Step inside the unassuming shop on High Street and you will be impressed by the artfully compiled blooms, from bright natives to delicate orchids and pink peonies. The store also carries a great range of giftware such as oversized wall prints and wooden jewellery, plus the full range of locally made soy wax Bordeaux Candles — so you can complement your bouquet order with something longer lasting. Not sure what you're after? Name your price and ideal colours and the talented team will whip up a bunch to impress in no time.
In the ultimate girl-power move, Australia has just scored a new contemporary art gallery dedicated entirely to female and female-identifying artists. The groundbreaking Finkelstein Gallery has made its home in Windsor The brainchild of renowned art consultant and advocate Lisa Fehily, the gallery is set to showcase works from a broad bill of emerging and established artists, including the likes of Cigdem Aydemir, Louise Paramor, Deborah Kelly, Coady, Lisa Roet and Kate Baker. On the international lineup, you'll find names such as South Africa's Kim Lieberman and London-based visual artist Sonal Kantaria. Its creation was spurred by the underrepresentation of women across Australia's art collections. According to recent figures released by The Countess Report, a project and online resource on gender equality in the Australian art sector, show that national commercial galleries show just 40 percent women artists, while state museums are at an even lower 34 percent. It'll debut with all-woman exhibition Finkelstein Gallery presents, running from Thursday, August 29 until Saturday, September 28. "I have selected an exclusive group of talented female artists, whose unique voices combine their incredible insight into contemporary society, life as a female, cultural and historical understanding, together with extraordinary skills with concepts and mediums as artists," explained Fehily in a statement. Finkelstein Gallery is set to deliver a broad range of talent, from an array of disciplines. Catch playful pop culture from emerging artist Coady, some socially and politically engaging performance art pieces from the award-winning Cigdem Aydemir, and Lisa Roet's stunning visual exploration of the relationships between humans and primates, to name just a few. The gallery is only the second of its kind in Australia, and the only existing one, with Canberra's Australian Girls Own Gallery representing exclusively women artists from 1989 until it closed in 1998. Find Finkelstein Gallery at Basement 2, 1 Victoria Street, Windsor. Finkelstein Gallery presents will run from Thursday, August 29–Thursday, September 26.
On a futuristic earth that's been rendered a frozen wasteland, a constantly hurtling train plays host to the world's only remaining people. Instead of banding together — it was humanity's attempts to combat climate change that caused their dire predicament, leaving the speeding locomotive as their only solution — the residents of the Snowpiercer have instead transported society's class structure into the carriages of their new home. That's the story that drives Bong Joon-ho's 2013 film Snowpiercer, which marked the acclaimed South Korean writer/director's first English-language film, and one of the movies that brought him to broader fame before Netflix's Okja and this year's Cannes Palme d'Or winner Parasite. As well as boasting a smart, immersive and all-too-timely concept — and unpacking its underlying idea in a thoroughly thrilling and involving manner — the flick proved a star-studded affair. Among the jam-packed cast: Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, Octavia Spencer, John Hurt, Ed Harris and Bong's frequent collaborator Song Kang-ho. Given how great its premise is, it's hardly surprising that Snowpiercer has now been turned into a US TV series. First announced back in 2016, it'll finally speed across screens early in 2020. And while it doesn't feature any of the film's high-profile lineup, it does include a few big names of its own, such as Oscar-winner Jennifer Connelly and Tony-winner Daveed Diggs. Alongside Frances Ha's Mickey Sumner, Slender Man's Annalise Basso and The Americans' Alison Wright, they inhabit Snowpiercer's new world order — the planet outside the titular train may be a dystopia with a temperature of -119 degrees celsius, but everyone from the wealthy to the poor have been put in their place inside. Of course, that's until matters such as class warfare, social injustice and the politics of trying to survive start to fester almost seven years into the circling vehicle looping journey. Watch the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lFMpmwn_hQ Snowpiercer will premiere on US TV network TBS in 2020, with airdates Down Under yet to be announced. We'll update you with further details when they come to hand.
There's never been more reason to dramatically point at a menu and shout "I CHOOSE YOU!" and not find yourself immediately kicked out. In a move that's about 15 years too late, Nintendo will be opening a brand new pop-up eatery in Tokyo entirely themed around that little sparky Pokemon legend, Pikachu. The inventively-named Pikachu Cafe will be open July 19 - August 31 to celebrate the opening of the exhibition Pokemon the Movie XY in Roppongi Hills in Tokyo. Decked out in Pikachu-inspired decor and serving up some pretty adorable Pikafoods, this new pop-up is so offensively cute we're enlisting known Charizards and Digletts to skip the airfares for us. Here's the Pikachu Curry: Pokeball Rice Thing with gravy: Pikachu Parfait (just terrifying): Pikachu Pancakes (yeah, might have lost some ideas with this one): And here's the Pokemon yoghurt drinks that come with SPECIAL COASTERS. Right? (Yeah, they pretty much just look like regular yoghurt drinks, whaddayagunnado.) If you're keen to get amongst the Pokemonstronsities, head to Roppongi Hills, Tokyo and hit the opening on July 19. This one's going to be the most 'grammable, nostalgic, web-friendly pop-up for miles. Via Eataku.
Do you have eyes? Do you have eyes for what looks good? Are you the kind of person who knows their way around a camera, and how to use it well? Live in Sydney and love it with a passion? Then we might have an opportunity to tweak your interest. Concrete Playground and Olympus have teamed up to offer you the chance to score a particularly excellent PEN E-P1 camera with 17mm kit (valued at $599), and at the very same time land the chance to become a Concrete Playground photographic contributor. Our photographers document Sydney's cultural life minus the boring social snaps - we don't care what you're wearing, only that you're having a good time. Now we have a brand new galleries section, we're looking for someone with an incredible eye to help us share those moments that make this city the ever-changing, never-boring place it is to be. If you think you're the right person for the gig, shoot us an email over to hello@concreteplayground.com.au with a photo you've taken that you think captures something special about Sydney. We'll upload the best snaps to an album on our Facebook page, and invite people to vote for the picture they like best. If your photo gets the most 'likes', the camera and a place in the Concrete Playground family shall be yours. Entries close May 13, 2011 at 5pm.
UPDATE, January 29, 2021: Joker is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube and iTunes. Lonely, isolated and struggling with a lifetime of trauma, a man exorcises his demons through violence. Plagued by troubling memories and mental health issues, but devoted to caring for his ailing mother, he finds catharsis in wreaking havoc on others. When Joaquin Phoenix played this part to perfection in Lynne Ramsay's You Were Never Really Here, he explored the burdens of a crusading hitman who rescued violated children — saving them from the pain he still suffered, and punishing the abusers who treat kids as carelessly as he once was himself. And while he steps into similar shoes in Joker, the exceptional actor is now on a completely different mission, crossing the threshold from noble vigilante to deranged villain. It's impossible to watch Joker without thinking about You Were Never Really Here; by casting Phoenix as Arthur Fleck, the man who becomes one of Batman's worst enemies, that's an intended effect. It's impossible to see director Todd Phillips' (The Hangover) take on Gotham's clown prince of crime without thinking of Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy as well. Phillips cakes his influences on thick and, if the connection wasn't already apparent in the film's 70s look and feel, he also enlists Robert De Niro as Arthur's favourite television host. It's a purposeful move, filtering one of popular culture's most infamous antagonists through such blatant touchstones — and, it ensures that viewers won't be contemplating the character's past guises, be it Cesar Romero's TV version, Jack Nicholson's unhinged late-80s spin, Heath Ledger's Oscar-winning portrayal or Jared Leto's cartoonish work in Suicide Squad. Focusing audiences firmly on the Joker at hand, this origin story asks a probing question: if the world's ills were to shove a tormented man over the edge in a volatile socio-political climate, what would that look like? In other words, how would You Were Never Really Here play out if its assassin killed to avenge a cruel, uncaring city's failings, rather than protect its victims? Or, what shape would Taxi Driver take if its cabbie was a bullied clown-for-hire? Phillips stops short of lifting the latter movie's dialogue, but it's easy to imagine Arthur uttering one of Taxi Driver's well-known lines: "here is a man who would not take it anymore". First seen grinning into a mirror as he puts on his makeup (and signalling the film's allegiance with his fraying mindset in the process), Arthur doesn't have much to smile about. He's beaten by street punks on the job, loses his mental health care due to citywide budget cuts and watches his mother (Frances Conroy) fruitlessly try to contact her ex-employer turned mayoral candidate, aka billionaire Thomas Wayne (Brett Cullen). An aspiring comedian, Arthur is also taunted and jeered whenever he steps onstage. Basically, his life is one huge kick in the face after another. But his mum has always told him that he was put on this earth to spread joy and happiness, which he takes to heart. As Gotham descends into riots and widespread violence, Arthur finds a drastic way to put this belief into action. When Joker isn't shoehorning in undoubtedly necessary but still distracting Batman references (including yet another re-do of a scene that's been done to death), it just keeps inspiring questions. Is Arthur an inevitable product of a crumbling city that's failed its citizens in general, and its most vulnerable in particular? Or, clinging to his downtrodden status, does he capitalise upon his powder-keg surroundings, using it to excuse his psychopathic behaviour and demand that he's finally paid the attention he's certain he deserves? Penning a deliberately thorny narrative, Phillips and co-writer Scott Silver (The Fighter) keep both of these perspectives in their sights. Alas, the pair sometime struggle to juggle the opposing notions, or to flesh them out beyond the obvious. Indeed, for all the controversy that Joker has sparked since it nabbed the top prize at this year's Venice Film Festival, it's mostly happy to stick to the murky middle ground. The movie paints a thoroughly nightmarish image of modern-day capitalism and its devastating imprint on the 99 percent — one that instantly rings true — but remains content to dance along its surface rather than burrow meaningfully into its dark heart. Specifically, it calls out the conditions that lead to the Joker's rise, yet never quite decides if it's condemning, celebrating or commiserating with him. Joker is unflinchingly bold and brilliant in one inescapable fashion, though, as it was bound to be when it cast its lead. All skin, bone and sinew as he cavorts, frolics and chortles, Phoenix is in stunning, mesmerising, awards-worthy form yet again. His raspy cackle isn't easily forgotten; neither is his off-kilter demeanour, whether Arthur is connecting with his neighbour (Zazie Beetz), taking a stand against the latest folks to push his buttons or leaning as far into his crazed impulses as possible. When, towards the end of the film, Lawrence Sher's (Godzilla: King of the Monsters) textured cinematography peers up at Phoenix as he struts down some stairs, its hypnotised gaze doesn't feel out of place. In fact, it feels natural. That said, that the scene is accompanied by 'Rock and Roll, Part 2' by convicted sex offender Gary Glitter says much about a movie that's often as thematically muddled as it is emotionally and visually striking. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr-Lg-_KFHU
Prime Minister Scott Morrison last week announced "Australians have earned an early mark" for the work they'd done containing COVID-19 and the announcement of some eased restrictions would take place on Friday, May 8. That day has come and we now know a little more about what Australia's road to recovery will look like. After a national cabinet meeting today, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said "we're fighting this virus and we're winning", and he then outlined a three-step roadmap to a COVIDSafe Australia, with all three steps expected to be rolled out by July, 2020. Step one will "enable greater connection with friends and family", with the following allowed: Up to five visitors in your home, ten in businesses and public places Libraries, community centres, playgrounds and boot camps open Local and regional travel Shops, restaurants and cafes allowed to open, with a maximum of ten people at a time and one person per four square metres Step two, Morrison says, "will allow larger size gatherings up to 20 people, including for venues such as cinemas and galleries", ending with: "you'll be pleased to know, barre classes open once again." Gatherings of up to 20 people Gyms, beauty therapists, cinemas, theatres, amusement parks, galleries and museums open Caravan and camping grounds open Some interstate travel Step three, which will depend on the success of the previous steps, includes: Gatherings up to 100 people Nightclubs, food courts, saunas and bathhouses open All interstate travel Consider cross-Tasman, Pacific Island travel Those dreaming of an overseas jaunt will have noticed the roadmap does not include mention of international travel, except for to New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. On travel to other countries, the Prime Minister has said, "there's nothing on our radar which would see us opening up international travel in the foreseeable future." On the other three steps, the Prime Minister said the intention is by July "we will have moved through the three steps", but movement from one step to the next will depend on three criteria: testing, tracing and trapping. If all goes to plan, it's expected the country will move to the next step every three weeks. But, he has also warned that as restrictions are eased, "there will be outbreaks, there will be more cases, there will be set-backs". As has been the case throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the roadmap is a guideline and it's now up to the individual states and territory leaders to implement the steps — and amend the state laws — as they see fit. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has already announced that no restrictions will be eased before Mother's Day and Queensland will ease some public gathering restrictions from this Sunday. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has said no changes will be made until Monday. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. Image: Kimberley Low
Clare Bowditch is a pretty busy lady. She writes killer songs, acts in Offspring (haters be quiet, that show is incredible), runs Big Hearted Business (a company aiming to help creatives make money and vice versa), has two kids and boasts a knack for making you feel like you're the only person in the room when she performs. This is rather good news for you, because she's coming to The Factory. Bowditch is lacing up the tour boots this July for her Winter Secrets Tour, the perfect lure to get out and about in the middle of winter. We probably should have mentioned she has eight successful albums and a 15 year music career to pack on the tour. Why should you go? Because Bowditch describes the shows as an 'Interactive Co-Creative Transformative Absurd Joyful Experiences between Audience and Performer'. How can you say no to that? Ex-Magic Dirt frontwoman turned solo artist, Adalita, will be the opening act in each state with tunes from her latest album All Day Venus. She'll also be joining Bowditch onstage for a joint performance. Bowditch is continuing her Winter Secrets tour tradition. One local musician in each state is getting the chance to join Bowditch on stage to perform one of her songs and be in the running to win $1000. Hello music career. This year, the song to nail will be 'I Thought You Were God'. Winners will be announced closer to each date. https://youtube.com/watch?v=aqppMH8_uYQ
UPDATE OCTOBER 10, 2022 - Due to heavy rainfall across NSW, the Southern Highlands Food and Wine Festival has been cancelled. However, the Australian Annual Highland Wine Show is going ahead as planned on October 28. For a full statement from the event organisers, visit the website. The Southern Highlands are known for their cool temperatures, sweeping roadside vistas, cosy cafes and delicious food and drink options. We've all probably driven through the Highlands at some point (being as they are only 90 minutes from Sydney), but it's time to drive to them and explore what's on offer. Your excuse? Make a trip out of the Southern Highlands Food and Wine Festival. Hosted at the Moss Vale Showground, it's a weekend no NSW foodie should pass on. [caption id="attachment_870798" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Chris Frape[/caption] Though the festival itself doesn't start until Saturday, October 29, a full trip should include visiting on the evening of Friday the 28th for the annual Australian Highland Wine Show Awards Night, a cocktail event where you can sample premium local wine while the judges choose the best wine grown in cool climates above 500m for the prestigious title of Australia's Best Wine with Altitude. [caption id="attachment_870795" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Chris Frape[/caption] At the main weekend event, you can take in live music while experiencing the best that local producers, wineries, distilleries, brewers and restaurants have to offer, so we suggest coming with an empty stomach to make the most of the smorgasbord of Southern Highlands delights. For something a little more intimate, visit the Olsson's Salt Sessions tent for hands-on workshops with local food and drink masters Colin Fassnidge (Banksia Hotel), Alex Prichard (Icebergs) and Mark Labrooy (Three Blue Ducks). The Southern Highlands Food and Wine Festival will be running from Saturday, October 29 to Sunday, October 30 at Moss Vale Showground. Ticket prices vary (kids under six enter free) and Olsson's Salt Sessions VIP tickets are sold separately. For the full lineup and more details, head to the website.
