Boy & Bear are kicking off the 'Old Town Blues' on their upcoming tour to perform after the 'Southern Sun' sets. Travelling by 'Arrow Flight' and 'Bridges', the Sydney boys will not be stopping at 'Percy Warner Park' but they will be enjoying 'Milk and Sticks' at the Enmore Theatre, a piece of 'Real Estate' they are no 'Stranger' to, on October 27 to provide all their fans with 'A Moment's Grace'. This is far from the 'End of the Line', with the band enjoying a 'Harlequin Dream' of a year. 'Lordy May' has it been big; they have played across the globe, allowing them to stay off the 'Feeding Line', and transformed any 'Part Time Believers' into full-time fans with the release of their critically acclaimed sophomore album. At only $44.80, you won't need to trade your 'Blood to Gold', so get out of 'The Village', leave the 'House and Farm' and step off the 'Beach' to join the 'Big Man', 'Mexican Mavis' and the 'Three Headed Woman' in singing 'Rabbit Song' and experiencing a night of glorious indie music more exciting than a 'Golden Jubilee'. (Writing a Boy & Bear preview primarily using only their song titles is much harder than it looks, okay.)
Pocket City Farms have joined forces with Crop Swap Sydney as part of its ever-growing commitment to Sydney's urban farming scene. Patrons are encouraged to bring along their homegrown fruit, veggies and herbs, along with any homemade preserves, honey or other treats to be shared or swapped with other attendees. Eggs, seeds, edible plants and gardening goods are also welcome. If you're unsure of what to bring, check out these past events photos for inspiration. Even those who are not currently farming or gardening are encouraged to come along, learn a little something about urban gardens and see how easy it is to start your own. Crop Swap runs at Pocket City Farms every third Saturday from 9.30am through 11am. Guests can also join the Crop Swap Facebook group to swap anytime.
If you've done your dash with the dalgona coffee and all those failed attempts at sourdough, here's a little culinary project that might just revive your kitchen-weary soul. The minds over at global sauce company Heinz have released recipes for a series of unconventional ice creams — dubbed Creamz — starring some of the brand's most iconic condiments. Yep, mayo ice cream is a thing and it can be on the menu at your house this weekend. Over on its UK website, Heinz is now selling a range of ice cream-making kits, filled with all the ingredients and equipment needed to whip up a batch of these frozen 'Creamz', crafted on the likes of its salad cream and barbecue sauce. Unfortunately, the DIY packs are only available to UK locals, but the recipes themselves are free to download from anywhere in the world. Basically, all you'll need to do is stock up on milk, double cream and sweetened condensed milk, grab an extra bottle of your favourite Heinz condiment, and jump in the kitchen to give those crafty folk at Messina a run for their money. You can have a crack at variations like the Ketchup Creamz — which apparently works a treat topped with meringue and raspberry coulis — and a mayo-infused edition they reckon pairs well with apple and blackberry compote. Or perhaps the barbecue sauce number is more your speed, garnished with some maple syrup and crispy bacon bits. Wherever your sauce obsession lies, we recommend you clear some space in your freezer — things are about to get a little crazy. You can find all five of Heinz's Creamz recipes over at the website.
Fancy a little Parisian charm without leaving Sydney? Pioneering hidden bar Door Knock has just relaunched with a new concept that should pique your interest. Pairing a French-inspired neighbourhood bar with the vibe of an underground speakeasy, both the venue's decor and culinary offering have undergone a major transformation. Dark, sultry and subterranean, this glow-up certainly lives up to its European inspiration. Still hidden behind an unassuming entrance with nothing but a polished brass pineapple doorknocker to let you know you're in the right place, don't expect the Nordic decor that came before once you get inside. Now, the space has been adorned with vintage French mirrors, herringbone panelling, marble tables, leather seating and dimly lit lampshades. For those who've wandered Paris' streets, there's a good chance you've stumbled in somewhere similar. The menu is also rejuvenated to suit Door Knock's new mood. Led by head chef Joe Slakey (Flying Fajita Sistas), Mediterranean and North African-inspired dishes are made for sharing with your pals. Starters include made-from-scratch stracciatella, served with grape confit, crisp rosemary and sea salt lavosh ($16), as well as house-made dips ($18), grilled calamari ($15) and fried cauliflower with zaatar and spiced labneh ($10). There are also three larger plates to consider, including a 250g flank steak with red wine jus and Paris butter ($28), chermoula chicken ($24) and a Moroccan lamb cooked tagine-style for five hours and served with chickpeas, saffron rice and dukkah ($23). Meanwhile, sides like sweet potato fries with truffle oil and crisp sage ($12) are made for snacking on while sipping or feasting on a fully-fledged meal. Yet with a menu designed for seasonality, don't be surprised if things change between visits. The wine offering has also been rejigged, with an expanded menu highlighting drops from France, Italy and Australia. However, the venue's signature cocktails are staying put, with favourites like the Sunny Leone featuring a concoction of Don Julio Blanco, amaretto, lime juice, tropical citrus and pineapple oleo, passionfruit sparkling wine and absinthe spray. It's as extravagant as it sounds. "We're not trying to be a high-end restaurant, we've created an accessible and affordable menu, while not sacrificing on big, bold flavours," says owner John Grace. "It was important for us to pay homage to Door Knock's history, while also ushering in a new era, one which allows you to step off from Pitt St and into another world." Door Knock is open Monday–Thursday from 4pm–12am and Friday–Saturday from 4pm-1am at B2/70 Pitt St, Sydney. Head to the website for more information. Images: Trent van der Jagt.
Whether you think that David Brent was awful, awkward or a bit of both, Britain doesn't have a monopoly on cringeworthy bosses. Accordingly, after the original UK version of The Office proved a huge hit two decades ago, more versions of the workplace comedy were always going to follow around the world. The American series became even more popular, and everywhere from Canada, France and Germany to Israel, India and Poland have similarly given the idea a go. Next stop: Down Under, thanks to the just-announced The Office Australia. This'll be the 13th international take on the show, and it's coming to Prime Video sometime in 2024. Yes, the fact that it has Australia in the title is already a bit clumsy. Clearly, the Aussie spinoff gets the brief. Move over Brent, and also Michael Scott — it's now Hannah Howard's turn to become the manager no one wants but everyone has worked for. Played by actor and comedian Felicity Ward (Wakefield), she'll oversee a packaging company called Flinley Craddick. And, when she receives news that head office is shutting down her branch — with everyone working from home instead — she's determined to keep her team together. Obviously, that won't go smoothly, or there'd be no sitcom antics to be had in The Office Australia. Joining Ward is a hefty cast spanning Edith Poor (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power), Steen Raskopoulos (The Duchess), Shari Sebbens (Preppers), Josh Thomson (Young Rock), Jonny Brugh (What We Do in the Shadows), Pallavi Sharda (The Twelve), Susan Ling Young (Barons), Raj Labade (Back of the Net), Lucy Schmit and Firass Dirani (House Husbands). The Office Australia's eight-episode first season will shoot in Sydney from June, then stream globally next year, with an exact launch date yet to be revealed. Whenever it arrives, surely a stapler is going in some jelly again. This'll mark the first woman-led version of the franchise, with The Office Australia also featuring an impressive roster of female talent off-camera, including lead setup director and executive producer Jackie van Beek (The Breaker Upperers), plus head writer and executive producer Julie De Fina (Aftertaste). There's no trailer yet for The Office Australia, but you can check out clips from the UK and US versions below: The Office Australia will stream via Prime Video sometime in 2024 — we'll update you with an exact launch date when one is announced.
There are two types of wolves in this world: the shirtless ones trying to kiss high school girls and the real ones trying to tear people’s throats out. Thankfully The Grey deals with the latter in this tense, snow-shrouded thriller by director Joe Carnahan (The A-Team). Liam Neeson heads up the cast as John Ottway, a scowling loner marksman employed by an oil company to keep its workers safe from animal attacks. When his plane goes down in the Alaskan wilderness he and the other survivors must make their way back to civilisation whilst staving off both the unforgiving weather and a ravenous pack of wolves. “What do you call those ones that eat berries and grass and shit?” asks one of the men. “Not wolves” replies Ottway grimly, and he’s not kidding. The Grey’s predators are utterly terrifying, picking off the survivors one by one like raptors from Jurassic Park. Stirred into defensive frenzy they act like incensed hornets after a stone’s been thrown into their nest, only in this case the survivors are the stone. These dogs are calculating, ruthless and absolutely enormous (the sound of one taking down its victim was like an NFL linebacker sacking his opposing quarterback). For a film that on paper reads almost exactly like 1997’s The Edge (where survivors of an Alaskan plane crash were stalked by a bear as they tried to return home), Carnahan has somehow achieved a very different feel in this piece. While The Edge was something of a ‘Jaws in the forest’ story The Grey almost plays like a war film in which battle lines are drawn, attacks are made from the flanks and wallets are collected from victims like dog tags off fallen soldiers. It’s one of those absorbing movies where even the restful scenes are full of tension and beneath every breathtaking shot by Masanobu Takayanagi lies an uncomfortable, lurking menace. Neeson’s performance exemplifies this quality, with his now familiar alpha-male grit underscored by a wonderfully restrained vulnerability.
When Jetstar launched a big domestic flight sale in mid-June, it sold 70,000 seats in just five hours. Today, Wednesday, September 23, the airline has just kicked off another one — so get your clickers ready. They sale has already kicked off and runs until 11.59pm on Thursday, September 24 — if it doesn't sell out prior, of course. The two routes on sale are Sydney to Adelaide, and Adelaide to Sydney, in celebration of SA officially opening its borders to NSW residents (from 11.59pm tonight). [caption id="attachment_680418" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Maxwell Wines by SATC[/caption] Tickets in the sale are one-way and don't include checked baggage, and are for trips between Tuesday, October 13 and Thursday, December 1o, 2020. If you miss out on these flights, fret not. Virgin Australia has announced it'll start running daily return flights between the two cities from Friday, October 2 — so fingers crossed there'll be more sales in the near future, too Need some help on the planning front? We've got you. You can eat and drink our way around 23 of the best spots in Adelaide, visit an architecturally impressive rubik's cube on one of Australia's wineries in the Fleurieu Peninsula, head on a 32-kilometre bike track that takes you past the best riesling vineyards in the Clare Valley and dive into an impossibly blue lake (then glamp under the stars) on the Limestone Coast. Jetstar's $59 sale runs until 11.59pm on Thursday, September 24 (or until sold out). Top image: Bellwether Glamping on the Limestone Coast.
Sydneysiders can now sip some of the world's best cocktails from 22 stories up thanks to the opening of a new cocktail bar inside the A by Adina Hotel. Dean & Nancy on 22 is the latest opening from the team behind Maybe Sammy, Sydney's award-winning cocktail bar previously named one of the top 50 bars in the world. The new Hunter Street spot plays on the idea of a hotel bar. Inventive cocktails in line with the theme include the Rolling A Double cocktail, combining Havana 3, pineapple shrub coconut water and rhum agricole, with a pair of dice. Roll a double on the dice and you'll receive a free champagne upgrade. Equally as unexpected is the coffee champagne, containing champagne, Mr Black, vodka and peach wine, as well as a house-made vanilla and coffee hand cream on the side. "Apply the cream to your hands and every time you sip the cocktail, you'll be treated to a waft of the scent," Dean & Nancy co-founder and Creative Director Andrea Gualdi says. "After we take the glass away the essence will remain and every time you use the cream, we hope you'll remember your time at Dean & Nancy and smile." Inside the hotel, a curved brass staircase leads you up to the venue where patrons are greeted by a panoramic view of the Sydney cityscape and a decadent 1950s-style hotel bar designed by architect George Livissianis. Livissianis has previously designed the likes of Chin Chin Sydney, The Dolphin Hotel and Maybe Sammy's other recent CBD venture, Sammy Junior. The 120-seat space is full of gold-veined marble tables accompanied by subdued black leather chairs. Each seat offers up show-stopping city views, so no-one has to cop the dud spot. As with both Maybe Sammy and Sammy Junior, snacking is encouraged at Dean & Nancy. In fact, on the menu created by Executive Chef Jane Strode (Bistrode, Rockpool, Langton's), you'll find a special selection of mini combos if you're looking for a light drink and bite to eat. Combine the mini martini with oyster nan jim, or mini adonis with rhubarb cheesecake. Larger meals are on hand, however, including a prawn risotto made with Meredith goats cheese and harissa made in-house. Dean & Nancy on 22 is located at Level 22, 2 Hunter Street, Sydney, 2000. It's open 4.30-midnight, Wednesday–Saturday. Bookings are available online, however bar stools are not reserved so walk-ins are available. Images: Steven Woodburn
If the words 'escape room' don't have you looking for the nearest exit then Breakout Bar may just be for you. Actually, given the calibre of the drinks at this time machine-slash-cocktail bar, it may be for you regardless. Each escape room has a different theme, say medieval or the future, with different levels of difficulty. Groups have an hour to find their way out by solving a series of puzzles. It's the brainchild of two former coal miners, Brett Baker and Colin Bloomfield, and is designed to be an adventure rather than a scare-your-pants-off sort of fun. Before embarking on their quest, each group gets some time in the cocktail lounge to limber up. If cocktails without the escape route are more your thing, the steampunk-themed bar serves up top-notch drinks and also hosts weekly whisky and cocktail masterclasses.
