sustainable and naturally stunning festival Mountain Sounds is set to return for another year. Heading back to the pretty, pretty spot of Mount Penang Parklands in Kariong, Mountain Sounds has locked in Saturday, February 21 for its 2015 instalment. And the just-announced lineup is some seriously applaudable biznatch. Headlined by Splendour in the Grass favourite and Castlemaine local D.D Dumbo, simmering Adelaide newbie and airwaves-dominator Tkay Maidza, loud-as-blazes Brisbane dudes DZ Deathrays, Danny Harley-steered, electronic project The Kite String Tangle, L D R U and Yahtzel's beat-dropping team-up Carmada and perpetually holidaying outfit The Griswolds, the festival lineup also sees the likes of Jinja Safari's whimsical Pepa Knight, ever party-starting crew Northeast Party House, Soundcloud whiz kids SAFIA, croony newbie Daniel Lee Kendall and offensively talented young'un East among others. MOUNTAIN SOUNDS 2015 LINEUP: (alphabetical order) Carmada Daniel Lee Kendall D.D Dumbo DZ Deathrays East The Griswolds Hatch The Jungle Giants Kilter The Kite String Tangle Luke Million Northeast Party House Pepa Knight SAFIA Tkay Maidza Tropical Zombie PLUS Coda Harper Lemond Ratlife DJs Stephane 1993 Sydney Social DJs Zavier Last year's festival saw Midnight Juggernauts, Ball Park Music, Emma Louise, Sticky Fingers, Jinja Safari, LDRU, and Cosmo's Midnight among others (including a farewell to Snakadaktal). Local strummers should get their demos ready too, as a state-wide competition is set to be launched in the coming weeks to give one live band and one electronic act the chance to play alongside Australia's hyped up artists. Giving a high five to the environment once more, the locally-founded Mountain Sounds is again set to take great care in minimising the environmental impact and carbon footprint of the festival. There'll also be silent discos and campsite parties curated by the team, who all grew up on the Central Coast. With tickets on sale now and sitting around 80 beans, this is an end-of-summer festival worth the measly dosh for. Mountain Sounds Festival is on Saturday, February 21 at Mount Penang Parklands, Kariong, NSW. Tickets and more info available over here. Image: Voena.
Last year, HBO said goodbye to Game of Thrones, at least for now. It also farewelled Veep and wrapped up Big Little Lies, although the latter apparently could still make a comeback. But don't go thinking that the US cable network has gaps in its schedule in 2020. Not only did Westworld return, but The Outsider, Perry Mason, Lovecraft Country, I May Destroy You and The Undoing all proved must-see viewing. Australian viewers can watch its Italian-set mini-series We Are Who We Are from this month, too — and in December, HBO's new six-part psychological thriller The Third Day will also hit local screens. Starring Jude Law, Naomie Harris (Moonlight, Spectre), Paddy Considine (The Outsider), Emily Watson (Chernobyl) and Katherine Waterston (the Fantastic Beasts franchise), The Third Day is comprised of two halves: 'Summer' and 'Winter'. In the show's first three episodes, it follows a man called Sam (Law) who is drawn to an island off the British coast, only to discover that he can't leave. In its second three episodes, it spends time with Helen (Harris), who also finds herself on the tiny Osea Island. If it sounds familiar, that's because it started airing in the US in mid-September and just finished up its overseas run in mid-October. Now Australian viewers will be able to enjoy its intriguing premise, eerie setting and top-notch cast, with The Third Day hitting Foxtel from Monday, December 7 — airing weekly, and also making every episode available to stream via Foxtel Go and Foxtel Now. There's no word as yet regarding The Third Day's other component, called 'Fall' — a day-long event that featured Law, Watson and Waterston, was broadcast in real time and was also captured in one continuous take. Behind the scenes, the show stems from creators Felix Barrett and Dennis Kelly, with Barrett founding British theatre company Punchdrunk — which created the aforementioned 'Fall' segment of the show — and Kelly writing the original UK version of Utopia. Check out the trailer for The Third Day below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hHT5FlMaIQ&feature=youtu.be The Third Day starts screening via Foxtel from 8.30pm on Monday, December 7, with new episodes airing each week. All six episodes will also be available to stream on the same date via Foxtel Go and Foxtel Now. Top image: Liam Daniel/HBO.
Spring has sprung and with it, longer days and sunnier afternoons primed for soaking up some rays with a refreshing drop in hand. If this sounds up your alley, Opera Bar's perfectly pink wine festival Rosé All Day should be top of your must-do list when it returns for ten days in September. Throughout the festival, the iconic harbourside bar at the nation's most famous building, boasting unbeatable views of the Harbour Bridge, will be thinking and drinking pink. Expect frosé, spritzes, pét-nat, cocktails, and rosé both still and sparkling, with varieties from Big Dreams, Petite Amour, Tar & Roses and Chandon. There will even be a range of rosé-centric cocktails, like the frozen rosé and honey margarita; the rosé rebellion featuring Campari, sweet vermouth, sparkling rosé, and coconut water; and spring kiss, a blushing blend of rosé, Aperol, St Germain and raspberry liqueur, topped off with soda. Accompanying all of the pink drinks will be a pink food menu featuring oysters with a rosé mignonette, tuna tartare on prawn crackers with finger lime, and strawberries and cream pavlova. Opera Bar's full menu will also be available to order during the festival. Serenading your every sip, you can expect daily live music performances, DJ sets and a fabulous shimmer squad on weekends. Tickets to the rosé festival cost $45 per person, and include entry plus three pink drinks for you to claim at any point — any tipples you're tempted by after that will be on your own dime. Prebooking is encouraged, but there will also be a limited number of walk-in tickets available each day of the fest.
What's more difficult a feat: to ponder everything that the universe might hold, as writer/director James Gray did in 2019's sublime Ad Astra, or to peer back at your own childhood, as he now does with Armageddon Time? Both films focus on their own worlds, just of different sizes and scales. Both feature realms that loom over everyone, but we all experience in their own ways. In the two movies, the bonds and echoes between parents and children also earn the filmmaker's attention. Soaring into the sky and reaching beyond your assigned patch is a focus in one fashion or another, too. In both cases, thoughtful, complex and affecting movies result. And, as shared with everything he's made over the past three decades — such as The Yards, The Immigrant and The Lost City of Z as well — fantastic performances glide across the screen in unwaveringly emotionally honest pictures. In Armageddon Time, Gray returns to a favourite subject: the experience of immigrants to New York. With a surname barely removed from his own, the Graff family share his own Jewish American heritage — and anchor a portrait of a pre-teen's growing awareness of his privilege, the world's prejudices, the devastating history of his ancestors, and how tentative a place people can hold due to race, religion, money, politics and more. The year is 1980, and the end of times isn't genuinely upon anyone. Even the sixth-grader at its centre knows that. Still, that doesn't stop former Californian governor-turned-US presidential candidate Ronald Reagan from talking up existential threats using inflammatory language, as the Graffs spot on TV. Armageddon Time also takes its moniker from a 1977 The Clash B-side and cover; despite the film's stately approach, the punk feeling of wanting to tear apart the status quo — Gray's own adolescent status quo — dwells in its frames. Banks Repeta (The Black Phone) plays Paul Graff, Gray's on-screen surrogate, and Armageddon Time's curious and confident protagonist. At his public school in Queens, he's happy standing out alongside his new friend Johnny (Jaylin Webb, The Wonder Years), and disrupting class however and whenever he can — much to the dismay of his mother Esther (Anne Hathaway, Locked Down), a home economics teacher and school board member. He dreams of being an artist, despite his plumber dad Irving's (Jeremy Strong, Succession) stern disapproval, because the elder Graff would prefer the boy use computing as a path to a life better than his own. In his spare time, Paul is happiest with his doting, advice-dispensing, gift-bearing grandfather Aaron (Anthony Hopkins, The Father), who's considered the only person on the pre-teen's wavelength. Gray fleshes out Paul's personality and the Graffs' dynamic with candour as well as affection, as seen at an early home dinner. There, Paul criticises Esther's cooking, orders dumplings even after expressly being forbidden and incites Irving's explosive anger — and the establishing scene also starts laying bare attitudes that keep being probed and unpacked throughout Armageddon Time. Indeed, Paul will begin to glean the place he navigates in the world. Even while hearing about the past atrocities that brought his grandfather's mother to America, and the discrimination that still lingers, he'll learn that he's fortunate to hail from a middle-class Jewish family. Even if his own comfort is tenuous, Paul will see how different his life is to his black, bused-in friend, with Johnny living with his ailing grandmother, always skirting social services and constantly having condemning fingers waggling his way. And, Paul will keep spying how Johnny is at a disadvantage in every manner possible, including from their instantly scornful teacher and via Paul's own parents' quick judgement. Filmmakers diving into their own histories is one of the prevailing flavours of recent few years, including Alfonso Cuarón's Roma, Paul Thomas Anderson's Licorice Pizza and Kenneth Branagh's Belfast — all Oscar-nominees, with Roma and Belfast also Oscar-winners. Don't call the trend navel-gazing, though. As much as these movies, and now