Month: December 2016

Film Review: Little Men (PG) (USA, 2016) survives on the natural performances of its cast

Similar to how director Ira Sachs‘ previous effort Love Is Strange commented on the increasing rate of renting in New York City, Little Men showcases how a simple financial squabble can become someone’s undoing. A relationship-based drama that survives mainly on the simplistic but natural performances of its cast, Little Men focuses on young Jake…

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Broadway rehearsals underway for Sydney Theatre Company’s production of Chekhov’s first play

Starring Richard Roxburgh and Cate Blanchett, Andrew Upton‘s The Present is based on Anton Chekhov‘s first play, untitled and only discovered sixteen years after his death. After an acclaimed season in Sydney, the STC production will begin previews at Broadway’s Barrymore Theatre later this month. With Upton’s adaptation set post-Perestroika in the mid-1990s, friends gather…

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Sydney Comedy Festival announces first acts for 2017

Returning for its 13th year, and already boasting a lineup of some of the biggest names in Australian and international comedy, the Sydney Comedy Festival will run from April 24th until May 21st 2017. Home grown acts include Dave Hughes, Joel Creasey, Aunty Donna, Rove McManus, Susie Youssef, and Merrick Watts, while Jason Bryne, Daniel…

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Conor Oberst confirms exclusive Sydney Opera House show for February

Conor Oberst has locked in one incredible show for early 2017 and surprise, it’s coming to Sydney. February 27th will have Oberst take to the stage in the Sydney Opera House’s Concert Hall with what has become a beloved and revered discography taking in solo and group work with Bright Eyes and more. Says the…

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Musica Copa raises $10,000 for charity through annual football tournament in Sydney

On Friday, the music industry got involved in Musica Copa in Sydney, as the annual football fundraiser took off for its fourth year in Marrickville. This year, the tournament raised an impressive $10,000 for charity, with Lucky Entertainment taking out the winning trophy (plus $7,000 for their nominated charity, the Reach Foundation). Runners up, Universal Music, were…

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The Franklin Electric returning to Australia with new album, Blue Ceilings

If you caught Holy Holy’s tour around the country earlier this year, chances are you fell for Canadian support act The Franklin Electric – we know we certainly did. This week, we were stoked to see that the Montreal act will be heading back to Australia in January and February, bringing with them a new album in Blue…

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Music Video of the Day: Spit Syndicate “Inhibitions” (2016)

Spit Syndicate have been slept on for an embarrassing amount of time, if I’m honest. True, the Sydney duo  have maintained a loyal fanbase who’ve been rocking with them since 2008’s Towards the Light, it’s not a far stretch to guess Lupi and Jimmy Nice garnered a larger chunk of attention through their work within the One Day crew in the…

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Win a double pass to see Models at NGV Friday Nights in Melbourne

Start the weekend early with NGV Friday Nights, including live performances by international and Australian acts, after-hours access to major summer exhibitions David Hockney: Current and Viktor&Rolf: Fashion Artists, DJ sets in the NGV Garden, talks, food and bars. December 16th sees legendary Melbourne band Models play. When they formed, Models were hailed as one…

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Win a JBL Clip 2 or JBL Charge 3 portable Bluetooth speaker just in time for the Summer!

JBL, the pioneer of audio, has two epic portable Bluetooth speakers for readers of AU Review to win. The first, JBL Charge 3 – the ultimate, high-powered portable Bluetooth speaker with powerful stereo sound and a power bank all in one package. The JBL Charge 3 takes the party everywhere, poolside or in the rain,…

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You can now stream your Spotify tunes straight to Sonos speakers without ever leaving the app

Sonos’ smartphone app is pretty neat. It lets you control your Sonos speakers and what is playing on them all from one convenient location. How many times, however, have you been browsing Spotify in its own app, forgetting that it isn’t connected to your Sonos speakers? If you’re like is, you do this at least…

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The X-Men Universe hits the small screen as Marvel & FX’s Legion gets Australian release details

A new Marvel series is going to be hitting our TV screens next year – but this one is part of the ever-growing Marvel Universe. Rather, it’s an extension of Fox’s X-Men series, in the new series Legion, which is created by Noah Hawley, who also brought Fargo to the small screen. Based on the…

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Video Games Review: Dead Rising 4 (Xbox One, 2016) is dumb as hell and that’s exactly why we love it

For an industry that spends so much of its time focused on getting things done in time for the Christmas season, video games themselves do not seem to give much of a shit about Christmas as a setting. Dead Rising 4 is one of only a handful of games I can think of in recent years…

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Video Games Review: Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection (Xbox One, 2016) is not the comprehensive retrospective Ezio deserves

As is well documented on this website by now, I am an avowed Assassin’s Creed fanboy. Where others have abandoned the series due to a lack of innovation after the revelatory experience of Black Flag or the unmitigated disaster that was Unity, I’ve stuck with it. I made it through Assassin’s Creed 3. I even played those side-scrolling Chronicles titles nobody…

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Australian Box Office Report: Fantastic Beasts is 3rd time lucky at number one spot

There must be an abundance of bottled good fortune (or Felix Felicis for the HP nerds) sent to the Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them cast and crew – as it’s remained at no. 1 at the box office for the 3rd week in a row, earning another $3.25 million, while its international tally crosses US$600m.  As the…

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Win a double pass to So Frenchy So Chic In The Park

Friends, music, food and wine: So Frenchy So Chic brings the simple pleasures together for one glorious summer’s day. You’re invited to a party and a picnic in the park celebrating life and culture, the frenchy way. This is the sixth year so frenchy has taken over the grounds of Werribee Park Mansion outside Melbourne…

