Month: January 2017

Video Games Review: Yakuza 0 (PS4, 2017) is an engrossing, flawed, clever and defiantly Japanese experience

Yakuza 0 is the latest addition to SEGA’s long-running series of adventure games set in the Japanese criminal underworld. A prequel to the 2005 original, Yakuza 0 is all about how series mainstay Kazuma Kiryu began his bloody career in the mob.

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Works by contemporary female artists from remote Aboriginal areas to tour North America for the next two years

Miami’s The Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum FIU will exhibit the work of nine contemporary female artists hailing from remote Aboriginal areas, in an exhibition called Making the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia. Artists featured are Nonggirrnga Marawili, Wintjiya Napaltjarri, Yukultji Napangati, Angelina Pwerle, Carlene West, Regina Pilawuk Wilson, Lena Yarinkura, Gulumbu…

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Aussies Abroad: US Festivals Coachella, Panorama, Bonnaroo and Governor’s Ball line up a slew of Australian musicians

Over the last couple of weeks, a run of US festivals have revealed their headliners, and amongst them, a slew of Australian performers who will be making this trip to the North over the next few months. First up, Coachella has dropped its 2017 lineup earlier this month, confirming its headliner rumours and solidifying one…

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Hyatt Regency Sydney opens doors to new nautical themed executive club lounge

After its $250 million redevelopment was unveiled to locals and guests last month, The Hyatt Regency Sydney seems ready to roll out some of their most exciting features, the latest being the exclusive waterfront Regency Club Lounge overlooking Darling Harbour. What is Australia’s largest five-star hotel and size and scale (a takeover of the former…

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Producer Julian Ramundi on The Inspection, real estate and Old 505’s Fresh Works

With the prospect owning your own home as distant as one of Saturn’s moons, it seems the majority of Sydney is content with living in a rented apartment/house nowadays. Such living arrangements spurred a production of The Inspection, starring NIDA alumni Julia Christensen premiering at Sydney’s Old 505 Theatre tonight. The producer for the show Julian…

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Book Review: Johnny Marr’s Set The Boy Free is an honest & fun look at the energetic life of the former Smiths guitarist and quintessential English gentleman

Here’s Johnny! For years Johnny Marr has created great music and influenced multiple generations of guitarists by wearing various musical hats. Set The Boy Free is the first time the former guitarist of The Smiths has committed the story of his life to paper. This book is a cracking read and it proves that Marr…

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Book Review: Brian Jay Jones’ George Lucas, A Life (2016) does justice to the creator of Star Wars

Following on from documenting the life of the great Jim Henson, author Brian Jay Jones has given us another comprehensive biography, (and international best seller), this time of Star Wars creator George Lucas in George Lucas, A Life. George Lucas, A Life opens in March 1976 with Lucas having a tough time filming in Tunisia…

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Caltex stores around Sydney have installed Oak Chocolate Milk slurpee machines

Standard slurpees be gone, some genius has finally realised the ultimate summer fantasy and combined chocolate milk with everyone’s favourite icy cold service station drink. Famous Newcastle born flavoured milk brand Oaks has now taken on a new life as frozen chocolate milk machines have been spotted in various – and seemingly random – Caltex…

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The top places and events to celebrate Australia Day 2017

Whether you want to eat or party your way through Australia Day, we’ve sought out some of our favourite events across the country (mainly Sydney and Melbourne) for you. Our official national day of celebration comes around this Thursday, but the various events around the country extend far beyond that, from Australia Day Eve (Wednesday)…

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Beach Clubs and Hermitude: Australian Open of Surfing to bring the heat to Manly Beach (Sydney)

The make summer a bit more bearable in Sydney the 2017 Australian Open of Surfing are giving people a pretty damn good reason to head down to Manly Beach in the last days of summer. The program of free live music, food and drink they have planned alongside parties and big names of surf, skateboarding…

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Huge lineup revaled as the BlenheimFest returns to the Clare Valley in April

South Australia is spurring on the momentum surrounding the wealth of events happening out in their wine regions – you don’t just head out to McLaren Vale, the Barossa and Adelaide Hills and the Clare Valley for hens days and weddings anymore, oh no. Now, vineyards and the gorgeous surrounds of South Australian farms are becoming…

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Win a double pass to Raggamuffin All Stars in Sydney and Melbourne

One World Entertainment are thrilled to announce Raggamuffin All Stars featuring Grammy winning superstar Shaggy, break out New Zealand sensations SIX60, The world’s premier reggae group performing the hits of Bob Marley – The Wailers featuring reggae star Julian Marley, reggae legends Morgan Heritage own House Of Shem. The all-star line-up of reggae royalty will…

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Courtney Barnett joins Bluesfest’s Easter Thursday line up

Following on from the announcement that Courtney Barnett will be performing her only scheduled theatre show for the year in support of Patti Smith and Her Band in Melbourne, Bluesfest has now revealed that the Melbourne songwriter and performer will be heading to Byron Bay for a special festival show on Easter Thursday this year. 2016 was…

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The Shins reveal “Name For You” from new album, Heartworms

Few indie-rock bands can stick it out for over a decade and remain as prevalent and charming as they were at the beginning. The Shins are proving themselves to be one of those bands. Maybe you’re like myself and nod fondly to the day your adolescent ears first let James Mercer’s sunny vocals teach you…

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The Living End’s Andy Strachan on Shift and life on the road

As a long-time fan of The Living End it was with great delight that I had the chance to have a chat with drummer-extraordinaire, Andy Strachan, about their seventh album, Shift, life on the road, and the fear of Meatloafing. Firstly, congratulations on the latest album; it’s a killer, I think. Thank you, that’s good…