Don't get us wrong, we love a relaxed drink at the pub. It's just that sometimes you feel like doing something other than sitting around your local, eating and drinking your regular. While you could wait for the weekend to roll around, you might just miss out on some pretty cool events happening in Sydney right now. To help you come up with the ultimate plan, we've teamed up with the folks from Holey Moley to bring you five ways to kick off the weekend that are better than the usual pub hang. From boozy mini golf to comedy nights, outdoor films and live music sessions, here's where the after work drinks are headed. [caption id="attachment_667548" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mitch Lowe.[/caption] PLAY BOOZY MINI GOLF AT HOLEY MOLEY Mini golf with a full-service cocktail bar? Talk about a stroke of genius. Sydney is now home to three Holey Moleys, with the mother-of-all venues located in Darlinghurst beneath the iconic Coca-Cola sign. Swing by for a casual game of putt-putt with friends, which will take you in and around two courses full of novelty pop culture holes. Putt through a game of Pac-Man, past the Simpson's couch, up a yellow brick road and down Elvis' golden throne. If you're looking to sink a few drinks, onsite bar The Caddyshack has more to offer than your average beverage cart. The menu includes a selection of beers and wines, as well as over-the-top cocktails, including the puntastic long island iced tee and espresso partini. If you need a little sustenance before you get your game on, they also serve hot dogs, pizzas, burgers and waffle fries. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Letícia Almeida.[/caption] SIP HYPER LOCAL BREWS Rather than settle for what's on tap at your local, cut out the middle man and head straight to the Inner West where you'll find a steady stream of micro-breweries just minutes apart. If you've invited your posse along, Sauce Brewing Co is home to an exceptionally large beer garden that's as big and green as a public park. Grifter Brewing Co is your go-to for watermelon pilsner, coconut milk stout and a slew of sour beers with excellent names. Batch Brewing Co pours US-style brews and limited edition batches (keep an eye out for the Marrickville Pork Roll wheat ale), while its neighbour Stockade Brew Co offers a core range of sessionable ales alongside curious seasonal releases — maple imperial stout or passionfruit session IPA, anyone? For something you're unlikely to find at a pub, drop by Wildflower and try its fabulously funky ales made from wild foraged yeast. Choose a single brewery or string a few together to create your own craft crawl. SEE A LIVE GIG AT THE VANGUARD The velvet curtains have parted once again at iconic live music venue The Vanguard in Newtown. Cruise by after work for a night of booze and tunes, with live gigs running most nights of the week. Just like in the good old days, the program will focus on jazz and blues, however, you can also catch country, rock and indie music, as well as the occasional burlesque show, too. There's no need to head out for dinner (although King Street has some pretty incredible options), with the kitchen serving up pizzas, charcuterie and snack plates designed to share. Downstairs, the bar will be pouring Young Henrys on tap and sultry cocktails like The Vanguard, made from black cherry and tempranillo with a hit of sweet vermouth. LAUGH OUT ANY WORK-WEEK WOES AT DELLA HYDE On the evenings when you're not feeling particularly witty, let a stand-up comic entertain you and your friends. To start the year, Wes Anderson-themed bar Della Hyde in Darlinghurst has launched a regular comedy night, featuring a line-up of five comedians who promise to get you giggling. If you need to give your aching sides a break, Della Hyde also has a pretty tempting food menu, with headliners like the Southern-style fried chicken and Peking duck spring rolls. Wash it down with one of the skin contact wines or try the Sierra Nevada grapefruit and cactus beer for a laugh (it is actually good though). There are also regular cocktail specials. The next event will be held at 7.30pm on Wednesday, February 20, with general admission tickets priced at $10. Top image: Mitch Lowe.
How would you like to be in pictures? Screen Australia and YouTube have teamed up to map the Australian summer, and need your films and footage to do it. You can submit footage of your Aussie summer to the YouTube Map My Summer channel but it must have been filmed since December 1 2010. Inspired by Ridley Scott's Life in a Day project, Screen Australia have selected Dr George Miller, of Mad Max, Babe and Happy Feet fame, and short film maker Amy Gebhardt to create a film that captures the essence of Australian summer from all the public submissions. Gebhardt won the right to work alongside Miller thanks to her film Into the Sun, a dreamy, symbolic expression of our relationship with summer. Given the summer Australia has just had, the finished work could end up being anything from a disaster movie to a Jaws remake. Five contributors whose footage is used in the final film will be invited to attend the Sydney Film Festival premiere in June, where the crowd-sourced film will be screened, so get your summery, sub-three-minute video uploaded by the end of March and be a part of it! https://youtube.com/watch?v=QlIfgRqTB7M
Two Spiegeltents, two labyrinths and close to two hundred events are part of the program for Sydney Festival 2015. A happy 85 of the events are free this year, so it's looking like a long, wallet-friendly summer. "What’s really special about Sydney Festival is the diverse programming, with the best local and international artists from high arts — opera, theatre, and contemporary dance — to circus and family shows," says festival director Lieven Bertels. "Sydney Festival gives audiences the perfect excuse to celebrate the city in summer." Music Music at Sydney Festival has doubled this year, with Domain concerts, Spiegeltent gigs and late-night parties dominating the program. Latin and South American tunes take centre stage, from The Life Aquatic-popularised Brazilian legend Seu Jorge to Afro-Brazilian hip hop powerhouse Karol Conka and Argentinian WTF genre-spanners Frikstailers. Beats stake their claim as festival favourites this year, from Warp Records legend Nightmares on Wax to Young Turks’ Oneman, while strummers like #1 Dads and Kim Gordon’s Body/Head take things up a notch from the myriad of female folk artists on the bill — Alela Diane, Olivia Chaney, Jessica Pratt, Tiny Ruins. Anna Von Hausswolff takes to the Sydney Town Hall grand organ supported by NZ’s Aldous Harding, Moroccan trance dancers Fez Hamadcha explore Sufi sounds, co-founder of The Saints Ed Kuepper delves into a retrospective, while Ben Frost and Tim Hecker team up for a co-headline show at the Opera House. Then Tex Perkins plays Johnny Cash tunes at the historic Parramatta Gaol (check out the Parramatta program, announced yesterday over here), while Gotye realises the music of William Onyeabor with members of LCD Soundsystem and Hot Chip, among others. Sydney Festival’s love for the eclectic ‘who the hell?’ wildcards shines once more, from frenetic Barcelona multi-layering duo ZA! to the unexpected J-pop-meets-noise-pop team-up of Salyu and Cornelius. International hype cards How to Dress Well, Omar Souleyman, Wye Oak and return SydFester Dan Deacon are sure to get punters' paws rubbing. Giving local artists a sophisticated SydFest high-five, one third of the program features Australian musicians. Raise a plastic cup to the likes of Client Liaison, Kirin J Callinan and Firekites among the big Tex Perkins/Gotye guns. Public Art Home to much of the festival's music, two Spiegeltents will be anchoring the expanding Festival Village, one of the real successes of last year and a true hub for hanging out in. Also within it will be a huge-scale art work from Ireland's answer to Banksy, street artist Maser. The maze-like, colour-splashed, two-storey-high installation, called Higher Ground, is said to be "a dream come true for those who always wished they could step inside a painting", and will be the focus of everyone's Instagramming this festival (which for the first time in two years, is Rubber Duck-less). Maser will be the artist-in-residence at the Village, though as he operates in anonymity, we don't expect to see too much of him. Other highlights among art installations include the must-ride Waterfall Swing at Darling Harbour, a giant swing that sends you flying towards a curtain of water that, thanks to the work of sensors, parts just before you hit it. Over at Carriageworks is another super-enticing labyrinthine experience, Inside There Falls (by UK-based Mira Calix), an immersive, tissue-paper environment you walk through, guided by haunting audio and the occasional glimpse of dancers. Also at Carriageworks, you can watch the meditative, 45-minute SpongeBob SquareTimes, an accidentally shot video of a man in a SpongeBob suit trying to make friends in Times Square. Performance Another big pillar of the festival is international theatre, dance and performance works. This year the big draws are Belgium's Kiss & Cry, a cinematic romance performed by two hands (yes, hands); India's The Kitchen, a spectacle of cooking and drumming from the creator of The Manginyar Seduction; France and the UK's The Night Dances, a celebration of the words of Sylvia Plath and music of Benjamin Britten, performed by Charlotte Rampling; and France's On the Harmful Effects of Tabacco, a Chekov one-act comedy performed by Theatre Des Bouffes du Nord (former home of Peter Brook) with costumes by Christian Lacroix. These join the already announced Tabac Rouge, a festival centre piece from another French innovator, circus performer James Thierree. On the smaller and more experimental side, there's one-woman memory mission I Guess If the Stage Exploded and, told entirely through the contents of one man's shoebox, Wot? No Fish!!. There's plenty of Australian contributions too, of the likes of Kate Mulvany's Masquerade, Force Majeure's Nothing to Lose, ambitious multimedia ethical exploration The Experiment and the return of the folks from Alvin Sputnik for Falling Through Clouds. On the circus side of things, the new Aurora Spiegeltent will be home to both last year's Limbo and new minimal circus artists A Simple Space, while the USA's Wau Wau Sisters lead the cabaret lineup. Those still holding a torch for the iconic Festival First Night will have to keep holding it; there's no sign of its return any time soon. Absent that inclusive and accessible event, hit up Sounds in the Domain, the Festival Village and the POP Parramatta Opening Party for free outdoor shenanigans. The 2015 Sydney Festival is on from January 8-26. Multipack tickets go on sale on October 24 (tomorrow!) at 9am, and will get you nice discounts. Single tickets go on sale on October 27 at 9am. To buy tickets and check out the full program, see the festival website. By Rima Sabina Aouf and Shannon Connellan.
