John is a passionate photographer and reviewer, focused on Australia's vibrant music, culture and arts scenes. His vibe is one of infectious enthusiasm. Also enjoys romantic strolls on the beach.
After finishing an Australian tour on the back of the release of their latest album Big Overdrive, Art vs Science are heading to South Australia’s McLaren Vale for Wine Machine. We caught up with Dan MacNamee to chat about the making of the album. How does it feel to be back on the road? The…
Set times and the festival map has been released for the inaugural Heaps Good Festival in the heart of Adelaide. With a great line up including Arctic Monkeys, Peggy Gou, CHVRCHES, and Jamie xx it’s sure to be an incredible day of music. Taking place across two huge stages, Heaps Good’s Eucalyptus Stage will play host to…
It’s been a while since bands have been able to tour, so it’s good to see some of the favourites such as RÜFÜS DU SOL back on our shores. After the release of Surrender in October 2021, fans have been waiting some time to see the trio perform. As the sun set on a warm…
Just announced, the Vintage Vibes Festival will be set in the Adelaide Hills in early 2023. Over two days, the 1st and 2nd of April, the inaugural festival at Tomich Wines features a range of artists from Gang of Youths to Tash Sultana to Leo Sayer. Vintage Vibes also has Hermitude, Angus and Julia Stone…
We visited Sydney’s new Italian café La Bottega to check out the vibe and the food. Tucked away down busy Norton Street, it has a friendly inviting feel. Colourful umbrellas give some cool shade to the outdoor tables, while the open glass doors make the indoor space feel part of the outdoors. The menu has…
After a physical hiatus of the ARIA awards due to COVID restrictions, the music community was ready to head out and party in style for the 2022 awards at the Horden Pavilion. There was plenty of glitz and glamour with frocks galore, even on many of the boys. MC for the evening, Christian Wilkins was…
The crowd was well rugged up for the inaugural Harvest Rock festival in the Adelaide parklands. Billed as a food and wine experience, there was something for everyone, from ample food trucks to wine selections from McLaren Vale to high-end dining experiences. Two intimate lunches were available from Jake Kellie of arkhé with wine and…
It was all glitz and glamour on the red carpet at the recently opened Hindley Street Music Hall for the South Australian Music Awards. Over 30 awards were presented by the evening’s MC, national musical icon Jane Gazzo, plus special live performances from Dem Mob, Nancy Bates, Tilly Tjala Thomas, and Wanderers ensured the energy…
Sydney indie-rock band Jackie Brown Jr have just released a summer pop anthem, “Who’s Gonna Know”. We chatted with keyboard player Michael J Brady to learn a little more about the band and the single release. Let’s start with the history of the band. How did you get together and what made you like the…
Comedian and cancer survivor, Michael Shafar, is back with a fresh new comedy show. Shafar is a regular on television shows The Project and Studio 10 as well as having a huge following on YouTube. We’ve also captured him at the Adelaide Fringe, where his stand-up comedy shows were well-received. Shafar’s comedy is not for the…
The red carpet was out at Her Majesty’s Theatre to welcome cast and crew of horror thriller Talk to Me on the closing night of the Adelaide Film Festival. Filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou (aka RackaRacka) were there to entertain the crowd. The brothers are infamous for filling a car with water and driving it…
The Adelaide Film Festival helps cement Adelaide’s place in the world of cutting-edge arts, music and film. With Gala nights, forums and talks, award nights, and even a children’s program there really is something for everyone. Over 12 days and nights, over 120 films are presented, including many with the directors or stars in attendance….
