As NSW's COVID-19 restrictions start to ease and more Sydneysiders are heading back to work, commuters are once again piling onto the city's public transport network. But, with buses only able to fit 12 commuters and train carriages 35, under the country's physical distancing rules, you may've found it a little more difficult to get to work. To help, the NSW Government has temporarily added an extra 3300 services across the network from Monday, June 1. An extra 3100 weekly buses will provide 37000 more socially distant spots, while 250 weekly train services will add up to 59000 additional spaces — totally almost 100,000 more seats for bums across the city. While the new services will ease some transport tension, the NSW Government is continuing to encourage commuters to avoid travelling during peak hours. Last week, Premier Gladys Berejiklian said, "We recommend people who aren't already on the system in the peak, especially on buses and trains, to travel in the off-peak, so after 10am or before 2pm." NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance reiterated this sentiment, saying "please don't travel in the peak — walk, ride your bike or drive instead". With the new capacities, Constance said the city's public transport is only able to carry 550,000-600,000 commuters compared to its usual 2.2 million, which is about 25 percent. [caption id="attachment_772030" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The new decals encouraging socially distancing on a Sydney bus. Photo by Natalie Ratcliffe.[/caption] To help ease some of the congestion, the Government has also launched a pop-up car park in Moore Park, where commuters can catch a shuttle light rail service to the city, and six pop-up bike lanes heading into the city. The real-time public transport apps — including TripView, TripGo, Google Maps and the Opal App — now also show the safe capacity for each service and 400,000 green dot decals have also be rolled out across the public transport system this week, showing commuters where safe, socially distant spots to sit are. To plan your journey and for more information about Sydney transport options, head to the Transport for NSW website. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website.
With gigs and shows popping back onto calendars again over the last six months, bands and concert promoters have been forced to get creative to abide by COVID-19 restrictions. Local favourites have thrown seated gigs in small regional towns, performed to a sea of cars at drive-in concerts and are even set to take to revolving stages as part of NSW's first major music festival of 2021. Although gathering restrictions have begun to roll back and normalcy is beginning to return to the live music scene across the country, these unique opportunities to catch bands in unexpected locations don't seem to be going anywhere. Take Live At Last, for instance. It's the new live music series that will see fan-favourite Australian musicians perform at intimate venues across the country. In Sydney, it'll feature Hockey Dad, the band behind the aforementioned drive-in gigs, who'll perform in beloved bar Frankie's Pizza on Thursday, April 29. The show will be a unique chance enjoy Frankie's new Dan Pepperell-crafted pizza menu while catching the Wollongong surf-rock duo up close, with the CBD bar having a much smaller capacity than the 3000-person Big Top Luna Park the band recently sold out. A venue the size of Frankie's playing host a band of Hockey Dad's popularity could result in chaos, so you'll have to win tickets in order to get access to the gig. To go into the ballot to head along, you just need to hit up the Secret Sounds website and enter your details. Announced after the Hockey Dad show — but happening the day before — is Live At Last's Brisbane stopover. Last Dinosaurs and Dear Seattle will hit the stage at The Triffid on Wednesday, April 28. To head along, you'll also need to try to win tickets via the Secret Sounds website. Then, the series of gigs is set to move to other parts of the country. If you're wondering where else Live At Last will head, that's yet to be revealed. [caption id="attachment_772790" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hockey Dad by Ian Laidlaw[/caption] Live At Last is set to kick off on Wednesday, April 28 with Last Dinosaurs and Dear Seattle at The Triffid in Brisbane — and then head to Frankie's Pizza on Thursday, April 29 with Hockey Dad. To win tickets and to keep an eye out for future events, head to the event's website. Top image: Frankie's Pizza by Katje Ford Updated April 16.
Is there anything that Bill Hader can't do? While watching Barry's third season, that question just won't subside. The deservedly award-winning HBO hitman comedy has been phenomenal since 2018, when it first premiered. When it nabbed Hader an Emmy for his on-screen efforts in 2019, it had already proven one of the best showcases of the ex-Saturday Night Live performer's talents so far, too — yes, even beyond SNL. But season three of Barry three slides into another stratosphere: it's that blisteringly clever, deeply layered, piercingly moving and terrifically acted. It's also that exceptionally well-balanced as a crime comedy and an antihero drama, that scorchingly staged during its tense and thrilling action scenes, and that willing to question everything that the show and its eponymous character are. Hader has always lit up whichever screen he's graced, big or small — be it during his eight-year SNL stint, including as New York City correspondent Stefon, or in early supporting movie parts in Hot Rod and Adventureland. In 2014's The Skeleton Twins, opposite fellow ex-SNL cast member Kristen Wiig, he'd never been better to that point. But Barry is a tour de force both in front of and behind the lens, and a show expertly steeped in the kind of deep-seated melancholy that Hader can so effortlessly exude even when he's overtly playing for laughs. He doesn't just star, but writes and frequently directs. He co-created the series with Alec Berg (Silicon Valley), and he'll also helm every episode of its in-the-works fourth season. And, every choice he makes with Barry — every choice the show has made, in fact — is astounding. Freshly wrapped up on Binge in Australia and Neon in New Zealand — and so now available to stream in full — Barry's third season is propulsive. It knows its premise: a contract killer does a job in Los Angeles, catches the acting bug and decides to change his life. It also knows that it has to keep unpacking that concept. And, it's well-aware that there are repercussions for everything we do in life, especially for someone who has spent their days murdering others for money, even if they're extremely relatable and likeable. There has long been an air of The Sopranos to Barry, and of Mad Men as well, both of which seep through season three. It's both a portrait of someone who does despicable things, and a dive behind the gloss of an industry that sells a dream: an ex-soldier turned assassin-for-hire rather than a mob boss, and entertainment instead of advertising. Three seasons in, Barry Berkman (Bill Hader, Noelle) still wants to be an actor — and to also no longer kill people for a living — when this new batch of episodes begins. That's what he's yearned for across the bulk of the show so far; however, segueing from being a hitman to treading the boards or standing in front of the camera has been unsurprisingly complicated. Making matters thornier are the many ways that his past actions, as an assassin and just as Barry himself, have caused inescapable ripples. Season three focuses on history biting back again and again, including the investigation into murdered police detective Janice Moss (Paula Newsome, Spider-Man: No Way Home), the fallout with Barry's beloved acting teacher Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler, The French Dispatch), his relationship with fellow actor Sally Reed (Sarah Goldberg, The Night House) after she gets her own show — plus the dramas that causes for Sally — and the vengeance sought by his ex-handler Monroe Fuches (Stephen Root, The Tragedy of Macbeth). Chaos ensues, emotional and physical alike, because Barry has always been determined to weather all the mess, darkness, rough edges and heart-wrenching consequences of its central figure's actions. That's true of his deeds not only in the past, but in the show's present, and it's one of the series' smartest and most probing elements. Hader and Berg know that viewers like Barry. You're meant to. That's what the first season so deftly established, and the second so cannily built upon. But that doesn't mean ignoring that he's a hitman, or that his time murdering people — and his military career before that — has ramifications, including for those around him. Indeed, season three also spies the reverberations for Gene, Sally and Fuches not just due to Barry, but thanks to their own shortcomings and questionable decisions as they keep mounting. It's no wonder that Barry is one of the most complex comedies currently airing, and that its third season is as intricate, thorny, textured and hilarious as the first two to begin with — and even more so as each new episode gives way to the next. That's no small feat, but it's an even bigger achievement given that it's ridiculously easy to see how cartoonish Barry would be in far lesser hands. (Or, how it might've leaned into a lazy odd-couple setup with Hader as the titular figure and Bill & Ted Face the Music's delightful Anthony Carrigan as Chechen gangster Noho Hank). But Barry keeps digging into what makes its namesake tick, why, and the effects he causes. It sinks in so deeply that this, not chasing an acting dream, is what the relentlessly gripping show is truly about. And, it follows the same course across its entire main quintet. In reality, perfect and flawed aren't binary options for any single person, and this sublime piece of TV art mirrors life devastatingly well. With visual precision on par with Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, two of the most stylishly and savvily-shot shows ever made — two series where every single frame tells a tale without saying a word, and no aesthetic choice makes the expected move — Barry's third season is also spectacular to look at. It ends with an image that as simple as it is truly haunting, after a climactic finale episode that also features an intense showdown set against a purposefully stark backdrop, plus an action scene handled with more finesse and flair than most big-screen releases. As a dramatic motorcycle chase and vivid raid earlier in the season also illustrate, Barry is as devoted to staging dynamite action scenes as it is at plunging deep into its characters. And, as every intelligently penned and outstandingly performed episode just keeps proving, too, this masterful show is downright stellar at that. Barry's third season also remains immensely funny, and also savagely unsettling. Yes, it and Hader can do it all. The third season of Barry — and the first and second seasons as well — is streaming in full via Binge in Australia and Neon in New Zealand. Images: Merrick Morton/ HBO.
Sydney-based record label Trackwork has been blazing a trail for boundary-pushing hip hop and dance music rising out of this city for the past five years. As part of the 2023 Vivid program, the label is pulling together some of its favourite musicians for a night of heavy bass in Martin Place's CTA Business Building. Arriving at the nostalgic underground venue that most recently hosted The Weary Traveller during Sydney Festival, Trackwork Presents Club Service pulls together a lineup of some of the most interesting beatmakers and songwriters from across Australia and the world. LA-based Dominican producer Kelman Duran heads up the night, fresh from collaborating with Beyoncé on her most recent album Renaissance. Local producer Utility will be popping up for a collaborative set with rapper Vv Pete — who recently supported Denzel Curry and was named FBi Radio's Next Big Thing. Rounding out the lineup is Berlin-based musician Cassius Select, digital artist and black metal enthusiast Serwah Attafuah and Poison, the new team-up from DJ Plead and T. Morimoto. If you get peckish while you're on the dance floor, you're in luck. Eddy Avenue's new pizza joint Pizza Oltra is in charge of the bistro for the night, so you can satisfy your cravings with some cheesy slices between sets. The night kicks off at 5pm and will run until 2am. View this post on Instagram A post shared by TRACKWORK™️ (@trackwork_) Top image: CTA Business Club during The Weary Traveller, Sydney Festival
Throughout Sydneysiders' battle against the NSW government's restrictive lockout laws, Keep Sydney Open has been the biggest ally and loudest voice for the city's nightlife. It has held rally after rally, hosted suburb-wide parties and has gone head-to-head with politicians. Now, the nightlife lobby group is solidifying its legitimacy and taking its battle to state parliament — it's now officially registered as a political party, and will be running at next year's NSW state election, which will be held on Saturday, March 23, 2019. KSO announced its new status via a Facebook video on Tuesday, June 5, and released a statement on its website saying, "what started as a movement to protect Sydney's nightlife has morphed into something bigger — the lockouts were just one symptom of a broader sickness in NSW politics." While we can assume its stance on nightlife, the party's opinions on other state matters are yet to be revealed. These will be just as important to take into consideration in the lead-up to the election. To celebrate, the newly formed political party is — in true KSO-style — throwing a huge party on Saturday, June 30. The appropriately dubbed Party Party, which will be held across all six levels of the Kings Cross Hotel, will feature DJ sets from big-names Roland Tings and Basenji, as well as Triple J presenter Luen Jacobs and music collective Body Type DJs. A slew of local DJs and party crews are also slated to join the lineup. Tickets to the party cost $30, with all proceeds going to support Keep Sydney Open's political campaign, and can be purchased here. Image: Kimberley Low
Sick of playing Scrabble in generic sans serif? Lovers of words and type alike can spell their way to satisfying word play with these designer Scrabble sets by Andrew Capener. Capener wanted to "excite people about typography by giving them the ability to choose what font their scrabble set would come in." Beauty and quality are Capener's design priorities, with solid walnut and birch woods used to create the board, pieces and box. The A-1 Scrabble designer sets come in a single font of choice, or you can always mix and match with the assorted font pack. [Via Flavorwire]
Russian photographer and world traveller Murad Osmann is asking his Twitter fans to #followmeto all the incredible, exotic places he and his girlfriend have been exploring across the globe. And his followers, plus millions of other people across the internet, are certainly having no trouble doing that: Osmann's photographic journey takes viewers on a trip of their own, which is stunning in more ways than one. Osmann's series depicts backgrounds of beautiful scenery from the most distinct and glorious cities, mountains, buildings, and even shopping centres around the world. The feature that sets his photographs apart from other scenic pictures, however, is the subject within each and every image: Osmann's girlfriend appears with her back to the lens in the centre of each frame, clasping her lover's hand and leading him to these various attractions — however, often due to her limited clothing, she herself may easily become the main attraction of the shot. The idea for the image series first began in Barcelona in 2011 when the photographer's girlfriend got fed up with him snapping every sight they saw and consequently tried to pull him away from the lens. Instead, this gave birth to the vast photo series that the loved-up couple have been working together on practically ever since. From his hometown Moscow to his study-town London, holiday spots such as San Sebastian and Disneyland, and even more mundane scenes such as riding an escalator or being pushed in a shopping trolley, take a look at these original and dazzling images that will be sure to make you want to travel the world with your loved one. Via Daily Mail. Rooftop Pool, Singapore Entering the Gates of Disneyland, California The Meadows of Austria The Rice Fields in Bali The Big Ben and House of Parliament, London The Lovebirds Fly High in a Hot Air Balloon San Sebastian, Spain The Kremlin and Red Square, Moscow The Back Streets of Venice Strolling through the Aisles of Ikea 10,000 Buddhas Monastery, Hong Kong Brandenburg Gate, Berlin
Victoria's Hot Chocolate Festival is back again this August. And, like last year, it's also bringing the decadence to you. Whether you're a Melburnian who can't make it to one of the three venues outside of town, or you're located elsewhere and you really love hot chocolate, Yarra Valley Chocolaterie is churning out boxes filled with creative hot choccie flavours. Like this year's physical fest, the flavour range is being released weekly — so you have an excuse to order more than a few boxes. To kick things off, there's the Tim Tam caramel bomb, which turns caramel Tim Tams into a ball and serves it with a caramel hot chocolate. Also tempting: the Devonshire kronut version features a berry hot chocolate topped with — you guessed it — a kronut. And, the Snickertini includes shots of Baileys and vodka, while the Dreamtime hot chocolate features lemon myrtle. Fingers crossed that fan favourite flavours like Tim Tam Slam and Golden Nutella Spoon will pop up throughout the month, along with the more adventurous likes of If You Like Piña Colada, Zingy Chilli and Cherry Matcha. All limited-edition hot chocolates come with an extra shot of hot couverture chocolate and handcrafted marshmallow, too. Plus, in previous years, some of the highlights arrived with exploding marshmallows, melting chocolate discs and truffle balls. If the eight-flavour pack each week is a little much — it'll set you back $49.95 — you can also order individual varieties for $6.50 a pop. The boxes are available to order until the end of August, and there's a flat-rate shipping fee of $15 to anywhere in Australia.
