Author: Larry Heath

Aussie duo Hockey Dad have found quite a bit of love for themselves in the US and Canada, and from later this month they’ll be capitalising on that for a massive tour around the North American countries. The tour begins up north in the Canadian city of Calgary, on the 24th of October 2017, and…

I’ve been a big fan of Wolf Parade for years – one of Canada’s most iconic indie rock groups, with chronic overachievers Dan Boeckner (Handsome Furs, Operators, Divine Fits etc.) and Spencer Krug (Frog Eyes, Sunset Rubdown etc.) serving as the band’s chief songwriters. I’ve spoken to Dan quite a few times over the years…

Those who have flown in and out of Darwin know that many flights to and from Australia’s only 24 hour airport are red eyes – and if my recent flight with them is any indication, it seems that Qantas remains the red eye service to Sydney to beat. Here’s a look at the experience in…

When the original Blade Runner was first released in cinemas in 1982, it made waves for its stunning cinematography and special effects, moody and now iconic soundtrack from Vangelis, and its truly innovative adaptation of a short story from sci-fi writer Philip K Dick; the rare instance where a film has outdone its source material….

Ever since burger makers cottoned on to the quality and popularity of the iconic In-N-Out Burger in the US, they’ve been trying to replicate it. And this trend isn’t restricted to Australia – many on the East Coast of the US will know Shake Shack, whose own take on the In-N-Out style burger has made…

If you know where to look, you could stumble across a music industry conference and festival just about every week of the year. It’s a rare week, however, you’ll find a barrage of events happenings simultaneously around the world. A little over a week ago now there were no less than four major festivals happening…

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 15 years since Joss Whedon’s now classic, short running TV series Firefly hit the airwaves. Possibly because so many of us discovered it years later. But with just 14 episodes and a movie (2005’s Serenity), the Firefly universe didn’t expand as much as fans might have liked –…

If you fly regularly to US with Virgin Australia, as I do, chances are you may have ended up on a Delta aircraft on one of your trips; with the two carriers codesharing services across the Pacific, providing ticketed passengers for either the option to fly with the other. I recently did just that, flying…

Travel to Hawaii from Australia has never been easier or more affordable. Budget carrier Jetstar offer some of the cheapest deals between the east coast of Australia and Honolulu, while their parent company Qantas also offer daily services. Hawaiian Airlines – who sit as part of Virgin Australia’s Velocity Network – are usually the best…

When Kingsman: The Secret Service debuted in 2015, it became a critical darling and surprise commercial hit due to strong word of mouth, and a truly original and exciting approach to the spy (and in many respects, the superhero / comic book) genre. Funny, irreverent and wholly memorable, it stands apart as one of the…

Last month I had the chance to spend a couple of hours with South Park: The Fractured But Whole, a game which literally picks up from where the last game, 2014’s The Stick of Truth, left off. The boys are still playing wizards, and as The New Kid, your quest to impress your classmates continues —…

Last week, I descended on BIGSOUND in what was my 6th visit to the iconic Brisbane conference and festival. Just about every year the event has grown in size – from the amount of bands playing, to the amount of venues utilised and the number of attendees. This year felt unquestionably the biggest yet, amped…

Portland, Oregon had long been on my bucket list of destinations to visit. Renowned for great food and beer, arts, bookstores and scenery, and infamous for its hipster lifestyle, the city is one of the finest in the world. There’s so much to do in the city, but to help you on your way, here…

At the end of this month, Inhumans, the latest entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe will kick off as a television series on ABC TV in the US – the home of the successful Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. series, which will enter its fifth season later this year. Today, Inhumans – the third ABC studios series…

The Connect5 short film competition is back, giving two Australian filmmakers the chance to win $10,000 cash each and a trip to Singapore! Presented by Optus, the competition encourages anyone who wants to make a positive change within a five minute short film to enter. The theme for the films centres on the relationships people…

Australia awoke this morning to surprise news that half of the Foo Fighters had come to Sydney to promote their anticipated new album Concrete and Gold (out September 15th), fresh off wowing crowds in Singapore over the weekend. And though the full band couldn’t make it, Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins made sure they made the…

