Welcome back, boys and girls! We’re back at work and getting ready for CES 2016 in just a few days time. Thing is, while we were enjoying the holidays, news kept rolling in – Steam had themselves a Big Winter Fail, Oculus hit a stumbling block and there was good news for Final Fantasy fans….

On the 13th February at Sydney’s Theatre Royal, Leigh Sales will sit down with the one and only acclaimed composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz! There is no doubt that you would have heard some of Schwartz’s work, whether it be his Broadway hits including Godspell, Pippin and Wicked or his work on Disney movies such…

Through a narrow door and up some stairs nearby The Marlborough Hotel is the passage through to Miss Peaches now well-established as one of the most popular diners in the area. There is a cool breeze blowing in and sitting high above one of Newtown’s busiest streets has afforded me the perfect view to people…

The Keystone Group have announced their summer activities in venues scattered all over Sydney, with venues spanning The Newtown Hotel, Cargo Bar, and Chophouse Throughout the season, the Newtown Hotel in the city’s Inner West will host blues and roots entertainment in their Cider Yard every Sunday from 3pm. Guests are also able to enjoy the venue’s array of…

While in Australia recently, Neon Indian dropped by the AU’s offices in Sydney to have a chat with Larry about his time spent at the 2015 Meredith Music Festival and more. Having spent much of the past 12 months on the road and bringing his music to more and more people in different markets, the…

Fuzzy’s Field Day is one of Sydney’s biggest remaining festivals. Held on New Year’s Day, it’s promoted as a day to ease into the New Year with a spot of live music and sunshine. With a fairly solid line-up, made up of several Falls Festival drawcards and a variety of additional acts, Field Day 2016…

In our 100th instalment of “Stumbled Upon”, we meet Chris Athorne a.k.a Oktoba from Brighton, and chat about his latest solo musical adventure, touring America and his latest album, Smoke Signals. Musician: Oktoba. Website/Social Media: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram Genre: Folk, Pop. Members & their roles: Oktoba is the project of Brighton based singer-songwriter…

Mt. Duneed Estate became home to thousands of music lovers last week, with the Falls Festival organisers pulling off something akin to a miracle in relocating a whole multi-day event from Lorne over to the site of A Day on the Green. Even now, days after the dust has settled and my umpteenth shower has…

It’s never an easy task to pick five standout acts from a stellar bill comprising of over 60 artists, especially when it includes the likes of Paul Kelly, Banoffee, The Wombats and our Live Act of the Year, Gang Of Youths. Honourable mentions to those four in particular and whilst the music is the focus,…

There are plenty of people who’ve seen the original 1991 Point Break film starring Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze. If you’re one of them, and you’re curious about the remake starring Édgar Ramírez as Bodhi and Luke Bracey as Johnny Utah, you might want to leave your expectations at the door and view this film…

World renowned Mentalist Lior Suchard is heading to Australia this month for another national tour. Following sold out shows in 2015, Lior is back again to blow minds with his incredible techniques. I was lucky enough to chat with the Master Mentalist about his newfound fame, his world travels, and growing up with a strong…

As of mid-December, last month, Ipswich near Brisbane has welcomed a new German restaurant with big, big difference. Named Heisenberg Haus, this hub of schnitzels and biers has been inspired by none other than Vince Gilligan’s masterful television series Breaking Bad. Opened by The Fechner Family, this addition to Ipswich’s dining scene is part of…

The Keystone Group have announced their summer activities in venues scattered all over Sydney, with venues spanning The Newtown Hotel, Cargo Bar, and Chophouse Throughout the season, the Newtown Hotel in the city’s Inner West will host blues and roots entertainment in their Cider Yard every Sunday from 3pm. Guests are also able to enjoy the…

The 2015 Falls Festival had a line up that brought together some of the best music of the moment, some legendary live acts, as well as the cream of the new crop. Summer is in full swing, and Byron Bay provided the perfect setting to bring in 2016 with its perfect weather and lush forests….