They're small, they're slippery and they're absolutely sensational; alone or with a splash of Worcestershire sauce. Get ready to elevate your autumn afternoons at Felons Manly with the launch of Oyster Hour, kicking off in March. Settle in for stunning ocean views, glorious sunsets and freshly shucked Sydney rock oysters at just $3 a pop any afternoon from Monday to Friday between 3pm and 6pm. It's hard to think of a better way to shake off the working day. To complement these delicacies, Felons is offering a bespoke beverage menu featuring the exclusive Felons Japanese Rice Lager. Brewed especially for the Manly location, this crisp drop is the perfect pairing, adding an extra pop to every bite. So, whether you're looking for an afternoon escape or an early evening catch-up, Oyster Hour promises super-creamy oysters, tasty drinks and a laidback vibe. It could be tempting to make this your new ritual, but you'll have to hurry. $3 oyster hour at Felons is available for a limited time only and is expected to wrap up in early May.
Lockdown isn't fun or easy for anyone, whether you've been through a few of them now or you're weathering your second prolonged stint of stay-at-home conditions. At the moment, everyone in the Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, the Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour region falls into the latter category. Spending all that time within your own house is particularly difficult if you live alone, however — and Sydneysiders without housemates have now been at home on their lonesome for almost five weeks. It has taken more than a month — and, it seems to only have been motivated by the fact that the region will remain in lockdown for a further month — but the rules around folks who live alone are changing. Today, Wednesday, July 28, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced that the current stay-at-home rules will continue until at least 12.01am on Saturday, August 28, but singles bubbles will be introduced. So, there's bad news in general, but also some welcome news for people who've spent weeks by themselves now. What's a singles bubble? It's an arrangement that allows folks who live alone to have another person over to their homes. You'll have to designate one specific person, and only that person can visit your house — and only once per day. That nominated person is the only person who can visit you during the next four weeks (in other words, you can't have a different person over to your home each day). The singles bubbles will come into effect from 12.01 on Saturday, July 31; however, there are other caveats. With eight Sydney LGAs under stricter conditions from midnight tonight, Wednesday, July 28 — with people in the Parramatta, Georges River and Campbelltown LGAs joining folks in the Fairfield, Canterbury-Bankstown, Liverpool, Blacktown and Cumberland LGAs in not being able to leave their area for work, unless they work in emergency services, healthcare, or the aged care and disability care fields — this has an impact on singles bubbles. If you live within these eight LGAs, you have to nominate a person inside the same area, and also within ten kilometres of your house. If you live outside of the aforementioned LGAs, you must designate someone who also lives outside of them as well. https://twitter.com/NSWHealth/status/1420195677905113092 Other than singles bubbles, the rules about visitors at home aren't changing. So, no one else can have anyone over to their home other than for care purposes, which includes intimate partners. Basically, the singles bubbles arrangement will allow people who live by themselves to have a friend over. If it sounds somewhat familiar, that's because it has been a part of Melbourne's lockdowns over the past year; however, the New South Wales Government has resisted the setup until now. For people who live alone, the rest of the current lockdown rules still apply. That means that you can still only leave the house for four specific essential reasons: to work and study if you can't do it from home; for essential shopping; for exercise outdoors in groups of two; and for compassionate reasons, which includes medical treatment, getting a COVID-19 test and getting vaccinated. Singles bubbles fall under the compassionate category. You can also only go out shopping once each day to buy essential items — and, from midnight tonight, Wednesday, July 28, you can only go shopping within ten kilometres of your house, or within your LGA. Plus, carpooling is still off the cards, and you can still only exercise in groups of two outdoors — and you can also only get sweaty within your local government area, or within ten kilometres of where you live. As always, Sydneysiders are also asked to continue to frequently check NSW Health's long list of locations and venues that positive coronavirus cases have visited. If you've been to anywhere listed on the specific dates and times, you'll need to get tested immediately and follow NSW Health's self-isolation instructions. In terms of symptoms, you should be looking out for coughs, fever, sore or scratchy throat, shortness of breath, or loss of smell or taste — and getting tested at a clinic if you have any. Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, the Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour will remain in lockdown until at least 12.01am on Saturday, August 28. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website.
Whatever you've been dreaming about getting for Christmas, here's one thing that you don't have to write a letter to Santa for: a festive action-comedy about a Christmas Eve heist where a certain red suit- and white beard-wearing fellow kicks ass and tries to save the day. Making Violent Night an extra present of a film when it hits cinemas in December (when else?) is the man getting jolly, too: Stranger Things favourite David Harbour. The actor behind Hopper will get ho-ho-hoing in the seasonal flick — and dispensing with mercenaries like he's a Father Christmas version of John Wick. Hawaiian shirts are out, clearly, replaced by the expected Santa getup. The same no-nonsense attitude remains, though, as seen in the movie's just-dropped first trailer. Harbour as the merriest figure there is rescuing Christmas when a kid calls for his help? That's the basic plot, but there is slightly more to it. Those aforementioned mercenaries break into a wealth family compound on the night before the big festive day, taking everyone hostage. But Santa also happens to be there — and uttering lines like "time for season's beatings" as he gets to work. Those John Wick comparisons are by design, with 87North, the producers of franchise plus Nobody, Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Bullet Train and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, behind the film. And yes, there's more than a little bit of Die Hard thrown in as well — just in a home rather than Nakatomi Plaza. Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Jake Peralta would approve. On-screen, Harbour is joined by John Wick's John Leguizamo, plus Cam Gigandet (Without Remorse), Alex Hassell (Cowboy Bebop), Alexis Louder (The Terminal List), Edi Patterson (The Righteous Gemstones) and Beverly D'Angelo (Shooter). And behind the lens, Norwegian director Tommy Wirkola (Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, the Dead Snow franchise) is in the director's chair — and the script is penned by by Pat Casey and Josh Miller, after writing the terrible Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Check out the trailer below: Violent Night opens in cinemas Down Under on December 1.
I’ll be honest: earlier this year, Belvoir put a wild duck on stage and a small part of me hoped there would be a repeat of the bird scenario in The Seagull. However, given that the eponymous seagull of Chekhov’s play is shot early on and inescapably symbolic, it’s just as well that director Benedict Andrews doesn’t give the audience one to coo over. Instead, Andrews lives up to his reputation as one of Sydney’s most confronting and challenging directors by raising the curtain on the resentful, miserable, and resolutely alienated Masha smoking a bucket bong. In one fell swoop, Chekhov’s nineteenth century Russian country estate is transformed into a dinky fibro shack on the Australian coast where people have very little to do other than get wrapped up in the intricate narratives of their own lives. The flat, grey lake in the distance is, quite often, all they have to focus on. Although the setting is distinctly Australian, Andrews’ maintains simplified Russian character names and places. The ingénue Nina, the diva Irina, the angsty Konstantin, and the middlebrow writer Trigorin all ask questions about what constitutes real happiness, freedom and love; tragically, they seem innately incapable of answering them. Konstantin aspires to write plays that will overpower the artificial constraints of traditional theatre and stages an experimental piece set “200,000 years from now.” When his mother patronisingly dismisses it as “a tantrum disguised as theatre”, her beau’s smiling superciliousness only serves to stoke her son’s simmering Hamlet aspirations. Heart-sick with addled ambition, Konstantin shoots a seagull and offers it to his lover, Nina, but she is “too ordinary” to figure out whether it symbolises his frustrated creativity or her own fragile idealism. The Seagull was described by Chekhov as a comedy; and it is – in a generally bitter and twisted kind of way. Occasional moments of comic relief are provided by Sorin, who wanted to be a writer and never got around to it, but for much of the play Andrews’ cages his performers in a featureless glass box — a placeless place, with no discernible way in or out. In the face of the irrevocable nature of time, Chekhov's characters cling to momentary symbols in a vain effort to define themselves and each other. The Seagull is a meditation on how art produces life and life produces art, and the casualties of the process.
There's toying with horror film tropes, and then there's It Follows. Fans of the genre have undoubtedly seen all the scary movies where the characters get it on, only to be nastily dispensed with not too long after. Even those not so fond of big-screen frights have probably watched the flicks that call attention to and make fun of the cliche, such as Scream. Well, here, that convention isn't just a routine inclusion — it's the film. When hormone-fuelled teens have done the deed, something evil comes calling. That, folks, would be the titular 'it', a presence that can take the guise of a parent, friend or stranger. It follows its victim with a focus and perseverance most movie killers could only dream of. Once it sets its sights on the latest sexually active person to catch its attention, it won't stop walking and stalking until it strikes them down — or until the unlucky soul in question passes it on by sleeping with someone else. After getting intimate with her boyfriend, Hugh (Jake Weary), for the first time, that's the situation 19-year-old Jay (Maika Monroe) finds herself in. It takes some time to convince her sister Kelly (Lili Sepe), friends Yara (Olivia Luccardi) and Paul (Keir Gilchrist), and neighbour Greg (Daniel Zovatto) of such a strange predicament, but they're soon helping her try to outrun her sinister, unceasing, supernatural pursuer. There might be more than a hint of picking off the promiscuous at play here, even if getting physical is a clear substitute for fears of growing up in general, but thankfully that outdated attitude doesn't dampen the film. Instead, It Follows flies by thanks to its genuine chills, using its style to unsettling effect. If ever there was a movie that stacked up familiar horror elements and made them its own in the canniest fashion possible, it's this one. Think you've seen that fondness for symmetry before? And heard something similar to that electro score? Well, if you're familiar with the work of Stanley Kubrick and John Carpenter, that's not at all surprising. This isn't a case of blatant copying of parts of movies like The Shining and Halloween, but of affectionate nods to obvious influences. Writer/director David Robert Mitchell takes his cues from the master filmmakers he loves, his enthusiasm ensuring It Follows is never anything less than hauntingly atmospheric and spine-tinglingly creepy. So, there's sex and death, a gimmick that might get you watching. Plus, there's an unshakeable air of unease, which will probably keep you glued to your seat. It's actually the performances that will get you really engrossed in the film, however, refreshingly showing teens acting their age. Monroe is a certain star in the making, and the rest of the cast are just as great at getting to the heart of what it must be like to be scared out of your wits while still awkward, vulnerable and uncertain. As It Follows follows them coping the best they can, it also follows in the footsteps of horror greats gone by, proving a striking and sincerely scary addition to the genre. Read our feature on the history of sex in horror movies.
There are so many rankings in the culinary world! It was only a couple of months ago we were showering praise on Attica for being the best restaurant in Australia as per the rankings in Restaurant magazine. Then, earlier this week, Gourmet Traveller weighed in on the debate and reaffirmed Ben Shewry's Melbourne restaurant as the best. Now the Weekend Australian and their annual 'Hot 50 Restaurants' ranking have deemed Neil Perry's Rockpool as the greatest in all the land. We don't know what to believe, but we do know that having too much delicious food everywhere can hardly be a bad thing. The poll, self-described as "Australia's most honest snapshot of the national restaurant scene," was released this weekend. Rockpool Sydney took out the top gong and various other awards were divvied up across the nation. The titles of both 'Hottest Regional' and 'Hottest Victorian' restaurant was awarded to Dan Hunter's Brae in Birregurra. Wasabi was named the best in Queensland. Martin Ben from Sydney's Sepia was named 'Hottest Chef'. And Melbourne's Stokehouse, rebuilt this year after a devastating fire, was named 'Hottest Classic' without a hint of irony. Editor of the Weekend Australian Magazine Christine Middap had endless praise for both Sydney, Melbourne and South Australia in her published list, though openly derided the restaurant scene in Canberra, Brisbane and Perth. "An almost obsessive, market-driven surge in informality too often has translated to slackness [in these regions]," she said. Foodie cattiness aside, the list itself proves some interesting reading. While some Melbourne and Sydney favourites — Attica, Chin Chin, Momofuku and Rockpool — are regulars to the yearly ranking, 28 of the 50 restaurants included are new additions from last year. Chances are you'll be able to comb the list and find something new near you. However, all that depends on how much money you're willing to fork out. Though they do award a 'Hottest Value' title — Adelaide's nose-to-tail eatery Daniel O'Connell — the rest of the list is bound to set you back a few clams. Maybe save these ones for a special occasion and stick to Concrete Playground's advice for the rest of your trips out. It is The Australian after all. Via The Australian. See the full published list of restaurants here.