Armageddon Time as well, are products of personal experience, all four films are also time capsules steeped in specific places and confronting corresponding realities. In Gray's addition to the fold, he doesn't like, love or appreciate everything that he surveys, with the director delving into happy and sorrowful slices of the past with wide-open eyes. There's another movie to be made that hones in on Johnny instead, but Armageddon Time knows what its audience does, and what Paul doesn't see as clearly but Gray can thanks to the passage of time: that small moments leave an imprint, small deeds left undone cause craters, and everyday aggressions and acts of oppression allowed to run rampant make the world shatter. That soul-searching hindsight explains Armageddon Time's overall neatness; when someone reflects upon what's come before and what it really meant, it's easy to spot intricacy and complexity that went unnoticed at the time, and to also simultaneously view the bigger picture. Still, while the film's conclusions might be blatant, this is a layered and subtle feature, as any coming-of-age contemplation set against a fraught social and political backdrop must be. With cinematographer Darius Khondji behind the lens as he was on Gray's The Immigrant and The Lost City of Z — and adding a different vision of New York to his resume compared to the frenetic Uncut Gems — Armageddon Time brings that texture to its visuals, which always have the look and feel of a memory. Painting in shades of brown is a straightforward, instantly evocative and significant choice; nothing in this powerful feature is ever rose-tinted. There's nothing simple about Armageddon Time's performances, either. In fact, Repeta and Webb manage something remarkable, more than holding their own against the reliably excellent Hopkins, Hathaway and Strong. The young pair's camaraderie shines, whether Paul and Johnny are getting sent to detention, bonding over space and Sugarhill Gang's 'Rapper's Delight', skiving off from a school excursion or smoking the joint that'll get Paul moved to his older brother's snobbish private school — where racism and classism is overt among the offspring of rich Republicans, and where then-Assistant United States Attorney Maryanne Trump (Jessica Chastain, The Good Nurse), Donald Trump's sister, addresses assembly. In Hathaway and Strong's work, complications and contradictions abound, with the former getting the thinner-written role and the latter the best redemptive moment, but the two combining to offer a snapshot of being seemingly progressive in a country engrained with intolerance. As for Hopkins, he's so naturalistic and effortless that even the harshest truths feel digestible in his presence. Armageddon Time is largely that sensation in filmic form, too — tenderly, poignantly and unflinchingly.
Concrete Playground is looking for a Digital Sales Manager to join the team on a part-time basis. The candidate will be responsible for selling online advertising inventory across Concrete Playground’s various city editions, and will bring with them a proven history in media sales and a healthy database of contacts at agencies and brands. The role requires a well-presented, self-motivated individual who exhibits initiative and drive to generate new sales. It is a part-time role that would suit someone who is seeking 8-24 flexible hours of work each week. Qualifications: • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent business experience Responsibilities: • Build bespoke sales, sponsorship & partnership proposals • Present our properties face to face, over the phone and email • Generate ad revenue via agencies and direct clients • Anticipate new growth areas to develop ad revenue Experience: • Has worked in a target driven media sales environment • A proven track record of producing significant revenue • Proven track record in building relationships that turn into sales • In depth knowledge and understanding of Digital Sales including display/video and Rich Media advertising across online and mobile • Grown and managed business relationships with key agencies and direct advertisers. • Ability to manage a self generated workload TO APPLY: Please direct resumes to hello@concreteplayground.com.au
Can’t make friends? There’s an app for that. Do you find you’re too busy checking in and tweeting to meet actual people? Help is at hand. Agora, created at the first foursquare Hackathon by Pierre Valade, will find like-minded folk for you. The app finds people who are checked in near you, and then works out if you have common interests based on your Twitter feeds. It then sends you both a tweet suggesting you meet up, with a link to each other’s Twitter accounts so you can check if the algorithm’s compatibility score is on the money. Ingeniously, since the matching is done through Twitter, it can introduce you to people who don’t have the app themselves. Of course, it does mean you’ll have to stop posting all those ironic tweets about Justin Bieber’s haircut, otherwise you’ll end up being introduced to a busload of tweens. [via PSFK]
"Porphyria worshipped me; surprise Made my heart swell, and still it grew While I debated what to do." Porphyria's Lover by Robert Browning "tells the story of an obsessed lover and an escalation of desire that ends in passionate tragedy", according to Sydney-based artists Ted O'Donnell and Vicki Lee. Inspired by the woeful words of Browning, Lee and O'Donnell have created Asphyxiate, their latest exhibition at Paddington's Comber Street Gallery. The show comprises of a collection of 12 images and two one-off paintings, focusing on the artists' ongoing obsession with the rhythm and movement of nature. Following on from their last exhibition, IS/WET, Asphyxiate explores the sensuality of flora promises a darker and more seductive approach this time around. Opening on November 19 Comber Street Gallery, the show has a short run until November 23. Looking to buy? Works will be priced from $1000 to $2000/pc with editions of 10 and 20.
Once a year, Monster Fest treats cinemagoers to a weird and wonderful film festival filled with genre and cult movies — but that's obviously not often enough. So, behold Monster Fest Weekender, aka the fest that the Monster team hosts midyear when it's not rolling out the full shindig. Hitting Sydney's Event Cinemas George Street from Friday, July 14–Sunday, July 16, this three-day affair has an added focus in 2023. Get ready to peer out of blue and red lenses, because every movie on the lineup is showing in 3D. No, none of them are Avatar. Yes, they're all horror flicks. As well as being the first time Monster Fest has focused on giving every title it's screening an extra dimension, it's also the first time that the event has solely programmed classics. The fun starts with a tenth-anniversary session of Texas Chainsaw 3D, which is playing Aussie cinemas for the first time. After that Amityville 3D celebrates its 40th anniversary, while the Vincent Price-starring House of Wax — the first colour 3D film from a major studio — notches up 70 years. Monster Fest Weekender's 3D lineup also includes Andy Warhol's Flesh for Frankenstein 3D, remake My Bloody Valentine 3D and direct-to-video 1984 effort Silent Madness 3D — the latter of which is similarly making its big-screen Australian debut.
There's nothing quite like a great comeback story. Jordan in '95. Jobs in '96. Jesus in 33. We love watching long-lost enigmas return in dramatic fashion, punching critics in the groin while dazzling us with newfound glory. Such is the tale of ex-Blue-Mountainsiders Cloud Control, who were catapulted to domestic divinity by the success of their 2010 debut, Bliss Release. The psych-pop quartet garnered rave reviews, won shiny awards and then... disappeared. Vanished. Vamoosed. Now, three years after absconding to the UK, Cloud Control has rearrived on Australian soil. And, like a resurrected Goku, they are triumphantly punching everyone in the groin. They've sold out VIVID, dropped a much-hyped single, featured at a sold-out Splendour, dropped a much-hyped second album and are now musically pillaging our fine nation on the Australian leg of their international Dream Cave Tour. Dream Cave, their sophomore release, was masterminded by UK producer Barny Barnicott (The Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian) and exhibits the maturity that Cloud Control have developed through years spent living, writing and playing on the other side of Earth. Their current tour will celebrate this evolution, while harkening back to the blissful release that won them acclaim at the turn of the decade. Supported by Sydney bands Palms and Gang of Youths, this is the perfect opportunity for Cloud Controllers to revel in the band's brilliance before they bugger off back to the UK later this month. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketek. https://youtube.com/watch?v=SGSij0-cljI
Two friends meet for a beer. Which are you? The one who pulls out a chair, sits down and starts checking who's been 'totes amazed' by your status update since you jumped off the train ten minutes ago, or the other, looking around, feigning fascination with the pub decor, muttering passive aggressive incantations under your breath? Whether you're the connectivity addict or the addict's tortured friend, you'll be pleased to know that a remedy is nigh. It involves drinking more beer and sitting close together. Brazilian beer company Polar has invented a beer holder that not only keeps your beverage cold but also blocks any 3G or 4G signal within a 1.5m radius. 'Share a Polar Beer, not a link', suggests the ad campaign. The product of collaboration with communications agency Paim, the device employs a scaled-down version of the technology that prevents prisoners from connecting via cell from their, ah, cells. Previous attempts to discourage mobile phone obsession have included an oddly shaped beer glass (also a Brazilian invention) and the designation of 'cell phone areas' in Los Angeles restaurant Bucato. The big question is: will the Polar 'cell phone nullifier' actually boost conversation, or merely cause people to stand further apart (at least 1.5m from their beers, that is)? Via PSFK.