There's nothing shameful about texting back "nah can't, busy" when it's basically three degrees outside and you can't feel your toes. There's also nothing shameful, we say, in embracing the part of you that yearns for cosy nights in. That part that is more than happy to spend weekends wrapped in a blanket, comfort food in hand — or better yet, a nip of something stronger to help keep you warm. Spend this winter with Jimmy. No, not that Hinge dude you went on a date with last year, but Jimmy Brings, the alcohol delivery service/a cold winter night's best friend. Not only will the service deliver your prefered drops to your door, but this season, it's also running a doppelganger competition till Thursday, August 8. If you or a mate happen to look like Jimmy himself, enter the competition via Instagram, and you might find your face plastered on the service's vans. And with such fame, you and a friend of your choice will both get a six-month supply of Jimmy Brings ($150 per month). Start checking out your friends with glasses and scruff, stat, and in the meantime, here's how to have a good time this winter without leaving your home. CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY + THE PARTY STARTER BUNDLE Possibly the greatest party game (and often most incendiary right after Monopoly), Cards Against Humanity isn't for the faint-hearted, your nan or anyone who isn't prepared to have their dating life, political beliefs and general being thrown under the bus. But as long as you know that nobody you're playing with is a flat-earther or anything, Cards Against Humanity might be just the ticket to kicking off a fun night of hibernating (a hibernight, if you will). Pair it with Jimmy Brings' party starter bundle to really get your creative juices flowing. Complete with one chardonnay, one pinot noir, a six-pack of Coronas, two bottles of coke, chips and nuts, the pack will have you carding 'til the wee hours (or until the first person storms out). [caption id="attachment_609970" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Fonda by Brook James.[/caption] MEXICAN FOOD + THE SPARKLING JIMMARITA BUNDLE Forget about your numb lil toes and rewarm your hands by getting them around some spicy Mexican eats. Order yourself some tacos from Fonda in Melbourne or Sydney or the chilli con carne from Pepe's Mexican, all available on UberEats for maximum hibernation points (boss level unlocked by getting your housemate to answer the door instead of you). Pair your muy bien feast with Jimmy's Jimmarita bundle: one bottle of Jose Cuervo tequila, one bottle of prosecco and two limes, which can also be used to dress your tacos a little more. [caption id="attachment_716662" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Colleen Hayes.[/caption] WINE COUNTRY ON NETFLIX + THE CRISP WHITE BUNDLE Netflix, aka Our Winter Lord and Saviour, is currently streaming Wine Country, the new film from Amy Poehler. The Parks & Rec funny lady brings her mates along for the ride, too, with Maya Rudolph, Rachel Dratch and even Tina Fey showing up to help her guzzle wine at a weekend getaway she throws for her friend's 40th birthday. There's a lot of day drinking and scheduled fun — and women living their best lives — and you can join 'em from the comfort of your own home. Order in Jimmy's Crisp Whites bundle, featuring four greatest hits of sauvignon blanc and pinot gris, and invite over four of your galpals (or boypals). [caption id="attachment_729110" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The National: 'I Am Easy to Find' cover art.[/caption] THE NATIONAL'S LATEST ALBUM + A PINOT NOIR American rockers The National are high in moodiness and low in fi, making them the perfect band to spend a cold night in with — so why not let Jimmy join you? Maximise the broody, rainy vibes with a bottle of medium-bodied South Island pinot noir from Central Otago, with "sagacious tannins"; let Matt Berninger's resonating vocals wash over you by listening to the band's new album, I Am Easy To Find. Nothing like doing some solid introspection by getting yourself lost in the flood of A. red wine, B. the rain outside and C. emotions from the very emotion-inducing indie rock band. (Every person has at least one break-up song from the back catalogue, surely). Feeling things can be living your best life, too; here's to solo bedroom therapy. [caption id="attachment_729109" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Shetland still.[/caption] BINGE WATCH SHETLAND + A DRAM OF GLENLIVET WHISKY Atmospheric TV show Shetland is set in the wild Scottish Isles and follows a detective inspector investigating murders on the island of Shetland. Set off the longing in your heart to retire to an obscure island by binging the first three seasons (they're all on Netflix, with season four currently showing on ABC iview) and resolutely ignoring the "are you still watching?" question the streaming giant will ask you when you get elbow deep in murder mystery. Pair your binge with a neat Glenlivet — Jimmy will bring you an entire bottle for sipping as you try to figure out whodunnit. If you're hibernating this winter, do it right with good entertainment, your mates and Jimmy Brings. Download the Jimmy Brings app to get started, and keep your eyes peeled for that Jimmy doppelganger. It could land you and a mate a six-month supply of Jimmy Brings. To enter the competition, follow @jimmybrings on Instagram and tag your doppelganger photo with #jimmybrings before Thursday, August 8, 2019.
Death and vengeance are the common threads in Damián Szifron’s Wild Tales, one of the most deliriously savage black comedies to hit cinemas in years. Argentina’s nomination to the most recent Foreign Language Oscar race, the film consists of six separate vignettes, following six everyday people driven to the point of no return. The ensuing mayhem resembles the spawn of the Coen Brothers, Almodovar, Tarantino and Bunuel; a wicked tour de force as sharp as a corkscrew and every bit as twisted. Whether it’s a wealthy couple trying to cover up their son’s indiscretions, a lowly waitress taking revenge on the man who ruined her family or just two drivers struck down by a serious case of road rage, every chapter in the film is propelled by a wonderful inevitability: eventually, everything will be thrown horribly, hysterically and often violently out of control. And believe it or not, there’s actually method to Szifron’s madness — an intelligence lurking beneath all that wonderful chaos. The cathartic pleasure we feel watching his characters rebel against what’s socially (and ethically) acceptable comes directly from our own frustrations with the everyday world. Wild Tales is in select cinemas (Sydney: Dendy Newtown and Palace Verona. Melbourne: Palace Brighton Bay and Cinema Nova) from May 21, and thanks to Sony Pictures, we have 15 double in-season passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter and then email us with your name and address. Read our full Wild Tales review here. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au
There's nothing in life more simultaneously stressful and exciting than a costume party. Don't worry though — Bexley's renowned Sydney Party Shop has you covered from vampire fangs to princess tiaras. When we say it's a one-stop shop for all your party needs, we mean it — you'll find all manner of costumes, balloon arches, tableware, piñatas and over fifty different types of confetti. You can also sort out catering here, too, with everything from snacks and salads to finger food, prepared meals and cakes on offer. The shop also hires out helium tanks if you want to be super extra for that birthday party — or, you know, just a rainy Saturday afternoon. You really have no excuses to not go all out and make your event the party of the year, but if you need some guidance, the in-house party consultants will sort you out. Images: Trent van der Jagt.
Boat Harbour is not your typical beach. Far from offering a lazy day in the sun, this is one of the last beaches in Sydney where you can drive your 4WD. Located on the northeastern side of the Kurnell peninsula, the 150-metre beach is accessible via 4WD-friendly sand dunes which, once traversed, spit you out onto Boat Harbour, with its calm and shallow waters. On weekends, this strip of sand fills up with families bringing their barbecues and gazebos down to set up for the day (driving onto the beach means no gear-laden walks from the car park). The beach is unpatrolled but is known for its calm waters, making it a popular destination for stand-up paddleboarding, line fishing and snorkelling, too. And, if you don't feel like getting wet, check out the sea life in the rock pools that hug the shoreline instead.
The team behind Surry Hills' much loved yakitori bar Tokyo Bird has launched a new cocktail offering in Chinatown: Bancho Bar. The 100-seat laneway joint hopes to bring the small bar scene to the heart of Haymarket with a combination of matcha negronis, dragonfruit-infused gin, lots of whiskies and pan-Asian bar snacks. Cocktails are at the forefront of Bancho's menu and will feature Asian ingredients sourced from Chinatown's nearby grocers and markets. The list is extensive — split into five categories with over 20 cocktails in all — and specifically takes influence from China, Japan, Korea and Thailand. Seasonal cocktails include the bright pink Dragon's Breath (dragonfruit-infused gin and shochu with raspberry, lemon and basil seeds) and the herbaceous Holy Roller (sugar-cane liquor and prosecco with Thai holy basil, pineapple and lime). Other unusual specialties include the Matcha Chocolate Negroni, which combines gin, French bitters and Lillet Blanc (aromatised wine) with matcha green tea and creme de cacao. And the South-East Sazerac takes a stark departure from the classic — it's got toasted coconut tequila, pandan syrup and aromatic bitters with an absinthe rinse. Sours, spritzes and tropical concoctions make use of sake, umeshu and lychee liqueur. Like at Tokyo Bird, a long list of whiskies will also be on offer, though Bancho Bar will expand from Japanese whisky into Scotch, Taiwanese and Australian varieties, along with independent distilleries. One very special drop on the list is Suntory's extremely rare Hibiki 35-year-old. For repeat offenders, the bar also offers over 30 bottle lockers for storage in between visits. A menu of bar snacks will accompany the drinks, like soft shell crab or agedashi tofu bao and the venue's signature kushikatsu: panko-crumbed and deep-fried skewers, served with cabbage and a house tonkatsu dipping sauce. Choose from seafood options like prawn and scallop, or vego options like lotus root, cherry tomatoes and sweet potato skewers. For cocktail-induced nibbling, there's also the requisite edamame, pork crackling and rice crackers. Bancho Bar is now open at 10 Thomas Lane, Haymarket. It's open Monday through Saturday from 4pm until late, with a 2am license on Friday and Saturday. Images: Jeremy Plaisance.
It's hard to beat a burger for low-key indulgence — and what better filling to go for than crispy, crunchy and juicy fried chicken? Whether you prefer Southern-style, Korean or karaage, there's something about the decadent beauty of the fried chicken burger that immediately satisfies cravings. Scouring countless pubs, bars and burger joints, we laboured night and day to determine our favourites — okay, we just ate lots of burgers. Then we compiled a killer list of some of Sydney's best spots to hit up for the ultimate fried chicken burger experience.
The second biggest country music festival in the world — after Nashville, nonetheless — Tamworth attracts tens of thousands of boot scooters every January. It's a ten-day shindig that takes over the entire town with outdoor concerts, pub gigs, bands, singer-songwriters, buskers, whip crackers, sheep dogs and every other element of country living you can think of. Best of all, much of the program is free. So, if you're on a budget, park your tent at Riverside Park and go wandering from gig to gig, without spending a cent. Every night, Toyota Park hosts a massive free concert under the stars, including the Toyota Star Maker Grand Final and the Toyota Busking Championships. Alternatively, splurge on a major show, like the Golden Guitar Awards (where pretty much all the best country stars of the year play a song or two). Or, if you're more into country mixed with contemporary sounds, check out the Cake & Cordial Sessions, which feature indie singer-songwriters, or Late Nite Alt, where secret acts play until 1.30am. Last year's crop included Henry Wagons, Shane Nicholson, Harmony James and the Wilson Pickers.
A holiday at a luxurious resort in Thailand is usually relaxing. For Walton Goggins (Fallout), Carrie Coon (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire), Jason Isaacs (The Crowded Room), Michelle Monaghan (MaXXXine), Leslie Bibb (Palm Royale), Parker Posey (Mr & Mrs Smith) and more in The White Lotus season three, however, getaway bliss might prove elusive. In 2025, TV viewers will find out what the hit anthology series has in store for its latest batch of travellers. Fancy a sneak peek now? HBO has dropped a new teaser trailer for its upcoming slate. The latest glimpse at what the US network has on the way covers a heap of series, so The White Lotus season three only features briefly. But Goggins peers at the sights, Bibb and Monaghan mosey through a crowd, and Posey and returning cast member Natasha Rothwell (How to Die Alone) also pop up, while Lisa from BLACKPINK welcomes guests. Exactly when The White Lotus returns hasn't been revealed as yet, other than sometime in 2025. Also arriving next year, and also debuting never-before-seen footage in the clip: IT prequel series Welcome to Derry, season four of Hacks, season two of The Rehearsal, a new show led by Bottoms and Saturday Night's Rachel Sennott, two-part documentary Pee-Wee as Himself, The Righteous Gemstones season four, Peacemaker season two, The Pitt with ER veteran Noah Wyle, Mark Ruffalo (Poor Things)-led FBI series Task and Tim Robinson (I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson) comedy The Chair Company. The second season of The Last of Us, new Game of Thrones prequel A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, season three of And Just Like That... and season three of The Gilded Age also feature in the trailer, albeit without any new material, with each series joining the list for 2025. You can spot scenes from Dune: Prophecy, season three of The Sex Lives of College Girls, the animated Creature Commandos and limited series Get Millie Black, too, each of which are 2024 releases. From 2025's lineup, newcomer Duster with Lost's Josh Holloway and season two of Conan O'Brien Must Go score a look as well. Where Australians will be watching all of the above is yet to be revealed, however, given that HBO has confirmed that its own streaming service Max will launch here sometime in the first half of 2025. Watch HBO's new 2024–25 roundup trailer below: The shows highlighted in HBO's new trailer will arrive across the end of 2024 and in 2025. At present, the bulk of the network's programs stream via Binge in Australia and on Neon in New Zealand. Images: HBO.
Glebe's culinary scene covers numerous nations – from Sri Lanka and Nepal to Greek and Persian. Its latest addition extends even further the neighbourhood's geographical reach. Meet The Charleston, a restaurant and cocktail bar inspired by the vast beaches of South Carolina, which opened on Friday, November 23. Behind this laidback spot are Rob Teitzel and Osman Misirlizade, co-owners of Balmain's Cottage Bar & Kitchen. Stepping off Glebe Point Road and into the eatery's dusky pink interior, you're instantly whisked away to the Deep South coast. The duo collaborated with designer Matt Woods (Beccafico, The Rooftop) to create a light, breezy feel – helped along by generous skylights, hanging plants and periwinkle blue seating. In the kitchen, you'll find Head Chef Ellena Kim (The Morrison Bar & Oyster Room, Uccello), whose dishes are big on seafood and spice. Among them are a luxe (large) lobster roll with kohlrabi, apple remoulade and house pickle ($42 — the most expensive menu item); corn tortilla tacos with fish ($6.5), pulled pork ($6.5) or cauliflower popcorn ($5); and freshly shucked Sydney Rock oysters ($4.5). Bigger plates include beef short ribs with chimichurri ($32) and jumbo prawns ($28) with hefty lashings of garlic butter. Find a match on the summery signature cocktail list — be it The Charleston Sling ($17) with lemon-grass infused gin and rose hip tea or the Carolina High Tea ($18) with Bulleit rye bourbon, peach liqueur and peach iced tea. Or one of the local beers — at the moment it's Young Henrys and Grifter — on tap.
