Day: 29 May 2017

New Music You Have to Listen to This Week (29th May 2017)

Kick off a brand new week with some of our favourite cuts from the likes of SAINt JHN, Night Drive, Mikhael Paskalev and Overcoats! If you missed out on what our writers and editors were loving in terms new music last week, simply hit ‘play’ on our playlist below for a refresher course in some awesome cuts of pop,…

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Single of the Day: Merpire “Holding Breath” (2017)

Winning the Telstra Road to Discovery in 2015 gave Sydney songwriter Merpire a great platform to launch her music from and since then,she ha become a live performer in demand and a songwriting talent to be reckoned with. Most recently heading into the studio with Andy Bull, Merpire has released a new single in “Holding Breath”. The tune…

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Welcome To Kings Cross kicks off Vivid 2017 with spectacular celebration of Sydney nightlife

Returning for its second year to kick off Vivid Sydney, Kings Cross Hotel was transformed on Saturday into the 6-floor, multi-genre extravaganza known as the ‘Welcome To Kings Cross’ party. Curated by Adam Lewis,  for whom the event was a dedication to the diversity and vibrance of Sydney’s nightlife, the lineup featured party favourites including…

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Sia enlists incredible all-female lineup to support her first Australian tour in five years

It’s come as no surprise that when Sia announced her return to Australia yesterday, the tour announcement was nothing short of huge. For her first shows back in the country in over five years, the Adelaide native has plotted out her debut Australian stadium run for the east coast this November & December (as well as adding…

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Live Review: The Ocean Party + Golden Syrup – The Tote, Melbourne (26.05.17)

Playing to an adoring crowd, Golden Syrup and The Ocean Party served up a delightful Friday night filled with seductive sounds at The Tote in Collingwood on May 26th. The cosy, old band room upstairs played the perfect host, creating a laid back atmosphere that complimented the local Melbourne artists. Kicking off the night was…

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A two-night festival of improvised and experimental music is coming to Carriageworks

Biannual experimental music festival Open Frame: Room40 will return to Sydney’s iconic Carriageworks this year, set for two nights at the end of June with a line up curated by composer and artist Lawrence English. Eclecticism is the main aim here, highlighting various electronic, experimental, improvised and conceptual performances from world-class musicians who make a…

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Live Review: Northeast Party House + Mosquito Coast – Factory Theatre, Sydney (26.05.17)

When was the last time you had a bad time listening to a party band play party tunes? This is actually a trick question and the answer for you and anyone else is and forever will be ‘never’. That’s right, you never have a bad time listening to a party band. And if Northeast Party…

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Music Video of the Day: The Smith Street Band “Shine” (2017)

If you’ve been living under a rock, you may have missed the fact that The Smith Street Band are killing it at the moment. The four piece from Footscray are right smack bang in the middle of their Australian tour for their latest album, More Scared of You Than You Are of Me, which is arguably one of the…

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Album Review: Hachiku – Self-Titled (2017 EP)

Hachiku’s upcoming self-titled EP is dreamy. That sounds like a disingenuous, relatively vague description of the fuzzy beats and twinkly melodies, but Hachiku – otherwise known as Anika Ostendorf – has these deft, light vocals, sung in a clipped, wide-eyed accent are just that – dreamy. It’s an early summer, soft-lights-and-cool-water kind of sound, and…

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Video Games Preview: The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind Feels Like A Worthy Next Chapter

Last week, I was given the opportunity to journey into the newest expansion for The Elder Scrolls Online, and explore the island of Vvardenfell, the gorgeous Vivec City and the surrounding mountains. For those who follow The Iris on Twitter or Instagram, you may be aware of the beautiful trip a number of Australian games…

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Win a double pass to see Edward Scissorhands at In The House in Sydney

Credited as his most personal film, Tim Burton tells a gothic fairytale about the ultimate outsider: a half-finished artificial man with scissors for hands. Stars Johnny Depp, Winona Rider, Diane Wiest, Alan Arkin and the great Vincent Price in his final feature role. Edward Scissorhands is the final film in this season of In The…

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Video Game Review: RiME (PS4, 2017) is a Minimalist Dream