Thanks to its rabbit-warren of malls, markets, eateries and bars, Haymarket is usually more synonymous with buzz than beauty. But if you have a moment to pause and look-up (making sure you're not in the way of the crowds), there a few hidden artistic gems to be found. Jason Wing's In Between Two Worlds spans across Factory Street, Hay Street and Kimber Lane in Haymarket. The beguiling work references both Indigenous and Chinese motifs for wind, water, fire and earth, which are believed to each have their own spirits. By day, you'll spot the cloud murals painted on the floor and silver otherworldly figures suspended in the sky. Be sure to return in the evening — perhaps en route to a Chinatown dumpling feast — and witness those once silvery figures glowing blue in all their neon glory. On the corners of Hay and Sussex Street sits Golden Water Mouth, seen as the symbolic entrance to Chinatown. The sculpture is a eucalyptus tree covered in gold leaf; a positive fusion of natural materials within the urban environment. Matt Adnate's portrait of Jenny Munro, Aboriginal elder and founder of the Redfern Aboriginal Tent Embassy, is hard to miss. It can be found, in all its six-storey glory, on a building on the corner of Harbour and Golbourn streets.
Sometimes being ridiculously beautiful can be a curse — everyone wants to grab a drink with you, stare at you and boast about you to their friends. We're talking about you, Sydney, and your impossible-to-match views. From the twinkling city lights to the picturesque harbour, it's a city we can't help but show off. And what better way to take it all in than at a rooftop bar with a significant other or a bunch of mates? Together with our friends at Heineken, we've put together a list of four rooftop bars that are perfect for a sky-high night out under the stars. You're welcome.
School's back, even if it's been years — or a decade or more — since you last stepped foot in a classroom. Come April, Netflix's Heartbreak High revival will return for its second season, after its initial comeback in 2022 proved more popular than the 3pm bell. When new episodes will drop was announced earlier in the year; now it's time for the trailer for season two, giving viewers a sneak peek at Hartley High's new term. Everyone who can remember their high-school days knows that chaos is always part of the experience — and the debut glimpse at Heartbreak High's second season stays true to that idea. Amerie (Ayesha Madon, The Moth Effect) is back to being hated, and understandably isn't thrilled about it. Also part of the season: picking a new school captain, the impact of a few new arrivals among the students and staff, sporting mayhem and a love triangle. When Heartbreak High first arrived on television from 1994–99, it became one of Australia's classic teen series. When it returned more than two decades later, the new version also had everyone turning up. Accordingly, after its first season proved a huge smash, 2020s-era Heartbreak High was promptly renewed for season two — as you'd expect of an International Emmy-, AACTA- and Logie-winning show. Also on the returning crew in the revival's second season, character-wise: Harper (Asher Yasbincek, How to Please a Woman), Darren (screen first-timer James Majoos), Quinni (Chloe Hayden, Jeremy the Dud), Dusty (Josh Heuston, Thor: Love and Thunder), Ca$h (Will McDonald, Home and Away), Malakai (Thomas Weatherall, Troppo), Spider (Bryn Chapman Parish, Mr Inbetween), Ant (debutant Brodie Townsend), Sasha (Gemma Chua-Tran, Mustangs FC) and Missy (fellow newcomer Sherry-Lee Watson) — as well as teachers Woodsy (Rachel House, Our Flag Means Death) and Jojo (Chika Ikogwe, The Tourist). As announced previously, they have some fresh faces for company. Sam Rechner (The Fabelmans) plays country boy and classic cinema fan Rowan Callaghan. Kartanya Maynard (Deadloch) joins the Hartley crew as Zoe Clarke, who has big thoughts on celibacy — she's in favour — as part of a gang of Puriteens. And Angus Sampson hops from Bump to Heartbreak High as Head of PE Timothy Voss. Season one started with Amerie becoming a pariah at Hartley after a big revelation — an "incest map" plotting out who's hooked up with who throughout the school — and also struggling with a sudden rift in her friendship with bestie Harper. Attempting to repair her reputation, she called on help from her new pals Quinni and Darren, all while working through her crush on Dusty and developing feelings for Malakai. And that's just the start of the Heartbreak High revival's season one story. In season two, everyone is back for a second term after doing some growing up over the holidays, and Hartley is now the lowest-ranking school in the district. Netflix has also been teasing that threesomes, chlamydia and burning cars will be distant memory for the gang — but there'll still be a whirlwind of teen antics, of course, or this wouldn't be Heartbreak High. It was in 2020 that Netflix initially announced that it was bringing the series back — and yes, it sure is a 2020s take on the Aussie show, including everything from friendship fights, yelling about vaginas from the top of a building and throwing dildos at walls through to consent, crime, drugs and police brutality. The original Heartbreak High was a massive deal, and was filled with now-familiar faces, such as Alex Dimitriades, a pre-Home and Away Ada Nicodemou, and Avengers: Endgame and Mystery Road's Callan Mulvey as Drazic. It painted a multicultural picture of Australia that was unlike anything else on TV at the time. And, for its six-year run across two Aussie networks, the Sydney-shot show was must-see television — not bad for a series that started as a spinoff to the Claudia Karvan and Alex Dimitriades-starring 1993 movie The Heartbreak Kid, too. Check out the trailer for the Heartbreak High revival's second season below: Heartbreak High season two will arrive on Thursday, April 11, 2024. The show's first season is available to stream now via Netflix. Read our full review.
The outer reaches of Lightning Ridge are home to a collection of fascinating landmarks and landscapes, with the self-guided Car Door Tours ensuring you journey to the very best. Just follow the green, blue, red and yellow wreckage lining the roads that leave town in all directions. You'll reach the Opal Mine Adventure on the Blue Car Door Tour, while the Red Car Door Tour swings by Ridge Castle – an offbeat mining camp with panoramic countryside views. These trips range from 10 to 45 minutes of drive time, making them perfect for a quick cruise. Even if you don't take yourself on a tour, you'll become familiar with the car doors pretty quickly — they function as de facto street signs in Lightning Ridge.