UPDATE, December 4, 2020: Sound of Metal opened in select Sydney cinemas on Thursday, December 3, and also streams on Amazon Prime Video from Friday, December 4. When Sound of Metal begins just as its title intimates, it does so with the banging and clashing of drummer Ruben Stone (Riz Ahmed, Venom) as his arms flail above his chosen instrument. He's playing a gig with his girlfriend and bandmate Lou (Olivia Cooke, Ready Player One), and he's caught up in the rattling and clattering as her guttural voice and thrashing guitar offers the pitch-perfect accompaniment. But for viewers listening along, it doesn't quite echo the way it should. For the bleached-blonde, tattooed, shirtless and sweaty Ruben, that's the case, too. Sound of Metal's expert and exacting sound design mimics his experience, as his hearing fades rapidly and traumatically over the course of a few short days — a scenario that no one wants, let alone a musician with more that a few magazine covers to his band's name, who motors between shows in the cosy Airstream he lives in with his other half and is about to embark upon a new tour. 'Heavy metal drummer loses his hearing' is the six-word way to sum up Sound of Metal, but that's not all the film is about. Ruben's ability to listen to the world around him begins to dip out quickly and early — a scene where he's driving is methodically crafted to convey to the audience just how out of the blue and jarring it is — leaving him struggling to cope. It's how he grapples with the abrupt change, and with being forced to sit with his own company without a constant onslaught of aural interruptions distracting him from his thoughts, that the movie is most interested in, however. Ruben feels a sense of loss and also feels lost. As the awards-worthy soundscape makes plain, he feels both cast adrift and assaulted. With apologies to cinema's blockbusters (which usually monopolise the sound categories come Oscars time), no other feature this year mixes its acoustics together in as stunning and stirring a fashion, and also bakes every single noise heard into its script, and its protagonist's journey, as well. Reluctantly, Ruben takes up residence at a rural community for addicts who are deaf; he's four years clean himself, but the turn of events has Lou worried. While he's in the care of the soulful Joe (Paul Raci, Baskets), an ex-soldier and ex-alcoholic with kindness seeping from his pores, Ruben must move in alone — farewelling the love of his life and their shiny caravan. Again, he's unmoored, even as he's welcomed in by other residents and the children at the school where he's taught sign language. Although Joe stresses that deafness isn't something that needs to be fixed, Ruben is obsessed with rustling up the cash for a surgically inserted cochlear implant. The movie's most telling sequence, though, comes when Joe notices that Ruben literally can't sit still or stand his own company, and tasks him with spending his days in a quiet room unburdening his angst onto a piece of paper. On the first go, he's so distraught and so desperate to escape his brain that he smashes a doughnut as if he was beating a snare in an intense solo. 'Intense' is the word for Sound of Metal, and for its decision to express Ruben's distress as immersively as possible. It's also a term that doesn't completely do the movie justice. Making his feature directing debut, and co-writing another screenplay with filmmaker Derek Cianfrance as he did with 2012's The Place Beyond the Pines, Darius Marder turns his picture into a masterful exploration and skilled evocation of the kind of anxiety that's drummed deep into a person's darkest recesses. Viewers don't just hear what Ruben hears, but also feel what he feels as he rages and rallies against a twist of fate that he so vehemently doesn't want yet has to live with. While the film specifically depicts hearing loss, it's so detailed and empathetic in conveying Ruben's shock, denial, anger and hard-fought process of adjustment that it also proves an astute rendering of illness and impairment in general. That's Ahmed's recent niche; in two consecutive roles in just the past year, the always-excellent actor has played musicians who are blindsided by their health and the impact of a sudden affliction on their future. This year's Berlinale-premiering Mogul Mowgli, where he steps into the shoes of a British Pakistani rapper with an autoimmune condition, doesn't just pair perfectly with Sound of Metal. Together, the two movies demonstrate how committed Ahmed is to telling such tales in a piercing, probing, visceral and lived-in way. Here, he learned to play the drums and American Sign Language. What resonates as persistently as the muffled buzz that replaces Ruben's ability to discern ordinary sounds, though, is how affectingly and attentively his on-edge but also vulnerable portrayal is attuned to the everyday grief that comes with his character's situation. Losing a part of yourself, whether it's an actual sense or the sense that you'll always be healthy, is dispiritingly tough. Accepting and making the most of that scenario is just as difficult. Being deaf shouldn't be considered a state that needs to be cured, as Joe rightly espouses, so Ahmed's powerfully physicalised performance shows the fight and fortitude it takes to get to that place mentally and emotionally. From the exceptional work of supervising sound editor Nicolas Becker (Suspiria, American Honey, Gravity) to the urgent, in-the-moment cinematography favoured by Daniël Bouquet (Elektro Mathematrix), every choice made under the talented Marder's guidance has the same outcome as well. Indeed, when Sound of Metal ends — not with a bang, nor a whimper, but with a quiet yet potent moment — it has taken its audience deep into Ruben's journey, made those on- and off-screen confront both specific and existential anxiety, and rousingly, movingly and sensitively challenged traditional depictions of and attitudes towards disability in the process. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFOrGkAvjAE
UPDATE: JULY 17, 2020 — All of the Hella Mega Tour dates for Australia and New Zealand have been cancelled due to COVID set backs. Tickets will be refunded but no new dates will be released. For more information, head to the event Instagram. We hope you'll have the time of your life with the latest retro tour announcement. We hope it makes you feel just like Buddy Holly, too. Bands who were big a couple of decades back just keep teaming up and heading to our shores for nostalgia-dripping gigs — and, in music to our greedy ears, Green Day, Weezer and and Fall Out Boy have revealed that they're all doing just that come November 2020. Hot on the heels of a similar announcement by The Offspring and Sum 41 just last week, the bands who gave us 'American Idiot', 'Undone — The Sweater Song' and 'This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race' will be hitting up Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, before heading over to NZ for shows in Auckland and Dunedin. It's the latest leg of the trio's Hella Mega Tour, which they first announced in September last year, and which sees them play across Europe, North America, and now Australia and New Zealand. Green Day, Weezer and and Fall Out Boy have all actually released new music lately, with Green Day's 13th album dropping today, February 7, and Weezer's 14th album expected in May. That means they'll all have new tunes to bust out as well. But, admit it — if you're excited about seeing this trio of American rock bands share a stage, then you're excited about hearing their respective back catalogues live. Given they've been doing their punk-styled thing since the late 80s, Green Day certainly have plenty of iconic tracks — whether you prefer early 90s hits 'Welcome to Paradise' and 'When I Come Around', the late 90s-era likes of 'Good Riddance' and 'Nice Guys Finish Last', or mid-00s songs like 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams'. Weezer's discography is just as hefty — and if they don't play 'Island in the Sun' while they're touring these islands in the sun, you're allowed to be upset. As for Fall Out Boy, the tour comes just after they dropped their second best-of album last November, so you know they'll treating audiences to everything from 'Dance, Dance' to 'Uma Thurman'. Local support for all shows comes from New Zealand power-rock four-piece The Beths. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erG5rgNYSdk THE HELLA MEGA 2020 AUSTRALIAN and NZ TOUR DATES Perth — Sunday, November 8, HBF Park Melbourne — Wednesday, November 11, Marvel Stadium Sydney — Saturday, November 14, Bankwest Stadium Brisbane — Tuesday, November 17, Suncorp Stadium Dunedin — Friday, November 20, Forsyth Barr Stadium Auckland — Sunday, November 22, Mt Smart Stadium Fan pre-sale tickets for The Hella Mega Tour go on sale at 10am local time on Monday, February 10. Then, there will be a Live Nation pre-sale — that starts at 10am local time on Tuesday, February 11 in Australia, and 10am local time on Thursday, February 13 in New Zealand. Finally, general tickets on sale at 11am local time on Friday, February 14. Visit the tour website to sign up for pre-sale and for further details.
Dog-sharing. Yep. Read it again. Dog-sharing. Services that allow pooch owners to connect with other pooch owners to help with everyday care, pupsit for holidays, do walks and so on. It's happening. Australian service Dogshare was initially launched for dog owners only, but it's now launched a pretty damn exciting feature — a 'borrowing' feature for dog loving people in the same neighbourhood. Yep, now Dogshare allows dogless humans to 'borrow' a pup. You can provide walks or day/night dog-sitting for time-poor dog owners in your local area. There's no money involved, just love (and trust dammit, take care of those pooches). Similar Aussie service BorrowMyPooch works on the same principle but has a subscription fee for owners and borrowers, while Pawshake is free to sign up as a sitter, but owners pay to host their pups. Dogshare founder Jessica Thomas, a busy working mum to two young children and Duke, an exuberant German Shorthaired Pointer, chose to add the free dog borrowing feature in response to a wave of emails she received from non-dog owners willing to offer non-reciprocal care at no charge. "I found that there are so many people out there who genuinely love dogs and have experience caring for them, but are unable to commit to owning one for a variety of reasons," says Thomas. "The borrower gets access to a dog and all the benefits that go with it, while the owner has someone to love and care for their pet when they can't." So, how does it work? Like an online dating service, 'borrowers' create a profile on Dogshare's website, list their previous experience with dogs and flag any services they're keen to volunteer for — there's dog walking, park playdates, overnight stays, vacation stays, taking pups to the vet and other appointments or even the tiniest task of checking on the pup while their owners are at work. Borrowers can then connect with Dogshare's dog owners, who can arrange a local park meet-up and see whether you're not a total weirdo or not. Want to give it a shot? Visit Dogshare's website to create a borrower profile and meet dem pups. Image: Veronika Homchis.
The first sip of an oat flat white from your local cafe tells you everything you need to know. On a good day, it's smooth, balanced and creamy — on a bad day, it's flat, split or watery. So what makes the difference between a great (or not so great) dairy-free coffee? According to Anthony Douglas, World Barista Champion, long-time team member at Melbourne's Axil Coffee Roasters, and MILKLAB Global Brand Ambassador, it all comes down to the milk. Anthony knows a thing or two about making great coffee. And he's spent more hours than most perfecting the relationship between espresso and milk. "When I first touched a coffee machine I had no idea there were even competitions let alone that I would be up there myself on stage," he tells Concrete Playground, when asked how he became one of the world's best baristas. "About five years into my career, that was my first exposure to competition. I decided to give it a go, and realised how much I could learn and grow through competition. That's what kept me going until I finally won." Now, his approach is all about the fundamentals. In fact, he believes a great cup of coffee should be simple. "I've always found the best results by keeping the process simple, focusing on the basics and executing them well," he says. For Anthony, a good coffee using plant-based MILKLAB comes down to three things: temperature, texture and integration. "[It's about] being really present as you're steaming the milk and breaking down those bubbles. [Also] being conscious of how you're integrating the milk with the espresso so you preserve the flavour, while still ensuring it's integrated properly from top to bottom," he says. It's something most people have tried at home, but it seems easier said than done. That is, until you've got a few of Anthony's go-to techniques up your sleeve to help achieve the perfect jug of silky milk. "I think it's important to achieve an even whirlpool and really maximise the power of the steam wand," he recommends. "Tilting the wand to the side enough so it spins, but not too close to the side, and ensuring it's angled low enough to really break down any bubbles on top." If you really want to level up your milk game, he suggests introducing the air quickly so you have more time to texturise the bubbles into that delicious, creamy microfoam. And his final tip is temperature. "Too hot and the quality of the milk degrades, is more dilute (due to the extra time spent introducing steam). Too cool and the milk can overpower the flavour of the coffee due to the lack of dilution." "Drinking temperature also has a massive impact on the types of flavours we experience and is one of the first things most customers notice when drinking a milk-based coffee." [caption id="attachment_1014856" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anthony Douglas, World Barista Champion[/caption] When it comes to plant-based options, Anthony has a clear favourite — but rates them all. "Each milk does have its own unique flavour and texture based on the ingredient it's centred around," he says. "I think my favourite would be MILKLAB Oat as it is the most versatile and works well to showcase any coffee it's paired with. MILKLAB Almond has a beautiful natural sweetness from the almond and is quite easy drinking. MILKLAB Soy I find has a great rich sweetness and body. MILKLAB Macadamia has this beautiful lush texture. And MILKLAB coconut once again has an amazing texture and tropical flavour that really works well with coffee." It turns out, not every milk behaves the same way with every coffee and there's quite a bit of science behind making sure things go smoothly. "The key is understanding how they interact with different coffee. Coffee that is highly acidic, very fresh, or roasted darker often doesn't integrate as smoothly and can cause separation or curdling," he says. If you're running into this issue, Anthony has one simple trick. "[You can] add a small splash of cold plant-based milk to the espresso before steaming and pouring. Cold milk has a higher tolerance for acidity and heat, and this step can help neutralise the compounds in the coffee that might otherwise cause a negative reaction." So, there you have it. To get a plant-based coffee worthy of a world champion, go back to basics, perfect your steam wand technique and don't forget the power of temperature. With a little intention and the right milk, you can get cafe-level results at home. Discover the full barista-approved MILKLAB range on the website.