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Sydney Festival Review: Opera Australia’s King Roger takes you (quite literally) inside the conflicted mind of the King

King Roger, or Krol Roger, is a rarely performed Polish opera that takes you inside the conflicted mind of the King as he battles with the seduction of a hedonistic Shepard/God. And by “takes you inside” it means quite literally, for the main stage is a giant head- the hollowed back forming stairs and platforms…

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Win a double pass to see Fairly Lucid Productions theatre production of Member in Sydney

In the 1980s, Sydney gangs found a new blood sport – hunting gays. From February 21st to March 4th , Fairly Lucid Productions will present the gripping production, Member, a powerful look into the gay hate crime epidemic that blighted Sydney’s coastline during the 1980s and 1990s. Member follows the story of former gang member,…

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Three fine dining chefs team up to open Burger Head in Penrith (Sydney)

Take chefs who’ve earned their individual chops at the likes of Momofuku Seiobo, Quay and Master and put them all in the kitchen together. You’d expect greatness right? Right. By all accounts that’s what you’ll find at their collective Penrith venture, Burger Head. Yep, you may have guessed from the name that this is yet…

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William Grant & Sons appoint their 100th ambassador

As part of their international spirits ambassador programme, luxury spirits company William Grant & Sons have selected Australian award-winning bartender Richard Blanchard as their 100th ambassador. Appointed as the Glenfiddich Ambassador after working for the brand as a “whisky specialist” for the past three years, Blanchard will be responsible for growing the iconic single-malt Scotch…

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Grange Road Egg Shop opens in Toorak (Melbourne)

An upbeat and bright breakfast & brunch venue has recently arrived in Toorak from the same team behind Denis the Menace and St Edmonds. Grange Road Egg Shop is the name, and with a menu designed by Aleksander Nitecki (best known for his work at Yotam Ottolenghi) it’s bringing something playful and inventive to the…

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New owners reimagine St Kilda’s Pizza E Birra as a seafood and pizza bar (Melbourne)

New owners have seen a few changes going down at St Kilda favourite Pizza E Birra, with the restaurant now fashioned as Melbourne’s very first pizza and seafood bar. “We are thrilled with the opportunity to take over such an iconic venue and to continue the wonderful tradition of quality wood-fired pizza and beer”, said…

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Sydney Festival Review: Take an immersive trip into the Amazon jungle with The Encounter (Performances until 28 January)

Picture yourself at the edge of a rainforest, standing in the sun, eager to embark on a trek. Signs point you towards the path and provide helpful information about the journey soon to be undertaken. As you progress down the track, the canopy begins to close over you. New sounds emerge to drown out the…

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Review: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds deliver a powerful set as Skeleton Tree makes its Sydney debut

Marking the band’s first live appearances since 2014, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds hit the road earlier this month on an extensive tour of Australia and New Zealand, off the back of their sixteenth studio record, Skeleton Tree. Tonight this landed them in Sydney for the first of two shows at the ICC Sydney…

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‘Occupy Kings Cross’ movement spurred on by cancellation of Keep Sydney Open rally

The Keep Sydney Open rally originally scheduled to be commencing tomorrow (complete with Flight Facilities DJing) in Kings Cross has been cancelled by the NSW Government and the Police Commissioner – in the wake of Mike Baird‘s resigning from his role this week, it would have been a perfect time to hit the streets and protest the crippling…

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The Great Escape announces convention themes for 2017 event

With The Great Escape only a few months away from kicking off in Brighton for another year, more information surrounding the event’s conference branch have emerged. The 2017 convention will be taking place across two venues over two days, with discussions and panel sessions focusing on music media, music exporting, royalties and the impact of drugs…

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Exclusive Music Video Premiere: Bearfoot “Could Be Worse” (2017)

It’s Friday, we all are craving another weekend of chilling out in the sunshine (while it lasts) and to take us into it is a sweet little cut of roots/reggae, courtesy of the Sunshine Coast’s Bearfoot. The music video for their latest cut, “Could Be Worse”, is here ahead some unmissable shows in February and March…

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Amanda Palmer talks Nick Cave, the role of ‘the entertainer’ and the liberating nature of Patreon

Amanda Palmer. Always honest, never one to shy away from the provocative or the controversial, the artist has always been about sharing her truth and constructing an artistic environment that not only encourages creativity and eclecticism, but pushes boundaries. Currently in Australia for a run of shows that have seen her take to festival and…

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Exclusive Music Video Premiere: Wallace “Raffled Roses” (2017)

Wallace was one of those voices we heard in 2016, snapped our heads back round and mused, ‘Where did she come from?!’. Luckily, she is most definitely here to stay. The FBi SMAC Award nominee was the third most played artist on triple j Unearthed last year, now has a lucrative publishing deal with Mushroom Music…

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Music Video of the Day: Northlane “Intuition” (2017)

Are you still coming down from UNIFY 2017? To keep the vibes from the festival pulsating that little bit longer, Northlane have dropped a new video for their track “Intuition”, a song the group premiered during their show. The video, filmed by Jason Eshragian encapsulates the band’s energy and the bond they clearly share with their crowd, regardless of the environment….

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Courtney Barnett to support Patti Smith at her final Australian show in Melbourne

Huge one for Courtney Barnett fans – your girl is set to support the iconic Patti Smith and her band at her final Australian date in Melbourne in April. Smith and her band will be in the country for a long-awaited tour including some unmissable Bluesfest festival shows – all shows of which have completely sold out….

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