Year: 2017

Performances from Book of Mormon, Kinky Boots, American Idiot and many more to showcase at 17th Annual Helpmann Awards

Staged on the set of Kinky Boots at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney, the 17th Annual Helpmann Awards Ceremony will feature a vast array of high-profile hosts, talent and performances when it airs live this July. This years premier celebration of Australia’s live performance industry will showcase performances from the musical My Fair Lady with…

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Theatre Review: Front proves that a lot can go on behind closed garage doors (Performances in Sydney through 15th July)

Front is a new theatre production whose name could mean lots of different things. The band could all be a “front” for something else, a group often has a “front” man and being an artist means you have to perform on-stage “front” and centre. The play is a rocking one that takes a walk on…

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We explore the expansive exhibition Gladiators: Heroes of the Colosseum at Brisbane’s Queensland Museum

Opening late last month at Brisbane’s Queensland Museum, Gladiators: Heroes of the Colosseum is an expansive and interactive look at one of Ancient Rome’s best known traditions and one of the Eternal City’s most enduring symbols. Curated in conjunction with some of Rome’s most prominent museums and institutions, Gladiators is a Brisbane exclusive, and I…

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Butter is turning red for Puma with a limited edition menu (Sydney)

Teaming up with Puma for Arsenal FC’s first visit to Australia in 40 years, Surry Hills fried chicken and sneaker joint Butter has gone through a bit of a makeover, borrowing a bright shade of red from the limited edition and never released Puma Arsenal Suedes​. In addition to giving away 50 pairs of the…

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Fourth of July events across Sydney and Melbourne 2017

Break out the fireworks because Fourth of July is upon us, giving us Aussies a good excuse to celebrate everything we think we know about American culture. That is, fatty delicious food, of course. There’s a whole bunch of events around the major cultural hubs of Sydney and Melbourne today (some even lasting the rest…

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Award-winners like Sixpenny and Biota join The Gantry for a special winter menu (Sydney)

A beautifully curated menu has hit Sydney’s The Gantry for the remainder of this month, offering an extra special collaborative feast that includes chefs from heavy-hitting culinary powerhouses like Sixpenny and Biota Dining. It’s a rare opportunity to showcase dishes by so many award-winning chefs in one spot, presenting diners with an essential, affordable set…

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Win a family winter experience to “Skate, Slide and Chill” at the Common Man in Melbourne

From now until the end of August The Common Lawn at South Wharf in Melbourne will operate as a specially designed arctic oasis, complete with undercover ice rink, toboggan slide, and a dedicated Lavazza & Absolut Chill Out Zone with food and drinks. To warm up after shredding it up on the rink there’s cocktails,…

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Interview: in conversation with Southern Comfort’s national cocktail champion Jacob Cohen

Cairns bartender Jacob Cohen has recently won the Southern Comfort Traveling Tales cocktail competition. It consisted of numerous rounds around the nation before the Finals held at NOLA Smokehouse and Bar in Barangaroo, Sydney. Jacob has a chat to us before he sets off to New Orleans to experience his first-place prize as well as…

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Live Review: Grinspoon + Hockey Dad + Good Boy – Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne (30.06.17)

Ten seconds in: hands are thrown in the air, heads are banging, hair whipping, water bottles spraying, a couple both wearing spikey chokers are making out – as soon as Grinspoon hit the stage the crowd instantly transitioned from relatively chilled, to nostalgic 90’s punk rock! Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of their album, Guide to Better…

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Watch the intense trailer for the Australian one-shot indie film Watch the Sunset

It’s an Australian Sons of Anarchy, as the trailer for Watch The Sunset – filmed in just one take – has been released. Premiering at the Revelation Perth International Film Festival next week, the project by BarrLipp Productions is a gripping drama and thriller that looks at the extremely prevalent issue of crystal meth or “Ice”…

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Matilda’s Elise McCann on her new Roald Dahl inspired album Dahlesque

Known for her award-winning role as Miss Honey in the recent Australian tour of smash-hit musical Matilda, Elise McCann has now taken her love and knowledge of Dahl’s work one step further- creating an album that draws upon and inspired by the magical works of one of the world’s most beloved authors. We caught up…

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Interview: Peter Lord and David Sproxton of Aardman Animations open about the future of animation and their legacy

There’s no doubt you’ve seen the work of Aardman Animations at some point in your lives. Some of you grew up with it, some of you are just discovering it now and some of you are sharing it with your own kids and reminiscing on the good old days. ACMI has done it once again;…

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Review: Bangarra Dance Theatre Company’s Bennelong is emotional, heartbreaking and utterly significant (Sydney Opera House until 29 July 2017)

Choreographed by Stephen Page, Bennelong by the Bangarra Dance Theatre Company, articulates the story of Wollarawarre Bennelong, an Eora man who was kidnaped by Governor Phillip in 1789 and forced to live in the colonies. Taken back to England, Bennelong learnt to speak English and was held up as an example of the relationship between…

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‘Meet Me At The Cross’ set times now released ahead of Saturday’s huge Kings Cross festival

Tomorrow, the Sydney music community will be coming together for one helluva party in Kings Cross – another mark of solidarity felt within the scene against the well-publicised and still-damning lock out laws that have ruined many facets of Sydney’s nightlife and live music culture. Meet Me In The Cross, the joint initiative between the Keep…

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Single of the Day: Semaphore “Destroying The Evidence” (2017)

With their new single “Destroying the Evidence”, Brooklyn four piece Sempahore have doled out a hit of indie that takes me right back to the days I was obsessed with the likes of Animal Collective, Beach House and Bloc Party. The first single to be taken from the band’s debut album All Too Robot (due out in September), “Destroying…

