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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Helping kick off the first weekend of Vivid Ideas today was one of the biggest names to ever grace the event – iconic director Oliver Stone, who spoke with Margaret Pomeranz in front of a sold out crowd at Sydney’s City Recital Hall as part of the event’s “Game-Changers” series that also includes Shepard Farey…
A young Dale Cooper and Laura Palmer seated in the black lodge, two and a half decades past. It’s the first image we get from Twin Peaks returned and extends a moment of nostalgia before settling how much time has passed, both in Lynch’s universe and ours. When Coop reappears following Angelo Badalamenti’s Twin Peak’s…
Hounds of Love, a genre-bending powerhouse thriller from Australian director Ben Young, has been wowing critics across the globe since its premiere at the Venice Film Festival in 2016. And earlier this month it had its North American premiere at SXSW. Featuring a cast of familiar and new faces, the film tackles deep issues of trauma…
Long-standing publication Gourmet Traveller have once again scanned Australia’s rich and diverse hospitality scene to find our nation’s top performing hotels across various categories. From established luxury properties to boutique gems, the awards this year represent a very wide range of accommodation options for locals and visitors, acknowledging everywhere from a newly opened favourite in…
Unique brunch menus are hard to come by in Sydney. With a forceful wave of avo on toast or anything matcha-flavoured taking over the cafe scene, it’s refreshing to sit down at a breakfast table that delivers on restraint, taste, and technique. A stone’s throw away from Coogee Beach, Sugarcane is the perfect setting for…
The rise of the ‘casual gourmet’ dining experience is fast becoming a staple across the Australian foodie scene. Ahead of their 2018-19 departures, P&O Cruises are taking the ‘casual gourmet’ trend on-board with the help from acclaimed chef Luke Mangan, and famed Melbourne pizza master Johnny Di Francesco. Guests at sea on the cruise line’s Pacific Explorer will be…
Scotch Whisky Liqueur brand Drambuie is celebrating the revival of its most renowned cocktail, The Rusty Nail, with a five-week bar experience called ‘A Night with the Nail’. The pop up follows success in other Australian cities, highlighting one of the most iconic whisky cocktails and how the simply beautiful recipe has stood the test…
Following last years success, the Melbourne Italian Wine + Food Festival returns to Carlton Gardens for one day only. From street-style pizza to pasta made in front of guests, the festival will bring together Italian food and drink, information and entertainment. Chefs Rosa Mitchell from Rosa’s Canteen, and Johnny di Francesco from 400 Gradi will…
The Maroon Festival will be a hub for Queensland fans, with the inaugural event kicking off on the days leading up to the State of Origin. Running from Sunday 28 May to Wednesday 31 May along Brisbane’s South Bank, the free family event blends all things rugby league and Queensland’s booming culinary culture across four days…
Something magical happened at The Gasometer Hotel on Thursday night. The lighting was dimmed to sultry, red stage lights catching the smoke in the air, the oversized disco ball looming overhead, and Donny Benét (the sexiest man in music), was set to take the stage. Silver Linings took to the stage first, to warm the…
In the dark corners of Hobart, surrounded by many a fast food restaurant or club, sits the Odeon Theatre, the premiere setting for the majority of all age concerts to grace Tasmania’s capital. In the wake of their new release, More Afraid Of You Than You Are Of Me, The Smith Street Band make their…
If you’re looking for a drug-free night where you’ll still be tripping, I recommend booking VIP tickets to Matt Hollywood’s Illusions Magic Show; although it’s been rumoured that Matt Hollywood doesn’t really exist. Rumour has it that he’s a figure of the imagination, an illusion that can disappear in the blink of an eye. He…
As we arrived in the iconic, well coloured sails for the opening night of Vivid, the excitement for the return of Seattle outfit Fleet Foxes, who were helping opening the festival, was palpable. A screen sat at the back of the stage, and a note (presumably) from the band told us they missed us (“welcome to…