I wonder how long you have to live in Brooklyn to say you're a Brooklyn band? Yeasayer, TV On The Radio, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Dragons Of Zynth, Animal Collective, The National, Grizzly Bear. Hmmm. I do wonder. There's no way that all of the individuals in all of these groups could be from Brooklyn. But it is definitely the place to make music these days. Mummy I want to be in a Brooklyn band! White Rabbits are one of these bands, but at least in their bio they admit that they are from Missouri straight away. They play rhythm heavy, piano soaked alternative pop/rock â€" somewhere in between Cold War Kids (less earnest and Christian like) and Spoon (more attitude, less tongue in cheek), and in fact have been accused of being Spoon's protégé and didn't help this by enlisting Spoon's Britt Daniel to produce their second album It's Frightening. I even overheard a conversation the other day in a cafe, "they sound so much like Spoon, but they are better looking". Their music is full of little bits that you can clap or sing along to, intricate and fun rhythms, tambourine shakes, snare rolls, errant backup vocals ahhhing. And Singer Stephen Patterson even sounds like Spoon's Britt Daniel, with a similar aggressive yet lazy vocal style â€" think John Lennon on Instant Karma. They apparently are amazing live, and just watching the video for Percussion Gun makes you want to go watch the 6 piece. So forget everything I said about Spoon, you should fork out and go catch their Falls Festival sideshow at the OAF. https://youtube.com/watch?v=IClBpch9vmM
At beloved Chippendale nightclub Freda's, you might've found yourself dancing with a hoard of shirtless strangers at 3am. At the new Freda's in Taylor Square, patrons are predominantly seated (and fully clothed). Like much of its clientele, Freda's has grown up — but it hasn't forgotten how to have fun. In late 2020, we mourned the loss of Freda's the nightclub, with the venue closing its doors after a nine-year reign. But owner David Abram didn't sit on his proverbial hands for long, opening the doors to the new iteration of Freda's — Cafe Freda's — just a couple of months later, on NYE. As is clear from the name, Cafe Freda's isn't a nightclub. It's not just a cafe, either. It's a restaurant, neighbourhood bar and creative space. And, like its predecessor, it's a haven of expression, art and music. A set of DJ decks sit behind the bar in preparation for upcoming live music nights, ceramics made by artist and Abram's partner Carla Uriarte line the walls and a cultural program of readings and exhibitions, overseen by Uriarte, is set to launch in coming weeks. [caption id="attachment_798926" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Carla Uriarte, Xinyi Lim and David Abram by Cassandra Hannagan[/caption] Unlike the OG Freda's, however, here there's a stronger focus on food and wine. The kitchen is helmed by chef Xinyi Lim, who has worked at New York restaurants Marlow & Sons and Achilles Heel, and runs Megafauna, which combines food, art and social justice. The food is reflective of Xinyi's Chinese Malaysian heritage and driven by seasonal and locally sourced produce. In short: it's unfussy and nourishing. You might dig into a salad of shaved summer vegetables with sorrel and sesame, topped with a soft egg; a rustic galette of dark leafy greens; or a plate of pulled pork served with labneh and a barley salad. If dessert is on offer, we suggest you order it. So far, sweet hits have included the likes of a generous slice of peach, rye and cardamom brunch cake topped with whipped cream and pastel green pandan panna cotta. Like the panna cotta, the space is covered in pastels. Grand yellow windows open onto Oxford Street, pink walls pop behind the bar and a large blue painting hangs on the wall. Other features have been repurposed from the nightclub, including stools and the bar top itself. [caption id="attachment_798921" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cassandra Hannagan[/caption] The wine list, by Restaurant Leo's Darcy Creenaune Ellis, focuses on minimal-intervention drops from smaller producers across Australia and the globe, including fun pét-nats and skin-contact drops from Ari's Natural Wine in the southern highlands and natural numbers from Cantina Giardino in the hills of Campania, Italy. A cocktail list stars the regular suspects: spritzes, margaritas, espresso martinis and negronis — all for under $20. Club Mate, a carbonated, caffeinated tea-based soft drink that has a bit of a cult following in Europe, has also made the journey over from Chippendale. In Taylor Square, you can drink it as is or as part of a Mega Mate cocktail, with vodka and fresh lime. Once a bustling after-dark hub, Oxford Street was hit hard by the lockout laws and is currently a shell of its former self. But, it seems, that's all starting to change. Cafe Freda's will be joined in Taylor Square by a mega-venue that's set to takeover both the Kinsela and Courthouse Hotels, the City of Sydney has announced plans to reignite nightlife on the street and the NSW Government has scrapped several archaic laws surrounding liquor licences and live music. Oxford Street might just be getting its mojo back. Find Cafe Freda's at 191–195 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst from 4pm–12am Wednesday–Thursday and 12pm–12am Friday–Sunday. To make a booking, email info@fredas.com.au. Images: Cassandra Hannagan
Like karaoke? Fond of singing in public in general, whether you're solo or in a group? Then it's time to up your crooning game. Pub Choir is exactly what it sounds like — aka a gathering of folks belting out a tune, together, in a bar. It's basically what happens whenever someone puts 'Wonderwall' or 'Weather With You' on the jukebox, but in a more organised fashion. Specifically, each session features a particular song, which attendees learn in three-part harmonies. Talented professionals are there to show you the ropes and lead the way, and if you're wondering what you'll be singing, it's usually announced 24-hours beforehand. Doing the rounds of Brisbane venues since early 2017, Pub Choir has become mighty popular — and now it's headed to Sydney. Come Wednesday, September 11, the Enmore Theatre will come alive with the sound of plenty of folks singing and sipping, because both go hand-in-hand here. It'll also feature Ben Lee leading away, plus a selection of other special guests. And, if you're not usually the type of person to unleash their inner Beyonce in front of the masses, don't worry. The great thing about choirs is that everyone is singing, so you are literally a voice in the crowd. In fact, you might just find joining in the fun cathartic. If you can't feel free when you're crooning along with hundreds of others, when can you?
Halva yoghurt. Israeli date honey. Smoked labne. Over the past five years, Kepos Street Kitchen has been the mouthwatering gift that keeps on giving — and locals keep on coming back. To celebrate the Redfern stalwart's fifth birthday this month, owners Michael Rantissi and Kristy Frawley are hosting a series of mouthwatering Middle Eastern-style dinners over three Wednesday nights. On November 15 Israeli-born chef Rantissi will tackle sustainable Aussie seafood with a 'loaves and fishes' dinner. On November 22, Rantissi will shift his focus to serving up a whole lamb with local butcher Marcus Papadopoulo. To round it all out on November 29, the event series will end with a vego feast of seasonal veggies (both preserved and cooked over charcoal) and Mediterranean-style cheeses from cheesemaker Kristen Allan. Each dinner costs $65 per person, with drinks coming in as extra. There will be two seatings per event, 6–8pm and 8.15–10pm. If you're a regular, this is a great way to support your local. If you're yet to check it out, well this is a great opportunity to do so.
On November 24-25, the Sydney Opera House forecourt will transform into an outdoor stage for Dance Rites 2018. Now in its fourth year, this epic event is a First Nations dance competition starring more than 300 performers from all over the country. And it's free. Dance Rites was once part of the Opera House's Homeground Festival, but is now a stand-alone event. In addition to watching the heats from 3pm each day, and the finals on Sunday evening, catch an array of established dancers in action. Just some of the acts on the program include 2017 Dance Rites champs Kulgoodah Dancers, 2017 Wildcard Winners ALLKUMO Malpa Paman Dancers, professional troupe Muggera Dancers and, all the way from New Zealand, collective Te Rua Mauri. Check out, too, musical performances from electro poppers Electric Fieldson Saturday night and Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Sumner on Sunday. The Dance Rites 2018 winner, which is judged on three dances and decided upon by an expert panel of Juanita Duncan, Libby Collins, Matthew Doyle and Waangenga Blanco — will score a whopping $20,000, too. Images: Daniel Boud and Jacqui Cornforth.
Melburnians love to proudly — and loudly — lament the city's ever-changing weather conditions. It's the ultimate water cooler talking point and the 'four seasons in a day' gimmick is thrown around at least once a day. We love to talk about the weather so much we now have a building dedicated to the topic. Melbourne's newest high-rise 888 Collins isn't your standard apartment block — the 15-storey exterior is fitted with 58,000 lights which, from dusk until midnight, perform an hourly light show for the masses. The show isn't just for spectacle, though. The colours indicate the real-time weather conditions outside and so are, like the weather, constantly changing. This feat was accomplished by artist Bruce Ramus, whose experience as a lighting designer includes work for the likes of R.E.M, U2 and David Bowie. It was easy for Ramus to notice the city's obsession with the weather and he felt creating an artwork that "interprets how the weather feels" was the best homage to locals, he told The Age. The building is located on the corner of Collins and Bourke Streets, down the Docklands end of the CBD. In order to predict the weather accurately, the roof is fitted with a weather station and fed data from the Bureau of Meteorology. The building is also solar powered, which provides power both for the lights and the building itself. While the idea of an eco-friendly building that depicts our love/hate relationship with the weather is right up our alley, we're not sure how keen we'd be to live in it. But Ramus has ensured residents that he has considered them in the design; the light output is far below the city's guidelines and the show "is very gentle". If you want to head down to Docklands and check it out for your self, Ramus has put together a handy guide for how to 'read' the building. Though the show ends at midnight, the building's lights will remain on throughout the night, depicting images of the moon straight on to morning. Now isn't that just dreamy. Via The Age. Image: LendLease.
