Author: Larry Heath

As we all have a come down from the intensity and magnificence of the Season 6 Game of Thrones finale, all eyes are on the future of the series. A lot of people are asking if Season 7 will be the last, wondering when we’ll get to see it and all the meanwhile, rumours are…

When Kingswood returned from Canadian Music Week in Toronto, they shared with us their experiences on the road. From an intense game of oversized Jenga, giant pizza, and maple bacon donuts, to Niagara Falls and the upside down house, the band share their adventures and funny stories for us to enjoy.  If you have ever been to Bigsound in…

Featuring classic Australian scenery and a very familiar dog, the first teaser for the anticipated prequel Red Dog: True Blue, has been released. The film is positioned as an origin story to Kriv Stenders’ 2011 film Red Dog, which starred Josh Lucas and was a massive box office hit; the number one Australian film in the Box Office…

If you’re reading this article, you’re one of two Games of Thrones people: either you just finished watching Season Six and are already eagerly in wait for Season Seven, or you missed an episode and have been waiting for the entire season to be downloadable so you can binge it all at once. If you’re…

March brought us some fantastic new music from some our favourite artists, while some acts we were stoked to catch overseas also dropped some impressive tunes as they began their foray into the Australian market. We take a look back at our favourite music videos from March as part of our ICYMI series – from Sans Parents…

Though plenty of international festivals, including the Calgary Stampede which we will feature later in this article series, still embrace our most basic culinary appetites – fried, salty, greasy carnival food – the popularity of the modern, often “gourmet” food truck has undeniably changed the landscape of what we eat at festivals and how we…

Memphis, Tennessee. Though perhaps best known around the world as being the home of Elvis and Graceland, the American city is also the home to some of the best BBQ in the country. And in popular revitalised areas like Overton Square and the Cooper-Young district, the city is finding that its cuisine is reaching even further, often…

The culture of Tapas in Spain is one that dates back to the 16th Century. Its exact origins are often argued, but many say its core purpose can be found in its name. The word comes from “tapar”, or “to cover”, and many believe the tradition started with breads and meats being used to cover drinks…

Earlier this month, we sat down with Swedish group Dungen backstage at Primavera Festival in Barcelona. During the interview, we spoke at length about their connections to Australia and Perth band Tame Impala – who the group recently shared the stage with in Brooklyn and here in Spain. Comparisons between the two bands have often…

As we continue our culinary tour around North America, we come to Ottawa in Ontario, Canada for their annual mammoth event the Ottawa Bluesfest, which takes over the Canadian capital city over 10 days every July. As they are about to kick off the event for 2016, we’ll take you back to the event last…

In today’s Flight review on AU Abroad, we take you on Southwest Airlines‘ service from Memphis, Tennessee to Chicago Midway in the USA. Airline: Southwest Airlines Route: Memphis, Tennessee (MEM) to Chicago Midway (MDW) – WN1470 Seat: 22C (aisle, 3-3 layout) Aircraft: Boeing 737-700 (73W) Scheduled Flight Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes On Schedule? Departed 15 minutes late, arrived about 5 minutes late Frequent Flyer Program: Southwest have…

This has been an incredible year for Aussie musician Julia Jacklin, who has not stopped touring the globe since the beginning of the year, taking in SXSW in the US and The Great Escape in Brighton, England, bookended by what were her first interstate Australian shows in January, and a sold out tour at home…

Dubbed the “spiritual predecessor” to his classic film Dazed and Confused, Richard Linklater’s new film Everybody Wants Some!! takes us from the 70s to the 80s, and from the last days of high school to the first days of college in Texas. Much like in Dazed, we meet a group of young people about to…

14 years after the release of the original, the Ice Age series today embarks on an intergalactic, earth-shattering journey in what is the fifth feature film in the franchise – the first animated series to reach such a milestone. But it shouldn’t come as any surprise. In spite of lukewarm reviews, the last two instalments went on…

Earlier this week, we took you to Vancouver Airport’s incredible Fairmont Hotel, and now we’re heading into the mountains of Whistler, about two and a half hours away from the city (we got there thanks to Pacific Coach Lines), for a meal and view you have to experience in your lifetime. It’s the Aura Restaurant at the Nita…