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KFC have created a scented candle that smells like fried chicken for some reason

“Why not make it smell like Fried Chicken”. No they are not the famous last words from KFC founder Colonel Harland David Sanders, but the reasoning behind a very odd product, spoken by CMO Kevin Hochman. It’s what he told Business Insider when approached about the very curious release of (extra crispy) fried chicken scented

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Review: The Buena’s Vista Bar – Mosman (Sydney)

Long-standing pub The Buena in Mosman has revealed its new look after an $8 million refurbishment collaborating with SJB Interiors and Tess Regan Designs. A redevelopment which not only includes Culinary Ambassador Guillaume Brahimi bringing over an extension of his famous Bistro Moncur, but a big revamp to the venue’s pub food focused menu. Upstairs…

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Review: QT Hotel’s Pascale Bar and Grill – CBD (Melbourne)

With its industrial-chic interior design inspired by the ‘Paris end’ of Collins Street, QT Melbourne’s signature restaurant, Pascale Bar and Grill feels almost tailor made for Melbourne foodies who love a fashionable and luxurious fine-dining experience. Everything in the dimly-lit restaurant; from the stuffed peacock, the grand staircase adorned with a plush sapphire-blue carpet, right…

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The Ultimate Australian Christmas Gift Guide

Somewhere in the world right now an overly enthusiastic music publicist is preparing a press release to let you know that yes, Michael Buble has a new release coming, and those dulcet tones could only mean one thing: Christmas! The traditional gift-giving time of the year is but a few weeks away and those who…

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On the Shelf: Casamigos (Blanco)

Celebrity-owned spirits are often met with cynicism, especially since there are so many of them in market nowadays. They sell though, penetrating the market quite impressively, and ever since Puff Daddy saw some incredible success with Ciroc it seems every month we’re hearing about big names attached to different spirits. Most seem just a quick…

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Your boy Flume just scored two Grammy nominations

Sydney electronic artist Flume, following a week of winning trophies at the ARIAs and the National Live Music Awards, just picked up two nominations for America’s biggest music prize: The Grammy. The nominations are for his album Skin, which scored a nomination for Best Dance/Electronic Album and his track “Never Be Like You” featuring Kai,…

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Music Video of the Day: Hollow Everdaze “Still Ticking” (2016)

Hollow Everdaze this week dropped the visuals for their single “Still Ticking”, directed by James Thompson and filmed over an impressive eight locations throughout Victoria. Capturing the haze of summers gone by, it’s a great accompaniment to the band’s latest song, taken from their upcoming debut album Cartoons. The band has been kicking around for a little while…

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Ryan Adams treats Sydney to a surprise, intimate show, previewing his new album Prisoner

Last night, American troubadour Ryan Adams treated an intimate room of invited guests at Sydney’s Factory Theatre to what was only his second performance with a brand new backing band. The gig – which was serving as a warm up for their first official performance at the Enmore Theatre tonight – saw Adams and his…

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Helmet returning to Australia in April; classic LP Betty to be performed in full!

Having held it down and held it down for well over two decades now, Helmet are soon to be on their way back to Australia. Celebrating their iconic Betty album, not to mention their praised newy in Dead to the World, the group will be performing the former in full, while treating fans to other favourites and some tastes from…

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Festival Review: Wonderland – Kitchener Park, Perth (03.12.16)

It felt like barely yesterday that we were heading through the gates at Langely Park for a memorable festival, but already it was time for the next transformed iteration of the Wonderland festival experience. Moved to the lush forest of Kitchener Park in Subiaco, it really did take on an enchanted vibe as the crowd…

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When ‘internal issues’ become public: Sticky Fingers and the issue of accountability

As we’ve seen this week, Sticky Fingers announced an ‘indefinite hiatus’ to follow their summer festival commitments, due to ‘internal issues’ within the band. Since that initial announcement, frontman Dylan Frost issued a statement addressing his battles with addiction and mental health issues. Undoubtedly, the ‘official’ comments were spurred on following singer Thelma Plum’s take to Facebook, detailing…

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Live Review: A Day On The Green ft. Garbage + The Temper Trap + The Preatures + Tash Sultana + Adalita – Bimbadgen Winery, Hunter Valley (03.12.16)

A Day on the Green is a unique touring event, halfway between a music festival and a classy day out among the grapes. There’s something poetic about the way punters begin the day with picnic blankets and cheese platters and end it dancing with strangers in a drunken haze. Saturday afternoon in the Hunter Valley,…

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Reflecting on 2016 and chatting music history with Son Little

It’s about 4:30pm on a Sunday and as I rise to meet Aaron Livingston, aka Son Little, in the foyer of a five star hotel in Adelaide, a very officious hotel concierge begins pointing at him shouting, “You cannot drink that in here sir!” Before long, I realise he’s referring to the beer in Aaron’s…

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Win a copy of Rosehaven Season 1 on DVD

Written and created by real-life best mates and comedians Luke McGregor (Luke Warm Sex, Utopia) and Celia Pacquola (Utopia, The Beautiful Lie), Rosehaven is a new eight-part comedy series set in rural Tasmania and now available to own this Christmas. Luke McGregor is Daniel McCallum, who returns to his rural Tasmanian hometown, Rosehaven, to help…

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Win a copy of Jack Taylor Season 3 on DVD

Based on the bestselling crime thrillers by Ken Bruen, Jack Taylor is an Irish ex-cop, on the wrong side of forty who has become a finder with a sharp tongue and a soft heart. He takes on the cases The Guards won’t touch, no matter how hopeless. He’s pig stubborn. He defends the lost and…

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