It's one thing to admire the Sydney skyline from afar (or from high up), but it's a whole new experience to be able to pick the brains of the kind of people responsible for it. On Friday, August 11 and Saturday, August 12, some of biggest names from the architecture and design industry come together at Sydney Indesign to celebrate how far this city has come design-wise. Across the city, there will be pop-up showrooms featuring speakers and talks with topics ranging from cohabitation among different generations, to the different design identities of Australia and how city developers cope with growing populations. Connected by design trails and a hop-on-hop-off shuttle system, you'll be racing around the city surrounded by innovated designs and talking to innovative designers. Not only that, the showrooms will be interactive — little pieces of unique design in their own right. To skip the lines on the day-of, preregister here. Participating venues will open on Friday, August 11 from 12pm - 6pm and on Saturday, August 12 from 10am - 6pm.
Fans of Muji's minimalist homewares and consumer goods will be glad to know that the Japanese megastore isn't done with Sydney yet. With recent news of the newly opened Muji hotels in Japan and China, we were starting to feel a bit like their neglected middle child. But, according to a blog post, the north shore will get its very own MUJI outpost in March. A sister store to The Galeries on George Street, the newbie will be Australia's first multi-level Muji, and the place will be big, covering a whopping 884 square metres at Westfield Chatswood. You can expect it to be stocking all the usual homeware goods, along with men's, women's and children's apparel and accessories, skincare products, stationery, back-to-school/work necessities and travel goods. Their simple designs are also eco‐friendly with minimal packaging, so you really can't go wrong here. The store will open on Wednesday, March 21 with a range of special offers and even a Muji exhibition. We're personally down on bended knees, wishing and hoping that this store will be selling those flat-pack homes and tiny pre-fab huts that we've been waiting so very long for. Muji Chatswood will open on March 21, 2018. Keep an eye on Muji's Facebook and Instagram for updates. Updated: February 27, 2018. Image: Muji/Facebook.
Over seven years in the making, Bondi Pavilion's massive transformation is finally set to be complete this spring. First announced way back in 2015, the pavilion's multimillion-dollar revamp has been a long-running project of the Waverley Council, which has revealed that the historic building will finally reopen later this year with a host of new food, drink and cultural tenants. "There is such growing excitement in the community about the reopening as more and more of the building and our world-class restoration works are revealed," Mayor of Waverley Paula Masselos said. The rejuvenated space will feature an art gallery, cultural spaces, a new area called the Bondi Story Room, a pottery studio, new amenities and an expansive public courtyard, plus the previously announced food and drink tenants. Late last year, it was revealed the team behind Circular Quay's new multi-level venue Hinchcliff House would be at the helm of an all-day cafe, bakery and bistro called Bondi Promenade at the pavilion. The cultural spaces will be available for a multitude of uses by the community including art exhibitions, theatre, workshops and classes, while the Bondi Story Room will offer visitors the chance to look back on Bondi's history via an interactive digital exhibition. The council is taking submissions for the exhibition via the Bondi Pavilion website. During the renovations, the council has also been working with the Gujaga Foundation to ensure that Indigenous cultural heritage is reflected in the Bondi Pavilion, including naming new spaces in the building in the local Dharawal language. The nearly century-old building was first built in the 1920s, replacing the Bondi Surf Sheds with the Turkish and Hot Sea Water Baths in 1929. The current renovations have uncovered the bathhouse's original signage, which has been restored ready for the pavilion opening. While an exact date in spring hasn't been provided for the reopening, expressions of interest to hire the pavilion's Community and Cultural Centre are now open for the dates Monday, October 10 through until the end of the year. Bondi Pavilion is located at Queen Elizabeth Drive, Bondi Beach and is set to reopen in spring. You can stay up to date with the building's refurbishment at the Waverley Council's website. Images: Tonkin Zulaikha Greer.
As we all know, no Christmas season is complete without a solid few hours spent devouring a stack of classic festive flicks. And this year, you can upgrade from that living room couch to a comfy outdoor cinema, thanks to QVB's new festive Cine-mas series. Transforming the centre's secret terrace into an intimate theatre from December 5 to 7, this mini movie fest will screen three of the best-loved Christmas films of all time. Making the cut are Will Ferrell-starring comedy Elf, animated adventure flick The Polar Express and that timeless Macaulay Culkin number, Home Alone. Each night, there'll be a family-friendly session at 6.30pm, followed by a screening for adults at 9pm. Tickets start from $35 for adults, but if you fancy making a night of it, you can splash out an extra $25 to add on dessert from La Belle Miette and your choice of bubbly, wine or beer from the Reign Champagne Parlour & Bar. Drop an extra $75, and you'll get a two-course pre- or post-movie feed at QVB's Esquire Drink + Dine on top of all that.
This small space — which has capacity for around 30 people — does classic cocktails very well, but it's the killer craft beer selection that locals love. The offering is constantly changing but Sydney breweries Yulli's Brews and The Grifter feature heavily, and the team here has a knack for getting its hands on limited releases. Images: Jasmine Low
This could be love: a classic 80s film that's been adored for decades, a new date with the big screen, and a live band and singers bringing its soundtrack to life as you watch. Dirty Dancing in Concert isn't new to Australia, but it keeps returning to tour the country because the movie at its centre is one that audiences can't get enough of. If you're a fan, you'll know which phrase fits: ideally, you'll have the time of your film-watching life. On Saturday, September 6, 2025, Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey will dance up a storm in the 1987 romantic drama at the Darling Harbour Theatre, ICC Sydney. While this event is clearly hoping that you've never felt like this before, that'll only apply if you didn't go to 2022's or 2023's shows. Whether you're a Dirty Dancing in Concert first-timer or returning after seeing it before, you'll not only see the movie — you'll also hit up the party afterwards. Accordingly, as you celebrate one of Swayze's biggest and most-charming film roles, you'll be immersed in the world of the picture from the moment that you take your seat. Although no one will be carrying watermelons or checking into Kellerman's Mountain House in the Catskills, the digitally remastered feature will grace the big screen, its iconic songs will get a workout live, then the musicians will stick around afterwards to headline a party that'll naturally have you singing and dancing. If you're feeling adventurous and inspired by the movie, you might even want to try to recreate the famous lift. Here, nobody will put you or Francis 'Baby' Houseman in a corner — and you'd be just a fool to believe otherwise. Your hungry eyes will soak in Baby's first taste of dirty dancing, her eager rehearsals and her growing infatuation with Johnny Castle, as well as her parents' bitter unhappiness about the entire situation. Dirty Dancing in Concert images: Zdenko Hanout.
Bars and restaurants across the world are coming up with creative ways to implement social distancing. Some are trying out giant teddy bears, some mannequins and some plastic shields, but right here in Australia, one beer company has come up with a novel solution: robots. Dutch beer brand Heineken together with engineering students from Sydney University have opened a pop-up bar in Darlinghurst that's staffed by two robot arms named Heidi and Ken. The arms will crack you a cold one and send it over via a conveyor belt. Only one person is allowed in the bar at a time, so it's a completely human contact-free experience. The beer it's serving is free, too, but it's also alcohol-free — which is great if you're doing Dry July, not so much if you were hoping to get boozed without spending a dime. If you are doing Dry July, we've rounded up some of our favourite booze-free beverages over here. Running from Wednesday, July 15 to Saturday, July 18, the Heineken Zer0.0 Contact Bar coincides with the (relatively recent) launch of the beer brand's alcohol-free beer: Heineken 0.0. It's said to have a fruity flavour with malty notes, but to find out for yourself, head over to the robot bar. Heineken Zer0.0 Contact Bar is open from 11am–6pm daily.
