Year: 2016

Newtown’s Cuckoo Callay will bring back their popular Bacon Festival this February (Sydney)

Last year Newtown cafe Cuckoo Callay zipped into fame with their inaugural Bacon Festival proving a massive success, spread out over several weeks and offering a variety of dishes using free-range bacon in interesting ways. This year, they’ll be bringing the concept back, kicking off with a huge event on February 27th at Chippendale’s Central…

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Netflix to shut down access via proxy and region unblockers

For a long time before they came to our shores, the only way to access Netflix in Australia was via a proxy or region unblocker to skirt the eternally reviled international geoblock. These services continue to allow Netflix users to access international content libraries that differ from their own and Netflix have officially had enough of it.

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John Romero just released his first new DOOM level in 21 years

John Romero, legendary co-creator of the classic first-person shooter DOOM, has returned with his first new level for the game in 21 years.

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Tired of waiting to play The Division for yourself? Good news: the beta drops Jan 28!

Ubisoft have announced that the long-delayed beta for Tom Clancy’s The Division kicks off on January 28 on Xbox One with other platforms to follow.

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Review: The Fantasticks – Hayes Theatre, Sydney (Performances to 31st January)

The Fantasticks has become the longest running production of any kind in the history of American theatre, no small feat, and yet I hadn’t heard of it. So noticing we were getting a production here in the wonderful Hayes Theatre I went to listen on Spotify. I wound up a good deal confused- what is…

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Sydney Festival Review: The Events – Granville Town Hall

In a time where our discussion is stilted, mediated and increasingly online, community engagement has formed a central aspect of contemporary theatre. The facilities to congregate and share stories are rare, particularly in outer urban areas or those where many cultures co-exist separately. While Reclaim Australia toots it’s white power horn, there’s a deeper issue…

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Conchita Wurst joins the lineup for the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras 2016

One of the most memorable winners to ever emerge from the Eurovision Song Contest, “Queen of Austria” Conchita Wurst, has announced that she will be joining a massive lineup for this year’s Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, taking over The Party stage at the Mardi Gras after-party in Moore Park. This will be in…

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Hunter & Barrel – Cockle Bay Wharf (Sydney)

Seagrass Boutique Hospitality Group enjoyed a good reputation thusfar, having various brands on their portfolio including The Meat & Wine Co. and Ribs & Burgers, both multi-location restaurants that know a thing or two about good, juicy meats. The latest addition to the hospitality group’s scope is an interesting concept titled Hunter & Barrel, looking…

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Young Henrys team with Art Gallery of NSW to create an exclusive boutique beer

It seems Newtown brewers Young Henrys have joined in on the adoration of Art Gallery of NSW’s current major summer exhibition, The Greats: Masterpieces from the National Galleries of Scotland, drawing inspiration from the works on display to craft an exclusive boutique brew for the gallery’s Up late with The Greats series. Titled Old Master…

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Mixing Vines with Music: Getting to know more about US internet sensations Jack & Jack!

It’s safe to say that as of 2016, this is most definitely the internet’s world and we’re just existing in it. Gone are the days where teenagers would suffer the desperation and angst associated with the dreaded dial-up tone – now, these kids are launching massive careers by posting videos of themselves singing, dancing, performing…

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Sydney Festival Review: Meow Meow’s The Little Mermaid – Magic Mirrors Spiegeltent, Hyde Park

Positioned as one of the must-see shows of the 2016 program, Sydney Festival mainstay Meow Meow‘s The Little Mermaid is entertaining audiences nightly in the Magic Mirrors Spiegeltent at Hyde Park in a World Premiere production. The show is part two of Meow Meow’s “Little” trilogy – the first part of which, Little Match Girl, was seen at…

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Hitman alters the deal again, goes “fully episodic”

Following its sudden pulling of pre-orders from the PlayStation Store late last week, Square Enix and Io Interactive are altering their release plans for their new Hitman title once again. The game will now be “a truly episodic AAA game experience, with a major live component.” So what exactly does that mean?

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Pipeclay Pumphouse – Mudgee (NSW)

Front and centre by the lake at awarded Mudgee property Robert Stein Vineyard & Winery is where one will find Pipeclay Pumphouse, one of the few fine dining options in the area. Like Kim Currie’s nearby The Zin House, the kitchen here, led by Chef Andy Crestani, has an unwavering dedication to the local region,…

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Music Video of the Day: Monster Truck “Don’t Tell Me How To Live” (2016)

Rock band. Industrial work site. A lot of metal. Noise. The perfect setting for Monster Truck‘s new music video, no? “Don’t Tell Me How To Live” is an excellent little package of hard hitting riffs, classic hard rock vocal and well, it’s a lot of damn fun to listen to. Taken from the Canadian band’s…

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Getting to know The Japanese House (UK) ahead of her debut Australian shows!

20 year old Amber Bain aka The Japanese House is gearing up for her first ever Australian show tonight when I’m put through to her. Flying in from the UK in time to witness Sydney’s manic storm yesterday, any signs of jet lag or nerves surrounding her upcoming gig aren’t evident at all. “The first…

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Dappled Cities showcasing new material at Sydney show this February!