Few films feel as tailor-made for their audience as Josh Boone's adaptation of The Fault in Our Stars. Based on the enormously popular young adult novel by John Green, about two teen cancer patients who fall hopelessly in love, it's a story designed to play the heartstrings like a fiddle, extracting sighs and sobs from willing viewers with surgical precision. It's melodramatic, sure, but you'd be hard-pressed to deny its effectiveness. And thanks to a fantastic lead performance from Shailene Woodley, the sentiment never feels insincere. Woodley plays Hazel Lancaster, a sarcastic 16-year-old with terminal tumours in her lungs. Hazel has more or less come to terms with the nature of her illness, but at the behest of her worried parents (Laura Dern and Sam Trammell) agrees to attend a patient's support group. It's there that she meets Augustus Waters (Ansel Elgort), an impossibly charming cancer survivor himself, who soon sets about sweeping her off her feet. Despite Hazel's assertion that hers is not your typical cancer narrative, The Fault in Our Stars very much follows a formula. Viewers are promised tragedy, and then lulled into hoping that that tragedy might be averted. Peaks of joy are followed by valleys of strategically excavated sorrow, timed to cause maximum devastation. Thankfully, Hazel is an endearing enough character that you don't really mind the film manipulating you. Pithy voiceover helps us get to know her as a funny, strong-willed young woman who makes the best of an awful situation. Woodley's performance is impeccable, capturing both the giddy excitement of young love and the sobering adult reality of death. Her co-star falters with some of the heavier material but is still immensely likeable as Augustus. Admittedly, the young man isn't the most plausible of characters — no teenager is this articulate, no matter how much they'd like to believe otherwise. A lot of his dialogue is meant to sound wonderfully deep and inspiring but is just as likely to cause cringes in anyone over the age of about 17. Nuggets of teen philosophy notwithstanding, the interactions between the characters generally feel authentic, with plenty of humorous banter to put the romance — and the heartache — into relief. It's thanks to Boone and company's balancing of the three that The Fault in Our Stars is a success. https://youtube.com/watch?v=9ItBvH5J6ss
How often do you think about the Roman Empire? So asked the much-memed question of 2023, as no one could avoid. With Gladiator II reaching cinemas to give 2024 one of its big blockbusters for the year, another query, also Roman Empire-related, springs to mind: how often do you think about Ridley Scott's 2000 epic Gladiator — the film that won five Oscars, including Best Actor for Russell Crowe as general-turned-arena combatant Maximus — whenever you're thinking about the Roman Empire? The first Gladiator is that influential. For more than two decades since its release, the swords- and sandals-heavy movie has proven an enduring pop-culture touchstone when it comes to contemplating its specific chapter of history through a Hollywood lens, and just in epic cinema overall. Are we not entertained? Audiences the world over were at the turn of the century, so it has never been surprising that talk of a follow-up has been buzzing since 2001. How a second feature would play out has shifted, changed and evolved several times since — Nick Cave even wrote a script — but the film that's transporting viewers back to the Colosseum still boasts exactly what it always needed: the now-octogenarian Scott at the helm. Audiences should be thankful that the iconic Alien, Blade Runner and Thelma & Louise filmmaker has added another Gladiator flick to his resume, returning to one of his hits again as he last did with the Alien realm with Prometheus and Alien: Covenant (and that he's continuing to be prolific, helming his fourth film of the 2020s after The Last Duel , House of Gucci and Napoleon). Paul Mescal (All of Us Strangers), Connie Nielsen (Origin) and Fred Hechinger (Thelma), three of Gladiator II's stars, aren't just grateful that Scott is behind the camera on the film; speaking with Concrete Playground when they were in Australia for the movie's premiere in Sydney, the trio couldn't have been more inspired by their time working with the director. "Basically I want to be like Ridley when I grow up. That's the root of it for me," Mescal shared with us. Nielsen described returning to one of Scott's sets, and stepping back into the Colosseum in particular, as feeling "like I was coming home". And Hechinger summed up the enthusiastic trio's communal sentiments about collaborating with the filmmaker, when asked what they had each learned from him at the end of our chat — which sparked eager answers. "I know this was your last question and you had a minute, but clearly if you asked this at the beginning of the interview, we could have talked the entire interview for five months about all the things that we learned from him." [caption id="attachment_979923" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brendon Thorne/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures[/caption] As Lucius, Mescal is Gladiator II's focal point, with the Aftersun Oscar-nominee, plus The Lost Daughter, Carmen and Foe talent, leading his first Tinseltown blockbuster just four years after the Irish actor became a global obsession courtesy of Normal People. He slides into Crowe's (The Exorcism) shoes in terms of starring in a Gladiator picture, and also into Spencer Treat Clark's (Salem's Lot), who portrayed the same character as a boy in the first film. Lucius' path is familiar, too, taking him from military command to slavery and fighting for his life in front of Roman crowds. As Gladiator viewers know, his mother, aka Nielsen's Lucilla, has seen this situation occur before as well — but this time, it's Hechinger and Joseph Quinn (A Quiet Place: Day One) as sibling Emperors Caracalla and Geta who are lording over the empire, rather than Joaquin Phoenix (Joker: Folie à Deux) as her brother Commodus. Scott's knack for casting remains exceptional with Gladiator II, which also boasts Pedro Pascal (Drive-Away Dolls) as Roman general Marcus Acacius and Denzel Washington as power broker Macrinus. Mescal ensures that Lucius is a determined, devoted and unflinching leader, whether he's literally guiding an army or battling as a gladiator — and also warm, vulnerable and open. Nielsen, who has featured in everything from the Wonder Woman films and Nymphomaniac to TV's Boss and The Following between stints as Lucilla, keeps unpacking how women, even those seen to have some influence and status, can sometimes only be permitted to inhabit a certain space in their worlds. And for The White Lotus, Fear Street and Pam & Tommy alum Hechinger, playing Caracalla means being hedonistic, ruthless, reckless, power-hungry and blood-thirsty opposite not only Quinn but also Caracalla's pet monkey Dundus. With Mescal, Nielsen and Hechinger, we also discussed the present-tense nature of Scott's sets, finding space for Lucilla's political instincts, stepping beyond Crowe's shadow and turning in unpredictable performances — alongside unpacking male psychology, Gladiator II's rallying against the control of the one percent and the devil-may-care abuse of power, and more. On What Nielsen Was Most Excited About in Returning to the World of Gladiator After More Than Two Decades Connie: "The fact that this is a mature woman of experience and of intellectual weight. You don't see many women like that in the theatre kind of ever. And so the way they wrote her, they really made her, yes, the heart and the big mother in the film, but they also made so much space for her political instinct and also for her dreams. You don't really see that much, and so it was very exciting to see and expand on a woman that I played as a young girl." On Mescal Always Being in the Moment Despite the Pressures and Responsibilities of Following in Russell Crowe's Footsteps Paul: "You feel a sense of pressure and responsibility with every single film that you ever make — this being different in the sense that Gladiator, the first Gladiator, is absolutely adored, as it should be. Russell is absolutely adored for that performance, as he should be. But the idea of legacy or pressure is a fundamental problem — it's directly in conflict with trying to carve out your own performance. You can't really lean into it all that much, because the words used to describe the first one and Russell are applied over time, and with the act of making the film — Gladiator II or any film — it has to be utterly present-tense. You have to go to work and build it beat by beat, block by block, day by day. And Ridley's sets are wonderfully, wonderfully present-tense. There's no time to breathe or think about the past or think about the future. You are carving out your own plot of land and desperately trying to protect it." On How Hechinger Crafted a Hedonistic, Ruthless, Reckless and Utterly Unpredictable Character Like Caracalla — and One of a Pair Fred: "I think you want a genuine feeling of danger and ..." Connie: "Unpredictability." Fred: "... Unpredictability. I guess it's a little bit of a conundrum. How do you craft unpredictability? But I think you have to put so many things in there that you can find how to get out of your own way, or at least you have enough tools and elements that you not only surprise others but yourself. What Paul is speaking to in terms of Ridley's set is a true gift in that regard. He's building an environment that is utterly convincing, and also hurtles forward whether you interact with it or not. So the urgency and the full-body need to be heard, and to carve some space, as Paul was telling you about, I think really mixes with my character and all the characters in the film. You have to reckon with the space and there's no shortcut for you. You realise on other sets how many shortcuts are built in, and sometimes the disservice to the work that that does. I think, in this case, there's a real challenge every day — and that as an actor is a gift, because if you're playing someone who's impulsive and dangerous, the environment matches that level of danger and sense of possibility." Connie: "And also Fred, you weren't getting any rehearsals, really." Fred: "Yeah, there is no rehearsal. I mean, Ridley doesn't do rehearsals." Connie: "So you guys basically had to make up a lot of choices prior to even coming to set." Fred: "Joe Quinn and I did work closely on certain aspects of their brotherhood. There's a quality to their relationship that is a double act — at least in public they are. And so some of those Colosseum days felt like we were preparing for the Colosseum. We were preparing for a public thing. We're thinking 'how do we as a duo speak to Rome today?'. And so that it mirrored the story in a lot of ways there. And then I would say that the private side of them, that dynamic was something that was less prepared and spoken about with Joe — but implicitly by not talking about it, we were sort of secretly preparing the opposite side of it, in terms of the public and the private of their relationship." Connie:" I think for the rest of us, who were sitting around and watching them start up this whatever dog-and-pony show you guys are doing that day, I was like 'that is so cool'. It was really cool for us to watch. You guys had really worked hard to get things ready and I just love that. It's so professional." Fred: "Thank you, it means a lot." On What It Feels Like to Step Into Scott's Colosseum — for the First Time and When You're Returning Connie: "For me, it was so strange. It really felt like I was coming home. I know this place — what is it called, the prodigal daughter, returning to daddy's home?" Fred: "I felt — I think I said this to you in person — I felt that Connie was such a leader to all of us. I do remember this first days when you were talking about the experience of returning to the Colosseum, what the Colosseum was like then versus now. It not only made us feel more comfortable as people on the set, it also was really intelligent in terms of continuing to build the world for us. I think it was really creatively generous and additive." Connie: "Well, also because the first Colosseum was kind of like golden and bronzey just very sort of sun-drenched and gorgeous. And this one had a lot of red and black, and a lot of soot, a lot of homeless people at the arches outside of it. There was just a completely different set this time. And so it was both home, but it was also very clear that Ridley had told the story that 18 years had passed since we last left the Colosseum in Gladiator. And that was just very impressive for me to watch how all of the tools that he as a master plays on. And no one tells you. You have to really look. And when you're looking, you realise 'oh my god, he's playing on that and that thing', and it's like he's this master weaver." Paul: "100 percent." Fred: "I really think it's the time. It's the end of an empire. It's where greed goes to die. My first conversation with Janty Yates, our costume designer, I said to her 'I want Caracella to feel like rotting gold'. And when you looked around ..." Paul: "It felt that way." Connie: "It was rot everywhere. Social rot." Fred: "Yeah." On Mescal's Determination to Unpack Male Psychology in His Roles — and to Find Warmth, Vulnerability and Openness While Playing a Gladiator Paul: "I think it's this whole conversation about actors being transformative, which I think is so important, but it's also like if you look at painters that you really admire or any other form of artist, there is a template in the form that we admire about, say, van Gogh or Vermeer or something like that. We're not asking them to change their style every time. Acting is slightly different if you're wanting to play different characters, but there is something that I'm drawn to in terms of the complexities of male psychology. Like, what is it about the way that we think is as young men in the world? That ultimately feels like, when I'm acting, that's my job to kind of allow an audience into to our psychology. And I think when you're playing somebody who is brutalised and uses violence as a weapon in order to survive, that's one thing, but I think that you would grow tired of that as an audience if that was two-and-a-half hours of somebody expressing their life through violence. And I'm glad that you referenced that there is vulnerability there, because all of that anger isn't a means of being — it's a symptom that is built from the hurt that he's experienced. And also it's a fun lens to get to play with. Like, how are you trying to let that version of the vulnerability creep through? So I think the kind of performance style that I'm interested in, both in doing and watching, is not when you hit an audience over the head — you're trying to slowly invite them in to be suspicious or curious about what's going on underneath the surface for every character I play, and it was no different with Lucius." On Whether Gladiator II's Class Clashes Make It Feel Like a Movie for the Moment Connie: "I think it's more subtle than that. I think I can understand why there is this experience of it, because we inevitably mirror ourselves in the stories that we watch. I also know that for sure this was part of what Ridley was playing on but. But as always with Ridley, it's very subtle. I think that this is universal. It doesn't just belong to this moment. It belongs throughout history, that we consistently have to work at achieving that balance. I think maybe when I was younger, when I was like 20, 30, even 40, I still believed that we were moving towards universal democracy. When Tiananmen happened, I thought …" Paul: "That's surely going to be a moment." Connie: "For sure, that's going to be freedom for so many people. And then now we're in the position that you don't feel like we're consistently moving towards that universal freedom. And I would even say that international rule of law has really taken a step back over the last five, six years, seven years. And so I think that it's understandable that people read into it. But I do think it's subtle and I also don't think it's the main cause of the film." Paul: "I agree." On What Mescal, Nielsen and Hechinger Learned From Working with Ridley Scott Paul: "The thing that always strikes me about Ridley is if Ridley decided to never make a film again, he will go down as one of the greatest. But the thing that has struck me on a daily basis is that he could be so entitled as a man and a director, and he's one of the least-entitled people I know. His appetite for work ..." Connie: "Is total." Paul: "... is total. And I think as much as I have enjoyed everybody else that I've worked with, it's something that myself and everybody else included would probably say — that everybody else's work ethic pales in comparison to what he brings just innately as a human being. So to get to watch that from somebody in their 80s is exactly what I would dream of having when I'm — basically I want to be like Ridley when I grow up. That's the root of it for me." Connie: "For me, I look at him as a teacher at all times. I remember on the first film, I came on set in England, we were shooting the Germania battle, and I walk on set and I'm seeing 3000 soldiers on this giant open field that has literally been created by cutting and burning trees. Of course, completely sustainably. And I asked him 'but how are you going to make sure that the audience understands that Russell is coming from behind the enemy lines? How are you going to make sure they understand that?'. And then he was just like 'alright, let me show you'. And he just showed me how all of the battle cameras were turning from left towards right. And then he said 'with all of these cameras where I am filming Russell galloping behind the lines, I am sending that camera from right to left. Intrinsically people will understand that this is what's happening'. He also just drew up a diagram in three seconds and described exactly what it would look like from cut to cut to cut, like that, off the bat. When we were on stage at a screening in London just a few days ago, he started describing how he was building, for example, an action sequence that involved baboons. And the way in which he described his choices, going from 'oh, I once met that one little baboon and that baboon had alopecia' — and the creativity of his brain, and then followed by his ability to then create a way of doing it, which literally did not exist probably technically before. But he's leaning on the amazing people that he hires, and who are able to read into what he's trying to create. Then he is able to describe probably better than anyone what it is that he wants. He's able to say to me 'say that line' and I say it. And he's like 'no, not like that. Give me another line'. I'll come up with another line, and he's like 'no, too much description. Go there. Say it this way'. I'll come up with a line where, I'll go for that third time or fourth time, it'll be the right line. 'Okay, keep that line'. You just are willing to bend over backwards for him and come up with 20 different lines. I'll have written out literally 20 different versions of what I'm trying to say, and he will tell me which one that will work, and he will then, with the greatest respect, incorporate it." Fred: "His work ethic is an expression of his infinite love of cinema and the collaborative act of movie-making. I just think seeing Ridley on a film set is like is like seeing the most-perfect combination of the two." Connie: "He's like a conductor." Fred: "He shares his love in the most-infectious way. And it's funny because I know this was your last question and you had a minute, but clearly if you asked this at the beginning of the interview, we could have talked the entire interview ..." Connie: "Yep." Paul: "Just like that." Fred: "... for five months about all the things that we learned from him. He teaches a million things every day and the things that he teaches you, sometimes he doesn't even need to tell you. They're just happening. He lives through action." Connie: "But also he's amazing at actually directing without judging, which is a unique difference. He's not judging what you're doing." Fred: "Yeah." Connie: "He's directing from this open space." Fred: "Conducting." Gladiator II opened in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, November 14, 2024. Images: © 2024 Paramount Pictures.
Sydney's love affair with Japanese drinking and dining has just welcomed an exciting new player. Itō is the new izakaya that's opened its doors in the former home of the Surry Hills cafe Cuckoo Callay. ESCA Group (AALIA, Nour, Lilymu) has transformed the long-standing breakfast spot into a late-night haven for sake and seafood. With the addition of black stained floors, Tasmanian blackwood furniture and izakaya-inspired fabrics hanging from the ceiling, the Crown Street space has been reshaped from a bustling neighbourhood cafe to a welcoming watering hole. The new restaurant and bar boast room for 85 guests inside and an additional 25 in the al fresco area. Head Chef Erik Ortolani arrives at Itō with five years of experience as the Head Chef of Nobu, as well as time in charge of the Cho Cho San kitchen. With his wealth of experience, Ortolani has created a menu filled with classic Japanese flavours that's not afraid to experiment. "Whilst my heritage is Italian, my passion is Japanese cooking," says Ortolani. "It feels natural to me to use a combination of the two as a vehicle for creating a really unique menu that is still very signature Japanese, and that's exactly what we've done with Itō. Fresh seasonal produce, smart cooking, bright flavours." If you're popping in for a drink after work, you'll be greeted with an extensive collection of sake; a wine list celebrating Japanese, Italian and Australian drops; and a Japanese-inspired cocktail list. Food-wise, you'll find snacks galore. Edamame, hiramasa kingfish, spanner crab chawanmushi, yellowfin tuna with bonito bread and agebitashi eggplant are all on offer. You can also arrive hungry and enjoy a full Japanese feast at Itō. Heftier dishes like koji chicken and hibachi-grilled wagyu round out the offerings — while there are a pair of banquets starting at $89 for seven menu highlights and dessert. "We're so excited to bring the community on Itō's journey, to be an extension of the neighbourhood's desire to reconnect and socialise, with delicious and exciting food at the centre of every occasion," says co-founder and Executive Director of ESCA Group Ibrahim Moubadder. Find Itō at 413–415 Crown Street, Surry Hills. It's open for dinner seven days a week — from 5.30–9pm (for last bookings) Sunday–Thursday and 5.30–9.30pm Friday–Saturday — and lunch from 12–2.30pm Wednesday–Sunday. Images: Jiwon Kim.