Peering through the front window on Pittwater Road, you could easily mistake The Herring Room for a fine dining haunt. But the reality is quite the opposite. Once the space of a former surf shop, the boards and bathers may be gone, but the laidback northern beaches vibe certainly remains. What caused this confusion was the attention to detail that was paid to both the fit-out and the menu. Tactically accented by exposed brick walls, polished floorboards, candlelight and dark leather chesterfields, the space is polished but still warm and homely — complete with a prize herring mounted proudly over the fireplace. In the kitchen, you'll find a trio of chefs and a mix of culinary skills that clearly shine through on the seasonal menu. And while each of The Herring Room's influences takes a leading role at different points, there is one constant: its focus on seafood. A signature French dish is a squid ink spaghetti with a sea urchin butter emulsion and shaved bottarga, which makes for a deliciously rich but well-portioned combination. Making up the Aussie contingency is a dish of baked NSW Snowy Mountains rainbow trout with little neck clams, fennel, shallots and crushed peas and slow-cooked, braised lamb shank with red wine jus, rosemary and white polenta, among others. Switching to South Asian flavours try the Vietnamese-inspired beef tartare with cos, pine nuts, crispy shallots, chilli, coriander and mint leaf. When it comes to dessert — which you'll want to save room for — try the dulce de leche fondant with salted macadamia ice cream and fresh banana brûlée or the crepe Suzette with orange and caramel sauce and vanilla chantilly. They're both great desserts in their own right, but here they make for an epic partnership. The Herring Room is actually a much larger space than you would initially imagine, and the best seats in the house are in the courtyard out the back. Surrounded by high walls adorned with succulents, this little garden oasis epitomises the chilled-out nature of northern beaches dining culture. Images: Lauren Vadnjal.
If you thought you were going to have to head all the way down to Melbourne to catch The Book of Mormon, think again. It looks like Trey Parker and Matt Stone's hit musical is bringing its hilariously irreverent self to Sydney. At least, that what's all the signs are pointing to, with a series of vague posters popping up on bus shelters across Sydney this week, including this one on Crown Street in Surry Hills. Announcing simply that 'the mormons are coming', the teasers are pretty short on facts, though they've inspired plenty of locals to jump over to the website and sign up to the email list for first dibs on any info that does surface. Even The Book of Mormon's publicity company is keeping hush and refusing to comment on the prospect of a Sydney run. Looks like we'll just have to sit tight and wait for confirmation. Written by South Park and Team America's notoriously puerile creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, together with Robert Lopez of genius grown-up muppet show Avenue Q, The Book of Mormon is probably one of the most lauded comedies ever to have centred on the Church of Latter Day Saints, African missions, AIDS, bum jokes and super ironic racism. If it wasn't so smart and so funny, few would forgive it. But since it is, The Book of Morman has picked up nine Tonys, four Olivier Awards and a Grammy since it debuted in 2011, and has been called "one of the most joyously acidic bundles Broadway has unwrapped in years". If you've been among the throngs to see the musical in New York, Chicago or London, then you'll be plenty excited that your Melbourne friends will now get the chance to go learn all the idiosyncratic details of Mormonism, meet war criminal General Butt-Fucking Naked and know the true meaning of the hakuna matata-like saying 'Hasa Diga Eebowai'. The Book of Mormon is due to wrap up in Melbourne on November 19. We'll keep you updated on any official announcements.
It just makes so much sense: Rick Stein, the celebrity chef who made a name for himself — first in the UK and then in Australia — by making seafood his ingredient of choice opening a restaurant in Port Stephens, home to some of the best seafood on the east coast. Following the success of the first Rick Stein at Bannisters in Mollymook, this outpost opened in conjunction with Bannisters Port Stephens in 2018. Stein, alongside his wife Sarah, engaged interior design Romy Alwill to present a breezy interior, splashed with terracotta, timber and Japanese watercolours. Alongside Head Chef Mitchell Turner, Stein has designed a menu that celebrates the region — and its excellent produce. That starts with a selection of seafood straight from the sea — think oysters on ice (or served with spicy sausage) and sashimi of Nelson Bay yellowfin tuna, Eden kingfish and Tasmanian salmon — alongside a creamy black cuttlefish risotto. For mains, you can enjoy baked whole snapper, barbecued tuna steak, fish curry or, if you're happy to get your hands dirty, blue swimmer crab served Singapore-style with garlic, ginger, chilli and coriander. After dinner, pop across to the Terrace Bar. It's a design feat, all millennial pink, splashes of mint, white, grey and blond wood, and overlooks the hotel's infinity pool, out toward the tops of the surrounding gum trees and onto the water.
Peruse a list of 2019's big movies, and you could be forgiven for feeling like Hollywood is living in the past. When it's not serving up Dumbo, Aladdin and The Lion King remakes, it's extending the Godzilla, X-Men, Men in Black, Child's Play, Toy Story, Spider-Man and Terminator franchises — and putting together a sequel to The Shining. The list goes on, with the new Charlie's Angels the latest to join the fold. Hello, nostalgia- and action-loving movie-goers, obviously. Back in 2000 and 2003, the world didn't really need a couple of films based on the 1976–81 television series of the same name, even if Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu made a great team. Almost two decades later, the world probably doesn't need a third Charlie's Angels movie about a private detective agency, its formidable ladies and their globe-trotting hijinks, either. But the new flick — which both revisits the franchise's familiar scenario with new faces, and reportedly continues on from both the TV show and the the first two films — does boast more than a few potential highlights. Cast-wise, Charlie's Angels circa 2019 stars Kristen Stewart, Aladdin standout Naomi Scott and British up-and-comer Ella Balinska. Like her Twilight co-star Robert Pattinson, Stewart has made some savvy film choices since farewelling the vampire romance saga, including Clouds of Sils Maria, Certain Women and Personal Shopper — and while this upbeat action flick about kick-ass ladies saving the world clearly shares little else in common with her recent dramatic roles, here's hoping it continues her good run. Elsewhere, Elizabeth Banks sits the director's chair, co-wrote the script and features on-screen as Bosley. Well, one of them — Patrick Stewart and Djimon Hounsou both play Bosley, too. Music fans can also look forward to the soundtrack, with Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus and Lana Del Rey all collaborating on a song, as the film's first trailer reveals. That's a bit of a throwback of its own, given that 2000's Charlie's Angels also featured a killer track, aka Destiny's Child's 'Independent Women'. Catch a glimpse of the new Charlie's Angels in the initial clip below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSUq4VfWfjE Charlie's Angels releases in Australian cinemas on November 14, 2019.
The silly season is upon us. Time to let go of those inhibitions and indulge in the excess of the season. Whether you're hosting Chrissie lunch, heading to a summer barbie or organising the office drinks, you'll want to make sure you're dining and sipping well. So, to help you sort out the menu, we've teamed up with our friends at Pernod Ricard, purveyors of festive tipples like Mumm, Chivas, St Hugo and Jacob's Creek, to bring you some top-notch food and beverage pairings for the festive season. Whether you're after a traditional roast, barbecued seafood or some tasty little canapés, we've tracked down a tip-top tipple to complement your Christmas fare. OYSTERS AND CHAMPAGNE It's a classic pairing; there's just something about the smooth, tannic saltiness of an oyster paired with a fizzy, dry Champagne that makes for a perfect (and rather lush) starter. Mumm's signature Cordon Rouge is a key drop to pair with your raw bar this Christmas. The nose offers hints of white and yellow peach with some delicate notes of lychee and pineapple, and on the palate, you can expect a complex yet well-balanced mouthfeel with lots of fresh fruity notes and the tiniest hint of caramel to balance. Pop and pour some Mumm as you shuck oysters with the family. And make sure everyone gets a go at opening their own oyster. SALMON AND A SPRITZ Fresh, bubbly and fun, the prosecco spritz is like that friend you invite to everything because you know they'll be the life of the party. And Jacob's Creek's version is no different — plus it makes hosting a breeze with the aromatic, orangey spritz flavours already bottled up. All you've gotta do is pour over ice and garnish with a slice of orange. As for the food, we recommend pairing those bitter orange notes and herbaceous aromas with the salty, oily flavours of smoked salmon blinis with cucumber, creme fraiche and salmon roe. It's elegant, sophisticated and dead easy to prep and serve. GRILLED PRAWNS AND ROSÉ With the heat, sunshine and general summer vibes, Australian Christmas typically favours seafood —what's more Australian than chucking a few shrimp on the barbie? Well, should you live in an apartment sans barbecue or just can't be bothered with the whole 'uh oh the prawn has fallen through the grate', this grilled alternative is quick, easy, flavourful and pairs quite well with a glass of rosé or two. Marinate the prawns in butter, lemon juice, garlic and herbs, and then place under your oven grill for two to three minutes. Plate up the prawns and get some chilled Jacob's Creek Le Petit Rosé on the pour. And with this pairing falling in line with the pinky orange Pantone colour of 2019, you'll not only eat like a king but a stylish, on-trend one at that. CHRISTMAS ROAST AND CAB SAV Even though it's likely to hit 30-plus degrees this Christmas, it's still hard to beat a traditional Christmas roast lunch on the big day. If you're going for a roast turkey, goose or chicken, complete with all the trimmings, you'll need a wine that can hold its own against the mammoth meal. St Hugo cabernet sauvignon pours an inky red-purple and offers a spicy bouquet of cherries, blackberries and a touch of star anise. On the palate expect a full body with roasted chestnut flavour and oaky vanilla, that finishes with an acidity that brings it all home. CHOCOLATE AND WHISKY Chocolate and whisky — it's got decadence written all over it. To achieve maximum opulence, you'll want to find a drop that'll be enriched by a chocolate pairing. The Chivas Regal 18 is a blended scotch whisky aged to bring out a smooth, spicy and slightly sweet flavour profile. The buttery toffee and caramel notes are complemented by dried fruit and a hint of spice and dark chocolate. Pour a nip over a single ice cube to pull out the flavours, and pair it with a square (or block) of rich, dark chocolate — or, even more decadent, a fudgy chocolate cake. Start planning your festive menus — Christmas will be here before you know it. Purchase any two eligible Pernod products from a Cellarbrations, The Bottle O, IGA Liquor or Big Bargain Bottleshop, and go in the draw to win a $500 travel voucher. There's one voucher to win every day till Christmas. And really, what could be better for the holiday spirit than winning an actual holiday?
Everyone loves digging into a bowl of hearty, cheesy, carby pasta — whether it's the middle of a drizzly winter or the peak of summer. But sometimes, depending how fancy you go, they can set you back nigh $30. Fratelli Fresh has decided to shun exxy bowls and is now serving up $10 pastas every weekday. Available between 12–3pm at all seven stores, they're your new excuse to get out of the office for lunch. The lineup of affordable pastas features six classic dishes, including fusilli with ragu, linguine with chilli, penne with gorgonzola and (for when it's really hot) an olive, feta and cucumber number served cold. Those wanting more than just a bowl of (very tasty) carbs can also add on selected sides, desserts and drinks for only $5 a pop, which range from cheese-stuffed zucchini flowers to tomato bruschetta, shoestring fries, banoffee torta and, yes, $5 glasses of wine and beers. So, save that salad for tomorrow and chuck your sandwich in the fridge — it's time to level-up your lunch. You'll find the $10 pasta deal (and $5 sides) at Fratelli Fresh stores in Alexandria, Bridge Street, Crows Nest, Darling Harbour, the Entertainment Quarter, Walsh Bay and Westfield Sydney. It's only running for a limited time, so we suggest booking in a long lunch sooner rather than later. Book your spot for via the website, and check out the full discounted menu here. Fratelli Fresh's $10 classic pastas are available at all seven stores from 12–3pm on weekdays.
Acclaim, awards, and Josh and Julie Niland all go hand in hand. The Sydney duo have been winning fans locally since 2016, when they opened Saint Peter, and the praise has kept flowing and growing from there. Josh's applauded The Whole Fish Cookbook earned him the prestigious James Beard Book of the Year Award back in 2020, becoming the first Australian to ever take out the prize. Earlier in 2022, he was the only Australian chef to feature in The Best Chefs Awards for 2022 — aka the list of the top 100 best globally — too. Now, with Julie, another gong has come the Nilands' way: the Game Changer Award from France's La Liste. La Liste is known for picking the best 1000 restaurants in the world annually, and it has also just done exactly that for 2023. But it gives out awards as well, with its latest round handed out on the evening of Monday, November 28 in Paris. That's where Josh and Julie earned some love for their approach to seafood, and the businesses that've sprang from their efforts. [caption id="attachment_771911" align="alignnone" width="1920"] by Rob Palmer, from Josh Niland's The Whole Fish Cookbook[/caption] "Australian chef Josh Niland, whose wife Julie runs his ever evolving Sydney business, has changed the way chefs use fish all over the world with his zero-waste 'fish butchery' approach," La Liste notes in its explanation for its 2023 Game Changer pick. "His methods seemed radical when he started talking about them, but make sense — use the whole fish, from fin-to-gill, as we do nose-to-tail with animals. Age and cure fish. Don't forget the offal. As many chefs lack the knowledge to do this, he shares his ideas in two cookbooks, The Whole Fish and Take One Fish," the statement continues. [caption id="attachment_878784" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rob Palmer[/caption] Clearly, Sydneysiders will be familiar with the Nilands courtesy of Saint Peter, and also thanks to Fish Butchery since 2018 — with the latter now in both Paddington and Waterloo — plus sustainable fish and chip shop Charcoal Fish in Rose Bay. They have more venues in the works, with Saint Peter moving into The Grand National Hotel, the Nilands taking over the whole place, and new 60-seat restaurant and bar Petermen coming to St Leonards, all in 2023. The Nilands' La Liste prize saw them earn international recognition alongside fellow Aussie chefs James Henry and Shaun Kelly, who scored one of the Hidden Gems awards for Le Doyenné in Saint-Vrain in France. Also picking up a win among the global recipients: Michel Guérard, who nabbed a special Award of Honour; Chika Tillman from New York's ChikaLicious Dessert Bar, who received the Top Pastry Chef Award; and Yotam Ottolenghi for championing the Mediterranean region, which scored him the New Destination Champion Award. Plus, Italy's Niko Romito was given the Innovation Award, France's Yannick Alléno the Community Spirit prize, and Brazil's Manoella Buffara took home the Ethical and Sustainability Award. Among La Liste 2023's 1000 restaurants, Saint Peter obviously featured, as did a nice lineup of other Australian spots. In Sydney, Oncore by Clare Smyth, Quay, Tetsuya's, Bentley Restaurant and Bar, Bennelong, Ormeggio at The Spit, and Rockpool Bar and Grill made the list, while Melbourne's inclusions span Vue de Monde, Attica, Cutler and Co, Minamishina, Lume, Grossi Florentino Upstairs and Flower Drum. In regional Victoria, Brae, Lake House and Provenance got the nod, as did Penfolds Magill Estate in Adelaide. [caption id="attachment_690417" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brae[/caption] For La Liste's full list of awards, and best restaurants, head to the guide's website. Top image: Rob Palmer.