In a groundbreaking move for the industry, the first two episodes of the new Marvel TV series Inhumans have been filmed entirely with IMAX cameras, and this weekend (from September 1st) they’ll be released exclusively on IMAX screens around the world, almost a month ahead of its premiere on ABC TV in the USA. Marvel’s…

During out recent catch up with Fountaineer‘s Tony White in Sydney, the songwriter and frontman performed “The Cricketers”, taken from the band’s new album Greater City, Greater Love at Young Henrys. The album is out now and you can find out more about it with our interview with Tony, here. Check out this exclusive AU Sessions performance below!…

We at the AU are honoured to have Batch Brewing Co. on board as sponsors for our upcoming 9th Birthday Party in Sydney. Now a staple of the Marrickville scene, we caught up with Iain McKelvey to talk about the origins of the group, running a community minded brewery and producing damn good beer… How did Batch Brewing Co. get…

The AU’s Larry Heath recently sat down with Tony White of Fountaineer to talk about their long awaited debut LP Greater City, Greater Love (in stores now). On the release of the album, Tony notes the longevity these songs already have with the band, having formed some time ago. “The album’s been a long time in…

With days that hit minus twenty degrees Celsius, and nights that hit minus thirty, visiting Canada’s Yukon Territory in winter time is not for the faint of heart. But for locals and guests alike, it’s no time for hibernation. The territory, which is the smallest and westernmost of Canada’s three federal territories, and the smallest in…

Iconic Canadian group The Tea Party’s frontman, Jeff Martin, is an Australian Ambassador for Royal Enfield and owns a Classic 500. With Jeff now based in Byron Bay, and the full band set to return to Australian shores for a tour later this year, we caught up with Jeff, who delivered us his list of…

The story of Winnie The Pooh author A. A. Milne has long been optioned for cinema, and this November, British director Simon Curtis (My Week with Marilyn) will have his stab at the biopic, Goodbye Christopher Robin. The film stars Domhnall Gleeson in the lead role, with Aussie actress Margot Robbie playing his wife Daphne, Kelly Macdonald…

The newest domestic offering (and rebranded International inclusion from what was known for the year prior as “Economy Space Plus”) from Virgin Australia adds new benefits to the exit row and the first few rows of the economy section: some extra leg room, priority security screening, priority baggage and dedicated overhead storage. The new section of…

It might be the world’s most liveable city, but for an airport that doesn’t even have a train, the difficulties that Uber have faced with having their service at Melbourne International Airport has always seemed a bit ridiculous. Though the push back from the Taxi industry is of little surprise; the difficulties of getting to…

Neil Gaiman seems to be all the rage at the moment for Amazon Prime Video. Fresh off the success of their adaptation of his 2001 novel American Gods, the streaming service has plans to give a similar treatment to Gaiman’s much loved 1990 novel Good Omens, which he wrote with Terry Prachett. The comedy-horror fantasy…

There’s a warmth to the approach by the Doubletree by Hilton brand – though maybe I’m just blinded by the warm chocolate chip cookie they give every guest on check in. But it’s that sort of consistency – cookies, comfortable rooms, soothing colour schemes – that has made them the sort of chain that people become…

Anyone schooled in the US Punk scene of the late 70’s and 80’s probably knows a thing or two about the significance of Washington D.C. As the U.S. Capital, its influence on the scene as an anti-political voice is an obvious one; local groups and bands from all over the region – especially Maryland, Pennsylvania,…

It’s been hard to avoid all the negative talk about Sydney’s night economy since the lock out laws came into effect in 2014, keeping people out of venues and restricting alcohol consumption. Countless venues have closed, entire sections of the city have lost their nightlife, and hundreds of jobs have been lost along the way. If…

On June 1st, one of the most influential and celebrated albums of all time – The Beatles‘ Sgt. Peppers Lonely Heart Club Band – celebrated its 50th Birthday in the USA. As a self-confessed Beatles obsessive, I took to the skies and headed to the permanent Cirque du Soleil production in Las Vegas, Love, which…