The Best of the Fest: 5 must-see events at Vivid Ideas 2018

Vivid Sydney is coming to town and this means our city will be adorned with colourful light displays. This festival also comes with a host of wonderful shows, especially those talks and events that fall under the Vivid Ideas banner. The AU Review have put together our top 5 must see Vivid Ideas events. 1….

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Diverse Group of Aussies to Answer the Question: What Does it Mean to be Human and Kind?

A comedian, robobiologist, YouTube celebrity and Anglican priest walk into a convention centre… Okay, it’s not the best opening line for a joke but it is a great start to the line-up for this year’s TEDxSydney, hitting the ICC Sydney stage on Friday 15th June. The theme for this year’s event is HumanKind, which according…

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Winners of the 2018 Australian Book Industry Awards announced

Celebrating the authors, editors, publishers, and retailers that bring readers and books together, the ABIA Awards are now in their eighteenth year. It was another huge night for Jessica Townsend’s Nevermoor, as the children’s book snatched up three awards, including the night’s major prize, the Gold ABIA. Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow also took…

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Book Review: Cold Mountain author Charles Frazier returns to the American Civil War with Varina, a beautiful blend of fiction and history

1906, Saratoga Springs. A man named James Blake enters The Retreat hotel and asks to see Varina Davis. In his hands he holds a blue book, a book that offers a glimpse into his past. He barely remembers Mrs Davis – V – but he wonders if she remembers him, a small black boy rescued…

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Hartsyard’s famous fried chicken gets a dedicated restaurant with Wish Bone (Sydney)

Fried chicken fiends have been flocking to Wish Bone since the long-awaited restaurant opened at the former site of The Gretz on Enmore Road. Though their award-winning bar is no more, the Hartsyard team have a guaranteed winner on their hands with this new venture, which puts the focus on the jaw-droppingly good fried chicken…

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Where to spend Mother’s Day 2018 in Sydney

Lavish long lunches and fancy dinners always rule when it comes to Mother’s Day options around Sydney this year. If taking your leading lady out to experience some of the best food the city has to offer, while letting the restaurants add their own little touches to each menu, sounds like your idea of a…

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Amy Shark, Hussy Hicks, Hollow Coves & more shine as winners of 2018 Gold Coast Music Awards

The 4th annual Gold Coast Music Awards were held this year at Surfer’s Paradise beachfront on Thursday night, seeing performances from some of the biggest and best in Gold Coast talent, including Bobby Alu, Eliza and the Delusionals, Hussy Hicks and more. The night was hosted dutifully by former triple j presenter Dom Alessio who…

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Win a double pass to see The Killers at an exclusive intimate show in Sydney

One of the world’s biggest rock bands The Killers are return to Sydney to play an intimate show at a top-secret location, and American Express are giving you the chance to be one of just 400 people invited to experience it. Supported by singer-songwriter Alex Cameron, who hails from Sydney, the band is set to play the…

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Single of The Day: Miss June “Twitch” (2018)

Hell yeah. Get yourselves around New Zealand four piece Miss June – their new single “Twitch” has got us hyped for their Australian tour this month! The band has been operating in high gear off the back of the release of their EP Matriarchy – an unapologetic collection of sounds that served as an excellent entry point to…

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Happy Friday! Details of the new Florence + The Machine album confirm a June release

With their new single “Hunger” being unveiled today, fans of Florence + The Machine can rejoice in the knowledge that a new record from the Brits is well on its way to us…sooner rather than later. June 29th will see High As Hope officially released, and if “Hunger” is anything to go by, it’s going to be…

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Exclusive Music Video Premiere: Dirty Hearts “Sand-Lea” (2018)

Here’s some good rock n roll vibes for your Friday – enter Brisbane’s Dirty Hearts. Soon to release their much anticipated debut album General Bitterness and Inner City Moonshine this month (via Never Enough Records), the group has been riding high off the back of their latest single “Sand-Lea”. Interestingly, this tune shows a softer, more subtle…

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Emily Ulman named Music Programmer of the Brunswick Music Festival

A new name has been welcomed to the Brunswick Music Festival fold today, with Emily Ulman being named the event’s new Music Programmer for the 2019 festival and beyond. This year saw many talented artists fill out venues through the neighbourhood, so it’s safe to say, we’re looking forward to seeing what Ulman brings to an already…

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Games Review: Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Trilogy (Switch, 2018): We Are Fighting Dreamers

Growing up, I was completely obsessed by the Naruto anime, to the point where I once went to a birthday party dressed as series antagonist, Sasuke. It was an embarrassing time. In 2018, Naruto and its sequel anime Naruto Shippuden have long since ended, with the once rambunctious and wild-spirited Naruto all grown up. Having…

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The Jacobson Brothers’ new film Brothers’ Nest is changing the way local productions interact with local cinemas

While the highly anticipated Australian film Brothers’ Nest recently premiered at SXSW earlier this year, that didn’t stop director/producer/star Clayton Jacobson, writer/producer Jaime Browne and producer Jason Byrne from pushing the boundaries of Australian films by establishing a personal bond with theatres that little have done before. I caught up with the trio while we were at…

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Exclusive Music Video Premiere: Hayley Marsten “Money Can’t Buy Class” (2018)

Continuing to spur on the positive momentum generated around her Lonestar EP, Gladstone based country artist Hayley Marsten releases her new music video for “Money Can’t Buy Class” this week. In the same way Taylor Swift has made bank off crafting early country-pop songs about broken relationships and nasty ends to them, Marsten takes an individual who had…

