Author: Chris Singh

Chris Singh is an Editor-At-Large at the AU review, loves writing about travel and hospitality, and is partial to a perfectly textured octopus. You can reach him on Instagram: @chrisdsingh.

Hip-Hop reigns supreme and music royalty pay tribute to Blaze Foley on SXSW’s Friday Program

Hip hop fans were very well taken care of on SXSW’s second last day. Fader Fort revealed their surprise guest as Rae Sremmurd, with the duo also playing their own “announced at the last minute” showcase event with the likes of it producer Mike WiLL Made It and buzz acts like Duckwrth. Though the Rae…

Read more

First Impressions: The Last O.G is a triumphant return to form for Tracy Morgan

There’s something very sincere and heart-warming about Tray, the character played by Tracy Morgan in new TBS show The Last O.G. The forthcoming series, backed by John Carcieri and Jordan Peele, is a welcome return for the endearingly 30 Rock star, who still very much embodies the on-screen personality often attributed to him but grounds…

Read more

SXSW Wednesday Round Up: Tank & The Bangas and August Greene shine at NPR showcase as Vevo and Fader Fort hits the ground running

It was a jam packed Wednesday at SXSW in Austin, Texas. Here’s a look at just a few of the many highlights… Kicking off numerous showcases at SXSW this week, Tinashe hit up Vevo House for her second performance of the night and – to no one’s surprise – completely owned the smoky jungle-like stage…

Read more

SXSW Interview: Hao Wu on his award-winning documentary People’s Republic of Desire

After winning the Documentary Feature category at the South by Southwest Film Awards earlier this week, People’s Republic of Desire from filmmaker Hao Wu is poised to become one of the most important watches of 2018. For his third documentary on different layers of Chinese culture, Wu takes a very close and unnerving look at…

Read more

SXSW First Impressions: Hereditary (USA, 2018) is as close to evil as a horror movie has ever been

When light finally filled the theatre at Austin’s Alamo Drafthouse Cinema I could see that the older man sitting next to me was visibly shaken. In fact, I could see many people who looked like they were in desperate need of a good, long hug and maybe a bathtub full of bright yellow rubber ducks…

Read more

SXSW Tuesday: Aussie buzz act G-Flip plays her first ever show and Steve Aoki brings Interactive to a close as the music gets rolling

Tuesday marked the fifth day of SXSW for 2018, and as is tradition, it served as the changeover point for the festival between “interactive” and “music”, whole “film” continues throughout the week. Red River Street between 8th and 10th seemed to be one of biggest hotbeds of activity for the Tuesday, with two venues in…

Read more

SXSW Interview: Jermaine Fowler & Armie Hammer talk Boot Riley’s debut feature Sorry To Bother You

We caught up with Jermaine Fowler and Armie Hammer at SXSW to talk about their new film Sorry To Bother You. Watch the full interview below, where we learn more about the characters, and the political messages found in the film, which is the directorial debut of musician Boots Riley (The Coup, Street Sweeper Social…

Read more

SXSW Film Review: Boots Riley holds no punches in kafkaesque comedy Sorry to Bother You (USA, 2018)

Boots Riley has over two decades of powerful, biting and important work behind him as emcee of The Coup, so Sorry for Bothering You, his directorial debut, isn’t as big of a leap as it appears to be for the artist. Well, it’s not big in the sense that smart political satire is anything new…

Read more

Highlights of SXSW’s Music Monday: Australia House, British Embassy, Choose ATL, Vevo and more!

The first ever Australia House kicked off its formal SXSW run in a big way, pulling in megastar Hugh Jackman for a discussion on the cross-section of social good and market forces. Word must have got out as well, because his 2pm discussion with Global Citizen CEO Hugh Evans attracted some enormous queues, from which…

Read more

A headline set from Ludacris packs out the first night of Vevo House at SXSW

The best shows are when they are intimate like this, and we can do whatever the fuck we want”, shouted ATL hip hop veteran Ludacris as he headlined the frenzied first night of the Vevo House at SXSW. For the next three nights, Vevo will be posted up at 508 Bar & Pelons Tex Mex…

Read more

The world premiere of Blockers headlines SXSW Day Two, plus pop ups for The Terror, Westworld and more!