UPDATE, May 22, 2021: Possessor is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. From the moment he decided to become a filmmaker, Brandon Cronenberg wasn't likely to direct romantic comedies. He could've, or period dramas, action flicks or anything else that took his fancy. He still can. However, his surname is already synonymous with not only the most unnerving genre there is, but with body horror specifically. For decades, that status was his father's doing. Including Shivers, Scanners, Videodrome and The Fly, David Cronenberg is the field's undisputed cinematic master. Accordingly, Brandon's decision to craft not one but two features in the same mould isn't the least bit surprising — but just how extraordinary 2012's Antiviral and now Possessor are wasn't ever guaranteed. If either Cronenberg wants to make a movie about passing down the penchant for visceral thrills and the ability to smartly serve up savage explorations of corporeal terrors via genes (based on their own experiences, naturally), that's something that plenty of people would watch. Brandon's current foray into body horror deploys a completely different idea, of course, although someone isn't completely responsible for their own choices here either. In Possessor, technology permits assassins to hijack the bodies of people close to their targets, letting them assume not just their identities but their physical presence to fulfil their murderous missions. Tasya Vos (Andrea Riseborough, The Grudge) is one such killer, and she is so exacting and accomplished at her job that her no-nonsense boss and handler Girder (Jennifer Jason Leigh, Annihilation) keeps trying to push her further. Such work comes with consequences, though, with Tasya slowly estranging herself from her husband (Rossif Sutherland, Catastrophe) and young son (Gage Graham-Arbuthnot, Becky). During the luridly shot undertaking that opens the movie and the assignment that the often neon-hued flick spends the bulk of its time on, Tasya also begins to realise that separating herself from the folks she's temporarily inhabiting is becoming difficult. In the first job, Tasya's consciousness takes over a woman called Holly (Gabrielle Graham, On the Basis of Sex) to gun down a high-flying lawyer at a swanky hotel party. Every mission should end with extraction via suicide — the possessed person's, as forced by the possessor, who then returns to their own bag of bones, flesh and blood — but Tasya can't pull the trigger on her host body. When she's later sent into Colin (Christopher Abbott, Vox Lux), the fiancé of the daughter (Tuppence Middleton, Mank) of a ruthless business mogul (Sean Bean, Snowpiercer), she similarly struggles to retain control. As depicted in gory detail, being able to stick a probe into your head and mind-hop into someone else's may be pure science fiction, but the younger Cronenberg intentionally apes The Matrix when he shows how the tech behind his premise operates. Our present analogues to Possessor's body-jumping concept exist in the online world, virtual reality, avatars, catfishing, trolling and even just anonymous commenting while you're tapping at your keyboard or phone, and this film makes it ferociously clear that it all has a significant cost. Cronenberg isn't just taking cues from his dad — whose 1999 film eXistenZ, also starring Jason Leigh, toyed in somewhat similar territory — or from a beloved sci-fi franchise. As many works that reflect upon humanity's true nature via dystopian futures tend to, the writer/director adds an entry to both the body horror and science fiction canons that seems like it might've appeared in a feverish dream after a life spent consuming those exact types of tales. But Possessor also always feels like a unique creation, and never a film puppeteered by its influences in the same way that Tasya pulls the strings of her marks. Cronenberg's feature boasts far too much of its own chilliness, daring and determination, as well as the filmmaker's fondness for particularly gruesome imagery, to merely be the sum of its various sources of inspiration. Possessor also has its own wellspring of nihilism pumping through its veins, not only tackling big notions in a bold and ultra-violent way, but proving deeply, gut-wrenchingly, existentially dark. It's a bleak line of thinking, positing that nothing means anything in a world where anyone can be someone else without knowing, corporate interests always take precedence over individual needs, and invading the privacy of people's homes, hardware and heads is a common and lucrative business model. It's also a wave that Possessor rides. But the film needs two people to hang these ponderings from, finding them in the sensational Riseborough and the also exceptional Abbott. With hair almost as pale as her skin, there's a ghostly look to Riseborough and a similar feel to her performance, instantly illustrating how all of Tasya's time spent secreting away in other people's guises is eroding her sense of self. Abbott, playing a man whose body has been snatched but whose mental energy refuses to quietly subside, is a ball of continued conflict and also near the best he's ever been on-screen — on par with 2015's James White and this year's Black Bear, in fact. In Cronenberg's aforementioned directorial debut Antiviral, he imagined a future where our consumption-driven urges and obsession with celebrity have evolved to a disturbing point. Not only do people willingly get infected by the same viruses that afflict their favourite stars, using the latter's very own cells, but a literal meat market exists that cultivates edible proteins from the same source. That's the kind of mind that would not only conjure up Possessor's equally disturbing world, but also ground it in so many accurate observations about modern life that sometimes it's difficult to know if it's the imagery or the ideas that's causing a deep-seated reaction. The answer is both, but Cronenberg definitely inherited his father's knack for creating a nightmarish, grisly and piercing yet sleek and haunting spectacle — and for making brilliant and brutal movies that cannot be forgotten. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFqCTIdF7rs&feature=youtu.be
Almost five years after the NSW Government first announced the Powerhouse Museum's potential move to Parramatta, the new Western Sydney museum's designs have been revealed. Featuring rooftop greenery and two rectangular white towers, the winning design is a collaboration between French architect firm Moreau Kusunoki and Australia's Genton. It was chosen by an international jury from a pool of 74 designs, submitted from 20 different countries. Set to be part of an expansive new 24-hour arts and cultural precinct beside the Parramatta River, Powerhouse Museum 2.0 already has a short history tarred by controversy. A 2017 parliamentary inquiry into the Ultimo museum's relocation labelled the move an "act of vandalism" and there has been community uproar about the decision to demolish two heritage-listed buildings to make space for the new museum. While the Parramatta Museum will predominantly be built on the site of a disused car park, according to the ABC, an 1800s heritage villa and and St George's Terraces will also be razed for its construction. NSW's Shadow Minister for the Arts Walter Secord has also labelled the new design a "monstrosity on stilts". Initial estimates for the museum's controversial relocation and construction have been set at around $645 million, although the SMH has reported that figure is more likely to be $1 billion. Despite the controversy and hefty price tag, the government is forging ahead with the museum's relocation, which Minister for the Arts Don Harwin is calling "the largest investment in arts and cultural infrastructure since the Sydney Opera House". It'll be the first major NSW cultural institution based in Western Sydney, too, and it's hoped 60 on-site residential studios will attract leading scientific researchers from across the world. When plans for the new museum were first announced last year, they included 18,000 square metres of exhibition and public spaces, dedicated play areas and education labs, state-of-the-art exhibition halls and the country's largest planetarium, clocking in at 30 metres wide. We're hoping the latter has made it into the new design. The Powerhouse Museum isn't Sydney's only major arts organisation undergoing a major shakeup, either — the Australian Museum is in the midst of a $57.5 million revamp, and is set to reopen in mid-2020. The Powerhouse Museum, at 500 Harris Street, Ultimo, will remain open to the public until June 30, 2020, with staged closures running thereafter. The new Parramatta museum is slated to open in 2023.
Concrete Playground recently caught up with David Stewart, one of England's most respected photographers. He started off capturing punk bands like The Clash and The Ramones, as well as the colourful characters of Morecambe Promenade, from which he developed a distinctive style of portraiture. Often eerie, funny, creepy and touching (sometimes at the same time), his photos incite curiosity at what imagines to be a fascinating back story. He also directed and produced a film in 1995 called 'Cabbage' with a series of surrealist photographic images to accompany in homage to the often misunderstood vegetable. He is currently working on a series called 'Teenage Pre-occupation' about what teenagers go through growing up, and will have some new work on show in Australia as part of an Olympus ad campaign. Fingers crossed an exhibition of his will travel down under soon. How did your time growing up as a child and teenager in Lancaster influence your work? Growing up in the North of England definitely gives you a different view on life and maybe it is this that causes me to see things with the sense of humour. Northern people are very funny and straight to the point. There is an element of telling it how it is. You started photographing famous rock bands, which for some photographers is a topic they stick with for their whole career. What made you decide to stop photographing people in the music industry? The band photography was what got me interested in photography but, when I was at college, I realised I was more interested in constructing images from scratch which gave me the opportunity to put forward a thought or point of view of my own. The band thing was something that could not be controlled and so, after a while, became routine. What does camouflage symbolise to you? Hiding and trying to fit in while there may be a more sinister message. When looking at your photos, I am sometimes torn between laughing and feeling extremely uncomfortable. Why do you use humour in the depiction of very dark scenes? Humour acts as a way of grabbing people's attention and then, in turn, leads them to a thought if they stay with the image long enough. It's like music where you like the tune but you're unaware the lyrics are telling a darker story. Do you think your characters are representative of the real folk of England? Are the characters who seem threatening or malicious actually harmless or are your exposing their true nature? I think the characters do represent real people – everyday people or situations you might be familiar with - but when presented as photography, the character or situation becomes heightened. There is an element of exposing the true nature of people to provoke a thought. Can you tell me about the upcoming series 'Teenage Pre-occupation?' How did you choose your subjects? The series again draws on observations I have made. The changes that the digital age have created, especially with regards to young people, is very relevant at the moment. The subjects in 'Teenage Pre-occupation' are all chosen as they portray something I have noticed about being a teenager in the current cultural climate. Again, this becomes more noticeable when presented as a piece of photography.
With its Cheap Trick-sung opening theme tune, 90s and 00s sitcom favourite That '70s Show described its setup perfectly: hangin' out down the street, the same old thing we did last week. The decade clearly changes in sequel series That '90s Show, and viewers don't yet know if the introductory track does as well, but the same idea will still ring true in the new Netflix sitcom — based on its just-dropped full trailer, at least. Prepare for nostalgia on plenty of levels — including for the OG series itself, and for the 90s era that this follow-up is set in. Helping the former: the fact that the bulk of the initial comedy series' cast is back this time around, although they're not the focus. Instead, teenager Leia Forman (Callie Haverda, The Lost Husband) is. So, while Topher Grace (Home Economics), Laura Prepon (Orange Is the New Black), Mila Kunis (Luckiest Girl Alive), Ashton Kutcher (Vengeance) and Wilmer Valderrama (NCIS) all pop up, returning to the characters of Eric Forman, Donna Forman, Jackie Burkhart, Michael Kelso and Fez — and Debra Jo Rupp (WandaVision) and Kurtwood Smith (The Dropout) are also back as Eric's parents Kitty and Red — a new group of high schoolers will be hanging out both down the street and in the Forman family basement. In his typical cantankerous manner, Red is hardly thrilled about it. Kitty, though, revels having more kids to look after. If you're keen on That '90s Show for the returning old faves, take note: the new crew is firmly in the spotlight in this sneak peek. But all of those aforementioned original characters do indeed make an appearance in the trailer, and make it feel like no time has passed at all. That '90s Show hits Netflix on Thursday, January 19, with the 1995-set series revisiting Point Place, Wisconsin during Leia's summer trip to see her grandparents. Hardly popular at school, she finally feels like she belongs with Kitty and Red's rebellious teen neighbour Gwen (Ashley Aufderheide, Four Kids and It), her brother Nate (Maxwell Acee Donovan, Gabby Duran & The Unsittables), his girlfriend Nikki (Sam Morelos, Forgetting Nobody), and their pals Ozzie (Reyn Doi, Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar) and Jay (Mace Coronel, Colin in Black & White). As well as nostalgia, expect déjà vu to strike amid the familiar sets — clearly by design. Behind the scenes, creators Bonnie and Terry Turner are back, also with their daughter Lindsey Turner. Yes, the multi-generational vibe flows on- and off-screen. In fact, in front of the camera, that even includes Tommy Chong (Color Out of Space) returning as Leo. Check out the trailer for That '90s Show below: That '90s Show will hit Netflix on Thursday, January 19, 2022. Images: Patrick Wymore/Netflix © 2022.