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Listen to the first piece of new music from Mammal in eight years, “Community”

Following their successful return to the live stage last year, Mammal have gone further than a one-off reunion gig and have released their first piece of new material in eight years in “Community” and have announced an extensive tour to boot. Promising a rambunctious return to form when they start the tour in June, the  band has…

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Jonathan Zawada’s Metathemagical work to light up the Opera House during Vivid Sydney

Jonathan Zawada will have the sails of the Sydney Opera House when Vivid Sydney comes calling this month, bringing the specially-commissioned piece Metamethemagical to life. The 3D light sculpture will debut at 6pm on May 25th, traversing themes of science, nature and culture. Having already established himself as an artist in demand and is renowned for his…

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Interview: Frank Turner talks about kindness and the perils of politics in the age of social media

With his new album Be More Kind out tomorrow, we check in with one of our favourites, Frank Turner, to find out some more about the new record and his thoughts as a creative in an ever changing social climate. You’ve mentioned numerous times that Be More Kind is taken from Leçons de ténèbres by Clive James – what…

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Film Review: Breath (Australia, 2017) thrives on deflecting expectation and wallowing in its own ethereal state

After a near two-decade absence from the Australian film industry, Simon Baker makes a glorious (ahem) splash with the soulful Breath.  Taking cue from the evocative descriptions set about in Tim Winton‘s 2008 novel, Baker proves both assured and affectionate as he takes directorial duties for an equally vivid and placid coming-of-age tale that benefits…

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Melbourne’s trendy Coburg is getting an eye-catching new design hotel

IHG and Barnes Capital will be doing things a bit (actually, a lot) differently when they collaborate to open a new Holiday Inn in the increasingly trendy Melbourne suburb of Coburg. Moving away from the hotel brand’s established aesthetic, Holiday Inn Melbourne Coburg will be focused on modern unexpected design, with an eye-catching façade of…

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Virgin Australia vs Air New Zealand: Whose Premium Economy is Better to LAX?

Following the recent break up of long time allies Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand – in my opinion the best airlines who fly the Pacific route – it’s become pertinent for allies of the airline to pick sides. Some will stick with whichever one they have Frequent Flyer status with (Virgin’s Velocity proving miles…

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9 shows you’d be mad to miss at this year’s Anywhere Festival in Queensland

Anywhere Festival returns to Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast for a jam-packed seventh year, boldly breaking shows out of the confines of the theatre and putting them on just about anywhere. From local shops and bars to train stations and burnt out skate arenas, no location is off limits for Anywhere’s collection of emerging artists…

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Single of the Day: Totty “Uncomfortable” (2018)

Wollongong newcomers TOTTY are continuing to stake their claim in the east coast music scene as a band not to be messed with, having spent 2017 leading up to this point via hectic shows and a whirlwind of industry support – their debut EP,  Cut the Poppies. The debut record from the group is out this…

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2018 Barunga Festival bringing Saltwater Band, Lonely Boys and more to Katherine Region

At this year’s Barunga Festival, the 30th anniversary of the Barunga Statement will be commemorated as this week, the line up for the iconic cultural event has been unveiled. Taking place out in community from June 8th – 10th, the Barunga Festival will be hosting the likes of the Saltwater Band, B2M and Shellie Morris – an all Indigenous…

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“You have to love yourself a fire.” Red Dead Redemption 2‘s new trailer is here

The Sons of Dutch are coming. Following their announcement of a trailer drop a few days ago, Rockstar have delivered a two-minute in-game trailer for the hotly anticipated Red Dead Redemption 2, the clearest and most interesting look at the game yet.

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Heroes of the Storm‘s new Dark Nexus event finally opens the door to lore

Heroes of the Storm, the hero brawler/MOBA title that mashes all of Blizzard’s most popular heroes together like action figures in a toy box, hasn’t ever really felt the need to explain itself. This set it apart from other Blizzard games where lore and backstory have always played a crucial part in keeping players hooked….

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Showtime renews Billions for a Fourth Season

Stan’s critically successful series Billions has been renewed for a fourth season by U.S. studio Showtime. Starring Oscar nominee and Emmy and Golden Globe winner Paul Giamatti (Sideways) and Golden Globe winner Damian Lewis (Homeland), you can catch the current three seasons of Billions exclusively on Stan, with new episodes streaming every Monday, the same time as the…

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First Impressions: Stan’s Sweetbitter is a nice but ultimately unsatisfying dish

Many people are seduced by the bright lights, big city of New York. One such character is Tess, the protagonist in the new Stan series, Sweetbitter. The show is a slow-burning, coming-of-age drama about a city and those working in an industry that never sleeps. This series is based on the best-selling, eponymous novel by…

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Live Review: After skipping Sunrise, Portugal. The Man rocks Sydney’s Enmore Theatre to its core

I first became familiar with Portugal. The Man almost ten years ago, off the back of their fourth LP The Satanic Satanist. Since then, I’ve seen them grow into one of the most in-demand bands in the world. Their latest album, Woodstock – their eighth and first in four years – has easily been their…

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Music Video of the Day: Alice Skye “Friends With Feelings” (2018)

The emergence of young songwriter Alice Skye over the last year has been incredibly impressive and with her tour with Emily Wurramara set to be announced for mid-2018, more crowds around the country are going to be seeing what so many of us have known of Alice for a while now – hers is a talent that is…

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