Zander Hawley is an American songwriter truly coming into his own with this, his debut album, When I Get Blue. Having first come across his music a few years ago (he is one half of LA’s Honeywater with Amandla Stenberg), I’ve been keeping track on Hawley’s solo releases out of Nashville since. There’s a poignancy that permeates throughout Hawley’s…
After 2012’s Kon-Tiki went down in history as the first Norwegian film to pick up nominations for both an Oscar and a Golden Globe, directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg were well-placed to score a job helming one of the most ambitious franchises in modern mainstream cinema: Pirates of the Caribbean. Disney’s monstrously successful billion-dollar…
It’s alive! Coinciding with the Sydney premiere of The Mummy, Universal Studios have given a name to their long gestating shared universe. Entitled the “Dark Universe”, the franchise has also received some big name casting choices too. Johnny Depp has signed on to play The Invisible Man while Javier Bardem has been cast as Frankenstein’s Monster. The two stars…
After 25 years, Ed Boon and company still haven’t hit a drought when it comes to their inexorable flow of creative juices. Whether it was Midway or NetherRealm, Injustice or the venerable Mortal Kombat, each game is always jam-packed with gaming goodness and Injustice 2, the sequel to 2013’s Injustice: Gods Among Us, is no different.
Get Even, Bandai Namco’s upcoming British-based psychological thriller, has been delayed until June 23 in light of yesterday’s attacks in Manchester.
The Dreamfall timeline is a complicated one. Bear with us. The original game, The Longest Journey, released in 2000 and was followed up in 2006 with Dreamfall: The Longest Journey. It lay dormant for nine years until the launch of Dreamfall Chapters, an episodic continuation of the series. The first episode of Dreamfall Chapters released in 2014 but its fifth and…
Set in the largely untouched serenity of Mongolia, the Nadaam Festival is a must do for absolutely any adventurer. This festival – which is “The National Holiday of Mongolia” – fills every empty space with eclectic colours and strong spirits. Its main event, the ‘three games of men’ is held in Ulaanbaatar, where some of…
The Northern Territory Government has this week announced the appointment of Rhonda Roberts AO (Order of Australia) as curator of the second annual Parrtjima – A Festival in Light event in Alice Springs, which will run from Friday 22nd September to Sunday 1st October 2017. A Festival in Light is the first authentic indigenous festival of…
Aladdin has been drawing massive crowds since it hit the stage at Her Majesty’s in Melbourne. We have given you our opinions here at the Arts on the AU about the performances in Sydney and Melbourne and many interviews with cast and crew of the productions showing in Australia. Just after the Melbourne production, book writer of…
Mark Vincent is an insanely busy opera singer. In a show of how much of a workhorse he is, Vincent has released seven albums since winning the third season of Australia’s Got Talent. More recently he’s been performing as part of the current Australian production of My Fair Lady, which somehow has been interspersed with recording his…
Nourishment is a fundamental part of life and a way of connecting with our loved ones regularly, so why not make those nights out count even more by supporting a good cause? This notion seems to be gaining momentum across the food industry with Song kitchen’s profit for purpose model aiming to do just that….