UPDATE: MAY 13, 2020 — Sample will allow some seating from Friday, May 15, but food and coffee will continue to be served as takeaway. It'll allow up to customers at any one time. Sample Coffee is exactly what it sounds like. They have a constantly rotating selection of origins on offer and showcase a different specialty roaster to sample each week — the coffee equivalent of giving props to a good roast. Not everyone finds their favourite origin on the first try, so this is the perfect place to experiment. We suggest visiting their St Peters Pro Store over their Surry Hills bar as there's a lot more room for to move while you down five espressos and think about your next home barista purchase. Yes, you definitely need another drip brewer. Image: Simon Wright via Flickr
Sydney Science Festival is blasting off for a special space-themed edition this spring. Presented by Powerhouse Museum, the festival will run from Saturday, September 27 to Saturday, October 4 as part of the 76th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) for IAC 2025 Space Week — the world's largest annual space gathering, which is landing in Sydney for the very first time. The program will bring the global space community to the Harbour City for a week of free and ticketed talks, workshops, interactive experiences and family-friendly fun. From recording your very own message to be broadcast in space to meeting real-life astronauts, these are the must-attend events that'll give you a chance to explore the final frontier, no rocket required. HUMANS Deep Space Message In 1977, NASA's Voyager spacecraft carried the first Golden Records into deep space as a time capsule to communicate information about Earth and its inhabitants, sent in case they were ever found by intelligent extraterrestrial life. Fifty years on, you can help create the next chapter in that story. The Humanity United with MIT Art and Nanotechnology in Space project — or HUMANS — invites people from around the world to record their own short message for a new deep-space broadcast scheduled for 2027. Whether you want to share a message of hope, a cultural insight or just say g'day to the cosmos, you can add your voice at Sydney Science Festival events at ICC Sydney or Parramatta Town Hall — or online from anywhere on Earth. Space Now What does the future of space missions look like — and why does it matter here on Earth? Space Now brings together three global leaders in the field to unpack the innovations shaping the new space age, from lunar rovers to next-gen spacesuits. Katherine Bennell-Pegg (Australian astronaut at the Australian Space Agency), Hannah Ashford (Co-Founder of The Karman Project, a non-profit that promotes peace and security in space) and Sami Raines (Senior Engineer at ELO2, Australia's first lunar rover consortium) will share their insights on collaboration, technology and exploration in a rapidly changing space landscape. Astronauts Forum Ever wondered what it's like to live and work in space? Katherine Bennell-Pegg (pictured above), Australia's first qualified astronaut, will host an unmissable conversation with spacefarers from NASA, the Australian Space Agency, the European Space Agency, AXIOM, SpaceX and more. Expect stories of zero-gravity science, life aboard spacecraft and what it feels like to return to Earth after orbit. Lunar Horizons in Fortnite You won't need a spacesuit for this mission. Lunar Horizon invites you to explore a realistic moon landscape in a custom Fortnite mission created by Hassell, Epic Games and the European Space Agency. At this interactive blend of gaming, architecture and science, you'll be able to gather resources to build a lunar habitat as you traverse a realistic lunar landscape and chat with astronauts, all while learning about real-life missions and the future of human space exploration. This event is recommended for ages 15+. Science of Space There's something for all ages at this full day of fascinating talks that look at how space science is shaping life on Earth. Leading experts and creatives will explore breakthroughs in space food, commercial spaceflight, cosmic art and automation, as space nutritionist Dr Flávia Fayet-Moore, AI pioneer Michael Kemeny, visionary designer Dr Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian and commercial astronaut Dr Chris Boshuizen unpack the future of our cosmic frontier. Sydney Science Festival, presented by Powerhouse, will take place across various Sydney venues from Saturday, September 27 to Saturday, October 4. For more information and full program details, head to the Sydney Science Festival website.
The Story of Mary MacLane by Mary MacLane was first published in 1902 and was popularly received, selling 100,000 copies in the first month and launching the 19-year-old writer into the fame she so desired. Bojana Novakovic has adapted MacLane's writings into the play The Story of Mary MacLane by Herself, which arrives at Griffin Theatre via Melbourne's Malthouse Theatre under Tanya Goldberg's direction. Novakovic plays Mary as well as herself and is joined on stage by musicians Tim Rogers (who composed the music), Andrew Baylor and Mark Harris. We are introduced to this "wild woman of Butte" as a 19-year-old searching for "fame — ahem, happiness" and follow her to New York, where she encounters varying success both with publications and sexual partners. We leave her in her final hour after a shattering rejection by the Devil — a "fatter and shorter" gentleman caller than she'd expected. The story is presented as a farrago of song, dialogue and confessionals from both MacLane's and Novakovic's personal lives. The theatrical device of MacLane performing in a hammy vaudeville show somewhat against her will is amusing and allows for some humorous interludes; however, it confines the piece to a faux amateurism befitting of Rogers' rock-star acting but not of Novakovic's polished performance. Because of this, the piece never escapes its own subject; it cannot transcend the narcissism of MacLane and Novakovic to comment of the problem of selfhood in a narcissistic society. It seeks our attention more than it hands over insight. The production has humour and charm, the best song written about a potato this decade and is a welcome introduction to a fascinating yet popularly neglected writer, but MacLane's self-professed genius and the philosophy of her "own good peripatetic school" seem to have wandered off somewhere along the way. https://youtube.com/watch?v=4XQxLTrcStM
In 1993, for the first time ever, Triple J asked Australian music lovers to pick their their favourite songs from the year prior. The ABC radio station had run Hottest 100s before, but focusing on all-time faves. With a small but significant tweak, an annual national icon was born — and it's still going three decades later. Over the last 30 years, Triple J listeners have voted en masse. They've had strong thoughts about which tunes were the best of the best, whether picking their choices via pen and paper back in the poll's early days, or with a few quick clicks today. And, they've chosen thousands of songs as the cream of the crop over that period — and more in the broadcaster's other Hottest 100s, including the Hottest 100 of All Time countdowns, the 2011 Hottest 100 of Australian Albums, the Hottest 100 of the Decade (which focused on the 2010s) and the upcoming Hottest 100 of Like a Version. That's a hefty amount of tracks, and quite the playlist. It's also exactly what'll be pumping 24/7 on Triple J Hottest. The broadcaster is launching another new station to sit alongside Triple J, Double J and Triple J Unearthed, this time only giving tunes that've ranked in a Hottest 100 sometime a spin. Denis Leary's 'Asshole', which came in at number one back in 1993? Yes, that's eligible for the playlist. 2022 winner 'Elephant' by The Wiggles? That is as well. Tracks that catapulted their artists to bigger fame, songs you've completely forgotten existed, all-time classics, novelty tunes: if it ranked in a Hottest 100, as all of the above have, then it'll get a whirl. Just looking at the top tens from the past three decades, there's a wealth of tunes in store. Think: Rage Against the Machine's 'Killing in the Name', Silverchair's 'Tomorrow', both '(He'll Never Be An) Ol' Man River' and 'Greg! The Stop Sign!!' by TISM, Coolio's 'Gangsta's Paradise' and '! (The Song Formerly Known As)' by Regurgitator, plus Weezer's 'Island in the Sun', Spiderbait's 'Black Betty' cover, so many songs by Powderfinger and Flume, 'Lonely Boy' by The Black Keys, and even 'Chandelier' by Sia. Kendrick Lamar's 'Humble' and 'King Kunta', Childish Gambino's 'Red Bone' and 'This Is America', Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion's 'WAP': they're just some of the other songs that've enjoyed some Hottest 100 love, and will now hit Triple J Hottest. Launching at 9.30am AEST on Monday, July 17 — meaning that it can include the picks from the Hottest 100 of Like a Version, which airs on Triple J and Double J from 12pm on Saturday, July 15 — Triple J Hottest will also feature archival interviews with Hottest 100-ranking acts, a heap of Hottest 100 history, and other relevant stories about the poll. It's a digital-only station, so you'll be listening 24 hours a day, seven days a week either via the Js' website, the Triple J app or the ABC listen app. And yes, obviously this station will add 100 new tracks to its rotation every year — another perk for tunes that make each year's Hottest 100. Triple J Hottest launches at 9.30am AEST on Monday, July 17 — head to the Triple J website for further details. Top image: Flume, M Drummond.
Oh god, it's happened. We knew it would. Ever since we first tried to make a 'beer spider' by heaping some vanilla bean into our third or fourth pint, we knew it was a possibility. The method just needed some work. Unsurprisingly, adding dairy to beer was never the answer. Now the Japanese legends at Kirin have perfected the recipe for the ultimate beer slushie, and are selling a home version of the machine that makes it. Here's the kicker: the drink is actually super tasty. The slushie portion of this frozen treat is made with frozen beer instead of ice cream so instead of clogging your brew with curdled milk, it just keeps the whole thing freezing cold. The machine has been floating around as a promo tool in Japan and the USA since 2012, but — because it's basically a pure form of liquid happiness — it's stuck around until now. The machine is currently available for purchase via the Japan Trend Shop online, however it does come with some drawbacks. For instance, although the initial cost of the product is only US$67, you'll have to add another US$47 on for shipping. Also, it only runs off C batteries (for some reason) and all of the instructions are in Japanese. Eek. Of course this won't stop the hardcore enthusiasts, but if you consider yourself a more casual beer slushie drinker, head out to Harajuku Gyoza to try it first. The Japanese gyoza and beer restaurant in Potts Point and Fortitude Valley are currently one of the only (if not the only) place serving it in Australia. Bon appétit! Via Thrillist and Hospitality Magazine. Images via Kirin USA Facebook.
Before Michael Crichton conjured up an island theme park filled with cloned dinosaurs as seen in Jurassic Park, he took audiences to a different but just as eerie attraction. The year was 1973. The film was Westworld. And it was not only written by the author, but it was also directed by him as well. That's where HBO's futuristic show of the same name starring Evan Rachel Wood, Thandie Newton, Anthony Hopkins, Jeffrey Wright, Liam Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson and Aaron Paul first started. Yes, life really does find a way. Series creators Jonathan Nolan (brother of Christopher Nolan) and Lisa Joy have taken the central idea and expanded it, though, as Westworld's first three gripping TV seasons have shown since 2016. When it comes to tales about a technologically advanced amusement park where people pay to experience Wild West times, and where androids play the park's roles but don't realise that they aren't human, there are oh-so-many stories to tell, after all.
FBi Social, the Sydney radio station's first ever pop-up live music venue, opened its doors last week. Housed on the second level of the refurbished Kings Cross Hotel, in stumbling distance of the Coca Cola sign, FBi is hoping to use the space to further their ever evolving mission of helping emerging local bands break through to larger audiences. With a 200-person capacity and a 24/7 license, and the aim of taking Kings Cross back to it's live music/dive bar roots, it's sure to be a very exciting couple of months. Rarely can you make me go to Kings Cross. The place evokes memories of dangerously high heels, bogan's blaring bad music from their souped up cars and being hit on by drug dealers. But FBi Social will be enough to get me, and many like me, to venture to the end of William Street. And perhaps the biggest perk is that no longer will you have to catch two buses and a train to a shoddy warehouse at the back of Marrickville to see emerging live music. It all kicks off this weekend, with Friday night's Socially Acceptable bringing you FBi's favourite emerging DJ's to assist you in all manner of hand-clapping, toe-tapping and hip-thrusting. The lineup of bands kick off on Saturday night with Dance To The Radio, featuring The Preachers, Underlights and Sister Jane. Gigs over the next two months include Ernest Ellis, Pikelet and Guineafowl, and will sit side by side with nights devoted to genres such as folk, hip hip and experimental music.
The life and times of 20th century music and cultural icon, Bob Marley, are explored through the deeply raw and poignant documentary, Marley. Kevin Macdonald directed the film in an attempt to allow audiences to get to know the man behind the myth a little better. The two and a half hour documentary features never before seen footage and photos from Marley's early life and final years; from his years as a mixed-race farm boy, Marley's time on the streets in Kingston's Trenchtown, his worldwide fame, through to his cancer diagnosis and slow subsequent demise. Marley reinforces the cultural significance of this Jamaican hero, who still resonates in music lovers' hearts all over the world almost 30 years after his death. Commentary is provided by the family members and friends who knew him best, and the film includes concert footage of four previously unseen songs. All of this is woven together in a seamless stream of revelations to sate the appetites of even the most ardent, die-hard Marley fans. Macdonald and Marley's children and grandchildren also wished to preserve Marley's legacy through the documentary and highlight his driven and ambitious work ethic, whilst quelling the notion that his marijuana smoking led him to lead a slow-paced or lazy lifestyle. The film powerfully captures the quirkiness of the Marley clan as well as providing a musical journey that outlines the development of the sub-culture of reggae and the instrumental role Marley had in this. Concrete Playground has ten double passes to giveaway to see Marley. To go in the running to win tickets, make sure you're subscribed to Concrete Playground then email your name and postal address to us at hello@concreteplayground.com.au
The cinnamonny college-tastic whisky known as Fireball is under fire (#sorrynotsorry) this week after some pretty unwanted materials were discovered in a European shipment of the good stuff. According to The Daily Beast, it was revealed that Fireball whisky was being recalled in Finland, Norway and Sweden because the batch contains propylene glycol. Yep, that's a casual compound starring prominently in a little ol' thing called antifreeze. ANTIFREEZE. The chemical that helps protects your car's radiator and de-ices aircraft carriers. You won't be so quick to make a GoPro wedding video downing the spicy stuff now huh? European recipients of the batch in question were understandably unimpressed when the delivery rocked up; apparently the Fireball recipe with high levels of propylene glycol is aiiiight for America though. According to Huffington Post the propylene glycol is used to enhance flavour by absorbing water and is "generally recognized as safe" for use in food by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. But European (and Australian) regulations for food and drink ingredients are apparently tighter than the US — DB reminded us of the time Subway was all geared up to remove azodicarbonamide from its Australian and European bread (yeah, that's chemical commonly used in yoga mats, no biggie). Not in the States though, thing are more lax in the Yoo Ess of Ay. So, Fireball owners Sazerac are legally allowed to put more propylene glycol in their US/Canada bevvies. But don't grab your torches and pitchforks just yet. Sazerac were quick to make embers of this week's uproar, releasing a statement pointing out that propylene glycol is given the a-OK by the FDA in amounts up to 50 grams per kilogram — apparently that's about eight times the amount Fireball has hidden away in its party-starting belly. "Most people consume PG every day in soft drinks, sweeteners, some foods or alcoholic beverages," said the Fireball team, adding that "all Fireball formulas are absolutely safe to drink." "Unfortunately, Fireball shipped its North American formula to Europe and found that one ingredient is out of compliance with European regulations. Finland, Sweden and Norway have asked to recall those specific batches, which is what the brand is doing." Australian batches seem fine for now. Shots anyone? No? Fireball whiskey has antifreeze chemicals in it? So it tastes great and I won't freeze? Make mine a double! — Maddox (@maddoxrules) October 29, 2014 Via The Daily Beast and Huffington Post.