Sports fans, Christmas has arrived — the athletic version that comes around every four years (or, in this case five), that is. Events have begun at this year's delayed Tokyo Olympic Games, the opening ceremony officially kicks things off on Friday, July 23, and two-plus weeks of competition awaits. If you're fond of all of the above, there's really not much that could improve the next fortnight. Actually, one thing could make your Olympics-watching couch sessions even better. We have two words for you: free pizza. They're two of the best words that exist, especially when used together — and they describe exactly what Pizza Hut is offering Aussies during this year's games. In total, the fast food chain will be handing out up to 285,000 freebies. Exactly how many it'll dole out depends on one big thing: how many medals Australian athletes win this year. Pizza Hut will give away a heap of pizzas to celebrate the Olympics' opening and closing ceremonies, as well as a set amount each day during the games as well; however, it's also breaking some additional slices whenever an Aussie stands on the podium. That means you'll have multiple chances to grab a freebie. First up, there'll be 5000 up for grabs from 4pm on Friday, July 23 to celebrate the opening ceremony. Between Saturday, July 24–Saturday, August 7, another 1000 will be given away daily at 4pm as well. On Sunday, August 8, for the closing ceremony, Pizza Hut will bust out another 5000 at 4pm, too. And, whenever an Aussie wins a medal, it'll add 1000 more free pizzas to its giveaway at 4pm the next day for each gold we take home, another 500 for each silver and another 200 for every bronze. To score your 'za without spending a cent, you'll need to head to Pizza Hut's 'pizzas for podiums' website at 4pm each day. Unsurprisingly, you'll want to get in quick as it's a first in, first served affair. You can only enter twice per day — and, if you win, you'll be sent a voucher code for a large pizza with a pan base. You'll be able to choose from super supreme, barbecue meatlovers, pepperoni lovers, Hawaiian and cheese lovers, and you'll need to redeem before Tuesday, August 31 via a pick-up order. One entrant will also win a year's worth of free pizza — well, Pizza Hut's idea of a year's worth, with one free pizza on offer for 52 weeks — if you need any extra motivation to enter. Pizza Hut will be giving away free pizzas from Friday, July 23–Sunday, August 8 during the Tokyo Olympic Games. For further information, head to the chain's website.
Amongst the many large-scale events that've cancelled or postponed in the wake of COVID-19, is perhaps the one we could all use the most right now — the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. With the government banning non-essential mass gatherings of over 500 people, and, today, indoor gatherings over 100, the huge annual laugh-fest was one of the first to be axed from the 2020 calendar. But if it's some chuckles you're after, fear not, because some of Australia's best-loved comedians, many of which were slated to perform at MICF, are coming soon to a streaming device near you. And even those bunkering down at home in a state of enforced self-isolation, or voluntary social-distancing, get to enjoy this little lineup as well. Hitting screens from next month is Amazon Prime's new special series of stand-up shows from ten big-name Aussie comics. Two specials will be released each week from Friday, April 10, including Tom Gleeson's sell-out show Joy, Zoë Coombs Marr with Bossy Bottom, Judith Lucy, Anne Edmonds and Tommy Little. Lano & Woodley, Celia Pacquola, Tom Walker, Dilruk Jayasinha and Alice Fraser are also on the bill, promising to inject a bit of sunshine into your socially distanced life. The comedy specials were all filmed last year at Melbourne's Malthouse Theatre and are set to stream worldwide. You can watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz3dmDUeydw The ten new comedy specials hit Amazon Prime Video from Friday, April 10.
If there's one thing the past couple of years have taught us, it's that sometimes, the best times can be had when you slow things down. That's why we've teamed up with American Honey to create The Slow Lounge: an exclusive, invite-only hideaway curated to help you and your mates disconnect from the outside world and stay connected in the moment. At this top-secret Bondi location, you won't need to wait around for the best intimate nook to open up — every seat is the best in the house. If you're on the list, you'll unwind in style with your favourite people, sip deliciously smooth American Honey, soda and fresh lime, and enjoy a soundtrack of golden hour live jams from some of the hottest emerging Aussie musical talent of the moment. The lineup includes the smooth vibes of DJ Shollywood on the decks, and live golden-hour sets by indie pop darling Essie Holt (pictured above) and acclaimed singer-songwriter Carla Wehbe. Each guest will be gifted a swag bag with all the ingredients you need to enjoy the perfect American Honey drink at home, plus a bespoke honey-scented candle and a set of conversation coasters. The Slow Lounge is taking place from August 27–28, making it perfect for a golden end-of-winter gathering. The only way in is to enter our competition, which you can do right here. Top image: Every Last Second
The technological advancement of the moment continues to creep closer and closer to reality. Perth followed the self-driving path of the US last year with its trial of Australia's first driverless bus and Adelaide began trials of its own electric airport shuttles earlier this year. Not to mention ride share companies Lyft and Uber duelling it out to be the first to launch self-driving cabs on the road. Now, Sydney is getting on board, with the NSW Government green lighting legislation for a two-year trial of driverless shuttles at Sydney Olympic Park — and it's happening imminently, with the trial expected to begin later this month. As in Perth and Adelaide, the vehicle will look like a small shuttle. During the trial period, it will only travel 10km/hour, though the shuttle is capable of hitting a (still cruisy) 50km/hour. The first phase will take place on a closed-off road, so it won't be until later phases that you'll actually get to take it for a spin. Once the shuttle is moved to a public section of the park, it will carry workers along the main streets, taking them to and from the carpark. A product of HMI technologies, the vehicle has an external GPS system which assists with coordination and accuracy. The track will be pre-programmed, but, in the case of something going wrong, the shuttle also has an emergency break. This trial will also allow for the development of infrastructure systems, including the shuttle's connection to traffic lights and even to customers' personal devices. If this all sounds a bit like the start to every movie where the machines take over, we hear you. So many sci-fi movies are closer to truth than we ever imagined possible. A simultaneous cool and creepy thought. On a brighter note, according to ABC, it is estimated that up to 94 percent of crashes on roads are caused by human error. Since humans suck at driving so much, there's a good chance driverless cars will actually improve road safety in Australia — until the artificial intelligence decides otherwise, of course. Via ABC.
What was once a wartime torpedo factory and submarine base is now Sydney's newest playground and public space. Located on the harbour between Kirribilli and Kurraba Point in North Sydney, HMAS Platypus is a former submarine base that hasn't been open to the public in over 150 years. Now, the space has been transformed into Sub Base Platypus, a massive new foreshore walkway and parkland — and it's now open to the masses. The historic north shore site sits on Cammeraygal land and was once a gasworks facility for the region. As part of the war effort, the site became a torpedo factory in 1942 and later commissioned as the navy's submarine base in 1967 — named HMAS Platypus — which then closed back in 1998. What was once the submarine wharf has been rebuilt into an elevated water walkway that links the site to Kesterton Park (via Kiara Close) and theNorth Sydney Ferry Wharf. Alongside the water walkway is a recreation and barbecue area, plus a new submarine-themed playground. As a tribute to the site's history, the playground includes a model Oberon Submarine and periscopes, built by the Harbour Trust's Volunteer Restoration Team, which consists of over 50 volunteers with expertise in engineering, carpentry and electrical work. Stage one opened in May 2018, with further redevelopment and long-term upgrades planned for the site over the next three years. It is eventually planned to become a large-scale waterfront park, with the government having already invested nearly $70 million in the project. The second stage of Sub Base Platypus will include a mix of open areas and parkland, with the addition of plazas, courtyards and flexible re-use spaces. The former submarine workshop structures will soon be leased out as well, with tenants expected onsite throughout 2019. Updated: June 24, 2018.
Plenty changes over the course of ten years. If you're living in a post-apocalyptic world populated by zombies, however, that mightn't necessarily be the case. Arriving a decade after the first film, Zombieland: Double Tap returns to the decimated America inhabited by Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), with the quartet still trying to survive among the ravenous undead — and getting comfortable in a desolated White House in the process. It's a case of same main cast, same director (Ruben Fleischer, who also helmed last year's Venom) and same basic premise for the long-awaited sequel. In the just-released first trailer for the film, the gang have also picked up a few new skills, and then cross paths with a few new survivors. But, story-wise, the follow-up is saving the bulk of its surprises for the full flick, which hits cinemas this October. Among the newcomers, Rosario Dawson plays Nevada, Zoey Deutch (Set It Up) pops up as Madison and Avan Jogia (Now Apocalypse) joins as Berkeley, while Luke Wilson and Thomas Middleditch (Silicon Valley) show up as virtual doppelgangers for Tallahassee and Columbus. If you're after more excitement, both monster trucks and combine harvesters feature as weapons, Harrelson dons an Elvis costume and a Santa suit, and fireworks prove a great way to distract zombies. Watch the first trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlW9yhUKlkQ Zombieland: Double Tap releases in Australian cinemas on October 17.