Throughout May and June, the Hunter Valley Wine and Food Festival returns with an enormous number and range of events highlighting produce of the region and beyond. Each year the festival returns with big, comprehensive programs so we spent three days experiencing the region, the tastes and the people to try and pull out a few…
The opening of the Queens Hotel late last year marked Merivale’s first ever venture into Sydney’s inner-west, refreshing an Enmore institution into what has now become the go-to for its gorgeous upstairs cocktail bar, The Smelly Goat, and resident dumpling kitchen Queen Chow. Now the property has added Zebra Bar to that offering, completing the…
In what is a very big step for The Lucas Group long-awaited, three-level concept restaurant Kisumé has finally been unveiled to the public, opening for lunch and dinner with designs to become a major player in Melbourne’s dining scene. Fashioned as a contemporary Japanese restaurant, Kisumé offers diners three options: the ground floor and basement…
Each year the authoritative judging panel of Diageo Reserve World Class enters, analyses, and awards the Australia’s bar scene to celebrate its top performers. Swarms of talent stand behind bars across the country each and every night, ensuring that not only are we pulled into a world of well-made cocktails and well-selected spirits, but we…
Dean Lewis is one of those artists who has an effortless charm about him. At The Great Escape this year, I was able to watch him perform twice – a proper introduction to his onstage presence – and it was undeniable, the hold the songwriter had over his audience. He’s slightly awkward, almost coy, in his…
Indie rockers The Districts are back, dropping their second single from their upcoming LP, Popular Manipulations. “If Before I Wake” is heavy on the drone, citing influences from shoegaze to The Velvet Underground. There’s a distinct sound to these guys, touching on that 00’s indie rock vibe, with some modern finesse, all moulded by vocalist Rob Grote‘s distinctive and soaring voice. Of…
One in four performing artists have attempted or considered suicide. More than one in three performing artists, and one in four industry support workers, report mental health problems (Entertainment Assist, 2014). Think about the last band you listened to, or the last gig you went to. A four person band? At least one person from…
Our friends at PBS 106.7 FM are holding their annual Radio Festival right now, driving subscriptions to one of Melbourne – and Australia’s – finest community radio stations. Entirely non-for-profit, PBS relies on subscribers to champion local and underrepresented music across Melbourne and Australia and so they’re festival drive is one of the most important…
The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses is returning to Australia and New Zealand in late August for a run of dates. The show, which performs music from the ever-popular series of Nintendo video games backed by a full orchestra, now in its fourth season, is returning with an expanded program.
It supposedly didn’t do as well as expected in its opening week in the USA, but Australians haven’t been quite so tough on King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword. In its first appearance at the Australian box office, it earned $2.32m. That’s not to say it’s been hugely successful here. Its performance at the box office so far has…
Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer is a light comedy film about a human of New York. But he’s not just any human. The eponymous Norman is a wheeler/dealer and the undisputed king of networking. The film is what you’d get if The Ides of March were directed by…
Handsome Devil is cut from the same cloth as Sing Street and Dead Poet’s Society, but it also leaves a few things deliberately ambiguous. This is a pleasant, coming-of-age tale set in a private, all-boys boarding school in Ireland. The story ends on an encouraging and positive note where you should be yourself because it…
Hoo boy. This review is gonna be all over the place. It’s going to be this way because this game, even as a concept, is all over the place. You would think that, given that Tetris is already the most grueling activity a person can engage in, interrupting it with a quick round of the colour-matcher Puyo Puyo would be as…
A fan of The Sound of Music since childhood, I have fond memories of watching the classic 1965 movie musical with my family. Then, when I got older, I watched it with my friends. Even now, I manage the yearly screening on TV. So it was definitely a dream come true for me to head…
Liz Newell and Emily McLean have returned to The Blue Room Theatre with Toast, a charming exploration of grief, loss, and family. Following the sudden death of their mother, three sisters come together to clear out their childhood home. The headstrong Candice (Alison Van Reeken), recovering alcoholic Alex (Amy Mathews), and adoptive sister Sydney (Anna…
Hendrick’s Gin is partnering with Sydney’s Siren Theatre Co to create an hour-long warehouse experience that is intriguingly light on details this June. This “journey”, as they are calling it, promises to delight your body, mind, instincts, emotions and reactions through a series of unexpected scenarios. Not to mention each ticket comes with a series…
Manly locals sure are spoiled when it comes to quintessential drinking spots. They’ve got Four Pines, which remains a favourite, and now just a short stroll down from the wharf is Manly Spirits Co., the Northern Beaches very first artisan distillery. Just opened recently for public tours, tastings and cocktails, the distillery aims to welcome…
Opened just a few weeks ago in Darlinghurst, Madame Shanghai is an old-school Shanghai street food and yum cha spot by the same team behind Sydney’s beloved Lotus restaurants and Papa Bo Min. Vintage-minded with a love of all things Chinoiserie, the new venue overlooks Hyde Park and brings a bit of Sydney’s leafy icon…
With a focus on age-old Italian cuisine, the much-anticipated trattoria-style Bacco Osteria e Espresso has now opened in Sydney, fronted by Executive Chef Andrew Cibej and Head Chef Scott Williams, both whom are well known for their work at favourites like Ester and Berta. This is their first CBD venture as a team, positioned on…