Combine your love of cheese and crepes this June as Four Frogs Creperie's Sydney outposts host a month of cheesy celebrations in collaboration with Surry Hills cheese specialist Fromaggi Ocello. Starting Tuesday, June 1, Cheese Month will take over Four Frogs Circular Quay, Randwick, Mosman and Lane Cove digs with a special month-long menu featuring limited-time galettes. Each galette created by the Four Frogs French chefs wraps a different mix of cheese and local fresh ingredients in a thin savoury crepe. Packed into the La Savoyarde, you'll find reblochon cheese, onion, potatoes and speck, while inside the L'Auvergnate is leek fondue, creme and runny egg mixed with fourme d'ambert, a natural blue cheese. Four Frog crepes and galettes are made from the restaurant's own buckwheat flour, sourced from a local farm in Orange, while Ocello handpicks its cheese from Europe, bringing some of the rarest and tastiest cheeses to Sydney. To ensure your spot, book a seat at your closest Four Frogs.
Bondi is no stranger to a multi-faceted all-day venue. The suburb's sunny demeanour, famous beach and vibrant nightlife mean that cafes, bar and restaurants can thrive serving up early-morning post-surf coffee, hearty lunches or late-night drinks — so why not create a venue that can do them all? The latest east Sydney spot to emerge as a culinary triple threat is Makaveli. This pocket-sized Glenayr Avenue spot comes from Jacob Hill and Phill Cooke. The pair link up after both cutting their teeth at ever-expanding Sydney hospitality groups. Hill has been at the helm of Cali Press' eastern suburbs venues, while Cooke has been managing the Milpa Collective's Bondi outposts (Taqiza, Calita, Carbon). Together, Cooke and Hill have created a sleek and inviting neighbourhood haunt. The interiors have been designed by Milpa collaborator Imogen Reed, with the team opting for a minimalist Italian-style fitout that hopes to place the emphasis on flavoursome bites, quality coffee and top-notch drinks. Joining the duo and heading up the kitchen is Head Chef Jessica Young. The accomplished chef has mastered her craft in Michelin-starred restaurants across Europe before hitting Sydney to lead Makaveli's food offerings. Together, all three have created a menu inspired by Italian classics and popular modern Australian dishes. And yes, there's burrata and kingfish crudo. At its core, the eats revolve around quick and easy breakfast options, plus tasty share plates at night. From 8am, you can score freshly baked slices of loaded focaccia topped with roasted zucchini and mozzarella, or ricotta, chilli, garlic and fennel broccolini. The brekkie options and Will & Co coffee keeps rolling until midday, with other early-morning feeds including granola bowls and banana bread with strawberries and icing sugar. Following the morning rush, Makaveli shuts its doors before emerging from hibernation at 5pm Wednesday–Sunday. The By Night menu traverses a range of bread and bite-sized options, as well as larger share plates, centred predominantly around vegetarian dishes done right. Cooke also takes on the role of Head Bartender, whipping up elderflower spritzes and the menu's four unique negronis. As for the wine list, things have been kept simple with a couple of whites, a couple of reds, a couple of sparkling and a rosé from the team's favourite Australian producers. Makaveli is now open at Shop 2/179 Glenayr Avenue, Bondi Beach — operating 6am–midday Monday–Sunday and 5–11pm Wednesday–Sunday.
Could you get more theatrical than glorious Walsh Bay? Soaring warehouse conversions, the glittering harbour — and the iconic STC at the hub of the Arts Precinct. Walsh Bay Kitchen, within the Roslyn Packer Theatre, opens its doors on the burgeoning food strip of Hickson Road. The space is slick with off-Broadway style: think parquetry floors and leather banquettes. The recessed lightboxes seem a nod to stage lights, casting dress circle moodiness. But instead of the whispers of a reverent audience, here chatter bounces off the upholstered walls. If mirth and merriment bars a thousand harms and lengthens life, there isn’t a better reason to catch an end-of-season show and dig in here. Specialising in pre-theatre dining and post-show supper, the restaurant opened to coincide with the launch of The Present and was thrust into the world. The fare, with hints of modern Asian, isn’t reinventing the wheel. Like Upton and Chekhov, classic combinations needn’t be toyed with. And with daily lunch specials of nachos, fish and chips and spag bol, it seems head-chef Kay Huang is playing down any stuffiness once associated with theatre-going. The dinner menu (two course $47, three course $57 with a glass of wine) offers good food piled high on stunning, Insta-worthy glazed plates, like free range chicken pat? with moscato jelly, pickle and baguette toast ($16). There’s a bar menu for grazing over aperitif hour; the ginger scallop ceviche a highlight ($16). It’s a decidedly Sydney spread, from zingy Japanese to the creamy bistro classic of the snapper. The unabashedly rich chocolate slice for dessert ($14) is a fitting finale in a town that prides itself on flamboyance, cut by a good dose of sea salt. There are many reasons catching a play is a good idea — the thrill of entertainment with an intimacy often lacking in our screen-obsessed world — and Walsh Bay Kitchen is one more. Simplicity with an elegant, Australian ease, this is a place you’ll sneak into at intermission and come back to again, ticket not necessary. Walsh Bay Kitchen is also open Sundays as per the performance schedule.
Start making Easter plans now: Bluesfest has just announced the first acts on its 2023 lineup. From Thursday, April 6–Monday, April 10, the iconic annual festival will return to Byron Events Farm at Tyagarah for its 34th event — with Elvis Costello, Mavis Staples and Gang of Youths leading the bill. Also heading to northern New South Wales as part of the five-day lineup: Jackson Browne, Tash Sultana, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Jimmy Barnes with The Barnestormers, and Talib Kweli, GZA and Big Freedia as special guests of The Soul Rebels. As usual, Bluesfest's roster of talent spans a hefty array of music genres — blues and roots, obviously, but also soul, rock, hip hop, R&B and more — with Beth Hart, Buddy Guy, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle and The Dukes, The Cat Empire and Xavier Rudd also set to take to the stage. Rockwiz Live will be doing its thing, too, in the perfect setting. And, would it be a Bluesfest without Michael Franti & Spearhead? In 2023, you won't need to find out. [caption id="attachment_867502" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mavis Staples by Myriam Santos[/caption] In total, 41 acts have been announced so far — with more to come, for what organisers are calling "the first original style Bluesfest since the world's borders re-opened". While the fest went ahead in 2022 after two years of pandemic cancellations (and a thwarted temporary move to October for the same reason), it showcased a primarily Australian and New Zealand lineup. With the return of international travel, Bluesfest can welcome top-notch acts from around the globe again. Season tickets are on sale now, alongside VIP tickets, with prices remaining at 2022 levels for the 2023 fest. Day and three-day tickets will follow in the near future, at a yet-to-be-announced date, along with more lineup announcements, plus news of sideshows and two special satellite Bluesfest events in Melbourne and Perth. BLUESFEST 2023 LINEUP — FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT: 19-Twenty The Barnestormers Beth Hart The Black Sorrows Bonnie Raitt Buddy Guy The Cat Empire Chain Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram Elvis Costello & The Imposters Eric Gales Femi Kuti & The Positive Force Gang of Youths Greensky Bluegrass Jackson Brown Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit Joe Bonamassa Joe Camilleri Presents: A Star-Studded Tribute to the Greats of the Blues Jon Stevens Kaleo Keb' Mo' Band King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Lachy Doley and The Horns Of Conviction Larkin Poe Lp Lucinda Williams Marcus King Mavis Staple Michael Franti & Spearhead Nikki Hill Robert Glasper Rockwiz Live The Soul Rebels & Friends with Special Guests Talib Kweli, GZA and Big Freedia Southern Avenue Spinifex Gum featuring Marliya Steve Earle & The Duke Tash Sultana Xavier Rudd Bluesfest 2023 will run from Thursday, April 6–Monday, April 10 at Byron Events Farm, Tyagarah. Season passes are on sale now. For further information, head to the Bluesfest website.
When a music star drops news that they're heading Down Under on their very own podcast, believe them. Jessie Ware did just that back in May, advising that she'd be playing Australian music festival Summer Camp later this year — and now the fest has confirmed that she'll be headlining. Ware will play the event's two stops in December 2023, with Summer Camp kicking off on in Melbourne on Saturday, December 2, then heading north to Sydney on Sunday, December 3 — with inner-city venues for each city still to be revealed. [caption id="attachment_899478" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Raph_PH via Wikimedia Commons.[/caption] It's been a long time between Australian visits for the UK disco-pop queen. The last time she graced our shores was for Laneway Festival all the way back in 2013. In the period since, she's released four albums, including the immensely critically acclaimed What's You Pleasure in 2020 and its equally vibrant recent follow-up That! Feels Good!. But now Ware's drought of Aussie appearances is officially coming to an end. Ware initially let the news slip on an episode of her podcast Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware, when the singer and her mother Lennie were joined by a fellow pop icon: Australia's very-own Dannii Minogue. While the episode traverses the dynamics of the Minogue family and the delights of panna cotta, one eagle-eared Twitter user noticed that Ware dropped the unannounced goss that she'd be heading Down Under. "I'm actually going to Australia in November for this festival called Summer Camp," Ware said while discussing travel plans, and the possibility of doing a Table Manners series here in Oz. [caption id="attachment_911167" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jack Grange[/caption] Summer Camp hosted its inaugural festivals in Sydney and Melbourne in 2022, combining top-notch tunes and LGBTQIA+ pride through a stacked lineup featuring Years & Years, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Big Freedia, Cub Sport and The Veronicas. 2023's full plans haven't yet been revealed, other than Ware doing the honours. Who'll be joining her is among the details still to come. Ware has also just dropped her latest single, a new duet version of 'Freak Me Now' with Róisín Murphy, which you can check out below: SUMMER CAMP FESTIVAL 2023 AUSTRALIAN DATES: Saturday, December 2 — Melbourne, venue TBC Sunday, December 3 — Sydney, venue TBC Summer Camp will play Sydney and Melbourne in December 2023. For further details or to nab tickets, head to the festival's website.
Vulcan is a tiny planet that a French mathematician discovered in the 19th century, but was shortly after discovered to have not actually been discovered as it did not really exist. So what does Sophia Hewson see as being like that, but sad? There are three works in this show: downstairs, a life-sized Neanderthal Christ in a passionate pose and an oversized icon, Help Me Saint Teresa of Avila, are hand-carved from polyurethane and coated in hundreds-and-thousands and varnish. Upstairs, a photoreal Madonna (the Virgin Mary kind) with junk-shop symbolic accoutrements is rendered in oil and resin in a piece called I can feel myself forming (my borrowed rib), But like a slug I am to mighty men. These works don't come across as specifically religious, despite their subjects and Hewson's evident familiarity with various conventions of religious representation. Nor are they irreverent in any inflammatory sense — the reconfiguration of the traditional iconographic elements and media of the composition aren't satirical. Instead, the layering of knowledge and subversion, and the use and representation the mass-manufactured, combine into a contemplative aesthetic in which the 'longing' of the title references unknowability and the means by which it is almost impossible to fully accept or reject this as an element of one's thought.