One part coming of age tale, one part family drama and two parts fish out of water story, Morris from America is the third feature film from Indie Writer/Director Chad Hartigan, which had its Australian premiere at the Sydney Film Festival. The film stars comedian Craig Robinson alongside newcomer Markees Christmas, as Curtis Gentry and 13 year…

It’s been a while since we’ve heard from Grouplove, but the US band have just announced that the wait will soon be over: they’ve got a new single and album on the way, and they’re going to be kicking off their world tour in Australia with two dates this August! Their highly anticipated third studio album is…

Singapore Airlines have announced they are increasing their services to California from October, with a new non-stop service to San Francisco on their brand new A350s, and a second daily flight to Los Angeles. From 23rd October 2016, the award winning carrier will commence daily non-stop flights between Singapore and San Francisco. Singapore will be…

Melbourne group Miss Destiny are not one you can pigeon hole into one particular genre. Even their own biography has some troubles, describing the group’s music as “post-hippie, pre-punk era rock ‘n’ roll meets the origins of New Wave of British Heavy Metal, with a glimmer of Sunset Strip feel-good excess”. Say that ten times fast. And…

GoEuro – an online service which helps you book flights, buses and trains within Europe – has unveiled a handy new European Summer Festival guide that might help you plan some excellent musical experiences over the coming months. The comprehensive guide breaks down just about every festival happening in Europe across Summer 2016 into a…

Actors Zoey Deutch, Blake Jenner & Glen Powell sit down with Larry Heath to talk about their experiences filming and starring in Richard Linklater’s new film Everybody Wants Some!!. Everybody Wants Some!! is released this Thursday, June 23rd. ———- This content has recently been ported from its original home on The Iris and may have…

As many travellers would know, the Fairmont Hotel and Resort brand is one associated with luxury, with stunning accommodations scattered all over the world. But there’s only one hotel in their chain that’s been built into an Airport, and that’s in Vancouver on the west coast of Canada – the entry point for all Australians who…

Last year, Adelaide avant-pop band Ghyti took their particular brand of alternative rock to Toronto for the Canadian Music Week festival. They have written a detailed yet entirely unreliable account of the tour, and sent it to us with a selection of grainy smartphone photos. Behold! DAY 1 Flying. Lots of flying. Once upon a time,…

In today’s Flight review on AU Abroad, we take you on Delta Air Lines‘ brief connection service from Burlington, Vermont to La Guardia Airport in New York City in the USA. Airline: Delta Air Lines (Shuttle America Connection) Route: Burlington, Vermont (BTV) to La Guardia, New York (LGA) – DL3377 Seat: 15C (window, 1-2 layout) Aircraft: Embraer ERJ145…

Canberra three-piece Safia continue to make waves and move to the forefront of Australia’s next biggest musical exports with their blend of indie rock, delicate soul, and various styles of electronica. Last year, the group travelled to the USA for a run of shows that included SXSW, and the trio kept the AU review in the…

Taken from their debut album Raw Nerve, Melbourne’s metal powerhouse Jack The Stripper have just released a new music video in “Nibiru”, and to celebrate they’re touring Australia, Europe and Japan in the coming months. Jack The Stripper’s ‘Nibiru Tour’ starts this month in Australia before the band embarks on their first ever European tour which includes shows with fellow Aussie…

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…

Over five days, at the start of the Northern Hemisphere Summer, Primavera Sound took over Barcelona in Spain with one of the world’s finest and most eclectic music festivals. Earlier this month, we outlined why every Australian should make the pilgrimage to the event – which was without question one of the best events I’ve…

Last year, the AU headed to Calgary in Alberta, Canada for the Calgary Stampede. Now in its 104th year – though with origins dating back to the 1800s – the event is steeped in tradition and an icon of the Canadian Summer. It’s the sort of festival you have to attend to fully comprehend, and, naturally, we…

Last year, Sydney hip hop crew True Vibenation let the AU in on what life is like playing festivals and shows in places like Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Swaziland. Peep their tour diary below which they sent us just before their African adventure came to an end in South Africa. It’s crazy to think it’s been just…