Many bars across Australia have themes, but none quite like this. A new bar in Melbourne, named George’s Bar, has opened in Fitzroy, and it’s entirely dedicated to television’s legendary neurotic, Seinfeld’s George Costanza. Opened on New Years Eve with a massive party, George’s Bar sports various memorabilia and quotes from Jason Alexander’s famous character,…

Kanye West started 2015 with a new song, the melodic “Only One” with Sir Paul McCartney, and it seems like it’s kicked off a new trend for the superstar rapper-producer. To kick 2016 off for his fans, West has released “Facts”, a welcome trap infused track that wouldn’t sound out of place on Future and…

We now have our first look at episode 9 of The Walking Dead, which will air when the show releases the second half of season 6 from February 2016. Warning: spoilers for the first half of Season six follow. With Alexandria now absolutely overwhelmed and overrun by walkers, Rick and his group are as close…

Though the full lineup announcement isn’t due until next month, two of the three headliners have been leaked in the leadup to the New Year for the iconic Coachella Music Festival in California. And as they like to do, the festival is focusing on reformations and reunions to bring in the headlines and the punters…

As a way of preparing the crowds for the 38 degree New Year’s Eve still to come, the Falls Festival at Mt Duneed reached scorching levels during its Wednesday programming. Acts who should’ve had larger turnouts (GCJ, Ngaiire) bore the brunt of it, with punters opting to stay at camp until sunset or aim for…

As the head of acclaimed American electronica band Neon Indian, Alan Palomo popped by the AU review offices earlier this month in between Australian shows. Reflecting on the year, particularly the band’s incredible Vega Intl. Night School, Palomo let us know some other musicians which have been leaving an impression on him this year. Watch…

The first full day and night of the Falls Festival in Victoria saw some familiar faces and some breakthrough international talent come to Mt Duneed Estate. With all the action happening on the newly constructed “Valley Stage”, punters caught Ainslie Wills perform an early but definitely impressive set, while both The Bennies and Dune Rats…

Much has changed at popular Italian restaurant Popolo, but thankfully not in it’s infectiously laid-back atmosphere; it’s still got that same piazza-style cool about it, offering an incredibly relaxing dining experience that flows throughout the outdoor and indoor dining areas. Established as one of the most popular restaurants in the area, now three years into…

Long-established as an Italian dining institution, Sydney’s Machiavelli now enjoys an extended reach throughout the city, with their second sister restaurant, another incarnation of Mach2, propped up right before customs at Sydney International Airport T1. It’s part of the re-focused dining options at airports around Australia, bringing in more reliable and popular outlets to up…

Okay, aside from that FREAKIN’ TORNADO earlier this month, Sydney is still one of the best cities in the country when it comes to idyllic summer days. Something about that sun spreading across Sydney Harbour is enough to fill you with the desire to go out and make the most the most of your day,…

The first night of the Falls Festival was brought to a thrilling end with Art vs Science closing out what was Lorne’s scheduled night at Mt Duneed Estate, just outside Geelong. With just a few days to relocate an entire festival due to recent bushfires, the Falls crew wrangled something spectacular for their first night….

For Brisbane singer songwriter Ben Forbes, aka BANFF, 2015 has been a bit of a rollercoaster. From writing songs at home to progressing on to more stages down the east coast and the surrounds through this year as one of triple J Unearthed’s most exciting new artists of the year, he’s not had much time…

As fans gear up for the return of beloved series The X-Files, a 21 minute feature has been released giving us a mix of behind-the-scenes, new footage, interviews, and even some bloopers ahead of the big comeback. While the return of the show will be short-lived, at only six-episodes, this newly released preview has given…

The various branches of Taste of Shanghai around Sydney are consistently sticking to the standard of inexpensive, good quality Shanghai cuisine, but also bringing in influences from various other Chinese cuisines to offer a comprehensive, share-focused dining experience. Their newest outlet is on the ground floor of World Square, adding greatly to the improved dining…

This year’s Falls Festival will be bringing a high number of people through the gates with eclectic music tastes and the desire to not only stumble on their new favourite bands, but also roll with the party that the New Year’s event is always guaranteed to provide. This year is no different, with the opening…

With devastating fires sweeping the Great Ocean Road area on Christmas Day, the Lorne leg of Falls Festival has been in question. Since then, festival organisers have been keeping the public updated on the status of Falls via social media, partaking in emergency services meetings to ensure that all angles are considered. Initially, it was…