Next Thursday, March 13, will see the sixth annual, four-day Taste of Sydney festival set up shop in Centennial Park to deliver a foodie feast far more suited to our city’s more discerning palates. This year’s a biggun, primed to serve up a whole heap of delicious treats. There'll be more than 60 selected food, wine and cocktail items, including recipes designed especially for you; 100+ bespoke artisan producers and providers; a plethora of demos and masterclasses for budding cooks, chefs, bloggers and beyond; plus music and entertainment throughout for those simply after a bite and a bevvy. But before you get lost in a huge list of must-trys, it’s always important to remember that you don’t need a gastronomical portfolio rivalling Matt Preston’s cravat to know what’s good. All you need is this guide, an empty stomach and an open mind. Come Hungry An obvious tip but one to be taken seriously: there’s going to be a lot to choose from and the last thing you want to do is limit yourself because you lunched too late. For example, Surry Hills' fave Chur Burger will have you salivating over their bespoke 'Taste' burger, while the folks behind Newtown’s Bloodwood will be making their presence known. Other standouts include Popolo, Biota, 4Fourteen, Four in Hand, Jonah’s, Porteno and Longrain. Prepare for a Hangover We’re not telling you to binge drink yourself into oblivion, but the 'taste' element at Taste ain’t just solids. The Gourmet Traveller WINE Pop Up Bar by Rushcutters, for example, will be the place to sip and savour a host of selected drops. Or, if wine’s not your thing, try the new apple and guava flavour among the usual refreshingly sweet combinations at the Rekorderlig Cider Bar. The Sail & Anchor Beer Hall have hops and barley sorted through interactive sessions and tastings from Australia’s best home-grown and imported labels, while Cointreau and Galliano will be whipping up a cocktail or two. Learning is Fun! This year will see the launch of the brand new Lurpak Cookery School teaching how to best use said Danish butter, while the Plumm Wine Theatre presented by Gourmet Traveller WINE asks you to pop in and lift your wine knowledge alongside prestigious sommeliers and critics. Others not to be missed are the food and beverage matching masterclasses by Celebrity Cruises, the always popular Country Kitchen for the eco-minded among us, and Sensology’s The Art of Cocktail Making. Of course, the Taste Kitchen is back again with Sydney’s top chefs sharing the secrets of their favourite dishes, and the Dilmah Chef's Skillery in association with Australian Gourmet Traveller is the place to have all those burning questions answered. Warm Up Your Bowling Arm 2014’s Taste of Sydney has a pretty nifty little attraction brought to us by Galliano in the form of a two-lane Bocce area upon entrance, allowing multiple players the chance to enjoy a game of this boules-related funtime while sipping a cocktail or three. Look out for picket fencing and seating, or simply listen out for the laughter as pissed-up people attempt to give this a go. Tassie is Trending Not only is the Tasmanian Pavilion returning this year with its focus on all the best produce to ever grace our fair shores from the Apple Isle (we’re talking seafood, bakeries, wineries, distilleries and butchers all showcasing their gourmet delicacies), there’s also the opportunity to win a holiday for two including flights, accommodation and car hire to, you guessed it, Tassie. It Doesn't Hurt to Spoil Yourself With so much going on, it never hurts to treat yourself to a little luxury, and the Taste of Sydney VIP Lounge includes two complimentary drinks, unlimited access to the lounge and $30 worth of Crowns (festival currency) to use at any of the vendors you desire. VIP tickets also come with $20 GoodFood Gift card and a $50 UBERblack ride. After all, this festival comes but once a year and we all deserve a little extra sparkle now and again. Taste of Sydney will run from Thursday, March 13, to Sunday, March 17, 2014. Tickets start from $25 and are on sale now from Ticketek. Take advantage of the special ticket offer and book two general entry tickets for $40. Just enter the word FEAST into the promotional code box when booking. This offer is valid on advance purchase tickets only and applies to general entry tickets. Crowns (the official Taste currency) can be pre-purchased in denominations of 30 or 50 Crowns through Ticketek.
If a pizza delivery guy was to accidentally wander into a cryogenic chamber back in July 2013, get stuck frozen inside for ten years, then wake up in July 2023, plenty that he knows about the world will have changed. But one thing would remain a constant: Futurama. Back then, the Matt Groening-created show about life in the 31st century was still on-screen — and this winter, it'll finally be defrosted after a decade off the air. Good news, everyone! — it's back, baby, after US streaming platform Hulu first announced plans to go back to the future in 2022. When that welcome revelation hit, Futurama was renewed for a 20-episode run. Now, the platform has revealed that the first ten new instalments will arrive from Monday, July 24 in the US. Down Under, Disney+ will be reteaming with the 20th-century's Philip J Fry (voiced by Billy West), distant uncle to Planet Express cargo company Professor Hubert J Farnsworth (also voiced by West), plus the rest of the outfit's crew. Yes, that means more antics with one-eyed ship captain Turanga Leela (Katey Sagal); fellow employees Hermes Conrad (Phil LaMarr), Amy Wong (Lauren Tom) and Zoidberg (also West); and everyone from self-obsessed starship captain Zapp Brannigan (West again) and his amphibious 4th Lieutenant Kif Kroker (Maurice LaMarche) through to scheming corporation owner Mom (Tress MacNeille). And, yes, it Bender Bending Rodríguez will be causing chaos, with John DiMaggio also back with the cast. When the revival was first announced, that wasn't the case — but it wouldn't be Futurama without its constantly sauced robot exclaiming "bite my shiny metal ass!". You can put a beloved animated series into stasis, but someone is going to thaw it out one day — and more than once. Initially airing from 1999–2003, the futuristic animated series then returned from 2008–2013, before now being given another run. Hulu is calling this comeback season 11, even though Futurama spans a past seven seasons and four direct-to-DVD movies so far. As for what it'll be about, other than satirising life in the year 3000 and beyond, the streaming service is promising more about Fry and Leela's love story, what's in Nibbler's litter box, evil Robot Santa's secret history, and Kif and Amy's tadpoles. That, and a pandemic, plus gags about the future of vaccines, bitcoin, cancel culture and streaming TV. Check out the first teaser trailer below: Futurama's latest season will return on Hulu on Monday, July 24 Down Under — we'll update you with Australian and New Zealand specifics via Disney+ when they're announced.
It's true of every great arts festival lineup: pick three highlights from the program at random and a clear snapshot of the event's diverse array of experiences emerges. For a trio of picks from Sydney Festival's just-announced 2025 bill that does exactly that, turning the Harbour City's Town Hall into the wild west, exploring a true-crime case in an IRL courthouse, then getting Avatar, Titanic, The Terminator and Aliens filmmaker James Cameron chatting about shipwrecks all paint a clear picture. As it has done for 49 years now, this fest adores having something for everyone on offer. Just two years after Sydney Town Hall became an indoor beach complete with 26 tonnes of sand for the festival, the venue will transform into a pioneer settlement for Dark Noon, which builds its setting in real time as the audience watches on. A hit at Edinburgh Fringe, playing Australia exclusive to Sydney Festival and heading Down Under after a run in New York, the production from Danish director Tue Biering explores the power dynamics, race relations and colonial impacts inherent in its chosen chapter of history, all by subverting the wild west tropes established by cinema over the years — and with a South African cast. [caption id="attachment_977489" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Teddy Wolff[/caption] Also a standout on the full program, which'll pack Sydney with more than 130 shows and events from Saturday, January 4–Sunday, January 26, 2025: A Model Murder at the Darlinghurst Courthouse. Playwright Melanie Tait (The Appleton Ladies' Potato Race) and director Sheridan Harbridge (44 Sex Acts in One Week) aren't just recreating model Shirley Beiger's trial for shooting her cheating boyfriend — they're staging it at the same spot where it took place seven decades ago. For something completely different, one of the biggest names in blockbuster cinema is also on the Sydney Festival lineup, with James Cameron's experience in the water — including diving to earth's deepest point — the topic of conversation on the talks section of the bill. Or, still thinking about the sea, a giant whale is popping up in Bondi, courtesy of Spare Parts Puppet Theatre. The fest's 23-day run has a date with 43 different locations around town, ensuring that every corner of Sydney gets in on the action. One such location: Walsh Bay Arts Precinct, where The Thirsty Mile is returning as a hub featuring much to see by day and night. Think: free live music across 12 evenings, yoga classes, a heap of productions, public art and, for a beverage, the Moonshine Bar, where artist Telly Tuita is decking out the joint — as he's also doing with the SS John Oxley and via ten-room 'Tongpop' installation Colour Maze. Blak Out joins the favourites making a comeback, this time with Sydney Festival's Creative Artist in Residence Jake Nash curating the program. With Barangaroo Reserve as its base, this pivotal part of the fest includes Belvoir Theatre's Jacky, album launches for DOBBY and Radical Son, a woven canopy that'll host conversations, a celebration of Redfern's 70s-era National Black Theatre and more. [caption id="attachment_977492" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tashi Hall[/caption] From there, the world premiere of Siegfried & Roy: The Unauthorised Opera, Sophocles' Antigone reimagined on the edge of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil and a twist on Shakespeare via Cliff Cardinal's As You Like It or The Land Acknowledgement should get your eyes glued to the stage. Also in the same category: Back to Back Theatre's Multiple Bad Things at Sydney Opera House, Opera Australia taking on Cendrillon (Cinderella), Christie Whelan Browne exploring her childhood. First Nations drag performer Miss Ellaneous honouring a simply-the-best icon with Tina — A Tropical Love Story and Greek mythology-inspired dance piece AFTERWORLD. Elsewhere on the bill, Rufus Wainwright is heading to town, William Yang's Milestone marks his 80th birthday, Katie Noonan is paying tribute to Jeff Buckley's Grace for its 30th anniversary, Wendy Whiteley's Secret Garden is hosting five gigs, the Future Frequencies bill is all about music up and comers such as Yaya Bey and Cash Savage and The Last Drinks, Sydney Symphony Under the Stars is back and audiences can take part in interactive dance piece Cowboy. [caption id="attachment_977485" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dahlia Katz[/caption] "Sydney Festival has long held summer's cultural pulse and this year is quite the heartbeat. Stories of Oceania, destiny and what we leave behind through to bold explorations of utopia and dystopia, Sydney Festival 2025 promises an exhilarating and thought-provoking journey through the arts with exceptional talent at the reins," said Festival Director Olivia Ansell, announcing her fourth — and final — program. "This January, immerse yourself in a summer of unforgettable performances, groundbreaking new works, and exclusive experiences that reimagine the world around us." There's clearly a wealth of reasons to head along, whether you're a Sydneysider making the most of your own town or you're planning an interstate trip to kick off 2025 — and the fact that the fest is also doing $49 early-bird tickets across the entire program until early December is yet another. [caption id="attachment_977488" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ben Lindberg[/caption] [caption id="attachment_977486" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jeff Busby[/caption] [caption id="attachment_977487" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bill Cooper / Royal Opera House / ArenaPAL[/caption] Sydney Festival 2025 runs from Saturday, January 4–Sunday, January 26 at venues across the city. For further details and to buy tickets from 9am AEDT on Wednesday, October 30, visit the Sydney Festival website.