The other week my partner and I were watching a doco about the Lord Our Righteousness Church and its leader, Wayne Bent, who was facing trial for some extremely questionable activity. After the creepiness and righteous rage subsided, we got to thinking about other aspects of cult-culture. You know, really academic stuff like: if there were a hipster cult, who would be its leader? The answer we came up with to this very important question was, of course, Devendra Banhart. Firstly, there is his religious leader inspired visage. Just do a Google image search and tell me that the guy hasn’t just jumped out of some freaky time machine, straight from the 1960s, the golden era of bizarre religious cults and far-out communes. Also, he talks to animals, just like this guy. Of course, I am not at all suggesting that Banhart would get up to the sort of nefarious activity that I segued into this preview with. If anything, a cult run by Banhart would be a wonderful affair. Think 1960s-style love ins, guitar strumming and tambourines before a roaring fire, open fields covered in daisies, spinning around with your arms spread out - that sort of thing. On further reflection, when you combine all of the above with the apparent fanaticism that his music inspires, he’s pretty much already there. He just hasn’t bought the acreage yet. The good word for all Sydney based Banhart devotees (confirmed and potential alike) is that he is on his way back, bringing his freak-folk gospel to the Metro Theatre on Wednesday 27 July. Rejoice friends, for the consummation is at hand.
It is not easy to reference, much less celebrate, the work of Dada artists. By its very nature the Dadaist art movement self-destructs at the mere hint of mainstream acceptance. And yet here is Going Gaga for Dada – a dedication to the Dadaist chaos, nonsense and whimsy – so compelling and so deliciously relevant, it reminds the viewer that there is still plenty to be protesting about. Dada, the artistic and literary manifesto of nonsense, originated in Europe during World War I as a protest against the atrocities the war was bringing to the artists’ front doors. Out of disgust for a seemingly senseless war, the likes of Duchamp and Tzara created works intended to be provocatively absurd, as a metaphorical thumbing of the nose, if you like. Here, curator and Dada scholar Akky van Ogtrop seeks to, like the Dadaists, define the undefinable, with contemporary mixed media such as collages, books, zines, posters and sculpture. And while the Dadaist references in colour, composition and typography are frank and fierce, this exhibition still feels fresh, germane and utterly evocative. Here, the iconic, horrifying iron of Dada is manifested (Richard Tipping, the Gift) and is joined by an ironing board (Dianne Beevers, Bristling) as absurdly inoperable at the iron itself. Dianne Longley’s ceramics are wicked: the placement of Tim Burton-like baddies on the domesticity of plates is nightmareishly good. A giggle at the Chicken Tank (Will Coles) will lead your mind to questions of power in politics, and the anxiety of Rochelle Summerfield’s tumultuous cityscapes will evoke the words of Dadaist Hugo Ball who lamented that “words emerge, shoulders of words, legs, arms – Dada is the heart of words.” In support of the exhibition, there will be a zine fest at Brenda May on Saturday August 31 and Sunday September 1, with a talk by MCA curator Glenn Barkley. Image: Bristling by Dianne Beevers.
Taking over one of Sydney's central parks for the final hours of 2017, the city's newest New Year's Eve event comes from the folks behind Hot Dub Wine Machine and Alison Wonderland's Warehouse Project. A collaboration between Sydney events agency Falcona and decade-hopping DJ Hot Dub Time Machine, NYE in the Park is set to make its debut this December 31, taking over the lush expanse of Victoria Park for an evening of eating, fireworks, Champagne and dancing you'll actually want to remember. Helmed by a posse of party experts, NYE in the Park is ticking all the right boxes. First, the lineup features a cornucopia of aural treats to launch you properly into 2018. Performing across two stages, expect a tightly curated mix of local and international names including Belgian-based dance icons 2MANYDJS, powerful pop artist Vera Blue, disco kings Total Giovanni, and a collaborative effort from Jurassic 5's Chali 2na and Brit breakbeat pioneer Krafty Kuts. Of course, Hot Tub Time Machine will be serving up one of his signature party sets, sending crowds dancing through the decades on a two-hour journey from the '60s to today. As we draw closer to the end of the year, the lineup continues to expand. Now it includes Canadian electro-dance master Tiga. His timeless favourites 'You Gotta Want Me' and 'Sunglasses at Night' will transport you back to the early 2000s — luckily, without the braces and acne. Taking over Victoria Park with stages and d-floors, the event will also feature a healthy assortment of bars and a solid selection of food vendors. What's more, with presale tickets starting at just $59, this is one of those rare NYE options that won't bleed your bank account dry. Because who wants to start a new year with insufficient funds? The inaugural NYE in the Park takes place from 3pm-1am, on Sunday, December 31, at Victoria Park, Camperdown. Jump over to the website to check out the debut lineup and to register for $59 presale tickets.
Whatever your plans are on Thursday, April 20, 2023, it won't just be an ordinary day. No matter where you are across Australia, a solar eclipse will be making its presence known in the sky. Just like the song that you probably have stuck in your head, there'll be a total eclipse in one part of the country, in the Ningaloo region in Western Australia — and also a partial eclipse elsewhere. This eclipse isn't any ordinary eclipse, not that the moon passing between the sun and the earth, casting its shadow on the planet we call home and blocking out our source of natural light ever is. This one is a hybrid solar eclipse, which means that it switches between a ring-shaped or annual eclipse and a total solar eclipse according to Space.com — and the last time that happened was in 2013. After this, it won't occur again until 2031 and then 2164. Wondering what else you need to know? When it'll be happening, where and what to do? We've run through all the details below. WHAT IS IT? As we noted above, a solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and the earth, casting its shadow on the latter and blocking out the former. When it's a total solar eclipse, the moon completely blocks the sun. During a partial eclipse, that only partly occurs, as the term suggests. During a total eclipse, there's a period of totality, which is the amount of time that the sun is completely obscured. It can only last for up to seven minutes — and it only happens on the path that the moon's shadow takes as the planet's natural satellite moves over the earth's surface. That's known as the path of totality. There's also two types of shadows: the umbra, which is the dark space in the centre; and the penumbra, which is partially illuminated. WHAT KIND OF SOLAR ECLIPSE IS THIS? This is both a total and a partial eclipse, depending on where you're located in Australia. If you're in the Ningaloo region, including in Exmouth, you'll witness a total eclipse, with the path of totality passing over. According to the Astronomical Society of Australia (ASA), that will last will last around a minute, and the eclipsed sun will be 54 degrees above the horizon. For the rest of the country, it's a partial eclipse. As also explained above, this is a hybrid solar eclipse, too. So, it switches between a ring-shaped or annual eclipse and a total solar eclipse — which will only happen one more time this century. WHEN IS IT HAPPENING? In Exmouth, totality will start at 11.29am AWST — 50 seconds past that exact minute, to be exact — and will last about one minute, according to the ASA. Still in WA, in Perth, the partial eclipse will start at 10am, peak at 11.20am and finish at 12.47pm. Sydney's times for all of the above are 1.37pm AEST, 2.29pm and 3.19pm. In Melbourne, it's 1.15pm, 2.09pm and 3.01pm. For Brisbane, take note of 1.44pm, 2.45pm and 3.42pm. And in Adelaide, it's 12.24pm, 1.30pm and 2.35pm. WHERE IS IT HAPPENING? The short answer: everywhere across Australia. That said, do not look directly at the solar eclipse — see more details below. So, you might want to hit the livestream, which Perth Observatory will be doing with TimeAndDate.com. Hop online from 11.30am AEST. CAN I LOOK UP AT THE SOLAR ECLIPSE? Again, the short answer: not directly. We repeat: do not look directly at the solar eclipse. As the ASA advises, "it is never safe to look directly at a partial solar eclipse or the partial phases of a total solar eclipse without the proper equipment and techniques". Dr Hessom Razavi of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO) and the Lions Eye Institute explains: "never look directly at the sun. It can cause serious and permanent eye damage, and that's true even during a solar eclipse." So, the ASA notes that best ways to observe an eclipse are by using eclipse glasses, which are special-purpose spectacles for the occasion and meet the ISO 12312 2 standard; hand-held solar viewers that have solar filters up to the international standard; and pinhole projection using a large card with a two-millimetre hole in the middle, which then projects an image of the sun onto a different surface around a metre away. Accordingly, definitely do not just look up with your naked eyes, or even just while wearing your normal glasses of sunglasses. The ASA has more details on its website. If you're wondering why you can't peer directly at a solar eclipse, that's because exposing your retinas to intense light will damage the eye's rod and cone cells, which are extremely light-sensitive. In fact, RANZCO says that even the special eclipse glasses come with some risks, and advises that "the only way to guarantee the prevention of solar retinopathy is to avoid all forms of direct sun viewing". It has also put together further details. WHEN WILL A TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE OCCUR IN AUSTRALIA AGAIN? Australia is about to become a haven for total solar eclipses, with five taking place in our skies in a 15-year period. The first is this one on Thursday, April 20, but then more will follow in 2028, 2030, 2037 and 2038. On July 22, 2028, it'll cross the Kimberley in Western Australia, as well as the Northern Territory, southwest Queensland and New South Wales, including passing over Sydney. Then, on November 25, 2030, it'll cross South Australia, northwest NSW and southern Queensland — and end at sunset in southeast Queensland. Come July 13, 2037, the eclipse will pass over southern WA, southern NT and western Queensland, including over Brisbane and the Gold Coast. And, on Boxing Day in 2038, it'll go over central WA, SA, and also along the NSW/Victorian border. The solar eclipse will take place on Thursday, April 20, 2023. For further information, head to the Astronomical Society of Australia website. Images: Terry Cuttle.
Whether you're a fresh-faced first-timer or a serial dater, the question remains: Where is the perfect Tinder date spot? We've collated some on-the-ground anecdotal research and found that the general consensus is to start somewhere familiar and casual, where the light is dim and relatively flattering, somewhere that feels intimate but also has ample exit strategy options. Here is our list of tried-and-tested top Tinder date spots. Arcadia Liquors Wooden tables are huddled together along an exposed brick wall, and a beautifully backlit bar hugs the left of this narrow watering hole as you enter. The joint is fitted out with kitsch framed landscape prints, horse paintings and enough visually inspiring conversation starters to save you the fear of first-drink awkward silences. The drinks are another point of conversation — the owners are mad for beer, or there's mulled wine to melt the chills, or a neat list of cocktails if you're feeling special. If it's getting giddy, they do a mean toastie to help settle things down. Best case scenario, you're looking into each other's eyes, drinking wine, munching on toasties and planning your next move. Worst case, you're a stone's throw from "other commitments" in Newtown or Surry Hills or Anywhere via Redfern Train Station. And hey, you can come back next week and try again. 7 Cope Street, Redfern The Wild Rover The Wild Rover is the sort of den perfect for a late night Irish whiskey or a spontaneous Tinder meet up. Located behind a heavy wooden door on Campbell St near Central Station, this two-level Irish bar offers a dim lower floor with heavy curtains and the soft glow of lampshades or a lighter, easier upper floor with leather booths so you can pick your vibe. Take your date here for a specialty cocktail - try the Kilpatrick Bloody Mary or the Root of the Earth - or ask about their Irish beer selection. Your options are covered. There are fresh oysters or sausage rolls to whet your appetite, and if you decide you're hungry for more, you're in close proximity to the epicentre of Surry Hills fine dining, or a short walk to the cheap cheerfulness of China Town. 75 Campbell Street, Surry Hills The Cliff Dive All we're going to say is, Monkey Hats. That's right. What more romantic way to kick off a relationship than by taking your date to an Indonesian-themed dive bar, ordering a rum-fuelled Monkey Hat that comes served for two in a plastic monkey skull, dancing the night away under paper fish lanterns and pretending you're on a tropical island, without having to get on a boat or a plane? Save that for the honeymoon. Because you will probably end up at the marriage registry the next morning, maybe with your Tinder date or maybe with someone else entirely. At least you had a good time. 16-18 Oxford Square, Darlinghurst Golden Age Cinema Bar Grab a booth at Sydney's best kept secret for cultured crooners, the bar at Golden Age Cinema, and you're sure to impress. It's a smooth underground joint with fancy incandescant lights, art deco furnishings, a secret stage behind the plush orange curtain, cosy booths and killer cocktails. Oh, and free pretzels. From here you can ditch the conversation in favour of an art house movie, or head across to the Hollywood to catch some live music and switch to drinks a little lighter on the brain and on the wallet. 80 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills Shady Pines The name says it all really. Situated behind a nondescript door in an alley off Oxford Street, this subterranean haunt filled with enough Americana decor to rival the museum of natural history is everything you need for a perfect Tinder date spot. It's better (less crowded) on a weeknight, and boasts an extensive menu of American craft beer. Another highlight is the fresh apple juice and whiskey combo. Throw it down with a handful of complimentary peanuts and you'll find yourself quoting Hemingway and Kerouac before your hot date can say ay caramba. Shop 4, 256 Crown St, Darlinghurst Goodgod Small Club If you've done this before, you'll know what we're talking about. It's midnight, your confidence is up, and you have just enough time before lockout to emerge from the jangling depths of Goodgod Small Club and Tinder your crush to get down and meet you. It's dark, it's drunken, there's the front bar and the back bar, there's booths, there's a vibing crowd, and it can only end one sweet ands sweaty way. 53-55 Liverpool Street, Sydney The Little Guy Live music drenches this little bar from Tuesday to Thursday, there's chalk to occupy idle hands, delicious cocktails and spiced popcorn to occupy nervous mouths. It's a bit squishy, which makes it easy for getting up close and personal, and you're near Broadway cinema to catch a late-night movie, or at the nexus of buses to the city and Newtown for kick-ons in any direction. 87, Glebe Point Road, Glebe 212 Blu Cafe Believe it or not, the morning meet-up is a popular option amongst Tinder daters. If you don't quite believe that profile picture (and need the light of day to set you at ease), or if you'd rather talk than get wasted (outrageous, we know) then go for coffee. Apparently that's what they do in Europe, anyway. 212 Blu is only a few months old but the owners of The Stables collective fame know what they're doing. They'll get you both buzzing with 5 Senses beans, which they do single origin and on cold drip. Or, if it's too busy to sit in, grab a take away and head across to Camperdown Park for dog watching and cloud gazing and sweaty-palmed hand-holding. 212 Australia Street, Newtown Good luck and play safe.
Underground CBD steakhouse Bistecca will be transformed into an art gallery for negroni week. Last week, it commissioned five artists — pop artist Saint Ali, painter Marissa Mu, landscape artist John Sheehy, designer Jesse Chick and portrait painter Sangeeta Saras Lachmaiya — to create a piece of art live in the space. And, from June 17–28, that art will be auctioned off to a charity of each artist's choice. Punters can peruse the artwork with negroni in hand, and choose to bid on one, too. You can check on the current bids at the Bistecca website, with the winners will be announced on Friday, June 28. For the strictly negroni side of things, the Bistecca team has created a Four Pillars version, with $1 from each drink donated to Orange Sky, a charity that aids homeless people across Australia. Image:Dominic Loneragan
One of Australia’s most distinctive and spectacular installation artists, Nike Savvas has long had a flair for the genuinely epic, but Rally is her largest installation yet. Comprised of some 60,000 coloured strips of plastic bunting hanging from the ceiling, it covers a whopping 480 square metres and occupies almost the entire roof of the Art Gallery of New South Wales’ cavernous entry hall. Art scholars have often evoked colour theory in describing Savvas’ work, but this is theory harnessed to crowd-pleasing, ecstatic effect with a sense of fun and kitsch. You could see it as an exercise in using geometry for a purely aesthetic result, or a contemporary twist on pointillism’s approach of synthesising pure individual colours into a cohesive whole. But most of all, it’s an eye-catching, conversation-starting transformation of a previously functional and underused aspect of the gallery space into a day-glo bright visual feast. Previous Savvas works have included the unforgettable Atomic: Full of Love, Full of Wonder, made by stringing up literally thousands of coloured bouncy balls. Like that work, which involved a laborious process of hand-painting every single element of the work, there’s a sense with Rally that a meticulous, factory-like process has gone into producing something which is ecstatic and in the best way, quite simple. The work can also be blown around by fans and the movement of people below, meaning the work is interactive and is never quite viewed the same by any two different viewers. Savvas has previously talked about her interest in “the idea of using materials from the real world and turning them into high art”. This is both a fascinating continuation of her approach to her work and a successful one-off. It’s a work that functions on a number of levels; you could write an art theory paper on it, remix the work’s colour scheme yourself with a camera phone and Instagram filters or just reflect that the Art Gallery of New South Wales has never seen anything quite like this.