Dappled Cities are giving fans a taste of some long awaited and much anticipated new material with a special gig in Sydney next month! We haven’t really heard much from the band since touring 2012’s Lake Air wrapped up, but they’ve been working away on the upcoming fifth Dappled studio release and no doubt there’s…

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Album Review: Horror My Friend – Stay In, Do Nothing (2016 LP)

Horror My Friend may have taken a while in crafting this beast of a debut record but the wait is most certainly worth it; the Adelaide band has come out guitars thrashing, confident and ambitious – the trio has harnessed some well established post-punk/90’s rock influences in producing a record that isn’t scrappy. It’s aggressive…

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Single of the Day: DMA’s “Too Soon” (2016)

It feels like it’s been a long time coming but finally, fans will be able to get their hands on the debut DMA’s album Hills End, next month! It’s another step forward for the band who, through 2015, have been firmly establishing themselves as international favourites as well as Australian legends, with sets at Bonnaroo,…

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Jenny Lee Lindberg on stepping out from Warpaint & going solo with debut album right on!

In December, US musician and songwriter Jenny Lee Lindberg released her debut album right on!, her first foray into solo work outside of Warpaint. Under jennylee, Lindberg made a record that holds an instant appeal to fans of Warpaint in the establishment of some dreamy soundscapes, but the songs on right on! have a intimate…

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Why you shouldn’t get excited about this much hyped Friends “reunion”

Given the social media excitement surrounding this Friends “reunion”, we at The Iris think it’s important to put it into perspective. This isn’t going to be some Curb Your Enthusiasm style reunion of brilliance –  as they did in the series with the Seinfeld cast. This is just an interview for a special honouring sitcom director…

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Looking back at seven of Alan Rickman’s most iconic roles

Just days after David Bowie passed away suddenly from cancer at the age of 69, the great British actor Alan Rickman has been taken from us at the same age, by the same curse. As the cinema world mourns this great loss, we wanted to take a look back at the acclaimed actor’s seven more…

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There’s a Cloverfield follow-up film coming in two months – and we’re only just finding out about it!

For quite a long time now, a secret Bad Robot project had been listed with a March 31st release date. We were starting to suspect that the whole thing was a red herring, or that it was mistaken information by the distributor. But sure enough, JJ Abrams had a film up his sleeve – and it’s a follow-up…

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Just how cold was it when Kurt Russell and Samuel L Jackson filmed The Hateful Eight?

In the second part of our chat, The Iris’ Larry Heath sits down with Kurt Russell and Samuel L Jackson to talk about filming The Hateful Eight in the cold Colorado weather, and we make some comparisons to Kurt Russell’s performance in The Thing. Watch the chat here: The Hateful Eight is in limited release…

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Eight new TV shows to get excited about in 2016!

Though the traditional TV seasons in the Northern Hemisphere runs from September to June, thanks much in part to services like Netflix, there are now more TV shows than ever that exist outside those boundaries – starting just about whenever they feel like! And in the months ahead, a slew of brand new TV shows will…

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Review: The Pianist – Arts Centre Melbourne (Performances through to 17th January)

Gone are the days of the silent movies set in black and white where a comical gentleman enigmatically dances around the screen engaged in a slapstick routine. We now live in a world where sound, special effects, and computer graphics are what it takes to keep us enthralled. When I heard that The Pianist was coming…

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Regent Place welcomes Diaso and Eat Asia (Sydney)

Central retail and food hub Regent Place is one of the most well located and unique precincts in the CBD, shooting off George Street and offering a diverse line of shopfronts, vendors, and even one of the city’s most popular small bars (Assembly). As part of the precinct’s on-going development, Regent Place has added two…

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Jurassic 5’s Chali 2na announces Australian shows with The Funk Hunters

The deep, booming voice of Chali 2na will be heard once again in Australia as the iconic member of Jurassic 5 and Ozomatli plans a return down under for a few shows with Canadian duo The Funk Hunters. Promised to be a one-of-a-kind AV experience combining DJ culture and hip hop, funk, soul, and electronica,…

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Brendon Urie (US) talks Panic! At the Disco’s new record, an appreciation for hip-hop artists today & more!

Panic! At the Disco will be releasing their fifth studio album, Death of a Bachelor, everywhere tomorrow, but even though they’re quite far out from those initial debut album jitters, frontman and songwriter Brendon Urie admits to feeling incredibly anxious in the lead up to the record’s official release. “I’m always really anxious up leading…

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Raury announces headline Australian dates in Melbourne & Sydney for February!

While he’s out in Australia with A$AP Rocky, Raury will be fitting in two headline dates of his own for Melbourne and Sydney fans! Bringing JOY. on for both shows, the Atlanta hip-hop buzz artist will be hitting the stages with material from both his All We Need and Indigo Child releases, including current single…

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Official Laneway Festival after parties announced for the east coast!

For another year, the Laneway Festival crew are keen to ensure that the festivities don’t stop once the headliner has wrapped up the final set of the event at the main gig, and have revealed details of the official after parties set to go down in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane this year. Right after the…

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