It began, as so many wonderful internet things do, with an XKCD cartoon. Titled Up-Goer Five, the schematic explained the internal workings of the only rocket to have transported humans into space, the Saturn V, using only the 1000 most commonly used words in the English language. Rocket is not one of the words, nor thousand. Nor most of the words in this paragraph. In the last few days, enabled by Theo Sanderson's specially built text editor, several other people have Up-Goer Fived their own area of expertise. Most of them are scientists from esoteric fields, giving us laymen a rare chance to grasp what their life's work is about. Not being able to use jargon makes for some convoluted WTF gibberish sentences, but at other, better times, it creates windows where you can grasp at some previously ungraspable idea. Check out these excerpts and their simply stated insights. 1. Saturn's moon Iapetus is two-toned because bits of air turn into ice on the back side of it "First, it runs into black stuff that sticks to the front of it. That black stuff takes in more light from the sun and makes it warmer. That makes very tiny bits of the ice it's made of turn into air, and the bits of air go around it and turn back into ice on the back side of it. Second, when the bits of ice go away from the front side, they leave behind dark stuff that was between and under them, and that makes the front side even blacker, and helps it warm up even more, so things go on and on and on. The back side is white because it didn't get black stuff on it, and also because the ice that went away from the black side went there and made it bright." By Rachel Klippenstein. Read in full at io9.com. 2. The Higgs boson is the tiny thing that makes all other things heavy "What makes the tiniest things heavy? The best guess explained this by saying that all around us is a field, which is a bit like water or some other stuff that would slow you down if you tried to walk through it … [U]ntil last year, people weren’t completely sure this field was real. But they knew that if it was real, and you shook it really hard, then a totally new tiny thing would fall out of it. That’s because it’s a bit like the water-like-stuff is made out of this new tiny thing." By Michael Slezak. Read in full here. 3. We don't have robot helpers yet because it's hard to make computers with bodies walk "We want the computers with bodies to run quickly. We want them to climb walls. We need them to do these things even when the ground is covered in rocks or with ice, without tripping and falling or getting stuck. We look a lot at animals to see how they do these things. We try to understand how their brain decides where to put their legs, and how their legs are built." By Shira E. Read in full here. 4. The Bechdel Test is a check to see if things are even in the way they show men and women "To make the story as much like real life as possible (except for the made-up bits) you really do need a lot of different kinds of people, not just lots of men who are quite like each other because they are all young and white and strong. This makes it easier for people to accept the really made up bits, because the rest of the story feels much more real." Read in full here. 5. Environmental protection might mean not giving so much food to animals and cars "So how are we going to grow more food without cutting down more trees? One answer to this problem is looking at how we use the food we grow today. People eat food, but food is also used to make animals and run cars. In fact, animals eat over one-third of the food we grow." By Emily S. Cassidy, environmental scientist. Read in full here. 6. Postmodernism is that many things we think are facts are actually stories "This is not to say the facts are not true. But the story isn't." Read in full here.
The art form of graffiti, one of the four sacred pillars of hip hop culture, has suffered a blow this week after Long Island City's epic aerosol art landmark, 5Pointz, the cathedral of cool, was whitewashed overnight. Who are the culprits that would destroy such a monument? Who would dare to deface creative defacement? None other than the building owners themselves, Jerry and David Wolkoff (which I choose to misread as Walkoff, as in, "It's a walk-off"). Also known as the Institute of Higher Burning, 5Pointz has for years drawn graffiti artists and appreciative crowds to Long Island City, and it's in good company, MoMA's PS1 being the other creative landmark in the area. 5Pointz curator Meres One had plans to turn the site into a museum and educational space, which certainly would have been both fitting and awesome, but those plans were dashed by the owners' envisioned residential redevelopment. The Wolkoffs have big plans for the site, hoping to erect a double high-rise apartment complex serving young New Yorkers and empty nesters. Is it another case of irreplaceable cultural riches sacrificed on the altar of corporate greed? Probably, although the Wolkoffs do pledge (via Twitter, anyway) large walls available for future graffiti art. In an ironic twist, the graffiti artists who painted 5Pointz did so with permits, but the whitewashing ninja attack was carried out completely sans permit. Thus, traditionally legal and illegal forms of public mark-making appear to have swapped places in this particular case. After months of local 5Pointz loyalists striving to get the building complex listed as a landmark in a last-ditch attempt to save it from being demolished, its fate now seems sealed. What is perplexing to everyone is why the Wolkoffs had to go and stealthily paint over the artwork, using police protection, in the small hours of the morning, rather than allow it to meet its end with dignity. It takes a sufficiently large and unguarded canvas, and a big creative community, to make something like 5Pointz. Hopefully its ilk can exist again. Check out the full report and all the devastating photographs at Hyperallergic. Below: 5Pointz in happier days.
Get your skates on, Sydneysiders — and you'd best don your brightest, most retro threads, too. It isn't every day that Darling Harbour becomes home to a pop-up roller rink that's hosting a month-long rollerskating festival, so you'll definitely want to dress to fit the part (and to live out your Whip It and Xanadu dreams, obviously). Meet Darling Harbour Rollerama, aka the place to be from Friday, March 25–Sunday, April 24 for anyone with rollerskates or blades strapped to their feet. Open daily across its five-weekend, four-week run, it's bringing all of the essentials. Disco ball? Tick. DJs spinning tunes? Tick again. Roller derby demonstration sessions and Rollerfit classes? Just keep on ticking. Different events will happen on different days, although you'll be gliding around to DJs on most nights. On Saturdays, Rollerfit takes over, serving up rollerskating-based exercise classes that are both fun and great for your fitness. On Thursday evenings, you'll be dressing to a theme other than just retro — with 70s, 80s and 90s-focused nights happening across the program. And, on Tuesdays, skating will cost you less across all sessions. Also, because Darling Square is currently home to Hello Kitty Town, that's being worked into Rollerama as well. So, Monday nights will be Hello Kitty nights — with dressing accordingly encouraged. As well as setting up the rink, which'll be located at the Pier Street Underpass near Darling Square, Rollerama is teaming up with Pumphouse Sydney Forecourt to house three separate bars. One will be a roll-up spot serving barbecue wings, smoked gouda cheeseburger, waffle stacks, and peanut butter and jelly thickshakes — and, on Friday and Saturday nights, as well as Sunday afternoons, you won't even need to undo your skates to order as staff will be zipping around to do just that. As for the others, there'll be a shipping container bar with a Rollerama-themed menu, and a Mr Black bar as well. The latter will be located in a vintage airstream trainer, and will pour espresso martinis, but only from Friday, March 25–Tuesday, March 29 and Thursday, April 21–Sunday, April 24. Eateries around Darling Harbour will also be doing specials, so you'll have other food and drink options. Rollerama tickets start from $20 most days, and $15 on Tuesdays — or $25 / $18.75 including skate hire. You can also pay extra for a coaching session if you're a roller newbie.
It's the horror franchise that's become a massive hit, and also sports a clear formula. We're talking about The Conjuring movies, which have become their own cinematic universe over the past eight years, and generally focus on eerie happenings in both ordinary and creepy abodes. If you saw the original 2013 film, its 2016 sequel, the three Annabelle flicks to-date, The Nun or The Curse of the Weeping Woman, then you'll know what we're talking about. Indeed, based on how much cash the combined saga has earned at the box office so far, we're betting you've watched at least one of them. If people keep turning out to see the series' movies en masse, then they'll keep being made, even if some hit the mark and some are terrible. That's how Hollywood works, after all. So, a third Conjuring film is now a thing — becoming the third movie specifically with The Conjuring in its title, and the broader franchise's eighth entry. In The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, however, the saga seems to be trying something a little different. Bumps and jumps still abound, at least based on the just-dropped first trailer, but so does a crime-thriller setup. Here, paranormal investigators Ed (Patrick Wilson, The Commuter) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga, Godzilla: King of the Monsters) are called to assist in a murder trial, with the suspect claiming demonic possession as a defense. By now, you should know that the Warrens were real people, and that some of the franchise's movies draw upon cases and incidences they looked into — including this one. When it hits cinemas Down Under on June 3, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It will also feature Ruairi O'Connor (The Spanish Princess), Sarah Catherine Hook (Monsterland) and Julian Hilliard (WandaVision), while The Curse of the Weeping Woman's Michael Chaves is on directing duties. The latter takes over from Australian filmmaker James Wan (Aquaman, Fast & Furious 7), who helmed the first two Conjuring movies, but produces and gets a story credit here. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMZPMMWIWn4 The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It releases in cinemas Down Under on June 3.
Artist run initiative Peloton has been on the scene since back in 2004, putting on free exhibitions of over 350 emerging artists (both local and international). The Surry Hills art gallery has done over 180 shows, but funding didn’t come through from Arts NSW to cover 2013, and without it they’ve been forced close their doors. The artists that were scheduled to exhibit in 2013 (and others involved with the gallery) will instead have their artworks exhibited as a part of their last show, aptly titled Goodnight. This final hurrah is about thanking everyone who has been a part of the Peloton family and wants to get everyone together for one last hug goodbye. If you’re going to close, you might as well do it in style. The four directors will be hanging around the gallery to have a chat to (on Saturday and Sunday from 1-5pm during the exhibition). Make sure you drop on by to say thanks and farewell. Opening night is Friday the 8th at 6pm. Peloton is open 1-5 Saturday and Sunday, one last time.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are back in business — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngy7grwzFTw NOBODY As both a comedian and a dramatic actor, Bob Odenkirk has earned a lifetime's worth of well-deserved praise. Writing for Saturday Night Live and starring in Mr Show with Bob and David each sit on his resume, as does his pivotal part in Breaking Bad and lead role in the exceptional Better Call Saul. But in Nobody, Odenkirk highlights a facet of his work that's easy to overlook. Jumping into a new genre, he makes viewers realise a truth that cuts to the heart of his talents. Every actor wants to be the person that can't be replaced, and to turn in the type of performances that no one can emulate; however, only the very best, including Odenkirk, manage exactly that. A movie so forged from the John Wick mould that it's penned by the same screenwriter — and boasts the first film's co-director David Leitch (Atomic Blonde) as a producer, too — Nobody could've featured any existing action go-to. It could've been an easy knockoff of well-known hit, joining the swathe of direct-to-video and -streaming titles that use that very template. It could've given Bruce Willis his next role to sleepwalk through, added yet another Taken-style thriller to Liam Neeson's resume or proven one of Nicolas Cage's more straightforward vehicles of late. Thankfully, though, Nobody is all about the ever-watchable Odenkirk and his peerless and compelling ability to play slippery characters. When Nobody begins, Hutch Mansell's (Odenkirk) life has become such a routine that his weeks all unfurl in the same fashion. Plodding through a sexless marriage to real estate agent Becca (Connie Nielsen, Wonder Woman 1984), and barely paid any notice by his teenage son Blake (Gage Munroe, Guest of Honour) and younger daughter Abby (debutant Paisley Cadorath), he catches public transport to his manufacturing company job every weekday, always puts the bins out too late for the garbage truck on Tuesday mornings, and usually earns little more than polite smiles from his family while he's cooking them breakfast that they fail to eat. Then, the Mansells' suburban home is randomly burgled. Hutch confronts the thieves in the act, has a chance to swing a golf club their way, yet holds back. But when Abby notices that her beloved cat bracelet is missing in the aftermath, he decides to take action — a choice that leads him to an unrelated bus filled with obnoxious guys hassling a female passenger, and eventually sees unhinged Russian mobster Yulian Kuznetsov (Aleksey Serebryakov, Leviathan) threatening everything that Hutch holds dear. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0ox9ExOA1M&feature=youtu.be THE FATHER Forgetting, fixating, flailing, fraying: that's The Father. Anthony's (Anthony Hopkins, Westworld) life is unravelling, with his daughter Anne (Olivia Colman, The Crown) springing the sudden news that she's about to move to Paris, and now insistent that he needs a new carer to replace the last home helper he's just scared off. He also can't find his watch, and time seems to jump suddenly. On some days, he has just trundled out of bed to greet the morning when Anne advises that dinner, not breakfast, is being served. When he brings up her French relocation again, she frostily and dismissively denies any knowledge. Sometimes another man (Mark Gatiss, Dracula) stalks around Anthony's London apartment, calling himself Anne's husband. Sometimes the flat isn't his own at all and, on occasion, both Anne (Olivia Williams, Victoria and Abdul) and her partner (Rufus Sewell, Judy) look completely different. Intermittently, Anthony either charms or spits cruel words at Laura (Imogen Poots, Black Christmas), the latest aide hired to oversee his days. She reminds him of another daughter, one he's sure he had — and preferred — but hasn't heard from for years. When he mentions his other offspring, however, everyone else goes silent. More than once, Anthony suspects that someone has pilfered his beloved timepiece, which just keeps disappearing. Largely, The Father remains housebound. For the bulk of its 97 minutes, it focuses on the cardigan-wearing Anthony as he roams around the space he calls home. But this is a chaotic film, despite its visual polish, and that mess, confusion and upheaval is entirely by design. All the shifting and changing — big and small details alike, and faces and places, too — speak to the reason Anne keeps telling Anthony they need another set of hands around the house. His memory isn't what it used to be. In fact, it's getting much worse than that. Anthony knows that there's something funny going on, which is how he describes it when his sense of what's happening twists and morphs without warning, and The Father's audience are being immersed in that truth. Anthony has dementia, with conveying precisely how that feels for him the main aim of this six-time Oscar-nominated stage-to-screen adaptation. As overwhelming as The Father can be as it wades through Anthony and Anne's lives, its unflinching and unsparing approach is anchored in kindness and compassion, which novelist and playwright turned first-time director Florian Zeller has brought to the screen in a stunning fashion from Le Père, his own play. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Bb2d6DVY28 THE COURIER In 1960, in the thick of the Cold War, British businessman Greville Wynne was recruited by MI6. Chosen because he frequently travelled to Eastern Europe for work — and also because he wouldn't stand out in general — he was asked to visit Moscow numerous times, then return with information about the Soviet nuclear program as supplied by a contact within the Russian government. That's the true tale that The Courier explores, and it's an intriguinng one. Working together until around the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962, Wynne and Oleg Penkovsky, his source, helped change the course of history. And yet, in a film that looks backwards not just for its content but also in its old-school style, director Dominic Cooke (On Chesil Beach) and screenwriter Tom O'Connor (The Hitman's Bodyguard) seem to have taken the wrong cue from the story they're telling. As everything from years of Bond flicks to Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Bridge of Spies have shown, Cold War spy movies have comprised their own genre for decades. The Courier knows this, and remains happy to blend in among its peers. It's solid but straightforward, always proving just engaging and rousing enough. It also boasts an excellent performance from Benedict Cumberbatch in his latest historical drama (see also: The Imitation Game and The Current War), but this espionage thriller still has less of an impact than it should. Indeed, Cumberbatch's efforts as an ordinary man in an extraordinary situation rank among The Courier's biggest highlights, alongside the real-life details it delves into. He's calm, flattered and even a little perplexed in early scenes, as Wynne is asked by the CIA's Emily Donovan (Rachel Brosnahan, I'm Your Woman) and MI6's Dickie Franks (Angus Wright, Official Secrets) to do his country and the world a favour. Soon, Cumberbatch is both confident and jumpy as Wynne travels back and forth, strikes up a genuine friendship with Penkovsky (Merab Ninidze, Homeland) and tries to keep the reality of his trips from his increasingly suspicious wife Sheila (Jessie Buckley, Misbehaviour). And, later, he's vulnerable but still determined. He takes the feature's biggest theme — loyalty — firmly to heart, and ensures that it seeps from his pores whether Wynne is in an easy, tricky or brutal scenario. It's still impossible not to notice how standard and risk-averse almost everything around Cumberbatch is, though; however, The Courier is never plodding. Still, there's a difference between skewing classic to do a narrative justice and boxing a true story into a template, with this film frequently leaning more towards the latter than the former. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kP9TfCWaQT4 TOM & JERRY Before Itchy and Scratchy started terrorising each other well beyond the bounds of normal cat and mouse antagonism, another feline and rodent pair got there first. Of course, The Simpsons' adversarial four-legged critters were designed to parody the characters created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera more than 80 years ago, but they've long since supplanted Tom and Jerry as popular culture's go-to fighting animal duo. Perhaps the new Tom & Jerry movie is an attempt to push its titular creatures back to prominence. Perhaps it's just the latest effort to cash in on nostalgia while hoping that a new generation of children will be interested enough to warrant more big-screen outings, and therefore more chances to make some cash. Watching this all-ages-friendly hybrid of cartoon and live-action, it doesn't seem as if anyone involved knows quite why the film exists — not director Tom Story (Ride Along and Ride Along 2), who cares more about stressing the feature's hip hop soundtrack than paying much attention to its eponymous figures; not screenwriter Kevin Costello (Brigsby Bear), who pens a dull and derivative script about celebrity wedding chaos; and definitely not a cast that spans Chloë Grace Moretz (Shadow in the Cloud), Michael Peña (Fantasy Island), Rob Delaney (Catastrophe), Ken Jeong (Boss Level), Colin Jost (Saturday Night Live) and Pallavi Sharda (Retrograde), all of whom will forever have this misfire on their resumes. The animated animal action starts with Tom's latest vendetta against his long-time rival Jerry, after the latter destroys the former's keyboard and his music stardom dreams along with it. In his quest for revenge, the cat follows the house-hunting mouse to his newest abode at Manhattan's upmarket Royal Gate hotel, where the pair soon wreak havoc. Story and Costello prefer to focus on the resourceful and human Kayla (Moretz) at almost every turn, though. After talking her way into a job onsite, she's soon given two important tasks. The first: help ensure that the nuptials of two nondescript celebs (Jost and Sharda) go smoothly, which of course doesn't happen. The second: track down Jerry, which involves hiring Tom to assist. Somehow, Tom & Jerry is both lazy and overcomplicated. It does the bare minimum with its flesh-and-blood and pixel characters alike, all while completely forgetting that viewers have always loved Tom and Jerry for its fast, smart and entertaining slapstick antics (and definitely not because one day the duo might become bit-players in yet another flick about bland wedding dramas). When the film starts with pigeons rapping A Tribe Called Quest's 'Can I Kick It?' in its entirety, it begs an obvious question: who is this for? No one that's brought this movie to fruition seems to know the answer there, either — and they certainly haven't expended any energy on trying to make the feature funny, because laughs are absent from start to finish. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on January 1, January 7, January 14, January 21 and January 28; February 4, February 11, February 18 and February 25; and March 4, March 11, March 18 and March 25. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Nomadland, Pieces of a Woman, The Dry, Promising Young Woman, Summerland, Ammonite, The Dig, The White Tiger, Only the Animals, Malcolm & Marie, News of the World, High Ground, Earwig and the Witch, The Nest, Assassins, Synchronic, Another Round, Minari, Firestarter — The Story of Bangarra, The Truffle Hunters, The Little Things, Chaos Walking, Raya and the Last Dragon, Max Richter's Sleep, Judas and the Black Messiah, Girls Can't Surf, French Exit, Saint Maud, Godzilla vs Kong and The Painter and the Thief.
Sydney, it all comes down to this. After a whirlwind international tour, The British and Irish Lions are coming to Accor Stadium to take on the Wallabies for a finale showdown. If you're one of the 80,000 fans flocking to the stadium, there's one stop you'll want to add to your plan for the big day: getting a free facial hair trim inspired by your favourite Aussie sports icons. On Saturday, August 2, Philips is setting up outside the Novotel Sydney Olympic Park hotel with a pop-up facial grooming experience ahead of the match. From 1pm–9pm, the OneBlade Barbershop will be open for walk-ins, with two barbers on hand to give your beard or moustache a trim, edge or close shave using the Philips OneBlade. You'll get to choose from the icons board of AFL, Rugby, NRL, UFC, Cricket stars to inspire your cut, from Honeybadger and Nick Kyrgios, to Bailey Smith and Volk. There's no need to book ahead, just drop by and scan the QR code to secure your spot on the day. While you're waiting for your shave, you can also spin the prize wheel to win extra goodies to take home. Whether you want to head to the game looking sharp or just want to try the OneBlade for yourself, this is your chance. Catch the OneBlade Barbershop pop-up outside Novotel Sydney Olympic Park hotel on Saturday, August 2 from 1pm–9pm. For more info, head to the website.
It's no overstatement to describe Neil Perry — the restaurateur, chef and revered doyen of Australian cooking — as an icon. Now, however, it's official. On Thursday, June 6, Perry was announced as the winner of the Woodford Reserve Icon Award at a glitzy ceremony in Las Vegas for The World's 50 Best Restaurant Awards 2024, one of the culinary scene's most prestigious gongs. The achievement, which is voted for by an international panel of 1080 industry experts, recognises an outstanding contribution to the hospitality industry that's deemed worthy of global notice. "Throughout my career, I've been incredibly lucky to work with some of the finest hospitality professionals in the world, doing what I love and creating memorable experiences for people to enjoy," said Perry of his accomplishment. "I hope this award inspires everyone in our industry to keep going and to never give up." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Neil Perry (@chefneilperry) For more than four decades, Perry has been a guiding light of Sydney's restaurant scene. Cutting his teeth in some of the city's top kitchens, including Sails in Rose Bay, he first made his mark in 1986 when he launched the Blue Water Grill in Bondi. However, it was his next major venture — and arguably his most famous — that would catapult him to global stardom. Opened in 1989, Rockpool quickly asserted itself as not only one of Sydney's top fine-diners, but also one of the nation's — and in 2002, it was ranked the fourth best place to eat on the planet by The World's 50 Best Restaurant Awards. Today it has grown to be a cherished brand, with sister venues in Perth and Melbourne. Despite Perry stepping down as the group's Culinary Director in 2020, it continues his storied legacy, ranking as the eighth best steak restaurant in the world in May 2024. [caption id="attachment_960466" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kitti Gould[/caption] One of Perry's defining traits is his ability to project his love and understanding of food through many cultural lenses. From Asian to Italian and even burgers and aeroplane food, Perry's menus are a fusion of top-tier produce and craftsmanship with an accessible attitude and a belief that cooking doesn't need to be gastronomically pretentious to be exceptional. Take, for example, his most recent venture Margaret, a deeply personal "neighbourhood restaurant" named for Perry's deceased mother. Despite its humble billing, the judging panel noted that at Margaret, diners experience "a veteran bringing together his love of super-fresh seafood and Asian flavours to outstanding effect". It also currently ranked as the third best steak restaurant in the world. Since opening Margaret in 2021, Perry has extended his presence on Double Bay's Guilfoyle Avenue to the Baker Bleu bakery next door, and he has two more venues preparing to open in the area in late August: Asian-inspired diner Song Bird and cocktail bar Bobby's. [caption id="attachment_961054" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Petrina Tinslay[/caption] The only other Australian to be recognised by this year's The 50 Best Restaurants Awards was Josh Niland, whose revolutionary low-to-no waste seafood diner Saint Peter placed 98th on the 100-venue longlist. Perry is one of Australia's most-decorated chefs, having earned more Good Food Chef's Hats (Australia's answer to Michelin stars) than any other individual in the country, as well as numerous other accolades. However, this latest laurel makes the point most definitively: if you're someone with even a glancing interest in eating well, you need to experience a dish crafted by Perry at least once in your life. [caption id="attachment_961135" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Petrina Tinslay[/caption] For the full rundown of The World's 50 Best Restaurants Awards 2024, head to the list's website. Top image: Petrina Tinslay.
Tao Lin is one of those writers who has been described — occasionally with a weary rolling of the eyes — as a "voice of his generation". He is a writer whose style is Facebook-honed, irony-rich and heavy with pop culture references, a kind of writing in constant flux between a Ritalin-fuelled mania and an OxyContin slur. He is the product of an internet-shaped psyche. And he is also very, very good. Sometimes I buy books because of their titles alone. That's how I first came across Tao Lin. A young American writer born to Taiwanese parents, Lin is the author of the novella Shoplifting from American Apparel, the short story collection Bed, poetry collections cognitive-behavioural therapy and you are a little bit happier than i am, and the novels Richard Yates and Eeeee Eee Eeee. He is maddeningly prolific, having also founded the literary press Muumuu House and co-founded the film company MDMAfilms, and his writing gets published in all the right places — Vice, The Believer, Thought Catalog, The New York Observer, Gawker. As a lead-in event to the National Young Writers' Festival (held in Newcastle from 3-6 October), Lin will be speaking to Wilfred Brandt at Alaska Projects about his novel Taipei, with a slideshow of his photos from Taiwan. Taipei was published earlier this year and represents, by all accounts, a great leap forward for Lin. Not simply a catalogue of the various existential crises of Brooklyn's hipster class, Taipei is Lin at his peak. Earlier this year in an interview with Lin on KCRW's Bookworm, Michael Silverblatt called Taipei, "The most moving depiction of the way we live now," describing the book as "unbearably moving". And if that doesn't inspire you to head out to King's Cross on a late-winter evening, then I'm not sure we're going to be friends.
Australian Fashion Week, the southern hemisphere's biggest fashion event, has been part of the international fashion calendar for nearly three decades. The 2024 iteration, which runs from May 13-17, promises to be one of the biggest yet. Its five-day program features emerging designers alongside established names and culminates in the final night runway show. It's not just catwalks. There are panels discussing burning fashion topics like gender diversity, club culture, and sustainability. While it may not have the reputation of London or Paris, the Carriageworks event still pulls in 33,000 attendees annually and has been the launchpad for big names in the industry, like Anna Quan and Bec + Bridge. Perhaps most interesting, however, is AFW's selection of Changemakers: an exclusive group of industry luminaries pushing fashion forward and getting the privilege of impacting the week's programming. This year's chosen few include Rumbie Mutsiwa, a Chippendale-based hairdresser specialising in curly and afro hair, and James Bartle, whose Outland Denim brand provides jobs for women affected by human trafficking. Plenty of the events during the week are open to the public, but you'll need to purchase tickets in advance, so get in quick.
