POPSART is a new series here at Arts on the AU, which comes care of Brisbane arts journalist Bec Mac. She’ll give us, in her own words: “a weekly video interview with an artist or curator (across any kind of art form) at their opening night, a sneak preview or event and hopefully will give a quick capture…
Todrick Hall has one of the most impressive CVs going around. You may know him from his YouTube channel, Season 9 of American Idol, perhaps you saw him on Broadway as Lola in Kinky Boots or you’ve heard the hype surrounding his international touring show Straight Outta Oz. I could honestly talk to him for hours but I jam packed…
David Bowie may have been Messer Jones, Ziggy Stardust and the Thin White Duke. But there was no question that this chameleon artist was also one handsome and photogenic man. Blender Gallery are celebrating this with a new exhibition titled Bowie Unseen, which is also part of the Head On Photo Festival. Bowie Unseen includes…
Melbourne’s QV Square and the surrounding laneways will later this month be transformed into a vibrant outdoor garden gallery of interactive neon art installations. Running from 17th May until 17th June, Melbourne-based international artist Carla O’Brien will fill the space with her new exhibition Neon Night Garden. Neon Night Garden will be O’Brien’s most extensive…
Following the announcement of their Sydney Table series, Vivid Sydney and Carriageworks have unveiled details for The Night Market, their large-scale, one-night-only collaboration which celebrates contemporary food and wine, to the theme of “Cooking with Fire”. As such, fire-loving chef Lennox Hastie (of Firedoor) has joined as the event’s guest curator. The bright minds behind…
Lavish long lunches rule when it comes to Mother’s Day options around Sydney this year. If taking your leading lady out to experience some of the best food the city has to offer, while letting the restaurants add their own little touches to each menu, sounds like your idea of a perfect Sunday afternoon then…
Late last week, we premiered the brand new single from Tasman Keith – “Might Snap”. The single (and its accompanying music video) tackles very real themes of addiction and personal struggle and as an introduction to this emerging hip hop talent, “Might Snap” kicks the door in. Hailing from the Bowraville Mission in NSW’s Nambucca Valley,…
Smoke Rings come puffing strong today with a new single in “Go To Hell”. The title seems pretty harsh, right? Don’t be dissuaded. The guitar pop charm the Melbourne group has harnessed on record as a result of sessions with Malcolm Besley (City Calm Down, Northeast Party House) shines brightly. The vocals and dynamic blend of percussion…
One of the first things I notice about any great movie or TV show, is the soundtrack. The way music can not only really connect an audience to the underlying message, but truly amplify the storyline, is the real beauty of the craft. Composer and music producer Elliot Wheeler, is the man behind the phenomenal…
Jeff Buckley was widely regarded by critics and fans as the most talented musician of his generation, yet his untimely death in May 1997, left only one studio recorded album, Grace, and a legacy of unanswered questions. In this revised and updated edition of acclaimed music writer, Jeff Apter’s 2008 biography, we hear from Jeff’s…
Music is one of the very few things, that seems to take leaps and bounds across any particular barrier, particularly language. German rockers Odd Couple mash together a mix of psychedelic rock, garage sound and old school punk to produce their latest album Flügge. In light of the release, I sat down to chat with one half of…
Polish Club have just dropped another visually delightful little chunk of awesome, straight from their debut album Alright Already. Their latest single, “Divided”, is sure to pull you firmly into the Polish Club fan camp, set to motivate you through any task you happen to be running at this week. Backed by the epic slow…
If you have ever had to deal with customers (or know someone who has), then you need to get on board with the hilarious new Australian comedy series Rostered On, which is now streaming on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ddkE3CabE4 The talent on board for Rostered On, other than the charmingly down to earth Paul Moore (Winners &…
There’s nothing quite like the fear and paranoia that Prey induces the moment you step into a room of the vast Talos I station. The tension I felt while playing Prey was palpable, thanks in no small part to the edge-of-your-seat atmosphere the game builds. Through the combination of a haunting score, brilliant level design…
At the MTV Movie and TV awards last night, Warner Bros. released the final trailer for Wonder Woman. The film is the fourth installment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) and tells the origin of the Amazonian princess turned heroine taking place approximately a hundred years before the events of 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice. The trailer…
