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.
While many bands are postponing their releases, New York duo Diet Cig are delivering us a gem of a record in Do You Wonder About Me? this Friday. I caught up with the band over the phone last week to chat about releasing the album in these difficult times, and how they’ve leveled up in…
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Not too long ago, back when we could leave the house and go to the theatre, I was lucky enough to see the Toronto production of Come From Away, one of the most heartwarming and enjoyable theatrical productions I’ve seen in recent memory. It tells the story of how the eastern most city in North…
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With each Star Wars film in the latest trilogy, fans have been treated to a feature length documentary about the making of the film, alongside its home release. They have surprisingly honest and detailed, in particular The Director and The Jedi, which took time to address some of the backlash Episode VIII received. The latest…
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Last week I caught up with Director Debs Paterson, who was tasked the monumental duty of documenting everything that happened during the 7 months of filming Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker. The result is the two hour documentary The Skywalker Legacy, that accompanies the home release of the film (on digital now…
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Last week, the new Australian podcast Portland Unpacked dropped, hosted by Faustina Agolley. The series takes listeners on a comprehensive tour of the U.S. city of Portland. Who would have known though that when they were making the six episode series that it would arrive in our lives just as international travel has been forced…
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I write this sitting in self-isolation in Toronto, Canada – as countries around the world are closing borders, scrambling to “flatten the curve” as the reality of the spread of Coronavirus sinks in. I, like too many, had been rather blasé about the whole thing – I mean I was sanitizing surfaces, washing my hands…
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There are a few buildings around the world that everyone and their dog are familiar with; so ingrained in popular culture that we feel like we know it intimately. The Eiffel Tower. The Sydney Opera House. Big Ben. And the Empire State Building. And the truth is, we all know a little bit about all…
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One of the US airlines who are repeatedly proving themselves to be the best in market are Delta, with rapid improvement of their fleet, as well as the services they offer on and off the aircraft. Little things like being able to track your bag in their fantastic App will finally remove the question, “did…
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The Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) has been undergoing a number of welcome changes over the last couple of years: long overdue upgraded terminals, new walkways connecting terminals post-security, and a wide range of enhancements designed to make the experience of being at one of the world’s busiest airports all that better. Higher quality food,…
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One of the most iconic hotels in Portland is the Jupiter Hotel, a refitted motel designed for hip, creative guests – the sort who might be attending a show at the equally iconic Doug Fir Lounge, a music venue that sits underneath the accommodation. In June 2018, some 14 years after it opened, the hotel…
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I’ve always been flabbergasted by America’s undying reliance on the car. Unless you’re in a city like Chicago or New York which has a heavily ingrained public transport system, if you tell someone you’re getting from point A to point B without a car, they look at you with confusion. The concept just seems so…
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Next month, the AU review will be returning to New York for our first party in the city since 2015, as we partner with The New Colossus Festival to showcase a few of our favourite emerging acts from around the world. Among them is New York City local Mattie Safer, a former member of The…
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A month or so after wrapping up the release of its first season, it’s fair to say that The Mandalorian lived up to the hype. Baby Yoda? Amazing. Taika Waititi‘s episode? A highlight of anything Star Wars, ever. And though the waits for some may have been painful, the move away from the “series dump”…
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Arriving just in time from my Hawaiian Airlines flight, as I was en route back to Australia at the end of last year from New York, I was lucky enough to sit on the balcony of my room at the Waikiki Beachcomber by Outrigger, and witness the majesty of a Waikiki Beach sunset. That’s not…
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Before Moulin Rouge! premiered at New York’s Al Hirshfeld Theatre on July 25th, 2019, a theatre where Kinky Boots had called a home for the 6 years prior, the producers did something quite surprising: so sure they were of its popularity, they announced it would tour out of New York – including a 2021 run…
