Author: Larry Heath

Founding Editor and Publisher of the AU review. Currently based in Toronto, Canada. You can follow him on Twitter @larry_heath or on Instagram @larryheath.

PVT drummer Laurence Pike talks about the magic of music in Szun Waves’ Sydney Festival debut

Szun Waves have an avant-garde pedigree most new bands would envy. The London-based trio is made up of PVT drummer Laurence Pike,  experimental jazz-ambient quartet Portico saxophonist Jack Wyllie, and acclaimed producer and modular-synth wizard, Luke Abbott. Following the release of their debut At Sacred Walls, the trio will be performing tomorrow night at Sydney Festival….

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Ten weeks of free live music returns to Sydney’s Seymour Centre

Now in its 6th year, the Courtyard Sessions are returning to the leafy surrounds of Sydney’s Seymour Centre courtyard tomorrow. The event will run every Friday evening from 6 to 9pm for 10 weeks. The totally free event will feature an emerging artist alongside free “giant” games, as well as BBQ and drinks for sale….

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Sydney Festival Review: Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith an ethereal master, hidden in plain sight

Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith is far from a household name, but with some five LPs and an EP under her belt in as many years, the Los Angeles based electronic musician and composer has enjoyed growing underground popularity and now her first tour of Australia – which earlier tonight took her to the St Stephen’s Uniting…

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The Iris names the 21 Best TV Shows of 2016

2016 will go down in history for many reasons – but one of its more positive spins was the sheer quality of television that came out of it. Where you could once count the number of great series at any given time on one hand, it’s now impossible to keep up with everything that’s coming…

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What are the most “on time” airports and airlines in Australia?

Air travel intelligence company OAG has published its annual rankings of airlines and airport punctuality around the world, ranking hundreds from all over the world. So where do Australia’s airports and airlines sit against each other – and against the rest of the world? What OAG is looking at is on-time performance, or OTP. For…

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Sydney Festival Review: Briefs is exactly the non-PC drag show the world needs right now (Through 22nd January)

In a world of political uncertainty, where rhetoric that sits against the values of equality lingers and the seeming equilibrium of the world is driving us all mad, nothing feels more necessary than a perverse drag show enjoying a residency at one of the world’s most prestigious events, the Sydney Festival. Thankfully, Briefs: The Second…

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Which country has the world’s most powerful passport (and where does Australia rank?)

Anyone who’s travelled internationally has arrived at airports and seen the different lines that have been set up for different passport holders; some being expedited through automated systems, others needing to wait to have their passport checked, often with pre-organised Visas embedded. But some passports are more powerful than others. The most powerful provides visa-free…

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La La Land becomes the most awarded film in Golden Globes history

The 74th Annual Golden Globes was held in Los Angeles today, with Jimmy Fallon hosting the awards for the first time. The event, which is voted on by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, has the unique distinction of celebrating both Film and Television, as well as breaking apart many nominees into “Drama” and “Musical/Comedy” categories….

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Terrance Malick set to open SXSW 2017 as the Film Festival announces first run of World Premieres

The 24th annual SXSW Festival has announced its opening night film and a string of world premieres that will help make up the run of screenings that will take the stage in Austin, Texas between March 10th and March 19th, 2017. Starring today’s Golden Globe winner Ryan Gosling, alongside the likes of Cate Blanchett, Christian…

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Supernatural gets renewed for a record breaking 13th season

Fans of the popular CW series Supernatural – which launched with the network back in 2006 – will be ecstatic at today’s news that the show will be returning for a record breaking 13th season later this year. It’s the only original scripted show that still airs on the network from its original roster. The…

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Matt Ryan to reprise role as Constantine in new animated series

When NBC cancelled their DC Comics series Constantine in 2015 after just one season and 13 episodes due to poor ratings, many fans were left disappointed by the series premature ending. CW today announced some good news for those fans, however, with the show set to return as a limited animated series on their digital…

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Film Review: Collateral Beauty (USA, 2016) wastes a phenomenal cast

With Christmas time comes awards season, and every so often a film comes along that attempts to tackle both markets – deliver a heartfelt drama set around the holidays that will bring people into the cinema after they’ve finished exchanging gifts; while voters cast the film on their award season ballot. Such a forced ploy…

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Five free arts events & performances you can’t miss at Sydney Festival 2017

Tomorrow the Sydney Festival officially kicks off – with some events, including the Meriton Festival Village in Hyde Park, launching today. Among the incredible three weeks of entertainment are a slew of totally free arts events and performances. Here are our picks of just a few of them… THE HAIR SALON The Hair Salon is…

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The Iris names the 21 Best Movies of 2016

We take our annual look back at the best movies of the year, rounding out the 21 best films released in Australian cinemas between January 1st and December 31st, 2016: 21. Captain Fantastic “(Matt) Ross has created a piece that, despite its subtle flaws, is dazzling in its achievements but still beautiful in its imperfections.”…

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Review: Jamie T delivers festival worthy set at Sydney headline show with Hockey Dad and Polish Club

The NYE Festival Sideshows are coming through the capital cities hard and fast this week, and last night Sydney was treated to UK artist Jamie T, fresh from Falls Festival, supported in style by locals Hockey Dad and Polish Club. Polish Club rocked the venue in their opening slot, comfortably setting the stage for duo…

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Nine totally free music performances you can’t miss during Sydney Festival 2017