In a characteristically M.I.A. move, the iconoclastic 'Bad Girls' singer has ingeniously tapped Versace knock-offs in Power Up, a new design collaboration with Versace itself, launching online on October 16. It's admirable just how consistent M.I.A.'s self-branding moves are. She's been wearing Versace around for a while now, and after the likes of her 'XXXO' music video, the trashy glitz of the label seems perfectly tailored to her. The 19-piece Versace Versus X MIA collection has all the trappings you'd expect from both M.I.A. and the prestigious design house, with a decidedly ghetto-bling set of gold medallions and classic Medusa heads emblazoning leggings and tops alike. The shapes channel sportswear while the colour palette is dominated by black and white and kooky shades of green, gold and pink. Sanskrit-inspired script mingles with blocky geometrics, lotus blossoms and the trademark angular Greek border, all combining in prints so bold it's pretty much guaranteed that the rest of your outfit will fade into obscurity. But it's the source of the designs — Versace rip-offs touted for cheap on the grimy streets of East London — that take this particular collab to the next level. M.I.A. told WWD: "Versace's designs have always been copied, now it's Versace that copies the copies, so those that copy must copy the copies. So this will continue." Indeed, M.I.A., what a house of mirrors you allow us to inhabit. Any passerby in the know is forced to acknowledge the Power Up wearer's subversive, high-low culture, pro-yet-anti-yet-pro-capitalist fashion statement as he or she steps out in authentic, expensive imitations of imitations. Fully aware of MIA's game, photographer Jaime Martinez shot the collection's campaign on the mean streets and in front of cheapo clothing stalls. The final lookbook is, appropriately a series of souped-up, lo-fi gifs. We doff our hats to the collection. Via PSFK.
What's charm got to do with it? In What's Love Got to Do with It?, plenty. A rom-com with absolutely nothing to do with Tina Turner, the song that instantly springs to mind or the 1993 biopic about the singer's life, this British affair from the producers of Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, the Bridget Jones films and Love Actually — and the more-recent Yesterday and Cyrano, too — thrives on the charisma of its leads. It has to. Lily James (Pam & Tommy) and Shazad Latif (Profile) are nicely cast, but they're also all-so-crucially required to help patch over the movie's flagrant formula. Indeed, as penned by journalist-turned-producer-turned-screenwriting first-timer Jemima Khan, and helmed by Elizabeth and Elizabeth: The Golden Age filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, What's Love Got to Do with It? interrogates its own premise in its template-like nature. Is it better to stick to a tried-and-tested route or let surprises reign? In the way it's made and the tale it tells, at least, this flick repeatedly advocates for the former. For documentarian Zoe (James) and oncologist Kazim (Latif), childhood pals, neighbours and each other's first kiss, What's Love Got to Do with It?'s big battle isn't about romantic comedies, of course. And, it certainly isn't about whether the latest entry in the genre should paint by numbers or dare to diverge from the trusty path. But the same conflict underscores Zoe and Kaz's differing approaches to love and marriage, as Zoe is shocked to discover at Kaz's brother Farooq's (Mim Shaikh, Doctors) wedding. That's where the man she's known her whole life announces he's getting hitched, even though he hasn't met someone. Happy to skip the chaos of dating, not fussed with casual hookups, and buoyed by his parents Aisha (Shabana Azmi, Halo) and Zahid's (Jeff Mirza, Eternals) success with arranged nuptials, he's putting his trust in assisted marriage to find someone to share his life with. What's Zoe got to do with Kaz's decision, other than being a friend by his side? There's the glaring answer and then there's how Khan's script keeps her central pair in each other's orbit other than just as mates. As Zoe gets knocked back for funding for her next project, she doesn't blink before suggesting examining assisted marriages in Britain instead. (My Big Fat Arranged Marriage is her producers' dream title.) Kaz is understandably reluctant, but soon Zoe's camera is capturing everything, including the parade of events that her mother Cath (Emma Thompson, Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical) chats, drinks and dances her way through. Making a doco out of Kaz's quest to tie the knot can't help Zoe avoid her mum's stereotypical pestering about her own romantic prospects, however, complete with setting her up with family vet James (Oliver Chris, Emma). Due to rom-com logic, convention and expectation, there's a dose of My Best Friend's Wedding to What's Love Got to Do with It?, although Zoe doesn't ever try to sabotage Kaz's big day. There's also more than a dash of When Harry Met Sally… to Kapur's first feature in over a decade and a half (other than a segment of New York, I Love You) as Zoe and Kaz constantly discuss their varying ideas about relationships. And, to zero astonishment as well, there's pure and simple obviousness at work. Almost any rom-com focused on these two characters, enlisting these two actors, and benefiting from James and Latif's easy chemistry — and their innate likeability in both parts, especially Toast of London and Toast of Tinseltown's Latif — is going to do exactly what the audience not only wants, but what What's Love Got to Do with It?'s genre has primed them for. Accordingly, the real questions at the heart of What's Love Got to Do with It? aren't whether Kaz's assisted-marriage plan will succeed, or if this is a sensible way to meet one's other half in these always-swiping times. A culture clash comes with the setup, with Kaz's choice hailing from his Pakistani heritage, but diving into what that tradition means for better and for worse is a mere subplot. Rather, the film asks the most straightforward query it or any romantic comedy can or ever does. The specifics vary from flick to flick, but it's the same predicament. Here, it plays out like this: how will employing Muslim matchmaker Mo (Asim Chaudhry, The Sandman), video chatting with law student Maymouna (Sajal Aly, Ishq e laa) and following what happens from there — right through to three days of colourful ceremonies in Lahore, which Zoe records and the excited Cath wouldn't miss for the world — obstruct and complicate Zoe and Kaz's unspoken but plain-as-day feelings for each other? Inevitability drips through every moment of this sunnily shot and cosily staged movie as a result, but thankfully doesn't breed contempt. Again, that's thanks to James, Latif, their engaging performances and their comfortable rapport as What's Love Got to Do with It? embraces being exactly the type of fluffily predictable romantic comedy it is. That said, Khan and Kapur do take risks, but their film ends up worse for it. Although it's an eagerly knowing touch to have a former on-screen Cinderella play a woman who frames her love life as revised fairy tales, those narrated montages — popping up intermittently and told as bedtime stories to children, but echoing over Zoe's bad dates and morning-after regrets — flounder and feel like filler. What's Love Got to Do with It? doesn't judge Zoe's romantic exploits, nor should it, just as it avoids the same with Kaz — but, while it's accepting of amorous mess and assisted marriage alike, it isn't always certain in its tone or thoughtful with its supporting characters. Thompson's role proves an inescapable example, as much of a treasure as the great English actor is (see: her phenomenal work in 2022's Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, plus too many other past parts to count). Instead of exuberant, free-spirited, or even a gleefully silly example of an older generation broadening their world, Cath comes off as one-note and cartoonish. A white woman whose personality is defined by her fixation on another culture was likely to, sadly, in a movie that's fine with skewing broad and affable over shooting for sparks.
The really great thing about summer is that entertaining flies no matter what time of day. Whether a lazy picnic, a barbeque lunch or a knockout dinner party is your fancy, you can do it on the cheap and cheerful if it's summertime. We’ll take you through a day of dining to delight the senses and suit the budget. Day: PICNIC Two words: Potluck Picnic. We love gatherings we don't have to organise ourselves nearly as much as we love impressing each other with our innovative/shameful/purchased dishes. If you want to divvy up the dishes (salad, sweets, nibbles, etc), do that, but it's even better if you can cover the bases yourself and let others fill in the blanks. For food, sort out a frittata, some dips and pull apart bread, and a good old fashioned barbecue chook for plate fillers. Some hearty salads are a must — think rice salad, pasta salad and a simple garden. Pack everything into a cooler and don't forget the bag of ice. Food storage containers are a lifesaver — if the picnic's going as great as you hope it will, you'll be distracted by the fun and games while the ants and insects* are gorging themselves on your camembert. Serve everything buffet style. Picnics are all about the bits and pieces. Some pointers: forget paper plates, paper napkins and plastic cutlery — clunky and causes loads of wastage. A set of linen napkins from a budget store are super cheap and they look fancy. Likewise, platters are good value, last forever, and quick and easy to clean. If you've got plastic KeepCups, use those for drinks. Don't forget the rug and think about music: jazz is great any time of day and a little Bill Evans goes a long way. If you're planning on your humble picnic rolling into the sunset ,just make sure your playlist can go the distance. *be a hero and bring a whopping citronella candle. Afternoon: BURGER BARBEQUE Barbeques are great because they’re all about the BYO. You can use your crockery and cutlery and get the dishwashers happening or a couple of eager beavers on the dishes to minimise cleaning up. For nibbles, forget bags of chips and packets of dips and cheese: it all adds up to dollars and a spoilt appetite. Make a batch of tortilla chips using a bag of flat bread sprinkled with oil and salt and rubbed with garlic. Cut into triangles and pop in the oven. A quick guacamole using full cream yoghurt to mix will help you out, or else one of those inexplicably excellent layered Mexican dips that still make the odd appearance at suburban baby showers. For food, hamburgers all the way — but they don't need to be boring. It's all about what you add to the mince to make it a treat. Chop up a bunch of parsley, sauté some onions, tear up some fresh bread — you want small chunks, not those fine little breadcrumbs — crack a couple of eggs and add some fresh chilli or flakes, salt and pepper. You're good to go. Grab some good buns or a good loaf of crusty bread; forget those trendy mini buns, you want something to sink the teeth into. Grilled onions and tinned beetroot are must-haves, along with chopped tomatoes and iceberg lettuce. Think bacon, cheese and pineapple for extras, or consider a homemade garlic bread. And dessert? Pavlova is super cheap to make: get a good recipe, some seasonal fruit, a nice thick cream whipped with a little caster sugar and vanilla essence, and you're everyone's best friend. Night: MOROCCAN SUMMER PARTY This summer, let's head to Morocco. There are loads of yummy vegetarian dishes which are always cheaper than meat — keeps everyone happy as long as it's delicious. Start with dips. Making your own is way cheaper and a great point of conversation. If you don't have a food processor, borrow one for the occasion. Serve hummus and capsicum dip with sprigs of coriander and fresh, bright vegetables for dipping. For drinks, do a Moroccan-style sangria by adding loads of fresh mint. Serve in whatever you’ve got — plastic coloured cups are just as good as tall glasses. If you're skint, have guests each bring a cheap bottle of red. Then all you're forking out for is a bit of white rum, tea and fruit. Dinner is a Moroccan vegetable tagine — so easy and time effective. It looks like pumpkin, sweet potato, zucchini and carrots boiled up and combined with a homemade harissa paste. Make sure you add sauteed onions, garlic and chilli; whack in a few tins of tomatoes and some lemon juice; and then let it all cook up so it forms a nice sauce. Have a bunch of small bowls laid out on the table filled with finely sliced almonds, mint and coriander for sprinkling on top. Serve the tagine on a bed of quinoa (or if the budget is super low, couscous). Dessert is spicy poached pears in red wine. Skin your pears, chop them up into quarters, fill a saucepan up with red wine, chuck in a couple of sticks of cinnamon and some brown sugar and a couple of cloves, and cook for around 40 minutes. Spend what you've saved on economical cooking on a snazzy carton of vanilla ice cream. Presentation-wise keep this one simple; the load of fresh, colourful, tasty food and drink carries the evening alone. If you do want to tizz the place up, it's all about loud, bright accessories — red napkins, a loud tablecloth and bunch of bright flowers in the middle of the table for the win. Picnic image by Lindsay Smith.
Mondays tend to be a day of rest for most restaurants in the Los Angeles area. But for friends Aliza Miner, Savita Ostendorf and Marjory Garrison it's the busiest night of the week. A few months ago the three girls combined their skills as a chef, graphic designer and PR activist for non-profits, respectively, to create Closed on Mondays, a business that hosts fundraiser dinners for charity at empty restaurants on Monday nights. They offer a fixed price menu at $35, hire waitstaff from the host restaurant and serve customers on a first come, first serve basis from 5 to 9p.m. The profits go directly to local food initiatives or community projects. They don't force-feed their guests with information about the charities, they just want people to come and eat. Better yet, the dishes offered will leave your taste-buds begging for more, with choices like Yucatan pulled pork, wild Mexican shrimp with pumpkin seed sauce and stuffed poblanos, kabocha squash and chihuahua cheese in romesco (each served with homemade tortillas). Yum. The first three dinners were hosted at L.A's Canele, which raised $7000 for the Micheltorena School Garden community project in Silver Lake. Although the girls realize that they still have a long way to go to build up the non-profit, other chefs in the area have already approached them about bringing Closed on Mondays to their restaurants. Mondays are soon to be the biggest night out of the week for good food and a good cause.