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Back in November, the sparkling new terminal at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) opened its doors; a wonderful and long overdue change for anyone who remembers coming in to the old terminal. The US$1.3 billion terminal spans 972,000 square feet and features three concourses, 35 gates, and features the latest Delta Sky Club…
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If you’ve tried to play Kingdom Hearts III in the last couple of weeks, you may have noticed a pretty sizeable update to the game in the form of 1.09. It’s filled with some of the biggest updates the game has seen since its release in 2019. And it also paves the way for the…
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Whenever a Dave Matthews Band tour is announced in Australia – which has only been four times now in the band’s illustrious 29 year career – it’s often met with moments of confusion. A “Wait… Who?” response is vocalised, especially when the tour coincides with a headline spot on a festival like Bluesfest (which they’ll…
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Those who have travelled around the USA likely have come across the Ace Hotel. And if you haven’t stayed at one of their 8 American locations, or even passed it by, you’ve likely heard about it – from the now iconic rooftop bar and pool in LA’s revitalised Downtown District, to the celeb hangouts and spectacular…
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Hotel Henry in Buffalo, New York, sits inside a building with an inauspicious history: for a century, and dating back to 1870, it was the site of an insane asylum as part of the Richardson Olmsted Complex. The hotel opened in May 2017 following a decade long restoration project that is seeing the entire campus,…
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A little over a month ago, the Adina Apartment Hotel Brisbane finally opened its doors on the edges of the Brisbane River in the city’s CBD. It’s in the walls of a grand, heritage-listed building on George Street, a short walk from the Queen Street Mall and the South Bank. The history of the building itself is…
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You don’t think of Trans-Atlantic airlines as being ones where you don’t get a complimentary meal on board. But sure enough, there are plenty that don’t offer the service. Most of them are branded as “Budget Carriers”, however, like Norwegian Air, who fly out of the U.S. East Coast to the UK and Europe. Others,…
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Last month I flew from New York City to Sydney, via Honolulu, with Hawaiian Airlines, who celebrated their 90th birthday last month. I’ve already written about how strong of an option the route is for those who can’t sleep on planes, but today I wanted to delve into the experience of upgrading your ticket from an…
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In no particular order, we asked our contributors to share their favourite gigs of 2019. Here’s what they had to say about the gigs that stood out for them in 2019: BRUCE BAKER Iggy Pop at Bluesfest (Easter Long Weekend) I’d seen him at the BDO in 2011 and was disappointed. His performance at Bluesfest…
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Situated a five minute walk from 42nd Street in Times Square, on the corner of 36th Street and 7th Avenue, is the world’s largest hotel in Marriott’s boutique chain, Moxy Hotel. Moxy Times Square is one of four of the brand in New York City (also Downtown, Chelsea and the East Village), and opened in…
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In our new travel series, our resident thirty-something-going-on-five year old takes us on an adventure around the world to the best theme parks. The ones that even after we lose that childhood awe and wonder, still get the heart racing; gleefully removing us from the mundane existence that is adulthood. Along the way you’ll be…
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Earlier this month, I jumped on board Virgin Australia’s Boeing 777 five-times-a-week service from Melbourne to Los Angeles, and was surprised to find a number of enhancements to their Economy service – which mainly floated around the quality of their meal services. Read on to see what a VA trip across the Pacific Ocean is…
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It’s going to be a massive year in 2020 for those who enjoy theme parks, with a number of brand new, highlight anticipated parks and expansions opening up all over the world. There are also new museums, IMAX cinemas and even hotels that are worthy of getting excited about here in Australia and overseas. Here’s…
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While the fanfare over Tim Minchin’s work on Matilda felt deafening, it may surprise some to learn that he’s not the only Aussie who’s setting Broadway alight with his lyrics and music. Enter another composer-actor-comedian, Melbourne born Eddie Perfect – who you’ll remember from performance in Offspring or from penning and starting in the hilarious…
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With all this talk about the new NYC to Sydney direct route that Qantas are proposing to launch in the coming years – and the Air New Zealand direct NYC to Auckland route that’s going to get us one step closer in October 2020 – I can’t help but wonder if there is a better…
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