Part of the Meriton Festival Village, which opens tomorrow night (Sydney Festival Eve!) in Hyde Park, is The Village Stage presented by China Southern Airlines. The stage will feature a fantastic – and totally free – music program through the length of the festival, with a curated mix of disco, funk and Latin as part…

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Impressive Aussie contingency to join Beyonce, Kendrick Lamar and Radiohead at Coachella 2017

Coachella has dropped its 2017 lineup this morning, confirming its headliner rumours and solidifying one of its most diverse and impressive lineups in its history. From its headliners – Beyoncé, Radiohead and Kendrick Lamar – to a supporting cast that includes the likes of NZ act Broods, Aussies King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Bon…

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Film Review: Damien Chazelle’s La La Land (USA, 2016) achieves cinematic and musical perfection

La La Land is the new film from offensively talented director Damien Chazelle, who last impressed with the Oscar winning film Whiplash, a story (in part) about the search for musical perfection in a young Jazz drummer. In La La Land, we remain in a musical world, as Chazelle takes us back to the classic Hollywood…

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Australian Composer Tim Davies talks working on Guillermo del Toro’s new Netflix series Trollhunters (EXCLUSIVE)

Conductor and Lead Orchestrator Tim Davies may just be one of the busiest Aussies working in Hollywood – from conducting one of this year’s most acclaimed films, La La Land, to TV series like Empire and Revenge and video games like The Last of Us his IMDB list is one of the most impressive you’re…

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Film Review: Paterson (USA, 2016) may be the most Jarmuschian film yet

Paterson is the new film from acclaimed auteur (and Iggy Pop fan) Jim Jarmusch. A man who enjoys character studies that are never rushed for the sake of plot progression, existing in some semblance of real time, watching a Jarmusch film involves a lot of patience on behalf of the viewer. If you’re a fan of…

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A look inside Sebourn’s Australia bound ultra-luxury vessel, the Seabourn Encore

The world’s finest ultra-luxury cruise line Seabourn has unveiled the first images of its newest all-suite vessel, Seabourn Encore, which launched in Marghera, Italy, earlier this month. The 40,350-GRT vessel has been designed by Adam D. Tihany, and is filled with modern design elements and innovations that balance out Seabourn’s reputation for understated elegance. The…

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Film Review: Why Him? (MA15+) (USA, 2016) is an easily enjoyable comedy, buoyed by a strong cast

In the spirit of comedies like Father of the Bride and Meet the Parents, the new film Why Him? brings together some great actors for a mass consumption comedy about new additions to the family and the parents who struggle with their little girl (or boy) growing up. With these films in mind, there is…

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Aussie hip-hop artist Seth Sentry shares his favourite video games of 2016

Earlier this month, before he hit the stage in his headlining performance at Festival of the Sun in Port Macquarie, we sat down with Aussie Hip Hop artist Seth Sentry to look back on the year in Video Games that was 2016. Here’s what he had to say about the games he played in the…

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Nicole Kidman, Dev Patel and David Wenham attend the Australian premiere of Lion

The star-studded cast of the acclaimed new film Lion hit the red carpet in Sydney earlier this week, a month out from its cinematic release here in Australia. Aussies Nicole Kidman and David Wenham were joined at the State Theatre in Sydney by follow actor at star Dev Patel, the film’s director Garth Davis as…

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Fargo adds some magical talent to its third season cast

As we eagerly anticipate the return of Fargo for its third season, FX have announced new additions to its cast. Set to join the already revealed Ewan McGregor, Carrie Coon, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead in the “True Crime” series inspired by the Coen Brothers classic film of the same name are David Thewlis (Harry Potter…

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Flight Review: Air Canada’s Business Class Service from Edmonton to Vancouver (AC 241)

In today’s flight review, we return to Canada to try out Air Canada’s business class service on board their short flight from Alberta’s capital Edmonton, to Vancouver in British Columbia. This is often the sort of flight you’d make before connecting to the late night service back to Australia, however I opted to spend 24…

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Hotel Review: Hilton Garden Inn (Burlington, Vermont) is a colourful retreat on the shores of the state’s largest city

Almost two years old, the Hilton Garden Inn in Burlington, Vermont remains the newest major addition to the accommodation you’ll find in Vermont’s largest city – a city you can learn more about in our Ultimate Guide to Burlington. The hotel, like much of the city it sits in, is a mix of old and…

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How to live like a local in Singapore: Exploring the history, culture and tradition of one of the world’s finest countries

For many Australians, Singapore is seen as the country with “that amazing airport”, which serves as a gateway to Asia. You start here – flying in with airlines like Singapore or Scoot – before travelling onto other destinations in Asia or Europe. Those that spend time here may only be able to fit in a…

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The Hyatt Regency officially steps into the shoes of Australia’s largest upscale hotel

Earlier this month, The five star Hyatt Regency officially opened its doors in Sydney, taking over Australia’s largest upscale hotel, the 892-room Four Points by Sheraton right next to Darling Harbour. The opening came after a massive $250 million redevelopment that, in addition to an upgrade of the rooms and the extensive expansion of their…

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U.S. operators set up new cruises and flights to Cuba as travel restrictions ease

With the gradual easing of sanctions and restrictions on Cuba from the USA (at least under Obama’s administration), U.S. Operators are, for the first time in some 55 years, able to provide their passengers service between mainland USA and Cuba. It all started back in August when JetBlue hosted the first scheduled commercial passenger flight,…

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