RiME is a game that plays it’s cards close to it’s chest. Waking on a mostly deserted island, the games protagonist is seemingly lost, and must find his way through the island, conquering puzzles as he travels. RiME is largely guided by its mystery, as players seek to discover the secrets of the boy, the…

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Video Games Review: Farpoint (2017, PSVR) isn’t PSVR’s killer app, but represents a significant step forward

PSVR currently finds itself at a crossroads. Prior to launch, it seemed like Sony had everything they needed to absolutely crush their competition in the VR space — it had a price point that couldn’t be beat, an army of third-party developer talent curated over decades and a PS4 install base that is the envy…

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Review: Sophie Foster makes us all feel good as she helps open the Perth International Jazz Festival

Sophie Foster, a WAAPA graduate and contemporary vocalist, was the main headliner for the first night of the Perth International Jazz Festival. Instead of attempting to conjure sonic textures via paragraphs of high falutin’ words, I’ll just say that her r’n’b/neo-soul stylings reminded me a lot of Alicia Keys and a little bit of Prince, two…

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Interview: Geraldine Hakewill talks about her upcoming role as Lady Macbeth and how Shakespeare’s work continues to translate in 2017

It’s one of Shakepeare‘s most famous tragedies and the Melbourne Theatre Company (MTC) is bringing Macbeth to audiences with a modern day touch. Starring none other than Aussie actor Jai Courtney in the title role and Geraldine Hakewill as Lady Macbeth, this is sure to be an outstanding season of Australian theatre. Macbeth opens next week and the cast…

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POPSART: GOMA’s Marvel Launch – Why the Throne of Asgard is in a contemporary gallery and is Captain America really a woman?

Last Friday, the Marvel Creating the Cinematic Universe exhibition opened at Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) and what a visual, popular cultural feast it is, with over 500 objects including the costumes, props, sets and characters all spectacularly animating the voluminous rooms of GOMA. Art and God-like archetypes have been an intrinsic part of…

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Win a double pass to see Jatinga in Sydney

Following the critically acclaimed, sell-out season of The Laden Table (March 2017), bAKEHOUSE Theatre Company is presenting the world premiere of Jatinga – an international co-production inspired by the daughters of sex-workers in Kamathipura, Mumbai’s oldest and Asia’s second largest red-light district. Named after the village Jatinga, a place most famous for the phenomenon of…

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Win a double pass to see The Imperial Bells of China in Melbourne or Sydney

In a unique display unlike any other orchestral performance, the internationally acclaimed Hubei Chime Bells National Chinese Orchestra brings The Imperial Bells of China – Chimes in Concert to Australia for concerts in Melbourne on Thursday 20 July at Melbourne Recital Center and in Sydney on Sunday 23 July at Sydney Opera House. Together with…

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Paddington’s The Unicorn named “Pub of the Year” at Time Out Sydney Pub Awards

The Time Out Sydney Pub Awards have once again gone through and highlighted the top performers in this city’s generous and ever-evolving pub scene. Much like the publications bar and food awards, the list serves as a comprehensive celebration of quality, awarding venues across 11 categories based on everything from best pub food and family-friendliness…

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Zac Sykes tightens focus on communal dining at North Bondi Fish (Sydney)

Zac Sykes, Head Chef at North Bondi Fish, is stepping into a series of share-style dinners as of next month, giving him a platform to tighten focus on one-off dishes made with sustainable seafood and seasonal produce. Designed as a special “Zac’s Table” menu, guests taking part in the communal tables will feast on a…

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Krispy Kreme are giving away 30,000 freebies for National Doughnut Day this week

Krispy Kreme is going full Oprah for this year’s National Doughnut Day, once again prepping for an Original Glazed giveaway but pushing up stock to 30,000 freebies. The brand’s beloved and highly indulgent signature will be available for one day only, pushed out for free to hungry doughnut lovers on Friday 2nd June. Getting your…

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Review: Chapel Street’s Oriental Teahouse presents modern twists to authentic Chinese dining (Melbourne)

Celebrated tea master and restaurateur, David Zhou is the man behind the iconic Oriental Teahouse and has reopened the doors to Chapel Street’s venue after undergoing a modern renovation. Designed by Melbourne design studio Hecker Guthrie, the new interior has brought an authentic Chinese teahouse into the modern world, with its brushed concrete walls, home to…

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