With its aqua waters, vibrant underwater world, remote white sand beaches and wild jungles, the Philippines is a globetrotter's dream. But given its unscathed and rugged terrain — a mix between Jurassic Park and The Beach — this is not a holiday for lounging by the pool. It's a time for exploring the great outdoors. And, since there are more than 7000 islands to choose from, you're truly spoiled for choice on holiday here. To ensure you stretch your legs someplace fantastic, we've teamed up with Cebu Pacific Air to round up the top five outdoor adventures to plan on your next trip to this Southeast Asian wonderland. It's easy as to hop from island-to-island with the airline, which flies to 36 airports around the Philippines, including Cebu, Manila, Coron, Bohol (Tagbilaran) and Siargao. What's more, it offers affordable international flights from Sydney and Melbourne to get you there, so all you really have to think about is what's on the cards when you land. Go canyoning through a waterfall, hike an active volcano, wreck dive into World War II battleships, zipline over ancient karsts and surf a world-famous wave, all on one trip. While many of these activities require a guide, you'll find that Filipinos are some of the friendliest and most knowledgeable locals. So get your hiking boots on, the Philippines is calling. HIKE AN ACTIVE VOLCANO IN THE NORTHERN PHILIPPINES Though Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines, many western travellers never make it past Manila. But outside of the country's city, the island is also home to some of the best attractions in the Philippines, including the rare opportunity to hike an active volcano like Bulkang Taal, located around 1.5 hours south of Manila. The second most active volcano in the Philippines, it's an easy day tour from Manila, costs around 1500 pesos ($40) per person and offers one of the most incredible views in the country. As the volcano is surrounded by a lake, you'll first take a 30-minute outrigger ride to the volcano's base. Once on the two-kilometre trek, expect sand-filled trails, volcanic steam vents and views of the nearby lakes and mountains. After reaching the summit, descend into the sulfuric crater lake, where you can swim in its natural hot springs. DIVE THE WRECKAGE OF WWII BATTLESHIPS IN CORON From Manila, hop a flight to Coron to explore some turquoise-tinted history. Coron Bay in Palawan is known for its iridescent blue-green lagoons, lime karsts, pristine islands and — for some brave adventurers — its wreck diving. The bay is considered to be the best wreck diving in Southeast Asia and some of the best in the world. Coron Bay is also the site where a series of Japanese supply fleets were sunk during WWII — namely the Akitsushima, Okikawa Maru, Olympia Maru, Kogyo Maru and The Iraku. The majority of the battleships sunk in close vicinity to Apo Reef and have been well preserved — we're talking 170-metre-long ships with passageways, lower levels and engine rooms to explore. Most of the accommodation options on Coron Island will organise a dive trip for you, and the dive shops also run certification courses for those who are new to the sport. ZIPLINE OVER THE CHOCOLATE HILLS IN BOHOL Jump on a flight to Bohol to catch one of the Philippines most mysterious attractions: the Chocolate Hills, a cluster of over 1000 hills in the centre of the island. Despite the name, this formation is not made of chocolate, but of limestone that holds an array of marine fossils like coral, molluscs and algae — meaning these puppies formed underwater and were pushed above the sea by tectonic activity. Nature, hey. While the hills are impressive on foot, a more extreme option is to view them from above, specifically, while suspended from a 200-metre-high zipline. For just 350 pesos (around $9) per person at The Danao Adventure Park, you'll be strapped into the cable harness horizontally so you're in a flying position and left to glide along the 480-metre long zipline, gazing at the massive gorge below. As you whizz past, take in the vast hills, mountains and jungle all around you. The ticket takes you there and back, so if you're too scared to open your eyes the first time, you'll get a second chance to catch it all. And, if you're adrenaline is still buzzing afterwards, you can also rent ATVs and traverse the hills on four wheels. Oh, and the name? It comes from the grass covering the hills that turns brown during the dry season. GO CANYONING THROUGH A WATERFALL IN CEBU The Philippines is replete with unbelievably picturesque waterfalls, but a straightforward hike isn't the only way to get to them. Instead, head to Cebu via its namesake airline and have a go at canyoning through the Kawasan Falls in Badian. Travellers can reach the falls via the towns of Moalboal or Alegria, where local guides will be waiting for you. A local tour costs around 1500 pesos (around $40) per person and includes lunch. If you prefer a pre-booked tour, Planet Action offers an international alternative at 2190 pesos (around $58) per person. During the four-to-five hour trek to Kawasan, you'll wade through impossibly turquoise waters and a series of crystal-clear pools at the canyon's base. Be prepared for multiple high water jumps (20 metres or more) and natural waterslides along the way, as well as a tree swing that dangles high above the Kawasan falls at the peak of your trek. If you're after a more difficult experience, opt for a tour of nearby Montaneza or Tison Falls, which requires abseiling, rappelling and climbing, too. SURF A WORLD-FAMOUS WAVE IN SIARGAO Siargao Island is the most sought-after surf spot in the Philippines and is famous around the globe, with its 'Cloud 9' wave ranked as one of the top ten in the world. Plus, the Siargao City airport is a cheap and quick 40-minute flight from Cebu on Cebu Pacific. With 27 kilometres of coastline exposed to swell, these islands are considered the 'surfing capital of the Philippines' for good reason. While some waves at Stimpy's and Tuason Point are for experts only, Siargao can also be a place for first-timers. Lanuza in Surigao del Sur is specifically known for its numerous surf camps that cater to beginners, so even newbies can hang ten. International surfing competitions also take place on Siargao Island throughout the year — with the most popular being the Siargao Cloud 9 Surfing Cup that takes place at the end of September each year. Ready for an adventure to the Philippines? Book with Cebu Pacific Air to get you there with affordable international flights from Melbourne and Sydney. Plus, Cebu is the largest airline in the country, offering the best inter-island connectivity in the Philippines, so you can easily fly to more fun.
The spooky season may have ended, but a spine-tingling series of experiences still lingers on in Sydney from November through to January 2024. This is, of course, Darkfield, and you've probably heard of its spooky setpieces before — either here on Concrete Playground or on social media. Truly masters of immersion, Darkfield is bringing all four of its experiences together to Sydney, specifically Barangaroo's Harbour Park, with two returning favourites and two experiences making their Sydney debuts. Each experience takes place in a single shipping container, but don't let the unassuming exterior fool you — eerie thrills await within. The two returning stars are Séance and Flight: the former sees you take a seat alongside your participants before you're thrust into a world of sensory deprivation to make contact with the spirit world. The latter is the manifestation of a very common fear, placing you in a mock aeroplane cabin to experience the dual outcomes of a doomed passenger flight. The two experiences premiering in this visit are Coma and Eulogy. The former will lay you down in a bed and let you slowly fall into a dreamlike state, all while the multisensory effects of the show play out around you. The latter will see you explore a dark labyrinth with a chaperone; keep your wits about you for the audio and speech recognition technology, and whatever you do, do not wander off of the path. So, what do these spooky experiences have in common? They all use a blend of 360-degree sound design and play on the psychology of their participants, but only for a runtime of 20–30 minutes, and each ticket is priced between $22–30. Shipping containers have limited capacity, so booking in advance is a must, and if you book one show, you'll score discounts on return visits. Darkfield will be available at Barangaroo from Thursday, November 23 to Sunday, January 21, 2024. For more information and to book tickets, visit the website. Images: Mihaela Bodlovic
After coming sixth in season nine, Sarah Tiong returned to MasterChef: Back To Win in 2020. To say the Sydney chef was a season favourite would be a slight understatement. "Not to be dramatic, but I would die for Sarah Tiong," one fan wrote on Twitter, while some called for her to become a judge next season and others promised to ride into battle if she was eliminated. While Tiong was eliminated in a week nine pressure test, she left with legions of supporters across the country. Fast forward a few months and Tiong has just released her new book, Sweet, Savory, Spicy: Exciting Street Market Food from Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and More, which is currently available online. "It's a combination of all of these dishes that I've learned throughout my childhood and on my travels throughout Southeast Asia," Tiong told Concrete Playground. "If people know my food, it's all about texture, generosity, full of really smack-you-in-the-face flavour. So, that's what I really wanted to put into this book." You'll find more of these smack-you-in-the-face flavours at Tiong's favourite Sydney restaurants, too. While Aussies can't currently leave the country to eat around Southeast Asia à la Tiong, they can visit restaurants serving up everything from neon green Thai curries to Indomie mac 'n' cheese. Here, Tiong takes us through five of her favourite spots to eat around the city.
Sydney's annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras has sparked many a trip to the Harbour City. In recent years, it has also inspired themed flights to the New South Wales capital from New Zealand, Brisbane and Melbourne to enjoy the festivities. Partying in the sky on a pride flight on the way to Sydney's biggest pride party? That's a must for the diary. In 2023, however, all those mid-air shenanigans are levelling up. Next year, Sydney will host WorldPride, marking the huge LGBTQIA+ celebration's first-ever stint in the Southern Hemisphere. The plans for the event are massive — Kylie Minogue headlining the opening concert-level massive. And both Virgin and Qantas want to fly you there to enjoy everything from rainbows aplenty all around the city to a closing gig led by MUNA and G Flip. For Virgin, the pride flights will run for the third year, after first kicking off from Brisbane in 2021, then expanding to Melbourne in 2022. And, they'll add new departure points, letting folks from Adelaide and Perth also hop onboard — and running the airline's first-ever pride flight from the US to Australia, as flown by United Airlines, leaving from San Francisco. Tickets for Virgin's one-way pride trips are on sale now, and will include more than 1000 seats across five flights. From Australia, the flights depart on Friday, February 24, while the US service will leave on Wednesday, February 22 but touch down Down Under on Friday, February 24. The Aussie services will be hosted by RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under stars Coco Jumbo, Karen From Finance, Kween Kong and Maxi Shield, as well as top Australian drag talent like Barbie Q, Penny Tration, Philmah Bocks, Sexy Galexy and Tora Hymen. And, they'll include a pre-flight departure party featuring entertainment by local LGBTQIA+ venues (such as Fluffy, Sircuit, Mary's Poppin' and Connections Nightclub), alongside those mid-air drag performances, DJs and dancing — and bottomless beverages — while you're cruising at 30,000-plus feet There's also a pride flight landing party, too, taking place from 4.30–8.30pm on the Friday at The Beresford. It includes complimentary drinks and entertainment, and is covered by the pride flight tickets. And, $30 from the sale of each ticket will be donated to Australian charity Minus18, which works to improve the lives of LGBTQIA+ youth. For Qantas, you'll be soaring in from Los Angeles, because that's where the airline's first-ever pride flight is departing from. The Qantas WorldPride Flight will also take off on Wednesday, February 22, and will feature Joel Creasey as host. On this US–Australia trip, there'll be live inflight entertainment, food by chef Neil Perry (who is also Qantas' Director of Food, Beverage and Service), and free limited-edition 'rainbow roo' Qantas pyjamas that've been designed specifically for the flight. And, your Qantas ticket will also include general admission to the Live and Proud: Sydney WorldPride Opening Concert, where none other than Ms Minogue will take to the stage — a gig that's virtually sold-out otherwise. The one caveat on all of the above: passengers will have to organise their own far less glitter-filled flight home following the weekend's celebrations. Tickets for Virgin's past flights have always been snapped up quickly, so it's likely this batch from both airlines will do the same. And if you're a Sydneysider wanting to experience the one-way flights, you can always head to Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, San Francisco or LA prior if that suits your plans, then use the pride services to return home. Virgin Australia's pride flights will fly from Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide to Sydney on Friday, February 24, while its San Francisco–Sydney flight will depart on Wednesday, February 22. Tickets are on sale now from the Virgin Australia website. Qantas' pride flight will take off on Wednesday, February 22, flying from Los Angeles to Sydney. Tickets are also on sale now via the Qantas website. Sydney WorldPride will run from February 17–March 5, 2023. For more information, head to the event's website. Thinking about attending Sydney WorldPride? Check out Concrete Playground Trips' Sydney WorldPride package. It includes tickets to the Domain Dance Party and Live and Proud: Opening Concert, plus three nights at the PARKROYAL Darling Harbour Sydney.