It’s day two of SXSW in Austin, Texas – and with the Westworld Pop-Up event taking place just outside of town and getting everyone talking, here’s a look at a few of the other highlights from the day (since, sadly, we weren’t able to get tickets to Westworld ourselves; tickets went out the door in…

Read more

SXSW Interview: Antifa leader Daryle Lamont Jenkins talks about Alt-Right: Age of Rage

To further explore Alt-Right: Age of Rage, a new documentary by Adam Bhala Lough receiving its world premiere at this year’s SXSW, we chat to Daryle Lamont Jenkins. Jenkins, one of the most prominent and recoginsable figures of the antifa (or “anti-fascist”) movement in America has a lot to say about the increasingly salient clash…

Read more

Young Fathers, Ready Player One and more make a splash on the first night of SXSW 2018

And SXSW is off once again! The annual Austin, Texas festival kicked off its Interactive and Film streams tonight with a series of film screenings and special events all over the city. The New York Times Magazine took over Irene’s with one of the night’s biggest parties, steadily building up anticipation as a lively queue…

Read more

The Roots announce super jam session with Ludacris, Rapsody and more at Bud Light’s SXSW party

There are very few names in music that define the very concept of collaboration more than The Legendary Roots Crew (AKA The Roots), so when you’re an enormous brand celebrating “music, friendship, and collaboration” at SXSW you’d be remiss not to call upon the iconic band to lead the party. That’s what Bud Light are…

Read more

Muse to team up with NIN and Jet at SXSW to take on The Beatles with Dr Pepper’s Jaded Hearts Club Band

Once again, Rachael Ray will be hosting her annual Feedback party at SXSW, set to take over Stubb’s BBQ on Saturday 17th March from 10am to 4pm. It’s going to be a packed, incredibly diverse line up of big acts throughout the day, including hip hop veterans Salt-n-Pepa, masterful party starter Girl Talk, and the…

Read more

Fader Fort announces SXSW return with a new location and a growing lineup

Returning for its 17th time at SXSW, the famous Fader Fort will once again be bringing the ruckus to the enormous festival with hot-ticket hip hop and R&B acts mixed up with a little variety. Running from March 14th to March 16th, the Fort will change spots and move on over to 1501 East 7th…

Read more

Solander is the city’s newest restaurant and cocktail lounge (Sydney)

Solander Dining and Bar is one of the latest to prop up the bustling food and drink precinct down on Sussex, bringing the area a 72-seater restaurant and bar as part of new boutique hotel West Hotel Sydney, a property that is part of the refined Curio Collection by Hilton. Located at 62 Sussex Street,…

Read more

Plant-based restaurant Alibi to open at Ovolo Woolloomooloo (Sydney)

Later this month will see a new restaurant open at designer hotel Ovolo Woolloomooloo as award-winning U.S chef Matthew Kenney focuses his long history of advocating for plant-based cuisine to Sydney with Alibi. Adding something incredibly unique to the envied scene at Woolloomooloo wharf, the new restaurant will take over most of the ground floor…

Read more

Tella Balls Dessert Bar opens first ever Melbourne shop in CBD

Sydney-born dessert and social media phenomenon Tella Balls Dessert Bar has finally opened up one of its deliciously sugary stores in Melbourne. The newly launched dessert bar, which is located at Melbourne Central, follows the successful launch of the brand in QLD last year, bringing more than just Sydneysiders a menu that’s chock full of…

Read more

AMC to showcase their new thriller The Terror at SXSW with immersive polar experience

Next week those lucky enough to be heading over to SXSW during it’s first few days will have a much better insight into new AMC thriller The Terror thanks to the network’s fully immersive multi-sensory activation. It seems HBO aren’t the only ones using the enormous festival to promote a forthcoming show, with the home…