For Sydneysiders living in the city's Local Government Areas of concern — aka areas that have experienced higher locally acquired COVID-19 case numbers during this Delta outbreak — tighter rules have been in place for much of this ongoing lockdown. Folks in these spots are currently under an overnight curfew between 9pm–5am, are only permitted to travel five kilometres from their homes unless there are exceptional circumstances, and must wear masks whenever they leave the house. For the past few weeks, residents in hotspot LGAs have only been able to go out of their houses to exercise for one hour per day, too; however, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian has just announced that that rule is about to be lifted. Today, Thursday, September 2, the Premier Gladys revealed that LGAs of concern will no longer have a one-hour cap on daily exercise from 5am on Friday, September 3. Instead, residents in these areas will be permitted to go out for as long as they like to work up a sweat — albeit still under the five-kilometre rule, and only between 5am–9pm given that the curfew is still in effect. When it kicks in, the change will apply to people who live in the Bayside, Blacktown, Burwood, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool, Parramatta and Strathfield LGAs, as well as 12 suburbs in the Penrith. So, if that's you, you'll be able to spend more time outdoors this weekend — and moving forward. From 5am tomorrow (Friday) morning, exercise will no longer be limited to one hour in the local government areas of concern. The curfew will still apply, but exercise is unlimited outside of those hours. — NSW Health (@NSWHealth) September 2, 2021 The rule does still only cover exercising. Outdoor recreation — so, "sitting for relaxation, or to eat, drink or read outdoors", as defined by the NSW Government rules — isn't yet allowed in hotspot LGAs. But it'll be back on the cards from 12.01am Monday, September 13, as part of the state's slight easing of outdoor gathering rules. From that point onwards, families with fully vaccinated adults in LGAs of concern will be able to go out together for an hour of outdoor recreation, in addition to your exercise time each day, while still abiding by the curfew and the five-kilometre rule. The change to exercise restrictions in hotspot LGAs was announced as NSW reported 1288 new cases in the 24 hours to 8pm on Wednesday, September 1. The NSW Government intends to loosen more rules for fully vaccinated people across the state once 70 percent of residents have had two jabs, which is likely to include being able to go to hospitality venues and outdoor events — and is expected to happen around mid-October. That said, the exact details of those relaxed settings hasn't been revealed yet, and neither has how they'll apply in LGAs of concern. Residents in Sydney's LGAs of concern will be able to enjoy unlimited exercise — as long as they abide by the five-kilometre rule and the curfew — from 5am on Friday, September 3. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website.
The phrase 'sleeper hit' was coined for movies like Silver Linings Playbook. It looks like your run-of-the-mill wacky family holiday movie, but it's an important film and a great one that deserves to sweep the Academy, SAG and copious other awards it's nominated for. Because while Silver Linings Playbook obeys the conventions of a crazy family comedy — hilarity, personalities clashing under one roof, people yelling over the top of each other, the gradual acceptance of family legacies — it really hones in on the 'crazy' part. In films, craziness usually peaks at extreme quirkiness. But in our real-life households we know the source of irrational behaviour often lies with mental illness, and that's much more complex. Based on the novel by Matthew Quick, Silver Linings Playbook acknowledges and honours this common human experience with its story of Pat (Bradley Cooper), a bipolar former history teacher returning to the house of his mother (Australia's inimitable Jacki Weaver) and father (Robert De Niro) after a court-mandated nine months in a mental health facility. He remains fixated on his estranged wife, Nikki (Brea Bee), even though she has a restraining order against him, and he feels his new positive philosophy is the way to win her back. What he's not sure is help or hindrance, however, is the appearance in his life of recent widow Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), whose existing depression has been wildly exacerbated by her husband's death. These are not characters we've seen on screen before, and they're extraordinarily well drawn. The film positions you in Pat's corner, to the point where you can fully understand his not-always-logical way of thinking and not only sympathise but make the leap with him. To outsiders, he's unreliable, tactless, and even violent, but to viewers, he's just Pat. Silver Linings Playbook is technically excellent, with charming performances and firm plotting, but there are a lot of technically excellent movies. It's rare to see one that will mean so much to so many people. Director David O. Russell has spoken about how important making the film was to him as the parent of a child with mental illness. He didn't want his film to be all doom and gloom; he wanted it to be full of hope, humour, and compassion, as even burdened lives are. His connection to the subject shines through to create a special and authentic-feeling film. Perhaps most vitally, Silver Linings Playbook isn't about sectioning off people's experiences via a medical label; it incorporates the full spectrum of what Pat calls the "craziness within myself and everybody else", and nearly everyone is likely to see something within it that resonates. It may be January, but this is certainly one of my films of the year. https://youtube.com/watch?v=2MP7A1k8Jr0
We've always been impressed by the skills of bartenders. But we've never appreciated their ability to create mind-blowing concoctions as much as we have in the past year. Try as we may, our at-home attempts to stir, shake, strain and flame ingredients have never been quite up to scratch. So, when we have a chance to celebrate the keepers of our favourite cocktails, we're more than happy to oblige. To mark World Bartender Day on February 24, Grain has unveiled a new cocktail menu inspired by legends of the hospitality industry. Head to the sophisticated bar, located in the Four Seasons Hotel Sydney, between Wednesday, February 17 and Wednesday, March 31 to sample the drinks designed by Assistant Bar Manager Adam Lau and team. There are six specials in total, inspired by the likes of Harry MacElhone, owner of the legendary Harry's New York Bar in Paris, and Victor Jules Bergeron Jr, who is known for inventing the mai tai. Want to sip the tipple inspired by Jerry Thomas, who is considered the forefather of bartending? That'd be the Georgia Quarter, made with whisky, cognac, peach liqueur, mint and lemon. We're also keen to try the Silk Road (tequila, creme de cacao, sherry, honey and almond milk), inspired by iconic New York speakeasy Milk and Honey's founder Sasha Petraske. And if all this creativity has you inspired to attempt your own inventions at home, Grain has bartender kits to give away to four lucky readers. Enter your details below to go in the running. [competition]800395[/competition]
ICYMI, from now until the end of February, Wetherill Park's Kinchin Lane is hosting an al fresco summer festival packed with good vibes and delicious eats. Expect to see live music, a huge variety of cuisine and a series of events and workshops for all ages. But with so much on offer at this western Sydney spot, where should you begin? In partnership with Stockland, we've rounded up our favourite dishes for you to tuck into at Kinchin Lane this month. CRISPY PORK BELLY WITH SPICY PAPRIK SAUCE AT THAI ROCK Thai Rock serves up delicious versions of Thai classics, but we suggest taking a break from your chicken pad thai and branching out. This crispy pork belly with spicy paprik sauce is a must-try — a flavour explosion of crispy pork, wild ginger and makrut lime in a spicy red curry, served with stir-fried green beans. Our tip: order a serve of the excellent pineapple fried rice — served in a pineapple, naturally — to soak up the curry. SIGNATURE KBBQ COMBO (FOR TWO) AT SOJU Wanting to spice up your next date night? What better way than enjoying fun and delicious Korean barbecue at Soju, where you can prepare your platter together at your table for some bonding. This two-person feast features all the classics, including wagyu, pork belly, pork jowl, prawns, veggies and a selection of banchan which will leave you more than satisfied. Naturally, we recommend washing it down with a bottle or two of soju for the full experience. BAVARIAN TASTING PLATTER AT THE BAVARIAN The clue is in the name with this one, folks. At The Bavarian, you will find seven styles of German beer on tap, served in a stein, of course. And what better pairing for your cold, frothy bier than a selection of German-style pub grub? The Bavarian Tasting Platter is designed to share, so round up the crew and head down to enjoy a classic Bavarian pub experience. On the platter you can expect crackling pork belly, the restaurant's signature crispy pork knuckle, German sausages and schnitzel alongside kraut, cabbage, creamy mash, apple compote and bier jus. This is not for the faint hearted — and certainly not for any herbivores out there. CHURROS FOR TWO AT SAN CHURRO If you've been blessed with a sweet tooth, then head to San Churro with a date or a mate to enjoy a share platter of crispy, cinnamon-coated churros served with couverture chocolate, Spanish-style caramel and fresh fruit. These crunchy, doughy delights make a serious case for having dessert first — plus the fruit definitely counts as one of your five-a-day, right? VEGAN DUMPLINGS AT SMILING DUMPLINGS Head to Smiling Dumplings for delicious Shanghainese dishes — served to you by a robot. This is a dining experience for everyone to enjoy, thanks to the restaurant's range of juicy vegan dumplings that don't compromise on flavour and are free of eggs, dairy, shallots and garlic. Try the vegan prawn for a flavour-packed, textural delight, or the beautiful yellow pumpkin dumplings that taste as good as they look. To find out more about Kinchin Lane's Summer Eats and Beats festival, head to the event website.
Last week, Robert Pattinson popped up on our screens in the trailer for upcoming Netflix movie The Devil All the Time. At present, he's also starring in cinemas in Tenet, which is finally earning a release. And, right this instant, he's stepping into a very well-known character's shoes (and cape and mask) — as seen in the just-dropped first trailer for The Batman. Yes, as well as featuring in a Christopher Nolan-helmed movie, Pattinson is playing a character that Nolan helped bring back to cinemas 15 years ago. This time around, Cloverfield, Let Me In, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and War for the Planet of the Apes filmmaker Matt Reeves is in the director's chair, overseeing a new take on Batman that actually stands completely apart from the most recent Ben Affleck-starring DC Extended Universe version of the character. Basically, what DC Films and Warner Bros. Pictures did with Joker in 2019 — serving up a grimmer, grittier iteration of the infamous figure that has absolutely nothing to do with the rightfully hated Jared Leto version — they're doing for Batman now, too. Also following the same playbook: enlisting a top-notch star in the lead role. Remember, it was only earlier this year that Joaquin Phoenix won an Oscar for playing the clown prince of crime. The Batman isn't slated to hit cinemas until more than 12 months away — at the end of September 2021 in Australia — however, as this first sneak peek shows, it's shaping up to be a suitably dark and brooding affair. And, as well as Pattison as the titular character and his alter-ego Bruce Wayne, it stars Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, Paul Dano as the Riddler, Colin Farrell as the Penguin, Jeffrey Wright as Commissioner Gordon and Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth. For those keeping count, Pattinson is the third actor to play the Dark Knight on the big screen in the 21st century, after Christian Bale and Ben Affleck. He also joins a long list of actors who've donned the outfit, including Adam West, Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer and George Clooney. Check out The Batman trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLOp_6uPccQ The Batman is currently due to release in Australian cinemas on September 30, 2021.
The First Time just keeps proving a fitting album title for The Kid LAROI. The just-released record is the Australian singer-songwriter's first studio album. Now, it also lends its name to his first-ever Down Under stadium tour. Big star, big record, big tour news: that's The Kid LAROI story right now. Mere days after The First Time dropped, the tour of the same name has been announced for a six-city Australian and New Zealand run in February 2024. Charlton Kenneth Jeffrey Howard will kick things off at Melbourne's AAMI Park on Friday, February 2, before heading across the ditch to play Auckland's Spark Arena on Monday, February 5. Then it's back to Australia, where Perth's HBF Park awaits on Friday, February 9; Adelaide's Coopers Stadium on Tuesday, February 13; Sydney's Commbank Stadium on Friday, February 16; and finally CBUS Super Stadium on the Gold Coast on Sunday, February 18. The Kid LAROI's debut studio album might be a brand-new arrival, but he's been releasing music since 2018 — solo, and also teaming up with everyone from Juice WRLD and ONEFOUR to Justin Bieber. Accordingly, fans can look forward to hearing 'Stay', 'Without You', 'Thousand Miles', 'Love Again' and more this summer. The stadium tour follows The Kid LAROI's first headline Australian tour back in 2022, which sold out arenas across the country, sparking the addition of more dates. The First Time tour has only announced one show per city so far, but they're all spaced out enough that adding extra gigs due to demand won't come as a surprise if it happens. "I'm so excited to be coming back home in February! I felt so much love from the fans on last year's tour — it's something I'll never forget. I can't wait for you to all see this new show — we've taken things to a whole new level," said The Kid LAROI, announcing the Australian leg of the tour. "I can't wait to play New Zealand in February! I've always wanted to visit and I'm so excited to bring this new show to the NZ fans. I promise it'll be worth the wait! I love you all and I'll see you very soon," he added about his Spark Arena concert. THE KID LAROI THE FIRST TIME TOUR 2024 DATES: Friday, February 2 — AAMI Park, Melbourne Monday, February 5 — Spark Arena, Auckland Friday, February 9 — HBF Park, Perth Tuesday, February 13 — Coopers Stadium, Adelaide Friday, February 16 — Commbank Stadium, Sydney Sunday, February 18 — CBUS Super Stadium, Gold Coast The Kid LAROI is touring Australia and New Zealand in February 2024, with presales starting from Thursday, November 16 and general sales on Monday, November 20 — head to the Australia and New Zealand ticketing sites for more information. Top image: Adam Kargenian.