Built to Spill wine was started by Tai Tate (ex-Porteno, Mary's, P&V) in 2020, combining his love of natural wines and music. The local wine curator has since built a cult following, collaborating with the likes of Freddie Gibbs, The Chats and Cosmic Psychos. If you haven't had the opportunity to try Built to Spill's wines, Tate is bringing them to you with a series of pop-ups to close out 2022. The wines are making five stop-overs across Sydney and its surrounds, each time bringing DJ sets, free tastings, vinyl and merch with them. The first two will be at Inner West favourites, starting at The Lansdowne's recently reopened rooftop bar on Saturday, November 26, followed by The Duke of Enmore on Saturday, December 3. The following Saturday, December 10, these minimal intervention drops will be travelling to Laguna for a takeover of the Great Northern Trading Post. The Leichhardt Bowling Club will be the next stop on the tour on Saturday, December 17, before it all concludes at a yet-to-be-disclosed location in the Blue Mountains just before Christmas. You can follow along with the pop-up tour at the winemaker's Instagram. Just to top off the end-of-year festivities, Built to Spill has announced a new collaboration with eccentric Australian sketch comedy trio Aunty Donna. The collab is a $30 Bottle of Wine in both concept and name. If you're looking for an appropriate bottle of wine to bring to a dinner party or social occasion, this limited-time wine tells everyone in the room just how much you spent on it — the perfect middle point for a bottle of wine, $30. Plus, in the new year, Tate and co. have a range of events and collaborations lineup up for the new year, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for more announcements to come.
Before it was a restaurant, the heritage-listed structure that houses Ripples was used for secret military operations to defend Sydney Harbour. It's not difficult to understand why. From any table on the breezy waterside deck, spectacular views extend as far as the eye can see; Watsons Bay and Nielsen Park decorate one horizon, while the Northern headlands cradle the harbour on the other. Within closer range lies the pretty greenery of Clifton Gardens, bordered by white sand and the boats that bob merrily on the harbour. As an appetiser for the senses, the magnificent view is a hard act to follow. Ripples accepts the challenge gracefully, offering a well-priced feast that matches the vista in uniqueness and allure. A round of tomato and mozzarella arancini with a pickled tomato chutney ($10) and a glass of Antonini Cereso Prosecco ($12) will tide you over while you choose from the comprehensively scrumptious menu and wine list. The decadent truffle has been embraced throughout the menu. It is infused into the oil that dresses the wild mushroom bruschetta with sous vide egg ($18), adds deep flavour to the cream that is served alongside perfectly cooked beef tenderloins with marrow butter and cherry tomatoes ($32), and makes luscious cameos in the seasonal specials. Chestnuts, toasted Sardinian pasta, Packham pears and mustard fruits are among the other quality ingredients used to make the tasty, traditional dishes sing. Dessert continues the theme of traditional with a twist. Our pick is a rich, flourless chocolate cake drenched with salted caramel sauce and lifted with a generous scoop of apple pie gelato ($15). Closure is brought by a Frogmore Creek Iced Riesling and a round, fruity espresso. Ripples is the kind of place where time stands still; it's easy to while away a day here without noticing. Hearty Italian-style food, good wine, and a view that reminds us why we are just so lucky to live in this city are an unbeatable combination that we'll be back for time and time again.
The festival retreat of 2013 continues, with the Big Day Out announcing that their second Sydney event on Monday, January 27, will be cancelled and merged with the show on January 26. "Perhaps we were a bit ambitious expanding to two dates in Sydney for this year’s Big Day Out," promotor Ken West said in a statement. The Big Day Out has held two Sydney shows in three previous years, depending on the pulling power of its headliners. Ticketholders for the Monday event are automatically able to use their ticket on Sunday. Alternatively, they can get a refund until October 30, 2013, or exchange it for a Big Day Out in any other city. It all comes just a week and a half after the cancellation of Harvest. At the time, promoter AJ Maddah put poor Harvest ticket sales down to the lure of the 2014 Big Day Out lineup, but in light of this new information, it seems the competing festival can't have pinched that many of Harvest's followers. The 2014 Big Day Out lineup sort of lived up to the hype. Organisers spoke of their excitement at landing three "white whales", and the top of the ticket is pretty monumental. Pearl Jam is a classic choice for BDO headliner, Arcade Fire a welcome return visitor to the main stage, Blur a seriously impressive 'get' — and Snoop's good-natured, laaiiiiidbaaack style a nice counterpoint to the snarling grunge and indie-rock mania. For more information or to exchange your ticket, visit the Big Day Out website. By the Concrete Playground team.
For the second year in a row, one of Australia's filmmaking icons has joined the Sydney Film Festival's program: George Miller, the director responsible for all things Mad Max and Furiosa. In 2024, he hit the Harbour City festival to chat about his work, including the dystopian saga that he has gifted Aussie cinema, but his 2025 discussion will span further. Not only is Miller taking to the stage, but he'll be joined by Hideo Kojima. One is the man responsible not just for a big Australian movie franchise, but for the big Australian movie franchise. He's also followed a pig in the city, made penguins dance, gotten witchy and granted wishes, too. The other is the creator of both the DEATH STRANDING and Metal Gear Solid video-game series, and heads to Sydney just before DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH releases at the end of June. This is a world-exclusive in-conversation session, taking place on Saturday, June 14 at Sydney Town Hall's Centennial Hall — so consider it one of the ace ways to help see out this year's cinema celebration, which runs from Wednesday, June 4–Sunday, June 15. Miller and Kojima will not only dig into how they each approach their fields, plus their respective visionary approaches, but also explore how movies and video games overlap, alongside cinematic storytelling in gaming. Greats in their own rights, the duo are also recent collaborators — Miller portrays himself in the Australia-set DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH. "This is a rare and exciting meeting of two creative minds who have reshaped their respective industries. Kojima and Miller's shared love of cinema and storytelling will make for an unforgettable conversation at this year's festival," said SFF Festival Director Nashen Moodley, announcing the fest's latest addition. On the fest's guest list, Miller and Kojima are joined by Free Solo filmmaker Jimmy Chin, Together director Michael Shanks, music icon Warren Ellis and plenty more — so along with putting 201 movies on your must-watch list, it's adding a heap of must-see talents to your June as well. The George Miller and Hideo Kojima in-conversation session is happening on Saturday, June 14 at Sydney Town Hall. Sydney Film Festival 2025 takes place from Wednesday, June 4–Sunday, June 15 at various cinemas and venues around Sydney. For more information and tickets, head to the festival's website. Read our interview with George Miller, Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth about Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,.
Discover the therapeutic qualities of Sydney's saltwater coastline at Wylie's Baths. The ocean pool was established in 1907 when the health benefits of sea bathing were the height of fashion. Casual visits are currently on hold under the Bath's COVID Safety Plan, but you can get multi-visit or annual passes, which give you access to the historic building and its unparalleled sea therapy — think soothing ocean waves, invigorating waters and stunning views of Wedding Cake Island and the blue Pacific. These baths are perfect for lap swimmers and casual pool-goers alike. Replenish your energy with kiosk snacks, or enjoy an outdoor massage on the decks at Massage by the Sea for an extra fee. Treat it like a spa day for body and soul — recharge, refresh and restore balance, naturally. Images: Destination NSW
The good folks at Assembly are expanding. Soon, you'll stepping straight from their cocktail-conjuring treehouse into an Italian restaurant. As faithful Assembly-goers know, the crew likes to do things just right. So, they're bringing in an iguanadon-sized, handmade woodfire oven, all the way from Italy. Plus, they've invited none other than former Da Orazio Pizza & Porchetta chef Nick Pulcher to create the menu. Just some of the yummy, yummy dishes he's come up with are: fresh burrata cradled by heirloom tomatoes, Spanish onion, roasted capsicum, olives and basil ($19); tagliolini al nero di sepia – housemade, black-ink tagliolini sautéed with crab meat and prawns ($26.50); costolette di agnello — lamb cutlet raised on New South Wales's rolling pastures and served up with green pea puree, baby carrots and caramelised Spanish onion ($33.50); and that delizioso classic, panna cotta ($12). Chef Antonio Buonomo will be staying warm next to the oven, where he'll whipping up an immoveable Napoli-style feast. You can get stuck into his pizzas in the restaurant or in the bar, or take them home. Among the deliciousness on the list you'll find margherita — San Marzano tomato, mozzarella fior di latte, parmesan, basil, olive oil ($18); quattro formaggi – buffalo mozzarella, mozzarella fior di latte, gorgonzola, smoked provola cheese, fresh basil, olive oil ($24); and salumi – San Marzano tomato, mozzarella fior di latte, ham, mild salami, hot salami, Italian sausage, basil, olive oil ($25). Some might find Assembly's Regent Place location strange for a small bar, but we reckon it's a great escape from the CBD's madness and fast food chains, when you don't have time to travel further afield. The interior is a bit of a paean to the many forces shaping international design. If you use a knife and fork to eat pizza (you heathen!), you'll be wrapping your hands around Italian cutlery. Some of the crockery, all the concrete lights and the marble table come from there, too. Meanwhile, other bits of crockery were made in France and Denmark and the tiles are Espanol. Digging the timber that the tables and chairs are made of? It's all recycled, eco-friendly stuff from Tassie. Find Assembly restaurant at 488 Kent Street, Sydney from Wednesday, February 17. Head down for lunch and dinner seven days a week. The bar opens from midday daily.