In 2019's Skint Estate, Cash Carraway told all; A memoir of poverty, motherhood and survival completes the book's full title. Penned about working-class Britain from within working-class Britain, Carraway's written jaunt through her own life steps through the reality of being a single mum without a permanent place to live, of struggling to get by at every second, and of being around the system since she was a teenager. It examines alcoholism, loneliness, mental illness and domestic violence, too, plus refuges, working at peep shows, getting groceries from food banks and hopping between whatever temporary accommodation is available. It's unfettered and unflinching, especially about how difficult it is to merely exist in London if you're not wealthy — and it's in that same spirit that Rain Dogs follows. An eight-part dramedy hailing from HBO and the BBC, and streaming via Binge in Australia and Neon in New Zealand, Rain Dogs isn't a direct adaptation of Carraway's text. It doesn't purport to bring her experiences to the screen exactly as they happened, or with slavish fidelity to the specific details. "It isn't autobiographical, but it definitely has firm roots in the chip on my shoulder!", the author advises about the series that she also created and wrote. This addition to 2023's new HBO highlights alongside The Last of Us remains not only raw, rich, honest and authentic but lived in as it tells the same basic story charted in Skint Estate's pages with candour, humour, warmth and poignancy. Slipping into Carraway's fictionalised shoes is Daisy May Cooper — and she's outstanding. Her on-screen resume includes Avenue 5 and Am I Being Unreasonable?, as well as being a team captain on the latest iteration of Britain's Spicks and Specks-inspiring Never Mind the Buzzcocks, but she's a force to be reckoned with as aspiring writer, recovering alcoholic, child-abuse survivor and mum (to Iris, played by debutant Fleur Tashjian) Costello Jones. When Rain Dogs begins, it's with an eviction. Cooper lives and breathes determination as Costello then scrambles to find somewhere for her and Iris to stay next. That's a constant battle, in fact, with the pair laying down their heads everywhere from cars and closets to palatial country houses and women's refuges in the search for somewhere to feel safe, settle in and truly belong. Costello knows that her heart resides in London; keeping it there is another matter. Working full-time isn't enough, and neither is taking odd jobs whenever she can — such as cleaning the apartment of artist Lenny (The Young Ones legend Adrian Edmondson) while he watches on and pleasures himself — to supplement her income. But she's adamant about attempting to do her utmost for Iris as she tries to pen her own memoir ("basically Oliver Twist but with big tits"). Among Rain Dogs' many unblinking truths, how tricky it is to make it in creative fields when you don't have the fiscal luxury of interning, working for exposure and accepting wages impossible to survive on even without a cost-of-living crisis — and if you also lack a well-to-do network of contacts to help get your foot in the door — echoes strongly. This isn't just Costello and Iris' tale, as devastatingly well-written and -performed as both characters are. This isn't just a story of a mother and daughter doing it tough, either, and facing more tragedies and heartbreaks than hard-earned joys. Rain Dogs is those things, but it's also an exploration of the complicated and imperfect support systems that spring beyond the bonds of blood. Enter Florian Selby (Jack Farthing, Spencer), alongside the aforementioned Lenny and Costello's best friend Gloria (Ronke Adekoluejo, Alex Rider). Each is as flawed and chaotic as Costello — Gloria is first met waking up in a phone booth with last night's party outfit on and no memory of how she got there, for instance — because Rain Dogs directs the clearest of eyes towards everyone. In episode one, when Costello's phone rings, "SELBY — DON'T ANSWER" gleams across her screen. They'll be chatting before episode two arrives, with Selby an inescapable part of Costello and Iris' existence, but the reason for her caution makes itself known quickly. A companion since Costello's university days and the closest thing to a father that Iris has, he completes their unconventional and dysfunctional family. That said, the self-described "classical homosexual" is as privileged as he is self-destructive, tussles with his mental health, and re-enters Costello and Iris' life after a year in prison for assault. He's devoted to them, relishing helping financially when he can — and he usually can — but, while he's Costello's platonic other half, toxic doesn't even begin to describe their relationship at its worst. Carraway has dubbed Rain Dogs as "an off-beat rom-com between Costello and Selby" and "a love story told from the gutter". On-screen, she poses the pair as soulmates caught in a storm of striving (to be better, and to give Iris they best they can), self-sabotaging and stark realities. One particularly excellent episode sees the trio live out a moneyed fantasy, yet it's tainted from the outset. They're not leaving London voluntarily. Rather, they're decamping because Selby's mother (Anna Chancellor, Pennyworth) has cut him off and banished him to their holiday home. Iris has never enjoyed such luxury, and Costello can't remember such stability — but, as months pass, Selby and Costello also can't stop their usual dynamic from flaring up. HBO isn't shy about confronting the vast economic inequality that's an infuriating fact of life today, usually in satirical portraits of the one-percent such as Succession and The White Lotus. Indeed, the US network is exceptional at making such shows smart and savvy must-see viewing. In Rain Dogs, it spends more time among the have nots than the haves — and it spies how everyday human nature is considered damning when you're poor but eccentric when you're rich. With a firm sense of humour, it pokes fun at the journalist that says she wants to unearth a new voice but twists Costello's words into poverty porn, the school mums claiming to sport liberal attitudes but quick to shame, and the photographer so turned on by playing poverty tourist that he climaxes early. With a steely gaze, it spots how easily Selby keeps coming back from his many missteps, and how widely and repeatedly Costello is punished for hers. Watching along with Rain Dogs is a revelatory rollercoaster, and it's stunning. Check out the trailer for Rain Dogs below: Rain Dogs streams via Binge in Australia and Neon in New Zealand. Images: Simon Ridgway, James Pardon and Gary Moyes/HBO.
Who knew that the next great Australian film would actually be a constellation of 17 smaller ones? The term 'producer' seems insufficient for Robert Connolly, the driver of this daring and innovative cinema project. He has pulled together the most visionary creative artists, filmmakers, cinematographers, choreographers and theatre-makers to bring Tim Winton's The Turning to the screen. Connolly's brief to his collaborators was simple: choose a short story from Winton's book and develop it in any style you wish. It's a bold and crazy concept. A curated, anthology film shouldn't work, but here it is. This film is about the crossroads, the moments when we turn to face ourselves and force ourselves to change track. The returning patterns of self-realisation are alcoholism, Christianity, Indigenous culture and identity, our relationship with the land and air and water, and the inability to put the past to rest. Video artist Shaun Gladwell and actors Mia Wasikowska and David Wenham make their directorial debuts. Justin Kurzel (Snowtown) directs an especially creepy episode. And every story turns on sharp moments of awakening: Rose Byrne's battered, trailer-park wife encounters God, Hugo Weaving's alcoholic hermit reunites with his estranged son, Cate Blanchett's suburban everywoman finally clicks with her mother-in-law. Until these moments, our characters are moving forward, but still in the past, and they all come together with unexpected narrative unity that balances open-endedness with diamond-cut clarity. In these plaited stories, I found a film of rare adult complexity, and strands of hope and trauma woven together with a compassionate, humane thread. I found moments of astonishingly troubling beauty. And with a sensitive touch, The Turning does all this without overdosing on dark-night-of-the-soul melodrama. Rarely do we see a film with such a startlingly singular and confident mandate, and this is all the more courageous given the pressure on Australian filmmakers to dedicate themselves to producing more 'entertaining' commercial product. Some viewers will feel The Turning's three-hour length. I did at times, and I thought some of the early chapters could have been omitted with little impact. But what the hell, go with it. It's not easy viewing but it is beautiful viewing. While you're watching it, this is a film to zoom in and zone out to. After you're finished, it's a film to dissect and discuss and linger on. Yes, this is an art film, but it's not the one you think it will be. So bold is Connolly's vision, he's designed a new distribution strategy to accommodate it: The Turning will play for only two weeks in special-event screenings — some with Q&As with the creative contributors — and audiences receive a luxe little full-colour booklet to help make sense of the braided narrative structure. The Turning will probably make you cry and you probably won't know why. It will stay with you. And I think it will claim a place in cinema history — for the innovation of its style, and the frankness of its substance. https://youtube.com/watch?v=rGVweOZA2zg
In celebration of the XX Commonwealth Games currently being held in Glasgow, one Scotland bar has created a marathon cocktail. Like many of the athletes competing this year, this cocktail is also a record breaker, with 71 ingredients used to represent each country participating in the Games. Mal Spence, of Kelvingrove Cafe in Glasgow worked with Glasgow City Marketing Bureau to create this extravagant concoction. "Most classic cocktails have three or four ingredients.” Spence explained to the Evening Times. “To find a recipe that could combine all these different flavours and also taste good was a challenge I couldn't resist.” Spence experimented with 300 different ingredients before finally achieving the right blend of flavours. While most alcohol aficionados would squash up their face at the thought of such a busy cocktail, in this case we’re satisfied that the research has been done and we will happily be the judge of this debate if someone would like to make us one. While the cocktail uses some familiar flavours of English red Apple and Scottish wild strawberry, the Commonwealth Cocktail includes a few things we’ve barely heard of, let alone tried in a cocktail. Really, when else would you get to sample The Cook Islands’s custard apple seeds, Swaziland’s sycamore fig, or Malaysian galangal? Australia’s contribution to the mix is an aniseed myrtle (syzygium anisatum), in case you were wondering. Spence is doing a limited run of 71 of these cocktails (of course) until August 3. If you’re unable to get to Glasgow Spence has made a simpler version, which you can make at home as you watch Australia dominate the Games. Here's the full list of ingredients: Africa Botswana: devils claw (genus clerodendrum) Cameroon: bitter leaf (piper umbellatum) Ghana: taro (psidium guajava) Kenya: chives Lesotho: rosehip Malawi: cacao (pycreuscyperaceae) Mauritius: wild raspberry (rubus rosifolius) Mozambique: cassava Namibia: prickly pear Nigeria: utazi leaves Rwanda: papaya Seychelles: citronella Sierra Leone: cashew nut (piassava) South Africa: roobus Swaziland: sycamore fig Tanzania: cloves Uganda: nakati eggplant Zambia: sorrel Americas Belize: dragonfruit Bermuda: arabica coffee beans Canada: logan berry Falkland Islands: bitter cress Guyana: sugar cane St. Helena: St. Helena tea plant Asia Bangladesh: jujubi Brunei Darussalam: durian fruit India: mangosteen Malaysia: galangal Maldives: pomegranate (annaaru) Pakistan: saffron Singapore: rambutan Sri Lanka: ripe jakfruit Caribbean Anguilla: mango Antigua & Barbuda: tamarind Bahamas: egg fruit Barbados: sour cherry British Virgin Islands: noni Cayman Islands: sage (salvia caymanensis) Dominica: guava leaf Grenada: lemon grass Jamaica: okra Montserrat: devil’s horse whip St. Kitts & Nevis: tamon St. Lucia: sweet basil St. Vincent & The Grenadines: arrowroot Trinidad & Tobago: tonka bean Turks & Caicos Islands: sapodilla Europe Cyprus: basil-thyme (???????) England: red apple Gibraltar: maqui berry Guernsey: blueberries Isle of Man: new potatoes Jersey: lavender Malta: star anise Northern Ireland: bog rosemary Scotland: wild Scottish strawberry Wales: wild cotoneaster Oceania Australia: aniseed myrtle (syzygium anisatum) (gundabluie) (bardi bush) Cook Islands: custard apple seeds (annona reticulata) Kiribati: dried coconut meat (copra) Nauru: pumpkin seeds New Zealand: manuka honey Niue: paw paw Norfolk Island: yam Papua New Guinea: taro (colocasia esculenta) Samoa: ladies finger (small, sweet banana) Solomon Islands: taro leaves Tonga: avocado (avoka) Tuvalu: breadfruit Vanuatu: plantain Fiji: kava root Via The Evening Times and Grub Street.
Cheese cubes, cabanossi, crackers, a couple of dips and some packets of chips emptied into plastic bowls — it was the food table spread at many the Aussie gathering when we were younger. Nowadays, events of all kinds — weddings, backyard barbecues, baby showers and even kids parties — opt for a more elegant snack setup: the grazing table. And if you're ready to wade into the waters of designing your very own aesthetically pleasing grazing table, board or platter for an upcoming do, then Panetta Mercato is where to shop. The Marrickville Metro store, which is primarily a grocer, has a pretty epic deli setup that is chockers with imported cheeses, cured meats, olives, sundried tomatoes and more. Not confident enough to build your own yet? You can order a ready-made platter from the deli instead. Elsewhere in the store, you'll find meat, gelato, pantry staples, dips and more. Panetta Mercato has also outposts in Leichhardt, Baulkham Hills, Kirrawee and Macquarie Centre. Plus, it has set boxes packed with fresh produce and other essentials starting from just $15 available for delivery from its website.
If it wasn't for Violet Crumbles, the world wouldn't have quite a few things. Firstly, we wouldn't have the pleasure of biting into those chocolate-honeycomb bars themselves, and tasting that delicious flavour combination. We also wouldn't have the slogan "it's the way it shatters that matters", which is up there with the catchiest advertising lines of all time. And, Bertie Beetles wouldn't exist, because the showbag favourite was initially created to use the pieces of honeycomb left over from making — you guessed it — Violet Crumbles. Thankfully, no one needs to live in a world without either Violet Crumbles or Bertie Beetles — or, thanks to your next must-try cocktail, without Violet Crumble espresso martinis, too. The latter has just hit the market thanks to the Melbourne-based Feminaè Beverage Co, and it is indeed exactly what it sounds like. Now it's the way your caffeinated boozy tipple shatters that matters, too. Sold in hefty two-litre ready-to-drink casks, the VC espresso martinis are made with cold-drip coffee, vodka and Australian cream, and then infused with Violet Crumble honeycomb, caramel and chocolate flavours. A box will set you back $79.90, and includes 24 standard drinks — for parties, or just to keep in the fridge for when the urge strikes. You'll also get a Violet Crumble bar to shatter over the cocktails — or just to eat if you'd prefer. (Let's face it, if you're keen on this kind of espresso martini, you're already a fiend for the chocolate bar itself.) Feminaè is only releasing a limited run, which means ordering sooner rather than latter is recommended — and they're already shipping the casks out. The company also has a passionfruit and pavlova cosmo in its range — now sold out, sadly — if you're already thinking about what other sweet treats deserve to be turned into cocktails. Our suggestion: Bertie Beetles, naturally. Feminaè Beverage Co's Violet Crumble espresso martini casks are available to buy online for $79.90 while stocks last.
We hate to jump on the bandwagon of retailers telling you to get onto your Christmas shopping early this year, but sometimes we all need a little push and one retailer knows just the thing. Gift problem solvers since 2005, Etsy are stepping into the real world to host a weekly Christmas market. Thankfully, you (and that impossible-to-buy-for family member/partner/friend) are invited. If you're a regular Etsy trawler, you'll know that the rapidly growing host of online boutiques is home to many a talented designer and craft maker. Now, 53 of those excellent jewellers, artists, artisans, fashion and homewares designers are setting up shop Friday night at The Rocks Village Bizarre for seven weeks right up until Christmas. In fact, The Rocks will be jam packed with goodies this month. Drop in for a cheeky performance or party while you're there. The Etsy Christmas Pop-up Market will be up and running every Friday night from November 7-December 19 from 6.30-10pm.