The first Pakistani film to premiere at Cannes, Joyland is a daring queer drama by director Saim Sadiq about forbidden desire. The extended Rana family live together in Lahore and the opening scenes are celebrations for the arrival of the fourth child for the older brother’s family. The fourth girl in a row is an…
With only one month to go, the countdown to the inaugural Harvest Rock is on! From some of the biggest acts in the world to carefully curated food and beverage experiences, here’s everything you need to know before you start making your way to Adelaide for two huge days of premium live music in the…
The theme was rock and roll for the Adelaide Film Festival opening night film, The Angels: Kickin’ Down the Door by Adelaide-based film director Madeleine Parry. Special guests included The Angels (John Brewster, Rick Brewster, Dave Gleeson) and producers Peter Hanlon and Martin Fabinyi. The movie documents the extraordinary rise of The Angels and their foray…
Iconic pop artist and award-winning songwriter Darren Hayes has just released his first new album in a decade: Homosexual. It’s a celebration of the love and music that has influenced his career. In this interview with The AU Review, Hayes discusses the trauma of growing up gay and the acceptance and joy that he has…
The South Australian bands selected to perform at the VALO Adelaide 500 have been announced. These bands have been selected by a panel of music industry judges as part of Music SA’s Bands on Track initiative. The judges are Sam Lavers, known for his management of the Royal Croquet Club and other festivals, Courtney Duka,…
This week, co-founders RÜFÜS DU SOL along with their lifelong friends across the music and drinks industry, Justin Medcraft and Tom Appleton (ex-Diageo), announced their new hard kombucha brand: Mate Maker co. We sat down with Medcraft to talk about the story behind what’s involved in introducing a new style of drink into the Australian market….
Rent is a musical written by Jonathan Larson about a year in the life of a group of artists struggling to survive in New York during the AIDS epidemic. It Is loosely based on Puccini’s opera La Bohème, contrasting the lavish life with the poverty and homelessness of New York. Some hundred years previously, in…
When is an iconic story about a whale, not a story about a whale? When it’s a brilliantly funny Lano and Woodley show of course. The comedy duo, who have had a love-hate relationship over many years, are back with a completely improvised and hilarious take on the Moby Dick story. New stops on the…
The first weekend of December is when the VALO Adelaide 500 car race is being held. The after-race music is always a drawcard and Sunday night has Amy Shark and Something for Kate joining The Killers for an incredible night of music. Amy Shark became a household name in 2016 with the release of her…
Hilltop Hoods finished their successful Australian The Show Business Tour in hometown Adelaide at a sold-out Entertainment Centre on Saturday night. The mood was one of excitement and anticipation. After DJ Total Eclipse warmed up the crowd as they filled the arena, followed by singer Elsy Wameyo. With her five-piece backing band she had a…
In the middle of their first Australian tour in several years, we sat down with In Hearts Wake frontman Jake Taylor to chat about the band’s new feature-length documentary Green Is The New Black. It holds a mirror up to the music industry and its relationship to the environment. The movie chronicles the making of…
Over two days, Sat 19 and Sun 20 November at Rymill Park in Adelaide, Harvest Rock is presenting the only Australian show for legendary Jack White. Joining him on the bill will be Crowded House, The Black Crowes, Khruangbin, Groove Armada, Sam Fender, The Lumineers, Tones and I, The Avalanches and much more. Taking over…
The Hindley Street Music Hall, Adelaide’s newest state-of-the-art live music venue, will open its doors for the first time on Thursday September 15, celebrating with an incredible line-up that includes DMA’S, West Thebarton, Wafia, and Jess Day, all hosted by South Australia’s kings of radio, Ben and Liam. Previously known as HQ in Hindley Street,…
The third and final day of the Mundi Mundi Bash opened with a world-record attempt at doing the “Nutbush City Limits” dance for over five minutes. However, the numbers were just shy of the 4084 number set at the Birdsville Bash in July. Participation via registration for the Nutbush raised more than $55,000 for the…
The second day of the Mundi Mundi Bash started with the traditional Undi Run. Outfits from mankinis to Nun outfits, with everything in between possibly imaginable. There were prizes for fastest runners and best “dressed.” The semi-finalist parade was something to see, with several dubious outfits. The Undi Run was followed by the Doggie Fashion…
While the Birdsville Bash has been running for some time, this is the second time the event has been held at Mundi Mundi, near Broken Hill in NSW. The three-day camping event started on Thursday with a stellar lineup of Australian acts. After introductions from the founder of the event, Greg Donovan and the Broken…
Secret Sounds is pumped to announce headline shows by trailblazing, Platinum-selling, British pop star Years & Years, taking over Brisbane and Adelaide in November 2022! The hotly-anticipated shows will see the singer, actor and cultural vanguard hit down under with a host of new tracks from his stunning new album, Night Call, released earlier this…
With a title as diverse as “The Bait Fridge x Slowmango” (The hero’s journey of the Appendix), there should have been plenty of warning that this was to be no ordinary show. The procedural steps listed the “Wild West Waiting Room” as step one. Banjo players sitting around campfires, white coated cowboys pushing tumbleweeds and…