There's always a good reason to put off that big trip. But if those cringe quotes and sappy videos that make the rounds on social media have taught us anything, it's that we should make every moment count. Don't save that annual leave and that holiday fund for 'one day'. Take advantage of your wanderlust now and treat yourself to an entirely unexpected, over-the-top adventure to somewhere brand new now. We bet you deserve it. From a romantic helicopter flight that wouldn't be out of place on an episode of a certain reality dating show or fine dining under desert skies, a trip to Central Australia is just what the doctor ordered. We've teamed up with Tourism Central Australia to give you the most outrageously decadent itinerary Central Australia has to offer. Because why not? You only live once, so live once. Want to plan your very own adventure to the Red Centre? Take a look at our handy trip builder to start building your custom itinerary now.
The Canadian electro-pop group Austra caused a sensation at the 2012 Laneway Festival, with their exhilarating fusion of riveting vocals and electronic synth. That performance was just from their debut album, and since then they've added two new members and dropped a fantastic follow-up album. 2013's Olympia is the perfect combination of indie rock and new wave. Katie Stelmanis, the main songwriter, rings a bell of Florence Welch and London Grammar's Hannah Reid with her operatic voice. Her songwriting talents have shone as well in this second album, which is a beautiful collection of lyrically personal tracks. But perhaps its been her ability to expand the band's range of sounds — which encompasses many dimensions of trance, electro and pop — yet stay true to feeling of their first album that have made Austra so successful. They've recently had a crazy touring schedule, sharing the stage with big-timers such as The xx, Grimes and The Gossip. This summer, Austra will be returning to The Standard alongside their Perth Festival appearance.
Slurp your way through hump day at The Morrison, with the George Street bar turning every Wednesday into a cheap oyster feast. And while the texture of this seafood morsel isn't to everyone's liking, the feeling it evokes should be — who doesn't want to slide into the latter half of the week the way that an oyster slides across your tastebuds? If you are a fan, then your wallet will be as well. As part of its $1.50 Oyster Hour, The Morrison is slinging oysters for, well, $1.50 each. They're on offer from 5–7pm weekly, with the venue extending its usual hour-long special to two hours post-COVID-19 lockdowns. And, they're available for both walk-ins and for bookings — although if you want to reserve a table, you'll also need to order a main meal. Pair them with a glass of sparkling, because it's well-accepted advice that oysters and something boozy go hand-in-hand. All that's left is to mosey on down to the CBD spot come Wednesday and settle in for your fair share of saltwater bivalve molluscs. After-work drinks? Dinner before you head out? This special caters for both options. The Morrison Bar & Oyster Room's weekly Oyster Hour takes place on Wednesdays from 5–7pm.
How do you like your roast? If size matters, book in at Forrester's any day of the week for The Big Yorkie. If you can't go without ocean views, try the Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel. If you like a twist on tradition, head to Casa Esquina for a taco roast you can hold in your hands. Or, for a more refined take, head to The Botanist in Kirribilli. This year, it's peddling a signature take on the classic beef wellington. You'll be served a juicy fillet of grass-fed beef with mixed mushrooms, spinach, prosciutto and jus, encased in delicate pastry. On the side – creamy mashed potatoes and a leaf salad dressed in shallot vinaigrette. To make it even more posh, add your pick of starters and sides — from yellowfin tuna crudo with whipped tahini and kombu salsa to grilled half-shell scallop with garlic butter, or broccolini with roasted sesame and chilli crunch. Bookings are available every Sunday in June, but you'll need to make them by 6pm on the Friday before. Bottom image: Yasmin Mind
Back in the '20s, you'd always be caught dead on Kellett Street. Once the battleground of vicious razor gangs — headed by the brothel-owning ‘Queen of Woolloomooloo’ Tilly Devine and fencer of prohibited goodies ‘Queen of Surry Hills’ Kate Leigh — Kellett Street saw a good portion of the epic and bloody Razor Gang Wars between 1927-31. Now, the shady backstreet is a Sydney night strip home to clubs, nightspots and eateries — including brand new, just-opened bar/restaurant Parsons. Opened by brothers Joe and Nick van der Heide, Parsons is housed in the site formerly home to French bistro Cafe Boheme. It's a gutsy move, as Good Food points out, with the street gaining a bit of a reputation for cut-short restaurant residencies — although fellow Kellet Street newcomer The Powder Keg is diving in too. But perhaps it's simply a matter of daylight. "A lot of the places [that didn't make it] tried to focus on day trade," Joe van der Heide told GF. "It's still a night strip." Parsons is decked out in classic '30s speakeasy detail, with low hanging exposed light bulbs, an openair back room and Chesterfield couches. Drinks-wise, the cocktail menu is full of '30-style gems like The Parsons' Mistress (Belvedere, elderflower, gin, egg white, fresh mint), Blood and Sand (scotch whisky, sweet vermouth, cherry, blood orange) or the Black Cherry Banger (Gentleman Jack, lime juice, simple syrup, grapefruit bitters and cherry soda). You'll find the local likes of Rocks Brewing Co.'s Hangman Pale Ale and The Governor Golden Ale on tap, with a vintage wine ledger on request. Happy hour ($7 pints, $5 house wine and $12 cocktails) runs until 7pm. Nosh-wise, you’ll find bar snacks like pork crackling (served herbed or fiery), olives and house-seasoned nuts. For something shareable, there’s crumbed pork strips with house made ketchup and lemon aioli, pulled beef brisket sliders with mustard slaw, cheese boards and charcuterie. For a heftier eat, Parsons is offering up vegetable galette ($15), prawn and shitake ravioli ($17), chicken mini roasts stuffed with parsley, spinach, walnuts and currants ($18) — all topped off with housemade ice-cream from head chef Sciara. Find Parsons at 3 Kellett Street, Kings Cross. Open Tuesday through Saturday from 5pm until midnight. Via Good Food.
UPDATE: Thursday May 6, 2021 — New COVID-19 restrictions have been announced. We'll keep you updated on this event as the situation changes. For the latest information, visit NSW Health. Turn up the treat-factor this Mother's Day and take your mum, or a mother figure in your life, to a luxe long lunch at Watson's Bay Hotel. Settle in for a three-course share-style menu paired with a two hours of free-flowing bubbles. A spot is a neat $110 per person and $25 for any children under 10. You'll start with the likes of pizzetta, bruschetta and burrata caprese. To follow there'll be milk braised pork penne, wagyu rump la tagliata, mushroom duxelles and crispy-skinned ocean trout. Make sure you save room for dessert — tiramisu with whipped mascarpone cream with coffee-infused biscuits. You'll also receive a Chandon Floral Spritz on arrival and cascades of Chandon Brut and Chandon Rosé throughout the afternoon. Booking is essential as spots are limited. So, secure your spot for Sunday, May 9 here. Then, get ready to spoil the matriarch in your life with bubbles and bites while overlooking Sydney Harbour. Images: supplied
Vivid Sydney is here for 2022, brightening up as many places around the city as it can manage — and turning almost every walk around town into a glowing experience. Here's another way to soak up the luminous sights while making the most of the citywide fest: hitting up Carriageworks for free installation Contact. The work of light artist Sam Whiteside, this immersive piece includes a monolithic lightwork, complete with thick haze and an intense white and red beam of brightness. If it sounds a tad trippy and also a bit eerie, that's by design. Using algorithmically generated simulations, those shafts of light pulse through the space — distorting your sense of reality. On display from 5–11.30pm on Thursday, June 2–Friday, June 3 and Thursday, June 9–Saturday, June 11 — plus from 5–9.30pm on Sunday, June 5 — Contact also comes with a drone soundscape composed and produced by Patrick Liney. So, it finds another way to steep you in its confines. Another key factor: Carriageworks' architecture, and the shadows that Contact casts among its walls. Images: Jacquie Manning.