With everyone spending more time at home — and zero time eating out at restaurants and cafes — we're betting that you've probably cranked up your oven and put your baking skills to the test in recent weeks. Unfortunately, though, we are not all destined to be Betty Crockers. Next time you want to get creative in the kitchen, you don't have to resort to a packet mix — even if you're a bit of a novice in the kitchen. A bunch of Aussie bakeries, cafes and restaurants are adapting to the current situation and one thing we're seeing more of is bake-at-home cookie dough. And it's safe to say these top-notch spots know what they're doing in the kitchen — so you don't have to. Here are some of the best you'll find in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, which you can pick up or get delivered. Then, soon enough, you'll be feasting on gooey, chocolatey cookies straight from the oven. SYDNEY Home of the cookie pizza, Bennett Street Dairy is selling its handmade chocolate chip dough and offering citywide delivery within two business days. The old school-inspired joint sources its ingredients straight from the farm, with its dough containing big chunks of chocolate and no raw products. You can get 500 grams of the goods, which will make about six to eight large biscuits, for $12. You can store your roll of dough in the fridge for or up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for 3 months, so you can stock up and have cookies on-hand for a while to come. To order, head here. Firedoor has also jumped on the cookie wagon, offering pre-made dough through its new online grocer Fireshop. The online store has a bunch of 'almost-ready' dishes, pantry staples and produce, which you need to order between Thursday–Tuesday for pick up on Friday between 2–4pm. In your virtual basket, you'll want to throw in at least one 400-gram roll of native cookie dough ($20). Made with white chocolate and native Australian fruits, this cookie is for those who like the finer baked things in life. Sydney's king of desserts Andy Bowdy is slinging some top-notch dough, too. Head down to Saga between 9am–4pm any Tuesday through Sunday, and nab yourself a roll of salted chocolate chip or peanut butter — or both. Each comes in 480 grams and costs $12.50. MELBOURNE Shannon Martinez and Mo Wyse's spin-off vegan New York-style delicatessen, Smith & Deli, is selling frozen dough. So, if you're vegan — or just looking to get your hands on some high-quality cookies — look no further. The dough is frozen fresh, loaded with chocolate chunks and will make ten to 20 biscuits, depending on size. A roll costs $15 and can be ordered via Mr Yum for pick up and delivery. Earl Canteen is selling two different types of cookie dough through its online shop Earl at Home. There's a Callebaut chocolate, sea salt and walnuts one or one filled with raspberry and pistachio — both will make about 20 deliciously chewy cookies and cost $22. To order, head here. The choc chip dough comes in its Favourites Pack ($125), too. Delivery is available within 20 kilometres of the CBD and is free for order amounting to $125 or more. Contactless pick up is also available from Earl's head office at 15–17 Cubitt Street, Cremorne. BRISBANE Brisbane's go-t0 for baked goods, Jocelyn's Provisions, is now selling 'take & bake' kits, including a choc chip cookie kit ($18.50), featuring 500 grams of ready-to-bake dough, which is enough to make 24 cookies. Kits are available for pick up only — with orders taken online, and collection available from Jocelyn's Provisions' stores on Sandgate Road in Albion, James Street in New Farm and Samuel Street in Camp Hill. If you're a cookie fiend and want more, Flour & Chocolate — as the name would suggest — is also selling some choc-filled dough for $15. You can pick them up from the Morningside patisserie every Tuesday to Saturday from 6.30am–2pm. To preorder, email morningside@flourandchocolate.com or call (07) 3161 6246. If you do go outside to pick up cookies, have a look at the latest COVID-19 advice and social-distancing guidelines from the Department of Health.
After carving out a name for itself over five years on Oxford Street, beloved Darlinghurst cafe Sandoitchi is set to expand its reach over Sydney with a second outpost — this time, bringing its fluffy Japanese-style sandwiches to Chatswood. Sandoitchi 2.0 is set to open in Chatswood Chase in February this year, bringing all the treasured menu items of the original cafe to the Lower North Shore. If you've never visited Sandoitchi, you're missing out. It's currently ranked number one on our list of the best cafes in Sydney thanks to its next-level sandwiches, top-notch coffee and friendly staff. The must-try menu item is the prawn and sweet corn sando — featuring a creamy crumbed pattie of whole prawns and corn, topped with yuzu mayonnaise and mustard, and placed between two of the most cloud-like pieces of white bread you could imagine. There's also a wildly popular crispy fried chicken number, an incredible luxe wagyu sando, and a sweet treat filled with fruit and cream. And, it doesn't stop at sandwiches, with teriyaki salmon and pork katsu among the selection of rice or noodle bowls on offer, as well as bacon and egg rolls, eggs on toast, justices, smoothies and chai. "It has always been our dream to introduce Japanese sandwiches to everyone in Sydney," says the Sandoitchi crew. There's not too much more information available on the new opening, but you can follow along with updates on the Chatswood Sandoitchi via the cafe's Instagram account. Sandoitchi is located at 3/113–115 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst. The cafe and sandwich shop's second outpost will open at Chatswood Chase in February 2024. Browse the menu and order online at the cafe's website. Images: Leigh Griffiths.
Market City's Asian food hall, 1909 Dining Precinct, has gained some great international eateries since opening in March — including global hot-pot chain The Dolar Shop, famed Chongqing noodle bar Mr Meng and DIY Korean barbecue joint Kogi. These are now joined by a 160-seat Northern Chinese eatery, Beijing Impression. It's the second Sydney outpost for the brand, with the first located in Ashfield and much loved by locals. Founded in Beijing in 2014 by Tong Han, the restaurant chain has since expanded to 21 locations across China, Japan and Sydney. True to its Beijing roots, the Peking duck is the go-to dish here. It takes two days to prep and is served three ways: whole roasted with crispy skin, in a duck and vegetable soup with glass noodles or as duck pancakes with sweet bean sauce, sliced spring onion and cucumber. Other traditional dishes include the vinegary braised boneless pork feet and honeycomb briquette — fried black rice soaked in fruit and brandy, which is lit on fire at the table. The new restaurant will have CBD-exclusive menu items, too, including fish head juice pancakes and Catch the Five Heads, a sweetened pudding shaped like mahjong tiles. The fit-out falls in line with the brand's existing venues and takes its inspiration from Beijing in autumn. Think warm timber accents, deep tones and foliage aplenty — including real pomegranate and maple trees at the entrance. For larger gatherings, there are also six rooms that accommodate up to 12 people each. Beijing Impression offers a legit taste of the Chinese capital and is a welcomed addition to this budding precinct. Images: Anna Kucera
Drinking sessions with your mates are a cornerstone of the weekend. But, for those fur baby parents out there, there's nothing worse than getting stuck in and then realising you have to rush out to take care of your pup. For you, the best session is one when your best two-legged and four-legged mates are all there. We've teamed up with American Express to show Sydney dog owners that you don't need to choose between seeing your friends or hanging out with your pup. These American Express-accepting spots offer some of the best food and bevs in the city, all while catering to your doggo with special menus, play areas and outdoor seating. Looking for a spot where your dog is welcomed as much as your, er, human friends? These venues are here for you. Got yourself in another dining situation and need some guidance? Whatever it is, we know a place. Visit The Shortlist and we'll sort you out.
Ramen fans, rejoice! Popular noodle chain Motto Motto Japanese Kitchen is celebrating the opening of its fifth Sydney outpost — and its first in the CBD — with a massive discount promotion. From 11am on Saturday, July 27, the first 500 patrons through door of the new Sydney Plaza branch will be able to snag a steaming bowl of soupy noods for just $1. This cozzie-livs-defying deal applies exclusively to Motto Motto's signature ramen, made to a recipe devised by Executive Chef Ryuji Tomihara. The signature serve sees rich, creamy tonkotsu broth flavoured with shoyu kaeshi share the bowl with fresh noodles — made in-house — and finished with with tender slices of pork, a marinated soft-boiled egg, fresh shallots and seaweed. In addition to this opening day bargain bonanza, Motto Motto will keep the good times slurpin' for one lucky Sydneysider, with a year's worth of ramen for free. To enter, simply sign up to be a Motto Motto member, selecting the Sydney Plaza branch as your local. The winner will be drawn at random on Wednesday, July 31.
UPDATE, February 17, 2021: Dark Waters is available to stream via Binge, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Charting a lawyer's quest to expose a chemical company's harmful actions, Dark Waters seems, on paper at least, like a standard crusading legal drama. In Erin Brockovich and The Insider's footsteps (and All the President's Men and The Report's, too), this little guy-versus-the system, truth-versus-cover-up film appears to follow. Based on grim recent history, it also seems worlds away from its director's usual oeuvre. For three decades, Todd Haynes has given cinema many gifts — the anarchic 70s glam of Velvet Goldmine, the sweeping 50s-style melodrama of Far From Heaven, the imaginative Bob Dylan-inspired I'm Not There and the yearning queer romance that is Carol — but never anything as ostensibly straightforward as this anxious, serious-minded procedural. Dark Waters doesn't shy away from or try to reinvent its genre. Any move in that direction wouldn't do its real-life details justice. But this is definitely a Haynes movie in the way that matters most: its emotional impact. Visually, the director doesn't stage the elaborate, eye-catching scenes that his work has become known for. He doesn't load his frames with sentiment-dripping colour, either. His perceptive, detail-oriented approach is still evident, however, in every closed-in, grey-toned peek inside everyday corporate and small-town surroundings. So too is his ability to tell a complex tale with layered minutiae and piercing nuance, all while ensuring that his audience shares every iota of pain and passion felt by his characters. With Haynes' eighth feature taking its specifics from Nathaniel Rich's 2016 New York Times Magazine article 'The Lawyer Who Became DuPont's Worst Nightmare', there's much for everyone — on-screen and off — to feel. When viewers first meet Robert Bilott (Mark Ruffalo), he's a corporate defence lawyer who has just made partner at an Ohio law firm that works for the big end of town. If West Virginian farmer Wilbur Tennant (Bill Camp) hadn't marched into the office demanding his help, that's the course Bilott's career probably would've stuck to. He's not just reluctant to listen to his unexpected visitor, but initially dismissive. It's only because Tennant knows Bilott's grandmother that he even gives the matter a second thought. Whether exploring a woman's certainty that she's allergic to the world around her in 1995's Safe or chronicling two children's search for their parents across two different timelines in 2017's Wonderstruck, Haynes has always specialised in characters who are committed to following their hearts and senses of self, no matter the cost. When Bilott visits Tennant's property, learns that 190 cattle have died from strange medical conditions — including blackened teeth and tumours — and gleans the possible connection between this heartbreaking carnage and DuPont's use of neighbouring land as a dumping ground, he becomes one of them. Unsurprisingly, his employers aren't overly thrilled about the case, although his boss (Tim Robbins) still lets him pursue it. Of course, to just as little astonishment, the more that Bilott digs, the more he unearths. Ruffalo has stepped into this kind of dogged, determined territory before in Zodiac and Spotlight — and, as both of those excellent films showed, he's exceptional at it. With each, he serves up different shades from a recognisable palette rather than replicating the same role again and again. Indeed, throw in his seven-movie Marvel stint as Bruce Banner/the Hulk, and the three-time Oscar nominee has spent a hefty chunk of his career as smart, resolute, world-weary but still tenacious men hunting insidious killers, organisations and other forces of evil. Make no mistake, that's the story that Dark Waters unfurls, even if it never has a finger-snapping Thanos to chase. It would've been so easy to give DuPont a villainous on-screen figurehead, and to square the blame for the company's literally toxic actions at one person's feet. But Haynes and screenwriters Mario Correa and Matthew Michael Carnahan (21 Bridges) know that life is never that simplistic. Obviously, bringing a huge multinational outfit peddling dangerous substances to account requires painstaking devotion, aka the type of unglamorous, highly necessary grunt work that Dark Waters focuses on. Perhaps not so obviously, enabling such a widespread catastrophe to take place — poisoning the environment, animals and people, and getting away with it until Bilott's lawsuit came along — requires just as much manpower, just from a completely different angle, which Dark Waters is equally as fervent about stressing. While tight, taut and involving from start to finish, the end result doesn't hit every note it aims for. Anne Hathaway's role as Bilott's wife is underwritten, and Bill Pullman hams it up in his brief supporting appearance. Still, there's no shaking this solid, compelling film's potency, its scandalous true tale and its takeaway message. As Bilott discovers when he switches sides, many a powerful entity will only do the right thing when they're made to by the masses. With that in mind, Haynes hasn't just brought an essential story to the screen (and inspired his audience to start questioning all the chemicals in their lives), but crafted the ideal movie for a world where the entire planet is increasingly at the mercy of corporate giants. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBGi3SzxkKk&feature=share
Intercontinental Sydney has refreshed one of its dining options, launching Pont Dining Room. Pairing with the luxury hotel's expansive accommodation, rooftop bar and spectacular views, the restaurant is dedicating its menu to celebrating the diversity of flavours on offer within Australia, opening its doors on Tuesday, April 9. Located inside the heritage-listed Treasury Building, and making high-quality local produce the star of its menu, Pont Dining Room operates under Chef de Cuisine — and ex-Mount Lofty House alum — Kanishka Amunugama. He brings a plethora of experience, as well as a sustainability-forward approach to celebrating the country's culinary flavours. "We're excited to welcome guests into the new restaurant," said Amunugama. "Whether that is for a catch-up with an old friend, a business lunch or a celebratory dinner, guests can expect an approachable and sophisticated dining experience from start to finish." The restored interiors of Pont Dining Room feature ocean-blue walls with arched, white windows and rum-coloured timber flooring, creating an inviting space with a rustic elegance. Plants are also littered throughout, complimenting the restaurant's leaf-inspired chandeliers with pops of green. Food-wise, Pont Dining Room's menu takes cues from Sydney treasures, iconic landscapes and recognisably Australian influences. When perusing the restaurant's offerings, you'll spot plenty of seafood-starring dishes and grilled meats, including a black onyx brisket and tenderloin, Bangalow sweet pork paired with Vegemite butter and chorizo jam, and a bluefin tuna dish that takes inspiration from the Botanical Gardens adjacent to the venue. Plus, there are signature dishes like the kimchi-fermented fries with gruyère sauce; a ricotta mille-feuille with orange blossom syrup; and sourdough crumpets accompanied by white anchovies chutney, whipped goat's cheese and lemon thyme. For dessert, a must-try chocolate mousse comes with raspberry crisp for additional tartness. "We wanted to create a menu that maximises the potential of every ingredient, leaving no element wasted and spotlight sustainably sourced, seasonal produce," said Amunugama. For sips to pair, the wine list spans tipples from organic to biodynamic, and from locally produced to internationally exported vinos. As for the cocktails, some utilise elements of the Australian landscape, with the Garden Walk incorporating bush mint and eucalyptus, and the Pont Sour starring Davidson plum. Find Pont Dining Room inside the Intercontinental Sydney at 12/117 Macquarie Street, Sydney from Tuesday, April 9 — open from 5.30–10pm Tuesday–Saturday. Images: Steve Woodburn.
If you've heard all the fuss about The Dolar Shop, you'll be happy to know the Chinese/Macanese hot pot empire is on our shores. With 53 global restaurants under its belt, the group chose Market City's 1909 Dining Precinct for its flagship Australian store. Joining Chongqing noodle spot Mr Meng, DIY Korean barbecue joint Kogi, sushi burger joint Gojima and Ashfield's Beijing Impression in the fancy food hall, the 200-seat eatery is serving up an authentic taste of Macanese fare. For the uninitiated, that's a bold blend of Portuguese and Cantonese cuisines. It's a venue primed for big share feasts, with the menu filled with options for customising your ideal hot pot banquet. Once you've selected the various elements, a pot of stock arrives at your table, to then simmer on the hot plate while you cook your chosen ingredients. Base broth varieties run from a light chicken consommé, to the gutsy Szchuan 'hot & spicy' number, both to be teamed with various cuts of premium meats, fresh seafood and vegetables. You'll find top-quality wagyu, fresh noodles, signature dumplings and just about every type of mushroom you've ever heard of. And the seafood offering is huge, with options like Tasmanian red lobster, blue swimmer crab, live prawns and local abalone making for some pretty pimped-out seafood hot pots. Before you start cooking, hit The Dolar Shop's dedicated sauce bar to get creative with the condiments, or let the menu guide you towards one of the suggested sauce pairings. The space itself is elegant, decked out with a healthy dose of marble and metallics, and there's even a trio of sleek private dining rooms for those who want to take their hot pot experience to the next level. Images: Anna Kucera.