The zero-waste movement is on the rise in Australia. People are using fewer single-use plastics, recycling more and thinking differently about what and how they cook. But creating a fully zero-waste kitchen at home can be a super daunting task. That's why we've spoken to Matt Stone, one of Australia's leading sustainable chefs. Stone (pictured above) has been interested in zero-waste practices ever since he started cooking at Margaret River's Leeuwin Estate back in 2003, and has continued to be a leading advocate for sustainable philosophies and ethical food concepts. Zero waste is clearly important to Stone. "Eating food in the current industrial food system is probably one of the most destructive things humans can do. Monocropping, the transportation of food and food wastage are the main problems within this system," he shares. But there are many ways to embrace zero waste — and we all have a role to play. While it can seem overwhelming, Stone urges us to take it all one step at a time: "Nothing is too small. Even if you just start with buying a tote bag and taking it with you everywhere. It can become overwhelming to think about moving to a complete zero-waste lifestyle — there are a lot of stepping stones to that, so just start somewhere." To help break things down, Stone has given us some tips on how to create your own zero-waste kitchen at home, in partnership with the NSW Government's Return and Earn scheme. [caption id="attachment_777555" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Unsplash[/caption] SOURCE LOCAL PRODUCE "For me, the first thing to look at is getting as close to your food source as you possibly can. The less distance the food travels and the less the food needs to be packaged, the better. It also means it's going to be more delicious." "And it doesn't have to be all or nothing. You can go to a farmers market once a week, or simply ask your butcher where the products are from, and get something that's local over something that's come from afar." [caption id="attachment_770182" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jason Briscoe (Unsplash)[/caption] FIND MORE TIME TO COOK "Making time to cook is really important. When you have more time, you can do more with your ingredients. For example, it's best when you have time to make a delicious broth from leftover bones after roasting a chicken. Instead of just throwing out the carcass and leftover vegetables, you can turn it into a whole new meal." "I think taking time to nourish yourself and your family is a really important thing. People have had time in the last couple of years, and I hope that people continue to take time to cook." [caption id="attachment_807358" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pexels[/caption] ALWAYS BE PREPARED "Make a habit of always having a few items with you. I think you should always have tote bags, a coffee cup and a water bottle when you go out. Tote bags because you never know when you might go past a fruit stall or need to stop by the market or grocery shop and grab something. It's really basic stuff, but if it becomes a habit then it really sets in. And that's a stepping stone to embracing more and more zero-waste strategies." [caption id="attachment_766152" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lisa Fotios (Pexels)[/caption] START COMPOSTING "When creating a zero-waste kitchen, one great thing is to do some composting at home. And there are many methods of composting, from traditional open composting to electrically run machines that run off a small amount of power." "The more food waste we can save from going into landfill, the better. We need to stop looking at food waste as waste and start seeing it as fuel for future crops. And that can be done on a small scale from home with a little benchtop bin that you have for your organic waste, then taking it out to your composting system. It's a brilliant way to get closer to having a zero-waste kitchen." EAT LESS MEAT "Eating more of a vegetable-based diet is a huge way to minimise waste. Because when you buy proteins from butchers, they often come in polystyrene trays, plastic film and so on. Alternatively, vegetables are often bought in their raw form." "Having a few meat-free days is a really great way to minimise waste and live sustainably. Think of using vegetables a bit more deeply — grains, legumes, pulses, mushrooms and seaweed are great meat substitutes that can bring a lot of substance to a meal." "It's still okay to eat meat and fish. But spending more and eating less of those products is the way forward — getting better quality meat that's ethically sourced." [caption id="attachment_857454" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Markus Spiske (Unsplash)[/caption] GROW YOUR OWN PRODUCE "Another great little tip is to grow a pot of parsley or basil. For one, herbs will never taste better than when they are freshly cut. But it's also a really easy way to reduce waste. It's best to avoid buying a packet of herbs in a plastic bag being shipped from farm to supermarket. And people often throw half of their herbs out because they don't use them all. There is a huge amount of waste in that." "Keep an eye on your surroundings. Rosemary is a great example — there aren't many neighbourhoods in Australia where you can't find a rosemary bush. When you spot one, keep it in the memory bank for the next time you're cooking a roast lamb and you can just go for a walk and snip yourself a bit. You'll be surprised how much food you can find on the streets." [caption id="attachment_791852" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Polina Tankilevitch (Pexels)[/caption] RECYCLE RESPONSIBLY "Think about what you're bringing [into your kitchen] and what can be done with it [afterwards]," Stone emphasises. "Also, when recycling, make sure you are rinsing things and not contaminating your recycling with dirty food containers that might leak onto other stuff, stopping it from finding its future potential. Being conscious about how you're recycling is a big thing." A great way to start is by recycling your plastic, glass and aluminium drink containers — which have the '10c refund' printed on them — through Return and Earn. The NSW Government scheme is readily accessible (with over 600 return spots throughout the state) and gives you the choice between a refund and a charitable donation. So you're being green and giving back to your community. Ready to put your recyclables to work? Look no further than Return and Earn. Crunch your numbers at the impact calculator and see the real-world benefits your recycling will have.
The music industry has spent a long time moving toward favouring the live performance over the recording to make their money. But Sydney Artists have also started going the way of the live performance, with while-you-wait graffiti wars and the seemingly inexorable rise of the Brown Council. Fresh from a series of water-based performances, Artspace is bringing you artists who put themselves back into their work for Nothing Like Performance. Artist Paul Donald will be spanning the space with ramshackle bridge, as frequent auto-portraiter Lauren Brincat gets on and off camera to satisfy her urge for art. Matthew Bradley renews his drive to make a windmill-like set of giant wheels, building it live as the next element in his Monster Bike, a project last exhibited as a Borgesian 1:1 model in his Victorian show Storm Machine. Will French likes big public statements with his art, having once driven a car through the wall of Firstdraft for art's sake, and here will elaborate on elements from his travels. Body-shaping performance artist Yiorgos Zafiriou will bring beginnings from Damien Minton's annex to conclusion at Artspace, painting classical German sculptures out in marble, while the Brown Council dot three shows over the course of the exhibition, honing in on a particular Aussie performance artist. The Brown Council perform opening night and December 4 and 18. Image: This Time Tomorrow: Tempelhof by Lauren Brincat.
Roman Polanski's story is an extraordinary one. His life has been marked by tragedies, victories, and traumas of filmic proportions, from his survival of Nazi occupation in his native Poland to the cult murder of his pregnant movie star wife Sharon Tate and his Oscar win for The Pianist in 2003. Roman Polanski: A Film Memoir is an extended conversation between the auteur and his longtime friend Andrew Braunsberg, who produced several Polanski films. The interview took place while Polanski was under house arrest in Switzerland in 2010, following his second trial for drugging and raping a thirteen-year-old girl in 1977. The production itself is pretty undergraduate — shoddy sound, unimaginative camerawork, and cheap iMovie-style effects. It turns out the director, Laurent Bouzereau, makes his living producing 'making of' documentaries for movies like Jaws and Back to the Future, and he's clearly riding on Polanski's incredible story. Polanski, who trained as an actor, is a gifted storyteller and his earlier hardships in the Krakow ghetto during World War II are truly amazing. His retelling is cut with footage from The Pianist to show how his formative experiences manifested in his movies, and this is where the film is strongest. But the biggest problem, and one which I can't overlook, is the treatment of Polanski's 1977 crime. The word 'rape' is never mentioned. Instead, the filmmakers focus on corruption in the justice system and offer an argument that goes along the lines of 'well, hasn't Roman been punished enough already?' It's a blatantly dishonest approach considering the enormity of the crime and Polanski's guilty plea. That Braunsberg, the key interviewer, is a close confidant and associate of Polanski's means that there is no veil of anything close to objectivity or distance, which is especially troubling given the film's already creepy mandate of setting the record straight, of advocating for a convicted rapist. There's no doubt Polanski is a major artist, and his fans will probably get a lot out of his recollections of his childhood and early career, but don't expect any keen insights or rigorous attention to the ethics of documentary-making. Roman Polanski: A Film Memoir is a personal exercise in public atonement. Quite frankly, I left the cinema feeling infected.
Boardwalk Empire: The Complete Third Season will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray on August 21, and the best way to enjoy Boardwalk Empire is to be the Boardwalk Empire. Okay, so you cannot really become a boardwalk or an empire but you can look like you belong in the show by heading to Cleveland's Salon & Cafe, who are celebrating the impending release by offering a Boardwalk Empire-inspired haircut menu. (Note that they are not offering food filled with hair but rather a menu of haircuts to choose a style from.) For $70, men can choose from eight dapper hairstyles, including Nucky Thompson's classic deep parted short back and sides and Mickey Doyle's undercut with high side part and length. They can also get a smooth cutthroat shave for an additional $20, which is always worth it. Women can choose from two elegant styles for $85: Margaret Thompson's low side chignon with pinned loose curls or Gillian Darmody's low side bun with loose marcel waves. All cuts come with a complimentary drink — take that prohibition. It is all part of the salon's partnership with HBO to promote the release. Patrick Casey, the salon director, said "Boardwalk Empire, and more generally the 1920s era, is having a massive impact on grooming and style of today". It is for a limited time only so glam yourself up and get your gangster on whilst the '20s are still on the style palette.
Concrete Playground recently caught up with David Stewart, one of England's most respected photographers. He started off capturing punk bands like The Clash and The Ramones, as well as the colourful characters of Morecambe Promenade, from which he developed a distinctive style of portraiture. Often eerie, funny, creepy and touching (sometimes at the same time), his photos incite curiosity at what imagines to be a fascinating back story. He also directed and produced a film in 1995 called 'Cabbage' with a series of surrealist photographic images to accompany in homage to the often misunderstood vegetable. He is currently working on a series called 'Teenage Pre-occupation' about what teenagers go through growing up, and will have some new work on show in Australia as part of an Olympus ad campaign. Fingers crossed an exhibition of his will travel down under soon. How did your time growing up as a child and teenager in Lancaster influence your work? Growing up in the North of England definitely gives you a different view on life and maybe it is this that causes me to see things with the sense of humour. Northern people are very funny and straight to the point. There is an element of telling it how it is. You started photographing famous rock bands, which for some photographers is a topic they stick with for their whole career. What made you decide to stop photographing people in the music industry? The band photography was what got me interested in photography but, when I was at college, I realised I was more interested in constructing images from scratch which gave me the opportunity to put forward a thought or point of view of my own. The band thing was something that could not be controlled and so, after a while, became routine. What does camouflage symbolise to you? Hiding and trying to fit in while there may be a more sinister message. When looking at your photos, I am sometimes torn between laughing and feeling extremely uncomfortable. Why do you use humour in the depiction of very dark scenes? Humour acts as a way of grabbing people's attention and then, in turn, leads them to a thought if they stay with the image long enough. It's like music where you like the tune but you're unaware the lyrics are telling a darker story. Do you think your characters are representative of the real folk of England? Are the characters who seem threatening or malicious actually harmless or are your exposing their true nature? I think the characters do represent real people – everyday people or situations you might be familiar with - but when presented as photography, the character or situation becomes heightened. There is an element of exposing the true nature of people to provoke a thought. Can you tell me about the upcoming series 'Teenage Pre-occupation?' How did you choose your subjects? The series again draws on observations I have made. The changes that the digital age have created, especially with regards to young people, is very relevant at the moment. The subjects in 'Teenage Pre-occupation' are all chosen as they portray something I have noticed about being a teenager in the current cultural climate. Again, this becomes more noticeable when presented as a piece of photography.
It was an ill-designed defence mechanism at the time of the first white settlers, then a pretty awful place for convicts. Now, one of Sydney's most historic harbour spots and recently a pretty fancy schmancy dining destination, Fort Denison has announced the return of its summer drinks and dining series, Sunday Sunsets. That's right, Sundays from now on? Fortress parties y'all. You'll be able to sail on out to Fort Denison Restaurant for Sunday afternoons of cocktails, food, nature walks and live music every Sunday from November 6 until the end of January 2017. Sides and mains for a two-course sit-down sunset dinner are included in the ticket, so prepare to load up on kingfish carpaccio, lamb short ribs with pomegranate and mint, crispy skin Humpty Doo Barramundi, roast Hunter Valley pork belly, Wagyu beef cheeks and Muscovy duck breasts. Chuck in a National Parks tour of the heritage site, as well as a little acid jazz and R&B from resident DJ and saxophonist Zak (a multitalented, multitasking dude is Zak), and you've got yourself a supremo Sydney date. There'll be water taxis from Circular Quay included in the ticket price, with the last service departing from CQ at 6.30pm — so you can make it a pretty long lazy Sunday. You'll have book though, to ensure your spot on the fortress, so check out the session times and prices on the website and lock in your spot. Fort Denison's Sunday Sunsets run every Sunday from November 6 to January 2017. For more information, check out their website.
Picture this: you're having a lazy evening at home in front of Netflix, and you promise yourself you'll power through just one — and only one — more episode before tapping out for the night. How many times have you broken that promise? Let's face it, you'd probably prefer not to count. And if you're like us, you probably also reach for the Ben & Jerry's for a quick sugar fix to keep you going. Convenient it may be, but healthy? Not so much. Next time you're planning a lazy night in, level up your snack game with something more wholesome (and equally delicious). We've teamed up with Yumi's to compile a collection of quick, easy and delicious alternatives to your favourite couch-time snacks. Here's what to dig into next time you're doing Netflix and chow. INSTEAD OF CHARCUTERIE...ASSEMBLE A GRAZING PLATTER Look, there's nothing wrong with a well-prepared charcuterie board — piles of delicious deli meats, indulgent cheeses, pâté and preserves, salty crackers, and the odd smattering of fruit. Add some variety with crunchy crudites — and, of course, dip. Yumi's have a huge range of dips that are all dairy and gluten free, and packed with real ingredients. We love the classic sweet potato and cashew dip, while the classic hommus is also excellent — variations like the rocket and almond pesto are also winners. They're great paired with fresh veggies (think carrots and cucumber), but perhaps even better with Yumi's selection of preservative-free and ready-to-eat falafel or veggie bites. We recommend zapping them in the microwave for a minute. INSTEAD OF ICE CREAM...MAKE SORBET Real talk: telling yourself that you're having just one more scoop of ice cream is the same as telling yourself you'll only watch one more episode before heading to bed. Before you know it, it's an ungodly hour and you're staring at the bottom of an empty tub. Lessen the lactose by making a swap for an easy, refreshing homemade sorbet — no churning required. You'll need to dice and prefreeze your favourite fruit — mango, cherries, pineapple or banana always work a treat, while store-bought, prefrozen berries are great for a quick win. Then, pop a cup (or two) in a blender with three to four tablespoons of sugar or maple syrup, and blitz until smooth. You can balance out the sweetness with a hint of lemon or lime juice, too. [caption id="attachment_815090" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Margarita Zueva (Unspalsh)[/caption] INSTEAD OF PIZZA...MAKE BRUSCHETTA An evening on the couch with a juicy series lined up and a big, cheesy pizza — is there a better way to Netflix? Perhaps not — but there are healthier ways (that also don't rely on Uber Eats). Making your own pie is simple as can be, especially with so many types of premade bases available in just about any supermarket, including ones that cater for just about every dietary requirement. Crank up the oven and lather your base with tomato paste (you can even make your own, should you wish), cheese and your choice of toppings. Feel like something more refreshing? It's hard to go wrong when you make your own bruschetta. Pick up a crusty baguette, whack it under the grill, give it a rub with some olive oil, garlic and salt, and then load it up with fresh diced veggies, herbs or deli meats. It's an easy — and delicious — way to make sure you get in your five a day. [caption id="attachment_815095" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Charles Deluvio (Unsplash)[/caption] INSTEAD OF SALTY CHIPS...MAKE VEGGIE CHIPS Love the salty crunch of potato chips? Us too — so we also know how hard it is to know when to stop. For a healthier alternative, leave the prepackaged morsels in the supermarket aisle and pick up some sweet potato or kale instead. It couldn't be more simple to get snacking, either. Just slice up your veg, toss it in some olive oil and pop it in the oven until crispy. Kale is full of good things, from beta-carotene to help eyesight, and Vitamins C, K and E. As for sweet potato, it's loaded with antioxidants, fibre and Vitamin A — it's also lower GI than a regular potato. Want some extra flavour? Kale chips are even better when tossed in a bit of za'atar, while sweet potato and paprika is a spicy match made in heaven. Dip liberally in some hummus and you've got yourself a serious snack. [caption id="attachment_815092" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anshu A (Unsplash)[/caption] INSTEAD OF BIKKIES...MAKE OATMEAL COOKIES We stan a Tim Tam as much as the next sweet tooth. And don't get us started on our ongoing love affair with an Iced Vovo. But of course, they're not the healthiest treats to snack on. If you too have trouble keeping your mitts out of the bikkie tin, try your hand at making your own oatmeal cookies. They're surprisingly easy to put together and will easily satisfying any sweet cravings. The benefits of trading sugar for oatmeal are plentiful — oats are higher in fibre, can stabilise blood sugars and are loaded with vitamins and antioxidants. There's also the added benefit of the warm aroma of freshly baked goods waiting through your house. [caption id="attachment_815093" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Abbie Whiddett (Unsplash)[/caption] INSTEAD OF CAKE...MAKE CACAO BALLS There's a better way to get your gooey chocolate fix. Enter date and cacao balls. They're ridiculously easy to make, and they last longer than cake does, too (though if they disappear from the fridge quickly, we won't blame you). There are a heap of health benefits, too — dates are high in antioxidants and fibre, and can also improve bone health, while cacao has been shown to help lower blood pressure and improve blood flow. For more wholesome snacking, check out the full range of Yumi's falafels, veggie bites and dips.