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Opinion: Why it’s never been a better time to watch the changing face of Australian hip hop

The national ‘Fire Sign’ tour that has seen Remi, Sensible J and Sampa The Great collaborate on continues to Hobart this weekend before finishing up north in Darwin come July 8th. The reviews and chatter that have emerged in the wake of completed shows around the country so far have been positive and driven by enthusiasm – these…

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Album Review: Washed Out – Mister Mellow (2017 LP)

It’s been four years since Washed Out‘s (Ernest Greene), last album; and boy has a lot changed. 2013’s Paracosm was a tuneful record of utter warmth and bliss whereas new album, Mister Mellow, is a 13-track thickly woven psychedelic tapestry of samples and arrangements with a full length visual counterpart. Whilst this is keeping with…

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Music Video of the Day: WAAX “Wild & Weak” (2017)

Brisbane five-piece WAAX should need no introduction. They’re one of the country’s best independent acts, both their album releases and live performances receiving glowing praise from all directions. They dropped their second EP, Wild & Weak, on June 2nd, which showed a mature direction for the band – tighter riffs, effortless breakdowns, and tackling deeper lyrical content. They’ve…

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Actors Stephen Yuen and Daniel Henshall talk about Okja and working with Bong Joon Ho

While in Australia for the red carpet premiere of Okja – which also closed the Sydney Film Festival and is now streaming on Netflix – we caught up with two of its actors, Stephen Yuen (The Walking Dead) and Australia’s own Daniel Henshall. We learn more about their roles, the film and working with the film’s…

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Here are all the new PlayStation VR titles available for download today

The PlayStation VR lineup has been bolstered significantly this week, with the release of several new titles, including the Spider-Man: Homecoming VR Experience, as well as DLC for brilliant Farpoint. The Farpoint Cryo Pack expansion is the title’s first DLC, and is available for free. The pack includes two new planetary regions covered in snow and ice, as well…

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An American in Europe (at 30): Part Two – In UK and Ireland, friends make the world go round

“Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light,” – Helen Keller Friends are a great thing to have. A good friend can give you so many things: Advice, Confidence, Wisdom. But the best friends are the ones who are just there. It took me seven days, four countries…

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Meet the 2017 Miles Franklin Literary Award Shortlist (Part 1): Emily Maguire & Mark O’Flynn

On the 18th June the shortlist for the 2017 Miles Franklin Literary Award – an award now in it’s 60th year – was unveiled to the public. And what an exciting shortlist it was, with all five of this nominated authors shortlisted for the very first time! It was also great to see many of…

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Exclusive Album Premiere: Taryn La Fauci – Cycling (2017 LP)

For Sydney-based singer songwriter Taryn La Fauci – and no doubt, her fans – the release of her debut album Cycling has a been a highly anticipated one. With her debut EP UNVEIL being released to a positive reception back in 2014, La Fauci has been absolutely thriving as a live performer, locking down impressive live shows and…

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Our top 10 picks for Splendour in the Grass 2017!

Festivals are, of course, the perfect opportunity to see some of the world’s biggest artists perform live, and this year’s Splendour in the Grass is no exception, with some of our favourite headline acts performing. However, there’s nothing better than discovering an act that you haven’t heard of before, so here are a few of our…

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Single of the Day: Curtis Harding “On & On” (2017)

It’s been a little bit since Curtis Harding set hearts a-flutter with new music but with “On & On” now out and circulating, no doubt heart rates are beginning to accelerate again. Rich in soul and evocative drive, “On & On” wastes no time in honing in on the listener and hooking them in. Each inch of…

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Music Video of the Day: Mesa Cosa “Church of the Snake” (2017)

Melbourne’s five-(sometimes six-sometimes seven)-piece Mesa Cosa return with a call to their snake worshipping cult of destruction, the ‘Church of the Snake’. The inimitable group descend into darkness and explore an underworld full of occult rituals in their latest offering, obliterating the listener with their trademark psych-punk. Don’t worry, there’s no *actual* footage of them in the…

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Album Review: Kasabian – For Crying Out Loud (2017 LP)

Easy to grasp, unrelenting in its palatableness – the Brit-rock indie quintet has served up a safe sixth album. Delivering on their typically loud choruses and drum breaks once more – For Crying Out Loud is what we expect from Kasabian. It’s music you could either jump a skipping rope to or down a lager…

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Win a double pass to see Hey Geronimo in Sydney

Hey Geronimo have just released their new single ‘Bad Citizen’ via Chugg Music. Mixed by local legend Magoo, the hook-heavy, high-energy track, shouts a frantic message of warning over distorted guitars, bombastic drums and paranoid synths. Front-man Pete Kilroy reflects on the cause for alarm in the current politically charged climate, where digital platforms create…

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Seven things we learned from Director Sofia Coppola at a special The Beguiled Q & A in Sydney

Writer and director Sofia Coppola recently became the second woman to win the best director award at Cannes. She won the gong for her latest film, The Beguiled, a gothic story about a group of isolated, Southern girls who take in a wounded solider during the American Civil War. It’s a remake of the 1971 drama/thriller…

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Hugh Jackman is P.T. Barnum in first trailer for The Greatest Showman

With the immense success of La La Land, Hollywood appears primed to revel in the renewed popularity of the musical, and one can look no further than with The Greatest Showman. The long-gestating biopic-turned-musical has released its debut trailer and it comes stacked with an avalanche of talent and a likely aim for the award…

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