Read more

Skyfire and Enlighten Festival converge on the ideal weekend to visit Canberra in 2018

It’s looking like March will be the ideal time for Aussies and international visitors to head along to Canberra, which was recently – to a lot of shock and curiosity – named one of the world’s top ten cities to visit in 2018 by Lonely Planet. Why? Well two our Canberra’s best events are on…

Read more

Slane Irish Whiskey is launching in Australia this month

Slane Irish Whiskey has launched in Australia ahead of St Patrick’s Day, coming all the way from the legendary Slane Castle with 300 years of family history and 147 years of whiskey-making behind it. The whiskey, which goes through three types of casks, should immediately bring Irish whiskey enthusiasts a new favourite seeing as the…

Read more

Dan Murphy’s is turning a heritage house in Chippendale into an interactive pop-up (Sydney)

Dan Murphy’s are planning to take over an abandoned heritage house in Sydney this month, turning the space into what they’ve conceived as the “House of Discovery” where the drink trends of 2018 will be highlighted and celebrated for guests across two fun-filled days. The interactive pop-up will be located in Chippendale, nodding heavily to…

Read more

Sri Lankan street food heroes Hopper Kadé open new restaurant on Crown Street (Sydney)

Graduating from popular street food stall, Sri Lankan street food purveyors Hopper Kadé have opened a permanent restaurant on Crown Street in Darlinghurst. After building a cult following thanks to their signature hopper menu, founders Ruvanie De Zoysa and Chris Goffin have worked with Head Chef Diago Fernandez to take their offering to the next…

Read more

Munchies team with top young chefs for pop up food parties through Melbourne Food & Wine Festival

One of the more essential events as part of this year’s forthcoming Melbourne Food and Wine Festival will be a neat nine-day collaboration between Vice food channel Munchies and some of the city’s best and most popular young chefs. Dubbed Club Munchies, the program will shape into Bourke Street’s Spleen Bar with the chefs, a…

Read more

Peter Alexander hooks up with Cartoon Network for Powerpuff Girl sleepwear capsule

Those needing to introduce some character to their sleepwear should head on over to the nearest Peter Alexander as soon as possible. The sleepwear designer brand has announced a surprising collaboration capsule with Cartoon Network to celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Powerpuff Girls. The classic cartoon, which has been around since 1998, will be…

Read more

Gala Showcase announced for Good Beer Week at Federation Square (Melbourne)

Once again, Melbourne’s Good Beer Week will be kicking off with a two-day Gala Showcase this March, taking over The Atrium at Federation Square with 30 local and interstate breweries in tow, ranging from NSW legends Modus Operandi to local favourites Bridge Road Brewers. All breweries will stand alongside Melbourne’s best food vendors, highlighting some…

Read more

Bondi’s Latin American favourite Panama House moves to Campbell Parade (Sydney)

After spending over five years on Bondi Road, Panama House has moved much closer to the iconic golden sands, which now lay in the shadow of the 120-seater restaurant and bar. Perched above Campbell Parade, the Latin American venue is now charging into their new life with a refocused and reimagined offering that includes everything…

Read more

Manly Greenhouse is Sydney’s new three-storey beachfront restaurant and bar

Manly is about to get a leafy new beachfront bar and restaurant from the same team behind Sails on Lavender Bay. Manly Greenhouse will be a multi-storey venue taking over the former Shore Club Hotel and transforming the venue with a very open, free-spirited aesthetic reflecting the natural beauty of the coastal suburb. In an…

Read more

8 Films Not To Miss at SXSW 2018

Everyone from Bill Murray to Spike Lee and Wes Anderson will be represented as SXSW rolls around for its 2018 edition next week. The film and television section of the world renowned showcase festival is entering its big 25th anniversary this year, with what looks to be one of its most diverse programs to date, with…

Read more