A new ABC event series based on the iconic Australian rock and roll band of the swingin’ ’60s has begun production in Sydney. The Easybeats had widespread international success with their 1966 single “Friday on My Mind”, but the synonymously named television mini-series will follow band back to their beginnings as young European immigrants who…
Iconic stage, TV and film actor Brian Cox (Bourne films, Braveheart, Planet of the Apes, Doctor Who) is set to make an appearance down under later this month for the release of Churchill, directed by Australian Jonathan Teplitzky (The Railway Man), Cox will be appearing at screenings of Churchill in Sydney and Melbourne, ahead of the…
With the wonderfully violent and gritty BBC & Netflix Drama Series The Last Kingdom Season 2 heading to Blu-Ray and DVD this month, we caught up with the clever and humble Alexander Dreymon who plays the mildly enigmatic lead role and hero Uhtred in the critically acclaimed series. Alexander Dreymon has worked alongside greats Jessica Lange, Emma…
The Zookeeper’s Wife follows the real events of the owners’ of the Warsaw Zoo in Poland from 1939 until 1946. It centres on their moral struggle of not being a mere bystander of the ghettos and executions during the Holocaust. It’s a film that has the rare potential to educate its audience with a fascinating story, without…
I’d be lying if i said that I don’t approach a Mario Kart review with a certain amount of trepidation. You know what you’re getting into with a Mario Kart title — vehicular barbarism and savagery on parade, draped in the charming trappings of a cartoon. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe does not go out of its way to assuage…
An interactive one-day event celebrating everything tea is coming back after a successful debut last year at Melbourne Exhibition Centre, attracting more than 4,200 tea lovers. The aromatic Melbourne Tea Festival will aim at connecting guests to specialty teas from all over the world, highlighting exciting tea purveyors who will be on hand to showcase…
As of earlier this year, the the site of Wild Dog restaurant and five kilometres south of beautiful Warragul has been reborn, now refurbished as Hogget by chef Trevor Perkins and winemakers William Downie and Patrick Sullivan. A true gift for locals and a tempting stop on a road trip out of Melbourne, the winery-restaurant-cellar…
The Mr Black Festival of the Espresso Martini, kicking off in just a few weeks, has proven so popular that organisers have been forced to add an extra day, making that a total of three days dedicated to one of the most beloved cocktails in the country. With the first two days selling out almost…
A few years ago Zeus Street Greek didn’t seem like it’d reach the level of growth it enjoys today. Their first store was out in Drummoyne, quietly building an empire as a fresh take on Greek street food, that offered more than just souvlakis and gyros, rightfully earned the business a loyal following. Fast forward…
Ben Walker and Ewa Lefmann, the duo out of London known as Fang Night, have dropped a strong new single in “Steady Cruising” – if this is the first you’re hearing of the band, it’s a strong intro point. It’s the first single from the duo since they released their EP Artificial and sees them veer into the darker, richer…
Though far from perfect, there was always something special about the first season of Sense8. In line with the Wachowski’s previous efforts, there was nothing quite like it and even when it rambled, it did so in a way that earned your attention (coincidentally, writing about the first season of Sense8 was one of the…
Since the project was officially announced in 2015, fans have been clamouring for the trailer for Sony’s adaptation of the incredibly successful Stephen King novel The Dark Tower. With release being set back multiple times over the past year, Sony has settled with an August 17 release date and now the wait for the trailer is finally over. Watch…
With Split bringing 23 personalities to its Australian DVD and Blu-Ray home release this Wednesday (May 10th), we caught up with one of the film’s stars, Betty Buckley, who played Kevin’s (James McAvoy) psychiatrist Dr Karen Fletcher. A veteran of the arts, Betty Buckley has been an icon of TV, film and music for almost five decades now. I…
Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3 is a mixed bag. There are many things about this title that work, but for every positive there’s a glaring negative that drags the experience down on too many fronts. It uses conventional mechanics and a narrative structure seen in countless other games without really doing anything fresh or new. Sniper…
What Remains of Edith Finch is the beautifully told story of titular protagonist Edith Finch as she explores her family’s mysterious history, and her connection to the family’s curse. While many might be quick to dismiss the game as ‘just another walking simulator’, what Edith Finch brings to the table is an entirely new and…