You don't have to look too hard to glimpse the ways in which our obsession with food transcends reality on a regular basis. The culinary world is forever influencing gaming culture; whether it's a virtual dish depicted on screen, an iconic scene centered around cooking or eating, or an entire storyline inspired by food, glorious food. And this month, you'll get to experience all that from a fresh perspective for PlayStation to Plate — an innovative new dining concept that invites top local chefs to bring to life virtual food from the PlayStation universe. Running from Friday, December 3–Sunday, December 12, it'll see three Aussie eateries each create a limited-edition menu item that reimagines an iconic video game dish IRL. The restaurants are serving up their signature creations across all ten days of the pop-up, but you can also have any of the dishes dropped to your door courtesy of Deliveroo. [caption id="attachment_835422" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Italian Bowl's Thief Pasta[/caption] In Sydney's Newtown, pasta restaurant The Italian Bowl took on the task of recreating the Thief's Pasta, from critically acclaimed action-adventure title Uncharted 4: A Thief's End. Owner Alexi Spyridis explains that it was both the treasure-hunting aspect of the game and the virtual dish's heritage that inspired his selection. "[Nathan] Drake (the main character) is searching for treasure and that's what we do in the kitchen: search for those perfect dishes," Spyridis tells Concrete Playground. The Thief's Pasta features near the start of the game when characters Elena and Nathan enjoy a home-cooked feed while sitting on the couch together at the end of a long day. Spyridis has imagined the virtual dinner as a hearty bowl of penne pasta crafted with Italian sausage, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, olives and bocconcini, saying: "These flavours are common in Italian cooking so it was a pleasure to help bring this to life." There's also a strong appreciation for the way in which we all bond over the sharing of food. The immersive game-to-reality experience doesn't end there. "We want to bring them into Nate and Elena's world," Spyridis explains. "With every order, customers get a limited-edition Thief's Pasta porcelain bowl wrapped in an old map, a personal note from Elena on the back of a previous travel image, and torn-out diary notes, including sketches and the pasta recipe." Certainly not your standard spag bol, right? The restaurateur sees a raft of similarities between gaming culture and food culture in general, but especially with Uncharted, musing: "Drake travels all over the world for treasure and that's how Aussies feel about food." Of course, with Spyridis' own restaurant sitting in the multicultural culinary melting pot of Newtown, he sees this thirst for adventure and new flavours first-hand. "We've not been able to travel much over the past two years, so finding other ways to experience travel, either through food or gaming, has helped us get by". Ask Spyridis and he'll tell you that Uncharted also has some parallels to operating a family-run eatery like The Italian Bowl. "In this game, you have to work together as friends and that's exactly how we run the business, one big family working together. It's not always easy but you always find a way," he muses. "Just like Drake!" Catch PlayStation to Plate from December 3–12, in Sydney and Melbourne. You'll find each dish featured on the menu at its respective venue, as well as being available for takeaway via Deliveroo.
Choose life. Choose celebrating a movie that defined the '90s, made Ewan McGregor a star and instantly made everyone's favourite flicks of all time list. Choose spending 2017 revelling in all things Trainspotting. Film fans already have long-awaited sequel T2: Trainspotting (which is scheduled for a February release) to look forward to, and now theatre fans in Australia can choose something else: Trainspotting Live. Choose 75 minutes of intense, immersive page-to-stage antics, as based on Irvine Welsh's 1993 novel about Edinburgh heroin addicts, and first adapted for the theatre in the UK back in 1995. Yes, that means that Harry Gibson's award-winning original stage version was written before Danny Boyle's iconic 1996 movie — and you haven't really experienced the story of Renton, Begbie, Sick Boy and company until you've seen it acted out, live and in person, right in front of you. Transporting its all-Scottish cast and their distinctive accents to Adelaide from February 17 to March 19, Melbourne's fortyfivedownstairs from March 22 to April 13, and Brisbane Powerhouse from April 19 to 22, Trainspotting Live does more than that — it also brings the audience into the show, starting with an extended rave, and even including the infamous 'Worst Toilet in Scotland' scene. It's no wonder that the production has been selling out shows in London, and earning rave reviews for its no-holds-barred approach. The fact that it's being staged by In Your Face Theatre should give you an indication of what you're in for. Welsh — that is, the man who literally wrote the book, plus a sequel, prequel and Begbie-focused spin-off, and recently floated the idea of a TV adaptation — called Trainspotting Live the "best way to experience Trainspotting", in case you needed any more convincing. Just don't go confusing it with the BBC television program of the same name, which is actually about looking at railways. Trainspotting Live plays in Adelaide from February 17 to March 19, at Melbourne's Fortyfivedownstairs from March 22 to April 13, and at Brisbane Powerhouse from April 19 to 22, 2017. For more information, visit the production website.
Following blockbuster exhibitions in 2017 and 2019, The National: New Australian Art is once again gracing Sydney's galleries, with the monumental contemporary Australian art exhibition spanning the Art Gallery of NSW, the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia and Carriageworks. Just what this biennial showcase highlights is right there in its title — and there's plenty of it in 2021, with the exhibition unveiling 39 newly commissioned works. The focus: art from local emerging, mid-career and established artists, including creatives that hail from both urban and regional areas. The exhibition opened on Friday, March 26, and is on display through until June 20 at Carriageworks, until August 22 at the MCA and until September 5 at AGNSW. Highlights include Betty Muffler and Maringka Burton's large-scale landscapes, Alick Tipoti's hefty fibreglass sculptures that resemble sea creatures and James Tylor's daguerreotype installation, which reclaims Kaurna place names, all of which are now on display at AGNSW. Or, the MCA is currently home to a five-metre-tall kinetic wind-powered sculpture by Cameron Robbins and Lauren Berkowitz's statement on the environment using plastic waste, while the Karrabing Film Collective, Vernon Ah Kee, Dalisa Pigram, Isadora Vaughan and Lorraine Connelly-Northey all have pieces on display at Carriageworks. [caption id="attachment_805496" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alick Tipoti, 'Dhangal Madhubal' (2021) & 'Baydham' (2021). Courtesy the artist. 'Girelal' (2011) Carins Art Gallery, Queensland donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program by Editions Tremblay 2021. Courtesy the artist and Cairns Art Gallery. Copyright the artist. Photo by AGNSW, Felicity Jenkins.[/caption] As overseen by AGNSW Curator of Asian Art Matt Cox, AGNSW Assistant Curator of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Erin Vink, MCA Chief Curator Rachel Kent and Carriageworks' independent curator Abigail Moncrieff, the multi-gallery exhibition spans everything from sculpture, textiles, painting, photography and film to installation and performance pieces, all exploring a number of interconnecting themes. Some works cast a particular lens on the environment, its destruction and the role we play in that destruction — as well as delving into the general feeling of global uncertainty which seems to permeate into every aspect of life lately. Other themes explored include relationships to Country, collaboration and intergenerational learning. Also pivotal: works from remote communities such as Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY Lands), Yirrkala in northeast Arnhem Land, Zendah Kes (Torres Strait Islands), and Belyuen, on the northwest coast of the Northern Territory. "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists in this exhibition present works that exist between moments of categorisation and form, relying on and claiming Indigenous and non-Eurocentric forms of knowledge," said Vink, with AGNSW's lineup spanning pieces from 17 artists, including five Indigenous creatives. If you're heading to MCA, you'll see works from 13 artists, with a key focus on diverse approaches to the environment and storytelling. Over at Carriageworks, questioning and responsiveness are in the spotlight, as seen through the efforts of another 13 artists and artist collectives. This year marks the third instalment The National, which started as a six-year initiative to explore and display the latest practices, ideas and philosophies in Australian modern art. Previous iterations have proven huge hits, attracting more than 600,000 visitors across the three venues. It's career-defining stuff for many artists involved — and all three venues have committed to the continuation of The National beyond 2021. The National 2021: New Australian Art opened on Friday, March 26 — and displays at Carriageworks until June 20, at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia until August 22 and at the Art Gallery of NSW until September 5. For further details, head to the exhibition website. Top images: Kate Just 'Anonymous Was a Woman' (2019–2021, installation view. Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney. Image courtesy and copyright the artist. Photo by Anna Kucera. Maree Clarke, Photograph of Jacob (2020), Photograph of Aaron (2020), installation view. Museum of Contemporary Art Australia. Image courtesy and copyright the artist. Photo by Anna Kucera.
Located along the bustling Kings Street Wharf with excellent views out to the harbour, The Sporting Globe x 4 Pines is much more than a sports bar: it's a sporting destination. The venue has over 50 HD screens on which avid sports fans can watch their game of choice, live from around the globe. There are even private booths with touchscreen TVs if you aren't feeling the game playing on the bigger screens. The menu is bursting with tasty classics — with low-gluten and plant-based options provided. There are great-value deals in the '7 Day LineUp' including half-price steak on Tuesdays, and $5 schooners, wines and spirits, Thursday–Friday from 5pm–7pm. Even better? Kids eat free on Monday and Tuesday. As its name suggests, the venue has partnered with Aussie craft beer purveyor 4 Pines. Be sure to toast to your team's sporting success with the signature TSG x 4 Pines Australian Pale Ale or any of the other flagship 4 Pines offerings. Is beer not your thing? There are plenty of cocktails, spritzes, wines, RTDs and non-alcoholic options on the menu, too.
If water pipes make you think of creepy clowns, then the latest tiny apartment design mightn't be for you. In Hong Kong, architect James Law has come up with a compact housing solution made out of old concrete tubing. A proposed solution to the country's affordability issues, they're cheap to construct — and, thanks to their shape, easily stackable too. Don't worry, these pipe-based abodes will be located above ground, so you can wipe your IT fears out of your mind. Called Opod, the proposed system is made from piping up to 2.5 metres in diameter, features between nine and eleven squares of cosy living space capable of housing one or two people, and comes complete with a bench that converts into a bed, a mini fridge, microwave, bathroom with shower and open-shelf storage. Currently on display and open to the Hong Kong public until April 1, it's envisioned that the former stormwater drains could be used in narrow spaces, and even on top of existing buildings, using space that's otherwise going to waste. Or, if you wanted to move, they could also be relocated to other sites or cities. https://www.instagram.com/p/BdNP0t1g4EL/?taken-by=cybertecture The cosy, circular homes are the latest innovative design in what's proving a growing field, with sustainability, affordability, eschewing mass consumerism via downsizing and embracing mobile living all motivators. An Australian start-up lets you stay in a tiny house in the wilderness, while flat-packed tiny homes are also available locally. Tiny mobile homes and Muji flat-pack houses and pre-fab huts can also take care of your compact needs. And, in the short-term accommodation arena, you can stay in New York's first shipping container home, seek out a portable shipping container hotel or head to a tiny house campsite in the US. Via Reuters. Images: James Law Cybertecture.
It's now a whole lot easier to get your mitts on one of those recognisable (and authentic) Fjällräven rucksacks, as the Swedish outdoors label behind the bags has opened its first-ever Sydney store. Launching its first Australian store in Melbourne late last year, Fjällräven has today unveiled its new flagship store on York Street. Located in an old sandstone building, the new space gives Sydneysiders a chance to shop the internationally renowned brand in person, browsing an extensive range of its sustainably made clothing, accessories and outdoors equipment. Here, those brightly coloured box-shaped Kanken rucksacks (and the mini versions) will be on show in over 40 different colours alongside menswear, womenswear, tents, sleeping bags, and plenty of other travel accompaniments. The brand's Aussie flagship store also offers complimentary coffee — for locals needing a quick fika (a coffee break) — and loads of expert advice for those plotting their next outdoors adventure or even just an overseas jaunt. Fjällräven, now famous worldwide for its clever fusion of functionality and style, has been kicking on since 1960, when founder Ake Nordin made and sold his first aluminium-framed backpack. The label has since expanded to a huge line of fashion and equipment for nature-lovers and style-savvy city dwellers alike. Find Fjällräven at 38 York Street, Sydney