Vegetarians craving the bloody mess that is a medium-rare beef burger, you're no longer in danger of caving. Biochemist and Impossible Foods startup founder Patrick Brown is leading the charge for veggie burgers that not only taste like meat, but legitimately simulate the characteristics — let's plainly call it 'meatiness' — of meat. The secret? 'Plant blood'. Making vego-friendly meat isn't a new idea by any means, with epic tofurkeys, fakon (fake bacon) and Suzy Spoon's sausages dotting the plates of yearning vegos for years. But Brown's scientific approach to medium-rareness suffuses the patties with bioengineered substance from a molecule called heme, found in hemoglobin — the thing that makes blood red and makes it taste all metal-like. So the particular type of vegetarian who leaves meat out for ethical reasons but yearns for a medium-rare shindig can have their burger and eat it too. Brown's not doing too shabbily either, a 60-year-old Stanford University professor turned first-time entrepreneur with a cheeky $75 million in venture capital under his belt — including cashola from Bill Gates, who's gotten right into meatless meat of late backing startup Beyond Meat, "the first plant protein that looks, feels, tastes, and acts like meat." Google Ventures are even on board with Impossible, starting production on the $20-a-pop patties now. With Silicon Valley companies seriously getting behind projects like Impossible Foods, Beyond Meat and Modern Meadow ($10 million funded, 3D-printed meat), the world's obsession with meat could be one step closer to being sustainable and death-free. "Livestock is an antiquated technology," Brown told the Wall Street Journal. A small win for cowies. Via WSJ, Gigaom and Grub Street.
Sydney's pretty great at the best of times, but when Art & About rolls around our city takes on a whole new splendour. Having just transitioned from a three-week shindig to a year-round event, Art & About are already ensuring 2016 is full of epic art with one of their most exciting installations to date. The Blue Trees by Egyptian-born, New Zealand-raised, Melbourne-based artist Konstantin Dimopoulos will transform Pyrmont’s leafy Pirrama Park into an ultramarine utopia with the help of a team of community volunteers. Using a biologically safe water-based colourant, Dimopoulos will colour the trunks of the park's living trees blue to highlight the impact of deforestation on old growth forests. By rendering our local environment uncanny Dimopoulos encourages us to consider the global impact humans have on the environment. Having been shown at the prestigious Vancouver Biennale last year and being an ephemeral work with an unknown duration, this is an installation not to be missed. The Blue Trees will be coloured by the community from 10am – 4pm on Saturday March 5. For details on how to help out, keep tabs on the Art & About website or Facebook page. The trees will be on display until the colourant is washed away by Mother Nature. Image: Roaming the Planet
What's better than one Sydney Moonlight Cinema? Two, obviously. In addition to the CBD's stint of openair movie-viewing, Western Sydney also plays host to the outdoor cinema — so get ready to watch flicks under the stars at Western Sydney Parklands between Thursday, November 16–Sunday, January 30. Like its sibling venue, Moonlight Cinema Western Sydney is screening new movies, recent must-sees and festive flicks, starting with Free Guy on opening night. From there, you can head along to see Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Disney newbie Encanto and the family-friendly The Boss Baby: Family Business. And, for your merry outdoor movie-watching pleasure, the Christmas selection includes Love Actually, Elf, The Grinch, Die Hard and Home Alone. It's also worth remembering that Moonlight Cinema is BYO — and there'll be food, snacks, a bar and (if you'd like to pay for them) bean bags as well. And, in great news for movie-loving pooches, you can bring them along, too.
With so much relying on the vaccine rollout, many Sydney businesses are offering incentives for locals to get vaccinated. Last week, Hawke's gave away slabs of beer to 250 Sydneysiders who went out and got their first jab, and now Rozelle pub the Bald Rock Hotel is offering free takeaway pints. All you have to do is head along to the pub and show the bartenders that you've had both of your shots of either vaccination and they'll shout you a frothy on the house. Any White Bay fans looking to stock up can also top up their growlers at Bald Rock. The inner city hotel will be pouring discounted top-ups with growler fills going for just $15 and squealer fill-ups available for $10. If you're looking to book your first vaccine appointment, you can use this helpful map to find your nearest vaccination clinic or head to the NSW Health website for more information. Top image: Andy Mitchell
Sinclair's — the only hatted restaurant in Penrith — is turning three. And to celebrate, it's putting on a limited-edition set menu throughout June. For $120, you'll be treated to three courses. They're all the creations of Head Chef Scott Mills, who sources his ingredients from within a 50-kilometre radius, working with producers from the Greater Nepean, Hawkesbury and Blue Mountains regions — including Grima Brothers, Pepe's Ducks, Game Farm and Glossodia Gourmet Herbs. Start with a selection of bites, including house-made crumpets with sweet corn and fennel jam, zucchini flowers with buffalo mozzarella and honey, and baked scallops with parsley and garlic butter. Then move on to small plates, such as charcuterie featuring Montecatini salami, and slow-cooked lamb shoulder with herbs and jus. Mains include an MB4+ scotch fillet from Little Joe's served with your pick of house condiments. And come dessert, you'll be tucking into Sinclair's signature take on the wagon wheel with Zokoko chocolate and house-made strawberry jam. Bookings are essential.
One of Sydney's most cherished Chinese restaurants, Golden Century, is set to permanently close its doors. According to a notice posted by ASIC on Thursday, August 19, the restaurant went into administration earlier this month. The CBD mainstay closed its doors on Saturday, June 26 due to NSW's current stay-at-home orders and according to its website, it was set to reopen at the end of August. Run by Eric and Linda Wong, Golden Century has been an institution for after-hours feeds in Sydney for decades. Most notably known for its late-night banquets and XO pippies, the restaurant has proudly served Sydneysiders since the 1980s and has grown a cult-like following throughout the city. [caption id="attachment_725461" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Parker Blain[/caption] In 2019, Golden Century opened XOPP — a new restaurant in Darling Square dedicated to its signature pippies in XO sauce, and added a 1500-bottle wine bar to its original Haymarket location. The restaurant has since endured multiple lockdowns and reduced foot traffic in Sydney's CBD due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While the future of the Golden Century group is unconfirmed, tributes for the restaurant have already begun rolling in online. Dan Hong (Ms. G's, Mr. Wong and El Loco) posted a series of heartfelt Instagram stories writing to thank the venue and saying that, "My kids have grown up [at Golden Century]". The new Sydney advisory group Committee for Sydney said it was "shocking to see iconic Chinatown restaurant Golden Century go into administration. No question, the longer this goes on, the more significant reshaping of our city's local economies we're going to see." Golden Century is located at 393–399 Sussex Street, Sydney.
The wonders of the animal kingdom are coming to the Australian National Maritime Museum courtesy of a huge exhibition of nature photography. Headed to the venue this autumn, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year showcase comes direct from London's Natural History Museum — which has run the prestigious competition since 1965. Highlighting the astonishing sights that the natural world has to offer, this year's contest attracted nearly 50,000 entries from 92 countries. That not only shows how much we all love creatures great, small, cute, majestic and everything in-between, but how much we love both taking and looking at snaps of them as well. From that huge number, 100 winning pics were chosen for their creativity, originality and technical excellence, and then tour internationally. You can see the eye-popping, awe- (and 'awwwww') inducing results during its Sydney stop from March 7 through till August 25. Prepare to rove your eyes over everything from up-close-and-personal shots of gorgeous creatures to astonishing visions of sweeping landscapes. It'll be open every day of the week during its five-month season — from 9.30am–5pm daily. Images: Isak Pretorius, Arshdeep Singh and Adrian Bliss, courtesy of Wildlife Photographer of the Year and the Natural History Museum, London.
If you've visited Japan, may have been to a public bathhouse. If a trip to the country is on your list when international travel resumes, heading for a soak in a communal spot might rank among your must-dos as well. The nation is known for its sentō culture — and if you'd like to discover more without leaving Sydney, The Japan Foundation's latest exhibition will transport you there via a range of art. On display at Steam Dreams: The Japanese Public Bath: retro bits and pieces, murals, photographs spanning both recent and older times, architectural illustrations and local community art, all dedicated to the subject. You'll even see sentō artefacts from the Mosaic Tile Museum in Tajimi, as part of a display curated by Eloise Rapp and Simonne Goran. Entry is free, with the exhibition running from Friday, February 12–Saturday, May 22. As you peruse the works and items on offer, you'll step through more than 150 years of Japanese communal bathing — touching upon everything from the distinct bathing practices of the Meiji and Shōwa periods, changes to design features over time and gender divisions, to mural art that's designed to connect with nature and the importance of the activity to the country. Top image: Kotaro Imada, Edogawa-ku Tokiwayu. 2009 © the artist.
This global franchise created quite the buzz when it landed on Australian shores. From its humble beginnings in Japan in 1985, Ippudo now boasts over 100 locations across the world firmly securing its place as a ramen mecca. Despite its location inside the Westfield Sydney food court, this particular outpost still achieves the authentic ramen house feel. It might have something to do with the queues and bustling atmosphere. Then again, it could be the fit-out. It is a mostly black, red and timber palette with a fun wall display of traditional spoons. There is a blend of long communal tables for groups and bar-style seating overlooking the kitchen to keep individual diners entertained. For first-timers, the shiromaru — Hakata-style ramen with juicy pork loin, crunchy bean sprouts and silky black mushrooms — is the speciality that put Ippudo at the top of the ramen trade. Add the nitamago, a delicious yet slippery whole flavoured egg, at your own risk. Whatever your ramen preference, order the noodles hard, as recommended — they will keep cooking as you make your way through the bowl, slowly but surely. Ippudo Sydney combines local products with Ippudo's flavouring and noodle concept; the Aussie patrons are also considered in the unconventional shojin, a vego option with seaweed and whole grain noodles that would not be present on a Japanese menu. If you're feeling extra peckish, order kaedema — an extra serving of noodles — ensuring you have enough broth left over to slurp them down with. Or perhaps explore the rest of the menu, which features signature steamed buns, gyoza and a selection of meat and rice dishes including karaage chicken and salmon sashimi.
Once, dance and classical weren't music genres that you'd usually find swirling around in the same basket, unless you have a particular bent for the orchestral 'Sandstorm' covers found in the depths of YouTube. Since 2019 in Australia, however, Synthony has been here to prove that the disciplines go hand in hand — and it's returning for another tour in 2024. Initially founded in New Zealand, and now an annual highlight on Australia's gig calendar, the event gets a live orchestra joining forces with a selection of DJs and onstage performers to play the biggest dance tracks of the last 30 years. Think: tunes by Swedish House Mafia, Basement Jaxx, Fatboy Slim, Avicii, Fisher, Faithless, Disclosure, Eric Prydz, Flume, Calvin Harris, Wilkinson and the like, and as you've never heard them before. Wherever Synthony pops up, the venues that it temporarily call home take a few cues from the nightclub scene, with lights, lasers and mapped video all featured in the experience. And, as the orchestra busts out a selection of dance floor bangers note for note, vocalists also do their part — because this isn't just about instrumental versions of your favourite club tunes. The 2024 run first has two dates with Sydney, playing Carriageworks during Vivid across Friday, June 7–Saturday, June 8. On the lineup: the Metropolitan Orchestra conducted by Sarah-Grace Williams, as joined by Ilan Kidron from The Potbelleez, Emily Williams, Cassie McIvor, Greg Gould, Matty O and Mobin Master.
Winter's rolling in, but if you're not ready to let the warm days slip away just yet, a summery whisky cocktail could be your answer. Normally, the belly-warming properties of whisky call for a cosier setting. See: dimly lit bars, roaring fires, snuggle sessions. But this season, that's all changing. Ardbeg, makers of one of the world's smokiest whiskies, is getting ready to release a summer carnival-inspired drop, Ardbeg Drum. This special blend has been created by taking the traditional Ardbeg drop from ex-bourbon casks and then resting it in rum casks, adding a uniquely Carribean note to the already complex favourite. This limited-edition drop will be released in stores on Saturday, June 1, coinciding with the brand's annual party, known as Ardbeg Day. Yep, it seems that Ardbeg — and whisky fans — have a lot to celebrate. So, in the lead-up to this big day, Ardbeg has teamed up with a bunch of Sydney bars to keep the warm weather vibes going. Across the entire month of May, the bars will be slinging the salty, smoky tones of Ardbeg 10 Years Old in a selection of cocktails. From the zingy hit of tropical fruits to the richness of mole sauce, here are seven ways bars will infuse the spirit of Caribbean summer into their menus.
